Autologous ilium graft combination with titanium plate for sternal reconstruction: A case report / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#The sternum is the pivotal component of the thoracic cavity. It is connected with the clavicle and ribs on the upper part and both sides respectively, and plays an important role in protecting the stability of the chest wall. Sternal resection usually results in a large segmental chest wall defect that causes the chest wall to float and requires sternal reconstruction. This paper reports a 62 years male patient with thymic squamous cell carcinoma with sternal metastasis, who underwent thymotomy, sternal tumor resection and autologous lilum graft combined with sternal reconstruction by titanium plate after relevant examination was completed and surgical contraindications were eliminated. The patient was followed up for 6 months, the respiratory and motor functions were normal and the thoracic appearance was good.

Effects of intermittent soccer training on physical endurance in university students / Efeitos do treinamento intermitente com futebol sobre a resistência física de estudantes universitárias / Efectos del entrenamiento intermitente de fútbol en la resistencia física de estudiantes universitarias

ABSTRACT Introduction: The development of modern science and technology has led young people to a continuous decline in physical activity, negatively impacting the quality of cardiopulmonary endurance in college students. It is believed that the emerging need to strengthen physical endurance training can be met through sports. Progressive soccer training is a practice of interest due to its recreational and sporting effects. Objective: Study the effect of intermittent soccer training on the physical endurance of female college students. Methods: 12 classes of young women participated in soccer training lasting two hours, twice a week, according to the organization of the optional school soccer course. During the experiment, the intermittent training mode was selected and the combination of soccer walking and running was adopted for impact analysis. Results: The research showed that in the first 6 weeks, the changing trend of cardiopulmonary endurance of female college students was not different from that before the experiment, but there was a slight optimization phenomenon. After the experiment, the cardiopulmonary endurance of female college students was significantly improved. Conclusion: Intermittent soccer training for female college students can significantly improve their cardiorespiratory endurance and enhance their sports performance. It is an important tool for optimizing college students' physical functions and healthy growth. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.

RESUMO Introdução: desenvolvimento da ciência e tecnologia modernas tem levado os jovens ao declínio contínuo da atividade física, impactando negativamente sobre a qualidade de resistência cardiopulmonar das estudantes universitárias. Acredita-se que a necessidade emergente de fortalecer o treinamento de resistência física possa ser suprida através do esporte. O treinamento progressivo de futebol é uma prática de interesse devido aos seus efeitos lúdicos e esportivos. Objetivo: Estudar o efeito do treinamento intermitente de futebol sobre a resistência física das estudantes universitárias. Métodos: 12 classes de jovens participaram do treinamento de futebol com duração de duas horas, no período de duas vezes por semana, de acordo com a organização do curso optativo de futebol escolar. Durante o experimento, o modo de treinamento intermitente foi selecionado e a combinação de marcha e corrida de futebol foi adotada para análise do impacto. Resultados: Os resultados da pesquisa mostraram que nas primeiras 6 semanas, a tendência de mudança de resistência cardiopulmonar das estudantes universitárias não era diferente da anterior à experiência, mas havia um leve fenômeno de otimização. Após o experimento, a resistência cardiopulmonar das estudantes universitárias foi significativamente aprimorada. Conclusão: O treinamento intermitente de futebol para estudantes universitárias pode aperfeiçoar significativamente sua resistência cardiorrespiratória e melhorar seu desempenho esportivo, sendo uma importante ferramenta para otimização das funções físicas e o crescimento saudável das estudantes universitárias. Nível de evidência II; Estudos terapêuticos - investigação dos resultados do tratamento.

