Effect of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in M1 region combined with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on electroencephalogram θ frequency band amplitude of patients with neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury / 中国康复理论与实践

ObjectiveTo explore the efficacy of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in M1 region combined with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on electroencephalogram (EEG) θ frequency band amplitude of patients with neuropathic pain (NP) after spinal cord injury. MethodsFrom June, 2022 to June, 2023, 50 NP patients after SCI in Qingdao University Affiliated Hospital were included and divided into M1 region stimulation group (n = 25) and M1 region combined with DLPFC stimulation group (the combined stimulation group, n = 25). M1 region stimulation group received 10 Hz rTMS in the left M1 region, while the combined stimulation group received same stimulation in left M1 region combined with DLPFC, for three weeks. Before and after intervention, the pain was assessed with Short Form of McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), the depression and anxiety status were evaluated using Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), and the EEG θ frequency band amplitude was recorded to detect the changes of brain electrophysiological activity. ResultsFour cases in M1 region stimulation group, and two cases in the combined stimulation group were dropped. After intervention, the total score of SF-MPQ and the scores of the subscales, the scores of HMMD and HAMA decreased in both groups (|t| > 2.523, P < 0.05). The EEG θ frequency band amplitude significantly reduced in the prefrontal and frontal regions in M1 region stimulation group (|t| > 5.243, P < 0.001), and it also significantly reduced in the prefrontal, frontal regions, central and parietal regions in the combined stimulation group (|t| > 4.630, P < 0.001). All the scores were lower (|t| > 2.270, Z = -1.973, P < 0.05), and the EEG θ frequency band amplitude in the prefrontal, frontal regions, central and parietal regions were lower (P < 0.05) in the combined stimulation group than in M1 region stimulation group. ConclusionHigh frequency rTMS is an effective analgesic method on NP after SCI, which can improve their depression and anxiety symptoms and reduce the EEG θ frequency band amplitude. Compared with M1 region rTMS stimulation, the combination of M1 region and DLPFC rTMS is more effective.

Discussion on Ethical Value and Application Principle of Cryopreservation and Transplantation of Human Ovarian Tissue / 中国医学伦理学

In recent years, with the continuous progress of medical technology, the survival rate of cancer patients after treatment has been continuously improved, and more and more young cancer patients begin to pay attention to the fertility problem after survival. For prepubertal or adolescent cancer patients who require urgent chemoradiotherapy, and for reproductive female patients, ovarian tissue cryopreservation (OTC) follows by transplantation is the only option to preserve their fertility at present. Although the OTC technology has been carried out as a routine clinical project in a few medical institutions in China, it is still in the stage of clinical trial research in majority medical institutions. There are still many technical and ethical challenges in clinical practice of OTC technology. Therefore, this paper discussed the ethical principles that should be followed in clinical practice of human OTC and transplantation, and briefly analyzed the corresponding ethical issues. When implementing this technology, the indications should be followed strictly, the wishes of patients should be respected and true and full informed consent should be obtained while ensuring that the cancer treatment of patients is not delayed. Besides, it is significants to accumulate enough experience for minor patients to fully protect their rights and interests and promote the construction of relevant national laws and regulations.

Research update on the clinical application of the quantity and quality of high-density lipoprotein in atherosclerosis / 中华检验医学杂志

Recent research evidence challenges the hypothesis that high density lipoprotein (HDL) has a protective effect on atherosclerosis. Due to the heterogeneity of HDL particle composition and the diversity of HDL functions, the evaluation of HDL particle composition and the detection of HDL function might overcome the deficiency from the measurement of single high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level. This review briefly introduced the detection method and clinical application for the "quantity" of HDL, and focused on the current status of clinical application and the future development trend of related detection method for the structure and function of HDL. It is postulated that the evaluation of the "quality" of HDL may become the routine method of HDL detection in the future.

The natural decline and death course of hepatic cystic echinococcsis / 中华消化外科杂志

Hepatic cystic echinococcosis (HCE) is a global public health problem. At present, the research of echinococcosis mainly focuses on etiology, epidemiology, immunology, imaging and treatment programs, while ignoring the systematic study of its natural decline and death course. The popularization of modern imaging examination methods enable researchers to obtain the clinical data of HCE in different stages, with different imaging features and pathological states. Based on CT imaging features and clinical practice, the authors discuss the natural decline and death course of HCE, in order to provide new ideas for its diagnosis and treatment.

