ObjectiveTo establish a reliable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mouse model based on a self-developed multichannel automatic control system for long-term continuous cigarette smoke exposure in small animals using a novel continuous cigarette smoke exposure method, and to conduct phenotypic evaluation and analysis, thereby providing an animal experimental basis for investigating COPD pathogenesis and prevention strategies. MethodsTwenty male C57BL/6J mice aged 6 weeks were randomly and equally divided into a control group and a model group. The model group (n=10) underwent 6 h of continuous cigarette smoke exposure daily (6 cigarettes per day for 12 consecutive weeks), while the control group (n=10) received no intervention. Body weight was monitored biweekly. Post-exposure, in vivo micro-CT imaging was performed. After euthanasia, serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were quantified by ELISA. Lung tissues underwent H&E and Masson's trichrome staining to observe changes in lung morphology and inflammatory cell infiltration, and the mean linear intercept (MLI) was calculated, thereby comprehensively evaluating the clinical features of COPD in the mouse model. ResultsCompared with the control group, the model group showed significantly reduced body weight (P<0.01) from the fourth week. Compared with the control group, IL-6 level in the serum and BALF of the model group increased by 27.2% and 140.0%, respectively (P<0.01). TNF-α level in the serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of the model group increased by 16.7% (P<0.01) and 19.3% (P<0.05), respectively. Histopathological examination revealed alveolar wall thinning, septal rupture, emphysematous bullae formation, reduced alveolar count, bronchial wall thickening with lumen narrowing, and inflammatory cell infiltration. MLI was significantly elevated (P<0.01). Masson's staining confirmed collagen deposition and bronchial remodeling. Micro-CT demonstrated localized high-density shadows exhibiting typical features of chronic bronchitis. Conclusion The self-developed device enables long-term continuous smoke exposure, and the successfully established COPD mouse model exhibits pathological features highly consistent with clinical manifestations, offering an efficient and reliable tool for COPD research.

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between single and combined exposure to arsenic （As）， mercury （Hg）， and cadmium （Cd） in urine and hearing loss in adults. MethodsA total of 400 adult patients were recruited for the study， comprising 200 participants in the normal hearing group and 200 in the hearing loss group. General demographic information of the study subjects was collected by a self-administered questionnaire， morning urine samples were tested for As， Hg， and Cd concentrations， and hearing status was assessed by Pure Tone Audiometry. A binary Logistic regression model was used to explore the association between the concentrations of the three metals in urine and hearing loss， and a Bayesian kernel-machine regression （BKMR） model was used to further explore the association between the concentrations of the three metal mixtures and hearing loss. ResultsAfter correction for urinary creatinine， As， Hg， and Cd concentrations were higher in the hearing loss group than those in the normal hearing group （P<0.05）. Binary Logistic regression indicated that concentrations of As， Hg， and Cd were positively associated with hearing loss， and the risk of hearing loss was significantly higher in the second quartile of Cd concentration compared to the first quartile （OR=2.000， 95%CI： 1.009-3.964）. BKMR modeling analysis showed that the combined exposure levels of As， Hg， and Cd significantly increased the risk of hearing loss， with Cd being the most important contributor （posterior inclusion probability=0.412）， and that there were potential interactions between As and Cd， and Cd and Hg. ConclusionCombined exposure to As， Hg， and Cd in urine is significantly associated with adult hearing loss， with Cd being the primary contributor in the exposure combination. The interactions between As and Cd， as well as Cd and Hg， may have adverse effects on hearing loss.