RESUMEN Introducción: El desarrollo de la ciencia y la tecnología modernas ha llevado a los jóvenes a una disminución continua de la actividad física, lo que repercute negativamente en la calidad de la resistencia cardiopulmonar de los estudiantes universitarios. Se cree que la necesidad emergente de reforzar el entrenamiento de la resistencia física puede satisfacerse a través del deporte. El entrenamiento progresivo en fútbol es una práctica de interés por sus efectos lúdicos y deportivos. Objetivo: Estudiar el efecto del entrenamiento intermitente con fútbol sobre la resistencia física de estudiantes universitarias. Métodos: 12 clases de mujeres jóvenes participaron en entrenamientos de fútbol de dos horas de duración, dos veces por semana, según la organización del curso de fútbol escolar optativo. Durante el experimento, se seleccionó el modo de entrenamiento intermitente y se adoptó la combinación de fútbol caminando y corriendo para el análisis del impacto. Resultados: Los resultados de la investigación mostraron que en las primeras 6 semanas, la tendencia de cambio de la resistencia cardiopulmonar de las estudiantes universitarias no era diferente de la de antes del experimento, pero había un ligero fenómeno de optimización. Después del experimento, la resistencia cardiopulmonar de las estudiantes universitarias mejoró significativamente. Conclusión: El entrenamiento intermitente de fútbol para estudiantes universitarias puede mejorar significativamente su resistencia cardiorrespiratoria y mejorar su rendimiento deportivo, y es una herramienta importante para optimizar las funciones físicas y el crecimiento saludable de las estudiantes universitarias. Nivel de evidencia II; Estudios terapéuticos - investigación de los resultados del tratamiento.

Risk factors of restenosis after dilation of anastomotic stenosis in patients with esophageal cancer surgery / 中华全科医师杂志

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of restenosis after dilation of anastomotic stenosis in patients with esophageal cancer surgery.Methods:Clinical data of 997 patients who underwent endoscopic dilation due to anastomotic stenosis after esophageal cancer radical surgery in the Affiliated Huai′an First Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from June 2015 to July 2021, were retrospectively analyzed. There were 486 cases receiving single dilation (single dilation group) and 511 cases receiving more than two dilations (multiple dilation group). The risk factors of restenosis were explored using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results:There were 682 males and 315 females with a median age of 65 years, the median distance between the stenosis and incisor was 20 (20, 22) cm, the median stenosis diameter was 4 (3, 5) mm, and the median stenosis diameter after dilation was 11 (11, 13) mm. Univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in the distance of the stenosis and incisor ( Z=-2.303, P<0.05), stenosis diameter ( Z=-4.637, P<0.05) and stenosis diameter after dilation ( Z=-5.773, P<0.05) between single and multiple dilation groups. Stratified multivariate logistic regression showed that for male patients, risk of multiple dilations dropped by approximately 3% for every 1-mm increase in the distance between the stenosis and incisor ( OR=0.97, 95% CI:0.93-1.00, P=0.047); the risk of multiple dilations decreased by about 15%, for every 1-mm increase in stenosis diameter ( OR=0.85, 95% CI:0.76-0.94, P=0.004); the risk of multiple dilations decreased by about 13% for every 1-mm increase in stenosis diameter after dilation ( OR=0.87, 95% CI:0.78-0.96, P=0.007). For females patients under 60 years old, the risk of multiple dilations decreased by about 31%, for every 1-mm increase in stenosis diameter after dilation ( OR=0.69, 95% CI:0.47-0.98, P=0.049); for female patients≥60 years old, the risk decreased by about 5%, for every 1-year increase in age ( OR=0.95, 95% CI:0.91-1.00, P=0.037), risk of multiple dilations dropped by 17%( OR=0.83, 95% CI:0.70-0.99, P=0.039) for every 1 mm increase in stenosis diameter after dilation. Stratified smooth curve fitting indicated that the distance between the stenosis and incisor≤23 mm, stenosis diameter≤4.5 mm, stenosis diameter after dilation≤12 mm were risk factors for multiple dilations. Conclusions:The study indicates that patients with the distance between the stenosis and incisor≤23 mm, stenosis diameter≤4.5 mm, stenosis diameter after dilation≤12 mm may need multiple dilations; and the first dilation should expand the stenosis diameter to 12 mm or above as far as possible to reduce the risk of restenosis in patients receiving esophageal cancer radical surgery.

