OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role and mechanism of the cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate synthase/stimulator of interferon gene (cGAS/STING) pathway in oleic acid-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice. METHODS: Male wild-type C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into five groups (each n = 10): normal control group, ALI model group, and 5, 50, 500 μg/kg inhibitor pretreatment groups. The ALI model was established by tail vein injection of oleic acid (7 mL/kg), while the normal control group received no intervention. The inhibitor pretreatment groups were intraperitoneally injected with the corresponding doses of cGAS inhibitor RU.521 respectively 1 hour before modeling. At 24 hours post-modeling, blood was collected, and mice were sacrificed. Lung tissue pathological changes were observed under light microscopy after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and pathological scores were assessed. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expressions of cGAS, STING, phosphorylated TANK-binding kinase 1 (p-TBK1), phosphorylated interferon regulatory factor 3 (p-IRF3), and phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB p65 (p-NF-κB p65) in lung tissue. Immunohistochemistry was performed to observe STING and p-NF-κB positive expressions in lung tissue. Serum interferon-β (IFN-β) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, the ALI model group exhibited significant focal alveolar thickening, intra-alveolar hemorrhage, pulmonary capillary congestion, and neutrophil infiltration in the pulmonary interstitium and alveoli, along with markedly increased pathological scores (10.33±0.58 vs. 1.33±0.58, P < 0.05). Protein expressions of cGAS, STING, p-TBK1, p-IRF3, and p-NF-κB p65 in lung tissue significantly increased [cGAS protein (cGAS/β-actin): 1.24±0.02 vs. 0.56±0.02, STING protein (STING/β-actin): 1.27±0.01 vs. 0.55±0.01, p-TBK1 protin (p-TBK1/β-actin): 1.34±0.03 vs. 0.22±0.01, p-IRF3 protein (p-IRF3/β-actin): 1.23±0.02 vs. 0.36±0.01, p-NF-κB p65 protein (p-NF-κB p65/β-actin): 1.30±0.02 vs. 0.53±0.02, all P < 0.05], positive expressions of STING and p-NF-κB in lung tissue were significantly elevated [STING (A value): 0.51±0.03 vs. 0.30±0.07, p-NF-κB (A value): 0.57±0.05 vs. 0.31±0.03, both P < 0.05], and serum IFN-β levels were also significantly higher (ng/L: 256.02±3.84 vs. 64.15±1.17, P < 0.05). The cGAS inhibitor pretreatment groups showed restored alveolar structural integrity, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, and decreased hemorrhage area, along with dose-dependent lower pathological scores as well as the protein expressions of cGAS, STING, p-TBK1, p-IRF3 and p-NF-κB p65 in lung tissue, with significant differences between the 500 μg/kg inhibitor group and ALI model group [pathological score: 2.67±0.58 vs. 10.33±0.58, cGAS protein (cGAS/β-actin): 0.56±0.03 vs. 1.24±0.02, STING protein (STING/β-actin): 0.67±0.03 vs. 1.27±0.01, p-TBK1 protein (p-TBK1/β-actin): 0.28±0.01 vs. 1.34±0.03, p-IRF3 protein (p-IRF3/β-actin): 0.32±0.01 vs. 1.23±0.02, p-NF-κB p65 protein (p-NF-κB p65/β-actin): 0.63±0.01 vs. 1.30±0.02, all P < 0.05]. Compared with the ALI model group, positive expressions of STING and p-NF-κB in lung tissue were significantly reduced in the 500 μg/kg inhibitor group [STING (A value): 0.40±0.01 vs. 0.51±0.03, p-NF-κB (A value): 0.43±0.02 vs. 0.57±0.05, both P < 0.05], and serum IFN-β levels were also markedly reduced (ng/L: 150.03±6.19 vs. 256.02±3.84, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The cGAS/STING pathway is activated in oleic acid-induced ALI, leading to exacerbated inflammatory responses and increased lung damage. RU.521 can inhibit cGAS, thereby down-regulating the expression of pathway proteins and cytokines, and providing protection to lung tissue.
Animals ; Acute Lung Injury/chemically induced* ; Male ; Nucleotidyltransferases/metabolism* ; Mice ; Signal Transduction ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Membrane Proteins/metabolism* ; Oleic Acid/adverse effects* ; Transcription Factor RelA/metabolism* ; Lung/pathology* ; Interferon Regulatory Factor-3/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal

Literature analysis,expert consultation,case analysis and other methods were used to establish a public hospital specialty operation evaluation system suitable for high-quality development,including 2 first-level indicators of medical ability and economic operation and 13 second-level indicators.Urology surgery in the pilot hospital was taken as an example to carry out surgical operation effect evaluation.To strengthen the evaluation of public hospital specialized operation,it should pay attention to the evaluation of medical capacity,strengthen the cooperation of functional departments,and improve the supporting policies of operation,for better promoting the development of high-quality operation of hospitals.

