Effectiveness and safety of Jiawei Xiaoyao pill in the treatment of premenstrual syndrome (liver depression, spleen deficiency, and blood-heat syndrome): a multi-center, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of Jiawei Xiaoyao pill (，JXP) in the treatment of symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). METHODS: A total of 144 regularly menstruating women with PMS were recruited at 8 sites in China from August 2017 to December 2018, and randomized to receive either a JXP or a matching placebo (12 g/d, 6 g twice a day) for 3 menstrual cycles. The primary indicator was the reduced Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP) scores in the luteal phase after 3 months of treatment. The safety outcomes included clinical adverse events (AEs), adverse reactions (ARs), changes in vital signs, and laboratory tests. RESULTS: JXP surpassed the placebo in reducing DRSP scores (psychological/somatic dysfunction) in the luteal phase over 3 menstrual cycles of treatment (PFAS = 0.002, PPPS = 0.001). Additionally, there were no significant differences in the incidence of AEs, severe AEs, withdrawal due to AEs and ARs between the two groups (all P > 0.05), and no clinically significant adverse medical events related to the test drug observed. CONCLUSIONS: JXP was superior to the placebo in relieving the symptoms associated with PMS, which signified that JXP may be effective, safe, and well-tolerated as an alternative therapy.

Three dimensional condylar positional and morphological changes following mandibular reconstruction based on CBCT analysis: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the condylar positional changes following mandibular reconstruction with preservation of the condylar head using Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT). Also, to assess joint space changes and the overall volumetric space compared to the preoperative status. METHODOLOGY: This prospective study included 30 patients (60 joints) subjected to unilateral mandibular resection and reconstruction with preservation of the condylar head. The Helkimo index and preoperative (T1), two weeks postoperative (T2), and follow-up CBCTs (T3) after at least six months were gathered and processed to evaluate the condylar position and TMJ joint space using Anatomage Invivo 6. A student's t-test and repeated-measures ANOVA statistics were used. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Thirty patients (14 males, 16 females) with a mean age of 40.01 ± 12.7 years (a range of 18.1-62.9 years) were included. On the tumor side, there were significant variances in the vertical and mediolateral condylar positions between the three-time points (T1, T2, T3). Immediately after the operation, the condyles were significantly displaced in a downward direction at T2, which became larger after the last follow-up period (T3) (p = 0.007). The condylar positions at the anteroposterior direction were relatively stable without significant differences between the three times points (p = 0.915). On the non-tumor side, the condylar positions were relatively stable in the mediolateral and anteroposterior positions. In the tumor side, all of the TMJ spaces were significantly increased in size following the mandibular reconstructions (T2 and T3). However, on the non-tumor side, the anterior, posterior, and medial joint spaces were significantly changed postoperatively. CONCLUSION: After mandibular reconstruction with condylar preservation, the condylar position and volumetric measurement immediately changed noticeably and continued to be a permanent change over time compared to relatively stable condyles on the non-tumor side. According to Helkimo index, patients become adapted to the postoperative changes without significant differences between the two sides.

The prognostic and predictive value of plasma D-dimer in children with neuroblastoma: a 7-year retrospective analysis at a single institution

Purpose@#Elevated plasma D-dimer level is a poor prognostic factor for many solid tumors. However, limited research has been conducted on D-dimer in children with neuroblastoma (NB), and its clinical significance remains unclear. The present study investigated the clinical and prognostic significance of D-dimer in pediatric NB patients. @*Methods@#A retrospective analysis of all newly admitted NB patients was conducted from January 2014 to December 2020.Baseline clinicopathological features, preoperative laboratory parameters, and follow-up information were collected. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the relationship between D-dimer level, clinical features, and the prognostic value. @*Results@#Among 266 patients, the median value of D-dimer was 2.98 ng/mL, of which 132 patients showed elevated D-dimer levels before surgery (>2.98 ng/mL). Univariate analysis revealed that elevated D-dimer was significantly associated with age, hemoglobin, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, neuron-specific enolase, 24-hour vanillylmandelic acid, overall survival, and so on (P < 0.05). Patients with elevated D-dimer levels had shorter median overall survival time when compared with normal D-dimer levels (P = 0.01). The prognosis was better in patients with normal D-dimer levels when combined with lower age, ganglioneuroblastoma tumor type, lower stage on International Neuroblastoma Staging System, low-risk group, and without bone metastasis or bone marrow metastasis. The continuous increase of D-dimer level after treatment indicated tumor recurrence or progression. @*Conclusion@#A high D-dimer level is associated with low overall survival, and an elevated D-dimer level after treatment indicates tumor recurrence and progression. D-dimer can be used as one of the evaluation factors for NB treatment or prognosis.

