Objective To investigate the clinical significance of serum transforming growth factor-β( TGF-β),tumor necrosis factor-α( TNF-α) and interferon-γ( IFN-γ) levels in patients with pre-eclampsia. Methods Thirty-two cases of maternal pre-eclampsia( 22 cases were mild pre-eclampsia,10 cases were severe pre-eclampsia),30 cases of gestational hypertension and 30 cases of normal mothers were selected as our subjects. Serum TGF-β,TNF-α IFN-γ levels were detected. Adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients were collected and analyzed. Results Serum TGF-β,TNF-α,IFN-γlevels in patients with severe pre-eclampsia were (90. 4 ± 23. 4)μg/L,(84. 5 ± 13. 6)μg/L and(146. 5 ± 13. 4)μg/L respectively,significantly higher than that in normal mothers((11. 3 ± 3. 7)μg/L,(5. 6 ± 1. 2)μg/L and(82. 5 ± 19. 4)μg/L),the gestational hypertension group(( 35. 3 ± 8. 4 )μg/L,( 10. 4 ± 2. 9 )μg/L and( 96. 4 ± 15. 8 )μg/L ),and mild pre-eclampsia group((76. 5 ± 15. 4)μg/L,(26. 5 ± 3. 2)μg/L and(120. 4 ± 20. 5)μg/L),and the difference were significant(F=11. 363,15. 982,7. 431;P﹤0. 001). Serum TGF-β,TNF-α and IFN-γ levels in mild pre-eclampsia were significantly higher than those in normal mothers and gestational hypertension patients( P﹤0. 05). Incidence of preterm delivery in patients with high TGF-β,TNF-α,IFN-γ expression was significantly higher than patients with low expression(7 cases vs. 2 cases;χ2 =4. 037,P=0. 044). Incidence of in patients with high FGR,TGF-β,TNF-α expression was significantly higher than patients with low expression( 6 cases vs. 1 case;χ2 =4. 969,P =0. 025 ). Conclusion Detection of maternal serum cytokines can evaluate the severity of pre-eclampsia to a certain extent and predicted adverse pregnancy outcomes.

OBJECTIVETo verify the pharmacological hypothesis of prescriptions by studying the targeted distribution of major components in stewed rhubarb in the rat model with acute pancreatitis (AP).

METHODNormal SD rats (control group, n = 5) and the AP model induced with intraperitoneal cerulein (model group, n = 5) were taken as the experimental objects. Rats of the two groups were orally administered with stewed rhubarb granules (20 g x kg(-1)). Their heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney and pancreas were collected two hours after the administration. Such constituents as emodin, chrysophanol, physcion, rhein and aloe-emodin and their concentrations in each tissue homogenate were detected by high performance liquid chromatography-mass-mass.

RESULTAloe-emodin and physcion in stewed rhubarb whose concentrations in liver and kidney of normal rats were higher than that in pancreatic tissues, while the distribution spectrums and concentrations of the remaining components in pancreatic tissues had no significant difference with that of other organs. The concentrations of emodin, aloe-emodin, rhein and chrysophanol in stewed rhubarb in pancreatic tissues of the AP model group were higher than that in other tissues and organs, while their concentrations in pancreatic, renal and splenic tissues were notably higher than that in the normal group.

CONCLUSIONIn the conditions of AP, effective components in stewed rhubarb show a targeted distribution feature in pancreas, which provides experimental basis for the pharmacological hypothesis of prescriptions.

Acute Disease ; Animals ; Anthraquinones ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacokinetics ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Organ Specificity ; Pancreatitis ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rheum ; chemistry

Objective To investigate the effect of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) on expression of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in brain tissues following traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats.Methods Sixty male SD rats weighing 220-250 g were randomly divided into three groups (n =20 for each):sham operation group,TBI group,and IPC group.Cerebral IPC models were induced by transient occlusion of the bilateral common carotid arteries; TBI models were induced by Feeney's freefalling method; rats in sham operation group were only performed exposure of dura of the right parietal lobe.Ten rats were sacrificed respectively at 6 and 72 hours after TBI and injured brain tissues were harvested to estimate wet/dry weight (W/D) ratio for the brain,determine ICAM-1 expression by immunohistochemistry and perform microscopic examination.Results Brain W/D ratio was significantly increased in TBI group compared with sham operation group (6 h:4.2 ± 0.4 vs 2.7 ± 0.4 ; 72 h:5.0 ±0.1 vs 3.1 ± 0.2,P ＜ 0.05).ICAM-1 expression was up-regulated in TBI group compared with sham operationgroup (6h:25.4±3.5vs8.6±1.3; 72 h:36.5±5.4 vs8.4±1.6,P＜0.05).W/D ratio was significantly decreased in IPC group compared with TBI group (6 h:3.5 ±0.6 vs 4.2 ±0.4; 72 h:3.7 ± 0.4 vs 5.0 ± 0.1,P ＜ 0.05).ICAM-1 expression was down-regulated in IPC group compared with TBI group (6 h:16.5 ± 2.7 vs 25.4 ± 3.5 ; 72 h:24.3 ± 4.6 vs 36.5 ± 5.4,P ＜ 0.05).Milder injury to brain tissues was observed in IPC group than in TBI group.Conclusion IPC can attenuate TBI in rats by down-regulating the expression of ICAM-1.

Objective To prepare carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) targeted and paclitaxel loaded phase-shifting PLGA nanoparticles (Ab-PTX-NPs),and investigate the targeting capability and inhibition to the ovarian cancer cell in vitro.Methods Single-emulsion/solvent evaporation (O/W) and carbodiimide method were used to prepare the Ab-PTX-NPs.The size of nanoparticles was determined by Malvern analyzer.The encapsulation and drug loaded efficiency of paclitaxel were detected by high performance liquid chromatography.And the drug release characteristics was measured by dialysis method in constant temperature shaker.The targeting ability of Ab-PTX-NPs to the ovarian cancer SKOV3 cell was evaluated by the laser scanning confocal microscope and flow cytometry.And the inhibition ability of Ab-NPs was investigated by the CCK-8 assays.Results The size of Ab-PTX-NPs was (397.70±99.95)nm.The encapsulation efficiency and drug loading capacity of PTX were (67.26±4.15) ％ and (6.31±0.39) ％,respectively.The conjugating rate of Anti-CEA antibody was (92.74 ± 5.75) ％.The targeting study in vitro showed that such a number of contrast agents landed around the SKOV3 cells in targeting group,and the mean fluorescence intensity of ovarian cells in targeting group was significantly higher than other groups (P＜0.05).After 24 h,the viability rate of ovarian cells in targeting group was lower than the non-target group (P＜0.05),only higher than that of the pure PTX group (P＜0.05).But there was no significant difference between the targeting group and the pure PTX group (P＞0.05) at 48 h.Conclusion The CEA targeted and paclitaxel loaded phase-shifting PLGA nanoparticles are successfully prepared.It can enhance ultrasound imaging well after activated by LIFU.With high drug-loading efficiency and fast drug release velocity,the Ab-PTX-NPs appeares great targeted ability.

Objective To understand the distribution of Oncomelania hupensis snails in source areas of the east route of Southto-North Warter Diversion Project and evaluate the effects of the snails on the safety of water transfer.Methods The investigation of snail distribution was carried out in the source areas of the east route of South-to-North Warter Diversion Project every spring.The method of the random sample combined with environmental sample was used for the field investigation.The beach land in the stilling pool of Jiangdu Pumping Station was selected as a surveillance site to observe the snail spread.Results The areas of the snail habitats and infected snails were 256.11,184.55,164.92,121.16 hm~2 and 8.27,1.0,1.0,0 hm~2 respectively in the source areas of the east route of South-to-North Wafter Diversion Project from 2006 to 2009.The densities of living snails had a downtrend,too.Google Earth showed that the areas of snail habitats distributed mainly in the Jiajiang River and Mangdao River in the source areas.The snail habitats were detected in the beach land in the stilling pool of Jiangdu Pumping Station.The research results showed that the snail spread related to the wastes from the river of drawing water.Conclusion There are the risks of snail spread in the source areas of the east route of South-to-North Wafter Diversion Project,so that the long-term surveillance and control on the snails is very necessary.

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of qualitative and quantitative fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) in identifying colorectal cancer, so as to provide insights into perfecting screening strategies for colorectal cancer. Methods: Participants in the Colorectal Cancer Screening Program for Key Populations in Zhejiang Province from May 2020 to December 2021 were recruited, and their demographic information, lifestyle and disease history were collected through a questionnaire survey. Qualitative or quantitative FIT along with a questionnaire-based risk assessment were employed as the initial screening tests. Individuals who were positive in any FIT or had high-risk assessment results were required to attend a subsequent colonoscopy examination. The positive rate, detection rate of colorectal cancer, positive predictive value and number of colonoscopies required were compared between qualitative and quantitative FITs, and stratified analyses by gender and age were conducted. Results: Totally 4 099 769 participants were included. The qualitative FIT group included 3 574 917 individuals, yielding a positive rate of 11.35%, a detection rate of 1.19%, a positive predictive value of 0.48% and 83.84 colonoscopies required to detect one cancer case. The quantitative FIT group involved 524 852 individuals, yielding a positive rate of 6.70%, a detection rate of 2.31%, a positive predictive value of 1.01% and 43.23 colonoscopies required to detect one cancer case. The quantitative FIT group showed significantly higher detection rate of colorectal cancer, higher positive predictive value and less number of colonoscopies required compared to the qualitative FIT group (all P<0.05). The same results were obtained after stratification by gender and age. Conclusion Compared to qualitative FIT, quantitative FIT improves the detection of colorectal cancer and reduces the workload of colonoscopy examinations, making it more suitable for colorectal cancer screening in large-scale populations.

