Association of interpregnancy interval and risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in woman by different previous gestational ages / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#With an increasing proportion of multiparas, proper interpregnancy intervals (IPIs) are urgently needed. However, the association between IPIs and adverse perinatal outcomes has always been debated. This study aimed to explore the association between IPIs and adverse outcomes in different fertility policy periods and for different previous gestational ages.@*METHODS@#We used individual data from China's National Maternal Near Miss Surveillance System between 2014 and 2019. Multivariable Poisson models with restricted cubic splines were used. Each adverse outcome was analyzed separately in the overall model and stratified models. The stratified models included different categories of fertility policy periods (2014-2015, 2016-2017, and 2018-2019) and infant gestational age in previous pregnancy (<28 weeks, 28-36 weeks, and ≥37 weeks).@*RESULTS@#There were 781,731 pregnancies enrolled in this study. A short IPI (≤6 months) was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (OR [95% CI]: 1.63 [1.55, 1.71] for vaginal delivery [VD] and 1.10 [1.03, 1.19] for cesarean section [CS]), low Apgar scores and small for gestational age (SGA), and a decreased risk of diabetes mellitus in pregnancy, preeclampsia or eclampsia, and gestational hypertension. A long IPI (≥60 months) was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (OR [95% CI]: 1.18 [1.11, 1.26] for VD and 1.39 [1.32, 1.47] for CS), placenta previa, postpartum hemorrhage, diabetes mellitus in pregnancy, preeclampsia or eclampsia, and gestational hypertension. Fertility policy changes had little effect on the association of IPIs and adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. The estimated risk of preterm birth, low Apgar scores, SGA, diabetes mellitus in pregnancy, and gestational hypertension was more profound among women with previous term births than among those with preterm births or pregnancy loss.@*CONCLUSION@#For pregnant women with shorter or longer IPIs, more targeted health care measures during pregnancy should be formulated according to infant gestational age in previous pregnancy.

Phytosterols Alleviate Hyperlipidemia by Regulating Gut Microbiota and Cholesterol Metabolism in Mice.

Phytosterols (PS) have been shown to regulate cholesterol metabolism and alleviate hyperlipidemia (HLP), but the mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the mechanism by which PS regulates cholesterol metabolism in high-fat diet (HFD) mice. The results showed that PS treatment reduced the accumulation of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the serum of HFD mice, while increasing the serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). Compared with HFD mice, PS not only increased the antioxidant activity of the liver but also regulated the mRNA expression levels of enzymes and receptors related to cholesterol metabolism. The hypolipidemic effect of PS was abolished by antibiotic (Abx) intervention and reproduced by fecal transplantation (FMT) intervention. The results of 16S rRNA sequencing analysis showed that PS modulated the gut microbiota of mice. PS reduced the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and other bile salt hydrolase- (BSH-) producing gut microbiota in HFD mice, which are potentially related to cholesterol metabolism. These findings partially explain the mechanisms by which PS regulates cholesterol metabolism. This implies that regulation of the gut microbiota would be a potential target for the treatment of HLP.

