Rapid and precise detection of cancers via label-free SERS and deep learning.

Early, express, and reliable detection of cancer can provide a favorable prognosis and decrease mortality. Tumor biomarkers have been proven to be closely related to tumor occurrence and development. Conventional tumor biomarker detection based on genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic methods is time and equipment-consuming and always needs a specific target marker. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), as a non-invasive ultrasensitive and label-free vibrational spectroscopy technique, can detect cancer-related biomedical changes in biofluids. In this paper, 110 serum samples were collected from 30 healthy controls and 80 cancer patients (including 30 bladder cancer (BC), 30 adrenal cancer (AC), and 20 acute myeloid leukemia (AML)). One microliter of blood serum was mixed with 1 µl silver colloid and then was air-dried for SERS measurements. After spectral data augmentation, one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) was proposed for precise and rapid identification of healthy and three different cancers with high accuracy of 98.27%. After gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) based spectral interpretation, the contributions of SERS peaks corresponding to biochemical substances indicated the most potential biomarkers, i.e., L-tyrosine in bladder cancer; acetoacetate and riboflavin in adrenal cancer and phospholipids, amide-I, and α-Helix in acute myeloid leukemia, which might provide an insight into the mechanism of intelligent diagnosis of different cancers based on label-free serum SERS. The integration of label-free SERS and deep learning has great potential for the rapid, reliable, and non-invasive detection of cancers, which may significantly improve the precise diagnosis in clinical practice.

Evaluation of the immunization effectiveness of bOPV booster immunization and IPV revaccination.

To provide a basis for further optimization of the polio sequential immunization schedule, this study evaluated the effectiveness of booster immunization with one dose of bivalent oral poliovirus vaccine (bOPV) at 48 months of age after different primary polio immunization schedules. At 48 months of age, one dose of bOPV was administered, and their poliovirus types 1-3 (PV1, PV2, and PV3, respectively)-specific neutralizing antibody levels were determined. Participants found to be negative for any type of PV-specific neutralizing antibody at 24, 36, or 48 months of age were re-vaccinated with inactivated polio vaccine (IPV). The 439 subjects who received a bOPV booster immunization at the age of 48 months had lower PV2-specific antibody levels compared with those who received IPV. One dose of IPV during basic polio immunization induced the lowest PV2-specific antibody levels. On the basis of our findings, to ensure that no less than 70% of the vaccinated have protection efficiency, we recommend the following: if basic immunization was conducted with 1IPV + 2bOPV (especially Sabin strain-based IPV), a booster immunization with IPV is recommended at 36 months of age, whereas if basic immunization was conducted with 2IPV + 1bOPV, a booster immunization with IPV is recommended at 48 months of age. A sequential immunization schedule of 2IPV + 1bOPV + 1IPV can not only maintain high levels of antibody against PV1 and PV3 but also increases immunity to PV2 and induces early intestinal mucosal immunity, with relatively good safety. Thus, this may be the best sequential immunization schedule for polio in countries or regions at high risk for polio.

Calpain-1 accelerates endothelial cell apoptosis in pulmonary hypertension by inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress / 中国药理学通报

Aim To explore the mechanism by which calpain-1 promotes hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension pulmonary artery endothelial cell apoptosis through endoplasmic reticulum stress. Methods C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) and calpain-1 gene knockout mice (KO) were reared in a hypoxic chamber (10% O

Peptide P3 ameliorates foam cell formation in RAW264.7 cells and its molecular mechanisms / 中国药理学通报

Aim To examine the effect of peptide P3 on lipid accumulation in RAW264.7 cells and the underlying molecular mechanism. Methods MTT method was used to screen the concentration of peptide P3 and oxidized low density lipoprotein(ox-LDL),and RAW.264.7 cells were induced to form foam cells by ox-LDL with 80 mg·L

