AIM: To explore the relationship between caspase activation and the evasion of Legionella from macrophage elimination through a Legionella-infected macrophage model. METHODS: After infected by Legionella, the activity of caspase 3 in macrophages was analyzed by confocal microscopy as well as fluorescence reader. Growth and replication of Legionella in macrophage was assayed. Replication of Legionella was analyzed again to see the effect of caspase 3 inhibition on the growth of Legionella after use of caspase 3 inhibitor. RESULTS: Both confocal microscopy and caspase 3 fluorescent substrate analysis showed that Legionella virulent strain had powerful capability of activating caspase 3 while the mutant non-virulent strain did not have this capability. The virulent strain highly replicated in macrophages and the replication was significantly inhibited by caspase 3 inhibitor. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the intracellular caspase 3 is activated shortly after infection by Legionella virulent strain. The evasion of Legionella from the elimination of macrophages may be mediated by caspase 3 activation to a great degree.

AIM: To explore the effect of TNF-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL), a new apoptotic inducing molecule on the biological activity of hepatocarcinoma cell line. METHODS: The expression of membrane binding TRAIL on HepG2 cells was detected by immuno-cytochemistry. Quantity of secretory TRAIL was assayed by ELISA method. The cytotoxicity and apoptosis induced by TRAIL was detected by MTT and TUNEL method, respectively. The telomerase activity of HepG2 cells was detected by TRAP-PCR assay kit. The expression of hTERT, the catalytic subunit of telomerase, was detected by FCM. RESULTS: TRAIL was constitutively expressed on the membrane of HepG2 cell line. Soluble TRAIL was also expressed to a certain degree. Cytotoxicity assay showed that TRAIL significantly inhibited the growth of hepatocarcinoma cells. TUNEL assay indicated that TRAIL induced apoptosis in hepatocarcinoma cells. Detection of telomerase activity showed that TRAIL inhibited telomerase activity and the expression of telomerase catalytic subunit. CONCLUSION: TRAIL is an effective molecule to inhibit the growth of hepatocarcinoma through multiple pathways, such as inducing apoptosis and inhibiting the activity of telomerase.

Objective To analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 5 patients with importing yellow fever ,and to explore the preventive and control strategies of infection in hospital .Methods The epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 5 cases of importing yellow fever in Infectious Disease Hospital of Fujian Medical University from March 18th to April 6th in 2016 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed .Results Five patients were all from Angola Luanda .One of them was vaccinated before going aboard ,and the others were vaccinated 1—10 days before disease onset in Angola .All of them were bitten by mosquitoes ,and their onset date ranged from March 11th to March 27th ,before returned to Fujian .The main clinical symptoms were fever ,chilly ,shivering ,fatigue ,arthrodynia ,headache ,and liver and kidney injury .At manifestations ,two patients had positive nuclear acid of yellow fever virus in serum samples and 3 patients were positive in urine samples .All of these patients were negative for dengue virus and Zika virus testing ,meanwhile no plasmodium was found in blood smears .All patients were cured and discharged . Conclusions There is risk of yellow fever transmission in Fujian Province . Prevention and control of the disease should be focus on improving the ability of finding and coping with the importing cases .Vaccination and hygiene knowledge propagation should be given for those who are going to epidemic country/area .Emergency monitoring and control of mosquitoes are necessary .

Objective To establish rabbit model bearing VX2 liver tumor using improved technique,and to analyze the relevant impact factors of hepatic artery and portal vein catheterization.Methods Transplanted liver tumors of 60 healthy New Zealand white rabbits were established through open abdominal puncture and hepatic artery and portal vein catheterization.The rabbits were divided into A group (survival) and B group (death) according to whether a short-term (within 7 days after surgery) death occurred or not.The univariate analysis of the factors which could lead to the death of rabbits were analyzed.The Logistic regression models were established with parameters which were significantly different between the 2 groups,and independent risk factors which could lead to the failure of the experiment were analyzed.Results VX2 tumors were successfully implanted in the liver to all 60 rabbits.Nine (9/60,15.00 ％) rabbits died within 7 days,while 51 (51/60,85.00％) rabbits survived,weight ＜ 2.5 kg,additional intraoperative anesthesia,operation time ≥60 min,length of incision ≥5 cm and blood loss of operation ≥25 ml were impact factors (all P＜0.05).Weight ＜ 2.5 kg,additional intraoperative anesthesia and the blood loss of operation ≥25 ml were independent risk factors for death (P＜0.01).Conclusion Relative high success rate of building rabbit models bearing VX2 liver tumor may achieved using hepatic artery and portal vein catheterization.Larger weight of rabbits,training of surgical skills,less intraoperative blood loss are helpful to avoid intraoperative additional anesthesia,thus reducing mortality of rabbits.

The signaling pathways involved in acupuncture intervention in post-stroke depression (PSD) mainly include cAMP signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway, CREB signaling pathway, and CaMK signaling pathway. A variety of regulatory networks are formed between these signaling pathways, which play a key role in reducing inflammation, inhibiting apoptosis, improving neuroplasticity, promoting angiogenesis, and protecting neurons.

Acupuncture has a certain effect for the patients with post-stroke depression. In clinics, acupuncture treat this disease from the brain, liver and kidney, heart and spleen, and phlegm and blood stasis. Acupuncture plays a role in nourishing the bone of marrow, regulating the liver and kidney, nourishing the heart and mind, and invigorating the spleen and stomach. Acupuncture plays an antidepressant role by regulating neurotransmitters and receptors, promoting nerve function repair, inhibiting the secretion of inflammatory factors, reducing inflammatory response, inhibiting the hyperfunction of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and regulating the brain-gut axis.

Objectives: To explore and summarize the beneficial effects of a traditional Chinese medicine prepara-tion, Tripterygium glycosides tablets (TGT), in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) animal models of neo-vascularization, and to provide a reference for future clinical applications and research on its pharmacologic mechanism.Methods: We searched the databases PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, Wan Fang and SinoMed (China Biomedical Document Service System) to identify studies of TGT with outcome indicators of angiogenesis-related factors that were published before April 2020. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were performed for dosage and duration of TGT. Statistical tests and subgroup analysis were conducted using RevMan 5.3, and meta-regression and sensitivity analysis were conducted using STATA/SE 15.0. Results: Fourteen studies of TGT in RA rats were included in this analysis. Treatment with TGT signifi-cantly reduces synovial microvessel density and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF receptor 2, hypoxia inducible factor α, c-Fos, c-Jun, angiopoietin-1 and angiopoietin-2 compared with control groups (P < .05). Subgroup analysis did not show a significant association of the mRNA levels of VEGF in synovium, assessed using quantitative real-time PCR, with duration or dosage of TGT. Meta-regression analysis also indicated that the effects of dosage and duration were not significantly associated with differences in VEGF mRNA levels. Sensitivity analysis on VEGF mRNA levels did not fundamentally change the results. Conclusions: TGT can reduce synovial neovascularization by decreasing synovial microvessel density and expression of VEGF, VEGF receptor 2, hypoxia-inducible factorα, c-Fos, c-Jun, Ang-1 and Ang-2, thereby suppressing pannus formation and bone destruction in rat models of RA. Additional well-designed studies are required to confirm these findings.

Objective To explore the correlation between serum microRNA-29a-3p(miR-29a-3p),throm-bospondin 2(THBS2)and cardiopulmonary function in children with chronic pulmonary heart disease.Meth-ods A total of 136 children with chronic pulmonary heart disease treated in Shijiazhuang Hospital of Tradi-tional Chinese Medicine from July 2019 to September 2023 were selected as the study subjects.Based on their clinical signs,cardiopulmonary function,and symptoms,they were divided into a compensated group(74 ca-ses)and a decompensated group(62 cases).Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)method was applied to detect serum miR-29a-3p level,and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was applied to detect serum THBS2 level.Moreover,ultrasound diagnostic equipment was applied to detect cardiac function indicators such as left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and cardiac output(CO).Creatine kinase isoenzyme(CK-MB)and troponin(cTnl)were detected by electroluminescence analysis.Pulmonary function indicators were detected by pulmonary artery systolic pressure(PASP),mean pulmonary artery pressure(MPAP)and pulmonary artery diastolic pressure(PADP).Pearson correlation was used to analyze the corre-lation between serum miR-29a-3p and THBS2 levels and cardiopulmonary function indexes in children with chronic pulmonary heart disease,and multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to screen the influen-cing factors of the disease in children with chronic pulmonary heart disease.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to analyze the evaluation value of serum miR-29a-3p and THBS2 levels in children with chronic pulmonary heart disease.Results The THBS2,CK-MB,cTnI,PASP,MPAP,and PADP in the decompensated group were higher than those in the compensated group(P＜0.05),while miR-29a-3p,LVEF,and CO were lower than those in the compensated group(P＜0.05).Serum miR-29a-3p in children with chro-nic pulmonary heart disease was positively correlated with LVEF and CO(P＜0.05),but negatively correla-ted with CK-MB,cTnI,PASP,MPAP,and PADP(P＜0.05).THBS2 was negatively correlated with LVEF and CO(P＜0.05),but positively correlated with CK-MB,cTnI,PASP,MPAP,and PADP(P＜0.05).MiR-29a-3p was a protective factor for exacerbation of chronic pulmonary heart disease in children(P＜0.05),while THBS2 was an independent risk factor for exacerbation of chronic pulmonary heart disease in children(P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis results showed that the area under the curve(AUC)of serum miR-29a-3p and THBS2 levels alone and in combination for evaluating the severity of chronic pulmonary heart disease in children were 0.827,0.817 and 0.915,respectively.Conclusion Serum miR-29a-3p and THBS2 levels are both factors affecting the disease of children with chronic pulmonary heart disease,and are closely related to the disease and cardiopulmonary function of children with chronic pulmonary heart disease.

Objective To analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 403 local cases with dengue fever , and to provide guidance for dengue fever's prevention , diagnosis and treatment . Methods The epidemical data ,clinical characteristics ,laboratory results ,therapy and outcomes of 403 cases with dengue fever treated in Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University ,Fuzhou from July to November 2016 were collected and analyzed retrospectively .Results Among the 403 cases , 56 cases (13 .89％ ) were younger than 20 years old ,160 cases (39 .71％ ) were 21 to 50 years old ,and 187 cases (46 .40％ ) were over 50 years old .The peak incidence period of dengue fever was from August to October ,accounting for 94 .29％ of the cases .The clinical classification was dominated by typical dengue fever (98 .01％ ) .Most of the cases had sudden onset .The main clinical symptoms included fever in 391 cases (97 .02％ ) , body aches in 355 cases (88 .09％ ) , and rash in 156 cases (38 .71％ ) . All patients were tested for serology and etiology of dengue virus at the early stage of disease .Among them , the positive rate of NS1 antigen was 95 .04％ ;the positive rate of IgM antibody was 13 .90％ ,and the positive rate of IgG antibody was 8 .19％ . Thrombocytopenia was founded in 332 cases (82 .38％ ) .Neutrophil count decreased in 293 cases (72 .70％ ) , w hite blood cell count decreased in 274 cases (67 .99％ ) .Aspartate aminotransferase increased in 256 cases (63 .52％ ) and alanine aminotransferase increased in 146 cases (36 .23％ ) .Creatine kinase elevated in 130 cases (32 .26％ ) and prothrombin time was prolonged in 40 cases (9 .93％ ) .A total of 289 cases (82 .75％ ) had bilateral lesions in both lungs and 25 cases (6 .20％ ) had pleural effusions . Color doppler ultrasound found 46 cases (11 .41％ ) of hepatomegaly ,84 cases (20 .84％ ) of splenomegaly ,8 cases (1 .99％ ) of a small amount of ascites . Conclusions Most of the 403 cases of dengue fever show typical clinical manifestations .Dengue fever mainly affects the blood system ,liver ,heart ,lung ,kidney ,skeletal muscle system ,and immune system . Clinicians should carefully observe the condition ,master the warning signs of severe dengue fever ,and achieve early identification and timely treatment of severe cases ,thereby reducing the mortality rate .

Objective To investigate the relationship between Toxoplasma gondii (T.gondii) infection and metabolic syndrome (MS).Methods A total of 20 577 patients who received serum test of anti-T.gondii IgG antibody in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey ( NHANES) of the United States from 2009 to 2014 were collected to analyze the clinical features of anti-T.gondii IgG antibody positive patients , and to compare metabolic related indicators in the antibody IgG positive and negative groups .The independent sample t-test, chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis were used to explore the risk factors of MS . Results A total of 2 746 participants were positive for the T.gondii antibody (13.34%), with a higher prevalence of male (14.44%vs 12.27%, χ2 ＝15.99, P＜0.01).Meanwhile, the prevalence of T.gondii increased with age and body mass index (BMI) (χ2 ＝979.98 and 50.85,respectively, both P＜0.01).Among the 2 191 patients with MS, 449 (20.49%) patients were positive for T.gondii.While 2 297 (12.49%) patients were anti-T.gondii positive in 18 386 non-MS patients.The difference was statistically significant (χ2 ＝78.504, P＜0.01).Age (t＝-37.37), BMI (t＝-4.28), glycosylated hemoglobin (t＝-11.81), fasting blood glucose (t＝-9.38), triacylglycerol (t＝-6.32), cholesterol (t＝-7.16), serum uric acid (t＝-5.25) and serum creatinine (t＝-7.69) in the seropositive group were all higher than those in the seronegative group (all P＜0.01).After adjusting for age and gender , the prevalence of T.gondii was an independent risk factor for MS (odds ratio [OR]＝1.147,P＝0.023).Conclusions BMI, blood lipids, blood uric acid and blood glucose are significantly increased in patients with T.gondii infection.T.gondii infection is an independent risk factor for MS.