Objective To observe the effects of ritodrine hydrochloride,phloroglucinol and magnesium sulfate on serum sex hormones and fetal protection effect in patients with threatened abortion after 20 gestational weeks.Methods Patients with threatened abortion(after 20 gestational weeks)underwent fetal protection treatment were retrospectively enrolled.According to cohort method,they were divided into group A(ritodrine hydrochloride injection 100 mg+5％glucose injection 500 mL for intravenous drip,continued infusion after uterine contraction inhibition for 12-18 h,oral ritodrine hydrochloride tablets),group B(of phloroglucinol injection 40 mg+5％glucose injection 500 mL for intravenous drip,drug withdrawal after uterine contraction inhibition)and group C(magnesium sulfate injection 20 mL+5％glucose injection 100 mL,magnesium sulfate injection 40 mL+5％glucose injection 500 mL for intravenous drip after rapid intravenous drip,continued infusion after uterine contraction inhibition for 12 h).The onset time,disappearance time of uterine contraction,levels of serum sex hormones[progesterone(P),estradiol(E2),human chorionic gonadotrophin β-subunit(β-hCG)],adverse drug reactions and response rate of fetal protection in the three groups were observed.Results There were 40 cases in group A,38 cases in group B and 42 cases in group C.The onset time in group A,group B and group C were(1.71±0.34),(2.29±0.23)and(4.51±1.12)h,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The disappearance time of uterine contraction in groups A,B and C were(1.34±0.32),(2.24±0.26)and(2.36±0.28)d,and the difference between group B and group A,between group C and group A were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).After 3 d of treatment,levels of serum P in group A,group B and group C were(78.64±10.34),(69.35±10.52)and(68.76±11.13)ng·mL-1;E2 levels were(672.25±85.63),(623.25±92.31)and(624.12±93.65)pg·mL-1;β-hCG levels were(6.95×104±1 258.65),(6.75×104±1 274.43)and(6.70×104±1 327.59)mU·mL-1;the difference between group B and group A,between group C and group A were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).The incidence rates of palpitation in groups A,B and C were 25.00％,0 and 9.52％,the difference between group A and group B was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The incidence rates of headache in groups A,B and C were 2.50％,2.63％and 26.19％;the difference between group A and group C,and between group B and group C was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The incidence rates of fatigue in groups A,B and C were 5.00％,0 and 19.05％,and the difference between group B and group C was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The incidence rates of gastrointestinal discomfort were 5.00％,0 and 11.90％,and the difference between group B and group C was statistically significant(all P＜0.05).The response rates of fetal protection in groups A,B and C were 92.50％,94.74％and 73.81％,and the difference between group A and group C,between group B and group C was statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion The onset time of ritodrine hydrochloride is short,which can be the first choice for disease control.Phloroglucinol is comparable to ritodrine hydrochloride in terms of fetal protection effect,which has better advantages in adverse drug reactions.Clinically,phloroglucinol can be considered for patients with poor tolerance to ritodrine hydrochloride.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the virulence and the carbapenem resistance phenotype of Klebsiella pneumoniae from blood infection,and to identify carbapenem-resistant and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae(CR-HVKP)strains.Methods:A total of 192 Klebsiella pneumoniae strains were isolated from blood culture of patients with bloodstream infections from 2016 to 2019,of which 96 isolates were carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae(CRKP)and 96 were carbapenem-sensitive Klebsiella pneumoniae(CSKP).The drug susceptibility was detected by VITEK-2 automatic microbial analyzer;carbapenemase genes,virulence genes and capsule typing were detected by polymerase chain reaction;the high viscosity phenotype of strains was detected by string test,and the genome characteristics of CR-HVKP were detected by whole genome sequencing.Serum killing and biofilm formation test were used to further verify the virulence of CR-HVKP.Results:There were significant differences in drug resistance to common antibiotics,except for minocycline between CSKP and CRKP isolates(all P<0.05).92 out of 96 CRKP isolates carried carbapenemase genes,mainly blaKPC-2.The string tests were positive in 4 isolates of CRKP and 36 isolates of CSKP(P<0.05).The detection rates of virulence genes Kfu,aerobictin,iutA,ybtS,rmpA,magA,allS,and capsule antigen K1 and K2 in CSKP group were significantly higher than those in CRKP group(all P<0.05).One HVKP strain was detected in the CRKP group(CR-HVKP)and 36 HVKP was detected in the CSKP group(P<0.05).The CR-HVKP strain belonged to the MLST412,serotype K57,expressed iutA,entB,mrkD,fimH,and rmpA virulence genes,and showed strong biofilm formation and significantly increased serum resistance.Whole genome sequencing results showed that this CR-HVKP isolate carried blaSHV-145,blaTEM-1,blaCTX-M-3,fosA6,oqxA5,oqxB26,and aac(3)-Ⅱd resistance genes,accompanied by abnormalities in outer membrane protein K(OmpK)35 and OmpK36.Conclusions:The drug resistance of CRKP is significantly higher than that of CSKP,while CRKP carrying fewer virulence genes in both number and types compared to CSKP.A new MLST type of carbapenem-resistant and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae strain has been detected,which requires clinical awareness and epidemiological monitoring.

