Humans ; Vascular Stiffness ; Coal Mining ; Occupational Diseases/epidemiology* ; Risk Factors ; Coal ; Miners

Objective To summarize the epidemiological and clinical features of infectious diseases of the central nervous system(CNS)by a single-center analysis.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 1247 cases of CNS infectious diseases diagnosed and treated in the First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from 2001 to 2020.Results The data for this group of CNS infectious diseases by disease type in descending order of number of cases were viruses 743(59.6％),Mycobacterium tuberculosis 249(20.0％),other bacteria 150(12.0％),fungi 68(5.5％),parasites 18(1.4％),Treponema pallidum 18(1.4％)and rickettsia 1(0.1％).The number of cases increased by 177 cases(33.1％)in the latter 10 years compared to the previous 10 years(P<0.05).No significant difference in seasonal distribution pattern of data between disease types(P>0.05).Male to female ratio is 1.87︰1,mostly under 60 years of age.Viruses are more likely to infect students,most often at university/college level and above,farmers are overrepresented among bacteria and Mycobacterium tuberculosis,and more infections of Treponema pallidum in workers.CNS infectious diseases are characterized by fever,headache and signs of meningeal irritation,with the adductor nerve being the more commonly involved cranial nerve.Matagenomic next-generation sequencing improves clinical diagnostic capabilities.The median hospital days for CNS infectious diseases are 18.00(11.00,27.00)and median hospital costs are ￥29,500(￥16,000,￥59,200).The mortality rate from CNS infectious diseases is 1.6％.Conclusions The incidence of CNS infectious diseases is increasing last ten years,with complex clinical presentation,severe symptoms and poor prognosis.Early and accurate diagnosis and standardized clinical treatment can significantly reduce the morbidity and mortality rate and ease the burden of disease.

AIM To establish a GC-MS method for the simultaneous content determination of sixteen pesticide residues in Lycii Fructus and perform safety assessment.METHODS The analysis was performed on DB-5MS chromatographic column(30 m×0.25 mm,0.25 μm)subjected to the programmed heating,with splitless injection of 1.0 μL dissolved sample at a flowing rate of 1.0 mL/min.Other parameters were as follows:injection port temperature of 250℃,electron impact ionization(EI),electron energy of 70 eV;ion source temperature of 230℃,multi-reaction monitoring mode,and collision gas.of high-purity N2.Pesticide residues with relatively high dietary risk were analyzed and discussed with regard to residue levels,dietary intake risk,risk ranking and cumulative exposure assessment.RESULTS Sixteen pesticides showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(r≥0.994 4),whose average recoveries were 70%-114%,with the RSDs of less than 2%.The highest average cyfluthrin residue of 0.999 2 mg/kg in Lycii Fructus of production regions and the highest average cypermethrin residue of 0.088 4 mg/kg in Lycii Fructus commodities were both detected.In Lycii Fructus of production regions with chronic hazard index(HI)value of 0.012 9 and acute HI value of 0.065 5 and their commodities with chronic HI of 0.001 2 and acute HI of 0.005 4,the pesticide residue of cypermethrin was the leading cause of chronic and acute dietary risk,and additionally,pyridaben within maximum residue limit(MRL)was the only detectectable highly toxic pesticide among the other most concerning pestcides of deltamethrin,pyridaben,chlorpyrifos,dichlorvos and methidathion.CONCLUSION There exist pesticide residues within MRL values in some samples of Lycii Fructus and the use of cypermethrin should be well-controlled.

BACKGROUND:It is of great significance to find new diagnostic markers of the disease and molecular targets for the treatment of the disease and the alleviation of organ injury.Ferroptosis is a newly discovered form of cell death.Overactivation of ferroptosis in animal models of sepsis is associated with the activation of inflammatory response and the injury of the liver,heart,kidney and other important organs,but the relationship between ferroptosis and bloodstream infection is not very clear. OBJECTIVE:To study the changes and biological significance of ferroptosis in a mouse model of blood stream infection induced by different bacteria. METHODS:Blood stream infection models induced by gram negative bacteria Escherichia coli,Klebsiella pneumoniae and gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis were established in SPF-grade ICR male mice,with 42 mice in each group.The mRNA expression levels of ferroptosis marker genes transferrin receptor 1 and glutathione peroxidase 4 in the liver,myocardium and kidney were detected at 0.5,1,3,6,12,24 and 48 hours after modeling.Another 18 SPF-grade ICR male mice were selected and randomly divided into dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO)control group,DMSO+Klebsiella pneumoniae group,and Ferrostatin-1+Klebsiella pneumoniae group,with 6 mice in each group.In the latter two groups,animal models of Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infection were established by tail vein injection of Klebsiella pneumoniae suspension,and 5 mg/kg Ferrostatin-1 and an equal dose of DMSO were given intraperitoneally 1 hour prior to the modeling of bloodstream infection,respectively.Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,blood creatinine,blood urea nitrogen,phosphocreatine kinase isoenzyme,lactate dehydrogenase,and mRNA expression levels of ferroptosis marker genes in various tissues were assayed at 6 hours after modeling. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After bloodstream infection modeling,the mRNA expression levels of transferrin receptor 1 in the liver,myocardium and kidney of bloodstream infection mice with different bacteria increased first and then decreased;and the mRNA expression level of glutathione peroxidase 4 decreased first,then increased,and reached the peak at 6 hours after modeling.The changes in transferrin receptor 1 and glutathione peroxidase 4 mRNA levels in bloodstream infection mice induced by gram-negative bacteria were more significant than those in blood stream infection mice induced by gram-positive bacteria,especially in bloodstream infection mice induced by Klebsiella pneumoniae.At 6 hours after bloodstream infection induced by Klebsiella pneumoniae,the levels of alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,serum creatinine,blood urea nitrogen,creatine phosphate kinase isoenzyme,lactate dehydrogenase in mice were significantly increased.Before modeling,Ferrostatin-1 intervention significantly reduced the levels of alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,serum creatinine,blood urea nitrogen,creatine phosphate kinase isoenzyme,and lactate dehydrogenase.All these findings indicate that the activation of ferroptosis in bloodstream infection mice induced by different bacteria is obvious,and the activation of ferroptosis in bloodstream infection mice induced by gram-negative bacteria is more obvious.Inhibition of iron death significantly attenuates liver,myocardial,and kidney injury in the mouse model of bloodstream infection induced by Klebsiella pneumoniae.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of mucin 1 (MUC1) on the proliferation and apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and its regulatory mechanism. MethodsThe 60 NPC and paired para-cancer normal tissues were collected from October 2020 to July 2021 in Quanzhou First Hospital. The expression of MUC1 was measured by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) in the patients with PNC. The 5-8F and HNE1 cells were transfected with siRNA control (si-control) or siRNA targeting MUC1 (si-MUC1). Cell proliferation was analyzed by cell counting kit-8 and colony formation assay, and apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry analysis in the 5-8F and HNE1 cells. The qPCR and ELISA were executed to analyze the levels of TNF-α and IL-6. Western blot was performed to measure the expression of MUC1, NF-кB and apoptosis-related proteins (Bax and Bcl-2). ResultsThe expression of MUC1 was up-regulated in the NPC tissues, and NPC patients with the high MUC1 expression were inclined to EBV infection, growth and metastasis of NPC. Loss of MUC1 restrained malignant features, including the proliferation and apoptosis, downregulated the expression of p-IкB、p-P65 and Bcl-2 and upregulated the expression of Bax in the NPC cells. ConclusionDownregulation of MUC1 restrained biological characteristics of malignancy, including cell proliferation and apoptosis, by inactivating NF-κB signaling pathway in NPC.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism by which Ginkgo flavone aglycone （GA） reduces the cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin （DOX） based on transcriptomics and proteomics. METHODS Thirty-six mice were randomly assigned to control group （CON group， tail vein injection of equal volume of physiological saline every other day+daily intragastric administration of an equal volume of physiological saline）， DOX group （tail vein injection of 3 mg/kg DOX every other day）， and GDOX group （daily intragastric administration of 100 mg/kg GA+tail vein injection of 3 mg/kg DOX every other day）， with 12 mice in each group. The administration of drugs/physiological saline was continued for 15 days. Mouse heart tissues were collected for RNA-Seq transcriptomic sequencing and 4D-Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis to screen differentially expressed genes and proteins， which were then subjected to Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes （KEGG） enrichment analysis. The expression levels of Apelin peptide （Apelin）， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）， and protein kinase B （Akt） mRNA and protein in mouse heart tissues， as well as the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt proteins， were verified. H9c2 cardiomyocytes were divided into control group （CON group）， DOX group （2 μmol/L）， and GDOX group （2 μg/mL GA+2 μmol/L DOX） to determine cell viability and the levels of key glycolytic substances in the cells. RESULTS Six common pathways were identified from transcriptomics and proteomics， including the Apelin signaling pathway， the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway， and insulin resistance. Among them， the Apelin and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways were the most enriched in terms of gene numbers. Target validation experiments showed that compared to the CON group， the relative expression of Apelin， PI3K and Akt mRNA and protein levels， as well as the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt proteins， were significantly decreased in the DOX group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The relative expression of Apelin， PI3K and Akt mRNA and the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt proteins were significantly increased in the GDOX group as compared with the DOX group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Cellular experiments indicated that compared to the CON group， cell viability in the DOX group was significantly decreased （P＜0.05）， the relative uptake of glucose and the relative production of pyruvate and lactate were significantly increased （P＜0.05）， and the relative production of ATP was significantly reduced （P＜0.05）. Compared to the DOX group， cell viability in the GDOX group was significantly increased （P＜ 0.05）， and the relative production of pyruvate and lactate was significantly reduced （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS GA may alleviate DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by upregulating the mRNA and protein expression of Apelin， PI3K， and Akt in heart tissues， and regulating glycolytic processes.

A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method utilizing correction factors was established for the quantitative detection of related substances in flumazenil. Separation was achieved using an Agilent Pursuit XRs C18 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with an isocratic elution of dilute phosphoric acid, methanol, and tetrahydrofuran as the mobile phases. Correction factors calculated from a standard curve method were applied to determine the impurity content. The quantification of impurities in flumazenil was conducted using both external standard and correction factor methods, followed by validation and comparison of the two. For the identification of degradation products, a forced degradation approach was employed to prepare a flumazenil degradation solution, and the resulting impurities were confirmed by LC-MS analysis. The separation of flumazenil and its impurities was found to be efficient. The limits of quantification for impurities A, B, D, and E were established at 0.169 9, 0.314 7, 0.143 9, and 0.270 8 ng, respectively, with the limits of detection at 0.055 8, 0.096 9, 0.048 8, and 0.089 0 ng. These impurities demonstrated a strong linear relationship across the concentration ranges of 0.034 9-7.847 0, 0.038 7-8.710 7, 0.034 6-7.794 1, and 0.032 4-7.292 8 µg·mL^-1, respectively (n = 7). The method achieved average recoveries between 98.25% and 99.42%, with an RSD of less than 2.0% (n = 9), indicating high accuracy. The external standard and correction factor methods were used to determine the related substances in flumazenil, and the results of the two methods were consistent. The established HPLC method is characterized by its high accuracy, sensitivity, and repeatability, and is suitable for determining related substances in flumazenil.

Eighteen compounds were isolated from the methanol extract of the fruits of Litsea cubeba by silica gel, ODS, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, semi-preparative RP-HPLC, chiral HPLC and recrystallization. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses and by comparison with reported spectroscopic data and physicochemical properties, and the absolute configurations of the enantiomers were established by experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism spectra. These compounds were identified as (+)-(R)-4-hydroxypiperitenone (1a), (-)-(S)-4-hydroxypiperitenone (1b), (3S,4S,6R)-3,6-dihydroxy-1-menthene (2), (4S,5R)-4-hydroxy-5-isopropyl-2-methylcyclohex-2-en-1-one (3), (R)-6-hydroxy-3-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-6-methylcyclohex-2-enone (4), (4S,6R)-4-hydroxy-6-isopropyl-3-methylcyclohex-2-enone (5), (1R,3S,4R)-3-hydroxy isopulegol (6), subamone (7), (6S)-3,7-dimethyl-7-hydroxy-2(Z)-octen-6-olide (8), (6S)-6,7-dihydroxy-3,7-dimethyloct-2(Z)-enoate (9), holostylactone (10), sesamin (11), dimethylmatairesinol (12), p-hydroxybenzoylcarbinol (13), syringaldehyde (14), p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (15), 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde (16), 5,4ʹ-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavone (17). Among them, compounds 1a and 1b were a pair of new monoterpenoid enantiomers, 8 and 9 were new natural products, 2-7, 10, 11 and 17 were isolated from Litsea genus for the first time. The in vitro anti-inflammatory effects of compounds 1-17 were evaluated using lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, the results showed that compound 14 exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity with NO inhibitory rate of 66.27% at a concentration of 40 μmol·L^-1.

Objective To investigate the correlation between the level of N-terminal pro-Brain natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP)and cardiorespiratory fitness following acute exposure to high altitude.Methods Forty-six subjects were recruited from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University in June 2022,including 19 males and 27 females.After completing cardiopulmonary exercise test(CPET),serological detection of myocardial cell-related markers,and multiple metabolites at a plain altitude(300 meters above sea level),all subjects flew to a high-altitude location(3900 meters above sea level).Biomarker testing and CPET were repeated on the second and third days after arrival at high altitude.Changes in serum biomarker and key CPET indicators before and after rapid ascent to high altitude were compared,and the correlation between serum levels of various myocardial cell-related markers and metabolites and high altitude cardiorespiratory fitness was analyzed.Results Compared with the plain altitude,there was a significant decrease in maximal oxygen uptake after rapid ascent to high altitude[(25.41±6.20)ml/(kg.min)vs.(30.17±5.01)ml/(kg.min),P<0.001].Serum levels of NT-proBNP,Epinephrine(E),plasma renin activity(PRA),angiotensin Ⅱ(Ang Ⅱ),angiotensin-converting enzyme 2(ACE2)and leptin(LEP)significantly increased,with all differences being statistically significant(P<0.05)after acute high altitude exposure.In contrast,no statistically significant differences were observed for creatine kinase MB(CK-MB),cardiac troponin I(cTnI),myoglobin(Myo)and norepinephrine(NE)(P>0.05).Correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between NT-proBNP at plain altitude(r=-0.768,P<0.001)and at high altitude(r=-0.791,P<0.001)with maximal oxygen uptake at high altitude.Multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that maximal oxygen uptake at plain altitude(t=2.069,P=0.045),NT-proBNP at plain altitude(t=-2.436,P=0.020)and at high altitude(t=-3.578,P=0.001)were independent influencing factors of cardiorespiratory fitness at high altitude.Conclusion Cardiorespiratory fitness significantly decreases after rapid ascent to high altitude,and the baseline NT-proBNP level at plain altitude is closely related to cardiorespiratory fitness at high altitude,making it a potential predictor indicator for high altitude cardiorespiratory fitness.

Aim To study the main active components and potential mechanism of selenshenzhi prescription a-gainst esophageal cancer by network pharmacology and in vivo and in vitro experiments.Methods The com-mon target was extracted from TCMSP,OMIM and GeneCards databases,and the PPI network was con-structed using STRING database.DAVID database was used for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis,and a network was constructed based on STRING and DAVID database for in vivo and in vitro experimental verifica-tion.Results Prediction results showed that a total of 100 active ingredients and 749 related targets were ob-tained,and 168 common targets were obtained between selenoshenzhi recipe and esophageal cancer,which were involved in the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway and proteoglycan signaling pathways in cancer.Selenshenz-hi prescription was used to conduct preliminary verifi-cation of related targets for human esophageal cancer EC9706 based on in vitro experiments.The results showed that selenshenzhi prescription could significantly inhibit the proliferation of esophageal cancer cells and induce the apoptosis of EC9706 through the expression of Bax,Bcl-2,caspase-3 and other key apoptotic pro-teins.Lastly,the core target and pathway of selensh-enzhi prescription were preliminically verified based on in vivo animal experiments on nude mice with esopha-geal cancer.The results showed that selenshenzhi pre-scription could significantly inhibit tumor proliferation,promote tumor cell apoptosis,and induce tumor apop-tosis by regulating the expression of key proteins on PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.Conclusions Selensh-enzhi prescription can control the occurrence and de-velopment of esophageal cancer through the synergistic effect of multi-components,multi-targets and multi-pathways,and provide a theoretical basis for further clinical investigation of the mechanism of selenshenzhi prescription in the treatment of esophageal cancer in the future.