Aflatoxin B1 as a complicit in intestinal damage caused by Eimeria ovinoidalis in lambs: Novel insights to reveal parasite-gut battle.

Mycotoxins, unavoidable contaminants in feed and feed ingredients, have the potential to influence the incidence and severity of various diseases upon ingestion. Sheep coccidiosis is an enteric disease caused by protozoa of Eimeria spp. However, the extent to which the presence of aflatoxin b1 (AFB1) synergistically exacerbates damage to intestinal health in lambs with Eimeria remains unclear. 50-day-old female lambs were randomly assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments for 15 days to assess the impact of AFB1 exposure on lambs with or without Eimeria (E.) ovinoidalis infection. Our findings reveal that AFB1 synergistically intensifies damage to intestinal health in lambs challenged by E. ovinoidalis. This is evidenced by disruptions to the intestinal microbiota and reductions in the production of short-chain fatty acids. AFB1 further aggravates damage to the cecal mechanical barrier. Additionally, AFB1 contributes to the entry of lipopolysaccharide into the bloodstream, activating the inflammatory response. Interestingly, AFB1 exposure history results in an early peak of oocyst excretion and a decreased number of oocyst excretion in E. ovinoidalis infected lambs. This may be closely linked to the destruction of the intestinal epithelial cell structure and its apoptosis, as indicated by a decreased ratio of Bcl-2 to Bax and increased caspase-3 levels. Mechanistically, proteomics analysis identified mitochondrial dysfunction (inhibition of the oxidative phosphorylation pathway) as the primary factor intensifying intestinal epithelial cell destruction caused by coccidia, exacerbated by AFB1 through the inhibiting the conversion of NADH to NAD+ in the cecum of lambs via down-regulation of the PGC-1α/NRF1/TFAM pathway. Overall, these results offer novel insights into the AFB1 complicity in accelerating intestinal damage caused by E. ovinoidalis in lambs. Targeting the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation pathway of the intestine may represent a new therapeutic strategy against the detrimental effects of mycotoxin and coccidia.

DNA double-strand break repair capacity and its pathway gene variants predict the risk and prognosis of lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the association between DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) repair capacity, variations in DSBs-related genes, and the occurrence and prognosis of lung cancer in the Chinese population. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected from 98 lung cancer patients and 60 healthy individuals. The individual DSBs repair capacity was assessed by measuring changes in γ-H2AX levels after treatment with etoposide. Exonic sequencing of 45 DSBs-related genes was performed on PBMC DNA. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between lung cancer risk and DSBs repair capacity as well as germlines gene variations. Survival analysis employed the Cox proportional hazards regression model, Kaplan-Meier method, and Log-rank test. RESULTS: Lower DSBs repair capacity predicted an increased risk of developing lung cancer (OR = 0.94, 95 %CI = 0.917-0.964, P＜0.001). Among lung cancer patients, higher DSBs repair capacity was associated with shorter progression-free survival (PFS) during first-line treatment (HR = 1.80, 95 %CI = 1.10-3.00, P = 0.031). Patients with BRCA1 mutations had shorter overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.92, 95 %CI = 1.12-3.28, P = 0.018). Patients with FOXO3 mutations had shorter PFS (HR = 4.23, 95 %CI = 1.44-12.36, P = 0.009). Analysis of patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) indicated that LIG4 mutations were associated with shorter PFS (HR = 2.90, 95 %CI = 1.00-8.10, P = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: This study concludes that assessing DSBs repair capacity holds promise for predicting both lung cancer risk and prognosis in the Chinese population. Further large-scale studies and functional validation of specific gene mutations related to double-strand breaks are necessary for confirmation.

The Uptake and Distribution Evidence of Nano- and Microplastics in vivo after a Single High Dose of Oral Exposure / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#Tissue uptake and distribution of nano-/microplastics was studied at a single high dose by gavage in vivo.@*METHODS@#Fluorescent microspheres (100 nm, 3 μm, and 10 μm) were given once at a dose of 200 mg/(kg∙body weight). The fluorescence intensity (FI) in observed organs was measured using the IVIS Spectrum at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 h after administration. Histopathology was performed to corroborate these findings.@*RESULTS@#In the 100 nm group, the FI of the stomach and small intestine were highest at 0.5 h, and the FI of the large intestine, excrement, lung, kidney, liver, and skeletal muscles were highest at 4 h compared with the control group ( P < 0.05). In the 3 μm group, the FI only increased in the lung at 2 h ( P < 0.05). In the 10 μm group, the FI increased in the large intestine and excrement at 2 h, and in the kidney at 4 h ( P < 0.05). The presence of nano-/microplastics in tissues was further verified by histopathology. The peak time of nanoplastic absorption in blood was confirmed.@*CONCLUSION@#Nanoplastics translocated rapidly to observed organs/tissues through blood circulation; however, only small amounts of MPs could penetrate the organs.

