Genetic Diversity of Domestic Cat Hepadnavirus in Southern Taiwan.

Domestic cat hepadnavirus (DCH) is an infectious disease associated with chronic hepatitis in cats, which suggests a similarity with hepatitis B virus infections in humans. Since its first identification in Australia in 2018, DCH has been reported in several countries with varying prevalence rates, but its presence in Taiwan has yet to be investigated. In this study, we aimed to identify the presence and genetic diversity of DCH infections in Taiwan. Among the 71 samples tested, eight (11.27%) were positive for DCH. Of these positive cases, three cats had elevated levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST), suggesting an association between DCH infection and chronic hepatitis. Four DCH-positive samples were also tested for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) coinfection. One sample (25%) was positive for FIV, whereas there was no positive sample for FeLV (0%). In addition, we performed whole genome sequencing on six samples to determine the viral genome sequences. Phylogenetic analyses identified a distinct lineage compared with previously reported sequences. This study highlights the importance of continuous surveillance of DCH and further research to elucidate the pathophysiology and transmission route of DCH.

The Role of Klotho Protein Against Sevoflurane-Induced Neuronal Injury.

The effects of general anesthetics on the developing brain have aroused much attention in recent years. Sevoflurane, a commonly used inhalation anesthetic especially in pediatric anesthesia, can induce developmental neurotoxicity. In this study, the differentially expressed mRNAs in the hippocampus of newborn rats exposed to 3% sevoflurane for 6 h were detected by RNA-Sequencing. Those data indicated that the mRNA of Klotho was increased after exposure to sevoflurane. Moreover, the protein expression of Klotho was assayed by Western Blot. Besides over-expression and under-expression of Klotho protein, we also detected changes of cell proliferation, ROS, JC-1, and Bcl-2/Bax ratio in PC12 cells exposed to sevoflurane. After exposure to 3% sevoflurane, the expression of Klotho protein increased in the hippocampus of neonatal rats. In PC12 cells, exposure to sevoflurane could increase cellular ROS level, reduce mitochondrial membrane potential and Bcl-2/Bax ratio. While overexpression of Klotho alleviated the above changes, knockdown of Klotho aggravated the injury of sevoflurane. Klotho protein could reduce oxidative stress and mitochondrial injury induced by sevoflurane in the neuron.

Critical lower extremity ischemia after snakebite: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Globally, the estimated annual incidence of snakebites is approximately 5 million, and approximately 100000 deaths occur from snakebites annually. Local tissue reaction, haemorrhagic clotting disorder, nephrotoxicity, and neurotoxicity are very common effects of snake envenomation, but other rarer complications, such as thrombosis, may also occur as a result of underlying disease. In the treatment of snakebite patients, attention should be paid to the patient's underlying diseases to avoid serious and catastrophic consequences secondary to snakebite. CASE SUMMARY: We report a 69-year-old man with critical right lower extremity pain after left foot snakebite 10 d prior without intermittent claudication or atrial fibrillation history. He was diagnosed with acute right lower extremity arterial thrombosis, which may have been caused by coagulopathy after snakebite and lower extremity atherosclerotic occlusive disease. Lower extremity computed tomography angiography at another hospital revealed that the aortoiliac and femoral arteries had neither filling defects nor atherosclerosis, but the right popliteal artery was occluded 2.3 cm below the tibial plateau. The patient received emergency catheter-directed thrombolysis, but amputation was carried out 11 d after admission because the patient had been admitted to the hospital too late to save the extremity. CONCLUSION: Acute ischaemia of the lower extremity due to snakebite is a rare event, and physicians should bear in mind the serious complications that may occur, especially in patients with atherosclerotic disease.

Thoracoscopic diagnosis of traumatic pericardial rupture with cardiac hernia: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Pericardial rupture caused by blunt chest trauma is rare in clinical practice. Because of its atypical clinical symptoms, and because surgeons are often unfamiliar with the clinical and radiological manifestations of the injury, preoperative diagnosis is difficult; it is easily misdiagnosed and causes serious consequences. CASE SUMMARY: A 60-year-old man, previously healthy, was transported to the emergency room after falling from a great height. Upon arrival, his vital signs were stable. Electrocardiography and echocardiography were performed, and there was no sign of cardiac injury or ischemia. Chest and abdomen computerized tomography revealed pneumopericardium, hemopneumothorax, lung contusion, multiple rib fractures on the right side (Figure 1), and right scapula and clavicle fractures. He was admitted to the inpatient department for further observation after tube thoracostomy. The next day, the patient suddenly experienced rapid arrhythmia (the ventricular rate reached 150-180 beats/min) when turning onto his right side, accompanied by a blood pressure drop to 70/45 mm Hg and a chief complaint of palpitation. Thoracoscopy was performed urgently, and a large vertical tear (8 cm × 6 cm) was found in the pericardium. The defect was successfully repaired using a heart Dacron patch. His postoperative condition was uneventful without any fluctuations in vital signs, and he was transferred to the orthopedics department for further surgery on postoperative day 8. CONCLUSION: Although the possibility of pericardial rupture combined with cardiac hernia is extremely low, it is one of the causes of cardiogenic shock following blunt trauma. Therefore, clinicians need to be more familiar with its characteristic manifestations and maintain a high degree of vigilance against such injuries to avoid disastrous consequences.

Peperomin E (PepE) protects against high fat diet-induced atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E deficient (ApoE-/-) mice through reducing inflammation via the suppression of NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Peperomin E (PepE) is a type of secolignan, a major component of the plant Peperomia dindygulensis. It has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects; however, the effects of PepE on human atherosclerosis remain unexplored. In the study, we investigated the role of PepE in high fat diet (HFD) induced atherosclerosis using apolipoprotein E defcient (ApoE-/-) mice. Elevated serum homocyteine, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, accelerated progression of atherosclerosis and exacerbated macrophage infiltration into atherosclerotic lesions were observed in HFD-fed ApoE-/- mice, which were attenuated by PepE treatment. ApoE-/- mice fed with HFD exhibited significantly high levels of inflammation-associated regulators in artery tissues, accompanied with an increased expression of p-inhibitor of κBα (IκBα) and p-nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and the process was blocked by PepE administration. Further, we found NOD-like receptor pyrin 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation in artery tissues of HFD-fed ApoE-/- mice. In vitro, silencing NLRP3 using small interfering RNA efficiently inhibited oxidized-low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL)-induced ASC and Caspase-1 expressions, interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-18 production in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs). Further experiments indicated that NLRP3-ASC pathway was activated by reactive oxygen species (ROS), since ROS scavenger of N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) prevented, which was further reduced by PepE addition. However, the anti-inflammatory effects of PepE on oxLDL-incubated HAECs were abolished by over-expression NLRP3. Together, our study revealed that PepE inhibited atherosclerosis development in HFD-fed ApoE-/- mice by suppressing NLRP3 inflammatory signaling pathway, and suggested that PepE might be a potential therapeutic strategy in the prevention of atherosclerosis.