Sophorae tonkinensis radix et rhizoma: A comprehensive review of the ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicology and detoxification strategy.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Sophorae tonkinensis Radix et Rhizoma (STR), the dried root and rhizome of Sophora tonkinensis Gagnep., is commonly used in the treatment of tonsillitis and pharyngitis, throat soreness and throat obstruction, swelling and aching of gum, etc. in China or other Asian countries. STR is usually used as the core herb in traditional Chinese medicine preparations, such as "Biyanling Tablets", "Fufang Muji Granules" and "Ganyanling Injections", etc. AIM OF THE REVIEW: This review aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of STR in terms of botany, traditional use, phytochemistry, ethnopharmacology, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, toxicology and detoxification strategy, to provide a rational application in future research. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The information involved in the study was gathered from a variety of electronic resources, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), SciFinder, Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and Chinese Masters and Doctoral Dissertations. RESULTS: Till now, a total of 333 chemical components have been identified in STR, including 85 alkaloids, 124 flavonoids, 24 triterpenes, 27 triterpene saponins, 34 organic acids, 8 polysaccharides, etc. STR and its main active constituents have cardiovascular protection, anti-tumor activity, anti-inflammatory activity, antipyretic activity, analgesic activity, antibacterial activity, antifungal activity, antiviral activity, and hepatoprotective activity, etc. However, toxic effects of STR on the liver, nerves, heart, and gastrointestinal tract have also been observed. To mitigate these risks, STR needs attenuation before use, with the most common detoxification methods being processing and combined use with other drugs. The pharmacokinetics of STR in vivo and traditional and clinical prescriptions containing STR have been sorted out. Despite the potential therapeutic benefits of STR, further research is warranted to elucidate its hepatotoxicity, particularly in vivo, exploring aspects such as in vivo metabolism, distribution, and mechanisms. CONCLUSION: This review serves to emphasize the therapeutic potential of STR and highlights the crucial need to address its toxicity concerns before considering clinical application. Further research is required to comprehensively investigate the toxicological properties of STR, with particular emphasis on its hepatotoxicity and neurotoxicity. Such research endeavors have the potential to standardize the rational application of STR for optimal therapeutic outcomes.

Botany, phytochemistry, pharmacologic activities, traditional applications, pharmacokinetics, quality control and toxicity of Zanthoxyli Radix: An updated review.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Zanthoxyli Radix (ZR), the dry root of Zanthoxylum nitidum (Roxb.) DC (ZN) is known as Liang Mian Zhen in China and has been the preferred Chinese medicine for the treatment of inflammation and cancer disease at home and abroad. ZR has been used as the core ingredient in anti-inflammatory traditional medicines, such as Sanjiuweitai granules and Jinji tablets, etc. AIM OF THE WORK: This review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of ZR in terms of traditional uses, quality control, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and pharmacokinetics. Meanwhile, the anti-inflammatory substances and mechanism of ZR were emphasized, to offer new perspectives and broad scopes for future studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The information was retrieved from Web of Science, Researchgate, Google Scholar, SciFinder, X-MOL, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Masters and Doctoral Dissertations, and Elsevier between 1984 and 2024. RESULTS: Till now, a total of 184 chemical components have been identified in ZR, including 91 alkaloids, 22 lignans, 4 flavonoids, 19 coumarins, 17 terpenoids, and 31 other types. Pharmacological studies have proved that ZR had a variety of biological activities, such as anti-tumour, antibacterial, antioxidant and other activities, particularly in anti-inflammation. ZR exerts anti-inflammatory disease effects by modulating various signaling pathways, including MAPK, NF-κB, P13/AKT and JAK/STAT. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that ZR exhibits low absorption rates, broad distribution, and rapid metabolism. Additionally, this review also revealed the shortcomings of current research on ZR and possible future research directions. CONCLUSION: Extensive literature analysis indicates that ZR and its bioactive constituents possess diverse pharmacological activities, especially anti-inflammation. Moreover, in order to promote the safety and adaptability of ZR in clinical application, it is also strongly recommended that further research should focus on toxicity studies, pharmacokinetic studies of herb-drug interactions, and quality control.

