AIM:To investigate the mechanism of reduced tear secretion in depression-related dry eye rats based on 5-HT/TRPV4/AQP5.METHODS:Healthy SD male rats were established with chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)method to establish a depression-induced dry eye model(n=8), and the control group was blank rats(n=8). The ELISA method was used to compare the 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)in serum and hippocampal tissue of the two groups, and the HE sections of lacrimal gland and AQP5 immunohistochemistry were observed. Western blot and RT-PCR were used to detect the expression of 5-HT3R, TRPV4 and AQP5 in the lacrimal gland tissue of the two groups of rats.RESULTS:The tear secretion in the depression-induced group was significantly reduced(P=0.001), the serum and hippocampal 5-HT levels were significantly reduced(all P<0.05), the expression of AQP5 antibody in the lacrimal gland immunohistochemistry was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.001), the expression of 5-HT3R, TRPV4 and AQP5 in the lacrimal gland was significantly reduced(all P<0.05), and no obvious inflammatory cells were found in the lacrimal gland tissue sections.CONCLUSION:Depression-related dry eye may occur through a non-inflammatory 5-HT/TRPV4/AQP5 mechanism.

AIM:To investigate the mechanism of reduced tear secretion in depression-related dry eye rats based on 5-HT/TRPV4/AQP5.METHODS:Healthy SD male rats were established with chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)method to establish a depression-induced dry eye model(n=8), and the control group was blank rats(n=8). The ELISA method was used to compare the 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)in serum and hippocampal tissue of the two groups, and the HE sections of lacrimal gland and AQP5 immunohistochemistry were observed. Western blot and RT-PCR were used to detect the expression of 5-HT3R, TRPV4 and AQP5 in the lacrimal gland tissue of the two groups of rats.RESULTS:The tear secretion in the depression-induced group was significantly reduced(P=0.001), the serum and hippocampal 5-HT levels were significantly reduced(all P<0.05), the expression of AQP5 antibody in the lacrimal gland immunohistochemistry was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.001), the expression of 5-HT3R, TRPV4 and AQP5 in the lacrimal gland was significantly reduced(all P<0.05), and no obvious inflammatory cells were found in the lacrimal gland tissue sections.CONCLUSION:Depression-related dry eye may occur through a non-inflammatory 5-HT/TRPV4/AQP5 mechanism.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on improving motor function and regulating microglial activation based on Notch receptor 1 (Notch1)/Hes family bHLH transcription factor 1 (Hes1) pathway in mice with Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: Thirty-six male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a control group, a model group and an EA group, 12 mice in each group. PD model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) for 7 consecutive days in the model group and the EA group. From the 1st day of modeling, EA was applied at "Baihui" (GV20) and bilateral "Shenshu" (BL23) in the EA group, with continuous wave, in frequency of 2 Hz and current of 2 mA, 15 min a time, once a day for 14 days continuously. The behavioral performance was evaluated by gait test, pole climbing test and hanging test, the number of positive cells of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and the co-expression positive cells of Notch1/ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1) in the substantia nigra of midbrain was assessed by immunofluorescence, the protein expression of TH, α-synuclein (α-syn), Notch1, Hes1, Iba-1, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), Arginase-1 (ARG1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 was detected by Western blot, the mRNA expression of Notch1 and Hes1 was detected by real-time PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, in the model group, the stride frequency was accelerated (P<0.001) and the stride length was shortened (P<0.001) for the four limbs, the pole climbing test time was prolonged (P<0.01) and the grip level was reduced (P<0.01); in the substantia nigra of midbrain, the number of positive cells of TH was decreased (P<0.001), the number of co-expression positive cells of Notch1/Iba-1 was increased (P<0.001), the protein expression of α-syn, Notch1, Hes1, Iba-1, iNOS, TNF-α, IL-1βand IL-6 was increased (P<0.01, P<0.05, P<0.001), the protein expression of TH, ARG1 and IL-10 was decreased (P<0.01, P<0.001), the mRNA expression of Notch1 and Hes1 was increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, in the EA group, the stride frequency was decelerated (P<0.001) and the stride length was increased (P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.001) for the four limbs, the pole climbing test time was shortened (P<0.05) and the grip level was increased (P<0.05); in the substantia nigra of midbrain, the number of positive cells of TH was increased (P<0.01), the number of co-expression positive cells of Notch1/Iba-1 was decreased (P<0.001), the protein expression of α-syn, Notch1, Hes1, Iba-1, iNOS, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β was decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01), the protein expression of TH, ARG1 and IL-10 was increased (P<0.05, P<0.001, P<0.01), the mRNA expression of Notch1 and Hes1 was decreased (P<0.05). CONCLUSION EA can improve the behavioral performance and protect the dopaminergic neurons in PD mice, its mechanism may relate to the inhibition of Notch1/Hes1-mediated neuroinflammation, thus inhibiting the microglial activation.
Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Microglia/metabolism* ; Male ; Receptor, Notch1/metabolism* ; Parkinson Disease/physiopathology* ; Transcription Factor HES-1/metabolism* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Humans ; Signal Transduction

BACKGROUND:Oxidative injury is considered to be one of the important factors of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.Superoxide dismutase 2(SOD2)is a key mitochondrial antioxidant molecule,and fenofibrate can regulate the expression of SOD2 by activating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α. OBJECTIVE:To explore whether the mechanism of fenofibrate in the treatment of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury depends on the expression of SOD2. METHODS:The TALENs system was used to construct SOD2 transgenic mice.The transgenic mice were genotyped by PCR and DNA sequencing techniques.The expression of SOD2 protein in transgenic mice was detected by western blot assay.Wild-type and SOD2 transgenic mice were randomly divided into four groups:wild-type control group(n=6),wild-type fenofibrate group(n=6),SOD2 transgenic control group(n=5)and SOD2 transgenic fenofibrate group(n=5).A mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion was prepared using the suture-occlusion method.After 90 minutes of ischemia,the thread was removed to reperfuse cerebral blood flow for 30 minutes.A cerebral blood flow monitor was used to monitor local cerebral blood flow.Brain tissue slices were taken for 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining to analyze the situation of cerebral infarction in each group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After PCR and DNA sequencing analysis,nine SOD2+/+ transgenic mice were successfully constructed.After cerebral ischemia-reperfusion,the wild-type fenofibrate group showed partial recovery of cerebral blood flow and significantly reduced cerebral infarction volume compared with the wild-type control group(P<0.001).There was no significant difference in cerebral blood flow and cerebral infarction volume between the SOD2 transgenic fenofibrate group and the SOD2 transgenic control group.The SOD2 transgenic control was superior to the wild-type control group in terms of improving cerebral blood flow and cerebral infarction(P<0.001).There were also no significant differences in cerebral blood flow and cerebral infarction volume between the wild-type fenofibrate group and the SOD2 transgenic control group and between the wild-type fenofibrate group and the SOD2 transgenic fenofibrate group.To conclude,the expression of SOD2 is one of the mechanisms of fenofibrate in the treatment of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Objective:To prepare rabbit polyclonal antibodies against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) N protein and use them as the detection antibodies to establish a N-ELISA-based method for rapid detection of neutralizing antibodies.Methods:A plasmid of pET30a-N for the expression of RSV N protein was constructed. After purification, the protein was immunized into New Zealand rabbits to prepare polyclonal antibodies, which were used as the detection antibodies. Positive serum samples were diluted and used to neutralize RSV (100 TCID 50/well). Hep-2 cells were inoculated and cultured, and then the cells were fixed with 80% acetone. ELISA was performed to detect RSV N protein in infected cells. When the absorbance value of a well was below the cut-off value, it was regarded as the positive well in the neutralization test. The highest dilution of a positive well serum was the neutralizing antibody titer. After optimizting the antibody dilution, detection time, cell density and the duration of neutralization, the method for neutralizing antibody detection was established based on N-ELISA. The established method was verified by analyzing the influences of different cell generations and edge effects, and calculating the accuracy, repeatability and precision. The correlation between the established method and microneutralization method was analyzed by detecting human RSV IgG-positive serum. Results:The plasmid pET30a-N was successfully constructed, and the expressed N protein showed high purity and good specificity. After the third immunization, the antibody titer in rabbit serum was 1∶51 200, and the antibodies could specifically bind to RSV. The prepared rabbit anti-RSV N polyclonal antibodies had a titer of 1∶51 200, and showed good specificity. The neutralizing antibodies could be detected on day 4 with the established method, and the duration of neutralization was shortened to 30 min. Cell generations and the position of wells in the 96-well plate (edge well and non-edge well) had no significant effect on the method, and the repeatability, precision and accuracy of the method were good. In the detection of 64 RSV IgG-positive human serum samples by the established method and microneutralization method, the correlation coefficient was 0.929 6, indicating a good positive correlation between the two methods.Conclusions:A N-ELISA-based method for rapid neutralizing antibody detection is successfully established, which can be used to evaluate the serum antibody level after RSV vaccination.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the major pathogens of acute respiratory infections, becoming a huge global burden. Virus-receptor interactions play a key role in the pathogenesis of RSV infection. The distribution of receptors influences the cellular and the tissue tropism of RSV as well as the viral replication and proliferation in the host. However, the RSV receptors are currently unknown, which is one of the reasons that hinders the development of RSV vaccines and therapeutic drugs. In this study, the existing RSV receptors are reviewed with the hope to provide ideas for the research of RSV vaccines and therapeutic drugs.

The complex pathological mechanism of dry eye involves multiple pathways, such as immunity and inflammation, and requires an integral research program to control the whole picture. Various histological techniques can elucidate the complex physio-pathological state of organisms from a holistic and global perspective, thus providing more comprehensive biological information. Mass spectrometry can sensitively detect the changes of protein content in tear samples, providing convenience for proteomics research of dry eye. At present, proteomics has demonstrated its application in the identification of dry eye types, severity grading, and therapeutic effect evaluation. In addition, proteomics combined with metabolomics and microbiomics can more comprehensively explain the pathogenesis of dry eye. In the future, proteomics is expected to provide more powerful support for the precise diagnosis and treatment of dry eye, taking an advantage in targeted therapy.

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease associated with abnormal copper metabolism in the brain,which leads to misfolding and aggregation of α-synuclein-copper complexes,which is an important pathological sign of Parkinson's disease.Copper metabolism,i.e.,cellular metabolic processes involving copper ions,is closely related to the pathogenesis of α-synuclein aggregation,dopamine metabolism,mitochondrial dysfunction,oxidative stress,and ferroptosis in Parkinson's disease.In this review,we summarize the molecular metabolic mechanism of copper toxicity by studying the pathological role of copper metabolism in Parkinson's disease,to support our further understanding of the mechanism of action and drug development.

Objective:To explore the vigilant attention function and behavioral changes in sleep disordered breathing(SDB) children.Methods:Thirty SDB children (SDB group) and 30 normal children (control group) were selected from June 2022 to August 2023. All participants underwent continuous performance test(CPT-AX) (Go/Nogo) and behavioral test. The latency and amplitude of contingent negative variation(CNV) components under cue/uncue conditions in leads F3, Fz and F4 were measured. The t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to conduct statistical analysis by SPSS 25.0 software. Results:(1) There were no statistically significant differences in the number of correct responses, reaction time and number of false alarms between the SDB group and the control group (all P>0.05).(2) The latencies of cue-CNV in the SDB group(F3: 618.00(582.50, 644.50)ms, Fz: 603.00(579.50, 634.00)ms, F4: (606.87±25.07)ms) were longer than those in the control group(F3: (508.47±25.82)ms, Fz: 502.00(470.00, 520.50)ms, F4: 514.00(487.00, 536.50)ms) in leads F3, Fz and F4. The latency of cue-CNV of lead F4 in the SDB group was higher than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The latencies of uncue-CNV in lead F3 and Fz in the SDB group were higher than those in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (both P<0.05). Conclusion:SDB children have shown activation in the right brain area during attentional tasks, and the prolonged CNV latency may be a sensitive neuroelectrophysiological marker for early clinical assessment of vigilant attention dysfunction.

Objective:To explore the cognitive function characteristics of children with primary snoring (PS) and obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) using event-related potentials.Methods:From October 2020 to October 2022, 20 children with OSAHS, 20 children with PS, and 22 normal children were recruited for continuous performance task (CPT) and behavioral assessments. ERP and behavioral data were meticulously recorded, with measurements of N1, P2, N2, and P3 wave amplitudes and latencies at F3, Fz, and F4 electrode sites. Statistical analyses were conducted using one-way ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis test via SPSS 25.0 software.Results:(1) Behavioural test: There was no statistically significant difference in terms of correct responses, response times, and false alarms among the three groups (all P>0.05). (2) F3 Lead: There were statistically significant differences in Go-P2 amplitude, Nogo-P2 amplitude, Nogo-P2 latency, Go-P3 amplitude, and Nogo-P3 latency among the three groups (all P<0.05). Specifically, the OSAHS group exhibited higher Go-P2 amplitude((15.03±5.12) μV vs (10.97±5.50)μV), Nogo-P2 amplitude((14.80±5.84) μV vs (9.67±4.79)μV), and Go-P3 amplitude((11.58±6.02) μV vs (7.49±4.89) μV) compared to the normal group. Additionally, the OSAHS and PS groups exhibited longer Nogo-P2 latency compared to the normal group((223.10±20.61) ms vs (208.00±23.09) ms, (230.60±13.61) ms vs (208.00±23.09) ms), as well as prolonged Nogo-P3 latency((459.20±34.26) ms vs (460.40±24.52) ms and (429.91±31.49) ms) (all P<0.05). Fz Lead: There were statistically significant differences in Go-N1, Go-P2, Nogo-P2, Go-P3, Nogo-N2 wave amplitudes, and Nogo-P3 latency among the three groups (all P<0.05). Compared to the normal group, the OSAHS group exhibited increased Go-P3 amplitude((9.07±5.68) μV vs (5.10±3.51) μV) and decreased Nogo-N2 amplitude((-8.80±5.97) μV vs (-12.84±4.86) μV). Moreover, both the OSAHS and PS groups had prolonged Nogo-P3 latency compared to the normal group((481.60±45.16) ms vs (435.13±28.17) ms and 484.00(443.50, 525.00) ms vs (435.13±28.17) ms) (both P<0.05). F4 Lead: There were statistically significant differences in Go-P2 and Nogo-P2 wave amplitudes among the three groups (all P<0.05). Compared to the normal group, the OSAHS group demonstrated increased Go-P2 amplitude((13.72±5.64) μV vs (9.70±4.59) μV) and Nogo-P2 amplitude((13.90±5.35) μV vs (9.64±3.74) μV) (both P<0.05). Conclusions:Both children with OSAHS and PS exhibit attentional cognitive impairments. However, children with OSAHS demonstrate more pronounced deficits in conflict monitoring, response inhibition, and executive functioning. The prolonged latency of the P3 wave serves as a sensitive electrophysiological marker for the early detection of neurocognitive impairment in children with sleep disordered breathing.