Advancements in Antiviral Drug Development: Comprehensive Insights into Design Strategies and Mechanisms Targeting Key Viral Proteins.

Viral infectious diseases have always been a threat to human survival and quality of life, impeding the stability and progress of human society. As such, researchers have persistently focused on developing highly efficient, low-toxicity antiviral drugs, whether for acute or chronic infectious diseases. This article presents a comprehensive review of the design concepts behind virus-targeted drugs, examined through the lens of antiviral drug mechanisms. The intention is to provide a reference for the development of new, virus-targeted antiviral drugs and guide their clinical usage.

Optimized new Shengmai powder inhibits myocardial fibrosis in heart failure by regulating the rat sarcoma/rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular regulated protein kinases signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Exploring the effect of Optimized New Shengmai powder (, ONSMP) on myocardial fibrosis in heart failure (HF) based on rat sarcoma (RAS)/rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma (RAF)/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)/extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) signaling pathway. METHODS: Randomized 70 Sprague-Dawley rats into sham (n = 10) and operation (n = 60) groups, then established the HF rat by ligating the left anterior descending branch of the coronary artery. We randomly divided the operation group rats into the model, ONSMP [including low (L), medium (M), and high (H) dose], and enalapril groups. After the 4-week drug intervention, echocardiography examines the cardiac function and calculates the ratios of the whole/left heart to the rat's body weight. Finally, we observed the degree of myocardial fibrosis by pathological sections, determined myocardium collagen (COL) I and COL Ⅲ content by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, detected the mRNA levels of COL I, COL Ⅲ, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and c-Fos proto-oncogene (c-Fos) by universal real-time, and detected the protein expression of p-RAS, p-RAF, p-MEK1/2, p-ERK1/2, p-ETS-like-1 transcription factor (p-ELK1), p-c-Fos, α-SMA, COL I, and COL Ⅲ by Western blot. RESULTS: ONSMP can effectively improve HF rat's cardiac function, decrease cardiac organ coefficient, COL volume fraction, and COL I/Ⅲ content, down-regulate the mRNA of COL I/Ⅲ, α-SMA and c-Fos, and the protein of p-RAS, p-RAF, p-MEK1/ 2, p-ERK1/2, p-ELK1, c-Fos, COL Ⅰ/Ⅲ, and α-SMA. CONCLUSIONS: ONSMP can effectively reduce myocardial fibrosis in HF rats, and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway.

Improved unilateral puncture PVP based on 3D printing technology for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the clinical effect of unilateral percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) combined with 3D printing technology for the treatment of thoracolumbar osteoporotic compression fracture.@*METHODS@#A total of 77 patients with thoracolumbar osteoporotic compression fractures from October 2020 to April 2022 were included in the study, all of which were vertebral body compression fractures caused by trauma. According to different treatment methods, they were divided into experimental group and control group. Thirty-two patients used 3D printing technology to improve unilateral transpedicle puncture vertebroplasty in the experimental group, there were 5 males and 27 females, aged from 63 to 91 years old with an average of (77.59±8.75) years old. Forty-five patients were treated with traditional bilateral pedicle puncture vertebroplasty, including 7 males and 38 females, aged from 60 to 88 years old with an average of(74.89±7.37) years old. Operation time, intraoperative C-arm X-ray times, anesthetic dosage, bone cement injection amount, bone cement diffusion good and good rate, complications, vertebral height, kyphotic angle (Cobb angle), visual analogue scale(VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI) and other indicators were recorded before and after surgery, and statistically analyzed.@*RESULTS@#All patients were followed up for 6 to 23 months, with preoperative imaging studies, confirmed for thoracolumbar osteoporosis compression fractures, two groups of patients with postoperative complications, no special two groups of patients' age, gender, body mass index (BMI), time were injured, the injured vertebral distribution had no statistical difference(P>0.05), comparable data. Two groups of patients with bone cement injection, bone cement dispersion rate, preoperative and postoperative vertebral body height, protruding after spine angle(Cobb angle), VAS, ODI had no statistical difference(P>0.05). The operative time, intraoperative fluoroscopy times and anesthetic dosage were statistically different between the two groups(P<0.05). Compared with the traditional bilateral puncture group, the modified unilateral puncture group combined with 3D printing technology had shorter operation time, fewer intraoperative fluoroscopy times and less anesthetic dosage. The height of anterior vertebral edge, kyphosis angle (Cobb angle), VAS score and ODI of the affected vertebrae were statistically different between two groups at each time point after surgery(P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#In the treatment of thoracolumbar osteoporotic compression fractures, 3D printing technology is used to improve unilateral puncture PVP, which is convenient and simple, less trauma, short operation time, fewer fluoroscopy times, satisfactory distribution of bone cement, vertebral height recovery and kyphotic Angle correction, and good functional improvement.