An oral polyphenol host-guest nanoparticle for targeted therapy of inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a global public health challenge that affects millions of people. Current medical treatments for IBD are not fully effective and may cause undesirable side effects on patients. Thus, there is an urgent need for safe, simple, and efficacious strategies to treat IBD in clinical settings. Here, we develop an oral polyphenol nanoparticle (PDT) by assembling dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP)-loaded poly-ß-cyclodextrin with tannic acid via host-guest interactions for treating IBD. This one-step assembly process is rapid (within 10 s), reproducible, and free of harmful chemical agents, which can facilitate its clinical translation. PDT is negatively charged due to the three components, which enable it to specifically target the positively charged inflamed colonic mucosa through electrostatic attraction, thus localizing the drug at the inflamed site to reduce systemic exposure and side effects. Furthermore, PDT exhibits a strong reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging ability derived from the tannic acid component, which can alleviate ROS-mediated inflammatory responses and ameliorate IBD symptoms. Compared with free DSP, PDT demonstrates sustained DSP release behavior in vitro and in vivo, as well as enhanced therapeutic efficacy in a colitis mouse model. These results suggest that PDT might be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of IBD. Moreover, this facile polyphenol host-guest assembly strategy may provide a promising drug-delivery platform for treating various diseases STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: To develop safe and effective treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), we have designed an oral polyphenol nanoparticle (PDT) using the host-guest assembly of dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP)-loaded poly-ß-cyclodextrin with tannic acid. Through in vitro and in vivo experiments, PDT has demonstrated remarkable inflammation-targeting, ROS-scavenging, and anti-inflammatory properties, along with sustained release of DSP. Moreover, in an IBD mouse model, PDT has shown significantly improved therapeutic efficacy compared to free DSP. The host-guest assembly strategy employed for PDT is noteworthy for its rapidity, reproducibility, and safety due to the absence of harmful chemicals, holding great promise for designing a diverse range of nanomedicines customized for treating various diseases.

Posterior unilateral small fenestration of lamina combined with a custom-made Y-shaped fracture reduction device for the treatment of severe thoracolumbar burst fracture: a prospective comparative study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose was to evaluate the clinical effect of a custom-made Y-shaped fracture fragment reduction device and to assist in posterior unilateral small fenestration of lamina to reduce the fracture fragments. METHODS: In this study, 40 patients were assigned to one of two groups: the traditional reduction device group (TRG) or the Y-shaped reduction device group (YRG). All patients underwent posterior unilateral small fenestration of the lamina and direct decompression through the spinal canal. And the operation time (OT), intraoperative bleeding (IB), preoperative, postoperative, and final follow-up data on the spinal stenosis rate (SSR), Cobb angle, the anterior compression ratio of injured vertebrae (ACRIV), and ASIA neurological function grade were compared between the two groups. RESULT: There were no complications, including vascular and nerve injury, serious postoperative infection, internal fixation fracture, or loosening, for any of the patients. And the average follow-up time of the two groups was 14.2 months, the average operation time of the TRG was 236.6 min, and the average intraoperative blood loss was 357.20 ml. Moreover, the average operation time of the YRG was 190.6 min, and the average intraoperative blood loss was 241.5 ml. There were significant differences between the two groups in terms of operation duration and intraoperative blood loss. The YRG's was lower than that of the TRG. Besides, there was no difference in SSR, Cobb angle, ACRIV, or neurological recovery between the two groups before or immediately after the operation or at the last follow-up. CONCLUSION: The Y-shaped fracture reduction device can reduce the fracture fragments and the OT and IB stably; it also has satisfactory postoperative curative effects and clinical utility.

Safety and efficacy of dexmedetomidine hydrochloride combined with midazolam in fiberoptic bronchoscopy in children: a prospective randomized controlled study. / ç›é ¸å³ç¾Žæ‰˜å’ªå®šè”åˆå’ªè¾¾å”‘ä»‘åœ¨å„¿ç«¥çº¤ç»´æ”¯æ°”ç®¡é•œæ£€æŸ¥ä¸­çš„å®‰å ¨æ€§å’Œæœ‰æ•ˆæ€§­­å‰çž»æ€§éšæœºå¯¹ç §ç ”究.