RBMS3 Expression and Its Correlation with Clinicopathological Features and Prognosis of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectiveTo investigate the expression of RNA binding motif single stranded interacting protein 3 （RBMS3） in epithelial ovarian cancer （EOC） tissues and its relationship with the clinicopathological features and prognosis of EOC. MethodsThe study enrolled the paraffin-embedded tissues from 110 EOC cases and 73 benign epithelial ovarian tumor cases pathologically diagnosed in the first affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College from January 2015 to December 2019. By using anti-RBMS3 polyclonal antibody， the immunohistochemical staining was employed to detect RBMS3 expression in the tissues and then its correlation with the clinicopathological parameters and prognosis of EOC was analyzed. ResultsRBMS3 was expressed in both EOC and benign epithelial ovarian tumor tissues. RBMS3 expression in EOC tissues， significantly related with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics （FIGO） stage， histological grade， CEA levels and survival status， was significantly lower than that in benign epithelial ovarian tumor tissues （P<0.05）. Kaplan–Meier survival curve showed that low RBMS3 expression in EOC patients was correlated with decreased progression-free survival （PFS） and overall survival （OS） （P<0.05）. Univariate analysis showed that RBMS3 expression， FIGO stage， residual lesion size， intestinal metastasis and intraperitoneal implantation were associated with OS of EOC patients （P<0.05）； multivariate analysis showed that low RBMS3 expression and intestinal metastasis were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in EOC patients （P<0.05）. ConclusionsRBMS3 is expressed at low levels in EOC tissues， which is closely related to poor prognosis of EOC patients. RBMS3 may function as a tumor suppressor gene in EOC tissues and can be used as an EOC-independent prognostic marker for targeted therapy against EOC.

Hepatoprotective activity of cis-(trans)-emodin-emodin dianthrone from Polygonum multiflorum Thunb / 药学学报

The cis-emodin-emodin dianthrone (compound 1) and trans-emodin-emodin dianthrone (compound 2) were extracted from Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. The protective effect and mechanism of compound 1 and compound 2 (emodin-emodin dianthrones) on acute liver injury induced by concanavalin A (ConA) in ICR mice was first investigated. The results indicated that emodin-emodin dianthrones at 1 mg·kg-1 significantly reduced serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level (P < 0.05). Emodin-emodin dianthrones also improved liver histopathological damage in liver-injured mice. The level of Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) mRNA in liver was significantly reduced by 1 mg·kg-1 of emodin-emodin dianthrones, while the level of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) mRNA expression was significantly increased (P < 0.05). The protective activity of compounds 1 and 2 against hepatocyte injury was further evaluated by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced hepatocyte injury. Compounds 1 and 2 significantly inhibited H2O2-induced hepatocyte injury and reduced the levels of ALT, AST, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in cell culture. Compounds 1 and 2 also significantly improved the cell survival rate and decreased H2O2-induced oxidative stress in hepatocytes. Compound 1 (0.5 µmol·L-1) significantly increased the enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in hepatocytes (P < 0.01), and 0.5 µmol·L-1 of compound 2 significantly decreased the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), increased SOD enzyme activity, and glutathione (GSH) content (P < 0.01). Compounds 1 and 2 at 0.5 µmol·L-1 also inhibited hepatocyte apoptosis by increasing the protein expression ratio of Bcl-2/Bax (P < 0.05) and decreasing the protein expression ratio of cleaved caspase-3 and pro caspase-3 (P < 0.05). This study indicates that the emodin-emodin dianthrones from Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. have liver-protective activity. Compounds 1 and 2 exerted hepatoprotective effects by inhibiting apoptosis and oxidative stress. The study provides an important material basis for the hepatoprotective effect of commonly used amounts of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb.

Research progress of anti-acute marrow leukemia drugs by targeting FLT3 / 药学学报

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a genetic heterogeneous disease in which primordial and juvenile myeloid cells proliferate or accumulate abnormally in bone marrow, peripheral blood and other tissues, resulting in damage to normal hematopoietic function. Studies have shown that about 30% of AML patients have FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3), FLT3 abnormal regulation is closely related to the occurrence and development of AML. At present, FLT3 has become an important target for developing small molecular targeted drugs. Currently, a variety of FLT3 inhibitors and FLT3 degraders have been developed targeting FLT3, and some compounds have exhibited good anti-AML activity. This article summarizes and sorts out the current mainstream drugs for AML therapeutic targeting FLT3, in order to provide a reference for the development and design of AML drugs.