Sequence analysis of Paragonimus internal transcribed spacer 2 and cyclooxygenase 1 genes in freshwater crabs in Henan Province / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To investigate the sequences of internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and cyclooxygenase 1 (COX1) genes of Paragonimus metacercariae in freshwater crabs in Henan Province, identify the species of Paragonimus and evaluate its genetic relationships with Paragonimus isolates from other provinces in China. Methods Freshwater crabs were collected from 8 survey sites in Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Pingdingshan, Nanyang and Jiyuan cities of Henan Province from 2016 to 2021, and Paragonimus metacercariae were detected in freshwater crabs. Genomic DNA was extracted from Paragonimus metacercariae, and the ITS2 and COX1 genes were amplified using PCR assay, followed by sequencing of PCR amplification products. The gene sequences were spliced and aligned using the software DNASTAR, and aligned with the sequences of Paragonimus genes in the GenBank. Phylogenetic trees were created using the MEGA6 software with the Neighbor-Joining method based on ITS2 and COX1 gene sequences, with Fasciola hepatica as the outgroup. Results The detection rates of Paragonimus metacercariae were 6.83% (11/161), 50.82% (31/61), 18.52% (5/26), 8.76% (12/137), 14.29% (9/63), 17.76% (19/105), 18.50% (32/173) and 42.71% (41/96) in freshwater crabs from 8 survey sites in Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Pingdingshan, Nanyang and Jiyuan cities of Henan Province, with a mean detection rate of 19.46% (160/822), and a mean infection intensity of 0.57 metacercariae/g. The amplified ITS2 and COX1 gene fragments of Paragonimus were approximately 500 bp and 450 bp in lengths, respectively. The ITS2 gene sequences of Paragonimus metacercariae from 8 survey sites of Henan Province showed the highest homology (99.8% to 100.0%) with the gene sequence of P. skrjabini (GenBank accession number: MW960209.1), and phylogenetic analysis showed that the Paragonimus in this study was clustered into the same clade with P. skrjabini from Sichuan Province (GenBank accession number: AY618747.1), Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GenBank accession number: AY618729.1) and Hubei Province (GenBank accession number: AY618751.1), and P. miyazaki from Fujian Province (GenBank accession number: AY618741.1) and Japan (GenBank accession number: AB713405.1). The COX1 gene sequences of Paragonimus metacercariae from 8 survey sites of Henan Province showed the highest homology (90.0% to 100.0%) with the gene sequence of P. skrjabini (GenBank accession number: AY618798.1), and phylogenetic analysis showed that the Paragonimus in this study was clustered into the same clade with all P. skrjabini and clustered into the same sub-clade with P. skrjabini from Hubei Province (GenBank accession numbers: AY618782.1 and AY618764.1). Conclusions Paragonimus species from freshwater crabs in Henan Province were all characterized as P. skrjabini, and the ITS2 and COX1 gene sequences had the highest homology to those of P. skrjabini from Hubei Province. The results provide insights into study of Paragonimus in Henan Province and China.

Development and validation of a CT-based radiomics model for differentiating pneumonia-like primary pulmonary lymphoma from infectious pneumonia: A multicenter study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Pneumonia-like primary pulmonary lymphoma (PPL) was commonly misdiagnosed as infectious pneumonia, leading to delayed treatment. The purpose of this study was to establish a computed tomography (CT)-based radiomics model to differentiate pneumonia-like PPL from infectious pneumonia.@*METHODS@#In this retrospective study, 79 patients with pneumonia-like PPL and 176 patients with infectious pneumonia from 12 medical centers were enrolled. Patients from center 1 to center 7 were assigned to the training or validation cohort, and the remaining patients from other centers were used as the external test cohort. Radiomics features were extracted from CT images. A three-step procedure was applied for radiomics feature selection and radiomics signature building, including the inter- and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs), a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify the significant clinicoradiological variables and construct a clinical factor model. Two radiologists reviewed the CT images for the external test set. Performance of the radiomics model, clinical factor model, and each radiologist were assessed by receiver operating characteristic, and area under the curve (AUC) was compared.@*RESULTS@#A total of 144 patients (44 with pneumonia-like PPL and 100 infectious pneumonia) were in the training cohort, 38 patients (12 with pneumonia-like PPL and 26 infectious pneumonia) were in the validation cohort, and 73 patients (23 with pneumonia-like PPL and 50 infectious pneumonia) were in the external test cohort. Twenty-three radiomics features were selected to build the radiomics model, which yielded AUCs of 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.94-0.99), 0.93 (95% CI: 0.85-0.98), and 0.94 (95% CI: 0.87-0.99) in the training, validation, and external test cohort, respectively. The AUCs for the two readers and clinical factor model were 0.74 (95% CI: 0.63-0.83), 0.72 (95% CI: 0.62-0.82), and 0.73 (95% CI: 0.62-0.84) in the external test cohort, respectively. The radiomics model outperformed both the readers' interpretation and clinical factor model ( P <0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The CT-based radiomics model may provide an effective and non-invasive tool to differentiate pneumonia-like PPL from infectious pneumonia, which might provide assistance for clinicians in tailoring precise therapy.

