1.Effect and mechanism of Jingangteng capsules in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease based on gut microbiota and metabolomics
Shiyuan CHENG ; Yue XIONG ; Dandan ZHANG ; Jing LI ; Zhiying SUN ; Jiaying TIAN ; Li SHEN ; Yue SHEN ; Dan LIU ; Qiong WEI ; Xiaochuan YE
China Pharmacy 2025;36(11):1340-1347
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect and mechanism of Jingangteng capsules in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS Thirty-two SD rats were randomly divided into normal group and modeling group. The modeling group was fed a high-fat diet to establish a NAFLD model. The successfully modeled rats were then randomly divided into model group, atorvastatin group[positive control, 2 mg/(kg·d)], and Jingangteng capsules low- and high-dose groups [0.63 and 2.52 mg/(kg·d)], with 6 rats in each group. The pathological changes of the liver were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and oil red O staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to determine the serum levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-18. 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing and metabolomics techniques were applied to explore the effects of Jingangteng capsules on gut microbiota and metabolisms in NAFLD rats. Based on the E-mail:591146765@qq.com metabolomics results, Western blot analysis was performed to detect proteins related to the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB)/NOD-like receptor family protein 3 (NLRP3) signaling pathway in the livers of NAFLD rats. RESULTS The experimental results showed that Jingangteng capsules could significantly reduce the serum levels of TG, TC, LDL-C, AST, ALT, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, while increased the level of HDL-C, and alleviated the hepatic cellular steatosis and inflammatory infiltration in NAFLD rats. They could regulate the gut microbiota disorders in NAFLD rats, significantly increased the relative abundance of Romboutsia and Oscillospira, and significantly decreased the relative abundance of Blautia (P<0.05). They also regulated metabolic disorders primarily by affecting secondary bile acid biosynthesis, fatty acid degradation, O-antigen nucleotide sugar biosynthesis, etc. Results of Western blot assay showed that they significantly reduced the phosphorylation levels of NF-κB p65 and NF-κB inhibitor α, and the protein expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1 and ASC (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Jingangteng capsules could improve inflammation, lipid accumulation and liver injury in NAFLD rats, regulate the disorders of gut microbiota and metabolisms, and inhibit NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway. Their therapeutic effects against NAFLD are mediated through the inhibition of the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.
2.Investigation and analysis of the current situation of pharmaceutical care demand and payment willingness of inpatients in Hubei Province
Xiaochun YE ; Chengcheng LI ; Lulu LI ; Tiying DENG ; Yangcong LIU ; Di LI ; Shaohui ZHANG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(18):2226-2231
OBJECTIVE To provide empirical basis for promoting the dynamic adjustment of the pharmaceutical care catalogue and the formulation of policies such as hierarchical payment of medical insurance. METHODS A multicenter cross- sectional survey method was adopted to conduct a questionnaire survey among 424 inpatients in 22 tertiary medical institutions in 12 prefecture-level cities of Hubei Province to evaluate their demand for pharmaceutical care, willingness to pay and preference for service forms. Combined with univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis, the influencing factors and key factors that affect patients’ willingness to pay for pharmaceutical care were identified. RESULTS Only 39.86% of the patients were aware of pharmaceutical care or pharmacists, and 89.62% of the patients hope to receive pharmaceutical care. Among the 16 types of pharmaceutical care, the patients surveyed had a relatively high recognition rate for guidance on drug usage and dosage, notification of medication precautions, and the identification, prevention and handling of adverse drug reactions. 96.70%, 95.30%, and 94.12% respectively expressed strong approval and approval. The demand for services such as insurance-related policy consultation, popular science on the mechanism of drug action, and assessment of the combined use of traditional Chinese and Western medicines was relatively low, with 61.65%, 68.47%, and 68.47% expressing strong approval and approval respectively. The positive influencing factors of willingness to pay were household monthly income > 5 000 yuan (OR=1.742), awareness of pharmaceutical care or pharmacists (OR=3.620), and the desire to receive pharmaceutical care (OR=4.686) (P<0.05), while self-rating health as “good” (OR=0.390) was a negative influencing factor (P<0.05). Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (54.48%) and antihypertensive drugs (45.05%) were the service scenarios that the surveyed patients most hope to be covered. 85.14% of the patients preferred “service when xiaochnye@126.com needed”, with a single service duration of less than 10 minutes being appropriate (84.43%), and the willingness to pay within 20 yuan being the main type (85.38%). CONCLUSIONS Based on the characteristics of patients’ needs and payment behaviors, it is suggested that our country could consider establishing a hierarchical payment mechanism for pharmaceutical care, and focus on differentiated design in combination with diseases and medication situations. At the same time, the rights, responsibilities and service standards of resident pharmacists in the links such as medication reorganization and medical order review should be further clarified to comprehensively enhance the clinical value and policy operability of pharmaceutical care.
3.Exploring the mechanism of lncRNA-BC200 in regulating neuronal injury repair based on controlling BACE1 ubiquitination.
Lijun LIU ; Jie DU ; Huan LIU ; Yuan WANG ; Jing ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2025;41(2):125-133
Objective To explore the mechanism of lncRNA-BC200 (BC200) targeting the ubiquitination of Beta-site APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) and regulating the repair of nerve cell injury. Methods Mouse hippocampal neuron cell line HT22 was divided into four groups: control group, oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation(OGD/R) group, OGD/R+si-NC group and OGD/R+si-BC200 group. In order to further explore the relationship between BC200 and BACE1, HT22 cells were divided into four groups: OGD/R group, OGD/R+si-BC200 group, OGD/R+si-BC200+NC group and OGD/R+si-BC200+ BACE1 group. Twenty male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to the following four groups: control group, middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) group, MCAO+si-BC200 group and MCAO+si-BC200+BACE1 group. The mRNA expression levels of BC200 and BACE1 in cells were measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The expressions of c-caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2), Bcl2 associated X protein(BAX) and BACE1 were detected by western blot, and the apoptotic cells were detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) test. Results Compared with the control group, the activity of HT22 cells in OGD/R group decreased significantly, and the percentage of apoptotic cells increased significantly. Compared with OGD/R+si-NC group, the activity of HT22 cells in OGD/R+si-BC200 group increased significantly, and the percentage of apoptotic cells decreased significantly. Compared with the control group, the expression of BACE1 protein in HT22 cells in OGD/R group was significantly enhanced. Compared with OGD/R+si-NC group, the expression of BACE1 protein in HT22 cells in OGD/R+si-BC200 group decreased significantly. It was observed that after OGD/R treatment, the ubiquitination level of BACE1 decreased significantly and the expression of BACE1 protein increased significantly. After transfection with si-BC200, the ubiquitination level of BACE1 protein increased significantly, while the expression of BACE1 protein decreased significantly. Compared with OGD/R+si-BC200+NC group, the percentage of apoptotic cells, the expression of c-caspase-3 and Bax protein in HT22 cells in OGD/R+si-BC200+BACE1 group increased significantly, and the expression of Bcl2 protein decreased significantly. Compared with the control group, the number of cerebral infarction areas and TUNEL positive cells in MCAO group increased significantly, and the survival number of neurons decreased significantly. Compared with the MCAO group, the number of cerebral infarction areas and TUNEL positive cells in MCAO+si-BC200 group decreased significantly, and the survival number of neurons increased significantly, while the addition of BACE1 reversed the improvement of si-BC200 transfection. Conclusion The combination of BC200 and BACE1 inhibit the ubiquitination of BACE1, and participate in mediating the expression enhancement of BACE1 induced by OGD/R. Specific blocking of BC200/BACE1 axis may be a potential therapeutic target to protect neurons from apoptosis induced by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion.
Animals
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Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases/genetics*
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RNA, Long Noncoding/physiology*
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Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases/genetics*
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Male
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Neurons/pathology*
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Apoptosis/genetics*
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Ubiquitination
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Cell Line
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Hippocampus/metabolism*
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bcl-2-Associated X Protein/genetics*
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Caspase 3/genetics*
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Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery/metabolism*
4.Bioactivity-guided discovery of antiviral templichalasins A‒C from the endophytic fungus Aspergillus templicola.
Teng CAI ; Jingzu SUN ; Wenxuan CHEN ; Qiang HE ; Baosong CHEN ; Yulong HE ; Peng ZHANG ; Yanhong WEI ; Hongwei LIU ; Xiaofeng CAI
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.) 2025;23(6):754-761
The bioactivity-guided isolation of potentially active natural products has been widely utilized in pharmaceutical discovery. In this study, by screening fungal extracts against coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), three new aspochalasins, templichalasins A‒C (1‒3), along with six known aspochalasins (4‒9) were isolated from an active extract derived from the endophytic fungus Aspergillus templicola LHWf045. Compound 1 features a unique 5/6/5/7/5 pentacyclic ring system, while compounds 2 and 3 possess unusual 5/6/6/7 tetracyclic skeletons. Their structures were characterized through extensive spectroscopic analyses, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Additionally, we demonstrated that compound 4 can be readily converted into compounds 1‒3 under mild acidic conditions and proposed a plausible mechanism for this conversion. Bioactivity evaluation of compounds 1‒9 against CVB3 revealed the inhibitory effects of all compounds against the virus. Notably, compound 9 exhibited superior antiviral activity, surpassing the commercial drug ribavirin in selectivity index (SI) value.
