Objective To explore the protective effect of L-carnitine on myocardial systolic dysfunction in sepsis and its underlying mechanism.Methods A mouse sepsis model was established by cecal ligation and puncture(CLP).Ten-week-old male SPF-grade C57BL/6 mice(body weight 20～30 g)were randomly divided into 5 groups via random number table:Sham group,Sepsis group,L-carnitine group,L-carnitine+Etomoxir(Eto)group,and Eto group.Echocardiography assessed cardiac function,ELISA measured serum creatine kinase isoenzyme MB(CK-MB)levels,and 72-hour survival rates were recorded to evaluate L-carnitine's effects on cardiac function.Cardiomyocytes were isolated,and a cell microtensiometer was used to detect cardiomyocyte contractile function and calcium transients.Myocardial tissues were collected from each group,and ELISA was used to determine the contents of triglyceride(TG),free fatty acid(FFA),and adenosine triphosphate(ATP).An in vitro sepsis model was constructed by stimulating HL-1 cardiomyocytes with lipopolysaccharide(LPS)for 12 hours,which was divided into 5 groups:control(CTRL)group,LPS group,L-carnitine group,L-carnitine+Eto group,and Eto group.ELISA was used to detect the contents of TG,FFA,and ATP as well as the activity of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A(CPT1A)in cardiomyocytes.A cellular energy metabolism analysis system was employed to measure fatty acid oxidation capacity,and Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of CPT1A in cardiomyocytes.BODIPY-FL-C16(green fluorescently labeled palmitic acid)was utilized to detect the distribution of fatty acids in the cytoplasm and mitochondria via immunofluorescence technology,thereby observing the ability of cells to transport fatty acids into mitochondria.Results Compared with the Sham group,cardiac function was significantly impaired in the Sepsis group,as evidenced by decreased ejection fraction and mean arterial pressure(P<0.05),along with elevated levels of the cardiac injury marker CK-MB(P<0.05).Treatment with L-carnitine significantly improved myocardial function,restored blood pressure in septic mice,and increased their survival rate from 12.50%to 81.25%(P<0.05).Compared with the Sham group,the contractile function and calcium transients of acutely isolated single cardiomyocytes were significantly reduced in the Sepsis group(P<0.05),while L-carnitine treatment remarkably restored the contractile function and calcium release capacity of septic cardiomyocytes(P<0.05).Both in vivo and in vitro experiments showed that TG and FFA levels were significantly increased(P<0.05),and ATP levels was significantly decreased(P<0.05)in the Sepsis and LPS groups—effects significantly reversed by L-carnitine treatment.Compared with the CTRL group,the basal oxidation rate and maximum oxidation capacity of fatty acids in cardiomyocytes of the LPS group were significantly reduced(P<0.05),and L-carnitine treatment notably improved these indicators.Compared with the CTRL group,the expression and activity of CPT1A in cardiomyocytes of the LPS group were significantly decreased(P<0.05),while L-carnitine treatment significantly increased the expression and activity of CPT1A(P<0.05).In LPS group cardiomyocytes,green fluorescently labeled palmitic acid primarily formed numerous granular/clumpy aggregates in the cytoplasm with minimal mitochondrial colocalization.In the L-carnitine group,the green fluorescent granules in the cytoplasm of cardiomyocytes were smaller,and colocalization with mitochondria was increased.However,the L-carnitine+Eto group exhibited similar phenomena to the LPS group.In addition,both in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that treatment with the CPT1A inhibitor Eto reversed the effect of L-carnitine.Compared with the L-carnitine group,the ATP content in the L-carnitine+Eto group was significantly decreased(P<0.05),while the FFA content was significantly increased(P<0.05).Conclusion L-carnitine facilitates fatty acid entry into mitochondria for β-oxidation via a CPT1A-dependent mechanism,thereby ameliorating fatty acid oxidation dysfunction in septic cardiomyocytes and improving myocardial contractile function.

At present, countries around the world are paying greater attention to the protection of medicinal plants and traditional medicinal knowledge resources, and are looking for various ways to protect medicinal plants. Many countries have established their own databases to save the medicinal plant information resources. This paper focuses on the introduction of medicinal plant databases in six countries including Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore, and compares their basic information. It is difficult to achieve integration and sharing among these databases. It brings certain difficulties to the use of researchers in related fields. It is suggested that the construction of a multinational common medicinal plant database should be included in the "Belt and Road Initiative" to systematically organize massive information, enhance exchanges between countries on traditional medicinal plants, and achieve medicinal plant information sharing, and the establishment of a shared database will reduce optimization and maintenance to a certain extent or renewal work, laying the foundation for the protection, development and sustainable use of traditional medicinal plant resources.

