In view of the few studies on the influence of Armillaria spp. infection on the content of the chemical components in different parts of Polyporus umbellatus sclerotia, this study determined the biomass of P. umbellatus sclerotia and the contents of ergosterol, polyporusterone A, polyporusterone B and polysaccharide in the separated cavity wall of the sclerotia and the uninfected part of the sclerotia in different harvesting years under the conditions of A. gallica and A. mellea infection respectively. According to the difference of content and dynamic changes of the polysaccharide and the steroid substances, the superior Armillaria sp. was screened to obtain the best harvest years of P. umbellatus. Using HPLC and UV-VIS spectrophotometry methods, the contents of ergosterol, polyporusterone A, polyporusterone B and polysaccharide in P. umbellatus sclerotia infected by the two Armillaria spp. in different years were determined. In addition, the differentially expressed genes related to P. umbellatus polysaccharide synthesis were screened according to the transcriptomic data of different parts of P. umbellatus after A. mellea infection. With the increase of years, the biomass of sclerotia infected by different Armillaria spp. had significant differences, and there were significant differences in the four components of sclerotia. The four components of the separated cavity wall of the sclerotia were significantly higher than those of the uninfected part. The best harvest time was the third year after cultivation. Transcriptomic analysis showed that the infection of Armillaria spp. could significantly promote polysaccharide synthesis, which provided a basis for polysaccharide content determination at the molecular level. The study clarified the influence of different Armillaria spp. infection on the accumulation of chemical components of P. umbellatus sclerotia, laying a foundation for exploring the symbiosis mechanism and provided a scientific clue for screening superior Armillaria sp. and guiding the artificial cultivation of P. umbellatus sclerotia.

OBJECTIVE To explore the in vitro and in vivo inhibitory effects and mechanism of metformin on the malignant biological behavior of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma （ESCC） cells by the hypoxia inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）/interleukin-8 （IL-8） signaling pathway. METHODS Human ESCC TE1 cells were assigned into blank group， metformin low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （0.5， 1， 2 mmol/L）， IDF-11774 （HIF-1α inhibitor） group （20 μmol/L）， and high-dose metformin+HIF-1α activator dimethyloxalylglycine （DMOG） group. After 24 h treatment， cell proliferation [measured by the positive rate of 5-ethynyl- 2′-deoxyuridine （EdU） and optical density at 450 nm （OD450 value）]， apoptosis， invasion and migration as well as mRNA expressions of proliferating cell nuclear antigen （PCNA）， Bcl-2 interacting mediator of cell death （Bim）， migration and invasion enhancer 1 （MIEN1）， and matrix metalloproteinase-9 （MMP-9）， and protein expressions of HIF-1α and IL-8 in the cells were detected. The xenograft tumor model of nude mice was established. Thirty nude mice were randomly divided into blank group， metformin low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （i.g. administration of metformin 62.5， 125， 250 mg/kg+i.p. administration of equal volume of normal saline）， IDF-11774 group （i.g. administration of 50 mg/kg IDF-11774+i.p. administration of equal volume of normal saline） and high-dose metformin+DMOG group （i.g. administration of metformin 250 mg/kg+i.p. administration of DMOG 250 mg/kg）， with 5 mice in each group. They were given relevant medicine， once a day， for 4 consecutive weeks； the mass and volume of the tumor and protein expressions of HIF-1α and IL-8 in the tumor tissue were determined. RESULTS The EdU positive rate， OD450 value， cell invasion number， scratch healing rate， mRNA expressions of PCNA， MIEN1 and MMP-9， protein expressions of HIF-1α and IL-8， as well as the mass and volume of transplanted tumors and protein expressions of HIF-1α and IL-8 in tumor tissues were decreased by metformin in concentration/dose-dependent manner （P＜0.05）. Additionally，metformin increased the apoptosis rate and mRNA expression of Bim in cells （P＜0.05）. The trend of changes in corresponding indicators in the IDF-11774 group was consistent with that in the metformin groups， whereas DMOG could significantly attenuate the aforementioned effects of high-concentration/high-dose metformin （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Metformin can inhibit the proliferation， invasion， migration of TE1 cells， and tumor growth of nude mice， and induce cell apoptosis， the mechanism of which may be related to the inhibition of HIF-1α/IL-8 signaling pathway.

