Background Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is the most prevalent environmental endocrine disruptor among phthalate acid esters (PAEs) worldwide. Previous studies have indicated that exposure to DEHP may disrupt glucose metabolism. Objective To investigate the impact of DEHP on glucose homeostasis in rats, focusing on oxidative stress-induced impairment of autophagy in islet β cells. Methods Forty male SD rats were randomly assigned to four groups, receiving DEHP doses of 0, 187, 375, and 750 mg·kg⁻¹ for 12 weeks. Oral glucose tolerance (OGTT) and insulin tolerance tests (ITT) were conducted 24 h after the final exposure. Pancreatic microstructural alterations were assessed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Commercial ELISA kits were employed to quantify the levels of insulin, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) in rat serum, as well as the protein expression level of activated caspase-3 in pancreatic tissue. Additionally, commercial microplate kits were utilized to measure the concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH) in serum, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) using water-soluble tetrazolium salt-1, the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) by thiobarbituric acid method, and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in pancreatic tissue by chemical fluorescence method. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to measure sequestosome1 (SQSTM1/p62), Beclin1, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-8 (Caspase-8) mRNA levels. Western blot analysis was applied to detect the protein relative expression levels of p62, Beclin-1, LC3-I, LC3 II, AMPK, p-AMPK, mTOR, p-mTOR, ULK1, and Caspase-8. Results Compared to the 0 mg·kg⁻¹ DEHP group, the 750 mg·kg⁻¹ DEHP group exhibited a significant increase in fasting blood glucose levels at 2, 4, 6, and 12 weeks (P<0.05). The OGTT showed that, following high-glucose gavage, the 187 mg·kg⁻¹ DEHP group had elevated blood glucose at 30 min (P<0.05), the 375 mg·kg⁻¹ DEHP group showed increased glucose levels at 15, 30, and 180 min (P<0.05), and the 750 mg·kg⁻¹ DEHP group exhibited elevated levels at 15, 30, 60, and 180 min (P<0.05). The 375 and 750 mg·kg⁻¹ DEHP groups demonstrated significantly increased OGTT area under the curve (AUC) values (P<0.05). In contrast, ITT results indicated no significant differences in blood glucose levels or AUC among the DEHP exposure groups at all time points (P>0.05). Compared to the 0 mg·kg⁻¹ DEHP group, the 750 mg·kg⁻¹ DEHP group exhibited significantly higher HOMA-IR levels and markedly lower HOMA-ISI values (P<0.05). HE and TEM showed that in each DEHP exposure group, the number of islet cells decreased, the islet area reduced, and chromatin condensation occurred. The endocrine granules in the cytoplasm of islet β cells decreased, and there were varying degrees of widening of the nuclear membrane gap, flattening and expansion of the Golgi complex, and expansion of the endoplasmic reticulum. Ribosome separation was observed, and autophagosomes were visible. In the 375 and 750 mg·kg⁻¹ DEHP groups, the mitochondria were deformed to varying degrees, and some cristae structures disappeared, presenting vacuolization. Moreover, the chromatin condensation in the nuclei was more severe in the 750 mg·kg⁻¹ DEHP group. The serum SOD activity was significantly elevated in the 750 mg·kg⁻¹ DEHP group (P<0.05). Both the 375 mg·kg⁻¹ and 750 mg·kg⁻¹ DEHP groups exhibited a significant increase in the relative ROS content in pancreatic tissue (P<0.05). In DEHP-treated groups, the MDA content increased (P<0.05), while the GSH content decreased (P<0.05). Additionally, in the 750 mg·kg⁻¹ DEHP group, the AMP/ATP ratio in serum was significantly raised (P<0.05), and the expression of cleaved Caspase-3 protein in pancreatic tissue was also significantly increased (P<0.05). The relative mRNA levels of p62, Beclin-1, LC3, and Caspase-8 in the pancreatic tissue of rats exposed to DEHP were significantly elevated (P<0.05). The relative expression levels of p-AMPK/AMPK, p-ULK1/ULK1, and Beclin-1 proteins in the DEHP-treated groups were significantly increased (P<0.05). In the 375 mg·kg⁻¹ and 750 mg·kg⁻¹ DEHP treatment groups, the relative expression levels of p62, LC3 II/LC1, and Caspase-8 proteins were significantly increased (P<0.05), while the relative expression level of p-mTOR/mTOR was significantly decreased (P<0.05). Conclusion DEHP can disrupt glucose homeostasis by inducing oxidative stress, which subsequently activates autophagy via the ROS/AMPK/ULK1 pathway, impairing autophagic flux and promoting apoptosis of islet β cells, ultimately decreasing their function and number.

BACKGROUND: Spicy food consumption has been reported to be inversely associated with mortality from multiple diseases. However, the effect of spicy food intake on the incidence of vascular diseases in the Chinese population remains unclear. This study was conducted to explore this association. METHODS: This study was performed using the large-scale China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) prospective cohort of 486,335 participants. The primary outcomes were vascular disease, ischemic heart disease (IHD), major coronary events (MCEs), cerebrovascular disease, stroke, and non-stroke cerebrovascular disease. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the association between spicy food consumption and incident vascular diseases. Subgroup analysis was also performed to evaluate the heterogeneity of the association between spicy food consumption and the risk of vascular disease stratified by several basic characteristics. In addition, the joint effects of spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of vascular disease were also evaluated, and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the reliability of the association results. RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 12.1 years, a total of 136,125 patients with vascular disease, 46,689 patients with IHD, 10,097 patients with MCEs, 80,114 patients with cerebrovascular disease, 56,726 patients with stroke, and 40,098 patients with non-stroke cerebrovascular disease were identified. Participants who consumed spicy food 1-2 days/week (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = [0.93, 0.97], P <0.001), 3-5 days/week (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = [0.94, 0.99], P = 0.003), and 6-7 days/week (HR = 0.97, 95% CI = [0.95, 0.99], P = 0.002) had a significantly lower risk of vascular disease than those who consumed spicy food less than once a week ( Ptrend <0.001), especially in those who were younger and living in rural areas. Notably, the disease-based subgroup analysis indicated that the inverse associations remained in IHD ( Ptrend = 0.011) and MCEs ( Ptrend = 0.002) risk. Intriguingly, there was an interaction effect between spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of IHD ( Pinteraction = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS Our findings support an inverse association between spicy food consumption and vascular disease in the Chinese population, which may provide additional dietary guidance for the prevention of vascular diseases.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Prospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Vascular Diseases/etiology* ; Risk Factors ; China/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Cerebrovascular Disorders/epidemiology* ; East Asian People

Objective:The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value and clinical significance of cochlear microphonics (CM) combined with otoacoustic emission (OAE) in patients with auditory neuropathy (AN).Methods:The study included patients who were diagnosed with bilateral AN and had CM originating from both sides. The CM amplitude, latency, duration and intensity-amplitude (I/O) function curve were recorded by CM test. According to whether the distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) passed through, the patients were divided into three groups: bilateral OAE passed group (OAE PP Group), bilateral OAE failed group (OAE RR Group), and unilateral OAE passed through one side failed group (OAE PR Group). OAE was elicited by four or more frequencies of 750-8 000 Hz. The characteristics of CM and its related influencing factors were analyzed, and data were processed and analyzed by SPSS 26.0 software. Results:(1) A total of 256 patients (512 ears) with AN were enrolled, including 161 patients (322 ears) in OAE PP group, 32 patients (64 ears) in OAE PR group and 63 patients (126 ears) in OAE RR group. OAE failed in 30.9% of patients with AN. (2) When the stimulation intensity was 100 dB nHL, the CM amplitude of OAE passing ear (OAE P+CM P group) in AN patients aged 3 years was 0.43±0.17μV, which was significantly higher than that of OAE not passing ear (OAE R+CM P group) (0.29±0.15) μV ( t=4.876， P<0.001). The CM duration of the OAE P+CM P group was (5.18±1.04) ms, which was longer than that of the OAE R+CM P group at 4.60±1.12 ms ( P=0.005). The I/O function curve of OAE P+CM P group showed a nonlinear trend, while, that of OAE R+CM P group showed a linear trend. (3) In the OAE P+CM P group of AN patients, the amplitude of CM was negatively correlated with the onset age, test age, disease course, PTA, and ASSR threshold ( P<0.001), with correlation coefficients of r=-0.475, r=-0.519, r=-0.367, r=-0.374, and r=-0.494, respectively. In the OAE R+CM P group of AN patients, the amplitude of CM was negatively correlated with the onset age, test age, and ASSR threshold ( P<0.05), with correlation coefficients of r=-0.271, r=-0.240, and r=-0.287, respectively. Conclusions:Excluding patients with high-frequency steeply sloping hearing loss, when ABR is absent or abnormal and OAE is absent, CM detection can reduce the rate of missed diagnosis of AN. The analysis of CM amplitude and I/O function curve is helpful to determine the lesion site of AN patients, which is convenient for early diagnosis and effective intervention.

