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1.
Sci Rep ; 14(1): 10398, 2024 05 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38710769

ABSTRACT

Pigmented and non-pigmented rice varieties (grown in different areas) were collected in China, Yunnan, to investigate the content of macro-, trace elements and potentially toxic elements (PTEs), and to assess the health risk associated with dietary intake. The order of elemental concentrations in rice was Mn > Zn > Fe > Cu > Se for trace elements, P > K > Mg > Ca > Na for macro elements, and Cr > As > Cd for PTEs. Rice with a high concentration of essential elements also associated with a high content of PTEs. In addition, higher content of Cr, Mn and Na were found in pigmented rice. The health risk assessment showed that the daily intake of all elements was below the tolerable limit (UL). Moreover the intake of Fe, Zn and Se was far from sufficient for the nutrient requirement. The PTEs in rice dominated the health risk. Of concern is that this rice consumption is likely to contribute to carcinogenic risks in the long term and that adults are at higher health risk from pigmented rice compared to non-pigmented rice. This study confirms that the lack of essential micronutrients in rice and the health risk associated with rice diets should remain a concern.


Subject(s)
Oryza , Trace Elements , Oryza/chemistry , Trace Elements/analysis , Trace Elements/toxicity , Humans , China , Risk Assessment , Pigmentation
2.
Asia Pac J Public Health ; 36(4): 337-343, 2024 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38600738

ABSTRACT

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an emerging systemic inflammation marker associated with disease progression and mortality in patients. However, there is limited research on the predictive value of NLR in the general population. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between NLR and all-cause mortality in an elderly Chinese population. A retrospective cohort study was conducted based on health examination in a community in Shanghai, China, between 2015 and 2020. Among 6364 participants (aged ≥ 55 years), a total of 169 (2.66%) participants died during a median follow-up period of 5.37 years. The median NLR was 1.63. Multivariate analysis revealed that the upper 2 quartiles of NLR were positively associated with all-cause mortality (Q3 vs Q1: hazard ratio [HR] = 1.82; Q4 vs Q1: HR = 2.22). The stratified and interaction analyses showed that age, sex, body mass index (BMI), history of diabetes, or history of hypertension did not significantly modify the association between NLR and all-cause mortality. Elevated NLR was independently associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in the elderly Chinese population.


Subject(s)
Lymphocytes , Neutrophils , Humans , Retrospective Studies , Male , China/epidemiology , Female , Aged , Middle Aged , Mortality/trends , Aged, 80 and over , Cause of Death , Lymphocyte Count , Leukocyte Count
3.
Medicine (Baltimore) ; 103(11): e37518, 2024 Mar 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38489678

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Medical therapy has become an increasingly important intervention owing to improvements in the multidisciplinary care for pituitary adenomas (PAs). This study aimed to assess the reporting quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on PAs pharmacotherapy. METHODS: RCTs evaluating the efficacy of pharmacotherapy in PAs published in English between January 1, 1974, and December 31, 2022, were searched for and collected from PubMed and MEDLINE. The 2010 Consolidated Standards for Test Reports (CONSORT) statement-based 28 items overall quality score (OQS) was used to evaluate the overall quality of each report. RESULTS: Twenty-seven related RCTs including 1816 patients were retrieved. The median OQS score was 12 (range, 6-19) on a scale of 0 to 28. Important items, such as background, objectives, participants, interventions, and outcomes, were sufficiently reported in 100% (27/27) of the articles. Statistical methods were adequately described in 93% (25/27) of patients. However, RCTs underreported identification as randomized trials in the title (3/27, 11%), sample size, allocation concealment, implementation, ancillary analysis method, and Diagram and Ancillary analyses (1/27, 4%). The OQS of published RCTs has significantly increased since 2010 (P = .012). The multivariate final model showed significant associations between higher OQS and publication since 2010 and enrollment of more than 100 patients. CONCLUSIONS: The overall reporting quality of RCTs on pharmacotherapy in PAs was poor, based on the 2010 CONSORT statement. However, we noticed an improvement in the OQS over the years and identified the factors associated with a better report. Increased effort is necessary to raise awareness of these issues among writers, readers, reviewers, and editors.


