Parental, gestational, and early-life exposure to indoor environmental hazardous factors on allergic rhinitis among preschool children in Urumqi City: a case-control study

Abstract Objective Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a disease associated with impaired quality of life and heredity. This study aimed to investigate the association of allergic rhinitis in preschool children with exposure to indoor environment-related factors early in life. Methods In August 2019, the authors implemented a study among 2020 preschool children in Urumqi City using a case-control design. The study included parental reports for the occurrence of AR in children, parental history of respiratory disease, and indoor environmental correlates of maternal exposure from 1 year prior to pregnancy until the child's age of 0-1 year. Results Mode of birth (cesarean section) (OR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.02∼1.67), father with AR (OR = 2.67, 95% CI = 2.08∼3.44), mother with AR (OR = 3.70, 95% CI = 2.88∼4.74), mother with asthma (OR = 3.11, 95% CI = 1.18∼8.20), and mother with newly purchased furniture in the parents' residence during pregnancy (OR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.03∼2.14) were risk factors for AR in children. Conclusions The focus of allergic rhinitis should be on children with a family history of AR and asthma and cesarean delivery. Primary prevention efforts for AR in preschool children are avoiding exposure of children to indoor environmental hazardous factors early in life.

Prevalence and indoor environment risk factors of otitis among preschool children in Urumqi, China

Abstract Objective To investigate the indoor environmental risk factors to provide measures for the prevention and control of otitis in preschool children. Method In this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire survey was administered to preschool children aged 2-7 years from 60 kindergartens in six districts of Urumqi City in August 2019. Multiple regression was run to predict influence factors for otitis media in preschool children. Result A total of 8153 valid questionnaires were collected. After adjusting for age, the prevalence of otitis among preschool children in Urumqi was 13.1%. Multivariate logistic regression showed that previous antibiotic treatment, treatment with one to two antibiotics before 1 year of age, presence of walls with aqueous or latex paint, use of carpet floor bedding in rooms, newly decorated homes of mothers before pregnancy, purchase of new furniture for homes of children at 0-1 year of age, and presence of flowering plants in the residence of children at 0-1 years of age were all identified as risk factors for the development of otitis in children. Conclusion Parents should also pay attention to indoor living environments, and reduce indoor renovation in the homes of children during their growth and development, which can positively improve children's indoor living environment, thus effectively preventing otitis in preschool children.

Effects of montelukast and BCG-PSN on the expression of STAT5b mRNA and IL-4 mRNA in blood mononuclearcells of rats with asthma / 中国当代儿科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5b (STAT5b) mRNA and interleukin-4 (IL-4) mRNA in blood mononuclearcells in a rat model of asthma and the effect of montelukast (MK) and BCG-polysaccharide and nucleic acid injection (BCG-PSN) on STAT5b mRNA and IL-4 mRNA expression.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats (weight:140-200 g) were randomly divided into four groups: asthma, MK treated and BCG-PSN-treated and control groups. Rat model of asthma was prepared by ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization. The rats were sacrificed 24 hrs after the last sensitization. Blood eosinophils (EOS) were counted. Plasma contens of IL-4 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) were measured using ELISA. Expression of STAT5b mRNA and IL-4 mRNA in blood mononuclearcells was detected with SYBR GREEN I fluorescent quantitation PCR method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Blood contents of STAT5b mRNA and IL-4 mRNA in the untreated asthma group were significantly higher than those in the other three groups (<0.01). Blood EOS count and plasma IL-4 contents in the untreated asthma group significantly increased, while plasma IFN-gamma contents significantly decreased compared with the other three groups (<0.01). There were no significant differences in the parameters measured among the MK-treated, the BCG-PSNjtreated and the control groups. STAT5b mRNA expression was positively correlated to IL-4 mRNA expression, IL-4 content and EOS count (r=0.730,0.650, 0.664, respectively; <0.01), but negatively correlated to IFN-gamma content (r=-0.798; <0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>STAT5b mRNA and IL-4 mRNA were strongly expressed in blood mononuclearcells in rats with asthma, and there was a positive correlation between them. MK and BCG-PSN had inhibitory effects on the expression of STAT5b mRNA and IL-4 mRNA, which might be contributed to suppression of airway inflammation in asthma.</p>

