Background Electroacupuncture pretreatment plays a protective role in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and microRNAs (miRNAs) could act on various facets of cardiac function. However, the role of miRNAs in the cardioprotection by electroacupuncture pre-treatment on myocardial I/R injury remains unknown. The purpose of the study was to examine whether miR-214 was involved in cardio-protection by electroacupuncture. Methods Using rat myocardial I/R model, we examined the role of electroacupuncture pretreatment in myocardial I/R injury and analyzed the changes in the expression of miR-214. In addition, I/R was simulated in vitro by performing oxy-gen-glucose deprivation (OGD) on H9c2 cell cultures, and the effect of electroacupuncture pretreatment on I/R injury as well as expressional level of miR-214 were examined in vitro. Furthermore, the miR-214 mimic was transfected into OGD-treated H9c2 cells, we analyzed the cell apoptosis, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK) activities, intracellular free Ca2+concentration ([Ca2+]i) as well as the relative protein levels of sodium/calcium exchanger 1(NCX1), BCL2-like 11 (BIM), calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIδ(CaMKIIδ) and Cyclophilin D (CypD). Results The in vivo results revealed that compared with the I/R group, the electroacupuncture pretreatment group showed significant decreased myocardial infarct size, as well as the increased indices of the cardiac function, including heart rate, mean arterial pressure, left ventricular systolic pressure and maximal rate for left ventricular pressure rising and declining (±dp/dt max). In addition, electroacupuncture pretreatment could inhibit the elevation of LDH and CK activities induced by I/R injury. The quantitative PCR (qPCR) results demonstrated electroacupuncture pretreatment could provide cardioprotection against myocardial I/R injury in rats with miR-214 up-regulation. In the meanwhile, in vitro, electroacupuncture pretreatment protected H9c2 cells from OGD-induced injury. Trans-fection of miR-214 mimic showed protective effects on OGD-induced injury to H9c2 cells by reducing apoptosis, decreasing LDH and CK activities, rescuing the OGD-induced Ca2+and down-regulating elevated protein levels of NCX1, BIM, CaMKIIδand CypD. Conclusions Our findings firstly demonstrated that electroacupuncture pretreatment promotes the expression of miR-214 in myocardial I/R injury and miR-214 contributes to the protective effect of electroacupuncture on myocardial I/R injury.

Objective To evaluate the effect of captopril and isoflurane preconditioning on cell apoptosis during myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) in rabbits.Methods Forty New Zealand white rabbits of both sexes,weighing 1.8-2.5 kg,were randomly divided into 5 groups (n =8 each) using a random number table:sham operation group (group S),group I/R,isoflurane preconditioning group (group I),captopril preconditioning group (group C) and captopril and isoflurane preconditioning group (group C + I).The animals were anesthetized with 3％ pentobarbital sodium 30 mg/kg.Myocardial ischemia was induced by occlusion of the left anterior descending branch of coronary artery for 30 min followed by 120 min of reperfusion.1.1％ isoflurane was inhaled for 30 min followed by 15 min washout before myocardial ischemia in group I.Captopril 25 mg/kg was given through a gastric tube into the stomach at 24 h before myocardial ischemia in group C.Captopril 25 mg/kg was given through a gastric tube into the stomach,24 h later 1.1％ isoflurane was inhaled for 30 min followed by 15 min washout,and then myocardial ischemia was performed in group C + I.The rabbits were sacrificed at the end of reperfusion and myocardial specimens were removed for microscopic examination and observation of ultrastructure,and for determination of the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins (by Western blot).The apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry.Bcl-2/Bax ratio was calculated.Results Compared with group S,the apoptosis rate was significantly increased,the expression of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins was up-regulated,and Bel-2/Bax ratio was decreased in I/R,I,C and C + I groups (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with I/R,I and C groups,the apoptosis rate was significantly decreased,Bcl-2 protein expression was up-regulated,Bax protein expression was down-regulated,and Bcl-2/Bax ratio was increased (P ＜ 0.05),and the pathological changes were significantly attenuated in group C + I.Conclusion Regulation of Bcl-2/Bax ratio and inhibition of apoptosis in myocardial cells are involved in the mechanism by which isoflurane and captopril preconditioning reduces I/R injury in rabbits.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer, which has the biological characteristics of high invasiveness, early recurrence, rapid progression and easy invasion. Current studies have demonstrated that abnormal activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway is more common in TNBC. This article reviews the abnormal activation mechanism of PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway, related clinical progress and the application of related targeted inhibitors to provide more approaches for investigational therapies in TNBC.

