Objective: To interview the role of CGRP to hepatic microcirculation in acute liver injury induced by coneanavalin A(Con A). Methods: Sixty Kunming rats were divided into three groups randomly(n=20), acute liver injury was established by injection with 20 mg/kg Con A through the tail vein. A saline control group was established by injection with saline. In CGRP-administered group, CGRP was given to rats 30 min before Con A injected. Ten mice in each group were used to observe the average liver blood flow volume and concentration by laser-doppler flow-instrument, and the other ten rats were observed the hepatic microcirculation velocity in vivo by an inverted microscope. Liver damage was assessed by histological evaluation after the rat had been killed. Results: Compared to the injury group, the average liver blood flow volume and velocity were significantly increased in CGRP-administered group, meanwhile, the pathological injury was markedly alleviated, whereas the blood concentration was almost the same. Conclusion: CGRP can decrease the dysfunction of hepatic microcirculation by means of improving the tissue perfusion, and alleviate the pathological damage during acute liver injury.

OBJECTIVE:To summarize the effects of compound glycyrrhizin injection(GL)on hormone withdrawal syndrome(HWS)in SARS patients.METHODS:Using contrast design,the HWS of 134 cases of SARS who had received hormone theropy was retrospectively analysed.RESULTS:Administration of GL could descend the incidence rate of symptoms of HWS,of which the incidence rates of short breath and chest distress,the main symptoms of SARS patients,dropped from 24.5%and 22.6%to 3.6%(P≤0.01)and 7.1%(P≤0.05)and the incidence of asthenia,musculoarthragia and headache decreased from 13.2%,15.1%and 10.4%to 7.2%,14.3%and 0%respectively.The number of patients with elevated ALT reduced(P≤0.01).CONCLUSION:GL can decrease the incidence of HWS.

Objective : To observe the clearance of smear layer on the root canal wall in different action time by scanning electron microscope (SEM), and to determine the optimal amount of time using sonically activated irrigation to wash root canal in clinic. Methods: Fifty-six ex vivo human anterior teeth with single straight root canal were selected. After routine mechanical preparation, they were divided into two experimental groups according to different irrigating agents: saline group and EDTA group. Each group was assisted by VDW sonic activation EDDY. The saline group was divided into three subgroups according to the irrigating time: 5 s, 30 s and 50 s; EDTA group was divided into six subgroups according to the irrigating time: 5 s, 10 s, 20 s, 30 s, 40 s and 50 s. The control group did not undergo root canal irrigation. After irrigation, the root was cut longitudinally. The smear layer of crown, middle and apical of root canal wall was observed by SEM. Results: After irrigating for 30 seconds, there was a significant difference between the normal saline group and the control group and the 5 second group (P<0.05), and there was no difference in the middle and apical part (P>0.05). After 50 seconds, there was a significant difference in the score of the smear layer between the apical area and the other groups (P<0.05). After irrigating for 5 seconds or 10 seconds in EDTA group, there was a significant difference between the scores of the crown and middle area of the root canal and the control group (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in the apical area (P>0.05). There was a significant difference between the 20-40 second group and the first two groups (P<0.05). There was a significant difference between the 50 second group and the other groups (P<0.05). Comparing the cleaning effect on the smear layer after 50 seconds of irrigating between the two experimental groups, the whole root canal showed significant statistical difference (P<0.05). Conclusion The EDTA-assisted sonic activated device used for 50 seconds has the best cleaning effect.

