Your browser doesn't support javascript.
loading
Show: 20 | 50 | 100
Results 1 - 20 de 52
Filter
1.
Virol J ; 20(1): 81, 2023 05 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37127579

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a major foodborne pathogen that contaminates aquatic products and causes great economic losses to aquaculture. Because of the emergence of multidrug-resistant V. parahaemolyticus strains, bacteriophages are considered promising agents for their biocontrol as an alternative or supplement to antibiotics. In this study, a lytic vibriophage, vB_VpaM_R16F (R16F), infecting V. parahaemolyticus 1.1997T was isolated, characterized and evaluated for its biocontrol potential. METHODS: A vibriophage R16F was isolated from sewage from a seafood market with the double-layer agar method. R16F was studied by transmission electron microscopy, host range, sensitivity of phage particles to chloroform, one-step growth curve and lytic activity. The phage genome was sequenced and in-depth characterized, including phylogenetic and taxonomic analysis. RESULTS: R16F belongs to the myovirus morphotype and infects V. parahaemolyticus, but not nine other Vibrio spp. As characterized by determining its host range, one-step growth curve, and lytic activity, phage R16F was found to highly effective in lysing host cells with a short latent period (< 10 min) and a small burst size (13 plaque-forming units). R16F has a linear double-stranded DNA with genome size 139,011 bp and a G + C content of 35.21%. Phylogenetic and intergenomic nucleotide sequence similarity analysis revealed that R16F is distinct from currently known vibriophages and belongs to a novel genus. Several genes (e.g., encoding ultraviolet damage endonuclease and endolysin) that may enhance environmental competitiveness were found in the genome of R16F, while no antibiotic resistance- or virulence factor-related gene was detected. CONCLUSIONS: In consideration of its biological and genetic properties, this newly discovered phage R16F belongs to a novel genus and may be a potential alternate biocontrol agent.


Subject(s)
Bacteriophages , Vibrio parahaemolyticus , Bacteriophages/genetics , Vibrio parahaemolyticus/genetics , Phylogeny , Genome, Viral , Host Specificity
2.
Arch Biochem Biophys ; 677: 108185, 2019 11 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31704100

ABSTRACT

Endothelial senescence is the main risk factor that contributes to vascular dysfunction and the progression of vascular disease. Carbon monoxide (CO) plays an important role in preventing vascular dysfunction and in maintaining vascular physiology or homeostasis. The application of exogenous CO has been shown to confer protection in several models of cardiovascular injury or disease, including hypertension, atherosclerosis, balloon-catheter injury, and graft rejection. However, the mechanism by which CO prevents endothelial senescence has been largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of CO on endothelial senescence and to investigate the possible mechanisms underlying this process. We measured the levels of senescence-associated-ß-galactosidase activity, senescence-associated secretory phenotype, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and stress granule in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and the WI-38 human diploid fibroblast cell line. We found that 5-fluorouracil (5FU)-induced ROS generation was inhibited by CO-releasing molecules (CORM)-A1 treatment, and endothelial senescence induced by 5FU was attenuated by CORM-A1 treatment. The SIRT1 inhibitor EX527 reversed the inhibitory effect of CO on the 5FU-induced endothelial senescence. Furthermore, SIRT1 deficiency abolished the stress granule formation by CO. Our results suggest that CO alleviates the endothelial senescence induced by 5FU through SIRT1 activation and may hence have therapeutic potential for the treatment of vascular diseases.


Subject(s)
Carbon Monoxide/pharmacology , Cellular Senescence/drug effects , Fluorouracil/pharmacology , Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/drug effects , Sirtuin 1/metabolism , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Down-Regulation , Heme Oxygenase-1/metabolism , Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/pathology , Humans , Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III/metabolism , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism
4.
Zhonghua Yi Xue Yi Chuan Xue Za Zhi ; 33(1): 38-43, 2016 Feb.
Article in Zh | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26829731

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics and genetic mutations in two children with Omenn syndromes. METHODS: Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from 2 children suspected with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and their family members. The samples were subjected to RAG1 and RAG2 gene sequencing and TCR Vß subclone analysis. RESULTS: Both patients had recurrent infections, erythroderma rashes and alopecia baldness. One patient has fit with immunophenotype T-B-NK+, while another was consistent with typical Omenn syndrome combined with T+B-NK+ immunophenotype, IgE and eosinophil increase. Both children have carried compound heterozygous mutations of the RAG1 gene. The first patient carried c.1328 G>A (p.R443K) and c.2486-2490delGGAAA (p.R829fsX869) mutations, both were of de novel type. The second patient has carried c.1209C>T (p.R403W) and c.2892delT (p.ASN964LYSfs*14), with c.2892delT (p.ASN964LYSfs*14) being a de novel mutation. The parents of both patients were heterozygous carriers. The same mutations were not found in 100 healthy children. Both patients' 24 TCR Vß subfamilies have presented monoclonal or oligoclonal peaks, with TCR Vß polymorphism being severely disrupted. CONCLUSION: Three novel mutations have been identified in two children with Omenn syndrome, which featured early onset and rapid progression. Early recognition of the disease and prompt treatment may reduce the mortality.


Subject(s)
Mutation , Severe Combined Immunodeficiency/genetics , Adult , Base Sequence , DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics , Female , Heterozygote , Homeodomain Proteins/genetics , Humans , Infant , Male , Molecular Sequence Data , Nuclear Proteins/genetics , Pedigree
5.
Tumour Biol ; 35(5): 4901-5, 2014 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24453033

ABSTRACT

The EarlyCDT®-Lung test was the first autoantibody-based diagnostic tool for lung cancer, which was developed with a panel of recombinant protein antigens. To confirm whether the antibody test developed with linear peptide antigens has a similar power to that developed with the whole protein molecules, the present work was then undertaken to develop an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with linear peptide antigens derived from annexin A1 (ANXA1) and DEAD box protein 53 (DDX53), which have been used to develop the EarlyCDT®-Lung test. A total of 272 patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 227 control subjects matched in age and smoking history were recruited. Student's t test showed that the levels of circulating IgG to ANXA1-derived peptide antigens were significantly higher in patients with NSCLC than control subjects (t = 5.66, P < 0.0001), in which the increased anti-ANXA1 IgG levels were observed only in patients at stages I, II, or III, but not in those at stage IV. However, the levels of circulating IgG to DDX53-derived peptide antigens were not significantly altered in NSCLC (t = 1.78, P = 0.076). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the sensitivity against specificity of >90% was 23.7% for ANXA1 IgG assay and 13.8% for DDX53 IgG assay. This work suggests that the linear peptide antigen derived from ANXA1 may be suitable for the development of diagnostic tool for lung cancer although further screening is needed to identify more such peptide antigens derived from tumor-associated antigens.


Subject(s)
Annexin A1/immunology , Antigens, Neoplasm/immunology , Autoantibodies/blood , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/diagnosis , DEAD-box RNA Helicases/immunology , Lung Neoplasms/diagnosis , Aged , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/immunology , Female , Humans , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Lung Neoplasms/immunology , Male , Middle Aged
6.
Front Immunol ; 15: 1332279, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38390317

ABSTRACT

Background: As the leading cause of chronic kidney disease, diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is an enormous burden for all healthcare systems around the world. However, its early diagnosis has no effective methods. Methods: First, gene expression data in GEO database were extracted, and the differential genes of diabetic tubulopathy were obtained. Immune-related genesets were generated by WGCNA and immune cell infiltration analyses. Then, differentially expressed immune-related cuproptosis genes (DEICGs) were derived by the intersection of differential genes and genes related to cuproptosis and immune. To investigate the functions of DEICGs, volcano plots and GO term enrichment analysis was performed. Machine learning and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis helped to finally screen out hub genes. The diagnostic efficacy of them was evaluated by GSEA analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, single-cell RNA sequencing and the Nephroseq website. The expression of hub genes at the animal level by STZ -induced and db/db DKD mouse models was further verified. Results: Finally, three hub genes, including FSTL1, CX3CR1 and AGR2 that were up-regulated in both the test set GSE30122 and the validation set GSE30529, were screened. The areas under the curve (AUCs) of ROC curves of hub genes were 0.911, 0.935 and 0.922, respectively, and 0.946 when taking as a whole. Correlation analysis showed that the expression level of three hub genes demonstrated their negative relationship with GFR, while those of FSTL1 displayed a positive correlation with the level of serum creatinine. GSEA was enriched in inflammatory and immune-related pathways. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing indicated the main distribution of FSTL1 in podocyte and mesangial cells, the high expression of CX3CR1 in leukocytes and the main localization of AGR2 in the loop of Henle. In mouse models, all three hub genes were increased in both STZ-induced and db/db DKD models. Conclusion: Machine learning was combined with WGCNA, immune cell infiltration and PPI analyses to identify three hub genes associated with cuproptosis, immunity and diabetic nephropathy, which all have great potential as diagnostic markers for DKD and even predict disease progression.


Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus , Diabetic Nephropathies , Follistatin-Related Proteins , Animals , Mice , Diabetic Nephropathies/diagnosis , Diabetic Nephropathies/genetics , Machine Learning , Area Under Curve , Databases, Factual
7.
PLoS One ; 19(9): e0309383, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-39231126

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Mechanical ventilation (MV) is vital for critically ill ICU patients but carries significant mortality risks. This study aims to develop a predictive model to estimate hospital mortality among MV patients, utilizing comprehensive health data to assist ICU physicians with early-stage alerts. METHODS: We developed a Machine Learning (ML) framework to predict hospital mortality in ICU patients receiving MV. Using the MIMIC-III database, we identified 25,202 eligible patients through ICD-9 codes. We employed backward elimination and the Lasso method, selecting 32 features based on clinical insights and literature. Data preprocessing included eliminating columns with over 90% missing data and using mean imputation for the remaining missing values. To address class imbalance, we used the Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (SMOTE). We evaluated several ML models, including CatBoost, XGBoost, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), and Logistic Regression, using a 70/30 train-test split. The CatBoost model was chosen for its superior performance in terms of accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, AUROC metrics, and calibration plots. RESULTS: The study involved a cohort of 25,202 patients on MV. The CatBoost model attained an AUROC of 0.862, an increase from an initial AUROC of 0.821, which was the best reported in the literature. It also demonstrated an accuracy of 0.789, an F1-score of 0.747, and better calibration, outperforming other models. These improvements are due to systematic feature selection and the robust gradient boosting architecture of CatBoost. CONCLUSION: The preprocessing methodology significantly reduced the number of relevant features, simplifying computational processes, and identified critical features previously overlooked. Integrating these features and tuning the parameters, our model demonstrated strong generalization to unseen data. This highlights the potential of ML as a crucial tool in ICUs, enhancing resource allocation and providing more personalized interventions for MV patients.


Subject(s)
Hospital Mortality , Intensive Care Units , Machine Learning , Respiration, Artificial , Humans , Respiration, Artificial/mortality , Male , Female , Middle Aged , Aged , Support Vector Machine , Critical Illness/mortality , Databases, Factual
8.
J Dent ; 146: 105059, 2024 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38801939

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) is highly prevalent, affecting children's oral health. S-ECC development is closely associated with the complex oral microbial microbiome and its microorganism interactions, such as the imbalance of bacteriophages and bacteria. Till now, little is known about oral phageome on S-ECC. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the potential role of the oral phageome in the pathogenesis of S-ECC. METHODS: Unstimulated saliva (2 mL) was collected from 20 children with and without S-ECC for metagenomics analysis. Metagenomics sequencing and bioinformatic analysis were performed to determine the two groups' phageome diversity, taxonomic and functional annotations. Statistical analysis and visualization were performed with R and SPSS Statistics software. RESULTS: 85.7 % of the extracted viral sequences were predicted from phages, in which most phages were classified into Myoviridae, Siphoviridae, and Podoviridae. Alpha diversity decreased, and Beta diversity increased in the S-ECC phageome compared to the healthy group. The abundance of Podoviridae phages increased, and the abundance of Inoviridae, Herelleviridae, and Streptococcus phages decreased in the S-ECC group. Functional annotation revealed increased annotation on glycoside hydrolases and nucleotide metabolism, decreased glycosyl transferases, carbohydrate-binding modules, and biogenic metabolism in the S-ECC phageome. CONCLUSIONS: Metagenomic analysis revealed reduced Streptococcus phages and significant changes in functional annotations within the S-ECC phageome. These findings suggest a potential weakening of the regulatory influence of oral bacteria, which may indicate the development of innovative prevention and treatment strategies for S-ECC. These implications deserve further investigation and hold promise for advancing our understanding and management of S-ECC. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The findings of this study indicate that oral phageomes are associated with bacterial genomes and metabolic processes, affecting the development of S-ECC. The reduced modulatory effect of the oral phageome in counteracting S-ECC's cariogenic activity suggests a new avenue for the prevention and treatment of S-ECC.


Subject(s)
Bacteriophages , Dental Caries , Metagenomics , Saliva , Humans , Dental Caries/microbiology , Dental Caries/virology , Saliva/virology , Saliva/microbiology , Metagenomics/methods , Bacteriophages/genetics , Bacteriophages/classification , Bacteriophages/isolation & purification , Child, Preschool , Female , Male , Mouth/microbiology , Mouth/virology , Microbiota , Metagenome , Child
9.
Cancer Cell Int ; 13(1): 62, 2013 Jun 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23799994

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Identification of cancer stem cells (CSCs) and their behaviors will provide insightful information for the future control of human cancers. This study investigated CD44 and CD24 cell surface markers as breast cancer CSC markers in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: Flow cytometry with CD44 and CD24 markers was used to sort breast cancer MCF7 cells for scanning electron microscopy (SEM), tumor cell invasion assay, and nude mouse xenograft assay. RESULTS: Flow cytometry assay using CD44 and CD24 markers sorted MCF7 cells into four subsets, i.e., CD44+/CD24-/low, CD44-/CD24+, CD44+/CD24+, and CD44-/CD24-. The SEM data showed that there were many protrusions on the surface of CD44+/CD24-/low cells. CD44+/CD24-/low cells had many microvilli and pseudopodia. The CD44+/CD24-/low cells had a higher migration and invasion abilities than that of the other three subsets of the cells. The in vivo tumor formation assay revealed that CD44+/CD24- cells had the highest tumorigenic capacity compared to the other three subsets. CONCLUSION: CD44 and CD24 could be useful markers for identification of breast CSCs because CD44+/CD24-/low cells had unique surface ultrastructures and the highest tumorigenicity and invasive abilities.

10.
Front Public Health ; 11: 1166776, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37441643

ABSTRACT

Background: Pancreatic cancer is an extremely malignant disease that poses a serious threat to the mental health of patients. Many cancer patients now use social media for online social support. However, the impact of social media on mental health is currently inconsistent in the academic community. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the mediating effects of online social support and psychological resilience in the relationship between social media use and mental health of pancreatic cancer patients. Methods: Four hundred and twenty-five valid questionnaires were collected through convenience sampling. All data were processed using SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 26.0. We examine the influence relationships among latent variables by constructing a structural equation model. Then SPSS Process Macro was used to test the chain mediating effect of the model. Results: The results showed that (1) anxiety situations occurred in 22.2% of participants (N = 94), while the incidence of depression was 20.2% (N = 86). (2) Social media use positively influenced online social support (ß = 0.990, p < 0.001), psychological resilience (ß = 0.504, p < 0.001), and mental health (ß = 0.330, p < 0.001); online social support positively influenced psychological resilience (ß = 0.535, p < 0.001) and mental health (ß = 0.354, p < 0.001); psychological resilience significantly and positively influenced mental health (ß = 0.243, p < 0.001). (3) The chain mediating effect of online social support and psychological resilience was significant at 0.253 with a confidence interval of [0.178, 0.340]. Conclusion: Pancreatic cancer patients in China are exposed to a high burden of anxiety and depression, which requires urgent attention. Meanwhile, online social support and psychological resilience played a chain mediating role between social media use and mental health (anxiety and depression), and our results provide new insights and ways to support the mental health improvement of pancreatic cancer patients.


