BACKGROUND:Heavy load exercises can induce the ultrastructural changes in the skeletal muscle by the depolymerization and/or degradation of tubulin in the skeletal muscle, thereby lessening contraction activities of the skeletal muscle. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effects of heavy load exercise and acupuncture on tubulin levels, and to analyze their roles and mechanisms in skeletal muscle injury and repair. METHODS:138 male Sprague-Dawley rats aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into acute exercise group (n=114) and long-term exercise group (n=24). The acute exercise group included four subgroups:sedentary group (n=6), exercise group (n=36), acupunctured group (n=36) and exercise plus acupuncture group (n=36). In the acute exercise experiment, rats were acupunctured after a medium-large intensity downhil running. Rat’s soleus samples were taken immediately, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours after exercise and/or acupuncture. In the long-term exercise experiment, rats underwent exercise and acupuncture for 3 weeks, and rat’s soleus samples were col ected at 24 hours after the last training. Expressions ofα-tubulin and microtubule-associated protein 4 (MAP4) in the soleus were detected by western blot assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After acute exercise, expression ofα-tubulin and MAP4 was up-or down-regulated transiently. After acute exercise combined with acupuncture, the protein expressions ofα-tubulin and MAP4 changed slightly. However, the long-term exercise induced an increase inα-tubulin protein expression, while a significant decrease in MAP4 protein expression. It was worth noting that acupuncture treatment reduced long-term exercise-induced variations of MAP4 expression. These results suggest that the heavy load exercise can induce the depolymerization of tubulins in the skeletal muscle, and acupuncture may relieve this effect.

Objective To explore the effect of heat shock protein 70(HSP70)expression in the role of Curcumin inhibited staurosporine(STS)-mediated neurons toxic injury.Methods The primary cultured hippocampal neurons was cultured in vitro and the stress damage model of STS-induced nerve cell toxicity was established.The experiment were divided into six groups according to the added drugs:normal control group,the STS model group (final concentration was 20μmol/L),Quercetin+STS model group(final concentration were 10 μmol/L and 20 μmol/L,respectively),Curcumin+STS pretreatment group(for 20μmol/L final concentration),Curcumin+Quercetin+STS treatment group(final concentration were 20μmol/L,10μmol/L and 20μmol/L,respectively)and Curcumin treatment group(final concentration was 20μmol/L).The cell viability were determined by thiazole blue (MTT)method,cell toxicity were measured by lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)release rate and HPS70 expression were detected by Western Blot. Results MTT results showed that the cell viability of Curcumin+STS pretreatment group was significantly higher than STS model group(P<0.001).Compared with Quercetin+STS model group,the cell viability of Curcumin+Quercetin+STS treatment group had little change.LDH results show that the nerve cell toxicity of Curcumin+STS pretreatment group was obviously less than that of STS model group(P<0.001).Western Blot results show that compared with STS model group,HSP70 protein expression in Curcumin+STS pretreatment group was significantly increased(P<0.001).Conclusion Curcumin can inhibit STS-mediated neurons toxicity stress damage though increasing HSP70 expression,when added Quercetin to block HSP70 expression in nerve cells,the inhibiting effect of Curcumin on STS-mediated neuron toxic stress injury is counteract.

Objective] To investigate the clinical features of amebic liver abscess, the causes of misdignosis and the effect of medical and surgical therapy on patient′s prognosis. [Methods] The clinical features of 36 patients with amebic liver abscess admitted from 1982 to 1997 in our hospital were retrospectively reviewed. [Results] The major clinical manifestations were: abdominal pain (86 1%), fever (86 1%),hepatomegaly with tenderness (83 3%) and right intercostal tenderness(58 3%). Leukocytosis was observed in 61 1%, and increased of ESR in 88 5% (23/28). Serologies against Entamoeba histolytica were noted in 92 6%. Ultrasonography showed single lesions in 75% and right\|lobe involvement in 75%. All patients were treated with metronidazole and 27 patients received treatment with needle aspiration or draining at the same time. After treatment, 10 patients were cured, 25 patients were improved significantly and effective rate was 97 2%. One patient died of hepatic failure. [Conclusion] Medical therapy alone was excellent for small abscesses, while percutaneous needle aspiration or draining was a successful approach in patients with large abscesses.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of tuberculosis (TB) first presenting as fever of unknown origin (FUO). Methods The clinical data of 100 cases of FUO, diagnosed as TB finally, among in-patients in Peking Union Medical College Hospital were analyzed retrospectively.Results ( 1 ) Sites of TB: there were 39 patients with merely pulmonary TB, 28 patients with merely extrapulmonary TB, and 33 patients with both pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB. (2) Clinical manifestations: depending on the different sites of tuberculous lesion, the clinical symptoms varied accordingly. The common laboratory findings included anemia, hypoalbuminemia, elevation of the level of ESR and C-reactive protein (CRP). (3) Methods for diagnosis: 34 cases were diagnosed by sputum smearor cultivation-positive for acid-fast bacilli; 8 cases by histopathology; 49 cases by clinical diagnosis of TB with an effective anti-TB therapy; and 9 cases by effective diagnostic anti-TB therapy. (4) Responses to treatment: among 73 cases with complete follow-up data, only 2 cases (2. 7% ) died and the other cases were cured or alleviated. Fifty-five cases (77.5%) showed marked efficacy after less than 4 weeks of regular anti-TB therapy, 37 cases ( 52. 1% ) suffered adverse effects of anti-TB agents, and all of them had improved after modifying anti-TB therapy and supporting treatment. Conclusions The diagnosis of TB that presents as FUO is quite difficult, and the median interval time for making diagnosis is 14 weeks (3-77weeks). Investigating clinical manifestations comprehensively, reviewing radiology data carefully, and eliciting microbiological and pathologic evidence of TB, are extremely important for making the correct diagnosis. In some cases, a therapeatic trial of anti-TB therapy is necessary.

