Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment, Gua Sha, can Induce Subtle Molecular Changes in Gene Expression / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#Here, we explored molecular changes that could potentially mediate healing effects of Gua Sha - a method employed by the Chinese traditional medicine with proven track records of safe and efficient applications dating back to ancient times as well as support from randomized controlled trials performed by modern medical studies - yet remaining almost entirely unexplored by the modern-day high-throughput methods of the -omics sciences.@*METHODS@#We investigated transcriptome changes occurring shortly after Gua Sha treatment in the whole blood of healthy volunteers using bulk RNA-seq analysis. We applied various analytical tools to identify genes with consistent expression changes in multiple individuals in response to Gua Sha and their networks.@*RESULTS@#We found that while the changes were very subtle and individual-specific, we could identify consistent upregulation of three histone genes. Further analysis of the potential regulatory networks of these histone genes revealed the enrichment of functions involved in the immune response and inflammation.@*CONCLUSION@#The significance of these results in the context of potential effects of Gua Sha and the next steps in exploring the molecular mechanisms of action of this technique are discussed.

Changes and significance of type 2 innate lymphoid cells and their related factors in bronchopulmonary dysplasia / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the changes and significance of type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2), interleukin-33 (IL-33), interleukin-25 (IL-25), thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), interleukin-5 (IL-5), and interleukin-13 (IL-13) in peripheral blood of preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).@*METHODS@#A total of 76 preterm infants with a gestational age of <32 weeks and a length of hospital stay of ≥14 days who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics of the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University from September 2020 to December 2021 were enrolled. According to the diagnostic criteria for BPD, they were divided into a BPD group with 30 infants and a non-BPD group with 46 infants. The two groups were compared in terms of the percentage of ILC2 and the levels of IL-33, IL-25, TSLP, IL-5, and IL-13 in peripheral blood on days 1, 7, and 14 after birth.@*RESULTS@#The BPD group had significantly lower birth weight and gestational age than the non-BPD group (P<0.05). On days 7 and 14 after birth, the BPD group had significantly higher levels of ILC2, IL-33, TSLP, and IL-5 than the non-BPD group (P<0.05), and these indices had an area under the curve of >0.7 in predicting the devolpment of BPD (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for gestational age and birth weight, peripheral blood IL-33, TSLP and IL-5 on days 7 and 14 after birth were closely related to the devolpment of BPD (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Early innate immune activation and upregulated expression of related factors may be observed in preterm infants with BPD. ILC2, IL-33, TSLP, and IL-5 may be used as biological indicators for early diagnosis of BPD.

The effect of initiation of urate-lowering treatment during a gout flare on the current episode: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract Objective: The objective was to evaluate whether initiation of urate-lowering treatment (ULT) during an acute gout flare prolonged the current episode. Methods: A comprehensive search of MEDLINE and Web of Science databases was conducted from their inception to 15 March 2021. Five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 381 patients met the inclusion criteria. Standardized mean difference (SMD), odds ratio (OR), and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used for estimating the clinical efficacy of ULT in acute gout. Results: There was no statistical difference in days to resolution (intent-to-treat analysis) (SMD, 0.68; 95% CI — 0.42 to 1.78; I2, 49%; p = 0.22), the pain visual analogue score (VAS) by day 10 (SMD, — 0.07; 95% CI — 0.30 to 0.16; I2, 0%; p = 0.53), C-reactive protein (CRP) from day 7 to 10 (SMD, — 1.14; 95% CI — 5.63 to 3.36; I2, 55%; p = 0.62), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) from day 7 to 10 (SMD, — 2.51; 95% CI — 5.46 to 0.45; I2, 0%; p = 0.10) and the recurrence of gout flares within 28-30 days (OR 0.78; 95% CI 0.29 to 2.09; I2, 0%; p = 0.62). Conclusion: Initiation of ULT during an acute gout flare did not prolong the duration of the flare. However, larger sample size studies are needed to confirm this finding. Trial registration number PROSPERO (CRD42021234581).

Femtosecond laser-assisted phacoemulsification combined with goniosynechialysis in the management of acute angle-closure glaucoma with cataract / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM: To observe the clinical effect of femtosecond laser-assisted phacoemulsification combined with goniosynechialysis in the management of acute angle-closure glaucoma with cataract.<p>METHODS:Retrospective study. From March 2019 to April 2021, 34 eyes of 29 acute angle-closure glaucoma with cataract patients were performed femtosecond laser-assisted phacoemulsification combined with goniosynechialysis. Best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), intraocular pressure(IOP), grading of chamber angle, central anterior chamber depth, corneal endothelial cell count and central corneal thickness were mesaured and analyzed preoperatively and at 1d, 1wk, 1mo.The postoperative complications were analyzed.<p>RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between preoperative and postoperative BCVA at 1mo(<i>Z</i>= -5.126, <i>P</i><0.01). IOP at 1d, 1wk and 1mo were 16.72±2.12mmHg, 13.73±1.68mmHg and 12.87±3.54mmHg respectively, which were different from 28.67±4.13mmHg before surgery(all<i> P</i><0.01). The range of atrial angle adhesion at 1mo after the surgery was significantly reduced compared with preoperative(<i>t</i>=21.32, <i>P</i><0.01). The depth of central anterior chamber, the open distance of atrial angle and the included angle of trabecular iris at 1mo after the surgery were significantly greater than preoperative(<i>t</i>= -3.37,-3.68, -5.61, all <i>P</i><0.01). There were no significant differences in corneal endothelial cell count and central corneal thickness(<i>P></i>0.05). Postoperative satisfaction was high without serious complications.<p>CONCLUSION:Femtosecond laser-assisted phacoemulsification combined with goniosynechialysis may be an effective treatment option for acute angle-closure glaucoma complicated with cataract, is safe, effective and has fewer complications.

The neuroprotective effects of Lutongkeli in traumatic brain injury rats by anti-apoptosis mechanism

Purpose: To explore the neuroprotective effects of Lutongkeli (LTKL) in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and detect the related mechanism. Methods: TBI model was established with LTKL administration (2 and 4 g/kg/d, p.o.). Motor function of rats was examined by Rotarod test. Nissl staining was used to show neuron morphology. Furthermore, the disease-medicine common targets were obtained with the network pharmacology and analyzed with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. Lastly, the predicted targets were validated by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: After LTKL administration, neural behavior was significantly improved, and the number of spared neurons in brain was largely increased. Moreover, 68 bioactive compounds were identified, corresponding to 148 LTKL targets; 2,855 genes were closely associated with TBI, of which 87 overlapped with the LTKL targets and were considered to be therapeutically relevant. Functional enrichment analysis suggested LTKL exerted its pharmacological effects in TBI by modulating multiple pathways including apoptosis, inflammation, etc. Lastly, we found LTKL administration could increase the mRNA level of Bcl-2 and decrease the expression of Bax and caspase-3. Conclusions: This study reported the neuroprotective effect of LTKL against TBI is accompanied with anti-apoptosis mechanism, which provides a scientific explanation for the clinical application of LTKL in the treatment of TBI.

Secondary metabolites from the dandelion-derived endophytic fungus Epicoccum sorghinum 1-2 / 药学学报

The secondary metabolites from the dandelion-derived Epicoccum sorghinum 1-2 were isolated by silica gel and Sephadex gel column chromatography, and semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Their structures were identified by comprehensive NMR and MS methods. Their antibacterial activities were determined by filter paper method. Finally, seven compounds were isolated and identified from the fermentation product of E. sorghinum 1-2, including (4R*,5R*,6S*)-4,5-dihydroxy-6-(6'-methylsalicyloxy)-2-methoxymethyl-2-cyclohexen-l-one (1), (4R*,5R*,6S*)-4,5-dihydroxy-6-(6′-methylsalicyloxy)-2-methyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one (2), (4R,5R,6S)-4,5-dihydroxy-6-(6'-methylsalicyloxy)-2-hydroxymethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one (3), (-)-gabosine E (4), theobroxide (5), 3-chlorogentisyl alcohol (6), and 3-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (7), of which 1-5 are epoxydons, and 6 and 7 are phenolics. Compounds 1 and 2 are new structures reported for the first time. Compound 6 showed significant antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus.