Subject(s)
Pancreatic Neoplasms , Resilience, Psychological , Social Media , Humans , Mental Health , Depression/epidemiology , Depression/psychology , Social Support
11.
Front Neurol ; 14: 1102927, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37265464

ABSTRACT

Objective: The thalamus is an integrative hub of motor circuits in Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to investigate the alterations of structure and functional connectivity (FC) of the thalamic subregions in the tremor-dominant (TD) subtype and the postural instability and gait difficulty (PIGD) subtype in PD. Methods: A total of 59 drug-naïve patients (24 TD and 35 PIGD) and 37 healthy controls were recruited. The volumes of the thalamus and the thalamic subregions were calculated using FreeSurfer. Functional connectivity (FC) analysis of the resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) was conducted on the thalamic subregions. Finally, the altered structure and FC were used for correlation analysis with clinical motor scores and for further motor subtypes differentiation. Results: The volumes of the left posterior parietal thalamus (PPtha) in TD patients were significantly lower than those of PIGD patients. Compared with PIGD patients, TD patients exhibited higher FC between the thalamic subregions, the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG), the right dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus (SFGdl), the left middle occipital gyrus (MOG), and the right superior temporal gyrus (STG). Compared with HCs, TD patients showed higher FC between the thalamic subregions and the right SFGdl, as well as the left MOG. Compared with HCs, PIGD patients showed lower FC between the thalamic subregions and the left MTG. In addition, the altered FC was closely related to clinical symptoms and performed high-discriminative power in differentiating the motor subtypes. Conclusion: Increased FC between the thalamic subregions and the sensory cortices in TD patients may indicate a better compensatory capacity for impairment of sensory information integration than that in PIGD patients. The altered FC between the thalamus and the MTG was a potential biomarker for the distinction of the PD motor subtypes.

12.
Front Microbiol ; 14: 1169774, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37250053

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (A. pleuropneumoniae) is a member of Actinobacillus in family Pasteurellaceae. It is the causative agent of porcine pleuropneumonia, which has caused huge economic losses to pig industry over the world. Cysteine is a precursor of many important biomolecules and defense compounds in the cell. However, molecular mechanisms of cysteine transport in A. pleuropneumoniae are unclear. Methods: In this study, gene-deleted mutants were generated and investigated, to reveal the roles of potential cysteine/cystine transport proteins FliY and YdjN of A. pleuropneumoniae. Results: Our results indicated that the growth of A. pleuropneumoniae was not affected after fliY or ydjN single gene deletion, but absence of both FliY and YdjN decreased the growth ability significantly, when cultured in the chemically defined medium (CDM) supplemented with cysteine or cystine as the only sulfur source. A. pleuropneumoniae double deletion mutant ΔfliYΔydjN showed increased sensitivity to oxidative stress. Besides, trans-complementation of YdjN into ΔfliYΔydjN and wild type leads to increased biofilm formation in CDM. However, the virulence of ΔfliYΔydjN was not attenuated in mice or pigs. Discussion: These findings suggest that A. pleuropneumoniae FliY and YdjN are involved in the cysteine/cystine acquisition, oxidative tolerance, and biofilm formation, but not contribute to the pathogenicity of A. pleuropneumoniae.

