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Preeclampsia (PE) is a common pregnancy-specific syndrome with an incidence of 4.6% in all pregnant women. Numerous studies have uncovered the functions and mechanisms of microsomal glutathione transferase 1 (MGST1) in different diseases and cellular processes, but whether MGST1 plays a role in PE remains unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the regulatory role of MGST1 in PE progression. In this study, the HTR8/SVneo cells were incubated with CoCl2 (250 µM) to mimic hypoxia in trophoblasts. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed that MGST1 was dramatically reduced in the placenta of PE patients. The proliferation of HTR8/SVneo cells was assessed via the Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony formation assays, and the results showed that MGST1 upregulation increased the cell viability of HTR8/SVneo cells. In addition, wound healing and Transwell assays unveiled that the elevation of MGST1 enhanced trophoblast cell migration and invasion. Moreover, the upregulation of MGST1 alleviated the hypoxia-induced oxidative stress in trophoblast cell. Mechanically, we found that MGST1 regulated PE progression by activating the phosphoinositide-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mechanistic target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) pathway. In conclusion, MGST1 alleviated the oxidative stress of trophoblast cells induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation and promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion via the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in PE. These results suggested that MGST1 can be a potential target for the prevention and treatment of PE.

The article "Prurigo pigmentosa: A retrospective study of 11 patients" published in the Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology & Leprology discusses a rare inflammatory skin condition predominantly affecting young women. The study retrospectively analyzed 11 patients with prurigo pigmentosa (PP) treated at a tertiary hospital, highlighting clinical and histopathological features. The research suggests a possible association between PP and dietary modifications, particularly low-carb and keto diets. Treatment with antibiotics like doxycycline and tetracycline showed positive outcomes, with residual pigmentation often remaining. Further research is needed to understand the pathogenesis of PP, including the roles of ACAT1, IL-6, and IL-8. [Extracted from the article]

Byline: Baoqi. Yang, Chong. Wang, Shengli. Chen, Xuechao. Chen, Xianmei. Lu, Hongqing. Tian, Meiling. Yu, Dizhan. Zhang, Zhongxiang. Shi, Guizhi. Zhou, Furen. Zhang Background: Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an acquired [...]

Background: To investigate the current situation of neonatal care resources (NCR), newborn mortality rates (NMR), regional differences and existing challenges in China., Methods: By using a self-designed questionnaire form and the cross-sectional method, we conducted a survey of all hospitals equipped with neonatal facilities in China from March 2019 to March 2020 with respect to the level and nature of these hospitals, the number of newborn beds and NICU beds, the number of neonatal pediatricians, and the development of therapeutic techniques. The data about the newborn births and deaths were retrieved from the annual statistics of the health commissions of the related provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities., Finding: Included in this nationwide survey were 3,020 hospitals from all 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions and 4 municipalities directly under the Central Government of Mainland China, with a 100% response rate. They included 1,183 (39.2%) level-3 (L3) hospitals, 1629 (53.9%) L-2 hospitals and 208 (6.9%) L-1 hospitals. Geographically, 848 (31.4%) hospitals were distributed in Central China, 983 (32.5%) hospitals in East China, and 1,089 (36.1%) in West China. The 3,020 included hospitals were altogether equipped with 75,679 newborn beds, with a median of 20 (2-350) beds, of which 2,286 hospitals (75.7%) were equipped with neonatal intensive care units (NICU), totaling 28,076 NICU beds with a median of 5 (1-160) beds. There were altogether 27,698 neonatal pediatricians in these hospitals, with an overall doctor-bed ratio of 0.366. There were 48.18 newborn beds and 17.87 NICU beds per 10,000 new births in China. In East, Central and West China, the number of neonatal beds, NICU beds, neonatal pediatricians, and attending pediatricians or pediatricians with higher professional titles per 10,000 newborns was 42.57, 48.64 and 55.67; 17.07, 18.66 and 18.17; 16.26, 16.51 and 20.81; and 10.69, 10.81 and 11.29, respectively. However, when the population and area are taken into consideration and according to the health resources density index (HRDI), the number of newborn beds, NICU beds and neonatal pediatricians in West China was significantly lower than that in Central and East China. In addition, only 10.64% of the neonatal pediatricians in West China possessed the Master or higher degrees, vs. 31.7% in East China and 20.14% in Central China. On the contrary, the number of neonatal pediatricians with a lower than Bachelor degree in West China was significantly higher than that in Central and East China (13.28% vs. 7.36% and 4.28%). Technically, the application rate of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) in L-1 hospitals of West China was lower than that in Central and East China. According to the statistics in 2018, the newborn mortality rate (NMR) in West China was significantly higher than that in Central and East China., Interpretation: China has already possessed relatively good resources for neonatal care and treatment, which is the primary reason for the rapid decrease in the NMR in China. However, there are still substantial regional differences. The density of health resources, the level of technical development and educational background of neonatal pediatricians in West China still lag behind those in other regions of China and need to be further improved and upgraded., Funding: This research work was funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (81671504) and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (CHINA-UNICEF501MCH)., Competing Interests: None declared., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)