Marine biological injuries and their medical management: A narrative review.

The marine environment can be extremely dangerous, and the harm caused by marine organisms when they contact the human body can be especially harmful, even deadly. Contact includes stings, bites, wounds, and consumption as food. In this article, the characteristics of the common marine biological injuries are summarized, the major marine organisms causing damage in China's marine waters are described, and injury prevention and treatment methods are discussed.

COVID-19 and liver dysfunction: What nutritionists need to know.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 has brought serious challenges for the medical field. Patients with COVID-19 usually have respiratory symptoms. However, liver dysfunction is not an uncommon presentation. Additionally, the degree of liver dysfunction is associated with the severity and prognosis of COVID-19. Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of malnutrition should be routinely recommended in the management of patients with COVID-19, especially in those with liver dysfunction. Recently, a large number of studies have reported that nutrition therapy measures, including natural dietary supplements, vitamins, minerals and trace elements, and probiotics, might have potential hepatoprotective effects against COVID-19-related liver dysfunction via their antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and positive immunomodulatory effects. This review mainly focuses on the possible relationship between COVID-19 and liver dysfunction, nutritional and metabolic characteristics, nutritional status assessment, and nutrition therapy to provide a reference for the nutritionists while making evidence-based nutritional decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Potential role of vitamin D in patients with diabetes, dyslipidaemia, and COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 has become a worldwide public health crisis. Studies have demonstrated that diabetes and dyslipidaemia are common comorbidities and could be high-risk factors for severe COVID-19. Vitamin D, a group of fat-soluble compounds responsible for intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate, has been widely used as a dietary supplement for the prevention and treatment of numerous diseases, including infectious and non-infectious diseases, due to its high cost-effectiveness; safety; tolerability; and anti-thrombotic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and immunomodulatory properties. In this letter to the editor, we mainly discuss the potential role of vitamin D in patients with diabetes, dyslipidaemia, and COVID-19.

COVID-19 and the digestive system: A comprehensive review.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is spreading at an alarming rate, and it has created an unprecedented health emergency threatening tens of millions of people worldwide. Previous studies have indicated that SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid could be detected in the feces of patients even after smear-negative respiratory samples. However, demonstration of confirmed fecal-oral transmission has been difficult. Clinical studies have shown an incidence rate of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms ranging from 2% to 79.1% in patients with COVID-19. They may precede or accompany respiratory symptoms. The most common GI symptoms included nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. In addition, some patients also had liver injury, pancreatic damage, and even acute mesenteric ischemia/thrombosis. Although the incidence rates reported in different centers were quite different, the digestive system was the clinical component of the COVID-19 section. Studies have shown that angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, the receptor of SARS-CoV-2, was not only expressed in the lungs, but also in the upper esophagus, small intestine, liver, and colon. The possible mechanism of GI symptoms in COVID-19 patients may include direct viral invasion into target cells, dysregulation of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, immune-mediated tissue injury, and gut dysbiosis caused by microbiota. Additionally, numerous experiences, guidelines, recommendations, and position statements were published or released by different organizations and societies worldwide to optimize the management practice of outpatients, inpatients, and endoscopy in the era of COVID-19. In this review, based on our previous work and relevant literature, we mainly discuss potential fecal-oral transmission, GI manifestations, abdominal imaging findings, relevant pathophysiological mechanisms, and infection control and prevention measures in the time of COVID-19.

Anti-allodynia effect of safranal on neuropathic pain induced by spinal nerve transection in rat.

In this study, we investigated the anti-allodynia effect of safranal, the main volatile constitute of saffron, in spinal nerve transection model of rats. Meanwhile, to elucidate the mechanism, we determined the dynamic expression changes of glial activation markers (GFAP and OX-42) and inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1ß) in ipsilateral dorsal horn of lumbar enlargement post surgery. Results showed significant increase of these markers along with development of mechanical allodynia. Safranal (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.) attenuated the pain sensitivity and inhibited the expression of these markers. The results demonstrate that the antiallodynia effect of safranal after nerve injury might be attributed to its inhibiting effect on glial activation and inflammatory cytokine production in central nervous system.

[A sampling survey on the distribution of Oncomelania snails in Zhejiang Province].

OBJECTIVE: To find out current distribution of Oncomelania snails and Schistosoma infection in snails in Zhejiang Province, so as to improve the project of schistosomiasis control. METHODS: Investigation spots were selected by stratified cluster sampling method, 100 villages of 34 counties were selected from 7106 villages of 55 counties as survey spots. Synchronously systematic and environmental samplings were used for the survey. Snails were dissected to determine the infection status and spots with sham snails were set to assess the quality of the survey. RESULTS: The result showed that snails were found in 223 strips, 1572 frames and 73,300 m2 area in 32 villages of 21 counties. Snails were found in an area covering 72,640 m2 in 29 villages of 18 counties in hilly region, which accounted for 99.1% of total snail habitats. The significantly larger area with snails was revealed in hilly region than that in water network region (t = 3.04, P < 0.01). 1st, 2nd strata occupied 71,680 m2 snail area, which accounted for 97.8% of total snail area, much higher than that in the 3rd stratum (t = 3.71 , P < 0.01). Snail habitats in the irrigation ditches and canals accounted for 62.6% of total snail area, significantly higher than that of farmland (t = 3.02, P < 0.01). No snails were found infected among 7892 living snails by dissection. The theory value of snail area in Zhejiang Province was 1,361,940 m2. CONCLUSION: It is estimated that the snail-ridden area is about 1,500,000-2,000,000 m2 in the Province, mostly found in the villages of hilly region with a record of snail habitats during the recent 4 years and the primary environment of the snail areas were ditches and canals. No infected snails were found from the survey.

[Clinical observation on the efficacy of ivermectin in the treatment of intestinal nematode infections].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy and side effects of ivermectin in the treatment of intestinal nematode infections. METHODS: A single dose of ivermectin 0.1, 0.2, 0.2 and 0.2 mg/kg was orally administered to cases with infection of Ascaris, hookworm, Trichuris and Enterobius respectively. A single dose of albendazole 400 mg was used as control. RESULTS: The egg negative conversion rates of ivermectin and albendazole were both 100% (34/34) for Ascaris infection, 17.6% (6/34) and 76.5% (26/34) respectively for hookworm infection, 67.6% (23/34) and 47.1% (16/34) respectively for Trichuris infection, 58.8% (20/34) and 100% (34/34) respectively for Enterobius infection. The worm discharge reached a peak in 1-2 days after treatment. The side effect of ivermectin was mild and transient showing no adverse effect on blood picture, liver function, renal function or ECG. CONCLUSION: Ivermectin shows similar effect on Ascaris with albendazole, better effect on Trichuris and poorer effect on hookworm and Enterobius than albendazole.