Spatio-temporal evolution and trend prediction of the incidence of Class B notifiable infectious diseases in China: a sample of statistical data from 2007 to 2020.

BACKGROUND: With the accelerated global integration and the impact of climatic, ecological and social environmental changes, China will continue to face the challenge of the outbreak and spread of emerging infectious diseases and traditional ones. This study aims to explore the spatial and temporal evolutionary characteristics of the incidence of Class B notifiable infectious diseases in China from 2007 to 2020, and to forecast the trend of it as well. Hopefully, it will provide a reference for the formulation of infectious disease prevention and control strategies. METHODS: Data on the incidence rates of Class B notifiable infectious diseases in 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions of China from 2007 to 2020 were collected for the prediction of the spatio-temporal evolution and spatial correlation as well as the incidence of Class B notifiable infectious diseases in China based on global spatial autocorrelation and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA). RESULTS: From 2007 to 2020, the national incidence rate of Class B notifiable infectious diseases (from 272.37 per 100,000 in 2007 to 190.35 per 100,000 in 2020) decreases year by year, and the spatial distribution shows an "east-central-west" stepwise increase. From 2007 to 2020, the spatial clustering of the incidence of Class B notifiable infectious diseases is significant and increasing year by year (Moran's I index values range from 0.189 to 0.332, p < 0.05). The forecasted incidence rates of Class B notifiable infectious diseases nationwide from 2021 to 2024 (205.26/100,000, 199.95/100,000, 194.74/100,000 and 189.62/100,000) as well as the forecasted values for most regions show a downward trend, with only some regions (Guangdong, Hunan, Hainan, Tibet, Guangxi and Guizhou) showing an increasing trend year by year. CONCLUSIONS: The current study found that since there were significant regional disparities in the prevention and control of infectious diseases in China between 2007 and 2020, the reduction of the incidence of Class B notifiable infectious diseases requires the joint efforts of the surrounding provinces. Besides, special attention should be paid to provinces with an increasing trend in the incidence of Class B notifiable infectious diseases to prevent the re-emergence of certain traditional infectious diseases in a particular province or even the whole country, as well as the outbreak and spread of emerging infectious diseases.

A study of self-precaution against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of risk perception attitude theory and social support.

BACKGROUND: In this research, the factors that influence the self-precautionary behavior during the pandemic are explored with the combination of social support and a risk perception attitude framework. METHODS: An online survey was conducted among 429 members to collect information on demographic data, social support, perceptions of outbreak risk, health self-efficacy, and self-precautionary behaviors with the guide of the Social Support Scale, the COVID-19 Risk Perception Scale, the Health Self-Efficacy Scale and the Self-precautionary Behavior Scale. RESULTS: The research shows that among the three dimensions of social support, both objective support and support utilization negatively predict risk perception, while subjective support positively predicts health self-efficacy; health self-efficacy and risk perception significantly predict self-precautionary behavior; the relationship between risk perception and self-precautionary behavior is significantly moderated by health self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: The combined influence of social capital and risk perception attitudinal frameworks on self-precautionary behavior is highlighted in this study, with the relationship between the public's risk perception, health self-efficacy, and self-precautionary behavior intentions examined against the background of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). These findings contribute to understanding the impact of social capital factors on risk perception and health self-efficacy, which provides insight into the current status and influencing factors of the public's precautionary behavior and facilitates early intervention during a pandemic.

Vacuum therapy ameliorates erectile dysfunction in bilateral cavernous nerve crush rats by inhibiting apoptosis and activating autophagy.

Postprostatectomy erectile dysfunction (pPED) remains a current problem despite improvements in surgical techniques. Vacuum therapy is clinically confirmed as a type of pPED rehabilitation. However, its underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Recently, autophagy and apoptosis were extensively studied in erectile dysfunction resulting from diabetes, senescence, and androgen deprivation but not in the context of pPED and vacuum therapy. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the roles of autophagy and apoptosis in pPED and vacuum therapy. Twenty-four adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: the control group, bilateral cavernous nerve crush (BCNC) group, and BCNC + vacuum group. After 4 weeks of treatment, intracavernosal pressure was used to evaluate erectile function. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and immunohistochemistry were used to measure the molecular expression. TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling staining was used to assess apoptosis. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe autophagosomes. After treatment, compared with those of the BCNC group, erectile function and cavernosal hypoxia had statistically significantly improved (P < 0.05). Apoptosis and the relative protein expression of B-cell lymphoma-2-associated X and cleaved Caspase3 were decreased (P < 0.05). Autophagy-related molecules such as phosphorylated unc-51-like autophagy-activating kinase 1 (Ser757) and p62 were decreased. Beclin1, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 A/B, and autophagosomes were increased (P < 0.05). Besides, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway, as a negative regulator of autophagy to some degree, was inhibited. This study revealed that vacuum therapy ameliorated pPED in BCNC rats by inhibiting apoptosis and activating autophagy.

N-acetylcysteine maintains penile length and erectile function in bilateral cavernous nerve crush rat model by reducing penile fibrosis.

Penile length shortening and erectile dysfunction are common complications after radical prostatectomy. Various methods have been used to maintain erectile function, but less attention has been paid to preserving penis length. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) has the effect of antioxidation and antifibrotic, which may be beneficial to improve those postoperative complications. This study investigated the effect of NAC on maintaining the penile length and the erectile function after bilateral cavernous nerve crush (BCNC) and its underlying mechanism. Twenty-four male rats were randomly divided into three groups: control group, BCNC group, and BCNC + NAC group. NAC or equal volume of saline was daily administrated by intragastric gavage for 4 weeks. The initial and end penile lengths were measured. Intracavernosal pressure/mean arterial pressure (ICP/MAP) ratio was calculated to assess erectile function. Hematoxylin-eosin staining, Masson's trichrome staining, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot were performed to explore cellular and molecular changes of the penis. Compared to the BCNC group, the penile length, ICP/MAP ratio and smooth muscle/collagen ratio in the BCNC + NAC group were improved significantly (all P < 0.05), and the expressions of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, α-smooth muscle actin, glutathione, and glutathione peroxidase 1 were significantly increased after NAC treated (all P < 0.05), along with the decreased expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α, transforming growth factor-ß1, collagen I, collagen III, collagen IV, malonaldehyde, and lysine oxidase (all P < 0.05). This study demonstrated that NAC could maintain penile length and partly improve erectile function. Possible mechanism is directly and/or indirectly related to antihypoxic and antifibrosis.

Pharmacological blockade of the MaxiK channel attenuates experimental acute pancreatitis and associated lung injury in rats.

Increasing evidence has recently demonstrated that soluble heparan sulfate (HS), a degradation product of extracellular matrix produced by elastase, plays a key role in the aggravation of acute pancreatitis (AP) and associated lung injury. However little is known about the detailed mechanism underlying HS-induced inflammatory cascade. Our previous work has provided a valuable clue that a large-conductance K(+) channel (MaxiK) was involved in the HS-stimulated activation of murine macrophages. Here we attempted to ask whether pharmacological inhibition of the MaxiK channel will exert beneficial effects on the treatment of AP and secondary lung injury. The protective effects of paxilline, a specific blocker of MaxiK, on rats against sodium taurocholate induced AP were evaluated. Our data showed that paxilline substantially attenuated AP and resultant lung injury, mainly by limiting the burst of inflammatory responses, as proven by decreased plasma concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α and macrophage inflammatory protein-2, together with unimpaired pancreatic enzyme activities in rats suffering from AP. Compared with the therapeutic administration, pre-treatment of paxilline showed superior potential to slow down the progress of AP. Furthermore, AP rats received paxilline exhibited improved histopathologic alterations both in the pancreas and the lungs, and even lower lung MPO activity. Taken together, our study provides evidence that MaxiK is involved in the spread of inflammatory responses and the following lung injury during the attack of AP, indicating that this ion channel is a promising candidate as a therapeutic target for AP.

Involvement of a membrane potassium channel in heparan sulphate-induced activation of macrophages.

Increasing evidence has demonstrated that Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) -mediated systemic inflammatory response syndrome accompanied by multiple organ failure, is one of the most common causes of death in patients with severe acute pancreatitis. Recent reports have revealed that heparan sulphate (HS) proteoglycan, a component of extracellular matrices, potentiates the activation of intracellular pro-inflammatory responses via TLR4, contributing to the aggravation of acute pancreatitis. However, little is known about the participants in the HS/TLR4-mediated inflammatory cascades. Our previous work provided a clue that a membrane potassium channel (MaxiK) is responsible for HS-induced production of inflammatory cytokines. Therefore, in this report we attempted to reveal the roles of MaxiK in the activation of macrophages stimulated by HS. Our results showed that incubation of RAW264.7 cells with HS up-regulated MaxiK and TLR4 expression levels. HS could also activate MaxiK channels to promote the efflux of potassium ions from cells, as measured by the elevated activity of caspase-1, whereas this was significantly abolished by treatment with paxilline, a specific blocker of the MaxiK channel. Moreover, it was found that paxilline substantially inhibited HS-induced activation of several different transcription factors in macrophages, including nuclear factor-κB, p38 and interferon regulatory factor-3, followed by decreased production of tumour necrosis factor-α and interferon-ß. Taken together, our investigation provides evidence that the HS/TLR4-mediated intracellular inflammatory cascade depends on the activation of MaxiK, which may offer an important opportunity for a new approach in therapeutic strategies of severe acute pancreatitis.

[Preparation and transfection of GFP plasmid DNA/cationic liposome complex].

OBJECTIVE: This work was directed at obtaining a better gene carrier to improve the effects of gene delivery. METHODS: Cationic liposomes made from cholesterol, lecithin and Eighteenth Amic by reverse evaporation technique were used for encapsulating plasmid DNA containing gfp gene. The DNA/liposome complexes differed in quantity of plasmid DNA. The sizes of complexes and the efficiency of encapsulation were detected. MTT assay was used to measure the cytotoxicities of complexes. The efficiency of transfection into COS1 cells was shown by observation of green fluorescent and measurement of fluorescent intensity. RESULTS: The average size of complexes was 562 nm, the encapsulating efficiency of DNA in microspheres reached 55%-65%. These DNA/Cationic liposome complexes could be transfected into mammalian cells, but they were different from each other in efficiency of transfection. The cytotoxicities of these complexes varied with the concentration of DNA in complexes, the quantities of complexes and the time of treatment by complexes. CONCLUSION: DNA/Cationic liposome complexes prepared by reverse evaporation technique could be applied in DNA delivery system.

Enhanced liver targeting by synthesis of N1-stearyl-5-Fu and incorporation into solid lipid nanoparticles.

To enhance the liver targeting and reduce the side effects of 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu), it was acylated by stearyl chloride to obtain N1-stearyl-5-Fu (5-FuS). The chemical structure of the prodrug was confirmed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Infrared Spectrometry. 5-FuS was incorporated into solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), which were prepared by the physical agglomeration method. The mean diameter of 5-FuS-SLN was 240.19 nm and the drug loading was 20.53%. The release characteristics in vitro of 5-FuS-SLN were fitted to the first-order pharmacokinetic model. Compared with 5-Fu injection, a study on the distribution of 5-FuS-SLN in mice showed that 5-FuS-SLN could double 5-Fu concentration in mice livers. The main pharmacokinetic parameters of 5-FuS-SLN in rabbits is shown as follows: Vd=0.04336 L/kg, T(1/2) beta=1.2834 h, CL=0.1632 L/h. In conclusion, 5-FuS-SLN has significant liver targeting properties. The employment of a prodrug to enhance drug liposoluble properties and the preparation method presented in this paper, seem to be an alternative strategy to the traditional colloidal delivery system.

[Preparation of long circulating mitoxantrone liposomes and its pharmacokinetics].

AIM: To prepare the mitoxantrone long circulating liposomes (LCL) and to observe the residence behavior of the mitoxantrone LCL in rabbits. METHODS: The long circulating mitoxantrone liposomes were prepared by ethanol injection combined with the ammonium sulphate gradients method. Amphipathic polyethylene glycol-distearoyl phosphatidylethanolamine (PEG-DSPE) was added to modify the membrane of the liposomes. The column-switching system of RP-HPLC was utilized to determine mitoxantrone concentration in rabbit plasma. RESULTS: The mean diameter of the long circulating mitoxantrone liposomes was 60 nm, with the entrapping efficiency of 93.6%. With the same dosage (2 mg.kg-1) i.v. in rabbits, the mean residence time (MRT) of the long circulating mitoxantrone liposomes was 9.8 h, while that of the normal liposomes was 3.6 h, and the AUC of the former is 6.4 fold greater than of the latter. It showed that the long circulating mitoxantrone liposomes prolonged the resident time of the drug in the blood circulating system and they reduced the uptake by the reticuloendothelial system, simultaneously. CONCLUSION: Liposomes with high entrapping efficiency and small particle size could be prepared by ethanol injection combined with the ammonium sulphate gradients method, and the liposomes modified by PEG-DSPE could raise the AUC and prolonged the resident time of the drug in the blood circulating system.