Five new secondary metabolites from Aster tataricus

Aster tataricus L.f. is highly valued for its rich reserves of bioactive compounds. Our research focused on the identification of previously unreported compounds found within the ethanol extract of A. tataricus. Through meticulous spectroscopic analyses and computational methods like NMR calculations and ECD, we successfully elucidated the structures of five novel compounds termed tatarisides A-E (1-5), alongside two known compounds (6, 7). The anti-inflammatory assays conducted yielded noteworthy results, particularly in relation to compounds 1 and 5. These compounds exhibited significant potential in inhibiting the release of NO in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells, as evidenced by their respective IC50 values of 17.81 ± 1.25 μM and 13.32 ± 0.84 μM. The discovery of these new compounds adds to the existing knowledge of A. tataricus's chemical composition and potential applications.

Four new alkaloids from the roots of Dactylicapnos scandens

Four new alkaloids (1 - 4), together with five known ones (5 - 9), were isolated from the bulbs of Dactylicapnos scandens. The structures were determined by analysis of their spectroscopic data and quantum-chemical calculations. All the isolates were tested for their ability to modulate neuronal Ca2+ mobilization in primary cultured neocortical neurons. Compound 8 inhibited spontaneous Ca2+ oscillations at low micromolar concentrations.

[Progress in research of self-sampling for detection of genital chlamydia trachomatis and related factors in men who have sex with men]

Laboratory testing is a vital chain in the prevention and control of genital chlamydia trachomatis infection. The prevalence of genital chlamydia trachomatis infection is high, but the detection rate of the infection is low in men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. Self-sampling for genital chlamydia trachomatis detection by MSM is a new option to address this problem, which would play a significant role in expanding genital chlamydia trachomatis infection screening in this population. This paper summarizes the progress in research of self-sampling for the detection of genital chlamydia trachomatis and the related factors in MSM both at home and abroad to provide reference for the promotion of self-sampling for the detection of genital chlamydia trachomatis in this population.

[Clinical, endoscopic, and pathological analyses of 14 cases of gastric adenocarcinoma of the fundic gland type]

Objective: Gastric adenocarcinoma of the fundic gland type (GA-FG) is rare and often occurs in patients who are not infected with Helicobacter pylori. The current study analyzed and summarized the clinical, endoscopic, and pathological features of GA-FG, in an effort to improve its diagnosis. Methods: Patients who were diagnosed with GA-FG and treated with endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) resection at the Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University from January 1st 2020 to October 1st 2022 were included in the study. Their clinical manifestations, endoscopic features, pathological immunohistochemistry, and other characteristics were analyzed. Results: A total of 14 patients with GA-FG were included in the study, 5 males and 9 females, with a mean age of 59 years. Most had no substantial clinical manifestations. Twelve patients were H. pylori-negative, all patients underwent ESD resection, and all patients survived during the follow-up period of 13±9 months. Eleven patients had postoperative endoscopic follow-up records, and no recurrence was detected. Fifteen lesions were detected (2 were present in 1 patient). Twelve were located in the upper 1/3 of the stomach, 10 were ≤ 1 cm in diameter, 12 had a morphology of type 0-Ⅱa, 8 had visible discoloration changes, and 12 had visible vasodilation on the surface. Magnified endoscopy and narrow-band imaging indicated that 12 of the lesions had enlarged marginal crypt epithelium, without any obvious microvascular pattern abnormalities and no obvious borderline. After resection the pathological specimens were all without vascular infiltration, and there was no atrophy of the mucosa at the edge of the lesion. In immunohistochemistry analyses MUC-2 was negative in all cases. MUC5AC was negative in 11 cases, MUC-6 was positive in all cases, and Ki-67 was ≤ 5% in 12 cases. Conclusions: GA-FG is a newly identified type of gastric cancer with low malignancy and a good prognosis. Characteristic discoloration and surface dilated vessels are often evident endoscopically. Enlarged marginal crypt epithelium and no visible boundary lines are often apparent in magnification endoscopy and narrow band imaging.

CA3 hippocampal synaptic plasticity supports ripple physiology during memory consolidation

The consolidation of recent memories depends on memory replays, also called ripples, generated within the hippocampus during slow-wave sleep, and whose inactivation leads to memory impairment. For now, the mobilisation, localisation and importance of synaptic plasticity events associated to ripples are largely unknown. To tackle this question, we used cell surface AMPAR immobilisation to block post-synaptic LTP within the hippocampal region of male mice during a spatial memory task, and show that: 1- hippocampal synaptic plasticity is engaged during consolidation, but is dispensable during encoding or retrieval. 2- Plasticity blockade during sleep results in apparent forgetting of the encoded rule. 3- In vivo ripple recordings show a strong effect of AMPAR immobilisation when a rule has been recently encoded. 4- In situ investigation suggests that plasticity at CA3-CA3 recurrent synapses supports ripple generation. We thus propose that post-synaptic AMPAR mobility at CA3 recurrent synapses is necessary for ripple-dependent rule consolidation.

[Analysis of the relationship between embryo quality at different developmental stages and secondary sex ratio of single live births]

Objective: To investigate the effect of embryo quality at different developmental stages on the secondary sex ratio (SSR) of single live birth neonates. Methods: Data for patients with singleton live births after embryo transferred between January 2016 and January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The effect of embryo quality at different development stages on the SSR of 11 713 singleton live births were investigated. The association of SSR and embryo quality at different development stages was examined in univariate analysis and in a multivariate logistic regression model, after adjustment for confounders, using two models (Ⅰ and Ⅱ). Results: The age of both male and female, body mass index of both male and female, basal follicle stimulating hormone and estradiol, smoking of male, methods of insemination, methods of sperm extraction, types of transfer cycle and the number of embryo transferred were not related with SSR (all P>0.05). After adjustment for confounders, the probability of a male live birth was higher after transfer of good-quality blastula than after transfer of poorer-quality blastula (model Ⅰ: aOR=0.73, 95%CI: 0.65-0.82, P<0.001; model Ⅱ: aOR=0.73, 95%CI: 0.65-0.82, P<0.001). The quality of cleavage stage embryo was not associated with SSR (model Ⅰ: aOR=0.99, 95%CI: 0.87-1.13, P=0.937; model Ⅱ: aOR=0.99, 95%CI: 0.87-1.13, P=0.899). Conclusions: The SSR of singleton live births after embryo transfer is not correlated with the quality of cleavage stage embryo, but is correlated with the quality of blastula. Good-quality blastula transfer is more likely to result in a male live birth.

[The status of patient-reported outcomes and their correlation with the number of hospitalizations within 1 year in patients with atrial fibrillation]

Objective: To observe the status of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and their correlation with the number of hospitalizations within 1 year in patients with atrial fibrillation(AF). Methods: This study is a prospective investigation. Patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation treated in the Department of Cardiology of the Third People's Hospital of Yancheng from May 2020 to April 2021 were selected. General information and AF6 questionnaire were used to define PROs. The number of hospitalizations within 1 year after discharge was obtained. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between PROs and the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification. The logistic regression model was used to analyze the number of hospitalizations in AF patients within 1 year. Results: A total of 197 patients were enrolled, the mean age was (74.1±9.0) years, 106 (53.8%) patients were female. The mean AF6 score was (24.3±8.3). The proportion of patients with 6 entries≥1 point exceeded 50%. There was a positive correlation between NYHA classification and PROs (r=0.360, P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that the older age (OR=1.058, P=0.004) and the AF6 scores≥24(OR=4.082, P<0.001) were the risk factors of rehospitalization within 1 year for AF patients. Conclusions: The PROs of AF patients are at the medium level and poor levels of PROs are associated with increased risk of rehospitalization within 1 year.

Serum response factor promotes axon regeneration following spinal cord transection injury

Studies have shown that serum response factor is beneficial for axonal regeneration of peripheral nerves. However, its role after central nervous system injury remains unclear. In this study, we established a rat model of T9-T10 spinal cord transection injury. We found that the expression of serum response factor in injured spinal cord gray matter neurons gradually increased with time, reached its peak on the 7^th day, and then gradually decreased. To investigate the role of serum response factor, we used lentivirus vectors to overexpress and silence serum response factor in spinal cord tissue. We found that overexpression of serum response factor promoted motor function recovery in rats with spinal cord injury. Qualitative observation of biotinylated dextran amine anterograde tracing showed that overexpression of serum response factor increased nerve fibers in the injured spinal cord. Additionally, transmission electron microscopy showed that axon and myelin sheath morphology was restored. Silencing serum response factor had the opposite effects of overexpression. These findings suggest that serum response factor plays a role in the recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury. The underlying mechanism may be related to the regulation of axonal regeneration.

