Objective Taking Sortilin as the entry point,this study aims to explore the mechanism of vascular calcification in chronic renal failure(CRF)and explore the influence of Sanqi on Sortilin,TLRs and vascular calcification,and to provide an effective method for clinical reduction of cardiovascular events in CRF.Methods Thirty-six male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group,model group,low-,medium-and high-dose Sanqi group and calcitriol group,with 6 rats in each.The replicative CRF vascular calcification rat model was fed with adenine combined with high phosphorus diet.Aortic calcium salt deposition,serum creatinine(Scr),urea nitrogen(BUN),blood calcium(Ca),blood phosphorus(P),total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),TLRs and Sortilin protein in aorta and inflammatory factors were detected.Results In the model group,renal fibrosis was obvious and many adenine crystals were found in renal interstitium.Large deposits of calcium salts were found.Renal fibrosis and calcium salt deposition were alleviated in different degrees in all treatment groups.Compared with those in the normal group,the level of BUN,Cr,P,TG,TC,IFN-γ,IL-6,IL-10 and IL-17A in the serum of the model group was ascended(P<0.01),while the level of Ca was descended(P<0.01).Compared with those in the model group,the level of BUN,Cr,P,TG,TC,IFN-γ,IL-6,IL-10 and IL-17A in the serum of rats in the Sanqi medium and high dose group and calcitriol group was significantly decreased(P<0.01),and the contents of Ca were significantly increased(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Compared with those in the normal group,the protein expression of BMP2,RUNX2,Sortilin,TLR7 and TLR9 in aortic tissue of rats in the model group was elevated(P<0.01),while the protein expression of SM22α was declined(P<0.01).Compared with those in the model group,the protein expression of BMP2,RUNX2,Sortilin,TLR7,and TLR9 in the low-,medium-,and high-dose Sanqi group and calcitriol group was decreased significantly(P<0.01);the protein expression of SM22α was increased significantly(P<0.05 or P<0.01),and the high-dose Sanqi group and calcitriol group had more significant effects.Conclusion Sanqi can improve renal fibrosis and vascular calcification in CRF model rats,and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of biological functions of Sortilin and TLRs.

BACKGROUND:Icariin,with antiinflammatory,antioxygenatory and immunoregulatory effects,can be a potential drug for preventing and treating acute liver injury. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the protective effect and possible mechanism of icariin in mice with acute liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride. METHODS:Thirty-two Kunming mice were equally and randomly divided into the following groups:normal,model,low-dose icariin and high-dose icariin groups.The low-and high-dose icariin groups were continuously gavaged with icariin(100 and 200 mg/kg,respectively)once a day for 7 continuous days.The normal group and model group were injected with physiological saline(10 mL/kg)at the same time point.After the last administration,all the groups except for the normal group were injected with carbon tetrachloride to induce acute liver injury.The mice were killed 24 hours later,and the liver index was detected.Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were detected by automated biochemical analysis.Tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 6 levels in serum were detected using ELISA.The levels of superoxide dismutase,glutathione peroxidase and malondialdehyde in liver tissue were detected through a reagent kit.The histopathology changes of the liver were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining.TUNEL method was used to detect the apoptosis in hepatocytes.Western blot was performed to detect the expression levels of glucose-regulated protein 78 kDa,endoplasmic reticulum stress-related protein(C/-EBP homologous protein),mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein and Caspase-3 in liver tissue. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the normal group,the liver index and serum levels of alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 6 were increased in the model group(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the above indexes were decreased in the low-dose and high-dose icariin groups(P＜0.05).Compared with the normal group,the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in the liver tissue of mice were decreased in the model group(P＜0.05)and the level of malondialdehyde was increased(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase were increased in the low-and high-dose icariin groups(P＜0.05)and the level of malondialdehyde was decreased(P＜0.05).Hematoxylin-eosin and TUNEL staining showed that mice in the model group had severe structural destruction of liver tissue,extensive necrosis of hepatocytes and high apoptotic rate of hepatocytes,while the structural destruction of liver tissue and the area of necrosis of hepatocytes in the low-and high-dose icariin groups were significantly milder than those in the model group,and the apoptotic rate of hepatocytes was lower than that in the model group(P＜0.05).Western blot assay showed that the protein expression of glucose-regulated protein 78 kDa,C/-EBP homologous protein,mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein and Caspase-3 in liver tissue of mice in the model group was increased compared with that in the normal group(P＜0.05),while the expression levels of these proteins in liver tissue of mice were significantly reduced after low-and high-dose icariin intervention(P＜0.05).To conclude,icariin can produce a protective effect against carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury,and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress and reduction of programmed necrosis.

