Swine enteric coronaviruses(SeCoV),such as porcine epidemic diarrhea virus(PEDV),transmissible gastroenteritis virus(TGEV),and porcine delta coronavirus(PDCoV),cause severe diarrhea in piglets,resulting in substantial losses in pig farming.In this study we establish a triple fluorescence reverse transcription-quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)method for the simultaneous de-tection of PEDV,TGEV,and PDCoV.The specific primers and probes for each target virus were designed based on conserved sequences from the PEDV M gene,the TGEV ORF 1b gene,and the PDCoV ORF 1b gene respectively.Following the optimization of parameters and conditions,a triple RT-qPCR method was successfully established to simultaneously detect PEDV,TGEV,and PD-CoV.The developed assay exhibits strong specificity for these three pathogens without any cross-reaction with other common porcine viruses like CSFV,PCV2,PoRVA,PRV,and PRRSV.The de-tection limit of linear templates for pTOPO-PEDV 128,pTOPO-TGEV 116,and pTOPO-PDCoV 125 recombinant plasmids were 16.835,17.610 and 17.020 copies/μL,respectively.The intra group and inter group coefficients of variation were less than 5％,with no significant differences observed(P＞0.05).Moreover,the detection consistency rate of the developed RT-qPCR was compared with standard method and showed 100％agreement.Out of 35 small intestine tissue samples,17 tested positive for PEDV,resulting in a positive rate of 48.57％(17/35).The tests for TGEV and PDCoV yielded negative results,and no mixed infections were detected.Based on the above results,the tri-ple RT-qPCR method established is specific,sensitive,stable,and rapid,and can be used for clinical detection and differential diagnosis of PEDV,TGEV,and PDCoV simultaneously,providing a method for the detection and epidemiological investigation of porcine diarrhea coronaviruses.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the ameliorative effect of Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum Alumine and its effective components on inflammatory response in mice with acute lung injury(ALI).METHODS A mice model of acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS)was used as the in vivo animal model.The levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-6,and IL-1β,the total protein concentration,the number of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid,the ratio of lung wet weight to dry weight,and the pathological damage of lung tissues were taken as the evaluation indexes.RAW264.7 macrophages induced by LPS were used as the in vitro experimental model,with the mRNA levels of intracellular inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 as indicators,systematic solvent extraction and silica gel column chromatography were used to separate and screen the effective parts and components of Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum Alumine for treating acute lung injury.The component composition of the effective fractions was analyzed by mass spectrometry,the content of cyclic dipeptide components in the effective fraction was determined,and the anti-in-flammatory activity of cyclic dipeptides was verified in vitro.RESULTS The ethyl acetate extraction fraction obtained by extracting the supernatant of water extraction and ethanol precipitation of Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum Alumine(referred to as the ethyl acetate fraction for short)significantly improved the inflammatory response in mice with acute lung injury and significantly reduced the mRNA levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 in RAW264.7 cells induced by LPS.The Fr.1 fraction isolated from the ethyl acetate frac-tion by silica gel column chromatography had anti-inflammatory effects in vitro.Mass spectrometry determined the content of two main cyclic dipeptide components,cyclo-(Pro-Phe)and cyclo-(Pro-Val),in the Fr.1 fraction.After mixing these two cyclic dipeptide components in the molar ratio in the Fr.1 fraction and administering them in vitro,the results showed that the combination of these two cyclic dipeptide components could significantly inhibit the mRNA expression levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 in RAW264.7 cells induced by LPS.CONCLUSION Cyclic dipeptide component is one of the main material basis categories for the anti-inflammatory effect of Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum Alumine.

