Corrigendum to "Ultrasound-triggered piezocatalytic composite hydrogels for promoting bacterial-infected wound healing" [Bioact. Mater. 24 (2023) 96-111].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.11.023.].

An extra-large Stokes shift near-infrared fluorescent probe for specific detection and imaging of cysteine.

Cysteine (Cys) plays a crucial role in numerous physiological and pathological processes. Therefore, it is imperative to design a highly selective and sensitive near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe to monitor Cys. In this study, we have developed a novel NIR fluorescent probe XA based on Xanthene hybrid tetrahydro-acridine salt dye for specifically tracking of Cys, where a chlorine-substituted tetrahydro-acridine acts as a high Cys-reactive site and water-soluble group. Probe XA exhibits a remarkable "turn-on" NIR emission (830 nm) with an extra-large Stokes shift (305 nm) for monitoring Cys. It also has a high selectivity, rapid response time (6 min) and high sensitivity (LOD as 0.5 µM). We fully characterized and discussed the sensing mechanism of XA toward Cys using HPLC and MS spectrums, as well as quantum theory calculations. Furthermore, the excellent properties of NIR fluorescent detection allow this novel probe to successfully monitor fluctuations of exogenous and endogenous Cys concentration levels in living cells and in vivo.

Highly efficient determination of trace ascorbic acid in vitamin C tablets by boronate affinity-modified magnetic metal-organic frameworks.

Ascorbic acid (AA) plays an important role in many life processes. The chronic nutritional deficiency of AA will lead to the symptoms of scurvy. Therefore, the sensitive quantitative detection of AA is most important in the pharmaceutical analysis, food industry and diagnostic application. In this study, a dual-functional magnetic metal-organic frameworks (Fe3O4@SiO2@UiO-PBA) nanoparticles was synthesized by modifying phenylboronic acid to the surface of magnetic UiO-66-NH2 via postsynthetic modification for selectively and sensitively florescent detection of AA. Due to the abundant amino groups and grafted phenylboronic acid, the proposed nanoparticles have the dual properties of hydrophilicity and boronate affinity. Under optimum conditions, the obtained Fe3O4@SiO2@UiO-PBA nanoparticles can detect AA within 30 s, and has a good linear relationship with the concentration of AA in the range of 5.0-60 µM with a detection limit of 2.5 µM (S/N = 3). In addition, the prepared Fe3O4@SiO2@UiO-PBA nanoparticles showed excellent selectivity and great potential application in the highly efficient determination of trace AA in vitamin C tablets. These results indicated that a convenient method was proposed to develop fluorescent probes for rapid and sensitive detection of trace AA in real samples.

MitomiR-1736-3p regulates copper-induced mitochondrial pathway apoptosis by inhibiting AATF in chicken hepatocytes.

Copper (Cu) is a toxic heavy metal pollutant. The hepatic toxicity of Cu has attracted widespread attention from researchers. However, its underlying mechanism remains elusive. Mitochondrial microRNAs (mitomiRs) are considered important factors in regulating mitochondrial and cellular functions, and their roles have been implicated in the mechanisms of metal toxicity. Therefore, this research revealed the changes in the mitomiRs expression profile of chicken liver after Cu exposure. It was ultimately determined that mitomiR-1736-3p can be involved in Cu-induced chicken liver damage by targeting AATF. In particular, our investigations have uncovered that exposure to Cu can trigger heightened levels of apoptosis in the hepatic tissue of chickens and primary chicken embryo hepatocytes (CEHs). It is noteworthy that we found upregulation of miR-1736-3p expression can exacerbate Cu-induced cell apoptosis, while inhibition of miR-1736-3p can effectively reduce apoptosis occurrence. Subsequently, we found that Cu-induced cell apoptosis could be restored by overexpressing AATF, while silencing AATF exacerbated the level of apoptosis. Fascinatingly, this change in apoptotic level is directly influenced by AATF on Bax and Bak1, rather than on p53 and Bcl-2. Overall, these findings suggest that the mitomiR-1736-3p/AATF axis mediates the mitochondrial pathway of cell apoptosis potentially involved in Cu-induced chicken liver toxicity.

Source apportionment of PM2.5 using PMF combined online bulk and single-particle measurements: Contribution of fireworks and biomass burning.

Fireworks (FW) could significantly worsen air quality in short term during celebrations. Due to similar tracers with biomass burning (BB), the fast and precise qualification of FW and BB is still challenging. In this study, online bulk and single-particle measurements were combined to investigate the contributions of FW and BB to the overall mass concentrations of PM2.5 and specific chemical species by positive matrix factorization (PMF) during the Chinese New Year in Hong Kong in February 2013. With combined information, fresh/aged FW (abundant 140K2NO3+ and 213K3SO4+ formed from 113K2Cl+ discharged by fresh FW) can be extracted from the fresh/aged BB sources, in addition to the Second Aerosol, Vehicles + Road Dust, and Sea Salt factors. The contributions of FW and BB were investigated during three high particle matter episodes influenced by the pollution transported from the Pearl River Delta region. The fresh BB/FW contributed 39.2% and 19.6% to PM2.5 during the Lunar Chinese New Year case. However, the contributions of aged FW/BB enhanced in the last two episodes due to the aging process, evidenced by high contributions from secondary aerosols. Generally, the fresh BB/FW showed more significant contributions to nitrate (35.1% and 15.0%, respectively) compared with sulfate (25.1% and 5.9%, respectively) and OC (14.8% and 11.1%, respectively) on average. In comparison, the aged FW contributed more to sulfate (13.4%). Overall, combining online bulk and single-particle measurement data can combine both instruments' advantages and provide a new perspective for applying source apportionment of aerosols using PMF.

Highly-efficient natural gas desulfurization and simultaneous H2O2 synthesis based on the electrochemical coupling reaction strategy.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) generated by natural gas exploitation is a dangerous and harmful gas that needs to be purified. Electrochemical Natural Gas Desulfurization offers a promising way for H2S purification and resource utilization in ambient conditions. However, poor energy efficiency and low resource value limit the prospective application in the industry. Herein, we propose a gas-liquid flow electrocatalysis system that couples H2S oxidation and O2 reduction processes to effectively recover sulfur and H2O2 with low energy consumption. Gas diffusion and mass transfer are accelerated by gas-liquid flow cells, which also significantly decrease the resistance. Besides, I-/I3- redox pairs promote selective H2S oxidation while inhibiting water decomposition, resulting in a 56% reduction in oxidation potential. Moreover, the surface proton concentration is elevated by employing a modified carbon gas diffusion electrode (GDE), which assists to maintains a high H2O2 faradic efficiency. The system is able to operate at a high current density of 102 mA/cm2 at an Ecell voltage of 3.5 V, yielding S and H2O2 at rates of 60 mg cm-2 h-1 and 50 mg cm-2 h-1 respectively. A techno-economic model forecasts the effects of system efficiency and energy prices on operational costs and illustrates potential routes to a plant-gate levelized application in the petrochemical industry.

3D-printed MoS2/Ni electrodes with excellent electro-catalytic performance and long-term stability for dechlorination of florfenicol.

Here, we report the production of 3D-printed MoS2/Ni electrodes (3D-MoS2/Ni) with long-term stability and excellent performance by the selective laser melting (SLM) technique. As a cathode, the obtained 3D-MoS2/Ni could maintain a degradation rate above 94.0% for florfenicol (FLO) when repeatedly used 50 times in water. We also found that the removal rate of FLO by 3D-MoS2/Ni was about 12 times higher than that of 3D-printed pure Ni (3D-Ni), attributed to the improved accessibility of H*. In addition, the electrochemical characterization results showed that the electrochemically active surface area of the 3D-MoS2/Ni electrode is about 3-fold higher than that of the 3D-Ni electrode while the electrical resistance is 4 times lower. Based on tert-butanol suppression, electron paramagnetic resonance and triple quadrupole mass spectrometer experiments, a "dual path" mechanism and possible degradation pathway for the dechlorination of FLO by 3D-MoS2/Ni were proposed. Furthermore, we also investigated the impacts of the cathode potential and the initial pH of the solution on the degradation of FLO. Overall, this study reveals that the SLM 3D printing technique is a promising approach for the rapid fabrication of high-stability metal electrodes, which could have broad application in the control of water contaminants in the environmental field.