Subject(s)
Pituitary Neoplasms , Humans , Pituitary Neoplasms/drug therapy , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Reference Standards , Sample Size
4.
Int J Neural Syst ; 34(4): 2450016, 2024 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38372016

ABSTRACT

Constructing computational decoding models to account for the cortical representation of semantic information plays a crucial role in understanding visual perception. The human visual system processes interactive relationships among different objects when perceiving the semantic contents of natural visions. However, the existing semantic decoding models commonly regard categories as completely separate and independent visually and semantically and rarely consider the relationships from prior information. In this work, a novel semantic graph learning model was proposed to decode multiple semantic categories of perceived natural images from brain activity. The proposed model was validated on the functional magnetic resonance imaging data collected from five normal subjects while viewing 2750 natural images comprising 52 semantic categories. The results showed that the Graph Neural Network-based decoding model achieved higher accuracies than other deep neural network models. Moreover, the co-occurrence probability among semantic categories showed a significant correlation with the decoding accuracy. Additionally, the results suggested that semantic content organized in a hierarchical way with higher visual areas was more closely related to the internal visual experience. Together, this study provides a superior computational framework for multi-semantic decoding that supports the visual integration mechanism of semantic processing.


Subject(s)
Brain Mapping , Semantics , Humans , Brain Mapping/methods , Visual Perception , Neural Networks, Computer , Learning , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Brain/diagnostic imaging
5.
Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) ; 15: 1330139, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38375199

ABSTRACT

Bariatric surgery (BS), recognized as the most effective intervention for morbid obesity and associated metabolic comorbidities, encompasses both weight loss-dependent and weight loss-independent mechanisms to exert its metabolic benefits. In this study, we employed plasma proteomics technology, a recently developed mass spectrometric approach, to quantitatively assess 632 circulating proteins in a longitudinal cohort of 9 individuals who underwent sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Through time series clustering and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, we observed that complement activation, proteolysis, and negative regulation of triglyceride catabolic process were the primary biological processes enriched in down-regulated proteins. Conversely, up-regulated differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were significantly associated with negative regulation of peptidase activity, fibrinolysis, keratinocyte migration, and acute-phase response. Notably, we identified seven proteins (ApoD, BCHE, CNDP1, AFM, ITIH3, SERPINF1, FCN3) that demonstrated significant alterations at 1-, 3-, and 6-month intervals post SG, compared to baseline. These proteins play essential roles in metabolism, immune and inflammatory responses, as well as oxidative stress. Consequently, they hold promising potential as therapeutic targets for combating obesity and its associated comorbidities.


Subject(s)
Bariatric Surgery , Obesity, Morbid , Humans , Proteome , Gastrectomy , Weight Loss/physiology
7.
Curr Biol ; 34(1): 213-223.e5, 2024 01 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38141619

ABSTRACT

Communicating emotional intensity plays a vital ecological role because it provides valuable information about the nature and likelihood of the sender's behavior.1,2,3 For example, attack often follows signals of intense aggression if receivers fail to retreat.4,5 Humans regularly use facial expressions to communicate such information.6,7,8,9,10,11 Yet how this complex signaling task is achieved remains unknown. We addressed this question using a perception-based, data-driven method to mathematically model the specific facial movements that receivers use to classify the six basic emotions-"happy," "surprise," "fear," "disgust," "anger," and "sad"-and judge their intensity in two distinct cultures (East Asian, Western European; total n = 120). In both cultures, receivers expected facial expressions to dynamically represent emotion category and intensity information over time, using a multi-component compositional signaling structure. Specifically, emotion intensifiers peaked earlier or later than emotion classifiers and represented intensity using amplitude variations. Emotion intensifiers are also more similar across emotions than classifiers are, suggesting a latent broad-plus-specific signaling structure. Cross-cultural analysis further revealed similarities and differences in expectations that could impact cross-cultural communication. Specifically, East Asian and Western European receivers have similar expectations about which facial movements represent high intensity for threat-related emotions, such as "anger," "disgust," and "fear," but differ on those that represent low threat emotions, such as happiness and sadness. Together, our results provide new insights into the intricate processes by which facial expressions can achieve complex dynamic signaling tasks by revealing the rich information embedded in facial expressions.


Subject(s)
Emotions , Facial Expression , Humans , Anger , Fear , Happiness
8.
Mar Drugs ; 21(12)2023 Nov 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38132921

ABSTRACT

Ascomylactam C (AsC) is a new 13-membered-ring macrocyclic alkaloid, which was first isolated and identified in 2019 from the secondary metabolites of the mangrove endophytic fungus Didymella sp. CYSK-4 in the South China Sea. AsC has been found to have a broad-spectrum cytotoxic activity. However, the antitumor effects in vivo and mechanisms of AsC remain unclear. The aim of this study was to describe the effects of AsC on lung cancer and melanoma cells and to explore the antitumor molecular mechanism of AsC. In vitro, we used plate colony formation experiments and demonstrated the ability of AsC to inhibit low-density tumor growth. An Annexin V/PI cell apoptosis detection experiment revealed that AsC induced tumor cell apoptosis. In vivo, AsC suppressed the tumor growth of LLC and B16F10 allograft significantly in mice, and promoted the infiltration of CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells in tumor tissues. Mechanistically, by analyses of Western blotting, immunofluorescence and ELISA analysis, we found that AsC increased ROS formation, induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, activated the protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (PERK)/eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF2α)/activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4)/C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) signaling pathway, and induced immunogenic cell death (ICD) of tumor cells. Our results suggest that AsC may be a potentially promising antitumor drug candidate.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents , Lung Neoplasms , Melanoma , Mice , Animals , Lung Neoplasms/drug therapy , Lung Neoplasms/metabolism , Melanoma/drug therapy , Melanoma/metabolism , CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/metabolism , Immunogenic Cell Death , eIF-2 Kinase/metabolism , Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress , Apoptosis , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents/metabolism , Mitochondria/metabolism , Transcription Factor CHOP/metabolism
9.
Cancers (Basel) ; 15(24)2023 Dec 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38136327

ABSTRACT

Metastasis, a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, frequently occurs early in the diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, the precise molecular mechanisms governing the aggressive metastatic behavior of LUAD remain incompletely understood. In this study, we present compelling evidence indicating that the long noncoding RNA linc01703 is significantly downregulated in metastatic lung cancer cells. Intriguingly, in vivo experiments revealed that Linc01703 exerted a profound inhibitory effect on lung cancer metastasis without discernible impact on the in vitro proliferation or invasion capacities of LUAD cells. Mechanistically, Linc01703 enhanced the interaction between Rab27a, SYTL1, and CD81, consequently promoting the secretion of CD81+ exosomes. These exosomes, in turn, suppressed the infiltration of immune cells within the tumor microenvironment, thereby impeding LUAD metastasis. Importantly, our analysis of lung cancer tissues revealed a correlation between reduced CD81 expression and an unfavorable patient prognosis. Collectively, our findings suggest that Linc01703 functions as a metastasis suppressor by facilitating the secretion of CD81+ exosomes through the formation of the Rab27a/SYTL1/CD81 complex.

10.
Clin Chim Acta ; 549: 117558, 2023 Sep 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37709114

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: It remains unclear whether early sleeve gastrectomy (SG) improves postprandial very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) as well as chylomicron triglycerides (TGs) in a weight-independent manner in patients with or without type 2 diabetes (DM). Herein we investigated the early effects of SG on postprandial VLDL and chylomicron kinetics. METHODS: A liquid meal test was performed before and after 1 week of SG. The plasma was collected for postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoprotein kinetics analyses, including VLDLs and chylomicrons, isolated by high-speed ultracentrifugation. Lipidomics and metabolomics were used to profile lipid and metabolite compositions of plasma and postprandial chylomicrons. De novo fatty acid synthesis in intestinal epithelial cells treated with chylomicron metabolites was examined using RT-PCR, immunoblotting, and free fatty acid measurement. RESULTS: We found that patients with DM had markedly higher VLDL TGs than patients without DM, and such an increase was still retained after SG. In contrast, SG significantly decreased postprandial chylomicron TGs, but surprisingly, the degree of the reduction in patients with DM was less prominent than in patients without DM, confirmed by untargeted lipidomics analysis. Moreover, 5 unique metabolites potentially linked to de novo fatty acid synthesis from the pathway analysis were discovered by further metabolomic analysis of postprandial chylomicrons from patients with DM who underwent SG and verified by In vitro intestinal epithelial cell culture experiments. CONCLUSIONS: SG in 1 week did not impact postprandial VLDL but decreased chylomicron TGs. Patients with DM keep higher postprandial chylomicron TG concentrations than patients without it after SG, potentially through some unique metabolites that increase intestinal fatty acid synthesis. These results implicate the timing for SG to reach lower intestinal fatty acid synthesis and postprandial chylomicron TG production is prior to the diagnosis of DM to potentially reduce cardiovascular risks.

11.
Nat Med ; 29(10): 2633-2642, 2023 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37710000

ABSTRACT

The personalized titration and optimization of insulin regimens for treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D) are resource-demanding healthcare tasks. Here we propose a model-based reinforcement learning (RL) framework (called RL-DITR), which learns the optimal insulin regimen by analyzing glycemic state rewards through patient model interactions. When evaluated during the development phase for managing hospitalized patients with T2D, RL-DITR achieved superior insulin titration optimization (mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.10 ± 0.03 U) compared to other deep learning models and standard clinical methods. We performed a stepwise clinical validation of the artificial intelligence system from simulation to deployment, demonstrating better performance in glycemic control in inpatients compared to junior and intermediate-level physicians through quantitative (MAE of 1.18 ± 0.09 U) and qualitative metrics from a blinded review. Additionally, we conducted a single-arm, patient-blinded, proof-of-concept feasibility trial in 16 patients with T2D. The primary outcome was difference in mean daily capillary blood glucose during the trial, which decreased from 11.1 (±3.6) to 8.6 (±2.4) mmol L-1 (P < 0.01), meeting the pre-specified endpoint. No episodes of severe hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia with ketosis occurred. These preliminary results warrant further investigation in larger, more diverse clinical studies. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT05409391 .


Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 , Humans , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/drug therapy , Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use , Glycemic Control , Artificial Intelligence , Insulin/therapeutic use , Blood Glucose
12.
Commun Biol ; 6(1): 880, 2023 08 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37640808

ABSTRACT

Accurately predicting the brain responses to various stimuli poses a significant challenge in neuroscience. Despite recent breakthroughs in neural encoding using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in fMRI studies, there remain critical gaps between the computational rules of traditional artificial neurons and real biological neurons. To address this issue, a spiking CNN (SCNN)-based framework is presented in this study to achieve neural encoding in a more biologically plausible manner. The framework utilizes unsupervised SCNN to extract visual features of image stimuli and employs a receptive field-based regression algorithm to predict fMRI responses from the SCNN features. Experimental results on handwritten characters, handwritten digits and natural images demonstrate that the proposed approach can achieve remarkably good encoding performance and can be utilized for "brain reading" tasks such as image reconstruction and identification. This work suggests that SNN can serve as a promising tool for neural encoding.


