Tumor-targeted metabolic inhibitor prodrug labelled with cyanine dyes enhances immunoprevention of lung cancer

Recent progress in targeted metabolic therapy of cancer has been limited by the considerable toxicity associated with such drugs. To address this challenge, we developed a smart theranostic prodrug system that combines a fluorophore and an anticancer drug, specifically 6-diazo-5-oxo-l-norleucine (DON), using a thioketal linkage (TK). This system enables imaging, chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and on-demand drug release upon radiation exposure. The optimized prodrug, DON-TK-BM3, incorporating cyanine dyes as the fluorophore, displayed potent reactive oxygen species release and efficient tumor cell killing. Unlike the parent drug DON, DON-TK-BM3 exhibited no toxicity toward normal cells. Moreover, DON-TK-BM3 demonstrated high tumor accumulation and reduced side effects, including gastrointestinal toxicity, in mice. This study provides a practical strategy for designing prodrugs of metabolic inhibitors with significant toxicity stemming from their lack of tissue selectivity.

Clinical features of critically ill pregnant and parturient women infected with chronic hepatitis B virus： An analysis of 41 cases / 临床肝胆病杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical features and outcomes of critically ill pregnant and parturient women with chronic hepatitis B virus （HBV） infection， and to provide clinical experience for the rescue of critically ill pregnant and parturient women and the prevention and treatment of the severe exacerbation of liver disease. MethodsA total of 41 pregnant and parturient women with chronic HBV infection who were admitted to Department of Critical Care Medicine， Nanjing Second Hospital， from March 2013 to March 2023 were enrolled in this study， and their clinical data were collected through the electronic medical record system of hospital to summarize the main causes of transfer to the intensive care unit （ICU）， the causes of death， and treatment. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. ResultsAmong the 41 patients， 13 （31.71%） did not receive regular antenatal examination and 8 （19.51%） with a high viral load （HBV DNA ≥2×105 IU/mL） did not receive antiviral therapy. Cesarean section was the main mode of delivery in 32 patients （78.05%）； 23 patients （56.10%） had premature delivery， and 5 patients died （12.20%）. The top three causes of transfer to the ICU were liver failure， postpartum hemorrhage， and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Liver failure mainly occurred in late pregnancy， with hepatic encephalopathy as the most common complication （28.57%） and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy as the most common comorbidity （21.43%）； among the 14 patients with liver failure， 6 （42.86%） received regular antenatal examination， and 13 （92.86%） did not receive antiviral therapy before admission. The mean length of ICU stay was 3.31±1.65 days for the patients with postpartum hemorrhage， among whom the patients with severe liver disease had coagulation disorders before delivery， which were difficult to correct after 48 hours of treatment. ConclusionPregnant and parturient women with chronic HBV infection tend to have complex conditions and a relatively high mortality rate. For pregnant and parturient women with chronic HBV infection， assessment of liver status， regular antenatal examination， and timely antiviral therapy are of vital importance to reduce severe exacerbation and mortality rate.

Sex differences in cardiovascular health among children aged 6-8 years in Beijing City / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To explore sex difference in the cardiovascular health (CVH) status of 6-8 year old children in Beijing, so as to inform the early intervention of CVH related lifestyles.@*Methods@#Based on the Beijing Children s Growth and Health Cohort (PROC), baseline physical examination, sequential questionnaire survey, and laboratory tests were conducted among 1 914 grade 1 students. Children s CVH and its subscales (health behaviors and health factors) scores were calculated according to the Life s Essential 8 (LE 8) index and categorized into high, moderate, and low CVH. CVH scores were reported as medians and interquartile ranges; sex differences were compared using the Chi square test and Wilcoxon test.@*Results@#Among the 1 914 participants, the percentages of high, moderate, and low CVH were 35.7%, 63.5%, and 0.8%, respectively, and the percentages of high, moderate, and low health behavior scores were 25.9%, 67.5%, and 6.6%, respectively, with no statistically significant differences between sex ( χ 2=2.30, 0.07, P >0.05). The rates of high, moderate, and low health factor scores for boys and girls were 61.1%, 36.0%, 2.9% and 71.1%, 28.4%, 0.5%, respectively, with a statistically significant sex difference ( χ 2=31.88, P < 0.01). The overall CVH score was 76.0(70.0, 83.0), 76.0(69.0, 82.0) for boys, and 77.0(71.0, 83.0) for girls. Among the health behavior metrics, sleep scores were the best and physical activity scores were the worst[100.0(90.0,100.0), 40.0(20.0, 80.0 )]; among the health factor metrics, blood glucose scores were the best and lipid scores were the worst[100.0(100.0,100.0), 60.0(40.0,100.0)]. In respect to health factors, there were significant gender differences in body mass index, blood lipids, blood sugar, and blood pressure scores ( Z =-6.92, 3.01, -6.60, -2.30, <0.05), but there were no significant gender differences in diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, or sleep scores with regards to health behaviors ( Z =0.99, 0.88, -0.13, 0.36, P > 0.05 ). Compared to boys, girls in the low and moderate CVH groups had high health factor scores despite low health behavior scores.@*Conclusion@#Most 6 to 8-year-old children in Beijing were found to have relatively good CVH, and optimization of children s CVH status can be achieved by promoting healthier lifestyles and monitoring health factors, especially among boys.

