The genome tagging project (GTP) plays a pivotal role in addressing a critical gap in the understanding of protein functions. Within this framework, we successfully generated a human influenza hemagglutinin-tagged sperm-specific protein 411 (HA-tagged Ssp411) mouse model. This model is instrumental in probing the expression and function of Ssp411. Our research revealed that Ssp411 is expressed in the round spermatids, elongating spermatids, elongated spermatids, and epididymal spermatozoa. The comprehensive examination of the distribution of Ssp411 in these germ cells offers new perspectives on its involvement in spermiogenesis. Nevertheless, rigorous further inquiry is imperative to elucidate the precise mechanistic underpinnings of these functions. Ssp411 is not detectable in metaphase II (MII) oocytes, zygotes, or 2-cell stage embryos, highlighting its intricate role in early embryonic development. These findings not only advance our understanding of the role of Ssp411 in reproductive physiology but also significantly contribute to the overarching goals of the GTP, fostering groundbreaking advancements in the fields of spermiogenesis and reproductive biology.
Animals ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mice ; Spermatids/metabolism* ; Spermatogenesis/physiology* ; Spermatozoa/metabolism* ; Thioredoxins/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To assess the independent and combined effects of air pollutants, meteorological factors, and greenspace exposure on new tuberculosis (TB) cases. METHODS: TB case data from Shanghai (2013-2018) were obtained from the Shanghai Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Environmental data on air pollutants, meteorological variables, and greenspace exposure were obtained from the National Tibetan Plateau Data Center. We employed a distributed-lag nonlinear model to assess the effects of these environmental factors on TB cases. RESULTS: Increased TB risk was linked to PM _2.5, PM ₁₀, and rainfall, whereas NO ₂, SO ₂, and air pressure were associated with a reduced risk. Specifically, the strongest cumulative effects occurred at various lags: PM _2.5 ( RR = 1.166, 95% CI: 1.026-1.325) at 0-19 weeks; PM ₁₀ ( RR = 1.167, 95% CI: 1.028-1.324) at 0-18 weeks; NO ₂ ( RR = 0.968, 95% CI: 0.938-0.999) at 0-1 weeks; SO ₂ ( RR = 0.945, 95% CI: 0.894-0.999) at 0-2 weeks; air pressure ( RR = 0.604, 95% CI: 0.447-0.816) at 0-8 weeks; and rainfall ( RR = 1.404, 95% CI: 1.076-1.833) at 0-22 weeks. Green space exposure did not significantly impact TB cases. Additionally, low temperatures amplified the effect of PM _2.5 on TB. CONCLUSION Exposure to PM _2.5, PM ₁₀, and rainfall increased the risk of TB, highlighting the need to address air pollutants for the prevention of TB in Shanghai.
China/epidemiology* ; Humans ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Tuberculosis/epidemiology* ; Incidence ; Meteorological Concepts ; Particulate Matter/adverse effects* ; Environmental Exposure ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Air Pollution ; Middle Aged

The third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor osimertinib (OSI) has been approved as the first-line treatment for EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aims to explore a rational combination strategy for enhancing the OSI efficacy. In this study, OSI induced higher CD47 expression, an important anti-phagocytic immune checkpoint, via the NF-κB pathway in EGFR-mutant NSCLC HCC827 and NCI-H1975 cells. The combination treatment of OSI and the anti-CD47 antibody exhibited dramatically increasing phagocytosis in HCC827 and NCI-H1975 cells, which highly relied on the antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis effect. Consistently, the enhanced phagocytosis index from combination treatment was reversed in CD47 knockout HCC827 cells. Meanwhile, combining the anti-CD47 antibody significantly augmented the anticancer effect of OSI in HCC827 xenograft mice model. Notably, OSI induced the surface exposure of "eat me" signal calreticulin and reduced the expression of immune-inhibitory receptor PD-L1 in cancer cells, which might contribute to the increased phagocytosis on cancer cells pretreated with OSI. In summary, these findings suggest the multidimensional regulation by OSI and encourage the further exploration of combining anti-CD47 antibody with OSI as a new strategy to enhance the anticancer efficacy in EGFR-mutant NSCLC with CD47 activation induced by OSI.
Humans ; Mice ; Animals ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/metabolism* ; Lung Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Acrylamides/pharmacology* ; ErbB Receptors/metabolism* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; CD47 Antigen/therapeutic use*

