Aim To prepare tripterygium glycoside nanoparticles and probe into their therapeutic effect on collagen-induced arthritis ( CIA) rats. Methods Tripterygium glycosides polyglycoside nanoparticles were prepared by thin film dispersion method and their quality was assessed. The CIA model was established and drug intervention performed. The body weight, toe swelling degree and arthritis index were measured. The pathological changes of the organs, knee and ankle synovium were observed. The serum levels of kidney function and inflammatory cytokine expression were detected in rats. Results The prepared tripterygium wil-fordii polyglycoside nanoparticles were round particles with uniform distribution and stable properties under electron microscope. Compared with the model group, the swelling of the left and right toes of medication group significantly decreased (P < 0. 01), and the ar-thritis index markedly decreased ( P < 0. 01). Among them, the efficacy of the TG-NPs group was better than that of the TG group. Compared with the normal group, the indexes of heart, spleen, kidney and testis all significantly decreased (P <0. 05, P<0.01). TG-NPs group had a significantly reduced pathological ankle-joint injury in knee cartilage and increased apoptotic synovial cells. Compared with the model group, the serum levels of ALT and BUN and CRE in TG-NPs group were significantly lower (P < 0. 05 ), and IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 levels decreased significantly (P <0. 05). Conclusions TG-NPs have good therapeutic effect on CIA through induction of synovial cell apoptosis and decrease of the expression of inflammatory cytokines. By intravenous injection of blood circula-tion, slow and controlled release of drugs can be achieved, the first pass effect caused by oral drug can be avoided, the viscera toxicity can be reduced, which provides an experimental basis for the development of new nanoagents for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides in the continuation treatment of mild and moderate depression.Methods An open,single-arm,multi-center design was adopted in our study.Adult patients with mild and moderate depression who had received acute treatment of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides were enrolled and continue to receive Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides capsules for 24 weeks,the dose remained unchanged during continuation treatment.The remission rate,recurrence rate,recurrence time,and the change from baseline to endpoint of Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD),Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA),Clinical Global Impression-Severity(CGI-S)and Arizona Sexual Experience Scale(ASEX)were evaluated.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was reported.Results The scores of HAMD-17 at baseline and after treatment were 6.60±1.87 and 5.85±4.18,scores of HAMA were 6.36±3.02 and 4.93±3.09,scores of CGI-S were 1.49±0.56 and 1.29±0.81,scores of ASEX were 15.92±4.72 and 15.57±5.26,with significant difference(P＜0.05).After continuation treatment,the remission rate was 54.59％(202 cases/370 cases),and the recurrence rate was 6.49％(24 cases/370 cases),the recurrence time was(64.67±42.47)days.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was 15.35％(64 cases/417 cases).Conclusion Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides capsules can be effectively used for the continuation treatment of mild and moderate depression,and are well tolerated and safe.

The growth of three plague phages from Qinghai Plateau in two Yersinia pestis strains(plague vaccine strains EV76 and 614F)and four non-Yersinia pestis strains(Yersinia pseudotuberculosis PTB3,PTB5,Escherichia coli V517,and Yersinia enterocolitica 52302-2)were detected through a micromethod based on the OmniLogTM microbial identification system and by the drop method,to provide a scientific basis for future ecological studies and classification based on the host range.For plague vaccine strains EV76 and 614F,successful phage infection and subsequent phage growth were observed in the host bacte-rium.Diminished bacterial growth and respiration and a concomitant decrease in color were observed with the OmniLogTM mi-crobial identification system at 33 ℃ for 48 h.Yersinia pseudotuberculosis PTB5 was sensitive to Yersinia pestis phage 476,but Yersinia pseudotuberculosis PST5 was insensitive to phage 087 and 072204.Three strains of non-Yersinia pestis(Yersinia pseudotuberculosis PTB3,Escherichia coli V517,and Yersinia enterocolitica 52302-2)were insensitive to Yersinia pestis pha-ges 087,072204,and 476 showed similar growth curves.The growth of phages 476 and 087,as determined with the drop method,in two Yersinia pestis strains(plague vaccine strains EV76 and 614F)and four non-Yersinia pestis strains(Yersinia pseudotuberculosis PTB3,Escherichia coli V517,and Yersin-ia enterocolitica 52302-2)showed the same results at 37 ℃,on the basis of comparisons with the OmniLogTM microbial i-dentification system;in contrast,phages 072204 did not show plaques on solid medium at 37 ℃ with plague vaccine strains EV76 and 614F.Determination based on the OmniLogTM detection system can be used as an alternative to the traditional determination of the host range,thus providing favorable application val-ue for determining the interaction between the phage and host bacteria.

