AIM:To investigate the effects of Shaoyao-Gancao decoction(SGD)on inflammation and mucosal barrier damage in rats with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid(TNBS)-induced inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).METHODS:Forty-eight male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group,model group,high-dose(500 mg/kg),medium-dose(250 mg/kg)and low-dose(125 mg/kg)SGD groups,and balsalazide sodium(1 g/kg)group.All rats were pre-administered for 3 d,and on the 4th day of the experiment,they were fasted for 24 h.Except for the normal group,the rats in the other 5 groups were given enema mixed with TNBS(100 mg/kg)and 50％ethanol,and continued to be adminis-tered for 5 d after modeling.After modeling,the disease activity index(DAI)was evaluated.After the experiment,the levels of nitric oxide(NO)and myeloperoxidase(MPO)in serum and colonic tissues of rats were determined.RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to determine tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2),inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)and nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)in the colon of rats.The expression of tight junction proteins zonu-la occludens-1(ZO-1)and claudin 2 in rat colon tissues was determined by immunofluorescence staining.RESULTS:Compared with normal group,the weight of rats in model group was decreased,the colon was shortened,DAI and colon tissue macroscopic scores were significantly increased(P<0.05),colon pathological injury was serious,and NO and MPO levels in serum and colon tissues of the rats in model group were significantly increased(P<0.05).The mRNA and pro-tein expression levels of TNF-α,COX-2,iNOS and NF-κB in colon tissues were significantly increased(P<0.01),while the expression levels of ZO-1 and claudin 2 were significantly decreased(P<0.01).Compared with model group,the body weight and colon shortening of rats in SGD groups were alleviated,DAI and macroscopic scores of colon tissues were significantly decreased(P<0.05),the pathological damage of colon was improved,and the levels of NO and MPO in se-rum and colon tissues of rats were significantly decreased(P<0.05).The mRNA and protein expression levels of TNF-α,COX-2,iNOS and NF-κB in colon tissues were significantly decreased(P<0.05),while the expression levels of ZO-1 and claudin 2 were significantly increased(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Treatment with SGD effectively attenuates the inflam-matory response and intestinal mucosal barrier damage caused by TNBS-induced IBD in rats.

BackgroundBeing complex and highly heterogeneous with regard to the etiology and clinical manifestations of depression， neuroimaging studies make a breakthrough for exploring the biological subtypes of depression， while the current data-driven approach for the identification of subtyping depression using structural magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） data is insufficient. ObjectiveTo explore the biological subtypes of depression using diffusion tensor imaging （DTI） and machine learning methods. MethodsA total of 127 patients with depression who attended Beijing Anding Hospital from September 2017 to August 2021 and met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fourth edition （DSM-IV） diagnostic criteria were included， and another 80 healthy individuals matched for gender and age were recruited through advertisements in surrounding communities during the same period. DTI findings， demographic characteristics and clinical data were collected from all participants. Tract-based spatial statistics （TBSS） and the Johns Hopkins University （JHU） white matter probability maps were used to extract fractional anisotropy （FA） values of white matter tracts. A semi-supervised machine learning technique was used to identify the subtypes， and the FA values for whole brain white matter of patients and controls were compared. ResultsPatients with depression were classified into two biological subtypes. FA values in multiple tracts including corpus callosum and corona radiata of subtype I patients were smaller than those of healthy controls （P<0.01， FDR corrected）， and FA values in middle cerebellar peduncle， left superior cerebellar peduncle and left cerebral peduncle of subtype II patients were larger than those of healthy controls （P<0.01， FDR-corrected）. Baseline Hamilton Depression Scale-17 item （HAMD-17） score yielded no statistical difference between subtype I and subtype II patients （P>0.05）， while subtype I patients scored lower on HAMD-17 than subtype II patients after 12 weeks of treatment （t=2.410， P<0.05）. ConclusionDepression patients exhibit two biological subtypes with distinct patterns of white matter damage. Furthermore， the subtypes respond differently to the medication treatment. ［Funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China （number， 2016YFC1307200）， the Scientific Research and Cultivation Program of Beijing Municipal Hospitals （number，PX2023066）， Beijing Anding Hospital， Capital Medical University （number，YJ201904， YJ201911）； www.chictr.org.cn number： ChiCTR-OOC-17012566］

