Tumor drug resistance is an important problem in the failure of chemotherapy and targeted drug therapy, which is a complex process involving chromatin remodeling. SWI/SNF is one of the most studied ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes in tumorigenesis, which plays an important role in the coordination of chromatin structural stability, gene expression, and post-translation modification. However, its mechanism in tumor drug resistance has not been systematically combed. SWI/SNF can be divided into 3 types according to its subunit composition: BAF, PBAF, and ncBAF. These 3 subtypes all contain two mutually exclusive ATPase catalytic subunits (SMARCA2 or SMARCA4), core subunits (SMARCC1 and SMARCD1), and regulatory subunits (ARID1A, PBRM1, and ACTB, etc.), which can control gene expression by regulating chromatin structure. The change of SWI/SNF complex subunits is one of the important factors of tumor drug resistance and progress. SMARCA4 and ARID1A are the most widely studied subunits in tumor drug resistance. Low expression of SMARCA4 can lead to the deletion of the transcription inhibitor of the BCL2L1 gene in mantle cell lymphoma, which will result in transcription up-regulation and significant resistance to the combination therapy of ibrutinib and venetoclax. Low expression of SMARCA4 and high expression of SMARCA2 can activate the FGFR1-pERK1/2 signaling pathway in ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma cells, which induces the overexpression of anti-apoptosis gene BCL2 and results in carboplatin resistance. SMARCA4 deletion can up-regulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by activating YAP1 gene expression in triple-negative breast cancer. It can also reduce the expression of Ca²⁺ channel IP3R3 in ovarian and lung cancer, resulting in the transfer of Ca²⁺ needed to induce apoptosis from endoplasmic reticulum to mitochondria damage. Thus, these two tumors are resistant to cisplatin. It has been found that verteporfin can overcome the drug resistance induced by SMARCA4 deletion. However, this inhibitor has not been applied in clinical practice. Therefore, it is a promising research direction to develop SWI/SNF ATPase targeted drugs with high oral bioavailability to treat patients with tumor resistance induced by low expression or deletion of SMARCA4. ARID1A deletion can activate the expression of ANXA1 protein in HER2+ breast cancer cells or down-regulate the expression of progesterone receptor B protein in endometrial cancer cells. The drug resistance of these two tumor cells to trastuzumab or progesterone is induced by activating AKT pathway. ARID1A deletion in ovarian cancer can increase the expression of MRP2 protein and make it resistant to carboplatin and paclitaxel. ARID1A deletion also can up-regulate the phosphorylation levels of EGFR, ErbB2, and RAF1 oncogene proteins.The ErbB and VEGF pathway are activated and EMT is increased. As a result, lung adenocarcinoma is resistant to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). Although great progress has been made in the research on the mechanism of SWI/SNF complex inducing tumor drug resistance, most of the research is still at the protein level. It is necessary to comprehensively and deeply explore the detailed mechanism of drug resistance from gene, transcription, protein, and metabolite levels by using multi-omics techniques, which can provide sufficient theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of poor tumor prognosis caused by mutation or abnormal expression of SWI/SNF subunits in clinical practice.

3ʹ-Hydroxy-4ʹ-methoxy-2-hydroxy-5-bromochalcone (hereinafter referred to as C13) is a novel chalcone derivative obtained in the process of structural modification of DHMMF, the antitumor active compound of Resina Draconis, in our laboratory. In this study, we investigated the effects of C13 on the proliferation and apoptosis of human gastric cancer HGC-27 and AGS cells and its potential mechanism of action. Firstly, through methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT), colony formation assay, and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining, we found that C13 inhibited the proliferation ability of human gastric cancer HGC-27 and AGS cells. Using flow cytometry and Western blot, it was found that C13 induced apoptosis in human gastric cancer HGC-27 and AGS cells, and up-regulated the protein level of cleaved poly ADP-ribose polymerase (cleaved-PARP). The results of RNA sequencing analysis showed that the Erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 4/phosphoinositide 3-kinases/AKT (ErbB4/PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway may be involved in anti-gastric cancer activity of C13. Finally, the results of immunoblotting assay showed that C13 treatment down-regulated the protein levels of ErbB4 and phospho-ErbB4, as well as down-regulated the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT in human gastric cancer HGC-27 and AGS cells, which verified the results from RNA-seq analysis. In conclusion, C13 inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis of human gastric cancer cells, which may be related to the down-regulation of ErbB4/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. This study may provide a candidate drug for the treatment of gastric cancer.

