The Prevalence, Epidemiological, and Molecular Characterization of Methicillin-Resistant (MRSA) in Macau (2017-2022).

Macau, recognized as a global tourism hub and the world's most densely populated region, provides a unique environment conducive to methicillin-resistant (MRSA) transmission in healthcare and community settings, posing a significant public health concern both locally and globally. The epidemiology and molecular characteristics of MRSA in the distinct city of Macau remain largely unelucidated. This five-year longitudinal study (2017-2022) examined the local prevalence and molecular typing of MRSA in Macau, with future MRSA type distribution predicted through ARIMA modeling.

Dietary methionine supplementation during the estrous cycle improves follicular development and estrogen synthesis in rats.

The follicle is an important unit for the synthesis of steroid hormones and the oocyte development and maturation in mammals. However, the effect of methionine supply on follicle development and its regulatory mechanism are still unclear. In the present study, we found that dietary methionine supplementation during the estrous cycle significantly increased the number of embryo implantation sites, as well as serum contents of a variety of amino acids and methionine metabolic enzymes in rats.

Butyrate Improves Porcine Endometrial Epithelial Cell Receptivity via Enhancing Acetylation of Histone H3K9.

Scope: Uterine receptivity is a major restriction of embryo implantation and survival, and the endometrial luminal epithelium serves as the transient gateway for uterine receptivity and embryo implantation. Butyrate is reported to promote the success of embryo implantation, but the effects and mechanism of butyrate on uterine receptivity are still unknown.

Methods And Results: Porcine endometrial epithelial cells (PEECs) are used as a model, and the cellular receptivity changes, metabolism, and gene expression profiles influenced by butyrate are analyzed.

Role of functional fatty acids in modulation of reproductive potential in livestock.

Fatty acids are not only widely known as energy sources, but also play important roles in many metabolic pathways. The significance of fatty acids in modulating the reproductive potential of livestock has received greater recognition in recent years. Functional fatty acids and their metabolites improve follicular development, oocyte maturation and embryo development, as well as endometrial receptivity and placental vascular development, through enhancing energy supply and precursors for the synthesis of their productive hormones, such as steroid hormones and prostaglandins.

The Combined Use of Medium- and Short-Chain Fatty Acids Improves the Pregnancy Outcomes of Sows by Enhancing Ovarian Steroidogenesis and Endometrial Receptivity.

Fatty acids play important roles in maintaining ovarian steroidogenesis and endometrial receptivity. Porcine primary ovarian granulosa cells (PGCs) and endometrial epithelial cells (PEECs) were treated with or without medium- and short-chain fatty acids (MSFAs) for 24 h. The mRNA abundance of genes was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR.

Mechanisms of lipid metabolism in uterine receptivity and embryo development.

Metabolic regulation plays important roles in embryo development and uterine receptivity during early pregnancy, ultimately influencing pregnancy efficiency in mammals. The important roles of lipid metabolism during early pregnancy have not been fully understood. Here, we described the regulatory roles of phospholipid, sphingolipid, and cholesterol metabolism on early embryo development, implantation, and uterine receptivity through production of cannabinoids, prostaglandins, lysophosphatidic acid, sphingosine-1-phosphate, and steroid hormones.

Uterine Insulin Sensitivity Defects Induced Embryo Implantation Loss Associated with Mitochondrial Dysfunction-Triggered Oxidative Stress.

Methods And Results: Herein, a comprehensive proteomic analysis was conducted on proliferative endometria from sows with low and normal reproductive performance (LRP and NRP, respectively). Enrichment analysis of differentially expressed proteins revealed alterations in endometrial remodeling, substance metabolism (mainly lipid, nitrogen, and retinol metabolism), immunological modulation, and insulin signaling in LRP sows. Importantly, aberrant lipid metabolite accumulation and dysregulation of insulin signaling were coincidently confirmed in endometria of LPR sows, proving an impaired insulin sensitivity.

Nutritional Status Impacts Epigenetic Regulation in Early Embryo Development: A Scoping Review.

With the increasing maternal age and the use of assisted reproductive technology in various countries worldwide, the influence of epigenetic modification on embryonic development is increasingly notable and prominent. Epigenetic modification disorders caused by various nutritional imbalance would cause embryonic development abnormalities and even have an indelible impact on health in adulthood. In this scoping review, we summarize the main epigenetic modifications in mammals and the synergies among different epigenetic modifications, especially DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and histone methylation.

Butyrate drives the acetylation of histone H3K9 to activate steroidogenesis through PPARγ and PGC1α pathways in ovarian granulosa cells.

Maintaining ovarian steroidogenesis is of critical importance, considering that steroid hormones are required for successful establishment and maintenance of pregnancy and proper development of embryos and fetuses. Investigating the mechanism that butyrate modulates the ovarian steroidogenesis is beneficial for understanding the impact of lipid nutrition on steroidogenesis. Herein, we identified that butyrate improved estradiol and progesterone synthesis in rat primary ovarian granulosa cells and human granulosa KGN cells and discovered the related mechanism.

One Carbon Metabolism and Mammalian Pregnancy Outcomes.

One-carbon metabolism is involved in varieties of physiological processes in mammals, including nucleic acid synthesis, amino acid homeostasis, epigenetic regulation, redox balance and neurodevelopment. The current evidence linking levels of one-carbon nutrients during pregnancy to the development of oocytes, embryos, and placentas, as well as maternal and offspring health, is reviewed. The sources of mammalian one-carbon units, the pathways active in mammalian one-carbon metabolism, the maternal and fetal needs for one-carbon units and their functions during pregnancy are described.

CBS and MAT2A improve methionine-mediated DNA synthesis through SAMTOR/mTORC1/S6K1/CAD pathway during embryo implantation.

Objectives: Early pregnancy loss is a major clinical concern in animal and human reproduction, which is largely influenced by embryo implantation. The importance of methionine for embryo implantation is widely neglected.

Materials And Methods: We performed a series of experiments with primiparous rats fed diets containing different levels of methionine during early pregnancy to investigate the role of methionine in embryonic implantation and pregnancy outcomes, and used them to perform in vivo metabolic assessments and in vitro uterine explant culture.

Enhancement of Macrophage Function by the Antimicrobial Peptide Sublancin Protects Mice from Methicillin-Resistant .

Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) is the major pathogen responsible for community and hospital bacterial infections. Sublancin, a glucosylated antimicrobial peptide isolated from 168, possesses antibacterial infective effects. In this study, we investigated the role and anti-infection mechanism of sublancin in a mouse model of MRSA-induced sublethal infection.

Maternal short and medium chain fatty acids supply during early pregnancy improves embryo survival through enhancing progesterone synthesis in rats.

Exploring strategies to prevent miscarriage in women or early pregnancy loss in mammals is of great importance. Manipulating maternal lipid metabolism to maintain sufficient progesterone level is an effective way. To investigated the embryo loss and progesterone synthesis impacts of short and medium chain fatty acids on the lipid metabolism, pregnancy outcome and embryo implantation were investigated in rats fed the pregnancy diets supplemented without or with 0.

Functions of Macrophages in the Maintenance of Intestinal Homeostasis.

Intestinal macrophages constitute the largest pool of macrophages in the body and have emerged as crucial sentinels for pathogen recognition and elimination. The source and development of intestinal macrophages, as well as their distinct properties have been well documented. Intestinal macrophages exert their functions in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis by shaping host-microbiota symbiosis, managing gut inflammation, crosstalking with T cells, and facilitating wound repair.

Metabolic disorder of amino acids, fatty acids and purines reflects the decreases in oocyte quality and potential in sows.

Oocyte quality is closely related to female fertility. Nevertheless, core nutritional metabolites influencing oocyte quality are unclear. Herein, comprehensive metabolomics analysis of follicular fluid, serum, and urine from low reproductive performance (LRP) and normal reproductive performance (NRP) sows was conducted.

Prevention of Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppression in Mice with the Antimicrobial Peptide Sublancin.

Sublancin is a glycosylated antimicrobial peptide produced by 168 with combined antibacterial and immunomodulatory activities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the protective effects of sublancin on immunosuppression in cyclophosphamide-treated mice. In normal mice, the phagocytic activity of mouse peritoneal macrophages was significantly enhanced by oral administration of sublancin (1.

Maternal N-Carbamylglutamate Supply during Early Pregnancy Enhanced Pregnancy Outcomes in Sows through Modulations of Targeted Genes and Metabolism Pathways.

Reducing pregnancy loss is important for improving reproductive efficiency for both human and mammalian animals. Our previous study demonstrates that maternal N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) supply during early pregnancy enhances embryonic survival in gilts. However, whether maternal NCG supply improves the pregnancy outcomes is still not known.

Use of the Antimicrobial Peptide Sublancin with Combined Antibacterial and Immunomodulatory Activities To Protect against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection in Mice.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the major pathogen causing serious hospital infections worldwide. With the emergence and rapid spread of drug-resistant bacteria, there is extraordinary interest in antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as promising candidates for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. Sublancin, a glycosylated AMP produced by Bacillus subtilis 168, has been reported to possess protective activity against bacterial infection.

Dietary N-Carbamylglutamate Supplementation in a Reduced Protein Diet Affects Carcass Traits and the Profile of Muscle Amino Acids and Fatty Acids in Finishing Pigs.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether dietary N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) supplementation in a reduced protein diet affected carcass traits and meat quality in finishing pigs. A total of 120 gilts were randomly assigned to one of four treatments for 40 days, including a standard protein diet (SP), a reduced protein diet supplemented with 1.7% l-alanine (RP + Ala), a reduced protein diet supplemented with 1.

Fiber degradation potential of natural co-cultures of Neocallimastix frontalis and Methanobrevibacter ruminantium isolated from yaks (Bos grunniens) grazing on the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau.

Several natural anaerobic fungus-methanogen co-cultures have been isolated from rumen and feces source of herbivores with strong fiber degrading ability. In this study, we isolated 7 Neocallimastix with methanogen co-cultures from the rumen of yaks grazing on the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau. Based on morphological characteristics and internal transcribed spacer 1 sequences (ITS1), all the fungi were identified as Neocallimastix frontalis.

Antimicrobial resistance, genotypic characterization and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis typing of extended spectrum β-lactamases-producing clinical Escherichia coli strains in Macao, China.

Background: The rise of the production of CTX-M class extended spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) has been well documented in traveling countries but no data are found for Macao, an international travel city. The objectives of this study were to identify the antimicrobial resistance pattern, and determine the prevalence, genotype and clonal relationship of ESBLs in 209 clinical Escherichia coli strains from Macao, China.

Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed to determine the resistance patterns of the isolates using the disk diffusion method with 17 antimicrobial agents.

[Expression and significance of CEA and CA153 in pleural fluid of patients with lung cancer].

Background: Finding the cancer cells in pleural fluid of patients with lung can-cer by conventional cytology is always a difficult point. In order to enhance the diagnostic rate of pleural fluid with lung cancer, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cancer antigen 153 (CA153) were detected in serum and pleural fluid, and their diagnostic values on lung cancer were analyzed.

Methods: Quantities of CEA and CA153 were detected by chemiluminescence in both serum and pleural fluid of patients with lung cancer (74 cases) and without lung cancer (34 cases).

Pelvic inflammatory disease in the People's Republic of China: aetiology and management.

Objectives: To study the causes of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in Shenyang, Northeastern China, and to assess the efficacy of the syndromic management flowchart for PID recommended by World Health Organization (WHO).

Methods: 200 outpatients with PID attending Gynaecologic Clinic of No. 1 and No.