Background: Obesity and chronic pain are related in both directions, according to earlier observational research.This research aimed to analyze the causal association between obesity and chronic pain at the genetic level, as well as to assess whether common factors mediate this relationship. Methods: This study used bidirectional two sample Mendelian randomization (MR) technique to analyze the association between obesity and chronic pain. Obesity's summary genome-wide association data were obtained from European ancestry groups, as measured by body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC), genome-wide association study data for chronic pain also came from the UK population, including chronic pain at three different sites (back, hip, and headache), chronic widespread pain (CWP), and multisite chronic pain (MCP). Secondly, a two-step MR and multivariate MR investigation was performed to evaluate the mediating effects of several proposed confounders. Results: The authors discovered a link between chronic pain and obesity. More specifically, a sensitivity analysis was done to confirm the associations between greater BMI, WC, and HC with an increased risk of CWP and MCP.Importantly, the intermediate MR results suggest that education levels and smoking initiation may mediate the causal relationship between BMI on CWP, with a mediation effect of 23.08% and 15.38%, respectively. Conclusions The authors’ findings demonstrate that the importance of education and smoking in understanding chronic pain’s pathogenesis, which is important for the primary prevention and prognosis of chronic pain.

Background: Obesity and chronic pain are related in both directions, according to earlier observational research.This research aimed to analyze the causal association between obesity and chronic pain at the genetic level, as well as to assess whether common factors mediate this relationship. Methods: This study used bidirectional two sample Mendelian randomization (MR) technique to analyze the association between obesity and chronic pain. Obesity's summary genome-wide association data were obtained from European ancestry groups, as measured by body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC), genome-wide association study data for chronic pain also came from the UK population, including chronic pain at three different sites (back, hip, and headache), chronic widespread pain (CWP), and multisite chronic pain (MCP). Secondly, a two-step MR and multivariate MR investigation was performed to evaluate the mediating effects of several proposed confounders. Results: The authors discovered a link between chronic pain and obesity. More specifically, a sensitivity analysis was done to confirm the associations between greater BMI, WC, and HC with an increased risk of CWP and MCP.Importantly, the intermediate MR results suggest that education levels and smoking initiation may mediate the causal relationship between BMI on CWP, with a mediation effect of 23.08% and 15.38%, respectively. Conclusions The authors’ findings demonstrate that the importance of education and smoking in understanding chronic pain’s pathogenesis, which is important for the primary prevention and prognosis of chronic pain.

Background: Obesity and chronic pain are related in both directions, according to earlier observational research.This research aimed to analyze the causal association between obesity and chronic pain at the genetic level, as well as to assess whether common factors mediate this relationship. Methods: This study used bidirectional two sample Mendelian randomization (MR) technique to analyze the association between obesity and chronic pain. Obesity's summary genome-wide association data were obtained from European ancestry groups, as measured by body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC), genome-wide association study data for chronic pain also came from the UK population, including chronic pain at three different sites (back, hip, and headache), chronic widespread pain (CWP), and multisite chronic pain (MCP). Secondly, a two-step MR and multivariate MR investigation was performed to evaluate the mediating effects of several proposed confounders. Results: The authors discovered a link between chronic pain and obesity. More specifically, a sensitivity analysis was done to confirm the associations between greater BMI, WC, and HC with an increased risk of CWP and MCP.Importantly, the intermediate MR results suggest that education levels and smoking initiation may mediate the causal relationship between BMI on CWP, with a mediation effect of 23.08% and 15.38%, respectively. Conclusions The authors’ findings demonstrate that the importance of education and smoking in understanding chronic pain’s pathogenesis, which is important for the primary prevention and prognosis of chronic pain.

Background: Obesity and chronic pain are related in both directions, according to earlier observational research.This research aimed to analyze the causal association between obesity and chronic pain at the genetic level, as well as to assess whether common factors mediate this relationship. Methods: This study used bidirectional two sample Mendelian randomization (MR) technique to analyze the association between obesity and chronic pain. Obesity's summary genome-wide association data were obtained from European ancestry groups, as measured by body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC), genome-wide association study data for chronic pain also came from the UK population, including chronic pain at three different sites (back, hip, and headache), chronic widespread pain (CWP), and multisite chronic pain (MCP). Secondly, a two-step MR and multivariate MR investigation was performed to evaluate the mediating effects of several proposed confounders. Results: The authors discovered a link between chronic pain and obesity. More specifically, a sensitivity analysis was done to confirm the associations between greater BMI, WC, and HC with an increased risk of CWP and MCP.Importantly, the intermediate MR results suggest that education levels and smoking initiation may mediate the causal relationship between BMI on CWP, with a mediation effect of 23.08% and 15.38%, respectively. Conclusions The authors’ findings demonstrate that the importance of education and smoking in understanding chronic pain’s pathogenesis, which is important for the primary prevention and prognosis of chronic pain.

Background: Obesity and chronic pain are related in both directions, according to earlier observational research.This research aimed to analyze the causal association between obesity and chronic pain at the genetic level, as well as to assess whether common factors mediate this relationship. Methods: This study used bidirectional two sample Mendelian randomization (MR) technique to analyze the association between obesity and chronic pain. Obesity's summary genome-wide association data were obtained from European ancestry groups, as measured by body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC), genome-wide association study data for chronic pain also came from the UK population, including chronic pain at three different sites (back, hip, and headache), chronic widespread pain (CWP), and multisite chronic pain (MCP). Secondly, a two-step MR and multivariate MR investigation was performed to evaluate the mediating effects of several proposed confounders. Results: The authors discovered a link between chronic pain and obesity. More specifically, a sensitivity analysis was done to confirm the associations between greater BMI, WC, and HC with an increased risk of CWP and MCP.Importantly, the intermediate MR results suggest that education levels and smoking initiation may mediate the causal relationship between BMI on CWP, with a mediation effect of 23.08% and 15.38%, respectively. Conclusions The authors’ findings demonstrate that the importance of education and smoking in understanding chronic pain’s pathogenesis, which is important for the primary prevention and prognosis of chronic pain.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment of "biaoben acupoint combination" on cardiomyocyte mitochondrial fission in the rats with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) and explore its mechanism. METHODS: Fifty male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham-operation group, a model group, an EA pretreatment group, an EA pretreatment + Compound C group and an EA pretreatment+ML385 group, 10 rats in each group. In the EA pretreatment, the EA pretreatment + Compound C group and the EA pretreatment+ML385 group, EA was delivered at bilateral "Neiguan" (PC6), "Zusanli" (ST36) and "Guanyuan" (CV4) for 20 min, with continuous wave and 2 Hz of frequency, 1 mA of current, once daily for consecutive 7 days. On day 8, in the EA pretreatment + Compound C group and the EA pretreatment+ML385 group, 30 min before model preparation, the intraperitoneal injection with Compound C (0.3 mg/kg) and ML385 (30 mg/kg) was administered respectively. Except in the sham-operation group, the ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery was performed to prepare MIRI rat model in the rest groups. In the sham-operation group, the thread was not ligated. After modeling, the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the ischemic area was measured by flow cytometry, superoxide dismutase (SOD) was detected using xanthine oxidase method, and malondialdelyde (MDA) was detected using thiobarbituric acid (TBA) chromatometry. The morphology of myocardial tissue in the ischemic area was observed with HE staining, and the mitochondria ultrastructure of cardiomyocytes observed under transmission electron microscopy. Using immunofluorescence analysis, the positive expression of mitochondrial fission factor (MFF), mitochondrial fission 1 protein antibody (Fis1) and dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) was detected; and with immunohistochemical method used, the protein expression of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), nuclear factor E2-associated factor2 (Nrf2) and Drp1 in the ischemic area was detected. RESULTS: Compared with the sham-operation group, the content of ROS and MDA in the myocardial tissue of the ischemic area, and the positive expression of MFF, Fis1 and Drp1 increased in the model group (P<0.01); the content of SOD and the protein expression of AMRK and Nrf2 decreased (P<0.01), and the protein expression of Drp1 elevated (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the content of ROS and MDA in the myocardial tissue of the ischemic area, and the positive expression of MFF, Fis1 and Drp1 were dropped in the EA pretreatment group (P<0.01); the content of SOD and the protein expression of AMRK and Nrf2 rose (P<0.01), and the protein expression of Drp1 declined (P<0.01); and in the EA pretreatment+Compound C group and the EA pretreatment+ML385 group, the positive expression of MFF, Fis1 and Drp1, and the protein expression of Drp1 were all reduced (P<0.01). When compared with the EA pretreatment + Compound C group and the EA pretreatment+ML385 group, the content of ROS and MDA in the myocardial tissue of the ischemic area, and the positive expression of MFF, Fis1 and Drp1 were dropped in the EA pretreatment group (P<0.01); the content of SOD and the protein expression of AMRK and Nrf2 rose (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the protein expression of Drp1 decreased (P<0.05). In comparison with the model group, the EA pretreatment+Compound C group and the EA pretreatment+ML385 group, the cardiac muscle fiber rupture, cell swelling and mitochondrial disorders were obviously alleviated in the EA pretreatment group. The morphological changes were similar among the model group, the EA pretreatment+Compound C group and the EA pretreatment+ML385 group. CONCLUSION Electroacupuncture pretreatment of "biaoben acupoint combination" attenuates myocardial injury in MIRI rats, probably through promoting the phosphorylation of AMPK and Nrf2, inhibiting the excessive mitochondrial fission induced by Drp1, and reducing mitochondrial dysfunction caused by mitochondrial fragmentation and vacuolation.
Animals ; Electroacupuncture ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury/physiopathology* ; Myocytes, Cardiac/cytology* ; Rats ; Acupuncture Points ; Mitochondrial Dynamics ; Humans ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/genetics* ; Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism*

Rice is the world's largest food crop, and its yield and quality are directly related to food security and human health. Grain size, as one of the important factors determining the rice yield, has been widely concerned by breeders and researchers for a long time. To decipher the regulatory mechanism of rice grain size, we obtained a multi-tiller, dwarf, and small-grain mutant htd1 by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutation from the Japonica rice cultivar 'Zhonghua 11' ('ZH11'). Genetic analysis indicated that the phenotype of htd1 was controlled by a single recessive gene. Using the mutation site map (Mutmap) method, we identified the candidate gene OsHTD1, which encoded a carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase involved in the biosynthesis of strigolactone (SL). The SL content in htd1 was significantly lower than that in 'ZH11'. Cytological analysis showed that the grain size of the mutant decreased due to the reductions in the length and width of glume cells. The function of htd1 was further verified by the CRISPR/cas9 gene editing technology. The plants with the gene knockout exhibited similar grain size to the mutant. In addition, gene expression analysis showed that the expression levels of multiple grain size-related genes in the mutant changed significantly, suggesting that HTD1 may interact with other genes regulating grain size. This study provides a new theoretical basis for research on the regulatory mechanism of rice grain size and potential genetic resources for breeding the rice cultivars with high yields.
Oryza/growth & development* ; Mutation ; Edible Grain/growth & development* ; Alleles ; Plant Proteins/genetics* ; Dioxygenases/genetics* ; Lactones/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Genes, Plant ; Gene Editing ; CRISPR-Cas Systems ; Phenotype

Objective:To investigate the clinical features and outcomes of adolescence-onset methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) and explore preventive strategies.Methods:This was a retrospective case analysis of the phenotypes, genotypes and prognoses of adolescence-onset MMA patients. There were 55 patients diagnosed in Peking University First Hospital from January 2002 to June 2023, the data of symptoms, signs, laboratory results, gene variations, and outcomes was collected. The follow-ups were done through WeChat, telephone, or clinic visits every 3 to 6 months.Results:Among the 55 patients, 31 were males and 24 were females. The age of onset was 12 years old (range 10-18 years old). They visited clinics at Tanner stages 2 to 5 with typical secondary sexual characteristics. Nine cases (16%) were trigged by infection and 5 cases (9%) were triggered by insidious exercises. The period from onset to diagnosis was between 2 months and 6 years. Forty-five cases (82%) had neuropsychiatric symptoms as the main symptoms, followed by cardiovascular symptoms in 12 cases (22%), kidney damage in 7 cases (13%), and eye disease in 12 cases (22%). Fifty-four cases (98%) had the biochemical characteristics of methylmalonic acidemia combined with homocysteinemia, and 1 case (2%) had the isolated methylmalonic acidemia. Genetic diagnosis was obtained in 54 cases, with 20 variants identified in MMACHC gene and 2 in MMUT gene. In 53 children with MMACHC gene mutation,1 case had dual gene variants of PRDX1 and MMACHC, with 105 alleles. The top 5 frequent variants in MMACHC were c.482G>A in 39 alleles (37%), c.609G>A in 17 alleles (16%), c.658_660delAAG in 11 alleles (10%), c.80A>G in 10 alleles (10%), c.567dupT and c.394C>T both are 4 alleles (4%). All patients recovered using cobalamin, L-carnitine, betaine, and symptomatic therapy, and 54 patients (98%) returned to school or work.Conclusions:Patients with adolescence-onset MMA may triggered by fatigue or infection. The diagnosis is often delayed due to non-specific symptoms. Metabolic and genetic tests are crucial for a definite diagnosis. Treatment with cobalamin, L-carnitine, and betaine can effectively reverse the prognosis of MMA in adolescence-onset patients.

Objective:To observe the development process of the neuronal synapse in cerebral cortex and basal ganglionic eminence(GE)regions of the mice,and to clarify the differences in the development of excitatory and inhibitory synapses in different brain regions in vivo and in vitro.Methods:The female C57BL/6 mice were euthanized by cervical dislocation from the 13.5th day to the 15.5th day during the pregnancy,and the embryos were collected under the sterile conditions.The cortex and GE regions of brain tissue of the embryonic mice were gradually isolated under microscope.The primary neurons from the embryonic mice were cultured in vitro,and the cell samples were collected on the 3rd,7th,14th,and 21th days,respectively,and regarded as culture 3 d,7 d,14 d,and 21 d groups.The expression levels of postsynaptic density 95(PSD95)and Gephyrin mRNA in the primary neurons from the cortex and GE regions of the mice in various groups were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)method.Immunofluorescence method was used to detect the expression levels of vesicular glutamate transporter 1(vGLUT1),PSD95,vesicular GABA transporter(vGAT),and Gephyrin proteins in the neurons from the cortex and GE regions of the mice in various groups.Immunofluorescence method was also used to detect the expression levels of vGLUT1 and vGAT proteins in the neurons from the cortical and GE regions in brain tissue of the embryonic mice.Results:Compared with culture 3 d group,the expression levels of PSD95 and Gephyrin mRNA in cortex and GE regions of the mice in culture 14 d and 21 d groups were significantly increased(P<0.01).Compared with cortex area,the expression level of Gephyrin mRNA in the neurons from GE region of the mice in culture 14 d group was significantly decreased(P<0.01).The microscope observation results showed that the excitatory and inhibitory synapses in the neurons from cortex and GE regions of the mice in culture 14 d group showed preliminary development,with positive expression of relevant proteins;among them,the excitatory synaptic proteins showed more distinct positive expression in the cortex neurons,and the presynaptic vGLUT1 and postsynaptic PSD95 molecules exhibited co-localization in the cell bodies and protrusions of the cortical neurons;the inhibitory presynaptic vGAT protein and postsynaptic Gephyrin protein in the neurons from GE region also exhibited co-localization in the cell bodies and protrusions,and there were more distinct expressions of the presynaptic molecule proteins than postsynaptic molecule proteins.Compared with cortex region,the levels of vGLUT1 and PSD95 proteins in the neurons from GE region of the mice in culture 14 d group were significantly decreased(P<0.01),while the levels of vGAT and gephyrin proteins were significantly increased(P<0.01).In culture 21 d group,the positive expressions of synaptic protein in the neurons from cortex and GE regions were increased,and the excitatory and inhibitory synapses further matured and enhanced.In the neurons from cortex and GE regions,rich patterns of corresponding pre-and postsynaptic expression were formed in the cell bodies and protrusions,and synapse structures showed gradual,positive development,with more apparent expression of presynaptic molecules compared wih postsynaptic proteins.Compared with cortex region,the levels of vGLUT1 and PSD95 proteins in the neurons from GE region of the mice in culture 21 d group were significantly decreased(P<0.01),and the levels of vGAT and Gephyrin proteins were significantly increased(P<0.01).Compared with cortex region,the expression level of vGLUT1 protein in the neurons from GE region in brain tissue of the embryonic mice was significantly decreased(P<0.01),while the expression level of vGAT protein was significantly increased(P<0.05).Conclusion:There are distinct differences in synaptic development between the neurons from cortex and GE regions,the excitatory synapses develope earlier in the cortical region and the inhibitory synapses develope earlier in the GE region.The region-specific development of synapses suggests that different types of neural diseases with different cell types might originate from different developmental processes.

Objective:To discuss the differences in eosinophil(EOS)infiltration in cervical tissue and its relationship with cervical-related diseases,and to clarify the effect of EOS on the occurrence and development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia(CIN)and cervical cancer.Methods:The clinical data of 256 patients with cervical diseases were collected and divided into cervical cancer group(n=46,including 26 cases of squamous cell carcinoma,15 cases of adenocarcinoma,and 5 cases of adenosquamous carcinoma),chronic cervicitis group(n=50),CIN stage Ⅰ group(n=50),CIN stage Ⅱ group(n=50),CIN stage Ⅲ group(n=30),and normal group(adjacent normal cervical tissue,n=30)based on their conditions.Colposcopy was used to observe the morphology of cervical tissue of the patients in various groups;thin-layer liquid-based cytology test(TCT)was used to observe the morphology of the cervical exfoliated cells in various groups;hybrid capture-chemiluminescence method was used to detect the human papillomavirus(HPV)infection in cervical tissue of the patients in various groups;HE staining was used to observe the pathomorphology of cervical tissue of the patients in various groups;Congo red staining was used to detect the numbers of EOS infiltration in cervical tissue of the patients in various groups;Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the number of EOS infiltration and the malignancy degree of cervical cancer.Results:The cervical surface of the patients in normal group was smooth and pink,with uniformly distributed capillaries;the cervical surface of the patients in chronic cervicitis group showed red inflammatory changes,with some accompanied by Nabothian cysts and varying degrees of erosion and ulcers;the patients in CIN stage Ⅰ,CIN stage Ⅱ,and CIN stage Ⅲ groups showed epithelial ulcers,thickening,and irregular morphology,with mosaic and punctate vessels;the cervical surface of the patients in cervical cancer group showed raised areas with neoplasms and necrotic ulcers,and they were fragile and prone to bleeding.After acetic acid staining,no obvious changes of the patients in normal group were observed.The cervix of the patients in chronic cervicitis group showed slight white changes that lasted for a short time;in CIN stage Ⅰ,CIN stage Ⅱ,and CIN stage Ⅲ groups,irregular thin acetowhite epithelium with map-like borders was observed,with increasingly acetowhite reactions and larger areas as the stages advanced.The cervix of the patients in cervical cancer group showed thick acetowhite epithelium that lasted longer,with rigid and clear contours.After iodine staining,the cervix of the patients in normal group was brown,with uniform coloration;the cervix of the patients in chronic cervicitis group showed poor coloration in inflammatory lesion areas;the cervix of the patients in CIN stage Ⅰ group showed iodine coloration in metaplastic areas,while the cervix of the patients in CIN stage Ⅲ group showed poor coloration in larger lesion areas;the cervix of the patients in cervical cancer group showed irregular surfaces with cauliflower-like growth and no coloration after iodine staining,appearing orange-yellow or mustard yellow.The TCT observation results showed there were no heteromorphic cells and few inflammatory cells in cervical exfoliated cells of the patients in infiltration in normal group;there were numerous neutrophils and EOS in exfoliated cervical cells without heteromorphic cells in chronic cervicitis group.The heteromorphic binucleated cells with high nuclear-cytoplasmic ratios and deeply stained nuclei were observed in cervical exfoliated cells of the patients in CIN stage Ⅰ and CIN stage Ⅱ groups.More heteromorphic cells with high nuclear-cytoplasmic ratios and irregular nuclear membranes were showed in cervical exfoliated cells of the patients in CIN stage Ⅲ group.The cervical exfoliated cells of the patients in cervical cancer group showed large and prominent nucleoli,clustering into syncytial changes.Compared with normal group,the atypial of cervical exfoliated cells in CIN stage Ⅰ,CIN stage Ⅱ,CIN stage Ⅲ,and cervical cancer groups was increased.The hybrid capture-chemiluminescence results showed that compared with normal and chronic cervicitis groups,the numbers of HPV infection and TCT heteromorphic cells of the patients in CIN stage Ⅰ,CIN stage Ⅱ,and CIN stage Ⅲ groups were increased(P<0.05);compared with CIN stage Ⅰ,CIN stage Ⅱ,and CIN stage Ⅲ groups,the numbers of HPV infection and TCT heteromorphic cells of the patients in cervical cancer group were increased(P<0.05).The HE staining results showed normal cell morphology and structure in normal group,with infiltration of inflammation cells such as neutrophils,monocytes,macrophages,EOS,and lymphocytes;in chronic cervicitis group,the infiltration of inflammatory cells was increased;in CIN group,the cervical cells showed slightly larger nucleoli and heteromorphic cells,with inflammatory cells mainly distributing around the hetermomorphic cells;in cervical cancer group,the cervical cells showed large and deeply stained nucleoli with significant atypia,and the infiltration of inflammatory cells around the cancer cells was increased.Compared with normal group,the numbers of inflammatory cells and EOS infiltration in cervical tissue of the patients in chronic cervicitis group were increased(P<0.05),and the numbers of inflammatory cells and EOS infiltration of the patients in CIN group were increased(P<0.05);compared with chronic cervicitis group,the number of inflammatory cells and EOS infiltration of the patients in CIN group were decreased(P<0.05);compared with chronic cervicitis group and CIN group,the numbers of inflammatory cells and EOS infiltration of the patients in cervical cancer group were increased(P<0.05).The EOS in cervical cancer tissue was mainly distributed around the cancer nests;compared with CIN stage Ⅰ group,the numbers of EOS infiltration in CIN stage Ⅱ and CIN stage Ⅲ groups were increased(P<0.05);compared with CIN stage Ⅱ group,the number of EOS infiltration in CIN stage Ⅲ group was increased(P<0.05).The higher the malignancy degree of the tumor,the more EOS infiltration was observed,and the number of EOS infiltration was positively correlated with the invasion depth of cervical cancer(r=0.533 0,P<0.01).Conclusion:HPV infection and EOS infiltration play a role in promoting the and occurrence development of cervical precancerous lesions and cervical cancer.