OBJECTIVES: Exposure to rare earth elements (REEs) has been linked to various systemic diseases, but their impact on the offspring blood-brain barrier (BBB) via the gut-brain axis remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of maternal exposure to neodymium oxide (Nd₂O₃) on the BBB integrity of offspring rats, and to evaluate the potential protective role of bifidobacterium tetrad viable tablets (BTVT) against Nd₂O₃-induced intestinal and BBB damage. METHODS: Healthy adult SD rats were mated at a 1:1 male-to-female ratio, with the day of vaginal plug detection marked as gestational day 0. A total of 60 pregnant rats were randomly assigned to the following groups: Control, 50 mg/(kg·d) Nd₂O₃, 100 mg/(kg·d) Nd₂O₃, 200 mg/(kg·d) Nd₂O₃, and 200 mg/(kg·d) Nd₂O₃ + BTVT group. Treatments were administered by daily oral gavage throughout pregnancy and lactation. On postnatal day 21 (weaning), offspring feces, brain, and colon tissues were collected. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to assess structural changes in brain and intestinal tissues. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in feces were quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Evans Blue (EB) dye extravasation assessed BBB permeability. Gene and protein expression levels of tight junction proteins occludin and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) were measured by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blotting (WB), respectively. Neodymium levels in brain tissue were determined via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). RESULTS: HE staining revealed that maternal Nd₂O₃ exposure caused mucosal edema, increased submucosal spacing, and lymphocyte infiltration in offspring colon, as well as neuronal degeneration and vacuolization in brain tissue. BTVT intervention alleviated these changes. GC-MS analysis showed that levels of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and isobutyric acid significantly decreased, while valeric acid and isovaleric acid increased in offspring of Nd₂O₃-exposed mothers (P<0.05). BTVT significantly restored levels of acetic, propionic, and isobutyric acids and reduced valeric acid content (P<0.05). EB permeability was significantly elevated in Nd₂O₃-exposed offspring brains (P<0.05), but reduced with BTVT treatment (P<0.05). RT-PCR and WB showed downregulation of occludin and ZO-1 expression following Nd₂O₃ exposure (P<0.05), which was reversed by BTVT (P<0.05). ICP-MS results indicated significantly increased brain neodymium levels in offspring from all Nd₂O₃-exposed groups (P<0.05), while BTVT significantly reduced neodymium accumulation compared to the 200 mg/(kg·d) Nd₂O₃ group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Maternal exposure to Nd₂O₃ during pregnancy and lactation disrupts intestinal health and BBB integrity in offspring, elevates brain neodymium accumulation, and induces neuronal degeneration. BTVT effectively mitigates Nd₂O₃-induced intestinal and BBB damage in offspring, potentially through modulation of the gut-brain axis.
Animals ; Female ; Blood-Brain Barrier/pathology* ; Pregnancy ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Male ; Neodymium/toxicity* ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/prevention & control* ; Lactation ; Maternal Exposure/adverse effects* ; Brain

Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major health challenge in Malaysia, many Malaysians are unaware of their CVD risk. The measurement of biomarkers in the general population may help to identify at-risk individuals before the onset of symptomatic CVD. The aim of this community health screening project was to determine the distribution of high-sensitivity troponin I (hsTnI) and other biomarkers of CVD risk in the general population of Johor, Malaysia. A sampling of self-declared healthy volunteers was conducted during the 2016 Kembara Mahkota community event in Johor. Levels of hsTnI, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and homocysteine (HCY) were analyzed using the ARCHITECT immunoassay and clinical chemistry platforms utilizing fresh venous blood samples. Based on previous data, biomarker levels indicative of high risk were >10 and >12 ng/mL for hsTnI in women and men, respectively, BNP >50 pg/mL in the overall population, and HCY >13.6 µmol/L in women and >16.2 µmol/L in men. A total of 2744 volunteers participated in biomarker testing. Biomarker measurements showed that up to 10% of participants had moderate or high CVD risk based on hsTnI, approximately 2% were above the BNP threshold and >50% of subjects were above the HCY threshold. General population biomarker testing shows distribution of biomarker levels that may be indicative of CVD risk or the presence of disease and suggests that biomarker-guided risk strategies should be more widely implemented to determine the impact they would have on early detection and prevention of disease.

Objective To explore the therapeutic value of hemoperfusion combined with daytime high capacity hemofiltration in the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis.Methods The clinical data of 25 patients with severe acute pancreatitis treated by hemoperfusion combined with daytime high capacity hemofiltration(the observation group) were retrospectively analyzed,and compared with 30 severe acute pancreatitis patients without blood purification treatment(the control group).Results After the treatment,the biochemical indicator of the observation group was improved obviously compared with pre-treatment.Of the observation group,the hospital slaying time was shorter [(21.6±12.3) d vs(30.8±15.6) d],and the cure rate was higher(72％ vs 40％),and the death rate was lower (16％ vs 30％),compared with the control group(all P ＜ 0.05),but the treatment costs had no difference between the two groups.Conclusion Patients with severe acute pancreatitis on the basis of conventional treatment should conduct as early as possible hemoperfusion combined with daytime high capacity hemofiltration,and it could improve the success rate of the rescue and shorthen the length of hospital stay,and its curative effect was accurate.

Objective To explore the best vibration frequency for activating human muscles.Methods Nineteen healthy college students accepted vibration stimulation at frequencies between 10 and 50 Hz.Surface electromyograms (sEMG) were recorded.The subjects were sitting,standing,squatting (knee flexion 30°) and recumbent.Their left anterior tibial muscles and the medial heads of the gastrocnemius were targeted as test muscles.The vibration stimulation point was on the surface of the left distal tibia.The sEMG characteristics of the calf muscles were analyzed under vibration stimulation at different frequencies. ResultsThe leg muscles were activated significantly at all vibration frequencies,but the sEMG values of the anterior tibialis were significantly different at different frequencies,except for among 30 Hz,40 Hz and 50 Hz in any position.The gastrocnemius sEMG values were not significantly different at different frequencies. ConclusionVibration at 30 to 50Hz may be the normal human muscle activation frequency.