ObjectiveTo analyze the epidemiological characteristics and spatial clustering patterns of brucellosis in humans in Zhangjiakou City, Heibei Province from 2018 to 2023, so as to provide a basis for the prevention and control of brucellosis. MethodsIncidence data of brucellosis in Zhangjiakou City from 2018 to 2023 were collected. Descriptive epidemiological analysis, Joinpoint regression modelling, and spatial autocorrelation analysis were used to analyze the temporal trends and spatial clustering patterns of the epidemic. ResultsA total of 3 812 cases of brucellosis were reported in Zhangjiakou City from 2018 to 2023, with no death case, yielding an average annual incidence rate of 15.43/100 000 (incidence range: 12.82/100 000‒17.76/100 000). Cases of brucellosis occurred year-round, with a distinct seasonal pattern, predominantly concentrated between March and September, peaking in May and June. The male-to-female ratio was 2.58∶1, with a higher incidence in males than that in females. The highest incidence rates were observed in the 40‒<50 years (74.98/100 000) and 50‒<60 years age group (87.14/100 000). The majority of cases were farmers and herdsmen (3 557 cases, 93.31%). Joinpoint regression analyses indicated that from 2018 to 2023, the incidence rate of human brucellosis in pastoral areas of Zhangjiakou City showed a declining trend (APC=-9.70%, 95%CI: -15.31%‒ -4.63%), while the incidence rate in mixed-use areas exhibited an increasing trend (APC=6.90%, 95%CI: 0.17%‒14.30%). Spatial clustering analyses showed that the incidence of brucellosis in Zhangjiakou from 2018 to 2023 was non-randomly distributed across the whole city, with a positive spatial correlation and significant clustering (Moran’s I>0, all P<0.001). Local spatial autocorrelation analyses showed that the high-high clusters were concentrated in the pastoral areas during 2018‒2020. From 2021 onward, the number of high-high clusters in mixed and non-pastoral regions exceeded those in traditional pastoral areas. ConclusionFrom 2018 to 2023, the incidence of brucellosis in Zhangjiakou City showed a declining trend, with significant spatial clustering observed across the city. It is recommended to intensify health education among males aged 40‒<60 years. Scientific livestock management practices should be promoted in non-pastoral and mixed areas, and cross-sectoral quarantine and joint prevention and control efforts should be strengthened as well.

Objective To screen and identify specific monoclonal antibodies targeting the surface envelope protein E8L of the monkeypox intracellular mature virus based on mRNA immunization and single-cell sequencing.Methods E8L-mRNA was synthesized in vitro and encapsulated into lipid nanoparticles(LNPs)for immunization to induce immune responses.The antibody level in blood serum was detected to find out when the mice had produced sufficient antibodies.B cells in the spleen of the mice were isolated by flow cytometry sorting,followed by library construction and sequencing.Based on the analysis of light and heavy chain sequences of the antibodies from the sequencing data,E8L candidate monoclonal antibodies were screened according to the abundance ranking and expressed.The affinity of these monoclonal antibodies was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Candidate antibodies with high affinity for E8L were applied to immunochromatographic assays to detect the monkeypox virus(MPXV)E8L protein.Results Mice were immunized by lipid nanoparticles encapsulating E8L-mRNA.Approximately 1.5 million B cells were selected by flow cytometry.After single-cell sequencing,17 candidate monoclonal antibodies for E8L were identified and expressed.Two high affinity monoclonal antibodies were obtained for monkeypox virus E8L protein by ELISA.These two antibodies were used as the basis for immunochromatographic assays to detect E8L protein,with a sensitivity of 0.5 ng/mL.Conclusion Two monoclonal antibodies with high affinity for the MPXV E8L protein are obtained,which can be potentially used for detecting monkeypox virus.

