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

Aim To investigate the role of metabolites of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in promoting the transdifferentiation of pancreatic α cells to β cells. Methods Male C57BL/6J mice were injected intraperitoneally with 60 mg/kg streptozocin (STZ) for five consecutive days to establish a type 1 diabetes (T1DM) mouse model. After two weeks, they were randomly divided into model groups and 97% EPA diet intervention group, 75% fish oil (50% EPA +25% DHA) diet intervention group, and random blood glucose was detected every week; after the model expired, the regeneration of pancreatic β cells in mouse pancreas was observed by immunofluorescence staining. The islets of mice (obtained by crossing GCG

Objective To investigate the efficacy of Fuzheng Hejie Prescription(composed of Scutellariae Radix,Lonicerae Japonicae Flos,Agastachis Herba,Bupleuri Radix,Atractylodis Rhizoma,Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma,etc.)in the treatment of respiratory viral infections in children and to observe its effect on inflammatory factors and immune function.Methods A total of 203 children with respiratory viral infection of H1N1 virus were randomly divided into 101 cases in the observation group and 102 cases in the control group.Both groups were given the routine treatment for subsiding fever,maintaining water-electrolyte balance,and ensuring enough sleep.And additionally,the control group was given Ribavirin Granules and Ibuprofen Granules,and the observation group was given Fuzheng Hejie Prescription based on the treatment for the control group.The course of treatment covered 7 days.The changes of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome scores and the levels of immunological indicators and inflammatory factors in the two groups were observed before and after the treatment.Moreover,the clinical efficacy,symptom resolution time and the incidence of adverse reactions were compared between the two groups of children.Results(1)In the course of the trial,one case fell off in the observation group and 2 cases fell off in the control group,and eventually 100 children in each group were included in the trial.(2)After 7 days of treatment,the total effective rate of the observation group was 93.00%(93/100),and that of the control group was 88.00%(88/100),and the intergroup comparison showed that the therapeutic effect of the observation group was superior to that of the control group,but the difference was not statistically significant(χ2= 1.454,P = 0.228).(3)After treatment,the scores of primary symptoms and secondary symptoms as well as the total TCM syndrome scores in the two groups were decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).(4)After treatment,the time for the resolution of clinical symptoms such as fever,cough,expectoration and sore throat in the observation group was significantly shorter than that in the control group(P＜0.01).(5)After treatment,the levels of immunological indicators of T lymphocyte subset CD3+ and CD4+ in the two groups were increased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the levels of CD8+ and B cells were decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05).The intergroup comparison showed that the increase in the levels of CD3+ and CD4+ as well as the decrease in the levels of CD8+ and B cells of the observation group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.01).(6)After treatment,the levels of inflammatory factors of serum amyloid A(SAA),C-reactive protein(CRP),serum tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α),soluble interleukin 2 receptor(SIL-2R),and interleukin 6(IL-6)in the two groups were significantly decreased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the levels of interleukin 2(IL-2)and interferon γ(IFN-γ)ls were all significantly increased compared with those before treatment(P＜0.05).The intergroup comparison showed that the decrease of serum SAA,CRP,TNF-α,SIL-2R,and IL-6 levels and the increase of serum IL-2 and IFN-γ levels in the observation group were significantly superior to those in the control group(P＜0.01).(7)The incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group was 2.00%(2/100),which was significantly lower than that of 8.00%(8/100)in the control group,but the difference was not statistically significant(χ2 = 3.789,P = 0.052).Conclusion Fuzheng Hejie Prescription exerts certain effect in treating children with respiratory viral infection of H1N1 virus,which can effectively decrease children's TCM syndrome scores,regulate the inflammatory response,improve the immune function,accelerate the relief of clinical symptoms and shorten the course of the disease.

