Fatal arrhythmia associated with novel coronavirus 2019 infection: Case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: The novel coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19) has inflicted significant harm on the cardiovascular system. Patients presenting with fatal chronic arrhythmias after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are rare, arrhythmia caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection need to be taken seriously. PATIENT CONCERNS: Three female patients were admitted to the hospital with syncopal symptoms. Previously, they had been identified to have COVID-19 infection and none of the patients had a preexisting history of arrhythmia, and upon hospital admission, no electrolyte imbalances associated with arrhythmias were observed. However, following SARS-CoV-2 infection, patients exhibit varying degrees of syncope symptoms. DIAGNOSES: A high-degree atrioventricular block was diagnosed after a comprehensive evaluation of the patient's clinical manifestations and electrocardiogram (ECG) performance. INTERVENTIONS: We performed ECG monitoring of the patient and excluded other causes of arrhythmia. The patient was discharged from the hospital after permanent pacemaker implantation and symptomatic treatment. OUTCOMES: The outpatient follow-ups did not reveal a recurrence of syncope or complications related to the pacemaker in any of the three patients. LESSONS: Some patients did not exhibit any obvious respiratory symptoms or signs following SARS-CoV-2 infection. This suggests that the cardiac conduction system may be the preferred target for some SARS-CoV-2 variants. Therefore, in addition to investigating the causes of malignant arrhythmias, special attention should be paid to SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with developing arrhythmias. Additionally, permanent pacemaker implantation may be the most suitable option for patients who already have malignant arrhythmias.

Characterization of natural co-infection with goose astrovirus genotypes I and II in gout affected goslings.

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Urate tophi were found in the kidneys, liver, spleen and lungs.IFA confirmed the co-expression of GoAstV-I and II antigens in the same kidney.

Effect of individualized nutrition interventions on clinical outcomes of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) can lead to excessive pregnancy weight gain (PWG), abnormal glucolipid metabolism, and delayed lactation. Therefore, it is necessary to provide appropriate and effective interventions for pregnant women with GDM. AIM: To clarify the effects of individualized nutrition interventions on PWG, glucolipid metabolism, and lactation in pregnant women with GDM. METHODS: The study population consisted of 410 pregnant women with GDM who received treatment at the Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital of Jiangsu Province and Yangzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital between December 2020 and December 2022, including 200 who received routine in-terventions [control (Con) group] and 210 who received individualized nutrition interventions [research (Res) group]. Data on PWG, glucolipid metabolism [total cholesterol, (TC); triglycerides (TGs); fasting blood glucose (FPG); glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c)], lactation time, perinatal complications (cesarean section, premature rupture of membranes, postpartum hemorrhage, and pregnancy-induced hypertension), and neonatal adverse events (premature infants, fetal macrosomia, hypo-glycemia, and respiratory distress syndrome) were collected for comparative analysis. RESULTS: The data revealed markedly lower PWG in the Res group vs the Con group, as well as markedly reduced TG, TC, FPG and HbA1c levels after the intervention that were lower than those in the Con group. In addition, obviously earlier lactation and statistically lower incidences of perinatal complications and neonatal adverse events were observed in the Res group. CONCLUSION: Individualized nutrition interventions can reduce PWG in pregnant women with GDM, improve their glucolipid metabolism, and promote early lactation, which deserves clinical promotion.

