Brasilicardin A, a diterpene glycoside isolated from pathogenic actinomycete Nocardia brasiliensis IFM 0406, has become a novel immunosuppressant candidate due to its significant immunosuppressive activity, low toxicity and unique mechanism of action. However, brasilicardin A and its analogues have become a research hotspot to the development of this promising immunosuppressant because of the low-yield production in the natural pathogenic producer and the synthetically challenging skeleton. According to the reported biosynthetic pathway of brasilicardin A, the function of involved diterpene synthase was analyzed by bioinformatics. Then the genes bra1-5 that synthesize the brasilicardin A skeleton were directionally amplified from the pathogenic strain N. brasiliensis IFM 0406, and heterologous expression was achieved successfully in Streptomyces albus R1. The compounds were isolated and purified by using various column chromatographies including silica gel column chromatography and semi-preparative HPLC. Six new brasilicardins were established and named brasilicardin H-M. The activity of brasilicardins was screened using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated mouse primary macrophage inflammation model. Brasilicardin H-M exhibited good inhibitory activity on nitric oxide (NO) release with IC₅₀ values of 28.24 ± 3.70, 37.44 ± 2.00, 39.85 ± 4.02, 26.77 ± 4.40, 65.25 ± 1.48 and 15.24 ± 2.72 μmol·L^-1, respectively (indomethacin as the positive control with IC₅₀ value of 34.28 ± 4.10 μmol·L^-1). The results indicated that six compounds had potential anti-inflammatory activity. This study laid a foundation for the elucidation of the brasilicardin A biosynthetic pathway and evaluation of the structure-activity relationship as well as new drug developments.

AIM: To investigate the effects of agkis-trodon halys venom anti-tumor component (AHVAC-) on the biological behavior of gastric cancer MKN-28 cells. METHODS: Gastric cancer MKN-28 cells were treated with the experimental concentrations (5, 10, 15 μg/mL) of AHAVC- for 24 h. Cell proliferation and toxicity assay (cell counting kit-8, CCK-8) was used to detect the inhibition rates of the cells in different concentrations of AHVAC-. The migration ability of the cells was evaluated by wound-healing and Transwell assay. The apoptosis were observed by laser confocal microscopy with annexin V-mCherry/DAPI double staining, and the apoptosis rates were analyzed by flow cytometry with annexin V-FITC/PI double fluorescence staining. The protein level of Caspease-3 was determined by Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with normal control group, the results of AHVAC- concentration groups showed that with the increase of AHVAC- concentration, the proliferative activity of MN-28 cells decreased gradually (P<0.01), the cell migration ability decreased gradually (P<0.01), and the cell apoptosis rate increased (P<0.05). The expression of apoptosis-related protein Caspease-3 was up-regulated (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: AHVAC- inhibits proliferation and migration of gastric cancer MSN-28 cells and induces apoptosis.

Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the bacterial communities of biting midges and ticks collected from three sites in the Poyang Lake area,namely,Qunlu Practice Base,Peach Blossom Garden,and Huangtong Animal Husbandry,and whether vectors carry any bacterial pathogens that may cause diseases to humans,to provide scientific basis for prospective pathogen discovery and disease prevention and control. Methods Using a metataxonomics approach in concert with full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing and operational phylogenetic unit(OPU)analysis,we characterized the species-level microbial community structure of two important vector species,biting midges and ticks,including 33 arthropod samples comprising 3,885 individuals,collected around Poyang Lake. Results A total of 662 OPUs were classified in biting midges,including 195 known species and 373 potentially new species,and 618 OPUs were classified in ticks,including 217 known species and 326 potentially new species.Surprisingly,OPUs with potentially pathogenicity were detected in both arthropod vectors,with 66 known species of biting midges reported to carry potential pathogens,including Asaia lannensis and Rickettsia bellii,compared to 50 in ticks,such as Acinetobacter lwoffii and Staphylococcus sciuri.We found that Proteobacteria was the most dominant group in both midges and ticks.Furthermore,the outcomes demonstrated that the microbiota of midges and ticks tend to be governed by a few highly abundant bacteria.Pantoea sp7 was predominant in biting midges,while Coxiella sp1 was enriched in ticks.Meanwhile,Coxiella spp.,which may be essential for the survival of Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann,were detected in all tick samples.The identification of dominant species and pathogens of biting midges and ticks in this study serves to broaden our knowledge associated to microbes of arthropod vectors. Conclusion Biting midges and ticks carry large numbers of known and potentially novel bacteria,and carry a wide range of potentially pathogenic bacteria,which may pose a risk of infection to humans and animals.The microbial communities of midges and ticks tend to be dominated by a few highly abundant bacteria.

The overall health condition of patients significantly affects the diagnosis,treatment,and prognosis of endodontic diseases.A systemic consideration of the patient's overall health along with oral conditions holds the utmost importance in determining the necessity and feasibility of endodontic therapy,as well as selecting appropriate therapeutic approaches.This expert consensus is a collaborative effort by specialists from endodontics and clinical physicians across the nation based on the current clinical evidence,aiming to provide general guidance on clinical procedures,improve patient safety and enhance clinical outcomes of endodontic therapy in patients with compromised overall health.

Objective To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine(Dex)on inflammatory injury in rats with lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced myocarditis(Myo)by regulating AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK)/silent information regulator 1(SIRT1)/nuclear factor κB(NF-κB)signaling pathway.Methods Rats were randomly divide into the NC group,the Myo group,and the L-Dex group(10 μg/kg Dex),the M-Dex group(30 μg/kg Dex),the H-Dex group(50 μg/kg Dex),the AICAR group(100 mg/kg AMPK/SIRT1/NF-κB signal pathway activator),the H-Dex+GSK690693 group(50 μg/kg Dex+0.2 μmol/kg AMPK/SIRT1/NF-κB signal pathway inhibitor GSK690693),with 10 rats in each group.M-mode echocardiography system was used to evaluate the cardiac function of rats;ELISA kit was used to detect the levels of serum interleukin-1β(IL-1β),interleukin-6(IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),superoxide dismutase(SOD),and malondialdehyde(MDA)in rats;TUNEL staining was used to observe cell apoptosis;HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of myocardial tissue;RT-qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1(CXCL1),C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 2(CXCL2),and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1)in rat myocardial tissue;Western blot was used to detect the expression of AMPK/SIRT1/NF-κB pathway-related proteins in rat myocardial tissue.Results There was no abnormal change in cardiomyocytes in the NC group,and cardiomyocytes in the Myo group showed deformation,necrosis,inflammatory cell infiltra-tion,and mesenchymal congestion;necrosis,inflammatory cell infiltration,and mesenchymal congestion in the L-Dex group,the M-Dex group,the H-Dex group,and the AICAR group were improved compared with that in the Myo group;changes in cardiomyocytes in the H-Dex group and the AICAR group were similar to those in the NC group,and changes in cardiomyocytes in the H-Dex+GSK690693 group were similar to those in the Myo group.Compared with the NC group,the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),left ventricular fractional shortening(LVFS),expression levels of SOD,p-AMPK/AMPK,p-SIRT1/SIRT1 in the Myo group were obviously decreased(P<0.05),left ventricular end-systolic volume(LVESV),left ventricular end-diastolic volume(LVEDV),left ventricular end-systolic diameter(LVESD),left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDD),expression levels of IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α,MDA,CXCL1,CXCL2,VCAM-1,p-NF-κB/NF-κB,NF-κB p65 and cardiomyocyte apoptosis rate were obviously increased(P<0.05).Compared with the Myo group,the LVEF,LVFS,expression levels of SOD,p-AMPK/AMPK,p-SIRT1/SIRT1 in the L-Dex group,the M-Dex group,the H-Dex group and the AICAR group were obviously increased(P<0.05),LVESV,LVEDV,LVESD,LVEDD,expression levels of IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α,MDA,CXCL1,CXCL2,VCAM-1,p-NF-κB/NF-κB,NF-κB p65 and cardiomyocyte apoptosis rate were obviously decreased(P<0.05),and the effects were more obvious with the increase of the dosage of Dex.There was no significant difference in the above results between the AICAR group and the H-Dex group(P>0.05).Compared with the H-Dex group,the LVEF,LVFS,expression levels of SOD,p-AMPK/AMPK,p-SIRT1/SIRT1 in the H-Dex+GSK690693 group were obviously decreased(P<0.05),LVESV,LVEDV,LVESD,LVEDD,levels of IL-1β,IL-6,TNF-α,MDA,cardiomyocyte apoptosis rate,the expression of CXCL1,CXCL2,VCAM-1,p-NF-κB/NF-κB and NF-κB p65 protein were obviously increased(P<0.05).Conclusion Dex may alleviate LPS-induced inflammatory injury in Myo rats by up-regulating AMPK/SIRT1/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Background: Diabetes-induced cardiac fibrosis is one of the main mechanisms of diabetic cardiomyopathy. As a common histone methyltransferase, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) has been implicated in fibrosis progression in multiple organs. However, the mechanism of EZH2 in diabetic myocardial fibrosis has not been clarified. Methods: In the current study, rat and mouse diabetic model were established, the left ventricular function of rat and mouse were evaluated by echocardiography and the fibrosis of rat ventricle was evaluated by Masson staining. Primary rat ventricular fibroblasts were cultured and stimulated with high glucose (HG) in vitro. The expression of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27) trimethylation, EZH2, and myocardial fibrosis proteins were assayed. Results: In STZ-induced diabetic ventricular tissues and HG-induced primary ventricular fibroblasts in vitro, H3K27 trimethylation was increased and the phosphorylation of EZH2 was reduced. Inhibition of EZH2 with GSK126 suppressed the activation, differentiation, and migration of cardiac fibroblasts as well as the overexpression of the fibrotic proteins induced by HG. Mechanical study demonstrated that HG reduced phosphorylation of EZH2 on Thr311 by inactivating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which transcriptionally inhibited peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ) expression to promote the fibroblasts activation and differentiation. Conclusion Our data revealed an AMPK/EZH2/PPAR-γ signal pathway is involved in HG-induced cardiac fibrosis.

