Chlamydia psittaci is a worldwide distributed zoonotic pathogen that infects a variety of birds.In order to char-acterization of the duck originated C.psittaci strains,lung samples were collected from suspected infection ducks and was de-tected by real-time PCR.The positive samples were homogenized in phosphate buffered saline with kanamycin and streptomy-cin,and then inoculated onto L929 cells monolayer.After several sets of passages,chlamydial inclusions of the isolate in cul-tured cells were observed after Giemsa staining or by electron microscope.For species identification,16S rRNA,16-23S IGS gene fragments were sequenced and analyzed.Genotyping of the isolate was performed by comparative analysis of the obtained ompA gene sequence with that of different genotype of C.psittaci strains.A C.psittaci strain was successfully isolated from the lung sample of duck by cell culture and was identified as genotype A.This study expanded our understanding of the host range of genotype A C.psittaci strain,and provided basis for further research on the pathogenicity,transmission,and public health risk of this pathogen.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of navel application of Jianpi Hewei Adhesive Plaster combined with oral use of modified Sini Hewei Anshen Decoction in treating diabetic gastroparesis(DGP)accompanied by anxiety of liver-stomach disharmony type in type 2 diabetes patients.Methods One hundred patients with DGP accompanied by anxiety of liver-stomach disharmony type were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group,with 50 patients in each group.The control group was given oral use of Mosapride Citrate Tablets orally,and the treatment group was given navel application of Jianpi Hewei Adhesive Plaster combined with oral use of modified Sini Hewei Anshen Decoction.The course of treatment for the two groups covered 4 weeks.The two groups were observed in the changes of the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores,Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index(GCSI)scores,Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA)scores,gastric emptying time,and levels of fasting blood glucose(FBG),2-hour postprandial blood glucose(2hPG),glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c),plasma motilin(MOT),gastrin(GAS),and serum tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α)and interleukin 6(IL-6)before and after the treatment.After treatment,the clinical efficacy and safety of the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)During the trial,4 patients in the treatment group and 3 patients in the control group fell off,and eventually a total of 93 patients were included for the efficacy statistics,including 46 patients in the treatment group and 47 patients in the control group.(2)After 4 weeks of treatment,the total effective rate of the treatment group was 95.65%(44/46)and that of the control group was 76.60%(36/47).The intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the therapeutic effect of the treatment group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.01).(3)After treatment,the TCM syndrome scores(including epigastric and abdominal congestion,depression or irritability,and poor appetite)and GCSI scores in the two groups were decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05)and the gastric emptying time was shortened compared with that before treatment(P＜0.05),and the effect of the treatment group on decreasing TCM syndrome scores and GCSI scores and on shortening the gastric emptying time were significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.01).(4)After treatment,the plasma MOT and GAS levels of the two groups were increased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the increase in the treatment group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).(5)After treatment,the levels of glucose metabolism indicators of FBG,2hPG,and HbA1c in the two groups were decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),but the differences of all glucose metabolism indicators between the two groups after treatment were not statistically significant(P＞0.05).(6)After treatment,the serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels in the two groups were decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease in the treatment group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(7)After treatment,the total HAMA scores and the scores of mental anxiety factor and somatic anxiety factor of HAMA in the two groups were decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the effect on lowering the scores in the treatment group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(8)During the treatment period,no significant adverse reactions occurred in the two groups of patients,which has high safety.Conclusion Navel application of Jianpi Hewei Adhesive Plaster combined with oral use of modified Sini Hewei Anshen Decoction exerts certain efficacy in treating DGP accompanied by anxiety of liver-stomach disharmony type.The therapy is effective on relieving clinical symptoms,enhancing gastric motility,inhibiting inflammatory response,and improving anxiety emotion and the quality of life of the patients.