Clinical efficacy of fire needling combined with cupping therapy on herpes zoster of acute stage and the effect on Th17/Treg cellular immune balance / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the clinical efficacy between the combined therapy of fire needling and cupping, and western medication on herpes zoster of acute stage, as well as the effects on Th17 and Treg cells and inflammatory factors, i.e. IL-10 and IL-17 in the peripheral blood.@*METHODS@#Eighty patients with herpes zoster of acute stage were randomly divided into a combined therapy (fire needling plus cupping) group and a western medication group, 40 cases in each one. In the combined therapy group, the pricking and scattering techniques with fire needle were used at ashi points and Jiaji (EX-B 2) corresponding to the affected spinal segments; afterwards, cupping therapy was delivered. The combined treatment was given once daily. In the western medication group, valaciclovir hydrochloride tablet and vitamin B1 tablet were administered orally. The duration of treatment in each group was 10 days. Before each treatment from day 1 to day 10 and on day 11 , the score of symptoms and physical signs was observed in the two groups separately. Before each treatment from day 1 to day 10 and on day 11, 30, 60, the score of visual analogue scale (VAS) and skin lesion indexes were observed in the two groups. On day 60, the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia was recorded in the two groups. The levels of Th17 and Treg cells, Th17/Treg ratio in the peripheral blood, as well as serum levels of IL-10 and IL-17 were detected before and after treatment in the two groups. The clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups.@*RESULTS@#From day 6 to day 10 during treatment and on day 11, the scores of symptoms and physical signs in the combined therapy group were lower than those of the western medication group (P<0.05, P<0.01). On day 3, day 6 to day 10 during treatment and day 11, day 30, VAS scores in the combined therapy group were lower than those of the western medication group (P<0.05, P<0.01). On day 60, the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia in the combined therapy group was lower compared with that in the western medication group (P<0.05). The blister arresting time and scabbing time in the combined therapy group were shorter than those of the western medication group (P<0.05). After treatment, the level of Th17, and Th17/Treg ratio in the peripheral blood, as well as the serum levels of IL-10 and IL-17 were all lower in comparison with those in the western medication group (P<0.05). The curative and remarkably effective rate was 82.5% (33/40) in the combined therapy group, higher than 62.5% (25/40) in the western medication group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The early application of fire needling combined with cupping therapy can effectively treat herpes zoster of acute stage, relieve pain, and reduce the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia, which may be related to reducing the levels of Th17 and Treg cells, and Th17/Treg ratio in the peripheral blood, as well as the serum levels of IL-10 and IL-17 so that the cellular immune balance is modulated.

Analysis of Clinical Data and Construction of A Diagnostic Prediction Model for Metabolic Syndrome after Single-Center Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / 中国实验血液学杂志

UNLABELLED@#AbstractObjective: To analysis the clinical data of patients after single-center hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and construct a predictive model for metabolic syndrome (MS) diagnosis.@*METHODS@#Ninety-three hematology patients who underwent HSCT at the First Hospital of Lanzhou University from July 2015 to September 2022 were selected to collect basic data, transplantation status and postoperative data, the clinical characteristics of patients with and without MS after transplantation were compared and analyzed. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the influence fators of MS after transplantation, and a predictive model of HSCT-MS diagnosis was constructed under the influence of independent influence factors. The model was evaluated using the ceceiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve).@*RESULTS@#Metabolic syndrome occurred in 36 of 93 HSCT patients and did not occur in 57. Compared with non-HSCT-MS group, HSCT-MS had significantly higher fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels before transplantation, shorter course before transplantation, and higher bilirubin levels after transplantation (P<0.05). The statistically significant clinical indicators were subjected to multi-factor logistic regression analysis, and the results showed that pre-transplant high FBG, pre-transplant short disease course and post-transplant high bilirubin were independent influence factors for HSCT-MS. The standard error of predicting the occurrence of HSCT-MS based on the clinical model was 0.048, the area under the curve AUC=0.776, 95% CI :0.683-0.869, the optimal threshold was 0.58 based on the Jorden index at maximum, the sensitivity was 0.694, and the specificity was 0.772, which has certain accuracy.@*CONCLUSION@#A clinical prediction model for HSCT-MS based on logistic regression analysis is constructed through the analysis of clinical data, which has certain clinical value.

