Jiuwei Xifeng Granules have become a Chinese patent medicine in the market. Because the formula contains Os Draconis, a top-level protected fossil of ancient organisms, the formula was to be improved by replacing Os Draconis with Ostreae Concha. To evaluate whether the improved formula has the same effectiveness and safety as the original formula, a randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled, equivalence clinical trial was conducted. This study enrolled 288 tic disorder(TD) of children and assigned them into two groups in 1∶1. The treatment group and control group took the modified formula and original formula, respectively. The treatment lasted for 6 weeks, and follow-up visits were conducted at weeks 2, 4, and 6. The primary efficacy endpoint was the difference in Yale global tic severity scale(YGTSS)-total tic severity(TTS) score from baseline after 6 weeks of treatment. The results showed that after 6 weeks of treatment, the declines in YGTSS-TSS score showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. The difference in YGTSS-TSS score(treatment group-control group) and the 95%CI of the full analysis set(FAS) were-0.17[-1.42, 1.08] and those of per-protocol set(PPS) were 0.29[-0.97, 1.56], which were within the equivalence boundary [-3, 3]. The equivalence test was therefore concluded. The two groups showed no significant differences in the secondary efficacy endpoints of effective rate for TD, total score and factor scores of YGTSS, clinical global impressions-severity(CGI-S) score, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) response rate, or symptom disappearance rate, and thus a complete evidence chain with the primary outcome was formed. A total of 6 adverse reactions were reported, including 4(2.82%) cases in the treatment group and 2(1.41%) cases in the control group, which showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. No serious suspected unexpected adverse reactions were reported, and no laboratory test results indicated serious clinically significant abnormalities. The results support the replacement of Os Draconis by Ostreae Concha in the original formula, and the efficacy and safety of the modified formula are consistent with those of the original formula.
Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Tic Disorders/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the clinical characteristics of diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) in children and to enhance the clinical diagnosis and treatment of this disease. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 6 children diagnosed with DPB who were hospitalized at The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from January 2011 to December 2019. RESULTS: Among the 6 patients, there were 2 males and 4 females; the age at diagnosis ranged from 7 to 12 years. All patients presented with cough, sputum production, and exertional dyspnea, and all had a history of sinusitis. Two cases showed positive serum cold agglutinin tests, and 5 cases exhibited pathological changes consistent with chronic bronchiolitis. High-resolution chest CT in all patients revealed centrilobular nodules diffusely distributed throughout both lungs with a tree-in-bud appearance. Five patients received low-dose azithromycin maintenance therapy, but 3 showed inadequate treatment response. After empirical anti-tuberculosis treatment, non-tuberculous Mycobacteria were found in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Follow-up over 2 years showed 1 case cured, 3 cases significantly improved, and 2 cases partially improved. CONCLUSIONS The clinical presentation of DPB is non-specific and can easily lead to misdiagnosis. In cases where DPB is clinically diagnosed but does not show improvement with low-dose azithromycin treatment, special infections should be considered.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Bronchiolitis/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Child ; Haemophilus Infections/diagnosis*

Sennoside A (SA), a typical prodrug, exerts its laxative effect only after its transformation into rheinanthrone catalyzed by gut microbial hydrolases and reductases. Hydrolases have been identified, but reductases remain unknown. By linking a photoreactive group to the SA scaffold, we synthesized a photoaffinity probe to covalently label SA reductases and identified SA reductases using activity-based protein profiling (ABPP). From lysates of an active strain, Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum (B. pseudocatenulatum), 397 proteins were enriched and subsequently identified using mass spectrometry (MS). Among these proteins, chromate reductase/nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) phosphate (NADPH)-dependent flavin mononucleotide (FMN) reductase/oxygen-insensitive NADPH nitroreductase (nfrA) was identified as a potent SA reductase through further bioinformatic analysis and The Universal Protein Resource (UniProt) database screening. We also determined that recombinant nfrA could reduce SA. Our study contributes to further illuminating mechanisms of SA transformation to rheinanthrone and simultaneously offers an effective method to identify gut bacterial reductases.

Receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) functions as a key regulator in inflammation and cell death and is involved in mediating a variety of inflammatory or degenerative diseases. A number of allosteric RIPK1 inhibitors (RIPK1i) have been developed, and some of them have already advanced into clinical evaluation. Recently, selective RIPK1i that interact with both the allosteric pocket and the ATP-binding site of RIPK1 have started to emerge. Here, we report the rational development of a new series of type-II RIPK1i based on the rediscovery of a reported but mechanistically atypical RIPK3i. We also describe the structure-guided lead optimization of a potent, selective, and orally bioavailable RIPK1i, 62, which exhibits extraordinary efficacies in mouse models of acute or chronic inflammatory diseases. Collectively, 62 provides a useful tool for evaluating RIPK1 in animal disease models and a promising lead for further drug development.

