The anti-inflammatory phytochemical investigation of the leaves of Illicium dunnianum (I. dunnianum) resulted in the isolation of five pairs of new lignans (1-5), and 7 known analogs (6-12). The separation of enantiomer mixtures 1-5 to 1a/1b-5a/5b was achieved using a chiral column with acetonitrile-water mixtures as eluents. The planar structures of 1-2 were previously undescribed, and the chiral separation and absolute configurations of 3-5 were reported for the first time. Their structures were determined through comprehensive spectroscopic data analysis [nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), high-resolution electrospray ionization mass (HR-ESI-MS), infrared (IR), and ultraviolet (UV)] and quantum chemistry calculations (ECD). The new isolates were evaluated by measuring their inhibitory effect on NO in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV-2 cells. Compounds 1a, 3a, 3b, and 5a demonstrated partial inhibition of NO production in a concentration-dependent manner. Western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays revealed that 1a down-regulated the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), COX-2, and iNOS and the protein expressions of COX-2 and iNOS. This research provides guidance and evidence for the further development and utilization of I. dunnianum.
Lignans/isolation & purification* ; Plant Leaves/chemistry* ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/isolation & purification* ; Mice ; Animals ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology* ; Illicium/chemistry* ; Cyclooxygenase 2/immunology* ; Interleukin-6/immunology* ; Nitric Oxide/metabolism* ; Cell Line ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/immunology* ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/immunology* ; Lipopolysaccharides

Objective To investigate the relationship between sperm DNA fragmentation index(DFI),high reactive oxygen species(ROS)rate,high mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP)rate,and progressive motility(PR)in patients with idiopathic astheno-zoospermia.Methods A total of 250 patients who visited the Male Department of Reproductive Medicine Center,Tangdu Hospital,from December 2022 to November 2023 were enrolled in this study.The patients were divided into mild(20％≤PR＜32％,n=86),moderate(10％≤PR＜20％,n=67),and severe(PR＜10％,n=47)asthenozoospermia groups,and a normal group(female factor infertility,normal semen parameters,PR≥32％,n=50)was formed based on their PR values.The levels of sperm DFI,high ROS and MMP rates were measured using flow cytometry,and their correlations with PR were analyzed.Results Compared with the normal group,the asthenozoospermia groups showed significantly lower sperm concentration,motility,normal morphology percentage and high MMP rate(P＜0.05),but significantly high DFI and ROS rate(P＜0.01).The severe asthenozoospermia group had significantly high DFI and ROS rate and high MMP rate was lower than that in the mild and moderate groups(P＜0.0I).No significant differences in DFI,high ROS rate and MMP rates were found between the mild and moderate groups(P＞0.05).As the severity of asthenozoospermia increased,DFI and high ROS rate showed an increasing trend,while high MMP rate decreased.Correlation analysis revealed a signifi-cant positive correlation between PR and high MMP rate(r=0.439,P＜0.01)and significant negative correlations between PR and high ROS rate(r=-0.435,P＜0.01),DFI(r=-0.478,P＜0.01).Conclusion The patients with idiopathic asthenozoospermia ex-hibit altered levels of sperm DFI,high ROS and MMP rates,which are associated with the severity of asthenozoospermia.Elevated ROS levels may lead to sperm DNA damage and mitochondrial dysfunction,resulting in decreased sperm progressive motility.