Flavonoids are an important effective component of traditional Chinese medicine, which are widely distributed in the plant kingdom. The biosynthesis of flavonoid in plants is affected and regulated by various environmental factors. For a necessary environmental factor to plant growth and development, mineral nutrients are paid more and more attention on the regulation to the metabolism of flavonoids in medicinal plants. In this paper, an overview of flavonoids biosynthetic pathway, and the macroelements, microelements and rare earth elements on the metabolism of flavonoids in medicinal plants are presented. And the regulation mechanism of them are also analyzed and discussed.
Flavonoids ; analysis ; metabolism ; Minerals ; analysis ; metabolism ; Nutrition Assessment ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; metabolism

BACKGROUNDPathophysiological processes, such as malignancy, can lead to the formation of stiffer tissue in lung cancers. Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) elastography is a novel technique for measuring tissue stiffness during EBUS-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA). The current study was conducted to investigate the diagnostic value of EBUS elastography for mediastinal and hilar lymph node metastasis in lung cancers.

METHODSFrom January 2014 to January 2015, 40 patients suspected of lung cancer were enrolled, and a total of 68 lymph nodes were evaluated by EBUS-TBNA. EBUS-guided elastography of lymph nodes was performed prior to EBUS-TBNA. Standard EBUS characteristics were also described. Pathological determination of malignant or benign lymph nodes was used as the gold standard for this study. If EBUS-TBNA did not result in a formal pathological diagnosis of malignancy, patients were referred for a surgical procedure. Comparisons of elastography and standard EBUS characteristics were made between benign and malignant lymph nodes.

RESULTSElastography grading scores and strain ratios showed significant differences between benign and malignant lymph nodes (P = 0.000). The elastography strain ratio was more sensitive and specific for determining malignant lymph nodes than elastography grading score or standard EBUS criteria. The receiver operating characteristic curve for the elastography strain ratio showed an area under the curve of 0.933. The best cut-off point of the strain ratio for differentiating malignant from benign lymph nodes was 32.07. The elastography strain ratio had a sensitivity of 88.1%, the specificity of 80.8%, positive predictive value of 88.1%, and negative predictive value of 80.8% for distinguishing malignant from benign nodes. The overall accuracy of elastography strain ratio was 85.3%. The strain ratio of malignant and benign lymph nodes positively correlated with the elastography grading score (r = 0.561, P = 0.000).

CONCLUSIONSEBUS elastography can be effectively used to predict mediastinal and hilar lymph node metastases in lung cancer. This noninvasive technique may thus complement standard EBUS and help guide EBUS-TBNA procedures.

Aged ; Elasticity Imaging Techniques ; methods ; Endosonography ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Male ; Mediastinum ; pathology ; Middle Aged

China ; Congresses as Topic ; Humans ; Indonesia ; Liver Diseases ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Societies, Medical

Objective:To evaluate the characteristics of carotid plaque and the immediate outcomes after carotid artery stenting (CAS) in diabetic and non-diabetic patients by optical coherence tomography (OCT).Methods:Patients underwent CAS and OCT before and after operation in the Department of Neurology, Jinling Hospital from January 2014 to March 2019 were enrolled retrospectively. The clinical features, the characteristics of carotid plaque on OCT and the immediate outcomes after CAS were compared between diabetic group and non-diabetic group. The risk factors of stent malapposition were analyzed.Results:A total of 46 patients were enrolled. Their age was 64.02±8.32 years and 41 were males (89.1%). There were 20 patients (43.5%) in the diabetes group and 26 (56.5%) in the non-diabetes group. The proportions of atherosclerotic plaque with thin fibrous cap (40.0% vs. 7.7%; χ2=5.166, P=0.023), plaque rupture (55.0% vs. 23.1%; χ2=4.945, P=0.026) and macrophage infiltration (60.0% vs. 30.8%; χ2=3.930, P=0.047) in the diabetic group were significantly higher than those in the non-diabetic group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that older age (odds ratio [ OR] 1.208, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 1.033-1.413; P=0.018), coronary heart disease ( OR 15.953, 95% CI 1.142-222.952; P=0.040), alcohol consumption ( OR 6.192, 95% CI 1.098-34.923; P=0.039) and lower systolic blood pressure ( OR 0.944, 95% CI 0.894-0.997; P=0.037) were independently associated with stent malaposition. Conclusion:Compared with the non-diabetic patients, carotid plaque in diabetic patients may be more unstable. Older age, coronary heart disease, alcohol consumption and lower systolic blood pressure were associated with stent malaposition after carotid stenting. OCT can reveal the characteristics of carotid plaque and the immediate outcomes after CAS, which can provide strong evidence for treatment decision.