Debates persist regarding the efficacy and safety of azvudine, particularly its real-world outcomes. This study involved patients aged ≥60 years who were admitted to 25 hospitals in mainland China with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between December 1, 2022, and February 28, 2023. Efficacy outcomes were all-cause mortality during hospitalization, the proportion of patients discharged with recovery, time to nucleic acid-negative conversion (T _NANC), time to symptom improvement (T _SI), and time of hospital stay (T _HS). Safety was also assessed. Among the 5884 participants identified, 1999 received azvudine, and 1999 matched controls were included after exclusion and propensity score matching. Azvudine recipients exhibited lower all-cause mortality compared with controls in the overall population (13.3% vs. 17.1%, RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.90; P = 0.001) and in the severe subgroup (25.7% vs. 33.7%; RR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66-0.88; P < 0.001). A higher proportion of patients discharged with recovery, and a shorter T _NANC were associated with azvudine recipients, especially in the severe subgroup. The incidence of adverse events in azvudine recipients was comparable to that in the control group (2.3% vs. 1.7%, P = 0.170). In conclusion, azvudine showed efficacy and safety in older patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the SARS-CoV-2 omicron wave in China.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of orexin-A-mediated regulation of ionotropic glutamate receptors for promoting motor function recovery in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: Thirty-six newborn SD rats (aged 7-14 days) were randomized into 6 groups (n=6), including a normal control group, a sham-operated group, and 4 SCI groups with daily intrathecal injection of saline, DNQX, orexin-A, or orexin-A+DNQX for 3 consecutive days after PCI. Motor function of the rats were evaluated using blood-brain barrier (BBB) score and inclined plane test 1 day before and at 1, 3, and 7 days after SCI. For patch-clamp experiment, spinal cord slices from newborn rats in the control, sham-operated, SCI, and SCI+orexin groups were prepared, and ventral horn neurons were acutely isolated to determine the reversal potential and dynamic indicators of glutamate receptor-mediated currents under glutamate perfusion. RESULTS: At 3 and 7 days after SCI, the orexin-A-treated rats showed significantly higher BBB scores and grip tilt angles than those with other interventions. Compared with those treated with DNQX alone, the rats receiving the combined treatment with orexin and DNQX had significantly higher BBB scores and grip tilt angles on day 7 after PCI. In the patch-clamp experiment, the ventral horn neurons from SCI rat models exhibited obviously higher reversal potential and greater rise slope of glutamate current with shorter decay time than those from sham-operated and orexin-treated rats. CONCLUSIONS Orexin-A promotes motor function recovery in rats after SCI possibly by improving the function of the ionotropic glutamate receptors.
Animals ; Spinal Cord Injuries/drug therapy* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Ionotropic Glutamate/metabolism* ; Recovery of Function/drug effects* ; Orexins/pharmacology* ; Male ; Female ; Animals, Newborn ; Neuropeptides/pharmacology* ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/pharmacology*

AIM:To investigate the effect of cellular Sloan-Kettering Institute(c-SKI)protein expression on myocardial fibrosis in mice treated with andrgrapholide(Andr).METHODS:Male C57 mice were randomly divided into control group,model group[isoprenaline(ISO)group]and ISO+Andr group,with 6 mice per group.The mice in ISO and ISO+Andr groups were subcutaneously injected with ISO,while those in control group were injected with normal sa-line.The mice in ISO+Andr group was intragastrically given Andr,while those in ISO and control groups were given nor-mal saline.The histopathological characteristics of the heart tissue were detected by HE and Masson staining after 8 weeks of administration.The expression levels of c-SKI and extracellular matrix(ECM)-related proteins were detected by immu-nohistochemistry or Western blot.The c-SKI mRNA level was detected by qPCR.Human cardiac fibroblasts(HCFBs)were treated with different concentrations of Andr for 48 h.The cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay,and the c-SKI and ECM-related protein levels were detected by Western blot.The transdifferentiated cell model was treated with the lowest effective dose of Andr.The cell morphology was observed under a microscope,the levels of c-SKI and ECM-related pro-teins were assessed by Western blot,and the c-SKI mRNA level was detected by qPCR.The transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1)-treated HCFBs were treated with the combination of c-SKI knockdown and Andr.The cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay,and the levels of c-SKI and ECM-related proteins were detected by Western blot.RESULTS:After the intervention of Andr,the myocardial fibers in mice were neatly arranged,the morphology of myocardial cells was basically normal,the cell membrane was intact,and the collagen volume fraction was significantly reduced(P＜0.01).The mRNA and protein levels of c-SKI were significantly up-regulated(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),and the protein levels of fibronectin 1(FN1),α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA),vimentin and collagen type I(Col I)were significantly down-regulated(P＜0.01).After 50 μmol/L Andr treatment for 48 h,the viability of HCFBs was significantly decreased(P＜0.01),the pro-tein levels of Col I,α-SMA,vimentin and FN1 were significantly down-regulated(P＜0.01),and c-SKI expression was significantly up-regulated(P＜0.01).Compared with PBS group,the number of the HCFBs in TGF-β1 group increased with flattened and irregular morphological change,and the FN1,α-SMA,Col I and vimentin levels were significantly in-creased(P＜0.01),while c-SKI expression was significantly decreased(P＜0.01).After Andr intervention,the induction effect of TGF-β1 on HCFBs was reversed.Knockdown of c-SKI combined with Andr treatment in HCFBs significantly down-regulated c-SKI expression(P＜0.01),significantly up-regulated FN1,α-SMA,vimentin and Col I levels(P＜0.05),and significantly increased the cell viability.CONCLUSION:Andrgrapholide may affect the TGF-β1 signaling pathway by regulating c-SKI expression,and inhibit the proliferation of myocardial fibroblasts and ECM deposition,thus inhibiting myocardial fibrosis.

