Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Constipation/therapy* ; Probiotics/therapeutic use* ; Patients

Objective We aimed to observe the differences in the effects of different acupuncture technique on the endometrium of mice with simple endometrial hyperplasia model and to explore the potential mechanisms. Methods According to the random number tables,32 female C57BL/6J mice were divided into a blank control group,a model group,a quick needle group and a retaining needle group,with 8 mice in each group. A mouse model of simple endometrial hyperplasia was established using bilateral ovariectomy combined with estrogen loading. In the quick needle group,mice were punctured at the bilateral for "Yinbai"(SP1) points and withdrawn immediately,with the treatmeat performed once every other day for a total of 12 times. In the retaining needle group,mice were punctured at the bilateral "Yinbai"(SP1) points and the needles were retained for 15 min each time,with the treatment also performed once every other day for a total of 12 times. After the intervention,samples were collected. HE staining was used to observe morphological changes in the mouse uterine tissue;ELISA was used to detect serum estradiol level;flow cytometry was used to detect the ratio of M1 and M2 macrophages(M1/M2) and immunohistochemical method was used to measure the expression of CD86 and CD206 in uterine tissue;and Western blotting was used to detect the expression of interleukin-13 (IL-13) and interferon-γ(IFN-γ) in uterine tissue. Results The endometrium of mice in the model group showed simple hyperplasia. Compared with the blank control group,the endometrium of the model group was thickened (P<0.01);the level of estradiol in the serum was increased (P<0.01);M1/M2 in uterine tissues was decreased (P<0.01),the expression of CD86 was decreased (P<0.01),and the positive expression of CD206 was increased (P<0.01);and the level of IFN-γ protein expression in uterine tissues was decreased (P<0.01),and the expression of IL-13 protein was increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group,the endometrial thicknesses of the quick needle group and the retaining needle group were reduced (P<0.05),the levels of estradiol in serum were reduced (P<0.05),M1/M2 in uterine tissues increased (P<0.01),and the reduction of CD206 positive expression,and IL-13 protein expression reduced (P<0.01);the level of CD86 positive expression,IFN-γ protein expression increased (P<0.01). Compared with the quick needle group,IL-13 protein expression increased in the retaining needle group (P<0.01).Conclusion Both quick needle and retaining needle may be through the regulation of the expression of IFN-γ and IL-13,thus prompting the polarization of macrophages from M2 to M1 type,inhibiting the pro-cell proliferative ability and tissue repair ability of M2 type macrophages,thus reducing the degree of endometrial hyperplasia,and the quick needle group was superior to the retaining needle group in regulating the expression of IL-13.

Objective:To observe and verify the changes of transcriptome in hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury (HALI), and to further clarify the changes of pathways in HALI.Methods:Twelve healthy male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normoxia group and HALI group according to the random number table, with 6 mice in each group. The mice in the normoxia group were fed normally in the room, and the mice in the HALI group was exposed to 95% oxygen to reproduce the HALI animal model. After 72 hours of hyperoxia exposure, the lung tissues were taken for transcriptome sequencing, and then Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis was performed. The pathological changes of lung tissue were observed under light microscope after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to verify the key molecules in the signal pathways closely related to HALI identified by transcriptomics analysis.Results:Transcriptomic analysis showed that hyperoxia induced 537 differentially expressed genes in lung tissue of mice as compared with the normoxia group including 239 up-regulated genes and 298 down-regulated genes. Further KEGG pathway enrichment analysis identified 20 most significantly enriched pathway entries, and the top three pathways were ferroptosis signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway and glutathione (GSH) metabolism signaling pathway. The related genes in the ferroptosis signaling pathway included the up-regulated gene heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and the down-regulated gene solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11). The related genes in the p53 signaling pathway included the up-regulated gene tumor suppressor gene p53 and the down-regulated gene murine double minute 2 (MDM2). The related gene in the GSH metabolic signaling pathway was up-regulated gene glutaredoxin 1 (Grx1). The light microscope showed that the pulmonary alveolar structure of the normoxia group was normal. In the HALI group, the pulmonary alveolar septum widened and thickened, and the alveolar cavity shrank or disappeared. RT-RCR and Western blotting confirmed that compared with the normoxia group, the mRNA and protein expressions of HO-1 and p53 in lung tissue of the HALI group were significantly increased [HO-1 mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 2.16±0.17 vs. 1.00±0.00, HO-1 protein (HO-1/β-actin): 1.05±0.01 vs. 0.79±0.01, p53 mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 2.52±0.13 vs. 1.00±0.00, p53 protein (p53/β-actin): 1.12±0.02 vs. 0.58±0.03, all P < 0.05], and the mRNA and protein expressions of Grx1, MDM2, SLC7A11 were significantly decreased [Grx1 mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 0.53±0.05 vs. 1.00±0.00, Grx1 protein (Grx1/β-actin): 0.54±0.03 vs. 0.93±0.01, MDM2 mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 0.48±0.03 vs. 1.00±0.00, MDM2 protein (MDM2/β-actin): 0.57±0.02 vs. 1.05±0.01, SLC7A11 mRNA (2 -ΔΔCt): 0.50±0.06 vs. 1.00±0.00, SLC7A11 protein (SLC7A11/β-actin): 0.72±0.03 vs. 0.98±0.01, all P < 0.05]. Conclusions:HALI is closely related to ferroptosis, p53 and GSH metabolism signaling pathways. Targeting the key targets in ferroptosis, p53 and GSH metabolism signaling pathways may be an important strategy for the prevention and treatment of HALI.

Objective:To investigate the effects of personalized intermittent energy restriction (IER) diet on sleep related gut microbiome in obese patients.Methods:In this single-arm clinical trial, a total of 35 obese patients who visited Henan Provincial People′s Hospital from April to November 2018 were recruited as research subjects. They underwent a strict 32-day IER diet intervention, divided into 4 stages of 8 days each. Nutritional recipes were formulated and nutritious meals were provided to each obese patient with timed meals, including 55% carbohydrates, 15% protein, and 30% fat per meal. In stages 1, 2, 3, and 4, patients were provided with 2/3, 1/2, 1/3, and 1/4 of their previous calorie intake every other day, respectively, with meals at 8:00 and 16:00. During the remaining time, patients were allowed unrestricted eating at home. Physiological indicators (weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, waist circumference, hip circumference, fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, blood pressure, triglycerides, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores were observed before and after the intervention. Gut microbiota changes were analyzed using metagenomic sequencing technology, and Spearman′s correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between significantly different bacterial species and PSQI scores.Results:After the intervention, the body weight, body mass index, and PSQI scores of obese patients were all significantly lower than before intervention [(89.92±14.98) vs (97.53±15.67) kg, (31.94±3.95) vs (34.64±4.05) kg/m 2, (3.43±1.16) vs (5.42±2.27)], the abundance of gut microbiota was significantly higher after the intervention (all P<0.05). There were 45 significantly different bacterial species before and after the intervention, of which 6 bacterial species ( Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli, Odoribacter splanchnicus, Oribacterium sinus, Streptococcus gordonii, and Streptococcus parasanguinis) showed significantly positive correlations with PSQI scores ( r=0.476, 0.475, 0.369, 0.391, 0.401, 0.423) (all P<0.05), and they were mainly enriched in the glutamate and tryptophan synthesis pathways. Conclusions:The personalized IER diet intervention can improve the sleep of obese patients while reducing weight, possibly mediated by changes in gut microbiota through the glutamate and tryptophan pathways.

