AIM: To study the protective effect of puerarin on the atherosclerosis of RAW264.7-derived foam cells.METHODS: The model of foam cells was established by incubating the RAW264.7 cells with ox-LDL.The choles-terol uptake was evaluated by a DiI-ox-LDL binding assay.The ability of cholesterol efflux of the RAW264.7-derived foam cells was detected by cholesterol efflux assay.The protein levels of LC3II, P62, CD36, ABCA1, LAL and p-AMPK were determined by Western blot.RESULTS: Puerarin treatment reduced the cholesterol uptake capacity and enhanced the cho-lesterol efflux rate.The protein levels of LC3II, ABCA1 and LAL in puerarin group were higher than that in ox-LDL group, while the protein levels of P62 and CD36 were obviously decreased, and those in rapamycin treatment group had the same change as puerarin group.The protein levels of LC3II, ABCA1 and LAL were obviously decreased and the protein level of p-AMPK was increased after co-treated with 3-MA.CONCLUSION: Puerarin promotes LAL and ABCA1-mediated cho-lesterol efflux in ox-LDL-treated RAW264.7 macrophages, which might enhance autophagy through AMPK-dependent path-way for cholesterol efflux regulation, and reduce the uptake of lipids by CD36 negative regulation.

Objective To analyze the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)and histologic features of the synchronous bilateral primary breast cancer (sBPBC).Methods MRI findings and pathologic types of sBPBC in 20 patients in our institute were reviewed retrospectively. The MRI features of sBPBC were compared with the pathologic types,respectively.Results 20 sBPBC patients with 41 lesions were found with the most common pathological type of invasive ductal carcinoma in 26 (26/41 ).Bilateral lesions had the same pathological types in 1 1 patients(1 1/20),and different types in 9(9/20).The MRI features of invasive breast cancer were more characteristic than that of early breast cancer.In 20 patients,the first and second primary breast cancers with similar MRI findings were found in 6(6/20).In 10 patients with sBPBC,the first cancer was advanced breast cancer,and the second was early or low grade breast cancer.Conclusion (1)The most common pathological type of sBPBC is invasive ductal carcinoma,and the pathological types of bilateral lesions are not similar. (2)The MRI features of the first and the second lesions in bilateral primary breast cancer showed lower similarity,and the bilateral lesions should be diagnosed independently.(3)In patients with sBPBC,some cancers are advanced breast cancers,and the second ones are early cancers,suggesting the lesion should be followed up if the contralateral one is diagnosed as breast cancer.

AIM:The paper is to explore a rapid and simple method for the culture of mouse primary thyroid cells.METHODS:Mouse thyroid cells were isolated by enzyme digestion and cultured with improved medium,and their morphology,characteristics and secretory function were observed within 14 d.RESULTS:In the cultures,the active pri-mary cells were obtained from the thyroid tissue after digestion for 25 min;adherent growth was observed on the 2nd day.And secondary follicles appeared from the 5th to 7th day.Over 95%cells were detected with thyroglobulin.The secretion of total triiodothyronine and total thyroxine maintains over 60%in 7 d.The expression levels of specific genes can still maintain more than 50%in 10 d.CONCLUSION:Mouse thyroid primary cells can be rapidly cultured by this method,and the cells can be used for studying thyroid endocrine secretion within 7 d and studying thyroid genes within 10 d.

Objective:To investigate and summarize the chest CT imaging features of patients with novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19), bacterial pneumonia and other viral pneumonia.Methods:Chest CT data of 102 patients with pulmonary infection due to different etiologies were retrospectively analyzed, including 36 patients with COVID-19 admitted to Hainan Provincial People's Hospital and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University from December 2019 to March 2020, 16 patients with other viral pneumonia admitted to Hainan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2018 to February 2020, and 50 patients with bacterial pneumonia admitted to Haikou Affiliated Hospital of Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine from April 2018 to May 2020. Two senior radiologists and two senior intensive care physicians were participated to evaluated the extent of lesions involvement and imaging features of the first chest CT after the onset of the disease.Results:Bilateral pulmonary lesions were more common in patients with COVID-19 and other viral pneumonia, and the incidence was significantly higher than that of bacterial pneumonia (91.6%, 75.0% vs. 26.0%, P < 0.05). Compared with other viral pneumonia and COVID-19, bacterial pneumonia was mainly characterized by single-lung and multi-lobed lesion (62.0% vs. 18.8%, 5.6%, P < 0.05), accompanied by pleural effusion and lymph node enlargement. The proportion of ground-glass opacity in the lung tissues of patients with COVID-19 was 97.2%, that of patients with other viral pneumonia was 56.2%, and that of patients with bacterial pneumonia was only 2.0% ( P < 0.05). The incidence rate of lung tissue consolidation (25.0%, 12.5%), air bronchial sign (13.9%, 6.2%) and pleural effusion (16.7%, 37.5%) in patients with COVID-19 and other viral pneumonia were significantly lower than those in patients with bacterial pneumonia (62.0%, 32.0%, 60.0%, all P < 0.05), paving stone sign (22.2%, 37.5%), fine mesh sign (38.9%, 31.2%), halo sign(11.1%, 25.0%), ground-glass opacity with interlobular septal thickening (30.6%, 37.5%), bilateral patchy pattern/rope shadow (80.6%, 50.0%) etc. were significantly higher than those of bacterial pneumonia (2.0%, 4.0%, 2.0%, 0%, 22.0%, all P < 0.05). The incidence of local patchy shadow in patients with COVID-19 was only 8.3%, significantly lower than that in patients with other viral pneumonia and bacterial pneumonia (8.3% vs. 68.8%, 50.0%, P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of peripheral vascular shadow thickening in patients with COVID-19, other viral pneumonia and bacterial pneumonia (27.8%, 12.5%, 30.0%, P > 0.05). Conclusions:The probability of ground-glass opacity, paving stone and grid shadow in chest CT of patients with COVID-19 was significantly higher than those of bacterial pneumonia, and it was more common in the lower lungs and lateral dorsal segment. In other patients with viral pneumonia, ground-glass opacity was distributed in both upper and lower lungs. Bacterial pneumonia is usually characterized by single lung consolidation, distributed in lobules or large lobes and accompanied by pleural effusion.