Male factors contribute to 50% of infertility cases, with 20%-30% of cases being solely attributed to male infertility. Helicase for meiosis 1 ( HFM1 ) plays a crucial role in ensuring proper crossover formation and synapsis of homologous chromosomes during meiosis, an essential process in gametogenesis. HFM1 gene mutations are associated with male infertility, particularly in cases of non-obstructive azoospermia and severe oligozoospermia. However, the effects of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in HFM1 -related infertility cases remain inadequately explored. This study identified novel biallelic HFM1 variants through whole-exome sequencing (WES) in a Chinese patient with severe oligozoospermia, which was confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The pathogenicity of these variants was assessed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunoblotting, which revealed a significant reduction in HFM1 mRNA and protein levels in spermatozoa compared to those in a healthy control. Transmission electron microscopy revealed morphological abnormalities in sperm cells, including defects in the head and flagellum. Despite these abnormalities, ICSI treatment resulted in a favorable fertility outcome for the patient, indicating that assisted reproductive techniques (ART) can be effective in managing HFM1 -related male infertility. These findings offer valuable insights into the management of such cases.
Humans ; Male ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Oligospermia/therapy* ; Adult ; Spermatozoa/ultrastructure* ; Exome Sequencing ; Mutation

Mutations in the cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 gene (CDKL5) cause a severe neurodevelopmental disorder, yet the impact of truncating mutations remains unclear. Here, we introduce the Cdkl5^492stop mouse model, mimicking C-terminal truncating mutations in patients. 492stop/Y mice exhibit altered dendritic spine morphology and spontaneous seizure-like behaviors, alongside other behavioral deficits. After creating cell lines with various Cdkl5 truncating mutations, we found that these mutations are regulated by the nonsense-mediated RNA decay pathway. Most truncating mutations result in CDKL5 protein loss, leading to multiple disease phenotypes, and offering new insights into the pathogenesis of CDKL5 disorder.
Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice ; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/deficiency* ; Mutation/genetics* ; Epileptic Syndromes/genetics* ; Humans ; Dendritic Spines/pathology* ; Spasms, Infantile/genetics* ; Male ; Seizures/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

OBJECTIVE: Poxviruses are zoonotic pathogens that infect humans, mammals, vertebrates, and arthropods. However, the specific role of ticks in transmission and evolution of these viruses remains unclear. METHODS: Transcriptomic and metatranscriptomic raw data from 329 sampling pools of seven tick species across five continents were mined to assess the diversity and abundance of poxviruses. Chordopoxviral sequences were assembled and subjected to phylogenetic analysis to trace the origins of the unblasted fragments within these sequences. RESULTS: Fifty-eight poxvirus species, representing two subfamilies and 20 genera, were identified, with 212 poxviral sequences assembled. A substantial proportion of AT-rich fragments were detected in the assembled poxviral genomes. These genomic sequences contained fragments originating from rodents, archaea, and arthropods. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that ticks play a significant role in the transmission and evolution of poxviruses. These viruses demonstrate the capacity to modulate virulence and adaptability through horizontal gene transfer, gene recombination, and gene mutations, thereby promoting co-existence and co-evolution with their hosts. This study advances understanding of the ecological dynamics of poxvirus transmission and evolution and highlights the potential role of ticks as vectors and vessels in these processes.
Animals ; Poxviridae/physiology* ; Ticks/virology* ; Phylogeny ; Transcriptome ; Evolution, Molecular ; Poxviridae Infections/virology* ; Genome, Viral

Objective To investigate the prevalence of tick-borne rickettsial infections in selected areas of Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province, 2023, so as to provide insights into the management of tick-borne rickettsioses in the city. Methods Ticks were captured from the body surface of bovines and sheep in Gaoxing Village, Dashan Township, Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province during the period between April and June, 2023, and tick species were identified using morphological and molecular biological techniques. In addition, tick-borne Rickettsia was identified using a nested PCR assay, including spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR), Coxiella spp., Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Orientia spp., and positive amplified fragments were sequenced and aligned with known sequences accessed in the GenBank database. Results A total of 200 ticks were collected and all tick species were identified as Rhipicephalus microplus. Nestle PCR assay combined with sequencing identified ticks carrying Candidatus Rickettsia jingxinensis (40.50%), Coxiella burnetii (1.50%), and Coxiella-like endosymbionts (27.00%), and Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp. or Orientsia spp. was not detected. Conclusions R. microplus carried Candidatus R. jingxinensis, C. burnetii, and Coxiella-like endosymbionts in selected areas of Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province. Intensified monitoring of tickborne rickettsial infections is needed in livestock and humans to reduce the damages caused by rickettsioses.

BACKGROUND:High-methionine diet can cause liver injury in Cbs+/-mice,and hyperhomocystinemia is related to the occurrence and progression of various liver-related diseases,such as hepatic steatosis,autoimmune hepatitis,and alcoholic fatty liver disease.MicroRNAs(miRNAs)are involved in various cellular processes including cell survival,differentiation and autophagy,which are of great significance. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the critical role of miR-144-3p on Cbs+/-mouse hepatocyte autophagy induced by high methionine die. METHODS:(1)Ten male cystathione-β-synthase normal(Cbs+/+)mice and another 10 male mice with single gene knockout(Cbs+/-)of similar body mass,4 weeks of age,were fed a high-methionine diet and executed after 12 weeks to take liver tissue.(2)Human hepatocytes(HL-7702)were cultured in vitro and divided into control[0 μmol/L homocysteine(Hcy)],Hcy(100 μmol/L Hcy),mimic-NC(transfected with mimic-NC),mimic-NC + Hcy(mimic-NC transfecton+100 μmol/L Hcy),miR-144-3p mimic(transfected with miR-144-3p mimic),and miR-144-3p mimic + Hcy(miR-144-3p mimic transfection+100 μ mol/L Hcy),inhibitor-NC(transfected with inhibitor-NC),inhibitor-NC + Hcy(inhibitor-NC transfection + 100 μmol/L Hcy),miR-144-3p inhibitor(transfected with miR-144-3p inhibitor),and miR-144-3p inhibitor + Hcy(miR-144-3p inhibitor transfection + 100 μmol/L Hcy).Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of miR-144-3p in liver tissue and hepatocytes.After transfection of miR-144-3p mimic or inhibitor,quantitative real-time PCR and western blot were used to detect the transfection efficiency of miR-144-3p and its effect on the expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3B and p62.The levels of alanine transferase and aspartate aminotransferase in hepatocyte supernatants were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.The correlation between the expression of miR-144-3 in hepatocyte and the levels of alanine transferase and aspartate aminotransferase in hepatocyte supernatants were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the Cbs+/+ group and control group,the expression of miR-144-3p in the liver tissue of the Cbs+/-group and in hepatocytes of the Hcy group was decreased(P<0.01).The expression of LC3B-Ⅱ/Ⅰ was decreased in hepatocyte after transfection of miR-144-3p mimic,while the protein expression of p62 was increased(P<0.01).The opposite results were obtained after transfection of miR-144-3p inhibitor(P<0.01).Compared with the mimic-NC group,the levels of alanine transferase and aspartate aminotransferase were decreased in the miR-144-3p mimic group(P<0.01),while the opposite results were obtained in the inhibitor-NC group(P<0.01).The expression of miR-144-3p in hepatocytes was negatively correlated with the levels of alanine transferase(P<0.01,r=-0.887 6)and aspartate aminotransferase(P<0.01,r=-0.829 9)in the supernatant of hepatocytes.To conclude,Hcy promotes hepatocyte autophagy by inhibiting the expression of miR-144-3p,which subsequently aggravates liver injury.

BACKGROUND:Ischemic postconditioning is one of the effective ways to reduce ischemia-reperfusion injury and has been more and more widely used in clinical practice in recent years,but its specific molecular mechanism has yet to be studied. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the role and mechanism of piRNA-005854 in the aging cardiomyocytes caused by hypoxic postconditioning. METHODS:In vitro,cardiomyocytes were administered 8 mg/mL D-galactose for 9 days to induce their aging.β-Galactosidase staining was used to observe the aging of cardiomyocytes.Senescent cells were treated with hypoxia/reoxygenation and hypoxic postconditioning.ELISA was utilized to detect changes in myocardial injury markers creatine kinase isoenzyme MB and lactate dehydrogenase levels.Western blot assay was applied to detect the expression changes of autophagy-related proteins LC3II,p62,ULK1 and phosphorylated ULK1 in aging cardiomyocytes.qRT-PCR was employed to determine the expression level of piRNA-005854.piRNA-005854 inhibitor and piRNA-005854 mimics were transferred into aging cardiomyocytes and followed with hypoxic postconditioning.Western blot assay was used to examine the expression of LC3II,p62,ULK1 and phosphorylated ULK1. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)D-galactose induced obvious senescence of cardiomyocytes 9 days later.(2)Compared with the normoxia group,creatine kinase isoenzyme MB and lactate dehydrogenase levels increased in the hypoxia/reoxygenation group(P<0.01);LC3 II/I expression was increased;p62 expression was decreased;ULK1 phosphorylation level was increased,and piRNA-005854 expression was increased(P<0.01).(3)Compared with the hypoxia/reoxygenation group,creatine kinase isoenzyme MB and lactate dehydrogenase levels significantly reduced in the hypoxic postconditioning group(P<0.01);LC3 II/I expression significantly decreased(P<0.05);p62 expression increased(P<0.01);ULK1 phosphorylation level decreased(P<0.05),and piRNA-005854 expression decreased(P<0.01).(4)After transfection of piRNA-005854 inhibitor,LC3II/I expression was decreased(P<0.01);the expression of p62 was increased significantly(P<0.05);the phosphorylation level of ULK1 was decreased significantly(P<0.01).After transfection of piRNA-005854 mimics,LC3II/I expression was increased significantly;the expression of p62 was decreased,and the phosphorylation level of ULK1 was increased significantly(P<0.01).(5)The results show that piRNA-005854-mediated reduction of ULK1-dependent autophagy level is a possible mechanism that hypoxic postconditioning exerts its protective effect on aging cardiomyocytes.

BACKGROUND:Increased homocysteine level induces apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells,but the mechanism remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the role of hsa-circ-0001360 in human umbilical vein endothelial cell apoptosis induced by homocysteine. METHODS:In vitro cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells were divided into control group,homocysteine group,interference control group,interference control + homocysteine group,hsa-circ-0001360 interference group,hsa-circ-0001360 + homocysteine interference group,overexpression control group,overexpression control + homocysteine group,hsa-circ-0001360 overexpression group and hsa-circ-0001360 + homocysteine overexpression group.All groups were treated with 100 μmol/L homocysteine.After 72 hours of intervention,the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins Bax,Bcl-2,and Caspase-3 were detected by western blot assay.The apoptotic rate was detected by flow cytometry.Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of hsa-circ-0001360. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the control group,the expression of Caspase-3 and Bax was significantly increased(P<0.01),and the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly decreased(P<0.01),and the apoptotic rate was significantly increased(P<0.01)in the homocysteine group.(2)Compared with control group,the expression of hsa-circ-0001360 was significantly increased in the homocysteine group(P<0.01).(3)The expression of hsa-circ-0001360 was significantly higher in the cytoplasm than that in the nucleus(P<0.01).(4)Compared with the interference control C group and interference control + homocysteine group,the expressions of Caspase-3 and Bax were significantly decreased(P<0.01),while the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly increased(P<0.01);the apoptotic rate was significantly decreased(P<0.01)in sh-hsa-circ-0001360 interference group and sh-hsa-circ-0001360 + homocysteine interference group.(5)Compared with overexpression control group and overexpression control + homocysteine group,the expressions of Caspase-3 and Bax were significantly increased(P<0.01),while the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly decreased(P<0.01);the apoptotic rate was significantly increased(P<0.01)in the hsa-circ-0001360 overexpression group and the hsa-circ-0001360 + homocysteine overexpression group.(6)In conclusion,hsa-circ-0001360 can promote the apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells induced by homocysteine.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a kind of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) with covalent closed-loop structure. They have attracted more and more attention because of their high stability, evolutionary conservatism, and tissue expression specificity. It has shown that circRNAs are involved in the development of a variety of diseases including malignant tumors recently. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor that occurs in the nasopharynx and has a unique ethnic and geographical distribution in South China and Southeast Asia. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is closely related to the development of NPC. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the mainstays of treatment for NPC. But tumor recurrence or distant metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients with NPC. Several studies have shown that circRNAs, as gene expression regulators, play an important role in NPC and affect the progression of NPC. This review mainly summarized the research status of abnormally expressed circRNAs in NPC and EBV-encoded circRNAs. We also discussed the possibility of circRNAs as a therapeutic target, diagnostic and prognostic marker for NPC.

Objective To investigate the need for and utilization of health services among six Zhiguo ethnic minority groups in Yunnan Province,aiming to provide further evidence for the improvement of healthcare.Methods Using stratified random sampling,1921 individuals from six Zhiguo ethnic minority groups,aged 15 and above,were investigated with a structured questionnaire between August and December 2022.A structured questionnaire was used to collect participants'information on health service needs and utilization.Results Am-ong the surveyed participants,the two-week prevalence rate was found to be 22.54%,while the prevalence rate of chronic diseases was 38.52%.Among the residents,the risk of two-week prevalence was higher for females(OR=1.564),individuals aged≥60 years(OR=1.727),and those who reported poorer health utility value(OR=5.277),while it was lower for residents of Keno(OR=0.470)and Lahu(OR=0.659)ethnicity,as well as those who reported higher EQ-VAS scores(OR=0.446/0.174).Meanwhile,residents aged≥45 years(OR=3.392/7.072)were at higher risk for chronic disease prevalence,while it was lower for Keno ethnicity(OR=0.409),unmarried individuals(OR=0.479),and those with higher education levels(OR=0.629/0.603),higher EQ-VAS scores(OR=0.208)P<0.05.Additionally,among the participants,the treat-ment rate for two-week illness was 14.32%,while the non-treatment rate stood at 36.49%.Furthermore,the one-year hospitalization rate was reported as 19.89%,with a corresponding rate of individuals who needed hospitalization but did not receive it being recorded at 15.86%.Among the residents,the likelihood of treatment for two-week illness was higher for females(OR=1.461)and residents aged≥45 years(OR=1.510/1.560),whereas it was lower for individuals with higher EQ-VAS scores(OR=0.445).The likelihood of hospitalization within one year was also higher for residents aged≥60 years(OR=2.029)and individuals of Nu(OR=1.599),Lisu(OR=1.688),and Keno(OR=1.968)ethnicity,whereas those with high EQ-VAS scores(OR=0.325)had a lower risk(P<0.05).Conclusion In Yunnan Province,the need for healthcare services among six Zhiguo ethnic minority groups in this study is relatively low;however,the high prevalence of chronic diseases raises concerns.The utilization of healthcare services appears to be relatively sufficient,but the utilization of outpatient services still needs to be improved.

Objective To explore the mechanism of'Wenyang Tongmai'(warming yang to unblock meridians)moxibustion in preventing and treating atherosclerosis.Methods Ten C57BL/6J mice fed with normal diet were set as blank group.Thirty ApoE-/-mice were fed with high-fat diet to establish atherosclerosis model,and were randomly divided into model group,Simvastatin group and moxibustion group,with 10 mice in each group.The intervention began on the first day of modeling.The mice in the moxibustion group were given moxibustion at Danzhong(RN17),Shenque(RN8),Neiguan(PC6),Xuehai(SP10)points,and the Simvastatin group was given Simvastatin distilled water suspension by gavage for 12 weeks.After administration,the pathological structure of thoracic aorta in mice was observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining method.The ultrastructure of thoracic aortic endothelial cells in mice was observed by transmission electron microscopy.The levels of serum tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α),intercellular adhesion molecule 1(ICAM-1)and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1(VCAM-1)in mice were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The mRNA expression levels of silent information regulator 1(SIRT1)and forkhead box O3a(FOXO3a)in thoracic aorta were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR).The protein expression levels of SIRT1 and FOXO3a in thoracic aorta were detected by Western Blot.Results Compared with the blank group,the pathological changes of thoracic aorta and vascular endothelial cells in the model group were obvious,the levels of serum inflammatory factor TNF-α,ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were increased(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),the mRNA and protein expressions of SIRT1 in thoracic aorta were decreased(P＜0.01),and the mRNA and protein expressions of FOXO3a had no significant difference(P＞0.05).Compared with the model group,the thoracic aorta and vascular endothelial cell structure of the mice in the Simvastatin group and the moxibustion group were obviously improved,the levels of serum TNF-α,ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 were decreased(P＜0.05),the mRNA and protein expressions of SIRT1 in the thoracic aorta were increased(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),and the mRNA and protein expressions of FOXO3a had no significant difference(P＞0.05).There was no significant difference in the above indexes between the Simvastatin group and the moxibustion group(P＞0.05).Conclusion'Wenyang Tongmai'moxibustion can prevent and treat atherosclerotic in rats via regulating and controlling SIRT1/FOXO3a signaling pathway to reduce inflammatory response.