The nutritional status in early life have been gradually recognized that it can change the status of development and metabolism of adults.Epidemiological evidence and animal model study have found that low birth weight is the risk factors of adult metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease.Insulin resistance is a common pathophysiological basis.Renin-angiotensin system and insulin signaling systems interact to promote the development of insulin resistance.

Objective To investigate the risk factors for severe and mild preeclampsia (PE) in women with irregular prenatal care,and to identify practical measures to reduce the occurrence of severe PE.Methods A retrospective study of 222 PE patients with irregular prenatal care,who delivered in Peking University Third Hospital from January 2007 to December 2011,was performed.The risk factors for PE and the status of prenatal care were analyzed.The non-parametric test,Chi-square test,Fisher's exact test,trendy Chi-square test and Logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis.Results There were 207 (93.2％) cases of severe PE and 15 (6.8％) cases of mild PE.In 207 severe PE patients,there were 95 cases (45.9％) of early-onset PE (diagnosed before 32 gestational weeks) and 112 cases (54.1％) of late-onset PE.In the 15 mild PE patients,there were two early-onset cases and 13 late-onset cases.The percentage of early-onset cases in severe PE patients was higher than that in mild PE patients [45.9％ (95/207) vs 2/15,x2=6.027,P=0.015].After excluding 9 cases without any prenatal care,213 PE patients were analyzed,and it was found that the proportion of severe PE diagnosed in hospitals of grade 3,2 and 1 were significantly different [5/9,94.2％ (131/139) vs 96.9％ (63/65),x2=8.600,P=0.003].Compared with mild PE patients,the prenatal care interval for PE diagnosis in severe PE patients was longer [M(Q),8.0(4.0) vs 4.8(4.4) weeks,Z=2.695,P=0.007];the frequency of prenatal care after 20 gestational weeks was less [1(1) vs 3(3) times,Z=-4.195,P=0.000];the gestational week of PE diagnosis and referral to grade 3 hospitals were earlier [32.4(5.6) vs 35.4(4.3) weeks,Z=-3.075,P=0.002;33.1(5.3) vs 35.4(3.9) weeks,respectively,Z=-2.608,P=0.009];and the interval between PE diagnosis and referral was longer [0.1 (0.7) vs 0.0(0.0) weeks,respectively,Z=2.904,P=0.004].Multivariate logistic regression showed that the frequency of prenatal care after 20 gestational weeks was an independent risk factor for severe PE (OR=0.115,95％CI:0.046-0.285,P=0.000).Conclusion In women without regular prenatal care,the onset of severe PE is related to low-level prenatal hospital care,lack of prenatal care after 20 gestational weeks and longer prenatal care intervals as well as referral to grade 3 hospitals.

Ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles combined with low frequency ultrasound named as low-frequency ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction technology has become an effective and non-invasive anti-tumor therapy for deep tumors.It can enhance the efficacies of chemotherapy,gene therapy,immunotherapy,and anti-angiogenic therapy by improving cell membrane permeability and destroying tumor neovasculature.It can be applied to sonodynamic therapy and realize multimodal synergistic therapy on the basis of nanoparticles,which increases the anti-tumor efficiency and offers a promising target therapy for tumors.
Contrast Media ; Genetic Therapy ; Humans ; Microbubbles ; Neoplasms ; Ultrasonography

Objective To identify the early warning signs of severe preeclampsia (SPE). Methods A case-control (1: 2) observational study was conducted. Forty-seven pregnant women with SPE, who attended the prenatal clinics of Peking University Third Hospital regularly from Jan. 2002 to Dec. 2007, were selected as the study group, including 12 early onset and 35 late onset ones. The control group consisted of 94 healthy singleton pregnant women at the same period. Clinical data were collected and analyzed. Results (1) The basal body mass index (BMI) showed no difference between the study and control group [(23.27±4.31)kg/m2 vs (21.52±3.09)kg/m2, P>0.05]. (2) The net increase of BMI in the study group before the onset of SPE was higher than that in the control [(5.60±2.17)kg/m2 vs (4.85±1.52)kg/m2, P<0.05] and the increase of BMI per week was also higher [(0.74±0.41)kg/(m2*w)-1 vs (0.23±0.18)kg/(m2*w)-1, P<0.01]. The sensitivity and specificity of BMI increase per week in predicting SPE was 84% and 81% at a cut-off value of 0.39 kg/(m2*w)-1, respectively, and 79% and 91% at 0.41 kg/(m2*w)-1 correspondingly. (3) During the third trimester and before the onset of SPE, the weight gain per week in the study group was higher than that of the control [(0.93±0.70)kg vs (0.63±0.20)kg, P<0.01]. Significant difference was also found in the net weight gain between the two groups (P<0.01), but not in the percentage of women with excessive weight gain (>0.50 kg/w) [60%(25/42) in the study group vs 63%(53/84) in the control group, P>0.05]. (4) Higher percentage of women experienced pre-hypertension in the study group than in the controls [17%(8/47) vs 5%(5/94), P<0.01]. (5) In the study group, 53%(25/47) of the women had edema before SPE onset, but the figure dropped to 18% (17/94) in the controls(P<0.01). (6) Eight women in the study group and one in the control group suffered from hypoproteinemia before SPE onset with the average level of plasma albumin of (32.6±1.6)g/L and(38.4±2.1)g/L(P<0.01), respectively. (7) Proteinuria was reported in 10 cases (21%)in the study group and 4(4%) in the controls (P<0.01). (8) Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk factors for SPE included edema (OR=6.16,95%CI:2.29-16.57),pre-hypertension (OR=6.21,95%CI:1.56-24.77),proteinuria (OR=9.68,95%CI:1.86-50.30), and weight gain >0.85 kg/w during the third trimester (OR=11.60,95%CI:3.54-37.97). Conclusions Edema, excessive weight gain,pre-hypertension and hypoproteinemia are early warning signs of SPE. Pregnant women with the above signs required close monitoring during prenatal care.

Characteristics and measurement principles of reference methods in clinical biochemistry were described.Implementation of reference systems is one of the most effective approaches to improve the accuracy and comparability of clinical laboratory test results.Reference methods are the key components of reference systems.Reference methods should have measurement uncertainties that meet the requirements of the intended use,and thus should be based on reliable measurement principles.For the well-defined biochemistry analytes,reference methods have been almost all based on instrumental analysis.Isotope dilution mass spectrometry (ID/MS) is considered most reliable and has been the major analytical principle of the reference methods.ID/MS analysis is accurate but expensive.Use of other validated instrumental analyses as reference measurement principles would be justified.

Based on the principle of molecular hybridization, fifteen compounds were designed and synthesized through the combination of aminothiazoloxime and phosphonate fragment. The results showed that these compounds had better inhibitory effects on the tested bacteria. In particular, the activities of compounds Ⅲf and Ⅲi against S. aureus, E. coli, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli (FREC) were the most significant, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Ⅲf was 1, 8, 4, 16 μg·mL^-1 respectively, and the MIC of Ⅲi was 4, 4, 16, 8 μg·mL^-1 respectively, which were slightly lower than that of the control drug oxacillin, and their anti-E. coli, MRSA and FREC activities were superior to that of the control drug oxacillin. Their activities to S. aureus were close to that of oxacillin, and to E. coli, MRSA and FREC were superior to that of oxacillin, which is worthy of further study.