Interpretation of Detection and identification standard of hookworm—Hook-worm larvae coproculture techniques (WS/T 791—2021) / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Detection and identification standard of hookworm—Hookworm larvae coproculture techniques (WS/T 791—2021) is the first recommended technical standard for hookworm detection and species identification using the hookworm larvae coproculture technique in China. This standard was issued on November 23, 2021, and had been in effect since May 1, 2022. This article provides a detailed interpretation pertaining to the background, drafting process, main contents, and dos and don’ts for better understanding and application of this standard among professionals working in disease control and prevention institutions and medical institutions.

Epidemiological features of echinococcosis cases reported in the National Notifiable Disease Report System in Henan Province from 2010 to 2021 / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of echinococcosis cases reported in the National Notifiable Disease Report System in Henan Province from 2010 to 2011, so as to provide insights into for echinococcosis control and surveillance. Methods The data pertaining to reported echinococcosis cases in Henan Province from 2010 to 2021 were retrieved from the National Notifiable Disease Report System, and a descriptive epidemiological analysis was performed using the software SPSS 22.0. Results A total of 150 echinococcosis cases were reported in Henan Province from 2010 to 2021, including 88 confirmed cases (58.67%) and 62 clinically diagnosed cases (41.33%), 77 cases reported by Henan Province (51.33%) and 73 cases reported by other provinces (48.67%). Echinococcosis cases were reported in each month, with 8 to 21 cases reported in each month, and the number of reported echinococcosis cases appeared no remarkable temporal changes. The echinococcosis cases were reported across 18 cities of Henan Province, with the highest number of cases reported in Zhoukou (17.33%) and Nanyang cities (17.33%) and the lowest number reported in Sanmenxia City (0.67%). The reported echinococcosis cases had a male to female ratio of 1.17:1, and the cases were found at each age group, with the the highest number of cases seen at ages of 20 to 59 years (73.33%). Farmer was the predominant occupation (63.33%), followed by housekeepers and the unemployed (12.67%). Of all reported echinococcosis cases, there were 25 local cases (16.67%) and 125 imported cases (83.33%), 144 cases reported by medical institutions (96.00%) and 6 cases reported by centers for disease control and prevention (4.00%). Conclusions Although imported echinococcosis cases were the predominant source of echinococcosis cases reported in the National Notifiable Disease Report System in Henan Province from 2010 to 2021, there were still sporadic local cases, and the emergence of local sources of infection cannot be excluded. Further expanded field surveys and surveillance of echinococcosis are required.

Linderae Radix water extract treats diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome in rats: a serum metabolomics study / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to investigate the mechanism of Linderae Radix water extract(LRWE) in the prevention and treatment of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome(IBS-D) based on serum metabolomics. Eighteen 2-week-old male SD rats were randomized into control, IBS-D model, and LRWE groups. The rats in other groups except the control group received gavage of senna concentrate combined with restraint stress for the modeling of IBS-D. The rats in the LRWE group were administrated with LRWE(5.4 g·kg~(-1)) by gavage, and those in the control and IBS-D model groups with an equal volume of distilled water for a total of 14 days. The visceral sensitivity was evaluated by the abdominal withdrawal reflex(AWR) score, and the degree of diarrhea was assessed by the fecal water content(FWC). The morphological changes of the colon and the morphology and number of goblet cells were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) and periodic acid-schiff(PAS) staining, respectively. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS) was used for the screening of the potential biomarkers in the rat serum and their related metabolic pathways. The results showed that LRWE reduced the AWR score, decreased FWC, and alleviated visceral sensitivity and diarrhea symptoms in IBS-D rats. HE and PAS staining showed that LRWE mitigated low-grade intestinal inflammation and increased the number of mature secretory goblet cells in the colonic epithelium of IBS-D rats. A total of 25 potential biomarkers of LRWE in treating IBS-D were screened out in this study, which were mainly involved in riboflavin, tryptophan, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, and cysteine and methionine metabolism. The regulatory effects were the most significant on the riboflavin and tryptophan metabolism pathways. LRWE may alleviate the visceral hypersensitivity by promoting energy metabolism and amino acid metabolism, enhancing intestinal barrier function, and improving intestinal immune function in IBS-D rats.

Treatment Progress in Diminished Ovarian Reserve: Western and Chinese Medicine / 中国结合医学杂志

Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), generally defined as a decreased number or quality of oocytes, has a significant impact on quality of life and fertility in women. In recent years, the incidence of DOR has been increasing and the ages of patients are younger. The search for an effective DOR treatment has emerged as one of the preeminent research topics in reproductive health. An effective DOR therapy would improve ovarian function, fertility, and quality of life in patients. In this review we evaluated DOR treatment progress both in Western medicine and Chinese medicine, and elucidated the characteristics of each treatment.

The Physiological Functions and Polymorphisms of Type II Deiodinase

Type II deiodinase (DIO2) is thought to provide triiodothyronine (T3) to the nucleus to meet intracellular needs by deiodinating the prohormone thyroxine. DIO2 is expressed widely in many tissues and plays an important role in a variety of physiological processes, such as controlling T3 content in developing tissues (e.g., bone, muscles, and skin) and the adult brain, and regulating adaptive thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT). However, the identification and cloning of DIO2 have been challenging. In recent years, several clinical investigations have focused on the Thr92Ala polymorphism, which is closely correlated with clinical syndromes such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and osteoarthritis. Thr92Ala-DIO2 was also found to be related to bone and neurodegenerative diseases and tumors. However, relatively few reviews have synthesized research on individual deiodinases, especially DIO2, in the past 5 years. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding the physiological functions of DIO2 in thyroid hormone signaling and adaptive thermogenesis in BAT and the brain, as well as the associations between Thr92Ala-DIO2 and bone and neurodegenerative diseases and tumors. This discussion is expected to provide insights into the physiological functions of DIO2 and the clinical syndromes associated with Thr92Ala-DIO2.

[Microbial Community Structure of Activated Sludge for Total Nitrogen Upgrading Project].

The activated sludge of a biochemical unit (WLK_OD) and an advanced denitrification unit (WLK_AD) were collected from a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), in which the TN concentration of effluent was less than 1.5 mg·L-1, and their microbial community structure and function profiles were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing. The microorganisms in WLK_AD had lower evenness compared with that in WLK_OD, which was attributed to environmental selection. Furthermore, PCoA revealed that different incoming wastewaters had an impact on microbial community structure. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria (70.11%) was enriched in WLK_AD. At the genus level, Thauera, Flavobacterium, Hydrogenophaga, and Zoogloea served as distinct-dominant denitrifying bacteria in WLK_AD; however, Trichococcus (3.50%) and Terrimonas (1.10%) were enriched in WLK_OD. Through the comparison between groups (P<0.05), the biomarkers detected in each WWTP were different. Furthermore, the results of the co-occurrence network showed that the bacteria from module I had a higher proportion in WLK_AD; the bacteria from module II had a higher proportion in WLK_OD, and they were common microorganisms in WWTPs, implying that wastewater environments drpve the differences in the microbial community structure. Among the types of environmental parameters, the removal efficiency of COD and TN had the greatest impact on the microbial community by the RDA. The removal efficiency of COD was positively correlated with the dominant bacteria from WLK_OD, such as Saccharibacteria, Thermomarinilinea, Terrimonas, and Comamonas; the removal efficiency of TN was positively correlated with the denitrifying bacteria from WLK_AD, such as Dokdonella, Thauera, Flavobacterium, and Zoogloea. WLK_AD was enriched with Novosphingobium, Dokdonella, Thauera, and Sphingomonas, which synergistically removed TN, leading to the TN of the effluent being less than 1.5 mg·L-1. Moreover, based on the results of function prediction, WLK_AD had a higher proportion of genes that could code the denitrification enzymes.

Evaluation of left ventricular function by treadmill exercise stress echocardiography combined with layer-specific strain technique in essential hypertension patients.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of treadmill exercise stress echocardiography (TESE) combined with left ventricular (LV) layer-specific strain (LSS) in subclinical myocardial and reserve function of hypertensive patients. A total of 55 hypertensive patients and 51 controls were evaluated during rest and exercise. Two-dimensional speckle tracking (2DST) and LSS technique was used to measure longitudinal and circumferential strains at rest and peak exercise, strain difference characteristics were then evaluated. Compared to the control subjects, both longitudinal and circumferential LSS showed different degrees of reduction in hypertensive group, which was more pronounced at peak exercise. The global longitudinal endocardium strain (GLSendo) at rest was 24.4% ± 1.5% in the control group versus 20.4% ± 2.3% in the hypertensive group, while the difference was more obvious at peak state (control vs. hypertensive group, 30.8% ± 2.8% and 22.8% ± 2.9%, respectively). In particular, endocardial strain under exercise can be used as a sensitive indicator where the LV contractile reserve (CR) function of the three layers are all impaired. TESE combined with LSS might increase diagnostic accuracy of myocardial performance in hypertension patients.

Ergosterol depletion under bifonazole treatment induces cell membrane damage and triggers a ROS-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis in Penicillium expansum.

Penicillium expansum is the causal agent of blue mold in harvested fruits and vegetables during storage and distribution, causing serious economic loss. In this study we seek the action modes of bifonazole against this pathogen. Bifonazole exhibited strong antifungal activity against P. expansum by inhibiting ergosterol synthesis. The ergosterol depletion caused damage to the cell structure and especially cell membrane integrity as observed by SEM and TEM. With increased unsaturated fatty acids contents, the cell membrane viscosity decreases and can no longer effectively maintain the cytoplasm, which ultimately decreases extracellular conductivity, changes intracellular pH and ion homeostasis. Exposure of hyphal cells to bifonazole shows that mitochondrial respiration is inhibited and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels-including H2O2 and malondialdehyde (MDA) - are significantly increased. The functional impairment of mitochondria and cell membrane eventually cause cell death through intrinsic apoptosis and necroptosis.

Metabolomic mechanism and pharmacodynamic material basis of Buxue Yimu pills in the treatment of anaemia in women of reproductive age.

Objective: To explore the pharmacological basis and mechanism of Buxue Yimu pills (BYP) in the treatment of anaemia in women from the perspective of metabolomics and network analysis. Materials and Methods: Forty-six women of reproductive age with haemoglobin 70-110 g/L were recruited. Blood samples were collected before and after 4 weeks of oral BYP treatment to assess the changes in haemoglobin, coagulation function, and iron metabolism indices. An integrated analysis of metabolomics (liquid chromatography mass spectrometry) and network analysis was performed to identify the potential pharmacodynamic mechanisms of BYP. Results: After BYP treatment, the haemoglobin level of patients significantly increased from 93.67 ± 9.77 g/L to 109.28 ± 12.62 g/L (p < 0.01), while no significant changes were found in iron metabolism and coagulation-related indicators. A total of 22 differential metabolites were identified after metabolomics analysis, which were mainly related to the inhibition of inflammation and oxidative stress. Integrating pharmacodynamics and metabolomics, a network of drug-active components-targets-metabolic pathways-metabolomics was established. Acetylcholinesterase, phospholipase A2 group IIA, and phospholipase A2 group IVA may be the most promising therapeutic targets. Conclusion: BYP can inhibit inflammation and oxidative stress as well as promote haematopoiesis, potentially improving anaemia.

