Effects of over-expressing resistin on glucose and lipid metabolism in mice

Resistin,a newly discovered peptide hormone mainly secreted by adipose tissues,is present at high levels in serum of obese mice and may be a potential link between obesity and insulin resistance in rodents. However,some studies of rat and mouse models have associated insulin resistance and obesity with decreased resistin expression. In humans,no relationship between resistin level and insulin resistance or adiposity was observed. This suggests that additional studies are necessary to determine the specific role of resistin in the regulation of energy metabolism and adipogenesis. In the present study,we investigated the effect of resistin in vivo on glucose and lipid metabolism by over-expressing resistin in mice by intramuscular injection of a recombinant eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.1-Retn encoding porcine resistin gene. After injection,serum resistin and serum glucose (GLU) levels were significantly increased in the pcDNA3.1-Retn-treated mice; there was an obvious difference in total cholesterol (TC) level between the experiment and the control groups on Day 30. In pcDNA3.1-Retn-treated mice,both free fatty acid (FFA) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels were markedly lower than those of control,whereas HDL cholesterol and triglyceride (TG) levels did not differ between the two groups. Furthermore,lipase activity was expressly lower on Day 20. Our data suggest that resistin over-expressed in mice might be responsible for insulin resistance and parameters related to glucose and lipid metabolism were changed accordingly.

Achievements of the Compendium Bencao Tujing(Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica):A Preliminary Study

Bencao Tujing(Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica)is a brilliant and monumental compendium of materia medica by Su Song,which was published in 1061 and gathered ancestral knowledge from the Song dynasty as a legacy for posterity.The compendium emphasized the clinical applications of medicinal materials collected nationwide,which used illustrated atlases as references.The descriptions for each medicinal material subsumed the prescriptions containing it and were supplemented with relevant medical cases.Medical prescriptions predating the Song dynasty were included,which enhanced the clinical usefulness of the pharmacopoeia.The ancestral knowledge of materia medica was extensively merged with natural history throughout the compendium,which also made extensive reference to more than 200 Chinese classics,local gazetteers,and published works from the social and natural sciences.The inclusion of natural history and literature works changed the convention used in earlier pharmacopoeias to present medicines based solely on pharmacological analyses.The compendium also pioneered the inclusion of natural history in pharmacopoeia.Bencao Tujing helped establish China’s leading position in the field of materia medica.Su Song’s meticulous nature,truth-seeking attitude,and adherence to scientific thinking are truly worthy of emulation and promotion.

Impact of co-infections with enteric pathogens on children suffering from acute diarrhea in southwest China

Background:Acute diarrhea is a global health problem,resulting in high morbidity and mortality in children.It has been suggested that enteric pathogen co-infections play an important role in gastroenteritis,but most research efforts have only focused on a small range of species belonging to a few pathogen groups.This study aimed to assess the impact of co-infections with a broad range of enteric pathogens on children aged below five years who suffer from acute diarrhea in southwest China.Method:A total of 1020 subjects(850 diarrhea cases and 170 healthy controls)were selected from four sentinel hospitals in Kunming,Yunnan province,southwest China,from June 2014 to July 2015.Stool specimens were collected to detect five virus(rotavirus group A,RVA;norovirus,NoV;Sapovirus,SaV;astrovirus,As;and adenovirus,Ad),seven bacterial(diarrheagenic Escherichia coli,DEC;non-typhoidal Salmonella,NTS;Shigella spp.;Vibrio cholera;Vibrio parahaemolyticus;Aeromonas spp.;and Plesiomonas spp.),and three protozoan(Cryptosporidium spp.,Giardia lamblia,and Blastocystis hominis,B.hominis)species using standard microbiologic and molecular methods.Data were analyzed using the partial least square regression technique and chi-square test.Results:At least one enteric pathogen was detected in 46.7%(n=397)of acute gastroenteritis cases and 13.5%(n=23)of healthy controls(χ^(2)=64.4,P<0.05).Single infection with RVA was associated with acute diarrhea(26.5%vs.5.8%,P<0.05).The prevalence of a single infection with B.hominis in diarrhea cases was higher than in healthy controls(3.1%vs.0.5%,OR=4.7,95%CI:1.01–112.0).Single infection with NoV GII was not associated with diarrhea(4.4%vs.3.5%,OR=1.2,95%CI:0.5–3.3).Single infections with bacterial species were not observed.The prevalence of co-infections with two enteric pathogens in diarrhea cases was higher than in asymptomatic children(20.1%vs.5.3%,P<0.05).RVA-NoV GII was the most common co-infection in symptomatic children(4.4%),with it aggravating the severity of diarrhea.Conclusions:Although it is clear that RVA has an overwhelming impact on diarrhea illnesses in children,co-infection with other enteric pathogens appears to also aggravate diarrhea severity.These findings should serve as evidence for public health services when planning and developing intervention programs.

