ObjectiveTo investigate the value of different noninvasive diagnostic models in the diagnosis of esophageal and gastric varices since there is a high risk of esophageal and gastric varices in patients with compensated hepatitis B cirrhosis and significant portal hypertension， and to provide a basis for the early diagnosis of esophageal and gastric varices. MethodsA total of 108 patients with significant portal hypertension due to compensated hepatitis B cirrhosis who attended Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from November 2017 to November 2023 were enrolled， and according to the presence or absence of esophageal and gastric varices under gastroscopy， they were divided into esophageal and gastric varices group （GOV group） and non-esophageal and gastric varices group （NGOV group）. Related data were collected， including age， sex， imaging findings， and laboratory markers. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups； the least significant difference t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was plotted to evaluate the diagnostic value of five scoring models， i.e.， fibrosis-4 （FIB-4）， LOK index， LPRI， aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index （APRI）， and aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase ratio （AAR）. The binary logistic regression method was used to establish a combined model， and the area under the ROC curve （AUC） was compared between the combined model and each scoring model used alone. The Delong test was used to compare the AUC value between any two noninvasive diagnostic models. ResultsThere were 55 patients in the GOV group and 53 patients in the NGOV group. Compared with the NGOV group， the GOV group had a significantly higher age （52.64±1.44 years vs 47.96±1.68 years， t=0.453， P<0.05） and significantly lower levels of alanine aminotransferase ［42.00 （24.00 — 17.00） U/L vs 82.00 （46.00 — 271.00） U/L， Z=-3.065， P<0.05］， aspartate aminotransferase ［44.00 （32.00 — 96.00） U/L vs 62.00 （42.50 — 154.50） U/L，Z=-2.351， P<0.05］， and platelet count ［100.00 （69.00 — 120.00）×10⁹/L vs 119.00 （108.50 — 140.50）×10⁹/L， Z=-3.667， P<0.05］. The ROC curve analysis showed that FIB-4， LOK index， LPRI， and AAR used alone had an accuracy of 0.667， 0.681， 0.730， and 0.639， respectively， in the diagnosis of esophageal and gastric varices （all P<0.05）， and the positive diagnostic rates of GOV were 69.97%， 65.28%， 67.33%， and 58.86%， respectively， with no significant differences in AUC values （all P>0.05）， while APRI used alone had no diagnostic value （P>0.05）. A combined model （LAF） was established based on the binary logistic regression analysis and had an AUC of 0.805 and a positive diagnostic rate of GOV of 75.80%， with a significantly higher AUC than FIB-4， LOK index， LPRI， and AAR used alone （Z=-2.773，-2.479，-2.206， and-2.672， all P<0.05）. ConclusionFIB-4， LOK index， LPRI， and AAR have a similar diagnostic value for esophageal and gastric varices in patients with compensated hepatitis B cirrhosis and significant portal hypertension， and APRI alone has no diagnostic value. The combined model LAF had the best diagnostic efficacy， which provides a certain reference for clinical promotion and application.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of TCM constitution distribution in hepatitis B cirrhosis patients with dysplastic nodules(DN),and to provide a basis for the prevention and treatment of precancerous lesions of liver cancer.Methods This study was conducted among 113 hepatitis B cirrhosis patients with DN,105 hepatitis B cirrhosis patients with regenerative nodules(RN),and 70 hepatitis B cirrhosis patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma(sHCC)who were hospitalized in Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from May 2015 to March 2023.Related data were collected,including age,sex,liver function Child-Pugh class,TCM constitution type,and laboratory markers.A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups,and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups;the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between multiple groups;the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups,and the Bonferroni correction method was used for further comparison between two groups.Results The main TCM constitution types of hepatitis B cirrhosis patients with DN were Qi-deficiency constitution(27 patients,23.89%),blood-stasis constitution(26 patients,23.01%),and phlegm-dampness constitution(23 patients,20.35%).There were significant differences between the three groups in the proportion of patients with phlegm-dampness constitution or damp-heat constitution(χ2=6.822 and 6.383,both P<0.05);the hepatitis B cirrhosis patients with RN had the highest proportion of patients with phlegm-dampness constitution(30.48%),followed by those with DN(20.35%)and those with sHCC(14.29%),while the hepatitis B cirrhosis patients with sHCC had the highest proportion of patients with damp-heat constitution(27.14%),followed by those with DN(16.81%)and those with RN(12.38%).There were significant differences between the hepatitis B cirrhosis DN patients with different TCM constitution types in sex,age,Child-Pugh class,prealbumin,albumin(Alb),aspartate aminotransferase,total bilirubin(TBil),total bile acid,and alpha-fetoprotein(all P<0.05).Compared with the male hepatitis B cirrhosis DN patients,female patients showed a significantly higher proportion of patients with Qi-deficiency constitution(χ2=4.895,P=0.027).Among the patients with Qi-deficiency constitution,the patients with Child-Pugh class A liver function accounted for a significantly lower proportion than those with Child-Pugh class B liver function(χ2=6.380,P=0.012),while among the patients with phlegm-dampness constitution,the patients with Child-Pugh class A liver function accounted for a significantly higher proportion than those with Child-Pugh class B liver function(χ2=8.515,P=0.004).The patients with phlegm-dampness constitution had significantly higher levels of prealbumin and Alb than those with the other four constitutions(all P<0.05),as well as significantly lower levels of TBil and total bile acid than those with damp-heat constitution(P<0.05);the patients with Yin-deficiency constitution had a significantly lower level of Alb than those with qi-deficiency constitution,blood-stasis constitution,or phlegm-dampness constitution(all P<0.05);the patients with Yin-deficiency constitution had a significantly lower proportion of patients with abnormal alpha-fetoprotein than those with non-Yin-deficiency constitutions(χ2=4.448,P=0.035).Conclusion Hepatitis B cirrhosis patients with DN mainly have the TCM constitution types of Qi deficiency,blood stasis,and phlegm dampness.The patients with phlegm-dampness constitution seem to have a low probability of carcinogenesis,while those with damp-heat constitution and Yin-deficiency constitution have a relatively high risk of carcinogenesis.

Based on the unique syndrome characteristics of metabolic associated fatty liver disease （MAFLD） in Lingnan （岭南） area， this paper discussed the clinical experience of Huangqi （Radix Astragali） in the treatment of MAFLD in Lingnan area. It is summarized that spleen deficiency and yang weakness， and internal accumulation of damp-turbidity are the source of the disease， and at the early stage， Huangqi， commonly 15~30 g， could be used to fortify the spleen and warm the earth， thereby making the deficiency fire latent， as well as raise the clear and warm the exterior so as to inhibit damp-turbidity； medication needs to be progressively supplemented， and can be used together with Taizishen （Radix Pseudostellariae）， Baizhu （Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae）， Fuling （Poria）， and Fangfeng （Radix Saposhnikoviae） to back up the earth and inhibit dampness. Qi stagnation and blood constraint， yin dampness and heat accumulation are the pathogenesis of disease progression. Huangqi should be taken to invigorate the spleen and flourish the liver， unblock yang， and move stagnation. The dosage is often maintained at 30~60 g， to circulate the qi and unblock yang qi in the middle jiao （焦）， usually combined with Chaihu （Radix Bupleuri）， Baishao （Radix Paeoniae Alba） and Yujin （Radix Curcumae） integrating warm and cool medicinals. Stubborn turbid and fat condensing in the liver is a severe stage of the disease and may be concurrent with various pathogens such as dampness， phlegm， and heat， for which 60~90 g Huangqi should be used to invigorate blood and disperse fat， reinforce healthy qi and expel pathogens， often with medicinals that can disperse fat and direct the turbid downward such as Shanzha （Fructus Crataegi）， Juemingzi （Semen Cassiae）， Lulutong （Fructus Liquidambaris） and Zexie （Rhizoma Alismatis）. When prescribing， it is suggested to combine with other medicinals according to the season， thereby adjusting the ascending and descending of the property of Huangqi， thereby conforming to the nature of the four seasons.

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is a destructive pest native to America and has recently become an invasive insect pest in China. Because of its rapid spread and great risks in China, understanding of FAW genetic background and pesticide resistance is urgent and essential to develop effective management strategies. Here, we assembled a chromosome-level genome of a male FAW (SFynMstLFR) and compared re-sequencing results of the populations from America, Africa, and China. Strain identification of 163 individuals collected from America, Africa and China showed that both C and R strains were found in the American populations, while only C strain was found in the Chinese and African populations. Moreover, population genomics analysis showed that populations from Africa and China have close relationship with significantly genetic differentiation from American populations. Taken together, FAWs invaded into China were most likely originated from Africa. Comparative genomics analysis displayed that the cytochrome p450 gene family is extremely expanded to 425 members in FAW, of which 283 genes are specific to FAW. Treatments of Chinese populations with twenty-three pesticides showed the variant patterns of transcriptome profiles, and several detoxification genes such as AOX, UGT and GST specially responded to the pesticides. These findings will be useful in developing effective strategies for management of FAW in China and other invaded areas.
Animals ; China ; Genomics ; Humans ; Male ; Pesticides ; Spodoptera/genetics* ; Transcriptome

The oral cavity of each person is home to hundreds of bacterial species.While taxa for oral diseases have been studied using culture-based characterization as well as amplicon sequencing,metagenomic and genomic information remains scarce compared to the fecal microbiome.Here,using metagenomic shotgun data for 3346 oral metagenomic samples together with 808 published samples,we obtain 56,213 metagenome-assembled genomes(MAGs),and more than 64％of the 3589 species-level genome bins(SGBs)contain no publicly available genomes.The resulting genome collection is representative of samples around the world and contains many genomes from candi-date phyla radiation(CPR)that lack monoculture.Also,it enables the discovery of new taxa such as a genus Candidatus Bgiplasma within the family Acholeplasmataceae.Large-scale metagenomic data from massive samples also allow the assembly of strains from important oral taxa such as Por-phyromonas and Neisseria.The oral microbes encode genes that could potentially metabolize drugs.Apart from these findings,a strongly male-enriched Campylobacter species was identified.Oral sam-ples would be more user-friendly collected than fecal samples and have the potential for disease diagnosis.Thus,these data lay down a genomic framework for future inquiries of the human oral microbiome.

The vagina contains at least a billion microbial cells,dominated by lactobacilli.Here we perform metagenomic shotgun sequencing on cervical and fecal samples from a cohort of 516 Chinese women of reproductive age,as well as cervical,fecal,and salivary samples from a second cohort of 632 women.Factors such as pregnancy history,delivery history,cesarean section,and breastfeeding were all more important than menstrual cycle in shaping the microbiome,and such information would be necessary before trying to interpret differences between vagino-cervical micro-biome data.Greater proportion of Bifidobacterium breve was seen with older age at sexual debut.The relative abundance of lactobacilli especially Lactobacillus crispatus was negatively associated with pregnancy history.Potential markers for lack of menstrual regularity,heavy flow,dysmenor-rhea,and contraceptives were also identified.Lactobacilli were rare during breastfeeding or post-menopause.Other features such as mood fluctuations and facial speckles could potentially be predicted from the vagino-cervical microbiome.Gut and salivary microbiomes,plasma vitamins,metals,amino acids,and hormones showed associations with the vagino-cervical microbiome.Our results offer an unprecedented glimpse into the microbiota of the female reproductive tract and call for international collaborations to better understand its long-term health impact other than in the settings of infection or pre-term birth.

Objective To investigate the pathogenesis of type-B aortic dissection by using morphological analysis and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method, so as to provide evidence for the effective prediction of type-B aortic dissection. Methods Six primary type-B dissection cases scanned by CT (dissection group) and six normal cases applied to black-blood MRI (control group) were included in this study and patient-specific three-dimensional (3D) models of aorta were established through image segmentation and 3D reconstruction. The pre-type-B dissection aortas were constructed by applying the scaling algorithm to shrink the dissection and then compared with subjects in control group. The differences between morphological parameters and hemodynamic parameters of the two groups were compared. Results Compared with the normal cases, the area of the descending aorta increased dramatically in dissection group ［(892.03±263.78) mm2 vs (523.67±64.10) mm2, P=0.036］. A significant decrease in angle of the left subclavian artery occurred (66.62°±20.11° vs 100.40°±15.35°, P=0.036). The tortuosity of the aorta also had an obvious increase (0.37°±0.07° vs 0.21°±0.51°, P=0.011). The time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS) in dissection group was obviously higher than that in control group; the flow in the dissection region was vortex flow at low speed and the oscillating shear index (OSI) was higher. Conclusions The results of this study can be used to provide guidance for the early diagnosis and treatment of type-B aortic dissection.

Objective To investigate the effect of estrogen-related receptor alpha(ERRα)on lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response in rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVECs) and its mechanism.Methods PMVECs were cultured in vitro.When the cells were in the logarithmic growth phase,the cell were ransfected with lentivirus,and a stable low-expression ERRα cell line was constructed.The cells were divided into four groups:Ctr group (normal control group),Ctr+LPS group (normal celI+LPS treatment group),shERRα1 (shERRα1 gene knockdown group),and shERRα1+LPS group (shERRα1 gene knockdown +LPS treatment group).After 20 μg/mL LPS stimulated cells in the control group and shERRal group for 6,12 and 24 h,cell counting kit-8 (cck-8) was used to detect the cell proliferation ability of each group,and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in cell culture fluid.After 12 h LPS stimulation,the expression levels of ERRα and NF-κB related proteins (p-p65,p65,P-IKBα,IKBα) were measured by Western blot.Pairwise comparisons were performed with SNK-q test (two-tailed),and multiple-group comparisons were performed with one-way ANOVA.The non-parametric test of rank transformation was used when homogeneity of variance were not met.P value＜0.05 was considered significantly different.Results Compared with the control group,ERRα expression in the shERRα group was significantly decreased (0.09±0.01 vs 0.15±0.01).At 6,12 and 24 h after LPS stimulation,compared with the control group,the cell proliferation ability (％) of the shERRαl+LPS group was significantly reduced (99.68±4.53 vs 48.62±1.60) and the concentration of TNF-α (ng/mL) (15.76±3.38 vs 5 498.91±367.95) and IL-1β (ng/mL) (14.41±3.86 vs 6 014.92±277.33) in the cell culture supematant were significantly increased.The change was most obvious after 12 h stimulation.Meanwhile the expression of p-p65 (0.30±0.50 vs 1.05±0.07) and p-IKBα (0.27±0.04 vs 0.77±0.06) were increased significantly,while the expression of IKBα (0.96±0.07 vs 0.14±0.04) was decreased significantly in the shERRαl+LPS group (all P＜0.05).Conclusion ERRα gene attenuates LPS-induced inflammatory response in rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells by inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway activation.

Objective To investigate influences of estrogen-related receptor α(ERRα) on pulmonary vascular endothelium of rats undergoing sepsis. Methods Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into four groups according to the random number table method (12 in each group): normal control group (NC group), sham operation group (Sham group), sepsis model caused by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) group (CLP group), XCT790 intervention group (XCT790 group, given the XCT790 2.5 mg/kg via intraperitoneal injection 30 minutes before CLP). After 24 hours, rats were sacrificed and the organs were harvested. The pathological changes of lung tissue were observed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and the ultrastructural changes of lung tissue were observed by double staining of uranium citrate with lead acetate, the degree of apoptosis of pulmonary capillary endothelial cells were observed by TdT-mediated dUTP nike end labeling stain (TUNEL), the permeability of lung vascular endothelial was detected by Evans blue (EB) staining, the levels of serum cytokines were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and white blood cell count in bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was detected. Results Compared with NC group and Sham group, the CLP group and XCT790 group had severe pathological damage and increased lung tissue permeability, the levels of serum cytokines and white blood cell count in BALF were increased. Compared with CLP group, the pathological changes of lung tissue, the degree of ultrastructural damage of lung tissue, the degree of apoptosis of lung capillary endothelial cells in XCT790 group further intensified, the permeability of lung endothelial barrier further increased [the content of EB (μg/g): 116.00±15.46 vs. 60.19±19.79, P < 0.05], and the level of serum cytokines further increased [interleukin-1β(IL-1β, ng/L): 71.38±4.01 vs. 56.58±2.45, interleukin-6 (IL-6, ng/L): 741.62±88.94 vs. 534.22±72.70, tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α, ng/L):188.55±7.41 vs. 143.33±11.27, all P < 0.05], the white blood cell count in the BALF increased further (×104/L:193.79±27.46 vs. 99.34±36.41, P < 0.05). Conclusion ERRα can aggravate inflammation in sepsis rats, destroy lung tissue and increase pulmonary permeability.

Objective To investigate the effect of Berberine on insulin resistance and its mechanism in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty(OLETF) rats with metabolic syndrome(MS).Methods LETO(Long-evans Tokushima Otsuka)rats(the control group receiving standard normal diet,n=10)and diabetic OLETF rats(the MS group receiving high-fat diet for 24 weeks,n=30).Rats in the MS group were randomly divided into 3 subgroups(n=10,each subgroup).Each subgroup was gavaged with normal saline,high-dose Berberine(100 mg · kg-1 · d-1)and low-dose Berberine (50 mg · kg-1 · d-1) respectively,and the high-fat diet remained unchanged.After 6 weeks of berberine treatment,body weight,blood glucose and lipid metabolism parameters were determined.The oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT) and insulin tolerance test(ITT) were used to detect insulin resistance.Expression levels of the protein and mRNA of 78 kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP7 8),Caspase-12 and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein(C/EBP) homologous protein(CHOP) in skeletal muscles were detected by Western blot and RT-PCR.Results After Berberine treatment,the body weight,fasting plasma glucose,fasting insulin[(28.9 ± 2.0) mU/L,(31.5± 2.4) mU/L vs.(36.9 ± 4.7) mU/L],total cholesterol,triglycerides,and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were decreased,while the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C) levels were increased in MS rats with high-dose berberine and low-dose berberine as compared with the control group (P ＜ 0.05) respectively.Berberine treatment could reduce the protein and mRNA expression levels of GRP78,Capase-12 and CHOP in the skeletal muscle of MS rats(P＜0.05).Conclusions Berberine may alleviate insulin resistance in rats with metabolic syndrome by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress in skeletal muscle.