Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of catgut-embedding (CE) therapy based on respiration-induced reinforcing and reducing and electro-acupuncture (EA) therapy in treating simple obesity with spleen deficiency and dampness retention. Methods Sixty simlpe obesity patients with spleen deficiency and dampness retention were randomized into CE group and EA group, 30 cases in each group. The acupoints selected for the two groups were the same, and the points were Zhongwan, Shuifen, Qihai, Guanyuan, Tianshu, Liangmen, Daheng, Fujie, Quchi, Xuehai, Yinlingquan, Fenglong, and Ashi. CE group was given CE therapy with the needling for CE therapy referred to the respiration-induced reinforcing and reducing method, and EA group was given EA therapy for 2 continuous treatment courses, 4 weeks constituting one course. Body mass and body mass index (BMI) of the two groups before and after treatment were observed, and the clinical efficacy was also evaluated after treatment. Results (1) After treatment for 2 courses, body mass and BMI of the two groups were obviously decreased(P<0.05 compared with those before treatment), but the differences between the two groups were insignificant (P > 0.05). (2) The total effective rate of CE group was 90.0% and that of EA group was 86.7%, and the difference between the two groups was insignificant (P > 0.05). Conclusion The therapeutic effect of CE therapy based on respiration-induced reinforcing and reducing in treating simple obesity with spleen deficiency and dampness retention is similar to that of EA therapy, and the patients can choose anyone of them for loosing body weight according to the preference.

OBJECTIVE:To observe the effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza-volatile oil of Dalbergia odorifera on blood lipid and blood coagulation system in coronary heart disease myocardial ischemia miniature swine with blood stasis syndrome. METHODS:A total of 18 swine were randomly divided into sham operation group (routine feed),model group (routine feed) and S.miltiorrhiza-volatile oil of D. odorifera group(1 g/kg S. miltiorrhiza+0.1 mL/kg oil of D. odorifera,mixing administration),for consecutive 8 weeks. At 4th week,coronary heart disease myocardial ischemia model of blood stasis syndrome was established by Ameriod coarctation ring implantation in other 2 groups except for sham operation group. At 8th week,the syndrome of the model was observed according to coronary angiography and the macroscopic indications. At 2th,6th,8th week,intravenous blood was collected to test the serum levels of TC,TG,LDL-C,HDL-C,apolipoprotein A1(apoA1),apoB,PT,APTT,TT and FIB in miniature swine. RESULTS:At 6th,8th week,compared with sham operation group,serum levels of TC,TG,LDL-C,apoB and FIB were increased in model group,while PT,APTT and TT were shortened and the levels of HDL-C and apoA1 were decreased,with statistical significance(P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with model group,the serum levels of TC,TG,LDL-C and apoB were decreased in S. miltiorrhiza-volatile oil of D. odorifera group,while PT,APTT and TT were prolonged and the levels of HDL-C and apoA1 were increased, with statistical significance (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The S.miltiorrhiza-volatile oil of D. odorifera could reduce blood lipid and improve blood coagulation system index disorder in coronary heart disease myocardial ischemia miniature swine with blood stasis syndrome.

Objective To investigate whether levosimendan can inhibit the apoptosis of C2C12 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS)through the PTEN/Akt pathway.Methods C2C12 cells were randomly divided into four groups:blank control group,control group comprising cells treated with levosimendan only,LPS-treated group,and a group comprising cells pretreated with levosimendan for 24 h a subsequently treated with LPS for 48 h.The survival rate of C2C12 cells was determined via the CCK-8 method,and cell apoptosis was assessed via Hoechst 33342 staining.The mRNA and protein expression levels of PTEN/Akt pathway components were evaluated via RT-qPCR and Western blotting,respectively.C2C12 cells were also transfected with siRNA to knockdown the PTEN gene,and the effect on the protein expression of apoptotic pathway components was determined.Results Levosimendan increased the survival rate and decreased the apoptosis rate of C2C12 cells after LPS treatment.PTEN gene expression was inhibited by siRNA and the mRNA and protein levels of PTEN/Akt signaling pathway components changed correspondingly.Furthermore,the apoptosis rate of C2C12 cells decreased.Conclusion Levosimendan can inhibit LPS-induced C2C12 cell apoptosis via the PTEN/Akt pathway.

Objective:To investigate the distribution of HIV-1 genotypes and drug resistance in newly diagnosed HIV-1 patients in Baoding in 2020.Methods:A self-developed method was used to amplify the pol gene sequence of HIV-1, and the sequencing results were analyzed by phylogenetic analysis and compared with the Stanford drug resistance database to determine the HIV-1 subtypes and gene mutations. Results:A total of 96 patients with HIV-1 infection were recruited in this study, and 83 pol gene sequences were successfully obtained. In the study population, 88 (91.7%) were male with an average age of 39 years and 54 (56.3%) were married. Most of the patients were infected through sexual contact (95.8%, 92/96), and 75.0% (72/96) were through homosexual transmission. Phylogenetic analysis showed that various HIV-1 subtypes were detected and among them, CRF01_AE (51.8%, 43/83), CRF07_BC (24.1%, 20/83) and B subtype (10.8%, 9/83) were the most epidemic strains. Moreover, the subtypes of newly identified recombinant strains in recent years accounted for 13.3% (11/83). Drug resistance test results showed that the pre-treatment drug resistance rate in newly diagnosed HIV-1 patients was 8.4% (7/83), and the drug resistance rates to protease inhibitor (PIs), non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) and integrase inhibitors (INIs) were 3.6% (3/83), 1.2% (1/83) and 3.6% (3/83), respectively. Conclusions:The HIV-1 subtypes in the newly diagnosed population in Baoding in 2020 were complex and diverse. There were many unique recombinant strains and drug-resistant strains. Therefore, it was necessary to strengthen drug resistance monitoring as well as the prevention and control of HIV-1 infection in this area.

Objective:To examine the clinical experience and efficacy of unrelated cord blood transplantation (UCBT) in the treatment of recurrent refractory Epstein-Barr virus-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (EBV-HLH) in children.Methods:The clinical data of a patient with recurrent refractory EBV-HLH and intestinal perforation who was treated by UCBT in Department of Pediatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University in September 2015 and finally cured were retrospectively analyzed.Meanwhile, literature was reviewed.Results:The patient, male, 1 year and 6 months, was admitted to the hospital with " fever for 15 days, rash for 9 days" as the main complaint, mainly manifested as high fever, large liver, spleen, lymph nodes, rapidly progressing pancytopenia, liver function damage, phagocytic blood cells on bone marrow smear, diagnosed as EBV-HLH in September 2015.The patient received chemotherapy according to the HLH-2004 protocol developed by the International Association of Cell Societies.During the treatment, he suffered two recurrence during the maintenance period, and a second-line rescue treatment was adopted, namely, " Pegaspargase, Doxorubicin liposome, Etoposide and Methylprednisolone" (L-DEP regimen) chemotherapy.The complete relief of diagnostic indexes for hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis was evaluated after chemotherapy.The patient developed sudden intestinal perforation and underwent emergency surgical surgery, enteroenterostomy.After the condition was stabilized, the patient was pretreated with the " Fludarabine+ Busulfan+ Cyclophosphamide" (Flu+ BU+ CY) therapy and then treated with UCBT, with intravenous nutritional support provided during the entire process.Neutrophil and platelet implantation was implemented on day 13 and day 35 after transplantation, respectively.The chimeric rate was 100%, and the implantation was a success.Hepatic veno-occlusive disease, fungal pneumonia and skin graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) Ⅱ occurred on the 15 th day, 22 nd day and 26 th day after transplantation, respectively.The corresponding symptoms improved after treatment.On day 49 after transplantation, phase Ⅱ " enterostomy fistula" was performed.The patient was followed up to 70 months after transplantation, and generally in good condition.His symptoms relieved, and no chronic GVHD and other comorbidities occurred. Conclusions:Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the only possible effective means of treating relapsed refractory EBV-HLH in children.In the absence of a suitable sibling or unrelated donor, unrelated cord blood stem cells can be used as a graft source.Enterostomy after intestinal perforation is not contraindicated for transplantation.

Heart failure with high prevalence is the endpoint of many cardiovascular diseases. Once diagnosed， patients usually need lifelong medication， which seriously affects their quality of life. The drugs commonly used to treat heart failure include angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors， beta-blockers， aldosterone receptor antagonists， and diuretics. However， the long-term use of those drugs can lead to side effects such as hypotension， depletion of body fluid， and electrolyte imbalance and even increase mortality. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， Qi deficiency and blood stagnation is the major cause of heart failure and when Qi is not moving， blood is not flowing. Therefore， the TCM clinical treatment of heart failure uses the Chinese medicinal materials which replenish Qi， activate blood， and dispell stasis to treat both internal cause and external symptoms. Recent studies have demonstrated that Chinese herbal medicines such as Astragali Radix， Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma， Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma， Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma， Angelicae Sinensis Radix， as well as the compound formulas such as Buyang Huanwutang， Simiao Yongantang， Qili Qiangxin capsules， and Qishen Yiqi drops， play a significant role in the prevention and treatment of heart failure via replenishing Qi， activating blood， and dispelling stasis. Inhibition of oxidative stress and inflammatory responses， mitigation of myocardial fibrosis， improvement of calcium cycling， and protection of mitochondrial function represent the key mechanisms for the treatment of heart failure with Chinese medicinal materials. Focusing on the pathogenic mechanisms and signaling pathways of heart failure， this paper systematically describes the pharmacological effects， molecular mechanisms， and research progress in the clinical application of Chinese medicinal herbs with effects of replenishing Qi， activating blood， and dispelling stasis and their compound formulas in the prevention and treatment of heart failure， aiming to provide scientific evidence for the development and clinical use of anti-heart failure Chinese medicinal materials.

A case of pituicytoma was observed in a Han-Wistar rat from the control group of a 2-year carcinogenicity study. No obvious abnormality were found in clinical observation and necropsy. Hematoxylin and Eosin (HE) staining results showed that nodular hyperplasia in the pars nervosa of the pituitary, which was well demarcated and compressed the adjacent normal tissue. The tumor cells were similar to the glial cells with round or oval nuclei, cytoplasm rich in eosinophilic or vacuole. The tumor cells differentiated well, with no obvious cell pleomorphism and visible mitotic figures. Some tumor cells were arranged in a pseudorosette formation. Immunohistochemical staining (IHC) analysis confirmed positive expression of Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and S-100 protein. The tumor was diagnosed as the spontaneous benign pituicytoma combining the HE and IHC staining results.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and susceptibility to silicosis. METHODS: First, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data were comprehensively analyzed in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of eight participants (four silicosis cases and four healthy controls) exposed to silica dust to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs (DE-lncRNAs). The functional SNPs in the identified DE-lncRNAs were then identified using several databases. Finally, the association between functional SNPs and susceptibility to silicosis was evaluated by a two-stage case-control study. The SNPs of 155 silicosis cases and 141 healthy silica-exposed controls were screened by genome-wide association study (GWAS), and the candidate SNPs of 194 silicosis cases and 235 healthy silica-exposed controls were validated by genotyping using the improved Mutiligase Detection Reaction (iMLDR) system. RESULTS: A total of 76 DE-lncRNAs were identified by RNA-seq data analysis (cut-offs: fold change > 2 or fold change < 0.5, P < 0.05), while 127 functional SNPs among those 76 DE-lncRNAs were identified through multiple public databases. Furthermore, five SNPs were found to be significantly correlated with the risk of silicosis by GWAS screening (P < 0.05), while the results of GWAS and iMLDR validation indicated that the variant A allele of rs1814521 was associated with a reduced risk of silicosis (OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.62-0.94, P = 0.011). CONCLUSION The presence of the SNP rs1814521 in the lncRNA ADGRG3 is associated with susceptibility to silicosis. Moreover, ADGRG3 was found to be lowly expressed in silicosis cases. The underlying biological mechanisms by which lncRNA ADGRG3 and rs1814521 regulate the development of silicosis need further study.
Case-Control Studies ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics* ; Silicosis/genetics*

OBJECTIVE：To study the protective effects of butein on oxidative stress injury of PC12 cell and its effects on mitochondrial function. METHODS：Rats PC12 cells were divided into normal control group，model group，solvent control group（1 ‰ dimethyl sulfoxide），butein high，medium and low concentration groups（2，1，0.5 μmol/L）. The latter 4 groups were given relevant reagent/medicine for intervention；24 h later，other groups were given 100 mU/mL glucose oxidase to induce oxidant stress model except for normal control group. After 4 h culture，cell survival rate，apoptosis rate，the levels or activities of ROS，MDA，SOD，CAT，GSH-Px，ATP，IL-1β and TNF-α as well as the change of MMP were detected. RESULTS：Compared with normal control group，cell survival rate，the levels or activities of SOD，CAT，GSH-Px and ATP were all decreased significantly，and apoptotic rate，the content of ROS，the levels of MDA，IL-1β and TNF-α were all increased significantly（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01），while the MMP was decreased significantly. Compared with model group，above indexes of solvent control group had no significant change （P＞0.05），cell survival rates，the levels or activities of SOD （except for medium and low concentration groups），CAT，GSH-Px（except for medium and low concentration groups），ATP（except for low concentration group）were increased significantly in butein high，medium and low concentration groups，while apoptotic rates，the content of ROS，the levels of MDA，IL-1 β and TNF-α were decreased significantly（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01），while the MMP were increased significantly. CONCLUSIONS：Butein can increase the antioxidant enzyme activity， stabilize mitochondrial function， inhibit oxidative stress and inflammationthus， increase energy generation inhibiting neuronal cell apoptosis ultimately exerting a neuroprotective effect.

The p21 activated kinase 4 (PAK4) is serine/threonine protein kinase that is critical for cancer progression. Guided by X-ray crystallography and structure-based optimization, we report a novel subseries of C-3-substituted 6-ethynyl-1H-indole derivatives that display high potential and specificity towards group II PAKs. Among these inhibitors, compound 55 exhibited excellent inhibitory activity and kinase selectivity, displayed superior anti-migratory and anti-invasive properties against the lung cancer cell line A549 and the melanoma cell line B16. Compound 55 exhibited potent in vivo antitumor metastatic efficacy, with over 80% and 90% inhibition of lung metastasis in A549 or B16-BL6 lung metastasis models, respectively. Further mechanistic studies demonstrated that compound 55 mitigated TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).