Network pharmacology and molecular docking were employed to predict the mechanism of Zhizhu Decoction in regulating macrophage polarization to reduce adipose tissue inflammation in obese children, and animal experiments were then carried out to validate the prediction results. The active ingredients and targets of Zhizhu Decoction were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP). The inflammation related targets in the adipose tissue of obese children were searched against GeneCards, OMIM, and DisGeNET, and a drug-disease-target network was established. STRING was used to construct a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network and screen for core targets. R language was used to carry out Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. AutoDock was used for the molecular docking between core targets and active ingredients. 24 SPF grade 6-week C57B/6J male mice were adaptively fed for 1 week, and 8 mice were randomly selected as the blank group. The remaining 16 mice were fed with high-fat diet for 8 weeks to onstruct a high-fat diet induced mouse obesity model. After successful modeling, the 16 mice were randomly divided into model group and Zhizhu Decoction group, with 8 mice in each group. Zhizhu Decoction group was intervened by gavage for 14 days, once a day. Blank group and model group were given an equal amount of sterile double distilled water(ddH_2O) by gavage daily. After the last gavage, serum and inguinal adipose tissue were collected from mice for testing. The morphology of inguinal adipose tissue was observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, the levels of inflammatory factors interleukin-6(IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), and the protein expression of macrophage marker molecule nitric oxide synthase(iNOS) and epidermal growth factor like hormone receptor 1(F4/80) was detected by immunofluorescence staining. Network pharmacology predicted luteolin, naringenin, and nobiletin as the main active ingredients in Zhizhu Decoction and 15 core targets. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed involvement in the key signaling pathway of nuclear factor κB(NF-κB). Molecular docking showed that the active ingredients of Zhizhu Decoction bound well to the core targets. Animal experiment showed that compared with the model group, Zhizhu Decoction reduced the distribution of inflammatory cytokines in the inguinal adipose tissue of mice, lowered the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the serum(P<0.05, P<0.01), and down-regulated the expression of iNOS and F4/80(P<0.05). The results showed that the active ingredients in Zhizhu Decoction, such as luteolin, naringenin, and nobiletin, inhibit the aggregation of macrophages in adipose tissue, downregulate their classic activated macrophage(M1) polarization, reduce the expression of inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α, and thus improve adipose tissue inflammation in obese mice.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Adipose Tissue/immunology* ; Mice ; Male ; Humans ; Network Pharmacology ; Macrophages/immunology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Child ; Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects* ; Obesity/genetics* ; Inflammation/drug therapy*

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate preterm white matter injury (PWMI) in neonatal rats using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) combined with histological assessments and to explore its underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Healthy 3-day-old Sprague-Dawley neonatal rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group and a PWMI group (n=12 in each group). A PWMI model was established in neonatal rats through hypoxia-ischemia. Laser speckle imaging was used to observe changes in cerebral oxygen saturation and blood flow at different time points post-modeling. Multimodal MRI was employed to assess the condition of white matter injury, while hematoxylin-eosin staining was utilized to observe morphological changes in the striatal area on the injured side. Immunofluorescence staining was performed to detect the proliferation and differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells. RESULTS: At 0, 6, 12, 24, and 72 hours post-modeling, the relative blood flow and relative oxygen saturation on the injured side in the PWMI group were significantly lower than those in the sham operation group (P<0.05). At 24 hours post-modeling, T2-weighted imaging showed high signals in the white matter of the injured side in the PWMI group, with relative apparent diffusion coefficient values and Lorenz differential values being lower than those in the sham operation group (P<0.001); additionally, the arrangement of nerve cells in the PWMI group was disordered, and the number of EdU⁺PDGFR-α⁺ cells was higher than that in the sham operation group (P<0.001). At 28 days post-modeling, the relative fractional anisotropy values, the number of EdU⁺Olig2⁺ cells, and the fluorescence intensity of myelin basic protein and neurofilament protein 200 in the white matter region of the PWMI group were all lower than those in the sham operation group (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Multimodal MRI can evaluate early and long-term changes in PWMI in neonatal rat models in vivo, providing both imaging and pathological evidence for the diagnosis and treatment of PWMI in neonates. Hypoxia-ischemia inhibits the proliferation and differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells in neonatal rats, leading to PWMI.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Rats ; White Matter/injuries* ; Animals, Newborn ; Female ; Multimodal Imaging ; Male ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain/pathology*