Subject(s)
Neurons , Neurosciences , Neural Networks, Computer , Algorithms , Brain/diagnostic imaging
13.
J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle ; 14(5): 2126-2142, 2023 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37469245

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: DJ-1 is a causative gene for Parkinson's disease. DJ-1-deficient mice develop gait-associated progressive behavioural abnormalities and hypoactive forearm grip strength. However, underlying activity mechanisms are not fully explored. METHODS: Western blotting and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction approaches were adopted to analyse DJ-1 expression in skeletal muscle from aged humans or mice and compared with young subjects. Skeletal muscle-specific-DJ-1 knockout (MDKO) mice were generated, followed by an assessment of the physical activity phenotypes (grip strength, maximal load capacity, and hanging, rotarod, and exercise capacity tests) of the MDKO and control mice on the chow diet. Muscular atrophy phenotypes (cross-sectional area and fibre types) were determined by imaging and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Mitochondrial function and skeletal muscle morphology were evaluated by oxygen consumption rate and electron microscopy, respectively. Tail suspension was applied to address disuse atrophy. RNA-seq analysis was performed to indicate molecular changes in muscles with DJ-1 ablation. Dual-luciferase reporter assays were employed to identify the promoter region of Trim63 and Fbxo32 genes, which were indirectly regulated by DJ-1 via the FoxO1 pathway. Cytoplasmic and nuclear fractions of DJ-1-deleted muscle cells were analysed by western blotting. Compound 23 was administered into the gastrocnemius muscle to mimic the of DJ-1 deletion effects. RESULTS: DJ-1 expression decreased in atrophied muscles of aged human (young men, n = 2; old with aged men, n = 2; young women, n = 2; old with aged women, n = 2) and immobilization mice (n = 6, P < 0.01). MDKO mice exhibited no body weight difference compared with control mice on the chow diet (Flox, n = 8; MDKO, n = 9). DJ-1-deficient muscles were slightly dystrophic (Flox, n = 7; MDKO, n = 8; P < 0.05), with impaired physical activities and oxidative capacity (n = 8, P < 0.01). In disuse-atrophic conditions, MDKO mice showed smaller cross-sectional area (n = 5, P < 0.01) and more central nuclei than control mice (Flox, n = 7; MDKO, n = 6; P < 0.05), without alteration in muscle fibre types (Flox, n = 6; MDKO, n = 7). Biochemical analysis indicated that reduced mitochondrial function and upregulated of atrogenes induced these changes. Furthermore, RNA-seq analysis revealed enhanced activity of the FoxO1 signalling pathway in DJ-1-ablated muscles, which was responsible for the induction of atrogenes. Finally, compound 23 (an inhibitor of DJ-1) could mimic the effects of DJ-1 ablation in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Our results illuminate the crucial of skeletal muscle DJ-1 in the regulation of catabolic signals from mechanical stimulation, providing a therapeutic target for muscle wasting diseases.


Subject(s)
Muscle, Skeletal , Muscular Disorders, Atrophic , Male , Humans , Animals , Female , Mice , Aged , Muscle, Skeletal/pathology , Muscular Atrophy/genetics , Muscular Atrophy/metabolism , Muscle Fibers, Skeletal/metabolism , Muscular Disorders, Atrophic/metabolism , Mitochondria/metabolism
14.
Acad Radiol ; 30 Suppl 1: S155-S163, 2023 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37407373

ABSTRACT

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the performance of attenuation imaging (ATI) based on ultrasound for detection of hepatic steatosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study was approved by our institutional review board (B2021-092R). Written informed consent was obtained from all patients. This study included 60 patients who had clinical suspicion of NAFLD and were referred for liver biopsy after ATI and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) examinations between September 2020 and December 2021. The histologic hepatic steatosis was graded. The area under curve (AUC) analysis was performed. RESULTS: The success rate of the ATI examination was 100%. The intraobserver reproducibility of ATI was 0.981. The AUCs of ATI for detecting ≥S1, ≥S2, and S3 were 0.968 (cut-off value of 0.671 dB/cm/MHz), 0.911 (cut-off value of 0.726 dB/cm/MHz), and 0.766 (cut-off value of 0.757 dB/cm/MHz), respectively. The AUCs of CAP for detecting ≥S1, ≥S2, and S3 were 0.916 (cut-off value of 258.5 dB/m), 0.872 (cut-off value of 300.0 dB/m), and 0.807 (cut-off value of 315.0 dB/m), respectively. The diagnostic values showed no significant difference between ATI and CAP in detecting ≥S1, ≥S2, and S3 (P = .281, P = .254, and P = .330, respectively). The ATI had significant correlations with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < .001), and with triglycerides (P = .015). CONCLUSION: ATI showed good feasibility and diagnostic performance in the detection of varying degrees of hepatic steatosis in NAFLD patients.


Subject(s)
Elasticity Imaging Techniques , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease , Humans , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/diagnosis , Liver/diagnostic imaging , Liver/pathology , Prospective Studies , Reproducibility of Results , Elasticity Imaging Techniques/methods , ROC Curve , Biopsy
15.
Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes ; 131(11): 583-588, 2023 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37524110

ABSTRACT

AIM: This study investigated the effects of insulin glargine and exenatide on the muscle mass of patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: We performed a post-hoc analysis of our previously study, a 24-week randomized controlled multicenter clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02303730). Seventy-six patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive insulin glargine or exenatide treatment. The changes in psoas muscle area (PMA) (mm2) were obtained with the cross-sectional Dixonfat magnetic resonance images at the fourth lumber vertebra. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in age, BMI, gender, and PMA in insulin glargine and exenatide groups at baseline. After treatment, PMA tended to increase by 13.13 (-215.52, 280.80) mm2 in the insulin glargine group and decrease by 149.09 (322.90-56.39) mm2 in the exenatide group (both p>0.05). Subgroup analysis showed a 560.64 (77.88, 1043.40) (mm2) increase of PMA in the insulin group relative to the Exenatide group in patients with BMI<28 kg/m2 (p0.031) after adjusting for gender, age, and research center. Interaction analysis showed an interaction between BMI and treatment (p0.009). However, no interaction was observed among subgroups with a BMI≥28 kg/m2 or with different genders and ages. CONCLUSION: Compared to exenatide, insulin glargine can relativity increase PMA in patients with T2DM having BMI<28 kg/m2 and NAFLD.


Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease , Humans , Female , Male , Insulin Glargine/pharmacology , Exenatide/pharmacology , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/drug therapy , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/drug therapy , Cross-Sectional Studies , Muscles , Hypoglycemic Agents/pharmacology , Venoms/pharmacology
16.
Conserv Physiol ; 11(1): coad049, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37457902

ABSTRACT

The Chinese pangolin is an endangered species, and ex situ conservation and captive rescue are important conservation measures. This requires reliable information on nutritional energy requirements and expenditure characteristics. However, we lack sufficient knowledge of their energy physiology to determine their energy requirements for maintenance and growth. An open-flow respirometry system was used to measure the resting metabolic rate (RMR) and the daily energy expenditure (DEE) of Chinese pangolins (Manis pentadactyla), and the dietary digestive energy was measured. The average RMR in Chinese pangolins was 3.23 ml O2 kg-1 min-1 at an ambient temperature (Ta) of 24.5-30°C, which was only 73.0% of the expected value based on body mass (BM). The average DEE values were 744.9 kJ day-1 in animals with BM >3 kg and 597.3 kJ day-1 in those with BM <3 kg, which were only 52.4% and 60.6% of the predicted values, respectively. The RMR and DEE levels of the Chinese pangolin were lower than those of similar-sized eutherian mammals and close to those of anteaters. These characteristics suggest that the Chinese pangolin has a low demand for energy in its diet. Although metabolic level data alone cannot be used to calculate the energy requirements of each Chinese pangolin, we believe they can provide a tangible reference for the relocation of Chinese pangolins. These results provide a scientific basis for future research on the physiology and ecology of endangered wildlife such as the Chinese pangolin.

17.
BMC Vet Res ; 19(1): 69, 2023 May 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37147672

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Escherichia fergusonii is a common conditionally pathogenic bacterium that infects humans and animals. E. fergusonii has been reported to cause diarrhea, respiratory disease, and septicemia, but it is rarely reported to cause skin infections in animals. E. fergusonii has been isolated from the skin and muscular tissue of Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla aurita). To date, there have been no reports of Chinese pangolins with clinical signs of skin diseases. CASE PRESENTATION: This case report describes the clinical case of a subadult (bodyweight: 1.1 kg) female Chinese pangolin from wild rescue with pustules and subcutaneous suppurative infection due to E. fergusonii in the abdominal skin. Bacterial culture, Biochemical analysis, PCR and histopathology were utilized to identify the bacteria in the pustule puncture fluid and infected tissue. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of E. fergusonii-related pustules on a Chinese pangolin. CONCLUSION: This case report presents the first observed skin infection in a Chinese pangolin. E. fergusonii infection should be considered as a possible differential diagnosis of pustules and subcutaneous suppurative skin conditions in Chinese pangolins, and we also provide several recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.


Subject(s)
Mammals , Pangolins , Humans , Animals , Female , Skin
18.
Animals (Basel) ; 13(7)2023 Mar 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37048418

ABSTRACT

Venous blood gas analytes are commonly examined in animals, and the results may be important when evaluating the overall health status of an animal. Pangolins are critically endangered mammals, and there is limited information on their physiological reference values in the literature. The aim of this study was to analyze venous blood gas and biochemical parameters before and during isoflurane anesthesia in wild healthy Sunda and Chinese pangolins. The results obtained showed that the blood gas index trends of the two pangolin species before and after isoflurane anesthesia were the same. After anesthesia, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2), partial pressure of oxygen (pO2), total carbon dioxide (CO2), mean blood bicarbonate (HCO3-), extracellular fluid compartment (BEecf) base excess and the mean blood glucose (Glu) levels of both pangolin species showed a significant increase compared to the pre-anesthesia period. In contrast, the mean blood potassium (K+), lactate (Lac) and mean blood pH levels were significantly lower. No significant differences in the mean blood sodium (Na+) or blood ionized calcium (iCa) levels were observed during anesthesia. This study is important for future comparisons and understanding the health status of this endangered species.

20.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab ; 108(2): 463-471, 2023 01 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36181486

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT: Existing studies focusing on the effects of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) combined with normal prepregnant weight on pregnancy outcomes are limited. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the relationship between maternal NAFLD and adverse pregnancy outcomes in different body mass index (BMI) groups. METHODS: Using an antenatal care and delivery database, we retrospectively analyzed women who delivered in Minhang Hospital affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, China from January 1, 2013, to June 30, 2020. NAFLD was confirmed by ultrasound in early pregnancy. A logistic regression model with adjustment for confounders was used to examine potential associations between NAFLD and pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 14 708 pregnant women (mean prepregnant BMI 21.0 [SD, 2.8] kg/m2) were included in our final study, of whom 554 (3.8%) had NAFLD. After fully adjusting for potential confounders, NAFLD significantly increased the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (adjusted odds ratio 2.477; 95% CI, 1.885-3.254), gestational hypertension (3.054; 2.191-4.257), preeclampsia/eclampsia (3.994; 2.591-6.005), cesarean section (1.569; 1.315-1.872), preterm births (1.831; 1.229-2.727), and macrosomia (1.691; 1.300-2.198). It is notable that 83.9% (12 338) of women were of normal weight at the start of pregnancy (prepregnant 18.5 ≤ BMI < 24 kg/m2), and they still had higher odds of adverse pregnancy outcomes. CONCLUSION: Women with NAFLD and a normal weight have a higher risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Pregnant women with NAFLD, regardless of obesity status, should be offered a more qualified surveillance to optimize pregnancy outcomes.


Subject(s)
Diabetes, Gestational , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease , Premature Birth , Infant, Newborn , Female , Pregnancy , Humans , Pregnancy Outcome/epidemiology , Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/epidemiology , Retrospective Studies , Cesarean Section , China/epidemiology , Diabetes, Gestational/epidemiology , Premature Birth/epidemiology , Body Mass Index
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