Objective: To explore the relationship between low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)/high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio with the severity of coronary artery disease and 2-yeat outcome in patients with premature coronary heart disease. Methods: This prospective, multicenter, observational cohort study is originated from the PROMISE study. Eighteen thousand seven hundred and one patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) were screened from January 2015 to May 2019. Three thousand eight hundred and sixty-one patients with premature CHD were enrolled in the current study. According to the median LDL-C/HDL-C ratio (2.4), the patients were divided into two groups: low LDL-C/HDL-C group (LDL-C/HDL-C≤2.4, n=1 867) and high LDL-C/HDL-C group (LDL-C/HDL-C>2.4, n=1 994). Baseline data and 2-year major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) were collected and analyzed in order to find the differences between premature CHD patients at different LDL-C/HDL-C levels, and explore the correlation between LDL-C/HDL-C ratio with the severity of coronary artery disease and MACCE. Results: The average age of the low LDL-C/HDL-C ratio group was (48.5±6.5) years, 1 154 patients were males (61.8%); the average age of high LDL-C/HDL-C ratio group was (46.5±6.8) years, 1 523 were males (76.4%). The number of target lesions, the number of coronary artery lesions, the preoperative SNYTAX score and the proportion of three-vessel coronary artery disease in the high LDL-C/HDL-C group were significantly higher than those in the low LDL-C/HDL-C group (1.04±0.74 vs. 0.97±0.80, P=0.002; 2.04±0.84 vs. 1.85±0.84, P<0.001; 13.81±8.87 vs. 11.70±8.05, P<0.001; 36.2% vs. 27.4%, respectively, P<0.001). Correlation analysis showed that there was a significant positive correlation between LDL-C/HDL-C ratio and preoperative SYNTAX score, the number of coronary artery lesions, the number of target lesions and whether it was a three-vessel coronary artery disease (all P<0.05). The 2-year follow-up results showed that the incidence of MACCE was significantly higher in the high LDL-C/HDL-C group than that in the low LDL-C/HDL-C group (6.9% vs. 9.1%, P=0.011). There was no significant difference in the incidence of all-cause death, cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stroke, revascularization and bleeding between the two groups. Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio has no correlation with 2-year MACCE, death, myocardial infarction, revascularization, stroke and bleeding events above BARC2 in patients with premature CHD. Conclusion: High LDL-C/HDL-C ratio is positively correlated with the severity of coronary artery disease in patients with premature CHD. The incidence of MACCE of patients with high LDL-C/HDL-C ratio is significantly higher during 2 years follow-up; LDL-C/HDL-C ratio may be an indicator for evaluating the severity of coronary artery disease and long-term prognosis in patients with premature CHD.
Male ; Humans ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Coronary Artery Disease/complications* ; Cholesterol, HDL ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Prospective Studies ; Myocardial Infarction/etiology* ; Stroke ; Risk Factors

Chalcone isomerase is a key rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of flavonoids in higher plants, which determines the production of flavonoids in plants. In this study, RNA was extracted from different parts of Isatis indigotica and reverse-transcribed into cDNA. Specific primers with enzyme restriction sites were designed, and a chalcone isomerase gene was cloned from I. indigotica, named IiCHI. IiCHI was 756 bp in length, containing a complete open reading frame and encoding 251 amino acids. Homology analysis showed that IiCHI was closely related to CHI protein of Arabidopsis thaliana and had typical active sites of chalcone isomerase. Phylogenetic tree analysis showed that IiCHI was classified into type Ⅰ CHI clade. Recombinant prokaryotic expression vector pET28a-IiCHI was constructed and purified to obtain IiCHI recombinant protein. In vitro enzymatic analysis showed that the IiCHI protein could convert naringenin chalcone into naringenin, but could not catalyze the production of liquiritigenin by isoliquiritigenin. The results of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qPCR) showed that the expression level of IiCHI in the aboveground parts was higher than that in the underground parts and the expression level was the highest in the flowers of the aboveground parts, followed by leaves and stems, and no expression was observed in the roots and rhizomes of the underground parts. This study has confirmed the function of chalcone isomerase in I. indigotica and provided references for the biosynthesis of flavonoid components.
Isatis/genetics* ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Phylogeny ; Arabidopsis/genetics* ; Flavonoids ; Cloning, Molecular

