A microchannel-based electrochemiluminescence(ECL)sensor was developed for detection of tetracycline(TC)utilizing luminol/H2O2 as ECL reporting system.The low excitation potential of luminol/H2O2 effectively mitigated the impact of clamping voltage,thereby enhancing the detection performance of the microchannel-based ECL sensor.The microchannel modified with TC aptamer selectively recognized and captured target TC.The positively charged TC reduced the surface charge density within the microchannel,thereby increasing the ionic current in the microchannel,leading to change of ECL signal of system.The experimental conditions such as electrolyte concentration,TC-aptamer concentration,and reaction time between TC and TC-aptamer were optimized.Under optimal conditions,the difference of ECL signal in the absence and presence of TC(?ECL)exhibited a good linear relationship with TC concentration in the range from 1.00 ng/mL to 200 ng/mL,with a detection limit as low as 0.69 ng/mL.The sensor had good selectivity and was successfully used in detection of TC in milk samples.

This study investigated the effects of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata on striatal neuronal apoptosis in rats with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD) based on the B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2)/Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax)/caspase-3 signaling pathway. Twenty-four 3-week-old male spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR) were randomly divided into a model group, a methylphenidate group(2 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), and a Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata group(2.4 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)). Age-matched male Wistar Kyoto(WKY) rats were used as the normal control group, with 8 rats in each group. The rats were administered by gavage for 28 days. Body weight and food intake were recorded for each group. The open field test and elevated plus maze test were used to assess hyperactivity and impulsive behaviors. Nissl staining was used to detect changes in striatal neurons and Nissl bodies. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL) fluorescence staining was used to detect striatal cell apoptosis. Western blot was employed to detect the expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3 proteins in the striatum. The results showed that compared with the model group, Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata significantly reduced the total movement distance, average movement speed, and central area residence time in the open field test, and significantly reduced the ratio of open arm entries, open arm stay time, and head dipping in the elevated plus maze test. Furthermore, it increased the number of Nissl bodies in striatal neurons, significantly downregulated the apoptosis index, significantly increased Bcl-2 protein expression and the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, and reduced Bax and caspase-3 protein expression. In conclusion, Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata can reduce hyperactivity and impulsive behaviors in ADHD rats. Its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the Bcl-2/Bax/caspase-3 signaling pathway in the striatum, enhancing the anti-apoptotic capacity of striatal neurons.
Animals ; Male ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Rats ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Caspase 3/genetics* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/genetics* ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/genetics* ; Rehmannia/chemistry* ; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/physiopathology* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Neurons/cytology* ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Rats, Inbred WKY ; Humans ; Corpus Striatum/cytology* ; Plant Extracts

Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) is a critical endocrine mediator implicated in male reproductive physiology. To investigate the correlation between IGF2 protein levels and various aspects of male infertility, specifically focusing on sperm quality, inflammation, and DNA damage, a cohort of 320 male participants was recruited from the Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (Hangzhou, China) between 1 st January 2024 and 1 st March 2024. The relationship between IGF2 protein concentrations and sperm parameters was assessed, and Spearman correlation and linear regression analysis were employed to evaluate the independent associations between IGF2 protein levels and risk factors for infertility. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure IGF2 protein levels in seminal plasma, alongside markers of inflammation (tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α] and interleukin-1β [IL-1β]). The relationship between seminal plasma IGF2 protein levels and DNA damage marker phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX) was also explored. Our findings reveal that IGF2 protein expression decreased notably in patients with asthenospermia and teratospermia. Correlation analysis revealed nuanced associations between IGF2 protein levels and specific sperm parameters, and low IGF2 protein concentrations correlated with increased inflammation and DNA damage in sperm. The observed correlations between IGF2 protein levels and specific sperm parameters, along with its connection to inflammation and DNA damage, underscore the importance of IGF2 in the broader context of male reproductive health. These findings lay the groundwork for future research and potential therapeutic interventions targeting IGF2-related pathways to enhance male fertility.
