Extensive studies have identified potential adverse effects on semen quality of obesity, based on body mass index, but the association between body fat distribution, a more relevant indicator for obesity, and semen quality remains less clear. We conducted a longitudinal study of 4304 sperm donors from the Guangdong Provincial Human Sperm Bank (Guangzhou, China) during 2017-2021. A body composition analyzer was used to measure total and local body fat percentage for each participant. Generalized estimating equations were employed to assess the association between body fat percentage and sperm count, motility, and morphology. We estimated that each 10% increase in total body fat percentage (estimated change [95% confidence interval, 95% CI]) was significantly associated with a 0.18 × 10 6 (0.09 × 10 6 -0.27 × 10 6 ) ml and 12.21 × 10 6 (4.52 × 10 6 -19.91 × 10 6 ) reduction in semen volume and total sperm count, respectively. Categorical analyses and exposure-response curves showed that the association of body fat distribution with semen volume and total sperm count was stronger at higher body fat percentages. In addition, the association still held among normal weight and overweight participants. We observed similar associations for upper limb, trunk, and lower limb body fact distributions. In conclusion, we found that a higher body fat distribution was significantly associated with lower semen quality (especially semen volume) even in men with a normal weight. These findings provide useful clues in exploring body fat as a risk factor for semen quality decline and add to evidence for improving semen quality for those who are expected to conceive.
Humans ; Male ; Adult ; Semen Analysis ; China ; Body Fat Distribution ; Longitudinal Studies ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Body Mass Index ; Tissue Donors ; Obesity/complications* ; Spermatozoa ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; East Asian People

Separation and determination of chiral and achiral impurities in glimepiride tablets by supercritical fluid chromatography. Chiral and achiral impurities were separated on a ACQUITY UPC² Trefoil^TM CEL1 column (150 mm × 3.0 mm, 2.5 μm) maintained at 30 ℃ with the mobile phase containing a mixture of CO₂ and methanol-isopropanol (1∶1) at 1 mL·min^-1, and the detection wavelength was set at 228 nm. The back pressure was set at 13.8 MPa. The injection volume was 5 μL. In the chromatogram of the system suitability solution, the peaks elute in the following order: impurity Ⅳ, impurity Ⅴ, glimepiride, impurity Ⅲ, impurity Ⅰ and impurity Ⅱ. The six substances were separated successfully in 6 min using the proposed method with a resolution factor of 2.9, 1.6, 3.0, 2.0, 6.4. The impurity Ⅰ-Ⅴ detection limit (S/N = 3) was 0.17, 0.10, 0.06, 0.15, 0.10 μg·mL^-1, respectively. Good linear relationship was established between the peak response and the concentration in the range of 0.48-51.30 μg·mL^-1 for all impurities. The spiked recovery of impurity Ⅰ-Ⅴ was found to be acceptable for 99.9%, 98.9%, 102.1%, 100.1%, 96.3% (n = 9), respectively. The related substance and assay results of 11 sample batches are consistent with the results obtained using the HPLC method in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Compared to the two HPLC methods in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, the established supercritical fluid chromatography method can simultaneously separate glimepiride and its 5 impurities in a single run, and it has the following advantages: simplified sample preparation, greatly reducing the volumes of organic solvents, environmentally friendly, high accuracy and good reproducibility. It can be employed for the quality control of the chiral and achiral impurities in glimepiride tablets.

Epigenomic imbalance drives abnormal transcriptional processes,promoting the onset and progression of cancer.Although defective gene regulation generally affects carcinogenesis and tumor suppression networks,tumor immunogenicity and immune cells involved in antitumor responses may also be affected by epigenomic changes,which may have significant implications for the development and application of epigenetic therapy,cancer immunotherapy,and their combinations.Herein,we focus on the impact of epigenetic regulation on tumor immune cell function and the role of key abnormal epigenetic processes,DNA methylation,histone post-translational modification,and chromatin structure in tumor immunogenicity,and introduce these epigenetic research methods.We emphasize the value of small-molecule inhibitors of epigenetic modulators in enhancing antitumor immune responses and discuss the challenges of developing treatment plans that combine epigenetic therapy and immuno-therapy through the complex interaction between cancer epigenetics and cancer immunology.

