Background Natural pyrethrins have long been widely used in the fields of environmental and household hygiene. Studies have reported that natural pyrethrins have potential liver toxicity, but their specific mechanisms are still unclear yet. Objective To explore the effect of natural pyrethrins on DNA damage in human liver cells. Methods This study used human liver cell QSG7701 as an in vitro testing model. After exposure to DMSO and a series of concentrations of natural pyrethrins (5, 10, 20, and 40 μg·mL⁻¹) for 6 and 24 h, reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected by fluorescence microscopy using a fluorescence probe, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) by colorimetric method using a microplate reader, DNA damage by comet assay through observing DNA fragment migration under microscope, and phospho H2AX (γH2AX) and 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) by immunofluorescence assay using a laser confocal microscope. Results As the exposure concentration of natural pyrethrins increased, the fluorescence intensity of ROS significantly increased in a concentration-dependent manner. The differences in ROS between the 10 μg·mL⁻¹ and above groups and the control group were statistically significant (P<0.01), and the ROS levels in the 20 μg·mL⁻¹ and 40 μg·mL⁻¹ treatment groups were 2.17 and 3.05 times higher than that in the control group respectively. The TBARS level increased in a concentration-dependent manner in natural pyrethrins treated cells (P<0.01), and the levels in the 20 μg·mL⁻¹ and 40 μg·mL⁻¹ treatment groups were 2.46 and 3.01 times higher than that in the control group respectively. The results of comet assay showed trailing formation of cellular DNA in each dose group; as the exposure concentration of natural pyrethrins increased, indicators such as tail DNA content (TDNA%), tail length (TL), tail moment (TM), and Olive tail moment (OTM) increased in a concentration-dependent manner. Compared with the control group, the differences in the indicators between the 20 μg·mL⁻¹ and above groups and the control group were statistically significant (P<0.01), especially in the 40 μg·mL⁻¹ treatment groups, where TDNA%, TL, TM, and OTM were (46.92 ± 3.52) %, (64.67± 4.16) μm, 30.96 ± 2.94, and 22.64 ± 3.89, respectively. The cellular immunofluorescence results showed that natural pyrethrins induced the formation of γH2AX and 8-oxoG, the fluorescence intensities of γH2AX and 8-oxoG increased in a concentration-dependent manner, and the differences between the 10 μg·mL⁻¹ and above groups and the control group were statistically significant (P<0.01). Conclusion Natural pyrethrins could induce DNA damage in human liver cells, and ROS-mediated oxidative stress may play an important role in its liver cell genotoxicity.

Objective To investigate the incidence rate,clinical characteristics,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen,China.Methods Led by Shenzhen Children's Hospital,the Shenzhen Neonatal Data Collaboration Network organized 21 institutions to collect 36 cases of neonatal stroke from January 2020 to December 2022.The incidence,clinical characteristics,treatment,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen were analyzed.Results The incidence rate of neonatal stroke in 21 hospitals from 2020 to 2022 was 1/15 137,1/6 060,and 1/7 704,respectively.Ischemic stroke accounted for 75％(27/36);boys accounted for 64％(23/36).Among the 36 neonates,31(86％)had disease onset within 3 days after birth,and 19(53％)had convulsion as the initial presentation.Cerebral MRI showed that 22 neonates(61％)had left cerebral infarction and 13(36％)had basal ganglia infarction.Magnetic resonance angiography was performed for 12 neonates,among whom 9(75％)had involvement of the middle cerebral artery.Electroencephalography was performed for 29 neonates,with sharp waves in 21 neonates(72％)and seizures in 10 neonates(34％).Symptomatic/supportive treatment varied across different hospitals.Neonatal Behavioral Neurological Assessment was performed for 12 neonates(33％,12/36),with a mean score of(32±4)points.The prognosis of 27 neonates was followed up to around 12 months of age,with 44％(12/27)of the neonates having a good prognosis.Conclusions Ischemic stroke is the main type of neonatal stroke,often with convulsions as the initial presentation,involvement of the middle cerebral artery,sharp waves on electroencephalography,and a relatively low neurodevelopment score.Symptomatic/supportive treatment is the main treatment method,and some neonates tend to have a poor prognosis.

