1.Effects of Yangxin Tongmai Formula (养心通脉方) on Methylation Key Genes and the PERK/ATF4/CHOP Signaling Pathway in Myocardial Tissue of Coronary Heart Disease Model Rats with Blood Stasis Syndrome
Chun ZHANG ; Shumeng ZHANG ; Yan MAO ; Xing CHEN ; Huifang KUANG ; Yi YANG ; Lingli CHEN ; Jie LI
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(7):784-791
ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Yangxin Tongmai Formula (养心通脉方, YTF) in trea-ting coronary heart disease with blood stasis syndrome based on DNA methylation. MethodsSeventy-two SD rats were randomly divided into a control group (n=12) and a modeling group (n=60). The modeling group was subjected to a high-fat diet, intragastric administration of vitamin D3, and subcutaneous injection of isoprenaline to establish the rat model of coronary heart disease with blood stasis syndrome. Forty-one successfully modeled rats were then randomly allocated into model group, YTF low-, medium-, and high-dose groups, and the atorvastatin calcium group, with 8 rats in each group and 1 rat reserved. The YTF low-, medium-, and high-dose groups received YTF at 6, 12, and 18 g/(kg·d) by gavage, respectively. The atorvastatin calcium group received atorvastatin calcium tablets at 1.8 mg/(kg·d) by gavage. The control group and the model group received 0.9% sodium chloride injection at 4 ml/(kg·d) by gavage. All administrations were performed once daily for 3 weeks. Twenty-four hours after the last administration, serum lipid levels including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), myocardial enzymes including cardiac troponin T (cTnT), creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and inflammatory factors including interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were detected by ELISA. Pathological changes in myocardial tissue were observed via HE staining. Whole blood DNA methylation sequencing was used to analyze differential methylation gene expression among the control group, model group, and YTF high-dose group. Western Blotting was used to verify the protein levels of the key genes and downstream signaling pathways. ResultsCompared to the control group, the model group showed increased levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, cTnT, CK-MB, LDH, and IL-1β, along with decreased levels of HDL-C and IL-10 (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared to the model group, all treatment groups exhibited decreased levels of TC, LDL-C, CK-MB, and LDH, along with increased IL-10 levels. Among these, the high-dose YTF group demonstrated superior efficacy in reducing cTnT levels compared to the other TCM groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). HE staining indicated that the YTF high-dose group ameliorated myocardial cell swelling, disordered arrangement, pyknosis, and disappearance of nuclei, thereby reducing myocardial cell damage. Whole blood DNA methylation sequencing identified 240 differentially methylated genes shared by the control group, model group, and YTF high-dose group, including 109 hypermethylated and 131 hypomethylated genes; eif2ak3 was identified as a key differentially methylated gene. Compared to the control group, the model group exhibited increased protein levels of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha kinase 3 (eIf2ak3), phosphorylated protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (p-PERK), activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), and Bax, along with a decreased level of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) protein (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared to the model group, the YTF high-dose group showed decreased protein levels of eIf2ak3, p-PERK, ATF4, CHOP, and Bax, and an increased level of Bcl-2 protein (P<0.05 or P<0.01). ConclusionYTF may regulate key differentially methylated genes such as eIf2ak3 and the PERK/ATF4/CHOP signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress, reducing myocardial cell apoptosis, and exerting therapeutic effects in coronary heart disease blood stasis syndrome.
2.Integrated multiomics reveal mechanism of Aidi Injection in attenuating doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity.
