The circadian clock is an important internal time regulatory system for a range of physiological and behavioral rhythms within living organisms. Testosterone, as one of the most critical sex hormones, is essential for the development of the reproductive system, maintenance of reproductive function, and the overall health of males. The secretion of testosterone in mammals is characterized by distinct circadian rhythms and is closely associated with the regulation of circadian clock genes. Here we review the central and peripheral regulatory mechanisms underlying the influence of circadian clock genes upon testosterone synthesis. We also examined the specific effects of these genes on the occurrence, development, and treatment of common male diseases, including late-onset hypogonadism, erectile dysfunction, male infertility, and prostate cancer.
Testosterone/metabolism* ; Humans ; Male ; Circadian Clocks/genetics* ; Circadian Rhythm Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism* ; Circadian Rhythm/physiology* ; Hypogonadism/metabolism* ; Erectile Dysfunction/metabolism* ; Infertility, Male/metabolism* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Men's Health

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Objective:To investigate the effects of Xiongcan Yishen Formula(XYF)on ferroptosis in mouse TM3 Leydig cells after oxidative stress injury(OSI)induced by H2O2.Methods:An oxidative stress injury model was established in mouse TM3 Leydig cells using H2O2 induction.The modeled TM3 cells were randomly divided into OSI group,XYF group,the ferroptosis inhibitor Ferrostatin-1(F-1)group,and F-1+XYF group,which were respectively intervened with blank serum,20%drug-containing serum,2μmol/L F-1,and2μmol/L F-1+20%drug-containing serum.A control group(normal TM3 cells+blank serum)was also set up.The morphology of cells in each group was observed,and the levels of testosterone,superoxide dismutase(SOD),reactive oxygen spe-cies(ROS),malondialdehyde(MDA),ferritin heavy chain 1(FTH1),solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11),glutathione(GSH),glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4),fatty acid CoA ligase 4(FACL4),total iron ions,and ferrous ions were detected.Re-sults:Compared with the model group,the control group showed significantly decreased expression of ROS,MDA,FACL4,total iron,and ferrous ions(P<0.05),and significantly increased levels of testosterone,SOD,GSH,FTH1,SLC7A11,and GPX4(P<0.05).The male silkworm kidney-tonifying formula group significantly promoted testosterone secretion by TM3 cells and upregulated the expression of FTH1,SLC7A11,GPX4,GSH,and SOD in TM3 cells(P<0.05),while significantly downregulating ROS,MDA,FACL4,total iron ions,and ferrous ions(P<0.05).Conclusion:Following H2O2 exposure,oxidative stress can induce ferroptosis in mouse TM3 Leydig cells.XYF can antagonize OSI and ferroptosis in TM3 cells by activating the SLC7A11/GSH/GPX4 axis,which may underlie the mechanism of XYF in the treatment of male late-onset hypogonadism.

Osteoporotic proximal humeral fracture (OPHF) is one of the common osteoporotic fractures in the aged, with an incidence only lower than vertebral compression fracture, hip fracture, and distal radius fracture. OPHF, secondary to osteoporosis and characterized by poor bone quality, comminuted fracture pattern, slow healing, and severely impaired shoulder joint function, poses a big challenge to the current clinical diagnosis and treatment. In the field of diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of OPHF, traditional Chinese and Western medicine have accumulated rich experience and evidence from evidence-based medicine and achieved favorable outcomes. However, there is still a lack of guidance from a relevant consensus as to how to integrate the advantages of the two medical systems and achieve the integrated diagnosis and treatment. To promote the diagnosis and treatment of OPHF with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine, relevant experts from Orthopedic Expert Committee of Geriatric Branch of Chinese Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Youth Osteoporosis Group of Orthopedic Branch of Chinese Medical Association, Osteoporosis Group of Orthopedic Surgeon Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, and Osteoporosis Committee of Shanghai Association of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine have been organized to formulate Expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporotic proximal humeral fracture with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine ( version 2024) by searching related literatures and based on the evidences from evidence-based medicine. This consensus consists of 13 recommendations about the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of OPHF with integrated traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, aimed at standardizing, systematizing, and personalizing the diagnosis and treatment of OPHF with integrated traditional Chinse and Western medicine to improve the patients ′ function.