Effects of metabolites of eicosapentaenoic acid on promoting transdifferentiation of pancreatic OL cells into pancreatic β cells / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the role of metabolites of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in promoting the transdifferentiation of pancreatic α cells to β cells. Methods Male C57BL/6J mice were injected intraperitoneally with 60 mg/kg streptozocin (STZ) for five consecutive days to establish a type 1 diabetes (T1DM) mouse model. After two weeks, they were randomly divided into model groups and 97% EPA diet intervention group, 75% fish oil (50% EPA +25% DHA) diet intervention group, and random blood glucose was detected every week; after the model expired, the regeneration of pancreatic β cells in mouse pancreas was observed by immunofluorescence staining. The islets of mice (obtained by crossing GCG

Effect of menthol on hypobaric hypoxia-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension in mice and its mechanism / 中国药理学通报

Aim To study the effect of menthol on hypobaric hypoxia-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension and explore the underlying mechanism in mice. Methods 10 to 12 weeks old wild type (WT) mice and TRPM8 gene knockout (TRPM8

Anti-aging Effect of Rutin in Caenorhabditis elegans and D-Gal-Induced Aging Mouse Model.

Caenorhabditis elegans and D-Gal-induced aging mouse model were used to investigate the anti-aging effect of rutin. The effects of different concentrations of rutin (0, 12.5, 25, and 50 µg/mL) on locomotor behavior, reproductive rate, and lifespan of C. elegans were determined. For establishing the aging mouse model, D-Gal (200 mg/kg) was subcutaneously injected into the back of mice, and mice were treated with rutin (200 mg/kg). At the end of treatment, memory and motor function was assessed by nest building test, open field test, and Y-maze. Serum and brain tissue were collected from each mouse to examine the ROS, lipofuscin, MDA, GSH-Px, and SOD levels. The results showed that rutin prolonged the lifespan of C. elegans, and increased the number of eggs of C. elegans (p < 0.05). In addition, rutin significantly improved the exercise capacity in mice (p < 0.05) and significantly reduced brain tissue ROS (p < 0.05) and MDA (p < 0.01) levels. Meanwhile, rutin could enhance the activity of SOD (p < 0.05) and GSH-Px (p < 0.01) significantly in the serum and brain. In summary, rutin exhibits anti-senescence capabilities which could be ascribed to its antioxidant activities.

Ultrashortwave therapy can inhibit inflammation and promote recovery from spinal cord injury / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective:To observe any effect of ultrashortwave (USW) therapy on inflammatory cytokines and the MAPK pathway of rats with a spinal cord injury.Methods:Seventy-nine Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group ( n=35), an intervention group ( n=35) and a sham group ( n=9). Allen′s method was used to establish a contusion model of SCI in the rats of the control and intervention groups, while the sham group′s spinal tissues were exposed but not stricken. Beginning twenty-four hours after SCI modeling, the intervention group was given 7min of USW therapy daily, five days a week till the day of sacrifice for sampling the target area of spinal cord for tests. Then, motion function was evaluated using Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) scoring. One, three and seven days after the SCI modeling, immunofluorescence and western blotting were employed to observe any changes in inflammatory factors and the MAPK pathway in the lesioned area. Results:Fourteen days after the modeling the average BBB score of the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group′s average. Moreover, 7 days after the modeling the average content of the domains containing protein 3 (NLRP3), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-6 receptor and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the target area of the spinal cord of sham group showed significantly lower levels than in the other 2 groups. And the levels in the intervention group were significantly lower than in the control group. Seven days after the modeling the number of cells positive for zinc finger protein 36 (TTP) in the lesioned area of the intervention group was significantly greater than among the control group. At the same time the levels of MAPK-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2), phosphorylated-mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated version (p-MK2) and TTP in the control and intervention groups were significantly higher than in the sham group. And there were significant differences between the intervention group and control group in the levels of MK2, p-MK2 and TTP.Conclusion:Ultrashortwave therapy can inhibit inflammation by regulating the MAPK inflammatory pathway, promoting the recovery of motion functions, at least in rats.

