The Application of Rat Models in Staphylococcus aureus Infections.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a major human pathogen and can cause a wide range of diseases, including pneumonia, osteomyelitis, skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs), endocarditis, mastitis, bacteremia, and so forth. Rats have been widely used in the field of infectious diseases due to their unique advantages, and the models of S. aureus infections have played a pivotal role in elucidating their pathogenic mechanisms and the effectiveness of therapeutic agents. This review outlined the current application of rat models in S. aureus infections and future prospects for rat models in infectious diseases caused by S. aureus.

The Changes of Blood and CSF Ion Levels in Depressed Patients: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Micronutrient deficiencies and excesses are closely related to developing and treating depression. Traditional and effective antidepressants include tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and lithium. There is no consensus on the fluctuation of zinc (Zn2+), magnesium (Mg2+), calcium (Ca2+), copper (Cu2+), iron (Fe2+), and manganese (Mn2+) ion levels in depressed individuals before and after therapy. In order to determine whether there were changes in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of these ions in depressed patients compared with healthy controls and depressed patients treated with TCAs, SSRIs, or lithium, we applied a systematic review and meta-analysis. Using the Stata 17.0 software, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the changes in ion levels in human samples from healthy controls, depressive patients, and patients treated with TCAs, SSRIs, and lithium, respectively. By searching the PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and WAN FANG databases, 75 published analyzable papers were chosen. In the blood, the levels of Zn2+ and Mg2+ in depressed patients had decreased while the Ca2+ and Cu2+ levels had increased compared to healthy controls, Fe2+ and Mn2+ levels have not significantly changed. After treatment with SSRIs, the levels of Zn2+ and Ca2+ in depressed patients increased while Cu2+ levels decreased. Mg2+ and Ca2+ levels were increased in depressed patients after Lithium treatment. The findings of the meta-analysis revealed that micronutrient levels were closely associated with the onset of depression and prompted more research into the underlying mechanisms as well as the pathophysiological and therapeutic implications.

Dynamic Changes in Soil Phosphorus Accumulation and Bioavailability in Phosphorus-Contaminated Protected Fields.

Soil phosphorus accumulation resulting in a high risk of phosphorus pollution is due to high multiple vegetable cropping indexes and excessive fertilizer input in protected fields. Therefore, this study explored the bioavailability of soil-accumulated phosphorus to improve fertilization and reduce the risk of soil phosphorus contamination in protected fields. A field trial was performed in Yanbian Prefecture, China to study the phosphorus bioavailability after continuous spinach planting without phosphate fertilizer applications. Results indicated that with increasing numbers of planting stubbles, soil inorganic phosphorus and occluded phosphorus changed little, while water-soluble and loose phosphorus, aluminum-phosphate, iron-phosphate, and calcium-phosphorus decreased first and then increased. Soil available phosphorus declined linearly. For planting spinach in protected fields, the threshold of soil phosphorus deficiency is 200 mg kg-1. A soil phosphorus supply potential model was established between x (the soil available phosphorus) and y (the numbers of planting stubbles): y = 6.759 + 0.027x, R = 0.99, which can be used to predict how planting stubbles are needed to raise the soil available phosphorus above the critical value of phosphorus deficiency for spinach. These results will provide the theoretical guidance for rational phosphorus fertilizer applications and control agricultural, non-point pollution sources in protected fields.

Mechanism of cell death pathways in status epilepticus and related therapeutic agents.

The most severe form of epilepsy, status epilepticus (SE), causes brain damage and results in the development of recurring seizures. Currently, the management of SE remains a clinical challenge because patients do not respond adequately to conventional treatments. Evidence suggests that neural cell death worsens the occurrence and progression of SE. The main forms of cell death are apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis. Herein, these mechanisms of neuronal death in relation to SE and the alleviation of SE by potential modulators that target neuronal death have been reviewed. An understanding of these pathways and their possible roles in SE may assist in the development of SE therapies and in the discovery of new agents.

Ca2+-activated Cl- channel TMEM16A inhibition by cholesterol promotes angiogenesis in endothelial cells.

Introduction: Ca2+-activated Cl- channel TMEM16A is expressed in endothelial cells, and contributes to many diseases such as hypertension, blood-brain barrier dysfunction, and pulmonary hypertension. It remains unclear whether TMEM16A regulates endothelial angiogenesis, which participates in many physiological and pathological processes. Cholesterol regulates many ion channels including TMEM16A, and high cholesterol levels contribute to endothelial dysfunction. It remains to be determined whether cholesterol regulates TMEM16A expression and function in endothelial cells. Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether cholesterol regulated TMEM16A expression and function in endothelial angiogenesis. Methods: Whole-cell patch clamp techniques were used to record Ca2+-activated Cl- currents in human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) and HEK293 cells transfected with TMEM16A-overexpressing plasmids. Western blot was used to examine the expression of TMEM16A and DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) in HAECs. CCK-8 assay, would healing assay, and tube formation assay were used to test endothelial cell proliferation, migration and angiogenesis, respectively. Results: TMEM16A mediates the Ca2+-activated Cl- channel in HAECs. Cholesterol treatment inhibited TMEM16A expression via upregulation of DNMT1 in HAECs, and the inhibitory effect of cholesterol on TMEM16A expression was blocked by 5-aza, the DNMT1 inhibitor. In addition, direct application of cholesterol inhibited TMEM16A currents in heterologous HEK293 cells with an IC50 of 0.1209 µM. Similarly, cholesterol directly inhibited TMEM16A currents in HAECs. Furthermore, TMEM16A knockdown increased in vitro tube formation, cell migration and proliferation of HAECs, and TMEM16A overexpression produced the opposite effect. Conclusion: This study reveals a novel mechanism of cholesterol-mediated TMEM16A inhibition, by which cholesterol reduces TMEM16A expression via DNMT1-mediated methylation and directly inhibits channel activities. TMEM16A channel inhibition promotes endothelial cell angiogenesis.

A bibliometric analysis and review of recent researches on TRPM7.

The transient receptor potential melastatin-subfamily member 7 (TRPM7) is a ubiquitously expressed protein that contains both an ion channel and an active kinase. TRPM7 has involved in a variety of cellular functions and critically participates in various diseases mainly including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. However, the theme trends and knowledge structures for TRPM7 have not yet been studied bibliometrically. The main purposes of this research are to compare the scientific production in the research field of TRPM7 among countries and to evaluate the publication trend between 2004 and 2019. All publications were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database from 2004 to 2019. Microsoft Excel 2018, Prism 6, and CiteSpace V were applied to analyze the scientific research outputs including journals, countries, territories, institutions, authors, and research hotspots. In this report, a total of 860 publications related to TRPM7 were analyzed. Biophysical Journal ranked top for publishing 31 papers. The United States of America had the largest number of publications (320) with a high citation frequency (11,298) and H-index (58). Chubanov V (38 publications) and Gudermann T (38 citations), who from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, were the most productive authors and had the greatest co-citation counts. Our study also combined the bibliometric study with a systematic review on TRPM7, highlighting the four research frontiers of TRPM7. This is the first study that demonstrated the trends and future development in TRPM7 publications, providing a clear and intuitive profile for the contributions in this field.