Generation of Kidney Directed Differentiation Platform from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

Kidney is an essential organ in human body with multiple physiological functions. However, there is 10 % population worldwide with renal disease. It is urgent to generate a model which is more similar with kidney at structural and functional level to study renal disease. The rise of in vitro differentiation technology from pluripotent stem cells gives regeneration medicine and precise medicine new energy. This study mimics kidney development in vitro by inducing human pluripotent stem cells including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into kidney progenitor cells, and further forming nephrons, which is the structure and function unit in kidney. Human pluripotent stem cells were differentiated into primitive streak through activating WNT pathway while inhibiting TGF-(B signaling. Afterward, the primitive streak spontaneously differentiated into intermediate mesoderm. Then, we induced intermediate mesoderm cells into kidney progenitor cells through FGF pathway. The FACS analysis data indicated kidney progenitor cells were up to 51. 5%-61. 9% in total cell population. Immuno-stai-ning results showed these structures contained podocytes of glomerulus, proximal tubule, and distal tubule. This kidney differentiation protocol is stable, high-efficient, and well repeatable. This research provides a novel platform for early human kidney development study, kidney disease modeling, and drug screening.

Epidemic characteristics of student tuberculosis in Xuzhou, Jiangsu, 2016-2020 / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract: Objective　The tuberculosis data of students registered and reported in Xuzhou from 2016 to 2020 were analyzed to provide a basis for Xuzhou to formulate tuberculosis prevention and control measures in schools. Method　The epidemiological characteristics of tuberculosis among students in Xuzhou from 2016 to 2020 were analyzed based on the data from Tuberculosis Information Management System and Xuzhou Statistical Yearbook 2021. Results　From 2016 to 2020, a total of 574 student tuberculosis patients were registered in Xuzhou, with an annual average registration rate of 5.64/100 000. The reported incidence of tuberculosis among students in Xuzhou showed an increasing trend year by year (χ2trend=22.521, P<0.001). There were 365 males and 209 females, respectively, with a sex ratio of 1.75:1. The tuberculosis patients were mainly in the 15-19 years old group and 20-24 years old group. According to the statistical analysis by different levels of education, students from ordinary higher institutions accounted for 48.61% of the total number of confirmed cases, followed by senior high schools and secondary vocational schools, accounting for 20.91% and 14.46%, respectively. Preschool education had the lowest number of confirmed cases, accounting for 1.05%. There was significant difference in the reported incidence of tuberculosis among students at different educational levels (χ2=1 522.39, P<0.001). The highest incidence was reported in ordinary higher institutions, followed by senior high schools and secondary vocational schools, and the lowest incidence was reported in preschool education. Conclusion　Xuzhou city school tuberculosis epidemic integral is on the rise, we should further strengthen tuberculosis control work of school tuberculosis prevention and control measures of implementation in the future, at the same time to strengthen school tuberculosis prevention knowledge propaganda and standardize the schools for disposal of tuberculosis epidemic situation. We should also further strengthen the newborn matriculation examination and students absent from class because of illness monitoring work.

Logistic Regression Analysis of the Mechanism of Blunt Brain Injury Inference Based on CT Images / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the correlation between CT imaging features of acceleration and deceleration brain injury and injury degree.@*METHODS@#A total of 299 cases with acceleration and deceleration brain injury were collected and divided into acceleration brain injury group and deceleration brain injury group according to the injury mechanism. Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and Glasgow coma scale (GCS), combined with skull fracture, epidural hematoma (EDH), subdural hematoma (SDH) and brain contusion on the same and opposite sides of the stress point were selected as the screening indexes. χ2 test was used for primary screening, and binary logistic regression analysis was used for secondary screening. The indexes with the strongest correlation in acceleration and deceleration injury mechanism were selected.@*RESULTS@#χ2 test showed that skull fracture and EDH on the same side of the stress point; EDH, SDH and brain contusion on the opposite of the stress point; SAH, GCS were correlated with acceleration and deceleration injury (P<0.05). According to binary logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio (OR) of EDH on the same side of the stress point was 2.697, the OR of brain contusion on the opposite of the stress point was 0.043 and the OR of GCS was 0.238, suggesting there was statistically significant (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#EDH on the same side of the stress point, brain contusion on the opposite of the stress point and GCS can be used as key indicators to distinguish acceleration and deceleration injury mechanism. In addition, skull fracture on the same side of the stress point, EDH and SDH on the opposite of the stress point and SAH were relatively weak indicators in distinguishing acceleration and deceleration injury mechanism.