To study the chemical constituents of petroleum ether extract from the stems and leaves of Humulus scandens (family of Moraceae), fifteen compounds were isolated from the stems and leaves of H.scandens by silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, ODS, and preparative HPLC chromatography.The structures were identified by physicochemical data and spectroscopic method as tectochrysin (1), chrysin (2), 5-hydroxy-3, 4'', 6, 7-tetramethoxyflavone (3), (2S)-5-hydroxy-7, 8-dimethoxyflavanone (4), imperatorin (5), phellopterin (6), ethyl 4-hydroxy-3-(3''-methyl-2''-butenyl)benzoate (7), p-hydroxy-phenylpropionic acid (8), ethyl p-hydroxycinnamate (9), p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (10), anofinic acid (11), 5,6-dehydrokavain (12), physcion (13), olean-12-ene-3,?11-dione (14) and ergosta-4, 6, 8 (14), 22-tetraen-3-one (15), respectively.All compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Objective:To explore the predictive value of transvaginal ultrasound measurement of cervical length (CL) in the first and second trimester on spontaneous preterm birth in singleton pregnant women.Methods:This study retrospectively recruited 2 254 singleton pregnancies without severe comorbidities at Peking University First Hospital from January 2019 to June 2019. CL was measured for all subjects using transvaginal ultrasound in the first (11-13 +6 weeks) and second trimester (21-23 +6 weeks). Differences in CL between women with preterm (preterm group) and full-term delivery (full-term group) as well as the CL during the first and second trimester were compared. The independent risk factors for preterm birth and the predictive value of CL in the first and second trimester for spontaneous preterm birth were also explored. Fisher's exact test, t-test, χ2 test, and logistic regression analysis, etc, were adopted for statistical analysis. Results:(1) For the 2 254 subjects, CL measured in the first trimester and second trimester were (36.1±4.2) mm (22.4-52.6 mm) and (36.9±5.3) mm (2.9-59.7 mm), respectively. The incidence of short cervix in the first trimester and second trimester were 0.31% (7/2 254) and 1.46% (33/2 254), respectively. When CL was ≤25.0 mm ( OR=43.92, 95% CI:6.83-282.49) or >25.0-≤30.3 mm ( OR=6.59, 95% CI:1.97-22.0) in the first trimester, the risk of short cervix increased in the second trimester (both P<0.05). (2) The total incidence of preterm delivery was 3.06% (69/2 254). CL and the incidence of short cervix did not differ significantly in the first trimester between the preterm and full-term group [(35.2±4.5) and (36.1±4.1) mm, t=－1.78, P=0.076; 1.5% (1/69) and 0.3% (6/2 185), χ 2=2.98, P=0.084]. Compared with the full-term group, CL was shorter and the incidence of short cervix was higher in the second trimester in the preterm group [(33.6±6.7) vs (37.0±5.2) mm, t=－5.12;8.7% (6/69) vs 1.2% (27/2 185), χ 2=25.80, P<0.001]. (3) Multivariate regression analysis showed that age ≥35 years ( OR=2.05, 95% CI:1.22-3.46), history of spontaneous preterm birth ( OR=25.25, 95% CI:5.01-127.28), conception assisted by reproductive technology ( OR=10.39, 95% CI:2.39-50.33), and short cervix during the second trimester were independent risk factors for premature delivery. (4) There was no significant difference in the risk of preterm delivery when comparing to those with CL≤25.0 mm, >25.0-≤30.3 mm, >30.3-≤33.0 mm, >33.0-≤35.7 mm, >35.7-≤38.7 mm women with CL>38.7 mm during the first trimester (all P>0.05). The risk of premature delivery was relatively increased for those with CL≤25.0 mm,>25.0-≤29.5 mm, >29.5-≤33.6 mm, >33.6~≤36.8 mm, >36.8~≤40.1 mm during the second trimester compared to those with CL>40.1 mm [ OR (95% CI):17.64 (4.99-62.32), 6.89 (2.11-22.55), 3.58 (1.34-9.59), 4.04 (1.58-10.32), 3.34 (1.28-8.67), respectively , all P<0.05]. (5) When CL≤25.0 mm and ≤29.5 mm in the second trimester were used as the cut-off value, the prediction of preterm delivery was with a sensitivity of 8.70% and 17.39%, specificity of 98.80% and 95.29%, positive predictive value of 18.20% and 10.43%, negative predictive value of 97.16% and 97.34%, and the accuracy rate of 96.01% and 92.90%, respectively. Conclusions:There were no significant differences in CL and the incidence of short cervix during the first trimester among women with preterm or full-term delivery. CL in the first trimester is not an independent risk factor for preterm birth, but the risk of short cervix in the second trimester is increased when CL≤30.3 mm in the first trimester. The shorter the cervix during the second trimester, the greater the risk of preterm birth.

Objective:To observe the effect of enriched rehabilitation on dual-task gait disorder after a transient ischemic attack (TIA) and explore its mechanism.Methods:Sixty TIA patients were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group, each of 30. Another 30 healthy counterparts were selected to form a healthy control group. All of the TIA patients were given routine medication to lower blood pressure and improve brain function, while the observation group was additionally provided with enriched rehabilitation training for 12 weeks. Before and after the intervention, the gait and cognitive functioning of all of the subjects were quantified and their event-related potentials (P300s) and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were also measured.Results:Before the treatment there were significant differences between the TIA groups and healthy controls in all of the measurements, but there were no significant differences between the control and observation groups. After the treatment, no significant improvement was observed in any of the control group′s results, but there was significant improvement in the observation group′s gait parameters, cognitive functioning, average serum BDNF concentration and in the average latency and amplitude of its P300 signals.Conclusions:Enriched rehabilitation can improve the gait of TIA patients, perhaps through increasing their serum BDNF concentration and improving their cognition.

Objective:To investigate the pregnancy outcomes of pregnant women with cesarean scar diverticulum (CSD) and to find the relevant factors that predict the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes.Methods:From January 2015 to March 2019, 501 singleton pregnant women with a history of cesarean section who underwent regular prenatal examination in early pregnancy and eventually delivered in Peking University First Hospital were prospectively collected. According to the presence or absence of CSD in the first trimester of pregnancy, the pregnant women were divided into the CSD group ( n=127, 25.3%) and the non-CSD group ( n=374, 74.7%). According to the mode of delivery and the classification of the lower uterine segment seen during cesarean section, the CSD group was further divided into the non-rupture group (including spontaneous delivery and lower uterine segment grade Ⅰ; n=108, 85.0%) and rupture group (including lower uterine segment grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ; n=19, 15.0%). The general clinical data, pregnancy outcomes, diverticulum-related indexes [including length, width, depth (D), average diameter, volume, and residual myometrial thickness (RMT)] were compared. The predictive values of D/adjacent myometrial thickness≥50%, RMT≤2.2 mm and D/RMT>1.3 for uterine rupture in CSD pregnant women were verified. Results:(1) Comparison between CSD group and non-CSD group: the lower uterine segment thickness in the third trimester of pregnancy in the CSD group was lower than that in the non-CSD group [(1.2±0.5) vs (1.4±0.6) mm, respectively], and the incidence of uterine rupture was higher than that in the non-CSD group [15.0% (19/127) vs 8.0% (30/374), respectively], and the differences were statistically significant (both P<0.05). There were no significant differences in other clinical data and pregnancy outcomes between the two groups (all P>0.05). (2) Comparison of rupture group and non-rupture group: the lower uterine segment thickness in the third trimester of pregnancy in rupture group [(0.6±0.5) mm] was lower than that in non-rupture group [(1.2±0.6) mm], and the difference was statistically significant ( t=3.486, P=0.001). There were no significant differences in diverticulum-related indexes between the two groups (all P>0.05). (3) Relationship between high risk predictors of uterine rupture and actual uterine rupture: the sensitivity of D/adjacent muscle thickness ≥50%, RMT≤2.2 mm and D/RMT>1.3 in predicting the high risk of uterine rupture were 94.7%, 57.9% and 73.6%, the specificity were 12.0%, 40.7% and 24.1%, the positive predictive value were 15.9%, 14.7%, 14.6%, and the negative predictive value were 92.8%, 84.6%, 83.9%, respectively. Conclusions:The risk of uterine rupture in pregnant women with CSD is higher than that in those without CSD. There is no significant correlation between CSD related indexes and uterine rupture in the first trimester. Monitoring the lower uterine segment thickness in the third trimester might be helpful to predict the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Objective:To investigate the influence of peer education based on WeChat support on the social support, mental flexibility and rehabilitation self-efficacy of patients after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.Methods:A total of 82 patients after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy who were admitted from January 2018 to December 2019 were selected as the research objects. According to the operation time, they were divided into the treatment group (January 2019-December 2019) with 43 cases and the control group (January 2018-December 2018) with 39 cases. The control group was given regular health education, and the treatment group jointly applied peer education based on WeChat support. Followed up for 2 months, the two groups of patients were evaluated the degree of social support, psychological flexibility, and rehabilitation self-efficacy by Social Support Rating Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale and compared.Results:There was no significant difference in the degree of social support, psychological flexibility, and rehabilitation self-efficacy before intervention between the two groups( P>0.05). The objective support, support utilization, and social support scores in the treatment group after intervention were (9.12±1.12), (10.45 ± 0.75), (32.49 ± 4.56) points, and the control group were (7.45 ± 1.36), (8.74 ± 1.43), (29.84 ± 4.45) points, and the differences were statistically significant ( t values were 6.091, 6.681, 2.658, P<0.01). The scores of toughness, self-improvement, optimism, and mental resilience in the treatment group after intervention were (28.21 ± 4.25), (20.32 ± 3.54), (9.36 ± 1.12), and (57.89 ± 7.21) points, and the control group were (24.36 ± 4.34), (17.14 ± 3.21), (7.84 ± 1.23), (49.34 ± 6.55) points, and the differences were statistically significant( t values were 4.056-5.857, P<0.01). The scores of physical exercise self-efficacy, coping self-efficacy, and rehabilitation self-efficacy in the treatment group after intervention were (43.43 ± 5.38), (54.45 ± 6.32), (97.88 ± 7.45) points, and the control group were (37.45 ± 5.42), (48.65 ± 6.45), (86.10 ± 9.12) points, and the differences were statistically significant ( t values were 5.009, 4.110, 6.430, P<0.01). Conclusions:Peer education based on WeChat support helps to enhance the degree of social support for patients after laparoscopic prostate cancer surgery, improve the level of mental flexibility, and promote the development of rehabilitation self-efficacy.

Objective:To analyse the pathogenic bacteria distribution and clinical characteristics of late-onset sepsis (LOS) among premature infants with gestational age less than 34 weeks in Henan Province.Methods:The clinical data of 6 590 premature infants admitted to 17 medical institutions in Henan Province from January 2019 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The gestational age of infants was less than 34 weeks and was admitted to the neonatal ward within 7 days after birth. SPSS 19.0 statistical software was used for data analysis.Results:Among 6 590 premature infants LOS developed in 751 cases (11.40%), of whom the diagnosis was confirmed in 276 cases (36.75%) and 475 cases (63.25%) were diagnosed clinically. The fatality rate related to LOS was 13.58%. There were significant differences in the incidence of LOS and infection-related mortality among infants with different gestational ages and body weights ( χ2=388.894 and 13.572, χ2=472.282 and 9.257, P<0.05 or <0.01). Among 276 children with confirmed LOS, 286 strains of pathogenic bacteria were isolated. Gram-negative bacteria were most prevalent (178 strains), accounting for 62.24% of all infections, followed by fungi (58 strains, 20.28%). Klebsiella pneumoniae was most frequently detected Gram-negative bacteria (117 strains, 40.91%), among which 32.48% (38/117) was carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. The proportion of diagnosed sepsis, the proportion of catheterization, and the infection-related mortality of infants with LOS in tertiary hospitals were all higher than those in secondary hospitals ( χ2=6.212, 5.313 and 4.435, all P<0.05). The proportion of exclusive breastfeeding in secondary hospitals was lower than that in tertiary hospitals ( χ2=19.216, P<0.05). The time of antibacterial drug use before infection in specialized hospitals was longer than that in general hospitals ( χ2=3.276, P<0.05). Conclusion:The incidence of LOS among preterm infants in Henan Province is high, which was mainly caused by Gram-negative bacteria. The clinical characteristics of LOS caused by different pathogens and in different health institutions are different, the prevention and control strategy should be developed accordingly to reduce the incidence LOS of preterm premature infants.