Objective: To investigate the effect of berberine on programmed necrosis of hepatocytes induced by metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in mice and its related molecular mechanism. Methods: Twenty male C57BL/6N mice were randomly divided into four groups (n=5 in each group): control group (S), fatty liver group (H), berberine group(B), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 inhibitor group (Nrf2), and all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) group (A). Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) concentrations were detected at the end of week 12 to calculate fatty liver index (liver mass/body mass ratio). Liver tissue was stained with HE, Masson and Oil Red O, and SAF score was used to evaluate the degree of liver injury. The expression levels of hepatic programmed necrosis-related proteins, namely receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIPK3), phosphorylated mixed series protease-like domain (p-MLKL) and Nrf2 were detected by Western blot method. One-way ANOVA was used for intragroup comparisons and LSD-t tests were used for intergroup comparisons. Results: Compared with S group, H group serum ALT, AST, LDH, TG, TC, TNF-α, IL-1β levels and fatty liver index were significantly increased. The liver tissue was filled with vacuolar-like changes and inflammatory cell infiltration. Numerous red lipid droplets were observed with oil red O staining. Collagen fiber hyperplasia was evident with Masson staining. SAF scores (6.60 ± 0.55 and 0.80 ± 0.45) were significantly increased. The expressions of RIPK3 and p-MLKL were up-regulated. Nrf2 level was relatively increased, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Compared with H group, berberine intervention group liver biochemical indexes, lipid levels, pro-inflammatory mediator expression, fatty liver index, and SAF score were significantly reduced, and the expression of RIPK3 and p-MLKL were down-regulated, while Nrf2 levels were further increased, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Compared with B group, treatment with Nrf2 inhibitor had antagonized the protective effect of berberine on fatty liver. Serum ALT, AST, LDH, TG, TC and TNF-α, IL-1β levels, fatty liver index, and SAF scores were significantly increased and the expressions of RIPK3 and p-MLKL were relatively increased, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Berberine can significantly improve the metabolic-associated fatty liver disease injury in mice, and its mechanism is related to activation of Nrf2 and inhibition of programmed necrosis of hepatocytes.
Animals ; Berberine/therapeutic use* ; Fatty Liver ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism* ; Necrosis

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chinese medicinal formulae in the treatment of antimicrobial-resistant pneumonia. Method:Following article retrieval from eight databases and data extraction by two reviewers， the methodological quality of the included trials was assessed and the outcome indicators were subjected to Meta-analysis using RevMan 5.3. Result:A total of 24 randomized controlled trials （RCTs） were included， involving 1 818 cases. Meta-analysis showed that Chinese medicinal formulae combined with western routine intervention was superior to the western routine intervention in improving the overall response rate （ORR） ［relative risk （RR）=1.27， 95% confidence interval （CI） （1.21， 1.34）， P<0.000 01］， the bacterial clearance rate ［RR=1.49，95% CI （1.33， 1.66）， P<0.000 01］， and the clinical pulmonary infection score （CPIS） ［mean difference （MD）=-1.64， 95% CI （-1.87， -1.41）， P<0.000 01］. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions ［RR=0.72， 95% CI （0.48， 1.07）， P=0.1］. The comparison with the western routine intervention also revealed that Chinese medicinal formulae better improved the ORR and CPIS. Conclusion:According to the current research results， the Chinese medicinal formulae alone or combined with western routine intervention yielded more favorable clinical outcomes than western routine intervention in the treatment of antimicrobial-resistant pneumonia， without increasing the incidence of adverse events. Due to limited quality and quantity of the included RCTs， more high-quality trials are required to verify the above conclusions.

The discovery of penicillin has effectively controlled the infection caused by Gram-positive bacteria. Afterwards, the research and development of antibacterial drugs has entered the golden age, and made a great contribution to human health. However, in recent years, with the increasing use of antibiotics around the world, pathogenic bacteria drive gene mutation to obtain drug resistance to ensure its survival advantage, and promote the transfer of drug-resistant genes, resulting in a sharp increase of drug-resistant bacteria. In addition, the current development speed of new antibiotics is far slower than the growth and spread speed of drug-resistant bacteria, which makes the drug-resistant crisis more serious and becomes one of the biggest threats to the global community. Compared with the same type of bacterial infection, drug-resistant bacterial infection has the characteristics of complexity and refractoriness, which causes worse clinical outcome and higher risk of death in patients, and brings severe challenges to clinical work. If the trend of bacterial drug resistance is not controlled, the crisis of no drug available will come. Therefore, it is urgent to explore effective alternative means to fight against bacterial drug resistance and reduce the harm of drug-resistant bacterial infection. Traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） has unique advantages in the treatment of infectious diseases. Compared with modern antibacterial drugs, it has the characteristics of wide sources, rich active ingredients, and is not easy to produce drug resistance. It may be an important source for screening and developing new anti-infective drugs. Therefore, it is promising to develop and utilize TCM to solve the problem of drug-resistant bacteria infection. This paper will review relevant studies in recent years in terms of interfering with the biochemical metabolism of drug-resistant bacteria to directly inhibit or kill drug-resistant bacteria, improving bacterial drug resistance to indirectly inhibit bacteria and kill bacteria, and maintaining the balance of the body and regulating the treatment of drug-resistant bacteria infection as a whole, so as to provide references for guiding clinical medication and research and development of new traditional Chinese medicines.