13.
Sci Total Environ ; 860: 160533, 2023 Feb 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36574552

ABSTRACT

Tetracyclines residues, particularly oxytetracycline (OTC) and tetracycline (TC), have raised extensive concern because of their serious adverse effects on human health. Herein, a dual-response fluorescent probe based on nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) and Eu3+ hybrid (N-CDs-Eu3+) was developed to selectively determine OTC and TC. The N-CDs act as ancillary ligands of Eu3+ and recognition units of OTC/TC, while the Eu3+ ions chelated with N-CDs can also specifically recognize OTC/TC. Upon inclusion of OTC/TC, an enhancement in Eu3+ emission occurs due to the energy transfer from OTC/TC to Eu3+ and the efficient elimination of quenching effect caused by H2O molecule, which is attributed to the incorporation of N-CDs; while the blue fluorescence emitted by the N-CDs decreases under the inner filter effect and static quenching effect caused by OTC/TC. Based on the double and reverse response signals, the ratiometric detection of OTC and TC in the range of 0.1-45 µΜ and 0.1-30 µΜ is achieved with a detection limit of 0.017 and 0.041 µM, respectively. In addition, the noticeable variation in fluorescence color of the probe is integrated with a smartphone-assisted analysis device for the rapid on-site quantitative assay of OTC, where the detection limit is 0.15 µΜ. The results show that this probe performs with excellent specificity and anti-interference for both OTC and TC, and satisfactory detection results are obtained in lake water, milk, and honey samples, thereby confirming that the probe exhibits promising application in food safety and environmental monitoring.


Subject(s)
Oxytetracycline , Quantum Dots , Humans , Tetracycline , Europium/chemistry , Fluorescent Dyes , Carbon/chemistry , Anti-Bacterial Agents/analysis , Tetracyclines/analysis , Quantum Dots/chemistry , Spectrometry, Fluorescence/methods
14.
Materials (Basel) ; 16(5)2023 Feb 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36902877

ABSTRACT

A TiTaNbZrHf refractory high-entropy alloy (RHEA) was synthesized through a cold isostatic pressing and a pressure-less sintering process in a hydrogen atmosphere using a powder mixture of metal hydride prepared either by mechanical alloying (MA) or by rotating mixing. This study investigates how differences in powder particle sizes impact the RHEA's microstructure and mechanical properties. HCP (a = b = 3.198 Å, c = 5.061 Å) and BCC2 (a = b = c = 3.40 Å) phases were observed in the microstructure of coarse powder TiTaNbZrHf RHEAs at 1400 °C. In contrast, fine powder RHEAs were found to possess two-phase structures of HCP and BCC1 (a = b = c = 3.36 Å) with a higher hardness of 431 HV, compression strength of 1620 MPa, and a plasticity of >20%.

15.
Fish Shellfish Immunol Rep ; 5: 100111, 2023 Dec 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37456711

ABSTRACT

Studies are lacking that investigate the dietary nutrient requirements of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), a newly farmed fish species in Ontario, Canada. Dietary levels of protein and lipid must be optimized to ensure high growth performance for the commercial success of this species. Additionally, the inclusion of insect meal in the diet may improve growth and immune response. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary protein:lipid ratios and insect meal as a feed additive on the growth performance and hepatic immune function of juvenile lake whitefish (301 ± 10 g). A 16-week (112 day) trial was performed with five diets including a commercial control diet (BCC), and four experimental diets with high or low levels of protein (54 and 48%, respectively) and lipid (18 and 12%, respectively). The high protein dietary groups contained 5% of full-fat black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens). Fish weights, viscera, liver, and blood were collected for further analysis. Specific growth rate, thermal growth coefficient and weight gain were significantly higher in fish fed with the BCC and high protein high lipid (HPHL) diets. However, viscerosomatic index was found to be significantly higher in fish fed the BCC diet, thus HPHL is more optimal for non-visceral weight gain. Higher levels of plasma phosphorus, aspartate aminotransferase and potassium indicated poor growth and stress in fish fed low lipid diets. Relative expression of HSP70, involved in cellular repair, was significantly downregulated in fish fed high lipid diets, and no effects were found on the expression of innate immune and oxidative stress genes. Also, IL8 (CXCL8) and catalase were upregulated (non-significant) in fish fed the HPHL diet with the largest weight gain. No effects of insects were found on growth, plasma biochemistry or gene expression, which suggests 5% dietary inclusion was too low. Overall, we recommend a HPHL diet for the cultivation of lake whitefish based on improved growth performance, low viscera weight, improved plasma biochemistry and downregulation of cellular repair genes.

