OBJECTIVE To investigate the neuroprotective effect and mechanism of eleutheroside B （ELB） on Parkinson’s disease （PD） model mice by regulating the IκB kinase β （IKKβ）/nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway. METHODS Fifty mice were randomly divided into normal control group， model group， positive control group （selegiline hydrochloride， 10 mg/kg）， and ELB low-dose and high-dose groups （80， 160 mg/kg）， with 10 mice in each group. Each group was given relevant medicine or normal saline intragastrically for 14 consecutive days. Starting from the 10th day of administration， the model group and all administration groups were intraperitoneally injected with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1，2，3，6-tetrahydropyridine （MPTP） 30 mg/kg， for five consecutive days to establish the chronic PD model. After the last administration for 24 h， six mice were randomly selected from each group to test their behavioral abilities； detect the levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， IL-10， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in brain tissue and their mRNA expressions were measured， and positive expression of tyrosine hydroxylase （TH）， protein expressions of TH， α -synuclein （ α -syn）， ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 （Iba-1）， as well as phosphorylation levels of IKKβ and NF-κB p65 proteins in the brain tissue were detected. The ultrastructure of neurons in substantia nigra was observed. RESULTS Compared with the model group， rotarod endurance time and climbing score of each administration group （except for the ELB low-dose group） were increased significantly （ P ＜0.05）， while the levels and mRNA expressions of IL-1β， TNF-α， α -syn， and Iba-1， as well as phosphorylation levels of IKKβ and NF-κB p65 proteins in brain tissue were decreased significantly （except for TNF-α in the ELB low-dose group）. Conversely， the level and mRNA expression of IL-10 （except for the ELB low-dose group）， TH positive expression and protein expressions were significantly increased （ P ＜0.05）. Typical neurodegenerative pathological changes， such as neuronal karyopyknosis， mitochondrial swelling and vacuolization， and endoplasmic reticulum dilation， all showed varying degrees of improvement. CONCLUSIONS ELB may exert neuroprotective effects by inhibiting the activation of the IKKβ/NF-κB signaling pathway， alleviating inflammatory responses， reducing abnormal α -syn aggregation and neuronal loss， and further improving motor dysfunction in PD mice.

Stem cell treatment may enhance erectile dysfunction (ED) in individuals with cavernous nerve injury (CNI). Nevertheless, no investigations have directly ascertained the implications of varying amounts of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HUC-MSCs) on ED. We compare the efficacy of three various doses of HUC-MSCs as a therapeutic strategy for ED. Sprague-Dawley rats (total = 175) were randomly allocated into five groups. A total of 35 rats underwent sham surgery and 140 rats endured bilateral CNI and were treated with vehicles or doses of HUC-MSCs (1 × 10 6 cells, 5 × 10 6 cells, and 1 × 10 7 cells in 0.1 ml, respectively). Penile tissues were harvested for histological analysis on 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, 28 days, 60 days, and 90 days postsurgery. It was found that varying dosages of HUC-MSCs enhanced the erectile function of rats with bilateral CNI and ED. Moreover, there was no significant disparity in the effectiveness of various dosages of HUC-MSCs. However, the expression of endothelial markers (rat endothelial cell antigen-1 [RECA-1] and endothelial nitric oxide synthase [eNOS]), smooth muscle markers (alpha smooth muscle actin [α-SMA] and desmin), and neural markers (neurofilament [RECA-1] and neurogenic nitric oxide synthase [nNOS]) increased significantly with prolonged treatment time. Masson's staining demonstrated an increased in the smooth muscle cell (SMC)/collagen ratio. Significant changes were detected in the microstructures of various types of cells. In vivo imaging system (IVIS) analysis showed that at the 1 st day, the HUC-MSCs implanted moved to the site of damage. Additionally, the oxidative stress levels were dramatically reduced in the penises of rats administered with HUC-MSCs.
Male ; Animals ; Erectile Dysfunction/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation/methods* ; Rats ; Penis/pathology* ; Humans ; Disease Models, Animal ; Umbilical Cord/cytology* ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries/complications* ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III/metabolism* ; Actins/metabolism* ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I/metabolism*

