Genomic regions and biological pathways associated with sex-limited reproductive traits in bovine species.

Many animal species exhibit sex-limited traits, where certain phenotypes are exclusively expressed in one sex. Yet, the genomic regions that contribute to these sex-limited traits in males and females remain a subject of debate. Reproductive traits are ideal phenotypes to study sexual differences since they are mostly expressed in a sex-limited way. Therefore, this study aims to use local correlation analyses to identify genomic regions and biological pathways significantly associated with male and female sex-limited traits in two distinct cattle breeds (Brahman [BB] and Tropical Composite [TC]). We used the Correlation Scan method to perform local correlation analysis on 42 trait pairs consisting of six female and seven male reproductive traits recorded on ~1,000 animals for each sex in each breed. To pinpoint a specific region associated with these sex-limited reproductive traits, we investigated the genomic region(s) consistently identified as significant across the 42 trait pairs in each breed. The genes found in the identified regions were subjected to Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) colocalization, QTL enrichment analyses, and functional analyses to gain biological insight into sexual differences. We found that the genomic regions associated with the sex-limited reproductive phenotypes are widely distributed across all the chromosomes. However, no single region across the genome was associated with all the 42 reproductive trait pairs in the two breeds. Nevertheless, we found a region on the X-chromosome to be most significant for 80% to 90% (BB: 33 and TC: 38) of the total 42 trait pairs. A considerable number of the genes in this region were regulatory genes. By considering only genomic regions that were significant for at least 50% of the 42 trait pairs, we observed more regions spread across the autosomes and the X-chromosome. All genomic regions identified were highly enriched for trait-specific QTL linked to sex-limited traits (percentage of normal sperm, metabolic weight, average daily gain, carcass weight, age at puberty, etc.). The gene list created from these identified regions was enriched for biological pathways that contribute to the observed differences between sexes. Our results demonstrate that genomic regions associated with male and female sex-limited reproductive traits are distributed across the genome. Yet, chromosome X seems to exert a relatively larger effect on the phenotypic variation observed between the sexes.

Many livestock species show sexual differences between males and females. However, we still do not fully understand the specific area of the genome responsible for these differences. This study used a novel method to investigate this research question in two distinct tropically adapted cattle. The study found that the drivers of sexual differences are widely distributed across the animal's genome, but the sex chromosome seems to play a large role. The genes within these regions are mostly protein-coding and regulatory genes. These genes were involved in biological processes that promote differences between males and females.

Different development phase of transcriptome analysis from Crataegus pinnatifida Bge. and cloning, structure and function prediction of squalene epoxidase involved in triterpenic acid biosynthesis / 药学学报

italic>Crataegus pinnatifida is a traditional Chinese medicine, which contains organic acids, triterpenoid acids and other active components, has important medicinal and edible value. In order to study the difference of gene expression level in different developmental stages of hawthorn and explore the genes of active ingredient biosynthesis in Crataegus pinnatifida, high-throughput Illumina HiSeq 2000 technology were used to conduct transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis on Crataegus pinnatifida fruits from the same origin at different developmental stages. 78 496 Unigenes with an average length of 941 nt were obtained by Trinity software. Among them, 58 395 Unigenes can be annotated by NR, NT, Swiss prot, KEGG, COG, GO and other public databases. KEGG pathway analysis showed that 52 Unigenes encoding 15 key enzymes involved in the citric acid cycle. There are 62 Unigenes were involved in the triterpene biosynthesis pathway of Crataegus pinnatifida. Two key enzymes SQE of triterpenoid metabolism pathway in Crataegus pinnatifida were cloned and performed bioinformatic analysis. The results showed that ORF of CpSQE1 and CpSQE2 were 1 594 bp and 1 597 bp, respectively, encoding 530 and 531 amino acids. The molecular weight of proteins was 57.6 kDa and 57.5 kDa. Bioinformatics analysis showed that both CpSQE1 and CpSQE2 proteins have a PLN02985 superfamily conserved domain, belonging to the squalene monooxygenase superfamily. The phylogenetic tree shows that CpSQE1 and CpSQE2 are clustered together with SQE with squalene epoxidase function in other plants. This study provides a research basis for further exploring the key genes in the biosynthesis process of hawthorn active ingredients and analyzing the regulation pathway of its active ingredient biosynthesis.