Bayesian network Meta-analysis was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of different Chinese medicine injections for dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM). CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Web of Science, EMbase, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for the randomized controlled trial(RCT) from the inception to January 2024. The quality of the included RCT was evaluated using the Cochrane's risk of bias assessment tool, and the quality of evidence for outcomes was assessed by GRADE. Stata 16.0 and RevMan 5.4 softwares were used for Meta-analysis. A total of 57 RCTs involving 4 812 subjects, 6 Chinese medicine injections and 6 outcome indicators were included. Bayesian network Meta-analysis indicated that:(1) In terms of increasing clinical total effectiveness rate, except Shenqi Fuzheng Injection + conventional western medicine, other 5 Chinese medicine injections combined with conventional western medicine outperformed conventional western medicine alone, and Xinmailong Injection + conventional western medicine had the best effect.(2) In terms of improving left ventricular ejection fraction, all of the 6 Chinese medicine injections combined with conventional western medicine were superior to conventional western medicine alone, and Shengmai Injection + conventional western medicine had the highest likelihood of being the best intervention.(3) On account of reducing left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, Shenfu Injection + conventional western medicine, Shenmai Injection + conventional western medicine, Huangqi Injection + conventional western medicine, and Xinmailong Injection + conventional western medicine outperformed conventional western medicine alone except Shengmai Injection + conventional western medicine, and Huangqi Injection + conventional western medicine had the highest probability of being the best treatment.(4) In terms of decreasing BNP, Huangqi Injection + conventional western medicine, Shenfu Injection + conventional western medicine, and Shenmai Injection + conventional western medicine were better than conventional western medicine alone, and Huangqi Injection + conventional western medicine had the highest likelihood of being the best treatment.(5) Considering the improvement in 6-min walk test, Shenmai Injection + conventional western medicine were superior to conventional western medicine alone.(6) In the case of improving cardiac output, Shenmai Injection + conventional western medicine, Shengmai Injection + conventional western medicine, Xinmailong Injection + conventional western medicine, and Shenqi Fuzheng Injection + conventional western medicine outperformed conventional western medicine alone except Shenfu Injection + conventional western medicine, thereinto, Shenmai Injection + conventional western medicine might be the optimal choice for increasing cardiac output level.(7) For safety, no statistically significant difference in adverse events was recorded between the experimental group and the control group(P=0.24). Bayesian network Meta-analysis showed that the addition of Chinese medicine injections to conventional western medicine exerted a more positive effect for DCM, and had advantages in alleviating clinical symptoms and improving cardiac function. However, due to the overall low quality of the included articles, the low inclusion of certain Chinese medicine injections, and the lack of direct comparison between different Chinese medicine injections, the results need to be further confirmed.
Humans ; Bayes Theorem ; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated/physiopathology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Injections ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the safety and effectiveness of 3D printing prefabricated nail path model assisted lumbosacral hemivertebra orthopaedic surgery. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 8 patients with lumbosacral hemivertebra deformity admitted from January 2016 to July 2021, including 3 males and 5 females, aged 6 to 15 at the time of surgery. The hemivertebra of 4 cases located on the left side and 4 cases on the right side. The hemivertebra of 1 case located at L_2,3, 2 cases at L_3,4, 2 cases at L_4,5, and 3 cases at L₅S₁. Four cases were fully segmented hemivertebra and 4 cases were incomplete segmented hemivertebra. The patient CT data was imported into Mimics 21.0 software for modeling, and then the model data was imported into 3-Matic software. The vertebra requiring screw placement was selected to simulate the optimal screw placement angle and length, and the model was printed for preoperative planning and intraoperative guidance. All patients underwent orthopedic surgery with the aid of 3D printing preset nail path model. The safety and effectiveness of the 3D printing prefabricated nail tunnel model assisted lumbosacral hemivertebra orthopaedic surgery was evaluated by comparing the imaging parameters of the patients. The main outcome measures were the Cobb angle of the main curve, the Cobb angle of the proximal compensatory curve, the coronal balance index C₇ plumb line-center sacral vertical line(C₇PL-CSVL), the accuracy of nail placement, and the correction rate of scoliosis before surgery, 1 week and 1 year after surgery. RESULTS: All of 8 patients were followed up for 13 to 31 months. A total of 98 pedicle screws were placed in 8 patients. The number of pedicle screw grades A, B, C, D, E was 38, 46, 10, 4, 0 screws. The screws of grade A and B were defined as good position, the accuracy rate of screw placement was 85.7%. The Cobb angle of the main curve were 21° to 38° before operation, 5° to 11° at 1 week after operation, 7°to 12° at 1 year after operation. The Cobb angle of the proximal compensatory curve were 16° to 39° befoer operation, 7° to 12 °at 1 week after operation, 7° to 14° at 1 year after operation, the correction effect remained good with no correction loss. The coronal balance index C7PL-CSVL were 20 to 35 mm before operation, 11 to 18 mm at 1 week after operation, 10 to 16 mm at 1 year after operation, the coronal imbalance improved. The scoliosis correction rate was 65.6% to 84.2% 1 week after surgery, and 61.9% to 81.6% 1 year after surgery. CONCLUSION The use of 3D printing prefixed nail tunnel model in lumbosacral hemivertebra osteotomy is safe and effective, and can significantly improve patients' local deformities. It is a reliable method to assist lumbar sacral hemivertebra osteotomy.
Humans ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Female ; Male ; Adolescent ; Retrospective Studies ; Child ; Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery* ; Sacrum/abnormalities* ; Bone Nails ; Orthopedic Procedures/instrumentation*

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect and molecular mechanism of Xuebijing Injection in the treatment of sepsis-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) based on network pharmacology and in vitro experiment. The active components of Xuebijing Injection were screened and the targets were predicted by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP). The targets of sepsis-associated ARDS were searched against GeneCards, DisGeNet, OMIM, and TTD. Weishengxin platform was used to map the targets of the main active components in Xuebijing Injection and the targets of sepsis-associated ARDS, and Venn diagram was established to identify the common targets. Cytoscape 3.9.1 was used to build the "drug-active components-common targets-disease" network. The common targets were imported into STRING for the building of the protein-protein interaction(PPI) network, which was then imported into Cytoscape 3.9.1 for visualization. DAVID 6.8 was used for Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) enrichment of the common targets, and then Weishe-ngxin platform was used for visualization of the enrichment results. The top 20 KEGG signaling pathways were selected and imported into Cytoscape 3.9.1 to establish the KEGG network. Finally, molecular docking and in vitro cell experiment were performed to verify the prediction results. A total of 115 active components and 217 targets of Xuebijing Injection and 360 targets of sepsis-associated ARDS were obtained, among which 63 common targets were shared by Xuebijing Injection and the disease. The core targets included interleukin-1 beta(IL-1β), IL-6, albumin(ALB), serine/threonine-protein kinase(AKT1), and vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA). A total of 453 GO terms were annotated, including 361 terms of biological processes(BP), 33 terms of cellular components(CC), and 59 terms of molecular functions(MF). The terms mainly involved cellular response to lipopolysaccharide, negative regulation of apoptotic process, lipopolysaccharide-mediated signaling pathway, positive regulation of transcription from RNA polyme-rase Ⅱ promoter, response to hypoxia, and inflammatory response. The KEGG enrichment revealed 85 pathways. After diseases and generalized pathways were eliminated, hypoxia-inducible factor-1(HIF-1), tumor necrosis factor(TNF), nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB), Toll-like receptor, and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways were screened out. Molecular docking showed that the main active components of Xuebijing Injection had good binding activity with the core targets. The in vitro experiment confirmed that Xuebijing Injection suppressed the HIF-1, TNF, NF-κB, Toll-like receptor, and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways, inhibited cell apoptosis and reactive oxygen species generation, and down-regulated the expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in cells. In conclusion, Xuebijing Injection can regulate apoptosis and response to inflammation and oxidative stress by acting on HIF-1, TNF, NF-κB, Toll-like receptor, and NOD-like receptor signaling pathways to treat sepsis-associated ARDS.
Humans ; Network Pharmacology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; NF-kappa B ; Interleukin-6 ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Sepsis/genetics* ; NLR Proteins

OBJECTIVE: To explore pathogenesis of glucocortocoid-induced osteoporosis(GIOP) based on label-free mass proteomics. METHODS: Twevle female Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were randomly divided into two groups, named as sham group and GIOP group. After one-week adaptive feeding, the rats of GIOP group were administered with dexamethasone via intramuscular injection according to 2.5 mg/kg weighting, while the rats of sham group were administered with the same amount of saline, twice a week. The tibias of each group were collected after 8-week modeling and made pathological sections to confirm the success of modeling. Three samples of each group were picked up to perform label-free mass proteomics. After quality control, differentially expressed proteins were identified according to qualitative and quantitative analyses. Then gene ontology(GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, cluster analysis as well as protein-protein interaction analysis were performed using bioinformatics analysis. RESULTS: Compared with sham group, the structure of bone trabecular in GIOP group showed abnormal arrangement, uneven distribution and obvious fragmentation, which could demonstrate successful modeling. A total of 47 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified including 20 up-regulated and 27 down-regulated proteins. The expression of protein nucleophosmin 1(NPM1), adipocyte plasma membrane associated protein (APMAP), cytochromec oxidase subunit 6A1 (COX6A1) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (ACP5) showed a significant difference between two groups. KEGG results showed DEPs were enriched on metabolism-related pathways, immune-related pathways and AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway. CONCLUSION Protein NPM1, APMAP, COX6A1 and ACP5 showed a close relationship with pathogenesis of GIOP, which could serve as potential biomarkers of GIOP. AMPK signaling pathway played an important role in the occurrence and development of GIOP, which could be regarded as potential signaling pathway to treatment GIOP.
Female ; Rats ; Animals ; Glucocorticoids/adverse effects* ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases ; Proteomics ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Osteoporosis/genetics* ; Nuclear Proteins/adverse effects*

Humans ; Joint Dislocations/surgery* ; Spinal Fractures/surgery* ; Anesthesia, General ; Cervical Vertebrae/injuries* ; Spinal Fusion

OBJECTIVES: To compare the effects of cell lysis method and magnetic beads method in forensic DNA identification and to explore these two methods in forensic DNA identification. METHODS: The genome DNA of THP-1 cells in different quantities was extracted by the cell lysis method and magnetic beads method, and the DNA content was quantified by real-time quantitative PCR. The cell lysis method and magnetic beads method were used to type the STR of human blood with different dilution ratios. RESULTS: When the numbers of THP-1 cell were 100, 400 and 800, the DNA content extracted by cell lysis method were (1.219±0.334), (5.081±0.335), (9.332±0.318) ng, respectively; and the DNA content extracted by magnetic beads method were (1.020±0.281), (3.634±0.482), (7.896±0.759) ng, respectively. When the numbers of THP-1 cells were 400 and 800, the DNA content extracted by the cell lysis method was higher than that by the magnetic beads method. The sensitivity of cell lysis method and magnetic beads method was similar in STR typing of human blood at different dilution ratios. Complete STR typing could be obtained at 100, 300 and 500-fold dilutions of blood samples, but could not be detected at 700-fold dilution. STR typing of undiluted human blood could not be detected by cell lysis method. CONCLUSIONS The cell lysis method is easy to operate and can retain template DNA to the maximum extend. It is expected to be suitable for trace blood evidence tests.
Humans ; Forensic Medicine ; DNA/genetics* ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Magnetic Phenomena ; DNA Fingerprinting/methods* ; Microsatellite Repeats