Biomedical and Environmental Sciences最新文献

Objective

In this study, the combined effect of two stressors, namely, electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from mobile phones and fructose consumption, on hypothalamic and hepatic master metabolic regulators of the AMPK/SIRT1-UCP2/FOXO1 pathway were elucidated to delineate the underlying molecular mechanisms of insulin resistance.

Methods

Weaned Wistar rats (28 days old) were divided into 4 groups: Normal, Exposure Only (ExpO), Fructose Only (FruO), and Exposure and Fructose (EF). Each group was provided standard laboratory chow ad libitum for 8 weeks. Additionally, the control groups, namely, the Normal and FruO groups, had unrestricted access to drinking water and fructose solution (15%), respectively. Furthermore, the respective treatment groups, namely, the ExpO and EF groups, received EMF exposure (1,760 MHz, 2 h/day x 8 weeks). In early adulthood, mitochondrial function, insulin receptor signaling, and oxidative stress signals in hypothalamic and hepatic tissues were assessed using western blotting and biochemical analysis.

Result

In the hypothalamic tissue of EF, SIRT1, FOXO 1, p-PI3K, p-AKT, Complex III, UCP2, MnSOD, and catalase expressions and OXPHOS and GSH activities were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) compared to the Normal, ExpO, and FruO groups. In hepatic tissue of EF, the p-AMPKα, SIRT1, FOXO1, IRS1, p-PI3K, Complex I, II, III, IV, V, UCP2, and MnSOD expressions and the activity of OXPHOS, SOD, catalase, and GSH were significantly reduced compared to the Normal group (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The findings suggest that the combination of EMF exposure and fructose consumption during childhood and adolescence in Wistar rats disrupts the closely interlinked and multi-regulated crosstalk of insulin receptor signals, mitochondrial OXPHOS, and the antioxidant defense system in the hypothalamus and liver.

Objective

To explore the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and postoperative outcomes in patients with chronic sinusitis (CRS) after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).

Methods

We conducted an observational cohort study of 1,047 patients with CRS undergoing ESS. Discharged patients were followed up to 72 weeks for all-cause recurrence events. Baseline SES was established based on occupation, education level, and family income of the patients 1 year before the operation. Kaplan–Meier method was used to calculate the recovery rate after ESS, and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between SES and prognosis.

Results

Patients of middle SES had lower unadjusted all-cause recurrence than those of low or high SES; 24-week overall recovery rate was 90.4% [95 % confidence interval (CI): 89.6%–91.2%] in patients of middle SES, 13.5% (95 % CI: 12.8%–14.2%) in patients of low SES, and 31.7% (95 % CI: 30.7%–32.7%) in patients of high SES (both log-rank P < 0.001). After adjustment for covariates, hazard ratios (HRs) were 7.69 (95 % CI: 6.17–9.71, P_trend < 0.001) for all-cause recurrence for low SES versus middle SES, and 6.19 (95 % CI: 4.78–7.93, P_trend < 0.001) for middle SES versus high SES.

Conclusions

Low SES and high SES were more associated with the worse prognosis of CRS patients after ESS than middle SES.

“The Role of HBx Gene Mutations in PLA₂R Positive Hepatitis-B-associated Membranous Nephropathy” by DONG Hui, XU Yan, XU Ting, SUN Jing Yi, BU Quan Dong, WANG Yan Fei, CHE Lin, ZHAO Long, and JIANG Wei published in Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, 2020; 33(4): 269-272 (doi: 10.3967/bes2020.036). The authors found that there were incorrect use of images in the article upon inspection and applied for retraction of this article by the agreement among all authors.

Objective

Clinical characteristics and outcome in COVID-19 with brucellosis patients has not been well demonstrated, we tried to analyze clinical outcome in local and literature COVID-19 cases with brucellosis before and after recovery.

Methods

We retrospectively collected hospitalization data of comorbid patients and prospectively followed up after discharge in Heilongjiang Infectious Disease Hospital from January 15, 2020 to April 29, 2022. Demographics, epidemiological, clinical symptoms, radiological and laboratory data, treatment medicines and outcomes, and follow up were analyzed, and findings of a systematic review were demonstrated.

Results

A total of four COVID-19 with brucellosis patients were included. One patient had active brucellosis before covid and 3 patients had nonactive brucellosis before brucellosis. The median age was 54.5 years, and all were males (100.0%). Two cases (50.0%) were moderate, and one was mild and asymptomatic, respectively. Three cases (75.0%) had at least one comorbidity (brucellosis excluded). All 4 patients were found in COVID-19 nucleic acid screening. Case C and D had only headache and fever on admission, respectively. Four cases were treated with Traditional Chinese medicine, western medicines for three cases, no adverse reaction occurred during hospitalization. All patients were cured and discharged. Moreover, one case (25.0%) had still active brucellosis without re-positive COVID-19, and other three cases (75.0%) have no symptoms of discomfort except one case fell fatigue and anxious during the follow-up period after recovery. Conducting the literature review, two similar cases have been reported in two case reports, and were both recovered, whereas, no data of follow up after recovery.

Conclusion

These cases indicate that COVID-19 patients with brucellosis had favorable outcome before and after recovery. More clinical studies should be conducted to confirm our findings.