AIM:To stuudy the relationship of the constituents of Erxiang Zhitong Capsule(Rhizoma alpiniae officinarum,Rhizoma cyperi and Radix aucklandiae) and its pharmacodynamics.METHODS:The use of supercritical CO_2 fluid extraction as extraction for three herbs acted as experimental materials.The preparation composed of Rhizoma Alpiniae officinarum extract,Rhizoma Cyperi extract;Radix Aucklandiae extract(3∶3∶2) had obviously antiulcerative,antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory analgesic effects.CONCLUSION: From view of pharmacodynamics view,we gain ratio of components of Erxiang Zhitong Capsule better than that of classical prescription.

Objective To investigate the K562 cells biological function and related molecular changes in PTEN-PI3K/AKT signaling pathway of leukemia K562 cells by inhibiting the miRNA-21 expression to explore its pathogenesis of leukemia.Methods The chemical synthetic miRNA-21 inhibitor was transfered into K562 cells by electrotransfection.RT-PCR was used to detect the miRNA-21 expression changes.Cell proliferation and apoptosis were determined by using MTT and flow cytometry.Western-blot were used to detect the protein expression changes of PTEN,PI3K and p-AKT respectively.Results The relative expression of miRNA-21 in experimental group was (8.070±5.138)％ at 24 hours,which was lower than control groups (P＜0.05).The apoptotic rate of (13.370±0.250)％ at 24 hours in experimental group was obviously higher than control groups.The cellular proliferation were significantly different at 24 hours.The proliferation inhibition rate was (8.1±0.9)％ at 24 hours,which was up to (43.1±2.1)％ at 60 hours,but the control groups showed no difference.K562 cell proliferation significantly decreased,while cell apoptosis markedly increased by inhibiting miRNA-21 expression (P＜0.01).Western-blot analysis revealed up-regulation of PTEN and down-regulation of PI3K and p-AKT protein expressions after successfully suppressed miRNA-21 expression (P＜0.01).Conclusion Inhibiting miRNA-21 expression in K562 cell could suppress the PI3K/AKT pathway by up-regulation of PTEN expression and promote cell antiproliferative and pro-apoptosis effects.

Objective:To investigate the potential mechanism of microRNA (miRNA) in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.Methods:The peripheral blood samples were collected from four chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients who visited Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University in 2017, and those were also collected from four healthy controls. Affymetrix GeneChip microRNA 4.0 was applied to detect the expressions of miRNA between CHB patients and healthy controls. The CHB relative differential expressions of miRNA were obtained. The functions of CHB relative miRNA were analyzed by the combination of bioinformatics tools and public database data.Results:A total of seven miRNA were differentially expressed in the peripheral blood of CHB patients. Among them, miRNA-122-5p (log 2 fold change (log 2FC)=7.78, P=0.007 3), let-7c-5p (log 2FC=3.52, P=0.019 6), miRNA-6794-5p (log 2FC=1.15, P=0.033 2), and miRNA-1226-5p (log 2FC=0.68, P=0.034 3) were up-regulated, while miRNA-619-5p (log 2FC=-1.83, P=0.002 6), miRNA-1273g-3p (log 2FC=-2.69, P=0.025 1), and miRNA-4440 (log 2FC=-3.99, P=0.047 8) were down-regulated. Further analysis showed that these miRNA could directly interact with HBV gene sequence and impact the replication of the virus. Among them, miRNA-122-5p, miRNA-6794-5p and miRNA-1226-5p could negatively regulate target genes expression to influence the formation of ficolin-1 rich granule, ficolin-1 rich granule lumen, podosome and membrane ruffle, which participated in the cell membrane movement and cell-matrix adhesion. Conclusion:MiRNA could impact the molecular movement in the cell membrane and facilitate HBV entry to liver cells, playing an important supporting role in HBV infection process.

