The welfare and ethics of laboratory animals are the ethical principles and behavioral norms that need to be followed in conducting animal-based scientific research, breeding and managing laboratory animals, and supervising and regulating such activities. The level of protection of laboratory animal welfare and ethics is closely related to the development of science and technology, which has become a widely recognized international consensus. At present, Guangdong Province is accelerating the construction of a high-level science and technology innovation province and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Science and Technology Innovation Center. Guangdong Province should rely on its advanced governance capacity in the field of laboratory animal science and technology ethics to promote the high-quality development of its laboratory animal science and technology sector. Based on the management laws, regulations, and institutional mechanisms of laboratory animals in China, this paper explores the optimization of the laboratory animal science and technology ethics governance system, which includes the institutional guarantees, responsibility systems, ethical review and supervision mechanisms, and education and outreach. Through methods such as literature research, questionnaire surveys, and interview investigations, an empirical study of the laboratory animal science and technology ethics governance system in Guangdong Province has been conducted. Analysis of literature and research results shows that Guangdong Province has basically established a laboratory animal management system, collaboration mechanism, supervision mechanism, and education and training system that meet the current requirements of the laboratory animal science and technology ethics governance system in China. However, there are still problems such as an incomplete laboratory animal science and technology ethics supervision mechanism, an underdeveloped operation mechanism of review institutions, insufficient attention paid by laboratory animal units to the ethical review of animal experiments, inconsistent ethical review standards, and a lack of professional ethical education and training for ethics review personnel. Therefore, optimization measures such as improving the laboratory animal science and technology ethics review system, strengthening supervision and inspection, further strengthening the accountability of responsible entities, formulating review norms, and enhancing hierarchical and classified education and training are proposed, to provide a theoretical basis for promoting the normalized and long-term governance of laboratory animal science and technology ethics in Guangdong Province.

ObjectivePolygoni Multiflori Radix is a commonly used tonic traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in clinical practice， but liver injury has often been reported in recent years. Some related preparations containing Polygoni Multiflori Radix have been reported by the National Medical Products Administration many times for the risk of liver injury. This has caused extensive discussion on the potential toxicity of TCM in China and abroad， which has limited the clinical use of Polygoni Multiflori Radix to some extent. To understand the adverse reactions of Polygoni Multiflori Radix， the safe and rational use of Polygoni Multiflori Radix in clinical practice was discussed. MethodsThe pharmacovigilance thought of modern Chinese medicine and the TCM pharmacovigilance system framework of ''identification of poison， use of poison， anti-poison， and detoxification'' were employed to mine the relevant toxicity records， usage and dosage， processing compatibility， and contraindication of taking Polygoni Multiflori Radix in ancient books. The drug safety information of Polygoni Multiflori Radix was summarized by comparing with modern reports. ResultsA total of 74 ancient books related to Polygoni Multiflori Radix were included， suggesting that the toxicity of Polygoni Multiflori Radix was recognized in ancient times. The main chemical components of Polygoni Multiflori Radix had both efficacy and toxicity， and the adverse reactions may be related to long-term use， excessive use， and individual differences. The results showed that the toxic components of Polygoni Multiflori Radix could be reduced by peeling， steaming with black beans， and processing without iron tools. The toxic effects of Polygoni Multiflori Radix could be reduced by the compatibility of Polygoni Multiflori Radix with Poria， Psoraleae Fructus， and Cistanches Herba. ConclusionReasonable dosage， standard processing， correct compatibility， and syndrome differentiation are the key points to standardize the use of Polygoni Multiflori Radix and reduce the incidence of adverse reactions. Clinically， the toxicity classification of TCM should be strengthened， and the susceptible population should be prioritized. The detection indicators and early warning mechanisms should be improved， and precise drug dosage and course of treatment should be guaranteed. These measures can ensure the safe use of Polygoni Multiflori Radix.