Effectiveness of training on Taenia solium taeniasis and cysticercosis control knowledge among medical professionals in disease-elimination pilot areas of Henan Province / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To investigate the changes in the awareness rate of Taenia solium taeniasis and cysticercosis control knowledge among medical professionals before and after training in Fangcheng County, a disease-elimination pilot area of Henan Province, so as to evaluate the effectiveness of the training. Methods Three townships in Fangcheng County were randomly selected as the study townships, including Dushu, Bowang and Yangji townships, while Erlangmiao, Yanglou and Xiaoshidian townships in the county were randomly selected as the control townships. The grassroots medical professionals in the study townships were given once training on T. solium taeniasis and cysticercosis control knowledge each year from 2016 to 2020, while those in the control townships were given no interventions. All village-level doctors and a part of township-level public health professionals were sampled from the study and control townships as intervention and control groups. The baseline and final assessments of the awareness of T. solium taeniasis and cysticercosis control knowledge were performed using questionnaire survey in intervention and control groups in 2016 and 2020, and the awareness of T. solium taeniasis and cysticercosis control knowledge was compared between the two groups. Results A total of 663 medical professionals were investigated in Fangcheng County from 2016 to 2020, including 474 participants in the intervention group and 189 participants in the control group. Results from the 2016 baseline survey showed that the awareness rate of T. solium taeniasis and cysticercosis control knowledge was 28.83% (47/163) among grassroots medical professionals in Fangcheng County, and there were no significant differences in the awareness between the intervention (32.47%, 25/77) and control groups (25.58%, 22/86) (χ2 = 0.939, P > 0.05), between men (30.50%, 43/141) and women (18.18%, 4/22) (χ2 = 1.406, P > 0.05) or between village- (31.39%, 43/137) and township-level medical professionals (15.38%, 4/26) (χ2 = 2.727, P > 0.05), while significant differences were found in the awareness rate of T. solium taeniasis and cysticercosis control knowledge among medical professionals in terms of education levels (χ2 = 8.190, P < 0.05) and duration of working experiences (χ2 = 12.617, P < 0.05), and the awareness rate of T. solium taeniasis and cysticercosis control knowledge increased with education levels among medical professionals (χ2 = 6.768, P < 0.05). Only 5.52% (9/163) of the medical professionals had a history of diagnosis and therapy of T. solium taeniasis or cysticercosis, and only 1.23% (2/163) received training on T. solium taeniasis and cysticercosis control knowledge during the past 5 years. Results from the 2020 questionnaire survey showed a higher awareness rate of T. solium taeniasis and cysticercosis control knowledge among medical professionals in the intervention group (93.55%, 116/124) than in the control group (46.60%, 48/103) (χ2 = 61.845, P < 0.05), and no significant differences were seen in the awareness rate of T. solium taeniasis and cysticercosis control knowledge among medical professionals in terms of gender, level of medical professionals, duration of working experiences or history of diagnosis/therapy of T. solium taeniasis and cysticercosis in the intervention group (χ2 = 1.089, 0.140, 0.081 and 0.453, all P values > 0.05), while there was a significant difference in the awareness rate among medical professionals with different education levels (χ2 = 36.338, P < 0.05). In addition, the awareness rate of T. solium taeniasis and cysticercosis control knowledge significantly increased among medical professionals with various chracteristics in 2020 than in 2016. Conclusions In the low-prevalence areas of T. solium taeniasis and cysticercosis, long-term and persistent training may improve the awareness of T. solium taeniasis and cysticercosis control knowledge among grassroots medical professionals, which facilitates the timely identification of T. solium taeniasis and cysticercosis and the establishment of a sensitive disease surveillance system.

