Objective To elucidate the changes in the gut microbiota and molecular mechanism of huaier in enhancing the efficacy of oxaliplatin (OXA) chemotherapy in gastric cancer (GC). Methods The effects of huaier on the gut microbiota structure and intestinal barrier function in MKN45-bearing mice were analyzed by using 16S rRNA sequencing, RT-qPCR, and IHC. UPLC-MS and network pharmacology, as well as in vivo experimental approaches, were employed to investigate the key bioactive constituents of huaier systematically and elucidate the underlying mechanisms by which huaier exerts therapeutic effects against GC. The expression of the PI3K/AKT/SREBP pathway was detected in cancer cells and tissues via Western blot analysis. The safety profile of huaier combined with OXA was verified through serum biochemistry and HE-stained tissue section analyses. Results Huaier inhibited the PI3K/AKT/SREBP pathway by increasing the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila, reduced lipid droplet deposition, and ultimately enhanced the sensitivity to OXA in the treatment of GC. Conclusion This study demonstrates the value of huaier in gastric cancer treatment by enhancing chemosensitivity and provides novel insights into its systemic therapeutic effects through molecular mechanisms and gut microbiota modulation.

Objective To investigate the effect of mitochondrial unfolded protein response(UPRmt)on lipid metabolism in human kidney 2(HK-2)cells.Methods Lipid accumulation was induced by palmitic acid(PA)in HK-2 cells.The cells were pretreated with siRNA or CDDO respectively.The intracellular lipid accumulation was observed by oil red staining;mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP)was measured by JC-1.The contents of reactive oxygen species(ROS)in mitochondria were measured by Mito-SOX,and the expressions of HSP60,LONP1,CLPP,ACOX1,PPARα,PGC1α and CPT1α were detected by Western blotting.Results PA induced lipid aggregation,MMP decrease,ROS generation in mitochondria and the decreased expression of UPRmt proteins(e.g.,HSP60 and LONP1)in HK-2 cells.Pretreatment of HK-2 cells with siRNA could aggravate lipid aggregation,MMP decrease and ROS generation induced by PA,and further decrease the expression of HSP 60and LONP1.Pretreatment of HK-2 cells with CDDO alleviated lipid aggregation,MMP decrease,ROS generation and decreased HSP60 and LONP1 expressions induced by PA.Conclusion Lipid aggregation in HK-2 cells induced by PA may be related to mitochondrial dysfunction and UPRmt has a protective effect on HK-2 cells in the process.

Objective·To further clarify the mechanism of podocyte damage by studying the expression of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein(COMP)in glomerular podocytes and its relationship with podocyte autophagy under high glucose environment.Methods·The gene expression dataset GSE104948 was downloaded from the GENE EXPRESSION OMNIBUS(GEO)database,and differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were obtained via GEO2R.The molecular functions and signaling pathways related to differential genes were summarized.The most correlated key genes(hub genes)were acquired by Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis(WGCNA)and the protein-protein interaction network(PPI)of DEGs was constructed with STRING database.The enrichment analysis was performed again.Conditionally immortalized mouse podocyte cells were cultured in vitro.After being fully differentiated,they were stimulated with high glucose,and the expressions of COMP,mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR),microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain3(LC3)and other proteins in podocytes were detected by Western blotting.The shRNA constructed by lentiviral vector was further used to infect podocytes to inhibit the expression of COMP,and the stable cell strains were screened by puromycin.The expression of COMP,mTOR,and LC3 of stable strains were detected by Western blotting,in order to observe the effect of COMP on autophagy.Results·A total of 362 DEGs were filtered for subsequent analysis.Among these DEGs,284 genes were up-regulated and 78 genes were down-regulated.The results of Gene Onotology(GO)term analysis showed that DEGs in diabetic nephropathy(DN)were mainly enriched in cell surface receptor signaling pathway,receptor binding,etc.The main enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathways included phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(PKB/AKT)signaling pathway,extracellular matrix(ECM)-receptor interaction,etc.Sixty-four hub genes were refined through the intersection of WGCNA and PPI hub genes,and the hub genes with significantly increased or decreased expression were sifted.The hub genes were annotated with KEGG again,and it was found that most of the hub genes were enriched in"ECM-receptor interaction"and"PI3K/AKT signaling pathway".The PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway is a classic autophagy pathway,and COMP was absolutely overexpressed(logFC>2)in the 64 hub genes,suggesting that it may affect autophagy through this pathway.Western blotting showed that compared with the mannitol control group and the low glucose group,the expression of COMP in podocytes was significantly increased under high glucose stimulation.Compared with the control group,the expression of LC3-Ⅱ in the high glucose group was significantly decreased,indicating that the autophagy initiation of podocytes was inhibited under the high glucose environment.Compared with the negative control,the expression of LC3-Ⅱ in renal podocytes of mice with knockdown of COMP was significantly increased,and the mTOR decreased with the decrease of the expression of COMP,indicating that inhibiting COMP contributed to the recovery of autophagy in podocytes.Conclusion·COMP is highly expressed in DN patients and highly enriched in ECM receptor and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.Autophagy in mouse renal podocytes is inhibited under high glucose conditions,and the high expression of COMP induced by high glucose may be a key factor in autophagy inhibition.Inhibiting COMP helps to restore autophagy in mouse renal podocytes.

