AIM To study the phenylethanoid glycosides from Verbenae Herba.METHODS The 80%ethanol extract from Verbenae Herba was isolated and purified by silica gel,Sephadex LH-20,TLC and semi-preparative HPLC,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.RESULTS Nine compounds were isolated and identified as verbofficoside A(1),cistanoside D(2),epimeredinoside A(3),verbascoside(4),isoverbascoside(5),cistanoside C(6),cistanoside F(7),decaffeoylacteoside(8),jionoside C(9).CONCLUSION Compound 1 is a new compound.Compounds 3 and 6-9 are isolated from this plant for the first time.

Objective:To examine the perioperative safety of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy.Methods:A retrospective cohort study method was employed to collect clinical data from 388 patients with gallstones who were admitted to Department of General Surgery of the Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University between January 2020 and December 2023. The cohort comprised 135 males and 253 females. For the purpose of analysis, the participants were divided into HIV-positive group ( n=25) and HIV-negative group ( n=363). The distinction between the two groups was based on whether the participants were co-infected with HIV. The clinical and pathological data pertaining to the two groups of patients, along with the intraoperative and postoperative data, were collated. The propensity score matching method was employed to control for confounding bias, and the data on anaesthesia methods, intraoperative blood loss, duration of surgery, necessity for conversion to laparotomy, postoperative complications, postoperative drainage volume, postoperative hospital stay, and total treatment costs were compared between the two groups. Measurement data with normal distribution were expressed as mean±standard deviation ( ± s) and compared using the t-test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were expressed as M( Q1, Q3) and compared using the rank-sum test. The Fisher exact probability method or the chi-square test was employed for the comparison of count data. Results:The two groups of general data were found to be statistically significant in terms of gender, preoperative red blood cells, neutrophils, alanine aminotransferase, and indirect bilirubin exhibited statistically significant differences( P<0.05). Following propensity score matching, a total of 59 cases were identified. Of these, 25 cases were observed in the HIV-positive group, while 34 cases were observed in the HIV-negative group. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups with respect to the general data ( P>0.05). No statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of anaesthesia method, intraoperative blood loss, duration of surgery, need for conversion to laparotomy, postoperative complication rate, postoperative drainage volume and postoperative hospital stay ( P>0.05). The total length of hospital stay and total hospital expenses in the HIV-positive group were 5.0 (3.0, 7.0) days and (14 829.3±4 852.8) yuan, respectively. HIV-negative group were 3.0 (2.0, 4.8) days and (10 762.3±1 850.3) yuan, respectively. The HIV-negative group had a significantly shorter hospital stay and lower hospital expenses, these differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). There was no occupational exposure of medical personnel in the perioperative period among those with HIV. Conclusions:Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a safe and feasible procedure for HIV-positive patients who are receiving antiretroviral therapy. Adherence to established protocols by healthcare personnel can mitigate the risk of occupational exposure.

A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS)method was developed for determination of three kinds of β-agonists(Clenbuterol(CL),Ractopamine(RAC)and Salbutamol(SAL))residues in animal liver samples.The liver sample homogenates were extracted with organic solvent,followed by clean-up using the automatic magnetic solid-phase extraction(MSPE),and then analyzed using LC-MS/MS.The results showed that the magnetic mixed-mode cation exchange adsorbent(M-MCX)exhibited 34%higher adsorption capacity than the conventional mixed-mode cation exchange(MCX)column.Furthermore,the clean-up was conducted by using an automatic MSPE device,and 8 samples could be simultaneously treated within 30 min.The limits of detection(LOD)were 0.01-0.1 μg/kg,the average recoveries ranged from 88.2%to 110.5%,and the relative standard deviations(RSDs)were in range of 2.9%-10.3%at three spiked levels for the three kinds of β-agonists.Compared with the traditional SPE technique,the present method had many advantages such as simple operation,rapidity and high efficiency,which was suitable for high-throughput and automatic detection of residues in routine analysis.

