Objective To elucidate the effect of curcumol on hepatic stellate cell iron death and epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT),and to investigate the molecular mechanism of its anti-liver fibrosis effect.Methods A model of hepatic stellate cell activation was constructed using normal cultured hepatic stellate cells in vitro,and the cells were divided into blank group and experimental-L,-M,-H groups.The blank group was given DMEM complete culture solution for normal culture;the experimental-L,-M,-H groups were given DMEM complete culture solution containing 12.5,25.0 and 50.0 mg·L-1 curcumol for 48 h of intervention.The effects of curcumol on the proliferation of hepatic stellate cells was observed by CCK-8.The expression levels of glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)and solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11)were detected by Western blot.The expression levels of E-cadherin and N-cadherin were detected by immunofluorescence.Results The cell proliferation rates of the experimental-M,-H groups and blank group were(68.97±5.61)％,(61.91±4.40)％and(118.07±10.01)％;the relative expression levels of GPX4 were 0.37±0.04,0.28±0.03 and 0.58±0.05;the relative expression levels of SLC7A11 were 0.38±0.04,0.28±0.03 and 0.60±0.05;E-cadherin levels were 6.76±1.09,9.57±1.73 and 2.05±0.72;N-cadherin levels were 5.66±0.66,3.44±0.78 and 10.37±0.66.The differences of above indicators were statistically significant between the blank group and the experimental-M,-H groups(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Conclusion Curcumol promotes iron death in hepatic stellate cells,thereby inhibiting hepatic stellate cell EMT,which may be its molecular mechanism to prevent and treat liver fibrosis.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of brexpiprazole in treating acute schizophrenia.Methods Patients with schizophrenia were randomly divided into treatment group and control group.The treatment group was given brexpiprozole 2-4 mg·d-1 orally and the control group was given aripiprazole 10-20 mg·d-1orally,both were treated for 6 weeks.Clinical efficacy of the two groups,the response rate at endpoint,the changes from baseline to endpoint of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS),Clinical Global Impression-Improvement(CGI-S),Personal and Social Performance scale(PSP),PANSS Positive syndrome subscale,PANSS negative syndrome subscale were compared.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events in two groups were compared.Results There were 184 patients in treatment group and 186 patients in control group.After treatment,the response rates of treatment group and control group were 79.50％(140 cases/184 cases)and 82.40％(150 cases/186 cases),the scores of CGI-I of treatment group and control group were(2.00±1.20)and(1.90±1.01),with no significant difference(all P＞0.05).From baseline to Week 6,the mean change of PANSS total score wese(-30.70±16.96)points in treatment group and(-32.20±17.00)points in control group,with no significant difference(P＞0.05).The changes of CGI-S scores in treatment group and control group were(-2.00±1.27)and(-1.90±1.22)points,PSP scores were(18.80±14.77)and(19.20±14.55)points,PANSS positive syndrome scores were(-10.30±5.93)and(-10.80±5.81)points,PANSS negative syndrome scores were(-6.80±5.98)and(-7.30±5.15)points,with no significant difference(P＞0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of treatment-related adverse events between the two group(69.00％vs.64.50％,P＞0.05).Conclusion The non-inferiority of Brexpiprazole to aripiprazole was established,with comparable efficacy and acceptability.

Objective Recombinase-aided polymerase chain reaction(RAP)is a sensitive,single-tube,two-stage nucleic acid amplification method.This study aimed to develop an assay that can be used for the early diagnosis of three types of bacteremia caused by Staphylococcus aureus(SA),Pseudomonas aeruginosa(PA),and Acinetobacter baumannii(AB)in the bloodstream based on recombinant human mannan-binding lectin protein(M1 protein)-conjugated magnetic bead(M1 bead)enrichment of pathogens combined with RAP. Methods Recombinant plasmids were used to evaluate the assay sensitivity.Common blood influenza bacteria were used for the specific detection.Simulated and clinical plasma samples were enriched with M1 beads and then subjected to multiple recombinase-aided PCR(M-RAP)and quantitative PCR(qPCR)assays.Kappa analysis was used to evaluate the consistency between the two assays. Results The M-RAP method had sensitivity rates of 1,10,and 1 copies/μL for the detection of SA,PA,and AB plasmids,respectively,without cross-reaction to other bacterial species.The M-RAP assay obtained results for<10 CFU/mL pathogens in the blood within 4 h,with higher sensitivity than qPCR.M-RAP and qPCR for SA,PA,and AB yielded Kappa values of 0.839,0.815,and 0.856,respectively(P<0.05). Conclusion An M-RAP assay for SA,PA,and AB in blood samples utilizing M1 bead enrichment has been developed and can be potentially used for the early detection of bacteremia.