Objective To observe the effects of melatonin on autophagy in cortical neurons of neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage(HIBD)and to explore its mechanisms via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway,aiming to provide a basis for the clinical application of melatonin.Methods Seven-day-old Sprague-Dawley neonatal rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group,an HIBD group,and a melatonin group(n=9 each).The neonatal rat HIBD model was established using the classic Rice-Vannucci method.Neuronal morphology in the neonatal rat cerebral cortex was observed with hematoxylin-eosin staining and Nissl staining.Autophagy-related protein levels of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3)and Beclin-1 were detected by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot analysis.Phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase(p-PI3K)and phosphorylated protein kinase B(p-AKT)protein expression levels were measured by immunohistochemistry and Western blot.The correlation between autophagy and the PI3K pathway in the melatonin group and the HIBD group was analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis.Results Twenty-four hours post-modeling,neurons in the sham operation group displayed normal size and orderly arrangement.In contrast,neurons in the HIBD group showed swelling and disorderly arrangement,while those in the melatonin group had relatively normal morphology and more orderly arrangement.Nissl bodies were normal in the sham operation group but distorted in the HIBD group;however,they remained relatively intact in the melatonin group.The average fluorescence intensity of LC3 and Beclin-1 was higher in the HIBD group compared to the sham operation group,but was reduced in the melatonin group compared to the HIBD group(P<0.05).The number of p-PI3K+and p-AKT+cells decreased in the HIBD group compared to the sham operation group but increased in the melatonin group compared to the HIBD group(P<0.05).LC3 and Beclin-1 protein expression levels were higher,and p-PI3K and p-AKT levels were lower in the HIBD group compared to the sham operation group(P<0.05);however,in the melatonin group,LC3 and Beclin-1 levels decreased,and p-PI3K and p-AKT increased compared to the HIBD group(P<0.05).The correlation analysis results showed that the difference of the mean fluorescence intensity of LC3 and Beclin-1 protein in the injured cerebral cortex between the melatonin and HIBD groups was negatively correlated with the difference of the number of p-PI3K+and p-AKT+cells between the two groups(P<0.05).Conclusions Melatonin can inhibit excessive autophagy in cortical neurons of neonatal rats with HIBD,thereby alleviating HIBD.This mechanism is associated with the PI3K/AKT pathway.

PURPOSE: This research examined road traffic injury mortality and morbidity disparities across of country development status, and discussed the possibility of reducing country disparities by various actions to accelerate the pace of achieving Sustainable Development Goals target 3.6 - to halve the number of global deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents by 2020. METHODS: Data for road traffic mortality, morbidity, and socio-demographic index (SDI) were extracted by country from the estimates of the Global Burden of Disease study, and the implementation of the three types of national actions (legislation, prioritized vehicle safety standards, and trauma-related post-crash care service) were extracted from the Global Status Report on Road Safety by World Health Organization. We fitted joinpoint regression analysis to identify and quantify the significant rate changes from 2011 to 2017. RESULTS: Age-adjusted road traffic mortality decreased substantially for all the five SDI categories from 2011 to 2017 (by 7.52%-16.08%). Age-adjusted road traffic mortality decreased significantly as SDI increased in the study time period, while age-adjusted morbidity generally increased as SDI increased. Subgroup analysis by road user yielded similar results, but with two major differences during the study period of 2011 to 2017: (1) pedestrians in the high SDI countries experienced the lowest mortality (1.68-1.90 per 100,000 population) and morbidity (110.45-112.72 per 100,000 population for incidence and 487.48-491.24 per 100,000 population for prevalence), and (2) motor vehicle occupants in the high SDI countries had the lowest mortality (4.07-4.50 per 100,000 population) but the highest morbidity (428.74-467.78 per 100,000 population for incidence and 1025.70-1116.60 per 100,000 population for prevalence). Implementation of the three types of national actions remained nearly unchanged in all five SDI categories from 2011 to 2017 and was consistently stronger in the higher SDI countries than in the lower SDI countries. Lower income nations comprise the heaviest burden of global road traffic injuries and deaths. CONCLUSION Global road traffic deaths would decrease substantially if the large mortality disparities across country development status were reduced through full implementation of proven national actions including legislation and law enforcement, prioritized vehicle safety standards and trauma-related post-crash care services.

