Ventricular Function, Right ; Heart Ventricles/diagnostic imaging* ; Echocardiography

Objective: Several COVID-19 patients have overlapping comorbidities. The independent role of each component contributing to the risk of COVID-19 is unknown, and how some non-cardiometabolic comorbidities affect the risk of COVID-19 remains unclear. Methods: A retrospective follow-up design was adopted. A total of 1,160 laboratory-confirmed patients were enrolled from nine provinces in China. Data on comorbidities were obtained from the patients' medical records. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio ( Results: Overall, 158 (13.6%) patients were diagnosed with severe illness and 32 (2.7%) had unfavorable outcomes. Hypertension (2.87, 1.30-6.32), type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (3.57, 2.32-5.49), cardiovascular disease (CVD) (3.78, 1.81-7.89), fatty liver disease (7.53, 1.96-28.96), hyperlipidemia (2.15, 1.26-3.67), other lung diseases (6.00, 3.01-11.96), and electrolyte imbalance (10.40, 3.00-26.10) were independently linked to increased odds of being severely ill. T2DM (6.07, 2.89-12.75), CVD (8.47, 6.03-11.89), and electrolyte imbalance (19.44, 11.47-32.96) were also strong predictors of unfavorable outcomes. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease on admission (5.46, 3.25-9.19), while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes (6.58, 1.46-29.64) within two weeks. Conclusion Besides hypertension, diabetes, and CVD, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, other lung diseases, and electrolyte imbalance were independent risk factors for COVID-19 severity and poor treatment outcome. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease, while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes.
Adult ; Aged ; COVID-19/virology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Comorbidity ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Treatment Outcome

Professor XUE Bo-shou，a master of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM），believes that coronavirus disease-2019 （COVID-19） belongs to the category of "cold epidemic" or "cold-dampness epidemic" in TCM theory. Cold-dampness obstructing the lungs is the key pathogenesis in the early stage of the disease. Exogenous pathogenic factors of cold and dampness are converted into heat in the interior. Over time，the pathogenesis is the disturbance in ascending and descending of Qi movement，loss of vital Qi， deficiency of both Qi and Yin，and even the occurrence of inner blocking causing Yang collapse. Professor XUE believes that the clinical syndrome differentiation and treatment shall be based on six meridians， and the efficacy could be improved by reference to classical prescriptions of plague in the past dynasties. To treat the disease in the early stage， the prescriptions emphasize on diffusing the lungs，inducing resuscitation and expelling pathogenic factors. He advocates the proper use of Ephedrae Herba， which can induce resuscitation of the lungs，diffuse the lungs and expel pathogenic factors，dissipate the interstitial depression and pathogenic factors in the lung interstitium. Therefore，it is considered that Ephedrae Herba is an effective medicine for diffusing the lungs，expelling pathogenic factors，inducing diuresis，eliminating dampness，promoting blood circulation and removing stasis due to cold coagulation. At the same time，the weakness of vital Qi is the root cause of the disease. The prosperity and decline of vital Qi plays a decisive role in the development， prognosis and efficacy of the disease. Professor XUE attaches importance to overall treatment，and emphasize the basis of pathogenesis， vital Qi， and stomach Qi. We shall expel pathogenic factors of disease，while protecting the vital Qi and stomach Qi. This article summarizes Professor XUE's diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19， enumerates and analyzes professor XUE's consultation cases of COVID-19 in designated hospitals in Linyi， Xinjiang and Beijing， in order to provide more ideas for the anti-epidemic effect of TCM.

Cucurbitadienol has anti-inflammation, anti-cancer activities, and acts as a precursor of traditional Chinese medicine active ingredients mogroside and cucurbitacine. For construction of a Sacchromyces cerevisiae cell factory for production of cucurbitadienol, we firstly cloned a cucurbitadienol synthase (CBS) gene from Siraitia grosvenorii. Then, through heterologous expression of CBS in the triterpenoid chassis strain WD-2091, the engineered strain could produced 27.44 mg•L ⁻¹ cucurbitadienol, which was determined by GC-MS. Further regulation of CBS expression led to cucurbitadienol's titer increasing by 202.07% and reaching 82.89 mg•L ⁻¹ in the shake flask fermentation and 1 724.10 mg•L ⁻¹ in the high cell density fermentation. Our research promotes the cucurbitane-type tetracyclic triterpenoids synthesis pathway analysis progress and provides the basis for further obtaining cell factories for production of cucurbitadienol tetracyclic triterpenoids.