MOR106 alleviates inflammation in mice with atopic dermatitis by blocking the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway and inhibiting IL-17C-mediated Tfh cell differentiation / 细胞与分子免疫学杂志

Objective To explore the significance of interleukin-17C(IL-17C)-mediated follicular helper T cell (Tfh) differentiation in atopic dermatitis (AD) model. Methods BALB/c mice were divided into control group, AD model group, low-dose MOR106 (anti-IL-17C huIgG1)(MDR106-L)treatment group and high-dose MOR106 (MOR106-H) treatment group, 8 mice in each group. Except for the control group, all the other groups were treated with 2, 4- dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) to establish AD models. The low-dose and high-dose MOR106 groups were treated with 5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg MOR106 respectively. The differentiation of Tfh cell subsets in peripheral blood of mice was analyzed by flow cytometry, and the expression of Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(JAK2/STAT3) signal pathway protein in skin tissue was detected by Western blot analysis. Results Compared with the control group, the dermatitis severity score, mass difference between two ears, spleen mass and spleen index of DNCB group increased significantly, while those of MOR106-L group and MOR106-H group decreased significantly. Compared with the control group, the Tfh subgroup of AD mice showed deregulated differentiation, resulting in a significant increase in the percentage of CD4+CXCR5+IFN-γ+Tfh1 cells, CD4+CXCR5+IL-17A+Tfh17 and CD4+CXCR5+IL-21+Tfh21 cells, and a significant decrease in the percentage of CD4+CXCR5+IL-10+Tfh10 cells and CD4+CXCR5+FOXP3+Tfr cells in peripheral blood. The protein levels of phosphorylated JAK2(p-JAK2) and p-STAT3 were significantly increased. MOR106 effectively reversed these changes of Tfh1, Tfh10, Tfh17, Tfh21 and Tfr cells in peripheral blood of AD mice. Compared with AD group, the levels of p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 protein in low-dose and high-dose MOR106 treatment groups decreased significantly. Conclusion MOR106 can reduce the inflammatory response of AD mice by blocking JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway and inhibiting the differentiation of Tfh cells mediated by IL-17C.

Clinicopathological comparison of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with and without viral hepatitis / 中华普通外科杂志

Objective:To analyze the different clinicopathological features of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with and without viral hepatitis.Methods:The clinicopathological data of 79 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma cases from Mar 2012 to Sep 2018 at Henan Provincial People's Hospital were retrospectively analyzed.Results:Twenty-five of the 79 patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma were accompanied by viral hepatitis. Those with viral hepatitis had a lower mean age at onset than those without [(53±11) years vs. (60±11) years, P=0.011], higher proportion of male patients (80% vs. 52%, P=0.017), higher AFP positive rate (40% vs. 19%, P=0.041), lower CA19-9 positive rate (48% vs. 72%, P=0.036), tend to occur in the right liver lobe (76% vs. 44%, P=0.009), a lower rate of bile duct invasion (16% vs. 41%, P=0.03), and were more likely to be mass type (mass type proportion 96% vs. 72%, P=0.032). Conclusions:Viral hepatitis is common in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with and without viral hepatitis differ in clinicopathology. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with viral hepatitis is more likely to have the characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma, while intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma without viral hepatitis is more likely to have the characteristics of cholangiocarcinoma.

Effect of different administration methods of methoxamine on body temperature of patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective:To observe the different administration methods of methoxamine on the body temperature protection of patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG).Methods:The clinical data of 278 patients underwent OPCABG from January 2019 to December 2021 in Jinzhou Central Hospital were retrospectively analyzed, and the patients were used the methoxamine during the operation. Among them, 157 cases were given methoxamine by continuous intravenous infusion (continuous intravenous infusion group), and 121 cases were given methoxamine by fractional intravenous infusion in stages (fractional intravenous infusion group). The changes of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate during operation were recorded, and the fluctuation rate of MAP was calculated. The dosage of methoxamine, use time of variable temperature blanket, time from the end of operation to waking up and occurrence of adverse reactions such as hypothermia, rigors, coagulation disorders and renal insufficiency were recorded.Results:During anesthesia, the fluctuation rate of MAP in continuous intravenous infusion group was significantly lower than that in fractional intravenous infusion group: (16.62 ± 3.17)% vs. (23.53±3.69)%, and there was statistical difference ( P<0.05). The MAP and heart rate of continuous intravenous infusion group were more stable at each time point than that of fractional intravenous infusion group. The use time of variable temperature blanket, and incidences of hypothermia, rigors in continuous intravenous infusion group were significantly lower than those in fractional intravenous infusion group: (86.17 ± 19.66) min vs. (146.72 ± 29.37) min, 2.55% (4/157) vs. 9.92% (12/121) and 1.91% (3/157) vs. 8.26% (10/121), and there was statistical difference ( P<0.01 or <0.05); there were no statistical differences in dosage of methoxamine, time from the end of operation to waking up and incidence of coagulation disorders between two groups ( P>0.05); Renal insufficiency did not occur in both groups. Conclusions:Continuous intravenous pumping of methoxamine can obviously reduce the heat loss of human body, enhance the insulation effect of other insulation measures, and reduce the incidence of hypothermia in patients underwent OPCABG.

