Objective To investigate the protective effect of lovastatin on cardiomyocyte injury induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation and the regulation of protein kinase B(Akt)signal pathway.Methods Rat cardiomyocytes H9c2 were cultured in vitro,and divided into control group,model group,inhibitor group,combined group and experimental-L,-M,-H groups.Control group was cultured with normal medium,and the other 6 groups were treated with hypoxia/reoxygenation.Experimental-L,-M,-H groups were supplemented with 1,2 and 5 μmol·L-1 lovastatin,respectively;inhibitor group was supplemented with 1 μmol·L-1 LY294002;combined group was supplemented with 5 μmol·L-1 lovastatin and 1 pmol·L-1 LY294002.The cell viability was determined by thiazole blue assay,the apoptosis rate was determined by flow cytometry,and the expression level of phosphorylated Akt(p-Akt)was determined by Western blot.Results The cell viabilities of experimental-H,inhibitor,combined,model and control groups were(64.38±7.10)％,(21.64±1.32)％,(51.89±2.25)％,(47.18±6.66)％and(100.00±7.69)％;the cell apoptosis rates were(13.67±1.42)％,(38.52±2.42)％,(21.12±2.27)％,(20.42±3.33)％and(4.93±0.40)％;the relative protein expression levels of p-Akt were 0.54±0.04,0.04±0.01,0.25±0.03,0.20±0.01 and 0.45±0.02,respectively.The differences of above indicators were statistically significant between the experimental-H group and the model group,as well as between the combined group and the experimental-H and inhibitor groups(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Lovastatin can protect against hypoxia/reoxygenation cardiomyocyte injury by activating the Akt signaling pathway.

Objective To explore medium and long term efficacy of oblique lateral interbody fusion(OLIF)in treating lumbar specific infection.Methods From October 2017 to January 2021,24 patients with lumbar specific infection were treated by OLIF combined with vertebral screw internal fixation,including 15 males and 9 females,aged from 27 to 61 years old with an average of(43.0±15.0)years old;the courses of disease ranged from 6 to 24 months with an average of(14.0±7.0)months;7 patients with L2-L3,12 patients with L3-L4 and 5 patients with L4-L5;19 patients with tuberculosis infection and 5 patients with brucella infection.The amount of intraoperative blood loss,operative time and complications were recorded,and erythro-cyte sedimentation rate(ESR),C-reactive protein(CRP),visual analogue scale(VAS),Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)score and American Spinal Injury Association(ASIA)rating were compared before and one month after opertaion.Re-sults All patients were followed up from 9 to 24 months with an average of(13.0±6.0)months.Operative time was(132.5±21.4)min,and intraoperative blood loss was(227.3±43.1)ml.ESR and CRP were decreased from(82.34±18.62)mmol·h-1 and(53.08±21.84)mg·L-1 before operation to(33.52±17.31)mmol·h-1 and(15.48±8.36)mg·L-1 at one month after opera-tion,respectively(P＜0.05).VAS was decreased from(7.52±1.36)before opertaion to(1.74±0.87)at one month after opera-tion(P＜0.05).JOA was increased from(17.86±3.95)before operation to(24.72±3.19)at one month after operation(P＜0.05).Four patients had neurological symptoms before operation,and were classified to grade D according to ASIA classifica-tion,who were recovered to grade E at 1 month after operation.One patient was suffered from psoas major muscle injury after operation,and returned to normal at 3 weeks.One patient was suffered from abdominal distension and difficulty in defecation,and relieved after gastrointestinal decompression and enema.No complications such as abdominal organ injury and poor wound healing occurred in all patients.Conclusion OLIF combined with vertebral screw internal fixation is a new minimally invasive surgical method for the treatment of lumbar specific infection,especially the lesion located on the middle lumbar vertebra.It has advantages of less trauma,short operation time,less blood loss,convenient operation,complete removal of the lesion,safety and effectiveness,and has good medium-and long-term efficacy for lumbar specific infection.

Human brain banks use a standardized protocol to collect,process and store post-mortem human brains and related tissues,along with relevant clinical information,and to provide the tissue samples and data as a resource to foster neuroscience research according to a standardized operating protocols(SOP).Human brain bank serves as the foundation for neuroscience research and the diagnosis of neurological disorders,highlighting the crucial rule of ensuring the consistency of standardized quality for brain tissue samples.The first version of SOP in 2017 was published by the China Human Brain Bank Consortium.As members increases from different regions in China,a revised SOP was drafted by experts from the China Human Brain Bank Consortium to meet the growing demands for neuroscience research.The revised SOP places a strong emphasis on ethical standards,incorporates neuropathological evaluation of brain regions,and provides clarity on spinal cord sampling and pathological assessment.Notable enhancements in this updated version of the SOP include reinforced ethical guidelines,inclusion of matching controls in recruitment,and expansion of brain regions to be sampled for neuropathological evaluation.

Purpose::To identify the risk factors for training-related lower extremity muscle injuries in young males by a non-invasive method of body composition analysis.Methods::A total of 282 healthy young male volunteers aged 18 -20 years participated in this cohort study. Injury location, degree, and injury rate were adjusted by a questionnaire based on the overuse injury assessment methods used in epidemiological studies of sports injuries. The occurrence of training injuries is monitored and diagnosed by physicians and treated accordingly. The body composition was measured using the BodyStat QuadScan 4000 multifrequency Bio-impedance system at 5, 50, 100 and 200 kHz to obtain 4 impedance values. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to check whether the data conformed to a normal distribution. Data of normal distribution were shown as mean ± SD and analyzed by t-test, while those of non-normal distribution were shown as median (Q 1, Q 3) and analyzed by Wilcoxon rank sum test. The receiver operator characteristic curve and logistic regression analysis were performed to investigate risk factors for developing training-related lower extremity injuries and accuracy. Results::Among the 282 subjects, 78 (27.7%) developed training injuries. Lower extremity training injuries revealed the highest incidence, accounting for 23.4% (66 cases). These patients showed higher percentages of lean body mass ( p = 0.001), total body water (TBW, p=0.006), extracellular water ( p=0.020) and intracellular water ( p=0.010) as well as a larger ratio of basal metabolic rate/total weight ( p=0.006), compared with those without lower extremity muscle injuries. On the contrary, the percentage of body fat ( p=0.001) and body fat mass index ( p=0.002) were lower. Logistic regression analysis showed that TBW percentage > 65.35% ( p=0.050, odds ratio =3.114) and 3rd space water > 0.95% ( p=0.045, odds ratio =2.342) were independent risk factors for lower extremity muscle injuries. Conclusion::TBW percentage and 3rd space water measured with bio-impedance method are potential risk factors for predicting the incidence of lower extremity muscle injuries in young males following training.

Objective:To establish a graded method to avoid mean fluorescence intensity(MFI)threshold of HLA Class I antibodies corresponding antigen,and the HLAMatchmaker program has been used to select the minimum mismatch value of donor-patient epitopes.Evaluate the application value of combining both methods in selecting HLA compatible platelets(PTL)for patients with immune platelet transfusion failure(IPTR)in improving platelet the corrected count increment(CCI).Methods:A total 7 807 PLT cross-matching compatible were performed by the solid-phase red cell adherence(SPRCA)method for 51 IPTR patients.The Luminex single antigen flow cytometry was used to detect HLA Class I antibodies in patients,and detected the MFI value for different specificity antigens of HLA Class I antibodies,was graded into strong positive group(MFI＞4 000,level 1),medium positive group(1 000＜MFI 4 000,2),weak positive group(500＜MFI≤1 000,3),and one negative control group(MFI≤500).The results of 7 807 SPRCA their negative/positive reaction wells were enrolled and statistically analyzed in different grades and the four groups,the statistical differences between the four groups were compared.Multiple applications for the select HLA Class I compatible donor events were made for patients in two cases,and HLAMatchmaker program was used to calculate the number of HLA Class I epitopes mismatches between the donors and patients.The donor with the minimum number of epitopes mismatches was selected,while avoiding the corresponding antigens of HLA Class I antibodies in levels 1 and 2,the provision of HLA compatible platelets for IPTR.After the transfusions,the CCI value of the platelet transfusion efficacy evaluation index was calculated,and the clinical evaluation of the transfusion effect was obtained through statistical analysis.Results:There were statistically significant differences in the positive results of SPRCA immunoassay among the strong positive group,medium positive group,and weak positive group of 51 IPTR patients with different specific of HLA-I class antibodies and corresponding antigens(all P＜0.001).The positive results showed a range from high to low,with strong positive group＞medium positive group＞weak positive group.There were a statistical difference among between the strongly positive or moderately positive groups and the negative control group(P＜0.001).There was no statistical difference between the weakly positive group and the negative control group(P＞0.05).The strong positive group was set as the corresponding specific HLA Class I site corresponding antigen grade 1 avoidance threshold,the medium positive group as the grade 2 avoidance thresholds,and the weak positive group as the grade 3 avoidance threshold.In the case of donor platelet shortage,it is not necessary to avoid the weak positive group.Avoiding the strategy of donor antigens and HLAMatchmaker program scores≤7 corresponding to HLA Class I antibodies of levels 1 and 2,with CCI values＞4.5 × 109/L within 24 hours,can obtain effective clinical platelet transfusion conclusions.Conclusion:When selecting HLA Class I compatible donors for IPTR patients,the grading avoids HLA Class I antibodies corresponding to donor antigens,and the donor selection strategy with the minimum scores of HLAMatchmaker program is comprehensively selected.The negative result confirmed by platelet cross-matching experiments has certain practical application value for improving platelet count in IPTR patients.

