Background: Clinical chemistry tests are most widely used in clinical laboratories, and diverse measurement systems for these analyses are available in China. We evaluated the imprecision of clinical chemistry measurement systems based on internal QC (IQC) data. Methods: IQC data for 27 general chemistry analytes were collected in February each year from 2013 to 2022. Four performance specifications were used to calculate pass rates for CVs of IQC data in 2022. Boxplots were drawn to analyze trends of CVs, and differences in CVs among different groups were assessed using the Mann–Whitney U-test or Kruskal– Wallis test. Results: The number of participating laboratories increased significantly from 1,777 in 2013 to 5,425 in 2022. CVs significantly decreased for all 27 analytes, except creatine kinase and lipase. Triglycerides, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, iron, and γ-glutamyl transferase achieved pass rates > 80% for all goals. Nine analytes with pass rates < 80% based on 1/3 allowable total error were further analyzed; the results indicated that closed systems exhibited lower CVs than open systems for all analytes, except total protein. For all nine analytes, differences were significant between tertiary hospitals and non-tertiary hospitals and between accredited and non-accredited laboratories. Conclusions The CVs of IQC data for clinical chemistry have seen a continuous overall improvement in China. However, there is ample room for imprecision improvement for several analytes, with stricter performance specifications.

The liver has a complex cellular composition and a remarkable regenerative capacity. The primary cell types in the liver are two parenchymal cell populations, hepatocytes and cholangiocytes, that perform most of the functions of the liver and that are helped through interactions with non-parenchymal cell types comprising stellate cells, endothelia and various hemopoietic cell populations. The regulation of the cells in the liver is mediated by an insoluble complex of proteins and carbohydrates, the extracellular matrix, working synergistically with soluble paracrine and systemic signals. In recent years, with the rapid development of genetic sequencing technologies, research on the liver's cellular composition and its regulatory mechanisms during various conditions has been extensively explored. Meanwhile breakthroughs in strategies for cell transplantation are enabling a future in which there can be a rescue of patients with end-stage liver diseases, offering potential solutions to the chronic shortage of livers and alternatives to liver transplantation. This review will focus on the cellular mechanisms of liver homeostasis and how to select ideal sources of cells to be transplanted to achieve liver regeneration and repair. Recent advances are summarized for promoting the treatment of end-stage liver diseases by forms of cell transplantation that now include grafting strategies.
Humans ; Liver/surgery* ; Hepatocytes/transplantation* ; Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Liver Diseases/surgery*

The aim of the study was to determine the feasibility of the Vitellaria paradoxa nutshell as a new medicinal resource for treating diabetes. A total of forty-one compounds were identified by HPLC-DAD-Q-TOF-MS and phytochemical methods in V. paradoxa nutshell methanol extract. Based on HPLC fingerprints, four characteristic constituents were quantified and the origin of twenty-eight V. paradoxa nutshells from seven sub-Saharan countries was compared, which were classified into three groups with chemometric method. Twenty-eight samples contained high total phenolic content, and exhibited moderate-higher antioxidant activity and strong α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Furthermore, all fractions and isolated compounds were evaluated for their antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, and α-glucosidase inhibitory action mechanism of four characteristic constituents including protocatechuic acid, 3, 5, 7-trihydroxycoumarin, (2R, 3R)-(+)-taxifolin and quercetin was investigated via molecular docking method, which were all stabilized by hydrogen bonds with α-glucosidase. The study provided an effective approach to waste utilization of V. paradoxa nutshell, which would help to resolve waste environmental pollution and provide a basis for developing potential herbal resource for treating diabetes.
Africa South of the Sahara ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Diabetes Mellitus ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Sapotaceae ; chemistry ; alpha-Glucosidases ; metabolism

Objective To explore the application value of the fusiform tube stomach in the digestive tract reconstruction after thoracoscopic and laparoscopic radical resection of esophageal carcinoma.Methods The retrospective cohort study was conducted.The clinicopathological data of 96 patients with thoracic esophageal cancer who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between November 2016 and May 2017 were collected.All the patients underwent thoracoscopic and laparoscopic radical resection of esophageal carcinoma,45 using thin tubular stomach and 51 using fusiform tube stomach for digestive tract reconstruction were respectively allocated into the tubular stomach group and fusiform stomach group.Observation indicators:(1) intra-and post-operative situations;(2) postoperative complications;(3) detection of gastric hemodynamics;(4) follow-up situations.Follow-up using outpatient examination and telephone interview was performed to detect patients' survival up to November 2017.Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as-x±s and comparison between groups was analyzed using the t test.Measurement data with skewed distribution were described as M (range) and comparison between groups was analyzed using the rank sum test.Ordinal data and categorical variables were respectively done using the independent-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum test and chi-square test.Paired experimental data were analyzed by the Friedman test and Wilcoxon test.Results (1) Intra-and post-operative situations:96 patients underwent successful thoracoscopic and laparoscopic radical resection of esophageal carcinoma.The number of closers,time of postoperative mediastinal tube removal,thoracic stomach anteroposterior diameter by postoperative CT examination,number of slices at maximal width of thoracic stomach by postoperative CT examination and duration of hospital stay were respectively 4 (range,3-5),14 days (range,11-45 days),28.35 mm (range,9.96-75.70 mm),0.56 (range,0.33-2.13),16 days (range,12-62 days) in the tubular stomach group and 4 (range,2-4),12 days (range,10-16 days),45.80 mm (range,17.36-89.77 mm),1.10 (range,0.47-2.15),14 days (range,12-61 days) in the fusiform stomach group,with statistically significant differences between groups (Z=4.525,4.240,-3.796,-4.604,2.154,P＜0.05).(2) Postoperative complications:cases with postoperative cervical anastomotic fistula,thoracic gastric fistula,grading Ⅰ-Ⅱ and Ⅲ-Ⅳ of Clavien-Dindo classification were respectively 4,5,32,13 in the tubular stomach group (1 with a combination cervical anastomotic fistula and thoracic gastric fistula) and 0,0,47,4 in the fusiform stomach group,with statistically significant differences between groups (x2 =9.937,7.266,P＜0.05).Patients with complications were improved by symptomatic treatment.(3) Detection of gastric hemodynamics:hemodynamic values of gastric antrum,gastric body and gastric fundus that was detected by non-contact laser Doppler line imaging were respectively 314 PU (range,294-320 PU),252 PU (range,242-259 PU),206 PU (range,194-223 PU) in self-control status of 7 patients and 295 PU (range,277-314 PU),255 PU (range,244-267 PU),219 PU (range,199-233 PU) in tubular stomach model and 277 PU (range,263-300 PU),216 PU (range,201-235 PU),199 PU (range,176-207 PU) in fusiform stomach model,with statistically significant differences among groups (x2 =10.286,14.000,10.286,P＜0.05).There were statistically significant differences in the hemodynamic values of gastric antrum,gastric body and gastric fundus between self-control status and fusiform stomach model (Z=-2.028,-2.384,-2.197,P＜0.05),between self-control status and tubular stomach model (Z =-2.371,-2.371,-2.201,P＜0.05) and between fusiform stomach model and tubular stomach model (Z =-2.201,-2.366,-2.366,P＜0.05).(4) Follow-up situations:among 96 patients,90 were followed up for 6-12 months,with a median time of 8 months.During the follow-up,1 patient in the tubular stomach group died of tumor recurrrence,and no patient died in the fusiform stomach group,with no statistically significant difference between groups (x2 =1.264,P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion Compared with the thin tubular stomach,the fusiform tube stomach can reduce the incidences of postoperative fistula and pulmonary complications and shorten duration of hospital stay after the thoracoscopic and laparoscopic radical resection of esophageal carcinoma,and hemodynamics of the fusiform tube stomach is superior to that of thin tubular stomach.

