Search

Qian-Min Ge,* Yu-Ting Zou,* Wen-Qing Shi, Yu-Qing Zhang, Biao Li, You-Lan Min, Qing Yuan, Yi Shao Department of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi Province Ocular Disease Clinical Research Center, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Yi ShaoDepartment of Ophthalmology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No. 17, YongWaiZheng Street, DongHu District, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86 791-88692520Email freebee99@163.comObjective: At present, little is known regarding the specific risk factors of ocular metastasis (OM) in elderly patients with lung cancer. This study aimed to find out the risk factors of ocular metastasis.Methods: A total of 1615 elderly patients with lung cancer were recruited into this retrospective study between April 2001 and July 2016. These patients were divided into two groups, namely OM and non-ocular metastasis (NOM). Student’s t-tests, nonparametric rank sum tests, and Chi-square tests were applied to describe whether there were significant differences between the OM group and NOM group. We compared a range of serum biomarkers between the two groups of patients, including alkaline phosphatase, calcium, hemoglobin, alpha-fetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen, CA-125, CA-199, CA-153, CA-724, cytokeratin-19 fragment (CYFRA21-1), TPSA and neuron specific enolase (NSE). We used binary logistic regression analysis to determine the risk factors and receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses to assess the diagnostic value for OM in CRC patients.Results: The incidence of OM in elderly patients with lung cancer was 2.0%. Binary logistic regression indicated that CA-125, CA-153, and total prostate specific antigen (TPSA) were identified as independent risk factors of OM in patients with lung cancer (P< 0.001, P< 0.001, and P=0.003, respectively). The sensitivity and specificity of OM diagnosis were as follows: CA-125, 81.25% and 81.57%; CA-153, 68.75% and 83.78%; and TPSA, 81.25% and 90.03%, respectively.Conclusion: The serum concentrations of CA-125, CA-153, and TPSA have predictive value in the diagnosis of OM in elderly patients with lung cancer.Keywords: elderly people, lung cancer, ocular metastases, risk factors

This study explores the reasons behind the variations in the enantioselectivity of the sulfoxidation of methyl phenyl sulfide by marine-derived vanadium-dependent haloperoxidases (VHPOs). Twelve new VHPOs of marine organisms were overexpressed, purified, and tested for their ability to oxidize sulfide. Most of these marine enzymes exhibited nonenantioselective behavior, underscoring the uniqueness of An VBPO from the brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum and Cp VBPO from the red seaweed Corallina pilulifera , which produce ( R )- and ( S )-sulfoxides, respectively. The enantioselective sulfoxidation pathway is likely due to direct oxygen transfer within the VHPO active site. This was demonstrated through molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations, which revealed differences in the positioning of sulfide within An VBPO and Cp VBPO, thus explaining their distinct enantioselectivities. Nonenantioselective VHPOs probably follow a different oxidation pathway, initiating with sulfide oxidation to form a positively charged radical. Further insights were gained from studying the catalytic effect of VO 4 3- on H 2 O 2 -driven sulfoxidation. This research improves the understanding of VHPO-mediated sulfoxidation and aids in developing biocatalysts for sulfoxide synthesis.

