Objective:To investigate the role of hydrogen-rich salt water in improving depression-like symptoms and its possible molecular mechanism in rats.Methods:The experiment was divided into two stages. In the first stage, 35 healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, high-dose group, medium-dose group, and low-dose group ( n=7); rats in the control group and model group were gavaged with 8 mL/kg normal saline per d, and rats in the high-dose group, medium-dose group, and low-dose group were fed with 8 mL/kg hydrogen-rich saline water (containing 2, 1, and 0.5 ppm hydrogen) per d; except for the control group, the other groups were depressed with chronic unpredictable mild stimulation (CUMS) for 4 weeks. In the second stage, 30 healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into hydrogen water group, hydrogen water+fluoxetine group, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) inhibition group ( n=10); optimal hydrogen concentration (0.8 ppm) hydrogen-rich saline water (8 mL/kg) per d was given to rats of these 3 groups by gavage; fluoxetine (5 mg/kg) by gavage was given to the hydrogen-water+fluoxetine group, and all-transretinoic acid (10 mg/kg) by gavage was given to the Nrf2 inhibition group; CUMS was given for 4 weeks in these 3 groups. Rats were weighed at fixed times at each weekend. Four weeks after intervention, the total distance and average speed of rats in each group were determined by open field test. After open field test, blood was collected from the orbital veins from all rats; serum superoxidase dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were determined by ELISA. The expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), Nrf2, and phosphorylated Nrf2 (p-Nrf2) in the hippocampal CA3 region were detected by Western blotting. Results:(1) In the first stage, after 3 and 4 weeks of intervention, as compared with the model group, the body weight of the rats in the high-dose group, medium-dose group, and low-dose group increased significantly ( P<0.05). As compared with the model group, the medium-dose group, and low-dose group had significantly increased total distance and average speed, significantly increased serum SOD content, significantly decreased serum MDA content, significantly increased BDNF and HO-1 expressions and decreased p-Nrf2 expression in the CA3 region of the hippocampus ( P<0.05). (2) In the second stage, after 3 and 4 weeks of intervention, as compared with the Nrf2 inhibition group, the body weight of the hydrogen water group and hydrogen water+fluoxetine group increased significantly ( P<0.05). As compared with the Nrf2 inhibition group, the hydrogen water group and hydrogen water+fluoxetine group had significantly increased total distance and average speed, significantly increased serum SOD content, significantly decreased serum MDA content, statistically increased BNDF and HO-1 expressions in the CA3 region of the hippocampus, and the hydrogen water+fluoxetine group had significantly increased Nrf2 and p-Nrf2 expressions in the CA3 region of the hippocampus ( P<0.05). As compared with the hydrogen water group, the hydrogen water+fluoxetine group had significantly increased BNDF and HO-1 expressions and increased p-Nrf2 expression in the CA3 region of the hippocampus ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Hydrogen-rich salt water can increase the serum SOD and reduce the serum MDA, increase the BDNF and HO-1 protein expressions in the hippocampal areas of depressed rats, thereby improving the depression-like symptoms; the synergistic effect of hydrogen-rich saline water and fluoxetine on anti-depression may be related to antioxidant effect of Nrf2 signaling.

Objective:To study the influencing factors of influenza-associated severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) in children younger than 5 years of old in Suzhou, and to provide evidence to support the improvement of prevention and control strategies for influenza in children.Methods:We conducted a prospective influenza surveillance for hospitalized SARI and outpatient influenza-like illness (ILI) at Children′s Hospital of Soochow University from April 2011 to March 2017. We compared the clinical and other characteristics of influenza-positive patients with SARI to those with ILI to find the differences and to identify influencing factors of influenza-associated SARI, using χ2 test and unconditional logistic regression. Results:We found 786 cases of influenza-associated ILI and 413 cases of influenza-associated SARI during the study period. Cough, runny nose, shortness of breath, asthma or wheezing were more common in influenza-associated SARI than in influenza-associated ILI ( P<0.01). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression showed that the influencing factors which significantly associated with increased risk of influenza-associated SARI were as follows: younger age (<6 months OR=3.6, 6-23 months a OR=2.5), respiratory infection history within 3 months (a OR=4.5), chronic lung disease history ( OR=3.4), fever above 39.0 ℃ (39.0-39.9 ℃ a OR=2.4, ≥40.0 ℃ a OR=6.0), and the presence of A/H1N1 (a OR=2.3), A/H3N2 (a OR=1.9). Conclusion:Children younger than 2 years old, with a history of chronic lung disease, a history of respiratory infection within 3 months, or with a fever peak above 39.0 ℃ should seek medical advice as soon as possible or receive annual influenza vaccination to reduce the incidence of influenza-associated serious outcomes.

Objective:To estimate the hospitalization rate of Haemophilus ( H.) influenzae associated community-acquired pneumonia in children under 5 years in Suzhou. Methods:From 2010 to 2014, medical records and bacteriology results of children under 5 years hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia in Children's Hospital of Soochow University were collected, retrospectively. Detection rate of H. influenzae was describe. The hospitalization rate of H. influenzae associated community-acquired pneumonia was estimated using the number of local children in urban area of Suzhou, which was obtained from the immunization platform of Suzhou Center for Disease Prevention and Control. Results:A total of 28 043 hospitalized pneumonia cases were included from 2010 to 2014, in which 19 526 (69.63%) had bacteriological examination. The overall detection rate of H. influenzae was 11.06% (2 160/19 526), and children aged 12-23 months had the highest positive rate (14.29%, 550/3 850), and the rate was higher during winter-spring than during summer-autumn ( χ 2=455.11, P<0.01). The average hospitalization rate of H. influenzae associated pneumonia in children under 5 years was 760.36/100 000 (95% CI: 733.70/100 000-787.01/100 000), which was higher in winter and spring (898.79/100 000 and 1 249.52/100 000) than in summer and autumn (514.35/100 000 and 359.04/100 000), and the hospitalization rate was higher in boys (942.12/100 000) than in girls (563.76/100 000), the differences were all significant ( P<0.01). The highest hospitalization rate was observed in children aged 1-5 months (2 478.31/100 000) and the hospitalization rate decreased with age ( χ 2=2 129.80, P<0.01). Conclusion:There was a considerable burden of H. influenzae associated community-acquired pneumonia in children under 5 years in Suzhou, especially in children under 6 months.

OBJECTIVE：To establish a method for the content determination of to tal flavonoids from Amomum tsao-ko ，and to optimize the purification technology by macroporous resin. METHODS ：The content of total flavonoids was measured by HPLC. The determination was performed on Eclipse Plus C 18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile- 1％ acetic acid solution （15∶85，V/V）at the flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. The column temperature was 40 ℃，and the detection wavelength was set at 256 nm. The sample size was 10 μL. Taking the adsorption and desorption performance as indexes，6 kinds of macroporous resins were screened out by static adsorption and desorption tests ；adsorption and desorption time were investigated by static adsorption and desorption kinetics tests. Using the content of total flavonoids （calculated by rutin ）as index ，with sample concentration ，sample pH，ethanol volume fraction and elution amount as factors ，based on single factor test ，orthogonal design was used to optimize the purification technology of total flavonoids from A. tsao-ko ，and validation test was performed. RESULTS ：The linear range of rutin were 0.028-0.281 mg/mL（r＝0.999 9）. The limit of quantification was 437.5 ng/mL and the limit of detection was 109.4 ng/mL. RSDs of precision ，stability and reproducibility tests were all lower than 2％；the recoveries were 96.24％-99.75％（RSD＜2％，n＝ 6）. The comprehensive capacity of adsorption and desorption of HPD 450 macroporous resin was the most suitable ，and the best static adsorption and desorption time both were 12 h. The optimal purification technology was 1.854 4 mg/mL ； ethanol elution was 8 times of the column volume. Vertificationtests show that after optimized ，the content of total flavonoids from A. tsao-ko increased from 22.556 7 mg/g to 57.728 2 mg/g. The purity of was 2.56 and stable for the content determination. Optimal purification technology is stable and feasible ，which is suitable for purifieation of total flavonoids from A. tsao-ko .

Apparently balanced chromosomal structural rearrangements are known to cause male infertility and account for approximately 1% of azoospermia or severe oligospermia. However, the underlying mechanisms of pathogenesis and etiologies are still largely unknown. Herein, we investigated apparently balanced interchromosomal structural rearrangements in six cases with azoospermia/severe oligospermia to comprehensively identify and delineate cryptic structural rearrangements and the related copy number variants. In addition, high read-depth genome sequencing (GS) (30-fold) was performed to investigate point mutations causative of male infertility. Mate-pair GS (4-fold) revealed additional structural rearrangements and/or copy number changes in 5 of 6 cases and detected a total of 48 rearrangements. Overall, the breakpoints caused truncations of 30 RefSeq genes, five of which were associated with spermatogenesis. Furthermore, the breakpoints disrupted 43 topological-associated domains. Direct disruptions or potential dysregulations of genes, which play potential roles in male germ cell development, apoptosis, and spermatogenesis, were found in all cases (n = 6). In addition, high read-depth GS detected dual molecular findings in case MI6, involving a complex rearrangement and two point mutations in the gene DNAH1. Overall, our study provided the molecular characteristics of apparently balanced interchromosomal structural rearrangements in patients with male infertility. We demonstrated the complexity of chromosomal structural rearrangements, potential gene disruptions/dysregulation and single-gene mutations could be the contributing mechanisms underlie male infertility.
Azoospermia/genetics* ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Humans ; Infertility, Male/genetics* ; Male ; Oligospermia/genetics* ; Translocation, Genetic