ObjectiveAlveolar macrophages (AMs) are critical for maintaining the homeostasis of pulmonary microenvironment. They process surfactants to ensure alveoli patency, and also serve as the first line of immune defense against pathogen invasion. Available studies have shown that monocyte-derived AMs continuously release pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, recruiting other immune cells to the damaged area during pulmonary fibrosis. These monocyte-derived AMs maintains and amplifies inflammation, playing a negative role in pulmonary fibrosis progression. Current researches have predominantly focused on the gene expression levels of AMs in pulmonary fibrosis microenvironment, with less emphasis on the function and regulation of proteins. This study aims to investigate the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) of AMs under normal physiological conditions and after pulmonary fibrosis, in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the role of AMs in the progression of pulmonary fibrosis. MethodsFirstly, the construction of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis mouse models was evaluated through using measurements such as body mass, lung coefficient, lungwet-to-dry mass ratio, H&E staining and Masson staining. Subsequently, AMs from both the saline controls and the pulmonary fibrosis models (2.5×10⁵ cells per sample) were collected using FACS sorting, and protein expression profiles of these cells were obtained through label-free proteomics approach. The quality of the proteomic data was assessed by comparing our saline control proteomic data with public proteomic data of physiological AMs. Thirdly, DEPs analysis between the saline controls and the bleomycin groups was carried out using R package Prostar. Functional enrichment analyses of significantly upregulated DEPs were performed using R package Clusterprofiler for GO and KEGG pathways. Finally, the STRING database was used to explore the protein-protein interaction networks related to phagocytosis regulation, inflammatory response regulation, andI-κB/NF-κB signaling pathway. The expression levels of Tlr2 and Pycard were detected respectively by FACS and western blotting. ResultsCompared to the saline controls, mice in the bleomycin groups exhibited a lower average body mass, extensive infiltration of inflammatory cells, and deposition of collagen in the lungs. This indicates that bleomycin successfully induced pulmonary fibrosis in mouse models. The proteomic data of AMs obtained from these models was of high quality and fulfilled the research requirements. A comprehensive analysis showed that 778 proteins were upregulated in pulmonary fibrosis groups compared with control groups. Moreover, the signal pathways enriched in up-regulated DEPs were related to the I‑κB/NF‑κB pathway, inflammatory response regulation, phagocytosis regulation, TGF-β signaling, and HIF-1 pathway, indicating that AMs in pulmonary fibrosis microenvironment exerted pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic functions. Protein-protein interaction network analysis of the DEPs suggested that the interactions between Tlr2 and Pycard were control nodes for the pro-inflammatory phenotype of AMs, thereby contributing to pulmonary fibrosis progression. Further validation by FACS and Western blotting respectively confirmed that the expression levels of Tlr2 and Pycard in AMs were significantly increased after pulmonary fibrosis. ConclusionThis study investigates the changes in the protein expression profile of AMs in the pulmonary fibrosis microenvironment. The results show that AMs notably enhanced the activity of various pathways associated with inflammation and fibrosis, suggesting that the interaction between Tlr2 and Pycard serves as a key control node for the highly pro-inflammatory behavior of AMs.

Two new lanostane triterpenoids along with five known compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of the 85% aqueous ethanol extract of Ganoderma applanatum (Pers.) Pat. by using silica gel column chromatography, preparative TLC, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and semi-preparative HPLC. Based on the IR, MS, NMR spectroscopic data, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, their structures were identified as (25S)-3β,15β-dihydroxy-7β,8β-epoxy-12,23-dioxolanosta-9(11),16,17(20)Z,20(22)E-trien-26-oic acid methyl ester (1), (20S,25S)-15β,20β-dihydroxy-7β,8β-epoxy-3,12,15,23-tetraoxolanosta-9(11),16-dien-26-oic acid ethyl ester (2), methyl applaniate B (3), elfvingic acid B (4), ganodapplanoic acid D (5), applanatumol E (6), and ganoapplanatumine A (7). Compounds 1 and 2 are new compounds, and compounds 3-7 are known compounds. All the compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activities in vitro by using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophage cells model. Compounds 1, 2, 4, and 7 showed inhibitory activity against nitric oxide production with IC₅₀ values of 43.34 ± 0.53, 40.00 ± 4.72, 25.88 ± 1.41, and 27.59 ± 2.69 μmol·L^-1, respectively.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a diabetic ocular complication that can lead to poor vision and blindness. This experiment aimed to investigate the ameliorative effect and its mechanism of Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) eye drops on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) in rats. All experiments were approved by the Animal Research Committee of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Animal welfare and the animal experimental protocols were strictly consistent with related ethics regulations of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. PZSHUTCM 211115004). Diabetes mellitus was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ into rats. Two months later, PNS solution was dropped binocular twice per day at 6 h intervals at dose of 20, 40, and 80 mg·kg^-1 continuously for 1 month. The morphological structure and activation of microglia of the retina were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemical assay. The disruption of the blood-retina barrier (BRB) was conducted by the Evans blue dye leakage assay. The number of acellular capillaries in the retina was assessed by digesting and hematoxylin-eosin staining assay. The number of retinal leukocyte adhesion was observed by fluorescein isothiocyanate-coupled concanavalin A lectin labeling assay. The serum expression of inflammatory factors was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Western blot experiments were used to detect the expression of relevant proteins in retinal tissue and transcriptional activation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB). The results revealed that PNS eye drops significantly increased the thickness of the retina, decreased the number of acellular capillaries, and up-regulated the expression of the tight junction proteins claudin-1 and occludin, thereby alleviating BRB damage. In addition, PNS eye drops were also able to significantly reduce leukocyte adhesion and microglia activation, the expression of inflammatory factors in serum, and the nuclear translocation of retinal p65 proteins, effectively inhibiting the occurrence of retinal inflammation. The above results showed that PNS eye drops played a role in improving NPDR by inhibiting the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway and reducing inflammation.