A series of novel benzimidazole and benzothiazole derivatives were designed and synthesized as inhibitors of SIRT1-SIRT3. The target compounds were synthesized from potassium O-ethyldithiocarbonate through a three-step route. The structures of the obtained compounds were elucidated by ¹H NMR and HR-MS. Of all compounds, six showed potent SIRT2-inhibitory activities with IC₅₀ values ranging from 2.8 to 21.2 μmol·L^-1. Among them, compound 10c displayed the most potent SIRT2-inhibitory activities (IC₅₀ = 2.8 μmol·L^-1), with more than 35-fold selectivity over SIRT1 and SIRT3 (IC₅₀>100 μmol·L^-1).

China ; Humans ; Organ Transplantation ; legislation & jurisprudence

Objective To study the effects of melatonin ( MT) on insulin signaling transduction defect induced by linoleic acid ( LA) and the un-derlying mechanism.Methods HepG2 cells were divided into BSA group, LA group, LA+MT group and LA+VitC group cultured with va-rious agent concentrations of 10% BSA, or 0.5 mmol? L-1 LA, or 10μmol? L-1 MT plus 0.5 mmol? L-1 LA, and 1 mmol? L-1 Vitamin C plus 0.5 mmol? L-1 LA, respectively for 24h.The level of intracellular ROS was measured by fluorometry.Phosphorylation levels of protein ki-nase B ( PKB) , Forkhead box O1 ( FoxO1 ) , and c-Jun N-terminal kinase ( JNK) were determined in total cell lysates by Western-blotting with insulin stimulation.Results ROS level increased significantly in LA group compared with that in BSA group, and was significantly higher compared with that in LA +MT group ( P <0.05 ) . There was no significant difference in ROS level between LA+MT group and BSA group.Compared with LA group, the production of ROS in LA+VitC group decreased, but significantly higher than that in LA+MT group ( P<0.05 ) .Compared with BSA group, the phosphorylation levels of both PKB and FoxO1 in LA group significantly decreased, whereas, phospho-rylation level of JNK increased significantly ( P<0.05 ) .Copared with LA group, phosphorylation levels of PKB and FoxO1 in LA +MT group increased significantly, whereas, phosphorylation level of JNK significantly decreased (P<0.05).Conclusion LA causes the increased production of ROS in HepG2 cells.MT treatment can clear the excessive LA-induced ROS, reduce the activation of c-Jun amino terminal kinase and repair the impaired insulin downstream signal.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of alanine solution as α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase enzyme reaction buffer on the enzymatic activity of A antigen. The binding ability of α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase with RBC in different reaction buffer such as alanine solution, glycine solution, normal saline (0.9% NaCl), PBS, PCS was detected by Western blot. The results showed that the efficiency of A to O conversion in alanine solution was similar to that in glycine solution, and Western blot confirmed that most of enzymes blinded with RBC in glycine or alanine solution, but few enzymes blinded with RBC in PBS, PCS or normal saline. The evidences indicated that binding of enzyme with RBC was a key element for A to O blood group conversion, while the binding ability of α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase with RBC in alanine or glycine solution was similar. It is concluded that alanine solution can be used as enzyme reaction buffer in A to O blood group conversion. In this buffer, the α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase is closely blinded with RBC and α-N-acetylgalactosaminidase plays efficient enzymatic activity of A antigen.
ABO Blood-Group System ; immunology ; Alanine ; Blood Grouping and Crossmatching ; methods ; Humans ; Solutions ; alpha-N-Acetylgalactosaminidase ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo explore clinical effects of suturing-assisted locking plate in treating elderly proximal humeral fractures.

METHODSFrom January 2005 to January 2013, 55 elderly patients with three- and four-part fractures of proximal humeral fractures were divided into treatment group and control group. In treatment group, there were 31 patients including 12 males, and 19 females aged from 65 to 85 with an average of (74.00±5.42) years old, and treated with suturing-assisted locking plates; 19 patients were Neer 3-part fractures, and 12 patients were Neer 4-part fractures of proximal humerus; 23 patients were suffered from low-energy injuries and 8 patients were caused by high-energy injuries. In control group, there were 24 patients including 7 males, and 17 females aged from 65 to 85 with an average of (72.79±5.34) years old, and treated with locking plates; 16 patients were Neer 3-part fractures, and 8 patients were Neer 4-part fractures of proximal humerus; 17 patients were suffered from low-energy injuries and 7 patients were caused by high-energy injuries. Operative time, blood loss during operation, and bone healing time between two groups were observed and compared. Postoperative Neer scoring were used to evaluate recovery of shoulder joint function.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up from 6 to 24 months with an average of 16.1 months. In treatment group, blood loss was (495.806±143.150) ml, function of Neer scoring was 22.645±2.443, range of action was 18.194±2.613, anatomy was 7.935±1.504 and total score of Neer scoring was 77.161±8.335; while in control group, blood loss was (641.667±169.851) ml, function of Neer scoring was 13.958±1.989, range of action was 13.083±2.165, anatomy was 5.500±1.978 and total score of Neer scoring was 58.792±7.313. There were sigificant difference between two groups in these indexes.

CONCLUSIONSuturing-assisted locking plate for the treatment of proximal humerus fractures in elderly, has advantages of less blood loss, simple fracture reduction and rapid recovery of shoulder joint, and is a effective method.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bone Plates ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Recovery of Function ; Shoulder Fractures ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Shoulder Joint ; physiopathology ; Sutures

BACKGROUNDThe RNA-binding motif protein 3 (RBM3), which is transcriptionally induced by low temperature and hypoxia, has recently been found to be upregulated in human tumors. However, its expression status in human astrocytoma is not well defned. This article focuses on the differential expression of RBM3 in human astrocytomas of different grades and normal brain tissues.

METHODSRBM3 was detected in astrocytomas and normal brain tissues by quantitative real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting. Analysis of variance was performed on the data from quantitative real-time PCR. The Fisher's exact test was used to analyze the immunohistochemistry results. A P-value of less than 0.05 indicates a statistically significant difference.

RESULTSOn one hand, the mRNA expression levels of three X-chromosome-related RBM genes (RBMX, RBM3, and RBM10) were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that there were no significant differences in RBMX and RBM10 mRNA expression levels in human astrocytomas of different grades and normal brain tissues. However, RBM3 mRNA expression levels were elevated in high-grade (World Health Organization (WHO) Grade III-IV) astrocytomas versus low-grade (WHO Grade I-II) astrocytomas (5.06 ± 0.66 vs. 1.60 ± 0.58; P < 0.05) or normal controls (5.06 ± 0.66 vs. 1.03 ± 0.22; P < 0.05) as determined by quantitative real-time PCR analysis. On the other hand, immunohistochemistry showed an increased RBM3 labeling index in astrocytomas of different grades and normal brain tissues (positive staining rate: astrocytoma Grade IV, 92.9%; astrocytoma Grade III, 81.8%; astrocytoma Grade I-II, 50%; normal brain tissues, 37.5%; high-grade astrocytoma versus normal brain tissues, P < 0.05; high-grade astrocytoma versus low-grade astrocytoma, P < 0.05). The higher protein levels of RBM3 were also validated in high-grade astrocytomas and low-grade astrocytomas compared with normal brain tissues by Western blotting.

CONCLUSIONSThese data suggest that the overexpression of RBM3 may serve as an important molecular mechanism underlying astrocytic carcinogenesis. Moreover, RBM3 may have proliferative and/or proto-oncogenic functions in human astrocytomas.

Astrocytoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; Blotting, Western ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Vitro Techniques ; RNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction