Objective To compare the effects of ginsenosides Rg1 and Rb1 on depression-and anxiety-like behaviors in chronic unpredictable stress-induced rats.Methods Seventy male SPF grade SD rats were tested for sugar and water preference after 5 days of adaptation and divided into seven groups according to their preference index:a control group,model group,fluoxetine hydrochloride group,ginsenoside Rg1 24 mg/kg group,ginsenoside Rg1 48 mg/kg group,ginsenoside Rb1 33 mg/kg group,and ginsenoside Rb1 67 mg/kg group.All rats,except for the control group,were subjected randomly to one or two different stimulating factors every day for a total of 35 days.On the 36th day,behavioral experiments including sugar and water preference,open field,novel environment feeding inhibition,elevated cross maze,and forced swimming experiments were conducted to investigate the anti-depression and anti-anxiety effects of the treatments.Serum and hippocampal levels of interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-6,tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α and serum corticosterone were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results Compared with the model group,ginsenoside Rg1 and Rb1 significantly increased sucrose consumption in the sucrose preference test and decreased immobility in the forced swimming test.Ginsenoside Rg1(48 mg/kg)significantly reduced the latency to eat in the novelty-suppressed feeding test,and ginsenoside Rg1(24 and 48 mg/kg)significantly increased the percentage of open arm entries and time in the elevated cross maze test.Serum corticosterone levels were significantly decreased in the ginsenoside Rg1 and Rb1 groups,serum IL-1β and IL-6 levels were significantly decreased in the ginsenoside Rg1(48 mg/kg)group,serum TNF-α and IL-6 levels were significantly decreased in the ginsenoside Rb1(33 mg/kg)group,and IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α levels in the hippocampus were significantly decreased in the ginsenoside Rg1(48 mg/kg)and Rb1(67 mg/kg)groups.Conclusions Both ginsenosides can regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and inhibit neuroinflammation,improving depression-and anxiety-like behaviors in rats induced by chronic unpredictable stress.Ginsenoside Rg1 has a significantly better anti-anxiety effect than Rb1.

African swine fever virus(ASFV)I177L gene deletion vaccine is one of the key directions of African swine fever(ASF)live attenuated vaccine research and development.In order to effec-tively distinguish between the wild-type ASFV strain and the I177L gene-deleted strain,specific primers and probes were designed based on ASFV B646L and I177L genes,respectively.After screening and optimization,a duplex real-time PCR method was developed that can simultaneously detect these two genes.The results showed that ASFV B646L and I177L genes were detected spe-cifically and simultaneously by the method developed without cross-reactions with porcine circovir-us type 2,Seneca virus A,classical swine fever virus,foot-and-mouth disease virus,porcine respira-tory and reproductive syndrome virus.The detection limits of the duplex real-time PCR for recom-binant plasmids pUC57-B646L and pUC57-I177L were 1×103 copies/mL.The intra-and inter-as-say coefficients of variation were less than 4％,respectively.Detection of 122 pork and pork prod-ucts using the duplex real-time PCR developed and the real-time PCR recommended by WOAH showed that the coincidence rates of the two methods for B646L gene detection was 100％with two amplification curves appeared in the positive results of the established methods.The method established in this study can be used for the detection of ASFV I177L gene deletion strains,which provides technical support for ASF surveillance and epidemiological investigation.

Objective:To analyze the clinical phenotypic characteristics and therapeutic effect of cutaneous anthrax patients in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (referred to as Ningxia).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of 76 confirmed patients with cutaneous anthrax in three prefecture level hospitals in Ningxia from 2017 to 2022. According to the length of hospital treatment, the patients were divided into a disease course ≥7 d group ( n = 54) and a disease course < 7 d group ( n = 22), and the clinical phenotypic characteristics (including patients' general condition, clinical symptoms, and laboratory tests) and therapeutic effects (the effect of hormone use and the choice of antibiotics) of the two groups were analyzed by methods such as χ 2 test. Results:Among 76 patients with cutaneous anthrax, males accounted for 81.6% (62/76) and females accounted for 18.4% (14/76), with a statistically significant difference in gender composition ratio (χ 2 = 5.71, P = 0.017). Among the 76 patients, 73 caces (96.1%) achieved clinical cure. There was no statistically significant differences between the groups in clinical characteristics such as temperature, pain, pruritus, edema, and site of onset ( P > 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between groups in laboratory tests such as blood routine, liver function, hypersensitive C-reactive protein, secretion culture, PCR, etc. ( P > 0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in the distribution of edema resolution time between patients using hormone or not (χ 2 = 17.01, P = 0.002). There was no statistically significant difference in the distribution of disease course between different antibiotic treatment regimens when using hormone (χ 2 = 5.43, P = 0.143). There was a statistically significant difference in the distribution of disease course between different antibiotic treatment regimens when no using hormone (χ 2 = 108.46, P < 0.001). Conclusions:The majority of cutaneous anthrax patients in Ningxia from 2017 to 2022 are males. Early use of hormones can affect the duration of edema in patients. For patients who have not received hormone therapy, different treatment plans can affect the patient's course of disease.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of nucleic acid matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry（MALDI-TOF MS）in sputum smear-negative patients with nontuberculous Mycobacterial（NTM）pulmonary disease.Methods:Clinical data of 123 patients suspected of NTM pulmonary disease admitted in Public Health Clinical Center Affiliated to Shandong University between July 2022 and November 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid（BALF）specimens were collected for MALDI-TOF MS assay and MGIT 960 culture. The diagnostic efficacy of MALDI-TOF MS for NTM pulmonary disease in patients with negative sputum smears for acid-fast bacilli was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic（ROC）curve. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 software and MedCalc statistical software.Results:Diagnosis of NTM pulmonary disease was finally confirmed in 66 out of the 123 suspected patients. It took 8 to 24 h for MALDI-TOF MS to identify NTM species and resistance. By MALDI-TOF MS，72 NTM strains were identified，with the Mycobacterium avium complex being the most prevalent（34 strains，47.22%），followed by the Mycobacterium abscessus complex（13 strains，18.06%）；resistance to macrolides was detected in 6 cases，while no resistance to aminoglycosides was found. It took 9 to 45 days for BALF MGIT 960 culture to identify NTM，and took 7 to 15 days for NTM typing and drug sensitivity testing. By BALF MGIT 960 culture，28 NTM strains were identified；and 1 case was found to be resistant to macrolides. Using confirmed diagnosis as the gold standard，MALDI-TOF MS demonstrated higher sensitivity，negative predictive value，and agreement rate compared to MGIT 960 culture（84.85% vs. 42.42%，81.13% vs. 56.32%，80.49% vs. 62.60%， χ2=25.667，8.998，9.664， P<0.05 or <0.01）. The area under ROC curve（AUC）for MALDI-TOF MS was significantly higher than that of MGIT 960 culture（0.801 vs. 0.642， Z=3.300， P=0.001）. Conclusion:Compared to MGIT 960 culture，MALDI-TOF MS exhibits superior diagnostic efficiency in detecting NTM pulmonary disease in patients with acid-fast bacilli smear-negative sputum，with advantage of rapidly identifying NTM species and resistance.

Objective To explore the mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1 in alleviating heat stress-induced testicular injury in mice.Methods A total of 20 C57BL/6 male mice(6～8 weeks old)were randomly divided into 4 groups(n=5).The mice from the control group and heat stress(HS)group were intraperitoneally injected with 10 mL/(kg·d)0.9％normal saline for 14 d,while those in the HS+Rg1 group and the Rg1 group were given an intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/(kg·d)for 14 d,and then on the 7th day after administration,the mice in the HS group and the HS+Rg1 group had the lower abdomen put into a 43 ℃ water bath for 30 min as a single heat stress after being anesthetized with 4％chloral hydrate.Mouse spermatocytes GC-2spd(ts)were divided into control group(routine culture for 48 h),HS group(placed in a 43 ℃ water bath for 30 min after 36 h of conventional culture,and cultured till the end of 48 h),HS+Rg1 group(50 μmol/L Rg1 treatment followed by heat stress injury),and Rg1 group(no heat stress injury).In 1 d after modeling,the eyeball blood samples were collected to detect serum testosterone with ELISA,and the testicles were extracted to observe the morphology and weighed to calculate the testicular index.HE staining was used to observe the histopathology of testis,and corresponding reagents and kits was employed to detect the content of malondialdehyde(MDA)and activities of catalase(CAT)and superoxide dismutase(SOD)in testis tissue.After the epididymal sperm were collected,the sperm concentration and motility were analyzed by computer-assisted sperm analysis(CASA)system.In in vitro experiments,cell apoptosis was detected with TUNEL staining,the protein levels of Nrf2,Keap1,HO-1,Bax,Bcl-2 and Caspase3 were detected with Western blotting,and the mRNA levels of GCLC,GCLM and NQO1 were detected by RT-qPCR.Results Rg1 prevented the decreases in testicular weight and testicular index caused by heat stress,reduced the damage of testicular tissue structure,prevented the decrease of sperm concentration and vitality,antagonized the decreasd number of Leydig cells and serum testosterone level,reduced the accumulation of MDA in testicular tissue,and enhanced the activities of CAT and SOD.Rg1 treatment alleviated the apoptosis of GC-2spd(ts)cells,down-regulated the expression of Bax,Caspase3 and Keap1 proteins,enhanced the expression of Bcl-2,Nrf2 and HO-1 proteins,and increased the transcriptional levels of Nrf2 target genes GCLC,GCLM and NQO1.Conclusion Rg1 has no significant effect on the structure and function of mouse testes,but it can effectively improve the ability of mouse testes to resist heat stress injury,which may be related to the activation of Nrf2 signaling pathway,the improvement of antioxidant enzyme activity,and the reduction of apoptosis of spermatogenic cells.

