Efficacy and safety of Reyanning mixture combined with conventional Western medicine for treating COVID-19: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Since its first report in December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly emerged as a pandemic affecting nearly all countries worldwide. So far, there is no specific anti-coronavirus therapy approved for the treatment of COVID-19. In China, some traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) have been successfully applied to the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and have achieved good clinical results, including the Reyanning mixture, but there is no systematic review about it. This study will systematically evaluate its efficacy and safety in the treatment of COVID-19.

METHODS

The following electronic bibliographic databases will be searched to identify relevant studies: PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CNKI, CBM, and Wanfang databases. We will use the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions to assess the risk of bias. The protocol will be conducted according to the approach and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). Manager 5.3 software and STATA 16.0 software were used to perform the meta-analysis.

RESULTS

The systematic review and meta-analysis aims to review and pool current clinical outcomes of Reyanning mixture for the treatment of COVID-19.

CONCLUSION

The conclusion of this review will provide evidence to judge whether Reyanning mixture combined with Conventional Western Medicine is an effective and safe intervention for COVID-19.

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY2020120044.

The therapeutic efficacy of Xuanfei Baidu Formula combined with conventional drug in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new acute espiratory infectious disease that has been in a public health emergency of international concern. In China, the combination of Xuanfei Baidu Formula (XBF) and conventional drug is used in the clinical treatment of patients with new coronary pneumonia, However, there is no comprehensive and systematic evidence on the effectiveness and safety of XBF.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We search for research in PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan-fang Database, China Biomedical Database, and Chinese Science Citation Database. For "Xuanfei Baidu Formula" and "COVID-19," we screened suitable articles without language restrictions on keywords, Review Manager 5.3 and STATA 14.2 software was used for the data analysis.

RESULTS

The systematic review and meta-analysis will evaluate the efficacy and safety of XBF combined with conventional drug in the treatment of COVID-19.

CONCLUSION

We will provide evidence of XBF for the treatment on COVID-19 patients.

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY2020120011.

Traditional Chinese medicine Lianhua Qingwen for treating COVID-19: A protocol for a meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in 2019, it has swept the world with rapid development and is one of the infectious diseases that seriously threatened global public health. Because of the complex pathogenesis, high infectivity, and high fatality rate of COVID-19, there are no effective treatments for this epidemic at present. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long clinical history in the prevention and treatment of such acute infectious diseases. The therapeutic effect of Lianhua Qingwen (LHQW) on this new coronary pneumonia has attracted the attention of all walks of life, and relevant research reports continue to appear. Here, we intend to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCT) to evaluate the efficacy of LHQW in COVID-19 patients.

METHODS

We will search each database from the built-in until Dec 2020. The English literature mainly search the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science, while the Chinese literature come from CNKI, VIP, Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM), Chinese Science Citation Database (CSCD), and Wan Fang database. Simultaneously, we will retrieve clinical registration tests. This study only screens the RCT of LHQW against COVID-19 and evaluates its efficacy and safety. We will use the Cochrane Handbook to systematically review interventions to assess the risk of bias. The protocol will be reported according to the approach and preferred report items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA - P). Finally, RevMan software version 5.3 will be used for meta-analysis.

RESULTS

The systematic review and meta-analysis aim to review and pool current clinical outcomes of LHQW for treating COVID-19.

CONCLUSION

This study will provide further evidence for the efficacy and safety of LHQW in the treatment of COVID-19.

INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER

INPLASY2020120043.

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis on ion homeostasis and salt tolerance-related gene expression in halophyte Suaeda salsa under salt treatments

Halophytes can remove large quantities of salts from saline soils, so their importance in ecology has received increasing attention. Preliminary studies have shown that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can improve the salt tolerance of halophytes. However, few studies have focused on the molecular mechanisms and effects of AM fungi in halophytes under different salt conditions. A pot experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of Funneliformis mosseae inoculation on growth, nutrient uptake, ion homeostasis and the expression of salt tolerance-related genes in Suaeda salsa under 0, 100, 200 and 400 mM NaCl. The results showed that F. mosseae promoted the growth of S. salsa and increased the shoot Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ concentrations under no-salt condition and high-salt condition. In addition, AM fungi increased the K⁺ concentration and maintained a high K⁺/Na⁺ ratio at 400 mM NaCl, while AM fungi decreased the K⁺ concentration and reduced the K⁺/Na⁺ ratio at 0 mM NaCl. AM fungi downregulated the expression of SsNHX1 in shoots and the expression of SsSOS1 in roots at 400 mM NaCl. These effects may decrease the compartmentation of Na⁺ into leaf vacuoles and restrict Na⁺ transport from roots to shoots, leading to an increase in root Na⁺ concentration. AM symbiosis upregulated the expression of SsSOS1 in shoots and downregulated the expression of SsSOS1 and SsNHX1 in roots at 100 mM NaCl. However, regulation of the genes (SsNHX1, SsSOS, SsVHA-B and SsPIP) was not significantly different with AM symbiosis at 0 mM or 200 mM NaCl. The results revealed that AM symbiosis might induce diverse modulation strategies in S. salsa, depending on external Na⁺ concentrations. These findings suggest that AM fungi may play significant ecological roles in the phytoremediation of salinized ecosystems.

