ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of polysaccharide in water extract of Cyclocarya paliurus （CPWP） in inhibiting benign prostatic hyperplasia （BPH）. MethodsCPWP was obtained by heating reflux， aqueous extraction， alcohol precipitation， and freeze drying. The chemical composition and structural properties of CPWP were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography with 1-pheny-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone pre-column derivatization and infrared spectroscopy. Male SD rats were randomly assigned into control， model， finasteride （ig 5 mg·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （ig 50， 75， 100 mg·kg^-1） CPWP groups， with 8 rats in each group. The BPH model was established by subcutaneously injecting propionate testosterone in castrated rats. The rats in the drug intervention groups were administrated with corresponding drugs， and those in the control group were administrated with an equal volume of normal saline each day. After 30 consecutive days， the rats were sacrificed， and the prostate tissue was separated and weighed. The effects of drug interventions on the body weight， prostate wet weight， and prostate index of rats were examined. The prostate tissue was stained with hematoxylin-eosin （HE） for observation of pathological changes. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the level of dihydrotestosterone （DHT）， and immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of steroid 5 alpha-reductase 2 （SRD5A2） and Ki67 in the prostate tissue. ResultsCPWP was identified as a saccharide， with characteristic absorption peaks of saccharides. CPWP showed the total sugar content of 44.15% and molecular weight within the range of 5.5-78.8 kDa， being composed of mannose， rhamnose， galacturonic acid， glucose， galactose， xylose， and arabinose. Compared with the control group， the model group had significantly increased prostate wet weight and prostate index （P<0.01）， thick and tall prostate epithelial cells， increased internal wrinkles， papillary expansion into the cavity， an elevation in DHT level in the serum， and up-regulated expression of SRD5A2 and Ki67 in the prostate tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， both the finasteride and CPWP groups showed decreases in prostate wet weight and prostate index （P<0.05， P<0.01）， thinned prostate epithelial cells， with only a small portion of internal wrinkles and papillary expansion into the cavity， shortened papillary protrusions， lowered DHT level in the serum， and down-regulated expression of SRD5A2 and Ki67 in the prostate tissue （P<0.01）. Moreover， CPWP exerted effects in a dose-dependent manner. ConclusionCPWP inhibits BPH by regulating the expression of SRD5A2.

Objective:To investigate the effect of type 2 taste receptor(T2R)38 activation on ferroptosis of human airway epithelium NuLi-1 cells induced by cigarette smoke exposure,and to clarify its possible mechanism.Methods:The human airway epithelial NuLi-1 cells were divided into control group(without any treatment),cigarette smoke extract(CSE)group(treated with 5％CSE for 24 h)and CSE+T2R38 specific agonist phenylthiocarbamide(PTC)group(CSE+PTC group)(treated with 5％CSE and 1 mmol·L-1 PTC for 24 h).The expression levels of T2R38 mRNA and protein in NuLi-1 cells in various groups were determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)and Western blotting methods.The cell viabilities in various groups were determined by cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assay.The activities of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS),endothelial nitric oxide synthase(eNOS),and superoxide dismutase(SOD)in the cells in various groups were measured by kits.DAX-J2 red fluorescence probe was used to determine the levels of nitric oxide(NO)in the cells in various groups.The reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels in the cells in various groups were detected by fluorescent probe kit.The levels of malondialdehyde(MDA),Fe2+,and reduced glutathione(GSH)in the cells in various groups were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)method.Western blotting method was used to determine the expression levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)and glutathione peroxidases 4(GPx4)proteins in the cells in various groups.Results:Compared with control group,the expression levels of T2R38 mRNA and protein in NuLi-1 cells in CSE group were increased(P＜0.05).Compared with control group,the viability of NuLi-1 cells in CSE group was decreased(P＜0.05),the activities of iNOS and SOD in cells in CSE group were increased(P＜0.05),the levels of NO and ROS were increased(P＜0.05),the levels of MDA and Fe2+were increased(P＜0.05),and the GSH level and the expression levels of Nrf2 and GPx4 proteins were decreased.Compared with CSE group,the viability of NuLi-1 cells in CSE+PTC group was increased(P＜0.05),the activity of SOD and the GSH level in the cells were increased(P＜0.05),the activity of iNOS in cells was decreased(P＜0.05),the levels of NO and ROS in cells were decreased(P＜0.05),the levels of MDA and Fe2+were decreased(P＜0.05),and the expression levels of Nrf2 and GPx4 proteins were increased(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in eNOS activity among control group,CSE group,and CSE+PTC group(P＞0.05).Conclusion:Activation of bitter taste receptor T2R38 can inhibit ferroptosis in human airway epithelium NuLi-1 cells induced by cigarette smoke exposure,and its mechanism may be related to the reduction of iNOS activity in the cells.

Dry age-related macular degeneration(AMD)is a degenerative disease affecting the macular region of the retina,and aging changes in retinal and choroidal tissues are an important factor in AMD pathogenesis.Cell aging is an irre-versible state of cell cycle arrest triggered by certain physiological processes or stressful injury,affecting a variety of physi-ological and pathological processes.An increasing number of studies have shown that cell aging plays an essential role in the occurrence and development of AMD.This paper reviews the mechanisms of cell aging and its relationship with dry AMD,aiming to provide new ideas for the treatment of dry AMD.

Objective:To assess respondents' understanding of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD-PAQ) in Chinese and revise the items.Methods:The CKD-PAQ was sinicized according to the FACIT translation model to form a preliminary version. Using the purposive sampling method, 40 patients with chronic kidney disease from Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital were selected as respondents for three rounds of cognitive interviews from July to August 2023. Targeted content analysis was used to understand the level of understanding of the initial version of the questionnaire. Based on the respondents' suggestions, the questionnaire's final version was obtained after discussing and negotiating the questionable items.Results:The CKD-PAQ contained four dimensions and 31 items. A total of 22 questions were identified in three rounds of interviews. The results of the first round of interviews show that 13 questions need to be revised in terms of understanding and expression, the results of the second round of interviews show that eight questions need to be revised in terms of understanding and expression, the results of the third round of interviews showed that the language understanding of the revised Chinese version was consistent with the original questionnaire.Conclusions:Cognitive interviews can improve respondents' understanding of the questionnaire and identify issues that are difficult to identify during the localization process, thus improving the accuracy of the questionnaire.

Objective:To investigate the value of net water uptake (NWU) for predicting early neurological improvement (ENI) after endovascular treatment in patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke.Methods:A case-control study. A total of 132 patients (80 men, 52 women, median age 68 years) with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusive stroke receiving endovascular treatment were retrospectively analyzed at Jinling Hospital from October 2014 to September 2019. Patients were divided into two groups based on the occurrence of ENI, which was defined as either an improvement of NIHSS score of ≥4 points, or an NIHSS score of 0 or 1 at 24 hours after endovascular treatment. The rank sum test, Chi square test, and other methods were used to compare differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate independent predictors of postoperative ENI. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis used to assess the capacity of NWU to predict ENI.Results:Of the 132 patients in the study, ENI occurred in 47 and did not occur in 85. In multivariate logistic regression analysis age [odds ratio ( OR)=0.940, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 0.903-0.979, P=0.003], time from stroke onset to puncture ( OR=0.995, 95% CI 0.991-0.999, P=0.025), time from puncture to recanalization/end of operation ( OR=0.985, 95% CI 0.974-0.996, P=0.007), NWU ( OR=0.762, 95% CI 0.620-0.937, P=0.010), and mTICI ( OR=1.644, 95% CI 1.043-2.590, P=0.032) were predictive factors for ENI. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that NWU could effectively predict ENI (area under the curve=0.642, 95% CI 0.543-0.741, P=0.007), and prediction accuracy was improved when it was combined with other clinical parameters. Conclusion:NWU is an independent predictor of ENI in patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusive stroke undergoing endovascular treatment.

Schizophrenia is a serious mental disease. The diagnosis of schizophrenia so far relies heavily on subjective evidence, including self-reported experiences by patients, manifestations described by relatives, and abnormal behaviors assessed by psychiatrists. The diagnosis, monitoring of the disease progression and therapy efficacy assessment are challenging due to the lack of established laboratory biomarkers. Based on the current literature, clinical consensus, guidelines, and expert recommendations, this review highlighted evidence-based potential laboratory biomarkers for the diagnosis of schizophrenia, including genetic biomarkers, neurotransmitters, neurodevelopmental-related proteins, and intestinal flora, and discussed the potential future directions for the application of these biomarkers in this field, aiming to provide an objective basis for the use of these biomarkers in the early and accurate diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis and rehabilitation assessment of schizophrenia.

Objective:To explore the teaching effect of 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation based on self-drawing method.Methods:This study recruited 489 students from 10 classes of clinical medicine major of Shandong Medical College as research objects. They were divided into control group and experimental group. Theoretical teaching and traditional practical training were adopted to the control group while theoretical teaching and self-drawing method were adopted to the experimental group. The ECG test scores, the number of students with excellent performance and the ECG scores of the final exam were compared between the two groups. Questionnaires were issued to assess the effect of different teaching methods on students. SPSS 25.0 was used for t test and chi-square test. Results:Compared with the experimental group, the results of the ECG special test, the number of excellent students and the ECG scores of the final exam in the control group all decreased, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.01). The results of the questionnaire showed that the experimental group had higher mastery of ECG abnormal patterns, learning initiative, self-confidence and better satisfaction with the overall teaching of ECG ( P<0.01). Conclusion:The practical training based on self-drawing method can improve ECG interpretation skills, learning initiative and self-confidence of students, which has achieved good teaching effect.

Objective Our purpose was to investigate the pathogenic gene mutation of a Han Chinese family with vitreous amyloidosis.Methods The 9 individuals(proband,1 affected member and 7 unaffected members) of the family were selected and their DNA was extracted from peripheral blood.The 4 exons of transthyretin(TTR) gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction(PCR) technique.The amplified products of TTR gene were sequencing by Sanger technique.We also selected 100 unrelated healthy individual as the control group.Results By DNA sequencing,a heterozygous mutation was found in 4 of the 9 subjects from the family.The transition of adenine to cytosine(AAG ＞ ACG) was detectable in exon 2 of TTR,which changed the amino acid composition at codon 35 (Lys35Thr).This mutation did not presented in control group.Conclusion The heterozygosis mutation of TTR gene Lys35Thr should be a pathogenic mutation for the family with vitreous amyloidosis.

[Summary] The activities of 17α-hydroxylase and 17,20 lyase of cytochrome P450c17 were evaluated by ELISA in NCI-H295R cells after treatment with palmitate and oleate. The results showed that 0. 75 mmol/L plamitate did not influence the activity of 17α-hydroxylase, but increased the activity of 17, 20 lyase by 74. 3% ( P<0. 05). Oleate at the same concentration did not change the activity of 17,20 lyase. There were no significant changes in the protein expressions of P450c17, P450 oxidoreductase, and cytochrome b5 after treatment with palmitate and oleate. However,reactive oxygen species in cells were elevated by palmitate. The results suggest that exposure to palmitate may increase androgen production by inducing 17, 20 lyase activity of P450c17 in NCI-H295R cells, which is related with oxidative stress-mediated post-translational regulation of the enzyme.

AIM:To investigate high-density lipoprotein ( HDL) subclass distribution and to analyze the rela-tionship between HDL subclasses with plasma glucose and lipids in metabolic syndrome ( MS) .METHODS:Apolipopro-tein A-I ( apoA-I) contents of plasma HDL subclasses were determined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis associated with immunodetection .The concentrations of lipids and apolipoproteins in the plasma were measured by an automated bio -chemical analyzer .RESULTS:Compared with the controls , the levels of fasting plasma glucose ( FPG) , total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride ( TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C), LDL-C/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), apolipoprotein B100(apoB100), apoB100/apoA-I, systolic blood pressure (SBP), body mass index (BMI) and HDL3b were increased in the MS patients (P<0.05).Meanwhile, HDL-C, apoA-I and preβ2-HDL, HDL2a and HDL2b were decreased in the MS patients (P<0.01).With the increase in the plasma glucose level , the contents of HDL2a and HDL2b were decreased in the MS patients (P<0.05), while preβ1-HDL was increased (P<0.05).With the decrease in the HDL-C level, the content of HDL2b was decreased in the MS patients (P<0.01), while preβ1-HDL was increased (P<0.01).With the increase in the TG level and the decrease in the HDL-C level, the content of HDL2b had a decrea-sing trend and the content of small-particle preβ1-HDL had an increasing trend , indicating that HDL maturation metabolism was disrupted.The correlation analysis showed that FPG was negatively correlated with the levels of HDL 2a and HDL2b, HDL-C was negatively correlated with the level of preβ1-HDL and positively correlated with the level of HDL 2b , and TG was positively correlated with the levels of preβ1-HDL and HDL3b .CONCLUSION:With the increases in the plasma glucose and TG, and the decrease in HDL-C in the MS patients, HDL particles have minifying tendency , and the maturation me-tabolism of HDL particles is disrupted .