Objective To study the expression of gastrin receptor in 4 HCC cell lines and tis-sues and their relation to clinieopathological features. Methods Immunohistochemical staining of GR was performed for the 4 HCC cell lines and the paraffin sections of 25 HCC cases. The relationship be-tween the GR expression in HCC sections and the clinicopatho[ogical parameters were analyzed. Results Positive staining for GR in the 3 HCC SMMC-7721>HepG2>QGY-7701 cell lines and HCC tissues was observed. The expression rate of gastrin receptor was 56 % (14/25). However, there was no association between expression of GR and elinieopathologieal features such as age, gender and clini-cal stage etc except for tumor thrombosis. Concision GR exists in the HCC. Futher study is needed to identify whether GR is a applicable target for endocrine therapy in HCC.

Objective To explore the roles of serum TLR-4, TNF-αand IL-6 in neonates with preterm birth. Methods A total of 120 neonates from neonatology department in the Xingtai People's Hospital were selected and divided into full-term group (n=40), premature rupture of fetal membranes (n=40) and idiopathic preterm group (n=40) based on the gestational age. The peripheral venous blood was collected within 30 minutes when the infants were born, and the supernatant was reserved after centrifuged. The levels of serum TLR-4, TNF-αand IL-6 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results The levels of TLR-4, TNF-αand IL-6 in idiopathic preterm and premature rupture of fetal membranes were signiifcantly higher than that in full-term group and showed positive correlation. Conclusion Cytokines TLR-4, TNF-αand IL-6 maybe closely related to the preterm birth.

Through studying the process of glycerol fermentation to 1, 3-propanediol(1, 3-PD) by Klebsiella pneumoniae, it was found that the cell growth and product (or by-product) production were under salt stress. Cell growth and product formation kept high rate at low salt concentration. High salt concentration led to low growth of cells, final concentration of 1, 3-PD and conversion from glycerol to 1, 3-PD, and, 1, 3-propanediol oxidoreductase activity decreased. When the salt concentration in 5 m3 bioreactor was controlled under appropriate manner, the concentration of 1, 3-PD production was markedly enhanced. The final 1, 3-PD concentration ,the conversion of glycerol to 1, 3-PD and productivity were 64 g/L, 61% and 2.1 g/(L x h).
Alcohol Dehydrogenase ; Alcohol Oxidoreductases ; metabolism ; Culture Media ; Culture Techniques ; Fermentation ; Glycerol ; metabolism ; Klebsiella pneumoniae ; growth & development ; metabolism ; physiology ; Propylene Glycols ; metabolism ; Sodium Chloride ; pharmacology ; Stress, Physiological

Objective:To assess the discriminatory value of the Thyroid Follicular Tumor Ultrasound Risk Stratification System (F-TIRADS) in differentiating follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) from follicular thyroid adenoma (FTA), and to compare its performance with other risk stratification systems(RSS).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 325 patients (327 thyroid nodules) diagnosed postoperatively as FTC or FTA at Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2016 to December 2023. The cases were divided into FTC group (81 nodules) and FTA group (246 nodules). The nodules were classified based on F-TIRADS, the 2020 Chinese Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (C-TIRADS), the 2015 American Thyroid Association guidelines (ATA guidelines), and the 2017 European Thyroid Association Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (EU-TIRADS) by two ultrasound physicians. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors associated with FTC. Diagnostic performance of the 4 RSS was compared using postoperative pathological results as the gold standard.Results:Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed maximum diameter, solid composition, hypoechogenicity, unclear or angular margins, marginal or ring calcifications, trabecular structure, and central blood flow were independent predictors of FTC( OR=1.914, 3.427, 9.926, 9.163, 45.918, 3.191, 8.936, respectively; all P<0.05). Within each RSS, the actual malignancy rate increased with higher risk categories, aligning closely with the recommended malignancy rates (except for ATA guidelines). The optimal cut-off values for distinguishing FTC from FTA were FTC risk 50%-90% in F-TIRADS, C-TIRADS 4B, moderately suspicious nodules in ATA guidelines, and EU-TIRADS 4, with areas under the curve of 0.916, 0.808, 0.827, and 0.836, respectively. F-TIRADS demonstrated the best overall performance (sensitivity: 82.72%, specificity: 82.93%), with significant differences compared with C-TIRADS, ATA guidelines, and EU-TIRADS (all P<0.05). Conclusions:F-TIRADS is highly effective in distinguishing FTA from FTC, outperforming C-TIRADS, ATA Guidelines, and EU-TIRADS. Clinicians should pay close attention to solid hypoechoic nodules with unclear or angular margins, marginal or ring calcifications, central blood flow, or a trabecular structure.

