Preliminary study on differentially expressed proteins in a mouse model of secondary alveolar echinococcosis based on data independent acquisition proteomics / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To identify the differentially expressed proteins in different liver tissues in the mouse model of alveolar echinococcosis using high-resolution mass spectrometry with data independent acquisition (DIA), and to identify the key proteins contributing to the pathogenesis of alveolar echinococcosis. Methods Protoscoleces were isolated from Microtus fuscus with alveolar echinococcosis and the experimental model of alveolar echinococcosis was established in female Kunming mice aged 6 to 8 weeks by infection with Echinococcus multilocularis protoscoleces. Mice were divided into the experimental and control groups, and animals in the experimental group was injected with approximately 3 000 protoscoleces, while mice in the control group were injected with the same volume of physiological saline. Mouse liver specimens were sampled from both groups one year post-infection and subjected to pathological examinations. In addition, the lesions (the lesion group) and peri-lesion specimens (the peri-lesion group) were sampled from the liver of mice in the experimental group and the normal liver specimens (the normal group) were sampled from mice in the control group for DIA proteomics analysis, and the differentially expressed proteins were subjected to bioinformatics analysis. Results A total of 1 020 differentially expressed proteins were identified between the lesion group and the normal group, including 671 up-regulated proteins and 349 down-regulated proteins, and 495 differentially expressed proteins were identified between the peri-lesion group and the normal group, including 327 up-regulated proteins and 168 down-regulated proteins. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis revealed that these differentially expressed proteins were involved in peroxisome, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) and fatty acid degradation pathways, and the peroxisome and PPAR signaling pathways were found to correlate with liver injury. Several differentially expressed proteins that may contribute to the pathogenesis of alveolar echinococcosis were identified in these two pathways, including fatty acid binding protein 1 (Fabp1), Acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 1 (Acsl1), Acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (Acox1), Enoyl-CoA hydratase and 3-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase (Ehhadh) and Acetyl-Coenzyme A acyltransferase 1B (Acaa1b), which were down-regulated in mice in the experimental group. Conclusion A large number of differentially expressed proteins are identified in the liver of the mouse model of alveolar echinococcosis, and Fabp1, Acsl1, Acox1, Ehhadh and Acaa1b may contribute to the pathogenesis of alveolar echinococcosis.

Preliminary study on differentially expressed proteins in a mouse model of secondary cystic echinococcosis based on data independent acquisition proteomics / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To identify the differentially expressed proteins in different liver tissues in the mouse model of cystic echinococcosis (CE), so as to provide insights into the research and development of therapeutic drugs targeting CE. Methods Female Kunming mice at ages of 6 to 8 weeks were randomly assigned into the CE group and the control group. Mice in the CE group were intraperitoneally infected with 2 000 Echinococcus multilocularis protoscoleces, while mice in the control group were injected with the same volume of physiological saline. All mice in both groups were sacrificed after breeding for 350 d, and the lesions (the lesion group) and peri-lesion specimens (the peri-lesion group) were sampled from the liver of mice in the CE group and the normal liver specimens (the normal group) were sampled from mice in the control group for data independent acquisition (DIA) proteomics analysis, and the differentially expressed proteins were subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) term enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. Results A total of 26 differentially expressed proteins were identified between the lesion group and the normal group and between the peri-lesion group and the normal group, including 8 up-regulated proteins and 18 down-regulated proteins. GO term enrichment analysis showed that these differentially expressed proteins were predominantly enriched in endoplasmic reticulum membrane (biological components), oxidoreductase activity (molecular function) and oxoacid metabolic process and monocarboxylic acid metabolic process (biological processes). KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the differentially expressed protein Acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (Acox1), which contributed to primary bile acid biosynthesis during the fatty acid oxidation, was involved in peroxisome signaling pathway, and the differentially expressed protein fatty acid binding protein 1 (Fabp1), which contributed to fatty acid transport, was involved in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway. Conclusion Differentially expressed proteins are identified in the liver specimens between mouse models of CE and normal mice, and some differentially expressed proteins may serve as potential drug targets for CE.

The timing of withdrawal from caffeine citrate in very preterm infants / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the clinical features and outcome of very preterm infants withdrawn from caffeine citrate at different time points.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of the preterm infants with a gestational age of <32 weeks, who were hospitalized in the Division of Neonatology, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, from January 1, 2016 to November 30, 2020. According to the time of withdrawal from caffeine citrate, the infants who met the study criteria were divided into the group with withdrawal before the last week of hospitalization and the group with withdrawal within the last week of hospitalization. The two groups were compared in terms of clinical features, features of citric caffeine use, length of hospital stay and hospital costs, change in the intensity of respiratory support, and preterm complications.@*RESULTS@#A total of 403 preterm infants were enrolled, with 285 infants in the group with withdrawal before the last week of hospitalization and 118 infants in the group with withdrawal within the last week of hospitalization. There were no significant differences in clinical features between the two groups (@*CONCLUSIONS@#A relatively long course of caffeine citrate treatment is more beneficial to the short-term clinical outcome of very preterm infants.

[Correlation between HLA-DB1 genes and susceptibility to echinococcosis in Tibetan population in Tibetan Plateau].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the susceptibility genes and resistance genes in HLA-DRB1 alleles in Tibetan patients with cystic and alveolar hydatid diseases, so as to provide the references for the research of the genetic characteristics and infection mechanism of Tibetan hydatid diseases. METHODS: The case control method was applied. The Tibetan patients with cystic and alveolar hydatid diseases (63 and 73 cases respectively) in Yushu and Guoluo Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, and unrelated healthy people (60 cases) in this area were selected as the study subjects. The polymerase chain reaction-sequence based typing (PCR-SBT) technique was applied for genotyping of HLA-DRB1, and the comparison of the gene frequency. RESULTS: The frequency of HLA-DRB1*04 in the alveolar/cystic echinococcosis group was lower than that in the control group ( χ2 = 4.71, 4.31, both P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: HLA-DRB1*04 genotypes may be associated with the resistance of cystic and alveolar echinococcosis and its resistance genes.

Research progress in pharmacological mechanism of ginkgolides against cerebral ischemia / 中草药

Cerebral ischemia is a severe disease which threats people's health worldwide. The pathogenesis of cerebral ischemia is very complex, such as inflammatory reaction, apoptosis, oxidative stress, excitatory neurotoxicity, etc. Previous studies suggested that ginkgolides had a remarkable protective effect against the different types of brain injury including ischemia and tissue regeneration and repair. This review summarizes the targets of ginkgolides for cerebral ischemia treatments and the potential mechanisms. Compared with the commonly used drugs in clinic, we expect to clarify the mechanism of ginkgolides and their preparations in the treatment of cerebral ischemia.

Infections of the head and neck leading to descending necrotizing mediastinitis: management of 9 cases / 中华口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To report nine cases of descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) and to summarize the management experience.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Between December 2005 and December 2008, nine patients (mean age, 55.7 years; age range, 38 to 78 years) with DNM were treated. Eight patients underwent surgical drainage of the involved cervical region and mediastinum (4 with cervical drainage alone; 4 with cervical drainage and right thoracotomy).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Two patients died, one of them refused surgical therapy and the other one died of multiorgan failure related to postoperative septic shock. Seven patients recovered. The mortality rate was 22%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Delayed diagnosis and inadequate drainage are the main causes of high mortality rate of DNM. Aggressive surgical drainage and debridement of the neck and mediastinum by a multidisciplinary team of surgeons are very important in the treatment of DNM.</p>