The plants of the genus Caragana Fabr. are desert plants of the Leguminosae family, which are widely used in traditional ethnomedicine, with the effects of nourishing Yin and nourishing blood, dispelling wind and removing dampness, clearing heat and detoxifying toxins. The anti-inflammatory effect of Caragana Fabr. has attracted much attention, the research on the related mechanism has made some progress, but it lacks systematic collation. By summarising the anti-inflammatory effects of the active ingredients of Caragana Fabr., the authors found that they have good anti-inflammatory activities on different inflammatory cell models in vitro, and have good improvement effects on rheumatoid arthritis, colitis, complex nephritis, and acute lung injury and other disease models. The anti-inflammatory effects of the active components of this genus mainly include the reduction of the levels of a variety of pro-inflammatory factors, and the signalling pathways involved mainly include TLR4/NF-κB, TLR4/MAPK, TLR4/NF-κB/IRF3, JAK/STAT-1, ERK/STAT-1 and so on. Therefore, the paper mainly reviews the research progress on the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanisms of the Caragana Fabr. plants and their active components according to disease types, with a view to providing reference for the in-depth study of their anti-inflammatory activities and the development of new products with related functions.

Objective To investigate the effects of epithelial transformation sequence 2(ECT2)and p33ING1 on the metastatic activity of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)cells.Methods The expressions of ECT2 and p33ING1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues and adjacent tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.Human esophageal squamous carcinoma cell line KYSE140 cells were divided into 4 groups:blank group,negative control(pcDNA 3.1 NC)group,overexpression group(pcDNA 3.1 ECT2)and inhibited expression group(si ECT2).MTT assay and cell colony formation assay were used to study the proliferation and growth ability of cells,Transwell assay and scratch assay used to study the invasion and migration ability of cells,and flow cytometry used to detect apoptosis and cell cycle,Western blotting used to detect the effect of ECT2 on p33ING1 protein.Results ECT2 expression increased and p33ING1 expression decreased in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues.Overexpression of ECT2 significantly increased the growth,colony formation,migration and invasion abilities of KYSE140 cells,and decreased the apoptosis rate and p33ING1 expression of KYSE140 cells.In addition,inhibition of ECT2 expression could reverse the above changes.Conclusion The high expression of ECT2 can promote the growth and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma KYSE140 cells and inhibit their apoptosis.The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of p33ING1 expression by ECT2.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1A1(eEF1A1)on the replication of vesicular stomatitis virus(VSV)and Herpes simplex virus 1(HSV-1)to identify a potential target for broad-spectrum regulation of viruses.METHODS Small interfering RNA(si-eEF1A)was transfected into human skin fibroblasts(BJ-5ta)to inhibit the expression of eEF1A1,and the negative control group was set up.The transfection efficiency was detected by real-time fluo-rescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)and Western blotting,the cell model of eEF1A1 gene silencing was constructed.The cell model was infected with VSV,the gene copy number and protein expression of VSV in the cells were detected.The cell model was infected with HSV-1,the mRNA and protein expres-sion of HSV-1 in the cells were detected.The cell models were transfected with polyinosinic acid[Poly(I:C)]or sodium deoxyribonucleic acid(HT-DNA),respectively.The mRNA expression of interferon-β(IFN-β),C-X-C Motif Chemokine 10(CXCL10)and interferon-stimulated gene 56(ISG56)were detected by RT-qPCR.The phosphorylation expression of interferon regulatory factor 3(IRF3)and TANK binding kinase 1(TBK1)were detected by Western blotting.RESULT Compared with the negative control group,the mRNA and protein expression of eEF1A1 in the eEF1A1 gene silencing group were signifi-cantly decreased(P<0.01),the cell model of eEF1A1 gene silencing was successfully constructed.Compared with the negative control group,the VSV gene copy number of the eEF1A1 gene silencing group decreased by 70%-80%.The VSV protein expression decreased significantly(P<0.01).The mRNA expression of HSV-1 was decreased by 50%-60%,and the protein expression of HSV-1 was significantly decreased(P<0.01).After stimulation with Poly(I:C)or HT-DNA,compared with the negative control group.there was no significant difference in the mRNA expressions of IFN-β,ISG56 and CXCL10 and the protein phosphorylation expression of IRF3 and TBK1 in the eEF1A1 gene silencing group.CONCLUSION eEF1A1 silencing can inhibit VSV and HSV-1 virus replication,suggesting that eEF1A1 has a potential broad-spectrum regulatory effect on RNA viruses and DNA viruses,and may not recog-nize activated immune pathways through intracellular nucleic acid recognition.

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of intravenous thrombolysis with low-dose and standard-dose recombinant tissue plasminogen activator(rt-PA)in the elderly patients(aged over 80 years)with acute ischemic stroke(AIS).Methods A total of 201 elderly patients with AIS treated at Tianjin Fourth Central Hospital from February 2019 to February 2023 were prospectively included and randomly assigned to the rt-PA low-dose group(n=93,0.6 mg/kg)and rt-PA standard-dose group(n=108,0.9 mg/kg).The incidence of intra-cranial hemorrhage,symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage,fatal intracranial hemorrhage,neurologic deterioration within 7 days and mortality within 90 days were observed to evaluate the safety.The neurologic improvement rate and good prognosis rate at 90 days were used to evaluate the effectiveness.A stratified analysis of 90-day outcomes was performed based on stroke severity and age.Results The incidence of intracranial hemorrhage,symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and fatal intracranial hemorrhage within 7 days in rt-PA low-dose group was lower than that in rt-PA standard-dose group(P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups concerning the residual safety index and the effectiveness index.The 90-day good prognosis rate of moderate stroke sub-group and of≥90 years of age sub-group in rt-PA low-dose group were both higher than that of rt-PA standard-dose group(P＜0.05).Conclusions For AIS patients with moderate stroke and aged over 90 years,intravenous thrombolytic therapy with rt-PA 0.6 mg/kg is recommended.

ObjectiveTo analyze the clinical characteristics and the use of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） therapy in cancer patients with COVID-19， and to provide reference for making TCM prevention and treatment strategies and determining diagnosis and treatment priorities for patients with malignant tumors in the COVID-19 epidemic. MethodsThe medical records of 225 malignant tumor cases with COVID-19 who were admitted to 7 national research centers from January 1st to 20th， 2023 were retrospectively collected， and the main symptoms and duration after infection， nucleic acid negative conversion time， use of TCM therapy， and changes in adverse reactions after resuming anti-tumor treatment were analyzed. ResultsA total of 222 malignant tumor patients with COVID-19 were included in the analysis， involving 205 mild cases and 17 moderate cases. The top four most frequently reported clinical symptoms were fever （165 cases）， expectoration or dry cough （99 cases）， decreased appetite （95 cases） and fatigue （85 cases）， of which 40 expectoration or dry cough cases ， 37 fatigue cases and 29 decreased appetite cases lasted for more than 14 days. One hundred and five patients with nucleic acid detection report had a median negative conversion time of 14 days. The nucleic acid negative conversion time was significantly longer in patients with lung cancer compared to those with digestive system malignant tumors， and in those with myelosuppression than those without （P＜0.01）. During the infection period， 47.30% （105/222） of the patients used Chinese patent medicine， and 21.17% （47/222） were treated with herbal decoctions. The use of TCM in patients during the prevention and rehabilitation period， was 1.80%（4/222） and 7.21%（16/222）， respectively. Fifty-five patients resumed anti-tumor treatment after nucleic acid negative conversion， and received TCM simultaneously. Observed adverse reactions， including gastrointestinal reactions， bone marrow suppression， and neurotoxicity， were all grade 1 to 2， and no new adverse events occurred during follow-up. ConclusionCertain malignant tumor patients with COVID-19 had prolonged symptoms and nucleic acid negative conversion time Rational use of TCM can help to promote the rehabilitation of the patients and ensure the smooth process of anti-tumor treatment after infection.

【Objective】 To investigate the condition of confidential unit exclusion(CUE) in Guangzhou, so as to ensure blood safety. 【Methods】 The number of CUE donors, demographic characteristics of CUE donors, reasons for CUE, and response time of CUE after blood donation in Guangzhou from 2009 to 2022 were statistically analyzed. 【Results】 From 2009 to 2022, the response ratios of CUE was 0.006 2% (260/4 170 984) and the ratios had statistically significant difference between different years(P<0.05). For the response ratios of CUE, no statistically significant difference was noticed in gender and occupation (P>0.05), but statistically significant differences were found in age, number of blood donations, education background, and marital status (P<0.05). Blood donors aged 18~30 (0.007 3%, P<0.05) and first-time blood donors (0.010 8%, P<0.05) were the main groups of CUE. High risk sexual behavior (28.46%, 74/260) was the primary reason for CUE. The CUE response peak was within 72 hours after blood donation, and the response ratios within 24-72 hours after blood donation was the highest (68.46%, 178/260). 【Conclusion】 CUE is a crucial measure to ensure blood safety. Detailed pre-donation health consultations are suggested for blood donors aged 18-30 and first-time blood donors so as to better excluding high-risk blood donors. Strengthening the publicity of CUE response and process, registering and classifying the reasons for CUE are also important.

The expression level of NOD-like receptors(NLRP3)inflammasome is significantly elevated in breast cancer tissues,and a high level of NLRP3 inflammasomes is closely associated with breast cancer metastasis.Activation of NLRP3 inflammasome can induce the release of inflammatory factors into the tumor microenvironment(TME).These inflammatory factors,by signaling to cancer cells,reshape the TME to promote tumor growth and invasion,ultimately facilitating the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition.This equips cancer cells with the ability to establish distant metastases and increase the formation of metastatic lesions.This review addresses the current research status and prospects of NLRP3 inflammasomes in the breast cancer TME and their role in breast cancer metastasis.The goal is to provide new insights for the study of breast cancer metastasis mechanisms and treatment strategies.

Objective: Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) involves a variety of visual symptoms that are thought to be partially caused by structural abnormalities of the retina. However, the relationship between retinal structural changes, disease severity, and intracranial alterations remains unknown. We investigated distinct retinal thinning patterns and their relationship with clinical severity and intracranial alterations in a PSP cohort. Methods: We enrolled 19 patients with PSP (38 eyes) and 20 age-matched healthy controls (40 eyes). All of the participants underwent peripapillary and macular optical coherence tomography. Brain 11C-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-fluorophenyl) tropane (11C-CFT) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography imaging were also performed in patients with PSP. We investigated the association between retinal thickness changes and clinical features, striatal dopamine transporter availability, and cerebral glucose metabolism. Results: The peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) and macula were significantly thinner in patients with PSP than in controls. The thickness of the superior sector of the pRNFL demonstrated a significant negative relationship with the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale part III and Hoehn and Yahr staging scale scores. A significant negative correlation was found between outer inferior macular thickness and disease duration. Outer temporal macular thickness was positively correlated with Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores. In PSP, lower outer temporal macular thickness was also positively correlated with decreased dopamine transporter binding in the caudate. Conclusion The pRNFL and macular thinning may be candidate markers for monitoring disease severity. Additionally, macular thinning may be an in vivo indicator of nigrostriatal dopaminergic cell degeneration in PSP patients.

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.
Female ; Humans ; Adolescent ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Smell ; COVID-19/complications* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Incidence ; Olfaction Disorders/etiology* ; Taste Disorders/etiology* ; Prognosis

Objective: To analyze associated factors and adverse pregnancy outcomes of postpartum hemorrhage in the caesarean section of puerperae with different types of placenta previa. Methods: This retrospective research was a case-control study. Puerperae with cesarean section of placenta previa from January 2019 to December 2020 in Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University were collected and divided into the<1 000 ml control group or ≥1 000 ml postpartum hemorrhage group according to the amount of blood loss during cesarean section. Differences in continuous variables were analyzed by t-test and categorical variables were analyzed by χ² test. The risk factors of postpartum hemorrhage were analyzed by logistic multivariate regression. Results: A total of 962 puerperae were enrolled with 773 cases in the control group and 189 cases in the postpartum hemorrhage group. The incidence of gestational weeks, gravidity, parity, induced abortion, placental accreta and preoperative hemoglobin<110 g/L was significantly different between two groups in different types of placenta previa (P<0.001). Logistic multivariate regression model analysis showed that the independent risk factors of postpartum hemorrhage in the caesarean section of low-lying placenta included placental accreta (OR=12.713, 95%CI: 4.296-37.625), preoperative hemoglobin<110 g/L (OR=2.377, 95%CI: 1.062-5.321), and prenatal vaginal bleeding (OR=4.244, 95%CI: 1.865-9.656). The independent risk factors of postpartum hemorrhage in the caesarean section of placenta previa included once induced abortion (OR=2.789, 95%CI:1.189-6.544), induced abortion≥2 (OR=2.843, 95%CI:1.101-7.339), placental accreta (OR=6.079, 95%CI:3.697-9.996), HBsAg positive (OR=3.891, 95%CI:1.385-10.929), and placental attachment to the anterior uterine wall (OR=2.307, 95%CI:1.285-4.142). The rate of postpartum hemorrhage and premature delivery in puerperae with placenta previa was higher than that in puerperae with low-lying placenta (P<0.001). Conclusions: The associated factors of postpartum hemorrhage in puerperae with different types of placenta previa are different. Placenta accreta is the common risk factor of postpartum hemorrhage in puerperae with low-lying placenta and placenta previa.
Female ; Pregnancy ; Humans ; Cesarean Section ; Postpartum Hemorrhage/surgery* ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Retrospective Studies ; Case-Control Studies ; Placenta Previa/surgery* ; Placenta ; Risk Factors