Objective To investigate the clinical features of cutaneous adverse reactions to tyrosine kinase inhibitors.Methods Thirty patients with cutaneous adverse reactions to tyrosine kinase inhibitors were enrolled from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University between January 2015 and December 2016,and their laboratory test results,histopathological findings and treatment response data were collected and analyzed retrospectively.Results Of the 30 patients,15 presented with acneiform eruptions,10 with eczematoid eruptions,2 with morbilliform rashes,1 with telangiectasia,1 with hand-foot skin reaction,9 with xerosis,7 with nail changes and 4 with hair changes.A patient with grade 4 acneiform eruptions showed a markedly elevated alanine transaminase (ALT) level (315 U/L).Mild ALT abnormalities (48.5-88.1 U/L) were found in 3 patients with grade 3 acneiform eruptions,1 with grade 2 acneiform eruptions,1 with grade 1 acneiform eruptions and 1 with eczematoid eruptions complicated by fever.Two patients with eczematoid eruptions and 1 with morbilliform rashes showed elevated proportions of peripheral blood eosinophils (0.057-0.303).Pathological changes of the acneiform eruptions included hyperkeratosis and dilation of hair follicles and neutrophilic infiltration.Pathological manifestations of eczematoid eruptions included different degrees of spongiosis,thickened spinous layer,irregular elongation of rete ridges and liquefaction degeneration of basal cells in the epidermis,and perivascular infiltration of lymphocytes and eosinophils in the superficial dermis.Patients with grade 1-3 acneiform eruptions received oral minocycline for 6 weeks,skin lesions gradually regressed,but relapse occurred after the withdrawal.After withdrawal of targeted antineoplastic agents and 2-week treatment with systemic glucocorticoids,skin lesions gradually regressed in patients with grade 4 acneiform eruptions,those with eczematoid eruptions complicated by fever,and those with morbilliform rashes.Skin rashes also resolved in patients with mild morbilliform rashes and those with mild eczematoid eruptions after 2 weeks of treatment with antianaphylactic agents and topical glucocorticoids.Oral antibiotics were effective for the treatment of periungual erythematous swelling or granulomas.Conclusion Tyrosine kinase inhibitor-related cutaneous adverse reactions include a constellation of disorders,and hepatic function can be impaired.

