Objective To explore the inhibition effect on angiogenesis and plaque growth of carotid atherosclerosis by transfection of endostatin gene using microbubbles combined with ultrasound exposure.Methods Twenty rabbit models of carotid atherosclerosis were randomly divided into 3 groups:group A,microbubble+ ultrasound; group B, control plasmid + microbubble + ultrsound; group C, ES plasmid +microbubble+ ultrasound. Two weeks after surgery, ultrasound/microbubble mediated gene transfer was performed,and it was performed once again three weeks after the first transfection. Ultrasonography and digital subtraction angiography(DSA) were performed at the time of 14 weeks. The carotid arteries were taken to detect the neointima and angiogenesis, and the expression of endostatin was detected using pathological means. Results The imagings of ultrasound showed that the intima in group A and B were thick significantly with larger plaques, and the lumen became stenosis with the peak systolic velocity increasing,however,in group C,the parameters mentioned above were significantly less than those of group A and B ( P＜0.05). Pathological results displayed that intima-media thickness (IMT), intima thickness (IT), intima thickness/media thickness (IT/MT), intima area (IA), intima area/media area (IA/MA) and neointimal stenosis rates were greater in group A and B, however, they were less in group C ( P＜0.05).The number of neovascularization and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) expression in group A and B were more than those of group C. There was more endostatin positive expression in carotid arteries and anterior tibial muscles of group C, while there was nearly no expression in group A and B. Conclusions Under the conditioned ultrasonic irradiation, ultrasound/microbubble mediated endostatin gene transfection can inhibit the development of carotid atherosclerosis in rabbits, which might provide a safe and effective strategy for gene therapy of atherosclerotic disease in future.

ObjectiveTo study the mechanism of infection-related reactive thrombocytosis.MethodsSeventy-five infectious disease patients were selected including 42 cases with acute infections phase thrombocytosis (acute infectious phase thrombocytosis group),18 cases with acute infectious phase normal platelet count (acute infectious phase normal platelet count group),15 cases with recovered phase (infectious recovered phase group) and 16 cases with healthy controls(control group).The serum thrombopoietin (TPO),intefleukin-6 (IL-6),white blood cell,platelet was determined and compared among 4 groups.Results The serum TPO in acute infectious phase thrombocytosis group [( 159.1 ± 65.9) ng/L]was higher than that in acute infectious phase normal platelet count group,infectious recovered phase group,and control group [(43.5 ± 14.4),(40.3 ± 15.2),(41.8 ± 18.9) ng/L](P＜ 0.05).There was no significant difference in the serum IL-6 between acute infectious phase thrombocytosis group [(542.7 ± 247.0) ng/L]and acute infectious phase normal platelet count group [(598.5 ± 250.4) ng/L] (P ＞ 0.05 ),but which was higher than that in infectious recovered phase group [(43.5 ± 20.7 ) ng/L] and control group [( 38.3 ± 17.6 )ng/L] respectively (P ＜ 0.05 ).The serum IL-6,TPO was positively correlated with platelet,white blood cell.The serum TPO was positively correlated with IL-6.ConclusionElevated TPO leads to the thrombocytosis,which is the possible mechanism of infection-related reactive thrombocytosis.

Objective: To establish an LC-MS/MS method for the determination of 4-( 4-amino-3-fluorophenoxy )-N-methylpyri-dine-2-carboxamide ( AFP-PMA) as a genotoxic impurity in regorafenib. Methods: The content of AFP-PMA was determined by an LC-MS/MS method. A Waters XBridge Shield RP18 column was adopted to separate the samples and the column temperature was 50℃. The mobile phase consisted of 5 mmol·L-1ammonium acetate aqueous (A)-acetonitrile (B) with gradient elution (0~9 min, 5%B→90%B) at a flow rate of 1. 0 ml·min-1. An electrospray ionization source (ESI) was used in a positive-ion and multiple reactions monitoring mode. The ion channel was m/z 262. 2→244. 1. Results:The standard curve was linear within the range of 2. 41-980. 90 ng·ml-1(r=0. 9998) and the limit of quantification was 8. 02 ng·ml-1. The limit of detection was 2. 41 ng·ml-1, which was e-quivalent to 0.000241% for the concentration of regorafenib. The average recovery was 100.95% and RSD was 2.37% (n=9). Conclusion:The method has good specificity, promising accuracy and high sensitivity, which can be used for determining the trace genotoxic impurity AFP-PMA in regorafenib.

In recent years,there has been a deeper understanding of the role and mechanisms of common inflammatory cytokines in the development and progression of liver cirrhosis,such as interleukin-1β,interleukin-6,interleukin-10,interleukin-17,tumor necrosis factor-α,interferon-γ,and C-reactive protein,and significant achievements have also been made in the research on the association of these inflammatory cytokines with disorder of glucose metabolism and pancreatic islet dysfunction.This article reviews the role of inflammatory cytokines in patients with liver cirrhosis and their impact on disorder of glucose metabolism and pancreatic islet dysfunction,in order to provide a theoretical basis for clarifying the pathogenesis of hepatogenous diabetes and performing the clinical management of the disease.

Objective:In chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with previous 96-week treatment with tenofovir amibufenamide (TMF) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), we investigated the efficacy of sequential TMF treatment from 96 to 144 weeks.Methods:Enrolled subjects who were previously assigned (2:1) to receive either 25 mg TMF or 300 mg TDF with matching placebo for 96 weeks received extended or switched TMF treatment for 48 weeks. Efficacy was evaluated based on virological, serological, biological parameters, and fibrosis staging. Statistical analysis was performed using the McNemar test, t-test, or Log-Rank test according to the data. Results:593 subjects from the initial TMF group and 287 subjects from the TDF group were included at week 144, with the proportions of HBV DNA<20 IU/ml at week 144 being 86.2% and 83.3%, respectively, and 78.1% and 73.8% in patients with baseline HBV DNA levels ≥8 log10 IU/ml. Resistance to tenofovir was not detected in both groups. For HBeAg loss and seroconversion rates, both groups showed a further increase from week 96 to 144 and the 3-year cumulative rates of HBeAg loss were about 35% in each group. However, HBsAg levels were less affected during 96 to 144 weeks. For patients switched from TDF to TMF, a substantial further increase in the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization rate was observed (11.4%), along with improved FIB-4 scores.Conclusion:After 144 weeks of TMF treatment, CHB patients achieved high rates of virological, serological, and biochemical responses, as well as improved liver fibrosis outcomes. Also, switching to TMF resulted in significant benefits in ALT normalization rates (NCT03903796).

Objective:In chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with previous 96-week treatment with tenofovir amibufenamide (TMF) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), we investigated the safety profile of sequential TMF treatment from 96 to 144 weeks.Methods:Enrolled subjects that previously assigned (2:1) to receive either 25 mg TMF or 300 mg TDF with matching placebo for 96 weeks received extending or switching TMF treatment for 48 weeks. Safety profiles of kidney, bone, metabolism, body weight, and others were evaluated.Results:666 subjects from the initial TMF group and 336 subjects from TDF group with at least one dose of assigned treatment were included at week 144. The overall safety profile was favorable in each group and generally similar between extended or switched TMF treatments from week 96 to 144. In subjects switching from TDF to TMF, the non-indexed estimated glomerular filtration rate (by non-indexed CKD-EPI formula) and creatinine clearance (by Cockcroft-Gault formula) were both increased, which were (2.31±8.33) ml/min and (4.24±13.94) ml/min, respectively. These changes were also higher than those in subjects with extending TMF treatment [(0.91±8.06) ml/min and (1.30±13.94) ml/min]. Meanwhile, switching to TMF also led to an increase of the bone mineral density (BMD) by 0.75% in hip and 1.41% in spine. On the other side, a slight change in TC/HDL ratio by 0.16 (IQR: 0.00, 0.43) and an increase in body mass index (BMI) by (0.54±0.98) kg/m 2 were oberved with patients switched to TMF, which were significantly higher than that in TMF group. Conclusion:CHB patients receiving 144 weeks of TMF treatment showed favorable safety profile. After switching to TMF, the bone and renal safety was significantly improved in TDF group, though experienceing change in metabolic parameters and weight gain (NCT03903796).