Transcriptome profiling Revealed the potential mechanisms of Shen Lin Bai Zhu San n-butanol extract on DSS induced Colitis in Mice and LC-MS analysis.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic and recurrent inflammatory disorder in gastrointestinal tract. Shen Ling Bai Zhu San (SLBZS), which has a long history of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has been widely used to treat gastrointestinal diseases. The isolated fractions of TCM have also been proved to possess an important potential for treating diseases, which are due to their effective components. PURPOSE: In this study, we examined the possibility that SLBZS and its isolated active fractions may prevent DSS-induced colitis, and investigated the potential mechanisms by regulating genetic profile of colon. METHODS: Colitis mice were induced by 2.5% DSS for 7 days, and then SLBZS and different SLBZS extracts were administrated to protect the mice for 7 days. Body weight, diarrhea, bleeding in stool, colon length, spleen weight, cytokines of serum and colon and pathology of colon were assessed. The level of Ginsenoside Rg1, Re and Rb1 in different SLBZS extracts and qualitative analysis of n-butanol extract of SLBZS (S-Nb) was performed by HPLC and LC-MS, respectively. And the effects of S-Nb on the transcriptome in colitis were investigated. RESULTS: Our results showed that SLBZS and S-Nb significantly regained body weight, reduced DAI, splenomegaly and the length of colon and attenuated histological damage of the colon. Meanwhile, SLBZS and S-Nb markedly reduced the levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6 and increased the level of IL-10 in serum and colon. These effects may be associated with the high levels of Ginsenoside Rg1, Re and Rb1 and rich variety of compounds in S-Nb including 6 ginsenosides, glycyrrhizin, L-tryptophan, and so on. Transcriptome analysis revealed that S-Nb selectively regulated 103 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 36 of which were changed in DSS-induced mice. And the genes of Per2, Per3, Npy and Serpina3m were closely related to colitis and also restored by S-Nb with different extent. Remarkably, these DEGs modulated the biological functions of colitis mice, including extracellular region, response to external stimulus, MAPK signaling pathway and arginine and proline metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicated that SLBZS and S-Nb blunted DSS-induced colitis by modulating differentially expression gene profile and biological functions based on their ginsenosides and rich compounds.

The clinical effect of stereotactic radiation therapy combined with sorafenib in the treatment of primary hepatic cancer / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of stereotactic radiation therapy combined with sorafenib in the treatment of primary hepatic cancer (PHC).Methods:Ninety-two PHC patients admitted to Cancer Hospital of China Medical University from January 2017 to May 2018 were selected and divided into the observation group and the control group according to the random number table method, with 46 cases in each group. The control group was treated with stereotactic radiation therapy, and the observation group was treated with sorafenib on the basis of the control group. Clinical efficacy and incidence of adverse reactions in the two groups were compared; the scores of Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) and the levels of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), hypoxia-inducing factor (HIF-1α), soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), transforming growth factor (TGF-β1) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) before and after the treatment between the two groups were compared. The overall survival (OS) of patients in both groups was recorded after 36 months of follow-up.Results:The total effective rate in the observation group was higher than that in the control group: 84.78%(39/46) vs. 65.22%(30/46), there was statistical difference ( χ2 = 4.70, P<0.05). After the treatment, the score of KPS in the observation group was higher than that in the control group: (85.06 ± 7.19) scores vs. (71.16 ± 7.08) scores; the levels of VEGF, bFGF, HIF-1α, AFP, TGF-β1, sIL-2R in the observation group were lower than those in the control group: (189.52 ± 31.47) ng/L vs. (235.81 ± 35.45) ng/L, (3.89 ± 0.97) ng/L vs. (6.74 ± 1.85) ng/L, (50.17 ± 6.09) ng/L vs. (53.07 ± 6.28) ng/L, (85.76 ± 14.09) μg/L vs. (131.51 ± 18.74) μg/L, (81.07 ± 12.96) μg/L vs. (106.58 ± 15.07) μg/L, (311.58 ± 74.81) kU/L vs. (405.97 ± 85.74) kU/L, there were statistical differences ( P<0.05). The results of 36 months follow-up showed that the 1-year and 3-year OS in the observation group were higher than those in the control group: 69.57% (32/46) vs. 58.70% (27/46), 43.47% (20/46) vs. 28.26 %(13/46), there were significant differences ( χ2 = 4.78, 3.94, P<0.05). Conclusions:Stereotactic radiation therapy combined with sorafenib can effectively improve the efficacy of PHC patients, reduce the expression of VEGF and bFGF, effectively inhibit tumor growth, but also prolong the survival time of patients, with both safety and high effectiveness, and good use value.

Research progress on corneal nerves and substance P in viral keratitis / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Diseases like viral keratitis can harm corneal nerves, which are necessary for maintaining the health and functionality of the cornea. Recent research has shown that corneal nerve pathology affects the infected eye as well as the contralateral one, and that aberrant changes in sympathetic nerves can be seen, with the exception of sensory nerves that correspond to corneal sensation. However, apart from in vivo confocal microscopy and corneal sensation, there have been no additional prognostic indicators that allow clinicians to assess the severity of corneal nerve damage. While multiple functions of corneal nerves are mediated by neuropeptides, substance P, the first topical neuropeptide used in ocular clinical practice, was proved to regulate the process of viral infections, and it is involved in bilateral corneal pathologies through pro-inflammatory and neurotrophic functions in viral keratitis, so it may be used as a diagnostic biomarker or a therapeutic target. Therefore, this review summarized the changes and roles of corneal nerves as well as substance P in viral keratitis, which may serve as a reference for further study into associated mechanisms and clinical applications.

Glutathione S-transferase genetic polymorphisms and fluoride-induced reproductive toxicity in men with idiopathic infertility / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

Male infertility caused by idiopathic oligoasthenospermia (OAT) is known as idiopathic male infertility. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) and fluoride may play important roles in idiopathic male infertility, but their effects are still unknown. Our study examined the relationship between GST polymorphisms and fluoride-induced toxicity in idiopathic male infertility and determined the underlying mechanism. Sperm, blood, and urine samples were collected from 560 males. Fluoride levels were measured by a highly selective electrode method, and GST genotypes were identified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Semen parameters, DNA fragmentation index (DFI), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and oxidative stress (OS) biomarkers were statistically assessed at the P < 0.05 level. Compared with healthy fertile group, semen parameters, fluoride levels, OS biomarkers, sex hormone levels, and MMP and DFI levels were lower in the idiopathic male infertility group. For glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1[-]) and glutathione S-transferase T1 (GSTT1[-]) or glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) mutant genotypes, levels of semen fluoride, OS, MMP, and DFI were considerably higher, and the mean levels of sperm parameters and testosterone were statistically significant in GSTM1(+), GSTT1(+), and GSTP1 wild-type genotypes. Both semen and blood fluoride levels were associated with oxidative stress in idiopathic male infertility patients. Elevated fluoride in semen with the genotypes listed above was linked to reproductive quality in idiopathic male infertility patients. In conclusion, GST polymorphisms and fluorine may have an indicative relationship between reproductive quality and sex hormone levels, and OS participates in the development of idiopathic male infertility.

Analysis on characteristic of stage Ⅰ occupational cement pneumoconiosis patients / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To analyze the clinical and imaging characteristics of stage Ⅰ occupational cement pneumoconiosis patients. Methods: In October 2021, the data of patients with occupational cement pneumoconiosis diagnosed by the Third Hospital of Peking University from 2014 to 2020 were collected, and the data of the patients' initial exposure age, dust exposure duration, diagnosis age, incubation period, chest X-ray findings, lung function and other data were analyzed retrospectively. Spearman grade correlation was used for correlation analysis of grade count data. The influencing factors of lung function were analyzed by binary logistic regression. Results: A total of 107 patients were enrolled in the study. There were 80 male patients and 27 female patients. The inital exposure age was (26.2±7.7) years, the diagnosis age was (59.4±7.9) years, the dust exposure duration was (17.9±8.0) years, and the incubation period was (33.1±10.3) years. The initial dust exposure age and the dust exposure duration in female patients were less than those in men, and the incubation period was longer than that in men (P<0.05). The imaging analysis showed the small opacities as"pp"accounted for 54.2%. 82 patients (76.6%) had small opacities distributed in two lung areas. The lung areas distribution of small opacities in female patients was less than that in male patients (2.04±0.19 vs 2.41±0.69, P<0.001). There were 57 cases of normal pulmonary function, 41 cases of mild abnormality and 9 cases of moderate abnormality. The number of lung regions with small opacities on X-ray was the risk factor for abnormal lung function in cement pneumoconiosis patients (OR=2.491, 95%CI=1.197-5.183, P=0.015) . Conclusion: The patients with occupational cement pneumoconiosis had long dust exposure duration and incubation period, light imaging changes and pulmonary function damage. The abnormal lung function was related to the range of pulmonary involvement.

Polysaccharides derived from Shenling Baizhu San improve colitis via modulating tryptophan metabolism in mice.

Shenling Baizhu San has beneficial effects on the metabolism of the gut microbiota, however, the mechanisms underlying microbiota metabolites mediated anti-inflammation signaling are not well understood. Previously, we have demonstrated that supplementation with Shenling Baizhu San alleviated antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). The current study intends to investigate the dynamic modulation of Shenling Baizhu San polysaccharides (SP) on colitis from the gut microbiota metabolites perspective. Administration of SP effectively relieved colitis induced by DSS in mice, including alleviating body weight loss, the downregulation of colon proinflammatory mediators, and the promotion of intestinal injury repair. Whereas, the efficacy was eliminated by antibiotics, which demonstrated that the efficacy of SP was dependent on the gut microbiota. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) showed that the efficacy of SP can be transferred to gut microbiota. Serum metabolomics analysis showed that supplementation with SP significantly promoted tryptophan metabolism, which was consistent with the changed structure of the gut microbiota, including Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium and Ruminococcus regulated by SP. Especially, the tryptophan metabolites-kynurenine (KYN) activated the expression of amplifying aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and Cyp1A1 to promote IL-10 expression in colon. These data suggested that SP positively affected colitis in mice by regulating tryptophan metabolic function of their gut microbiota.

Corrigendum: CircAFF1 aggravates vascular endothelial cell dysfunction mediated by miR-516b/SAV1/YAP1 axis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00899.].

Genetic pattern and demographic history of cutlassfish (Trichiurus nanhaiensis) in South China Sea by the influence of Pleistocene climatic oscillations.

Trichiurus nanhaiensis is one of the most important commercial fish species in the South China Sea. This study aimed to investigate the level of genetic variation and population genetic structure of T. nanhaiensis in the South China Sea for the first time, using 281 individuals collected from seven locations along the coast of mainland China, Taiwan, and Hainan Island. A high level of haplotype diversity and low nucleotide diversity were detected in the mitochondrial DNA cyt b gene and nuDNA RYR 3 gene. The overall expected heterozygosity (He = 0.693) among the seven populations ranged from 0.681 to 0.706 in microsatellite DNA data, which revealed high levels of genetic diversity. Significant genetic differentiation was found in Taidong populations in Taiwan, revealing the prevention of gene flow caused by the Kuroshio Current. Two major lineages based on the cyt b gene suggested that the Taiwan Strait acted as a geographic barrier for T. nanhaiensis during the glacier periods in the late Pleistocene. The Bayesian skyline plot also revealed that population demographic expansion of T. nanhaiensis was estimated to have occurred in 0.1 Mya. Our results indicated that all populations of T. nanhaiensis had experienced a recent genetic bottleneck following recent expansion based on ABC analysis.

Demographic history and population genetic structure of Anisakis pegreffii in the cutlassfish Trichiurus japonicus along the coast of mainland China and Taiwan.

Studying the genetic diversity of nematode parasite populations is crucial to gaining insight into parasite infection dynamics and informing parasite phylogeography. Anisakiasis is a zoonotic disease caused by the consumption of infectious third-stage larvae (L3) of Anisakis spp. carried by marine fish. In the present study, a total of 206 mitochondrial DNA sequences (cytochrome c oxidase 2, cox2) were used to study the genetic diversity, genetic structure, and historical demography of twelve A. pegreffii populations from Trichiurus japonicas along the coast of mainland China and Taiwan. Two distinct evolutionary lineages of A. pegreffii and no significant genealogical structures corresponding to sampling localities suggested that isolation in the marginal seas shaped their patterns of phylogeographic distribution along the coast of mainland China and Taiwan during glaciation with lower sea levels. Furthermore, pairwise FST values and AMOVA did not indicate any significant genetic differentiation among groups with no relation to the geographic area, which might be attributed to fewer barriers to gene flow as well as large population sizes. The results of the neutrality test, mismatch distribution, and Bayesian skyline plot analyses showed that entire population underwent population expansion during the late Pleistocene. Analysis of the demographic history revealed that A. pegreffii underwent historical lineage diversification and admixture due to secondary contact based on ABC analysis. The present research represents the first definitive population structure and demographic history across sampling locations of A. pegreffii along the coast of mainland China and Taiwan.

Discovery of a wild, genetically pure Chinese giant salamander creates new conservation opportunities.

Effective conservation of threatened biota relies on accurate assessments and scientific guidance. As an unfortunate example, Chinese giant salamanders ( Andrias, CGS) remain critically endangered in nature. Misguided conservation efforts, e.g., commercial propagation and releasing of millions of likely non-indigenous or interspecific hybrids, have further compromised conservation initiatives. Limited information on wild populations of CGS poses a significant conservation challenge. Following 18-month long field monitoring, we now report the discovery of a wild population of CGS in a closed nature reserve in Jiangxi Province, China. Genomic assessments reveal its genetic distinctiveness and do not detect genetic admixture with other species. Based on morphological and molecular evidences, we describe this CGS as a new species Andrias jiangxiensis sp. nov. This is the only known species of CGS today with a genetically pure, reproducing, in situ population. This discovery emphasizes the important role that closed nature reserves play in protecting species, and the necessity of integrating long-term field monitoring and genetic assessments. It sets a new pathway for discovering and conserving endangered species, especially for those biotas that are similarly being extirpated by anthropogenic translocations and overexploitation.

STIMULATE-ICP-CAREINEQUAL - Defining usual care and examining inequalities in Long Covid support: protocol for a mixed-methods study (part of STIMULATE-ICP: Symptoms, Trajectory, Inequalities and Management: Understanding Long-COVID to Address and Transform Existing Integrated Care Pathways).

IntroductionIndividuals with Long Covid represent a new and growing patient population. In England, fewer than 90 Long Covid clinics deliver assessment and treatment informed by NICE guidelines. However, a paucity of clinical trials or longitudinal cohort studies means that the epidemiology, clinical trajectory, healthcare utilisation and effectiveness of current Long Covid care are poorly documented, and that neither evidence-based treatments nor rehabilitation strategies exist. In addition, and in part due to pre-pandemic health inequalities, access to referral and care varies, and patient experience of the Long Covid care pathways can be poor. In a mixed methods study, we therefore aim to: (1) describe the usual healthcare, outcomes and resource utilisation of individuals with Long Covid; (2) assess the extent of inequalities in access to Long Covid care, and specifically to understand Long Covid patients experiences of stigma and discrimination. Methods and analysisA mixed methods study will address our aims. Qualitative data collection from patients and health professionals will be achieved through surveys, interviews and focus group discussions, to understand their experience and document the function of clinics. A patient cohort study will provide an understanding of outcomes and costs of care. Accessible data will be further analysed to understand the nature of Long Covid, and the care received. Ethics and disseminationEthical approval was obtained from South Central - Berkshire Research Ethics Committee (reference 303958). The dissemination plan will be decided by the patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) group members and study Co-Is, but will target 1) policy makers, and those responsible for commissioning and delivering Long Covid services, 2) patients and the public, and 3) academics.

Complete mitogenomes of four Trichiurus species: A taxonomic review of the T.lepturus species complex.

Four Trichiurus species, T.japonicus, T.lepturus, T.nanhaiensis, and T.brevis, from the coasts of the China Seas, have been identified and their entire mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) have been sequenced by next-generation sequencing technology. A comparative analysis of five mitogenomes was conducted, including the mitogenome of T.gangeticus. The mitogenomes contained 16.568-16.840 bp and encoded 36 typical mitochondrial genes (13 protein-coding, 2 ribosomal RNA-coding, and 21 transfer RNA-coding genes) and two typical noncoding control regions. Although tRNAPro is absent from Trichiurus mitogenomes, when compared with the 22 tRNAs reported in other vertebrates, the gene arrangements in the mitogenomes of the studied species are consistent with those in most teleost mitogenomes. The full-length sequences and protein-coding genes (PCGs) in the mitogenomes of the five species had obvious AT biases and negative GC skew values. Our study indicate that the specimens in the Indian Ocean are neither T.lepturus nor T.nanhaiensis but they are T.gangeticus; the Trichiurus species composition in the Indian Ocean is totally different from that in Pacific and Atlantic oceans; there are at least two Trichiurus species in Indian Ocean; and the worldwide systematics and diversity of the genus Trichiurus need to be reviewed.

Research progress on ocular lesions of Stevens-Johnson syndrome / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Stevens-Johnson syndrome(SJS)refers to a type of adverse reactions of the skin and mucosa mainly caused by drug allergy, which can be life-threatening in serious cases. For SJS survivors, ocular damage are accepted as the most severe complications. In recent years, because of the extensive research of its genetic susceptibility and immune pathogenesis, varied susceptibility genes which are involved in the ocular complications of SJS have been discovered. However, further efforts are still needed to clarify relevant mechanisms due to the high ethnicity and drug specificity. Ocular lesions of SJS are prone to be neglected in the early stage, and patients often receive ophthalmic treatment after a severe visual loss. Especially in China, the ocular surface of most patients has already been seriously damaged when they went to the ophthalmology department, while existing treatments achieve unsatisfactory results in improving visual acuity. Therefore, recent research progress is reviewed in this article on etiology and treatment of SJS ocular lesions, in order to raise clinicians' awareness of ocular complications, and provide references for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and research in related fields.

Expected Rates of Select Adverse Events following Immunization for COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Monitoring

BackgroundKnowledge of expected rates of potential adverse events of special interest (AESI) that may occur coincidentally following COVID-19 vaccination is essential for vaccine safety surveillance and assessment. We calculated the expected rates of 21 potential AESI following COVID-19 vaccination among vaccinated persons within 1 day, 7 days, and 42 days of vaccination. MethodsWe used meta-analytic methods to estimate background rates of 21 medical conditions considered potential AESI and calculated expected rates of each potential AESI within 1 day, 7 days, and 42 days of vaccination. ResultsBackground rates of three commonly monitored AESI, Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), myopericarditis, and all-cause deaths were 2.0 GBS cases/100,000 person-years, 1.3 myopericarditis cases/100,000 person-years, and 863.8 all-cause deaths/100,000 person-years, respectively. Based on these background rates, if 10,000,000 persons are vaccinated, we would expect 0.5, 3.7, and 22.5 GBS cases; 0.3, 2.4, and 14.3 myopericarditis cases; and 236.5, 1655.5, and 9932.8 all-cause deaths to occur in coincident temporal association (i.e., as a result of background incidence) within 1 day, 7 days, and 42 days of vaccination, respectively. ConclusionKnowledge of expected rates of potential AESI can help contextualize adverse health events associated temporally with immunization, aid in safety signal detection, guide COVID-19 vaccine public health communication, and inform benefit-risk assessments of COVID-19 vaccines.

Maximum Entropy Approach to Reliability of Multi-Component Systems with Non-Repairable or Repairable Components.

The degradation and recovery processes are multi-scale phenomena in many physical, engineering, biological, and social systems, and determine the aging of the entire system. Therefore, understanding the interplay between the two processes at the component level is the key to evaluate the reliability of the system. Based on the principle of maximum entropy, an approach is proposed to model and infer the processes at the component level, and is applied to repairable and non-repairable systems. By incorporating the reliability block diagram, this approach allows for integrating the information of network connectivity and statistical moments to infer the hazard or recovery rates of the degradation or recovery processes. The overall approach is demonstrated with numerical examples.

Changes in the trophic niche of Trichiurus japonicus in the Beibu Gulf in different periods.

We measured stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes and calculated trophic level and trophic niche of Trichiurus japonicus, with samples collected from the Beibu Gulf from 2008 to 2009 and 2018. The differences between two periods were compared and analyzed to explore the changes of its ecological adaptation. The results showed that value of δ13C varied substantially between the two periods. The narrowed range and the smaller mean value of δ13C in 2018 suggested that their food source changed from upper-middle to lower-middle waters. The values of δ15N were stable, and the range and mean values of trophic level (3.38-3.43) did not change significantly, which indicated a stable trophic level of T. japonicas in the past decade. The correlation between δ13C and preanal length was not significant, but a positive correlation between δ15N and preanal length. In terms of trophic niche, the indicators had decreased in different degrees in 2018 with 1.1%-32.1%. The value of total area and standard ellipse area decreased from 20.20 and 4.68 to 14.20 and 3.18, respectively, indicating that the niches of T. japonicas in the Beibu Gulf had varied obviously and that their ability to use resources and adapt to the environment had declined. It was speculated that in the past decade, the mean trophic level of T. japonicas in the Beibu Gulf had not changed significantly. Due to the change of food sources, however, the diversity of trophic sources had decreased, and the trophic niche had become smaller.

Activating effect of extracellular histones on heparinase in chlorine-induced acute lung injury / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the induction and activation of heparinase by extracellular histones in acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) induced by chlorine in mice.METHODS: The specific pathogen free adult male C57 BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group, chlorine injured group, histone injured group, anti-histone antibody group and heparinase inhibitor group, with six mice in each group.The mice in the control group and histone injured group were exposed to clean air, and the mice in the other three groups were exposed to chlorine gas at a dose of 580.0 mg/m~3 for 30 minutes by systemic dynamic inhalation.Mice in the histone injured group were injected with 50 mg/kg body weight calf thymus histone by tail vein.One hour before exposure, mice in the anti-histone antibody group were pretreated with 20 mg/kg body weight anti-histone H4 antibody by tail vein injection, and mice in the heparinase inhibitor group were injected with 2 mg/kg body weight OGT2115(heparinase inhibitor). The other three groups were given equal volume of 0.9% sodium chloride solution by tail vein injection. After 24 hours of exposure, arterial blood was collected for blood gas analysis and the lung tissue was collected for histopathological examination. The protein level of heparinase in lung tissue were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the activity of heparinase were detected by measuring the product of heparan degradation. The protein expression of pro-heparinase and active heparinase were detected by Western blotting.RESULTS: The dyspnea developed of mice in the chlorine injured group and histone injured group, diffuse inflammation occurred in lung tissue, the oxygenation index in arterial blood decreased(all P<0.05), and the protein level and activity of heparinase in lung tissue, as well as the relative expression of pro-heparinase and active heparinase were increased compared with the control group(all P<0.05). The dyspnea, hypoxemia and acute lung injury of mice in the anti-histone antibody group were alleviated, and the protein level of heparinase in lung tissue, as well as the relative expression levels of pro-heparinase and active heparinase were decreased(all P<0.05), compared with chlorine injury group and histone injury group.The dyspnea, hypoxemia and acute lung injury were alleviated in the heparinase inhibitor group, and the activity of heparinase and the relative expression of pro-heparinase in the lung tissue were decreased compared with the chlorine injury group(all P<0.05). CONCLUSION: During the occurrence and development of chlorine-induced ARDS in mice, extracellular histones aggravate lung injury by inducing the expression and activation of heparinase. Acute lung injury can be alleviated by inhibiting the expression and activation of heparinase.

circAFF1 Aggravates Vascular Endothelial Cell Dysfunction Mediated by miR-516b/SAV1/YAP1 Axis.

Pathological vascular endothelial damage caused by hypoxia is the basis of many vascular-related diseases. However, the role of circular RNA in hypoxic vascular injury is still poorly understood. Here, we found that hypoxia induced AFF1 circular RNA (circAFF1) can activate the SAV1/YAP1 and lead to the dysfunction of vascular endothelial cells. In HUV-EC-C and HBEC-5i cells, circAFF1 was upregulated under CoCl2 induced hypoxic conditions. The abnormal expression of circAFF1 inhibited the proliferation, tube formation, migration of vascular endothelial cells. The effect of circAFF1 is achieved by the adsorption of miR-516b to release SAV1, which in turn causes the phosphorylation of YAP1. Moreover, we found that the upregulation of circAFF1 in 235 Patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Taken together, we clarify the role of circAFF1/miR-516b/SAV1/YAP1 axis in vascular endothelial dysfunction and its potential early diagnostic value of disease caused by hypoxia injury in blood vessels.