Progress in subclinical research of kidney xenotransplantation / 器官移植

Xenotransplantation is an efficient pathway to solve the problem of transplant organ source deficiency in clinical settings. With the increasing progress of gene editing technique and immune suppression regimen, important development has been achieved on researches regarding pig to non-human primate kidney xenotransplantation, which provides a good condition for the introduction of the technique in the clinical application. In view of the substantial difference between human and non-human primate, and to meet the needs of current ethic requirements, it is necessary to perform subclinical studies for pig to human kidney xenotransplantation. In recent years, such subclinical studies with regard to the genetically modified pig to brain death recipient kidney xenotransplantation had been performed, indicating that kidney xenotransplantation gradually began to transit to the clinical development stage. However, donor/recipient selection and immune suppression regimen has not reached a consensus yet, and has to be clarified in subclinical studies. In this article, the current status and confronted problems of donor/recipient selection, immune suppression regimen and post transplantation management in the subclinical studies of kidney xenotransplantation were reviewed, aiming to promote the clinical transformation of kidney xenotransplantation to the clinical application.

Involvement of intracellular organelle stress, autophagy and ferroptosis in cobalt chloride-induced vascular smooth muscle cell injury / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

AIM: To investigate the relationship between vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) injury, organelle stress response and autophagic cell death (autophagy) and ferroptosis induced by the chemical hypoxia inducer cobalt chloride (CoCl2) through the bioinformatics analysis and in vitro cell experimentation. METHODS: The dataset GSE119226 of VSMC treated with cobalt chloride was acquired from the gene expression database (GEO). The R language was used to investigate the relationship between CoCl2 treatment and organelle stress response (Golgi stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress) and two forms of cell death (ferroptosis and autophagic cell death). With primary cultured rat VSMC (rVSMC) and CoCl2-induced anoxia model, the changes in cell viability were detected by CCK-8 method, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were measured using DCFH-DA method. The expression levels of HIF-1α (a key molecule in hypoxia), Golgi stress markers GM130 and p115, endoplasmic reticulum stress markers GRP78 and CHOP, autophagy markers LC3-II / LC3-I and Beclin1, and ferroptosis markers GPx4 and xCT were detected by Western blot. The effect of inducing or inhibiting organelle stress and cell death on the CoCl2-induced cell damage was also observed. RESULTS: Differentially expressed genes analysis of GSE119226 dataset showed that CoCl2 treatment of VSMCs had significant effects on organelle function and stress response, autophagy and ferroptosis-related genes, in which endoplasmic reticulum stress, protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, regulation of Golgi to plasma membrane protein transport, autophagy / autophagic cell death, and ferroptosis pathways were remarkably enriched. The results of in vitro experiment showed that compared with normal rVSMC, cell viability was significantly decreased after CoCl2 treatment, as well as HIF-1α protein expression and ROS levels in rVSMCs were increased. In rVSMC treated with Co-Cl2, the expression levels of Golgi structural proteins GM130 and p115 (reflecting the occurrence of Golgi stress) were decreased, while the markers GRP78 and CHOP (reflecting the occurrence of endoplasmic reticulum stress) were increased. At the same time, CoCl2 treatment also reduced the expression of autophagy markers LC3-II/LC3-I and Beclin1 (indicating the decrease levels of autophagy), while the expression of ferroptosis markers GPx4 and xCT were decreased (indicating the occurrence of ferroptosis). Compared with CoCl2 treatment group, induced Golgi stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, or ferroptosis could further reduce cell viability, while inhibition of these processes could improve cell viability. On the other hand, increasing the level of autophagy can improve the cell viability. CONCLUSION: Hypoxia induced by cobalt chloride can lead to VSMC injury. Golgi stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, ferroptosis, and the reduction of autophagy level play an important role in it. Inhibition of organelle stress response and ferroptosis, or increase of autophagy level can improve VSMC injury caused by cobalt chloride.

Latest research and prospect of CD47 in kidney transplantation / 器官移植

CD47 is a transmembrane protein widely expressed on cell surface, which is considered as a key molecule for immune escape. With an increasing number of related studies, the role of CD47 and its ligands in immunomodulatory effects has been gradually understood. Recent studies have investigated the role of CD47 in ischemia-reperfusion injury of allogenetic kidney transplantation, rejection and xenotransplantation. Nevertheless, the specific role and the key mechanism remain elusive. In this article, the structure and function of CD47, common CD47 ligands, the relationship between CD47 and kidney transplantation, and the application of CD47 in kidney transplantation were reviewed, the latest research progress of CD47 in kidney transplantation was summarized, and the limitations of current research and subsequent research direction were analyzed, aiming to provide reference for subsequent application of CD47 in allogeneic and kidney xenotransplantation.

Outpatient health service utilization and its influencing factors among pneumoconiosis patients combined with tuberculosis / 环境与职业医学

Background Tuberculosis is the most common complication of pneumoconiosis, which accelerates the progression of pneumoconiosis. Pneumoconiosis combined with tuberculosis is a major health risk. Objective To understand the outpatient health service utilization for patients of pneumoconiosis combined with tuberculosis and its main influencing factors. Methods A stratified random sampling combined with non-random sampling was used to select 11181 pneumoconiosis patients in 27 provincial administrative regions (excluding Shanghai, Tianjin, Hainan, Tibet Autonomous Region, Taiwan, Hongkong and Macao Special Administrative Regions) from December 2017 to June 2021. A self-constructed questionnaire, i.e. Health Seeking Behaviors of Pneumoconiosis Patients and Their Influencing Factors, was used, which included basic information, outpatient and inpatient service utilization, and influencing factors of medical treatment behaviors of pneumoconiosis patients. The effective recovery rate of the questionnaire was 90.7%. All patients of pneumoconiosis combined with tuberculosis (n=762) were included as the study subjects. The difference of outpatient utilization in the past two weeks, choosing medical institutions, and the reasons of not seeking medical treatment between urban and rural areas, and the influencing factors of outpatient service utilization were analyzed. Results The study subjects were mainly silicosis combined with tuberculosis (502 cases, 65.9%) and coal workers' pneumoconiosis combined with tuberculosis (232 cases, 30.5%), aged (58.6±12.5) years old. The main region was Western China (45.1%), followed by Eastern China (22.1%), Centeral China (20.2%), and Northeastern China (12.6%). The outpatient utilization rate in the past two weeks was 38.5% (293/762), and the main medical institutions consulted were municipal or provincial hospitals (32.0%), district or county hospitals (28.6%), and township hospitals or health service centers (17.5%). Short distance (20.7%), the availability of specialist outpatient services (16.7%), high level of medical care (14.8%), and low medical cost (12.3%) were the main reasons in choosing medical institutions. Higher proportion of patients seeking medical services due to acute exacerbation in rural areas was reported than in urban areas in the past two weeks (P<0.01). In addition to being hospitalized (113 cases, 41.4%) and self-purchasing medicine (46 cases, 16.8%), the reasons for not seeking medical treatment were self-perceived mild symptoms (15.0%) and high medical cost without reimbursement (9.5%). The multiple regression results showed that outpatient rate for patients of pneumoconiosis combined with tuberculosis in the western region was higher than that in the eastern region (OR=1.66, 95%CI: 1.03, 2.68); patients with an annual personal income of 10000-35500 yuan had a higher outpatient rate than the > 35500 yuan income group (OR=2.54, 95%CI: 1.49, 4.36); the outpatient rate of silicosis patients was higher than that of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (OR=1.83, 95%CI: 1.23, 2.72); the outpatient rate of patients with clinically diagnosed cases (no classified stage of pneumoconiosis) was higher than that of patients with stage I pneumoconiosis (OR=2.32, 95%CI: 1.24, 4.31). Exacerbation of pneumoconiosis-related symptoms in past two weeks (OR=4.26, 95%CI: 2.89, 6.28), occupational injury insurance (OR=0.49, 95%CI: 0.30, 0.80), and hospitalization in past one year (OR=2.37, 95%CI: 1.41, 3.97) were the main factors influencing the outpatient health service utilization among patients of pneumoconiosis combined with tuberculosis. Conclusion The outpatient rate of patients of pneumoconiosis combined with tuberculosis is higher than that of patients of pneumoconiosis without tuberculosis. The utilization of outpatient services is related with disease factors and socio-economic security factors.

Exploring biological connotation of blood stasis syndrome of rheumatoid arthritis and establishment of improved animal models based on syndrome-symptom mapping / 药学学报

Blood stasis syndrome is one of the core clinical syndrome of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the biological connotation of this syndrome is not clear, and there is a lack of disease improved animal models that match the characteristics of this disease and syndrome. The aim of this study was to screen the candidate biomarker gene set of blood stasis syndrome of RA, reveal the biological connotation of this syndrome, and explore and evaluate the preparation method of the improved animal model based on the characteristics of "disease-syndrome-symptom". The study was approved by the ethics committee of Guang'anmen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. 2019-073-KY-01) and the First Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. TYLL2021[K]018), and the study subjects gave their informed consent. Animal welfare and experimental procedures followed the regulations of the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. IBTCMCACMS21-2207-01). The whole blood samples were collected clinically from RA patients with blood stasis syndrome (3 cases) or other syndromes (7 types, 3 cases/type), and healthy volunteers (4 cases), and then transcriptome sequencing, KEGG, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) analysis were performed. 126 pivotal genes were screened, and their functional annotation results were significantly enriched in "immune-inflammation" related pathways and lipid metabolism regulation (sphingolipids, ether lipid metabolism and steroid biosynthesis). Syndrome-symptom mapping of hub gene set to the TCM primary and secondary symptoms, Western phenotypic symptoms and pathological links showed that joint tingling, abnormal joint morphology, petechiae and abnormal blood circulation are representative of blood stasis syndrome of RA. The results of the improved animal model showed that the rats in the collagen-induced arthritis + adrenaline hydrochloride (CIA+Adr) 3 model group had increased blood rheology, coagulation, platelet function and endothelial function abnormalities compared with the CIA-alone model group, suggesting that the rats with blood stasis syndrome of RA may be in a state of "blood stasis". The results of the study can help to advance the objective study of the evidence of blood stasis syndrome in RA, and provide new ideas for the establishment of an animal model that reflects the clinical characteristics of the disease and syndrome.

Transmission of porcine endogenous retrovirus in xenotransplantation / 器官移植

Organ transplantation is the most effective treatment for various types of end-stage diseases. To resolve the problem of donor shortage in organ transplantation, the possibility of xenotransplantation has been gradually explored by surgeons. Pig is one of the common donor sources for xenotransplantation. As a bridge between two species, the viruses carried by pig organs may be transmitted between species and cause the risk of zoonosis. Porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) is integrated into the genome, which is a category of retrovirus featuring cross-species transmission. In this article, the influencing factors of transmission characteristics of PERV, the transmission risk of PERV and its recombinant virus, and the detection and transmission risk assessment of PERV in xenotransplantation test were reviewed, aiming to provide reference for alleviating severe shortage of donor organs and driving the advancement of xenotransplantation technologies.

Attitudes and influencing factors of transplantation-related populations towards kidney xenotransplantation / 器官移植

Objective To investigate the attitudes and influencing factors of transplantation-related populations towards kidney xenotransplantation. Methods From June 2022 to January 2023, stratified random sampling was performed from patients awaiting kidney transplantation, patients after kidney transplantation, patients' relatives and medical students. Four hundred subjects were collected from each population and 1600 subjects were investigated using a self-designed questionnaire. Baseline data of the respondents, their attitudes towards kidney xenotransplantation and the reasons of rejecting kidney xenotransplantation were analyzed. The influencing factors of attitudes towards kidney xenotransplantation were also identified. Results A total of 1 493 valid questionnaires were collected, and the questionnaire retrieval rate was 93.31%. About 93.10% of the respondents accepted allogeneic kidney transplantation, and 66.78% had heard of kidney xenotransplantation. Seven hundred and ninety-five respondents suggested that they could accept kidney xenotransplantation "when kidney xenotransplantation and allogeneic kidney transplantation yielded the same results and risks". Six hundred and ninety-eight respondents indicated that they were "unable" or "uncertain" whether they could accept kidney xenotransplantation (χ2=16.409，P=0.001). Among these 698 respondents, the proportion of them who were willing to accept kidney xenotransplantation when they did not meet the conditions of allogeneic kidney transplantation was 10.9%. About 35.8% of respondents were willing to accept kidney xenotransplantation if it yielded less risk and better prognosis compared with allogeneic kidney transplantation. If the time of awaiting kidney xenotransplantation was shorter than that of allogeneic kidney transplantation, 21.2% were willing to accept kidney xenotransplantation. If the cost of kidney xenotransplantation was less than that of allogeneic kidney transplantation, 24.5% of them were willing to accept kidney xenotransplantation. The main reasons of rejecting kidney xenotransplantation included surgical risk and other unknown risks. Multivariate analysis showed that respondents residing in cities and towns for a long period of time, those who accept allogeneic kidney transplantation and those who have heard of kidney xenotransplantation showed more positive attitudes towards kidney xenotransplantation. Conclusions Different transplantation-related populations have different attitudes towards kidney xenotransplantation, and the overall attitudes are positive. Active promotion of kidney xenotransplantation research and carrying out relevant popular science education contribute to improving public attitudes towards the acceptance of kidney xenotransplantation.

Cardiac magnetic resonance-feature tracking technique can assess cardiac function and prognosis in patients with myocardial amyloidosis / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To quantitatively assess cardiac functions in patients with cardiac amyloidosis (CA) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) using cardiac magnetic resonance-feature tracking (CMR-FT) technique and evaluate the prognostic value of CMR-FT in patients with CA.@*METHODS@#We retrospectively collected the data from 31 CA patients with systemic amyloidosis confirmed by Congo red staining and serum immunohistochemistry after extracardiac tissue biopsy undergoing CMR at our hospital from March, 2013 to June, 2021.Thirty-one age and gender matched patients with asymmetric left ventricular wall hypertrophy and 31 healthy individuals without organic or functional heart disease served as the controls.Radial, circumferential and longitudinal strains and strain rates of the left ventricle at the global level and in each myocardial segment (basal, middle and apical) were obtained with CMR-FT technique and compared among the 3 groups.The predictive value of myocardial strains and strain rates for all-cause mortality in CA patients was analyzed using a stepwise COX regression model.@*RESULTS@#The left ventricular volume, myocardial mass, ejection fraction and cardiac output differed significantly among the groups (P < 0.05).Except for apical longitudinal strain, the global and segmental strains were all significantly lower in CA group than in HCM group (P < 0.05).The global and segmental strains were all significantly lower in CA group than in the healthy individuals (P < 0.05).The basal strain rates in the 3 directions were significantly lower in CA group than in the healthy individuals (P < 0.05), but the difference in apical strain rates was not statistically significant between the two groups.Multivariate stepwise COX analysis showed that troponin T (HR=1.05, 95%CI: 1.01-1.10, P=0.017) and middle peak diastolic circumferential strain rate (HR=6.87, 95%CI: 1.52-31.06, P=0.012) were strong predictors of death in CA patients.@*CONCLUSION@#Strain and strain rate parameters derived from CMR-FT based on cine sequences are new noninvasive imaging markers for assessing cardiac impairment in CA and cardiac function changes in HCM, and provide independent predictive information for all-cause mortality in CA patients.

Review of Research Advances in Medical Service Robotics / 中国医疗器械杂志

With the progress of science and technology and the increase of clinical demand, medical robots have developed rapidly and played a important role in promoting the medical cause. Service robot is a branch of medical robot, which is mainly oriented to medical service and assistance needs, and has been applied in many medical scenarios and achieved demonstration effects. This research first describes the development of medical service robots, and then summarizes the key technologies and clinical applications of robots. Finally, it points out the challenges and directions that medical service robots face at present, and puts forward prospects for their further development in the medical field.

Resveratrol pretreatment alleviates NLRP3 inflammasomemediated cardiomyocyte pyroptosis by targeting TLR4/MyD88/ NF-κB signaling cascade in coronary microembolization-induced myocardial damage

Percutaneous coronary intervention and acute coronary syndrome are both closely tied to the frequently occurring complication of coronary microembolization (CME). Resveratrol (RES) has been shown to have a substantial cardioprotective influence in a variety of cardiac diseases, though its function and potential mechanistic involvement in CME are still unclear. The forty Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into four groups randomly: CME, CME + RES (25 mg/kg), CME + RES (50 mg/kg), and sham (10 rats per group). The CME model was developed. Echocardiography, levels of myocardial injury markers in the serum, and histopathology of the myocardium were used to assess the function of the cardiac muscle. For the detection of the signaling of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB along with the expression of pyroptosisrelated molecules, ELISA, qRT-PCR, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting were used, among other techniques. The findings revealed that myocardial injury and pyroptosis occurred in the myocardium following CME, with a decreased function of cardiac, increased levels of serum myocardial injury markers, increased area of microinfarct, as well as a rise in the expression levels of pyroptosis-related molecules. In addition to this, pretreatment with resveratrol reduced the severity of myocardial injury after CME by improving cardiac dysfunction, decreasing serum myocardial injury markers, decreasing microinfarct area, and decreasing cardiomyocyte pyroptosis, primarily by blocking the signaling of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB and also reducing the NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Resveratrol may be able to alleviate CME-induced myocardial pyroptosis and cardiac dysfunction by impeding the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and the signaling pathway of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB.

Study on protective effects and mechanism of ziyuglycoside Ⅰ on acute lung injury in sepsis rats / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To investigate the protective effects and mechanism of ziyuglycoside Ⅰ on acute lung injury in sepsis rats based on network pharmacology， and conduct experimental verification. METHODS The network pharmacology was used to predict the potential target of ziyuglycoside Ⅰ in the treatment of acute lung injury following sepsis. The rat model of sepsis was reproduced by cecum ligation and puncture for experimental verification. Totally 192 SD rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group （Sham group）， sepsis group （Sep group）， conventional therapy group （CT group） and ziyuglycoside Ⅰ group （Zg Ⅰ group）， respectively. Sham group and Sep group were given sterile normal saline， and CT group and ZgⅠ group were given relevant volume of Ringer’s solution and ziyuglycoside Ⅰ. The arterial blood gas， serum inflammatory factors， lung wet/dry mass ratio， pathological changes of lung tissue， pulmonary vascular permeability， the expressions of pulmonary vein tight junction protein 1 （ZO-1） and vascular endothelial cadherin （VE-cadherin） protein and 72-hour survival were observed in each group. RESULTS Results of network pharmacology showed that there were 47 potential targets of ziyuglycoside Ⅰ in the treatment of sepsis. The results of gene ontology function enrichment analysis and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway enrichment analysis showed that the mechanism could 598486924@qq.com be correlated with biological processes such as positive regulation of reactive oxygen species metabolism， wound healing， regulation of endothelial cell proliferation， cell activation， blood vessel development， response to oxidative stress， etc.， and with signaling pathway such as apoptosis， tight junction， HIF-1 signaling pathway， etc. The results of experimental verification showed that compared with Sham group， pH value and the level of partial arterial oxygen pressure were decreased significantly in Sep group （P＜0.05）， while the level of partial pressure of carbon dioxide， serum levels of tumor necrosis factor α， interleukin 6 were increased significantly （P＜0.05）； the ratio of lung wet/dry mass was increased significantly （P＜0.05）； the protein expressions of ZO-1 and VE-cadherin were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）； 72 h survival rate decreased，the survival time was significantly shortened （P＜0.05）； the results of pathological observation of lung tissue showed that the rats’ alveoli were extensively ruptured， the alveolar wall was thickened and accompanied with edema， and there was obvious inflammatory cell infiltration； the results of pulmonary vascular permeability observation showed that the lung surface of rats was dark， with a large amount of Evans blue exudation， and the left lower lung was obviously dark blue. Compared with Sep group， the levels of above indexes almost were reversed significantly in CT group and ZgⅠ group （P＜0.05）； the lung histopathology and pulmonary vascular permeability were significantly improved， and the recovery degree of ZgⅠ group was greater than that of CT group， which was close to the results of Sham group. CONCLUSIONS Ziyuglycoside Ⅰ can significantly reduce inflammatory reaction and acute lung injury in septic rats， which is related to vascular function and tight junction signal pathway.

White Matter Damage in Major Depressive Disorder and TCM Treatment： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

At present， major depressive disorder （MDD） is highly prevalent with advanced neurological disorders as the main pathological manifestations. As the physiological function bearer of higher neural activity， gray matter has become the focus of MDD treatment. However， recent research has shown that white matter and gray matter are independent of each other in the central nervous system （CNS）， and their functions are integrated and linked. In addition to gray matter damage， white matter damage is also the core driving event of disease progression and determines the outcome of MDD. At the treatment level， the current drug treatment of MDD mainly focuses on gray matter repair， while ignoring the importance of white matter integrity for the treatment of the disease， which has become the weakness of the current treatment of MDD. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has good application potential in white matter repair. This paper elaborated on the following three aspects. ① The roles of white matter damage in the occurrence and development of MDD were summarized. ② The key link of white matter repair in MDD was elaborated with microglia microenvironment regulation as the entry point. ③ The application value of TCM in white matter repair in MDD was analyzed. This review aims to highlight the importance of white matter integrity in the treatment of MDD and is expected to expand the understanding dimension of the activity of related Chinese medicines in MDD from the perspective of white matter repair and analyze its potential application value.

Relationship of Microvascular Obstruction with Global and Regional Myocardial Function Determined by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance after ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

Objective To investigate the impact of microvascular obstruction (MVO) on the global and regional myocardial function by cardiac magnetic resonance feature-tracking (CMR-FT) in ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients after percutaneous coronary intervention.Methods Consecutive acute STEMI patients who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging 1 - 7 days after successful reperfusion by percutaneous coronary intervention treatment were included in this retrospective study. Based on the presence or absence of MVO on late gadolinium enhancement images, patients were divided into groups with MVO and without MVO. The infarct zone, adjacent zone, and remote zone were determined based on a myocardial 16-segment model. The radial strain (RS), circumferential strain (CS), and longitudinal strain (LS) of the global left ventricle (LV) and the infarct, adjacent, and remote zones were measured by CMR-FT from cine images and compared between patients with and without MVO using independent-samples t-test. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association of MVO with the impaired LV function.Results A total of 157 STEMI patients (mean age 56.66 ± 11.38 years) were enrolled. MVO was detected in 37.58% (59/157) of STEMI patients, and the mean size of MVO was 3.00 ±3.76 mL. Compared with patients without MVO (n =98 ), the MVO group had significantly reduced LV global RS (t= -4.30, P < 0.001), global CS (t= 4.99, P < 0.001), and global LS ( t= 3.51, P = 0.001). The RS and CS of the infarct zone in patients with MVO were significantly reduced (t= -3.38, P = 0.001; t= 2.64, P = 0.01; respectively) and the infarct size was significantly larger (t= 8.37, P < 0.001) than that of patients without MVO. The presence of LV MVO [OR= 4.10, 95%CI: 2.05 - 8.19, P<0.001) and its size [OR=1.38, 95%CI: 1.10-1.72, P=0.01], along with the heart rate and LV infarct size were significantly associated with impaired LV global CS in univariable Logistic regression analysis, while only heart rate (OR=1.08, 95%CI: 1.03 - 1.13, P=0.001) and LV infarct size (OR=1.10, 95%CI: 1.03 - 1.16, P=0.003) were independent influencing factors for the impaired LV global CS in multivariable Logistic regression analysis.Conclusion The infarct size was larger in STEMI patients with MVO, and MVO deteriorates the global and regional LV myocardial function.

Research progress on the immunomodulatory effects and mechanisms of trace amine-associated receptor 1 / 生理学报

Trace amines are endogenous molecules distributed in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues that resemble common biogenic amines in terms of subcellular localization, chemical structure, and metabolism. Trace amine-associated receptor (TAAR) is a kind of evolutionarily conserved G-protein-coupled receptors in vertebrates, in which TAAR1 is a functional regulator of monoamine transmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. TAAR1 is widely considered as a potential therapeutic target for schizophrenia, depression and drug addiction. Moreover, TAAR1 is also expressed in peripheral tissues. The homeostasis imbalance of trace aminergic system can induce over-activation of peripheral immune system and central immune inflammatory response. TAAR1 modulators are becoming potential emerging drugs for the treatment of immune-related illnesses, because they may play a major role in the activation or modulation of immune response.

Effect of Insemination Methods on Pregnancy Outcomes of Day 6 Blastocyst Transfer in Frozen Cycles / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectiveTo compare the effects of two different insemination methods， conventional in vitro fertilization （IVF） and intracytoplasmic sperm injection （ICSI）， on pregnancy outcomes in patients with frozen-thawed D6（day 6） blastocyst transfer. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of patients with thawed D6 blastocyst transfer between January 2018 and April 2020 at the Fertility Center of the Third Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University， divided into conventional IVF group （446 cycles ） and ICSI fertilization group （200 cycles） according to the fertilization method. Patients were divided into those with a history of D5（day 5） blastocyst transfer and those without. The patients’ general characteristics， blastocyst quality， and pregnancy outcomes of the two groups were compared. ResultsBMI， years of infertility， and basal FSH were not statistically significant in the IVF and ICSI groups （P > 0.05）. Regardless of the history of D5 transfer， patients in the ICSI group were younger than those in the IVF group （P < 0.001）， the proportion of primary infertility was significantly higher in the ICSI group （P < 0.001）， and the number of oocytes obtained and the number of normally fertilized oocytes in the ICSI group were higher than those in the conventional IVF fertilization group （P < 0.001）. The proportion of stage V and Ⅵ blastocysts was significantly higher in the conventional IVF group than in the ICSI group （21.6 % vs. 3.14 %， P < 0.001）. High-quality blastocysts with an ICM score of A were significantly higher in the ICSI group than in the IVF group （23.8 % vs. 14.3 %， P = 0.01）. The HCG-positive and clinical pregnancy rates were significantly higher in the ICSI group than in the IVF group （65.5 % vs. 48.4 %， P < 0.001； 56 % vs. 41.3 %， P = 0.001）， and embryo implantation and live birth rates were also higher in the ICSI group than in the conventional IVF group （43.8 % vs. 30.9 %， P < 0.001； 43.0 % vs. 31.8 %， P = 0.006）. After correcting for age and number of oocytes obtained between the two groups， the clinical pregnancy rate was still significantly higher in the ICSI group than in the conventional IVF group （OR： 1.590， 95 % CI： 1.030， 2.455， P = 0.036）. Infant birth weight was lower in the ICSI group than in the IVF group （P = 0.016）， and the differences in preterm birth rate， sex ratio， and mode of delivery were not statistically significant between the two groups. ConclusionsClinical pregnancy and live birth rates after thawing and transfer of D6 blastocysts fertilized by ICSI are higher than those of D6 blastocysts fertilized by conventional IVF， which may be related to the different factors contributing to the slow development of blastocysts in patients who received different fertilization methods. The relatively good pregnancy outcome after the transfer of thawed D6 blastocysts fertilized by ICSI may compensate to some extent for the difference in pregnancy outcome due to the relatively slow blastocyst development and a relatively higher proportion of D6 blastocysts after ICSI fertilization in male infertility patients.

Investigation of pharmacological characteristics and mechanisms of Qufeng Gutong Cataplasm based on a "disease-syndrome-symptom-formula" association network analysis / 药学学报

Growing clinical evidence shows that Qufeng Gutong Cataplasm may exert a significant analgesic effect. However, the pharmacological characteristics and mechanisms underlying this prescription are still unclear. In the current study, a "disease-syndrome-symptom-formula" association network analysis was performed to explore the pharmacological characteristics and mechanisms of Qufeng Gutong Cataplasm against osteoarthritis (OA), neuropathic pain (NP), chronic inflammatory pain (CIP) and myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) by integrating clinical phenomics data, transcriptomics data and biological interaction network mining. As a result, the three functional modules (Qufeng Sanhan-QFSHG, Shujin Huoxue-SJHXG and Xiaozhong Zhitong-XZZTG) enriched by the drug network targets were all related to the pharmacological effects of Qufeng Gutong Cataplasm, including dispersing cold and relieving pain, activating blood and relieving pain, reducing swelling and relieving pain. In addition, the main pharmacological effects of QFSHG and XZZTG were dispelling wind and dispersing cold and dehumidifying, promoting Qi and reducing swelling and relieving pain, respectively. In terms of reversing the imbalance of "immune-inflammation-vascular axis", the main pharmacological effects of SJHXG were regulating the liver and promoting Qi, activating blood circulation and removing stasis. Mechanically, the key network targets of Qufeng Gutong Cataplasm against OA, NP, CIP and MPS may play a therapeutic role in relieving hyperalgesia and paresthesia by reversing the "neuro-endocrine-immune" imbalance system during the occurrence and progression of diseases. In conclusion, our data indicate that Qufeng Gutong Cataplasm may relieve the pain and wind-cold-dampness arthralgia syndrome related symptoms by regulating the "neuro-endocrine-immune" system, neurological and endocrine disorders and reversing the imbalance of "immunity-inflammation". The relevant results may provide a network-based evidence for clinical positioning of Qufeng Gutong Cataplasm, and offer a direction for further clinical and experimental validation.

Exploring the potential mechanism of artesunate in intervening with U87 cells and U251 cells with distinct therapeutic effects on the basis of transcriptome sequencing and network pharmacology / 药学学报

Artesunate possesses the potential of intervening with glioma, however, its pharmacological mechanisms remain unclarified. Firstly, the effects of artesunate on cell activity, proliferation and apoptosis of U87 and U251 human glioma cells were explored. It was found that artesunate exerted stronger inhibitory effects on the activity and proliferation of U87 cells than U251 cells. It could significantly promote apoptosis in U87 cells (P < 0.05), while only high dose of artesunate can promote that of U251 cells (P < 0.01), detected by Hoechst and TUNEL cell apoptosis staining. Further, the differential expression gene sets between artesunate-sensitive and non-sensitive cell line, as well the therapeutic effects-related genes of artesunate were obtained through transcriptome sequencing and differential data analysis by using the lysates of U87 and U251 cells before and after artesunate treatment, aiming to explore the molecular mechanism of distinct artesunate sensitivity to two types of cells. Then, key putative targets that related to therapeutic effects were screened by constructing the interaction network of differential genes of three above comparison groups, and calculating their topological characteristics. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that those key putative targets were significantly enriched in several signaling pathways that were closely associated with the main pathological changes of glioma, among which apoptosis-related activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4)-DNA damage induced transcript 3 (DDIT3)- polyadenosine diphosphate ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1) signaling axis was the most enriched in. Molecular docking indicated that artesunate had fine binding affinities with ATF4 and DDIT3. Above all, this study preliminarily revealed that ATF4-DDIT3-PARP1 signaling axis is the target pathway of artesunate intervening with U87 glioma cells, and PARP1 may be an important gene for U251 cells to develop resistance to artesunate. Our results not only provide fundamental experimental evidence for artesunate as a potential therapeutic drug in glioma treatment, but shed light into overcoming drug resistance in its clinical therapy.

Screening of quantitative preparation quality markers of Zhibao Sanbian Wan / 药学学报

On the basis of the qualitative preparation quality markers of Zhibao Sanbian Wan (ZBSBW), we screened out the quantitative markers and evaluated the content consistency of ZBSBW. A method capable of simultaneously determining 34 compounds in ZBSBW was established based on HPLC-MS/MS, and 16 batches of ZBSBW were simultaneously analyzed by this method. Furthermore, we explored a general strategy for analyzing the component migration in preparation, plasma, brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid. The methodological investigation was confirmed by linear range, recovery (85.10%-105.07%), precision (RSD: 1.37%-4.58%), stability, and repeatability (3.00%-12.45%), the established method was suitable for the detection and quantification of the compounds in ZBSBW. The contents of compounds in ZBSBW were all lower than 1 mg·g-1, and the contents and daily dose of nystose were the highest, followed by echinacoside, paeoniflorin, osthole and paeonol. The results of systematic clustering showed that the contents were consistent for ordinary preparations of ZBSBW. The principal component analysis showed that the components of berberine, ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rg1, pinoresinol diglucoside and tenuifolin had large variation, which contributed significantly to the grouping. The contents of echinacoside, verbascoside, polygalaxanthone Ⅲ, β-ecdysterone, osthole, alisol B 23-acetate, liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid were stable from batch to batch. The animal experiment results showed that osthole, paeonol and liquiritin in ZBSBW could be absorbed into the blood and enter the brain tissue by passing through the blood-brain barrier. All animal studies were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (No. 2020B071). The above compounds contributed the quantitative preparation quality markers of ZBSBW. In conclusion, the HPLC-MS/MS method established in this study was sensitive, accurate and rapid, and could be used for simultaneous quantification of 34 compounds and content consistency evaluation of multiple batches of preparations in ZBSBW. The result provided a methodological basis for the screening of quantitative preparation quality markers and material basis research of ZBSBW.

Kidney xenotransplantation: status quo and development trend of physiological research / 器官移植

Organ transplantation is the most effective treatment for all categories of end-stage organ diseases. To resolve the shortage of donors in organ transplantation, widespread attention has been diverted to xenotransplantation. At present, clinicians mainly highlight the problems related to xenotransplantation rejection and viral infection. The physiology of xenotransplantation has been rarely studied. Kidney performs endocrine function by producing erythropoietin (EPO), renin and activating vitamin D. Although these pathways are usually well preserved in allogeneic transplantation, species-specific differences, especially those between pigs and non-human primates, may still affect the physiological function of transplant organs. In this article, the changes of EPO, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and active vitamin D3 of pig and human after xenotransplantation were illustrated, aiming to provide reference for subclinical research of xenotransplantation.

Medicine+information: Exploring patent applications in precision therapy in cardiac surgery / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Currently, in precision cardiac surgery, there are still some pressing issues that need to be addressed. For example, cardiopulmonary bypass remains a critical factor in precise surgical treatment, and many core aspects still rely on the experience and subjective judgment of cardiopulmonary bypass specialists and surgeons, lacking precise data feedback. With the increasing elderly population and rising surgical complexity, precise feedback during cardiopulmonary bypass becomes crucial for improving surgical success rates and facilitating high-complexity procedures. Overcoming these key challenges requires not only a solid medical background but also close collaboration among multiple interdisciplinary fields. Establishing a multidisciplinary team encompassing professionals from the medical, information, software, and related industries can provide high-quality solutions to these challenges. This article shows several patents from a collaborative medical and electronic information team, illustrating how to identify unresolved technical issues and find corresponding solutions in the field of precision cardiac surgery while sharing experiences in applying for invention patents.