Relationship between self-reported occupational noise exposure and expression levels of plasma inflammatory cytokines in adult asthmatic patients / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objectives To investigate the relationship between self-reported occupational noise exposure and levels of plasma inflammatory cytokines in asthmatic patients. Methods A total of 910 adult asthmatic patients were selected as the study subjects, and their occupational noise exposure history and other related information were collected. The peripheral blood samples were collected from the patients, and the expression levels of plasma soluble CD14 (sCD14), complement factor D (CFD), Eotaxin-11 (CCL11), and IL-9 were determined. The relationship between self-reported occupational noise exposure and the expression levels of the four inflammatory cytokines in patients’ plasma were analyzed using multiple linear regression models. The interactions between confounding factors and self-reported occupational noise exposure were further analyzed by interaction analysis. Results The plasma CCL11, sCD14 and CFD expressions in asthmatic patients with self-reported occupational noise exposure were significantly higher than those in patients without the exposure (P<0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, compared with patients reporting no occupational noise exposure, the plasma CFD expression was increased by 0.17 (95% CI: 0.02, 0.31) natural logarithm units in patients with self-reported occupational noise exposure. During remission, the levels of plasma CCL11 and sCD14 in asthmatic patients with self-reported occupational noise exposure were increased by 0.27 (95% CI: 0.05, 0.49) and 0.22 (95% CI: 0.02, 0.41) natural logarithm units, respectively, when compared with patients without the exposure. Interaction analysis showed that self-reported occupational noise exposure had significant multiplicative interaction with smoking or pet ownership on plasma CCL11 or CFD expressions in asthmatic patients (all P<0.05). Conclusion Self-reported occupational noise exposure is significantly associated with increased expression levels of plasma CFD, CCL11, and sCD14 in adult asthmatic patients.

Correlation between 23 metals and metalloids elements in the urine and thyroid function of traffic police / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To investigate the correlation between 23 metals and metalloids elements in the urine and thyroid function indicators in the blood of traffic police. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed to assess the effects of 23 metals and metalloids elements in the urine on blood thyroid function indicators in 166 traffic policemen (122 field staff and 44 internal staff) in Wuhan, Hubei Province. Each subject received an occupational health examination. Results After multiple corrections for false detection rates, in the polymetallic model, the levels of urinary manganese and urinary uranium were positively correlated with the levels of thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) in the blood (β = 66.57, 95% CI 2.92-130.22, P = 0.040 and β = 62.43, 95% CI 14.37-110.49, P = 0.011), and the level of urinary uranium was positively correlated with thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in the blood (β = 6.20, 95% CI 2.68-9.72 , P = 0.001). Urinary uranium level was negatively correlated with free thyroxine level in the blood (FT4) (β = -2.03, 95 % CI (-3.67 )- (-0.39), P = 0.015), and urinary lead level was negatively correlated with blood TSH level (β = -4.59, 95% CI (-8.67) - (-0.51), P = 0.027). Conclusion Manganese exposure is related to the increase of TPOAb level in blood, uranium exposure is related to the increase of TPOAb and TSH levels and the decrease of FT4 level in blood, and lead exposure is related to the decrease of TSH level in blood, suggesting that more attention should be paid to the effects of heavy metals on the thyroid of traffic police.

Combination of AAV-delivered tumor suppressor PTEN with anti-PD-1 loaded depot gel for enhanced antitumor immunity

Recent clinical studies have shown that mutation of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) gene in cancer cells may be associated with immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and poor response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. Therefore, efficiently restoring PTEN gene expression in cancer cells is critical to improving the responding rate to ICB therapy. Here, we screened an adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid for efficient PTEN gene delivery into B16F10 tumor cells. We demonstrated that intratumorally injected AAV6-PTEN successfully restored the tumor cell PTEN gene expression and effectively inhibited tumor progression by inducing tumor cell immunogenic cell death (ICD) and increasing immune cell infiltration. Moreover, we developed an anti-PD-1 loaded phospholipid-based phase separation gel (PPSG), which formed an in situ depot and sustainably release anti-PD-1 drugs within 42 days in vivo. In order to effectively inhibit the recurrence of melanoma, we further applied a triple therapy based on AAV6-PTEN, PPSG@anti-PD-1 and CpG, and showed that this triple therapy strategy enhanced the synergistic antitumor immune effect and also induced robust immune memory, which completely rejected tumor recurrence. We anticipate that this triple therapy could be used as a new tumor combination therapy with stronger immune activation capacity and tumor inhibition efficacy.

