Two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis of the causal relationship between T．gondii infection and encephalitis / 安徽医科大学学报

Objective @#Mendelian randomization analysis was used to explore the causal relationship of T．gondii in- fection and the cyst distribution and inflammation in brain tissue by immunohistochemistry．@*Methods @#Genome- wide association analysis data of T．gondii infection and encephalitis were obtained ，single nucleotide polymor- phisms (SNPs) were selected，Mendelian randomization analysis was conducted by inverse variance weighting，and the causal relationship between T．gondii infection and encephalitis was evaluated by OR value and 95% CI．Quality control was carried out by using heterogeneity test，horizontal multi-efficiency test and leave-one-out sensitivity test. Immunohistochemical staining was performed using brain sections of mice infected with tissue cysts of Wh6 strain for image analysis using Image J software. @*Results @#A total of 29 SNPs were associated with toxoplasmic encephalitis. The results of IVW method suggested that T．gondii infection made encephalitis risk 0. 98 times higher ( OR = 0. 98， 95% CI = 0. 76 to 1. 27) ，indicating no causal relationship between the two．The quality control results suggested that the selected SNPs were stable and reliable．Toxoplasma cysts were distributed in various parts of the brain tis- sue．@*Conclusion @# T．gondii infection and encephalitis are related，but there is no sufficient evidence to prove the causal relationship between the two.

Establishing a dose-response curve for 60Co γ-ray irradiation-induced micronuclei in human peripheral blood cells using artificial intelligence-based color recognition / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To identify micronuclei through the cytochalasin B blocking micronucleus method-based assay using scanning microscope, combined with the slide scanning software Metafer 4 and, accordingly, to establish a dose-response relationship between the dose of 60Co γ-rays and the frequency of micronuclei in human peripheral blood lymphocytes using artificial intelligence-based color recognition. Methods:Blood samples were collected from four healthy individuals (two men and two women) and were then exposed to varying doses of 60Co γ-ray radiation (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Gy) at a dosage rate of 0.74 Gy/min. Micronucleus slides were prepared as per the GBZ 128-2023 standard. The numbers of binuclear cells and micronuclei were recorded using an artificial intelligence-based color recognition analysis system. The dose-response curve was determined through fitting using the CABAS software. Then, the doses to both independent samples were estimated based on the curve. Results:Within a dose range of 0 to 5 Gy, the fitted micronucleus dose-response curve aligned with a quadratic polynomial model, with a regression equation of y = 0.032 1 D2+ 0.023 7 D+ 0.012 7 ( D denoting the dose, correlation coefficient R2=0.998). The dose estimations from the validation samples closely corresponded to the actual irradiation doses. Conclusions:Establishing the micronucleus dose-response curve provides a feasible method and basis for the rapid and accurate estimation of radiation biological doses in laboratory automation.

Dynamic pathological changes of Toxoplasma cysts in mouse brain during chronic infection / 安徽医科大学学报

Objective@#To investigate the distribution of toxoplasma cysts in the brain of infected mice and the effect of pathological changes on the behavior and neuropsychiatry of the mice during chronic infection with Toxoplasma gondii( T．gondii) ．@*Methods @#Mice were infected with Prugniaud strain of T．gondii by oral gavage．The brain tissues of infected mice were collected on the days of 10，30，40，90，120 and 160 after infection respectively，and the hippocampal hypothalamus，prefrontal lobe ，striatum and cerebellum regions were separated．The number of cysts and neuropathological changes in each infected area were observed and recorded by HE staining．The number of cysts and neuropathological changes in each infected area were observed and recorded. @*Results @#T．gondii infected mice showed symptoms of vertical hair and arched back，which were the most significant on the 40th day，and then gradually recovered with hemiplegia and circling in circles． At each time point ，the number of toxoplasma cysts was the largest in hippocampal hypothalamus，followed by prefrontal lobe and striatum，and the least in cerebellum．The diameter of toxoplasma cysts increased with time．During chronic infection，specific pathological manifestations of toxoplasma encephalitis，such as neuronophagy，were observed in all regions of the brain tissue．The above pathological changes of toxoplasma encephalitis reached the peak on the 40th day，and gradually recovered， and increased to the stimulation peak on the 120th day，and then gradually recovered．@*Conclusion@# The behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms of T．gondii during chronic infection were correlated with the localization and distribution of toxoplasma cysts in the brain of infected mice，and showed dynamic changes.

Study on non-cancer incidence among medical radiation workers in Chongqing / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To study the effect of occupational X-ray exposure on non-cancer diseases of radiation workers.Methods:The medical X-ray workers in Chongqing mumicipality were surved in 1980. In 2020, the previous 91 medical institutions distributed across 41 districts and counties of Chongqing continued to be selected as the survyed units, including 53 grade-A top-class hospitals. Using the method of prospective cohort study, the fifth follow-up survey was conducted for Chongqing′s medical X-ray workers and the control groups in 1980 with respect to their personal information, occupational radiation exposure, disease history and others. The incidence rate, relative risk ( RR) and 95% confidence interval of diseases in each system were analyzed. Results:There were 937 individuals in this cohort. So far, 359 cases of non-cancer diseases had been counted. Compared with the control group, the relative risk RR of cardiovascular system, ophthalmology and other unclassified diseases in the exposure group were 1.50, 2.03 and 2.64 ( χ2=5.97, 3.97, 4.25, P <0.05) , respectively. The adjusted confounding factors showed that the RR of the incidence rate of cardiovascular, ophthalmic and digestive diseases in the female exposure group was generally higher than that in the control group ( RR=2.33, 2.59, 7.55; χ2= 7.28, 4.17, 8.64, P < 0.05) , respectively. The RR of the incidence rate of cardiovascular and ophthalmic diseases in exposure group was generally higher than that in the control group among 25-29 year-old workers ( RR=2.26, 5.07; χ2 =8.22, 4.91, P < 0.05) , respectively. For compasion between the the accumulated dose groups, the incidence rate of cardiovascular system, ophthalmology and digestive system diseases in the exposure group was generally higher than that in the control group ( RR=1.86, 2.91, 3.59; χ2= 9.83, 8.21, 5.58, P < 0.05) , respectively. Conclusions:The non-cancer risk of X-ray workers exposed to long-term occupational exposure was increased, among which the risk of cardiovascular system, digestive system, ophthalmic diseases and others might be related to the occupational exposure.

Fifth epidemiological investigation on tumor prevalence among medical X-ray workers in Chongqing, China / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To provide scientific data for the study of tumor prevalence among medical X-ray workers. Methods In a cohort study, radiation exposure and tumor occurrence were collected from medical X-ray workers and normal persons (control) in Chongqing, China. SPSS 24 software was used to calculate the incidence density of tumor in the follow-up cohort, as well as the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval of various malignant tumors. Results A total of 934 subjects were followed up. By the end of the investigation, 109 cases of malignant tumor were recorded. Compared with the control group, the RRs of liver cancer and colorectal cancer were both 3.4. Dose-specific RR was calculated for the worker groups. Compared with the two groups with < 80 mGy and 80～200 mGy cumulative doses, the group with > 200 mGy cumulative dose showed 2.05 and 2.1 RRs for solid cancer, and 1.89 and 2.17 RRs for whole cancer, respectively. Conclusion The risk of liver cancer and colorectal cancer is higher for medical X-ray workers in Chongqing, and the risk of solid cancer and whole cancer is higher in the high cumulative dose group. Therefore, radiation workers should pay attention to the optimization of protection.

Comparative analysis of some radiosensitivity index results of certain radiation workers in Chongqing from 2018 to 2019 / 中国辐射卫生

objective This paper analyzes the physical examination results of blood routine, chromosome deformity rate, micronucleus rate and thyroid function test of some radiation workers in Chongqing from 2018 to 2019, understands the occupational problems of radiation workers, and provide scientific basis for putting forward reasonable suggestions method:Methods 2656 cases in 2018 and 2922 cases in 2019 were selected through the information platform of physical examination system. A total of 5578 physical examination results in two years were statistically analyzed and analyzed. Results The abnormal rate of blood routine, the detection rate and abnormal rate of chromosome distortion and micronucleus, and the abnormal rate of thyroid gland function (T3, T4, TSH) between the control group and the radiation group are significant differences (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in the abnormal rate of blood routine, thyroid function (T3, T4, TSH), chromosome teratosis rate, micronucleus detection rate and abnormal rate between radiation diagnosis and treatment and industrial flaw detection, but there was no significant difference in the abnormal rate of chromosome (P > 0.05). There was significant difference between < 10 year group and 10 ～20 year group, and there was significant difference in platelet, white blood cell and hemoglobin between 10 ～20 year group and 20 year group (P < 0.05). There was no statistical significance in erythrocyte difference (P > 0.05). There was significant difference in the abnormal rate of thyroid function among the three working age segments (P < 0.05). The detection rate of chromosome distortion was significantly different between < 10 years group and 10 ～20 year group (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between the other two groups (P > 0.05). There was significant difference in the abnormal rate between the two groups (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in pairwise comparison of micronucleus detection rate among groups (P > 0.05), but there was significant difference in abnormal rate among groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion The long-term low dose ionizing radiation environment will damage the hematopoietic and endocrine system of radiation sensitive human body.

Sugary beverage consumption mediates the relationship between late chronotype, sleep duration, and weight increase among undergraduates: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND@#The study aimed to explore whether sugary beverage consumption is a key mediator of late chronotype, sleep duration, and weight increase in college students in China.@*METHODS@#The cross-sectional study was conducted in four universities using a sample of 800 undergraduate students recruited by cluster sampling. A self-reported questionnaire was given out to collect information, including the characteristic of social demography, state of physical exercise and sugary beverage intake, the types of chronotype, and psychological conditions. Then, two structural equation models (SEMs) were constructed to test the mediating effect of sugary beverage consumption.@*RESULTS@#The significant indirect effect of sugary beverage consumption was found between chronotype and BMI (effect = - 0.03, SE = 0.01, 95% CI [- 0.05, - 0.02]) and between sleep duration and BMI (effect = - 0.12, SE = 0.05, 95% CI [- 0.16, - 0.09]). In addition, physical exercise and psychological condition also play mediating effects between chronotype and BMI (effect = - 0.04, SE = 0.01, 95% CI [- 0.06, - 0.01] and effect = - 0.03, SE = 0.02, 95% CI [- 0.05, - 0.01]), but their mediating effect was not found between sleep duration and BMI.@*CONCLUSION@#Preventive measures should be taken to decrease student's sugary beverage consumption, improve physical exercise, and increase individual well-being to avoid the harmful effects of eveningness. Moreover, the issue of short sleep duration among college students may be further investigated in future research.

Vitamin E prevents the toxic effect of benzo(a)pryene on reproductive system in male SD rats / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the protective effects and the potential mechanisms of vitamin E (VE) on benzo(a)pryene (B[a]P)-induced toxicity in the reproductive system of male rats. 
@*METHODS@#A total of 60 male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, weighted 70-90 g, were randomly assigned to 6 groups: a control group, a vehicle group, a B[a]P group (5 mg/kg), a VE (10 mg/kg)+ B[a]P (5 mg/kg) group, a VE (50 mg/kg) + B[a]P (5 mg/kg) group and a VE (100 mg/kg)+B[a]P (5 mg/kg) group (n=10 per group). The rats were treated with B[a]P and/or VE once a day for 30 days via intragastric administration. The sperm quality and the levels of SOD, GSH-Px, 8-OHdG and MDA were detected, respectively. The testicular tissue morphology and DNA damage were observed by HE staining and comet assay.
@*RESULTS@#The sperm count, the rate of sperm deformation, the content of MDA and 8-OHdG were all significantly increased in single B[a]P-treated group in comparison to the control groups. The activities of SOD and GSH-Px were markedly decreased by B[a]P as compared with the control groups (P<0.05). The injury of testicular tissue in B[a]P-treated rats was remarkably improved after VE treatment. The levels of oxidative stress and DNA damage indicators in the B[a]P-treated group were all attenuated by VE. These protective effects of VE were in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05).
@*CONCLUSION@#Vitamin E can protect the male SD rats against the B[a]P-induced reproductive toxicity.