Clara cell secretory protein 16(CC16)is one of the most important secreted proteins of Clara cells in respiratory epithelium, which mainly exists in the lining fluid of lung epithelial cells.When the bronchoalveolus-capillary membrane barrier is damaged, a large amount of CC16 will enter the blood.It′s eventually excreted in the urine.In recent years, more and more studies have found that CC16 not only has anti-inflammatory, immune-modulating, anti-oxidation and anti-fibrosis effects, but also is a sensitive indicator of the integrity of the airway epithelium, which can predict the occurrence and development of many children′s pulmonary diseases.This article mainly summarizes the biological characteristics and functions of CC16, and summarizes the research progress of CC16 in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric pulmonary diseases.

Objective:To determine the role of type Ⅱ alveolar epithelial stem cells (AEC Ⅱ) in radiation-induced pulmonary injury and investigate the potential mechanism by observing the dynamic changes in the expression levels of anti-prosurfactant protein C (proSP-C) proSP-C (AEC Ⅱ biomarker), homeobox only protein X (HOPX, type I alveolar epithelial cell biomarker) or vimentin (a mesenchymal marker) and transforming growth factor β 1(TGF-β 1), a profibrotic cytokine. Methods:Eight-week old C57BL/6j female mice were exposed to X-ray thoracic irradiation. Mouse lungs were collected at 8 different time points of 24 h, 1 week, 1 to 6 months after irradiation. The histopathological changes of the lungs at different time points were observed with H& E staining to determine the time of formation of pulmonary fibrosis. In addition, the co-expression of proSP-C with HOPX or vimentin in AEC Ⅱ was confirmed by immunofluorescence staining to track AEC Ⅱ phenotypes at different injury phases following thoracic irradiation. The expression levels of those proteins and TGF-β 1 were quantitatively detected by Western blot. Results:After thoracic exposure to a single dose of 20 Gy X-ray for 3 months, the fibrotic lesions in the lungs could be noted. The co-expression of proSP-C with vimentin or HOPX could be observed in AEC Ⅱ. Western blot demonstrated that the expression levels of TGF-β 1 and those proteins were also changed along with the lung injury. Conclusion:AEC Ⅱ can be differentiated into mesenchymal-like cells after X-ray irradiation due to the up-regulated expression of TGF-β 1, which is a potential cause of radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

Objective:To investigate changes in the expression of Cosmc and T-synthase in peripheral B lymphocytes and in serum levels of galactose-deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1) in patients with Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura (HSP) .Methods:From January to August 2014, 56 patients with HSP were collected from outpatient or inpatient department of dermatology and venereology in the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, and were divided into 4 groups, including skin type group (22 cases) , joint type group (9 cases) , abdominal type group (12 cases) and renal type group (13 cases) . Twenty healthy volunteers served as healthy controls. Real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR was performed to determine the mRNA expression of Cosmc and T-synthase in peripheral B lymphocytes, and a lectin-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect the serum level of Gd-IgA1. Comparisons among multiple groups were performed using one-way analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis H test, multiple comparisons were performed using least significant difference (LSD) - t test or Nemenyi test, and correlation analysis was performed using Spearman rank correlation analysis. Results:There was a significant difference in the duration from disease onset to the clinic visit ( χ2= 26.19, P < 0.05) among the skin type group (6.27 ± 3.09 d) , joint type group (5.56 ± 3.05 d) , abdominal type group (6.75 ± 3.75 d) , and renal type group (26.23 ± 14.12 d) , and the duration from disease onset to the clinic visit was significantly longer in the renal type group than in the other 3 groups (all P < 0.05) . The Cosmc mRNA expression significantly differed among the skin type group, joint type group, abdominal type group, renal type group and healthy control group (0.849 ± 0.239, 0.767 ± 0.181, 0.719 ± 0.183, 0.459 ± 0.121, 1.146 ± 0.232, F= 23.37, P < 0.05) , was significantly lower in the 4 patient groups than in the healthy control group ( P < 0.01) , and lower in the renal type group than in the other 3 patient groups (all P < 0.01) . There was no significant difference in the T-synthase mRNA expression in peripheral B lymphocytes among the patient groups and healthy control group ( F= 1.05, P > 0.05) . The serum level of Gd-IgA1 significantly differed among the skin type group, joint type group, abdominal type group, renal type group and healthy control group ( F= 7.06, P < 0.05) . Moreover, the Gd-IgA1 level was significantly higher in the patient groups than in the healthy control group (all P < 0.05) , and higher in the renal type group than in the other 3 patient groups (all P < 0.05) . The serum level of Gd-IgA1 in the HSP patients was significantly and negatively correlated with the mRNA expression of Cosmc ( rs=-0.50, P < 0.01) . Conclusion:Decreased mRNA expression of Cosmc and increased serum levels of Gd-IgA1 were observed in patients with HSP, and there was a negative correlation between the two indices.

Objective To evaluate the clinical esthetical effect in the cervical margin of the porcelain fused to metal crown restoration.Methods 225 cases with the porcelain fused to metal crown were observed.The evaluator examined these restorations for cervical color,marginal fit,and gingival state.(Results 53) cases of restoration changed in the cervical color.The method and the tooth preparation volume,the procedure and the material,which were all closely relevant to the cervical color change.(Conclusion Using)the correct method,improving the procedure and choosing the proper material would reduce the cervical color change.