Aim To explore the efficacy of levosimendan on hypoxia pulmonary hypertension through animal experiments, and to further explore the potential mechanism of action using network pharmacological methods and molecular docking technique. Methods The rat model of hypoxia pulmonary hypertension was constructed to detect right heart systolic pressure and right heart remodeling index. HE , Masson, and VG staining were core targets were screened out. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed using the DAVID database. Molecular docking of the core targets was performed with the AutoDock software. Results The results of animal experiments showed that levosimendan had obvious therapeutic effect on hypoxia pulmonary hypertension. The network pharmacology results showed that SRC, HSP90AA1, MAPK1, PIK3R1, AKT1, HRAS, MAPK14, LCK, EGFR and ESR1 used to analyze the changes of rat lung histopathology. Search the Swiss Target Prediction, DrugBank Online, BatMan, Targetnet, SEA, and PharmMapper databases were used to screen for drug targets. Disease targets were retrieved from the GeneCards, OMIM databases. The "drug-target-disease" network was constructed after identification of the two intersection targets. The protein interaction network was constructed and the were the key targets to play a therapeutic role. Molecular docking showed good docking of levosimendan with all the top five core targets with degree values. Conclusions Levosimendan may exert a therapeutic effect on hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension through multiple targets.

Aim To screen and study the expression of long non-coding RNA (IncRNA) in rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) with MCAO treated with Tao Hong Si Wu decoction (THSWD) and determine the possible molecular mechanism of THSWD in treating MCAO rats. Methods Three cerebral hemisphere tissue were obtained from the control group, MCAO group and MCAO + THSWD group. RNA sequencing technology was used to identify IncRNA gene expression in the three groups. THSWD-regulated IncRNA genes were identified, and then a THSWD-regu-lated IncRNA-mRNA network was constructed. MCODE plug-in units were used to identify the modules of IncRNA-mRNA networks. Gene ontology (GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) were used to analyze the enriched biological functions and signaling pathways. Cis- and trans-regulatory genes for THSWD-regulated IncRNAs were identified. Reverse transcription real-time quantitative pol-ymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to verify IncRNAs. Molecular docking was used to identify IncRNA-mRNA network targets and pathway-associated proteins. Results In MCAO rats, THSWD regulated a total of 302 IncRNAs. Bioinformatics analysis suggested that some core IncRNAs might play an important role in the treatment of MCAO rats with THSWD, and we further found that THSWD might also treat MCAO rats through multiple pathways such as IncRNA-mRNA network and network-enriched complement and coagulation cascades. The results of molecular docking showed that the active compounds gallic acid and a-mygdalin of THSWD had a certain binding ability to protein targets. Conclusions THSWD can protect the brain injury of MCAO rats through IncRNA, which may provide new insights for the treatment of ischemic stroke with THSWD.

Humans ; Aged ; Lung Diseases ; Pneumonia/drug therapy* ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones/therapeutic use* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/drug therapy* ; Administration, Inhalation ; Community-Acquired Infections/drug therapy*