[A medium- and long-term comparative observation on volumetric changes of cervical disc herniation after symmetrically or asymmetrically decompression and conservative treatment for cervical spondylotic myelopathy]

Objective: To compare the volumetric changes of cervical disc herniation (CDH) after cervical microendoscopic laminoplasty(CMEL),expansive open-door laminoplasty (EOLP) and conservative treatment. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted involving 101 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy(CSM),at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery,the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from April 2012 to April 2021. The patients included 52 males and 49 females with an age of (54.7±11.8) years(range:25 to 86 years). Among them, 35 patients accepted CMEL treatment,33 patients accepted EOLP treatment,while 33 patients accepted conservative treatment. Volume data of CDH were measured by three-dimensional analysis of the initial and follow-up MRI images. The absorption rate and reprotrusion rate of CDH were calculated. The happening of resorption or reprotrusion was defined when the ratio was greater than 5%. The clinical outcomes and quality of life were evaluated by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and the neck disability index (NDI).Quantitative data was analyzed by one-way ANOVA with post LSD-t test (multiple comparison) or Kruskal-Wallis test. Categorical data was analyzed by χ2 test. Results: The follow-up time of the CMEL group,EOLP group and the conservative treatment group were (27.6±18.8)months,(21.6±6.9)months and(24.9±16.3)months respectively with no significant difference(P>0.05). Changes of CDH volume in patients:(1) There were 96 CDH of 35 patients in the CMEL group,among which 78 showed absorption. The absorption frequency was 81.3%(78/96) and the absorption rate was ranged 5.9% to 90.9%;9 CDH showed reprotrusion,the reprotrusion frequency was 9.4% (9/96) and the reprotrusion rate was 5.9% to 13.3%;(2) There were 94 CDH of 33 patients in the EOLP group,of which 45 showed absorption. The absorption prevalence was 47.9% (45/94) and the absorption rate was 5.0% to 26.7%;20 CDH showed reprotruded,with the reprotrusion frequency of 21.3% (20/94) and the reprotrusion rate was 5.8% to 28.3%;(3) There were 102 CDH in 33 patients of the conservative group. Among them, 5 showed absorption. The absorption frequency was 4.9% (5/102),and the absorption rate was 7.2% to 14.3%;58 CDH showed reprotruded with the re-protrusion ratio of 56.9% (58/102) and the re-protrusion rate was 5.4% to 174.1%. The absorption ratio and reprotrusion ratio of the CMEL group were statistically different from EOLP group or the conservative group (P<0.01).The absorption ratio and reprotrusion ratio of the EOLP group was different from conservative group (all P<0.01). In terms of clinical outcomes, the excellent/good rate of the JOA score and NDI scores in the CMEL group were different from that of conservative group (all P<0.01) but not from that of the EOLP group(P>0.05). Conclusions: CMEL is an effective method for the treatment of CSM,making CDH easier to resorption compared to the EOLP or conservative treatment,thus making a better decompression effect on the nerves. This study enlightened on a new strategy for the clinical treatment of CSM.

[Research on the anti-tumor effects of CRYAB in prostate cancer]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the relationship between CRYAB and the prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa) as well as the potential mechanism.

METHODS

Bioinformatics analysis was performed using R software, including differential gene expression and clinical correlation analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Kaplan-Meier (KM) curve generation. Gene expression was detected using RT-qPCR, and protein expression was validated using Western Blot. The proliferation, apoptosis, and metastatic ability of PCa cells were detected using CCK8, TUNEL, Transwell migration, and invasion assays.

RESULTS

According to the TCGA and GEO databases, CRYAB mRNA expression was down-regulated in PCa tissue compared with normal tissue (P< 0.05), and CRYAB mRNA and protein were down-regulated in PCa cells compared with RWPE1 cells (P< 0.05). Cell function experiments showed that up-regulated CRYAB could inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and migration of prostate cancer cells, promote apoptosis (P< 0.05), and up-regulate CDH1 expression while down-regulating CDH2 expression in the CRYAB-upregulated cell line. In addition, CRYAB mRNA expression was correlated with Gleason score (P< 0.01). The area under the ROC curve was 0.914, the KM curve showed that CRYAB had prognostic value for progression-free survival (P = 0.008) and disease-specific survival (P = 0.032).

CONCLUSION

CRYAB is down-regulated in PCa tissue and is associated with the anti- tumor function of PCa cells. It may affect the metastatic ability of prostate cancer cells by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition molecules. CRYAB mRNA has important diagnostic and prognostic value in PCa.

Determining resuscitation threshold for extremely preterm infants based on the survival rates without severe neurological injury

Background

Published guidelines on decision-making and resuscitation of extremely preterm infants primarily focus on high-income countries. For rapidly industrializing ones like China, there is a lack of population-based data for informing prenatal management and practice guidelines.

Methods

The Sino-northern Neonatal Network conducted a prospective multi-centre cohort study between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2021. Infants with a gestational age (GA) between 22 (postnatal age in days = 0) and 28 (postnatal age in days = 6) admitted to 40 tertiary NICUs in northern China were included and evaluated for death or severe neurological injury before discharge.

Results

For all extremely preterm infants (n = 5838), the proportion of admission to the neonatal was 4.1% at 22-24 weeks, 27.2% at 25-26 weeks, and 75.2% at 27 and 28 weeks. Among 2228 infants admitted to the NICU, 216 (11.1%) were still elected for withdrawal of care (WIC) due to non-medical factors. Survival rates without severe neurological injury were 6.7% for infants at 22-23 weeks, 28.0% at 24 weeks, 56.7% at 24 weeks, 61.7% at 25 weeks, 79.9% at 26 weeks, and 84.5% at 27 and 28 weeks. Compared with traditional criterion at 28 weeks, the relative risk for death or severe neurological injury were 1.53 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.26-1.86) at 27 weeks, 2.32 (95% CI = 1.73-3.11) at 26 weeks, 3.62 (95% CI = 2.43-5.40) at 25 weeks, and 8.91 (95% CI = 4.69-16.96) at 24 weeks. The NICUs with higher proportion of WIC also had a higher rate of death or severe neurological injury after maximal intensive care (MIC).

Conclusions

Compared to the traditional threshold of 28 weeks, more infants received MIC after 25 weeks, leading to significant increases in survival rates without severe neurological injury. Therefore, the resuscitation threshold should be gradually adjusted from 28 to 25 weeks based on reliable capacity.

Registration

China Clinical Trials Registry. ID: ChiCTR1900025234.

Amelioration effects of α-viniferin on hyperuricemia and hyperuricemia-induced kidney injury in mice

BACKGROUND

α-Viniferin, the major constituent of the roots of Caragana sinica (Buc'hoz) Rehder with a trimeric resveratrol oligostilbenoid skeleton, was demonstrated to possess a strong inhibitory effect on xanthine oxidase in vitro, suggesting it to be a potential anti-hyperuricemia agent. However, the in vivo anti-hyperuricemia effect and its underlying mechanism were still unknown.

PURPOSE

The current study aimed to evaluate the anti-hyperuricemia effect of α-viniferin in a mouse model and to assess its safety profile with emphasis on its protective effect on hyperuricemia-induced renal injury.

METHODS

The effects were assessed in a potassium oxonate (PO)- and hypoxanthine (HX)-induced hyperuricemia mice model by analyzing the levels of serum uric acid (SUA), urine uric acid (UUA), serum creatinine (SCRE), serum urea nitrogen (SBUN), and histological changes. Western blotting and transcriptomic analysis were used to identify the genes, proteins, and signaling pathways involved.

RESULTS

α-Viniferin treatment significantly reduced SUA levels and markedly mitigated hyperuricemia-induced kidney injury in the hyperuricemia mice. Besides, α-viniferin did not show any obvious toxicity in mice. Research into the mechanism of action of α-viniferin revealed that it not only inhibited uric acid formation by acting as an XOD inhibitor, but also reduced uric acid absorption by acting as a GLUT9 and URAT1 dual inhibitor as well as promoted uric acid excretion by acting as a ABCG2 and OAT1 dual activator. Then, 54 differentially expressed (log₂ FPKM ≥ 1.5, p ≤ 0.01) genes (DEGs) repressed by the treatment of α-viniferin in the hyperuricemia mice were identified in the kidney. Finally, gene annotation results revealed that downregulation of S100A9 in the IL-17 pathway, of CCR5 and PIK3R5 in the chemokine signaling pathway, and of TLR2, ITGA4, and PIK3R5 in the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway were involved in the protective effect of α-viniferin on the hyperuricemia-induced renal injury.

CONCLUSIONS

α-Viniferin inhibited the production of uric acid through down-regulation of XOD in hyperuricemia mice. Besides, it also down-regulated the expressions of URAT1 and GLUT9 and up-regulated the expressions of ABCG2 and OAT1 to promote the excretion of uric acid. α-Viniferin could prevent hyperuricemia mice from renal damage by regulating the IL-17, chemokine, and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways. Collectively, α-viniferin was a promising antihyperuricemia agent with desirable safety profile. This is the first report of α-viniferin as an antihyperuricemia agent.

[Effect of laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy on ovarian reserve and the outcomes of in vitro fertilization patients with benign ovarian cysts]

Objective: To investigate the effect of laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy on anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) level, ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation and pregnancy rate for in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients with benign ovarian cysts. Methods: Patients with benign ovarian cysts who were admitted for cystectomy and had undergone IVF treatment were enrolled in the study. There were 373 participants with ovarian cysts underwent laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy in the experimental group. According to duration of post-surgery, there were four sub-groups: 1 year post-surgery (1Y POST), 2 years post-surgery (2Y POST), 4 years post-surgery (4Y POST) and ≥5 years post-surgery (≥5Y POST) in the experimental group. According to histopathologic types of ovarian cysts, there were two sub-groups: ovarian endometriotic cysts and ovarian non-endometriotic cysts. Two hundreds and three patients with no history of ovarian cysts and ovarian surgery were in the control group. The level of AMH and basic concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), progesterone (P), estradiol (E₂) were measured. Antral follicle counts (AFC) were calculated. There were other study variables: total dose of gonadotropins, duration of ovarian stimulation, the number of oocyte retrieved, the number of embryo obtained, blastocyst transfer rate and pregnancy rate. Results: The control group was matched as closely as possible to the experimental group, including age, body mass index and menstrual cycle (all P>0.05). Compared to the women in control group, the women in ovarian endometriotic cystectomy sub-group had significantly higher levels of basal FSH and basal P, lower level of AMH (all P<0.05); the women in ovarian endometriotic cysts sub-group had significantly higher dose of gonadotropins (all P<0.05); the women in ovarian endometriotic cysts ≥5Y POST sub-group had significantly lower number of oocyte retrieved, lower number of embryo obtained, lower blastocyst transfer rate, and lower pregnancy rate (all P<0.05). Compared to the women in control group, the women in ovarian non-endometriotic cysts sub-group had a significantly higher level of basal FSH and basal P (all P<0.05). The women in ovarian non-endometriotic cysts sub-group had lower level of AMH, higher dose of gonadotropins, lower number of oocyte retrieved, lower number of embryo obtained, lower rate of blastocyst transfer and lower rate of pregnancy than the control group but there were no statistically significant differences among them (all P>0.05). The women with unilateral ovarian endometriotic cysts had significantly lower number of oocyte retrieved on the side of surgery than another side (P<0.05). Conclusions: In short term laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy has no significant effect on ovarian reserve. But with long-term follow-up ovarian reserve, ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation and pregnancy rate are decreased. The effect of laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy in benign cysts on ovarian is associated with whether or not it is the surgical side.

[Analysis of pregnancy outcomes of single top-quality blastocyst transfer developed from cleavage embryos with different grading]

Objective: To explore the clinical outcomes of top-quality blastocysts transfer developed from cleavage embryos with different grading and determine whether the cleavage stage embryo morphology grading should be taken into consideration when transferring the embryo at the blastocyst stage. Methods: A number of 3 059 cycles were included with single top-quality blastocyst transfer dating from January 2017 to May 2021 in Henan Provincial People's Hospital. According to the number of cleavage sphere and degree of fragmentation, all cleavage stage embryos were divided into three groups: top D3 embryo (8 cells, ≤5% fragments)-TB group, suboptimal D3 embryo (8 cells, 5%<fragments≤10%; 7 cells or 9 cells, ≤10%)-TB group, and normal D3 embryo-TB group. Univariate analysis, multivariate logistic regression analysis and threshold effect analysis were performed on the data. Results: The clinical pregnancy rates of top D3 embryo-TB group(1 326 cycles), suboptimal D3 embryo-TB group (830 cycles) and normal D3 embryo-TB group (903 cycles) were 69.53%, 70.12% and 66.67%, respectively (P>0.05); and the early abortion rate were 10.74%, 12.54% and 12.62%, respectively (P>0.05). After adjusting for confounders, logistic regression showed that no significant associations were found between cleavage stage embryo morphology grading and clinical pregnancy rate (suboptimal D3 embryo-TB group: OR=1.02, 95%CI: 0.76-1.38, P=0.879; normal D3 embryo-TB group: OR=0.84, 95%CI: 0.61-1.14, P=0.262) and early abortion rate (suboptimal D3 embryo-TB group: OR=1.18, 95%CI: 0.77-1.82, P=0.445; normal D3 embryo-TB group: OR=1.26, 95%CI: 0.81-1.98, P=0.309). The results of threshold effect analysis showed that when a single top-quality blastocysts was transferred, the effect of age on the clinical pregnancy rate showed a curve relationship, when the age was≥33 years old, the clinical pregnancy rate decreased significantly with age increased (OR=0.89, 95%CI: 0.83-0.95, P=0.007); and there was no significant change in early abortion rate (OR=1.01, 95%CI: 0.97-1.06, P=0.628). Conclusions: Cleavage stage embryo grading is not found to correlate with clinical outcomes in single top-quality blastcyst tranfer. Therefore, when considering blastocyst transfer, its morphology at blastocyst stage is more relevant. The effect of age on pregnancy outcomes of single blastocyst transfer should be considered.

[Safety analysis of cesarean myomectomy in twin pregnancies with intramural myomas]

Objective: To estimate the safety of myomectomy in twin pregnant women with intramural myomas during cesarean section. Methods: The clinical data of 145 cases of twin pregnancies with intramural myomas who were delivered by cesarean section in Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University from June 2013 to December 2021 were collected. Maternal demographics, fibroids' characteristics, maternal and fetal outcomes were compared between groups of cesarean section with myomectomy (myomectomy group, 49 cases) and cesarean section only (non-myomectomy group, 96 cases). Results: Compared with non-myomectomy group, myomectomy group had significantly prolonged operative time [50.0 minutes (37.5-57.5 minutes) vs 40.0 minutes (35.0-50.0 minutes), respectively; P=0.007] and significantly longer postoperative hospital stay [4.0 days (3.0-4.0 days) vs 3.0 days (3.0-4.0 days), respectively; P=0.047). Other maternal and fetal outcomes such as estimated blood loss, hemoglobin difference, postpartum hemorrhage, blood transfusion, B-Lynch structure, uterine artery ligation, postoperative fever and neonatal Apgar score showed no significant differences (all P>0.05). For intramural myomas <5 cm, there were no significant differences in maternal and fetal outcomes between myomectomy group and non-myomectomy group (all P>0.05). For intramural myomas ≥5 cm, operative time [55.0 minutes (40.0-60.0 minutes) vs 42.5 minutes (40.0-50.0 minutes), respectively; P=0.019] was significantly prolonged, postoperative hospital stay [4.0 days (4.0-5.0 days) vs 4.0 days (3.0-4.0 days), respectively; P=0.048] was significantly longer in myomectomy group than non-myomectomy group, but there were no significant differences in other maternal and fetal outcomes (all P>0.05). Conclusion: For twin pregnancies with intramural myomas, it is safe and feasible to remove intramural myomas during cesarean section by experienced obstetricians.