Efficacy of perioperative use of tigecycline in preventing infection and incidence of hypofibrinogenemia in liver transplant recipients / 器官移植

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of perioperative use of tigecycline in preventing infection and the incidence of hypofibrinogenemia in liver transplant recipients. Methods Clinical data of 40 liver transplant recipients given with tigecycline to prevent infection were retrospectively analyzed. The incidence of infection in recipients and donor-derived infection were analyzed. The changes of clinical indexes in recipients during, upon the completion and (7±2) d after tigecycline treatment were analyzed, respectively. The incidence and treatment of hypofibrinogenemia were summarized. Results Among 40 liver transplant recipients, 2 cases were infected by aspergillus niger and cytomegalovirus, out of the antibacterial spectrum of tigecycline. After adjusting the anti-infection regimen, the infection was properly controlled. Liver allografts were positive for relevant culture in 9 cases, whereas none of them progressed into donor-derived infection. Approximately at postoperative 2 weeks, all 40 recipients restored liver function and were discharged from hospital. Among them, 6 recipients developed hypofibrinogenemia complicated with coagulation disorder at postoperative 2-4 d, whereas transaminase level, bilirubin level and infection-related indexes were gradually decreased after liver transplantation, and albumin level was stable. After supplemented with human fibrinogen and prothrombin complex, coagulation function was improved, but fibrinogen level persistently declined. After terminating use of tigecycline, fibrinogen level was gradually restored to normal range, which might be an adverse drug reaction induced by tigecycline. Conclusions Perioperative anti-infection regimen including tigecycline may reduce the incidence of infection caused by sensitive bacteria in liver transplant recipients. Nevertheless, the incidence of hypofibrinogenemia should be intimately monitored throughout the use of tigecycline.

Research and Design of Calibration Device for Medical Test Lung / 中国医疗器械杂志

In order to solve the problems of quality control and traceability of medical test lung for meeting the calibration conditions of JJF 1234-2018 Calibration Specification for Ventilators, the calibration device and method are researched for compliance and airway resistance of medical test lung in this paper. A calibration device for medical test lung is designed using constant volume active piston technology to simulate human breathing. Through comparison experiment, the deviation between this device and the similar foreign device can be found. The deviation is lower than 0.4% for lung compliance and lower than 0.7% for airway resistance. The calibration of lung compliance and airway resistance can be completed by this device. This device has a clear and complete traceability path to ensure quality control from the source. The calibration of ventilator is improved. This paper provides a reference for related metrology departments and medical institutions to study on quality inspection of respiratory medical instruments.

The effect of PLK1 inhibitor in osimertinib resistant non-small cell lung carcinoma cells / 浙江大学学报·医学版

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the effects of PLK1 inhibitors on osimertinib-resistant non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cells and the anti-tumor effect combined with osimertinib.@*METHODS@#An osimertinib resistant NCI-H1975 cell line was induced by exposure to gradually increasing drug concentrations. Osimertinib-resistant cells were co-treated with compounds from classical tumor pathway inhibitor library and osimertinib to screen for compounds with synergistic effects with osimertinib. The Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was used to investigate the activated signaling pathways in osimertinib-resistant cells; sulforhodamine B (SRB) staining was used to investigate the effect of PLK1 inhibitors on osimertinib-resistant cells and the synergistic effect of PLK1 inhibitors combined with osimertinib.@*RESULTS@#Osimertinib-resistance in NCI-H1975 cell (resistance index=43.45) was successfully established. The PLK1 inhibitors GSK 461364 and BI 2536 had synergistic effect with osimertinib. Compared with osimertinib-sensitive cells, PLK1 regulatory pathway and cell cycle pathway were significantly activated in osimertinib-resistant cells. In NSCLC patients with epidermal growth factor receptor mutations treated with osimertinib, PLK1 mRNA levels were negatively correlated with progression free survival of patients (R=－0.62, P<0.05), indicating that excessive activation of PLK1 in NSCLC cells may cause cell resistant to osimertinib. Further in vitro experiments showed that IC50 of PLK1 inhibitors BI 6727 and GSK 461364 in osimertinib-resistant cells were lower than those in sensitive ones. Compared with the mono treatment of osimertinib, PLK1 inhibitors combined with osimertinib behaved significantly stronger effect on the proliferation of osimertinib-resistant cells.@*CONCLUSIONS@#PLK1 inhibitors have a synergistic effect with osimertinib on osimertinib-resistant NSCLC cells which indicates that they may have potential clinical value in the treatment of NSCLC patients with osimertinib resistance.