Further evidence is needed to explore the impact of high-altitude environments on the neurologic function of neonates.Non-invasive techniques such as cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy and amplitude-integrated electroencephalography can provide data on cerebral oxygenation and brain electrical activity.This study will conduct multiple cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy and amplitude-integrated electroencephalography monitoring sessions at various time points within the first 3 days postpartum for healthy full-term neonates at different altitudes.The obtained data on cerebral oxygenation and brain electrical activity will be compared between different altitudes,and corresponding reference ranges will be established.The study involves 6 participating centers in the Chinese High Altitude Neonatal Medicine Alliance,with altitude gradients divided into 4 categories:800 m,1 900 m,2 400 m,and 3 500 m,with an anticipated sample size of 170 neonates per altitude gradient.This multicenter prospective cohort study aims to provide evidence supporting the impact of high-altitude environments on early brain function and metabolism in neonates.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(4):403-409]

Objective:To investigate serum long non-coding RNA H19(lncRNA H19),microRNA-140-5p(miR-140-5p)expression levels in elderly patients with cerebral hemorrhage,and their correlation with cognitive dysfunction.Methods:A total of 131 elderly patients with cerebral hemorrhage who were treated in Gezhouba Central Hospital of Sinop-harm between January 2020 and January 2022 were selected.According to score of Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE),the patients were divided into normal cognitive function group(n=79,MMSE score≥ 26 points)and cognitive dysfunction group(n=52,MMSE score＜26 points);another 60 cases undergoing physical examination simultaneously were regarded as the control group.General data were collected in all groups,the serum expression levels of lncRNA H19 and miR-140-5p were measured;the correlation among MMSE score,serum expression levels of lncRNA H19 and miR-140-5p was analyzed by Pearson method;multivariate Logistic regression model was used to analyze risk factors of cog-nitive dysfunction in elderly patients with cerebral hemorrhage.Results:Compared with the normal cognitive function group,patients in cognitive dysfunction group had significant higher score of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)and serum lncRNA H19 expression,and significant lower MMSE score and miR-140-5p expression(P＜0.001 all).In patients with cognitive dysfunction,MMSE score was inversely correlated with serum lncRNA H19 expression level(r=-0.643,P＜0.001),and positively correlated with miR-140-5p expression level(r=0.612,P＜0.001),and ln-cRNA H19 expression was inversely correlated with miR-140-5p expression(r=-0.561,P＜0.001).Multivariate Lo-gistic regression analysis indicated that lncRNA H19 was independent risk factor for cognitive dysfunction in elderly patients with cerebral hemorrhage(OR=2.576,P=0.002),while miR-140-5p was its independent protective factor(OR=0.659,P=0.038).Conclusion:Serum lncRNA H19 and miR-140-5p expression levels are closely associated with cog-nitive dysfunction in elderly patients with cerebral hemorrhage,and their detection may have important significance for clinical assessment of these patients.