During the high-temperature and rainy season from June to October in 2017-2019,serious southern blight broke out in the Cynanchum stauntonii planting area in Tuanfeng county,Hubei province,which had a great impact on the yield and quality of medicinal materials. In this study,the pathogen of C. stauntonii was isolated,purified,and identified,and the pathogenicity was tested according to Koch's postulates. Meanwhile,the biological characteristics of the pathogen were analyzed. On this basis,the effective fungicides were screened in laboratory. Finally,the pathogen( BQ-1) was identified as Athelia rolfsii( Deuteromycotina,Basidiomycota,anamorph: Sclerotium rolfsii). The optimum growth conditions for BQ-1 were 25-30 ℃,p H 5-8,and alternating light and dark.The effective chemical fungicides were lime-sulphur-synthelic-solution( LSSS) and flusilazole,and the effective botanical fungicide was osthole. BQ-1 was highly homologous to the pathogen HS-1 of peanut southern blight,with the similarity of 18 S r DNA and TEF sequences at 99. 09%. The southern blight in C. stauntonii might be resulted from that in peanut. In the production of C. stauntonii,the following measures should be taken: avoiding rotation or neighboring with peanut,draining water from June to October to reduce humidity,and reasonably applying fungicides.
Basidiomycota ; Cynanchum ; Fungicides, Industrial/pharmacology* ; Humidity

This study was designed to determine the metabolites of Zhali Nusi Prescription(ZLNSP) in rats. The ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-LTQ Orbitrap mass spectrometric(UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS) and mass defect filter techniques were applied to analyze the metabolites of ZLNSP in rat plasma, bile, urine and feces. The biological samples were analyzed by ACQUITY UPLC BEH T_3 column(2.1 mm×100 mm,1.7 μm), with 0.1% formic acid water(A)-acetonitrile(B) as mobile phase, and the biological samples were analyzed in negative ion mode by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry(ESI-MS). An analytical method for biological samples of rats was established, and 8 prototype components and 36 metabolites were identified. The results showed that the metabolic pathways of the main components of ZLNSP in rats included methylation, glucuronidation, sulfation and so on. It provi-ded information for the therapeutic effect of ZLNSP in vivo.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Bile ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Feces ; Plasma ; Prescriptions ; Rats

With the rapid development of comprehensive health industry, the demand for Chinese medicinal materials is increasing. There is also a growing demand for land for the cultivation of Chinese medicinal materials.Based on the analysis of the demand characteristics of planting habitats for Chinese medicinal herbs, this paper finds that compared with the cultivated environment, the wild environment is more conducive to the improvement of the quality and stress resistance of medicinal plants. The eco-planting for Chinese medicinal materials is the only way to achieve high quality, efficient and sustainable production of traditional Chinese medicine. Therefore, according to the habitat distribution characteristics of wild medicinal plants, combined with the current situation of land resource utilization in China and the increasing demand for land for Chinese herbal medicine cultivation, the land use strategy of Chinese herbal medicine ecological agriculture was proposed. ① To vigorously develop underwood planting and change the existing field cultivation mode. ② To make full use of mountainous areas and barren slopes to carry out wild planta tending or planting imitates wild condition. ③ According to the development law and biological characteristics of medicinal plants, the land resources should be developed and used rationally according to local conditions.This can not only meet the requirements of the specific growth environment of Chinese medicinal materials, realize the sustainable development of the Chinese medicinal materials industry, but also increase the economic income of people in mountainous areas, provide scientific and effective solutions for the land use of Chinese medicinal materials, and also have important significance for the protection of wild Chinese medicinal materials.
Agriculture ; China ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Materia Medica ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Plants, Medicinal

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between the distribution of lower limb alignment and short term clinical efficacy in patients with varus-type osteoarthritis after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: From December 2016 to March 2018, 87 patients (101 knees) with knee osteoarthritis were treated with the first total knee arthroplasty by the same medical group, including 21 males(25 knees) and 66 females(76 knees), ranging in age from 51 to 85 years old, with a mean of (67.6±7.0) years old. According to the difference of hip knee ankle angle (HKA) after total knee arthroplasty, the patients were divided into 4 groups:neutral position group (group A), -3°≤HKA≤3°, 50 knees;slight varus group (group B), 3°< HKA<6°, 20 knees;severe varus group (group C), HKA≥6°, 20 knees;valgus group (group D), HKA<- 3°, 11 knees. The preoperative sex, age, body mass index, operative side, preoperative and postoperative knee joint activity, HSS score, KSS clinical and functional score were compared among the 4 groups, and the relationship between the force line distribution of femoral and tibial prosthesis and the recent clinical effect was compared. RESULTS: All the patients were followed up with a mean duration of(18.4±4.0) months. The range of motion of knee joint, HSS and KSS scores at the latest follow-up after operation in the 4 groups were higher than those before operation, and the difference was statistically significant (<0.001). There were significant differences in HSS and KSS scores among the 4 groups at the latest follow up (<0.05);and the results in group A were better than those in group C and group D (<0.05);the results in group B were better than those in group C and group D (< 0.05);there was no significant difference between group A and group B or group C and group D(>0.05). There was no significant difference in knee joint activity among the 4 groups. The score of femoral prosthesis force line within ±3°was better than that of the other group (<0.05), and the score of tibia prosthesis force line had no significant difference between within ±3° group and other group (>0.05). CONCLUSION The short term clinical efficacy of patients with knee varus osteoarthritis after primary total knee arthroplasty is related to the distribution of lower limbs alignment. The short-term clinical efficacy of slight inversion position can be similar to that of neutral position. The force line distribution of femoral prosthesis is related to the short term clinical efficacy after primary knee arthroplasty.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Female ; Humans ; Knee ; Knee Joint ; Knee Prosthesis ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; Retrospective Studies

BACKGROUND: Some porous materials have been developed to enhance biologic fusion of the implants to bone in spine fusion surgeries. However, there are several inherent limitations. In this study, a novel biomedical porous tantalum was applied to in vitro and in vivo experiments to test its biocompatibility and osteocompatibility. METHODS: Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were cultured on porous tantalum implant. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Cell Counting Kit-8 assay were used to evaluate the cell toxicity and biocompatibility. Twenty-four rabbits were performed discectomy only (control group), discectomy with autologous bone implanted (autograft group), and discectomy with porous tantalum implanted (tantalum group) at 3 levels: L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-L6 in random order. All the 24 rabbits were randomly sacrificed at the different post-operative times (2, 4, 6, and 12 months; n = 6 at each time point). Histologic examination and micro-computed tomography scans were done to evaluate the fusion process. Comparison of fusion index scores between groups was analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. Other comparisons of numerical variables between groups were made by Student t test. RESULTS: All rabbits survived and recovered without any symptoms of nerve injury. Radiographic fusion index scores at 12 months post-operatively between autograft and tantalum groups showed no significant difference (2.89 ± 0.32 vs. 2.83 ± 0.38, F = 244.60, P = 0.709). Cell Counting Kit-8 assay showed no significant difference of absorbance values between the leaching liquor group and control group (1.25 ± 0.06 vs. 1.23 ± 0.04, t = -0.644, P = 0.545), which indicated the BMSC proliferation without toxicity. SEM images showed that these cells had irregular shapes with long spindles adhered to the surface of tantalum implant. No implant degradation, wear debris, or osteolysis was observed. Histologic results showed solid fusion in the porous tantalum and autologous bone implanted intervertebral spaces. CONCLUSION This novel porous tantalum implant showed a good biocompatibility and osteocompatibility, which could be a valid biomaterial for interbody fusion cages.
Animals ; Cell Proliferation ; physiology ; Diskectomy ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Prostheses and Implants ; Rabbits ; Spinal Fusion ; Tantalum ; chemistry

Background: Few data are available regarding the progression of liver disease and therapeutic efficacy in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers infected by mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). This study aimed to investigate these two aspects by comparing the adult chronic HBV carriers in MTCT group with those in horizontal transmission group. Methods: The 683 adult chronic HBV patients qualified for liver biopsy including 191 with MTCT and 492 with horizontal transmission entered the multi-center prospective study from October 2013 to May 2016. Biopsy results from 217 patients at baseline and 78 weeks post antiviral therapy were collected. Results: Patients infected by MTCT were more likely to have e antigen positive (68.6% vs. 58.2%, χ² = -2.491, P = 0.012) than those with horizontal transmission. However, in patients with MTCT, levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (P = 0.031), Fibroscan (P = 0.013), N-terminal propeptide of Type III procollagen (PIIINP) (P = 0.014), and Laminin (LN) (P = 0.006) were high, in contrast to the patients with horizontal transmission for whom the levels of albumin (ALB) (P = 0.041), matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) (P = 0.001) were high. The 47.2% of patients with MTCT and 36.8% of those with horizontal transmission had significant liver fibrosis (P = 0.013). Following antiviral therapy for 78 weeks, 21.2% and 38.0% patients with MTCT and horizontal transmission acquired hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) clearance, respectively (P = 0.043), and the virological response rates were 54.7% and 74.1% in the MTCT and horizontal groups, respectively (P = 0.005). MTCT was a risk factor for HBeAg clearance and virological response. Conclusion: Adult patients with MTCT were more prone to severe liver diseases, and the therapeutic efficacy was relatively poor, which underlined the importance of earlier, long-term treatment and interrupting perinatal transmission. Trial Registration NCT01962155; https://clinicaltrials.gov.

BACKGROUND: Multilevel thoracolumbar fractures are mainly treated with percutaneous pedicle screw and open pedicle screw system, but the treatment effect of different systems and the accuracy rate of screw placement are controversial, resulting in the lack of uniform standards for choosing the treatment method. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of percutaneous pedicle screw and open pedicle screw system in the treatment of multilevel thoracolumbar fractures and to evaluate the accuracy of the screw placement. METHODS: Totally 90 patients with multilevel thoracolumbar fractures were divided into open pedicle screw group (n=43 cases) and percutaneous pedicle screw group (n=47) according to different surgical methods. Open pedicle screw group was treated with open pedicle screw treatment, and percutaneous pedicle screw group was treated with percutaneous pedicle screw. Comprehensive effects were analyzed by comparing perioperative indicators (operation time, postoperative drainage volume, and incision length) imaging index (anterior vertebral height percentage, posterior vertebral height percentage, sagittal Cobb angle), postoperative complications, and pedicle screw accuracy. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The amount of bleeding, postoperative drainage volume, and incision length were less (shorter) in the percutaneous pedicle screw group compared with the open pedicle screw group (P < 0.05). However, operation time and the number of undergoing fluoroscopy were longer (more) in the percutaneous pedicle screw group than in the open pedicle screw group (P < 0.05). (2) Anterior vertebral height percentage and posterior vertebral height percentage were higher in the percutaneous pedicle screw group than in the open pedicle screw group (P < 0.05). Sagittal Cobb angle was smaller in the percutaneous pedicle screw group than in the open pedicle screw group (P < 0.05). (3) At 2 months after surgery, the complication rate was significantly lower in the percutaneous pedicle screw group (4%) than in the open pedicle screw group (14%) (P < 0.05). (4) The accuracy rate of pedicle screw was significantly higher in the percutaneous pedicle screw group (92.1%; 279 screws) than in the open pedicle screw group (77.0%; 257 screws) (P < 0.05). (5) Results indicated that percutaneous pedicle screw fixation is characterized by less trauma and rapid recovery in the treatment of multilevel thoracolumbar fractures. It is helpful for the reduction of the injured vertebra, the maintenance of vertebral height; the safety and the accuracy of screw placement are high.

Objective: To study the effects of regenerated tissue extracts after liver injury on the proliferation, differentiation, migration and invasion of SK-HEP1 cells. Methods: Regenerated tissue extracts after liver injury were used to induce SK-HEP1 cells after enrichment, their effects on the proliferation, differentiation, migration and invasion of SK-HEP1 cells were observed through in vitro cell culture, MTT, flow cytometry and transwell assays. Results: In response to the action of regenerated tissue extracts after liver injury, SK-HEP1 cells were blocked in G