OBJECTIVES: To study the safety and efficacy of dexmedetomidine hydrochloride combined with midazolam in fiberoptic bronchoscopy in children. METHODS: A total of 118 children who planned to undergo fiberoptic bronchoscopy from September 2018 to February 2021 were enrolled. They were divided into a control group (n=60) and an observation group (n=58) using a random number table. The observation group received intravenous pumping of dexmedetomidine hydrochloride (2 µg/mL) at 1 µg/kg and then intravenous injection of midazolam at 0.05 mg/kg, followed by dexmedetomidine hydrochloride pumped intravenously at 0.5-0.7 µg/(kg·h) 10 minutes later to maintain anesthesia. The control group was given intravenous pumping of propofol at 2 mg/kg and then intravenous injection of midazolam at 0.05 mg/kg, followed by propofol pumped intravenously at 4-6 mg/(kg·h) 10 minutes later to maintain anesthesia. Fiberoptic bronchoscopy was performed after the children were unconscious. Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were recorded before inserting the bronchoscope (T0), at the time of inserting the bronchoscope (T1), when the bronchoscope reached the glottis (T2), when the bronchoscope reached the carina (T3), and when the bronchoscope entered the bronchus (T4). The intraoperative peak airway pressure (Ppeak), examination time, degree of sedation, extent of amnesia, incidence of adverse reactions, postoperative awakening time, and postoperative agitation score were also recorded. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the observation group had significantly decreased MAP at T1 to T4 and HR at T1 to T3 (P<0.05). Compared with that at T0, MAP was significantly increased at T1 to T4 in the control group and at T3 in the observation group (P<0.05). HR was significantly higher at T1 to T3 than at T0 (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the observation group showed significantly lower intraoperative Ppeak value, incidence of intraoperative adverse reactions, and postoperative agitation score, significantly shorter examination time, and better effects of amnesia and anesthesia (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the degree of intraoperative sedation and postoperative awakening time between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Dexmedetomidine hydrochloride combined with midazolam is a safe and effective way to administer general anesthesia for fiberoptic bronchoscopy in children, which can ensure stable vital signs during examination, reduce intraoperative adverse reactions and postoperative agitation, shorten examination time, and increase amnesic effect.

The nine ADAMs family members serve as potential biomarkers for immune infiltration in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The functional significance of ADAMs family members in the immune infiltration of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) awaits elucidation. METHODS: ADAMs family members with significant expression were identified among differentially expressed genes of PAAD based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database followed by a verification based on the Oncomine database. The correlation of ADAMs in PAAD was estimated with the Spearman's rho value. The pathway enrichment of ADAMs was performed by STRING and GSEALite, respectively. The protein-protein interaction and Gene Ontology analyses of ADAMs and their similar genes were exanimated in STRING and visualized by Cytoscape. Subsequently, the Box-Whisker plot was used to show a correlation between ADAMs and different tumor grade 1/2/3/4 with Student's t-test. TIMER was applied to estimate a correlation of ADAMs expressions with immune infiltrates and immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) immunotherapy-related molecules. Furthermore, the effect of copy number variation (CNV) of ADAMs genes was assessed on the immune infiltration levels. RESULT: ADAM8/9/10/12/15/19/28/TS2/TS12 were over-expressed in PAAD. Most of the nine ADAMs had a significant correlation. ADAM8/12/15/19 expression was remarkably increased in the comparison between grade 1 and grade 2/3 of PAAD. ADAM8/9/10/12/19/28/TS2/TS12 had a positive correlation with almost five immune infiltrates. ADAM12/19/TS2/TS12 dramatically related with ICB immunotherapy-related molecules. CNV of ADAMs genes potentially influenced the immune infiltration levels. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of the expression level of the ADAMs family could provide a reasonable strategy for improved immunotherapies to PAAD.

Study on the Impact of Historic District Built Environment and Its Influence on Residents' Walking Trips: A Case Study of Zhangzhou Ancient City's Historic District.

Walking maintains an indisputable advantage as a simple transport mode over short distances. Various situations have shown that when staying in a walk-friendly built environment, people are more likely to walk and interact with their surroundings. Scholars have reported some evidence of the influence of neighbourhood environments on personal walking trips. Most existing studies of the correlation between the built environment and walking, however, have been conducted in the West and are cross-sectional, which leaves a gap in addressing the causality between built environments and walking under the intervention of regeneration measures. This study takes a historic district of a mid-sized city in China as the research area and reports the changes in the traditional residential district's built environment caused by the implementation of urban regeneration. In this paper, we use physical and perceptual indicators to measure the walkability of the built environment. We identify the changed content of the built environment's walkability and the change of residents' walking behaviour through longitudinal and quasi-longitudinal methods. The conclusion shows that the implementation of a regeneration project of the historic district has greatly changed perceived walkability, which has significantly promoted residents' recreational walking trips, especially among the population of middle-aged and elderly people in the district. The conclusion that the built environment's change promotes recreational walking is contrary to the research performed in sprawling Western contexts such as in the US, and it provides a meaningful supplement for research on the topic in an Asian context.

The potential drug for treatment in pancreatic adenocarcinoma: a bioinformatical study based on distinct drug databases.

BACKGROUND: The prediction of drug-target interaction from chemical and biological data can advance our search for potential drug, contributing to a therapeutic strategy for pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD). We aim to identify hub genes of PAAD and search for potential drugs from distinct databases. The docking simulation is adopted to validate our findings from computable perspective. METHODS: Differently expressed genes (DEGs) of PAAD were performed based on TCGA. With two Cytoscape plugins of CentiScaPe and MCODE, hub genes were analyzed and visualized by STRING analysis of Protein-protein Interaction (PPI). The hub genes were further selected with significant prognostic values. In addition, we examined the correlation between hub genes and immune infiltration in PAAD. Subsequently, we searched for the hub gene-targeted drugs in Connectivity map (Cmap) and cBioportal, which provided a large body of candidate drugs. The hub gene, which was covered in the above two databases, was estimated in Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) and Herbal Ingredients' Targets (HIT) database, which collected natural herbs and related ingredients. After obtaining molecular structures, the potential ingredient from TCMSP was applied for a docking simulation. We finalized a network connectivity of ingredient and its targets. RESULTS: A total of 2616 DEGs of PAAD were identified, then we further determined and visualized 24 hub genes by a connectivity analysis of PPI. Based on prognostic value, we identified 5 hub genes including AURKA (p = 0.0059), CCNA2 (p = 0.0047), CXCL10 (p = 0.0044), ADAM10 (p = 0.00043), and BUB1 (p = 0.0033). We then estimated tumor immune correlation of these 5 hub genes, because the immune effector process was one major result of GO analysis. Subsequently, we continued to search for candidate drugs from Cmap and cBioportal database. BUB1, not covered in the above two databases, was estimated in TCMSP and HIT databases. Our results revealed that genistein was a potential drug of BUB1. Next, we generated two docking modes to validate drug-target interaction based on their 3D structures. We eventually constructed a network connectivity of BUB1 and its targets. CONCLUSIONS: All 5 hub genes that predicted poor prognosis had their potential drugs, especially our findings showed that genistein was predicted to target BUB1 based on TCMSP and docking simulation. This study provided a reasonable approach to extensively retrieve and initially validate putative therapeutic agents for PAAD. In future, these drug-target results should be investigated with solid data from practical experiments.

Clinical efficacy and safety of synthetic thymic peptides with chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 27 randomized controlled trials following the PRISMA guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Synthetic thymic peptides (sTPs) are used with chemotherapy to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this study, we have performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of published trials to confirm the clinical efficacy and safety of sTPs, and determine the optimal types, usages, and sTP/chemotherapy combinations to produce the desired responses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected all studies regarding combined sTP therapy and chemotherapy for NSCLC from the Chinese and English databases (up to October 2018). Bias risk was evaluated for each. Data for meta-analysis was extracted using a pre-designed form. Evidence quality was rated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. RESULTS: We included 27 randomized controlled trials containing 1925 patients, most with unclear bias risk. Combining sTPs with chemotherapy significantly increased the objective response rate [1.28, (1.13 to 1.45)], disease control rate [1.10, (1.01 to 1.18)], quality of life (QOL) [2.05, (1.62, 2.60)], and 1-year overall survival rate [1.43, (1.15 to 1.78)], with decreased risks of neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and gastrointestinal reactions. Optimal conditions included treatment in combination with gemcitabine or navelbine and cisplatin, twice a week, with one 3-week cycle. In these conditions, thymosin α1 improved both antitumor immunity and tumor response. Most results had good robustness, and their quality ranged from moderate to very low. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that treatment with sTPs, especially thymosin α1, and concomitant chemotherapy is beneficial to the patient, and provide evidence for optimal treatment regimens that may increase patient QOL and survival.

