Aim To investigate the mechanisms of Ke-chuanting granules(KCT)inhibiting the IL-33/ILC2s pathway and pathogenic T cells to intervene in allergic airway inflammation.Methods Network pharmacolo-gy was utilized to analyze the potential targets and mechanisms of KCT-treated asthma.Allergic asthma models were induced in mice using OVA.Lung histo-pathology was conducted to observe injury changes.ELISA and quantitative PCR were utilized to measure key inflammatory factors and their mRNA expression levels in Th2-type asthma.Western blot was used to detect the phosphorylation levels of relevant proteins in the MAPK pathway.Flow cytometry was performed to evaluate the proportions of ILC2s,Th1,Th 17,Th2 and Treg cells.Results Network pharmacology iden-tified 227 main active components and 143 key targets of KCT in treating asthma,primarily enriched in signa-ling pathways such as MAPK and IL-17.Further vali-dation experiments demonstrated that KCT significantly alleviated lung inflammatory injury in asthmatic mice,reduced the number of B cells,production of I L-4,TNF-α and TGF-β,downregulated JNK phosphoryla-tion levels in lung tissue,as well as mRNA levels of Il-33,Bcl11b,Rorα,Tcf-7,Jun,Mapk3 and Mapk14.KCT intervention reduced the numbers of ILC2s and Th 17 cells in lungs and spleens of mice,and inhibited Th2 cell infiltration in lungs.Conclusions KCT ex-hibits therapeutic effects on allergic airway inflamma-tion in asthma,closely associated with the inhibition of the IL-33/ILC2s pathway,pathogenic T cell subsets,and JNK-MAPK signaling pathway.

Objective:To understand the whole genome and genetic evolution characteristics of the first epidemic influenza A (H3N2) viruses in Wuxi from 2022-2023.Methods:Real time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR method was used to perform typing on respiratory samples of influenza cases. Virus isolation was performed on samples with positive nucleic acid of subtype A H3N2 influenza virus detected. After cell culture, nucleic acid was extracted from strains with red blood cell agglutination test (HA) ≥ 1∶8, whole genome sequence was amplified, library was constructed, and computer sequencing was performed using MiSeq sequencer. Using NC_007366.1 as reference strain, the data were analyzed using CLC Genomics Workbench (Version 23) software. The phylogenetic tree was constructed using MEGA 7.0 software, and the N-glycosylation sites were predicted by NetNGlyc 1.0 Server software.Results:The nucleotide homology and amino acid homology among 35 strains of influenza A H3N2 virus from 2022 to 2023 were 96.4%-100% and 95.2%-100%, respectively. The 16 epidemic strains in 2022 belong to the 3C.2a1b.2a.1a evolutionary branch, while the 19 epidemic strains in 2023 belong to the 3C.2a1b.2a.2a.3a.1 evolutionary branch. There are 7 differences in the nucleotide sequence of the HA gene between the 2022 epidemic strain and the corresponding vaccine strain, sharing 15 mutation sites; There are 28 differences in the nucleotide sequence of the HA gene between the 2023 epidemic strain and the corresponding vaccine strain, sharing 17 mutation sites. The HA genes of 35 epidemic strains all lack N-glycosylation site 61: NSS, while in 2023, the HA genes of 19 epidemic strains added N-glycosylation site 110: NSS.Conclusions:The HA and NA genes of influenza A H3N2 virus in 2022 and 2023 belong to two evolutionary branches, respectively, and both show specific amino acid site changes compared to the corresponding vaccine strains. The antigen matching between the 2022 epidemic strain and the vaccine strain is relatively good, while there is a risk of low antigen matching between the 2023 epidemic strain and the vaccine strain.

Objective To observe the course and diameter of facial artery branches and its adjacent structures in nasolabial groove area and the positional relationship,so as to provide reference for clinicians to carry out facial cosmetic repair surgery.Methods A total of 40 adult head and neck specimens were dissected on the spot,and the course and position of the facial artery branches,facial vein and facial nerve in the nasolabial groove area were observed,their diameters were measured,and relevant data were recorded.Results There were 4 types of facial artery branches in the nasolabial groove area:type Ⅰ(upper lip type)accounted for 12.5%,type Ⅱ(nasal type)accounted for 62.5%,type Ⅲ(classical type)accounted for 20.0%,and type Ⅳ(double severe type)accounted for 5.0% .There were 4 kinds of positional relationship between the facial artery and the facial vein in the nasolabial groove area:42.5% of the orofacial artery was located on the medial side of the facial vein,32.5% of the orofacial artery was located on the lateral side of the facial vein,17.5% of the two were close to and wrapped in a fascial sheath,7.5% of the orofacial artery and the main trunk of the facial vein were crossed,and the vein was located in the deep surface of the artery.There were 3 kinds of positional relationship between the facial artery and the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve:87.5% of the facial artery was deep on the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve,7.5% of the facial artery was superficial on the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve,and 5.0% of the facial artery was held or surrounded by two branches of the marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve on the superficial or deep surface.Conclusion The positional relationship among facial artery,facial vein and facial nerve in the nasolabial groove area is complicated.Familiarity with its positional relationship can avoid damaging blood vessels and nerves during the nasorabial groove surgery,reduce surgical complications and improve surgical safety.