Objective:To observe the role of Huaiqihuang Granules (HQ) in the long-term management of bronchial asthma in young children, and the effective effect on concomitant rhinitis.Methods:A prospective real-world multicenter study was conducted in children aged 2-5 years with asthma diagnosed in the outpatient department (from April 2016 to March 2019)who received either inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)/leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA)(control group); inhaled ICS/LTRA plus HQ(combination group), or HQ alone(HQ group). All patients were followed up at week 4, 8, 12 after treatment. The number of days with asthma symptoms, the frequency of severe asthma attacks, the level of asthma control, and the days with rhinitis symptoms in the last 4 weeks were recorded. Differences before and after treatment, and those among groups after treatment were compared using Kruskal- Wallis H test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Results:A total of 2 234 eligible patients were recruited, and 2 147 cases completed followed-up visits, including 477, 1 374 and 296 cases in the control group, combination group, and HQ group, respectively. After the treatment, all 3 groups showed significant declines in the days with asthma symptoms, frequency of severe asthma attack and the days with rhinitis symptoms (all P<0.01), and the rate of well-controlled asthma increased significantly ( P<0.01). It lasted until the end of follow-up. Among groups, patients in the combination group showed significantly less days of asthma symptoms than those of the other 2 group at week 8 and 12[0(0, 0.9) d vs.0(0, 0.3) d, P<0.05; 0(0, 0.1) d vs. 0(0, 1.0) d, P<0.01]. Patients in the combination group and HQ group showed a significantly lower rate of severe asthma attacks than that of the control group at week 12 [0(0, 1), 0(0, 1), 0(0, 2), all P<0.05]. The well-controlled rate of asthma in the combination group was significantly higher than that of the control group and HQ group at week 8 and 12 (89.6% vs. 85.9% vs.82.1%, H=15.28; 90.9% vs. 84.1% vs. 81.8%, χ2=29.32, all P<0.01). Conclusions:HQ can significantly alleviate symptoms of asthma and rhinitis, severe attack of asthma, and increase the control rate of asthma when used as an additional treatment or used alone.

H 1-antihistamines are widely used in the treatment of various allergic diseases, but there are still many challenges in the safe and rational use of H 1-antihistamines in pediatrics, and there is a lack of guidance on the prescription review of H 1-antihistamines for children.In this paper, suggestions are put forward from the indications, dosage, route of administration, pathophysiological characteristics of children with individual difference and drug interactions, so as to provide reference for clinicians and pharmacists.

In 2016, a national one million general population cohort project was set up in China for the first time in "Precision Medicine Research" Key Project, National Key Research and Development Program of China, which consists of general population cohorts in seven areas in China. As one of the seven major areas in China, northeastern China has unique climate and specific dietary patterns, and population aging is serious in this area. And the burden of chronic and non-communicable diseases ranks tops in China. Therefore, it is of great significance to establish a large general population cohort in northeastern China to explore the area specific exposure factors related to pathogenesis and prognosis of chronic and non-communicable diseases, develop new prevention strategies to reduce the burden of the diseases and improve the population health in northeastern China. In July 2018, the general population cohort study in northeastern China was launched, the study includes questionnaire survey, health examination and blood, urine and stool sample collection and detection in recruited participants. By now, the cohort has covered all age groups, and the baseline data of 115 414 persons have been collected. This paper summarizes the design and practice of the general population cohort study in northeastern China to provide reference for related research in China.

Objective:To conduct a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the issues found in quality management, establish a risk-based whole-process quality management model, and improve the quality of clinical trials.Methods:Based on the risk-based quality management theory, the issues found in the quality control of drug clinical trials in Beijing Cancer Hospital in 2020 were structured and classified by severity (mild to moderate to severe) and 10 categories, and the risk matrix was graded by a semi-quantitative method. Targeted quality control strategies for different levels of risk were carried out according to visual analysis of the informative quality analysis platform. Chi-square tests of the severity of quality control issues in our hospital in 2020 and 2021 and non-parametric tests of the number of issues per capita in each category were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the management model.Results:A risk matrix was established according to the severity and frequency of the issues found in the quality control in 2020. The issues with severe risks were categorized as protocol compliance and serious adverse events, and categories with moderate risks included informed consent, biological sample related, original records, and investigator folders. After using visual analysis and adopting the risk-based quality control strategy, the proportion of severe issues found in quality control in our hospital in 2021 was 0.92%, lower than that of 1.39% in 2020, and the difference was statistically significant. The average number of issues detected per capita in each category for each trial in 2021 was lower than that in 2020 with a statistical difference, indicating that the management model was effective.Conclusions:Using information technology to adopt risk-based quality management is helpful to improve the quality of hospital clinical trials.

Hypoxemia is a common complication of pneumonia, asthma, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia in children.Rapid identification of hypoxemia is of great significance for the disposal and management of critical children.Pulse oximetry is recognized by the World Health Organization as the best way to monitor hypoxemia in children, and it can monitor pulse oxygen saturation noninvasively and continuously.Based on the related literature at home and abroad, combined with the clinical needs of pediatrics, the " Expert consensus on clinical application of pulse oximetry in children" is formulated to improve the understanding of pediatricians and nurses on the application in pediatric clinical practice, principle, operation techniques, and limitations of pulse oximetry.

Objective:To investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of pulse oximetry among pediatric healthcare providers in China and analyze the factor influencing the KAP.Methods:A self-developed questionnaire was used for an online research on the KAP of 11 849 pediatric healthcare providers from 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities of China from March 11 to 14, 2022.The factors influencing the KAP of pulse oximetry among pediatric healthcare providers were examined by Logistic regression. Results:The scores of KAP, of pulse oximetry were 5.57±0.96, 11.24±1.25 and 11.19±4.54, respectively.The corresponding scoring rates were 69.61%, 74.95%, and 55.99%, respectively. Logistic regression results showed that the gender and working years of pediatric healthcare providers, the region they were located, and whether their medical institution was equipped with pulse oximeters were the main factors affecting the knowledge score (all P<0.05). Main factors influencing the attitude score of pediatric healthcare providers included their knowledge score, gender, educational background, working years, region, medical institution level, and whether the medical institution was equipped with pulse oximeters (all P<0.05). For the practice score, the main influencing factors were the knowledge score, gender, age, and whether the medi-cal institution was equipped with pulse oximeters (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Chinese pediatric healthcare providers need to further improve their knowledge about and attitudes towards pulse oximetry.Pulse oximeters are evidently under-used.It is urgent to formulate policies or guidelines, strengthen education and training, improve knowledge and attitudes, equip more institutions with pulse oximeters, and popularize their application in medical institutions.

Objective:To examine the possibility of the differentiation into islet-like cell clusters from the co-culture system of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and islet cells.Methods:Rat BMSCs from the femur and tibia of Wistar rats were isolated and purified taken under aseptic conditions; the surface markers CD 44 and CD 90 expressions of BMSCs were detected by flow cytometry; and alizarin red staining and oil red O staining were used to identify the cells induced in the osteogenic direction and adipogenic direction, respectively. Rat islet cells from the pancreas of Wistar rats were isolated and purified; and dithiazone staining was performed for validation. The basal insulin level of the culture was detected by ELISA method. 5.6mmol/L (low glucose) and 25.0 mmol/L (high glucosa) glucose were added to the culture, respectively, and insulin release was detected by ELISA. 5-generation BMSCs and islet cells were collected and divided randomly into stem cell culture alone group (stem cell group), stem cell-islet co-culture group (co-culture group), and islet culture alone group (islet group). The morphological changes of BMSCs during co-culture were observed using an inverted phase contrast microscope; basal insulin secretion and insulin secretion stimulated by low and high glucose were tested by ELISA. Insulin protein expression in induced islet-like cell masses in co-culture group were detected by immunocytochemical staining. The ultrastructure of islet-like cells was observed by using transmission electron microscopy. Results:The positive rates of CD 44 and CD 90 were 99.48% and 99.50%, respectively; BMSCs were induced the formation of multiple calcium nodules outside the differentiation cells in the osteogenic direction, and many lipid droplets in the cytoplasm of differentiated cells in the adipogenic direction. Dithiazone staining showed that β cells in pancreatic islet were brown red and about 450 islets could be obtained per pancreas with a mean purity up to 80%. The insulin release in the low sugar group and the high sugar group were (7.105±1.551) mIU/ml and (20.231±1.592) mIU/ml, respectively, with a statistically significant difference ( P<0.05). It can be seen that local stem cells began to gather and grow upward into small clumps in the budding manner until finally forming a spherical islet-like cell cluster structure after 7 days of culture in the co-culture group. The basal insulin secretion in the stem cell group was <0.5 mIU/L. In the islet group, insulin secretion peaked on the 5th day and then gradually decreased to about 20% of the highest value on the 13th day. The insulin level of the co-culture group peaked on the 5th day, and the 13th day remained at about 40% of the peak level. There were statistically significant differences on basal insulin secretion on the 8th, 10th and 13th day between islet group and co-culture group (all P value >0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the insulin release by islet in islet group under the stimulation of low and high sugar and that by islet-like cell cluster in co-culture group. There were a large number of brownish-yellow granules in the islet-like cell clusters after the co-culture for 14 days; and there were more secretory granules and coarse endoplasmic reticulum in the ultrastructure, showing more active protein secretion functions. Conclusions:The co-culture system of BMSCs and islet cells could induce BMSCs into differentiating into islet-like cell clusters, which can express insulin protein and had relatively mature function of insulin secretion.

Objective:To analyze the associations between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and serum vitamin B levels in children.Methods:A total of 103 ADHD children who were diagnosed in the Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare of Children′s Hospital of Soochow University from September 2018 to April 2019 were selected as the ADHD group, and 89 children of the same age who underwent routine physical examinations served as the healthy control group.The serum levels of vitamin B, including vitamin B 1, vitamin B 2, vitamin B 6, vitamin B 9, and vitamin B 12, were measured by the methods of electrochemistry.Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale-Parent Report (WFIRS-P) was applied to analyze the correlation between social function scores and vitamin B levels in ADHD children. Results:The levels of vitamin B 9[(12.55±2.22) nmol/L vs.(13.26±2.54) nmol/L] and vitamin B 12 [(278.54±32.00) ng/L vs.(288.90±31.32) ng/L] in ADHD children were significantly lower than those in healthy children( t=-2.064, -2.261, all P<0.05). No significant difference was observed in serum levels of vitamin B 1, vitamin B 2 and vitamin B 6 between the 2 groups (all P>0.05). Correlation analysis displayed that only vitamin B 12 level was significantly and negatively correlated with social function in the learning/school dimension ( r=-0.208, P=0.035), and no significant correlation was found between other vitamin B levels and social function (all P>0.05). Conclusions:The serum levels of vitamin B 9 and B 12 in ADHD children were obviously lower than those in healthy children of the same age.Serum vitamin B 12 deficiency had an influence on the social function of the learning/school in ADHD children.Attention to the monitoring and timely supplementation of vitamin B in childhood, especially vitamin B 9 and B 12, may be of positive significance in the prevention of the occurrence and development of ADHD to some extent.