Objective To explore the application value of anhydrous ethanol as an alternative to methanol in the preparation of chromosomal specimens from peripheral blood lymphocytes, and to establish a set of quantitative analytical methods for objectively evaluating the effectiveness of specimen preparation. Methods Residual blood samples from routine laboratory slide preparation were used for lymphocyte culture. The standard slide preparation method was employed. The fixative in the control group was methanol and glacial acetic acid (3∶1). Four experimental groups were set up based on the ratio of anhydrous ethanol to glacial acetic acid in the fixative (volume ratios of 3∶1, 5∶1, 7∶1, and 9∶1 for experimental groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively). A chromosomal analysis was conducted using an automated chromosome scanning/image analysis system to evaluate the morphology and dispersion of metaphase chromosomes in both control and experimental groups. Comparisons were made between the control and experimental groups regarding the dic + r aberration rate, ace aberration rate, chromosomal aberration rate, chromosome dispersion index, chromosome overlapping ratio, and dispersion index/overlapping ratio. Results Microscopic evaluation revealed that the preparation quality of experimental groups 1 and 2 was comparable to the control group. No statistically significant differences were observed in dic + r aberration rate between each of the experimental groups and the control (P > 0.05). All experimental groups except group 4 showed no significant differences in ace aberration rate and chromosome aberration rate compared with the control group (P > 0.05). Experimental groups 1 and 2 showed no significant differences in chromosome dispersion index, overlapping ratio, and dispersion index/overlapping ratio compared with the control group (P > 0.05). Conclusion A mixture of anhydrous ethanol and glacial acetic acid at a 5∶1 ratio is recommended for use as a fixative in the preparation of chromosomal specimens from peripheral blood lymphocytes. A quantitative index system for assessing the quality of chromosomal specimens was established, enabling objective evaluation of slide preparation effectiveness.

Objective To study the effect of hesperetin(HSP)on renal ischemia-reperfusion injury(RIRI)in rats and its mechanism.Methods Fifty male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups:sham group,model group(renal ischemia-reperfusion injury I/R),HSP pretreatment(HSP+I/R)group,all-trans retinoic acid pretreatment(ATRA+I/R)group,HSP and ATRA pretreatment(HSP+ATRA+1/R)group.Each group had 10 rats.The sham group only exposed both kidneys by opening the abdominal cavity.In other groups,the RIRI model was established by occluding the bilateral renal pedicles for 45 min,followed by reperfusion for 24 h.Hematoxylin-eosin staining(HE)was used to ascertain the extent of kidney injury.The microplate method was used to measure serum creatinine(Scr)levels,while the urease method was used to measure blood urea nitrogen(BUN)levels.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect the contents of interleukin-6(IL-6),interleukin-1β(IL-1 β)and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in the serum.The kit method was used to examine the levels of superoxide dismutase(SOD),glutathione(GSH),malondialdehyde(MDA)and catalase(CAT)in kidney tissue.The Western blot analysis was conducted to detect the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2(Nrf2)and its downstream antioxidant proteins heme oxygenase-1(HO-1)and quinone oxide reductase 1(NQO1)in renal tissues.Results The scores for renal tubule damage in sham,I/R and HSP+I/R groups were 0.20±0.45,4.20±0.84 and 2.40±0.55;Scr contents were(55.52±11.23),(207.10±19.22)and(105.60±18.11)μmol·L-1;IL-6 contents were(33.66±6.83),(172.50±8.09)and(105.40±10.03)pg·mL-1.The SOD levels in sham,I/R,HSP+I/R,ATRA+I/R and HSP+ATRA+I/R groups were(57.04±3.44),(37.29±3.60),(51.61±9.41),(32.55±5.58)and(37.40±3.66)U·mg·prot-1;the relative expression levels of Nrf2 were 0.37±0.24,0.57±0.28,1.31±0.34,0.44±0.17 and 0.77±0.25;the relative expression levels of HO-1 protein were 0.26±0.14,0.57±0.30,1.32±0.61,0.53±0.28 and 0.67±0.50.There was significant difference in renal tubule damage score,Scr,IL-6 and SOD indexes in I/R group compared to sham group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The above indexes were statistically significant between HSP+I/R group and I/R group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Conclusion The activation of HSP may stimulate the Nrf2-antioxidant response element(ARE)pathway,enhance the expression of downstream antioxidant proteins,mitigate the renal damage caused by oxidative stress,and ultimately improve RIRI.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dimethyl fumarate （DMF） in the treatment of multiple sclerosis （MS）. METHODS Retrieved from CBM， Web of Science， PubMed， the Cochrane Library， Embase， CNKI， Wanfang Data， and VIP， randomized controlled trials （RCTs） about DMF （trial group） versus other drugs or placebo （control group） were collected. After data screening and extraction， quality evaluation， meta-analysis was conducted by using RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS A total of 6 literature were included， involving 638 patients. Results of meta-analysis showed that the proportion of patients with lesion changes after treatment in the trial group was lower than control group [MD＝－0.65， 95%CI（－1.27， －0.02）， P＝0.04]； there was no statistical significance in recurrence rate [RR＝1.06， 95%CI（0.52，2.17）， P＝0.88]， the proportion of patients with new lesions after treatment [RR＝1.05， 95%CI（0.62，1.80）， P＝0.85]， expanded disability status scale after treatment [MD＝0.02，95%CI （－0.18， 0.23）， P＝0.82]， the incidence of adverse events [RR＝1.33， 95%CI（0.97， 1.84）， P＝0.08] or severe adverse events [RR＝0.95，95%CI（0.48，1.90），P＝0.89] between 2 groups. Results of sensitivity analysis showed the study obtained unstable recurrence rate and the incidence of adverse events， while other results were robust. CONCLUSIONS DMF can control the lesion progression in MS patients to some extent and doesn’t increase the incidence of adverse events and serious adverse events， but there is no significant advantage in reducing the recurrence rate and controlling the disability progression.

