Objective To investigate the epidemiological status of visceral leishmaniasis in Hamangou coal mine area of Korla City of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.Methods Based on a hint of possible existence of patients, a retrospective survey was carried out house by house to find cases with suspected signs/symptoms of the disease.Meanwhile, a survey on current status was conducted, including physical examination(liver and spleen palpation) to those less than 15 years-old, leishmanin skin test and rk39 immunochromatographic strip test for part of the residents.Bone marrow smears were examined for the cases with clinical signs/symptoms and positive rk39 strip test.Sandflies were collected using routine methods in and around the area, identified, and dissected to find infection of promastigotes.Results Leishmanin skin test was performed in 185 people with a positive rate of 21.1%(39/185), 39 out of 140 local residents who have lived there for more than 6 years showed positive(27.9%) , while all residents who have lived less than 6 years and children under 5 years old were negative.Of the 81 children under 15 years old with a negative skin test, one showed positive for rk39 strip test, and leishmania body was found in the bone marrow smear of this case, so confirmed as visceral leishmaniasis.12 sandfies were identified as Phlebotomus alexandri, and natural infection with promastigotes was found in one sandly.Conclusion The investigation confirms that visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in the Hamangou coal mine area.

OBJECTIVETo study the changes in the levels of authophagy-related proteins ATG4A and p-ATG4A in nervous tissue after treated with tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate and explore the possible pathogenesis of OPIDN.

METHODSIn the first experiment, thirty hens were randomly divided into control group and 1 d, 5 d, 10 d and 21d treated groups, hens in treated groups were treated with TOCP by gavage at a single dosage of 600 mg/kg. In the second experiment, other thirty hens were also randomly divided into control group and 1 d, 5 d, 10 d and 21 d treated groups, hens in treated group were pretreated with PMSF by subcutaneous at a single dosage of 90 mg/kg. 24 h later, hens in intervention group was treated with TOCP by gavage at a single dosage of 600 mg/kg. The hens were killed at the corresponding time points, and collected their tibial nerves. The levels of ATG4A and p-ATG4A were measured by immunoblotting.

RESULTScompared with the control group, the levels of ATG4A decreased by36%, 43.7% and 41% at 1d, 5d and 10d in the intoxication groups (P < 0.05), the levels of p-ATG4A decreased by 22.5%, 25%and 21%at 1d, 5d and 10d in the intoxication group (P < 0.05). However, compared with the control group, there is no significant change in the levels of ATG4A and p-ATG4A in PMSF-pretreated groups.

CONCLUSIONThe intoxication of TOCP influence the levels of autophagy-related proteins ATG4A and p-ATG4A, which might be associated with the inhibition of autophagy activity in neurons of OPIDN.

Animals ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; metabolism ; Autophagy ; drug effects ; Chickens ; Female ; Nerve Tissue ; physiology ; Phosphorylation ; drug effects ; Tibial Nerve ; Tritolyl Phosphates ; toxicity