BACKGROUND: High-intensity exercise can induce the depolymerization and/or degradation of tubulin in the skeletal muscle. According to the close relation with the mitochondria, tubulin may influence mitochondrial movement track and molecular motor, thereby varying the movement and distribution of mitochondria. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of high-intensity exercise on α-tubulin, MAP4, Miro1 and mitochondrial ultrastructures, analyze their sequential changes and further explore whether tubular depolymerization regulates the movement and distribution of mitochondria via Miro1. METHODS: Fifty-six Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control (n=8) and exercise (n=48) groups. The rats in the exercise group ran on the treadmill ( -16°, 20 m/minute) for 90 minutes, and the soleus samples were removed immediately, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours after exercise (n=8 each time point). The expression levels of α-tubulin, MAP4 and Miro1 were detected by western blot assay, and the ultrastructural changes of mitochondria were observed under transmission electron microscope. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The expression level of α-tubulin was decreased significantly at 6 and 12 hours after exercise. The expression level of MAP4 was increased significantly at 6, 12, 48 and 72 hours after exercise. The expression level of Miro1 was increased firstly at 6 and 12 hours after exercise, and decreased at 72 hours after exercise. In the control group, the paired mitochondria were arranged on the both sides of Z line, and few appeared in the myolemma. Mitochondria began to accumulate in the myolemma immediately and 6 hours after exercise; the number achieved the peak at 12 hours, reduced at 24 and 48 hours, and returned to normal at 72 hours. These results suggest that high-intensity exercise can induce the depolymerization of microtubules in the skeletal muscle, thus regulating the movement and distribution of mitochondria via Miro1.

Objective To report the clinical characteristics of prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE).Methods All 25 cases of definite PVE (Duke criteria) diagnosed at our hospital between January 1992 to December 2008 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 7 cases were pathologically confirmed and the others were clinically confirmed with either 2 major criteria or 1 major and ≥3 minor criteria. Their clinical characteristics, underlying heart diseases, previous heart operations, presenting manifestations, causative microbes, echocardiographic findings and prognosis, were studied. Results (1) Although most cases underwent valve transplantations for underlying heart diseases of rheumatic heart diseases and congenital heart diseases, 10 patients were complicated with infectious endocarditis (IE) prior to the operations, 4 of them were PVE. (2) Eleven of them developed PVE within 2 months postoperatively. Fever (100%),major vessel embolism (48%), and anemia (36%) were the most frequently manifestations. Fourteen cases (56%) had positive culture results with 15 causative pathogens, including 5 coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS, 3 were methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, MRSCoN), 4 fungi, 2Enterococcus faecalis, 2 Burkholderia cepacia, 1 Stenotrophomonasmal-tophilia, and 1 Streptococcus.(3)Prosthetic valve vegetations, periannular leakage, regurgitation, were the main echocardiographic findings.Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) revealed 13 PVE who had no positive findings on previous transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). (4) Eighteen PVE (72%) developed peri-annular complications (12 leakage, 3 dehiscence, 2 abscesses, 1 fistula), major vessel embolism, congestive heart failure (16%) were frequently observed, 9 of the 17 patients died in hospital, in spite of intensive managements.Conclusions PVE has a high mortality and is a severe complication for patients who underwent heart surgery. Its causative pathogen spectrum is quite different from that of native valve endocarditis. TTE is not sensitive for some PVE cases.