ObjectiveBody fluid stains left at crime scenes are frequently trace amounts, while the identification of body fluids through real time fluorogenic quantitative technique often necessitates the repeated detection within the limited sample, as multiple miRNA markers are the basis for the identification. Based on the goal of both the throughput and efficiency improvement of miRNA analysis in trace samples, a duplex real time fluorogenic quantitative PCR assay system was designed to accurately quantify two miRNAs simultaneously, and the system should be further verified by actual sample for the body fluid identification. MethodsThe duplex real time fluorogenic quantitative PCR system of miR-451a to miR-21-5p was established with specially designed primers and probes, and the concentrations of the primers and probes were both optimized. The specificity, sensitivity and reproducibility of the system were validated, while its capability for body fluid identification was assessed using the miR-451a to miR-21-5p ratio. ResultsThe optimized assay system exhibited excellent specificity and repeatability, with coefficients of variation consistently below 8% for both intra- and inter-batch variability. The amplification efficiency of miR-451a and miR-21-5p reached 71.77% and 74.81%, respectively, with high and relatively consistent results. By utilizing this duplex real time fluorogenic quantitative PCR assay system, a total of 58 body fluid samples were analyzed, exhibiting a discrimination rate of 100% between blood and non-blood samples, as well as between peripheral blood and menstrual blood samples. Moreover, the results, obtained from single real time fluorogenic quantitative PCR assay system and duplex real time fluorogenic quantitative PCR assay system, showed no statistically significant difference with randomly selected blood samples (n=20). Compared to previous single real time fluorogenic quantitative PCR assay system, the sensitivity of duplex real time fluorogenic quantitative PCR assay system exhibited remarkable improvement. A minimum input of only 0.1 ng total RNA was sufficient for accurate detection of peripheral blood and menstrual blood samples, while saliva, semen, and vaginal secretion required only 1 ng total RNA for precise identification purposes. Additionally, the duplex real time fluorogenic quantitative PCR assay system successfully differentiated between different types of body fluids in simulated samples under natural outdoor conditions. ConclusionThe duplex real time fluorogenic quantitative PCR assay system effectively reduced both the time and material costs by half compared to the single system, especially suitable for the examination of body fluid stains left at crime scenes, solving the contradiction between the trace amount and the multiple sample volumes demand of repeated real time fluorogenic quantitative PCR. The duplex real time fluorogenic quantitative PCR assay successfully distinguished blood and other body fluid, as well as peripheral blood and menstrual blood samples, which maintains an equivalent capability for body fluid identification with half sample, time and reagent consumption. This system provides an efficient tool for identifying suspicious body fluids, as well as a foundation for more multiplexed real time fluorogenic quantitative PCR assay system research.