Objective:To analyze the relationship between plasma D-dimer level and cancer-related fatigue and quality of life in patients with lung cancer after chemotherapy.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 58 patients with stage ⅠB-ⅢA lung cancer who received chemotherapy at The First Hospital of Anhui University of Science and Technology from January 2020 to December 2023. These patients comprised the observation group. The control group consisted of 41 patients diagnosed with lung cancer who had completed adjuvant chemotherapy and entered the follow-up stage. The plasma D-dimer level in the observation group was monitored before and after four cycles of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. The plasma D-dimer level in the control group was monitored before and after 3 months of follow-up. The Chinese version of the Cancer Fatigue Scale and the Chinese version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung (FACT-L) were used to evaluate cancer-related fatigue levels and quality of life in both groups. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationship between plasma D-dimer levels and cancer-related fatigue and quality of life.Results:After four cycles of chemotherapy and 3 months of follow-up, the plasma D-dimer level in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(1.17 ± 0.32) mg/L vs. (0.66 ± 0.29) mg/L, t = -8.26, P < 0.001]. The score of the Chinese version of the FACT-L in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(79.82 ± 9.74) points vs. (67.49 ± 8.12) points, t = -6.85, P < 0.001]. The scores for tumor-related symptoms, physiological status, social/family status, functional status, and emotional status in the FACT-L for the observation group were (21.26 ± 3.17) points, (14.37 ± 2.24) points, (22.63 ± 3.48) points, (11.53 ± 2.13) points, and (14.79 ± 2.73) points, which were significantly lower than those in the control group [(22.42 ± 3.31) points, (17.65 ± 2.64) points, (25.12 ± 3.39) points, (16.34 ± 2.68) points, (16.37 ± 2.76) points, t = 3.26, 6.48, 3.56, 3.60, 2.82, all P < 0.05]. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the plasma D-dimer level was positively correlated with the cancer-related fatigue score ( r = 0.367, P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with the total FACT-L score ( r = -0.334, P < 0.001). Conclusion:In patients with stage ⅠB-ⅢA lung cancer after surgery, changes in plasma D-dimer levels during adjuvant chemotherapy are associated with the degree of cancer-related fatigue and affect quality of life. Therefore, monitoring plasma D-dimer levels can provide important reference value for assessing the outcome of chemotherapy and guiding clinical treatment.

Objective:To investigate the effects of continuous blood purification (CBP) on mitochondrial function of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and clinical prognosis of patients with traumatic sepsis.Methods:A prospective cohort study was used to analyze the clinical data of 90 patients with traumatic sepsis admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of Shaoxing People′s Hospital from January 2023 to June 2024. Based on standard operating procedures (SOP), patients were divided into CBP group and non-CBP group according to whether they received CBP treatment. The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number, activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex V, levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 in the mononuclear cells on ICU admission and at 12, 24 and 48 hours after treatment were compared between the two groups. Acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score on ICU admission and at 48 hours after treatment were detected in the two groups. The length of ICU stay, total length of hospital stay and 28-day mortality after ICU admission were compared between the two groups.Results:A total of 90 patients with traumatic sepsis were included, comprising 56 males and 34 females, aged 18-82 years [51.3(38.7, 70.6)years], with injury severity