Objective: To investigate the distribution of IgM anti-A/B titers among group O whole blood donors in Jiangsu, establish a low-titer threshold, and analyze the demographic characteristics of low-titer donors, so as to provide data for recruiting low-titer group O whole blood (LTOWB) donors. Methods: Plasma samples from 1 009 group O whole blood donors were tested for IgM anti-A and anti-B titers using the microplate technique. The distribution of antibody titers was analyzed to establish a low-titer threshold. The distribution trends of titers across different demographic groups were also analyzed. Results: The peak titer for anti-A, anti-B were 64 (31.5%), 4 (23.8%), respectively, The proportion of donors with both anti-A and anti-B titers below 64 was 97.3% (982/1 009). The mean anti-A titer was higher than anti-B titer. Anti-A titers were higher in female donors than in male donors (P<0.05). The anti-A titers differed significantly among different age groups (P<0.05). However, no significant difference in titers was observed based on the number of donations (P>0.05). Conclusion: A titer of 64 can be used as the reference threshold of LTOWB in Jiangsu. Male donors of appropriate age are more suitable than female donors for establishing an emergency panel of LTOWB mobile donors.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of Schistosoma japonicum infections in wild rodents in schistosomiasis-endemic areas of China, so as to provide insights into formulation of technical guidelines for monitoring of and the precise control strategy for S. japonicum infections in wild rodents during the elimination phase. Methods Two administrative villages where schistosomiasis was historically highly prevalent were selected each from Dongzhi County, Anhui Province, and Duchang County, Jiangxi Province as study villages. Wild rodents were captured from study villages with baited traps or cages at night in June and September, 2021. The number of rodents captured was recorded, and the rodent species was characterized based on morphologi-cal characteristics. Liver tissues were sampled from captured rodents for macroscopical observation of the presence of egg granu- lomas, and S. japonicum infection was detected simultaneously using liver tissue homogenate microscopy, examinations of mesenteric tissues for parasites, and modified Kato-Katz thick smear technique (Kato-Katz technique). A positive S. japonicum infection was defined as detection of S. japonicum eggs or adult worms by any of these methods. The rate of wild rodent capture and prevalence of S. japonicum infections in wild rodents were compared in different study villages and at different time periods, and the detection of S. japonicum infections in wild rodents was compared by different assays. Results The overall rate of wild ro- dent capture was 8.28% (237/2 861) in Dongzhi County, and the wild rodent capture rates were 9.24% (133/1 439) and 7.31% (104/1 422) in two study villages (χ² = 3.503, P = 0.061), and were 8.59% (121/1 409) and 7.99% (116/1 452) in June and September, 2021, respectively (χ² = 0.337, P = 0.561). The overall rate of wild rodent capture was 3.72% (77/2 072) in Duchang County, and the wild rodent capture rates were 6.91% (67/970) and 0.91% (10/1 102) in two study villages (χ² = 51.901, P < 0.001), and were 4.13% (39/945) and 3.37% (38/1 127) in June and September, 2021, respectively (χ² = 0.815, P = 0.365). Rattus norvegicus was the predominant rodent species captured in both counties, accounting for 70.04% (166/237) of all captured wild rodents in Dongzhi County and 88.31% (68/77) in Duchang County. No S. japonicum infection was detected in wild rodents captured in Duchang County. Nevertheless, the overall prevalence of S. japonicum infections was 51.05% (121/237) in wild rodents captured in Dongzhi County, with prevalence rates of 50.38% (67/133) and 51.92% (54/104) in two study villages (χ² = 0.098, P = 0.755), and 54.31% (63/116) and 47.93% (58/121) in September and June, 2021, respectively (χ² = 0.964, P = 0.326). Of 237 wild rodents captured in Dongzhi County, there were 140 (59.07%) rodents with visible hepatic egg granulomas, 117 (49.47%) tested positive for S. japonicum eggs by liver tissue homogenate microscopy, 34 (14.35%) tested positive for S. japonicum eggs with Kato-Katz technique; however, no adult S. japonicum worms were detected in mesenteric tissues. In addition, hepatic egg granulomas were found in all wild rodents tested positive for S. japonicum eggs with liver tissue homogenate microscopy. Conclusions The rate of wild rodent capture and prevalence of S. japonicum infection in wild rodents vary greatly in schistosomiasis-endemic areas of China, and the prevalence of S. japonicum infection is slightly higher in wild rodents captured in autumn than in summer. Liver tissue is recommended as the preferred sample for surveillance of S. japonicum infection in wild rodents, and a combination of macroscopical observation of hepatic egg granulomas and liver tissue homogenate microscopy may be a standard method for surveillance of S. japonicum infection in wild rodents.

