Advances on research of structure and function of puromycin sensitive aminopeptidase / 药学学报

Puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase (PSAP) belongs to the M1 family of aminopeptidases, characterized by the N-terminal substrate binding sequence GAMEN, the enzyme activity center HEXXH(X)18E motif, and the C-terminal ERAP-1-like superfamily structural domain. Encoded by the gene NPEPPS located at 17q21.32, PSAP consists of 919 amino acids and is widely distributed throughout the human body, with the highest expression in the brain, followed by the heart and skeletal muscle. It is also found in the liver, renal tubular epithelium, small intestine, large intestine epithelium, and gastric epithelial cells. PSAP primarily relies on its aminopeptidase hydrolytic activity to remove toxic protein aggregates such as Tau, poly Q, and Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase 1, making it an important factor in the development of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's chorea, and tumors. Existing PSAP inhibitors include bestatin, amastatin, leuhistin, actinonin, and purinomycin, some of which are already available or in clinical trials. This review provides an overview of the structural and biological functions of M1 family aminopeptidases, with a focus on PSAP, to facilitate further research and targeted drug development.

Exploration and Practice of the "One Combination, Two Highlights, Three Combinations, Four in One" Innovative Talents Training Mode in Forensic Medicine / 法医学杂志

Talent is one of the basic and strategic supports for building a modern socialist country in all aspects. Since the 1980s, the establishment of forensic medicine major and the cultivation of innovative talents in forensic medicine have become hot topics in higher education in forensic medicine. Over the past 43 years, the forensic medicine team of Shanxi Medical University has adhered to the joint education of public security and colleges, and made collaborative innovation, forming a training mode of "One Combination, Two Highlights, Three Combinations, Four in One" for innovative talents in forensic medicine. It has carried out "5+3/X" integrated reform, and formed a relatively complete talent training innovation mode and management system in teaching, scientific research, identification, major, discipline, team, platform and cultural construction. It has made a historic contribution to China's higher forensic education, accumulated valuable experience for the construction of first-class major and first-class discipline of forensic medicine, and provided strong support for the construction of the national new forensic talent training system. The popularization of this training mode is conducive to the rapid and sustainable development of forensic science, and provides more excellent forensic talents for national building, regional social development and the discipline construction of forensic science.

Hot water washing processing technology of Euodiae Fructus based on change laws of active components and tastes / 中国中药杂志

In order to establish the standardized processing technology of the hot water washing of Euodiae Fructus, this study, based on the traditional processing method of hot water washing of Euodiae Fructus recorded in ancient works and modern processing specifications of traditional Chinese medicine decoction pieces, took the yield of decoction pieces and the content of main components as the indicators and optimized the processing conditions by orthogonal test based on the results of single factor investigation. At the same time, electronic tongue technology was used to analyze the change law of the taste index of Euodiae Fructus during the hot water washing. The results of the single factor investigation showed that the content of the main components in Euodiae Fructus showed some regular changes during the processing. Specifically, the content of chlorogenic acid, hyperin, isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-galactoside, and dehydroevodiamine decreased significantly, with average decreases of-23.75%,-27.80%,-14.04%,-14.03%, and-13.11%, respectively. The content of limonin increased significantly with an average increase of 19.83%. The content of evodiamine, rutaecarpine, evocarpine, and dihydroevocarpine showed fluctuating changes and generally increased, with average variation amplitudes of 0.54%,-3.78%, 2.69%, and 5.13%, respectively. The orthogonal test results showed that the optimum processing parameters for the hot water washing of Euodiae Fructus were as follows: washing time of 2 min, the solid-to-liquid ratio of 1∶10 g·mL~(-1), washing temperature of 80 ℃, washing once, and drying at 50 ℃. After the hot water washing processing, the average yield of Euodiae Fructus pieces was 94.80%. The content of limonin, evodiamine, and rutaecarpine was higher than those of raw pro-ducts, and the average transfer rates were 102.56%, 103.15%, and 105.16%, respectively. The content of dehydroevodiamine was lower than that of the raw products, and the average transfer rate was 83.04%. The results of taste analysis showed that the hot water washing could significantly reduce the salty, astringent, and bitter tastes of Euodiae Fructus. This study revealed the influence of the hot water washing on the content of main components and taste of Euodiae Fructus, and the processing technology of the hot water was-hing of Euodiae Fructus established in this study was stable, feasible, and suitable for industrial production, which laid a foundation for clarifying its processing principle and improving the quality standard and clinical application value of decoction pieces.