Antibiotic resistance and molecular characterization of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli and non-typhoidal Salmonella strains isolated from infections in Southwest China

Background:Bacterial diarrhea is one of the most common causes for medical consultations,mortality and morbidity in the world.Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli(DEC)and non-typhoidal Salmonella(NTS)are major intestinal pathogens in developing countries,and the indiscriminate use of antibiotics has greatly contributed to resistant strains.Hence,the aim of the present study is to identify the antimicrobial resistance patterns and the molecular characteristics of DEC and NTS in southwest,China.Methods:1121 diarrheal patients and 319 non-diarrheal subjects across all age groups were recruited from four sentinel hospitals from June 2014 to July 2015 in Kunming City,Yunnan Province.Each stool specimen was collected to detect DEC and NTS with standard microbiological and molecular methods.Antimicrobial resistance testing was performed with the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method,and the standards for antimicrobial susceptibility testing complied with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI).Molecular characterization of strains was carried out using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE).A structured questionnaire was used to record basic epidemiological data(e.g.sex,age,residence,season,etc.).Data were analyzed using Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test.Results:DEC was detected in 127(11.33%)diarrhea cases and 9(2.82%)non-diarrheal cases(χ^(2)=20.69,P<0.001,OR=4.36,95%CI:2.19-8.65),and the prevalence of NTS isolated from diarrhea cases was higher than that of non-diarrheal cases across all age groups(n=42,3.75%,n=1,0.31%,χ^(2)=10.10,P=0.002,OR=12.38,95%CI:1.70-90.29).The rates of resistance to ten antibiotics of DEC and NTS showed significant differences(χ^(2)=386.77,P<0.001;χ^(2)=191.16,P<0.001).The rates of resistance to Amoxicillin and Clavulafiate(AMC),Cephalothin(CEP),Gentamicin(GEN)and Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim(SXT)of DEC isolated from diarrhea cases were higher than those of NTS isolated from diarrhea patients(37.01%vs 14.29%,χ^(2)=7.57,P=0.006;29.92%vs 11.90%,χ^(2)=5.40,P=0.02;37.01%vs 11.90%,χ^(2)=5.80,P=0.016;62.20%vs 26.19%,χ^(2)=16.44,P<0.001;respectively).Ciprofloxacin(CIP)was the most sensitive antibiotic for DEC and NTS strains isolated from diarrhea cases.Resistance rates of DEC isolates from cases and controls to more than three kinds antimicrobials(multidrug resistance,MDR)showed no significant differences(81.10%vs 88.89%,P=0.33).Pulsotype patterns of DEC strains were highly diverse;however,the pulsotype pattern of NTS strains was closely related to the serotype.The pattern of S.enteritidis was highly similar,but the S.enterica Typhimurium strain was discrete.Conclusions:Antibiotic resistance of Enterobacteriaceae is of great concern.The societal effects of antibiotic use justify strict monitoring to combat increases in antimicrobial resistance.Molecular epidemiology and systematic epidemiological investigation can provide accurate evidence for tracking the infection source.

Profiling B and T cell immune responses to co-infection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and hookworm in humans

Background:Humoral and cellular immune responses play protective roles against Mycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB)infection.However,hookworm infection decreases the immune response to hookworm and bystander antigens.Currently,immune responses to co-infection of MTB and hookworm are still unknown,although co-infection has been one of the public health problems in co-endemic areas of pulmonary tuberculosis(PTB)and hookworm disease.Therefore,it is essential to evaluate B and T cell immune responses to the co-infection.Methods:Seventeen PTB cases co-infected with hookworm,26 PTB cases,15 patients with hookworm infection,and 24 healthy controls without PTB or hookworm infection were enrolled in the study.Expressions of CD3,CD4,CD8,CD10,CD19,CD20,CD21,CD25,CD27,CD38,FoxP3,and PD-1 were assessed on B and T cell subsets using multicolor flow cytometry.Results:For the B cell(CD19+)subsets,naïve B cells(CD10−CD27−CD21+CD20+),plasma cells(CD10−CD27+CD21−CD20−),and tissue-like memory B cells(CD10−CD27−CD21−CD20+)had higher proportions,whilst resting memory B cells(CD10−CD27+CD21+CD20+)had lower proportions in the group co-infected with MTB and hookworm as compared to other groups.Frequencies of activated memory B cells(CD10−CD27+CD21−CD20+)did not differ among the four groups.For the T cell(CD3+)subsets,frequencies of regulatory T cells(CD4+CD25+Foxp3+)and exhausted CD4+and CD8+T cells(CD4+PD-1+and CD8+PD-1+)were higher,and frequencies of activated CD4+and CD8+T cells(CD4+CD38+and CD8+CD38+)were lower in the co-infected group as compared to the other groups.Conclusion:The change patterns of the cell profile of circulating lymphocytes were indentified in human co-infection of MTB and hookworm,which might indicate that the humoral and cellular immune responses are more suppressed.

Urgent needs in fostering neglected tropical diseases(NTDs)laboratory capacity in WHO Western Pacific Region:results from the external quality assessment on NTDs diagnosis in 2012-2015

Background:Neglected tropical diseases(NTDs)are a heterogeneous group of mainly chronic,debilitating and often stigmatizing diseases that largely affects low-income and politically marginalized populations,causing a large burden of public health,social and economies in the NTDs endemic countries.NTDs are caused by infections with a range of pathogen,including bacteria,parasites,protozoa and viruses.The accurate diagnosis of NTDs is important for reducing morbidity,preventing mortality and for monitoring of control programs.External Quality Assessment(EQA),a component of laboratory quality assurance,aims to assess the performance of participating laboratories in detecting parasitic infections.The aim of this paper is to report the findings and put forward the recommendations on capacity build from the EQA results of participating NTDs laboratories in selected countries in the WHO Western Pacific Region from 2012 to 2015.Methods:Reference or public health laboratories at national level working on NTDs in 6 countries participated in EQAs organized by the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases(NIPD)of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC)based in Shanghai,China.Two representatives of each participating laboratory were invited to NIPD to detect NTDs’parasitic infections using the same prepared samples for serological tests(IHA and ELISA)and helminth eggs’morphological tests(Direct smear and Kato-Katz).All of the results were scored and analyzed by using SPSS statistics 19.0 software.Results:The percentage of participants who had EQA score≥60 during 2012-2015 for direct smear test were 80.00%(2012),71.43%(2013),100%(2014)and 75.00%(2015),whereas for Kato-Katz test were 80.00%(2012),57.14%(2013),100%(2014)and 37.50%(2015),respectively.The detection rate of helminth eggs varied in different species,with Ascaris lumbricoides being the highest at 94.07%in average.All laboratories did very well with ELISA tests as shown by the high scores in all four years except Lab A in the first and last EQA.For the positive or negative judgments of serum samples,the total coincidence rates of ELISA between 2012 and 2015 were 90.00%,99.29%,94.29%and 98.75%,respectively.While the total coincidence rates of IHA were respectively 100%,95.00%,90.00%and 97.50%.However,detecting low levels of serum antibody remained problematic for IHA when the titres of samples were taken into consideration.Conclusion:This study demonstrate that EQA scheme have been beneficial to the participating laboratories.The EQA programme identifies certain deficiencies which were needed to overcome and improved the laboratories’performance in helminthiasis diagnosis.However,further optimization of accuracy and uniformity in NTDs diagnosis remains a big challenge.