The patient’s pathway for breast cancer in the COVID‐19 era: An Italian single‐center experience

COVID‐19 has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. As of April 1, 2020, Italy was the country with the second highest number of cases in the world. The spread of COVID‐19 has required a rapid reorganization of health service delivery in face of the pandemic. Breast cancer units have reprioritized their workload to guarantee the health of oncologic patients at the highest risk and regular screening activities. However, at the end of the pandemic emergency, many benign and reconstructive cases will return to our attention and their surgical treatment will be necessary as soon as possible.     

Immunosuppressive and metabolic agents that influence allo- and xenograft survival by in vivo expansion of T regulatory cells

The transplanted organs or cells survive if the recipient receives adequate long-term immunosuppressive therapy. Immunosuppressive therapy combined with cell-based strategies (eg, regulatory T cell [Treg]-based therapy) promotes graft survival. A combination of Treg-based therapy and minimal or no immunosuppressive drug therapy would have the potential to minimize the risks of the complications and side effects of these drugs. Fortunately, some immunosuppressive and other agents not only impede the effector T cell response, but also help generate new CD4⁺ Tregs from conventional effector T cells. These agents include IL-2, TGF-β, agents that block the CD40/CD40L costimulation pathway, mTOR inhibitors, and histone deacetylase inhibitors. Consequently, a state of relative unresponsiveness to the transplanted organ may be induced through the expansion of Tregs. We here review the effect of these various agents on expansion of CD4⁺ Tregs in allo- and xenotransplantation. The expansion of Tregs might allow a dose reduction of the standard immunosuppressive drugs.     

左、右归丸通过调节AMPK/mTOR通路抑制大鼠股骨成脂化的实验研究

目的基于AMPK/m TOR信号通路初步探讨左、右归丸对绝经后骨质疏松(postmenopausal osteoporsis,PMOP)大鼠成脂分化的调节机制。方法将60只雌性SD大鼠随机分为空白组(KB)、假手术组(SHAM)、模型组(OVX)、左归丸组(ZGW)、右归丸组(YGW)、补佳乐组(BJL)。除KB、SHAM组外,其余大鼠均摘除双侧卵巢,SHAM组大鼠摘除双侧卵巢周围等量脂肪,灌胃12周。应用数字化全身骨密度仪检测大鼠右侧股骨骨密度(bone mineral density,BMD),应用实时荧光定量PCR法检测大鼠右侧股骨PPARγ、AMPK、m TORC1 mRNA的表达,采用Western blot法检测大鼠右侧股骨PPARγ、C/EBPα、C/EBPβ蛋白的表达以及AMPKα、m TOR蛋白磷酸化水平。结果左、右归丸能明显升高PMOP大鼠右侧股骨BMD(P0.01),降低大鼠股骨成脂相关mRNA与蛋白的表达(P0.01或P0.05),降低AMPK mRNA的表达与蛋白磷酸化水平(P0.01),升高m TORC1 mRNA的表达与蛋白磷酸化水平(P0.01或P0.05);与ZGW组相比,YGW组PMOP大鼠右侧股骨BMD没有明显差异(P0.05),股骨成脂分化相关mRNA与蛋白的表达明显升高(P0.01),且AMPK mRNA的表达明显升高(P0.01),m TORC1 mRNA的表达与蛋白磷酸化水平降低(P0.01或P0.05)。结论左、右归丸通过AMPK/m TOR通路改善了PMOP大鼠股骨成脂分化过度,其作用机制可能与调节AMPK、m TOR mRNA的表达与蛋白磷酸化水平有关。     

加味大承气汤活血攻下法治疗肠梗阻的网络药理学研究

目的:基于网络药理学的方法探讨加味大承气汤治疗肠梗阻(Intestinal obstruction)的作用机制。方法:通过中药系统药理学数据库(TCMSP)来获得加味大承气汤所含中药的主要化学成分,并收集其相对应的靶点;肠梗阻的疾病靶点来源于GeneCards、DrugBank、Home-OMIM-NCBI 数据库。使用Draw Venn Diagrams 工具获得交集基因。结合Cytoscape3.7.1 对所得的交集基因进行PPI 分析、GO 与KEGG 通路富集分析。结果:共获得加味大承气汤活性化学成分121 个,药物靶点1478 个;利用GeneCards、DrugBank、Home-OMIM-NCBI 数据库获得疾病靶点147 个;通过Draw VennDiagrams 工具获得交集基因24 个交集基因;通过PPI 蛋白作用网络及网络拓扑分析,EGFR(表皮生长因子受体)在网络连接程度较高;通过GO 富集分析发现:主要参与了对营养水平的反应、平滑肌细胞增殖的调控、平滑肌细胞增殖等生物学过程;通过KEGG 通路富集分析发现:主要涉及PI3K-Akt 信号通路、JAK-STAT 信号通路以及HIF-1 信号通路等。结论:加味大承气汤活血攻下法治疗肠梗阻是多靶点、多途径的,本次研究为进一步研究其作用机制提供依据。     

蓝萼乙素对三阴性乳腺癌 MDA-MB-231细胞增殖、迁移及侵袭的影响

目的:探讨蓝萼乙素对三阴性乳腺癌MDA-MB-231细胞增殖、迁移及侵袭的影响及其作用机制。方法:体外培养人乳腺癌细胞MDA-MB-231,加入不同浓度(0、2、4、8μmol/L)蓝萼乙素干预处理,采用MTT法检测细胞增殖能力;划痕实验考察细胞迁移能力;Transwell小室法考察细胞侵袭能力;Western blotting法检测细胞内p38MAPK、p-p38MAPK、FOXO3a及上皮-间质转化(EMT)相关标志物(E-cadherin、Vimentin及N-cadherin)的表达水平。结果:蓝萼乙素浓度为2、4、8μmol/L时,细胞增殖率分别为(83.2±6.90)%、(70.72±6.53)%、(45.43±7.51)%,较空白对照组[(100.00±7.84)%]降低;细胞侵袭数量分别为(300.54±24.91)、(255.44±23.59)、(208.66±36.18),较空白对照组(368.44±28.32)降低;细胞迁移距离分别为(487.11±53.00)μm、(394.93±61.91)μm、(312.88±35.42)μm,较空白对照组[(559.37±75.77)μm]降低;p-p38MAPK表达量分别为(1.38±0.11)、(1.69±0.13)、(2.23±0.19),较空白对照组(1.00±0.09)增加;FOXO3α表达量分别为(1.40±0.16)、(1.97±0.31)、(2.44±0.26),较空白对照组(1.00±0.18)增加;E-cadherin表达量分别为(1.15±0.11)、(1.77±0.22)、(1.86±0.15),较空白对照组(1.00±0.11)增加;Vimentin表达量分别为(0.86±0.04)、(0.49±0.05)、(0.54±0.04),较空白对照组(1.00±0.04)减少;N-cadherin表达量分别为(0.66±0.07)、(0.58±0.08)、(0.42±0.04),较空白对照组(1.00±0.12)减少,差异均有统计学意义(P 0.05)。结论:蓝萼乙素可通过介导p38MAPK/FOXO3a信号传导有效干扰肿瘤细胞EMT进程,发挥其抑制三阴性乳腺癌细胞增殖、迁移及侵袭的作用。     

补体旁路途径过度活化在恶性高血压肾硬化中的作用

目的研究补体旁路途径(alternative complement pathway)过度活化在恶性高血压肾硬化中的作用。方法(1)选取本院经肾穿刺活检证实为恶性高血压肾硬化患者50例为病例组,零点行肾穿刺活检的供肾者25例为正常对照组,采用酶联免疫吸附法(ELISA)检测血浆及尿液中的补体旁路途径活化起始B因子、正向调节P因子、负向调节H因子及补体活化终末产物C3a、C5a水平。(2)免疫组化法检测补体活化终末产物C5b-9、C4d及凝集素途径活化产物甘露糖结合凝集素(MBL)在肾活检组织的沉积;免疫荧光双染检测C5b-9与CD34(内皮细胞标志物)在小动脉内皮及肾小球毛细血管内皮的沉积。结果(1)恶性高血压肾硬化患者血浆及尿液中补体B因子、P因子、C3a及C5a均高于正常对照组(均P<0.05),而H因子则低于正常对照组(P<0.05)。(2)恶性高血压肾硬化患者血浆中补体P因子与24 h尿蛋白量呈正相关(rs=0.465,P=0.001),而补体B因子、H因子、C3a、C5a与血肌酐及24 h尿蛋白量无明显相关性。恶性高血压肾硬化患者尿B因子/尿肌酐、尿P因子/尿肌酐、尿C3a/尿肌酐与血肌酐均呈正相关(rs=0.483,P<0.001;rs=0.352,P=0.012;rs=0.319,P=0.024),尿H因子/尿肌酐与血肌酐及24 h尿蛋白量均呈负相关(rs=-0.299,P=0.035;rs=-0.342,P=0.015),尿C5a/尿肌酐与血肌酐及24 h尿蛋白量均呈正相关(rs=0.525,P<0.001;rs=0.496,P<0.001)。(3)免疫组化显示,恶性高血压肾硬化患者C5b-9沉积于小动脉壁及肾小球毛细血管壁,而正常对照组肾组织中未见沉积。恶性高血压肾硬化患者肾脏C5b-9沉积强度评分与血肌酐及24 h尿蛋白量呈正相关(rs=0.791,P<0.001;rs=0.345,P=0.014)。双重免疫荧光标记法可见C5b-9、CD34沉积于小动脉内皮及肾小球毛细血管内皮。(4)恶性高血压肾硬化患者血浆中B因子与C3a(r=0.331,P=0.022)、P因子与C5b-9评分(rs=0.300,P=0.034)均呈正相关;尿液中补体旁路途径活化B因子与C3a、C5a及C5b-9均呈正相关(rs=0.311,P=0.028;rs=0.465,P=0.001;rs=0.428,P=0.002),P因子与C3a、C5a也均呈正相关(rs=0.307,P=0.030;rs=0.442,P=0.001)。恶性高血压肾硬化患者免疫组化可见C4d沉积于小动脉及肾小球,而未见凝集素途径活化产物MBL沉积。结论补体旁路途径过度活化可能参与恶性高血压肾硬化的发生。恶性高血压肾硬化严重程度与补体旁路途径的活化水平相关。