0.05).Setting the threshold of MOV at 6.4 cm~3 offered the best compromise between sensitivity (84.8%)and specificity(87.5%),and setting the threshold of MaxOV at 8.6 cm~3 offered the best compromise between sensitivity(75.8%)and specificity(95.2%)and setting the threshold of MFN at 8 offered the best compromise between sensitivity(86.7%)and specificity(78.3%).Conclusions Ovarian morphology by ultrasonography yields satisfactory diagnostic accuracy for adolescent PCOS.Taking MOV≥ 6.4 cm~3 or MaxOV≥8.6 cm~3 or MFN≥8 as an ultraphonic criterion for pubertal PCOS offer the best compromise between sensitivity and specificity.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of mycophenolate mofetil(MMF)on children with steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome(SDNS).Methods Sixteen children with SDNS,diagnosed at onset,included 12 males and 4 females,aged(5.0?1.6) years,were administrated with MMF[25 mg/(kg?d)] and low-dose prednisone[0.5-1.0 mg/(kg?d),average 0.67 mg/(kg?d)].MMF was reduced to half of initial dosage after 6 months and maintained for 3 months,while dosage of prednisone was tapered gradually based on patients disease profile.Twenty-four hours urinary protein excretion,serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen,liver function were conducted regularly,respectively.The clinical efficacy and safety were assessed after 3 months treatment.Results Thirteen of 16 patients treated with MMF and prednisone remained in complete remission.Three children remained remission partly.Difference markedly was observed in 24 hours urinary protein excretion and serum albumin before and after treatment.Conclusions MMF is an effective and safe immunosuppressive agent for children with SDNS.

Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) is a flavonoid compound isolated from licorice. It possesses excellent antioxidant and anti-diabetic activities. This study aims to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the alleviatory effect of ISL on energy metabolism imbalance caused by type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). 8-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were used in in vivo experiments. The high-fat-high-glucose diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin was applied to establish T2DM animal model. All animal experiments were performed in accordance with the Institutional Guidelines of Laboratory Animal Administration issued by the Committee of Ethics at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. HepG2 cells were used in in vitro experiments. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were used to examine the protein and mRNA levels of mitochondrial function-related targets. The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in HepG2 cells were measured by the flow cytometry. Additionally, the molecular docking of ISL and key target proteins was analyzed. It was found that ISL significantly inhibited the activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I and increased the protein levels of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) in the livers of mice and HepG2 cells. It also obviously decreased the ROS levels and increased the MMP levels in cultured HepG2 cells. In addition, ISL promoted mitochondrial biogenesis by activating proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator 1α (PGC-1α) and enhanced mitophagy by upregulating Parkin. It also improved mitochondrial fusion by increasing the mRNA and protein levels of mitofusin 2 (MFN2). In conclusion, ISL alleviates energy metabolism imbalance caused by T2DM through suppression of excessive mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and promotion of mitochondrial biogenesis, mitophagy, and fusion.

Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) is an active chalcone compound isolated from licorice. It possesses anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities. In our previous study, we uncovered a great potential of ISL in treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Therefore, this study aims to reveal the mechanism underlying the alleviatory effects of ISL on T2DM-induced glycolipid metabolism disorder. High-fat-high-sugar diet (HFD) combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) were used to establish T2DM mice model. All animal experiments were carried out with approval of the Committee of Ethics at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. HepG2 cells were used in in vitro experiments, and sodium palmitate (SP) was applied to establish insulin resistance (IR) model cells. The effects of ISL on body weight, fasting blood glucose levels, and pathological changes in the livers of mice were examined. Enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) were applied to detect the regulatory effects of ISL on key targets involved in glucolipid metabolism. Additionally, molecular docking and analytical dynamics simulation methods were used to analyze the interaction between ISL and key target protein. The results indicate that ISL significantly downregulates the transcriptional levels and inhibits the activities of key enzymes involved in gluconeogenesis, including pyruvate carboxylase (PC), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), and fructose-1, 6-bisphosphatase (FBP). It also downregulates the transcriptional and protein levels of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α) and cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), the two transcriptional factors involved in gluconeogenesis. Thus, ISL inhibits hepatic gluconeogenesis in T2DM mice. In addition, ISL reduces total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels in the livers of T2DM mice. Moreover, ISL downregulates the mRNA levels of lipogenesis genes and upregulates those of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation, lipid uptake, and lipid export. In conclusion, ISL suppresses hepatic gluconeogenesis, promotes lipolysis, and restrains lipogenesis in T2DM mice, thereby improving the abnormal glycolipid metabolism caused by T2DM.