As global greenhouse gases continue rising, the urgency of more ambitious action is clearer than ever before. China is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and one of the countries affected most by climate change. The evidence about the impacts of climate change on the environment and human health may encourage China to take more decisive action to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate impacts. This article aimed to review the evidence of environmental damages and health risks posed by climate change and to provide a new science-based perspective for the delivery of sustainable development goals. Over recent decades, China has experienced a strong warming pattern with a growing frequency of extreme weather events, and the impacts of climate change on China's environment and human health have been consistently observed, with increasing O ₃ air pollution, decreases in water resources and availability, land degradation, and increased risks for both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Therefore, China's climate policy should target the key factors driving climate change and scale up strategic measures to curb carbon emissions and adapt to inevitable increasing climate impacts. It provides new insights for not only China but also other countries, particularly developing and emerging economies, to ensure climate and environmental sustainability whilst pursuing economic growth.
Climate Change ; China ; Humans ; Greenhouse Gases ; Air Pollution ; Sustainable Development ; Environment

Objective To evaluate the impact of environmental and climatic factors on the distribution of suitable habitats of Haemaphysalis longicornis, and to predict the potential distribution of H. longicornis under different climate patterns in China. Methods Data pertaining to the distribution of H. longicornis were retrieved from public literatures. The effects of 19 climatic factors (annual mean temperature, annual mean temperature difference between day and night, isothermality, standard deviation of seasonal variation of temperature, maximum temperature of the warmest month, minimum temperature of the coldest month, temperature annual range, mean temperature of the wettest season, mean temperature of the driest season, mean temperature of the warmest season, mean temperature of the coldest season, annual mean precipitation, precipitation of the wettest month, precipitation of the driest month, coefficient of variance of precipitation, precipitation of the wettest season, precipitation of the driest season, precipitation of the warmest season and precipitation of the coldest season) and 4 environmental factors (elevation, slope, slope aspect and vegetation coverage) on the potential distribution of H. longicornis were assessed using the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model based on the H. longicornis distribution data and climatic and environmental data, and the potential distribution of H. longicornis was predicted under the RCP 2.6 and 8.5 emissions scenarios. Results Among the environmental and climatic factors affecting the geographical distribution of H. longicornis in China, the factors contributing more than 10% to the distribution of H. longicornis mainly included the precipitation of the driest month (26.0%), annual mean temperature (11.2%), annual mean precipitation (10.0%) and elevation (24.2%). Under the current climate pattern, the high-, medium- and low-suitable habitats of H. longicornis are 1 231 900, 1 696 200 km² and 1 854 400 km² in China, respectively. The distribution of H. longicornis increased by 336 100 km² and 367 300 km² in 2050 and 2070 under the RCP 2.6 emissions scenario, and increased by 381 000 km² and 358 000 km² in 2050 and 2070 under the RCP 8.5 emissions scenario in China, respectively. Conclusions Climatic and environmental factors, such as precipitation, temperature and elevation, greatly affect the distribution of H. longicornis in China, and the suitable habitats of H. longicornis may expand in China under different climate patterns in future.

Objective To identify the environmental factors affecting the geographical distribution of Rhipicephalus microplus in China, and to examine the impact of climate changes on the distribution of R. microplus in China. Methods The national and international publications pertaining to the geographical distribution of R. microplus in China were retrieved, and the geographical location was extracted. The suitable habitats of R. microplus and the dominant environmental factors affecting the distribution of suitable habitats of R. microplus were predicted in China based on the geographical data and environmental variables using the ArcGIS 10.7 software and the maximum entropy model. Results Among the main climatic factors affecting the geographical distribution of R. microplus in China, the factors contributing more than 10% to the suitable habitats of R. microplus mainly include the annual mean precipitation (38.2%), the average temperature of the coldest quarter (28.4%) and the precipitation of the driest month (14.2%). The current suitable habitats of R. microplus were mainly found in southern China, and the high-, medium- and low-suitable areas accounted for 8.6%, 13.1% and 10.5% of the total land area of China, respectively. The suitable habitats of R. microplus were predicted to increase by 399 800 km² in China using the maximum entropy model under the RCP 4.5 emissions scenario in 2070, and the emerging suitable habitats were mainly distributed in Gansu Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Qinghai Province, Hebei Province, Shaanxi Province, Liaoning Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Shandong Province, Sichuan Province and Tibeten Autonomous Region. In addition, the suitable habitats of R. microplus were predicted to show an overall expansion towards northward from present to 2070. Conclusions Climate changes affect the distribution of suitable habitats of R. microplus in China, and annual mean precipitation may be a key factor affecting the distribution of suitable habitats of R. microplus.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect and potential mechanism of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and antiarrhythmic peptide (AAP10) on rabbit ventricular arrhythmia.