ObjectiveCerebrospinal fluid (CSF) plays a crucial role in maintaining the homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS). CSF rapidly exchanges with interstitial fluid (ISF) via the glymphatic system within the brain parenchyma. CSF-ISF circulation and its associated mechanisms are often referred to as the brain lymphatic system. This system is connected directly to meningeal lymphatic vessels (mLVs), jointly performing the function of clearing metabolic waste from the CNS. Emerging evidence indicates that this system is closely associated with the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Importantly, abnormal CSF circulation is not only a downstream consequence of AD pathology, but also a risk factor. In AD, the dynamics of CSF flow within the CNS are diminished, immune dysregulation occurs, and this may increase the risk of AD by exacerbating the burden of amyloid β-protein (Aβ). In the mouse model of AD, impaired CSF flow compromises this clearance function, leading to cognitive deficits. Clinically, acupuncture at cognition-related acupoints is commonly used for the prevention and treatment of AD. However, whether its therapeutic effects are mediated through the modulation of CSF dynamics remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of acupuncture on CSF flow and investigate its acupoint specificity. MethodsMice were randomly assigned to experimental groups for the different electroacupuncture groups with the following acupoints: Baihui point (GV 20), Ear point, Neiguan point (PC 6), and Tianshu point (ST 25). Wild-type mice on a C57BL/6J background were used as controls. Fluorescent tracer was injected into the cisterna magna to label CSF flow. Fluorescence imaging was employed to assess the distribution of CSF within the brain before and after acupuncture stimulation. ResultsFollowing tracer injection into the cisterna magna, fluorescence signals rapidly reached the cerebellum and medulla—the regions closest to the injection site. Fluorescence intensity was higher in ventral brain regions compared to dorsal regions, likely due to greater vascular density in ventral areas facilitating CSF-ISF exchange. Electroacupuncture at the GV 20 produced the most pronounced enhancement of CSF across the whole brain, while stimulation at the ST 25 primarily augmented flow within subcortical regions. In contrast, electroacupuncture at the Ear point or the PC 6 had no observable effect on CSF in mice. ConclusionElectroacupuncture promotes CSF flow into the brain parenchyma in an acupoint-specific manner, with GV 20 exhibiting the most pronounced enhancement of CSF dynamics. These findings suggest that acupuncture-mediated facilitation of CSF flow may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for preventing or delaying age-related cognitive decline.

ObjectiveCerebrospinal fluid (CSF) plays a crucial role in maintaining the homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS). CSF rapidly exchanges with interstitial fluid (ISF) via the glymphatic system within the brain parenchyma. CSF-ISF circulation and its associated mechanisms are often referred to as the brain lymphatic system. This system is connected directly to meningeal lymphatic vessels (mLVs), jointly performing the function of clearing metabolic waste from the CNS. Emerging evidence indicates that this system is closely associated with the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Importantly, abnormal CSF circulation is not only a downstream consequence of AD pathology, but also a risk factor. In AD, the dynamics of CSF flow within the CNS are diminished, immune dysregulation occurs, and this may increase the risk of AD by exacerbating the burden of amyloid β-protein (Aβ). In the mouse model of AD, impaired CSF flow compromises this clearance function, leading to cognitive deficits. Clinically, acupuncture at cognition-related acupoints is commonly used for the prevention and treatment of AD. However, whether its therapeutic effects are mediated through the modulation of CSF dynamics remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of acupuncture on CSF flow and investigate its acupoint specificity. MethodsMice were randomly assigned to experimental groups for the different electroacupuncture groups with the following acupoints: Baihui point (GV 20), Ear point, Neiguan point (PC 6), and Tianshu point (ST 25). Wild-type mice on a C57BL/6J background were used as controls. Fluorescent tracer was injected into the cisterna magna to label CSF flow. Fluorescence imaging was employed to assess the distribution of CSF within the brain before and after acupuncture stimulation. ResultsFollowing tracer injection into the cisterna magna, fluorescence signals rapidly reached the cerebellum and medulla—the regions closest to the injection site. Fluorescence intensity was higher in ventral brain regions compared to dorsal regions, likely due to greater vascular density in ventral areas facilitating CSF-ISF exchange. Electroacupuncture at the GV 20 produced the most pronounced enhancement of CSF across the whole brain, while stimulation at the ST 25 primarily augmented flow within subcortical regions. In contrast, electroacupuncture at the Ear point or the PC 6 had no observable effect on CSF in mice. ConclusionElectroacupuncture promotes CSF flow into the brain parenchyma in an acupoint-specific manner, with GV 20 exhibiting the most pronounced enhancement of CSF dynamics. These findings suggest that acupuncture-mediated facilitation of CSF flow may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for preventing or delaying age-related cognitive decline.