Yan-Li WANG ; Yu-Jie TU ; Jian-Hua ZHU ; Lin ZHENG ; Yong HUANG ; Jia SUN ; Yong-Jun LI ; Jie PAN ; Chun-Hua LIU ; Yuan LU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(8):2245-2259
The combination of Aidi Injection(ADI) and doxorubicin(DOX) is a common strategy in the treatment of cancer, which can achieve synergistic anti-tumor effects while attenuating the cardiotoxicity caused by DOX. This study aims to investigate the mechanism of ADI in attenuating DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by multi-omics. DOX was used to induce cardiotoxicity in mice, and the cardioprotective effects of ADI were evaluated based on biochemical indicators and pathological changes. Based on the results, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics were employed to analyze the changes of endogenous substances in different physiological states. Furthermore, data from multiple omics were integrated to screen key regulatory pathways by which ADI attenuated DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, and important target proteins were selected for measurement by ELISA kits and immunohistochemical analysis. The results showed that ADI significantly reduced the levels of cardiac troponin T(cTnT) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP) and effectively ameliorated myocardial fibrosis and intracellular vacuolization, indicating that ADI showed therapeutic effect on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity. The transcriptomics analysis screened out a total of 400 differentially expressed genes(DEGs), which were mainly enriched in inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and myocardial fibrosis. After proteomics analysis, 70 differentially expressed proteins were selected, which were mainly enriched in the inflammatory response, cardiac function, and energy metabolism. A total of 51 differentially expressed metabolites were screened by the metabolomics analysis, and they were mainly enriched in multiple signaling pathways, including the inflammatory response, lipid metabolism, and energy metabolism. The integrated data of multiple omics showed that linoleic acid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, and glycerophosphate metabolism pathways played an important role in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity, and ADI may exert therapeutic effects by modulating these pathways. Target validation experiments suggested that ADI significantly regulated abnormal protein levels of cyclooxygenase-1(COX-1), cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2), prostaglandin H2(PGH2), and prostaglandin D2(PGD2) in the model group. In conclusion, ADI may attenuate DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by regulating linoleic acid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, and glycerophosphate metabolism, thus alleviating inflammation of the body.
Doxorubicin/toxicity*
;
Animals
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Mice
;
Cardiotoxicity/genetics*
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
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Male
;
Proteomics
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Metabolomics
;
Injections
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Humans
;
Multiomics
3.Morphological and physiological responses to shading caused by dense planting or light quality modulation in shade-tolerant plant Anoectochilus roxburghii.
Xiao-Lei GUO ; Li-Chun ZHOU ; Ming-Jie LI ; Zhong-Yi ZHANG ; Li GU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(10):2648-2657
The balance between growth and defense in response to nearby or canopy shading in heliotropic plants has been deeply understood. However, the adaptive traits developed by shade-tolerant plants through long-term evolution remain unclear. In this study, the typical shade-tolerant medicinal plant Anoectochilus roxburghii was used as the experimental material.(1) Different planting densities were set, including 8 cm(row spacing) × 8 cm(plant spacing), 6 cm × 6 cm, 4 cm × 4 cm, and 2 cm × 2 cm, to monitor the individual plant responses to nearby shading.(2) Different light environments, including blue light∶red light=3∶2(B3R2), blue light∶red light∶far-red light=3∶2∶1(B3R2FR1), blue light∶red light∶far-red light=3∶2∶2(B3R2FR2), and blue light∶red light∶far-red light=3∶2∶4(B3R2FR4), were set to monitor the morphological and physiological changes in plants in response to actual shading conditions. The results showed that:(1) Moderate increases in planting density helped optimize morphological traits such as stem diameter and leaf area. This not only slightly increased biomass but also significantly improved SOD activity in both leaves and stems, as well as lignin content in stems, thereby enhancing the plant's defense capabilities.(2) Increasing the far-red light in the light environment negatively regulated the plant height of A. roxburghii, which was contrary to the typical shade-avoidance response observed in heliotropic plants. However, it significantly enhanced SOD and POD activity in both stems and leaves, as well as lignin content in stems. Furthermore, it reduced the incidence and disease index of stalk rot, effectively defending against biotic stress. Therefore, the shade-tolerant plant A. roxburghii has specific adaptive strategies for shading conditions. Reasonable dense planting or light environment modulation can synergistically improve yield, medicinal quality, and resistance of A. roxburghii. This study provides a theoretical foundation and technical support for optimizing the regional deployment and cultivation strategies of ecological planting for Chinese medicinal materials.
Orchidaceae/genetics*
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Light
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Plant Leaves/physiology*
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Sunlight
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Adaptation, Physiological/radiation effects*
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Plant Proteins/genetics*
4.Prim-O-glucosylcimifugin mitigates atopic dermatitis by inhibiting Th2 differentiation through LCK phosphorylation modulation.
Hang ZHAO ; Xin MA ; Hao WANG ; Xiao-Jie DING ; Le KUAI ; Jian-Kun SONG ; Zhan ZHANG ; Dan YANG ; Chun-Jie GAO ; Bin LI ; Mi ZHOU
Journal of Integrative Medicine 2025;23(3):309-319
OBJECTIVE:
To assess the safety and topical efficacy of prim-O-glucosylcimifugin (POG) and investigate the molecular mechanisms of its therapeutic effects in atopic dermatitis (AD).
METHODS:
The effects of POG on human keratinocyte cell viability and its anti-inflammatory properties were evaluated using cell counting kit-8 assay and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Subsequently, the impact of POG on the differentiation of cluster of differentiation (CD) 4+ T cell subsets, including T-helper type (Th) 1, Th2, Th17, and regulatory T (Treg), was examined through in vitro experiments. Network pharmacology analysis was used to elucidate POG's therapeutic mechanisms. Furthermore, the therapeutic potential of topically applied POG was further evaluated in a calcipotriol-induced mouse model of AD. The protein and transcript levels of inflammatory markers, including cytokines, lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (Lck) mRNA, and LCK phosphorylation (p-LCK), were quantified using immunohistochemistry, RT-qPCR, and Western blot analysis.
RESULTS:
POG was able to suppress cell proliferation and downregulate the transcription of interleukin 4 (Il4) and Il13 mRNA. In vitro experiments indicated that POG significantly inhibited the differentiation of Th2 cells, whereas it exerted negligible influence on the differentiation of Th1, Th17 and Treg cells. Network pharmacology identified LCK as a key therapeutic target of POG. Moreover, the topical application of POG effectively alleviated skin lesions in the calcipotriol-induced AD mouse models without causing pathological changes in the liver, kidney or spleen tissues. POG significantly reduced the levels of Il4, Il5, Il13, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (Tslp) mRNA in the AD mice. Concurrently, POG enhanced the expression of p-LCK protein and Lck mRNA.
CONCLUSION
Our research revealed that POG inhibits Th2 cell differentiation by promoting p-LCK protein expression and hence effectively alleviates AD-related skin inflammation. Please cite this article as: Zhao H, Ma X, Wang H, Ding XJ, Kuai L, Song JK, Zhang Z, Yang D, Gao CJ, Li B, Zhou M. Prim-O-glucosylcimifugin mitigates atopic dermatitis by inhibiting Th2 differentiation through LCK phosphorylation modulation. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 309-319.
Dermatitis, Atopic/drug therapy*
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Animals
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Humans
;
Cell Differentiation/drug effects*
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Phosphorylation/drug effects*
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Mice
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Th2 Cells/drug effects*
;
Keratinocytes/drug effects*
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Disease Models, Animal
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Mice, Inbred BALB C
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Calcitriol/analogs & derivatives*
5.Association between Fish Consumption and Stroke Incidence Across Different Predicted Risk Populations: A Prospective Cohort Study from China.
Hong Yue HU ; Fang Chao LIU ; Ke Yong HUANG ; Chong SHEN ; Jian LIAO ; Jian Xin LI ; Chen Xi YUAN ; Ying LI ; Xue Li YANG ; Ji Chun CHEN ; Jie CAO ; Shu Feng CHEN ; Dong Sheng HU ; Jian Feng HUANG ; Xiang Feng LU ; Dong Feng GU
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(1):15-26
OBJECTIVE:
The relationship between fish consumption and stroke is inconsistent, and it is uncertain whether this association varies across predicted stroke risks.
METHODS:
A cohort study comprising 95,800 participants from the Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China project was conducted. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect data on fish consumption. Participants were stratified into low- and moderate-to-high-risk categories based on their 10-year stroke risk prediction scores. Hazard ratios ( HRs) and 95% confidence intervals ( CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard models and additive interaction by relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion (AP), and synergy index (SI).
RESULTS:
During 703,869 person-years of follow-up, 2,773 incident stroke events were identified. Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, particularly among moderate-to-high-risk individuals ( HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.47-0.60) than among low-risk individuals ( HR = 0.64, 95% CI: 0.49-0.85). A significant additive interaction between fish consumption and predicted stroke risk was observed (RERI = 4.08, 95% CI: 2.80-5.36; SI = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.42-1.89; AP = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.28-0.43).
CONCLUSION
Higher fish consumption was associated with a lower risk of stroke, and this beneficial association was more pronounced in individuals with moderate-to-high stroke risk.
Humans
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China/epidemiology*
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Male
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Female
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Stroke/etiology*
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Middle Aged
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Prospective Studies
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Incidence
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Aged
;
Animals
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Fishes
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Risk Factors
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Diet
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Seafood
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Adult
;
Cohort Studies
6.Association between Solid Cooking Fuel Use and Frailty Trajectories: Findings from a Nationwide Cohort in China.
Yang LIU ; Bing Jie WU ; Bing Bing FAN ; Chun Xia LI ; Chang SU ; Ai Dong LIU ; Tao ZHANG
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(6):653-665
OBJECTIVE:
Burning solid cooking fuel contributes to household air pollution and is associated with frailty. However, how solid cooking fuel use contributes to the development of frailty has not been well illustrated.
METHODS:
This study recruited 8,947 participants aged ≥ 45 years from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, 2011-2018. Group-based trajectory modeling was employed to identify frailty trajectories. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the association between solid cooking fuel use and frailty trajectories. Population-attributable fractions were used to estimate the frailty burden from solid fuel use.
RESULTS:
We identified three frailty trajectories: low-stable ( n = 5,789), moderate-increasing ( n = 2,603), and fast-increasing ( n = 555). Solid fuel use was associated with higher odds of being in the moderate-increasing ( OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.08-1.42) and fast-increasing ( OR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.14-1.92) trajectories. These associations were strengthened by longer solid fuel use ( P for trend < 0.001). Switching to clean fuel significantly reduced the risk of being in these trajectories compared with persistent solid fuel users. Without solid fuel, 8% of moderate- and 19% of fast-increasing trajectories demonstrated frailty development like the low-stable group.
CONCLUSION
Solid cooking fuel use is associated with frailty trajectories in middle-aged and older Chinese populations.
Humans
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China/epidemiology*
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Cooking
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Male
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Female
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Middle Aged
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Aged
;
Air Pollution, Indoor/adverse effects*
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Frailty/etiology*
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Longitudinal Studies
;
Cohort Studies
8.Interposition of acellular amniotic membrane at the tendon to bone interface would be better for healing than overlaying above the tendon to bone junction in the repair of rotator cuff injury.
Jiang-Tao WANG ; Chun-Bao LI ; Jia-Ting ZHANG ; Ming-Yang AN ; Gang ZHAO ; Yu-Jie LIU
Chinese Journal of Traumatology 2025;28(3):187-192
PURPOSE:
The retear rate of rotator cuff (RC) after surgery is high, and the rapid and functional enthesis regeneration remains a challenge. Whether acellular amniotic membrane (AAM) helps to promote the healing of tendon to bone and which treatment is better are both unclear. The study aims to investigate the effect of AAM on the healing of RC and the best treatment for RC repair.
METHODS:
Thirty-three Sprague Dawley rats underwent RC transection and repair using microsurgical techniques and were randomly divided into the suturing repair only (SRO) group (n = 11), the AAM overlaying (AOL) group (n = 11), and the AAM interposition (AIP) group (n = 11), respectively. Rats were sacrificed at 4 weeks, then examined by subsequent micro-CT, and evaluated by histologic and biomechanical tests. The statistical analyses of one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test were performed using with SPSS 23.0. A p < 0.05 was considered a significant difference.