Neuroprotective effect and the mechanism of Shenzao jiannao oral liquid on Alzheimer ’s disease model mice / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To study the neuroprotective effects of Shenzao jianna o oral liquid （SZJN）on Alzheimer ’s disease （AD）model mice and its mechanism. METHODS The mice were randomly divided into sham operation group ，model group ， Donepezil hydrochloride tablet group （0.65 mg/kg），SZJN low-dose ，medium-dose and high-dose groups （0.3，1.5 and 7.5 g/kg， calculated by crude drug quantity ），with 12 mice in each group ，half male and half female. Each group was given relevant medicine（intragastric administration of water at constant volume in sham operation group and model group ），twice a day ，for consecutive 28 d. On the 15th day of administration ，intracerebroventricular injection of β-amyloid 1-42（Aβ1-42）combined with intraperitoneal injection of scopolamine hydrobromide were used to induce AD model. Morris water maze was used to detect the learning and memory ability of mice. HE staining and Nissl staining were used to evaluate the pathological changes of brain tissue in mice. The levels of MDA and SOD in brain tissue of mice were detected. The phosphorylation level of cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein （CREB） and expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF） in hippocampal tissues were detected by Western blot. RESULTS Compared with sham operation group ，the escape latency of the model group was significantly prolonged ，and the number of crossing the platform and the percentage of residence time in the target quadrant were significantly reduced （P＜0.01）. The level of SOD in brain tissue ，the phosphorylation level of CREB and the expression level of BDNF in hippocampus decreased significantly （P＜0.01），while the level of MDA increased significantly （P＜ 0.01）. In hippocampal CA 1 area and cortical tissue ，nerve cells showed significantly decreased number ，the disordered arrangement and large gap ；the shape of nucleus was irregular and deeply stained ，and Nissl body was blurred ，loosely arranged and the number decreased. Compared with model group ，the escape latency of mice in each dose group of SZJN was significantly shortened ，and the times of crossing the platform and the percentage of residence time in the target quadrant were significantly jing- increased（P＜0.01）. Above indexes of brain tissue in mice were reversed sig nificantly in SZJN high-dose group （P＜0.01），and pathological damage of brain tiss ue was improved. CONCLUSIONS SZJN can significantly improve the learning and memory ability of AD model mice ，and alleviate the pathological injury and oxidative stress of brain tissue ，which may be related to the activation of CREB/BDNF signaling pathway.

Evaluation of efficiency of different anti-cysticercus antibody test kits for serodiagnosis of cysticercosis / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of four anti-cysticercus IgG, IgG4 or IgM antibody test kits (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, ELISA) by different manufacturers, so as to provide insights into the epidemiological investigation and clinical detection of cysticercosis. Methods Forty serum samples from cerebral cysticercosis patients, 100 serum samples from healthy volunteers, 30 serum samples from paragonimiasis skrjabini patients, 17 serum samples from cystic echinococcosis and 19 serum samples from subcutaneous or cerebral sparganosis patients were collected and detected using anti-cysticercus IgG, IgG4 or IgM antibody test kits (brand A) and the anti-cysticercus IgG antibody test kit (brand B). The sensitivity, specificity and false negative rate of the four kits for detection of cysticercosis were estimated. Results The anti-cysticercus IgG, IgG4 or IgM antibody test kits (brand A) showed 95.00% (38/40), 87.50% (35/40), 7.50% (3/40) sensitivities and 98.00% (98/100), 100.00% (100/100) and 100.00% (100/100) for detection of cysticercosis, while the anti-cysticercus IgG antibody test kit (brand B) presented a 75.00% (30/40) sensitivity and 100.00% (100/100) specificity for detection of cysticercosis. The sensitivity for detection of cysticercosis was significantly higher by the anti-cysticercus IgG antibody test kit (brand A) than by the anti-cysticercus IgG antibody test kit (brand B) (χ2 = 6.28, P < 0.05); however, no significant difference was seen in the specificity by two kits (χ2 = 2.01, P > 0.05). The four ELISA kits showed overall false positive rates of 37.88% (25/66), 22.73% (15/66), 62.12% (41/66) and 15.15% (10/66) for detection of paragonimiasis, echinococcosis and sparganosis (χ2 = 37.61, P < 0.05), and the anti-cysticercus IgG antibody test kit (brand A) presented the highest overall false positive rate for detection of paragonimiasis, echinococcosis and sparganosis (χ2 = 7.56, P’ < 0.008), while a higher overall false positive rate was seen for detection of paragonimiasis, echinococcosis and sparganosis by the anti-cysticercus IgG antibody test kit (brand A) than by the anti-cysticercus IgG antibody test kit (brand B) (χ2 = 8.75, P’ < 0.008). The four ELISA kits showed false positive rates of 40.00% (12/30), 16.67% (5/30), 76.67% (23/30) and 13.33% (4/30) for detection of paragonimiasis (χ2 = 32.88, P < 0.05) and 21.05% (4/19), 26.32% (5/19), 73.68% (14/19) and 15.79% (3/19) for detection of sparganosis (χ2 = 19.97, P < 0.05), and the highest false positive rates were found by the anti-cysticercus IgM antibody test kit (brand A) for detection of paragonimiasis and sparganosis (all P’ < 0.008). However, the four ELISA kits showed comparable false positive rates of 52.94% (9/17), 29.41% (5/17), 23.53% (4/17) and 17.65% (3/17) for detection of echinococcosis (χ2 = 8.24, P > 0.05). In addition, the anti-cysticercus IgM anti-body test kit (brand A) showed false positive rates of 76.67% (23/30), 23.53% (4/17) and 73.68% (14/19) for detection of paragonimiasis, echinococcosis and sparganosis (χ2 = 14.537, P < 0.05), with the lowest false positive rate seen for detection of echinococcosis (χ2 = 14.537, P’ < 0.014), while no significant differences were seen in the false positive rate for detection of paragonimiasis, echinococcosis and sparganosis by other three ELISA kits (all P > 0.05). Conclusions The four anti-cysticercus IgG, IgG4 or IgM antibody test kits exhibit various efficiencies for serodiagnosis of cysticercosis. The anti-cysticercus IgG antibody test kit (brand A) has a high sensitivity for serodiagnosis of cysticercosis; however, it still needs to solve the problems of cross-reaction with other parasitic diseases and stability.

Analysis of lactate dehydrogenase gene polymorphisms and prediction of B cell epitopes in four human Plasmodium species / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To analyze the polymorphism of Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) gene and predict B-cell epitopes in pLDH peptides in four species of human malaria parasites. Methods The blood samples and epidemiological characteristics were collected from malaria cases in Yunnan Province registered in the National Notifiable Disease Report System. The pLDH genes of four human Plasmodium species were amplified using nested PCR assay and sequenced. The polymorphisms of pLDH genes was analyzed using the software MEGA version 7.0.26 and DnaSP version 5.10, and the B-cell epitopes were predicted in pLDH peptides using the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB). Results The sequences of P. vivax LDH (PvLDH), P. falciparum LDH (PfLDH), P. ovale LDH (PoLDH) and P. malariae LDH (PmLDH) genes were obtained from 153, 29, 17 and 11 blood samples from patients with P. vivax, P. falciparum, P. ovale and P. malariae malaria, respectively, which included 15, 2, 4 and 2 haplotypes and had a nucleotide diversity (π) of 0.104. A high level of intra-species differentiation was seen in the PoLDH gene (π = 0.012), and the π values were all < 0.001 for PvLDH, PfLDH and PmLDH genes. Active regions of B-cell antigen were predicted in the pLDH peptide chain of four human malaria parasites, of 4 to 5 in each chain, and the activity score was approximately 0.430. Among these peptide chains, the “86-PGKSDKEWNRD-96” short-peptide was a B-cell epitope shared by all four species of human malaria parasites, and the “266-GQYGHS (T)-271” short-peptide was present in PvLDH and PoLDH peptide chains, while “212-EEVEGIFDR-220” was only found in the PvLDH peptide chain, and “208-LISDAE-213” was only seen in the PfLDH peptide chain. Conclusions The PoLDH gene polymorphism may be derived from the weak negative purification selection, while PvLDH, PfLDH and PmLDH genes may maintain a relatively conservative state. There may be two B-cell epitopes “212-EEVEGIFDR-220” and “208-LISDAE-213” in the proximal region of the C terminal in the pLDH peptide chain, which is feasible to differentiate between P. vivax and P. falciparum infections.

Case report of compound oxidative phosphorylation deficiency type 10 caused by a new site mutation of MTO1 gene / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

The clinical data of a case of compound oxidative phosphorylation deficiency type 10 (COXPD10) caused by a new site mutation of MTO1 gene in the Department of Pediatrics, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University on December 29, 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.The patient was a 2 months and 19 days old boy of Han nationality.The main clinical manifestations were shortness of breath, hyperlactic acidemia, hyperammonemia and brain damage.Cardiac hypertrophy was not obvious.Heterozygous mutations at c. 344delA and c. 1055C>T sites in the MTO1 gene have not been reported in domestic and foreign literature.COXPD10 caused by MTO1 gene mutations may result in diversified clinical manifestations due to inconsistent mutation sites.For hyperlactic acidemia with unknown predisposing factors, early genetic examination should be conducted to confirm the possibility of COXPD10.