Objective To investigate the biological function and main molecular mechanism of long noncoding RNA RMRP(lncRNA RMRP)in endometrial carcinoma.Methods The specimens of carcinoma tissues and adjacent tissues of 30 patients with endometrial carcinoma who received surgical treatment in our hospital were collected.RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of lncRNA RMRP in endometrial carcinoma tissues and adjacent tissues,and HESC cells and HEC-1-A cells.The endometrial carcinoma cell line HEC-1-A was cultured in vitro,and the Vector,pcDNA-RMRP,NC-siRNA,RMRP-siRNA,NC mimic,miR-580-3p mimic,pcDNA-RMRP+NC mimic,pcDNA-RMRP+ miR-580-3p mimic,RMRP-siRNA+Vector,RMRP-siRNA+pcDNA-JAK2,NC inhibitor,and miR-580-3p inhibitor were transfected into HEC-1-A cells as the Vector group,the pcDNA-RMRP group,the NC-siRNA group,the RMRP-siRNA group,the NC mimic group,the miR-580-3p mimic group,the pcDNA-RMRP+NC mimic group,the pcDNA-RMRP+miR-580-3p mimic group,the RMRP siRNA+Vector group,the RMRP-siRNA+pcDNA-JAK2 group,the NC inhibitor group,and the miR-580-3p inhibitor group respectively.RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of lncRNA RMRP and miR-580-3p in cells.CCK-8 was used to detect cell proliferation rate.The apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry analysis.Bioinformatics software and dual luciferase reporter gene experiment were used to predict and verify the targeted relationships between miR-580-3p and lncRNA RMRP,as well as miR-580-3p and JAK2.Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of JAK/STAT signaling pathway.Results Compared with adjacent tissues,lncRNA RMRP was highly expressed in endometrial carcinoma tissues(P<0.05).Compared with HESC cells,the expression of lncRNA RMRP in HEC-1-A cells was significantly increased(P<0.05).pcDNA-RMRP significantly promoted cell proliferation and inhibited cell apoptosis,while RMRP-siRNA significantly inhibited cell proliferation and promoted cell apoptosis,with statistically significant diferences(P<0.05).miR-580-3p was the downstream target miRNA of lncRNA RMRP,and lncRNA RMRP could negatively regulate the expression of miR-580-3p.JAK2 was the downstream target gene of miR-580-3p,and miR-580-3p could negatively regulate the expression of JAK2 protein.pcDNA-RMRP significantly increased the protein levels of JAK2,p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 in the cells,while co-transfection of pcDNA-RMRP and miR-580-3p mimic significantly decreased the protein levels of JAK2,p-JAK2 and p-STAT3,with statistically significant diferences(P<0.05).RMRP-siRNA could signifi-cantly reduce the protein levels of JAK2,p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 in cells.After co-transfection of RMRP-siRNA and pcDNA-JAK2,the protein levels of JAK2,p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 were significantly increased,with statistically significant diferences(P<0.05).In addition,co-transfection of RMRP-siRNA and pcDNA-JAK2 increased cell proliferation and decreased cell apoptosis,with statistically significant diferences(P<0.05).Conclusion Knockdown of lncRNA RMRP could inhibit endometrial carcinoma cell proliferation and promote cell apoptosis by regulating JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway,which might be a potential therapeutic target for endometrial carcinoma.

Objective To develop an automatic urine volume detection and collection device to solve the problems of routine urine test.Methods An automatic urine volume detection and collection device was developed with the components of a main control system,a detection system,a prompting system and a grasping and moving system.The main control system consisted of two STM32 microcontrollers and a reset switch;the detection system was made up of a weighing module,an infrared module and indicator lights,which had its urine volume automatic detection algorithm developed based on the Keil5 platform;the prompting system realized voice broadcasting through the voice module fixed on the back panel of the box;the grasping and moving system was composed of a rail drive motor(86CM stepper motor),a photoelectric switch and a motorized gripper.Results The device developed tested urine samples with an accuracy of 99.44％,and could collect qualified samples automatically and quickly.Conclusion The device developed detects urine volume and collects samples automatically,and enhances the accuracy and efficiency of urine examination.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(4):66-69]

Aim To study the mechanism of action of licorice in alleviating cisplatin liver injury.Methods Forty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group,a model group,a positive control group and lico-rice administration groups(450,900 and 1 800 mg·kg-1).After 5 days of prophylactic administration,8 mg·kg-1 of cisplatin was injected intraperitoneally in-to the model,positive control,and licorice administra-tion groups to establish an acute liver injury model.LC-MS/MS untargeted metabolomics was used to ana-lyze the differential metabolites and metabolic pathways of licorice to alleviate cisplatin acute liver injury.Re-sults PLS-DA score plots showed significant separa-tion of metabolomics samples.The analysis yielded 119 differential metabolites associated with cisplatin liver injury,of which 31 differential metabolites were signifi-cantly regressed after licorice intervention and were mainly involved in D-arginine and D-ornithine metabo-lism;parathyroid hormone synthesis,secretion,and ac-tion;tyrosine metabolism;biosynthesis of phenylala-nine,tyrosine,and tryptophan;β-alanine metabolism;and amino acid and nucleotide sugar metabolism.Con-clusions Metabolomics analysis indicates that licorice can alter the metabolic profile of cisplatin-induced he-patic injury rats,and its mechanism of action may be related to its improvement of the levels of differential metabolites and its involvement in the regulation of a-mino acid metabolism and other related pathways.

Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2.1(PI-RADS v2.1)for clinically significant prostate cancer(CSPCa)in the peripheral zone(PZ),transitional zone(TZ)and multiple zones(MZs).Methods:We retrospectively studied the clinical data on 108 patients undergoing multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging(mpMRI)and transperineal prostate biopsy in our hospital from January 2021 to January 2023.Using PI-RADS v2.1,we ex-amined the MR images of the patients with suspected PCa,compared the PI-RADS v2.1 scores with the results of prostate biopsy,and analyzed the correlation of the PI-RADS v2.1 scores with CSPCa.We calculated the area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve(AUC),and described the diagnostic performance of PI-RADS v2.1 for CSPCa in the PZ,TZ and MZs.Results:Transperineal prostate puncture biopsy was successfully completed in all the patients,which revealed 66(61.11％)cases of CSPCa with Gleason score(GS)7-10.Suspected CSPCa was observed in 45(95.74％)of the 47 PZ lesions,8(47.06％)of the 17 TZ le-sions,and 40(90.91％)of the 44 MZ lesions.The PZ,TZ and MZ lesions diagnosed by PI-RADS v2.1 were significantly correlated with CSPCa(r=0.492,P＜0.001).The AUCs of PI-RADS v2.1 for PZ,TZ and MZs were 0.644,0.732 and 0.811,with specificities of 66.8％,57.6％and 62.1％,and sensitivities of 57.2％,78.4％and 93.2％,respectively.The negative predictive values were 46.5％,85.7％and 79.2％,and the positive predictive values 76.2％,43.4％and 84.8％,respectively.Conclusion:The PI-RADS v2.1 score has a high diagnostic value for CSPCa in the PZ,TZ and MZs,with the best performance for that in the MZs.