Objective To establish a set of operational status assessment indicators to meet the needs of informationized hospital management.Methods Assessment indicators were selected and weights were set respectively through literature review,field interview,and questionnaire survey.Six target dimensions were key performance indicators medical business,operational performance,cost control,medical insurance,balance and risk management,and development capability.Thus a set of operational status evaluation indicators was established in IT means,and based on the informationization level of a tertiary A general hospital in Zhejiang province.Results In the principle of public welfare,objectivity,effectiveness and prospectiveness,we analyzed and sorted out relevant data in the current hospital informationization,identifying six quantitative indicators,15 level-1 indicators,and 86 level-2 indicators.Conclusions It is feasible to build a set of assessment indicators for hospital operation and management in view of both technology and methodology.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are compounds with more than two benzene rings, widely exist in the environment, and can affect human health in various ways. Previous studies on the health effects of PAHs mainly focused on their carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, and effects on pulmonary diseases, cardiovascular diseases, etc. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the negative influence of PAHs to inflammatory skin diseases (especially psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and lupus erythematosus). This review summarizes recent research advances in the role of PAHs in the occurrence and development of inflammatory skin diseases.

Objective:To investigate and analyze the energy metabolism characteristics and the correlation between energy metabolism and the risk of secondary bacterial infection in patients with hepatitis B virus-related chronic liver disease (HBV-CLD).Methods:Data of 183 cases admitted to the Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University from November 2017 to November 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. 79 cases of chronic hepatitis B, 51 cases of hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis, and 53 cases of hepatitis B-related liver failure were collected. Among them patients with liver failure and decompensated liver cirrhosis were defined as severe liver disease group. The Quark RMR indirect calorimetry (COSMED Corporation, Italy) was used to exam the patients' energy metabolism condition, and the incidences of secondary bacterial infection of the patients during hospitalization were recorded. Shapiro-Wilk test and normal QQ plot were used to analyze the normal distribution of continuous variable data, which was consistent with the normal distribution and was described by mean ± standard deviation. In addition, if it did not conform to the normal distribution, the median and interquartile distance were used to describe it. Levene’s test was used to test the homogeneity of variance of the data, which was consistent with the normal distribution. The t-test was used to compare the means of the two groups of samples. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the mean values of the three groups of samples, and then the Tukey's test was used to compare the two groups. If the variance was uneven or did not conform to the normal distribution, the Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare the differences between the two groups. Kruskal-Wallis test (H test) was used to compare the differences between the three groups of samples, and then the Dunnett’s test (Z test) was used for comparison between the two groups. Categorical variable data were analyzed using chi-square test. Logistic regression analysis was used to screen independent risk factors, and the criteria for variable inclusion ( P < 0.05). Results:The respiratory entropy (RQ) and non-protein respiratory entropy (npRQ) of the three groups had statistically significant difference ( P < 0.05). Among them, the RQ and npRQ of the chronic hepatitis B group were higher than hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis group and hepatitis B-related liver failure group. There were statistically significant differences in fat oxidation rate (FAT%) and carbohydrate oxidation rate (CHO%) between the three groups ( P < 0.05). Compared with hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis group and hepatitis B-related liver failure group, chronic hepatitis B group ( P < 0.05) had lower FAT% and higher CHO%. There were no statistically significant differences in the measured and predicted resting energy expenditure and protein oxidation rate (PRO%) between the three groups. The incidence of secondary bacterial infection in patients with severe liver disease was 48.39% (45/93). Compared with the non-infected group, the RQ and npRQ values ??of the infected group were significantly decreased ( P < 0.05), while FAT% was significantly increased ( P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that glutamyltransferase, cholesterol, and npRQ were independent risk factors for secondary bacterial infections in patients with severe liver disease. Glutamyltransferase elevation, and cholesterol and npRQ depletion had suggested an increased risk of secondary bacterial infection. Subgroup analysis of patients with hepatitis B-related liver failure also showed that compared with non-infected group, RQ value and npRQ value of secondary bacterial infection group were significantly decreased ( P < 0.05), while FAT% was significantly increased ( P < 0.05). Conclusion:Patients with hepatitis B virus-related chronic liver disease generally have abnormal energy metabolism. Low RQ, npRQ, CHO% and high FAT% are related to the severity of the disease; while npRQ reduction is related to the risk of secondary bacterial infection in patients with severe liver disease, and thus can be used as a clinical prognostic indicator.