Compound c17 alleviates inflammatory cardiomyopathy in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice by targeting MyD88.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a common complication of diabetes mellitus and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality due to cardiac dysfunction. Chronic inflammation plays a significant role in the development of DCM, making it a promising target for novel pharmacological strategies. Our previous study has synthesized a novel compound, c17, which exhibited strong anti-inflammatory activity by specifically targeting to myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88). In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic effect of c17 in DCM. METHODS: The small molecular selective MyD88 inhibitor, c17, was used to evaluate the effect of MyD88 on DCM in both high concentration of glucose- and palmitic acid-stimulated macrophages and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) mice. RESULTS: The treatment of c17 in T1DM mice resulted in improved heart function and reduced cardiac hypertrophy, inflammation and fibrogenesis. RNA sequencing analysis of the heart tissues revealed that c17 effectively suppressed the inflammatory response by regulating the MyD88-dependent pathway. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments further confirmed that c17 disrupted the interaction between MyD88 and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), consequently inhibiting downstream NF-κB activation. In vitro studies demonstrated that c17 exhibited similar anti-inflammatory activity by targeting MyD88 in macrophages, which are the primary regulators of cardiac inflammation. Furthermore, conditioned medium derived from c17-treated macrophages showed reduced capacity to induce hypertrophy, pro-fibrotic reactions, and secondary inflammation in cardiomyocytes. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the small-molecule MyD88 inhibitor, c17, effectively combated the inflammatory DCM, therefore could be a potential candidate for the treatment of this disease.

Tetrandrine alleviates atherosclerosis via inhibition of STING-TBK1 pathway and inflammation in macrophages.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease. Recent studies have showed that stimulator of interferon genes (STING), an important protein in innate immunity, mediates pro-inflammatory activation of macrophages in the development of AS. Tetrandrine (TET) is a natural bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from Stepania tetrandra and possesses anti-inflammatory activities, with unknown effects and mechanisms in AS. In this study, we explored the anti-atherosclerotic effects of TET and investigated the underlying mechanisms. Mouse primary peritoneal macrophages (MPMs) are challenged with cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate (cGAMP) or oxidized LDL (oxLDL). We found that pretreatment with TET dose-dependently inhibited cGAMP- or oxLDL-induced STING/ TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) signaling, then suppressing nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) activation and pro-inflammatory factor expression in MPMs. ApoE-/- mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) to develop an atherosclerotic phenotype. Administration of TET at 20 mg/kg/day significantly reduced HFD-induced atherosclerotic plaques, accompanied with decreased macrophage infiltration, inflammatory cytokine production, fibrosis, and STING/TBK1 activation in aortic plaque lesions. In summary, we demonstrate that TET inhibits STING/TBK1/NF-κB signaling pathway to reduce inflammation in oxLDL-challenged macrophages and alleviate atherosclerosis in HFD-fed ApoE-/- mice. These findings proved that TET could be a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of atherosclerosis-related diseases.

Goose surfactant protein A inhibits the growth of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli via an aggregation-dependent mechanism that decreases motility and increases membrane permeability.

Pulmonary collectins have been reported to bind carbohydrates on pathogens and inhibit infection by agglutination, neutralization, and opsonization. In this study, surfactant protein A (SP-A) was identified from goose lung and characterized at expression- and agglutination-functional levels. The deduced amino acid sequence of goose surfactant protein A (gSP-A) has two characteristic structures: a shorter, collagen-like region and a carbohydrate recognition domain. The latter contains two conserved motifs in its Ca2+-binding site: EPN (Glu-Pro-Asn) and WND (Trp-Asn-Asp). Expression analysis using qRT-PCR and fluorescence IHC revealed that gSP-A was highly expressed in the air sac and present in several other tissues, including the lung and trachea. We went on to produce recombinant gSP-A (RgSP-A) using a baculovirus/insect cell system and purified using a Ni2+ affinity column. A biological activity assay showed that all bacterial strains tested in this study were aggregated by RgSP-A, but only Escherichia coli AE17 (E. coli AE17, O2) and E. coli AE158 (O78) were susceptible to RgSP-A-mediated growth inhibition at 2-6 h. Moreover, the swarming motility of the two bacterial strains were weakened with increasing RgSP-A concentration, and their membrane permeability was compromised at 3 h, as determined by flow cytometry and laser confocal microscopy. Therefore, RgSP-A is capable of reducing bacterial viability of E. coli O2 and O78 via an aggregation-dependent mechanism which involves decreasing motility and increasing the bacterial membrane permeability. These data will facilitate detailed studies into the role of gSP-A in innate immune defense as well as for development of antibacterial agents.

Quantitative SERS Detection of TBBPA in Electronic Plastic Based on Hydrophobic Cu-Ag Chips.