Genome-wide analysis of PRR gene family uncovers their roles in circadian rhythmic changes and response to drought stress in Gossypium hirsutum L

Background

The circadian clock not only participates in regulating various stages of plant growth, development and metabolism, but confers plant environmental adaptability to stress such as drought. Pseudo-Response Regulators (PRRs) are important component of the central oscillator (the core of circadian clock) and play a significant role in plant photoperiod pathway. However, no systematical study about this gene family has been performed in cotton.

Methods

PRR genes were identified in diploid and tetraploid cotton using bioinformatics methods to investigate their homology, duplication and evolution relationship. Differential gene expression, KEGG enrichment analysis and qRT-PCR were conducted to analyze PRR gene expression patterns under diurnal changes and their response to drought stress.

Results

A total of 44 PRR family members were identified in four Gossypium species, with 16 in G. hirsutum, 10 in G. raimondii, and nine in G. barbadense as well as in G. arboreum. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that PRR proteins were divided into five subfamilies and whole genome duplication or segmental duplication contributed to the expansion of Gossypium PRR gene family. Gene structure analysis revealed that members in the same clade are similar, and multiple cis-elements related to light and drought stress response were enriched in the promoters of GhPRR genes. qRT-PCR results showed that GhPRR genes transcripts presented four expression peaks (6 h, 9 h, 12 h, 15 h) during 24 h and form obvious rhythmic expression trend. Transcriptome data with PEG treatment, along with qRT-PCR verification suggested that members of clade III (GhPRR5a, b, d) and clade V (GhPRR3a and GhPRR3c) may be involved in drought response. This study provides an insight into understanding the function of PRR genes in circadian rhythm and in response to drought stress in cotton.

A Review of the Traditional Uses, Botany, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Pharmacokinetics, and Toxicology ofCorydalis yanhusuo

Corydalis yanhusuo W. T. Wang (Papaveraceae) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine that has long been used to treat several conditions and is widely distributed in Asian countries. This review focuses on the traditional uses, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology of C. yanhusuo. The literature on C. yanhusuo was reviewed using several resources, including classic books on Chinese herbal medicine and scientific databases, namely, PubMed, Springer, Web of Science, Science Direct, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Based on information from these databases regarding the chemical components of C. yanhusuo, we evaluated the underlying interaction network between chemical components, biological targets, and associated diseases using Cytoscape software. To date, more than 160 compounds have been isolated and identified from C. yanhusuo, including alkaloids, organic acids, volatile oils, amino acids, nucleosides, alcohols, and sugars. The crude extracts and purified compounds of this plant have analgesic, antiarrhythmic, and antipeptic ulcer properties, along with hypnotic effects. However, studies on the pharmacokinetics of C. yanhusuo extracts remain limited. C. yanhusuo has therapeutic potential in diseases such as cancer and depression, probably due to glaucine and corydaline. Our network pharmacology analysis revealed interactions between 20 compounds, 54 corresponding targets, and 4 health conditions. We found that leonticine, tetrahydroberberine, and corydalmine may regulate the expression of PTGS2, PTGS1, KCNH2, SCN5A, RXRA, CAMKK2, NCOA2, and ESR1, representing a potential treatment strategy against pain, gastric ulcers, inflammation, and cardiac arrhythmias. Additionally, this article discusses the future directions of research on C. yanhusuo.

The therapeutic efficacy of Chinese patent medicine combined with routine western medicine in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a potentially fatal disease. clinical practice shows that Chinese Patent Medicine (CPM) has played an important role in the outbreak, Among them, Jinhua Qinggan granules, Lianhua Qingwen capsule, and Xuebiqing injection have an effect in treating COVID-19 patients, but it has not been systematically evaluated for efficacy and safety. We provide a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Retrieved the database, including the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Database, Wan Fang database, and PubMed. The quality of each study is assessed according to the criteria of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Using Manager 5.3 software and STATA 16.0 software were used to perform the meta-analysis.

RESULTS

The systematic review and meta-analysis aims to review and pool current clinical outcomes of CPM combined with routine western medicine (RWM) for the treatment of COVID-19.

CONCLUSION

This study will provide evidence of CPM (including Jinhua Qinggan granule, Lianhua Qingwen capsule, and Xuebiqing injection) for the treatment on COVID-19 patients.INPLASY Registration number: INPLASY202050050.

Replacing soybean meal with flax seed meal: effects on nutrient digestibility, rumen microbial protein synthesis and growth performance in sheep

Flax seed meal (FSM) is rich in various nutrients, especially CP and energy, and can be used as animal protein feed. In animal husbandry production, it is a long-term goal to replace soybean meal (SBM) in animal feed with other plant protein feed. However, studies on the effects of replacing SBM with FSM in fattening sheep are limited. The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of replacing a portion of SBM with FSM on nutrient digestibility, rumen microbial protein synthesis and growth performance in sheep. Thirty-six Dorper × Small Thin-Tailed crossbred rams (BW = 40.4 ± 1.73 kg, mean ± SD) were randomly assigned into four groups. The dietary treatments (forage/concentrate, 45 : 55) were isocaloric according to the nutrient requirements of rams. Soybean meal was replaced with FSM at different levels (DM basis): (1) 18% SBM (18SBM), (2) 12% SBM and 6% FSM (6FSM), (3) 6% SBM and 12% FSM (12FSM) and (4) 18% FSM (18FSM). The rams were fed in individual pens for 60 days, with the first 10 days for adaptation to diets, and then the digestibility of nutrients was determined. There was no significant difference in DM intake, but quadratic (P < 0.001) effects on the average daily gain and feed efficiency were detected, with the highest values in the 6FSM and 12FSM groups. For DM and NDF digestibility, quadratic effects were observed with the higher values in the 6FSM and 12FSM groups, but the digestibility of CP linearly decreased with the increase in FSM in the diet (P = 0.043). There was a quadratic (P < 0.001) effect of FSM inclusion rate on the estimated microbial CP yield. However, the values of intestinally absorbable dietary protein decreased linearly (P < 0.001). For the supply of metabolisable protein, both the linear (P = 0.001) and quadratic (P = 0.044) effects were observed with the lowest value in the 18FSM group. Overall, the results indicated that SBM can be effectively replaced by FSM in the diets of fattening sheep and the optimal proportion was 12.0% under the conditions of this experiment.

[Effect of complement C5a on the expression of MCP-1 and NGAL in immune kidney injury of trichloroethylene sensitized mice]

Objective: To explore the possible role of C5a in the pathogenesis of renal injury in TCE- sensitized mice, to analyze the impact of expression of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) in the presence or absence of C5a receptor antagonist (C5aRA) pretreatment. Methods: A total of 50 female specific pathogens free(SPF) BALB/c mice were randomly divided into blank control group (n=5) , solvent control group (n=5) , TCE group (n=20) , and TCE+C5aRA group (n= 20) . After one week for adaptive feeding, a mouse model of TCE-induced skin sensitization was established by treating with 50% TCE and 30% TCE in turn. The mice in solvent control group accept same reagents without TCE and the mice in blank control group underwent nothing. In TCE +C5aRA group, except for the TCE solution treatment, mice were intraperitoneally injected with 0.5 mg/kg C5aRA solution at the time of challenge. And the skin erythema and edema reaction were scored 24 h after the last challenge. The mice were divided into sensitization positive group and sensitization negative group according to the scoring result. The mice were aseptically sacrificed 72 h after the last challenge to obtain the kidneys. The structural damage of kidney was observed after histopathological staining. The levels of NGAL and MCP-1 mRNA and proteins were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) , respectively. Results: The sensitization rate of mice in TCE group and TCE+C5aRA group was 45.0% (9/20) and 40.0% (8/20) , respectively. No skin lesions was found in the mice of blank control group and solvent control group. The results of histopathological staining showed that the TCE sensitization positive mice showed renal tubular dilatation, vacuolar degeneration of renal tubular epithelial cells, and infiltration of interstitial cells. The pathological damage of the kidney in TCE sensitization positive group was mild, and no inflammatory cell infiltration was seen. The data of qRT-PCR showed that the expression levels of NGAL and MCP-1 mRNA in the TCE sensitization positive group were significantly increased than in solvent control group and TCE sensitization negative group (P<0.05) , while the levels of NGAL and MCP-1 mRNA in TCE+C5aRA sensitization positive group were decreased than TCE sensitization positive group (P <0.05) . The results of IHC showed that the expression levels of NGAL and MCP-1 in TCE protein sensitization positive group were significantly higher than those in solvent control group and TCE sensitization negative group (P<0.05) . After C5aRA pretreatment, the expression levels of NGAL and MCP-1 protein were decreased than the mice in TCE sensitization positive group (P<0.05) . Conclusion: The regulation of C5a on the expression of MCP-1 and NGAL may participate in TCE- induced mice kidney damage, and pharmacological inhibition of C5a seems to be an effective way to protect the kidney injury in TCE-sensitized mice.

