Screening of characteristic genes in early-onset pre-eclampsia and analysis of their association with immune cell infiltration based on bioinformatics analysis and machine-learning algorithms / 中华围产医学杂志

Objective:To screen the characteristic genes of early-onset pre-eclampsia (EOSP) and to analyze their association with immune cell infiltration based on bioinformatics analysis and machine learning methods.Methods:In the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, the mRNA sequences of placental tissues from women with EOSP and normal pregnancy were retrieved using the term "early-onset pre-eclampsia". The R language was used for background correction, standardization, summarization, and probe quality control. Annotation packages were downloaded for ID conversion and the expression matrices were extracted. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the EOSP and the normal pregnancy in the metadata were analyzed after correcting for batch effects using the limma package. Characteristic genes were identified through the support vector machine (SVM) -recursive feature elimination (RFE) method and the LASSO regression model. The area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to judge the diagnostic efficiency of the characteristic genes. Placental tissues were retrospectively collected for verification from 15 patients with EOSP and 15 with normal pregnancy who were delivered at Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 1, 2022, to February 28, 2023. The expression of characteristic genes was verified using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot, which were further validated in the validation dataset. Finally, the CIBERSORT algorithm was used to analyze the relative proportion of infiltrating immune cell in EOSP. A t-test was used for differential analysis. Results:Three gene datasets were downloaded, including GSE44711 (eight cases each for EOSP and normal pregnancy), GSE74341 (seven cases for EOSP and five cases for normal pregnancy), and GSE190639 (13 cases each for EOSP and normal pregnancy). A total of 29 DEGs were screened after combining the GSE44711 and GSE74341 datasets, including 27 upregulated and two downregulated genes. Gene ontology enrichment analysis showed that these genes are mainly involved in the secretion of gonadotropins, female pregnancy, regulation of endocrine processes, secretion of endocrine hormones, and negative regulation of hormone secretion. Eight characteristic genes ( EBI3, HTRA4, TREML2, TREM1, NTRK2, ANKRD37, CST6, and ARMS2) were screened using the LASSO regression algorithm combined with SVM-RFE algorithm and the expression differences of these characteristic genes were verified as statistically significant by qRT-PCR and Western blot (all P<0.05, except for CST6). Logistic regression algorithm showed that the AUC (95% CI) of TREML2, ANKRD37, NTRK2, TREM1, HTRA4, EBI3, and ARMS2 were 0.979 (0.918-1.000), 0.969 (0.897-1.000), 0.969 (0.892-1.000), 0.979 (0.918-1.000), 0.990 (0.954-1.000), 0.990 (0.954-1.000), and 0.903 (0.764-1.000). Immune cell infiltration analysis indicated that the infiltration ratio of M2 macrophages in the placental tissue from EOSP was significantly lower than that in the normal pregnancy (0.167±0.074 vs. 0.462±0.091, P=0.002), but the infiltration ratios of monocytes and eosinophils were significantly higher (0.201±0.004 vs. 0.085±0.006; 0.031±0.001 vs. 0.001±0.000, both P<0.05). The correlation analysis between characteristic genes and infiltrating immune cells found that the seven characteristic genes were closely related to the immune cells (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Seven characteristic genes that are critical for the prediction and early diagnosis of EOSP are screened using bioinformatics analysis and machine-learning algorithms in this study, which provides new research targets and a basis for the prevention and treatment of preeclampsia in the future.

Anticancer effect of parasites and its underlying mechanisms: a review / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Both parasitic diseases and cancers are disorders that seriously threaten human health. A strong correlation has been recently found between parasitic infections and cancers, and multiple species of parasites and their derived products have shown effective to suppress cancer development, progression and metastasis. Therefore, deciphering the interaction among parasites, cancers and hosts not only provides new insights into the development of cancer therapy, but also provides the basis for screening of parasites-derived active anticancer molecules. This review summarizes the latest advances in the anticancer activity of parasites and underlying mechanisms.