Textual Research on Illustrations of Medicinal Materials Named After Geographical Names of Jiangsu Province in Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica （Ben Cao Tu Jing）， compiled in 1061， is regarded as the crystallization of the second national survey of Chinese medicinal resources in the history of China after the Newly Revised Materia Medica （Xin Xiu Ben Cao）， which serves as a precious source for exploring the Chinese medicinal resources in the Song Dynasty. The Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica （Ben Cao Tu Jing） covers 50 illustrations for Chinese medicinal materials named after geographical names of Jiangsu Province， 39 of which have been verified in today's Jiangsu Province. To be specific， Chinese medicinal materials in 32 illustrations can be traced back to their species， those in four illustrations to genera， and those in three illustrations to family. The remaining 12 illustrations remain to be further verified. The origins of most Chinese medicinal materials in the illustrations can be traced， which is attributed to their exquisiteness and lifelikeness as well as the detailed descriptions of the characters of the original plants and animals. In the textual research of these illustrations， we have noticed that there are inconsistencies between pictures and texts， and different illustrations may be derived from the same origin. This is believed to be related to SU Song's principle of collation that "for all Chinese medicinal materials presented as examples， if their shapes and categories recorded are not consistent with those in the literature， they will be retained. If there is any connection with the literature， they will be annotated according to literature to make their origins clear". As revealed by the distribution of Chinese medical materials in Jiangsu Province reported in the Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica （Ben Cao Tu Jing）， the utilization and development of Jiangsu medicinal materials during the Northern Song Dynasty were mainly concentrated in the low-altitude valleys and coastal areas. It could be seen from the illustrations of Chinese medicinal materials named after geographical names of today's Jiangsu Province that the production areas with a large number of illustrations were relatively developed in politics， economy， and transportation at that time， which enabled the medicinal resources to be fully utilized.

Contrastive analysis of extraction of Polygonatum cyrtonema planting area based on data of "Resource 3" / 中国中药杂志

Polygonatum cyrtonema is a famous bulk medicinal material which is the medicinal and edible homologous. With the implementation of the traditional Chinese medicine industry to promote precise poverty alleviation, the planting area of P. cyrtonema in Jinzhai is becoming larger and larger in recent years. Jinzhai is located in the Dabie Mountainous area, which is the largest mountain area and county in Anhui Province. The cultivation of P. cyrtonema is scattered, and the traditional Chinese medicine resources investigation is not only inefficient and accurate. In this study,the "Resource 3"(ZY-3) remote sensing image was used as the best observation phase,and the method of support vector machine classification was used. The method of parallelepiped, minimum distance, mahalanob is distance, maximum likelihood classification and neural net were used to classify and recognize the P. cyrtonema in the whole region. In order to determine the accuracy and reliability of classification results, the accuracy of six supervised classification results was evaluated by confusion matrix method, and the advantages and disadvantages of six supervised classification methods for extracting P. cyrtonema field planting area were compared and analyzed. The results showed that the method of support vector machine classification was more appropriate than that using other classification methods. It provides a scientific basis for monitoring the planting area of P. cyrtonemain field.

Suitable planting area of Poria cocos in Jinzhai county of Dabie Mountains region / 中国中药杂志

Dabie Mountain in Anhui province is a genuine producing area of Poria cocos, commonly known as Anling. Jinzhai county in Anhui province is a traditional producing area of P. cocos, and it is also a key county for poverty alleviation in Dabie Mountains. Poverty alleviation of traditional Chinese medicine producing area is an important measure to implement the major strategic deployment of the central government. The planting of P. cocos is helpful to promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine industry in Dabie Mountains and help poverty alleviation. P. cocos is a saprophytic fungus with special demands on soil and ecological environment, and its planting appears a scattered and irregular distribution. Traditional investigation methods are time-consuming and laborious, and the results are greatly influenced by subjective factors. In order to obtain the suitable planting area of P. cocos in Jinzhai county, according to the field survey, the research team has explored the regional, biological characteristics and cultivation methods of P. cocos in the county, and obtained the altitude distribution area suitable for the growth of P. cocos. Then, the MaxEnt niche model was used to analyze the relationship between ecological factors and distribution areas, and the potential distribution zoning of P. cocos in Jinzhai county was studied. Combined with the characteristics of P. cocos planting pattern, taking ZY-3 remote sensing image as the data source, the maximum likelihood method was used to extract the area that could be used for P. cocos cultivation in Jinzhai county, and the reason why artificial planting P. cocos was mainly distributed in the west of Jinzhai county was analyzed. The suitable regional classification of P. cocos in Jinzhai county was obtained by superposition of suitable altitude distribution area, MaxEnt analysis and area extracted from remote sensing image, which provided data support for the planting planning of P. cocos in Jinzhai county.