Deubiquitinating enzyme JOSD2 affects susceptibility of non-small cell lung carcinoma cells to anti-cancer drugs through DNA damage repair / 浙江大学学报·医学版

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the effects and mechanisms of deubiquitinating enzyme Josephin domain containing 2 (JOSD2) on susceptibility of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cells to anti-cancer drugs.@*METHODS@#The transcriptome expression and clinical data of NSCLC were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus. Principal component analysis and limma analysis were used to investigate the deubiquitinating enzymes up-regulated in NSCLC tissues. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to investigate the relationship between the expression of deubiquitinating enzymes and overall survival of NSCLC patients. Gene ontology enrichment and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were used to analyze the activation of signaling pathways in NSCLC patients with high expression of JOSD2. Gene set variation analysis and Pearson correlation were used to investigate the correlation between JOSD2 expression levels and DNA damage response (DDR) pathway. Western blotting was performed to examine the expression levels of JOSD2 and proteins associated with the DDR pathway. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the localization of JOSD2. Sulforhodamine B staining was used to examine the sensitivity of JOSD2-knock-down NSCLC cells to DNA damaging drugs.@*RESULTS@#Compared with adjacent tissues, the expression level of JOSD2 was significantly up-regulated in NSCLC tissues (P<0.05), and was significantly correlated with the prognosis in NSCLC patients (P<0.05). Compared with the tissues with low expression of JOSD2, the DDR-related pathways were significantly upregulated in NSCLC tissues with high expression of JOSD2 (all P<0.05). In addition, the expression of JOSD2 was positively correlated with the activation of DDR-related pathways (all P<0.01). Compared with the control group, overexpression of JOSD2 significantly promoted the DDR in NSCLC cells. In addition, DNA damaging agents significantly increase the nuclear localization of JOSD2, whereas depletion of JOSD2 significantly enhanced the sensitivity of NSCLC cells to DNA damaging agents (all P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Deubiquitinating enzyme JOSD2 may regulate the malignant progression of NSCLC by promoting DNA damage repair pathway, and depletion of JOSD2 significantly enhances the sensitivity of NSCLC cells to DNA damaging agents.

Research status of Bovis Calculus and relevant Chinese patent medicines based on bibliometric analysis / 中国中药杂志

With scarce resources, natural Bovis Calculus is expensive and hard to meet clinical demand. At the moment, four kinds of Bovis Calculus are available on the market: the natural product, in vitro cultured product, synthesized product, and the product formed in cow after manual intervention. In this study, papers on the four kinds of Bovis Calculus products and relevant Chinese patent medicines were searched from Web of Science, PubMed, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI). CiteSpace, citexs AI, and CNKI were employed for bibliometric analysis and knowledge map analysis. On this basis, the status, trend, and focuses of research on Bovis Calculus and relevant Chinese patent medicines were summarized. The results suggested overall slow development in the research on Bovis Calculus and relevant Chinese patent medicines with three typical growth stages. It is consistent with the development of Bovis Calculus substitutes and the national policy for the development of traditional Chinese medicine. At the moment, the research on Bovis Calculus and relevant Chinese patent medicines has been on the rise. In recent years, there has been an explosion of research on them, particularly the quality control of Bovis Calculus and the Chinese patent medicines, the pharmacological efficacy of Chinese patent medicines, such as Angong Niuhuang Pills, and the comparison of the quality of various Bovis Calculus products. However, there is a paucity of research on the pharmacological efficacy and the mechanism of Bovis Calculus. This medicinal and the relevant Chinese patent medicines have been studied from diverse perspectives and China becomes outstanding in this research field. However, it is still necessary to reveal the chemical composition, pharmacological efficacy, and mechanism through multi-dimensional deep research.