Type III secretory protein SINC of Chlamydia psittaci promotes host cell autophagy by activating the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of SINC, a secreted protein of Chlamydia psittaci, on autophagy of host cells and the role of MAPK/ERK signaling pathway in mediating SINC-induced autophagy.@*METHODS@#RAW 264.7 cells treated with recombinant SINC were examined for changes in expression levels of LC3-II, Beclin-1, phosphorylated and total ERK1/2 using Western blotting. The expression level of LC3 in the treated cells was detected using immunofluorescence analysis, and the formation of autophagosomes and autolysosomes was observed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effect of pretreatment with U0126 (a specific ERK inhibitor) on the expression levels of LC3-II and Beclin-1 in RAW 264.7 cells exposed to different concentrations of SINC was examined using Western blotting, and LC3 puncta in the cells was detected with immunofluorescence analysis.@*RESULTS@#The expression levels of LC3-II and Beclin-1 were the highest in RAW 264.7 cells treated with 2 μg/mL SINC for 12h. Immunofluorescence analysis showed exposure to SINC significantly increased the number of cells containing LC3 puncta, where the presence of autophagosomes and autolysosomes was detected. Exposure to 2 μg/mL SINC for 15 min resulted in the most significant increase of the ratios of p-ERK1/2/ERK1/2 in RAW 264.7 cells. Pretreatment of the cells with U0126 prior to SINC exposure significantly decreased the ratio of p-ERK1/2/ERK1/2, lowered the expression levels of LC3-II and Beclin-1, and decreased LC3 aggregation in the cells.@*CONCLUSIONS@#SINC exposure can induce autophagy in RAW 264.7 cells by activating the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.

Automatic transfer of diversion pouches among Blood Transfusion Departments: a multicenter observation and study / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To explore the significance of automatic transfer of diversion pouches in blood transfusion departments on improving the standardization of quality management. 【Methods】 A total of 16 548 diversion pouches of suspended red blood cells (sRBC) were collected from Blood Transfusion Departments of ten tertiary hospitals in China. The sRBC was supplied by local blood centers from January to March 2021. The diversion pouches were randomly divided into experimental group (n=8 274, using DS-6800A automatic for transferring) and control group (n=8 274, manual transfer). The transfer duration of diversion pouches labels, whole process operation time of diversion pouches, label accuracy after transferring, table cleanliness and accurate transfer rate of diversion pouches of the two groups were recorded and compared. 【Results】 The results of experimental group and control group were as follows: transfer duration(s) of diversion pouch labels was 0.67±0.3 vs 3.67±0.6(P<0.05); whole process operation time was 16.93±0.5 vs 19.85±1 (P<0.05); label accuracy after transferring was 100% (8 274/8 274) vs 97.91% (8 101/8 274); table cleanliness was 99.19% (8 207/8 274) vs 94.39% (7 810/8 274); transfer accuracy was 100%(8 274/8 274) vs 95.85% (7 931/8 274). 【Conclusion】 Automatic transfer of diversion pouches of blood samples can improve the efficiency and quality of the sample transfer, and is conductive to the standardization of internal quality evaluation and control of blood transfusion departments.