The research progress on the structure pharmaceutics and dosage form structures of traditional Chinese medicines / 药学学报

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparations have made tremendous progresses in modernization, whereas there exist relatively few researches pertaining to preparation structures. As demonstrated by the theory and practice of structure pharmaceutics, the structure properties of dosage forms have significant influences on the quality and efficacy of drugs, which might offer reference for the research and development of TCM dosage forms. With the application of synchrotron radiation X-ray micro-computed tomography (SR-μCT) and other novel technologies in recent years, researches in structure pharmaceutics have made huge advancement, which provide reference and methodology basis for the study of TCM preparations. The article generalized and summarized the recent progresses and methods in the structure researches of pharmaceutics and TCM preparations, and further explored the significance of the researches of structure of TCM preparations. It is expected to provide the basis for the dosage form design, production process improvement, and quality evaluation of TCM and promote the modernization of TCM preparations.

Degradation of SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 by tobacco carcinogen-induced Skp2 in lung epithelial cells

An unexpected observation among the COVID-19 pandemic is that smokers constituted only 1.4-18.5% of hospitalized adults, calling for an urgent investigation to determine the role of smoking in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here, we show that cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) increase ACE2 mRNA but trigger ACE2 protein catabolism. BaP induces an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-dependent upregulation of the ubiquitin E3 ligase Skp2 for ACE2 ubiquitination. ACE2 in lung tissues of non-smokers is higher than in smokers, consistent with the findings that tobacco carcinogens downregulate ACE2 in mice. Tobacco carcinogens inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein pseudovirions infection of the cells. Given that tobacco smoke accounts for 8 million deaths including 2.1 million cancer deaths annually and Skp2 is an oncoprotein, tobacco use should not be recommended and cessation plan should be prepared for smokers in COVID-19 pandemic.

Tai Chi on bone mineral density of postmenopausal osteoporosis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a clinically common metabolic disease, especially in postmenopausal women. Tai Chi might be beneficial in osteoporosis patients. This study will be performed to examine the effects of Tai Chi on bone mineral density of postmenopausal osteoporosis. METHODS: We will search the electronical databases and hand-searching journals or reference lists. The study screening and data extraction will be carried out by 2 investigators independently. The primary outcome is bone mineral density (lumbar spine, Ward's triangle, trochanter, proximal femur, femoral neck, or total hip). Secondary outcomes are pain score, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and adverse effects. Review Manager V.5.3 software will be used to compute the data. RESULTS: The results of the study will provide a reliable evidence to assess the effects of Tai Chi on bone mineral density of postmenopausal osteoporosis. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of our systematic review will answer whether Tai Chi is an effective intervention to improve bone mineral density of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Autophagy inhibition enhances the inhibitory effects of ursolic acid on lung cancer cells.

The aim of the present study was to identify natural compounds that bear significant anti­tumor activity. Thus, the effects of 63 small molecules that were isolated from traditional Chinese medicinal herbs on A549 human non­small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and MCF­7 breast cancer cells were examined. It was found that ursolic acid (UA), a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, exerted significant inhibitory effect on these cells. Further experiments revealed that UA inhibited the proliferation of various lung cancer cells, including the NSCLC cells, H460, H1975, A549, H1299 and H520, the human small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells, H82 and H446, and murine Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells. UA induced the apoptosis and autophagy of NSCLC cells. The inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, but not the activation of the extracellular signal­regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) signaling pathway contributed to the UA­induced autophagy of NSCLC cells. Moreover, the inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine (CQ) or siRNA for autophagy­related gene 5 (ATG5) enhanced the UA­induced inhibition of cell proliferation and promotion of apoptosis, indicating that UA­induced autophagy is a pro­survival mechanism in NSCLC cells. On the whole, these findings suggest that combination treatment with autophagy inhibitors may be a novel strategy with which enhance the antitumor activity of UA in lung cancer.