Different methods establish a rat model of morphine drug discrimination with a fixed ratio 10 / 药学学报

In this study, a rat morphine drug discrimination model with a fixed ratio (FR) of 10 (FR10) was established using different methods to explore which methods can shorten the modeling time and test the dose-response relationship and median effective dose (ED50) value. Animal welfare and experimental procedures are in accordance with the provision of the Animal Ethics Committee of Shanghai InnoStar Bio-tech Co., Ltd. Forty rats were initially shaped to press lever under a fixed-ratio schedule of food reinforcement. The animals that were successfully trained under a FR10 schedule of food reinforcement were divided into two groups, namely the single-lever + double-lever training group 1 and the double-lever training group 2. In each group, rats were trained to discriminate morphine at 5.6 mg·kg-1 from saline by the intraperitoneal route. After training, different doses of morphine were used to substitute for training dose of morphine, the dose-response curve for morphine were identified in rats, and the ED50 value was calculated. The results showed that, in food training phase: 34 rats successfully entered the discrimination training during food training; in discrimination training phase: 14 animals in group 1 met the discrimination training standard for the first time, which took about (40.71 ± 2.93) days, and there were 13 animals in group 2 that met the discrimination training criteria for the first time, and it took about (51.15 ± 2.55) days. It can be seen that the method of single-lever + double-lever training is better than single-lever training, and the difference is significant compared with group 1 (P ˂ 0.05); in generalization test phase: there are 17 rats completed morphine generalization test, and the percentages of morphine-lever responses produced by the generalization test of different doses of morphine (0, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 3, 5.6, and 10 mg·kg-1) were (9.56 ± 3.13) %, (9.01 ± 5.83) %, (13.82 ± 7.95) %, (29.04 ± 10.13) %, (41.70 ± 10.65) %, (85.36 ± 7.16) %, (94.56 ± 2.76) %, respectively. The results showed that the discriminative stimulative effect induced by morphine dose between 0-10 mg·kg-1 increased in a dose-dependent manner, producing a good dose-response curve, and the ED50 value of morphine was 4.74 mg·kg-1 by linear fitting. The above results showed that, the FR10 morphine drug discrimination model has been successfully established using different methods; the single-lever + double-lever training method is better than the single-lever training, and can relatively shorten the discrimination training cycle.

Serum metabolic profiling of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes in patients with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome / 中西医结合学报

OBJECTIVE@#The clinical symptoms of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) can be effectively improved by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment, based on the usage of specific therapies for different TCM syndromes. However, in the stage of diagnosis, the standard criteria for the classification of TCM syndrome were still deficient. Through serum metabolic profiling, this study aimed to explore potential biomarkers in IBS-D patients with different TCM syndromes, which can assist in diagnosis of the disease.@*METHODS@#Serum samples were collected from healthy controls (30 cases), IBS-D patients with Liver-Stagnation and Spleen-Deficiency syndrome (LSSD, 30 cases), Yang Deficiency of Spleen and Kidney syndrome (YDSK, 11 cases) and Damp Abundance due to Spleen-Deficiency syndrome (DASD, 22 cases). Serum metabolic profiling was conducted by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The potential biomarkers were screened by orthogonal partial least square-discriminate analysis, while metabolic pathways undergoing alterations were identified by pathway enrichment analysis in MetaboAnalyst 4.0.@*RESULTS@#Overall, 34 potential biomarkers were identified in LSSD group, 36 in YDSK group and 31 in DASD group. And the 13 metabolites shared by three groups were determined as the potential biomarkers of IBS-D. Glycerophospholipid metabolism was disturbed significantly in IBS-D patients, which may play a role in IBS-D through inflammation. What's more, three TCM syndromes have the specific potential biomarkers in glycerophospholipid metabolism.@*CONCLUSION@#The serum metabolomics revealed that different TCM syndrome types in IBS-D may have different metabolic patterns during disease progression and glycerophospholipid metabolism was one of the pathways, whose metabolism was disturbed differently among three TCM syndromes in IBS-D. Therefore, the specific potential biomarkers in glycerophospholipid metabolism of three TCM syndromes in IBS-D can serve as the objective indicators, which can facilitate the TCM-syndrome objective classification of IBS-D.

Survey of Oncomelania hupensis in national schistosomiasis surveillance sites of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from 2015 to 2019 / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To investigate the distribution characteristics of Oncomelania hupensis in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, so as to provide insights into the assessment of the risk of schistosomiasis transmission and the scientific formulation of the schistosomiasis surveillance strategy. Methods From 2015 to 2019, a total of 19 national schistosomiasis surveillance sites were assigned in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, including 4 fixed sites and 15 mobile sites. Snail survey was performed by means of systematic sampling in combination with environmental sampling, and the infection of Schistosoma japonicum was detected by the crushing method combined with loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay. Results From 2015 to 2019, snail habitats were detected at areas of 17 040 to 39 527 m2, including 6 214 m2 emerging snail habitats and 16 563 m2 re-emerging snail habitats. The overall mean density of living snails was 0.019 2 snails/0.1 m2 and the occurrence of frames with snails was 1.11% in the national schistosomiasis surveillance sites; however, no S. japonicum infection was identified in snails. The area of snail habitats increased by 121.46% in the national surveillance sites in 2019 as compared to that in 2015; however, 50.34% (Z = −0.422, P > 0.05) and 42.85% (χ2 = 130.41, P < 0.01) reductions were seen in the overall means density of living snails and the occurrence of frames with snails. All snail habitats were distributed in the 4 fixed surveillance sites, and were mainly found in ditches, paddy fields and dry lands, with weeds as the primary vegetation type. Conclusions There are still risk factors leading to re-emergent transmission of schistosomiasis in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, such as local snail spread, and the monitoring of schistosomiasis remains to be reinforced to further consolidate the achievements of schistosomiasis elimination in the region.

Transauricular arterial access for hepatic artery embolization in rabbit VX2 liver tumor

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of percutaneous transauricular artery access for hepatic artery catheterization using a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) device and hepatic artery catheterization through auricular approach. Methods: Ten New Zealand White rabbits were used to establish a VX2 liver tumor model. Hepatic artery angiography and embolization were performed 3 weeks after inoculation. The rabbits were restrained in supine position under anesthesia. Intra-arterial access was accomplished with percutaneous Seldinger technique through the auricular artery using a PICC device. The hepatic artery catheterization was performed with a microcatheter and guide wire. The rate of technical success and procedure time was investigated. Results: Two rabbits failed initial percutaneous transauricular arterial access, with success in a contralateral attempt. Thus, percutaneous transauricular arterial access was achieved in 10 of 12 auricular arteries, with a technical success rate of 83.3%. The time needed to obtain intra-auricular access was 7.2 ± 3.1 min. Hepatic artery catheterization, angiography, and embolization were accomplished through the auricular approach in all 10 rabbits. Conclusion: Arterial access in rabbits can be achieved through the auricular artery. Hepatic artery catheterization, angiography, and embolization can be performed through auricular arterial access

Value of PET quantitative analysis of coronary physiology for the diagnosis and risk factors assess-ment of non-obstructive coronary microvascular disease / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective To assess the myocardial blood flow and reserve function by rest and stress 13 N-NH3 PET myocardial perfusion imaging ( MPI) , and evaluate the diagnostic value of PET and risk fac-tors of non-obstructive coronary microvascular disease ( CMVD) type 1. Methods A total of 56 patients (28 males, 28 females;age:(52.0±7.6) years) with clinical suspected CMVD type 1 from April 2017 to December 2018 were prospectively enrolled. The coronary CT angiography, coronary angiography and other clinical data were recorded. All patients underwent one-day rest and stress 13 N-NH3 PET MPI. Images were analyzed and the absolute myocardial blood flow ( MBF) and coronary flow reserve ( CFR) were obtained. Patients were divided into CMVD type 1 ( CMVD) group and non-CMVD group. The differences between 2 groups were analyzed by two-sample t test and logistic regression. Results Among 56 patients, 20 patients were diagnosed as CMVD type 1, and 36 patients were excluded as non-CMVD group. The proportion of smoking and diabetes in the CMVD group was significantly higher than that in the non-CMVD group (χ2 val-ues:9.433 and 4.114, both P<0.05). The stress MBF ((2.37±0.61) vs (3.83±1.25) ml·min-1·g-1;t=-4.807, P<0.001) and CFR (2.67±0.60 vs 3.81±0.96;t=-4.751, P<0.001) were lower in smokers than those in non-smokers, and the stress MBF was lower in diabetes patients than that in non-diabetes patients ((2.63±0.98) vs (3.62±1.28) ml·min-1·g-1;t=-2.758, P=0.008). Smoking might be the risk factor for lower stress MBF (odd ratio (OR)=0.310, 95％ CI:0.114-0.880) and lower CFR (OR=0.278, 95％ CI:0. 080-0.894), and diabetes might be the risk factor for lower stress MBF (OR=0.254, 95％ CI:0.073-0. 887) . Conclusions PET MPI can be used for the diagnosis of CMVD type 1. Smoking and diabetes are likely to be associated with the onset of CMVD type 1.

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of acute upper respiratory infection of patients in peace-keeping operations area in Mali from 2014 to 2017 / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective To analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of acute upper respiratory infection of patients in peace-keeping operations area in Mali, so as to provide experiences for prevention and control of acute upper respiratory infection. Methods A retrospective analysis was made on the case history of upper respiratory tract infection from January 2014 to December 2017. The clinical data of the patients were recorded and the collected data were analyzed by descriptive epidemiological method. Results A total of 484 patients met the inclusion criteria. According to the time distribution, most patients with upper respiratory tract infections were concentrated in May, August, September and December. WBC in fever group were higher than those in normal temperature group (t=3.41, P=0.008), Gran in fever group were higher than those in normal temperature group (t=3.92, P0.05). The electrolyte K, Ca, Na and Cl values in fever group were lower than those in normal temperature group (all P<0.05). Conclusions In terms of time distribution, under the circumstances of rotation and handover of peacekeeping forces, seasonal change, large temperature difference between day and night, etc, the peacekeeping forces should take precautions to reduce the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections and avoid non-combat attrition of peacekeepers. From the analysis of clinical characteristics of upper respiratory tract infection, fever alone is not an indication of antibiotic use, but must be combined with symptoms, signs and laboratory examinations of patients. At the same time, patients with fever are prone to electrolyte disorders, which should be paid great attention by medical staff.