Expert consensus on late stage of critical care management / 中华内科杂志

We wished to establish an expert consensus on late stage of critical care (CC) management. The panel comprised 13 experts in CC medicine. Each statement was assessed based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) principle. Then, the Delphi method was adopted by 17 experts to reassess the following 28 statements. (1) ESCAPE has evolved from a strategy of delirium management to a strategy of late stage of CC management. (2) The new version of ESCAPE is a strategy for optimizing treatment and comprehensive care of critically ill patients (CIPs) after the rescue period, including early mobilization, early rehabilitation, nutritional support, sleep management, mental assessment, cognitive-function training, emotional support, and optimizing sedation and analgesia. (3) Disease assessment to determine the starting point of early mobilization, early rehabilitation, and early enteral nutrition. (4) Early mobilization has synergistic effects upon the recovery of organ function. (5) Early functional exercise and rehabilitation are important means to promote CIP recovery, and gives them a sense of future prospects. (6) Timely start of enteral nutrition is conducive to early mobilization and early rehabilitation. (7) The spontaneous breathing test should be started as soon as possible, and a weaning plan should be selected step-by-step. (8) The waking process of CIPs should be realized in a planned and purposeful way. (9) Establishment of a sleep-wake rhythm is the key to sleep management in post-CC management. (10) The spontaneous awakening trial, spontaneous breathing trial, and sleep management should be carried out together. (11) The depth of sedation should be adjusted dynamically in the late stage of CC period. (12) Standardized sedation assessment is the premise of rational sedation. (13) Appropriate sedative drugs should be selected according to the objectives of sedation and drug characteristics. (14) A goal-directed minimization strategy for sedation should be implemented. (15) The principle of analgesia must be mastered first. (16) Subjective assessment is preferred for analgesia assessment. (17) Opioid-based analgesic strategies should be selected step-by-step according to the characteristics of different drugs. (18) There must be rational use of non-opioid analgesics and non-drug-based analgesic measures. (19) Pay attention to evaluation of the psychological status of CIPs. (20) Cognitive function in CIPs cannot be ignored. (21) Delirium management should be based on non-drug-based measures and rational use of drugs. (22) Reset treatment can be considered for severe delirium. (23) Psychological assessment should be conducted as early as possible to screen-out high-risk groups with post-traumatic stress disorder. (24) Emotional support, flexible visiting, and environment management are important components of humanistic management in the intensive care unit (ICU). (25) Emotional support from medical teams and families should be promoted through"ICU diaries"and other forms. (26) Environmental management should be carried out by enriching environmental content, limiting environmental interference, and optimizing the environmental atmosphere. (27) Reasonable promotion of flexible visitation should be done on the basis of prevention of nosocomial infection. (28) ESCAPE is an excellent project for late stage of CC management.

Construction and biological characterization of a Proteus mirabilis strain with modABC gene deletion / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To construct a modABC gene knockout strain of Proteus mirabilis and explore the effect of modABC gene deletion on biological characteristics of Proteus mirabilis.@*METHODS@#Fusion PCR was used to obtain the fusion gene of modABC and the kanamycin-resistant gene Kn, which was ligated with the suicide vector pCVD442 and transduced into Proteus mirabilis. The modABC gene knockout strain of Proteus mirabilis was obtained after homologous recombination with the suicide vector. PCR and Sanger sequencing were used to identify genomic deletion of modABC gene in the genetically modified strain. The concentration of molybdate in the wild-type and gene knockout strains was determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and their survival ability in LB medium was compared under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions.@*RESULTS@#PCR and sanger sequencing confirmed genomic deletion of modABC gene in the obtained Proteus mirabilis strain. The concentration of intracellular molybdenum in the modABC gene knockout strain was 1.22 mg/kg, significantly lower than that in the wild-type strain (1.46 mg/kg, P < 0.001). Under the aerobic condition, the modABC gene knockout strain grown in LB medium showed no significant changes in survival ability compared with the wild-type strain, but its proliferation rate decreased significantly under the anaerobic condition and also when cultured in nitrate-containing LB medium under anaerobic condition.@*CONCLUSION@#Homologous recombination with the suicide vector can be used for modABC gene knockout in Proteus mirabilis. modABC gene participates in molybdate uptake and is associated with anaerobic growth of Proteus mirabilis in the presence of nitrate.

Case 01 (2023): Neonatal lupus syndrome manifested by metabolic disease: a case report / 中华围产医学杂志

This paper reports a case of neonatal lupus syndrome manifested by metabolic disease. A male neonate was admitted to the Children's Hospital of Soochow University due to poor response and vomiting for 1 day. Based on the clinical symptoms, including the patterned skin and a full anterior fontanelle, and a result of leukocytosis, neonatal sepsis was considered. Lysinuric protein intolerance was not excluded from the genetic metabolic disorders screening. The patient was positive for lupus-related autoantibodies and antinuclear antibodies, which were also found in his mother and elder sister. He had no functional variant of the SCL7A7 gene, a gene related to lysinuric protein intolerance, thereby the diagnosis of neonatal lupus syndrome manifested by metabolic disorders was confirmed. After treatment with methylprednisolone, the patient recovered well with no specific change in blood genetic metabolism at re-examination. Monthly follow-up after discharge found decreased antibody titers.

Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica-associated wound infection: one case report / 中华检验医学杂志

The male patient of middle-age was admitted to Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University on September 5, 2020, due to wear and rupture of the left foot hallux for more than 10 days, gradually developed swelling and blackening of the left foot and accompanied by drowsiness for 1day. Results from etiological examination of his wound secretions suggested the mixed infection of Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica and Enterococcus faecalis. The disease progressed rapidly and the patient still died of septic shock after anti-infective treatment. The infection of W. chitiniclastica is rare and has a great relationship with poor hygiene and chronic open wounds. It is necessary to use matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry or 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing for strain identification. Moreover, it is recommended to use cephalosporins or carbapenems as first-line drugs due to the poor prognosis of patients with bloodstream infections.

Application of scenario simulation teaching based on PBL in communication ability training of Pediatric Hematology Department / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Objective:To explore the application of scenario simulation teaching based on PBL in communication skills training of hematology students in Children's Hospital.Methods:The training of doctor-patient communication skills was conducted among trainees who had the standardized residency training at the Department of Hematology of the Children's Hospital of Soochow University. All the residents were randomized into the control group and observation group by lottery, with 24 residents in each group. The control group adopted the traditional narrative teaching method, and the observation group adopted PBL combined with scenario simulation teaching method. The Liverpool communication skills assessment scale (LCSAS) was used to compare the differences between the two groups before and after training, and the differences between the two groups after training. Then the degree of residents' recognition of these two teaching methods was investigated. Finally, the examination results were used to evaluate knowledge mastery of doctors in department of hematology. SPSS 20.0 was used for Chi-square test and t-test. Results:LCSAS scores of the two groups before training were respectively (11.61±2.21) and (11.95±2.22), with no statistically significant difference ( P >0.05). After PBL-based scenario simulation teaching and training in the observation group, the LCSAS score of the observation group (27.41±2.53) was higher than that of the control group (23.30±1.81), and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Questionnaire survey results showed that the favorable rating rate of PBL-based scenario simulation teaching was 91.67% (22/24), higher than that of the traditional narrative teaching method [62.50% (15/24)], and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The examination of students' mastery of professional knowledge showed that after the PBL-based scenario simulation teaching and training, the trainees had a better grasp of knowledge and a higher score, with excellence rate of 91.67% (22/24）, which was higher than 66.67% (16/24) of the control group, with a statistically significant difference ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The scenario simulation teaching based on PBL could improve the communication ability and professional knowledge of trainees taking standardized residency training in the department of hematology, and the trainees are highly satisfied with this teaching method.

The pathological role of hypersplenism in the course of liver cirrhosis / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Hypersplenism is an important complication of cirrhotic portal hypertension, and splenectomy is an important means to treat hypersplenism in cirrhosis. It is realized that hypersplenism played a pathological role in the course of cirrhosis. This article analyzes and compares the changes in the condition of patients with cirrhosis between splenectomy with and without hyperfunction, and comprehensively discusses the pathological role and mechanism of hypersplenism in the course of cirrhosis, in order to strengthen the clinical prevention and treatment of hypersplenism in cirrhosis and to better improve the condition and prognosis of patients with cirrhosis.

Mechanism of Sophorae tonkinensis radix et rhizome-induced nephrotoxicity in rats based on network toxicology and experimental validation / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the mechanism of Sophorae tonkinensis radix et rhizome (ST) induced nephrotoxicity based on network toxicology and experimental verification. Methods Through network toxicology the target of toxic components of ST was predicted, nephrotoxicity-related target genes were located, the intersection of targets was taken, the STRING platform was imported to map the target protein interactions, MetaScape database was used for GO and KEGG analysis, BioGPS database for screening the key expressed genes in rat nephrotoxicity and the component-target-pathway network was constructed. The mechanism of ST induced nephrotoxicity was verified through animal experiments, and qRT-PCR was applied to detect mRNA expression level of key genes in kidney tissue. Results Twenty toxic components of ST were screened from network toxicology, mainly including matrine, sophoridine, maackiain. A total of 135 targets were involved, and HSP90AA1, SRC, MAPK1, MAPK3, AKT1 were the main targets. A total of 169 related signaling pathways were yielded by KEGG analysis, and the mechanism of nephrotoxicity might be related to cancer pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway. PPARA, RAF1, MAP2K1, SRC, AKT1 and MAPK3 were screened from BioGPS database. The results of animal experiments showed that BUN and SCr level increased (P <0. 01) in rats with high-dose group, and the kidney tissue was significantly damaged. qRT-PCR results indicated that the expression of PPARA, RAF1, MAP2K1, MAPK3 mRNA increased, the expression of AKT1 mRNA decreased in the high-dose group of ST (P <0. 05). Conclusions The mechanism of Sophorae tonkinensis radix et rhizome induced nephrotoxicity is found to be related to the combined action of multiple components, multiple targets and multiple pathways, which also provides a theoretical basis for the in-depth exploration of the toxicology.

Setup accuracy of two reference surfaces in nasopharyngeal carcinoma surface-guided radiotherapy / 医疗卫生装备

Objective To compare the setup accuracies of the surface-guided radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on volume rendering technique(VRT)reference surface and digital imaging and communications in medicine(DICOM)reference surface.Methods Twenty patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who received radiotherapy using the customized AccuCushion with a thermoplastic fixation mask were selected.After the first cone beam CT(CBCT)-based image-guided radiotherapy of each patient was completed,the thermoplastic mask was removed to obtain the VRT reference surface based on optical surface monitoring system(OSMS),during which the patient position was maintained through instructions;the DICOM reference surface was got based on the body surface contour data extracted from the patient's localized CT images.After the completion of the 5th,10th,and 15th CBCT image-guided radiotherapy treatments,the patients'6 dimensions of setup errors were measured based on the 2 reference surfaces,respectively.Dimensional correlation analyses were carried out on the setup errors measured based on the 2 reference surfaces separately using Python's Stats tool to test the independence between the setup errors in each dimension.After independence test,Wilcoxon rank sum test was performed on the data of the setup errors based on each dimension measured with the 2 reference surfaces.Results The two sets of setup errors were independent of each other in all dimensions.The errors based on VRT reference surface were lower than those based on DICOM reference surface in 6 dimensions,while the difference between the 6-D errors of the two groups did not gradually become significant as the treatment progressed.Conclusion In the SGRT of nasopharyngeal carcinoma using a customized cushion combined with a thermoplastic mask,the setup accuracy and consistency based on VRT reference surface are both higher than those based on DICOM reference surface.

Effect and influence factors of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in children with congenital heart disease in pediatric intensive care unit / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To investigate the prognostic factors of children with congenital heart disease (CHD) who had undergone cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in China. Methods: From November 2017 to October 2018, this retrospective multi-center study was conducted in 11 hospitals in China. It contained data from 281 cases who had undergone CPR and all of the subjects were divided into CHD group and non-CHD group. The general condition, duration of CPR, epinephrine doses during resuscitation, recovery of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), discharge survival rate and pediatric cerebral performance category in viable children at discharge were compared. According to whether malignant arrhythmia is the direct cause of cardiopulmonary arrest or not, children in CHD and non-CHD groups were divided into 2 subgroups: arrhythmia and non-arrhythmia, and the ROSC and survival rate to discharge were compared. Data in both groups were analyzed by t-test, chi-square analysis or ANOVA, and logistic regression were used to analyze the prognostic factors for ROSC and survival to discharge after cardiac arrest (CA). Results: The incidence of CA in PICU was 3.2% (372/11 588), and the implementation rate of CPR was 75.5% (281/372). There were 144 males and 137 females with median age of 32.8 (5.6, 42.7) months in all 281 CPA cases who received CPR. CHD group had 56 cases while non-CHD had 225 cases, with the percentage of 19.9% (56/281) and 80.1% (225/281) respectively. The proportion of female in CHD group was 60.7% (34/56) which was higher than that in non-CHD group (45.8%, 103/225) (χ2=4.00, P=0.045). There were no differences in ROSC and rate of survival to discharge between the two groups (P>0.05). The ROSC rate of children with arthythmid in CHD group was 70.0% (28/40), higher than 6/16 for non-arrhythmic children (χ2=5.06, P=0.024). At discharge, the pediatric cerebral performance category scores (1-3 scores) of CHD and non-CHD child were 50.9% (26/51) and 44.9% (92/205) respectively. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the independent prognostic factors of ROSC and survival to discharge in children with CHD were CPR duration (odds ratio (OR)=0.95, 0.97; 95%CI: 0.92~0.97, 0.95~0.99; both P<0.05) and epinephrine dosage (OR=0.87 and 0.79, 95%CI: 0.76-1.00 and 0.69-0.89, respectively; both P<0.05). Conclusions: There is no difference between CHD and non-CHD children in ROSC and survival rate of survival to discharge was low. The epinephrine dosage and the duration of CPR are related to the ROSC and survival to discharge of children with CHD.