Aim To explore the effect and mechanism of the artesunate(ART)on hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods The cell lines MHCC-97H and HCC-LM3 were used to be detected.MTT and clone formation were used to determine the cell proliferation;Wound healing was used to detect the cell migration;Transwell was used to test the cell invasion.Flow-cy-tometry was used to detect cell apoptosis and cell cy-cle.RNA-seq and qRT-PCR was used to detect the genes expression.Results The proliferation,migra-tion and invasion of treated cells were obviously inhibi-ted(P＜0.01).Moreover,the apoptosis rate in-creased significantly,so did the proportion of G2/M cells.Transcriptomic analysis identified GADD45A as a potential target of ART through RNA-sequencing da-ta,and suggested that ART might induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest through regulating the expression of GADD45A.In addition,the results of mechanism studies and signaling analysis suggested that GADD45A had interaction with its upstream gene NACC1(nucle-us accumbens associated 1).Moreover,after ART treatment,the expressions of GADD45A and NACC1 were changed significantly.Conclusion ART may be a potential drug to resist HCC by affecting the expres-sion of GADD45A and its upstream gene NACC1,which provides a new drug,a new direction and a new method for the clinical treatment of HCC.

This study aims to explore the neuroprotective effect of bilobalide(BB) and the mechanisms such as inhibiting inflammatory response in macrophage/microglia, promoting neurotrophic factor secretion, and interfering with the activation and differentiation of peripheral CD4~+ T cells. BB of different concentration(12.5, 25, 50, 100 μg·mL~(-1)) was used to treat the RAW264.7 and BV2 cells for 24 h. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide(MTT) assay and cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) were employed to detect the cytotoxicity of BB and appropriate concentration was selected for further experiment. Lipopolysaccharide(LPS) was applied to elicit inflammation in RAW264.7 and BV2 cells, mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages(BMDMs), and primary microglia, respectively. The effect of BB on cell proliferation and secretion of inflammatory cytokines and neurotrophic factors was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Spleen monocytes of C57BL/6 female mice(7-8 weeks old) were isolated, and CD4~+ T cells were separated by magnetic beads under sterile conditions. Th17 cells were induced by CD3/CD28 and the conditioned medium for eliciting the inflammation in BMDMs. The content of IL-17 cytokines in the supernatant was detected by ELISA to determine the effect on the activation and differentiation of CD4~+ T cells. In addition, PC12 cells were incubated with the conditioned medium for eliciting inflammation in BMDMs and primary microglia and the count and morphology of cells were observed. The cytoto-xicity was determined by lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) assay. The result showed that BB with the concentration of 12.5-100 μg·mL~(-1) had no toxicity to RAW264.7 and BV2 cells, and had no significant effect on the activity of cell model with low inflammation. The 50 μg·mL~(-1) BB was selected for further experiment, and the results indicated that BB inhibited LPS-induced secretion of inflammatory cytokines. The experiment on CD4~+ T cells showed that the conditioned medium for LPS-induced inflammation in BMDMs promoted the activation and differentiation of CD4~+ T cells, while the conditioned medium of the experimental group with BB intervention reduced the activation and differentiation of CD4~+ T cells. In addition, BB also enhanced the release of neurotrophic factors from BMDMs and primary microglia. The conditioned medium after BB intervention can significantly reduce the death of PC12 neurons, inhibit neuronal damage, and protect neurons. To sum up, BB plays a neuroprotective role by inhibiting macrophage and microglia-mediated inflammatory response and promoting neurotrophic factors.
Female ; Rats ; Mice ; Animals ; Bilobalides/pharmacology* ; Neuroprotection ; Lipopolysaccharides/toxicity* ; Culture Media, Conditioned/pharmacology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Macrophages/metabolism* ; Microglia ; Cytokines/metabolism* ; Nerve Growth Factors/pharmacology* ; Inflammation/metabolism*

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 understand the current status of diagnosis and treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) /small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) among hematologists, oncologists, and lymphoma physicians from hospitals of different levels in China. Methods: This multicenter questionnaire survey was conducted from March 2021 to July 2021 and included 1,000 eligible physicians. A combination of face-to-face interviews and online questionnaire surveys was used. A standardized questionnaire regarding the composition of patients treated for CLL/SLL, disease diagnosis and prognosis evaluation, concomitant diseases, organ function evaluation, treatment selection, and Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor was used. Results: ①The interviewed physicians stated that the proportion of male patients treated for CLL/SLL is higher than that of females, and the age is mainly concentrated in 61-70 years old. ②Most of the interviewed physicians conducted tests, such as bone marrow biopsies and immunohistochemistry, for patient diagnosis, in addition to the blood test. ③Only 13.7% of the interviewed physicians fully grasped the initial treatment indications recommended by the existing guidelines. ④In terms of cognition of high-risk prognostic factors, physicians' knowledge of unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable and 11q- is far inferior to that of TP53 mutation and complex karyotype, which are two high-risk prognostic factors, and only 17.1% of the interviewed physicians fully mastered CLL International Prognostic Index scoring system. ⑤Among the first-line treatment strategy, BTK inhibitors are used for different types of patients, and physicians have formed a certain understanding that BTK inhibitors should be preferentially used in patients with high-risk factors and elderly patients, but the actual use of BTK inhibitors in different types of patients is not high (31.6%-46.0%). ⑥BTK inhibitors at a reduced dose in actual clinical treatment were used by 69.0% of the physicians, and 66.8% of the physicians had interrupted the BTK inhibitor for >12 days in actual clinical treatment. The use of BTK inhibitors is reduced or interrupted mainly because of adverse reactions, such as atrial fibrillation, severe bone marrow suppression, hemorrhage, and pulmonary infection, as well as patients' payment capacity and effective disease progression control. ⑦Some differences were found in the perceptions and behaviors of hematologists and oncologists regarding the prognostic assessment of CLL/SLL, the choice of treatment options, the clinical use of BTK inhibitors, etc. Conclusion: At present, a gap remains between the diagnosis and treatment of CLL/SLL among Chinese physicians compared with the recommendations in the guidelines regarding the diagnostic criteria, treatment indications, prognosis assessment, accompanying disease assessment, treatment strategy selection, and rational BTK inhibitor use, especially the proportion of dose reduction or BTK inhibitor discontinuation due to high adverse events.
Female ; Humans ; Male ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell/drug therapy* ; Prognosis ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; Immunohistochemistry ; Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains/therapeutic use*

Objective: To analyze the difference in blood uric acid levels between patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and healthy women of childbearing age, and to investigate the correlation between body composition and blood uric acid levels. Methods: A total of 153 eligible childbearing age patients with PCOS treated at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from January 2018 to March 2022 were selected, and 153 healthy women with normal menstruation were selected as the control group. Fasting blood uric acid levels were measured by venous blood test, and body composition was measured by a body composition analyzer. Group comparisons were made to analyze the correlation between body composition and blood uric acid levels. Results: The incidence of hyperuricemia was higher in patients with PCOS than that in the control group [30.1% (46/153) vs 2.0% (3/153)], with a statistically significant difference (χ²=44.429, P<0.001). Blood uric acid level was also significantly higher in patients with PCOS than that in the control group [(371±98) vs (265±67) μmol/L; t=11.170, P<0.001]. Among PCOS patients, there were statistically significant differences in weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat mass, skeletal muscle mass, percent body fat, lean body weight, fat mass/lean body weight, percent skeletal muscle, and visceral fat level between the hyperuricemia group and the normal blood uric acid group (all P<0.001), but no significant difference was observed in waist-hip ratio (P=0.348). The following body composition indicators: weight, BMI, waist-hip ratio, body fat mass, skeletal muscle mass, percent body fat, visceral fat level, lean body weight, and fat mass/lean body weight in all subjects, the PCOS patients and the control group, were positively correlated with blood uric acid levels (all P<0.01). The blood uric acid level in PCOS obese patients was higher than that in non-obese PCOS patients, and the difference was statistically significant [(425±83) vs (336±91) μmol/L; t=6.133, P<0.001]. The blood uric acid level in central obesity PCOS patients was also higher than that in non-central obesity PCOS patients [(385±95) vs (299±79) μmol/L], the difference was statistically significant (t=4.261, P<0.001). The blood uric acid level in normal-weight obese PCOS patients was higher than that in normal-weight non-obese PCOS patients [(333±73) vs (277±54) μmol/L], and the difference was statistically significant (t=2.848, P=0.006). Blood uric acid levels in normal-weight [(315±74) vs (255±67) μmol/L], overweight [(362±102) vs (276±57) μmol/L], and obese PCOS patients [(425±83) vs (303±74) μmol/L] were all higher than those in the corresponding control groups, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.001). Conclusions: PCOS patients have a higher incidence of hyperuricemia than healthy women of childbearing age. Blood uric acid levels are closely correlated with body composition indicators, such as weight, BMI, waist-hip ratio, body fat mass, skeletal muscle mass, percent body fat, and visceral fat level. Body composition analysis of women with PCOS could help identify potentially obese people more accurately and carry out individualized treatment, thereby reducing the risk of metabolic abnormalities.
Humans ; Female ; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome/complications* ; Uric Acid ; Hyperuricemia/complications* ; Insulin ; Body Composition/physiology* ; Obesity/complications* ; Body Mass Index