Cancer is a significant global health concern, and finding effective methods to treat it has been a focus of scientific research. It has been discovered that the growth, invasion, and metastasis of tumors are closely related to the environment in which they exist, known as the tumor microenvironment (TME). The immune response interacting with the tumor occurring within the TME constitutes the tumor immune microenvironment, and the immune response can lead to anti-tumor and pro-tumor outcomes and has shown tremendous potential in immunotherapy. A channel called the P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) has been identified within the TME. It is an ion channel present in various immune cells and tumor cells, and its activation can lead to inflammation, immune responses, angiogenesis, immunogenic cell death, and promotion of tumor development. This article provides an overview of the structure, function, and pharmacological characteristics of P2X7R. We described the concept and components of tumor immune microenvironment and the influence immune components has on tumors. We also outlined the impact of P2X7R regulation and how it affects the development of tumors and summarized the effects of drugs targeting P2X7R on tumor progression, both past and current, assisting researchers in treating tumors using P2X7R as a target., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We confirmed that the paper has been seen and admitted by co-authors, approved the submission to the journal. We confirmed that there are no conflicts of interest in this paper. Thank you very much., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata (RRP), the processed root of Rehmannia glutinosa, has been widely used to treat Yin deficiency syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine. RRP is available in two forms: processed by steaming with water (SRR) or processed by stewing with yellow rice wine (WRR). Previous work has documented chemical differences in the secondary metabolomes and glycomes of SRR and WRR., Aim of the Study: This study aimed to compare SRR and WRR in terms of Yin-nourishing effects via metabolomics and microbiome analysis., Materials and Methods: ICR mice were orally administered with thyroxine for 14 d to induce Yin deficiency. Changes in biochemical indices and histopathology were detected. Serum metabolomics analysis and microbial 16S rRNA sequencing were performed to compare the therapeutic effects and mechanisms between SRR and WRR in treating thyroxine-induced Yin deficiency., Results: Both SRR and WRR decreased serum T3, T4 and MDA levels, and increased SOD activity. SRR more effectively decreased serum Cr, and ameliorated kidney injury, while WRR showed better regulation on ratio of cAMP/cGMP and serum TSH, and relieved thyroid injury. Both SRR and WRR regulated tyrosine, glycerophospholipid, and linoleic acid metabolism and the citric acid cycle. Additionally, SRR regulated fatty acid metabolism, while WRR influenced alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, and bile acid biosynthesis. SRR significantly enriched the genera Staphylococcus and Bifidobacterium in the gut microbiome, while WRR significantly enriched the genera Akkermansia, Bacteroides and Parabacteroides, and decreased the abundance of Lactobacillus., Conclusions: SRR displayed better protective effects on kidney, while WRR showed stronger effects on thyroid in thyroxine-induced Yin deficient mice. These differences might be due to different regulating effects of SRR and WRR on the metabolome and gut microbiota., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Binary ruthenium dioxide (RuO 2 ) has gradually attracted much attention in condensed matter physics and material sciences due to its various intriguing physical properties, such as strain-induced superconductivity, anomalous Hall effect, collinear anti-ferromagnetism, etc. However, its complex emergent electronic states and the corresponding phase diagram over a wide temperature range remain unexplored, which is critically important to understanding the underlying physics and exploring its final physical properties and functionalities. Here, through optimizing the growth conditions by using versatile pulsed laser deposition, high-quality epitaxial RuO 2 thin films with clear lattice structure are obtained, upon which the electronic transport is investigated, and emergent electronic states and the relevant physical properties are unveiled. Firstly, at a high-temperature range, it is the Bloch-Grüneisen state, instead of the common Fermi liquid metallic state, that dominates the electrical transport behavior. Moreover, the recently reported anomalous Hall effect is also revealed, which confirms the presence of the Berry phase in the energy band structure. More excitingly, we find that above the superconductivity transition temperature, a new positive magnetic resistance quantum coherent state with an unusual dip as well as an angel-dependent critical magnetic field emerges, which can be attributed to the weak antilocalization effect. Lastly, the complex phase diagram with multiple intriguing emergent electronic states over a wide temperature range is mapped. The results greatly promote the fundamental physics understanding of the binary oxide RuO 2 and provide guidelines for its practical applications and functionalities., (© 2023 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

The rise of the Tubo Kingdom is considered as the key period for the formation of modern groups on the Tibetan Plateau. The ethnic origin of the residents of the Tubo Kingdom is quite complex, and their genetic structure remains unclear. The tombs of the Tubo Kingdom period in Dulan County, Qinghai Province, dating back to the seventh century, are considered to be the remains left by Tubo conquerors or the Tuyuhun people dominated by the Tubo Kingdom. The human remains of these tombs are ideal materials for studying the population dynamics in the Tubo Kingdom. In this paper, we analyzed the genome-wide data of eight remains from these tombs by shotgun sequencing and multiplex PCR panels and compared the results with data of available ancient and modern populations across East Asia. Genetic continuity between ancient Dulan people with ancient Xianbei tribes in Northeast Asia, ancient settlers on the Tibetan Plateau, and modern Tibeto-Burman populations was found. Surprisingly, one out of eight individuals showed typical genetic features of populations from Central Asia. In summary, the genetic diversity of ancient Dulan people and their affiliations with other populations provide an example of the complex origin of the residents in the Tubo Kingdom and their long-distance connection with populations in a vast geographic region across ancient Asia., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background Nicorandil was reported to improve microvascular dysfunction and reduce reperfusion injury when administered before primary percutaneous coronary intervention. In this multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-blind clinical trial (CHANGE [Effects of Nicorandil Administration on Infarct Size in Patients With ST-Segment-Elevation Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention]), we investigated the effects of nicorandil administration on infarct size in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Methods and Results A total of 238 patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction were randomized to receive intravenous nicorandil (n=120) or placebo (n=118) before reperfusion. Patients in the nicorandil group received a 6-mg intravenous bolus of nicorandil followed by continuous infusion at a rate of 6 mg/h. Patients in the placebo group received the same dose of placebo. The predefined primary end point was infarct size on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging performed at 5 to 7 days and 6 months after reperfusion. CMR imaging was performed in 201 patients (84%). Infarct size on CMR imaging at 5 to 7 days after reperfusion was significantly smaller in the nicorandil group compared with the placebo (control) group (26.5±17.1 g versus 32.4±19.3 g; P =0.022), and the effect remained significant on long-term CMR imaging at 6 months after reperfusion (19.5±14.4 g versus 25.7±15.4 g; P =0.008). The incidence of no-reflow/slow-flow phenomenon during primary percutaneous coronary intervention was much lower in the nicorandil group (9.2% [11/120] versus 26.3% [31/118]; P =0.001), and thus, complete ST-segment resolution was more frequently observed in the nicorandil group (90.8% [109/120] versus 78.0% [92/118]; P =0.006). Left ventricular ejection fraction on CMR imaging was significantly higher in the nicorandil group than in the placebo group at both 5 to 7 days (47.0±10.2% versus 43.3±10.0%; P =0.011) and 6 months (50.1±9.7% versus 46.4±8.5%; P =0.009) after reperfusion. Conclusions In the present trial, administration of nicorandil before primary percutaneous coronary intervention led to improved myocardial perfusion grade, increased left ventricular ejection fraction, and reduced myocardial infarct size in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. Registration URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT03445728.

Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant bone tumor in adolescents. The molecular mechanism behind OS progression and metastasis remains poorly understood, which limits the effectiveness of current therapies. RNA N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) modification plays a critical role in influencing RNA fate. However, the biological significance of m 6 A modification and its potential regulatory mechanisms in the development of OS remain unclear., Methods: Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), dot blotting, and colorimetric ELISA were used to detect m 6 A levels. Western blotting, quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to investigate METTL14 expression levels. Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) and transcriptomic RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) were used to screen the target genes of METTL14. RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were conducted to explore the specific binding of target genes and relevant m 6 A "readers". RNA stability and polysome analysis assays were used to detect the half-lives and translation efficiencies of the downstream genes of METTL14. IHC and clinical data were applied to explore the clinical correlations of METTL14 and its downstream target genes with the prognosis of OS., Findings: We observed the abundance of m 6 A modifications in OS and revealed that METTL14 plays an oncogenic role in facilitating OS progression. MeRIP-seq and RNA-seq revealed that MN1 is a downstream gene of METTL14. MN1 contributes to tumor progression and all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) chemotherapy resistance in OS. Mechanistically, MN1 is methylated by METTL14, specifically in the coding sequence (CDS) regions, and this modification is recognized by the specific m 6 A reader insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2) to prevent MN1 mRNA degradation and promote it translation efficiency. IHC showed that MN1 expression was positively correlated with METTL14 and IGF2BP2 expression in OS tissues. The METTL14-IGF2BP2-MN1 panel demonstrated more promising prognostic value for OS patients than any of these molecules individually., Interpretation: Our study revealed that METTL14 contributes to OS progression and ATRA resistance as an m 6 A RNA methylase by regulating the stability and translation efficiency of MN1 and thus provides both an underlying biomarker panel for prognosis prediction in OS patients., Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants 81972510 and 81772864)., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Our previous study found that Qiong-Yu-Gao (QYG), a traditional Chinese medicine formula derived from Rehmanniae Radix, Poria, and Ginseng Radix, has protective effects against cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI), but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In the present study, the potential role of gut microbiota in the nephroprotective effects of QYG was investigated. We found that QYG treatment significantly attenuated cisplatin-induced AKI and gut dysbiosis, altered the levels of bacterial metabolites, with short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as acetic acid and butyric acid increasing and uremic toxins such as indoxyl sulfate and p -cresyl sulfate reducing, and suppressed histone deacetylase expression and activity. Spearman's correlation analysis found that QYG-enriched fecal bacterial genera Akkermansia , Faecalibaculum , Bifidobacterium , and Lachnospiraceae&#95;NK4A136&#95;group were correlated with the altered metabolites, and these metabolites were also correlated with the biomarkers of AKI, as well as the indicators of fibrosis and inflammation. The essential role of gut microbiota was further verified by both the diminished protective effects with antibiotics-induced gut microbiota depletion and the transferable renal protection with fecal microbiota transplantation. All these results suggested that gut microbiota mediates the nephroprotective effects of QYG against cisplatin-induced AKI, potentially via increasing the production of SCFAs, thus suppressing histone deacetylase expression and activity, and reducing the accumulation of uremic toxins, thereby alleviating fibrosis, inflammation, and apoptosis in renal tissue. IMPORTANCE Cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury is the main limiting factor restricting cisplatin's clinical application. Accumulating evidence indicated the important role of gut microbiota in pathogenesis of acute kidney injury. In the present study, we have demonstrated that gut microbiota mediates the protective effects of traditional Chinese medicine formula Qiong-Yu-Gao against cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury. The outputs of this study would provide scientific basis for future clinical applications of QYG as prebiotics to treat cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury, and gut microbiota may be a promising therapeutic target for chemotherapy-induced nephrotoxicity.

Gut microbiota is associated with tumor progress and host metabolic disorder, but whether gut microbiota regulation can affect cancer growth through interfering host metabolism maintains unknown yet. Here, we used combined antibiotics (ABX) to build an extremely altered gut microbiota ecosystem and study its influence on the xenograft MC38 tumor as well as the associations of the effects with host metabolisms. The MC38 tumor bearing mouse was treated with ABX (vancomycin, neomycin and imipenem-cilastatin) to build the extremely altered microbiota ecosystem, the gut microbiota diversity alteration was determined by 16S rRNA based gene sequencing. The effects of the altered microbiota on tumor were assessed by cell apoptosis and growth rate of the tumor. The potential metabolic biomarkers and involved metabolism pathways were screened out by UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS based untargeted metabolomics and KEGG analysis respectively. The correlations between key metabolites and microbiota were analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis. Compared with the un-treated mice, the tumor growth of ABX-treated mice was significantly suppressed, and the cell apoptosis was obviously promoted. The gut microbiota diversity was decreased significantly with the dominant bacteria phylum Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes replaced by Proteobacteria, which involved 14 significantly altered bacteria genera. Four potential targeted metabolism pathways, including sphingolipid, glycerophospholipid, arginine-proline and primary bile acid metabolism, were screened out, and the involved key metabolites such as ceramide, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, taurocholic acid and L-proline were correlated significantly with the altered bacteria genera. Through the integrated analysis of microbiome and metabolomics, it was revealed that gut microbiota regulation may inhibit the xenograft MC38 tumor growth potentially by interfering host lipid and amino acid metabolisms, such as sphingolipid, glycerophospholipid, primary bile acid and arginine-proline metabolisms in this case., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf (Poria) is a well-known traditional medicinal fungus. It has been considered to possess spleen-invigorating (Jianpi) effects in traditional Chinese medicine, and is used clinically to treat spleen deficiency (Pixu) with symptoms of intestinal disorders such as diarrhea, indigestion, mucositis and weight loss., The Aim of This Study: To investigate the protective effects of Poria and its three component fractions (Water-soluble polysaccharides, WP; alkali-soluble polysaccharides, AP; triterpene acids, TA) on cisplatin-induced intestinal injury and explore the underlying mechanisms., Materials and Methods: C57BL/6 mice were treated with Poria powder (PP), WP, AP and TA by oral gavage respectively for 13 days, and intraperitoneally injected with 10 mg/kg of cisplatin on day 10 to conduct a cisplatin-induced intestinal injury model. Pathological changes of ileum and colon were examined using H&E staining. The composition of gut microbiota and the alteration of host metabolites were characterized by 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing and UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS based untargeted metabolomics analysis., Results: PP and WP attenuated the cisplatin-induced ileum and colon injury, and WP alleviated the weight loss and reversed the elevation of IL-2, IL-6 in serum. Both PP and WP could mitigate cisplatin-induced dysbiosis of gut microbiota, in particular PP and WP decreased the abundance of pathogenic bacteria including Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Ruminococcaceae and Helicobacteraceae, while WP promoted the abundance of probiotics, such as Erysipelotrichaceae and Prevotellaceae. Moreover, WP attenuated the cisplatin-induced alteration of metabolic profiles. The levels of potential biomarkers, including xanthine, L-tyrosine, uridine, hypoxanthine, butyrylcarnitine, lysoPC (18:0), linoleic acid, (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid, D-ribose, thiamine monophosphate, indolelactic acid and plamitic acid, showed significant correlations with intestinal flora., Conclusions: PP and WP possess protective effects against cisplatin-induced intestinal injury via potentially regulating the gut microbiota and metabolic profiles., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Previous studies have shown that nicorandil has a protective effect on cardiomyocytes. However, there is no study to investigate whether perioperative intravenous nicorandil can further reduce the myocardial infarct size in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) compared to the current standard of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) regimen. The CHANGE (China-Admini stration of Nicorandil Group) study is a multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-blind and parallel-controlled clinical study of STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI in China, aiming to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous nicorandil in ameliorating the myocar dial infarct size in STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI and provide evidence-based support for myocardial protection strategies of STEMI patients., (Copyright and License information: Journal of Geriatric Cardiology 2020.)

Despite recent improvements in diagnosis and therapy, lung cancer remains the most common malignant tumor in males, with high morbidity and mortality. As the annual incidence continues to increase worldwide, the prognosis for male patients with lung cancer remains unsatisfactory. Interestingly, smoking is associated with lung cancer and ocular lesions by altering risk factors such as carbohydrate antigen (CA)-125, CA-153 and cytokeratin-19 fragment (CYFRA21-1). A diagnostic standard for serum biomarker levels of ocular metastasis (OM) in males with lung cancer is therefore urgently needed. In this retrospective analysis, we examined the relationship between smoking preference and OM in male patients with lung cancer to identify an independent prognostic factor or establish a quantitative indicated standard for OM using the clinical indexes from 2238 cases of male lung cancer. The combination of CA-125, CA-153 and CYFRA21-1 could help diagnose OM in male lung cancer patients. This finding might lead to more timely diagnosis and effective therapies., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)

