Natural deep eutectic solvents as tailored and sustainable media for the extraction of five compounds from compound liquorice tablets and their comparison with conventional organic solvents

An efficient and environmentally friendly ultrasound-assisted (UAE) natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) extraction method was applied for the extraction of five bioactive compounds (liquiritin, isoliquiritin, liquiritigenin, glycyrrhizic acid and isoliquiritigenin) from compound liquorice tablets (CPLTs), and the antioxidant activities of these compounds were evaluated. In this study, eighteen different NADES systems based on either two or three components were tested and a 1,4-butanediol–levulinic acid system (1 : 3 molar ratio) was selected as a topgallant solvent for maximizing analyte extraction yields. Various extraction parameters, such as water content, liquid/solid ratio, extraction time and temperature, were systematically optimized by single-factor and response surface methodology (RSM) experiments. The results indicated that the optimum extraction conditions for the analytes featured a water content of 17%, a liquid/solid ratio of 42 mL g⁻¹ and an extraction time of 30 min. The extracted amounts of liquiritin, isoliquiritin, liquiritigenin, glycyrrhizic acid and isoliquiritigenin reached 5.60, 3.17, 1.27, 74.62 and 1.34 mg g⁻¹, respectively, under optimized conditions, which were much higher than those extracted using conventional organic solvents. In addition, antioxidant tests revealed that the NADES extracts showed higher DPPH and hydroxyl radical-scavenging capacity than the conventional solvent extracts used for comparison. This study provides a suitable approach for efficiently extracting the bioactive compounds of CPLTs. Meanwhile, NADESs can be extended to other natural products as green extraction media.

A 1,4-butanediol–levulinic acid system was selected as a topgallant solvent and extraction parameters were optimized. NADES extracts exhibited higher extraction efficiency and in vitro antioxidant activities than conventional solvent extracts.     

SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain radio-probe: a non-invasive approach for angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 mapping in mice

The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 interacts with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) of human respiratory epithelial cells, which leads to infection. Furthermore, low-dose radiation has been found to reduce inflammation and aid the curing of COVID-19. The receptor binding domain (RBD), a recombinant spike protein with a His tag at the C-terminus, binds to ACE2 in human body. We thus constructed a radioiodinated RBD as a molecule-targeted probe to non-invasively explore ACE2 expression in vivo, and to investigate radiotherapy pathway for inhibiting ACE2. RBD was labeled with [¹²⁴I]NaI using an N-bromosuccinimide (NBS)-mediated method, and ¹²⁴I-RBD was obtained after purification with a specific activity of 28.9 GBq/nmol. Its radiochemical purity was (RCP) over 90% in saline for 5 days. The dissociation constant of ¹²⁴I-RBD binding to hACE2 was 75.7 nM. The uptake of ¹²⁴I-RBD by HeLa^ACE+ cells at 2 h was 2.96% ± 0.35%, which could be substantially blocked by an excessive amount of RBD, and drop to 1.71% ± 0.23%. In BALB/c mice, the biodistribution of ¹²⁴I-RBD after intravenous injection showed a moderate metabolism rate, and its 24 h-post injection (p.i.) organ distribution was similar to the expression profile in body. Micro-PET imaging of mice after intrapulmonary injection showed high uptake of lung at 1, 4, 24 h p.i.. In conclusion, the experimental results demonstrate the potential of ¹²⁴I-RBD as a novel targeted molecular probe for COVID-19. This probe may be used for non-invasive ACE2 mapping in mammals.     

中医导引研究综述

导引是中医临床常用方法之一,在防治疾病和养生康复方面发挥着重要作用。就中医导引的文献研究、临床研究、基础研究和历史研究做一综述,梳理其发展现状。     

RNA干扰抑制BUB1基因表达对染色体分离的影响

目的：研究 BUB1基因表达调控对染色体分离的影响。方法：用定量 RT-PCR 比较 RNA 干扰前后的胚胎细胞内源性基因 BUB1的 mRNA 水平,同时对染色体数目异常率进行比较分析。结果：干扰后 BUB1基因 mRNA 拷贝数/GAPDH 基因 mRNA 拷贝数的均值为干扰前的21．80%,染色体数目异常率均值由干扰前 5．02%上升到29．61%。经统计分析,RNA 干扰前后 BUB1基因 mRNA 水平和染色体数目异常率有显著差异。结论：BUB1基因表达的降低会导致染色体分离的异常,本研究为染色体分离相关蛋白功能研究建立了新的研究手段和实验评价体系。     

基因突变与转移性肾透明细胞癌患者VEGF靶向治疗预后的关系

目的 基于全外显子测序技术筛选肾透明细胞癌高频率突变基因,分析其与患者血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)靶向治疗预后的关系.方法 选取我院拟接受舒尼替尼或索拉非尼治疗的15例转移性肾透明细胞癌患者的肿瘤石蜡组织切片,进行全外显子测序.纳入TCGA数据库中5例符合入组标准的患者,共计20例.分析各基因突变和患者预后的关系,利用...     

儿童结肠镜术前肠道准备质量的影响因素

目的评估行结肠镜检查术前患儿的肠道准备质量,并探讨其影响因素。方法前瞻性纳入2017年8月1日至2018年3月31日期间行结肠镜检查术的患儿198例。根据Boston肠道准备评分量表(The Boston Bowel Preparation Scale,BBPS)进行肠道准备质量评价,并收集患儿一般资料、肠道准备过程相关情况;采用有序logistic回归分析肠道准备质量的影响因素。结果纳入的198例患儿中,男116例、女82例;平均年龄(8.70±2.87)岁;总BBPS得分为(7.45±1.31)分。肠道准备清洁程度为优104例(52.5%),良74例(37.4%),差20例(10.1%);发生不良反应90例(45.5%)。清洁度优、良、差三组患儿之间便秘史,服药后大便次数,最后一次大便性状,不良反应,服药前、服药期间、服药后运动的差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。Logistic回归分析发现服药后大便次数少,最后一次大便性状为稀糊状、深黄色或褐色有渣、淡黄水样,服用泻药期间无运动和没有完全服用泻药是降低肠道准备清洁度的独立影响因素(P0.05)。结论临床应早期识别影响肠道准备质量的相关因素,并及时采取相应干预措施,以提高肠道准备质量。     

先天性肛门直肠畸形术后合并便秘患儿排便功能评定及病因探讨

目的便秘是先天性肛门直肠畸形(anorectal malformation,ARM)术后常见的并发症,其病理改变复杂,病因尚不清楚。本研究利用多种客观检查方法对ARM术后便秘患儿肛门直肠功能和神经功能进行评定,并对其病因进行探讨。方法利用同位素排便造影、直肠肛管测压、肌电图和肛门括约肌神经电生理等方法对49例ARM患儿和31例正常儿童的排便功能进行全面、系统和动态的评价,49例ARM患儿根据畸形位置分为中低位组和高位组,每组再根据是否发生便秘分出两个亚组,并对上述测量指标进行统计分析。结果同位素排便造影结果显示,ARM术后便秘组半排时间[中低位:(13.45±8.35)s;高位:(20.59±4.26)s]与术后无便秘组[中低位:(4.69±6.86)s;高位:(7.66±6.38)s]相比明显延长,ARM术后便秘组排空率[中低位:(29.35±14.84)s;高位:(33.00±9.04)s]与术后无便秘组[中低位:(61.70±23.01)s;高位:(60.31±30.38)s]相比明显降低,差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。直肠肛管测压检测结果显示,直肠感觉阈在所有ARM组中均明显高于正常组(P<0.05),ARM便秘组[中低位:(53.57±9.45)mL;高位:(57.50±9.14)mL]高于ARM无便秘组[中低位:(46.32±14.61)mL;高位:(47.27±8.76)mL]。ARM便秘组感觉收缩时间[中低位:(2.79±0.39)s;高位:(3.51±1.93)s]明显长于ARM无便秘组[中低位:(1.97±0.67)s;高位:(2.11±0.43)s],差异具有统计学意义(P<0.05)。肌电图结果显示,反映排便动力的痉挛指数在术后合并便秘组均明显高于未合并便秘组。神经电生理结果显示会阴-肛门反射潜伏期在ARM患儿组均明显延长,其中ARM合并便秘组[中低位:(66.04±16.20)ms;高位:(70.41±17.91)ms]延长更加明显,与ARM无便秘组[中低位:(38.51±16.92)ms;高位:(49.91±9.45)ms]相比存在统计学差异(P<0.05)。结论ARM术后便秘患儿直肠感觉功能和排便动力存在明显异常,其严重程度与支配盆底肌肉的神经功能异常有关。治疗前应进行详细、系统的肛门直肠和神经功能的客观检查,明确排便功能障碍的具体病因和病理改变。     

Clinical features of multiple system atrophy with or without rapid eye movement behavior disorder: a cross-sectional study in southwest China

Clinical Autonomic Research - The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of rapid eye movement behavior disorder (RBD) in Chinese patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA) and to...