Objective To investigate the role of high-mobility group AT-hook 2(HMGA2)in osteogenic differentiation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells(ADSCs)and the effect of Hmga2 knockdown for promoting bone defect repair.Methods Bioinformatics studies using the GEO database and Rstudio software identified HMGA2 as a key factor in adipogenic-osteogenic differentiation balance of ADSCs.The protein-protein interaction network of HMGA2 in osteogenic differentiation was mapped using String and visualized with Cytoscape to predict the downstream targets of HMGA2.Primary mouse ADSCs(mADSCs)were transfected with Hmga2 siRNA,and the changes in osteogenic differentiation of the cells were evaluated using alkaline phosphatase staining and Alizarin red S staining.The expressions of osteogenic markers Runt-related transcription factor 2(RUNX2),osteopontin(OPN),and osteocalcein(OCN)in the transfected cells were detected using RT-qPCR and Western blotting.In a mouse model of critical-sized calvarial defects,mADSCs with Hmga2-knockdown were transplanted into the defect,and bone repair was evaluated 6 weeks later using micro-CT scanning and histological staining.Results GEO database analysis showed that HMGA2 expression was upregulated during adipogenic differentiation of ADSCs.Protein-protein interaction network analysis suggested that the potential HMGA2 targets in osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs included SMAD7,CDH1,CDH2,SNAI1,SMAD9,IGF2BP3,and ALDH1A1.In mADSCs,Hmga2 knockdown significantly upregulated the expressions of RUNX2,OPN,and OCN and increased cellular alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium deposition.In a critical-sized calvarial defect model,transplantation of mADSCs with Hmga2 knockdown significantly promoted new bone formation.Conclusion HMGA2 is a crucial regulator of osteogenic differentiation in ADSCs,and Hmga2 knockdown significantly promotes osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs and accelerates ADSCs-mediated bone defect repair in mice.

Objective To investigate the role of high-mobility group AT-hook 2(HMGA2)in osteogenic differentiation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells(ADSCs)and the effect of Hmga2 knockdown for promoting bone defect repair.Methods Bioinformatics studies using the GEO database and Rstudio software identified HMGA2 as a key factor in adipogenic-osteogenic differentiation balance of ADSCs.The protein-protein interaction network of HMGA2 in osteogenic differentiation was mapped using String and visualized with Cytoscape to predict the downstream targets of HMGA2.Primary mouse ADSCs(mADSCs)were transfected with Hmga2 siRNA,and the changes in osteogenic differentiation of the cells were evaluated using alkaline phosphatase staining and Alizarin red S staining.The expressions of osteogenic markers Runt-related transcription factor 2(RUNX2),osteopontin(OPN),and osteocalcein(OCN)in the transfected cells were detected using RT-qPCR and Western blotting.In a mouse model of critical-sized calvarial defects,mADSCs with Hmga2-knockdown were transplanted into the defect,and bone repair was evaluated 6 weeks later using micro-CT scanning and histological staining.Results GEO database analysis showed that HMGA2 expression was upregulated during adipogenic differentiation of ADSCs.Protein-protein interaction network analysis suggested that the potential HMGA2 targets in osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs included SMAD7,CDH1,CDH2,SNAI1,SMAD9,IGF2BP3,and ALDH1A1.In mADSCs,Hmga2 knockdown significantly upregulated the expressions of RUNX2,OPN,and OCN and increased cellular alkaline phosphatase activity and calcium deposition.In a critical-sized calvarial defect model,transplantation of mADSCs with Hmga2 knockdown significantly promoted new bone formation.Conclusion HMGA2 is a crucial regulator of osteogenic differentiation in ADSCs,and Hmga2 knockdown significantly promotes osteogenic differentiation of ADSCs and accelerates ADSCs-mediated bone defect repair in mice.

