Abstract: Objective This study aimed to investigate the expression of CD73 in colonic tissues in Crohn's disease (CD) and its significance and possible mechanism of action. Methods Thirty male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into normal control group, model group and intervention group. The control group was fed normally, and the model group was treated with TNBS+40% alcohol enema to establish a mouse model of Crohn's disease induced by chronic inflammation. The intervention group was treated with AB-680 intraperitoneally on the second day of each enema based on the model group. Mice body weight, fecal traits and fecal occult blood were recorded for disease activity index (DAI) score of inflammatory bowel disease. The animals were sacrificed at 7th week, their colonic tissues were removed, weighed and measured. The tissue inflammation was observed by standard hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Masson staining was used to measure the area of collagen in colon tissue of mice. CD73 was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. The expression levels of TGF-β, TNF-α and IL-6 in colon tissue of mice were determined by ELISA. Results The DAI score was (0.10±0.16) in the control group, (2.80±0.79) in the model group, and (3.07±0.34) in the intervention group. Compared with the control group, the DAI scores of the model and intervention groups were increased significantly (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the DAI score of the intervention group was significantly increased (P<0.05). HE staining showed that there was no inflammation in the colon of the control group, while the colon of the model group and the intervention group showed typical inflammatory manifestations such as edema and congestion, inflammatory cell infiltration, and mucosal ulcer. The area ratio of collagen in the control group was (4.95±0.82)%, in the model group was (24.62±1.46)%, and in the intervention group was (54.47±2.75)%. Compared with the control group, the area ratio of collagen in the model group and the intervention group was significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the area ratio of collagen in the intervention group was significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the expression of CD73 in colon tissue of the model group and the intervention group was significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the expression of CD73 in colon tissue of the intervention group was decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the expressions of TGF-β, TNF-α and IL-6 in the model group and the intervention group were significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the expression of TGF-β, TNF-α and IL-6 in the intervention group decreased (P<0.05). Conclusions CD73 is upregulated in colon tissue of CD mice, it can inhibit inflammatory reaction and improve fibrosis by up-regulating TGF-β expression. On the other hand, CD73 can aggravate the inflammatory response in CD intestinal inflammation and fibrosis by up-regulating the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α. Therefore, CD73 may play a bidirectional regulatory role in intestinal inflammation and fibrosis of CD.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the curative effect of panlong needling at Jiaji (EX-B 2) combined with western medication and western medication alone on motor dysfunction in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) of liver and kidney deficiency. METHODS: A total of 98 patients with PD were randomly divided into an acupuncture and medication group (49 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a western medication group (49 cases,1 case was removed). The patients in the western medication group were given oral of levodopa and benserazide hydrochloride tablets, 125 mg each time, three times a day in the 1st week, and the dose was increased according to the needs of the patients' condition from the 2nd week until 250 mg each time, three times a day, for 16 consecutive weeks. On the basis of the same western medication treatment as the western medication group, panlong needling was applied at Jiaji (EX-B 2) from C₂ to L₅ in the acupuncture and medication group, once a day, 20 times as a course of treatment, for 4 consecutive courses. The scores of unified Parkinson's disease rating scale (UPDRS-Ⅲ, UPDRS-Ⅳ), TCM symptoms score, and 39-item Parkinson's disease questionnaire (PDQ-39) score were evaluated before treatment, after treatment and during follow-up of 1 month after treatment, respectively. The safety of the two groups was compared. RESULTS: After treatment and during follow-up, except the PDQ-39 score of the western medication group, the scores of UPDRS-Ⅲ, UPDRS-Ⅳ, TCM syndrome and PDQ-39 were lower than those before treatment in the two groups (P<0.05), and the scores of above indexes in the acupuncture and medication group were lower than those of the western medication group (P<0.05). The total incidence of adverse reactions in the acupuncture and medication group was 10.4% (5/48), which was lower than 29.2% (14/48) in the western medication group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Panlong needling at Jiaji (EX-B 2) combined with western medication could significantly improve the motor dysfunction and clinical symptoms, improve the quality of life and has high safety, and the efficacy is superior to western medication alone.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Chlorophenols ; Humans ; Kidney ; Liver ; Parkinson Disease/therapy* ; Quality of Life ; Treatment Outcome