Determination of creatinine and 2-thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid in urine by ultra high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To establish an ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of creatinine (Cre) and 2-thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TTCA) in urine. Methods: In October 2020, the end-of-shift urine samples of the monitored subjects were taken, and the filtrate was prepared by centrifugation. After separated by ultra high performance liquid chromatography C18 column, acetonitrile and 0.2% acetic acid aqueous solution were used as mobile phases for gradient elution, the three quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry adopted an electrospray ion source (ESI) , the ion source temperature was 500 ℃ , and the air curtain gas flow rate was 31.4 L/min, qualitative and quantitative analysis of Cre and TTCA were carried out under the multiple reaction monitoring mode. Results: The linear range of Cre was 1.0-1 000.0 μg/L, the linear equation was y=947.3x-1605.6, and the correlation coefficient was 0.9994. The detection limit and the limit of quantitation were 0.3, 1.0 μg/L. When the addition concentrations were 50.0, 150.0 and 450.0 μg/L, the recovery rates were 92.8%-94.6% , the intra assay precisions were 3.6%-5.7% , and the inter assay precisions were 3.4%-5.4%. The linear range of TTCA was 0.1-200.0 μg/L, the linear equation was y=1164.7x-2243.9, and the correlation coefficient was 0.9991. The detection limit and the limit of quantitation were 0.03, 0.1 μg/L. When the addition concentrations were 10.0, 40.0 and 160.0 μg/L, the recovery rates were 90.8%-93.6%, the intra assay precisions were 4.6%-7.4%, and the inter assay precisions were 4.4%-6.9%. Conclusion: The sample pretreatment process of the ultra high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of Cre and TTCA in urine is simple, and the continuous determination of Cre and TTCA in urine can be realized only by switching mass spectrometry parameters under the same chromatographic conditions, which is accurate and efficient, and each performance index of the method meets the determination requirements.

Platelet-rich plasma combined with core decompression and bone grafting in the treatment of non traumatic necrosis of femoral head in ARCO stageⅡ / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical effect of platelet rich plasma (PRP) combined with β tricalcium phosphate bioceramic bone in the treatment of non traumatic necrosis of the femoral head in ARCO stageⅡ.@*METHODS@#From January 2017 to December 2018, 100 patients (160 hips) with ARCO stageⅡnon traumatic necrosis of the femoral head were divided into PRP group and control group. In PRP group, 50 patients (80 hips), 22 males and 28 females, aged from 18 to 65 (43.47± 7.23) years, with a course of 4 to 18 (15.8±2.9) months, underwent core decompression and bone grafting combined with PRP implantation. There were 50 cases (80 hips) in the control group, including 27 males and 23 females, aged 20 to 63 (45.72± 7.43) years, and the course of disease was 6 to 19 (14.9±3.8) months. Hip X-ay film was followed up after operation. Harris score and VAS score were used to evaluate the curative effect, and the survival rate of hip joint was recorded.@*RESULTS@#All patients had good wound healing, no infection, thrombosis and other complications. All patients were followed up for 12 to 14 (12.0±0.4) months. Twelve months after operation, the image expression of PRP group was better than that of control group(@*CONCLUSION@#Platelet-rich plasma(PRP) combined with artificialbone for core decompression and bone grafting can change the situation of simple artificial bone implantation and uncertain curative effect, improve the success rate of this operation, effectively reduce the collapse rate of femoral head necrosis in the early and middle stage, delay or even avoid hip replacement.

