Autophagy is a conservative lysosome-dependent material catabolic pathway, and exists in all eukaryotic cells. Autophagy controls cell quality and survival by eliminating intracellular dysfunction substances, and plays an important role in various pathophysiology processes. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common male disease. It is resulted from a variety of causes and pathologies, such as diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, aging, spinal cord injury, or cavernous nerve injury caused by radical prostatectomy, and others. In the past decade, autophagy has begun to be investigated in ED. Subsequently, an increasing number of studies have revealed the regulation of autophagy contributes to the recovery of ED, and which is mainly involved in improving endothelial function, smooth muscle cell apoptosis, penile fibrosis, and corpus cavernosum nerve injury. Therefore, in this review, we aim to summarize the possible role of autophagy in ED from a cellular perspective, and we look forward to providing a new idea for the pathogenesis investigation and clinical treatment of ED in the future.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an intelligent handheld ultrasound (US) device for assisting non-expert general practitioners (GPs) in detecting carotid plaques (CPs) in community populations. Methods: This prospective parallel controlled trial recruited 111 consecutive community residents. All of them underwent examinations by non-expert GPs and specialist doctors using handheld US devices (setting A, setting B, and setting C). The results of setting C with specialist doctors were considered the gold standard. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the features of CPs were measured and recorded. The diagnostic performance of GPs in distinguishing CPs was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Inter-observer agreement was compared using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were completed to evaluate clinical benefits. Results: Among the 111 community residents, 80, 96, and 112 CPs were detected in settings A, B, and C, respectively. Setting B exhibited better diagnostic performance than setting A for detecting CPs (area under the curve, 0.856 vs. 0.749; P<0.01). Setting B had better consistency with setting C than setting A in CIMT measurement and the assessment of CPs (ICC, 0.731 to 0.923). Moreover, measurements in setting B required less time than the other two settings (44.59 seconds vs. 108.87 seconds vs. 126.13 seconds, both P<0.01). Conclusion Using an intelligent handheld US device, GPs can perform CP screening and achieve a diagnostic capability comparable to that of specialist doctors.

Aim To investigate the neuroprotective effect of Takeda G protein-coupled receptor-5(TGR5)activated by INT-777 on hypoxic-ischemic encephalop-athy(HIE)in neonatal rats.Methods Seven-day-old SD rats were randomly divided into the sham opera-tion group(Sham,S),model group(HIE,G),INT-777 low-dose(L),medium-dose(M),and high-dose(H)groups.The modified Rice-Vanucci method was used to construct the HIE model and Intranasal admin-istration 1 h after modeling.Short-term neurobehavioral tests were performed 48 h after modeling to evaluate the neurological function of neonatal rats,TTC staining was used to determine the volume of cerebral infarction,dry and wet specific gravity was used to determine the brain water content,ferrous ion kit was used to deter-mine the brain ferrous ion content,HE staining was used to observe the pathological damage of brain tis-sue,Nissl staining was used to observe the loss of Nissl substance,Transmission electron microscopy(TEM)was used to observe the mitochondrial morphological changes of cortical neurons,and Western blot was em-ployed to detect the expression of ferroptosis-related proteins TFR1 and GPX4.Results Compared with group S,group G had increased short-term neurobehav-ioral test consumption time,higher scores,increased cerebral infarct volume,brain water content,and brain ferrous iron content,significant brain tissue damage on the affected side,severe loss of Nissl substance,smaller neuronal mitochondria,decreased mitochondrial cris-tae,and increased expression of TFR1 and reduced ex-pression of GPX4.Compared with group G,the INT-777 administration group had a shorter consumption time for short-term neurobehavioral tests,lower scores,the cerebral infarction volume,brain water content,and brain ferrous ion content decreased,the brain tissue damage on the affected side was reduced,and there was insignificant loss of Nissl substance,larger neuronal mi-tochondrial volume,increased mitochondrial cristae,re-duced expression of TFR1,and increased expression of GPX4.Conclusions INT-777 agonist TGR5 has a protective effect against hypoxic-ischemic encephalopa-thy in neonatal rats,and its mechanism of action may be related to the inhibition of neuronal ferroptosis.

The persistence of obesity is rooted in energy storage mechanisms formed through millions of years of evolution, combined with the systematic influence of the modern "obesogenic environment", constituting a complex regulatory network involving coordinated neural, endocrine, and metabolic systems. Current mainstream treatment methods exhibit significant limitations: glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists demonstrate remarkable short-term weight loss effects but present issues with tolerance development and post-discontinuation weight regain; bariatric metabolic surgery similarly faces long-term weight recurrence challenges, with approximately one-third of patients experiencing weight regain within five years after surgery. Therefore, comprehen-sive obesity treatment must establish a new paradigmatic framework: utilizing cognitive behavioral intervention as the therapeutic foundation, employing multi-dimensional strategies including mindful eating training, nutritional management, and exercise intervention to help patients establish sustain-able lifestyle changes; repositioning pharmaceutical and surgical medical interventions as supportive measures for behavioral change; constructing multi-level social support environments encompassing policy, community, and family domains to achieve transformation from treatment goals focused solely on weight reduction to metabolic health improvement, from success definition based on short-term weight loss to long-term maintenance, and from medical-dominated treatment systems to patient-centered multidisciplinary collaborative approaches. Ultimately, through the deep integration of biomedical precision, patient cognitive initiative, and social support inclusiveness, a sustainable collaborative pathway for obesity treatment can be established. Based on twenty years of clinical experience in bariatric and metabolic surgery, the authors provide an in-depth analysis of the treat-ment challenges faced by obesity as a complex disease and proposes the necessity of transitioning from traditional single medical interventions to a biopsychosocial comprehensive treatment model.

Objective To analyze the efficacy of autologous tissue repair for rectocele through the perineal approach in treating constipation and fecal incontinence in patients.Methods From January 2021 to November 2022,23 female patients with symptomatic rectal protrusion were treated with perineal autologous tissue repair.Preoperatively and at 12 months postoperatively,the Cleveland Clinic Constipation Score(CCCS),Cleveland Clinic Incontinence Score(CCIS),and Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life(PAC-QOL)questionnaires were used to assess postoperative outcomes and quality of life.Results Among the 23 patients,with a median follow-up time of 12.6 months,CCCS decreased from 17.09±1.68 to 3.96±2.08(P＜0.05);CCIS decreased from 1.52±4.15 to 0.52±1.41(P＞0.05);PAC-QOL:physical discomfort decreased from 13.00±1.51 to 4.74±1.98;psychological discomfort decreased from 20.96±3.27 to 5.74±2.67;concern and anxiety decreased from 26.13±4.37 to 8.78±3.14;satisfaction decreased from 15.39±2.35 to 4.60±1.59(P＜0.05).All patients showed significant improvement in constipation and incontinence symptoms postoperatively,with no serious postoperative complications and a marked improvement in postoperative quality of life.Conclusion Rectocele repair with perineal approach using autologous tissue is an effective and safe method,avoiding potential potential complications associated with grafts.

Aim To investigate the therapeutic effects of corylifol A(CYA)on Lewis lung carcinoma(LLC)cachexia mice and its ameliorating effects on myotube atrophy induced by LLC cell-conditioned medium(LLC CM)in vitro,and to explore the mechanisms.Methods The cancer cachexia was induced by subcu-taneous inoculation of LLC cells to C57BL/6J mice.The effects of CYA(10,20 mg·kg-1·d-1,i.p.)on the cachexia symptoms and survival time of cachexia mice were observed.The effects of 2.5 or 5 μmol·L-1 CYA on myotube atrophy of C2C12 induced by LLC CM were observed.The effects of CYA on its pos-sible target the serine/threonine-protein kinase TAO1(TAOK1)and downstream signaling pathways were detected using Western blot.The influence of TAOK1 knockout on the ameliorating effects of CYA on myo-tube atrophy was observed.Results CYA could sig-nificantly prolong the survival time of tumor-bearing mice and ameliorate the muscle atrophy associated with LLC.The effects of CYA on myotube atrophy are relat-ed to its regulation of TAOK1.The effects of CYA could be reduced by knockout of TAOK1.Conclusions CYA improves the survival of LLC cachexia mice and ameliorates the related skeletal muscle atrophy.The mechanism of CYA is related to its inhibition on TAOK1 and downstream signaling pathways.

Aim To explore the in vitro anti-human triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC)effect and mech-anism of Austocystin R.Methods MTT assay was used to evaluate the anti-tumor potential of Austocystin R for various human tumor cells and normal cells.Flow cytometry was employed to evaluate the influence on cell cycle progression.mRFP-GFP-LC3 adenovirus transfection was used to evaluate the autophagic flux process.Western blot assay was used to verify the effect of Austocystin R on the expression of related pro-teins.Results The results showed that Austocystin R significantly inhibited the proliferation of multiple tumor cells in a dose-dependent manner,especially for the MDA-MB-231 cells with an IC50 of 1.45μmol·L-1.In addition,Austocystin R increased the protein expression of PTEN,p53,p-p53,p27,p21,and down-regulated the expression of p-PI3K,p-AKT and p-mTOR.Austocystin R can significantly increase the proportion of S-phase MDA-MB-231 cells,inhibit the expression of Cyclin D1,CDK4,CDK6,Rb,Cyclin B1 and CDK1,and promote the expression of Cyclin E1 and CDK2.Austocystin R can promote the autophagic flux process of MDA-MB-231 cells,promote the expres-sion of LC3 Ⅰ/Ⅱ,p-Beclin-1,p-ULK1,HMGB-1 and Atg 14 proteins,and inhibit the expression of Beclin-1,ULK1,p62,ATG 3,ATG 4B,ATG 5,ATG 7,ATG 12,ATG 13 and ATG 16L1 proteins.Conclusion Austo-cystin R can exhibit its anti-TNBC activity by inhibi-ting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway,blocking the cell cycle at the S phase and inducing autophagic cell death.

Objective:To explore the spatial correlation between gray matter volume (GMV) changes and neurotransmitter receptors/transporters in patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES) .Methods:Fifty-four FES patients(FES group) and fifty-nine healthy controls (HC group) were selected from June 2014 to May 2020 in the Psychiatry Department of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) was conducted on all subjects. Differences of GMV were compared across 400 cortical regions and 32 subcortical regions. Based on the positron emission tomography(PET) data from Neuromaps, which provides the density of 19 different neurotransmitter receptors and transporters, Spearman correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the spatial correlation between GMV changes and neurotransmitter systems.Results:Compared to the HC group, FES group exhibited significant GMV reductions in widespread cortical (90/400) and subcortical (6/32) regions (all FDR-corrected P<0.05). The effect size of GMV reduction (Cohen’s d) showed significant positive correlations with the density of 5-hydroxytryptamine 1a(5HT1a) ( r=0.400, Pspin=0.002), γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor(GABA A)( r=0.307, Pspin=0.002), and metabotropic glutamate receptor 5(mGluR5) ( r=0.275, Pspin=0.020) receptors (all FDR-corrected P<0.05). Conclusion:GMV reductions in a wide range of brain regions existed in patients with FES. There are significant correlations between 5HT1a, GABA A and mGluR5 receptors and gray matter reduction in patients with FES. The disorder of these neurotransmitter receptors may be the potential neurobiological mechanism of gray matter structural abnormalities in the early stage of schizophrenia.

Objective:To investigate short-term efficacy of interventional treatment guided by abdominal superficial ultrasound and its impact on immune levels in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.Methods:A total of 152 patients diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer from May 2018 to March 2020 in the People's Hospital of Yuechi were selected as study subjects,with 84 patients treated with combination chemotherapy and 68 patients treated with chemotherapy alone.After 1∶1 propensity score match-ing,a total of 60 patients were included in each group.Clinical data were compared between matched groups,and effect of different treatment methods on short-term efficacy and immune levels in advanced pancreatic cancer were evaluated by generalized estimating equations.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in age,BMI,tumor location,gender,tumor size and tumor stage between matched groups(P>0.05).When comparing efficacy of matched groups,local control rate(LCR)showed a declining trend after treatment(P<0.05),median durations of local progression-free survival(LPFS)and overall survival(OS)in chemotherapy group were higher than monotherapy group(P<0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in CA19-9 level before treatment between combination chemotherapy group and monotherapy chemotherapy group(P>0.05).In combiuation chemotherapy group,CA19-9 level showed a continuous downward trend after treatment,with a significant decrease at 6-month follow-up compared to be-fore treatment;in chemotherapy alone group,CA19-9 level showed an overall decrease followed by an increase,with the lowest point at 1 month,and a significant decrease compared to before treatment,while no significant differences in remaining follow-up periods(P>0.05).There was no significant difference of CA19-9 level at 7 days and 14 days after treatment between monotherapy chemotherapy group and combination chemotherapy group(P>0.05).However,at 1 month,3 months and 6 months after treatment,CA19-9 level in combination chemotherapy group was significantly lower than monotherapy chemotherapy group(P<0.05).Immune levels in combina-tion chemotherapy group showed an initial increase followed by a decrease,reaching the highest point at 1 month,and total T-cell count showed a significant decrease after 6 months of treatment compared to before treatment(P<0.05).CD3+T,NK,IL-2 and IFN-γ immune levels were still higher than before treatment(P<0.05),with no significant differences in remaining indicators compared to before treatment(P>0.05).CD4+T/CD8+T in chemotherapy alone group did not show a significant trend,and remaining indicators showed same trend as combined chemotherapy group(P<0.05);after 6 months of treatment,total T-cell count,CD3+T cell count,NK cell count and IL-2 level were lower than before treatment(P<0.05),with no significant differences in remaining indicators compared to before treatment(P>0.05).During follow-up period,combined chemotherapy group showed higher levels of total T cells,CD3+T cells,NK cells,IL-2,IFN-γ and IL-6 levels compared to single chemotherapy group(P>0.05).CD4+T/CD8+T at 14 days and 3 months of follow-up was significantly higher in combined chemotherapy group than single chemotherapy group(P<0.05),while differences were not significant at other follow-up times(P>0.05).Generalized estimating equation evaluation showed that all indica-tors were statistically significant.Conclusion:Interventional treatment guided by abdominal superficial ultrasound can effectively improve short-term efficacy and immune levels in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

The persistence of obesity is rooted in energy storage mechanisms formed through millions of years of evolution, combined with the systematic influence of the modern "obesogenic environment", constituting a complex regulatory network involving coordinated neural, endocrine, and metabolic systems. Current mainstream treatment methods exhibit significant limitations: glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists demonstrate remarkable short-term weight loss effects but present issues with tolerance development and post-discontinuation weight regain; bariatric metabolic surgery similarly faces long-term weight recurrence challenges, with approximately one-third of patients experiencing weight regain within five years after surgery. Therefore, comprehen-sive obesity treatment must establish a new paradigmatic framework: utilizing cognitive behavioral intervention as the therapeutic foundation, employing multi-dimensional strategies including mindful eating training, nutritional management, and exercise intervention to help patients establish sustain-able lifestyle changes; repositioning pharmaceutical and surgical medical interventions as supportive measures for behavioral change; constructing multi-level social support environments encompassing policy, community, and family domains to achieve transformation from treatment goals focused solely on weight reduction to metabolic health improvement, from success definition based on short-term weight loss to long-term maintenance, and from medical-dominated treatment systems to patient-centered multidisciplinary collaborative approaches. Ultimately, through the deep integration of biomedical precision, patient cognitive initiative, and social support inclusiveness, a sustainable collaborative pathway for obesity treatment can be established. Based on twenty years of clinical experience in bariatric and metabolic surgery, the authors provide an in-depth analysis of the treat-ment challenges faced by obesity as a complex disease and proposes the necessity of transitioning from traditional single medical interventions to a biopsychosocial comprehensive treatment model.