Prevalence and trends of anemia among pregnant women in eight provinces of China from 2016 to 2020 / 中华预防医学杂志

This study analyzed the anemia status and change trend of 219 835 pregnant women in eight provinces from 2016 to 2020 in the Maternal and Newborn Health Monitoring Program(MNHMP). The results showed that from 2016 to 2020, the anemia rate of pregnant women in eight provinces was 41.27%, and the rates of mild, moderate and severe anemia were 28.56%, 12.59% and 0.12% respectively; the anemia rates in eastern, central and western regions were 41.87%, 36.09% and 44.63% respectively, and the anemia rates in urban and rural areas were 39.87% and 42.23%. From 2016 to 2020, the anemia rate of pregnant women decreased from 44.93% to 38.22%, with an average annual decline of 3.86% (95%CI:-5.84%, -1.85%). The anemia rate among pregnant women of the eastern region (AAPC=-6.16%, 95%CI:-9.79%, -2.38%) fell faster than that among pregnant women of the central region (AAPC=0.71%, 95%CI:-6.59%, 8.57%) and western region (AAPC=-1.53%, 95%CI:-5.19%, 2.28%). From 2016 to 2020, the moderate anemia rate in pregnant women decreased from 14.98% to 10.74%, with an average annual decline of 8.72% (95%CI:-12.90%, -4.34%), with a statistically significant difference (P<0.05); AAPC for mild and severe anemia in pregnant women was 1.56% (95%CI: 3.44%, 0.36%) and 18.86% (95%CI: 39.88%, 9.52%), respectively, without statistically significant difference (P>0.05).

Establishment and application of activity determining methods for different subtypes of xanthine oxidoreductase / 药学学报

Xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR), the key enzyme catalyzing purine to produce uric acid, including two subtypes, xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH) and xanthine oxidase (XO), respectively, in vivo. Usually, XDH and XO can transform to each other. In this study, based on the principle that the subtype XO or XDH uses different electron acceptors, the methods for the measuring the activities of bovine milk XOR (pure enzyme) and its subtypes were established. The optimal concentrations of substrate xanthine (50 μmol·L-1) and electron acceptor NAD+ (50 μmol·L-1), pH value (7.80) were investigated. The ranges of the XOR, XO, XDH activity which could be determined were 0.97-17.5 U·L-1, 1-9 U·L-1, and 66-1 191 mU·L-1, respectively. Furthermore, the methods for determining the activities of XOR and its subtypes in mouse liver were established. The preparation of liver samples, the optimal concentrations of xanthine (100 μmol·L-1) and NAD+ (100 μmol·L-1) were researched. And the activity ranges of XOR, XO and XDH in mouse liver which could be determined were 0.67-3.98, 0.19-1.08, and 0.52-3.55 U·gprot-1, respectively. With the methods above, the effects of classic XOR inhibitor allopurinal (Allo) on XOR, XO and XDH from both milk and mouse liver were determined. All animal experiments have been approved by the Animal Experimental Center, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College (00003346). This study established new methods for the determination of XOR and its subtypes activity in pure enzyme system and in mouse liver, respectively, which were accurate and convenient. It laid the experimental foundation for exploring the different pathophysiological effects of XOR in the body and developing new XOR inhibitors.

Ultrasmall nanoprobe in MR/CT bimodal imaging for tumor angiogenesis / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To fabricate tAu@glutathione(GSH)@Gd nanoprobe for tumor angiogenesis bimodal (MR/CT) imaging, and evaluate its characteristics and potential for MR/CT imaging in vivo. Methods:The tAu@GSH@Gd nanoprobes were constructed by encapsulating Au and Gd atoms into the GSH shell with cyclic asparagine-glycine-arginine (cNGR) peptide conjugation. EMT-6 BALB/c mice subcutaneous transplantation tumor models were established ( n=30) and divided into blank control group (saline), control group (Au@GSH@Gd nanoparticles) and experimental group (tAu@GSH@Gd nanoprobes) ( n=10 in each group). In vivo MR/CT imaging and distribution study were performed at different time points after tail intravenously injection. Relative MR signal value and relative CT value of tumor site and main organs in mice were used to evaluate MR/CT imaging property and biological distribution. After that, tumor tissues were collected for silver staining to study the accumulation of Au@GSH@Gd nanoparticles and tAu@GSH@Gd nanoprobes. Independent-sample t test was used for data analysis. Results:The tAu@GSH@Gd nanoprobes were (6.40±0.22) nm with high T 1 relaxation efficiency ((36.91±0.07) mmol·L -1·s -1). MR/CT imaging of tAu@GSH@Gd nanoprobes showed good performance in vitro. In vivo MR/CT imaging demonstrated MR/CT imaging of tumor was significantly enhanced by tAu@GSH@Gd nanoprobes after 2 h post injection. The strongest enhancement was observed at 24 h, with an increased relative MR signal value from 1.04±0.12 (before injection) to 1.84±0.26 ( t=12.61, P=0.006), and increased relative CT value from 1.01±0.04 (before injection) to 1.95±0.05 ( t=15.34, P=0.004). The highest MR/CT effect in control group appeared at 16 h, with the relative MR signal value of 1.50±0.06 and the relative CT value of 1.53±0.10, which were significantly lower than those in experimental group (1.84±0.26 and 1.95±0.05; t values: 5.35 and 16.46, both P<0.05). Distribution in normal tissues showed that most of tAu@GSH@Gd nanoprobes were metabolized through the kidneys. Tissue silver staining experiment verified the tumor angiogenesis targeting effect. Conclusion:The tAu@GSH@Gd nanoprobes exhibit favorable tumor angiogenesis target MR/CT imaging ability, providing a new design concept and basis for assessing tumor angiogenesis.

