Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease in middle-aged and elderly people. In particular, increasing evidence has showed that astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of PD. As a precious traditional Chinese medicine, bear bile powder (BBP) has a long history of use in clinical practice. It has numerous activities, such as clearing heat, calming the liver wind and anti-inflammation, and also exhibits good therapeutic effect on convulsive epilepsy. However, whether BBP can prevent the development of PD has not been elucidated. Hence, this study was designed to explore the effect and mechanism of BBP on suppressing astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammation in a mouse model of PD. PD-like behavior was induced in the mice by intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) (30 mg·kg^-1) for five days, followed by BBP (50, 100, and 200 mg·kg^-1) treatment daily for ten days. LPS stimulated rat C6 astrocytic cells were used as a cell model of neuroinflammation. THe results indicated that BBP treatment significantly ameliorated dyskinesia, increased the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and inhibited astrocyte hyperactivation in the substantia nigra (SN) of PD mice. Furthermore, BBP decreased the protein levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and up-regulated the protein levels of takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5) in the SN. Moreover, BBP significantly activated TGR5 in a dose-dependent manner, and decreased the protein levels of GFAP, iNOS and COX2, as well as the mRNA levels of GFAP, iNOS, COX2, interleukin (IL) -1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in LPS-stimulated C6 cells. Notably, BBP suppressed the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (AKT), inhibitor of NF-κB (IκBα) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) proteins in vivo and in vitro. We also observed that TGR5 inhibitor triamterene attenuated the anti-neuroinflammatory effect of BBP on LPS-stimulated C6 cells. Taken together, BBP alleviates the progression of PD mice by suppressing astrocyte-mediated inflammation via TGR5.
Humans ; Mice ; Rats ; Animals ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Parkinson Disease/pathology* ; Astrocytes/pathology* ; Powders/therapeutic use* ; Ursidae/metabolism* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Neuroinflammatory Diseases ; Neurodegenerative Diseases/metabolism* ; Cyclooxygenase 2/metabolism* ; Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Bile ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Microglia ; Disease Models, Animal

ObjectiveTo determine the epidemic characteristics of anthrax in Chengde City， Hebei Province from 2005 to 2021， and to provide evidence for formulating prevention and control measures of anthrax and reducing incidence rate. MethodsThis study collected the data of anthrax epidemic in Chengde City and conducted descriptive analysis. ResultsFrom 2005 to 2021， a total of 11 anthrax cases were reported in Chengde City with no death. The average incidence rate was 0.08/10⁵， which remained low. Furthermore， 10 cases were cutaneous anthrax and 1 case was pulmonary anthrax. The cases were mainly reported in Weichang County， accounting for 90.91% of the total reported cases， followed by Pingquan City. In addition， the cases were mainly reported from July to August and mainly between 30 and 59 years old with a gender ratio of 2.67∶1. ConclusionThe anthrax epidemic in Chengde City is likely to increase. It mainly occurs in summer， rural areas， and male young and middle-aged farmers. It is necessary to improve epidemic monitoring， health education， disease prevention capacity， early identification of the epidemic， and active response.

Objective To investigate whether endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) can be an alternative method for diagnostic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) by comparing the ability of EUS versus CT and transabdominal ultrasonography (TUS) in the diagnosis of muddy stones of the common bile duct. Methods A prospective study was conducted for 53 patients suspected of muddy stones of the common bile duct who attended Nanxishan Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from July 2019 to December 2021, and all patients underwent EUS, TUS, and CT before ERCP. With ERCP and endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) for removing muddy stones of the common bile duct as the gold standard for the diagnosis of muddy stones of the common bile duct, EUS, TUS, and CT were compared in terms of their ability to display the muddy stones of the common bile duct. The chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups. Results In the 53 patients, EUS, TUS, and CT had a positive rate of 88.68%, 50.94%, and 62.26%, respectively, in detecting muddy stones of the common bile duct. As for the positive results confirmed by EST under ERCP, EUS had a sensitivity of 93.75%, a specificity of 60.00%, and an accuracy of 90.57% in detecting muddy stones of the common bile duct, while TUS had a sensitivity of 56.25%, a specificity of 100.00%, and an accuracy of 60.38% and CT had a sensitivity of 66.67%, a specificity of 80.00%, and an accuracy of 67.92%. There was a significant difference between EUS and CT in the accuracy in detecting muddy stones of the common bile duct ( χ 2 =8.26, P =0.004), and there was also a significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between EUS and TUS ( χ 2 =13.05, P < 0.001). Conclusion EUS is more accurate than TUS and CT in the diagnosis of muddy stones of the common bile duct, and instead of ERCP, EUS is thus recommended for suspected muddy stones of the common bile duct when TUS and CT fail to identify the lesions in clinical practice, so as to make a confirmed diagnosis and reduce related costs and complications.

