OBJECTIVE:To optimize the preparation technology of Sinomenine topical paste. METHODS:Using“initial vis-cous force”,“holding viscous force”and“peeling strength”as index,heating and stirring time (A,h),heating temperature (B,℃) and the sequence of adding composition (softening agent,blank matrix and sinomenine)(C) as influential factors,the preparation technology of Sinomenine topical paste was optimized by orthogonal test and verified. At the same time,the content of sinomenine was determined by HPLC method. RESULTS:The optimal preparation technology of Sinomenine topical pasta was as follows as adding blank matrix and sinomenine,and then adding softening agent,heating at 80 ℃,stirring for 1 h. In verification test,RSD of comprehensive score for 3 batches of samples were 2.09%(n=3);average contents of samples were 6.7 mg/g, which was in line with the requirement of ≥6.0 mg/g. CONCLUSIONS:The optimal preparation technology of Sinomenine topical pasta is reasonable,stable and feasible. The paste shows good adhesiveness and is qualified in content.

Objective:To compare the practical value of three statistical methods in establishing reference intervals by the indirect method.Methods:This is a methodological evaluation study. The data of coagulation parameters were obtained from laboratory information system, which were from pregnant women who had done prenatal examination in Peking University First Hospital from January 2017 to December 2019. The test results from 32 401 pregnant women were collected. Those healthy pregnant women were divided into three groups: early pregnancy group(n=11 151), middle pregnancy group(n=4 872) and late pregnancy group(n=16 378). Statistical analysis was performed for the result of PT, APTT, FIB, TT, D-D and FDP, and the necessity of stratification based on age in different periods of pregnancy was analyzed. Stratification based on age was necessary in three pregnancy groups for PT and APTT, in late pregnancy group for FIB and TT, and in early pregnancy group for D-D. The reference intervals of coagulation parameters were calculated by three statistical methods: non-parametric method, Hoffmann method and Q-Q plot method. Forty-two healthy pregnant women from October 2019 to January 2020 were enrolled as reference individuals for the validation of the reference intervals.The proportions of test results outside the reference intervals in the reference population calculated and compared.Results:The levels of the six coagulation assays vary significantly during the three periods of pregnancy, stratification based on age was necessary in three pregnancy groups for PT and APTT, in late pregnancy group for FIB and TT, and in early pregnancy group for D-D. If the number of test results was large, non-parametric and Hoffmann method provided more similar results, while the reference intervals calculated with Q-Q plot method was slightly wider than Hoffmann method. If the number of test results was small, reference intervals calculated with Hoffmann and Q-Q plot method were more reliable. For pregnant women during early pregnancy under the age of 35, the reference intervals of PT, APTT, FIB and TT calculated by this method were (10.44-13.11)s, (25.29-35.88)s, (2.61-4.64)g/L and (11.53-15.58)s.Conclusion:When establishing the reference interval, stratification according to pregnancy period and age was needed. Hoffmann method can be used as an alternative to the direct method.

Objective:To discuss the effect of downregulating of high mobility group box protein 2(HMGB2)expression on the biological behavior of the liver cancer cells and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)process,and to clarify its mechanism.Methods:The human liver cancer LM3 cells at logarithmic growth phase were divided into negative control group and HMGB2 RNA interference group(HMGB2 siRNA group);the cells in two groups were transfected with RNA oligonucleotides(RNA oligos)with irrelevant sequences and RNA oligos designed to knock down HMGB2,and the Lipofectamine 2000 was regarded as the vector.The expression levels of HMGB2 mRNA and protein in the cells in two groups were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)and Western blotting methods;cell scratch assay and Transwell chamber assay were used to detect the migration and invasion abilities of the cells in two groups;the expression levels of E-cadherin,N-cadherin,and Vimentin proteins and protein kinase B(AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)pathway related proteins in the cells in two groups were detected by Western blotting method.Results:Compared with negative control group,the expression levels of HMGB2 mRNA and protein in the cells in HMGB2 siRNA group were significantly decreased(P<0.05),the cell scratch healing rate was significantly decreased(P<0.01),the number of invasion cells was significantly decreased(P<0.01),and the expression level of E-cadherin protein in the cells was significantly increased(P<0.01),while the expression levels of N-cadherin,Vimentin,mTOR,AKT,and phosphorylated AKT(p-AKT)proteins in the cells were significantly decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Conclusion:Downregulating the expression of HMGB2 can reduce the migration and invasion abilities of the liver cancer LM3 cells and inhibit the EMT,and its mechanism may be related to regulating the expression of the AKT/mTOR pathway related proteins.

Objective:To measure the morphological parameters of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis in healthy adults using multi-slice CT (MSCT) so as to provide a reference for the diagnosis of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury.Methods:The ankle MSCT imaging data in 110 normal adults were retrieved from the image report database of Cangzhou People′s Hospital from May 2019 to May 2021, including 56 males and 54 females; aged 18-60 years [(38.2±11.0)years]. There were 51 patients with imaging on the right ankle and 59 on the left ankle. Picture archiving and communication system (PACS) was used to measure parameters at 10 mm above the articular surface of the distal tibia on MSCT, including the anterior tibiofibular space (L1), posterior tibiofibular space (L2), middle tibiofibular space (L3), depth of fibula in notch (L4), distance of anterior tibiofibular edge (L5), distance of posterior tibiofibular edge (L6), anterior tibiofibular syndesmosis angle (A1), and fibular rotation angle (A2), and the measurements were compared by sex, age and side. The positive rate of "tibiofibular line" was observed. The morphological classification of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis was performed.Results:There was no significant difference in L1-L6, A1 and A2 among different age and side (all P>0.05). No significant difference was found in L4, L5, A1 and A2 between males and females ( P>0.05), but L1, L2, L3 and L6 were larger in males than in females ( P<0.05 or 0.01). The positive rate of "tibiofibular line" was 80.4% (45/56) in males compared to 74.1% (40/54) in females ( P>0.05), 77.2% (44/57) in the youth compared to 77.4% (41/53) in the middle-aged, and 78.0% (46/59) in the left ankle compared to 76.5% (39/51) in the right ankle (all P>0.05). Morphological classification of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis was crescent in 61 patients (55.5%), trapezoid in 14 (12.7%), I-shaped in 3 (2.7%), M-shaped in 17 (15.5%), V-shaped in 10 (9.1%), Г-shaped in 5 (4.5%). Conclusions:When L1, L2, L3 and L6 are used as references in the diagnosis of adult distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury, gender factors rather than age or side factors should be considered. Males have wider distal tibiofibular space than females, with the fibula more forward. The "tibiofibular line" has a high positive rate and is not affected by gender, age or sides, providing a new idea for the diagnosis of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis injury and anatomical reduction. There are many variations in the morphology of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis, so it is easy to be misdiagnosed as the separation of distal tibiofibular syndesmosis on X-ray, which should be noted.

To explore the pharmacogenomic markers that affect the platinum-based chemotherapy response in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), we performed a two-cohort of genome-wide association studies (GWAS), including 34 for WES-based and 433 for microarray-based analyses, as well as two independent validation cohorts. After integrating the results of two studies, the genetic variations related to the platinum-based chemotherapy response were further determined by fine-mapping in 838 samples, and their potential functional impact were investigated by eQTL analysis and in vitro cell experiments. We found that a total of 68 variations were significant at P < 1 × 10^-3 in cohort 1 discovery stage, of which 3 SNPs were verified in 262 independent samples. A total of 541 SNPs were significant at P < 1 × 10^-4 in cohort 2 discovery stage, of which 8 SNPs were verified in 347 independent samples. Comparing the validated SNPs in two GWAS, ADCY1 gene was verified in both independent studies. The results of fine-mapping showed that the G allele carriers of ADCY1 rs2280496 and C allele carriers of rs189178649 were more likely to be resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy. In conclusion, our study found that rs2280496 and rs189178649 in ADCY1 gene were associated the sensitivity of platinum-based chemotherapy in NSCLC patients.