Treatment advice of small molecule antiviral drugs for elderly COVID-19 / 中国药理学通报

COVID-19 has been prevalent for three years. The virulence of SARS-CoV-2 is weaken as it mutates continuously. However, elderly patients, especially those with underlying diseases, are still at high risk of developing severe infections. With the continuous study of the molecular structure and pathogenic mechanism of SARS-CoV-2, antiviral drugs for COVID-19 have been successively marketed, and these anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs can effectively reduce the severe rate and mortality of elderly patients. This article reviews the mechanism, clinical medication regimens, drug interactions and adverse reactions of five small molecule antiviral drugs currently approved for marketing in China, so as to provide advice for the clinical rational use of anti-SARS-CoV-2 in the elderly.

Advances in COVID-19 vaccine development and clinical application / 中国药理学通报

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-COV-2) has spread to more than 220 countries, including China. With the deepening of research on the viral molecular structure and pathogenesis of SARS-COV-2, various prevention strategies and treatment plans for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are being actively explored. Pharmaceutical companies and scientific research institutions in many countries or regions are also actively engaged in the research and development of COVID-19 vaccines. More than 300 COVID-19 vaccine candidates are currently under study globally, and more than 10 have entered phase III clinical trials or are authorized for emergency use. Five COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for use in China, including three inactivated vaccines, one type 5 adenovirus vector vaccine and one recombinant protein vaccine (from CHO cell). The COVID-19 vaccines developed by Oxford University/Astrazeneca and Johnson & Johnson are adenovirus vector vaccines. Emergency licensing of mRNA vaccines developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, and mRNA vaccines developed by Moderna also offer potential prospects for COVID-19 prevention and control. This article reviews the development and clinical application of COVID-19 vaccines.

Research progress of diabetic renal fibrosis / 中国药理学通报

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most common and serious microvascular complications in patients with diabetes mellitus. Diabetic renal fibrosis ( DRF) is a major pathological change in the development of DN. In recent years the incidence of renal fibrosis (RF) has remained high. For diabetic patients, RF may expose them to kidney transplantation or even death, which brings a great burden to themselves and their families. Therefore, learning the pathogenesis and the current treat ment status of DRF is crucial for the treatment of the disease and the development of new drugs. Here we review the general situa¬tion of DN, the general situation, molecular mechanism, and the treatment of DRF,looking forward to providing a reference for the research and treatment of DRF.