Molecular characterization of the viral structural gene of the first dengue virus type 1 outbreak in Xishuangbanna: A border area of China, Burma and Laos.

BACKGROUND: Xishuangbanna, a border area of China, Burma and Laos, had its first major DENV-1 outbreak in 2017. This study aims to explore the genetic characterization, potential source and evolution of the viruses in outbreak. METHODS: The structural protein C/prM/E genes of viruses isolated from local residents or Burmese travelers were sequenced followed by mutation, phylogenetic, homologous recombination, molecular clock and demographic reconstruction analysis. RESULTS: Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all of the strains were classified as three cluster of DENV-1. Cluster 1, 2 and 3 were most similar to China Guangzhou 2011, China Hubei 2014 and Laos 2008 strain, respectively. Among 236 base mutations, 31 caused nonsynonymous mutations when compared with the DENV-1SS. No homologous recombination signal was discovered. The structural protein of these strains had similar three-dimensional structure. Only site 434 showed differences among five predicted protein binding sites. Molecular clock phylogenetic and demographic reconstruction analysis showed that DENV-1 became highly diversified in 1972 followed by a slightly decreased period until 2017. CONCLUSIONS: Dengue isolated strains show diversification between Burma and China. Amino acid substitution (I440T) may lead to weakened virulence of the epidemic strains. DENV-1 became highly diversified in 1972 followed by a slightly decreased period.

A comparative proteomic study identified calreticulin and prohibitin up-regulated in adrenocortical carcinomas.

BACKGROUND: Identifying novel tumor biomarkers to develop more effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for patients with ACC is urgently needed. The aim of the study was to compare the proteomic profiles between adrenocortical carcinomas (ACC) and normal adrenocortical tissues in order to identify novel potential biomarkers for ACC. METHODS: The protein samples from 12 ACC tissues and their paired adjacent normal adrenocortical tissues were profiled with two-dimensional electrophoresis; and differentially expressed proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. Expression patterns of three differently expressed proteins calreticulin, prohibitin and HSP60 in ACC, adrenocortical adenomas (ACA) and normal adrenocortical tissues were further validated by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In our proteomic study, we identified 20 up-regulated and 9 down-regulated proteins in ACC tissues compared with paired normal controls. Most of the up-regulated proteins were focused in protein binding and oxidoreductase activity in Gene Ontology (GO) molecular function classification. By immunohistochemistry, two biomarkers calreticulin and prohibitin were validated to be overexpressed in ACC compared with adrenocortical adenomas (ACA) and normal tissues, but also calreticulin overexpression was significantly associated with tumor stages of ACC. CONCLUSION: For the first time, calreticulin and prohibitin were identified to be novel candidate biomarkers for ACC, and their roles during ACC carcinogenesis and clinical significance deserves further investigation. VIRTUAL SLIDES: The virtual slides for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1897372598927465.

Cell cycle dependent telomere regulation by telomerase in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are a promising source for clinical stem cell transplantation. However, telomere regulation mechanisms, as one of the possible major mechanisms by which hMSCs sustain their stem cell characteristics, remain unknown. We isolated hMSCs by plastic adhesion and characterized these cells by morphology, immune phenotype and differentiation capacity. Telomerase was found negative in hMSCs, but slightly up-regulated in hMSC-derived adipocytes by the Telomeric Repeat Amplification Protocol (TRAP) assay. Moreover, hMSCs lack the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) mechanism, because the hallmarks of ALT, such as very long and heterogeneous telomeres, extra-chromosome telomere repeat DNA (ECTR), and ALT-associated promyelocytic leukemia bodies (APBs), were not evident. However, when hMSCs were arrested in S phase with a combination of serum deprivation and aphidicolin, previously undetectable telomerase activity became predominantly positive. Meanwhile, the expression level of hTERT protein and mRNA increased, paralleled with the appearance of a large cohort of synchronized hMSCs at S phase. These findings provide a profile of telomere regulation by cell cycle dependent expression of telomerase in hMSCs and may lead to a better understanding of the stem cell nature of these cells.

