Acupuncture for delayed sleep-wake phase disorder: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture for delayed sleep-wake phase disorder (DSWPD).@*METHODS@#A total of 84 patients with DSWPD were randomized into an observation group (42 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a control group (42 cases, 3 cases dropped off). On the basis of sleep hygiene education, acupuncture was applied at Shenmai (BL 62), Zhaohai (KI 6), Hegu (LI 4), Taichong (LR 3), Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) in the observation group, while placebo acupuncture was applied at the same acupoints in the control group. The treatment lasted for 8 weeks, once every other day, 3 times a week in the 1st to 4th weeks; once every 3 days, 2 times a week in the 5th to 8th weeks. Before and after treatment, the actigraphy (ACT) indexes of objective sleep (total time of stay in bed, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, the number of awakenings and the wake time after falling asleep) and plasma cortisol (CORT) level were observed; before and after treatment and in follow-up of 1, 3 months after treatment, the scores of morningness-eveningness questionnaire (MEQ), insomnia severity index (ISI), fatigue severity scale (FSS) and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) were observed in the two groups.@*RESULTS@#Compared before treatment, the total sleep time was prolonged, the sleep efficiency was improved, the number of awakenings was reduced, and the wake time after falling asleep was shortened after treatment in the observation group (P<0.01, P<0.05), and those in the observation group after treatment were superior to the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05). Compared before treatment, the MEQ scores after treatment in both groups and in the follow-up of 1, 3 months after treatment in the observation group were increased (P<0.01), and the MEQ score of each time point after treatment in the observation group was higher than the control group (P<0.01). The scores of ISI, FSS and ESS after treatment, and the scores of ISI、ESS in follow-up of 1, 3 months after treatment in the observation group were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.01, P<0.05), and in the observation group, the scores of ISI, FSS and ESS of each time point after treatment were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05). After treatment, the plasma CORT level in the observation group was decreased compared with that before treatment and that in the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture can improve the sleep and wake phase of patients with DSWPD, improve sleep quality and daytime function, and its mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of plasma CORT level.

Molecular analysis of interleukin 10 promoter region-592A/C polymorphism in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in Qinghai Han nationality / 解剖学报

Objective To investigate the association between the interleukin 10 (IL-10) gene promoter region-592A/C (rs1800872) polymorphism and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) in Han women of Qinghai province and to determine the expression of this gene in two groups (HDP group and healthy control group) preliminarily. Methods A total of 140 HDP patients (HDP group) and 140 normal pregnant women (control group) in Qinghai Province were selected. Using blood DNA as template, the IL-10-592A/C polymorphism typing of HDP group and control group was detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and verified by sequencing. The expression of IL-10 mRNA in the placental tissues of the two groups was detected by Real-time PCR. Plasma IL-10 levels of the two groups were detected by ELISA. Results The frequencies of AA, AC and CC genotypes of IL-10 gene in HDP group and control group were 24. 29%, 44. 29%, 31. 42% and 13. 57%, 41. 43%, 45. 00% respectively, the difference in genotype distribution between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0. 05);AA genotype frequency in HDP group(24. 29%)was higher than that of control group(13. 57%)(P<0. 05), CC genotype frequency in HDP group (31. 42%) was lower than that in control group (45. 00%) (P < 0. 05), while there was no significant difference in genotype frequency of AC between the two groups (P<0. 05); The distribution of A and C allele frequencies of IL-10592A/C polymorphism was different between the two groups, and the A allele frequency of HDP group was higher than that of control group (

Bushen Anshen acupuncture for perimenopausal insomnia of kidney-yin deficiency: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical efficacy of Bushen Anshen acupuncture (acupuncture for tonifying kidney and calming spirit ) in treating perimenopausal insomnia (PMI) of kidney-yin deficiency.@*METHODS@#A total of 72 patients with PMI of kidney-yin deficiency were randomized into an observation group (36 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a control group (36 cases, 1 case dropped off). Acupuncture was applied at Baihui (GV 20) and bilateral Shenshu (BL 23), Taixi (KI 3), Anmian (Extra) in the observation group, while sham acupuncture of shallow needling at non-acupoints was applied in the control group. The treatment was required once every other day, 3 times a week for 10 times in the two groups. Before and after treatment, Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) was used to evaluate the subjective sleep quality, and polysomnography (PSG) was used to monitor the objective sleep quality in the two groups.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the scores of sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, hypnotic, daytime dysfunction and total score of PSQI were decreased compared with those before treatment in the observation group (P<0.01), the scores of sleep duration, sleep efficiency and total score of PSQI were decreased compared with those before treatment in the control group (P<0.05); the scores of sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, hypnotic and total score of PSQI in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the sleep time was prolonged, the sleep efficiency was improved, the sleep latency and the awake time after falling asleep were shortened, the arousal awake index was reduced (P<0.01) when PSG indexes were monitored, and the percentage of non-rapid eye movement sleep period 1 (N1%) was decreased while the percentage of non-rapid eye movement sleep period 3 (N3%) was increased (P<0.05) compared with those before treatment in the observation group; there was no statistical difference in the PSG indexes compared with those before treatment in the control group (P>0.05). After treatment, compared with the control group, the sleep time was prolonged, the sleep efficiency was improved, the sleep latency and the awake time after falling asleep were shortened, the arousal awake index and N1% were decreased in the observation group (P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#Bushen Anshen acupuncture can effectively improve the subjective and objective sleep quality in PMI patients of kidney-yin deficiency.

The Chinese herbal prescription JieZe-1 inhibits caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis induced by herpes simplex virus-2 infection in vitro / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#JieZe-1 (JZ-1), a Chinese herbal prescription, has an obvious effect on genital herpes, which is mainly caused by herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Our study aimed to address whether HSV-2 induces pyroptosis of VK2/E6E7 cells and to investigate the anti-HSV-2 activity of JZ-1 and the effect of JZ-1 on caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis.@*METHODS@#HSV-2-infected VK2/E6E7 cells and culture supernate were harvested at different time points after the infection. Cells were co-treated with HSV-2 and penciclovir (0.078125 mg/mL) or caspase-1 inhibitor VX-765 (24 h pretreatment with 100 μmol/L) or JZ-1 (0.078125-50 mg/mL). Cell counting kit-8 assay and viral load analysis were used to evaluate the antiviral activity of JZ-1. Inflammasome activation and pyroptosis of VK2/E6E7 cells were analyzed using microscopy, Hoechst 33342/propidium iodide staining, lactate dehydrogenase release assay, gene and protein expression, co-immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.@*RESULTS@#HSV-2 induced pyroptosis of VK2/E6E7 cells, with the most significant increase observed 24 h after the infection. JZ-1 effectively inhibited HSV-2 (the 50% inhibitory concentration = 1.709 mg/mL), with the 6.25 mg/mL dose showing the highest efficacy (95.76%). JZ-1 (6.25 mg/mL) suppressed pyroptosis of VK2/E6E7 cells. It downregulated the inflammasome activation and pyroptosis via inhibiting the expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (P < 0.001) and interferon-γ-inducible protein 16 (P < 0.001), and their interactions with apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain, and reducing cleaved caspase-1 p20 (P < 0.01), gasdermin D-N (P < 0.01), interleukin (IL)-1β (P < 0.001), and IL-18 levels (P < 0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#JZ-1 exerts an excellent anti-HSV-2 effect in VK2/E6E7 cells, and it inhibits caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis induced by HSV-2 infection. These data enrich our understanding of the pathologic basis of HSV-2 infection and provide experimental evidence for the anti-HSV-2 activity of JZ-1. Please cite this article as: Liu T, Shao QQ, Wang WJ, Liu TL, Jin XM, Xu LJ, Huang GY, Chen Z. The Chinese herbal prescription JieZe-1 inhibits caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis induced by herpes simplex virus-2 infection in vitro. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(3): 277-288.

Identification and validation of novel biomarkers for cold-dampness syndrome of rheumatoid arthritis based on integration of multiple bioinformatics methods / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to identify the novel biomarkers of cold-dampness syndrome(RA-Cold) of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) by gene set enrichment analysis(GSEA), weighted gene correlation network analysis(WGCNA), and clinical validation. Firstly, transcriptome sequencing was carried out for the whole blood samples from RA-Cold patients, RA patients with other traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndromes, and healthy volunteers. The differentially expressed gene(DEG) sets of RA-Cold were screened by comparison with the RA patients with other TCM syndromes and healthy volunteers. Then, GSEA and WGCNA were carried out to screen the key DEGs as candidate biomarkers for RA-Cold. Experimentally, the expression levels of the candidate biomarkers were determined by RT-qPCR for an independent clinical cohort(not less than 10 cases/group), and the clinical efficacy of the candidates was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve. The results showed that 3 601 DEGs associated with RA-Cold were obtained, including 106 up-regulated genes and 3 495 down-regulated genes. The DEGs of RA-Cold were mainly enriched in the pathways associated with inflammation-immunity regulation, hormone regulation, substance and energy metabolism, cell function regulation, and synovial pannus formation. GSEA and WGCNA showed that recombinant proteasome 26S subunit, ATPase 2(PSMC2), which ranked in the top 50% in terms of coefficient of variation, representativeness of pathway, and biological modules, was a candidate biomarker of RA-Cold. Furthermore, the validation results based on the clinical independent sample set showed that the F1 value, specificity, accuracy, and precision of PSMC2 for RA-Cold were 70.3%, 61.9%, 64.5%, and 81.3%, respectively, and the area under the curve(AUC) value was 0.96. In summary, this study employed the "GSEA-WGCNA-validation" integrated strategy to identify novel biomarkers of RA-Cold, which helped to improve the TCM clinical diagnosis and treatment of core syndromes in RA and provided an experimental basis for TCM syndrome differentiation.

Investigation on the pharmacological mechanisms of Shirebi granules in treating gouty arthritis with damp-heat syndrome based on crosstalk of Wnt/β-catenin signaling / 药学学报

Gouty arthritis is a type of metabolic rheumatic disease caused by autoimmune abnormalities. Currently, the use of Western medicine in the clinical treatment of gouty arthritis has been associated with a high risk of adverse reactions. Therefore, there is a growing interest in exploring therapeutic drugs from traditional Chinese medicine as a potential alternative. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, gouty arthritis has been classified as damp-heat arthralgia syndrome. Shirebi granules has been found to have good clinical efficacy in treating gouty arthritis. However, its underlying pharmacological mechanisms remain unclear. To address this problem, the study first established the interaction network of candidate targets for Shirebi granules, which is used to treat damp-heat syndrome of gouty arthritis. Then, the key candidate targets of Shirebi granules for treating gouty arthritis with damp-heat syndrome were screened by calculating the topological features of the network nodes. Then, the functional mining of the key candidate targets revealed that the candidate targets of Shirebi granules may intervene in the biological process of inflammatory response and lipid metabolism through the crosstalk of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. To verify the effectiveness of Shirebi granules in treating gouty arthritis with damp-heat syndrome, a rat model was established. The results demonstrated that the granules significantly improved the severity of arthritis in rats with this condition, reduced joint inflammation, gait score, swelling index, increased mechanical pain threshold (P < 0.05), and reduced the content of serum inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in gouty arthritis rats with damp-heat syndrome (P < 0.01) gouty. It was also found that Shirebi granules effectively alleviated the symptoms of dampness heat syndrome such as local joint fever and dry mouth by reducing the temperature of the joints in acute gouty arthritis with damp-heat syndrome (AD) rats, increasing the threshold of heat pain, increasing water intake (P < 0.01), and inhibiting abnormal changes in the content of fatty acid oxidation related enzymes (P < 0.01). Western blot analysis showed that Shirebi granules increased the protein expression levels of Wnt and β-catenin (P < 0.01) while decreasing the protein expression of p65, p-p65 and PPARγ (P < 0.01) in rats with gouty arthritis and damp-heat syndrome. The results showed that Shirebi granules may reverse the "inflammation-immune" imbalance and lipid metabolism disorder by regulating the crosstalk of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and play a role in alleviating the severity of the disease. This study provides a methodological reference for elucidating the pharmacological mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine formulas. It also presents research ideas for the appropriate clinical use of Chinese patent medicines and the development of new clinical drugs for gouty arthritis therapy. The animal welfare and experiment procedures of this study were performed in accordance with the regulations of the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Experimental Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (grant No. ERCCACMS11-2302-08).

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.

Safflor yellow injection combined with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs in the treatment of non-ischemic central retinal vein occlusion / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To analyze the efficacy and safety of safflor yellow injection combined with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)drug in the treatment of non-ischemic central retinal vein occlusion(CRVO).METHODS: A total of 91 patients(91 eyes)with non-ischemic CRVO complicated with macular edema who were treated in the Affiliated Eye Hospital of Nanchang University from April 2017 to December 2021 were selected. They were randomly divided into observation group, with 47 cases(47 eyes)treated with safflor yellow injection combined with intravitreal injections of ranibizumab, and control group with 44 cases(44 eyes)who were treated with intravitreal injections of ranibizumab. Followed-up for 11mo, the best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)and macular central retinal thickness(CRT)of the two groups were observed and the cases of complete absorption of retinal hemorrhage, the times of anti-VEGF drug injections, the cases of ischemic CRVO, and the occurrence of systemic or ocular complications were recorded.RESULTS: At 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11mo after treatment, the BCVA and CRT in both groups were significantly improved compared with those before treatment, and BCVA and CRT in the observation group were superior to the control group at 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11mo after treatment(all P&#x003C;0.05). At 5, 7, 9 and 11mo after treatment, the complete absorption rate of retinal hemorrhage in the observation group was higher than that in the control group(P&#x003C;0.05). During the follow-up period, the anti-VEGF drug injection in the observation group was significantly less than that in the control group(4.83±1.05 vs. 5.75±1.01, P&#x003C;0.05), and the incidence of ischemic CRVO was significantly lower than that in the control group(21% vs. 86%, P&#x003C;0.05), and there were no treatment-related systemic and ocular complications in both groups.CONCLUSION: Safflor yellow injection combined with anti-VEGF drugs is a safe and effective method for the treatment of non-ischemic CRVO, which can significantly improve vision and reduce CRT. It can increase the complete absorption rate of retinal hemorrhage, reduce the times of anti-VEGF drug injections and the incidence of ischemic CRVO compared with monotherapy of anti-VEGF drug.

Application of a new plastic biliary stent modified based on pigtail nasal bile drainage tube to hilar biliary cholangiocarcinoma / 中华消化内镜杂志

Objective:To compare the efficacy and safety of a new type of plastic biliary stent modified based on the pigtail nasobiliary duct and the common plastic biliary stent for hilar cholangiocarcinoma.Methods:Data of a total of 38 patients with obstructive jaundice caused by hilar cholangiocarcinoma who received endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) palliative treatment at the Endoscopy Center, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command from June 2018 to December 2020 were collected, including 20 cases using the new type of plastic biliary stent (the new stent group), and 18 cases using the common plastic stent (the common stent group). Patients were followed up to May 30, 2021. The procedure time, hospital stay, postoperative biliary infection incidence, the bilirubin decrease, and the patency time of the stents in the two groups were compared.Results:The procedure time was 19.85±1.07 minutes in the new stent group and 22.00±3.38 minutes in the common stent group, respectively, showing no significant difference between them ( t=1.26, P=0.607). The lengths of hospital stay of the two groups were 11.45±2.39 days and 11.33±3.51 days, respectively, showing no significant difference between them ( t=-0.52, P=0.938). The median margins of total bilirubin reduction in the two groups were 122.85 μmol/L and 96.25 μmol/L, respectively, with significant difference ( Z=-2.03, P=0.042). The incidence of long-term cholangitis of the new stent group was significantly lower than that of the common stent group [10.0% (2/20) VS 44.4% (8/18), P=0.027]. The patency time of the new stent group was significantly longer than that of the common stent group (109.45±32.67 days VS 82.11±20.95 days) with significant difference ( t=2.23, P=0.032). Conclusion:In the palliative treatment of hilar bile duct obstruction, the new plastic bile duct stent modified based on pigtail type can reduce the incidence of long-term cholangitis and prolong the patency of bile duct stent compared with the common stent group.

Course of disease and related epidemiological parameters of COVID-19: a prospective study based on contact tracing cohort / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective: To analyze the course of disease and epidemiological parameters of COVID-19 and provide evidence for making prevention and control strategies. Methods: To display the distribution of course of disease of the infectors who had close contacts with COVID-19 cases from January 1 to March 15, 2020 in Guangdong Provincial, the models of Lognormal, Weibull and gamma distribution were applied. A descriptive analysis was conducted on the basic characteristics and epidemiological parameters of course of disease. Results: In total, 515 of 11 580 close contacts were infected, with an attack rate about 4.4%, including 449 confirmed cases and 66 asymptomatic cases. Lognormal distribution was fitting best for latent period, incubation period, pre-symptomatic infection period of confirmed cases and infection period of asymptomatic cases; Gamma distribution was fitting best for infectious period and clinical symptom period of confirmed cases; Weibull distribution was fitting best for latent period of asymptomatic cases. The latent period, incubation period, pre-symptomatic infection period, infectious period and clinical symptoms period of confirmed cases were 4.50 (95%CI:3.86-5.13) days, 5.12 (95%CI:4.63-5.62) days, 0.87 (95%CI:0.67-1.07) days, 11.89 (95%CI:9.81-13.98) days and 22.00 (95%CI:21.24-22.77) days, respectively. The latent period and infectious period of asymptomatic cases were 8.88 (95%CI:6.89-10.86) days and 6.18 (95%CI:1.89-10.47) days, respectively. Conclusion: The estimated course of COVID-19 and related epidemiological parameters are similar to the existing data.

Polymorphism of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene rsl801131 in Qinghai Han patients with hypertensive disorders complicating pregnancy / 解剖学报

Objective To investigate the correlation between the polymorphism of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR) gene rs!801131 and hypertensive disorders complicating pregnancy ( HDCP ) in Qinghai Han nationality. Methods The polymorphism of MTHFR rsl801131 in 120 pregnant women with HDCP (HDCP group) and 120 normal pregnant women ( control group) were detected by restriction fragment length polymorphism polymerase chain reaction (PCR-RFLP) and verified by sequencing. Results The frequencies of AA, AC, and CC genotype of MTHFR gene in the HDCP group were 56. 67% , 32. 50% , and 10. 83% respectively, and those in the control group were 74.17%, 23.33% and 2. 50% respectively (P<0. 05, the distribution of genotype was different significantly between the two groups). The frequency of AA genotype of HDCP group (56. 67%) was lower than that of control group (74. 17%, P<0. 05) , the frequency of CC genotype of HDCP group ( 10. 83%) was higher than that of control group ( 2. 50% , P< 0. 05) , while there was no significant difference in the frequency of AC genotype between HDCP group and control group ( P<0. 05). The frequency distribution of alleles A and C of MTHFR rsl801131 polymorphism was significantly different between the HDCP group and the control group (P<0. 001) , and the frequency of allele C in the HDCP group was significantly higher than that in the control group (X2 = 12. 229, 0R=L 574, 95% C/= 1. 181-2. 099, P<0. 001). Conclusion The polymorphism of MTHFR rsl801131 is related to the occurrence of HDCP in Qinghai Han population. The C gene might be the susceptibility gene of HDCP, and CC genotype might be the susceptibility genotype of HDCP.