Objective:To study on the effect of "stomach ten acupuncture" combined with domperidone tablets on clinical symptoms and sleep quality of gastrointestinal neurosis patients with insomnia based on the theory of "stomach harmonious leading to restless".Methods:Randomized controlled trial. From March 2020 to March 2021, 98 patients with gastrointestinal neurosis and insomnia in our hospital who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into two groups, with 49 patients in each group. The control group took domperidone tablets orally, and the observation group was treated with "stomach ten acupuncture" on the basis of the control group. Both groups were treated for 8 weeks. Before and after treatment, TCM syndromes were scored, the severity of gastrointestinal symptoms was assessed with Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS), anxiety and depression were assessed with Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), and sleep quality was assessed with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Scale (PSQI).Results:After treatment, the scores and total scores of epigastric pain, belching, abdominal distension, anorexia, noisy acid regurgitation, tiredness and asthenia, constipation and loose stools in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( t values were 19.61, 19.30, 23.10, 22.05, 20.43, 21.81, 20.51, 16.38, respectively, P<0.01); the scores and total scores of typical symptoms, abdominal pain symptoms, reflux symptoms, diarrhea symptoms, constipation symptoms were significantly lower than those in the control group ( t values were 10.10, 11.14, 11.04, 9.31, 11.24, 5.30, respectively, P<0.01); HAMA and HAMD scores were significantly lower than those in the control group ( t values were 6.96 and 6.85, respectively, P<0.01). The scores of time to fall asleep (1.15 ± 0.56 vs. 2.11 ± 0.75, t=7.18), time to sleep (0.92 ± 0.63 vs. 1.52 ± 1.12, t=3.27), sleep quality (1.02 ± 0.66 vs. 1.96 ± 0.80, t=6.35), sleep efficiency (0.86 ± 0.62 vs. 1.68 ± 0.85, t=5.46), sleep disorders (0.92 ± 0.36 vs. 1.48 ± 0.55, t=5.96), daytime dysfunction (0.96 ± 0.42 vs. 1.97 ± 0.87, t=7.32), hypnotics (0.98 ± 0.45 vs. 1.81 ± 0.62, t=7.58) and total scores (6.85 ± 1.47 vs. 12.73 ± 2.95, t=12.49) were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.01). Conclusion:The "stomach ten acupuncture" combined with domperidone tablets can improve the clinical symptoms and sleep quality of gastrointestinal neurosis patients with insomnia.

Advances in novel drugs, therapies, and genetic techniques have revolutionized the diagnosis and treatment of cancers, substantially improving cancer patients' prognosis. Although rare tumors account for a non-negligible number, the practice of precision medicine and development of novel therapies are largely hampered by many obstacles. Their low incidence and drastic regional disparities result in the difficulty of informative evidence-based diagnosis and subtyping. Sample exhaustion due to difficulty in diagnosis also leads to a lack of recommended therapeutic strategies in clinical guidelines, insufficient biomarkers for prognosis/efficacy, and inability to identify potential novel therapies in clinical trials. Herein, by reviewing the epidemiological data of Chinese solid tumors and publications defining rare tumors in other areas, we proposed a definition of rare tumor in China, including 515 tumor types with incidences of less than 2.5/100 000 per year. We also summarized the current diagnosis process, treatment recommendations, and global developmental progress of targeted drugs and immunotherapy agents on the status quo. Lastly, we pinpointed the current recommendation chance for patients with rare tumors to be involved in a clinical trial by NCCN. With this informative report, we aimed to raise awareness on the importance of rare tumor investigations and guarantee a bright future for rare tumor patients.
Humans ; Neoplasms/pathology* ; Biomarkers ; Prognosis ; Oceans and Seas ; China/epidemiology*

ObjectiveBased on serum pharmacochemistry and ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） the transitional components in the serum of rats after intragastric administration of water extract of Alismatis Rhizoma（AR）and salt-processed Alismatis Rhizoma（SAR） were compared. MethodSD rats were randomly divided into blank group, AR group（10 g·kg^-1） and SAR group（10 g·kg^-1）, 3 rats in each group, the administration groups were given AR and SAR aqueous extracts by gavage, respectively, and the blank group was given an equal volume of drinking water by gavage once in the morning and once in the evening, for 3 consecutive days. Sixty minutes after the last administration, blood was collected from the eye orbits, and the serum samples were prepared. The serum samples were prepared on an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column（2.1 mm×50 mm, 1.7 μm） with the mobile