Role of NLRP3 Inflammasome in Bone and Joint Diseases and Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Nucleotide binding oligomeric dome-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） inflammasome is an intracellular sensing protein complex， and it is an important player in the innate immune system， capable of sensing foreign pathogens and endogenous danger signals. After tissue injury， the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome induces the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin （IL）-1β and IL-18， while promoting gasdermin D-mediated pyroptosis. Existing studies have shown that NLRP3 inflammasome plays a key role in the occurrence and development of common bone and joint diseases such as osteoporosis， osteoarthritis， rheumatoid arthritis， and gouty arthritis by inducing inflammatory cascade reaction and accelerating bone resorption and cartilage destruction. Therefore， blocking the NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway may be an effective strategy to treat or prevent bone and joint diseases. Currently， researchers have developed and tested several drugs that selectively target the NLRP3 inflammasome in animal and clinical studies， but the progress has been poor due to obvious side effects and high prices. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has been widely recognized in the treatment of bone and joint diseases due to its unique advantages of multi-target， multi-pathway， multi-mechanism synergism， low price， and low side effects. With the deepening of research， the targeted intervention of NLRP3 inflammasome by TCM in the treatment of bone and joint diseases has attracted wide attention. In this paper， the mechanism of NLRP3 inflammasome in osteoarthritis was summarized by analyzing relevant literature in China and abroad in recent years， and the progress of targeted intervention of NLRP3 inflammasome by TCM in the treatment of bone and joint diseases was systematically reviewed， so as to provide new ideas and theoretical basis for the treatment of bone and joint diseases.

Similarities and differences of myocardial metabolic characteristics between HFpEF and HFrEF mice based on LC-MS/MS metabolomics / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To reveal the similarities and differences in myocardial metabolic characteristics between heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) mice using metabolomics. Methods: The experimental mice were divided into 4 groups, including control, HFpEF, sham and HFrEF groups (10 mice in each group). High fat diet and Nω-nitroarginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME) were applied to construct a"two-hit"HFpEF mouse model. Transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery was used to construct the HFrEF mouse model. The differential expression of metabolites in the myocardium of HFpEF and HFrEF mice was detected by untargeted metabolomics (UHPLC-QE-MS). Variable importance in projection>1 and P<0.05 were used as criteria to screen and classify the differentially expressed metabolites between the mice models. KEGG functional enrichment and pathway impact analysis demonstrated significantly altered metabolic pathways in both HFpEF and HFrEF mice. Results: One hundred and nine differentially expressed metabolites were detected in HFpEF mice, and 270 differentially expressed metabolites were detected in HFrEF mice. Compared with the control group, the most significantly changed metabolite in HFpEF mice was glycerophospholipids, while HFrEF mice presented with the largest proportion of carboxylic acids and their derivatives. KEGG enrichment and pathway impact analysis showed that the differentially expressed metabolites in HFpEF mice were mainly enriched in pathways such as biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, ether lipid metabolism, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism and arginine and proline metabolism. The differentially expressed metabolites in HFrEF mice were mainly enriched in arginine and proline metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, glycerophospholipid metabolism, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism and arachidonic acid metabolism, etc. Conclusions: HFpEF mice have a significantly different myocardial metabolite expression profile compared with HFrEF mice. In addition, biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, arachidonic acid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism and arginine and proline metabolism are significantly altered in both HFpEF and HFrEF mice, suggesting that these metabolic pathways may play an important role in disease progression in both types of heart failure.

Outcome of surgical repair for aortic coarctation with coexisting descending aortic aneurysm in adult patients / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of surgical treatment of aortic coarctation combined with descending aortic aneurysm in adult patients. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. Adult patients with aortic coarctation who were hospitalized in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 2015 to April 2019 were enrolled. The aortic coarctation was diagnosed by aortic CT angiography, and the included patients were divided into the combined descending aortic aneurysm group and the uncomplicated descending aortic aneurysm group based on descending aortic diameter. General clinical data and surgery-related data were collected from the included patients, and death and complications were recorded at 30 days after surgery, and upper limb systolic blood pressure was measured in all patients at discharge. Patients were followed up after discharge by outpatient visit or telephone call for their survival and the occurrence of repeat interventions and adverse events, which included death, cerebrovascular events, transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, hypertension, postoperative restenosis, and other cardiovascular-related interventions. Results: A total of 107 patients with aortic coarctation aged (34.1±15.2) years were included, and 68 (63.6%) were males. There were 16 cases in the combined descending aortic aneurysm group and 91 cases in the uncomplicated descending aortic aneurysm group. In the combined descending aortic aneurysm group, 6 cases (6/16) underwent artificial vessel bypass, 4 cases (4/16) underwent thoracic aortic artificial vessel replacement, 4 cases (4/16) underwent aortic arch replacement+elephant trunk procedure, and 2 cases (2/16) underwent thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the choice of surgical approach (all P>0.05). In the combined descending aortic aneurysm group at 30 days after surgery, one case underwent re-thoracotomy surgery, one case developed incomplete paraplegia of the lower extremity, and one case died; and the differences in the incidence of endpoint events at 30 days after surgery were similar between the two groups (P>0.05). Systolic blood pressure in the upper extremity at discharge was significantly lower in both groups compared with the preoperative period (in the combined descending aortic aneurysm group: (127.3±16.3) mmHg vs. (140.9±16.3) mmHg, P=0.030, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa; in the uncomplicated descending aortic aneurysm group: (120.7±13.2) mmHg vs. (151.8±26.3) mmHg, P=0.001). The follow-up time was 3.5 (3.1, 4.4) years. There were no new deaths in the combined descending aortic aneurysm group, no transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction or re-thoracotomy surgery, and one patient (1/15) suffered cerebral infarction and 10 patients (10/15) were diagnosed with hypertension. The differences in the occurrence of endpoint events during postoperative follow-up were similar between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: In experienced centers, long-term prognosis of patients with aortic coarctation combined with descending aortic aneurysm is satisfactory post surgical intervention.

