1.Environmental RNA applications in ecological risk assessment of chemicals
Xiao GOU ; Xinxin SU ; Qiong WANG ; Xianglin LIU ; Huimin JI ; Xiaowei ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology 2024;38(10):759-765
Chemical pollution-induced damage to ecosystem function has been a global challenge.The latest"Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework"proposed reducing pollution risks to levels harmless to biodiversity and function,placing higher demands on chemical risk management at the ecosystem level.Conventional ecotoxicity tests have focused on single species,only to neglect genetic diversity protection and simplify species interactions.Here,we proposed using environmental RNA(eRNA)and metatranscriptomic analysis to establish a multi-species,multi-biological level chemical pollution ecological risk assessment approach in exposed communities.We reviewed the current status and trends of eRNA in chemical pollution risk assessment and proposed a strategy for bioeffect testing from molecules to communities based on eRNA,constructing ecological risk assessment models for different protection goals.Finally,we summarized the theoretical and technical challenges facing eRNA-based toxicity testing and outlined the future applications of eRNA in capturing real ecological effects of chemical pollution in the field.
2.Quantitative chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging of the substantia nigra and red nucleus in Parkinson disease
Xinyang LI ; Yaotian TIAN ; Wen SU ; Shuhua LI ; Kai LI ; Xinxin MA ; Dandan ZHENG ; Chunmei LI ; Min CHEN
Chinese Journal of Radiology 2024;58(6):603-610
Objective:To investigate the change of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging in the bilateral substantia nigra (SN) and red nucleus (RN) of Parkinson disease (PD), and to explore the value of CEST-MRI for the clinical application of PD.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 45 PD patients (PD group) and 21 sex-, age-, and cognitive-function matched normal control subjects (NC group) were retrospectively enrolled from December 2012 to July 2015 in Beijing Hospital. All subjects underwent brain CEST-MRI and routine MRI. Based on the MATLAB software package, the 4-pool Lorentz fitting model was applied to analyze the signal change of CEST imaging, which could acquire the mean amplitudes of the 4-pool parameters including Amide, nuclear overhauser enhancement (NOE), direct water saturation (DS) and magnetization transfer (MT) in the bilateral SN and RN. Independent samples t test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare CEST parameters between the PD group and the NC group and controlled by Bonferroni correction. The combined model was constructed based on parameters with inter-group differences after correction. The receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the CEST parameters and the combined model. Results:Compared with the NC group, the left SN Amide value, left RN Amide value, and right SN NOE value were reduced in the PD group, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=-3.59, corrected P=0.026; t=-3.77, corrected P=0.016; Z=-3.27, corrected P=0.017). The left SN Amide value, the left RN Amide value, the right SN NOE value, and the combined model all had good diagnostic efficacy in the differentiation of the PD group from the HC group (AUCs of 0.78, 0.79, 0.75, and 0.81, respectively). The combined model had the highest AUC value (0.81) and specificity (97.78%), the Amide value of left SN had the highest sensitivity (93.33%). Conclusions:Quantitative analysis of CEST-MRI based on the 4-pool Lorentz fitting model shows significant differences in the CEST quantitative indicators of the SN and RN between the PD group and the NC group, demonstrating good potential for clinical application in the diagnosis of PD.
