Aim To assess the effects of Banqiao Codonopisis Pilosula(BCP)decoction on learning and memory dysfunction in AD model rats induced by high activity GSK-3β and its possible mechanism.Methods The SD rats(4 months old,♂)were divided into five groups,namely,sham-operated group(blank group),AD model group,BCP high-dose(2.16 g·kg-1·d-1)group,BCP medium-dose(1.08 g·kg-1·d-1)group,and BCP lower-dose(0.54 g·kg-1·d-1)group.Treatment group received BCP decoction by gavage once a day for 14 days,while other groups were offered drinking water by gavage once a day for 14 days.The autonomous behavior activities of all rats were observed and recorded after gavage.In the last seven days by gavage,Morris water maze test was used to test the spatial learning and memory ability of the five groups.After five days training,treatment groups and AD model group were injected wortmannin(WT,PI3K specific inhibitor)and GF-109203X(GFX,PKC specific inhibitor)(100 μmol·L-1 of each,total volume of 10 μL)into the right lateral ventricle of the rats.The blank group was only injected 2％DMSO.The spatial memory retention was detected by water maze 24 hours after lateral ventricle injection.Then,changes in the spatial learning memory of rats were observed.The level of Tau phosphorylation in SD rat hippocampus and the expression and activity changes of related protein kinase GSK-3β were detected by Western blot and immunohistochemistry.The changes of Nissl bodies in SD rat hippocampus were observed by Nissl′s staining.Results After intragastric administration of BCP,the rat autonomous behavior activities in each group all showed a declining trend,and the differences in low-dose and middle-dose groups had statistical significance compared with blank group.The Morris water maze tests showed that the latency navigation of model group was significantly longer than that of blank group(P<0.01),while that of the BCP three doses groups was shorter than that of model group(P<0.05).Compared with the same group,the latency navigation of the three groups after gavage BCP low,middle and high dose was significant shorter than that without gavage(P<0.05).Western blot results showed that the activity of GSK-3β in AD model group was up-regulated compared with the blank group.However,BCP inhibited activity of GSK-3β.Western blot and immunohistochemistry results showed the level of Tau phosphorylation in AD model group was increased compared with the blank group in the area of CA3(P<0.05).Compared with AD model group,the level of Tau phosphorylation was decreased in treatment group.Nissl′s staining results showed that dendritic spines in AD model group was significantly attenuated compared with the blank group(P<0.05).Far more dendritic spines were observed in treatment group than in AD model group.The number of Nissl′s bodies in neuron cells of hippocampus in hippocampal CA3 was obviously larger in treatment groups than in AD model group.These effect of BCP was dose-dependent.Conclusions BCP can prevent the learning and memory dysfunction in AD model rats induced by high activity of GSK-3β.The mechanism may be related to inhibiting GSK-3β activity and then reducing the level of phosphorylation of Tau and improving neural development.

Objective:To understand the attitude, practice status and influencing factors of obstetric medical staff on sexual health care during pregnancy, and to provide reference for carrying out sexual education and training during pregnancy.Methods:A self-designed questionnaire on attitude and practice of obstetric medical staff towards sexual health care during pregnancy was used to investigate 462 obstetric medical staff in Guangdong Province from July to August, 2021,and the influencing factors were analyzed.Results:The attitude score of sexual health care during pregnancy among obstetric medical staff was (29.87 ± 5.96) points, and the practice score was (13.61 ± 1.23) points. Profession and hospital level affected obstetric medical staff′s attitude towards sexual health care during pregnancy ( P<0.05); profession, title and hospital level affected obstetric medical staff′s practice in providing pregnancy sexual health care ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Obstetric medical staff have a negative attitude towards sexual health care during pregnancy, and their active sexual health care behaviors need to be improved. Medical schools and work units need to strengthen the training and management of obstetric-related and reproductive health knowledge and skills to promote the effectiveness of pregnancy sexual education implementation and promotion.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the risk factors associated with pathogenesis of cerebral palsy (CP) in young children.

METHODSA cross-sectional survey on the prevalence of CP was conducted in young children aged one to six years in Leshan area, Sichuan Province. Cluster sampling and a 1:2 case-control design were used to investigate the risk factors for pathogenesis of CP.

RESULTSTotally, 148,723 children were surveyed, in which 308 (2.07 per thousand ) were diagnosed as CP. Low birth weight, twins and premature birth were associated with significantly increased prevalence of CP, 16.32, 4.16 and 22.21 times as that in normal birth weight, single birth and full-term birth, respectively. Simple factor analysis showed varied factors involved in pathogenesis of CP. The multivariate analysis revealed that delivery at home, low Apgar score in five minutes, illness during the first month of life, maternal "cold" with fever in their early gestation, low protein (meat and egg) intake during pregnancy and lower education level of mother were risk factors for CP.

CONCLUSIONSPrevalence and clinical features of CP in Leshan was comparable to those in the developed countries. Relevant risk factors could be seen primarily in gestational and perinatal periods, which might involve in mothers, children, environment and heredity, etc. To attach more importance in gestational and perinatal care for mothers and babies will be crucial measures to reduce occurrence of CP in young children.