Simultaneous determination of eleven volatile components in Cinnamomi Oleum by GC-MS / 中国中药杂志

A gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry(GC-MS) method was established for the simultaneous determination of eleven volatile components in Cinnamomi Oleum and the chemical pattern recognition was utilized to evaluate the quality of essential oil obtained from Cinnamomi Fructus medicinal materials in various habitats. The Cinnamomi Fructus medicinal materials were treated by water distillation, analyzed using GC-MS, and detected by selective ion monitoring(SIM), and the internal standards were used for quantification. The content results of Cinnamomi Oleum from various batches were analyzed by hierarchical clustering analysis(HCA), principal component analysis(PCA), and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) for the statistic analysis. Eleven components showed good linear relationships within their respective concentration ranges(R~2>0.999 7), with average recoveries of 92.41%-102.1% and RSD of 1.2%-3.2%(n=6). The samples were classified into three categories by HCA and PCA, and 2-nonanone was screened as a marker of variability between batches in combination with OPLS-DA. This method is specific, sensitive, simple, and accurate, and the screened components can be utilized as a basis for the quality control of Cinnamomi Oleum.

Deubiquitination complex platform: A plausible mechanism for regulating the substrate specificity of deubiquitinating enzymes

Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) or deubiquitinases facilitate the escape of multiple proteins from ubiquitin‒proteasome degradation and are critical for regulating protein expression levels in vivo. Therefore, dissecting the underlying mechanism of DUB recognition is needed to advance the development of drugs related to DUB signaling pathways. To data, extensive studies on the ubiquitin chain specificity of DUBs have been reported, but substrate protein recognition is still not clearly understood. As a breakthrough, the scaffolding role may be significant to substrate protein selectivity. From this perspective, we systematically characterized the scaffolding proteins and complexes contributing to DUB substrate selectivity. Furthermore, we proposed a deubiquitination complex platform (DCP) as a potentially generic mechanism for DUB substrate recognition based on known examples, which might fill the gaps in the understanding of DUB substrate specificity.

Mevalonate improves anti-PD-1/PD-L1 efficacy by stabilizing CD274 mRNA

Mevalonate metabolism plays an important role in regulating tumor growth and progression; however, its role in immune evasion and immune checkpoint modulation remains unclear. Here, we found that non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with higher plasma mevalonate response better to anti-PD-(L)1 therapy, as indicated by prolonged progression-free survival and overall survival. Plasma mevalonate levels were positively correlated with programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression in tumor tissues. In NSCLC cell lines and patient-derived cells, supplementation of mevalonate significantly up-regulated the expression of PD-L1, whereas deprivation of mevalonate reduced PD-L1 expression. Mevalonate increased CD274 mRNA level but did not affect CD274 transcription. Further, we confirmed that mevalonate improved CD274 mRNA stability. Mevalonate promoted the affinity of the AU-rich element-binding protein HuR to the 3'-UTR regions of CD274 mRNA and thereby stabilized CD274 mRNA. By in vivo study, we further confirmed that mevalonate addition enhanced the anti-tumor effect of anti-PD-L1, increased the infiltration of CD8+ T cells, and improved cytotoxic function of T cells. Collectively, our findings discovered plasma mevalonate levels positively correlated with the therapeutic efficacy of anti-PD-(L)1 antibody, and provided the evidence that mevalonate supplementation could be an immunosensitizer in NSCLC.