ObjectiveTo explore new targets and herbal medicines of total ginsenosides in ameliorating alcoholic hepatitis （AH） by data mining and experimental validation and to provide new directions for the clinical treatment of AH. MethodGSE28619 was selected as the test set from the GEO database and GSE83148 and GSE103580 were selected as the validation sets. The limma package and weighted gene co-expression network analysis （WGCNA） were employed to identify the AH-related differentially expressed genes and modular genes， and Venny was used to extract the common genes. The protein-protein interaction （PPI） network was constructed and the enrichment analysis was carried out. The hub genes were further screened and evaluated for their diagnostic value. After validation with the datasets， new potential targets of AH and traditional Chinese medicine were predicted. Molecular docking between the targets and active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine was performed， and the results were validated by experiments. Eight out of 48 SD rats were randomly selected into a blank group and received an equal amount of normal saline. The rest rats were subjected to modeling with ethanol by gavage and then randomized into low- （10 mg·kg^-1）， medium- （20 mg·kg^-1）， and high-dose （40 mg·kg^-1） total ginsenosides， model， and positive control （metadoxine， 117 mg·kg^-1） groups. After 3 weeks of gavage， serum samples were collected for the measurement of aspartate aminotransferase （AST） and alanine aminotransferase （ALT） levels， and liver samples were collected for hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Western blot and Real-time PCR were employed to determine the protein and mRNA levels， respectively， of potential targets in the liver tissue. ResultData mining predicted the potential genes： Proto-oncogene FOS and collagen type Ⅰ alpha 2 （COL1A2）. Experimental validation showed that the liver injury was alleviated after drug administration compared with that after modeling. The serum AST and ALT levels were reduced after drug administration. The protein and mRNA levels of FOS were significantly up-regulated， while those of COL1A2 were down-regulated after drug administration. ConclusionTotal ginsenosides ameliorate HA via FOS and COL1A2.

BACKGROUND:The lower cervical vertebral pedicle is the main stress site of the posterior column of the spine,which is of great significance for the maintenance of the stability of the human center of gravity and the reduction of shock.At present,there are few reports on the characteristics of the internal bone trabeculae,and the characteristics of the joint site of the vertebral pedicle with the articular process and the vertebral body.It is urgent to understand the fine anatomical structure of the vertebral pedicle and the relationship and function of each part. OBJECTIVE:To observe the microanatomical morphology of the vertebral pedicle by Micro-CT scanning of cervical vertebra specimens,and to measure and analyze the microstructure and morphometric parameters of the bone trabecula in the cervical pedicle under normal conditions to evaluate the safety performance of the cervical spine. METHODS:Micro-CT scanning was performed on 31 sets of cervical vertebrae C3-C7.By checking and reconstructing the areas of interest in the bone trabecular within the vertebral pedicle,the morphological characteristics and distribution direction of the bone trabecular within the cervical pedicle were observed,and the bone microstructure parameters were detected,and the differences in the bone microstructure of the C3-C7 vertebral pedicle were analyzed and compared. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The Micro-CT images showed that the honeycomb bone trabeculae of the pedicle of the lower cervical spine presented a complex network of microstructures.The trabeculae near the cortical bone were lamellar and relatively compact,extending forward toward the vertebral body and backward toward the articular process lamina.Abatoid bone trabeculae extended into the medullary cavity and transformed into a network structure,and then into rod-shaped bone trabeculae.The rod-shaped bone trabeculae were sparsely distributed in the medullary cavity.(2)Statistical results of morphological parameters of bone trabeculae showed that bone volume fraction values in C4 and C5 were higher than that in C7(P＜0.05).The bone surface/bone volume value in C7 was higher than that in C3,C4 and C6(P＜0.05).The bone surface density of bone trabeculae in C7 was higher than that in C3,C4,C5 and C6(P＜0.05).Trabecular thickness in C7 was higher than that in C3,C4 and C5(P＜0.05).Bone surface/bone volume and bone surface density of the left pedicle bone trabecular were greater than those on the right side(P＜0.05).(3)The microstructural changes of C3-C7 were summarized,in which the load capacity and stress of the C7 pedicle were poor,and the risk of injury was high in this area.

BACKGROUND:Warm-needling moxibustion can effectively treat knee osteoarthritis.Degeneration,injury and fracture of the anterior cruciate ligament can affect the local stability of the knee joint,and then induce the formation of knee osteoarthritis.Whether warm-needling moxibustion can repair the injured cruciate ligament and the mechanism of action are still unclear. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effects of warm-needling moxibustion on the morphology of the anterior cruciate ligament and the expression of insulin growth factor-1 and transforming growth factor-β in rabbits with knee osteoarthritis and to clarify the mechanism of anterior cruciate ligament repair by warm-needling moxibustion. METHODS:Thirty New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into blank group,model group and warm-needling moxibustion group,with 10 rabbits in each group.Knee osteoarthritis model was established by plaster cast immobilization.The blank group was not intervened.Rabbits in the model group rabbits were fixed in a rabbit holder for 15 minutes every day.The warm-needling moxibustion group was treated with warm acupuncture,once a day,7 days as a course of treatment,a total of two courses.After treatment,the imaging changes of the anterior cruciate ligament were observed by MRI and MRI grading statistics were performed.Morphological changes of the anterior cruciate ligament were observed by transmission electron microscope and hematoxylin-eosin staining.mRNA and protein expressions of insulin growth factor-1 and transforming growth factor-β were detected by RT-PCR and western blot,respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:MRI examination:Compared with the blank control group,the anterior cruciate ligament in the model group was thickened,edematous,and partially torn,and the difference in grading statistics was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the anterior cruciate ligament in the warm-needling moxibustion group was slightly thickened,with mild edema and no tearing,and the difference in grading statistics was statistically significant(P＜0.05).General observation:In the model group,the surface of the anterior cruciate ligament was glossy and faded,with the edge being covered with flocculent periosteum and obvious tissue necrosis;in the warm-needling moxibustion group,the surface of the ligament was glossy,and the ligament was in a normal helical shape.Hematoxylin-eosin staining:In the model group,there was obvious tissue necrosis in the anterior cruciate ligament,a large number of new capillaries,loosely arranged fibroblasts and collagen fibers.In the warm-needling moxibustion group,there was a small amount of tissue necrosis and few new vessels in the anterior cruciate ligament,and the cells and collagen fibers were loosely and irregularly arranged.Transmission electron microscopy:In the model group,the fibers in the anterior cruciate ligament were arranged in a disordered way with uneven thickness and distribution,and there are more fibroblasts that were irregular in morphology;in the warm acupuncture group,the fibers were basically arranged longitudinally,with uneven thickness and distribution,and a small number of oval-shaped fibroblasts were observed.RT-PCR and western blot assay:mRNA and protein expressions of insulin growth factor-1 and transforming growth factor-β were significantly decreased in the model group compared with the blank control group(P＜0.05),but significant increased after treatment with warm-needling moxibustion(P＜0.05).To conclude,warm-needling moxibustion can alleviate anterior cruciate ligament injury and regulate the expression of insulin growth factor-1 and transforming growth factor-β to treat knee osteoarthritis.