Antiviral Agents/isolation & purification*
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Aspergillus/chemistry*
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Molecular Structure
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Enterovirus B, Human/drug effects*
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Endophytes/chemistry*
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Cytochalasins/isolation & purification*
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Drug Discovery
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Humans
5.Preparation and antitumor activity characterization of oncolytic nanoparticles encapsulating CVA21.
Yinping WANG ; Qiying CAI ; Jingjing ZHOU ; Xiaodi ZHENG ; Linkang CAI ; Yang WANG ; Binlei LIU
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(4):1395-1414
This study aims to investigate the potential of oncolytic nanoparticles encapsulating Coxsackievirus A21 (CVA21) full-genome mRNA (CVA21@ONP) to resurrect CVA21 and induce apoptosis in host cells, as well as the antitumor immune effects of CVA21@ONP in immunocompetent tumor-bearing BALB/c mice. We used lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to encapsulate CVA21 full-genome mRNA, thus preparing CVA21@ONP. The killing efficacy of CVA21@ONP was determined by the plaque assay and cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), and the apoptosis in HT29 and CT26-iRFP cells was evaluated by flow cytometry. Mice were administrated with CVA21@ONP at high and low doses intratumorally, and the growth of tumors expressing infra-red fluorescent protein (iRFP) was monitored. Additionally, the types and changes of immune cells in the spleen were analyzed by flow cytometry. The results demonstrated that CVA21@ONP successfully resurrected CVA21 in both HT29 and U87MG cells. The plaque assay revealed robust killing effects of CVA21@ONP against both human and murine cell lines, and flow cytometry results showed increased early and late apoptotic cells. Notably, intratumoral detection revealed significantly down-regulated expression of iRFP in both high- and low-dose CVA21@ONP groups. Flow cytometry results further indicated that CVA21@ONP treatment effectively reduced the levels of immunosuppressive cells, including myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs), in the spleen, while enhancing T cell-dependent antitumor immune responses. These findings suggest that CVA21@ONP can replicate and survive extensively both in vitro and in vivo, activating the immune system of mice administrated with CVA21@ONP to target cells at the tumor site, thereby remodeling the tumor immune microenvironment and accelerating the suppression or even complete regression of tumors. The oncolytic performance of CVA21@ONP has been verified through intratumoral injection administration in this study, aimed at further exploring its therapeutic potential and promoting the development of the field of tumor treatment.
Animals
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Nanoparticles/chemistry*
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred BALB C
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Humans
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Apoptosis
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Oncolytic Viruses/genetics*
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Oncolytic Virotherapy/methods*
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Cell Line, Tumor
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RNA, Messenger/genetics*
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HT29 Cells
6. Advances on cardiovascular effects of GLP-lRAs
Zhi-Qiang KE ; Chao LIU ; Zhi-Qiang KE ; Qian-Qian MA ; Zheng-Ding SU ; Dan LI ; Xin-Yuan ZHAO
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(3):426-430
Glucagon-like peptide-1 ( GLP-1 ) is secreted by gut enteroendocrine cells. GLP-1 receptor agonists ( GLP-1 RAs) control glucose-related augmentation of insulin and suppress glu-cagon secretion. GLP-lRAs also inhibit gastric emptying, food intake and limit weight gain. In the past decade, significant progresses have been made in the investigation on the effects of GLP-1 RAs on cardiovascular system. The potential advantages of oral small-molecule GLP-1 RAs could improve the application of this class of drugs. This review highlights the multiple cardiovascular profiles of GLP-1 RAs in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases to provide new insights into cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1 RAs.
7.Epidemiological characteristics of pertussis in Hubei Province in 2016 - 2021
Quan XIANG ; Juan LIU ; Siquan WANG ; Na LIU
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2024;35(2):87-90
Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics and current situation of pertussis in Hubei Province from 2016 to 2021. Methods Data on the incidence of pertussis and immunization history of cases in Hubei Province from 2016 to 2021 were collected and descriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted. Results From 2016 to 2021, a total of 1 236 pertussis cases were reported in Hubei Province, with an average annual reported incidence rate of 0.35/100 000. The average annual reported incidence of pertussis in the age group ≤ 5 years old was 6.22/100 000, and the age group <1 year old reported the highest annual incidence rate (21.51/100 000). The proportion of pertussis among preschool children and students had increased significantly since 2020. Among the 1 111 cases with a known immunization history, 17.55% were under the age of vaccination , 41.85% were not vaccinated, and 17.46% had completed the whole course of vaccination. Conclusion Since 2016, the incidence of pertussis in Hubei Province has been on the rise. The risk of pertussis is higher in infants and young children who have not reached the age of vaccination and who have not been vaccinated in time according to the immunization program after reaching the age of vaccination. The timeliness and vaccination rate of DTP vaccine should be improved to reduce the risk of pertussis in infants and young children. In addition, more attention should be paid to the prevalence of pertussis among preschool children and students.
8.Weifuchun Alleviates Gastric Precancerous Lesions by Inhibiting Pyroptosis via NF-κB/GSDME Pathway
Yegui JIA ; Dan XIAO ; Qiong LIU ; Ao WANG ; Fengqin AO ; Zhimin HUANG ; Qin JIANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(21):61-69
ObjectiveTo explore the role and molecular mechanism of Weifuchun (WFC) in inhibiting inflammation and alleviating gastric precancerous lesions (GPL). MethodHuman gastric mucosal epithelial cells (GES-1) were stimulated with N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) for the modeling of GPL (MC cells), with Caspase-3 inhibition by Z-DEVD-FMK. MC cells were divided into control (20% blank serum), WFC (15% and 20% WFC-containing serum), and caspase-3 inhibitor groups. The cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to examine the viability of GES-1 cells or MC cells. The Transwell assay and 5-acetylidene-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining were employed to examine cell invasion and proliferation, respectively. Flow cytometry was employed to determine the level of reactive oxygen species. Real-time PCR was conducted to determine the mRNA levels of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) was used to analyze the role of pyroptosis in gastric cancer progression. Western blotting was employed to determine the protein levels of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65, gasdermin E (GSDME), and Caspase-3. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to detect the NF-κB p65 protein level and nuclear translocation. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was carried out to observe the pathological changes in the gastric mucosa before and after WFC treatment in the patients. ResultCompared with the control group, MC cells presented enhanced proliferation and invasion energy (P<0.01). Compared with the blank serum group, WFC-containing serum inhibited the proliferation and invasion of MC cells (P<0.01), down-regulated the mRNA levels of IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α, and lowered the level of reactive oxygen species (P<0.05, P<0.01). The transcriptome data at different stages of gastric cancer showed that pyroptosis was involved in gastric cancer progression, and the GSDME level was significantly higher in GPL patients than in the normal group. Compared with the blank serum, WFC-containing serum lowered the level of NF-κB and inhibited the nuclear translocation of NF-κB (P<0.05), and it inhibited pyroptosis by suppressing the cleavage of Caspase-3 on GSDME (P<0.05, P<0.01). The analysis of patient specimens further demonstrated that WFC treatment down-regulated the NF-κB level and GSDME cleavage (P<0.01), inhibited pyroptosis, and alleviated gastric mucosal inflammation and intestinal epithelial metaplasia. ConclusionPyroptosis is involved in the progression of gastric cancer, and WFC inhibits pyroptosis via the NF-κB/GSDME pathway, thereby alleviating gastric mucosal inflammation in GPL.
9.Lipid peroxidation changes induced by dibutyl phthalate in allergic asthma mice
Yan LI ; Ning MA ; Yenan CHEN ; Xinyu YU ; Qi PENG ; Ruiji LIU ; Yang WU ; Ping MA
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2023;40(2):209-215
Background Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) is a common plasticizer in daily life and has been proved to be related to the exacerbation of allergic asthma. Domestic and foreign studies have shown that lipid peroxidation is closely related to the severity of asthma, which can be used as a basis for the diagnosis and treatment of asthma. Whether DBP can induce lipid peroxidation in allergic asthma remains to be further studied. Objective To investigate whether DBP aggravates allergic asthma by inducing lipid peroxidation in allergic asthma mice. Methods Eighty male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 4 groups, namely control group, DBP group (40 mg·kg−1), 50 μg ovalbumin (OVA) group (allergic asthma model group), and DBP+OVA group. The DBP group and the DBP+OVA group were given DBP by gavage from Day 1 to 28, and the OVA group and the DBP+OVA group were sensitized by intraperitoneal injection of OVA, once every 3 d, a total of 5 injections, from Day 9 to 21. From Day 29 to 35, the OVA group and the DBP+OVA group were challenged by OVA atomization. After the exposure, samples of blood and lung were collected. The airway hyperresponsiveness of mice was observed by lung function analysis. The serum contents of immunoglobulin E (IgE), OVA-specific immunoglobulin E (OVA-IgE), and lung homogenate levels of interleukin 4 (IL-4) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to evaluate airway allergic inflammation. The pathological changes of lung tissues were observed after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and collagen fiber (Masson) staining. The contents of reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid ROS, glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), reduced glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) in lung homogenates were detected by ELISA to evaluate lipid peroxidation. Results The results of lung function analysis showed that compared with the control group, the inspiratory resistance (Ri) and expiratory resistance (Re) of the OVA group and the DBP+OVA group were increased, and the lung compliance (Cldyn) was decreased. The DBP + OVA group was more severe, and the difference between the OVA group and the DBP + OVA group was statistically significant (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the contents of IgE, OVA-IgE, and IL-4 in the OVA group and the DBP+OVA group were increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01), which indicated more severe allergic airway inflammation. The HE sections of the OVA group and the DBP+OVA group showed inflammatory cell infiltration around the airway, airway wall hyperplasia and thickening, and severe airway deformation, and the presentation of the DBP+OVA group was the most serious. After Masson staining, the OVA group and the DBP+OVA group showed depositions of a large number of collagen fibers, and the blue collagen fibrosis in the DBP+OVA group was even more serious. ROS, lipid ROS, MDA, and 4-HNE levels increased and GSH and GPX4 levels decreased in the OVA and DBP+OVA groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01), with the most severe effect in the DBP+OVA group. Conclusion DBP may induce lipid peroxidation in mice allergic asthma by producing excessive ROS which may aggravate the allergic asthma in mice.
10.Evaluation on the blocking effect of hepatitis B vaccine on mother-to-infant transmission in 302 cases and analysis of influencing factors
Juan LIU ; Long HU ; Lihua WANG ; Lixian WANG ; Yanfei CHEN ; Yan TANG ; Jiaojiao ZOU ; Long HU ; Long HU
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2023;34(6):136-139
Objective To evaluate the effect of the current immunization strategy for hepatitis B virus (Hepatitis B) in blocking mother-to-infant transmission in Hubei Province, and to explore the mechanism and possible influencing factors of failure of mother-to-infant blockade. Methods A multi-stage random sampling method was used to select 2 counties or districts in Hubei Province. Through maternity hospital health handbook, neonatal health record or hospital medical record system, hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive pregnant women in 2012-2018 years were included to retrospectively investigate their delivery status and the HBV infection status of their children. Results Among the 302 newborns, 32 were positive for HBsAg, and the success rate of blockade of mother-to-infant transmission of hepatitis B was 89.45%. Further analysis showed that 68.21% (206 / 302) of newborns were delivered in township hospitals, 66.23% (200 / 302) were delivered by caesarean section and 41.72% (126 / 302) were breastfed, while 16.89% (51/302) were positive for hepatitis B virus e antigen (HBeAg), and 41.06% (124/302) were positive for anti-HBe. The vaccination rate of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) during pregnancy was 3.31% (10/302), and the newborn HBIG vaccination rate was 94.37% (285/302). There were 84.11% (254/302) of pregnant women taking protective measures in daily life. Logistic regression analysis showed that township hospitals (OR=2.82, P<0.05), HBeAg positivity during pregnancy (OR=8.68, P<0.05), and HBIG vaccination during pregnancy (OR=12.62 , P<0.05) were risk factors for failure of mother-to-infant blockade, while anti-HBe positivity during pregnancy (OR=0.22, P<0.05), vaccination of newborns with HBIG (OR=0.20, P<0.05), and protective measures taken in daily life (OR=0.28, P<0.05) were protective factors for mother-to-infant interruption. Conclusion Deliveries in township hospitals and HBeAg-positivity during pregnancy are more likely to fail in blocking of mother-to-infant transmission of hepatitis B. HBIG vaccination during pregnancy does not reduce the risk of blockade failure. Neonatal HBIG vaccination, anti-HBe positivity during pregnancy, and protective measures in daily life can reduce the risk of blockade failure of mother-to-infant transmission of hepatitis B.


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