Aim To study the effect of simvastatin on ventricular remodeling in rats after myocardial infarction,and the association between this effect and phosphorylating extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2(p-ERK1/2).Methods Myocardial infarction(MI)rat models were successfully induced by ligation of anterior descending coronary artery.The treated rats were randomly divided into 4 groups(n=8~10):MI only group,MI plus 20 mg Sim group(20 mg?kg-1?d-1),MI plus 40 mg Sim group(40 mg?kg-1?d-1),and sham-operated group.After 4 weeks,the rats were checked by echocardiography including LVEDd,LVPWd,LVEF,FS,SV and CO.Myocardial p-ERK1/2 was also examined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot.Results Compared with sham-operated group,LVEDd,LVPWd in other groups were significantly increased(P

Objective To investigate the ambulatory changes of the expressions of neuroserpin (NSP) and tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) during hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) in primarily cultured rat cortical neurons. Methods Cortical neurons were cultured from SD rats within 24 h after birth, and a H/R model was built. The immunofluorescence double staining and Western blot were used to detect the NSP expression in the cultured neurons. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the expression of tPA. Results After oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) for 1.5 h, the expression of NSP protein was mildly up-regulated, and it reached the peak at 6 h after reoxygenation (P < 0. 05). Then it decreased slowly and basically restored to the level before hypoxia at 24 h after reoxygenation. The cells expressed a small amount of tPA at 1.5 h after OGD (P < 0. 05 ). With the extension of time for reoxygenation, the tPA content increased gradually. OGD was significantly higher at 6 h after reoxygenation than before (P < 0.01 ). Then it decreased gradually, and it basically restored to the level before reoxygenation at 24 h after reoxygenation. Conclusions The expressions of NSP and tPA Were up-regulated significantly during neuron H/R injury, and the ambulatory changes of NSP and tPA were basically the same.

Objective To understand the status of resistance to multiple insecticides and the frequencies of kdr mutations in Culex pipiens pallens from north?central Anhui Province. Methods From July to September,2014,the C. pipiens pallens mosquito larvae were collected in Huaibei,Bengbu and Chuzhou cities of the north?central Anhui Province and reared to adults. The female adult mosquitoes at 3-5 days post emergence were tested for susceptibility to the four insecticides,namely 0.05%deltamethrin,5%malathion,0.1%bendiocarb and 4%DDT,by using the standard WHO resistance tube bioassay. The detec?tion of the point mutations of the kdr gene at codon 1014 was conducted by PCR and DNA sequencing in the deltamethrin?resis?tant and?susceptible mosquitoes. Results High levels of resistance to all the four insecticides were found in all the three tested populations,although mosquito mortality varied among populations and test insecticides. Among the test insecticides,DDT showed lowest mortality with no significant difference(F=1.027,P>0.05)in all test populations,whereas significantly differ?ent mortalities were observed among populations for the remained three insecticides tested(deltamethrin,malathion,and ben?diocarb)(F = 23.823,33.955,128.841;all P < 0.01). Two types of non?synonymous kdr mutation at codon position 1014 (L1014F and L1014S)were observed. A positive correlation between L1014F mutation frequencies and deltamethrin resistance levels were detected in the three mosquito populations(r2=0.718,P<0.01). Conclusions The observed high levels of resis?tance to multiple?insecticides coupled with the occurrence of medium to high kdr frequencies in populations of C. pipiens pallens could profoundly affect the mosquito vector control programme in China. The local health departments need to strengthen vector dynamic monitoring and implement rational resistance management strategies.

Teaching competition is an effective way for college and university teachers to improve their teaching skills. Based on the teaching practice and experience in medical parasitology,this paper discusses several key issues in teaching competition including topics,teaching designs and teaching methods. It provides references for the teachers in department of parasitology of universities and colleges to improve the quality of classroom teaching.

OBJECTIVETo study the population genetic variation, genetic diversity and phylogenesis of Anopheles sinensis in China.

METHODSAnopheles sinensis samples collected from Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu, Guizhou, and Yunnan Provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region with different geographical conditions between 2010 and 2012 were analyzed by mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I (mtDNA-COI) gene amplification and sequencing. Bioedit 7.0 and DnaSP 5.0 software was used to compare the gene sequences and analyze the population genetic structure, respectively. Arlequin 3.1 was used to calculate the genetic distance and parameters of population differentiation. The relationship between the geographic and genetic distances was analyzed using IBD Web Service. PHYLIP 3.6 was used to construct the phylogenetic tree.