Background::Although existing mycological tests (bronchoalveolar lavage [BAL] galactomannan [GM], serum GM, serum (1,3)-β-D-glucan [BDG], and fungal culture) are widely used for diagnosing invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in non-hematological patients with respiratory diseases, their clinical utility in this large population is actually unclear. We aimed to resolve this clinical uncertainty by evaluating the diagnostic accuracy and utility of existing tests and explore the efficacy of novel sputum-based Aspergillus assays. Methods::Existing tests were assessed in a prospective and consecutive cohort of patients with respiratory diseases in West China Hospital between 2016 and 2019 while novel sputum assays (especially sputum GM and Aspergillus-specific lateral-flow device [LFD]) in a case-controlled subcohort. IPA was defined according to the modified European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycoses Study Group criteria. Sensitivity and specificity were computed for each test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed. Results::The entire cohort included 3530 admissions (proven/probable IPA = 66, no IPA = 3464) and the subcohort included 127 admissions (proven/probable IPA = 38, no IPA = 89). Sensitivity of BAL GM (≥1.0 optical density index [ODI]: 86% [24/28]) was substantially higher than that of serum GM (≥0.5 ODI: 38% [39/102]) ( χ2 = 19.83, P < 0.001), serum BDG (≥70 pg/mL: 33% [31/95]) ( χ2 = 24.65, P < 0.001), and fungal culture (33% [84/253]) ( χ2 = 29.38, P < 0.001). Specificity varied between BAL GM (≥1.0 ODI: 94% [377/402]), serum GM (≥0.5 ODI: 95% [2130/2248]), BDG (89% [1878/2106]), and culture (98% [4936/5055]). Sputum GM (≥2.0 ODI) had similar sensitivity (84% [32/38]) (Fisher’s exact P = 1.000) to and slightly lower specificity (87% [77/89]) ( χ2 = 5.52, P = 0.019) than BAL GM (≥1.0 ODI). Area under the ROC curve values were comparable between sputum GM (0.883 [0.812-0.953]) and BAL GM (0.901 [0.824-0.977]) ( P = 0.734). Sputum LFD had similar specificity (91% [81/89]) ( χ2 = 0.89, P = 0.345) to and lower sensitivity (63% [24/38]) ( χ2 = 4.14, P = 0.042) than BAL GM (≥1.0 ODI), but significantly higher sensitivity than serum GM (≥0.5 ODI) ( χ2 = 6.95, P = 0.008), BDG ( χ2 = 10.43, P = 0.001), and fungal culture ( χ2 = 12.70, P < 0.001). Conclusions::Serum GM, serum BDG, and fungal culture lack sufficient sensitivity for diagnosing IPA in respiratory patients. Sputum GM and LFD assays hold promise as rapid, sensitive, and non-invasive alternatives to the BAL GM test.

Objective To explore the effect of paravertebral nerve block for preemptive analgesia on patients with thoracic surgery,and provide reference for clinical anesthesia.Methods From March 2014 to February 2016,102 patients with thoracic surgery in our hospital were selected as the research object,and they were divided into the observation group and the control group with 51 cases in each group according to the anesthesia methods.All the patients were given total intravenous anesthesia.Patients of the control group were injected propofol 1~2 mg/kg,sufentanil 0.4~0.5 g/kg,midazolam 0.1 mg/kg and rocuronium 0.5~0.7 mg/kg,while patients of the observation group were injected ropivacaine(with concentration of 0.5%)5 mL,sufentanil 0.1~0.3 μg·kg-1·min-1 and propofol 6~8 mg·kg-1·min-1 as an addition with the use of ultrasound to guide the paravertebral nerve block.The effect of the two groups were compared.Results The dosage of propofol,remifentanil and rocuronium in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group during the operation.The VAS score,postoperative pulmonary complication rate,ICU rate,extubation time,postoperative recovery time at different time of observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group,and SpO2 was higher in control group 30 minutes after tracheal extubation, the differences were significant (P<0.05).Conclusion Paravertebral nerve block requires less dosage of anaesthetic, and it has more significant analgesia effect on patients with thoracic surgery, which can efficiently promote the recovery of patients.

By engineering the subsite +1 of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase (CGTase) from Paenibacillus macerans, we improved its maltodextrin specificity for 2-O-D-glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acid (AA-2G) synthesis. Specifically, we conducted site-saturation mutagenesis on Leu194, Ala230, and His233 in subsite +1 separately and gained 3 mutants L194N (leucine --> asparagine), A230D (alanine --> aspartic acid), and H233E (histidine --> glutamic acid) produced higher AA-2G yield than the wild-type and the other mutant CGTases. Therefore, the 3 mutants L194N, A230D, and H233E were further used to construct the double and triple mutations. Among the 7 obtained combinational mutants, the triple mutant L194N/A230D/H233E produced the highest AA-2G titer of 1.95 g/L, which was increased by 62.5% compared with that produced by the wild-type CGTase. Then, we modeled the reaction kinetics of all the mutants and found a substrate inhibition by high titer of L-AA for the mutants. The optimal temperature, pH, and reaction time of all the mutants were also determined. The structure modeling indicated that the enhanced maltodextrin specificity may be related with the changes of hydrogen bonding interactions between the side chain of residue at the three positions (194, 230 and 233) and the substrate sugars.
Ascorbic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; Glucosyltransferases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Hydrogen Bonding ; Kinetics ; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed ; Paenibacillus ; enzymology ; Polysaccharides ; chemistry ; Protein Engineering ; Substrate Specificity ; Temperature

Objective To study the relationship between Y chromosome abnormalities and AZF microdeletions in males with reproductive failure.Methods A case-control study was conducted in 2694 reproductive failure men with age ranges from 23 to 49 years old from the Institute of Reproductive Medicine of Jilin Province.Patients were divided into three groups:spermatogenic failure group (n =1332),disadvantage pregnancy outcomes group (n =994) and adverse birth outcomes group.All patients underwent chromosomal karyotype analysis (G-banding).AZF microdeletions were further investigated in patients with Y chromosomal abnormalities by PCR.The Chi-square test was used to compare the frequency of Y chromosome abnormalities in three groups.Results Of the 51 cases of Y chromosome abnormalities (1.89％,51/2694),32 were (2.40％,32/1332) in the spermatogenic failure group,15 were (1.51％,15/994) in disadvantage pregnancy outcomes group and 4 were (1.09％,4/368) in adverse birth outcomes group.There was no significant difference in Y chromosome abnormalities among different groups (x2 =3.895,P ＞0.05).AZF microdeletions were detected in 10 cases (19.61％,10/51) of Y chromosome abnormalities patients with spermatogenic failure.Conclusions The incidence of Y chromosomal abnormalities in three reproductive failure groups is similar.Chromosome karyotype analysis and AZF microdeletions examination could identify the genetics etiology in males with reproductive failure.

Objective To describe different types of chromosomal abnormalities on male infertility.Methods From May 2006 to May 2012,2034 infertile males with genetic counseling underwent chromosome karyotype analysis,semen routine examination and reproductive hormones levels detection.The data from them were analyzed.Results 267 cases of chromosomal abnormalities were detected in 2034 cases (13.13％).258 cases underwent semen routine examination in 267 cases with chromosomal abnormalities,of which 190 cases of azoospermia,58 cases of oligozoospermia,10 cases of semen normal.In 267 cases of chromosomal abnormalities,including 169 cases (63.30％) of number abnormalities,mainly with azoospermia,157 cases of Klinefelter syndrome (KS) (58.80％),7 cases of 47,XYY (2.62％),4 cases of Turner syndrome (1.50％),1 case of marker chromosome (0.37％) ; 49 cases (18.35％) of structural abnormalities mainly with oligozoospermia,including 32 cases of chromosomal translocations (11.99％),17 cases of inversion (6.37％) ; 4 cases of sex reversal (1.50％) with azoospermia; 45 cases of chromosome polymorphism (16.85％) mainly with oligozoospermia.Non-mosaicism KS patients' age,testicular volume,semen volume,and serum reproductive hormones levels were compared between different groups of semen results,and there were no significant difference except age.Conclusions Chromosome abnormalities were the most important genetic causes of abnormal semen quality and male infertility.It is necessary to be performed chromosome karyotype analysis for infertile males.

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of quantitative myocardial acoustic densitometry in myocardial fibrosis in relative to the alteration in serum procollagen type Ⅲ amino-terminal propeptide(PⅢNP) concentration in hypertensive patients. Methods Seventy-five consecutive hypertensive patients were recruited with 75 normal persons served as healthy controls. The indexes of acoustic densitometry were evaluated by echocardiography and the concentrations of the serum PⅢNP peptide by radioimmunoassay. Results Calibrated acoustic intensity in septal(CAI1) and posterior wall(CAI2) in hypertension group(0.88?0.06, 0.73?0.06) were greater than that in healthy control group (0.66?0.19, 0.54?0.06) (P