BACKGROUND: The mechanisms distinguishing metabolically healthy from unhealthy phenotypes within the same BMI categories remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the associations between regional fat distribution and metabolically unhealthy phenotypes in Chinese adults across different BMI categories. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involving 11833 Chinese adults aged 20 years and older. Covariance analysis, adjusted for age, compared the percentage of regional fat (trunk, leg, or arm fat divided by whole-body fat) between metabolically healthy and unhealthy participants. Trends in regional fat percentage with the number of metabolic abnormalities were assessed by the Jonckheere-Terpstra test. Odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by logistic regression models. All analyses were performed separately by sex. RESULTS: In non-obese individuals, metabolically unhealthy participants exhibited higher percent trunk fat and lower percent leg fat compared to healthy participants. Additionally, percent trunk fat increased and percent leg fat decreased with the number of metabolic abnormalities. After adjustment for demographic and lifestyle factors, as well as BMI, higher percent trunk fat was associated with increased odds of being metabolically unhealthy [highest vs. lowest quartile: ORs (95%CI) of 1.64 (1.35, 2.00) for men and 2.00 (1.63, 2.46) for women]. Conversely, compared with the lowest quartile, the ORs (95%CI) of metabolically unhealthy phenotype in the highest quartile for percent arm and leg fat were 0.64 (0.53, 0.78) and 0.60 (0.49, 0.74) for men, and 0.72 (0.56, 0.93) and 0.46 (0.36, 0.59) for women, respectively. Significant interactions between BMI and percentage of trunk and leg fat were observed in both sexes, with stronger associations found in individuals with normal weight and overweight. CONCLUSIONS Trunk fat is associated with a higher risk of metabolically unhealthy phenotype, while leg and arm fat are protective factors. Regional fat distribution assessments are crucial for identifying metabolically unhealthy phenotypes, particularly in non-obese individuals.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; Adipose Tissue ; Body Fat Distribution ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Health Surveys ; Phenotype

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.07.004.].

This study aimed to comprehensively examine the association of gallstones, cholecystectomy, and cancer risk. Multivariable logistic regressions were performed to estimate the observational associations of gallstones and cholecystectomy with cancer risk, using data from a nationwide cohort involving 239 799 participants. General and gender-specific two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was further conducted to assess the causalities of the observed associations. Observationally, a history of gallstones without cholecystectomy was associated with a high risk of stomach cancer (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=2.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.50-4.28), liver and bile duct cancer (aOR=2.46, 95% CI 1.17-5.16), kidney cancer (aOR=2.04, 95% CI 1.05-3.94), and bladder cancer (aOR=2.23, 95% CI 1.01-5.13) in the general population, as well as cervical cancer (aOR=1.69, 95% CI 1.12-2.56) in women. Moreover, cholecystectomy was associated with high odds of stomach cancer (aOR=2.41, 95% CI 1.29-4.49), colorectal cancer (aOR=1.83, 95% CI 1.18-2.85), and cancer of liver and bile duct (aOR=2.58, 95% CI 1.11-6.02). MR analysis only supported the causal effect of gallstones on stomach, liver and bile duct, kidney, and bladder cancer. This study added evidence to the causal effect of gallstones on stomach, liver and bile duct, kidney, and bladder cancer, highlighting the importance of cancer screening in individuals with gallstones.
Humans ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Gallstones/complications* ; Female ; Male ; Cholecystectomy/statistics & numerical data* ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Aged ; Adult ; Neoplasms/etiology* ; Stomach Neoplasms/epidemiology*

Objective:To elucidate the expression of angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4) in LPS-induced septic cardiomyopathy tissue and cardiomyocyte, and to explore the mechanism of ANGPTL4 in septic cardiomyopathy.Methods:Fifty C57BL/6 mice, aged 8 weeks, were randomly(random number) divided into a treatment group (LPS) and a control group ( n = 25 each). The mice in the treatment group were intraperitoneally injected with LPS (10 mg/kg) to establish a sepsis model. After 24 h, the myocardial tissues of the mice in the sepsis group and the control group, which were caused by LPS, were collected for RNA sequencing to pick out the differentially expressed gene of ANGPTL4.Ventricular myocytes of neonatal mice were taken, and the silencing and overexpression vectors of ANGPTL4 were transfected. After 48 hours of transfection, the cells were collected for subsequent detection. Western blot method was used to detect the expression of apoptotic factors Bax, Bcl-2, and Caspase 3 in mouse ventricular myocytes; CCK8 method was used to detect the activity of ventricular myocytes; using the Annexin V-FITC and PI double staining method, the apoptosis of ventricular myocytes was detected. Results:RNA-seq analysis revealed a statistically significant upregulation of ANGPTL4 expression at both transcriptional and translational levels in the ventricular tissue of septic mice, as compared to the control group ( P<0.05). The results of qRT-PCR and Western blot indicated that the mRNA and protein levels of ANGPTL4 in the ventricular tissues and cardiomyocytes of mice treated with LPS were significantly increased ( P<0.05). After transfection of the silencing and overexpression vectors of ANGPTL4 in cardiomyocytes, it was found that compared with NC, the mRNA and protein expression levels of ANGPTL4 in the si-ANGPTL4 group significantly decreased ( P<0.05), the vitality of ventricular myocytes increased ( P<0.05), the expressions of apoptosis-related factors Bax and Caspase 3 significantly decreased ( P<0.05), and the expression of Bcl-2 significantly increased ( P<0.05), and the number of apoptotic cells significantly decreased ( P<0.05); while the transfection of the overexpression vector of ANGPTL4 showed an opposite trend. Conclusions:In septic myocardial tissue and cardiomyocyte, the expression of ANGPTL4 is elevated, resulting in the inhibition of ventricular myocyte viability and the promotion of cardiomyocyte apoptosis.

Objective:In the background of the national promotion of DIP insurance payment reform,using empirical data to evaluate the initial effects of payment reforms in typical traditional Chinese medicine hospitals.Methods:It collected inpatient case data from a Chinese medicine hospital in S city,encompassing a total of 207 500 cases from 2016 to 2022,and the differences between before and after the reform were analyzed using key indicators such as medical costs.Interrupted time series was applied to analyze the initial effects of the reform based on three intervention time points:reform implementation,epidemic development and static management.Logistic regression was applied to explore the main influencing factors,and recommendations for refinement were made based on the results of the key informant interviews.Results:It was found that the percentage of the high hospitalization cost group,high self-pay cost group and high bed-day cost group increased after the reform.There was an overall increasing trend in bed-day costs after the reform.Age,being married,operation times and average grade of operations,and death were the common influences.Conclusion:The initial stage of the DIP insurance payment reform was not effective in regulating medical costs.Demographic changes,strong intervention in epidemics,and the tendency of Chinese medicine hospitals to perform surgeries all tend to lead to an increase in hospitalization costs.At the same time,factors such as the shortage of policy interpretation and the lack of incentives for medical staff have affected the effectiveness of the reform.It was suggested that the DIP insurance payment reform of the Chinese medicine hospitals should be further promoted by strengthening the interpretation of policies and changing the solidification model,establishing positive incentives for medical staff,and adding indicators of traditional Chinese medicine characteristics.This will further fully leverage the advantages of Chinese medicine characteristics and enhance the substance and quality of Chinese medicine services.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Buzhong Yiqitang in ameliorating ferroptosis in autoimmune thyroiditis （AIT） mice based on the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2）/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ （PPARγ）/glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4） pathway. Method120 SPF-grade 7-8-week-old NOD.H-2^h4 mice were randomly divided into control group， model group， low-， medium-， and high-dose Buzhong Yiqitang groups， and western medicine group， with 20 mice in each group. Except for the control group， all mice were fed with classic high-iodine water （0.05% NaI） to induce AIT models after 8 weeks. The low-， medium-， and high-dose Buzhong Yiqitang groups were administered 4.78， 9.56， 19.12 g·kg^-1 of Buzhong Yiqitang， respectively， via gavage. The western medicine group was given 3.033×10^-5 g·kg^-1 selenium yeast tablet suspension via gavage， while the control and model groups were given an equal volume of distilled water via gavage. After 8 weeks of continuous treatment， samples were collected. The pathological morphology of mouse thyroid tissue was observed through hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining，the content of serumantithyroid peroxidase autoantibody（TPOAb）and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies（TGAb）was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA），the kit was used to detect the levels of superoxide dismutase （SOD）， and malondialdehyde （MDA） in mouse serum. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the localized expression of GPX4 in thyroid tissue. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the expression of Nrf2， PPARγ， solute carrier family 7 member 11 （SLC7A11）， solute carrier family 3 member 2 （SLC3A2）， lysolipid lecithin acyltransferase 3 （LPCAT3）， and GPX4 mRNA in thyroid tissue. Western blot was used to detect the expression of Nrf2， PPARγ， SLC7A11， SLC3A2， LPCAT3， and GPX4 proteins in thyroid tissue. ResultCompared with control group， model group under light microscopy showed significant lymphocyte infiltration in the thyroid tissue， significantly increased levels of TGAb and TPOAb in serum （P<0.01）， significantly increased MDA levels and decreased SOD levels in serum （P<0.01）， significantly decreased expression of Nrf2， PPARγ， SLC7A11， SLC3A2， and GPX4 （P<0.01） in thyroid tissue， while the expression of LPCAT3 was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with model group， the Buzhong Yiqitang groups and the western medication group under light microscopy showed lymphocyte infiltration in the thyroid tissue of was decreased， significantly decreased levels of TPOAb and TGAb in serum （P<0.05，P<0.01）， decreased MDA levels and increased SOD levels in serum（P<0.05，P<0.01），significantly increased expression of Nrf2， PPARγ， SLC7A11， SLC3A2， and GPX4， while the expression of LPCAT3 was significantly decreased （P<0.05，P<0.01） in the thyroid tissue. Compared with western medication group， Buzhong Yiqitang groups showed significant overall trends in the expression of Nrf2， PPARγ， SLC7A11， SLC3A2， GPX4， and LPCAT3 （P<0.05，P<0.01）. ConclusionBuzhong Yiqitang can effectively improve the inflammatory injury of AIT， and its mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of Nrf2/PPARγ/GPX4 to inhibit ferroptosis.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Buzhong Yiqitang in improving autoimmune thyroiditis （AIT） by regulating helper T cell 17（Th17） cells through microRNA-155 （miR-155）/Nedd4 family interaction protein 1 （Ndfip1）/phosphatase and tensin homology （Pten） axis. MethodThe 100 SPF grade 8 week-old NOD.H-2^h4 mice were fed with high iodine water （0.05% NaI） for 8 weeks， and AIT model was made. They were divided into model group， Buzhong Yiqitang low-，medium-，and high-dose groups （4.78，9.56，19.12 g·kg^-1·d^-1） and selenium yeast tablet group （3.033×10^-5 g·kg^-1） according to random number table method. There were 20 mice in each group and 20 mice in the control group. The control group and the model group were given the same amount of distilled water. After 8 weeks of continuous administration， Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the expression of miR-155-5p， Ndfip1， Pten， protein tyrosine kinase 1 （Jak1）， signaling and transcriptional activator 3 （Stat3） retinoic acid-associated orphan receptor γt （RORγt）， and interleukin-17 （IL-17） mRNA in mouse thyroid tissue. Western blot was used to detect the expression of Ndfip1， Pten， Jak1， Stat3， RORγt， and IL-17 proteins in mouse thyroid tissue， immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of Ndfip1 and Pten proteins in mouse thyroid tissue； flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of Th17 cells in mouse spleen. ResultCompared with the control group， the proportion of Th17 cells was increased （P<0.01）. The expressions of miR-155-5p， Jak1， Stat3， RORγt and IL-17 were increased （P<0.01）， while the expressions of Ndfip1 and Pten were decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with model group， the proportion of Th17 cells was decreased （P<0.05，P<0.01）. The expressions of miR-155-5p， Jak1， Stat3， RORγt and IL-17 were decreased （P<0.05，P<0.01）， while the expressions of Ndfip1 and Pten were increased （P<0.05，P<0.01）. ConclusionThe application of Buzhong Yiqitang can improve the autoimmune disorder of AIT mice， the mechanism of which may be related to the regulation of Ndfip1/Pten axis by miR-155 and then the regulation of Th17 cell differentiation.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Buzhong Yiqitang on the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 6 （Fas）/Fas related death domain protein （FADD）/Caspase-8 cell apoptotic signaling pathway in mice model with autoimmune thyroiditis （AIT）. MethodThere were 120 SPF grade NOD.H-2^h4 mice aged 8 weeks， 100 of which were fed with high iodine water （0.05% NaI）， and the AIT model was made after 8 weeks. According to random number table method， they were divided into model group， Buzhong Yiqitang low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups （4.78， 9.56， 19.12 g·kg^-1）， selenium yeast tablet group （3.033×10^-5 g·kg^-1）， with 20 mice in each group and 20 control group. The apoptosis of thyroid cells was detected by in situ end labeling （TUNEL） after 8 weeks of administration. The real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression of Fas， FADD， Caspase-8， and Caspase-3 in thyroid tissue. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of Fas， FADD， Caspase-8， Caspase-3， cleaved Caspase-8， and cleaved Caspase-3 in thyroid tissue， and the immunohistochemical method was used to detect the protein expression of Fas and Caspase-3 in thyroid tissue. ResultCompared with control group， there were more positive expressions of apoptotic cells in model group under fluorescence microscope， and the expressions of Fas， FADD， Caspase-8， Caspase-3， cleaved Caspase-8 and cleaved Caspase-3 were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with model group， the positive expression of thyroid apoptotic cells in each administration group was decreased under fluorescence microscope， and the expressions of Fas， FADD， Caspase-8， Caspase-3， cleaved Caspase-8， cleaved Caspase-3 were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionBuzhong Yiqitang can effectively improve thyroid cell apoptosis and inflammatory injury in AIT mice. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of Fas/FADD/Caspase-8 signaling pathway.

Methods: First, this paper establishes a dataset of abnormal morphology for Chinese medicine diagnosis, with images from public resources and labeled with category labels by several Chinese medicine experts, including three categories: normal, shoulder abnormality, and leg abnormality. Second, the key points of human body are extracted by Light-Atten-Pose algorithm. Light-Atten-Pose algorithm uses lightweight EfficientNet network and polarized self-attention (PSA) mechanism on the basis of AlphaPose, which reduces the computation amount by using EfficientNet network, and the data is finely processed by using PSA mechanism in spatial and channel dimensions. Finally, according to the theory of TCM inspection, the abnormal morphology standard based on the joint angle difference is defined, and the classification of abnormal morphology of Chinese medical diagnosis is realized by calculating the angle between key points. Accuracy, frames per second (FPS), model size, parameter set (Params), and giga floating-point operations per second (GFLOPs) are chosen as the evaluation indexes for lightweighting. Results: Validation of the Light-Atten-Pose algorithm on the dataset showed a classification accuracy of 96.23%, which is close to the original AlphaPose model. However, the FPS of the improved model reaches 41.6 fps from 16.5 fps, the model size is reduced from 155.11 MB to 33.67 MB, the Params decreases from 40.5 M to 8.6 M, and the GFLOPs reduces from 11.93 to 2.10. Conclusion The Light-Atten-Pose algorithm achieves lightweight while maintaining high robustness, resulting in lower complexity and resource consumption and higher classification accuracy, and the experiments prove that the Light-Atten-Pose algorithm has a better overall performance and has practical application in the pose estimation task.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Buzhong Yiqitang on the immune imbalance of helper T cell 17 （Th17）/regulatory T cell （Treg） and Notch1 signaling pathway in mice with autoimmune thyroiditis （AIT）. MethodA total of 60 8-week-old NOD.H-2^h4 mice were randomly divided into the normal group， model group， western medicine group （selenium yeast tablet， 32.5 mg·kg^-1）， and low-dose （4.78 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， middle-dose （9.56 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and high-dose （19 g·kg^-1·d^-1） Buzhong Yiqitang groups， with 10 mice in each group. The normal group was fed with distilled water， and the other groups were fed with water containing 0.05% sodium iodide for eight weeks. After the animal model of AIT was formed spontaneously， the mice were killed under anesthesia after intragastric administration for eight weeks. Serum anti-thyroglobulin antibodies （TGAb）， thyroid-stimulating hormone （TSH）， free triiodothyronine （FT3）， and free thyroid hormone （FT4） were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and thyroid tissue changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The mRNA and protein expressions of retinoid-related orphan receptor-γt （RORγt）， interleukin （IL）-17， forkhead box P3 （FoxP3）， IL-10， Notch1， and hair division-related enhancer 1 （Hes1） in thyroid tissue were detected by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot， respectively. ResultCompared with the normal group， the thyroid structure of the model group was severely damaged， and lymphocytes were infiltrated obviously. The levels of serum TGAb， FT3， and FT4 contents were significantly increased， and TSH content was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expression levels of RORγt， IL-17， Notch1， and Hes1 were significantly increased， while those of FoxP3 and IL10 were significantly decreased in the model group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， thyroid structural damage and lymphocyte infiltration were improved in the treatment groups， and serum TGAb， FT3， and FT4 contents were significantly decreased. TSH content was increased， and mRNA and protein expression levels of RORγt， IL-17， Notch1， and Hes1 were decreased. mRNA and protein expression levels of FoxP3 and IL-10 were increased to different degrees （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the middle-dose Buzhong Yiqitang group had the most significant intervention effect. ConclusionBuzhong Yiqitang can alleviate the thyroid structural damage in AIT mice， and its mechanism may be related to improving the abnormal differentiation of Th17/Treg immune cells and inhibiting the activation of the Notch1 signaling pathway.