Objective:To analyze the characteristics of smoking network among smokers in Kunming smoking cessation outpatient service.Methods:A multicenter, cross-sectional study was carried out, and smoking cessation outpatients from 8 tertiary hospitals (the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Yan′an Hospital, Ganmei Hospital, the 920 Hospital of the Chinese People′s Liberation Army Joint Logistic Support Force, Kunming First People′s Hospital, the First People′s Hospital of Yunnan Province and the Second People′s Hospital of Yunnan Province) in Kunming, Yunnan Province were included to receive a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire mainly consisted of four parts: (1) demographic characteristics of smokers; (2) the specific situation of smoking; (3) social support network; (4) smoking network. A total of 360 questionnaires were distributed in this survey, 351 were recovered, and 351 were valid, the collected data from valid questionnaire were statistically analyzed to analyze the social demographic characteristics, smoking status and smoking network characteristics of smokers.Results:In this survey, the demographic characteristics of the 351 patients in the smoking cessation clinic were as follows: there were 342 male cases (97.4%), 249 cases (70.9%) were Han, 233 patients (66.4%) were non-religious, there were 236 cases (67.2%) with college degree or above, and 51 cases (14.5%) were unemployed. The analysis of smoking status showed that 167 patients (47.6%) maintained daily smoking, 247 patients (70.4%) had plans to quit smoking, at least one parent of 258 patients (73.5%) had a history of smoking, 188 patients (53.6 %) smoked at home. In the smoking network of the surveyed patients, there were 304 patients (86.6%) who smoked together with two or more people, and more than 90 percent of the patients smoked with the same sex.Conclusions:The smoking network of patients in Kunming smoking cessation clinic is small, and a third of smokers are friends. It is suggested to use the characteristics of smoking network to carry out smoking cessation intervention activities, so as to improve the success rate of smoking cessation.

Objective:To investigate the value of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted quantitative measurement in evaluation of the dynamic changes of CT for COVID-19 pneumonia.Methods:The clinical and chest CT dynamic imaging data of 99 patients with confirmed COVID-19 pneumonia who were hospitalized in Wuhan Central Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January 15, 2020 to March 10, 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the definitive diagnosis, the 99 patients were classified into common ( n=36), severe ( n=33) and critical ( n=30) type, the CT imaging findings of each type were analyzed, including CT basic signs, total volume of pneumonia lesions and percentage of pneumonia lesions of the total lung volume (volume ratio). AI software was used to quantitatively evaluate the dynamic changes of chest CT images. The quantitative indicators included CT peak time of lesions, total volume of lesions peak, volume ratio of lesions peak, maximum growth rate of total volume and maximum growth rate of volume ratio. Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test was used to compare the difference of quantitative indexes between the 3 types, and χ 2 test or Fisher exact probability test was used to compare the difference of qualitative indexes between the 3 types. Sequence measurement and scatter plots were used to show the evolution trend of the volume ratio of the three types of COVID-19 pneumonia lesions. The ROC curve was used to analyze the value of the volume ratio of pneumonia lesions and its maximum growth rate in predicting the conversion of common pneumonia to severe or critical pneumonia. Results:There were statistically significant differences in age and gender distribution among patients with common, severe and critical COVID-19 ( P<0.05), the age of severe and critical types were significantly higher than that of common type ( P<0.01). Compared with common [2.5 (1.0, 5.0) d] and critical type[2.5 (1.0, 4.0) d], the time from onset to the first chest CT scan of severe type was prolonged [5.0 (2.5, 8.0) d, P<0.01]. There were statistically significant differences in involvement of multiple lung lobes (20 cases, 29 cases, 25 cases, χ2=10.403, P=0.006) in patients with common, severe and critical COVID-19 at the first scan, the incidence of the involvement of multiple lung lobes in severe and critical types was significantly higher than that of common type ( P=0.002). The volume ratios of patients with common, severe and critical COVID-19 at the first scan were statistically significant [1.0% (0.2%, 4.7%), 9.30% (1.63%, 26.83%), 2.10% (0.64%, 8.61%), Z=14.236, P=0.001], and the volume ratio of severe type was significantly higher than that of common type ( P<0.001), there was no statistically significant difference between common type and critical type ( P=0.062). Follow-up CT showed that the pneumonia lesions showed a dynamic transformation of progress and recovery, and it was seen that the coexistence of multiphase lesions. The trend line in the scatter plot of the three types of COVID-19 pneumonia lesions showed that the lesions in the advanced stage developed from less to more. The lesion peak volume ratios of the common, severe and critical types were 9.75% (4.83%, 13.18%), 29.80% (23.99%, 42.36%) and 61.81% (43.73%, 72.82%), respectively, the difference was statistically significant ( Z=74.147, P<0.001). The maximum growth rates of lesion volume ratio were 1.27% (0.50%, 1.81%)/d, 4.39% (3.16%, 5.54%)/d and 6.02% (4.77%, 9.96%)/d, respectively, the difference was statistically significant ( Z=52.453, P<0.001). The peak times of lesions were 12.0 (9.0, 15.0) d, 13.0 (10.0, 16.0) d and 16.5 (12.0, 25.0)d, respectively, the difference was statistically significant ( Z=9.524, P=0.009). Taking the volume ratio of pneumonia lesion 22.60% and the maximum growth rate of the volume ratio 1.875%/d as the boundary value, the sensitivity of diagnosing common type to severe or critical type was 92.10% and 96.83%, and the specificity was 100% and 80.56%, respectively. The area under the curve was 0.987 and 0.925, respectively. Conclusions:The lesions of COVID-19 pneumonia show a similar parabolic change on CT imaging. The use of AI technology to dynamitcally and accurately measure the CT pneumonia lesion volume ratio is helpful to evaluate the severity of the disease and predict the development trend of the disease. Patients with a rapid growth of volume ratio are more likely to become severe or critical type.

Malignant cell transformation could be considered as a series of cell reprogramming events driven by oncogenic transcription factors and upstream signalling pathways. Chromatin plasticity and dynamics are critical determinants in the control of cell reprograming. An increase in chromatin dynamics could therefore constitute an essential step in driving oncogenesis and in generating tumour cell heterogeneity, which is indispensable for the selection of aggressive properties, including the ability of cells to disseminate and acquire resistance to treatments. Histone supply and dosage, as well as histone variants, are the best-known regulators of chromatin dynamics. By facilitating cell reprogramming, histone under-dosage and histone variants should also be crucial in cell transformation and tumour metastasis. Here we summarize and discuss our knowledge of the role of histone supply and histone variants in chromatin dynamics and their ability to enhance oncogenic cell reprogramming and tumour heterogeneity.

OBJECTIVETo observe descending inhibition of cardiac nociception induced by microinjection of endomorphin-1 (EM1) in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (VLPAG) in rats effect and explore the role of μ-opioid receptor in mediating this effect.

METHODSMale SD rats were randomized into electromyography (EMG) group and c-Fos group, both of which were further divided into 5 subgroups, namely 0.9% NaCl group, bradykinin (BK) group, BK+EM1 group, BK+CTOP group, and BK+CTOP+EM1 group. Rat models of cardiac nociception were established by intrapericardial injection of BK. The changes of cardiaosomatic motor reflex induced by BK were observed by assessing EMG responses of the dorsal spinotrapezius muscle; c-Fos expression in the spinal dorsal horn at levels T-T was tested.

RESULTSCompared with 0.9% NaCl, intrapericardial BK injection induced obvious EMG activities and significantly increased c-Fos expression in the spinal dorsal horn at T-T ( < 0.05). Compared with BK injection, microinjection of EM1 in the VLPAG dose-dependently inhibited EMG activities and significantly decreased c-Fos expression ( < 0.05); microinjection of CTOP in the VLPAG produced no significant effect on EMG or c-Fos expression ( > 0.05). Microinjection of CTOP obviously reversed EM1-induced inhibition of EMG activities and c-Fos expression ( < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSMicroinjection of EM1 in the VLPAG produces descending inhibition of cardiac nociception in rats by activating μ-opioid receptor.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of neurokinin-1 (NK1) receptor and non-N-methyl-D-aspartate (non-NMDA) receptor in modulating the cardiosomatic reflex in the spinal cord of rat.

METHODSThe effects of intrathecal injection of NK1 receptor agonist Sar-SP and antagonist CP-96345 and non-NMDA receptor agonist NMDA and antagonist 6, 7-dinitro-1,4-dihydro-quinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX) on the cardiosomatic reflex were observed in rats. The changes of the cardiosomatic reflex were monitored by observing the electromyogram (EMG) responses of the dorsal spinotrapezius muscle to intrapericardial bradykinin (BK) injection.

RESULTSIntrathecal injection of Sar-SP significantly facilitated EMG responses to intrapericardial BK injection (P<0.05), which was completely blocked by intrathecal injection of NK1 antagonist CP-96345. Similarly, intrathecal injection of NMDA obviously facilitated the EMG responses (P<0.05), which was partially reversed by intrathecal injection of non-NMDA receptor antagonist DNQX. Intrathecal injection of Sar-SP along with NMDA significantly increased EMG as compared with single administration of Sar-SP or NMDA (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe spinal cord levels of NK1 receptor and non-NMDA receptor are involved in the modulation of the cardiosomatic reflex in rats.

Animals ; Biphenyl Compounds ; Injections, Spinal ; Quinoxalines ; Rats ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate ; physiology ; Reflex ; physiology ; Spinal Cord ; physiology ; Substance P ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (VL-PAG) metabotropic glutamate receptors subtype 7 and 8 (mGluR 7/8) in descending modulation of cardiosomatic motor reflex (CMR) in rats.

METHODSAMN082 (agonist of mGluR 7) and DCPG (agonist of mGluR 8) were injected into the VL-PAG of a rat model of CMR to observe their effects in modulating CMR. The raphe magnus nucleus (NRM) or the gigantocellular reticular nucleus (Gi) was then damaged, and the changes in VL-PAG descending modulation were observed.

RESULTSSelective activation of mGluR 7 of the VL-PAG by AMN082 obviously facilitated capsaicin (CAP)-induced CMR (P<0.05), which was suppressed by DCPG-induced mGluR 8 activation (P<0.05). These facilitatory or inhibitory effects were completely reversed by group III mGluR antagonist MSOP. Damaging the NRM of VL-PAG main relay nucleus did not significantly affect the facilitatory effect produced by AMN082 microinjection (P>0.05), but partially attenuated the inhibitory effect of DCPG microinjection (P<0.05). Both the facilitatory effect of AMN082 and the inhibitory effect of DCPG were reduced obviously after bilateral Gi damage (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONVL-PAG mGluR 7 and mGluR 8 mediate biphasic regulation of CMR in rats probably through activation of different sub-nuclei and different neurons in the rostroventral medulla.

Animals ; Benzhydryl Compounds ; pharmacology ; Benzoates ; pharmacology ; Glycine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology ; Male ; Medulla Oblongata ; metabolism ; Periaqueductal Gray ; metabolism ; Physical Conditioning, Animal ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Metabotropic Glutamate ; agonists ; metabolism ; Reflex ; physiology

Objective To observe the cardiosomatic motor reflex (CMR)of rats, and to clarify the descending modulation of nucleus raphes magnus (NRM)in cardiac nociception and its pathway.Methods 34 male healthy SD rats were randomly divided into NRM electrical stimulation group (n=8 ), NRM stimulation combined with dorsolateral funiculus (DLF ) transection group (n= 8 ), NRM stimulation combined with antagonist of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)methysergide intrathecal administration group (n=18).The rat model of CMR was established through inj ecting capsaicin into the pericardial sac of the rats in various groups. The electromyogram (EMG) response of dorsal spinotrapezius muscle was used as detection index, and by placing the stimulation electrode in NRM and (or)intrathecal catheterization, the descending inhibitory modulation of NRM in CMR and the influence of DLF tansection or methysergide intrathecal administration in descending inhibitory modulation of NRM were observed.Results Compared with before stimulation,the EMG response was decreased after NRM electrical stimulation (75 μA) (P<0.05 );after bilateral DLF transection, the EMG response after NRM stimulation was significantly increased compared with before DLF transection (P<0.05 ), and there was no significant difference compared with its control (P> 0.05 ). In addition, after intrathecal administration of methysergide,the EMG response after NRM stimulation was significantly increased compared with before intrathecal treatment of methysergide (P<0.05),but it was still significantly smaller than that of its control (P<0.05). Conclusion Cardiac nociception evoked by capsaicin stimulation is subject to descending inhibitory modulation from NRM,and the descending inhibition from NRM is conveyed via the DLF and partially mediated by endogenous 5-HT system.

Objective To study the role of glutamate receptor subtypes in nucleus tractus solitarius(NTS)in cardiac-somatic motor reflex (CMR)induced by intrapericardial administration of capsaicin,and to clarify the modulation mechanism of NTS to cardiac nociceptoion.Methods 60 SD rats were randomly divided into ibotenic (IBO)group, glutamate group, MK-801 group, MCGP group, MK-801 + MCPG group and DNQX group. The NTS microinjected with 130 mmol·L-1 IBO 100 nL,100,200,500 mmol·L-1 L-glutamate 100 nL,NMDA receptor antagonist 40 and 60 mmol · L-1 MK-801 100 nL, metabotropic glutamate receptors antagonist 25 and 50 mmol·L-1 MCPG 100 nL,25 mmol· L-1 MCPG 50 nL plus 40 mmol· L-1 MK-801 50 nL,non-NMDA receptor antagonist 20 and 50 mmol·L-1 DNQX 100 nL,respectively.The changes of CMR of the rats in various groups were observed.Results Compared with control group,the CMR of the rats in IBO group was decreased (P<0.05);the CMR was increased as the concentration increased in glutamate group(P<0.05);the CMR in MK-801 and MCPG groups were decreased (P<0.05);the CMR in MK-801+MCPG group was decreased (P<0.05);the CMR in DXQX group had no changes (P>0.05).Conclusion NTS play an facilictory role in cardiac nociception,and the NMDA receptors and mGluRs receptors mediate this facilitory modulation.

Objective To explore the role of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs)group Ⅲ and its subtypes mGluR7 and mGluR8 in nucleus tractus solitarius(NTS)in cardiac-somatic motor reflex (CMR),and to clarify the modulation role of mGluR Ⅲ and its subtypes in NTS in cardiac nociceptoion.Methods 40 SD rats were randomly divided into L-AP4 group,microinjection of mGluRs Ⅲ agonist L-AP4 0.1,1.0,10.0 or 20.0 nmol in NTS;AMN082 group,microinjection of mGluR7 agonist AMN082 1,2 or 4 nmol;DCPG group,microinjection of mGluR8 agonist DCPG 4, 6 or 8 nmol;MSOP group, microinjection of mGluR Ⅲ antagonist MSOP 20 or 100 nmol,20 nmol MSOP+410 nmol L-AP,20 nmol MSOP+2 nmol AMN082,20 nmol MSOP+6 nmol DCPG. The changes of CMR of the rats in various groups were observed.Results Compared with control,the CMR in L-AP4 and AMN082 groups was decreased (P<0.05);the CMR in DCPG group was increased (P<0.05);the CMR in MSOP group after injection of 20 nmol MSOP had no change (P>0.05);the CMR in MSOP group after injection of 100 nmol MSOP was increased (P<0.05);the CMR in MSOP group after injection of 20 nmol MSOP followed L-AP4 or AMNO82 had no change (P>0.05).Conclusion The group Ⅲ mGluRs in the NTS play an inhibitory role in cardiac nociception, and mGluR7 has anti-nociceptive effects while mGluR8 has pro-nociceptive effects.

Objective To study the modulation of central amygdale (CeA)on cardiac nociception with electrical stimulation in rats.Methods The heart pain model of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats was established with intrapericardial injection of capsaicin; then the evoked electromyography (EMG ) responses in the spinotrapezius (SPT)were observed as an index.Immunohistochemical method was used to observe the expression of c-fos in CeA;The rats were divided into normal control group,intrapericardial saline injection control group,and intrapericardial capsaicin injection group. The changes of EMG responses after electrical stimulation on CeA (intensity of 30μA and 70μA)were observed separately by electrophysiology in different groups.Results① Compared with normal control group, intrapericardial capsaicin injection group had significantly increased expression of c-fos in CeA.However,c-fos expression did not differ significantly between intrapericardial saline injection group and normal control group;② After 30μA electrical stimulation on CeA,EMG response in SPT significantly decreased in intrapericardial capsaicin injection group compared with that in control group;the total discharge rate was (78.58±4.62)% of that of control group (P<0.05).After 70μA electrical stimulation on CeA, the total discharge rate was (54.89±3.98)% of that of control group (P<0.05).Conclusion CeA may be involved in cardiac nociceptive transmission in rats and has inhibitory effects on the modulation of rat cardiac nociception.