16.
J Nutr Biochem ; 118: 109325, 2023 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36958418

ABSTRACT

The molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease (PD), and Huntington's disease remain enigmatic, resulting in an unmet need for therapeutics development. Here, we suggest that filbertone, a key flavor compound found in the fruits of hazel trees of the genus Corylus, can ameliorate PD via lowering the abundance of aggregated α-synuclein. We previously reported that inhibition of hypothalamic inflammation by filbertone is mediated by suppression of nuclear factor kappa-B. Here, we report that filbertone activates PERK through mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production, resulting in the increased nuclear translocation of transcription factor-EB in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. TFEB activation by filbertone promotes the autophagy-lysosomal pathway, which in turn alleviates the accumulation of α-synuclein. We also demonstrate that filbertone prevented the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and striatum of mice on high-fat diet. Filbertone treatment also reduced high-fat diet-induced α-synuclein accumulation through upregulation of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway. In addition, filbertone improved behavioral abnormalities (i.e., latency time to fall and decrease of running distance) in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced PD murine model. In conclusion, filbertone may show promise as a potential therapeutic for neurodegenerative disease.


Subject(s)
Neuroblastoma , Neurodegenerative Diseases , Parkinson Disease , Humans , Mice , Animals , alpha-Synuclein/metabolism , Neurodegenerative Diseases/drug therapy , Neurodegenerative Diseases/metabolism , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism , Neuroblastoma/pathology , Parkinson Disease/drug therapy , Autophagy/physiology , Dopaminergic Neurons/metabolism , Lysosomes/metabolism , Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors/metabolism
17.
Front Public Health ; 10: 1102590, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36726620

ABSTRACT

Background: The HPV vaccination is a crucial line of defensing against cervical cancer. As a result of government support and positive publicity from the majority of media, a craze for HPV vaccination has occurred in China. Besides, the intentions to get the HPV vaccine among women of appropriate age is also influenced by families' and friends' attitudes and perceptions toward HPV vaccine. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate how HPV related information exposure and injunctive norms affect young Chinese women's intentions to receive the HPV vaccine. Methods: A structural equation model was developed based on KAP theory, and 567 effective questionnaires were collected through an online survey. We used SPSS 26.0 for the reliability and validity analysis and the differential testing of demographic characteristics, and Amos 26.0 for the goodness-of-fit analysis and paths testing of the model. Results: Our findings showed that (1) intention to receive HPV vaccine differed significantly in age (P = 0.046), educational background (P = 0.001), and occupation (P = 0.004). (2) Exposure to HPV related information positively affected knowledge about HPV (ß = 0.316, P < 0.001) and intention to receive HPV vaccine (ß = 0.141, P < 0.001). (3) Knowledge about HPV positively affected attitude toward HPV vaccine (ß=0.341, P < 0.001), but negatively affected intention to receive HPV vaccine (ß = -0.148, P < 0.05), and attitude toward HPV vaccine positively affected intention to receive HPV vaccine (ß = 0.594, P < 0.001). (4) Injunctive norms positively affected attitude toward HPV vaccine (ß = 0.362, P < 0.001) and intention to receive HPV vaccine (ß = 0.420, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Exposure to HPV related information influenced young Chinese women's intentions to receive the HPV vaccine and related knowledge, that is, the more frequently they were exposed to HPV related information, the stronger their intentions to receive the vaccine and the higher their HPV knowledge. Also, the perception and support of HPV vaccination by people around them will further influence their attitudes and intentions to receive the HPV vaccine.