The Influence of Diabetes, Hypertension, and Hyperlipidemia on the Onset of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in North China: The Kailuan Eye Study / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Objective@#To analyze the prevalence of dry and wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in patients with diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia, and to analyze the risk factors for AMD.@*Methods@#A population-based cross-sectional epidemiologic study was conducted involving 14,440 individuals. We assessed the prevalence of dry and wet AMD in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects and analyzed the risk factors for AMD.@*Results@#The prevalence of wet AMD in diabetic and non-diabetic patients was 0.3% and 0.5%, respectively, and the prevalence of dry AMD was 17% and 16.4%, respectively. The prevalence of wet AMD in healthy, hypertensive, hyperlipidemic, and hypertensive/hyperlipidemic populations was 0.5%, 0.3%, 0.2%, and 0.7%, respectively. The prevalence of dry AMD in healthy, hypertensive, hyperlipidemic, and hypertensive/hyperlipidemic populations was 16.6%, 16.2%, 15.2%, and 17.2%, respectively. Age, sex, body mass index, and use of hypoglycemic drugs or lowering blood pressure drugs were corrected in the risk factor analysis of AMD. Diabetes, diabetes/hypertension, diabetes/hyperlipidemia, and diabetes/hypertension/hyperlipidemia were analyzed. None of the factors analyzed in the current study increased the risk for the onset of AMD.@*Conclusion@#There was no significant difference in the prevalence of wet and dry AMD among diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. Similarly, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of wet and dry AMD among subjects with hypertension and hyperlipidemia. Diabetes co-existing with hypertension and hyperlipidemia were not shown to be risk factors for the onset of dry AMD.

Study on Reentry Evaluation Mode for Blood Donors Used to be HBV Reactive in Jiangsu Province / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the risk of reentry in HBV reactive blood donors and feasibility of HBV reentry strategy.@*METHODS@#HBsAg+ or HBV DNA+ donors who had been quarantined for more than 6 months in Jiangsu Province could propose for reentry application. Blood samples were routinely screened by dual-ELISA for HBsAg, anti-HCV, HIV Ab/Ag, and anti- Treponema pallidum and those non-reactive ones were tested by minipool nucleic acid testing (NAT) for three times. To identify occult HBV donors, samples of NAT non-reactive were further tested by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) for HBV seromarkers (including HBsAg, HBsAb, HBeAg, HBeAb, and HBcAb). Donors of only 4 ECLIA patterns were accepted to reentry, including all 5 HBV seromarkers negative, anti-HBs only but having history of hepatitis B vaccine injection, HBcAb only, HBsAb+ / HBcAb+ with HBsAb more than 200 IU/L. Additionally, the detection rate of HBV infection was compared between routine screening mode and ECLIA, as well as the reentry qualified rate of HBsAg+ and HBV DNA+ blood donors.@*RESULTS@#From Oct. 2016 to Aug. 2019, a total of 737 HBV reactive donors had applied for reentry, including 667 HBsAg+ reactive and 70 HBV DNA+ reactive donors. Among 3 screening methods, the highest HBV detection rate (43.15%, 318/737) was observed on ECLIA, while only 4.75% (35/737) on ELISA and 3.12% (23/737) on NAT, respectively. Among 4 qualified patterns of HBV serological markers, the highest proportion was found in the all negative group (22.90%, 155/677), followed by the group with HBsAb+ only and history of hepatitis B vaccine injection (19.35%, 131/677), and the median concentration of HBsAb was 237.7 IU/L. The unqualified rate of HBV DNA+ donors was 82.86%, which was significantly higher than 47.98% of HBsAg+ donors.@*CONCLUSION@#Routine screening tests merely based on ELISA and NAT could miss occult HBV donors and may not be sufficient for blood safety. HBsAb concentration and vaccine injection history should be included in the evaluation of HBV reactive donors who intend to apply for reentry. There is a relatively larger residual risk of occult HBV infection in blood donors quarantined for HBV DNA reactive.

Biological connotation of four traditional Chinese medicine syndromes of rheumatoid arthritis based on "disease-syndrome-symptom" association network / 中国中药杂志

The present study explored the biological connotation of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndromes of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) from the "disease-syndrome-symptom" association network. RA patients with four TCM syndromes(dampness-heat obstruction, phlegm-stasis obstruction, Qi-blood deficiency, and liver and kidney deficiency), three for each type, were assigned as the RA TCM syndrome group, and three healthy volunteers as the normal control group. The differential gene sets of four syndromes were screened out through transcriptome expression profiling and bioinformatics mining. The relevant gene sets of syndrome-related clinical symptoms were collected from TCMIP v2.0(http://www.tcmip.cn/). The "disease-syndrome-symptom" association networks of four RA syndromes were established by using the intersection genes of syndrome-related differential genes and symptom-related genes, and the key network target genes of each syndrome were screened out and the corresponding biological functions were mined through topological feature calculation and enrichment analysis. The genes associated with clinical symptoms such as vasculitis, joint pain, and fever in the damp-heat obstruction syndrome ranked the top, and the key network target genes of this syndrome were most significantly enriched in the pathways related to material and energy metabolism and thermal reaction biological processes. The clinical symptom-related genes of the phlegm-stasis obstruction syndrome were most significantly enriched in the pathways related to "immunity-inflammation", nervous system regulation, and sensory response. The clinical symptoms such as hypoglycemia, hypotension, weight loss, palpitation, and arrhythmia in Qi-blood deficiency syndrome were predominant, and its key network target genes were most significantly enriched in the pathways related to the nervous system and "immunity-inflammation" response. The abnormal symptoms in the liver and kidney in the liver and kidney deficiency syndrome were commonly seen, and its key network target genes were most significantly enriched in the "immunity-inflammation" regulatory pathways, and liver and kidney development and metabolic response. In conclusion, the differences and connections of the biological basis between different TCM syndromes of RA are in line with the theoretical interpretation of TCM on the etiology and pathogenesis of RA. This study summarized the objective essence of syndromes to a certain extent from the "disease-syndrome-symptom" association network and is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the discovery of serum biomarkers of RA syndromes.