The application of STEM education in the teaching of Comprehensive Nursing Practice integrated with the concept of social work / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To explore the effect of STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) education in the teaching of Comprehensive Nursing Practice course, which is integrated with the concept of social work. Methods:The course of Comprehensive Nursing Practice integrated with the concept of social work was constructed, and two classes of Batch 2019 nursing undergraduates in our university were selected as the research objects, including 46 students in the control group which took traditional teaching, and the other 43 students in the research group which took STEM teaching. Both groups were taught for 2 months (28 class hours). The teaching process, teaching summary and teaching satisfaction of the two groups were evaluated. SPSS 25.0 was used for t-test, Chi-square test and rank-sum test. Results:The scores of STEM literacy, practical ability, inquiry consciousness, learning condition, participation and enthusiasm in the research group were higher than those in the control group ( P < 0.05). After teaching, the scores of problem-solving ability, work display and theoretical knowledge of the research group were higher than those of the control group ( P<0.05). The students in the research group were more satisfied with teaching than those in the control group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The construction of Comprehensive Nursing Practice course with the concept of social work and the application of STEM education can improve students' learning ability, learning effect and their satisfaction with the course teaching.

Research progress in the application of polydopamine multifunctional nanocontrast agents in molecular imaging of tumors / 国际生物医学工程杂志

The development of multifunctional nanocontrast agents with high sensitivity, high specificity, and low toxicity so that they can precisely localize tumors and reflect tumor biological information in real time is the core of promoting the development of tumor molecular imaging technology and realizing early and precise tumor diagnosis. Polydopamine (PDA) nanomaterials are bionanomaterials with a structure extremely similar to that of natural melanin. They can be easily fabricated and functionalized, and can achieve controlled assembly of functional molecules such as contrast components and targeting ligands via metal coordination, π-π stacking, electrostatic adsorption, and other methods. They have good biocompatibility and biodegradability, show great potential for clinical translation, and have been widely used in molecular imaging of tumors. In this review paper, the preclinical studies of PDA nanoparticles are reviewed as well as the synthesis methods, functionalized modification, and assembly strategies of PDA nanoparticles and their applications in tumor molecular imaging. The development trends of PDA are also presented to promote their application in the field of tumor molecular imaging.

Functional magnetic stimulation can improve the urination of persons with urine retention after a spinal cord injury / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective:To observe any effect of functional magnetic stimulation (FMS) of the sacral 3 nerve root on relieving urine retention after a spinal cord injury.Methods:Forty-four patients with neurogenic bladder disorders after a spinal cord injury were divided at random into a 5Hz group ( n=14), a 20Hz group ( n=15), and a sham stimulation group ( n=15). In addition to conventional bladder control training, the 5Hz and 20Hz groups were given 20 minutes of FMS of the sacral 3 nerve root at the appropriate frequency five days a week for 4 weeks. The sham stimulation group was not given any stimulation. A detailed urination diary was kept during the treatment, and before and after the 4 weeks, everyone′s bladder pressure volume was assessed and an electromyogram was recorded. Results:After the treatment those in the 5Hz and 20Hz groups had improved significantly in terms of average bladder capacity, bladder pressure, residual urine volume, daily number of urethral catheterizations, daily micturition frequency, single urine output, H-reflex latency, and the amplitude and incubation period of the F wave. Those in the sham stimulation group showed no consistent improvement in any of these indicators. Moreover, the average residual urine volume, daily urination frequency and H-reflex latency and amplitude of the 20Hz group were significantly better than those of the 5Hz group.Conclusions:Magnetic stimulation of the S3 nerve roots can effectively improve the urination of persons with neurogenic bladder disorders after a spinal cord injury. The preferred frequency is 20Hz.