Objective To explore the risk factors of apathy and correlations with cognitive function in patients with hypertension combined with cerebral small vessel disease(CSVD).Methods Totally 141 patients with hypertension combined with CSVD were prospectively enrolled and were divided into apathy group(n=43)and non-apathy group(n= 98)according to neuropsychiatric inventory-apathy scale(NPI-Apathy)scores.The general data,imaging marker scores and total imaging burden scores were compared between groups.In hypertension combined with CSVD patients,multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to screen the independent risk factors of apathy,and Spearman correlation analysis was also performed to observe the correlation of apathy and cognitive function.Results The patients'age,high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),Fazekas scores of lateral periventricular white matter hyper-intensity(WMH),cerebral microbleed of depth/infratentorial and total imaging burden scores of apathy group were all higher,while mini-mental state examination(MMSE)and Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA)scores were both lower than those of non-apathy group(all P＜0.05).HDL-C and Fazekas scores of lateral periventricular WMH were both independent risk factors for apathy(both P＜0.05),while NPI-Apathy scores were moderately negatively correlated with cognitive function in patients with hypertension combined with CSVD(r=-0.543,-0.484,both P＜0.001).Conclusion HDL-C and Fazekas scores of lateral periventricular WMH were both independent risk factors for apathy in patients with hypertension combined with CSVD.The more severe the apathy,the lower the cognitive function.

Airway mucus plug is a common phenotype in asthma that increases the risk of acute asthma attacks by causing aggravation of airflow obstruction. Given its important role in asthma, treatment targeting airway mucus plugs may be a strategy to control asthma progression and prevent fatal asthma exacerbations. Previous studies have shown that acidosophils and T2 type inflammation are related with the formation of mucus plugs, and biotargeted drugs targeting the above pathways may be effective in the treatment of airway mucus plugs.

Airway mucus plug is a common phe-notype in asthma that increases the risk of acute asthma attacks by causing aggravation of airflow obstruction.Given its important role in asthma,treatment targeting airway mucus plugs may be a strategy to control asthma progression and prevent fatal asthma exacerbations.Previous studies have shown that acidosophils and T2 type inflammation are related with the formation of mucus plugs,and bio-targeted drugs targeting the above pathways may be effective in the treatment of airway mucus plugs.

Airway mucus plug is a common phe-notype in asthma that increases the risk of acute asthma attacks by causing aggravation of airflow obstruction.Given its important role in asthma,treatment targeting airway mucus plugs may be a strategy to control asthma progression and prevent fatal asthma exacerbations.Previous studies have shown that acidosophils and T2 type inflammation are related with the formation of mucus plugs,and bio-targeted drugs targeting the above pathways may be effective in the treatment of airway mucus plugs.