Objective To explore the value of cardiac troponin-I (cTnI), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and blood lactic acid (Lac) on evaluation of severity and prognosis in patients with septic myocardial dysfunction (SMD). Methods According to retrospective analysis of clinical data,161 cases with sepsis were divided in to SMD group and non-SMD group. And the SMD group was further divided in to death group and survival group. Blood cTnI, BNP and Lac value in each group were detected respectively. The ROC curve was used to evaluate the forecast value of cTnI, BNP and Lac on prognosis for patients. Results The value of cTnI, BNP and Lac in SMD group were significantly higher than those in non-SMD group(P<0.05);The value of cTnI, BNP and Lac in death group among the SMD patients were significantly higher than those in survival group(P<0.05);cTnI, BNP and Lac contribute to predict the 28 day mortality rate of SMD. Conclusions Blood cTnI, BNP and Lac contributes to the assessment of the severity and the prognosis of septic patients with myocardial dysfunction.

Objective To investigate the syndrome types of traditional Chinese medicine ( TCM) in senile hypertension patients by cluster analysis. Methods Case report sheet for senile hypertension was formed, and then the general data and TCM syndrome information of 495 cases of senile hypertension were recorded. The frequency of syndrome information of the enrolled cases was analyzed, and then the syndrome types were classified by cluster analysis. Results The symptoms with high frequency in senile hypertension patients were dizziness ( 75.9%) , insomnia ( 33.1%) , chest distress ( 29.9%) , poor appetite ( 23.2%) , headache (22.4%), slippery pulse (54.9%), greasy fur (51.7%), stringy pulse (49.7%), and white fur (47.8%) . The main syndrome patterns of 495 cases of senile hypertension were upward hyperactivity of liver yang (23.8%), Qi deficiency and phlegm turbidity (21%), kidney qi deficiency (19.8%), phlegm blended with blood stasis (18.4%), and phlegm heat (17.0%) . Conclusion Senile hypertension patients are dominated with the syndrome types of upward hyperactivity of liver yang, Qi deficiency and kidney deficiency, and are usually complicated with phlegm turbidity, phlegm heat and blood stasis. The complicated syndromes of phlegm turbidity and blood stasis are commonly-seen. The results of cluster analysis are expected to supply evidence for the syndrome differentiation of senile hypertension.

Objective To investigate the effects of microRNA-29a (miR-29a) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced apoptosis in human monocytes THP-1 cells in order to understand the molecular mechanisms.Methods Human monocytes THP-1 cell line were exposed to LPS after transfected with miR-29a inhibitors (100 nmol/L) or just transfected with miR-29a mimic (100 nmol/L) by lipofectamine RNAiMAX.Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to detect the cell apoptosis.Real-time RT-PCR was employed to measure expressive levels of the gene Bcl-2 and Mcl-1.The luciferase assay was performed in HEK293T cells,which were co-transfected with plasmid DNA and miRNA by using Lipofectamine 2000.Statistical analysis carried out by using SPSS 13.0 software for One-way ANOVA and Student' s t test.Results Transfection with miR-29a mimics for 48 h increased apoptosis rate and significantly reduced the expressions of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 in THP-1 cells in comparsion with the control group.The apoptosis rate also raised in THP-1 cell stimulated by LPS for 24 h followed by LPS stimulation for 24 h,the apoptosis rate was decreased in comparison with the LPS group.In addition,our luciferase assay data showed that HEK293T cells cotransfected with miR-29a mimics and Bcl-2 3 ' UTR-Wt or Mcl-1 3' UTR-Wt plasmid significantly reduced the luciferase activity compared with the control group.Conclusions The miR-29a may regulate apoptosis by targeting the genes Bcl-2 and Mcl-1,and miR-29a may play a pivotal role in the process of apoptosis in immune cells.

Endothelial dysfunction was closely related with AS , NO bioavailability ( production and utilization of endothelial NO ) was decreased by oxidative stress , lipid infiltration , inflammatory factor expression , vascular tone alteration and so on , which play an important role in endothelial dysfunction .Enhanced arginine , activityand asym-metric dimethylarginine together with increased hyperhomocysteinemia all promote AS by intervening NO bioavail -ability.Diabetes mellitus, obesity, chronic kidney disease , smoking and so on also involved in AS via influencing NO bioavailability and NO level .

