Background/Aims: Acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) is one of the most essential metabolites in cell metabolism but its function and concentration in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain elusive and controversial. Methods: A comprehensive analysis of acetyl-CoA levels and acetyl-CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2) expression across a range of samples, including patient specimens from both hepatitis B virus (HBV) positive and HBV negative HCC individuals, HBV-transgenic mouse HCC models, and multiple cell lines. Furthermore, to evaluate the functional significance of ACSS2 in HBV-related HCC, we implemented both genetic and pharmacological inhibition strategies targeting ACSS2. Molecular mechanism and mitophagy assessment were revealed by cleavage under target and tagmentation sequencing, RNA sequencing, bioinformatic analyses, transmission electron microscopy and JC-1 staining. Results: Our study revealed a distinct metabolic signature of HBV-related HCC, marked by elevated acetyl-CoA, which was driven by ACSS2. ACSS2 was upregulated by the carbohydrate response element-binding protein in HBV-related HCC. Furthermore, ACSS2 improved tumor cell proliferation, an effect that was dependent on its enzymatic activity. Mechanistically, ACSS2-induced acetyl-CoA accumulation activated voltage-dependent anion channels 1 transcription through increased H3K27ac occupancy, which subsequently promoted mitophagy and HBV-related HCC tumorigenesis. Notably, targeting ACSS2 by depletion or inhibition with a catalytic inhibitor significantly suppressed tumor growth. Conclusions These findings not only illustrate the interplay between metabolic reprogramming, epigenetic modification, and tumorigenesis in the context of HBV infection, but also highlight ACSS2 as a novel metabolic vulnerability in HBV-related HCC. Therefore, targeting ACSS2 could be a novel strategy against HBV-related HCC.

Objective To gain insights into the biological characteristics of different populations of Culex tritaeniorhynchus within and around the Yellow Sea wetland from the perspective of the occurrence of resistance, we investigated the levels of resistance to deltamethrin and kdr gene mutation in the wetland and its peripheral areas. Methods Specimens were collected from Cx. tritaeniorhynchus populations at two monitoring sites in the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area, and also from two populations in Yancheng City and the Liuhe District of Nanjing, and the resistance of these mosquitoes to deltamethrin was determined using the CDC biotest bottle method. For each concentration of deltamethrin assessed, a random subset of exposed specimens was selected for amplification of the kdr gene fragment, followed by Sanger sequencing to identify and analyze resistance-associated mutations. Results The LC50 levels of deltamethrin among mosquitoes from the four populations in Luhe, Yancheng, the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and the Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area were 2.048 5, 7.798 2, 3.473 3, and 17.695 5 mg/mL, respectively, with corresponding concentrations of deltamethrin ranging from 0.005 to 5.000,0.050 to 50.000,0.050 to 25.000 and 0.050 to 50.000 mg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the ranges of the KT50 values were 11.76-107.43, 67.05-216.30,29.77-107.43 and 28.40-329.51 min; the 1-h knockdown rates were 34.58%-99.15%, 9.52%-43.80%, 55.09%-73.01%, and 10.09%-68.07%; and the 24-h mortality rates were 12.15%-67.52%,9.52%-79.56%,13.17%-82.21%, and 11.01%-78.99%, respectively. With respect to kdr gene mutation, we assayed a total of 63,70,59, and 57 mosquitoes for the four populations, for which we detected L1014F mutation frequencies of 14.29%, 35.00%, 20.34%, and 31.58%, respectively, with a majority of these mutations being heterozygous for resistance. In addition, five adult mosquitoes were identified has having synonymous mutations at site 1011[i. e. , AAT(asparagine)mutation to AAC(asparagine)]. Conclusions Our findings revealed the clear resistance of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus to deltamethrin in the Yancheng region of the Yellow Sea wetland, and the resistance phenotype and kdr frequency of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment were comparable to those of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment, thereby indicating that the resistance of different populations of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus was homogeneous under the pressure of different insecticide selection within and around the wetland. However, the underlying mechanisms need to be further studied.

Objective This study reports on the obligatory parasitism of water mites Arrenurus sp. on Anopheles messeae at the Manzhouli Port, Inner Mongolia, China. Methods Duing July 2024, a survey on the mosquito diversity was conducted at the Manzhouli Port. Captured mosquitoes and their ectoparasites were identified to species level. Results A total of 1840 adult mosquitoes were collected, representing species from three genera: Culex(Cx. modestus, Cx. pipiens pallens), Aedes(Ae. dorsalis, Ae. flavidorsalis, Ae. flavescens), and Anopheles (An. messeae). Among all the mosqutioes specimens,3 out of 150 captured An. messeae were found to carry ectoparasitic mites, with number of 2,4,27 mites separately. Morphological and molecular identification reached the same result as water mites(Hydrachnidiae, Hydracrina). COI gene sequence showed 94% similarity with the closest species Arrenurus truncatellus. Conlusions Literature review suggests water mites are host-specific parasitism of mosquito species and herein with the first record of Arrenurus sp. parasiting on An. Messeae in the most high-latitude region globally.

ObjectiveThrough qualitatively and quantitatively analysis of the differences in chemical composition between the combined decoction and single decoction of Huaganjian and comparison of their core efficacy， to explore the rationality of the flexible clinical application of Huaganjian compound preparations and single-flavored dispensing granules. MethodsUltra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS） was used to qualitatively analyze the combined decoction and single decoction samples of Huaganjian， and meanwhile， the contents of four index components（geniposide， paeoniflorin， hesperidin and paeonol） were quantitatively analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC）. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease（NAFLD） rat model induced by high-fat diet was applied to compare the efficacy of combined decoction and single decoction of Huaganjian. A total of 30 male SD rats were randomly divided into the control group， model group， lovastatin group（1.8 mg·kg^-1）， combined decoction group（1.26 g·kg^-1） and single decoction group（1.18 g·kg^-1）. After successful modeling， lovastatin group， combined decoction group and single decoction group were given corresponding doses of drugs by intragastric administration every day， and the control group and model group were given equal amounts of normal saline by intragastric administration， after 4 weeks of administration， the serum and liver tissues were collected， and the contents of alanine aminotransferase（ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase（AST）， total cholesterol（TC）， triglyceride（TG）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol（LDL-C） and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol（HDL-C） in serum of rats were detected， and the liver pathological examination was carried out by hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining and oil red O staining， so as to compare differences of their efficacy. ResultsSeventy chemical components were initially identified and attributed from the lyophilized powder of the combined decoction and single decoction samples of Huaganjian， and there was no obvious difference in composition between the two. Further quantitative analysis showed that the contents of geniposide， paeoniflorin， hesperidin and paeonol in the combined decoction samples were significantly increased when compared with those of the single decoction samples（P<0.01）. The pharmacodynamic results showed that compared with the model group， both the combined and single decoction groups of Huaganjian could improve the liver index of NAFLD rats， reduce the serum levels of AST， ALT， TC， TG and LDL-C， increase the serum level of HDL-C， and ameliorate the pathological changes of liver cell steatosis and fat accumulation. However， there was no significant difference in pharmacodynamic effects between the combined decoction group and the single decoction group. ConclusionThere is no significant difference between the combined decoction and single decoction of Huaganjian in terms of chemical composition， but the contents of the four index components show significantly difference. Both of them can significantly improve the fat accumulation and liver function in NAFLD rats. This study provides a reference basis for the rational clinical application and evaluation of famous classical formula compound preparations and single-flavored dispensing granules.

Objective This research was performed to identify rodent-borne pathogens in Hekou Port,Yunnan Province.Methods Rodents were captured using cages and dissected to collect their lungs,liver,spleen,and other viscera.Eight pathogens,including Yersinia pestis,Leptospira,Bartonella,and Anaplasmataceae,were identified using polymerase chain reaction amplification.Amplified pathogen sequences from positive samples were sequenced,and BLAST homology searches were conducted using GenBank to confirm pathogen identities.A phylogenetic tree of the identified pathogens was constructed using the neighbor joining method.Results The total of 31 rodents,identified as Rattus tanezumi,R.norvegicus,and Mus musculus,were captured.Among these,R.tanezumi was the dominant species,accounting for 64.52％of the total.Two pathogens,Leptospira interrogans and Neoehrlichia mikurensis,were detected,with positivity rates of 9.68％and 29.03％,respectively.No other pathogens were detected.The overall positivity rate for rodent-borne pathogens was 35.48％.Conclusions The single 16S rRNA gene fragment is insufficient for the molecular identification of all Neoehrlichia species.Accurate species identification should be based on a combined analysis of multiple genes.The prevalence of rodent-borne pathogens in Hekou Port indicates the necessity for enhanced surveillance of rodent-borne diseases and implementation of additional prevention and control measures in border ports.

Objective: Huntington’s disease (HD) is characterized by motor, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Oculomotor impairments and gait variability have been independently considered as potential markers in HD. However, an integrated analysis of eye movement and gait is lacking. We performed multiple examinations of eye movement and gait variability in HTT mutation carriers, analyzed the consistency between these parameters and clinical severity, and then examined the associations between oculomotor impairments and gait deficits. Methods: We included 7 patients with pre-HD, 30 patients with HD and 30 age-matched controls. We collected demographic data and assessed the Unified Huntington’s Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) score. Examinations, including saccades, smooth pursuit tests, and optokinetic (OPK) tests, were performed to evaluate eye movement function. The parameters of gait include stride length, walking velocity, step deviation, step length, and gait phase. Results: HD patients have significant impairments in the latency and velocity of saccades, the gain of smooth pursuit, and the gain and slow phase velocities of OPK tests. Only the speed of saccades significantly differed between pre-HD patients and controls. There are significant impairments in stride length, walking velocity, step length, and gait phase in HD patients. The parameters of eye movement and gait variability in HD patients were consistent with the UHDRS scores. There were significant correlations between eye movement and gait parameters. Conclusion Our results show that eye movement and gait are impaired in HD patients and that the speed of saccades is impaired early in pre-HD. Eye movement and gait abnormalities in HD patients are significantly correlated with clinical disease severity.

Objective: Huntington’s disease (HD) is characterized by motor, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Oculomotor impairments and gait variability have been independently considered as potential markers in HD. However, an integrated analysis of eye movement and gait is lacking. We performed multiple examinations of eye movement and gait variability in HTT mutation carriers, analyzed the consistency between these parameters and clinical severity, and then examined the associations between oculomotor impairments and gait deficits. Methods: We included 7 patients with pre-HD, 30 patients with HD and 30 age-matched controls. We collected demographic data and assessed the Unified Huntington’s Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) score. Examinations, including saccades, smooth pursuit tests, and optokinetic (OPK) tests, were performed to evaluate eye movement function. The parameters of gait include stride length, walking velocity, step deviation, step length, and gait phase. Results: HD patients have significant impairments in the latency and velocity of saccades, the gain of smooth pursuit, and the gain and slow phase velocities of OPK tests. Only the speed of saccades significantly differed between pre-HD patients and controls. There are significant impairments in stride length, walking velocity, step length, and gait phase in HD patients. The parameters of eye movement and gait variability in HD patients were consistent with the UHDRS scores. There were significant correlations between eye movement and gait parameters. Conclusion Our results show that eye movement and gait are impaired in HD patients and that the speed of saccades is impaired early in pre-HD. Eye movement and gait abnormalities in HD patients are significantly correlated with clinical disease severity.

Objective: Huntington’s disease (HD) is characterized by motor, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Oculomotor impairments and gait variability have been independently considered as potential markers in HD. However, an integrated analysis of eye movement and gait is lacking. We performed multiple examinations of eye movement and gait variability in HTT mutation carriers, analyzed the consistency between these parameters and clinical severity, and then examined the associations between oculomotor impairments and gait deficits. Methods: We included 7 patients with pre-HD, 30 patients with HD and 30 age-matched controls. We collected demographic data and assessed the Unified Huntington’s Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) score. Examinations, including saccades, smooth pursuit tests, and optokinetic (OPK) tests, were performed to evaluate eye movement function. The parameters of gait include stride length, walking velocity, step deviation, step length, and gait phase. Results: HD patients have significant impairments in the latency and velocity of saccades, the gain of smooth pursuit, and the gain and slow phase velocities of OPK tests. Only the speed of saccades significantly differed between pre-HD patients and controls. There are significant impairments in stride length, walking velocity, step length, and gait phase in HD patients. The parameters of eye movement and gait variability in HD patients were consistent with the UHDRS scores. There were significant correlations between eye movement and gait parameters. Conclusion Our results show that eye movement and gait are impaired in HD patients and that the speed of saccades is impaired early in pre-HD. Eye movement and gait abnormalities in HD patients are significantly correlated with clinical disease severity.

The chemical constituents were systematically separated from the roots of Berberis polyantha by various chromatographic methods, including silica gel column chromatography, HP20 column chromatography, polyamide column chromatography, reversed-phase C_(18) column chromatography, and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. The structures of the compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectroscopic techniques(1D NMR, 2D NMR, UV, MS, and CD). Four phenylpropanoids were isolated from the methanol extract of the roots of B. polyantha, and they were identified as(2R)-1-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-propanone-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(1), methyl 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzoate(2),(+)-syringaresinol(3), and syringaresinol-4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(4). Compound 1 was a new compound, and other compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time. The anti-inflammatory activity of these compounds was evaluated based on the release of nitric oxide(NO) in the culture of lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophages. At a concentration of 10 μmol·L~(-1), all the four compounds inhibited the LPS-induced release of NO in RAW264.7 cells, demonstrating potential anti-inflammatory properties.
Plant Roots/chemistry* ; Animals ; Mice ; Berberis/chemistry* ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; Macrophages/immunology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Nitric Oxide/metabolism* ; Molecular Structure ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/isolation & purification*