OBJECTIVE: To investigate the genetic causal relationship of leukocyte telomere length (LTL) with prostatitis, orchitis and epididymitis by two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR). METHODS: Using LTL as the exposure factor and prostatitis, orchitis and epididymitis as outcome factors, we mined the Database of Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Then, we analyzed the causal relationship of LTL with prostatitis, orchitis and epididymitis by Mendelian randomization using inverse variance weighting (IVW) as the main method and weighted median and MR-Egger regression as auxiliary methods, determined the horizontal multiplicity by MR-Egger intercept test, and conducted sensitivity analysis using the leaving-one-out method. RESULTS: A total of 121 related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in this study. IVW showed LTL to be a risk factor for prostatitis (OR = 1.383, 95% CI: 1.044－1.832, P = 0.024), and for orchitis and epididymitis as well (OR = 1.770, 95% CI: 1.275－2.456, P = 0.000 6). CONCLUSION Genetic evidence from Mendelian randomized analysis indicates that shortening of LTL reduces the risk of prostatitis, orchitis and epididymitis.
Humans ; Male ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Epididymitis/genetics* ; Prostatitis/genetics* ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Leukocytes ; Orchitis/genetics* ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Telomere ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE: To review the research progress in biotherapy of rotator cuff injury in recent years, in order to provide help for clinical decision-making of rotator cuff injury treatment. METHODS: The literature related to biotherapy of rotator cuff injury at home and abroad in recent years was widely reviewed, and the mechanism and efficacy of biotherapy for rotator cuff injury were summarized from the aspects of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), growth factors, stem cells, and exosomes. RESULTS: In order to relieve patients' pain, improve upper limb function, and improve quality of life, the treatment of rotator cuff injury experienced an important change from conservative treatment to open surgery to arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair plus a variety of biotherapy methods have become the mainstream of clinical treatment. All kinds of biotherapy methods have ideal mid- and long-term effectiveness in the repair of rotator cuff injury. The biotherapy method to promote the healing of rotator cuff injury is controversial and needs to be further studied. CONCLUSION All kinds of biotherapy methods show a good effect on the repair of rotator cuff injury. It will be an important research direction to further develop new biotherapy technology and verify its effectiveness.
Humans ; Rotator Cuff Injuries/therapy* ; Quality of Life ; Arthroplasty ; Exosomes ; Neurosurgical Procedures

OBJECTIVE: To explore the proliferation inhibitory effect of quinones from Blaps rynchopetera defense secretion on colorectal tumor cell lines. METHODS: Human colorectal cancer cell HT-29, human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell Caco-2 and normal human colon epithelial cell CCD841 were chosen for the evaluation of inhibitory activity of the main quinones of B. rynchopetera defense secretion, including methyl p-benzoquinone (MBQ), ethyl p-benzoquinone (EBQ), and methyl hydroquinone (MHQ), through methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay. The tumor-related factors, cell cycles, related gene expressions and protein levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assy, flow cytometry, RT-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. RESULTS: MBQ, EBQ, and MHQ could significantly inhibit the proliferation of Caco-2, with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values of 7.04 ± 0.88, 10.92 ± 0.32, 9.35 ± 0.83, HT-29, with IC₅₀ values of 14.90 ± 2.71, 20.50 ± 6.37, 13.90 ± 1.30, and CCD841, with IC₅₀ values of 11.40 ± 0.68, 7.02 ± 0.44 and 7.83 ± 0.05 µg/mL, respectively. Tested quinones can reduce the expression of tumor-related factors tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin (IL)-10, and IL-6 in HT-29 cells, selectively promote apoptosis, and regulate the cell cycle which can reduce the proportion of cells in the G₁ phase and increase the proportion of the S phase. Meanwhile, tested quinones could up-regulate mRNA and protein expression of GSK-3β and APC, while down-regulate that of β-catenin, Frizzled1, c-Myc, and CyclinD1 in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway of HT-29 cells. CONCLUSION Quinones from B. rynchopetera defense secretion could inhibit the proliferation of colorectal tumor cells and reduce the expression of related factors, which would be functioned by regulating cell cycle, selectively promoting apoptosis, and affecting Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related mRNA and protein expressions.
Humans ; beta Catenin/metabolism* ; Caco-2 Cells ; Quinones/pharmacology* ; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation ; Colorectal Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Apoptosis ; Benzoquinones/pharmacology* ; RNA, Messenger ; Wnt Signaling Pathway