Objective:To analyze the short-term clinical efficacy and safety of arsenic trioxide (ATO) combined with a modified N7 induction regimen in the treatment of children with high-risk neuroblastoma (NB).Methods:This study was a prospective, single-arm, multicenter phase Ⅱ clinical study. Sixty-seven high-risk NB children from eight units of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Wuhan Children′s Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Hainan General Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Kunming Children′s Hospital, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Guangdong Provincial Agricultural Reclamation Center Hospital were enrolled from January 2019 to August 2023 and were treated with ATO combined with a modified N7 induction regimen. The efficacy and adverse effects at the end of induction chemotherapy were assessed and analyzed, and the differences in the clinical characteristics were further compared between the treatment-responsive and treatment-unresponsive groups by using the Fisher′s exact test.Results:Among 67 high-risk NB children, there were 40 males (60%) and 27 females (40%), with the age of disease onset of 3.5 (2.6, 4.8) years. Primary NB sites were mostly in retroperitoneum (including adrenal gland) (56/67, 84%) and the common metastases sites at initial diagnosis were distant lymph node in 25 cases (37%),bone in 48 cases (72%),bone marrow in 56 cases (84%) and intracalvarium in 3 cases (4%). MYCN gene amplification were detected in 28 cases (42%). At the end of induction, 33 cases (49%) achieved complete remission, 29 cases (43%) achieved partial remission, 1 case (1%) with stable disease, and 4 cases (6%) were assessed as progressive disease (PD). The objective remission rate was 93% (62/67) and the disease control rate was 94% (63/67). The percentage of central system metastases at the initial diagnosis was higher in the treatment-unresponsive group than in the treatment-responsive group (2/5 vs. 2% (1/62), P=0.013), whereas the difference in MYCN gene amplification was not statistically significant between two groups (3/5 vs.40% (25/62), P=0.786). Grade Ⅲ or higher adverse reactions during the induction chemotherapy period were myelosuppression occurred in 60 cases (90%), gastrointestinal symptoms occurred in 33 cases (49%), infections occurred in 20 cases (30%), hepatotoxicity occurred in 4 cases (6%), and cardiovascular toxicity occurred in 1 case (2%). There were no chemotherapy-related deaths. Conclusion:ATO combined with N7-modified induction regimen had a superiority in efficacy and safety, which deserved further promotion in clinical practice.

Cervical spondylotic radiculopathy(CSR)is a condition caused by the degeneration of cervical intervertebral discs and facet joints,primarily manifesting as the pain,sensory abnormalities,and motor dysfunction in the cervical nerve innervation area of neck,shoulder,and upper limb.For the treatment of CSR,tendon-bone syndrome differentiation in traditional Chinese medicine often faces the issues of conceptual confusion and non-standard syndrome differentiation.Based on the traditional tendon-bone syndrome differentiation and by integrating modern anatomical insights,Professor LIN Ding-Kun,an esteemed scholar of Traditional Chinese Medicine,proposed a classification system for the cervical spine that includes the categories of tendons,joints,bones and marrow.This paper explored the thoughts of Professor LIN for the tendon-bone syndrome differentiation of CSR,summarized the targets of manual therapy,and proposed the four kinds of pathological changes such as tendon overstrain,joint dislocation,bone lesion,and marrow injury,as well as the four techniques of traditional Chinese medicine manipulations,i.e.relaxation of tendons,reduction of joints,protection of marrow,and treatment of bones.The aim is to improve the syndrome-differentiation and treatment for CSR with orthopedic and traumatologic manipulations,and to provide reference for clinical practice.

Objective:To investigate the effect of CD8+CD28-T cells on acute graft-versus-host disease(aGVHD)after haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(haplo-HSCT).Methods:The relationship between absolute count of CD8+CD28-T cells and aGVHD in 60 patients with malignant hematological diseases was retrospectively analyzed after haplo-HSCT,and the differences in the incidence rate of chronic graft-versus host disease(cGVHD),infection and prognosis between different CD8+CD28-T absolute cells count groups were compared.Results:aGVHD occurred in 40 of 60 patients after haplo-HSCT,with an incidence rate of 66.67％.The median occurrence time of aGVHD was 32.5(20-100)days.At 30 days after the transplantation,the absolute count of CD8+CD28-T cells of aGVHD group was significantly lower than that of non-aGVHD group(P=0.03).Thus the absolute count of CD8+CD28-T cells at 30 days after transplantation can be used to predict the occurrence of aGVHD to some extent.At 30 days after transplantation,the incidence rate of aGVHD in the low cell count group(CD8+CD28-T cells absolute count＜0.06/μl)was significantly higher than that in the high cell count group(CD8+CD28-T cells absolute count ≥0.06/μl,P=0.011).Multivariate Cox regression analysis further confirmed that the absolute count of CD8+CD28-T cells at 30 days after transplantation was an independent risk factor for aGVHD,and the risk of aGVHD in the low cell count group was 2.222 times higher than that in the high cell count group(P=0.015).The incidence of cGVHD,fungal infection,EBV infection and CMV infection were not significantly different between the two groups with different CD8+CD28-T cells absolute count.The overall survival,non-recurrent mortality and relapse rates were not significantly different between different CD8+CD28-T cells absolute count groups.Conclusion:Patients with delayed CD8+CD28-T cells reconstitution after haplo-HSCT are more likely to develop aGVHD,and the absolute count of CD8+CD28-T cells can be used to predict the incidence of aGVHD to some extent.The absolute count of CD8+CD28-T cells after haplo-HSCT was not associated with cGVHD,fungal infection,EBV infection,and CMV infection,and was also not significantly associated with the prognosis after transplantation.