Reconstruction of low-dose CT image faced problems such as low resolution,blurred artifacts and strong noise.Deep learning reconstruction met the needs of reducing radiation dose and improving imaging quality,promoted reconstruction of CT image towards high efficiency,intelligence and integration of clinical diagnosis and treatment.The research progresses in deep learning low-dose CT imaging reconstruction were reviewed in this article.

Objective To explore the value of quantitative analysis of perirenal fat combined with Mayo adhesive probability(MAP)score in predicting the WHO/International Society of Urological Pathology(ISUP)nuclear grade of renal cell carcinoma(RCC).Methods The imaging data of 139 pathologically confirmed RCC patients were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into low-grade group(grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ,n=112)and high-grade group(grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ,n=27)according to the WHO/ISUP nuclear grade.Spearman correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between fat features and WHO/ISUP nuclear grade.The multivariate logistic regression model was used to detemine the related factors of high-grade RCC,and the area under the curve(AUC)of the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of each parameter.Results The AUC of perirenal adipose tissue(PAT)％alone for evaluating high-grade RCC was the highest,at 0.77[95％confidence interval(CI)0.69-0.83].The stepwise multivariate logistic regression model showed that perinephric fat stranding(PFS)[odds ratio(OR)=34.54,95％CI 7.60-156.87,P＜0.001],PAT％(OR=0.46,95％CI 0.32-0.66,P＜0.001),and tumor location(OR=0.26,95％CI 0.07-0.92,P=0.037)were related factors of high-grade RCC,with an AUC of 0.90(95％CI 0.84-0.94).Conclusion Quantitative analysis of perire-nal fat combined with MAP score can effectively predict the WHO/ISUP nuclear grade of RCC,providing a novel approach for per-sonalized treatment strategies to improve prognosis.

Objectives:To investigate the protective effect of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD?) against noise-induced cochlear damage and preliminarily explore its underlying transcriptional and metabolic regulatory mechanisms.Methods:During the study period (January 2023-February 2025), an oxidative stress model was established using House Ear Institute-organ of Corti 1 (HEI-OC1) cells, and cell viability was assessed using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) assay. Flow cytometry was employed to analyze cell apoptosis. A mouse model of noise-induced hearing loss was developed, and the mice were divided into three groups: a noise-exposed saline group, a noise-exposed NAD? intervention group, and a noise-free control group. Hearing protection effects were evaluated by auditory brainstem response (ABR) and immunofluorescence. Metabolomics and transcriptomics were used to analyze the regulatory effects of NAD +on transcription and metabolism in mouse cochlea. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, quantitative real-time PCR, and western blot were used to verify the differential transcription and metabolic molecules and their functions. Data were statistically analyzed with GraphPad Prism 9.3.0. Results:NAD +at concentrations ranging from 10-80 μM effectively restored cell viability and reduced apoptosis induced by H?O? in HEI-OC1 cells. NAD? intervention significantly improved 16-32 kHz ABR thresholds after noise exposure ( P<0.05), reduced outer hair cell loss rates ( P<0.05), and attenuated ribbon synapse damage ( P<0.000 1). Metabolomics analysis revealed a significant downregulation in the glycerophospholipid metabolism pathway, with decreased levels of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and its related metabolites. ELISA results showed that LPA levels in the NAD? intervention group were significantly lower ( P<0.05). LPA inhibitor (ATX inhibitor 1) exhibited a cell protective effect similar to that of NAD?. Transcriptomics analysis indicated a significant upregulation of key genes related to potassium ion channels, such as Kcnq4. qPCR and Western blot further confirmed the significant upregulation of Kcnq4 and its encoded protein in the NAD? intervention group ( P<0.05). In the presence of the KCNQ4 inhibitor (ML252), the protective effect of NAD? was inhibited. Conclusions:NAD? exerts effective protective effects against noise-induced cochlear injury. Its protective mechanism may be closely related to the inhibition of LPA metabolic pathway and the up-regulation of KCNQ4 channel function.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy of toric implantable collamer lens (Toric-ICL) and femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (FS-LASIK) for myopia correction in patients with moderate to high myopia complicated with astigmatism. METHODS: We retrospectively collected data from 64 patients (aged 18-42 years) with moderate to high myopia complicated with astigmatism (128 eyes) undergoing either Toric-ICL (28 patients/56 eyes) or FS-LASIK (36 patients/72 eyes) at our department between January, 2019 and December, 2020. The changes of uncorrected distance visual acuity (UCVA), spherical equivalent (SE), mean astigmatism correction index (CI), corneal endothelial cell density (ECD) and intraocular pressure (IOP) following the procedures were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: In FS-LASIK group, all the eyes (72/72) achieved an UCVA≥1.0, similar to the rate in Toric-ICL group (55/56 eyes; P=0.2374). The postoperative SE was also comparable between FS-LASIK and Toric-ICL groups [0.43±0.06 D (range: -1.0 to 1.50 D) vs 0.38±0.05 D (range: -0.75 to 1.00 D); P=0.56]. The mean astigmatism CI was significantly higher in FS-LASIK group than in Toric-ICL group (0.8561 vs 0.7176; P<0.0001), and 88.89% of the eyes in FS-LASIK group and 69.64% in Toric-ICL group had postoperative astigmatism ≤0.50 D. No significant changes were observed in postoperative corneal ECD in FS-LASIK group, whereas ECD decreased significantly after the procedure in Toric-ICL group (P=0.0057). The patients undergoing Toric-ICL exhibited no significant changes of postoperative IOP, but the patients receiving FS-LASIK had significantly reduced IOP after the procedure (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Although the patients included in Toric-ICL group had higher myopia and astigmatism, Toric-ICL still showed better predictability and efficacy for astigmatic correction in Toric-ICL group. Toric-ICL is an effective and safe equivalent of FS-LASIK for correcting moderate myopia but can be more advantageous for correcting high myopia with astigmatism.
Humans ; Astigmatism/complications* ; Myopia/complications* ; Keratomileusis, Laser In Situ/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Visual Acuity ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Treatment Outcome ; Male ; Lens Implantation, Intraocular/methods* ; Female ; Phakic Intraocular Lenses ; Intraocular Pressure

OBJECTIVES: To explore the molecular mechanism of Jiangzhi Huaban Decoction (JZHBD) for improving atherosclerosis through the "qi meridian-blood channels" pathway. METHODS: ApoE^-/- mouse models of atherosclerosis were established by high-fat diet feeding for 8 weeks, with C57BL/6 mice on a normal diet as the controls. Forty ApoE^-/- mouse models were randomized into model group, low-, medium-, and high-dose JZHBD treatment groups, and atorvastatin treatment group (n=8) for their respective treatments for 8 weeks. The changes in body weight and overall condition of the mice were monitored weekly. After the treatments, serum levels of TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, TBA, ALT, and AST of the mice were measured, pathological changes in the liver and aortic root plaques were examined with HE staining, and lipid accumulation in the liver and aortic wall was assessed using Oil Red O staining. The core molecular mechanism was studied through transcriptomics, and the expressions of the key pathway proteins were confirmed using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Treatment with JZHBD significantly reduced blood lipid and total bile acid levels, improved liver function and hepatic steatosis, and decreased aortic lipid deposition and plaque area in the mouse models of atherosclerosis. Transcriptomic analysis suggested that the therapeutic mechanism of JZHBD involved reverse cholesterol transport, PPAR signaling, and the inflammatory pathways. In atherosclerotic mice, JZHBD treatment obviously up-regulated hepatic expressions of PPARγ, LXRα, ABCA1, ABCG1, and CYP7A1, down-regulated hepatic expressions of p-p65/p65, IL-6, IL1β in the liver, increased ABCG5 and ABCG8 expressions in the intestines, and decreased ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expressions in the aortic plaques. CONCLUSIONS JZHBD improves atherosclerotic vascular damage and plaque formation possibly by regulating hepatic reverse cholesterol transport and inflammation via modulating the hepatic PPARγ/LXRα/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic/metabolism* ; Liver/metabolism* ; Mice ; Atherosclerosis/metabolism* ; Cholesterol/metabolism* ; PPAR gamma/metabolism* ; Male ; Diet, High-Fat ; Biological Transport

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neurotoxicity (CIPN) is a severe dose-limiting adverse event of chemotherapy. Presently, the mechanism underlying the induction of CIPN remains unclear, and no effective treatment is available. In this study, through metabolomics analyses, we found that nab-paclitaxel therapy markedly increased serum serotonin [5-hydroxtryptamine (5-HT)] levels in both cancer patients and mice compared to the respective controls. Furthermore, nab-paclitaxel-treated enterochromaffin (EC) cells showed increased 5-HT synthesis, and serotonin-treated Schwann cells showed damage, as indicated by the activation of CREB3L3/MMP3/FAS signaling. Venlafaxine, an inhibitor of serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake, was found to protect against nerve injury by suppressing the activation of CREB3L3/MMP3/FAS signaling in Schwann cells. Remarkably, venlafaxine was found to significantly alleviate nab-paclitaxel-induced CIPN in patients without affecting the clinical efficacy of chemotherapy. In summary, our study reveals that EC cell-derived 5-HT plays a critical role in nab-paclitaxel-related neurotoxic lesions, and venlafaxine co-administration represents a novel approach to treating chronic cumulative neurotoxicity commonly reported in nab-paclitaxel-based chemotherapy.
Paclitaxel/toxicity* ; Animals ; Albumins/adverse effects* ; Serotonin/metabolism* ; Mice ; Humans ; Male ; Female ; Venlafaxine Hydrochloride/therapeutic use* ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes/metabolism* ; Middle Aged ; Schwann Cells/metabolism* ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/drug therapy* ; Antineoplastic Agents

Objective:To prepare pullulan-spermine (PS)-poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) conjugated with CD3 antibody, and to investigate their effects on T cell proliferation and cytokine secretion.Methods:Purulan polysaccharide was sperminized to synthesize PS, hydrophobically modified, and then grafted with PLGA to synthesize PS-PLGA. Infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen spectrum were used to characterize the structure of PS-PLGA. PS-PLGA NPs were prepared by ultrasonic dialysis method and then coupled with CD3 antibody to prepare PS-PLGA-CD3 NPs. The morphological features of PS-PLGA-CD3 NPs were observed by the transmission electron microscope. The particle sizes, Zeta potential and dispersive coefficient of the NPs were measured using the dynamic laser particle size analyzer. The amount of coupled CD3 antibody on the surface of the NPs was determined using quantitative fluorescence analysis method. The effects of 1, 10, 50, 100, and 200 μg/ml PS-PLGA-CD3 NPs on T-cell proliferation were determined using cell counting kit-8 method. The effects of 1, 10, 50, 100, 200 μg/ml PS-PLGA-CD3 NPs on secretion of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and tumor necrosis factor-β (TNF-β) by T cell were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Comparisons were made using independent sample t-test or one-factor analysis of variance. Results:Pullulan and PS showed strong absorption at 2 939 cm ?1, and PS had a weaker absorption peak at 3 384 cm ?1 than pullulan. The proton peaks of spermine appeared at chemical shifts of 1.25 to 1.50, 1.63, and 2.25 to 2.75. The characteristic peaks of PLGA appeared at chemical shifts of 1.50, 3.40, and 4.80 to 5.30. Compared to pullulan, the characteristic peaks of both PS and PLGA appeared in the corresponding intervals for PS-PLGA. The morphology of PS-PLGA-CD3 NPs with spermine substitution at 9.7% was all regular and circular, with a mean particle size of (173.3±24.5) nm, a Zeta potential of (?12.78±3.68) mV, the dispersive coefficient of 0.254±0.101, and the CD3 antibody mass fraction of (52.1±9.4) μg/mg. The differences in cell survival were statistically significant for PS-PLGA-CD3 NPs and PS-PLGA NPs, respectively, after co-incubation with T cell after 24, 48, and 72 h at concentrations of 50, 100, and 200 μg/ml, respectively (all P<0.05). The results of the three concentration comparisons after 24 h of co-incubation were [(129.8±23.1)% vs (95.5±8.9)%, (137.5±22.7)% vs (95.1±15.8)%, and (142.3±25.6)% vs (93.2±9.2)%]; and the results after 48 h were [(145.9±23.7)% vs (95.8±10.6)%, (149.3±23.5)% vs (94.9±16.3)%, and (161.2±26.9)% vs (91.5±8.3)%]; and the results after 72 h were [(147.6±20.1)% vs (95.9±17.8)%, (152.4±22.3)% vs (92.7±16.5)%, and (167.7±25.4)% vs (90.8±17.4)%]. The differences in the levels of IFN-γ, IL-2 and TNF-β were statistically significant (all P<0.05 or 0.01) at 50, 100 and 200 μg/ml concentrations for PS-PLGA-CD3 NPs and PS-PLGA NPs, respectively. For IFN-γ, the results of the comparison of the three concentrations were [(35.7±3.1) ng/ml vs (16.4±6.9) ng/ml, (67.3±5.2) ng/ml vs (19.6±2.8) ng/ml, and (79.0±4.2) ng/ml vs (19.3±2.3) ng/ml]; and for IL-2, the results were [(43.5±8.2) ng/ml vs (12.6±1.9) ng/ml, (53.5±7.8) ng/ml vs (15.8±3.3) ng/ml, and (64.0±8.2) ng/ml vs (17.4±3.8) ng/ml]; and for TNF-β, the results were [(108.4±18.9) pg/ml vs (40.8±1.3) pg/ml, (152.3±28.3) pg/ml vs (56.4±3.7) pg/ml and (185.0±33.6) pg/ml vs (81.6±10.2) pg/ml]. Conclusions:PS-PLGA-CD3 NPs are successfully prepared, which have the function of effectively promoting T cell proliferation and cytokine sectetion.