SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the risk factors of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in premature infants and the clinical application value of lung ultrasound in the diagnosis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. METHODS: A total of 80 premature infants with a gestational age of <32 weeks or a birth weight of <1,500 g who were treated in our hospital from January to August 2021 were randomly divided into a bronchopulmonary dysplasia group (n=12) and a non-bronchopulmonary dysplasia group (n=62). The clinical data, lung ultrasound, and X-ray image characteristics of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: Among the 74 preterm infants, 12 preterm infants were diagnosed with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and 62 preterm infants were determined not to have bronchopulmonary dysplasia. There were significant differences in sex, severe asphyxia, invasive mechanical ventilation, premature membrane ruptures, and intrauterine infection between the two groups (p<0.05). Lung ultrasound showed abnormal pleural lines and alveolar-interstitial syndrome in all 12 patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia and vesicle inflatable signs in 3 patients. Before clinical diagnosis, the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of lung ultrasound in the diagnosis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia were 98.65, 100, 98.39, 92.31, and 100%, respectively. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of X-rays in the diagnosis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia were 85.14, 75.00, 87.10, 52.94, and 94.74%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic efficiency of lung ultrasound for premature bronchopulmonary dysplasia is better than that of X-rays. The application of lung ultrasound can screen patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia early for timely intervention.

Abstract Background Drought stress has significantly hampered agricultural productivity worldwide and can also result in modifications to DNA methylation levels. However, the dynamics of DNA methylation and its association with the changes in gene transcription and alternative splicing (AS) under drought stress are unknown in linseed, which is frequently cultivated in arid and semiarid regions. Results We analysed AS events and DNA methylation patterns in drought-tolerant (Z141) and drought-sensitive (NY-17) linseed under drought stress (DS) and repeated drought stress (RD) treatments. We found that the number of intron-retention (IR) and alternative 3’ splice site (Alt3’SS) events were significantly higher in Z141 and NY-17 under drought stress. We found that the linseed response to the DS treatment was mainly regulated by transcription, while the response to the RD treatment was coregulated by transcription and AS. Whole genome-wide DNA methylation analysis revealed that drought stress caused an increase in the overall methylation level of linseed. Although we did not observe any correlation between differentially methylated genes (DMGs) and differentially spliced genes (DSGs) in this study, we found that the DSGs whose gene body region was hypermethylated in Z141 and hypomethylated in NY-17 were enriched in abiotic stress response Gene Ontology (GO) terms. This finding implies that gene body methylation plays an important role in AS regulation in some specific genes. Conclusion Our study is the first comprehensive genome-wide analysis of the relationship between linseed methylation changes and AS under drought and repeated drought stress. Our study revealed different interaction patterns between differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and DSGs under DS and RD treatments and differences between methylation and AS regulation in drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive linseed varieties. The findings will probably be of interest in the future. Our results provide interesting insights into the association between gene expression, AS, and DNA methylation in linseed under drought stress. Differences in these associations may account for the differences in linseed drought tolerance.

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to assess the effect of Suanzaoren decoction on stress response of horses in transportation. A total of six male Ili horses were equally divided into Suanzaoren decoction treatment group (n = 3; basal diet supplemented with Suanzaoren decoction, three times/day) and control group (n = 3; basal diet, three times/day). After feeding for five days, all horses were transported for 8 h to simulate stress. Blood and serum samples were obtained before transport (BT), during transport (T), and after transport (AT). Results showed that there was significant interaction between road transport and dietary Suanzaoren decoction supplementation for the white blood cells (WBC), intermediate cell ratio (MID%), granulocyte ratio (GRAN%), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), glucose (GLU), aspartate transaminase (AST), creatine (CK), cortisol (COR), human growth hormone (HGH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and arginine vasopressin content, insulin (INS), and thyronine 4 (T4) in blood and serum. The highest WBC was found in T group. The highest GRAN%, ALT, GLU, AST, CK, T4, ACTH, and INS contents were observed in serum from AT groups, which was decreased by treatment. In conclusion, dietary Suanzaoren decoction supplementation did relieve horse transportation stress. This study provides a useful clinical therapy for relieving transportation stress of horses.

