Acute pancreatitis is characterized by zymogen preactivation. Severe inflammation caused by zymogen activation can eventually lead to multiple organ dysfunctions which contribute to the high mortality rate of severe acute pancreatitis. However, there is no specific treatment available for acute pancreatitis therapy. Here, we show that spautin-1, which effectively inhibits autophagy flux, ameliorated the pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis induced by cerulein or L-arginine. CaMKII phosphorylation due to cytosolic calcium overload was revealed in this paper. It was also demonstrated that autophagic protein aggregates degradation blockade accompanied by impaired autophagy correlated positively with intra-acinar cell digestive aymogen activation stimulated by cerulein or L-arginine. The role of spautin-1 in ameliorating acute pancreatitis was shown here to be associated with impaired autophagy inhibition and Ca 2+ overload alleviation. We provide a promising therapy for acute pancreatitis through targeting both impaired autophagy and increased cytosolic calcium.

Background For better understanding of the pathological changes of COVID‐19, benefiting clinical management of the disease and the preparation for future waves of similar pandemics. Methods Hematology parameters from a total of 52 cases of COVID‐19 admitted for treatment in a designated hospital were retrospectively analyzed. Data were analyzed by SPSS statistical software. Results Pre‐treatment T‐cell subsets, total lymphocytes, red blood cell distribution width (RDW), eosinophils, and basophils were significantly lower than that of post‐treatment, while the inflammatory indexes neutrophils, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels, as well as red blood cell (RBC) and hemoglobin, were significantly reduced after treatment. The T‐cell subsets, total lymphocytes, and basophils in severely and critically ill patients were significantly lower than those in moderately ill patients. Neutrophils, NLR, eosinophils, procalcitonin (PCT), and CRP was significantly higher in severely and critically ill patients than in moderately ill patients. CD3+, CD8+, total lymphocytes, platelets, and basophils in patients older than 50 were lower than that of those younger than 50, while neutrophils, NLR, CRP, and RDW in patients older than 50 were higher than that of younger than 50. There was a positive correlation among prothrombin time (PT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in severely and critically ill patients. Conclusions T‐cell subsets, lymphocyte count, RDW, neutrophils, eosinophils, NLR, CRP, PT, ALT, and AST are important indicators in the management especially for severely and critically ill patients with COVID‐19.

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As a well-known crustacean model species, the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis presents spermatozoa with decondensed DNA. Our aim was to analyze structural distribution of the histone H3 and its acetylated lysine 9 (H3K9ac) during spermatogenesis for the mechanistic understanding of the nuclear decondensation of the spermatozoa in E. sinensis. Using specific antibodies, we followed the structural distribution and acetylated lysine 9 of the histone H3 during spermatogenesis, especially spermiogenesis, of E. sinensis. Various spermary samples at different developmental stages were used for histological immunofluorescence and ultrastructural immunocytochemistry. Our results demonstrate a wide distribution of the histone H3 and H3K9ac during spermatogenesis, including spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids, and immature and mature spermatozoa except for absence of H3K9ac in the secondary spermatocytes. Especially during the initial stage of nuclear decondensation, histone H3 lysine 9 was acetylated and then an amount of H3K9ac was removed from within to outside of the nuclei of late spermatids. The portion of remaining H3K9ac was gradually transferred from the nuclei during the stages of spermatozoa maturation. Our findings suggest both the acetylation of histone H3 lysine 9 and the remain of H3K9ac to contribute to the nuclear decondensation in spermatozoa of E. sinensis.

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