Mechanism of Alisma plantago-aquatica Linn. improving chronic glomerulonephritis based on network pharmacology and experimental verification / 药学学报

This study aims to explore the improvement and the mechanism of the Alisma plantago-aquatica Linn. (ApL) on chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN). All animal experiments were followed the regulation of the Experimental Animal Ethical Committee of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. CGN mouse model was established by a single tail-vein injection of doxorubicin (Dox) (20 mg·kg-1). One week after Dox administration, the mice received water extract of ApL (85 and 255 mg·kg-1) by gavage once a day for 14 days. At the end of experiment, the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), serum albumin (ALB), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (SCr) were detected, kidney histopathological H&E staining was analyzed. Active ingredients and action targets of ApL were collected from TCMSP database, and CGN-related targets were obtained from Genecards database. STRING platform was employed to perform protein-protein interaction (PPI), and Metascape platform was used for KEGG pathway and GO enrichment analysis. The results of experiments demonstrated that ApL (85 and 255 mg·kg-1) could reduce the ACR and the content of SCr and BUN, and increase the content of ALB in mice. Network pharmacology results predicted that nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB)-related pathway and biological process of oxidoreductase activity regulation may be involved in the ApL-provided amelioration on CGN. The verification results showed that ApL could inhibit the activation of NF-κB and the expression of inflammatory factors in mice, and reduce the activity of renal myeloperoxidase (MPO). Meanwhile, ApL promoted the activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and increased the expression of its downstream gene mRNA, and reduced the level of renal malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), and further elevated renal glutathione (GSH) level. Based on network pharmacology combined experiments, this study found that ApL may improve CGN in mice through multiple targets and multiple pathways, in which the inhibition of NF-κB signaling and the activation of Nrf2 signaling may be important mechanisms involved.

Identification of SARS-CoV-2 through combined 2nd and 3rd generation sequencing technology / 中国人兽共患病学报

To rapidly and accurately identify novel SARS-CoV-2 variants,we used combined 2nd and 3rd generation sequen-cing technology to sequence and analyze the viral genomes of two specimens from SARS-CoV-2 infection cases imported into Fujian Province.Nanopore and Illumina techniques were used to perform whole genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2.A pangolin system was used to determine the virus type.Evolutionary analysis software was used to construct the phylogenetic tree.Next-clade was used to analyze the whole genome variation,and estimate ACE2 receptor affinity and immune escape ability.Two complete genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 were obtained from respiratory specimens from the two cases,with lengths of 29 665 bp and 29 682 bp.The average genome coverage were＞99.0％,and the virus typing results all indicated Omicron BQ.1 lineage.Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the two viruses were located in the same cluster of the Omicron BQ.1 line-age.On the basis of these findings and epidemiological data,we speculated that the two cases might have originated from the same infection.Variation analysis indicated that the two viruses shared all 77 mutation sites;except for S:A27S and S:24-26del,all were characteristic mutation sites of the BQ.1 lineage.The predicted ACE2 receptor affinity and immune escape abili-ty scores of the two viruses were both＞0.6,thus suggesting significant changes in their biological characteristics and requiring continuous monitoring and warning.The combined 2nd and 3rd generation sequencing technology was successfully applied to i-dentify the first BQ.1 lineage of the SARS-CoV-2 imported into Fujian Province,considering the timeliness and accuracy of whole genome sequencing,thus providing a technical reference for SARS-CoV-2 variant monitoring.

Preliminary study on the existing problems in health economic evaluation study of acupuncture in China / 中国针灸

The literature of health economic evaluation study in the field of acupuncture in China was systematically summarized and analyzed, and the existing problems in the current research were discussed from the aspects of research perspective, cost calculation scope, data analysis method selection. Moreover, the key points of the health economic evaluation research were summarized, and the research objectives, the relationship between the expected research results and data analysis methods and the process of thinking were sorted out, and several suggestions for research report writing were proposed, aiming to provide a reference for the quality improvement of the acupuncture health economic evaluation research in China.

Quality control in the implementation of multi-center acupuncture clinical trial / 中国针灸

The paper introduced the experiences of quality management in the implementation of multi-center acupuncture clinical trials and the keys in training acupuncture operators. The process management was explained in view of the division of labor for researchers, protocol learning and the communication among sub-centers. Besides, specificity links of acupuncture research were summarized, i.e. meaning implementation brief of acupuncture operation training, control for quantity of stimulus in acupuncture and doctor-patient communication. It is anticipated to provide a valuable reference for the quality control and improvement of multi-center acupuncture clinical trial in future.

The intestinal absorption characteristics of five active components in Lizhong Decoction / 药学学报

The intestinal absorption properties of the main effective components (glycyrrhizic acid, isoliquiritigenin, 6-gingerol, ginsenoside Rb1, atractylode-I) in Lizhong decoction (LZD) extracts were investigated with an in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion model in rats. UPLC-TQ-MS was used to determine the concentration of the five components in the intestinal perfusion. Animal welfare and experimental procedures were in accordance with the regulations of the Animal Ethics Committee of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine. As evaluation indexes for the intestinal absorption characteristics, the absorption rate constant (Ka) and the apparent permeability coefficient (Peff) of the five main ingredients were analyzed. Results showed that the best absorption sites for glycyrrhizic acid, isoliquiritin and 6-gingerol were the ileum, colon and duodenum, respectively, and the differences between different intestinal segments were statistically significant (P <0.05). There was no notable difference in Ka and Peff between ginsenoside Rb1 and atractylode-I in the different intestinal segments (P > 0.05), suggesting that they were absorbed throughout. The five components were well-absorbed in the whole intestine (Peff > 1.0×10-3 cm·min-1), indicating that LZD is suitable for preparing sustained, controlled release and enteric-coated preparations.

Pivotal issue of acupuncture-moxibustion academical inheritance based on the present situation of the clinical application of / 中国针灸

The present situation of clinical application of

Laboratory investigation of a clustered respiratory tract infection with human adenovirus / 中国人兽共患病学报

In order to investigate the pathogens associated with a clustered event of fever occurred in a kindergarten in Fuzhou,Fujian Province,samples were collected from pediatric cases in the kindergarten and screened for various possible viral agents by real-time PCR.Of 10 respiratory specimens,7 were positive of human adenovirus (HAdV).The positive samples were inoculated into HEp-2 cell-lines for viral isolation.The PCR products of the hypervariable regions of Hexon gene were sequenced,followed by BLAST searches for viral type identification.In comparison with the strains prevalent in domestic or abroad in recent years,the deduced amino acid sequences showed no amino acid mutation in the hypervariable regions of Hexon.Combined with clinical manifestation and field epidemiological data,human adenovirus type 7 could be confirmed as the pathogen linked to the clustered event.

ATM Signaling Pathway Is Implicated in the SMYD3-mediated Proliferation and Migration of Gastric Cancer Cells

PURPOSE: We previously found that the histone methyltransferase suppressor of variegation, enhancer of zeste, trithorax and myeloid-nervy-deformed epidermal autoregulatory factor-1 domain-containing protein 3 (SMYD3) is a potential independent predictive factor or prognostic factor for overall survival in gastric cancer patients, but its roles seem to differ from those in other cancers. Therefore, in this study, the detailed functions of SMYD3 in cell proliferation and migration in gastric cancer were examined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SMYD3 was overexpressed or suppressed by transfection with an expression plasmid or siRNA, and a wound healing migration assay and Transwell assay were performed to detect the migration and invasion ability of gastric cancer cells. Additionally, an MTT assay and clonogenic assay were performed to evaluate cell proliferation, and a cell cycle analysis was performed by propidium iodide staining. Furthermore, the expression of genes implicated in the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) pathway and proteins involved in cell cycle regulation were detected by polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses. RESULTS: Compared with control cells, gastric cancer cells transfected with si-SMYD3 showed lower migration and invasion abilities (P<0.05), and the absence of SMYD3 halted cells in G2/M phase and activated the ATM pathway. Furthermore, the opposite patterns were observed when SMYD3 was elevated in normal gastric cells. CONCLUSIONS: To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence that the absence of SMYD3 could inhibit the migration, invasion, and proliferation of gastric cancer cells and halt cells in G2/M phase via the ATM-CHK2/p53-Cdc25C pathway. These findings indicated that SMYD3 plays crucial roles in the proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells and may be a useful therapeutic target in human gastric carcinomas.

Clinical and genetic characteristics of a patient with dyskeratosis congenita / 中华儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the clinical features and gene mutation of a patient with dyskeratosis congenita, who was admitted in our hospital for thrombocytopenia.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The clinical and laboratory data of a 4 years and 10 months old boy were summarized. DKC1 gene was analyzed using PCR amplification and DNA sequencing.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The age of onset of the boy was 1 year. He presented with abnormal cutaneous pigmentation, nail dystrophy and mucosal leukoplakia accompanied by multi-system abnormalities. DKC1 (1058C-T, A353V) was detected in the patient.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The patient presented with classical features of dyskeratosis congenita and DKC1 (1058C-T, A353V) did exist in this patient. X-linked recessive dyskeratosis congenita was confirmed.</p>

The Study on Fermentation Conditions of Inulase Produced by Aspergillus niger / 中国生物工程杂志

The high production inulase strain was screened from the soil sample where burdock planted in Qin Village,Bayou Town,Pei County,Xuzhou.Inulase activity were determined which produced by 40 strains separated from soil.Three mold stains,C122803、D081506 and D081513,which had higher ability of producing inulase were obtained by using transparent circle method as initial screening and rocker method as re-screening.Enzyme activity of the three strains were 1.411U/ml,1.895U/ml,1.792U/ml,separately.Enzyme activity of D081506,1.895U/ml,was the highest.The fermentation conditions of D081506 were studied and the optimized conditions were lappa juice 2.0%,yeast extraction 1.6%,(NH4)2SO4 0.5%,NaCl 0.5%,K2HPO4 0.5% and pH 5.0.Inulase activity of D081506 was 2.9578U/ml which increased 56.09% under the condition of 27℃,140r/min,24h.