The assessment of adverse drug events is an important basis for clinical safety evaluation and post-marketing risk control of drugs,and its causality assessment is gaining increasing attention.The existing methods for assessing the causal relationship between drugs and the occurrence of adverse reactions can be broadly classified into three categories:global introspective methods,standardized methods,and probabilistic methods.At present,there is no systematic introduction of the operational details of the various methods in the domestic literature.This paper compares representative causality assessment methods in terms of definition and concept,methodological steps,industry evaluation and advantages and disadvantages,clarifies the basic process of determining the causality of adverse drug reactions,and discusses how to further improve the adverse drug reaction monitoring and evaluation system,with a view to providing a reference for drug development and pharmacovigilance work in China.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of Yiqi Yangyin Jiangtang Prescription(mainly composed of Astragali Radix,Rehmanniae Radix,Imperatae Rhizoma,Ophiopogonis Radix,and Puerariae Lobatae Radix)combined with acupoint injection in the treatment of newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods One hundred patients with newly-diagnosed T2DM of qi-yin deficiency complicated with blood stasis type were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group,with 50 patients in each group.The control group was given oral use of Metformin Hydrochloride Tablets,and the treatment group was given the granules of Yiqi Yangyin Jiangtang Prescription orally combined with acupoint injection at unilateral points of Zusanli(ST36),Shenshu(BL23)and Qihai(CV6)on the basis of treatment for the control group.The course of treatment lasted for 4 weeks.Before and after the treatment,the two groups were observed in the changes of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores,fasting plasma glucose(FPG),2-hour postprandial blood glucose(2hPG),glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c),total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),and serum levels of inflammatory factors of interleukin 6(IL-6),C-reactive protein(CRP),tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α),as well as the hemorheology indicators of whole blood low-shear viscosity and whole blood high-shear viscosity.After treatment,the clinical efficacy and safety of the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)During the trial,5 cases fell off from the treatment group and 4 cases fell off from the control group,and a total of 91 patients were eventually included in the efficacy statistics,of which 45 cases were in the treatment group and 46 cases were in the control group.(2)After 4 weeks of treatment,the total effective rate of the treatment group was 93.33%(42/45),and that of the control group was 71.74%(33/46).The intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the therapeutic effect of the treatment group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.01).(3)After treatment,the scores of TCM symptoms of dry mouth and throat,frequent nocturia,shortness of breath and fatigue,hot flushes and night sweating as well as the total TCM syndrome scores in the two groups were significantly lower than those before the treatment(P＜0.05),and the reduction of the scores in the treatment group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.01).(4)After treatment,the levels of blood glucose and lipid indicators of FPG,2hPG,HbA1c,TC and TG of patients in the two groups were decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease in the treatment group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).(5)After treatment,the serum levels of inflammatory factors of IL-6,CRP,and TNF-α in the two groups were all lower than those before treatment(P＜0.01),and the reduction in the treatment group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).(6)After treatment,the levels of hemorheology indicators such as whole blood low-shear viscosity and high-shear viscosity in the two groups were all lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the reduction in the treatment group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.05).(7)The incidence of adverse reactions in the treatment group was 8.89%(4/45),which was significantly lower than that of the control group(21.74%,10/46),and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.01).Conclusion Yiqi Yangyin Jiangtang Prescription combined with acupoint injection exerts certain effect in treating patients with newly-diagnosed T2DM of qi-yin deficiency complicated with blood stasis syndrome type.The combined therapy can effectively alleviate the early clinical manifestations,decrease the levels of blood glucose,blood lipids,and inflammatory factors,and improve the hematological indicators and the quality of life of the patients.

Chinese medicinal resources are the cornerstone of the sustainable development of traditional Chinese medicine industry. However, due to the fecundity of species, over-exploitation, and limitations of artificial cultivation, some medicinal plants are depleted and even endangered. Tissue culture, a breakthrough technology in the breeding of traditional Chinese medicinal materials, is not limited by time and space, and can allow the production on an annual basis, which plays an important role in the protection of Chinese medicinal resources. The present study reviewed the applications of tissue culture of medicinal plants in the field of Chinese medicinal resources, including rapid propagation of medicinal plant seedlings, breeding of novel high-yield and high-quality cultivars, construction of a genetic transformation system, and production of secondary metabolites. Meanwhile, the current challenges and suggestions for the future development of this field were also proposed.
Sustainable Development ; Plants, Medicinal/genetics* ; Plant Breeding ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Technology

OBJECTIVE: To explore the proliferation inhibitory effect of quinones from Blaps rynchopetera defense secretion on colorectal tumor cell lines. METHODS: Human colorectal cancer cell HT-29, human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell Caco-2 and normal human colon epithelial cell CCD841 were chosen for the evaluation of inhibitory activity of the main quinones of B. rynchopetera defense secretion, including methyl p-benzoquinone (MBQ), ethyl p-benzoquinone (EBQ), and methyl hydroquinone (MHQ), through methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay. The tumor-related factors, cell cycles, related gene expressions and protein levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assy, flow cytometry, RT-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. RESULTS: MBQ, EBQ, and MHQ could significantly inhibit the proliferation of Caco-2, with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) values of 7.04 ± 0.88, 10.92 ± 0.32, 9.35 ± 0.83, HT-29, with IC₅₀ values of 14.90 ± 2.71, 20.50 ± 6.37, 13.90 ± 1.30, and CCD841, with IC₅₀ values of 11.40 ± 0.68, 7.02 ± 0.44 and 7.83 ± 0.05 µg/mL, respectively. Tested quinones can reduce the expression of tumor-related factors tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin (IL)-10, and IL-6 in HT-29 cells, selectively promote apoptosis, and regulate the cell cycle which can reduce the proportion of cells in the G₁ phase and increase the proportion of the S phase. Meanwhile, tested quinones could up-regulate mRNA and protein expression of GSK-3β and APC, while down-regulate that of β-catenin, Frizzled1, c-Myc, and CyclinD1 in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway of HT-29 cells. CONCLUSION Quinones from B. rynchopetera defense secretion could inhibit the proliferation of colorectal tumor cells and reduce the expression of related factors, which would be functioned by regulating cell cycle, selectively promoting apoptosis, and affecting Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related mRNA and protein expressions.
Humans ; beta Catenin/metabolism* ; Caco-2 Cells ; Quinones/pharmacology* ; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation ; Colorectal Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Apoptosis ; Benzoquinones/pharmacology* ; RNA, Messenger ; Wnt Signaling Pathway

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the incidence of extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR) and its risk factors in very preterm infants (VPIs) during hospitalization in China. METHODS: A prospective multicenter study was performed on the medical data of 2 514 VPIs who were hospitalized in the department of neonatology in 28 hospitals from 7 areas of China between September 2019 and December 2020. According to the presence or absence of EUGR based on the evaluation of body weight at the corrected gestational age of 36 weeks or at discharge, the VPIs were classified to two groups: EUGR group (n=1 189) and non-EUGR (n=1 325). The clinical features were compared between the two groups, and the incidence of EUGR and risk factors for EUGR were examined. RESULTS: The incidence of EUGR was 47.30% (1 189/2 514) evaluated by weight. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that higher weight growth velocity after regaining birth weight and higher cumulative calorie intake during the first week of hospitalization were protective factors against EUGR (P<0.05), while small-for-gestational-age birth, prolonged time to the initiation of total enteral feeding, prolonged cumulative fasting time, lower breast milk intake before starting human milk fortifiers, prolonged time to the initiation of full fortified feeding, and moderate-to-severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia were risk factors for EUGR (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS It is crucial to reduce the incidence of EUGR by achieving total enteral feeding as early as possible, strengthening breastfeeding, increasing calorie intake in the first week after birth, improving the velocity of weight gain, and preventing moderate-severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia in VPIs.
Female ; Fetal Growth Retardation ; Gestational Age ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVES: To explore the optimal maintenance dose of caffeine citrate for preterm infants requiring assisted ventilation and caffeine citrate treatment. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 566 preterm infants (gestational age ≤34 weeks) who were treated and required assisted ventilation and caffeine citrate treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit of 30 tertiary hospitals in Jiangsu Province of China between January 1 and December 31, 2019. The 405 preterm infants receiving high-dose (10 mg/kg per day) caffeine citrate after a loading dose of 20 mg/kg within 24 hours after birth were enrolled as the high-dose group. The 161 preterm infants receiving low-dose (5 mg/kg per day) caffeine citrate were enrolled as the low-dose group. RESULTS: Compared with the low-dose group, the high-dose group had significant reductions in the need for high-concentration oxygen during assisted ventilation (P=0.044), the duration of oxygen inhalation after weaning from noninvasive ventilation (P<0.01), total oxygen inhalation time during hospitalization (P<0.01), the proportion of preterm infants requiring noninvasive ventilation again (P<0.01), the rate of use of pulmonary surfactant and budesonide (P<0.05), and the incidence rates of apnea and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.01), but the high-dose group had a significantly increased incidence rate of feeding intolerance (P=0.032). There were no significant differences between the two groups in the body weight change, the incidence rates of retinopathy of prematurity, intraventricular hemorrhage or necrotizing enterocolitis, the mortality rate, and the duration of caffeine use (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS This pilot multicenter study shows that the high maintenance dose (10 mg/kg per day) is generally beneficial to preterm infants in China and does not increase the incidence rate of common adverse reactions. For the risk of feeding intolerance, further research is needed to eliminate the interference of confounding factors as far as possible.
Caffeine/therapeutic use* ; Citrates ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVES: To study the survival rate and the incidence of complications of very preterm infants and the factors influencing the survival rate and the incidence of complications. METHODS: The medical data of the very preterm infants with a gestational age of <32 weeks and who were admitted to the Department of Neonatology in 11 hospitals of Jiangsu Province in China from January 2018 to December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Their survival rate and the incidence of serious complications were analyzed. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk factors for death and serious complications in very preterm infants. RESULTS: A total of 2 339 very preterm infants were enrolled, among whom 2 010 (85.93%) survived and 1 507 (64.43%) survived without serious complications. The groups with a gestational age of 22-25 CONCLUSIONS The survival rate is closely associated with gestational age in very preterm infants. A low 1-minute Apgar score (≤3) may increase the risk of death in very preterm infants, while high gestational age, high birth weight, and prenatal use of glucocorticoids are associated with the reduced risk of death. A low 5-minute Apgar score (≤3) and maternal chorioamnionitis may increase the risk of serious complications in these infants, while high gestational age and high birth weight may reduce the risk of serious complications.
Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Infant, Premature, Diseases ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Pregnancy ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

Objective To investigate the genetic variation of Eurytrema pancreaticum isolated from goats in Huaihua City, Hunan Province. Methods The partial sequence of mitochondrial cytochrome I (pcox1) and ribosomal 18S rRNA genes were amplified using a PCR assay in E. pancreaticum isolates from goats in Huaihua City, Hunan Province, and the PCR amplification products were sequenced. Then, the gene sequences were subjected to genetic variation and phylogenetic analyses. Results The sequences of the pcox1 and 18S rRNA genes were 430 bp and 1 857 bp in length in 18 E. pancreaticum isolates from goats in Huaihua City, Hunan Province, and there were 14 and 35 variation sites in pcox1 and 18S rRNA gene sequences, with intra-species genetic variations of 0 to 1.4% and 0 to 0.8%, respectively. The sequences of pcox1 and 18S rRNA genes had 99.0% to 99.8% and 99.5% to 99.8% homologies with those from E. pancreaticum Chinese strain recorded in the GenBank database. Consistent phylogenetic analysis results were found based on pcox1 and 18S rRNA genes. The 18 E. pancreaticum isolates from goats in Huaihua City were clustered into a clade with the known E. pancreaticum isolates registered in GenBank, and the clade with these 18 E. pancreaticum isolates was close to the clades with Eurytrema species and far from the clades with other trematodes. Conclusions The E. pancreaticum isolates from goats have a low genetic variation in Huaihua City, Hunan Province. Mitochondrial pcox1 and ribosomal 18S rRNA genes may serve as molecular markers for the studies on the genetic variation in goat-derived E. pancreaticum.