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) was one of the most widely used brominated flame retardants. However, it easily contaminates nature and harms the environment and human health during its production and use. Therefore, it is necessary to strictly control the content of TBBPA in electronics. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy has the advantages of being fast and sensitive, but it is difficult to obtain the SERS spectra of TBBPA because the hydrophobic TBBPA molecule is difficult to approach with the hydrophilic surface of common noble metal SERS substrates. In the present work, a hydrophobic Cu-Ag chip was developed for the SERS detection of TBBPA. The integration of the hydrophobic interaction and the Ag-Br bonding promoted the adsorption of TBBPA on the Cu-Ag chip, allowing for SERS detection. It was observed that both the hydrophobicity and bimetallic composition of the Cu-Ag chip played important roles in the SERS detection of TBBPA. Under the optimized conditions, the low limit of detection of the established SERS method for TBBPA was 0.01 mg L-1, within a linear range of 0.1-10 mg L-1. Combined with ultrasonic-assisted extraction, the substrate could be used for the quantitative determination of TBBPA in electronic products. Compared with the HPLC-UV method used as a national standard, the relative error of the SERS method for quantifying the TBBPA content in a mouse cable and shell was ±3% and ±7.7%, respectively. According to the SERS results, the recovery of TBBPA in the spiked mouse shell was 95.6%.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum J-15 reduced calcium oxalate kidney stones by regulating intestinal microbiota, metabolism, and inflammation in rats.

The prevention role of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum against the formation of kidney stones has been increasingly recognized; its mechanism, however, has mainly been focused on inhibiting the inflammation in the colon in the gastrointestinal (GI) system, and the intestinal metabolites from microflora have not been revealed fully with regarding to the stone formation. In this study, we investigated the effect of L. plantarum J-15 on kidney stone formation in renal calcium oxalate (CaOx) rats induced by ethylene glycol and monitored the changes of intestinal microflora and their metabolites detected by 16S rRNA sequencing and widely targeted analysis, followed by the evaluation of the intestinal barrier function and inflammation levels in the colon, blood and kidney. The results showed that L. plantarum J-15 effectively reduced renal crystallization and urinary oxalic acid. Ten microbial genera, including anti-inflammatory and SCFAs-related Faecalibaculum, were enriched in the J-15 treatment group. There are 136 metabolites from 11 categories significantly different in the J-15 supplementation group compared with CaOx model rats, most of which were enriched in the amino acid metabolic and secondary bile acid pathways. The expression of intestinal tight junction protein Occludin and the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines and prostaglandin were decreased in the intestine, which further reduced the translocated lipopolysaccharide and inflammation levels in the blood upon J-15 treatment. Thus, the inflammation and injury in the kidney might be alleviated by downregulating TLR4/NF-κB/COX-2 signaling pathway. It suggested that L. plantarum J-15 might reduce kidney stone formation by restoring intestinal microflora and metabolic disorder, protecting intestinal barrier function, and alleviating inflammation. This finding provides new insights into the therapies for renal stones.

Improved Soluble Expression in Escherichia coli and Easily Purified Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic 7-2 Fusion Protein.

BACKGROUND: Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) is a cysteine-rich growth factor and plays a key role in early bone tissue development and bone defect repair. However, the low yield, high cost and complicated process in BMP significantly limit its clinical application. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we developed an efficient method for soluble expression and preparation of recombinant human bone morphogenetic 7-2 fusion protein (rhBMP7-2) and determined its molecular weight and biological activity. METHODS: The fusion gene for rhBMP-2 and rhBMP-7 was inserted into the pET-ELP expression vector. Correct DNA sequence was confirmed, the rhBMP7-2-ELP was transformed into Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3), and the rhBMP7-2 was produced in the recombinant E. coli. Recombinant BMP7-2 purify was identified using Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The cell proliferation and biological activity of rhBMP7-2 were measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 and Alkaline Phosphatase assay using C2C12 cells, respectively. RESULTS: The result of digestion of NdeI, BamHI and XhoI enzymes showed that the rhBMP7-2-ELP was correctly constructed. The recombinant BMP7-2 was successfully expressed in soluble form; the purified rhBMP7-2 showed biological activity and significantly promoted cell proliferation and differentiation in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: The rhBMP7-2 fusion protein with osteogenic activity was prepared through a lowcost and time-efficient method. Our preparation method presents the potential to be applied to the large-scale production of rhBMP7-2 and is expected to play a significant role in clinical treatment.

Probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum N-1 could prevent ethylene glycol-induced kidney stones by regulating gut microbiota and enhancing intestinal barrier function.

Defective permeability barrier is considered to be an incentive of hyperuricemia, however, the link between them has not been proven. Here, we evaluated the potential preventive effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum N-1 (LPN1) on gut microbiota and intestinal barrier function in rats with hyperoxaluria-induced kidney stones. Male rats were supplied with 1% ethylene glycol (EG) dissolved in drinking water for 4 weeks to develop hyperoxaluria, and some of them were administered with LPN1 for 4 weeks before EG treatment as a preventive intervention. We found that EG not only resulted hyperoxaluria and kidney stone formation, but also promoted the intestinal inflammation, elevated intestinal permeability, and gut microbiota disorders. Supplementation of LPN1 inhibited the renal crystalline deposits through reducing urinary oxalic acid and renal osteopontin and CD44 expression and improved EG-induced intestinal inflammation and barrier function by decreasing the serum LPS and TLR4/NF-κB signaling and up-regulating tight junction Claudin-2 in the colon, as well as increasing the production of short-chain fatty acid (SCFAs) and the abundance of beneficial SCFAs-producing bacteria, mainly from the families of Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae. Probiotic LPN1 could prevent EG-induced hyperoxaluria by regulating gut microbiota and enhancing intestinal barrier function.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Reduced Renal Calcium Oxalate Stones by Regulating Arginine Metabolism in Gut Microbiota.

Renal calcium oxalate (CaOx) stones are a common kidney disease. There are few methods for reducing the formation of these stones. However, the potential of probiotics for reducing renal stones has received increasing interest. We previously isolated a strain of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum N-1 from traditional cheese in China. This study aimed to investigate the effects of N-1 on renal CaOx crystal deposition. Thirty rats were randomly allocated to three groups: control group (ddH2O by gavage), model group [ddH2O by gavage and 1% ethylene glycol (EG) in drinking water], and Lactiplantibacillus group (N-1 by gavage and 1% EG in drinking water). After 4 weeks, compared with the model group, the group treated with N-1 exhibited significantly reduced renal crystals (P < 0.05). In the ileum and caecum, the relative abundances of Lactobacillus and Eubacterium ventriosum were higher in the control group, and those of Ruminococcaceae UCG 007 and Rikenellaceae RC9 were higher in the N-1-supplemented group. In contrast, the relative abundances of Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium 1, Jeotgalicoccus, Psychrobacter, and Aerococcus were higher in the model group. We also predicted that the arginase level would be higher in the ileal microbiota of the model group than in the N-1-supplemented group with PICRUSt2. The arginase activity was higher, while the level of arginine was lower in the ileal contents of the model group than in the N-1-supplemented group. The arginine level in the blood was also higher in the N-1-supplemented group than in the model group. In vitro studies showed that exposure to arginine could reduce CaOx crystal adhesion to renal epithelial HK-2 cells. Our findings highlighted the important role of N-1 in reducing renal CaOx crystals by regulating arginine metabolism in the gut microbiota. Probiotics containing L. plantarum N-1 may be potential therapies for preventing renal CaOx stones.

[Pre-precipitation of Sewage-SNAD Granular Sludge Process Test].

Using artificial water, the simultaneous partial nitrification, ANAMMOX (anaerobic ammonium oxidation), and denitrification (SNAD) granular sludge process was started in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR), and then the ammonia concentration in the influent was reduced gradually. After stable operation for a period of time under the low ammonia concentration, sewage treated by a pre-precipitation process was used as a substrate to investigate the performance and stability of the SNAD granular sludge process. The results show that after the SNAD process was successfully started, the ammonia removal rate was greater than 98%, and total the nitrogen removal rate was about 89%. As the influent ammonia concentration decreased, the nitride-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) activity was increased and the total nitrogen removal rate gradually decreased to 75%. When the pre-precipitated domestic sewage (NH4+-N 52-63 mg·L-1, COD 99-123 mg·L-1) was used as the inflow, the average effluent removal rate of the total effluent was 73.2%, the effluent COD concentration was below 35 mg·L-1, and the maximum effluent ammonia nitrogen and total nitrogen concentration were 0.7 mg·L-1 and 12.8 mg·L-1. The ammonia and total nitrogen concentration in the continuous 30 day effluent reached the 1A level of the integrated discharge standard of water pollutants for municipal wastewater treatment, indicating that the removal of organics and nitrogen from domestic sewage was achieved efficiently and synchronously.

[Startup Strategies for the SNAD Granular Sludge Process at Low Temperature].

To study the effect of the startup strategies on the simultaneous partial nitrification, ANAMMOX, and denitrification (SNAD) granular sludge processes, these processes were initiated by starting the completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) process and anaerobic ammonia oxidation-denitrification (SAD) process at 12.7℃ and 18.3℃, respectively. The results show that the ammonia nitrogen was almost completely removed and the total nitrogen removal rate reached 86.7% after the R1 reactor was successfully started. When the ammonia concentration was low, the total nitrogen removal rate in the effluent decreased to 75.3%, the total nitrogen concentration in the effluent was~10 mg·L-1, and excessive proliferation of the NOB was observed. The total nitrogen concentration in the effluent exceeded the 1A level of the integrated discharge standard of water pollutants applied in Beijing City. After the R2 reactor was successfully started, the effluent contained almost no ammonia nitrogen and the total nitrogen removal rate was~89.1%, that is, slightly higher than that of the R1 reactor. When the ammonia concentration was low, the concentration of ammonia nitrogen in effluent was less than 1.0 mg·L-1 and the total nitrogen concentration in the effluent was less than 6 mg·L-1. The concentrations of ammonia nitrogen and total nitrogen in the effluent reached the 1A level of the integrated discharge standard of water pollutants applied in Beijing City. First, the startup of the SAD process gradually eliminated the NOB from the system through anaerobic operation in the initial stage of the startup, maintained the stability of the system, provided a good basis for the subsequent aeration to start the SNAD process, maintained the stable operation of the reactor, and the long-term discharge of total nitrogen reached the standard.

[Lab-scale SNAD Process in Wastewater Treatment Plant].

Outside the municipal waste water treatment plant(WWTP) which located in Mentougou District, Beijing, the effluent of the anoxic/oxic(A/O) phosphorus removal process served as the substrate to operate a completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite(CANON) filter reactor.. After the reactor was successfully activated, glucose was added to the influent as the organic carbon source. The simultaneous partial nitrification, anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX), and denitrification (SNAD) process was started to study the effect of SNAD filter on sewage treatment. The results showed that from 119 d to 128 d, the ammonia removal rate of the CANON process was more than 95%, and the maximum total nitrogen concentration in the effluent was 13.0 mg·L-1. Total nitrogen concentration surpassed the 1A level of the Integrated Discharge Standard of Water Pollutants applied in Beijing City. The SNAD process was started by adding glucose to the influent at 129 d. The total nitrogen removal rate of this process was about 85% at 133-187 d, and the total nitrogen concentration in the effluent was 5.5-7.3 mg·L-1. The filter plugged up at 195 d, and backwash was utilized at 196 d. During the subsequent 30 d, the total nitrogen removal rate of the reactor was greater than 85%, and the total nitrogen concentration in the effluent remained at 6.2-7.2 mg·L-1. Compared with the CANON process, the SNAD process improved the total nitrogen removal rate and reduced the total nitrogen concentration of the effluent by 6 mg·L-1. The ammonia and total nitrogen concentrations in effluent satisfied the 1A level of the Integrated Discharge Standard of Water Pollutants.