Synthesis and bioevaluation of Scutellarein-Tertramethylpyrazine hybrid molecules for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Ischemic stroke caused by insufficient blood supply to the brain may produce a sequence of cascade reactions, leading to oxidative stress and ultimately inducing nerve cell damage. Therefore, hybrid molecules with multiple therapeutic effects have irreplaceable advantages for the treatment of ischemic stroke. Based on the previous works, two types of Scutellarein and Tertramethylpyrazine hybrid molecules were designed and synthesized according to the PepT 1-based design. After systematic research, all synthesized hybrid molecules exhibited more excellent neuroprotective effect and antiplatelet activity compared to the original drugs. Among them, the selected compound 1e with superior neuroprotective and antiplatelet effects could significantly enhance the permeability on the Caco-2 monolayer membrane and inhibit the Gly-Sar uptake on Caco-2 cells. Meanwhile, the result of intestinal perfusion has also confirmed that the absorption of the selected compound 1e is indeed increased. Further, the selected compound 1e significantly reduce the cerebral infarction volume of middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion rats. Especially, the cerebral infarction volume of the high-dose 1e group reduced to one fourth of the model group. Meanwhile, results of hematoxylin-eosin staining also indicated that the damage in the hippocampus CA1 region was significantly alleviated after treatment with the compound 1e. Accordingly, molecular hybridization strategy is one of the simple and feasible ways to improve the therapeutic effect of single targeted drug.

Fast spreading of surface ozone in both temporal and spatial scale in Pearl River Delta.

Surface ozone (O3) is a major air pollutant and draw increasing attention in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), China. Here, we characterize the spatial-temporal variability of ozone based on a dataset obtained from 57 national monitoring sites during 2013-2019. Our results show that: (1) the seasonal difference of ozone distribution in the inland and coastal areas was significant, which was largely affected by the wind pattern reversals related to the East Asian monsoon, and local ozone production and destruction; (2) the daily maximum 8hr average (MDA8 O3) showed an overall upward trend by 1.11 ppbv/year. While the trends in the nine cities varied differently by ranging from -0.12 to 2.51 ppbv/year. The hot spots of ozone were spreading to southwestern areas from the central areas since 2016. And ozone is becoming a year-round air pollution problem with the pollution season extending to winter and spring in PRD region. (3) at the central and southwestern PRD cities, the percentage of exceedance days from the continuous type (defined as ≥3 days) was increasing. Furthermore, the ozone concentration of continuous type was much higher than that of scattered exceedance type (<3 days). In addition, although the occurrence of continuous type starts to decline since 2017, the total number of exceedance days during the continuous type is increasing. These results indicate that it is more difficult to eliminate the continuous exceedance than the scatter pollution days and highlight the great challenge in mitigation of O3 pollution in these cities.

Negative association between DNA methylation in brain-derived neurotrophic factor exon VI and left superior parietal gyrification in major depressive disorder.

OBJECTIVE: We have recently reported significantly higher DNA methylation in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) exon VI in major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aimed to investigated cortical changes and their associations with DNA methylations in BDNF exon VI in MDD. METHODS: Data of 93 patients with MDD and 59 controls were involved in statistics. General linear regressions (GLM) were performed to analyze thickness and gyrification changes in MDD and their association with DNA methylation in BDNF exon VI in patients with MDD and controls. RESULTS: Significantly decreased cortical thickness (CT) in left lateral orbitofrontal cortex (LOFC), left superior temporal lobe (ST) and right frontal pole (FP) and decreased local gyrification index (lGI) in left superior parietal lobe (SP) were found in MDD. The associations between DNA methylation in 3 CpG sites in BDNF exon VI and lGI in left SP were significantly different in patients and controls. DNA methylations in BDNF132 (ß = -0.359, P < 0.001), BDNF137 (ß = -0.214, P = 0.032), and BDNF151 (ß = -0.223, P = 0.025) were significantly negatively associated with lGI in left SP in MDD. CONCLUSION: The negative association between BDNF exon VI methylation and lGI in left SP might imply a potential epigenetic marker associated with cortical gyrification reduction in patients with MDD.

New Rhodamine-based sensor for high-sensitivity fluorescence tracking of Cys and simultaneously colorimetric detection of H2S.

Sulfhydryl-containing compounds including cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy), glutathione (GSH) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) are involved in many physiological processes. The development of single-molecule optical sensor for the distinguish detection of these bio-thiols is a critical and challenging effort. In this work, we designed a one-step synthesis of the Rhodamine-based sensor FR for specific fluorescent response of Cys and simultaneously colorimetric detection of H2S, in which the aldehyde and fluorine groups act as response sites. Sensor FR displays significant fluorescence enhancement at 565 nm toward Cys with high selectivity and low detection limits (49 nM) due to the low background fluorescent signal of the spirocyclic closed-state in Rhodamine structure. Meantime, after treatment of H2S, the color of the sensor changes significantly from colorless to blue-purple, which can be used as a visual colorimetric method to detect H2S. These response mechanisms were systematically characterized by 1H NMR and Mass spectrometry. Finally, sensor FR could be used to monitor exogenous and endogenous of intracellular Cys changes.

Overcoming adaptive resistance in AML by synergistically targeting FOXO3A-GNG7-mTOR axis with FOXO3A inhibitor Gardenoside and rapamycin.

Therapeutic targeting FOXO3A (a forkhead transcription factor) represents a promising strategy to suppress acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the effective inhibitors that target FOXO3A are lacking and the adaptive response signaling weakens the cytotoxic effect of FOXO3A depletion on AML cells. Here, we show that FOXO3A deficiency induces a compensatory response involved in the reactive activation of mTOR that leads to signaling rebound and adaptive resistance. Mitochondrial metabolism acts downstream of mTOR to provoke activation of JNK/c-JUN via reactive oxygen species (ROS). At the molecular level, FOXO3A directly binds to the promoter of G protein gamma subunit 7 (GNG7) and preserves its expression, while GNG7 interacts with mTOR and restricts phosphorylated activation of mTOR. Consequently, combinatorial inhibition of FOXO3A and mTOR show a synergistic cytotoxic effect on AML cells and prolongs survival in a mouse model of AML. Through a structure-based virtual screening, we report one potent small-molecule FOXO3A inhibitor (Gardenoside) that exhibits a strong effect of anti-FOXO3A DNA binding. Gardenoside synergizes with rapamycin to substantially reduce tumor burden and extend survival in AML patient-derived xenograft model. These results demonstrate that mTOR can mediate adaptive resistance to FOXO3A inhibition and validate a combinatorial approach for treating AML.

Stimuli-responsive grating with a tunable period and a diffraction order.

The next-generation diffraction grating not only requires a nonmechanical control and a remote control to generate a diffraction pattern but also requires a tunable period. Here, we propose a stimuli-responsive liquid crystal (LC) phase grating with a tunable period and a diffraction order. The stimuli-responsive LC diffraction grating is composed of periodically arranged electrodes on a double-sided glass substrate. By adjusting the driving scheme, the pitch and diffraction order of the LC grating can be switched between three different modes. The experimental results show that the LC grating has a lower driving voltage (∼5 V). In addition, the tunable LC grating can achieve more diffraction orders, which can be applied to a holographic display to achieve a wide-viewing angle and an enlarged size.

Prediction of Early Antidepressant Efficacy in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder Based on Multidimensional Features of rs-fMRI and P11 Gene DNA Methylation.

OBJECTIVE: This study established a machine learning model based on the multidimensional data of resting-state functional activity of the brain and P11 gene DNA methylation to predict the early efficacy of antidepressant treatment in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: A total of 98 Han Chinese MDD were analysed in this study. Patients were divided into 51 responders and 47 nonresponders according to whether the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 items (HAMD-17) reduction rate was ≥50% after 2 weeks of antidepressant treatment. At baseline, the Illumina HiSeq Platform was used to detect the methylation of 74 CpG sites of the P11 gene in peripheral blood samples. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scan detected the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and functional connectivity (FC) in 116 brain regions. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator analysis method was used to perform feature reduction and feature selection. Four typical machine learning methods were used to establish support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), Naïve Bayes (NB), and logistic regression (LR) prediction models based on different combinations of functional activity of the brain, P11 gene DNA methylation and clinical/demographic features after screening. RESULTS: The SVM model based on ALFF, ReHo, FC, P11 methylation, and clinical/demographic features showed the best performance, with 95.92% predictive accuracy and 0.9967 area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, which was better than RF, NB, and LR models. CONCLUSION: The multidimensional data features combining rs-fMRI, DNA methylation, and clinical/demographic features can predict the early antidepressant efficacy in MDD.

The expression of Ki-67 and Glypican -3 in hepatocellular carcinoma was evaluated by comparing DWI and 18F-FDG PET/CT.

