The study aims to examine the effects and potential mechanisms of disulfiram (DSF) on cardiac hypertrophic injury, focusing on the role of transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1)-mediated pan-apoptosis (PANoptosis). H9C2 cardiomyocytes were treated with angiotensin II (Ang II, 1 µmol/L) to establish an in vitro model of myocardial hypertrophy. DSF (40 µmol/L) was used to treat cardiomyocyte hypertrophic injury models, either along or in combination with the TAK1 inhibitor, 5z-7-oxozeaenol (5z-7, 0.1 µmol/L). We assessed cell damage using propidium iodide (PI) staining, measured cell viability with CCK8 assay, quantified inflammatory factor levels in cell culture media via ELISA, detected TAK1 and RIPK1 binding rates using immunoprecipitation, and analyzed the protein expression levels of key proteins in the TAK1-mediated PANoptosis pathway using Western blot. In addition, the surface area of cardiomyocytes was measured with Phalloidin staining. The results showed that Ang II significantly reduced the cellular viability of H9C2 cardiomyocytes and the binding rate of TAK1 and RIPK1, significantly increased the surface area of H9C2 cardiomyocytes, PI staining positive rate, levels of inflammatory factors [interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α)] in cell culture media and p-TAK1/TAK1 ratio, and significantly up-regulated key proteins in the PANoptosis pathway [pyroptosis-related proteins NLRP3, Caspase-1 (p20), and GSDMD-N (p30), apoptosis-related proteins Caspase-3 (p17), Caspase-7 (p20), and Caspase-8 (p18), as well as necroptosis-related proteins p-MLKL, RIPK1, and RIPK3]. DSF significantly reversed the above changes induced by Ang II. Both 5z-7 and exogenous IL-1β weakened these cardioprotective effects of DSF. These results suggest that DSF may alleviate cardiac hypertrophic injury by inhibiting TAK1-mediated PANoptosis.
Animals ; MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases/physiology* ; Rats ; Myocytes, Cardiac/pathology* ; Disulfiram/pharmacology* ; Cardiomegaly ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Cell Line ; Angiotensin II ; Necroptosis/drug effects* ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism* ; Receptor-Interacting Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; Lactones ; Resorcinols ; Zearalenone/administration & dosage*

Processing for deodorization is widely used in the production of animal-derived Chinese medicinal materials. In this study, Heracles Neo ultra-fast gas-phase electronic nose combined with chemometrics was employed to analyze the overall odor difference of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum(focusing on that derived from Cervus nippon Temminck in this study) before and after processing. The results showed that the electronic nose effectively distinguished between the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. HS-GC-MS was used to identify and quantify the volatile components in the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum, and 35 and 37 volatile components were detected in the medicinal materials and decoction pieces, respectively. The medicinal materials and decoction pieces contained 28 common volatile components contributing to the odor of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. The odor activity value(OAV) of each volatile component was calculated based on the olfactory threshold and relative content. The results showed that there were 17 key odor substances such as isovaleraldehyde, 2-methylbutanal, isobutyraldehyde, hexanal, and methanethiol in the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. All of them had bad odor and were the main source of the odor of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. The results of principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) showed that there were significant differences in volatile components between the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. Based on the thresholds of P<0.05 and Variable Importance in Projection(VIP)>1, 21 differential volatile odor components were screened out. Among them, isopentanol, isovaleraldehyde, 2-methylbutanal, n-nonanal, and dimethylamine were the key differential odor compounds between the medicinal materials and decoction pieces of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. The odor compounds and their relative content reduced, and some flavor substances such as esters were produced after processing with wine, which was the main reason for the reduction of the odor after processing of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum.
Odorants/analysis* ; Electronic Nose ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Animals ; Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis* ; Deer ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*

Tujia ethnic group medicine Xuetong is derived from Kadsura heteroclita, the stem of which has the medicinal value for anti-rheumatoid arthritis, liver protection, anti-tumor, anti-oxidation effects, and has been widely used in Hunan and Guangdong in China. The selection of reliable and stable reference genes is the basis for subsequent molecular research on K. heteroclita. In this study, GAPDH, TUA, Actin, UBQ, EF-1α, 18S-rRNA, CYP, UBC, TUB, H2A, and RPL were selected as candidate reference genes in Kadsura heteroclita. The gene expression levels of the 11 candidate reference genes of K. heteroclita in its 6 different parts(stem-inside of the cambium, stem-outside of the cambium, fruit, flower, root, and leaf) and under different intervention conditions [drought stress, salt stress, and methyl jasmonate(MeJA) treatment] were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR). The expression stability of the 11 candidate reference genes was comprehensively analyzed and evaluated by geNorm, NormFinder, ΔCT algorithm, and RefFinder software. The results showed that the expression of UBC and RPL was relatively stable in 6 different parts, and UBC and GAPDH genes were relatively stable under different intervention conditions. To verify the reliability of reference genes for K. heteroclita, this study further examined the relative expression levels of KhFPS, KhIDI, KhCAS, KhSQE, KhSQS, KhSQS-2, KhHMGS, KhHMGR, KhMVD, KhMVK, KhDXR, KhDXS, KhPMVK, and KhGGPS in different parts and under different intervention conditions, which might relate to the synthesis of the main component(Xuetongsu) of K. heteroclita. The results showed that with UBC and RPL or UBC and GAPDH as the reference genes, the expression trends of these 14 genes were basically consistent in different parts or under different intervention conditions for K. heteroclita. In conclusion, UBC can be used as a reference gene of K. heteroclita for its different parts and different intervention conditions, which lays a foundation for further research on the biosynthetic pathway of main components in K. heteroclita.
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods* ; Reference Standards ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal

PURPOSE: To methodically assess the effectiveness of augmentative plating (AP) and exchange nailing (EN) in managing nonunion following intramedullary nailing for long bone fractures of the lower extremity. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched to gather clinical studies regarding the use of AP and EN techniques in the treatment of nonunion following intramedullary nailing of lower extremity long bones. The search was conducted up until May 2023. The original studies underwent an independent assessment of their quality, a process conducted utilizing the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Data were retrieved from these studies, and meta-analysis was executed utilizing Review Manager 5.3. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included 8 studies involving 661 participants, with 305 in the AP group and 356 in the EN group. The results of the meta-analysis demonstrated that the AP group exhibited a higher rate of union (odds ratio: 8.61, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 4.12 - 17.99, p < 0.001), shorter union time (standardized mean difference (SMD): -1.08, 95% CI: -1.79 - -0.37, p = 0.003), reduced duration of the surgical procedure (SMD: -0.56, 95% CI: -0.93 - -0.19, p = 0.003), less bleeding (SMD: -1.5, 95% CI: -2.81 - -0.18, p = 0.03), and a lower incidence of complications (relative risk: -0.17, 95% CI: -0.27 - -0.06, p = 0.001). In the subgroup analysis, the time for union in the AP group in nonisthmal and isthmal nonunion of lower extremity long bones was shorter compared to the EN group (nonisthmal SMD: -1.94, 95% CI: -3.28 - -0.61, p < 0.001; isthmal SMD: -1.08, 95% CI: -1.64 - -0.52, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION In the treatment of nonunion in diaphyseal fractures of the long bones in the lower extremity, the AP approach is superior to EN, both intraoperatively (with reduced duration of the surgical procedure and diminished blood loss) and postoperatively (with an elevated union rate, shorter union time, and lower incidence of complications). Specifically, in the management of nonunion of lower extremity long bones with non-isthmal and isthmal intramedullary nails, AP demonstrated shorter union time in comparison to EN.
Humans ; Bone Nails/adverse effects* ; Bone Plates/adverse effects* ; Femoral Fractures/surgery* ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary/methods* ; Fractures, Ununited/surgery* ; Lower Extremity/injuries*

PURPOSE: We carried out the study aiming to explore and analyze the risk factors, the distribution of pathogenic bacteria, and their antibiotic-resistance characteristics influencing the occurrence of surgical site infection (SSI), to provide valuable assistance for reducing the incidence of SSI after traumatic fracture surgery. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study enrolling 3978 participants from January 2015 to December 2019 receiving surgical treatment for traumatic fractures was conducted at Tangdu Hospital of Air Force Medical University. Baseline data, demographic characteristics, lifestyles, variables related to surgical treatment, and pathogen culture were harvested and analyzed. Univariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to reveal the independent risk factors of SSI. A bacterial distribution histogram and drug-sensitive heat map were drawn to describe the pathogenic characteristics. RESULTS: Included 3978 patients 138 of them developed SSI with an incidence rate of 3.47% postoperatively. By logistic regression analysis, we found that variables such as gender (males) (odds ratio (OR) = 2.012, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.235 - 3.278, p = 0.005), diabetes mellitus (OR = 5.848, 95% CI: 3.513 - 9.736, p < 0.001), hypoproteinemia (OR = 3.400, 95% CI: 1.280 - 9.031, p = 0.014), underlying disease (OR = 5.398, 95% CI: 2.343 - 12.438, p < 0.001), hormonotherapy (OR = 11.718, 95% CI: 6.269 - 21.903, p < 0.001), open fracture (OR = 29.377, 95% CI: 9.944 - 86.784, p < 0.001), and intraoperative transfusion (OR = 2.664, 95% CI: 1.572 - 4.515, p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for SSI, while, aged over 59 years (OR = 0.132, 95% CI: 0.059 - 0.296, p < 0.001), prophylactic antibiotics use (OR = 0.082, 95% CI: 0.042 - 0.164, p < 0.001) and vacuum sealing drainage use (OR = 0.036, 95% CI: 0.010 - 0.129, p < 0.001) were protective factors. Pathogens results showed that 301 strains of 38 species of bacteria were harvested, among which 178 (59.1%) strains were Gram-positive bacteria, and 123 (40.9%) strains were Gram-negative bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus (108, 60.7%) and Enterobacter cloacae (38, 30.9%) accounted for the largest proportion. The susceptibility of Gram-positive bacteria to Vancomycin and Linezolid was almost 100%. The susceptibility of Gram-negative bacteria to Imipenem, Amikacin, and Meropenem exceeded 73%. CONCLUSION Orthopedic surgeons need to develop appropriate surgical plans based on the risk factors and protective factors associated with postoperative SSI to reduce its occurrence. Meanwhile, it is recommended to strengthen blood glucose control in the early stage of admission and for surgeons to be cautious and scientific when choosing antibiotic therapy in clinical practice.
Humans ; Surgical Wound Infection/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Risk Factors ; Retrospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Fractures, Bone/surgery* ; Aged ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Logistic Models ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use* ; Incidence ; Bacteria/drug effects*