The preliminary study about feasibility and accuracy of the frozen section during targeted prostate biopsy / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the feasibility and reliability of the frozen section during targeted prostate biopsy.Methods:The clinical and pathological information of patients who received cognitive fusion transperineal targeted plus systematic biopsy and frozen section of 1-2 core targeted biopsy were consecutively collected and retrospectively studied. The median age was 70 (ranging 64-78) years, with the median prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of 11.00 (ranging 6.63-16.52) ng/ml and the median prostate volume of 35.72 (ranging 22.59-47.71) ml. All patients received bi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (bp-MRI) and have Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) 3 or higher lesions diagnosed on bp-MRI. The suspected lesions would be taken by targeted biopsy of which one or two cores would be sent to prepare for the frozen sections. Then a cognitive fusion targeted and systematic biopsy covering the above targeted zones would be routinely administered under a transperineal approach as a standard protocol. The total time used for diagnosis of the frozen sections, the pathological diagnosis and the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grade groups (GG) would be recorded. The sensitivity, the positive predictive value, and the accuracy on grade groups would be analyzed, using the pathological diagnosis based on standard sections from the same targeted lesion.Results:A total of 29 patients were included in this study. Accordingly, 29 suspected lesions were identified on bp-MRI. A total of 20 lesions were finally diagnosed of PCa on frozen section, with the detection rate of 69.0%. Of those, 9(45.0%) cases were ISUP GG 1 diseases, 5(25.0%) cases were GG 2 diseases, 1(5.0%) case was GG 3 disease, and 5(25.0%) cases were GG 4-5 diseases. A total of 22 lesions were diagnosed with PCa on standard sections of cores from the same targeted lesions, with the detection rate of 75.9%. Of those, 6(27.3%) cases were GG 1 disease, 11(50.0%) cases were GG 2 diseases, 1(4.5) case was GG 3 disease, and 4(18.2%) cases were GG 4-5 diseases. The sensitivity and the positive predictive value of frozen section were 90.9% and 100%, respectively. No false positive diagnosis was made by frozen section. Compared to diagnosis from frozen sections, the GG diagnosed from final standard sections were found to upgrade and downgrade in 2 and 2 cases, respectively. The accuracy rate on GG of frozen sections was 80%. The time used for the diagnosis of frozen sections was (11±2) minutes. The histology quality control of four specimens was dissatisfactory. Two were due to tissue loss and deformation during sampling, and the other two were due to cytoclasis during low-temperature transferring.Conclusion:It is feasible and reliable to make a pathological diagnosis from frozen section of prostate targeted biopsy.

Exercise preconditioning attenuates the lipid metabolic disorder induced by chronic high fat diet feeding in mice / 生理学报

Mounting evidence has shown that exercise exerts extensive beneficial effects, including preventing and protecting against chronic diseases, through improving metabolism and other mechanisms. Recent studies have shown that exercise preconditioning affords significant cardioprotective effects. However, whether exercise preconditioning improves high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and lipid metabolic disorder remains unknown. The study was aimed to explore the effects of exercise preconditioning on HFD-induced obesity and lipid metabolic disorder in mice. 4-week-old C57BL/6 mice were subjected to swimming or sedentary control for 3 months, and then were fed with normal diet (ND) or HFD for 4 more months. The results showed that the blood glucose was decreased, and the glucose tolerance and grip strength were increased in exercised mice after training. Exercise preconditioning failed to improve HFD-induced body weight gain, but improved HFD-induced glucose intolerance. Exercise preconditioning showed no significant effects on both exercise capacity and physical activity in ND- and HFD-fed mice. HFD feeding increased total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels in circulation, promoted subcutaneous fat and epididymal fat accumulation in mice. Exercise preconditioning increased circulating high density lipoprotein (HDL) and decreased circulating LDL, without affecting the subcutaneous fat and epididymal fat in HFD-fed mice. HFD feeding increased liver weight and hepatic total cholesterol contents, and dysregulated the expressions of several mitochondria function-related proteins in mice. These abnormalities were partially reversed by exercise preconditioning. Together, these results suggest that exercise preconditioning can partially reverse the HFD-induced lipid metabolic disorder and hepatic dysfunction, and these beneficial effects of exercise sustain for a period of time, even after exercise is discontinued.

Meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of Liuwei Wuling Tablets combined with conventional drugs in treatment of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B / 中国中药杂志

The present study evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of Liuwei Wuling Tablets combined with conventional drugs for the treatment of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B. CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, CBM, PubMed, EMbase and Cochrane Library were searched for the relevant randomized controlled trials(RCTs) published from database inception to February 2021. All the retrieved papers were independently screened, extracted and evaluated by two researchers, followed by Meta-analysis by Review Manager 5.4. Finally, 18 RCTs were included, involving 2 168 patients(1 106 in the treatment group and 1 062 in the control group). The Meta-analysis results showed that compared with conventional drugs alone, Liuwei Wuling Tablets combined with conventional drugs could increase the effective rate of clinical treatment by reducing serum hyaluronic acid(HA), laminin(LN), procollagen type Ⅲ(PCⅢ), and type Ⅳ collagen(Ⅳ-C) to improve liver function, decreasing the levels of total bilirubin(TBiL), alanine amino-transferase(ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase(AST), and improving the negative conversion ratio of hepatitis B virus(HBV) DNA. In terms of safety, there were no serious adverse reactions in the treatment group and the control group. The results showed that Liuwei Wuling Tablets combined with antiviral or other conventional liver-protecting drugs could improve liver function, treat liver cirrhosis, and reduce liver fibrosis with high safety. However, due to the influence of literature quality and quantity, multi-center and high-quality RCTs with large sample size are needed for verification.

Diagnostic value of 18F-prostate specific membrane antigen PET/CT combined with multiparametric-MRI in identifying the grade group of prostate cancer / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of the combination of 18F-prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) in identifying the grade group of prostate cancer, using parameters derived from the two imaging modalities. Method:Prostate cancer patients diagnosed by histopathology and received 18F-PSMA PET/CT and mpMRI during September 2018 to May 2021 in our hospital were retrospectively studied. The median age was 68(64-75), with the median PSA level of 14.74(7.75-24.19)ng/mL. All patients received mpMRI before biopsy. On biopsy, 6(12.2%) patients had International Society of Urological Pathology grade group(ISUP GG) 1 diseases, 16(32.7%) had ISUP GG 2 diseases, 12(24.5%) had ISUP GG 3 diseases, and 15(10.9%) had ISUP GG 4 or 5 diseases. Patients were then divided into high-grade group (ISUP 4-5) and low-grade group(ISUP 1-3). The median age of patients in high-grade group and low-grade group were 65(62-76) and 71(65-74), respectively. The PSA level in high-grade group and low-grade group were 15.11(6.63-42.86) ng/ml and 12.31(7.94-18.25) ng/ml, respectively. No significant differences were found in age and PSA level between the two groups ( P=0.334, P=0.448). All patients underwent 18F-PSMA PET/CT within 4 weeks after biopsy. The maximum standardized uptake value(SUV max) and the minimum apparent diffusion coefficient(ADC min)were recorded, and the ratio of SUV max/ ADC minwere calculated. The correlation between the above parameters and ISUP grade group were analyzed.The diagnostic value of the parameters was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results:The data of 49 patients were analyzed. The average ADC minwas (0.57±0.16)×10 -3 mm 2/s, with the average SUV max and SUV max/ADC min of 15.30±12.54 and (29.69±23.72)×10 3, respectively. Statistical differences were found in SUV max ( P=0.012) and SUV max/ADC min ( P=0.002) between the high- and low-grade groups, while ADC min ( P=0.411) showed no statistical differences between the two groups. Significant positive correlations were found between SUV max(r=0.501, P<0.001), SUV max/ADC min (r=0.527, P<0.001) and ISUP grade group, respectively. There was a negative correlation between ADC min and ISUP grade group (r=-0.296, P=0.039). SUV max/ADC min was the best index to distinguish high-grade group from low-grade group prostate cancer with the area under the curve(AUC) of 0.749. In contrast, the AUC of SUV maxand ADC min were 0.731 and 0.615, respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of SUV max/ADC min were 73.3% and 85.3%, respectively, with a critical value of 37.23×10 3. Conclusion:The combination use of 18F-PSMA PET/CT and mpMRI could improve the diagnostic efficiency for prostate cancer, compared to either modality alone. The ratio of SUV max/ADC min has a positive correlation with ISUP grade group, and is a promising index for distinguishing the high-grade prostate cancer from low-grade cancer.

Cranial irradiation alters dendritic spine density and morphology in the young rat hippocampus / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To explore the changes of dendritic spine morphology and structure in dentate gyrus(DG) and CA1 areas of hippocampus of young rats, so as to provide a direct morphological basis for studying the molecular mechanism of radiation cognitive impairment.Methods:21-day-old Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were given a single dose of 10 Gy whole brain irradiation. The changes of cognitive function, dendritic spine density and morphological changes in DG and CA1 areas of hippocampus were observed 1 and 3 months after irradiation, and the expression of postsynaptic density protein (PSD95) was detected by Western blot.Results:The cognitive impairment was observed in young rats 3 months after irradiation. The density of dendritic spines in DG area of hippocampus was decreased significantly by 39.06% and 29.27% at 1 and 3 months after irradiation ( t=14.96, 12.35, P<0.05), respectively. The density of dendritic spines in the basal dendrites of hippocampal CA1 area was decreased by 33.40% ( t=10.39, P<0.05) 1 month after irradiation, but had no significant change at 3 months after irradiation. While the density of dendritic spines in the apical dendrites of CA1 region did not change significantly at 1 and 3 months after irradiation. In addition, the morphology of dendritic spines in DG and CA1 regions of hippocampus was dynamically changed after irradiation. The expression of PSD95 protein was decreased by 24.6% and 50.5% ( t=2.97, 9.27, P<0.05) at 1 and 3 months after irradiation, respectively. Conclusions:This study reported the density and morphological changes of dendritic spines in different brain regions of hippocampus of young rats after ionizing radiation, suggesting that PSD95 may participate in the occurrence of radiation-induced cognitive impairment by affecting the structure and morphology of dendritic spines and reducing synaptic plasticity.

Progress in strategies for positioning the epileptogenic zone in children with tuberous sclerosis complex / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Epilepsy is one of the major clinical features of tuberous sclerosis complex, and it is drug-resistant in the majority of cases.Surgical resection is an effective way to resolve the seizures.Precise preoperative evaluation is critical to the surgical outcome.Preoperative evaluation mainly aims to determine the range of the epileptogenic zone and the functional areas that should be preserved.Because of the complexity of the epileptogenic mechanism and brain network, there isn′t a single and specific measure that can accurately position the epileptogenic zone, so it is necessary to comprehensively evaluate and localize the epileptogenic zone by using multiple methods, including collection of a detailed medical history, symptomatic analysis during the attack of seizures, magnetic resonance imaging, positronemission tomography, electroencephalogram, neuropsychological evaluation, etc.In this paper, the rational use of above-mentioned approaches and comprehensive analysis of their results were summarized, which play an essential role in contro-lling seizures in children with tuberous sclerosis complex and refractory seizures.

Diagnosis of angiostrongylus eosinophilic meningitis in infants by high-throughput sequencing: 2 cases of reports / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Infants suffering from angiostrongylus eosinophilic meningitis (AEM) is rare, while AEM can cause severe consequences.The diagnostic value of high-throughput sequencing for AEM was studied by analyzing 2 AEM children (< 2 years old) in the Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Children′s Hospital in 2019.Case 1 mainly pre-sented intermittent fever, vomiting, mental fatigue and bregma bulge.Case 2 mainly manifested intermittent fever, cough, vomiting and convulsion.Due to hypereosinophils in patients′ peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and abundant DNA sequences from a cantonensis in CSF and positive antibody test, the patients were diagnosed with AEM.The patients were treated with albendazole to deworm, and small doses of methylprednisolone to reduce inflammation.The clinical characteristics of AEM infant are not typical, and high-throughput sequencing technology can assist the diagnosis of AEM.