Objective: The value of DWI and 18F-FDG PET/CT in evaluating the expression of Ki-67 and GPC-3 in HCC was compared. Materials and methods: Ninety-four patients with primary HCC confirmed by pathology were retrospectively divided into high- and low-Ki-67-expression groups and positive- and negative- GPC-3 groups. The ADC and SUVmax values of the lesions in both groups were measured. ROC curves were used to evaluate the identification efficiency of parameters with significant differences for each group of lesions, and AUCwas calculated. The combined ADC and SUVmax values were analyzed by binary logistic regression. The Delong test was used to compare the AUC values of the combined and single parameters. Pearson (in line with normal distribution) or Spearman (in line with abnormal distribution) correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation. Results: The ADC value of the high-Ki-67-expression group was lower than that of the low-Ki-67-expression group (P<0.05), and the SUVmax value of the high-expression group was higher than that of the low-expression group (P<0.05). The ADC value of the positive-GPC-3 group was lower than that of the negative group (P<0.0.tive group (P<0.05). The combined ADC and SUVmax values in the GPC-3 group were better than those of a single parameter (P<0.05). There was a strong negative correlation between the SUVmax value and ADC value in the Ki-67 group (R=-0.578, P<0.001) and a weak negative correlation between the SUVmax value and ADC value in the GPC-3 group (R=-0.279, P=0.006). The SUVmax value was strongly positively correlated with the Ki-67 expression index (R=0.733, P<0.001), while the ADC value was strongly negatively correlated with the Ki-67 expression index (R=-0.687, P<0.001). Conclusion: DWI and 18F-FDG PET/CT can be used to evaluate the expression of Ki-67 and GPC-3 in HCC, and there is a certain correlation between the ADC value and SUVmax. Combined DWI and 18F-FDG PET/CT is superior to a single technique in evaluating the expression of GPC-3 in HCC patients. However, the combined model did not benefit the Ki-67 group.

δ13C of bulk organic matter and cellulose reveal post-photosynthetic fractionation during ontogeny in C4 grass leaves.

The 13C isotope composition (δ13C) of leaf dry matter is a useful tool for physiological and ecological studies. However, how post-photosynthetic fractionation associated with respiration and carbon export influences δ13C remains uncertain. We investigated the effects of post-photosynthetic fractionation on δ13C of mature leaves of Cleistogenes squarrosa, a perennial C4 grass, in controlled experiments with different levels of vapour pressure deficit and nitrogen supply. With the increase of leaf age classes, the 12C/13C fractionation of leaf organic matter relative to the δ13C of atmosphere CO2 (ΔDM) increased while that of cellulose (Δcel) was almost constant. The divergence between ΔDM and Δcel increased with leaf age classes with a maximum value of 1.6‰, indicating the accumulation post-photosynthetic fractionation. Applying a new mass balance model that accounts for respiration and export of photosynthates, we found an apparent 12C/13C fractionation associated with carbon export of -0.5 to -1.0‰. Different ΔDM among leaves, pseudostems, daughter tillers and roots indicate that post-photosynthetic fractionation happens at the whole-plant level. Compared with ΔDM of old leaves, ΔDM of young leaves and Δcel are more reliable proxies for predicting physiological parameters due to the smaller sensitivity to post-photosynthetic fractionation and the similar sensitivity in responses to environmental changes.

Application of ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrostomy in the treatment of a solitary kidney with hydronephrosis due to renal tuberculosis.

PURPOSE: To investigate the value of ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrostomy and nephrostomy tube replacement for treating a solitary kidney with hydronephrosis due to renal tuberculosis. METHODS: Clinical data of patients with a solitary kidney with hydronephrosis caused by renal tuberculosis who underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrostomy in our hospital from January 2011 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The associated success rate and complications were statistically analyzed, pre- and post-catheterization changes in serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels were compared, success rate and complications of nephrostomy tube replacement in patients with long-term catheterization were statistically analyzed, and the impact of long-term catheterization on patient life was investigated. RESULTS: Overall, 32 patients aged 17-75 years (average age: 44.1 ± 16.9 years) underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrostomy. Sixty-three punctures were performed; the puncture success rate was 100%. The levels of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen of patients decreased after catheterization, and the differences between the pre-catheterization and post-catheterization were significant (P < 0.05). There were 1, 3, and 12 cases of serious, minor, and fistula-related complications, respectively. The mean duration of the indwelling catheter was 56.7 ± 36.2 (range, 13-120) months. The number of nephrostomy tube replacements was 344 times, and the success rate was 100%. All patients could take care of the puncture point by themselves. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrostomy and nephrostomy tube replacement have a high success rate and few complications, which can improve the renal function of patients. It is of great value for treating a solitary kidney with hydronephrosis caused by renal tuberculosis.

An atlas of genetic determinants of forearm fracture.

Osteoporotic fracture is among the most common and costly of diseases. While reasonably heritable, its genetic determinants have remained elusive. Forearm fractures are the most common clinically recognized osteoporotic fractures with a relatively high heritability. To establish an atlas of the genetic determinants of forearm fractures, we performed genome-wide association analyses including 100,026 forearm fracture cases. We identified 43 loci, including 26 new fracture loci. Although most fracture loci associated with bone mineral density, we also identified loci that primarily regulate bone quality parameters. Functional studies of one such locus, at TAC4, revealed that Tac4-/- mice have reduced mechanical bone strength. The strongest forearm fracture signal, at WNT16, displayed remarkable bone-site-specificity with no association with hip fractures. Tall stature and low body mass index were identified as new causal risk factors for fractures. The insights from this atlas may improve fracture prediction and enable therapeutic development to prevent fractures.

Enhanced •Cl generation by introducing electrophilic Cu(II) in Co3O4 anode for efficient total nitrogen removal with hydrogen recovery in urine treatment.

Urine is a nitrogen-containing waste, but can be used as an attractive alternative substrate for H2 recovery. However, conventional urea oxidation reaction is subject to complex six-electron transfer kinetics and requires alkaline conditions. Herein, an efficient method of enhancing •Cl generation by introducing electrophilic Cu(II) into Co3O4 nanowires anode was proposed, which realized the highly efficient TN removal and H2 production in urine treatment under neutral conditions. The key mechanism is that the electrophilic effect of Cu(II) attracts electrons from the oxygen atom, which causes the oxygen atom to further attract electrons from Co(II), reducing the charge density of Co(II). Electrophilic Cu(II) accelerates the difficult conversion step of Co(II) to Co(III), which enhances the generation of •Cl. The generated •Cl efficiently converts urea to N2, while the electron transport promotes H2 production on the CuO@CF nanowires cathode. Results showed that the steady-state concentration of •Cl was increased to about 1.5 times by the Cu(II) introduction. TN removal and H2 production reached 94.7% and 642.1 µmol after 50 min, which was 1.6 times and 1.5 times that of Co3O4 system, respectively. It was also 2.3 times and 2.1 times of RuO2, and 3.3 times and 2.5 times of Pt, respectively. Moreover, TN removal was 11.0 times higher than that of without •Cl mediation, and H2 production was 4.3 times higher. More importantly, excellent TN removal and H2 production were also observed in the actual urine treatment. This work provides a practical possibility for efficient total nitrogen removal and hydrogen recovery in urine wastewater treatment.

Effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on embryological outcomes in assisted reproductive technology during the Omicron epidemic.

BACKGROUND: The influence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on assisted reproductive technology (ART) has received increasing attention. It has been reported that the SARS-CoV-2 RiboNucleic Acid (RNA) cannot be detected in follicular fluid and granulosa cells. However, the detection rate of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in immature oocytes and blastocysts has still unknown. Moreover, the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on embryological outcomes in ART during the Omicron epidemic is limited. METHODS: A prospective study was performed to explore the detection rate of viral RNA in biological specimens from patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA and the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on embryological outcomes. A total of 211 patients underwent transvaginal oocyte retrieval at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University between December 13, 2022 and December 30, 2022. Prior to transvaginal oocyte retrieval, 61 individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA within 24 h. Follicular fluid was preserved during oocyte retrieval. Granular cells were collected after degranulation (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection only). Immature oocytes were collected at the end of the ICSI. Unavailable blastocysts were collected on day 6 (D6). The TIANLONG SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR-Kit was used to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in all samples. The COVID-19 and Non COVID-19 groups were contrasted in the following areas: fertilization rate, 2PN rate, Day 3 (D3) available embryos rate, D3 good-quality embryos rate, blastocyst formation rate, good-quality blastocyst formation rate. RESULTS: All samples were negative except for an immature oocytes sample that was positive for SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA with a detection rate of 6.67%. Whether in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), the rate of fertilization, 2PN, D3 available embryos, D3 good-quality embryos, blastocyst formation, good-quality blastocyst formation was not significantly negative different between the COVID-19 and the Non COVID-19 groups. Our findings were validated by an overview of the embryological outcome from the cycles before SARS- Cov-2 infection from the same patient. CONCLUSIONS: Except for immature oocytes, none of the follicular fluid, granulosa cells, or blastocysts samples contained viral RNA. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 infection had no detrimental effects on the embryological outcomes of ART.