AIM To explore the clinical effects of Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb.et Zucc.on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus of Dampness-Heat Pattern.METHODS One hundred and forty patients were randomly assigned into control group(70 cases)for 8-week intervention of conventional treatment,and observation group(70 cases)for 8-week intervention of both P.cuspidatum granules and conventional treatment.The changes in body weight,BMI,blood glucose indices(FBG,2 h PG,HbA1C,GA),blood lipid indices(TC,TG,HDL-C,LDL-C,ApoA-I,ApoB,ApoA,ApoE,sdLDL-C),liver function indices(ALT,AST),fatty liver progression,TyG,HSI,TCM syndrome score and effects were detected.RESULTS The observation group demonstrated higher total effective rates of TCM syndromes than the control group(P＜0.01),along with slighter fatty liver progression(P＜0.01).After the treatment,the observation group displayed decreased body weight,BMI,FBG,GA,TG,ApoE,TyG,HSI,ALT and TCM syndrome score(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and 2 h PG,TyG,HSI,ALT,TCM syndrome score were lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).CONCLUSION For the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus of Dampness-Heat Pattern,P.cuspidatum can improve glucose and lipid metabolism disorders,which is worthy of clinical popularization and application.

AIM To study the Chemical constituents from Rhinacanthus nasutus(L.)Kurz and their in vitro antitumor and lipid-lowering activities.METHODS The ethyl acetate fraction from R.nasutus was isolated and purified by normal phase,reverse phase silica gel column and semi-preparative HPLC,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.The in vitro anti-tumor activity was determined by MTT assay,and the in vitro lipid-lowering activity was evaluated by oleic acid-induced HepG2 high-fat cell model.RESULTS Twenty compounds were isolated and identified as rhinacanthin A(1),rhinacanthin B(2),rhinacanthin C(3),rhinacanthin D(4),rhinacanthin E(5),rhinacanthin M(6),rhinacanthin N(7),rhinacanthin Q(8),rhinacanthin T(9),rhinacanthone(10),β-sitosterol(11),gallic acid(12),vanillic acid(13),syringic acid(14),lapachol(15),umbelliferone(16),sambucunlin A(17),17α,21-dihydroxy-1,4-pregnadiene-3,11,20-trione,21-acetate(18),1,8-dihydroxyanthraquinone(19),2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone(20).Compounds 3 and 7 inhibited the proliferation of HepG2,Hela,A549 and H22 tumor cells with IC50 values of(0.66±0.17)-(3.22±0.49)μmol/L in a time-and concentration-dependent manner.Compounds 3,7 and 9 had a lipid clearance rate of more than 50%in oleic acid-induced HepG2 high-fat cells.CONCLUSION Compounds 16-20 are isolated from this plant for the first time.Compounds 3 and 7 have good in vitro anti-tumor activities,and 3,7,9 have good in vitro lipid-lowering activities.

End-stage patients experience unbearable pain because of refractory symptoms.Palliative sedation is a form of palliative care which relieves patients' agony by lowering their consciousness.Standard palliative sedation can help patients die with dignity.It is distinct from euthanasia and does not alter the survival of patients.Sufficient palliative care is the premise of palliative sedation.Repeated and detailed clinical evaluation,as well as multidisciplinary involvement,is necessary for the standardized implementation of palliative sedation.Here,we proposed the standard process and specifications of palliative sedation in Peking Union Medical College Hospital.Furthermore,we reported a case of palliative sedation for an advanced cancer patient with refractory delirium and living pain to demonstrate its application in clinical practice.
Humans ; Anesthesia ; Pain ; Hospitals ; Palliative Care ; Universities

