Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the bacterial communities of biting midges and ticks collected from three sites in the Poyang Lake area,namely,Qunlu Practice Base,Peach Blossom Garden,and Huangtong Animal Husbandry,and whether vectors carry any bacterial pathogens that may cause diseases to humans,to provide scientific basis for prospective pathogen discovery and disease prevention and control. Methods Using a metataxonomics approach in concert with full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing and operational phylogenetic unit(OPU)analysis,we characterized the species-level microbial community structure of two important vector species,biting midges and ticks,including 33 arthropod samples comprising 3,885 individuals,collected around Poyang Lake. Results A total of 662 OPUs were classified in biting midges,including 195 known species and 373 potentially new species,and 618 OPUs were classified in ticks,including 217 known species and 326 potentially new species.Surprisingly,OPUs with potentially pathogenicity were detected in both arthropod vectors,with 66 known species of biting midges reported to carry potential pathogens,including Asaia lannensis and Rickettsia bellii,compared to 50 in ticks,such as Acinetobacter lwoffii and Staphylococcus sciuri.We found that Proteobacteria was the most dominant group in both midges and ticks.Furthermore,the outcomes demonstrated that the microbiota of midges and ticks tend to be governed by a few highly abundant bacteria.Pantoea sp7 was predominant in biting midges,while Coxiella sp1 was enriched in ticks.Meanwhile,Coxiella spp.,which may be essential for the survival of Haemaphysalis longicornis Neumann,were detected in all tick samples.The identification of dominant species and pathogens of biting midges and ticks in this study serves to broaden our knowledge associated to microbes of arthropod vectors. Conclusion Biting midges and ticks carry large numbers of known and potentially novel bacteria,and carry a wide range of potentially pathogenic bacteria,which may pose a risk of infection to humans and animals.The microbial communities of midges and ticks tend to be dominated by a few highly abundant bacteria.

Objective To investigate the application value of tear inflammatory factors in early evaluation of the occurrence of complications after trabeculectomy in glaucoma patients.Methods A total of 150 eyes of 150 patients with angle-closure glaucoma who underwent trabeculectomy in Department of Ophthalmology of Zhangjiagang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine were included.The clinical data of all patients were collected,and the levels of inflammatory factors(including G-CSF,GM-CSF,IFN-γ,MCP-1,TNF-α,IL-12,IL-13,IL-15,IL-1β,IL-4,IL-7,IL-10,IL-17,IL-5)in tears were detected before surgery.According to the occurrence of postoperative complications,the patients were divided into the complication group and the control group,and the clinical data of the two groups were compared.Logistic regression was used to analyze the related factors of the occurrence of complications after trabeculectomy in glaucoma patients.The predictive model of tear inflammatory factors was established by Logistic regression,and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to analyze the value of this model in early evaluation of the occurrence of complications after trabeculectomy in glaucoma patients.Results Complications occurred in 35(23.33%)of 150 glaucoma patients after trabeculectomy,including 24 cases of shallow anterior chamber,5 cases of ciliary body or choroid detachment,3 cases of iridocyclitis,2 cases of hyphema,and 1 case of retinal detachment.IFN-γ,GM-CSF and IL-5 levels of the patients in the complication group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the levels of other inflammatory factors of patients between the two groups(P>0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that increased levels of IFN-γ(OR=0.999),GM-CSF(OR=0.988)and IL-5(OR=0.996)were independent protective factors for complications after trabeculectomy in glaucoma patients(P<0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the sensitivity and specificity of the model were 94.29%and 83.84%in early evaluation of the occurrence of complications after trabeculectomy in glaucoma patients,and the AUC was 0.906,which was higher than that predicted by IFN-γ(AUC=0.642),GM-CSF(AUC=0.721)and IL-5(AUC=0.666)alone.Conclusion Preoperative analysis of tear inflammatory factors in glaucoma patients can early evaluate the occurrence of postoperative complications,especially the combined detection of IFN-γ,GM-CSF and IL-5 levels is of great significance for predicting the occurrence of complications.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Objective:To explore the levels of regulatory T cells(Tregs)and cytokines IL-35,TGF-β and IL-10 in peripheral blood of hemophilia A(HA)patients with F Ⅷ inhibitor and their clinical significance.Methods:43 HA patients admitted to the Hematology Department of the Affiliated Hospital of North China University of Science and Technology from October 2019 to December 2020 were selected,including 6 cases with F Ⅷ inhibitor and 37 cases without FⅧ inhibitor.In addition,20 healthy males who underwent physical examinations were selected as healthy controls.Flow cytometry was used to detect the levels of CD4+CD25+CD127-Tregs in peripheral blood of the HA patients and healthy controls,and ELISA assay was used to detect the expression levels of IL-35,TGF-β and IL-10 in serum,and their differences between different groups were compared.Results:Compared with the healthy control group,the level of Tregs in HA patients was decreased,and the level of Tregs in the FⅧ inhibitor positive group was the lowest,the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the expression level of Tregs in HA patients of different severity levels.The serum IL-35,TGF-β,and IL-10 levels in both FⅧ inhibitor negative and positive groups were significantly lower than those in healthy control group,and those in FⅧ inhibitor positive group were significantly lower than those in FⅧ inhibitor negative group(all P＜0.05).Conclusion:The decrease of Tregs,IL-35,TGF-β,and IL-10 levels in HA patients may be related to the formation of FⅧ inhibitors.

Aim To explore the improvement effect of Bazi Bushen capsule on thymic degeneration in SAMP6 mice and the possible mechanism.Methods Twenty 12 week old male SAMP6 mice were randomly divided into the model group(SAMP6)and the Bazi Busheng capsule treatment group(SAMP6+BZBS).Ten SAMR1 mice were assigned to a homologous control group(SAMR1).The SAMP6+BZBS group was oral-ly administered Bazi Bushen capsule suspension(2.8 g·kg-1)daily,while the other two groups were orally administered an equal amount of distilled water.After nine weeks of administration,the morphology of the thymus in each group was observed and the thymus in-dex was calculated;HE staining was used to observe the structural changes of thymus tissue;SA-β-gal stai-ning was used to detect thymic aging;flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of thymic CD3+T cells in each group;Western blot was used to detect the levels of p16,Bax,Bcl-2,and cleaved caspase-3 proteins in thymus;immunofluorescence was applied to detect the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells in each group;ELISA was employed to detect IL-7 lev-els in thymus.Results Compared with the SAMP6 group,the thymic index of the SAMP6+BZBS group significantly increased(P＜0.05);the disordered thy-mic structure was significantly improved;the positive proportion of SA-β-gal staining significantly decreased(P＜0.01);the proportion of CD3+T cells apparently increased(P＜0.05);the level of p16 protein signifi-cantly decreased(P＜0.05);the level of Bcl-2 pro-tein significantly increased(P＜0.05),while the lev-el of cleaved caspase-3 protein markedly decreased(P＜0.05);the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells evidently increased;the level of IL-7 significantly increased(P＜0.01).Conclusions Bazi Bushen capsule can delay thymic degeneration,inhibit cell ap-optosis in thymus and promote thymic cell development in SAMP6 mice,which may be related to increasing the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells and promoting IL-7 secretion.

Aim To investigate the effects of Radix Angelica Sinensis and Radix Hedysari ultrafiltration(RAS-RH)on oxidative stress and inflammatory injury of human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs)induced by ionizing radiation.Methods The model of HUVECs damage induced by 6 Gy X-rays was estab-lished.HUVECs were treated with different concentra-tions of RAS-RH(100,200,400 μg·L-1).The proliferative activity of HUVECs was detected by CCK-8 method,the structural changes of mitochondria were observed by transmission electron microscope,the level of ROS was detected by DCFH-DA probe,the change of intracellular mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by JC-1 kit,and the apoptosis and cycle were detected by flow cytometry.The contents of IL-6 and TNF-α in cells were detected by ELISA.The activities of MDA,CAT,SOD and GSH-PX were detected by biochemical kit.The gene expression levels of Nrf2,HO-1,NF-κB,eNOS and IL-6 were detected by qRT-PCR,and the expression levels of Nrf2,HO-1,eNOS,NF-κB,p-NF-κB and IL-6 protein were detected by Western blot.Results Compared with the model group,RAS-RH could increase the activity of HUVECs induced by ionizing radiation,decrease the rate of ap-optosis,decrease the level of intracellular ROS,re-duce the injury of intracellular mitochondria,increase the level of mitochondrial membrane potential,promote the expression of Nrf2,HO-1 and eNOS,and inhibit the expression of NF-κB and IL-6.Conclusions RAS-RH has anti-radiation,antioxidant and anti-in-flammatory effects,which may reduce the oxidative stress and inflammatory damage of HUVECs induced by ionizing radiation by activating the activity of Nrf2/HO-1 signal pathway,thus promoting the activity of cell proliferation.

Objective To investigate the effect of MALAT1 expressions on cell proliferation and apoptosis in astrocytes by regulating mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase(ERK1,2)pathway.Methods The MALAT1 gene was knocked down and over-expressed in C8-D1A cells by lentiviral and plasmid vectors,respectively.The expressions of MALAT1,cell proliferation-related markers(Ki67,MCM2,PCNA)and apoptosis-related proteins(Caspase-3,Bax,Bcl-2)were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qPCR).CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry were used for cell proliferation and apoptosis in C8-D1A cells.Immunofluorescence was adopted to detect the protein expressions of Caspase-3 and Ki67.Western blotting was used to detect the protein expressions of Caspase-3,Bax,Bcl-2,ERK1/2,p-ERK1/2,p38MAPK and p-p38MAPK.Results Compared with the control group,over-expressed MALAT1 inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis in C8-D1A cells while the knockdown of MALAT1 significantly enhanced cell proliferation and anti-apoptotic ability in C8-D1A cells.The proportion of C8-D1A cells in G0/G1-phase and G2/M-phase was higher than in the control group as evidenced by flow cytometry,but was lower in S-phase.Meanwhile,data showed that Caspase-3 was increased while p-ERK1/2 was decreased in terms of protein levels.The mRNA expressions of Ki67 and PCNA were decreased.After knockdown of MALAT1,the proportion of C8-D1A cells in S-phase was higher,but was lower in G2/M-phase.The protein expressions of Caspase-3 and Bax decreased while those of p-ERK1/2 and p-p38MAPK increased.The mRNA expressions of Ki67,MCM2 and PCNA were increased.The differences were all statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion MALAT1 promotes astrocyte apoptosis and inhibits proliferation by regulating the MAPK/ERK1,2 signaling pathway.

Objective:To explore the current status of surgery for portal hypertension to grasp current status and future development of surgery in China.Methods:This study is jointly sponsored by China Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Specialist Alliance & Portal Hypertension Alliance in China (CHESS).Comprehensive surveying is conducted for basic domestic situations of surgery for portal hypertension, including case load, surgical approaches, management of postoperative complications, primary effects, existing confusion and obstacles, liver transplantation(LT), laparoscopic procedures and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS), etc.Results:A total of 8 512 cases of portal hypertension surgery are performed at 378 hospitals nationwide in 2021.Splenectomy plus devascularization predominated(53.0%)and laparoscopy accounted for 76.1%.Primary goal is preventing rebleeding(67.0%) and 72.8% of hospitals used preventive anticoagulants after conventional surgery.And 80.7% of teams believe that the formation of postoperative portal vein thrombosis is a surgical dilemma and 65.3% of hospitals practiced both laparoscopy and TIPS.The major reasons for patients with portal hypertension not receiving LT are due to a lack of qualifications for LT(69.3%)and economic factors(69.0%).Conclusions:Surgery is an integral part of management of portal hypertension in China.However, it is imperative to further standardize the grasp of surgical indications, the handling of surgical operation and the management of postoperative complications.Moreover, prospective, multi-center randomized controlled clinical studies should be performed.

The present study aimed to explore the main active components and underlying mechanisms of Marsdenia tenacissima in the treatment of ovarian cancer(OC) through network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vitro cell experiments. The active components of M. tenacissima were obtained from the literature search, and their potential targets were obtained from SwissTargetPrediction. The OC-related targets were retrieved from Therapeutic Target Database(TTD), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM), GeneCards, and PharmGKB. The common targets of the drug and the disease were screened out by Venn diagram. Cytoscape was used to construct an "active component-target-disease" network, and the core components were screened out according to the node degree. The protein-protein interaction(PPI) network of the common targets was constructed by STRING and Cytoscape, and the core targets were screened out according to the node degree. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of potential therapeutic targets were carried out with DAVID database. Molecular docking was used to determine the binding activity of some active components to key targets by AutoDock. Finally, the anti-OC activity of M. tenacissima extract was verified based on SKOV3 cells in vitro. The PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was selected for in vitro experimental verification according to the results of GO function and KEGG pathway analyses. Network pharmacology results showed that 39 active components, such as kaempferol, 11α-O-benzoyl-12β-O-acetyltenacigenin B, and drevogenin Q, were screened out, involving 25 core targets such as AKT1, VEGFA, and EGFR, and the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway was the main pathway of target protein enrichment. The results of molecular docking also showed that the top ten core components showed good binding affinity to the top ten core targets. The results of in vitro experiments showed that M. tenacissima extract could significantly inhibit the proliferation of OC cells, induce apoptosis of OC cells through the mitochondrial pathway, and down-regulate the expression of proteins related to the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. This study shows that M. tenacissima has the characteristics of multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway synergistic effect in the treatment of OC, which provides a theoretical basis for in-depth research on the material basis, mechanism, and clinical application.
Humans ; Female ; Marsdenia ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Network Pharmacology ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; Ovarian Neoplasms/genetics* ; Databases, Genetic ; Plant Extracts ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*

In this paper, 50 batches of representative traditional Chinese medicine tablets were selected and the disintegration time was examined with the method in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The disintegration time and disintegration phenomenon were recorded, and the dissolution behaviors of water-soluble and ultraviolet-absorbent components during the disintegration process of tablets were characterized by self-control method. The results revealed that coating type and raw material type influenced the disintegration time of tablets. It was found that only 4% of traditional Chinese medicine tablets had obvious fragmentation during the disintegration process, while 96% of traditional Chinese medicine tablets showed gradual dissolution or dispersion. Furthermore, according to the disintegration speed, disintegration phenomenon, and whether the cumulative dissolution of measured components was > 90% at complete disintegration, a disintegration behavior classification system(DBCS) was created for the regular-release traditional Chinese medicine tablets. As a result, the disintegration behaviors of 50 batches of traditional Chinese medicine tablets were classified into four categories, i.e. ⅠA_2, ⅠB_1, ⅡB_1, and ⅡB_2. traditional Chinese medicine tablets(Class I) with disintegration time ≤ 30 min were defined to be rapid in disintegration, which can be the objective of optimization or improvement of Chinese herbal extract(semi extract) tablets. Different drug release models were used to fit the dissolution curve of traditional Chinese medicine tablets with gradual dissolution or dispersion phenomenon(i.e. Type B tablets). The results showed that the dissolution curves of water-soluble components in the disintegration process conformed to the zero order kinetics and the Ritger-Peppas model. It could be inferred that the disintegration mechanisms of type B tablets were a combination of dissolution controlled and swelling controlled mechanisms. This study contributes to understanding the disintegration behavior of traditional Chinese medicine tablets, and provides a reference for the design and improvement of disintegration performance of traditional Chinese medicine tablets.
Commerce ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Tablets ; Water ; Drug Compounding