Ototoxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics in mice, HEI-OC1 cells and zebrafish

Polystyrene nanoplastics are a novel class of pollutants. They are easily absorbed by living organisms, and their potential toxicity has raised concerns. However, the impact of polystyrene nanoplastics on auditory organs remains unknown. Here, our results showed that polystyrene nanoplastics entered the cochlea of mice, HEI-OC1 cells, and lateral line hair cells of zebrafish, causing cellular injury and increasing apoptosis. Additionally, we found that exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics resulted in a significant elevation in the auditory brainstem response thresholds, a loss of auditory sensory hair cells, stereocilia degeneration and a decrease in expression of Claudin-5 and Occludin proteins at the blood-lymphatic barrier in mice. We also observed a significant decrease in the acoustic alarm response of zebrafish after exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics. Mechanistic analysis revealed that polystyrene nanoplastics induced up-regulation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway, increased levels of malondialdehyde, and decreased superoxide dismutase and catalase levels in cochlea and HEI-OC1 cells. Furthermore, we observed that the expression of ferroptosis-related indicators GPX4 and SLC7A11 decreased as well as increased expression of ACLS4 in cochlea and HEI-OC1 cells. This study also revealed that polystyrene nanoplastics exposure led to increased expression of the inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1β and COX2 in cochlea and HEI-OC1 cells. Further research found that the cell apoptosis, ferroptosis and inflammatory reactions induced by polystyrene nanoplastics in HEI-OC1 cells was reversed through the pretreatment with N-acetylcysteine, a reactive oxygen species inhibitor. Overall, our study first discovered and systematically revealed the ototoxicity of polystyrene nanoplastics and its underlying mechanism

Discharge planning for children with ventricular septal defect and pulmonary arterial hypertension in China

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of discharge planning on maternal caring knowledge, maternal caring behavior, maternal discharge readiness and the rehospitalization of children with ventricular septal defect and pulmonary arterial hypertension (VSD-PAH). Background: Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have more complications after surgery than those without PAH. Discharge planning is an effective strategy to help children leave the hospital safely, and receive appropriate care after discharge. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was used. Sixty children and their mothers were recruited and divided into two groups: the control group received conventional care, the intervention group received both conventional care and additional discharge planning care. Results: (1) After admission, maternal caring knowledge between the two groups was similar. (2) At discharge, maternal discharge readiness, maternal caring knowledge and maternal caring behavior in the intervention group was significantly higher compared to the control group (t = 3.35, p = 0.001; F = 84.74, p < 0.001; F = 23.82, p < 0.001). This difference persisted after discharge, and was evident at one month and three months after discharge. (3) However, no significant difference in the readmission rate of children after discharge was evident between the two groups. Conclusions: Discharge planning improves the maternal discharge readiness, maternal caring knowledge and maternal caring behaviors. However, this planning did not reduce the readmission rate of children with CHD-PAH

Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of Astragalus and Danshen on the intervention of myofibroblast activation in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Abstract Background Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic progressive interstitial lung disease of unknown etiology, is characterized by continuous damage to alveolar epithelial cells, abnormal repair of alveolar tissue, and alveolar wall scar formation. Currently, the recommended treatment for IPF in Western medicine is relatively limited. In contrast, traditional Chinese medicine and compound prescriptions show advantages in the diagnosis and treatment of IPF, which can be attributed to their multi-channel and multi-target characteristics and minimal side-effects. The purpose of this study was to further corroborate the effectiveness and significance of the traditional Chinese medications Astragalus and Danshen in IPF treatment. Methods We performed whole-genome methylation analysis on nine rat lung tissue samples to determine the epigenetic variation between IPF and non-fibrotic lungs using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions. Results We identified differentially methylated regions and 105 associated key functional genes in samples related to IPF and Chinese medicine treatment. Based on the methylation levels and gene expression profiles between the Chinese medicine intervention and pulmonary fibrosis model groups, we speculated that Astragalus and Salvia miltiorrhiza (traditionally known as Danshen) act on the Isl1, forkhead box O3, and Sonic hedgehog genes via regulation at transcriptional and epigenetic levels during IPF. Conclusions These findings provide novel insights into the epigenetic regulation of IPF, indicate the effectiveness of Astragalus and Danshen in treating IPF, and suggest several promising therapeutic targets for preventing and treating IPF