phase of acetonitrile（A）-0.1% formic acid aqueous solution（B） in a gradient elution（0-10 min, 10%-50% A; 10-27 min, 50%-95%A; 27-27.1 min, 95%-10% A; 27.1-30 min, 10%A）, the data were collected at a flow rate of 0.3 mL·min^-1 in positive ion mode with a scanning range of m/z 100-1 200. Based on the self-constructed chemical composition library of AR, the total ion flow diagrams and secondary MS fragmentation information of the aqueous extracts of AR and SAR, as well as the administered serum and the blank serum, were compared with each other by UNIFI 1.9.2, so as to deduce the possible blood-migrating constituents and their cleavage patterns in the aqueous extracts, and the response intensity ratios of each chemical component were calculated before and after processing. ResultA total of 20 components, including 5 prototypical components and 15 metabolites, were analyzed and deduced from the serum of rats given aqueous extract of AR. And 14 components, including 5 prototypical components and 9 metabolites, were analyzed and deduced from the serum of rats given aqueous extract of SAR. Of these, 13 components were common to both of them, including 5 prototypical components and 8 metabolites. The 5 prototypical components were 16-oxoalisol A, alisol A 24-acetate, alisol A, alisol B and alisol C. The metabolites were mainly involved in phase Ⅰ metabolism（oxidation） and phase Ⅱ metabolism（glucuronidation）. There was a big change in the intensity of response of the common components before and after salt-processing, and the response intensities of the prototypical components, 16-oxoalisol A, alisol B and alisol C, were elevated, while the type and response intensity of metabolites were generally decreased, and it was hypothesized that the metabolic rate of terpenoids might be slowed down after salt-processing of AR, so that the blood-migrating constituents could participate in the metabolism of the body more in the form of prototypes. ConclusionSalt-processing of AR may promote the absorption of prototypical components into the blood by slowing down the metabolic rate of terpenoids, which can provide support for the research on material basis of AR and SAR.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of microemulsion on the distribution of index components in different phases of Zexietang extract based on high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） and phase separation process. MethodParticle size meter and transmission electron microscope were used to characterize the colloidal particles in blank microemulsion， aqueous extract of Zexietang and microemulsion extract of Zexietang. The phase separation process was established by high-speed centrifugation and dialysis， and based on this process， the aqueous extract and microemulsion extract of Zexietang were separated into the true solution phase， the colloidal phase and the precipitation phase， respectively. The contents of six components， including atractylenolide Ⅲ， atractylenolide Ⅱ， 23-acetyl alisol C， alisol A， alisol B and alisol B 23-acetate， were determined by HPLC with the mobile phase of water（A）-acetonitrile（B） for gradient elution（0-5 min， 40%-43%B； 5-20 min， 43%-45%B； 20-45 min. 45%-60%B； 45-75 min， 60%-80%B）. The solubility of the index components in water and microemulsion was determined by saturation solubility method. ResultThe colloidal particles in the aqueous extract， microemulsion extract and blank microemulsion were all spherical， and the particle size， polydispersity index（PDI） and Zeta potential of the colloidal particles were in the order of aqueous extract >microemulsion extract >blank microemulsion. The results of phase separation showed that the colloidal phase and the true solution phase could be completely separated by dialysis for 2.5 h， and the phase separation process was tested to be stable and feasible. Compared with the aqueous extract of Zexietang， the use of microemulsion as an extraction solvent could increase the contents of atractylenolide Ⅲ， 23-acetyl alisol C， atractylenolide Ⅱ ， alisol A， alisol B and alisol B 23-acetate by 3.75， 6.82， 35.47， 10.66， 35.41， 27.75-fold， and could increase the extraction efficiencies of the latter five constituents by 2.03， 1.15， 1.70， 6.43， 5.53 times. The solubility test showed that the microemulsion could significantly improve the solubility of atractylenolide Ⅱ， alisol A， alisol B and alisol B 23-acetate， but it had less effect on the solubility of atractylenolide Ⅲ and 23-acetyl alisol C. ConclusionMicroemulsion can improve the extraction efficiency and increase the distribution of the index components in the colloidal phase state of Zexietang to different degrees， providing a reference for the feasibility of microemulsion as an extraction solvent for traditional Chinese medicine.