Role of succinate dehydrogenase in hypoxic postconditioning-induced reduction of hypoxia-reoxygenation injury in myocardial cells of rats and the relationship with mito-K ATP / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the role of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) in hypoxic postconditioning (HPC)-induced reduction of hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) injury in myocardial cells of rats and the relationship with mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channels (mito-K ATP). Methods:Myocardial cells isolated from adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were cultured for 48 h and then divided into 7 groups ( n=24 each) using a random number table method: blank control group (Nor group), H/R group, SDHA-siRNA adenovirus+ H/R group (siRNA+ H/R group), HPC group, SDHA-siRNA adenovirus+ HPC group (siRNA+ HPC group), 5-HD+ HPC group, and SDHA-siRNA adenovirus+ 5-HD+ HPC group (siRNA+ 5-HD+ HPC group). Nor group was continuously cultured for 195 min under normoxic conditions. The H/R injury model was prepared by exposing the cells to hypoxia for 45 min in 5% CO 2 + 1% O 2 + 94% N 2, followed by reoxygenation for 150 min. The HPC method involved three cycles of 5 min reoxygenation/5 min hypoxia at the end of 45 min ischemia before 120 min reoxygenation. The mito-K ATP blocker 5-HD administration method involved adding 5-HD at a final concentration of 100 μmol/L at 30 min of hypoxia. The myocardial cells in each siRNA group were successfully transfected with SDHA-siRNA adenovirus to silence SDHA expression. The cell viability, calcium ion level, SDH activity, ATP content, degree of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were measured at the end of reoxygenation. Results:Compared with Nor group, the cell viability, ATP content and MMP were significantly decreased, and the degree of mPTP opening, level of calcium ion and activity of SDH were increased in H/R group ( P<0.05). Compared with H/R group, the cell viability, ATP content and MMP were significantly increased, and the degree of mPTP opening, calcium ion level and SDH activity were decreased in siRNA+ H/R group and HPC group ( P<0.05). Compared with HPC group, the cell viability, ATP content and MMP were significantly decreased, and the degree of mPTP opening, calcium ion level and SDH activity were increased in 5-HD+ HPC group ( P<0.05), and the cell viability, ATP content and MMP were significantly increased, and the degree of mPTP opening, calcium ion level and SDH activity were decreased in siRNA+ HPC group ( P<0.05). Compared with siRNA+ HPC group, the cell viability, ATP content and MMP were significantly decreased, the opening degree of mPTP and calcium ion level were increased ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in the SDH activity in siRNA+ 5-HD+ HPC group ( P>0.05). Compared with 5-HD+ HPC group, the SDH activity was significantly decreased, and no significant change was found in the other parameters in siRNA+ 5-HD+ HPC group ( P>0.05). Conclusions:HPC alleviates H/R injury probably by reducing SDH activity and opening mito-K ATP in myocardial cells of rats.