Impact of body mass index on perioperative efficacy and complications of robot-assisted radical cystectomy with intracorporeal urinary diversion / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To determine the impact of body mass index (BMI) on perioperative and oncological outcomes after robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with intracorporeal urinary diversion.Methods:Clinical data of bladder cancer patients undergoing robot-assisted radical cystectomy with intracorporeal urinary diversion in Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital from January 2017 to January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into three groups according to BMI, including 61 cases in normal group (<25.0 kg/m2), 52 cases in overweight group (25.0-29.9 kg/m2) and 33 cases in obese group (≥30.0 kg/m2). In the normal group, the median age was 73.6(59, 79), including 45 male(73.8%), with 51 cases(83.6%) of ASA score 0-2, 10 cases (16.4%)of 3 or higher, and 10 cases (16.4%) undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Past medical history included smoking in 34 cases (55.7%), hypertension in 19 cases (31.1%), diabetes in 10 cases (16.4%), heart disease in 12 cases (19.7%), and abdominal surgery in 6 cases (9.8%). In the overweight group, the median age was 69.7(60, 78), including 38 male (73.1%), with 25 cases (48.1%)of ASA score 0-2, 27 cases (51.9%) of 3 or higher, and 9 cases (17.3%) undergoing received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Past medical history included smoking in 30 cases (57.7%), hypertension in 20 cases (38.5%), diabetes in 10 cases (19.2%), heart disease in 9 cases (17.3%), and abdominal surgery in 5 cases (9.6%). In the obses group, the median age was 69.9(61, 78), including 21 male(63.7%), with 20 cases (60.6%)of ASA score 0-2, 13 cases(39.4%) of 3 or higher, 9 cases (27.3%) undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Past medical history included smoking in 18 cases (54.5%), hypertension in 17 cases (51.5%), diabetes in 19 cases (57.6%), heart disease in 7 cases (21.2%), and abdominal surgery in 4 cases (12.1%). After statistical comparison among the three groups, it was found that the proportion of patients with hypertension and diabetes in the obesity group and overweight group was higher than that in the normal group (all P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in other factors (all P>0.05). During the surgical process, robot-assisted radical cystectomy and bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection were performed firstly. The scope of lymph node dissection was divided into standard range and expanded range, and the diversion was divided into orthotopic neobladder and ileal bladder. During the orthotopic neobladder process, 40-50 cm ileum at the distance of 15 cm away from ileocecum was obtained by stapler, and then the U-shaped neobladder was made, and the new bladder was anastomosed with urethra and bilateral ureter. For ileal bladder, the ileum was cut off 15cm away from the ileocecum with stapler to obtain the 15 cm ileum to prepare the ileal conduit and restore the continuity of the ileum. The bilateral ureteral spacing 3cm was implanted on the ileal conduit. In the normal group, standard range lymphatic dissection was performed in 20 cases (32.8%), enlarged dissection in 41 cases (67.2%), orthotopic neobladder in 22 cases(36.1%), and ileal conduit in 39 cases (63.9%). In the overweight group, standard range lymphatic dissection was performed in 12 cases (23.1%), enlarged dissection in 40 cases (76.9%), orthotopic neobladder in 26 cases (49.1%), and ileal conduit in 26 cases (50.9%). In the obesity group, the standard range of lymphatic dissection was performed in 7 cases (21.2%), enlarged dissection in 26 cases (78.7%), orthotopic neobladder in 7 cases (21.2%), and ileal conduit in 26 cases (78.8%). There was no significant difference among the three groups (all P>0.05). Compared the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative exhaust time, postoperative time of taking solid food, postoperative hospital stay, postoperative complications (according to the Clavien-Dindo grading system, postoperative complications are reported inⅠ-Ⅱ grade as mild complications and above Ⅲ grade as serious complications) and pathology results in three groups. Results:All cases successfully underwent robotically without conversion or major intraoperative complications. The operation time in overweight and obsess group were longer than that of normal group with RARC or orthotopic neobladder [310(250, 350) min, 370(310, 420) min, 250(230, 310) min, ( P<0.05)], but there was no significant difference in RARC and ileal conduit[270(220, 300) min, 280(230, 300) min, 240(220, 290)min, P>0.05]. The estimated blood loss in overweight and obsess group was more than that in normal group [230(150, 450)ml, 310(250, 600)ml, 190(100, 350)ml, P<0.05], but there was no difference in blood transfusion rate [4(7.7%), 2(6.1%), 5(8.2%), P>0.05]. The exhaust time [2(1, 3) days, 2(1, 4)days, 2(1, 4)days], postoperative solid food intake time [4(3, 5)days, 4(3, 6)days, 4(3, 6)days] and the hospital stay[10(5, 16)days, 10(6, 17)days, 12(6, 20)days] were not different in three groups(all P>0.05). The mild complication rates in 90 days were significant higher in overweight and obsess groups[28 (53.8%), 16(48.5%), 20(32.8%), P<0.05], but the total and severe complication rates were not significantly different. The incidences of urinary system complications and incision complications in obese and overweight patients were significantly higher than those in normal group ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of gastrointestinal complications and ureteral anastomosis-related complications (stricture or urinary leakage)( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the number of dissected lymph node, positive lymph node, positive rate of incisional margin and postoperative pathological stage among three different BMI groups(all P>0.05). Conclusion:Robot-assisted radical cystectomy combined with intracorporeal urinary diversion is a safe and effective method for the treatment of overweight, obese and even morbidly obese patients with bladder cancer. The recovery of intestinal function and the oncological results are not affected by body mass index. However, laparoscopic radical cystectomy for overweight and obese patients, especially for orthotopic neobladder, has the risk of long operation time, large amount of intraoperative bleeding and increased risk of minor postoperative complications.

