Objective To investigate the mechanism by which angiopoietin-like protein 8(ANGPTL8)regulates vascular smooth muscle cell(VSMCs)apoptosis.Methods An in vitro abdominal aortic aneurysm cell model was established by stimulating human VSMCs(HUSMCs)with angiotensin Ⅱ(AngⅡ).Stable ANGPTL8 knockdown and over-expression VSMC cell strains were generated using lentiviral transfection.TUNEL staining was used to de-tect apoptosis.Western blot analysis was performed to measure the protein expression of ANGPTL8,caspase9,caspase3,Bcl-2,Bax,p53,and PUMA,while RT-qPCR was used to assess mRNA expression of ANGPTL8,Bcl-2 and Bax.Results AngⅡ significantly induced ANGPTL8 expression in HVSMCs in a time-and dose-de-pendent manner(P＜0.05).ANGPTL8 knockdown significantly reduced the expression of apoptosis-related proteins caspase9,caspase3,and Bax,while increased the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2(P＜0.05).Con-versely,ANGPTL8 over-expression markedly induced HVSMCs apoptosis,which was significantly suppressed by treatment with the p53 pathway inhibitor pifithrin-α(PFT-α).Conclusions ANGPTL8 may promote VSMC apop-tosis by activation of p53 signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE To establish an ion chromatography method for the simultaneous determination of chloride， sulfate and bicarbonate ions in Polyethylene glycol electrolyte powder （Ⅲ）. METHODS The chromatographic column was a Dionex IonpacTM AS11-HC anion analysis column， with a Dionex IonPacTM AG11-HC guard column. The mobile phase was 10 mmol/L potassium hydroxide at an isocratic elution flow rate of 1.2 mL/min. The detector was a conductivity detector， and the suppressor was a Dionex AERS with a suppressor current of 30 mA. The column temperature was maintained at 30 ° C， and the injection volume was 10 μL. Chloride and sulfate contents were calculated by external standard method， while bicarbonate content was determined by double logarithmic fitting standard curve method. RESULTS Under these chromatographic conditions， chloride， sulfate and bicarbonate ions were effectively separated with linear ranges of 0.055 to 0.219 mg/mL （r＝0.999 9）， 0.155 to 0.618 mg/mL （r＝1.000 0）， and 0.065 to 0.121 mg/mL （r＝0.999 9）， respectively. The recoveries were 98.06% to 101.34%， 97.37% to 101.25%， and 97.16% to 99.81%， respectively， with RSDs of 1.1%， 1.3% and 1.0% （n＝9）. The RSDs for the evaluation of precision， accuracy， stability and ruggedness were all less than 2%. CONCLUSIONS The established ion chromatography is simple， rapid， accurate， precise and durable， can simultaneously determine the contents of chloride， sulfate and bicarbonate ions in Polyethylene glycol electrolyte powder （Ⅲ）， which is suitable for its quality control.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of tick-borne rickettsial infections in selected areas of Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province, 2023, so as to provide insights into the management of tick-borne rickettsioses in the city. Methods Ticks were captured from the body surface of bovines and sheep in Gaoxing Village, Dashan Township, Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province during the period between April and June, 2023, and tick species were identified using morphological and molecular biological techniques. In addition, tick-borne Rickettsia was identified using a nested PCR assay, including spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR), Coxiella spp., Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Orientia spp., and positive amplified fragments were sequenced and aligned with known sequences accessed in the GenBank database. Results A total of 200 ticks were collected and all tick species were identified as Rhipicephalus microplus. Nestle PCR assay combined with sequencing identified ticks carrying Candidatus Rickettsia jingxinensis (40.50%), Coxiella burnetii (1.50%), and Coxiella-like endosymbionts (27.00%), and Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp. or Orientsia spp. was not detected. Conclusions R. microplus carried Candidatus R. jingxinensis, C. burnetii, and Coxiella-like endosymbionts in selected areas of Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province. Intensified monitoring of tickborne rickettsial infections is needed in livestock and humans to reduce the damages caused by rickettsioses.

Objective To evaluate the effect of an emollient containing Prinsepia utilis Royle oil extracts and other extracts on clinical symptoms and disease recurrence in children aged 2-12 years with atopic dermatitis (AD) in the remission period.Methods A multicenter,randomized,parallel-group,controlled clinical trial was conducted from December 2017 to September 2018.A total of 297 children aged 2-12 years with moderate AD were enrolled from 5 hospitals in China,and randomly divided into the test group (148 cases) and control group (149 cases).In the acute stage,the two groups were both topically treated with mometasone furoate cream once a day on the skin lesions,and with an emollient containing Prinsepia utilis Royle oil extracts and other extracts twice a day throughout the whole body for 2-4 weeks.The children would be enrolled into the remission stage if their Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) score was ≤ 1 at following visits.In the remission stage,the test group was only topically treated with the emollient twice a day throughout the whole body,while mometasone furoate cream and the emollient were both withdrawn in the control group.At weeks 4,8 and 12 in the remission stage,the recurrence of AD,eczema area and severity index (EASI),children's dermatology life quality index (CDQOL) and adverse events were evaluated.Statistical analysis was carried out with SAS 9.4 software by using t test for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups,chi-square test for comparison of unordered categorical data,Kaplan-Meier method for analysis of survival rates,Cox regression analysis for evaluating the effect of different therapies on AD recurrence in children in the remission stage,and Logistic regression analysis for analysis of odds ratio (OR) of EASI or CDQOL at week 4 in the remission stage between the test group and control group.Results Of the 297 children with AD,31 breached the clinical trial protocol,and 266 were included in the per protocol set (PPS),including 132 in the test group and 134 in the control group.In the PPS,114 and 106 patients completed the follow-up in the test group and control group respectively,and the recurrence rate was significantly lower in the test group (47,41.23％) than in the control group (84,79.25％;x2 =32.96,P ＜ 0.001).The time to recurrence was significantly longer in the test group(61.99 d ± 2.80 d)than in the control group(39.17 d ± 2.54 d,t =6.03,P ＜ 0.001),and the recurrence risk was significantly lower in the test group than in the control group (Log rank test,x2 =32.02,P ＜ 0.001).After adjustment for age and gender,Cox regression analysis showed that the recurrence risk in the test group was 0.35 times that in the control group (HR =0.35,95％ CI:0.24-0.51,P ＜ 0.01).At week 4 in the remission stage,the EASI score at P50-P75 and P75-P100 in the test group were 0.42,0.25 times that in the control group respectively (95％ CI:0.20-0.86,0.12-0.54 respectively;P =0.02,＜ 0.01respectively).Moreover,the CDQOL score at P75-P100 in the test group was 0.33 times that in the control group (95％ CI:0.17-0.65,P ＜ 0.01).No significant difference in the incidence of adverse events was observed between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion Maintenance treatment with the emollient containing Prinsepia utilis Royle oil extracts and other extracts can markedly reduce the recurrence risk in AD children,improve clinical symptoms,and enhance the quality of life.

Objective To investigate the in-stent restenosis after vertebral artery ostium stenting (VAOS),and to determine the risk factors for in-stent restenosis. Methods Respective analysis of clinical data of 775 cases received VAOS in Xuan Wu Hospital of Capital Medical University from Jan. 2006 to Dec. 2012. Severe stenosis of vertebral artery ostium were diagnosed by DSA,and followed-up by ultrasound. The risk factors were assessed by COX analysis for in-stent restenosis ≥50%. Results This study included 775 patients. Surgical success rate was 99. 87%(n=774),technique success rate was 99. 48%(n=771 ). Two patients had cerebral hemorrhage after operation,one of them was dead. Four patients had cerebral infarction. The mean follow-up period was 12 months. The restenosis rate was 35. 89%(234/652 ). 79. 91% of restenosis occurred within 12 months after operation. COX analysis showed the vessels diameter after stenting was the independent predictors of in-stent restenosis (P<0. 01). The in-stent restenosis rate of drug-eluting stents was lower than metal-bare stents (HR 0. 532,95%CI 0. 397-0. 713,P<0. 01). Conclusion The in-stent restenosis was peculiarly prone to the smaller vessels diameter after VAOS. Drug-eluting stents were superior to metal-bare stents in preventing in-stent restenosis.