Peripheral blood microR-146a and microR-29c expression in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia and its clinical value.

BACKGROUND: We investigated changes in microR-29c and microR-146a expression in the serum of children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia, analysed their relationship with inflammatory factors and disease severity, and evaluated their diagnostic significance. METHODS: Fifty-six children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia were enrolled as the Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia group; 37 healthy children were enrolled as the control group. The microR-29c or microR-146a serum expression levels were determined using real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Interleukin-17, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-1 beta levels were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The correlation between serum microR-29c or microR-146a expression and inflammatory factors was analysed using the Pearson's method. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic value of serum microR-29c, microR-146a, and their combined detection in Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia. RESULTS: Compared with that in healthy children, the microR-29c and microR-146a serum levels were significantly downregulated in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia; the decrease was more obvious in children with severe cases than that in those with mild cases. In addition, microR-29c and microR-146a were negatively correlated with increased expression of interleukin-17, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-1 beta. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that a combination of microR-29c and microR-146a was highly suitable for diagnosing Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia. CONCLUSION: Serum microR-29c and microR-146a were underexpressed in children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia, and diagnostic accuracy was significantly improved with combined microR-29c and microR-146a detection. Therefore, both microR-29c and microR-146a levels can be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia.

Preparation and molecular simulation of an environmentally friendly dust-fixing agent based on chitosan-gelatin.

In order to solve the hazard of coal mine dust, a dust-fixing agent (GC-TG-JFC) was prepared with gelatin, chitosan, octadecanol polyoxyethylene ether, and glutamine transaminase. The experimental conditions and the formulation were optimized by response surface method. The ratio of gelatin, chitosan, octadecanol polyoxyethylene ether, and glutamine transaminase was 0.405:0.211:0.095:0.286 and the dilution ratio was 1:30. The results of product performance test showed that the dust fixation rate could reach 99.95% when the wind speed was 9 m/s. The viscosity of the diluted solution was 42.5 mPa·s. The Forcite module in Materials studio software was used to analyze and calculate the radial distribution concentration, diffusion coefficient, and binding energy of the solution. The results showed that GC-TG-JFC migrated more water molecules to the surface of coal through the action of van der Waals force and hydrogen bond. In addition, the binding energy of water molecules increased and the diffusion coefficient decreased, which improved the binding ability of water molecules with coal. It could be found that GC-TG-JFC had good dust fixation performance by combining experiment and molecular dynamics method.

PAK2/beta-catenin/c-Myc/PKM2 signal transduction suppresses ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis in polycystic ovary syndrome.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) exhibits the highest morbidity among endocrine diseases in women ranging from age 18 to 44. However, its pathogenesis remains unclear. The imbalance between systemic and ovarian oxidative stress (OS) is a key characteristic of PCOS, and accumulating evidence indicates that the antioxidative protein nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is implicated in cell apoptosis and inflammation caused by OS. The activated kinase 2 (PAK2)/-catenin/c-Myc/pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) axis is a newly identified signaling pathway that may regulate Nrf2 expression and thereby influence OS. In this study, we sought to identify PAK2 expression and function in PCOS cells. PAK2 and downstream PKM2 expression in KGN cells and tissues were detected by microarray and qPCR. Cell viability was determined using CCK-8 and colony formation assays (CFAs). Apoptosis was examined by flow cytometry. qPCR and ELISA were used to examine cell inflammation. Oxidant and OS-related enzymes were examined by ELISA. We found that PAK2 and PKM2 expression levels were reduced in KGN cells and PCOS ovarian cortex tissues. PAK2 overexpression activated ß-catenin/c-Myc/PKM2 while PAK2 silencing deactivated it. PAK2 overexpression was reduced, whereas PAK2 silencing promoted, KGN cell proliferation and colony formation. Cell apoptosis and inflammation were also induced by PAK2 overexpression but were alleviated by its silencing. Furthermore, increased peroxidation product levels decreased antioxidative protein activities, and deactivated antioxidative Nrf2/HO-1 pathway were detected in PAK2-overexpressing KGN cells, whereas these effects were counteracted in PAK2 silenced cells. Our data suggest that PAK2 and its associated ß-catenin/c-Myc/PKM2 inhibited cell viability and induced apoptosis and inflammation by triggering OS by deactivating the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, suggesting the potential of PAK2 as a therapeutic PCOS treatment target.

Expression patterns of serum miR-27a-3p and activating transcription factor 3 in children with bronchial asthma and their correlations with airway inflammation.

