Mental health status and influencing factors of China medical team members in Africa during COVID-19 / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To analyze the mental health status and influencing factors of China medical team （CMT） members in Africa during COVID-19 pandemic. 【Methods】 From July 2021 to August 2021， 72 members of the 8th CMT in Malawi， the 36th CMT in Sudan and the 22nd CMT in Zambia were tested by 12-item General Health Questionnaire （GHQ-12）， Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 （GAD-7）， and Patient Health Questionnaire-9（PHQ-9）， general information form and influencing factors form. 【Results】 The results of GHQ-12 were positive for 33.3% （24/72） of the CMT members. 51.4% （37/72） of the CMT members showed different levels of anxiety： 40.3% （29/72） of them had mild anxiety， 8.3% （6/72） of them had moderate anxiety， and 2.8% （2/72） of them had severe anxiety. 52.8% （38/72） of the CMT members had different degrees of depression： 34.7% （25/72） of them had mild depression， 11.1% （8/72） of them had moderate depression， 4.2% （3/72） of them had moderate-severe depression， and 2.8% （2/72） of them had severe depression. The CMT members who contacted with COVID-19 patients got significantly high scores of GHQ-12， GAD-7 and PHQ-9 （P<0.05） compared to those who did not have contact with COVID-19 patients. And CMT members who did not adapt to the local social life got significantly higher scores than those who adapted to the local social life （P<0.05）. These factors were the main factors affecting the mental health of the CMT members. 【Conclusion】 During COVID-19， the psychological pressure of CMT members was increased significantly， and both the incidence and severity of anxiety and depression were increased. Paying attention to and improving CMT members’ mental health status can ensure the smooth development of medical aid to Africa.

Nephroprotective effect of astaxanthin against trivalent inorganic arsenic-induced renal injury in wistar rats

Inorganic arsenic (iAs) is a toxic metalloid found ubiquitously in the environment. In humans, exposure to iAs can result in toxicity and cause toxicological manifestations. Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) has been used in the treatment for acute promyelocytic leukemia. The kidney is the critical target organ of trivalent inorganic As (iAsIII) toxicity. We examine if oral administration of astaxanthin (AST) has protective effects on nephrotoxicity and oxidative stress induced by As2O3 exposure (via intraperitoneal injection) in rats. Markers of renal function, histopathological changes, Na+-K+ ATPase, sulfydryl, oxidative stress, and As accumulation in kidneys were evaluated as indicators of As2O3 exposure. AST showed a significant protective effect against As2O3-induced nephrotoxicity. These results suggest that the mechanisms of action, by which AST reduces nephrotoxicity, may include antioxidant protection against oxidative injury and reduction of As accumulation. These findings might be of therapeutic benefit in humans or animals suffering from exposure to iAsIII from natural sources or cancer therapy.