Oxidative stress, a predominant cause of apoptosis cascades triggered in neurodegenerative disorders, has been regarded as a critical inducement in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Gou Teng-San (GTS) is a traditional Chinese herbs preparation commonly utilized to alleviate cognitive dysfunction and psychological symptoms of patients with dementia. The present study aimed to investigate the protective effects of GTS40, an active fraction of GTS, on HO-induced oxidative damage and identify the potential active ingredients. Our results revealed that GTS40 exhibited radical scavenging activity, elevated cell viability, decreased the levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and stabilized mitochondrial transmembrane potential (MMP) in HO-treated PC12 cells. In addition, GTS40 blocked the apoptotic cascade by reversing the imbalance of Bcl-2/Bax and inhibiting the activity of caspase-3. Furthermore, an HPLC-QTOFMS method was developed to characterize major chemical constituents in GTS40. Our results revealed twenty-seven identified or tentatively characterized compounds through comparing their retention time (t) and MS spectra with reference standards. These results suggested that GTS40 was a promising active fraction that may be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of oxidative stress-mediated neurodegenerative disorders.
Animals ; Antioxidants ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; toxicity ; Neurons ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Neuroprotective Agents ; analysis ; pharmacology ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; PC12 Cells ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats ; Reactive Oxygen Species ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the risk factors of cervical esophagogastric anastomotic fistula after esophagectomy of esophageal cancer.Methods The retrospective case-control study was conducted.The clinicopathological data of 956 patients who underwent esophagectomy and cervical esophagogastrostomy from January 2012 to December 2016 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were collected.Patients underwent Sweet or Mckeown surgery.Observation indicators:(1) intra-and post-operative situations;(2) the risk factors analysis of cervical esophagogastric anastomotic fistula after esophagectomy;(3) follow-up situations.Follow-up using outpatient examination and telephone interview was performed to detect the esophagogastric anastomotic stenosis of patients up to February 2017.Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as the (x)±-s.Univariate analysis and comparison of count data were done using the chi-square test or Fisher exact probability method.Multivariate analysis was done using the Logistic regression model.Results (1) Intra-and post-operative situations:all the 956 patients underwent successful operations,including 107 with Sweet operation and 849 with Mckeown operation.Of 956 patients,336 received thoracotomy and 620 received thoracoscopic surgery.Tumors located in upper,middle and lower esophagus were respectively detected in 143,627 and 186 patients.Operation time,volume of intraoperative blood loss and number of lymph node dissected in 956 patients were (274 ± 67) minutes,(210 ± 167) mL and 18 ± 11,respectively.Of 956 patients,117 had cervical esophagogastric anastomotic fistula,with an incidence of anastomotic fistula of 12.24％ (117/956).Of 117 patients with cervical esophagogastric anastomotic fistula,2 had early stage fistula,110 had middle stage fistula and 5 had later stage fistula;12 were cured by two-tube method (stomach tube and nutrition tube),24 were cured by three-tube method (stomach tube,nutrition tube and chest tube or mediastinal tube),43 were cured by open neck incision dressing,15 were cured by fistula cavity drainage and 17 were cured by esophageal stent implantation.Sixteen patients died in hospital postoperatively,including 6 with cervical esophagogastric anastomotic fistula and 10 without cervical esophagogastric anastomotic fistula.Duration of hospital stay of 956 patients was (16± 11)days,and durations of hospital stay of patients with and without cervical esophagogastric anastomotic fistula were (39± 19) days and (13±6) days.Postoperative pathological examinations:873,9 and 74 patients were respectively diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma,adenocarcinoma and other types of cancer.TNM staging:stage 0,Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,Ⅳ and unidentified stage were respectively detected in 135,110,325,376,1 and 10 patients.(2) The risk factors analysis of cervical esophagogastric anastomotic fistula after esophagectomy:univariate analysis showed that gender,age,history of diabetes,surgical method,tubular stomach production,operation time,postoperative pulmonary infection and postoperative aspirating sputum through fiberbronchoscope were risk factors affecting cervical esophagogastric anastomotic fistula after esophagectomy,with statistically significant differences (x2 =4.179,6.174,4.427,4.377,6.266,7.057,55.036,51.806,P＜ 0.05).Multivariate analysis showed that tubular stomach production,postoperative pulmonary infection and aspirating sputum through fiberbronchoscope were independent risk factors affecting cervical esophagogastric anastomotic fistula after esophagectomy,with statistically significant differences (OR =1.922,2.907,2.323,95％ confidence interval:l.203-3.070,1.682-5.023,1.235-4.370,P＜0.05).(3) Follow-up situations:908 of 956 patients were followed up for 2-62 months,with a median follow-up time of 28 months.During the follow up,21 of 111 patients with cervical esophagogastric anastomotic fistula were complicated with cervical esophagogastric anastomotic stenosis,59 of 797 patients without cervical esophagogastric anastomotic fistula were complicated with cervical esophagogastric anastomotic stenosis,showing a statistically significant difference in cervical esophagogastric anastomotic stenosis (x2-16.803,P＜0.05).Conclusion Tubular stomach production,postoperative pulmonary infection,postoperative aspirating sputum through fiberbronchoscope are independent risk factors affecting cervical esophagogastric anastomotic fistula after esophagectomy.

Objective To understand the distribution and drug resistance of pathogens from patients with anastomotic fistula infection after esophageal cancer surgery, and provide basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods Patients were admitted to a hospital due to anastomotic fistula after esophageal cancer surgery between January 2012 and December 2015, microbial culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing results of patients were retrospectively analyzed.Results 1 986 patients underwent radical resection of esophageal cancer within 4 years, 148 of whom developed anastomotic fistula, 104 (70.27％) were with positive microbial culture.A total of 197 pathogenic strains were isolated, 52(26.40％)and 145 (73.60％)strains were isolated from intrathoracic anastomotic fistula and cervical anastomotic fistula respectively;127 (64.47％)strains were gram-negative bacteria, the major were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii, 62(31.47％) strains were gram-positive bacteria, the major were Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp., and Streptococcus viridans, 8 strains (4.06％) were fungi.49(47.12％) cases were with mixed pathogenic infection.The resistance rates of gram-negative bacteria to imipenem were 17.86％-47.62％, to polymyxin B was 0, resistance rates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to other antimicrobial agents were all<50％, Klebsiella pneumoniae to piperacillin and aztreonam were both>70％, Acinetobacter baumannii to most antimicrobial agents were all>50.00％;resistance rates of gram-positive bacteria to clindamycin and tetracycline were both>50.00％, to linezolid, vancomycin, and teicoplanin were all 0, resistance rates of Staphylococcus aureus to penicillin, oxacillin, and ciprofloxacin were all>60％,resistance rate of Enterococcus spp.to quinupristin/dalfopristin was 100.00％.Conclusion Postoperative anastomotic fistula combined with infection can affect the prognosis of patients after esophageal cancer surgery, regular monitoring on distribution and drug resistance of pathogens can provide the basis for initial empirical treatment, and is conducive to the early treatment and rational use of antimicrobial agents.