Mechanism of Gardeniae Fructus in ameliorating rheumatoid arthritis based on metabolomics and intestinal microbiota / 中国中药杂志

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA), a chronic autoimmune disease, is featured by persistent joint inflammation. The development of RA is associated with the disturbance of endogenous metabolites and intestinal microbiota. Gardeniae Fructus(GF), one of the commonly used medicinal food in China, is usually prescribed for the prevention and treatment of jaundice, inflammation, ache, fever, and skin ulcers. GF exerts an effect on ameliorating RA, the mechanism of which remains to be studied. In this study, ultra-perfor-mance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS)-based serum non-target metabolomics and 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing were employed to elucidate the mechanism of GF in ameliorating RA induced by complete Freund's adjuvant in rats. The results showed that GF alleviated the pathological conditions in adjuvant arthritis(AA) rats. The low-and high-dose GF lo-wered the serum levels of interleukin(IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), IL-1β, and prostaglandin E2 in the rats(P<0.05, P<0.01). Pathways involved in metabolomics were mainly α-linolenic acid metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism. The results of 16S rDNA sequencing showed that the Streptococcus, Facklamia, Klebsiella, Enterococcus, and Kosakonia were the critical gut microorganisms for GF to treat AA in rats. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the three differential metabolites PE-NMe[18:1(9Z)/20:0], PC[20:1(11Z)/18:3(6Z,9Z,12Z)], and PC[20:0/18:4(6Z,9Z,12Z,15Z)] were correlated with the differential bacteria. In conclusion, GF may ameliorate RA by regulating the composition of intestinal microbiota, α-linolenic acid metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism. The findings provide new ideas and data for elucidating the mechanism of GF in relieving RA.

Robot-assisted percutaneous vertebroplasty combined with pediculoplasty in treating symptomatic chronic thoracolumbar osteoporotic vertebral fracture without neurological impairment / 中华创伤杂志

Objective:To compare the efficacy of robot-assisted and conventional fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) combined with pediculoplasty in treating symptomatic chronic thoracolumbar osteoporotic vertebral fracture (SCOVF) without neurological symptoms.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was used to analyze the clinical data of 120 patients with thoracolumbar SCOVF without neurological symptoms, who were admitted to Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Xi′an Jiaotong University from January 2015 to January 2020. The patients included 34 males and 86 females, aged 63-85 years [(72.9±5.7)years]. All patients were treated with PVP combined with pediculoplasty. A total of 87 patients were treated with robot-assisted and C-arm X-ray machine guided puncture (robot group) and 33 patients with C-arm X-ray machine fluoroscopic-guided puncture (conventional group). The operation time, amount of bone cement injection and puncture accuracy were compared between the two groups. The results of vertebral body index, Cobb angle, visual analogue scale (VAS), and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were also compared before operation, at 1 day and 1 year after operation and at the final follow-up. Complications such as bone cement leakage and displacement were observed.Results:All patients were followed up for 24-36 months [(29.4±3.4)months]. The operation time was (85.2±10.5)minutes in the robot group, significantly longer than (37.2±3.7)minutes in the conventional group ( P<0.01). The amount of bone cement injection was (5.0±0.7)ml in the robot group, significantly less than (5.3±0.8)ml in the conventional group ( P<0.05). The puncture accuracy in the robot group was 95.4% (83/87), significantly higher than 81.8% (27/33) in the conventional group ( P<0.01). There were no significant differences in vertebral body index, Cobb angle, VAS or ODI between the two groups before operation (all P>0.05). The values of vertebral body index were 87.1±4.5, 86.9±4.3, 86.8±4.3 in the robot group at 1 day after operation, 1 year after operation and the final follow up, respectively, which were significantly higher than 83.6±4.4, 84.1±3.8, 84.4±3.9 in the conventional group (all P<0.01). There were no significant differences in Cobb angle or ODI between the two groups at 1 day after operation, 1 year after operation or the final follow-up (all P>0.05). The values of VAS were (2.9±1.0)points, (1.8±0.7)points, (1.8±0.7)points in the robot group at 1 day after operation, 1 year after operation and the final follow-up, respectively, which were significantly lower than (4.4±1.1)points, (3.1±0.8)points, (3.0±0.9)points in the conventional group (all P<0.01). The bone cement leakage occurred in 7 patients in the robot group [8.0%(7/87)] and in 10 in the conventional group [30.3%(10/33)] ( P<0.01). No delayed bone cement displacement [0.0%(0/87)] occurred in the robot group from 1 day after operation to the final follow-up, but 3 patients [9.1%(3/33)] were noted in the conventional group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Both robot-assisted and conventional fluoroscopy-guided PVP combined with pediculoplasty have satisfactory effect for SCOVF patients without neurological impairment, but the robot-assisted one has the advantages of higher puncture accuracy, more satisfactory vertebral height recovery, more rapid pain relief, lower incidence of bone cement leakage and effective avoidance of cement displacement.