Subject(s)
Papillomavirus Infections , Papillomavirus Vaccines , Humans , Female , Intention , Papillomavirus Infections/prevention & control , Reproducibility of Results , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36011458

ABSTRACT

Long COVID is a public health problem that cannot be ignored, and it is critical to understand the long COVID patients' living situations and support this group through their illness narratives. This study is based on grounded theory, and coded the self-produced texts of long COVID patients on the largest online Q&A community in China, Zhihu APP, in an attempt to explore the illness experiences of long COVID patients in China and to understand how they adapt to their illness and reconstruct their lives. The results show that patients face not only the threat of pain from the illness itself, but also social stigma and discrimination. Patients turn their illness experiences into motivation to move forward and reconstruct self and life by 'pushing forward the biographical flows again', 'impression management' and 'self-compassion'. These findings can help policy-makers and medical institutions to provide timely and appropriate policy support and psychological assistance to patients with long COVID, to create a supportive and inclusive social environment, and to reduce discrimination and stigma against them.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , COVID-19/complications , COVID-19/epidemiology , Grounded Theory , Humans , Qualitative Research , Social Stigma , Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
19.
Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc ; 279: 121360, 2022 Oct 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35617833

ABSTRACT

Phosphate (Pi) plays an essential role in aquatic ecosystems as well as in physiological processes. Here, a dual-emission probe for the sensitive, specific and visual analysis of Pi is fabricated by coordinating Eu3+ with luminol and 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (DPA). Pi can significantly enhance the characteristic fluorescence of Eu3+ at 615 nm by promoting energy transfer from DPA to Eu3+ and reducing the quenching effect of water molecule, luminol with inherent emission at 423 nm further enhances the Eu3+ fluorescence. Accordingly, ratiometric detection of Pi can be achieved with the fluorescence ratio F615/F423 as a function of Pi concentration. Linearity between F615/F423 and Pi concentration in the range of 0.1-25 µM is shown, and the limit of detection (LOD, 3σ/K) for Pi is 0.027 µM. In addition, a continuous change in the fluorescence color of the probe from blue to red is observed with increasing Pi concentration under a UV lamp, and a smartphone-based visual method is used for the convenient and effective semi-quantitative determination of Pi. The dual-emission probe has been successfully applied to ratiometric and visual analysis of Pi in human urine and environmental water samples, and adequate results are obtained.


Subject(s)
Fluorescent Dyes , Lanthanoid Series Elements , Ecosystem , Humans , Luminol , Phosphorus , Smartphone , Spectrometry, Fluorescence , Water
20.
Front Neurosci ; 16: 828651, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35310104

ABSTRACT

Background: Depression, one of the most frequent non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD), was proposed to be related to neural network dysfunction in advanced PD patients. However, the underlying mechanisms in the early stage remain unclear. The study was aimed to explore the alterations of large-scale neural networks in de novo PD patients with depression. Methods: We performed independent component analysis (ICA) on the data of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging from 21 de novo PD patients with depression (dPD), 34 de novo PD patients without depression (ndPD), and 43 healthy controls (HCs) to extract functional networks. Intranetwork and internetwork connectivity was calculated for comparison between groups, correlation analysis, and predicting the occurrence of depression in PD. Results: We observed an ordered decrease of connectivity among groups within the ventral attention network (VAN) (dPD < ndPD < HCs), mainly located in the left middle temporal cortex. Besides, dPD patients exhibited hypoconnectivity between the auditory network (AUD) and default mode network (DMN) or VAN compared to ndPD patients or healthy controls. Correlation analysis revealed that depression severity was negatively correlated with connectivity value within VAN and positively correlated with the connectivity value of AUD-VAN in dPD patients, respectively. Further analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) for dPD prediction was 0.863 when combining the intranetwork connectivity in VAN and internetwork connectivity in AUD-DMN and AUD-VAN. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that early dPD may be associated with abnormality of attention bias and especially auditory attention processing. Altered neural network connectivity is expected to be a potential neuroimaging biomarker to predict depression in PD.

SELECTION OF CITATIONS
SEARCH DETAIL