Abstract Objective To compare the efficacy and safety between baricitinib (BARI) and tofacitinib (TOFA) for the treatment of the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients receiving methotrexate (MTX) in clinical practice. Methods This retrospective study recruited 179 RA patients treated with BARI (2–4 mg/d) or TOFA (10 mg/d) at The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from September 2019 to January 2022. The rate of low disease activity (LDA) was used as the primary end point. Secondary end points included the Disease Activity Scale-28 (DAS-28)-C-reactive protein (CRP); the rate of DAS28-CRP remission; visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, swollen joint, and tender joint counts; and adverse events at the 6-month follow-up. Several factors affecting LDA achievement were also analyzed. Results Seventy-four patients were treated with BARI and 105 were treated with TOFA, including 83.24% females, with a median (IQR) age of 56.0 (53.0–56.0) years old and disease duration of 12.0 (6.0–12.0) months. There was no difference of the rate of LDA between the BARI and TOFA treatment groups. All disease indices in the two groups were significantly improved, including a significantly lower VAS in the BARI group (P < 0.05), reflecting the drug efficacy after 1 and 6 months of treatment. The incidence of adverse reactions was similar in these two groups. Conclusion The treatment efficacy and safety of BARI and TOFA in the RA patients were similar, but BARI was more effective in pain relief than TOFA. An older baseline age was more likely to achieve LDA in the BARI group, while a low baseline erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was more likely to achieve LDA in the TOFA group.

Abstract This study aimed to compare the effects of diet and exercise of different intensities on antioxidant function, aortic endothelial cell function and serum lipids in NAFLD (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease) rats. Fifty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (180-220g) were randomly divided into two experimental groups and fed either a standard rodent chow diet (CON; n=10) or a high-fat diet (HFD; n=40). After 16 weeks, the animals that received the HFD were randomly separated into a high-fat control group (HFC; n=10) or three exercise training groups: HFD and low-intensity exercise (LE; n=10), HFD and moderate-intensity exercise (ME; n=10), and HFD and incremental intensity exercise (IE; n=10). These experimental rats keep sedentary or trained for the next six weeks. A detection kit was used to detect nitric oxide synthase (NOs), nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA) and other markers of aortic oxidative stress. The expression levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (e-NOS) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were detected by immunohistochemistry. TC, TG, and other lipid metabolism parameters were detected by an automatic analyzer. Exercise with different intensities could improve lipid metabolism, enhance antioxidant function, reduce MDA (P<0.01), increase NO (P<0.01), and improve the expression of e-NOS and ET-1 (P<0.01) protein levels in NAFLD rats. Decreased blood lipids were exhibited in all exercise groups. Notably, the moderate-intensity exercise demonstrated more effect on increasing glutathione (GSH) contents (P<0.01) and decreased the expression of ET-1 protein levels (P<0.01). The results showed that exercise at different intensities improved lipid metabolism and enhanced anti-oxidation function. Moderate exercise could improve the function of aortic endothelial cells.

Resumen Este estudio tuvo como objetivo comparar los efectos de la dieta y el ejercicio a diferentes intensidades sobre la función antioxidante, la función de las células endoteliales aórticas y los lípidos séricos en ratas NAFLD (con enfermedad del hígado graso no alcohólico) y alimentados con una dieta estándar para roedores (CON; n = 10) o con una dieta alta en grasas (HFD; n = 40). Después de 16 semanas, los animales que recibieron HFD se separaron aleatoriamente en un grupo de control alto en grasas (HFC; n=10) o tres grupos de entrenamiento físico: HFD y ejercicio de baja intensidad (LE; n=10), HFD y ejercicio de intensidad moderada (ME; n=10), y HFD y ejercicio de intensidad incremental (IE; n=10). Estas ratas experimentales se mantuvieron sedentarias o entrenadas durante las próximas seis semanas. Se utilizó un kit de detección para determinar óxido nítrico sintetasa (NO), óxido nítrico (NO), malondialdehído (MDA) y otros marcadores de estrés oxidativo aórtico. Los niveles de expresión de la óxido nítrico sintetasa endotelial (e-NOS) y endotelina-1 (ET-1) se detectaron mediante inmunohistoquímica. El analizador automático detectó TC, TG y otros parámetros del metabolismo de los lípidos. El ejercicio con diferente intensidad mejoró el metabolismo de los lípidos, mejoró la función antioxidante, redujo la MDA (P <0,01), aumentó el NO (P <0,01) y mejoró la expresión de los niveles de proteína e-NOS y ET-1 (P <0,01) en ratas NAFLD. Se observó una disminución de los lípidos en sangre en todos los grupos de ejercicio. En particular, el ejercicio de intensidad moderada demostró un mayor efecto en el aumento del contenido de glutatión (GSH) (P<0,01) y disminuyó la expresión de los niveles de proteína ET-1 (P<0,01). Los resultados mostraron que el ejercicio a diferentes intensidades mejoró el metabolismo de los lípidos y mejoró función antioxidante. El ejercicio moderado podría mejorar la función de las células endoteliales aórticas.

Abstract The AMC-HN-8 cell line and the primary human laryngeal epithelial cell lines were utilized in this work to explore the molecular mechanism of miR-548-3p regulating the gene DAG1 to induce the occurrence and malignant transformation of laryngeal carcinoma. Non-coding RNA miR-548- 3p overexpression plasmid, interference plasmid and blank plasmid were constructed, and the plasmids were transfected into AMC-HN-8 cells, respectively. Meanwhile, a non-transfected plasmid group and a human laryngeal epithelial primary cell group were set up. Five groups of cells were named as NC (Normal control), Model, Ov-miR-548-3p, Sh-miR-548-3p and Blank-plasmid group. The luciferase reporter experiment was used to analyze the regulation characteristics of hsa-miR-548-3p on dystrophin-associated glycoprotein 1 (DAG1). Immunofluorescence was used to analyze the relative expression characteristics of the protein DAG1. The cell cloning experiment was used to analyze the proliferation characteristics of AMC-HN-8. The scratch healing test was used to analyze the migration ability of AMC-HN-8. The transwell test was used to analyze the invasion ability of AMC-HN-8. The RT-PCR was used to analyze the expression level of miR-548-3p. Western blot experiments were used to analyze the expression of protein DAG1, laminin α2 (LAMA2) and utrophin (UTRN). The luciferase report experiment and immunofluorescence test found that the expression of DAG1 and miR-548-3p are positively correlated. Cell cloning, scratching and migration experiments identified that the activity of laryngeal cancer cells was positively correlated with the expression of DAG1. The results of Western blot analysis further strengthened the above conclusions. Through carrying out research on the cellular levels, our work has demonstrated that miR-548-3p regulated the content of protein DAG1, and then further induced malignant transformation of laryngeal carcinoma.

