ObjectiveThis study aims to enhance of the farnesyl pyrophosphate（FPP） pool in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by heterologously expressing different farnesyl diphosphate synthases（FPSs） from various plants， thereby increasing the production of terpenoid compounds by the engineered yeast. MethodsRNA from mixed samples of roots， stems， and leaves of seven plants including Arabidopsis thaliana， Rosa rugosa， Artemisia annua， Centella asiatica， Humulus lupulus， Medicago sativa， and Panax ginseng was extracted by column chromatography and reverse transcribed into the first strand of complementary DNA（cDNA）， and based on the transcriptome data of the seven species of plants， sequence-specific primers were designed for CaFPS， RrFPS， MsFPS， HiFPS， PgFPS， AtFPS， and AaFPS， the full-length of the genes was cloned， and the genes were analyzed for bioinformatics in order to construct a pESC yeast shuttle vector. These seven plant-derived FPSs were further heterologously expressed in the previous constructed β-elemene-producing yeast， and the yield of β-elemene was indicated for their catalytic acivities. ResultsThe coding sequences of CaFPS， RrFPS， MsFPS， HiFPS， PgFPS， AtFPS， and AaFPS were all of 1 021 bp in length and encoding 301 amino acids， all of which were similarly related to the endogenous FPS-encoding gene（ERG20） in S. cerevisiae. After heterologous expression， RrFPS was identified as the most effective in catalyzing the synthesis of FPP from isopentenyl pyrophosphate（IPP） and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate（DMAPP）. Compared to the control strains， the RrFPS overexpressed yeast strains YB-1-Rr and YB-3-Rr increased the production of β-elemene by 231.25% and 189.3%， respectively. ConclusionBy comparing the functions of FPS-encoding genes from seven different plant sources， it is determined that the protein encoded by the RrFPS from R. rugosa has the best catalytic ability， which can provide key genetic elements for the construction of engineered yeast strain constructs with high terpenoid production.

Objective:To quantitatively analyze the plaque components of carotid artery through energy spectrum computed tomography angiography(CTA),and to measure the blood flow perfusion in the blood-supply area of carotid artery through CT perfusion(CTP),so as to explore the relationship among plaque component,the degree of luminal stenosis and cerebral blood flow perfusion.Methods:A total of 68 patients with unilateral plaques of carotid artery and severe vascular stenosis who were screened and diagnosed by ultrasound and CTA in Xiyuan Hospital from December 2017 to July 2019 were selected,and all patients underwent CTA examination and CTP examination.North American symptomatic carotid endarterectomy test(NASCET)method was used to measure the degree of carotid stenosis.The GE AW 4.7 post-process workstation was used to conduct analyses of energy spectrum and cerebral perfusion for the plaque component.And then,the slope of energy spectrum curve and the effective atomic number were obtained.At the same time,the cerebral blood volume(CBV),cerebral blood flow(CBF),time to peak(TTP)and mean transit time(MTT)of contrast agent in blood-supplying area of anterior cerebral artery(ACA)and middle cerebral artery(MCA)at the side of lesion were measured.Results:A total of 68 measured plaques of 68 patients met the condition,including 44 vulnerable plaques(including lipid plaques and mixed plaques)and 24 stable plaques(fibrous plaques).The average slopes of the energy spectrum curves of vulnerable plaque and stable plaque were respectively 0.45±0.45 and 1.15±0.39,and the differences were significant(t=2.413,P<0.05).The averagely effective atomic numbers of vulnerable plaques and stable plaques were respectively 7.21±1.06 and 8.01±0.63,and the difference were significant(t=2.548,P<0.05).The average TTP values of the ACA at the side of lesion of vulnerable plaques and stable plaques were respectively(12.20±1.61)S and(13.59±2.79)S,and the difference was significant(t=-2.607,P<0.05).The mean MTT values of the ACA at the side of lesion of vulnerable plaques and stable plaques were respectively(5.07±1.66)S and(6.09±2.19)S,and the difference was significant(t=-2.177,P<0.05).The degree of vascular stenosis at the side of lesion was positively correlated with TTP and MTT in blood-supplying area of middle cerebral artery(MCA)at the side of lesion(r=0.537,0.465,P<0.05),and that was negatively correlated with CBF values in blood-supplying areas of ACA and MCA at the side of lesion(r=-0.281,-0.569,P<0.05),respectively.The slope of the energy spectrum curve of carotid plaque was positively correlated with the TTP values in blood-supplying areas of ACA and MCA at the side of lesion(r=0.242,0.246,P<0.05),respectively.Conclusion:CT spectral imaging can quantitatively analyze the displayed components of carotid atherosclerotic plaque,and the degree of vascular stenosis can affect the blood flow perfusion of cerebral tissue,and the delays of TTP and MTT are more easily caused by vulnerable plaque,and the TTP of them is more sensitivity.

Objective To investigate the mechanism by which EFHD2 affects the occurrence and progression of breast cancer based on the NOX4/ROS signaling pathway.Methods Cells were divided into an NC-shRNA group and EFHD2-shRNA group.A lentiviral vector for EFHD2 silencing and a control vector were constructed and used to transfect MDA-MB-23 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells.The transfection efficiency was verified by qRT-PCR.A CCK8 assay was used to detect cell proliferation activity.A plate cloning assay was employed to measure cell colony formation ability.A scratch test was used to detect cell migration,and a Transwell assay used to assess cell invasion.Flow cytometry was applied to detect apoptosis and ROS levels.qRT-PCR was used to analyze the mRNA expression of GLUT1,PDK1,PFK1,PKM2,PDH,and LDH,while Western blot was applied to detect the expression of Cleaved caspase-3,MMP-2,and NOX4 proteins.Results Compared with the NC-shRNA group,the EFHD2-shRNA group's EFHD2 expression was significantly decreased and its cell survival and colony formation ability were weakened.The apoptosis rate and the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Cleaved caspase-3 increased.The cell migration distance was shortened,while the number of invading cells and the expression of MMP-2,which promotes migration and invasion,were decreased.The levels of lactic acid and GLUT1,PDK1,PFK1,PKM2,and LDH decreased,while the levels of ATP and PDH increased.Streaming result showed that ROS levels were reduced and NOX4 protein was down-regulated after silencing EFHD2.Conclusions EFHD2 inhibits ROS production by regulating the NOX4/ROS signaling pathway,causing lactic acid and glucose accumulation,promoting the apoptosis of breast cancer cells,and inhibiting cell proliferation,migration,and invasion.

Objective To summarize the best evidence of nutritional support therapy with food for special medi-cal purpose for patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy after oncology surgery,and to provide a reference basis for standardizing the application of food for special medical purpose and guiding clinical nutritional therapy practice for oncology patients.Methods Computer search was conducted on UpToDate,Guidelines International Network(GIN),National Guideline Clearinghouse,National Comprehensive Cancer Network,National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence,Oncology Nursing Society,American Society for Parenteral Enteral Nutrition,European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism,Chinese Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition,Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence-Based Health Care Centre database,Cochrane Library,PubMed,CINAHL,Scopus,Web of Science,Em-base,CBM,Wanfang,and China Knowledge Network on the nutritional support treatment of food for special medical purpose for postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy patients.The retrieval period was from January 2012 to August 2022.Quality evaluation of the literature was completed independently by 2 evidence-based trained researchers and combined with expert advice to extract and summarise evidence for the literature that met quality standards.Results A total of 14 articles were included,including 4 guidelines,1 clinical decision,2 systematic re views,4 expert consen-suses,and 3 randomized controlled trials.The 14 pieces of best evidence were compiled,covering 6 aspects of nu-tritional screening and assessment,nutritional education,recommended dose,formulation selection,nutritional treat-ment,and management of adverse effects.Conclusion This study summarises the best evidence on the nutritional management of food for special medical purpose in postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy patients with cancer,which is scientific and systematic.When administering nutritional therapy to patients,healthcare professionals should fully assess the nutritional status of patients,make clear and prudent choices on the dosage and type of food for special medical puipose to be used by patients,and guide patients to improve their nutritional status safely and effectively to improve their quality of life.To improve the quality of life.

In vitro cell experiment based on serum pharmacology is a common way to study the pharmacodynamic mechanism of Chinese medicine， and screening the optimal intervention concentration of serum containing Chinese medicine is a key step in the whole experiment. Over-diluted serum containing Chinese medicine or over-high concentration leads to false negative or positive results， while the optimal concentration of medicated serum reduces the number of groups in subsequent experiments as well as the operation error. Thus it is of great significance to screen the optimal serum concentration in studying the pharmacodynamic mechanism of Chinese medicine in in vitro cell experiments. However， there has been no unified standards for the screening methods at present. After reviewing the literature in China and abroad in the past 20 years， this paper conducted an analysis from three aspects of intragastric dose of Chinese medicine， blood collection time and serum dilution degree， and then summarized the screening methods for optimal concentration of serum containing drugs， providing guidance for the study of pharmacodynamic mechanism of Chinese medicine. The screening methods mainly included "same intragastric dose， same blood collection time， and different concentrations" "different intragastric doses， same blood collection time， and same concentration" "same intragastric dose， different blood collection time， and same concentration" "different intragastric doses， different blood collection time， and different concentrations" "serum lyophilized powder" "simulation of gradient concentration of serum containing western medicine" and "pure serum intervention". Among them， the former two were the dominant ways in current related research. The above screening methods had their own advantages and disadvantages， and researchers should make a reasonable choice according to the specific requirements and actual situation of the experiments.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) exerts anti-tumor effects by intervening in A549 cells of human lung adenocarcinoma, mainly including activating or inhibiting downstream target proteins of Bcl-2 and Bax, or forming RIP1/RIP3/MLKL complex bodies by affecting pathways such as PI3K/Akt, thereby inducing apoptosis in A549 cells of lung adenocarcinoma; blocks the cell growth phase, thereby inhibiting the proliferation of lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells; inhibits invasion and metastasis of A549 cells by affecting the MMPs pathway, STAT3 pathway, and regulating epithelial mesenchymal transition related factors; suppresses or activates the expression of related proteins or affect related signaling pathways, thereby reversing the resistance of lung cancer A549/DDP cell lines to cisplatin and paclitaxel.

Objective:To summarize the preliminary clinical experience of utilizing ureteral balloon dilation catheter in the treatment of "difficult ureter" during ureteroscopic lithotripsy, and to discuss the efficacy and safety of the technique.Methods:Clinical data of 28 patients (30 sides) with upper urinary tract calculi admitted to Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital Affiliated to Tsinghua University from April 2021 to July 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 23 males (82.1%) and 5 females (17.9%), with age of (51.5±13.6) years. Among the 30 sides, 20 (66.7%) on the left and 10(33.3%) were on the right. Calculi were either located in the renal pelvis or calyxes in 7 sides (23.3%), upper ureter in 17 sides (56.7%), and lower ureter in 6 sides (20.0%). The maximum diameter of the stones was (9.4±4.2)mm, and 23 sides (76.7%) were combined with hydronephrosis before surgery. When "difficult ureter" was encountered during the procedure, that is, it was difficult to insert ureteroscope or ureteral access sheath (UAS) due to small ureteral lumen, balloon catheter was used for dilation in the first stage, in which the balloon diameter was 4 mm on 22 sides and 5mm on 8 sides. The instrument was retrogradely inserted through the working channel of F8 semi-rigid ureteroscope, and the small site of the ureteral lumen was dilated under direct endoscopic view. After a single dilation, the balloon catheter was withdrawn, and the effect of dilation was evaluated by semi-rigid ureteroscopy to determine whether to proceed with the following procedures. The intraoperative data were recorded, including surgical method, stage of "difficult ureter" occurred, site of the small part of the ureter, related data of utilizing ureteral dilatation balloon catheter, grade of ureteral injury after dilatation (according to the 0-4 grading classification of endoscopic ureteral injuries), total operation time, balloon catheter-related adverse events, stone-free rate, and time of removing ureteral stents.Results:Among the 30 sides, 29 (96.7%) had difficulty in the stage of ureteroscope insertion, and 1(3.3%) had difficulty in the stage of UAS insertion. A total of 37 small sites of ureter were involved, including 18 in the intramural segment, 10 in the lower part, 2 in the middle part, and 7 in the upper part. Each site was dilated once with a median time of 3 (0.5, 5.0) minutes and a median maximum balloon pressure of 1 215.9(1 215.9, 1 443.9)kPa[12.0(12.0, 14.3)atm]. There were 28 sites of grade Ⅰ injury, 8 sites of grade Ⅱinjury, and 1 site of grade Ⅲinjury. The total duration of unilateral procedure was (73.4±30.3) min. Ureteroscope or UAS insertion was successful in 28 sides(93.3%) after balloon dilation, and failed in 2 sides(6.7%), both of which were in the stage of inserting ureteroscope and ureteral stent was indwelled for the second-stage procedures. On the first day after surgery, the hemoglobin level was (134.1±12.9)g/L, which was significantly different from the preoperative parameters ( P<0.01), and serum creatinine level was (86.7±23.2)μmol/L, which showed no significant difference from the preoperative one ( P=0.263). The primary stone-free rate was 92.9% (26/28), and the total postoperative complication rate was 13.3% (4/30), including 3 of grade Ⅰ (lateral lower abdominal pain requiring additional analgesic drugs) and 1 of grade Ⅱ (postoperative hematuria requiring intravenous hemostatic drugs). Follow-up was conducted for 3 months. All of the 28 successful sides had their ureteral stents removed before the last follow-up, and the time of removal was (36.9±11.5) days. No hydronephrosis was found in the ipsilateral kidney by ultrasound 3 months after operation. Conclusions:Balloon dilation technique showed good efficacy and safety in the treatment of "difficult ureter" during ureteroscopic lithotripsy.

Engineered probiotics can serve as therapeutics based on their ability of produce recombinant immune-stimulating properties. In this study, we built the recombinant Bacillus subtilis WB800 expressing antimicrobial peptide KR32 (WB800-KR32) using genetic engineering methods and investigated its protective effects of nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)‍-Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) pathway activation in intestinal oxidative disturbance induced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) K88 in weaned piglets. Twenty-eight weaned piglets were randomly distributed into four treatment groups with seven replicates fed with a basal diet. The feed of the control group (CON) was infused with normal sterilized saline; meanwhile, the ETEC, ETEC+WB800, and ETEC+WB800-KR32 groups were orally administered normal sterilized saline, 5×10¹⁰ CFU (CFU: colony forming units) WB800, and 5×10¹⁰ CFU WB800-KR32, respectively, on Days 1‍‒‍14 and all infused with ETEC K88 1×10¹⁰ CFU on Days 15‍‒‍17. The results showed that pretreatment with WB800-KR32 attenuated ETEC-induced intestinal disturbance, improved the mucosal activity of antioxidant enzyme (catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx)) and decreased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA). More importantly, WB800-KR32 downregulated genes involved in antioxidant defense (GPx and SOD1). Interestingly, WB800-KR32 upregulated the protein expression of Nrf2 and downregulated the protein expression of Keap1 in the ileum. WB800-KR32 markedly changed the richness estimators (Ace and Chao) of gut microbiota and increased the abundance of Eubacterium_rectale_ATCC_33656 in the feces. The results suggested that WB800-KR32 may alleviate ETEC-induced intestinal oxidative injury through the Nrf2-Keap1 pathway, providing a new perspective for WB800-KR32 as potential therapeutics to regulate intestinal oxidative disturbance in ETEC K88 infection.
Animals ; Swine ; Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli ; Kelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1 ; Bacillus subtilis ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2 ; Antioxidants ; Oxidative Stress

Objective:To retrospectively summarize disease characteristics and the clinical experience of minimally invasive endoscopy in the treatment of upper urinary tract obstruction caused by ureteropelvic encrusted inflammatory disease.Methods:Three patients with bilateral ureteropelvic encrusted inflammatory disease admitted to our hospital from March 2018 to July 2021 were involved. Case 1, male, 45 years old, admitted due to bilateral hydronephrosis for 5 months. The preoperative diagnosis were bilateral ureteropelvic stones (encrustation), right ureteral atresia, left ureteral stenosis, and systemic vasculitis. Left double J tube insertion and right nephrostomy were performed in another hospital. We conducted antegrade percutaneous nephroscopy combined with retrograde ureteroscopy surgery and assisted balloon dilation to treat bilateral lesions stage by stage. Case 2, Male, 12 years old, admitted due to bilateral abdominal pain for 6 weeks. The preoperative diagnosis were bilateral ureteral stones, bilateral hydronephrosis, and dermatomyositis. After the failure of double J tube insertion in another hospital, double nephrostomy was performed instead. We performed left percutaneous nephroscopy and right percutaneous nephroscopy combined with ureteroscopy for the treatment of bilateral lesions. Case 3, female, 32 years old, was admitted because of pain in the left lower back and abdomen for over 6 months. The preoperative diagnosis were bilateral ureteral stones, bilateral ureteral stenosis, and dermatomyositis. She underwent three times of ESWL and once URS before. We performed ureteroscopic surgery for bilateral lesions. During the surgery, various degrees of crusting in the renal pelvis or ureter were observed in all 3 cases, and the lesions were removed using pneumatic lithotripsy combined with forceps or baskets. After surgery, oral antibiotics were continuously used for 1-3 months. The efficacy and prognosis were evaluated based on the follow-up of urine, imaging, and endoscopic examinations at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery.Results:All 3 surgeries were successfully completed. At 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery, follow-up CT showed no crusting in the left ureter, and endoscopy showed good mucosal wound healing and unobstructed lumen in case 1. There were still some crusting lesions and lumen stenosis in the right renal pelvis, and the right ureter reconstruction surgery was ultimately performed. There were no crusting on both sides and the urinary tract was unobstructed after 3, 6, and 12 months of follow-up in case 2 and case 3. Postoperative pathological examination showed chronic inflammation of urothelial mucosal tissue, small pieces of proliferative fibrous tissue with peripheral calcification. Calcification layer composition analysis showed magnesium ammonium phosphate and carbonate apatite. No related complications occurred in case 2 and case 3.Conclusions:Urothelial crusted inflammatory disease is rare clinically, and the diagnosis and treatment strategies are rarely reported domestically and internationally. Preoperative imaging examination, intraoperative findings and postoperative pathology or calcification composition analysis are of instruction for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. Minimally invasive endoscopy treatment for upper urinary tract obstruction caused by ureteropelvic encrusted inflammatory disease has a good effect. Long-term efficacy and other adjuvant treatment need long-term follow-up and clinical practice.

Purpose/Significance To explore the characteristics and clinical significance of differentially expressed genes closely re-lated to HPV E6/E7 by using bioinformatics.Method/Process The cervical tissue and clinical information of cervical cancer in TCGA and GTEx of UCSC are used as the training set.The expression profile chip GSE63514 related to cervical cancer in GEO is used as the validation set.Firstly,the limma package of R software is used to screen DEGs of tumor and normal samples,and Venn map of genes re-lated to E6/E7 protein in MigDB is made.Survival analysis is performed by survival kit and verified by ROC and protein expression lev-els.Secondly,key genes are obtained by copy number variation and methylation correlation.Finally,the specific co-expression network is constructed and enrichment analysis and immune infiltration analysis are performed.Result/Conclusion There are 101 differentially expressed genes related to HPV E6/E7 protein,and three genes are found to have significance after screening,namely E2F1,MCM4 and PCNA.At the same time,it is found that the genes in the specific coexpression network are significantly enriched in the DNA replication and chromosome organization pathways.Immune correlation analysis shows that key genes are significantly associated with CD4 T cells,B cells and neutrophils.DNA replication,chromosome organization,etc.,are the molecular mechanisms and key genes significantly related to the development of cervical squamous cell carcinoma and HPV E6/E7 encoded proteins.