Objective:To analyze regional differences in MMACHC gene variations among patients with cblC-type methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) in China and to explore the relationship between these variations and neonatal screening, biochemical markers and prognosis.Methods:Retrospective case summary. Clinical and laboratory data, including general condition, biochemical markers and genetic analysis, were collected from 1 859 cblC MMA patients from 2005 to 2023. Patients were divided into 7 groups according to their regions: north China, northeast China, east China, central China, south China, southwest China and northwest China. They were also classified into neonatal screening and non-neonatal screening groups. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare biochemical marker levels. In contrast, the Chi-square test was applied to compare MMACHC gene variant frequencies, neonatal screening proportion, onset age and prognosis between groups. Results:Among 1 859 cases of cblC MMA, 1 019 were male and 840 were female, with a consultation age of 1.0 (0.1, 5.0) month. A total of 1 787 cases carried compound heterozygous or homozygous variants and only 1 variant site was identified in 72 cases. The 10 most frequent variants were c.609G>A (1 238 cases), c.658_660delAAG (343 cases), c.80A>G (284 cases), c.482G>A (239 cases), c.567dupT (191 cases), c.656_658delAGA (131 cases), c.217C>T (109 cases), c.394C>T (105 cases), c.445_446delTG (51 cases) and c.1A>G (50 cases). The frequency of the c.609G>A was the lowest in northwest China (28.8% (44/154), χ2=-18.42, P<0.05). The frequency of the c.567dupT was the most common in southwest China (25.0% (20/80), χ2=71.70, P<0.001) and c.656_658delAGA had the highest frequency in northeast China (9.3% (19/205), χ2=32.08, P<0.001). Non-missense variants (91.2% (62/68), 88.5% (46/52)) and early-onset patients (90.0% (36/40), 94.4% (34/36)) were both more prevalent in southwest and south China ( χ2=14.95, 31.69, both P<0.05). The proportion of neonatal screening was the lowest in south China (22.2% (8/36), χ2=98.48, P<0.05), where the mortality rate was the highest (19.1% (4/21), χ2=38.98, P<0.001). East China exhibited the highest frequency of missense variants (21.5% (339/1 579)), the highest proportion of patients identified through neonatal screening (54.5% (465/853)), and a more significant proportion of patients with good prognosis (36.6% (227/621), χ2=14.57, 93.49, 38.98, all P<0.05). In addition, the c.482G>A variant was more frequent in patients diagnosed by neonatal screening compared to those diagnosed by other methods (8.3% (132/1 586) vs. 5.9% (122/2 060), χ2=7.97, P<0.05). Conclusions:The frequency of MMACHC gene variation varies across different regions. The c.609G>A was least frequent in northwest China, c.567dupT was most common in southwest China, and c.656_658delAGA was most prevalent in northeast China. South China had the lowest neonatal screening rate and the highest mortality. At the same time, east China exhibited the highest frequency of missense variants, the highest proportion of patients identified through neonatal screening and the best prognosis. The c.482G>A variant was more frequent in patients diagnosed by neonatal screening compared to those diagnosed by other methods.

Aim To explore the effect of gypenosides on proliferation and apoptosis of human gastric cancer cells SGC-7901 and AGS and its mechanism. Methods Different concentrations of gypenosides were cultured with human gastric cancer cells SGC-7901 and AGS. Cell viability assay was used to detect cell proliferation activity, and the IC

Objective: To evaluate the inhibitory effect of tumor vaccines in colon carcinoma model mice. Methods: Mouse bone marrow⁃derived dendritic cells（BMDCs）were stimulated by using CpG β⁃glucan nanoparticles（CNP）in vitro. The BMDCs were divided into PBS group，NP group（without CpG nanoparticles），Lysate group（MC38 cell lysate）and CpG group（CpG1826），which were determined for the expression of marker molecules on the surface by flow cytometry and for the contents of interleukin⁃6（IL⁃6）and IL⁃12p40 in the culture supernatant by ELISA. The tumor lysate nano⁃vaccine was pre⁃ pared by mixing 50 mg／mL tumor lysate（MC38 cell lysate）with 200 mg／mL CNP in a volume ratio of 1∶1，with which mice were subcutaneously immunized as Vaccine group. Vaccine group，PBS group，CNP group and Lysate group were im⁃ munized once a week，for three times in total. Mice were subcutaneously inoculated with MC38 cells，2 × 105 cells for each， in the right lower limb 1 h after the last immunization，and measured for tumor volume once every three days to plot the tumor growth curve. The ratios of CD3+ CD4+ T and CD3+ CD8+ T cells in the blood were analyzed by flow cytometry and the levels of tumor necrosis factor⁃α（TNF⁃α）and interferon γ（IFNγ）in the blood and spleen of mice were determined by ELISA. Results: CNP effectively increased the expression of CD11c+ CD80+，CD11c+ CD86+，CD11c+ MHC⁃Ⅱ+ and the secretion of IL⁃6 and IL⁃12p40 in BMDCs in vitro，which were significantly higher than those in other 4 groups（t = 4. 3 ~ 46. 2，each P < 0. 05）. Compared with that of the other three groups，the tumor volume of mice in Vaccine group decreased significantly（t =2.6~3.4，eachP <0. 05）；TherewasnosignificantdifferenceinCD3+ CD8+ TandCD3+ CD8+ Tcellratios（t = 0.5~ 1. 9，each P > 0. 05）；The content of IFNγ in blood increased significantly（t = 3. 8 ~ 4. 6，P < 0. 05），while thatof TNF⁃α showed no significant difference（t = 0. 4 ~ 2. 0，each P > 0. 05）；However，the contents of IFN γ and TNF⁃α in spleen increased significantly（t = 6. 3 ~ 13. 0，each P < 0. 001）. Conclusion The prepared nano⁃vaccine of tumor lysate improvedtheimmune level in mice and effectively inhibited the growth of colon carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the combination of Naoxintong Capsule with standard care could further reduce the recurrence of ischemic stroke without increasing the risk of severe bleeding. METHODS: A total of 23 Chinese medical centers participated in this trial. Adult patients with a history of ischemic stroke were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio using a block design to receive either Naoxintong Capsule (1.2 g orally, twice a day) or placebo in addition to standard care. The primary endpoint was recurrence of ischemic stroke within 2 years. Secondary outcomes included myocardial infarction, death due to recurrent ischemic stroke, and all-cause mortality. The safety of drugs was monitored. Results were analyzed using the intention-to-treat principle. RESULTS: A total of 2,200 patients were enrolled from March 2015 to March 2016, of whom 143 and 158 in the Naoxintong and placebo groups were lost to follow-up, respectively. Compared with the placebo group, the recurrence rate of ischemic stroke within 2 years was significantly lower in the Naoxintong group [6.5% vs. 9.5%, hazard ratio (HR): 0.665, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.492-0.899, P=0.008]. The two groups showed no significant differences in the secondary outcomes and safety, including rates of severe hemorrhage, cerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage (P>0.05). CONCLUSION The combination of Naoxintong Capsule with standard care reduced the 2-year stroke recurrence rate in patients with ischemic stroke without increasing the risk of severe hemorrhage in high-risk patients. (Trial registration No. NCT02334969).
Adult ; Humans ; Secondary Prevention/methods* ; Ischemic Stroke ; Stroke/prevention & control* ; Cerebral Hemorrhage/complications* ; Double-Blind Method ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively analyze the efficacy and safety of pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (PEG-rhG-CSF) in hematopoietic stem cell mobilization in 71 normal healthy donors for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). METHODS: From March 2018 to July 2019, 71 patients received allo-HSCT in The General Hospital of Western Theater Command were enrolled in the study, a single dose of PEG-rhG-CSF was injected subcutaneously at 12 mg to all the stem cell donors. After injection for 4 days, CD34 RESULTS: Seventy-one healthy stem cell donors included 39 males and 32 females with a median age of 38 (16-58) years old. The median number of CD34 CONCLUSION For allo-HSCT donor mobilization, PEG-rh-G-CSF is effective, safe, and convenient, providing more options for HSC mobilization.
Adult ; Antigens, CD34 ; Female ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Recombinant Proteins ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the efficacies of different treatments for recurrent cervical lymph nodes and the factors contributing to prognosis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy.

METHODSClinical data of 79 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy were retrospectively analyzed, and all cases were diagnosed as having recurrent cervical lymph nodes by pathological examination. The factors including sex, age, the interval between completion of radiotherapy and recurrence, rN stage, treatment methods, and the location relationship between recurrent lesion and primary tumor in the neck were analyzed for prognosis. Kaplan-Meier curves, Log-rank test and Cox's proportional hazards regression mode were used in the statistical analysis.

RESULTSThe median recurrence time was 26 months, and the 1- , 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 77.9%, 53.4% and 39.7%. Cox's proportional hazards regression mode analysis indicated that age, rN stage, treatment methods, and the location relationship between recurrent lesion and primary tumor were significantly prognostic factors.

CONCLUSIONSNeck dissection is superior to re-radiotherapy in treatment of recurrent cervical lymph nodes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radiotherapy. The patients younger than 45 years old, in early rN stage and for recurrence in the center region of primary tumor have a better prognosis.

Carcinoma ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; radiotherapy ; Neck ; Neck Dissection ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; surgery ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome

BACKGROUNDThin endometrium is associated with poor reproductive outcomes; estrogen treatment can increase endometrial thickness (EMT). The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate the factors influencing the effectiveness of estrogen treatment and reproductive outcomes after the treatment in patients with thin endometrium.

METHODSRelevant clinical data of 101 patients with thin endometrium who had undergone estrogen treatment were collected. Possible factors influencing the effectiveness of treatment were analyzed retrospectively by logistic regression analysis. Eighty-seven infertile women without thin endometrium who had undergone assisted reproduction served as controls. The cases and controls were matched for age, assisted reproduction method, and number of embryos transferred. Reproductive outcomes of study and control groups were compared using Student's t-test and the Chi-square test.

RESULTSAt the end of estrogen treatment, EMT was ≥8 mm in 93/101 patients (92.1%). Effectiveness of treatment was significantly associated with maximal pretreatment EMT (P = 0.017) and treatment duration (P = 0.004). The outcomes of assisted reproduction were similar in patients whose treatment was successful in increasing EMT to ≥8 mm and the control group. The rate of clinical pregnancy in patients was associated with the number of good-quality embryos transferred in both fresh (P = 0.005) and frozen-thawed (P = 0.000) embryo transfer cycles.

CONCLUSIONSThinner EMT before estrogen treatment requires longer treatment duration and predicts poorer treatment outcomes. The effectiveness of treatment depends on the duration of estrogen administration. Assisted reproductive outcomes of patients whose treatment is successful (i.e., achieves an EMT ≥8 mm) are similar to those of controls. The quality of embryos transferred is an important predictor of assisted reproductive outcomes in patients treated successfully with exogenous estrogen.

Endometrium ; drug effects ; Estrogens ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility, Female ; drug therapy ; therapy ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Rate ; Retrospective Studies