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of combined use of artificial bone materials in percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF).Methods:One hundred and eighty-four consecutive patients with OVCF admitted to Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University from June 2020 to June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had single-level fracture and treated with PVP. According to whether artificial bone materials were used, the patients were divided into experimental group ( n=95) and control group ( n=89). The experimental group was treated with bone cement mixed with artificial bone materials, and the control group was treated with bone cement. The following indices were observed in the two groups before surgery and at 3 days, 3 months, 12 months (final follow-up) after surgery: visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Oswestry disability index (ODI), Cobb angle of kyphosis, and the percentage of anterior vertebral height, the amount of bone cement injected, postoperative complications and adjacent vertebral fractures were recorded. Measurement data were expressed as mean±standard deviation ( ± s), and t-test was used for comparison between groups; Chi- test was used for comparison between groups for count data. Results:All patients successfully completed the operation and were followed up for 12-20 months, with a mean follow-up of (14.24±2.51) months. The VAS score at 3 days, 3 months after operation and final follow-up (experimental group: 2.00±0.71, 1.89±0.71, 1.41±0.49; control group: 2.13±0.73, 1.81±0.60, 1.44±0.50) and ODI index at 3 months after operation and the final follow-up [experimental group: (21.56±4.68)%, (23.22±4.11)%; control group: (22.46±3.74)%, (22.39±4.05)%] were significantly improved compared with those before operation [VAS, experimental group: 7.66±0.86, control group: 7.81±0.89; ODI, experimental group: (70.11±8.24)%, control group: (68.97±8.59)%], and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the amount of bone cement injected between the two groups ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the Cobb angle of kyphosis and the percentage of anterior vertebral height at each time point ( P>0.05). The incidence of bone cement leakage in the experimental group was 15.8% (15/95), slightly lower than that in the control group [22.5% (20/89)], but the difference was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). As of the final follow-up, the incidence of adjacent vertebral fracture in the experimental group was 8.4% (8/95), which was lower than that in the control group (19.1%, 17/89), and the difference was statistically significant ( P< 0.05). Conclusion:The application of bone cement mixed with artificial bone materials in PVP for OVCF, can achieve good clinical efficacy, and reduce the incidence of adjacent vertebral fractures.

Objective To evaluate the value of high-throughput sequencing(HTS)data reanalysis that does not include ERBB2 copy number variation(CNV)analysis,in identifying ERBB2 amplification in patients with colorectal cancer.Methods The HTS data of 252 cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed by pathological biopsy who received peripheral blood cfDNA HTS detection samples were retrospectively analyzed.According to the HTS data of ERBB2 non-amplified samples judged by immunohistochemistry(IHC)and/or fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH),the number of chromosome 17(Chr17)reads in the total number of reads was calculated the range of the ratio was initially determined as the threshold for prompting ERBB2 amplification.Suspected positive samples were screened according to thresholds and verified by digital PCR,IHC and FISH.Results The proportion of the number of Chr17 reads accounts for the number of total reads in the 89 cases of ERBB2 non-amplified samples determined by IHC and/or FISH ranged from 0.188 to 0.299(0.239±0.192).Using 0.298(1.25 times the mean)as the threshold indicating ERBB2 amplification,the data of 163 samples were analyzed,of which 7 cases were suspected to be positive,and the ratio ranged from 0.302 to 0.853.Among them,5 cases were determined to be positive by IHC and/or FISH,and 6 cases were confirmed to be positive by digital PCR.The ratio of the number of Chr17 reads to the number of total reads was positively correlated with the ratio of ERBB2/EIF2C1,and the correlation was good(r2=0.909).Conclusion The high-throughput sequencing data that does not cover the ERBB2 CNV analysis has a certain hint value for ERBB2 amplification in patients with colorectal cancer.

Objective To investigate the expression level and clinical significance of microRNA(miR)-181c and microRNA(miR)-578 in the serum of patients with sepsis complicated by acute kidney injury(AKI).Methods Eighty patients with sepsis complicated by AKI(AKI group)and 80 patients with simple sepsis(non AKI group)who were hospitalized in Sinopharm Gezhouba Central Hospital from January 2022 to December 2022 were collected as research subjects.The serum levels of miR-181c and miR-578 in two groups were detected and compared.Logistic regression was applied to analyze the influencing factors of sepsis patients complicated by AKI.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was applied to analyze the predictive value of serum miR-181c and miR-578 levels for patients with sepsis complicated by AKI.Results The proportion of pulmonary infection,the level of arterial blood lactic acid,creatinine,urea nitrogen and APACHEⅡ score in AKI group were higher than those in non-AKI group,and the oxygenation index was lower,the differences were statistically significant(χ2=7.364,t=14.298,26.691,17.925,7.104,12.676,all P＜0.05).The serum miR-181c level in the AKI group(1.47±0.36)was higher than that in the non AKI group(1.03±0.28),the serum miR-578 level(0.76±0.19)was lower than that in the non AKI group(1.05±0.31),and the differences were statistically significant(t=8.629,7.134,all P=0.000).Logistic regression analysis showed that miR-181c[OR(95%CI):2.984(1.628～5.468)],pulmonary infection[OR(95%CI):1.946(1.250～3.031)],arterial blood lactic acid[OR(95%CI):1.457(1.073～1.978)],and APACHE Ⅱ score[OR(95%CI):2.283(1.393～3.741)]were risk factors for AKI in sepsis patients(all P＜0.05);miR-578[OR(95%CI):0.742(0.631～0.873)]and oxygenation index[OR(95%CI):0.342(0.130～0.904)]were protective factors(all P＜0.05).The combined prediction of serum miR-181c and miR-578 for AKI in sepsis patients had an AUC of 0.915,a sensitivity and a specificity of 83.65%,88.75%,respectively,which was superior to their individual predictions(Z=3.118,3.460,P=0.002,0.001).Conclusion The serum miR-181c expression is obviously up-regulated and miR-578 expression is obviously down-regulated in patients with sepsis complicated by AKI.The combination of the two has good reference value for predicting sepsis complicated by AKI.

Objective To investigate the effect of berberine hydrochloride tablets combined with compound glutamine in treating ulcerative colitis(UC).Methods One hundred and two patients with UC admitted to our hospital were collected and grouped into two groups according to the random number table.Fifty-one patients in the control group were given conventional treatment+compound glutamine,and 51 patients in the experimental group were given berberine hydrochloride tablets based on the control group.Both groups were treated for 8 weeks.The efficacy,modified Mayo score,intestinal mucosal barrier function,soluble late glycation end product receptor(sRAGE),interleukin-17(IL-17),IL-6 and incidence of untoward reactions were compared between the two groups.Results The total effective rate of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group(92.2%vs.76.5%,P＜0.05).After treatment,scores of defecation frequency,blood in stool,endoscopic findings,physician's overall evaluation,diamine oxidase(DAO),D-lactic acid,endotoxin,sRAGE,IL-17 and IL-6 were lower in both groups than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the research group was lower than the control group(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the total incidence of untoward reactions between the experimental group and the control group(P＞0.05).Conclusion Berberine hydrochloride tablets combined with compound glutamine are effective in treating UC,which can reduce the activity of UC,improve the intestinal mucosal barrier function,regulate serum sRAGE,IL-17 and IL-6 levels,without increasing adverse reactions.

Objective:To explore therapeutic effect of sacubitril valsartan sodium combined with Wenxin granule in the treatment of hypertension complicated with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation(AF)and its effect on cardiac electro-physiological structure.Methods:A total of 116 patients with hypertension and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation treated in our hospital from Oct 2021 to Nov 2022 were consecutively selected.According to random number table,they were divided into Wenxin granule group(received Wenxin granule treatment based on routine antihypertensive ther-apy)and combined treatment group(received sacubitril valsartan sodium combined Wenxin granule therapy based on routine antihypertensive therapy)with 58 cases in each group,and both groups were consecutively treated for six months.Clinical symptom score,AF burden,P wave duration,P wave dispersion,left atrial diameter(LAD),left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDd)and left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)were compared between two groups before and after treatment.Results:After treatment,compared with Wenxin granule group,there were significant reductions in clinical symptom score[(1.66±0.69)scores vs.(1.40±0.53)scores],AF burden[4.43(1.65)％vs.1.62(3.50)％],P wave duration[(112.17±6.46)ms vs.(109.29±8.59)ms],P wave dispersion[(32.47±8.11)ms vs.(29.02±7.49)ms]and LAD[(34.83±3.41)mm vs.(33.40±3.74)mm]in combined treatment group(P＜0.05 or＜0.01).There were no significant difference in LVEDd and LVEF between two groups,P＞0.05 both.Conclusion:Sacubitril valsartan sodium combined with Wenxin granule can significantly im-prove clinical symptoms and atrial fibrillation burden,reduce the susceptibility to atrial fibrillation,and inhibit atrial electrical remodeling and structural remodeling in patients with hypertension complicated with paroxysmal atrial fi-brillation.