This paper aimed to study the chemical constituents from the root bark of Schisandra sphenanthera. Silica, Sephadex LH-20 and RP-HPLC were used to separate and purify the 80% ethanol extract of S. sphenanthera. Eleven compounds were identified by ~1H-NMR, ~(13)C-NMR, ESI-MS, etc., which were 2-[2-hydroxy-5-(3-hydroxypropyl)-3-methoxyphenyl]-propane-1,3-diol(1), threo-7-methoxyguaiacylglycerol(2),4-O-(2-hydroxy-1-hydroxymethylethyl)-dihydroconiferylalcohol(3), morusin(4), sanggenol A(5), sanggenon I(6), sanggenon N(7), leachianone G(8),(+)-catechin(9), epicatechin(10), and 7,4'-dimethoxyisoflavone(11). Among them, compound 1 was a new compound, and compounds 2-9 were isolated from S. sphenanthera for the first time. Compounds 2-11 were subjected to cell viability assay, and the results revealed that compounds 4 and 5 had potential cytotoxicity, and compound 4 also had potential antiviral activity.
Schisandra ; Plant Bark ; Antiviral Agents ; Biological Assay ; Catechin ; Phenols

The plateau zokor (Myospalax baileyi) and plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) are native species unique to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau with successful adaptation to the hypoxic environment. In this study, the number of red blood cells, hemoglobin concentration, mean hematocrit and mean volume of red blood cells were measured in plateau zokors and plateau pikas at different altitudes. Hemoglobin subtypes of two plateau animals were identified by mass spectrometry sequencing. The forward selection sites in two animals' hemoglobin subunits were analyzed by PAML4.8 program. Homologous modeling was used to analyze the effect of forward selection sites on the affinity of hemoglobin to oxygen. The adapting strategies of plateau zokors and plateau pikas to hypoxia at different altitudes were analyzed through comparing blood parameters between the two species. The results indicated that, with increasing altitudes, plateau zokors responded to hypoxia by increasing red blood cell count and decreasing red blood cell volume, while plateau pikas took the opposite strategies to plateau zokors. In erythrocytes of plateau pikas, both adult α₂β₂ and fetal α₂ε₂ hemoglobins were identified, while erythrocytes of plateau zokors only had adult α₂β₂ hemoglobin, however the affinities and the allosteric effects of the hemoglobin of plateau zokors were significantly higher than those of plateau pikas. Mechanistically, in the α and β subunits of hemoglobin of plateau zokors and pikas, the numbers and the sites of the positively selected amino acids as well as the side chain groups polarities and orientations of the amino acids differed significantly, which may result in the difference of the affinities to oxygen of hemoglobin between plateau zokors and pikas. In conclusion, the adaptive mechanisms to respond to hypoxia in blood properties of plateau zokors and plateau pikas are species-specific.
Animals ; Altitude ; Amino Acids ; Hemoglobins ; Hypoxia ; Lagomorpha

Numerous randomised controlled trials have suggested the positive effects of acupuncture on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of acupuncture for COPD have not been clearly summarized yet. Inflammation is central to the development of COPD. In this review, we elucidate the effects and underlying mechanisms of acupuncture from an anti-inflammatory perspective based on animal studies. Cigarette smoke combined with lipopolysaccharide is often used to establish animal models of COPD. Electroacupuncture can be an effective intervention to improve inflammation in COPD, and Feishu (BL13) and Zusanli (ST36) can be used as basic acupoints in COPD animal models. Different acupuncture types can regulate different types of inflammatory cytokines; meanwhile, different acupuncture types and acupoint options have similar effects on modulating the level of inflammatory cytokines. In particular, acupuncture exerts anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the release of inflammatory cells, inflammasomes and inflammatory cytokines. The main underlying mechanism through which acupuncture improves inflammation in COPD is the modulation of relevant signalling pathways: nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) (e.g., myeloid differentiation primary response 88/NF-κB, toll-like receptor-4/NF-κB, silent information regulator transcript-1/NF-κB), mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling pathways (extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, p38 and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase), cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, and dopamine D2 receptor pathway. The current synthesis will be beneficial for further research on the effect of acupuncture on COPD inflammation. Please cite this article as: Jiang LH, Li PJ, Wang YQ, Jiang ML, Han XY, Bao YD, Deng XL, Wu WB, Liu XD. Anti-inflammatory effects of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(6): 518-527.
