Objective: To explore the differential lipid metabolites in the plasma of mice with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis(IPF). Methods : Thirty SPF C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into 2 groups with 15 mice in each group. The experimental groups were divided into control group and bleomycin(BLM) group. The model of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis was induced by one-time intratracheal infusion of BLM(1 mg/kg). Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was used to observe the lung histopathology. The collagen fiber deposition in lung tissue was observed by Sirius red staining. The differential lipid metabolites in plasma of IPF mice were screened and enriched by lipidomics. Results : HE staining showed that the pulmonary tissue structure was disordered, alveolar septum was broken and alveolar wall was destroyed in BLM group. Sirius red staining showed a large amount of collagen fiber deposition in the lung interstitium of BLM group. The results of lipidomics analysis showed that the lipid metabolism profile of BLM group changed, 15 differential lipid metabolites were screened out, of which 11 differential lipid metabolites were up-regulated, and 4 differential lipid metabolites were down-regulated, mainly concentrated in glycerophosphoglycerophosphates, glycerophosphocholines, steroid lactones, etc. Conclusion The lipid metabolism profile of BLM group mice changes, differential lipid metabolites such as phosphoglycolate phosphatase(PGP)(18:0/18:0), PGP(i-12:0/i-24:0), PGP(i-13:0/a-25:0), and phosphatidylcholine(PC)(18:0/14:0), PC(18:3/16:0), lysophosphatidylcholine(LPC)(16:1), and LPC(18:3) may play an important role in the progression of IPF. These findings provide a new reference for further study of the molecular mechanism of IPF, and also provide a potential new target for clinical treatment.

Objective To screen and analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to oxidative stress in a silicosis mouse model using transcriptome sequencing technology. Methods i) A total of 30 workers without occupational dust-exposed history were selected as the control group and 17 patients with silicosis were selected as the silicosis group using a judgment sampling method. The levels of glutathione and malondialdehyde in the plasma of workers in the two groups were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. ii) RAW264.7 cells in the logarithmic growth phase were randomly divided into the control group and the silica group, treated with 0 and 50 mg/L silica suspensions for 24 hours. Protein expression of superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the cells was determined by Western blotting. iii) The specific pathogen free male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the control group and the silicosis model group, with 10 mice in each group. Mice were exposed to 50 μL of 0.9% sodium chloride solution and silica suspension at a mass concentration of 100 g/L, respectively, using a single tracheal exposure method. After 28 days of exposure, the pathological changes of mouse lung tissues were observed. Transcriptome sequencing was used to screen DEGs in the lung tissues of the silicosis mouse model, and gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed. The expression of DEGs was verified using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Results i) The level of malondialdehyde in the patients′ plasma was higher (P<0.01), while the level of glutathione was lower (P<0.01) in the silicosis group than that of the control group. ii) The relative expression of SOD2 protein decreased (P<0.05), while the relative expression of IL-6 and TNF-α proteins increased (all P<0.05) in the silica group of RAW264.7 cells compared with the control group. iii) The pathological results of lung tissues showed that the alveolar structure of mice was destroyed and silicotic nodules were formed in the silicosis model group. Transcriptome sequencing identified 3 703 DEGs, of which 3 199 were significantly down-regulated and 504 were significantly up-regulated. The GO enrichment analysis results showed that the DEGs were significantly enriched in biological processes such as oxidative stress, inflammation, immunity and hypoxia, with cellular components mainly located in membranes, cytoplasm, and nucleus. Molecular functions were enriched in oxidoreductase activity, protein binding, and adenosine triphosphate binding. The KEGG enrichment analysis results showed that the DEGs were mainly involved in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B signaling pathway, cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling pathway, chemokine signaling pathway, and apoptosis signaling pathway. A total of 28 DEGs involved in the "oxidative stress response" pathway were screened by GO enrichment analysis. The qPCR verification results showed that the relative expression of DEGs carbonic anhydrase 3 (Car3), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (Mmp9), and MutY DNA glycosylase (Mutyh) involved in the "oxidative stress response" of lung tissues in the silicosis model group were lower than those of the control group (all P<0.05). Conclusion Oxidative stress response exists in silicosis patients. The oxidative stress-related genes Car3, Mmp9, and Mutyh are altered in the mouse lung tissues of the silicosis model through the oxidative stress pathway, suggesting that they could be new targets for the treatment of silicosis.

Objective To investigate the status quo and the needs of medical imaging technicians(MITs)in the radiology department of secondary and tertiary hospitals in China,so as to provide references and support for the development of the medical imaging technology industry and the relevant policymaking by health administrative departments.Methods The questionnaire was developed by the Chinese Society of Imaging Technology.The radiology department of each hospital involved in the survey recommended one MIT to fill out the online questionnaire.The contents included:(a)the basic information of the hospital;(b)a general overview of the MITs in the hospital;(c)daily work;(d)career development and promotion;(e)research status and needs,etc.Differences in the number of MIT staff were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test and the chi-square test was used to compare the differences in the selected numbers of MITs in need between regions or between different levels of hospitals.Results In this investigation,valid questionnaires were finally obtained from a total of 5 403 hospitals in 31 provinces in China.The total number of MITs of the hospitals covered in the sample was 67 481.The number of MITs in each hospital was 9(5,16).The male-to-female ratio was 1.41:1.MITs who were 20 to 40 years old accounted for 78%.The proportions of MITs who had completed doctorate,master's,undergraduate,junior college,and technical secondary school or lower level education were 0.6%,3.3%,60.7%,30.8%,and 4.55%,respectively.The proportions of chief MITs,deputy chief MITs,supervisor MITs,primary MITs,assistant technician and those below were 1.0%,4.21%,22.1%,51.8%,and 20.9%,respectively.The overall professional satisfaction of MITs was good."Lack of opportunities for learning and communication"was quoted as the main problem MITs encountered in regard to improving their job-related competency.59.2% of the respondents had not published any academic papers in the past five years,and only 7.0% of the respondents had published in journals included in the Science Citation Index(SCI)in the past five years.Conclusion MITs in China are on average relatively young and the number of MITs has greatly increased.At this stage,more attention should be given to the cultivation of talents and continuing education of MITs and the construction of the discipline should be further strengthened,so as to provide strong support for the development of the medical imaging technology industry in China.

Different endophytes isolated from the seeds of Sophora flavescens were tested for their ability to produce matrine production. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the medium components for the endophytic fungus. Results indicated that endophyte Aspergillus terreus had the ability to produce matrine. The single factor tests demonstrated that potato starch was the best carbon source and the combination of peptone and NH₄NO₃ was the optimal nitrogen source for A. terreus. The model of RSM predicted to gain the maximal matrine production at 20.67 µg/L, when the potato starch was 160.68 g/L, peptone was 24.96 g/L and NH₄NO₃ was 2.11 g/L. When cultured in the optimal medium, the matrine yield was an average of 20.63 ± 0.11 µg/L, which was consistent with the model prediction. This study offered an alternative source for the matrine production by endophytic fungus fermentation and may have far-reaching prospect and value.
Aspergillus* ; Carbon ; Endophytes ; Fermentation* ; Fungi* ; Nitrogen ; Peptones ; Solanum tuberosum ; Sophora* ; Starch