Titin: structure, isoforms and functional regulation / 生理学报

Titin, the largest known protein in the body expressed in three isoforms (N2A, N2BA and N2B), is essential for muscle structure, force generation, conduction and regulation. Since the 1950s, muscle contraction mechanisms have been explained by the sliding filament theory involving thin and thick muscle filaments, while the contribution of cytoskeleton in force generation and conduction was ignored. With the discovery of insoluble protein residues and large molecular weight proteins in muscle fibers, the third myofilament, titin, has been identified and attracted a lot of interests. The development of single molecule mechanics and gene sequencing technology further contributed to the extensive studies on the arrangement, structure, elastic properties and components of titin in sarcomere. Therefore, this paper reviews the structure, isforms classification, elastic function and regulatory factors of titin, to provide better understanding of titin.

Jiedu Recipe, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, inhibits cancer stemness in hepatocellular carcinoma via Wnt/β-catenin pathway under hypoxia / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#Jiedu Recipe (JR), a Chinese herbal remedy, has been shown to prolong overall survival time and decrease recurrence and metastasis rates in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This work investigated the mechanism of JR in HCC treatment.@*METHODS@#The chemical constituents of JR were detected using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The potential anti-HCC mechanism of JR was screened using network pharmacology and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) microarray chip assay, followed by experimental validation in human HCC cells (SMMC-7721 and Huh7) in vitro and a nude mouse subcutaneous transplantation model of HCC in vivo. HCC cell characteristics of proliferation, migration and invasion under hypoxic setting were investigated using thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide, wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. Image-iT™ Hypoxia Reagent was added to reveal hypoxic conditions. Stem cell sphere formation assay was used to detect the stemness. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers like E-cadherin, vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin, and pluripotent transcription factors including nanog homeobox, octamer-binding transcription factor 4, and sex-determining region Y box protein 2 were analyzed using Western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Western blot was performed to ascertain the anti-HCC effect of JR under hypoxia involving the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.@*RESULTS@#According to network pharmacology and mRNA microarray chip analysis, JR may potentially act on hypoxia and inhibit the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that JR significantly decreased hypoxia, and suppressed HCC cell features of proliferation, migration and invasion; furthermore, the hypoxia-induced increases in EMT and stemness marker expression in HCC cells were inhibited by JR. Results based on the co-administration of JR and an agonist (LiCl) or inhibitor (IWR-1-endo) verified that JR suppressed HCC cancer stem-like properties under hypoxia by blocking the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.@*CONCLUSION@#JR exerts potent anti-HCC effects by inhibiting cancer stemness via abating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway under hypoxic conditions. Please cite this article as: Guo BJ, Ruan Y, Wang YJ, Xiao CL, Zhong ZP, Cheng BB, Du J, Li B, Gu W, Yin ZF. Jiedu Recipe, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, inhibits cancer stemness in hepatocellular carcinoma via Wnt/β-catenin pathway under hypoxia. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(5): 474-486.

Physical exercise suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression by alleviating hypoxia and attenuating cancer stemness through the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#Physical exercise, a common non-drug intervention, is an important strategy in cancer treatment, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the mechanism remains largely unknown. Due to the importance of hypoxia and cancer stemness in the development of HCC, the present study investigated whether the anti-HCC effect of physical exercise is related to its suppression on hypoxia and cancer stemness.@*METHODS@#A physical exercise intervention of swimming (30 min/d, 5 d/week, for 4 weeks) was administered to BALB/c nude mice bearing subcutaneous human HCC tumor. The anti-HCC effect of swimming was assessed in vivo by tumor weight monitoring, hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) detection of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Ki67. The expression of stemness transcription factors, including Nanog homeobox (NANOG), octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT-4), v-Myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog (C-MYC) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), was detected using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. A hypoxia probe was used to explore the intratumoral hypoxia status. Western blot was used to detect the expression of HIF-1α and proteins related to protein kinase B (Akt)/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β)/β-catenin signaling pathway. The IHC analysis of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (CD31), and the immunofluorescence co-location of CD31 and desmin were used to analyze tumor blood perfusion. SMMC-7721 cells were treated with nude mice serum. The inhibition effect on cancer stemness in vitro was detected using suspension sphere experiments and the expression of stemness transcription factors. The hypoxia status was inferred by measuring the protein and mRNA levels of HIF-1α. Further, the expression of proteins related to Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway was detected.@*RESULTS@#Swimming significantly reduced the body weight and tumor weight in nude mice bearing HCC tumor. HE staining and IHC results showed a lower necrotic area ratio as well as fewer PCNA or Ki67 positive cells in mice receiving the swimming intervention. Swimming potently alleviated the intratumoral hypoxia, attenuated the cancer stemness, and inhibited the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway. Additionally, the desmin+/CD31+ ratio, rather than the number of CD31+ vessels, was significantly increased in swimming-treated mice. In vitro experiments showed that treating cells with the serum from the swimming intervention mice significantly reduced the formation of SMMC-7721 cell suspension sphere, as well as the mRNA expression level of stemness transcription factors. Consistent with the in vivo results, HIF-1α and Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway were also inhibited in cells treated with serum from swimming group.@*CONCLUSION@#Swimming alleviated hypoxia and attenuated cancer stemness in HCC, through suppression of the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling pathway. The alleviation of intratumoral hypoxia was related to the increase in blood perfusion in the tumor. Please cite this article as: Xiao CL, Zhong ZP, Lü C, Guo BJ, Chen JJ, Zhao T, Yin ZF, Li B. Physical exercise suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression by alleviating hypoxia and attenuating cancer stemness through the Akt/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(2): 184-193.

Efficacy of partial nephrectomy in patients with localized renal carcinoma: a 20-year experience of 2 046 patients in a single center / 中华外科杂志

Objectives: To analyze the long-term survival of patients with localized renal cell carcinoma after partical nephrectomy. Methods: The clinicopathological records and survival follow-up data of 2 046 patients with localized renal cell carcinoma, who were treated with partial nephrectomy from August 2001 to February 2021 in the Department of Urology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, were retrospectively analyzed. There were 1 402 males and 644 females, aged (M(IQR)) 51 (19) years (range: 6 to 86 years). The primary end point of this study was cancer-specific survival. Survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the difference test was performed by Log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis were fitted to determine factors associated with cancer-specific survival. Results: The follow-up time was 49.2 (48.0) months (range: 1 to 229 months), with 1 974 patients surviving and 72 dying. The median cancer-specific survival time has not yet been reached. The 5- and 10-year cancer specific survival rates were 97.0% and 91.2%, respectively. The 10-year cancer-specific survival rates for stage pT1a (n=1 447), pT1b (n=523) and pT2 (n=58) were 95.3%, 81.8%, and 81.7%, respectively. The 10-year cancer-specific survival rates of patients with nuclear grade 1 (n=226), 2 (n=1 244) and 3 to 4 (n=278) were 96.6%, 89.4%, and 85.5%, respectively. There were no significant differences in 5-year cancer-specific survival rates among patients underwent open, laparoscopic, or robotic surgery (96.7% vs. 97.1% vs. 97.5%, P=0.600). Multivariate analysis showed that age≥50 years (HR=3.93, 95%CI: 1.82 to 8.47, P<0.01), T stage (T1b vs. T1a: HR=3.31, 95%CI: 1.83 to 5.99, P<0.01; T2+T3 vs. T1a: HR=2.88, 95%CI: 1.00 to 8.28, P=0.049) and nuclear grade (G3 to 4 vs. G1: HR=2.81, 95%CI: 1.01 to 7.82, P=0.048) were independent prognostic factors of localized renal cell carcinoma after partial nephrectomy. Conclusions: The long-term cancer-specific survival rates of patients with localized renal cancer after partial nephrectomy are satisfactory. The type of operation (open, laparoscopic, or robotic) has no significant effect on survival. However, patients with older age, higher nuclear grade, and higher T stage have a lower cancer-specific survival rate. Grasping surgical indications, attaching importance to preoperative evaluation, perioperative management, and postoperative follow-up, could benefit achieving satisfactory long-term survival.

Survey on the current situation and influencing factors of humanistic care ability of outpatient and emergency nurses in tertiary Grade A hospitals in Zhengzhou City / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To investigate the humanistic care consciousness and ability of outpatient and emergency nurses in tertiary Grade A hospitals in Zhengzhou City. Methods: In June 2021, a total of 345 outpatient and emergency nurses from 6 tertiary Grade A hospitals in Zhengzhou City were selected as the survey objects by random number table method. The humanistic care ability of outpatient and emergency nurses was investigated. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the related factors influencing the humanistic care ability of outpatient and emergency nurses. Results: The total score of humanistic care ability of outpatient and emergency nurses in Zhengzhou tertiary Grade A hospital was (194.18±30.53). The scores of humanistic care ability of outpatient and emergency nurses with different gender, age, educational background, professional title, length of service, night shift frequency, marital status, children's status, employment patterns and average monthly household income were significantly different (P<0.05). Regression analysis showed that education background, length of service, professional title and night shift frequency were independent influencing factors for outpatient and emergency nurses' humanistic care ability (β=0.243, 0.139, 0.163, -0.126, P<0.05) . Conclusion: At present, the humanistic care ability of outpatient and emergency nurses in tertiary Grade A hospitals in Zhengzhou City is still low. Education, length of service, professional title and night shift frequency are independent influencing factors affecting the humanistic care ability of nurses.

Phonological processes in initial consonants of Putonghua in children in Jiangsu urban areas / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To explore the phonological processes in initial consonants of Putonghua-speaking children in Jiangsu urban areas. Methods: A status survey was applied. From December 2014 to September 2015, a stratified random sampling method was used to select 958 children aged 1 to 6 years with Putonghua as their mother tongue in the urban area of Nanjing, Changzhou, Yangzhou and Xuzhou to examine their phonological performance. Speech samples were collected by the method of picture naming. The children were divided into 9 age groups (1.5-<2.0, 2.0-<2.5, 2.5-<3.0, 2.5-<3.0, 3.0-<3.5, 3.5-<4.0, 4.0-<4.5, 5.0-<6.0, 6.0-<7.0 years). Descriptive analysis method was used to analyze the phonological processes in initial consonants at different age groups. Results: Among the 958 children, there were 482 boys and 476 girls. The age of the children was (3.8±1.4) years. The number of children in the 9 age groups (1.5-<2.0, 2.0-<2.5, 2.5-<3.0, 2.5-<3.0, 3.0-<3.5, 3.5-<4.0, 4.0-<4.5, 5.0-<6.0, 6.0-<7.0 years) is 100, 110, 110, 114, 114, 114, 111, 119, and 66, separately. The process of substitution was found in the speech of 701 children (73.2%), syllable structure simplification was found in 194 children (20.3%), distortion was found in 41 children (4.3%), and assimilation was found in 17 children (1.8%). Among these 4 types of processes, the occurrence of substitution was highest in all the age groups, ranging from 30.3% (20/66) to 94.5% (104/110). The occurrence of syllable structure simplification ranged from 27.3% (30/110) to 91.0% (91/100) in the age groups of 1.5-<3.0 years and 0.9% (1/114) to 7.9% (9/114) in the age groups of 3.0-<7.0 years. The occurrence of distortion ranged from 7.3% (8/110) to 19.1% (21/110) in the age groups of 1.5-<3.0 years and 0 (0/114) to 2.7% (3/111) in the age groups of 3.0-<7.0 years. The occurrence of assimilation was very low in all age groups, ranging from 0 (0/114) to 3.0% (3/100) among all age groups. For substitution, the occurrence order of mainly individual processes from high to low was listed as follows: retroflexion 35.4% (339/958), deretroflexion 31.6% (303/958), lateralization 27.9% (267/958), stopping 17.8% (171/958), backing 14.2% (136/958), palatalization 10.9% (104/958), fronting 10.6% (102/958), and nasalization 5.8% (56/958). From the 4.0-<4.5 years of age group onwards, the phonological processes in initial consonants all met suppression criteria (the occurrence of processes was reduced to<10%) except retroflexion, deretroflexion, and lateralization. Conclusions: The processes of syllable structure simplification and distortion mainly appears in the early stage of speech sound development, while substitution is the major form of phonological pattern in initial consonants found in developmental speech errors. By 4 years of age, phonological processes in initial consonants almost disappear. The remaining processes that persisted for a longer period of time are retroflexion, deretroflexion, and lateralization.

Research progress on natural guaiane-type sesquiterpenoids and their biological activities / 中国中药杂志

Guaiane-type sesquiterpenoids are a class of terpenoids with [5,7] ring-fused system as the basic skeletal structure composed of three isoprene units, which are substituted by 4,10-dimethyl-7-isopropyl. According to the difference in functional groups and degree of polymerization, they can be divided into simple guaiane-type sesquiterpenoids, sesquiterpene lactones, sesquiterpene dimers, and sesquiterpene trimers. Natural guaiane-type sesquiterpenoids are widely distributed in plants, fungi, and marine organisms, especially in families such as Compositae, Zingiberaceae, Thymelaeaceae, Lamiaceae, and Alismataceae. Guaiane-type sesquiterpenoids have good antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and neuroprotective effects. In this paper, the novel guaiane-type sesquiterpenoids isolated and identified in recent 10 years(2013-2022) and their biological activities were reviewed in order to provide refe-rences for the research and development of guaiane-type sesquiterpenoids.

Evidence mapping analysis of traditional Chinese medicine intervention in pulmonary fibrosis / 中国中药杂志

This study utilized evidence mapping methodology to systematically identify, describe, and evaluate the evidence from relevant research on traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) interventions in patients with pulmonary fibrosis. CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Web of Science, EMbase, and Cochrane Library were searched from database inception to March 2023 for systematic reviews/Meta-analysis/network Meta-analysis on TCM interventions in pulmonary fibrosis. The quality of included studies was assessed using the AMSTAR 2 scale, and the evidence mapping approach was employed to present comprehensive information on populations, intervention methods, the sample size in systematic reviews/Meta-analysis, and conclusion classifications. Ultimately, 44 systematic reviews/Meta-analysis/network Meta-analysis were included. Apart from syndrome differentiation and treatment, TCM injections accounted for a significant proportion of the observed interventions. The treatment methods were mainly focused on nourishing Qi and Yin, promoting blood circulation, resolving stasis, and dredging collaterals. The results from the included studies demonstrated that TCM treatment for pulmonary fibrosis could improve efficacy, increase lung function, improve PaO_(2 )levels, increase the 6-minute walk distance(6MWD), alleviate clinical symptoms, and enhance patients' quality of life. Based on the assessment using the AMSTAR 2 scale, methodological issues were identified, including the lack of protocol registration, failure to provide a list of excluded literature, and incomplete explanations regarding the impact of heterogeneity and bias on the results. The evidence mapping revealed that 42 conclusions were beneficial, while two conclusions were potentially beneficial. Overall, the quality of evidence was relatively low, primarily due to methodological imprecision and publication bias. Although TCM showed certain efficacy in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis, the quality of reported literature, methodological quality, and overall evidence quality need improvement. It is recommended to conduct high-quality and standardized studies in the future to provide better evidence-based guidance.