Introduction: Triterpene acids from the dried sclerotia of Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf (poria) were recently found to possess anti-cancer activities. Identification of more triterpene acid analogues in poria is worthwhile for high throughput screening in anti-cancer drug discovery., Objective: To establish an efficient dereplication strategy for identifying triterpene acid analogues in poria based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionisation quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS)., Methodology: The structural characteristics and mass spectrometric data profiles of known triterpene acids previously reported in poria were used to establish a predicted-analogue database. Then, the quasi-molecular ions of components in a poria extract were automatically compared with those in the predicted-analogue database to highlight compounds of potential interest. Tentative structural identification of the compounds of potential interest and discrimination of isomers were achieved by assessing ion fragmentation patterns and chromatographic behaviour prediction based on structure-retention relationship., Results: A total of 62 triterpene acids were unequivocally or tentatively characterised from poria, among which 17 triterpene acids were tentatively identified for the first time in poria., Conclusion: This study provided more structure information of triterpene acids in poria for future high throughput screening of anti-cancer candidates. It is suggested that this semi-automated approach in which MS data are automatically compared to a predictive database may also be applicable for efficient screening of other herbal medicines for structural analogues of proven bioactives., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

In metabolomics studies, metabolic pathway recognition (MPR) is performed by software tools to screen out the significant pathways disturbed by diseases or reinstated by drugs. To achieve MPR, the significantly changed metabolites determined in different biospecimens (e.g. plasma and urine) are analyzed either independently (metabolites from each biospecimen as a dataset) or integratively (metabolites from all biospecimens as a dataset). However, whether the choice of these two processing approaches affects the results of MPR remains unknown. In this study, this issue was addressed by selecting evaluation of the effects of the herbal medicine Rehmanniae Radix (RR) on anemia and adrenal fatigue by UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS-based metabolomics as an example. The significant pathways disturbed by the modeling of anemia and adrenal fatigue and those reinstated by treatments with raw and processed RR were recognized using MetPA software tool (MetaboAnalyst 3.0), and compared by independent and integrative processing of the significantly changed metabolites determined in plasma and urine. The results showed that the two processing approaches could yield different impact values of pathways and thereby recognize different significant pathways. The differences appear to happen more easily when metabolites from different biospecimens shared the same metabolic pathway. Such pathway could be recognized as a significant pathway by integrative processing but could be excluded by independent processing due to the converged and dispersed importance contributions of the involved metabolites to MPR in the two processing approaches. This issue should concern researchers because MPR is crucial not only to understanding metabolomics data but also to guiding subsequent mechanistic research., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, a time segment scanning-based quasi-multiple reaction monitoring (quasi-MRM) mode was proposed to improve the quantitative performance of UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS. To achieve the quasi-MRM mode, a strategy to select the ion pair (precursor and product ions) of each analyte was adopted as follows. First, a stable and abundant ion by quadrupole was set as precursor ion in MS scan mode. Second, the fragment ions of the precursor ion formed via collision-induced dissociation were measured by time-of-flight (TOF) in MS/MS scan mode; a characteristic, stable and abundant fragment ion (or precursor ion in case of fragment ion unavailable) was designated as the product ion. Third, the detection specificity and sensitivity of the product ion by TOF were strengthened through time segment scanning over a narrowed mass scan range. The proposed quasi-MRM mode achieved simultaneous quantification of fifteen major components in Moutan Cortex, a widely used medicinal herb, as well as its sulfur-fumigated samples. The quasi-MRM mode was methodologically compared with the other two quantitative modes commonly used in the UPLC-PDA-QTOF-MS/MS apparatus, namely UPLC-PDA and extracted ion analysis. The results demonstrated that the quasi-MRM mode performed better in specificity, sensitivity and linearity. The quasi-MRM mode was further validated with regard to precision, accuracy and stability. The research deliverables indicate that the proposed mode improved the quantitative capability of UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS, and therefore could serve as a potential mode for QTOF-MS/MS-based quantification of herbal medicines., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Widespread use of organophosphorus flame retardants (OPFRs) and their ubiquity in water results in the need for a robust and reliable monitoring technique to better understand their fate and environmental impact. In situ passive sampling using the diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) technique provides time-integrated data and is developed for measuring OPFRs here. Ultrasonic extraction of binding gels in methanol provided reliable recoveries for all tested OPFRs. Diffusion coefficients of TCEP, TCPP, TDCPP, TPrP, TBP, and TBEP in the agarose diffusive gel (25 °C) were obtained. The capacity of an HLB binding gel for OPFRs was >115 μg per disc, and the binding performance did not deteriorate with time up to 131 days. DGT performance is independent of typical environmental ranges of pH (3.12-9.71), ionic strength (0.1-500 mmol L -1 ), and dissolved organic matter (0-20 mg L -1 ), and also of diffusive layer thickness (0.64-2.14 mm) and deployment time (3-168 h). Negligible competition effects between OPFRs was found. DGT-measured concentrations of OPFRs in a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent (12-16 days) were comparable to those obtained by grab sampling, further verifying DGT's reliability for measuring OPFRs in waters.