Objective: To analyze the clinical epidemiological characteristics including composition of pathogens , clinical characteristics, and disease prognosis acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) in Chinese children. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical and laboratory data of 1 610 children <15 years of age with ABM in 33 tertiary hospitals in China from January 2019 to December 2020. Patients were divided into different groups according to age,<28 days group, 28 days to <3 months group, 3 months to <1 year group, 1-<5 years of age group, 5-<15 years of age group; etiology confirmed group and clinically diagnosed group according to etiology diagnosis. Non-numeric variables were analyzed with the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, while non-normal distrituction numeric variables were compared with nonparametric test. Results: Among 1 610 children with ABM, 955 were male and 650 were female (5 cases were not provided with gender information), and the age of onset was 1.5 (0.5, 5.5) months. There were 588 cases age from <28 days, 462 cases age from 28 days to <3 months, 302 cases age from 3 months to <1 year of age group, 156 cases in the 1-<5 years of age and 101 cases in the 5-<15 years of age. The detection rates were 38.8% (95/245) and 31.5% (70/222) of Escherichia coli and 27.8% (68/245) and 35.1% (78/222) of Streptococcus agalactiae in infants younger than 28 days of age and 28 days to 3 months of age; the detection rates of Streptococcus pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus agalactiae were 34.3% (61/178), 14.0% (25/178) and 13.5% (24/178) in the 3 months of age to <1 year of age group; the dominant pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae and the detection rate were 67.9% (74/109) and 44.4% (16/36) in the 1-<5 years of age and 5-<15 years of age . There were 9.7% (19/195) strains of Escherichia coli producing ultra-broad-spectrum β-lactamases. The positive rates of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture and blood culture were 32.2% (515/1 598) and 25.0% (400/1 598), while 38.2% (126/330)and 25.3% (21/83) in CSF metagenomics next generation sequencing and Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen detection. There were 4.3% (32/790) cases of which CSF white blood cell counts were normal in etiology confirmed group. Among 1 610 children with ABM, main intracranial imaging complications were subdural effusion and (or) empyema in 349 cases (21.7%), hydrocephalus in 233 cases (14.5%), brain abscess in 178 cases (11.1%), and other cerebrovascular diseases, including encephalomalacia, cerebral infarction, and encephalatrophy, in 174 cases (10.8%). Among the 166 cases (10.3%) with unfavorable outcome, 32 cases (2.0%) died among whom 24 cases died before 1 year of age, and 37 cases (2.3%) had recurrence among whom 25 cases had recurrence within 3 weeks. The incidences of subdural effusion and (or) empyema, brain abscess and ependymitis in the etiology confirmed group were significantly higher than those in the clinically diagnosed group (26.2% (207/790) vs. 17.3% (142/820), 13.0% (103/790) vs. 9.1% (75/820), 4.6% (36/790) vs. 2.7% (22/820), χ²=18.71, 6.20, 4.07, all P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the unfavorable outcomes, mortility, and recurrence between these 2 groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: The onset age of ABM in children is usually within 1 year of age, especially <3 months. The common pathogens in infants <3 months of age are Escherichia coli and Streptococcus agalactiae, and the dominant pathogen in infant ≥3 months is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Subdural effusion and (or) empyema and hydrocephalus are common complications. ABM should not be excluded even if CSF white blood cell counts is within normal range. Standardized bacteriological examination should be paid more attention to increase the pathogenic detection rate. Non-culture CSF detection methods may facilitate the pathogenic diagnosis.
Adolescent ; Brain Abscess ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Escherichia coli ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Streptococcus agalactiae ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Subdural Effusion ; beta-Lactamases

The teaching effect of "process management and evaluation" was assessed in resident standardization training plan in acupuncture-moxibustion department of hospital for postgraduates of non-acupuncture-moxibustion speciality. A total of 120 postgraduates of non-acupuncture-moxibustion speciality participating in resident standardization training were randomized into an observation group (60 cases) and a control group (60 cases, 1 case dropped off). In the control group, the conventional training mode was used. In the observation group, the "process management and evaluation" was adopted, in which, the syllabus was refined, various teaching modes were cooperated and the summary was conducted once a week. The training results were evaluated at the end of 1-month shift test and questionnaire was issued in all of the postgraduates of the two groups. In the observation group, the score for theory and the score of each of the items for technical ability, named differentiation and treatment, technical manipulation and physician-patient communication, as well as the total score were all higher than the control group successively (
Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Hospitals ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; Reference Standards

There is currently no drug or therapy that can cure the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is highly contagious and can be life-threatening in severe cases. Therefore, seeking potential effective therapies is an urgent task. An older female at the Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan, China, with a severe case of COVID-19 with significant shortness of breath and decrease in peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO
Acupuncture Therapy ; COVID-19/therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Female ; Humans ; Treatment Outcome

Objective To investigate whether the therapy of combining budesonide with pulmonary surfactant,compared with only surfactant,has an effect on the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia,mortality and other complications in preterm infants.Methods The preterm infants in accordance with the inclusion criteria,who were born during from 12/2016 and 2/2018,were randomly divided into the combination treatment group (treated with the combination of budesonide and pulmonary surfactant) and control group (treated with only surfactant).Ninety eight preterm infants were enrolled this trial,48 of whom are in budesonide group and 50 are in control group.The basic data were not have statistic significant between two groups except for birth weight (P ＞ 0.05).The incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia,the mortality and other complication of premature were compared.Results There was a statistic significance in the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia between the budesonide group and control group (42％ vs 66％,P＜0.05);The severity of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and case fatality rate between two groups have no satistical difference.The complications of preterm infants in two groups also have no statistical difference apart from the incidence of PDA (15％ vs 38％,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Budesonide combined with pulmonary surfactant can reduce the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia and does not increase mortality and the rate of other complications in preterm infants.

