Ginsenoside Rg_2(GRg2) is a triterpenoid compound found in Panax notoginseng. This study explored its effects and mechanisms on diabetic retinopathy and angiogenesis. The study employed endothelial cell models induced by glucose or vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), the chorioallantoic membrane(CAM) model, the oxygen-induced retinopathy(OIR) mouse model, and the db/db mouse model to evaluate the therapeutic effects of GRg2 on diabetic retinopathy and angiogenesis. Transwell assays and endothelial tube formation experiments were conducted to assess cell migration and tube formation, while vascular area measurements were applied to detect angiogenesis. The impact of GRg2 on the retinal structure and function of db/db mice was evaluated through retinal thickness and electroretinogram(ERG) analyses. The study investigated the mechanisms of GRg2 by analyzing the activation of Yes-associated protein(YAP) and Toll-like receptors(TLRs) pathways. The results indicated that GRg2 significantly reduced cell migration numbers and tube formation lengths in vitro. In the CAM model, GRg2 exhibited a dose-dependent decrease in the vascular area ratio. In the OIR model, GRg2 notably decreased the avascular and neovascular areas, ameliorating retinal structural disarray. In the db/db mouse model, GRg2 increased the total retinal thickness and enhanced the amplitudes of the a-wave, b-wave, and oscillatory potentials(OPs) in the ERG, improving retinal structural disarray. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the TLR signaling pathway was significantly down-regulated following YAP knockdown, with PCR results consistent with the transcriptome sequencing findings. Concurrently, GRg2 downregulated the expression of Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4), TNF receptor-associated factor 6(TRAF6), and nuclear factor-kappaB(NF-κB) proteins in high-glucose-induced endothelial cells. Collectively, GRg2 inhibits cell migration and tube formation and significantly reduces angiogenesis in CAM and OIR models, improving retinal structure and function in db/db mice, with its pharmacological mechanism likely involving the down-regulation of YAP expression.
Animals ; Ginsenosides/pharmacology* ; Diabetic Retinopathy/physiopathology* ; Mice ; YAP-Signaling Proteins ; Humans ; Male ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Cell Movement/drug effects* ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neovascularization, Pathologic/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Panax notoginseng/chemistry* ; Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Angiogenesis

OBJECTIVE: Emerging evidence suggests that exposure to ultrafine particulate matter (UPM, aerodynamic diameter < 0.1 µm) is associated with adverse cardiovascular events. Previous studies have found that Shenlian (SL) extract possesses anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic properties and has a promising protective effect at all stages of the atherosclerotic disease process. In this study, we aimed to investigated whether SL improves UPM-aggravated myocardial ischemic injury by inhibiting inflammation and cell apoptosis. METHODS: We established a mouse model of MI+UPM. Echocardiographic measurement, measurement of myocardialinfarct size, biochemical analysis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), histopathological analysis, Transferase dUTP Nick End Labeling (TUNEL), Western blotting (WB), Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and so on were used to explore the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of SL in vivo and in vitro. RESULTS: SL treatment can attenuate UPM-induced cardiac dysfunction by improving left ventricular ejection fraction, fractional shortening, and decreasing cardiac infarction area. SL significantly reduced the levels of myocardial enzymes and attenuated UPM-induced morphological alterations. Moreover, SL significantly reduced expression levels of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, and MCP-1. UPM further increased the infiltration of macrophages in myocardial tissue, whereas SL intervention reversed this phenomenon. UPM also triggered myocardial apoptosis, which was markedly attenuated by SL treatment. The results of in vitro experiments revealed that SL prevented cell damage caused by exposure to UPM combined with hypoxia by reducing the expression of the inflammatory factor NF-κB and inhibiting apoptosis in H9c2 cells. CONCLUSION Overall, both in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that SL attenuated UPM-aggravated myocardial ischemic injury by inhibiting inflammation and cell apoptosis. The mechanisms were related to the downregulation of macrophages infiltrating heart tissues.
Animals ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Particulate Matter/adverse effects* ; Mice ; Male ; Inflammation/drug therapy* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Myocardial Ischemia/drug therapy* ; Cell Line