Research progress of effective components of Astragalus on prevention and treatment of organ fibrosis / 药学学报

Astragalus, which was first documented in Shennong Bencao Jing, is the dried root of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. or Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) Hsiao. The active ingredients astragalus membranaceus saponins (AMS), astragalus polysaccharides (APS) and astragalus flavonoids (AFS) have pharmacological effects such as anti-tumor properties, lowering blood sugar, regulating lipid metabolism, cardiovascular protection, anti-oxidation, bone protection, anti-fibrosis, etc. Fibrosis affects almost all organs, particularly vital organs such as the lungs, liver, heart and kidneys. The primary pathological changes of fibrosis involve abnormal increase of myofibroblasts and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) components, which lead to the formation of scar tissue, ultimately resulting in fibrosis and even functional loss or failure of organs, which seriously threatens human health and life. Recent, studies have shown that Astragalus membranaceus has a good therapetuic effect on organ fibrosis. This article reviews the current advances of Astragalus in the prevention and treatment of fibrosis of lungs, liver, heart, kidneys and other important organs.

Polypeptide from Moschus Suppresses Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation by Inhibiting NF-κ B-ROS/NLRP3 Pathway / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To examine the anti-inflammatory effects and potential mechanisms of polypeptide from Moschus (PPM) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced THP-1 macrophages and BALB/c mice.@*METHODS@#The polypeptide was extracted from Moschus and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Subsequently, LPS was used to induce inflammation in THP-1 macrophages and BALB/c mice. In LPS-treated or untreated THP-1 macrophages, cell viability was observed by cell counting kit 8 and lactate dehydrogenase release assays; the proinflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry, respectively; and protein and mRNA levels were measured by Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), respectively. In LPS-induced BALB/c mice, the proinflammatory cytokines were measured, and lung histology and cytokines were observed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, respectively.@*RESULTS@#The SDS-PAGE results suggested that the molecular weight of purified PPM was in the range of 10-26 kD. In vitro, PPM reduced the production of interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-18, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), IL-6 and ROS in LPS-induced THP-1 macrophages (P<0.01). Western blot analysis demonstrated that PPM inhibited LPS-induced nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway and thioredoxin interacting protein (TXNIP)/nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome pathway by reducing protein expression of phospho-NF-κB p65, phospho-inhibitors of NF-κB (Iκ Bs) kinase α/β (IKKα/β), TXNIP, NLRP3, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), and pro-caspase-1 (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In addition, qRT-PCR revealed the inhibitory effects of PPM on the mRNA levels of TXNIP, NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1 (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Furthermore, in LPS-induced BALB/c mice, PPM reduced TNF-α and IL-6 levels in serum (P<0.05 or P<0.01), decreased IL-1β and IL-18 levels in the lungs (P<0.01) and alleviated pathological injury to the lungs.@*CONCLUSION@#PPM could attenuate LPS-induced inflammation by inhibiting the NF-κB-ROS/NLRP3 pathway, and may be a novel potential candidate drug for treating inflammation and inflammation-related diseases.

