Objective To investigate the antibacterial effect and its preliminary mechanism of lavender essential oil on multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.Methods Micro-dilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC)of lavender essential oil against multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii,and bactericidal kinetic study was employed to determine the onset and maintenance time of lavender essential oil.Meanwhile,the promoting and therapeutic effects of lavender essential oil on wound healing were observed in a mouse model of infection.Subsequently,crystal violet staining was used to determine the inhibition and clearance of multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii biofilm by lavender essential oil,and laser confocal microscopy was utilized to observe the survival of bacteria in biofilms.NanoDrop instrument was utilized to quantify the leakage of bacterial DNA nucleic acid and protein after intervention with 3 and 6 mg/mL lavender essential oil,and the leakage of bacterial potassium ion was measured by potassium ion test kit.Proteomics technology combined with bio-informatics were applied to explore the action mechanism of lavender essential oil against multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii.Results The MIC and MBC of lavender essential oil were both 6 mg/mL,which could kill almost all multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii at the time point of 120 min,and showed an obvious dose-and time-dependent manner.The overall animal model evaluation showed that both 3 and 6 mg/mL lavender essential oil could promote wound healing,and the curative effect was obvious.Further studies confirmed that 3 mg/mL lavender essential oil had a certain biofilm inhibitory effect on multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii,and 6 mg/mL also had a certain biofilm clearance effect under the same conditions.Meanwhile,when incubated at 37℃ for 1 h,the dose of 3 mg/mL could increase the leakage of DNA nucleic acid and protein,and significantly promote the efflux of potassium ions.Proteomic analysis suggested that the antibacterial effect of lavender essential oil may be related to affecting the oxidorereductase activity and cell metabolic process of multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii,and interfering with the biosynthesis of cell wall/membrane/envelope and other structures.Conclusion Lavender essential oil at 3 mg/mL can play an antibacterial effect against multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii,and its mechanism may be related to the destruction of bacterial biofilm and interference with bacterial metabolism.

Objective:To explore the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH)D]and handgrip strength in middle-aged and elderly people in 5 cities of Western China.Methods:Based on the data of a cross-sectional survey conducted in the 5 cities of Western China from February to July 2023,the relevant demographic characteristics of people were collected by questionnaire,handgrip strength was collected by physical examination,and serum 25(OH)D was detected by HPLC-MS/MS.The association between the serum 25(OH)D and handgrip strength was analyzed using Logistic regres-sion and Chi-square test for between-group comparisons models.Results:The prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency and insufficiency among the middle-aged and elderly people in the 5 cities of Western China was 52.9％and 34.5％,respectively.The people who were older,female,and sampled in winter had lower serum 25(OH)D levels(P＜0.05).The prevalence of loss of handgrip strength among the mid-dle-aged and elderly people was 25.3％.The prevalence of handgrip strength loss was higher in the aged 65-80 participants with 25(OH)D deficiency(45.0％)than in those with 25(OH)D insufficiency(32.6％)and 25(OH)D sufficiency(20.6％).The highest prevalence of loss of handgrip strength was found in the aged 75-80 participants with 25(OH)D deficiency(62.1％),followed by the 25(OH)D insufficient group(11.1％,P＜0.05).The study found that middle-aged and elderly people with 25(OH)D deficiency had a 1.4-fold increased risk of handgrip strength loss compared with those with 25(OH)D sufficiency(OR=2.403,95％CI:1.202-4.804,P=0.013).No significant association was found between 25(OH)D insufficiency and handgrip strength status in the middle-aged and elderly people.For every 5 μg/L increase in total serum 25(OH)D,the risk of handgrip strength loss reduced by 13.1％(OR=0.869,95％CI:0.768-0.982,P=0.025).For every 5 μg/L increase in serum 25(OH)D2,the risk of handgrip strength loss reduced by 24.1％(OR=0.759,95％CI:0.582-0.990,P=0.042).No significant association was found between serum 25(OH)D3 levels and the risk of hand-grip strength loss.The risk of handgrip strength loss in middle-aged and elderly people was reduced by 25.2％for each incremental increase in the total serum 25(OH)D levels(deficient,insufficient and suf-ficient)(OR=0.748,95％CI:0.598-0.936,P=0.011).The risk of handgrip loss was reduced by 40.0％for each incremental increase in serum 25(OH)D levels in the aged 65-80 and aged 65-69 participants,and by 80.0％for each incremental increase in 25(OH)D levels in the aged 75-80 parti-cipants.Conclusion:Serum total 25(OH)D and 25(OH)D2 levels are associated with handgrip strength status in middle-aged and elderly people in the 5 cities of Western China.

Tumor has become the major reasons cause of death,and its vaccine has become the effective tracts of treatment and prevention by enhancing the immune response of patients.However,most vaccines which are recombination subunit protein antigens are poorly immunogenic and difficult to induce a robust immune response in patients with compromised immune systems,resulting in poor marketing approval.The core component of the vaccine adjuvant can greatly enhance the strength,speed and duration of the immune response,thus becoming the key to the development of an ideal tumor vaccine.Most tumor vaccines are combined with tradition adjuvant such as aluminum,MF59 and AS adjuvant,but their products and patents are monopolized by large foreign companies.We found that natural adjuvants have many unique advantages,such as good biocompatibility and biodegradability,promoting the maturation of dendritic cell and the secretion of immune cytokines,significantly enhancing the tumor vaccine immune response,etc.In this paper,the application and future development of natural polysaccharides,saponins,flavonoid and plant virus-like particles in cancer vaccines were reviewed,which may lay a solid foundation for the development of the original and innovative adjuvants with domestic independent intellectual property rights.

As one of the "Three Drugs Three Prescriptions" anti-COVID-19 traditional Chinese medicine, Jinhua Qinggan granules (JHQG) has been proved to have clear clinical effects. With complex medicinal flavors and ingredients, there is no systematic research report on chemical composition in vivo or in vitro. An ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS) method was developed in this study to identify the components of the anti-COVID-19 traditional Chinese medicine JHQG granules. Analyze the collected rat plasma samples after administration and explore the exposed components in rats within 8 hours after intragastric administration. Preliminary pharmacokinetic analysis was then performed on this basis. Through UPLC-QTOF/MS analysis and verification by standard products, a total of 77 chemical components in JHQG formula have been identified, among which 22 compounds were highly exposed in vivo, mainly derived from three medicinal materials of honeysuckle, scutellaria and forsythia. Through the assessment of the blood drug concentration by the compartment model, 6 PK parameters of 4 high-exposure chemical components have been obtained, clarifying the metabolic characteristics of the main exposed components in JHQG briefly. The method is simple, efficient, sensitive and accurate and provides research basis to the clarification of the pharmacodynamics material basis and mechanism of JHQG, which has certain reference significance for the basics and applications research of the traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions in fighting the SARS-CoV-2.

Dendrobium（Orchidaceae） is traditional Chinese medicine with a high healthcare value，which can nourish Yin and tonify deficiency. Eighty-nine flavonoids were isolated from Dendrobium，mainly including flavones，flavanoes and flavonols. Among them，there were 40 flavonoids，the main aglycones were apigenin and chrysoeriol；20 flavanones；and 15 flavonols，and the main aglycones were kaempferol and quercetin. D. officinale and several other species also have flavanonols，anthocyanidins，chalcone and isoflavones. There were 34 species of Dendrobium containing flavonoids，including 38 flavonoids in D. officinale，28 flavonoids in D. huoshanense，19 flavonoids in D. devonianum，12 flavonoids in D. wardianum，5 flavonoids in D. thyrsiflorum，4 flavonoids in D. denneanum and D. findlayanum. Common flavonoids included naringenin，quercetin，rutin，which had pharmacological effects of resisting oxidation，lowering blood sugar，improving blood circulation，lowing cholesterol，and protecting the cardiovascular system. The existing studies of Dendrobium-related species，flavonoids and their physiological functions were reviewed in the expectation to promote the attention of the industry to Dendrobium flavonoids and explore values of Dendrobium plants in efficacy and food fields.

Objective:To study the effects of radiotherapy and the prognostic factors in hepatocellular cancer (HCC) patients with cardiophrenic angle or superior diaphragmatic lymph nodes metastasis (LNM).Methods:We retrospectively analyzed 56 HCC patients with cardiophrenic angle or superior diaphragmatic LNM who were treated with or without external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) in Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University from Jan 2010 to Aug 2020. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether they received radiotherapy, EBRT group and non-EBRT group, and each group had 28 patients. Radiation fields included or excluded primary tumor in EBRT group, and the cardiophrenic angle or superior diaphragmatic LNM did not receive any local treatment in non-EBRT group. The response rate, survival rate, local control rate, prognostic risk factors of the two groups were studied.Results:After EBRT, the partial response rate and complete response rate were 32.1%(9/28) and 32.1%(9/28). The median survival rate of EBRT group was 16.1 months (95% CI 9.00-23.21, RR=3.63) vs. 6.9 months (95% CI 4.63-8.77, RR=1.06) for the non-EBRT group, with statistically significant difference ( χ2=15.53, P<0.05). Cardiophrenic angle or superior diaphragmatic lymph nodes 1-year local control rate for EBRT group and non-EBRT group were 37.0% vs. 10.7%, with statistically significant difference ( χ2=5.28, P<0.05). Since diagnosis of cardiophrenic angle or superior diaphragmatic LNM, 4 patients (14.3%) in the EBRT group vs. 13 patients (46.4%) in the non-EBRT group had higher alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level after 3 months compared with the AFP before EBRT ( χ2=6.84, P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that multiple intrahepatic tumors, maximal diameter of intrahepatic tumors >5 cm, AFP≥400 μg/L, no EBRT were poor prognostic factors. Conclusions:EBRT can prolong overall survival and improve the control rate of lymph node of HCC patients with cardiophrenic angle or superior diaphragmatic LNM. Patients with multiple intrahepatic tumors, maximal diameter of intrahepatic tumors >5 cm, AFP≥400 μg/L and no EBRT have poor prognosis.