[Distribution of cagA 3' region, iceA, vacA and HP0519 on Helicobacter pylori isolated from China].

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to characterize the Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from different geographic regions in China and different ethnic groups in Yunnan province in terms of cagA, iceA, vacA and HP0519 genes which were proposed to be related to the pathogenesis. METHODS: 150 Helicobacter pylori strains were collected from Yunnan province, Fujian province and Beijing. Chromosome DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out to determine the 3' region of cagA, iceA, vacA and HP0519 status with specific primers. PCR results were analyzed statistically according to their isolated original and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: For cagA 3' region, 93% (139/150) of the Chinese Helicobacter pylori strains belonged to East Asian type according to the specific primer of TF/JR. Among the 150 strains, 75% (113/150) belonged to iceA1, and 19% (29/150) to iceA2. The dissemination of iceA was not associated with any of the geographic regions, different ethnic groups or different clinical outcomes. 96% (144/150) of the vacA s region belonged to s1. In the vacA middle region, m2, m1b, m1b-m2 were 57% (85/150), 27% (41/150) and 11% (16/150) respectively. However, m1a was only observed in two strains from Fujian. Neither vacA s1 nor m2 showed significant difference between Yunnan, Fujian and Beijing. However, the distribution of mlb-m2 in Yunnan was higher than that in Fujian and Beijing. In Yunnan province, the distribution of vacA s1 was not associated with different ethnic groups but m2 from Bai group was less than other two ethnic groups. The ratio of m1b in Bai group was higher than that in other groups. Both vacA' s region and m region alleles had no significant relationship with the clinical outcomes. With the 15 bp and 24 bp DNA insertion and deletion primers test, 93% (140/150) of the strains were positive. The distributions of the 15 bp and 24 bp DNA insertion or deletion were different according to the different ethnic groups. CONCLUSION: By JF/TR primer, 93% of the Chinese strains cagA's 3' region belonged to East Asian type. Most of the Chinese strains vacA's allele was s1. The distribution of vacA s1 had no relationship with the clinical outcome of the isolates. From different geographic regions and ethnic groups, the distribution of vacA m region allele was different. 93% of the Chinese strains HP0519 genes had 24 bp or 15 bp insertion or deletion character. The biological meaning of the polymorphism of HP0519 needs advanced investigation.

[A model for trans-translation].

Trans-translation is a mechanism that fixes stalled translation course. tmRNA is the core of trans-translation and it has dual function as a tRNA and a mRNA. tmRNA recognizes the ribosome carrying truncated mRNA with specificity under the help SmpB protein. It can be directed to A site by ribosomal protein S1. At first tmRNA prolongs the genetic message on the stalled mRNA, then termination codon stops peptide synthesis to form a nascent chain with the tag sequence. Finally, tmRNA-SmpB system frees stalled ribosomes and directs degradation of the products of these frustrated protein synthesis reactions. This paper introduces the most recent studies on trans-translation.

Distribution of cagA 3' region, iceA, vacA and HP0519 on Helicobacter pylori isolated from China / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study was aimed to characterize the Helicobacter pylori strains isolated from different geographic regions in China and different ethnic groups in Yunnan province in terms of cagA, iceA, vacA and HP0519 genes which were proposed to be related to the pathogenesis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>150 Helicobacter pylori strains were collected from Yunnan province, Fujian province and Beijing. Chromosome DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out to determine the 3' region of cagA, iceA, vacA and HP0519 status with specific primers. PCR results were analyzed statistically according to their isolated original and clinical outcomes.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>For cagA 3' region, 93% (139/150) of the Chinese Helicobacter pylori strains belonged to East Asian type according to the specific primer of TF/JR. Among the 150 strains, 75% (113/150) belonged to iceA1, and 19% (29/150) to iceA2. The dissemination of iceA was not associated with any of the geographic regions, different ethnic groups or different clinical outcomes. 96% (144/150) of the vacA s region belonged to s1. In the vacA middle region, m2, m1b, m1b-m2 were 57% (85/150), 27% (41/150) and 11% (16/150) respectively. However, m1a was only observed in two strains from Fujian. Neither vacA s1 nor m2 showed significant difference between Yunnan, Fujian and Beijing. However, the distribution of mlb-m2 in Yunnan was higher than that in Fujian and Beijing. In Yunnan province, the distribution of vacA s1 was not associated with different ethnic groups but m2 from Bai group was less than other two ethnic groups. The ratio of m1b in Bai group was higher than that in other groups. Both vacA' s region and m region alleles had no significant relationship with the clinical outcomes. With the 15 bp and 24 bp DNA insertion and deletion primers test, 93% (140/150) of the strains were positive. The distributions of the 15 bp and 24 bp DNA insertion or deletion were different according to the different ethnic groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>By JF/TR primer, 93% of the Chinese strains cagA's 3' region belonged to East Asian type. Most of the Chinese strains vacA's allele was s1. The distribution of vacA s1 had no relationship with the clinical outcome of the isolates. From different geographic regions and ethnic groups, the distribution of vacA m region allele was different. 93% of the Chinese strains HP0519 genes had 24 bp or 15 bp insertion or deletion character. The biological meaning of the polymorphism of HP0519 needs advanced investigation.</p>