Objective:To explore the influencing factors of intracranial hemorrhage in elderly patients with acute occlusion of intracranial arteries after treatment and reperfusion.Methods:A retrospective selection was conducted on elderly patients with acute occlusion of the intracranial artery who were treated at the Hebei Petro China Central Hospital from February 2019 to May 2021. Sixty patients who received mechanical thrombectomy treatment were selected as the observation group, and 60 patients who received combined arterial and venous thrombolysis treatment were selected as the control group. The vascular reperfusion rate and incidence of intracranial hemorrhage were observed and compared between the two groups. Meanwhile, multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify the influencing factors of intracranial hemorrhage.Results:The reperfusion rate of the observation group′s blood vessels was 85.00%(51/60), significantly higher than the control group′s 68.33%(41/60), and the difference was statistically significant (χ 2=4.658, P=0.031). The National Institutes of Health Neurological Deficit Score (NIHSS) of the observation group after treatment was (10.57±2.23), significantly lower than that of the control group (14.73±2.84), and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The reperfusion rate of blood vessels in patients under 80 years old in the observation group was significantly higher than that in patients ≥80 years old ( P<0.05). The results of univariate analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in age, NIHSS at admission, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS), and neutrophil absolute value/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) between patients with and without intracranial hemorrhage (all P<0.05); Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age ( OR=1.756, 95% CI: 1.184-2.604) and NIHSS at admission ( OR=2.392, 95% CI: 1.401-4.084) were risk factors for postoperative intracranial hemorrhage in elderly patients with acute occlusion of the large intracranial artery, while ASPECTS ( OR=0.364, 95% CI: 0.190-0.697) was a protective factor. Conclusions:Mechanical thrombectomy has good clinical efficacy in the treatment of elderly patients with acute occlusion of intracranial arteries, and is worthy of clinical use; The intracranial hemorrhage after reperfusion is mainly influenced by the patient′s age, NIHSS at admission, and ASPECTS.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of multiplex real-time RT-PCR with fluorescent probes in early screening of Ph-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and analyze the clinical feature and prognos. Method: A total of 118 adult B-ALL patients diagnosed between October 2010 and March 2016 were enrolled in this study. Multiplex RT-PCR was used to detect the Ph-like ALL related fusion gene and CRLF2 expression in 58 BCR-ABL and MLL rearrangement negative patients. The clinical features, treatment response and prognosis were analyzed in Ph-like fusion gene positive and/or CRLF2 over-expression patients. Result: Among 58 patients, 9 patients (9/58, 15.5%) showed Ph-like ALL related fusion genes positive and 10 patients (10/58, 17.2%) showed CRLF2 over-expression. There were statistical differences in age, WBC count, immunophenotypes, cytogenetics and risk stratification among Ph-like fusion gene positive or CRLF2 over-expression patients, Ph⁺ patients, MLL⁺ patients and B-other patients. The 2-year overall survival rates were 65%, 47%, 64% and 74% respectively among these four groups (P=0.043) . The 2-year relapse free survival rates were 51%, 39%, 62% and 70% respectively among these four groups (P=0.010) . Conclusion Routine screening of Ph-like ALL by multiplex RTPCR is feasible.

The generation of functional retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is of great therapeutic interest to the field of regenerative medicine and may provide possible cures for retinal degenerative diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Although RPE cells can be produced from either embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells, direct cell reprogramming driven by lineage-determining transcription factors provides an immediate route to their generation. By monitoring a human RPE specific Best1::GFP reporter, we report the conversion of human fibroblasts into RPE lineage using defined sets of transcription factors. We found that Best1::GFP positive cells formed colonies and exhibited morphological and molecular features of early stage RPE cells. Moreover, they were able to obtain pigmentation upon activation of Retinoic acid (RA) and Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathways. Our study not only established an ideal platform to investigate the transcriptional network regulating the RPE cell fate determination, but also provided an alternative strategy to generate functional RPE cells that complement the use of pluripotent stem cells for disease modeling, drug screening, and cell therapy of retinal degeneration.
Animals ; Bestrophins ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Line ; Cell Lineage ; Chloride Channels ; genetics ; metabolism ; Embryonic Stem Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Eye Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Fibroblasts ; cytology ; metabolism ; Genes, Reporter ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Mice ; Pigmentation ; Retinal Pigment Epithelium ; cytology ; metabolism ; Transcription Factors ; metabolism

Objective:To investigate the association of postprandial hypotension(PPH)with insulin and neurotensin(NT)in very old adults.Methods:In this retrospective study, 22 people with PPH and 21 without non-PPH, aged ≥80, were enrolled from patients hospitalized at the First Division of the Health Department of China-Japan Friendship Hospital between September 2015 and October 2021.The levels of blood pressure, blood glucose, insulin and NT at fasting and 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after a meal were monitored.Changes in values of each parameter before and after a meal were compared between the two groups, and the correlation of the maximum decrease in postprandial blood pressure with the maximum increase in blood glucose, insulin and neurotensin was analyzed.Results:The maximum decrease in postprandial systolic blood pressure(SBP)in the PPH group was significantly higher than that in the non-PPH group[(35.5±13.2)mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) vs.(16.0±8.6)mmHg, t=4.135, P<0.01)]. The maximum increase in postprandial insulin was significantly higher than that in the non-PPH group[(20.9±4.2)mU/L vs.(12.1±4.1)mU/L, t=3.949, P<0.01)]. There was no statistically significant difference between the PPH and non-PPH groups in the maximum increase in postprandial blood glucose[(3.6±1.8)mmol/L vs.(2.5±0.5)mmol/L, t=1.912, P>0.05)]or NT[65.7(22.0, 110.1)ng/L vs.112.2(47.2, 270.2)ng/L, Z=1.817, P>0.05)]. There was a significant positive correlation between the maximum decrease in postprandial systolic blood pressure and the maximum increase in insulin( r=0.907, P<0.05). There was no correlation between the maximum decrease in postprandial systolic blood pressure and the maximum increase in blood glucose( r=0.016, P>0.05). There was no correlation between the maximum decrease in postprandial systolic blood pressure and the maximum increase in NT( r=0.396, P>0.05). Conclusions:The PPH is related to abnormal increases in postprandial insulin secretion.

Objective: To investigate the spectrum of gene mutations in adult patients with B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), and to analyze the influences of different gene mutations on prognosis. Methods: DNA samples from 113 adult B-ALL patients who administered from June 2009 to September 2015 were collected. Target-specific next generation sequencing (NGS) approach was used to analyze the mutations of 112 genes (focused on the specific mutational hotspots) and all putative mutations were compared against multiple databases to calculate the frequency spectrum. The impact of gene mutation on the patients’ overall survival (OS) and recurrence free survival (RFS) was analyzed by the putative mutations through Kaplan-Meier, and Cox regression methods. Results: Of the 113 patients, 103 (92.0%) harbored at least one mutation and 29 (25.6%) harbored more than 3 genes mutation. The five most frequently mutated genes in B-ALL are SF1, FAT1, MPL, PTPN11 and NRAS. Gene mutations are different between Ph⁺ B-ALL and Ph^- B-ALL patients. Ph^- B-ALL patients with JAK-STAT signal pathway related gene mutation, such as JAK1/JAK2 mutation showed a poor prognosis compared to the patients without mutation (OS: P=0.011, 0.001; RFS: P=0.014,<0.001). Patients with PTPN11 mutation showed better survival than those without mutation, but the difference was not statistically significant (P value > 0.05). Besides, in Ph⁺ B-ALL patients whose epigenetic modifications related signaling pathway genes were affected, they had a worse prognosis (OS: P=0.038; RFS: P=0.047). Conclusion Gene mutations are common in adult ALL patients, a variety of signaling pathways are involved. The frequency and spectrum are varied in different types of B-ALL. JAK family gene mutation usually indicates poor prognosis. The co-occurrence of somatic mutations in adult B-ALL patients indicate the genetic complex and instability of adult B-ALL patients.

Objective:To analyze the efficacy of nutrition intervention combined with rehabilitation exercise in elderly patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) complicated by sarcopenia.Methods:In this randomized controlled trial, seventy CHF patients with sarcopenia, aged 80 years or older, who had received standard CHF medication treatment and had stable conditions with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) from June 2021 to October 2022 at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital outpatient clinic were continuously selected. The patients were randomly divided into a test group ( n=35) and a control group ( n=35) using a random number table. The test group continued the original heart failure medication treatment, and on the basis of daily meal, supplemented with whey protein powder [37 g per serving (including 16.2 g of whey protein, 145 kcal), twice a day]; they were given resistance exercise primarily focused on resistance training (5 sets of exercises, progressively increasing to 3 days per week, twice a day, 5 sets per session, 20 repetitions per set). The control group maintained the original heart failure medication treatment plan and lifestyle. The body mass index, appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI), grip strength, Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand Test, 6-meter walking speed, 6-minute walk test, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), left ventricular ejection fraction, ratio of early mitral flow peak velocity to early mitral annulus diastolic peak velocity (E/e′), serum albumin, hemoglobin, and serum creatinine were compared between the two groups before and after 3 months of intervention using t-tests and chi-square tests to analyze the efficacy of nutrition intervention combined with rehabilitation exercise in elderly patients with CHF complicated by sarcopenia. Results:Among the 70 patients, there were 42 males and 28 females. There was no significant difference in baseline data between the test group and the control group (all P>0.05). After 3 months of intervention, ASMI, grip strength and 6 min walking distance in the test group were all significantly higher than those in the control group [(6.43±1.07) vs (6.09±0.86) kg/m 2, (27.75±2.13) vs (23.45±0.47) kg, (361.51±58.71) vs (273.50±69.85) m], and significantly higher than those before intervention [(5.99±1.45) kg/m 2, (23.55±9.64) kg, (273.50±69.86) m]. The time of Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand Test, BNP and E/e′ in the test group were both significantly lower than those in the control group [(11.20±2.09) vs (15.36±0.46) s, (278.80±58.69) vs (400.80±87.86) ng/L, (11.10±0.81) vs (14.66±1.90)], and significantly lower than those before intervention [(18.51±2.90) s, (407.50±122.74) ng/L and (14.00±1.15)]. There was no significant difference in remaining indicators between the two groups (all P>0.05). Conclusion:Nutritional intervention combined with rehabilitation exercise primarily focused on whey protein supplementation and resistance training can significantly improve limb muscle mass, muscle strength, muscle function, and cardiac function in elderly patients with CHF complicated by sarcopenia on the basis of heart failure medication treatment.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic central neurodegenerative disease. The pathological features of AD are the extracellular deposition of senile plaques formed by amyloid-β oligomers (AβOs) and the intracellular accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles formed by hyperphosphorylated tau protein. In this paper, an in vitro pathological model of AD based on neuronal network chip and its real-time dynamic analysis were presented. The hippocampal neuronal network was cultured on the microelectrode array (MEA) chip and induced by AβOs as an AD model to simultaneously record two firing patterns from the interneurons and pyramidal neurons. The spatial firing patterns mapping and cross-correlation between channels were performed to validate the degeneration of neuronal network connectivity. This biosensor enabled the detection of the AβOs toxicity responses, and the identification of connectivity and interactions between neuronal networks, which can be a novel technique in the research of AD pathological model .
Alzheimer Disease ; Amyloid beta-Peptides ; Humans ; Neurofibrillary Tangles ; tau Proteins