Objective:To validate and evaluate the performance of opened reagent warehouse of VITROS 5600 full automatic dry biochemical immunoassay analyzer,which carried domestic serum cystatin C(Cys C)kit of Lidman.Methods:The precision,correctness,linear range,the maximum dilution and biological reference interval of Cystatin C were validated according to evaluation criteria of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standardization(NCCLS)for instrument,which also referred to,and others.Results:①Precision measurement results:the Sintra-assay of cystatin C were respectively 0.046 and 0.147,and the Sindoor were respectively 0.046 and 0.130,which were less than those of the Sintra-assay of the manufacturer's statement(0.083,0.178),and the requirement of industry standard for Sindoor(0.100,0.213)of imprecision.②Correctness:The absolute value|b|of bias of detecting standard substances of five concentration levels were respectively 0.032,0.014,0.062,0.013,and 0.200,all of which were less than the prescribed bias in the industry standards(0.04,0.08,0.16,0.32,0.64).③Linear range:The linear regression equation was y=1.011 2x+0.111,R2=0.997 4,showing a linear relationship.④The cystatin C:the measurement range was 0.51-7.66 mg/L,and the maximum acceptable dilution was 2-fold,and the clinically reportable range was 0.51～15.32 mg/L;⑤Biological reference interval validation:All the detection values of cystatin C of the health population(the age of 40 cases≤50 years old,and that of 20 cases>50 years old)were within the claimed reference intervals of manufactory.Conclusion:The precision,correctness,linear range and biological reference interval of the opened reagent warehouse of VITROS 5600 full automatic dry biochemical immunoassay analyzer,which carried Liedemann serum cystatin C kit,can meet the experimental requirements in clinical application,and can be used in detecting clinical routine specimen.

Purpose To explore the predictive value of fetal cardiothoracic ratio(CTR)and their Z-scores for homozygous α-thalassemia major in early pregnancy.Materials and Methods Retrospective analysis was conducted on fetuses at high risk of α-thalassemia major(at 11-13?? weeks of gestation)who received prenatal care at the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from June 2016 to December 2023.Ultrasound examinations were performed on these fetuses to measure the CTRs[including cardiothoracic diameter ratio(CTDR),cardiothoracic circumference ratio(CTCR)and cardiothoracic area ratio(CTAR)],which were simultaneously converted into Z-scores.The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of each group of CTRs and their corresponding Z-scores for fetal α-thalassemia major.Results ①A total of 363 high-risk fetuses were included,including 91(25.1%)in the affected group and 272(74.9%)in the control group.②All the CTRs(including CTDR,CTCR and CTAR)and their corresponding Z-scores in the affected group were significantly higher than those in the control group(t=3.705-21.320,all P<0.001).③The area under the curve(AUC)analysis showed that the AUCs of cardiothoracic ratio Z-scores were higher than those of the corresponding cardiothoracic ratios.The AUCs were ranked from largest to smallest as CTDR Z-score,CTDR,CTAR Z-score,CTCR Z-score,CTAR,CTCR,and the CTDR Z-score had the highest predictive efficacy(when the optimal cut-off value was 1.10,AUC=0.959,with a sensitivity of 94.5%and a specificity of 90.4%).Conclusion The predictive efficacy of fetal CTR Z-scores is higher than that of the corresponding CTRs,which are new indicators for effectively predicting homozygous α-thalassemia major in early pregnancy.Among them,the CTDR Z-score has the highest predictive efficacy,which can improve the prenatal diagnosis rate of this disease and reduce some unnecessary invasive procedures.