[Infection of Helicobacter pylori strains with multiple vacA m-region subtypes and/or iceA mixed genotype among the Bai, Naxi, and Han populations in Yunnan province].

OBJECTIVE: To study the epidemiology and pathogenicity of mixed infection of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) strains with multiple vacA m-region subtypes and/or iceA mixed genotype among the Bai, Naxi, and Han populations in Yunnan province. METHODS: Gastric mucous membrane were obtained by gastroscopy from 444 patients with digestive ulcer or chronic gastritis, 165 of Han nationality, 117 of Bai nationality, and 162 of Naxi nationality. H. pylori was isolated from 109 patients and cultured. RT-PCR was used to detect the Helicobacter pylori strains vacA gene subtype and iceA genes. RESULTS: The overall rates of vacA gene s1 type and vacA gene s2 type were 98.2% (107/109) and 1.8% (2/109) respectively. The overall rates of vacA gene m2 type, vacA gene m1a type, vacA gene m1b type, and mixed types were 45.9% (50/109), 0.9% (1.109), 23.9% (26/109), and 11% (12/109) respectively; and m region was not identified in 18.3% (20/109) of the strains. The overall rates of iceA1 and iceA2 genes were 67.0% (73/109) and 41.3% (45/109) respectively. In the specimens from the patients of Bai nationality, as regards the s region, only s1 type was identified in all specimens; the rates of vacA gene m2 type, vacA gene m1a type, vacA gene m1b type, and mixed type were 45.2% (14/31), 3.2% (1/31), 12.9% (4/31), and 16.2% (5/31) respectively, and m region was not identified in 22.6% of the strains; and the rates of iceA1 and iceA2 were 87.1% (27/31) and 61.3% (19/31) respectively. In the specimens from the patients of Naxi nationally, The rates of vacA gene s1 type and s2 type were 95.6% (43/45) and 4.4% (2/45), the rates of vacA gene m2 type, vacA gene m1b type, and mixed m-type were 33.3% (15/45), 37.8% (17/45), and 6.7% (3/45) respectively, no m1a type was found, and m region was not identified in 22.2% of the strains; the rates of iceA1 and iceA2 were 48.9% (22/45) and 31.1% (14/45) respectively. In the specimens of the patients of Han nationality, as regards the s region, all specimens were s1 type; the rates of vacA gene m2 type, vacA gene m1b type, and mixed type were 63.6% (21/33), 15.2% (5/33), and 12.1% (4/33) respectively, and m region was not identified in 9.1% (3/33) of the strains; the rates of iceA1 and iceA2 were 72.7% (24/33) and 36.4% (12/33) respectively. 34 of the 109 patients (31.2%) suffered from mixed infection of vacA gene m mixed subtype and/or iceA mixed genotype, 64.7% of which (22/34) suffering iceA1 + iceA2 infection, 23.5% of which (8/34) being iceA + vacA mixed infection, and 11.8% of which (4/34) being vacA subtype mixed infection, with the former incidence of the former group significantly higher than those of the 2 latter groups (both P < 0.001). The mixed infection rate of the Bai nationality (67.7%, 21/31) was significantly higher than those of the Naxi nationality (20.0%, 9/45, P < 0.001) and Han nationality (12.1%, 4/33, P > 0.001) without a significant difference between the Naxi and Han nationalities (P > 0.05). The mixed infection rate of iceA1 + iceA2 of the Bai nationality (61.3%, 19/31) was significantly higher than those of the Naxi nationality (17.8%, 8/45, P < 0.001) and Han nationality (9.1%, 3/33, P < 0.001) without a significant difference between the Naxi and Han nationalities (P > 0.05). The mixed rate of the patients with digestive ulcer was 30.2% (16/53), not significantly different from that of the patients with chronic gastritis (32.1%, 18/56, P > 0.05). 16 of the 34 cases of mixed infection were patients of digestive ulcer; and 8 of the 34 cases were patients with chronic gastritis. 8 of the 34 cases (23.5%) of mixed infection were cases of infection of vacA gene m mixed subtypes and iceA mixed genotype; among which 7 were patients with digestive ulcer and 1 case was patient of chronic gastritis. Thus the rate of vacA gene m mixed subtypes and iceA mixed genotype was 43.8% (7/16) in the patients with digestive ulcer, significantly higher than in the patient with chronic gastritis (5.6%, 1/18, P = 0.014). 22 of the 34 cases of mixed infection (64.7%) suffered from infection of iceA mixed gene subtypes. Among these 22 cases 15 were patients with chronic gastritis and 7 were patients with digestive ulcer. Thus the rate of iceA mixed subtypes infection was 43.8% (7/16) in the patients with digestive ulcer, significantly lower than in the patient with chronic gastritis (83.3%, 15/18, P = 0.016). In the 21 mixed infection patients of Bai nationality, the rate of vacA gene mixed sybtype + iceA gene mixed subtypes infection was 100% in the patients with digestive ulcer (100%, 5/5), significantly higher than that of single vacA gene subtype + iceA gene mixed subtypes (37.5%, 6/16, P = 0.0258). The mixed infection rate of H. pylori strains was 32.1%. CONCLUSION: The mixed infection rate of the Bai nationality is higher than those of the Han and Naxi nationalities. Detection of mixed infection by vacA genotypes is more sensitive in Han populations. Detection of multiple infections by iceA gene mixed subtypes is more sensitive in Bai and Naxi populations.

[Study on metronidazole resistance to Helicobacter pylori from three populations with different ethnics in Yunnan].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) resistance to metronidazole among three populations in Yunnan. METHODS: Susceptibilities to metronidazole among 109 H. pylori strains (33 H. pylori strains from Han, 31 H. pylori strains from Bai and 45 H. pylori strains from Naxi ethnic populations) were tested by Epsilometer test (E-test). RESULTS: In 109 H. pylori strains, the overall metronidazole resistance rate was 67.89%. There were no significant difference in the metronidazole resistant rates of H. pylori among Han, Bai, Naxi populations Yunnan in terms of the distribution on age and upper gastroduodenal diseases. In the facet of gender, metronidazole resistant rate of H. pylori was significantly lower in Han males than in females (chi2=5.304, P=0.027), but not seen in the Bai or Naxi peoples. CONCLUSION: Metronidazole resistance rate of H. pyloriin Yunnan was high, but no significant difference was found among Han, Bai, Naxi peoples in the province.

Study on metronidazole resistance to Helicobacter pylori from three populations with different ethnics in Yunnan / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) resistance to metronidazole among three populations in Yunnan.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Susceptibilities to metronidazole among 109 H. pylori strains (33 H. pylori strains from Han, 31 H. pylori strains from Bai and 45 H. pylori strains from Naxi ethnic populations) were tested by Epsilometer test (E-test).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In 109 H. pylori strains, the overall metronidazole resistance rate was 67.89%. There were no significant difference in the metronidazole resistant rates of H. pylori among Han, Bai, Naxi populations Yunnan in terms of the distribution on age and upper gastroduodenal diseases. In the facet of gender, metronidazole resistant rate of H. pylori was significantly lower in Han males than in females (chi2=5.304, P=0.027), but not seen in the Bai or Naxi peoples.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Metronidazole resistance rate of H. pyloriin Yunnan was high, but no significant difference was found among Han, Bai, Naxi peoples in the province.</p>