METHODSTwenty-four rabbits were randomly divided into three groups (n = 8 each): control group, LPA group and AAP10 + LPA group. Using arterially perfused rabbit ventricular wedge preparations, transmural ECG and action potentials from both endocardium and epicardium were simultaneously recorded in the whole process of all experiments with two separate floating microeletrodes. The incidence of ventricular arrhythmia post S1S2 stimulation was recorded. Protein levels of nonphosphorylated Cx43 and total Cx43 were evaluated by Western blot. The distribution of nonphosphorylated Cx43 was observed by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the QT interval, endocardial action potential duration, transmural repolarization dispersion (TDR) and incidence of ventricular arrhythmia were significantly increased and nonphosphorylated Cx43 expression was significantly upregulated in the LPA group. Compared with the LPA group, cotreatment with AAP10 can reduce the QT interval, endocardial action potential duration, TDR and incidence of ventricular arrhythmia (25.0% vs 62.5%, P < 0.01) and downregulate nonphosphorylated Cx43.

CONCLUSIONSLPA could promote the arrhythmia possibly by upregulating nonphosphorylated Cx43 and subsequent gap junction transmission inhibition. Gap junction enhancer AAP10 could attenuate the pro-arrhythmic effect of LPA probably by downregulating myocardial nonphosphorylated Cx43 expression.

Animals ; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents ; pharmacology ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Connexin 43 ; metabolism ; Lysophospholipids ; adverse effects ; Oligopeptides ; pharmacology ; Rabbits

Objective To study the Kv1.3 channel expression changes after CD4 + and subsets CD28null/CD28+T cells activation in peripheral blood of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).Methods CD4+ T cell in 27 ACS patients and CD4+ CD28null/CD4+ CD28 + T cells in 12 out of these 27 ACS patients were isolated from peripheral blood with magnetic cell sorting.The whole-cell Kv1.3 currents for three T cells were recorded with patch-clamp technique before and 72 hours after activation by purified anti-human CD3 Interferon gamma,tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α),granzyme B mRNA expression were determined by reverse transcription-PCR before and 72 hours after activation by purified anti-human CD3 in the presence or absence of recombinant Margstoxin (rMgTX,0.1,1,10 nmol/L),a specific Kv1.3 channel blocker.Results Peak Kv1.3 channel currents of CD4 + ,CD4+ CD28null,CD4+ CD28 + T cells were significantly increased and the mean Kv1.3 channel numbers per cell of these cells were increased by about 90%,60%,80% (402 ± 88 vs.752 ± 275,553 ± 328 vs.874 ± 400,392 ± 133 vs.716 ± 251,all P <0.05) after activation compared to baseline values.Baseline CD4+ CD28nullT cell numbers were about 40% more than those of CD4+ CD28+ T cell (P < 0.05) and were similar after activation (P = 0.102).The mRNA expression of interferon gamma,TNF-α and granzyme B were dose-dependently down-regulated by rMgTX.Conclusions Kv1.3 channels of peripheral CD4 + T cell and CD28null/CD28 + T cells from ACS patients significantly increased after activation and Kv1.3-specific channel blocker rMgTX could effectively abolish this effect suggesting a potential role of Kv1.3 channel blocker on plaque stabilization in ACS patients.

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Chinese herbal medicine for activating blood circulation to remove stasis in treating mycoplasmal pneumonia (MP) in mice.

METHODSOne hundered and thirty-five BALB/C mice were randomly divided into the control group, the MP model groups IF1 and IF2, the Rexithromycin treated groups LH1 and LH2, and the Rexithromycin plus Zhidan Huayu oral liquid treated groups LZ1 and LZ2. The changes of pathologic scoring, graphic analysis and thrombus counting of lung were observed.

RESULTSIn the 3rd day of treatment, the pathologic scores in LH1 and LZ1 were significantly lower and their values of graphic analysis were significantly higher than those in IF1 (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05 respectively), but with inflammation of lung significantly milder than that in IF1. The difference of therapeutic effect between LH1 and LZ1 was insignificant. In the 4th day of treatment, pathologic scores in LZ2 was significantly lower and value of graphic analysis higher than those in IF2 respectively (P < 0.01), with the improvement better than that of LH2 (P < 0.05). In 3rd and 4th day of treatment, the difference of thrombus counting between the Rexithromycin treated groups and the model groups was insignificant (P > 0.05), but it was significantly lower in the combined treated groups than that in the model groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONZhidan Huayu oral liquid could assist Rexithromycin to alleviate the condition of mice with MP, its mechanism may be related with the effect of reducing thrombosis and improving microcirculation.

Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Drug Synergism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Female ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Lung ; blood supply ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Microcirculation ; drug effects ; Phytotherapy ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; pathology ; Random Allocation ; Roxithromycin ; pharmacology