Objective To compare the safety and comfort of patients with or without postoperative gastric tube placement after esophageal cancer surgery, and analyze the cost and nursing time of gastric tube placement. Methods The patients with esophageal cancer undergoing minimally invasive surgery in West China Hospital of Sichuan University in 2021 were enrolled. The patients were divided into a gastric tube indwelling group and a non gastric tube indwelling group according to whether the gastric tube was indwelled after the operation. The safety and comfort indicators of the two groups were compared. Results A total of 130 patients were enrolled. There were 66 patients in the gastric tube indwelling group, including 53 males and 13 females, aged 61.80±9.05 years and 64 patients in the non gastric tube indwelling group, including 55 males and 9 females, aged 64.47±8.00 years. Six patients in the non gastric tube indwelling group needed to place gastric tube 1 to 3 days after the operation due to their condition. There was no statistical difference in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups (P>0.05). The subjective comfort of patients in the gastric tube indwelling group was significantly lower than that in the non gastric tube indwelling group (P<0.001), and the incidence of foreign body sensation in the throat of patients in the gastric tube indwelling group was higher than that in the non gastric tube indwelling group (P<0.001). The average nursing time in the gastric tube indwelling group was about 59.58 minutes, and the average cost of gastric tube materials and nursing was 378.24 yuan per patient. Conclusion No gastric tube used after operation for appropriate esophageal cancer patients will not increase the incidence of postoperative complications (pulmonary infection, anastomotic leakage, chylothorax), but can increase the comfort of patients, save cost and reduce nursing workload, which is safe, feasible and economical.

Objective To study the influencing factors of postoperative recurrence of vocal cord leukoplakia and establish a clinical prediction model.Methods A total of 386 patients with vocal cord leukoplakia treated in our hospital from February 2016 to February 2020 were selected retrospectively.According to the follow-up results,the patients were divided into two groups:recurrent group(n=89)and non-recurrent group(n=297).The general and clinical data of the two groups were collected.The influencing factors of postoperative recurrence of vocal cord leu-koplakia were screened by univariate analysis and Logistic regression analysis,and the Logistic risk prediction model was established.The model was internally verified by R software and boostrap method.Results Age(OR=0.924),drinking history(OR=1.946),voice abuse(OR=2.436),laryngopharyngeal reflux(OR=0.487),mod-erate dysplasia(OR=0.420)and severe dysplasia(OR=0.303)were the influencing factors of postoperative recur-rence of vocal cord leukoplakia.The internal verification AUC of the model was 0.777,95％the confidence interval was 0.663～0.825,and the model fit well.Conclusion The postoperative recurrence of vocal cord leukoplakia is related to the patient's age,leukoplakia range,pathological morphology and laryngopharyngeal reflux.

Objective:To design and develop a WeChat mini-program for risk assessment and health management of people at high-risk of stroke.Methods:Relying on the network platforms and smartphones, a WeChat mini-program based health management network platform was designed and developed based on the analysis of the needs of high-risk stroke populations and medical staff for the management of high-risk stroke populations, with health data collection, stroke risk assessment, health education and knowledge base matching and intervention programs and data privacy and security as the key technologies.Results:The mini-program included three ports, such as the patient end, medical staff end and backend management end. It had the main functions of stroke risk assessment, intelligent promotion of health management follow-up plans, recording of health indicators and medication reminders, interactive consultation, and health knowledge promotion.Conclusions:The development of risk assessment and health management WeChat mini-program for high-risk stroke populations and the use of a simple and effective intelligent assessment to realize rapid classification of stroke risk in population lay a foundation for the WeChat mini-program function module to carry out individualized, accurate and efficient brain-heart health management.

Objective:To explore the effects of breast cancer mesenchymal stem cells (BC-MSC) on the proliferation and migration of breast cancer MCF-7 cells and the related mechanisms.Methods:The resected cancer tissues and paracancerous tissues were taken from breast cancer patients after surgery, and the bone marrow samples of healthy people were selected. BC-MSC, breast cancer paracancerous mesenchymal stem cells (BCN-MSC) and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) of healthy people were isolated and cultured by tissue adhesion method, and their differentiation ability was induced by the addition of osteogenic and lipogenic induction, and their surface markers were detected by flow cytometry. The supernatants of BC-MSC, BCN-MSC and BM-MSC of healthy people cultured for 48 h were collected and used for the culture of MCF-7 cells as BC-MSC group, BCN-MSC group and BM-MSC group, respectively, and the control group was the conventional cultured MCF-7 cells. The proliferation ability of MCF-7 cells in each group was detected by methyl thiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay, the clone formation ability of MCF-7 cells was detected by plate cloning assay, the migration ability of MCF-7 cells was detected by Transwell assay, and the mRNA relative expressions of interleukin (IL)-6 and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes (E-cadherin, vimentin, snail) were detected by quantitative real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in MCF-7 cells. Western blotting was used to detect expressions of p-STAT3, E-cadherin, vimentin and snail proteins in MCF-7 cells. Luminex liquid microarray technology was used to detect cytokine levels in culture supernatants of different mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). IL-6 neutralizing antibody was added into the supernatant of BC-MSC, MCF-7 cells were cultured with the supernatant (BC-MSC+IL-6 neutralizing antibody group), and then the proliferation and migration abilities of MCF-7 cells were tested, as well as the expression changes of related genes and proteins.Results:BC-MSC, BCN-MSC and BM-MSC were successfully isolated; BC-MSC had positive expressions of CD29, CD44 and CD90 and negative expressions of CD14, CD34 and CD45, which were in line with the characteristics of MSC. MTT assay showed that the absorbance values of MCF-7 cells cultured for 48 h in the control group, BC-MSC group, BCN-MSC group and BM-MSC group were 0.31±0.02, 0.54±0.03, 0.43±0.02 and 0.42±0.02, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( F = 56.52, P < 0.05); the results of plate cloning experiments showed that the number of clones in each petri dish of the four groups were 180±9, 439±17, 319±16 and 306±19, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( F = 222.70, P < 0.05); Transwell assay showed that the numbers of membrane-penetrating cells in the four groups were 6.5±1.0, 23.2±2.4, 16.0±1.3 and 14.8±2.0, respectively, with the statistically significant difference ( F = 49.44, P < 0.05); qRT-PCR assay showed that the relative expressions of IL-6 mRNA in the control group, BC-MSC group, BCN-MSC group and BM-MSC group were 1.07±0.11, 13.79±3.80, 6.68±1.66 and 6.12±1.52, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( F = 107.60, P < 0.05), and the relative expression of E-cadherin mRNA in MCF-7 cells of BC-MSC, BCN-MSC and BM-MSC groups was lower than that of the control group, while the relative expressions of vimentin and snail mRNA were higher than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Western blotting assay showed that the relative expression of E-cadherin mRNA in MCF-7 cells of BC-MSC, BCN-MSC and BM-MSC groups was lower than that of the control group. Western blotting showed that the level of E-cadherin protein in BC-MSC, BCN-MSC and BM-MSC groups was lower than that in the control group, and the levels of vimentin and snail proteins were higher than those in the control group; Luminex liquid microarray technology showed that the content of IL-6 cytokine in the supernatants of BC-MSC, BCN-MSC and BM -MSC cultures were higher, and the relative expressions were 1.75±0.21, 1.00±0.10 and 0.96±0.08, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( F = 43.22, P < 0.05). The results of MTT assay showed that the absorbance values of MCF-7 cells in BC-MSC group and BC-MSC+IL-6 neutralizing antibody group were 0.56±0.05 and 0.42±0.04, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( t = -3.11, P < 0.05); the results of Transwell assay showed that the numbers of membrane-penetrating cells in the two groups were 30.3±1.5 and 17.3±2.1, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( t = -7.12, P < 0.05); qRT-PCR assay showed that the relative expressions of E-cadherin mRNA were 0.44±0.05 and 0.76±0.05 ( t = 6.40, P < 0.01), the relative expressions of vimentin mRNA were 2.90±0.21 and 1.79±0.21 ( t = 5.29, P < 0.01), and the relative expressions of snail mRNA were 3.20±0.20 and 1.91±0.30 ( t = 2.16, P < 0.01); Western blotting assay showed that the degrees to down-regulate the expression of E-cadherin protein and up-regulate the expressions of vimentin and snail proteins in the BC-MSC+IL-6 neutralizing antibody group were weakened compared with the BC-MSC group. Conclusions:BC-MSC can promote the proliferation and migration of breast cancer MCF-7 cells probably through activating IL-6-STAT3 signaling pathway-induced EMT by its secretion of IL-6.

Cardiomyopathy, Dilated/metabolism* ; Humans ; Microfilament Proteins/metabolism* ; Models, Cardiovascular ; Mutation ; Myocytes, Cardiac ; Pluripotent Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Troponin T/metabolism*

The continuing discoveries of novel classes of RNA modifications in various organisms have raised the need for improving sensitive, convenient, and reliable methods for quantifying RNA modifications. In particular, a subset of small RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), are modified at their 3'-terminal nucleotides via 2'-O-methylation. However, quantifying the levels of these small RNAs is difficult because 2'-O-methylation at the RNA 3'-terminus inhibits the activity of polyadenylate polymerase and T4 RNA ligase. These two enzymes are indispensable for RNA labeling or ligation in conventional miRNA quantification assays. In this study, we profiled 3'-terminal 2'-O-methyl plant miRNAs in the livers of rice-fed mice by oxidative deep sequencing and detected increasing amounts of plant miRNAs with prolonged oxidation treatment. We further compared the efficiency of stem-loop and poly(A)-tailed RT-qPCR in quantifying plant miRNAs in animal tissues and identified stem-loop RT-qPCR as the only suitable approach. Likewise, stem-loop RT-qPCR was superior to poly(A)-tailed RT-qPCR in quantifying 3'-terminal 2'-O-methyl piRNAs in human seminal plasma. In summary, this study established a standard procedure for quantifying the levels of 3'-terminal 2'-O-methyl miRNAs in plants and piRNAs. Accurate measurement of the 3'-terminal 2'-O-methylation of small RNAs has profound implications for understanding their pathophysiologic roles in biological systems.
Animals ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Methylation ; Mice ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; Oxidative Stress ; RNA, Small Interfering/metabolism* ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

Objective:To investigate the optimal keV value of a novel dual-layer spectral detector CT virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) for displaying esophageal cancer lesions and to evaluate its diagnostic efficacy for preoperative T staging of esophageal cancer.Methods:The data of 50 patients with esophageal carcinoma in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from October 2019 to August 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 42 males and 8 females, aged 49-78(65±7) years. All patients underwent novel dual-layer spectral detector CT chest enhanced scan before treatment, the conventional CT images and 40-200 keV VMI were reconstructed. One-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis H rank sum test were used to compare the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) among conventional CT images and 40-200 keV VMI.The 5-grade grading method were applied for subjective evaluation, and the Friedman test was used to compare the differences in the subjective evaluation of image quality in each group.Spearman test was used to analyze the correlation of images at different energy levels with SNR and CNR. Fisher exact test was used to compare the accuracy of conventional CT and optimal keV value images for preoperative diagnosis of T staging of esophageal cancer. Results:There were significant differences in SNR and CNR among conventional CT images and 40-200 keV VMI images ( P<0.001), and the SNR and CNR of 40 keV images were superior to those of conventional CT images and 70-200 keV VMI images ( P<0.05). The energy level of 40-200 keV VMI was negatively correlated with SNR and CNR (SNR: r=-1.000, P<0.001; CNR: r =-1.000, P<0.001). The overall difference in subjective image quality scores among conventional CT images and 40-200 keV VMI was statistically significant (χ 2=498.37, P<0.001), of which the subjective image quality of 40-60 keV VMI was superior to that of conventional CT images ( P<0.05). The accuracy of preoperative diagnosis of T-stage of esophageal cancer was 62.9% (22/35) for both 40 keV VMI and conventional CT images. Conclusion:The novel dual-layer spectral detector CT of 40 keV VMI has the best display of esophageal cancer, and the accuracy of preoperative diagnosis of T staging is similar to that of conventional CT.