Critical hubs of renal ischemia-reperfusion injury: endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria tethering complexes / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Mitochondrial injury and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress are considered to be the key mechanisms of renal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Mitochondria are membrane-bound organelles that form close physical contact with a specific domain of the ER, known as mitochondrial-associated membranes. The close physical contact between them is mainly restrained by ER-mitochondria tethering complexes, which can play an important role in mitochondrial damage, ER stress, lipid homeostasis, and cell death. Several ER-mitochondria tethering complex components are involved in the process of renal I/R injury. A better understanding of the physical and functional interaction between ER and mitochondria is helpful to further clarify the mechanism of renal I/R injury and provide potential therapeutic targets. In this review, we aim to describe the structure of the tethering complex and elucidate its pivotal role in renal I/R injury by summarizing its role in many important mechanisms, such as mitophagy, mitochondrial fission, mitochondrial fusion, apoptosis and necrosis, ER stress, mitochondrial substance transport, and lipid metabolism.

Effect of Field Inoculation with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Rhizosphere Soil Structure of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of arbuscular mycorrhiza（AM） fungi inoculation on the rhizosphere soil of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis under field conditions，so as to provide a reference for the standardized cultivation and development of high-quality varieties of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis. Method:The effects of inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi on the rhizosphere soil structure of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis were observed through a combination of small-scale field inoculation test and laboratory analysis. Soil indexes were determined by soil agrochemical methods. Result:The treatment groups inoculated with exogenous AM fungi showed a regulatory effect on the infection rate and intensity of AM fungi infection in the root system of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis. After treatment with AM fungi，the soil pH was basically not affected，and the contents of organic matter，available nitrogen，available phosphorus，and available potassium increased. Moreover，the number of fungi decreased，the number of bacteria and actinomycetes increased，and soil enzyme activities increased. The results of correlation analysis showed that there was a significant positive correlation among the soil physical and chemical indexes，especially the bacterial number and the three types of phosphatases showed extremely significant correlation （r=0.849，0.800，0.804，P<0.01）. Conclusion:The application of the two mixed fungicides could increase the number of microorganisms and enzyme activities in the rhizosphere of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis， and there was a certain synergy effect among the soil factors. Among the three field trials，the effects in Anshun，Guizhou and Wanzhou，Chongqing were more ideal，which provided a theoretical and practical basis for large-scale promotion of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis in the field.

Changes in serum levels of adipokine after treatment in children with Kawasaki disease / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the changes in the serum levels of Chemerin and Omentin-1 in children with Kawasaki disease (KD) in the acute stage after intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment and related clinical significance.@*METHODS@#A total of 60 children who were diagnosed with KD from January 2015 to April 2019 were enrolled as subjects. Forty healthy children and 40 children with acute infectious diseases were enrolled as the healthy control group and the infection control group respectively. According to the sensitivity to IVIG treatment, the children with KD were divided into an IVIG sensitive group with 51 children and a non-IVIG sensitive group with 9 children. According to the presence or absence of coronary artery lesion, the children with KD were divided into a CAL group with 13 children and a non-CAL group with 47 children. ELISA was used to measure the serum levels of Omentin-1 and Chemerin before and after the treatment.@*RESULTS@#The children with KD had significantly higher serum levels of Chemerin and Omentin-1 than the healthy control and infection control groups before treatment (P0.05). Before treatment, the non-IVIG sensitive group had a significantly higher serum level of Chemerin than the IVIG sensitive group (P0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#High serum levels of Chemerin and Omentin-1 may play an important role in the development and progression of KD. Chemerin may be involved in the development of CAL in children with KD. The serum level of Chemerin may be used as a new index for predicting the sensitivity to IVIG treatment.

Analysis of chronic kidney disease staging with different estimated glomerular filtration rate equations in Chinese centenarians / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Accurate estimation of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and staging of chronic kidney disease (CKD) are important. Currently, there is no research on the differences in several estimated GFR equations for staging CKD in a large sample of centenarians. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the differences in CKD staging with the most commonly used equations and to analyze sources of discrepancy.@*METHODS@#A total of 966 centenarians were enrolled in this study from June 2014 to December 2016 in Hainan province, China. The GFR with the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) and Berlin Initiative Study 1 (BIS1) equations were estimated. Agreement between these equations was investigated with the κ statistic and Bland-Altman plots. Sources of discrepancy were investigated by partial correlation analysis.@*RESULTS@#The κ values of the MDRD and CKD-EPI equations, MDRD and BIS1 equations, and CKD-EPI and BIS1 equations were 0.610, 0.253, and 0.381, respectively. Serum creatinine (Scr) explained 10.96%, 41.60% and 17.06% of the variability in these three comparisons, respectively. Serum uric acid (SUA) explained 3.65% and 5.43% of the variability in the first 2 comparisons, respectively. Gender was associated with significant differences in these 3 comparisons (P < 0.001).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The strengths of agreement between the MDRD and CKD-EPI equations were substantial, but those between the MDRD and BIS1 equations and the CKD-EPI and BIS1 equations were fair. The difference in CKD staging of the first 2 comparisons strongly depended on Scr, SUA and gender, and that of CKD-EPI and BIS1 equations strongly depended on Scr and gender. The incidence at various stages of CKD staging was quite different. Thus, a new equation that is more suitable for the elderly needs to be built in the future.

Study on liver protection and hepatotoxicity of saikosaponin a based on zebrafish model / 中国中药杂志

Bupleuri Radix has both liver protection and hepatotoxicity. Saponins are the main pharmacodynamic and toxic components of Bupleuri Radix. Based on zebrafish physical model and the model of alcoholic fatty liver( AFL) pathology,the liver toxic and protective effect of saikosaponin a( SSa) were assessed. The results indicated that 1. 77 μmol·L-1 SSa showed protective effect to AFL zebrafish. 5. 30 μmol·L-1 SSa was hepatotoxic to healthy zebrafish,but it showed protective effect to AFL zebrafish. 5. 62 μmol·L-1 SSa was hepatotoxic to healthy and AFL zebrafish. This study is benefit for clinical safety of saikosaponin a.

Comparison of Volatile Components in Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus from Guangdong Province Before and After Being Steamed by GC-MS / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To compare volatile components in raw products and steamed products of Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus. Method:Volatile oil in different batch of raw products and steamed products of Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus was extracted by steam distillation, and volatile components were identified by GC-MS.The determination was performed with injector temperature of 280℃, high pure helium(≥ 99.999%) as carrier gas, split ratio of 10:1, and sample size of 3 μL with temperature programming.Mass spectrum conditions included electron bombardment ion source, electron bombardment energy of 70 eV, ion source temperature of 230℃, acceleration voltage of 34.6 V, resolution of 2 500, scanning range of m/z 40-350.Peak matching, cutting and noise filtering were used in analyzing data based on GC-MS combined with orthogonal partial least square-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA). Result:A total of 58 components were separated and identified from the different batches of raw Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus and their processed products, and 27 differential chemical components were identified by multivariate statistical analysis, among them, 15 common differential components presented different changing laws.The relative contents of α-pinene, β-pinene, p-cymene, β-linalool, L-4-terpinenol, α-terpineol, nerol, β-cyclocitral, geraniol and α-citral in raw products were higher than that of their corresponding processed products.The relative contents of β-caryophyllene, cis-α-bergamotene, γ-muurolene, γ-elemene and β-bisabolene in processed products were higher than that of their corresponding raw products. Conclusion:The content and composition of volatile components in Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus from Guangdong province have changed after being steamed.The results can provide experimental basis for expounding the processing principle and quality evaluation of Citri Sarcodactylis Fructus, and have positive significance for promoting the research and development of this Lingnan characteristic decoction pieces.

Protective Effect of Syringaresinol on Excitatory Damage Induced by Sodium Glutamate in SH-SY5Y Cells / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To establish a model for the injury of human neuroblastoma cell (SH-SY5Y) induced by sodium glutamate, and to observe the protective effect of syringaresinol on cell damage from Viscum liquidambaricolum hayataon, and to explore its mechanism. Method: Construction of SH-SY5Y cell injury model using sodium glutamate.The experiment was divided into normal cell group, injury model group (sodium glutamate 50 mmol·L-1, sodium glutamate 50 mmol·L-1 + DMSO),syringaresinol experimental group (6.25, 12.5, 25 μmol·L-1), by cell counting, cell morphology observation, Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis detection, ROS reactive oxygen species detection, mitochondrial membrane potential, and Western blot, evaluation of syringaresinol on glutamate-induced neuronal excitability injury neuroprotective activity. Result: Compared with normal group, the cell survival rate of the model group was significantly decreased (PPPPP-1) showed a concentration-dependent increase in cells. Survival rate (PPPPPConclusion: Syringaresinol has significant protective activity against excitatory damage induced by sodium glutamate in SH-SY5Y neurons, the mechanism may be through anti-oxidative stress, repairing mitochondrial function and DNA damage to significantly reduce sodium glutamate-induced neuronal apoptosis.