Short-term efficacy of camrelizumab combined with induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy for patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect and safety of camrelizumab combined with induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy for patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Methods:A total of 24 patients with stage Ⅲ-IV A NPC were recruited prospectively to receive two cycles of camrelizumab combined with induction chemotherapy (docetaxel 75 mg/m 2+ cisplatin 25 mg/m 2 for three consecutive days) followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (prescription doses: 6 996 cGy in 33 fractions for PGTV and PGTV nd, 6 006 cGy in 33 fractions for PTV 1, 5 096 cGy in 28 fractions for PTV 2, and concurrent cisplatin chemotherapy with a dose of 75 mg/m 2). The short-term efficacy and adverse reactions were evaluated. Results:After induction therapy, nasopharyngeal lesions showed an objective response rate (ORR) of 91.6%, including 45.8% of complete response (CR) and 45.8% of partial response (PR); cervical lymph nodes showed an ORR of 95.8% (CR: 4.2%; PR: 91.6%). Seventeen patients accepted a reexamination under a nasopharyngoscope, and the biting biopsy result indicated that 13 patients among them had complete pathologic response. After concurrent chemoradiotherapy, nasopharyngeal lesions and cervical lymph nodes showed CR rates of 83.3% and 91.7% and PR rates of 16.7% and 8.3%, respectively. After the induction therapy, 13 patients with stage IV A NPC had ORR (PR) rates of 92.4% and 92.4%, respectively, at nasopharyngeal lesions and cervical lymph nodes. After concurrent chemoradiotherapy, the patients with stage IV A NPC had CR rates of 84.6% and 92.3% and PR rates of 15.4% and 7.7%, respectively, at nasopharyngeal lesions and cervical lymph nodes. Major adverse reactions include leukopenia, granulopenia, anemia, radioactive acute oropharyngeal mucositis and dermatitis, digestive tract reaction, fatigue, hypothyroidism, aminotransferase elevation, and reactive capillary hyperplasia. Conclusions:Camrelizumab combined with induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy can achieve high short-term efficacy for patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma, without increasing the incidence of adverse reactions. Its long-term efficacy deserves further research.

Neutrophil-lymphocyte and platelet-lymphocyte ratios for assessing disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving tofacitinib treatment / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) for assessing disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with tofacitinib.@*METHODS@#This retrospective study was conducted among 98 RA patients in active stage treated with tofacitinib in Third Xiangya Hospital and 100 healthy control subjects from the Health Management Center of the hospital from 2019 to 2021. We collected blood samples from all the participants for measurement of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and other blood parameters 1 month before and 6 months after tofacitinib treatment. We further evaluated PLR and NLR before and after tofacitinib treatment in the RA patients, and analyzed their correlations with RA disease activity.@*RESULTS@#PLR and NLR increased significantly in RA patients as compared with the healthy controls. In the RA patients, PLR and NLR were positively correlated with the levels of hs- CRP, ESR, IL- 6, Disease Activity Score of 28 joints-ESR (DAS28-ESR), anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP), and rheumatoid factor (RF) before and after tofacitinib treatment. Tofacitinib treatment for 6 months significantly decreased hs-CRP, ESR, IL-6, CCP, RF and DAS28-ESR levels in the RA patients.@*CONCLUSION@#NLR and PLR can be useful biomarkers for assessing disease activity in RA patients treated with tofacitinib.

Plasma components of Danzhi Xiaoyao Formula and its mechanism of action in treating perimenopausal depression based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS~E integrated with network pharmacology / 中国中药杂志

In this study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS~E) was used to analyze the plasma components of Danzhi Xiaoyao Formula after oral administration. Forty-nine plasma components were found in the serum of rats by comparing the compound extract, drug-containing serum, and blank serum. Components, such as 6-hydroxycoumarin, poricoic acid F, deoxoglabrolide, 30-norhederagenin, kanzonol R, 3',6'-di-O-galloylpaeoniflorin, 16α-hydroxytrametenolic acid, 16-deoxyporicoic acid B, 3-O-acetyl-16α-hydroxytrametenolic acid, and 16α,25-dihydroxydehydroeburiconic acid, were first found in rat serum. Behavioral tests, including the tail suspension test, novel object recognition test, and novelty-suppressed feeding test, were conducted for behavioral analysis. It was confirmed that this formula had therapeutic effects on perimenopausal depression. Furthermore, in combination with the network pharmacology method, 53 core targets including MAPK1, HRAS, AKT1, EGFR, and ESR1 were screened, and these targets participated in 165 signaling pathways, including PI3K-AKT, AMPK, VEGFA, MAPK, and HIF-1. In summary, the potential effects of Danzhi Xiaoyao Formula in treating perimenopausal depression are associated with mechanisms in accelerating inflammation repair, improving neuroplasticity, affecting neurotransmitters, regulating estrogen levels, and promoting new blood vessel formation.