Objective To compare the effectiveness of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay and microscopic examinations for detection of Schistosoma japonicum infections in Oncomelania hupensis in transmission-interrupted regions, so as to provide insights into the optimization of snail surveillance tools in these regions. Methods Four hilly schistosomiasis-endemic villages where transmission interruption was achieved were selected in Heqing County of Yunnan Province as the study villages, including Xinzhuang and Gule villages in hilly regions and Lianyi and Yitou villages in dam regions. Snail survey was performed by means of systematic sampling combined with environmental sampling in July 2018. All captured snails were identified for S. japonicum infections using microscopy. In addition, 10 to 20 snails were randomly sampled from each snail habitat following microscopy, numbered according to environments and subjected to LAMP assay. The positive rate of settings with S. japonicum-infected snails was compared among villages. Results A total of 7 949 living snails were captured from 83 snail habitats in 4 villages, and no S. japonicum infection was detected in snails. There were 226 mixed samples containing 1 786 snails subjected to LAMP assay, and positive LAMP assay was found in 3 mixed samples from 3 snail habitats in 2 dam villages. The positive rates of settings with S. japonicum-infected snails were comparable between Lianyi Village (one setting) and Yitou Village (2 set tings) (5.89% vs. 14.29%, P = 0.344). However, the overall positive rate of settings with S. japonicum-infected snails was significantly higher in dam villages (9.67%, 3/31) than in hilly villages (0) (P = 0.048). Conclusions LAMP assay is more sensitive to detect S. japonicum infections in O. hupensis than conventional microcopy method, which may serve as a supplementary method for detection of S. japonicum infections in O. hupensis in high-risk snail habitats in hilly transmission-interrupted regions.

Hepatic fibrosis (HF) is a self-healing pathological process after all kinds of chronic liver injuries and can cause diseases such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. The Wnt signaling pathway is highly conserved in species evolution and widely exists in invertebrates and vertebrates, and many studies have confirmed that the Wnt signaling pathway is closely associated with the development and progression of HF. This article reviews the mechanisms of the classical and non-classical Wnt signaling pathways in regulating hepatic stellate cells, hepatic macrophages, and hepatic progenitor cells, so as to provide new ideas for subsequent studies on the mechanism of the Wnt signaling pathway in regulating HF and further exploration of therapeutic targets that can reverse HF.

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a category B infectious disease caused by hantaviruses that cause acute kidney injury and has a high mortality rate, and HFRS control has been given a high priority in China. It has been found that hantavirus types are closely associated with selective host transformation and regional adaption, and continue to evolve in the form of gene recombination. The severity of HFRS varies in hantavirus types. In addition, global environmental changes and alteration of host animal behaviors accelerate Hantavirus genome variations, and large-scale land reclamation and infrastructure building increases the likelihood of human contacts with hosts and disease-transmitting vectors, thereby increasing the risk of HFRS development. This review summarizes the main characteristics and influencing factors pertaining to the epidemic process of HFRS, so as to provide insights into effective prevention and control of this infectious disease.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic non-specific inflammatory bowel disease, listed as a modern refractory disease by the World Health Organization, which is difficult to recover, whereas it is easy to be attacked repeatedly. UC pathogenesis is closely related to gut microbiota dysbiosis. The gut microbiota interacts with bile acids (BAs), short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), tryptophan, and other metabolism, immune system, intestinal barrier, etc., which regulate each other and affect the occurrence and development of UC. The active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), single herb and its extracts, and formulae can effectively alleviate UC symptoms by regulating the diversity, structure, composition, and metabolites of gut microbiota. In this review, the TCM based on the regulation of gut microbiota in the treatment of UC and its related mechanism for nearly three years was summarized.