Objective:To investigate the correlations of melanin concentration hormone (MCH) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum with sleep disorder, memory dysfunction and prognoses in patients with cerebral ischemic stroke (CIS).Methods:One hundred elderly CIS patients, admitted to Department of Neurology, He'nan Provincial People's Hospital from June 2021 to January 2022 were enrolled as CIS group, and 50 subjects collected from Physical Examination of the same hospital during the same period were enrolled as control group. MCH levels in the CSF and serum were detected by ELISA. Sleep quality was assessed by polysomnography and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Memory function was assessed by Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test 2 nd Edition (BMT-II). Prognoses were assessed by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 3 months after discharge. The clinical data and MCH levels of the two groups were compared; the differences in MCH levels among CIS patients with different degrees of sleep disorder, and different memory functions and prognoses were compared. Correlations of MCH level and sleep parameters with RBMT-II scores in these CIS patients were analyzed. Results:Compared with that in the control group, the proportion of patients with hypertension in CIS group was significantly higher ( P<0.05). Compared with the control group ([42.39±16.11] pg/mL), the serum MCH level in CIS group ([36.89±15.19] pg/mL) was statistically lower ( P<0.05). In CIS patients, patients with mild or severe sleep disorder had significantly decreased CSF MCH level compared with patients without sleep disorder ( P<0.05), patients with severe sleep disorder had significantly decreased CSF MCH level compared with patients with mild sleep disorder ( P<0.05); patients with severe sleep disorder had significantly decreased serum MCH level compared with patients without sleep disorder ( P<0.05); CSF MCH level was negatively correlated with PSQI scores, sleep latency and wake frequency ( P<0.05), and positively correlated with percentage of rapid eye movement ( P<0.05); serum MCH level in CIS patients was negatively correlated with PSQI scores and wake frequency ( P<0.05). In CIS patients, the CSF and serum MCH levels in patients with memory dysfunction was significantly lower compared with those with normal memory function ( P<0.05); a positive correlation was noted between RBMT-II scores and CSF MCH level ( P<0.05). In CIS patients, patients with poor prognosis had statistically lower CSF and serum MCH levels compared with those with good prognosis ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The serum MCH level in CIS patients is significantly decreased, which is closely related to the occurrence of sleep disorder and memory dysfunction after stroke; and they further affects the prognoses.

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.

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.

Rv2742 is a novel gene identified from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv by the proteogenomics strategy. The aim of this study was to establish a system of soluble expression and purification of the missing protein Rv2742 in M. tuberculosis H37Rv, to provide reference for further research on the biological function of Rv2742. The soluble protein was not successfully induced by prokaryotic expression vectors pGEX-4T-2-Rv2742, pET-32a-Rv2742, pET-28a-Rv2742 and pMAL-c2X-Rv2742. After the codon of novel gene Rv2742 was optimized according to E. coli codon usage frequency, only the recombinant strain containing plasmid pMAL-c2X-Rv2742 could produce soluble products of Rv2742 encoding gene. In addition, the expression effects of the desired fusion protein were also analyzed under different conditions including hosts, culture temperatures and IPTG concentrations. The optimum expression conditions were as follows: Rosetta (DE3) host, 16 °C culture temperature and 0.5 mmol/L IPTG. After being purified by affinity chromatography with amylose resin, the fusion protein sequence was confirmed by LC-MS/MS. These results indicated that the novel gene Rv2742 product could be successfully induced and expressed in a soluble form by the expression system pMAL-c2X with MBP tag. Our findings provide reference for studies on potential interaction and immunogenicity.
Chromatography, Liquid ; Cloning, Molecular ; Escherichia coli ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; genetics ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Objective To evaluate the correlation of hemodynamic parameters and blood pressure with cerebral infarction in elderly patients with stenosis.Methods 216 elderly patients with transient ischemic attack(TIA)caused by cerebral stenosis were collected and divided into the cerebral infarction group and the control group.Differences in hemodynamic parameters and blood pressure between the two groups and the correlation between the parameters and cerebral infarction were analyzed.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were used to analyze the specificity,sensitivity and threshold of each parameter under different degrees of stenosis.Results After adjusting for the well-known associated factors,the occurrence of cerebral infarction was negatively correlated with systolic peak velocity(Vs),end diastolic velocity(Vd) and mean blood flow velocity(Vm),and positively correlated with diastolic blood pressure(r=-0.445 、-0.420 、-0.459、0.292,P＜ 0.01).In addition,the risk thresholds for cerebral infarction under mild,moderate and severe vascular stenosis were Vs≤97.1,Vd≤43.4,Vm≤59.9 cm/s,and diastolic blood pressure ＞92.3 mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa);Vs≤ 185.8,Vd≤ 83.6,Vm≤ 123.7 cm/s,and diastolic blood pressure ＞ 104.5 mmHg;Vs≤ 198.6,Vd≤ 121.1,Vm ≤ 137.5 cm/s,and diastolic blood pressure ＞ 109.6 mmHg,respectively.Conclusions There is a correlation between the blood flow parameters and elderly cerebral infarction.Based on the degree of cerebral arterial stenosis,the risk of cerebral infarction occurrence is greater with decreased blood flow velocity and increased diastolic blood pressure.

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy of orotracheal intubation with video intubationscope and visual laryngoscope in obese patients. Methods 60 ASA I or II obese patients, BMI >30 kg/m2, aged 22 ~ 60 years, underwent elective surgery requiring orotracheal intubation were randomly divided into two groups: the video intubationscope group (Group V) and the visual laryngoscope group (group K), 30 cases in each. Cormark-Lehane grade (C-L classification), tracheal intubation time, total intubation attempts, success rate of tracheal intubation and complications of tracheal intubation were recorded. Results Good glottic exposure view (C-L classification) was achieved in the two groups (P > 0.05), there were no significant difference in tracheal intubation time, the total success rate and the one-time success rate of tracheal intubation between the V and K groups [(24.4 ± 11.6) s vs (22.3 ± 13.2) s, 100.0% vs 100.0%, 90.0% vs 86.7%] (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the complications of tracheal intubation between the two groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion Video intubationscope and visual laryngoscope are suitable for tracheal intubation in obese patients, and has an advantage of good glottis exposure view, rapid intubation, great successful rate and few complications.