Two γ-glutamyl-cysteine peptides (γ-GCPs ) , ( SC2 RC7 )-γ-L-glutamyl-S-allyl-L-cysteine ( 1 ) and ( SC2 RC7 )-γ-L-glutamyl-S-propyl-L-cysteine ( 2 ) have been isolated from fresh garlic scales using ion-exchange chromatography and pre-HPLC. Their molecular structures were identified by HPLC-MS, CD, 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR, specific rotation and confirmed by the corresponding standard compounds. The influence of exogenously adding 1 and 2 on the bioavailability of iron and zinc from food legume was examined with soybean and mung bean, in the level of 0. 01 mmol/5 g of legume respectively. The enhancing effect of the two γ-GCPs of compound 1 and 2 on bioaccessibility of iron was generally evidenced in the case of soybean ( from 1 . 88% to 6 . 73% and 4 . 42%) and mung bean ( from 2 . 52% to 12 . 04% and 9 . 38%) . The two γ-GCPs similarly enhanced the bioaccessibility of zinc from the food legume, in soybean ranging from 13. 37% to 23. 95% and 20. 58%, and in mung bean from 15. 98% to 28. 44% and 27. 05%. Thus, both compounds 1 and 2 obviously had a promoting influence on the bioavailability of iron and zinc from food legumes. These findings are of practical value in a food-based strategy to enhance the bioavailability of trace minerals for human health.

OBJECTIVE The N-methyl-D-aspartate(NMDA)receptor has been shown to be strongly associ-ated with rapid antidepressant effects.GW043 is a com-pound with a novel structure that we designed and syn-thesized to act on the NMDA receptor(NMDAR).METH-ODS In this study,we first confirmed the target of GW043 using a receptor binding assay.We observed the effect of GW043 on NMDAR currents in vivo and in vitro assays using a membrane clamp technique with a view to characterizing the function of GW043.We investi-gated the antidepressant effect of GW043 in rodent behavioral models such as FST,TST and CUMS.Fur-thermore,we explored the mechanism of GW043 onset using Western blotting,BrdU staining,Golgi staining and electrophysiological techniques.RESULTS GW043 interacts with high affinity only at the NMDAR.Electro-physiological studies have indicated that GW043 is a par-tial agonist of NMDAR.Meanwhile,behavioral experi-ments were conducted to confirm the antidepressant effect of GW043 in rodents.The mechanism study found that GW043 regulate synaptic plasticity through LTP and BDNF/mTOR pathways and increase the number of new-born neurons to cause antidepressant effects.GW043,a partial agonist of NMDAR,reversed depression-like behav-ior in rats by modulating synaptic plasticity,suggesting an antidepressant effect.CONCLUSION The results suggest that GW043 is a partial agonist of NMDA recep-tors and has significant antidepressant effects.

Objective:To investigate the clinical significance of changes in heparin binding protein(HBP), procalcitonin (PCT) and prealbumin (PA) levels in the early diagnosis of intracranial infection in patients with brain tumors after surgery.Methods:The clinical data of 160 patients with brain tumors who underwent surgical treatment in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January 2015 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. And 80 cases of intracranial infection after surgery were classified as the infection group. According to the severity of infection, patients were divided into 33 cases in the mild infection group, 36 cases in the moderate infection group, and 11 cases in the severe infection group; 80 cases without postoperative intracranial infection were classified as the non-infection group. All enrolled members were tested for HBP, PCT, PA at time points of 0 h before surgery, 12 h after surgery, 3 d after surgery, and 6 d after surgery. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of intracranial infection in patients with brain tumors after surgery.Results:The levels of HBP and PCT in the infected group were higher than those in the non-infected group before and after surgery at all time points (all P < 0.05). The level of PA in the infected group was lower than that in the non-infected group (all P < 0.05). The levels of HBP and PCT in both groups at various time points after surgery were higher than those before surgery (all P < 0.05), which showed a decreasing trend over time. The level of PA of both groups at all time points after surgery was lower than that before surgery (all P < 0.05), which showed a trend of first decreasing and increasing and then decreasing over time. The preoperative HBP level in the severe infection group [35.45 ng/ml (23.61 ng/ml, 59.44 ng/ml)] was higher than that in the mild infection group [12.51 ng/ml (5.11 ng/ml, 19.92 ng/ml)] and the moderate infection group [22.22 ng/ml (16.49 ng/ml, 27.55 ng/ml)], and differences were statistically significant ( Z = 41.167, 19.105, both P < 0.05). The preoperative PCT level in the severe infection group [1.50 μg/L (1.27 μg/L, 2.44 μg/L)] was higher than that in the mild infection group [0.53 μg/L (0.25 μg/L, 0.85 μg/L)] and the moderate infection group [0.90 μg/L (0.47 μg/L, 1.42 μg/L)], and differences were statistically significant ( Z = 36.167, 14.875; both P < 0.05). The preoperative PA level in the severe infection group [159.22 mg/L (141.61 mg/L, 191.79 mg/L)] was lower than that in the mild infection group [215.91 mg/L (195.21 mg/L, 239.90 mg/L)] and the moderate infection group [194.48 mg/L (178.40 mg/L, 207.60 mg/L)] ( Z = 35.955, 19.567, both P < 0.05). The levels of HBP and PCT before operation were positively correlated with the degree of infection ( r = 0.637, 0.485, both P < 0.01). The preoperative level of PA was negatively correlated with the degree of infection ( r = -0.576, P < 0.01). The preoperative single index detection showed that the maximum the area of the curve (AUC) of postoperative intracranial infection in patients with brain tumors predicted by PA was 0.808 (95% CI 0.741-0.874). The highest specificity of intracranial infection in patients with brain tumors predicted by HBP was 96.3%. The AUC of postoperative intracranial infection in patients with brain tumors predicted by the combination of the three tests was 0.892 (95% CI 0.839-0.944), which was greater than that predicted by other single indicators, and the sensitivity was the highest (86.3%). The AUC of postoperative intracranial infection in patients with brain tumors diagnosed by PCT at 12 h after surgery was maximum [0.804 (95% CI 0.734-0.874)] when predicted by other single indicators. The highest specificity of postoperative intracranial infection in patients with brain tumors diagnosed by HBP was 98.6%. The AUC of postoperative intracranial infection in patients with brain tumors diagnosed by the combination of the three tests was 0.895 (95% CI 0.840-0.950), which was greater than that diagnosed by other single indicators, and the highest sensitivity was 85.0%. Conclusion:The levels of HBP, PCT and PA can provide a reference for the early diagnosis of postoperative intracranial aseptic inflammation in patients with brain tumors. The combined diagnosis of HBP, PCT and PA can better diagnose the postoperative intracranial infection in patients with brain tumors.

Objective:To explore the effect of the enriched environment(EE)on pyroptosis in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury(CIRI).Methods:45 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: a sham surgery(Sham)group, a cerebral ischemia-reperfusion(CIR)group and an enriched environment(EE)group, with 15 rats in each group.Except for the Sham group, the right middle cerebral artery occlusion model was established in the other two groups.After surgery, the EE group was fed in EE, and the other two groups were fed in standard environment.All the rats were assessed using the modified neurological severity score(mNSS)before modeling and on the 1st day, 7th day and 14th day following surgery.On the 14th day after surgery, 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride(TTC)staining was used to evaluate the infarct volume, hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining was used to examine pathomorphological changes of the hippocampal CA1 region on the ischemic side of the rats in each group, immunohistochemical assay was used to detect the expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1(caspase-1)proteins in the CA1 region, and ultrastructural changes in neurons in the CA1 region were observed under transmission electron microscopy.Results:Compared with the Sham group, the mNSS scores of the CIR group and the EE group were significantly higher on the 1st day and 7th day after surgery( P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the CIR and EE groups( P>0.05). On the 14th day after surgery, compared with the CIR group, the EE group showed a decrease in the mNSS score and the cerebral infarct volume( P<0.05), alleviated pathomorphological changes, decreased expression of NLRP3 and caspase-1 proteins( P<0.05), and alleviated pathological changes of pyroptosis in the ultrastructure of neurons. Conclusions:EE can reduce the damage of neurological function, reduce the cerebral infarct volume, and play a protective role for the brain in CIRI rats.The mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of the expression of NLRP3 and caspase-1 proteins related to the classical pyroptosis pathway, leading to the inhibition of pyroptosis.

Objective:To purify H5N1 influenza virus concentrate prepared by MDCK cells with a new mixed-mode chromatography medium Capto Core700 and the traditional medium Sepharose 4FF, and to compare the separation and purification efficacy of the two media.Methods:Capto Core700 and Sepharose 4FF were used to purify inactivated H5N1 influenza virus concentrate. The morphology of virus particles in different samples was then observed under a transmission electron microscope. Single radial immunodiffusion (SRID), Folin-Phenol (Lowry) method, double-antibody sandwich ELISA and qPCR were used to detect hemagglutinin, total protein, host cell protein (HCP) and host cell DNA (HCD) before and after purification. The recovery rate of virus antigen and the removal rate of impurities were calculated. The immunogenicity of the viruses purified with different media was analyzed using animal experiments. Difference in the purification efficacy of the two chromatography media was analyzed by t-test. Results:H5N1 influenza viruses purified by Capto Core700 or Sepharose 4FF showed the typical influenza virus morphology under transmission electron microscope. There was no significant difference in the recovery rate of hemagglutinin between the two chromatography media ( P>0.05), but compared with Sepharose 4FF, Capto Core700 had a higher removal rate of impurities (total protein, HCP, HCD) and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Animal experiments showed that the viruses purified by the two chromatography media had good immunogenicity. Conclusions:Compared with Sepharose 4FF chromatography medium, Capto Core700 could more effectively remove process-related impurities such as HCP, HCD and total protein without affecting the recovery rate of viral antigen. This study provided reference for the development of purification technology in the production of H5N1 influenza virus vaccine in MDCK cells.

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of allergen component in dust mite（DM） -induced allergic rhinitis（AR） patients, and provide reference for the diagnosis and treatment of AR. Methods:DM-induced AR patients with or without allergic asthma（AA） who visited the Allergy Department of Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology between 2021 and 2022 were enrolled. Patients'age, gender, and visual analog scale（VAS） for symptoms were recorded. sIgE and sIgG4 levels of allergen components such as Der f1, Der f2, Der p1, Der p2, Der p7, Der p10, Der p21, and Der p23 were detected using a protein chip method. The sensitization characteristics of the allergen components in the patients were observed, and the correlation between sIgE, sIgG of each component and VAS as well as the component differences between AR and AR with AA（AR&AA） were evaluated. Results:A total of 87 DM-induced AR patients were enrolled, with 42.5% of them were AR&AA, their VAS scores were significantly higher than those of AR patients（6.38±1.95 vs 5.25±1.85, P=0.009 8）. The order of sensitization rates for DM components was as follows: Der p2（82.8%）, Der f2（81.6%）, Der p1（74.7%）, Der f1（70.1%）, and Der p23（35.6%）. The order of positive rates for sIgG4 was: Der p2（21.8%）, Der f2（13.8%）, Der p21（8.0%）, and Der p7（6.9%）. There were no correlation between the sIgE, sIgG4 levels or positive numbers of components and VAS scores, but there were positive correlations between sIgE, sIgG4 concentrations of components. Compared with AR patients, AR&AA patients had higher levels of sIgE for Der p（60.5[7.2-91.1]vs 14.0[4.8-45.1], P=0.02）, Der f（49.8[15.7-81.6]vs 21.3[7.0-50.2], P=0.04）, Der p1（27.2[0.7-51.5]vs 2.6[0.2-24.9], P=0.02）, Der p2（20.0[1.4-60.6]vs 5.5[0.6-19.1], P=0.004）, and Der f2（58.9[16.0-89.2]vs 23.4[0.9-56.8], P=0.009）, and a higher proportion of AR with AA patients had sIgE levels of Der p1（70.3% vs 48.0%, P=0.038） and Der p23（27.0% vs 14.0%, P=0.039） that were ≥3 grades. Conclusion:Der p1/f1, Der p2/f3, and Der p23 are the major components of DM sensitized AR patients. Multiple component sensitization and sIgE, sIgG4 levels of each component are not correlated with the severity of AR. The sIgE levels of the Der p1/f1, Der p2/f3, and Der p23 components in AR&AA patients are higher than AR.
Animals ; Humans ; Allergens ; Pyridinolcarbamate ; Rhinitis, Allergic/therapy* ; Pyroglyphidae ; Asthma ; Antigens, Dermatophagoides