OBJECTIVE Microgravity exerts several negative effects on the learning and memory of astro-nauts during space flight.Rg1 and Rb1,the key steroidal components of ginseng,have shown potent neuroprotec-tive effects with a high safety profile.The object of the current study is to investigate the influence of Rg1 and Rb1 on simulated microgravity-induced memory and learning dysfunction in the hindlimb suspension(HLS)rat model.METHODS The HLS rats were orally administered Rg1(30 and 60 μmol·kg-1)or Rb1(30 and 60 μmol·kg-1)for four weeks.The Morris water maze test(MWM)and reward operating conditioning reflex test(ROCR)were conducted to evaluate spatial and associative learning and memory.After the behavior tests,the serum and the prefrontal cortex(PFC)were dissected to measure the mechanism.RESULTS Rg1 and Rb1 treatment amelio-rated the cognitive deficits of HLS-exposure rats in MWM and ROCR,reduced reactive oxygen species generation and increased antioxidant enzyme activity.Rg1 and Rb1 also assisted in the recovery of mitochondrial complex Ⅰ(NADH dehydrogenase)activities and Mfn2,and decrea-sed Drp-1 expression.Furthermore,Rg1 and Rb1 reduced the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 and the expression of cleaved-cas-pase 3,cytochrome c,increased the levels of SYN,PSD95 and activated BDNF-TrkB/PI3K-Akt pathway in the PFC.CONCLUSION Rg1 and Rb1 treatment attenuated cog-nitive deficits induced by HLS,mitigated mitochondrial dysfunction,attenuated oxidative stress,inhibited apopto-sis,and increased the synaptic plasticity,which was partly mediated by the modulation of the BDNF-TrkB/PI3K-Akt signaling.

OBJECTIVE To investigated the anti-de-pressant effects of the fruit Areca catechu L.(ACL)and elucidated its potential underlying mechanism using a rat model of chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS).METHODS CUMS was induced in rats to establish a depression animal model for 28 d.According to the baseline sucrose preference,the male rats were divided into six different groups.They were treated with parox-etine hydrochloride,ACL,and water once a day until the behavioral tests were performed.The levels of corticoste-rone(CORT),malondialdehyde(MDA),catalase(CAT),and total superoxide dismutase(T-SOD)in serum were de-tected using a commercial kit,and the concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)and dopamine(DA)mono-amine neurotransmitters in the brain tissues were detect-ed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.Doublecortin(DCX)expression in the hippocampal den-tate gyrus(DG)was determined by immunofluorescence,and the relative abundance of brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF),TrkB,PI3K,p-Akt/Akt,PSD-95,and p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β of brain tissues were assayed by West-ern blotting.RESULTS ACL markedly increased sucrose preference,decreased the immobility time,and short-ened the feeding latency of CUMS-induced rats.CUMS induction resulted in marked changes in the contents of the monoamine neurotransmitters(5-HT and DA)in the hippocampus and cortex of brain tissues and the levels of CORT,MDA,CAT,and T-SOD in serum,whereas ACL administration alleviated these considerable changes.ACL promoted DCX expression in DG and increased the protein levels of BDNF,TrkB,PI3K,p-Akt/Akt,PSD-95,and p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β in the brains of CUMS-induced rats.CONCLUSION Our results indicated that ACL may improve depression-like behaviors in CUMS-induced rats by decreasing the hyperfunction and oxidative stress of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis,stimulating hippo-campal neurogenesis,and activating the BDNF signaling pathway.

Objective : To study the effect of crisaborole on imiquimod (IMQ) Ⅳinduced psoriasis in mice. Methods: Forty eight Balb/c mice were randomly divided into crisaborole group (7. 5 , 15 , 30 mg/cm2），halometasone group ( 15 mg/cm2 ) , model group and normal group. IMQ was applied to the back of mice to establish the psoriasis model. Psoriasis area and severity index ( PASI) score was calculated , pathological changes , skin epidermal thickness and inflammatory cell infiltration in the dermis were observed by HE staining. The expressions of keratin (K) 1 , K10 , K6 , K16 and K17 in skin lesions were detected by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. The levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate ( cAMP) , protein kinase A ( PKA) and phospho⁃cAMP response element binding protein (p⁃CREB) were detected. Results : Compared with the model group , the PASI score of the crisaborole group decreased , the expression levels of proliferative keratin ( K6 , K16 and K17 ) decreased( F = 12. 62、19. 41、28. 39 ,P < 0. 01) , and the expression levels of differentiation keratin (K1 and K10) increased(F = 27. 95、9. 64 , P < 0. 01) . Conclusion Crisaborole plays a therapeutic role in IMQ⁃induced psoriasis in mice by regulating the abnormal proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes.

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and influencing factors of scoliosis among primary and middle school students in Dali Bai autonomous prefecture.Methods:A total of 176,729 students aged 6-18 years from 380 primary and secondary schools in eight counties of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture were screened for spinal health by visual method, Adams forward bend test and scoliometer measuring the angle of trunk rotation from September to November 2021. The angle of trunk rotation ≥5° or visual method retest positive was used as a positive standard to confirm suspected scoliosis population. Demographic data of the screening population including name, gender, age and ethnicity were collected. The average altitude of the community or village committee in the screening area was recorded. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to screen the influencing factors of scoliosis.Results:There were 176,729 people planned to complete the screening. A total of 140,026 people were actually completed screening with completion rate 79.23%. A total of 3,190 (2.28%) suspected scoliosis positive people were detected. The detection rate of female was 2.52%, which was higher than that of male 2.03% (χ 2=37.18, P<0.001). The detection rate of 10-18 years old group was 2.90%, which was higher than that of 6-9 years old group 0.70% (χ 2=620.79, P<0.001). There was a significant difference in the detection rate among different age groups from 6 to 18 years old (χ 2=1,451.00, P<0.001). The detection rate of Han population was 2.67%, which was higher than that of non-Han population 2.15% (χ 2=31.06, P<0.001). In non-Han population, the detection rate of Bai population was 2.07%, which was lower than that of non-Bai population 2.26% (χ 2=4.02, P=0.045). Trend chi-square test showed significant difference in the detection rate of scoliosis among the general population, 10-18 years old population and 6-9 years old population in the altitude <1,500 m, 1,500-1,599 m, 1,600-1,699 m, 1,700-1,799 m, 1,800-1,899 m, 1,900-1,999 m, 2,000-2,099 m, 2,100-2,199 m, 2,200-2,299 m and ≥2,300 m groups (χ 2=249.02, 195.64, 24.46, P<0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of scoliosis was lower in males than that in females ( OR=0.82, P<0.001). The risk of scoliosis was increased in 10-18 years old compared with that in 6-9 years old ( OR=0.12, P<0.001). The risk of scoliosis was low in Bai population compared with that in Han populations ( OR=0.75, P<0.001). The altitude ≥2,000 m was a risk factor ( OR=1.52, P<0.001). Conclusion:The detection rate of suspected scoliosis in primary and middle school students in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture was 2.28%. Female, aged 10-18 years, Han populations, and residence in altitude ≥2,000 m might be the risk factors for scoliosis.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of metal clips combined with endoscopic histoacryl injection for gastric varices with spontaneous portosystemic shunts.Methods:The clinical data and complications of 32 patients who were treated with metal clips combined with endoscopic histoacryl injection at Beijing Ditan Hospital of Capital Medical University from May 2016 to October 2018 were collected and analyzed.Results:Hemostasis was achieved in all patients, and the median volume of histoacryl was 3.8 mL. Varices were eradicated or disappeared in 9 cases, and the degree of varices were lessened in 23 cases. No rebleeding was found at 72 h, 7 d, 14 d and 6 weeks after operation in any patient. No ectopic embolism occurred.Conclusion:Metal clips combined with endoscopic histoacryl injection is effective and safe to treat gastric varices with spontaneous portosystemic shunts.