[Application and clinical efficacy of ultrasound debridement method in residual burn wounds]

Objective: To investigate the application and clinical efficacy of ultrasound debridement method in residual burn wounds. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted. From August 2017 to August 2021, 64 patients with residual burn wounds who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to the 980th Hospital of the Joint Logistic Support Force of PLA. According to the debridement method adopted for the residual wounds, the patients were divided into ultrasound debridement group (34 cases, 22 males and 12 females, aged (31±13) years) and traditional debridement group (30 cases, 19 males and 11 females, aged (32±13) years). After the corresponding debridement, the wounds of patients in the two groups were selected for stamp skin grafting or large skin grafting according to the wound site and skin donor status. For unhealed wounds after stage Ⅰ surgery, secondary debridement and skin grafting were be performed, with the wound debridement methods in the 2 groups being the same as those of stage Ⅰ, respectively. On postoperative day 3, drug-sensitive test was used to detect the bacteria in the wound and the positive rate of bacteria was calculate. On postoperative day 7, the survival rate of skin slices in wound and the incidence of subcutaneous hematoma were calculated. At discharge, wound healing time and debridement times of patients were counted, and the secondary debridement rate was calculated. Data were statistically analyzed with independent sample t test or chi-square test. Results: On postoperative day 3, the wounds in ultrasound debridement group were infected with Staphylococcus aureus in 2 cases and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 2 cases, and the wounds in traditional debridement group were infected with Staphylococcus aureus in 5 cases, Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 3 cases, Acinetobacter baumannii in 1 cases, Klebsiella pneumoniae in 1 cases, and Enterobacter cloacae in 1 cases. The positive rate of bacteria of wound in ultrasound debridement group was significantly lower than that in traditional debridement group (χ2=5.51, P<0.05). On postoperative day 7, the survival rate of skin grafts in ultrasound debridement group was (92±5) %, which was significantly higher than (84±10) % in traditional debridement group (χ2=6.78, P<0.01); the incidence of subcutaneous hematoma in ultrasound debridement group was 17.6% (6/34), which was significantly lower than 40.0%( 12/30) in traditional debridement group, χ2=3.94, P<0.05. At discharge, the wound healing time in ultrasound debridement group was (11.0±2.0) d, which was significantly shorter than (13.0±3.1) d in traditional debridement group (t=3.81, P<0.01); the secondary debridement rate of wounds in ultrasound debridement group was 2.9% (1/34), which was significantly lower than 20.0% (6/30) in traditional debridement group (χ2=4.76, P<0.05). Conclusions: Ultrasound debridement method can significantly reduce the bacterial load of residual burn wounds, reduce postoperative hematoma formation, and promote the survival of skin grafts to shorten the course of disease of patients.

[Bacterial Community Structure and Antibiotic Resistance Gene Changes in IFAS+Magnetic Coagulation Process Wastewater Treatment Plant in Cold Regions]

The main objective of this study was to explore the changes in bacterial communities and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in an integrated fixed-film activated sludge (IFAS)+magnetic coagulation process wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Xinjiang. The bacterial communities and ARGs in the influent, suspended activated sludge, attached biofilm, and effluent were studied using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and metagenomic sequencing. The results showed that the average relative abundances of Chloroflexi and Nitrospirae in activated sludge were 3.50% and 0.03%, respectively, and their relative abundances in biofilm reached 10.02% and 2.12%, respectively. The average removal rates of NH₄⁺-N and TN increased from 91.89% and 66.76% to 97.71% and 91.90% after the reformation of this wastewater treatment plant, respectively, indicating that IFAS enhanced the biological nitrogen removal capacity of wastewater treatment plants in cold regions. The average relative abundances of Ferruginibacter and Rhodoferax related to iron redox in the biological treatment section were 5.24% and 3.72%, respectively, and the relative abundance of Rhodoferax in effluent reached 9.48%, indicating that the magnetic powder had an impact on the bacterial community. The IFAS wastewater treatment plant had an obvious removal effect on ARGs, and the relative abundance of ARGs decreased from 191.08×10^-3‰ in the influent to 32.58×10^-3‰ in the effluent. The relative abundance of ARGs in activated sludge was 63.25×10^-3‰-72.38×10^-3‰, which was significantly higher than 41.31×10^-3‰ in biofilm. However, the relative abundances of dominant subtypes of ARGs such as sul2, floR, and rpoB2 in biofilm were 5.77×10^-3‰, 2.52×10^-3‰, and 2.03×10^-3‰, respectively, which were higher than the 3.15×10^-3‰-3.57×10^-3‰, 1.73×10^-3‰-2.24×10^-3‰, and 1.28×10^-3‰-1.76×10^-3‰ in activated sludge. The network analysis indicated that Caldilineaceae_norank and Trichococcus were respectively positively correlated with sul2 and floR. These results can provide theoretical reference for the optimal operation and ARGs control of WWTPs in cold regions.

[Effectiveness, safety and cost of urinary follicle stimulating hormone in controlled ovarian stimulation in China: multi-center retrospective cohort study of 102 061 in vitro fertilization cycles]

Objective: To explore the effectiveness, safety and cost between urinary follicle stimulating hormone (uFSH) and recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH) in controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) in China. Methods: Data were collected from 16 reproductive centers in China covering oocytes collection time from May 1, 2015 to June 30, 2018. Eligible patients were over 18 years old, adopting COS with uFSH (uFSH group) or rFSH (rFSH group) as start gonadotropins (Gn), and using in vitro fertilization (IVF) and (or) intracytoplasmic sperm injection for fertilisation, excluding frozen embryo recovery cycle. Generalised estimating equation was used to address the violation of independency assumption between cycles due to multiple IVF cycles for one person and clustering nature of cycles carried out within one center. Controlling variables included age, body mass index, anti-Müllerian hormone level, cause of infertility, ovulation protocol, type of fertilisation, number of embryos transferred, number of days of Gn use. Results: Totally 102 061 cycles met eligibility criteria and were included in the analyses. In terms of effectiveness, after controlling relevant unbalanced baseline characteristics, compared with rFSH group, the high oocyte retrieval (>15 oocytes was considered high retrieval) rate of uFSH group significantly decreased in gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist protocol (OR=0.642, P<0.01) and in gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist protocol (OR=0.556, P=0.001), but the clinical pregnancy rate per transfer cycle and the live birth rate per transfer cycle significantly increased (OR=1.179, OR=1.169, both P<0.01) in both agonist and antagonist protocols. For safety, multiple analysis result demonstrated that in the agonist protocol, compared with rFSH group, the incidence of moderate to severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome of uFSH group significantly decreased (OR=0.644, P=0.002). The differences in ectopic pregnancy rate and multiple pregnancy rate between the uFSH and rFSH groups were not significant (P=0.890, P=0.470) in all patients. In terms of cost, compared with rFSH group, the uFSH group had lower total Gn costs for each patient (P<0.01). Conclusion: For patients who underwent COS, uFSH has better safety, and economic profiles over rFSH in China.

A synaptic signal for novelty processing in the hippocampus

Episodic memory formation and recall are complementary processes that rely on opposing neuronal computations in the hippocampus. How this conflict is resolved in hippocampal circuits is unclear. To address this question, we obtained in vivo whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from dentate gyrus granule cells in head-fixed mice trained to explore and distinguish between familiar and novel virtual environments. We find that granule cells consistently show a small transient depolarisation upon transition to a novel environment. This synaptic novelty signal is sensitive to local application of atropine, indicating that it depends on metabotropic acetylcholine receptors. A computational model suggests that the synaptic response to novelty may bias granule cell population activity, which can drive downstream attractor networks to a new state, favouring the switch from recall to new memory formation when faced with novelty. Such a novelty-driven switch may enable flexible encoding of new memories while preserving stable retrieval of familiar ones.

Memory formation and recall are complementary processes within the hippocampus. Here the authors demonstrate a synaptic signal of novelty in the hippocampus and provide a computational framework for how such a novelty-driven switch may enable flexible encoding of new memories while preserving stable retrieval of familiar ones.

Polysubstituted Cyclopentene Benzamides and Dianthramide Alkaloids from Delphinium anthriscifolium Hance

Thirteen new benzamide alkaloids, delphiniumines A-M (1-13), together with one known analogue (14), were isolated from Delphinium anthriscifolium Hance. All of the structures were determined by spectroscopic and spectrometric analyses. Absolute configuration for 1 was established using experimental and calculated ECD data, as well as by X-ray crystallography analysis. Compound 1 possesses a previously undescribed polysubstituted cyclopentene carbon framework. Compound 2 was isolated as an artifact from 1 during the extraction process. Compound 7 is glycosylated with a β-D-glucose unit. Compound 13 bears a chlorine substituent. At a concentration of 10 μM, compounds 6, 8, and 10-12 suppressed LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 cells with inhibition rates ranging from 40.3% to 78.8%.