Male factors contribute to 50% of infertility cases, with 20%-30% of cases being solely attributed to male infertility. Helicase for meiosis 1 ( HFM1 ) plays a crucial role in ensuring proper crossover formation and synapsis of homologous chromosomes during meiosis, an essential process in gametogenesis. HFM1 gene mutations are associated with male infertility, particularly in cases of non-obstructive azoospermia and severe oligozoospermia. However, the effects of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in HFM1 -related infertility cases remain inadequately explored. This study identified novel biallelic HFM1 variants through whole-exome sequencing (WES) in a Chinese patient with severe oligozoospermia, which was confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The pathogenicity of these variants was assessed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunoblotting, which revealed a significant reduction in HFM1 mRNA and protein levels in spermatozoa compared to those in a healthy control. Transmission electron microscopy revealed morphological abnormalities in sperm cells, including defects in the head and flagellum. Despite these abnormalities, ICSI treatment resulted in a favorable fertility outcome for the patient, indicating that assisted reproductive techniques (ART) can be effective in managing HFM1 -related male infertility. These findings offer valuable insights into the management of such cases.
Humans ; Male ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Oligospermia/therapy* ; Adult ; Spermatozoa/ultrastructure* ; Exome Sequencing ; Mutation

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of Qingda Granule (QDG) in ameliorating hypertension-induced cardiac damage and investigate the underlying mechanisms involved. METHODS: Twenty spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were used to develope a hypertension-induced cardiac damage model. Another 10 Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were used as normotension group. Rats were administrated intragastrically QDG [0.9 g/(kg•d)] or an equivalent volume of pure water for 8 weeks. Blood pressure, histopathological changes, cardiac function, levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory response markers were measured. Furthermore, to gain insights into the potential mechanisms underlying the protective effects of QDG against hypertension-induced cardiac injury, a network pharmacology study was conducted. Predicted results were validated by Western blot, radioimmunoassay immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively. RESULTS: The administration of QDG resulted in a significant decrease in blood pressure levels in SHRs (P<0.01). Histological examinations, including hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson trichrome staining revealed that QDG effectively attenuated hypertension-induced cardiac damage. Furthermore, echocardiography demonstrated that QDG improved hypertension-associated cardiac dysfunction. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and colorimetric method indicated that QDG significantly reduced oxidative stress and inflammatory response levels in both myocardial tissue and serum (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Both network pharmacology and experimental investigations confirmed that QDG exerted its beneficial effects in decreasing hypertension-induced cardiac damage by regulating the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)/angiotensin II (Ang II)/Ang II receptor type 1 axis and ACE/Ang II/Ang II receptor type 2 axis.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Hypertension/pathology* ; Renin-Angiotensin System/drug effects* ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Male ; Rats, Inbred WKY ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Myocardium/pathology* ; Rats ; Inflammation/pathology*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP) in treating stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome by exercise duration and metabolic equivalents. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome from 22 hospitals. They were randomized 1:1 to STDP (35 mg/pill, 6 pills per day) or placebo for 56 days. The primary outcome was the exercise duration and metabolic equivalents (METs) assessed by the standard Bruce exercise treadmill test after 56 days of treatment. The secondary outcomes included the total angina symptom score, Chinese medicine (CM) symptom scores, Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) scores, changes in ST-T on electrocardiogram and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: This trial enrolled 309 patients, including 155 and 154 in the STDP and placebo groups, respectively. STDP significantly prolonged exercise duration with an increase of 51.0 s, compared to a decrease of 12.0 s with placebo (change rate: -11.1% vs. 3.2%, P<0.01). The increase in METs was significantly greater in the STDP group than in the placebo group (change: -0.4 vs. 0.0, change rate: -5.0% vs. 0.0%, P<0.01). The improvement of total angina symptom scores (25.0% vs. 0.0%), CM symptom scores (38.7% vs. 11.8%), reduction of nitroglycerin consumption (100.0% vs. 11.3%), and all domains of SAQ, were significantly greater with STDP than placebo (all P<0.01). The changes in Q-T intervals at 28 and 56 days from baseline were similar between the two groups (both P>0.05). Twenty-five participants (16.3%) with STDP and 16 (10.5%) with placebo experienced AEs (P=0.131), with no serious AEs observed. CONCLUSION STDP could improve exercise tolerance in patients with stable angina and phlegm-heat and blood stasis syndrome, with a favorable safety profile. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IPR-15006020).
Humans ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Angina, Stable/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome ; Placebos ; Tablets

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

Objective To investigate the role of RNA-binding motif protein X-linked(RBMX)in regulating the proliferation,migration,invasion and glycolysis in human bladder cancer cells.Methods A lentivirus vectors system and RNA interference technique were used to construct bladder cancer 1376 and UC-3 cell models with RBMX overexpression and knockdown,respectively,and successful cell modeling was verified using RT-qPCR and Western blotting.Proliferation and colony forming ability of the cells were evaluated using EdU assay and colony-forming assay,and cell migration and invasion abilities were determined using Transwell experiment.The expressions of glycolysis-related proteins M1 pyruvate kinase(PKM1)and M2 pyruvate kinase(PKM2)were detected using Western blotting.The effects of RBMX overexpression and knockdown on glycolysis in the bladder cancer cells were assessed using glucose and lactic acid detection kits.Results RT-qPCR and Western blotting confirmed successful construction of 1376 and UC-3 cell models with RBMX overexpression and knockdown.RBMX overexpression significantly inhibited the proliferation,clone formation,migration and invasion of bladder cancer cells,while RBMX knockdown produced the opposite effects.Western blotting results showed that RBMX overexpression increased the expression of PKM1 and decreased the expression of PKM2,while RBMX knockdown produced the opposite effects.Glucose consumption and lactate production levels were significantly lowered in the cells with RBMX overexpression(P<0.05)but increased significantly following RBMX knockdown(P<0.05).Conclusion RBMX overexpression inhibits bladder cancer progression and lowers glycolysis level in bladder cancer cells by downregulating PKM2 expression,suggesting the potential of RBMX as a molecular target for diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer.

Purpose::To assess the value of the driving pressure variation rate (ΔP%) in predicting the outcome of weaning from invasive mechanical ventilation in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome.Methods::In this case-control study, a total of 35 patients with moderate-severe acute respiratory distress syndrome were admitted to the intensive care unit between January 2022 and December 2022 and received invasive mechanical ventilation for at least 48 h were enrolled. Patients were divided into successful weaning group and failed weaning group depending on whether they could be removed from ventilator support within 14 days. Outcome measures including driving pressure, PaO 2:FiO 2, and positive end-expiratory pressure, etc. were assessed every 24 h from day 0 to day 14 until successful weaning was achieved. The measurement data of non-normal distribution were presented as median (Q 1, Q 3), and the differences between groups were compared by Wilcoxon rank sum test. And categorical data use the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test to compare. The predictive value of ΔP% in predicting the outcome of weaning from the ventilator was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic curves. Results::Of the total 35 patients included in the study, 17 were successful vs. 18 failed in weaning from a ventilator after 14 days of mechanical ventilation. The cut-off values of the median ΔP% measured by Operator 1 vs. Operator 2 in the first 4 days were ≥ 4.17% and 4.55%, respectively ( p < 0.001), with the area under curve of 0.804 (sensitivity of 88.2%, specificity of 64.7%) and 0.770 (sensitivity of 88.2%, specificity of 64.7%), respectively. There was a significant difference in mechanical ventilation duration between the successful weaning group and the failure weaning group (8 (6, 13) vs. 12 (7.5, 17.3), p = 0.043). The incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia in the successful weaning group was significantly lower than in the failed weaning group (0.2‰ vs. 2.3‰, p = 0.001). There was a significant difference noted between these 2 groups in the 28-day mortality (11.8% vs. 66.7%, p = 0.003). Conclusion::The median ΔP% in the first 4 days of mechanical ventilation showed good predictive performance in predicting the outcome of weaning from mechanical ventilation within 14 days. Further study is needed to confirm this finding.

Objective To investigate the role of RNA-binding motif protein X-linked(RBMX)in regulating the proliferation,migration,invasion and glycolysis in human bladder cancer cells.Methods A lentivirus vectors system and RNA interference technique were used to construct bladder cancer 1376 and UC-3 cell models with RBMX overexpression and knockdown,respectively,and successful cell modeling was verified using RT-qPCR and Western blotting.Proliferation and colony forming ability of the cells were evaluated using EdU assay and colony-forming assay,and cell migration and invasion abilities were determined using Transwell experiment.The expressions of glycolysis-related proteins M1 pyruvate kinase(PKM1)and M2 pyruvate kinase(PKM2)were detected using Western blotting.The effects of RBMX overexpression and knockdown on glycolysis in the bladder cancer cells were assessed using glucose and lactic acid detection kits.Results RT-qPCR and Western blotting confirmed successful construction of 1376 and UC-3 cell models with RBMX overexpression and knockdown.RBMX overexpression significantly inhibited the proliferation,clone formation,migration and invasion of bladder cancer cells,while RBMX knockdown produced the opposite effects.Western blotting results showed that RBMX overexpression increased the expression of PKM1 and decreased the expression of PKM2,while RBMX knockdown produced the opposite effects.Glucose consumption and lactate production levels were significantly lowered in the cells with RBMX overexpression(P<0.05)but increased significantly following RBMX knockdown(P<0.05).Conclusion RBMX overexpression inhibits bladder cancer progression and lowers glycolysis level in bladder cancer cells by downregulating PKM2 expression,suggesting the potential of RBMX as a molecular target for diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer.

In accordance with the theory of'treating the skin diseases with the skin',skin-related Chinese medicinals are usually used for the treatment of skin diseases,which reflects the thinking mode of holistic syndrome differentiation and classification according to the manifestations in traditional Chinese medicine.With ying-yang theory as the principle of differentiation and treatment of diseases and based on the core pathogenesis of'yin-yang imbalance causing the manifestations of the skin'for the skin diseases,Chinese medical master XU AN Guo-Wei has used skin-related Chinese medicinals in the treatment of skin diseases and has given full play to their unique advantage by following the theory of'treating the skin diseases with the skin'and'balanced regulation of yin and yang'.In the clinical practice,allergic skin diseases were usually treated with Cicadae Periostracum plus Dictamni Cortex for dispelling wind and relieving itching,hypopigmentation related skin diseases were usually treated with Sojae Semen Nigrum skin plus Dictamni Cortex for dispelling wind and tonifying kidney,autoimmune skin diseases were usually treated with Moutan Cortex plus Lycii Cortex for nourishing yin,clearing heat and activating blood,and skin diseases associated with abnormal sebum secretion were usually treated with Mori Cortex plus Lycii Cortex for purging lung and nourishing kidney.Skin-related Chinese medicinals have the actions of expelling wind and promoting eruption of papules,tonifying kidney and nourishing yin.The medication method of'treating the skin diseases with the skin'will provide reference for the treatment of skin diseases.