Objective To observe the effects of Wuzi Yanzong Pill(WYP)on motor function in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease(PD)and to explore its potential mechanisms.Methods Twenty-four male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group,model group and WYP group,with 8 mice in each group.Mice in model and WYP group were intraperitoneally injected with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine for 7 consecutive days to establish a PD model.From the 1st day of model preparation,mice in WYP group were gavaged with WYP solution[16 g/(kg·d)]twice daily for 14 consecutive days.At the same time,mice in control group and model group were gavaged with 0.9%NaCl solution[50 ml/(kg·d)]twice a day.Gait experiment was utilized to assess the behavioral performance of mice in each group.Immunofluorescence staining was conducted to detect the number of tyrosine hydroxylase(TH)-positive cells in the substantia nigra region,the fluorescence intensity of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(Nrf2),and the number of NeuN neurons co-labeled with Nrf2 in each group.Western blotting was employed to determine the expression levels of TH,Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1(Keap-1),Nrf2,and heme oxygenase-1(HO-1)in the brain tissue of mice in each group.Results The gait experiment results showed that,compared with control group,standing time of the left front paw,right front paw,left hind paw,and right hind paw of the mice in model group was significantly shortened(P<0.01),while swinging time of the left front paw,right front paw,left hind paw,and right hind paw was significantly prolonged(P<0.05).Compared with model group,standing time of the left front paw and right hind paw of the mice in WYP group was significantly prolonged(P<0.05),while swing time of the left front paw and right front paw was significantly shortened(P<0.05).Immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting results showed that,compared with control group,in model group the number of TH-positive cells,average fluorescence intensity of Nrf2,and HO-1 levels decreased(P<0.01),while the Keap-1 protein level increased(P<0.01),and the number of Nrf2 expression on NeuN neurons decreased(P<0.001).Compared with model group,the number of TH-positive cells,average fluorescence intensity of Nrf2,HO-1 level,and the number of Nrf2 expression on NeuN neurons in the brain tissue of mice in WYP group increased(P<0.05),while Keap-1 protein level decreased(P<0.05).Conclusions WYP could alleviate the motor dysfunction and protect dopaminergic neurons in PD mice.The underlying mechanism may be related to the regulation of Keap-1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway to inhibit oxidative stress response.

Objective To explore the changes in gut microbiota and levels of short-chain fatty acids(SCFA)in infants with cow's milk protein allergy(CMPA),and to clarify their role in CMPA.Methods A total of 25 infants diagnosed with CMPA at Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from August 2019 to August 2020 were enrolled as the CMPA group,and 25 healthy infants were selected as the control group.Fecal samples(200 mg)were collected from both groups and subjected to 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing technology and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to analyze the changes in gut microbial composition and metabolites.Microbial diversity was analyzed in conjunction with metabolites.Results Compared to the control group,the CMPA group showed altered gut microbial structure and significantly increased α-diversity(P＜0.001).The abundance of Firmicutes,Clostridiales and Bacteroidetes was significantly decreased,while the abundance of Sphingomonadaceae,Clostridiaceae_l and Mycoplasmataceae was significantly increased in the CMPA group compared to the control group(P＜0.001).Metabolomic analysis revealed reduced levels of acetic acid,butyric acid,and isovaleric acid in the CMPA group compared to the control group,and the levels of the metabolites were positively correlated with the abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria such as Faecalibacterium and Roseburia(P＜0.05).Conclusions CMPA infants have alterations in gut microbial structure,increased microbial diversity,and decreased levels of SCFA,which may contribute to increased intestinal inflammation.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(3):236-243]