INTRODUCTION: Bronchial asthma (BA) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation. This study investigated the serum miR-27a-3p/activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) expression in children with BA and their correlations with airway inflammation. METHODS: Children with BA (N = 120) and healthy children (N = 108) were enrolled. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-17, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, immunoglobulin E (IgE), miR-27a-3p, ATF3, and the number of eosinophils (EOS) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and an automatic hematology analyzer. The correlations between miR-27a-3p and ATF3 and between miR-27a-3p/ATF3 and inflammation-related factors were analyzed by the Pearson method. The diagnostic values of miR-27a-3p and ATF3 in BA were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The influencing factors of BA were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. Finally, the targeting relation between miR-27a-3p and ATF3 was predicted and analyzed by TargetScan and Starbase databases, and dual-luciferase assay. RESULTS: There were significant differences in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)% predicted and FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC)%, serum levels of IgE, IL-17, IL-6, and TNF-α, and EOS numbers between healthy children and BA children. Serum miR-27a-3p was negatively correlated with ATF3 and positively correlated with inflammation-related factors in BA children. Serum ATF3 mRNA levels were negatively correlated with inflammatory factors in BA children. miR-27a-3p and ATF3 had good diagnostic values in BA children. FEV% predicted, IL-6, TNF-α, miR-27a-3p, and ATF3 were independent risk factors for BA. miR-27a-3p targeted ATF3. CONCLUSION: Serum miR-27a-3p was highly expressed, whereas ATF3 was poorly expressed in BA children, and they were significantly correlated with airway inflammation, had good diagnostic values in BA children, and were independent risk factors for asthma.

Targeting ferroptosis as novel therapeutic approaches for epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a chronic disorder of the central nervous system characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures resulting from excessive synchronous discharge of neurons in the brain. As one of the most common complications of many neurological diseases, epilepsy is an expensive and complex global public health issue that is often accompanied by neurobehavioral comorbidities, such as abnormalities in cognition, psychiatric status, and social-adaptive behaviors. Recurrent or prolonged seizures can result in neuronal damage and cell death; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying the epilepsy-induced damage to neurons remain unclear. Ferroptosis, a novel type of regulated cell death characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, is involved in the pathophysiological progression of epilepsy. Emerging studies have demonstrated pharmacologically inhibiting ferroptosis can mitigate neuronal damage in epilepsy. In this review, we briefly describe the core molecular mechanisms of ferroptosis and the roles they play in contributing to epilepsy, highlight emerging compounds that can inhibit ferroptosis to treat epilepsy and associated neurobehavioral comorbidities, and outline their pharmacological beneficial effects. The current review suggests inhibiting ferroptosis as a therapeutic target for epilepsy and associated neurobehavioral comorbidities.

WSe2-loaded co-catalysts Cu3P and CNTs: Improving photocatalytic hydrogen precipitation and photocatalytic memory performance.

Photocatalytic decomposition of water for hydrogen production using semiconductor photocatalysts in visible light is considered one of the most promising environmentally friendly ways to produce hydrogen. In this work, the calcination method was adopted to prepare an efficient Cu3P/WSe2/CNTs composite photocatalysts. Cu3P and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were used as co-catalysts to reduce the composite rate of the photogenerated supports of the photocatalyst. The unique metallic properties of Cu3P as a transition metal phosphide makes it a cost-effective alternative to noble metal co-catalysts. CNTs can serve both as co-catalysts and as a suitable carrier to accelerate the transfer rate of photogenerated electrons. The experimental results showed that the Cu3P/WSe2/CNTs composite photocatalyst exhibited stronger activities in photocatalytic hydrogen production than pure WSe2. In particular, a higher quantum yield of 30.27% at the range 400-700 nm was achieved with a loading of 4% CNTs, a calcination temperature of 300 °C and a calcination time of 2.0 h. In contrast, the quantum yield of pure WSe2 was only 14.01%. The highest hydrogen production rate was 6.987 mL in 4.0 h, and the average hydrogen production rate was 712.985 µmol·h-1g-1, which was 2.39 times higher than that of pure WSe2.The catalytic memory performance of the composite samples was also examined. The results indicated that the best catalytic memory performance was achieved under the pre-illumination condition of 5.0 h. The amount of hydrogen produced under darkness for 4.0 h was up to 4.934 mL and the average hydrogen production rate was 503.454 µmol·h-1g-1. The average hydrogen production rate was 1.69 times higher than the average hydrogen production rate of pure WSe2 under light conditions.

Effect of Cardamine violifolia on Plasma Biochemical Parameters, Anti-Oxidative Capacity, Intestinal Morphology, and Meat Quality of Broilers Challenged with Lipopolysaccharide.

Cardamine violifolia is a newly discovered selenium (Se)-enriched plant rich in MeSeCys and SeCys and has a strong antioxidant capacity. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Cardamine violifolia on plasma biochemical indices, antioxidant levels, intestinal morphology, and meat quality of broilers under acute LPS-induced oxidative stress by comparing it with inorganic Se (sodaium selenite). A total of 240 one-day-old Ross 308 broilers were fed a basal diet and divided into four groups: (1) SeNa-SS, fed a diet supplied with 0.3 mg/kg Se from sodium selenite, and injected with 0.9% sterile saline, (2) SeCv-SS, fed a diet supplied with 0.3 mg/kg Se from Cardamine violifolia, and injected with 0.9% sterile saline, (3) SeNa-LPS, fed a diet supplied with 0.3 mg/kg Se from sodium selenite, and injected with 0.5 mg/kg LPS, (4) SeCv-LPS, fed a diet supplied with 0.3 mg/kg Se from Cardamine violifolia and injected with 0.5 mg/kg LPS. The experiment lasted for 42 days. Sterile saline or LPS was injected intraperitoneally two hours before slaughter, and blood and tissue samples were collected for testing. The results showed that compared with SeNa, SeCv significantly reduced the plasma levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and urea nitrogen after LPS challenge (p < 0.05), and increased the plasma levels of total antioxidant capacity and glutathione peroxidase, decreased malondialdehyde content in LPS-challenged broilers (p < 0.05). In addition, compared with SeNa, SeCv supplementation increased villus height and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth of jejunum and ileum after LPS challenge (p < 0.05). Additionally, SeCv could increase the redness of breast and thigh muscle, and decrease drip loss, cooking loss, and shear force (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our results indicated that supplementing with 0.3 mg/kg Se from Cardamine violifolia alleviated tissue injury after LPS challenge, increased antioxidant capacity, and improved meat quality of breast and thigh muscle after stress.

A Comparison between Vitamin D3 and 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 on Laying Performance, Eggshell Quality and Ultrastructure, and Plasma Calcium Levels in Late Period Laying Hens.

The objective of this study was to compare high supplementary doses (125 µg/kg) of vitamin D3 (VD3) or 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-OHD3) with commercial supplementary doses (62.5 µg/kg) of VD3 on laying performance, eggshell quality and ultrastructure, and plasma calcium levels in late period laying hens. A total of 1512 Roman Gray (60-week-old) laying hens were allotted into three treatments with 12 replicates and 42 birds in each replicate. During the 12-week trial period, the layers were fed a basal diet supplemented with different doses of VD3 or 25-OHD3 (62.5 µg/kg VD3 in control group, CON; 125 µg/kg VD3 in high level VD3 group, VD3; 125 µg/kg 25-OHD3 in high level 25-OHD3 group, 25-OHD3). The results showed that high supplementary doses of VD3 or 25-OHD3 increased laying rate (p < 0.05). Moreover, the layers fed high doses of VD3 or 25-OHD3 diets had decreased unqualified egg rate and mortality (p < 0.05). High supplementary doses of VD3 or 25-OHD3 increased eggshell strength and eggshell thickness (p < 0.05). From observation in eggshell ultrastructure, high doses of VD3 or 25-OHD3 diets increased the palisade layer thickness and mammillary knob density (p < 0.05). Furthermore, high doses of VD3 or 25-OHD3 diets increased the calcium levels in plasma (p < 0.05). In summary, compared with 62.5 µg/kg doses of VD3, supplementary 125 µg/kg doses of VD3 or 25-OHD3 improved the laying performance, eggshell quality, and plasma calcium levels in late period laying hens. Additionally, there was an equal effect on laying performance and eggshell quality in the hens fed dietary 125 µg/kg doses of VD3 or 25-OHD3.

A new selenium source from Se-enriched Cardamine violifolia improves growth performance, anti-oxidative capacity and meat quality in broilers.

Background: Cardamine violifolia (Cv) is a kind of selenium-enriched plant which contains high levels of organic selenium (Se) such as selenocysteine and methylselenocysteine. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of this new source of Se on the growth performance, anti-oxidative capacity and meat quality in broilers compared with other frequently-used Se sources. Methods: A total of 240 broilers were allotted into 4 treatments: (1) Control group (Se free diets, CON); (2) Sodium selenite group (0.3 mg/kg Se sourced from Na2SeO3 diets, SeNa); (3) Selenium yeast group (0.3 mg/kg Se sourced from Se-Yeast diets, SeY); (4) Plant Se group (0.3 mg/kg Se sourced from Cv diets, SeCv). The whole study lasted 42 days and was divided into 2 stages (1-21 d as earlier stage and 22-42 d as later stage). Results: The results showed that the broilers fed SeCv diets had improved average daily gain and the ratio of feed to gain compared to the broilers fed SeNa and SeY diets during the earlier stage. However, there was no significant difference in growth performance of broilers fed these 3 sources of Se diets during the whole period. The broilers fed SeCv diets had improved intestinal mucosal morphology on d 21 and 42. Enhanced liver total anti-oxidative capacity was observed from the broilers fed SeCv diets compared with the other 2 Se sources diets on d 21. Furthermore, lower liver malondialdehyde contents were determined from the broilers fed SeCv and SeY diets compared with SeNa diets. At last, the broilers fed SeCv had increased redness in thigh muscle and decreased cooking loss in both breast and thigh muscle compared with the boilers fed SeNa diets. However, the broilers had similar meat quality between SeCv group and SeY group. Conclusion: In conclusion, these results demonstrated that SeCv was a well-organic Se source for broilers.

Polyphenols Sourced from Ilex latifolia Thunb. Relieve Intestinal Injury via Modulating Ferroptosis in Weanling Piglets under Oxidative Stress.

Polyphenols sourced from Ilex latifolia Thunb. (PIT) contain high levels of phenolic acids, tannic acids, triterpenoids and so on, which play important roles in antioxidant function. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of PIT against intestinal injury in piglets under oxidative stress. Thirty-two weanling piglets were arranged by a 2 × 2 factorial experiment with diets (basal diet vs. PIT diet) and oxidative stress (saline vs. diquat). All piglets were injected with saline or diquat on d 21, respectively. After 7 days, all pigs were slaughtered and intestinal samples were collected. PIT enhanced jejunal villus heights and crypt depth in the piglets under oxidative stress. PIT increased the activities of intestinal mucosal lactase, sucrase and maltase in the challenged piglets. PIT also increased the jejunal ratio of protein to DNA and ileal protein content. PIT increased the jejunal activities of GSH-PX and GSH content and reduced the ileal MDA amounts. Furthermore, PIT regulated the expression of ferroptosis mediators, such as TFR1, HSPB1, SLC7A11 and GPX4. These results indicate that dietary PIT supplementation enhances the histological structure and function of the intestinal mucosa, which is involved in modulating antioxidant capacity and ferroptosis.

Clinical features of hypertensive patients with COVID-19 compared with a normotensive group: Single-center experience in China.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 has spread worldwide and poses a great threat to human health. Among COVID-19 patients, those with hypertension have been reported to have higher morbidity and mortality. This study was conducted to provide the international community with a deeper understanding of COVID-19 with hypertension. METHODS: A total of 623 COVID-19 patients enrolled in Wuhan's hospital were studied from January to March 2020. The epidemiology, clinical features, and laboratory data of hypertensive patients with COVID-19 were collected, retrospectively analyzed, and compared with a normotensive group. The use of antihypertensive drugs, general treatment, and clinical outcomes of hypertensive patients were also analyzed. RESULTS: The median ages in hypertensive patients with mild and severe COVID-19 were both significantly greater than the median age in the normotensive group. But there was no significant gender difference between the hypertensive and normotensive groups. All patients had lived in Wuhan area. Common symptoms of all patients included fever, cough, and fatigue. Chest computed tomography (CT) scans showed bilateral patchy shadows or ground glass opacity in the lungs of all patients. All (315 (100%)) of the hypertensive patients received antiviral therapy (Umifenovir was used alone or in combination with Ribavirin), antibiotic therapy (215 (68.3%)), and corticosteroids (118 (37.5%)). The results suggest that the combination of Umifenovir and Ribavirin as initial therapy for hypertensive patients with COVID-19 is effective and safe. There were no significant differences in laboratory data between the mild cases in the hypertensive and the normotensive groups. In the severe cases, the hypertensive patients had higher plasma levels of D-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP), and Interleukin-6 (IL-6) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the hypertensive patients who were treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ACEI/ARB) were not represented in a statistically significant manner between the mild and severe groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In this study, we demonstrated that the hypertensive patients who were treated with ACEI/ARB did not have an increased risk of developing severe COVID-19. Umifenovir and Ribavirin played an important role in the treatment of viral pneumonia. Hypertensive patients with severe viral pneumonia had stronger inflammatory responses than nonhypertensive patients.

The risk factors for children with primary nephrotic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the risk factors of primary nephrotic syndrome (PNS) with urinary tract infection (UTI) in children. METHODS: Multiple databases including PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE), Web of Science (WOS), the Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were used to search for relevant studies, which were full-text articles involved in the evaluation of differences between PNS with UTI and without UTI. All included articles were assessed for quality and the data analyses were conducted with Review Manager (5.4). Forest plots, sensitivity analysis, and bias analysis were also performed on the included articles. RESULTS: Eight studies were included in this meta-analysis, with a total of 3,274 patients. Meta-analysis showed that a low level of serum albumin [mean difference (MD): -0.32 g/dL; 95% confidence interval (CI): (-0.55, -0.08); P=0.008], a low level of serum total protein [MD: -0.16 g/dL; 95% CI: (-0.20, -0.12); P<0.00001], a high level of urinary protein [MD: 5.09 mg/d; 95% CI: (3.13, 7.05); P<0.00001], a lower level of serum urea nitrogen [MD: -0.10 mg/dL; 95% CI: (-0.18, -0.02); P=0.01], and a higher level of serum cholesterol [MD: 2.26 mg/dL; 95% CI: (0.74, 3.78)] had a higher risk of PNS with UTI. There was no obvious publication bias among included studies. DISCUSSION: Our research demonstrated that a low level of serum albumin, a low level of serum total protein, a high level of urinary protein, a low level of serum urea nitrogen, and a high level of serum cholesterol were the risk factors of PNS with UTI in children.

Hypouricemic and arthritis relapse-reducing effects of compound tufuling oral-liquid in intercritical and chronic gout: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter randomized trial.

TRIAL DESIGN: In the double-blind, randomized, controlled trial, we aimed to evaluate the effects of compound tufuling oral liquid (CoTOL) on serum uric acid (sUA) levels and recurrence of acute gouty arthritis in intercritical and chronic gout treatment. METHODS: A total of 210 patients with gout were screened from 8 hospitals to observe the sUA and acute gouty arthritis recurrence rate-reducing effects of CoTOL in intercritical and chronic gout during a 12-week treatment. We treated 139 and 71 patients with CoTOL and the placebo, respectively, and evaluated their sUA levels, acute gouty arthritis recurrence rate, and adverse events at week 0, 6, and 12. RESULTS: Twenty-five and 12 patients in the treatment and control groups, respectively, had interrupted treatments, whereas 114 and 59 cases, respectively, completed their treatments. At the end of the 12-week treatment, the average decrease in sUA was 74.26 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 56.74-91.77 µmol/L) and 28.81 µmol/L (95% CI: 4.91-52.71 µmol/L) in the treatment and control groups, respectively (P = 0.004). The average decrease rate of sUA was 12.76% (95% CI: 9.82%-15.70%) and 4.57% (95% CI: 0.42%-8.71%) in the treatment and control groups, respectively (P = 0.004), and the gouty arthritis recurrence rate of the treatment group was lower than that of the control group (from week 6 to 12, 21.93% and 50.88% in the treatment and control group, respectively, P < 0.001; from baseline to week 12, 38.5% and 63.16%, respectively, P = 0.003). Severe adverse events were not observed in either groups, and fewer leucopenia incidences were observed in the treatment group than those in the control group (3/139 vs. 7/71, respectively, P = 0.033). CONCLUSION: CoTOL reduced sUA levels and effectively prevented acute arthritis recurrence in intercritical and chronic gout without serious adverse events.

[Filariae in vertebral canal, report of a case].

OBJECTIVE: To confirm diagnosis of a special case with chief complaints of abdominal pain and dyskinesia of lower extremities. METHODS: The clinical symptoms, signs, MRI, pathological findings and the results of blood test for microfilaria were analyzed. RESULTS: The patient was a 6-year old girl who had abdominal pain for 10 days dyskinesia of lower extremities for 6 days accompanied by difficulty in urination and defecation. There was tenderness on T7-9 spinous process, sensory dullness below the umbilicus. Babinski's and Oppenheim's sign were bilaterally positive, and ankle clonus was positive. MRI showed space occupying change in the vertebral canal at T7-9 level. The mass of 2 cm x 1 cm x 1 cm size was removed by surgical operation and histopathological study showed obvious fibrous tissue proliferation accompanied by eosinophil, lymphocyte and neutrophil infiltration around a worm-like structure. Night time blood test performed at 23:00 confirmed the presence of microfilaria. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of filariae in vertebral canal could be confirmed.