Biograph Vision 600 PET performance testing and analysis / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To test and analyze the performance of Biograph Vision 600 PET/CT according to the NEMA NU2—2012 standard to achieve reliable, repeatable, and inter-system comparable performance measurement, and to provide a basis for future equipment stability testing and status detection. Methods The Biograph Vision PET equipment features a detector based on silicon photomultipliers, with 3.2 mm lutetium oxyorthosilicate crystals and full cover of the scintillation region. The spatial resolution, sensitivity, noise-equivalent count rate, scatter fraction, coincidence count rate, image quality, scatter correction, and time-of-flight resolution of Biograph Vision PET were tested by referring to the test model and method of the NEMA NU2—2012 standard. Results The Biograph Vision 600 PET equipment showed lateral and axial spatial resolutions of 3.69 mm and 3.81 mm at 1 cm off-center of the field of view, respectively and of 4.29 mm and 4.48 mm at 10 cm, respectively. The sensitivity was 17.5 kcps/MBq. The time-of-flight resolution changed from 210 ps to 215 ps as the count rate increased to the peak noise equivalent count rate. The NEMA peak noise-equivalent count rate was 247 kcps at 30.3 kBq/ml. The corresponding scatter fraction was 34.8%. With the NEMA module, the overall image quality contrast range was 73.6%-92.8%, and the background variability was 2.3%-6.5%; the mean lung residual error was 3.4%; and the time-of-flight resolution was 210 ps. Conclusion This performance test was performed according to the NEMA NU2—2012 standard, showing that all parameters were better than the ex-factory standard, which can provide a reference for other institutions selecting equipment and also provide a basis for future equipment stability testing and status detection.

Design of a New Type of Electrochemical Ceramic Membrane Oxygen Production System / 中国医疗器械杂志

OBJECTIVE@#In order to solve the problem that the existing oxygen production technology cannot simultaneously produce pure oxygen, high-purity oxygen, ultra-pure oxygen, and the modular expansion of oxygen production capacity, a new type of electrochemical ceramic membrane oxygen production system was discussed and developed.@*METHODS@#Through the design of the ceramic membrane stack, airflow distributor, heater, double spiral exchanger, thermal insulation sleeve, control panel, control box and auxiliary system in the electrochemical ceramic membrane oxygen generator, a modular oxygen production system is formed.@*RESULTS@#The modular design can produce pure oxygen, high-purity oxygen and ultra-pure oxygen to meet various oxygen consumption needs.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The electrochemical ceramic membrane oxygen production system is a new type of oxygen production technology. The main components have no moving parts, no noise, and no pollution. It can produce pure oxygen, high-purity oxygen and ultra-pure oxygen on site, with small size, light weight, and module combination which is suitable for convenient expansion and installation of oxygen consumption.

Expression of Cyclooxygenase-2 in Patients With Snow-White Sign of Advanced Colorectal Adenomas / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To analyze the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the patients with snow-white sign of advanced colorectal adenoma (ACA) and explore its clinical significance.Method Western blotting was employed to determine the expression of COX-2 in the adenoma tissue and the normal tissue adjacent to the adenoma tissue (>5 cm away from the distal end of the adenoma tissue) of 40 ACA patients with snow-white sign and 40 ACA patients without snow-white sign.Results The appearance of snow-white sign in ACA patients was associated with patient age (P=0.001) and not associated with sex,smoking history,drinking history,ethnic groups,family history of colorectal cancer,abdominal pain,diarrhea,constipation,fecal occult blood,or tumor markers (all P>0.05).Snow-white sign mainly appeared in the ACA patients with multiple adenomas (P=0.004),large adenomas (P=0.006),adenomas in distal colon (P=0.015),protruding polyps (P=0.044),and late-stage pathology (P=0.010).The occurrence of snow-white sign showed no difference in the ACA patients with different results of Japan NBI Expert Team classification (P=0.502).The expression of COX-2 in the adenoma tissue was higher than that in the adjacent normal tissue in the patients with and without snow-white sign (P<0.001,P=0.004).The patients with snow-white sign had higher expression of COX-2 protein in the adenoma tissue than the patients without snow-white sign (P=0.001).The expression of COX-2 protein in the adjacent healthy tissue had no significant difference between the patients with and without snow-white sign (P=0.603).Conclusions Snow-white sign is more like to appear in the ACA patients with young age,multiple and large adenomas,adenomas in distal colon,protruding polyps,and late-stage pathology.Moreover,the expression of COX-2 in the ACA patients with snow-white sign is significantly higher than that in the ACA patients without snow-white sign.The adults with snow-white sign are prone to cancerization than those without snow-white sign.

A novel CRISPR/Cas9-hLacI donor adapting system for dsDNA-templated gene editing / 生物工程学报

During the gene editing process mediated by CRISPR/Cas9, precise genome editing and gene knock-in can be achieved by the homologous recombination of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) donor template. However, the low-efficiency of homologous recombination in eukaryotic cells hampers the development and application of this gene editing strategy. Here, we developed a novel CRISPR/Cas9-hLacI donor adapting system (DAS) to enhance the dsDNA-templated gene editing, taking the advantage of the specific binding of the LacI repressor protein and the LacO operator sequence derived for the Escherichia coli lactose operon. The codon-humanized LacI gene was fused as an adaptor to the Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) and Staphylococcus lugdunensis Cas9 (SlugCas9-HF) genes, and the LacO operator sequence was used as the aptamer and linked to the dsDNA donor template by PCR. The Cas9 nuclease activity after the fusion and the homology-directed repair (HDR) efficiency of the LacO-linked dsDNA template were firstly examined using surrogate reporter assays with the corresponding reporter vectors. The CRISPR/Cas9-hLacI DASs mediated genome precise editing were further checked, and we achieved a high efficiency up to 30.5% of precise editing at the VEGFA locus in HEK293T cells by using the CRISPR/SlugCas9-hLacI DAS. In summary, we developed a novel CRISPR/Cas9-hLacI DAS for dsDNA-templated gene editing, which enriches the CRISPR/Cas9-derived gene editing techniques and provides a novel tool for animal molecular design breeding researches.

Research advances of lncRNAs in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease / 中国药理学通报

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of noncoding RNAs, are commonly defined as RNA molecules more than 200 nucleotides in length. LncRNA has been shown to get involved in various biological processes, such as chromatin modification, transcriptional activation and intranuclear transport. Emerging research have also indicated that lncRNA plays a vital role in the pathological processes of many diseases. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become one of the most common chronic liver diseases with an increasing incidence. Recent studies have confirmed that lncRNAs are key contributors to pathological processes that are underpinning the initiation and progression of NAFLD, including insulin resistance, lipid metabolism disorders and inflammation. This review summarizes the findings of the role of lncRNAs in the pathological processes of NAFLD that have obtained to date, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention, treatment, clinical detection of NAFLD, and the development of innovative anti-NAFLD drugs.

Mechanism of nitidine chloride inducing apoptosis of cervical cancer cells by inhibiting p53 ubiquitination degradation / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the effect of nitidine chloride (NC) on the apoptosis of cervical cancer cells and its mechanism. Methods Cervical cancer cell lines HeLa and SiHa were selected as subjects. The cytotoxicity of NC and its inhibitory effect on cell growth were detected by CCK-8 assay and clone formation assay. The effect of NC on the apoptosis of cervical cancer cells was detected by TUNEL assay, and the expression of apoptosis-related proteins was detected by Western blot. The effects of NC on the interaction between p53 and E6AP protein, the level of p53 ubiquitination modification and the stability of p53 protein in cervical cancer cells were analyzed by immunoprecipi-tation assay, ubiquitination assay and Western blot assay. Results NC could significantly inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of cervical cancer cells. NC could inhibit the interaction between tumor suppressor protein p53 and E6AP in cervical cancer cells, reduce the level of p53 ubiquitination modification, delay the degradation of p53 and increase the expression level of p53 protein. Conclusions NC can inhibit the ubiquitination and degradation of p53, improve the expression level of p53 protein, restore its tumor suppressor function, and thus play an anti -cervical cancer role.

Safety and immunogenicity of a broad-spectrum mosaic vaccine as a booster dose against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron and other circulating variants

BACKGROUNDThe rising breakthrough infections caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants, especially Omicron and its sub-lineages, have raised an urgent need to develop broad-spectrum vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We have developed a mosaic-type recombinant vaccine candidate, named NVSI-06-09, having immune potentials against a broad range of SARS-CoV-2 variants. METHODSAn ongoing randomized, double-blind, controlled phase 2 trial was conducted to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of NVSI-06-09 as a booster dose in subjects aged 18 years and older from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who had completed two or three doses of BBIBP-CorV vaccinations at least 6 months prior to the enrollment. The participants were randomly assigned with 1:1 to receive a booster dose of NVSI-06-09 or BBIBP-CorV. The primary outcomes were immunogenicity and safety against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, and the exploratory outcome was cross-immunogenicity against other circulating strains. RESULTSA total of 516 participants received booster vaccination. Interim results showed a similar safety profile between NVSI-06-09 and BBIBP-CorV booster groups, with low incidence of adverse reactions of grade 1 or 2. For immunogenicity, by day 14 after the booster vaccination, the fold rises in neutralizing antibody geometric mean titers (GMTs) from baseline level elicited by NVSI-06-09 were remarkably higher than those by BBIBP-CorV against the prototype strain (19.67 vs 4.47-fold), Omicron BA.1.1 (42.35 vs 3.78-fold), BA.2 (25.09 vs 2.91-fold), BA.4 (22.42 vs 2.69-fold), and BA.5 variants (27.06 vs 4.73-fold). Similarly, the neutralizing GMTs boosted by NVSI-06-09 against Beta and Delta variants were also 6.60-fold and 7.17-fold higher than those boosted by BBIBP-CorV. CONCLUSIONSA booster dose of NVSI-06-09 was well-tolerated and elicited broad-spectrum neutralizing responses against SARS-CoV-2 prototype strain and immune-evasive variants, including Omicron and its sub-lineages. The immunogenicity of NVSI-06-09 as a booster vaccine was superior to that of BBIBP-CorV. (Funded by LIBP and BIBP of Sinopharm; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05293548).

