Objective:To investigate the value of serum miR-214-5p level in predicting acute kidney injury(AKI)after cardiac surgery in children.Methods:From January 2015 to December 2019, 102 children with congenital heart disease underwent extracorporeal circulation in Haikou Maternal and Child Health Hospital were selected.The children were divided into AKI group( n=28)and non-AKI group( n=74). The levels of serum miR-214-5p, serum creatinine(Scr), cystatin C(Cys-C)and kidney injury molecule-1(KIM-1)were measured three hours after operation in both groups.Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors of AKI after cardiac surgery in children.The values of miR-214-5p, Scr, Cys-C and KIM-1 levels in predicting AKI in children after cardiac surgery were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve. Results:The levels of serum miR-214-5p[(3.14±1.36)vs.(0.95±0.47)], Scr[(490.35±93.62)μmol/L vs.(108.26±22.40)μmol/L], Cys-C [(3.27±0.85)mg/L vs.(0.86±0.24)mg/L] and KIM-1 [(26.83±8.70)μg/L vs.(6.42±1.18)μg/L] in AKI group were significantly higher than those in non-AKI group(all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that serum miR-214-5p, Scr, Cys-C and KIM-1 levels were independent risk factors for AKI in children after cardiac surgery( OR=2.518, P<0.001; OR=1.630, P=0.035; OR=1.974, P<0.001; OR=2.902, P<0.001). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(0.958, 95% CI: 0.905-0.996)of miR-214-5p, Scr, Cys-C and KIM-1 combined prediction of AKI were the largest, and its sensitivity and specificity were 98.5% and 86.3%, respectively. Conclusion:The level of serum miR-214-5p is significantly higher in children with AKI after cardiac surgery, which is an independent risk factor for AKI after cardiac surgery, and the combination of Scr, Cys-C and KIM-1 levels can better predict the occurrence of AKI.

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanism of Artemisia argyi ferment substance on systemic Candida albicans infection. Methods The model of systemic Candida albicans infection was established in immunosuppressed mice. The model mice were randomly divided into the model control,Artemisia argyi ferment substance( AAFS) at different doses(100,200,and 400 mg·kg-1 )and fluconazole group(20 mg·kg-1 ),30 mice in each. Mice in each treatment group were given therapeutic drugs by gavage for 5 consecutive days,twice daily. The survival of mice was determined 21 days after the model was set up. The serum levels of IFN-γand IL-2 were determined by ELISA. The proliferation activity of T lymphocyte in the spleen was detected by MTT assay. The number of living fungi in liver and kidney tissues was counted. Results Compared with the model control,AAFS at middle and high doses and fluconazole significantly increased the survival rate of mice,the serum levels of IFN-γand IL-2,and the proliferation activity of T lymphocyte in the spleen,but decreased the number of living fungi in tissues(P〈0. 01). Compared with low dose AAFS,middle and high doses of AAFS and fluconazole showed significantly different effect on each index(P〈0. 05 or P〈0. 01),but there was no difference among these groups(P〉0. 05). Conclusion AAFS at 200-400 mg·kg-1 has inhibitory effects on systemic Candida albicans infection in mice,the mechanism of which is related to increasing the proliferation of T lymphocyte in spleen and the levels of IFN-γand IL-2 in serum.

Objective The chief aim of the present work is to investigate features of sternum of Chinese adults and to establish the sex determination method to evaluate its effect based on 3D recombinant morphology indicators. Methods Based on chest spiral CT scans, 2D images of multi-level recombination and 3D model of volume rendering, the experiment concludes an sex determination equation from 8 measurement indicators of the sternum and 3 ratio indicators. The 8 measurement indicators include full-length, handle length, body length, maximum width of the handle, maximum width of the body, maximum thickness of the handle, maximum thickness of the body, and thickness of the upper body. Results According to the 11 indicators of sex differences in statistics (P<0.05), especially indicators of the full-length, body length, maximum width of the handle and maximum thickness of the body, the body's sex is easier to be determined. All indicators equations, length indicators discriminant equations and stepwise discriminant equations have higher reliable rate (88.6%) which was consistent with the recent foreign research reports. Conclusion The method of sex determination based on multislice spiral CT 3D recombinant techniques is practicable and has an relatively high accuracy. It is expected to be applied to researches in age estimation by sternum and other virtual bones.

The liver injury induced by Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (PM) was investigated based on idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity model co-treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at a non-hepatotoxic dose. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were intragastrically administered with three doses (18.9, 37.8, 75.6 g crude drug per kg body weight) of 50% alcohol extracts of PM alone or co-treated with non-toxic dose of LPS (2.8 mg·kg(-1)) via tail vein injection. The plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities were assayed and the isolated livers were evaluated for histopathological changes. The dose-toxicity relationships of single treatment of PM or co-treatment of LPS were investigated comparatively to elucidate the idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity of PM. The results showed that no significant alterations of plasma ALT and AST activities were observed in the groups of solo-administration of LPS (2.8 mg·kg(-1), i.v.) or different dosage (18.9, 37.8 and 75.6 g·kg(-1), i.g.) of PM, compared to normal control group (P > 0.05); while significant elevations were observed in the co-administration groups of PM and LPS. Treatment with LPS alone caused slight infiltration of inflammatory cells in portal area but no evident hepatocytes injury. Co-treatment with LPS and PM (75.6 g·kg(-1), i.g.) caused hepatocyte focal necrosis, loss of central vein intima and a large number of inflammatory cell infiltration in portal areas. When further reduce the dosage of PM, significant increases of plasma ALT and AST activities (P < 0.05) were still observed in co-administration groups of LPS and PM (1.08 or 2.16 g·kg(-1)), but not in LPS or PM solo-administration groups. Nevertheless, the co-treatment of low dosage of PM (0.54 g·kg(-1)) with LPS did not induce any alteration of plasma ALT and AST. In conclusion, intragastric administration with 75.6 g·kg(-1) of PM did not induce liver injury in normal rats model; while the 2 folds of clinical equivalent dose of PM (1.08 g·kg(-1)) could result in liver injury in the LPS-based idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity model, which could be used to evaluate the idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity of PM.

Objective To investigate the changes of serum Copeptin and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in children with chronic heart failure (CHF) and its clinical significance. Methods A total of 186 children with CHF were selected for CHF group, including 78 cases of cardiac function grade Ⅱ, 65 cases of grade Ⅲ, and 43 cases of grade Ⅳ. There were 57 cases of dilated cardiomyopathy, 68 cases of congenital heart disease and 61 cases of other diseases. Another 85 healthy children from health checkup were chosen as controls. The levels of serum Copeptin and MMP-9 were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the level of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was measured by bidirectional lateral flow immunoassay. The left ventricular end diastolic dimension (LVEDD), left ventricular end systolic dimension (LVESD), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and left ventricular short fraction shortening (LVFS) were measured by echocardiography. ROC curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of serum Copeptin and MMP-9 in CHF. The correlation of serum Copeptin and MMP-9 with the cardiac function indices were examined by Pearson correlation analysis. Results The levels of serum copeptin, MMP-9, and NT-proBNP in different cardiac function groups (Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ) increased gradually with the aggravation of the cardiac function damage and were higher than those in control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Compared with the control group and cardiac function grade Ⅱ group, the levels of LVESD and LVEDD were increased and the levels of LVEF and LVFS were decreased in the grade Ⅲ and Ⅳ groups. Compared with the grade Ⅲ group, the levels of LVESD and LVEDD were increased and the levels of LVEF and LVFS were decreased in the grade Ⅳ groups. There were significant differences (P<0.05). The ROC curve showed that the area under the curve (AUC) and 95％ CI of serum Copeptin, MMP-9, NT-proBNP and combinations of these three biomarkers in the diagnosis of CHF were 0.845 (0.781～0.914), 0.806 (0.736～0.883), 0.894 (0.828～0.962) and 0.925 (0.846～0.983) respectively, and the optimal thresholds were 12.5 pmol/L, 175.3 μg/L and 2037.0ng/L. The level of serum Copeptin was positively correlated with MMP-9 (r=0.807, P<0.001). Conclusion Serum Copeptin and MMP-9 may be involved in the ventricular remodeling in CHF children and they are expected to be a good indicator for the diagnosis of CHF and cardiac function.