Simultaneously quantitative analysis of 35 components in gualoupi injection using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry / 药学学报

A hydrophilic interaction chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was developed for simultaneous quantification of 35 components in gualoupi injection. The analytes were separated with an ACQUITY XBridge Amide column using 20 mmol·L-1 ammonium formate aqueous solution (pH 3.0) as mobile phase A and 20 mmol·L-1 ammonium formate (pH 3.0)∶acetonitrile (1∶9) as mobile phase B for gradient elution. Mass spectrometry with dynamic multiple reaction monitoring and external standard method were used for quantitative analysis. A total of 35 components were determined in 10 batches of gualoupi injection. The results showed that the 35 compounds had a good linear relationship within their respective concentration ranges with the correlation coefficients (R2 > 0.998 0), the recoveries ranged from 76.6% to 118.5%. The results showed that γ-aminobutyric acid, trigonelline, alanine, threonine, homoserine, citrulline, and leucine were abundant in gualoupi injection, while nicotinamide, methylsuccinic acid, cytosine and choline account for a low percentege. The present study provides an important reference for elucidation of the effective material basis and the improvement of quality standard of gualoupi injection.

Melatonin Attenuates Mitochondrial Damage in Aristolochic AcidInduced Acute Kidney Injury

Aristolochic acid (AA), extracted from Aristolochiaceae plants, plays an essential role in traditional herbal medicines and is used for different diseases. However, AA has been found to be nephrotoxic and is known to cause aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN).AA-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is a syndrome in AAN with a high morbidity that manifests mitochondrial damage as a key part of its pathological progression. Melatonin primarily serves as a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant. However, its mitochondrial protective role in AA-induced AKI is barely reported. In this study, mice were administrated 2.5 mg/kg AA to induce AKI. Melatonin reduced the increase in Upro and Scr and attenuated the necrosis and atrophy of renal proximal tubules in mice exposed to AA. Melatonin suppressed ROS generation, MDA levels and iNOS expression and increased SOD activities in vivo and in vitro. Intriguingly, the in vivo study revealed that melatonin decreased mitochondrial fragmentation in renal proximal tubular cells and increased ATP levels in kidney tissues in response to AA. In vitro, melatonin restored the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in NRK-52E and HK-2 cells and led to an elevation in ATP levels. Confocal immunofluorescence data showed that puncta containing Mito-tracker and GFP-LC3A/B were reduced, thereby impeding the mitophagy of tubular epithelial cells. Furthermore, melatonin decreased LC3A/B-II expression and increased p62 expression. The apoptosis of tubular epithelial cells induced by AA was decreased. Therefore, our findings revealed that melatonin could prevent AA-induced AKI by attenuating mitochondrial damage, which may provide a potential therapeutic method for renal AA toxicity.

Rapid identification of components in Wuzhuyu Decoction using UHPLC Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS~n and molecular network technology / 中国中药杂志