In this study, a novel ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS)-guidance strategy was proposed for preparation of sulfur-containing derivatives in sulfur-fumigated edible herbs. Being versatile in both chromatographic separation and mass spectrometric detection, UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS was inducted into each experimental step for multifaceted purposes including finding, tracking, purity determination and structural elucidation of targeted compounds as well as UPLC-HPLC chromatographic conditions transplantation, whereby the isolation and purification procedures were greatly facilitated. Using this strategy, a new sulfur-containing ginsenoside Rg 1 derivative (named compound I) was obtained from sulfur-fumigated ginseng. The chemical structure of compound I was elucidated to be (3β, 6α, 12β)-3, 12-dihydroxydammar-25-ene-6, 20-diylbis-β-d-glucopyranoside, 24-sulfonic acid by QTOF-MS/MS, 1 H-NMR and 13 C-NMR analysis, and its generation mechanisms by sulfur-fumigation were accordingly discussed. The research deliverable suggests that the UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS-guidance strategy is promising for targeted preparation of sulfur-containing derivatives from sulfur-fumigated edible herbs., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: It has been noticed that the patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) can accompany with depression and anxiety. This study aimed to establish the incidence and determinants of depression and anxiety symptoms in Chinese MSA patients., Methods: A total of 237 MSA patients were enrolled in the study. Neuropsychological assessment was performed using Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-24 items and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale., Results: We found that 62.0% and 71.7% patients had at least mild depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The severity of depression of MSA patients was associated with lower educational years (P=.024), longer disease duration (P<.001), and disease severity (P<.001). The severity of anxiety was associated with increased disease duration (P<.001), disease severity (P=.013), and orthostatic hypotension (P=.005). Binary logistic regression showed the determinants of depression and anxiety were female gender, longer disease duration, and disease severity., Conclusion: Depression and anxiety symptoms are common in patients with MSA. Neurologists should pay attention to depression and anxiety in patients with MSA, especially in female patients and those with longer disease duration and severe disease condition., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Exploring processing chemistry, in particular the chemical transformation mechanisms involved, is a key step to elucidate the scientific basis in traditional processing of herbal medicines. Previously, taking Rehmanniae Radix (RR) as a case study, the holistic chemome (secondary metabolome and glycome) difference between raw and processed RR was revealed by integrating hyphenated chromatographic techniques-based targeted glycomics and untargeted metabolomics. Nevertheless, the complex chemical transformation mechanisms underpinning the holistic chemome variation in RR processing remain to be extensively clarified. As a continuous study, here a novel strategy by combining chemomics-based marker compounds mining and mimetic processing is proposed for further exploring the chemical mechanisms involved in herbal processing. First, the differential marker compounds between raw and processed herbs were rapidly discovered by untargeted chemomics-based mining approach through multivariate statistical analysis of the chemome data obtained by integrated metabolomics and glycomics analysis. Second, the marker compounds were mimetically processed under the simulated physicochemical conditions as in the herb processing, and the final reaction products were chemically characterized by targeted chemomics-based mining approach. Third, the main chemical transformation mechanisms involved were clarified by linking up the original marker compounds and their mimetic processing products. Using this strategy, a set of differential marker compounds including saccharides, glycosides and furfurals in raw and processed RR was rapidly found, and the major chemical mechanisms involved in RR processing were elucidated as stepwise transformations of saccharides (polysaccharides, oligosaccharides and monosaccharides) and glycosides (iridoid glycosides and phenethylalcohol glycosides) into furfurals (glycosylated/non-glycosylated hydroxymethylfurfurals) by deglycosylation and/or dehydration. The research deliverables indicated that the proposed strategy could advance the understanding of RR processing chemistry, and therefore may be considered a promising approach for delving into the scientific basis in traditional processing of herbal medicines., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of small non-coding RNAs (approximately 21-23 nt long) that can target genes for either degradation of mRNA or inhibition of translation. miRNAs have not been comprehensively studied in human epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC). MicroRNA-630 (miR-630) has been frequently observed to be aberrantly expressed in various types of tumors. The present study explored the functions of miR-630 in the proliferation, apoptosis, chemosensitivity, and invasion of EOC. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction, we detected the miR-630 expression in cancerous, benign, and normal human ovarian tissues. Then, we evaluated the role of miR-630 in cell proliferation, chemosensitivity, apoptosis, and invasion by using the Cell Counting Kit-8, Annexin-V/FITC, and transwell assay on A2780 and SKOV3 cells. Western blotting was performed for analyzing the phosphatase and tensin homolog gene (PTEN) protein expression. The miR-630 expression level was higher in ovarian cancerous tissues than in benign and normal ovarian tissues. Decreased expression of miR-630 suppressed EOC cells' proliferation, migration, and invasion as well as significantly enhanced cell apoptosis and chemosensitivity to cisplatin. Furthermore, PTEN expression was increased in A2780 cells transfected by miR-630 inhibitor in comparison with inhibitor-negative control-transfected cells. In conclusion, downregulation of miR-630 dramatically increased apoptotic cell death chemosensitivity to cisplatin and decreased the proliferation, invasion, and migration of EOC cells. MiR-630 may thus play an important role in the biological behaviors of EOC cells through negative control of the PTEN expression.

Objective: To research the optimal conditions for the callus induction of anther culture and the plant regeneration of Angelica dahurica var. formosana., Method: Callus was induced from the anther of A. dahurica from Sichuan province on a MS medium. The effects of callus induction and plant regeneration of different pretreatment hours under low temperature (4 degrees C), different culturing conditions under darkness and illumination, and different culture with different hormone contents and ratios were studied., Result: The results showed that A. dahurica anthers without low temperature pretreatment reached the highest induction rate then under the pretreatment under low temperature (4 degrees C) for two days. The optimal culturing condition was under the darkness. The culturing efficiency reached 38.89% on the medium of MS + 2.0 mg x L(-1) 2,4-D + 1.0 mg x L(-1) 6-BA. The optimum medium for differentiate anther callus was MS + 0.5 mg x L(-1) NAA + 1.5 mg x L(-1) KT + 10 mg x L(-1) AgNO3. 1/2MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg x L(-1) IBA could well promote seedings to take roots., Conclusion: An efficient system for callus induction of anther culture and plant regeneration of A. dahurica was preliminarily established.

Objective: To establish a rabbit model of abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) induced by prolonged intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and evaluate the therapeutic effect of somatostatin on ACS., Methods: Twelve New Zealand rabbits were randomized equally into normal saline (NS) group and somatostatin group. ACS model was established by intra-abdominal bleeding (IAB) and intra-abdominal infusion with nitrogen gas to achieve an intra-abdominal pressure of 15 mmHg. The hemodynamics (SP, HR, CVP), hepatic function (ALT), renal function (BUN), antioxidation level (SOD, MDA) and blood electrolyte level (pH, [Na(+)], [Cl(-)], [CaNa(2+)], [KNa(+)]) of the rabbits were recorded 1-6 h after establishment of IAH., Results: Prolonged IAH caused decreased hemodynamic functions and antioxidation level as well as hyperkalemia and hypocalcemia (P<0.05), but these changes showed no significant differences between NS group and somatostatin group., Conclusion: Prolonged IAH causes cardiovascular function damages in rabbits possibly related to acidosis, electrolyte disturbances, and oxidative damage due to tissue ischemia and hypoxia. Somatostatin produces no obvious protective effects against the occurrence and progression of ACS.

Houttuynia cordata is one of the most potential medicinal and edible wild herb whose resources have decreased sharply due to excessive exploitation. Besides its slow agamic propagation, problems of browning and non-dedifferentiation have prevented the application of micropropagation in H. cordata. Through 4 week pre-culture in darkness and wounding after 1 week pre-culture, the browning rate of leaf explants decreased significantly and resulted in efficient regeneration (20.64 +/- 5.94 adventitious buds per explant) on the induction medium. The protocol shall facilitate conservation and commercial cultivation of the endangered species.

Houttuynia cordata Thunb. is an edible herb with a variety of pharmacological activities, but only limited information is available about its response towards potassium supplementation. Sterile plantlets were cultured in media with different potassium levels, and parameters related to growth, foliar potassium, water and chlorophyll contents, photosynthesis, transpiration, H 2 O 2 contents and antioxidative enzyme activities were determined after a month. Results showed that 1.28 mM potassium was the optimum for H. cordata as highest values of dry weight, shoot height, root length and number were obtained at this concentration. The optimum potassium concentration resulted in the maximum net photosynthetic rate which could be associated with the highest chlorophyll content rather than limited stomatal conductance. The supply of surplus potassium resulted in higher content of foliar potassium, but negatively correlated with the biomass. Both potassium starvation (0 mM) and high potassium (>1.28 mM) could lead to water loss through high transpiration rate and low water absorption, respectively, and resulted in H 2 O 2 accumulation and increased activities of catalase and peroxidase, which suggested induction of oxidative stress. Moreover, H. cordata showed the minimum of H 2 O 2 content and the maximum of superoxide dismutase activity on 1.28 mM potassium, implying its role in inducing tolerance against oxidative stress., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We present the first characterization of 360 sequences in six species of the genus Secale of both cultivated and wild accessions. These include four distinct kinds of dispersed repetitive DNA sequences named pSc20H, pSc119.1, pSaO5(411), and pSaD15(940) belonging to the Revolver family. During the evolution of the genus Secale from wild to cultivated accessions, the pSaO5(411)-like sequences became shorter mainly because of the deletion of a trinucleotide tandem repeating unit, the pSc20H-like sequences displayed apparent homogenization in cultivated rye, and the second intron of Revolver became longer. In addition, the pSc20H-, pSc119.1-, and pSaO5(411)-like sequences cloned from wild rye and cultivated rye could be divided into two large clades. No single case of the four kinds of repetitive elements has been inherited by each Secale accession from a lone ancestor. It is reasonable to consider the vertical transmission of the four repetitive elements during the evolution of the genus Secale. The pSc20H- and pSaO5(411)-like sequences showed evolutionary elimination at specific chromosomal locations from wild species to cultivated species. These cases imply that different repetitive DNA sequences have played different roles in the chromosome development and genomic evolution of rye. The present study adds important information to the investigations dealing with characterization of dispersed repetitive elements in wild and cultivated rye.

Eleven weedy or wild species or subspecies of the genus Secale L. were compared with a set of cultivated rye accessions, based on inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers to analyze their phylogenetic relationships. A total of 846 bands were amplified from reactions using 12 screening primers, including 79 loci with a mean of 10.1 alleles per locus. The number of amplified bands for each primer ranged from 12 to 134, with a mean of 70.5 amplified bands per primer. The presence and distribution of amplified bands in different accessions demonstrate that a rapid evolutionary trend of microsatellite repeats occurred during the speciation process from the perennial wild form to annual cultivated rye. In addition, variation, amplification, and deletion of microsatellites in genomes revealed phylogenetic relationships in the genus Secale. Analysis of the presence, number, and distribution of amplified bands in genomes, as well as the comparison with genetic similarity (GS) indices based on ISSR, indicate that Secale strictum subsp. africanum (Stapf) Hammer, Secale strictum anatolicum (Boiss.) Hammer, Secale sylvestre Host, and Secale strictum subsp. strictum (C. Presl) Hammer emerged in succession from a common ancestor of Secale following geographic separation and genetic differentiation. The annual weedy rye evolved from S. strictum subsp. strictum, which was domesticated as present-day cultivated rye. Data from ISSR analyses separated all investigated accessions of the genus Secale into three distinct groups. These results support the division of the genus Secale into three species: the annual wild species S. sylvestre; the perennial wild species S. strictum, including several differential subspecies forms such as strictum, africanum, and anatolicum; and S. cereale, including cultivated and weedy rye as subspecies forms.

Objective: To investigate the effect of negative charge aerosol (NCA) on the treatment of burn wound., Methods: Patients with superficial or deep partial thickness burn only were enrolled in the study, and they were randomly divided into trial group (T, including 180 cases of superficial thickness burn and 100 cases of deep partial thickness burn), control group (C, including 30 cases with superficial thickness burn and 30 with deep partial thickness burn), and self control group (SC, including 10 cases with superficial thickness burn and 10 with deep partial thickness burn). The patients in T and SC groups were treated with NCA for 1.5 hours, 1-2 times a day, from 6 postburn hour (PBH) to 2 postburn day (PBD), while those in C group received conventional treatment. For those in SC group, some of the wounds were covered with sterile schissel, while other wounds without schissel covering. The general changes in the wounds during NCA treatment were observed, and bacterial culture before and after NCA treatment was performed. The healing time was recorded and the blood biochemical parameters were determined. Rat model with deep partial thickness scald was established, and the rats were also divided into T and C groups, and received treatment as in human. Tissue samples were harvested from the wounds of rats in the 2 groups before and 1, 2, 3 weeks after treatment for pathological examination., Results: There was no infection and little exudation in the patients in T group. No bacteria were found in the wound before and after NCA treatment. The healing time of the wounds of patients with superficial and deep partial thickness burn in T group was 6.3 +/- 1.6 d and 15.1 +/- 3.1 d, respectively, which was obviously shorter than those in C group (11.3 +/- 1.4 d and 21.2 +/- 1.4 d, P < 0.01). In SC group, the healing time of those with sterile schissel coverage was also significantly shorter than those without covering (P < 0.01). There was no obvious change in the liver and kidney functions and blood biochemical parameters among the patients. Pathological examination showed that the skin structure was almost recovered in the rats in T group 3 weeks after treatment, while those in C group was not., Conclusion: Negative charge aerosol is safe and effective in promoting wound healing of the patients with partial thickness burns.

Objective: To study the clinical value of laparoscopy in the detection and treatment of closed abdominal trauma., Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted in 39 patients with closed abdominal trauma detected and treated laparoscopically., Results: All the injuries were successfully diagnosed with laparoscopy, and surgical treatment was performed under laparoscope or with the assistance of laparoscopy in 35 cases, with the other 4 cases requiring conventional laparotomy. All the patients recovered smoothly without operative complications., Conclusions: Laparoscopy may reach definite diagnosis with avoidance of negative exploratory laparotomy, and laparoscopic surgery is possible to replace conventional therapeutic laparotomy for these injuries. With minimum invasion and small incisions, laparoscopy facilitates rapid postoperative recovery at the minimal risk of operative injuries.

Objective: To explore the characteristics and clinical significance of positron emission tomography (PET) examination for malignant lymphoma., Methods: PET examination was performed in 20 patients with malignant lymphoma, among whom 16 also received examination by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)., Results: PET was found to have better diagnostic efficiency than CT or MRI examination and the former provided referential information in all the cases for estimation of the clinical stage, while CT and MRI were helpful in only 66.7% of the cases. FDG uptake as demonstrated by PET helped the assessment of the malignancies and prognosis, according to which treatment adjustment was implemented in 20 cases, resulting in a efficacy rate of 85.7%., Conclusion: By integrating morphological and metabolic observations, PET is a superior diagnostic modality in terms of systemic identification, early detection, quantitative analysis, evaluating metabolic function of lesion monitoring therapeutic effect and making prognostic assessment of malignant lymphoma. In spite of the safety of PET examination, false positive results were not eliminated and blood sugar in patients with diabetes might be transiently affected by the tracing agents.