Sonic hedgehog signaling pathway in Myelodysplastic Syndrome: Abnormal activation and jervine intervention.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the roles of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway in the occurrence and progression of Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) and further evaluate using jervine as therapeutic strategy for MDS by inhibiting Shh pathway. METHODS: CD34+ cells from the bone marrow of 53 MDS patients were counted by flow cytometry and isolated by magnetic bead sorting. Shh, Smo, Ptch-1 and Gli-1 (involved in Shh pathway) in CD34+ cells were examined by RT-qPCR. Besides, the relationship between Shh pathway-related genes and the clinical features or prognosis of MDS were analyzed. Further, the effects of jervine on MUTZ-1 cells regarding their proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle as well as Shh pathway-related gene and protein expression were analyzed. RESULTS: Gene expression level of Shh, Gli-1 and Smo was significantly increased in MDS patients. Herein, Smo and Gli-1 were correlated with chromosome karyotype classification and IPSS. MDS patients with high expression of Smo or Gli-1 had a poor prognosis. Jervine inhibited gene and protein expression of Shh, Smo, Ptch-1 and Gli-1. Besides, jervine suppressed the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of MUTZ-1 cells, as well as inhibited the transition of cells from G1 to S phase. CONCLUSION: Shh signaling pathway of MDS patients is abnormally activated and participated in the occurrence and progression of MDS. Jervine intervention is a potential therapeutic strategy for MDS.

Shi's Yi-Qi Bu-Shen Tong-Luo decoction combined with manipulation in the management of wrist stiffness after distal radius fracture: Study protocol clinical trial (SPIRIT Compliant).

INTRODUCTION: Wrist stiffness is a common sequela of distal radial fractures. Manipulation is generally used and effective, but problems exist, such as intense pain, swelling during the process of manipulation and long treatment period. Therefore, a combinative therapeutic strategy is necessary to benefit rehabilitation after distal radius fracture. Shi's Yi-Qi Bu-Shen Tong-Luo decoction (BTD) combined with wrist manipulation has been used in the Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Huangpu Branch in last few decades. BTD has potential therapeutic effects on rehabilitation after distal radius fracture, which should be evaluated by rigorous clinical trial. METHODS/DESIGN: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial will be conducted to determine the efficiency of BTD in relief of wrist stiffness and pain and function rehabilitation. A total of 80 wrist stiffness patients with or without pain and edema will be enrolled, and treated with wrist manipulation plus BTD or placebo for 4 weeks. The primary outcome measure is the Cooney wrist score. The second outcome measures include pain numerical rating scale, patient rated wrist evaluation, 36-item short form health survey questionnaire, and side effects. DISCUSSION: Although BTD has shown effects on rehabilitation after distal radius fracture in the Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital Huangpu Branch for decades, the universality of this efficacy needs evaluated. The results of this trial will provide a convincing evidence. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR2000029260, January 19, 2020.

Effect of Sonic Hedgehog Signal Pathway Inhibitor Jervine on Myelodysplastic Syndromes MUTZ-1 Cells / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the effect of SMO inhibitor (Jervine) on proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle of MDS cell line MUTZ-1, and its mechanism.@*METHODS@#The effect of different concentrations Jervine on proliferation of MUTZ-1 cells was detected by CCK-8 method. Apoptosis and cell cycle of MUTZ-1 cells were detected by flow cytometry. Western blot was used to detect the changes of Shh signaling pathway effecting proteins BCL2 and CyclinD1. The expression levels of Smo and Gli1 gene were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).@*RESULTS@#Jervine inhibited MUTZ-1 cell proliferation in a concentration dependent manner (24 h, r=-0.977), the apoptosis rate of MUTZ-1 cells increased with the enhancement of concentration of Jervine in MUTZ-1 cells (P＜0.001), the cell proportion of G phase increased and the cell number of S phase decreased with enhancement of concentration (P＜0.001). The result of RT-qPCR and Western blot showed that the expression of Smo, Gli1 mRNA and BCL2, CyclinD1 proteins decreased (P＜0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#SMO inhibitor can effectively inhibit the growth of MDS cell line MUTZ-1 improve the cell apoptosis and induce cell cycle arrest. Its action mechanism may be related with dowm-regulating the expression of BCL2 and CyclinD1.