Objective:To analyze the expression of cell division cycle associated protein 5 (CDCA5) in pancreatic cancer tissues and its correlation with prognosis based on the bioinformatics.Methods:The RNA sequencing data (HTSeq-FPKM) and corresponding clinical information of 168 pancreatic cancer samples from January to December 2021 were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and the data of 179 pancreatic patients from January to December 2021 were downloaded from the GEPIA2 database, and 171 normal pancreatic tissues from TCGA and GTEx databases were simultaneously integrated. The relative expression level of CDCA5 mRNA in pancreatic cancer patients in GEPIA2 database and its relationship with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were explored. Combined with the clinical data of the patients, univariate and multivariate Cox regression model analysis was used to analyze the factors influencing the OS of pancreatic cancer patients. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to investigate the possibly involved signal pathways of CDCA5 in pancreatic cancer.Results:In the GEPIA2 database, the relative expression level of CDCA5 mRNA in pancreatic cancer tissues was higher than that in normal pancreatic tissues, and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). The pancreatic cancer patients were divided into the high CDCA5 mRNA expression group (89 cases) and the low CDCA5 mRNA expression group (89 cases) according to the median of relative expression level of CDCA5 mRNA (the case equal to the median value was not subgrouped). Survival analysis showed that patients with high CDCA5 mRNA expression had shorter OS ( P = 0.024) and DFS ( P = 0.025) compared with those with low CDCA5 mRNA expression. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that in TCGA database, N staging ( HR = 2.15, 95% CI 1.24-3.72, P = 0.006) and CDCA5 expression ( HR = 1.71, 95% CI 1.23-2.38, P = 0.001) were independent influencing factors of OS for pancreatic cancer patients. The results of GSEA enrichment analysis indicated that high CDCA5 mRNA expression was enriched in 13 biological pathways [all P < 0.05, false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.005] including cell cycle, DNA replication, homologous recombination, pyrimidine metabolism, mismatch repair, pentose phosphate pathway, glycolysis gluconeogenesis and p53. The expression of CDCA5 mRNA was positively correlated with the expressions of HK2, PKM, PGK1, ALDOA, EN01 and LDHA (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:CDCA5 is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer tissues and is associated with poor prognosis of patients, and it can be used as a prognostic marker for pancreatic cancer.

Pyroptosis is a newly discovered programmed cell death that can lead to inflammatory response, its occurrence depends on the sequential activation of inflammatory bodies and caspase, and then the pore-forming generated by the fragmentation of gasdermin D and its cell membrane polymerization. Pyroptosis is mainly comprised of the pathway that depends on caspase-1 activated by flammasomes and the non-classical pathway that depends on caspase-4/5/11 activated by cytoplasmic lipopolysaccharide. As an important mechanism mediating the inflammatory response of the body, pyroptosis plays an irreplaceable role in the body's response to noxious stimuli, which is closely related to many diseases such as nervous system diseases, cardiovascular system diseases and tumors. Recent studies have found that pyroptosis also plays a key role in the occurrence of intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (II/RI). This paper reviews the molecular characteristics, mechanism of pyroptosis and its relationship with II/RI in recent years, in order to provide theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of II/RI.