Clinical analysis of sIgG antibody in children with food intolerance in Qingdao / 中华健康管理学杂志

Objective:To analyze food intolerance status in children in Qingdao by detecting the serum levels of food-specific IgG (sIgG).Methods:In this cross-sectional study, a total of 4 249 children aged 0 to 14 years (all were permanent residents of Qingdao City) admitted to Women and Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University from May 2017 to December 2020 for suspected food intolerance were selected as the study objects with the whole sampling method. According to the age, the objects were divided into 4 groups: 0-<1 year group (440 cases), 1-<3 years group (1 761 cases), 3-<6 years group (1 193 cases), and ≥6 years group (855 cases). Positive condition of serum sIgG antibodies of 14 kinds of food in the children were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Chi-square test was used to compare the positive rate of the antibodies among different foods, gender and age groups.Results:The total positive rate of food sIgG antibody in 4 249 children was 95.32% (4 050/4 249), the highest positive rate was found in eggs (81.50%) and the lowest positive rate was found in pork (1.15%). The positive rates of sIgG antibody in milk (54.98% vs 49.69%, χ2=11.627), crab (5.59% vs 3.71%, χ2=8.049) and shrimp (4.62% vs 2.75%, χ2=9.784) in boys were significantly higher than those in girls, and the positive rates of sIgG antibody in tomato (49.19% vs 45.54%, χ2=5.510), cod (8.53% vs 5.96%, χ2=10.512) and beef (2.58% vs 1.70%, χ2=3.959) in girls were significantly higher than those in boys (all P<0.05). The total positive rate of sIgG antibody in 14 foods was the lowest in 0-<1 year group (89.09%), and it was the highest in 3-<6 years group (96.98%) ( χ2=63.950, P<0.001). The highest positive rate in 0-<1 year group was found in tomato (56.36%), and it was eggs (85.29%, 88.94%, 85.50%) in all the other 3 groups. The positive rates of corn and beef decreased with age ( χ2=44.098, 20.106, P<0.001), while those of cod and mushroom increased with age ( χ2=32.315, 40.338, P<0.001). The positive rate of wheat (57.13%, χ2=42.273), tomato (57.01%, χ2=209.862), soybean (24.99%, χ2=92.580), crab (6.81%, χ2=33.201), shrimp (6.25%, χ2=47.863) were all the highest in 1-<3 years group among the 4 groups (all P<0.001), and the positive rate of chicken was the highest in 3-<6 years group (7.88%, χ2=29.875; P<0.001). Conclusions:Children in Qingdao have a high level of food intolerance, and the highest positive rate is for eggs. Milk, crab and shrimp should be focused on for boys, while tomatoes, cod and beef shoud be paid more attention to for girls. Children of different ages have different kinds of food intolerance, and their diets should be adjusted reasonably according to the characteristics.