Objective:To summary the clinical features of 8 cases with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) complicated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Methods:This study was conducted retrospectively from January 2007 to November 2018. Eight patients with AS complicated with SLE who were admitted to Foshan Hospital of TCM were analyzed. Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index (BASDAI) was compared using t-test. Results:Four patients were female. The mean age was (31±14) years, ranged from 16 to 59 years. The average disease duration of AS was (27±30) months(ranging from 4 to 144 months). The average disease of duration SLE was (69±51) months (ranging from 1 to 80 months). All patients was human lymphocyte antigen (HLA)-B27 positive. SLE-related organ involvement included kidney in 5 cases, leukocytopenia in 8 cases, arthralgia in 6 cases, nervous system in 1 case and skin rash in 3 cases. Renal biopsy were performed in 3 patients. And 2 cases were class Ⅲ+Ⅴ lupus nephritis, another one was class Ⅳ+Ⅴ lupus nephritis.Conclusion:AS may complicated with SLE. Some drugs may be able to active the potential SLE, which should be differentiated from drug-related lupus.

Objective:To evaluate the quantitative diagnostic value of controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) in health checkup groups with asymptomatic nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.Methods:A multicenter prospective study was conducted among Chinese individuals undergoing regular health checkups; a total of 173 subjects were investigated. Human body indexes such as height, weight, and blood pressure were measured, and complete blood count, liver function, blood lipid, FibroScan, and MRI-PDFF examinations were performed. Correlation between MRI-PDFF and CAP was described using Spearman′s and Pearson′s coefficients. Diagnostic efficacy of the CAP was evaluated using the subject work characteristic curve and the area under this curve, and the optimal cut-off value was determined according to the Youden index.Results:The average age and body mass index of the subjects were 45.0±10.5 years and 25.8±4.0 kg/m 2, respectively. A linear correlation was found between CAP and lg transformed magnetic resonance imaging-based proton density fat fraction results (Pearson′s coefficient 0.772, P<0.001). When optimized for ≥90% sensitivity, the CAP cutoff for staging ≥S1 steatosis was 244 dB/m. Conclusions:The CAP result was significantly correlated with the liver fat fraction measured by MRI-PDFF, and capable of differentiating steatosis grades. CAP can be used as a tool for screening fatty liver in health checkup groups.

To establish the UPLC fingerprint of Zhongyi Angong Niuhuang Pills, in order to evaluate its quality by chemical pattern recognition. The method was developed on a column of Poroshell 120 EC-C_(18), with methanol-0.1% formic acid solution as the mobile phase for gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.4 mL·min~(-1). The column temperature was 30 ℃,and the detective wavelength was 254 nm. The similarity of 24 batches of Angong Niuhuang Pills was compared by using Traditional Chinese Medicine Chromatographic Fingerprint Similarity Evaluation System(2004 A). Hydrophobic cluster analysis,principal components analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis were conducted by using SIMCA 13.0 software to investigate different components among these products. The UPLC characteristic fingerprint was established in this study. And 17 common peaks were identified by standard reference and UPLC-MS. The similarity of 24 batches samples were above 0.980,which can be classified into three categories for pattern recognition. Baicalin,berberine,jatrorrhizine,wogonin and wogonoside were identified as the main markers that cause differences of various batches. The method is simple,rapid,accurate and reproducible,and can provide scientific basis for improving the quality standard of Zhongyi Angong Niuhuang Pills.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was found initially in Wuhan, China in early December 2019. The pandemic has spread to 216 countries and regions, infecting more than 23310 000 people and causing over 800 000 deaths globally by Aug. 24, 2020, according to World Health Organization (https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/ novel-coronavirus-2019). Fever, cough, and dyspnea are the three common symptoms of the condition, whereas the conventional transmission route for SARS-CoV-2 is through droplets entering the respiratory tract. To date, infection control measures for COVID-19 have been focusing on the involvement of the respiratory system. However, ignoring potential faecal transmission and the gastrointestinal involvement of SARS-CoV-2 may result in mistakes in attempts to control the pandemic.
Betacoronavirus/isolation & purification* ; COVID-19 ; China/epidemiology* ; Coronavirus Infections/virology* ; Environmental Microbiology ; Feces/virology* ; Gastrointestinal Diseases/virology* ; Humans ; Models, Biological ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral/virology* ; RNA, Viral/genetics* ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Virus Shedding