OBJECTIVE:To optimize the extraction conditions of total flavones from Pueraria Lobata by ultrasonic method.METHODS:The uniform design method was applied to investigate the effects of alcohol content,the quantity of solvent,extraction time,extraction temperature and the extraction times on the result of extraction.The content of total flavone of Pueraria Lobata was determined by ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry.The extraction conditions were optimized with the extraction yield and the mass fraction of total flavone of Pueraria lobata in the extract as indexes.RESULTS:The optimal extraction conditions were as follows:extracting with 75% alcohol(20 mL?g-1) for 40 min(extraction time) at 68 ℃(extraction temperature) for a total of 5 times.CONCLUSION:The extraction process is reasonable and feasible and it provides theoretic basis for the industrialized production.

AIM: To observe activity of scavenger receptor of macrophage derived from monocytes, the change of inflammation factor in plasma (including CRP, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1) and the influence of atorvastatin on activity of scavenger receptor in patients with coronary heart disease. METHODS: 75 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), whose plasma lipid levels were normal, were divided into three groups: stable angina pectoris, unstable angina pectoris and acute myocardia infarction. 29 healthy persons were served as control. The level of C-reactive protein (CRP), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) in plasma were determined in all subjects. Monocytes in peripheral blood were dissevered and cultured to transform into macrophage. The influence of atorvastatin on activity of scavenger receptor in macrophage was observed. RESULTS: The level of CRP, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and activity of scavenger receptor of macrophage in acute myocardia infarction group were higher than that in stable angina pectoris, unstable angina pectoris and control. Atorvastatin lowered the activity of scavenger receptor of macrophages derived from monocytes in patients with coronary heart disease. Activity of scavenger receptor of macrophages derived from monocytes in patients with coronary heart disease was correlated positively with CRP, sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1. CONCLUSION: Activity of scavenger receptor may be taken as index for monitoring the degree of active vulnerable atherosclerosis plaque. Atorvastatin may inhibit activity of scavenger receptor in macrophages derived from monocytes in patients with coronary heart disease.

Objective To evaluate the application of SOLIS in the surgery on anterior intervertebral fusion for the treatment of traumatic cervical disc protrnsion. Methods 53 traumatic single segment cervical disc protrusion were divided into three groups randomly. The A group (SOLIS) :n=18, SOLIS filled with autocancellous bone were implanted between the cervical vertebrae. The B group(Syncage) :n =16, as the first group Syncage filled with auto-cancellous bone were implanted. The C group:n=19,anterior cervical decompression and fusion with bone autograft and internal fixation with ACPS. The operations of the surgery on anterior cervical decompression in three groups were the same. Recovery of nerve function was observed by JOA score and the fusion state, stability and changes of interver-tebra height of fusion segment were evaluated by X ray. Results The average duration of the follow-up was 16.5 months in 53 cases. Bony fusion could be found 3～9months after operation in all cases. In all A (SOLIS) group cases,the movement of the implanted $OLIS Cage were not found. The heights of the cervical intervertebral spaces and the physiological curvature were restored without loss in the duration of follow-up. The average JOA was(10.4±2.4) be-fore operation and(14.9±2.0)after operation. There was highly significant variation between the former and the latter (P<0.01). In the B (Syncage)group,5 cases had cage subsidence, therefore the height of intervertebra and the phys-iological curvature were lost. The average JOA was (10.6±2.5) before operation and (13.2±2.3) after operation.There was significant variation between the former and the latter(P<0.05). In the C group the third group, the move-ment of the fixed titanium plate were not found in the duration of follow-up in 18 cases. The titanium plate fixation was loose in 1 case. The average JOA was(10.5±2.4) bofore operation and(15.1±1.9) after operation. There was high-ly significant variation between the former and the latter(P<0.01). After operation,there was significant difference in the JOA score between the A group and the B group,between the C group and the B group(P<0.05) ,and there was no difference between the A group and the C group(P>0.05). Conclusion Treatment of single segment prolapse of the cervical intervertebral disc with SOLIS cage has some advantages such as higher fusion rate, higher recovery rate of nerve function and low rate of loss of intervertebra] height.

Objective:To investigate the effect and mechanism of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)in perihematomal brain tissue on the early formation of edema in patients with hyper-tensive intracerebral hemorrhage.Methods:The perihematomal brain tissue in 32 patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage were treated with hematoma evacuation.The expressions of HIF-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)were measured by immunohistochem- istry staining technique.The volume of perihematomal edema was determined on the basis of reoperative head CT scan.The results of staining and the volume of edema were analyzed by using double-blind method.Resets:Neuron and vascular endothelial cell swelling were observed 4 hours after cerebral hemorrhage,and the scattered HIF-1α positive neurons were visible.The expressions of HIF-1α reached the peak(at 24 to 48 hours,and went on high expressions at 49 to 72 hours.There was significant difference as compared with the normal brain tissue(P＜0.01). There were positive correlations between the expressions of HIF-1α and VEGF (r=0.72,t=6.37,P＜0.01)and the volume of brain edema(r=0.64,t=4.56,P＜0.01).Conclusions: The expression of HIF-1α in perihematomal brain tissue of hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage iS associated with the early formation of cerebral edema.HIF-1α may accelerate the formation of brain edema by inducing and regulating the expression of VEGF.

Objective: To investigate the diagnose nutcracker syndrome with color Doppler flow imaging.Methods:Doppler sonographic findings in 47 children with orthostatic proteinuria or idiopathic hematuria and in 23 healthy control subjects were compared.The peak velocity,anteroposterior diameter and anteroposterior diameter ratio(hilar segment/aortomesenteric segment) were measured in the left renal vein.Results: The anteroposterior diameter ratio of the 2 segments were 4.13?2.34 in the patient group and 2.16?0.56 in the control.The anteroposterior diameter and the peak velocity in the aortomesenteric segment were(0.16?0.07)cm/s and(83.3?37.2)cm/s in the patient group and(0.24?0.09)cm/s and(43.1?10.8)cm/s in the control,with significant difference in between(P

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of malaria in Hangzhou City from 2004 to 2021, so as to provide the evidence for formulating the post-elimination control strategy for malaria in Hangzhou City. Methods: The epidemic situation of malaria in Hangzhou City from 2004 to 2021 were collected from the National Information System for Disease Control and Prevention in China, and the temporal, spatial and human distributions of malaria cases and the source of malaria infections were analyzed in Hangzhou City during the pre-elimination stage (2004 to 2009), the elimination stage (2010 to 2015) and the post-elimination stage (2016 to 2021). Results: Totally 602 malaria cases were reported in Hangzhou City from 2004 to 2021,and the annual mean incidence of malaria was 0.22/105, 0.20/105 and 0.18/105 during the pre-elimination, elimination and post-elimination stages, appearing a tendency towards a decline. Men accounted for 63.96%, 85.07% and 93.75% of all malaria cases and there were 67.86%, 82.84% and 80.00% of cases at ages of 18 to 50 years during the pre-elimination, elimination and post-elimination stages, both appearing a tendency towards a decline (χ2trend=56.748, P<0.001; χ2trend=39.971, P<0.001). The predominant occupation of malaria cases shifted from farmers or migrant workers to multiple occupations, and the proportion of commercial servants increased from 4.87% during the pre-elimination stage to 24.38% during the post-elimination stage (χ2trend=73.308, P<0.001). The proportion of Plasmodium vivax malaria cases reduced from 96.43% during the pre-elimination stage to 7.50% during the post-elimination stage, and the proportion of P. falciparum malaria cases increased from 3.57% to 71.25%, while P. ovale, P. malariae and mixed infections were identified since 2010. There was a significant season-specific incidence of P. vivax malaria during the pre-elimination stage, and the period between May and October was an epidemic season; however, there was no season-specific incidence of P. vivax malaria during the elimination and post-elimination stages. The regional distribution of malaria cases presented a tendency towards a shift from suburb and rural areas to urban areas (χ2trend=74.229, P<0.001). No local cases were detected in Hangzhou City since 2010, and 94.22% of malaria cases were overseas imported cases after malaria elimination, including 90.61% from Africa. Conclusions oung and middle-aged men were high-risk populations for malaria in Hangzhou City from 2004 to 2021, and overseas commercial servants gradually became the predominant source of malaria infections, with malaria parasite species tending to be diverse. Improving the management of overseas imported cases and timely identification and treatment of cases are major interventions to consolidate malaria elimination achievements in Hangzhou City.

Purpose: Temozolomide is used in first-line treatment for glioblastoma. However, chemoresistance to temozolomide is common in glioma patients. In addition, mechanisms for the anti-tumor effects of temozolomide are largely unknown. Ferroptosis is a form of programmed cell death triggered by disturbed redox homeostasis, overloaded iron, and increased lipid peroxidation. The present study was performed to elucidate the involvement of ferroptosis in the anti-tumor mechanisms of temozolomide. Materials and Methods: We utilized the CCK8 assay to evaluate cytotoxicity. Levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA), iron, and glutathione (GSH) were measured. Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscope were used to detect the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Western blotting, RT-PCR and siRNA transfection were used to investigate molecular mechanisms. Results: Temozolomide increased the levels of LDH, MDA, and iron and reduced GSH levels in TG905 cells. Furthermore, we found that ROS levels and DMT1 expression were elevated in TG905 cells treated with temozolomide and were accompanied by a decrease in the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4, indicating an iron-dependent cell death, ferroptosis. Our results also showed that temozolomide-induced ferroptosis is associated with regulation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. Conversely, DMT1 knockdown by siRNA evidently blocked temozolomide-induced ferroptosis in TG905 cells. Conclusion Taken together, our findings indicate that temozolomide may suppress cell growth partly by inducing ferroptosis by targeting DMT1 expression in glioblastoma cells.

Purpose: Temozolomide is used in first-line treatment for glioblastoma. However, chemoresistance to temozolomide is common in glioma patients. In addition, mechanisms for the anti-tumor effects of temozolomide are largely unknown. Ferroptosis is a form of programmed cell death triggered by disturbed redox homeostasis, overloaded iron, and increased lipid peroxidation. The present study was performed to elucidate the involvement of ferroptosis in the anti-tumor mechanisms of temozolomide. Materials and Methods: We utilized the CCK8 assay to evaluate cytotoxicity. Levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA), iron, and glutathione (GSH) were measured. Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscope were used to detect the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Western blotting, RT-PCR and siRNA transfection were used to investigate molecular mechanisms. Results: Temozolomide increased the levels of LDH, MDA, and iron and reduced GSH levels in TG905 cells. Furthermore, we found that ROS levels and DMT1 expression were elevated in TG905 cells treated with temozolomide and were accompanied by a decrease in the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4, indicating an iron-dependent cell death, ferroptosis. Our results also showed that temozolomide-induced ferroptosis is associated with regulation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. Conversely, DMT1 knockdown by siRNA evidently blocked temozolomide-induced ferroptosis in TG905 cells. Conclusion Taken together, our findings indicate that temozolomide may suppress cell growth partly by inducing ferroptosis by targeting DMT1 expression in glioblastoma cells.

Multiple sequence alignment is one of the basic techniques in bioinformatics, and it plays a vital role in structure modeling, functional site prediction, and phylogenetic analysis. In this paper, we review the methodologies and recent advances in the multiple protein sequence alignment, e.g., speeding up the calculation of distances among sequences and employing the iterative refinement and consistency-based scoring function, with emphasis on the use of additional sequence and structural information for improving alignment quality.
Algorithms ; Proteins ; chemistry ; Sequence Alignment ; methods ; Sequence Analysis, Protein ; methods

Objective:To learn about the knowledge and practice of iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) prevention and control among main caregivers of pregnant women in trimester and its related influencing factors, so as to provide a scientific basis for effectively improving the iodine nutrition level of pregnant women.Methods:In April 2020, using the stratified sampling method, 2 districts and counties were selected in the urban, suburban and rural areas of Hangzhou City, respectively, and 5 maternal and child health care institutions were selected as the survey sites in each district and county according to the five directions of East, West, South, North and Middle. A face-to-face questionnaire investigation was used to investigate the knowledge and practice of IDD prevention and control among main caregivers of pregnant women.Results:Totally 601 caregivers of pregnant women were investigated. Among them, 68.9% (414/601) knew that eating iodized salt was the best way to prevent IDD. However, 15.0% (90/601) thought that eating seafood was the best way to prevent IDD. And 41.9% (252/601) caregivers of pregnant women would actively purchase iodine-rich food for cooking, and 63.6% (382/601) would choose iodized salt. There were statistically significant differences in the knowledge and practice of IDD prevention and control among caregivers of pregnant women in urban, suburban and rural areas ( P < 0.05). And 50.3% (87/173) male caregivers would actively purchase iodine-rich food for cooking, which was higher than that of female caregivers [38.6% (165/428)], the difference was statistically significant (χ 2 = 6.97, P = 0.008). There was a statistically significant difference between the caregivers of pregnant women of different ages in actively purchasing iodine-rich food for cooking (χ 2 = 12.61, P = 0.013). And there were statistically significant differences between the caregivers of pregnant women with different educational levels in actively purchasing iodine-rich food for cooking and choosing iodized salt (χ 2 = 29.34, 39.42, P < 0.001). Conclusions:The awareness of knowledge about IDD prevention and control and the formation of prevention and control behavior among caregivers of pregnant women in Hangzhou City are poor. Active education of caregivers of pregnant women should be strengthened to promote maternal and infant health.