Objective:To investigate the effect and mechanism of PAE₂， a polypeptide of Periplaneta americana， in reversing multidrug resistance （MDR） for liver cancer in vivo. Method:Balb/c-nude mice were inoculated with HepG2 and HepG2/ADM cells under the armpits to establish animal models of liver cancer sensitive strains and animal models of MDR respectively. After successful modeling， the nude mice were randomly divided into normal group， HepG2 model group， HepG2/ADM model group， sorafenib group （positive drug control group， ig 30 mg·kg^-1）， HepG2/ADM+PAE₂ （iv） low， medium and high dose groups （50， 100， 200 mg·kg^-1）， HepG2/ADM+PAE₂ （ig） low， medium， and high dose groups （50， 100， 200 mg·kg^-1）， skim cream group （ig 200 mg·kg^-1）， and CⅡ-3 group （ig 200 mg·kg^-1）， all of which received corresponding drug treatment. The body weight and tumor volume of nude mice were measured and recorded every 2 days. The next day after the last administration， tumor tissues of nude mice were taken to record the tumor weight. The effect of P. americana polypeptide PAE₂ on permeability-glycoprotein（P-gp）， lung resistance protein（LRP） ， breast cancer resistance protein（BCRP）， protein kinase C（PKC）， glutathione S-transferase-π（GST-π）， topo-isomerase typeⅡ（ToPoⅡ）， multidurg resistance gene 1（MDR1） and Multidrug resistance-associated proteins（MRP1） of the protein level and gene level expression in tumor tissues were determined by immunohistochemistry （IHC） and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. In addition， both oral and intravenous administration groups were set up at the same time for preliminary study on the basic pharmacokinetic characteristics of P. americana polypeptide PAE₂. Result:After the successful modeling， the body weight of the nude mice was significantly lower than that in the normal mice（P<0.05）. After treatment with corresponding drugs， the body weight increased to a certain extent， but it was still not as good as the normal nude mice. In iv administration， the medium-dose P. americana polypeptide PAE₂ showed the best anti-tumor effect as compared with the model group （P<0.05）， while in oral administration， the anti-effect increased with the increase of the dose， so the high-dose group showed the best effect （P<0.05）. Preliminary crude extract CII-3 had no obvious anti-tumor effect， and skim cream showed a certain anti-tumor effect （P<0.05）. P. americana polypeptide PAE₂ had certain effects on MDR related proteins and enzymes in vivo， mainly by inhibiting the expression of LRP and BCRP in tumor tissues and affecting the expression of these related proteins and genes to different degrees to inhibit intracellular drugs outflow， thereby promoting tumor apoptosis， and the effect was superior to that of the P. americana crude extract CⅡ-3 and skim cream. Conclusion:P. americana polypeptide PAE₂ may reduce the drug efflux， promote intracellular drug accumulation and apoptosis by affecting the expression of related proteins and enzymes that mediate multidrug resistance， thereby exerting a reverse effect on HepG2/ADM cells Balb/c MDR in nude mice.

【Objective】 To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of low-dose rituximab combined with dexamethasone in the treatment of refractory ITP (RITP) in children. 【Methods】 A total of 31 RITP children, admitted to the Hematology Department of Kunming Children′s Hospital from January 2016 to December 2019 and agreed to receive low-dose rituximab (100 mg/ time, once a week, for 4 successive weeks) combined with dexamethasone (0.6 mg/kg, once a day, for 4 successive days) were enrolled and studied. Blood routine was monitored every other day during treatment, and adverse drug reactions were recorded. The influence of gender, disease course and age on prognosis was compared by χ² test. 【Results】 1) Among the 31 cases, 11 (35.5%) had platelets >100×10⁹/L after 4 weeks and had no recurrence in 6 months; 9 (29%) had platelets >30×10⁹/L but <100×10⁹/L and had no recurrence in 6 months; 11 (35.5%) showed no recovery of platelets, which were consistently lower than 30×10⁹/L. 2) Rituximab was used in 4 cases (12.9%), 1 case (3.2%) presented with severe drug-induced rashes; Headache, vomiting and elevated blood pressure occurred in 2 cases (6.4%). 1 case (3.2%) presented with laryngeal edema. 3) There was no difference in the total effective rate among different gender, age and disease course (P >0.05). 【Conclusion】 The total effective rate of low-dose rituximab combined with dexamethasone for children with refractory ITP in 6 months is 64.5%, and the adverse reactions are tolerable, so it can be used as a treatment option for children with refractory ITP.

The components of volatile oils are generally complex, and they often have the functions of divergent dissolving surface, insecticidal and antibacterial. However, there are few reports on bacteriostasis, anti-inflammation and antioxidation roles of volatile oils of Pelargonium graveolens L'Herit. The volatile oil of Pelargonium graveolens L’Herit. was extracted by steam distillation, and GC-MS and peak area normalization analysis showed that it mainly contained 30 compounds, and the identified components accounted for 90.26% of the total peak area. The volatile oil of Pelargonium graveolens L'Herit. has a certain inhibitory effect on Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus, especially on Candida albicans. The diameter of the bacteriostatic zone is 15.55±1.53 mm by using the oxford cup method. Dexamethasone and low, middle and high doses of volatile oils of Pelargonium graveolens L'Herit. were given after the RAW264. 7 cell inflammatory model and was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS = 10.0 μg/mL). ELISA assays showed that it could effectively reduce the expression of IL-1β and TNF-α in inflammatory cells, and the effect of high doses was similar to that of IL-1β and TNF-α in the dexamethasone group. GC-MS was successfully used to determine and identify the chemical constituents of volatile oils from Pelargonium graveolens L'Herit. in this study. We show that the volatile oil of Pelargonium graveolens L'Herit. had certain bacteriostatic activity and effectively reduces the secretion of IL-1β and TNF-α by inflammatory cells. It provides an experimental basis for the development and utilization of volatile oils from Pelargonium graveolens L'Herit.