RESULTSPCR amplification and sequencing was performed successfully for 6 Anopheles sinensis populations containing 123 female mosquitoes. The length of mtDNA-COI gene fragment was 841 bp with an average A+T content of 71.2% and G+C content of 28.8%. High nucleotide diversity and genetic differentiation were observed among the Anopheles sinensis populations based on mtDNA-COI gene. Analysis of the molecular variance revealed a greater variation between populations than that within populations with isolation by distance between the populations. The Anopheles sinensis populations appeared to have undergone expansion, but the Yunnan population constituted an isolated branch in the phylogenetic tree.

CONCLUSIONmtDNA-COI can serve as the molecular marker to analyze population genetic variation and phylogenesis of Anopheles sinensis. The Yunnan population shows a phylogenetic difference from the other populations analyzed in this study.

Animals ; Anopheles ; genetics ; China ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; genetics ; Electron Transport Complex IV ; genetics ; Female ; Genetic Variation ; Genetics, Population ; Phylogeny

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the level of homocysteine in patients with postpartum depression is associated with depression index. METHODS: A total of 43 women with postpartum depression or with potential postpartum depression, who visited the psychological clinic of Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hunan Province from June, 2012 to April, 2014, were enrolled in this study. They were evaluated by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Hamilton Depression Scale. Chinese Classification of Mental Disorder (the third edition) was used for their diagnosis. The depressive index was calculated by Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale, and clinical symptom scores, which was used to assess the level of depressive symptoms. The level of homocysteine in serum was detected by chemoluminescent method. Meanwhile, another 31 women, who visited the hospital without postpartum depression, were used as controls to compare with the 43 patients. RESULTS: The homocysteine level in the women with postpartum depression was significantly higher than that in the control group [(10.09 ± 3.59) μmol/L vs (8.57 ± 1.59) μmol/L, t=12.392, P=0.001]. The depression index was positively correlated with the level of homocysteine (r=0.231, P<0.05). CONCLUSION The level of serum homocysteine is associated with postpartum depression, suggesting that the level of serum homocysteine might be a risk biomarker for postpartum depression.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Case-Control Studies ; Depression, Postpartum ; blood ; Female ; Homocysteine ; blood ; Humans ; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis of newly-treated patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL).Methods:Clinical data of 117 newly-treated PCNSL patients who were admitted to the First Hospital of Jilin University, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, and Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College from August 2009 to February 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients' age, sex, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) physical status (PS) score, pathological type, involvement of deep brain tissue, number of lesions, cerebrospinal fluid protein concentration, International Extranodal Lymphoma Study Group (IELSG) score, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) score, treatment strategy, and response after the first-line therapy were analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models to identify the independent influencing factors for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of PCNSL patients. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis.Results:In 117 newly-treated PCNSL patients, 59 cases (50.4%) presented with increased intracranial pressure or focal neurological symptoms at diagnosis; there were 65 cases (55.6%) with single lesions and 52 cases (44.4%) with multiple lesions; 1 patient (0.9%) had lymphoma of T-cell origin, and 116 cases (99.1%) had diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Among 95 evaluable patients, 41 patients (43.2%) achieved complete remission (CR), 20 patients (21.1%) achieved partial remission (PR), 16 patients (16.8%) achieved stable disease (SD), and 18 patients (18.9%) had progressive disease (PD). In 117 patients with median follow-up of 66.0 months (95% CI 57.9-74.1 months), the median PFS and OS were 17.4 months (95% CI 11.5-23.3 months) and 45.6 months (95% CI 20.1-71.1 months), respectively. The 2-, 3- and 5-year PFS rates were 41.2%, 28.6% and 19.3%, and OS rates were 63.7%, 52.4% and 46.3%, respectively. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that baseline high-risk MSKCC score group was an adverse prognostic factor for PFS ( P = 0.037), and the first-line chemotherapy with ≥4 cycles of high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX), HDMTX in combination with rituximab, ≥4 cycles of rituximab in combination with HDMTX, and achieving CR or ≥PR after the first-line treatment reduced the risk of disease progression and prolonged the PFS time (all P <0.01); age >60 years old, ECOG-PS score of 2-4 points, elevated cerebrospinal fluid protein concentration, high-risk IELSG score, and high-risk MSKCC score were adverse prognostic factors for OS, and ≥4 cycles of HDMTX and achieving CR or ≥PR after the first-line treatment were favorable factors for OS. Multivariate Cox regression analysis verified that rituximab in combination with HDMTX (yes vs. no: HR = 0.349, 95% CI 0.133-0.912, P = 0.032) and achieving ≥PR after the first-line chemotherapy (yes vs. no: HR = 0.028, 95% CI 0.004-0.195, P < 0.001) were independent favorable factors for PFS; age >60 years old (>60 years old vs. ≤60 years old: HR = 10.878, 95% CI 1.807-65.488, P = 0.009) was independent unfavorable factor for OS, while ≥4 cycles of HDMTX treatment (≥4 cycles vs. <4 cycles: HR = 0.225, 95% CI 0.053-0.947, P = 0.042) was independent favorable factor for OS. Conclusions:The older the PCNSL patients at initial treatment, the worse the prognosis. Intensive and continuous treatment for achieving deeper remission may be the key for improving the outcome of PCNSL patients.

The corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which started in Wuhan in December 2019, is a new infectious disease. The disease is highly contagious, and the correct selection of effective disinfectants is essential. This article analyzed the environmental resistance of coronavirus and its sensitivity to commonly used disinfectants by reviewing domestic and foreign literatures, and concluded that coronavirus has strong survivability in the environment, but it can be efficiently inactivated by most disinfectants. However, it should be noted that the commonly used concentration of chlorine-containing disinfectants (effective chlorine concentration of 500 mg/L) cannot quickly kill coronavirus, and a concentration of 1 000 mg/L or higher is required. Other biocidal agents, such as benzalkonium chloride and chlorhexidine digluconate, are less effective. This article aimed to provide references for selecting the appropriate disinfectants and disinfection methods to cut off the spread of the virus.

Unlike adult mammalian heart, zebrafish heart has a remarkable capacity to regenerate after injury. Previous study has shown Notch signaling activation in the endocardium is essential for regeneration of the myocardium and this activation is mediated by hemodynamic alteration after injury, however, the molecular mechanism has not been fully explored. In this study we demonstrated that blood flow change could be perceived and transmitted in a primary cilia dependent manner to control the hemodynamic responsive klf2 gene expression and subsequent activation of Notch signaling in the endocardium. First we showed that both homologues of human gene KLF2 in zebrafish, klf2a and klf2b, could respond to hemodynamic alteration and both were required for Notch signaling activation and heart regeneration. Further experiments indicated that the upregulation of klf2 gene expression was mediated by endocardial primary cilia. Overall, our findings reveal a novel aspect of mechanical shear stress signal in activating Notch pathway and regulating cardiac regeneration.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the results of screening for hereditary tyrosinemia (HT) in newborns and its clinical features and genotype. METHODS: The HT screening was conducted among 2 188 784 newborns from November 2013 to November 2018. The tyrosine (TYR)/ succinylacetone (SA) levels were detected by tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS). The clinical characteristics, genetic results and following up data of identified patients were analyzed. RESULTS: The normal ranges (0.5%-95.5%) of TYR and SA were 34.5-280.0 μmol/L and 0.16-2.58 μmol/L, respectively. Three HT cases were confirmed with a detection rate of 1∶729 595. There was 1 case of tyrosinemia type Ⅰ (HTⅠ) (homozygous variations of c.455G>A in gene), 1 case of tyrosinemia type Ⅱ(HTⅡ) (heterozygous variations of c.890G>T and c.408+1G>A in gene), and 1 case of tyrosinemia type Ⅲ (HT Ⅲ) (homozygous variations of c.257T>C in gene). The variations of c.890G>T, c.4081G>A of and c.257T>C of were novel. The positive predictive value of the screening was 3.4%. Case 1 (HTⅠ) with TYR and SA values of 666.9 μmol/L and 3.87 μmol/L respectively, presented cholestasis, mild elevated of liver enzyme and lactic acid, who were although fed with TYR and phenylalanine free milk, but died at 2 months of age. Case 2 (HTⅡ) with higher TYR (625.6 μmol/L) and normal SA at screening, received medical milk treatment; during the 7 months of follow-up the baby showed normal score of Bayley assessment and normal TYR without eye and skin symptoms. Case 3 (HT Ⅲ) with TYR of 1035.3 μmol/L and normal SA at screening; during the 29 months of follow-up the value of TYR fluctuated from 532.1 μmol/L to 1060.3 μmol/L due to irregular medical milk treatment, while the score of Bayley assessment was normal. CONCLUSIONS HT is rare in the southern Chinese population, and the gene spectrum is scattered. Early treatment with nitisinone is recommended in children with HTⅠ, otherwise the prognosis is poor; the prognosis of children with HTⅡ is good when early treated with special diet; the prognosis of children with HTⅢ needs to be determined with more data.
Child ; Cyclohexanones ; therapeutic use ; Genotype ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Neonatal Screening ; Nitrobenzoates ; therapeutic use ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Tyrosinemias ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; genetics