Objective To explore the role of breast/ovarian cancer susceptibility gene 1 associated protein 1(BAP1)in the occurrence and progression of human malignant glioma and the feasibility of BAP1 as a clinical diagnostic marker for malignant glioma.Methods The differential expression of BAP1 in normal and glioma tissue was analyzed based on the GSE4290 and GSE90598 sub-datasets from the gene expression omnibus(GEO)database.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was conducted to assess the early diagnostic value of BAP1 for malignant glioma.Primary lesion tissues from 28 nonpaired malignant glioma patients and non-tumor brain tissues removed by internal decompression surgery in 5 patients with traumatic brain injury collected independently were collected,and the expression levels of BAP1 were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR).Specific small interfering RNAs(siRNAs)targeting BAP1 were transiently transfected into U251 cells to further evaluate their interference efficiency.Flow cytometry was employed to analyze changes in the cell cycle and apoptosis of U251 cells with BAP1 knockdown.Results The results of bioinformatics showed that the expression of BAP1 in malignant glioma tissues was lower than that in normal brain tissues(GSE 4290:1 209±18.49 vs 1 476±53.90,GSE 90598:5.19±0.10 vs 5.65±0.21),and the differences were significant(t=5.115,2.267,all P<0.05).ROC curve showed that BAP1 could efficiently differentiate malignant glioma tissue from normal brain tissue(GSE4290:AUC=0.78,GSE90598:AUC=0.75,all P<0.05).The expression level of BAP1 in primary malignant glioma tissue was lower than that in normal brain tissue(0.27±0.04 vs 1.06±0.07),and the difference was significant(t=10.22,P<0.001).After down-regulating the expression of BAP1 in U251 cells,the proportion of S phase cells increased from 17.59%to 27.21%(siBAP1-1)and 25.79%(siBAP1-2),respectively,and the differences were significant(t=6.576,6.642,all P<0.01).However,the apoptosis levels decreased from 10.17%to 2.70%(siBAP-1)and 3.00%(siBAP-2),respectively,and the differences were significant(t=10.31,9.428,all P<0.01).Conclusion Histone H2A deubiquitinase BAP1 could exert the function of tumor suppressor genes by inhibiting rapid cell cycle progression and promoting apoptosis in malignant glioma,and could serve as a potential clinical diagnostic biomarker for malignant glioma.

OBJECTIVE To explore the specific application and evaluation effect of objective structured clinical examination(OSCE)-guided scenario-based practical teaching mode in training clinical pharmacists. METHODS Fifty-six trainees who participated in the clinical pharmacist training program in the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from October 2020 to September 2022 were selected as the research objects. OSCE-guided teaching was conducted, and the application effect of OSCE-guided teaching mode in clinical pharmacist training was explored and analyzed by using theoretical examination results and OSCE assessment results as evaluation indicators. RESULTS Through comparative analysis, it was found that the OSCE-guided teaching mode not only enabled students to better grasp the theoretical knowledge points required by the training outline, but also improved their clinical thinking ability, problem-solving ability, and communication and coordination skills to varying degrees. CONCLUSION For clinical pharmacist trainees, the OSCE teaching mode is conducive to the comprehensive improvement of clinical pharmacist skills and is suitable for cultivating clinical pharmacists who are capable of independently carrying out clinical pharmacy services in the new situation.

Objective:To examine the burden and trends of acute viral hepatitis in Guangdong Province from 1990 to 2019, and provide reference evidences for hepatitis prevention and control in the province.Methods:Data on acute viral hepatitis (hepatitis A, B, C, and E) in Guangdong from 1990 to 2019 were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 database. The incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) data were analyzed by age and gender, and the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) was calculated to describe the changing trends in disease burden.Results:From 1999 to 2019, the standardized incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALY of acute viral hepatitis in Guangdong were higher than the national averages. In 2019, 51.43% (2 245 087/4 365 221) of acute viral hepatitis cases in Guangdong Province were mainly attributed to hepatitis B, and 77.18% (106/138) of deaths were due to acute hepatitis B. In different age groups, except for acute hepatitis B, which was more common in adults, the incidence rates of other types of viral hepatitis such as hepatitis A, B, and E showed an overall decreasing trend with age. The mortality rates of different types of acute viral hepatitis, except for the <5 age group, increased with age. The overall incidence and mortality rates of acute viral hepatitis were higher in men than in women.Conclusions:The overall burden of acute viral hepatitis in Guangdong declined in 2019, but remained higher than the national level. Further efforts are needed to strengthen hepatitis prevention and screening in different population in Guangdong Province, especially in children and the elderly.

Objective To explore the differences in curative effect of lanthanum carbonate and calcium carbonate on hyperphosphatemia in patients with end-stage renal disease(ESRD)after maintenance hemodialysis(MHD).Methods Patients with hyperphosphatemia after MHD treatment of ESRD were divided into treatment group and control group.Treatment group was given lanthanum carbonate chewable tablet orally,250 mg each time,tid;the control group was given calcium carbonate chewable tablets orally,500 mg each time,bid.Both groups were treated continuously for 3 months.The clinical efficacy,calcium and phosphorus metabolism,vascular sclerosis indexes[brachial ankle pulse wave conduction velocity(baPWV),ankle brachial index(ABI),homocystine(Hcy)],serum renal function indexes[[32 microglobulin(β2-MG),serum creatinine(SCr),blood urea nitrogen(BUN)],serum inflammation indexes[hypersensitive C-reactive protein(hs-CRP),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6)],and the safety was evaluated.Results There were 104 cases in the treatment group and 96 cases in the control group.After treatment,the effective rate of the treatment group was 94.23％(98 cases/104 cases)higher than that of the control group 85.42％(82 cases/96 cases),and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).After treatment,the serum phosphorus levels of treatment group and control group were(1.42±0.19)and(1.68±0.20)mmol·L-1,respectively;the serum calcium levels were(2.32±0.30)and(2.49±0.24)mmol·L-1,respectively;the product of calcium and phosphorus were(49.28±6.25)and(52.05±5.60)mg2·dL-2,respectively;the baPWV levels were(1 560.72±114.90)and(1 613.49±109.77)cm·s-1,respectively;ABI levels were 1.20±0.09 and 1.17±0.07,respectively;Hcy levels were(32.02±3.21)and(34.84±2.89)μmol·L-1,respectively.Compared with the control group,there were statistically significant differences in the above indexes in treatment groups(all P＜0.05).After treatment,there was no significant difference in levels of renal function indexes(β2-MG,SCr,BUN)and inflammatory indexes(hs-CRP,TNF-α,IL-6)between the two groups(all P＞0.05).The adverse drug reactions of the treatment group were mainly diarrhea and rash;and the adverse drug reactions of the control group were mainly diarrhea and hypercalcemia.The difference in incidence of adverse drug reactions between control group and treatment group was not statistically significant(2.88％vs 3.13％,P＞0.05).Conclusion Compared with calcium carbonate,improvement effect of lanthanum carbonate is better on phosphorus and calcium-phosphorus metabolism in MHD patients with ESRD and hyperphosphatemia,which can delay the progression of vascular sclerosis.

Objective:To explore the feasibility of using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography for measuring right ventricular strain and function in healthy adults, and to analyze the impact of age and gender.Methods:This study is a cross-sectional study. Healthy adults who underwent physical examination in the Physical Examination Center of Beijing Hospital from January 1, 2020 to January 1, 2021 were included. Two researchers independently measured various right ventricular longitudinal strain indices using the Echopac software, including (global longitudinal strain (GLS), apical longitudinal strain (ALS), midventricle longitudinal strain (MLS), basal longitudinal strain (BLS), free wall GLS (FWGLS), free wall ALS (FWALS), free wall MLS (FWMLS) and free wall BLS (FWBLS)) as well as tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and right ventricle-fraction of area change (RVFAC). The above indicators were taken as the average of two physicians. The consistency of the measurements by two physicians was evaluated by the within-group correlation coefficient ( ICC). Results:A total of 233 subjects were included, including 137 males, aged (58.5±14.2) years. ICC values was all above 0.8 with excellent agreement. The values of FWGLS and GLS in healthy adults were -26.63% and -21.89%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in TAPSE ((2.06±0.41)cm vs. (2.10±0.39)cm, P=0.510) and RVFAC ((51.17±9.91)% vs. (50.89±8.65)%, P=0.826) between males and females. The values of various right ventricular long axis strain indicators (GLS, ALS, MLS, BLS, FWGLS, FWMLS, FWMLS, FWBLS) in females aged 18 to 40 and 41 to 65 years were higher than those in males of the same age (all P<0.05), while there was no statistically significant difference in the values of various right ventricular long axis strain indicators between the sexes in subjects aged 65 years and above (all P>0.05). In females, the right ventricular GLS, ALS, MLS, FWGLS, FWALS, FWMLS, and FWBLS values in the groups aged 18 to 40 and 41 to 65 years were significantly higher than those in the group aged 65 years and above (all P<0.05). In contrast, no significant differences were found in these indices among different age groups in males (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Using two-dimensional speckle tracking technology in echocardiography to measure right ventricular strain indicators is feasible and highly reproducible. Gender and age have an impact on right ventricular strain indicators.