Objective:To explore differences of resting brain regional homogeneity (ReHo) between patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and their siblings.Methods:From January to December 2013, the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data of 87 patients with MDD and 21 healthy siblings were collected.DPABI v5.1 software was used to preprocess the resting-state fMRI data, and ReHo maps of each subject was obtained. A two-sample t-test was used to compare differences between the patients with MDD and their siblings in ReHo values throughout the brain. ReHo values within the significant brain regions were extracted out, and used to calculate Spearman correlation with the total score of 17-items Hamilton depression rating scale(HAMD-17) in the patients with MDD and their siblings respectively.The software of SPSS 20.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results:The patients with MDD exhibited lower ReHo values in the precuneus extending to the posterior cingulate cortex (PCu/PCC) compared with their siblings (cluster-size=126 voxel, cluster-level PFDR=0.033; MNI: x=-4, y=-58, z=38, t=4.30). ReHo values of the PCu/PCC in patient with MDD were positively correlated with the severity of depressive symptoms ( r=0.255, P=0.021). Conclusion:Compared with the siblings, local brain activity of the PCu/PCC in the patients with MDD was decreased, and related to the severity of depressive symptoms. It is helpful to further reveal the intrinsic neural mechanism of MDD.

Approximately 140 million people worldwide are homozygous carriers of APOE4 (ε4), a strong genetic risk factor for late onset familial and sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD), 91% of whom will develop AD at earlier age than heterozygous carriers and noncarriers. Susceptibility to AD could be reduced by targeted editing of APOE4, but a technical basis for controlling the off-target effects of base editors is necessary to develop low-risk personalized gene therapies. Here, we first screened eight cytosine base editor variants at four injection stages (from 1- to 8-cell stage), and found that FNLS-YE1 variant in 8-cell embryos achieved the comparable base conversion rate (up to 100%) with the lowest bystander effects. In particular, 80% of AD-susceptible ε4 allele copies were converted to the AD-neutral ε3 allele in human ε4-carrying embryos. Stringent control measures combined with targeted deep sequencing, whole genome sequencing, and RNA sequencing showed no DNA or RNA off-target events in FNLS-YE1-treated human embryos or their derived stem cells. Furthermore, base editing with FNLS-YE1 showed no effects on embryo development to the blastocyst stage. Finally, we also demonstrated FNLS-YE1 could introduce known protective variants in human embryos to potentially reduce human susceptivity to systemic lupus erythematosus and familial hypercholesterolemia. Our study therefore suggests that base editing with FNLS-YE1 can efficiently and safely introduce known preventive variants in 8-cell human embryos, a potential approach for reducing human susceptibility to AD or other genetic diseases.
Humans ; Apolipoprotein E4/genetics* ; Cytosine ; Mutation ; Blastocyst ; Heterozygote ; Gene Editing ; CRISPR-Cas Systems

OBJECTIVE To study the in vitro transdermal characteristics of Tibetan new drugs hereinafter referred to as Zhengrutie cataplasm, and to evaluate the safety of skin medication by using different species of animals(guinea pigs, New Zealand rabbits). METHODS The improved vertical Franz diffusion cell method was used for in vitro transdermal testand the skin of Bama miniature pig was used as the permeation barrier. The cumulative permeation amount and rate of geniposide methyl ester and 8-O-acetyl geniposide methyl ester, borneol and camphor in the receiving medium were determined by HPLC and GC, respectively, to investigate the in vitro transdermal characteristics of Zhengrutie cataplasm. Buehler test was used to study the sensitization of Zhengrutie cataplasm on guinea pig skin. Observed the skin irritation after single or multiple application of Zhengrutie cataplasm on intact and damaged skin of New Zealand rabbits. RESULTS The cumulative permeation amount of the sum of geniposide methyl ester and 8-O-acetyl geniposide methyl ester, borneol and camphor within 24 h were 14.14, 348.21, 490.97 μg·cm-2, respectively. The cumulative permeation amount were 6.2%, 10.2% and 15.3%, respectively. The average permeation amount were 0.59, 14.51 and 20.46 μg·cm-2·h-1. No allergic reaction to guinea pig skin, no irritation to intact skin of New Zealand rabbits, mild irritation to damaged skin. CONCLUSION The in vitro transdermal performance of Zhengrutie cataplasm is good. The in vitro transdermal process conforms to the zero-order kinetic equation. It has no irritation and sensitization effect on the skin of guinea pigs and New Zealand rabbits. It is safe and reliable for skin external use and has good clinical application value.