Comprehensive Evaluation and Application of Experimental Sources of Variation in Gut Microbiome Sequencing Studies / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Gut microbiome sequencing studies have great potential to translate microbial analysis outcomes into human health research. Sequencing strategies of 16S amplicon and whole-metagenome shotgun (WMS) are two main methods in microbiome research with respective advantages. However, how sample heterogeneity, sequencers and library preparation protocols affect the sequencing reproducibility of gut microbiome needs further investigation. This study aims to provide a reference for the selection of sequencing technologies by comparing differences in microbial composition from different sampling sites. The results of three widely adopted sequencers showed that the technical repetition correlation (r= 0. 94) was high in WMS method, while the biological repetition correlation (r = 0. 69) was low. Bray-Curtis distance identified that dissimilarity from biological replicates was larger than that of technical replicates (P<0. 001). In addition, dissimilarity and specific taxonomic profiles were observed between 16S and WMS datasets. Our results imply that homogenization is a necessary step before sample DNA extraction. The sequencers contributed less to taxonomic variation than the library preparation protocols. We developed an empirical Bayes approach that " borrowed information" in calculations and analyzed batch effect parameters using standardized data and prior distributions of (non-) parameters, which may improve population comparability between 16S and WMS and provide a basis for further application to fusion analysis of published 16S and microbial datasets.

Study of the protective effect of total flavonoids of Dracocephalum moldavica L.On doxorubicin induced injury in HUVECs based on VEGF-B/AMPKa pathway / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the protective effect of TFDM on doxorubicin-induced endothelial cell injury and its mechanism.Methods Cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay.Cell morphology was observed by microscope.The changes of LDH, SOD and mitochondrial membrane potential were detected by kit method.Cell migration was detected by Transwell assay; Endothelial dysfunction and VEGF-B/AMPKa pathway related protein expression were detected by Western blot.Results Compared with model group, TFDM significantly increased cell viability, improved the morphologic changes of HUVEC induced by DOX, decreased LDH leakage, increased SOD activity, increased mitochondrial membrane potential, promoted endothelial cell migration, and inhibited endothelial cell injury.The results of Western blot showed that com pared with control group TFDM increased the expression levels of non-receptor tyrosine kinase ( Src) and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) .increased the phosphorylation level of eNOS, and decreased the expression level of ET-1 protein, thereby inhibiting endothelial dysfunction.The protein expression levels of VEGF-B, NRP1 , VEGFR1 and the ratio of p-AMPKa/AMPKa significantly increased in the administration group.Conclusion TFDM may inhibit doxorubicin-induced endothelial cell injury by activating VEGF-B/AMPKa pathway.

PINK1 kinase dysfunction triggers neurodegeneration in the primate brain without impacting mitochondrial homeostasis

In vitro studies have established the prevalent theory that the mitochondrial kinase PINK1 protects neurodegeneration by removing damaged mitochondria in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, difficulty in detecting endogenous PINK1 protein in rodent brains and cell lines has prevented the rigorous investigation of the in vivo role of PINK1. Here we report that PINK1 kinase form is selectively expressed in the human and monkey brains. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deficiency of PINK1 causes similar neurodegeneration in the brains of fetal and adult monkeys as well as cultured monkey neurons without affecting mitochondrial protein expression and morphology. Importantly, PINK1 mutations in the primate brain and human cells reduce protein phosphorylation that is important for neuronal function and survival. Our findings suggest that PINK1 kinase activity rather than its mitochondrial function is essential for the neuronal survival in the primate brains and that its kinase dysfunction could be involved in the pathogenesis of PD.