Study of the clinical significance of ETAR mRNA expression in high-grade serous ovarian cancer and the inhibitory effect of ETAR derived fusion polypeptide on cancer progression / 中华妇产科杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinical significance of endothelin A receptor (ETAR) expression in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC). To design ETAR carboxyl terminal (ETAR-C) amino acids derived polypeptide and to study the inhibitory effect on ovarian epithelial carcinoma cells in vitro. Methods: (1) A total of 126 patients who received surgical treatment and were diagnosed with HGSOC by postoperative pathological examination in Central Hospital of Xuzhou from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2017 were selected. All patients had completed clinicopathological data and follow-up data. Cancer tissue samples were collected and ETAR mRNA expression in HGSOC tissues was detected by reverse transcript-PCR. The clinical significance was analyzed. (2) ETAR-C fusion polypeptide was designed based on the sequence of carboxyl terminal amino acids of ETAR, expressed and purified in vitro. The effects of ETAR-C fusion polypeptide on migration and invasion ability of ovarian cancer SKOV3 and CAOV3 cells were detected by scratch test and invasion test, respectively. The effect of ETAR-C fusion polypeptide on chemosensitivity of cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer SKOV3/cDDP and CAOV3/cDDP cells was determined by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetric assay. The effect of ETAR-C fusion polypeptide on β-arrestin-1 expression in ovarian cancer SKOV3 and CAOV3 cells was detected by western blot. Results: (1) The relative expression level of ETAR mRNA in HGSOC tissues was 18.6±5.1. Patients with HGSOC were divided into high ETAR mRNA expression (n=76) and low ETAR mRNA expression (n=50) with 61.7% as cut-off value analyzed by X-Tile software. High expression of ETAR mRNA was significantly correlated with abdominal water volume, platinum drug resistance, and cancer antigen 125 (CA125) value in HGSOC patients (all P<0.05), but was not related to the age of patients with HGSOC and the size of postoperative residual lesions (all P>0.05). The 5-year progression free survival rates were 18.4% and 28.0%, and the 5-year overall survival rates were 38.2% and 52.0% in HGSOC patients with high and low ETAR mRNA expression respectively, there were statistically significant differences (P=0.046, P=0.034). (2) The results of scratch test and invasion test showed that the scratch healing rate and cell invasion rate of SKOV3 or CAOV3 cells treated with endothelin-1 (ET-1) and ET-1+ETAR-C were respectively compared, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). MTT assay showed that the inhibition rates of ETAR-C fusion polypeptide treated in SKOV3/cDDP and CAOV3/cDDP cells were significantly higher than those of control cells after the addition of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 24 μg/ml cisplatin (all P<0.05). Western blot analysis showed that the relative expression levels of β-arrestin-1 in SKOV3 or CAOV3 cells treated with ET-1 and ET-1+ETAR-C were 1.85±0.09 and 1.13±0.09 (SKOV3 cells), 2.14±0.15 and 1.66±0.12 (CAOV3 cells), respectively. The differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusions: The prognosis of HGSOC patients with high expression of ETAR mRNA is significantly worse than those with low expression of ETAR mRNA. ETAR might be a new target for HGSOC treatment. The ETAR-C fusion polypeptide that interferes with the interaction of ETAR and β-arrestin-1 has good inhibitory effect on ovarian cancer cells in vitro, and might have clinical application potential.

Recent progress in vestibular prosthesis / 临床耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Bilateral vestibulopathy（BVP） is one of the common diseases in the vestibular nervous system, with an incidence rate of about 4%-7% in the population, which can lead to a variety of body dysfunctions. At present, there are two main treatment methods for BVP. One is vestibular rehabilitation. However, only part of BVP patients can finally benefit from vestibular rehabilitation, and most patients will remain with permanent vestibular dysfunction. Benefiting from the maturity of cochlear implant technology, European and American countries took the lead in the development of vestibular prosthesis（VP） technology to restore the vestibular function in patients with BVP. This review will focus on the development history, principles, future applications and the related research progress of VP in China.

Relationship between Dining Place, Iodine Source, and Iodine Nutrition in School-Age Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#This study assesses the impact of iodine-rich processed foods and dining places on the iodine nutritional status of children.@*METHODS@#School-aged children (SAC) in seven provinces in China were selected by school-based multi-stage sampling. Urinary iodine, salt iodine, and thyroid volume (TVOL) were determined. Questionnaires were used to investigate dining places and iodine-rich processed foods. The water iodine was from the 2017 national survey. Multi-factor regression analysis was used to find correlations between variables.@*RESULTS@#Children ate 78.7% of their meals at home, 15.1% at school canteens, and 6.1% at other places. The percentage of daily iodine intake from water, iodized salt, iodine-rich processed foods, and cooked food were 1.0%, 79.2%, 1.5%, and 18.4%, respectively. The salt iodine was correlated with the urinary iodine and TVOL, respectively (r = 0.999 and -0.997, P < 0.05). The iodine intake in processed foods was weakly correlated with the TVOL (r = 0.080, P < 0.01). Non-iodized salt used in processed foods or diets when eating out had less effect on children's iodine nutrition status.@*CONCLUSION@#Iodized salt remains the primary source of daily iodine intake of SAC, and processed food has less effect on iodine nutrition. Therefore, for children, iodized salt should be a compulsory supplement in their routine diet.

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.