Objective:To assess the consistency of ultrasound and dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) in the diagnosis of gouty arthritis(GA), reasons of the differences were further analyzed.Methods:The ultrasound and DECT images of 150 knee joints from 147 patients diagnosed with gout at the Gout Specialty Clinic of Qingdao University Affiliated Hospital from February 2022 to October 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. According to anatomy, the knee joint was anatomically segmented into five regions: intra-articular, anterior, posterior, medial, and lateral.Location of monosodium urate (MSU) deposition was meticulously recorded. The Kappa consistency test was employed to assess the consistency of the two examination results in different regions of the knee joint. The McNemar chi-square test was utilized to conduct a differential analysis between DECT and ultrasound results.Results:Double contour sign(DCS) (81.2%, 92/112) was the most common intra-articular ultrasound sign in knee joints with GA. In the extra-articular region, MSU was commonly deposited in and around the popliteal tendon (ultrasound: 51.6%, 66/128; DECT: 54.7%, 70/128). Corresponding MSU deposits on DECT were found in 9 of 92 joints with DCS and in 9 of 49 joints with aggregates detected on ultrasound.In the assessment of MSU deposits, ultrasound showed an overall higher positive rate than DECT (87.3% vs. 72.3%, P=0.001), with poor consistency between the two examinations (Kappa=0.153). In distinct anatomical regions, ultrasound and DECT showed high consistency in the medial (Kappa=0.697) and lateral (Kappa=0.718) sides and the difference was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). Intra-articular (Kappa=0.289) and anterior (Kappa=0.303) regions exhibited only fair consistency, with statistically significant diagnostic differences ( P<0.05). When exclusively assessing cases with tophus, ultrasound and DECT demonstrated high consistency in the medial and lateral aspects(Kappa=0.685, 0.748) without statistical difference ( P>0.05). In the anterior region, the consistency between the two examinations was moderate (Kappa=0.256), while in the intra-articular region, the consistency of the two methods was lower (Kappa=0.147), and the differences was statistically significant ( P<0.001). Conclusions:Both ultrasound and DECT exhibit good diagnostic capabilities for gouty knee arthritis.However, the consistency between the two techniques varies in different anatomical locations. Clinical assessment should be tailored based on the specific anatomical position. DECT has an advantage in evaluating intra-articular MSU deposits, while ultrasound is more sensitive to detect early and scattered MSU deposits.

OBJECTIVE： To investigate the effect mechanism of diazoxide on the proliferation and apoptosis of chondrocytes with oxidative injury based on endoplasmic reticulum stress （ERS） pathway. METHODS： SD mice were selected for primary culture of articular chondrocytes. The 3rd generation chondrocytes were randomly divided into control group， injury model group and diazoxide group. Control group didn’t receive any treatment. The injury model group was incubated with 300 μmol/L hydrogen peroxide （H2O2） at 37 ℃ for 8 h. Diazoxide group was pretreated with 300 μmol/L diazoxide at 37 ℃ for 0.5 h，and then incubated with 300 μmol/L H2O2 for 8 h. The proliferation of chondrocytes was detected by CCK-8 assay. The apoptosis rate of chondrocytes was detected by flow cytometry. The expression of ERS-related proteins [Caspase-3， Bcl-2-associated X（Bax），C/EBP homologous protein （CHOP）] were detected by Western blotting assay. RESULTS： Compared with control group， the proliferation activity of chondrocytes in injury model group was significantly decreased， while apoptosis rate was increased significantly（P＜0.05）；the protein expression of Caspase-3， Bax and CHOP were increased significantly （P＜0.05）. Compared with injury model group， the proliferation activity of chondrocytes in diazoxide group was increased significantly， while the apoptosis rate was decreased significantly （P＜0.05）； the expression of above related proteins were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS： Diazoxide can improve the proliferation activity of chondrocytes with oxidative injury and inhibit their apoptosis by inhibiting ERS pathway.

Objective To compare vein valve function following pharmacomechanical thrombolysis (PMT) with simple catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) for deep vein thrombosis. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of sixty patients who suffered acute lower extremity deep vein thrombsis in our hospital between October 2016 and March 2017. All patients underwent contralateral preprocedural duplex and bilateral postprocedure duplex to access patency and valve function. The patients were divided into three groups including a group A with catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) alone (36 patients with 20 males and 16 females at average age of 56 years), a group B with PMT alone (15 patients with 8 males and 7 females at average age of 55 years), and a group C with PMT combined CDT (9 patients with 4 males and 5 females at average age of 56 years). The valve function was compared among the Group A, Group B and Group C. Results There were 40.0% (24/60) patients with bilateral femoral vein valve reflux, 40.0% (24/60) patients with unilateral femoral vein valve reflux (all in the treated limbs), 20% (12/60) patients had no reflux in both limbs. Of the limbs treated with CDT alone, PMT alone and PMT combined CDT, the rate of valve reflux was 38.9% (14/36), 33.3% (5/15), and 55.6% (5/9) respectively (P=0.077). Conclusion In the patients suffering acute DVT, PMT or PMT combined CDT does not hamper valve function compared with CDT alone.