In situ characterization of structural change and internal particle distributions of soft capsules based on synchrotron radiation X-ray micro computed tomography / 药学学报

It is difficult to directly observe the structural transformation inside of soft capsules if their shells are opaque. This study was designed to noninvasively in situ measure the structural characteristics of the soft capsules and internal particle distributions to reveal the intrinsic quality of the soft capsules and develop a new technique for reverse engineering and the physical stability evaluation of the soft capsules. In this research, the CT projection images of soft capsules, namely, propolis soft capsules, were collected via synchrotron radiation X-ray micro computed tomography (SR-μCT). After three-dimensional reconstruction, the structural differences of the soft capsules under long-term test and accelerated test for 6 months were quantitatively analyzed by calculating the three-dimensional structure parameters such as volume, number and distribution of the particles inside and the thickness for the wall of the capsules. There were only a small number of particles evenly distributed in the soft capsules stored under common storage condition without layering. On the other hand, the shell wall of the soft capsule turned thinner locally at the occlusal portion and the particles with strong X-ray absorption were densely distributed at the edge of the capsule wall after the accelerated test. This study revealed that the structural parameters of soft capsules obtained by SR-μCT could be used to evaluate the influence of storage environment on the physical stability of soft capsules. The technology provides a new method for quality control and evaluation for the soft capsules.

UPLC characteristic fingerprint and chemical pattern recognition of Angong Niuhuang Pills / 中国中药杂志

To establish the UPLC fingerprint of Zhongyi Angong Niuhuang Pills, in order to evaluate its quality by chemical pattern recognition. The method was developed on a column of Poroshell 120 EC-C_(18), with methanol-0.1% formic acid solution as the mobile phase for gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.4 mL·min~(-1). The column temperature was 30 ℃,and the detective wavelength was 254 nm. The similarity of 24 batches of Angong Niuhuang Pills was compared by using Traditional Chinese Medicine Chromatographic Fingerprint Similarity Evaluation System(2004 A). Hydrophobic cluster analysis,principal components analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis were conducted by using SIMCA 13.0 software to investigate different components among these products. The UPLC characteristic fingerprint was established in this study. And 17 common peaks were identified by standard reference and UPLC-MS. The similarity of 24 batches samples were above 0.980,which can be classified into three categories for pattern recognition. Baicalin,berberine,jatrorrhizine,wogonin and wogonoside were identified as the main markers that cause differences of various batches. The method is simple,rapid,accurate and reproducible,and can provide scientific basis for improving the quality standard of Zhongyi Angong Niuhuang Pills.

A cultural adaptation and validation study of a self-report measure of the extent of and reasons for medication nonadherence among patients with diabetes in Singapore.

BACKGROUND: This self-report measure is a new instrument to measure the extent of and reasons for medication adherence separately. However, few studies have assessed its psychometric properties in diabetic patients and also in Asian populations. OBJECTIVES: To validate this self-report measure in diabetic patients in Singapore. METHODS: We collected data prospectively using a questionnaire among 393 diabetic patients from hospitals in Singapore from July 2018 to January 2019. Using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments framework, we assessed face validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, structural validity, and measurement error. We tested four a priori hypotheses on correlation of extent score with patient-reported outcome measures to assess construct validity. We examined cross-cultural validity via measurement invariance across gender, age groups, and languages. RESULTS: We performed cognitive interviews with 30 consenting English-literate, Chinese-literate, and Malay-literate (10 patients per language) diabetic patients (age range 48-76 years, 53% male, disease duration range 1-30 years) and face validity was supported. Among 393 patients (mean age: 59.4±12.2 years, 50.9% female, 52.4% Chinese), we showed moderate internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha =0.67) and test-retest reliability (intra-class coefficient=0.56 [95% CI 0.37-0.70]). We calculated smallest detectable change as 0.80. We established construct validity by meeting all four hypotheses. We showed structural validity as confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a one-factor model, with excellent fit statistics (Comparative Fit Index=1.0; Tucker-Lewis Index=1.0; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation<0.001; Standardized Root Mean Residuals<0.001). Analysis of cross-cultural validity supported configural invariance model but not metric invariance and scalar invariance model. Caution must be taken against directly comparing extent scores across gender, age groups, and languages. CONCLUSION: This self-report measure is valid and reliable in measuring medication adherence in diabetic patients in Singapore.

