Objective To provide basis for choosing a proper processed method of Polygonum multiflorum.Methods To compare and analyze main active component changes in the processed products of P.multiflorum by being steamed without any adjuvants and with soya-bean milk of different concentrations.Results There was no marked difference for variously processed products in the main active components,anthraquinone and stilbene glucoside in P.multiflorum.Conclusion It is feasible to replace the steamed with soya-bean milk by the steamed without any adjuvants.

AIM To study lipid-lowering effects of gallic acid on glutamate-induced obesity mice.METHODS The obese model was established through subcutaneous injection of 3mg/(g · d)sodium glutamate into neonatal mice.After the model was established,the mice were divided into normal control group,model group,positive control group [simvastatin 30 mg/(kg · d)],high-,and low-dose group of gallic acid [400,200 mg/(kg · d)],and were intragastrically administered for ten weeks.Mice in each group after the last administration were fasted for 12 h except water.Blood was sampled from mouse eyes.The organs and adipose were obtained to determine the organ index and fat index.The levels of HDL-C,TG,LDL-C and TC in serum and liver were determined by using the corresponding reagent kit,and the serum leptin level was determined by ELISA kit and simultaneous determination of SOD,GSH-Px and MDA levels in liver.RESULTS Compared with the normal control group,the body weight and fat weight significantly increased in the model group;the levels of TC,TG and LDL-C in serum and liver significantly increased;the serum leptin level significantly reduced;the activity levels of SOD and GSH-Px in the liver significantly reduced;and the level of MDA significantly increased.Compared with the model control group,the body weight and fat weight significantly reduced in the gallic acid group mice and the levels of TC and TG significantly reduced in the serum and liver;SOD and GSH-Px levels significantly increased,MDA level significantly decreased in the liver.CONCLUSION Gallic acid can significantly reduce the blood lipid level of glutamate-induced obese mice.

Objective: To investigate the clustering of health-risk behaviors and its influencing factors among children and adolescents in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, so as to provide insights into the prevention and control of health-risk behaviors among children and adolescents. Methods: Students were randomly sampled from 4 primary schools, 4 junior high schools and 4 senior high schools in Yancheng City using a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method from September to December 2021. Students' demographics and 12 health-risk factors including unhealthy diet, insufficient physical activity and attempted smoking were collected using the Student's Health Status and Influencing Factors Questionnaire by Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and factors affecting the clustering of health-risk behaviors were identified using a multivariable linear regression model. Results: A total of 2 925 valid questionnaires were recovered, and the respondents included 1 611 boys (55.08%) and 1 314 girls (44.92%). A total of 2 896 respondents were detected with health-risk behaviors, with a detection rate of 99.09%, and 2 772 respondents were detected with clustering of health-risk behaviors (93.06%). Insufficient sleep, insufficient physical activity and insufficient duration of outdoor activity were predominant patterns of clustering. The median number of health-risk behaviors was 4.00 (interquartile range, 2.00) per capita. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that boys (β=0.232), grade (junior high school, β=0.519; senior high school, β=0.427), urban area (β=0.241), living at school (β=0.395), family structure (single parental family, β=0.188; other families, β=0.344) and father's education level of primary school and below (β=0.369) were factors affecting clustering of health-risk behavior among primary and high school students. Conclusions The detection of health-risk behaviors is high among children and adolescents in Yancheng City, and insufficient sleep, insufficient physical activity and insufficient duration of outdoor activity are predominant health-risk behaviors. Boys, junior high school and above, urban areas, living at schools, single parents, and fathers with a low educational level lead to a high degree of clustering of health-risk behaviors.