Loureirin A is a major active component of Draconis sanguis, a traditional Chinese medicine. This work aimed to investigate the activity of loureirin A against Candida albicans biofilms. 2, 3-Bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide (XTT)reduction assay and scanning electron microscopy were used to investigate the anti-biofilm effect. Minimal inhibitory concentration testing and time-kill curve assay were used to evaluate fungicidal activity. Cell surface hydrophobicity (CSH) assay and hyphal formation experiment were respectively carried out to investigate adhesion and morphological transition, two virulence traits of C. albicans. Real-time RT-PCR was used to investigate gene expression. Galleria mellonella-C. albicans and Caenorhabditis elegans-C. albicans infection models were used to evaluate the in-vivo antifungal effect. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells and C. elegans nematodes were used to evaluate the toxicity ofloureirin A. Our data indicated that loureirin A had a significant effect on inhibiting C. albicans biofilms, decreasing CSH, and suppressing hyphal formation. Consistently, loureirin A down-regulated the expression of some adhesion-related genes and hypha/biofilm-related genes. Moreover, loureirin A prolonged the survival of Galleria mellonella and Caenorhabditis elegans in C. albicans infection models and exhibited low toxicity. Collectively, loureirin A inhibits fungal biofilms, and this effect may be associated with the suppression of pathogenic traits, adhesion and hyphal formation.

OBJECTIVEShellfish are recognized as important vehicles of norovirus-associated gastroenteritis. The present study aimed to monitor norovirus contamination in oysters along the farm-to-fork continuum in Guangxi, a major oyster production area in Southwestern China.

METHODSOyster samples were collected monthly from farms, markets, and restaurants, from January to December 2016. Norovirus was detected and quantified by one-step reverse transcription-droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (RT-ddPCR).

RESULTSA total of 480 oyster samples were collected and tested for norovirus genogroups I and II. Norovirus was detected in 20.7% of samples, with genogroup II predominating. No significant difference was observed in norovirus prevalence among different sampling sites. The norovirus levels varied widely, with a geometric mean of 19,300 copies/g in digestive glands. Both norovirus prevalence and viral loads showed obvious seasonality, with a strong winter bias.

CONCLUSIONThis study provides a systematic analysis of norovirus contamination 'from the farm to the fork' in Guangxi. RT-ddPCR can be a useful tool for detection and quantification of low amounts of norovirus in the presence of inhibitors found particularly in foodstuffs. This approach will contribute to the development of strategies for controlling and reducing the risk of human illness resulting from shellfish consumption.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of nasal high-frequency ventilation (nHFV) in the treatment of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS). METHODS: A literature search was performed in PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBase (Ovid), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese Journal Full-text Database, Wanfang Data, and Weipu Data to collect the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the clinical efficacy of nHFV and nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) in the treatment of NRDS. A Meta analysis was performed on the included RCTs using Rev Man 5.3 software after data extraction and quality evaluation by Cochrane 5.1.0. RESULTS: A total of 4 RCTs involving 218 patients were included. The Meta analysis showed that compared with the nCPAP group, the nHFV group had a significantly better treatment outcome (RR=1.73, 95%CI: 1.39-2.15, P<0.00001). There were no significant differences in the incidence rates of intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, pneumothorax and retinopathy of prematurity. CONCLUSIONS Compared with nCPAP, nHFV has better clinical efficacy in the treatment of NRDS, without increasing the risk of related complications.
High-Frequency Ventilation ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Intermittent Positive-Pressure Ventilation ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of periodontal therapy in controlling periodontitis and on insulin resistance and lipid metabolism in obese rats with periodontitis.

METHODSSprague-Dawley rats were randomized into normal group (group C), obese group (group O), periodontitis combined with obesity group (group P) and periodontal treatment group (group T). The obese rats in groups P and T were subjected to ligation of the maxillary second molar with silk thread to induce experimental periodontitis, and the rats in group T received periodontal therapy after the ligation. All the rats were sacrificed at the age of 24 weeks for measurement of blood lipids, insulin and blood glucose levels, and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) was calculated. The expressions of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and IRS-2 in the liver tissues were detected using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

RESULTSCompared with the obese rats in group O, the rats in group P showed significantly higher HOMA-IR and LDL-C and lower expressions of IRS-1 and IRS-2 mRNA expression and HDL-C level (P<0.05). Compared with those in group P, the mRNA expressions of IRS-1 and IRS-2 and HDL-C level were significantly increased and LDL-C level, TC level and HOMA-IR were all decreased in group T (P<0.05), but the level of TG was comparable between the two groups. Pathological examination revealed lessened inflammatory cell infiltration and tissue destruction in the upper jaw of the rats in group T; the rats in group P presented with the most obvious upper jaw destruction and steatosis and inflammatory cell infiltration in the liver.

CONCLUSIONPeriodontal inflammation can downregulate the expression of IRS-1 and IRS-2 and increase insulin resistance and dyslipidemia in obese rats. Periodontal therapy produces a beneficial effect in improving insulin resistance and reducing dyslipidemia in obese rats.