Birth cohort is an important platform to study the effect of early-life exposure on health outcome, but large cohorts to investigate the effect of preconception exposure, especially paternal exposure, on reproductive health and birth outcome are limited. The Preconception Reproductive Health and Birth Outcome Cohort (PREBIC) is a prospective birth cohort study which pays equal attention to the contribution of environmental, psychological, behavioral as well as other factors to reproductive health and adverse birth outcomes in both men and women in Chongqing, China. PREBIC started in 2019 and plans to recruit 20 800 reproductive-age couples with child-bearing willingness. Followed up was conducted to understand the conception status of the women within two years. Women in pregnancy would be visited at first, second, third trimesters and after delivery. The offspring would be monitored until 2 years old to understand the incidences of preterm birth, low birth weight, birth defects, neurodevelopmental disorders and other outcomes. Related information and biospecimen collections (including semen, peripheral blood, urine, placenta, umbilical cord, cord blood and oral swab) were scheduled in each period. By January 2022, PREBIC had recruited 8 698 participants from all 38 districts in Chongqing. The goal of PREBIC is to establish one of the largest prospective preconception birth cohorts covering both men and women, which might provide a unique insight to understand the effects of the full reproductive cycle on reproductive health and adverse outcomes, with especial emphasis on preconception exposures.

Objective: To investigate the pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in twin pregnancies and the association with chorionicity and modes of conception in order to provide evidence for early prevention and reduction of complications and life quality improvement of twin neonates. Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 756 women with twin pregnancies who gave birth at Peking University Third Hospital from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2015. Clinical features of the mothers and newborns were collected, the pregnancy and neonatal outcomes were analyzed. Impacts of chorionicity and different modes of conception on the outcomes were also evaluated. Two independent-sample t test and Chi-square test were used as statistical methods. Results: Twin pregnancies accounted for 6.7% (756/11 169) of all deliveries in the hospital during the study period and the preterm birth rate was 59.4% (449/756). Twenty five women underwent fetal reduction (3.3%, 25/756) and intrauterine death occurred in 85 pregnancies (11.2%, 85/756). Eventually 1 400 babies were born alive (92.6%, 1 400/1 512). Subgroup analysis suggested that compared with dichorionic diamniotic (DCDA) pregnancies, monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) cases showed younger maternal age at conception [(30.5±4.2) vs (32.9±4.0) years, t=-7.412], smaller gestational age at delivery [(34.1±3.1) vs (35.7±2.2) weeks, t=-7.325] and higher preterm birth rate [78.4% (174/222) vs 51.5% (263/511), χ²=46.554], all P<0.05. Moreover, the incidence of neonatal complications, including respiratory distress syndrome [18.3% (40/219) vs 8.0% (21/261), χ²=11.210], neonatal pneumonia [18.3% (40/219) vs 8.8% (23/261), χ²=9.331] and sepsis [6.8% (15/219) vs 1.5% (4/261), χ²=8.854], etc. was higher in the MCDA group than those in the DCDA group, resulting in a higher mortality rate [7.8% (17/219) vs 1.1% (3/261), χ²=13.042] in the MCDA pregnancies, all P<0.05. Compared with spontaneously conceived twin pregnancies, women underwent in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer were older at conception [(33.4±3.8) vs (30.6±4.4) years, t=-6.095], delivered at a greater gestational age [(35.8±2.1) vs (35.2±2.6) weeks, t=-2.452] and had a lower preterm birth rate [49.2% (206/419) vs 63.5% (54/85), χ²=5.838] in the DCDA group, all P<0.05. No significant differences in the incidence of neonatal diseases were observed between the two subgroups. Conclusions The incidence of preterm birth is high in twin pregnancies. Compared with DCDA twin pregnancies, MCDA twin pregnancies are associated with more adverse outcomes due to higher incidence of neonatal diseases. In vitro fertilization-embryo transfer does not increase the incidence of preterm birth and the neonatal outcomes were comparable to those of spontaneously conceived ones.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of berbamine hydrochloride on sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma cells and the underlying mechanisms. MethodThe sorafenib-resistant cell line SMMC-7721/S was selected by the concentration increment method starting at 1.25 μmol·L^-1 sorafenib. Both SMMC-7721 and SMMC-7721/S cells were treated with 0， 2.5， 5， 10， 15， 20 μmol·L^-1 sorafenib， and the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay was employed to determine the half maximal inhibitory concentration （IC₅₀） and calculate the resistance index （RI）. Western blot was conducted to compare the expression of proteins involved in autophagy and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin （PI3K/Akt/mTOR） signaling pathway between SMMC-7721 and SMMC-7721/S cells. Furthermore， SMMC-7721/S cells were treated with 5 μmol·L^-1 berbamine hydrochloride alone or in combination with 2.5， 5， 10 μmol·L^-1 sorafenib， and the cell growth was assessed by the CCK-8 assay. In addition， SMMC-7721 and SMMC-7721/S cells were treated with 5 μmol·L^-1 berbamine hydrochloride alone or in combination with 5 μmol·L^-1 sorafenib， and the cell proliferation was examined by the colony formation assay. The immunofluorescence assays with Microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3） and LysoTracker as probes were employed to assess the lysosomal acidification in SMMC-7721 cells treated with 5 μmol·L^-1 berbamine hydrochloride or 0.1 μmol·L^-1 autophagy inhibitor bafilomycin A1 （Baf）. Further， the expression of proteins involved in autophagy and PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway was determined by Western blot and compared between groups. ResultSorafenib showed the IC₅₀ of 9.56 mol·L^-1 （P<0.01） and 7.99 mol·L^-1 for SMMC-7721/S and SMMC-7721 cells， respectively， at 24 h. The resistance index （RI） of SMMC-7721/S for sorafenib was 1.20 （P<0.01）， which indicated mild resistance. Compared with SMMC-7721 cells， SMMC-7721/S cells exhibited up-regulated expression of p-mTOR， p-Akt， and LC3Ⅱ， down-regulated expression of p62 protein （P<0.01）， and unchanged Akt protein level. CCK-8 and colony formation assays demonstrated that the combination of berbamine hydrochloride and sorafenib exhibited a synergistic effect （Q>1.15）， with berbamine hydrochloride partially reversing the resistance of liver cancer cells to sorafenib. The immunofluorescence detection of LC3 revealed that berbamine hydrochloride and Baf significantly increased LC3 in SMMC-7721 cells. The detection with LysoTracker as the probe showed that berbamine hydrochloride inhibited the acidity of lysosomes in SMMC-7721 cells （P<0.01）， indicating the suppression of autophagy. Berbamine hydrochloride further enhanced the downregulation of p-mTOR and p-Akt protein levels and did not change the Akt protein level in SMMC-7721 cells exposed to sorafenib. Berbamine hydrochloride inhibited the increase in p-mTOR expression， down-regulated the p-Akt protein level， and did not change the total Akt protein level in the SMMC-7721/S cells exposed to sorafenib. ConclusionBerbamine hydrochloride can ameliorate the resistance of liver cancer cells to sorafenib by inhibiting cellular autophagy and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

BackgroundCombination of antipsychotic drugs and modified electroconvulsive therapy （MECT） is currently a commonly used method for treating schizophrenia， but its efficacy varies among different patient groups. ObjectiveTo explore the therapeutic effects of MECT on schizophrenia patients living in different urban versus rural environments， so as to provide references for the selection of treatment plans based on patients' residence. MethodsA total of 587 patients hospitalized at Luzhou Mental Health Center， Zigong Mental Health Center and Yibin Fourth People's Hospital from May 2018 to August 2022， who met the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fifth edition （DSM-5） ，were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups： medication-only group （n=106） and MECT combined with medication group （n=481）. In MECT combined with medication group， 24 rural patients residing in urban areas were excluded， leaving the remaining patients divided into urban group （n=103） and rural group （n=354） based on their place of residence. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale （PANSS） was used to assess the severity of symptoms. Clinical efficacy was evaluated using PANSS score reduction rate， and covariance analysis was used to compare the therapeutic effects of different patients. ResultsThe differences of reduction rate of PANSS total score， positive symptom scale score and negative symptom scale score as well as treatment effectiveness rate between MECT combined with medication group and medication-only group were statistically significant （F=11.149， 12.111， 31.725， χ²=14.010， P<0.01）. Statistically significant differences were also observed in reduction rate of PANSS total score and positive symptom subscale score as well as treatment effectiveness rate between urban and rural patients in MECT combined with medication group （F=3.946， 4.523， χ²=4.033， P<0.05）. ConclusionThe efficacy of MECT combined with medication may be superior to medication alone in the treatment of schizophrenia， and the combined therapy may be more effective in urban patients than that in rural patients， with potentially more pronounced improvements in positive symptoms.