Effects of miR-124-3p regulation of the p38MAPK signaling pathway via MEKK3 on apoptosis and proliferation of macrophages in mice with coronary atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND

Atherosclerosis (AS) is the main cause of myocardial infarction and stroke. Macrophage apoptosis in the early stages can attenuate lesions, while in the late stage it is associated with AS plaque rupture.

OBJECTIVES

To explore the effects of miR-124-3p regulation of the p38MAPK signaling pathway via the MEKK3 gene on the apoptosis and proliferation of macrophages in mice with coronary AS.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Fifty male apolipoprotein E (ApoE) -/- mice were equally assigned to a normal group and a coronary AS group. In the AS group, the mice were given a high-fat diet to establish a coronary AS model. The macrophages of the mice were isolated for culture and divided into 7 groups: normal, negative control (NC), control, miR-124-3p mimic, miR-124-3p inhibitor, si-MEKK3, and miR-124-3p inhibitor+si-MEKK3.

RESULTS

Compared with the normal group, the AS group had lower expression levels of miR-124-3p and higher expression levels of MEKK3 and p-p38MAPK in the coronary artery tissue and peritoneal macrophages (all p < 0.050). We found that miR-124-3p could negatively regulate MEKK3 expression. Compared with the control group, the miR-124-3p mimic group and si-MEKK3 group had greater cell apoptosis rates and Bax levels, weaker cell proliferation and invasion abilities, slower cell cycle progression, and lower PCNA and Bcl-2 levels (all p < 0.050). This trend was also displayed in the miR-124-3p inhibitor+si-MEKK3 group when compared with the miR-124-3p inhibitor group, and in the si-MEKK3 group when compared with the miR-124-3p inhibitor+si-MEKK3 group (all p < 0.050).

CONCLUSIONS

miR-124-3p overexpression can downregulate MEKK3 expression and inhibit the expression of the p38MAPK signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting macrophage proliferation and promoting macrophage apoptosis in mice with coronary AS.

[Exploration of the treatment model for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer complicated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease based on real-world data]

Objective: To explore whether combining treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with anti-tumor therapy is better than that of tumor treatment alone in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with COPD in the real world. Methods: The clinical data of 101 patients with advanced NSCLC complicated with COPD from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2017, in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University were analyzed retrospectively, including 99 males and two females, aged from 52 to 84 years[average (67±8) years]. Among the patients, 90 (89.1%) were smokers, with an average pack-year smoking index of (47±4) . The patients were divided into observation and control groups, depending on whether they received standardized anti-COPD supportive treatment. In the observation group, there were 36 patients, including 35 males and one female, aged from 54 to 84 years[ average (67±8) years], with an average pack-year of smoking (47±4). There were 65 patients in the control group, including 64 males and one female, aged from 52 to 83 years [average (67±8) years], with an average pack-year of smoking 47±4. There was no significant difference in the baseline data between the two groups. The primary outcome measures included the Objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), disease-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) of the two groups. An unpaired t-test was used to compare continuous variables between the observation and control groups. The Pearson chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables between the two groups. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to evaluate the median PFS and median OS of patients, and the log-rank test was used to assess differences between groups. Result: The ORR of the observation group and the control group was 22.6% (7 cases) and 22.2% (11 cases), respectively, with no significant difference (χ(2)=0.01, P=0.971). The DCR between the observation group and the control group was 58.1% (19 cases) and 57.8% (27 cases), with no significant difference (χ(2)=0.02, P=0.889). Median PFS in the observation group was 6.0 months, which was better than the 3.5 months in the control group (χ(2)=3.947, P<0.05). The median OS of the observation group was 18.0 months, which was better than the 15.0 months of the control group (χ(2)=4.083, P<0.05). Conclusions: Compared with the treatment of tumors alone, combination of anti-tumor therapy with anti-COPD therapy showed longer PFS and OS in patients with advanced NSCLC complicated with COPD.

Analysis of Consistency between Forensic Psychiatry Identification Diagnosis and Clinical Diagnosis of 1 369 Cases

Objective To explore the consistency between identification diagnosis and pre-identification clinical diagnosis of patients with mental disorder undergoing forensic psychiatry identification. Methods The identification data of 1 369 appraised individuals who underwent criminal responsibility identification carried out by the Forensic Institute of Second Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University from 2014 to 2017 were collected retrospectively using self-designed investigation data sorting table. A comparative analysis of the mental disorder diagnosis results of expert opinion and past clinical diagnosis results was made. Results Among 1 369 appraised individuals, 964 cases （70.4%） were identified and diagnosed with mental disorder and 405 cases （29.6%） without mental disorder. Among the former, 63.3% （610 cases） were clinically diagnosed, which was higher than 43.2% （175 cases, P<0.05） in the latter. Among the various mental disorders that had been identified and diagnosed, patients with hysteria, stress, and neurosis had the highest proportion of clinical diagnoses （86.7%）, while patients with mental retardation had the lowest proportion of clinical diagnoses （9.6%）. Schizophrenia had the highest overall consistency rate of identification diagnosis and clinical diagnosis （98.4%）, while personality and behavior disorder had the lowest （33.3%）. The overall consistency rate between clinical diagnosis and identification diagnosis of the mental disorder group was 84.1%, and the Kappa value was 0.759. Compared with clinical diagnosis, the consistency rate between inpatient diagnosis and identification diagnosis was higher （85.9%, P<0.05）. Conclusion In forensic psychiatry identification that provides data of past clinical diagnosis and treatment, a high consistency between identification diagnosis and clinical diagnosis of the appraised individual who is identified and diagnosed with mental disorder exists. Clinical diagnosis （especially the inpatient diagnosis） has a relatively good reference value for forensic psychiatry identification.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives as potential neuroprotectant against ischemic brain injury