Objective To investigate the changing distribution and antibiotic resistance profiles of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus in hospitals across China from 2015 to 2021.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted for the clinical isolates of Staphylococcus according to the unified protocol of CHINET(China Antimicrobial Surveillance Network)using disk diffusion method and commercial automated systems.The CHINET antimicrobial resistance surveillance data from 2015 to 2021 were interpreted according to the 2021 CLSI breakpoints and analyzed using WHONET 5.6.Results During the period from 2015 to 2021,a total of 204,771 nonduplicate strains of Staphylococcus were isolated,including 136,731(66.8％)strains of Staphylococcus aureus and 68,040(33.2％)strains of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus(CNS).The proportions of S.aureus isolates and CNS isolates did not show significant change.S.aureus strains were mainly isolated from respiratory specimens(38.9±5.1)％,wound,pus and secretions(33.6±4.2)％,and blood(11.9±1.5)％.The CNS strains were predominantly isolated from blood(73.6±4.2)％,cerebrospinal fluid(12.1±2.5)％,and pleural effusion and ascites(8.4±2.1)％.S.aureus strains were mainly isolated from the patients in ICU(17.0±7.3)％,outpatient and emergency(11.6±1.7)％,and department of surgery(11.2±0.9)％,whereas CNS strains were primarily isolated from the patients in ICU(32.2±9.7)％,outpatient and emergency(12.8±4.7)％,and department of internal medicine(11.2±1.9)％.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains was 32.9％in S.aureus(MRSA)and 74.1％in CNS(MRCNS).Over the 7-year period,the prevalence of MRSA decreased from 42.1％to 29.2％,and the prevalence of MRCNS decreased from 82.1％to 68.2％.MRSA showed higher resistance rates to all the antimicrobial agents tested except trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole than methicillin-susceptible S.aureus(MSSA).Over the 7-year period,MRSA strains showed decreasing resistance rates to gentamicin,rifampicin,and levofloxacin,MRCNS showed decreasing resistance rates to gentamicin,erythromycin,rifampicin,and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole,but increasing resistance rate to levofloxacin.No vancomycin-resistant strains were detected.The prevalence of linezolid-resistant MRCNS increased from 0.2％to 2.3％over the 7-year period.Conclusions Staphylococcus remains the major pathogen among gram-positive bacteria.MRSA and MRCNS were still the principal antibiotic-resistant gram-positive bacteria.No S.aureus isolates were found resistant to vancomycin or linezolid,but linezolid-resistant strains have been detected in MRCNS isolates,which is an issue of concern.

A triplex RT-qPCR assay with human genes as internal references was established for detection of the Dengue and Zika viruses(DENV and ZIKV,respectively).The conserved regions of the four serotypes of DENV,along with the NS1 gene of ZIKV and the human β-actin gene,which is stably ex-pressed in various human tissues,were targeted by three sets of specific primers and probes.Standard plasmids for four se-rotypes of DENV,ZIKV,and β-actin were constructed as pos-itive controls.Optimal reaction conditions were determined through an L9(34)orthogonal experiment.The specificity,sensitivity,and coverage of the assay were verified and evalua-ted clinically,and the consistency was evaluated against a com-mercial kit for detection of DENV.The triplex RT-qPCR assay established exhibited no non-specific cross reactions with 12 similar arboviruses.The detection sensitivity for DENV and ZIKV were 2.99 and 2.18 copies/μL,respectively,and the intra-group and inter-group repeatability coefficients of variation were within 1.5％.As compared to the commercial kit,the proposed assay obtained positive results for 13 epidemic strains of DENV.Bland-Altman consistency analysis confirmed that the consistency of the detection results of clinical positive samples between the commercial kit and the proposed assay was 92.59％.The highly specific and sensitive triplex RT-qPCR assay with internal references is an effective tool for early and rapid differential identification of DENV and ZIKV.