Objective To analyze the differences in the epidemiological characteristics,susceptible popula-tions,and laboratory index of patients with common acute upper respiratory tract infections(novel coronavir-us infection,influenza A and influenza B)between plateau and plain areas.Methods Clinical data of 408 008 patients with symptoms of fever or upper respiratory tract infection in the fever clinic of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University and General Hospital of Xizang Military Command from January 2023 to Au-gust 2024 were collected.The epidemic characteristics,susceptible populations,and peripheral blood test data were compared and analyzed.Results The total positive rate of novel coronavirus infection,influenza A virus and influenza B virus infection in plain group(17.86％)was higher than that in plateau group(14.49％),and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).The positive rates(17.98％and 17.76％)of male and female upper respiratory tract infection pathogens(novel coronavirus,influenza A virus and influenza B virus)in plain group were higher than those in plateau group(13.94％and 16.00％),and the differences were statis-tically significant(P＜0.05).The total positive rates of three kinds of upper respiratory tract infection patho-gens were 16.21％,18.27％and 14.63％in the plain group,and 14.62％,14.06％and 21.26％in the plateau group,respectively.According to the results of pathogen analysis of susceptible populations,whether it was plateau or plain,the positive rate of influenza A virus was higher in the minor group,the positive rate of influ-enza B virus was highest in the adult group,and the positive rate of novel coronavirus was highest in the elder-ly group.In terms of epidemic season,plateau and plain areas were different,and the epidemic occurred earlier in the plain area.In terms of peripheral blood test indicators,there were statistically significant differences in lymphocyte count,monocyte count,neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and other indicators between plateau group and plain group(P＜0.05),while there were no statistically significant differences in white blood cell count between plateau group and plain group(P＞0.05).Conclusion The epidemiological characteristics of acute upper respiratory tract infection in plateau area are obviously different from those in plain area,which may be related to the natural environment and human geography environment.

INTRODUCTION: Rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA) are used in the diagnosis and prognostication of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We wanted to determine the specific contributions of RF and ACPA to the biological nature of RA and whether they act synergistically. METHODS: We identified 731 patients from our prospective multi-ethnic RA cohort and categorised them into four groups: ACPA-positive, RF-positive, doubly positive and doubly negative. We compared the demographics, Disease Activity Score-28, Health Assessment Questionnaire score, quality of life using Short Form 36 and the use of prednisolone and disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) of these patient groups. RESULTS: Four hundred and ninety-one patients (67.2%) were ACPA+RF+, 54 (7.4%) were ACPA+RF-, 82 (11.2%) were ACPA-RF+ and 104 (14.2%) were ACPA-RF-. Mean disease duration before the study entry was not different in the four groups. Patients with older age of onset were less likely to be positive for RF and ACPA. Fewer ACPA+RF+ patients were in remission compared to those in the other groups ( P < 0.05). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was higher at study entry in the ACPA+RF+ group (40.4 mm/h vs. 30.6-30.9 mm/h, P < 0.05). Prednisolone and number of DMARDs used were higher in the ACPA+RF+ group compared to the doubly negative group. There were no differences in the functional status and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS RA patients who were positive for both ACPA and RF had lower remission rate, higher baseline ESR and required more corticosteroid and DMARD treatment compared to those who were singly positive or doubly negative. Being doubly positive confers a worse outcome to RA patients.
Humans ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/diagnosis* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Rheumatoid Factor/blood* ; Anti-Citrullinated Protein Antibodies/blood* ; Adult ; Quality of Life ; Prospective Studies ; Antirheumatic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Aged ; Peptides, Cyclic/immunology* ; Prednisolone/therapeutic use* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Severity of Illness Index ; Prognosis