Cadinane Sesquiterpenoids and Their Glycosides from Alangium chinense That Inhibit Spontaneous Calcium Oscillations

Nine new cadinane sesquiterpenoids, alanenses A-I (1-9), were isolated from the leaves of Alangium chinense together with three previously reported analogues (10-12). The structures of these molecules were elucidated by interpretation of spectroscopic and spectrometric data. Absolute configurations were established by the comparison of experimental and calculated ECD data, chemical degradation studies for sugar moieties, and a single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 1 and 2 were isolated as racemates, and enantiopurification was achieved by chiral HPLC. Compounds 3-5 are glycosylated cadinanes bearing a β-d-glucose unit, while compounds 6-9 incorporate a hydroxymethyl group in either the free form or additional ring fusion. The structure of compound 11 was originally misassigned and later revised using additional NMR data. The corrected structure is here supported by X-ray single-crystal analysis. Compounds 1 and 2 inhibit spontaneous calcium channel oscillations at low micromolar concentrations.

[Screening of differently expressed miRNAs and the mechanism of miR-3907 in meibomian gland carcinoma]

Objective: To screen the differently expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) and to explore the effect and mechanism of microRNA-3907 (miR-3907) in meibomian gland carcinoma (MGC). Methods: Experimental research. MGC tissues and para-carcinoma tissues of patients diagnosed with MGC by histopathology were collected from July 2011 to January 2019 in Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital. The miRNA microarray analysis of MGC and para-carcinoma tissue samples from 5 patients was performed. miR-3907 with a significant up-regulation was selected as a research object. Bioinformatics predicted and dual-luciferase gene reporter assay verified miR-3907 target genes. The protein expression levels of target genes in 18 MGC tissues and 6 para-carcinoma tissue samples were determined by immunohistochemical staining. miR-3907 over-expression, miR-3907 knock-down, target gene knock-down and miR-3907 knock-down with target gene knock-down were respectively performed in MGC cell. The mRNA and protein expressions were validated by real-time PCR and Western blotting after transfection. The cell proliferation and migration ability was detected by cell counting kit-8 and scratch experiment after transfection. The main statistical methods were Fisher's exact test, independent sample t test, two-factor repeated measure analysis of variance. Results: There were 22 differently up-regulated miRNAs and 5 differently down-regulated miRNAs in MGC tissues, of which miR-3907 was significantly up-regulated. Thrombospondin-1 (THBS1) was a target gene of miR-3907 according to bioinformatics and dual-luciferase gene reporter assay. The positive expression rate of THBS1 protein in para-carcinoma tissues (6/6) was significantly higher than that in MGC tissues (5/18), and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.003). Compared with the negative control group, the proliferation ability of the miR-3907 over-expression group was increased at 48 h and 72 h (F=3.70, 2.65; both P<0.01), and the migration rate at 24 h was significantly higher (54.6%±3.4% vs. 34.2%±0.6%; t=8.34, P<0.01). Compared with the negative control group, the proliferation ability of the miR-3907 knock-down group was decreased at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h (F=3.10, 2.17, 3.09; all P<0.05), and the migration rate at 24 h was significantly lower (40.8%±2.8% vs. 69.7%±2.7%; t=10.42, P<0.01). Compared with the negative control group, the THBS1 knock-down group promoted cell proliferation at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h (F=3.84, 3.79, 2.24; all P<0.05), and the migration rate at 24 h was significantly increased (82.5%±1.9% vs. 37.6%±5.1%; t=11.74, P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the miR-3907 knock-down with THBS1 knock-down group increased proliferation at 24 h and 48 h (F=3.97, 3.31; both P<0.05), and the migration healing rate at 24 h was significantly increased (56.9%±2.2% vs. 41.9%±4.3%; t=3.53, P<0.05). Conclusions: There are differently expressed miRNAs between MGC and para-carcinoma tissues, which may be related to the occurrence and development of MGC. miR-3907 in MGC tissues has a significant difference from that in para-carcinoma tissues. Moreover, miR-3907 can play a role in promoting proliferation and migration of MGC by inhibiting the expression of THBS1.

[Analysis of related factors and prediction of poor ovarian response in patients with controlled ovarian stimulation]

Objective: To explore the related factors of poor ovarian response (POR) in patients receiving controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) and to establish the nomogram for predicting POR in patients who received in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI). Methods: In this retrospective research, clinical data of 17 164 cycles of patients who received IVF/ICSI treatment at Henan Provincial People's Hospital from September 1st, 2016 to September 1st, 2020 were analyzed. Independent correlative factors affecting the occurrence of POR were screened by logistic regression, which were the model enrollment variables in the prediction model. Totally 13 266 cycles with well-record of enrollment variables were screened, and these data were randomly divided into model group (9 896 patients) and validation group (3 370 patients) according to 3∶1. The nomogram was established according to the regression coefficient of the relevant variables. The prediction accuracy of the nomogram was evaluated by calculating area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed age, infertility type, body mass index, anti-Müllerian hormone, basal follicle stimulating hormone, basal estrogen, antral follicle number, previous times of POR, history of ovarian surgery, ovulation stimulation protocol and average amount of gonadotropin were independent correlative factors affecting the occurrence of POR (all P<0.05). In the model group, according to the above factors, the prediction model and nomogram of POR risk were constructed and the validation group verified the model. The AUC of the model group was 0.893 (95%CI: 0.885-0.900), and the AUC of the validation group was 0.890 (95%CI: 0.878-0.903). Conclusion: The influencing factors of POR after COS in patients treated by IVF/ICSI are screened, and the nomogram for predicting POR established in this study is proved to be effective, simple, intuitive and clear in predicting the occurrence of POR.

Hypeisoxazole A, a Racemic Pair of Tetrahydroisoxazole-Fused Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloids from Hypecoum erectum and Structural Revision of Hypecoleptopine

(±)-Hypeisoxazole A (1), a racemic pair of rearranged benzylisoquinoline alkaloids possessing an unprecedented diindeno[2,1-c:2',1'-d] isoxazole scaffold, was isolated from the medicinal herb Hypecoum erectum, along with hypecoleptopine (2), whose structure is now revised as a novel spiro-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid with a 6/6/5/6/6 skeleton. Their structures were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic and spectrometric analyses, X-ray diffraction, and computational studies. Racemic mixture of 2 and its pure enantiomers modulated neuronal excitability activity.

[Analysis of lactate dehydrogenase gene polymorphisms and prediction of B cell epitopes in four human Plasmodium species]

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the polymorphism of Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) gene and predict B-cell epitopes in pLDH peptides in four species of human malaria parasites.

METHODS

The blood samples and epidemiological characteristics were collected from malaria cases in Yunnan Province registered in the National Notifiable Disease Report System. The pLDH genes of four human Plasmodium species were amplified using nested PCR assay and sequenced. The polymorphisms of pLDH genes was analyzed using the software MEGA version 7.0.26 and DnaSP version 5.10, and the B-cell epitopes were predicted in pLDH peptides using the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB).

RESULTS

The sequences of P. vivax LDH (PvLDH), P. falciparum LDH (PfLDH), P. ovale LDH (PoLDH) and P. malariae LDH (PmLDH) genes were obtained from 153, 29, 17 and 11 blood samples from patients with P. vivax, P. falciparum, P. ovale and P. malariae malaria, respectively, which included 15, 2, 4 and 2 haplotypes and had a nucleotide diversity (π) of 0.104. A high level of intra-species differentiation was seen in the PoLDH gene (π = 0.012), and the π values were all < 0.001 for PvLDH, PfLDH and PmLDH genes. Active regions of B-cell antigen were predicted in the pLDH peptide chain of four human malaria parasites, of 4 to 5 in each chain, and the activity score was approximately 0.430. Among these peptide chains, the "86-PGKSDKEWNRD-96" short-peptide was a B-cell epitope shared by all four species of human malaria parasites, and the "266-GQYGHS (T)-271" short-peptide was present in PvLDH and PoLDH peptide chains, while "212-EEVEGIFDR-220" was only found in the PvLDH peptide chain, and "208-LISDAE-213" was only seen in the PfLDH peptide chain.

