Resveratrol relieves chronic heat stress-induced liver oxidative damage in broilers by activating the Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway.

Heat stress (HS) affects poultry production and welfare, causing enormous damage to poultry. Resveratrol, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory natural plant polyphenol, is widely used in agriculture for the prevention of oxidative stress-related diseases. This study aimed to explore the effects and potential mechanism of resveratrol on liver oxidative damage in heat-stressed broilers. Sixty SPF chickens were randomly divided into control, heat stress (HS) and HS+ resveratrol (resveratrol) groups. Broilers were exposed to 35 ± 2 â„ƒ (8 h/d) for 7 consecutive days to induce HS, and the other 16 h/d were kept at 23 ± 2 â„ƒ, similar to the control group. Broilers received 400 mg/kg resveratrol in the basic diet 2 days before exposure to HS and for the following 7 days. The results showed that resveratrol improved growth performance by increasing the average daily gain (ADG) and reducing the feed conversion ratio (FCR), compared with the HS group. Heat stress reduced liver weight and index, increased inflammatory cell infiltration in the liver, enhanced serum AST levels, and decreased TP and ALB II levels, which resulted in liver injury in broilers, and resveratrol effectively alleviated liver injury. Moreover, supplementation with resveratrol enhanced the activities of liver antioxidant enzymes resulting in higher GPX and SOD levels than those in the heat-stressed broilers, and decreased MDA levels. Furthermore, resveratrol alleviated liver oxidative stress by activating the gene and protein levels of Nrf2 and HO-1, enhancing NQO1 and SOD1 gene levels, and decreasing protein levels of HSP70, p62, and Keap1, and thereby alleviated the liver injury of heat-stressed broilers. Compared with the HS group, Nrf2 immunofluorescence was significantly up-regulated in the livers of resveratrol group. These results suggest that resveratrol can enhance the liver antioxidant function by activating the Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway to promote growth performance in broilers under HS.

Resveratrol inhibits oxidative damage in lungs of heat-stressed broilers by activating Nrf2 signaling pathway and autophagy.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of resveratrol on heat stress-induced lung injury in broilers and the mechanism underlying this process. Sixty two-week-old SPF BWEL broilers were randomly divided into the heat stress group (HS), resveratrol group (heat stress + 400 mg/kg resveratrol), and the control group after one week of feeding, with 20 chickens in each group. Broilers in the control group were reared at 23 ± 2 â„ƒ. Those in the HS and resveratrol group were reared under heat stress (35 â„ƒ ± 2 â„ƒ) for 8 h/day for seven days. Broilers in the resveratrol group were fed a diet supplemented with 400 mg/kg resveratrol two days before the start of the experiment. The feeding was continued for nine days. The results showed that HS decreased body weight (BW), average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), and lung weight. It, however, increased the lung index, induced lung congestion, and promoted infiltration of inflammatory cells to the lung. Resveratrol improved growth performance and inhibited heat stress-induced lung damage. Compared with broilers in the control group, the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), Beclin-1, LC3 Ⅰ, and LC3 Ⅱ genes in the lung of heat-stressed broilers was significantly lower. The levels of kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), NQO1, and HO-1 showed a similar trend with gene expressions. Immunofluorescence indicated that HS inhibited the expression of Nrf2 and LC3B proteins. Finally, the ratio of LC3 Ⅱ/LC3 Ⅰ was also significantly lower in the HS group. Further analyses revealed that resveratrol supplements in feeds enhanced antioxidation in the lung by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway and autophagy. In conclusion, HS causes oxidative damage and inhibits autophagy in broilers. However, resveratrol protects against lung injury by alleviating oxidative stress and enhancing autophagy.

Acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity predominantly via inhibiting Nrf2 antioxidative pathway and activating TLR4-NF-κB-MAPK inflammatory response in mice.