Swine enteric coronaviruses(SeCoV),such as porcine epidemic diarrhea virus(PEDV),transmissible gastroenteritis virus(TGEV),and porcine delta coronavirus(PDCoV),cause severe diarrhea in piglets,resulting in substantial losses in pig farming.In this study we establish a triple fluorescence reverse transcription-quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)method for the simultaneous de-tection of PEDV,TGEV,and PDCoV.The specific primers and probes for each target virus were designed based on conserved sequences from the PEDV M gene,the TGEV ORF 1b gene,and the PDCoV ORF 1b gene respectively.Following the optimization of parameters and conditions,a triple RT-qPCR method was successfully established to simultaneously detect PEDV,TGEV,and PD-CoV.The developed assay exhibits strong specificity for these three pathogens without any cross-reaction with other common porcine viruses like CSFV,PCV2,PoRVA,PRV,and PRRSV.The de-tection limit of linear templates for pTOPO-PEDV 128,pTOPO-TGEV 116,and pTOPO-PDCoV 125 recombinant plasmids were 16.835,17.610 and 17.020 copies/μL,respectively.The intra group and inter group coefficients of variation were less than 5％,with no significant differences observed(P＞0.05).Moreover,the detection consistency rate of the developed RT-qPCR was compared with standard method and showed 100％agreement.Out of 35 small intestine tissue samples,17 tested positive for PEDV,resulting in a positive rate of 48.57％(17/35).The tests for TGEV and PDCoV yielded negative results,and no mixed infections were detected.Based on the above results,the tri-ple RT-qPCR method established is specific,sensitive,stable,and rapid,and can be used for clinical detection and differential diagnosis of PEDV,TGEV,and PDCoV simultaneously,providing a method for the detection and epidemiological investigation of porcine diarrhea coronaviruses.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the ameliorative effect of Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum Alumine and its effective components on inflammatory response in mice with acute lung injury(ALI).METHODS A mice model of acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS)was used as the in vivo animal model.The levels of inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-6,and IL-1β,the total protein concentration,the number of inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid,the ratio of lung wet weight to dry weight,and the pathological damage of lung tissues were taken as the evaluation indexes.RAW264.7 macrophages induced by LPS were used as the in vitro experimental model,with the mRNA levels of intracellular inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 as indicators,systematic solvent extraction and silica gel column chromatography were used to separate and screen the effective parts and components of Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum Alumine for treating acute lung injury.The component composition of the effective fractions was analyzed by mass spectrometry,the content of cyclic dipeptide components in the effective fraction was determined,and the anti-in-flammatory activity of cyclic dipeptides was verified in vitro.RESULTS The ethyl acetate extraction fraction obtained by extracting the supernatant of water extraction and ethanol precipitation of Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum Alumine(referred to as the ethyl acetate fraction for short)significantly improved the inflammatory response in mice with acute lung injury and significantly reduced the mRNA levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 in RAW264.7 cells induced by LPS.The Fr.1 fraction isolated from the ethyl acetate frac-tion by silica gel column chromatography had anti-inflammatory effects in vitro.Mass spectrometry determined the content of two main cyclic dipeptide components,cyclo-(Pro-Phe)and cyclo-(Pro-Val),in the Fr.1 fraction.After mixing these two cyclic dipeptide components in the molar ratio in the Fr.1 fraction and administering them in vitro,the results showed that the combination of these two cyclic dipeptide components could significantly inhibit the mRNA expression levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,and IL-6 in RAW264.7 cells induced by LPS.CONCLUSION Cyclic dipeptide component is one of the main material basis categories for the anti-inflammatory effect of Pinelliae Rhizoma Praeparatum Cum Alumine.

Objective:To explore the risk factors of intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) and the characteristics of Medical Research Council (MRC) score and electromyogram.Methods:A case control study was conducted. Patients with mechanical ventilation ≥ 7 days and MRC score admitted to department of respiratory and critical care medicine of China-Japan Friendship Hospital from September 2018 to January 2020 were enrolled, and they were divided into ICU-AW group (MRC score < 48) and non-ICU-AW group (MRC score ≥ 48) according to MRC score. The general situation, past medical history, related risk factors, MRC score, respiratory support mode, laboratory examination results, electromyogram examination results, ICU-AW related treatment, outcome and length of ICU stay were collected, and the differences between the two groups were compared. The risk factors of ICU-AW were analyzed by binary multivariate Logistic regression, and the characteristics of MRC score and electromyogram were analyzed.Results:A total of 60 patients were enrolled in the analysis, including 17 patients in ICU-AW group and 43 patients in non-ICU-AW group. Univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHEⅡ) score, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) on the first day of ICU admission and the ratio of invasive mechanical ventilation between ICU-AW group and non-ICU-AW group [APACHEⅡ score: 21 (18, 25) vs. 18 (15, 22), SOFA score: 7 (5, 12) vs. 5 (3, 8), BNP (ng/L): 364.3 (210.1, 551.2) vs. 160.1 (66.8, 357.8), BUN (mmol/L): 9.9 (6.2, 17.0) vs. 6.0 (4.8, 9.8), invasive mechanical ventilation ratio: 88.2% vs. 46.5%, all P < 0.05]. Binary multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed no independent risk factor for ICU-AW. The average MRC score of 17 ICU-AW patients was 33±11. The limb weakness was symmetrical, and the proximal limb weakness was the main manifestation. Electromyography examination showed that the results of nerve conduction examination in ICU-AW patients mainly revealed that the amplitude of compound muscle action potential (CMAP) and sensory nerve action potentials (SNAP) were decreased, and the conduction velocity was slowed down; needle electromyography showed increased area of motor unit potential (MUP), prolonged time limit and a large number of spontaneous potentials. Prognosis evaluation showed that compared with non-ICU-AW group, patients in ICU-AW group underwent more tracheotomy (70.6% vs. 11.6%), longer length of ICU stay (days: 57±52 vs. 16±8), and more rehabilitation treatment (58.8% vs. 14.0%), and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.01). Conclusions:The occurrence of ICU-AW may be related to high APACHEⅡ score and SOFA score, high levels of BNP and BUN on the first day of ICU admission and the proportion of invasive mechanical ventilation, but the above factors are not independent risk factors for ICU-AW. The MRC score of ICU-AW patients was characterized by symmetrical limb weakness, mainly proximal limb weakness; in electromyography examination, the nerve conduction examination results mainly showed that CMAP and SNAP amplitude were decreased, and conduction velocity was slowed down; needle electromyography examination showed increased MUP area, prolonged duration and a large number of spontaneous potentials.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a viable ultimate support therapy for patients with severe cardiorespiratory failure. Antimicrobial agents are commonly prescribed in critically ill patients with ECMO. However, an increasing number of studies have shown that ECMO circuit is associated with significant pharmacokinetic (PK) alterations, including the increased volume of distribution and reduced the clearance. In addition, the critical illness pathophysiology can also influence PK of antimicrobial, such as systemic inflammation, excessive fluid resuscitation, hypo-albuminemia, worsening hepatic or renal function. These PK alterations may increase the possibility of therapeutic failure or toxicity. Therefore, this study reviews published studies of the effects of ECMO on PK of antimicrobial agents in adults and makes preliminary recommendations on possible dosing regimen.

Objective:To study the effect of Pterostilbene on endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis in human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2 cells) induced by oxalate.Methods:From January 2019 to January 2020, HK-2 cells were divided into a control group (cultured with normal medium), an oxalate group (cultured with a medium containing 4 mmol/L of oxalate), and an intervention group of Pterostilbene (containing 4 mmol/L of oxalate + Pterostilbene 5, 10, and 20 μmol/L mixed medium were cultured at the same time), and the following tests were performed after 12 hours of treatment. Pterostilbene (5, 10, and 20 μmol/L) intervention group for cell viability test, lactate dehydrogenase cytotoxicity test, reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide enzyme, total antioxidant capacity detection experiments to explore the degree of oxidative damage, and Western blotting experiments to explore the protein expression of ATF6, GRP78, DDIT3, caspase12, Clevead caspase 3/9; Pterostilbene (10 μmol/L) intervention group to detect mitochondrial membrane potential, caspase 3 enzyme activity, apoptosis rate, reactive oxygen detection to detect the apoptosis, reactive oxygen level, and qRT-PCR to detect ATF6, GRP78, DDIT3 of cells mRNA expression.Results:CCK-8 and lactate dehydrogenase toxicity test results showed that the cell activity of the oxalate group was significantly lower than that of the control group [(45.6±3.1)% vs. 100.0%, P<0.001]; the lactate dehydrogenase [(330.2±11.1)U/L vs. (2.6±6.7) U/L, P<0.001] of the oxalate group was higher than that of the control group increased obviously; the cell viability[ (57.2±1.7)%, (67.2±3.4)%, (78.9±1.8)%] of Pterostilbene intervention group (5, 10, 20 μmol/L) significantly increased compared with oxalate group ( P<0.05); lactate dehydrogenase [(288.1±4.3)U/L, (260.9±5.5)U, (202.7±10.2)U/L] in Pterostilbene intervention group (5, 10, 20 μmol/L ) was significantly lower than oxalate group ( P<0.05). The results of the five biochemical indexes of malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione, total superoxide dismutase, catalase, and total antioxidant capacity showed that the cell damage state was consistent with the experimental results of CCK-8 and lactate dehydrogenase. The active oxygen test results showed that the oxalate group had a significantly higher active oxygen level (76.3±4.9 vs. 6.2±1.7, P<0.01); the active oxygen level (39.5±5.4) of the Pterostilbene intervention group(10 μmol/L) was significantly lower than oxalate group ( P<0.01). The flow cytometry and caspase3 enzyme activity showed an increase in apoptosis rate and caspase3 activity in line with the trend of reactive oxygen levels. Mitochondrial membrane potential results showed that the oxalate group had a significantly lower mitochondrial membrane potential (0.76±0.15 vs. 7.84±0.26, P<0.01), and the mitochondrial membrane potential (2.26±0.27) of the Pterostilbene intervention group (10 μmol/L) was significantly higher than oxalate group( P<0.01). Western blot analysis showed that the relative expression of ATF6, DDIT3, GRP78, caspase12 and Cleaved caspase3/9 protein in the oxalate group was significantly higher than that in the control group. The relative expression of ATF6, DDIT3, GRP78, caspase12, Cleaved caspase3/9 protein in the Pterostilbene intervention group was significantly lower than that in the oxalate group ( P<0.05). qRT-PCR results showed that the mRNA expression trends of ATF6, DDIT3 and GRP78 in the three groups were consistent with the results of Western blotting. Conclusion:Pterostilbene can effectively inhibit the endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis of HK-2 cells induced by oxalate.

Objective: To determine the effect of transplanting bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMCs) on the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and Nogo-A around the ischemic foci after focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion, and to study any role of BMMCs in nerve function recovery. Methods: BMMCs were isolated from the bone marrow of Sprague-Dawley rats. Cerebral ischemia and reperfusion was performed using a nylon thread to occlude the right middle cerebral artery for 2h followed by 24h of reperfusion. The qualified models were selected according to the Longa scale. The 48 models selected were randomly divided into a model group and an observation group, each of 24. Each group was further divided into 7d, 14d and 21d subgroups. 100μl of BMMCs (5×10⁶ /ml) were slowly injected into the ischemic lateral striata of the observation group. The rats in the model group were similarly injected, but with buffered saline solution. The rats were evaluated using the Longa scale after 7d, 14d and 21d. The rats were then sacrificed and the brain was resected. Immunohistochemical assays quantified the expression of GFAP and Nogo-A around the ischemic foci. Results: Compared with the model group, the rats in the observation group showed less neurological deficit on the 21st day, significantly greater expression of GFAP and significantly less Nogo-A expression on days 14 and 21. Nogo-A expression on the 21st day was also significantly lower than on the 14th day in the observation group. Conclusion BMMC transplantation can promote recovery from nerve damage after focal cerebral ischemia, which is probably related to enhanced expression of GFAP and restrained expression of Nogo-A in the brain tissues surrounding ischemic lesions.

Background The ongoing new coronavirus pneumonia (Corona Virus Disease 2019,COVID-19) outbreak is spreading in China, but it has not yet reached its peak. Five million people emigrated from Wuhan before lockdown, potentially representing a source of virus infection. Determining case distribution and its correlation with population emigration from Wuhan in the early stage of the epidemic is of great importance for early warning and for the prevention of future outbreaks. Methods The official case report on the COVID-19 epidemic was collected as of January 30, 2020. Time and location information on COVID-19 cases was extracted and analyzed using ArcGIS and WinBUGS software. Data on population migration from Wuhan City and Hubei province were extracted from Baidu Qianxi, and their correlation with the number of cases was analyzed. Results The COVID-19 confirmed and death cases in Hubei province accounted for 59.91% (5806/9692) and 95.77% (204/213) of the total cases in China respectively. Hot spot provinces included Sichuan and Yunnan, which are adjacent to Hubei. The time risk of Hubei province on the following day was 1.960 times that on the previous day. The number of cases in some cities was relatively low, but the time risk appeared to be continuously rising. The correlation coefficient between the provincial number of cases and emigration from Wuhan was up to 0.943. The lockdown of 17 cities in Hubei province and the implementation of nationwide control measures efficiently prevented an exponential growth in the number of cases. Conclusion The population that emigrated from Wuhan was the main infection source in other cities and provinces. Some cities with a low number of cases showed a rapid increase in case load. Owing to the upcoming Spring Festival return wave, understanding the risk trends in different regions is crucial to ensure preparedness at both the individual and organization levels and to prevent new outbreaks.