Animals ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive/drug therapy* ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Cytokines ; Disease Models, Animal ; Inflammation/therapy*

Objective: To investigate the risk factors for airway mucus hypersecretion in childhood pneumonia infected by different pathogens. Method: A retrospective cohort included 968 children who were hospitalized for Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (MPP), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) pneumonia, adenovirus pneumonia and underwent bronchoscopy in Respiratory Department of Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2019 to December 2021 was conducted. The children were divided into two groups distinguished by airway mucus secretion according to the airway mucus hypersecretion score which were scored according to the mucus secretion under the bronchoscope. The demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, laboratory tests and disease severity of the two groups were compared. And the risk factors for the development of airway mucus hypersecretion in two groups were analyzed. Chi square test, Mann-Whithey U test and Fisher exact test were used to analyze the differences between the two groups, and multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors. Result: There were 559 males and 409 females in the 968 children, with an age of 4.0 (1.4, 6.0) years. Among the 642 children with MPP, 185 cases were in the hypersecretion group and 457 cases were in the non-hypersecretion group. There were 41 cases in the hypersecretion group and 160 cases in the non-hypersecretion group of 201 children with RSV pneumonia. In the 125 children with adenovirus pneumonia, there were 39 cases in the hypersecretion group and 86 cases in the non-hypersecretion group. In these children, the age of children in the hypersecretion group was older than that in the non-hypersecretion group (6.0 (4.0, 7.0) vs. 5.0 (3.0, 7.0) years old, 1.5 (0.5, 3.6) vs. 0.8 (0.4, 1.6) years old, 2.0 (1.2, 4.5) vs. 1.3 (0.8, 2.0) years old, U=35 295.00, 2 492.00, 1 101.00, all P<0.05). Through multivariate Logistic regression analysis it found that increased risk of airway mucus hypersecretion was present in childhood MPP with increase in peripheral blood white blood cell count (OR=3.30, 95%CI 1.51-7.93, P=0.004) or increase in neutrophil ratio (OR=2.24, 95%CI 1.16-4.33, P=0.016) or decrease in lymphocyte count (OR=3.22, 95%CI 1.66-6.31, P<0.001) or decrease in serum albumin (OR=2.00, 95%CI 1.01-3.98, P=0.047). The risk of airway mucus hypersecretion was increased in children with RSV pneumonia combined with elevated peripheral blood eosinophils (OR=3.04, 95%CI 1.02-8.93, P=0.043). Meanwhile, airway mucus hypersecretion was associated with severe pneumonia (OR=2.46, 95%CI 1.03-6.15, P=0.047) in children with RSV pneumonia. Older age was associated with increased risk of airway mucus hypersecretion in children with adenovirus pneumonia (OR=1.02, 95%CI 1.00-1.04, P=0.026). In these children with occurrence of pulmonary rales, wheezes or sputum sounds (OR=3.65, 95%CI 1.22-12.64, P=0.028) had an increased risk of airway mucus hypersecretion. Neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) demonstrated higher ratio in hypersecretion group from children with MPP (0.65 (0.43, 0.81) vs. 0.59 (0.34, 0.76), U=24 507.00, P<0.01), while the proportion of macrophages in BALF was lower (0.10 (0.05, 0.20) vs. 0.12 (0.06, 0.24), U=33 043.00, P<0.05). Nucleated cell count and neutrophil ratio in BALF were higher in hypersecretion group of children with RSV pneumonia (1 210 (442, 2 100)×10⁶ vs. 490 (210, 1 510)×10⁶/L, 0.43 (0.26, 0.62) vs. 0.30 (0.13, 0.52), U=2 043.00, 2 064.00, all P<0.05). Conclusions: The increase in peripheral blood white blood cell count, neutrophil ratio and decrease in lymphocyte count, serum albumin in children with MPP is related to the development of airway mucus hypersecretion. In children with RSV pneumonia, the abnormal increase of eosinophils in peripheral blood has relationship with hypersecretion. The appearance of lung rale, wheezing, and sputum rale are associated with airway mucus hypersecretion in children with adenovirus pneumonia. In addition, local neutrophil infiltration in the respiratory tract is closely related to the occurrence of airway mucus hypersecretion caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae and RSV infection.
Child ; Male ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Child, Preschool ; Retrospective Studies ; Respiratory Sounds ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; Lung ; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections ; Mucus ; Pneumonia, Viral ; Risk Factors