Micro/nanoplastics (MNPs), recognized as emerging environmental pollutants, are widely distributed in natural environments. Due to their small particle size and significant migratory capacity, MNPs can infiltrate diverse environmental matrices, then invade and accumulate in the organism via the skin, respiration, and digestion. Recently, concerns have grown over the detrimental effects and potential toxicity of MNPs on reproductive health. This review summarized published epidemiological and toxicological studies related to MNPs exposure and their effects on reproductive health. Firstly, this review critically examined the current landscape of epidemiological evidence and found that MNPs (e.g., polystyrene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, etc.) are present in various biological specimens from both males and females, and their presence may be associated with an increased risk of reproductive disorders. Secondly, extensive toxicological studies revealed that MNPs exposure induces reproductive health damage through mechanisms such as disrupting the microstructure of reproductive organs and altering molecular-level expressions. Oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and apoptosis are identified as potential links between MNPs exposure and reproductive damage. Finally, this review addressed the prevalent shortcomings in existing studies and proposed future directions to tackle the challenges posed by MNPs-induced reproductive harm. These insights aim to inform strategies for safeguarding public reproductive health and ecological security, providing a scientific foundation for mitigating risks associated with MNPs pollution.

N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification plays a critical role in cell cycle regulation, while the mechanism of m⁶A in regulating mitosis remains underexplored. Here, we found that the total m⁶A modification level in cells increased during mitosis by the liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry and m⁶A dot blot assays. Silencing methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) or METTL14 results in delayed mitosis, abnormal spindle assembly, and chromosome segregation defects by the immunofluorescence. By analyzing transcriptome-wide m⁶A targets in HeLa cells, we identified polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) as a key gene modified by m⁶A in regulating mitosis. Specifically, through immunoblotting and RNA pulldown, m⁶A modification inhibits PLK1 translation via YTH N⁶-methyladenosine RNA binding protein 1, thus mediating cell cycle homeostasis. Demethylation of PLK1 mRNA leads to significant mitotic abnormalities. These findings highlight the critical role of m⁶A in regulating mitosis and the potential of m⁶A as a therapeutic target in proliferative diseases such as cancer.
Humans ; Polo-Like Kinase 1 ; Cell Cycle Proteins/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins/metabolism* ; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; Mitosis/physiology* ; HeLa Cells ; Adenosine/genetics* ; Methyltransferases/metabolism* ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism* ; RNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism*

Background::Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and diameter, stiffness, and wave reflections, are independent and important clinical biomarkers and risk predictors for cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the present study was to establish nationwide reference values of carotid properties for healthy Chinese adults and to explore potential clinical determinants.Methods::A total of 3053 healthy Han Chinese adults (1922 women) aged 18-79 years were enrolled at 28 collaborating tertiary centers throughout China between April 2021 and July 2022. The real-time tracking of common carotid artery walls was achieved by the radio frequency (RF) ultrasound system. The IMT, diameter, compliance coefficient, β stiffness, local pulse wave velocity (PWV), local systolic blood pressure, augmented pressure (AP), and augmentation index (AIx) were then automatically measured and reported. Data were stratified by age groups and sex. The relationships between age and carotid property parameters were analyzed by Jonckheere-Terpstra test and simple linear regressions. The major clinical determinants of carotid properties were identified by Pearson’s correlation, multiple linear regression, and analyses of covariance.Results::All the parameters of carotid properties demonstrated significantly age-related trajectories. Women showed thinner IMT, smaller carotid diameter, larger AP, and AIx than men. The β stiffness and PWV were significantly higher in men than women before forties, but the differences reversed after that. The increase rate of carotid IMT (5.5 μm/year in women and 5.8 μm/year in men) and diameter (0.03 mm/year in both men and women) were similar between men and women. For the stiffness and wave reflections, women showed significantly larger age-related variations than men as demonstrated by steeper regression slopes (all P for age by sex interaction <0.05). The blood pressures, body mass index (BMI), and triglyceride levels were identified as major clinical determinants of carotid properties with adjustment of age and sex. Conclusions::The age- and sex-specific reference values of carotid properties measured by RF ultrasound for healthy Chinese adults were established. The blood pressures, BMI, and triglyceride levels should be considered for clinical application of corresponding reference values.