The present study was designed to determine the chemical constituents of the stems and hooks of Uncaria rhynchophylla. The chemical constituents were isolated and purified from CH2Cl2 fraction by chromatography. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses. Their cytotoxicity was tested using MTT method. Two new ortho benzoquinones, 3-diethylamino-5-methoxy-1, 2-benzoquinone (1) and 3-ethylamino-5-methoxy-1, 2-benzoquinone (2), together with a known compound isorhynchophyllic acid (3) were isolated from U. rhynchophylla. These compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against cancer cells A549, HepG2 and A2780. Compounds 1 and 2 were new ortho benzoquinones and showed weak antiproliferative activities on A549, HepG2 and A2780 cells. Compound 3 significantly inhibited the proliferation of A549, HepG2 and A2780 cells with IC50 values being 5.8, 12.8 and 11.8 µmol·L(-1), respectively.
A549 Cells ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Benzoquinones ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Uncaria ; chemistry

AIM: To investigate the role of fluoxetine in the hippocampal synaptic plasticity in chronic unpre-dictable mild stress (CUMS) depression rats and its effect on mTOR and autophagy signaling pathways.METHODS:Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n =60) were randomly divided into normal control group, CUMS group and fluoxetine group. The CUMS rat model was established through CUMS combined with solitary raising, and fluoxetine (20 mg? kg -1? d -1 ) was administered via intragastric gavage.The changes of body weight, the ratio of sugar intake and the results of the behav-ioral test were recorded to identify the modeling.Moreover, the expression of synaptic plasticity-related proteins glial fibril-lary acidic protein (GFAP) and synaptophysin (SYP), apoptosis-related proteins Bcl-2 and caspase-3, mTOR signaling proteins mTOR and 4EBP1, and autophagy-related proteins beclin 1 and LC3 were examined by RT-PCR and Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with control group, the body weight, sucrose intake, and total distance and intermediate residence time in the open field test were significantly decreased in CUMS group.The results of RT-PCR and Western blotting showed that the mRNA and protein levels of SYP and GFAP in CUMS group were significantly down-regulated compared with con-trol group.The expression of Bcl-2 in CUMS group was downregulated, while the protein level of cleaved caspase-3 in-creased.Decreased phosphorylation levels of mTOR and its downstream target molecule 4EBP1 were observed in CUMS group.Besides, the autophagy-related proteins beclin 1 and LC3 were significantly upregulated at mRNA and protein lev-els.All these results(upregulation or downregulation) were attenuated by the treatment with fluoxetine, and the difference was statistically significant.CONCLUSION: Fluoxetine might improve hippocampal synaptic plasticity and alleviate symp-toms of depression by supressing apoptosis/autophagy signaling pathways and upregulating mTOR signaling pathway.

The present study was designed to determine the major chemical constituents of the leaves of Rhododendron dauricum L. Compounds were isolated and purified by various chromatographic methods, and their structures were elucidated by physicochemical properties and spectral data. The present study identified two new C-methyl flavanones, 5, 7, 3', 5'-tetrahydroxy-6, 8-di-C-methyl flavanone (1) and 5, 4'-dihydroxy-8-C-methylflavanone-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (2), and one new flavonoid glycoside, quercetin-3-O-β-D-(6"-O-cinnamoyl)-galactoside (3), along with seven known compounds, including syzalterin (4), poriolin (5), farrerol-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (6), myrciacetin (7), quercetin-3-O-β-D-(6-p-hydroxy-benzoyl)-galactoside (8), quercetin-3-O-β-D-(6-p-coumaroyl)-galactoside (9), and 5, 7, 3', 5'-tetrahydroxyl flavanone (10). Compounds 1-3 were determined to be new flavonoids; compounds 4-6 were isolated from this species for the first time; and compounds 7-10 were reported for the first time from this genus.
Flavanones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Flavonoids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Galactosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Glucosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Quercetin ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Rhododendron ; chemistry