Research progress in extracorporeal shock wave therapy for rotator cuff injury / 中华创伤杂志

Rotator cuff injury often leads to shoulder pain and dysfunction. For the injured rotator cuff tendon without continuous interruption, conservative treatment is often used. However, the shoulder is used frequent in daily life, which makes that the rotator cuff injury generally shows gradual aggravation and eventually progresses to complete tear due to poor blood supply of the rotator cuff tendon tissue and weak repair ability. In order to reverse the pathophysiological changes after rotator cuff injury and promote the repair of injured rotator cuff tendon, a series of conservative treatments for rotator cuff injury have been explored. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is one of the representative treatments, but its molecular biological mechanism in promoting rotator cuff repair is still unclear. Therefore, the authors review the progress of ESWT for rotator cuff injury from aspects of the molecular biological mechanism and clinical application status, so as to provide a reference for future researches and clinical application of ESWT.

Imaging evaluation of the efficacy and prognosis of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for osteosarcoma / 中国医师杂志

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is an important part of the standard treatment mode for osteosarcoma. Preoperative evaluation of the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy is of great significance to the selection of surgical plan and the adjustment of subsequent treatment plan. Imaging evaluation method is one of the important ways to evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and the prognosis of patients. It has the advantages of simple, quick and non-invasive, and has become a research hotspot.

Primary assessment of the diversity of Omicron sublineages and the epidemiologic features of autumn/winter 2022 COVID-19 wave in Chinese mainland / 医学前沿

With the recent ongoing autumn/winter 2022 COVID-19 wave and the adjustment of public health control measures, there have been widespread SARS-CoV-2 infections in Chinese mainland. Here we have analyzed 369 viral genomes from recently diagnosed COVID-19 patients in Shanghai, identifying a large number of sublineages of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron family. Phylogenetic analysis, coupled with contact history tracing, revealed simultaneous community transmission of two Omicron sublineages dominating the infections in some areas of China (BA.5.2 mainly in Guangzhou and Shanghai, and BF.7 mainly in Beijing) and two highly infectious sublineages recently imported from abroad (XBB and BQ.1). Publicly available data from August 31 to November 29, 2022 indicated an overall severe/critical case rate of 0.035% nationwide, while analysis of 5706 symptomatic patients treated at the Shanghai Public Health Center between September 1 and December 26, 2022 showed that 20 cases (0.35%) without comorbidities progressed into severe/critical conditions and 153 cases (2.68%) with COVID-19-exacerbated comorbidities progressed into severe/critical conditions. These observations shall alert healthcare providers to place more resources for the treatment of severe/critical cases. Furthermore, mathematical modeling predicts this autumn/winter wave might pass through major cities in China by the end of the year, whereas some middle and western provinces and rural areas would be hit by the upcoming infection wave in mid-to-late January 2023, and the duration and magnitude of upcoming outbreak could be dramatically enhanced by the extensive travels during the Spring Festival (January 21, 2023). Altogether, these preliminary data highlight the needs to allocate resources to early diagnosis and effective treatment of severe cases and the protection of vulnerable population, especially in the rural areas, to ensure the country's smooth exit from the ongoing pandemic and accelerate socio-economic recovery.