score (ISS) of 16-54 points [36.2(17.0, 53.6)points]. There were 52 patients in the CBP group and 38 in the non-CBP group. All the patients were followed up for 7-14 days [10.0(8.0, 12.0)days]. On ICU admission, the mtDNA copy number was 638.5±124.0 in the CBP group and 634.7±122.1 in the non-CBP group ( P>0.05). At 12, 24 and 48 hours after treatment, the mtDNA copy number in the CBP group was 564.2±105.6, 415.7±83.5 and 303.7±77.0 respectively, significantly lower than 622.9±120.2, 581.5±113.6, 530.7±97.8 in the non-CBP group ( P<0.05 or 0.01). At 12, 24 and 48 hours after treatment, the mtDNA copy number in both groups continued to decrease compared with that on ICU admission ( P<0.05). On ICU admission, the activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex Ⅴ was (74.0±26.0)pg/ml in the CBP group and (72.8±25.3)pg/ml in the non-CBP group ( P>0.05); at 12, 24 and 48 hours after treatment, it was (69.4±24.2)pg/ml, (78.3±26.8)pg/ml and (91.5±33.5)pg/ml respectively in the CBP group, significantly higher than (65.3±23.6)pg/ml, (60.7±19.4)pg/ml and (53.8±16.9)pg/ml in the non-CBP group ( P<0.05 or 0.01); at 12 hours after treatment, it was decreased in both groups compared with that on ICU admission ( P<0.05); at 24 and 48 hours after treatment, it was gradually increased in the CBP group compared with those on ICU admission and at 12 hours after treatment ( P<0.05), while in the non-CBP group, it continued to decrease ( P<0.05). The levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 on ICU admission were (51.6±17.1)pg/ml, (174.1±57.3)pg/ml and (67.6±16.2)pg/ml respectively in the CBP group and (49.5±16.7)pg/ml, (177.8±58.7)pg/ml and (65.7±16.6)pg/ml respectively in the non-CBP group ( P>0.05). At 12, 24 and 48 hours after treatment, the levels of TNF-α in the CBP group were (43.6±15.6)pg/ml, (29.4±12.5)pg/ml and (26.2±10.6)pg/ml respectively, the IL-6 levels were (122.4±41.7)pg/ml, (90.6±33.1)pg/ml, (75.6±24.7)pg/ml respectively and the IL-10 levels were (72.6±18.1)pg/ml, (80.7±20.6)pg/ml, (86.2±22.9)pg/ml respectively, which were significantly lower than (48.8±16.2)pg/ml, (46.5±15.5)pg/ml, (40.0±14.2)pg/ml at 12 hours after treatment, (168.4±51.6)pg/ml, (131.5±42.7)pg/ml, (112.7±35.8)pg/ml at 24 hours after treatment, and (78.6±19.3)pg/ml, (91.1±23.8)pg/ml, (99.4±26.6)pg/ml at 48 hours after treatment in the non-CBP group ( P<0.05 or 0.01). At 12, 24 and 48 hours after treatment, the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in both groups continued to decrease, while the levels of IL-10 continued to increase compared with those on ICU admission ( P<0.05). On ICU admission, the APACHE Ⅱ and SOFA scores were (20.6±10.5)points and (6.2±1.9)points in the CBP group and (21.2±11.2)points and (6.7±2.1)points in the non-CBP group ( P>0.05). At 48 hours after treatment, the APACHE Ⅱ and SOFA scores were (13.5±6.6)points and (2.7±0.6)points in the CBP group, which were significantly lower than (18.3±9.3)points and (5.3±1.5)points in the non-CBP group ( P<0.01). At 48 hours after treatment, the APACHE II and SOFA scores in both groups were significantly decreased compared with those on ICU admission ( P<0.05 or 0.01). The length of ICU stay, total length of hospital stay and 28-day mortality after ICU admission were (13.0±5.7)days, (20.4±8.6)days and 19.2% (10/52) respectively, which were significantly shorter and smaller than (17.6±6.6)days, (26.5±9.4)days and 31.6% (12/38) in the non-CBP group ( P<0.05 or 0.01). Conclusions:CBP treatment may reduce the release of mtDNA by alleviating the mitochondrial damage of the mononuclear cells in patients with traumatic sepsis so that the release of inflammatory factors and cellular apoptosis is reduced, and improve the state of cell energy metabolism and cellular immune function by increasing the activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex V in the mononuclear cells, and participate in the reconstruction of immune homeostasis of the body so the inflammatory state and clinical prognosis of the patients are improved.

Dead heart is an important trait of pith-decayed Scutellariae Radix. The purpose of this study was to clarify the scientific connotation of the dead heart using multi-omics. Metabolomics and transcriptomics combined with multivariate statistical analysis such as principal component analysis(PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) were used to systematically compare the differences in chemical composition and gene expression among phloem, outer xylem and near-dead xylem of pith-decayed Scutella-riae Radix. The results revealed significant differences in the contents of flavonoid glycosides and aglycones among the three parts. Compared with phloem and outer xylem, near-dead xylem had markedly lowered content of flavonoid glycosides(including baicalin, norwogonin-7-O-β-D-glucuronide, oroxylin A-7-O-β-D-glucuronide, and wogonoside) while markedly increased content of aglycones(including 3,5,7,2',6'-pentahydroxy dihydroflavone, baicalin, wogonin, and oroxylin A). The differentially expressed genes were mainly concentrated in KEGG pathways such as phenylpropanoid metabolism, flavonoid biosynthesis, ABC transporter, and plant MAPK signal transduction pathway. This study systematically elucidated the material basis of the dead heart of pith-decayed Scutellariae Radix with multiple growing years. Specifically, the content of flavonoid aglycones was significantly increased in the near-dead xylem, and the gene expression of metabolic pathways such as flavonoid glycoside hydrolysis, interxylary cork development and programmed apoptosis was significantly up-regulated. This study provided a theoretical basis for guiding the high-quality production of pith-decayed Scutellariae Radix.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Scutellaria baicalensis/chemistry* ; Glucuronides ; Multiomics ; Flavonoids/chemistry*

Starting with the relationship between mulberry leaves and silkworm droppings as food and metabolites, this study systematically compared the chemical components, screened out differential components, and quantitatively analyzed the main differential components based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and UPLC-Q-TRAP-MS combined with principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA). Moreover, the in vitro enzymatic transformation of the representative differential components was studied. The results showed that(1) 95 components were identified from mulberry leaves and silkworm droppings, among which 27 components only exist in mulberry leaves and 8 components in silkworm droppings. The main differential components were flavonoid glycosides and chlorogenic acids.(2) Nineteen components with significant difference were quantitatively analyzed, and the components with significant differences and high content were neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, and rutin.(3) The crude protease in the mid-gut of silkworm significantly metabolized neochlorogenic acid and chlorogenic acid, which may be an important reason for the efficacy change in mulberry leaves and silkworm droppings. This study lays a scientific foundation for the development, utilization, and quality control of mulberry leaves and silkworm droppings. It provides references for clarifying the possible material basis and mechanism of the pungent-cool and dispersing nature of mulberry leaves transforming into the pungent-warm and dampness-resolving nature of silkworm droppings, and offers a new idea for the study of nature-effect transformation mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine.
Animals ; Bombyx ; Morus/chemistry* ; Chlorogenic Acid/analysis* ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Plant Leaves/chemistry*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the risk factors for neonatal asphyxia in Hubei Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture and establish a nomogram model for predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted with 613 cases of neonatal asphyxia treated in 20 cooperative hospitals in Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture from January to December 2019 as the asphyxia group, and 988 randomly selected non-asphyxia neonates born and admitted to the neonatology department of these hospitals during the same period as the control group. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify risk factors for neonatal asphyxia. R software (4.2.2) was used to establish a nomogram model. Receiver operator characteristic curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis were used to assess the discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness of the model for predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia, respectively. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that minority (Tujia), male sex, premature birth, congenital malformations, abnormal fetal position, intrauterine distress, maternal occupation as a farmer, education level below high school, fewer than 9 prenatal check-ups, threatened abortion, abnormal umbilical cord, abnormal amniotic fluid, placenta previa, abruptio placentae, emergency caesarean section, and assisted delivery were independent risk factors for neonatal asphyxia (P<0.05). The area under the curve of the model for predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia based on these risk factors was 0.748 (95%CI: 0.723-0.772). The calibration curve indicated high accuracy of the model for predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia. The decision curve analysis showed that the model could provide a higher net benefit for neonates at risk of asphyxia. CONCLUSIONS The risk factors for neonatal asphyxia in Hubei Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture are multifactorial, and the nomogram model based on these factors has good value in predicting the risk of neonatal asphyxia, which can help clinicians identify neonates at high risk of asphyxia early, and reduce the incidence of neonatal asphyxia.
Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Female ; Nomograms ; Retrospective Studies ; Cesarean Section ; Risk Factors ; Asphyxia Neonatorum/etiology*