This study design of specific identification primers for the ITS2 sequence of F. ussuriensis. The reaction system and conditions were optimized, and PCR-nucleic acid test strips were constructed to realize the visual detection of F. ussuriensis Bark. Through molecular cloning and sequencing technology, we constructed a positive control for F. ussuriensis DNA and formulated quality standards. The established method was evaluated for sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility, and the authenticity of the commercially available samples was identified. Results demonstrated that based on the ITS2 sequences, F. ussuriensis and its mixed forgeries could be distinguished. The PCR products of the authentic F. ussuriensis on test strips showed two bands in the T and C lines, while the pseudo products and negative control showed only one band in the C line, which was consistent with the results of agarose gel electrophoresis. The specificity was 100%, and the sensitivity of the PCR-nucleic acid test strip was up to 0.1 ng·μL^-1, which was 10 times higher than that of the gel electrophoresis assay. 11 out of 16 commercially available samples of F. ussuriensis were qualified, and 5 were unqualified. Collectively, the PCR-nucleic acid test strip method established in this study is specific, rapid, accurate and visualized, which can provide a new technical idea for the detection of F. ussuriensis.

Background and objective Bone is a common site for metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma,but the mechanism behind lung adenocarcinoma bone metastasis is still unclear.And currently,there is a lack of easily traceable and stable lung adenocarcinoma bone metastasis cell models,which limits the research on the mechanism of lung adenocarcinoma bone metastasis.The establishment of human lung adenocarcinoma cell line that are highly metastatic to bone,labeled with green fluorescent proteins(GFP)and fireflies luciferase(LUC),along with transcriptomic characterization,would be beneficial for research on lung adenocarcinoma bone metastasis and provide new experimental methods.Methods The human lung ad-enocarcinoma cell line A549-GFP-LUC was injected into nude mice via the left ventricle to construct a bone metastasis model,and was domesticated in vivo for three consecutive times to obtain the human high bone metastasis lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549-GFP-LUC-BM3;cell counting kit-8(CCK-8),colony formation assay,scratch wound assays,Transwell assay and Western blot were used to compare the proliferation and invasion abilities of A549-GFP-LUC-BM3 with the parental cells.A549-GFP-LUC-BM3 cells and parental cells were further analyzed by transcriptomic sequencing.Results Human high-bone metastatic lung adenocarcinoma cells A549-GFP-LUC-BM3 was successfully established.Compared to parental cells,this cells exhibited a significantly higher incidence of bone metastasis and enhanced in vitro proliferation,migration,and invasion abilities.Transcriptomic sequencing results revealed that the A549-GFP-LUC-BM3 cell line had 2954 differentially expressed genes compared to the parental cells,with 1021 genes up-regulated and 1933 genes down-regulated.Gene Ontology(GO)functional enrichment analysis indicated that the differentially expressed genes were primarily localized in cellular components such as the cell periphery.The molecular functions identified as significantly enriched included signaling receptor activity,cal-cium ion binding,and extracellular matrix structural constituent.Additionally,the biological processes found to be enriched were cell adhesion and biological adhesion.The enrichment analysis conducted using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)revealed that the differentially expressed genes were primarily involved in the metabolism of xenobiot-ics by cytochrome P450,retinol metabolism,drug metabolism-cytochrome P450,cell adhesion molecules,steroid hormone biosynthesis,and the nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB)signaling pathway.Conclusion The highly bone-metastatic human lung adenocarcinoma cell line with GFP and luciferase double labeling was successfully established.The biological behavior and transcriptome sequencing of the cell line suggest that it has a high bone-metastatic potential.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) combined with lower cervical fracture is often categorized into unstable fracture, with a high incidence of neurological injury and a high rate of disability and morbidity. As factors such as shoulder occlusion may affect the accuracy of X-ray imaging diagnosis, it is often easily misdiagnosed at the primary diagnosis. Non-operative treatment has complications such as bone nonunion and the possibility of secondary neurological damage, while the timing, access and choice of surgical treatment are still controversial. Currently, there are no clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of AS combined with lower cervical fracture with or without dislocation. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedics Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts to formulate Clinical guidelines for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis combined with lower cervical fracture in adults ( version 2024) in accordance with the principles of evidence-based medicine, scientificity and practicality, in which 11 recommendations were put forward in terms of the diagnosis, imaging evaluation, typing and treatment, etc, to provide guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of AS combined with lower cervical fracture.