Added value of shear-wave elastography in the prediction of extracapsular extension and seminal vesicle invasion before radical prostatectomy / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

The purpose of this study was to analyze the value of transrectal shear-wave elastography (SWE) in combination with multivariable tools for predicting adverse pathological features before radical prostatectomy (RP). Preoperative clinicopathological variables, multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) manifestations, and the maximum elastic value of the prostate (Emax) on SWE were retrospectively collected. The accuracy of SWE for predicting adverse pathological features was evaluated based on postoperative pathology, and parameters with statistical significance were selected. The diagnostic performance of various models, including preoperative clinicopathological variables (model 1), preoperative clinicopathological variables + mp-MRI (model 2), and preoperative clinicopathological variables + mp-MRI + SWE (model 3), was evaluated with area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) analysis. Emax was significantly higher in prostate cancer with extracapsular extension (ECE) or seminal vesicle invasion (SVI) with both P < 0.001. The optimal cutoff Emax values for ECE and SVI were 60.45 kPa and 81.55 kPa, respectively. Inclusion of mp-MRI and SWE improved discrimination by clinical models for ECE (model 2 vs model 1, P = 0.031; model 3 vs model 1, P = 0.002; model 3 vs model 2, P = 0.018) and SVI (model 2 vs model 1, P = 0.147; model 3 vs model 1, P = 0.037; model 3 vs model 2, P = 0.134). SWE is valuable for identifying patients at high risk of adverse pathology.

Picomolar inhibitor of reverse transcriptase featuring significantly improved metabolic stability

Considering the undesirable metabolic stability of our recently identified NNRTI 5 (t1/2 = 96 min) in human liver microsomes, we directed our efforts to improve its metabolic stability by introducing a new favorable hydroxymethyl side chain to the C-5 position of pyrimidine. This strategy provided a series of novel methylol-biphenyl-diarylpyrimidines with excellent anti-HIV-1 activity. The best compound 9g was endowed with remarkably improved metabolic stability in human liver microsomes (t1/2 = 2754 min), which was about 29-fold longer than that of 5 (t1/2 = 96 min). This compound conferred picomolar inhibition of WT HIV-1 (EC50 = 0.9 nmol/L) and low nanomolar activity against five clinically drug-resistant mutant strains. It maintained particularly low cytotoxicity (CC50 = 264 μmol/L) and good selectivity (SI = 256,438). Molecular docking studies revealed that compound 9g exhibited a more stable conformation than 5 due to the newly constructed hydrogen bond of the hydroxymethyl group with E138. Also, compound 9g was characterized by good safety profiles. It displayed no apparent inhibition of CYP enzymes and hERG. The acute toxicity assay did not cause death and pathological damage in mice at a single dose of 2 g/kg. These findings paved the way for the discovery and development of new-generation anti-HIV-1 drugs.

Development of fluorine-substituted NH2-biphenyl-diarylpyrimidines as highly potent non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors: Boosting the safety and metabolic stability

Our recent studies for nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors identified a highly potent compound JK-4b against WT HIV-1 (EC50 = 1.0 nmol/L), but the poor metabolic stability in human liver microsomes (t 1/2 = 14.6 min) and insufficient selectivity (SI = 2059) with high cytotoxicity (CC50 = 2.08 μmol/L) remained major issues associated with JK-4b. The present efforts were devoted to the introduction of fluorine into the biphenyl ring of JK-4b, leading to the discovery of a novel series of fluorine-substituted NH2-biphenyl-diarylpyrimidines with noticeable inhibitory activity toward WT HIV-1 strain (EC50 = 1.8-349 nmol/L). The best compound 5t in this collection (EC50 = 1.8 nmol/L, CC50 = 117 μmol/L) was 32-fold in selectivity (SI = 66,443) compared to JK-4b and showed remarkable potency toward clinically multiple mutant strains, such as L100I, K103N, E138K, and Y181C. The metabolic stability of 5t was also significantly improved (t 1/2 = 74.52 min), approximately 5-fold higher than JK-4b in human liver microsomes (t 1/2 = 14.6 min). Also, 5t possessed good stability in both human and monkey plasma. No significant in vitro inhibition effect toward CYP enzyme and hERG was observed. The single-dose acute toxicity test did not induce mice death or obvious pathological damage. These findings pave the way for further development of 5t as a drug candidate.

Primary assessment of the diversity of Omicron sublineages and the epidemiologic features of autumn/winter 2022 COVID-19 wave in Chinese mainland / 医学前沿

With the recent ongoing autumn/winter 2022 COVID-19 wave and the adjustment of public health control measures, there have been widespread SARS-CoV-2 infections in Chinese mainland. Here we have analyzed 369 viral genomes from recently diagnosed COVID-19 patients in Shanghai, identifying a large number of sublineages of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron family. Phylogenetic analysis, coupled with contact history tracing, revealed simultaneous community transmission of two Omicron sublineages dominating the infections in some areas of China (BA.5.2 mainly in Guangzhou and Shanghai, and BF.7 mainly in Beijing) and two highly infectious sublineages recently imported from abroad (XBB and BQ.1). Publicly available data from August 31 to November 29, 2022 indicated an overall severe/critical case rate of 0.035% nationwide, while analysis of 5706 symptomatic patients treated at the Shanghai Public Health Center between September 1 and December 26, 2022 showed that 20 cases (0.35%) without comorbidities progressed into severe/critical conditions and 153 cases (2.68%) with COVID-19-exacerbated comorbidities progressed into severe/critical conditions. These observations shall alert healthcare providers to place more resources for the treatment of severe/critical cases. Furthermore, mathematical modeling predicts this autumn/winter wave might pass through major cities in China by the end of the year, whereas some middle and western provinces and rural areas would be hit by the upcoming infection wave in mid-to-late January 2023, and the duration and magnitude of upcoming outbreak could be dramatically enhanced by the extensive travels during the Spring Festival (January 21, 2023). Altogether, these preliminary data highlight the needs to allocate resources to early diagnosis and effective treatment of severe cases and the protection of vulnerable population, especially in the rural areas, to ensure the country's smooth exit from the ongoing pandemic and accelerate socio-economic recovery.

Host protection against Omicron BA.2.2 sublineages by prior vaccination in spring 2022 COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai / 医学前沿

The Omicron family of SARS-CoV-2 variants are currently driving the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we analyzed the clinical laboratory test results of 9911 Omicron BA.2.2 sublineages-infected symptomatic patients without earlier infection histories during a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Shanghai in spring 2022. Compared to an earlier patient cohort infected by SARS-CoV-2 prototype strains in 2020, BA.2.2 infection led to distinct fluctuations of pathophysiological markers in the peripheral blood. In particular, severe/critical cases of COVID-19 post BA.2.2 infection were associated with less pro-inflammatory macrophage activation and stronger interferon alpha response in the bronchoalveolar microenvironment. Importantly, the abnormal biomarkers were significantly subdued in individuals who had been immunized by 2 or 3 doses of SARS-CoV-2 prototype-inactivated vaccines, supporting the estimation of an overall 96.02% of protection rate against severe/critical disease in the 4854 cases in our BA.2.2 patient cohort with traceable vaccination records. Furthermore, even though age was a critical risk factor of the severity of COVID-19 post BA.2.2 infection, vaccination-elicited protection against severe/critical COVID-19 reached 90.15% in patients aged ≽ 60 years old. Together, our study delineates the pathophysiological features of Omicron BA.2.2 sublineages and demonstrates significant protection conferred by prior prototype-based inactivated vaccines.

Mechanism of famous classical formula Huaihua Powder in treatment of ulcerative colitis based on metabonomics / 中国中药杂志

Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was employed in this study to observe the effect of Huaihua Powder on the serum metabolites of mice with ulcerative colitis and reveal the mechanism of Huaihua Powder in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. The mouse model of ulcerative colitis was established by dextran sodium sulfate salt(DSS). The therapeutic effect of Huaihua Powder on ulcerative colitis was preliminarily evaluated based on the disease activity index(DAI), colon appearance, colon tissue morphology, and the content of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-6(IL-6), and interleukin-1β(IL-1β). UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS was employed to profile the endogenous metabolites of serum samples in blank control group, model group, and low-, medium-, and high-dose Huaihua Powder groups. Multivariate analyses such as principal component analysis(PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA), and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) were performed for pattern recognition. Potential biomarkers were screened by Mass Profiler Professional(MPP) B.14.00 with the thresholds of fold change≥2 and P<0.05. The metabolic pathways were enriched by MetaboAnalyst 5.0. The results showed that Huaihua Powder significantly improved the general state and colon tissue morphology of mice with ulcerative colitis, reduced DAI, and lowered the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in serum. A total of 38 potential biomarkers were predicted to be related to the regulatory effect of Huaihua Powder, which were mainly involved in glycerophospholipid metabolism, glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, mutual transformation of glucuronic acid, and glutathione metabolism. This study employed metabolomics to analyze the mechanism of Huaihua Powder in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, laying a foundation for the further research.

Tra2β Enhances Cell Proliferation by Inducing the Expression of Transcription Factor SP1 in Cervical Cancer / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#In this study, the role and potential mechanism of transformer 2β (Tra2β) in cervical cancer were explored.@*METHODS@#The transcriptional data of Tra2β in patients with cervical cancer from Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and cBioPortal databases were investigated. The functions of Tra2β were evaluated by using Western blot, MTT, colony formation, Transwell assays, and nude mouse tumor formation experiments. Target genes regulated by Tra2β were studied by RNA-seq. Subsequently, representative genes were selected for RT-qPCR, confocal immunofluorescence, Western blot, and rescue experiments to verify their regulatory relationship.@*RESULTS@#The dysregulation of Tra2β in cervical cancer samples was observed. Tra2β overexpression in Siha and Hela cells enhanced cell viability and proliferation, whereas Tra2β knockdown showed the opposite effect. Alteration of Tra2β expression did not affect cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, tumor xenograft models verified that Tra2β promoted cervical cancer growth. Mechanically, Tra2β positively regulated the mRNA and protein level of SP1, which was critical for the proliferative capability of Tra2β.@*CONCLUSION@#This study demonstrated the important role of the Tra2β/SP1 axis in the progression of cervical cancer in vitro and in vivo, which provides a comprehensive understanding of the pathogenesis of cervical cancer.

Host protection against Omicron BA.2.2 sublineages by prior vaccination in spring 2022 COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai / 医学前沿

The Omicron family of SARS-CoV-2 variants are currently driving the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we analyzed the clinical laboratory test results of 9911 Omicron BA.2.2 sublineages-infected symptomatic patients without earlier infection histories during a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Shanghai in spring 2022. Compared to an earlier patient cohort infected by SARS-CoV-2 prototype strains in 2020, BA.2.2 infection led to distinct fluctuations of pathophysiological markers in the peripheral blood. In particular, severe/critical cases of COVID-19 post BA.2.2 infection were associated with less pro-inflammatory macrophage activation and stronger interferon alpha response in the bronchoalveolar microenvironment. Importantly, the abnormal biomarkers were significantly subdued in individuals who had been immunized by 2 or 3 doses of SARS-CoV-2 prototype-inactivated vaccines, supporting the estimation of an overall 96.02% of protection rate against severe/critical disease in the 4854 cases in our BA.2.2 patient cohort with traceable vaccination records. Furthermore, even though age was a critical risk factor of the severity of COVID-19 post BA.2.2 infection, vaccination-elicited protection against severe/critical COVID-19 reached 90.15% in patients aged ≽ 60 years old. Together, our study delineates the pathophysiological features of Omicron BA.2.2 sublineages and demonstrates significant protection conferred by prior prototype-based inactivated vaccines.