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical effect of Fuhe Beihua prescription combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in the treatment of primary liver cancer patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency and its effect on T lymphocyte subsets. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of stage Ⅲ primary liver cancer patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency who were treated in Department of Hepatology and Department of Oncology in The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine from January 2018 to January 2020. According to whether the traditional Chinese medicine Fuhe Beihua prescription was used, the patients were divided into treatment group (treated with routine TACE and oral administration of Fuhe Beihua prescription) and control group (treated with routine TACE alone), and the course of treatment was 16 weeks for both groups. The two groups were compared in terms of short-term response rate, quality-of-life score, serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, four indicators of liver fibrosis, coagulation function parameters, peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets, and liver function parameters. The independent samples t-test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. A repeated-measures analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between different groups at different time points. ResultsA total of 218 patients were selected, with 118 in the control group and 100 in the treatment group. The treatment group had an objective response rate of 33% and a disease control rate of 66% at week 8 of treatment and an objective response rate of 34% and a disease control rate of 69% at week 16 of treatment, and the control group had an objective response rate of 26.27% and a disease control rate of 68.64% at week 8 of treatment and an objective response rate of 30.51% and a disease control rate of 68.64% at week 16 of treatment; there was a significant difference in objective response rate between the two groups at weeks 8 and 16 of treatment (P＜0.05). Both groups had significant increases in Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score, fibrinogen, and albumin (Alb) from before treatment to weeks 8 and 16 of treatment (all P＜0.05), and there were significant differences in KPS score, fibrinogen, and Alb between the two groups at weeks 8 and 16 of treatment (all P＜0.05). Both groups had significant reductions in AFP, the four indicators of liver fibrosis, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), prothrombin time (PT), and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome score after treatment (all P＜0.05), and at weeks 8 and 16 of treatment, there were significant differences between the two groups in AFP, the four indicators of liver fibrosis, ALT, AST, PT, and TCM syndrome score (all P＜0.05). At weeks 8 and 16 of treatment, the treatment group had significant increases in the levels of CD3+, CD4+, and CD4+/CD8+ (all P＜0.05) and a significant reduction in the level of CD8+ (P＜0.05), and there were significant differences in the levels of T lymphocyte subsets between the two groups at weeks 8 and 16 of treatment (all P＜0.05). ConclusionFuhe Beihua prescription combined with routine TACE has a better clinical effect than TACE alone in the treatment of primary liver cancer patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency, possibly by regulating the levels of T lymphocyte subsets.

Objective:To analyze the research status and discuss hot topics and development trends of studies on clinical nutrition in congenital heart disease (CHD) at home and abroad, so as to provide reference for Chinese researchers.Method:Studies on clinical nutrition in CHD were retrieved from the databases of CNKI and Web of Science, from the founding of database until 2020. CiteSpace 5.6.R5 was used for visual analysis of authors, countries, institutions, research hotspots and frontiers.Results:A total of 163 Chinese and 1,809 English publications were included. The number of literatures published at home and abroad shows an overall trend of growth. The United States has the largest number of publications, with China in seventh place. Domestic publishing institutions are mainly hospitals, led by Nanjing Children's Hospital affiliated to Nanjing Medical University. Foreign publications are mainly by university institutions, with Harvard University in the United States ranking first. Research teams led by authors including Gu Ying and Ravishankar C. are at the core in this field. The most discussed issues in China are mainly nutritional risk, nutritional support and nutrient research. The main target populations are ICU patients, premature infants, infants and children, etc. The forefront of research includes early enteral nutrition, prognosis and feeding intolerance. In foreign countries, studies mainly focus on epidemiology, nutritional support, malnutrition, risk factors, nutritional treatment, energy metabolism, obesity, clinical outcomes, etc. Main target population is special population, such as neonates with CHD, infants, children, patients after heart transplantation, etc. cohort studies and researches on overweight are at the frontier.Conclusions:The research on nutrition in CHD has attracted more and more attention. There are some differences in research content and hot topics between domestic and foreign studies. Therefore, we should strengthen the cooperation and exchanges among institutions, combine the advantages of CHD nutrition research in China, and strengthen the epidemiological study of CHD nutrition and the nutrition management of CHD key population, so as to further promote research development in this field.

OBJECTIVETo prepare a pH fluorescence probe based on styrylcyanine dyes for live cell imaging.

METHODSThe Probe 1 was prepared by reaction of 4-pyridinecarboxaldehyde with 1,1,2-trimethylbenz[e]indole. The influence of pH on the fluorescent properties was examined, and the cell viability was examined using cell counting kit-8. The Probe 1 was used as a pH fluorescence probe in living cell.

RESULTSProbe 1 emitted green fluorescence under neutral and basic conditions but orange fluorescence under acid condition. Probe 1 selectively stained the cytoplasmic regions of living cells without significantly affecting the cell viability.

CONCLUSIONThe pH-sensitive fluorescent probe prepared based on styrylcyanine possesses good ability of cell membrane permeation for live cell fluorescent imaging.