An electrochemical chemical oxygen demand(COD)sensor was proposed based on a FTO/TiO2/PbO2 electrode and a thin-layer electrochemical cell.The FTO/TiO2/PbO2 electrode was characterized by X-ray photoelectronic spectroscopy(XPS),X-ray diffraction(XRD)spectroscopy and electrochemical technique,and the results indicated that the rapid decrease in the output signals of the electrochemical COD sensor could be attributed to oxidation of PbSO4 occurring on the surface of FTO/TiO2/PbO2 electrode.The PbO2 deposition time and concentration of Na2SO4 were further optimized and then the electrochemical COD sensor was challenged by real samples including laker water sample,river water sample and wastewater sample.The evolution trend of signals of the electrochemical COD sensor in response to lake and river water samples was identical with that obtained with the standard method(HJ/T399-2007,Water quality-determination of the chemical oxygen demand-fast digestion-spectrophotometric method).The electrochemical COD sensor exhibited significant increase in the signal intensity after the samples were switched from lake water to wastewater sample,and a mean value of 32.5 mg/L with relative standard deviation(RSD)of 6.8%were obtained after measuring 45 times the wastewater with COD value of 30 mg/L under a sampling interval of 400 s.The as-prepared electrochemical COD sensor possessed good promise in regular monitoring of COD,discharge of wastewater and industrial process control,with advantages such as a small sampling interval,mild reaction conditions and no requirement of toxic and harmful chemical reagents.

Professor ZHOU Peng has deeply discussed the pathological characteristics of psoriasis vulgaris,emphasizing that the disease is usually manifested deficiency interweaved with excess,leading to frequent recurrence and persistent refractory,which may lead to psychological and emotional problems of patients.This paper further expounds the effect of blood stasis on the pathogenesis,progression and prognosis of psoriasis,and puts forward a new method of combining Lingnan fire needling and filiform needling acupuncture technique to treat psoriasis vulgaris with blood stasis syndrome.Professor ZHOU Peng believes that the treatment principle of this disease is"regulating the mind first,rectifying blood as a base,syndrome differentiating and eliminating pathogenic factors",aiming at comprehensively considering the etiology and symptoms,in order to achieve more effective treatment results.Combined with the analysis of dermoscopic signs,it provides a possible improvement direction for the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris from a new perspective.

Objective This study aimed to explore the diagnostic concordance of fractional flow reserve(FFR)and quantitative flow ratio(QFR)and the characteristics affecting this concordance.Methods Patients with non-acute myocardial infarction admitted to the Department of Cardiology,Peking University Third Hospital between January 2019 and December 2021 were enrolled.The patients were divided into four groups:FFR+/QFR+and FFR-/QFR-,FFR+/QFR-and FFR-/QFR+with FFR or QFR≤0.80 as positive and＞0.80 as negative.Using FFR as the gold standard,the diagnostic value of QFR was analyzed,and differences in clinical features and pathological characteristics among the groups were compared.Results A total of 236 patients were included.The mean age was(64.48±9.63)years,and 67.8％were male.All patients had 30％-70％coronary stenosis.The consistency rate of QFR and FFR was 78.0％(n=184),and the Person correlation coefficient was 0.557(P＜0.001).Among FFR+patients,the minimum lumen diameter was larger[(1.56±0.34)mm vs.(1.39±0.31)mm,P=0.019],lesion length was shorter[(21.37±11.73)mm vs.(36.86±18.09)mm,P＜0.001],and coronary angiography-based index of microcirculartory resistance(AMR)was higher[(277.50±28.87)mmHg·s/m vs.(178.02±49.13)mmHg·s/m,P＜0.001]in the disconcordance group.Multivariate regression analysis suggested that AMR[OR 0.93,95％CI 0.88-0.99,P=0.030]and lesion length[OR 1.27,95％CI 1.01-1.60,P=0.045]were independent predictors of disconcordance.In the FFR-group,the lesion length was longer[(33.08±16.05)mm vs.(21.40±13.36)mm,P=0.020],and AMR[(169.66±24.01)mmHg·s/m vs.(265.95±44.78)mmHg·s/m,P＜0.001]and low-density lipoprotein-C[1.57(1.10,1.97)mmol/L vs.2.15(1.79,2.74)mmol/L,P=0.031]were lower in the disconcordance group.No statistically significant variables were identified by multivariate regression.Conclusions QFR had high diagnostic value compared with FFR.In the FFR+group,AMR and lesion length may have affected the diagnostic consistency of QFR and FFR.The study provided more evidence for the clinical application of QFR.

Objective To monitor the susceptibility of clinical isolates to antimicrobial agents in tertiary hospitals in major regions of China in 2022.Methods Clinical isolates from 58 hospitals in China were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using a unified protocol based on disc diffusion method or automated testing systems.Results were interpreted using the 2022 Clinical &Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)breakpoints.Results A total of 318 013 clinical isolates were collected from January 1,2022 to December 31,2022,of which 29.5％were gram-positive and 70.5％were gram-negative.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains in Staphylococcus aureus,Staphylococcus epidermidis and other coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species(excluding Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Staphylococcus schleiferi)was 28.3％,76.7％and 77.9％,respectively.Overall,94.0％of MRSA strains were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 90.8％of MRSE strains were susceptible to rifampicin.No vancomycin-resistant strains were found.Enterococcus faecalis showed significantly lower resistance rates to most antimicrobial agents tested than Enterococcus faecium.A few vancomycin-resistant strains were identified in both E.faecalis and E.faecium.The prevalence of penicillin-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae was 94.2％in the isolates from children and 95.7％in the isolates from adults.The resistance rate to carbapenems was lower than 13.1％in most Enterobacterales species except for Klebsiella,21.7％-23.1％of which were resistant to carbapenems.Most Enterobacterales isolates were highly susceptible to tigecycline,colistin and polymyxin B,with resistance rates ranging from 0.1％to 13.3％.The prevalence of meropenem-resistant strains decreased from 23.5％in 2019 to 18.0％in 2022 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa,and decreased from 79.0％in 2019 to 72.5％in 2022 in Acinetobacter baumannii.Conclusions The resistance of clinical isolates to the commonly used antimicrobial agents is still increasing in tertiary hospitals.However,the prevalence of important carbapenem-resistant organisms such as carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa,and A.baumannii showed a downward trend in recent years.This finding suggests that the strategy of combining antimicrobial resistance surveillance with multidisciplinary concerted action works well in curbing the spread of resistant bacteria.

This study was aimed at comparing performance differences among three metagenomic sequencing platforms,MGISEQ-2000,Illumina NextSeq 2000,and Ion GeneStudio S5 Plus,to optimize the sequencing process for trace samples.The three sequencing platforms were used to perform high-throughput sequencing on DNA standards and simulated samples.Through analysis of the quality of raw data and microbial detection capabilities,systematic differences among platforms were compared.The sequencing results were optimized for trace samples by incorporation of exogenous nucleic acids during the li-brary preparation process.In terms of data output per batch and base quality,MGISEQ-2000 surpassed the other two plat-forms.Illumina NextSeq 2000 had the lowest proportion of duplicate reads,whereas Ion GeneStudio S5 Plus had the highest proportion,and significant differences were observed across platforms(P＜0.001).In sequencing uniformity,MGISEQ-2000 and Illumina NextSeq 2000 were superior to Ion GeneStudio S5 Plus.MGISEQ-2000 provided a substantial advantage in microbial detection capability(P＜0.001),but the advantage diminished with decreasing bacterial fluid concentration.Ion GeneStudio S5 Plus had the shortest duration for single-batch sequencing.Moreo-ver,for trace samples with DNA content ≤0.05 ng,the experi-mental group(with added exogenous nucleic acids)achieved a higher number of reads than the control group(without exogenous nucleic acids),with a 11.09±8.03 fold increase.In conclu-sion,the different sequencing platforms each had advantages and disadvantages,thus allowing researchers to choose the appro-priate platform according to specific needs.Furthermore,the addition of exogenous nucleic acids improved the microorganism detection efficiency,and provided better support for subsequent diagnosis and evaluation of results.

Objective:To investigate the effect of genetic polymorphism of MTHFR C677T (rs1801133) on methotrexate (MTX) related toxicity in pediatric mature B-cell lymphoma patients. Methods:Fifty-eight intermediate and high risk patients under 18 years of age with mature B-cell lymphoma who received 5 g/m2 MTX (24 h intravenous infusion) in Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center from August 2014 to December 2021 were included,and their toxicity of high-dose MTX (HD-MTX) were monitored and analyzed. Results:Among the 58 pediatric patients,the number of CC,CT,and TT genotypes for MTHFR C677T was 33,19 and 6,respectively. A total of 101 courses of HD-MTX therapy were counted,of which plasma MTX level>0.2 μmol/L at 48 h post-MTX infusion were observed in 35 courses,≤0.2 μmol/L in 66 courses. Inter-group comparison showed that plasma MTX level>0.2 μmol/L at 48 h post-MTX infusion increased the risk of developing oral mucositis (P<0.05). Compared with wild-type (CC genotype),patients in the mutant group (CT+TT genotype) were more likely to develop myelosuppression,manifested as anemia,leucopenia,neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. However,plasma MTX level at 48 h was not associated with MTHFR C677T gene polymorphism. Conclusion:The risk of developing oral mucositis in children with mature B-cell lymphoma is associated with plasma MTX concentration. Polymorphism of MTHFR C677T gene is not related to plasma MTX concentration in children with mature B-cell lymphoma,but is related to grade Ⅲ to Ⅳ hematological toxicity.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Shugan Tiaoshen acupuncture (acupuncture for soothing the liver and regulating the mentality) combined with western medication on depression and sleep quality in the patients with depression-insomnia comorbidity due to COVID-19 quarantine, and investigate the potential mechanism from the perspective of cortical excitability. METHODS: Sixty patients with depression-insomnia comorbidity due to COVID-19 quarantine were randomly divided into an acupuncture group and a sham-acupuncture group, 30 cases in each one. The patients of both groups were treated with oral administration of sertraline hydrochloride tablets. In the acupuncture group, Shugan Tiaoshen acupuncture was supplemented. Body acupuncture was applied to Yintang (GV 24⁺), Baihui (GV 20), Hegu (LI 4), Zhaohai (KI 6), Qihai (CV 6), etc. The intradermal needling was used at Xin (CO₁₅), Gan (CO₁₂) and Shen (CO₁₀). In the sham-acupuncture group, the sham-acupuncture was given at the same points as the acupuncture group. The compensatory treatment was provided at the end of follow-up for the patients in the sham-acupuncture group. In both groups, the treatment was given once every two days, 3 times a week, for consecutive 8 weeks. The self-rating depression scale (SDS) and insomnia severity index (ISI) scores were compared between the two groups before and after treatment and 1 month after the end of treatment (follow-up) separately. The cortical excitability indexes (resting motor threshold [rMT], motor evoked potential amplitude [MEP-A], cortical resting period [CSP]) and the level of serum 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) were measured before and after treatment in the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment and in follow-up, SDS and ISI scores were decreased in both groups compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and the scores in the acupuncture group were lower than those in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05), and the decrease range in the acupuncture group after treatment was larger than that in the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05). After treatment, rMT was reduced (P<0.05), while MEP-A and CSP were increased (P<0.05) in the acupuncture group compared with that before treatment. The levels of serum 5-HT in both groups were increased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). The rMT in the acupuncture group was lower than that in the sham-acupuncture group, while MEP-A and CSP, as well as the level of serum 5-HT were higher in the acupuncture group in comparison with the sham-acupuncture group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Shugan Tiaoshen acupuncture combined with western medication can relieve depression and improve sleep quality in the patients with depression-insomnia comorbidity due to COVID-19 quarantine, which is probably related to rectifying the imbalanced excitatory and inhibitory neuronal functions.
Humans ; Depression ; Quarantine ; Serotonin ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; COVID-19 ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Comorbidity

Objective: To identify the risk factors in mortality of pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS) in pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Methods: Second analysis of the data collected in the "efficacy of pulmonary surfactant (PS) in the treatment of children with moderate to severe PARDS" program. Retrospective case summary of the risk factors of mortality of children with moderate to severe PARDS who admitted in 14 participating tertiary PICU between December 2016 to December 2021. Differences in general condition, underlying diseases, oxygenation index, and mechanical ventilation were compared after the group was divided by survival at PICU discharge. When comparing between groups, the Mann-Whitney U test was used for measurement data, and the chi-square test was used for counting data. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the accuracy of oxygen index (OI) in predicting mortality. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for mortality. Results: Among 101 children with moderate to severe PARDS, 63 (62.4%) were males, 38 (37.6%) were females, aged (12±8) months. There were 23 cases in the non-survival group and 78 cases in the survival group. The combined rates of underlying diseases (52.2% (12/23) vs. 29.5% (23/78), χ²=4.04, P=0.045) and immune deficiency (30.4% (7/23) vs. 11.5% (9/78), χ²=4.76, P=0.029) in non-survival patients were significantly higher than those in survival patients, while the use of pulmonary surfactant (PS) was significantly lower (8.7% (2/23) vs. 41.0% (32/78), χ²=8.31, P=0.004). No significant differences existed in age, sex, pediatric critical illness score, etiology of PARDS, mechanical ventilation mode and fluid balance within 72 h (all P>0.05). OI on the first day (11.9(8.3, 17.1) vs.15.5(11.7, 23.0)), the second day (10.1(7.6, 16.6) vs.14.8(9.3, 26.2)) and the third day (9.2(6.6, 16.6) vs. 16.7(11.2, 31.4)) after PARDS identified were all higher in non-survival group compared to survival group (Z=-2.70, -2.52, -3.79 respectively, all P<0.05), and the improvement of OI in non-survival group was worse (0.03(-0.32, 0.31) vs. 0.32(-0.02, 0.56), Z=-2.49, P=0.013). ROC curve analysis showed that the OI on the thind day was more appropriate in predicting in-hospital mortality (area under the curve= 0.76, standard error 0.05,95%CI 0.65-0.87,P<0.001). When OI was set at 11.1, the sensitivity was 78.3% (95%CI 58.1%-90.3%), and the specificity was 60.3% (95%CI 49.2%-70.4%). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for age, sex, pediatric critical illness score and fluid load within 72 h, no use of PS (OR=11.26, 95%CI 2.19-57.95, P=0.004), OI value on the third day (OR=7.93, 95%CI 1.51-41.69, P=0.014), and companied with immunodeficiency (OR=4.72, 95%CI 1.17-19.02, P=0.029) were independent risk factors for mortality in children with PARDS. Conclusions: The mortality of patients with moderate to severe PARDS is high, and immunodeficiency, no use of PS and OI on the third day after PARDS identified are the independent risk factors related to mortality. The OI on the third day after PARDS identified could be used to predict mortality.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Child, Preschool ; Infant ; Child ; Critical Illness ; Pulmonary Surfactants/therapeutic use* ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome/therapy*