CONCLUSIONS

The PoLDH gene polymorphism may be derived from the weak negative purification selection, while PvLDH, PfLDH and PmLDH genes may maintain a relatively conservative state. There may be two B-cell epitopes "212-EEVEGIFDR-220" and "208-LISDAE-213" in the proximal region of the C terminal in the pLDH peptide chain, which is feasible to differentiate between P. vivax and P. falciparum infections.

Phytochemical Characterizations of Maranthes polyandra (Benth.) Prance

Two new ursane-type triterpenoids, named Polyanside A (1) and B (2), along with eleven known compounds (3-13), were isolated and elucidated from Maranthes polyandra (Benth.) Prance. The structures of these compounds were elucidated based on chemical evidence and multiple spectroscopic data. Isolated compounds were evaluated for anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory activities, and cytotoxicity on a normal human cell line (BJ). None of them showed activity and cytotoxicity. The hexane fraction was analyzed by GC-MS, resulting in the identification of forty-one compounds. This is the first comprehensive study on the phytochemistry of M. polyandra.

Antihyperuricemia and antigouty arthritis effects of Persicaria capitata herba in mice

BACKGROUND

Hyperuricemia (HUA) is an important risk factor for gout, renal dysfunction and cardiovascular diseases. The whole plant of Persicaria capitata (Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don) H. Gross, namely Persicaria capitata herba, is a well-known ethnic herb with potent therapeutic effects on urinary tract infections and urinary calculus, yet previous reports have only focused on its effect on urinary tract infections.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the therapeutic potential of P. capitata herba against gout by investigating its antihyperuricemia and antigouty arthritis effects and possible mechanisms.

METHODS

The ethanol extract (EP) and water extract (WP) of P. capitata herba were prepared by extracting dried and ground whole plants of P. capitata with 75% ethanol and water, respectively, followed by removal of solvents and characterization by UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS. The antihyperuricemia and antigouty arthritis effects of the two extracts were evaluated in a potassium oxonate- and hypoxanthine-induced hyperuricemia mouse model and a monosodium urate crystal (MSUC)-induced acute gouty arthritis mouse model, respectively. The mechanisms were investigated by testing their effects on the expression of correlated proteins (by Western blot) and mRNAs (by RT-PCR).

RESULTS

UHPLC-HRMS fingerprinting and two chemical markers (i.e., quercetin and quercitrin) determination were used for the characterization of the WP and EP extracts. Both WP and EP extracts showed pronounced antihyperuricemia activities, with a remarkable decline in serum uric acid and a marked increase in urine uric acid in hyperuricemic mice. Unlike the clinical xanthine oxidase (XOD) inhibitor allopurinol, WP and EP did not show any distinct renal toxicities. The underlying antihyperuricemia mechanism involves the inhibition of the activity and expression of XOD and the downregulation of the mRNA and protein expression of glucose transporter 9 (GLUT9) and urate transporter 1 (URAT1). The extracts of P. capitata herba also demonstrated remarkable anti-inflammatory activity in MSUC-induced acute gouty arthritis mice. The mechanism might involve inhibitory effects on the expression of proinflammatory factors.

CONCLUSIONS

The extracts of P. capitata herba possessed pronounced antihyperuricemia and antigouty arthritis effects and were, therefore, promising natural medicines for hyperuricemia-related disorders and gouty arthritis. The use of P. capitata herba for the treatment of urinary calculus may be, at least to some degree, related to its potential as an antihyperuricemia and antigouty arthritis drug.

Inhibitory control of synaptic signals preceding locomotion in mouse frontal cortex

The frontal cortex is essential for organizing voluntary movement. The secondary motor cortex (MOs) is a frontal subregion thought to integrate internal and external inputs before motor action. However, how excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs to MOs neurons are integrated preceding movement remains unclear. Here, we address this question by performing in vivo whole-cell recordings from MOs neurons of head-fixed mice moving on a treadmill. We find that principal neurons produce slowly increasing membrane potential and spike ramps preceding spontaneous running. After goal-directed training, ramps show larger amplitudes and accelerated kinetics. Chemogenetic suppression of interneurons combined with modeling suggests that the interplay between parvalbumin-positive (PV+) and somatostatin-positive (SOM+) interneurons, along with principal neuron recurrent connectivity, shape ramping signals. Plasticity of excitatory synapses on SOM+ interneurons can explain the ramp acceleration after training. Altogether, our data reveal that local interneurons differentially control task-dependent ramping signals when MOs neurons integrate inputs preceding movement.

The Expanding Role of Pyridine and Dihydropyridine Scaffolds in Drug Design

Pyridine-based ring systems are one of the most extensively used heterocycles in the field of drug design, primarily due to their profound effect on pharmacological activity, which has led to the discovery of numerous broad-spectrum therapeutic agents. In the US FDA database, there are 95 approved pharmaceuticals that stem from pyridine or dihydropyridine, including isoniazid and ethionamide (tuberculosis), delavirdine (HIV/AIDS), abiraterone acetate (prostate cancer), tacrine (Alzheimer's), ciclopirox (ringworm and athlete's foot), crizotinib (cancer), nifedipine (Raynaud's syndrome and premature birth), piroxicam (NSAID for arthritis), nilvadipine (hypertension), roflumilast (COPD), pyridostigmine (myasthenia gravis), and many more. Their remarkable therapeutic applications have encouraged researchers to prepare a larger number of biologically active compounds decorated with pyridine or dihydropyridine, expandeing the scope of finding a cure for other ailments. It is thus anticipated that myriad new pharmaceuticals containing the two heterocycles will be available in the forthcoming decade. This review examines the prospects of highly potent bioactive molecules to emphasize the advantages of using pyridine and dihydropyridine in drug design. We cover the most recent developments from 2010 to date, highlighting the ever-expanding role of both scaffolds in the field of medicinal chemistry and drug development.

[The prognostic effects of two comprehensive geriatric assessment methods in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia]

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic effects of two comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) methods in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Methods: Ninety-seven patients with newly diagnosed AML at Beijing Hospital from August 2008 to December 2019 were included (≥60 years old). All patients were evaluated by two methods of CGA. One was IACA index proposed by Beijing Hospital, including instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), age, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), albumin; the other was proposed by Italian FIL study group (FIL-CGA), including activities of daily living (ADL), IADL, age, and modified cumulative illness rating score for geriatrics (MCIRS-G). Results: Among 97 patients, 54 patients received standard chemotherapy, 16 with decitabine, 2 with targeted therapy and 25 with the best supportive therapy. The overall response rate (ORR) in 72 treated patients were 67.7%, 33.3% and 0 respectively in fit, unfit and frail groups according to IACA index (P=0.001). Based on FIL-CGA, the ORRs of fit, unfit and frail groups were 52.5%, 41.7% and 35.0% respectively (P=0.418). The 1-year OS rates of fit, unfit and frail groups regarding IACA method were 78.7%, 27.7% and 0 respectively (P<0.01). The 1-year OS rates of fit, unfit and frail groups regarding FIL-CGA method were 67.8%, 28.2% and 13.9% respectively (P<0.01), while no significant difference was seen between unfit group and frail group (P=0.111). The early death rates of fit, unfit and frail groups by IACA were 0, 6.0% and 28.6% respectively (P=0.006), while those by FIL-CGA were 2.3%, 5.9%, 13.9% respectively (P=0.123). Conclusion: Compared with FIL-CGA method, IACA predicts more effectively the treatment response, survival and early mortality in elderly patients with AML.

Traumatic carotid-cavernous fistula with perimedullary venous drainage and delayed myelopathy: A case report

Traumatic carotid-cavernous fistula (TCCF) with perimedullary venous drainage and delayed myelopathy is a relatively rare clinical lesion. Endovascular embolization using embolic agents is the preferred treatment for patients with a poor collateral circulation. The present study describes the case of a 45-year-old male with TCCF, who presented with progressive cervical myelopathy for 1 month. A previous history of the patient included an anterior skull base fracture induced by a traffic accident 2 years prior. Cervical spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed dilated perimedullary veins and cervical spinal cord edema. Cerebral digital subtraction angiography revealed a direct CCF with perimedullary venous drainage. The patient received endovascular treatment with coils and an Onyx liquid embolic system to occlude the fistula, and his symptoms were relieved when he was discharged 3 weeks later. The patient then felt normal and a cervical spinal MRI revealed the disappearance of the perimedullary veins dilation and spinal cord edema at the 6-month follow-up. To the best of our knowledge, only three cases of CCFs with perimedullary venous drainage presenting with myelopathy have been previously reported. The present study also discussed the possible pathological mechanisms for this rare presentation. Moreover, it is suggested that the possibility of CCFs as a cause of cervical myelopathy needs to be taken into consideration.