Objective Summarizing the recent efficacy and initial experience of using da Vinci robot surgery for pediatric annular pancreas in our hospital.Methods The clinical data of 3 children with annular pancreas treated by Da Vinci robotic surgery in Wuhan Children's Hospital from October 2020 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.Results All three cases were successfully completed with robot-assisted lateral duoduodenal anastomosis without intraoperative complications.The operation time was 240 min,212 min,135 min,respectively.Postoperative feeding was started at 12 d,7 d,and 6 d,respectively.The postoperative hospital stays were 33 d,18 d,and 13 d,respectively.The first case was complicated with neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis after operation,and was cured and discharged after conservative treatment.The remaining 2 cases were cured and discharged.The follow-up time was 2 years,3 months and 5 months,respectively.No relevant complications occurred during the follow-up period,and the prognosis of the three children was good.Conclusion Da Vinci robotic surgery is safe and feasible in the treatment of annular pancreas in children,but it still needs to be supported by large sample studies.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between urinary metals copper (Cu), arsenic (As), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), iron (Fe), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) and grip strength. Methods We used linear regression models, quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to assess the relationship between metals and grip strength.Results In the multimetal linear regression, Cu (β=-2.119), As (β=-1.318), Sr (β=-2.480), Ba (β=0.781), Fe (β= 1.130) and Mn (β=-0.404) were significantly correlated with grip strength (P < 0.05). The results of the quantile g-computation showed that the risk of occurrence of grip strength reduction was -1.007 (95％ confidence interval:-1.362, -0.652; P < 0.001) when each quartile of the mixture of the seven metals was increased. Bayesian kernel function regression model analysis showed that mixtures of the seven metals had a negative overall effect on grip strength, with Cu, As and Sr being negatively associated with grip strength levels. In the total population, potential interactions were observed between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn (Pinteractions of 0.003 and 0.018, respectively).Conclusion In summary, this study suggests that combined exposure to metal mixtures is negatively associated with grip strength. Cu, Sr and As were negatively correlated with grip strength levels, and there were potential interactions between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn.

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and mutation spectrum of monogenic diseases in Chinese population through a large-scale,multicenter carrier screening.Methods This study was conducted among a total of 33 104 participants(16 610 females)from 12 clinical centers across China.Carrier status for 223 genes was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and different PCR methods.Results The overall combined carrier frequency was 55.58%for 197 autosomal genes and 1.84%for 26 X-linked genes in these participants.Among the 16 669 families,874 at-risk couples(5.24%)were identified.Specifically,584 couples(3.50%)were at risk for autosomal genes,306(1.84%)for X-linked genes,and 16 for both autosomal and X-linked genes.The most frequently detected autosomal at-risk genes included GJB2(autosomal recessive deafness type 1A,393 couples),HBA1/HBA2(α-thalassemia,36 couples),PAH(phenylketonuria,14 couples),and SMN1(spinal muscular atrophy,14 couples).The most frequently detected X-linked at-risk genes were G6PD(G6PD deficiency,236 couples),DMD(Duchenne muscular dystrophy,23 couples),and FMR1(fragile X syndrome,17 couples).After excluding GJB2 c.109G>A,the detection rate of at-risk couples was 3.91%(651/16 669),which was lowered to 1.72%(287/16 669)after further excluding G6PD.The theoretical incidence rate of severe monogenic birth defects was approximately 4.35‰(72.5/16 669).Screening for a battery of the top 22 most frequent genes in the at-risk couples could detect over 95%of at-risk couples,while screening for the top 54 genes further increased the detection rate to over 99%.Conclusion This study reveals the carrier frequencies of 223 monogenic genetic disorders in the Chinese population and provides evidence for carrier screening strategy development and panel design tailored to the Chinese population.In carrier testing,genetic counseling for specific genes or gene variants can be challenging,and the couples need to be informed of these difficulties before testing and provided with options for not screening these genes or gene variants.