Objective To investigate the effects of sufentanil on myocardial cells and renal function in rat models of non-stopping coronary artery bypass grafting.Methods SD rats were randomly divided into sham group(only thoracectomy without coronary artery ligation),model group(ischemia perfusion model was constructed),experimental-L group(ischemia perfusion model+0.5 μg·kg-1 sufentanil)and experimental-H group(ischemia perfusion model+1μg·kg-1 sufentanil).The mice were sacrificed 6 h after operation.The expressions of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-1 β(IL-1 β)and interleukin-6(IL-6)in cardiomyocytes and renal cells were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The expressions of apoptosis-related proteins in cardiomyocytes and renal cells were detected by Western blot.Serum renal function was detected with serum renal function kit.Results The expression levels of TNF-α in myocardial cells were(50.41±6.03),(136.61±21.73),(102.36±12.84)and(74.21±16.32)pg·mg-1 in sham group,model group,experimental-L group and experimental-H group,respectively;the expression levels of cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-3(Caspase-3)were 0.31±0.02,1.26±0.18,0.83±0.12 and 0.67±0.08,respectively;blood urea nitrogen(BUN)levels were(5.94±1.12),(20.04±5.36),(16.84±4.19)and(10.96±3.64)μmol·L-1,respectively;the expression levels of TNF-α in renal cells were(146.49±16.13),(1 023.82±34.69),(841.65±49.66)and(324.84±48.93)pg·mg-1,respectively;the expression levels of Caspase-3 in renal cells were 0.48±0.06,1.15±0.17,0.96±0.06 and 0.74±0.07,respectively.The difference between experimental-H group and sham group,model group and experimental-L group were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Sufentanil can significantly reduce the production of inflammatory factors and the expression of apoptotic proteins in rat cardiomyocytes,significantly improve the renal function of rats,and significantly reduce the production of inflammatory factors and the expression of apoptotic proteins in rat renal cells.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics,molecular characteristics,treatment and prognosis of pediatric Philadelphia chromosome-like acute lymphoblastic leukemia(Ph-like ALL)with a therapeutic target.Methods:A total of 27 patients of Ph-like ALL with targeted drug target were initially diagnosed in Children's Hospital of Soochow University from December 2017 to June 2021.The data of age,gender,white blood cell(WBC)count at initial diagnosis,genetic characteristics,molecular biological changes,chemotherapy regimen,different targeted drugs were given,and minimal residual disease(MRD)on day 19,MRD on day 46,whether hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(HSCT)were retrospective analyed,and the clinical characteristics and treatment effect were summarized.Survival analysis was performed by Kaplan-Meier method.Results:The intensity of chemotherapy was adjusted according to the MRD level during induced remission therapy in 27 patients,10 patients were treated with targeted drugs during treatment,and 3 patients were bridged with HSCT,1 patient died and 2 patients survived.Among the 24 patients who did not receive HSCT,1 patient developed relapse,and achieved complete remission(CR)after treatment with chimeric antigen receptors T cells(CAR-T).The 3-year overall survival,3-year relapse-free survival and 3-year event-free survival rate of 27 patients were(95.5±4.4)％,(95.0±4.9)％and(90.7±6.3)％respectively.Conclusion:Risk stratification chemotherapy based on MRD monitoring can improve the prognosis of Ph-like ALL in children,combined with targeted drugs can achieve complete remission as soon as possible in children whose chemotherapy response is poor,and sequential CAR-T and HSCT can significantly improve the therapeutic effect of Ph-like ALL in children whose MRD is continuously positive during induced remission therapy.

