OBJECTIVE To investigate the in vitro inhibitory mechanism of berberine on the proliferation of tumor stem cells and evaluate its in vivo safety. METHODS Flow cytometry was used to select tumor stem cells from mouse skin melanoma B16F10 cells； CD44， CD133， Nanog homologous box protein （NANOG） and octamer-binding transcription factor 4 （OCT4） were used as indicators to characterize tumor stem cells. Tumor stem cells were divided into control group， all-trans retinoic acid （ATRA） group， and berberine group， and the CCK-8 method was used to detect the effects of berberine on the viability of tumor stem cells； flow cytometry was adopted to detect cell apoptotic rate， the proportion of CD44+/CD133+ and the positive cell rate of sex determining region Y box protein 2 （SOX2）； the morphological changes of tumor balls were recorded after treatment with berberine； the morphology of cell pyroptosis in each group was recorded， and the release rate of lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） was detected； Western blot assay was adopted to detect the expressions of pyroptosis-related protein gasdermin E （GSDME）， GSDME- N， caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-3. Preliminary evaluation of in vivo safety of berberine was conducted by using zebrafish embryo toxicity experiments. RESULTS Compared with B16F10 cells， the proportion of CD44+/CD133+ cells in tumor stem cells and the fluorescence intensity of NANOG and OCT4 were significantly increased （P＜0.000 1）. The half-inhibitory concentration of berberine to tumor stem cells was 50.98 μmol/L. Compared with the control group， the apoptotic rate of cells in the berberine group was significantly increased， while the proportion of CD44+/CD133+ cells and the rate of SOX2 positive cells were reduced significantly （P＜0.000 1）； tumor stem cell spheroids were atrophied， with partial cell death. After treatment with berberine， tumor stem cells exhibited swelling in their outermost layer， the release rate of LDH of cells was significantly increased and the release rate of LDH increased with increasing dose； the protein expressions of GSDME-N and cleaved-caspase-3 of cells in berberine 20， 40 μmol/L groups were significantly increased， and the protein expressions of GSDME and caspase-3 were significantly reduced （except for berberine 20 μmol/L group， P＜0.05）. The embryonic development of zebrafish treated with berberine was almost unaffected， and the survival rate of embryo reached 100%， with no obvious abnormalities observed. CONCLUSIONS Berberine has good activity against the proliferation of tumor stem cells， and its mechanism of action may be related to activating GSDME and promoting cell pyroptosis； berberine has good in vivo safety.

Objective To compare and analyze the effects of application of phloroglucinol(PG)and diazepam(DZP)during the latent phase of labor on the delivery outcome of primiparous women.Methods Clinical data of women who delivered in Hangzhou Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital from January 2022 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.According to the medication regimen in the latent stage of labor,they were divided into PG group(PG 80 mg,intravenous push)and DZP group(DZP 10 mg,intravenous push).Cervical ripeness,duration of labor,delivery(cervical dilatation,24 h postpartum hemorrhage,mode of delivery,and time to full opening of the uterus),neonatal Apgar score,and pregnancy-related adverse outcomes were compared between the two groups.Results A total of 162 patients were included in the study,with 83 in the PG group and 79 in the DZP group.The total cervical ripening rate in the PG group was significantly higher than that in the DZP group(P<0.05);the time of the first,second,third,and total labor were all shorter than those in the DZP group(P<0.05).The cervical dilatation in the PG group was significantly greater than that in the DZP group(P<0.05),the amount of postpartum 24 h hemorrhage and time to full opening of the uterine were significantly less than those in the DZP group(P<0.05),and the rate of transvaginal delivery was higher than that of DZP group(P<0.05).The differences in neonatal Apgar scores at 1 min and 5 min,the incidence of adverse maternal outcomes and the incidence of adverse neonatal outcomes between the two groups were not statistically significant(P>0.05).Conclusion Compared with DZP,the application of PG during the latency period can improve cervical ripeness,accelerate the progress of labor,and increase the rate of transvaginal delivery.

Skeletal muscle plays a paramount role in physical activity, metabolism, and energy balance, while its homeostasis is being challenged by multiple unfavorable factors such as injury, aging, or obesity. Exosomes, a subset of extracellular vesicles, are now recognized as essential mediators of intercellular communication, holding great clinical potential in the treatment of skeletal muscle diseases. Herein, we outline the recent research progress in exosomal isolation, characterization, and mechanism of action, and emphatically discuss current advances in exosomes derived from multiple organs and tissues, and engineered exosomes regarding the regulation of physiological and pathological development of skeletal muscle. These remarkable advances expand our understanding of myogenesis and muscle diseases. Meanwhile, the engineered exosome, as an endogenous nanocarrier combined with advanced design methodologies of biomolecules, will help to open up innovative therapeutic perspectives for the treatment of muscle diseases.
Exosomes/physiology* ; Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism* ; Cell Communication ; Homeostasis

OBJECTIVE To establish evaluation criteria for rational drug use of atosiban in clinic， and to provide reference for rational drug use of atosiban in clinic. METHODS Based on the drug instructions of atosiban acetate injection and related guidelines， the experts of the Evaluation Group of Rational Drug Use formulated the evaluation criteria of rational drug use， including 5 primary indexes and 8 secondary indexes. The weight coefficients of secondary indexes were calculated by analytic hierarchy process （AHP）， and the use of atosiban acetate injection in 190 pregnant women from the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University （referred to as “our hospital”） was evaluated retrospectively by technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution （TOPSIS）. The evaluation results were divided into three levels including reasonable， basic reasonable and unreasonable application based on the relative approach degree. RESULTS Among 190 pregnant women， 49 （25.8%） were treated with atosiban reasonably， 39 （20.5%） were treated with atosiban basic reasonably， and 102 （53.7%） were treated with atosiban unreasonably. The evaluation results obtained by AHP-TOPSIS method were consistent with the actual situation in clinic. The main problems of the unreasonably use were super indications， unreasonable usage and dosage， over the course of treatment and the lack of proper economic consideration. CONCLUSIONS The rationality evaluation criteria of atosiban’s clinical application are established by AHP-TOPSIS method； the evaluation results obtained by this method are quantifiable， scientific and reliable. The unreasonable use of atosiban is common in our hospital， and the management should be strengthened in clinical application.

Objective Constructing a risk prediction model of IgA nephropathy proteinuria treated by traditional Chinese medicine based on random survival forest model,Screening prognostic risk factors of IgA nephropathy proteinuria.Methods Collecting retrospectively clinical data of 129 cases diagnosed with IgA nephropathy,randomly divided them into training set(60%)and test set(40%).The risk prediction model of IgA nephropathy proteinuria was constructed in the training set with the random survival forest model,and the prognostic risk factors were screened by VIMP method.The accuracy of risk prediction model was validated in the test set with time-dependent ROC curve(tdROC).Results According to the result of VIMP,the prognostic risk factors for IgA nephropathy proteinuria are in the order of eGFR,hypertension,traditional Chinese medicine,24 hUPRO>1 g,genomo sclerosis ratio,Lee grading,fat,hyperlipidemia,hypertrophymia,hyparmane ledmia,Anemia,age and gender.The eGFR was negatively and non-linearly associated with the risk rate of developing persistent proteinuria.Glomerulosclerosis ratio greater than 0.3 is approximately linearly and positively associated with the risk rate of persistent proteinuria.Conclusion Random survival forest model has good predictive performance in the risk prediction model of IgA nephropathy proteinuria treated by traditional Chinese medicine.This risk model can determine the result of IgA nephropathy treated by traditional Chinese medicine,and which is helpful for clinical follow-up monitoring and formulation of individualized treatment plans.

Objective To establish a quantitative polymerase chain reaction(PCR)method for the analysis of human-derived SRY DNA in mouse tissues,and to study the tissue distribution of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells(HUCMSCs)in immunodeficient NOG mice after a single intravenous injection.Methods We established a quantitative PCR method for the analysis of human SRY DNA in mouse tissues,and validated the standard curve,linear range,accuracy,precision,and stability.Thirty-six NOG mice(18 male,18 female)were administered 3.5×107 HUCMSCs/kg by single intravenous injection.Six mice were then anesthetized and dissected after blood collection(EDTA anticoagulation)at 6,12,24,and 72 h,and at 1 and 2 weeks,respectively.DNA was extracted from lung,kidney,heart,liver,brain,spinal cord,stomach,small intestine,fat,skin,spleen,testis,uterus,and ovary tissues,and the distribution of HUCMSCs in each tissue was determined by the validated quantitative PCR method for detecting the human-derived SRY gene in mouse tissues.In addition,18 NOG mice(9 male,9 female)were divided into control(n = 6)and treatment groups(n = 12)injected intravenously with 0.9%sodium chloride and 3.5×107 cells/kg,respectively.Acute toxic reactions were observed during the administration period,and four animals were dissected at 72 h and at 2 and 4 weeks after administration to observe the gross organs.Mitochondrial protein expression was detected in paraffin sections of lung tissues by immunohistochemistry to analyze the colonization of HUCMSCs in lung tissues.Results The established RT-qPCR method for human-derived SRY DNA in mouse tissues met the validation criteria for each index.After a single intravenous injection in NOG mice,HUCMSCs were mainly distributed in the lungs and blood within 1 week after administration,with higher concentrations in lung tissues than in blood.The concentrations of HUCMSCs in lung tissue and blood remained relatively stable within 6～24 h and 6～72 h,respectively,and then decreased over time.The distribution of HUCMSCs in other tissues was not measured at all sampling points.The colonization result showed that HUCMSCs were detected in lungs 72 h after intravenous injection,but not at 2 and 4 weeks.No obvious acute toxicity was observed in NOG mice after single intravenous administration of HUCMSCs.Conclusions The above method for analyzing the distribution of HUCMSCs in mouse tissue is reliable and feasible.HUCMSCs were mainly distributed in lung and blood in NOG mice within 1 week after a single intravenous injection,and mainly colonized lung tissue at 72 h.A single intravenous administration of HUCMSCs has a good safety profile.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome.Methods:The data of 3 children with febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from May to June 2019 were collected retrospectively, and their clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatments and prognosis were summarized in combination with relevant literature.Results:The age of onset was 6-9 years old.The time interval from fever to first convulsion was 4-7 days, and they progressed to status epilepticus within 24 hours.The seizures were mainly multifocal seizures.Cerebrospinal fluid laboratory examination was normal.Electrocardiogram shows diffuse slow wave activity as the background, and epileptic waves dominated by the temporal area.Cranial magnetic resonance imaging showed signs of edema in 2 cases during the acute phase.All patients were resistant to multiple (4-5) anti-epileptic drugs, but high-dose anesthetic drugs can effectively terminate status epilepticus.All cases developed into refractory epilepsy, 2 cases had cognitive impairment and 1 case had movement impairment after 1 year.Conclusion:Febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome often occurs in school-age children who have been physically healthy, which was included by fever.The seizures are explosive and refractory in febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome, and it lacked specific laboratory indicators.High-dose anesthetics can effectively terminate status epilepticus, but it always has a poor prognosis.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Yishen Huoxue prescription in renal interstitial fibrosis （RIF） from the perspective of endothelial cell and cell energy metabolism. MethodThe model was successfully established by unilateral ureteral obstruction （UUO）. Seventy-five SPF C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a model group， a resveratrol group （50 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， three Yishen Huoxue prescription low， medium， and high-dose groups （7.1， 14.2， 28.4 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， with 15 mice in each group. In addition， another 15 mice were used to prepare sham operation model. Mice in the sham operation group and the model group were gavaged with equal volume of normal saline. All mice were sacrificed on 7， 14， and 21 d after modeling. The protein expression of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 31 （CD31） was detected by immunohistochemical S-P method. The expression of α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， collagen Ⅳ （Col-Ⅳ）， angiopoietin 1（Ang-1） and tyrosine kinase receptors 2 （Tie-2）， vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）， vascular endothelial cadherin （VE-cadherin）， and occludin in renal tissues was detected by Western blotting. The mRNA expressions of Ang-1/Tie-2， VEGF， VE-cadherin， and occludin in renal tissues were detected by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR）， and the levels of reactive oxygen species （ROS） in mice were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. ResultAs compared with the sham operation group， the expression of CD31 in renal tissues of the model group was significantly decreased and worsened with the extension of modeling time （P<0.05）， α-SAM and Col-Ⅳ protein expression levels were significantly increased （P<0.01）， but the expression of CD31 was stable in 14-21 d. ROS levels were significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the protein and mRNA expressions of Ang-1/Tie-2， VEGF， VE-cadherin， and occludin were significantly down-regulated （P<0.01）. As compared with the model group， the expression of CD31 was increased （P<0.05）， and α-SAM and Col-Ⅳ in the resveratrol group and the medium and high-dose Yishen Huoxue prescription groups were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The ROS content was significantly decreased （P<0.01）， and the protein and mRNA expressions of Ang-1/Tie-2， VEGF， VE-cadherin， and occludin were up-regulated （P<0.01）， As compared with the resveratrol group， the protein expressions of Ang-1/Tie-2， VEGF， VE-cadherin， and occludin in the medium and low-dose Yishen Huoxue prescription groups were significantly different （P<0.01）. There was no significant difference in the mRNA expressions of CD31 and Ang-1/Tie-2 in the high-dose Yishen Huoxue prescription group， and no significant difference in the ROS level in the medium-dose Yishen Huoxue prescription group. ConclusionThe anti-RIF effect of Yishen Huoxue prescription may be related to promoting vascular endothelial repair， regulating mitochondrial ROS to reduce oxidative stress， protecting the integrity of renal endothelial structure， delaying cell apoptosis， and maintaining cell energy metabolism.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic and prognostic value of D-dimer level in patients with hepatitis B-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF).Methods:A total of 142 cases diagnosed with ACLF were randomly selected as research objects in the open cohort using the Chinese Group on the Study of Severe Hepatitis B-ACLF (COSSH-ACLF). Plasma D-dimer levels were compared between patients with ACLF and non-ACLF and patients with different ACLF grades. Survival and death group D-dimer levels were compared with the end points of 28 days and 90 days, respectively. The correlation between D-dimer and other laboratory indicators and prognostic scores were investigated. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was used to evaluate the D-dimer value for predicting the prognosis of ACLF patients. 125 external ACLF cases were used for validation. A Student t test or Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare continuous measurement data between two groups. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare continuous measurement data between multiple groups.Results:Plasma D-dimer levels in the ACLF [2 588.5 (1 142.8, 5 472.8) μg/L] ] and non-ACLF group [1 385.5 (612.0, 3 840.3) μg/L] had a significant difference ( P<0.001). ACLF-3 patients had significantly higher D-dimer levels than ACLF-1/2 patients (ACLF-3 vs. ACLF-1, P<0.001; ACLF-3 vs. ACLF-2, P<0.05). Patients who died at 28/90 days had significantly higher D-dimer levels than those whom survived ( P<0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between D-dimer level with prothrombin time (PT), international normalized ratio (INR), high-density lipoprotein C, as well as various prognostic scores (COSSH-ACLFs, CLIF-C ACLFs, CLIF-OFs, MELDs). AUROC of D-dimer in predicting the prognosis of ACLF patients at 28 days and 90 days was 0.751 (95% CI: 0.649-0.852) and 0.787 (95% CI: 0.695-0.878), respectively, which did not differ significantly compared with the predictive ability of other scores ( P<0.05), and similar results were confirmed by an external validation group of 125 cases. Conclusion:D-dimer level is significantly higher in patients with ACLF, so it is an independent predictor of prognosis at 28 and 90 days.

5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) has been approved for clinical photodynamic therapy (PDT) due to its negligible photosensitive toxicity. However, the curative effect of 5-ALA is restricted by intracellular biotransformation inactivation of 5-ALA and potential DNA repair of tumor cells. Inspired by the crucial function of iron ions in 5-ALA transformation and DNA repair, a liposomal nanomedicine (MFLs@5-ALA/DFO) with intracellular iron ion regulation property was developed for boosting the PDT of 5-ALA, which was prepared by co-encapsulating 5-ALA and DFO (deferoxamine, a special iron chelator) into the membrane fusion liposomes (MFLs). MFLs@5-ALA/DFO showed an improved pharmaceutical behavior and rapidly fused with tumor cell membrane for 5-ALA and DFO co-delivery. MFLs@5-ALA/DFO could efficiently reduce iron ion, thus blocking the biotransformation of photosensitive protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) to heme, realizing significant accumulation of photosensitivity. Meanwhile, the activity of DNA repair enzyme was also inhibited with the reduction of iron ion, resulting in the aggravated DNA damage in tumor cells. Our findings showed MFLs@5-ALA/DFO had potential to be applied for enhanced PDT of 5-ALA.