ObjectiveTo analyze the epidemiological trends and characteristics of brucellosis in humans (hereinafter referred to as brucellosis) in Tangshan City, Hebei Province from 2016 to 2023, and to provide a scientific basis for formulating brucellosis prevention and control strategies in the region. MethodsThe incidence data of human brucellosis in Tangshan City from 2016 to 2023 were collected from the China Disease Prevention and Control Information System. The diagnosis time, infection route, and clinical characteristics of the cases were obtained from the case investigation reports. Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the temporal, spatial, demographic distributions, and clinical characteristics of human brucellosis. Brucella species were identified using agglutination tests with bacterial suspension and A/M antigen-positive serum. ResultsA total of 2 193 cases of human brucellosis were confirmed and clinically diagnosed in Tangshan City from 2016 to 2023, with the peak incidence occured from March to August, and which exhibited distinct geographic distribution patterns. The highest incidence rate was found in people aged 60‒<70 years. The occupation of cases were primarily farmers. The incidence rate in males (528/100 000) was higher than that in females (184/100 000). All cases had confirmed exposure to infected animals or contaminated animal products. ConclusionThe epidemic of human brucellosis in Tangshan exhibited an overall steady downward trend from 2016 to 2023, except for a slight increase in 2016 and 2021, with the incidence rate controlled at 289/100 000‒335/100 000. The prevention and control situation of human brucellosis still remains severe, with the highest incidence rate in the eastern region of Tangshan, which are characterized by the breeding, slaughtering, and processing of cattle and sheep. Therefore, it it is necessary to enhance the prevention and control of human brucellosis among the personnel engaged in these industries in the eastern areas.

Objective To analyze the death status and main causes of death among children under 5 years old in Changsha from 2016 to 2021, and to provide a scientific basis for formulating preventive measures for children's health care. Methods The data of 1 761 deaths of children under 5 years old in Changsha City from 2016 to 2021 were collected, and the mortality trend, the order of causes of death and the utilization of pre-death medical care services were retrospectively analyzed. Results The 7-day neonatal mortality, 28-day neonatal mortality, 0-1-year-old neonatal mortality, and the mortality rate of children under 5 years old (U5MR) in Changsha City from 2016 to 2021 were 0.76‰, 1.28‰, 2.41‰, and 3.86‰, respectively. All the mortality rates showed a decreasing trend (P<0.05). U5MR in males was significantly higher than that in females (P<0.05), and U5MR in rural areas was significantly higher than that in urban areas (P<0.05). The top five causes of U5MR were drowning, premature delivery or low birth weight, pneumonia, other congenital anomalies, and accidental asphyxia, respectively. The death places of children under 5 years old were mainly medical and health institutions, and 81.72% of them were treated in hospitals before death. Conclusion From 2016 to 2021, the mortality rate of children under the age of 5 in Changsha City has gradually decreased. Preventing congenital malformations, reducing preterm birth or low birth weight, improving the treatment level of pneumonia, and preventing accidents such as drowning and accidental suffocation are the key to reducing the mortality rate of children under 5 years old.

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the associations of serum folate and/or vitamin B12 concentrations with obesity among Chinese children and adolescents. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted including 3,079 Chinese children and adolescents,aged 6 to 17 years,from Jiangsu,China.Anthropometric indices,such as,children's body mass index(BMI),BMI z-scores,waist circumference,and waist-to-height ratio were utilized.Multivariable linear regression and generalized additive models were used to investigate the associations of serum folate and vitamin B12 levels with anthropometric indices and odds of obesity. Results We observed that serum vitamin B12 concentrations were inversely associated with all anthropometric indices and the odds of general obesity[odds ratio(OR)= 0.68;95%confidence interval(CI)= 0.59,0.78]and abdominal obesity(OR = 0.68;95%CI = 0.60,0.77).When compared to participants with both serum vitamin levels in the two middle quartiles,those with both serum folate and vitamin B12 levels in the highest quartile were less prone to general(OR = 0.31,95%CI = 0.19,0.50)or abdominal obesity(OR = 0.46,95%CI = 0.31,0.67).Conversely,participants with vitamin B12 levels in the lowest quartile alongside folate levels in the highest quartile had higher odds of abdominal obesity(OR = 2.06,95%CI = 1.09,3.91). Conclusion Higher serum vitamin B12 concentrations,but not serum folate concentrations,were associated with lower odds of childhood obesity.Children and adolescents with high levels of vitamin B12 and folate were less likely to be obese.

Objective To analyze the situation of perinatal birth defects in 13 monitoring hospitals in Changsha City from 2011 to 2020, and to explore the composition characteristics and changes of birth defects in Changsha. Methods The monitoring data of perinatal birth defects in 13 surveillance hospitals in Changsha City from 2011 to 2020 were collected and statistically analyzed. Results From 2011 to 2020, the total number of perinatal infants in the 13 surveillance institutions in Changsha was 541,234, showing a trend of rising first and then falling. A total of 15 725 cases of birth defects were found, and the incidence rate of birth defects in perinatal period was 290.54/10 000. The incidence of birth defects in 2020 decreased by 41.93% compared with 2011. The incidence of perinatal birth defects in males (326.59/10,000) was higher than that in females (248.96/10 000), and the difference was statistically significant (χ²=288.955, P＜0.05). The incidence of perinatal birth defects in urban areas (312.65/10,000) was higher than that in rural areas (262.26/10 000), and the difference was statistically significant (χ²=119.974, P＜0.05). The incidence of birth defects in perinatal infants born to mothers under 20 years old was higher than that in other age groups. The top five major birth defects were congenital heart disease, polydactyly, external ear malformation, clubfoot, and hypospadias. Conclusion The incidence of perinatal birth defects in Changsha shows an overall downward trend , and the prevention and control measures for birth defects have shown effectiveness. To consolidate the achievements and control the incidence at a low level, the tertiary prevention of birth defects should be further strengthened.

Objective To construct a deep learning-based artificial intelligence model to automatically quantify left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) using static views of echocardiography. Methods The study included data of 1, 902 adults with left ventricular multi-slice echocardiographic views at end-systole and end-diastole. The collected dataset was divided into development set (1, 610 cases, with 1, 252 cases for model training and 358 cases for parameter adjustment), internal test set (177 cases for internal validation), and external test set (115 cases for external validation and generalization testing). The model achieved left ventricular segmentation and automatic quantification of LVEF through precise identification of the left ventricular endocardial boundary and inspection of key points. The Dice coefficient was employed to evaluate the performance of the left ventricular segmentation model, while the Pearson correlation coefficient and the intraclass correlation coefficient were used to assess the correlation and consistency between the automatically measured LVEF and the reference standard. Results The left ventricular segmentation model performed well, with Dice coefficients ≥ 0.90 for both the internal and external independent test sets; the agreement between the automatically measured LVEF and the cardiologists' manual measurements was moderate, with Pearson correlation coefficients ranging from 0.46 to 0.71 and intragroup correlation analysis agreements from 0.39 to 0.57 for the internal test set; and Pearson correlation coefficients for the independent external test set were 0.26 to 0.54 and intra-group correlation analysis agreement of 0.23 to 0.50. Conclusion In this study, a left ventricular segmentation model with better performance is constructed, and initial application of the model for automatic quantification of LVEF for two-dimensional echocardiography has general performance, which requires further optimisation of the algorithm to improve the model generalisation.

In the context of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), characterized by dysregulated lipid metabolism in hepatocytes, the quest for safe and effective therapeutics targeting lipid metabolism has gained paramount importance. Sanhuang Xiexin Tang (SXT) and Baihu Tang (BHT) have emerged as prominent candidates for treating metabolic disorders. SXT combined with BHT plus Cangzhu (SBC) has been used clinically for Weihuochisheng obese patients. This retrospective analysis focused on assessing the anti-obesity effects of SBC in Weihuochisheng obese patients. We observed significant reductions in body weight and hepatic lipid content among obese patients following SBC treatment. To gain further insights, we investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of SBC in HFD-fed mice. The results demonstrated that SBC treatment mitigated body weight gain and hepatic lipid accumulation in HFD-fed mice. Pharmacological network analysis suggested that SBC may affect lipid metabolism, mitochondria, inflammation, and apoptosis-a hypothesis supported by the hepatic transcriptomic analysis in HFD-fed mice treated with SBC. Notably, SBC treatment was associated with enhanced hepatic mitochondrial biogenesis and the inhibition of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/NF-κB pathways. In conclusion, SBC treatment alleviates NAFLD in both obese patients and mouse models by improving lipid metabolism, potentially through enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis. These effects, in turn, ameliorate inflammation in hepatocytes.
Humans ; Mice ; Animals ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/metabolism* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Organelle Biogenesis ; Retrospective Studies ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Obesity/metabolism* ; Liver ; Inflammation/metabolism* ; Body Weight ; Lipid Metabolism ; Lipids ; Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects*

Objective To investigate the effect of T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT) on the function of CD8⁺ T cells in the lungs of Plasmodium infected mice. Methods The lungs of the mice infected with Plasmodium yoelii were isolated, weighed and photographed after 12 days' infection. After dissolution, lung lymphocytes were isolated, counted and stained, and then the contents of CD8⁺ and TIGIT⁺CD8⁺ T cells were detected by flow cytometry. The expressions of L selectin (CD62L), CD69, programmed death 1 (PD-1), CD25, and C-X3-C motif chemokine receptor 1 (CX3CR1) on TIGIT⁺CD8⁺ T cells were detected by flow cytometry. After stimulation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and ionomycin, the ability of TIGIT⁺CD8⁺T cells to secrete interferon γ(IFN-γ), interleukin 21 (IL-21), IL-4, IL-17, and IL-10 was detected. Results The body mass of mice with Plasmodium infection was reduced. The lungs became darker, and the ratio of the lung mass to body mass was significantly increased. Compared with the normal mice, the percentages and absolute quantity of CD8⁺ and TIGIT⁺CD8⁺ T cells in the lungs of the infected mice were significantly increased. The percentage of TIGIT⁺CD8⁺ T cells expressing CD62L in the infected group was significantly lower, while the percentage of the CD69, PD-1, and CX3CR1 cells were significantly higher than that of TIGIT⁺CD8⁺ T cells from the normal mice. The percentages of TIGIT⁺CD8⁺ T cells secreting IL-21, IL-4, IL-17 and IL-10 cells in the infected group were significantly lower. Conclusion The lung lesions from mice with Plasmodium infection are obvious, the numbers of TIGIT⁺CD8⁺ T cells increase, and these cells express a variety of activation-related molecules, but the ability to secrete cytokines is reduced.
Animals ; Mice ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; Cytokines/metabolism* ; Interferon-gamma/metabolism* ; Interleukin-10/metabolism* ; Interleukin-17/metabolism* ; Interleukin-4/metabolism* ; Lung/metabolism* ; Malaria/metabolism* ; Plasmodium yoelii/metabolism* ; Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/metabolism*

Objective To investigate the role of microRNA-18a (miR-18a) in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis in mice. Methods Twenty-two BALB/c mice were randomly divided into a blank group, a model group and a miR-18a group. Mice in the model group and the miR-18a group were injected intraperitoneally with obumin (OVA) suspension to prepare allergic rhinitis models, and mice in the miR-18a group were simultaneously given lentiviral vector plasmid for overexpression of miR-18a. Allergy symptoms were evaluated by the behavioral score and HE staining. The plasma levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) were measured by ELISA. The distribution of CD45⁺ cells in nasal mucosa was measured by immunofluorescence histochemistry, and CD45⁺ cells in nasal lavage fluid were measured by flow cytometry. The mRNA expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in nasal mucosa tissues were measured by fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the protein expressions of Toll like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor κB p65 (NF-κB p65), inhibitor of NF-κB α (IκBα) and phosphorylated IκBα (p-IκBα) in nasal mucosa were measured by Western blot analysis. Results Compared with the blank group, the plasma levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in the model group increased significantly. The number of CD45⁺ cells in both nasal mucosa tissue and nasal irrigation fluid increased, and the mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α and the protein expression levels of TLR4, NF-κB p65 and p-IκBα in nasal mucosa increased. Compared with the model group, the plasma levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in the miR-18a group decreased significantly. The number of CD45⁺ cells in both nasal mucosa tissue and nasal lavage fluid decreased, and the mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α and the exprotein expression levels of TLR4, NF-κB p65 and p-IκBα in nasal mucosa decreased. Conclusion miR-18a can inhibit the occurrence and development of allergic rhinitis, and its molecular mechanism is related to the inhibition of TLR4/NF-κB pathway activation.
Animals ; Mice ; Disease Models, Animal ; Inflammation ; Interleukin-6/genetics* ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; NF-KappaB Inhibitor alpha ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; RNA, Messenger ; Toll-Like Receptor 4/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics*

Objective To explore whether nano-vesicles derived from M1 macrophages (M1-NVs) can reprogram M2 macrophages into M1 phenotype and further affect the development of endometriosis (EMS). Methods Extracellular vesicles (EVs) were isolated from macrophage culture supernatant by differential centrifugation. Immunofluorescence cytochemistry was used to detect the expression of vimentin, CD31 and F4/80 to identify endometrial stromal cells (EMS-ESCs), HUVECs and polarized peritoneal macrophages of EMS patients. M1-NVs were prepared by filtering cell suspension through (5, 1, 0.4, 0.22)μm polycarbonate membrane filters after syringe aspiration at 0-4 DegreesCelsius. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the polarization of RAW264.7 mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro, and reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) was employed to detect mRNA expression of VEGF, CD86, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), arginase 1 (Arg1), CD163, CD206, and IL-10. PKH67-labeled M1-NVs were co-cultured with EMS-ESCs, HUVECs and macrophages. And tubule formation experiments were conducted to assess the impact of M1-NVs on the tubule formation of HUVECs. Transwell^TM invasion and migration assays were employed to evaluate changes in the migration and invasion abilities of EMS-ESCs. Results By monitoring the contents of NVs, it was found that NVs contained much more protein and other bioactive particles than the same amount of EVs; immunofluorescence staining results showed that PKH67 labeled M1-NVs were internalized by EMS-ESCs, HUVECs and macrophages when co-cultured. The results of flow cytometry and RT-qPCR multi-target analysis showed that after treatment with different concentrations of M1-NVs or M0-NVs, 20 μg/mL of M1-NVs could effectively reprogram M2 macrophages into M1 macrophages compared with M0-NVs. Transewell^TM results showed that compared with the blank group and M0-NVs group, the number of EMS-ESCs migrating from the upper chamber to the lower chamber after M1-NV treatment was significantly reduced, while the number of EMS-ESCs treated with M2NVs increased significantly. The invasion situation was similar to the migration situation, indicating that M1-NVs directly or indirectly inhibited invasion, migration and tubule formation of EMS-ESCs in vitro. Conclusion M1-NVs reprogrammes M2 macrophages into M1 macrophages by internalization of primary cells and macrophages, thereby inhibiting invasion, migration and angiogenesis of EMS-ESCs, and further hindering the occurrence and development of EMS.
Female ; Humans ; Animals ; Mice ; Endometriosis ; Macrophages ; Macrophages, Peritoneal ; Coculture Techniques

Objective To investigate the effects of formononetin (FMN) on cognitive behavior and inflammation in aging rats with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Methods SD rats aged about 70 weeks were divided into healthy control group, CUMS model group, CUMS combined with 10 mg/kg FMN group, CUMS combined with 20 mg/kg FMN group and CUMS combined with 1.8 mg/kg fluoxetine hydrochloride (Flu) group. Except for healthy control group, other groups were stimulated with CUMS and administered drugs for 28 days. Sugar water preference, forced swimming experiment and open field experiment were used to observe the emotional behavior of rats in each group. HE staining was used to observe the pathological injury degree of brain equine area. The contents of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) were detected by the kit. The apoptosis was tested by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) in the brain tissue. The levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in peripheral blood were measured by ELISA. Western blot analysis was used to detect Bcl2, Bcl2 associated X protein (BAX), cleaved caspase-9, cleaved caspase-3, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), and phosphorylated nuclear factor κB p65 (p-NF-κB p65) in brain tissues. Results Compared with CUMS model group, sugar water consumption, open field activity time, open field travel distance and swimming activity time significantly increased in the CUMS combined with 20 mg/kg FMN group and the CUMS combined with 1.8 mg/kg Flu group. The number of new outarm entry increased significantly, while the number of initial arm entry and other arm entry decreased significantly. The pathological damage of brain equine area was alleviated, and the contents of 5-HT and 5-HIAA were significantly increased. The ratio of BAX/Bcl2 and the expression of cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3 protein as well as the number of apoptotic cells were significantly decreased. The contents of TNF-α, iNOS and IL-6 were significantly decreased. The protein levels of TLR4, MyD88 and p-NF-κB p65 were significantly decreased. Conclusion FMN can inhibit the release of inflammatory factors by blocking NF-κB pathway and improve cognitive and behavioral ability of CUMS aged rats.
Rats ; Animals ; Horses ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein/metabolism* ; Toll-Like Receptor 4/metabolism* ; Caspase 3/metabolism* ; Caspase 9/metabolism* ; Interleukin-6/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 ; Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid/pharmacology* ; Serotonin/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Cognition