The outer membrane composed predominantly of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an essential biological barrier for most Gram-negative (G^-) bacteria. Lipopolysaccharide transport protein (Lpt) complex LptDE is responsible for the critical final stage of LPS transport and outer membrane assembly. The structure and function of LptDE are highly conserved in most G^- bacteria but absent in mammalian cells, and thus LptDE complex is regarded as an attractive antibacterial target. In recent 10 years, the deciphering of the three-dimensional structure of LptDE protein facilities the drug discovery based on such "non-enzyme" proteins. Murepavadin, a peptidomimetic compound, was reported to be the first compound able to target LptD, enlightening a new class of antibacterial molecules with novel mechanisms of action. This article is devoted to summarize the molecular characteristics, structure-function of LptDE protein complex and review the development of murepavadin and related peptidomimetic compounds, in order to provide references for relevant researches.

Objective To achieve automatic segmentation of cell nuclei in gastrointestinal cancer pathological images by using a deep learning algorithm,so as to assist in the quantitative analysis of subsequent pathological images.Methods A total of 59 patients with gastrointestinal cancer treated in Ruijin Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from Jan 2022 to Feb 2022,were selected as the research objects.Python and LabelMe were used for data anonymization,image segmentation,and region of interest annotation of patients'pathological images.A total of 944 pathological images were included,and 9 703 nuclei were annotated.Then,a new semantic segmentation model based on deep learning was constructed.The model introduced deformable attention transformer(DAT)to realize automatic,accurate and efficient segmentation of pathological image nuclei.Finally,multiple segmentation evaluation criteria are used to evaluate the model's performance.Results The mean absolute error of the segmentation results of the model proposed in this paper was 0.112 6,and the dice coefficient(Dice)was 0.721 5.Its effect was significantly better than the U-net baseline model,and it was ahead of models such as ResU-net++,R2Unet and R2AttUnet.Moreover,the segmentation results were relatively stable with good generalization.Conclusion The segmentation model established in this study can accurately identify and segment the nuclei in the pathological images,with good robustness and generalization,which is helpful to play an auxiliary diagnostic role in practical applications.

