Mitogenome-based phylogeny of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae).

Mosquitoes are of great medical significance as vectors of many deadly diseases. Mitogenomes have been widely used in phylogenetic studies, but mitogenome knowledge within the family Culicidae is limited, and Culicidae phylogeny is far from resolved. In this study, we surveyed the mitogenomes of 149 Culicidae species, including 7 newly sequenced species. Comparative analysis of 149 mosquito mitogenomes shows gene composition and order to be identical to that of an ancestral insect, and the AT bias, length variation, and codon usage are all consistent with that of other reported Dipteran mitogenomes. Phylogenetic analyses based on the DNA sequences of the 13 protein-coding genes from the 149 species robustly support the monophyly of the subfamily Anophelinae and the tribes Aedini, Culicini, Mansoniini, Sabethini, and Toxorhynchitini. To resolve ambiguous relationships between clades within the subfamily Culicinae, we performed topological tests and show that Aedini is a sister to Culicini and that Uranotaeniini is a sister to (Mansoniini + (Toxorhynchitini + Sabethini)). In addition, we estimated divergence times using a Bayesian relaxation clock based on the sequence data and 3 fossil calibration points. The results show mosquitoes diverged during the Early Jurassic with massive Culicinae radiations during the Cretaceous, coincident with the emergence of angiosperms and the burst of mammals and birds. Overall, this study, which uses the largest number of Culicidae mitogenomes sequenced to date, comprehensively reveals the mitogenome characteristics and mitogenome-based phylogeny and divergence times of Culicidae, providing information for further studies on the mitogenome, phylogeny, evolution, and taxonomic revision of Culicidae.

Comparison of the clinical characteristics and mortalities of severe COVID-19 patients between pre- and post-menopause women and age-matched men.

The mortality rate of young female COVID-19 patients is reported to be lower than that of young males but no significant difference in mortality was found between female and male COVID-19 patients aged over 65 years, and the underlying mechanism is unknown. We retrospectively analyzed clinical characteristics and outcomes of severely ill pre- and post-menopausal COVID-19 patients and compared with age-matched males. Of the 459 patients included, 141 aged ≤55, among whom 19 died (16 males vs. 3 females, p<0.005). While for patients >55 years (n=318), 115 died (47 females vs. 68 males, p=0.149). In patients ≤55 years old, the levels of NLR, median LDH, median c-reactive protein and procalcitonin were significantly higher while the median lymphocyte count and LCR were lower in male than in female (all p<0.0001). In patients over 55, these biochemical parameters were far away from related normal/reference values in the vast majority of these patients in both genders which were in contrast to that seen in the young group. It is concluded that the mortality of severely ill pre-menopausal but not post-menopausal COVID-19 female patients is lower than age-matched male. Our findings support the notion that estrogen plays a beneficial role in combating COVID-19.

[Effects of experimental varicocele on the apoptosis of epididymis epithelium and synthesizing function of the epididymis in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationships of experimental varicocele to the apoptosis of epididymis epithelium and changes of the contents of alpha-1,4-glucosidase and sialic acid from the unilateral epididymis in adolescent rats, and to investigate the effects of varicocele on the unilateral epididymis epithelium. METHODS: Experimental left varicocele models of 16 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were obtained by partial ligation of the left renal vein. The epididymides were collected for detecting the apoptosis of epididymis epithelium and the contents of alpha-1,4-glucosidase and sialic acid by using spectrophotometry. RESULTS: Seven days after the establishment of the left varicocele model, the index of the apoptosis of the left epididymis epithelium was significantly higher (P < 0.001) and the contents of alpha-1,4-glucosidase and sialic acid significantly lower (P < 0.05, P < 0.005) in the experimental group than in the control. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that unilateral varicocele may increase the apoptosis of epididymis epithelium and the contents of alpha-1,4-glucosidase and sialic acid and subsequently affect the synthesizing and secretory function of the epididymis.

[Changes of nuclear factor-kappa gene binding expression in and apoptosis of spermatogenic epithelial cells in the restored testis after torsion: experiment with rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the changes of nuclear factor-kappa gene binding (NF-kappaB) expression in and apoptosis of spermatogenic epithelial cells in the restored testis after torsion and analyze the relationship between them. METHODS: Sixteen male SD rats underwent torsion of the left testis clockwise at an angle of 720 degrees for 2 hours and then the testis was restored to the original position and fixed. Then the 16 rats were randomly divided into 2 equal group: Group I in which salicylazosulfapyridium (SASP) suspension was infused intra-gastrically 5 h after operation and then once a day for 4 times, and Group II in which normal saline (NS) was infused in the same manner. Eight rats (Group III) underwent sham operation and then infused with NS in the same manner as that of Group II. Three days after operation the rats were killed and the samples of the testes at the torsion side were taken out and the seminiferous tubules were isolated. Western blotting was used to detect the NF-kappaB expression in the cytoplasm and nucleus of spermatogenic epithelial cells. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the in situ expression of NF-kappaB. The apoptosis of the spermatogenic epithelial cells was examined by TUNEL method. RESULTS: Western blotting showed that the NF-kappaB expression in the cytoplasm of spermatogenic epithelial cells of Group II was 9.4 +/- 2.68, somewhat lower, but not significantly, than those of Group I and III (12 +/- 2.2 and 11.1 +/- 3 respectively, both P > 0.05). The NF-kappaB expression in the nucleus of spermatogenic epithelial cells of Group II was 21.1 +/- 3.6, significantly higher than those of Group I and III (8.4 +/- 3.1 and 6.0 +/- 2.3 respectively, both P < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the NF-kappaB expression in the cytoplasm and nucleus of spermatogenic epithelial cells between Groups I and III. The NF-kappaB activity coefficient of spermatogenic epithelial cells of Group II was 2.32 +/- 0.4, significantly higher than those of Groups I and III (0.68 +/- 0.3 and 0.52 +/- 0.1 respectively, both P < 0.01). However, there was no significant difference in the NF-kappaB activity coefficient of spermatogenic epithelial cells between Groups I and III (P > 0.05). The NF-kappaB positive cell rate of Group II was 66.1% +/- 3.8%, significantly higher than those of Groups I and III (15.6% +/- 2.6% and 10.8% +/- 2.7%, both P < 0.01). The apoptotic cell rate of Group II was 37.2% +/- 3.3%, significantly higher than those of Groups I and III (7.7% +/- 2.0% and 5.9% +/- 1.7%, both P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: After the torsion of testis, NF-kappaB was activated and released from the nucleus into the cytoplasm, thus initiating the apoptosis of spermatogenic epithelial cells.

Sulfasalazine prevents apoptosis in spermatogenic cells after experimental testicular torsion/detorsion.

AIM: To determine whether sulfasalazine can prevent apoptosis in spermatogenic cells by preventing the activation of NF-kappaB in spermatogenic epithelium in experimental testicular torsion. METHODS: Thirty-two adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to unilateral 720 degree testicular torsion for durations of 0 h and 2 h, then the torsion was relieved. The ischemic/reperfused testes were collected for the detection of NF-kappaB expression with Western blotting and immunohistochemistry techniques, and detection of apoptosis with TUNEL techniques. RESULTS: The NF-kappaB coefficient of spermatogenic epithelium and the apoptosis index of spermatogenic cells were significantly different in the operation and the sham-operation groups after experimental testicular torsion (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: NF-kappaB activation of spermatogenic epithelium is related to apoptosis of spermatogenic cells. Sulfasalazine can prevent apoptosis in spermatogenic cells after the experimental testicular torsion through prevention of NF-kappaB activation.