This study was aimed at understanding the molecular characteristics of Plasmodium ovale curtisi and Plasmodi-um ovale wallikeri imported cases in Chongqing,to provide data to support monitoring and control efforts.In a retrospective analysis,26 Plasmodium ovale archival blood samples were characterized with respect to five molecular markers(Cox1,Cytb,Tra,Dhfr,and K13)from 2013 to 2023.PCR amplification of partial fragments of the Cox1,Cytb,and Tra genes of Plas-modium ovale was performed to distinguish the two subspecies.The drug-resistance Dhfr and K13 genes of Plasmodium ovale were amplified with PCR assays followed by DNA sequencing,and the sequences were aligned.The differentiation of 26 cases of Plasmodium ovale(14 cases of curtisi subspecies and 12 cases of wallikeri subspecies)according to ssrRNA was consistent with the classification results of Cox1,Cytb,and TRA genes.Thirteen single nucleotide dimorphism sites were identified in Cox 1,including the 145 and 153 loci,with only variations in amino acids M176I and I288V at loci 528 and 862,and N337H mutation in one sample.Twelve base substitutions were found among Cytb gene subspecies,with only the M248I mutation in amino acid 248.A total of 49 nucleotide dimorphism sites in Tra gene,resulting in 18 amino acid mutations,were identified be-tween the two subspecies.In the curtisi type sample,the poc1 type had more PINTINPINTIN and TITPIS amino acid units than the poc2 type.The mutation rate of the Dhfr gene was rel-atively high:25％of the samples showed S58R mutations.The K13 gene subspecies was not homozygous,and one sample was heterozygous.This study confirmed the dimorphism and mutation sites between Plasmodium ovale curtisi and wallikeri sub-species in Cox1,Cytb,Tra,Dhfr,and K13 gene fragments of imported Plasmodium ovale in Chongqing,thus enriching knowledge regarding gene polymorphisms in Plasmodium ovale curtisi and wallikeri imported cases.

3ʹ-Hydroxy-4ʹ-methoxy-2-hydroxy-5-bromochalcone (hereinafter referred to as C13) is a novel chalcone derivative obtained in the process of structural modification of DHMMF, the antitumor active compound of Resina Draconis, in our laboratory. In this study, we investigated the effects of C13 on the proliferation and apoptosis of human gastric cancer HGC-27 and AGS cells and its potential mechanism of action. Firstly, through methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT), colony formation assay, and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining, we found that C13 inhibited the proliferation ability of human gastric cancer HGC-27 and AGS cells. Using flow cytometry and Western blot, it was found that C13 induced apoptosis in human gastric cancer HGC-27 and AGS cells, and up-regulated the protein level of cleaved poly ADP-ribose polymerase (cleaved-PARP). The results of RNA sequencing analysis showed that the Erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 4/phosphoinositide 3-kinases/AKT (ErbB4/PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway may be involved in anti-gastric cancer activity of C13. Finally, the results of immunoblotting assay showed that C13 treatment down-regulated the protein levels of ErbB4 and phospho-ErbB4, as well as down-regulated the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT in human gastric cancer HGC-27 and AGS cells, which verified the results from RNA-seq analysis. In conclusion, C13 inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis of human gastric cancer cells, which may be related to the down-regulation of ErbB4/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. This study may provide a candidate drug for the treatment of gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Exposure to high intensity, low frequency noise (HI-LFN) causes vibroacoustic disease (VAD), with memory deficit as a primary non-auditory symptomatic effect of VAD. However, the underlying mechanism of the memory deficit is unknown. This study aimed to characterize potential mechanisms involving morphological changes of neurons and nerve fibers in the hippocampus, after exposure to HI-LFN. METHODS: Adult wild-type and transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 4 knockout (TRPV4^-/-) mice were used for construction of the HI-LFN injury model. The new object recognition task and the Morris water maze test were used to measure the memory of these animals. Hemoxylin and eosin and immunofluorescence staining were used to examine morphological changes of the hippocampus after exposure to HI-LFN. RESULTS: The expression of TRPV4 was significantly upregulated in the hippocampus after HI-LFN exposure. Furthermore, memory deficits correlated with lower densities of neurons and neurofilament-positive nerve fibers in the cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) and dentate gyrus (DG) hippocampal areas in wild-type mice. However, TRPV4^-/- mice showed better performance in memory tests and more integrated neurofilament-positive nerve fibers in the CA1 and DG areas after HI-LFN exposure. CONCLUSION TRPV4 up-regulation induced neurofilament positive nerve fiber injury in the hippocampus, which was a possible mechanism for memory impairment and cognitive decline resulting from HI-LFN exposure. Together, these results identified a promising therapeutic target for treating cognitive dysfunction in VAD patients.
Animals ; Mice ; TRPV Cation Channels/metabolism* ; Intermediate Filaments/metabolism* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Neurons/metabolism* ; Memory Disorders/metabolism*

This study aims to characterize the cell atlas of the epididymis derived from a 46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD) patient with a novel heterozygous mutation of the nuclear receptor subfamily 5 group A member 1 (NR5A1) gene. Next-generation sequencing found a heterozygous c.124C>G mutation in NR5A1 that resulted in a p.Q42E missense mutation in the conserved DNA-binding domain of NR5A1. The patient demonstrated feminization of external genitalia and Tanner stage 1 breast development. The surgical procedure revealed a morphologically normal epididymis and vas deferens but a dysplastic testis. Microfluidic-based single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis found that the fibroblast cells were significantly increased (approximately 46.5%), whereas the number of main epididymal epithelial cells (approximately 9.2%), such as principal cells and basal cells, was dramatically decreased. Bioinformatics analysis of cell-cell communications and gene regulatory networks at the single-cell level inferred that epididymal epithelial cell loss and fibroblast occupation are associated with the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. The present study provides a cell atlas of the epididymis of a patient with 46,XY DSD and serves as an important resource for understanding the pathophysiology of DSD.
Male ; Humans ; Epididymis ; Disorder of Sex Development, 46,XY/genetics* ; Disorders of Sex Development ; Mutation ; Mutation, Missense ; Steroidogenic Factor 1/genetics*

Humans ; Consensus ; Hypersensitivity ; Desensitization, Immunologic/adverse effects* ; Immunotherapy/adverse effects* ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Allergens

Objective: To analyze and compare therapy responses, outcomes, and incidence of severe hematologic adverse events of flumatinib and imatinib in patients newly diagnosed with chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) . Methods: Data of patients with chronic phase CML diagnosed between January 2006 and November 2022 from 76 centers, aged ≥18 years, and received initial flumatinib or imatinib therapy within 6 months after diagnosis in China were retrospectively interrogated. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed to reduce the bias of the initial TKI selection, and the therapy responses and outcomes of patients receiving initial flumatinib or imatinib therapy were compared. Results: A total of 4 833 adult patients with CML receiving initial imatinib (n=4 380) or flumatinib (n=453) therapy were included in the study. In the imatinib cohort, the median follow-up time was 54 [interquartile range (IQR), 31-85] months, and the 7-year cumulative incidences of CCyR, MMR, MR(4), and MR(4.5) were 95.2%, 88.4%, 78.3%, and 63.0%, respectively. The 7-year FFS, PFS, and OS rates were 71.8%, 93.0%, and 96.9%, respectively. With the median follow-up of 18 (IQR, 13-25) months in the flumatinib cohort, the 2-year cumulative incidences of CCyR, MMR, MR(4), and MR(4.5) were 95.4%, 86.5%, 58.4%, and 46.6%, respectively. The 2-year FFS, PFS, and OS rates were 80.1%, 95.0%, and 99.5%, respectively. The PSM analysis indicated that patients receiving initial flumatinib therapy had significantly higher cumulative incidences of CCyR, MMR, MR(4), and MR(4.5) and higher probabilities of FFS than those receiving the initial imatinib therapy (all P<0.001), whereas the PFS (P=0.230) and OS (P=0.268) were comparable between the two cohorts. The incidence of severe hematologic adverse events (grade≥Ⅲ) was comparable in the two cohorts. Conclusion: Patients receiving initial flumatinib therapy had higher cumulative incidences of therapy responses and higher probability of FFS than those receiving initial imatinib therapy, whereas the incidence of severe hematologic adverse events was comparable between the two cohorts.
Adult ; Humans ; Adolescent ; Imatinib Mesylate/adverse effects* ; Incidence ; Antineoplastic Agents/adverse effects* ; Retrospective Studies ; Pyrimidines/adverse effects* ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome ; Benzamides/adverse effects* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Chronic-Phase/drug therapy* ; Aminopyridines/therapeutic use* ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors/therapeutic use*

In this study, we investigated the anti-osteoporotic activity and mechanism of action of extract of Panax quiquefolium L. based on zebrafish model combined with metabolomics technology. A zebrafish model of prednisolone-induced osteoporosis was used to compare the anti-osteoporotic activity of Panax quiquefolium L., and the expression of osteoblast-associated genes and osteoclast-associated genes in zebrafish was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), using bone fluorescence area and fluorescence density as evaluation indexes. Metabolomics based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) was used to explore the change patterns of biomarkers and the metabolic pathways affected. The results showed that the 50% ethanol extracts of Panax quiquefolium L. from Jilin, Canada, Wenden and the United States can significantly improve the bone fluorescence area of zebrafish compared with model group. Furthermore, four sources 50% ethanol extracts of Panax quiquefolium L. except United States also can significantly improve the bone fluorescence density of zebrafish. In addition, PCR showed that extract of Panax quiquefolium L. can significantly up-regulated the expression of vitamin D receptor b (vdrb), collagen type I α2 (col1a2) and cysteine-rich acidic secreted protein (sparc) genes, and down-regulated the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (mmp9), anti-tartrase acid phosphatase (trap) and cathepsin K (ctsk) genes. Metabolomic analysis identified 24 key differential metabolites. Furthermore, pathway analysis showed that Panax quiquefolium L. could regulate the levels of 10 key biomarkers by participating in purine metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle and pentose phosphate metabolism and improve the osteoporosis status of zebrafish. This study preliminically revealed the anti-osteoporosis mechanism of 50% ethanol extract from Panax quiquefolium L. through multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway and also provides theoretical basis for clinical development and utilization of anti-osteoporosis products of Panax quiquefolium L. This experiment was approved by the Experimental Animal Welfare Ethics Committee of the Institute of Biology, Shandong Academy of Sciences (approval number: SWS20181002).

Humans ; Mpox (monkeypox) ; China

Objective:To evaluate the safety of mass vaccination of inactivated 2019-nCoV vaccine in population aged ≥3 years in Guizhou Province.Methods:The open-label study was conducted in eligible volunteers in Yanhe County of Guizhou from June 2021 to July in 2022. In the study, two doses of the inactivated 2019-nCoV vaccine were given at (0, 28) days according to the immunization schedule. The information about adverse reaction (AR) within 30 minutes and during 0-28 days after vaccination were collected, and the incidence of AR was analyzed by age, doses, and health status.Results:The overall incidence of AR was 1.51% (294/19 458), all ARs, mainly pain at injection site, occurred within 7 days after the vaccination, the AR grade was 1-2. The incidence of AR was 1.01% in age group 3- years (58/5 721), 2.44% in age group 18- years (220/9 017), and 0.34% in age group ≥60 years (16/4 720). The differences were significant ( P<0.001). The incidence of AR after the first dose vaccination (1.20%, 233/19 458) was significantly higher than that after the second dose (0.37%, 61/16 368), the difference was significant ( P<0.001). In the elderly aged ≥60 years, the incidence of AR was 0.36% (9/2 520) in healthy group and 0.32% (7/2 200) in group with underlying medical conditions, the differences were not significant ( P=0.818). Conclusion:The domestic inactivated 2019-nCoV vaccine showed good safety in mass vaccination in population aged ≥3 years, including the elderly in both healthy group and group with underlying medical conditions.

Objective To investigate the effects and mechanisms of TAR DNA-binding protein 43(TDP-43)on oxygen-glucose deprivation(OGD)-induced apoptosis in mouse atrial myocytes(HL-1 cells).Methods The in vitro cultured mouse atrial myocytes(HL-1 cells)were divided into:(1)control group and groups with different OGD treatment times(2,4,8,16 h),and cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay,and TDP-43 protein expression level was detected by Western blotting,which was used to determine the time point of OGD induction for the subsequent study;(2)control and OGD groups,flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis,JC-1 staining to detect mitochondrial membrane potential,chemiluminescence to detect adenosine triphosphate(ATP)relative content,microplate method to detect malondialdehyde(MDA)content,and WST-1 method to detect superoxide dismutase(SOD)content.Mouse atrial myocytes(HL-1 cells)transfected with lentivirus were divided into:(1)negative control lentiviral intervention group(NC-shRNA),TDP-43 knockdown lentiviral intervention group(TDP-43-shRNA1,TDP-43-shRNA2,TDP-43-shRNA3),and Western blotting was used to detect the TDP-43 protein expression level,and the group with the highest lentiviral knockdown efficiency was selected as the TDP-43-shRNA for subsequent experiments;(2)NC-shRNA group,TDP-43-shRNA group,OGD+NC-shRNA group,OGD+TDP-43-shRNA group,under normoxic and OGD conditions,flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis rate,MitoTracker staining to detect mitochondrial morphology,JC-1 staining to detect mitochondrial membrane potential,chemiluminescence to detect the relative content of ATP,flow cytometry to detect the fluorescence intensity of reactive oxygen species(ROS),microplate to detect the content of MDA,and WST-1 to detect the content of SOD.Results CCK-8 method showed that,with the prolongation of OGD time,the viability of mouse atrial myocytes(HL-1 cells)gradually decreased;Western blotting assay showed that the expression level of TDP-43 protein gradually increased,and both of them showed a strong time-dependence.Compared with control group,mouse atrial myocytes(HL-1 cells)viability was the lowest(P<0.05)and TDP-43 protein expression was the highest(P<0.05)at 16 h of OGD,accordingly,OGD 16 h was chosen as the induction time point for subsequent experiments.Compared with control group,the apoptosis rate,the fluorescence intensity ratio of mitochondrial membrane potential and the content of MDA increased,the relative content of ATP and SOD decreased in OGD group,and the differences were all statistically significant(P<0.05).Western blotting detection showed that compared with NC-shRNA group,the TDP-43-shRNA2 group had the most obvious reduction in TDP-43 protein expression level(P<0.05)and the highest knockdown efficiency,so the TDP-43-shRNA2 group was selected for subsequent experiments.The results of flow cytometry showed that under normoxic conditions,there was no significant change in the apoptosis rate in TDP-43-shRNA group compared with NC-shRNA group(P>0.05);and under OGD conditions,the apoptosis rate in OGD+TDP-43-shRNA group reduced when compared with OGD+NC-shRNA group(P<0.05).MitoTracker staining results showed that the mitochondrial morphology of TDP-43-shRNA group was intact without significant changes compared with NC-shRNA group;the mitochondria of OGD+NC-shRNA group increased in number,most of which were fragmented and scattered in distribution;compared with OGD+NC-shRNA group,the mitochondrial morphology of OGD+TDP-43-shRNA group was restored.Under normoxic conditions,there were no significant changes in mitochondrial membrane potential,relative ATP content,ROS fluorescence intensity,MDA content,and SOD content in TDP-43-shRNA group compared with NC-shRNA group(P>0.05);however,under OGD conditions,the ratio of fluorescence intensity of mitochondrial membrane potential of cells the fluorescence intensity of ROS,and the content of MDA decreased,and the relative content of ATP and the content of SOD increased in OGD+TDP-43-shRNA group compared with that of OGD+NC-shRNA group,and all of these differences was statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion TDP-43 exacerbates OGD-induced mitochondrial dysfunction by regulating cardiomyocyte apoptosis;therefore,knockdown of TDP-43 expression is expected to be a potential therapeutic strategy for ischemic cardiomyopathy.