OBJECTIVE To characterize the chemical constituents of the cladodes and fruits of Opuntia Milpa Alta by using UPLC-QE-Orbitrap MS, and investigate the antioxidant activity, and explore the relationship between the constituents and biological activity. METHODS The UPLC HSS T3 C18 column(2.1 mm×10 mm, 1.8 μm) was used. Acetonitrile and water with 0.1% formic acid was used for gradient elution at a 0.2 mL·min–1 flow rateas. Heated electrospray ion source was used for primary and secondary mass spectrometry data acquisition in positive and negative ion modes, respectively. Database and literature reports were used to characterize the chemical constituents of the cladodes and fruits of Opuntia Mipa Alta. DPPH radical, hydroxyl radical(·OH) and superoxide anion radical(· ) scavenging ability were used to investigate the antioxidant activities of the cladodes and fruits of Opuntia Milpa Alta. RESULTS A total of 39 compounds were characterized from the cladodes and fruits of Opuntia Milpa Alta, including 22 phenolic compounds, 13 flavonoids and 4 other components. Both cladodes and fruits of Opuntia Milpa Alta had certain antioxidant capacity. The fruits of Opuntia Milpa Alta had better scavenging ability of DPPH than the cladodes, while the cladodes had a slightly stronger scavenging ability of ·OH than the fruits. The scavenging ability of · between cladode peels and fruit peels was not significantly different, and the juice had the strongest scavenging ability of · . The antioxidant activity of Opuntia Milpa Alta was closely related to its rich phenolic acids. CONCLUSION In this study, a rapid, accurate and reliable method is established to identify the chemical constituents of the cladodes and fruits of Opuntia Milpa Alta, which provides scientific basis for the comprehensive development and utilization of Opuntia Milpa Alta.

In epidemic prevention and control,people from epidemic areas are easy to be stigmatized and discriminated,and the dignity of patients may be offended intentionally or unintentionally in the treatment process.In such a world where dignity is still generally ignored,ignored and discriminated against,how to maintain and promote human dignity in epidemic prevention and control has become a public ethical problem.There is no conflict between epidemic prevention and control and human digni-ty,but mutual promotion.The prevention and control measures and policies that fully respect human dignity can be better under-stood,supported and cooperated by individuals.From the perspective of dignity,special respect and care should be given to vul-nerable groups in the epidemic situation,so as to provide medical and health services to vulnerable groups in a dignified way.