Objective To investigate the effect of vitamin B6(VB6)on vascular endothelial injury of atherosclerosis(AS)mice and its mechanism.Methods Thirty-six ApoE-/-mice were randomly divided into control group,AS group,VB6 group,AS+LiCl group,AS+VB6 group and AS+VB6+LiCl group,with 6 mice in each group.The mice in the AS group,AS+LiCl group,AS+VB6 group and AS+VB6+LiCl group were fed with high-fat diet for 12 weeks to establish the AS model;the mice in the control group and VB6 group were given regular diet and normal drinking water for 12 weeks.After 12 weeks,the mice in the control group were given conventional diet and the same volume of physiological saline as the VB6 group daily by gavage;the mice in the VB6 group were given routine diet and VB6(50 mg·kg-1)by gavage daily;the mice in the AS+LiCl group were given high-fat diet continuously and LiCl(1 mg·kg-1)by gavage daily;the mice in the AS+VB6 group were given high-fat diet continuously and VB6(50 mg·kg-1)by gavage daily;the mice in the AS+VB6+LiCl group were given high-fat diet continuously and VB6(50 mg·kg-1),LiCl(1 mg·kg-1)by gavage daily;all mice were intervened for 4 weeks.After intervention,the serum nitric oxide(NO),malondialdehyde(MD A)levels and superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity of mice in each group were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the morphology of thoracic aortic tissue of mice in each group and the percentage of AS plaque area to total vascular area was calculated.The vasodilatation rate of thoracic aorta was detected by isolated vascular ring experiment.The expression of sodium/hydrogen exchanger 1(NHE1)protein in thoracic aorta was detected by immunohistochemistry.Results Compared with the control group,the NO level and SOD activity in the serum of mice in the AS group decreased,while the MDA level increased(P＜0.05);there was no significant difference in the NO,MDA levels and SOD activity in the serum of mice between the VB6 group and the control group(P＞0.05).Compared with the AS group,the serum NO level and SOD activity of mice in the AS+VB6 group increased,while the MDA level decreased(P＜0.05);there was no significant difference in serum NO,MDA levels and SOD activity of mice between the AS+LiCl group,AS+VB6+LiCl group and AS group(P＞0.05).Compared with the AS+VB6 group,the serum NO level and SOD activity of mice in the AS+VB6+LiCl group decreased,while the MDA level increased(P＜0.05).The percentage of AS plaque area to total vascular area of mice in the AS group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P＜0.05);there was no significant difference in the percentage of AS plaque area to total vascular area of mice among the VB6 group and the control group(P＜0.05).The percentage of AS plaque area to total vascular area of mice in the AS+VB6 group was significantly lower than that in the AS group(P＜0.05);there was no significant difference in the percentage of AS plaque area to total vascular area of mice between the AS+LiCl group,AS+VB6+LiCl group and AS group(P＜0.05).The percentage of AS plaque area to total vascular area of mice in the AS+VB6+LiCl group was significantly higher than that in the AS+VB6 group(P＜0.05).In the control group,the vascular endothelium of mice was smooth with orderly arrangement of cells;in the AS group,AS+LiCl group and AS+VB6+LiCl group,the tissue structure of vascular of mice was disordered and the vascular endothelium was rough;in the VB6 group and AS+VB6 group,the vascular wall structure of mice was normal,the vascular endothelium was smooth,and the cells were arranged orderly.The vasodilatation rate of thoracic aorta of mice induced by acetylcholine(Ach)in the AS group was significantly lower than that in the control group(P＜0.05);there was no significant difference in the vasodilatation rate of thoracic aorta of mice induced by Ach between the VB6 group and the control group(P＞0.05).The vasodilatation rate of thoracic aorta of mice induced by Ach in the AS+VB6 group was significantly lower than that in the AS group(P＜0.05);there was no significant difference in the vasodilatation rate of thoracic aorta of mice induced by Ach between AS+LiCl group,AS+VB6+LiCl group and AS group(P＞0.05).The vasodilatation rate of thoracic aorta of mice induced by Ach in the AS+VB6+LiCl group was significantly higher than that in the AS+VB6 group(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the vasodilatation rate of thoracic aorta of mice induced by sodium nitroprusside among the six groups(P＞0.05).The percentage of NHE1 expression in the thoracic aorta of mice in the AS group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P＜0.05);there was no significant difference in the percentage of NHE1 expression in the thoracic aorta of mice between the VB6 group and the control group(P＞0.05).The percentage of NHE1 expression in the thoracic aorta of mice in the AS+VB6 group was significantly lower than that in the AS group(P＜0.05);there was no significant difference in the percentage of NHE1 expression in the thoracic aorta of mice among the AS+LiCl group,AS+VB6+LiCl group and the AS group(P＞0.05).The percentage of NHE1 expression in the thoracic aorta of mice in the AS+VB6+LiCl group was significantly higher than that in the AS+VB6 group(P＜0.05).Conclusion VB6 can improve vascular endothelial injury in AS mice via inhibiting the expression of NHE1 protein.

Objective To understand the pathogen detection of hospitalized patients before antimicrobial therapy in a hospital through implementation of comprehensive intervention measures,and provide reference basis for the de-velopment of targeted measures.Methods Hospitalized patients who received therapeutic antimicrobial agents in this hospital were selected as the research subjects.Patients who were hospitalized from January to May 2022 were selected as the pre-intervention group,comprehensive intervention measures were taken from June to October 2022,and those who were hospitalized from November 2022 to March 2023 were selected as the post-intervention group.The pathogen detection rate before antimicrobial therapy,sterile specimen detection rate,antimicrobial use rate,de-tection rate of key multidrug-resistant organisms of patients before and after the intervention were analyzed.Results Compared to before intervention,the proportion of pathogen detection rate before antimicrobial therapy(62.09％vs 74.04％),detection rate of healthcare-associated infection diagnosis-related pathogens(62.82％vs 92.73％),and sterile specimen detection rate(35.17％vs 41.06％)of hospitalized patients after intervention all increased signifi-cantly,with statistically significant differences(all P＜0.05).After intervention,pathogen detection rate before the combination use of key antimicrobial agents was not statistically different from before intervention(93.33％vs 90.48％,P＞0.05),while antimicrobial use rate was lower than before intervention(39.93％vs 44.95％,P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in the detection rate of key multidrug-resistant organisms be-fore and after intervention(all P＞0.05).Conclusion Adopting scientific and rational intervention measures can improve the pathogen detection rate,provide a reference basis for the rational use of antimicrobial agents.There was no significant improvement in the pathogen detection rate before the combination use of key antimicrobial agents and the detection rate of key multidrug-resistant organisms,indicating that relevant measures still need to be further optimized.

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.

Background::Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has potential risks for both clinically worsening pulmonary hypertension (PH) and increasing mortality. However, the data regarding the protective role of vaccination in this population are still lacking. This study aimed to assess the safety of approved vaccination for patients with PH.Methods::In this national prospective cohort study, patients diagnosed with PH (World Health Organization [WHO] groups 1 and 4) were enrolled from October 2021 to April 2022. The primary outcome was the composite of PH-related major adverse events. We used an inverse probability weighting (IPW) approach to control for possible confounding factors in the baseline characteristics of patients.Results::In total, 706 patients with PH participated in this study (mean age, 40.3 years; mean duration after diagnosis of PH, 8.2 years). All patients received standardized treatment for PH in accordance with guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of PH in China. Among them, 278 patients did not receive vaccination, whereas 428 patients completed the vaccination series. None of the participants were infected with COVID-19 during our study period. Overall, 398 patients received inactivated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine, whereas 30 received recombinant protein subunit vaccine. After adjusting for baseline covariates using the IPW approach, the odds of any adverse events due to PH in the vaccinated group did not statistically significantly increase (27/428 [6.3%] vs. 24/278 [8.6%], odds ratio = 0.72, P = 0.302). Approximately half of the vaccinated patients reported at least one post-vaccination side effects, most of which were mild, including pain at the injection site (159/428, 37.1%), fever (11/428, 2.6%), and fatigue (26/428, 6.1%). Conclusions::COVID-19 vaccination did not significantly augment the PH-related major adverse events for patients with WHO groups 1 and 4 PH, although there were some tolerable side effects. A large-scale randomized controlled trial is warranted to confirm this finding. The final approval of the COVID-19 vaccination for patients with PH as a public health strategy is promising.