BACKGROUND:Electroacupuncture can treat oligoasthenospermia by stimulating hormone synthesis and release in the hypothalamus,pituitary gland and testis,but its mechanism is complex,and the efficacy of electroacupuncture is closely related to the idea of acupoint compatibility.OBJECTIVE:To explore whether electroacupuncture therapy can improve the function status of hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis by adjusting the level of serum related sex hormones in rats,so as to treat adenine-induced oligoasthenospermia in rats.METHODS:Fifty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into blank,model,electroacupuncture,L-carnitine,and non-meridian and non-acupuncture point groups,with 10 rats in each group.Except for the blank group,the rats in the other four groups were given 200 mg/(kg·d)adenine via intragastric administration for 28 days to establish oligoasthenospermia models.After modeling,the rats in the electroacupuncture group were given electroacupuncture treatment at Zhongji,Guanyuan,Zusanli and Sanyinjiao acupoints,the non-acupoint group was selected for electroacupuncture treatment at three non-acupoint points,and the rats in the L-carnitine group were given oral infusion of L-carnitine,once daily,for 28 continuous days.After treatment,the kidney and testicular organ coefficients were calculated.Sperm count,survival rate and motility rate were determined.Pathological morphological changes of kidney and testicular tissues were observed.Serum sex hormones testosterone,gonadotropin releasing hormone,follicle stimulating hormone,luteinizing hormone,estradiol,statin B and prolactin levels were detected in rats of each group.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The renal organ coefficient in the model group was higher than that in the blank,electroacupuncture and L-carnitine groups(P＜0.05),the renal organ coefficient in the non-acupoint group was higher than that in the electroacupuncture group(P＜0.05),and there was no significant difference in the testicular organ coefficient among all groups(P＞0.05).(2)Compared with the blank group,sperm count,survival rate and motility rate were decreased in the model group(P＜0.05);compared with the model group,sperm count,survival rate and motility rate were increased in the electroacupuncture group and L-carnitine group(P＜0.05);compared with the non-acupoint group,sperm count,survival rate and motility rate were higher in the electroacupuncture group(P＜0.05).(3)Hematoxylin-eosin staining results indicated that the kidney and testicular tissues of rats in the model group were severely damaged,while damage to kidney and testicular tissues was less in the electroacupuncture group and L-carnitine group compared with the model group,but severer in the non-acupoint group than the electroacupuncture group.(4)Compared with the blank group,the levels of testosterone,gonadotropin releasing hormone,and inhibin B in the serum of rats in the model group were decreased(P＜0.05),and the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone,luteinizing hormone,estradiol,and prolactin were increased(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the levels of testosterone,gonadotropin-releasing hormone,and inhibin B in the serum of rats in the electroacupuncture group and L-carnitine group were increased(P＜0.05),and the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone,luteinizing hormone,estradiol,and prolactin were decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with the non-acupoint group,the levels of testosterone,gonadotropin-releasing hormone,and inhibin Bin the serum of the rats in electroacupuncture group were increased(P＜0.05),and the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone,luteinizing hormone,estradiol,and prolactin were decreased(P＜0.05).To conclude,electroacupuncture at Zhongji,Guanyuan,Zusanli,and Sanyinjiao acupoints can effectively treat oligoasthenospermia by regulating the functional state of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis in rats.

Autoimmune oophoritis is a rare cause of primary ovarian insufficiency(POI), and some patients may also have concurrent adrenal insufficiency. This condition significantly impairs reproductive function and is often difficult to distinguish from common causes of POI, leading to missed or incorrect diagnoses. This paper reports a case of autoimmune oophoritis treated in our department and provides an updated summary of recent advances in the understanding of this condition, with the aim of raising clinical awareness and improving diagnostic accuracy among healthcare professionals.

[Objective]To clarify the associations between plasma fibrinogen(Fbg)and volumetric bone mineral density(vBMD)as well as osteoporosis measured by quantitative computed tomography(QCT),and to explore the role of plasma Fbg in early screening and diagnosis of osteoporosis.[Methods]Patients with hypertension who were hospitalized in the Department of Endocrinology of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2018 to June 2022 and underwent QCT examinations were included for cross-sectional analysis.The study analyzed the correlation between plasma Fbg and osteoporosis in patients.The diagnostic efficacy of plasma Fbg for osteoporosis was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve(AUC).[Results]Totally 441 subjects were included in the analysis,with an average age of 46.0±14.5 years and a prevalence of osteoporosis of 6.4%(28/441).As the level of plasma fibrinogen increased,the incidence of osteoporosis significantly increased(P<0.000 1)while the average bone mineral density of L1 and L2 were significantly decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the first quartile of plasma Fbg(1.99g/L-2.37g/L),the risk of osteoporosis in the fourth quartile of plasma Fbg(3.67g/L-4.46g/L)increased by 8.85 times after adjusting for related confounding factors.[Conclusion]This study found a negative correlation between plasma fibrinogen levels and bone density in patients with hypertension.Plasma fibrinogen levels may serve as a potential screening indicator for osteoporosis,aiding in early diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring.This discovery offers a new perspective for the study of bone metabolic diseases and warrants further investigation.