3.Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation of Yiqing Capsules in Treating Heat-toxin Syndrome
Yaxing WANG ; Xinxin SU ; Yanli HUANG ; Xin CUI ; Yuanyuan LI ; Yanming XIE
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(6):126-133
ObjectiveTo systematically review the studies about Yiqing Capsules in the treatment of pharyngitis, tonsillitis, gingivitis, and oral ulcers with heat-toxin syndrome and clarify the advantages and therapeutic characteristics of Yiqing capsules, thus providing reference for the decision-making by relevant departments and clues for the clinical and basic research. MethodThe multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) model and CSC v2.0 were employed to comprehensively evaluate Yiqing capsules from multiple aspects. ResultThe serious adverse reactions in the spontaneous reporting system (SRS) monitoring data of Yiqing capsules included pruritus, rash, an ddiarrhea, all of which were relieved or cured, without aggravation or interhospital transfer for treatment. Literature data showed that the main clinical adverse reactions were abdominal pain, diarrhea, etc. Both acute toxicity and long-term toxicity tests showed good safety, and thus the safety of Yiqing capsules was rated as grade B. The results of Meta-analysis showed that Yiqing capsules used alone or in combination with other medicines outperformed Niuhuang Jiedu capsules or Western medicine in the treatment of pharyngitis, tonsillitis, gingivitis, and oral ulcers with heat toxin in terms of symptom alleviation, disappearance rate of main symptoms, and recurrence rate of aphtha. Pharmacological and pharmacodynamic studies showed that Yiqing capsules had antimicrobial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory effects, with the effectiveness rated as grade B. The decision tree model was adopted to analyze the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. With the threshold of 1 fold per capita GDP and the disappearing rate of pain in gingivitis as the indicator, Yiqing capsules had an economic advantage in the treatment of gingivitis due to heat-toxin compared with Niuhuang Jiedu capsules, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was 0.39 yuan/%, which indicated acceptable cost, with the economy rated as grade B. Yiqing capsules can not only clear heat from Qi aspect but also purge blood fire, serving as the representative prescription of clearing and purging for heat-toxin syndrome. Considering the industrial service system and enterprise innovation, the comprehensive innovation of Yiqing capsules was rated as grade B. Generally, this product does not require personalized treatment plans and features convenient supply, storage, transportation, policy publicity, drug information standards, and easy operation for medical care and patients. The Chinese patent medicine information was complete and in line with national standards, and thus the suitability of Yiqing capsules was rated as grade A. With a low price and good availability and affordability, the accessibility of Yiqing capsules was rated as grade A. The Yiqing capsules prescription, Sanhuang Xiexin decoction, originated from ancient medical books, with rich real-world studies, and thus the traditional Chinese medicine characteristics of Yiqing capsules was rated as grade C. ConclusionThe clinical value of Yiqing capsules was rated as grade B from the "6+1" dimensions, suggesting that it could be conditionally converted into the relevant policy results of basic clinical drug management according to the procedure.
4.Physical performance evaluated by the timed up and go test and its correlation with sleep in the elderly in China
Yu DU ; Xinxin MA ; Jingjing DUAN ; Jianhong XIAO ; Jian LIN ; Xiong'ang HUANG ; Chao LIU ; Binbin WANG ; Ting DENG ; Tao CHEN ; Wen SU
Chinese Journal of Geriatrics 2024;43(1):29-33
Objective:To investigate the effect of sleep on physical performance and the correlation between sleep quality and physical performance in the elderly.Methods:In this prospective multicenter case-control study, 472 elderly people aged 60-80 years were recruited from three regions in China, Beijing, Tianjin, and Hainan Province.Basic information of study participants was collected through face-to-face interviews, and physical performance of study participants was assessed by the time up and go(TUG)test on site, with 106 cases(22.5%)in the normal physical performance group and 366 cases(77.5%)in the abnormal group.The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale(ESS)were applied to assess sleep quality of study subjects.Correlation analysis was performed to examine factors affecting subjects' physical performance.Results:Age, history of alcohol consumption, BMI, past medical history, the ESS score, daytime sleepiness, and some components of PSQI, such as sleep quality, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleeping drugs and daytime dysfunction, were influencing factors of the TUG score.Two components of PSQI, sleep duration and habitual sleep efficiency, and the ESS score were positively correlated with physical performance.Logistic regression analysis showed that risk factors for decreased physical performance in the elderly included increased age( OR=1.125, 95% CI: 1.083-1.168, P<0.01), history of alcohol consumption( OR=0.482, 95% CI: 0.384-0.605, P<0.001), abnormally high body mass index( OR=1.663, 95% CI: 1.340-2.063, P<0.01), hyperlipemia( OR=0.156, 95% CI: 0.077-0.318, P<0.01), digestive system diseases( OR=0.154, 95% CI: 0.044-0.532, P<0.01), use of sleeping drugs( OR=0.415, 95% CI: 0.202-0.854, P<0.05), daytime sleepiness( OR=4.234, 95% CI: 2.800-6.403, P<0.01), a high habitual sleep efficiency score of PSQI( OR=1.425, 95% CI: 1.214-1.672, P<0.01)and a high sleep disturbances score in PSQI( OR=3.356, 95% CI: 2.337-4.819, P<0.01). Conclusions:The incidence of physical performance decline is high in the elderly.There is a correlation between physical performance and sleep quality.
5.Modern Research on Qizhi Weitong Granules: A Review
Tianjiao LI ; Kaiqiang SU ; Shuai WANG ; Xinxin YANG ; Yongrui BAO ; Xiansheng MENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(21):145-152
Qizhi Weitong granules composed of Bupleuri Radix, Paeoniae Radix Alba, Aurantii Fructus, Cyperi Rhizoma (processed), Corydalis Rhizoma (processed), and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma have the effects of soothing the liver, regulating Qi movement, and harmonizing the stomach to relieve pain. This preparation is thus used for the treatment of liver depression, Qi stagnation, chest distension, and epigastric pain. It has become a first-line medication for the treatment of epigastric pain after years of clinical practice. At present, researchers have carried out extensive studies on Qizhi Weitong granules, including the optimization of the extraction and purification process, identification of chemical components, characterization of absorbed components, establishment of quality control methods, validation of pharmacological effect on digestive system diseases, exploration of the mechanism, and observation of clinical efficacy. The studies have achieved fruitful results. This article summarizes the research achievements related to Qizhi Weitong granules in recent years from pharmacological substances, quality control, pharmacological effect, mechanism of action, and clinical efficacy, aiming to provide ideas for in-depth research and modern development of Qizhi Weitong granules.
6.Progress of clinical research on nonmotor symptoms of Parkinson's disease
Fengzhi LIU ; Xinxin MA ; Wen SU
Chinese Journal of Geriatrics 2023;42(8):991-995
Parkinsonism plus syndromes encompass multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy, dementia with Lewy bodies, and corticobasal degeneration.Non-motor symptoms, such as cognitive dysfunction, autonomic dysfunction, respiratory system symptoms, sleep disorders, and psychiatric symptoms, play a crucial role in the clinical manifestations of Parkinsonism plus syndrome.Every Parkinsonism plus syndrome exhibits unique characteristics.This review focuses on the disease features of the clinical manifestations of Parkinson's superimposed syndrome.
7.A comparative clinical study of non-motor symptoms in early Parkinson′s disease patients with body-first subtype and brain-first subtype
Dongdong WU ; Jing HE ; Kai LI ; Xinxin MA ; Huijing LIU ; Ying JIN ; Wei DU ; Yunfei LONG ; Wen SU ; Shuhua LI ; Haibo CHEN
Chinese Journal of Neurology 2023;56(10):1103-1111
Objective:To investigate the incidence of various non-motor symptoms (NMS) in early stage of Parkinson′s disease (PD) patients and the differences between the body-first and brain-first subtypes.Methods:A total of 121 patients with PD (Hoehn-Yahr stage 1-2) were recruited from PD Clinic, Department of Neurology, Beijing Hospital from January 2012 to January 2015. The general information and clinical features of the patients were collected. The minimal diagnostic criteria of parasomnias described in the International Classification of Sleep Disorders-Revised were used to diagnose rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD).According to the sequence of RBD and motor symptoms, the patients were divided into 2 groups: body-first subtype and brain-first subtype. NMS was evaluated by the Non-Motor Symptom Questionnaire (NMSQuest). The clinical features and the incidence of various NMS were compared between the 2 groups. The Unified Parkinson′s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) was used to evaluate the severity of the disease, and its third part (UPDRS-Ⅲ) was used to evaluate the motor function of the patients. Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD) and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAMA) were used to evaluate the depression and anxiety status of the patients. The sleep status of patients was assessed by Parkinson′s Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS). The quality of life of the patients was assessed by 39-item Parkinson′s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39).Results:Of all the patients, 49.59% (60/121) had the body-first subtype and 50.41% (61/121) had the brain-first subtype of PD. There was no significant difference in UPDRS-Ⅲ score between the 2 groups. The average number of NMS in all PD patients was 10.97±4.88. Body-first subtype patients had higher NMS incidence than brain-first subtype in difficulty in swallowing [46.7% (28/60) vs 23.0% (14/61), χ 2=7.507, P=0.006], nausea and vomiting [16.7% (10/60) vs 3.3% (2/61), χ 2=6.069, P=0.014], constipation [85.0% (51/60) vs 55.7% (34/61), χ 2=12.393, P<0.001], fecal incontinence [8.3% (5/60) vs 0 (0/61), χ 2=5.302, P=0.021], difficulty in remembering recent events [58.3% (35/60) vs 32.8% (20/61), χ 2=7.962, P=0.005], loss of interest [43.3% (26/60) vs 24.6% (15/61), χ 2=4.743, P=0.029], inattention [45.0% (27/60) vs 19.7% (12/61), χ 2=8.884, P=0.003], depression [55.0% (33/60) vs 34.4% (21/61), χ 2=5.181, P=0.023], intense vivid dreams [73.3% (44/60) vs 39.3% (24/61), χ 2=14.196, P<0.001] and restless legs [53.3% (32/60) vs 27.9% (17/61), χ 2=8.140, P=0.004]. The differences were significant. Body-first subtype and NMSQuest ( r=-0.489, P<0.001), UPDRS ( r=-0.189, P=0.038), HAMD ( r=-0.231, P=0.011), HAMA ( r=-0.298, P=0.001) and PDQ-39 scores ( r=-0.276, P=0.002) were negatively correlated. Body-first subtype and PDSS score was positively correlated. NMSQuest (Δ R2=0.265, P<0.001) was the main determinant of PDQ-39 score. Conclusions:PD patients are accompanied by various NMS, which is a major factor affecting the quality of life. Compared with brain-first subtype, body-first subtype might have more NMS burden and higher incidence rate in most NMS in early PD patients.
8.Population characteristics, blood quality and adverse reactions of blood donation in different blood collection sites
Chinese Journal of Primary Medicine and Pharmacy 2022;29(11):1744-1747
Unpaid blood donation is the important way of clinical blood supply. The blood collection environment of blood stations mainly includes mobile blood collection vehicles, blood donation rooms and other mobile forms or fixed places to recruit blood donors and collect blood. During the process of blood collection, in addition to the individual organism of the blood donor, different blood collection sites have certain impact on the quality of the whole blood collected from the donor and the adverse reactions in blood donors. To further investigate the distribution characteristics of the collected whole blood, improve blood quality and reduce adverse reactions, we reviewed relevant studies worldwide to analyze the population characteristics, advantages and disadvantages in different blood collection places, which will help establish different blood collection sites as blood stations and increase the amount of collected blood and improve blood quality.
9.Occult HBV infection in autoimmune hepatitis and its influence on disease progression
Xinxin CHEN ; Haiping ZHANG ; Chunyang HUANG ; Jianrong SU ; Huiping YAN
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2022;38(12):2738-2743
Objective To investigate the prevalence rate of occult HBV infection (OBI) in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and the influence of OBI in the clinical condition and prognosis of AIH patients. Methods A total of 103 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of AIH who were admitted to Beijing YouAn Hospital from April 2012 to March 2019 were enrolled. Nested PCR and real-time PCR were used to confirm the diagnosis of OBI, and real-time PCR was used to measure HBV pgRNA. Clinical features, laboratory markers, and follow-up analysis of prognosis were compared between the OBI group with 24 patients and the non-OBI group with 79 patients. The independent samples t -test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups, and the Mann-Whitney U rank sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups; the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves, and the Cox regression model was used to perform univariate and multivariate analyses. Hazard ratio and its 95% confidence interval were calculated. Results The detection rate of OBI was 23.30% (24/103) in AIH patients, with an HBV DNA viral load of < 200 IU/mL, among whom 9 patients with OBI (9/24, 37.50%) were found to have HBV pgRNA in serum. Compared with the non-OBI group, the OBI group had a significantly higher positive rate of the three antibodies anti-HBs, anti-HBc, and anti-HBe ( χ 2 =5.906, P =0.016). The univariate analysis showed that OBI, hypoproteinemia, splenomegaly, and ascites were risk factors for adverse events in AIH (all P < 0.05) and were associated with disease progression, and the multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that hypoproteinemia and ascites were independent risk factors for adverse events (all P < 0.05). Conclusion There is a relatively high detection rate of OBI in AIH patients, and the presence of OBI may accelerate the progression of AIH.
10.Grey matter alterations in patients with Parkinson′s disease with different sleep disorders
Xinxin MA ; Haibo CHEN ; Shuhua LI ; Huijing LIU ; Wei DU ; Chunmei LI ; Min CHEN ; Wen SU
Chinese Journal of Neurology 2022;55(9):950-959
Objective:To investigate the grey matter alterations of Parkinson′s disease (PD) patients with and without sleep disorders, and to explore the relationship between different sleep-related problems and clinical variables as well as grey matter volume (GMV) in PD.Methods:Forty-six PD patients and 38 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited from January 2018 to December 2021 in the Department of Neurology, Beijing Hospital. PD patients were divided into PD with sleep disorders (PD-S, n=26) and PD without sleep disorders (PD-nS, n=20) subgroups (cutoff points of 82 for Parkinson′s Disease Sleep Scale or less than 5 for each item was considered as an indicator of substantial sleep disorder). The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the third part of the Unified Parkinson′s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS-Ⅲ), Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAMA), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD), Non-Motor Symptoms Questionnaire (NMSQ), and Parkinson′s Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39) were used to evaluate cognitive function, motor symptoms, anxious and depressive symptoms, non-motor symptoms, and the quality of life of the patients. Optimized voxel-based morphometry was applied to the magnetic resonance imaging brain images in all participants,and multiple linear regression analysis was used to test the correlation between GMV and sleep quality in patients with PD. Results:Compared with the HCs, PD-nS patients showed decreased GMV in bilateral limbic lobe, parahippocampal gyrus, amygdala, cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, right cerebellum, bilateral frontotemporal lobe, bilateral occipital lobe and the left parietal lobe. PD-S group exhibited reduced GMV in bilateral limbic lobe, parahippocampal gyrus, amygdala, right cerebellum, bilateral frontotemporal lobe and bilateral parietal-occipital lobe, compared to the HCs. Compared with PD-nS, PD-S patients revealed higher depressive (HAMD score: 12.19±5.59 vs 6.95±3.19, t=-4.01, P<0.001), anxious (HAMA score: 12.04±5.32 vs 7.25±4.68, t=-3.18, P=0.003), and non-motor symptoms scores (NMSQ score: 12.92±5.18 vs 9.90±4.10, t=-2.14, P=0.038), poorer quality of life (PDQ-39 score: 35.31±22.01 vs 22.40±9.00, t=-2.71, P=0.010), and reduced GMV in the left insula, frontal, and parietal lobe ( P<0.001, uncorrected, cluster>100). There was a marked relationship between sleep quality and the reduced GMV of the right medial temporal gyrus (β=0.006, 95% CI 0.002-0.010, P=0.003), left middle frontal gyrus (β=0.006, 95% CI 0.002-0.010, P=0.002), the right cerebellum (β=0.014, 95% CI 0.005-0.023, P=0.003), and the right medial occipital gyrus (β=0.017, 95% CI 0.011-0.024, P<0.001). Significant grey matter changes were associated with nocturnal restlessness, mainly within the left limbic lobe, bilateral occipital lobe, the right cerebellum, and parietal lobe (β=0.008, 95% CI 0.006-0.010, P<0.001). Furthermore, nocturia in PD was related to certain grey matter atrophy, including bilateral limbic lobe, the right inferior parietal gyrus, and bilateral frontal lobe (β=0.010, 95% CI 0.008-0.013, P<0.001). The symptom of daytime dozing was correlated with GMV reduction in the right occipital lobe, the left temporal lobe (β=0.014, 95% CI 0.010-0.019, P<0.001). There were also several compensatory brain regions, including bilateral frontal lobe, the left limbic lobe and cingulate ( P<0.001, uncorrected, cluster>60). Conclusions:Sleep disturbance is common in PD, which is related to the anxious and depressive symptoms, non-motor symptoms, and the quality of life. PD patients with different sleep disorders show grey matter alterations in severeal brain regions, which are associated with sleep quality, nocturnal restlessness, psychosis, and daytime dozing.

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