Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Paclitaxel drug coated balloon (DCB) (SeQuent Please) in an elderly patients with de novo coronary disease.Methods We performed a retrospective study of 158 consecutive patients (63 patients aged ≥65 yrs and 95 patients aged ＜65 yrs) received DCB therapy in Cath Lab of Beijing Hospital.Clinical characteristic was recorded and coronary angiography was analyzed with quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) software.Results In elderly group,more patients have hypertension (65.1％ vs.56.8％),atrial fibrillation (7.9％ vs.2.1％),previous percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) history (44.4％ vs.23.2％,P＜0.01) and non ST-elevated myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) (14.3％ vs.4.2％,P ＜0.05).In non-elderly group,more patients were male (71.6％ vs.50.8％,P＜0.05) and current smoker (52.3％ vs.30.2％,P＜ 0.01).Old patients had more complicated lesions,especially calcified lesions (36.8％ vs.14.0％,P＜0.01).Despite of that,our study showed a higher success rate of PCI in elderly group.Both groups of patients showed significant acute gain in minimal lumen diameter (MLD) after DCB released.At 4 days post-operation,there was one case that underwent acute myocardial infarction requiring emergent target lesion revascularization (TLR) in non-elderly group.No major adverse cardiac event (MACE) was observed in the elderly group during hospitalization.Twenty-one patients underwent coronary angiographic followed up at average 9 months post PCI.The QCA analysis showed that MLD of lesions treated with DCB had mildly increased [(2.00±0.67) mm vs.(1.91 ± 0.47) mm,P＞0.05],the late lumen loss (LLL) was (-0.09±0.50) mm.At 9 months follow-up,the MACE rate in the elderly group was 1.6％ and 1.1％ in non-elderly group,with TLR rates at 0.0％ and 1.1％ respectively (both P＞0.05).No death was observed in either group.Conclusions The efficacy and safety of DCB on the elderly patients with de novo lesions is as good as non-elderly patients despite more complex anatomy and comorbidities.

Objective To reconstruct the initiative procedure of HIV-1 reverse transcription in vitro and establish a methodology of assessing activity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) with real-time PCR Methods The tRNALys-3 gene was amplified from genome in healthy individuals through polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and then T7 transcription promoter was added in 5'-terminal of the tRNALys-3. The tRNA[Lys-3 cRNA product was obtained by applying T7 RNA polymerase through a transcription reaction. The 5'-LTR-PBS DNA was also obtained by transcription reaction from the HIV-1 infectious clone and inserted into pGEM-T easy vectors. 5'-LTR-PBS cRNA was obtained by applying SP6 RNA polymerase whose combining site was located in pGEM-T easy vectors. Then the two RNA samples was catalyzed by two kinds of standard reverse transcriptases (SuperScript Ⅲ and HIV-1 standard reverse transcriptase, respectively) and the cDNA was synthesised. The relative activity of RT was determined with the real-time PCR. Results The tRNALys-3 primer and the SP6-5'-LTR-PBS RNA were procured accurately, whose length were 93bp and 872 bp, respectively. After the following serial dilution of Super Script Ⅲ and HIV-1 standard reverse transeriptase:1 : 10, 1: 100, 1:1 000, 1:10 000, each step of reverse transcription process worked successfully. Real-time PCR results showed that Ct values of the two groups were 13.9, 18. 3, 20. 9, 24. 9 and 20. 4, 25. 5, 28. 7, 32. 5 respectively. Conclusion A novel real-time PCR method is developed to assay the RT activity directly through reconstructing the initiation of HIV reproduction, which may be helpful for clinical management, screening of new antiretroviral drugs, and drug resistance test.