High cut-off membranes in patients requiring renal replacement therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Whether high cut-off (HCO) membranes are more effective than high-flux (HF) membranes in patients requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) remains controversial. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the efficacy of HCO membranes regarding the clearance of inflammation-related mediators, β2-microglobulin and urea; albumin loss; and all-cause mortality in patients requiring RRT.@*METHODS@#We searched all relevant studies on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure, with no language or publication year restrictions. Two reviewers independently selected studies and extracted data using a prespecified extraction instrument. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. Summary estimates of standardized mean differences (SMDs) or weighted mean differences (WMDs) and risk ratios (RRs) were obtained by fixed-effects or random-effects models. Sensitivity analyses and subgroup analyses were performed to determine the source of heterogeneity.@*RESULTS@#Nineteen RCTs involving 710 participants were included in this systematic review. Compared with HF membranes, HCO membranes were more effective in reducing the plasma level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) (SMD -0.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.48 to -0.01, P   =  0.04, I2  = 63.8%); however, no difference was observed in the clearance of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (SMD 0.03, 95% CI -0.27 to 0.33, P  = 0.84, I2  = 4.3%), IL-10 (SMD 0.22, 95% CI -0.12 to 0.55, P  = 0.21, I2  = 0.0%), or urea (WMD -0.27, 95% CI -2.77 to 2.23, P  = 0.83, I2  = 19.6%). In addition, a more significant reduction ratio of β 2 -microglobulin (WMD 14.8, 95% CI 3.78 to 25.82, P  = 0.01, I2  = 88.3%) and a more obvious loss of albumin (WMD -0.25, 95% CI -0.35 to -0.16, P  < 0.01, I2  = 40.8%) could be observed with the treatment of HCO membranes. For all-cause mortality, there was no difference between the two groups (risk ratio [RR] 1.10, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.40, P  = 0.43, I2  = 0.0%).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Compared with HF membranes, HCO membranes might have additional benefits on the clearance of IL-6 and β 2-microglobulin but not on TNF-α, IL-10, and urea. Albumin loss is more serious with the treatment of HCO membranes. There was no difference in all-cause mortality between HCO and HF membranes. Further larger high-quality RCTs are needed to strengthen the effects of HCO membranes.

Clinical analysis of P2Y2 receptor agonist in the treatment of diabetic dry eye / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of P2Y2 agonist diquafosol sodium(DQS)eye drops in the treatment of diabetic dry eye.METHODS: A total of 80 patients(160 eyes)with diabetic dry eye who admitted to our hospital from January 2022 to March 2022 were selected. They were randomly divided into study group and control group. A total of 40 patients(80 eyes)in the study group were treated with 3% DQS eye drops and 40 patients(80 eyes)in the control group were treated with 0.3% sodium hyaluronate eye drops. The ocular surface disease index(OSDI)score, non-invasive tear meniscus height(NITMH), first non-invasive tear film break-up time(NIBUTf), average non-invasive tear film break-up time(NIBUTav), tarsal gland loss score, lipid layer thickness grade and bulbar redness analysis(including conjunctival grade and ciliary grade), were examined before treatment and at 1wk, 1 and 3mo after treatment, respectively. Furthermore, corneal fluorescence staining and conjunctival lissamine green staining were analyzed based on the ocular surface staining score(OSS), and the conjunctival impression cytology and confocal microscopy were evaluated before and 3mo after treatment, respectively.RESULTS: There were no differences in OSDI score, tarsal gland loss score, conjunctival grade score and ciliary grade score between the two groups before and after treatment(P&#x0026;#x003E;0.05). OSS scores in the study group were lower than those in the control group, while NITMH, NIBUTf and NIBUTav were higher than those in the control group at 1 and 3mo after treatment(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). After 3mo of treatment, the density of conjunctival goblet cells increased and corneal dendritic cells decreased in the study group compared with the baseline(all P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05), while there were no significant changes in the control group compared with the baseline(all P&#x0026;#x003E;0.05).CONCLUSION: 3% DQS eye drops were effective in treating diabetic dry eye without serious complications.

Correlation between postoperative visual acuity and macular morphological structure and blood flow density in patients with idiopathic macular epiretinal membrane / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To observe the postoperative changes in macular morphological structure and blood flow density of patients with idiopathic macular epiretinal membrane(IMEM)by optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA), and explore their correlation with visual acuity.METHOD: Prospective study. A total of 45 cases(45 eyes)with IMEM admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to July 2021 were included. The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), central macular area thickness(CMT), foveal avascular zone(FAZ)area and changes in blood flow density of superficial capillary plexus(SCP)were observed at 1mo, 1, 3 and 6mo before and after operation.RESULT: The BCVA at 1wk after operation had no significant change compared with preoperative data(P>0.05), while it was improved at other time points(P<0.05). The CMT measured at 1wk after operation was thickened significantly(P<0.05), while it was significantly decreased at 1mo, 3mo and 6mo after operation(P<0.05). The FAZ area measured at 1wk and 1mo after operation had no significant change(P>0.05), while it was significantly enlarged at 3 and 6mo after operation(P<0.05). The SCP measured at 1wk, 1 and 3mo after operation had no significant change(P>0.05), while it was significantly decreased at 6mo after operation(P<0.05). BCVA measured at 3 and 6mo after operation was positively correlated with CMT(r=0.457, 0.615, P=0.032, 0.012).CONCLUSION: The visual acuity of patients with IMEM recovered quickly within 1mo after operation, and then it tended to be stable. However, the recovery of macular foveal morphology and blood flow distribution was slower than that of visual acuity, and there was no obvious correlation with visual acuity.

Insomnia Burden among Informal Caregivers of Hospitalized Lung Cancer Patients and Its Influencing Factors / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#This study aimed to reveal the insomnia burden and relevant influencing factors among informal caregivers (ICs) of hospitalized patients with lung cancer.@*METHODS@#A cross-sectional study on ICs of hospitalized patients with lung cancer was conducted from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2021. ICs' burden was assessed using the Caregiver Reaction Assessment (CRA), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Linear and logistic regression models were used to identify the influencing factors.@*RESULTS@#Among 289 ICs of hospitalized patients with lung cancer, 83 (28.72%), 53 (18.34%), and 14 (4.84%) ICs experienced mild, moderate, and severe insomnia, respectively. The scores concerning self-esteem, lack of family support, financial problems, disturbed schedule, and health problems were 4.32 ± 0.53, 2.24 ± 0.79, 2.84 ± 1.14, 3.63 ± 0.77, and 2.44 ± 0.95, respectively. ICs with higher Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADLS) scores were associated with a lower risk of insomnia, with an odd ratio ( OR) and 95% confidence interval ( CI) of 0.940 (0.898-0.983). Among the ICs, female gender ( OR = 2.597), alcohol consumption ( OR = 3.745), underlying medical conditions ( OR = 11.765), long-term caregiving experience ( OR = 37.037), and higher monthly expenses ( OR = 5.714) were associated with a high risk of insomnia.@*CONCLUSION@#Of the hospitalized patients with lung cancer, 51.9% experienced insomnia. Patients' ADL, ICs gender, alcohol consumption, underlying medical conditions, caregiving duration, and monthly expenses were influencing factors. Therefore, prompt screening and early intervention for ICs of patients with lung cancer is necessary.

The effects of occupational noise exposure on glycated hemoglobin and prediabetes / 中国职业医学

Objective To investigate the relationship between occupational noise exposure and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, as well as prediabetes diagnosed by HbA1c. Methods A total of 1 181 workers from a cigarette factory were selected as the research subjects using a judgment sampling method. Workers were divided into control, low-level noise exposure and high-level noise exposure groups, consisting of 236, 359, and 586 individuals, respectively. The blood sample was collected for HbA1c test and occupation noise exposure intensity in workplace was detected by an area-sampling method. Results There were no statistical significant differences in HbA1c levels and prediabetes prevalence among the three groups of workers (all P>0.05). After adjusting for potential confounding factors such as years of service, gender, smoking, pack-years of smoking, alcohol consumption, and body mass index, multiple linear regression analysis showed that the high-level noise exposure group had higher HbA1c level than the control group (P<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analysis results showed that the high-level noise exposure group had higher risk of prediabetes compared with the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Occupational noise exposure could be a risk factor for the increased HbA1c levels and prediabetes incidence among the occupational population. More attention should be paid to the effects of occupational noise exposure on the HbA1c level in occupational health surveillance.

Effects of curcumin on proliferation and apoptosis and migration of human pterygium fibroblasts / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To investigate the effects of curcumin on the proliferation and apoptosis and migration of human pterygium fibroblasts(HPF)in vitro.METHODS: A total of 7 cases of pterygium tissue removed at our hospital from November 24, 2021 to December 16, 2021 were collected. Then, primary fibroblasts were cultured in vitro and identified by immunofluorescence staining. HPF were treated with 0, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160μmol/L curcumin containing equal amount of dimethyl sulfoxide for 24h, then the cell proliferation was detected by CCK8 assay. According to the results of CCK8, the cells were divided into control group, 20μmol/L curcumin group and 40μmol/L curcumin group, and the cells were treated with corresponding concentration of curcumin for 24h in each group. Flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis, Transwell migration assay was used to detect cell migration, and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to detect the expression of mRNA and protein of B-cell lymphoma-2 associated X protein(Bax), B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2), Cyclin D1 and matrix metalloproteinase 2(MMP2).RESULTS: Compared with the control group, both 20μmol/L curcumin group and 40μmol/L curcumin group can inhibit the proliferation and migration of HPF and induce its apoptosis(all P&#x003C;0.05). Compared with the control group, 20μmol/L curcumin group can down-regulate the mRNA expression of Cyclin D1 and MMP2, up-regulate the mRNA expression of Bax, and down-regulate the protein expression of Bcl-2(all P&#x003C;0.05). Compared with the control group, 40μmol/L curcumin group can down-regulate the expression of mRNA and protein of Bcl-2, Cyclin D1 and MMP2, and up-regulate the expression of mRNA and protein of Bax(all P&#x003C;0.05). Compared with 20 μmol/L curcumin group, the 40 μmol/L curcumin group can down-regulate the mRNA expression of MMP2, down-regulate the protein expression of Bcl-2, and up-regulate the mRNA and protein expression of Bax(all P&#x003C;0.05).CONCLUSION: Curcumin can inhibit the proliferation of HPF by inhibiting the expression of Cyclin D1, induce the apoptosis of HPF by down-regulating Bcl-2 and up-regulating the expression of Bax, and inhibit the migration of HPF by down-regulating the expression of MMP2.

Investigation of medical humanistic practice ability of nurses and factors affecting their practices: a questionnaire-based analysis of 1196 cases in a general hospital in Hunan Province / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate humanistic practice ability of nurses in a general hospital in Hunan Province and analyze the factors affecting their practices to provide evidence for interventions to improve humanistic practice ability of the nurses.@*METHODS@#A total of 1196 nurses were surveyed using a self-designed questionnaire and a nurse humanistic practice ability assessment scale questionnaire for assessment of their abilities for humanistic care practice, psychological adjustment, interpersonal communication, self-management, ethics and legal practice. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed for analysis of the factors affecting the practice abilities of the nurses.@*RESULTS@#The total score of humanistic practice ability of the 1196 nurses was 105.69±16.45 (the full score of the scale was 130), and the scores of humanistic care practice ability, psychological adjustment ability, interpersonal communication ability, self-management ability, ethics and legal practice ability were 40.95±6.46, 16.41±2.66, 16.41±2.66, 11.32±2.05 and 12.43±2.00, respectively. Univariate analysis and multiple linear regression analysis showed that gender (P=0.033), age (P < 0.001), department (P=0.015), working years (P < 0.001), professional title (P < 0.001), first academic degree (P < 0.001), highest academic degree (P < 0.001), family location (P=0.010), marital status (P=0.023), number of patients to care for (P=0.022), number of children (P=0.001), previous humanities related training (P < 0.001), training times (P < 0.001), and care received from family members (P < 0.001) and colleagues (P < 0.001) were all the factors affecting humanistic practice ability of the nurses. Among these factors, age, working in department of obstetrics and gynecology and emergency department, professional title, humanities training, and care from family and colleagues explained 20.7% of the variance.@*CONCLUSION@#The humanistic practice ability of nurses in this general hospital is above the average level, but their self-management ability needs to be improved. Intervention measures should be implemented to improve the nurses' humanistic practice ability including more attentions to the key groups and departments, strengthening the training of humanistic practice ability, and improving the promotion assessment system.

Estrogen upregulates DNA2 expression through the PI3K-AKT pathway in endometrial carcinoma / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological malignancy, affecting up to 3% of women at some point during their lifetime (Morice et al., 2016; Li and Wang, 2021). Based on the pathogenesis and biological behavioral characteristics, endometrial cancer can be divided into estrogen-dependent (I) and non-estrogen-dependent (II) types (Ulrich, 2011). Type I accounts for approximately 80% of cases, of which the majority are endometrioid carcinomas, and the remaining are mucinous adenocarcinomas (Setiawan et al., 2013). It is generally recognized that long-term stimulation by high estrogen levels with the lack of progesterone antagonism is the most important risk factor; meanwhile, there is no definite conclusion on the specific pathogenesis. The incidence of endometrial cancer has been on the rise during the past two decades (Constantine et al., 2019; Gao et al., 2022; Luo et al., 2022). Moreover, the development of assisted reproductive technology and antiprogestin therapy following breast cancer surgery has elevated the risk of developing type I endometrial cancer to a certain extent (Vassard et al., 2019). Therefore, investigating the influence of estrogen in type I endometrial cancer may provide novel concepts for risk assessment and adjuvant therapy, and at the same time, provide a basis for research on new drugs to treat endometrial cancer.

Inhibitory Effect of Kaempferol on Proliferation of KG1a Cells and Its Mechanism / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of kaempferol on proliferation of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) KG1a cells and its mechanism.@*METHODS@#Human AML KG1a cells in logarithmic growth stage were taken and set at 25, 50, 75 and 100 μg/ml kaempferol group, another normal control group (complete medium without drug) and solvent control group (add dimethyl sulfoxide) were also set. After 24 and 48 hours of intervention, the cell proliferation rate was detected by CCK-8 assay. In addition, interleukin-6 (IL-6) combined with kaempferol group (Plus 20 μg/l IL-6 and 75 μg/ml kaempferol) was set up, 48 hours after culture, the cell cycle and apoptosis of KG1a cells were detected by flow cytometry, the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) of KG1a cells was detected by MMP detection kit (JC-1 method), and the expression of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway related proteins in KG1a cells were detected by Western blot.@*RESULTS@#The cell proliferation rate of 25, 50, 75 and 100 μg/ml kaempferol group decreased significantly (P<0.05), and with the increase of kaempferol dose (r24 h=-0.990, r48 h= -0.999), the cell proliferation rate decreased gradually (P<0.05). The inhibitory effect of 75 μg/ml kaempferol on cell proliferation reached half of effective dose after 48 hours of intervention. Compared with normal control group, the G0/G1 phase cell proportion and apoptosis rate of cells in 25, 50 and 75 μg/ml kaempferol group increased, while the S phase cell proportion, MMP, phosphorylated JAK2 (p-JAK2)/JAK2 and phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3)/STAT3 protein expression decreased in a dose-dependent manner (r=0.998, 0.994, -0.996, -0.981, -0.997, -0.930). Compared with 75 μg/ml kaempferol group, the G0/G1 phase cell proportion and apoptosis rate of cells in IL-6 combined with kaempferol group decreased, while the S phase cell proportion, MMP, p-JAK2/JAK2 and p-STAT3/STAT3 protein expression increased significantly (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Kaempferol can inhibit KG1a cell proliferation and induce KG1a cell apoptosis, its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 signal pathway.

Role of TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in diabetic kidney disease and research progress of traditional Chinese medicine intervention / 中国中药杂志

Diabetic kidney disease is an important microvascular complication of diabetes and the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Its pathological characteristics mainly include epithelial mesenchymal transition(EMT) in glomerulus, podocyte apoptosis and autophagy, and damage of glomerular filtration barrier. Transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)/Smad signaling pathway is specifically regulated by a variety of mechanisms, and is a classic pathway involved in physiological activities such as apoptosis, proliferation and differentiation. At present, many studies have found that TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway plays a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease. Traditional Chinese medicine has significant advantages in the treatment of diabetic kidney disease for its multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway characteristics, and some traditional Chinese medicine extracts, traditional Chinese medicines and traditional Chinese medicine compound prescription improve the renal injury of diabetic kidney disease by regulating TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. This study clarified the mechanism of TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in diabetic kidney disease by expounding the relationship between the key targets of the pathway and diabetic kidney disease, and summarized the research progress of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of diabetic kidney disease by interfering with TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in recent years, to provide reference for drug research and clinical treatment of diabetic kidney disease in the future.