RESULTS:
AAM being intervened between tendon and bone (AIP group) or overlaid over tendon to bone junction (AOL group) in a rat model, promoted enthesis regeneration, increased new bone and cartilage generation, and improved collagen arrangement and biomechanical properties in comparison with suturing repair only (SRO group) (AOL vs. SRO, p < 0.001, p = 0.004, p = 0.003; AIP vs. SRO, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001). Compared with the AOL group, the AIP group had better results in micro-CT evaluation, histological score, and biomechanical testing (p = 0 0.039, p = 0.011, p = 0.003, respectively).
CONCLUSION
In the RC repair model, AAM enhanced regeneration of the tendon to bone junction. This regeneration was more effective when the AAM was intervened at the tendon to bone interface than overlaid above the tendon to bone junction.
Animals
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Rotator Cuff Injuries/surgery*
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Amnion/transplantation*
;
Rats
;
Wound Healing
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Rotator Cuff/surgery*
;
Male
;
X-Ray Microtomography
;
Tendons/surgery*
;
Biomechanical Phenomena
9.Corrigendum to "Interposition of acellular amniotic membrane at the tendon to bone interface would be better for healing than overlaying above the tendon to bone junction in the repair of rotator cuff injury" Chinese J Traumatol 28 (2025) 187-192.
Jiang-Tao WANG ; Chun-Bao LI ; Jia-Ting ZHANG ; Ming-Yang AN ; Gang ZHAO ; Yu-Jie LIU
Chinese Journal of Traumatology 2025;28(6):518-518
10.Mediating effect of sleep duration between depression symptoms and myopia in middle school students.
Wei DU ; Xu-Xiang YANG ; Ru-Shuang ZENG ; Chun-Yao ZHAO ; Zhi-Peng XIANG ; Yuan-Chun LI ; Jie-Song WANG ; Xiao-Hong SU ; Xiao LU ; Yu LI ; Jing WEN ; Dang HAN ; Qun DU ; Jia HE
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(3):359-365
OBJECTIVES:
To explore the mediating role of sleep duration in the relationship between depression symptoms and myopia among middle school students.
METHODS:
This study was a cross-sectional research conducted using a stratified cluster random sampling method. A total of 1 728 middle school students were selected from two junior high schools and two senior high schools in certain urban areas and farms of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Questionnaire surveys and vision tests were conducted among the students. Spearman analysis was used to analyze the correlation between depression symptoms, sleep duration, and myopia. The Bootstrap method was employed to investigate the mediating effect of sleep duration between depression symptoms and myopia.
RESULTS:
The prevalence of myopia in the overall population was 74.02% (1 279/1 728), with an average sleep duration of (7.6±1.0) hours. The rate of insufficient sleep was 83.62% (1 445/1 728), and the proportion of students exhibiting depression symptoms was 25.29% (437/1 728). Correlation analysis showed significant negative correlations between visual acuity in both eyes and sleep duration with depressive emotions as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (with correlation coefficients of -0.064, -0.084, and -0.199 respectively; P<0.01), as well as with somatic symptoms and activities (with correlation coefficients of -0.104, -0.124, and -0.233 respectively; P<0.01) and interpersonal relationships (with correlation coefficients of -0.052, -0.059, and -0.071 respectively; P<0.05). The correlation coefficients for left and right eye visual acuity and sleep duration were 0.206 and 0.211 respectively (P<0.001). Sleep duration exhibited a mediating effect between depression symptoms and myopia (indirect effect=0.056, 95%CI: 0.029-0.088), with the mediating effect value for females (indirect effect=0.066, 95%CI: 0.024-0.119) being higher than that for males (indirect effect=0.042, 95%CI: 0.011-0.081).
CONCLUSIONS
Sleep duration serves as a partial mediator between depression symptoms and myopia in middle school students.
Humans
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Myopia/etiology*
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Male
;
Female
;
Depression/physiopathology*
;
Cross-Sectional Studies
;
Sleep
;
Adolescent
;
Students
;
Child
;
Time Factors
;
Sleep Duration

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