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of yunaconitine on myocardial injury in rats and its mechanism related to mitochondrial apoptosis pathway rats. METHODS Forty SD rats were divided into normal group （normal saline）， yunaconitine high-dose and low-dose groups（0.14， 0.09 mg/kg）and aconitine group （positive control， 0.88 mg/kg） by random number method， with 10 rats in each group. They were given relevant medicine intragastrically， once a day， for consecutive 7 days. The levels of lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， creatine kinase （CK）， creatine kinase isoenzyme （CK-MB）， superoxide dismutase （SOD） and malondialdehyde （MDA） in serum as well as the level of reactive oxygen species （ROS） in myocardial tissue were detected. The pathomorphological changes of myocardium and ultrastructural changes of myocardial mitochondria were all observed. The apoptosis of cardiomyocytes was determined. The protein relative expressions of B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2 associated X protein （Bax）， caspase-9， cleaved-caspase-9， caspase-3 and cleaved-caspase-3 were determined in myocardium of rats. RESULTS Compared with normal group， the serum levels of LDH， CK， CK-MB and MDA， the apoptotic numbers of cardiomyocytes， the level of ROS and protein expression of caspase-3 in myocardium were increased significantly in yunaconitine high-dose and low- dose groups （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）； serum level of SOD and Bcl-2/Bax ratio in myocardium were all decreased significantly （P＜ 0.01）； the protein relative expressions of caspase-9， cleaved-caspase-9， caspase-3 and cleaved-caspase-3 in myocardium were significantly increased in yunaconitine high-dose group （P＜0.05）； some pathomorphological changes were found in 2 groups， such as myocardial fiber disorder， mitochondrial swelling. CONCLUSIONS Yunacotine could cause myocardial injury in rats. Its mechanism might be related to destroying the integrity of cardiomyocyte membrane， causing oxidative stress of cardiomyocyte， and inducing the apoptosis of myocardial cells through mitochondrial pathway.

OBJECTIVE：To study the toxicity mechanism of yunacotine-induced arrhythmia in rats. METHODS ：Totally 32 rats were randomly divided by random number table method into normal control group ，yunacotine low-dose and high-dose groups （0.09，0.14 mg/kg），aconitine group （positive control ，0.88 mg/kg），with 8 rats in each group. Administration groups were given the corresponding drugs once a day ，and normal control group was given the constant volume of normal saline ，for consecutive 7 d. After last intragastric administration ，the changes of electrocardiogram （ECG） were observed. The contents of adenosine triphosphate（ATP）in myocardial tissue and Ca 2+ in myocardial cells ，the activities of Na +-K+-ATPase and Ca 2+-Mg2+-ATPase as well as the protein expression of ranolidine receptor 2（RyR2）and Ca 2+-ATPase（SERCA2）in myocardial tissue were determined. RESULTS：Compared with normal control group ，time limit of QRS wave and QTc intervals of rats were prolonged significantly in yunaconitine low-dose group （P＜0.01）. The content of Ca 2 + in myocardial cells ， the ATP contents ， the activities of Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase and Na +-K+-ATPase as well as the protein expression of SERCA 2 in myocardial tissue were reduced significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The heart rate of rats in yunaconitine high-dose group and aconitine group were increased significantly （P＜ 0.05 or P＜0.01），and time limit of QRS wave and QTc intervals were significantly prolonged （P＜0.01）；the content of Ca 2+ in myocardial cells was increased significantly （P＜0.01）；ATP content ，the activities of Ca 2+-Mg2+-ATPase and Na +-K+-ATPase，and protein expression of RyR 2 and SERCA 2 in myocardial tissue were decreased significantly （P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS ： Yunaconitine can induce arrhythmia in rats ，the mechanism of which may be associated with Ca 2+ overload that resulted from reducing the activities of Na +-K+-ATPase and Ca 2+-Mg2+-ATPase and down-regulating the expression of related calcium transporter RyR2 and SERCA 2.