ObjectivePolygoni Multiflori Radix is a commonly used tonic traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in clinical practice， but liver injury has often been reported in recent years. Some related preparations containing Polygoni Multiflori Radix have been reported by the National Medical Products Administration many times for the risk of liver injury. This has caused extensive discussion on the potential toxicity of TCM in China and abroad， which has limited the clinical use of Polygoni Multiflori Radix to some extent. To understand the adverse reactions of Polygoni Multiflori Radix， the safe and rational use of Polygoni Multiflori Radix in clinical practice was discussed. MethodsThe pharmacovigilance thought of modern Chinese medicine and the TCM pharmacovigilance system framework of ''identification of poison， use of poison， anti-poison， and detoxification'' were employed to mine the relevant toxicity records， usage and dosage， processing compatibility， and contraindication of taking Polygoni Multiflori Radix in ancient books. The drug safety information of Polygoni Multiflori Radix was summarized by comparing with modern reports. ResultsA total of 74 ancient books related to Polygoni Multiflori Radix were included， suggesting that the toxicity of Polygoni Multiflori Radix was recognized in ancient times. The main chemical components of Polygoni Multiflori Radix had both efficacy and toxicity， and the adverse reactions may be related to long-term use， excessive use， and individual differences. The results showed that the toxic components of Polygoni Multiflori Radix could be reduced by peeling， steaming with black beans， and processing without iron tools. The toxic effects of Polygoni Multiflori Radix could be reduced by the compatibility of Polygoni Multiflori Radix with Poria， Psoraleae Fructus， and Cistanches Herba. ConclusionReasonable dosage， standard processing， correct compatibility， and syndrome differentiation are the key points to standardize the use of Polygoni Multiflori Radix and reduce the incidence of adverse reactions. Clinically， the toxicity classification of TCM should be strengthened， and the susceptible population should be prioritized. The detection indicators and early warning mechanisms should be improved， and precise drug dosage and course of treatment should be guaranteed. These measures can ensure the safe use of Polygoni Multiflori Radix.

Objective To gain insights into the biological characteristics of different populations of Culex tritaeniorhynchus within and around the Yellow Sea wetland from the perspective of the occurrence of resistance, we investigated the levels of resistance to deltamethrin and kdr gene mutation in the wetland and its peripheral areas. Methods Specimens were collected from Cx. tritaeniorhynchus populations at two monitoring sites in the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area, and also from two populations in Yancheng City and the Liuhe District of Nanjing, and the resistance of these mosquitoes to deltamethrin was determined using the CDC biotest bottle method. For each concentration of deltamethrin assessed, a random subset of exposed specimens was selected for amplification of the kdr gene fragment, followed by Sanger sequencing to identify and analyze resistance-associated mutations. Results The LC50 levels of deltamethrin among mosquitoes from the four populations in Luhe, Yancheng, the Rare Bird National Nature Reserve and the Tiaozi Ni Wetland Scenic Area were 2.048 5, 7.798 2, 3.473 3, and 17.695 5 mg/mL, respectively, with corresponding concentrations of deltamethrin ranging from 0.005 to 5.000,0.050 to 50.000,0.050 to 25.000 and 0.050 to 50.000 mg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the ranges of the KT50 values were 11.76-107.43, 67.05-216.30,29.77-107.43 and 28.40-329.51 min; the 1-h knockdown rates were 34.58%-99.15%, 9.52%-43.80%, 55.09%-73.01%, and 10.09%-68.07%; and the 24-h mortality rates were 12.15%-67.52%,9.52%-79.56%,13.17%-82.21%, and 11.01%-78.99%, respectively. With respect to kdr gene mutation, we assayed a total of 63,70,59, and 57 mosquitoes for the four populations, for which we detected L1014F mutation frequencies of 14.29%, 35.00%, 20.34%, and 31.58%, respectively, with a majority of these mutations being heterozygous for resistance. In addition, five adult mosquitoes were identified has having synonymous mutations at site 1011[i. e. , AAT(asparagine)mutation to AAC(asparagine)]. Conclusions Our findings revealed the clear resistance of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus to deltamethrin in the Yancheng region of the Yellow Sea wetland, and the resistance phenotype and kdr frequency of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment were comparable to those of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the wetland environment, thereby indicating that the resistance of different populations of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus was homogeneous under the pressure of different insecticide selection within and around the wetland. However, the underlying mechanisms need to be further studied.