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This study investigated the anti-angiogenic activities of two diarylheptanoids, together with a structure analogue, curcumin. The activity and toxicity of these three compounds were compared using transgenic zebrafish as in vivo model and human umbilical vein endothelial cell(HUVEC)as in vitro model. Anti-angiogenic index(AI)was used as the ratio between LC50 and EC50. The results suggested that in both in vitro and in vivo assay, curcumin exerted the most potent anti-angiogenic effect but with lowest toxicity among these compounds; Yakuchinone A was the second potent; Yakuchinone B has the lowest activity but with the highest toxicity in all three compounds. Taken together, curcumin was the best angiogenic inhibitor in these three diarylheptanoids.

From September 2020 to August 2021, 34 general practice trainees in Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University were were randomly divided into the control group and trial group with 17 in each group. The control group adopted the traditional clerkship method for outpatient clinical teaching; the trial group independently received patients with the supervision of clinical instructors, and the Leicester assessment package (LAP) was used for evaluation and training. The performance of two groups were assessed using the Beijing General Practitioner's Graduation Assessment and Admissions Patient Score Sheet. The LAP training was also given to control group at the late stage of the study, and the application of LAP was assessed with a questionnaire survey in two groups of trainees. The results showed that the performance of trial group was better than that of control group in terms of medical history collection [(23.12±1.05) vs. (21.18±0.88), t=-5.82, P<0.01 ], physical examination [(24.88±1.62) vs. (23.12±1.58), t=-3.22, P< 0.01 ], case analysis [(22.94±0.90) vs. (20.82±0.73), t=-7.55, P<0.01 ] and total score [(86.59±2.65) vs. (80.12±2.45) t=-7.40, P<0.01]. For assessment of LAP, all 34 trainees gave 5 points in items of improving patient care, knowledge and skills, communication skills, professional quality, reception skills, clinical thinking, clinical judgment, decision-making skills, and learning interest with the application of LAP in outpatient clinical teaching; the satisfaction of the trainees on the pertinence, teaching effect and LAP training method of the instructing physicians was 100% (34/34). It is suggested that the application of LAP for evaluation and implementation in general practice outpatient teaching will help to improve the teaching quality and the patient receiving ability of general practitioners.

Objective:To investigate the therapeutic value of modified multipoint drainage for biliary complications after liver transplantation.Methods:A total of 125 patients treated by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for biliary complications after liver transplantation in Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from May 2018 to May 2020 were enrolled. Patients were divided into endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage (ERBD) group ( n=67, treated with multiple drainage of bile duct stent) and modified multipoint drainage group [ n=58, treated with ERBD combined with endoscopic nasobiliary drainage (ENBD)] by random number table. Modified multipoint drainage group were further randomly divided into two groups, modification group 1, 31 cases, where nasobiliary ducts were cut proximal to duodenal papilla after one week under endoscopy and modification group 2, 27 cases, where they were cut proximal to duodenal papilla after two weeks under endoscopy. The changes of serological indexes in 2 weeks after the operation in three groups were compared, and the incidence of short-term and long-term complications were analyzed. Results:The serological indexes were improved in patients at 1 d, 7 d and 14 d after ERCP, especially in modified multipoint drainage groups. Two weeks after the operation, the improvement of serological indexes in modification group 2 was better than that in modification group 1. Incidence of recent complications including cholangitis, hyperamylasinemia, and pancreatitis in the ERBD group were higher than those in modification group 1 [32.84% (22/67) VS 12.90% (4/31), 46.27% (31/67) VS 19.35% (6/31), 20.90% (14/67) VS 3.23% (1/31), all P<0.05] and modification group 2 [32.84% (22/67) VS 11.11% (3/27), 46.27% (31/67) VS 22.22% (6/27), 20.90% (14/67) VS 3.70% (1/27), all P<0.05]. ERBD group had a higher incidence of long-term complications including recurrent biliary infection and jaundice than modification group 1 [ 58.21% (39/67) VS 35.48% (11/31), P=0.036; 49.25% (33/67) VS 25.81% (8/31), P=0.027] and modification group 2 [58.21% (39/67) VS 11.11% (3/27), P<0.001; 49.25% (33/67) VS 25.93% (7/27), P=0.038]. The incidence of recurrent biliary infection in modification group 1 was higher than that in modification group 2 [35.48% (11/31) VS 11.11% (3/27), P=0.030]. Conclusion:Multiple drainage with indwelling nasal bile duct by ERCP can effectively reduce the short-term and long-term complications and improve the recovery of serological indexes for patients with biliary complications after liver transplantation. It is suggested that the nasobiliary duct should be retained for 2 weeks and then transformed into a built-in tube to continue drainage.

Objective:To analyze skin manifestations associated with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) in children.Methods:Children diagnosed with COVID-19 accompanied by skin manifestations were retrospectively collected from outpatient clinics or teleclinics at the Department of Dermatology, Children′s Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics from November 1st, 2022 to December 10th, 2022, and their clinical characteristics were analyzed. Analysis of variance was used for comparing measurement data, and Fisher′s exact test for comparing enumeration data.Results:A total of 61 children with COVID-19 accompanied by skin lesions were included, they were aged from 22 days to 17 years (2.83 ± 2.47 years, and their course of disease ranged from 2 to 14 days. Skin lesions manifested as acute urticaria in 25 cases (41.0%), eruptive/maculopapular lesions in 10 cases (16.4%), facial vascular edema in 6 cases (9.8%), urticarial vasculitis in 5 cases (8.2%), pityriasis rosea and erythema multiforme each in 4 cases (6.6%), purpura in 2 cases (3.3%), mixed skin lesions in 2 cases (3.3%), and folliculitis, erythema nodosum, as well as angioedema of the limbs each in 1 case (1.6%). The age of children with different skin manifestations significantly differed ( F = 4.67, P < 0.001). Forty-eight patients (78.69%) presented with generalized skin lesions, while 13 (21.31%) with localized skin lesions; 10 (16.4%) had itching, 3 (4.9%) had a burning sensation, while 48 (78.7%) showed no symptoms. Skin lesions persisted for ≤ 3 days in 36 cases (59.0%) and for > 3 days in 25 cases (41.0%), and all lesions persisted for less than 2 weeks. All 61 patients had fever up to 38.5 ℃; 1 (1.6%) developed skin lesions before the fever, 41 (67.2%) developed lesions during the fever, and 19 (31.2%) developed lesions after the fever. The skin manifestations significantly differed among various groups divided by patients with different lesion distribution, self-reported symptoms, duration of lesions, and sequence between fever and lesion onset (all P < 0.05). No recurrence was observed after recovery, and skin lesions subsided without pigment changes or scaring. Conclusion:COVID-19 was often accompanied by various skin lesions in children, which mainly manifested as urticaria and eruptive/maculopapular lesions.

OBJECTIVES: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a kind of autoimmune inflammatory connective tissue disease which seriously endangers human health. Genetic factors play a key role in the pathogenesis of SLE. This study aims to investigate a novel phospholipase D2 (PLD2) mutation associated with familial SLE, and further explore the underlying mechanism of the mutation in SLE. METHODS: The blood samples from a SLE patient, the patient's parents, and 147 normal controls were collected and DNA was extracted. Whole genome high-throughput sequencing was performed in the patient and her parents and the results were further analyzed by various bioinformatics methods. The wild type (wt), mutant type (mu), and negative control PLD2 plasmids were further constructed and transfected into 293 cells. The expression level of HRAS protein in 293 cells was detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: In this SLE family, the female SLE patient and her mother, 1 in generation II and 1 in generation III had typical clinical manifestations of SLE, and all of them had lupus nephritis at early stage. The genetic characteristics are consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance. A novel PLD2 heterozygous mutation (c.2722C>T) was found in the patient and her mother, but not in her father and other normal controls. Compared with wtPLD2 plasmid and negative control PLD2 plasmid, the expression of HRAS in 293 cells transfected with muPLD2 plasmid was significantly up-regulated (both CONCLUSIONS PLD2 c.2722C>T mutation may be one of the pathogeny of SLE in this family.
Case-Control Studies ; Female ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/genetics* ; Lupus Nephritis ; Mutation ; Phospholipase D

Objective: To evaluate the effect of down-regulating SALL4 on the radiosensitivity of leukemia cells, aiming to provide new ideas for improving radiosensitivity of leukemia patients. Methods: Human acute myeloid leukemia cell line HL-60 infected with shRNA SALL4 and shRNA control lentivirus was classified into the Lv-shSALL4 group and Lv-shNC group. The levels of SALL4 mRNA and protein in cells were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot. The infected cells treated with 8 Gy dose irradiation were assigned into the Lv-shSALL4+ radiation and Lv-shNC+ radiation groups. The cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. The levels of cleaved Caspase-3, cleaved Caspase-9 and Bax proteins in cells were determined by Western blot. The cells in the Lv-shSALL4 and Lv-shNC groups were exposed to 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 Gy irradiation. The radiosensitivity ratio was determined by cell clone test. Results: The level of SALL4 in the Lv-shSALL4 group was significantly lower than that in the Lv-shNC group (P<0.05). The cell apoptosis rate was significantly increased, the levels of cleaved Caspase-3, cleaved Caspase-9 and Bax proteins were remarkably up-regulated in cells compared with those in the Lv-shNC group (all P<0.05). The cell proliferation ability in the Lv-shSALL4+ radiation was significantly reduced, the cell apoptosis rate was considerably increased, the levels of cleaved Caspase-3, cleaved Caspase-9 and Bax proteins were significantly up-regulated compared with those in the Lv-shSALL4 and Lv-shNC+ radiation groups (all P<0.05). The cell radiosensitization ratio in the Lv-shSALL4 group was 1.323. Conclusion Down-regulating SALL4 can increase the radiosensitivity of leukemic cells, inhibit the cell proliferation and induce the apoptosis of leukemic cells.

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of Geju Hugan tablets on the liver of mice with alcohol-induced liver injury， and explore the underlying mechanism based on nuclear factor-κB p65 （NF-κB p65） and B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）/Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） signaling pathways. MethodAccording to the body weight， 60 SPF-grade male ICR mice were randomized into normal， model， Compound Yiganling tablets （0.16 g·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （0.2， 0.4， 0.8 g·kg^-1， respectively） Geju Hugan tablets groups. The drugs were administrated at the corresponding doses by gavage， and the normal and model groups with equal volume of pure water once a day for 28 consecutive days. On day 29， the mice in other groups except the normal group were administrated with liquor （53% Vol） by gavage twice a day at the doses of 20， 10 mL·kg^-1 and with the interval of 6 h. Samples were harvested on day 30. The histopathological changes in the liver were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， and the ultrastructural changes in hepatocytes were observed by transmission electron microscopy. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the levels of malonaldehyde （MDA）， reduced glutathione （GSH）， and triglycerides （TG） in the liver tissue and the levels of alanine aminotransferase （ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） in the serum. Western blotting was employed to determine the protein levels of NF-κB p65， phosphorylated p-inhibitor kappa B alpha （p-IκBα）， Bcl-2， and Bax in the liver tissue. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed increases in the ALT， AST， MDA， and TG levels， a decrease in the GSH level， and increases in the liver injury scores evaluated based on the HE， oil red O， and transmission electron microscopy （P<0.01）. Moreover， the model group showed up-regulated expression of NF-κB， p-IκBα， and Bax （P<0.05， P<0.01） and down-regulated expression of Bcl-2 （P<0.05） in the liver tissue. Compared with the model group， Geju Hugan tablets of all the doses lowered the ALT， AST， MDA， and TG levels and elevated the GSH level （P<0.01）. The liver injury scores assessed based on HE staining and transmission electron microscopy in the medium- and high-dose Geju Hugan tablets groups were lower than those in the model group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， medium- and high-dose Geju Hugan tablets down-regulated the protein levels of NF-κB， p-IκBα， and Bax （P<0.01） and all doses of Geju Hugan tablets up-regulated the protein level of Bcl-2 （P<0.01）. ConclusionGeju Hugan tablets protect mice from alcohol-induced liver injury by down-regulating NF-κB signaling pathway to alleviate inflammation in the liver tissue and down-regulating the expression of Bax and up-regulating the expression of Bcl-2 to inhibit hepatocyte apoptosis.

Objective:To analyze the risk factors that affect the prognosis of patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma（HPSCC） and to compare the efficacy of surgical resection followed by adjuvant radiotherapy（SR） with that of neoadjuvant therapy consisting of platinum-based chemotherapy and fluorouracil combined with either cetuximab or nimotuzumab, followed by SR. The study also aimed to evaluate the overall survival（OS） of patients, their postoperative eating function, tracheostomy decannulation rate, and tumor response to the two neoadjuvant chemotherapies. Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical records of HPSCC patients who received SR or neoadjuvant therapy followed by SR treatment at the Shanghai General Hospital from 2012 to 2019 and had not undergone any prior treatment. The prognostic factors were analyzed, and the survival analysis of patients who underwent SR treatment with two neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens was performed. Results:A total of 108 patients were included in the study. The results of the univariate analysis showed that gender（P=0.850） had no significant correlation with the survival rate of HPSCC patients who underwent SR. However, age, smoking history, alcohol consumption history, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio（PLR）, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio（NLR）, T stage, N stage, neoadjuvant therapy with either cetuximab or nimotuzumab combined with platinum-based chemotherapy and fluorouracil, and histological grade were significantly associated with prognosis（P<0.05）. The multivariate analysis revealed that smoking history, histological grade, and neoadjuvant therapy with either cetuximab or nimotuzumab combined with platinum-based chemotherapy and fluorouracil were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of HPSCC（P<0.05）. Patients who received neoadjuvant therapy had longer OS than those who underwent SR only（P<0.001）. There was no significant difference in tumor response to the two neoadjuvant therapies and in OS（P>0.05）, and there was no significant difference in the rate of oral feeding and tracheostomy decannulation among the three treatment groups（P>0.05）. Conclusion:Univariate analysis showed that age at tumor onset, smoking history, alcohol consumption history, NLR, PLR, T stage, N stage, whether receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and pathological grade were associated with the prognosis of HPSCC patients receiving SR treatment. Multivariate analysis showed that smoking history, pathological grade, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with cetuximab or nimotuzumab can prolong the OS of patients, providing a certain basis and reference for the treatment of HPSCC.
Humans ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck ; Cetuximab/therapeutic use* ; Retrospective Studies ; China ; Prognosis ; Fluorouracil ; Head and Neck Neoplasms

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) or tacrolimus (TAC) compared with azathioprine (AZA) as maintenance therapy for active lupus nephritis (ALN). Patients with ALN who responded to 24 weeks of induction treatment were enrolled. Patients who received MMF or TAC as induction therapy continued MMF or TAC treatment during the maintenance period, whereas those who received intravenous cyclophosphamide were subjected to AZA treatment. The primary endpoint was the incidence of renal relapse. Secondary endpoints included extrarenal flares and composite endpoints (deaths, end-stage renal disease, or doubling of serum creatinine levels). A total of 123 ALN patients (47 in the MMF group, 37 in the TAC group, and 39 in the AZA group) were enrolled. The median follow-up time was 60 months. Ten MMF-treated patients, ten TAC-treated patients, and eight AZA-treated patients experienced renal relapses (P = 0.844). The cumulative renal relapse rates in the MMF group (P = 0.934) and TAC group (P = 0.673) were similar to the renal relapse rate in the AZA group. No significant difference in the incidence of severe adverse event was observed among the groups. Long-term maintenance therapies with MMF or TAC might have similarly low rates of renal relapse and similar safety profiles compared with AZA.
Humans ; Mycophenolic Acid/adverse effects* ; Azathioprine/adverse effects* ; Tacrolimus/therapeutic use* ; Lupus Nephritis/complications* ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Treatment Outcome ; Recurrence