Objective:To investigate the survival rates of patients with liver cancer in Shanghai from 2002 to 2013. Methods:Data on new cases and deaths of liver cancer patients withfollow-up information from 2002 to 2013 were obtained from the Population-Based Cancer Registry and Vital Statistics System of the Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention.Incidence and survival rates were stratified by year of diagnosis,gender,district,age-group and stage at diagnosis for analysis.Statistical indicators,such as case numbers,proportions,median age and mean age were calculated.The 1-to 5-year observed survival rates were calculated based on the life table method.The probabilities of surviving from 0 to 99 years old were estimated with the Elandt-Johnson model,and then cumulative expected survival rates were calculated using the Ederer Ⅱ method.Finally,the 1-to 5-year relative survival rates were calculated. Results:A total of 49 455 new cases of liver cancer were diagnosed from 2002 to 2013 in Shanghai,including 35 115 males and 14 340 females.The ratio of males to females was 2.45:1.The proportions of stage Ⅰ,stage Ⅳ and stage unknown were 3.32％,13.93％and 69.13％,respectively.The median survival time of patients with liver cancer diagnosed from 2002 to 2013 was 0.77 years,the 5-year observed survival rate was 13.23％,and the 5-year relative survival rate was 14.47％.According to the 5-year observed survival rate and 5-year relative survival rate of the cases,both survival indicators were higher in urban areas than in suburban areas,higher in males than in females,higher in cases under 45 years of age than in those over 75 years of age,higher in cases diagnosed from 2011 to 2013 than those diagnosed from 2002 to 2004.Additionally,the survival rate of cases decreased with increasing stage at diagnosis. Conclusion:With the continuous improvement of the diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer in Shanghai,the survival rate of patients with liver cancer has shown a significant upward trend over time.However,compared with various malignant tumors such as gastric cancer and breast cancer,the improvement effect of liver cancer survival rate is still not significant.Additionally,a high proportion of cases with unknown clinical stage at the time of diagnosis and a low survival rate of stage Ⅳ cases were observed.This study provides a basis for the prevention and research of liver cancer.

To study the protective effect of Ershiwuwei Zhenzhu Pills on ischemic stroke rats. Ninety 4-weeks-old SPF male SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups(n=15):sham operation group, model group, nimodipine group(12 mg·kg~(-1)), Ershiwuwei Zhenzhu Pills high-dose group(400 mg·kg~(-1)), Ershiwuwei Zhenzhu Pills medium-dose group(200 mg·kg~(-1)), Ershiwuwei Zhenzhu Pills low-dose group(100 mg·kg~(-1)).The permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion model(PMCAO) was established in the model group, nimodipine group, and Ershiwuwei Zhenzhu Pills groups by the improved thread plug method, while the sham operation group did not insert the thread plug.Nimodipine group and Ershiwuwei Zhenzhu Pills groups were given intragastric administration once a day for 24 days before the modeling operation, and once 1 hour before the modeling operation, while sham operation group and model group were given equal volumes of distilled water.The neuroethology of the surviving rats was measured; The volume of cerebral infarction in rats was measured by TTC method; The histopathology of rat brain was observed by HE method; The expression levels of tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α),interleukin-1β(IL-1β),interleukin-6(IL-6),malondialdehyde(MDA),superoxide dismutase(SOD) and catalase(CAT) in serum were detected by ELISA;The mRNA expressions of Notch 1,Jagged 1,Hes 1 and Bcl-2 in rat brain were detected by RT-PCR;Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of caspase-3 protein in rat brain; the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) and CD34 positive cells in rat brain were detected by immunofluorescence.The low, medium and high dose groups of Ershiwuwei Zhenzhu Pills and nimodipine group could significantly reduce the neurobehavioral score and cerebral infarction volume of rats with permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion, reduce the morphological changes of nerve cells, decrease the expression of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6 in rat serum, increase the activity of SOD and CAT,and reduce the level of MDA.Furthermore, the expression levels of Notch l, Jagged l, Hes l and Bcl-2 mRNA were significantly increased, and the expression level of caspase-3 protein was decreased.Meanwhile, the number of VEGF and CD34 positive cells increased in the treatment group.The differences were statistically significant. Ershiwuwei Zhenzhu Pills has a protective effect on ischemic stroke rats, and its mechanism may be related to anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, promotion of nerve cell proliferation, inhibition nerve cell apoptosis and promotion of angiogenesis.
Animals ; Caspase 3/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery/drug therapy* ; Interleukin-6/metabolism* ; Ischemic Stroke/drug therapy* ; Male ; Nimodipine/pharmacology* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism* ; RNA, Messenger ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the inhibitory effect of 27-P-coumayl-ursolic acid (27-P-CAUA), the active ingredient in triterpenoids from the leaves of Ilex latifolia Thunb, against breast cancer cells and explore the underlying mechanism. METHODS: CCK-8 assay was used to assess the changes in viability of breast cancer HCC-1806 cells after 27-P-CAUA treatment for 24, 48, or 72 h. The inhibitory effect of 27-P-CAUA on proliferation of the cells was determined by clonogenic assay. JC-1 was used to detect the changes in mitochondrial membrane potential and flow cytometry was performed for analyzing cell apoptosis following 27-P-CAUA treatment. Immunofluorescence assay was used to observe the expression of cl-caspase-3 and P62 in the treated cells. Western blotting was performed to observe the effect of 27-P-CAUA and chloroquine pretreatment on the expressions of LC3I/II, P62 and HER2 signaling pathway proteins in the cells. RESULTS: The results of CCK-8 and clonogenic assays showed that 27-P-CAUA treatment significantly inhibited the proliferation of HCC-1806 cells (P < 0.01) with IC₅₀ values of 81.473, 48.392 and 18.467 μmol/L at 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. 27-P-CAUA treatment also caused obvious changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (P < 0.01) and induced cell apoptosis in HCC-1806 cells with a 3.34% increase of the early apoptosis rate. Immunofluorescence assay revealed a significant increase of cl-caspase3 expression in 27-P-CAUA-treated HCC-1806 cells, and treatment with 40 μmol/L 27-P-CAUA resulted in significant cell apoptosis (P < 0.01). 27-P-CAUA obviously reduced the expression of LC3II, caused P62 degradation and induced autophagy in HCC-1806 cells. Chloroquine pretreatment obviously blocked the autophagy-inducing effect of 27-P-CAUA. 27-P-CAUA treatment also inhibited the phosphorylation of HER2 and AKT proteins and progressively lowered the expressions of HER2 and phosphorylated AKT protein in HCC-1806 cells (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION 27-P-CAUA can inhibit the proliferation and induce mitochondrial autophagy and apoptosis of HCC-1806 cells by inhibiting the HER2/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
Apoptosis ; Autophagy ; Breast Neoplasms ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) in regulating Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-induced macrophage apoptosis. METHODS: The expression of TRAF6 in peripheral blood samples of 50 patients with active tuberculosis (TB) and 50 healthy individuals were detected using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). RAW264.7 macrophages were infected with BCG at different MOI and for different lengths of time, and the changes in expressions of Caspase 3 and TRAF6 were detected with Western blotting and qPCR. In a RAW264.7 cell model of BCG infection with TRAF6 knockdown established using RNA interference technique, the bacterial load was measured and cell apoptotic rate and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were determined with flow cytometry. The expression levels of TRAF6, Caspase 3, PARP, BAX and Bcl-2 in the cells were detected using Western blotting, and the expressions of TRAF6 and Caspase 3 were also examined with immunofluorescence assay. RESULTS: The expression of TRAF6 was significantly upregulated in the peripheral blood of patients with active TB as compared with healthy subjects (P < 0.001). In RAW264.7 cells, BCG infection significantly increased the expressions of Caspase 3 and TRAF6, which were the highest in cells infected for 18 h and at the MOI of 15. TRAF6 knockdown caused a significant increase of bacterial load in BCG-infected macrophages (P=0.05), lowered the cell apoptotic rate (P < 0.001) and reduced the expressions of Caspase 3 (P=0.002) and PARP (P < 0.001). BCG-infected RAW264.7 cells showed a significantly increased MMP (P < 0.001), which was lowered by TRAF6 knockdown (P < 0.001); the cells with both TRAF6 knockdown and BCG infection showed a lowered BAX expression (P=0.005) and an increased expression of Bcl-2 (P=0.04). CONCLUSION TRAF6 promotes BCG-induced macrophage apoptosis by regulating the intrinsic apoptosis pathway.
Apoptosis ; BCG Vaccine ; Caspase 3/metabolism* ; Humans ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; Macrophages ; Mycobacterium bovis/metabolism* ; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors ; TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 6/metabolism* ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/metabolism*

Objective: To investigate the health effects of air pollution on elementary school students with the indicator of absenteeism caused by respiratory symptoms and diseases, and to provide a reference for improving their physical health. Methods: Absenteeism, air pollutants, and meteorological data during Sep. 2015 to Jun. 2017 in Pudong, Shanghai were collected. Generalized additive model was used to estimate the effects of air pollution on students’ absenteeism caused by respiratory symptom and diseases, time trends, day of week and meteorological factors were controlled. Results: Totally 47 723 person-days of elementary school students’ absenteeism caused by respiratory symptoms and diseases were recorded during Sep.2015 to Jun. 2016 in Pudong, Shanghai, and the absenteeism rate was 0.07%. The PM2.5 concentration on lag0 and SO2 concentration on lag2 showed the most significant effects, the elementary school students’ absenteeism raised for 1.43% (95%CI=0.25%~2.62%)and 6.79% (95%CI=0.25%~13.32%) respectively with every 10 μg/m3 increment of PM2.5 and SO2. Conclusion Air pollution in Pudong new area have made a influence on the elementary school student’s respiratory symptoms and absenteeism, and the prevention work of air pollution should be strenghthened.

Objective To establish of a close loop blood information system forreal time monitoring in the entire process of clinical blood transfusion.Methods In accordance with files and laws in clinical blood transfusion and combining the work in blood transfusion department with the actual needs of clinical blood transfusion,the blood transfusion department in Shaanxi Provinical People's Hospital developed the close-loop blood information system with Skynet Software Co.Ltd.Results The close-loop blood information system was achieved informational management patternthat was detailed information from blood products arrival to departure and whole process of evaluation transfusion effect.The link of Hospital Information Manage System (HIS),Laboratory Information System (LIS) and blood information system was completed with the system.The system realized real-time and accurate data collection and monitoring.The system achieved a closed-loop management of the entire process of clinical blood transfusion.Conclusion By using theclose loop blood information system,the quality of medical services can be improved,the work productivity can be increased,and the clinical blood transfusion can be rationalized.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), a sensor to endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), would mediate advanced glycated albumin (AGE-alb)-induced macrophage apoptosis and to elucidate the possible molecular mechanisms. RAW264.7 macrophages were cultured in vitro and treated with AGE-alb (2, 4 and 6 g/L), normal control albumin or tunicamycin (TM, 4 mg/L) for 24 h. ATF6 small interfering RNA (siRNA) was transfected to RAW264.7 cells by Lipofectamine 2000. Cell viability and apoptosis were determined by MTT method and Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide apoptosis detection kit, respectively. The activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in medium and caspase-3 in cells were measured by corresponding detection kits. ATF6 nuclear translocation was detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence cytochemistry. Protein and mRNA levels of C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP, a key-signaling component of ERS-induced apoptosis) were detected by Western blot and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, respectively. The results showed that similar to TM, AGE-alb increased the expression of CHOP at both the protein and mRNA levels in a concentration dependent manner. ATF6, as a factor that positively regulates CHOP expression, was activated by AGE-alb in a concentration dependent manner. siRNA-mediated knockdown of ATF6 significantly inhibited AGE-alb-induced macrophage injury, as indicated by the increased cell viability and the decreased LDH release, apoptosis and caspase-3 activation. Additionally, ATF6 siRNA attenuated AGE-alb-induced CHOP upregulation at both the protein and mRNA levels. These results suggest that ATF6 and its downstream molecule CHOP are involved in AGE-alb-induced macrophage apoptosis.

This work was launched to explore the effect of habitat and growth year on the secondary metabolites contents of cultivated Polygala tenuifolia. The samples of cultivated P. tenuifolia were analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography(UPLC)-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(Q-TOF MS), and the obtained data were analyzed using multiple statistical analysis and cluster analysis. The results showed that compared with growth year, habitat is a main influencing factor which affected the secondary metabolites contents of P. tenuifolia. The contents of sucrose esters and oligosacchride multi-esters are greatly dependent on the habitat (the sample-AG with high levels of components of tenuifoliside B and tenuifoliside C, and the sample-FY with high levels of 3,6'-disinapoyl sucrose, tenuifoliose S, tenuifoliose L, and tenuifoliose V). There is no obvious effect of habitat and growth year on xanthone. The contents of triterpene saponins are greatly dependent on the growth year, and the content of parts of triterpene saponins increased as time goes on.The result indicated that the effect of habitat and growth year on different types of secondary metabolites is not completely equivalent. This study will contribute to the breeding of P. tenuifolia and amendment of current commodity criteria.