AIM: To explore the value of ocular trauma score(OTS), initial visual acuity, and ocular structural parameters in the assessment of healing visual acuity from ocular trauma.METHOD: A total of 302 cases(302 eyes)of ocular trauma were selected as subjects, which were accepted and issued clear appraisal opinions by the Academy of Forensic Science from June 2015 to June 2021. The subjects were grouped according to the healing best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)from ocular trauma. Group Ⅰ included 63 cases(63 eyes)with BCVA <3.7; Group Ⅱ included 70 cases(70 eyes)with 3.7≤ BCVA <4.5; Group Ⅲ included 78 cases(78 eyes)with 4.5≤ BCVA <4.9; Group Ⅳ included 91 cases(91 eyes)with BCVA≥4.9. In addition, 77 cases(77 healthy eyes)of ocular trauma were selected as the control group, namely Group Ⅴ. The healing BCVA and ocular structural parameters from ocular trauma and theirs correlation were analyzed, and the random forest(RF)and support vector machine(SVM)model of healing visual acuity was established by the IBM SPSS Modeler 18.0.RESULTS: The initial visual acuity, OTS, the grading of corneas, lenses, and fundus, and the thickness of the retinal never fiber layer of ocular trauma patients were correlated with the healing BCVA(P<0.01). There were significant differences in ocular structural parameters among groups, except the central subfield thickness(P<0.001). The SVM model had higher accuracy of predicting healing visual acuity than the RF model, and the accuracy rate was over 80% when the error was within 0.15.CONCLUSION:OTS and ocular structural examination can provide effective information for the clinical forensic medicine appraisal of visual dysfunction after ocular trauma, and they are valuable in discriminating camouflage of visual dysfunction.

Bone development shows certain regularity with age. The regularity can be used to infer age and serve many fields such as justice, medicine, archaeology, etc. As a non-invasive evaluation method of the epiphyseal development stage, MRI is widely used in living age estimation. In recent years, the rapid development of machine learning has significantly improved the effectiveness and reliability of living age estimation, which is one of the main development directions of current research. This paper summarizes the analysis methods of age estimation by knee joint MRI, introduces the current research trends, and future application trend.
Epiphyses/diagnostic imaging* ; Age Determination by Skeleton/methods* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Knee Joint/diagnostic imaging*

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) reserve assessed by gated SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT G-MPI) for major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) in patients with coronary artery disease. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. From January 2017 to December 2019, patients with coronary artery disease and confirmed myocardial ischemia by stress and rest SPECT G-MPI, and underwent coronary angiography within 3 months were enrolled. The sum stress score (SSS) and sum resting score (SRS) were analyzed by the standard 17-segment model, and the sum difference score (SDS, SDS=SSS-SRS) was calculated. The LVEF at stress and rest were analyzed by 4DM software. The LVEF reserve (ΔLVEF) was calculated (ΔLVEF=stress LVEF-rest LVEF). The primary endpoint was MACE, which was obtained by reviewing the medical record system or by telephone follow-up once every twelve months. Patients were divided into MACE-free and MACE groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between ΔLVEF and all MPI parameters. Cox regression analysis was used to analyze the independent factors of MACE, and the optimal SDS cutoff value for predicting MACE was determined by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC). Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted to compare the difference in the incidence of MACE between different SDS groups and different ΔLVEF groups. Results: A total of 164 patients with coronary artery disease [120 male; age (58.6±10.7) years] were included. The average follow-up time was (26.5±10.4) months, and a total of 30 MACE were recorded during follow-up. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that SDS (HR=1.069, 95%CI: 1.005-1.137, P=0.035) and ΔLVEF (HR=0.935, 95%CI: 0.878-0.995, P=0.034) were independent predictors of MACE. According to ROC curve analysis, the optimal cut-off to predict MACE was a SDS of 5.5 with an area under the curve of 0.63 (P=0.022). Survival analysis showed that the incidence of MACE was significantly higher in the SDS≥5.5 group than in the SDS<5.5 group (27.6% vs. 13.2%, P=0.019), but the incidence of MACE was significantly lower in the ΔLVEF≥0 group than in theΔLVEF<0 group (11.0% vs. 25.6%, P=0.022). Conclusions: LVEF reserve (ΔLVEF) assessed by SPECT G-MPI serves as an independent protective factor for MACE, while SDS is an independent risk predictor in patients with coronary artery disease. SPECT G-MPI is valuable for risk stratification by assessing myocardial ischemia and LVEF.
Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Coronary Artery Disease/diagnostic imaging* ; Stroke Volume ; Myocardial Perfusion Imaging ; Retrospective Studies ; Ventricular Function, Left ; Myocardial Ischemia

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.
Female ; Humans ; Adolescent ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Smell ; COVID-19/complications* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Incidence ; Olfaction Disorders/etiology* ; Taste Disorders/etiology* ; Prognosis