Clinical efficacy of absolute ethanol combined with n-butyl cyanoacrylate sclerotherapy in the treatment of Puig's classified advanced venous malformation in children.

The aim of the present retrospective study was to investigate the clinical safety and efficacy of absolute ethanol combined with n-butyl cyanoacrylate sclerotherapy in the treatment of Puig's classified advanced venous malformation. Sclerotherapy was performed in 121 children (52 males and 69 females; age range, 5 months to 16 years) with venous malformations under general anesthesia between April 2009 and October 2014 at the Department of Interventional Radiology and Vascular Anomalies, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou, China. The patients with venous malformations were diagnosed and classified according to the diagnostic criteria of the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies. According to the characteristics of intraoperative percutaneous angiography, 21 patient cases (9 males and 12 females; age range, 6 months to 14 years) were classified as advanced Puig's venous malformation. These 21 patients were treated with absolute ethanol combined with n-butyl cyanoacrylate. The patients were followed-up for 6-24 months (average, 15 months) after treatment. Following treatment with absolute ethanol combined with n-butyl cyanoacrylate, 15 cases were controlled and the total effective rate was 71% (15/21). However, 1 patient developed skin ulcerations, which was classed as a minor complication, 1 patient developed ectopic embolism caused by n-butyl cyanoacrylate reflux, and 1 patient developed transient pulmonary hypertension, the latter two complications were classified as major. Notably, the incidence rate of minor and major complications were 14.3%. To conclude, the present findings indicated that absolute ethanol combined with n-butyl cyanoacrylate sclerotherapy was a safe and effective method with a low complication rate in the treatment of Puig's classified advanced venous malformation in patients.

Selection of surgical methods for postburn scar contracture deformity in children′s hands / 中华整形外科杂志

Objective@#To explore the surgical methods for children with contracture deformity on hands after burn.@*Methods@#From January 2014 to January 2018, 33 pediatric patients, a total of 42 hands with scar contracture deformities were reviewed. There were 24 males and 9 females, aged from 11 months to 6 years and 7 months. Among them, 20 hands were volar metacarpophalangeal joint contractures, 9 were volar interphalangeal joint contractures, 7 were dorsal metacarpophalangeal joint contractures (3 claw-shaped hands), 3 were hand back contractures, and 3 were palm contractures. Of the 42 hands, 36 hands were repaired with full-thickness skin grafts or split-thickness skin grafts, after the removal of contracted scar, and 6 hands were repaired with abdominal skin flaps, due to the tendon or bone exposure after the scar removal.@*Results@#Skin grafts on 31 hands were all survived after 2 weeks. However, the survival area of 3 skin grafts was about 90%, and 2 skin grafts survived about 80%. All of them healed well after dressing changing. The 6 hands repaired with abdominal skin flap healed well too. After 1-2.5 years of follow-up, finger scar contracture occurred in 4 hands with skin grafting, and they were performed scar excision and sheet skin grafting. Three hands were treated with Z-plasty, due to web space contracture. The function of other hands were normal, without contracture or deformity. The skin color and texture were similar to the surrounding skin, with limited pigmented. Scars on the edge of skin grafts was not obvious. Patients and their families were satisfied.@*Conclusions@#The sheet skin graft is the main method for postburn scar contracture in children′s hands. The abdominal skin flap should be considered, if tendon or bone is exposed, especially for large wound or multiple sites.