Prevalence and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium in captive-bred Mustela putorius furo in Jiangsu Province / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To investigate the prevalence and molecular features of Cryptosporidium in captive-bred Mustela putorius furo in Jiangsu Province.. Methods A total of 290 fresh stool samples were collected from a ferret farm in Jiangsu Province on May 2017, and the small subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) gene of Cryptosporidium was amplified in stool samples using nested PCR assay. The actin, cowp and gp60 genes were amplified in positive samples and sequenced to characterize Cryptosporidium species/genotypes. Results A total of 18 stool samples were tested positive for Cryptosporidium SSU rRNA gene, with a detection rate of 6.2%. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses of SSU rRNA, actin and cowp genes characterized Cryptosporidium isolated from captive-bred ferrets as Cryptosporidium sp. ferret genotype. In addition, gp60 gene was amplified in 10 out of 18 stool samples tested positive for Cryptosporidium. Conclusions Cryptosporidium is widely prevalent in captive-bred ferrets in Jiangsu Province, and Cryptosporidium sp. ferret genotype is the only Cryptosporidium genotype in ferrets.

In vivo confocal microscopic observations of 49 patients with posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To explore the imaging features of 49 patients with posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy(PPCD)by in vivo confocal microscopy(IVCM).METHODS: Retrospective case series study. A total of 49 patients(86 eyes), including 32 males and 17 females diagnosed with PPCD between January 2013 and January 2021 were collected. The mean age was 42.5±22.9 years. All patients were scanned by IVCM to analyze the density of corneal endothelial cells and described IVCM characteristics of different types of PPCD.RESULTS: The number of endothelial cells in the lesion area of all patients was lower than that in the peripheral area. Under IVCM, 44 eyes(51%)were categorized into type 1 PPCD(vesicular lesions), characterized by single or multiple, central round or irregular crater-like lesion on paracentral corneal endothelial layer; 16 eyes(19%)were categorized into type 2 PPCD(band lesions), which displayed curved and raised edge with scattered or banded-distributed gutta-like lesion between edges. Type 3 PPCD(diffuse lesion)were in 26 eyes(30%), which showed that endothelial cells were missing in many areas. The blurred images of endothelium in most areas featured with spikes lined in a streak, and the clear images in some areas featured with a band lesions. Two patients were followed up for 4-5a. The IVCM images showed different lesions, including the decrease of central corneal endothelial cell density and the iron deposit in the corneal epithelium, etc.CONCLUSION: IVCM is able to scan the characteristic microstructural alterations at the level of endothelium and Descemet membrane in patients with PPCD, and provide an effective image diagnosis for PPCD.

Captopril related kidney damage: renal afferent arteriolar responses to angiotensin II and inflammatory signaling / 生理学报

Captopril can have nephrotoxic effects, which are largely attributed to accumulated renin and "escaped" angiotensin II (Ang II). Here we test whether angiotensin converting enzyme-1 (ACE1) inhibition damages kidneys via alteration of renal afferent arteriolar responses to Ang II and inflammatory signaling. C57Bl/6 mice were given vehicle or captopril (60 mg/kg per day) for four weeks. Hypertension was obtained by minipump supplying Ang II (400 ng/kg per min) during the second 2 weeks. We assessed kidney histology by periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and Masson staining, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by FITC-labeled inulin clearance, and responses to Ang II assessed in afferent arterioles in vitro. Moreover, arteriolar H2O2 and catalase, plasma renin were assayed by commercial kits, and mRNAs of renin receptor, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the renal cortex, mRNAs of angiotensin receptor-1 (AT1R) and AT2R in the preglomerular arterioles were detected by RT-qPCR. The results showed that, compared to vehicle, mice given captopril showed lowered blood pressure, reduced GFR, increased plasma renin, renal interstitial fibrosis and tubular epithelial vacuolar degeneration, increased expression of mRNAs of renal TGF-β and COX-2, decreased production of H2O2 and increased catalase activity in preglomerular arterioles and enhanced afferent arteriolar Ang II contractions. The latter were blunted by incubation with H2O2. The mRNAs of renal microvascular AT1R and AT2R remained unaffected by captopril. Ang II-infused mice showed increased blood pressure and reduced afferent arteriolar Ang II responses. Administration of captopril to the Ang II-infused mice normalized blood pressure, but not arteriolar Ang II responses. We conclude that inhibition of ACE1 enhances renal microvascular reactivity to Ang II and may enhance important inflammatory pathways.

Herbal Textual Research on Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens in Famous Classical Formulas and Its Quality Evaluation / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo provide references for the selection of Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens on the research of famous classical formulas and the reasonable uses for medicines and foods through herbal textural research and quality analysis of Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens from main producing areas in China. MethodBy consulting the ancient and modern literature， the name， origin， producing areas， harvest time， processing methods of Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens were summarized. According to the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia， the contents of 6-gingerol， 8-gingerol， 10-gingerol， and volatile oil in Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens samples were determined. ResultHerbal textural research indicated that medicinal Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens originated from the fresh rhizome of Zingiber officinale. Before Tang dynasty， Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens produced in Sichuan was the best. In the Song dynasty， Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens produced in Sichuan， Zhejiang， and Anhui was of excellent quality. The cultivation of Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens in Shandong developed during the Ming and Qing dynasties. From ancient times to the present， the harvest period extended from the autumnal equinox to the winter solstice. Quality evaluation standards of Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens were essentially the same in ancient and present documents， as those with little gluten or gluten-free and strong pungency were preferred. After determination， the contents of 6-gingerol， 8-gingerol， and 10-gingerol in 44 samples were qualified in 27 samples， with a qualified rate of 61.4%. Among them， 17 samples were unqualified in the total contents of 8-gingerol and 10-gingerol. Among these qualified samples， the content of 6-gingerol ranged from 0.067% to 0.255%， and the total contents of 8-gingerol and 10-gingerol ranged from 0.040% to 0.131%. The content of volatile oil in 36 samples were qualified in 33 samples， with a qualified rate of 91.7%. Among the qualified samples， the content of volatile oil ranged from 0.175% to 0.410%. ConclusionZingiberis Rhizoma Recens has been used as medicines and foods since ancient times， and the genuine producing areas are consistent in ancient and present times， while the quality of the products， especially the medicinal Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens， should be monitored. Medicinal Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens planted in Leshan city of Sichuan province contains high contents of effective components， followed by Qujing and Wenshan cities of Yunnan province. Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens planted in Shandong and other places is mostly edible.

Analysis on Indications and Medication Regularities of Famous Classical Formula Wuzhuyu Tang Based on Modern Clinical Literature / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Wuzhuyu Tang （WZYT）， a classical traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） formula， was first recorded in Treatise on Cold Damage by the prestigious physician ZHANG Zhong-jing in the Eastern Han Dynasty， and included in Catalogue of Ancient Classical Formulas （First Batch）. WZYT is composed of four medcinals： Euodiae Fructus， Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma， Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens， and Jujubae Fructus， which has the effects of warming the middle and tonifying deficiency， dissipating cold and descending adverse qi. Based on data mining， this paper analyzes the modern clinical research literature on WZYT， which is expected to lay a basis for clarifying the "disease-symptom-prescription-medicinal" relationship of WZYT， as well as its modern clinical indications and clinical dosage. With the search term "Wuzhuyu Tang"， 253 complete medical records were retrieved from CNKI， VIP， and Wanfang （2000-2020）， involving 292 TCM prescriptions. Microsoft Excel 2019 was employed to establish the medical record database and the main clinical indications were statistically analyzed. Moreover， the syndromes， incidence law， and medication regularity were summed up. The result indicates WZYT has a wide range of modern clinical applications， mainly including the treatment of headache， dizziness， vomiting， diarrhea， dysmenorrhea， morning sickness， and other diseases， and the "deficiency， cold， and reversal" symptoms， mainly manifested as nausea and vomiting， headache， fatigue and lack of strength， reversal cold of hands and feet， poor appetite， gloomy complexion， dizziness， aversion to wind and cold， abdominal pain， sloppy diarrhea， abdominal distension， poor sleep， pale tongue， white coating， and deep thread wiry pulse. These diseases and symptoms mainly occur in women and middle-aged people. In most cases， medicinals are added or subtracted according to the symptoms， and the common doses of Euodiae Fructus， Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens， Codonopsis Radix or Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma， and Jujubae Fructus in the original prescription are 6-15 g， 10-15 g， 10-15 g or 9-12 g， and 4-6， respectively. The added medicinals are in the descending order of Pinelliae Rhizoma， Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma， Poria， Glycyrrhize Radix et Rhizoma， and Chuanxiong Rhizoma according to the frequency.

