Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and immunization history of pertussis cases in Yichang City, Hubei Province from 2018 to 2023. Methods Data on the incidence and immunization history of pertussis cases were collected in Yichang City from 2018 to 2023, and the epidemiological characteristics was analyzed and described. Results A total of 109 cases of pertussis were reported in Yichang from 2018 to 2023, and the annual average reported incidence rate was 0.45/100,000. The incidence rate reported in each year was between 0～1.58/100,000. The area with the highest annual reported incidence rate was Xiling District (1.19/100,000). There was a statistically significant difference in the incidence rate between different years (χ²=208.26, P < 0.001). The annual reported incidence rate showed a significant increasing trend (χ² trend =125.71, P < 0.001). The ratio of male to female cases was 1.22. There was no significant difference in the annual reported incidence rates between males and females (χ²=0.85, P=0.36). Children aged 3-9 years accounted for 60.55%. Students and scattered children accounted for 45.87% and 36.70%, respectively. Before the onset of the disease, 72.48% had a history of immunization with pertussis-containing vaccine, and 27.52% had no history of immunization. The shortest interval between the last dose of pertussis-containing vaccine and the onset of the disease was 8 days, the longest was 4057 days, and the median was 1882 days. Conclusion From 2018 to 2023, the reported incidence of pertussis in Yichang City has been on the rise, with the majority of cases occurring in children and students under the age of 9. It is recommended to strengthen pertussis disease monitoring.

BACKGROUND: The main cause of restenosis after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is the excessive proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Lin28a has been reported to play critical regulatory roles in this process. However, whether CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins β (C/EBPβ) binds to the Lin28a promoter and drives the progression of restenosis has not been clarified. Therefore, in the present study, we aim to clarify the role of C/EBPβ-Lin28a axis in restenosis. METHODS: Restenosis and atherosclerosis rat models of type 2 diabetes ( n   =  20, for each group) were established by subjecting to PTA. Subsequently, the difference in DNA methylation status and expression of C/EBPβ between the two groups were assessed. EdU, Transwell, and rescue assays were performed to assess the effect of C/EBPβ on the proliferation and migration of VSMCs. DNA methylation status was further assessed using Methyltarget sequencing. The interaction between Lin28a and ten-eleven translocation 1 (TET1) was analysed using co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay. Student's t -test and one-way analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: C/EBPβ expression was upregulated and accompanied by hypomethylation of its promoter in restenosis when compared with atherosclerosis. In vitroC/EBPβ overexpression facilitated the proliferation and migration of VSMCs and was associated with increased Lin28a expression. Conversely, C/EBPβ knockdown resulted in the opposite effects. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays further demonstrated that C/EBPβ could directly bind to Lin28a promoter. Increased C/EBPβ expression and enhanced proliferation and migration of VSMCs were observed after decitabine treatment. Further, mechanical stretch promoted C/EBPβ and Lin28a expression accompanied by C/EBPβ hypomethylation. Additionally, Lin28a overexpression reduced C/EBPβ methylation via recruiting TET1 and enhanced C/EBPβ-mediated proliferation and migration of VSMCs. The opposite was noted in Lin28a knockdown cells. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that the C/EBPβ-Lin28a axis is a driver of restenosis progression, and presents a promising therapeutic target for restenosis.
Animals ; Cell Proliferation/genetics* ; Cell Movement/genetics* ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/metabolism* ; Rats ; DNA Methylation/physiology* ; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-beta/genetics* ; Male ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle/cytology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics* ; Cells, Cultured ; Coronary Restenosis/metabolism*

Bacillus coagulans can utilize the hydrolyzed carbon source of agricultural waste to produce lactic acid via a homofermentative pathway. However, a significant carbon source metabolic repression effect was observed when the strain metabolized mixed sugars (glucose and xylose), reducing the productivity of lactic acid. In this study, we obtained the fermentation conditions for the simultaneous utilization of the mixed sugars by B. coagulans by changing the ratio of glucose to xylose in the medium. Through transcriptome sequencing, several key genes responsible for xylose utilization were identified. The critical role of xylose isomerase (XylA, EC 5.3.1.5) in the synchronous utilization of glucose/xylose in B. coagulans was investigated via qRT-PCR (quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction). Subsequently, the heterologous expression and characterization of the XylA-encoding gene (XylA) were conducted. It was determined that the gene encoded a protein composed of 440 amino acid residues. The secondary structure of the encoded protein was predominantly composed of α-helixes and random coils, while the higher structure of the protein was identified as a homotetramer. Then, XylA was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), and the recombinant protein Bc-XlyA was obtained with a molecular weight of approximately 50 kDa. The optimal pH and temperature of Bc-XylA were 8.0 and 60 ℃, respectively, and Mn²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Co²⁺ had positive effects on the activity of Bc-XlyA. The present study provides scientific data on the molecular modification of B. coagulans, offering theoretical support for the efficient utilization of xylose in the strain.
Xylose/metabolism* ; Cloning, Molecular ; Bacillus coagulans/enzymology* ; Aldose-Ketose Isomerases/metabolism* ; Fermentation ; Bacterial Proteins/metabolism* ; Glucose/metabolism*

Objective To investigate the role and regulatory mechanism of stress-inducing protein 1(SESN1)in liver gluconeogenesis of fasting mice.Methods RT-qPCR was used to detect mRNA expression of SESN1 in liver tissues of C57BL/6J mice and primary mouse hepatocytes treated with forskolin(Fsk)and dexamethasone(Dex).HepG2 cells were transfected with plasmids and the effects of SESN1 overexpression on mRNA expression of gluconeogenesis related genes PGC-1α,PEPCK and G6Pase was detected by RT-qPCR.The effect of SESN1 on the promoter activity of PGC-1α in HepG2 cells was studied using a dual luciferase reporter system.The effect of SESN1 on PGC-1α deacetylation was detected by overexpression of SESN1 and inhibition of SIRT1 expression.By knocking down SIRT1 expression,we detected whether it mediated the changes in mRNA levels of SESN1 in-duced gluconeogenesis related genes.Results The mRNA expression of SESN1 was significantly increased in liver tissues of starved C57BL/6J mice and in primary hepatocytes treated with Fsk and Dex(P<0.001).Over-expression of SESN1 in HepG2 cells promoted mRNA expression of PGC-1α,PEPCK and G6Pase(P<0.001)and promoter activity of PGC-1α(P<0.001).Over-expression of SESN1 decreased the acetylation level of PGC-1α in primary hepatocytes.Sirt family inhibitors NAM and shRNA adenovirus interfered with SIRT1 expression respective-ly,and antagonized the deacetylation effect of SESN1 on PGC-1α.The expression of PGC-1α,PEPCK and G6Pase induced by SIRT1 was also significantly impaired(P<0.000 1).Conclusions SESN1 regulates liver gluconeogene-sis in mice with a SIRT1-dependent mechanism.

Objective To investigate the effect of Nutlin-3a,a mouse double minute 2 homolog(MDM2)inhibitor,on lipid metabolism of mouse adipose.Methods High-fat diet-induced obesity(DIO)C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a control group injected with DMSO and an experimental group injected with Nutlin-3a.Then we conducted glucose tolerance(GTT)and insulin tolerance(ITT)tests.The epididymal white adipose tissue(eWAT),inguinal white adipose tissue(iWAT)and brown adipose tissue(BAT)of animals were isolated and microscopy of WATs with hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining was performed to observe the morphological changes of adipocytes.The expression of lipid metabolism related gene cell death-inducing DFF45-like effector C(CIDEC)in eWAT were detected by qPCR and Western blot.Results Compared with the control group,Nutlin-3a was found to promote the body weight(P＜0.001),but no effect on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in DIO mice.Nutlin-3a treatment decreased the size of adipocytes and fat deposition in adipose tissue and downregulated the mRNA and protein levels of CIDEC in eWAT.Conclusions Nutlin-3a inhibits the formation of lipid droplets by downregulating expression of CIDEC in white adipose tissue.

Chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) of the lower extremities is a common clinical condition characterized by exercise-induced pain in the extremities, which is predominantly observed in people who take an active part in sports, such as athletes. It is mainly presented as post-exercise pain in the lower extremities, probably accompanied by numbness and limb weakness, etc., affecting the patients′ life and work. The symptoms of CECS in the lower limbs are usually present after physical activities of a certain intensity, making them difficult to be identified through routine outpatient physical examination, and likely to be misdiagnosed and underdiagnosed. Furthermore, the absence of universally accepted and unified treatment standards for CECS of the lower extremities complicates the decision-making process regarding the necessity of surgical intervention and choice of surgical approach in the clinical practice. For this purpose, recent developments in the diagnosis and treatment of CECS of the lower extremities were reviewed to provide reference for its standardized diagnosis and treatment.

In this study, a new in situ film of compound iodine oral spray was prepared by in situ gel technology, which was used to exert sustained-release effect for promoting the repair of oral ulcer wounds. Firstly, the formulation and process of the spray solution were optimized according to the spray state and film-forming time. The drug-liquid mixing ratio was evaluated by film-forming time and drug film adhesion. The drug content, stability, pH, and spraying effect of compound iodine oral spray prepared by the optimal formulation were investigated; and the physicochemical properties, including film formation time, solubility, hygroscopicity, moisture retention and in vitro release of drug film were evaluated. In addition, the biocompatibility of the film-forming materials and proliferation ability of drug film were investigated by cell experiment. Through the rabbit oral ulcer model, the in vivo film-forming and repair-promoting effects of compound iodine oral spray were evaluated. The results showed that the pH of liquid A and liquid B prepared were 6.21±0.02 and 6.42±0.03, respectively, which were in line with the normal pH range of oral mucosa; liquid A and liquid B had good stability and spray state; the iodine content in solution B was (1.96±0.01) mg/mL; the in situ membrane formation time in vitro and in the oral cavity were (118.3±3.6) s and (133.3±4.6) s, respectively; the 24-hour dissolution rate was (87.31±1.74)%, the moisture absorption rate was (124.17±7.13)%, and the moisture retention rate was (26.85±2.50)%; the iodine content in the oral spray was (47.42±0.39) mg/g, with good flexibility and adhesion, as well as some slow-release effect. In cell experiment, the film-forming materials showed good biocompatibility and growth promotion ability. The results of the rabbit oral ulcer experiment showed that the compound iodine oral spray could rapidly form a film in vivo and significantly promote the repair of oral ulcer. In conclusion, the compound iodine oral spray in situ film with a stable preparation process can effectively promote the repair of oral ulcer wounds, which provides a new idea for the research of novel oral mucosa formulations, with a good prospect of transfer.

Objective:To design a multi-epitope antigen of norovirus(NoV)based on bioinformatics technology and to pre-pare and characterize it.Methods:Bioinformatics methods were used to construct and analyze the NoV multi-epitope antigen NoV-ZH.Recombinant proteins were prepared and characterized by prokaryotic expression system,and monoclonal antibodies were prepared by animal immunization and hybridoma technology,and initially applied in colloidal gold platform.Results:The designed multi-epitope antigen had a large proportion of random curls in the secondary structure,with theoretical molecular mass and isoelectric point(PI)of 13.1 ku and 7.16,which were stable and hydrophilic.It had good immunogenicity and could activate humoral and cellular immune re-sponses.The proteins prepared by ligating pET-28a(+)and pET-32a vectors with antigenic sequences were expressed as inclusion body proteins and soluble proteins,respectively.A pair of paired antibodies was obtained by animal immunization and hybridoma tech-nique,and applied to colloidal gold test strips with a sensitivity of 0.5 ng/ml,and the test strips could specifically bind two genotypes of NoV recombinant capsid proteins.Conclusion:The successful preparation and characterization of multi-epitope antigen of norovirus provides a reference for the subsequent exploration of NoV universal detection targets and the development of diagnostic raw materials.

This study aims to establish a multiplex TaqMan fluorescence quantitative PCR(qPCR)assay for Pasteurella multocida(P.multocida).Specific primers and fluorescent labeling probes were designed based on the sequences of five podoplanar genes of P.multocida hyaC-hyaD,bcbD,dcbF,ecbJ,and fcbD in the NCBI database.We adjusted the annealing temperature by gradient setting,optimized the primer and probe concentrations by matrix method,constructed standard curves,and performed specificity,sensitivity and reproducibility tests,and finally established mul-tiplexed TaqMan qPCR assays for these five genes.The results showed that the established assay had a good linear relationship between the amplification curves.The sensitivity of this method was high,10-100 times higher than that of ordinary PCR;the specificity was strong,and there was no amplification curve in the DNA detection of eight pathogenic bacteria such as Bacillus,Proteus mirabilis,Staphylococcus aureus,and Rhizoctonia rad iodurans.This assay had a good linear rela-tionship,and the coefficients of variation for Ct values of the inter-and intra-group reproducibility tests were all less than 3％,and the detection rate of this assay was 11.25％higher than the con-ventional PCR assay through the detection of 90 clinical samples.The method established in this study is able to detect P.multocida rapidly and sensitively,which is important for its rapid clinical and laboratory diagnosis.