Resumen En este trabajo se utilizaron la línea celular AMC-HN-8 y la línea celular epitelial laríngea humana primaria, para explorar el mecanismo molecular regulador del miR-548-3p sobre el gen DAG1 para inducir la aparición y la transformación maligna del carcinoma laríngeo. Se construyeron el plásmido de sobreexpresión de miR-548-3p de ARN no codificante, el plásmido de interferencia y el plásmido en blanco, y los plásmidos se transfectaron en células AMCHN-8 respectivamente. Mientras tanto, se establecieron un grupo de plásmidos no transfectados y un grupo de células primarias epiteliales laríngeas humanas. Se nombraron cinco grupos de células como NC (control normal), modelo, OvmiR-548-3p, Sh-miR-548-3p y grupo de plásmido en blanco. El experimento indicador de luciferasa se utilizó para analizar las características de regulación de hsa-miR-548-3p en la glicoproteína 1 asociada a distrofina (DAG1). Se utilizó inmunofluorescencia para analizar las características de expresión relativa de la proteína DAG1. El experimento de clonación celular se utilizó para analizar las características de proliferación de AMC-HN-8. Se utilizó la prueba de cicatrización por rascado para analizar la capacidad de migración de AMC-HN-8. La prueba de transwell se utilizó para analizar la capacidad de invasión de AMCHN-8. Se utilizó RT-PCR para analizar el nivel de expresión de miR-548-3p. Se usó un experimento de transferencia Western (Western blot) para analizar las expresiones de la proteína DAG1, laminina α2 (LAMA2) y utrofina (UTRN). El experimento de reporte de luciferasa y la prueba de inmunofluorescencia encontraron que la expresión de DAG1 y miR-548-3p están positivamente correlacionadas. Los experimentos de clonación celular, rascado y migración, identificaron que la actividad de las células cancerosas de laringe se correlacionó positivamente con la expresión de DAG1. Los resultados del análisis de transferencia Western fortalecieron aún más las conclusiones anteriores. A través de la investigación a nivel celular, nuestro proyecto ha demostrado que miR-548-3p regula el contenido de la proteína DAG1 y luego induce la transformación maligna del carcinoma de laringe.

Abstract This study aimed to explore the effects and mechanism of circ 0006282 in Diabetic nephropathy (DN) in vitro and in vivo. 6-week-old male db/db mice were induced by intraperitoneal (I.P) injection of STZ (50 mg/kg, S0130, Sigma, St. Louis, MO, USA) for five consecutive days. HK-2 cells was incubated with high glucose for vitro model. Western blotting, immunostaining, and biochemical assays were used to obtain that inflammatory factor and protein expressions. The current study demonstrated that the serum circ 0006282 expression were reduced, and serum miR-155 expression in patients with DN were increased. Circ 0006282 reduced inflammation in kidney cell by high glucose. MiR-155 promoted inflammation in kidney cell by high glucose. Circ 0006282 reduced inflammation via activation of SIRT1/NLRP3 signaling pathway by suppression of miR-155 expression. MiR-155 regulated the anti-inflammation effects of circ 0006282 on inflammation in kidney cell by high glucose by SIRT1/NLRP3 signaling pathway. Taken together, these results suggest that circ 0006282 may represent promising strategy for the therapy of DN.

Abstract To investigate the effect of licorice on anti-liver fibrosis actions, we present systematic review and meta-analysis via systematic literature between 2010 and 2020 from the electronic databases, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, ISI. A software program (Endnote X8) has been utilized for managing the electronic titles. Searches were performed with mesh terms. Mean differences between two groups (Glycyrrhizic acid and control group) with 95% confidence interval (CI), fixed effect model and Inverse-variance method were calculated. Random effects were used to deal with potential heterogeneity and I2 showed heterogeneity. The Meta analysis and forest plots have been evaluated with the Stata V16. A total of 184 potentially relevant titles and abstracts were found during the electronic and manual search. Finally, a total of four publications fulfilled the inclusion criteria required for this systematic review. TGF-β1 mRNA expression significantly decreased following Glycyrrhizic acid relative to the control group and Glycyrrhizic acid significantly decreased expression of TGF-β1 mRNA, which was about 2.90 times that in the control group. Mean difference between Glycyrrhizic acid and control group was -18.12 U/L (MD, -18.12 U/L 95% CI 30.02 U/L, -6.22 U/L. P = 0.00). Glycyrrhizic acid reduced TGF-β1, Smads mRNAs, hypdroxyproline, alanine aminotransferase.