[Proteomic analysis of lacrimal gland adenoid cystic carcinoma with high-grade transformation]

Objective: To analyze the protein expression differences of lacrimal gland adenoid cystic carcinoma (LACC) with high-grade transformation (HGT). Methods: Experimental study. A total of 8 paraffin tissue samples were collected in Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital from December 2012 to January 2019. According to pathological examination, the samples were divided into the LACC group and the LACC-HGT group, with 4 cases in each group. The LACC group included 2 male samples and 2 female samples, with an average age of 53 years. The LACC-HGT group included 2 male samples and 2 female samples, with an average age of 44 years. Primary cells were cultured from fresh tumor tissue. Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification techniques were used to screen the differentially expressed proteins between the two groups, and bioinformatics analysis was conducted for the differentially expressed proteins. Microarray was used to screen differentially expressed mRNAs between LACC and LACC-HGT primary cells. The mass spectrum data were intersected with mRNA microarray data, and quantitative real-time (qRT) PCR was performed to verify the results. Proteomics and microarray data were compared using the independent sample t test. The qRT-PCR data were compared pairwise by one-way analysis of variance. Results: A total of 105 HGT-related differential proteins were detected in this study, including 50 up-regulated proteins and 55 down-regulated proteins. The significantly up-regulated proteins included hemoglobin subunit beta, hemoglobin subunit alpha 1, and collagen type Ⅵ alpha 2 chain; the significantly down-regulated proteins included Cereblon, adenosylhomocysteinase like 2, and ribosomal protein L39 pseudogene 5. Gene ontology analysis results showed that the LACC-HGT differential proteins were mainly located in the cytoplasm, vesicle cavity, and extracellular matrix, had organic acid binding and molecular carrier activity, and participated in the regulation of extracellular matrix composition, immunity, inflammation, apoptosis, and other biological processes. Pathway analysis showed that the LACC-HGT differential proteins were mainly involved in signal pathways such as mitogen-activated protein kinase signal pathway and extracellular matrix proteoglycans and glycan metabolism signal pathway. Protein complex prediction analysis screened out 4 up-regulated protein complexes and 1 down-regulated protein complex. There were 15 LACC-HGT differential proteins that overlapped with mRNA chip differential genes, of which 6 were tumor-related proteins including collagen type XIV alpha 1 chain (COL14A1), EMAP like 4 (EML4), inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 4 (ITIH4), NDRG family member 2 (NDRG2), osteoglycin (OGN) an Ras homolog family member C (RhoC). The main function was the movement and migration of tumor cells. The qRT-PCR results showed that the relative expression levels of COL14A1, EML4, ITIH4, NDRG2, OGN, and RhoC in primary LACC-1, LACC-2, LACC-HGT-1, and LACC-HGT-2 cells were significantly different (F=1 675.98, 38.53, 27.37, 16.47, 13.38, 25.22, all P<0.01). For example, the relative expression of COL14A1 in primary LACC-HGT-1 (16.09±0.51) and LACC-HGT-2 (9.96±0.34) cells was significantly higher than that in primary LACC-1 (1.00±0.13) and LACC-2 (0.67±0.08) cells (all P<0.05). Conclusion: There are differentially expressed proteins between LACC-HGT and LACC, among which COL14A1, EML4, ITIH4, NDRG2, OGN, and RhoC may play an important role in LACC-HGT and can be used as potential targets of LACC-HGT in further study. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2021, 57: 531-539).

Sesamin protects against DSS-induced colitis in mice by inhibiting NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the protective effects and mechanisms of sesamin (SES) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced experimental colitis in mice.

METHODS

SES (50, 100, and 200 mg kg-1) were orally administered to C57BL/6 male mice after DSS instillation. The anti-inflammatory effect of SES on colonic damage was assessed by clinical, macroscopic, microscopic, and inflammatory signaling pathways.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

It could be found that bodyweight and colon length of mice treated with DSS was significantly decreased while that were increased by SES treatment. SES treatment reduced the DAI values and improved the histopathology of the colon in the DSS-treated mice. SES also reduced TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 production caused by DSS. We also measured the expression of the phosphorylation of p65, IκB, p38, ERK and JNK protein and found that SES can alleviate colon damage via the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. The findings of this study suggested that SES had anti-inflammatory effects on intestinal inflammation and can be used as a new therapeutic candidate for inflammatory bowel disease.

[Consistency of peripheral whole blood and venous serum procalcitonin in children: a multicenter parallel controlled study]

Objective: To explore the consistency of peripheral whole blood and venous serum procalcitonin (PCT) levels, and the value of peripheral whole blood PCT in evaluating pediatric bacterial infection. Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional parallel control study was conducted in 11 children's hospital. All the 1 898 patients older than 28 days admitted to these hospitals from March 2018 to February 2019 had their peripheral whole blood and venous serum PCT detected simultaneously with unified equipment, reagent and method. According to the venous serum PCT level, the patients were stratified to subgroups. Analysis of variance and chi-square test were used to compare the demographic characteristics among groups. And the correlation between the peripheral blood and venous serum PCT level was investigated by quantitative Pearson correlation analysis.The PCT resultes were also converted into ranked data to further test the consistency between the two sampling methods by Spearman's rank correlation test. Furthermore, the ranked data were converted into binary data to evaluate the consistency and investigate the best cut-off of peripheral blood PCT level in predicting bacterial infection. Results: A total of 1 898 valid samples were included (1 098 males, 800 females),age 27.4(12.2,56.7) months. There was a good correlation between PCT values of peripheral whole blood and venous serum (r=0.97, P<0.01). The linear regression equation was PCT_{venous serum}=0.135+0.929×PCT_{peripheral whole blood}. However, when stratified to 5 levels, PCT results showed diverse and unsatisfied consistency between the two sampling methods (r=0.51-0.92, all P<0.01). But after PCT was converted to ordinal categorical variables, the stratified analysis showed that the coincidence rate of the measured values by the two sampling methods in each boundary area was 84.9%-97.1%. The dichotomous variables also showed a good consistency (coincidence rate 96.8%-99.3%, Youden index 0.82-0.89). According to the severity of disease, the serum PCT value was classified into 4 intervals（<0.5、0.5-<2.0、2.0-<10.0、≥10.0 μg/L）, and the peripheral blood PCT value also showed a good predictive value (AUC value was 0.991 2-0.997 9). The optimal cut points of peripheral whole blood PCT value 0.5、1.0、2.0、10.0 μg/L corresponding to venous serum PCT values were 0.395, 0.595, 1.175 and 3.545 μg/L, respectively. Conclusions: There is a good correlation between peripheral whole blood PCT value and the venous serum PCT value, which means that the peripheral whole blood PCT could facilitate the identification of infection and clinical severity. Besides, the sampling of peripheral whole blood is simple and easy to repeat.

[Characteristics of primary cutaneous rare nasal extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma: a clinicopathological study of 15 cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features and differential diagnosis of primary cutaneous nasal extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma (pcENKTCL-NT). Methods: Fifteen cases of pcENKTCL-NT were collected at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2016 to December 2019. The clinical characteristics, morphological features, immunophenotypes, and results of in situ hybridization and gene detection were analyzed. Results: Among the 15 patients, 7 were male and 8 were female, with a male to female ratio of 1.0∶1.1. Their ages ranged from 29 to 86 years, and the median age was 59.3 years. All patients were hospitalized for skin lesions, including skin ulcers, scattered patchy red papules, and local blisters. The skin lesion might be a hard nodular mass, and part of it was a confluent patchy erythema; it could be manifested as multiple scattered nodules of different sizes, and some lesions were like round ulceration. There were 8 cases of lower limbs, 4 cases of chest (1 case with upper limb lesions), 2 cases of trunk and 1 case of neck. Most of the patients were sensitive to GGDP regimen (cisplatin, dexamethasone, gemcitabine and pemostatin). Histologically, most lesions showed tumor cells invading the epidermis and skin appendages, dermal infiltration, diffuse distribution, vascular and peritubular destruction, and some subcutaneous adipose tissue involvement. Morphologically, most of the tumor cells were mixed with small-to medium-size lymphocytes, and some were large cells, mixed cells or small cells. Immunohistochemistry showed that CD3, CD3 ε and TIA-1 were expressed in all cases, but not CD20 and CD8. CD56 and granzyme B were expressed in most of the cases, and CD5 was not expressed. Ki-67 positive index was about 50%-90%. EBV in situ hybridization was positive in all cases. The clonal rearrangement of T cell receptor gene was found in some CD56 negative cases. The 15 patients were followed up for 5-45 months, and one of them was lost to follow-up. Five patients died within 5-13 months after the diagnosis, accounting for 35.7% (5/14) of the 14 patients. The average survival time of the deceased patients was 8.6 months. Conclusions: The incidence rate of pcENKTCL-NT is relatively low, but its biological behavior is aggressive and its prognosis is overall poor. Its skin lesions and histopathological features are relatively diverse. The diagnosis should be determined with using clinical data, histological morphology, immunophenotype and EB virus in situ hybridization. At the same time, attention should be paid to differential diagnosis from other cutaneous lymphoma with cytotoxic phenotype to avoid missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis.

Prevalence and clinical application of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion in Asian prostate cancer patients: a large-sample study in Chinese people and a systematic review

Fusion between the transmembrane protease serine 2 and v-ets erythroblastosis virus E26 oncogene homolog (TMPRSS2-ERG fusion) is a common genetic alteration in prostate cancer among Western populations and has been suggested as playing a role in tumorigenesis and progression of prostate cancer. However, the prevalence of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion differs among different ethnic groups, and contradictory results have been reported in Asian patients. We aim to evaluate the prevalence and significance of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion as a molecular subtyping and prognosis indicator of prostate cancer in Asians. We identified the fusion status in 669 samples from prostate biopsy and radical prostatectomy by fluorescence in situ hybridization and/or immunohistochemistry in China. We examined the association of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion with clinicopathological characteristics and biochemical recurrence by Chi-square test and Kaplan–Meier analysis. Finally, a systematic review was performed to investigate the positive rate of the fusion in Asian prostate cancer patients. McNemar's test was employed to compare the positive rates of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion detected using different methods. The positive rates of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion were 16% in our samples and 27% in Asian patients. In our samples, 9.4% and 19.3% of cases were recognized as fusion positive by fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, respectively. No significant association between the fusion and clinical parameters was observed. TMPRSS2-ERG fusion is not a frequent genomic alteration among Asian prostate cancer patients and has limited significance in clinical practices in China. Besides ethnic difference, detection methods potentially influence the results showing a positive rate of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion.

Prostate cancer risk prediction models in Eastern Asian populations: current status, racial difference, and future directions

Prostate cancer (PCa) risk calculators (RCs) with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and other risk factors can greatly improve the accurate prediction of potential risk of PCa compared to PSA. The European Randomized Study of Screening for PCa Risk Calculator (ERSPC-RC) and the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial Risk Calculator (PCPT-RC) are developed on the Western population. However, the Western RCs showed limited diagnostic efficacy in the Eastern Asian population, mainly due to racial differences between the two populations. We aimed to review the application of Western RCs and Eastern Asian RCs in Eastern Asian cohorts and to identify the characteristics and efficacy of these RCs.

A New Brominated Norsesquiterpene Glycoside From the Rhizomes of Acorus tatarinowii Schott

A new brominated norsesquiterpene glycoside, acoruside (1), has been isolated from the rhizomes of Acorus tatarinowii Schott, together with 8 known compounds (2-9). Their structures were elucidated mainly based on 1-dimensional (1D) and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. The absolute configuration of compound 1 was determined by comparing its experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism spectra. The in vitro tests indicated that at 10 µM, compounds 2, 3, and 4 aggravated serum deprivation injuries of PC12 cells, compound 2 aggravated rotenone-induced injuries of PC12 cells, and compounds 3 and 4 aggravated the oxygen-glucose deprivation-induced injuries of PC12 cells.

CircARID1A regulates mouse skeletal muscle regeneration by functioning as a sponge of miR-6368

The noncoding RNAs play important role in growth and development of mammalian skeletal muscle. Recent work has shown that circRNAs are abundant in skeletal muscle tissue, with significant changes in their expression patterns during muscle development and aging. We identified a novel circRNA called circARID1A that is highly expressed in mice skeletal muscle compare to its linear transcript. Experiments shown that circARID1A significantly inhibited the process of C2C12 cell proliferation and promoted its differentiation. Interactions between circRNA and miRNA were screened by miRNA gene chip sequencing. The results indicated that circARID1A can sponge miR-6368, which was further verified by miRNA sensor and other experiments. Besides, miR-6368 is a commonly expressed miRNA that regulates the expression of several target genes including Tlr4. A mouse model of skeletal muscle injury was successfully established to explore the role of circARID1A in skeletal muscle development and regeneration in vivo. Moreover, we found the overexpression of circARID1A significantly promoted the regeneration of skeletal muscle. The results of our study suggest that circARID1A may regulate skeletal muscle cell development and regeneration by sponging miR-6368.

New phenylpropanoid-substituted and benzyl-substituted flavonols from Alangium chinense

Two previously undescribed flavonols with phenylpropanoid or benzyl substitution, named alangsine A (1), and alangsine B (2), together with four known compounds (3-6) were isolated from the leaves of Alangium chinense. Alangsine A was a racemic mixture, which was further separated into two enantiomers via high-performance liquid chromatography on a chiral column. The absolute configurations of the enantiomer pairs were deduced from the circular dichroism (CD) spectra. The activity of the isolated compounds towards neuronal excitability was examined.

Sesquiterpenoids of diverse types from the rhizomes of Acorus calamus

Six new and fourteen known sesquiterpenoids of diverse types were isolated from the rhizomes of Acorus calamus.

Giant aneurysm of the bilateral vertebrobasilar junction treated by pipeline and coils: A case report and literature review

Giant aneurysm of the posterior circulation is associated with a higher risk of rupture compared with that of the anterior circulation. Furthermore, surgical clipping and interventional embolization for giant aneurysm of the posterior circulation are more difficult and complex to perform. The present study reported on the case of a 26-year-old female who exhibited a giant spherical aneurysm of the vertebrobasilar junction (VBJ) with a maximum diameter of ~35 mm that caused cervical discomfort. In addition, the patient experienced symptoms including left-sided walking and hoarseness caused by the compression of the brainstem and the posterior cranial nerves. The risks associated with performing surgery in this area are high and the prognosis is mainly poor. The patient of the present study was treated using the Pipeline Flex device with coil embolization. As a giant aneurysm of the VBJ simultaneously affects the bilateral vertebral arteries (VAs) and basilar artery, it is a unique condition and the treatment strategy must be personalized. Based on an analysis of the hemodynamic influence on the aneurysm in the present case, the Pipeline was placed through the left VA, the coils were packed through the right VA, and finally, the right VA was proximally occluded. At 7 months after embolization, the patient's modified Rankin scale score was 1 point. Upon analysis of the hemodynamic influence on the aneurysm of the VBJ, the VA with the larger shear force on the wall of the aneurysm was selected for occlusion to simplify the treatment of the aneurysm and to maximize the probability to achieve recovery.

Characterization of the novel HLA-A*30:154 allele by next-generation sequencing

A*30:154 differs from A*30:01:01:01 by one nucleotide substitution at codon 39 in exon 2 from C to A.

The split-off terahertz radiating dipoles on thermally reduced α-V2O5 (001) surface

The trapped electron states on a pliable lattice have different localization and physical chemistry characteristics. Here, terahertz time-domain measurements suggest that the formation of vanadyl oxygen defect, in the presence of the surface potential traps and mobile charge carriers, leads to a transient charge distribution that forms terahertz radiating dipoles in V2O5. The emergence of radiating dipoles is evidenced by terahertz responses with a two-valley feature of the thermally reduced α-V2O5 (001) thin films in the temperature range of 300-700 K. The two photoconductance valleys on a several millielectron volts interval are related to two emergent split-off traps, which originate from the VO6 octahedra distortion upon the vanadyl oxygen desorption on the surface. The pliable surface lattices plays a decisive role. So long as the α-V2O5 (001) thin films are covered by a 30 nm-thick Al2O3 capping layer, the distinct two-valley feature disappears completely in the full temperature range. The terahertz radiating dipoles with a fine energy structure is potentially a new measure for charge dynamics on the α-V2O5 (001) surface.