INTRODUCTION: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with heightened cardiovascular disease and increased susceptibility to osteoporosis, with shared underlying mechanisms. This study aimed to investigate the association between vascular function and bone mineral density (BMD). METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 49 patients with RA at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore. Endothelial function was measured as reactive hyperaemia index (RHI)-endothelial peripheral arterial tonometry and aortic stiffness as carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) using SphygmoCor. Univariable and multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate the associations between BMD and vascular function. We used natural logarithm RHI (lnRHI) and cf-PWV as response variables, and each BMD as covariate, adjusting for body mass index, positive anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide, cumulative prednisolone dose, hydroxychloroquine use and Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation 2. RESULTS: We recruited 49 patients (mean age 61.08 ± 8.20 years), of whom 44 (89.80%) were women and 39 (81.25%) were Chinese. Significant associations were found between lnRHI and BMD at the lumbar spine (β = 0.4289, P = 0.037) and total hip (β = 0.7544, P = 0.014) in univariable analyses. Multivariable analyses confirmed these associations, showing that lower BMD at the lumbar spine (β = 0.7303, P = 0.001), femoral neck (β = 0.8694, P = 0.030) and total hip (β = 0.8909, P = 0.010) were significantly associated with worse lnRHI. No significant associations were found between BMD and cf-PWV. CONCLUSION Lower BMD is associated with endothelial dysfunction, but not aortic stiffness in patients with RA. Further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these associations and understand the underlying mechanisms.
Humans ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/complications* ; Female ; Male ; Bone Density ; Middle Aged ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Vascular Stiffness ; Aged ; Singapore ; Pulse Wave Analysis ; Osteoporosis/complications* ; Endothelium, Vascular/physiopathology* ; Cardiovascular Diseases/complications* ; Carotid-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity ; Hyperemia

Objective:To validate and evaluate the performance of opened reagent warehouse of VITROS 5600 full automatic dry biochemical immunoassay analyzer,which carried domestic serum cystatin C(Cys C)kit of Lidman.Methods:The precision,correctness,linear range,the maximum dilution and biological reference interval of Cystatin C were validated according to evaluation criteria of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standardization(NCCLS)for instrument,which also referred to,and others.Results:①Precision measurement results:the Sintra-assay of cystatin C were respectively 0.046 and 0.147,and the Sindoor were respectively 0.046 and 0.130,which were less than those of the Sintra-assay of the manufacturer's statement(0.083,0.178),and the requirement of industry standard for Sindoor(0.100,0.213)of imprecision.②Correctness:The absolute value|b|of bias of detecting standard substances of five concentration levels were respectively 0.032,0.014,0.062,0.013,and 0.200,all of which were less than the prescribed bias in the industry standards(0.04,0.08,0.16,0.32,0.64).③Linear range:The linear regression equation was y=1.011 2x+0.111,R2=0.997 4,showing a linear relationship.④The cystatin C:the measurement range was 0.51-7.66 mg/L,and the maximum acceptable dilution was 2-fold,and the clinically reportable range was 0.51～15.32 mg/L;⑤Biological reference interval validation:All the detection values of cystatin C of the health population(the age of 40 cases≤50 years old,and that of 20 cases>50 years old)were within the claimed reference intervals of manufactory.Conclusion:The precision,correctness,linear range and biological reference interval of the opened reagent warehouse of VITROS 5600 full automatic dry biochemical immunoassay analyzer,which carried Liedemann serum cystatin C kit,can meet the experimental requirements in clinical application,and can be used in detecting clinical routine specimen.

Purpose To explore the predictive value of fetal cardiothoracic ratio(CTR)and their Z-scores for homozygous α-thalassemia major in early pregnancy.Materials and Methods Retrospective analysis was conducted on fetuses at high risk of α-thalassemia major(at 11-13?? weeks of gestation)who received prenatal care at the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from June 2016 to December 2023.Ultrasound examinations were performed on these fetuses to measure the CTRs[including cardiothoracic diameter ratio(CTDR),cardiothoracic circumference ratio(CTCR)and cardiothoracic area ratio(CTAR)],which were simultaneously converted into Z-scores.The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of each group of CTRs and their corresponding Z-scores for fetal α-thalassemia major.Results ①A total of 363 high-risk fetuses were included,including 91(25.1%)in the affected group and 272(74.9%)in the control group.②All the CTRs(including CTDR,CTCR and CTAR)and their corresponding Z-scores in the affected group were significantly higher than those in the control group(t=3.705-21.320,all P<0.001).③The area under the curve(AUC)analysis showed that the AUCs of cardiothoracic ratio Z-scores were higher than those of the corresponding cardiothoracic ratios.The AUCs were ranked from largest to smallest as CTDR Z-score,CTDR,CTAR Z-score,CTCR Z-score,CTAR,CTCR,and the CTDR Z-score had the highest predictive efficacy(when the optimal cut-off value was 1.10,AUC=0.959,with a sensitivity of 94.5%and a specificity of 90.4%).Conclusion The predictive efficacy of fetal CTR Z-scores is higher than that of the corresponding CTRs,which are new indicators for effectively predicting homozygous α-thalassemia major in early pregnancy.Among them,the CTDR Z-score has the highest predictive efficacy,which can improve the prenatal diagnosis rate of this disease and reduce some unnecessary invasive procedures.

Objective To investigating the microbial communities and physicochemical properties of soil and distribution of Oncomelania hupensis snails in marshlands along the Yangtze River basin at different types of land use, and to examine the effects of soil microorganisms and physicochemical properties on snail distribution, so as to provide insights into snail control and schistosomiasis prevention in marshland along the Yangtze River basin. Methods Marshlands with four types of land use were selected along the Yangtze River basin on April 2021, including poplar forest-crops integrated planting, reed areas, agricultural cultivation lands and ditches. The distribution of snails and physicochemical properties of soil were investigated in marshlands with different types of land use, and the V3 to V4 regions of the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene, fungal internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS1) gene and algal ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) gene in soils were subjected to high-throughput sequencing. The occurrence of frames with living snails and density of living snails were compared in marshland with different types of land use. The associations of soil microorganisms and physicochemical properties with the density of living snails were examined using Pearson correlation analysis, and the contributions of soil microorganisms and physicochemical properties to the density of living snails were evaluated using variance partitioning analysis. Results In marshlands with four types of land use, the greatest occurrence of frames with living snails [(4.94 ± 2.14)%] and density of living snails [(0.070 ± 0.026) snails/0.1 m²] were seen in ditches, and the lowest were found in [(1.23 ± 1.23)%] agricultural cultivation lands [(0.016 ± 0.019) snails/0.1 m²]. A total of 2 phyla, 5 classes, 8 orders, 9 families and 11 genera of algae were detected in soils at four types of land use, with Chlorophyta as the dominant phylum and Pseudoneochloris as the dominant genus. A total of 44 phyla, 134 classes, 281 orders, 338 families and 516 genera of bacteria were detected in soils at four types of land use, with Proteobacteria and Acidobacteriota as the dominant phyla and uncultured Acidobacterium, MND1, Mitrospira, Haliangium and Sphingomonas as dominant genera. A total of 11 phyla, 41 classes, 108 orders, 223 families and 408 genera of fungi were detected in soils at four types of land use, with phyla Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Mortierellomycota presenting high relative abundances and genera Cladorrhinum, Mortierella and Humicola presenting high relative abundances. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the density of living snails correlated negatively with the relative abundance of Proteobacteria (r = −0.965, P < 0.05) and soil electronic conductivity (r = −0.962, P < 0.05) and positively with soil moisture (r = 0.951, P < 0.05). Variance partitioning analysis demonstrated that the physicochemical properties and microorganisms of soil contributed 69% and 10% to the density of living snails, respectively. Conclusion The diversity of microbial communities varies in soils at different types of land use in marshland along the Yangtze River basin, and the physicochemical properties and microorganisms of soils may affect the distribution of O. hupensis snails.