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of TiO2/N-succinyl-chitosan composite (TiO2/ NSCS) photodynamic therapy (PDT), while considering the effects of various light sources on the activation of photosensitizer. The methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay was used to examine the cell survival rate of the cells. The results showed that glioma cell strain (U251) was the most sensitive cancer cell strain to TiO2/NSCS. When the concentration of TiO2/NSCS was between 0 and 800 μg·mL-1, there was no obvious cytotoxicity to normal liver cells (HL-7702) and U251 cells. During the PDT process, the photokilling effect of TiO2/NSCS on U251 cells under ultraviolet-A (UVA) light irradiation was stronger than that of pure TiO2, and its killing effects were positively correlated with concentration and irradiation time. In addition, both UVA and visible light could excite TiO2/ NSCS, which had significant killing effect on U251 cells. The results of acridine orange/ethidium bromide fluorescent double staining and Annexin V/propidium iodide double staining indicated that TiO2/NSCS under UVA and visible light irradiation could kill U251 cells by inducing apoptosis, and the apoptosis rate of TiO2/NSCS treatment groups was higher than that of TiO2 treatment groups. Therefore, TiO2/NSCS might be used as a potential photosensitizer in PDT.

Abstract This study was to investigate role of miR-34c-3p/Notch2-EMT signal axis in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC). Ten samples of NPC tissues and chronic inflammatory tissues of nasopharynx (CITN) were collected. 133 differentially expressed miRNAs, including 31 down-regulated and 102 up-regulated were identified in NPC tissues. MiR-34c-3p was down-regulated and Notch2 was up-regulated in NPC tissues compared with CITN tissues. MiR-34c-3p was overexpressed in 6-10B cells after transfected with miR-34c-3p mimic, while reduced in 5-8F cells after transfected with miR-34c-3p inhibitor. Notch2 was confirmed as a target gene of miR-34c-3p. miR-34c-3p overexpression in 6-10B cells suppressed, while knockdown in 5-8F cells promoted cell invasion ability. In molecular level, the expression of E-cadherin was increased, while N-cadherin was decreased after miR-34c-3p overexpression in 6-10B cells. Knockdown of miR-34c-3p obviously decreased E-cadherin, but increased N-cadherin expression in 5-8F cells. Targeting Notch2 by miR-34c-3p might be a promising target for NPS treatment.

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the value of next-generation sequencing for the diagnosis of Streptococcus suis meningitis. METHODS: Patients with meningitis in the Department of Neurology of the Hainan General Hospital were recruited and divided into a next-generation sequencing group and a control group. In the next-generation sequencing group, we used the next-generation sequencing method to detect the specific pathogenic bacteria in the patients. In the control group, we used the cerebrospinal fluid bacterial culture method to detect the specific pathogenic bacteria in the patients. RESULTS: A total of 28 participants were recruited for this study, with 14 participants in each group. The results showed similarities in both the average age and average course of the disease between the two groups (p>0.05). The white blood cell count, percentage of neutrophils, and level of C-reactive protein in the next-generation sequencing group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p<0.05). There were similarities in both the temperature and intracranial pressure between the two groups (p>0.05). In the next-generation sequencing group, all patients (100%) were detected as having had the S. suis meningitis infection by next-generation sequencing, while only 6 (43%) patients in the control group had been detected as having the S. suis meningitis infection by cerebrospinal fluid bacterial culture. CONCLUSIONS: The positive detection rate of S. suis by the next-generation sequencing method was significantly higher compared with using a cerebrospinal fluid bacterial culture. Therefore, the next-generation sequencing method is valuable for the diagnosis of S. suis meningitis and is worthy of clinical application.

Abstract Hordeum californicum (H. californicum, 2n=2X=14, HcHc), one of the wild relatives of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), harbors many desirable genes and is a potential genetic resource for wheat improvement. In this study, an elite line ND646 was selected from a BC4F5 population, which was developed using 60Co-γ irradiated wheat-H. californicum disomic addition line WJ28-1 (DA6Hc) as the donor parent and Ningchun 4 as the recurrent parent. ND646 was identified as a novel wheat-H. californicum 6HcS/6BL translocation line using genomic in situ hybridization (GISH), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and H. californicum-specific expressed sequence tag (EST) markers. Further evaluation revealed that ND646 had excellent performance in several traits, such as a higher sedimentation value (SV), higher water absorption rate (WAR), and higher hardness index (HI). More importantly, it had more kernels per spike (KPS), a higher grain yields (GY), and good resistance to powdery mildew, leaf rust, and 2,4-D butylate (2,4-D). Its excellent phenotypic performance laid the foundation for further investigation of its genetic architecture and makes ND646 a useful germplasm resource for wheat breeding.

OBJECTIVES: This study explored the clinical efficacy of VitalStim electrical stimulation combined with swallowing function training for patients with dysphagia following an acute stroke. METHODS: Seventy-two patients with dysphagia following an acute stroke were admitted to our hospital and were further divided into two groups using prospective research methods. There were 36 cases in each group according to the random number table method. The control group received conventional medical treatment and swallowing function training while the experimental group received conventional medical treatment and VitalStim electrical stimulation combined with swallowing function training. RESULTS: The overall response rate of the experimental group (94.44%) was higher than that of the control group (77.78%), and the difference was statistically significant (p<0.05). Compared with before treatment, the upward and forward movement speeds of the hyoid bone, anterior movement speed, the grading score of the Kubota drinking water test, Caiteng’s grading score, serum superoxide dismutase, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and norepinephrine levels, Fugl-Meyer Assessment score, and multiple quality of life scores of the two groups showed improvement after treatment. While the standard swallowing assessment score, serum malondialdehyde level, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score decreased, the aforementioned indices showed a significant improvement in the experimental group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that VitalStim electrical stimulation combined with swallowing function is effective for treating dysphagia following an acute stroke. It can effectively improve swallowing, neurological, and limb motor functions, reduce complications, promote physical recovery, and improve overall quality of life of patients.

The current study found that high Zeste White 10 interactor (ZWINT) expression is related to the poor prognosis of patients with a variety of cancers. This study mainly explored the relationship between the expression level of ZWINT and the prognosis of patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Briefly, four English databases and two high-throughput sequencing databases were searched and relevant data for meta-analysis were extracted. Pooled mean difference and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to assess the relationships between clinical features and the expression of ZWINT. Pooled hazard ratio and 95% CI were also used to assess the relationships between clinical features and the expression level of ZWINT. This meta-analysis was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021249475). A total of 16 high-quality datasets comprising 2,847 LUAD patients were included in this study. Higher ZWINT expression levels were found in patients younger than 65 years, males, and smokers, and were correlated with advanced TNM stages and poor prognosis. Notably, there was no publication bias in this meta-analysis. Overall, our findings indicate that ZWINT is a potential biomarker for poor prognosis and clinicopathological outcomes of patients with LUAD.

Abstract As the main signal for the maternal recognition in ruminants, interferon-tau (IFNT) stimulates expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) in uterus and many extrauterine tissues. However, it is unclear that early pregnancy induces expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), myxovirusresistance 1 (Mx1), interferon-gamma-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) and ubiquitin activating enzyme E1-like protein (UBE1L) in maternal thymus. In this study, ovine thymuses were sampled on day 16 of the estrous cycle and on days 13, 16 and 25 of gestation, and the expression of STAT1, Mx1, IP-10 and UBE1L was detected by real-time quantitative PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. The results revealed that the expression of STAT1 and IP-10 reached peaks on day 16 of pregnancy, and expression of Mx1 was enhanced on day 25 of pregnancy, and STAT1 protein was located in the epithelial reticular cells, capillaries and thymic corpuscles. However, expression of UBE1L was declined during early pregnancy. In conclusion, early pregnancy influences expression of STAT1, Mx1, IP-10 and UBE1L in maternal thymus, which may participate in regulation of maternal immune tolerance during early pregnancy in sheep.