Brucellosis,a worldwide epidemic bacterial zoonotic infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella,jeopardizes livestock production and poses a major threat to public health safety.Among the various components of Brucella,the outer membrane proteins play crucial roles as the primary immune and protective antigens.These proteins are closely asso-ciated with Brucella's virulence,regulation of the immune response,and ability to survive and multiply within host cells.This article summarizes recent research progress in the primary outer membrane proteins of Brucella,and offers a synthesized view of the current knowledge landscape.Understanding the antigenic characteristics of Brucella outer membrane proteins may sub-stantially contribute to the establishment of new diagnostic methods and the design of new vaccines,thus potentially leading to more effective prevention strategies against brucellosis.The review provides a reference for future studies and may aid in brucel-losis control efforts.

Humans ; Arthritis, Psoriatic/drug therapy* ; Interleukin-17 ; Interleukin Inhibitors ; Antirheumatic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/therapeutic use* ; Interleukin-23/therapeutic use*

Ritlecitinib is an inhibitor that acts on Janus kinase 3 and the hepatocellular carcinoma kinase family.In June 2023,the FDA approved Ritlecitinib for the treatment of severe alopecia areata in patients aged 12 years and above.Multiple clinical studies have observed hair regeneration in patients after using Ritlecitinib,which is generally safe and well tolerated during use.This article introduces its pharmacological effects,pharmacokinetics,clinical research,safety,and usage and dosage.

Humans ; Fibrosarcoma/surgery* ; Sarcoma ; Temporal Bone ; Soft Tissue Neoplasms/surgery*

Objective: To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of the implantable ventricular assist system EVAHEART I in clinical use. Methods: Fifteen consecutive patients with end-stage heart failure who received left ventricular assist device therapy in Fuwai Hospital from January 2018 to December 2021 were enrolled in this study, their clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. Cardiac function, liver and kidney function, New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification, 6-minute walk distance and quality of life were evaluated before implantation and at 1, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months after device implantation. Drive cable infection, hemolysis, cerebrovascular events, mechanical failure, abnormally high-power consumption and abnormal pump flow were recorded during follow up. Results: All 15 patients were male, mean average age was (43.0±7.5) years, including 11 cases of dilated cardiomyopathy, 2 cases of ischemic cardiomyopathy, and 2 cases of valvular heart disease. All patients were hemodynamically stable on more than one intravenous vasoactive drugs, and 3 patients were supported by preoperative intra aortic balloon pump (IABP). Compared with before device implantation, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD) was significantly decreased ((80.93±6.69) mm vs. (63.73±6.31) mm, P<0.05), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), total bilirubin and creatinine were also significantly decreased ((3 544.85±1 723.77) ng/L vs. (770.80±406.39) ng/L; (21.28±10.51) μmol/L vs. (17.39±7.68) μmol/L; (95.82±34.88) μmol/L vs. (77.32±43.81) μmol/L; P<0.05) at 1 week after device implantation. All patients in this group were in NYHA class Ⅳ before implantation, and 9 patients could recover to NYHA class Ⅲ, 3 to class Ⅱ, and 3 to class Ⅰ at 1 month after operation. All patients recovered to class Ⅰ-Ⅱ at 6 months after operation. The 6-minute walk distance, total quality of life and visual analogue scale were significantly increased and improved at 1 month after implantation compared with those before operation (P<0.05). All patients were implanted with EVAHEART I at speeds between 1 700-1 950 rpm, flow rates between 3.2-4.5 L/min, power consumption of 3-9 W. The 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rates were 100%, 87%, and 80%, respectively. Three patients died of multiple organ failure at 412, 610, and 872 d after surgery, respectively. During long-term device carrying, 3 patients developed drive cable infection on 170, 220, and 475 d after surgery, respectively, and were cured by dressing change. One patient underwent heart transplantation at 155 d after surgery due to bacteremia. Three patients developed transient ischemic attack and 1 patient developed hemorrhagic stroke events, all cured without sequelae. Conclusion: EVAHEART I implantable left heart assist system can effectively treat critically ill patients with end-stage heart failure, can be carried for long-term life and significantly improve the survival rate, with clear clinical efficacy.
Humans ; Male ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Heart Failure/complications* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Heart-Assist Devices ; Quality of Life