Expression Level and Clinical Significance of Gli1 in Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndrome / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the expression level and clinical significance of Gli1 gene in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome(MDS).@*METHODS@#The positive rate of bone marrow CD34 cells was detected by flow cytometry in 53 patients with MDS.Magnetic beads were used to separate CD34 cells. The expression of Gli1 on CD34 cells was detected by RT-qPCR, 25 patients with iron deficiency anemia were selected as controls. The relationship of Gli1 expression with clinical characteristics were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#The expression of Gli1 in patients with MDS (0.73±1.26) was significantly higher than that in the control group (0.07±0.46) (P＜0.05). The expression of Gli1 significantly correlated with platelet count, chromosome grouping and IPSS risk stratification (P＜0.05). The median overall survival time of patients in high and low expression groups were 7 and 20 months respectively (P＜0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that Gli1 and chromosome grouping were 2 independent poor prognostic factors (P＜0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The expression of Gli1 is high in MDS. Abnormal expression of Gli1 positively correlates with clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients.Gli1 may be involved in the occurrence and development of MDS.

Biodegradable micelles for two-photon photodynamic therapy in a mouse model of breast cancer / 药学学报

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is one of the new approaches for cancer treatment with high efficacy. However, applications of current photosensitizers are restricted to skin and superficial tumor due to poor in vivo targeting ability, poor water solubility and short wavelength excitement, which limits penetration therefore therapeutic depth. Here, a biodegradable polymeric micelle, methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-polylactide copolymer (mPEG-PDLLA), is employed as drug delivery system to co-encapsulate strong two-photon absorption compound (LTPA) and photosensitizers. This delivery system is designed to target tumor passively, resulting in near infrared light with an approximately 808 nm wavelength becoming able to indirectly excite photosensitizers through fluorescence resonance energy transfer. Tumor cells and microvessels could be damaged by the generated singlet oxygen. The average size of drug loaded micelles was approximately 55 nm and showed a spherical shape. Both compounds could be released simultaneously from micelles under either weak acid and neutral pH conditions. Reactive oxygen species was produced intracellularly during two-photon PDT process and induced cell apoptosis/necrosis, which was quantified by Annexin-V/FITC assays. Time-dependent ex vivo organ distribution and in vivo anticancer efficacy results suggested that the drug carriers could accumulate in tumors and suppress tumor growth by two-photon PDT. All animals experiments were performed in line with national regulations and approved by the Animal Experiments Ethical Committee of College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University. In summary, we have employed two-photon PDT for breast cancer treatment successfully in a mouse model and have demonstrated the significance of delivery system in such therapeutics.

Experimental study of bicyclol for type 2 diabetic treatment using KKAy mice / 药学学报

To investigate the effects of small molecule compound bicyclol on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and its mechanism of action, KKAy mice were treated with various doses of bicyclol (100, 200, and 400 mg·kg-1·d-1) with metformin (200 mg·kg-1·d-1) as a positive control, respectively. Age-matched C57BL/6J mice were used as the non-diabetic control (Con). The effect on hyperglycemia was evaluated by the levels of no-fasting blood glucose, fasting blood glucose (FPG), and glucose tolerance. Whole body insulin sensitivity was evaluated by fasting plasma insulin (FPI) and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). The hepatic response to insulin was evaluated by insulin-induced activation of insulin signaling pathway. Western blot was performed to detect hepatic protein expressions. All animal experimental procedures were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. KKAy mice showed T2DM characteristics such as hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, including attenuated response to insulin in the liver. A 28-day treatment of bicyclol suppressed both FPG and no-fasting blood glucose, in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, FPI and HOMA-IR values were both significantly decreased, and hepatic insulin-induced-phosphorylation of IRβ and Akt were up-regulated in KKAy mice after bicyclol treatment. Phosphorylation of FoxO1, the key transcription factor for regulating gluconeogenesis, was also significantly elevated by bicyclol treatment. These results suggested that bicyclol has some therapeutic effects on hyperglycemia in a time- and dose-dependent manner in KKAy mice. Its mechanism might be attributed to improving insulin resistance, enhancing hepatic insulin signaling pathway, and inhibiting gluconeogenesis. No significant interference on the hypoglycemic effect of metformin by bicyclol was observed in this study.