A series of 1,2,4-triazole derivatives 1-14 was synthesized to investigate their neuroprotective effects and mechanisms of action. Compounds 5-11 noticeably protected PC12 cells from the cytotoxicity of H2O2 or sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Compound 11 was the most effective derivative. Compound 11 chelated Fe (II) iron, scavenged reactive oxygen species (ROS), and restored the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). Moreover, it enhanced the activity of the antioxidant defense system by increasing the serum level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and promoting the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). Compound 11 caused certain improvements in behavior, the cerebral infarction area, and serum levels of biochemical indicators (TNF-α, IL-1β, SOD and MDA) in a rat MCAO model. The lethal dose (LD50) of compound 11 in mice receiving intraperitoneal injections was greater than 400 mg/kg. Meanwhile, pharmacokinetic experiments revealed high bioavailability of this compound after both oral and intravenous administration (F = 60.76%, CL = 0.014 mg/kg/h) and a longer half-life (4.26 and 5.11 h after oral and intravenous administration, respectively). Based on these findings, compound 11 may be a promising neuroprotectant for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

BRF Negatively Regulates Thermotolerance Defect of fes1a in Arabidopsis

FES1A is a heat shock protein 70 binding protein. Mutation of FES1A leads to a defect in thermotolerance of Arabidopsis; however, independent fes1a mutants exhibit a range in the extent of thermosensitivity. Here, we found that BRF2, a gene adjacent to FES1A and encoding a component of transcription factor IIIB, affects the thermosensitivity of fes1a mutants. Knockout of BRF2 suppressed fes1a thermosensitivity, while overexpression of BRF2 increased thermosensitivity of fes1a. BRF2 in fes1a mutants regulates the transcriptional strength of RNA Polymerase II and accumulation of heat shock proteins and eventually affects the thermotolerance of fes1a. There is a cross-talking between RNA Pol III and Pol II. The cross-talking is initiated by BRF, magnified by the mutation of FES1A, and finally has an effect on thermotolerance.

Identification of candidate genes for key fibre-related QTLs and derivation of favourable alleles in Gossypium hirsutum recombinant inbred lines with G. barbadense introgressions

Fine mapping QTLs and identifying candidate genes for cotton fibre-quality and yield traits would be beneficial to cotton breeding. Here, we constructed a high-density genetic map by specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq) to identify QTLs associated with fibre-quality and yield traits using 239 recombinant inbred lines (RILs), which was developed from LMY22 (a high-yield Gossypium hirsutumL. cultivar) × LY343 (a superior fibre-quality germplasm with G. barbadenseL. introgressions). The genetic map spanned 3426.57 cM, including 3556 SLAF-based SNPs and 199 SSR marker loci. A total of 104 QTLs, including 67 QTLs for fibre quality and 37 QTLs for yield traits, were identified with phenotypic data collected from 7 environments. Among these, 66 QTLs were co-located in 19 QTL clusters on 12 chromosomes, and 24 QTLs were detected in three or more environments and determined to be stable. We also investigated the genomic components of LY343 and their contributions to fibre-related traits by deep sequencing the whole genome of LY343, and we found that genomic components from G. hirsutum races (which entered LY343 via its G. barbadense parent) contributed more favourable alleles than those from G. barbadense. We further identified six putative candidate genes for stable QTLs, including Gh_A03G1147 (GhPEL6), Gh_D07G1598 (GhCSLC6) and Gh_D13G1921 (GhTBL5) for fibre-length QTLs and Gh_D03G0919 (GhCOBL4), Gh_D09G1659 (GhMYB4) and Gh_D09G1690 (GhMYB85) for lint-percentage QTLs. Our results provide comprehensive insight into the genetic basis of the formation of fibre-related traits and would be helpful for cloning fibre-development-related genes as well as for marker-assisted genetic improvement in cotton.

Prospective study of the relevance of circulating tumor cell status and neoadjuvant chemotherapy effectiveness in early breast cancer

Although unequivocal evidence has shown the prognostic relevance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), less evidence is available for its significance in neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) in early breast cancer (BC). Here we conducted an analysis of individual data from 86 patients confirmed as invasive BC by core‐needle biopsy in Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital between June 2013 and January 2017. The CTCs were assessed at the time after diagnosis and before surgery with the CanPatrol technique. The median follow‐up duration was 46.3 months. CTCs were detected in 37.2% of all patients (29/78) at baseline, and the presence of CTCs was associated with tumor size, tumor stage, and molecular classification. After NCT, the CTC‐positive patients were dropped from 29 to 8, and the EC‐T (epirubicin/cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel) and TEC (docetaxel/epirubicin/cyclophosphamide) strategies reduce CTC‐positive patients from 16 to 3 and 13 to 5, respectively. The CTC‐negative conversion rates were similar in ER/PR+ HER2+ (5/7, 71.4%), ER/PR− HER2+ (8/11, 72.7%), and TNBC (7/10, 70%) during NCT. In addition, we explored the association between CTC‐negative conversion and objective response rate (partial response and complete response, ORR) and pathological complete response rate (pCR), and our results indicate that ORR was higher in patients with positive CTCs and converted to negative after NCT (ORR, P = .013; pCR, P = .0608). Our study preliminarily highlights the relevance of CTC status and NCT effectiveness in early BC using the CanPatrol system.

[The cutoff value of FEV(1)/FVC as the criteria of airway obstruction in children]

Objective: To explore the cutoff value of FEV(1)/FVC for evaluating obstructive ventilation dysfunction in children. Methods: Three hundred and eighty-three healthy children (190 boys and 193 girls) aged 6-14 years in primary and middle school in Beijing, who were enrolled from May 2010 to June 2011, had their spirometry done with the Jaeger lung function instrument, and the lower limit of normal (LLN) of FEV(1)/FVC was calculated. Two hundred and thirteen asthmatic children (151 boys and 62 girls) aged 6-14 years from the outpatient Department of Allergy, Capital Institute of Pediatrics were enrolled consecutively from June to July 2018, whose clinical history and pulmonary function parameters were collected. The expected value of spirometric parameters of asthmatic children was calculated according to Zapletal prediction equations. And the LLN of FEV(1)/FVC in healthy children was used as the gold standard to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, Youden index and Kappa value of FEV(1)/FVC<80% and FEV(1)/FVC< 92% predicted. Results: In healthy children, the FEV(1)/FVC and the LLN were 91%±5% and 82% respectively, while 90%±6% and 81% in boys, and 92%±5% and 84% in girls. There were 27 (12.7%) asthmatic children whose FEV(1)/FVC<80% but FEV(1)/FVC≥92% predicted (χ(2)=123.7, P<0.01). The sensitivity, specificity, Youden index and Kappa value of FEV(1)/FVC<80% were 80.3%, 100%, 0.803 and 0.787 respectively when FEV(1)/FVC<80% was used as the criteria to assess lung function, while they were 57.3%, 100%, 0.573 and 0.547, respectively, when FEV(1)/FVC<92% predicted was used as criteria. Conclusions: The 80% of FEV(1)/FVC has a better consistency with the LLN of FEV(1)/FVC than 92% of FEV(1)/FVC% predicted. It is more accarate to use FEV(1)/FVC<80% as the diagnostic criteria for airway obstruction.

[Preoperative evaluation using multi-slice spiral CT angiography of right-side colon vascular in laparoscopic radical operation for right colon cancer]

Objectives: To examine the value of multi-slice spiral CT angiography (MSCTA) in the analysis of anatomical variation and structural classification of right colon vessels. Methods: From August 2015 to August 2017, 198 patients (96 of whom underwent laparoscopic radical resection of right colon cancer) at Department of General surgery of Peking University First Hospital were retrospectively collected, and the results of abdominal enhanced CT scan were collected and three-dimensional reconstruction of blood vessels was performed. There were 104 males and 94 females. The age was 64(27) years (M(Q(R)), range: 19 to 87 years). Right gastroepiploic vein, anterior superior pancreaticoduodenal vein, right colonic vein (RCV), superior right colonic vein, ileocolon artery or vein (ICA or ICV), middle colon artery or vein (MCA or MCV) and Henle trunk were observed and recorded respectively. The anatomical relationship between the positions of blood vessels, the length of Henle trunk and surgical trunk were measured. Results: ICV and ICA were the most constant anatomic structures. The ICV/ICA of all patients came directly from SMV/SMA, 36.9% (73/198) ICV going in front of SMV and 63.1% (125/198) behind SMV. 72.2% (143/198) of the patients had RCV imported into Henle trunk and the rest into SMV. Middle colonic vein (MCV) could be observed in 81.3% (161/198) of the cases. 81.4% (131/161) of MCV were imported into SMV, 16.8% (27/161) into Henle trunk, 1.2% (2/161) into the first jejunal vein and 0.6% (1/161) into the splenic vein. Henle trunk was divided into 4 types, among which the occurrence probability of gastric node and pancreatic trunk was the highest. The dry length of Henle trunk was (0.82±0.39) cm (range: 0.37 to 1.68 cm). The length of surgical trunk was (2.54±0.83) cm (range: 1.57 to 3.95 cm). Accuracy of MSCTA results was 96.9%(93/96). Conclusions: Anatomical variation of blood vessels in the right colon is common. Abdominal CT angiography can accurately determine the anatomical structure of the blood vessels in the right colon.

Prognostic Value of Lipoprotein(a) Levels in Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography for Premature Acute Coronary Syndromes

Little is known about the association between lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels and future ischemic cardiovascular events in patients with premature acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A total of 1464 consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography for premature ACS (males <45 years and females <55 years) were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into quartiles according to serum Lp(a) levels (Q1: ≤11.1 nmol/L; Q2: 11.1-27.7 nmol/L; Q3: 27.7-79.3 nmol/L; and Q4: >79.3 nmol/L). Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) increased with Lp(a) quartiles after 2-year follow-up (among quartiles, respectively; P = .001). Kaplan-Meier curves revealed significant differences in event-free survival rates among Lp(a) quartile groups ( P = .001). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis indicated that serum Lp(a) level was an independent predictor of MACE either as a continuous variable (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.002, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.001-1.004; P = .009) or as a categorical variable (HR: 1.443, 95% CI: 1.074-1.937; P = .015). Furthermore, Lp(a) levels (as a variable) significantly improved the prognostic value for MACE. These findings suggest that Lp(a) measurement has value for cardiovascular risk stratification in patients with premature ACS.

[Expressions of CD4+CD45RA+T cells and CD4+CD45RO+T cells in peripheral blood of patients with acute coronary syndrome and their significance]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expressions of CD4⁺CD45RA⁺T cells and CD4⁺CD45RO⁺T cells in peripheral blood of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and their significance.

METHODS

A case-control study was conducted. Ninety-four patients receiving coronary angiography (CAG) admitted to Tianjin Chest Hospital from March 5th to April 27th in 2018 were enrolled. They were divided into non-coronary heart disease (CHD) group (n = 12), unstable angina pectoris (UAP) group (n = 27), acute non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) group (n = 27) and acute ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) group (n = 28) according to the patients' symptoms, electrocardiogram, troponin test and angiographic results. General data, blood routine parameters, and biochemical indicators were collected. The ratios of CD4⁺CD45RA⁺T cells and CD4⁺CD45RO⁺T cells were determined by flow cytometry. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to evaluate whether CD4⁺CD45RA⁺T cells and CD4⁺CD45RO⁺T cells were associated with STEMI.

RESULTS

Ninety-four patients were included initially. After excluding the patients who died during the intervention, 93 patients were enrolled in the data analysis finally, with 12 patients in the non-CHD group, 27 patients in the UAP group, and the same as the NSTEMI group and the STEMI group. Compared with the non-CHD group, white blood cell count (WBC) was decreased (×10⁹/L: 6.03±1.30 vs. 6.60±1.30, P < 0.05), and lymphocyte ratio was increased (0.273±0.059 vs. 0.269±0.070, P > 0.05) in patients of the UAP group; however, in the NSTEMI group and STEMI group, WBC was increased (×10⁹/L: 8.29±2.28, 9.86±2.76 vs. 6.60±1.30, both P < 0.05), and lymphocyte ratio was decreased (0.236±0.076, 0.173±0.094 vs. 0.269±0.070, P > 0.05 and P < 0.05), especially in the STEMI group [WBC (×10⁹/L): 9.86±2.76 vs. 6.60±1.30, lymphocyte ratio: 0.173±0.094 vs. 0.269±0.070, both P < 0.05]. There was no significant difference in biochemical indicators among all of the groups. Flow cytometry results showed that the ratios of CD4⁺CD45RO⁺T cells in the UAP group and NSTEMI group were higher than those in the non-CHD group (0.323±0.074, 0.319±0.078 vs. 0.314±0.058, both P > 0.05); however, the ratio of CD4⁺CD45RO⁺T cells in the STEMI group showed a decreased tendency (0.270±0.057 vs. 0.314±0.058, P > 0.05), and it was significantly lower than that in the UAP group and the NSTEMI group (0.270±0.057 vs. 0.323±0.074, 0.319±0.078, both P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the ratio of CD4⁺CD45RA⁺T cells among all of the groups. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CD4⁺CD45RA⁺T cells ratio was not significantly correlated with the occurrence of STEMI [odds ratio (OR) = 0.976, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 0.907-1.050, P = 0.518], but CD4⁺CD45RO⁺T cells ratio was significantly correlated with the occurrence of STEMI (OR = 0.888, 95%CI was 0.821-0.961, P = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

There was no significant difference in the ratio of CD4⁺CD45RA⁺T cells among UAP, NSTEMI and STEMI patients, and CD4⁺CD45RO⁺T cells ratio in the STEMI group was significantly lower than that in the UAP group and NSTEMI group. CD4⁺CD45RO⁺T cells ratio may be risk factor of STEMI.

Discovery of tissue selective liver X receptor agonists for the treatment of atherosclerosis without causing hepatic lipogenesis

Liver X Receptor (LXR) is a potential drug target for atherosclerosis. One of the major challenges in taking LXR modulators to the clinic is steatosis. It was reported that sterol LXR agonists selectively activate LXR in the intestine and macrophage cells rather than in the liver. We hypothesize that sterol LXR agonists may selectively inhibit atherosclerosis without causing hepatic lipogenesis. Thus, based on LXR structure, 12 sterol compounds were designed and tested in a dual-luciferase reporter gene experiment. It was confirmed that compounds 4 and 6 were LXR agonists. Further experiments demonstrated that compounds 4 and 6 inhibit the formation of macrophage foam cells without inducing triglyceride accumulation in either hepatocytes or adipocytes. In vivo studies demonstrated that compound 4 promotes reverse cholesterol transport without inducing hepatic lipogenesis. Thus, we report that these compounds with sterol scaffolds can be promising leads for the treatment of atherosclerosis without inducing steatosis.

[Clinical short-term and long-term efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection in the treatment of early low rectal cancer and precancerous lesions]

Objective: To evaluate the short-term and long-term efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the treatment of early low rectal cancer and precancerous lesions. Methods: Inclusion criteria: (1) Distance from the lower margin of tumor to the anal was ≤ 5 cm. (2) Early low rectal cancers were any size rectal epithelial tumors with infiltration depth limited to the mucosa and submucosa, which were diagnosed by postoperative pathology as high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia or adenocarcinoma of the rectum with infiltration depth of intramucosal or submucosal cancer (M or SM stage). (3) Precancerous lesions included adenoma and low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia of the rectum. (4) Patients received ESD treatment. Patients with tumor invasion depth over submucosa by pathology were excluded. From January 2008 to January 2018, 63 patients meeting the above criteria in Peking University First Hospital were enrolled in this descriptive cohort study. The disease characteristics, clinical manifestations, pathological types, treatment time, hospitalization time, en bloc resection rate (resection of the whole lesion), complete resection rate (both the horizontal and vertical incision margins were negative), postoperative complications and follow-up results were analyzed. Cummulative survival rate was calculated by Kaplan-Meier. Results: The diameter of the lesion was (29.0±23.4) mm and the distance from the lesion to the anus was (2.7±1.8) cm. The median operation time was 45.0 (range, 10.0 to 360.0) minutes, the median hospitalization time was 3.0 (range, 2.0 to 12.0) days, en bloc resection rate was 100%, complete resection rate was 96.8% (61/63), and 1 case (1.6%) had postoperative bleeding. The follow-up rate was 87.3% (55/63) and the median follow-up time was 57.9 (range, 15.6 to 121.1) months. No local recurrence was found during the follow-up period and the 5-year survival rate was 100%. Conclusion: Short- and long-term efficacy of ESD are quite good in the treatment of patients with early low rectal cancer and precancerous lesions.

[Combined detection of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA mutations in the plasma and tumor tissues of colorectal cancer patients]

Objective: To analyze the concordance of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA gene mutations detected in plasma and matched tumor tissues in colorectal cancer patients, in order to provide good evidences to support plasma could be a potential surrogate of tumor tissue for gene mutation test. Methods: One hundred and seventy-five cases of colorectal cancer were collected at the First Hospital of Jilin University, from October 2016 to October 2017.There were 101 males and 74 females, their ages ranged from 28 to 85 years,with median age of 59 years. The KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA gene mutations in the plasma and paired tumor specimens of all patients were detected by next generation sequencing. Results: The results of tissue samples test were gold standard. Comparison of the four genes showed that concordance rates between plasma and tissue samples were 81.1%(Kappa=0.543), 99.4%(Kappa=0.886), 99.4% (Kappa=0.886) and 97.7%(Kappa=0.714) respectively for KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA. The plasma detection rates of these genes were related to tumor stage(P=0.001), but not to gender(P=0.468) and age(P=1.000) of patients. Conclusions: The study shows a high concordance of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA gene mutations in plasma against mutation status in tumor tissue. In colorectal cancer, tumor tissue remains the best specimen for gene detection. However, patients from tumor tissue specimens cannot be obtained, especially those with advanced metastases, plasma can be used instead of tissue to detect the mutation status of KRAS, NRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA to guide targeted therapy.