Objective: To investigate the status and influencing factors of health literacy of middle school students in Yinchuan City, to provide reference for health literacy improvement of middle school students in this region. Methods: Using stratified cluster sampling method, 2 003 middle school students from three districts of Yinchuan were investigated to complete the questionnaire survey.The survey included basic characteristics, health literacy and screen time status. Results: The total score of Chinese Adolescent Interactive Health Literacy Questionnaire was(101.3±17.5). The proportion of high, medium and low level of health literacy were 25.0%, 51.2% and 23.9% respectively;the proportion of long screen time exposure among middle school students was 52.5%. The health literacy level of junior middle school students, middle school students with father or mother education level of high school or above and appropriate screen time were higher than those of the corresponding group（χ 2=49.90，14.59，16.53，46.73，P<0.01）. Logistic regression analysis showed that education group, grade, father s or mother s education level and long screen time exposure were associated with middle school students health literacy level(P<0.05). Conclusion The health literacy level of middle school students in Yinchuan City needs to be further improved and targeted health education should be carried out from school, family and society.

Background:The TNM staging system is far from perfect in predicting the survival of individual cancer patients because only the gross anatomy is considered. The survival rates of the patients who have the same TNM stage disease vary across a wide spectrum. This study aimed to develop a nomogram that incorporates other clinicopatho-logic factors for predicting the overall survival (OS) of non-metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients after curative treatments. Methods:We retrospectively collected the clinical data of 1520 NPC patients who were diagnosed histologically between November 2000 and September 2003. The clinical data of a separate cohort of 464 patients who received intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) between 2001 and 2010 were also retrieved to examine the extensibil-ity of the model. Cox regression analysis was used to identify the prognostic factors for building the nomogram. The predictive accuracy and discriminative ability were measured using the concordance index (c-index). Results:We identiifed and incorporated 12 independent clinical factors into the nomogram. The calibration curves showed that the prediction of OS was in good agreement with the actual observation in the internal validation set and IMRT cohort. The c-index of the nomogram was statistically higher than that of the 7th edition TNM staging sys-tem for predicting the survival in both the primary cohort (0.69 vs. 0.62) and the IMRT cohort (0.67 vs. 0.63). Conclusion:We developed and validated a novel nomogram that outperformed the TNM staging system in predict-ing the OS of non-metastatic NPC patients who underwent curative therapy.

Objective:To explore the relationship between dietary quality and the risk of diabetes and prediabetes among urban women based on alternative healthy eating index-2010（AHEI-2010).Methods:From March to July 2016, a total of 1 061 female residents from 8 cities, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Lanzhou, Xuchang, Jilin, Wuhu and Chenzhou in China, were selected by using the multi-stage sampling method. The basic characteristics of all participants were collected by using self-made questionnaire, and the dietary status of the subjects was collected by using 24-hour dietary recall method. AHEI-2010 scores were calculated and the diet was divided into low, medium and high dietary quality group according to the third quartile. All participants received physical examination, systolic blood pressure test, fasting blood glucose test and glycosylated hemoglobin test. Unconditional logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between dietary quality and the risk of diabetes and prediabetes.Results:The age of all participants was（48.0±17.5) years old. The median（ P25, P75) of AHEI-2010 score was 46.52（40.04, 54.88). The prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes were 13.3%（141 cases) and 50.0%（530 cases), respectively. Unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for age, city, education, diet control, physical activity, energy intake and waist circumference, compared with the low diet quality group, the OR（95% CI) values of medium, high dietary quality group and diabetes risk were 0.96（0.57-1.62) and 0.63（0.36-1.09), respectively; the OR（95% CI) values of medium, high dietary quality group and prediabetes risk were 0.93（0.64-1.35) and 1.28（0.87-1.88), respectively. Conclusion:The dietary quality of urban women based on AHEI-2010 evaluation is not related to the risk of diabetes and prediabetes.

Objective:To explore the relationship between dietary quality and the risk of diabetes and prediabetes among urban women based on alternative healthy eating index-2010（AHEI-2010).Methods:From March to July 2016, a total of 1 061 female residents from 8 cities, Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Lanzhou, Xuchang, Jilin, Wuhu and Chenzhou in China, were selected by using the multi-stage sampling method. The basic characteristics of all participants were collected by using self-made questionnaire, and the dietary status of the subjects was collected by using 24-hour dietary recall method. AHEI-2010 scores were calculated and the diet was divided into low, medium and high dietary quality group according to the third quartile. All participants received physical examination, systolic blood pressure test, fasting blood glucose test and glycosylated hemoglobin test. Unconditional logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between dietary quality and the risk of diabetes and prediabetes.Results:The age of all participants was（48.0±17.5) years old. The median（ P25, P75) of AHEI-2010 score was 46.52（40.04, 54.88). The prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes were 13.3%（141 cases) and 50.0%（530 cases), respectively. Unconditional logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for age, city, education, diet control, physical activity, energy intake and waist circumference, compared with the low diet quality group, the OR（95% CI) values of medium, high dietary quality group and diabetes risk were 0.96（0.57-1.62) and 0.63（0.36-1.09), respectively; the OR（95% CI) values of medium, high dietary quality group and prediabetes risk were 0.93（0.64-1.35) and 1.28（0.87-1.88), respectively. Conclusion:The dietary quality of urban women based on AHEI-2010 evaluation is not related to the risk of diabetes and prediabetes.

Objective:To investigate risk factors for early mortality (EM) in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) and to build an EM-predictive model.Methods:In a cohort of 275 patients with NDMM, risk factors for EM at 6, 12, and 24 months after diagnosis (EM6, EM12, and EM24, respectively) were determined to establish a model to predict EM.Results:The rates of EM6, EM12, and EM24 were 5.5% , 12.7% , and 30.2% , respectively. The most common cause for EM was disease progression/relapse, accounting for 60.0% , 77.1% , and 84.3% of EM6, EM12, and EM24, respectively. EM6 was associated with corrected serum calcium >2.75 mmol/L and platelet count <100×10 9/L, whereas risk factors for EM12 included age >75 years, ISS Ⅲ, R-ISS Ⅲ, corrected serum calcium >2.75 mmol/L, serum creatinine >177 μmol/L, platelet count <100×10 9/L, and bone marrow plasma cell ratio ≥ 60% . In addition to the risk factors for EM12, EM24 was also associated with male sex and 1q21 gain. By multivariate analysis, age >75 years, platelet count <100×10 9/L, and 1q21 gain were independent risk factors for EM24 but there were no independent risk factors significantly associated with EM6 and EM12. Using a scoring system including these three risk factors, a Cox model for EM24 was generated to distinguish patients with low (score<3) and high (score ≥ 3) risk. The sensitivity and specificity of the model were 20.7% and 99.2% , respectively. Further, an internal validation performed in a cohort of 183 patients with NDMM revealed that the probability of EM24 in high-risk patients was 26 times higher than that in low-risk patients. Moreover, this model was also able to predict overall survival. The median overall survival of patients with scores of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 were 59, 41, 22, 17.5, and 16 months, respectively. Conclusion:In the study cohort, the EM6, EM12, and EM24 rates were 5.5% , 12.7% , and 30.2% , respectively, and disease progression or relapse were main causes of EM. An EM24-predictive model built on three independent risk factors for EM24 (age>75 years, platelet count<100×10 9/L, and 1q21 gain) might predict EM risk and overall survival.

Objective:To improve the prognosis stratification, especially early mortality(EM), of elderly patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma(NDMM).Methods:In this retrospective study, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were conducted to identify the independent prognostic factors associated with overall survival(OS)and the chi-square test and multivariate Logistic analysis were used to identify the prognostic factors associated with EM in 223 elderly patients(age≥65 years)with NDMM from three centers in the country.Results:Increased NT-pro-BNP(≥300 pg/ml), ECOG-PS≥2 and stage Ⅲ R-ISS were identified as three independent adverse prognostic factors of OS.The rates of EM3, EM6, EM12 and EM24 were 12.1%, 20.1%, 32.2% and 60%, respectively.The most common cause for EM6(particularly EM3)was disease-related complications resulting from ineligibility for treatment due to poor physical performance, severe organ dysfunction or treatment discontinuation due to treatment intolerance, while the most common cause for EM12(particularly EM24)was disease progression or relapse mainly as a result of inadequate treatment.R-ISS staging failed to predict EM, while decreased eGFR, ECOG-PS≥2, and increased NT-pro-BNP were able to estimate the risk of EM, with increased NT-pro-BNP as a common independent factor for EM12( P=0.03)and EM24( P=0.015). Conclusions:R-ISS staging, which primarily reflects MM biology, cannot predict EM.However, factors such as NT-pro-BNP, eGFR and ECOG-PS associated with frailty and impairment of organ functions can be used to estimate the risk of EM, among which NT-pro-BNP may be the most important independent factor for EM.Therefore, incorporation of these frailty-related biomarkers into R-ISS staging may be able to more precisely estimate the prognosis and particularly early death of elderly patients with NDMM.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanisms of Astragali Radix-Curcumae Rhizoma （HQ-EZ） in alleviating hypercoagulability and inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis by modulating the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps （NETs） via the complement component 5a （C5a）/C5a receptor （C5aR） pathway. MethodForty male C57BL/6 mice were randomized into four groups： Blank， model， HQ-EZ （8.2 g·kg^-1）， and PMX53 （1 mg·kg^-1）. The mouse model of Lewis lung cancer was established in other three groups except the blank group. Mice were administrated with corresponding drugs from day 3 after modeling. Specifically， the HQ-EZ decoction was administrated for 14 consecutive days， while intraperitoneal injection of PMX53 was implemented on days 3， 6， 9， 12， and 15. Mouse body weight and tumor diameter were measured every two days. On the next day of the last administration， lung microCT was performed to observe the tumor metastasis in vivo. Blood samples were collected from the eyeball after anesthetization， and tumor and lungs were collected after the mice were sacrificed. Tumor weight was measured to calculate the tumor growth inhibitory rate. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the levels of C5a， neutrophil elastase （NE）， citrullinated histone-H3 （Cit-H3）， myeloperoxidase （MPO）， matrix metallopeptidase-9 （MMP-9）， NETs， von Willebrand Factor （vWF）， tissue factor （TF）， and P-selectin in the serum and tumor tissue. Terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling was conducted to assess apoptosis in the tumor tissue. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was conducted to observe lung metastasis， and immunofluorescence （IF） was employed to observe the expression of NETs in the tumor tissue. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of C5aR， MPO， and Cit-H3 in the tumor tissue. ResultCompared with the blank group， the model group had nodules in the lung， increased areas with low X-ray transmittance， appearance of nodular foci and multiple hemorrhagic foci in the lungs， and darkening lung color. Furthermore， the modeling elevated the serum levels of C5a， NETs and related proteins， vWF， TF， and P-selectin （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， HQ-EZ and PMX53 reduced the lung metastases， areas with low X-ray transmittance， and nodules in the lungs and lightened the lung color. Compared with the model group， the two drug intervention groups showed flat tumor growth curves， decreased tumor weight （P<0.01）， increased apoptosis of tumor cells （P<0.01）， lowered levels of C5a， NETs and related proteins， vWF， TF， and P-selectin both in the serum and tumor tissue （P<0.05）， and down-regulated protein levels of C5aR， MPO， and Cit-H3 （P<0.05）. ConclusionHQ-EZ inhibited the expression of NETs by suppressing the C5a/C5aR pathway， thereby alleviating hypercoagulability and inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis.