Circulating Neuropeptide Y May Be a Biomarker for Diagnosing Atrial Fibrillation.

INTRODUCTION: Sympathetic nervous system disorder promotes atrial fibrillation (AF), and neuropeptide Y (NPY) is an important neurotransmitter. This study aimed to explore the predictive value of plasma NPY in patients with AF. METHODS: Five hundred seventy-six patients were divided into AF (including paroxysmal and long-standing persistent AF; 360) and sinus rhythm (SR) groups (216). NPY level was detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and NPY mRNA expression level was detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Logistic regression was used to analyse the risk factors for AF; the correlations between blood NPY level and age, body mass index (BMI), left ventricular ejection fraction, left atrial diameter (LAD), and European Heart rate Association (EHRA) score in patients with AF were determined. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was utilised to predict AF. RESULTS: Plasma NPY levels were found to be higher in patients with AF than in patients with SR and in patients with long-standing persistent AF than in patients with paroxysmal AF; blood NPY mRNA levels were higher in the paroxysmal and long-standing persistent AF groups compared to the SR group (p < 0.05). Increased age {odds ratio (OR) = 1.201 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01, 1.427)} and high NPY [OR = 1.239 (95% CI: 1.022, 1.501)] were factors found to affect AF detrimentally. NPY was associated with BMI (r = 0.5856, p < 0.05), LAD (r = 0.4023, p < 0.05), and EHRA score (r = 0.898, p < 0.05). The ROC curve for the predictive value of plasma NPY levels for AF showed an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.919 (p < 0.05), while that for long-standing persistent AF showed an AUC of 0.784 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Circulating NPY may be a promising molecular biomarker of AF.

Is it feasible to measure pulmonary vein data using volume rendering images?

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary vein (PV) data are commonly measured on multiplanar image reformation (MPR) images and volume rendering (VR) images. PURPOSE: To compared and analyze the advantages and disadvantages of PV data based on VR images and MPR images. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 94 patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) with imaging data were included in the study. The respective image postprocessing time and the three surgical interventionists' preferences for the two images were recorded. A paired t-test or chi-square test was used to compare their difference, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the data values including the maximal and minimal ostial diameters of the left superior PV (LSPV), the left inferior PV (LIPV), the right superior PV (RSPV), and the right inferior PV (RIPV) obtained by VR and MPR images (P > 0.05). Yet, the mean postprocessing time of VR images (15.10 ± 3.05 min) was shorter compared to MPR images (16.54 ± 2.60 min) (t = 22.84, P < 0.05). All three surgical interventionists preferred VR images (accounted for 85.1%, 86.2%, and 84.0%, respectively), and there was no statistical difference in the degree of image preference among the three (chi-square = 0.596, P = 0.963). CONCLUSION: PV data measurement could be performed on both VR and MRP images; however, the data on VR images were more intuitive and more accessible for interventional surgeons.

The Proportion of Circulating CD45RO+CD8+ T Cells is Associated with the Coronary Slow Flow.

Background: Circulating memory CD8+ T cells have been shown to be a crucial mediator of chronic inflammation. This study investigated whether the baseline proportion of circulating CD45RO+CD8+ T cells was associated with the coronary slow flow (CSF) phenomenon. Methods: A total of 160 consecutive patients [mean (standard deviation (SD)) age, 67.86 (9.55) years; 51.25% male] who were admitted to our hospital between August 2020 and October 2020 for chest pain and underwent coronary angiography with the absence of coronary stenosis were enrolled in this cross-sectional analysis. The patients' admission CD45RO+ CD8+ T cell plasma levels were measured using flow cytometry. Angiographic CSF was defined as thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) flow of ≤ 2 without coronary stenosis, and non-CSF was defined as coronary arteries (< 50% stenosis) with TIMI 3 flow. Results: The incidence of angiographic CSF was 22.5%. Patients with angiographic CSF had higher levels of CD45RO+CD8+ T cells than those without CSF [56.18 (13.93) vs. 45.26 (16.45); p < 0.001]. After multivariable adjustment, the risk of incident CSF was 2.41 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.46-3.97] per SD change in CD45RO+ CD8+ T cells. Further, coronary microvascular resistance was significantly higher in patients with CSF than in those without CSF. A positive linear relationship between CD45RO+CD8+ T cells and coronary microvascular resistance was observed. Conclusions: The proportion of circulating CD45RO+CD8+ T cells is an independent indicator of CSF. This observation may provide insights into the pathophysiological mechanism of CSF.

[Effects of different field processing methods on volatile components of Chuanxiong Rhizoma: an exploration based on headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry].

The volatile oil of Chuanxiong Rhizoma(CX) is known as an effective fraction. In order to seek a suitable method for processing CX and its decoction pieces, this study selected 16 volatile components as indices to investigate how different processing methods such as washing/without washing, sun-drying, baking, oven-drying and far-infrared drying at different temperatures affected the quality of CX and its decoction pieces(fresh CX was partially dried, cut into pieces, and then dried) by headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS), cluster analysis, principal component analysis and comprehensive weighted scoring. The results showed that the rapid washing before processing did not deteriorate the volatile components of CX. Considering the practical condition of production area, oven-drying was believed to be more suitable than sun-drying, baking, and far-infrared drying. The CX decoction pieces with a thickness of 0.3-0.4 cm were recommended to be oven-dried at 50 ℃. The integrated processing(partial drying, cutting into pieces, and drying) did not cause a significant loss of volatile components. For the fresh CX, the oven-drying at 60 ℃ is preferred. The temperature should not exceed 60 ℃, and drying below 60 ℃ will prolong the processing time, which will produce an unfavorable effect on volatile components. This study has provided the scientific evidence for field processing of CX, which is conducive to realizing the normalization and standardization of CX processing in the production area and stabilizing the quality of CX and its decoction pieces.

ABHD15 promotes cell viability, glycolysis, and inhibits apoptosis in cardiomyocytes under hypoxia.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Myocardial infarction (MI) has been an important heart disease affecting human health. The aim of this study was to investigate the regulatory effect of abhydrolase domain containing 15 (ABHD15) on hypoxic cardiomyocytes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Hypoxic cardiomyocytes are commonly used as an vitro model for the study of MI. We found that cardiomyocyte viability was decreased under hypoxia, but cell glucose uptake, insulin receptor phosphorylation level and apoptosis were increased. Interestingly, ABHD15 expression was up-regulated in hypoxia-induced cardiomyocytes. Then, we identified the function of ABHD15 in hypoxic cardiomyocytes by using ABHD15 overexpression vector or short interfering RNA (siRNA) against ABHD15. The results showed that overexpression of ABHD15 promoted hypoxic cardiomyocyte viability, glucose uptake and IR phosphorylation (p-IR), and inhibited cell apoptosis. However, knockdown of ABHD15 attenuated hypoxic cardiomyocyte viability, glucose uptake and IR phosphorylation, and promoted apoptosis. Moreover, we found that ABHD15 promoted glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) expression, translocation and enhance rate-limiting enzyme activation of glycolysis, thereby affecting glucose uptake. Furthermore, our study suggested that ABHD15 may affect the viability and apoptosis of hypoxic cardiomyocytes through IR/Ras/Raf/ERK/MEK and IR/PI3K/AKT/Bcl2/Bad/caspase9 signaling pathways, respectively. When the phosphorylation of IR, Raf or ERK was blocked by inhibitors, the protective effect of overexpressing ABHD15 on the viability of hypoxic cardiomyocytes was eliminated. Furthermore, inhibiting the phosphorylation of IR, AKT or Bcl2 abolished the inhibitory effect of overexpressing ABHD15 on hypoxic cardiomyocyte apoptosis. CONCLUSION: ABHD15 regulated myocardial cell viability, glycolysis, and apoptosis under hypoxia, providing a novel potential therapeutic strategy for MI.

LncRNA PVT1 knockdown alleviated ox-LDL-induced vascular endothelial cell injury and atherosclerosis by miR-153-3p/GRB2 axis via ERK/p38 pathway.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: LncRNA plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) plays a regulatory role in some cardiovascular diseases, but its role in atherosclerosis (AS) remains barely explored. The study aimed to investigate the effects of PVT1 on high fat diet-induced AS and its potential mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS: ApoE -/- mice were fed with high fat diet for 8 weeks to establish an AS model. Lentiviral vectors containing PVT1 short hairpin RNA (PVT1-shRNA) or NC-shRNA were administered by tail vein injection. Cell viability, apoptosis, inflammatory factor secretion, and cellular oxidative stress were measured to evaluate oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) injury. Dual-luciferase reporter gene and RNA immunoprecipitation assays were used to confirm the interaction between miR-153-3p and PVT1 or growth factor receptor binding protein 2 (GRB2). Atherosclerotic lesions, lipid deposition, and cell apoptosis in aorta were analyzed by H&E, Oil Red O, and TUNEL straining. PVT1 knockdown alleviated ox-LDL-induced inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress in HUVECs. PVT1 acted as a sponge of miR-153-3p, and GRB2 was confirmed as a target of miR-153-3p. MiR-153-3p overexpression attenuated the enhanced effects of PVT1 on ox-LDL-induced cell damage. GRB2 overexpression reversed the mitigating effects of miR-153-3p on ox-LDL-caused injury. Inhibiting PVT1 restrained the activation of ERK1/2 and p38 pathway via miR-153-3p/GRB2 axis. Additionally, silencing PVT1 in vivo reduced atherosclerotic plaques, lipid deposition, inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in AS mice. CONCLUSION: PVT1 knockdown alleviated ox-LDL-induced vascular endothelial cell injury and atherosclerosis through miR-153-3p/GRB2 axis via ERK1/2 and p38 pathway.

NDUFA4L2 protects against ischaemia/reperfusion-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction by inhibiting complex I.

Myocardial ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury may cause the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes as well as mitochondrial dysfunction. The aims of the present study were to investigate whether NADH dehydrogenase 1 alpha subcomplex subunit 4-like 2 (NDUFA4L2) on myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and the underlying molecular mechanism. The hypoxia-reperfusion (H/R) model was established in vitro using H9c2 cells to simulate I/R injury. NDUFA4L2 and complex I expression levels were detected using RT-PCR and western blot. The apoptosis of H9c2 cells was evaluated by flow cytometry and the expression of Bax and Bcl-2 was detected by western blot. The mitochondrial function was assessed by ATP concentration, mPTP opening and cytochrome c (cyto C) expression. Our data indicated that NDUFA4L2 expression was significantly down-regulated in myocardial H/R injury. Overexpression of NDUFA4L2 led to a dramatic prevention of H/R-induced apoptosis accompanied by a decrease in the expression of Bax and an increase in the expression of Bcl-2. Meanwhile, augmentation of NDUFA4L2 dramatically prevented mitochondrial dysfunction caused by H/R as reflecting in the increased ATP concentration, delayed mPTP opening, as well as down-regulated cyto C expression. Moreover, complex I activation was heightened and negatively regulated by NDUFA4L2. Silencing complex I conspicuously attenuated cell apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that NDUFA4L2 protects against H/R injury by preventing myocardium apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction via the complex I, and may be a potential therapeutic approach for attenuating myocardial I/R injury.

Cholesterol-lowing effect of taurine in HepG2 cell.

BACKGROUND: A number of studies indicate that taurine promotes cholesterol conversion to bile acids by upregulating CYP7A1 gene expression. Few in vitro studies are concerned the concentration change of cholesterol and its product of bile acids, and the molecular mechanism of CYP7A1 induction by taurine. METHODS: The levels of intracellular total cholesterol (TC), free cholesterol (FC), cholesterol ester (EC), total bile acids (TBA) and medium TBA were determined after HepG2 cells were cultured for 24/48 h in DMEM supplemented with taurine at the final concentrations of 1/10/20 mM respectively. The protein expressions of CYP7A1, MEK1/2, c-Jun, p-c-Jun and HNF-4α were detected. RESULTS: Taurine significantly reduced cellular TC and FC in dose -and time-dependent ways, and obviously increased intracellular/medium TBA and CYP7A1 expressions. There was no change in c-Jun expression, but the protein expressions of MEK1/2 and p-c-Jun were increased at 24 h and inhibited at 48 h by 20 mM taurine while HNF4α was induced after both of the 24 h and 48 h treatment. CONCLUSION: Taurine could enhance CYP7A1 expression by inducing HNF4α and inhibiting MEK1/2 and p-c-Jun expressions to promote intracellular cholesterol metabolism.

Downregulation of miR-122 attenuates hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced myocardial cell apoptosis by upregulating GATA-4.

MicroRNA-122 has been reported to play a potential role in the apoptosis of myocardial cells. However, the effect of miR-122 in regulating myocardial ischemic injury has not been previously addressed. This study aimed to investigate the effect and the molecular basis of miR-122 on myocardial ischemic injury. Using the hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) model of rat cardiomyocytes H9C2 in vitro, we found that miR-122 was highly expressed in H9C2 cells after H/R treatment. Overexpression of miR-122 by recombinant adeno-associated viral vector infection markedly promoted the apoptosis of H9C2 cells induced by H/R treatment, whereas miR-122 inhibition significantly decreased cell apoptosis. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and western blot assay revealed that GATA-4 was a direct target gene of miR-122, and miR-122 suppressed the expression of GATA-4 via binding to its 3'-UTR. We further identified that overexpression of miR-122 inhibited the expression of GATA-4 at the mRNA and protein levels, whereas the inhibition of miR-122 upregulated the expression of GATA-4. Moreover, GATA-4 was poorly expressed in H/R H9C2 cells and the apoptosis induced by H/R was associated with the decrease in GATA-4 expression. Importantly, silencing of GATA-4 apparently abrogated the inhibitory effect of anti-miR-122 on H/R-induced cell apoptosis. In conclusion, these findings indicate that downregulation of miR-122 alleviates cardiomyocyte H/R injury through upregulation of GATA-4 expression, supplying a novel molecular target for myocardial ischemic injury.

Knockdown of FSTL1 inhibits oxLDL-induced inflammation responses through the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB and MAPK pathway.

Activation of inflammation by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) has been implicated in the development of atherosclerosis. Follistatin-like protein 1 (FSTL1) play a central role in the inflammation process and modulate cardiovascular disorders. However, little is known about the effects of FSTL1 on the inflammation induced by oxLDL. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of FSTL1 and investigate potential mechanisms in cultured endothelial cells. A model of oxLDL-induced injury in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) was established to evaluate the protective role of FSTL1. The mRNA transcription and secretion of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and MCP-1 were assayed using RT-PCR and ELISA, respectively. We also investigated the effects of FSTL1 on the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. OxLDL increased the expression and release of TLR4, IL-6, IL-8, ICAM-1, VCAM-1 and MCP-1 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The effects of oxLDL on the production of inflammatory cytokines by endothelial cells were completely inhibited after depletion of FSTL1. Moreover, down-regulation of FSTL1 resulted in a significant reduction in the expression of TLR4 and its downstream proteins MyD88 and p-p65, along with p-p38, p-JNK and p-ERK. However, FSTL1 had no effect on the JAK/STAT signaling pathway. These findings provide strong evidence that FSTL1 displays anti-inflammatory effects against oxLDL-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine production via a mechanism that involves the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.

[Study on Variety Test of Salvia miltiorrhiza New Variety "Zhongdan 1"].

Objective: The new varieties of Salvia miltiorrhiza were bred by the variety comparison test. Methods: Taking these varieties of CDS1,CDS2,CDS3,CDS4,CDS5 as the test varieties, which bred by system seletion from abundant germplasm resources,the conventional variety as the control, the test were arranged in Ximeishan, Linjiagou, Shiya, Hexing Village of Zhongjiang county in 2010 and 2011. And the new varieties from the growth cycle,line of characters,yield, quality and other aspects of Salvia miltiorrhiza were evaluated. Results: CDS2 had the highest yield which was significantly higher than the control group. The growth period were 250 ~ 270 days,the seed germination were early,and the plants were taller. And the medicine merchandise traits were better, the salvianolic acid and the tanshinone were significantly higher. CDS2 was named as the "Zhongdan 1"by crop variety Committee of Sichuan province in2012,which identified by technology field in 2011. Conclusion: "Zhongdan 1"is a new variety through the certification authority validation,which has a great popularization value in the production.

Thermosensitive molecularly imprinted hydrogel cross-linked with N-malely chitosan for the recognition and separation of BSA.

A novel temperature-sensitive molecularly imprinted hydrogel composed of N-isopropylacrylamide and acrylamide has been prepared by using free-radical polymerization and was cross-linked by modified water-soluble N-maley chitosan in aqueous solution. BSA (pI 4.9, MW 66.0 kDa) was used as the template protein. The produced hydrogels were characterized by environmental SEM to reveal the microcosmic morphology. A microporous structure was only found in the imprinted hydrogel, while no obvious microporous structure was found in nonimprinted hydrogels. The lower critical solution temperature of the hydrogels was 34°C, and the optimal binding conditions were tested, namely, the adsorption equilibrium time of 6 h and initial BSA concentration of 1.0 mg/mL. The adsorption capacity Qmax was determined by Langmuir isotherm plots and was 5.72 mg/g for imprinted hydrogel and 1.18 mg/g for nonimprinted hydrogels. A separation factor (ß) of 4 was obtained when bovine hemoglobin (pI 6.9, MW 64.0 kDa) was selected as the particular reference protein. Molecular weights and pIs were chosen to investigate the selectivity of the hydrogels. It was shown that the shape memory and the size effect were the major factors for the recognition. This imprinted hydrogel was used to specifically adsorb the BSA from the protein mixture.

[Effects of acidic soil improvement on active-state Cd content in soil and Cd content in Ligusticum chuanxiong].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the method to reduce the Cd content in Ligusticum chuanxiong, and to offer the reference for planting Ligusticum chuanxiong with low Cd content. METHODS: A field experiment was carried out to improve the acidic Cd-contaminated soils by different quicklime application, and the effect of quicklime on the percentage of active-state Cd in soil and Cd content in Ligusticum chuanxiong was examined. RESULTS: Quicklime could reduce the percentage of active-state Cd in soil by increase the acid soil pH value,and as a result, significantly reduce Cd content in Ligusticum chuanxiong. A highly significant negative correlation was found be- tween the Cd content in Ligusticum chuanxiong and quicklime application rate(P =0. 008). Compared with the blank group, Cd content in Ligusticum chuanxiong was reduced by 27. 66%, 24. 87% and 46. 20%, with 750, 1 125 and 1 500 kg/hm2 quicklime application, respectively; while with 1 500 kg/hm2 quicklime application, the soil pH value increased significantly and kept steadily, and the percentage of active-state Cd in soil showed a regular trend which was decreased firstly and increased subsequently. CONCLUSION: Cd content in Ligusticum chuanxiong can be reduced significantly by quicklime application,and the effect of high application of quicklime on Cd content in Ligusticum chuanxiong, soil pH values and percentage of active-state Cd in soil is more effective and steady.

[Study on variety test of Iris tectorum new variety of CSG1].

OBJECTIVE: Iris tectorum new varieties of CSG1, CSG2, CSG4, CSG5, CSG6, CSG7, CSG8 and CSG9 were bred by system selection from abundant germplasm resources. METHODS: Taking conventional variety as the control, comparison test for these new varieties was arranged in Shuangliu, Zhongjiang, Maoxian, Renshou and Anxian in Sichuan. Plot yields were measured after harvesting, yields per mu were calculated and the data were analyzed with DPS 9.50 software. RESULTS: CSG1 had the highest yield which was significantly higher than the control and other varieties. This new variety had passed through the field identification by Sichuan Provincial Crop Variety Approval Committee in 2013 and would be applied for approval in 2014. CONCLUSION: CSG1 is the first batch of Iris tectorum new variety identified by domestic authority and has great promotion potential.

Enantioselective palladium-catalyzed insertion of α-aryl-α-diazoacetates into the O-H bonds of phenols.

A palladium-catalyzed asymmetric O-H insertion reaction was developed. Palladium complexes with chiral spiro bisoxazoline ligands promoted the insertion of α-aryl-α-diazoacetates into the O-H bond of phenols with high yield and excellent enantioselectivity under mild reaction conditions. This palladium-catalyzed asymmetric O-H insertion reaction provided an efficient and highly enantioselective method for the preparation of synthetically useful optically active α-aryl-α-aryloxyacetates.

Trend of Mortality Due to Congenital Anomalies in Children Younger Than 5 Years in Eastern China, 2012-2021: Surveillance Data Analysis.

BACKGROUND: As one of the leading causes of child mortality, deaths due to congenital anomalies (CAs) have been a prominent obstacle to meet Sustainable Development Goal 3.2. OBJECTIVE: We conducted this study to understand the death burden and trend of under-5 CA mortality (CAMR) in Zhejiang, one of the provinces with the best medical services and public health foundations in Eastern China. METHODS: We used data retrieved from the under-5 mortality surveillance system in Zhejiang from 2012 to 2021. CAMR by sex, residence, and age group for each year was calculated and standardized according to 2020 National Population Census sex- and residence-specific live birth data in China. Poisson regression models were used to estimate the annual average change rate (AACR) of CAMR and to obtain the rate ratio between subgroups after adjusting for sex, residence, and age group when appropriate. RESULTS: From 2012 to 2021, a total of 1753 children died from CAs, and the standardized CAMR declined from 121.2 to 62.6 per 100,000 live births with an AACR of -9% (95% CI -10.7% to -7.2%; P<.001). The declining trend was also observed in female and male children, urban and rural children, and neonates and older infants, and the AACRs were -9.7%, -8.5%, -8.5%, -9.2%, -12%, and -6.3%, respectively (all P<.001). However, no significant reduction was observed in children aged 1-4 years (P=.22). Generally, the CAMR rate ratios for male versus female children, rural versus urban children, older infants versus neonates, and older children versus neonates were 1.18 (95% CI 1.08-1.30; P<.001), 1.20 (95% CI 1.08-1.32; P=.001), 0.66 (95% CI 0.59-0.73; P<.001), and 0.20 (95% CI 0.17-0.24; P<.001), respectively. Among all broad CA groups, circulatory system malformations, mainly deaths caused by congenital heart diseases, accounted for 49.4% (866/1753) of deaths and ranked first across all years, although it declined yearly with an AACR of -9.8% (P<.001). Deaths due to chromosomal abnormalities tended to grow in recent years, although the AACR was not significant (P=.90). CONCLUSIONS: CAMR reduced annually, with cardiovascular malformations ranking first across all years in Zhejiang, China. Future research and practices should focus more on the prevention, early detection, long-term management of CAs and comprehensive support for families with children with CAs to improve their survival chances.

A real-world study on the changing characteristics of measles antibodies in premature infants in China.

The waning of maternal antibodies may cause infants to lose protection against measles before receiving measles-containing vaccine (MCV). The aim of this study is to investigate the changing characteristics and influencing factors of measles antibodies in preterm infants (PT), and to provide scientific basis for optimizing MCV vaccination strategy of the target population. Blood samples were collected from PT and full-term infants (FT) at the chronological age (CA) of 3, 6, and 12 months. Measles antibodies were quantitatively detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Demographic and vaccination information were both collected. Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test was used to compare the measles antibodies among different gestation age (GA) groups, and multiple linear regression was performed to identify the correlative factors for the antibodies. Measles antibodies of PT decreased significantly with age increasing before MCV vaccination. The positive rates of antibodies of PT were 10.80% and 3.30% at the age of 3 and 6 months, respectively (p < .001). At 12 months, the measles antibodies and seropositive rate in the infants who received MCV vaccination increased sharply (p < .001). Regression analyzes showed that the younger the GA or the older the age, the lower the antibodies at 3 months(p < .001，p = .018); while the lower measles antibody levels at 3 months and older age predicted the lower antibodies at 6 months(p < .001, p = .029). PT were susceptible to measles due to the low level of maternally derived antibodies before MCV vaccination. More efforts should be considered to protect the vulnerable population during their early postnatal life.

Untargeted metabolomics based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/MS reveals the lipid-lowering mechanism of taurine in hyperlipidemia mice.

Introduction: Taurine has a prominent lipid-lowering effect on hyperlipidemia. However, a comprehensive analysis of the effects of taurine on endogenous metabolites in hyperlipidemia has not been documented. This study aimed to explore the impact of taurine on multiple metabolites associated with hyperlipidemia. Methods: The hyperlipidemic mouse model was induced by high-fat diet (HFD). Taurine was administered via oral gavage at doses of 700 mg/kg/day for 14 weeks. Evaluation of body weight, serum lipid levels, and histopathology of the liver and adipose tissue was performed to confirm the lipid-lowering effect of taurine. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS)-based metabonomics analyses of serum, urine, feces, and liver, coupled with multivariate data analysis, were conducted to assess changes in the endogenous metabolites. Results and discussion: Biochemical and histological examinations demonstrated that taurine administration prevented weight gain and dyslipidemia, and alleviated lipid deposition in the liver and adipose tissue in hyperlipidemic mice. A total of 76 differential metabolites were identified by UPLC-MS-based metabolomics approach, mainly involving BAs, GPs, SMs, DGs, TGs, PUFAs and amino acids. Taurine was found to partially prevent HFDinduced abnormalities in the aforementioned metabolites. Using KEGG database and MetaboAnalyst software, it was determined that taurine effectively alleviates metabolic abnormalities caused by HFD, including fatty acid metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, diacylglycerol metabolism, amino acid metabolism, bile acid and taurine metabolism, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism. Moreover, DGs, GPs and SMs, and taurine itself may serve as active metabolites in facilitating various anti-hyperlipidemia signal pathways associated with taurine. This study provides new evidence for taurine to prevent hyperlipidemia.

An electrochemical aptasensor based on the amplification of two kinds of gold nanocrystals for the assay of L-histidine with picomolar detection limit.

Au nanocrystals (NCs) enclosed by higher-index facets have high surface chemical activity. They attract much attention because of their excellent biocompatibility. In this work, well-defined elongated tetrahexahedral (ETHH) Au NCs and end-truncated ETHH with high-index facets are successfully prepared by using a single surfactant system of didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) and a binary system of cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide and DDAB in two-step seed-mediated growth. The characteristics of high-index facet Au NC modified electronic aptamer-based sensors are presented and they are applicable to a wide range of aptamers. Herein, we only take L-histidine as the representative sensing target. With modification of the Au NCs, a very low detection limit (sub-picomolar) is obtained. In particular, a detailed sensitivity comparison between the modification of end-truncated ETHH and ETHH Au NCs is presented to demonstrate the slight difference in the chemical activities of Au NCs with different high-index facets. Our work sheds light on the large scale fabrication of Au/metallic NCs with high-index facets and also provides a new eye-opening example of engineering ultra-sensitive DNA sensors based on Au NCs.

Effects of fruits and vegetables on gut microbiota in a mouse model of metabolic syndrome induced by high-fat diet.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of fruit and vegetable intake on gut microbiota using a mouse model of metabolic syndrome (MS) induced by a high-fat diet. Forty-eight male mice were randomly divided into four groups, control group (C), high-fat diet-fed model group (H), high fat plus low intake of fruits and vegetables diet-fed group (H.LFV), high fat plus high intake of fruits and vegetables diet-fed group (H.HFV), and each group were fed for 60 days. During the experiment, mouse body weights were recorded and fecal samples were collected. Cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) method was used to extract fecal bacterial DNA, and the purity and concentration of the DNA were detected by electrophoresis. DNA samples underwent PCR amplification (primers in 16 S V4 (515F and 806R)). Raw sequencing data were processed, and sample complexity and multiple-sample comparisons were investigated. Mouse organ coefficient, serum lipid levels, fecal TC (total cholesterol) and TBA (total bile acid) levels, and hepatic glutathione and malondialdehyde levels were determined. Compared to the H group, the fecal TC and TBA levels decreased significantly in the H.HFV group (p < .05), and hepatic glutathione and malondialdehyde levels decreased significantly in both H.LFV and H.HFV groups (p < .05). Decreased abundance of Firmicutes, Burkholderiales, Syntrophomonas, and Pseudomonadales in gut microbiota was observed in H.LFV and H.HFV groups compared to the H group. The Anosim results showed significant differences in pairwise comparison between groups. The linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) results showed that k_bacteria not only exhibited statistically differences between H and C groups but also among H.LFV, H.LFV, and H groups, and hence, could be used as a biomarker between groups. To sum up, fruit and vegetable powder could increase the fecal excretion of TC and TBA, and the antioxidant capacity in C57BL/6N mice. Meanwhile, the mechanism that fruit and vegetable powder could prevent MS in C57BL/6N mice was related to the decreased abundance of gut microbiota, including Firmicutes, Syntrophomonadales, and Pseudomonadales. Hence, fruit and vegetable powder could be used as a recommended food to regulate gut microbiota and prevent the occurrence of MS-related diseases.