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an increasingly widespread sleep-breathing disordered disease, and is an independent risk factor for many high-risk chronic diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, arrhythmias and diabetes, which is potentially fatal. The key to the prevention and treatment of OSA is early diagnosis and treatment, so the assessment and diagnostic technologies of OSA have become a research hotspot. This paper reviews the research progresses of severity assessment parameters and diagnostic technologies of OSA, and discusses their future development trends. In terms of severity assessment parameters of OSA, apnea hypopnea index (AHI), as the gold standard, together with the percentage of duration of apnea hypopnea (AH%), lowest oxygen saturation (LSpO₂), heart rate variability (HRV), oxygen desaturation index (ODI) and the emerging biomarkers, constitute a multi-dimensional evaluation system. Specifically, the AHI, which measures the frequency of sleep respiratory events per hour, does not fully reflect the patients’ overall sleep quality or the extent of their daytime functional impairments. To address this limitation, the AH%, which measures the proportion of the entire sleep cycle affected by apneas and hypopneas, deepens our understanding of the impact on sleep quality. The LSpO₂ plays a critical role in highlighting the potential severe hypoxic episodes during sleep, while the HRV offers a different perspective by analyzing the fluctuations in heart rate thereby revealing the activity of the autonomic nervous system. The ODI provides a direct and objective measure of patients’ nocturnal oxygenation stability by calculating the number of desaturation events per hour, and the biomarkers offers novel insights into the diagnosis and management of OSA, and fosters the development of more precise and tailored OSA therapeutic strategies. In terms of diagnostic techniques of OSA, the standardized questionnaire and Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) is a simple and effective method for preliminary screening of OSA, and the polysomnography (PSG) which is based on recording multiple physiological signals stands for gold standard, but it has limitations of complex operations, high costs and inconvenience. As a convenient alternative, the home sleep apnea testing (HSAT) allows patients to monitor their sleep with simplified equipment in the comfort of their own homes, and the cardiopulmonary coupling (CPC) offers a minimal version that simply analyzes the electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. As an emerging diagnostic technology of OSA, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) adeptly pinpoint respiratory incidents and expose delicate physiological changes, thus casting new light on the diagnostic approach to OSA. In addition, imaging examination utilizes detailed visual representations of the airway’s structure and assists in recognizing structural abnormalities that may result in obstructed airways, while sound monitoring technology records and analyzes snoring and breathing sounds to detect the condition subtly, and thus further expands our medical diagnostic toolkit. As for the future development directions, it can be predicted that interdisciplinary integrated researches, the construction of personalized diagnosis and treatment models, and the popularization of high-tech in clinical applications will become the development trends in the field of OSA evaluation and diagnosis.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) manual, sperm concentration should be measured using an improved Neubauer hemocytometer, while sperm motility should be measured by manual assessment. However, in China, thousands of laboratories do not use the improved Neubauer hemocytometer or method; instead, the Makler counting chamber is one of the most widely used chambers. To study sources of error that could impact the measurement of the apparent concentration and motility of sperm using the Makler counting chamber and to verify its accuracy for clinical application, 67 semen samples from patients attending the Department of Andrology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University (Chengdu, China) between 13 September 2023 and 27 September 2023, were included. Compared with applying the cover glass immediately, delaying the application of the cover glass for 5 s, 10 s, and 30 s resulted in average increases in the sperm concentration of 30.3%, 74.1%, and 107.5%, respectively (all P < 0.0001) and in the progressive motility (PR) of 17.7%, 30.8%, and 39.6%, respectively (all P < 0.0001). However, when the semen specimens were fixed with formaldehyde, a delay in the application of the cover glass for 5 s, 10 s, and 30 s resulted in an average increase in the sperm concentration of 6.7%, 10.8%, and 14.6%, respectively, compared with immediate application of the cover glass. The accumulation of motile sperm due to delays in the application of the cover glass is a significant source of error with the Makler counting chamber and should be avoided.
Humans ; Male ; Sperm Motility/physiology* ; Sperm Count ; Semen Analysis/methods* ; Spermatozoa/physiology* ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical characteristics and drug resistance profile of invasive non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) enteritis in children in Chengdu, China, providing a reference for rational drug use and empirical treatment in clinical practice. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 130 children with invasive bacterial enteritis due to NTS identified by fecal bacterial culture and the results of drug sensitivity tests for NTS in Chengdu from January 2022 to December 2023. RESULTS: NTS infections were mainly observed from April to September (113 cases, 86.9%), with a peak in August (36 cases, 27.7%). Children aged <36 months accounted for 86.2% (112/130) of all cases, and the main symptoms were diarrhea (130 cases, 100%), fever (123 cases, 94.6%), and hematochezia (112 cases, 86.2%). The 130 NTS isolates exhibited a sensitivity rate of 64.6% to ceftriaxone and 63.8% to cefotaxime, and a sensitivity rate of >90.0% to piperacillin-tazobactam and nitrofurantoin (nitrofurans). The detection rate of multidrug-resistant strains was 48.5% (63/130), and the clinical efficacy of third-generation cephalosporins used in 38 patients (29.2%) was inconsistent with the results of drug sensitivity tests. CONCLUSIONS The peak of invasive NTS enteritis in children aged 0-6 years occurs in August in the Chengdu area, with a relatively high incidence rate in children aged <36 months. The situation of drug resistance is severe for NTS, and piperacillin-tazobactam may be an effective option for treating multidrug-resistant NTS infections in children, while nitrofuran antibiotics might be used to treat such infections.
Humans ; Infant ; Child, Preschool ; Enteritis/microbiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Salmonella Infections/microbiology* ; Female ; Child ; Salmonella/drug effects* ; Infant, Newborn ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the functional roles and underlying mechanisms of neferine in the context of angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension and vascular dysfunction. METHODS: Male mice were infused with Ang II to induce hypertension and randomly divided into treatment groups receiving neferine or a control vehicle based on baseline blood pressure using a random number table method. The hypertensive mouse model was constructed by infusing Ang II via a micro-osmotic pump (500 ng/kg per minute), and neferine (0.1, 1, or 10 mg/kg), valsartan (10 mg/kg), or double distilled water was administered intragastrically once daily for 6 weeks. A non-invasive blood pressure system, ultrasound, and hematoxylin and eosin staining were performed to assess blood pressure and vascular changes. RNA sequencing and network pharmacology were employed to identify differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) and pathways. Vascular ring tension assay was used to test vascular function. A7R5 cells were incubated with neferine for 24 h and then treated with Ang II to record the real-time Ca²⁺ concentration by confocal microscope. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot were used to evaluate vasorelaxation, calcium, and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 pathway. RESULTS: Neferine treatment effectively mitigated the elevation in blood pressure, pulse wave velocity, aortic thickening in the abdominal aorta of Ang II-infused mice (P<0.05). RNA sequencing and network pharmacology analysis identified 355 DETs that were significantly reversed by neferine treatment, along with 25 potential target genes, which were further enriched in multiple pathways and biological processes, such as ERK1 and ERK2 cascade regulation, calcium pathway, and vascular smooth muscle contraction. Further investigation revealed that neferine treatment enhanced vasorelaxation and reduced Ca²⁺-dependent contraction of abdominal aortic rings, independent of endothelium function (P<0.05). The underlying mechanisms were mediated, at least in part, via suppression of receptor-operated channels, store-operated channels, or voltage-operated calcium channels. Neferine pre-treatment demonstrated a reduction in intracellular Ca²⁺ release in Ang II stimulated A7R5 cells. IHC staining and Western blot confirmed that neferine treatment effectively attenuated the upregulation of p-ERK1/2 both in vivo and in vitro, which was similar with treatment of ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Neferine remarkably alleviates Ang II-induced elevation of blood pressure, vascular dysfunction, and pathological changes in the abdominal aorta. This beneficial effect is mediated by the modulation of multiple pathways, including calcium and ERK1/2 pathways.
Animals ; Angiotensin II ; Male ; Benzylisoquinolines/therapeutic use* ; Network Pharmacology ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Sequence Analysis, RNA ; Mice ; Hypertension/chemically induced* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Calcium/metabolism*