To study the residue and dietary risk of propiconazole in Panax notoginseng and the effects on physiological and bioche-mical properties of P. notoginseng, we conducted foliar spraying of propiconazole on P. notoginseng in pot experiments. The physiolo-gical and biochemical properties studied included leaf damage, osmoregulatory substance content, antioxidant enzyme system, non-enzymatic system, and saponin content in the main root. The results showed that at the same application concentration, the residual amount of propiconazole in each part of P. notoginseng increased with the increase in the times of application and decreased with the extension of harvest interval. After one-time application of propiconazole according to the recommended dose(132 g·hm~(-2)) for P. ginseng, the half-life was 11.37-13.67 days. After 1-2 times of application in P. notoginseng, propiconazole had a low risk of dietary intake and safety threat to the population. The propiconazole treatment at the recommended concentration and above significantly increased the malondialdehyde(MDA) content, relative conductivity, and osmoregulatory substances and caused the accumulation of reactive oxygen species in P. notoginseng leaves. The propiconazole treatment at half(66 g·hm~(-2)) of the recommended dose for P. ginseng significantly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD), peroxidase(POD), and catalase(CAT) in P. notoginseng leaves. The propiconazole treatment at 132 g·hm~(-2) above inhibited the activities of glutathione reductase(GR) and glutathione S-transferase(GST), thereby reducing glutathione(GSH) content. Proconazole treatment changed the proportion of 5 main saponins in the main root of P. notoginseng. The treatment with 66 g·hm~(-2) propiconazole promoted the accumulation of saponins, while that with 132 g·hm~(-2) and above propiconazole significantly inhibited the accumulation of saponins. In summary, using propiconazole at 132 g·hm~(-2) to prevent and treat P. notoginseng diseases will cause stress on P. notoginseng, while propiconazole treatment at 66 g·hm~(-2) will not cause stress on P. notoginseng but promote the accumulation of saponins. The effect of propiconazole on P. notoginseng diseases remains to be studied.
Panax notoginseng/chemistry* ; Panax ; Antioxidants/pharmacology* ; Saponins/pharmacology* ; Glutathione ; Risk Assessment

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical significance of translocator proteins (TSPO) gene in the treatment of FLT3-ITD/DNMT3A R882 double-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS: Seventy-six patients with AML hospitalized in the Department of Hematology of the Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University from June 2018 to June 2020 were selected, including 34 patients with FLT3-ITD mutation, 27 patients with DNMT3A R882 mutation, 15 patients with FLT3-ITD/DNMT3A R882 double mutation, as well as 19 patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) hospitalized during the same period as control group. RNA was routinely extracted from 3 ml bone marrow retained during bone puncture, and TSPO gene expression was detected by transcriptome sequencing (using 2-deltadeltaCt calculation). RESULTS: The expression of TSPO gene in FLT3-ITD group and DNMT3A R882 group at first diagnosis was 2.02±1.04 and 1.85±0.76, respectively, which were both higher than 1.00±0.06 in control group, but the differences were not statistically significant (P=0.671, P=0.821). The expression of TSPO gene in the FLT3-ITD/DNMT3A R882 group was 3.98±1.07, wich was significantly higher than that in the FLT3-ITD group and DNMT3A R882 group, the differences were statistically significant (P=0.032, P=0.021). The expression of TSPO gene in patients who achieved complete response after chemotherapy in the FLT3-ITD/DNMT3A R882 group was 1.19±0.87, which was significantly lower than that at first diagnosis, and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.011). CONCLUSION TSPO gene may be used as an indicator of efficacy in FLT3-ITD /DNMT3A R882 double-mutated AML.
Humans ; DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases/genetics* ; DNA Methyltransferase 3A ; Mutation ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy* ; Nucleophosmin ; Prognosis ; fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3/genetics* ; Receptors, GABA/therapeutic use*