Objective:To investigate the repeatability of corneal topographic parameters with the Pentacam HR in patients with keratoconus of different severity.Methods:A diagnostic test study was performed.A total of 120 eyes from 98 patients with subclinical keratoconus or keratoconus were enrolled at Henan Eye Hospital from January 2019 to March 2022.The patients were divided into subclinical keratoconus group, mild keratoconus group, moderate keratoconus group and severe keratoconus group, with 30 eyes in each group.An additional 30 eyes of 30 subjects undergoing refractive surgery were selected as a control group.Three consecutive Pentacam HR measurements were performed by the same clinician.The recordings included a total of 53 parameters in anterior corneal surface, posterior corneal surface, thickness, composite index, and corneal densitometry.The within-subject standard deviation (Sw), repeatability limit ( r) and tolerance index (TI) were calculated to evaluate the repeatability of the parameters between different groups.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Ethics Committee of Henan Eye Hospital (No.HNEECKY-2019[5]).All subjects were informed of the purpose and significance of the study and signed an informed consent form before enrollment. Results:Compared with the control group, the TI of the subclinical, mild, moderate and severe keratoconus groups were 54.71%(29/53), 66.04%(35/53), 90.57%(48/53) and 94.34%(50/53), respectively, higher than 0.31.The steep keratometry (Ks), the maximum keratometry (Kmax) of the anterior corneal surface, the anterior corneal radius of curvature, the flat keratometry (Kf) of the posterior corneal surface, the posterior corneal radius of curvature (PRC), the thinnest corneal thickness (TCT), the average densitometry for the anterior 120 μm in the 0-2 mm area (A.0-2 mm), average densitometry for the anterior 120 μm in the 2-6 mm area (A.2-6 mm), average densitometry for the central tissue in the 0-2 mm area (C.2-6 mm), average densitometry for the total cornea in the 0-2 mm area (T.0-2 mm) and average densitometry for the total cornea in the 2-6 mm area (T.2-6 mm) showed good repeatability in the subclinical and mild keratoconus groups (TI<0.31).Kmax Zonal Mean 3 mm, posterior corneal surface mean keratometry, central keratoconus index showed good repeatability in subclinical, mild and moderate keratoconus groups.Kmax Zonal Mean 4 mm and Kmax Zonal Mean 5 mm showed good repeatability in all groups (TI<0.31).Conclusions:For patients with subclinical and mild keratoconus, Kf of the posterior corneal surface, PRC and TCT are recommended to monitor disease progression.To monitor the condition of patients with moderate and severe keratoconus, we may focus on the detection of Kmax Zonal Mean 4 mm and Kmax Zonal Mean 5 mm.

In order to develop a more effective drug for dry eye disease, the preparation of lifitegrast eye drops was carried out, and the safety and efficacy of lifitegrast eye drops in vitro and in vivo were investigated. First the method for the determination of lifitegrast content was established, and then the composition and preparation process of the preparation were determined by literature review and single factor experiment. Finally, the safety of lifitegrast eye drops was evaluated by Draize eye irritation test and HE staining, and the therapeutic efficacy was evaluated by Schirmer test and ELISA test. The results showed that the final prescription of lifitegrast eye drops consisted of 5% lifitegrast, 0.4% sodium chloride, 0.3%−0.4% anhydrous disodium hydrogen phosphate, 0.3% sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate and 0.3% sodium hydroxide. The appearance of lifitegrast eye drops was transparent and slightly brownish yellow solution, the pH was7.75±0.05, the osmotic pressure was in the range of 200−330 mOsmol/kg and it had good stability at 60℃ for 3 months. There was no significant difference in irritation study compared with normal saline. Schirmer test showed that tear secretion was increased and the expression of inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α in tears were significantly decreased after treatment with lifitegrast eye drops and compared to the commercially available emulsion cyclosporine eye drops, it takes effect faster. The above results indicate that lifitegrast eye drops are simple to prepare and stable, which is a better choice for the rapid treatment of dry eye disease.

Keratoconus is a blinding corneal disease characterized by central or paracentral corneal thinning and conical ectasia, and usually happens in adolescence. Currently, the etiology of keratoconus is unclear. Multiple studies have identified an association between genetics, eye rubbing, allergic diseases, ultraviolet exposure and keratoconus. Recently, several studies identified that sex hormones also played important roles in the pathogenesis of keratoconus. The disturbance of sex hormones may increase the risk of occurrence and progress of keratoconus. This review aims to summarize the pathophysiological effects of sex hormones on the cornea, clarify the effects of sex hormones on keratoconus and its related inflammatory or immune mechanisms, and explore the role of sex hormones in the early diagnosis and treatment of keratoconus, providing reference and help for clinical work.