Neurosonographic characteristics of peripheral nerve in transthyretin familial amyloid polyneuropathy / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To study peripheral nerve morphology in patients with transthyretin familial amyloid polyneuropathy (TTR-FAP) using high-frequency ultrasonography (HFUS), and to evaluate the value of HFUS in diagnosis of TTR-FAP.Methods:Thirty-eight patients with TTR-FAP diagnosed by gene detection and 23 normal controls from June 2015 to June 2021 in Peking University First Hospital were enrolled in this study. Consecutive ultrasonography scanning was performed in 6 pairs of nerves of bilateral limbs with 30 sites. The cross sectional area (CSA), CSA variability and inter-nerve CSA variability data of the two groups were retrospectively calculated and compared.Results:Compared with the normal controls, TTR-FAP patients showed larger CSA values at most nerve sites of both upper and lower limbs, and there were statistically significant differences at M1(median nerve) [8.55 (6.90, 9.40) mm 2vs 10.05 (9.10, 14.10) mm 2, Z=5.58, P<0.001], M3 (median nerve) [(6.98±1.66) mm 2vs (9.29±2.30) mm 2, t=6.28, P<0.001], M5 (median nerve) [(8.91±1.81) mm 2vs (14.33±4.20) mm 2, t=9.84, P<0.001], U5 (ulnar nerve) [(6.20±1.93) mm 2vs (9.34±2.85) mm 2, t=7.31, P<0.001], Sci1 (sciatic nerve) [(53.50±17.24) mm 2vs (79.74±20.75) mm 2, t=7.57, P<0.001], Sci2 (sciatic nerve) [(53.66±14.21) mm 2vs (73.98±19.21) mm 2, t=6.82, P<0.001] and Tib (tibial nerve) [(31.05±8.43) mm 2vs (46.29±13.14) mm 2, t=7.84, P<0.001] sites. There was no statistically significant difference in CSA at each site among the different subtypes and disease severity of TTR-FAP patients ( P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in CSA-variability of the median and ulnar nerves between the patients with TTR-FAP and the normal controls ( P>0.05). The side-to-side difference ratio of intra-nerve CSA variability of the ulnar nerve in the patients with TTR-FAP was smaller than that of the normal controls (1.15±0.10 vs 1.46±0.43, t=3.43, P=0.002), whereas no statistically significant difference of that in the median nerve was found between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:The most pronounced peripheral nerve thickening in the proximal limb segments with no signs of asymmetric distribution or lateralization is confirmed by HFUS in TTR-FAP patients and should be regarded as a marker of TTR-FAP. HFUS has clinical value in diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy in TTR-FAP patients.

SPTLC2 gene mutation leads to intermediate Charcot-Marries-Tooth disease: a family report / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To report a SPTLC2 gene mutation in a family with a phenotype of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.Methods:To screen the family of patients with pathogenic mutations of SPTLC2 gene from the database of hereditary peripheral neuropathy in the Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, and to collect their clinical data, peripheral nerve conduction examination, nerve ultrasound examination, pathological examination of the peroneal nerve and whole exome sequencing results of prohand.Results:One family was screened, the proband was a 16-year-old female with 4 years of sensory loss and anhidrosis of both lower limbs and 16 months of walking difficulty who admitted to Peking University First Hospital in January 2022. Physical examination showed sensory loss, dry skin and weakness in distal limbs. Her father had numbness and dry skin in the distal lower limbs from childhood,weakness and atrophy of his lower limbs in adulthood. He died at age of 52 years old. The nerve conduction study revealed no action potentials of the sensory and motor nerves of the lower limbs in the proband. The amplitude of the compound muscle action potential of the motor conduction of the bilateral ulnar nerve and median nerve decreased, and the nerve conduction velocity of the bilateral median nerve were 32 m/s and 24 m/s. Neurosonography showed thickening of peripheral nerves. Sural biopsy revealed severe loss of myelinated and unmyelinated nerve fibers with onion bulbs formation. SPTLC2 gene showed a known heterozygous p.G435V mutation. The lower limb weakness was improved after oral L-serine.Conclusions:SPTLC2 gene mutation can lead to an intermediate Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease phenotype. L-serine can improve the limb weakness.

Mechanism and experimental verification of "Polygoni Cuspidati Rhizoma et Radix-Ligustri Lucidi Fructus" combination in treatment of acute gouty arthritis based on network pharmacology / 中国中药杂志

Based on network pharmacology, the mechanism of Polygoni Cuspidati Rhizoma et Radix-Ligustri Lucidi Fructus(PL) combination against acute gouty arthritis(AGA) was explored and preliminarily verified by animal experiment. The chemical components and corresponding targets of PL were retrieved from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP). The active components with oral bioavailability(OB)≥30% and drug-likeness(DL)≥0.18 were screened based on literature, and the related protein targets were collected. Then the protein targets were standardized with the help of UniProt database. The AGA-related targets were searched from GeneCards, NCBI, and DrugBank. The common targets of the disease and the medicinals were yielded by FunRich V3, and the protein-protein interaction(PPI) network was constructed to screen the key targets, followed by Gene Ontology(GO) term enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of the key targets. Afterwards, some of the key targets were verified by sodium urate crystal-induced AGA mouse model. A total of 25 active components and 287 targets of PL, 811 targets of AGA, and 88 common targets were screened out. PPI network analysis showed that tumor necrosis factor(TNF), interleukin-6(IL-6), and interleukin-1β(IL-1β) may be the core targets of PL in the treatment of AGA. The key targets were mainly involved in 566 GO terms(P<0.05), including multiple biological processes such as inflammatory response and immune response. Moreover, they were related to 116 KEGG pathways and these pathways were involved in inflammation and immunity, mainly including NOD-like receptor signaling pathway and TNF signaling pathway. Animal experiment confirmed that PL can alleviate ankle swelling, improve abnormal gait, and down-regulate the protein expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in AGA mice, indicating that PL can treat AGA through TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β and the feasibility of network pharmacology to predict drug targets. This study preliminarily discussed the key targets and biological signaling pathways involved in the treatment of AGA with PL combination, which reflected the multi-pathway and multi-target action characteristics of Chinese medicine. Moreover, this study laid a scientific basis for research on the treatment of AGA with PL combination, as well as the mechanism of action.

Pharmacological effects of Huangqin Decoction prepared from roots of multi-originated peony on ulcerative colitis in mice:a comparative study / 中国中药杂志

Huangqin Decoction(HQD) is a classic prescription for treating dysentery in the Treatise on Cold Damage and now is mainly used for the treatment of ulcerative colitis(UC). Since there are no requirements on specific Paeonia species, both Paeoniae Radix Alba(white peony root, WPR) and Paeoniae Radix Rubra(red peony root, RPR) are clinically used in HQD now. Although the two types of peony roots are close in origin and similar in primary components, the medicinal properties and efficacies are different. Furthermore, the systematic comparative analysis on the efficacy differences in treating UC of HQD with the roots of multi-originated peony has been seldom reported. This study compared and evaluated the pharmacological effects of HQD prepared from the roots of multi-originated peony, including WPR, RPR-l(derived from P. lactiflora), and RPR-v(derived from P. veitchii) based on the mouse model of UC induced by dextran sodium sulfate(DSS) by animal behaviors, pathological section(colon), and cytokine expression(IL-1β and IL-6), aiming to provide evidence for the identification of the original resource of peony root in HQD. The results indicated that all HQD samples prepared from WPR, RPR-l, and RPR-v could improve the symptoms of UC. Compared with the HQD-WPR, HQD-RPR-l and HQD-RPR-v were significantly different in weight loss, colon length, and disease activity index(DAI) score, but there was no significant difference between HQD-RPR-l and HQD-RPR-v. Moreover, HQD-RPR-v exhibited the most significant improvement in the pathological morphology of colonic tissue and mucosal defects. According to the previous comparative analysis of chemical profiling and content distribution of HQD prepared from the roots of multi-originated peony, RPR-v in HQD was potent in protecting against UC, which was presumedly attributed to a large number of monoterpene glycosides and galloyl glucoses. This study provided a scientific basis for the determination of peony root in HQD and its clinical medication.

Progress of researches on lysozyme and its expression in Oncomelania hu-pensis / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Lysozyme generally exists in animals,plants and microorganisms,and it is used as a natural anti?infection materi?al and one of the important non?specific immune factors in organisms. This paper reviews the progress of researches on its classifi?cation,gene structure and function,and expression regulation in Oncomelania hupensis,and on the factors affecting its activi?ties in recent years,in order to further discuss its distribution in O. hupensis.

Research Progress of Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry in the Field of Breathing Gas Detection / 生物医学工程学杂志

Breathing gas carries important physiological information. Technology for detection of breathing gas has become a research focus because of the advantages of nondestructive sampling and convenient operation. Proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) plays an irreplaceable role because of the advantages of high sensitivity, fast response and good specificity. In this paper, the principle of PTR-MS is introduced first, followed by research progress of PTR-MS in the field of breathing gas detection. Factors influencing the test results are analyzed. Finally, future prospects of development for PTR-MS in the field of breathing gas detection are discussed.