Correlation Study between CYP2C8 Gene Polymorphim and Adverse Reaction of Paclitaxel in Cancer Patients / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between CYP2C8 gene polymorphisms and the adverse reactions of paclitaxelin in cancer patients.METHODS: Fifty-two patients who received paclitaxel chemotherapy from January 2016 to May 2018 were selected as experimental subjects. The CYP2C8 genotypes of the selected patients were tested and the adverse reactions of paclitaxel were observed, collected and recorded to explore the relationship between adverse reactions and genetic polymorphism.RESULTS: In this study, 25 gene loci were detected, only 7 gene loci had mutation, and the remaining 18 gene loci were all wild-type.In the polymorphism of CYP2C8 gene,the incidence of thrombocytopenia and pain in patients with CYP2C8*1B(-271C>A) wild-type (CC) was significantly higher than that in mutant (CA+AA) (PT) wild-type gene (CC) was significantly lower than that in mutant gene (CT+TT) (P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The polymorphism of CYP2C8 gene may be associated with the adverse reaction of paclitaxel.

A non-invasive diagnostic model of immunoglobulin A nephropathy and serological markers for evaluating disease severity / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common pathological type of glomerular disease. Kidney biopsy, the gold standard for IgAN diagnosis, has not been routinely applied in hospitals worldwide due to its invasion nature. Thus, we aim to establish a non-invasive diagnostic model and determine markers to evaluate disease severity by analyzing the serological parameters and pathological stages of patients with IgAN.@*METHODS@#A total of 272 biopsy-diagnosed IgAN inpatients and 518 non-IgA nephropathy inpatients from the Department of Nephrology of Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital were recruited for this study. Routine blood examination, blood coagulation testing, immunoglobulin-complement testing, and clinical biochemistry testing were conducted and pathological stages were analyzed according to Lee grading system. The serological parameters and pathological stages were analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to estimate the diagnostic value of the clinical factors. Logistic regression was used to establish the diagnostic model.@*RESULTS@#There were 15 significantly different serological parameters between the IgAN and non-IgAN groups (all P < 0.05). The ROC analysis was performed to measure the diagnostic value for IgAN of these parameters and the results showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of total protein (TP), total cholesterol (TC), fibrinogen (FIB), D-dimer (D2), immunoglobulin A (IgA), and immunoglobulin G (IgG) were more than 0.70. The AUC of the "TC + FIB + D2 + IgA + age" combination was 0.86, with a sensitivity of 85.98% and a specificity of 73.85%. Pathological grades of I, II, III, IV, and V accounted for 2.21%, 17.65%, 62.50%, 11.76%, and 5.88%, respectively, with grade III being the most prevalent. The levels of urea nitrogen (UN) (13.57 ± 5.95 vs. 6.06 ± 3.63, 5.92 ± 2.97, 5.41 ± 1.73, and 8.41 ± 3.72 mmol/L, respectively) and creatinine (Cr) (292.19 ± 162.21 vs. 80.42 ± 24.75, 103.79 ± 72.72, 96.41 ± 33.79, and 163.04 ± 47.51 μmol/L, respectively) were significantly higher in grade V than in the other grades, and the levels of TP (64.45 ± 7.56, 67.16 ± 6.94, 63.22 ± 8.56, and 61.41 ± 10.86 vs. 37.47 ± 5.6 mg/d, respectively), direct bilirubin (DB) (2.34 ± 1.23, 2.58 ± 1.40, 1.91 ± 0.97, and 1.81 ± 1.44 vs. 0.74 ± 0.57 μmol/L, respectively), and IgA (310.35 ± 103.78, 318.48 ± 107.54, 292.58 ± 81.85, and 323.29 ± 181.67 vs. 227.17 ± 68.12 g/L, respectively) were significantly increased in grades II-V compared with grade I (all P < 0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The established diagnostic model that combined multiple factors (TC, FIB, D2, IgA, and age) might be used for IgAN non-invasive diagnosis. TP, DB, IgA, Cr, and UN have the potential to be used to evaluate IgAN disease severity.