Objective:To investigate the incidence and treatment of gastric cancer in 16 medical centers in Tianjin from 2020 to 2021.Methods:The retrospective and descriptive study was conducted. The clinical data of 3 122 gastric cancer patients who underwent surgery in 16 medical centers, including Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, et al, in Tianjin from 2020 to 2021 were collected. There were 2 112 males and 1 010 females, aged (64±11)years. Observation indicators: (1) general data of patients; (2) treatment situations; (3) postoperative complications. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range). Count data were descri-bed as absolute numbers or percentages, and comparison between groups was conducted by the chi-square test. Results:(1) General data of patients. From 2020 to 2021, a total of 3 122 gastric cancer patients received surgeries in 16 medical centers in Tianjin, including 2 112 males and 1 010 females. There were 1 443 cases in 2020, including 976 males and 467 females, aged (63±11) years. There were 1 679 cases in 2021, including 1 136 males and 543 females, aged (65±11) years. Of the 3 122 pati-ents, cases in stage Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ were 696, 667, 1 466, 293, accounting for 22.293%(696/3 122), 21.365%(667/3 122), 46.957%(1 466/3 122), 9.385%(293/3 122), respectively. Cases with early gastric cancer, locally advanced gastric cancer, advanced gastric cancer account for 17.265%(539/3 122), 73.350%(2 290/3 122), 9.385%(293/3 122). There were 2 829 patients without distant metastasis and 293 patients with distant metastasis. For the 2 829 patients without distant metas-tasis, cases in stage T1, T2, T3, T4a, T4b accounted for 19.053%(539/2 829), 12.089%(342/2 829), 20.148%(570/2 829), 41.499%(1 174/2 829), 7.211%(204/2 829)respectively, cases in stage N0, N1, N2, N3 account for 37.328%(1 056/2 829), 16.331%(462/2 829), 15.836%(448/2 829), 30.505%(863/2 829). For the 293 advanced gastric cancer patients with distant metastasis, 190 cases had peri-toneal metastasis, 47 cases had lymph node metastasis, 27 cases had ovarian metastasis, 37 cases had liver metastasis, 14 cases had other metastasis (some patients had ≥2 distant metastases). (2) Treatment situations. ① For the 539 with early gastric cancer, cases undergoing endoscopic submu-cosal dissection, laparoscopic surgery, open surgery were 22, 150, 86 in 2020, versus 19, 212, 50 in 2021, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=19.42, P<0.05). For the 498 patients with early gastric cancer who underwent laparoscopic or open surgery, cases undergoing open surgery including total gastrectomy, distal gastrectomy, proximal gastrectomy were 25, 81, 30, and cases undergoing laparoscopic surgery including total gastrectomy, distal gastrectomy, proximal gastrec-tomy were 18, 309, 35, respectively, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=40.62, P<0.05). For the 2 290 patients with locally advanced gastric cancer, cases undergoing open surgery and laparoscopic surgery were 446 and 617 in 2020, versus 410 and 817 in 2021, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=17.75, P<0.05). For the 2 290 patients with locally advanced gastric cancer, cases undergoing open surgery including total gastrectomy, distal gastrectomy, proxi-mal gastrectomy were 336, 377, 143, and cases undergoing laparoscopic surgery including total gastrectomy, distal gastrectomy, proximal gastrectomy were 377, 920, 137, respectively, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=89.64, P<0.05). Of the 293 patients with advanced gastric cancer, 175 cases underwent surgeries due to hemorrhage, stenosis, perforation, 76 cases under-went surgery after chemotherapy, 42 cases underwent surgery directly. ② For 756 cases of 3 122 pati-ents undergoing total gastrectomy, 357 and 4 cases received open digestive tract reconstruction including Roux-en-Y and other anastomosis, versus 380 and 15 cases with laparoscopic digestive tract reconstruction including Roux-en-Y and other anastomosis, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=5.57, P<0.05). For 1 687 cases undergoing distal gastrectomy, 84, 160, 158, 55 cases received open digestive tract reconstruction including Billroth Ⅰ anastomosis, Billroth Ⅱ + Braun anastomosis, Roux-en-Y anastomosis, uncut Roux-en-Y anastomosis, versus 154, 489, 417, 170 cases with laparoscopic digestive tract reconstruction including Billroth Ⅰ anastomosis, Billroth Ⅱ + Braun anastomosis, Roux-en-Y anastomosis, uncut Roux-en-Y anastomosis, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=10.90, P<0.05) . Of the 539 patients with early gastric cancer, 65 cases had lymph node metastasis, in which 18 of 306 stage T1a cases had lymph node metastasis and 47 of 233 stage T1b cases had lymph node metastasis. The number of detected lymph nodes for the 2 290 patients with advanced gastric cancer was 31±15, including ≥16 for 2 059 cases and ≥30 for 1 276 cases. Of the 3 122 patients, cases with neoadjuvant therapy, complete response and incomplete response was 128, 13 and 115 in 2020, versus 250, 49 and 201 in 2021, showing a significant difference between them ( χ2=5.51, P<0.05). (3) Postoperative complications. Of the 3 122 patients, 746 cases had postoperative complications, with an incidence of 23.895%(746/3 122). There were 62 patients with grade 3 or more complications. Reoperation was conducted in 34 patients. There were 14 cases of postoperative death. The duration of postoperative hospital stay and hospital expense were (11±5)days and (98 114±46 598)yuan for the 3 122 patients, (26±14)days and (122 066±68 317)yuan for cases with complications, (40±21)days and (196 926±12 747)yuan for cases with grade 3 or more complications. Conclusion:Compared with 2020, cases undergoing laparoscopic surgery and distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer in Tianjin increases in 2021, and the digestive tract reconstruction also differs. The number of patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and complete response rate for advanced gastric cancer increases.

Objective:To investigate the differential expression of microRNA (miR)-214-3p in plasma exosomes in different types of uveal melanoma (UM) and evaluate whether miR-214-3p is a potential molecular biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of UM.Methods:Twenty-five UM in situ patients who received the enucleation of eyeball were enrolled at Beijing Tongren Hospital from December 2015 to October 2019, including 10 with epithelioid cell melanoma and 10 with spindle cell melanoma as well as 5 metastatic UM patients (1 with spindle cell-like melanoma and 4 with epithelioid cell-like melanoma) and 10 healthy subjects were enrolled during the same period.Blood sample was collected from all the subjects for the isolation of plasma exosomes.The morphology of exosomes was examined under the electron microscope.The exsomal marker proteins were identified by Western blot.The expression level of miR-214-3p in plasma exosomes was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.The differential expression of miR-214-3p among different types of UM patients and healthy controls was compared.The diagnostic and classification performance of exosomal miR-214-3p was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve.Written informed consent was obtained from each subject prior to entering the study cohort.This study protocol was approved by an Ethics Committee of Capital Medical Univeristy (No.TRECKY2018-056).Results:The isolated exosomes were hemispherical in shape with a concavity on one side.The diameter of the exosomes was about 100 nm and the particle diameter of vesicles from samples was (82.0±2.7) nm.TSG101 protein was detectable and Calnexin protein was not found in the exosomes.The relative expression levels of plasma exosomal miR-214-3p in healthy control group, in situ UM group and metastatic UM group were 0.86(0.57, 1.49), 0.24(0.10, 0.67), and 0.43(0.23, 0.56), respectively.The miR-214-3p relative expression level in plasma exosomes of in situ UM patients and metastatic UM patients was significantly lower than that of healthy controls, and the differences were statistically significant ( Z=2.62, P<0.01; Z=2.08, P<0.05). The relative expression levels of exosomal miR-214-3p in spindle cell-like UM group and epithelioid cell-like UM group were 0.11(0.07, 0.64) and 0.46(0.14, 0.91), respectively, and no significant difference was found in the expression level of plasma exosomal miR-214-3p among different types of UM (all at P>0.05). The area under the curve of plasma exosomal miR-214-3p for UM diagnosis was 0.795. Conclusions:Plasma exosomal miR-214-3p level is significantly reduced in both in situ UM patients and metastatic UM patients.Plasma exosomal miR-214-3p is a new potential diagnostic biomarker for UM, but the exosomal miR-214-3p appears to not be able to distinguish the types of UM.

Objective:To investigate the changes of porphyrin metabolites in urine of patients with colorectal cancer before and after operation and their correlation with prognosis.Methods:One hundred patients with colorectal cancer were collected in First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from June 2016 to December 2016, urine was collected before operation, 1 week after operation, 1 year after operation and before recurrence. The contents of urinary porphyrin metabolites of uroporphyrinogenI (UP Ⅰ) and coproporphyrinogen Ⅲ(CP Ⅲ) were detected by high performance liquid chromatography. Toanalyse the changes of UPⅠ and CPⅢ levels before and after operaction of colorectal cancer and their correlation with clinicopathologicalcharacteristics,and the recurrence and metastasis after operation.Results:The levels of UPⅠ and CPⅢ in urine of patients with colorectal cancer after operation were significantly lower than those before operation [(66.80 ± 17.62) μmol/g vs. (35.58 ± 9.32) μmol/g, (20.14 ± 3.14) μmol/g vs. (10.38 ± 0.85) μmol/g] ( P<0.05). The levels of UP Ⅰ and CP Ⅲ in urine of patients with Dukes C/D stage were significantly higher than those with Dukes A/B stage [(45.26 ± 5.26) μmol/g vs. (28.56 ± 3.45) μmol/g, (86.57 ± 6.58) μmol/g vs. (52.48 ± 3.36) μmol/g], the levels of UP Ⅰand CPⅢ in urine of patients with lymph node metastasis were significantly higher than those without lymph node metastasis [(45.44 ± 5.46) μmol/g vs. (30.27 ± 6.07) μmol/g, (86.67 ± 6.87) μmol/g vs. (56.10 ± 11.08) μmol/g], there were significant differences ( P<0.05). Urinary levels of UPⅠ and CPⅢ were independent risk factors for recurrence and metastasis of colorectal cancer after operation ( OR=1.149 and 1.065, P<0.05). Conclusions:Porphyrin metabolites (UPⅠ and CPⅢ) in urine may serve as a new marker for assessing colorectal cancer.

Objective:To explore the effect and mechanism of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid-Photodynamic Therapy (5-ALA-PDT) on the apoptosis of the human colonic carcinoma HT-29 cells.Methods:HT-29 cells were cultured in vivio and divided into four groups: blank control group, 5-ALA group, PDT group and 5-ALA-PDT group.The control group was not given photosensitizer and light treatment; 5-ALA group was given photosensitizer ; PDT group was given light treatment; 5-ALA-PDT group was given photosensitizer and light treatment at the same time. Flow cytometry was used to observe the apoptosis of HT-29 cells. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to observe the expression of B-type lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) in HT-29 cells. Ultraviolet spectrophotometry was used to detect the expression of Caspase-3. Results:The apoptotic rate of 5-ALA-PDT group was significantly higher than that of blank control group, 5-ALA group and PDT group ( P<0.05). Compared with the blank control group, 5-ALA-PDT group and PDT group, the expression of Bcl-2 in the 5-ALA-PDT group was statistically significant ( P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in Bax expression among the four groups ( P>0.05). The expression of Bax/Bcl-2 in 5-ALA-PDT group was significantly higher than that in blank control group, 5-ALA group and PDT group ( P<0.05). The expression of Caspase-3 in 5-ALA-PDT group was significantly higher than that in blank control group, 5-ALA group and PDT group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:5-ALA-PDT can induce apoptosis of HT-29 cells, and its mechanism may be related to the induction of apoptosis through Bax/Bcl-2 pathway.

Objective:To investigate the accumulation of porphyrin metabolites [uroporphyrinogen (UP) Ⅰ and coproporphyrinogen (CP) Ⅲ] induced by 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) in the urine of rats with colorectal cancer.Methods:The rat model of colorectal cancer was established by dimethylhydrazine (DMH). Urine samples were collected from 30 colorectal cancer rats (colorectal cancer group) and 30 normal rats (normal group). Each animal was given 5-ALA (50 mg/kg) by gavage, and urine was collected after 2, 4, 6 and 8 h. The contents of urinary porphyromogen Ⅰ and porphyromogen faecalis Ⅲ in urine were detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).Results:There was no significant difference in the contents of UP Ⅰ and CP Ⅲ in urine between colorectal cancer group and normal group before oral administration of 5-ALA ( P>0.05). After oral administration of 5-ALA, the contents of UP Ⅰ and CP Ⅲ in urine of colorectal cancer group were significantly higher than those of normal group ( P<0.05). The contents of UP Ⅰ and CP Ⅲ in urine of colorectal cancer group reached the highest value at 4 hours. According to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve drawn from 4-hour test results, the threshold value of UP Ⅰ for colorectal cancer diagnosis was 50.43 μmol/g, with corresponding sensitivity 96.7%, and the specificity 63.3%, respectively. The threshold value of CP Ⅲ for colorectal cancer diagnosis was 108.85 μmol/g, with corresponding sensitivity 66.7%, and the specificity 86.7%, respectively. Conclusions:The accumulation of porphyrin metabolites induced by 5-ALA in the urine of rats with colorectal cancer is significant. The porphyrin metabolites in urine may be a new tumor marker of colorectal cancer, which provides an experimental basis for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer.

Understanding the biomechanical properties of periodontal ligament is of great significance for orthodontic treatment. Due to the complexity of periodontal ligament structures, previous studies mainly used in vitro experiments, which had limitations. In order to obtain accurate and actual data, in vivo experiments on biomechanical properties of periodontal ligaments will become a trend of development in the future. In this article, the method, types, progress, advantages and disadvantages of in vivo experiments on biomechanical properties of periodontal ligaments were reviewed and prospected.

Novel natural products have always been the most important sources for discovery of new drugs. Since the end of the 20th century, advances in genomics technology have contributed to decode and analyze numerous genomes, revealing remarkable potential for production of new natural products in organisms. However, this potential is hampered by laboratory culture conditions. Therefore, the integration of all these new advances is necessary to unveil these treasures, addressing the rise in resistance to antibiotics. In this review, we discuss the strategies of genome mining, inducing the expression of silent biosynthetic gene clusters and construction of biological chassis.
Animals ; Biological Products ; metabolism ; Biosynthetic Pathways ; genetics ; Genome ; genetics ; Genomics ; Multigene Family ; genetics

Objective: To study the application of urinary 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA)detection in screening and identification of colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps. Methods: The clinical data of 500 high-risk patients(including 22 cases with colorectal cancer, 134 cases with adenomatous polyps, and 344 cases with other patients) at the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from January 2018 to October 2018 were collected. High performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) was used to detect urinary 5-ALA and fecal occult blood test was used to detect faeces. Sensitivity and specificity of two methods was compared. At the same time, urine samples of 431 cases(including 22 cases with colorectal cancer, 134 cases with adenomatous polyps and 275 cases with colorectal normal mucosa)were collected, and the difference of the content of urinary 5-ALA among three groups was compared. Results: The sensitivity of urinary 5-ALA for the colorectal cancer screening was74.9%, and the specificity was 72.5%. The sensitivity of urinary 5-ALA for the adenomatous polyps screening was 70.1%, and the specificity was75.0%. The sensitivity of fecal occult blood test for the colorectal cancer screening was 63.6%, and the specificity was 62.1%. The sensitivity of fecal occult blood test for the adenomatous polyps screening was 42.3%, and the specificity was 62.5%. The content of urinary 5-ALA of the colorectal cancer group [(9.35 ± 0.46) μmol/g] was significantly higher than that of the adenomatous polyps group [(7.24 ± 0.64) μmol/g] (P < 0.05) and normal colorectal mucosa group [(3.12 ± 0.24) μmol/g] (P < 0.05), and the content of urinary 5-ALA of the adenomatous polyps group was significantly higher than that of colorectal normal mucosa group (P < 0.05). Conclusions For screening of colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps, the content of urinary 5-ALA by HPLC is better than fecal occult blood test, and this approach can do great help to identify colorectal cancer, adenomatous polyps and normal colorectal mucosa.