A predictive model of macrosomic birth based upon real-world clinical data from pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: Fetal macrosomia is associated with an increased risk of several maternal and newborn complications. Antenatal predication of fetal macrosomia remains challenging. We aimed to develop a nomogram model for the prediction of macrosomia using real-world clinical data to improve the sensitivity and specificity of macrosomia prediction. METHODS: In the present study, we performed a retrospective, observational study based on 13,403 medical records of pregnant women who delivered singleton infants at a tertiary hospital in Shanghai from 1 January 2018 through 31 December 2019. We split the original dataset into a training set (n = 9382) and a validation set (n = 4021) at a 7:3 ratio to generate and validate our model. The candidate variables, including maternal characteristics, laboratory tests, and sonographic parameters were compared between the two groups. A univariate and multivariate logistic regression was carried out to explore the independent risk factors for macrosomia in pregnant women. Thus, the regression model was adopted to establish a nomogram to predict the risk of macrosomia. Nomogram performance was determined by discrimination and calibration metrics. All the statistical analysis was analyzed using R software. RESULTS: We compared the differences between the macrosomic and non-macrosomic groups within the training set and found 16 independent risk factors for macrosomia (P < 0.05), including biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC), femur length (FL), amniotic fluid index (AFI) at the last prenatal examination, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), and triglycerides (TG). Values for the areas under the curve (AUC) for the nomogram model were 0.917 (95% CI, 0.908-0.927) and 0.910 (95% CI, 0.894-0.927) in the training set and validation set, respectively. The internal and external validation of the nomogram demonstrated favorable calibration as well as discriminatory capability of the model. CONCLUSIONS: Our model has precise discrimination and calibration capabilities, which can help clinical healthcare staff accurately predict macrosomia in pregnant women.

Safety and immunogenicity of a hybrid-type vaccine booster in BBIBP-CorV recipients: a randomized controlled phase 2 trial

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants with immune escape ability raises the urgent need for developing cross-neutralizing vaccines against the virus. NVSI-06-08 is a potential broad-spectrum recombinant COVID-19 vaccine that integrates the antigens from multiple SARS-CoV-2 strains into a single immunogen. Here, we evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of NVSI-06-08 as a heterologous booster dose in adults previously vaccinated with the inactivated vaccine BBIBP-CorV in a randomized, double-blind, controlled, phase 2 trial conducted in the United Arab Emirates (NCT05069129). Three groups of healthy adults over 18 years of age (600 participants per group) who had administered two doses of BBIBP-CorV 4-6-month, 7-9-month and >9-month earlier, respectively, were vaccinated with either a homologous booster of BBIBP-CorV or a heterologous booster of NVSI-06-08. The primary outcome was immunogenicity and safety of booster vaccinations. The exploratory outcome was cross-reactive immunogenicity against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants of concerns (VOCs). The incidence of adverse reactions was low in both booster vaccinations, and the overall safety profile of heterologous boost was quite similar to that of homologous boost. Heterologous NVSI-06-08 booster was immunogenically superior to homologous booster of BBIBP-CorV. Both Neutralizing and IgG antibodies elicited by NVSI-06-08 booster were significantly higher than by the booster of BBIBP-CorV against not only SARS-CoV-2 prototype strain but also multiple VOCs. Especially, the neutralizing activity induced by NVSI-06-08 booster against the immune-evasive Beta variant was no less than that against the prototype strain, and a considerable level of neutralizing antibodies against Omicron (GMT: 367.67; 95%CI, 295.50-457.47) was induced by heterologous booster, which was substantially higher than that boosted by BBIBP-CorV (GMT: 45.03; 95%CI, 36.37-55.74). Our findings showed that NVSI-06-08 was safe and immunogenic as a booster dose following two doses of BBIBP-CorV, which was immunogenically superior to homologous boost with another dose of BBIBP-CorV. Our study also indicated that the design of hybrid antigen may provide an effective strategy for broad-spectrum vaccine developments.

Safety and immunogenicity of a heterologous boost with a recombinant vaccine, NVSI-06-07, in the inactivated vaccine recipients from UAE: a phase 2 randomised, double-blinded, controlled clinical trial

BackgroundThe increased coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) breakthrough cases pose the need of booster vaccinations. In this study, we reported the safety and immunogenicity of a heterologous boost with a recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (CHO cells), named NVSI-06-07, as a third dose in participants who have previously received two doses of the inactivated vaccine (BBIBP-CorV) at pre-specified time intervals. Using homologous boost with BBIBP-CorV as control, the safety and immunogenicity of the heterologous boost with NVSI-06-07 against various SARS-CoV-2 strains, including Omicron, were characterized. MethodsThis study is a single-center, randomised, double-blinded, controlled phase 2 trial for heterologous boost of NVSI-06-07 in BBIBP-CorV recipients from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Healthy adults (aged [≥]18 years) were enrolled and grouped by the specified prior vaccination interval of BBIBP-CorV, i.e., 1-3 months, 4-6 months or [≥]6 months, respectively, with 600 individuals per group. For each group, participants were randomly assigned at 1:1 ratio to receive either a heterologous boost of NVSI-06-07 or a homologous booster dose of BBIBP-CorV. The primary outcome was to comparatively assess the immunogenicity between heterologous and homologous boosts at 14 and 28 days post-boosting immunization, by evaluation of the geometric mean titers (GMTs) of IgG and neutralizing antibodies as well as the corresponding seroconversion rate ([≥]4-fold rise in antibody titers). The secondary outcomes were the safety profile of the boosting strategies within 30 days post vaccination. The exploratory outcome was the immune efficacy against Omicron and other variants of concern (VOCs) of SARS-CoV-2. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05033847. FindingsA total of 1800 individuals who have received two doses of BBIBP-CorV were enrolled, of which 899 participants received a heterologous boost of NVSI-06-07 and 901 received a homologous boost for comparison. No vaccine-related serious adverse event (SAE) and no adverse events of special interest (AESI) were reported. 184 (20{middle dot}47%) participants in the heterologous boost groups and 177 (19{middle dot}64%) in the homologous boost groups reported at least one adverse reaction within 30 days. Most of the local and systemic adverse reactions reported were grades 1 (mild) or 2 (moderate), and there was no significant difference in the overall safety between heterologous and homologous boosts. Immunogenicity assays showed that the seroconversion rates in neutralizing antibodies against prototype SARS-CoV-2 elicited by heterologous boost were 89{middle dot}96% - 97{middle dot}52% on day 28 post-boosting vaccination, which was much higher than what was induced by homologous boost (36{middle dot}80% - 81{middle dot}75%). Similarly, in heterologous NVSI-06-07 booster groups, the neutralizing geometric mean titers (GMTs) against the prototype strain increased by 21{middle dot}01 - 63{middle dot}85 folds from baseline to 28 days post-boosting vaccination, whereas only 4{middle dot}20 - 16{middle dot}78 folds of increases were observed in homologous BBIBP-CorV booster group. For Omicron variant, the neutralizing antibody GMT elicited by the homologous boost of BBIBP-CorV was 37{middle dot}91 (95%CI, 30{middle dot}35-47{middle dot}35), however, a significantly higher level of neutralizing antibodies with GMT 292{middle dot}53 (95%CI, 222{middle dot}81-384{middle dot}07) was induced by the heterologous boost of NVSI-06-07, suggesting that it may serve as an effective boosting strategy combating the pandemic of Omicron. The similar results were obtained for other VOCs, including Alpha, Beta and Delta, in which the neutralizing response elicited by the heterologous boost was also significantly greater than that of the homologous boost. In the participants primed with BBIBP-CorV over 6 months, the largest increase in the neutralizing GMTs was obtained both in the heterologous and homologous boost groups, and thus the booster vaccination with over 6 months intervals was optimal. InterpretationOur findings indicated that the heterologous boost with NVSI-06-07 was safe, well-tolerated and immunogenic in adults primed with a full regimen of BBIBP-CorV. Compared to homologous boost with a third dose of BBIBP-CorV, incremental increases in immune responses were achieved by the heterologous boost with NVSI-06-07 against SARS-CoV-2 prototype strain, Omicron variant, and other VOCs. The heterologous BBIBP-CorV/NVSI-06-07 prime-boosting vaccination may be valuable in preventing the pandemic of Omicron. The optimal booster strategy was the heterologous boost with NVSI-06-07 over 6 months after a priming with two doses of BBIBP-CorV. Research in contextO_ST_ABSEvidence before this studyC_ST_ABSWe searched PubMed for clinical trials or prospective/cohort studies involving heterologous booster vaccination in non-immunocompromised population published up to Dec 25, 2021, using the term "(COVID) AND (vaccin*) AND (clinical trial OR cohort OR prospective) AND (heterologous) AND (booster OR prime-boost OR third dose)" with no language restrictions. Nine studies of heterologous prime-boost vaccinations with adenovirus-vector vaccines (ChAdOx1 nCov-19, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Ad26.COV2.S, Janssen) and mRNA vaccines (BNT162b2, Pfizer-BioNtech; mRNA1273, Moderna) were identified. The adenovirus-vector and mRNA heterologous prime-boost vaccination was found to be well tolerated and immunogenic. In individuals primed with adenovirus-vector vaccine, mRNA booster vaccination led to greater immune response than homologous boost. However, varied results were obtained on whether heterologous boost was immunogenically superior to the homologous mRNA prime-boost vaccination. Besides that, A preprint trial in population previously immunized with inactivated vaccines (CoronaVac, Sinovac Biotech) showed that the heterologous boost with adenovirus-vector vaccine (Convidecia, CanSino Biologicals) was safe and induced higher level of live-virus neutralizing antibodies than by the homogeneous boost. A pilot study reported that boosting with BNT162b2 in individuals primed with two doses of inactivated vaccines (BBIBP-CorV) was significantly more immunogenic than homologous vaccination with two-dose of BNT162b2. In addition, a preprint paper demonstrated that heterologous boost of ZF2001, a recombinant protein subunit vaccine, after CoronaVac or BBIBP-CorV vaccination potently improved the immunogenicity. But only a small size of samples was tested in this study and the live-virus neutralization was not detected. Till now, it is still lacking a formal clinical trial to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of the heterologous prime-boost vaccination with an inactivated vaccine followed by a recombinant protein subunit-based vaccine. Added value of this studyTo our knowledge, this is the first reported result of a large-scale randomised, controlled clinical trial of heterologous prime-boost vaccination with an inactivated vaccine followed by a recombinant protein subunit vaccine. This trial demonstrated that the heterologous prime-booster vaccination with BBIBP-CorV/NVSI-06-07 is safe and immunogenic. Its immunoreactivity is similar to that of homologous vaccination with BBIBP-CorV. Compared to homologous boost, heterologous boost with NVSI-06-07 in BBIBP-CorV recipients elicited significantly higher immunogenicity not only against the SARS-CoV-2 prototype strain but also against Omicron and other variants of concern (VOCs). Implications of all the available evidenceBooster vaccination is considered an effective strategy to improve the protection efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and control the epidemic waves of SARS-CoV-2. Data from our trial suggested that the booster vaccination of NVSI-06-07 in BBIBP-CorV recipients significantly improved the immune responses against various SARS-CoV-2 strains, including Omicron. Due to no Omicron-specific vaccine available currently, the BBIBP-CorV/NVSI-06-07 heterologous prime-boost might serve as an effective strategy combating Omicron variant. Besides that, BBIBP-CorV has been widely inoculated in population, and thus further boosting vaccination with NVSI-06-07 is valuable in preventing the COVID-19 pandemic. But further studies are needed to assess the long-term protection of BBIBP-CorV/NVSI-06-07 prime-booster vaccination.