Case-Control Studies ; Cerebral Palsy ; epidemiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

Objective To investigate the antimicrobial susceptibility of spectinomycin?minocycline?azithromycin and sparfloxacin to mycoplasma(Uu and Mh)and therapeutic effect of spectinomycin to my-coplasma infection in genitourinary tract.Methods①The susceptibility test:each of the4drugs was divided into two concentrations.One was at1?g/mL(sensitive concentration)and the other was at4?g/mL(resistant concentration).If mycoplasma does not grow in both concentrations,it means the drug tested is sensitive.If it grows in both concentrations,the drug tested is resistant.If mycoplasma grows in lower concentration and does not in higher concentration,it means moderate sensitive.②Treatment regimen:Spectinomycin was injected,2g/d IM,for7-10days as a course of treatmeant.Patients were followed-up7days later and2~4weeks after treatment.Results①Among1658specimens,519were found Uu positive,and61Mh positive.The resis-tance rates of Uu to4different drugs were:7.7%for minocycline,21.4%for sparfloxacin,13.9%for azithromycin and7.3%for spectinomycin.Whereas,those of Mh were:18.0%,45.9%,54.1%,and29.5%re-spectively.②The clinical effect of spectinomycin was:out of43treated patients,37(86.0%)cured,4(9.3%)markedly improved,2(4.7%)failed.Total effective rate was95.3%and so was the elimination rate of my-coplasma.Conclusion The resistant rate of mycoplasma to spectinomycin is lower than that to minocycline?azithromycin and sparfloxacin,and the former is widely used in the treatment of mycoplasma(especially Uu)infection,with a satisfactory clinical effect.

OBJECTIVETo develop a new noninvasive limb-salvaging method in the treatment of primary malignant bone tumor in the extremities.

METHODSForty-four patients with primary malignant bone tumor were treated by extracorporal high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) with or without chemotherapy, with a mean follow-up of 17.6 months.

RESULTSThe overall survival and complication rates were 84.1% and 18.2%. In 34 patients with stage II b disease, 30 were disease-free, with 2 died of tumor metastasis to brain and lung and 3 developed local recurrence. In 10 patients with stage III b disease, 5 survived with tumor, with 1 developed local recurrence and 5 died of lung metastasis. Thirty-six of 44 patients were > or = 15 points by Enneking system.

CONCLUSIONHigh intensity focused ultrasound combined with chemotherapy for primary malignant bone tumor in the extremity is proved to be effective and safe, preserving good function in the limbs. HIFU may possibly become a new limb-salvaging treatment for this tumor.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bone Neoplasms ; mortality ; pathology ; therapy ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Survival Rate ; Ultrasonic Therapy ; Ultrasound, High-Intensity Focused, Transrectal

OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy and side-effects of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in the treatment of malignant solid tumors.

METHODSThirty such patients who refused surgery and or refractory to chemotherapy, were treated by HIFU alone, with the efficacy and side effects monitored in terms of vital organ signs observation, functional assay of important organs, imaging examinations: digital subtraction angiography (DSA), CT, MRI, single photoemission computed tomography (SPECT), large core needle biopsy, complications or metastasis.

RESULTSAfter HIFU therapy, the vital signs remained stable and the function of heart, lung, kidney and liver was also normal. DSA images showed that small or larger arteries were not damaged. After a follow-up of 10 - 38 months (23.1 months), 26 patients (87%) have been alive. The volume of the tumor underwent complete regression in 10 patients. Shrinkage of tumor volume >/= 50% was observed in 13. Eight of 13 patients were examined by large core needle biopsy, all showing necrosis and/or fibrosis though 3 patients (10%) had local recurrence. Two of these were retreated again by HIFU and the locally recurrent tumor became well controlled. New metastases developed in 5 patients after HIFU therapy. Two patients suffered from peripheral nerve injuries, most of which have recovered during the follow-up. However, one patient developed skin injury.

CONCLUSIONHigh intensity focused ultrasound alone is effective and safe in the treatment of malignant solid tumors.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms ; therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Ultrasound, High-Intensity Focused, Transrectal

Objective: To develop a model incorporating radiomic features and clinical factors to accurately predict acute ischemic stroke (AIS) outcomes. Materials and Methods: Data from 522 AIS patients (382 male [73.2%]; mean age ± standard deviation, 58.9 ± 11.5 years) were randomly divided into the training (n = 311) and validation cohorts (n = 211). According to the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at 6 months after hospital discharge, prognosis was dichotomized into good (mRS ≤ 2) and poor (mRS > 2); 1310 radiomics features were extracted from diffusion-weighted imaging and apparent diffusion coefficient maps. The minimum redundancy maximum relevance algorithm and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression method were implemented to select the features and establish a radiomics model. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the clinical factors and construct a clinical model. Ultimately, a multivariable logistic regression analysis incorporating independent clinical factors and radiomics score was implemented to establish the final combined prediction model using a backward step-down selection procedure, and a clinical-radiomics nomogram was developed. The models were evaluated using calibration, receiver operating characteristic (ROC), and decision curve analyses. Results: Age, sex, stroke history, diabetes, baseline mRS, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, and radiomics score were independent predictors of AIS outcomes. The area under the ROC curve of the clinical-radiomics model was 0.868 (95% confidence interval, 0.825–0.910) in the training cohort and 0.890 (0.844–0.936) in the validation cohort, which was significantly larger than that of the clinical or radiomics models. The clinical radiomics nomogram was well calibrated (p > 0.05). The decision curve analysis indicated its clinical usefulness. Conclusion The clinical-radiomics model outperformed individual clinical or radiomics models and achieved satisfactory performance in predicting AIS outcomes.

ObjectiveThe clinical characteristics and the possible risk factors were explored for the low triiodothyronine syndrome （LTS） in elderly patients with chronic heart failure （CHF）， and the risk prediction model of LTS was established. MethodsFor this research， 291 elderly patients with CHF were selected as sample and retrospectively reviewed was used as analytical method. According to the thyroid function of admission patients， two groups including LTS group （n=107） and normal thyroid function group （n=184） were divided. The general information and biochemical indicators of patients were collected and recorded， and the risk factors for LTS were assigned scores， in which numerical variables （except age） were grouped by median. The chi-squared test was used for statistical analysis of each variable， and multivariate regression model was used to analyze the independent risk factors of LTS in elderly patients with CHF， then the nomogram model for LTS was established based on the results from the final regression analysis. Furthermore， the prediction model was evaluated using C-index， calibration curve and receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve. ResultSerum creatinine （Scr）， C-reactive protein （CRP）， interleukin-6 （IL-6） and the cardiac functional grading according to the New York Heart Association （NYHA） were positively correlated with LTS （OR values were 1.893， 2.356， 1.021 and 1.815， respectively， P < 0.05）， serum Albumin （Alb） was negatively correlated with LTS （OR = 0.412， P < 0.05）. This means that， the LTS was easily occurred as the serum Alb level declined. When introduce the above statistically significant variables into nomogram obtained the C index with 0.807 ［95% CI = （0.757， 0.856）］. The calibration curve verified by internal verification showed that the calibration degree of this prediction model was well calibrated. ROC curve analysis showed that the prediction model was well differentiated. ConclusionThe Scr， CRP， IL-6， Alb and cardiac functional grading in elderly CHF patients may be risk factors for incidence of LTS， while serum Alb may be a protective factor for LTS. Based on the above risk factors， the nomogram model for predicting the occurrence of LTS in elderly CHF patients had good differentiation and accuracy， and can provide guidance for clinical individualized prevention and treatment.

Coordination of cell division and cell fate is crucial for the successful development of mammalian early embryos. Aurora kinases are evolutionarily conserved serine/threonine kinases and key regulators of mitosis. Aurora kinase B (AurkB) is ubiquitously expressed while Aurora kinase C (AurkC) is specifically expressed in gametes and preimplantation embryos. We found that increasing AurkC level in one blastomere of the 2-cell embryo accelerated cell division and decreasing AurkC level slowed down mitosis. Changing AurkB level had the opposite effect. The kinase domains of AurkB and AurkC were responsible for their different ability to phosphorylate Histone H3 Serine 10 (H3S10P) and regulate metaphase timing. Using an Oct4-photoactivatable GFP fusion protein (Oct4-paGFP) and fluorescence decay after photoactivation assay, we found that AurkB overexpression reduced Oct4 retention in the nucleus. Finally, we show that blastomeres with higher AurkC level elevated pluripotency gene expression, which were inclined to enter the inner cell mass lineage and subsequently contributed to the embryo proper. Collectively, our results are the first demonstration that the activity of mitotic kinases can influence cell fate decisions in mammalian preimplantation embryos and have important implications to assisted reproduction.
Animals ; Aurora Kinase B ; metabolism ; Aurora Kinase C ; metabolism ; Blastocyst ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; physiology ; Histones ; metabolism ; Mice ; Phosphorylation ; physiology

Multiple signaling pathways are involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation in odontogenesis and dental tissue renewal, but the details of these mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we investigated the expression patterns of a transcription factor, Krüppel-like factor 6 (KLF6), during the development of murine tooth germ and its function in odontoblastic differentiation. KLF6 was almost ubiquitously expressed in odontoblasts at various stages, and it was co-expressed with P21 (to varying degrees) in mouse dental germ. To determine the function of Klf6, overexpression and knockdown experiments were performed in a mouse dental papilla cell line (iMDP-3). Klf6 functioned as a promoter of odontoblastic differentiation and inhibited the proliferation and cell cycle progression of iMDP-3 through p21 upregulation. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that Klf6 directly activates p21 transcription. Additionally, the in vivo study showed that KLF6 and P21 were also co-expressed in odontoblasts around the reparative dentin. In conclusion, Klf6 regulates the transcriptional activity of p21, thus promoting the cell proliferation to odontoblastic differentiation transition in vitro. This study provides a theoretical basis for odontoblast differentiation and the formation of reparative dentine regeneration.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation/physiology* ; Cell Proliferation ; Mice ; Odontoblasts/metabolism* ; Odontogenesis ; Tooth Germ