Abstract Introduction/objectives Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a classic prototype of the multisystem autoimmune disease and follows a relapsing and remitting course. Triptolide is a diterpene triepoxide extracted from Chinese medicine Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, with potent immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory properties. Our previous work observed that triptolide alleviated lupus in MRL/lpr lupus mice with the upregulation of regulatory T cells (Treg) proportion in previous study. In this study, we explored the proportion of follicular T regulatory (Tfr), follicular T helper (Tfh) and germinal center (GC) B cells in lupus mice and evaluated the efficacy of triptolide for lupus treatment in vivo. Methods 20 female MRL/lpr mice were randomly divided into 2 treatment groups and treated orally with vehicle or triptolide. C3H mice were all housed as controlled group and treated orally with vehicle. The percentage of Tfr cells, Tfh cells and GC B cells in spleen of mice were detected by Flow cytometric analysis and immunohistochemistry after 13 weeks of treatment. Results We found that the percentage of Tfr cells decreased in MRL/lpr mice compared with controlled mice. The percentage of Tfh cells in MRL/lpr mice was significantly higher compared with that in controlled mice. The ratio of Tfr/Tfh is also decreased in lupus mice. After treated with triptolide in MRL/Lpr mice in vivo, the percentage of Tfr cells and ratio of Tfr/Tfh increased. The proportion of GC B cells also decreased in mice treated with triptolide by FACS and immunohistochemistry. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that the effect of triptolide in alleviating lupus is partly by reversing immune imbalance with increased percentage of Tfr cells and ratio of Tfr/Tfh. Triptolide might also has effect on immune response through inhibiting proliferating GC B cells.

Abstract Ala-Pro (AP), Ile-Pro-Ala (IPA) and Ile-Pro-Ala-Val-Phe (IPAVF) as DPP-IV inhibitory peptides were purified from Antarctic krill protein hydrolysate (AKH). Diabetic zebrafish model was rapidly induced with combination of high glucose immersing and cholesterol diet for evaluation the three DPP-IV inhibitory peptides activity. Physiochemical indexes including DPP-IV activity, glucose, triglyceride and cholesterol; the relative gene (insa, glucagon and pck1) expressions levels were detected. The results showed that after 15 days of peptides treatment, the physiochemical index levels of peptide groups were significantly higher than that of negative control and showed dose-dependent effect. The insa gene expression level would be increased with the enhancement of peptide concentration, whereas gene expression levels of glucagon and pck1 would be decreased. These results indicated that three peptides all had hypoglycemic effects in different degree. It suggested the potential of AKH containing DPP-IV inhibitory peptides could be as functional food supplement to treat diabetes.

Abstract Sixty Ca-deficient male Wistar rats were divided into six groups to investigate the effect of a calcium-binding bonito hydrolysate (PBH-Ca) on calcium bioavailability in rats, including the normal group, the control groups (PBH + CaCO3 group and the CaCO3 group), and three PBH-Ca groups with doses of 2,000 (PBH-Ca-H group), 1,000 (PBH-Ca-M group), and 500 (PBH-Ca-L group) mg/kg body wt/day. Each group was given the corresponding drug by intragastric administration for 4 weeks. The indices measured included the rate of increase in body weight and body length, apparent calcium absorption rate, serum calcium, serum phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, bone volume fraction (BV/TV), bone mineral density (BMD), and trabecular microstructure of the rats scanned by micro-computed tomography. The results showed that PBH-Ca promoted the growth of rats, significantly increased the apparent calcium absorption rate and the number of bone trabeculae, stabilized serum calcium and serum phosphorus content in serum, significantly inhibited ALP activity, decreased the separation of bone trabeculae, accelerated bone growth of rats, and raised the BV/TV and femoral BMD in the rats. These results illustrate that PBH-Ca has promising potential in a high-quality calcium diet.

Abstract To investigate factors that influence free fluoride release in Antarctic krill cuticle, the enzyme properties of a chitinase from Antarctic krill were analyzed to identify its role on free fluoride release from Antarctic krill cuticle. The chitinase was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation,ion and gel chromatography, and identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The molecular mass of the chitinase purified from Antarctic krill was 59.0 kDa and its peptide sequences were similar to chitinase precursor sequences from Penaeus vannamei. The optimal pH of the chitinase was pH 6.5 and temperature 45 °C and exhibited high stability within pH 5.0-6.0 and temperatures below 35 °C. The chitinase activity was increased by Ca2+ and Mg2+, while inhibited by Fe2+, Cu2+ and Co2+. The purified chitinase had Km and Vmax values of 5.88 mmol/L and 2.11 μmol/min·mL, respectively. The endogenous chitinase purified from Antarctic krill could degrade chitin fibers and induced the release of free fluoride from Antarctic krill cuticle. Under experimental conditions, the free fluoride release law in Antarctic krill cuticle can be described by equation: C W = 1 − 0.98 e − 0.0111 t − 0.02 e 0.15 t × 175.52 + 10.80.

Abstract With the rapid development of China's economy, many long-span bridges have been built and put into service. Vehicle load has been changing year by year in terms of the gross vehicle weight (GVW), the wheelbase and the traffic volume, especially the overload of heavy vehicles, which is a major challenge to the safety and durability of bridges. It is necessary to establish the vehicle load model through the measured traffic data for actual traffic conditions of the given bridge. In this study, the weigh-in-motion (WIM) data collected from an operational long-span urban highway bridge located in Wuhan, China, were used to analyze the statistical characteristics of vehicle loads. On the basis of the types of vehicles, (1) Considering the double or multimodal Gauss distribution characteristics of the GVW, the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm was used to estimate the statistical parameters of the Gauss distribution; (2) The generalized extreme value distribution (GEV) was used to develop the statistical model of the vehicle load extreme value; (3) The vehicle load extreme values in the design reference period of the urban highway bridge were estimated by the extreme value type I distribution; (4) According to the axle weight and the axle spacing, a statistical fatigue vehicle load model for the small and medium span urban highway bridges located in Wuhan, China was presented based on the Miner linear accumulated damage hypothesis and the effective fatigue damage principle.

Abstract: The mechanism behind exercise-induced fatigue is a significant topic in the field of sports physiology. Therefore, establishing and evaluating an acute exercise-induced fatigue animal model that explores the limits of the motor system may provide greater insight into these mechanisms. Heart rate is an important quantitative parameter that accurately reflects the immediate change in physical function due to exercise load. And there is likely to be an important correlation between heart rate and behavioral performance. In this study, changes in heart rate and behavioral indexes during exercise-induced fatigue were quantitatively analyzed in rats using heart rate telemetry and video methods respectively. The behavioral indexes were used as independent variables and the degree of fatigue was used as the forecast value. Ternary quadratic function curve fitting was used to deduce a formula to calculate a fatigue score: Y = 15.2548+0.4346∙xa-0.1154∙xb+0.6826∙xc+0.0044∙xa∙xb-0.0021∙xb∙xc-0.0013∙xc∙xa-0.0023∙xa2-0.0016∙xb2 (r2=0.906). It identified a linear relationship between heart rate and exercise intensity, with a plateau in heart rate occurring during difference periods. It will serve as an effective reference for the modeling of exercise-induced fatigue. In addition, it also provides a theoretical method for analyzing the correlation between peripheral and central parameters.

Abstract Objectives This retrospective study was aimed to explore the epidemiological and clinical profiles of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in neonates. Methods From 2011 to 2014, 1322 hospitalized neonates with lower respiratory tract infections were screened for Mycoplasma pneumoniae by detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae antibodies using Serion ELISA classic Mycoplasma pneumoniae kits. Results Mycoplasma pneumoniae was identified in 89 (6.7%) patients. The age ranged from 1 day to 28 days with a median of 22 days. The male to female ratio was 1.15:1. Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection peaked in spring (from March through May) and winter (from December through February). Compared with non-Mycoplasma pneumoniae infected neonates, those with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection were older, presented fever more frequently, and had less tachypnea. Conclusions Mycoplasma pneumoniae could be an important etiologic agent for respiratory tract infection in neonates. In neonates Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection was usually associated with older age, presence of fever, and less tachypnea. Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection in neonates tends to be a mild process.

Abstract Objective To explore the distribution and clinical manifestations of rhinovirus infection in wheezing children, and compare the clinical differences between rhinovirus- and respiratory syncytial virus-induced wheezing. Materials and methods This prospective cohort study was carried out in Children's Hospital of Soochow University from Dec 2012 to Nov 2014. We enrolled consecutive hospitalized children <60 months of age presented with wheezing. Clinical data including cough, fever, dyspnea, crackles were recorded by pediatricians on the first day of admission. Meanwhile, nasopharyngeal aspirates were obtained to test for respiratory viruses, by using polymerase chain reaction method for rhinovirus, human bocavirus, and human metapneumovirus, and direct immunofluorescence assay to test for respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, parainfluenza virus types 1–3, and influenza virus types A and B. Results Rhinovirus was a main causative agent isolated in 14.7% of the hospitalized wheezing children in Suzhou, China, being second to respiratory syncytial virus (21.0%). Different from respiratory syncytial virus infection, which peaked in winter months, rhinovirus could be detected all year round, peaked between July and September, and in November. Children with rhinovirus infection were older and presented with more often allergic sensitizations, blood eosinophilia, and leukocytosis than those of respiratory syncytial virus infection. Logistic regression analysis revealed that rhinovirus-infected children experienced earlier wheezing more often than respiratory syncytial virus children (odds ratio, 3.441; 95% confidence interval, 1.187–9.979; p = 0.023). Conclusion Rhinovirus was a main viral pathogen in wheezing children, especially in summer time. Rhinovirus-induced wheezing was different from respiratory syncytial virus, apart from seasonal epidemics; these two groups differed with regard to age, allergic sensitizations, laboratory test, and history of wheezing episodes.

OBJECTIVE:This retrospective study was conducted to investigate the clinical significance of differentMycoplasma pneumoniae bacterial load in patients with M. pneumoniae pneumonia (MP) in children.METHODS:Patients with MP (n=511) were identified at the Children's Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University database during an outbreak of MP between January 2012 and February 2013.RESULTS:Comparing patients with high and low bacterial load those with higher loads were significantly older (p<0.01) and had fever significantly more frequently (p=0.01). Presence of wheezing at presentation was associated with low bacterial load (p=0.03). Baseline positive IgM was present in 93 (56.4%) patients with high bacterial load compared to 46 (27.8%) patients with low bacterial load (p<0.001). Co-infection with viruses was found significantly more frequent among patients with low bacterial load (24.2%) than those with high bacterial load (8.5%) [p<0.001]. Bacterial co-infection was also more frequently detected among patients with low bacterial load (22.4%) than in those with high bacterial load (12.1%) [p=0.01].CONCLUSION:M. pneumoniae at a high bacterial load could be an etiologic agent of respiratory tract disease, whereas the etiologic role of MP at a low bacterial load remains to be determined.