Esophageal cancer is one of the malignant tumors with a high morbidity and mortality in China. According to China's latest cancer report released by the National Cancer Center in 2019, the number of people suffering from esophageal cancer reached 246 000 in 2015, and the death toll reached 188 000. How to effectively treat esophageal cancer and improve the survival rate of patients is one of the most urgent problems in the field of medicine. Phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway is one of the most important signaling pathway for regulating cell survival, differentiation and apoptosis in the body. It also plays an important role in the occurrence and mechanism of various cancers. Recent studies have shown that the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is an important factor in regulating proliferation, apoptosis, cycle arrest, migration and invasion of esophageal cancer cells. The long-term clinical observation found that traditional Chinese medicine has a stable effect in the treatment of esophageal cancer and little side effects, especially in improving the quality of life of cancer patients and prolonging the survival period of patients. At present, it is a research hotspot to intervene this signal pathway with traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of esophageal cancer, so as to explore its mechanism of action on esophageal cancer. This paper focused on literatures in CNKI and PubMed databases from 2009 to 2019, with PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, esophageal cancer and miRNA as the key words. A total of 226 literatures were retrieved, and 61 literatures relating to traditional Chinese medicine, esophageal cancer, miRNA and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway were sorted out and summarized. This paper reviewed the mechanism of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in esophageal cancer, the relationship between miRNA and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and esophageal cancer, and how traditional Chinese medicine can regulate the expressions of relevant proteins in PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to inhibit cell proliferation, affect cell growth cycle, induce cell apoptosis, inducing cell autophagy, inhibit tumor invasion and metastasis, inhibit angiogenesis. Finally, it can improve esophageal cancer to provide theoretical basis and scientific basis for the treatment of esophageal cancer with traditional Chinese medicine.

Objective: To explore the occurrence of cognitive impairment in Chinese heart failure (HF) patients and it's impact on prognosis. Methods: In this prospective observational study, a total of 990 HF patients were enrolled from 24 hospitals in China during December 2012 to November 2014. All patients were administrated with the interview-format Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), according to which they were divided into MoCA<26 (with cognitive impairment) group and MoCA≥26 (without cognitive impairment) group. Baseline data were collected and a 1-year follow up was carried out. Univariate and multivariate logistic or Cox regression were performed for 1-year outcomes. Results: Cognitive impairment was evidenced in 628 patients (63.4%) and they were more likely to be older, female, and with higher proportion of New York Heart Association(NYHA) class Ⅲ-Ⅳ, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), ischemic heart disease, while body mass index (BMI), education level, and medical insurance rate were lower (all P<0.05) as compared to patients in MoCA≥26 group. The rate of percutaneous intervention, device implantation, cardiac surgery and evidence-based medications were significantly lower in MoCA<26 group than in MoCA≥26 group (all P<0.05). During the 1-year follow up, patients in the MoCA<26 group had higher all-cause mortality (10.2%(64/628) vs. 2.2%(8/362), P<0.01), cardiovascular mortality (5.9%(37/628) vs. 0.8%(3/362), P<0.01) and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) (9.6%(60/628) vs. 2.5%(8/362), P<0.01) than patients in the MoCA≥26 group. In univariate regression, MoCA<26 was associated with increased all-cause mortality (HR(95%CI):4.739(2.272-9.885), P<0.01), cardiovascular mortality (HR(95%CI):7.258(2.237-23.548), P=0.001) and MACCE (OR(95%CI):4.143(2.031-8.453), P<0.01). After adjustment by multivariate regression, MoCA<26 was indicated as an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality (HR(95%CI): 6.387(2.533-16.104), P<0.01), cardiovascular mortality (HR(95%CI): 10.848(2.586-45.506), P=0.001) and MACCE (OR(95%CI): 4.081(1.299-12.816), P=0.016), while not for re-hospitalization for HF (OR(95%CI):1.010(0.700-1.457), P=0.957). Conclusions: Cognitive impairment is common in HF patients,and it is an independent prognostic factor for 1-year outcomes. Routine cognitive function assessment and active intervention are thus recommended for HF patients.
China ; Female ; Heart Failure ; Humans ; Mental Status and Dementia Tests ; Prognosis ; Prospective Studies

Objective: To investigate the roles of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) against binge drinking-induced fatty liver in mice. Methods: SPF male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into 3 groups, i.e. control group, model group, and NAC/ethanol group (n=10). Mice in model and NAC/ethanol groups were exposed to 3 doses of ethanol (6 g/kg bw) to induced fatty liver, while mice in control group received equal volume and equal energy of maltodextrin solution. NAC was administered to mice at 1 h before ethanol exposure (100 mg/kg bw, i.p.). The mice were sacrificed at 6 h after the last ethanol exposure. The liver and epididymal adipose tissues were collected. Histopathological examination and biochemical assay kit were used to evaluate the fat accumulation, while Western-blot was performed to detect the protein levels of some key factors involved in fat metabolism in liver and adipose tissues. Results: Compored with control group mice, the liver index and liver weight were significantly increased compared with model group, the liver index and TG level in NAC/ethanol group mice were all significantly decreased (P<0.05). Histological examination showed NAC effectively suppressed binge drinking-induced fat accumulation in mice liver. In addition, NAC had no significant effects on the protein levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPAR-α), Acy-CoA oxidase (ACOX), sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 c (SREBP-1c) and fatty acid synthase (FAS). Furthermore, the protein levels of hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) did not significantly differ among 3 groups, whereas NAC prevented binge drinking-induced increase of HSL phosphorylation at ser563 and ser660. Conclusion NAC could effectively attenuate binge drinking-induced fatty liver, which might be associated with the inhibition of lipid mobilization by suppressing the phosphorylation of HSL.

Objective To investigate the effect of Vibrant Soundbridge ( VSB) implantation.Methods In accordance with the indications for VSB implantation,surgeries were done for two patients who suffered from either a sensorineural or conductive hearing loss ( microtia).Their preoperative auditory thresholds(0.5,1,2 and 4 kHz) were 56 dB HL and 61 dB HL.The VSB was turned on and adjusted seven weeks after surgery.Results Postoperative auditory thresholds of the two patients were improved.Their pure tone thresholds were 32 dB HL and 40 dB HL,and the respective improvement was 24 dB HL and 21 dB HL.There was no facial paralysis,vertigo and tinnitus.Conclusion Patients with a sensorineural or conductive hearing loss may benefit from VSB implantation.

To study the molecular epidemiological characteristics of norovirus gastroenteritis outbreaks in Guangdong, we collected fecal and anal swabs specimens from 24 outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis from 2005 to 2008 to detect norovirus. Specimens were detected by RT-PCR and then sequenced. The descriptive data were also collected. According to our research, 19 of 24 outbreaks of gastroenteritis were positive for norovirus. The occurrence time was from October to next February mainly. The strains in 2005 belonged to G II-3 genotype and all outbreaks occurred in kindergarten and school. But from autumn of 2006, the outbreaks were all caused by G II-4/2006b variant and occurred in universities and community. The number of outbreaks in 2007 increased greatly and covered all over province. The nucleotide sequences of Guangdong strains in some sites showed high regional identity. Our results showed that with the shift of genotype from G II-3 to G II-4, occurrence of norovirus outbreaks increased greatly. The outbreaks of norovirus caused by G II-4/2006b variant spreaded widely and the involved population covered children and adult, indicating the strong invasiveness of this variant.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Base Sequence ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; DNA-Directed RNA Polymerases ; genetics ; Disease Outbreaks ; Gastroenteritis ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Norovirus ; classification ; enzymology ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the status of infection and distribution of rabies virus (RV) in different epidemic areas in China. Methods Brain specimens from animals and suspected patients were collected at the districts of high-, medium- and low incidence rates of human rabies and detected by both direct Immunofluorescence assay (DFA) and RT-PCR. Results 254 of 3007 specimens of dog brains showed RV positive by DFA (positive rate of 8.4% ). Among these 254 samples, 78 showed positive (positive rate of 30.7% ) by RT-PCR. 93 specimens from dogs and cats that had attacked human beings, 63 of them showed positive by DFA (positive rate of 67.7%) and all of them were also positive by RT-PCR. In addition, RV could also be detected in Apodemus agrarius,ferret badger, and suspected patients specimens from the districts under survey. There was no statistical difference between the infection rates of RV in different provinces and regions with different incidence of rabies. Conclusion There might be a relatively high infection rate of RV among the domestic dogs/cats in the endemic areas in China. Wild animals might have been infected with RV in the districts under survey.