Objective To investigate the effects of Yuye Decoction(YYD)on diabetic nephropathy(DN)rats with Qi and Yin deficiency based on intestinal flora and intestinal mucosal barrier.Methods The content of the active ingredients puerarin,mangiferin and calycosin 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside in YYD freeze dried powder was tested by HPLC to control the quality of YYD freeze dried powder.Forty-five Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal group(NC group),Qi-Yin deficiency DN group(M group)and YYD administration group(YYD group;5.03 g·kg-1)according to body weight.Intraperitoneal injections of streptozotocin(STZ)at a dose of 25 mg·kg-1 were administered,accompanied by oral gavage of adix Aconiti Lateralis,Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride and Aurantii Fructus for 8 weeks to establish a Qi-Yin deficiency DN model in rats.During this period,rats in the YYD group were also treated with YYD extract.Weekly body weight and blood glucose levels were monitored for each group,along with observations of physical signs,food and water consumption,swimming time,and urine output in the rats.After 8 weeks,serum levels of cholesterol(TC),triglycerides(TG),low-density lipoprotein(LDL-C),high-density lipoprotein(HDL-C),serum creatinine(SCr)and urinary nitrogen(BUN)were analyzed in rats using automatic biochemical analysis.Hematoxylin-eosin staining(HE)was used to observe the pathological changes in the kidney and colon tissues.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to measure urine protein concentration and serum levels of IgG,IgM,cAMP and cGMP.16SrDNA sequencing was used to sequence faecal flora and some flora were validated by quantitative real-time fluorescence PCR(qRT-PCR).Western blot method was used to measure the levels of intestinal barrier proteins and inflammatory factor proteins.Results The yield of YYD freeze-dried powder was 27.36%and the content of the active ingredients in YYD was 0.3496 mg·g-1 for puerarin,0.1851 mg·g-1 for mangiferin and 0.0429 mg·g-1 for calycosin 7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside.The results of animal experiments indicated that compared with Qi and Yin deficiency DN rats,YYD significantly improved the symptoms of lethargy and fatigue,increased swimming time,reduced water intake and increased food intake;increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes and decreased the abundance of Firmicutes in feces.Furthermore,according to measurements of blood lipids,blood glucose,renal function,IgG and IgM,as well as cAMP and cGMP,which are the energy homeostasis factors of the body,YYD could significantly improve the levels of these indicators in the model rats.HE staining showed that compared with model rats,YYD remarkably alleviated kidney and colon damage;inhibited the expression of inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-6 in the kidney and colon,and markedly raised the expression levels of renal and colonic kinetic proteins CHRM3 and 5-HT3A as well as mucosal barrier proteins Occludin and ZO-1.Conclusion YYD play a role in preventing and treating in rats with Qi-Yin deficiency DN,and this effect may be related to YYD correcting intestinal flora dysbiosis,delaying intestinal mucosal damage and improving renal and colonic inflammation in the model rats.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Shugan Tiaoshen acupuncture (acupuncture for soothing the liver and regulating the mentality) combined with western medication on depression and sleep quality in the patients with depression-insomnia comorbidity due to COVID-19 quarantine, and investigate the potential mechanism from the perspective of cortical excitability. METHODS: Sixty patients with depression-insomnia comorbidity due to COVID-19 quarantine were randomly divided into an acupuncture group and a sham-acupuncture group, 30 cases in each one. The patients of both groups were treated with oral administration of sertraline hydrochloride tablets. In the acupuncture group, Shugan Tiaoshen acupuncture was supplemented. Body acupuncture was applied to Yintang (GV 24⁺), Baihui (GV 20), Hegu (LI 4), Zhaohai (KI 6), Qihai (CV 6), etc. The intradermal needling was used at Xin (CO₁₅), Gan (CO₁₂) and Shen (CO₁₀). In the sham-acupuncture group, the sham-acupuncture was given at the same points as the acupuncture group. The compensatory treatment was provided at the end of follow-up for the patients in the sham-acupuncture group. In both groups, the treatment was given once every two days, 3 times a week, for consecutive 8 weeks. The self-rating depression scale (SDS) and insomnia severity index (ISI) scores were compared between the two groups before and after treatment and 1 month after the end of treatment (follow-up) separately. The cortical excitability indexes (resting motor threshold [rMT], motor evoked potential amplitude [MEP-A], cortical resting period [CSP]) and the level of serum 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were measured before and after treatment in the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment and in follow-up, SDS and ISI scores were decreased in both groups compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and the scores in the acupuncture group were lower than those in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05), and the decrease range in the acupuncture group after treatment was larger than that in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05). After treatment, rMT was reduced (P<0.05), while MEP-A and CSP were increased (P<0.05) in the acupuncture group compared with that before treatment. The levels of serum 5-HT in both groups were increased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). The rMT in the acupuncture group was lower than that in the sham-acupuncture group, while MEP-A and CSP, as well as the level of serum 5-HT were higher in the acupuncture group in comparison with the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Shugan Tiaoshen acupuncture combined with western medication can relieve depression and improve sleep quality in the patients with depression-insomnia comorbidity due to COVID-19 quarantine, which is probably related to rectifying the imbalanced excitatory and inhibitory neuronal functions.
Humans ; Depression ; Quarantine ; Serotonin ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; COVID-19 ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Comorbidity

Animals ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; Macaca mulatta ; COVID-19/prevention & control* ; Antibodies, Viral ; Vaccines

ObjectiveTo assess the value of apparent diffusion coefficient （ADC） in the treatment of uterine fibroid using magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound surgery （MRgFUS）. MethodsThe MRI and clinical data of 56 patients with uterine fibroid before， at 3 and 6 months after MRgFUS treatment， at Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from December 2018 to October 2022， were retrospectively analyzed. The correlation between the ADC value and lesion volume， symptoms severity score （SSS） and uterine fibroid symptoms quality of life questionnaire （UFS-QOL） were analyzed. ANOVA was used to compare the differences in related parameters before and after treatment， and Pearson’s method was performed to analyze data correlation. ResultsThere were significant differences in ADC value ［（1.11±0.13）， （1.84±0.09）， （2.12±0.24），×10^-3/（mm²/s）］， lesion volume （102±35.30， 56.70±18.88， 46.93±18.99，cm³）， SSS （36.73±11.74， 21.77±10.21， 17.66±9.30） and UFS-QOL score （59.05±17.48， 76.54±16.50， 82.46±12.37） between before treatment and each time point after treatment （F value was 557.837， 73.589， 53.976 and 37.606， respectively， all P<0.05）. The ADC values were negatively correlated with lesion volume and SSS， and positively correlated with UFS-QOL score， with correlation coefficients of -0.586， -0.630 and 0.592， respectively （all P<0.05）. ConclusionThe ADC value has clinical significance for the treatment of uterine fibroid using MRgFUS.

C17 is an orally available anti-tumor compound inhibiting cancer stem cell (CSC). In this study, a stable, sensitive and simple liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was established and validated, and was further applied to a pharmacokinetic study in nude mice receiving C17 by gavage. Using propranolol as the internal standard, the plasma samples were pre-treated by precipitation with methanol and analyzed on an Intersil C8-3 column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 3 μm), and gradient elution was performed with a mobile phase consisting of 0.1% formic acid aqueous and solution mixed up by 90% isopropanol and 10% acetonitrile. The analyte was detected by a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer, and multiple reaction monitoring was employed to select C17 at m/z 439.3/247.1 and propranolol at m/z 260.2/116.2 in the positive ion mode. The calibration curves were linear (r > 0.995) over the range of 5-800 ng·mL^-1. The intra- and inter-day precisions and accuracies were 7.42%-13.22% and -8.99%-8.81% respectively. The method was successfully applied to a PK study in nude mice administered with a single oral dose of 50 mg·kg^-1 C17, and the PK data were analyzed with non-linear mixed effect model (NONMEM). Two separated absorption peaks were found in the PK curve of C17, and a two-compartment model with two sequential first-order absorption rate was utilized to describe the PK properties of C17, and the model could provide insights into the physiological process and exposure of C17 in nude mice. All animal experiments were in strict accordance with the regulations of the Biomedical Ethics Committee of Peking University.

Objective: To explore the relationship between low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)/high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio with the severity of coronary artery disease and 2-yeat outcome in patients with premature coronary heart disease. Methods: This prospective, multicenter, observational cohort study is originated from the PROMISE study. Eighteen thousand seven hundred and one patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) were screened from January 2015 to May 2019. Three thousand eight hundred and sixty-one patients with premature CHD were enrolled in the current study. According to the median LDL-C/HDL-C ratio (2.4), the patients were divided into two groups: low LDL-C/HDL-C group (LDL-C/HDL-C≤2.4, n=1 867) and high LDL-C/HDL-C group (LDL-C/HDL-C>2.4, n=1 994). Baseline data and 2-year major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) were collected and analyzed in order to find the differences between premature CHD patients at different LDL-C/HDL-C levels, and explore the correlation between LDL-C/HDL-C ratio with the severity of coronary artery disease and MACCE. Results: The average age of the low LDL-C/HDL-C ratio group was (48.5±6.5) years, 1 154 patients were males (61.8%); the average age of high LDL-C/HDL-C ratio group was (46.5±6.8) years, 1 523 were males (76.4%). The number of target lesions, the number of coronary artery lesions, the preoperative SNYTAX score and the proportion of three-vessel coronary artery disease in the high LDL-C/HDL-C group were significantly higher than those in the low LDL-C/HDL-C group (1.04±0.74 vs. 0.97±0.80, P=0.002; 2.04±0.84 vs. 1.85±0.84, P<0.001; 13.81±8.87 vs. 11.70±8.05, P<0.001; 36.2% vs. 27.4%, respectively, P<0.001). Correlation analysis showed that there was a significant positive correlation between LDL-C/HDL-C ratio and preoperative SYNTAX score, the number of coronary artery lesions, the number of target lesions and whether it was a three-vessel coronary artery disease (all P<0.05). The 2-year follow-up results showed that the incidence of MACCE was significantly higher in the high LDL-C/HDL-C group than that in the low LDL-C/HDL-C group (6.9% vs. 9.1%, P=0.011). There was no significant difference in the incidence of all-cause death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stroke, revascularization and bleeding between the two groups. Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio has no correlation with 2-year MACCE, death, myocardial infarction, revascularization, stroke and bleeding events above BARC2 in patients with premature CHD. Conclusion: High LDL-C/HDL-C ratio is positively correlated with the severity of coronary artery disease in patients with premature CHD. The incidence of MACCE of patients with high LDL-C/HDL-C ratio is significantly higher during 2 years follow-up; LDL-C/HDL-C ratio may be an indicator for evaluating the severity of coronary artery disease and long-term prognosis in patients with premature CHD.
Male ; Humans ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Coronary Artery Disease/complications* ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Prospective Studies ; Myocardial Infarction/etiology* ; Stroke ; Risk Factors