Objective:To investigate the mosquito-borne viruses carried by mosquito specimens collected from Huachuan county and Huanan county in Heilongjiang province.Methods:Mosquito samples were collected locally in 2023 and processed in the laboratory. Homogenates of the mosquitoes were inoculated into cells for virus isolation, followed by molecular and bioinformatics analyses of the viral isolates.Results:In 2023, ten viral isolates were obtained from Anopheles sinensis specimens collected in Heilongjiang province, China. Among these isolates, one was identified as Culex flavivirus (CxFV), one as Menghai rhabdovirus (MRV), and eight as Nam Dinh virus (NDiV). The phylogenetic analysis showed that CxFV belongs to genotype I and is clustered with the strains isolated from Liaoning province in 2011 and Ningxia Hui autonomous Region in 2019 in the same evolutionary branch, with amino acid similarity ranging from 98.2% to 99.2% and nucleotide similarity ranging from 98.8% to 99.2%. The MRV strain belongs to the same evolutionary subclade as the strain detected in Guangdong, with both nucleotide and amino acid similarity of 98.0%. Eight NDiV isolates clustered with the South Korean isolates on the same evolutionary branch, forming an independent evolutionary sub-branch. The nucleotide similarity among these eight isolates ranged from 98.5% to 99.7%, while the amino acid similarity ranged from 98.1% to 99.7%. In comparison, when matched with other NDiV isolates from China, the nucleotide similarity of these eight isolates ranged from 94.1% to 97.8%, and the amino acid similarity ranged from 93.5% to 97.7%.Conclusions:This study represents the first isolation of CxFV, MRV, and NDiV in Heilongjiang province, China, and the findings provide fundamental data for the prevention and control of mosquito-borne viral diseases in this region.

Objective:To establish a method for the rapid detection of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) by recombinase-aid amplification (RAA) combined with Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas12a system.Methods:Clinical samples of suspected herpes zoster in Shandong province and Shanghai from 2023 to 2024 were collected, nucleic acids of positive samples were extracted, RAA-specific primers and crRNA (CRISPR RNA, crRNA) were designed for the conserved region of VZV, and the fluorescence intensity generated by Cas12a non-specific cleavage of single-stranded fluorescent probes was used to screen highly sensitive crRNAs and optimize the concentrations of crRNA, Cas12a and ssDNA probes. The sensitivity and reproducibility of the RAA-CRISPR/Cas12a detection method were evaluated by using synthesized plasmids and clinical samples, and the specificity of the method was evaluated by using other viral nucleic acids. The method was used to detect clinical samples by using the method and quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) method, and the detection rate and consistency of the two method were compared.Results:The highly sensitive crRNA-4 was screened from the four crRNAs designed, and a VZV detection method for RAA-CRISPR/CAS12a based on fluorescence intensity measurement was established, which could be detected at 37℃ in 45 min, and the sensitivity of the detection could reach 10 copies/μL, a minimum clinical sample with a Ct value of 38.980 can be detected. It has high specificity and no cross-reactivity with Adenovirus 7, Herpes simplex virus type I, Herpes simplex virus type II, Coxsackieviruses A16, Cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, Measles virus, Mumps virus, Enterovirus 71, Japanese encephalitis virus genotype 5. It has good stability, and can be successfully detected in low, medium and high concentrations of viral positive plasmids with good consistency. The detection rate of the clinically positive samples was 100%, which was completely consistent with the qPCR test result.Conclusions:RAA isothermal amplification technology combined with CRISPR-CAS12a technology was used to establish an accurate method for the detection of VZV virus, which was highly sensitive, specific, and had low requirements for experimental conditions, and could be completed within 45 min, which could provide strong technical support for the early detection of VZV.

Objective:To establish 30-day of age transcutaneous bilirubin (TcB) reference curves for healthy neonates, and to investigate regional variations in bilirubin dynamics.Methods:A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted. A total of 220 950 healthy neonates born at a gestational age of 35-<42 weeks, with a birth weight ≥2 000 g, who did not receive phototherapy within 60 h after birth were recruited. All of them underwent remote TcB monitoring using the Bilibaby remote jaundice monitoring system between August 1 st, 2020 and December 31 st, 2024 in 426 hospitals. TcB data were collected within the period from birth to 30-day of age. The P40, P75, and P95 of TcB values were calculated, and dynamic TcB curves for 30-day of age were constructed. Patterns of bilirubin change, rates of change, and transition outcomes were described. Regional comparisons between South and North were conducted using linear mixed-effects models for TcB trajectories and Pearson′s chi-square test for outcome differences. Results:A total of 220 950 neonates were included, of whom 101 711 (46.03%) were female. Gestational age at birth was (38.75±1.12) weeks, and birth weight was (3 272±417) g. TcB levels increased rapidly within 3-day of age, peaked at 4-6-day of age, with peak values at P40, P75, and P95 of 200.6, 239.7 and 275.4 μmol/L (11.8, 14.1 and 16.2 mg/dl), respectively. TcB levels gradually declined thereafter and stabilized after 13-day of age, with values at P40, P75, and P95 fluctuating between 147.9-159.8, 190.4-200.6, and 231.2-239.7 μmol/L (8.7-9.4, 11.2-11.8, 13.6-14.1 mg/dl), respectively. Notably, among neonates categorized as low-or low-intermediate-risk within 3-day of age, 6 700 (12.76%) progressed to intermediate-high or high risk between 4 and 30 days of age. Before 13-day of age, TcB levels in the southern regions were consistently higher than those in the northern regions ( P=0.039); from 14 to 30 days of age, the overall TcB levels had no statistically difference, but the temporal changes in TcB still showed regional differences (degrees of freedom=3, all interaction P<0.05). Among neonates classified as low-or low-intermediate risk within 3-day of age, 25 326 were from southern regions, of whom 4 254 (16.80%) progressed to intermediate-high or high risk between 4 and 30 days of age. In northern regions, 27 193 neonates were classified as low-or low-intermediate risk within 3-day of age, among whom 2 446 (8.99%) progressed to intermediate-high or high risk. The risk progression between the 2 regions had statistically difference ( χ2=716.49, P<0.001). Conclusions:A TcB percentile curve for neonates within 30-day of age was established, revealing that both the overall TcB level and its temporal trend were higher in southern than in northern newborns. These findings provide baseline data to support continuous management of neonatal jaundice.

Objective:To describe the positive rates of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) DNA and serum-neutralizing antibody in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) tissues of rural women in Xiangyuan County, Shanxi Province, and evaluate the association of HR-HPV DNA and neutralizing antibody positive status with the occurrence of CIN.Methods:In a cohort of 1 897 women aged 35-45 years established by the Shanxi Province Cervical Cancer Screening StudyⅠ, DNA typing (SPF10 PCR-DEIA-LiPA25) was performed by using tissue samples of women with positive HR-HPV test results [Hybrid CaptureⅡ(HC2)] or abnormal cytological or pathological results. Serum HR-HPV neutralizing antibody detection was conducted with multicolor pseudovirion-based neutralization assay. Cochran-Armitage trend test was used to analyze the changing trend of the positive rate of HR-HPV DNA and neutralizing antibody with the progression of CIN. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate the influence and multiplicative interaction of HR-HPV DNA and neutralizing antibody positive status on the occurrence of CIN. The relative excess risk ( RERI), attributable proportion of interaction ( AP), and the synergy index ( SI) of the interaction were calculated to evaluate the additive interaction of HR-HPV DNA and neutralizing antibody on the occurrence of CIN. Results:The positive rate of any type of HR-HPV DNA (HPV16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 68) in 479 women who were HC2 positive or had abnormal cytological or pathological detection results was 37.16%. In normal, CIN1, CIN2, and CIN3+ groups, the HR-HPV DNA positive rates were 18.03%, 49.53%, 90.24% and 94.59%, respectively. The positive rate of any type of HR-HPV neutralizing antibody was 63.88%. In normal, CIN1, CIN2, and CIN3+ groups, the positive rates of HR-HPV neutralizing antibody were 63.95%, 57.94%, 70.73%, and 72.97%, respectively. The positive rate of any type of HR-HPV neutralizing antibody was 53.31% in 1 418 women who were HC2 negative and had normal cytopathology, and the most common types were HPV51 (27.36%) and HPV39 (24.96%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that any type of HR-HPV DNA positive status ( OR=9.15, 95% CI: 5.99-14.20, P<0.001) was the independent factor for the occurrence of CIN, HR-HPV neutralizing antibody positive status was not associated with the occurrence of CIN ( OR=0.95, 95% CI: 0.61-1.48, P=0.815). The OR value of the multiplication of HR-HPV DNA and neutralizing antibody positive status of the occurrence of CIN was 1.63 (95% CI: 0.67-3.95), P=0.283. Quantitative analysis of interaction showed that RERI was 1.65 (95% CI:-3.56-6.86), SI was 1.28 (95% CI: 0.58-2.82), and AP was 0.19 (95% CI:-0.36-0.75). Conclusions:HR-HPV DNA positive status was a risk factor for the occurrence of CIN, but neutralizing antibody positive status was not associated with the occurrence of CIN. They had no significant multiplicative or additive interaction with the occurrence of CIN.

Objective:To explore the expression of chemokine ligand 1(CCL1)in oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC)and its effect on the proliferation,migration and invasion of human oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells(HSC-4).Methods:28 OSCC tissue samples and clinical characteristic data of patients were collected at the Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Southwest Medical University between January 2018 and June 2020,as well as 10 normal gingival tissue samples removed during the extraction of impacted teeth.OSCC cells HSC-4 were cultured routinely and divided into the control group(without virus),the NC group(transfected with control lentiviral vector),the shCCL1 group(transfected with knockdown CCL1 lentiviral vector),and the CCL1 group(culture medium containing 60 ng/mL CCL1 recombinant protein).Immunohistochemistry and WB were used to detect the expression of CCL1 in OSCC tissues and cells,and analyze the correlation between its expression level and the clinical features of patients.qPCR,CCK-8 assay,plate cloning assay,cell scratch test,Transwell assay and flow cytometry were used to detect the expression of CCL1 mRNA,the proliferation,migration and invasion abilities and the apoptosis of HSC-4 cells respectively.Results:CCL1 protein was highly expressed in OSCC tissues and HSC-4 cells(all P<0.01)and its expression was related to the clinical stage of tumors(P<0.05).The expression of CCL1 in HSC-4 cells was successfully knocked down(P<0.000 5).Knocking down the expression of CCL1 could inhibit the proliferation(P<0.05 or P<0.01),migration and invasion(all P<0.05)of HSC-4 cells,and promote its apoptosis(all P<0.05).CCL1 recombinant protein treatment resulted in the opposite effects(P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.000 1).Conclusion:CCL1 is highly expressed in OSCC and its expression is correlated with the clinical stage of OSCC.CCL1 may take part in regulating the proliferation,migration,invasion and apoptosis of HSC-4 cells.

Objective:To explore the short-term effect of drug-coated balloon angioplasty (DCBA) and common plain old balloon angioplasty (POBA) in the isolated popliteal artery chronic total occlusion (CTO), and to analyze the factors affecting the postoperative primary patency rate.Methods:A retrospective cohort study approach was used in this study. A total of 42 isolated popliteal CTO patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University from January 2020 to June 2022 were divided into two groups according to their different balloons: 24 as POBA group and 18 as DCBA group. The primary patency rate of target lesions, the clinically-driven target lesion revascularization(CD-TLR) rate, amputation and toe amputation rate, and the improvement of ankle-brachial index (ABI) and Rutherford grade at 6 and 12 months after surgery were compared.Measurement data with normal distribution was expressed as xˉ± s and means between two groups were compared using independent samples t-test. The percentage of counting data was calculated, and the rate between groups was compared by χ2 test or Fisher's exact probability method. Kaplan-Meier survival curve method was used to plot the survival curves of primary patency rate and CD-TLR free rate at 12 months after surgery, and Log rank test was used to compare the differences between groups . Univariate log rank test and multivariate Cox regression was used to analyze the factors affecting the primary patency rate at 12 months in patients with isolated popliteal CTO. Results:12 months after surgery, 4 patients in the DCBA group experienced lumen restenosis or occlusion while 12 patients in the POBA group experienced lumen restenosis or occlusion. The cumulative primary patency rate of target lesions in the DCBA group was higher than that in the POBA group (Log-rank χ2=4.03, P=0.045). ABI in the DCBA group at 6 and 12 months was greater than that in the POBA group [(0.91±0.11) vs (0.83±0.09), (0.84±0.11) vs (0.70±0.12), t=2.40, P=0.021, t=3.64 and P=0.001].There were no significant difference in cumulative CD-TLR exemption, amputation and amputation at 12 months, and Rutherford grade at 6 and 12 months for both groups(all P>0.05). The results of univariate analysis showed that DCBA as surgical method, hypertension and coronary heart disease were the influencing factors of the primary patency rate after chronic occlusion of the isolated popliteal artery (all P<0.05). The results of multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that DCBA as surgical method was a protective factor for primary patency at 12 months (odds ratio =0.31,95% confidence interval: 0.10~0.870., P=0.038), while hypertension was an independent risk factor( OR=5.63,95% confidence interval: 1.54~20.56, P=0.009). Conclusions:The cumulative primary patency rate of target lesions 12 months after isolated popliteal CTO was higher than that of POBA. DCBA as surgical method was a protective factor for primary patency rate 12 months in patients with isolated popliteal CTO, while hypertension was an independent risk factor.