Here we tell a 20-year long story. It began with an easily overlooked DNA degradation (Dnd) phenomenon during electrophoresis and eventually led to the discovery of an unprecedented DNA sulfur modification governed by five dnd genes. This unusual DNA modification, called phosphorothioation, is the first physiological modification identified on the DNA backbone, in which the nonbridging oxygen is replaced by sulfur in a sequence selective and stereo-specific manner. Homologous dnd gene clusters have been identified in diverse and distantly related bacteria and thus have drawn immediate attention of the entire microbial scientific community. Here, we summarize the progress in chemical, genetic, enzymatic, bioinformatical and analytical aspects of this novel postreplicative DNA modification. We also discuss perspectives on the physiological functions of the DNA phosphorothioate modification in bacteria and their implications.
Bacteria ; genetics ; metabolism ; DNA, Bacterial ; chemistry ; history ; metabolism ; Genes, Bacterial ; History, 20th Century ; History, 21st Century ; Multigene Family ; Streptomyces lividans ; genetics ; metabolism ; Sulfur ; chemistry ; history ; metabolism

Objective:To compare the post-operative outcomes between extended lateral approach and L-shaped lateral approach in surgical treatment of Sanders type III intra-articular calcaneal fractures.Methods:A retrospective case-control study was made on clinical data of 34 patients with fresh Sanders type III intra-articular calcaneal fractures hospitalized in Langfang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from October 2014 to October 2017. There were 33 males and 1 female, with the age of 18-56 years [(42.5±9.4)years]. All fractures were fresh. Seventeen patients were fixed by the extended lateral approach (extended approach group) and seventeen patients by L-shaped lateral approach (L-shaped approach group). Operation duration, intraoperative bleeding volume, length of hospital stay, one-stage wound healing rate and complication rate were observed. B?hler and Gissane angle were measured before operation, one week after operation and 12 months after operation. American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scale was applied to evaluate function recovery.Results:There were no significant differences between groups in operative time and intraoperative bleeding volume ( P>0.05). There were significant differences between extended approach group and L-shaped approach group in length of hospital stay [(15.7±4.0)days vs.(22.4±9.6)days], one-stage wound healing rate [88%(15/17) vs. 47%(8/12)] and postoperative complication rate [12%(2/17) vs. 47%(8/17)] ( P<0.05). The B?hler and Gissane angles did not differ significantly between groups before operation and one week and 12 months after operation ( P>0.05). At postoperative 12 months, the B?hler and Gissane angles were improved from preoperative (8.2±6.0)°, (85.3±10.5)° to (23.9±6.1)° and (119.3±6.2)° respectively in extended approach group, and those from preoperative (9.4±3.9)°, (85.5±7.1)° to (25.8±3.7)° and (122.2±5.6)° respectively in L-shaped approach group (all P>0.05). At 12 months after operation, the AOFAS score was (86.9±7.5)points in extended approach group, with the excellent and good rate of 88%; and was (83.3±12.5)points in L-shaped approach group, with the excellent and good rate of 76% ( P>0.05). While the score of hindfoot joint activity in extended approach group was (5.8±0.7)points, significantly higher than (3.4±1.0)points in L-shaped approach group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:For Sanders III intraarticular calcaneal fractures, compared with L-shaped approach group, plate fixation via extended approach can promote fracture healing, shorten hospital stay, reduce incidence of complications and facilitate function recovery of subtalar joint.

Tunicamycin, a potent reversible translocase I inhibitor, is produced by several Actinomycetes species. The tunicamycin structure is highly unusual, and contains an 11-carbon dialdose sugar and an α, β-1″,11'-glycosidic linkage. Here we report the identification of a gene cluster essential for tunicamycin biosynthesis by high-throughput heterologous expression (HHE) strategy combined with a bioassay. Introduction of the genes into heterologous non-producing Streptomyces hosts results in production of tunicamycin by these strains, demonstrating the role of the genes for the biosynthesis of tunicamycins. Gene disruption experiments coupled with bioinformatic analysis revealed that the tunicamycin gene cluster is minimally composed of 12 genes (tunA-tunL). Amongst these is a putative radical SAM enzyme (Tun B) with a potentially unique role in biosynthetic carbon-carbon bond formation. Hence, a seven-step novel pathway is proposed for tunicamycin biosynthesis. Moreover, two gene clusters for the potential biosynthesis of tunicamycin-like antibiotics were also identified in Streptomyces clavuligerus ATCC 27064 and Actinosynnema mirums DSM 43827. These data provide clarification of the novel mechanisms for tunicamycin biosynthesis, and for the generation of new-designer tunicamycin analogs with selective/enhanced bioactivity via combinatorial biosynthesis strategies.
Actinobacteria ; enzymology ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; Biological Assay ; Carbohydrate Sequence ; Carbohydrates ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Cloning, Molecular ; Gene Deletion ; Gene Library ; High-Throughput Screening Assays ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Multigene Family ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Streptomyces ; enzymology ; genetics ; Tunicamycin ; biosynthesis ; chemistry ; genetics

Objective:To analyze the clinical features, differential diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of complex lymphatic malformations.Methods:The clinical data of patients with complex lymphatic malformation were retrospectively analyzed from April 2010 to April 2022 in the Multidisciplinary Outpatient Department of the Vascular Disease Team of West China Hospital, Sichuan University. All patients were diagnosed with complex lymphatic malformation after consultation with multidisciplinary experts in pediatric surgery, radiology, plastic surgery, pathology, rehabilitation and other departments. The clinical manifestations, blood routine, coagulation function, magnetic resonance imaging and treatment methods of the patients were analyzed. According to the follow-up and disease results, the patients were divided into improvement, stability, progress and death.Results:A total of 18 patients with complex lymphatic malformations were included in the study, including 6 males and 12 females. The age of first diagnosis ranged from 1 month to 29 years old, and the median age was 2.5 years old. Patients were followed up and treated for 0.4 to 12.0 years, with an average follow-up of 3.5 years. Ten patients had pleural and pericardial effusion; 15 patients had visceral involvement which showed multifocal changes in imaging examinations; 9 cases were accompanied by bone destruction, which in Gorham-Stout disease patients broke through the cortex while in generalized lymphatic anomalies it did not; 14 patients had various degrees of coagulation abnormalities, of which 8 patients with severe coagulation dysfunction were all diagnosed as kaposiform lymphangiomatosis. Of the 18 patients, one kaposiform lymphangiomatosis patient died; six patients progressed; eight patients were stable; and three patients improved.Conclusion:The clinical characteristics of patients with complex lymphatic malformations are systemic, diverse and complex. The clinical symptoms of patients with diffuse lymphatic malformation accompanied by involvement of bone and multiple internal organs, chest and abdominal effusion, and coagulation dysfunction should be considered as complex lymphatic malformation. However, due to overlapping clinical characteristics of each subtypes, it is difficult to distinguish patients with complex lymphatic malformation, and the curative effect and prognosis are poor. Precision targeted drugs are the future research direction for the treatment of such diseases.

Pyroptosis,an inflammatory caspase-dependent programmed cell death,plays a vital role in maintaining tissue homeostasis and activating inflammatory responses.Orthodontic tooth movement(OTM)is an aseptic force-induced inflammatory bone remodeling process mediated by the activation of periodontal ligament(PDL)progenitor cells.However,whether and how force induces PDL progenitor cell pyroptosis,thereby influencing OTM and alveolar bone remodeling remains unknown.In this study,we found that mechanical force induced the expression of pyroptosis-related markers in rat OTM and alveolar bone remodeling process.Blocking or enhancing pyroptosis level could suppress or promote OTM and alveolar bone remodeling respectively.Using Caspase-1-/-mice,we further demonstrated that the functional role of the force-induced pyroptosis in PDL progenitor cells depended on Caspase-1.Moreover,mechanical force could also induce pyroptosis in human ex-vivo force-treated PDL progenitor cells and in compressive force-loaded PDL progenitor cells in vitro,which influenced osteoclastogenesis.Mechanistically,transient receptor potential subfamily V member 4 signaling was involved in force-induced Caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis in PDL progenitor cells.Overall,this study suggested a novel mechanism contributing to the modulation of osteoclastogenesis and alveolar bone remodeling under mechanical stimuli,indicating a promising approach to accelerate OTM by targeting Caspase-1.

Pyroptosis,an inflammatory caspase-dependent programmed cell death,plays a vital role in maintaining tissue homeostasis and activating inflammatory responses.Orthodontic tooth movement(OTM)is an aseptic force-induced inflammatory bone remodeling process mediated by the activation of periodontal ligament(PDL)progenitor cells.However,whether and how force induces PDL progenitor cell pyroptosis,thereby influencing OTM and alveolar bone remodeling remains unknown.In this study,we found that mechanical force induced the expression of pyroptosis-related markers in rat OTM and alveolar bone remodeling process.Blocking or enhancing pyroptosis level could suppress or promote OTM and alveolar bone remodeling respectively.Using Caspase-1-/-mice,we further demonstrated that the functional role of the force-induced pyroptosis in PDL progenitor cells depended on Caspase-1.Moreover,mechanical force could also induce pyroptosis in human ex-vivo force-treated PDL progenitor cells and in compressive force-loaded PDL progenitor cells in vitro,which influenced osteoclastogenesis.Mechanistically,transient receptor potential subfamily V member 4 signaling was involved in force-induced Caspase-1-dependent pyroptosis in PDL progenitor cells.Overall,this study suggested a novel mechanism contributing to the modulation of osteoclastogenesis and alveolar bone remodeling under mechanical stimuli,indicating a promising approach to accelerate OTM by targeting Caspase-1.