Objective:To understand the awareness and influencing factors of core information on tuberculosis prevention and control in the elderly population in China.Methods:The study included all participants aged ≥60 from the "13 th Five-Year" National Tuberculosis Control Plan end-term assessment in 2020, with 13 706 valid questionnaires obtained. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of the awareness rate of core information on tuberculosis prevention and control in the elderly. Results:The total awareness rate of core information on tuberculosis prevention and control in the elderly aged ≥60 was 78.4%, with the highest for "suspicious symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis" (85.4%) and the lowest for "whether pulmonary tuberculosis can be cured" (65.3%). The complete awareness rate of core information on tuberculosis prevention and control in the elderly was 41.3%, and the proportion of those who received tuberculosis health education is 67.6%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis results showed that factors associated with low awareness of core information included females ( OR=0.93, 95% CI: 0.86-1.00), ages 70- ( OR=0.91, 95% CI: 0.84-0.98) and ≥80 ( OR=0.77, 95% CI: 0.68-0.87) and minority ethnicity ( OR=0.85, 95% CI: 0.74-0.99). Factors associated with high awareness of core information included educational levels of junior high school ( OR=1.46, 95% CI: 1.34-1.58), high school ( OR=1.62, 95% CI: 1.45-1.81), junior college ( OR=1.37, 95% CI: 1.11-1.68), and an undergraduate degree or higher ( OR=1.52, 95% CI: 1.09-2.11), and receiving tuberculosis health education ( OR=2.13, 95% CI: 1.97-2.27). Conclusions:In 2020, the awareness rate of core information on tuberculosis prevention and control in Chinese older adults aged ≥60 was lower than the national planning target. Therefore, there should be an increased focus on health education about tuberculosis for elderly females, those aged ≥70, ethnic minorities, and those with lower education levels.

Nasal drug delivery efficiency is highly dependent on the position in which the drug is deposited in the nasal cavity. However, no reliable method is currently available to assess its impact on delivery performance. In this study, a biomimetic nasal model based on three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction and three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology was developed for visualizing the deposition of drug powders in the nasal cavity. The results showed significant differences in cavity area and volume and powder distribution in the anterior part of the biomimetic nasal model of Chinese males and females. The nasal cavity model was modified with dimethicone and validated to be suitable for the deposition test. The experimental device produced the most satisfactory results with five spray times. Furthermore, particle sizes and spray angles were found to significantly affect the experimental device's performance and alter drug distribution, respectively. Additionally, mometasone furoate (MF) nasal spray (NS) distribution patterns were investigated in a goat nasal cavity model and three male goat noses, confirming the in vitro and in vivo correlation. In conclusion, the developed human nasal structure biomimetic device has the potential to be a valuable tool for assessing nasal drug delivery system deposition and distribution.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the monitoring of tacrolimus blood concentration in patients with nephrotic syndrome （NS），and to establish a prediction model for tacrolimus blood concentration. METHODS Data from 509 concentration monitoring sessions of 166 NS patients using tacrolimus were collected from January 1， 2020 to August 31， 2023 in Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University. The relationship of efficacy and adverse drug reaction（ADR） with blood concentration was analyzed. A multilayer perceptron （MLP） prediction model was established by using the blood concentration monitoring data of 302 times from 109 NS patients with genetic information， and then verified. RESULTS In terms of efficacy， the median blood concentration of tacrolimus in the non-remission group was 2.20 ng/mL， which was significantly lower than that in the partial remission group （4.00 ng/mL， P＜0.001） and the complete remission group （3.60 ng/mL， P＝0.002）. In terms of ADR， the median blood concentration of tacrolimus in the ADR group was 5.01 ng/mL， which was significantly higher than that in the non-ADR group （3.37 ng/mL） （P＝0.001）. According to the subgroup analysis of the receiver operating characteristic curve， when the blood concentration of tacrolimus was ≥6.65 ng/mL， patients were more likely to develop elevated blood creatinine [area under the curve （AUC） was 0.764， P＜0.001）； when the blood concentration of tacrolimus was ≥6.55 ng/mL， patients were more likely to develop blood glucose （AUC＝0.615， P＝ 0.005）. The established MLP prediction model has a loss function of 0.9， with an average absolute error of 0.279 5 ng/mL between the predicted and measured values. The determination coefficient of the validation scatter plot was 0.984， indicating an excellent predictive performance of the model. CONCLUSION Tacrolimus blood concentration has an impact on both efficacy and ADR in NS patients. The use of the MLP model for predicting blood concentration exhibits high accuracy with minimal error between predicted and measured values. The model can be used as an important tool in clinical individualized medication regimens.

Objective:To analyze the clinical data of patients with end-stage ankle and hindfoot ar-thropathy who underwent tibiotalocalcaneal(TTC)arthrodesis by the same surgeon,explore the short-and mid-term clinical results,complications and functional improvement,and discuss the clinical progno-sis and precautions of TTC arthrodesis.Methods:Retrospective analysis was made on the clinical data of 40 patients who underwent TTC arthrodesis by the same surgeon from March 2011 to December 2020.In this study,23 males and 17 females were included,with an average age of(49.1±16.0)years.All the patients underwent unilateral surgery.The clinical characteristics,imaging manifestations,main diagno-sis and specific surgical techniques of the patients were recorded.The clinical outcomes were evaluated by comparison of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society(AOFAS)ankle-hindfoot score and visual analogue scale(VAS)between pre-operation and at the last follow-up.The fusion healing time,symptom improvement(significant improvement,certain improvement,no improvement or deterioration)and postoperative complications were also recorded.Results:The median follow-up time was 38.0(26.3,58.8)months.The preoperative VAS score was 6.0(4.0,7.0),and the AOFAS score was 33.0(25.3,47.3).At the last follow-up,the median VAS score was 0(0,3.0),and the AOFAS score was 80.0(59.0,84.0).All the significantly improved compared with their preoperative corre-sponding values(P＜0.05).There was no wound necrosis or infection in the patients.One patient suf-fered from subtalar joint nonunion,which was syphilitic Charcot arthropathy.The median bony healing time of other patients was 15.0(12.0,20.0)weeks.Among the included patients,there were 25 cases with significant improvement in symptom compared with that preoperative,8 cases with certain improve-ment,4 cases with no improvement,and 3 cases with worse symptoms than that before operation.Con-clusion:TTC arthrodesis is a reliable method for the treatment of the end-stage ankle and hindfoot ar-thropathy.The function of most patients was improved postoperatively,with little impact on daily life.The causes of poor prognosis included toe stiffness,stress concentration in adjacent knee joints,nonunion and pain of unknown causes.

AIM:To investigate the effect of Bushen formulae(BHF)on bone metabolism and its possible mechanism in ovariectomized rats with high salt intake.METHODS:According to the random number table method,80 SPF-grade Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into sham group,ovariectomy(OVX)group,medium-high-salt diet(MSD)group,high-salt diet(HSD)group,BHF group,BHF with normal saline(BHF+NS)group,BHF+MSD group,and BHF+ HSD group,with 10 rats in each group.After modeling,different diets and BHF formula interventions were administered,and the concentrations of sodium chloride added to MSD group and HSD group were 2%(w/w)and 8%(w/w),respective-ly.The dose of BHF was 7.8 g·kg-1·d-1,once a day,and the treatment lasted for 12 weeks.Bone density,bone microar-chitecture,bone parameters,bone metabolism biomarkers,bone histopathological changes,the expression of epithelial sodium channel α(ENaCα),Na-Cl cotransporter(NCC),and voltage-gated chloride channel 3(ClC-3)proteins in bone tissue were detected in each group.RESULTS:Compared with sham group,the rats in OVX group had reduced bone density and destroyed bone microstructure.Compared with OVX group,the bone microstructure in MSD and HSD groups was more significantly damaged,while the levels of bone formation markers,bone glycoprotein(BGP)and type Ⅰ procolla-gen N-terminal peptide(PINP),were significantly increased in HSD group(P<0.05).Moreover,the levels of bone re-sorption markers,such as amino-terminal cross-linked telopeptides of type Ⅰ collagen(NTX),carboxy-terminal cross-linked telopeptides of type Ⅰ collagen(CTX)and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase(TRACP),were significantly in-creased(P<0.05),indicating that bone metabolism was in high-conversion state.High-salt diet accelerated the structural destruction of bone trabeculae,and Western blot results showed that high-salt diet caused decreases in the protein expres-sion levels of ENaCα and ClC-3 and an increase in the protein expression level of NCC in femoral tissues(P<0.05).After BHF intervention,the expression of relevant ion channels caused by high salt could be regulated to different degrees.CONCLUSION:Bushen formulae could differentially regulate the expression of relevant ion channels ENaCα,ClC-3,and NCC induced by high salt to different degrees,which has certain ameliorative and therapeutic effects on the imbalance of bone metabolism.

Objective To identify lipid metabolism genes in cerebral infarction;To explore the intervention effect of Huoxue Rongluo Prescription.Methods Multi-chip combined differential analysis(GSE61616,GSE30655)was used to identify lipid metabolism genes in cerebral infarction in combination with Reactome database,and the expression differences of lipid metabolism genes in cerebral infarction were identified and verified in GSE97537 chip;Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation of 51 cerebral infarction samples in GSE61616,GSE30655,GSE97537,GSE137595,GSE22255,GSE163614,and GSE78731 datasets;PPI,GO and KEGG analysis of lipid metabolism genes in cerebral infarction were performed through STRING database and R clusterProfiler package.SD rats were made to the model of cerebral infarction,and was administered with Huoxue Rongluo Prescription extract 11.7 g/kg by intragastric administration for 7 days.The symptoms of neurological deficit,the changes of Nissl bodies and the mRNA expressions of PLA2G4A,SPHK1,and PTGES key genes in lipid metabolism in cerebral infarction were observed.Results TSPO,CYP1B1,PLIN2,CH25H,PLA2G4A,ANGPTL4,PTGS1,SPHK1,and PTGES were identified as lipid metabolism genes in cerebral infarction,and were significantly highly expressed and positively correlated in cerebral infarction.Among them,PTGS1,PLA2G4A,and SPHK1 interacted with each other,which were the key genes of lipid metabolism in cerebral infarction;the lipid metabolism gene in cerebral infarction mainly exerted molecular functions such as oxidoreductase activity,iron ion binding,heme binding,etc.,mediating arachidonic acid metabolism,phospholipase D signaling pathway,VEGF signaling pathway,involved in regulation of lipid metabolism process,fatty acid metabolism process,fatty acid derivative metabolism process.The symptoms of neurological deficit in the model rats with cerebral infarction were severe(P<0.001),and Huoxue Rongluo Prescription could effectively improve the neurological deficit of model rats(P<0.001).The Nissl staining indicated that the neuronal structure was abnormal and the number was significantly reduced after cerebral infarction(P<0.001).Huoxue Rongluo Prescription could increase the number of neurons(P<0.001)and repair the neuronal structure.RT-qPCR showed that the key genes of lipid metabolism in cerebral infarction were significantly higher in cerebral infarction(P<0.001),corroborated with the bioinformatics results,and Huoxue Rongluo Prescription could reduce the expression of key lipid metabolism genes of PTGS1,PLA2G4A,and SPHK1(P<0.001,P<0.01,P<0.05).Conclusion Huoxue Rongluo Prescription can down-regulate the expressions of PTGS1,PLA2G4A,SPHK1,exert molecular functions such as oxidoreductase activity,iron ion binding,heme binding,and mediate arachidonic acid metabolism,phospholipase D signaling pathway,and VEGF signaling pathway.It participates in the process of lipid metabolism regulation,fatty acid metabolism,and fatty acid derivative metabolism,increases the number of Nissl bodies,improves the symptoms of neurological deficits,and exerts neuroprotective effects.