Investigation on Clonorchis sinensis infections in marketed cats in Nanning City / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To understand Clonorchis sinensis infections in cats in Nanning City, so as to provide evidence for the control of the reservoir host of C. sinensis. Methods The cat livers were purchased from cat slaughterhouses in Nanning City. The cat gallbladder and liver were dissected, and liver flukes were collected and counted. Then, the worms were subjected to morphological observation, amplification of the ITS2 gene and sequencing. The species of the worms were identified using BLAST. Results A total of 105 cat livers were collected from two cat slaughterhouses, and 68 were detected with C. sinensis infections, with an infection rate of 64.76%. The highest burden was 980 worms in a single liver, and the mean burden was 72 worms in a liver. There were 3 types of liver flukes with various size and morphology, and all were identified as C. sinensis by means of morphological observation, ITS2 gene amplification, sequencing and sequence alignment. Conclusion There is a high infection rate of C. sinensi in marketed cats in Nanning City, and it is therefore suggested that targeted interventions should be intensified for the management of C. sinensis infections in cats.

Investigation on Clonorchis sinensis infections in marketed cats in Nanning City / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To understand Clonorchis sinensis infections in cats in Nanning City, so as to provide evidence for the control of the reservoir host of C. sinensis. Methods The cat livers were purchased from cat slaughterhouses in Nanning City. The cat gallbladder and liver were dissected, and liver flukes were collected and counted. Then, the worms were subjected to morphological observation, amplification of the ITS2 gene and sequencing. The species of the worms were identified using BLAST. Results A total of 105 cat livers were collected from two cat slaughterhouses, and 68 were detected with C. sinensis infections, with an infection rate of 64.76%. The highest burden was 980 worms in a single liver, and the mean burden was 72 worms in a liver. There were 3 types of liver flukes with various size and morphology, and all were identified as C. sinensis by means of morphological observation, ITS2 gene amplification, sequencing and sequence alignment. Conclusion There is a high infection rate of C. sinensi in marketed cats in Nanning City, and it is therefore suggested that targeted interventions should be intensified for the management of C. sinensis infections in cats.

Pharmacokinetic behaviors of four constituents in Huanglian Xiangru Decoction in rat plasma / 中成药

AIM To investigate the pharmacokinetic behaviors of four constituents in Huanglian Xiangru Decoction in rat plasma.METHODS The rats intragastrically administered with diluted drug (9 g/kg) had their blood collected for the determination of plasma concentration by HPLC,after which pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by 3p97 software.RESULTS The plasma concentration-time curves for berberine hydrochloride,apigenin,honokiol,magnolol accorded with open one compartment model,with the Tpeak values of (1.436 5 ± 0.311 9),(2.049 5 ±0.705 5),(1.359 0 ±0.343 4),(1.195 9 ±0.334 6) h,AUC values of (1.477 8 ± 0.4840),(1.063 0±0.452 1),(0.863 5±0.2697),(7.0105 ±2.584 7) μg/(mL· h),Cmax values of (0.245 9 ±0.019 4),(0.129 6 ±0.016 7),(0.180 9 ±0.021 3),(0.966 7 ±0.042 0) μg/mL,respectively.CONCLUSION Compared with the other three constituents in Huanglian Xiangru Decoction,magnolol demonstrates better in vivo absorption and higher bioavailability.

A preliminary study of a deep learning-assisted diagnostic system with an artificial intelligence for detection of diabetic retinopathy / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

·AIM: To evaluate a deep learning - assisted diagnostic system with an artificial intelligence for the detection of diabetic retinopathy (DR). ·METHODS:A total of 186 patients (372 eyes) with diabetes were recruited from January to July 2017. Discrepancies between manual grades and artificial intelligence results were sent to a reading center for arbitration. The sensitivity and specificity in the detection of DR were determined by comparison with artificial intelligence diagnostic system and experts human grading. ·RESULTS:Based on manual grades, the results as follows:non DR (NDR) in 42 eyes (11.3%), 330 eyes (88.7%) in different stages of DR. Among 330 DR eyes, there were mild non proliferative DR (NPDR) in 62 eyes (16.7%), moderate NPDR in 55 eyes (14.8%), severe NPDR in 155 eyes (41.7%), and proliferative DR (PDR) in 58 eyes (15. 6%). Based on artificial intelligence diagnostic system, the results were as follows: NDR in 38 eyes (10.2%),PDR in 44 eyes (11.8%), others were NPDR. The sensitivity and specificity of artificial intelligence diagnostic system, compared with human expert grading, for the detection of any DR were 0.82 and 0.91, and the kappa value was 0.77 (x2=20.39, P<0.05). ·CONCLUSION:This study shows that a deep learning-assisted diagnostic system with an artificial intelligence for grading diabetic retinopathy is a reliable alternative to diabetic retinopathy assessment, thus the use of this system may be a valuable tool in evaluating the DR.

Effect of temperature on content of baicalin and expression of key enzyme genes in callus of Scutellaria baicalensis / 中国中药杂志

The study is aimed to explore the effect of different temperature on the content of baicalin and gene expression in the growth of Scutellaria baicalensis. Four culture temperatures were used to establish the callus culture of S. baicalensis under dark conditions for 40 days and once every 5 days. The growth and baicalin contents were determined. 18S RNA was used as a reference gene to analyze the five key factors in baicalin biosynthesis pathway (PAL), cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase (C4H), chalcone synthase (CHS), β-glucuronidase (GUS), baicalein-7--glucuronosyltransferase (UBGAT) gene expression levels. The results showed that biomass, baicalin content and accumulation increased with the increase of temperature. 25 °C and 30 °C were more suitable for the growth of S. baicalensis. The content and accumulation of baicalin at 25 °C reached the highest level at 30 days, reaching 2.75% and 12.44 mg, respectively. The relative expression levels of C4H, CHS, GUS and UGBAT genes at 15 °C were higher than those at other treatments. The correlation between the relative expression levels of each key enzyme and the content of baicalin was negatively correlated with the increase of incubation temperature. The relative expression levels of PAL, C4H and CHS genes at 25 °C and 30 °C were significantly correlated with the contents of baicalin and reached a highly significant or significant level. Relative low temperature conditions were not conducive to the growth of S. baicalensis and the accumulation of baicalin. The accumulation of baicalin by PAL and C4H in the upstream of the synthetic pathway was significant.

Research progress in diagnosis and treatment of injury of the popliteal meniscal fiber bundle / 中国骨伤

Popliteal meniscal fiber bundle injury is relatively infrequent in clinic, which can be either isolated or associated with anterior cruciate ligament rupture, lateral meniscus injury and so on. Popliteal meniscal fiber bundle injury often leads to instability of lateral meniscus. Because of the lack of specific symptoms and signs of injury, the imaging changes are subtle, and it is easy to miss diagnosis and misdiagnosis in clinical. Timely diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent the chronic pain and instability of the knee joint. This paper summarizes the anatomical characteristics, biomechanics, injury mechanism, diagnostic points and surgical treatment of the popliteal meniscus fiber bundle injury, in order to guide the diagnosis and treatment of the injury of the popliteal meniscus fiber bundle in the clinical work.

Therapeutic effect of low dose interleukin-2 on experimental autoimmune encephalo-myelitis in mice / 军事医学

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of interleukin-2(IL-2)on experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis(EAE)mice.Methods After establishment of the EAE(experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis) mouse models with MOG35-55 polypeptides,the mice were grouped according to the neurological function score and divided into control group,EAE group and low dose IL-2 treatment group.A double blind method was used to evaluate the neuro-logical impairment in mice.On the 29th day,pathological experiments were carried out in the mice's brain and spinal cord, hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to evaluate the scoring of inflammatory cell infiltration and luxol fast blue staining was used to evaluate the scoring of demyelinating.The proportion of regulatory T cells(Treg)and NK cells(natural killer cell, NK)was detected by flow cytometry,and the immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expressions of glial fibril -lary acidic protein(GFAP)and myelin basic protein(MBP)in the spinal cord.Results Compared with the EAE group, the neurological function score, the inflammatory cell infiltration score and the demyelinating score of the low dose IL-2 treatment group were reduced.The proportion of Treg cells in the low dose IL-2 treatment group was significantly higher than that in the EAE group,and the proportion of NK cells in the low dose IL-2 treatment group was slightly higher than that in the EAE group The expression of GFAP and MBP was detected by immunohistochemistry.The expression level of GFAP in low dose IL-2 treatment group was significantly lower than that in the EAE group,while the expression level of MBP was higher than that in the EAE group.Conclusion Low dose IL-2 has significant therapeutic effect on EAE mice.

Rhubarb Monomers Protect Intestinal Mucosal Barrier in Sepsis via Junction Proteins / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Leakage of the intestinal mucosal barrier may cause translocation of bacteria, then leading to multiorgan failure. This study hypothesized that rhubarb monomers might protect the gut mucosal barrier in sepsis through junction proteins.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats (weighing 230-250 g) under anesthesia and sedation were subjected to cecal ligation and perforation (CLP). After surgical preparation, rats were randomly assigned to eight groups (n = 6 or 8 each group): sham group (Group A: normal saline gavage); sepsis group (Group B: normal saline gavage); Group C (intraperitoneally, dexamethasone 0.5 mg/kg) immediately after CLP surgery; and rhubarb monomer (100 mg/kg in normal saline)-treated groups (Group D: rhein; Group E: emodin; Group F: 3,8-dihydroxy-1-methyl-anthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid; Group G: 1-O-caffeoyl-2-(4-hydroxy-O-cinnamoyl)-D-glucose; and Group H: daucosterol linoleate). Animals were sacrificed after 24 h. Intestinal histology, lactulose, mannitol concentrations were measured, and zonula occludens (ZO)-1, occludin and claudin-5 transcription (polymerase chain reaction), translation (by Western blot analysis), and expression (by immunohistochemistry) were also measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Intestinal histology revealed injury to intestinal mucosal villi induced by sepsis in Group B, compared with Group A. Compared with Group A (0.17 ± 0.41), the pathological scores in Groups B (2.83 ± 0.41, P < 0.001), C (1.83 ± 0.41, P < 0.001), D (2.00 ± 0.63, P < 0.001), E (1.83 ± 0.41, P < 0.001), F (1.83 ± 0.75, P < 0.001), G (2.17 ± 0.41, P < 0.001),and H (1.83 ± 0.41, P < 0.001) were significantly increased. Lactulose/mannitol (L/M) ratio in Group B (0.046 ± 0.003) was significantly higher than in Group A (0.013 ± 0.001, P< 0.001) while L/M ratios in Groups C (0.028 ± 0.002, P< 0.001), D (0.029 ± 0.003, P< 0.001), E (0.026 ± 0.003, P< 0.001), F (0.027 ± 0.003, P< 0.001), G (0.030 ± 0.005, P< 0.001), and H (0.026 ± 0.002, P< 0.001) were significantly lower than that in Group B. ZO-1, occludin and claudin-5 transcription, translation, and expression in Group B were significantly lower than that in Group A (P < 0.001), but they were significantly higher in Groups C, D, E, F, G, and H than those in Group B (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Rhubarb monomer treatment ameliorated mucosal damage in sepsis via enhanced transcription, translation, and expression of junction proteins.</p>

Research Progress on Individual Identification Using Forensic Imaging Data under the Influence of Evidence Rule / 法医学杂志

With the progress and development of the DNA test and imaging technique, and the evolution of evidence rule which bring the discussions about whether the individual identification using imaging data is outdated, and other disputes such as whether radiologic evidence could be suitable for contemporary evidence and be used to solve the posture difference of imaging test. This article summaries the domestic and foreign researches of individual identification using imaging data in the past 20 years and reviews the problems above.

Expression and significance of angiostatin, vascular endothelial growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in brain tissue of diabetic rats with ischemia reperfusion

Objective To discuss the expression and significance of angiostatin, vascular endothelial growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in the brain tissue of diabetic rats with ischemia reperfusion. Methods A total of 60 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the normal group, sham group, diabetic cerebral infarction group and single cerebral infarction group according to the random number table, with 15 rats in each group. The high sucrose diet and intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin were performed for the modeling of diabetic rats, while the thread-occlusion method was employed to build the model of cerebral ischemia reperfusion. The immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the expression of angiostatin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in the brain tissue. Results The expression of angiostatin after the reperfusion in the brain tissue of rats in the single cerebral infarction group and diabetic cerebral infarction group was increased 6 h after the reperfusion, reached to the peak on 1 d and then decreased gradually. The expression of angiostatin in the diabetic cerebral infarction group 6 h, 1 d, 3 d and 7 d after the reperfusion was significantly higher than that in the single cerebral infarction group (P < 0.05). VEGF began to be increased 1 h after the reperfusion in the single cerebral infarction group and diabetic cerebral infarction group, reached to the peak at 6 h and then decreased gradually. The expression of VEGF in the diabetic cerebral infarction group at each time point after the reperfusion was significantly lower than that in the single cerebral infarction group (P < 0.05). MMP-9 began to be increased 1 h after the reperfusion in the single cerebral infarction group and diabetic cerebral infarction group, reached to the peak on 1 d and then decreased gradually. The expression of MMP-9 in the diabetic cerebral infarction group at each time point after the reperfusion was significantly higher than that in the single cerebral infarction group (P < 0.05). Conclusions The high glucose environment in which the diabetic cerebral infarction is occurred is to induce the formation of MMP-9 at first and then activate and increase the expression of angiostatin. Afterwards, the expression of VEGF is inhibited, resulting in the poor angiogenesis after cerebral infarction, which thus makes the injury of brain tissue after cerebral infarction even worse than the non-diabetes mellitus.

Rhubarb Antagonizes Matrix Metalloproteinase-9-induced Vascular Endothelial Permeability / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Intact endothelial structure and function are critical for maintaining microcirculatory homeostasis. Dysfunction of the latter is an underlying cause of various organ pathologies. In a previous study, we showed that rhubarb, a traditional Chinese medicine, protected intestinal mucosal microvascular endothelial cells in rats with metastasizing septicemia. In this study, we investigated the effects and mechanisms of rhubarb on matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9)-induced vascular endothelial (VE) permeability.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rhubarb monomers were extracted and purified by a series of chromatography approaches. The identity of these monomers was analyzed by hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), carbon-13 NMR, and distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We established a human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) monolayer on a Transwell insert. We measured the HUVEC permeability, proliferation, and the secretion of VE-cadherin into culture medium using fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran assay, 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively, in response to treatment with MMP9 and/or rhubarb monomers.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 21 rhubarb monomers were extracted and identified. MMP9 significantly increased the permeability of the HUVEC monolayer, which was significantly reduced by five individual rhubarb monomer (emodin, 3,8-dihydroxy-1-methyl-anthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid, 1-O-caffeoyl-2-(4-hydroxyl-O-cinnamoyl)-β-D-glucose, daucosterol linoleate, and rhein) or a combination of all five monomers (1 μmol/L for each monomer). Mechanistically, the five-monomer mixture at 1 μmol/L promoted HUVEC proliferation. In addition, MMP9 stimulated the secretion of VE-cadherin into the culture medium, which was significantly inhibited by the five-monomer mixture.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The rhubarb mixture of emodin, 3,8-dihydroxy-1-methyl-anthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid, 1-O-caffeoyl-2-(4-hydroxyl-O-cinnamoyl)-β-D-glucose, daucosterol linoleate, and rhein, at a low concentration, antagonized the MMP9-induced HUVEC monolayer permeability by promoting HUVEC proliferation and reducing extracellular VE-cadherin concentrations.</p>