Follicle-stimulating hormone autoantibody is involved in idiopathic spermatogenic dysfunction / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>AIM</b>To detect the anti-follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) antibody in idiopathic infertile patients and fertile subjects in order to determine the role of this antibody in patients with spermatogenic dysfunction.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The anti-FSH antibody in serum was detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The functional and structural integrity of the sperm membrane was evaluated with hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test and the ultrastructure of the spermatozoa was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The extent of positive FSH antibody in the patients with oligozoospermia and/or asthenozoospermia was significantly higher than that in the fertile subjects and infertile patients with normal sperm concentration and motility, but it was significantly lower than that in the patients with azoospermia. The extent of anti-FSH antibody in the patients with azoospermia was significantly greater than that in patients with oligospermia and/or asthenospermia, infertile people with normal sperm density and motility and fertile people. The hypo-osmotic swelling test showed that the percentage of HOS-positive spermatozoa (swollen) was 45.1 mu 3.5% in the FSH antibody-positive group and 59.1% micro 6.2% in the FSH antibody-negative control group. The percentage of functional membrane damage to spermatozoa was significantly higher in the anti-FSH antibody-positive group than in the control group. TEM showed that the outer acrosomal membrane was located far from the nucleus, and detachment of the acrosome was found in the FSH autoantibody-positive group.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>These data suggest that the presence of anti-FSH antibody is strongly correlated with the sperm quantity and quality in idiopathic male infertility. Anti-FSH antibody may be an important factor causing spermatogenic dysfunction and infertility.</p>

Comparison of base substitutions in response to nitrogen ion implantation and 60Co-gamma ray irradiation in Escherichia coli

To identify the specificity of base substitutions, a novel experimental system was established based on rifampicin-resistant (Rif r) mutant screening and sequencing of the defined region of the rpoB gene in E. coli. We focused on comparing mutational spectra of base substitutions induced by either low energy nitrogen ion beam implantation or 60Co-gamma rays. The most significant difference in the frequency of specific kinds of mutations induced by low energy nitrogen ion beam was that CG -> TA transitions were significantly increased from 32 to 46, AT -> TA transversions were doubled from 7 to 15 in 50 mutants, respectively. The preferential base substitutions induced by nitrogen ion beam implantation were CG -> TA transitions, AT -> GC transitions, AT -> TA transversions, which account for 92.13 percent (82/89) of the total. The mutations induced by 60Co-gamma rays were preferentially GC -> AT and AT -> GC transitions, which totaled 84.31 percent (43/51).

Medium Optimization for Antitumor Agent Mycoepoxydiene by Marine Lignicolous Fungi Diaporthe sp / 微生物学通报

Mycoepoxydiene is a novel antitumor agent extracted from marine lignicolous fungi HLY-2, which is Diaporthe phaseolorum by molecule identification. The medium optimization for mycoepoxydiene by orthogonal design and the comparison of submerged fermentation and solid state fermentation were studied. The rusult is that the maximal yield of the compound is 543mg/L, which is 43 times compared to the customary half-seawater PD medium and 15 times to the best submerged condition. This optimum culture medium included potato 250g/L, seawater 300mL/L, glucose 30g/L, lactose 50g/L, KH_ 2 PO_ 4 0.65mmol/L and (NH_ 4 )_ 2 SO_ 4 1g/L in the solid state condition. Differentiation analysis between submerged and solid state fermentation, and antitumor activity of these ferment products were also studied. The antitumor activity of products of the optimum medium approached the pure compound.

STUDY ON THE ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITIES OF ENDOPHYTIC FUNGI ISOLATED FROM SEVERAL PHARMACEUTICAL PLANTS / 微生物学通报

One hundred and seventy-two strains of endophytic fungi were isolated from Taxus mairei,Cephalotaxus fortunei and Torreya grandis cv.merrillia.The result of the antifungal assay shows that ninety strains of the fungi have antagonism against one or more botanical pathogenic fungi,such as Neurospora sp.,Trichoderma sp.,Fusarium sp.etc.The percentage of antifungal strains to tested strains are as follows:40% Cephalotaxus fortunei,54.2% Taxus mairei,57.1% Torreya grandis cv.merrillia.Thirty-five strains have high antifungal activities,and their inhibition zone diameter is at least 15mm.The active endophytic fungi were identified as 18 genera,most of which belong to Paecilomyces and Fusarium etc.