ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of artemisinin （ART） on histopathological damage and salivary secretion in the submandibular gland （SMG） of mice with Sjögren's syndrome （SS） model，and on the expression of aquaporin 5 （AQP5） in SMG cells. MethodsThe NOD/Ltj mice were used as a model of SS and randomly divided into the SS model group，the ART group，and the hydroxychloroquine sulfate （HCQ） group，with six mice per group. Another 6 female BALB/c mice at the same week were selected as the control group. Mice in the ART group was fed with the ART solution daily in the dosage of 50 mg·kg^-1，and mice in the HCQ group was given with the HCQ solution （1 300 mg·kg^-1）. Mice in the SS model and control groups were given saline daily. The treatment lasted for 8 weeks. The 24-hour average water intake，salivary flow rate，SMG pathology scores of mice in each group were measured，as well as the expression levels of AQP5 protein and gene in the SMG tissues. ResultsCompared with the control group，the 24-hour average water intake of mice in the model group was significantly increased （P<0.01），and the saliva flow rate was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared to the SS model group，the 24-hour average water intake of mice in the ART and HCQ groups was significantly reduced （P<0.01），and the salivary flow rate was significantly increased in the ART group（P<0.01），comparisons between groups showed that the ART was superior to the HCQ in reducing water intake and improving saliva flow rate in SS model mice （P<0.05）. The HE staining results showed that，compared with the normal group，the number of lymphocyte infiltration foci in SMG tissue in the model group increased，and the pathological score increased （P<0.01）. Compared to the SS model group，after the intervention of the ART and HCQ，the number of lymphocytic infiltration foci in the SMG tissue decreased，the area of the lymphocytic infiltration foci was reduced，and the pathology score of the SMG tissues was lowered in the ART group（P<0.01）. However，there was no difference in pathological scores between the ART and HCQ groups . The results of IHC，Western blot，and Real-time PCR showed that，compared with the normal group，the expression levels of AQP5 protein and gene in SMG tissue in the model group significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Comparing with the SS model group，the ART and HCQ groups could significantly up-regulated the expression levels of AQP5 protein and mRNA in the SMG tissue，and the treatment effect was better than that of HCQ. ConclusionART was able to ameliorate SMG structural damage and salivary secretion function in SS model mice，and its mechanism of action may be related to the up-regulation of AQP5 protein and gene expression levels in SMG cells.

Objective To explore the diagnostic value of exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for cystic fibrosis (CF). Methods A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed databases up to August 7, 2024. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected for data extraction and quality assessment. The quality of included studies was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), and the risk of bias and applicability of included prediction model studies were assessed by the prediction model risk of bias assessment tool (PROBAST). Results A total of 10 studies were included, among which 5 studies only identified specific exhaled VOCs in CF patients, and another 5 developed 7 CF risk prediction models based on the identification of VOCs in CF. The included studies reported a total of 75 exhaled VOCs, most of which belonged to the categories of acylcarnitines, aldehydes, acids, and esters. Most models (n=6, 85.7%) only included exhaled VOCs as predictive factors, and only one model included factors other than VOCs, including forced expiratory flow at 75% of forced vital capacity (FEF75) and modified Medical Research Council scale for the assessment of dyspnea (mMRC). The accuracy of the models ranged from 77% to 100%, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ranged from 0.771 to 0.988. None of the included studies provided information on the calibration of the models. The results of the Prediction Model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST) showed that the overall bias risk of all predictive model studies was high, and the overall applicability was unclear. Conclusion The exhaled VOCs reported in the included studies showed significant heterogeneity, and more research is needed to explore specific compounds for CF. In addition, risk prediction models based on exhaled VOCs have certain value in the diagnosis of CF, but the overall bias risk is relatively high and needs further optimization from aspects such as model construction and validation.

BACKGROUND:The repair and clinical outcome of bone defects remains a hot and difficult area of clinical research,which is a common problem that plagues clinicians.Constructing suitable,reproducible and infinitely close to clinical animal experimental models and their scientific evaluation are essential for further clinical treatment of related diseases. OBJECTIVE:To retrospectively analyze the preparation methods and characteristics of common animal models of femoral bone defects and to assess their strengths and weaknesses,thereby providing some reference for relevant researchers to select appropriate animal models of femoral bone defects. METHODS:PubMed,Web of Science,Medline,and CNKI were retrieved for relevant literature published from January 1,2000 to August 1,2022.The keywords were"bone defect,bone,bones,defect,defects,defective,animal model,animal,model,laboratory,laboratory animal,animal laboratory"in English and"bone defect,animal model,experiment"in Chinese. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Twenty-seven randomized controlled animal experiments involving rats,mice,New Zealand rabbits,and sheep were included,analyzed and assessed.The most common types of bone defects were cylindrical bone defects and segmental osteotomy bone defects,generally found in the middle and distal femur.These models are mostly used to evaluate the effects of bone repair materials,drugs,drug-loaded active substances and physical therapy on bone defect repair and explore defect healing mechanisms,particularly the weight-bearing bone defect repair mechanism.Different defect kinds and femoral bone defect ranges have been found in different animal experiments.Researchers can select the suitable animal model and bone defect type based on the goal of the experiment and then set an acceptable bone defect value.Current studies have shown that cylindrical and segmental osteotomy-induced bone defects,mainly in the distal and middle femur,are mostly used in the animal models of femoral bone defects and that the surgical methods and postoperative management are more mature and operable to provide mature experimental animal models.In terms of cylindrical bone defects,rats and New Zealand rabbits are more suitable,whereas segmental osteotomy has no special requirements and all types of animals can meet the experimental requirements.

This article presents a case of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in a pregnant woman caused by coronary artery dissection. The 41-year-old patient had undergone cardiac valve surgery at the age of 1 and had no risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, smoking, alcohol use, or a family history of coronary artery disease. At 31 +1 weeks of gestation, she experienced sudden chest pain for 4 hours and was emergently referred to Peking University First Hospital on June 1, 2021. Electrocardiogram revealed ST-segment elevation in leads I, aVL, and V 2 to V 6. Biochemical assays showed elevated levels of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I and creatine kinase-MB. Echocardiography indicated segmental ventricular wall motion abnormalities (apical) and reduced left ventricular function, confirming the diagnosis of acute anterior wall STEMI. The patient promptly underwent emergency coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention and confirmed coronary artery dissection. Postoperative care included antiplatelet, anticoagulation, and supportive treatment. At 34 +3 weeks of gestation, with the condition of acute anterior wall STEMI being relatively stable, a cesarean section was successfully performed. Regular cardiology follow-ups were scheduled postpartum, and cardiac function was normal in two years after discharge.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the risk of aristolochic acid (AA)-associated cancer in patients with AA nephropathy (AAN). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on patients diagnosed with AAN at Peking University First Hospital from January 1997 to December 2014. Long-term surveillance and follow-up data were analyzed to investigate the influence of different factors on the prevalence of cancer. The primary endpoint was the incidence of liver cancer, and the secondary endpoint was the incidence of urinary cancer during 1 year after taking AA-containing medication to 2014. RESULTS: A total of 337 patients diagnosed with AAN were included in this study. From the initiation of taking AA to the termination of follow-up, 39 patients were diagnosed with cancer. No cases of liver cancer were observed throughout the entire follow-up period, with urinary cancer being the predominant type (34/39, 87.17%). Logistic regression analysis showed that age, follow-up period, and diabetes were potential risk factors, however, the dosage of the drug was not significantly associated with urinary cancer. CONCLUSIONS No cases of liver cancer were observed at the end of follow-up. However, a high prevalence of urinary cancer was observed in AAN patients. Establishing a direct causality between AA and HCC is challenging.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Incidence ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Liver Neoplasms/epidemiology* ; Kidney Diseases/chemically induced* ; Aristolochic Acids/adverse effects*

Recent clinical studies have shown that mutation of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) gene in cancer cells may be associated with immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and poor response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. Therefore, efficiently restoring PTEN gene expression in cancer cells is critical to improving the responding rate to ICB therapy. Here, we screened an adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid for efficient PTEN gene delivery into B16F10 tumor cells. We demonstrated that intratumorally injected AAV6-PTEN successfully restored the tumor cell PTEN gene expression and effectively inhibited tumor progression by inducing tumor cell immunogenic cell death (ICD) and increasing immune cell infiltration. Moreover, we developed an anti-PD-1 loaded phospholipid-based phase separation gel (PPSG), which formed an in situ depot and sustainably release anti-PD-1 drugs within 42 days in vivo. In order to effectively inhibit the recurrence of melanoma, we further applied a triple therapy based on AAV6-PTEN, PPSG^@anti-PD-1 and CpG, and showed that this triple therapy strategy enhanced the synergistic antitumor immune effect and also induced robust immune memory, which completely rejected tumor recurrence. We anticipate that this triple therapy could be used as a new tumor combination therapy with stronger immune activation capacity and tumor inhibition efficacy.

Objective: To investigate the trend of hepatitis B incidence among children under 10 years in Zhejiang Province from 2004 to 2020 with age, period and birth cohort, so as to provide the basis for evaluating the implementation of hepatitis B prevention and control measures for children in Zhejiang Province. Methods: Data of hepatitis B incidence among children under 10 years in Zhejiang Province from 2004 to 2020 were collected through the Infectious Disease Reporting Information System of Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System. The trend in hepatitis B incidence was analyzed using an age-period-cohort model. Results: The incidence of hepatitis B among children under 10 years in Zhejiang Province decreased from 12.91/105 in 2004 to 0.61/105 in 2020, with a reduction of 95.24%. The incidence showed an decreasing trend with the increase of age. Compared with 2012, the risk of hepatitis B incidence among children under 10 years appeared a tendency towards a decline with time, with the period rate ratio decreased from 4.546 (95%CI: 3.322-6.220) in 2004 to 0.277 (95%CI: 0.161-0.478) in 2020. Compared with the 2008 cohort, the risk of hepatitis B incidence appeared a tendency towards a decline with cohort, with the cohort rate ratio decreased from 25.535 (95%CI: 15.105-43.166) in 1995 to 0.135 (95%CI: 0.038-0.475) in 2020. Conclusions The incidence of hepatitis B among children aged under 10 years in Zhejiang Province from 2004 to 2020 showed a downward trend. The risk of hepatitis B incidence decreased with increasing age and advancing birth cohort.

This study design of specific identification primers for the ITS2 sequence of F. ussuriensis. The reaction system and conditions were optimized, and PCR-nucleic acid test strips were constructed to realize the visual detection of F. ussuriensis Bark. Through molecular cloning and sequencing technology, we constructed a positive control for F. ussuriensis DNA and formulated quality standards. The established method was evaluated for sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility, and the authenticity of the commercially available samples was identified. Results demonstrated that based on the ITS2 sequences, F. ussuriensis and its mixed forgeries could be distinguished. The PCR products of the authentic F. ussuriensis on test strips showed two bands in the T and C lines, while the pseudo products and negative control showed only one band in the C line, which was consistent with the results of agarose gel electrophoresis. The specificity was 100%, and the sensitivity of the PCR-nucleic acid test strip was up to 0.1 ng·μL^-1, which was 10 times higher than that of the gel electrophoresis assay. 11 out of 16 commercially available samples of F. ussuriensis were qualified, and 5 were unqualified. Collectively, the PCR-nucleic acid test strip method established in this study is specific, rapid, accurate and visualized, which can provide a new technical idea for the detection of F. ussuriensis.

Objective To investigate the acute toxicology and intervention effect of Panacis Majoris Rhizoma on rats with chronic pharyngitis.Methods A single,maximum dose of Panacis Majoris Rhizoma(74.4 g·kg-1)was administered to Kunming mice to evaluate its toxicity,involving the assessment of the survival status of the mice,organ indices,morphological changes in major organs,blood routine,and biochemical indicators.SD rats were randomly divided into the control group,model group,prednisone group(6.25 mg·kg-1),and low-,medium-,and high-dose Panacis Majoris Rhizoma groups(0.58,1.16,and 2.32 g·kg-1).All rats received the corresponding drugs(or normal saline)via intragastric administration once daily for a duration of 30 days.Except the control group,chronic pharyngitis was induced in rats of the other groups by using β-hemolytic streptococcus.Following euthanasia,serum inflammatory levels of interleukin-6(IL-6),cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2),interleukin-1β(IL-1β),intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1),C-reactive protein(CRP),tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α),monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1),and prostaglandin E2(PGE2)were measured.Additionally,pharyngeal tissues were stained with HE and pathological characteristics were observed.Results Toxicological studies have demonstrated that the administration of Panacis Majoris Rhizoma resulted in significant increase in plasma alanine transaminase levels and spleen index of mice,along with corresponding tissue pathological alterations.Nevertheless,no noteworthy pathological changes were observed in other organs,and there were no notable changes in blood routine and plasma biochemical indicators.Pharmacodynamic investigations have revealed that Panacis Maioris Rhizoma effectively reduces the serum levels of inflammatory factors and improves pathological changes in pharyngeal tissues.Conclusion Panacis Maioris Rhizoma alleviated β-hemolytic streptococcus-induced CP by inhibiting inflammatory responses,and may show potential toxicity to the spleen.

Objective: To understand the level of nutritional literacy and its influencing factors among schoolage children in grades 4-9 in Guizhou Province, and to explore the relationship between nutritional literacy and physical health, so as to provide reference for improving nutritional literacy and physical health of schoolage children. Methods: Using multistage stratified cluster sampling method, 1 155 schoolage children in grades 4-6 in elementary school and grades 7-9 in secondary schools in three prefectural and municipal cities of Guizhou Province (Zunyi, Tongren, and Bijie) were sampled from February to July 2023, and were surveyed for nutritional literacy by using the "Food and Nutritional Literacy Questionnaire for Chinese Schoolage Children", and their physical health data (data on body measurement indicators, such as height, weight, lung capacity, and vertical jump) were obtained from the physical health surveillance platform. Pearson correlation analysis and binary Logistic regression modeling were used to explore the association between nutritional literacy and physical health. Results: The nutritional literacy score of the study population was (63.50±8.63), and the scores of each level of nutritional literacy in descending order were interactivity (66.09±13.99), functionality (63.84±8.80), and criticism (61.15±14.65); and the scores of cognitive domain of nutritional literacy, and skill domain were (64.71±10.77) (62.97±9.21); food selection, food preparation, and food intake dimension scores were (64.68±13.52) (56.39±12.17) (63.63±10.04), respectively. Differences in the total nutritional literacy scores of schoolaged children who were only children or not, by gender, ethnicity, grade level, primary caregiver, primary caregivers education, and family economic situation were statistically significant (t/F=2.88, -3.28, 5.02, 18.32, 4.67, 32.47, 32.53, P<0.05); the physical health pass rate was 85.8%, and the mean scores of the total physical health score, physical form, physical function, and physical fitness dimensions were (71.86±10.52) (93.29±12.06) (72.12±14.42) (67.26±13.13), respectively; after controlling for confounders, the nutritional literacy scores were positively correlated with physical health (OR=1.03, 95%CI=1.01-1.05, P<0.05). Conclusion Nutritional literacy scores of schoolage children in grades 4-9 in Guizhou Province are low, and there is a positive correlation between nutritional literacy and physical health in this school age children.