[ ABSTRACT] AIM:To observe the inhibitory effect of madecassoside on the LPS-stimulated microglia and to inves-tigate its possible mechanism.METHODS:Microglia cells of neonatal Sprague-Dawley ( SD) rats were cultured, isolated and purified.Microglia cells were activated with lipopolysaccharide ( LPS) .The inhibitory effect of madecassoside on micro-glia was measured by MTT assay.Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 1β(IL-1β) were detected by ELISA. Cell cycle and apoptotic rate were evaluated by flow cytometry.The expression of TLR4 was detected by Western blotting. The expression of NF-κB was detected by RT-PCR.RESULTS: LPS induced the proliferation of microglia and release in-flammatory cytokines significantly.Compared with LPS group, madecassoside inhibited the proliferation of microglia induced by LPS in a dose dependent manner.The IC50 value of madecassoside was 10.97 nmol/L to microglia after incubation for 48 h.Madecassoside also decreased the levels of TNF-αand IL-6, increased the ratios of microglia at the G2 phase and the ap-optotic rate, decreased the expression of TLR4 and NF-κB significantly (P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Madecassoside has in-hibitory effects on the proliferation of LPS-stimulated microglia, by which the mechanism may be related to inhibition of the expression of TLR4 and NF-κB, change of cell cycle distribution and induction of microglia apoptosis.

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of Shenfukang capsules on clinical efficacy and renal function indexes of patients with renal insufficiency. METHODS:Totally 100 inpatients with renal insufficiency treated by Shenfukang cap-sules in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University during Feb. to Mar. 2015 were analyzed retrospectively in respects of general information of patients,therapy plan,renal function indexs before and after treatment and clinical effica-cy. The relationship of clinical efficacy with age and duration was also analyzed. RESULTS:There were 33 cases of acute re-nal insufficiency and 67 cases of chronic renal insufficiency. The route of administration of Shenfukang capsules was oral ad-ministration(97 cases,97.00%),the main dosage was 6 capsule/d(36 cases,36.00%),and treatment duration were 0-<7 days(39 cases)and 7-<15 days(49 cases). After treatment,the average serum creatinine concentration was lower than be-fore treatment,while mean GFR and Ccr were higher than before treatment,with statistical significance(P<0.05). The total response rate was 72.00%,and response rate of patients with acute renal insufficiency was 87.88% and significantly higher than 64.18% of patients with chronic renal insufficiency,with statistical significance(P<0.05). Among patients with ≤60 years old,the total response rate of patients with acute renal insufficiency was significantly higher than that of patients with chronic renal insufficiency,with statistical significance(P<0.05);among patients elder than 60 years old,there was no statistical significance in therapeutic efficacy between acute renal insufficiency and chronic renal insufficiency(P>0.05);among patients with chronic renal insufficiency,the total response rate of patients elder than 60 years old was significantly better than that of patients with ≤60 years old,with statistical significance (P<0.05). With the extension of treatment duration,the total response rate of patients with acute renal insufficiency was on the rise,and that of patients with chron-ic renal insufficiency increased first and then decreased. No obvious ADR was found during treatment. CONCLUSIONS:Shenfu-kang capsules can improve renal function in patients with renal insufficiency,and has definite curative effect on acute and chronic renal insufficiency with good security. The clinical efficacy may be related to age and treatment course.

Objective To investigate the influence of low-dose,long-term arsenite exposure on keratinocyte (HaCat) cell apoptosis and the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins.Methods HaCat cells were exposed to different concentrations of NaAsO2[0(control group),0.05,0.10 μmol/L] for 15 weeks.A total of 10 000 cells in each group were measured to detect the level of apoptosis by flow cytometry.The protein expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax were determined by Western blotting method.Results The cell apoptosis rate was significantly different between groups (F =17.19,P ＜ 0.05).Compared with that of the control [(1.42 ± 0.13)％],the apoptosis rates of the 0.05 and 0.10 μmol/L groups [(1.23 ± 0.08)％ and (1.04 ± 0.06)％] decreased significantly (all P ＜ 0.05); the 0.10 μmol/L group was significantly lower than that of the 0.05 μmol/L group(P ＜ 0.05).The protein expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax were significantly different between groups (F=107.38,346.45,all P＜ 0.05).The protein expression of Bcl-2 of the 0.05 and 0.10 μmol/L groups were (143.89 ± 7.74)％ and (199.96 ± 12.18)％,respectively,which were significantly higher than that of the control group[(100.00 ± 1.45)％,all P ＜ 0.05] ; the 0.10 μmol/L group was significantly higher than that of the 0.05 μmol/L group (P ＜ 0.05).The protein expression of Bax of the 0.05 and 0.10 μmol/L groups were (70.78 ± 1.53)％ and (54.80 ± 1.34)％,respectively,which were markedly lower than that of the control group[(100.00 ± 3.09)％,all P ＜ 0.05]; the 0.10 μmoL/L group was significantly lower than that of the 0.05 μmol/L group(P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Decreased level of apoptosis induced by low level and long-term arsenic exposure may be associated with increased expression of Bcl-2 protein and decreased expression of Bax protein.

Objective:To explore the traits of functional connectivity of resting-state networks in patients of schizophrenia with auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) by using independent component analysis (ICA).Methods:All patients were met the Diagnostic and Statistical Mannal of Mental Disorders,Fourth Edition,Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia.Thirty schizophrenia patients with frequent AVH (AVH),24 schizophrenia patients without AVH (non-AVH) and 60 healthy controls (HC) matching with age and gender were analyzed by resting functional magnetic resonance imaging.The AVH were assessed by using Hoffman auditory hallucination scale.By using ICA,auditory network (AUN),language network (LAN),salience network (SAN),right front-parietal network (RFP) and default mode network (DMN) were selected as interesting networks for further analyses.Covariance analysis was used to compare the activity and functional connectivity of multiple resting state networks between three groups,and correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relations between abnormalities of brain and the severity of hallucination.Results:Compared to non-AVH,AVH group showed increased activity in left superior temporal gyrus (STG) and left postcentral gyrus (LPG) in the AUN,and showed decreased activity in right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in the SAN (P ＜ 0.05,FDR corrected).The severity of AVH group was associated with activity of the left STG (r =0.43,P ＜0.05) and the right ACC (r =-0.48,P ＜0.01).Furthermore,compared to non-AVH group,there were decreased connectivity between LAN and AUN [(-0.29 ±0.21) vs.(-0.16 ± 0.17),P ＜ 0.05,uncorrected],decreased connectivity between SAN and LAN [(-0.09 ± 0.22) vs.(-0.06 ± 0.18),P ＜ 0.05,uncorrected],increased connectivity between SAN and AUN [(0.30 ± 0.18) vs.(0.15 ± 0.24),P ＜ 0.05,uncorrected] in AVH group.Conclusion:There may be aberrant functional connectivities of AUN,LAN and SAN in schizophrenia patients with frequent AVH,and the occurrence of AVH seems to be related to brain areas involved in language production,speech perception and self-monitoring.

Objective To investigate the prevalence and pattern of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) in Shanghai through a community-based survey. Methods A cluster sampling survey was done among the residents in Beixinjing Community, Changning District, Shanghai. All the subjects were asked to fill a questionnaire to provide their general information, including sex, age, native place, physical status, life habit, family history, etc. The diagnosis of AGA was made by dermatologists. To determine the pattern of hair loss,Norwood-Hamilton classification system and Ludwig classification system were used for male AGA and female AGA, respectively. All the data were statistically analyzed by EpiData and SPSS11.5 software. Results Totally, 7056 subjects completed the questionnaire, including 3519 males and 3537 females, and the response rate was 72.5%. AGA was diagnosed in 809 patients, consisting of 701 males aging from 19 to 91 years (mean 64.16±11.9 years) and 108 females aging from 35 to 91 years (mean 70.46±18.89 years). The standardized prevalence (SP) was 9.47% in total, 15.73% in males and 2.73% in females; the difference was significant between males and females (χ2=356.00, P<0.001). A family history of AGA was observed in 52.7% of all subjects including 391 (55.78%) males and 35 (32.41%) females. Type Ⅲ vertex involvement was the most common type in men aging from 20 to 70 years old, and type Ⅵ in those over 70 years old. Grade Ⅰ and Ⅱ predominated in female AGA. Conclusions The results of this survey indicate that the prevalence of AGA is remarkably higher in men than that in women. Furthermore, the prevalence is steadily increased with advancing age in Shanghai.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the effects of single dose of cisplatin on renal interstitial fibrosis indicators in rats dynamically. METHODS: 72 SD rats were randomly divided into normal group and cisplatin group, with 36 rats in each group. Normal group and cisplatin group were given equal volume of normal saline and cisplatin 5 mg/kg intraperitoneally on the first day, respectively. Each 6 rats were sacrificed on 8th, 14th, 30th, 50th, 60th, 90th day. The serum levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) were determined, and the degree of renal tubulointerstitial injury and relative area of renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis were evaluated. The expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), type Ⅰ collagen (Col Ⅰ) and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) were determined in renal tissue. RESULTS: Compared with normal group, the serum levels of BUN and Cr, renal tubulointerstitial injury indexes, relative area of renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and the expression of α-SMA, Col Ⅰ and TGF-β1 in renal tissue were increased significantly (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01). In cisplatin group, within the 8th-90th days, serum level of BUN in rats had no significant change; serum level of Cr, renal tubulointerstitial injury indexes, renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis, the expression of a-SMA, Col Ⅰ and TGF-β1 in renal tissue increased first and then decreased. CONCLUSIONS: A single dose of clinical dose of cisplatin can induce renal interstitial fibrosis in rats, and its mechanism may be related to the expression of TGF-β1 in renal tissue.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of Qinggan Bupi Jiangtang Decoction combined with western medicine in the treatment of adult type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with with liver hyperactivity and spleen deficiency syndrome.Methods:Prospective cohort study. A total of 103 T2DM patients with liver hyperactivity and spleen deficiency syndrome in the Department of endocrinology of Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from February 2020 to February 2021 were randomly divided into the observation group (52 cases) and the control group (51 cases) according to random number table method. Both groups were treated with conventional western medicine, the control group was treated with sitagliptin phosphate on the basis of routine treatment, and the observation group was treated with Qinggan Bupi Jiangtang Decoction on the basis of routine treatment. Both groups were treated for 12 weeks. TCM symptom scores were performed before and after treatment. The FPG, 2hPBG, HbA1c and fasting insulin (FINS) were detected by dry chemistry method and Roche electroluminescence method, and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) was calculated. The clinical efficacy was evaluated by dynamic blood glucose monitoring indexes TIR (percentage of time when glucose was in the range of 3.9-10.0 mmol/L), TAR (percentage of time when glucose was higher than the target range ≥ 11.1 mmol/L) and TBR (percentage of time when glucose was lower than the target range <3.9 mmol/L).Results:The total effective rate was 92.3% (48/52) in the observation group and 56.9% (29/51) in the control group ( χ2=15.32, P<0.01). The score of TCM syndrome in the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group ( t=6.30, P<0.01). The compliance rate of HbA1c in the observation group was 46.2% (24/52) and that of the control group was 23.5% (12/51). There was significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=5.80, P=0.016). Compared with the groups before treatment, MAGE, TAR, TBR significantly decreased and TIR significantly increased in both groups after treatment ( P<0.01), but there was no significant difference between the two groups after treatment ( t values were 0.78, 1.06, 0.22 and 1.45, respectively, P>0.05). Compared with the groups before treatment, the levels of FPG, 2 hPBG and HbA1c in the two groups significantly decreased after treatment ( P<0.01), but there was no significant difference between the two groups after treatment ( t values were 1.32, 0.18,1.50, respectively, P>0.05). Compared with the groups before treatment, the levels of FINS and HOMA-IR in the two groups significantly decreased after treatment ( P<0.01), but there was no significant difference between the two groups after treatment ( t values were 1.25, 0.51, respectively, P>0.05). There were no adverse reactions in the observation group, 2 cases of mild nausea and 1 case of transient diarrhea in the control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=3.15, P=0.118). Conclusion:Qinggan Bupi Jiangtang Decoction combined with routine treatment can improve the blood glucose level, TIR and blood glucose standard rates of adult T2DM with liver hyperactivity and spleen deficiency syndrome, and the curative effect is equivalent to sitagliptin phosphate tablets.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy lacks viable biomarkers for response and prognosis prediction. This study aimed to investigate the correlation of peripheral blood laboratory test results combined with lymphocyte subset ratios to the response and prognosis of immunotherapy in advanced lung cancer. METHODS: Advanced lung cancer patients admitted to West China Hospital, Sichuan University from May 2021 to July 2023 were prospectively enrolled in this study. Clinical data and peripheral blood were collected before and after treatment and lymphocyte subset ratios were analyzed by flow cytometry. Logistic regression was used to identify factors correlated to ICIs treatment efficacy. Cox modeling was applied to explore the prognostic factors. RESULTS: Logistic regression showed that the baseline level of transcription factor T cell factor 1 (TCF1)+CD8+ T cell ratio and peripheral white blood cell (WBC) count, lymphocyte percentage, cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA21-1) after 1 cycle of ICIs treatment were the potential predictors for ICIs response (P<0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that the baseline level of TCF1+CD8+ T cell ratio (P=0.020) and peripheral WBC count after 1 cycle of ICIs treatment (P<0.001) were prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS Patients with high baseline TCF1+CD8+ T cell ratio combined with low WBC counts and low CYFRA21-1 level after 1 cycle of ICIs treatment are more likely to benefit from ICIs therapy.
Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy* ; T Cell Transcription Factor 1/genetics* ; Prognosis ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; Immunotherapy