AIM To develop a RP-HPLC method for the simultaneous content determination of five constituents in wild Gastrodia elata Blume,G.elata Bl.form.glauca S.Chow,G.elata Bl.form.elata and G.elata Bl.form.flavida S.Chow from seven growing areas (Zhaotong and Lijiang in Yunan,Lu'an in Anhui,Hanzhong in Shannxi,Dejiang in Guizhou,Guangyuan in Sichuan,and Yichang in Hubei).METHODS The analysis of Gastrodiae Rhizoma 70％ methanol extract was performed on a 35 ℃ thermostatic Waters Sunfire C18 column (4.6 mm ×250 mm,5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of methanol-0.1％ formic acid flowing at 1.0 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and the detection wavelength was set at 270 nm.RESULTS Adenosine,gastrodin,4-hydroxybenzyl alcohol,4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and parishin A showed good linear relationships within their own ranges (r≥0.999 5),whose average recoveries were 99.34％-101.33％ with the RSDs of 1.85％-3.28％.Their contents were the highest in G.elata Bl.form.glauca S.Chow cultivated in Zhaotong (collected in 2013),Lu'an (collected in 2013),Yichang (collected in 2013),Zhaotong (collected in 2014) and Yichang (collected in 2013),respectively,and the total content was the highest in G.elata Bl.form.glauca S.Chow cultivated in Yichang (collected in 2013).CONCLUSION This accurate,sensitive and reliable method can be used for the quality control of Gastrodiae Rhizoma.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of bone morrow stromal cells (BMSCs) on the neurological behavior of rats with traumatic brain injury (TBI).MethodsTwenty-four SD rats were randomly and equally divided into control group, TBI group and BMSC group. The weight-drop device was adapted to establish the TBI model. The injury severity and its outcome were evaluated by a set of criteria termed neurological severity score (NSS). Brain tissues were harvested at day 14 to observe the survival and migration of the transplanted cells.Bax expression was detected by RT-PCR. Results NSS was (12 ±3 ) points in the TBI group, significantly higher than (7 ± 1 ) points in the BMSC group (P ＜0.05). The transplanted BMSCs could survive and migrate. Moreover, BAX, a crucail apopotosis gene, was down-regulated to 0.9 ±0.1 in the BMSC group, compared with 1.1 ±0.2 in the TBI group (P ＜0.05). ConclusionsBMSC transplantation is available to improve the neurological function, as may be associated with the Bax.

The important and diverse regulatory roles of Ca(2+) in eukaryotes are conveyed by the EF-hand containing calmodulin superfamily. However, the calcium-regulatory proteins in prokaryotes are still poorly understood. In this study, we report the three-dimensional structure of the calcium-binding protein from Streptomyces coelicolor, named CabD, which shares low sequence homology with other known helix-loop-helix EF-hand proteins. The CabD structure should provide insights into the biological role of the prokaryotic calcium-binding proteins. The unusual structural features of CabD compared with prokaryotic EF-hand proteins and eukaryotic sarcoplasmic calcium-binding proteins, including the bending conformation of the first C-terminal α-helix, unpaired ligand-binding EF-hands and the lack of the extreme C-terminal loop region, suggest it may have a distinct and significant function in calcium-mediated bacterial physiological processes, and provide a structural basis for potential calcium-mediated regulatory roles in prokaryotes.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Binding Sites ; Calcium ; physiology ; Calcium-Binding Proteins ; chemistry ; Crystallography, X-Ray ; EF Hand Motifs ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Protein Binding ; Protein Structure, Tertiary ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid ; Streptomyces coelicolor ; Structural Homology, Protein ; Surface Properties

OBJECTIVETo study anti-HIV activity and mechanism of Cynanchum otophyllum glucan sulfate in vitro.

METHODAnti-HIV-1 activity was detected with syncytial formation assay and quantitative P24 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); cytotoxicity was tested with MTT colorimetric assay. Antiviral mechanism was investigated by fusion inhibition, time of addition and pre-treatment experiments.

RESULTThe 50% inhibition concentrations (IC50) of PS20 for HIV-1(IIIB), HIV-1(Ada-M), and HIV-1(Bal), were 0.26, 0.46, 0.90 micromol x L(-1), respectively. Studies on antiviral mechanism of PS20 showed that target molecule may be viral envelope protein.

CONCLUSIONThe results suggested that PS20 had high anti-HIV activity and was worth to be studied further.

Anti-HIV Agents ; pharmacology ; Cell Fusion ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cynanchum ; chemistry ; Glucans ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; HIV-1 ; drug effects ; Humans ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Viral Envelope Proteins ; drug effects

Objective To detect the small molecular metabolite profiles of urine from patients with acute pancreatitis (AP) in different severity,and screen the differential metabolites that have potential diagnostic value for AP and its severity.Methods Urine samples were collected from 65 AP patients (MSAP and SAP 29,MAP 36) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University,and 25 healthy volunteers served as controls.The liquid chromatograph mass spectrometer (LC-MS) combined method was used to detect urine small molecule metabolites of AP patients and healthy controls.Multivariate statistical analysis was used to establish and validate the principal component analysis (PCA) model and partial least squares discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) model to select the differential metabolites.Results PCA model had a good degree of interpretation (R2X ＞0.5),and each group of urine samples showed a good distinction between clustering trends,and good classification models were obtained.In the PLS-DA model,the differences among groups were further highlighted,and samples of each group showed distinct differentiation between clusters,with high predictability (Q2 ＞ 0.7).The model was reliable and effective indicated by the PLS-DA permutation test.17 differential metabolites were screened out by comparing AP with control.A diagnostic model constructed with 7 differential metabolites including nonanedioic acid,succinic acid semialdehyde,D-beta-hydroxy butyric acid,acetylcarnitine,angelic acid,sebacic acid and hippuric acid had a high diagnostic value for AP,with the sensitivity of 100％ and the specificity of 94％.Then control,MAP and MSAP + SAP group were compared with each other,and it was found that the model integrating urine succinic acid semialdehyde,angelic acid,D (-)-beta-hydroxy butyric acid,malic acid and acetylcarnitine had a good diagnostic value for SAP,with the sensitivity and specificity of both 90％.Conclusions LC-MS metabolomics can effectively identify the changes of urine metabolism in patients with different severity of AP.The screened differential metabolites have the potential clinical value in the diagnosis and classification of AP.

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of extremely severe burn patients complicated with severe inhalation injury caused by dust explosion. Methods: The medical records of 13 extremely severe burn patients complicated with severe inhalation injury in August 2nd Kunshan factory aluminum dust explosion accident, who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University on August 2nd, 2014, were retrospectively analyzed. The following indicators were collected: (1) Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) score and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score at post admission hour (PAH) 24. (2) Prognosis, death time, causes of death, and the mortality of patients with different sexes. (3) The number of times of airway electronic bronchoscopy, airway characteristics, and the corresponding onset time. (4) The number and result of microorganism culture of lesion tissue during the leukoplakia formation stage. Detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with and without leukoplakia in airway mucosa. Fisher′s exact probability test was used to detect the mortality of patients with different sexes. Kappa test was used to detect the relevancy between leukoplakia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Results: (1) The APACHE Ⅱ score of patients of this group at PAH 24 was (19±3) points, and the SOFA score was (12±3) points. (2) Eight patients survived, while 5 patients died, and the time of death was 19-46 (34±10) d after injury. The main cause of death was multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, which was secondary to severe infection. One of the 7 male patients and 4 of the 6 female patients died, but there was no significantly statistical difference in mortality between patients of the two sexes (P>0.05). (3) Airway electronic bronchoscopy was performed 4-25 (10±5) times among patients of this group. Hyperemia and edema were found in the airway mucosa of all the 13 patients 2-3 weeks after injury; ulcer was found in the airway mucosa of 5 patients 2-4 weeks after injury; leukoplakia was found in the airway mucosa of 7 patients 4-14 weeks after injury; granulation formed in the airway mucosa of 7 patients 10-15 weeks after injury, and airway patency was affected, which was solved after local clamping or replacement of lengthened tracheal cannula. (4) During the leukoplakia formation stage, 19 cases of microorganism culture were performed basing on airway lesion tissue, and the results were 15 cases of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 5 cases of Acinetobacter baumannii, 2 cases of Serratia marcescens, as well as 1 case of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Burkholderia cepacia, and Proteus mirabilis each. Among 7 patients with airway mucosa leukoplakia, 6 patients were detected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Among 6 patients without airway mucosa leukoplakia, 1 patient was detected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The appearance of leukoplakia was consistent with the detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Kappa=0.69, P<0.05). Conclusions Most of these extremely severe burn patients complicated with severe inhalation injury caused by dust explosion survived, and there was no significant gender difference in mortality. Electronic bronchoscopy showed that the early manifestations of airway mucosa were hyperemia and edema, followed by varying degrees of erosion, ulcer, leukoplakia, and granulation formation, etc. Leukoplakia may be relevant to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.