Expression and effect of roundabout guidance receptor 1 during valproate induced neural stem cells differentiation / 解剖学报

Objective To investigate the expression and role of roundabout guidance receptor 1 (Robo1) in the neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) induced by valproate (VPA). Methods The hippocampus NSCs of SD rats were isolated and cultured. Normal NSCs and VPA-treated NSCs were extracted from 10 SD rats. After VPA treatment, the proportion of neuron-specific marker β-tubulin III (Tuj1) positive neurons differentiated from NSCs were detected by immunofluorescence. The differentially expressed mRNA in normal NSCs and VPA-induced NSCs were detected by gene chip technology. After VPA treatment, the expression levels of Robo1 mRNA and protein were detected by Real-time PCR and Western blotting. The dynamic changes of Robo1 mRNA were detected by Real-time PCR after the differentiation of NSCs. After the expression of Robo1 was down-regulated in NSCs by small interfering RNA, the expression of Robo1 protein was detected by Western blotting, and the expression levels of neuron-specific markers Tuj1 and microtubule associated protein-2 (MAP-2) were detected by Real-time PCR and immunofluorescence. Results VPA induced NSCs to differentiate into neurons. Compared with the control group, the expression levels of Robo1 mRNA and protein in the differentiation of NSCs were significantly up-regulated during valproate treatment. After interference of Robo1 expression, not only Robo1 upregulation was inhibited during the differentiation of NSCs induced by VPA, but also the proportion of NSCs differentiated into neurons decreased. Conclusion VPA may promote the differentiation of NSCs into neurons by up-regulating the expression of Robo1.

Effects of traditional korean medicine Lurong Dabu Decoction on TLR4/WNT-5A signaling pathway in guinea pigs with cough variant asthma / 中国药理学通报

Aim To discuss the mechanism of Lurong Dabu Decoction on cough variant asthma. Methods Guinea pigs were divided into normal group(CON), model group(OVA), Lurong Dabu Decoction high-dose group(HIGH),low-dose group(LOW), and dexamethasone group(DEX)at random. The CVA model was established by smoking plus injection of OVA, aluminum hydroxide solution and nebulized inhalation to stimulate cough. Gguinea pigs were dissected 24 hours after the last challenge to obtain alveolar lavage fluid(BALF)and lung tissues. Immunoadsorption(ELISA)method was applied to detect the types of inflammatory cells and the content of inflammatory cytokines in BALF; HE and Masson staining of the middle lobe of the left lung were used to observe the pathological changes in lung tissues; immunohistochemical staining was used to observe TLR4 and WNT-5A protein expression and distribution of lung tissues; the protein extracted from the upper lobe of the left lung was used to measure the level of TLR4 and WNT-5A protein in lung tissues by Western blot; immunofluorescence was employed to measure the fluorescence intensity of TLR4 and WNT-5A in lung tissues; flow cytometry was used to detect IL-4 and IFN-γ in guinea pig lung tissues. Results Lurong Dabu Decoction could improve guinea pig airway inflammation, inhibit collagen fiber deposition, reduce the content of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 in BALF, and inhibit the protein expression of TLR4 and WNT-5A in lung tissues and increase IFN-γ levels in lung tissues while decreasing IL-4 levels. Conclusion Lurong Dabu Decoction may inhibit the occurrence of CVA through TLR4/WNT-5A signaling pathway.

Azvudine reduces the in-hospital mortality of COVID-19 patients: A retrospective cohort study

In our retrospective cohort study, we aim to explore whether Azvudine modifies the risk of death in COVID-19 patients. It was conducted on the medical records of patients, consecutively admitted for COVID-19 pneumonia to two hospitals in Chongqing, China. Based on Azvudine treatment exposure, the patients were divided into Azvudine group and non-Azvudine group. We used 1:2 ratio propensity score matching (PSM) in our study to adjust for confounding factors and differences between Azvudine and non-Azvudine groups. There were 1072 patients included in our original cohort. With 1:2 ratio PSM, the Azvudine group included 195 patients and non-Azvudine group included 390 patients. The results showed that Azvudine treatment was associated with improved in-hospital mortality in overall population (OR 0.375, 95% CI 0.225-0.623, P < 0.001), severe subgroup (OR 0.239, 95% CI 0.107-0.535, P = 0.001), critical subgroup (OR 0.091, 95% CI 0.011-0.769, P = 0.028) in matched cohort with univariate analysis. And there was a significantly lower in-hospital mortality in overall population (11% vs. 24%, P＜0.001), severe sub-group (10% vs. 32%, P < 0.001) and critical sub-group (5% vs. 34%, P = 0.017) in matched cohort. These results suggest Azvudine can reduce in-hospital mortality in overall COVID-19 patients, severe, and critical subgroup population.

Relationship between nutrient-related dietary pattern and mild cognitive impairment in middle-aged and elderly people in 15 provinces of China / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To explore the relationship between nutrient-related dietary pattern and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in middle-aged and elderly people. Methods: A total of 6 444 middle-aged and elderly people aged ≥55 years were selected in 2018 China Health and Nutrition Survey. MCI was evaluated by Mini-Mental State Examination, and the intakes of various foods were obtained by consecutive 3-day 24-hour dietary survey and weighing method. The intakes of various nutrients and total dietary energy were calculated based on the food composition table. Demographic and social information, lifestyle and health status of the respondents were obtained through questionnaire survey and physical measurements. In this study, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, iron, copper and selenium were selected as dependent variables. Nutrient-related dietary patterns were extracted by reduced rank regression method, and the relationship between dietary patterns and MCI was analyzed by multivariate logistic regression model. Results: Six dietary patterns were extracted in this study, and dietary pattern 1 with the highest explanatory degree was selected for subsequent analysis. Dietary pattern 1 was characterized by higher intakes of legume products, vegetables, fruits, nuts, pork, aquatic products and plant oil. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of MCI was lower in Q4 dietary score group than in Q1 dietary score group (OR=0.69, 95%CI: 0.49-0.98) in the 55-64 age group. In people with sleep duration of 8 hours per day, the risk of MCI was reduced in Q2, Q3 and Q4 dietary score groups compared with the Q1 dietary score group, with OR values of 0.68 (95%CI: 0.51-0.92), 0.67 (95%CI: 0.49-0.92) and 0.65 (95%CI: 0.45-0.92), respectively. Interaction analysis showed that the risk for MCI increased in those aged 65-74 years and ≥75 years compared with those aged 55-64 years in Q1 dietary score group. However, the risk for MCI decreased in both age groups as dietary pattern scores increased. Compared with those with sleep duration less or more than 8 hours per day in Q1 dietary score group, those with sleep duration of 8 hours per day in Q2 and Q3 dietary score groups had a reduced risk for MCI. Conclusion: Dietary patterns with higher intakes of legume products, vegetables, fruits, nuts, pork, aquatic products, and plant oil are negatively associated with MCI in people aged 55-64 years and those who slept 8 hours per day, and may reduce the risk of MCI with aging.

Association between urinary arsenic level and serum testosterone in Chinese men aged 18 to 79 years / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective: To investigate the association between the urinary arsenic level and serum total testosterone in Chinese men aged 18 to 79 years. Methods: A total of 5 048 male participants aged 18 to 79 years were recruited from the China National Human Biomonitoring (CNHBM) from 2017 to 2018. Questionnaires and physical examinations were used to collect information on demographic characteristics, lifestyle, food intake frequency and health status. Venous blood and urine samples were collected to detect the level of serum total testosterone, urine arsenic and urine creatinine. Participants were divided into three groups (low, middle, and high) based on the tertiles of creatinine-adjusted urine arsenic concentration. Weighted multiple linear regression was fitted to analyze the association of urinary arsenic with serum total testosterone. Results: The weighted average age of 5 048 Chinese men was (46.72±0.40) years. Geometric mean concentration (95%CI) of urinary arsenic, creatinine-adjusted urine arsenic and serum testosterone was 22.46 (20.08, 25.12) μg/L, 19.36 (16.92, 22.15) μg/L and 18.13 (17.42, 18.85) nmol/L, respectively. After controlling for covariates, compared with the low-level urinary arsenic group, the testosterone level of the participants in the middle-level group and the high-level group decreased gradually. The percentile ratio (95%CI) was -5.17% (-13.14%, 3.54%) and -10.33% (-15.68%, -4.63). The subgroup analysis showed that the association between the urinary arsenic level and testosterone level was more obvious in the group with BMI<24 kg/m2 group (Pinteraction<0.05). Conclusion: There is a negative association between the urinary arsenic level and serum total testosterone in Chinese men aged 18-79 years.

The timing of pericardial drainage catheter removal and restart of the anticoagulation in patients suffered from perioperative pericardial tamponade during atrial fibrillation catheter ablation and uninterrupted dabigatran: Experiences from 20 cases / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To investigate the timing of pericardial drainage catheter removal and restart of the anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) suffered from perioperative pericardial tamponade during atrial fibrillation catheter ablation and uninterrupted dabigatran. Methods: A total of 20 patients with pericardial tamponade, who underwent AF catheter ablation with uninterrupted dabigatran in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 2019 to August 2021, were included in this retrospective analysis. The clinical characteristics of enrolled patients, information of catheter ablation procedures, pericardial tamponade management, perioperative complications, the timing of pericardial drainage catheter removal and restart of anticoagulation were analyzed. Results: All patients underwent pericardiocentesis and pericardial effusion drainage was successful in all patients. The average drainage volume was (427.8±527.4) ml. Seven cases were treated with idarucizumab, of which 1 patient received surgical repair. The average timing of pericardial drainage catheter removal and restart of anticoagulation in 19 patients without surgical repair was (1.4±0.7) and (0.8±0.4) days, respectively. No new bleeding, embolism and death were reported during hospitalization and within 30 days following hospital discharge. Time of removal of pericardial drainage catheter, restart of anticoagulation and hospital stay were similar between patients treated with idarucizumab or not. Conclusion: It is safe and reasonable to remove pericardial drainage catheter and restart anticoagulation as soon as possible during catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation with uninterrupted dabigatran independent of the idarucizumab use or not in case of confirmed hemostasis.

Effect of caloric restriction on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice and its mechanism / 中国生物制品学杂志

@#Objective To investigate the effect of caloric restriction(CR)on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury(MI/RI)in mice and its mechanism.Methods C57 mice were randomly divided into normal diet group(AL group,free feeding)and CR group(diet decreased by 10% every 2 weeks)for 8 weeks and monitored for weight changes.Each group was divided into sham operation group and MI/RI group,total 4 groups,AL + Sham group,AL + I/R group,CR + Sham group and CR + I/R group).The left anterior descending coronary artery was ligated for 30 minutes and then reperfused for 24 hours in mice of MI/RI group and mice in Sham group were only threaded but not ligated.The mice were determined for myocardial ischemia and infarct size by Evans blue/TTC staining,observed for the pathology of myocardium by HE staining,determined for the activities of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH),superoxide dismutase(SOD)and the contents of creatine kinase-MB(CK-MB)and malondialdehvde(MDA)in myocardium by the corresponding kits,determined for serum levels of IL-1β and IL-18 by ELISA and detected for the expression of pyroptosis-associated proteins in myocardium by Western blot.Results After 8weeks,the weights of mice in CR group[(24.54 ± 0.41)g]were significantly lower than those in AL group[(31.46 ±0.25)g](t = 14.34,P<0.05).Compared with those in AL + I/R group,the area of myocardial ischemia in CR + I/R group showed no significant difference(t = 0.783 0,P>0.05),while the area of myocardial infarction decreased significantly(t = 7.250,P<0.01);The myocardial arrangement was relatively neat,and the degree of pathological changes was obviously reduced;LDH activity,CK-MB and MDA contents decreased significantly(t = 4.331,2.875 and 5.343 respectively,each P<0.05),while SOD activity increased significantly(t = 4.211,P<0.05);Serum levels of IL-1β and IL-18 decreased significantly(t = 3.375 and 4.266 respectively,each P<0.05);The expression levels of nod-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3),gasdermin D(GSDMD),apoptosis-associated speckle-like protein(ASC)and caspase-1 significantly decreased(t = 3.412,3.420,3.480 and 2.585 respectively,each P<0.05).Conclusion CR alleviated MI/RI in mice,and its mechanism was related to the inhibition of cardiac pyroptosis.

Mechanism of curcumin inhibiting choroidal neovascularization in brown Norway rat / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM:To investigate the mechanism of curcumin inhibiting the choroidal neovascularization(CNV)of brown Norway(BN)rats.METHODS: CNV model of 36 BN rats was established through laser photocoagulation induction, and they were divided into 6 groups with 6 rats in each group. Normal group was fed normally with no intervention, while 532nm laser photocoagulation was used to establish a experimental CNV model in BN rats. Rats after modeling were respectively intervened for 14d and divided into model group, ranibizumab group, curcumin low [100mg/(kg·d)], medium [200mg/(kg·d)], and high [400mg/(kg·d)] dose group. The model group was given intragastric administration of saline for 14d, ranibizumab(10mg/mL, 0.2mL/dose)was injected at 2d after photocoagulation with 5μL once for rats in ranibizumab group, and different concentrations of curcumin were intragastrically administrated to the rats in low, medium and high groups for 14d. Fundus photography, fundus fluorescein angiography(FFA)and indocyanine green angiography(ICGA)examination were performed at 14d after photocoagulation. Ocular histopathological specimens of rats with CNV were made, and the central thickness of CNV were observed by HE staining. Ocular histopathological specimens were made, and the expressions of AKT/p-AKT/HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway-related proteins were observed by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA relative expressions of AKT/HIF-1α/VEGF factor in CNV tissues were detected by RT-qPCR, and the protein expressions of AKT/p-AKT/HIF-1α/VEGF factor in CNV tissues were detected by Western-blot.RESULTS: CNV generation rates in the model group, the ranibizumab group, and the low, medium and high-dose curcumin groups were 78.18%, 73.21%, 77.19%, 75.86%, 74.55%, respectively, which were higher than 70%. The average absorbance were 182.12±6.59, 119.22±8.03, 166.45±8.33, 164.34±5.69, 149.22±6.45, respectively; the ranibizumab group was significantly lower than the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05); the low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups were significantly higher than the ranibizumab group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05), and the curcumin high-dose group was significantly lower than the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). HE staining showed that the retinal tissue structure of BN rats in normal group was clear and neatly arranged. The central thickness of CNV in the ranibizumab group was significantly reduced at 14d after photocoagulation compared with the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05); While the curcumin high-dose group was significantly reduced compared with the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05), but increased when compared with ranibizumab group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). Immunohistochemistry results showed that AKT, p-AKT, HIF-1α, and VEGF factors were negatively expressed in the retinal tissue structure of BN rats in the normal group, and no brown-yellow reactants were found. The expression of AKT, p-AKT, HIF-1α, and VEGF factors in the model group were higher than that in the normal group at 14d after photocoagulation(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05); the ranibizumab group was lower than the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). While the expression of the curcumin high-dose group was significantly decreased compared with the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05), but significantly increased when compared with ranibizumab group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). The mRNA results showed that the relative expression levels of AKT, HIF-1α and VEGF mRNA in the model group at 14d after photocoagulation were higher than those of the normal group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05); the ranibizumab group was lower than the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). While curcumin high-dose group was significantly decreased compared with the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05), but significantly increased when compared with ranibizumab group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). Western-blot results showed that there was no significant difference in the relative expression of AKT protein among each experimental groups at 14d after photocoagulation. The relative expression of p-AKT protein in the model group was significantly higher than that in the normal group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05); the ranibizumab group was significantly lower than the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05); the curcumin high-dose group was significantly lower than the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). The relative expression levels of HIF-1α protein were significantly higher in the model group than in the normal group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05), and the ranibizumab group was lower than in the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). The relative expression levels of HIF-1α protein was lower in the curcumin high-dose group than in the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05)but higher than ranibizumab group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05). The relative expression level of VEGF protein was significantly lower in the curcumin medium/high-dose group than in the model group(P&#x0026;#x003C;0.05).CONCLUSION: Curcumin at 400mg/(kg·d)has an inhibitory effect on CNV in BN rats. The mechanism may be closely related to inhibiting the activation of AKT/p-AKT/HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathways.

Effect of Bufeitang on Lung-gut Axis in Rats with Lung Qi-deficiency Syndrome of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Bufeitang on intestinal flora of rats with lung Qi-deficiency syndrome of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease（COPD）， and to explore the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in regulating intestinal flora and thus restoring the balance of lung-gut axis. MethodA total of 84 rats were randomly divided into 7 groups， including blank group， model group， fecal bacterial transplantation（FMT） group， dexamethasone group and low， medium and high dose groups of Bufeitang， 12 rats in each group. Except for the blank group， cigarette and sawdust fumigation combined with intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide（LPS） were used to establish the COPD rat model with lung Qi-deficiency syndrome in all other groups. The low， medium and high dose groups of Bufeitang were intragastric administrated with Bufeitang（3.645， 7.29， 14.58 g·kg-1）， the FMT group was given fecal bacteria liquid enema（10 mL·kg-1）， dexamethasone group was given dexamethasone acetate tablet suspension by gavage（0.135 mg·kg-1）， the blank group and model group were given equal amount of distilled water. Fresh feces were collected after 28 d of continuous intervention for 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Lung and colon tissues were stained with hematoxylin-eosin（HE） for pathomorphological observation， and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was performed to detect the contents of tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α） and interleukin-8（IL-8） in lung tissues. ResultCompared with the blank group， the model group showed severe abnormal lung tissue structure with alveolar atrophy and collapse accompanied by severe inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared with the model group， the extent of injury was significantly improved， and inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced with basically normal alveolar structure in the high dose group of Bufeitang. Compared with the blank group， the model group had severely abnormal colonic tissue structure， the epithelial cells in the mucosal layer were eroded and shed， the number of inflammatory cells increased， the submucosal layer was edematous and the gap was enlarged. Compared with the model group， the extent of damage was significantly improved in the medium and high dose groups of Bufeitang， the epithelial cells in the mucosal layer were neatly and closely arranged， with only a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration and no significant degeneration. Compared with the blank group， the TNF-α and IL-8 levels of lung tissue in the model group were significantly increased（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the TNF-α and IL-8 levels of lung tissues in the low， medium and high dose groups of Bufeitang were significantly decreased（P<0.01）. Bufeitang significantly modulated the number of bacteria species as well as alpha and beta diversity of model rats， corrected the return of intestinal flora to normal abundance and diversity， and positively regulated 4 differential phyla（such as Firmicutes， Proteobacteria） and 13 differential genera（such as Turicibacter， Lactobacillus， Anaerobiospirillum， Intestinimonas） in COPD model rats with lung Qi-deficiency syndrome， and down-regulated 2 carbohydrate metabolic pathway functions， including the pentose phosphate pathway（non-oxidative branch） Ⅰ and the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle. ConclusionBufeitang can modulate the abundance and diversity of intestinal flora species， affect the function of metabolic pathways， repair the structure of lung and colon tissues， regulate the level of inflammatory factors， and thus improve COPD with lung Qi-deficiency syndrome. The mechanism may be related to its regulation of inflammation-related intestinal flora to restore the balance of lung-gut axis in COPD with lung Qi-deficiency syndrome.

Clinical Significance of co-expression of RNA Binding Protein PTBP1 and p-AXL in Osteosarcoma / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectiveTo explore the co-expression of PTBP1 and p-AXL in osteosarcoma and its clinicopathological significance for prognosis evaluation. MethodsThe expression of PTBP1 and AXL and their prognostic value in osteosarcoma were analyzed by GEO and Target data. Paraffin biopsy specimens and clinical information from 76 cases of osteosarcoma and 37 cases of non-malignant bone tissue （callus， osteofibrous dysplasia and osteoid ostema） were obtained from the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from March 2016 to October 2020. The expressions of PTBP1 and p-AXL proteins in osteosarcoma were detected by immunohistochemistry. ResultsGEO database showed that the expression levels of PTBP and AXL in osteosarcoma tumor group were higher than those in normal tissues， but did not reach statistical significance. Target database showed that the high expression of PTBP1 had shorter Overall survival（OS） and Progression-free survival（PFS） than low PTBP1 expression， but did not reach statistical significance （P=0.064； P=0.134）. Immunohistochemical staining included 76 cases of osteosarcoma and 37 cases of non-malignant bone tissue. The expression rate of PTBP1 and p-AXL protein in osteosarcoma tissues was higher than that in non-malignant bone tissue. The expression of p-AXL is correlated with lung metastasis （P=0.025）. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that lung metastasis， recurrence， PTBP1 expression， co-expression of PTBP1/p-AXL influence the prognosis of patients in OS. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that lung metastasis （P<0.000 1） and positive expression of PTBP1 （P=0.041） were independent risk factors for osteosarcoma patients in OS. Co-expression of PTBP1 and p-AXL had shorter OS （P=0.017） and PFS （P=0.043） than non-coexpression osteosarcoma patients. ConclusionsPTBP1 and p-AXL were highly expressed in osteosarcoma tissues. The co-expression of PTBP1 and p-AXL was associated with poor prognosis of patients， and PTBP1 could be used as an independent prognostic indicator of patients with osteosarcoma.

Lnc-TMEM132D-AS1 overexpression reduces sensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer cells to osimertinib / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To screen the differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells with acquired resistance to osimertinib and explore their roles in drug resistance of the cells.@*METHODS@#The cell lines H1975_OR and HCC827_OR with acquired osimertinib resistance were derived from their osimertinib-sensitive parental NSCLC cell lines H1975 and HCC827, respectively, and their sensitivity to osimertinib was assessed with CCK-8 assay, clone formation assay and flow cytometry. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) were used to screen the differentially expressed lncRNAs in osimertinib-resistant cells. The role of the identified lncRNA in osimertinib resistance was explored using CCK-8, clone formation and Transwell assays, and its subcellular localization and downstream targets were analyzed by nucleoplasmic separation, bioinformatics analysis and qPCR.@*RESULTS@#The resistance index of H1975_OR and HCC827_OR cells to osimertinib was 598.70 and 428.82, respectively (P < 0.001), and the two cell lines showed significantly increased proliferation and colony-forming abilities with decreased apoptosis (P < 0.01). RNA-seq identified 34 differentially expressed lncRNAs in osimertinib-resistant cells, and among them lnc-TMEM132D-AS1 showed the highest increase of expression after acquired osimertinib resistance (P < 0.01). Analysis of the TCGA database suggested that the level of lnc-TMEM132D-AS1 was significantly higher in NSCLC than in adjacent tissues (P < 0.001), and its high expression was associated with a poor prognosis of the patients. In osimertinib-sensitive cells, overexpression of Lnc-TMEM132D-AS1 obviously promoted cell proliferation, colony formation and migration (P < 0.05), while Lnc-TMEM132D-AS1 knockdown partially restored osimertinib sensitivity of the resistant cells (P < 0.01). Lnc-TMEM132D-AS1 was localized mainly in the cytoplasm, and bioinformatics analysis suggested that hsa-miR-766-5p was its candidate target, and their expression levels were inversely correlated. The target mRNAs of hsa-miR-766-5p were mainly enriched in the Ras signaling pathway.@*CONCLUSION@#The expression of lnc-TMEM132D-AS1 is significantly upregulated in NSCLC cells with acquired osimertinib resistance, and may serve as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for osimertinibresistant NSCLC.

Influence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia on cerebral blood flow in preterm infants: a prospective study based on arterial spin labeling / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate local cerebral blood perfusion in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) based on cerebral blood flow (CBF) values of arterial spin labeling (ASL).@*METHODS@#A prospective study was conducted on 90 preterm infants with a gestational age of <32 weeks and a birth weight of <1 500 g who were born in the Department of Obstetrics and admitted to the Department of Neonatology in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from August 2021 to June 2022. All of the infants underwent cranial MRI and ASL at the corrected gestational age of 35-40 weeks. According to the presence or absence of BPD, they were divided into a BPD group with 45 infants and a non-BPD group with 45 infants. The two groups were compared in terms of the CBF values of the same regions of interest (frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, thalamus, and basal ganglia) on ASL image.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the non-BPD group, the BPD group had a significantly lower 1-minute Apgar score, a significantly longer duration of assisted ventilation, and a significantly higher incidence rate of fetal distress (P<0.05). After control for the confounding factors such as corrected age and age at the time of cranial MRI by multiple linear regression analysis, compared with the non-BPD group, the BPD group still had higher CBF values of the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, basal ganglia, and thalamus at both sides (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#BPD can increase cerebral blood perfusion in preterm infants, which might be associated with hypoxia and a long duration of assisted ventilation in the early stage.

Application of 3D printing percutaneous guide plate in closed reduction and cannulated screw internal fixation of femoral neck fracture / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the application of 3D printing percutaneous surgical guide plate in closed reduction and cannulated screw internal fixation of femoral neck fracture.@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 12 patients with femoral neck fracture from March 2019 to March 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into observation group and control group according to different operation plans, with 6 cases in each group. The observation group received percutaneous operation guide plate assisted closed reduction and hollow screw internal fixation, while the control group received closed reduction and hollow compression screw internal fixation. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, fluoroscopy times, and Kirschner needle puncture times were compared between two groups. The location of screws were recordedon postoperative X-ray films, follow-up time, time of complete fracture healing, Harris score of hip joint and the incidence of complications were recorded on postoperative X-ray films.@*RESULTS@#The operation time of observation group (32.17±6.18) min was shorter than that of control group (53.83±7.31) min (P<0.05). The amount of intraoperative bleeding in the observation group (18.33±2.94) ml was less than that in the control group (38.17±5.56) ml(P<0.05). The times of fluoroscopy in the observation group (7.50±1.05) were less than those in the control group (21.00±4.82) (P<0.05). The number of Kirschner needle punctures (8.00±0.63) in observation group was less than that in control group (32.67±3.08) (P<0.05). The follow-up time was(12.88±0.74) months in observation group and (12.83±0.72) months in control group, there was no significant difference between two groups (P>0.05). One year after operation, Harris score of hip joint in the observation group was(82.00±4.52) points, while that in the control group was(81.00±3.41) points, there was no significant difference between two groups(P>0.05). The time of complete fracture healing in the observation group was (7.50±1.05) months, while that in the control group was (7.67±1.21) months, there was no significant difference between two groups(P>0.05). The parallelism of the screws in the observation group was (0.50±0.11) ° and (0.76±0.15) °, which were lower than that in the control group (1.57±0.31) ° and (1.87±0.21) ° (P<0.05). The screw distribution area ratio (0.13±0.02) cm2 in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (0.08±0.01) cm2 (P<0.05). No complications such as necrosis of femoral head, nonunion of fracture, shortening of femoral neck and withdrawal of internal fixation occurred in both groups.@*CONCLUSION@#The application of 3D printing percutaneous surgical guide plate improves the accuracy and safety of closed reduction and cannulated screw internal fixation for femoral neck fracture. It has the advantages of minimally invasive, reducing radiation exposure, fast and accurate, shortening the operation time and reducing intraoperative bleeding.

Genetic analysis of a Chinese pedigree with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the genetic etiology for a Chinese pedigree affected with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome.@*METHODS@#Members of the pedigree who had visited the Genetic Counseling Clinic of Linyi People's Hospital on February 10, 2022 were selected as the study subjects. Clinical data and family history of the proband were collected, and trio-whole exome sequencing (trio-WES) was carried out for the proband and his parents. Candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing.@*RESULTS@#Trio-WES revealed that both the proband and his cousin brother had harbored a hemizygous c.385-1G>C variant in intron 4 of the HPRT1 gene, which was unreported previously. A heterozygous c.385-1G>C variant of the HPRT1 gene was also found in the proband's mother, grandmother, two aunts, and a female cousin, whilst all phenotypically normal males in his pedigree were found to have a wild type for the locus, which has conformed to an X-linked recessive inheritance.@*CONCLUSION@#The heterozygous c.385-1G>C variant of the HPRT1 gene probably underlay the Lesch-Nyhan syndrome in this pedigree.

Genetic analysis and reproductive intervention of 7 families with gonadal mosaicism for Duchenne muscular dystrophy / 中华医学遗传学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the genetic basis for 7 families with gonadal mosaicism for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).@*METHODS@#For the 7 families presented at the CITIC Xiangya Reproductive and Genetic Hospital from September 2014 to March 2022, clinical data were collected. Preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic disorders (PGT-M) was carried out for the mother of the proband from family 6. Peripheral venous blood samples of the probands, their mothers and other patients from the families, amniotic fluid samples from families 1 ~ 4 and biopsied cells of embryos cultured in vitro from family 6 were collected for the extraction of genomic DNA. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was carried out for the DMD gene, and short tandem repeat (STR)/single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based haplotypes were constructed for the probands, other patients, fetuses and embryos.@*RESULTS@#The results of MLPA showed that the probands and the fetuses/probands' brothers in families 1 ~ 4, 5, 7 had carried the same DMD gene variants, whilst the probands' mothers were all normal. The proband in family 6 carried the same DMD gene variant with only 1 embryo (9 in total) cultured in vitro, and the DMD gene of the proband's mother and the fetus obtained through the PGT-M were normal. STR-based haplotype analysis showed that the probands and the fetuses/probands' brothers in families 1 ~ 3 and 5 have inherited the same maternal X chromosome. SNP-based haplotype analysis showed that the proband from family 6 has inherited the same maternal X chromosome with only 1 embryo (9 in total) cultured in vitro. The fetuses in families 1 and 6 (via PGT-M) were both confirmed to be healthy by follow up, whilst the mothers from families 2 and 3 had chosen induced labor.@*CONCLUSION@#Haplotype analysis based on STR/SNP is an effective method for judging gonad mosaicism. Gonad mosaicisms should be suspected for women who have given births to children with DMD gene variants but with a normal peripheral blood genotype. Prenatal diagnosis and reproductive intervention may be adapted to reduce the births of further affected children in such families.

Human Platelet-Rich Plasma-Derived Exosomes Promote the Proliferation of Schwann Cells Cultured in Vitro / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To investigate the effect of human platelet-rich plasma-derived exosomes(PRP-exos)on the proliferation of Schwann cell(SC)cultured in vitro. Methods PRP-exos were extracted by polymerization-precipitation combined with ultracentrifugation.The morphology of PRP-exos was observed by transmission electron microscopy,and the concentration and particle size distribution of PRP-exos were determined by nanoparticle tracking analysis.Western blotting was employed to determine the expression of the marker proteins CD63,CD81,and CD9 on exosome surface and the platelet membrane glycoprotein CD41.The SCs of rats were isolated and cultured,and the expression of the SC marker S100β was detected by immunofluorescence staining.The fluorescently labeled PRP-exos were co-cultured with SCs in vitro for observation of their interaction.EdU assay was employed to detect the effect of PRP-exos on SC proliferation,and CCK-8 assay to detect the effects of PRP-exos at different concentrations(0,10,20,40,80,and 160 μg/ml)on SC proliferation. Results The extracted PRP-exos appeared as uniform saucer-shaped vesicles with the average particle size of(122.8±38.7)nm and the concentration of 3.5×1012 particles/ml.CD63,CD81,CD9,and CD41 were highly expressed on PRP-exos surface(P<0.001,P=0.025,P=0.004,and P=0.032).The isolated SCs expressed S100β,and PRP-exos could be taken up by SCs.PRP-exos of 40,80,and 160 μg/ml promoted the proliferation of SCs,and that of 40 μg/ml showed the best performance(all P<0.01). Conclusions High concentrations of PRP-exos can be extracted from PRP.PRP-exos can be taken up by SCs and promote the proliferation of SCs cultured in vitro.

Automated Classification of Inherited Retinal Diseases in Optical Coherence Tomography Images Using Few-shot Learning / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#To develop a few-shot learning (FSL) approach for classifying optical coherence tomography (OCT) images in patients with inherited retinal disorders (IRDs).@*METHODS@#In this study, an FSL model based on a student-teacher learning framework was designed to classify images. 2,317 images from 189 participants were included. Of these, 1,126 images revealed IRDs, 533 were normal samples, and 658 were control samples.@*RESULTS@#The FSL model achieved a total accuracy of 0.974-0.983, total sensitivity of 0.934-0.957, total specificity of 0.984-0.990, and total F1 score of 0.935-0.957, which were superior to the total accuracy of the baseline model of 0.943-0.954, total sensitivity of 0.866-0.886, total specificity of 0.962-0.971, and total F1 score of 0.859-0.885. The performance of most subclassifications also exhibited advantages. Moreover, the FSL model had a higher area under curves (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves in most subclassifications.@*CONCLUSION@#This study demonstrates the effective use of the FSL model for the classification of OCT images from patients with IRDs, normal, and control participants with a smaller volume of data. The general principle and similar network architectures can also be applied to other retinal diseases with a low prevalence.