Humans ; Lymphangioma/surgery* ; Female ; Breast Neoplasms

Objectives: To investigated the safety and efficacy of treating patients with acute non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and elevated levels of N-terminal pro-hormone B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) with levosimendan within 24 hours of first medical contact (FMC). Methods: This multicenter, open-label, block-randomized controlled trial (NCT03189901) investigated the safety and efficacy of levosimendan as an early management strategy of acute heart failure (EMS-AHF) for patients with NSTEMI and high NT-proBNP levels. This study included 255 patients with NSTEMI and elevated NT-proBNP levels, including 142 males and 113 females with a median age of 65 (58-70) years, and were admitted in the emergency or outpatient departments at 14 medical centers in China between October 2017 and October 2021. The patients were randomly divided into a levosimendan group (n=129) and a control group (n=126). The primary outcome measure was NT-proBNP levels on day 3 of treatment and changes in the NT-proBNP levels from baseline on day 5 after randomization. The secondary outcome measures included the proportion of patients with more than 30% reduction in NT-proBNP levels from baseline, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) during hospitalization and at 6 months after hospitalization, safety during the treatment, and health economics indices. The measurement data parameters between groups were compared using the t-test or the non-parametric test. The count data parameters were compared between groups using the χ² test. Results: On day 3, the NT-proBNP levels in the levosimendan group were lower than the control group but were statistically insignificant [866 (455, 1 960) vs. 1 118 (459, 2 417) ng/L, Z=-1.25,P=0.21]. However, on day 5, changes in the NT-proBNP levels from baseline in the levosimendan group were significantly higher than the control group [67.6% (33.8%,82.5%)vs.54.8% (7.3%,77.9%), Z=-2.14, P=0.03]. There were no significant differences in the proportion of patients with more than 30% reduction in the NT-proBNP levels on day 5 between the levosimendan and the control groups [77.5% (100/129) vs. 69.0% (87/126), χ²=2.34, P=0.13]. Furthermore, incidences of MACE did not show any significant differences between the two groups during hospitalization [4.7% (6/129) vs. 7.1% (9/126), χ²=0.72, P=0.40] and at 6 months [14.7% (19/129) vs. 12.7% (16/126), χ²=0.22, P=0.64]. Four cardiac deaths were reported in the control group during hospitalization [0 (0/129) vs. 3.2% (4/126), P=0.06]. However, 6-month survival rates were comparable between the two groups (log-rank test, P=0.18). Moreover, adverse events or serious adverse events such as shock, ventricular fibrillation, and ventricular tachycardia were not reported in both the groups during levosimendan treatment (days 0-1). The total cost of hospitalization [34 591.00(15 527.46,59 324.80) vs. 37 144.65(16 066.90,63 919.00)yuan, Z=-0.26, P=0.80] and the total length of hospitalization [9 (8, 12) vs. 10 (7, 13) days, Z=0.72, P=0.72] were lower for patients in the levosimendan group compared to those in the control group, but did not show statistically significant differences. Conclusions: Early administration of levosimendan reduced NT-proBNP levels in NSTEMI patients with elevated NT-proBNP and did not increase the total cost and length of hospitalization, but did not significantly improve MACE during hospitalization or at 6 months.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Aged ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Simendan/therapeutic use* ; Non-ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction ; Heart Failure/drug therapy* ; Peptide Fragments ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Biomarkers ; Prognosis