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of Tiaowei Heying Xuanbi Prescription combined with conventional western medicine on the recurrence of angina pectoris after percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI)for coronary heart disease(CHD).Methods Ninety patients with recurrent angina pectoris of congealing cold in the heart vessel type after PCI for CHD were randomly divided into a control group and a treatment group,with 45 patients in each group.The control group was treated with conventional western medicine,and the treatment group was additionally treated with Tiaowei Heying Xuanbi Prescription on the basis treatment for the control group.The course of treatment for the two groups covered 12 weeks.The changes of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome score,angina efficacy score,Seattle Angina Questionnaire(SAQ)score,left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and interventricular septal thickness(IVS)in the two groups were observed before and after the treatment.And after treatment,the clinical efficacy and safety of the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)Both of the control group and treatment group had one case dropped out during the trial,and eventually 44 patients in each of the two groups were included in the efficacy statistics.(2)After 12 weeks of treatment,the total effective rate of the treatment group was 93.18%(41/44),and that of the control group was 81.82%(36/44).The intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the curative effect of the treatment group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05).(3)After treatment,the scores of angina attack score,duration of angina,pain level,and nitroglycerin dosage as well as the overall angina efficacy scores in the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the scores of each item as well as overall angina efficacy scores of the treatment group were significantly lower than those of the control group after treatment(P＜0.05).(4)After treatment,the SAQ item scores of physical limitation(PL),angina stability(AS),angina frequency(AF),treatment satisfaction(TS),and disease perception(DS)in the two groups were significantly increased than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the scores of each SAQ item in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group after treatment(P＜0.05).(5)After treatment,the symptom scores of chest pain,chest tightness,shortness of breath,fatigue,and dark purple lips in both groups were significantly lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the TCM syndrome scores of the treatment group were significantly lower than those of the control group after treatment(P＜0.05).(6)The results of echocardiography showed that after treatment,the LVEF of the two groups of patients was improved compared with that before treatment(P＜0.05),while no obvious change of IVS in the two groups was presented before and after treatment(P＞0.05).The intergroup comparison showed that the improvement of LVEF in the treatment group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05).(7)During the treatment,the incidence rate of adverse events in the treatment group was 2.27%(1/44)and that in the control group was 18.18%(8/44),and the difference was not statistically significant when compared between the two groups(P＞0.05).There were no significant changes in the safety indexes associated with the blood,urine,and stool routine test,liver function,renal function,and electrocardiogram in the two groups.Conclusion Tiaowei Heying Xuanbi Prescription combined with conventional western medicine can effectively alleviate the clinical symptoms of patients with recurrent angina pectoris of congealing cold in the heart vessel type after PCI for CHD,and improve the patients'TCM syndromes and left ventricular ejection fraction,with remarkable clinical efficacy.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Investigating the species/biovars,distribution patterns,and genetic correlations of Brucella from sheep in north-west China is critical to reveal the population and epidemiological characteristics of the Brucella melitensis.In this study,con-ventional identification and AMOS-PCR were used to determine the species/biovars of Brucella isolated from 13 regions in northwest China.MLST and MLVA-16 genotyping methods were used to analyze the genetic characteristics of the strains.Con-ventional identification and AMOS-PCR detection revealed that 59 Brucella melitensis were isolated in this study,in-cluding 22 strains from Inner Mongolia,17 strains from Xin-jiang,13 strains from Gansu,and 7 strains from Qinghai,of which 58 strains were B.melitensis biovar 3,and one strain was B.melitensis biovar 1.MLST analysis indicated that 90％(53/59)of B.melitensis were of ST8 sequence type,the dominant epidemic population.The MLVA-11 survey demonstrated that 59 B.melitensis strains clustered into six MLVA-11 genotypes,and 87％of the strains were of MLVA-11 genotype 116.Therefore,the predominant strains in the northwest region were from the Eastern Mediterranean lineage.MLVA-16 divided 59 strains of B.melitensis into 40 gen-otypes,eight of which were shared genotypes.Each genotype was composed of two to seven strains from the same region,thereby indicating that the cases of each shared genotype were outbreaks from a common source of infection.All shared MLVA-16 genotypes comprised strains from the same province,thus indicating apparent regional clustering characteristics of strains in each province.In a genetic comparison between populations and isolated strains from the spleens of sheep,multiple identical MLVA-16 genotypes were found to be composed of strains from different hosts.These findings indicated a transmission path-way from sheep/goats to humans.B.melitensis biovar 3 was the main pathogen causing animal brucellosis in the northwest re-gion,and infected sheep were the main brucellosis infection source in the regional population.The ST8 strains were the domi-nant epidemic population,and the MLVA genotype of strains in each region showed clear regional clustering characteristics.