Objective To investigate the effect of age on the incidence of cirrhosis and liver cancer in patients with chronic hepatitis B.Methods 279 patients with chronic hepatitis B were divided into the senior group and the younger group according to the age of the patients.The cumulative incidence of cirrhosis and liver cancer during 25 years of follow-up was calculated by using SPSS and R language through the long-term follow-up of HIS system,and the risk factors were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression.Results During follow-up,24 cases developed cirrhosis and 12 cases developed liver cancer.The cumulative incidence of liver cirrhosis was 1.5%,2.1%,5.4%,11.6%and 15.5%in the 5-year,10-year,15-year,20-year and 25-year group,and 5.5%,9.8%,22.9%,29.0%and 52.1%in the elderly,respectively.The difference between the younger age group and senior age group was statistically significant(P<0.001).A total of 2 risk factors(age and follow-up time)were included in the regression model.Two cases in the younger group developed into liver cancer after 17 and 21 years of follow-up,respectively.The cumulative incidence rates at 5,10,15,20 and 25 years were 1.8%,3.8%,18.5%,21.8%and 26.7%.A total of five factors(initial age,HBV-DNA load,HBV-DNA turned negative before the end-point,follow-up time,and sex)were included in the regression model.Conclusions The incidence of cirrhosis and liver cancer in CHB patients aged≥40 years,especially in male patients,is significantly higher than younger CHB patients.Timely initiation of antiviral therapy can delay disease progression and reduce the incidence of termi-nal liver disease.Whether antiviral therapy should be initiated for people aged 30 to 40 years remains to be studied.

BACKGROUND:Swimming is an important non-pharmacological treatment for knee osteoarthritis,which can effectively alleviate the disease.However,the effect and mechanism of swimming on senile knee osteoarthritis are still unclear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of swimming exercise on the articular cartilage of aged mice with knee osteoarthritis. METHODS:Six 3-month-old male C57BL/6 mice were selected as the young group,and twelve 18-month-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomized into the aged group and the swimming group,with six mice in each group.Mice in the swimming group received adaptive swimming for 1 week and formal swimming for 8 weeks.After the intervention,stride length analysis and sampling were performed in each group.The total number of leukocytes and lymphocytes in peripheral blood was detected by blood routine examinations.The morphology of the articular cartilage was observed by hematoxylin-eosin and safranin O-fast green staining.Chondrocyte counts and the modified Mankin's score were used to evaluate the degree of articular cartilage damage.The protein and mRNA expressions of type Ⅱ collagen,aggrecan and matrix metalloproteinase 13 in articular cartilage were detected by immunohistochemical staining and RT-qPCR. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the young group,the mice in the aged group showed significantly decreased stride length(P＜0.05),significantly increased numbers of peripheral leukocytes and lymphocytes(P＜0.05),significantly decreased count of chondrocytes(P＜0.05),significantly increased modified Mankin's score(P＜0.05),significantly decreased protein and mRNA expression of type Ⅱ collagen and aggreca(P＜0.05),and significantly increased matrix metalloproteinase 13 expression(P＜0.05).Moreover,hematoxylin-eosin and safranin O-fast green staining showed the uneven surface of the articular cartilage,abnormal chondrocytes,and proteoglycan loss in the aged group.Compared with the aged group,swimming exercise significantly improved the stride length of mice(P＜0.05),decreased the count of peripheral blood lymphocytes(P＜0.05),increased the count of chondrocytes(P＜0.05),decreased the modified Mankin's score(P＜0.05),increased the protein and mRNA expression of type Ⅱ collagen and aggrecan(P＜0.05),and decreased the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13(P＜0.05).Hematoxylin-eosin and safranin O-fast green staining showed that the articular surface of mice in the swimming group was smooth,chondrocytes were normal,and proteoglycan loss was less.All these findings indicate that swimming exercise can reduce the number of inflammatory cells in the blood of aged mice,improve articular chondrocytes,matrix composition and cartilage tissue morphology;thus,it has a protective effect on the cartilage of aged mice with knee osteoarthritis.

