Amelioration of metabolic disorders in H9C2 cardiomyocytes induced by PM2.5 treated with vitamin C.

OBJECTIVE: Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5) is a public health risk. We investigate PM2.5 on metabolites in cardiomyocytes and the influence of vitamin C on PM2.5 toxicity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For 24 hours, H9C2 were exposed to various concentrations of PM2.5 (0, 100, 200, 400, 800 µg/ml), after which the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cell viability were measured using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and 2',7'-dichlorofluoresceindiacetate (DCFH2-DA), respectively. H9C2 were treated with PM2.5 (200 µg/ml) in the presence or absence of vitamin C (40 µmol/L). mRNA levels of interleukin 6(IL-6), caspase-3, fatty acid-binding protein 3 (FABP3), and hemeoxygenase-1 (HO-1) were investigated by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Non-targeted metabolomics by LC-MS/MS was applied to evaluate the metabolic profile in the cell. RESULTS: Results revealed a concentration-dependent reduction in cell viability, death, ROS, and increased expression of caspase-3, FABP3, and IL-6. In total, 15 metabolites exhibited significant differential expression (FC > 2, p < 0.05) between the control and PM2.5 group. In the PM2.5 group, lysophosphatidylcholines (LysoPC,3/3) were upregulated, whereas amino acids (5/5), amino acid analogues (3/3), and other acids and derivatives (4/4) were downregulated. PM2.5 toxicity was lessened by vitamin C. It reduced PM2.5-induced elevation of LysoPC (16:0), LysoPC (16:1), and LysoPC (18:1). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: PM2.5 induces metabolic disorders in H9C2 cardiomyocytes that can be ameliorated by treatment with vitamin C.

Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in a medium-sized city with traditional communities during the early COVID-19 epidemic in China.

The nationwide COVID-19 epidemic ended in 2020, a few months after its outbreak in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019. Most COVID-19 cases occurred in Hubei Province, with a few local outbreaks in other provinces of China. A few studies have reported the early SARS-CoV-2 epidemics in several large cities or provinces of China. However, information regarding the early epidemics in small and medium-sized cities, where there are still traditionally large families and community culture is more strongly maintained and thus, transmission profiles may differ, is limited. In this study, we characterized 60 newly sequenced SARS-CoV-2 genomes from Anyang as a representative of small and medium-sized Chinese cities, compared them with more than 400 reference genomes from the early outbreak, and studied the SARS-CoV-2 transmission profiles. Genomic epidemiology revealed multiple SARS-CoV-2 introductions in Anyang and a large-scale expansion of the epidemic because of the large family size. Moreover, our study revealed two transmission patterns in a single outbreak, which were attributed to different social activities. We observed the complete dynamic process of single-nucleotide polymorphism development during community transmission and found that intrahost variant analysis was an effective approach to studying cluster infections. In summary, our study provided new SARS-CoV-2 transmission profiles representative of small and medium-sized Chinese cities as well as information on the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 strains during the early COVID-19 epidemic in China.

The first third-generation HIV-1 circulating recombinant form (CRF114_0155) identified in central China.

A novel circulating recombinant form (CRF) was identified in eight HIV-1-infected patients without direct epidemiological relationships in Henan Province, Central China. Recombination analysis indicated that the genome of this novel CRF comprises five segments: three inherited from CRF01_AE cluster-4 and two from CRF55_01B. Therefore, the CRF was designated CRF114_0155. It is not only the first novel CRF identified in Henan Province but also the first third-generation CRF of HIV-1 and the first CRF descendant of CRF55_01B. Bayesian inference of phylogeny dated the most recent common ancestor of the CRF114_0155 cluster to 2010. The emergence of CRF114_0155 reflects that the genotype constitution of HIV-1 has become more complex and that stricter intervention measures should be implemented in central China.

Epidemiological and genetic analysis concerning the non-enterovirus 71 and non-coxsackievirus A16 causative agents related to hand, foot and mouth disease in Anyang city, Henan Province, China, from 2011 to 2015.

Enterovirus 71 (EV-A71) and coxsackievirus A16 (CV-A16) are major pathogens of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) and have been associated with consecutive outbreaks of HFMD in China over the past years. Although several other human enteroviruses (HEVs) have also acted as causative agents of HFMD, published information on their roles in the prevalence of HFMD is limited. This study was conducted to reveal the characteristics of the pathogenic spectrum and molecular epidemiology of the non-EV-71 and -CV-A16 HEVs in Anyang City, which is located in north-central China and has a population of five million. From 2011 to 2015, 2270 samples were collected from HFMD patients (3.89 ± 1.06 years of age), and 1863 HEV-positive samples, including 524 samples with 23 non-EV-71 and non-CV-A16 serotypes, were identified. Based on the nucleotide sequence of the VP1 gene, 6 common non-EV-71 and non-CV-A16 HEVs, including coxsackievirus A2, A6, A10, A14, B2, and B5, were studied to determine their phylogenies and selective pressures. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a high level of genetic divergence and a pattern of lineage replacement over time in Mainland China. Selective pressure analyses showed that purifying selection was predominant in the evolution of the VP1 gene, whereas positive selection acted on individual codons. Overall, non-EV-71 and non-CV-A16 HEVs were important constituents of the pathogenic spectrum of HFMD in Anyang City during 2011-2015. Some of these HEVs with complex and active phylogenies represent a potential threat to public health, suggesting that long-term monitoring of these pathogens should be implemented to prevent HFMD outbreaks.