The seventh article of Measures for the Ethical Review of Biomedical Research Involving Humans (2016) stipulated that medical and health institutions without an ethics committee shall not carry out biomedical research involving Humans. The Opinions on Strengthening the Governance of Ethics in Science and Technology, issued in March 2022, clearly stated that the institutions that do not meet the conditions for establishing a scientific and technological ethics (review) committee should entrust other institutions to conduct the review. The fourteenth article of Measures for Ethical Review of Life Science and Medical Research Involving Humans (2023) proposes that if an institution, which carries out life science and medical research involving humans, has not established an ethics committee or its ethics committee is not competent for ethics review, it can entrust a competent ethics committee or regional ethics committee in writing to carry out ethical review. Most medical institutions at or above the second level in China have set up ethics committees. While most universities and colleges, scientific research institutions, enterprises and grass-roots medical and health institutions have not set up ethics committees, which lack a working system to protect the safety and interests of the participants, and is difficult to conduct life sciences and medical research involving humans. At present, there is a need for some research institutions that do not have the conditions to establish ethics committees to entrust their projects of life science and medical research involving humans to other institutions for ethical review. The entrusted review is still in the exploratory stage, and there is no relevant specification. The hasty implementation of entrusted review may not achieve the goal of effectively protecting the safety and interests of the participants, and even cause legal disputes. Based on the thematic discussion, with reference to the relevant laws and regulations, departmental rules, ethical standards, and the experience of the ethics committees of some domestic institutions in implementing the entrusted review, the guideline was formulated for the reference of the current entrusted review to ensure the safety and interests of the participants.

The passing of ethical review is a necessary conditions and prerequisite for the development of life science and medical research involving humans. At present, some medical and health institutions have no or insufficient ethical review capabilities. The lack of ethical review ability has become a bottleneck restricting the development of life science and medical research involving humans. According to documents such as Opinions on Deepening the Reform of the Review and Approval System and Encouraging the Innovation of Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices, Opinions on Strengthening the Ethical Governance of Science and Technology, institutions can entrust competent institutional ethics review committees or regional ethics review committees in writing to conduct ethical review. Entrustment ethical review provides a viable solution for institutions that need to carry out life science and medical research involving humans but do not have an ethics (review) committee or the ethics (review) committee is not competent to review. To conduct the entrustment ethical review, the entrustment between the principal and the trustee is required. According to The Measures for Ethical Review of Life Sciences and Medical Research Involving Humans, if medical and health institutions and their ethical review committees do not accept the formal entrustment to provide the ethical review opinions for other institutions, the local health authorities at or above the county level will impose administrative penalties and sanctions on the relevant institutions and personnel in accordance with the law. Signing the entrustment ethical review contract, implementing legal compliance entrusted ethical review to protect the rights and interests of the trustee and the principal, and protect the research participants.

Objective To establish an animal model of sparganosis mansoni through oral administration of Cyclops infected with procercoids. Methods Domestic cats were infected with Sparganum mansoni under laboratory conditions, and fresh cat stool samples were collected, washed in dechlorinated water, and filtered. Spirometra mansoni eggs were collected and prepared into suspensions. Twenty C57BL/6j mice were randomly divided into the experimental group (n = 15) and the control group (n = 5). Wild Cyclops were infected with Spirometra mansoni coracidia to allow 3 to 5 procercoids in each Cyclop. Then, each mouse in the experimental group was given 15 Cyclops infected with procercoids by gavage, while mice in the control group were orally administered with the same volume of dechlorinated water. All mice were sacrificed after 5 months, and dissected, and suspicious Sparganum mansoni worms were collected. The serum specific IgG antibody against Sparganum mansoni was measured in mice using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Genomic DNA was isolated from suspicious Sparganum mansoni worms, and the specific Sparganum mansoni cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene was amplified using PCR assay. Results Among the 15 mice in the experimental group, six were positive for the serum specific IgG antibody against Sparganum mansoni, and milky white worms were found and collected from the subcutaneous regions of 4 out of 6 mice. Only one worm was detected in each mouse, and the worm morphology was similar to Sparganum mansoni. Capillary electrophoresis of the PCR amplification products of COI gene presented a specific band with 151 bp in size, and sequencing analysis revealed 100% homology with Sparganum mansoni. Conclusions A mouse model of sparganosis mansoni is successfully created through oral administration of Cyclops infected with Spirometra mansoni procercoids.

In the pharmacopoeia, many process parameters for the purification process of Scutellariae Radix are unclear. In this study, deterministic screening design combined with design space method was used to optimize the purification process of Scutellariae Radix extract. Nine method parameters such as mass fraction of solution(X_1), first acid precipitation pH(X_2) and first holding time(X_3) in the purification process were firstly studied by definitive screening design. The yield of baicalin was defined as the evaluation index. A stepwise regression method was used then to build quantitative models between evaluation index and method parameters and the three most critical impact parameters were determined. Probability-based design space was calculated and successfully verified with the experimental error simulation method. Finally, the second standing temperature, the first standing temperature and the pH value of the second acid precipitation were determined as the three most critical method parameters. The recommended operating space was as follows: the second standing temperature 5-7 ℃, the first standing temperature 13-15 ℃, and the pH of the second acid precipitation 1.5-1.7. Within this operating space, the baicalin yield in the purification process was over 80%, and the probability of reaching the standard was over 0.96. In this study, we optimized the effect of various parameters for the purification process of the Scutellariae Radix extract in the pharmacopoeia on the yield of baicalin and provided a reference for industrial production of the exact of Scutellariae Radix.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Flavonoids ; Plant Extracts ; Scutellaria baicalensis

BACKGROUND: Shenyankangfu Tablet (SYKFT) is a Chinese patent medicine that has been used widely to decrease proteinuria and the progression of chronic kidney disease. OBJECTIVE: This trial compared the efficacy and safety of SYKFT, for the control of proteinuria in primary glomerulonephritis patients, against the standard drug, losartan potassium. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTION: This was a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Primary glomerulonephritis patients, aged 18-70 years, with blood pressure ≤ 140/90 mmHg, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 45 mL/min per 1.73 m MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome was change in the 24-hour proteinuria level, after 48 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: A total of 735 participants were enrolled. The percent decline of urine protein quantification in the SYKFT group after 48 weeks was 8.78% ± 2.56% (P = 0.006) more than that in the losartan 50 mg group, which was 0.51% ± 2.54% (P = 1.000) less than that in the losartan 100 mg group. Compared with the losartan potassium 50 mg group, the SYKFT plus losartan potassium 50 mg group had a 13.39% ± 2.49% (P < 0.001) greater reduction in urine protein level. Compared with the losartan potassium 100 mg group, the SYKFT plus losartan potassium 100 mg group had a 9.77% ± 2.52% (P = 0.001) greater reduction in urine protein. With a superiority threshold of 15%, neither was statistically significant. eGFR, serum creatinine and serum albumin from the baseline did not change statistically significant. The average change in TCM syndrome score between the patients who took SYKFT (-3.00 [-6.00, -2.00]) and who did not take SYKFT (-2.00 [-5.00, 0]) was statistically significant (P = 0.003). No obvious adverse reactions were observed in any group. CONCLUSION: SYKFT decreased the proteinuria and improved the TCM syndrome scores of primary glomerulonephritis patients, with no change in the rate of decrease in the eGFR. SYKFT plus losartan potassium therapy decreased proteinuria more than losartan potassium therapy alone. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT02063100 on ClinicalTrials.gov.