Effects of non-muscle myosin Ⅱ silenced bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells transplantation on lung extracellular matrix in rats after endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury / 中华烧伤杂志

Objective: To investigate the effects of non-muscle myosin Ⅱ (NMⅡ) gene silenced bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) on pulmonary extracellular matrix (ECM) and fibrosis in rats with acute lung injury (ALI) induced by endotoxin/lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Methods: The experimental research methods were adopted. Cells from femur and tibial bone marrow cavity of four one-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were identified as BMMSCs by flow cytometry, and the third passage of BMMSCs were used in the following experiments. The cells were divided into NMⅡ silenced group transfected with pHBLV-U6-ZsGreen-Puro plasmid containing small interference RNA sequence of NMⅡ gene, vector group transfected with empty plasmid, and blank control group without any treatment, and the protein expression of NMⅡ at 72 h after intervention was detected by Western blotting (n=3). The morphology of cells was observed by an inverted phase contrast microscope and cells labeled with chloromethylbenzoine (CM-DiⅠ) in vitro were observed by an inverted fluorescence microscope. Twenty 4-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into blank control group, ALI alone group, ALI+BMMSC group, and ALI+NMⅡ silenced BMMSC group according to the random number table, with 5 rats in each group. Rats in blank control group were not treated, and rats in the other 3 groups were given LPS to induce ALI. Immediately after modeling, rats in ALI alone group were injected with 1 mL normal saline via tail vein, rats in ALI+BMMSC group and ALI+NMⅡ silenced BMMSC group were injected with 1×107/mL BMMSCs and NMⅡ gene silenced BMMSCs of 1 mL labelled with CM-DiⅠ via tail vein, and rats in blank control group were injected with 1 mL normal saline via tail vein at the same time point, respectively. At 24 h after intervention, the lung tissue was collected to observe intrapulmonary homing of the BMMSCs by an inverted fluorescence microscope. Lung tissue was collected at 24 h, in 1 week, and in 2 weeks after intervention to observe pulmonary inflammation by hematoxylin eosin staining and to observe pulmonary fibrosis by Masson staining, and the pulmonary fibrosis in 2 weeks after intervention was scored by modified Ashcroft score (n=5). The content of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), and MMP-9 was detected by immunohistochemistry in 2 weeks after intervention (n=3), the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde, myeloperoxidase (MPO) was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at 24 h after intervention (n=3), and the protein expressions of CD11b and epidermal growth factor like module containing mucin like hormone receptor 1 (EMR1) in 1 week after intervention were detected by immunofluorescence staining (n=3). Data were statistically analyzed with one-way analysis of variance, Bonferroni method, and Kruskal-Wallis H test. Results: At 72 h after intervention, the NMⅡprotein expression of cells in NMⅡ silenced group was significantly lower than those in blank control group and vector group (with P values <0.01). BMMSCs were in long spindle shape and grew in cluster shaped like vortexes, which were labelled with CM-DiⅠ successfully in vitro. At 24 h after intervention, cell homing in lung of rats in ALI+NMⅡ silenced BMMSC group was more pronounced than that in ALI+BMMSC group, while no CM-DiⅠ-labelled BMMSCs were observed in lung of rats in blank control group and ALI alone group. There was no obvious inflammatory cell infiltration in lung tissue of rats in blank control group at all time points, while inflammatory cell infiltration in lung tissue of rats in ALI+BMMSC group and ALI+NMⅡ silenced BMMSC group was significantly less than that in ALI alone group at 24 h after intervention, and alveolar wall turned to be thinner and a small amount of congestion in local lung tissue appeared in rats of the two groups in 1 week and 2 weeks after intervention. In 1 week and 2 weeks after intervention, collagen fiber deposition in lung tissue of rats in ALI alone group, ALI+BMMSC group, and ALI+NMⅡ silenced BMMSC group was significantly aggravated compared with that in blank control group, while collagen fiber deposition in lung tissue of rats in ALI+BMMSC group and ALI+NMⅡ silenced BMMSC group was significantly improved compared with that in ALI alone group. In 2 weeks after intervention, modified Ashcroft scores for pulmonary fibrosis of rats in ALI alone group, ALI+BMMSC group, and ALI+NMⅡ silenced BMMSC group were 2.36±0.22, 1.62±0.16, 1.06±0.26, respectively, significantly higher than 0.30±0.21 in blank control group (P<0.01). Modified Ashcroft scores for pulmonary fibrosis of rats in ALI+BMMSC group and ALI+NMⅡ silenced BMMSC group were significantly lower than that in ALI alone group (P<0.01), and modified Ashcroft score for pulmonary fibrosis of rats in ALI+NMⅡ silenced BMMSC group was significantly lower than that in ALI+BMMSC group (P<0.01). In 2 weeks after intervention, the content of α-SMA in lung tissue of rats in ALI+BMMSC group and ALI+NMⅡ silenced BMMSC group were significantly decreased compared with that in ALI alone group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The content of MMP-2 in lung tissue of rats in the 4 groups was similar (P>0.05). The content of MMP-9 in lung tissue of rats in ALI alone group was significantly increased compared with that in blank control group (P<0.01), and the content of MMP-9 in lung tissue of rats in ALI+BMMSC group and ALI+NMⅡ silenced BMMSC group was significantly decreased compared with that in ALI alone group (P<0.01). At 24 h after intervention, the activity of malondialdehyde, SOD, and MPO in lung tissue of rats in ALI alone group, ALI+BMMSC group, and ALI+NMⅡ silenced BMMSC group were significantly increased compared with that in blank control group (P<0.01), the activity of malondialdehyde in lung tissue of rats in ALI+NMⅡ silenced BMMSC group and the activity of SOD in lung tissue of rats in ALI+BMMSC group and ALI+NMⅡ silenced BMMSC group were significantly increased compared with that in ALI alone group (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the activity of SOD in lung tissue of rats in ALI+NMⅡ silenced BMMSC group was significantly decreased compared with that in ALI+BMMSC group (P<0.01). The activity of MPO in lung tissue of rats in ALI+BMMSC group and ALI+NMⅡ silenced BMMSC group was significantly decreased compared with that in ALI alone group (P<0.01), and the activity of MPO in lung tissue of rats in ALI+NMⅡ silenced BMMSC group was significantly decreased compared with that in ALI+BMMSC group (P<0.01). In 1 week after intervention, the protein expression of CD11b in lung tissue of rats in ALI+NMⅡ silenced BMMSC group was significantly increased compared with those in the other three groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the protein expressions of EMR1 in lung tissue of rats in the four groups were similar (P>0.05). Conclusions: Transplantation of NMⅡ gene silenced BMMSCs can significantly improve the activity of ECM components in the lung tissue in LPS-induced ALI rats, remodel its integrity, and enhance its antioxidant capacity, and alleviate lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis.

Effect of Gegen Qinliantang on Structure of Intestinal Flora in Dysbacterial Diarrhea Rats Based on 16S rRNA Sequencing / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To study the effect of Gegen Qinliantang （GQT） on the structure of intestinal flora in dysbacterial diarrhea rats by 16S rRNA sequencing. Method:Sixty healthy SD rats were randomly and equally divided into a control group， a model group， high-， medium-， and low-dose GQT groups， and a Bifidobiogen group. The rat model was induced in the five groups except the control group by administration of mixed antibiotics （178.6 mg·kg^-1 cefradine and 31.25 mg·kg^-1gentamicin sulfate） according to the dose. Drug intervention was carried out in each group （7.02， 3.51， and 1.755 g·kg^-1 GQT for the high-， medium-， and low-dose GQT groups， 0.125 g·kg^-1 bifidobacterium capsules for the Bifidobiogen group， and sterile distilled water for the control and model groups） with a volume of 10 mL·kg^-1 for seven days. Colon contents of rats were obtained under anesthesia. The extracted fecal DNA underwent 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing and the results were analyzed. Result:GQT was proved capable of adjusting the species number and Alpha and Beta diversity， improving the biological richness and diversity of the flora， and positively regulating three differential phyla （Firmicutes， Proteobacteria， and Bacteroidetes） and 14 differential genera （<italic>Bacteroides</italic>，<italic> Parabacteroides</italic>，<italic> Blautia</italic>， etc.） in rat model of dysbacterial diarrhea. Conclusion:The present study confirmed the regulatory effect of GQT on intestinal flora of dysbacterial diarrhea rats， and revealed the physiological and pathological mechanism between intestinal flora and dysbacterial diarrhea.

Comparative study of FS-LASIK and FS-LASIK combined with accelerated corneal cross-linking for correction of high myopia in the early stage of refractive power and corneal high-order aberration / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM: To compare the change of refractive power and corneal high-order aberrations after femtosecond laser-assisted excimer laser <i>in situ</i> keratomileusis(FS-LASIK)and FS-LASIK combined with accelerated corneal cross-linking(FS-LASIK Xtra)for high myopia correction, and to evaluate the early effects of two surgical methods to correct high myopia. <p>METHODS:Retrospective case-control study. Totally 42 patients(84 eyes)with high myopia underwent FS-LASIK Xtra and FS-LASIK in our hospital from April 2019 to April 2020 were followed up for 3mo, including 21 patients in each group(42 eyes). The uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA), spherical equivalent(SE), astigmatism and corneal high-order aberration of the two groups were analyzed and compared.<p>RESULTS: The UCVA of the FS-LASIK Xtra group was significantly lower than that of the FS-LASIK group at 1d after surgery(<i>P</i><0.01), there was no statistical difference in UCVA at the other time points after surgery between the two groups(<i>P</i>>0.05). The postoperative SE of the two groups was significantly lower than that before surgery, at 3mo after surgery, 38 eyes(90%)in the FS-LASIK Xtra group and 41 eyes(98%)in the FS-LASIK group had SE within ±1.00D. In both groups, 35 eyes(83%)had residual astigmatism within 0.50D after surgery. The total corneal high-order aberrations, spherical aberrations, coma and clover aberrations in the two groups were increased at 3mo after surgery, the total high-order aberration and clover aberration in the FS-LASIK Xtra group were greater than those in the FS-LASIK group(all <i>P</i><0.05).<p>CONCLUSION:FS-LASIK and FS-LASIK Xtra have good effectiveness and predictability in correcting high myopia in the early postoperative period, the total high-order aberrations of the cornea both increased in the early postoperative period, and the patients who underwent FS-LASIK Xtra were increased significantly.

Reconstruction of complex tissue defects in temporal region: report of 3 cases / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective: To discuss the techniques and repairing methods of various degree of compound tissue defects in the auriculotemporal region. Methods: Retrospective analysis was conducted on three cases of different repairing methods for huge compound tissue defects in different degrees in the auriculotemporal region after the resection of the malignant tumor or sinus tract due to repeated infection in our hospital. Results: Following total removal of the tumors or sinus tract in all patients, we applied retroauricular lingual flap transfer repairing, latissimus dorsi flap free transfer repairing and vascular anastomosis, scalp tissue expansion in stage Ⅰ, then repairing the lesion with expanded scalp and filling the huge mastoid cavity with abdominal fat in stage Ⅱ, respectively, according to the characteristics of compound tissue defects in the auriculotemporal region. All free flaps survived well. Conclusions: The anatomy of the auricular-temporal area is complex and involves important vascular and neural structures of head and neck and lateral skull base. The huge composite tissue defect following auriculotemporal region surgery, which is composed of skin, muscle and bone tissue, needs to be repaired in one stage. Therefore, flexible repairing methods should be chosen based on different situations, for attaining the goal of completely removing tumor and lesions, and then, covering the operation cavity.

Association between the polymorphism of aldosterone synthase gene promoter-344T/C and preeclampsia in Qinghai Province / 解剖学报

Objective To investigate the relationship between preeclampsia (PE) and polymorphism of aldosterone synthase gene (CYP11B2) promoter region-344T/C in Qinghai Province. Methods A total of 120 PE subjects and 155 normal pregnancy subjects were studied. The genotype of CYP11B2 was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The mutation was confirmed by sequencing. Results The frequencies of CYP11B2 TT, CT and CC genotype in the PE group were 43.0%, 45.6%, and 11.4%, and in the control group were 51.0%, 45.1%, and 3.9%, respectively. There was difference in frequency distribution of CYP11B2 genotype between the PE and control groups. The frequency of C allele in the PE group was higher than the control group (χ

Arthroscopic treatment for the calcific tendinitis at soft tissues around hip / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the feasibility and clinical effects of arthroscopic treatment for the calcific tendinitis at soft tissues around hip.@*METHODS@#A total of 16 patients diagnosed as the calcific tendinitis at soft tissues around hip from May 2013 to July 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. All the 16 patients received arthroscopic procedures. There were 10 males and 6 females with an average age of 35 to 63 (44.50±6.67) years old and 9 left hips, 6 right hips were involved. The course of disease were 1 to 8(3.18±1.97) days. Clinical effects were evaluated with visual analogue scale(VAS), modified Harris hip scores (HHS), nonarthritic hip score (NAHS) and imaging examinations before operation, 1 day after operation and the final follow-up.@*RESULTS@#All 16 patients successfully finished the arthroscopic procedures in 0.5 to 1.2 (0.75±0.21) hours. Primary healing of incision were obtained without any complications of infection, wound hematocele and neurovascular injury. All 16 patients received an average postoperative follow-up of 6 to 12 (9.6±2.3) months. Before operation, the VAS were 7.88±0.72, modified HHS were 29.25±3.23, NAHS were 27.42±3.08. The 1st day postoperative VAS were 2.19±0.66, modified HHS were 82.56± 5.64, NAHS were 82.11±2.94, all the difference were statistically significant between before and 1 day after operation (@*CONCLUSION@#Arthroscopic treatment for the calcific tendinitis at soft tissues around hip is effective.It has advantages of minimal invasive, rapid pain relief, rapid hip joint function recovery and definite clinical effects.