The dichotomous role of immunoproteasome in cancer: Friend or foe?

Immunoproteasome is a variant of proteasome with structural differences in 20S subunits optimizing them for the production of antigenic peptides with higher binding affinity to major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-I molecules. Apart from this primary function in antigen presentation, immunoproteasome is also responsible for the degradation of proteins, both unfolded proteins for the maintenance of protein homeostasis and tumor suppressor proteins contributing to tumor progression. The altered expression of immunoproteasome is frequently observed in cancers; however, its expression levels and effects vary among different cancer types exhibiting antagonistic roles in tumor development. This review focuses on the dichotomous role of immunoproteasome in different cancer types, as well as summarizes the current progression in immunoproteasome activators and inhibitors. Specifically targeting immunoproteasome may be a beneficial therapeutic intervention in cancer treatment and understanding the role of immunoproteasome in cancers will provide a significant therapeutic insight for the prevention and treatment of cancers.

AKT inhibitor Hu7691 induces differentiation of neuroblastoma cells

While neuroblastoma accounts for 15% of childhood tumor-related deaths, treatments against neuroblastoma remain scarce and mainly consist of cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drugs. Currently, maintenance therapy of differentiation induction is the standard of care for neuroblastoma patients in clinical, especially high-risk patients. However, differentiation therapy is not used as a first-line treatment for neuroblastoma due to low efficacy, unclear mechanism, and few drug options. Through compound library screening, we accidently found the potential differentiation-inducing effect of AKT inhibitor Hu7691. The protein kinase B (AKT) pathway is an important signaling pathway for regulating tumorigenesis and neural differentiation, yet the relation between the AKT pathway and neuroblastoma differentiation remains unclear. Here, we reveal the anti-proliferation and neurogenesis effect of Hu7691 on multiple neuroblastoma cell lines. Further evidence including neurites outgrowth, cell cycle arrest, and differentiation mRNA marker clarified the differentiation-inducing effect of Hu7691. Meanwhile, with the introduction of other AKT inhibitors, it is now clear that multiple AKT inhibitors can induce neuroblastoma differentiation. Furthermore, silencing AKT was found to have the effect of inducing neuroblastoma differentiation. Finally, confirmation of the therapeutic effects of Hu7691 is dependent on inducing differentiation in vivo, suggesting that Hu7691 is a potential molecule against neuroblastoma. Through this study, we not only define the key role of AKT in the progression of neuroblastoma differentiation but also provide potential drugs and key targets for the application of differentiation therapies for neuroblastoma clinically.

The impact of lipids on the cancer-immunity cycle and strategies for modulating lipid metabolism to improve cancer immunotherapy

Lipids have been found to modulate tumor biology, including proliferation, survival, and metastasis. With the new understanding of tumor immune escape that has developed in recent years, the influence of lipids on the cancer-immunity cycle has also been gradually discovered. First, regarding antigen presentation, cholesterol prevents tumor antigens from being identified by antigen presenting cells. Fatty acids reduce the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I and costimulatory factors in dendritic cells, impairing antigen presentation to T cells. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) reduce the accumulation of tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells. Regarding T-cell priming and activation, cholesterol destroys the structure of the T-cell receptor and reduces immunodetection. In contrast, cholesterol also promotes T-cell receptor clustering and relative signal transduction. PGE2 represses T-cell proliferation. Finally, regarding T-cell killing of cancer cells, PGE2 and cholesterol weaken granule-dependent cytotoxicity. Moreover, fatty acids, cholesterol, and PGE2 can improve the activity of immunosuppressive cells, increase the expression of immune checkpoints and promote the secretion of immunosuppressive cytokines. Given the regulatory role of lipids in the cancer-immunity cycle, drugs that modulate fatty acids, cholesterol and PGE2 have been envisioned as effective way in restoring antitumor immunity and synergizing with immunotherapy. These strategies have been studied in both preclinical and clinical studies.