Help-seeking efficacy and the intention of social assistance among medical care personnel during the major public health events / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To explore the help seeking efficacy and social assistance willingness of medical staff during major public health events, so as to provide basis for improving the psychological resources and service quality of medical staff and further optimizing the prevention and treatment policies. Methods: In February 2020, a convenient sampling method was used to conduct an online questionnaire survey on medical staff in Henan Province, and a total of 2136 questionnaires were collected. Among them, there were 1940 valid questionnaires, and the effective recovery rate was 90.82%. The questionnaire of help seeking efficacy and willingness to social assistance under epidemic situation was used to investigate the help seeking efficacy and willingness of medical staff. The frequency and rate (%) were used to analyze the overall situation of medical staff's help seeking efficacy and social assistance willingness. The differences among different demographic variables were tested by χ(2) test. Results: Among the 1940 medical and nursing staff, 18.81% (365/1940) did not know how to obtain appropriate psychological assistance. Compared with the low age group, the medical staff in the high age group had the ability of information query, the ability to occupy knowledge resources, the ability to distinguish rumors and facts and the sense of efficacy of obtaining appropriate medical help, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05) . The willingness of medical and nursing staff to actively cooperate with the government, maintain social stability and volunteer work were 99.43% (1929/1940) , 98.81% (1917/1940) and 97.11% (1884/1940) . Conclusion: The medical staff had a higher sense of help seeking efficacy and willingness to social assistance. It is necessary to further strengthen the resource support of psychological, social and humanistic care for medical staff.

Consistency evaluation of target heart rate determined by anaerobic threshold and by resting heart rate in patients with coronary artery disease after percutaneous coronary intervention / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To evaluate the consistency on the determination of target heart rate by simple calculation method based on resting heart rate and by anaerobic threshold method in cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) for patients with coronary artery disease after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: This study was a diagnostic test. Patients with coronary artery disease who underwent the first PCI in the Department of Cardiology of Peking University People's Hospital from October 2011 to April 2021 were enrolled. Patients were further divided into subgroups according to gender, age (<60 years group and ≥60 years group), with or without myocardial infarction history (myocardial infarction group and angina pectoris group) and whether β blockers were applied. The general clinical data of patients, resting heart rate (RHR) and anaerobic threshold heart rate in CPET were collected through the electronic medical record system. The simple target rate (RHR plus 20 or 30 bpm) and the target rate calculated by anaerobic threshold (anaerobic threshold heart rate minus 10 bpm) were both calculated in each patient. Consistency test of target heart rate derived by above the two methods was shown by intra-class correlation (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots. Results: A total of 439 patients were included, age was (56.2±8.8) years, body mass index was (25.77±2.34) kg/m2, there were 382 males (87.0%). The target heart rate determined by anaerobic threshold method was (90.0±11.8)bpm, and the simple target heart rate determined by RHR plus 20 bpm was (91.0±8.4)bpm. There was no significant difference on the target heart rate derived from the two calculation methods (P=0.091). The simple target heart rate determined by RHR plus 30 bpm was (101.0±8.4)bpm, which was significant higher than that determined by anaerobic threshold method (P<0.001). In the following analysis, RHR plus 20 bpm was defined as the simple target heart rate. The ICC value of target heart rate determined by anaerobic threshold and resting rate plus 20 bpm was 0.529(95%CI 0.458-0.593, P<0.001). Bland-Altman plots analysis showed that the ratio of the simple target heart rate and the target heart rate determined by anaerobic threshold method was 1.03±0.11 and the 95% limits of agreement (LOA) were 0.812-1.245. In the subgroup of patients aged<60 years (n=247), the ICC value was 0.492, the ratio by Bland-Altman plots analysis was 1.02±0.11 and LOA was 0.814-1.234; in the subgroup of patients aged ≥60 years (n=192), the ICC value was 0.566, the ratio by Bland-Altman plots analysis was 1.03±0.11 and LOA was 0.810-1.260. In male subgroup(n=382), the ICC value was 0.540, the ratio by Bland-Altman plots analysis was 1.03±0.11 and LOA was 0.813-1.246; in female subgroup(n=57), the ICC value was 0.445, the ratio by Bland-Altman plots analysis was 1.03±0.11 and LOA was 0.810-1.240.In myocardial infarction subgroup (n=186), the ICC value was 0.568, the ratio by Bland-Altman plots analysis was 1.02±0.11 and LOA was 0.810-1.227; in angina pectoris subgroup (n=253), the ICC value was 0.495, the ratio by Bland-Altman plots analysis was 1.04±0.11 and LOA was 0.813-1.260. In the subgroup of patients with β blockers (n=353), the ICC value was 0.520, the ratio by Bland-Altman plots analysis was 1.03±0.11 and LOA was 0.810-1.252; in the subgroup of patients without β blockers (n=86), the ICC value was 0.570, the ratio by Bland-Altman plots analysis was 1.02±0.10 and LOA was 0.821-1.219. Conclusions: The simple target heart rate determined by RHR plus 20 bpm is consistent with the target heart rate determined by anaerobic threshold in patients with coronary artery disease after PCI. But the simple target heart rate determined by RHR plus 20 bpm can't replace the target heart rate determined by anaerobic threshold in this patient cohort.