As a unique gene in the genome,FLASH(FADD-like interleukin-1β-converting enzyme asso-ciated huge protein)/CASP8AP2 is involved in multiple cellular processes,including apoptosis,histone gene pre-mRNA processing,transcriptional regulation,and cell cycle progression.Clinical studies have shown that FLASH is a valuable prognostic marker for acute lymphoblastic leukemia,and a crucial factor for the survival of various cancer cells.Therefore,in-depth research into the function of FLASH may offer new perspectives for the treatment of related diseases.Our previous research identified FLASH as a bind-ing partner of p53,demonstrating that FLASH enhances the transcriptional activity of p53.Here we fur-ther investigate the molecular mechanisms of the interaction between FLASH and p53,revealing that the p53-K386R mutation(SUMOylation residue)attenuated its interaction with FLASH(aa 51-200)and FLASH-SIM(SUMO-interacting motif)(aa 1 534-1 806)significantly.However,SUMO can bind to FLASH-SIM directly,instead of FLASH(aa 51-200).Subsequent research shows that overexpression of FLASH in cells enhances global SUMO1 conjugation and p53-SUMO1 conjugation,therefore providing a plausible explanation for the underlying mechanism of FLASH enhancing the transcriptional activity of p53.Since promyelocytic leukemia protein nuclear body(PML NB)serves as subcellular reactors for SUMO conjugation within the cell,and the PML Ⅳ isoform can specifically enhance the SUMO modifica-tion of p53,we have investigated the interaction between FLASH and PML Ⅳ,and elucidated the struc-tural basis of their interaction:both FLASH-N3A(501-802)and FLASH-C2(1 807-1 981)bind to PML Ⅳ(aa 228-633).Further investigations reveal that they can synergistically enhance global SUMO1 modification as well as SUMO1 modification of p53.The interaction between FLASH and tumor suppres-sors p53 or PML Ⅳ enriches our understanding of its function and reveals the potential mechanism of FLASH in tumor development,therefore offering novel insights into cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Aim To investigate the mechanism of py-roptosis mediated by the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway and the intervention effect of Radix Angelica Sinensis and Radix Astragalus ultrafiltration extract(RAS-RA)in radiation-induced pulmonary fi-brosis.Methods Fifty Wistar rats were randomly di-vided into five groups,with ten rats in each group.Ex-cept for the blank control group,all other groups of rats were anesthetized and received a single dose of 40 Gy X-ray local chest radiation to establish a radiation-in-duced pulmonary fibrosis rat model.After radiation,the rats in the RAS-RA intervention groups were orally administered doses of 0.12,0.24 and 0.48 g·kg-1 once a day for 30 days.The average weight and lung index of the rats were observed after 30 days of contin-uous administration.Hydroxyproline(HYP)content in lung tissue was determined by hydrolysis method.The levels of IL-18 and IL-1 β in serum were detected by ELISA.Lung tissue pathological changes were ob-served by HE and Masson staining.Ultrastructural changes in lung tissue were observed by transmission e-lectron microscopy.The expression levels of NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway-related proteins and fibrosis-related proteins in lung tissue were detec-ted by Western blot.Results Compared with the blank group,the HYP content in lung tissue and the levels of IL-18 and IL-1 β in serum significantly in-creased in the model group(P＜0.01).HE and Mas-son staining showed inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen fiber deposition.Transmission electron mi-croscopy revealed increased damaged mitochondria,disordered arrangement,irregular morphology,shallow matrix,outer membrane rupture,mostly fractured and shortened cristae,mild expansion,increased electron density of individual mitochondrial matrix,mild sparse structure of lamellar bodies,partial disorder,unclear organelles,and characteristic changes of pyroptosis.Western blot analysis showed increased expression of caspase-1,GSDMD,NLRP3,CoL-Ⅰ,α-SMA,and CoL-Ⅲ proteins(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the RAS-RA intervention group showed signifi-cant improvement in body mass index and lung index of rats,decreased levels of IL-18 and IL-1 β inflammatory factors(P＜0.01),improved mitochondrial structure,reduced degree of fibrosis,and decreased expression of caspase-1,GSDMD,NLRP3,COL-Ⅰ,COL-Ⅲ,and α-SMA proteins in lung tissue(P＜0.01).Conclusion RAS-RA has an inhibitory effect on radiation-in-duced pulmonary fibrosis,and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of pyroptosis through the regu-lation of the NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficiency of China-made Toumai Robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prosta-tectomy(LRP).Methods:This study included 40 cases of PCa treated from January 2023 to May 2023 by robot-assisted LRP with preservation of the bladder neck and maximal functional urethral length,15 cases with the assistance of Toumai Robot(the TMR group)and the other 25 with the assistance of da Vinci Robot as controls(the DVR group).We recorded the docking time,laparo-scopic surgery time,vesico-urethral anastomosis time,intraoperative blood loss and postoperative urinary continence,and compared them between the two groups.Results:Operations were successfully completed in all the cases.No statistically significant differ-ences were observed between the TMR and DVR groups in the docking time(6 min vs 5 min,P＞0.05)or intraoperative blood loss(200 ml vs 150 ml,P＞0.05).The TMR group,compared with the DVR group,showed a significantly longer median laparoscopic surgery time(146 min vs 130 min,P＜0.05)and median vesico-urethral anastomosis time(19 min vs 16 min,P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences between the TMR and DVR groups in the rates of urinary continence recovery immediately af-ter surgery(60.0％[9/15]vs 64.0％[16/25],P＞0.05)or at 1 month(80.0％[12/15])vs(76.0％[19/25],P＞0.05),3 months(93.3％[14/15])vs(92.0％[23/25],P＞0.05)and 6 months postoperatively(100％[15/15])vs(96％[24/25],P＞0.05).Conclusion:China-made Toumai? Robot surgical system is safe and reliable for laparoscopic radical prosta-tectomy,with satisfactory postoperative recovery of urinary continence.

AIM To study the chemical constituents from n-butanol fraction of Corydalis impatiens(Pall.)Fisch.and their antioxidant activities.METHODS The n-butanol fraction was isolated and purified by silica gel,MCI,ODS,Sephadex LH-20 and semi-preparative HPLC,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.The antioxidant activities were determined by DPPH method and tyrosinase method.RESULTS Fourteen compounds were isolated and identified as nicotinamide(1),methyl L-pyroglutamate(2),bungeanoline F(3),monomethyl fumarate(4),5-hydroxymethylfurfural(5),4-hydroxybenzoic acid(6),hydroxybenzoate(7),methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate(8),methyl ferulate(9),dimethylcaffeic acid(10),dimethyl feruloyl malate(11),(-)-4-O-feruloylquinic acid(12),syringaresinol(13)and(-)-loliolide(14).Compounds 1,8,11 and 13 showed strong antioxidant activites on DPPH free radicals,with IC50 values ranging from 54.47 to 97.4 μmol/L.Compound 13 had potential inhibitory effect on tyrosinase.CONCLUSION Compounds 4-14 are first isolated from Corydalis genus,and 3 is isolated from this plant for the first time.Compounds 1,8,11 and 13 have strong antioxidant activities.