Research advances in the formation mechanism of primary intrahepatic stones caused by biliary flora / 临床肝胆病杂志

Primary intrahepatic stones (PIS) is a refractory disease with a high incidence rate in southwest China, and some patients still require surgery again or even more times after initial treatment. Many studies in recent years have shown that some specific flora can colonize in the intrahepatic bile duct, leading to chronic infection and inflammation of the biliary system, and these specific types of flora, called "stone-causing flora", can produce metabolites such as β-glucuronidase and play an important role in the formation of pigmented stones. This article analyzes the role of stone-causing flora in the pathogenesis of PIS, so as to provide more treatment options for PIS patients.

Establishment and validation of a risk prediction model for early-stage complications after liver transplantation / 临床肝胆病杂志

Objective To investigate the risk factors for early-stage complications among liver transplant recipients, and to establish and validate a risk prediction model for early-stage complications after transplantation. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 234 patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation in Department of Liver Transplantation, Tianjin First Central Hospital, from January 2016 to December 2018. According to the presence or absence of Clavien-Dindo grade ≥Ⅲ complications after liver transplantation, the patients were divided into complication group with 97 patients and non-complication group with 137 patients. The two groups were compared in terms of the indices including age, sex, body mass index (BMI), blood type, psoas muscle thickness/height (PMTH), Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, total serum bilirubin, serum creatinine, international normalized ratio of prothrombin time, blood urea nitrogen, hemoglobin, white blood cell count, platelet count, amount of intraoperative red blood cell transfusion, amount of frozen plasma transfusion, blood loss, anhepatic phase, time of operation, donor age, donor BMI, cold ischemia time of donor liver, and warm ischemia time of donor liver. The independent samples t -test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. Univariate analysis and the binary logistic regression analysis were used to investigate the risk factors for early-stage complications after liver transplantation, and a risk prediction model for complications after liver transplantation was established based on the method for establishing a scoring system using the logistic model provided by Framingham Research Center. Internal validation of the model was performed by C-index, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test, and the decision curve was used to evaluate the clinical applicability of the model. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the incidence rate of early-stage complications after liver transplantation between the patients with different risk scores. Results Compared with the non-complication group, the complication group had significantly higher MELD score, proportion of patients with low PMTH, total serum bilirubin, serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, CONUT score, amount of intraoperative red blood cell transfusion, and amount of frozen plasma transfusion, as well as a significantly lower level of hemoglobin (all P < 0.1). The multivariate binary logistic regression analysis showed that MELD score (odds ratio [ OR ]=1.104, 95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 1.057-1.154, P < 0.05), PMTH ( OR =2.858, 95% CI : 1.451-5.626, P < 0.05), and CONUT score ( OR =1.481, 95% CI : 1.287-1.703, P < 0.05) were independent risk factors for grade ≥Ⅲ complications in the early stage after liver transplantation. MELD score, PMTH, and CONUT score were included in a predictive model, and this model had the highest score of 24 points, a C-index of 0.828, an area under the ROC curve of 0.812( P < 0.001), a sensitivity of 0.792, and a specificity of 0.751, suggesting that this predictive model had good discriminatory ability. The calibration curve of this model was close to the reference curve, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test obtained a chi-square value of 8.528( P =0.382), suggesting that this predictive model had a high degree of fitting. The decision curve showed that most patients were able to benefit from the predictive model and achieved a high net benefit rate, suggesting that this predictive model had good clinical applicability. The score of 11 was selected as the cut-off value according to the optimal Youden index of 0.507, and the patients were divided into low-risk (< 8 points) group with 55 patients, moderate-risk (8-10 points) group with 63 patients, high-risk (11-14 points) group with 67 patients, and extremely high-risk (≥15 points) group with 49 patients. These four groups had a 90-day cumulative incidence rate of early-stage postoperative complications of 3.6%, 28.6%, 59.7%, and 75.5%, respectively, and the incidence rate of complications increased with the increase in risk score ( P < 0.001). Conclusion MELD score, PMTH, and CONUT score are independent risk factors for early-stage complications among liver transplant recipients, and the risk prediction model established based on these factors has a high predictive value in high-risk patients.

GC-MS analysis and anti-inflammatory activity of low polarity parts from 3 species of Sabia genus / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To investigate the component characteristics and anti-infla mmatory activities of the low polarity parts from Sabia campanulata ，S. discolor and S. parviflora . METHODS Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyze the components of low polarity parts eluted by petroleum ether from petroleum ether extract of dried stems and leaves of S. campanulata，S. discolor and S. parviflora . The chromatographic peaks were retrieved by both NIST 17 and Wiley 275 database， and their structures of each compound were compared and identified manually. The relative percentage content of each component was calculated by peak area normalization method. With indomethacin as positive control and the inhibition rate of nitric oxide （NO）production as the index ，the effects of the low polarity parts of the above three species of Sabia genus on the production of NO in lipopolysaccharide-induced human rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes （RA-FLS） and mouse mononuclear macrophage RAW 264.7 were compared ；the half inhibitory concentration （IC50）was calculated. RESULTS Totally 70，40 and 33 chemical components were identified respectively from the low polarity parts of S. campanulata ，S. discolor and S. parviflora ， including long-chain fatty hydrocarbons ，long-chain alcohol/aldehyde/ester ，monoterpenes；but there were only 5 common components in the three species ，such as dodecane and docosane，etc. S. campanulata contained abundant terpenoids （40.89％）； the relative percentage content of triterpenoids was high in S. discolor （30.29％）；the relative percentage content of long-chain fatty hydrocarbons was high in S. parviflora （87.70％）. The values of IC 50 of the low polarity parts of the above three species of Sabia genus to the production of NO in RA-FLS cells were 2.22，1.69 and 4.15 μg/mL，respectively. The values of IC 50 of them to the production of NO in RAW 264.7 cells were 1.23，4.02 and 3.05 μg/mL respectively，and all of them were lower than indomethacin （12.97，10.66 μg/mL）. CONCLUSIONS The components of the low polarity parts fr om the above three species of Sabia genus are mainly long-chain fatty hydrocarbons ， monoterpenes and long-chain alcohol/aldehyde/ester ， and all of them have certain anti-inflammatory activities.

Establishment of a Mouse Model of Acquired Aplastic Anemia Mediated by Cyclophosphamide Combined with Cyclosporine / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To establish a stable mouse model of acquired aplastic anemia.@*METHODS@#Female BALB/C mice aged 6 months were intraperitoneally injected with cyclophosphamide and cyclosporine for 14 days. The number of peripheral blood cells, the concentration of hemoglobin, the number of bone marrow nucleated cells, bone marrow smear, bone marrow pathological sections and other indexes were observed.@*RESULTS@#In BALB/C mice injected intraperitoneally with cyclophosphamide and cyclosporine, the number of peripheral blood cells and the concentration of hemoglobin were significantly decreased, especially the white blood cells and platelets. Bone marrow smear showed a significant decrease in the number of nucleated cells and bone marrow hyperplasia. Bone marrow pathology showed decreased hematopoietic cells and increased non-hematopoietic cells such as adipocytes.@*CONCLUSION@#The mouse model with intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide and cyclosporine can meet the diagnostic criteria of acquired aplastic anemia, which can be used as a mouse model for the study of the pathogenesis and treatment of acquired aplastic anemia.

Engineering a folic acid-decorated ultrasmall gemcitabine nanocarrier for breast cancer therapy: Dual targeting of tumor cells and tumor-associated macrophages

Combination of passive targeting with active targeting is a promising approach to improve the therapeutic efficacy of nanotherapy. However, most reported polymeric systems have sizes above 100 nm, which limits effective extravasation into tumors that are poorly vascularized and have dense stroma. This will, in turn, limit the overall effectiveness of the subsequent uptake by tumor cells via active targeting. In this study, we combined the passive targeting via ultra-small-sized gemcitabine (GEM)-based nanoparticles (NPs) with the active targeting provided by folic acid (FA) conjugation for enhanced dual targeted delivery to tumor cells and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). We developed an FA-modified prodrug carrier based on GEM (PGEM) to load doxorubicin (DOX), for co-delivery of GEM and DOX to tumors. The co-delivery system showed small particle size of ∼10 nm in diameter. The ligand-free and FA-targeted micelles showed comparable drug loading efficiency and a sustained DOX release profile. The FA-conjugated micelles effectively increased DOX uptake in cultured KB cancer cells that express a high level of folate receptor (FR), but no obvious increase was observed in 4T1.2 breast cancer cells that have a low-level expression of FR. Interestingly, in vivo, systemic delivery of FA-PGEM/DOX led to enhanced accumulation of the NPs in tumor and drastic reduction of tumor growth in a murine 4T1.2 breast cancer model. Mechanistic study showed that 4T1.2 tumor grown in mice expressed a significantly higher level of FOLR2, which was selectively expressed on TAMs. Thus, targeting of TAM may also contribute to the improved in vivo targeted delivery and therapeutic efficacy.