Wuzhuyu Decoction, the classical formula recorded in the Treatise on Febrile Diseases(Shang Han Lun), has been included in the Catalogue of Ancient Classic Prescriptions(the First Batch). Consisting of Euodiae Fructus, Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens, and Jujubae Fructus, it is effective in warming the middle, tonifying deficiency, dispelling cold, and descending adverse Qi, and is widely applied clinically with remarkable efficacies. For a classical formula, the chemical composition is the material basis and an important premise for quantity value transfer. This study aimed to establish a rapid identification method of chemical components in Wuzhuyu Decoction by high-resolution mass spectrometry(HR-MS) and molecular network. AQUITY UPLC BEH C_(18) column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 μm) was used for sample separation, and acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid in water was used as mobile phases for gradient elution. Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS data were collected in positive and negative ion modes, and GNPS molecular network was plotted according to the similarity of MS/MS fragmentation modes. Cytoscape 3.6.1 was used to screen molecular clusters with similar structures. Finally, the chemical components of Wuzhuyu Decoction were rapidly identified according to the controls, as well as the information of retention time, accurate relative molecular weight of HR-MS, and MS/MS multistage fragments. A total of 105 chemical components were identified in Wuzhuyu Decoction. This study can provide data for the follow-up quality control, standard substance research, and pharmacodynamic material research on Wuzhuyu Decoction, as well as references for the rapid qualitative analysis of the chemical components of Chinese medicine.

Layer-dependent electronic and optical properties of tin monoxide: a potential candidate in photovoltaic applications.

Tunable band gaps make two-dimensional (2D) SnO a promising candidate for a wide variety of applications in optoelectronic devices. In this work, we calculated the structural, electronic, and optical properties of monolayer and mutilayer SnO up to seven layers based on density functional theory. We found that the band gaps of SnO can vary from 0.61 eV to 4.05 eV as the layer number of SnO decreases from seven to one, which is mainly because of the interlayer coupling effect. The interlayer coupling ensures improved carrier transport properties between neighbouring layers, which can benefit the performance of 2D SnO in photovoltaic applications. In particular, a suitable band gap of 1.20 eV for solar cell applications is obtained in trilayer SnO, and the predicted theoretical efficiency of solar cells with trilayer SnO as the active material achieves a high value exceeding 16%, which is relatively high for 2D materials.

Prognostic prediction of the femoral head using osteonecrosis and contralateral regions based on CT images / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To develop a prognosis model based on CT images using radiomics method for patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) and to investigate the additional prediction value of the imaging features of the contralateral normal femoral head regions for the prognosis prediction. 【Methods】 A total of 51 patients were included in this retrospective study. All the patients had preoperative CT images. For each patient, two regions of interest (ROIs) were involved, including the osteonecrosis region and the contralateral normal femoral head region. A total of 968 radiomics features were extracted for each patient. We made both the univariate and multivariable analyses. Three models were developed based on the features of osteonecrosis region, contralateral normal femoral head region, and both regions. The 10 times of repeated random experiments were used for model construction and validation. The average performance of the 10 times of experiments was reported as the results. 【Results】 For the features of osteonecrosis region, 37 features showed significant predictive value, with the mean AUC value of 0.708 2±0.029 9. The AUC of the constructed prediction model was 0.911 0±0.029 4 and 0.688 6±0.089 3 for the training set and validation set, respectively. For the features of contralateral normal femoral head region, 14 features showed significant predictive value, with the mean AUC value of 0.703 6±0.006 9. The AUC value of the constructed model for the training set and validation set was 0.867 2±0.039 5 and 0.669 0±0.072 6, respectively. For the models developed based on combined features, the AUC value was higher than that of the models developed based on osteonecrosis region features (training set: 0.935 8±0.016 6 vs. validation set: 0.737 9±0.090 8). 【Conclusion】 We developed a novel CT images-based radiomics method to predict postoperative prognosis in patients with ONFH. Furthermore, the features of contralateral normal femoral head region has additional prediction value. Combining the imaging features of osteonecrosis region and contralateral normal femoral head region can obtain more accurate prediction of prognosis in patients with ONFH.

Erdheim-Chester Disease: Case Report / 罕见病研究

Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a rare non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis characterized by the infiltration of bone and multiple organs by foamy lipid-laden histiocytes. ECD is easy to be misdiagnosed due to its complicated clinical manifestations. We report a patient who visited the hospital due to hypothalamic dysfunction, with central nervous system, pancreas, and lower limb bones involvements. Together with the evidence of clinical manifestations, imaging and pathology, this patient was diagnosed with ECD. After treatment with interferon-α, both the clinical symptoms and imaging manifestations of this patient were significantly improved.