Objective:To investigate the effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on the efficacy and immune function in patients with primary liver cancer.Methods:The clinical data of 152 patients with primary liver cancer from February 2019 to February 2021 in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 76 patients were treated with TACE combined with RFA (combined group), and 76 patients were treated with TACE (control group). The efficacy was compared; the α-L fucosidase, T lymphocyte subsets (CD 3, CD 4, CD 8 and CD 4/CD 8), B lymphocyte subsets (CD 19) and tumor markers (alpha-fetoprotein, AFP; carcinoembryonic antigen, CEA; carbohydrate antigen 125, CA125) before treatment and 1 month after treatment were detected. Results:The total clinical effective rate in combined group was significantly higher than that in control group: 81.58% (62/76) vs. 52.63% (40/76), and there was statistical difference ( χ2 = 4.54, P<0.05). There were no statistical difference in all indexes before treatment between 2 groups ( P>0.05); the α-L fucosidase, AFP and CD 8 1 month after treatment in combined group were significantly lower than those in control group: (18.06 ± 5.33) U/L vs. (26.58 ± 7.75) U/L, (87.93 ± 22.55) μg/L vs. (146.83 ± 21.85) μg/L and 0.295 ± 0.052 vs. 0.367 ± 0.064, the CD 3, CD 4 and CD 4/CD 8 were significantly higher than those in control group (0.489 ± 0.054 vs. 0.462 ± 0.063, 0.363 ± 0.059 vs. 0.303 ± 0.075 and 1.43 ± 0.27 vs. 0.89 ± 0.14), and there were statistical differences ( P<0.01 or<0.05); there was no statistical difference in CEA, CA125 and CD 19 1 month after treatment between 2 groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:TACE combined with RFA in the treatment of primary liver cancer patients can not only improve the total clinical effective rate, but also significantly improve the immune function, and help to reduce level of the liver tumor marker of AFP.

Objective:To explore the application and treatment efficacy of less invasive surfactant administration (LISA) and nasal high-frequency oscillation ventilation (nHFOV) in very low and extremely low birth weight preterm infants with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS).Methods:A total of 85 very low and extremely low birth weight preterm infants with gestational age ranging between 27-32 weeks who were diagnosed with NRDS in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from July 2018 to October 2019 were enrolled.After being stratified by gestational age of >27-29 weeks, >29-30 weeks, >30-31 weeks, >31-32 weeks, the neonates were divided into the LISA group (40 cases) and the intubation-surfactant-extubation (INSURE) group (45 cases) by the random envelope method.The LISA group was subdivided into the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) group (25 cases) and the nHFOV group (15 cases) by the same method.The patients in the INSURE group were infused with pulmonary surfactant (PS) through the endotracheal tube under positive airway pressure, and then treated with CPAP after extubation.The patients in the LISA group were first treated with CPAP and injected with PS through the gastric tube.After removing the gastric tube, the patients in the CPAP group were given CPAP-assisted ventilation, while the patients in the nHFOV group were given nHFOV-assisted ventilation or mechanical ventilation if nHFOV-assisted ventilation failed.The feasibility of LISA technology and nHFOV was observed, and the adverse reactions, mechanical ventilation, oxygen duration, hospital stay and the incidence of NRDS complications in different groups of the patients were compared.Results:(1) The mechanical ventilation rate (5.0% vs.22.2%), the incidence of broncho-pulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (20.0% vs.42.2%) and the incidence of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) (12.5% vs.42.2%) in the LISA group were significantly lower than those in the INSURE group (all P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in total oxygen duration, hospitalization duration, intraventricular he-morrhage (IVH), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) between the LISA group and the INSURE group (all P>0.05). (2) There was no significant difference in adverse reactions between the LISA group and the INSURE group as well as between the CPAP group and the nHFOV group (all P>0.05). (3) The younger the gestational age at birth, the higher the incidence of NRDS complications.Patients in the LISA group had a lower incidence of NPDS complications than patients of the same gestational age in the INSURE group, but the diffe-rence was not statistically significant (all P>0.05). (4) There was no significant difference in the mechanical ventilation rate and the incidence of BPD, IVH, PVL, NEC and ROP complications between the CPAP group and the nHFOV group (all P>0.05). Conclusions:In the treatment of very low and extremely low birth weight preterm infants with NRDS at the gestational age of 27-32 weeks, LISA technology is a safe and effective PS delivery method, which can reduce the mechanical ventilation rate and the incidence of BPD and PVL.The nHFOV can be used as an initial model for respiratory support of NRDS preterm infants with very low and ultra-low birth weight.LISA combined with nHFOV is applicable to the treatment of preterm infants with NRDS.

Purpose: Anterior gradient 3 (AGR3) belongs to human anterior gradient (AGR) family. The function of AGR3 on cancer remains unknown. This research aimed to investigate if AGR3 had prognostic values in invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of breast cancer and could promote tumor progression. Materials and Methods: AGR3 expression was detected in breast benign lesions, ductal carcinoma in situ and IDC by immunohistochemistry analysis. AGR3’s correlations with clinicopathological features and prognosis of IDC patients were analyzed. By cell function experiments, collagen gel droplet-embedded culture drug sensitivity test and cytotoxic analysis, AGR3’s impacts on proliferation, invasion ability, and chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity of breast cancer cells were also detected. Results: AGR3 was up-regulated in luminal subtype of histological grade I-II of IDC patients and positively correlated with high risks of recurrence and distant metastasis. AGR3 high expression could lead to bone or liver metastasis and predict poor prognosis of luminal B. In cell lines, AGR3 could promote proliferation and invasion ability of breast cancer cells which were consistent with clinical analysis. Besides, AGR3 could indicate poor prognosis of breast cancer patients treated with taxane but a favorable prognosis with 5-fluoropyrimidines. And breast cancer cells with AGR3 high expression were resistant to taxane but sensitive to 5-fluoropyrimidines. Conclusion AGR3 might be a potential prognostic indicator in luminal B subtype of IDC patients of histological grade I-II. And patients with AGR3 high expression should be treated with chemotherapy regimens consisting of 5-fluoropyrimidines but no taxane.

Objective:To evaluate the performance of Hybribio human papillomavirus (HPV) typing test kit for high risk HPV-DNA typing detection in screening of cervical precancer lesions.Methods:A total of 9 914 women were recruited in Henan, Shanxi, and Guangdong provinces from June to July 2017. All women underwent HPV DNA test. The women who diagnosed as HPV positive and cytological examination ≥ atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) or HPV negative and cytological examination≥low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) underwent colposcopy biopsy and pathological examination. Using the pathological diagnosis as the gold standard, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and 95% confidence interval ( CI) of high-risk HPV and HPV16/18 tests were calculated. Results:The mean age of 9 914 subjects was (45.0±9.3) years old. Among them, 1 302 subjects were detected as high risk HPV positive, including 211 of HPV16 positive and 64 of HPV18 positive. According to the pathological gold standard of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 (CIN2) or worse, the sensitivity and specificity of high risk-HPV and HPV 16/18 for triaging ASCUS women were 90.6% (95% CI: 75.8%-96.8%) and 78.0% (95% CI: 74.5%-81.2%) as well as 56.3% (95% CI: 39.3%-71.8%) and 95.7% (95% CI: 93.8%-97.1%), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of high risk-HPV and HPV 16/18 for cervical precancer lesions screening were 95.1% (95% CI: 88.1%-98.1%) and 87.6% (95% CI: 86.9%-88.2%) as well as 65.9% (95% CI: 55.1%-75.2%) and 97.8% (95% CI: 97.5%-98.1%), respectively. Conclusions:The Hybribio HPV test kit has a relative high sensitivity and specificity for cervical precancer lesions screening and ASCUS triaging. It is reliable for HPV DNA detection and cervical cancer screening.

Objective:To evaluate the performance of Hybribio human papillomavirus (HPV) typing test kit for high risk HPV-DNA typing detection in screening of cervical precancer lesions.Methods:A total of 9 914 women were recruited in Henan, Shanxi, and Guangdong provinces from June to July 2017. All women underwent HPV DNA test. The women who diagnosed as HPV positive and cytological examination ≥ atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) or HPV negative and cytological examination≥low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) underwent colposcopy biopsy and pathological examination. Using the pathological diagnosis as the gold standard, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and 95% confidence interval ( CI) of high-risk HPV and HPV16/18 tests were calculated. Results:The mean age of 9 914 subjects was (45.0±9.3) years old. Among them, 1 302 subjects were detected as high risk HPV positive, including 211 of HPV16 positive and 64 of HPV18 positive. According to the pathological gold standard of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 (CIN2) or worse, the sensitivity and specificity of high risk-HPV and HPV 16/18 for triaging ASCUS women were 90.6% (95% CI: 75.8%-96.8%) and 78.0% (95% CI: 74.5%-81.2%) as well as 56.3% (95% CI: 39.3%-71.8%) and 95.7% (95% CI: 93.8%-97.1%), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of high risk-HPV and HPV 16/18 for cervical precancer lesions screening were 95.1% (95% CI: 88.1%-98.1%) and 87.6% (95% CI: 86.9%-88.2%) as well as 65.9% (95% CI: 55.1%-75.2%) and 97.8% (95% CI: 97.5%-98.1%), respectively. Conclusions:The Hybribio HPV test kit has a relative high sensitivity and specificity for cervical precancer lesions screening and ASCUS triaging. It is reliable for HPV DNA detection and cervical cancer screening.