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of bronchial arteriography CT (BA-ACT) combined with bronchoscopy (BS) in bronchial Dieulafoy′s disease (BDD), and the role of bronchial artery embolization (BAE) in the treatment of BDD.Methods:Retrospective analysis was made on the clinical data of 5 patients suspected of being BDD treated by BS in Guangzhou First People′s Hospital or Guangzhou Thoracic Hospital from January 2008 to January 2018 due to hemoptysis. Bronchial arteriography (BAG) and BA-ACT were performed during the operation of interventional embolization. BAG rotary acquisition data were post-processed according to BS findings, and BA-ACT reconstruction images of the diseased bronchi and bronchial arteries were obtained. BS reexamination and clinical follow-up observation were carried out after embolization to analyze the effect of embolization.Results:There were one BDD lesion for the five patients respectively, and the BAG lacked characteristic manifestations. Bronchoscopy revealed BDD foci to present as papillary (case 1-case 3), nodular (case 4), or lirellate (case 5) subbronchial submucosal protrusion lesions. On the BA-ACT reconstruction plot, the BDD lesions of papillary, nodular and carination manifested correspondingly as a bronchial artery branches locally " pointed arch" shaped (cases 1-case 4) or " bead-like" (case 5) fold and protruding toward the bronchial lumen. The BDD lesions of the cases 1-case 4 retraction and disappearance after one BAE were observed by BS examination, and no hemoptysis recurrence during the follow-up period (54-91 months). The ridge like BDD lesion of the case 5 remained unchanged after BAE, and hemoptysis recurred at 71 months after the first BAE; the uncollapsed foci were supplied by two collateral vessels that confirmed by second BAG and BA-ACT, and no hemoptysis for 71 months followed up after second BAE.Conclusions:BA-ACT combined with BS enables a locative and qualitative diagnosis of BDD, and BAE is a very effective treatment method for BDD.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the pharmacological effect of Alismatis Rhizoma （AR） and its processed product on rats with edema of kidney Yin deficiency and explore the mechanism. MethodA total of 42 male SPF SD rats were randomized into normal group （equivalent volume of distilled water）， model group （equivalent volume of distilled water）， positive medicine Liuwei Diguangwan group （1.4 g·kg^-1）， low- and high-dose AR groups （1， 4 g·kg^-1， respectively）， and low- and high-dose salt-processed AR （SAR） groups （1， 4 g·kg^-1， respectively）， with six rats in each group. Adriamycin （tail vein injection） and thyroxine （gavage） were used to induce edema of kidney Yin deficiency in rats except the normal group. The administration lasted 4 weeks for all the groups. After the last administration， histopathological changes of rat kidneys were observed based on hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Serum content of triiodothyronine （T₃）， thyroxine （T₄）， follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， and testosterone （T） was determined by radioimmunoassay， and serum content of creatinine （CREA）， urea （UREA），cholesterol （CHOL） and triglyceride （TG） by automatic biochemical analyser. The levels of gonadotropin-releasing hormone （GnRH）， cyclic adenosine monophosphate （cAMP）， and cyclic guanosine monophosphate （cGMP） in plasma were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the expression of aquaporin（AQP）-1 and AQP-2 and the transcription of mRNA in kidney were measured by immunohistochemistry and real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， respectively. ResultCompared with normal group， the rats in model group showed decrease in body mass and urine volume （P<0.01）， increase in water consumption （P<0.05）， infiltration of a large number of inflammatory cells and fibrous tissue proliferation in the kidney， rise of the expression and transcript levels of T₃， T₄， cAMP/cGMP， CREA， FSH， AQP-1， and AQP-2 （P<0.01）， the contents of CHOL and TG were significantly increased （P<0.05）， and reduction in the levels of GnRH and T （P<0.01）. Body mass increased in both the low- and high- dose groups of AR and SAR compared with that in model group， with significant differences between the low-dose AR group and the low-dose SAR group （P<0.01）. Moreover， compared with model group， low- and high-dose AR and SAR insignificantly increased the urine volume of rats， reduced the inflammatory cells in kidney tissues， significantly decreased the levels of T₄， cAMP/cGMP， UREA， CREA， FSH， CHOL and TG in serum （P<0.05，P<0.01）， and elevated the level of GnRH （P<0.01）， high-dose AR， low- and high-dose SAR significantly lowered the transcription levels of AQP-1 and AQP-2 mRNA in the kidneys of rats （P<0.01）. ConclusionBoth AR and SAR alleviated the edema of kidney Yin deficiency in rats by down-regulating the expression of AQP-1 and AQP-2 and correcting the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal （HPG） axis disorder.

Purpose: We aimed to explore whether the prognosis of patients treated with capecitabine and oxaliplatin (XELOX) or S-1 and oxaliplatin (SOX) regimens who received fewer cycles of chemotherapy after D2 radical resection for gastric cancer (GC) would be non-inferior to that of patients who received the standard number of cycles of chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: Data on patients who received XELOX or SOX chemotherapy after undergoing D2 radical resection at Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital between January 2011 and May 2016 were collected. Results: In patients who received 4, 6, and 8 cycles of chemotherapy, the 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 59.4%, 64.8%, and 62.7%, respectively. Compared to patients who received 4 cycles of chemotherapy, those who received 6 cycles (hazard ratio [HR], 0.882; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.599–1.299; P=0.52) or 8 cycles (HR, 0.882; 95% CI, 0.533–1.458; P=0.62) of chemotherapy did not exhibit significantly prolonged OS. The 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate of patients who received 4, 6, and 8 cycles of chemotherapy was 62.1%, 67.2%, and 60.8%, respectively. Compared to patients who received 4 cycles of chemotherapy, those who received 6 cycles (HR, 0.835; 95% CI, 0.572–1.221; P=0.35) or 8 cycles (HR, 0.972; 95% CI, 0.606–1.558; P=0.91) of chemotherapy did not show significantly prolonged DFS. However, the 3-year DFS and 5-year OS rates of patients who received 6 cycles of chemotherapy appeared to be superior to those of patients who received 4 and 8 cycles of chemotherapy. Conclusions For patients with stage III GC, 4 to 6 cycles of XELOX or SOX chemotherapy may be a favorable option. This study provides a rationale for further randomized clinical trials.

Objective:To explore the effect of "ten needles in the stomach" on sleep perception of patients with spleen-gastric damp-heat insomnia based on the theory of "stomach discord, then sleep restlessness", to provide references for clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods:The study subjects were 300 patients with insomnia from the sleep department and outpatient department of Shijiazhuang Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. According to the random number method, they were divided into the stomach ten needle group, the diazepam group, and the stomach ten needle plus diazepam group, with 100 in each group. Among them, the stomach ten needles group received "stomach ten needles" acupuncture treatment, the diazepam group was given diazepam therapy, and the stomach ten needles plus diazepam group was given diazepam combined with "stomach ten needles" acupuncture treatment. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores, the self-rating disease symptom scale (SCL-90) scores, nighttime polysomnography (PSG) monitoring indicators, and the mean sleep latency (MSL) values were compared before and after treatment in the three groups. The difference in clinical efficacy between the two groups were observed.Results:The total effective rate was 94.0% (94/100) in the combined group, 77.0% (77/100) in the diazepam group, and 85.0% (85/100) in the stomach ten needle group. There were significant differences among the three groups ( χ2=11.56, P<0.01). After treatment, the daytime dysfunction, hypnotic drugs, sleep disturbance, sleep efficiency, sleep time, sleep time, sleep quality score and total score of the combined group were significantly lower than those in the diazepam group and the stomach ten needle group ( F=5.70, 3.65, 5.23, 6.37, 3.66, 6.19, 7.54, 6.40, all Ps<0.01); The scores of SCL-90 and MSL were significantly lower than those in the diazepam group and stomach ten needle group ( F=8.97, 7.53, all Ps<0.01). In the combined group, NWAK [(1.36 ± 0.87) times vs. (2.69 ± 1.15) times, (2.11 ± 1.05) times, F=5.88], SOL [(13.62 ± 5.85) min vs. (25.06 ± 9.42) min, (19.78 ± 7.63) min, F=6.49], N1/TST [(5.69 ± 1.09)% vs. (12.65 ± 2.58)%, (8.49 ± 2.45)%, F=5.13], N2/TST [(51.07 ± 10 2.06)% vs. (58.36 ± 2.18)%, (55.61 ± 2.04)%, F=9.86] were significantly lower than those in the diazepam group and stomach ten needle group ( P<0.01), SE [(90.33 ± 2.89)% vs. (85.39 ± 2.75)%, (87.53 ± 2.69)%, F=8.36], TST [(449.32 ± 23.65) min vs. (421.66 ± 25.33) min, (431.26 ± 25.98) min, F=8.26], REM/TST [(23.87 ± 4.52)% vs. (14.52 ± 3.87)%, (18.36 ± 3.25)%, F=5.34], N3/TST [(18.69 ± 2.02)% vs. (10.31 ± 1.64)%, (14.89 ± 1.74)%, F=7.69] were significantly higher than those in the diazepam group and stomach ten needle group ( P<0.01). Conclusion:Based on the "stomach discord, sleep restlessness" theory, the ten needles on the stomach can treat insomnia and improve psychological state and sleep quality, with the functions of clearing the damp and heat of the middle joker, regulating the lifting and lowering of qi in the middle.