A novel device for cannulated screwing for femoral neck fracture / 中华创伤骨科杂志

Objective:To evaluate our self-designed novel guide device for cannulated screwing in the treatment of femoral neck fracture.Methods:Between June 2019 and July 2020, 40 patients with femoral neck fracture were treated with cannulated screwing at Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University. They were divided into a manual group of 20 cases whose cannulated screwing was implemented by hand and a guide group of 20 cases whose cannulated screwing was implemented with the aid of our self-designed guide device. In the guide group, there were 5 males and 15 females, with an age of (48.4±10.2) years (from 18 to 63 years); there were 12 cases of types Ⅰ & Ⅱ and 8 cases of types Ⅲ & Ⅳ by the Garden classification. In the manual group, there were 8 males and 12 females, with an age of (49.8±8.4) years (from 18 to 60 years); there were 13 cases of types Ⅰ & Ⅱ and 7 cases of types Ⅲ & Ⅳ by the Garden classification. All fractures underwent closed reduction and internal fixation with 3 cannulated screws. The intraoperative fluoroscopy, operation time, femoral cortex drilling, angle between the guide pin and the femoral neck axis in the anteroposterior view, angle between the guide pin and the femoral neck axis in the lateral view, fracture healing time, Harris hip score and complications were compared between the 2 groups.Results:There was no significant difference in the preoperative general data between the 2 groups, showing comparability ( P>0.05). In the guide group, intraoperative fluoroscopy [(10.0±2.2) times], operation time [(41.8±5.6) min], femoral cortex drilling [(4.5±1.1) times], angle between the guide pin and the femoral neck axis in the anteroposterior view (3.0°±0.8°) angle between the guide pin and the femoral neck axis in the lateral view (3.9°±1.0°) and fracture healing time [(6.2±0.5) months] were significantly less or smaller than those in the manual group [(24.8±8.3) times, (60.0±15.3) min, (12.8±2.0) times, 7.2°±1.8°, 7.6°±2.6°, and (7.2±0.5) months] (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in Harris hip score between the 2 groups ( P>0.05). None of the patients had wound infection, internal fixation displacement, fracture nonunion or screw breakage. Conclusions:Application of our self-designed guide device can shorten operation time, improve accuracy of needle insertion, and reduce drilling attempts in the femoral cortex, making cannulated screwing easier for femoral neck fractures.

Qualitative screening of 52 illegally adulterated weight-losing compounds in foods by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveAn analytical method was developed for the qualitative screening of 52 illegally adulterated weight-losing compounds in foods by ultra high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. MethodsThe samples were extracted by methanol. Waters CORTECS T3 column （100 mm×2.1 mm， 2.7 μm） was used with acetonitrile -0.1% formic acid aqueous solution as mobile phases by gradient elution. The compounds were detected by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and Q-TOF-MS detector in positive and negative ion mode. A standard spectrum library was established by reference standards， and the qualitative analysis was finished by the comparison of the retention time， parent ion and fragment ion accurate molecular mass of each compound in the sample and the library. ResultsThe method was specific without interference of blank matrix， and repeatable in sextuplicate. The detection limits of 52 compounds in 5 matrix were 1‒100 mg‧kg-1. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of actual samples，and 16 compounds were checked out in 246 samples. ConclusionThe method is accurate， specific and sensitive， which can be used to combat the illegal adulteration behavior effectively.

