OBJECTIVE To investigate the inhibitory effect and mechanism of Modified qifang weitong granules on gastric cancer based on in vitro and in vivo experiments. METHODS Human gastric cancer HGC-27 cells were divided into the following groups: control group （treated with fetal bovine serum）， 10% drug-containing serum group， 15% drug-containing serum group， 20% drug-containing serum group， and 5-fluorouracil （5-Fu） group （positive control， 3.90 μg/mL）. After culturing the cells in each group with the corresponding serum/drug solution， their proliferation， migratory and invasive abilities， as well as the cell cycle， were assessed. Additionally， the expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition （EMT）-related proteins [E-cadherin， N-cadherin， and vimentin] in the cells were measured. Logarithmic-phase HGC-27 cells were harvested and subcutaneously injected into the right axillary region of nude mice to establish a subcutaneous xenograft tumor model in nude mice. The successfully modeled tumor-bearing nude mice were randomly divided into model group， low-， medium- and high-dose groups of Modified qifang weitong granules （17.65， 35.29 and 70.58 g/kg， respectively）， and 5-Fu group （25 mg/kg）， with 5 mice in each group. After 14 days of treatment with the corresponding drugs in each group， the histopathological morphology of the tumor tissues in the nude mice was observed. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot assay were employed to detect the expression levels of EMT- related proteins in the tumor tissues of the nude mice. RESULTS In the cell experiment， compared with the control group， the cell proliferation rate， migration rate， number of invasive cells， as well as the expression levels of N-cadherin and vimentin proteins， and the percentage of cells in the G2/M phase were all significantly decreased/reduced in the 15% drug-containing serum group， 20% drug-containing serum group （P＜0.05）. Conversely， the percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase and the expression level of E- cadherin protein were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. In animal experiment， compared with the model group， the high-dose group of Modified qifang weitong granules exhibited significantly reduced tumor mass and expression levels of N-cadherin and vimentin proteins in the tumor tissues of nude mice （P＜0.05）， while the expression level of E-cadherinprotein in the tumor tissues was significantly increased （P＜0.05）. Additionally， the tumor cells varied in size and showed extensive necrosis. CONCLUSIONS Modified qifang weitong granules effectively inhibit gastric cancer in both in vitro and in vivo models， and the mechanism of action is related to the suppression of EMT.

Objective To investigate the differences in plasma metabolites between patients with altitude-related hypertension(ARH)and healthy individuals,and analyze the potential pathogenesis of ARH.Methods Convenient sampling was conducted on a unit of male healthy officers and soldiers who resident at altitude of＜500 m and migrated to an altitude of 4 200 m in July 2020.Twenty of them diagnosed with ARH were assigned into the ARH group,and another 30 non-ARH individuals served as the control group.Their blood pressure,body mass index(BMI),blood oxygen saturation,and heart rate were measured and recorded,and fasting venous blood samples were harvested to screen and identify plasma metabolites with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UHPLC-MS/MS).Metabolite fingerprinting was performed using unsupervised Principal Component Analysis(PCA)and supervised Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discrimination Analysis(OPLS-DA)models in order to assist in biomarker screening.The quality of the OPLS-DA model was assessed and validated to guarantee the stability and reliability of the model.Differential plasma metabolites were screened using independent sample t test and fold change(FC)analysis,and volcano plots were drawn.Finally,Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment pathway analysis was used to perform functional pathway enrichment and topological analysis on the screened differential metabolites.Results Compared to the control group,the ARH group showed significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate,and lower arterial oxygen saturation(P＜0.05).PCA analysis showed that 81.96％of the variance was explained in the positive ion mode and 79.25％in the negative ion mode,indicating significant metabolic differences between the 2 groups.OPLS-DA model analysis indicated that in the positive ion mode,PC1 explained 77.36％of the variance and PC2 explained 12.25％of the variance,with R2Y=0.96 and Q2Y=0.91;in the negative ion mode,PC1 explained 84.15％of the variance and PC2 explained 17.24％of the variance,with R2Y=0.99 and Q2Y=0.86.Inter-group difference exceeded 75％,and intra-group difference was less than 20％.The 7-fold cross-validation and 200 permutation test confirmed that the model was stable and reliable.In the positive ion mode,the Y-axis intercepts of the R2 and Q2 fitted lines were 0.58 and-0.48,respectively;in the negative ion mode,the Y-axis intercepts were 0.93 and-0.41,respectively.A total of 32 significantly different metabolites were screened out,including amino acids,nucleosides,fatty acids,and organic alkaloids.KEGG analysis revealed that among the 10 metabolic pathways,4 were amino acid metabolic pathways,with the aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis pathway having the most enriched metabolites.Conclusion Based on UHPLC-MS/MS technology,untargeted metabolomics analysis identifies 32 significantly different metabolites,which may serve as characteristic biomarkers for ARH,and the aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis pathway may be associated with the pathogenesis of ARH.

ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation of serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D［25(OH)D］ level with the severity of infantile cholestatic hepatopathy (ICH). MethodsA total of 121 infants with ICH who were admitted or referred to Liver Research Center in our hospital from July 2015 to December 2017 were enrolled, and according to the presence or absence of liver cirrhosis, these infants were divided into liver cirrhosis group with 26 infants and non-liver cirrhosis group with 95 infants. The two groups were compared in terms of age, sex ratio, 25(OH)D, liver function parameters ［total bilirubin (TBil), direct bilirubin (DBil), total protein (TP), albumin (Alb), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bile acid (TBA), and prothrombin time (PT)］, serological markers of liver fibrosis ［procollagen Ⅲ peptide (PⅢNP), laminin (LN), hyaluronic acid (HA), and type Ⅳ collagen (C-Ⅳ)］, and indices associated with vitamin D metabolism (Ca and P). The independent samples t-test or the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups, and the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the factors associated with the development of liver cirrhosis. ResultsOf all 121 infants, 107 (88.43%) had vitamin D deficiency, and all 26 infants with liver cirrhosis had vitamin D deficiency. Compared with the non-liver cirrhosis group, the liver cirrhosis group had significant reductions in the serum levels of 25(OH)D and Alb (Z=3.029, t=2.294, P＜0.05) and significant increases in the levels of DBil, AST, GGT, HA, and C-Ⅳ(Z=3.032, 2.026, 3.439, 3.143, and 2.247, P＜0.05), while there were no significant differences in the other indices between the two groups (all P＞0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that 25(OH)D (odds ratio ［OR］=0.865, 95% confidence interval ［CI］: 0.755-0.922, P=0.038), GGT(OR=1.002, 95%CI: 1.000-1.004, P=0.039), and HA (OR=1.004, 95%CI: 1.000-1.008, P=0.034) were associated with liver cirrhosis in infants with ICH. ConclusionSerum 25(OH)D has a certain clinical value in predicting the severity of hepatocyte damage and the development of early liver cirrhosis in infants with ICH.

Objective To investigate the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH)D]and relationship to C-reactive protein(CRP) and procalcitonin(PCT)in children with severe pneumonia.Methods Serum 25 (OH)D levels of 86 cases of children with severe pneumonia,81 cases of children with mild pneumonia and 85 cases of children in healthy control group on admission were deter-mined by ELISA respectively and compared.At the same time,CRP and PCT were tested and the correlation to 25(OH)D in chil-dren with severe pneumonia was analyzed.Results There are statistical differences among three groups(P <0.05,α=0.05 ).The mean values of serum 25 (OH)D were (62.03 ±17.94),(68.90 ±15.22)and (82.21 ±17.89)μmol/L in severe pneumonia pa-tients,mild pneumonia patients and healthy children respectively,furthermore,prevalence of vitamin D deficiency of the sever pneu-monia group was significantly higher than that of the case-control group and normal group (P < 0.05,α= 0.05 ).The level of 25(OH)D was not significantly related to CRP and PCT level in children with severe pneumonia(P <0.05,α=0.05).Conclusion The mean level of vitamin D in children with severe pneumonia was significantly lower,which may be associated with the occurrence and develop-ment of severe pneumonia in children.

Abstact:Objective To investigate the clinical value of mean platelet mass(MPM)and the procalcitonin(PCT)in diagnosis of Kawasaki disease (KD).Methods A Total of 117 children with KD in the acute stage and 126 children of the control group were detected respectively and compared each other.The indexes contain MPM,PLT,MPV,PDW and PCT.Mean-while,the comparison of each index’s positive rate and the linear correlation analysis of each index were conducted.Results①The level of MPM of the KD group was significant lower than that of the control group,PLT,MPV and PCT significant higher than those (P<0.05,α=0.05).The difference of PDW between the two groups was no statistical significance (P>0.05,α=0.05).②The positive rate of the MPM was significant higher than that of the other indexes (P<0.05,α=0.05). Conclusion The detection of MPM is helpful to the diagnosis of KD and can be used as an indicator of KD clinically.