ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Stemona tuberosa alkaloids （STA） on apoptosis and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） and c-Jun N-terminal kinase/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （JNK/p38 MAPK） signaling pathways in human lung cancer A549 cells. MethodA549 cells were classified into blank group and STA groups （100， 150， 200， 250， 300 mg⋅L^-1）. Thiazole blue （MTT） assay and colony formation assay were used to evaluate the proliferation of A549 cells. Apoptosis was observed based on Hoechst 33258 staining， flow cytometry， and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining. Western blot was employed to detect the expression of apoptosis-related proteins cysteine-aspartic acid protease-3 （Caspase-3）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）-associated X protein （Bax）， and Bcl-2， and the expression of PI3K， phosphorylated （p）-PI3K， Akt， p-Akt， JNK， p-JNK， p38 MAPK， and p-p38 MAPK. ResultCompared with the blank group， STA groups （150， 200， 250， 300 mg⋅L^-1） demonstrated the increase in inhibition rate of cell proliferation （P<0.01） and cell clone inhibition rate， and decrease in cell clone formation rate （P<0.01）. In comparison with the blank group， STA groups showed typical characteristics of apoptosis， such as chromatin condensation and enhanced fluorescence reaction. The apoptosis rate of STA groups was significantly higher than that of the blank group （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， STA （150， 200， 250， 300 mg⋅L^-1） significantly up-regulated the protein expression of Caspase-3 and Bax （P<0.05， P<0.01） and down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 protein （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， STA had no significant influence on the total protein expression of PI3K， Akt， JNK， and p38 MAPK. However， STA （150， 200， 250， 300 mg⋅L^-1） significantly decreased the levels of p-PI3K and p-Akt （P<0.05， P<0.01） and increased the level of p-p38 MAPK （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， STA （200， 250， 300 mg⋅L^-1） significantly raised the level of p-JNK （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionSTA can inhibit the proliferation and induce the apoptosis of A549 cells by inhibiting PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and activating JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo study the effect and underlying mechanism of Stemona tuberosa alkaloids on the proliferation and apoptosis of human non-small cell lung cancer NCI-H460 cells. MethodNon-small cell lung cancer NCI-H460 cells were divided into a blank group and S. tuberosa alkaloids groups （50， 100， 150， 200， and 250 mg·L^-1）. The effect of S. tuberosa alkaloids on the proliferation of human NCI-H460 cells was observed by thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide （MTT） assay and colony formation assay. Cell apoptosis was observed by Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry. Real-time fluorescence-based polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the effect of S. tuberosa alkaloids on the mRNA expression of cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease 3 （Caspase-3）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， and epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR）. The protein expression levels of Caspase-3， Bax， Bcl-2， protein kinase B （Akt）， phosphorylated （p-）Akt， EGFR， c-Jun N-terminal kinase （JNK）， p-JNK， p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p38 MAPK）， and p-p38 MAPK were measured by Western blot. ResultCompared with the blank group， the S. tuberosa alkaloids groups showed increased inhibition rate on cell proliferation （P<0.01）， reduced number of cell clones formed and the rate of cell clonal formation （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and increased karyopyknosis， cytoplasmic aggregation， and cell apoptosis rate （P<0.01）. The S. tuberosa alkaloids groups at 100， 150， 200， and 250 mg·L^-1 showed increased Caspase-3 mRNA expression （P<0.05）， decreased EGFR mRNA expression （P<0.05， P<0.01）， up-regulated protein expression of Caspase-3 and p-JNK （P<0.01）， and down-regulated protein expression of EGFR and p-Akt （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Additionally， compared with the blank group， the S. tuberosa alkaloids groups showed increased expression of Bax mRNA （P<0.01）， decreased expression of Bcl-2 mRNA （P<0.01）， up-regulated protein expression of Bax and p-p38 MAPK （P<0.01）， and down-regulated protein expression of Bcl-2 （P<0.01）. ConclusionsS. tuberosa alkaloids can inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of human non-small cell lung cancer NCI-H460 cells， and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of EGFR protein expression and phosphorylation of Akt protein， as well as the activation of the JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

Objective:To quantify any correlation between the severity of spinal curvature of an adolescent with idiopathic scoliosis and their cardiopulmonary exercise endurance.Methods:The cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) results and the full-length spinal X-rays in a standing position of 64 adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis were reviewed retrospectively. Independent t-tests were used to compare the two datasets obtained from those with left or right thoracic scoliosis. The correlation between the Cobb angle and cardiopulmonary exercise endurance was analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients, multiple factor linear regression and two-stage linear regression.Results:After adjusting for gender, age, height and weight, the multiple linear regression analysis showed that the Cobb angle was significantly negatively correlated with maximum tidal volume (β=-0.013) and significantly positively correlated with the rate of respiration (β=0.421). The relationship between the Cobb angle and cardiopulmonary exercise endurance was non-linear. With a Cobb angle > 34°, a 1° increase reduces cardiopulmonary exercise endurance by a factor of 1.4 on average. At smaller Cobb angles the corresponding increase is about 0.87 times.Conclusions:The Cobb angle is a negative predictor of ventilation during exercise among adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis. The more severe a patient′s spinal curvature, the lower the cardiopulmonary exercise endurance is likely to be.

Piperine is a kind of amide alkaloids presenting in Piper nigrum L.，which has the pharmacological action such as protecting cardiovascular system ，regulating glucose and lipid metabolism ，anti-tumor，improving nervous system diseases ， anti-inflammation and so on. This paper summarized the pharmacological action and mechanisms of piperine in recent years and found that piperine ，as the main active ingredient of P. nigrum ，could protect the cardiovascular system by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress ；improve mitochondrial function through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects ，thereby regulate glucose and lipid metabolism ；play an anti-tumor role by mediating the signaling pathways of Wnt/β-catenin，NF-κB/Nrf-2/KeAP-1/HO-1， PI3K/Akt，TGF-β1/Smad2/ERK1/2；improve neurological diseases by inhibiting autophagy ，relieving inflammation ，improving antioxidant，inhibiting neuronal apoptosis and regulating the expression of related proteins in neurons ；play an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the activity of NF-κB and other signaling pathways and reducing the expression of inflammation-related proteins. However，the mechanism of action of piperine is not perfect ，and most of the studies have been confined to the pharmacological level or a certain signaling pathway and a certain target ，without being able to elucidate the interconnection between the relevant signaling pathway and the specific target from a holistic perspective. In the follow-up ，the specific targets of piperine can be identified and clinical trials can be carried out to provide support for the clinical application of piperine.

Objective:Analysis of clustering characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Guangdong Province.Methods:The COVID-19 cases in Guangdong Province onset from January 1 to February 29, 2020 were collected from Chinese information system for disease control and prevention and Emergency Public Reporting System. Obtain the epidemiological survey data of the cluster epidemic situation, and clarify the scale of cluster epidemic situation, the characteristics of the index cases, family and non-family subsequent cases. Calculate serial interval according to the onset time of the index cases and subsequent cases, secondary attack rate based on the close contacts tracking results, the characteristics of different cases in the clustered epidemic were compared.Results:A total of 283 cluster were collected, including 633 index cases, 239 subsequent cases. Families are mainly clustered, the total number involved in each cluster is in the range of 2-27, M( P25, P75) are 2.0 (2.0, 4.0). During January 15 to February 29, the secondary attack rate is 2.86% (239/8 363) in Guangdong Province, the family secondary attack rate was 4.84% (276/3 697), and the non-family secondary attack rate was 1.32% (61/4 632). According to the reporting trend of the number of cases in Guangdong Province, it can be divided into four stages, the rising stage, the high platform stage, the descending stage and the low level fluctuation period. The secondary attack rate of the four stages were 3.5% (140/3 987), 2.3% (55/2 399), 2.6% (37/1 435), 1.3% (7/542), respectively. The difference was statistically significant ( P=0.003). Conclusion:COVID-19 cluster mainly occurs in families in Guangdong Province. The scale of the clustered epidemic was small; the serial interval was short; and the overall secondary attack rate was low.

Objective:Analysis of clustering characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Guangdong Province.Methods:The COVID-19 cases in Guangdong Province onset from January 1 to February 29, 2020 were collected from Chinese information system for disease control and prevention and Emergency Public Reporting System. Obtain the epidemiological survey data of the cluster epidemic situation, and clarify the scale of cluster epidemic situation, the characteristics of the index cases, family and non-family subsequent cases. Calculate serial interval according to the onset time of the index cases and subsequent cases, secondary attack rate based on the close contacts tracking results, the characteristics of different cases in the clustered epidemic were compared.Results:A total of 283 cluster were collected, including 633 index cases, 239 subsequent cases. Families are mainly clustered, the total number involved in each cluster is in the range of 2-27, M( P25, P75) are 2.0 (2.0, 4.0). During January 15 to February 29, the secondary attack rate is 2.86% (239/8 363) in Guangdong Province, the family secondary attack rate was 4.84% (276/3 697), and the non-family secondary attack rate was 1.32% (61/4 632). According to the reporting trend of the number of cases in Guangdong Province, it can be divided into four stages, the rising stage, the high platform stage, the descending stage and the low level fluctuation period. The secondary attack rate of the four stages were 3.5% (140/3 987), 2.3% (55/2 399), 2.6% (37/1 435), 1.3% (7/542), respectively. The difference was statistically significant ( P=0.003). Conclusion:COVID-19 cluster mainly occurs in families in Guangdong Province. The scale of the clustered epidemic was small; the serial interval was short; and the overall secondary attack rate was low.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) is effective in monitoring tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with osteosarcoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-nine osteosarcoma patients (20 men and 9 women; mean age, 17.6 ± 7.8 years) who had undergone magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and DKI before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy were included. Tumor volume, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), mean diffusivity (MD), mean kurtosis (MK), and change ratio (ΔX) between pre- and post-treatment were calculated. Based on histologic response, the patients were divided into those with good response (≥ 90% necrosis, n = 12) and those with poor response (< 90% necrosis, n = 17). Several MRI parameters between the groups were compared using Student's t test. The correlation between image indexes and tumor necrosis was determined using Pearson's correlation, and diagnostic performance was compared using receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: In good responders, MDpost, ADCpost, and MKpost values were significantly higher than in poor responders (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.042, respectively). The ΔMD and ΔADC were also significantly higher in good responders than in poor responders (p < 0.001 and p = 0.01, respectively). However, no significant difference was observed in ΔMK (p = 0.092). MDpost and ΔMD showed high correlations with tumor necrosis rate (r = 0.669 and r = 0.622, respectively), and MDpost had higher diagnostic performance than ADCpost (p = 0.037) and MKpost (p = 0.011). Similarly, ΔMD also showed higher diagnostic performance than ΔADC (p = 0.033) and ΔMK (p = 0.037). CONCLUSION: MD is a promising biomarker for monitoring tumor response to preoperative chemotherapy in patients with osteosarcoma.
Bone Neoplasms ; Diffusion ; Drug Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Necrosis ; Osteosarcoma ; ROC Curve ; Tumor Burden

OBJECTIVE: : To investigate the effect of polysaccharides (LBPs) on TLR/NF-κB independent pathway and serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) level in diabetic MyD88-knockout mice. METHODS: : Diabetes was induced by feeding high-fat/high-sugar diet and injection of low-dose streptozotocin in MyD88-knockout mice. The diabetic mice were randomly divided into model group, positive control group and LBPs group. The expressions of TRAM, TRIF, TRAF6, RIP1 and TNF-α mRNA and proteins in mouse peritoneal macrophages were detected by real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting after LBPs treatment for 3 month. Serum TNF-α was determined with ELISA kit. RESULTS: : Real time RT-PCR showed that compared with model group, the relative expressions of and mRNA in macrophages of LBPs group were significantly decreased and expression of was significantly increased (all <0.05). Expression of TRAM, TRIF, TRAF6, RIP1 and TNF-α proteins as well as serum TNF-α level had no significant difference between LBPs group and model group (all >0.05). CONCLUSIONS : LBPs may not inhibit serum TNF-α level through TLR/NF-κB independent pathway.
Animals ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; drug effects ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 ; genetics ; NF-kappa B ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood ; metabolism

Objective To assess the effects of artificial cycle after long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist down regulation scheme and artificial cycle only scheme in preparation of endometrium before frozen embryo transfer in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients on pregnancy outcome.Methods A retrospective analysis was made on the frozen embryo transfer of 132 PCOS patients in the reproductive center of Hunan Maternal and Child Health Hospital from November 2016 to October 2017.The patients were divided into GnRH-a down regulation + artificial cycle group (n =66) and simple artificial cycle group (n =66) according to the different endometrial preparation schemes before frozen embryo transplantation.The transplantation cycle and pregnancy outcome of the two groups were compared.Results (1) There was no statistically significant difference in age,primary infertility rate,infertility years and body mass index (BMI) between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05).(2) In the artificial cycle group,4 cases in which the transplantation was cancelled,including 2 cases who were cancelled due to breakthrough bleeding and 2 cases due to endometrial thickness that were less than 7 mm.There was a statistically significant difference in the cancellation rate between the two groups (x2 =4.13,P =0.04).There were no statistically significant difference in embryo frozen storage time,retrieved oocytes in fresh embryo cycle,frozen thawed embryos in the survival rate,graftage embryonic number,high-quality embryonic rate,endometrium thickness in conversion day (P ＞ 0.05).Estrogen level,luteinizing hormone (LH) levels on endometrium conversion day in GnRH-a down regulation plus artificial cycle group and artificial cycle group were respectively as [(1 439.38 ± 357.43) nmoL/ml vs (1 580.54 ± 479.69) nmol/ml and (2.32 ± 0.94) mIU/ml vs (9.46 ±1.52) mIU/ml],with statistically significant difference (x2 =53.64,P ＜ 0.001;x2 =14.32,P ＜ 0.001).(3) The biochemical pregnancy rates of the patients in the GnRH-a down regulation plus artificial cycle group and artificial cycle group were 72.73％ and 53.23％ respectively,with statistically significant difference (x2 =5.23,P =0.036).The clinical pregnancy rate (65.15％) in GnRH-a down regulation plus artificial cycle group was higher than that of the artificial cycle group (46.77％),with statistically significant difference (x2 =4.39,P =0.022).There was no statistically significant difference in early abortion rate and ectopic pregnancy rate between the two groups.Conclusions In frozen embryo transplantation cycle,long-term GnRH-a down regulation after artificial cycle scheme is superior to simple artificial cycle scheme with significantly reduced cycle cancellation rate,low estrogen and LH levels in endometrium transformation day and higher biochemical pregnancy rate and clinical pregnancy rate.

Objective To explore the effects of self-role recognition nursing on the agitation behavior and social interaction in schizophrenic patients with diabetes mellitus. Methods A total of 98 cases of schizophrenia patients with diabetes mellitus treated in Wuxi Mental Health Center of Jiangsu Province from October 2014 to October 2016 were selected as the research objects. The patients were randomly divided into control group and study group by random number table method. The control group was given routine nursing intervention, while the study group was given self-role recognition nursing intervention for 6 months. The level of fasting blood glucose and 2-hour postprandial blood glucose were compared between the two groups. Patients' agitation behavior was evaluated by Cohen-Mansfield agitation inventory (CMAI); social communication ability was evaluated by social skills checklist (SSC) and social adaptive functioning evaluation (SAFE); mental status was evaluated by positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS). The data of this study were statistically analyzed with SPSS 19.0 statistical software, in which the measurement data were tested by t-test, and the enumeration data were tested by χ2test. Results Before intervention, there was no significant difference in fasting blood glucose and 2-hour postprandial blood glucose between the two groups (P> 0.05). After intervention, the fasting blood glucose and 2-hour postprandial blood glucose level in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P< 0.01). The scores of physically aggressive agitation, physically non-aggressive agitation, verbal agitation and the total score of CMAI in the control group were (16.4±3.7), (31.5±4.9), (25.2±4.5), (73.1±4.5) respectively after intervention, and the scores were (11.8±3.2), (24.1±5.3), (17.5±4.2), (53.4±4.7) in the study group. The differences between the two groups after intervention were statistically significant (t=7.268, 8.617, 8.561, 15.341;P<0.01). The results of SSC scale and SAFE scale in both groups decreased than before intervention, and the scores of the study group were all lower than those of the control group, with statistical significance (P<0.01). After intervention, the scores of positive symptoms, negative symptoms, negative symptoms and the total score of PANSS scale of the study group were significantly lower than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.01). Conclusions Self-role recognition nursing intervention can be used to improve the patients' social interaction ability and mental status in the nursing process of schizophrenia patients with diabetes mellitus, and it is worthy of clinical promotion.