Metastasis is the main risk factor for poor prognosis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) .Chemokines are closely related to metastasis in the tumor microenvironment.CXCL8 is a cyto-kine-like secreted protein that plays key roles in the malignant development of a variety of tumors,but has not been elucidated in LSCC.In this paper,we elucidated the role of CXCL8 in LSCC cells and found miRNAs that targeted CXCL8,which may become new targets for the diagnosis and treatment of LSCC.Firstly,the GEPIA showed that CXCL8 was highly expressed in head and neck cancer (P<0.05).The real-time fluorescence quantification (qRT-PCR) found that CXCL8 was highly expressed in LSCC cells.The enzyme-linked immunoassay also found that CXCL8 was highly secreted in the superna-tant of LSCC cells (P<0.001) .Then,the CCK8 assay confirmed that knockdown of CXCL8 significant-ly inhibited the proliferation of FD-LSC-1 and AMC-HN8 cells (the average inhibition rate was 34.0％and 19.5％,respectively);The EdU assay also confirmed that knockdown of CXCL8 significantly inhibi-ted the proliferation of LSCC cells (P<0.05) .The transwell assay confirmed that knockdown of CXCL8 also significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of FD-LSC-1 cell (average inhibition rate was 40.0％,38.5％,respectively);Knockdown of CXCL8 also significantly inhibited the migration and inva-sion of AMC-HN8 cell (average inhibition rate was 37.5％,53.5％,respectively ) .The analysis of bioinformatics predicted that CXCL8 may be a target of miR-513b-5p.The dual luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-513b-5p could bind to the CXCL8-3'UTR.QRT-PCR assay also confirmed that over-expression of miR-513b-5p could decrease the 60％ of the CXCL8 expression (P<0.01) .Cell function rescue assays found that overexpressed of CXCL8 could effectively reversed proliferation,migration and invasion of LSCC cells weakened by miR-513b-5p (P<0.05) .In summary,miR-513b-5p inhibited the proliferation,migration and invasion of LSCC cells by targeting CXCL8.

Objective:To assess the deformation of the bladder-neck opening and the impact of the bladder-neck angle(BNA)on urination in male patients by fluid-structure interaction(FSI)analysis.Methods:We established geometric models of the blad-der,prostate and urethra were established,incorporating both normal and enlarged BNAs,and assessed the effects of BNA alteration on urinary flow by FSI simulation of the flow rate and pressure of the urine within the bladder,bladder neck and urethra,and that of pros-tate displacement as well.We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 145 male patients from the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University between June 2020 and June 2023,39 with acute urine retention(the AUR group)and 106 without(the non-AUR group),and evaluate the impact of BNA on urination based on the urinary flow rate and prostate volume.Results:Comparative simulation a-nalysis showed significant differences in the total urethral pressure and flow rate between the normal and enlarged BNA models(P＜0.05).The maximum prostate displacement was found at the bladder neck,with moderate displacement and unchanged urethral diame-ter in the normal BNA model,but significant displacement and a reduced urethral opening diameter in the enlarged BNA model.FSI analysis confirmed an evident impact of enlarged BNA on urination,more significant in the AUR than in the non-AUR patients(P＜0.05).The BNAs in the patients with the maximum urinary flow rate(Qmax)of＜10,10-15 or＞15 ml/s were 83.7°±2.5°,67.5°±1.8° and 65.1°±4.8° respectively,with statistically significant difference between the former one and the latter two groups(P＜0.05).The BNAs in the patients with normal prostate volume or BPH of grade Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ or Ⅳ were 65.0°±3.7°,67.2°±3.1°,71.5°±2.0°,82.8°±3.5° and 105.8°±6.0°,respectively(P＜0.05),with statistically significant difference between BPH grades Ⅲ and Ⅳ(P＜0.05)as well as between these two and the other three groups(P＜0.05),but not among the normal prostate volume,BPH grade Ⅰ and BPH grade Ⅱ groups(P＞0.05).Spearman correlation analysis indicated that BNA was strongly correlated with total prostate volume(TPV),transition zone volume(TZV),intravesical prostatic protrusion(IPP),prostatic urethral angle(PUA),IPSS,and Qmax(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Changes in BNA affect urination and are closely associated with the se-verity of prostate hyperplasia.The BNA may be an important anatomical factor for assessing the severity of lower urinary tract symptoms in BPH patients.

AIM To investigate the effects of total Astragalus saponins on the improvement of sarcopenia in a rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).METHODS The rats were divided into the normal group for a normal feeding and the model group for the feeding of high-sugar and high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of STZ to establish a T2DM model.The successful model rats were randomly divided into the model group,the metformin group(0.2 g/kg)and the total Astragalus saponins group(80 mg/kg),and given corresponding doses of drugs by gavage.After 12 weeks administration,the rats had their FBG,postprandial blood glucose(PG2h)and wet weight of skeletal muscle measured;their serum levels of INS,C-peptide(C-P),IGF-1,TNF-α and IL-1β detected by ELISA;their morphological changes of skeletal muscle observed by HE staining;their protein expressions of PI3K,p-Akt,mTOR,S6K1,FoxO1 and Murf1 in skeletal muscle detected by Western blot;and their mRNA expressions of Pi3k,Akt and mtor in skeletal muscle detected by RT-qPCR method.RESULTS Compared with the model group,the total Astragalus saponins group displayed decreased levels of FBG,PG2h,OGTT-AUC,HOMA-IR,TNF-α and IL-1β(P＜0.01);increased levels of INS,C-P,IGF-1 and wet weight of skeletal muscle(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);improved skeletal muscle atrophy and increased protein expressions of PI3K,p-Akt,mTOR and S6K1 in skeletal muscle(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);decreased protein expressions of FoxO1 and Murf1(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);and increased mRNA expressions of Pi3k,Akt and mtor(P＜0.01).CONCLUSION The improvement effects of total Astragalus saponins on sarcopenia in T2DM rats may be associated with the regulation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR and PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 pathways.

AIM To explore the clinical effects of Zhenwu Decoction combined with Danshen Drink on patients with chronic heart failure.METHODS Eighty-six patients were randomly assigned into control group(43 cases)for 4-week intervention of conventional treatment,and observation group(43 cases)for 4-week intervention of Zhenwu Decoction,Danshen Drink and conventional treatment.The changes in cardiac function indices(LVFS,LVEDD,LVEF),serum indices(hs-cTnI,sST2,NT-proBNP,MMP-9),inflammatory factors(IL-6,TNF-α,hs-CRP),platelet aggregation rate,QTcd and incidence of adverse reactions were detected.RESULTS After the treatment,the two groups demonstrated increased LVFS,LVEF(P＜0.05),and decreased LVEDD,serum indices,inflammatory factors,platelet aggregation rate,QTcd(P＜0.05),especially for the observation group(P＜0.05).No significant difference in incidence of adverse reactions was found between the two groups(P＞0.05).CONCLUSION For the patients with chronic heart failure,Zhenwu Decoction combined with Danshen Drink can safely and effectively improve hs-cTnI level and platelet aggregation functions.

Objective The volume and cortical thickness of gray matter in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO) were compared and analyzed by voxel⁃based morphometry (VBM) and surface⁃based morphometry (SBM), and the differences in the structural changes of gray matter in the two diseases were discussed. Methods A total of 21 MS patients, 16 NMO patients and 19 healthy controls were scanned by routine MRI sequence. The data were processed and analyzed by VBM and SBM method based on the statistical parameter tool SPM12 of Matlab2014a platform and the small tool CAT12 under SPM12. Results Compared with the normal control group (NC), after Gaussian random field (GRF) correction, the gray matter volume in MS group was significantly reduced in left superior occipital, left cuneus, left calcarine, left precuneus, left postcentral, left central paracentral lobule, right cuneus, left middle frontal, left superior frontal and left superior medial frontal (P<0. 05). After family wise error (FWE) correction, the thickness of left paracentral, left superiorfrontal and left precuneus cortex in MS group was significantly reduced (P<0. 05). Compared with the NC group, after GRF correction, the gray matter volume in the left postcentral, left precentral, left inferior parietal, right precentral and right middle frontal in NMO group was significantly increased (P<0. 05). In NMO group, the volume of gray matter in left middle occipital, left superior occipital, left inferior temporal, right middle occipital, left superior frontal orbital, right middle cingulum, left anterior cingulum, right angular and left precuneus were significantly decreased (P<0. 05). Brain regions showed no significant differences in cortical thickness between NMO groups after FWE correction. Compared with the NMO group, after GRF correction, the gray matter volume in the right fusiform and right middle frontal in MS group was increased significantly(P<0. 05). In MS group, the gray matter volume of left thalamus, left pallidum, left precentral, left middle frontal, left middle temporal, right pallidum, left inferior parietal and right superior parietal were significantly decreased (P<0. 05). After FWE correction, the thickness of left inferiorparietal, left superiorparietal, left supramarginal, left paracentral, left superiorfrontal and left precuneus cortex in MS group decreased significantly (P<0. 05). Conclusion The atrophy of brain gray matter structure in MS patients mainly involves the left parietal region, while NMO patients are not sensitive to the change of brain gray matter structure. The significant difference in brain gray matter volume between MS patients and NMO patients is mainly located in the deep cerebral nucleus mass.