Preparation of cinnamaldehyde loaded liposomes bilayer-modified by bovine serum albumin/chitosan / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To prepare cinnamaldehyde （CA） loaded liposomes bilayer-modified by bovine serum albumin （BSA）/chitosan （CTS）（BSA/CTS-Lip-CA） in order to improve the sustained-release effect and storage stability of the nanoparticles. METHODS Firstly，cinnamaldehyde loaded liposomes （Lip-CA）and blank liposomes （Lip-Blank）were prepared by thin film dispersion method. Then chitosan modified cinnamaldehyde loaded liposome （CTS-Lip-CA）and BSA/CTS-Lip-CA were obtained by electrostatic adsorption. Finally ， the prepared liposomes were characterized ， and their in vitro release characteristics and storage stability were investigated. RESULTS The particle size of BSA/CTS-Lip-CA was （177.8±4.0）nm and the Zeta potential was （－15.6±1.5）mV；they were in spherical shape ；FTIR analysis showed that the modification of BSA and CTS had no effect on the internal structure of liposomes. The results of in vitro drug release characteristics showed that the cumulative release of Lip-CA ，CTS-Lip-CA and BSA/CTS-Lip-CA within 10 hours were 82.9％，74.1％ and 72.9％ respectively. The results of storage stability showed that after 30 days of storage ，the particle sizes of Lip-CA ，CTS-Lip-CA and BSA/ CTS-Lip-CA were （134.2±2.1），（151.7±0.4），（164.8±1.5）nm；the retention rates of model drug CA were 65.4％，82.5％ and 90.2％ respectively. CONCLUSIONS BSA/CTS-Lip-CA is successfully prepared. It has a certain sustained-release effect and can improve the storage stability of the drug to a certain extent.

Research progress of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome and ocular surface diseases / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome(OSAHS)is a group of diseases which occurred in the upper respiratory tract with transient, recurrent, partial or complete obstruction during night sleep. It can affect the regulation of hemodynamics, endocrine systems and autonomic nerve, and then result in the reduction of body oxygen saturation, chronic hypoxia and hypercapnia. Beside being an independent risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, many studies have shown that it is also associated with ocular surface diseases in OSAHS, such as floppy eyelid syndrome, dry eye, keratoconus, etc., but there is still a lack of perfect systematic analysis. This paper reviews the relationship between OSAHS and relevant ocular surface diseases including pathogenesis,clinical manifestations and treatment progress, in order to reduce the ophthalmic complications of OSAHS patients in clinical diagnosis and treatment,and better improve the quality of life of patients.

Impact of probiotics on the lung development of Bama minipig after premature birth / 中华儿科杂志

Objectives: To examine the impact of probiotics on the lung development of preterm birth of Bama pig. Methods: From April 2020 to October 2021, this animal experimental research was performed by setting up preterm (birth at gestation 104 d), full-term (birth at gestation 113 d), preterm with probiotics (birth at gestation 104 d treated with probiotics given at 3 d after birth), and full-term with probiotics (birth at gestation 113 d treated with probiotics given at 3 d after birth) groups and using the preterm Bama minipig model, the body weights were recorded and lung, ileum, and intestinal content samples were collected at birth, 4 days, 9 days, and 21 days after births of the piglets in preterm and full-term groups, the same samples were collected on 9 days after births of the piglets in preterm with probiotics and full-term with probiotics groups. The body weight and radial alveolar counts (RAC) were compared to evaluate the lung development of the piglets. The lengths of ileal villus were compared to evaluate the development of ileum. The composition structures of bacteria in ileum were analyzed by 16 S rRNA sequencing. The statistical analyses between different groups were performed by t test. Results: There were totally 30 piglets (16 female piglets and 14 male piglets) involving 12 piglets in preterm and full-term groups respectively and 3 piglets in preterm with probiotics and full-term with probiotics groups respectively. The body weights of the piglets in preterm group were lower than those in full-term group at 4, 9 and 21 d after birth ((507±27) vs. (694±56) g, (620±35) vs. (1 092±154) g, (1 660±210) vs. (2 960±418) g,t=2.96, 2.99, 2.78, all P<0.05). The alveolarization of the preterm piglets at 9 days after birth was significantly lower than that of the full-term piglets at the equivalent time point (4.00±0.29 vs. 6.11±0.35, t=4.64, P<0.01). The bacteria genus with the highest abundance in ileum were all different between the preterm and the full-term groups at 4, 9 and 21 d after birth (4 d Escherichia-Shigella (26.63%) and Enterococcus (30.48%) respectively;9 d Turicibacter (35.94%) and Lactobacillus (27.33%) respectively;21 d Escherichia-Shigella (28.02%) and Lactobacillus (46.29%) respectively). The heights of ileal villus of the preterm piglets at 9 d after birth were significantly lower than those of the full-term minipigs at the equivalent time point ((297±21) vs. (411±32) μm, t=3.01, P=0.007).There were both no differences in the body weight and alveolarization ((692±36) vs. (767±67) g, 5.44±0.34 vs. 5.89±0.26, t=0.74, 1.04, both P>0.05) between the piglets in preterm with probiotics group and those in full-term with probiotics group. Turicibacter was the dominant genus in the piglets of both preterm with probiotics and the full-term with probiotics groups. The heights of ileal villus of the piglets in preterm with probiotics group were significantly longer that those of the piglets in preterm group ((371±13) vs. (297±21) μm, t=3.04, P=0.006), and were both not significantly different from those of the piglets in full-term with probiotics group and full-term group ((371±13) vs. (338±12) and (411±32) μm, t=1.90, 1.15, both P>0.05). Conclusions: Premature birth could impact the lung alveolarization of piglets. The probiotics could improve the lung alveolarization of preterm minipigs by promoting the development of ileum.

Inhibitory effect of hederagenin on the proliferation of bladder cancer cells in vitro and in nude mice through the JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway / 中华内分泌外科杂志

Objective:To explore the effect of hederagenin (HE) on the proliferation of bladder cancer cell T24 in vitro and in nude mice.Methods:Human bladder cancer cells T24 were divided into control group and experimental group. The experimental group was cultured with DMEM medium containing 25μg/mL hederogenin, and CCK8 was used to detect cell proliferation ability. Nude mice were divided into a control group and an experimental group and injected with T24 cells. The cells of the experimental group were injected with ivy sapogenin at 30 mg/kg every other day. The protein of T24 cells and tumor mass was extracted to detect the expression of p-JNK/JNK and p-p38/p38.Results:After the bladder cancer cells T24 were treated with hederagenin, the CCK8 results showed that the cell proliferation ability of the experimental group was significantly decreased ( P<0.05) . The expression levels of p-JNK in experimental group and control group were 0.21±0.06 and 0.89±0.15, respectively, and the expression levels of p-p38 were 0.38±0.09 and 1.44±0.26, respectively. The expressions of p-JNK and p-p38 were up-regulated (all P<0.05) . In vivo, it was found that after treatment with ivisaponin, the volume of tumor mass were 1192.07±250.92μm 3 in the subcutaneous tumor experimental group and 2280.50±600.1μm 3 in the control group, and the mass were 0.65±0.29g and 1.62±0.38g, respectively. The mass and volume of the experimental group were decreased (all P<0.05) . We extracted mass proteins, and western blotting results showed that the expression levels of p-JNK in the experimental group and control group were 0.38±0.08 and 1.03±0.19, respectively, and the expression levels of p-p38 were 0.71±0.12 and 1.36±0.25, respectively. The expressions of p-JNK and p-p38 were up-regulated (all P<0.05) . Conclusion:Hederagenin inhibits the proliferation of bladder cancer in vitro and in nude mice through the JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.