BACKGROUND:Electroacupuncture can treat oligoasthenospermia by stimulating hormone synthesis and release in the hypothalamus,pituitary gland and testis,but its mechanism is complex,and the efficacy of electroacupuncture is closely related to the idea of acupoint compatibility.OBJECTIVE:To explore whether electroacupuncture therapy can improve the function status of hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis by adjusting the level of serum related sex hormones in rats,so as to treat adenine-induced oligoasthenospermia in rats.METHODS:Fifty adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into blank,model,electroacupuncture,L-carnitine,and non-meridian and non-acupuncture point groups,with 10 rats in each group.Except for the blank group,the rats in the other four groups were given 200 mg/(kg·d)adenine via intragastric administration for 28 days to establish oligoasthenospermia models.After modeling,the rats in the electroacupuncture group were given electroacupuncture treatment at Zhongji,Guanyuan,Zusanli and Sanyinjiao acupoints,the non-acupoint group was selected for electroacupuncture treatment at three non-acupoint points,and the rats in the L-carnitine group were given oral infusion of L-carnitine,once daily,for 28 continuous days.After treatment,the kidney and testicular organ coefficients were calculated.Sperm count,survival rate and motility rate were determined.Pathological morphological changes of kidney and testicular tissues were observed.Serum sex hormones testosterone,gonadotropin releasing hormone,follicle stimulating hormone,luteinizing hormone,estradiol,statin B and prolactin levels were detected in rats of each group.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The renal organ coefficient in the model group was higher than that in the blank,electroacupuncture and L-carnitine groups(P＜0.05),the renal organ coefficient in the non-acupoint group was higher than that in the electroacupuncture group(P＜0.05),and there was no significant difference in the testicular organ coefficient among all groups(P＞0.05).(2)Compared with the blank group,sperm count,survival rate and motility rate were decreased in the model group(P＜0.05);compared with the model group,sperm count,survival rate and motility rate were increased in the electroacupuncture group and L-carnitine group(P＜0.05);compared with the non-acupoint group,sperm count,survival rate and motility rate were higher in the electroacupuncture group(P＜0.05).(3)Hematoxylin-eosin staining results indicated that the kidney and testicular tissues of rats in the model group were severely damaged,while damage to kidney and testicular tissues was less in the electroacupuncture group and L-carnitine group compared with the model group,but severer in the non-acupoint group than the electroacupuncture group.(4)Compared with the blank group,the levels of testosterone,gonadotropin releasing hormone,and inhibin B in the serum of rats in the model group were decreased(P＜0.05),and the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone,luteinizing hormone,estradiol,and prolactin were increased(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,the levels of testosterone,gonadotropin-releasing hormone,and inhibin B in the serum of rats in the electroacupuncture group and L-carnitine group were increased(P＜0.05),and the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone,luteinizing hormone,estradiol,and prolactin were decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with the non-acupoint group,the levels of testosterone,gonadotropin-releasing hormone,and inhibin Bin the serum of the rats in electroacupuncture group were increased(P＜0.05),and the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone,luteinizing hormone,estradiol,and prolactin were decreased(P＜0.05).To conclude,electroacupuncture at Zhongji,Guanyuan,Zusanli,and Sanyinjiao acupoints can effectively treat oligoasthenospermia by regulating the functional state of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis in rats.

Autoimmune oophoritis is a rare cause of primary ovarian insufficiency(POI), and some patients may also have concurrent adrenal insufficiency. This condition significantly impairs reproductive function and is often difficult to distinguish from common causes of POI, leading to missed or incorrect diagnoses. This paper reports a case of autoimmune oophoritis treated in our department and provides an updated summary of recent advances in the understanding of this condition, with the aim of raising clinical awareness and improving diagnostic accuracy among healthcare professionals.

Cationic liposomes,as non-viral vectors,are widely used in gene therapy and gene silencing.Although numerous cationic liposomes have various structures,they can all improve the per-formance of gene delivery.As gene therapy is increasingly studied,it may be foreseen that new cationic lipoplexes will be explored.In this review,we aim to discuss four constituent domains of cationic lipids(headgroup,hydrophobic domain,linker and helper lipids)in gene delivery.This article attempts to demonstrate that various lipid structures show different transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity by sum-marizing the similarities and differences between the four parts of cationic lipids.Furthermore,their major influencing factors are covered.Finally,three clinical cases of ionizable lipids are described to reveal their characteristics and differences from cationic lipids.This paper is intended to provide a conceptual framework for the design of cationic liposomes and for the selection of cationic lipids.

Over the past 30 years,nano-drug delivery systems(NDDS)have become a promising field of drug research.However,a poor knowledge of the in vivo process of NDDS,the limited methods of pharmacokinetic correlation,and the inability to effectively provide strong support for the construction of upstream drug as well as the evaluation of downstream pharmacology and toxicology have become the technical bottleneck for their clinical transformation.Lipid nanodrug(LND)is the most successful NDDS for industrial transformation with great biocompatibility.Taking LND as an example,this paper reviewed the delivery process and influencing factors in vivo,and summarized the regulatory mecha-nism of biological environments on drug release in vivo.Based on advanced spectroscopy and mass spectrometry techniques,the spatial and temporal distribution of the dynamic carrier particle/depolymer-ized molecule ratio and dynamic free/encapsulated drug ratio of LND in biological matrix were ana-lyzed.Finally,the existing problems and future developments in this field were summarized to provide references for the analysis of NDDS in vivo,and stimulate readers'interest in nanomedical research and development.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the protective effect of interleukin-35(IL-35)mRNA-lipid nanoparticles(LNP)against lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced acute lung injury(ALI)in mice.METHODS Fifity-six mice were randomly divided into 7 groups with 8 mice in each,including the normal control group,IL-35 mRNA-LNP(250 μg·kg-1)group,LPS group,LPS+IL-35 mRNA-LNP(50,125 and 250 μg·kg-1)group and LPS+Dexamethasone(DXM)group.Except for the normal control group and IL-35 mRNA-LNP(250 μg·kg-1)group and ALI model was established by tracheal infusion of LPS in each of the other groups.IL-35 mRNA-LNP(250 μg·kg-1)group and LPS+IL-35 mRNA-LNP(50,125 and 250 μg·kg-1)group were injected with a corresponding dose of LNP encapsulated mRNA complex via the tail vein while the LPS+DXM group was injected with DXM via the tail vein.Lung coefficient and the wet to dry weight ratio(W/D)of lung tissue were recorded.The mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),Interleukin-6(IL-6)and IL-1βof lung homogenates were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR).LDH activity of lung homogenates and the protein levels of IL-35,TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β in lung homogenate were detected by corresponding kits.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining was used to observe and analyze the pathological injury to lung tissue.The expres-sion of Lymphocyte antigen 6G(Ly6G)was detected by Immunofluorescence to reflect the infiltration of neutrophils.RESULTS Compared with the normal control group,LPS group and LPS+DXM group,IL-35 protein expression levels in lung homogenates of the other groups were more significant(P<0.01).Compared with the normal control group,lung coefficient,W/D ratio of lung tissue,LDH activity,mRNA levels and the protein levels of TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β in lung homogenates were significantly increased in the LPS group(P<0.01),accompanied by alveolar hemorrhage,alveolar wall thickening and neutro-phils infiltration.After IL-35 mRNA-LNP administration,lung coefficient,W/D ratio of lung tissue,LDH activity,mRNA levels and the protein levels of TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β in lung homogenates were signifi-cantly decreased(P<0.01),and alveolar hemorrhage,alveolar wall thickening and neutrophil infiltration were obviously improved.CONCLUSION IL-35 mRNA-LNP can express IL-35 protein in lung tissue of mice,and effectively improve LPS-induced ALI in mice by inhibiting the expression of proinflammatory factors.