Progress in research of switchable chimeric antigen receptor T cells / 药学学报

In recent years, chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T) have been viewed as a target for successful treatment of hematologic malignancies. However, targeting conventional CAR-T cell has a series of side effects, such as cytokine storm, on-target off-tumor effect and neurotoxicity during treatment, and these side effects threatened patients' life. The extracellular domain of conventional CAR-T is a fixed single-chain variable fragment (scFv) that only targets one specific antigen, and once the tumor antigen is mutated or disappears, the CAR-T cell will fail. In recent years, a number of different switchable CAR-T cells have emerged. The design of switchable CAR-T cells is divided into two aspects: CAR-T cell and molecular switch respectively, and the activation of CAR-T is completely dependent on the switch. It is not only universal, but also decreases the side effect of conventional CAR-T through controlling the molecular switch. We summarized the existing sCAR-T to provide an idea for CAR-T design and optimization, and lay a foundation for entering sCAR-T into clinical practice.

Transcriptional profiling of uterine leiomyoma rats treated by a traditional herb pair, Curcumae rhizoma and Sparganii rhizoma

The aim of this study was to elucidate the concise effects of a traditional herb pair, Curcumae rhizoma-Sparganii rhizoma (CRSR), on uterine leiomyoma (UL) by analyzing transcriptional profiling. The UL rat model was made by intramuscular injection of progesterone and gavage administration of diethylstilbestrol. From 11 weeks of the establishment of the model, rats of the UL+CRSR group were gavaged daily with CRSR (6.67 g/kg). The serum concentrations of progesterone (P) and estradiol (E2) were determined by radioimmunoassay, the uterine index was measured by caliper measurement, and the pathological status was observed by hematoxylin and eosin stain. Gene expression profiling was checked by NimbleGen Rat Gene Expression Microarrays. The results indicated that the uterine mass of UL+CRSR rats was significantly shrunk and serum P and E2 levels significantly reduced compared to UL animals and nearly to the level of normal rats. Results of microarrays displayed the extensive inhibition of CRSR upon the expression of proliferation and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM)-related genes, and significantly regulated a wide range of metabolism disorders. Furthermore, CRSR extensively regulated key pathways of the UL process, such as MAPK, PPAR, Notch, and TGF-β/Smad. Regulation of the crucial pathways for the UL process and ECM metabolism may be the underlying mechanisms of CRSR treatment. Further studies will provide clear clues for effectively treating UL with CRSR.

Effects of raloxifene at two different doses for ovulation induction on endometrial pinopodes in mice during the implantation window / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To compare the expression of pinopodes, the marker of endometrial receptivity, during the implantation window in Kunming mice stimulated with two different doses of raloxifene (RAL).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-eight 8-week-old female Kunming mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=12), namely saline group, clomiphene citrate (CC, 18 mg/kg) group, RAL (33 mg/kg) group and RAL (44 mg/kg group). In each group, the mice received intragastric administration of 1 mL of normal saline containing CC or RAL at the specified doses or saline only as indicated for ovulation induction, once daily for 2 days. The mice received then injection with 5 IU human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and mated and on day 4.5 of gestation, the pregnant mice were sacrificed for examination of the uterus with scanning electron microscopy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Abundant and well developed pinopodes were observed in the endometrium of the mice in the 2 RAL groups and in the saline control group. The mice in CC group showed obviously reduced endometrial pinopodes with poor development.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>RAL at two different doses does not obviously affect the expression of pinopodes in the uterine epithelium of mice, suggesting the safety of RAL at these two doses for ovulation induction without causing adverse effects on endometrial receptivity.</p>