Humans ; Male ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II/metabolism* ; Infertility, Male/genetics* ; DNA Damage ; Adult ; Inflammation/metabolism* ; Spermatozoa/metabolism* ; Semen Analysis ; Semen/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Histones/metabolism* ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the molecular alterations of splenocytes associated with anti-factor Ⅷ (FⅧ) immune response and the underlying mechanisms based on hemophilia A (HA) murine model via RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology. METHODS: Severe HA mice were immunized with recombinant human factor Ⅷ (rhF8) weekly for 4 weeks to establish an FⅧ inhibitor model. High quality raw data were obtained by using bulk RNA-seq and CASAVA base identification technology, and the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. The DEGs were statistically classified by gene ontology (GO) annotation to obtain information on the major signaling pathways and biological processes involved in anti-FⅧ immune response in HA mouse splenocytes. The cell clusters, genes, and signaling pathway datasets were comprehensively analyzed by GO, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis and single cell RNA-seq (ScRNA-seq) analysis, respectively. Flow cytometry analysis was used to verify the changes in T follicular helper cells (Tfh) and regulatory T cells (Treg). RESULTS: A total of 3731 DEGs was identified, including 2275 genes with up-regulated expression and 1456 genes with down-regulated expression. The DEGs were enriched in helper T cell differentiation, cytokine receptor, T cell receptor signaling pathway, ferroptosis, etc. Uniform Manifold Approximation and Project (UMAP) downscaling and visualization analysis yielded a total number of 11 T/NK cell subsets, visualizing the overall expression distribution of C-X-C chemokine-specific receptor gene cxcr5 among these T/NK cell subsets. Higher expression of cxcr5 was found in activated Tfh from FⅧ inhibitor mice, in comparison to the control group. The visualization using Upset plot R language showed a close interaction between Tfh and Treg. Moreover, the increased frequencies of Tfh and the decreased frequencies of Treg in inhibitor mouse splenocytes were further verified by flow cytometry analysis. CONCLUSION Multiple immune cell subsets, signaling pathways, and characteristic genes may be involved in the process of anti-FⅧ immune response in HA mouse splenocytes. The molecules involved in the regulation of Tfh/Treg may play key roles, which provide potential biological targets and therapeutic strategies for HA patients with inhibitors in the future.
Animals ; Hemophilia A/genetics* ; Mice ; Sequence Analysis, RNA ; Disease Models, Animal ; Spleen/cytology* ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/immunology* ; Humans ; Signal Transduction ; Factor VIII/immunology* ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer/immunology*

AIM To explore the clinical effects of Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb.et Zucc.on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus of Dampness-Heat Pattern.METHODS One hundred and forty patients were randomly assigned into control group(70 cases)for 8-week intervention of conventional treatment,and observation group(70 cases)for 8-week intervention of both P.cuspidatum granules and conventional treatment.The changes in body weight,BMI,blood glucose indices(FBG,2 h PG,HbA1C,GA),blood lipid indices(TC,TG,HDL-C,LDL-C,ApoA-I,ApoB,ApoA,ApoE,sdLDL-C),liver function indices(ALT,AST),fatty liver progression,TyG,HSI,TCM syndrome score and effects were detected.RESULTS The observation group demonstrated higher total effective rates of TCM syndromes than the control group(P＜0.01),along with slighter fatty liver progression(P＜0.01).After the treatment,the observation group displayed decreased body weight,BMI,FBG,GA,TG,ApoE,TyG,HSI,ALT and TCM syndrome score(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and 2 h PG,TyG,HSI,ALT,TCM syndrome score were lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).CONCLUSION For the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus of Dampness-Heat Pattern,P.cuspidatum can improve glucose and lipid metabolism disorders,which is worthy of clinical popularization and application.

Objective To investigate the trends of major thyroid function indices in Chinese adolescent females at different ages and the differences from adult reference intervals.Methods A total of 791 female students from 4 junior high schools were enrolled in the study by selecting one junior high school in each of the following locations:Minhang District of Shanghai,Haimen City of Jiangsu Province,Yuhuan City of Zhejiang Province,and Deqing County of Zhejiang Province from Oct to Nov 2017 and from Jan to Mar 2019.The subjects were subjected to physical examination as well as thyroid hormone levels;and the Pubertal Developmental Events Self-Assessment Scale(PDS)was used to evaluate the staging of pubertal development.Follow-ups were conducted after 2 years,with the same survey content.Thyroid function levels were assessed in 5 age groups between 11 to 15 years old,95%CI were calculated,and mixed linear models were used to analyze the effects of age and pubertal developmental stage on hormone levels.Results The reference intervals for thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH),free triiodothyronine(FT3)and free thyroxine(FT4)in adolescent females differed significantly from those of adults,with misclassification rates ranging from 2.98%to 5.17%.Statistically significant differences were found for age,pubertal development staging,and the interaction of age and pubertal staging after correcting for BMI,waist circumference(all P<0.05).TSH levels were more affected by age before the completion of pubertal development,the level of the 12-year-old group was higher than that of the 11-year-old group(P=0.001 2)and the 13-year-old group(P<0.000 1);FT3 levels showed greater variability with age during late pubertal stage,with levels significantly higher at 13 years of age than at 11 and 12 years of age(P<0.0001),and gradually decreasing after 13 years of age(P<0.000 1).In contrast,FT4 levels were generally less affected by age between 11 and 15 years of age,with levels slightly higher at 13-15 years of age than at 11-12 years of age(P<0.000 1).Conclusion The levels of TSH,FT3,and FT4,as indicators of thyroid function in adolescent females,differ significantly from those of adults,and are differently affected by age and the stages of pubertal development;further refinement of the reference intervals for age-and pubertal-development-specific thyroid indicators is necessary.

Objective To construct trajectory models of care-seeking patterns for type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)patients,analyze the influencing factors of different trajectories,and explore the fasting blood glucose control levels of T2DM patients with different trajectories.Methods A retrospective cohort study was carried out on 18088 T2DM patients who had health records and been involved in the diabetic management in Community Health Service Center of Minhang District,Shanghai from 2006 to 2009.Starting from Jan 1,2010,participants were followed up until Dec 31,2019,with complete follow-up information.Group-based trajectory modelling(GBTM)was employed to identify and construct the fluctuation trajectory of fasting blood glucose in the patients.Bayesian information criterion(BIC),average posterior probability(AvePP)and other evaluation indicators were used to select the optimum subgroup number model.Then the differences in demographic characteristics,health status,family history,fasting blood glucose,BMI,etc were compared among different categories.Multinational logistic regression model was constructed to explore the influencing factors of different fluctuation trajectories.Cox regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the long-term trajectories of care-seeking patterns and fasting blood glucose control level.Results Using GBTM analysis,we constructed the optimal Model 4 to categorize 18088 T2DM patients with community health records into five distinct trajectory subgroups:continuous non-attendance group(22.29%),low-level increasing group(15.09%),high-level slowly decreasing group(14.18%),high-level rapidly decreasing group(14.90%),and continuous regular attendance group(33.54%).With the continuous regular attendance group serving as the reference,gender,age,place of residence,baseline comorbidity of hypertension,baseline fasting plasma glucose level,and BMI were found to influence the community attendance trajectories of T2DM patients(P<0.05).After adjusting for confounding factors,Cox regression analysis revealed that compared to the continuous non-attendance group,the low-level increasing group,high-level slowly decreasing group,and continuous regular attendance group had better glycemic control,with HRs of 0.37(95%CI:0.34-0.39),0.72(95%CI:0.67-0.78),and 0.78(95%CI:0.73-0.84),respectively.The glycemic control level in the high-level rapidly decreasing group was comparable,with an HR of 1.06(95%CI:0.99-1.12).Conclusion Based on the optimal model,the community medical treatment trajectories of T2DM patients showed different dynamic characteristics.Factors such as gender,residence,hypertension,and weight loss may influence these varying trajectories.Regular community visits and follow-up may help control blood glucose levels.

