Objective To investigate the effects of DNA demethylation drugs combined with histone deacetylase in-hibitors on fragile X mental retardation 1 neighbor protein (FMR1NB) expression and its promoter methylation in human oral cancer cells and try to find a strategy of weakening the heterogeneity of FMR1NB expression.Methods Human oral cancer cell lines Cal27 and SCC-9 were treated with decitabine (DAC) , an inhibitor of DNA meth-yltransferase, combined with trichostatin A (TSA) and valproic acid (VPA), inhibitors of histone deacetylase.Then reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) , quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were used to detect the expression of FMR1 NB and pyrosequencing was used to detect the methylation of FMR1NB promoter.Results Compared with the blank control group, DAC and its combination with TSA and VPA significantly induced the expression of FMR1NB mRNA and protein in Cal27 and SCC-9 cells.Compared with DAC alone group, FMR1NB mRNA expression of each DAC-combined drug groups significantly increased, but FMR1NB protein did not significantly change in Cal27 cells; for SCC-9 cells, except for DAC+TSA group, the mRNA and protein levels of FMR1NB significantly increased in all other groups.In addition, there was no signifi-cant difference in the expression of FMR1 NB mRNA and protein between the three-combined drugs group and two-combined drugs groups.Further methylation assay showed that the methylation level of the overall FMR1NB promot-er and its each CpG site measured were reduced to varying degrees in all treatment groups except for three-combina-tion drug group of SCC-9.Conclusion DAC and its combination with TSA and VPA can enhance the expression of FMR1NB by mediating the demethylation of FMR1NB promoter, wherein the enhanced expression effect of the com-bination of the two drugs is stronger, suggesting that they have the potential to weaken the heterogeneity of FMR1NB expression and improve the immunotherapy effect of oral cancer.

Objective To visually analyze the Chinese and English literature in the research field of Cistanches Herba through bibliometrics;To understand the research status and hotspots of Cistanches Herba;To provide reference for the related research.Methods Literature related to Cistanches Herba in CNKI and Web of Science core databases from January 1,2002 to December 31,2022 was retrieved.VOSviewer 1.6.18 was used for co-occurrence clustering and temporal overlay analysis of authors and keywords,while CiteSpace 6.1.R2 was used for keyword burst analysis.Results Totally 1 631 articles were included,including 1 481 Chinese articles and 150 English articles,and the overall number of publications was on the rise.This field has formed research teams represented by Guo Yuhai from Zhejiang Sci-Tech University,Tu Pengfei from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine,and Chen Jun and Xu Rong from Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.High frequency keywords included Cistanches Herba,echinoside,phenylethanolside,high performance liquid chromatography,cistanche polysaccharide,artificial cultivation,anti-fatigue,etc.Conclusion The research in this field mainly focuses on TCM therapy,clinical study,etiology and pathogenesis.Network pharmacology,molecular biology,data mining and so on may become the focus of future research of Cistanches Herba.

Myocardial fibrosis is closely related to the occurrence and development of various cardiovascular diseases(CVD),in which fibroblast activation protein(FAP)plays key roles.68Ga-FAP inhibitors(FAPI)have high affinity and specificity for FAP,having been gradually applied to cardiovascular PET imaging.The research progresses of 68Ga-FAPI PET imaging in cardiovascular diseases were reviewed in this article.

Purpose To verify the safety and effectiveness of the Insight NM/CT Pro SPECT/CT Imaging System in clinical applications is verified through clinical validation of the acceptable rate of clinical image quality,commonly use features of the device,ease of use of the machine,satisfaction with the stability of the entire machine and safety evaluation.Materials and Methods A total of 79 subjects who voluntarily participated in the trial from July to October 2022 in the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University,were selected to undergo endocrine,circulatory,skeletal,respiratory and urological imaging for multiple systems using the Insight NM/CT Pro SPECT/CT,respectively.The quality of the images,the machine operation and safety were evaluated.Results The image quality of all 79 patients were evaluated.Of 36 cases,there were 35 cases of planar imaging were acceptable;Of 43 cases,there were 42 cases of tomographic imaging were acceptable,with an acceptability rate of 97.22%and 97.67%,respectively,and a lower limit of 95%CI of 85.47%and 87.71%,respectively,which were both higher than those of the target value(83.00%).When the operators performed imaging operations on 79 patients,the common functions of the equipment,the ease of use of the equipment and the stability of the whole machine were evaluated as a satisfaction rate of 100%,with no adverse events.Conclusion Insight NM/CT Pro SPECT/CT effectiveness fully meets the requirements of clinical applications,with clear images of tissue structure,full range of commonly used equipment features,stable system,and superior safety and reliability.

Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius is a kind of Gram-positive facultative anaerobic bacteria. The fast growth rate under high temperature and less susceptibility to microbial contamination enable G. thermoglucosidasius to be a desirable producer of biofuels and high-value-added chemicals for the next-generation industrial biotechnology. However, compared with the classical model strain Escherichia coli, the applications of G. thermoglucosidasius are hampered by its low transformation efficiency. This study aimed at obtaining competent cells with high transformation efficiency through inactivating restriction enzymes, adding cell membrane inhibitors and cell wall weakening agents. The results showed that the electro-transformation efficiency achieved 1.2×10⁴ CFU/(μg DNA) by knocking out four genes encoding restriction enzymes. Adding a certain amount of tween 80, dl-threonine and glycine further increased the competent efficiency about 22.5, 44, and 334 times, respectively. The electro-transformation efficiency was enhanced to 4.6×10⁶ CFU/(μg DNA) under the optimized conditions, laying a foundation for genetic manipulation and metabolic engineering of G. thermoglucosidasius.
Electroporation ; Electroporation Therapies ; Bacillaceae ; Cell Membrane ; Escherichia coli/genetics*

Objective:To analyze the molecular mechanism of Zhenqi Fuzheng Capsules in the adjuvant treatment of AIDS by network pharmacology method and molecular docking technology.Methods:The active components and targets of Zhenqi Fuzheng Capsules were obtained through TCMSP, and the AIDS-related targets were obtained through GeneCards, OMIM and DrugBank databases. The intersection target PPI network was constructed through STRING 11.5 database, and Cytoscape 3.9.1 software was used for network topology analysis; Metascape database was used for GO function and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of core targets; Cytoscape 3.9.1 was used to construct Zhenqi Fuzheng Capsules component-target-pathway network; Autodock Tools software was used to carry out molecular docking of core targets and active components.Results:Totally 31 active components and 180 targets of Zhenqi Fuzheng Capsules were screened out. TNF, IL6, AKT1, IL1B, TP53, VEGFA, RELA, EGFR and CASP3 were identified as the core targets. GO functional enrichment analysis obtained 1 436 biological processes, 53 cellular components, and 117 molecular functions. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis obtained 167 pathways, which were related to pathways in cancer, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, and IL-17 signaling pathway was closely related. Molecular docking results showed that core targets such as AKT1 and TNF had good binding activity to quercetin, kaempferol, and luteolin.Conclusion:The main active components of Zhenqi Fuzheng Capsules in the adjuvant treatment of AIDS are quercetin, kaempferol and luteolin, which may treat AIDS through the IL-17 signaling pathway.

As a common emotional and psychogenic disorder, anxiety disorder seriously threats the human physical and mental health. Ventral tegmental area (VTA) is the canter of the mesocortical limbic circuit, with extensive bidirectional connections to forebrain areas, and plays important role in regulating reward, motivation, cognition, and disgust. Besides, VTA is involved in anxiety regulation by forming functional connections with multiple brain regions and connecting external stimulus information and feedback output behaviours. This article briefly summarizes the different cell subsets of VTA and its involvement in anxiety-related neural circuits.

Objective:To explore the therapeutic mechanism of Mongolian medicine Sendeng-4 decoction for rheumatoid arthritis by 99Tc m-hydrazinonicotinamide-(polyethylene glycol) 4-E[(polyethylene glycol) 4-c((Arg-Gly-Asp)fk)] 2 (3PRGD 2) imaging. Methods:A total of 200 female SD rats (age: 6-7 weeks) were divided into collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) group ( n=176) and blank control group ( n=24). Rats in the CIA group were divided into Sendeng-4 decoction treatment group ( n=24), etanercept treatment group ( n=24), and negative control group ( n=24) by simple random sampling method. 99Tc m-3PRGD 2 SPECT/CT imaging was performed before and after modeling and treatment. The differences of target/non-target (T/NT) ratio and serological, pathological, and immunohistochemical results among groups were compared by one-way analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test. The correlation was analyzed by Pearson correlation or Spearman correlation analysis. Results:There were 95 (95/176) CIA models successfully established. The T/NT ratios of Sendeng-4 decoction treatment group and etanercept treatment group were lower than that of negative control group (0.260± 0.094, 0.238±0.099, 0.766±0.144 ; F=163.00, P<0.001), while there was no significant difference between the two drug treatment groups ( P>0.05). After drug treatment, serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and α vβ 3 were significantly lower than those of negative control group ( F values: 49.43-92.36, all P<0.001), pathological score was also lower than that of negative control group ( H=34.25, P<0.001), and levels of immunohistochemical makers (VEGF, TNF-α, α vβ 3, CD31, CD34) were also lower than those of negative control group ( H values: 13.51-26.84, all P<0.001), while there were no significant differences between the two drug treatment groups (all P>0.05). The T/NT ratios were positively correlated with above indictors in Sendeng-4 decoction treatment group ( r values: 0.56-0.59, rs values: 0.49-0.69), etanercept treatment group ( r values: 0.50-0.55, rs values: 0.46-0.70) and negative control group ( r values: 0.55-0.80, rs values: 0.58-0.86, P<0.001 or P<0.05). Conclusion:Verified by 99Tc m-3PRGD 2 SPECT/CT imaging and molecular pathology, Mongolian medicine Sendeng-4 decoction can inhibit neovascularization by down-regulating vascular factors such as VEGF, resulting in delaying the progression of the disease and improving clinical symptoms.

Objective:To realize a fully automated synthesis of 11C-meta-hydroxyephedrine (mHED) and to perform imaging studies with it. Methods:11C-mHED was prepared by the 11CH 3-triflate method. The crude product was purified by semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) to obtain the final product. The radiochemical purity and specific activity were determined by radio-HPLC. The myocardial uptake and excretion process of the agent were monitored by microPET/CT imaging on 5 normal SD rats. The clinical imaging value was evaluated using PET/CT imaging in a patient (male, 42 years old) with myocardial infarction. Results:The automated synthesis of 11C-mHED was realized by a commercial synthesizer. The total synthesis time was about 30 min. The radiochemical yield was (15±2)% (non-decay corrected, n=10) and the radiochemical purity was greater than 98%. The specific activity was about 65 GBq/mmol. MicroPET/CT imaging in normal SD rats showed the myocardial uptake was highest at 10 min after the injection of imaging agent, and then the imaging agent was gradually excreted from the myocardium through the liver and gallbladder. PET/CT imaging of a patient with myocardial infarction showed an imaging agent defect near the apex in the inferior wall of the left ventricle, which was matched with results of ultrasound and electrocardiogram examination. Conclusions:11C-mHED can be successfully prepared automatically, with high radiochemical yield and specific activity. It can also highly concentrate in the myocardium, and the imaging effect with this agent is good in a patient with myocardial infarction.

Objective:To explore the application of microfluidic chip in detection of hereditary deafness-associated hotspot mutations.Methods:The dedicatedly designed and fabricated microfluidic chip was integrated with kompetitive allele-specific polymerase chain reaction amplification system, scanned via laser-excited confocal fluorescence scanner, and finally analyzed programmatically to acquire the typing results of the 23 mutation sites of the four common genes associated with hereditary hearing loss. Dried blood spots were collected from 276 neonates containing the 131 cases with hearing loss who were born in 2019 in Chengdu (deafness group) and the 145 cases with normal hearing who were born in 2020 in Chengdu (control group), and analyzed by the microfluidic chip to evaluate its clinical performance.Results:By cluster analysis, the microfluidic chip correctly analyzed the 23 positive reference samples and acquired the same typing results as their actual results, with a limit of detection of 1 mg/L. For the 276 newborn blood spots, the detection results of the microfluidic chips were confirmed to be correct by the contrasting methods. Among Deafness Group, 66 (50.4%) tested positive for the selected 23 mutation hotspots; among Control Group, 40(27.6%) were positive. Among these mutations, c.109G>A of the GJB2 gene was the most prevalent one, whose carrier rate in deafness group and control group were 46.6%(61/131) and 23.4% (34/145), respectively.Conclusions:The micro-fluidic chip system was succeeded in fulfilling the hereditary deafness-related mutation detection, and offered many advantages including high specificity, avoiding the amplicon carryover contamination, simplifying the entire experimental operation process and short detection time, so as to better meet the detection requirement of genetic testing for deafness in newborn screening and other fields.