Objective To monitor the susceptibility of clinical isolates to antimicrobial agents in tertiary hospitals in major regions of China in 2022.Methods Clinical isolates from 58 hospitals in China were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using a unified protocol based on disc diffusion method or automated testing systems.Results were interpreted using the 2022 Clinical &Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)breakpoints.Results A total of 318 013 clinical isolates were collected from January 1,2022 to December 31,2022,of which 29.5％were gram-positive and 70.5％were gram-negative.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains in Staphylococcus aureus,Staphylococcus epidermidis and other coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species(excluding Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Staphylococcus schleiferi)was 28.3％,76.7％and 77.9％,respectively.Overall,94.0％of MRSA strains were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 90.8％of MRSE strains were susceptible to rifampicin.No vancomycin-resistant strains were found.Enterococcus faecalis showed significantly lower resistance rates to most antimicrobial agents tested than Enterococcus faecium.A few vancomycin-resistant strains were identified in both E.faecalis and E.faecium.The prevalence of penicillin-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae was 94.2％in the isolates from children and 95.7％in the isolates from adults.The resistance rate to carbapenems was lower than 13.1％in most Enterobacterales species except for Klebsiella,21.7％-23.1％of which were resistant to carbapenems.Most Enterobacterales isolates were highly susceptible to tigecycline,colistin and polymyxin B,with resistance rates ranging from 0.1％to 13.3％.The prevalence of meropenem-resistant strains decreased from 23.5％in 2019 to 18.0％in 2022 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa,and decreased from 79.0％in 2019 to 72.5％in 2022 in Acinetobacter baumannii.Conclusions The resistance of clinical isolates to the commonly used antimicrobial agents is still increasing in tertiary hospitals.However,the prevalence of important carbapenem-resistant organisms such as carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa,and A.baumannii showed a downward trend in recent years.This finding suggests that the strategy of combining antimicrobial resistance surveillance with multidisciplinary concerted action works well in curbing the spread of resistant bacteria.

Objective To investigate the changing distribution and antibiotic resistance profiles of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus in hospitals across China from 2015 to 2021.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted for the clinical isolates of Staphylococcus according to the unified protocol of CHINET(China Antimicrobial Surveillance Network)using disk diffusion method and commercial automated systems.The CHINET antimicrobial resistance surveillance data from 2015 to 2021 were interpreted according to the 2021 CLSI breakpoints and analyzed using WHONET 5.6.Results During the period from 2015 to 2021,a total of 204,771 nonduplicate strains of Staphylococcus were isolated,including 136,731(66.8％)strains of Staphylococcus aureus and 68,040(33.2％)strains of coagulase-negative Staphylococcus(CNS).The proportions of S.aureus isolates and CNS isolates did not show significant change.S.aureus strains were mainly isolated from respiratory specimens(38.9±5.1)％,wound,pus and secretions(33.6±4.2)％,and blood(11.9±1.5)％.The CNS strains were predominantly isolated from blood(73.6±4.2)％,cerebrospinal fluid(12.1±2.5)％,and pleural effusion and ascites(8.4±2.1)％.S.aureus strains were mainly isolated from the patients in ICU(17.0±7.3)％,outpatient and emergency(11.6±1.7)％,and department of surgery(11.2±0.9)％,whereas CNS strains were primarily isolated from the patients in ICU(32.2±9.7)％,outpatient and emergency(12.8±4.7)％,and department of internal medicine(11.2±1.9)％.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains was 32.9％in S.aureus(MRSA)and 74.1％in CNS(MRCNS).Over the 7-year period,the prevalence of MRSA decreased from 42.1％to 29.2％,and the prevalence of MRCNS decreased from 82.1％to 68.2％.MRSA showed higher resistance rates to all the antimicrobial agents tested except trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole than methicillin-susceptible S.aureus(MSSA).Over the 7-year period,MRSA strains showed decreasing resistance rates to gentamicin,rifampicin,and levofloxacin,MRCNS showed decreasing resistance rates to gentamicin,erythromycin,rifampicin,and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole,but increasing resistance rate to levofloxacin.No vancomycin-resistant strains were detected.The prevalence of linezolid-resistant MRCNS increased from 0.2％to 2.3％over the 7-year period.Conclusions Staphylococcus remains the major pathogen among gram-positive bacteria.MRSA and MRCNS were still the principal antibiotic-resistant gram-positive bacteria.No S.aureus isolates were found resistant to vancomycin or linezolid,but linezolid-resistant strains have been detected in MRCNS isolates,which is an issue of concern.