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect and mechanism of polydatin on intrauterine adhesions(IUA)in rats.Methods Eight rats were randomly selected as the sham operation group from 40 fertile female SD rats,and the remaining 32 rats were given intrauterine mechanical injury combined with lipopolysaccharide infection to induce IUA model.The 32 model rats were randomly divided into model group,low-,medium-and high-dose groups of polydatin,with 8 rats in each group,and the corresponding intervention lasted for 14 days.The morphological structure of endometrium was observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining,the thickness of endometrium was measured and the number of endometrial glands was counted.Masson staining was used to observe endometrial fibrosis;enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect the contents of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin(IL)-1β and IL-6 in endometrial tissue.Western Blot was used to detect the ptotein expressions of key proteins of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway,including β-catenin,glycogen synthase kinase 3β(GSK-3β),phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase 3β(p-GSK-3β),Cyclin D1,and fibrosis-related proteins,including transforming growth factor β1(TGF-β1),α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA),type I collagen(ColⅠ)and type Ⅲ collagen(Col Ⅲ).Results Compared with the sham operation group,the endometrial tissue of rats in the model group and the low-,medium-and high-dose groups of polydatin showed different degrees of pathological damage,the thickness of the endometrium and the number of glands decreased,and there were obvious different degrees of collagen fiber deposition.The levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,the relative protein expressions of β-catenin,Cyclin D1 and the activation level of GSK-3β protein,the relative protein expressions of TGF-β1,α-SMA,ColⅠ and Col Ⅲ in endometrial tissue were increased(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the pathological damage of endometrial tissue in the low-,medium-and high-dose groups of polydatin was improved,the endometrial thickness and the number of glands were increased,and the endometrial fibrosis was alleviated.In addition,the levels of the above indicators in the endometrial tissue were decreased(P＜0.05)in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusion Polydatin can promote endometrial repair and inhibit excessive endometrial fibrosis in rats with IUA,and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activation.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Objective To investigate the incidence rate,clinical characteristics,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen,China.Methods Led by Shenzhen Children's Hospital,the Shenzhen Neonatal Data Collaboration Network organized 21 institutions to collect 36 cases of neonatal stroke from January 2020 to December 2022.The incidence,clinical characteristics,treatment,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen were analyzed.Results The incidence rate of neonatal stroke in 21 hospitals from 2020 to 2022 was 1/15 137,1/6 060,and 1/7 704,respectively.Ischemic stroke accounted for 75％(27/36);boys accounted for 64％(23/36).Among the 36 neonates,31(86％)had disease onset within 3 days after birth,and 19(53％)had convulsion as the initial presentation.Cerebral MRI showed that 22 neonates(61％)had left cerebral infarction and 13(36％)had basal ganglia infarction.Magnetic resonance angiography was performed for 12 neonates,among whom 9(75％)had involvement of the middle cerebral artery.Electroencephalography was performed for 29 neonates,with sharp waves in 21 neonates(72％)and seizures in 10 neonates(34％).Symptomatic/supportive treatment varied across different hospitals.Neonatal Behavioral Neurological Assessment was performed for 12 neonates(33％,12/36),with a mean score of(32±4)points.The prognosis of 27 neonates was followed up to around 12 months of age,with 44％(12/27)of the neonates having a good prognosis.Conclusions Ischemic stroke is the main type of neonatal stroke,often with convulsions as the initial presentation,involvement of the middle cerebral artery,sharp waves on electroencephalography,and a relatively low neurodevelopment score.Symptomatic/supportive treatment is the main treatment method,and some neonates tend to have a poor prognosis.