A 3D hydrogel loaded with exosomes derived from bone marrow stem cells promotes cartilage repair in rats by modulating immunological microenvironment / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To assess the efficacy of GelMA hydrogel loaded with bone marrow stem cell-derived exosomes for repairing injured rat knee articular cartilage.@*METHODS@#The supernatant of cultured bone marrow stem cells was subjected to ultracentrifugation separate and extract the exosomes, which were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, particle size analysis and Western blotting of the surface markers. The changes in rheology and electron microscopic features of GelMA hydrogel were examined after loading the exosomes. We assessed exosome release from the hydrogel was detected by BCA protein detection method, and labeled the exosomes with PKH26 red fluorescent dye to observe their phagocytosis by RAW264.7 cells. The effects of the exosomes alone, unloaded hydrogel, and exosome-loaded hydrogel on the polarization of RAW264.7 cells were detected by q-PCR and immunofluorescence assay. We further tested the effect of the exosome-loaded hydrogel on cartilage repair in a Transwell co-culture cell model of RAW264.7 cells and chondrocytes in a rat model of knee cartilage injury using q-PCR and immunofluorescence assay and HE and Masson staining.@*RESULTS@#GelMA hydrogel loaded with exosomes significantly promoted M2-type polarization of RAW264.7 cells (P < 0.05). In the Transwell co-culture model, the exosome-loaded GelMA hydrogel significantly promoted the repair of injured chondrocytes by regulating RAW264.7 cell transformation from M1 to M2 (P < 0.05). HE and Masson staining showed that the exosome-loaded hydrogel obviously promoted cartilage repair in the rat models damage.@*CONCLUSION@#GelMA hydrogel loaded with bone marrow stem cell-derived exosomes can significantly promote the repair of cartilage damage in rats by improving the immune microenvironment.

Study on the relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with prior hepatitis B virus infection / 中华肝脏病杂志

Objective: To explore the role of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with prior hepatitis B virus infection (HBsAg-negative and anti-HBC-positive). Methods: 1605 hospitalized patients who were first diagnosed with HCC at Nanfang Hospital between 2015 to 2017 were retrospectively studied. Patients who developed HCC on the basis of active HBV infection (HBsAg-positive, anti-HBc positive) were used as control. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between NAFLD and HCC in patients with prior hepatitis B virus infection. Results: Among HCC patients with both HBsAg and anti-HCV negative, the proportion of prior HBV infection accounted for 86.7%. NAFLD prevalence was higher in patients with HCC based on prior HBV infection than active HBV infection (19.7% vs. 8.5%, P < 0.001). After adjusting for gender, age, hypertension, alanine aminotransferase, and liver cirrhosis, patients with HCC based on prior HBV infection were more likely to develop NAFLD (OR: 2.29, 95% CI: 1.40-3.74), and this phenomenon was observed only in patients with non-cirrhosis (OR: 5.26, 95% CI: 2.53-10.96) and aged≥50 years (OR: 2.36, 95% CI: 1.33-4.20). Conclusion: NAFLD may be a risk factor for HCC in a previously infected patients with HBV, especially in non-cirrhotic and population aged≥50 years.

Advances in new antivirals for chronic hepatitis B / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a global health burden. Timely and effective antiviral therapy is beneficial for patients with HBV infection. With existing antiviral drugs, including nucleos(t)ide analogs and interferon-alfa, patients can achieve viral suppression with improved prognosis. However, the rate of hepatitis B surface antigen loss is low. To achieve a functional cure and even complete cure in chronic hepatitis B patients, new antivirals need to be developed. In this review, we summarized the advantages and disadvantages of existing antiviral drugs and focused on new antivirals including direct-acting antiviral drugs and immunotherapeutic approaches.

Determination of 7 aminoglycoside antibiotics residues in bear bile powder by mix-mode SPE-hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry / 药学学报

An analytical method was developed for determination of 7 aminoglycosides antibiotics in bear bile powder by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The samples were purified by mix-mode weak cation exchange and reversed-phase SPE. Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH Amide column (100 mm × 3.0 mm, 1.7 μm) was used with 0.2% formic acid aqueous solution-0.2% formic acid acetonitrile solution as mobile phases by gradient elution. The aminoglycosides were detected by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in positive mode with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Spectinomycin, streptomycin, amikacin, kanamycin, tobramycin, apramycin and neomycin possessed good linear correlation in the respective concentration ranges, with the correlation coefficients more than 0.99. The mean recoveries at 3 spiked levels were in the range of 61.3%～127.3%, and the RSDs were 0.1%～1.9%. The limits of quantification were 0.2～1.0 mg·kg-1. The method had been applied to the analysis of actual samples.