Objective:To investigate the protective effect of endogenous ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid(PUFA)against cisplatin-induced myelosuppression and the mechanism of reducing apoptosis in bone marrow nucleated cells using mfat-1 transgenic mice.Methods:The experimental animals were divided into 4 groups:wild-type mice normal control group,mfat-1 transgenic mice normal control group,wild-type mice model group and mfat-1 transgenic mice model group.The mice in the model group were injected intraperitoneally with 7.5 mg/kg cisplatin on day 0 and day 7 to construct a myelosuppression model,while the mice in the normal control group were injected intraperitoneally with an equal amount of saline,and their status was observed and their body weight was measured daily.Peripheral blood was taken after 14 day for routine blood analysis,and the content and proportion of PUFA in peripheral blood were detected using gas chromatography.Bone marrow nucleated cells in the femur of mice were counted.The histopathological changes in bone marrow were observed by histopathological staining.The apoptosis of nucleated cells and the expression level changes of apoptosis-related genes in the bone marrow of mice were detected by flow cytometry and fluorescence quantitative PCR.Results:Compared with wild-type mice,mfat-1 transgenic mice showed significantly increased levels of ω-3 PUFA in peripheral blood and greater tolerance to cisplatin.Peripheral blood analysis showed that endogenous ω-3 PUFA promoted the recovery of leukocytes,erythrocytes,platelets and haemoglobin in peripheral blood of myelosuppressed mice.The results of HE staining showed that endogenous ω-3 PUFA significantly improved the structural damage of bone marrow tissue induced by cisplatin.Flow cytometry and PCR showed that,compared with wild-type mice model group,the apoptosis rate of bone marrow nucleated cells in mfat-1 transgenic mice was significantly reduced(P＜0.001),and the expression of anti-apoptotic genes Bcl-2 mRNA was significantly increased(P＜0.01),while the expressions of pro-apoptotic genes Bax and Bak mRNA were significantly reduced(P＜0.001,P＜0.05).Conclusion:Endogenous ω-3 PUFA can reduce cisplatin-induced apoptosis in bone marrow nucleated cells,increase the number of peripheral blood cells and exert a protective effect against cisplatin-induced myelosuppression by regulating the expression of apoptosis-related genes.

With the increasing average life expectancy and the growing global aging population, cognitive frailty in the elderly has emerged as a new concept and a key focus of research in geriatrics.Cognitive frailty shows potential for reversibility, and early screening and intervention can have a positive impact on either recovering or slowing down cognitive decline in older adults, making it a promising target for promoting healthy aging.However, research on cognitive frailty is still in its nascent stages, and there is no consensus on its definition and screening criteria.This review provides an overview of the current research progress on the definition, epidemiological status, assessment tools, influencing factors, and intervention strategies for cognitive frailty.The aim is to enhance healthcare professionals' understanding of cognitive frailty in the elderly and improve diagnostic, treatment, and prevention approaches.

The purpose of this research is to identify the chemical constituents of sea buckthorn leaves extract (SBLE) and explore its hypoglycemic biological activity. SBLE was prepared by hot reflux extraction with 65% ethanol, and its chemical composition was analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (UHPLC-PDA-MS/MS) system. The animal experiments were compliant with ethical principles for animal use and had been approved by the Animal Experiment Ethics Committee of Jinan University. Mice were injected with streptozocin (STZ) to establish a hyperglycemic animal model, and SBLE (1.5 g·kg^-1) was administered by gavage for 5 weeks. The fasting blood glucose (FBG) and oral glucose tolerance were detected. Normal mice were given SBLE (1.5 g·kg^-1) by intragastric administration for 10 days, and blood was collected from the tail vein to detect the changes in blood glucose within 120 min after sucrose or starch loading. The mucous membrane of the small intestine of mice was taken to detect the activity of α-glucosidase (AG), and the activity of yeast-derived AG incubated with SBLE was evaluated. The glucose uptake by Caco-2 cells treated with SBLE was detected by fluorescence microscopy and cytometry, and the gene expression of sodium-dependent glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1) and glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) in Caco-2 cells were detected by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). A total of 18 compounds were identified, mainly including tannins and flavonoids. SBLE reduced FBG and increased oral glucose tolerance in STZ hyperglycemic mice. SBLE effectively inhibited the increase of blood glucose caused by starch intake in normal mice. SBLE exerted good inhibitory activity on yeast-derived AG (IC₅₀ = 16.94 μg·mL^-1) and small intestinal mucosa AG with an inhibition rate of 15.48%. SBLE (25-100 μg·mL^-1) dose-dependently inhibited glucose uptake by Caco-2 cells, and SBLE significantly reduced the mRNA level of SGLT1 without changing the expression of GLUT2. In conclusion, the UHPLC characteristic fingerprint of SBLE is established with 18 chemical components identified by mass spectrometry, and SBLE exerts hypoglycemic effect by inhibiting the activity of AG and the absorption of glucose by intestinal epithelial cells.

Objective: To analyze the current status and problems in the process of transfer and transformation of health science and technology achievements, and propose countermeasures. Methods: A total of four universities, two research institutes, two medical institutions, two biomedical innovation enterprises and two biomedical industrial clusters were selected as the research subjects using the purposive sampling method. Field investigations and qualitative interviews were conducted. Additionally, relevant literature was reviewed to analyze the progress, achievements, main experiences, and problems in the process of health science and technology achievement transfer and transformation in China. Results: The policy for transformation of health science and technology achievements in China is gradually improving. There is a steady growth in investment in scientific and technological innovation, leading to continuous emergence of transformative achievements. The innovative entities are growing, and the service system for achievement transformation is being established with expanding capital support. However, challenges persist, including the lack of an effective evaluation system to promote achievement transformation, shortages of specialized service organizations and talents for transformation, unclear guideline for the transformation and industrialization of scientific and technological outcome, insufficient innovation research and development institutes in biomedical, and imperfection in the mechanism for transforming scientific and technological program achievements. Conclusion: Although great progress has been made in the transformation of health science and technology achievements in China, the quality and quantity of achievement still need to be improved. It is urgent to establish and implement an evaluation system for achievements transformation, accomplish the construction of specialized service institutions and the training of versatile talents for transformation, highlight the market-oriented mechanism for scientific and technological achievements transformation, explore system and mechanism reform, establish the mechanism for transforming scientific and technological program achievements in a faster pace, and optimize the policy, so as to promote the high-quality transfer and transformation of health science and technology achievements.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the regulatory effect of berberine on autophagy and apoptosis balance of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) from patients with in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and explore the mechanism. METHODS: The inhibitory effect of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 μmol/L berberine on RA-FLS proliferation was assessed using CCK-8 method. Annexin V/PI and JC-1 immunofluorescence staining was used to analyze the effect of berberine (30 μmol/L) on apoptosis of 25 ng/mL TNF-α- induced RA-FLSs, and Western blotting was performed to detect the changes in the expression levels of autophagy- and apoptosis-related proteins. The cells were further treated with the autophagy inducer RAPA and the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine to observe the changes in autophagic flow by laser confocal detection of mCherry-EGFP-LC3B. RA-FLSs were treated with the reactive oxygen species (ROS) mimic H₂O₂ or the ROS inhibitor NAC, and the effects of berberine on ROS, mTOR and p-mTOR levels were observed. RESULTS: The results of CCK-8 assay showed that berberine significantly inhibited the proliferation of RA-FLSs in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Flow cytometry and JC-1 staining showed that berberine (30 μmol/L) significantly increased apoptosis rate (P < 0.01) and reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential of RA-FLSs (P < 0.05). Berberine treatment obviously decreased the ratios of Bcl-2/Bax (P < 0.05) and LC3B-II/I (P < 0.01) and increased the expression of p62 protein in the cells (P < 0.05). Detection of mCherry-EGFP-LC3B autophagy flow revealed obvious autophagy flow block in berberine-treated RA-FLSs. Berberine significantly reduced the level of ROS in TNF-α-induced RA-FLSs and upregulated the expression level of autophagy-related protein p-mTOR (P < 0.01); this effect was regulated by ROS level, and the combined use of RAPA significantly reduced the pro-apoptotic effect of berberine in RA-FLSs (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION Berberine can inhibit autophagy and promote apoptosis of RA-FLSs by regulating the ROS-mTOR pathway.
Humans ; Synoviocytes ; Berberine/metabolism* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Hydrogen Peroxide/metabolism* ; Sincalide/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; Apoptosis ; Fibroblasts ; Autophagy ; Cells, Cultured