Objective: To investigate the incidence and risk factors of systemic allergic reactions induced by subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) in patients undergoing SCIT injections in Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH). Methods: This is a single center retrospective cohort study. Using the outpatient information system of PUMCH, the demographic information and injection-related reaction data of patients undergoing SCIT injection in Allergy Department of PUMCH from December 2018 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed to count the incidence and risk factors of systemic allergic reactions caused by SCIT. Mann-Whitney nonparametric test or chi-square test was used for single-factor analysis, and multiple logistic regression was used for multiple-factor analysis. Results: A total of 2 897 patients received 18 070 SCIT injections in Allergy Department during the four years, and 40 systemic allergic reactions occurred, with the overall incidence rate of 0.22%. The incidence of systemic allergic reaction was 0.37% when using imported dust mite preparation and 0.15% when using domestic multi-component allergen preparation. The risk factors significantly related with SCIT-induced systemic allergic reactions in patients using imported dust mite preparation were age less than 18 years old (OR=3.186,95%CI: 1.255-8.085), highest injection concentration (OR value could not be calculated because all patients with systemic reactions were injected with highest concentration), and large local reaction in previous injection (OR=22.264,95%CI: 8.205-60.411). The risk factors for SCIT-induced systemic allergic reactions in patients using domestic allergen preparation were 5 or more types of allergens (OR=3.455,95%CI: 1.147-10.402), highest injection concentration (OR=3.794,95%CI: 1.226-11.740) and large local reaction in previous injection (OR=63.577,95%CI: 22.248-181.683). However, SCIT injection in pollen allergic patients during the pollen season did not show a correlation with systemic allergic reaction. Conclusion: The incidence of SCIT-induced systemic allergic reactions was low in the Chinese patient population of this study. Patients with one or more risk factors, such as multiple allergen injection, highest injection concentration, large local reaction in previous injection, should be given high attention and vigilance against systemic allergic reactions.
Humans ; Allergens ; Asian People ; Desensitization, Immunologic/adverse effects* ; Hypersensitivity/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To analyze the values of serum Delta-like protein 4(DLL4)and cAMP response element-binding protein(CREB)levels in predicting microvascular injury of patients with different stages of diabetic retinopathy(DR).Methods Eighty diabetic patients from February 2020 to February 2023 were selected as research objects,and they were divided into no DR group(n=37),non-proliferative DR group(n=19)and proliferative DR group(n=24)according to different stages of DR;serum DLL4 and CREB levels in the blood were detected,and the FACS Count flow cytometry was used to detect levels of endothelial progenitor cells(EPC),circulating endothelial cells(CEC)and circulating progenitor cells(CPC)in patients.Results The levels of DLL4 and CREB in the blood of proliferative DR group were the highest,while the levels of DLL4 and CREB in the no DR group were the lowest,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05);different stages of DR were significantly positively correlated with the levels of DLL4 and CREB(P＜0.05);the high levels of DLL4 and CREB in the blood of diabetic patients were the independent risk factors affecting staging of DR(P＜0.05).The levels of EPC and CPC in the blood of proliferative DR group were the lowest,while the level of CEC was the highest;in the no DR group,the levels of EPC and CPC were the highest,while the level of CEC was the lowest,and the differences were statistically signifi-cant(P＜0.05);the levels of DLL4 and CREB were significantly negatively correlated with EPC and CPC levels(P＜0.05),while the levels of DLL4 and CREB were significantly positively corre-lated with CEC level(P＜0.05);the area under the curve(AUC)of both DLL4 and CREB in pre-dicting microvascular injury in DR patients was greater than 0.85.Conclusion As the staging of DR increases,the levels of serum DLL4 and CREB show a significant upward trend,and DLL4 and CREB have higher predictive values for microvascular injury.

Objective: To investigate the incidence and risk factors of systemic allergic reactions induced by subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) in patients undergoing SCIT injections in Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH). Methods: This is a single center retrospective cohort study. Using the outpatient information system of PUMCH, the demographic information and injection-related reaction data of patients undergoing SCIT injection in Allergy Department of PUMCH from December 2018 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed to count the incidence and risk factors of systemic allergic reactions caused by SCIT. Mann-Whitney nonparametric test or chi-square test was used for single-factor analysis, and multiple logistic regression was used for multiple-factor analysis. Results: A total of 2 897 patients received 18 070 SCIT injections in Allergy Department during the four years, and 40 systemic allergic reactions occurred, with the overall incidence rate of 0.22%. The incidence of systemic allergic reaction was 0.37% when using imported dust mite preparation and 0.15% when using domestic multi-component allergen preparation. The risk factors significantly related with SCIT-induced systemic allergic reactions in patients using imported dust mite preparation were age less than 18 years old (OR=3.186,95%CI: 1.255-8.085), highest injection concentration (OR value could not be calculated because all patients with systemic reactions were injected with highest concentration), and large local reaction in previous injection (OR=22.264,95%CI: 8.205-60.411). The risk factors for SCIT-induced systemic allergic reactions in patients using domestic allergen preparation were 5 or more types of allergens (OR=3.455,95%CI: 1.147-10.402), highest injection concentration (OR=3.794,95%CI: 1.226-11.740) and large local reaction in previous injection (OR=63.577,95%CI: 22.248-181.683). However, SCIT injection in pollen allergic patients during the pollen season did not show a correlation with systemic allergic reaction. Conclusion: The incidence of SCIT-induced systemic allergic reactions was low in the Chinese patient population of this study. Patients with one or more risk factors, such as multiple allergen injection, highest injection concentration, large local reaction in previous injection, should be given high attention and vigilance against systemic allergic reactions.
Humans ; Allergens ; Asian People ; Desensitization, Immunologic/adverse effects* ; Hypersensitivity/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies