Heterologous boost with mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 Delta/Omicron variants following an inactivated whole-virus vaccine

The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has mutated quickly and caused significant global damage. This study characterizes two mRNA vaccines ZSVG-02 (Delta) and ZSVG-02-O (Omicron BA.1), and associating heterologous prime-boost strategy following the prime of a most widely administrated inactivated whole-virus vaccine (BBIBP-CorV). The ZSVG-02-O induces neutralizing antibodies that effectively cross-react with Omicron subvariants following an order of BA.1>BA.2>BA.4/5. In naive animals, ZSVG-02 or ZSVG-02-O induce humoral responses skewed to the vaccines targeting strains, but cellular immune responses cross-react to all variants of concern (VOCs) tested. Following heterologous prime-boost regimes, animals present comparable neutralizing antibody levels and superior protection across all VOCs. Single-boost only generated ancestral and omicron dual-responsive antibodies, probably by "recall" and "reshape" the prime immunity. New Omicron-specific antibody populations, however, appeared only following the second boost with ZSVG-02-O. Overall, our results support a heterologous boost with ZSVG-02-O, providing the best protection against current VOCs in inactivated virus vaccine- primed populations.

Prevalence and clinical characteristics of senile pruritus in elderly patients in community health service center / 中华全科医师杂志

Three hundred patients aged≥60 year, who visited general practice clinic of Zhangjiakou Mingdebei Community Health Service Center or Beijing Fatou Community Health Service Center from March to May 2019, were randomly selected as study subjects. The prevalence of senile prutitus (SP) was calculated; the awareness, treatment and clinical characteristics of SP were surveyed with questionnaire. The degree of skin pruritus was compared among SP patients with different characteristics in the community, and the factors influencing pruritus of SP patients were analyzed. The results revealed that the prevalence of SP in elderly patients visiting community general practice clinic was 33.30% (198/600), the SP awareness rate was 29.29% (58/198), and the SP treatment rate was 23.23% (46/198). Frequent bath taken (>3 times/week, χ 2=9.129), long bathing time (>1 h/time, χ 2=12.742), regular use of alkaline detergents (χ 2=8.695), irregular life (χ 2 =14.819), spicy food (χ 2=9.852), not using moisturizer for skin care (χ 2=6.614), frequent drinking strong tea (χ 2=6.258), frequent drinking coffee (χ 2=6.513), poor sleep quality (χ 2=12.364) and irritability temperament (χ 2=23.120) were significantly associated with pruritus in elderly patients. (all P<0.05).The study indicates that the elderly patients in the community have a high incidence of SP, low awareness and low treatment rates. It is necessary to strengthen the health education, improve life style and live habits to reduce the incidence of SP in the community.

Effects of Shengmai Injection on Physiological Indices, C-reactive Protein and NO Levels in Experimental Beagle Dogs with Myocardial Ischemia / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

This study was aimed to explore the effects of Shengmai(SM) injection on blood pressure (BP),heart rate (HR),electrocardiogram (ECG),and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and NO levelin Beagle dogs with myocardial ischemia (MI).A total of 30 Beagle dogs were divided into 5 groups,which were the blank control group,model control group,SM injection low-dose group (0.80 mL· kg-1),SM injection high-dose group (3.20 mL· kg-1) and isosorbidemononitrate group (0.07 mL· kg-1).The MI model was established by the subcutaneous injection of isoprenaline hydrochloride,and the drug treatments were given at the same time.At 1 h,6 h,12 h,24 h after administration,changes of BP,HR and ECG were recorded;serum CRP and NO content were detected.The results showed that compared with the blank control group,the mean arterial pressure (MBP) was significantly decreased (P＜0.01),HR was significantly increased (P＜0.01,or P＜0.05),the ECG△ST value was significantly increased (P＜0.01) in the model group.SM injection could improve symptoms mentioned above,but the effectswereslow.SM injection had a significant antagonistic effect on the decreasing of CRP content and the increasing of NO content,compared with the model group.The difference was statistically significant (P＜0.01,or P＜0.05).It was concluded that SM injection could improve the physiological indices of Beagle dogs with MI,which might be related to the regulation of CRP and the inhibition of NO secretion.

Effects of Dianxianqing Granule on the IL-6 Content and GFAP,Iba-1 Expressions in Hippocampus Tis-sue of Rats with Kainate-induced Epilepsy / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To study the effects of Dianxianqing granule on the interleukin(IL-6)content and glial fibrillary acid-ic protein(GFAP),ionized calcium linker molecules 1(Iba-1)expressions in hippocampus tissue of rats with kainate-induced epi-lepsy,and explore its mechanism of preventing and treating epilepsy. METHODS:Rats were randomly divided into sham operation group (distilled water),model group (distilled water),phenytoin group (0.03 g/kg,positive control) and Dianxianqing granule low-dose,medium-dose,high-dose groups(4.74,9.47,18.94 g/kg,calculated by crude drug),20 in each group. Rats were intra-gastrically administrated once a day,for 7 d. After 1 h of last administration,except for sham operation group,rats in other groups received single injection of kainite in hippocampus CA1 of left side to induce the epilepsy model. Behavioral changes and death of rats were observed. After 24 h of modeling,enzyme-linked immunosorbent method was used to detect the IL-6 content in hippocam-pus tissue of rats,Nissl staining was used to count the hippocampus neurons,and immunohistochemistry was used to detect the GFAP,Iba-1 expressions in hippocampus tissue of rats. RESULTS:Compared with sham operation group,rats in model group had obvious epilepsy symptoms after modeling,and parts of rats died;IL-6 content and number of neurons in hippocampus tissue were obviously decreased (P<0.01), while GFAP, Iba-1 expressions were obviously enhanced (P<0.01). Compared with model group,epilepsy symptoms and death in each administration group had improved,while IL-6 content in hippocampus tissue were in-creased to varying degrees,with no statistical significance (P>0.05). The numbers of neurons in phenytoin group,Dianxianqinggranule medium-dose, high-dose groups were obviously in-creased(P<0.01);GFAP expression was obviously decreased (P<0.01). Iba-1 expressions in hippocampus tissue in phenyt-oin group,Dianxianqing granule high-dose group were obvi-ously decreased (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS:Dianxianqing granule can play the role in preventing and treating epilepsy by inhibiting GFAP,Iba-1 expressions in hippocampus tissue and in-creasing the number of neurons in hippocampus tissue.

Effects of Dianxianqing Granule on the IL-6 Content and GFAP,Iba-1 Expressions in Hippocampus Tis-sue of Rats with Kainate-induced Epilepsy / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To study the effects of Dianxianqing granule on the interleukin(IL-6)content and glial fibrillary acid-ic protein(GFAP),ionized calcium linker molecules 1(Iba-1)expressions in hippocampus tissue of rats with kainate-induced epi-lepsy,and explore its mechanism of preventing and treating epilepsy. METHODS:Rats were randomly divided into sham operation group (distilled water),model group (distilled water),phenytoin group (0.03 g/kg,positive control) and Dianxianqing granule low-dose,medium-dose,high-dose groups(4.74,9.47,18.94 g/kg,calculated by crude drug),20 in each group. Rats were intra-gastrically administrated once a day,for 7 d. After 1 h of last administration,except for sham operation group,rats in other groups received single injection of kainite in hippocampus CA1 of left side to induce the epilepsy model. Behavioral changes and death of rats were observed. After 24 h of modeling,enzyme-linked immunosorbent method was used to detect the IL-6 content in hippocam-pus tissue of rats,Nissl staining was used to count the hippocampus neurons,and immunohistochemistry was used to detect the GFAP,Iba-1 expressions in hippocampus tissue of rats. RESULTS:Compared with sham operation group,rats in model group had obvious epilepsy symptoms after modeling,and parts of rats died;IL-6 content and number of neurons in hippocampus tissue were obviously decreased (P<0.01), while GFAP, Iba-1 expressions were obviously enhanced (P<0.01). Compared with model group,epilepsy symptoms and death in each administration group had improved,while IL-6 content in hippocampus tissue were in-creased to varying degrees,with no statistical significance (P>0.05). The numbers of neurons in phenytoin group,Dianxianqinggranule medium-dose, high-dose groups were obviously in-creased(P<0.01);GFAP expression was obviously decreased (P<0.01). Iba-1 expressions in hippocampus tissue in phenyt-oin group,Dianxianqing granule high-dose group were obvi-ously decreased (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS:Dianxianqing granule can play the role in preventing and treating epilepsy by inhibiting GFAP,Iba-1 expressions in hippocampus tissue and in-creasing the number of neurons in hippocampus tissue.

Polythiophene derivative on quartz resonators for miRNA capture and assay.

A novel approach for miRNA assay using a cationic polythiophene derivative, poly[3-(3'-N,N,N-triethylamino-1'-propyloxy)-4-methyl-2,5-thiophene hydrobromide] (PT), immobilized on a quartz resonator is proposed. The cationic PT enables capturing of all RNA sequences in the sample matrix via electrostatic interactions, resulting in the formation of PT-RNA duplex structures on quartz resonators. Biotinylated peptide nucleic acid (b-PNA) sequences are subsequently utilized for the RNA assay, upon monitoring the PT-RNA-b-PNA triplex formation. Signal amplification is achieved by anchoring avidin coated nanoparticles to b-PNA in order to yield responses at clinically relevant concentration regimes. Unlike conventional nucleic acid assay methodologies that usually quantify a specific sequence of RNA, the proposed approach enables the assay of any RNA sequence in the sample matrix upon hybridization with a PNA sequence complementary to the RNA of interest. As an illustration, successful detection of mir21, (a miRNA sequence associated with lung cancer) is demonstrated with a limit of detection of 400 pM. Furthermore, precise quantification of mir21 in plasma samples is demonstrated without requiring PCR and sophisticated instrumentation.

Chondrocyte apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Apoptosis of chondrocytes eventualy leads to osteoarthritis. New studies find many mechanisms of chondrocyte apoptosis, but the mechanism of endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced chondrocyte apoptosis is stil in the first stage. OBJECTIVE: To review how the endoplasmic reticulum stress causes the chondrocyte apoptosis and to explore a new method of treatment for osteoarthritis. METHODS: A computer-based online search of PubMed database, CNKI database and Wangfang database between January 2000 and January 2015 was performed to search related articles with the key words of “endoplasmic reticulum stress, chondrocyte, apoptosis” in English or in Chinese, respectively. The word “AND” was used for the connection between the word retrieval. Literatures related to osteoarthritis were selected; the articles published lately in authoritative journals were preferred. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A total of 62 literatures were primarily selected, and 57 documents were involved in result analysis according to inclusion criteria. PERK, IRE1 and ATF6 play an important role in the chondrocytes. Endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis mechanisms include two kinds, UPR and Ca2+start signal, but the specific mechanism and the interactions between apoptosis pathway are unclear. Inhibitory molecules for chondrocyte apoptosis in these signaling pathways as treatment targets for osteoarthritis may provide new methods for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

Histopathological changes of hippocampus after acute epilepsy induced by pentylenetetrazole in rats / 中国药理学通报

Aim To observe histopathological changes of hippocampus after acute epilepsy induced by penty-lenetetrazole (PTZ)in rats.Methods Five groups as control group,PTZ-induced 24 hours(h)group,PTZ-induced 72 hours group,PTZ-induced 1 20 hours group and PTZ-induced 1 44 hours group were designed.PTZ (64 mg·kg -1 )was administered with a single intrap-eritoneal injection for generalized tonic-clonic sei-zures in the current experiment.Control and PTZ trea-ted animals were sacrificed after specific time points. Brain was dissected out and then evaluated for neuro-pathological changes using Nissl staining and immuno-histochemical technique.Results In this study PTZ-induced hippocampal neuron status apoptosis occurred at 24 hours and was sustained for 1 44 hours after status epilepticus.Whereas,activated caspase-3 and AIF ap-peared at 24 hours and were sustained for 1 44 hours af-ter status epilepticus.Conclusion The results of this study show that the significant histopathological chan-ges of hippocampus appear in the vicinity of 1 20 hours after intraperitoneal injection of pentylenetetrazole.

Impact of CT virtual endoscopy on the strategy of low rectal cancer surgery / 国际外科学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the value of CT virtual endoscopy in the treatment strategies in low rectal cancer surgery.MethodsFifty- seven cases of rectal cancer in Jining First Hospital were collected,preoperative rectum CT virtual endoscopy,detailed records of patients with rectal invasion and the circumstances surrounding lymph nodes were investigated.Differences were compared in patients after routine pathological examination.And the distance of the tumor from the anal margin was compared with the preoperative rectum on rectal examination and rectal CT virtual endoscopy.ResultsPreoperative rectum CT virtual endoscopy had no significant difference in evaluation of metastases of the surrounding lymph nodes.Compared with postoperative pathological examination( x2 =2.5,P ＞ 0.05 ),while had significant difference in evaluation in perirectal infiltration( x2 =4.44,P ＜ 0.05 ).Rectal examination and rectum CT virtual endoscopy had no significant difference judgement of the tumor from the anal margin ( P ＞ 0.05 ).ConclusionsCT virtual endoscopy has a great significance in the preoperative evaluation of rectal cancer surgical treatment strategies,which should be further studied.