Objective To compare the clinical outcomes and retinal volume changes in patients with ischemic and non-ischemic macular edema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion(BRVO-ME)using optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA).Methods The clinical data of 34 ischemic BRVO-ME patients(34 eyes,ischemic group)and 21 non-ischemic BRVO-ME patients(21 eyes,non-ischemic group)were retrospectively analyzed.Patients in both groups re-ceived intravitreal injections of ranibizumab.The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)and retinal volume of the macular ar-ea were assessed before,1 day,1 week,1 month,3 months and 6 months after the treatment.Results The BCVA(log-MAR)at 1 day after the treatment was 0.63±0.37 in the ischemic group and 0.44±0.22 in the non-ischemic group,and the difference was statistically significant(P=0.017).The retinal volumes of the outer retina,the full retina,and the Farafovea and Perifovea subdivisions of the full retina before the treatment were(6.42±1.90)mm3,(8.75±1.82)mm3,(3.20±0.87)mm3 and(5.10±0.89)mm3 in the ischemic group and(5.52±1.57)mm3,(7.83±1.56)mm3,(2.80± 0.71)mm3,and(4.66±0.77)mm3 in the non-ischemic group,respectively;1 day after treatment,they were(4.97± 1.18)mm3,(7.46±1.47)mm3,(2.62±0.60)mm3 and(4.53±0.80)mm3 in the ischemic group and(4.25±0.48)mm3,(6.58±0.56)mm3,(2.26±0.26)mm3 and(4.06±0.40)mm3 in the non-ischemic group,respectively;at 1 week after the treatment,they were(4.40±0.82)mm3,(6.90±0.85)mm3,(2.38±0.36)mm3 and(4.24±0.49)mm3 in the ischemic group and(4.04±0.35)mm3,(6.33±0.49)mm3,(2.15±0.19)mm3 and(3.95±0.35)mm3 in the non-ische-mic group,respectively,and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).The a-mount of retinal volume change from baseline in the outer retina and the full retina was(-2.48±2.38)mm3 and(-2.54±2.38)mm3 in the ischemic group,and(-1.31±1.58)mm3 and(-1.38±1.58)mm3 in the non-ischemic group at 1 month after treatment,respectively,and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant(both P＜0.05).Conclusion Ranibizumab is effective in treating both ischemic and non-ischemic BRVO-ME.The short-term visu-al prognosis is better in the non-ischemic group than the ischemic group,and the retinal volume is higher in the ischemic group than the non-ischemic group.However,no significant difference is observed in the visual prognosis or retinal volume between the two groups after long-term treatment.

OBJECTIVE To mine the adverse drug events （ADE） signals for gilteritinib， and provide a reference for safe drug use in clinic. METHODS ADE reports with gilteritinib as the primary suspected drug were extracted from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System （FAERS） database from February 1st， 2018 to December 31st， 2023. Reporting odds ratio （ROR） and proportional reporting ratio （PRR） were applied to detect the risk signals from the data in the FAERS database. The classification and statistics of collected signal data were conducted by using the preferred term （PT） and systemic organ class （SOC） in ADE terminology set of the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities （24.1 edition）. RESULTS Totally， 2 755 gilteritinib-related ADE reports were collected from the database， involving 676 ADE signals （95 positive signals）， 313 PTs and 25 SOCs. Among them， nine signals were not recorded in the package insert. The top 5 PTs consisted of abnormal liver function， decreased platelet count， febrile neutropenia， pneumonia and myelosuppression. The top 6 SOCs for positive signal counts were examinations， general disorders and administration site conditions， respiratory， thoracic and mediastinal disorders， infections and infestations， heart organ disorders， and nervous system disorders. ADEs not recorded in the drug package insert included pneumonia， myelosuppression， decreased blood cell count， sepsis， hemorrhage， infection （not specifically referred to）， septic shock， respiratory failure， and aspergillosis. CONCLUSIONS In addition to paying attention to common ADEs such as liver dysfunction and thrombocytopenia， it is necessary to monitor ADEs with strong signals that are not mentioned in the drug instructions when using gefitinib， such as pneumonia， bone marrow suppression， cytopenia， sepsis， bleeding， infection （not specifically referred to）， septic shock， respiratory failure， Aspergillus infection， elevated serum creatinine and interstitial lung disease.

Keratoconus(KC)is a disease characterized by limited corneal cone-like protrusions accompanied by thinning of the corneal stroma in the area of protrusion, which commonly occurs before and after puberty, manifests itself bilaterally, and is a potentially blinding ophthalmic disease. It is a potentially blinding eye disease. Studies have shown that its pathogenesis is related to environmental factors, inflammatory response, immune function, and mechanical stimulation, but the mechanism of the occurrence and progression of KC has not yet been conclusively determined. A variety of genes, represented by corneal remodeling-related genes, have been found to have some influence on the development of cone cornea. More studies are still digging into the genetic targets associated with the development of cone cornea. This article reviews the targets and influence of genes in the pathogenesis of cone cornea, to explore the application value of genes in the early diagnosis and intervention of cone cornea, and to provide new ideas for future research on the pathogenesis of cone cornea.