Diabetes mellitus complicated with cerebral infarction is the commonest and most serious vascular complication of diabetes mellitus. With a high disability and mortality rate, it seriously threatens human health. Because the pathogenesis is still unclear, more and more scholars have focused on the research of diabetic cerebral infarction at home and abroad. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) compounds have a remarkable curative effect in the treatment of diabetic cerebral infarction. Its mechanisms of action mainly include anti-hypertension, reduction of blood sugar and lipid, promotion of vascular regeneration and vascular endothelial function, anticoagulation, anti-thrombosis, improvement of nerve function defect, reduction of infarct volume, improvement of hemorheological, inhibition of inflammation and platelet aggregation, and promotion of collateral circulation. Through literature search, this paper summarizes the research progress of the mechanisms of TCM compounds in treating diabetic cerebral infarction in recent five years at home and abroad, in order to provide reference for clinical treatment.

Objective: To explore the relationship between ABO blood group and acute non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) occurrence. Methods: Our research included 2 groups: NSTEMI group, 1039 relevant patients treated in Anzhen hospital from 2013-01 to 2014-12 were retrospectively enrolled; Control group, 1039 subjects with normal coronary artery which was confirmed by coronary angiography. The Baseline condition including age, previous disease history and ABO blood group was studied. Logistic regression model was used to conduct single and multivariate analysis. Results: In NSTEMI group and Control group, blood type A was 287/1039 (27.6％) vs 259 (24.9％), type B was 345 (33.3％) vs 356 (34.3％), type AB was 102 (9.8％) vs 114 (11.0％) and type O was 305 (29.4％) vs 310 (29.8％), ABO blood group distribution for A and non-A, B and non-B, AB and non-AB blood group, O and non-O had no statistic meaning between 2 groups, P>0.05. Logistic regression analysis indicated that with adjusted risk factors of MI such as age, gender, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipemia, cerebrovascular disease and smoking, the patients with blood types A, B and AB had the similar risk for NSTEMI occurrence than type O patients; there was no relationship between ABO blood group and NSTEMI occurrence. Conclusion: ABO blood group had no relationship to NSTEMI occurrence.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the application value of magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) combined with routine T2WI sequence in the determination of pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer.

METHODSClinical data of 51 cases with locally advanced mid-low rectal cancer undergoing neoadjuvant therapy plus radical resection in the Rectal Cancer Center at The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from June 2012 to April 2013 were analyzed retrospectively. Magnetic resonance DWI and T2WI sequences scanning were performed within 1 week before neoadjuvant therapy and within 1 week before operation. Routine single T2WI sequence and DWI combined with T2WI sequence were used separately to predict the residual tumor and to compare with postoperative pathological examination. The prediction values of two methods were compared.

RESULTSOf 51 patients, 12 cases had pathological complete response (pCR). Prediction of DWI combined T2WI sequence was correct in 8 cases of pCR, whose sensitivity and specificity were higher than those of routine single T2WI sequence (66.7%, 94.9% vs. 33.3%, 84.6%). Prediction value of DWI combined T2WI sequence for pCR was significantly higher as compared to routine single T2WI sequence (AUC, 0.808 vs. 0.590, P=0.001).

CONCLUSIONCompared with the routine single T2WI sequence, DWI combined with T2WI sequence can improve the prediction accuracy of pathological complete response.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Rectal Neoplasms ; pathology ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVETo explore the feasibility of using plasma trypsinogen activation peptides (TAP) and serum interleukin-6(IL-6) as early markers for predicting the severity of experimental acute pancreatitis.

METHODSNinety male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were equally randomized into five groups: edema pancreatitis group, treated with retrograde ductal infusion of 3% sodium taurocholate solution; necrosis pancreatitis group, treated with retrograde ductal infusion of 5% sodium taurocholate solution; treatment pancreatitis group, treated with retrograde ductal infusion of 3% sodium taurocholate solution and ulinastatin intravenous infusion half an hour later; control pancreatitis group, treated with 0.9% normal saline retrograde ductal infusion; and sham operation group, treated with sham operation. Rats in each group were equally randomized into three subgroups, which were killed by exsanguination 3, 6, or 24 hours after infusion, and blood specimens were obtained. Serum amylase, plasma TAP, and serum IL-6 were determined. The severity of pancreatitis was scored by two blinded pathologists under microscope.

RESULTSAt 3 and 6 hours after infusion, plasma TAP concentration of necrosis pancreatitis group [(4.798±0.169) and (3.999±0.299)nmol/L, respectively]were significantly higher than those of edema pancreatitis group [(2.416±0.148) and (3.356±0.211)nmol/L, respectively] (P<0.01); at 6 hours after infusion, serum IL-6 level of necrosis pancreatitis group [(1339.51±56.43)pg/ml]was significantly higher than that of edema pancreatitis group [(619.07±42.25)pg/ml] (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSIn this acute pancreatitis model, the peak levels of plasma TAP and serum IL-6 may appear earlier in rats with severer disease. Serum TAP level may be used as a marker for the accurate early prediction of the severity of acute pancreatitis.

Animals ; Biomarkers ; blood ; Disease Models, Animal ; Interleukin-6 ; blood ; Male ; Oligopeptides ; blood ; Pancreatitis, Acute Necrotizing ; blood ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley