Rectal microbiomes and serum metabolomics reveal the improved effect of Artemisia ordosica crude polysaccharides on the lactation performance, antioxidant and immune responses of lactating donkeys

This study is aimed at investigating the effects of dietary supplementation with Artemisia ordosica crude polysaccharides (AOCP) on lactation performance, antioxidant status, and immune status of lactating donkeys and analyzing rectal microbiomes and serum metabolomes. Fourteen lactating Dezhou donkeys with similar age (6.16 ± 0.67 years of BW ± SD), weight (250.06 ± 25.18 kg), days in milk (39.11 ± 7.42 d), and averaged parity of 3 were randomly allocated into 2 treatments: a control group (CON, basal diet) and an AOCP group (AOCP, basal diet with 1.0 g/kg DM AOCP). Ten weeks were allotted for the experiment, 2 weeks for adaptation, and 8 weeks for collecting data and samples. The results showed that supplementation of donkey diets with AOCP increased lactation performance, including dry matter intake, milking yield, estimated milk yield, solids-corrected milk, energy-corrected milk, milk fat yield, milk protein yield, milk lactose yield, milk total solids yield, and milk solid not fat yield. The digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, acid detergent fiber, and neutral detergent fiber was increased in the AOCP group compared with the CON group. The AOCP group increased the concentrations of immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G, and immunoglobulin M, the activities of the superoxide dismutase, catalase and total antioxidant capacity in the serum. AOCP decreased the concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α, nitric oxide, reactive oxygen species, and malondialdehyde in the serum. Compared with the CON group, AOCP increased propionate, butyrate, isovalerate, and total VFA concentrations in rectal feces (P < 0.05). The addition of AOCP to increased diversity (Shannon index) and altered structure of the rectal microflora. As a result of AOCP supplementation, there has been a significant improvement in the colonization of beneficial bacteria, including Lactobacillus, Unclassified_f_Prevotellacea, Ruminococcus, and Fibrobacter genera. In contrast, a decrease in the colonization of the Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 bacterial genus and other pathogenic bacteria was observed. Meanwhile, metabolomics analysis found that AOCP supplementation upregulated metabolites L-tyrosine content while downregulating 9(S)-HODE, choline, sucrose, LysoPC (18:0), LysoPC (18:1(9Z), and LysoPC (20:2(11Z,14Z)) concentrations. These altered metabolites were involved in the PPAR signaling pathway, prolactin signaling pathway, glycerophospholipid metabolism, carbohydrate digestion and absorption, and tyrosine metabolism pathways, which were mainly related to antioxidant capacity, immune responses, and protein metabolism in the lactating donkeys. As a consequence of feeding AOCP diets, beneficial bacteria were abundant, and antioxidant and protein metabolism-related pathways were enriched, which may enhance lactation performance in donkeys. Therefore, supplementing AOCP diets is a desirable dietary strategy to improve donkey health and lactation performance.

[Interaction between central nervous system and immune system after ischemic stroke and its therapeutic significance of traditional Chinese medicine]

Ischemic stroke is divided into acute phase, subacute phase, and recovery phase, with different pathological and physiological characteristics manifested at each stage. Among them, immune and inflammatory reactions persist for several days and weeks after ischemia. Ischemic stroke not only triggers local inflammation in damaged brain regions but also induces a disorder in the immune system, thereby promoting neuroinflammation and exacerbating brain damage. Therefore, conducting an in-depth analysis of the interaction between the central nervous system and the immune system after ischemic stroke, intervening in the main factors of the interaction between them, blocking pathological cascades, and thereby reducing brain inflammation have become the treatment strategies for ischemic stroke. This study summarizes and sorts out the interaction pathways between the central nervous system and the immune system. The impact of the central nervous system on the immune system can be analyzed from the perspective of the autonomic nervous system, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis(HPA), and local inflammatory stimulation. The impact of the immune system on the central nervous system can be analyzed from the dynamic changes of immune cells. At the same time, the relevant progress in the prevention and treatment of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) is summarized, so as to provide new insights for the analysis of complex mechanisms of TCM in preventing and treating ischemic stroke.

UBE2O reduces the effectiveness of interferon-α via degradation of IFIT3 in hepatocellular carcinoma

Interferon (IFN) exerts its effects through interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), but its efficacy is limited by interferon resistance, which can be caused by the ubiquitination of key proteins. UBE2O was initially identified as a promising therapeutic target based on data from the TCGA and iUUCD 2.0 databases. Through the inhibition of UBE2O, interferon α/β signaling and overall interferon signaling were activated. Integrating data from proteomic, mass spectrometry, and survival analyses led to the identification of IFIT3, a mediator of interferon signaling, as a ubiquitination substrate of UBE2O. The results of in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that the knockdown of UBE2O can enhance the efficacy of interferon-α by upregulating IFIT3 expression. K236 was identified as a ubiquitination site in IFIT3, and the results of rescue experiments confirmed that the effect of UBE2O on interferon-α sensitivity is dependent on IFIT3 activity. ATO treatment inhibited UBE2O and increased IFIT3 expression, thereby increasing the effectiveness of interferon-α. In conclusion, these findings suggest that UBE2O worsens the therapeutic effect of interferon-α by targeting IFIT3 for ubiquitination and degradation.

Diagnosis based on electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy-guided biopsied peripheral lung lesions in a 10-year-old girl: A case report

BACKGROUND

Electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy (ENB) is an emerging diagnostic tool that enables practitioners to biopsy peripheral lung tissues that were previously only accessible under computed tomography (CT) guidance. However, few studies have investigated ENB use in children. Here, we report a case of a 10-year-old girl with peripheral lung lesions who complained of a 7-d persistent fever. She was diagnosed with Streptococcus parasanguinis infection based on findings obtained using ENB-guided transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB).

CASE SUMMARY

A 10-year-old girl presented with constitutional symptoms of cough and fever of 7 days’ duration. Chest CT scans detected peripheral lung lesions and no endobronchial lesions. TBLB performed under the guidance of an ENB Lungpro navigation system was safe, well-tolerated, and effective for biopsying peripheral lung lesions. Examination of biopsied samples indicated the patient had a pulmonary Streptococcus parasanguinis infection, which was treated with antibiotics instead of more invasive treatment interventions. The patient’s symptoms resolved after she received a 3-wk course of oral linezolid. Comparisons of pre-treatment and post-treatment CT scans revealed absorption of some lung lesions within 7 mo of hospital discharge.

CONCLUSION

ENB-guided TBLB biopsying of peripheral lung lesions in this child is a safe, well-tolerated, and effective alternative to conventional interventions.

Clinical efficacy of avatrombopag and recombinant human thrombopoietin in the treatment of chronic liver disease-associated severe thrombocytopenia: A real-world study

Purpose: To investigate the clinical efficacy of avatrombopag, an oral thrombopoietin receptor agonist, versus subcutaneous recombinant human thrombopoietin (rh-TPO) in the treatment of severe thrombocytopenia (TCP) associated with chronic liver disease (CLD).

Methods: Clinical data of 250 patients with severe TCP associated with CLD were collected in a single hospital from January 2019 to January 2022. The main parameters measured were the therapeutic response rate, changes in platelets (PLTs), and adverse events. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to avoid possible selection bias.

Results: After PSM, a total of 154 patients were enrolled in the study: 77 in the avatrombopag group and 77 in the rh-TPO group. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the effect of increasing the PLT count (Waldχ2 = 1.659, p = 0.198; Waldχ2 = 0.220, p = 0.639). In addition, no interaction between time and different medications was found (Waldχ2 = 0.540, p = 0.910; Waldχ2 = 1.273, p = 0.736). Interestingly, in the subgroup analysis, both before and after PSM, avatrombopag showed better clinical efficacy than rh-TPO in the treatment of TCP associated with CLD in Child‒Pugh Class A (88.89% vs. 63.41%, p =0.003; 81.33% vs. 61.76%, p = 0.043). Fewer patients reported dizziness in the avatrombopag group than in the rh-TPO group both before and after PSM (7.8% vs. 25.0%; 7.8% vs. 24.7%, p &lt; 0.05).

Conclusion: Both before and after PSM, avatrombopag showed better clinical efficacy than rh-TPO in the treatment of TCP associated with CLD in Child‒Pugh Class A and showed a lower incidence of dizziness in all patients.

Sirtuins as novel targets in the pathogenesis of airway inflammation in bronchial asthma

Sirtuins are NAD-dependent class III histone deacetylase, which modulate the epigenetic changes to influence the functions in normal and diseased conditions. Preclinical studies have described an increase in the levels of sirtuin 2 and decrease in the levels of sirtuin 6 in the lungs. Sirtuin 2 exerts proinflammatory actions and hence, its blockers reduce the airway inflammation and symptoms of asthma. On the other hand, sirtuin 6 is anti-inflammatory and its activators produce beneficial actions in asthma. The beneficial effects of sirtuin 6 have been attributed to decrease in acetylation of transcriptional factor GATA3 in the T cells, which is associated with decrease in the T_H2 immune response. However, there seems to be dual role of sirtuin 1 in airway inflammation as its proinflammatory as well as anti-inflammatory actions have been described in asthma. The anti-inflammatory actions of sirtuin 1 have been attributed to decrease in acetylation of GATA3 and inhibition of Akt/NF-kappaB signaling. On the other hand, proinflammatory actions of sirtuin 1 have been attributed to increase in the expression of HIF-1α and VEGF along with repression of PPAR-γ activity. The present review discusses the role of different sirtuins in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma. Moreover, it also discusses sirtuin-triggered signaling pathways that may contribute in modulating the disease state of bronchial asthma.

[Effects of extract of Ginkgo biloba on magnetic resonance imaging and electroencephalography in patients with delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning]

Objective: To observe the effects of extract of Ginkgo biloba (Ginaton) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) in patients with delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning. Methods: The 84 patients with delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning treated in our hospital from Jan. 2011 to Apr. 2016 were randomly divied into therapy group and observation group. The therapy group received routine treatments of hyperbaric oxygen, cure cerebral edema and promote brain cell metabolism, and observation group was given intravenous injection (intravenous drip) Ginaton 70 mg (adding 0.9% sodium chloride injection 250 ml) , once a day, 2 weeks for one therapeutic course. The changes of MRI and EEG before and after treatment between therapy group and observation group were observed. Results: In the observation group, the white matter and globus pallidus lesions of 14 d after treatment were smaller than those in the treatment group, and the abnormal signal intensity was decreased. At 14 days after treatment the improvement of EEG in observation group were better than therapy group (P<0.05) . Conclusion: Early treatment of extract of Ginkgo biloba (Ginaton) in delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning can effectively improve lesion and signal on MRI and abnormal rate on EEG. It has a certain therapeutic effect in clinical.

[Early predictors of necrotizing pneumonia in children]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the early predictors of necrotizing pneumonia in children.

METHODS

The clinical data of 43 children with necrotizing pneumonia and 83 children with lobar pneumonia were retrospectively analyzed. Sex, age, the number of days with fever, laboratory examination results, and bronchoscopic findings were compared between the two groups. The multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify the early predictors of necrotizing pneumonia.

RESULTS

The necrotizing pneumonia group had a higher percentage of girls than the lobar pneumonia group (P<0.05). Compared with the lobar pneumonia group, the necrotizing pneumonia group had a larger number of days with fever, a higher peripheral blood white blood cell count (WBC), a higher percentage of neutrophils (NE%), and higher serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), albumin (Alb), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (P<0.05). The necrotizing pneumonia group also had higher percentages of children with a large amount of sputum bolt under a bronchoscope which needed to be removed with biopsy forceps and children with rice-water-like bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (P<0.05). The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that being a female, the presence of sputum bolt under a bronchoscope which needed to be removed with biopsy forceps, the number of days with fever, WBC, hs-CRP, and LDH were independent predictors of necrotizing pneumonia. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the cut-off values of the latter 4 predictors were 18.5 d, 15.1×10(9)/L, 121.5 mg/L, and 353.5 U/L, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased WBC (≥15.1×10(9)/L), increased hs-CRP (≥121.5 mg/L), increased serum LDH (≥353.5 U/L), and the presence of sputum bolt under a bronchoscope which needs to be removed with biopsy forceps and rice-water-like bronchoalveolar lavage fluid may be the early predictors of necrotizing pneumonia in children.

Coherent electro-optical detection of terahertz radiation from an optical parametric oscillator

We report the realization of coherent electro-optical detection of nanosecond terahertz (THz) pulses from an optical parametric oscillator, which is pumped by a Q-switched nanosecond Nd:YVO4 laser at 1064 nm and emits at approximately 1.5 THz. The beam profile and wavefront of the THz beam at focus are electro-optically characterized toward the realization of a real-time THz camera. A peak dynamic range of approximately 37 dB/radical Hz is achieved with single-pixel detection.

The epidemiology of childhood burns in Jiamusi, China

The causes and severities of burning injury were analysed in 1006 children admitted to our department over a 11-year period. A substantial number of patients were less than 5 years old. Proportionally more boys and less girls were injured. More of the accidents occurred in summer and winter and less during the spring and autumn; more occurred in the rural and mountain areas than in the cities. In the younger children 88 per cent of the injuries occurred at home while eating and drinking, only a few burns happening in kindergarten and school. This report suggests which methods of prevention should be stressed.