Objective This study reports on the obligatory parasitism of water mites Arrenurus sp. on Anopheles messeae at the Manzhouli Port, Inner Mongolia, China. Methods Duing July 2024, a survey on the mosquito diversity was conducted at the Manzhouli Port. Captured mosquitoes and their ectoparasites were identified to species level. Results A total of 1840 adult mosquitoes were collected, representing species from three genera: Culex(Cx. modestus, Cx. pipiens pallens), Aedes(Ae. dorsalis, Ae. flavidorsalis, Ae. flavescens), and Anopheles (An. messeae). Among all the mosqutioes specimens,3 out of 150 captured An. messeae were found to carry ectoparasitic mites, with number of 2,4,27 mites separately. Morphological and molecular identification reached the same result as water mites(Hydrachnidiae, Hydracrina). COI gene sequence showed 94% similarity with the closest species Arrenurus truncatellus. Conlusions Literature review suggests water mites are host-specific parasitism of mosquito species and herein with the first record of Arrenurus sp. parasiting on An. Messeae in the most high-latitude region globally.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of miR-483-5p on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells proliferation and stemness, as well as the attenuating effect of Pien Tze Huang (PZH). METHODS: Differentially expressed miRNA between HepG2 cells and hepatic cancer stem-like cells (HCSCs) were identified by a miRNA microarray assay. miR-483-5p mimics were transfected into HepG2 cells to explore the effects of miR-483-5p on cell proliferation and stemness. HepG2 cells and HCSCs were treated with PZH (0, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 mg/mL) to explore the effects of PZH on the proliferation and stemness, both in non-induced state and the state induced by miR-483-5p mimics. RESULTS: miR-483-5p was significantly up-regulated in HCSCs and its overexpression increased cell proliferation and stemness in HepG2 cells (P<0.05). PZH not only significantly inhibited proliferation in HepG2 cells, but also significantly suppressed the cell proliferation and self-renewal of HCSCs (P<0.05). The effects of miR-483-5p mimics on proliferation and stemness of HepG2 cells were partially abolished by PZH. CONCLUSIONS miR-483-5p promotes proliferation and enhances stemness of HepG2 cells, which were attenuated by PZH, demonstrating that miR-483-5p is a potential molecular target for the treatment of HCC and provide experimental evidence to support clinical use of PZH for patients with HCC.
Humans ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/drug therapy* ; Hep G2 Cells ; Neoplastic Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects*

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

OBJECTIVE: Peritoneal fibrosis (PF) is an adverse event that occurs during long-term peritoneal dialysis, significantly impairing treatment efficiency and adversely affecting patient outcomes. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV), a principal active component derived from Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge, has exhibited anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects in various settings. This study aims to investigate the potential therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of AS-IV in the treatment of PF. METHODS: The PF mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 4.25% peritoneal dialysis fluid (100 mL/kg). The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HMrSV5 cells was induced by the addition of 10 ng/mL transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). The differentially expressed genes in HMrSV5 cells treated with AS-IV were screened using transcriptome sequencing analysis. The potential targets of AS-IV were screened using network pharmacology and analyzed using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. RESULTS: Administration of AS-IV at doses of 20, 40, or 80 mg/kg effectively mitigated the increase in peritoneal thickness and the development of fibrosis in mice with PF. The expression of the fibrosis marker α-smooth muscle actin in the peritoneum was significantly decreased in AS-IV-treated mice. The treatment of AS-IV (10, 20, and 40 μmol/L) significantly delayed the EMT of HMrSV5 cells induced by TGF-β, as demonstrated by the decreased number of 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine-positive cells, reduced migrated area, and decreased expression of fibrosis markers. A total of 460 differentially expressed genes were detected in AS-IV-treated HMrSV5 cells through transcriptome sequencing, with notable enrichment in the phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT) signaling pathway. The reduced levels of phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K) and p-AKT were detected in HMrSV5 cells with AS-IV treatment. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was predicted as a direct target of AS-IV, exhibiting strong hydrogen bond interactions. The activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway by the compound 740Y-P, and the activation of the EGFR pathway by NSC 228155 each partially counteracted the inhibitory effect of AS-IV on the EMT of HMrSV5 cells. CONCLUSION AS-IV delayed the EMT process in peritoneal mesothelial cells and slowed the progression of PF, potentially serving as a therapeutic agent for the early prevention and treatment of PF. Please cite this article as: Huang Y, Chu CL, Qiu WH, Chen JY, Cao LX, Ji SY, Zhu B, Wang GK, Shen QQ. Astragaloside IV delayed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in peritoneal fibrosis by inhibiting the activation of EGFR and PI3K-AKT pathways. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):694-705.
Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/drug effects* ; Animals ; Saponins/pharmacology* ; Triterpenes/pharmacology* ; Mice ; Peritoneal Fibrosis/pathology* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; ErbB Receptors/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Male ; Humans ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Cell Line ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

OBJECTIVE: To explore and quantify the association of hot night exposure during the sperm development period (0-90 lag days) with semen quality. METHODS: A total of 6,640 male sperm donors from 6 human sperm banks in China during 2014-2020 were recruited in this multicenter study. Two indices (i.e., hot night excess [HNE] and hot night duration [HND]) were used to estimate the heat intensity and duration during nighttime. Linear mixed models were used to examine the association between hot nights and semen quality parameters. RESULTS: The exposure-response relationship revealed that HNE and HND during 0-90 days before semen collection had a significantly inverse association with sperm motility. Specifically, a 1 °C increase in HNE was associated with decreased sperm progressive motility of 0.0090 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: -0.0147, -0.0033) and decreased total motility of 0.0094 (95% CI: -0.0160, -0.0029). HND was significantly associated with reduced sperm progressive motility and total motility of 0.0021 (95% CI: -0.0040, -0.0003) and 0.0023 (95% CI: -0.0043, -0.0002), respectively. Consistent results were observed at different temperature thresholds on hot nights. CONCLUSION Our findings highlight the need to mitigate nocturnal heat exposure during spermatogenesis to maintain optimal semen quality.
Humans ; Male ; Semen Analysis ; Adult ; Sperm Motility ; Hot Temperature/adverse effects* ; China ; Middle Aged ; Spermatozoa/physiology* ; Young Adult

Objective To evaluate the subchronic systemic toxicity of disposable plasma virus-inactivated blood transfusion sets using hydroxyethyl starch(HES)130/0.4 sodium chloride injection as an extraction medium.Methods Firstly,40 Sprague Dawley(SD)rats including 20 male and 20 female ones were seleted and randomly enrolled into a sample group and a control group by sex,with 20 ones in each group.Secondly,instead of plasma HES 130/0.4 sodium chloride injection was used to leach disposable plasma virus-inactivated blood transfusion sets to prepare the test solution by simulating clinical application such as lighting,adsorption and filtration and storage.Finally,the test solution and HES 130/0.4 sodium chloride injection were injected into the tail vein of the SD rats at a dose of 20 mL/kg for 28 d in the sample group and in the control group respectively,and the subchronic systemic toxicity of disposable plasma virus-inactivated blood transfusion sets and the feasibility of using HES 130/0.4 sodium chloride injection as the extraction medium to assess their subchronic systemic toxicity were evaluated with clinical observation,body mass monitoring,clinical pathology examination,gross necropsy and histopathology examination.Results The sample group and control group had no significant differences in mortality rates,clinical observation results,body mass,gross necropsy results,hematological and coagulation examination results and organ weight(all P>0.05);blood biochemical examinations showed the male rats in the sample group had the cholesterol(CHO)values higher while the creatinine(CR)values lower than those in the control group,with the differences being statistically significant(both P<0.05)and the two indexes within the range of the laboratory's historical reference data,and other blood biochemical indexes were not significantly different(all P>0.05);the sample group had the spleen weight-to-body mass ratios of the female rates lower significantly than those in the control group(P<0.05),and the ratios of other organ weight to body mass had significant differences(all P>0.05);histopathology examination showed slight pathological changes in liver,spleen and kidney of female rats and in spleen and kidney of male rats in the sample group,and the female and male rats in the control group had similar pathological changes found in the sample group,which might be caused by HES metabolites.Conclusion Disposable plasma virus-inactivated blood transfusion sets prove to have no significant subchronic systemic toxicity,and its feasible to use HES 130/0.4 sodium chloride injection as the extraction medium to evaluate the subchronic systemic toxicity of disposable plasma virus-inactivated blood transfusion sets.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(10):29-35]

The application of sensors to the monitoring of spinal morphology and motion was reviewed in terms of the research object and monitoring index.The present situation of the application of sensors was introduced,such as inertial sensor,stretchable strain sensor and electromagnetic sensor.The deficiencies of sensors applied to the monitoring of spinal morphology and motion were analyzed,and the future directions of the application were pointed out.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(6):105-110]

BACKGROUND:Apoptosis and autophagy imbalance in the hippocampal region of perimenopausal depressed rats are closely related to cognitive decline.Whether aerobic exercise can reduce apoptosis by promoting hippocampal autophagy and thus improve the learning and memory abilities of perimenopausal depressed rats is not clear.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the possible mechanism by which 4-week moderate-intensity treadmill exercise improves learning memory ability in ovariectomized stressed rats.METHODS:Forty Sprague-Dawely rats were randomly divided into four groups,namely,sham operation group(n=10),ovariectomized group(n=10),ovariectomized stress group(n=10)and ovariectomized stress exercise group(n=10).Except for the sham operation group,the ovaries were removed in the other three groups to establish a perimenopausal rat model,and then a depressed rat model was established by chronic unpredictable stress in the latter two groups.The rats in the ovariectomized stress exercise group underwent a 4-week moderate-intensity treadmill exercise.Tail suspension test and sucrose preference test were performed to text depression-like behaviors in rats after exercise and stress.The eight-arm maze experiment was used to test the learning and memory behaviors of rats after exercise and stress.Western blot was used to detect the protein levels of AMP-activated protein kinase/UNC-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1/mammalian target of rapamycin(AMPK/mTOR/ULK1),hippocampus apoptotic factor Caspase-3 and the protein expression of autophagy markers LC-3II/Beclin-1 in the hippocampus.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the sham operation group,rats in the ovariectomized and ovariectomized stress groups had prolonged resting time in the tail suspension test and decreased sugar-water intake and sugar-water preference in the sucrose preference test.(2)Ovary removal reduced the learning memory capacity of rats,as evidenced behaviorally by a significant increase in the number of working memory errors,the number of reference memory errors,and the completion time,and an even more pronounced increase in the above measures in the ovariectomized stress group.(3)Compared with the ovariectomized group,there was a significant reduction in the number of working memory errors,the number of reference memory errors,and the completion time in the ovariectomized stress group.(4)Compared with the sham operation group,in the ovariectomized and ovariectomized stress groups,the expression of hippocampal apoptotic factor Caspase 3 protein was significantly elevated,the expression of autophagy-related factors proteins Beclin-1 and LC3II,as well as the protein expression of AMPK and ULK1,was decreased,whereas the expression of mTOR protein was elevated.Changes in the above indicators were more significant in the ovariectomized stress group.(5)Compared with the ovariectomized stress group,in the ovariectomized stress exercise group,the protein expression of Caspase 3 was significantly decreased,the protein expression of Beclin-1 and LC3II was significantly increased,the protein expression of AMPK and ULK1 was significantly increased,and the protein expression of mTOR was significantly reduced.To conclude,4-week moderate-intensity treadmill exercise may promote cellular autophagy and reduce apoptosis through the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 autophagy signaling pathway,thereby enhancing the learning and memory capacity of rats with ovariectomized depression

Aim To investigate the protective effects and potential mechanisms of Radix Angelica sinensis and Radix Hedysari ultrafiltrate(RAS-RH)on X-ray-induced cellular damage in Raw264.7 macrophages.Methods An integrated approach combining network pharmacology,molecular docking,and bioinformatics a-nalysis was employed to predict therapeutic targets and signaling pathways of RAS-RH in coronary heart dis-ease(CHD).Subsequent in vitro validation was per-formed using an X-ray(6 Gy)-induced macrophage in-jury model with four experimental groups:control,radi-ation-only model,and three RAS-RH-treated groups at varying concentrations.Cell viability was assessed by CCK-8 assay,apoptosis by flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC/PI staining,mitochondrial membrane potential by JC-1 fluorescence,and inflammatory cytokine levels(IL-1 β,IL-6,IL-18,TNF-α)by ELISA.Molecular mechanisms were investigated through Western blot and qRT-PCR analyses of TLR4/NLRP3/Caspase-1 sig-naling pathway components and Bcl-2 family proteins.Results Network pharmacology revealed RAS-RH's multi-target action on apoptosis and inflammation-relat-ed pathways,particularly NF-κB and Bcl-2 signaling.Molecular docking identified strong binding affinities between RAS-RH components and TLR4/NLRP3 pro-teins.In vitro studies demonstrated that RAS-RH treat-ment significantly improved cell viability(P＜0.01),reduced apoptosis(P＜0.01),restored mitochondrial membrane potential(P＜0.05),and attenuated radia-tion-induced ultrastructural damage including mem-brane disruption and cytoplasmic vacuolization.ELISA showed marked suppression of pro-inflammatory cyto-kines(P＜0.01).Transmission electron microscopy(TEM)analysis revealed that RSA-RH ameliorated pyroptosis-associated ultrastructural alterations,inclu-ding plasma membrane disruption and cytoplasmic vac-uolization.Protein and gene expression analyses con-firmed downregulation of TLR4/NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway and modulation of Bcl-2/Bax ratio.Conclu-sion RAS-RH exerts radioprotective effects through dual regulation of pyroptosis and apoptosis pathways,suggesting its potential as an adjuvant therapy for radia-tion-induced cardiovascular complications in CHD pa-tients.