Cutaneous hemangioma is a kind of benign skin vascular tumor caused by congenital abnormal vascular development. The rays emitted by 90Sr has a good effect on it. Meanwhile, 90Sr application is easy to operate, effective, with less side effects and painless. It is a method worthy of promotion in the treatment of skin hemangioma. This article reviews the application of 90Sr application in cutaneous hemangioma treatment.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of 90Sr application on superficial hemangioma in hair area and its effect on the volume of hair. Methods:A total of 136 pediatric patients (55 males, 81 females, 1-30 months old; 136 lesions) with head hemangioma in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University between February 2018 and October 2019 were enrolled. They were divided into 3 groups according to the hair density of tumor sites. Group A ( n=63, 3(2, 6) months old, male/female=27/36): the hair in tumor sites was as thick as the surrounding hair. Group B ( n=40, 3(2, 5) months old, male/female=17/23): the hair in tumor sites was thinner than the surrounding area. Group C ( n=33, 3(2, 6) months old, male/female=11/22): there was no hair growth in the tumor sites. All groups were treated with 90Sr application, and the total absorbed dose of each course was 10-30 Gy, which was divided into 8 times. Three to four months after the treatment, the efficacy and adverse reactions were evaluated and the volume of hair was divided into 3 grades according to the hair density of the tumor sites: flourishing, good growth and no growth. If the clinical effect was unsatisfied, a second course of treatment was conducted. Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test or χ 2 test was used for data analysis. Results:The differences of age ( H=0.01), gender ( χ 2=0.92) among group A, group B and group C were not significant (both P>0.05). The total recovery rates of 3 groups after two-course treatment were 88.9%(56/63), 95.0%(38/40) and 93.9%(31/33) respectively ( χ 2=1.49, P>0.05). Besides, the incidences of adverse reactions were 6.3%(4/63), 7.5%(3/40) and 9.1%(3/33) respectively ( χ 2=0.24, P>0.05). Three to four months after treatment, the hair on tumor sites in group A and B was rated as flourishing, 28 children in group C were rated as flourishing, 5 children were rated as good growth, and none of the children showed no growth. Conclusions:The 90Sr application has a good treatment effect on the small superficial hemangioma in the hair area of infants, and the amount of hair in the affected area can be restored to normal after treatment. This treatment is worthy of clinical application.

Objective:To establish the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) detection method of Yersinia pestis by determining MIC of 11 kinds of antibiotics against Yersinia pestis, to master the inhibition range of common antibiotics on Yersinia pestis, and provide baseline data for clinical treatment of plague. Methods:According to Clinical Labor Standard Institution (CLSI), the agar plate dilution method was used to determine the MIC of 11 kinds of antibiotics against 118 strains of Yersinia pestis, including ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, kanamycin, streptomycin, ceftriaxone, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, spectinomycin, cefuroxime and tetracycline. MIC 50 and MIC 90 (the minimum concentration of drug which could inhibit 50% and 90% of bacterial growth) were calculated. The consistency was observed by comparing the results with those of the disk diffusion method. One hundred and eighteen strains of Yersinia pestis were isolated from natural plague foci of Qinghai Province and preserved by Qinghai Institute for Endemic Disease Prevention and Control. Results:Among 118 strains of Yersinia pestis tested, no single or multiple strains of Yersinia pestis resistant to 11 kinds of antibiotics were found, which was consistent with the results of the disk diffusion method. The MIC 50 and MIC 90 of 11 kinds of antibiotics against 118 strains of Yersinia pestis were obtained. Conclusions:The MIC detection method of Yersinia pestis is successfully established. This method can be used to measure the MIC of antibiotics against Yersinia pestis in high throughput and evaluate the sensitivity of Yersinia pestis to antibiotics. It is an efficient, economical and practical experimental method.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of astaxanthin on neuropathic pain in rats and the role of spinal heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1).Methods:Seventy-two SPF-grade healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 200-250 g, in which intrathecal catheters were successfully implanted, were divided into 6 groups ( n=12 each) by a random number table method: blank control group (group C), sham operation group (Sham group), neuropathic pain (NP) group, NP plus dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) group (NP + DMSO group), NP plus astaxanthin group (NP + AST group) and NP plus zinc protoporphyrin plus astaxanthin group (NP+ ZnPP+ AST group). NP was induced by chronic constriction injury in anesthetized rats.In Sham group, the sciatic nerve was only isolated without ligation.At 5 days after establishing the model, 0.5% DMSO 10 μl was intrathecally injected in NP+ DMSO group, astaxanthin 1 μg (dissolved in 10 μl DMSO) was intrathecally injected in NP+ AST group, HO-1 inhibitor zinc protoporphyrin 24 μg (dissolved in 10 μl DMSO) was intrathecally injected, and 3 h later astaxanthin 1 μg (dissolved in 10 μl DMSO) was intrathecally injected in NP+ ZnPP+ AST group.Injection was given once a day for 10 consecutive days in the 3 groups mentioned above.The mechanical paw withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal paw withdrawal latency (TWL) were measured at 1 day before establishing the model and 3, 7 and 14 days after establishing the model.The rats were sacrificed at 14 days after establishing the model, and the L 4-6 lumbar segments of the spinal cord were removed for determination of the contents of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GHS-PX)(by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and expression of HO-1 (by Western blot). Results:Compared with group C and group Sham, the MWT was significantly decreased and TWL was shortened at each time point after establishing the model, the contents of TNF-α and IL-1β were increased, and the expression of HO-1 was up-regulated in the other four groups, the SOD and GSH-PX contents were significantly decreased in NP group, NP+ DMSO group and NP+ ZnPP+ AST group, and the SOD and GSH-PX contents were significantly increased in NP+ AST group ( P<0.05). Compared with NP group, the MWT was significantly increased and TWL was prolonged at 7 and 14 days after establishing the model, the contents of TNF-α and IL-1β were decreased, and the expression of HO-1 was up-regulated in NP+ AST group, the expression of HO-1 was down-regulated in NP+ ZnPP+ AST group ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found in the parameters mentioned above in NP+ DMSO group ( P>0.05). Compared with NP+ AST group, the MWT was significantly decreased and TWL was shortened at 7 and 14 days after establishing the model, the contents of SOD and GSH-PX were decreased, the contents of TNF-α and IL-1β were increased, and the expression of HO-1 was down-regulated in NP+ ZnPP+ AST group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Astaxanthin can reduce NP in rats, and the mechanism is related to up-regulating the expression of HO-1 in the spinal cord and inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory responses.

Objective In order to acquaint with the prevalence of Tibetan sheep plague in this area, we conducted a serum epidemiological investigation of Tibetan sheep plague in Qinghai Province. Methods Indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA) and colloidal gold immunochromatography (GICA) were applied to test serum samples of Tibetan sheep and whole blood samples from jugular vein of Tibetan sheep were collected in 8 Prefectures of Qinghai Province from 2013 to 2016. Results A total of 86 positive Tibetan sheep serum samples with plague F1 antibody were detected by both methods, and the positive rate was 0.68％ (86/12710), the samples collected in Xinghai County Hainan Prefecture had the highest positive rate, which was 5.20％ (27/519). The Haixi Prefecture and Yushu Prefecture were historical epidemic areas, the positive rates were 0.65％(15/2313) and 0.26％(6/2293), respectively. Hainan Prefecture, Guoluo Prefacture and Huangnan Prefecture were newly confirmed epidemic areas, the positive rates were 1.61％ (28/1741), 1.01％ (15/1481), and 1.44％(19/1316), respectively. The antibody titers were 1:20 to 1:5120, the samples collected in Maqin County Guoluo Prefecture had the highest titer, namely 1 :5120. Conclusions In Qinghai Province, Tibetan sheep plague is endemic, and there are outbreaks in some regions. So we have to enhance the Tibetan sheep plague monitoring especially in Marmot plague epidemic area.