To explore the action time and molecular mechanism underlying the effect of acetaminophen (APAP) on liver injury. APAP was used to establish drug-induced liver injury (DILI) model in mice. Mice in the model group were intraperitoneally injected 300 mg/kg APAP for 6, 12, and 24 h respectively, and control group mice were given the same volume of normal saline. The mice were anesthetized through intravenous injection of sodium pentobarbital at 6, 12, and 24 h after APAP poisoning. Analysis of ALT, AST and ALP in serum, liver histopathological observation, oxidative damage and western blot were performed. The livers in APAP exposed mice were pale, smaller, with a rough texture, and poorly arranged cells. Lesions, large areas of hyperemia, inflammation, swelling, poorly cell arrangement, necrosis, and apoptosis of liver cells were obvious in the liver tissue sections. Serum ALT, AST and ALP levels were significantly enhanced at 12 h of APAP adminstration mice than that of in control group mice (P＜0.05). The histopathological alterations and proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß, TNF-α and IL-6) levels were most severe at 12 h of APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. APAP treatment induced oxidative stress by decreasing hepatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) (P＜0.05), and enhancing malondialdehyde (MDA) content (P＜0.05). Moreover, APAP inhibited erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) antioxidative pathway with decreased of Nrf2 and HO-1 proteins levels. Furthermore, APAP aggravated the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome by increasing of NLRP3, caspase-1, ASC, IL-1ß and IL-18 proteins levels. Finally, APAP further significantly activated the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) signaling pathways. This study demonstrated that APAP-induced hepatotoxicity by inhibiting of Nrf2 antioxidative pathway and promoting TLR4-NF-κB-MAPK inflammatory response and NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Yinhuang oral liquid protects acetaminophen-induced acute liver injury by regulating the activation of autophagy and Nrf2 signaling.

This study aimed to investigate the protective effect and potential mechanism of Yinhuang oral liquid (YOL) against acetaminophen (APAP) induced liver injury in mice. C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group, model group (300 mg/kg APAP), NAC group and YOL group. Mice were treated intragastrical with YOL (8 g/kg) and N-Acetylcysteine (NAC, 300 mg/kg) 6 h before and 6 h after the APAP (300 mg/kg) intraperitoneal injection. 12 h after APAP exposure, blood and liver samples were collected for subsequent testing. The results showed that APAP decreased liver index, induced liver pathological injury with hepatocytes swelling, necrosis and apoptosis and inflammatory cell infiltration. APAP exposure significantly increased serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels to 35 and 6 multiples than their original levels. YOL alleviated liver pathological damage, decreased the serum levels of ALT and AST in APAP exposure mice, and it worked better than NAC. Moreover, APAP promoted oxidative stress by increasing lipid peroxidation (MDA) and decreasing anti-oxidant enzyme activities of SOD and GSH, inhibited the mRNA levels of Nrf2, HO-1, Gclc and Gclm, and decreased the protein levels of Nrf2, HO-1 and Keap1, compared to control group. Furthermore, APAP exposure significantly down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of autophagy related genes (Beclin-1, LC3-II, LC3-I, Atg4B, Atg5, Atg16L1 and Atg7). However, the gene levels of mTOR and p-mTOR increased, and p-ULK1 protein level decreased in liver of APAP treated mice. Additionally, YOL alleviated the oxidative injury by up-regulating Nrf2 pathway. The gene and protein levels of autophagy-related genes Beclin-1, LC3-II, LC3-I, Atg4B, Atg5, Atg16L1 and Atg7 reached the basal levels after YOL treatment. In conclusion, YOL had a protective and therapeutic role in APAP-induced liver injury in mice by activating Nrf2 signaling pathway and autophagy.

Prevalence characteristics of single and multiple HPV infections in women with cervical cancer and precancerous lesions in Beijing, China.

We assessed the prevalence characteristics of single and multiple high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infections. A total of 1783 women who underwent colposcopy and cervical biopsy for abnormal ThinPrep Cytology Test and/or HR-HPV subtype genotyping results were enrolled in the study. Among the participants, 770 were diagnosed with cervicitis, 395 with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (CIN1), 542 with CIN2-3, and 76 with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), with HR-HPV infection rates of 75.8%, 85.8%, 95.9%, and 88.4%, respectively. The prevalence of total and multiple HR-HPV infections exhibited a bimodal age distribution with a peak at ≤25 years, a decline with age and a second peak at ≥55 years, whereas single HR-HPV infections exhibited one peak from 35 to 44 years. The four most dominant HPV genotypes were HPV 16 (29.5%), 52 (15.0%), 58 (14.2%), and 18 (10.4%). In total, 67.0%, 70.4%, and 82.1% of patients with CIN1, CIN2-3, and SCC, respectively, had a single HR-HPV infection, which increased significantly with the aggravation of the cervical lesion grade (P = 0.045). Patients with a single HPV 16 infection had higher incidences of CIN2+ (62.2%) than those with multiple HPV 16 infections (52.4%) (P = 0.021). Patients coinfected with HPV 16 had higher CIN2+ incidence than those with single HPV 52, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 56, or 59 infections (P < 0.001). This study provided baseline data on the prevalence characteristics of single and multiple HR-HPV infections in women attending a gynecological outpatient clinic in Beijing.

Risk effects of meteorological factors on human brucellosis in Jilin province, China, 2005-2019.

Background: The impact of climate on zoonotic infectious diseases (or can be referred to as climate-sensitive zoonotic diseases) is confirmed. Yet, research on the association between brucellosis and climate is limited. We aim to understand the impact of meteorological factors on the risk of brucellosis, especially in northeastern China. Methods: Monthly incidence data for brucellosis from 2005 to 2019 in Jilin province was obtained from the China Information System for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Monthly meteorological data (average temperature (°C), wind velocity (m/s), relative humidity (%), sunshine hours (h), air pressure (hPa), and rainfall (mm)) in Jilin province, China, from 2005 to 2019 were collected from the China Meteorological Information Center (http://data.cma.cn/). The Spearman's correlation was used to choose among the several meteorological variables. A distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was used to estimate the lag and non-linearity effect of meteorological factors on the risk of brucellosis. Results: A total of 24,921 cases of human brucellosis were reported in Jilin province from 2005 to 2019, with the peak epidemic period from April to June. Low temperature and low sunshine hours were protective factors for the brucellosis, where the minimum RR values were 0.50 (95 % CI = 0.31-0.82) for -13.7 °C with 1 month lag and 0.61 (95 % CI = 0.41-0.91) for 110.5h with 2 months lag, respectively. High temperature, high sunshine hours, and low wind velocity were risk factors for brucellosis. The maximum RR values were 2.91 (95 % CI = 1.43-5.92, lag = 1, 25.7 °C), 1.85 (95 % CI = 1.23-2.80, lag = 2, 332.6h), and 1.68 (95 % CI = 1.25-2.26, lag = 2, 1.4 m/s). The trends in the impact of extreme temperature and extreme sunshine hours on the transmission of brucellosis were generally consistent. Conclusion: High temperature, high sunshine hours, and low wind velocity are more conducive to the transmission of brucellosis with an obvious lag effect. The results will deepen the understanding of the relationship between climate and brucellosis and provide a reference for formulating relevant public health policies.

Three different routes of EHEC O157:H7 infection were used to establish EHEC broiler model.

In order to study the prevention and control EHEC disease measures in poultry, the infection process and development of this disease and the pathological changes of various organs were to be observed. In this study, chickens were infected with different doses of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 using different routes of administration to establish EHEC broiler model. A total of 195 14-day-old broilers were randomly divided into 13 groups: including control group, Enema-drip groups (1010, 1011, 1012, 1013 CFUs E. coli O157:H7), gavage groups (P.O) (1011, 1012, 1013, 1014 CFUs E. coli O157:H7), and intraperitoneal injection group (I.P.) (108, 109, 1010, 1011 CFUs E. coli O157:H7). Escherichia coli (E. coli) was given using enema-drip, gavage or intraperitoneal infection. Then the feed intake, weight changes, stool and clinical symptoms of the chicks were recorded during the experiment. 7 d after E. coli infection, blood was collected from the jugular vein and serological tests were carried out. The liver, spleen, and colon of the chicks were extracted to get the organ index, bacteria load, and their histopathological changes. After infection with E. coli, some chicks feces were green or red watery stool, sometimes accompanied by foam, and the material to weight ratio of broilers in I.P. group increased significantly (P < 0.05), the 108 CFUs group were 1.3 times as large as control group. Three modeling methods can result in abnormal serum lipid metabolism and liver function indexes (increase of AST, TBA, T-Bil and TC level; decrease of ALB, TG, and TP level). Infection of chicks with O157:H7 by all 3 methods resulted in its detection in the liver, spleen, and colon. Three modeling methods significantly decreased liver index, and inflammatory cell infiltration and hyperemia were observed in liver. The spleen index in E. coli broilers by gavage and enema-drip was significantly decreased, splenic hyperemia and periarteriolar hyalinosis were observed. The spleen was enlarged with purplish-black spheroids in I.P. group broilers, and the spleen histological changes was more serious. The colon villi of broilers in gavage and enema-drip groups were thinner, more prone to rupture, intestinal lamina propria hyperemia, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Moreover, the number of goblet cells in the mucosal epithelium increased. E. coli O157:H7 can induce liver, spleen and intestinal damage and reduce growth performance of chicks. By comparing these 3 methods, we found that chicks infected with O157:H7 by gavage had more severe liver and intestinal damage, the enema-drip method caused most serious intestinal damage, and I.P. method significantly damaged the liver and spleen of chickens.

The effect and mechanism of volatile oil emulsion from leaves of Clausena lansium (Lour.) Skeels on Staphylococcus aureus in vitro.

This study aimed to develop a suitable dosage form of volatile oil from wampee leaves and to explore its antibacterial mechanism in vitro. The chemical composition of the volatile oil from wampee leaves was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Different microemulsion ratios were tested and their stabilities were investigated to determine the optimal ratio. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of the wampee leaves volatile oil emulsion (WVOE) against Salmonella typhimurium (S. typhimurium) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were determined using double-dilution and plate-counting methods, respectively. Morphological changes in these two bacteria were observed using scanning electron microscopy. Death, ultrastructural morphology, and biofilm formation were also assessed for S. aureus. Finally, we established an S. aureus-infected Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cell model to evaluate the protective effects of the volatile oil emulsion and the associated mechanisms. The volatile oil extracted from wampee leaves contained 37 compounds, of which 96.49% were aromatic hydrocarbons, terpenoids, and their oxygen-containing derivatives. The emulsion was most stable at 1:1 in the oil phase and 1:9 in the water phase. WVOE had poor antibacterial activity against S. typhimurium, but the MIC and MBC against S. aureus were 312.5 and 2,500 µg/mL, respectively. S. aureus survival rates were 84.6%, 14.5%, and 12.8% in the 1/2, 1, and 4 × MIC groups, respectively, compared with 97.2% in the control group. S. typhimurium survival was not affected by WVOE treatment. WVOE administration induced cavity formation and abnormal binary fission, and significantly inhibited biofilm formation in S. aureus cells. The WVOE notably reduced the number of S. aureus and inhibited TLR4, NLRP3, NF-κB, IL-6, IL-18, and TNF-α gene expression in S. aureus-infected LLC cells. The WVOE had a significant inhibitory effect on S. aureus and altered its cell membrane permeability. Moreover, it alleviated inflammation by inhibiting the NF-κB-NLRP3 pathway in S. aureus-infected LLC cells.

Contribution of Insulin Resistance and ß Cell Dysfunction to Gestational Diabetes Stratified for Pre-pregnant Body Mass Index.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the contribution of insulin resistance and ß cell dysfunction to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Chinese women stratified by pre-pregnant body mass index (BMI). A total of 847 pregnant women were enrolled. They were divided into low BMI and high BMI groups according to the median of pre-pregnancy BMI. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and ß cell function (HOMA-ß), Matsuda index, and 60-min insulinogenic index (IGI60) were used to evaluate insulin resistance and ß cell function. In all the participants, 150 (17.71%) were diagnosed with GDM. ROC analyses showed that in the low BMI group, the association of ß cell dysfunction (IGI60 or HOMA-ß) with GDM was stronger than that of insulin resistance (Matsuda index or HOMA-IR), while in the high BMI group, the association of ß cell dysfunction with GDM was weaker than that of insulin resistance (all P < 0.05). Among all GDM patients, 47.33% demonstrated predominant insulin resistance (Matsuda index < 25th percentile), and 46% had predominant ß cell defect (IGI60 < 25th percentile). In the low BMI group, 15.09% of GDM patients demonstrated predominant insulin resistance, and 62.26% of GDM patients had predominant ß cell defect, whereas in the high BMI group, 64.95% of GDM patients demonstrated mainly insulin resistance and 36.08% of GDM patients had mainly ß cell defect. In women with low BMI, ß cell dysfunction is the major etiologic factor, whereas, in women with high BMI, insulin resistance is the predominant etiologic factor in the development of GDM.

Better efficacy of triple antibiotics therapy for human brucellosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of brucellosis suffers from a high recurrence rate and drug resistance. Our study researched the differences in efficacy and side effects between triple antibiotics therapy and dual antibiotics therapy in the treatment of brucellosis through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: We searched 4 English electronic databases and 2 Chinese electronic databases for randomized controlled trials and cohort studies published through September 2022 on the use of triple antibiotics versus dual antibiotics in the treatment of brucellosis. Overall outcome indicators were therapeutic failure rate, relapse rate, overall therapeutic failure rate, and side effect rate. Relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used as summary statistics. A fixed-effects model was used to combine the overall effect sizes. RESULTS: The meta-analysis included 15 studies consisting of 11 randomized controlled trials and 4 cohort studies. Triple antibiotics showed better efficacy than dual antibiotics in a comparison of 3 overall outcome indicators (therapeutic failure rate (RR 0.42; 95% CI 0.30 to 0.59 heterogeneity P = 0.29, I2 = 15%), relapse rate (RR 0.29; 95% CI 0.18 to 0.45 heterogeneity P = 0.88, I2 = 0%), and overall therapeutic failure rate (RR 0.37; 95% CI 0.28 to 0.48 heterogeneity P = 0.35, I2 = 9%)). The incidence of side effects in patients with brucellosis treated with triple antibiotics was not significantly different from that in brucellosis patients treated with dual antibiotics (RR 0.85; 95% CI 0.67 to 1.06 heterogeneity P = 0.1, I2 = 35%). Sensitivity analyses showed robust results and Peter's test showed no publication bias. The results of subgroup analyses for the research type, drugs, and type of brucellosis were largely consistent with the overall outcome indicators, indicating the reliability and robustness of the overall results. CONCLUSIONS: In the treatment of brucellosis, triple antibiotics have better efficacy than dual antibiotics and do not increase the incidence of side effects.

Association between meteorological factors and varicella incidence: a multicity study in Yunnan Province, China.

This multicenter study aimed to investigate the relationship between varicella incidence and meteorological factors including mean temperature, relative humidity, sunshine duration, diurnal temperature difference, wind speed, and rainfall, as previous studies have produced varying results. Our study also sought to identify potential sources of heterogeneity. Data on reported daily varicella numbers and meteorological factors were collected for 14 cities in Yunnan Province from 2017 to 2021. A distribution-lagged nonlinear model was constructed to explore the relationship between meteorological conditions and varicella incidence in each included city. We then used multiple meta-regression to explore sources of heterogeneity using demographic economics indicators, air pollutants, and geographic location as potential modifiers. The cumulative hazard effect plot showed an inverted S-shape for the relationship between temperature and varicella, with the smallest RR (relative risk) (0.533, 95% CI: 0.401-0.708) at temperatures up to 27.2 °C. The maximum RR (1.171, 95% CI: 1.001-1.371) was obtained when the relative humidity was equal to 98.5%. The RR (1.164, 95% CI: 1.002-1.352) was greatest at a diurnal temperature range of 2 °C (1.164, 95% CI: 1.002-1.352) and least (0.913, 95% CI: 0.834-0.999) at a diurnal temperature range of 16.1 °C. The maximum RR (1.214, 95% CI: 1.089-1.354) was obtained at 0 h of sunshine, and the minimum RR (0.808, 95% CI: 0.675-0.968) was obtained at 12.4 h of sunshine. The RR (0.792, 95% CI: 0.633-0.992) was minimum at a wind velocity of 4.8 m/s. Residual heterogeneity ranged from 1 to 42.7%, with PM10 (particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 µm), GDP (gross domestic product), and population density explaining some of this heterogeneity. The temperature has a dual effect on varicella incidence. Varicella cases are negatively correlated with diurnal temperature range, sunshine duration, and wind speed, and positively correlated with relative humidity. GDP and PM10 may have a significant role in altering the association between temperature and varicella, while PM10 and population density may alter the association between wind velocity and varicella.

Heat stress in broilers of liver injury effects of heat stress on oxidative stress and autophagy in liver of broilers.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of chronic heat stress on oxidative stress in liver of broilers. In our study, chickens were randomly allocated to control 1 group (control 7 d), heat stress 1 group (HS1, 7 d), control 2 group (control 14 d) and heat stress 2 group (HS2, 14 d), with 30 replicates in each group. Broilers in heat stress groups exposed 8 h/day heat stress (35 ± 2°C) for 7 or 14 consecutive days, and the rest of time per day were kept at 23 ± 2℃ the same as control group broilers. Growth performance and the liver tissues were collected for histological observation and detection of organ index and liver redox status. The serum indicators (alanine aminotransferase [ALT] and aspartate aminotransferase [AST]) related to liver injury were determined. Moreover, Nrf2-related genes and protein expression levels in liver were measured. The results showed that in heat stress group broilers the body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, liver weight, and liver index were decreased, inflammatory cells infiltration in liver, and serum AST level was enhanced, compared with control group broilers. Moreover, the hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) level were increased after 1 wk of heat stress. Nrf2, Sqstm1/p62, HO-1, and NQO1 mRNA expressions in the liver of broilers were decreased by heat stress. P62 and p-p62 protein expressions were significantly up-regulated, but Nrf2 and keap1 protein level was decreased in heat stress group broilers as compared to control group. The mRNA expression levels of Beclin1, LC3-I, LC3-II were down-regulated significantly with heat stress for 1 wk. The mRNA expression level of mTOR up-regulated after 2 wk of heat stress. In conclusion, heat stress induced liver injury of broilers by down-regulating Nrf2-keap1 signaling pathway and autophagy.

Manual Acupuncture Suppresses the Expression of Proinflammatory Proteins Associated with the NLRP3 Inflammasome in the Hippocampus of SAMP8 Mice.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of manual acupuncture (MA) on NLRP3 inflammasome-related proteins. METHODS: SAMP8 mice were randomly divided into Alzheimer's disease (AD) group, the MA group, and the medicine (M) group. Mice in the M group were treated with donepezil hydrochloride at 0.65 µg/g. In the MA group, MA was applied on Baihui (GV20) and Yintang (GV29) for 20 min and then pricked at Shuigou (GV26). The Morris water maze was applied to assess spatial learning and memory. Immunohistochemical staining and western blot analysis were used to observe the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome-related proteins. RESULTS: Compared with the normal (N) control group, spatial learning and the memory capabilities of the AD group significantly decreased (p < 0.01). The number of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, and IL-1ß positively stained cells in the AD group was higher than the N group, and the relative expression levels of the above proteins were significantly higher than those in the N group (p < 0.01). These changes were reversed by both MA and donepezil (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: MA can improve the learning and memory capabilities of SAMP8 mice. The negative regulation of the NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway in the hippocampus may be a possible mechanism of MA in the treatment of AD.

An special epithelial staining agents: folic acid receptor-mediated diagnosis (FRD) effectively and conveniently screen patients with cervical cancer.

High-quality screening with cytology has markedly reduced mortality from cervical cancer. However, it needs experienced pathologists to review and make the final decisions. We have developed folic acid receptor-mediated diagnosis (FRD) kits to effectively and conveniently screen patients with cervical cancer. We conduct present study aim to assess clinical significances of FRD in screening cervical cancer. A total of 169 patients were enrolled at Chinese People's liberation Army (PLA) general hospital. We compared diagnostic significances of FRD with thinprep cytology test (TCT). Meanwhile, colposcopy was also performed to confirm any lesion suspicious for cervical cancer. The sensitivity and specificity of FRD were 71.93% and 66.07% in diagnosis cervical cancer, respectively. Meanwhile, the positive predictive values (PPV), negative predictive values (NPV), Youden index were 51.90%, 82.22%, 0.38, respectively. On the other hand, the sensitivity and specificity of TCT in diagnosis cervical cancer were 73.68% and 61.61% respectively. PPV, NPV and Youden index for TCT were 49.41%, 82.14% and 0.35 respectively. Overall, FRD have high values of sensitivity, specificity and Youden index. However, this difference failed to statistical significance. FRD have comparable diagnostic significance with TCT. Therefore, FRD might serve as one effective method to screen cervical cancer. Especially for those patients living in remote regions of China, where cytology was unavailable.