Aim To investigate the protective effects of beraprost sodium on cerebral cortical neuron injury in chronic aluminum-overload rats and its effects on PGIS-IP signaling pathway. Methods 75 SD rats were randomized into five groups: normal control group, chronic aluminum-overload group ( model group) and beraprost sodium groups-low dose (6 μg· kg-1 ), medium dose ( 12 μg · kg-1 ) and high dose (24 μg·kg-1). Aluminum gluconate (Al3+ 200 mg ·kg-1 d-1, once a day, 5d a week, for 20 weeks, p. o. ) was administered to rats of cerebral damage model. The rats of experimental groups were concomi-tantly treated with beraprost sodium ( p. o. ) daily for 20 weeks. After the model was built successfully, the spatial learning and memory( SLM) function was done by Morris water maze. The cortical neurons damage was detected by HE staining, SOD activities and MDA contents. The 6-k-PGF1α levels in cortex were meas-ured by ELISA. The expressions of PGIS, IP mRNA and IP protein were also studied. Results Compared with the rats of normal control group, the SLM function was significantly impaired ( P<0. 01 ) and considera-ble karyopycnosis was observed in model group rats. The SOD activities were weakened ( P <0. 01 ), the MDA contents increased ( P<0. 05 ) and the levels of 6-k-PGF1α raised significantly ( P <0. 01). The ex-pressions of PGIS and IP mRNA in the rats cortex obvi-ously increased ( P<0. 01 ), so did the expression of IP protein(P<0. 05). Compared with the rats of mod-el group, the SLM function of rats in experimental groups decreased significantly ( P<0. 01 ) and damage of cortical neurons reduced remarkably. The SOD ac-tivities increased ( P <0. 01 ) and the MDA contents decreased ( P <0. 01). Besides, the content of 6-k-PGF1α, the expressions of PGIS mRNA and IP protein in the rats cortex decreased significantly ( P<0. 05 ) as well as IP mRNA ( P<0. 01). Conclusion Our re-sults demonstrate that in cerebral cortical neuron of chronic aluminum-overload rats, beraprost sodium has notably protective effects and the mechanism might be related to PGIS-IP signaling pathway.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of paclitaxel-coated balloon for de novo coronary lesions with diameters ≥ 2.8 mm. Methods: This prospective study included 215 consecutive patients with 238 de novo lesions, who received paclitaxel-coated balloon angioplasty in Beijing Hospital from May 2014 to June 2016. According to the reference vessel diameter, the patients were divided into large vessel disease (LVD) group (reference vessel diameter≥2.8 mm, 85 patients and 90 lesions) and small vessel disease (SVD) group (reference vessel diameter<2.8 mm, 130 patients and 148 lesions). Clinical characteristics, interventional procedures and major adverse cardiovascular events (includingall-cause mortality, non-fatal myocardial infarction and target lesion revascularization) after procedure were compared between the 2 groups. Results: (1)Patients in LVD group were younger than SVD group ((60.1±11.1) years old vs. (65.0±10.6) years old, P<0.01), and less patients had diabetes (24.7% (21/85) vs. 43.1%(56/130), P<0.01).(2)Prevalence of three-vessel disease (35.5%(30/85) vs. 53.6%(67/130), P<0.05) and complex lesions (type B2/C,34.4% (31/90) vs. 50.0%(74/148), P<0.05) were significantly lower in LVD group than in SVD group.(3) During pre-dilation, the rate with plain balloons use was significantly higher in SVD group than in LVD group(76.4%(113/148) vs. 58.9%(53/90), P<0.01), while the proportion of additional use of non-compliant balloons was significantly higher in LVD groupthan in SVD group(20.0% (18/90) vs. 3.4% (5/148) , P<0.01). The ratio of paclitaxel-coated balloon diameter/RVD was significantly lower (0.87±0.12 vs. 0.96±0.15, P<0.01) and the duration of dilationwas significantly shorter ((41.5±9.5) seconds vs. (45.1±9.1) seconds, P<0.01) in LVD group than those in SVD group. Each group had 1 failure case that was bailout stented with drug-eluting stents. The success rate of paclitaxel-coated balloon treatment was similar in LVD group and SVD group (98.9% (89/90) vs. 99.3%(147/148), P>0.05).(4) At the fourth day of procedure, there was 1 acute myocardial infarction requiring emergent target lesion revascularization in SVD group. No major adverse cardiovascular event was observed in LVD group during hospitalization. Forty-two patients with 53 lesions, including 27 LVD lesions and 26 SVD lesions,underwent coronary angiography at (9.4±4.6) months after paclitaxel-coated balloon intervention. The quantitative coronary angiography analysis showed that minimal lumen diameter significantlyincreased during follow-up than that of post-procedurein SVD group ((1.71±0.36)mm vs. (1.52±0.30)mm, P<0.05) , while in LVD group the minimal lumen diameter was similar between during follow-up and post-procedure ((2.35±0.48)mm vs. (2.19±0.34)mm, P>0.05). Major adverse cardiovascular event rate was 0 in LVD group and 2.3%(3/130) in SVD group (P>0.05) during follow up. No death was observed in this patient cohort. Conclusion Treatment with paclitaxel-coated balloon for de novo coronary lesions with diameters≥2.8 mm is safe and effective.

Objective: To explore the effect of the umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells(UC-MSCs) on the pulmonary fibrosis in silicosis rats. Methods: SPF male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group, silica model group and UC-MSCs treatment group with 12 rats each group. SiO₂ intra-tracheal injection(0.5 ml of 50 mg/ml/rat) were applied to silica model group and UC-MSCs treatment groups. After that UC-MSCs treatment group received 1 ml UC-MSCs suspension (3×10⁶ cells/ml) by tail vein injection on the 29th, 36th, 43th and 50th day after exposure to the first silica suspension. On the 60th and 75th day after exposure to silica suspension, all animals were examed for pulmonary CT. Then the rats were euthanized on 75th day after the first exposure to silica.Lung's histopathological examination of the rats from all the groups were carried out. The content of hydroxyproline in lungs, TGF-β1 and IL-6 in serum were examined. Results: The lung's histopathological examination showed no obvious inflammatory cell and no fibrosis in the lung tissue of the control group, there were a lot of inflammatory cell aggregation and collagen fiber deposition in silica model group, while in the UC-MSCs intervention group and treatment group, there were less inflammatory cells and collagen fiber. The rats from silica model groups had higher HYP, TGF-β1 and IL-6 than the rats from UC-MSCs treatment group and control group. Lung fields of rats in the control group were clear and no obvious high-density shadow. Different-sized granular high-density shadows or reticular fibrous shadows were found diffusely distributed in the lungs of the rats in silica model group. Lung field of rats in UC-MSCs intervention group and treatment group were less high density shadows, and more clear. Conclusion UC-MSCs can alleviate the pulmonary fibrosis in silica model rats through regulating the secretion of some fibrosis related cytokines.

As we all known,lipid metabolism participate in various diseases extensively.Abnormal lipid metabolism may contribute to hepatic adipose infiltration,diabetes,atherosclerosis and so forth.Accordingly,it is urgent to find chemicals that regulate lipid metabolism.A large number of experimental studies have shown that flavonoids in fructus aurantia are the active components of lowering blood lipids.This article will describe the concept,structure and classification of flavonoids.It will also introduce the mechanism of action of flavonoids in lipid metabolism from various diseases such as atherosclerosis,hypertension and type 2 diabetes.

Objective:To construct an aggregation induced emission (AIE) self-assembled probe based on glutathione (GSH) response covalent cyclization and evaluate it in vitro.Methods:The peptide sequence containing the 2-cyano-6-aminobenzothiazole-cysteine (CBT-Cys) condensation sequence was synthesized by the solid-phase peptide synthesis method. After coupling with an AIE molecule by click chemical reaction, an AIE self-assembled probe 1 based on GSH response covalent cyclization was constructed, and probe 2 lacking Cys structure was used as the control. The absorption and emission spectra of probes were tested and the specificity of probes to GSH was analyzed. The hydrodynamic diameter and structure of the probes after response were compared. The effects of different pH values, temperatures, probe concentrations, and GSH concentrations on fluorescence intensity were investigated. The toxicity of probes to tumor cells such as HeLa, HepG2 and MDA-MB-231 was evaluated.Results:After GSH response, the fluorescence of probe 1 was enhanced by about 6 times and that of probe 2 was enhanced by about 2 times; probe 1 was converted into a dimer with a hydrodynamic diameter of about 896.1 nm. Probe 2 lacked a cyclization motif and was converted into a monomer with a hydrodynamic diameter of about 427.4 nm. The fluorescence intensity of probe 1 was significantly higher than that of probe 2 at pH=7.0 and 37 ℃, and the toxicity of probes to tumor cells (HeLa, HepG2 and MDA-MB-231) was low.Conclusions:After the disulfide bond of probe 1 was reduced by GSH, the probe molecule lost the hydrophilic sequence, resulting in fluorescence turn-on (the first aggregation), and probe 1 immediately generates an AIE dimer (the second aggregation) because it contains a CBT-Cys cyclization sequence, which realizes the dual AIE effect compared with the single aggregation of probe 2, and significantly enhances the fluorescence emission. Probe 1 has better applicability in physiological environments, which provides an idea for in-situ generation of covalent cycling probes in vivo and is expected to be used in tumor imaging and treatment in the later stages.

Nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs), which are widely used as the first-line anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) drugs in clinical practice, can effectively inhibit the replication of HBV DNA, significantly slow down disease progression in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, and reduce the development of end-stage liver diseases such as liver failure and liver cancer. However, for some CHB patients receiving first-line NAs for 48 weeks or longer, serum HBV DNA is still persistently or intermittently higher than the lower detection of limit of sensitive nucleic acid detection reagents. After discussion by the authors, low-level viremia (LLV) is defined as follows: persistent LLV refers to the condition in which CHB patients, who receive entecavir, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, or tenofovir alafenamide fumarate for ≥48 weeks, test positive for HBV DNA by two consecutive detections with sensitive quantitative PCR, with an interval of 3-6 months, but have an HBV DNA level of ＜2000 IU/ml; intermittent LLV refers to the condition in which patients test positive for HBV DNA intermittently by at least three consecutive detections with sensitive quantitative PCR, with an interval of 3-6 months, but have an HBV DNA level of ＜2000 IU/ml. For the diagnosis of LLV, the issues of poor compliance and drug-resistant mutations should be excluded. LLV might be associated with the increased risk of progression to liver fibrosis or hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with liver cirrhosis under NA treatment, but there are still controversies over whether the original treatment regimen with NAs should be changed after the onset of LLV. This article summarizes the incidence rate of LLV under NA treatment and the influence of LLV on prognosis and analyzes the possible mechanisms of the osnet of LLV, so as to provide a reference for the management of LLV in patients treated with NAs.

ObjectiveTo investigate the intervention effect of Buzhong Yiqitang （BZYQT） on pulmonary inflammation in mice induced by chronic intermittent hypoxia （CIH） and preliminarily elucidate its mechanism. MethodForty healthy male C57BL/6 mice aged 6-8 weeks were randomly divided into the following groups： normoxia group， model group （exposed to CIH）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose BZYQT groups. The normoxia group was exposed to a normoxic environment， while the model group and the low-， medium-， and high-dose BZYQT groups were exposed to intermittent hypoxia. In the BZYQT groups， the BZYQT （8.1， 16.2， 32.4 g·kg^-1·d^-1） was administered orally 30 min before placing the mice in the hypoxic chamber， while the model group and the normoxia group received an equivalent volume of normal saline. After five weeks of modeling， pulmonary function of the mice was measured using an EMKA animal lung function analyzer， and lung tissue samples were collected after the pulmonary function tests. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to observe the histopathological changes in the lung tissue of each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to measure the levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-8 （IL-8）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in the serum， as well as angiotensin Ⅱ （Ang Ⅱ） and angiotensin-（1-7） ［Ang（1-7）］ in lung tissue. Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the protein expression of IL-6， IL-8， TNF-α， angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 （ACE2）， and mitochondrial assembly receptor （Mas）. ResultCompared with the normoxia group， the model group showed significant abnormalities in lung function （P<0.05， P<0.01）， lung tissue changes， such as thickening of alveolar walls and inflammatory cell infiltration， increased levels of IL-6， IL-8， TNF-α in the serum and Ang Ⅱ in lung tissue （P<0.01）， decreased level of Ang（1-7） （P<0.01）， increased protein expression of IL-6， IL-8， and TNF-α， and decreased protein expression of ACE2 and Mas （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the BZYQT groups showed improvement in lung function （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and HE staining of lung tissue showed approximately normal alveolar wall thickness and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis showed a significant decrease in the expression of inflammatory-related proteins （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and a significant increase in ACE2 and Mas protein expression （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionBZYQT can improve lung injury in mice exposed to CIH by regulating the ACE2-Ang（1-7）-Mas axis to inhibit inflammatory responses.

Respiratory diseases are common， frequently-occurring clinical diseases. As the prevalence rate is increasing year by year， they have become a problem that seriously affects public health. The diseases are mainly located in the lung by traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome differentiation. Lung governs Qi and controls breathing and is also an organ for the storage of phlegm. Clinically， phlegm and Qi are often used for the treatment. Banxia Houputang （BHT）， originated from Synopsis of the Golden Chamber （《金匮要略》）， was used to treat plum-stone Ai （globus hystericus） at first. It is composed of Rhizoma Pinelliae， Cortex Magnoliae Offcinalis， Poria， Rhizoma Zingiberis Recens， and Folium Perillae， and treats diseases with the core pathogensis of mutual obstruction of phlegm and Qi. BHT has the effects of moving Qi， dissipating mass， descending adverse Qi， and resolving phlegm， which basically correspond to the pathological characteristics of the lungs. Clinical studies have confirmed that modified BHT can be used either alone or in combination with western medicine to treat chronic pharyngitis， asthma， chronic obstructive pulmonary disease， pneumonia， obstructive sleep apnea， upper airway cough syndrome and other respiratory diseases， with significant effects. It effectively improves the symptoms and signs of the diseases and reduces the recurrence rate. Basic research has shown that BHT plays anti-inflammatory， anti-oxidative stress， anti-apoptotic， autophagy-regulating， and iron overload-regulating roles by regulating the targets in multiple pathways. This paper， by combing the relevant literature in recent years， conducted a systematic review on BHT from the three aspects of syndrome analysis， clinical treatment research and mechanism research， with a view to providing theoretical basis and reference for the mechanism research of BHT in treating respiratory diseases and for expanding its clinical application.