Recently, male reproductive health has attracted extensive attention, with the adverse effects of circadian disruption on male fertility gradually gaining recognition. However, the mechanism by which circadian disruption leads to damage to male reproductive system remains unclear. In this review, we first summarized the dual regulatory roles of circadian clock genes on the male reproductive system: (1) circadian regulation of testosterone synthesis via the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular (HPT) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axes; (2) non-circadian regulation of spermatogenesis. Next, we further listed the possible mechanisms by which circadian disruption impairs male fertility, including interference with the oscillatory function of the reproductive system, i.e., synchronization of the HPT axis, crosstalk between the HPT axis and the HPA axis, as well as direct damage to germ cells by disturbing the non-oscillatory function of the reproductive system. Future research using spatiotemporal omics, epigenomic assays, and neural circuit mapping in studying the male reproductive system may provide new clues to systematically unravel the mechanisms by which circadian disruption affects male reproductive system through circadian clock genes.
Male ; Humans ; Animals ; Circadian Clocks/physiology* ; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/physiology* ; Circadian Rhythm/genetics* ; Spermatogenesis/physiology* ; Pituitary-Adrenal System/physiology* ; Testis/physiology* ; Testosterone/biosynthesis* ; CLOCK Proteins ; Infertility, Male/physiopathology*

The chemical constituents of the petroleum ether extract derived from the 90% ethanol extract of Elephantopus scaber were investigated. By silica gel column chromatography, C_(18), MCI column chromatography and semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography, ten compounds were isolated. Their structures were identified as 3β-hydroxy-6β,7β-epoxytaraxeran-14-ene(1), 3β-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid(2), D-friedoolean-14-ene-3β,7α-diol(3), 3β-hydroxy-11α-methoxyolean-12-ene(4), 3β-hydroxyolean-11,13(18)-diene(5), 11α-hydroxy-β-amyrin(6), betulinic acid(7), 3β-hydroxy-30-norlupan-20-one(8), 6-acetonylchelerythrine(9), and 4',5'-dehydrodiodictyonema A(10) by analysis of the 1D NMR, 2D NMR, MS, and IR spectral data. Among them, compound 1 was a new triterpene and other compounds except compounds 2 and 7 were isolated from this plant for the first time.
Triterpenes/isolation & purification* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Molecular Structure ; Asteraceae/chemistry* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

The chemical constituents of the chloroform extract of the 90% methanol extract obtained from the dried branches and leaves of Croton lauioides were investigated. By using silica gel column chromatography, C_(18 )column chromatography, MCI column chromatography, and semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC), six compounds were isolated. Their structures were identified as lauioidine(1), 2α-methoxy-8α-hydroxy-6-oxogermacra-1(10),7(11)-dien-8,12-olide(2), myrrhanolide B(3), gossweilone(4), 6β,7β-epox-4α-hydroxyguaian-10-ene(5), and 4(15)-eudesmane-1β,5α-diol(6) by analyzing the HR-ESI-MS, IR, ECD, 1D NMR and 2D NMR data, as well as their physicochemical properties. All compounds were isolated from C. lauioides for the first time, among which compound 1 is a new nor-clerodane diterpenoid.
Croton/chemistry* ; Diterpenes, Clerodane/isolation & purification* ; Molecular Structure ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid

Based on the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor(α7nAChR), this study examined how tetrahydropalmatine(THP) affected BV2 microglia exposed to lipopolysaccharide(LPS), aiming to clarify the possible mechanism underlying the anti-depression effect of THP from the perspectives of preventing inflammation and regulating polarization. First, after molecular docking and determination of the content of Corydalis saxicola Bunting total alkaloids, THP was initially identified as a possible anti-depression component. The BV2 microglia model of inflammation was established with LPS. BV2 microglia were allocated into a normal group, a model group, low-and high-dose(20 and 40 μmol·L~(-1), respectively) THP groups, and a THP(20 μmol·L~(-1))+α7nAChR-specific antagonist MLA(1 μmol·L~(-1)) group. The CCK-8 assay was used to screen the safe concentration of THP. A light microscope was used to examine the morphology of the cells. Western blot and immunofluorescence were used to determine the expression of α7nAChR. qRT-PCR was performed to determine the mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS), cluster of differentiation 86(CD86), suppressor of cytokine signaling 3(SOCS3), arginase-1(Arg-1), cluster of differentiation 206(CD206), tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α, interleukin(IL)-6, and IL-1β. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to measure the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in the cell supernatant. The experimental results showed that THP at concentrations of 40 μmol·L~(-1) and below had no effect on BV2 microglia. THP improved the morphology of BV2 microglia, significantly up-regulated the protein level of α7nAChR, significantly down-regulated the mRNA levels of iNOS, CD86, SOCS3, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, significantly up-regulated the mRNA levels of Arg-1 and CD206, and dramatically lowered the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in the cell supernatant. However, the antagonist MLA abolished the above-mentioned ameliorative effects of THP on LPS-treated BV2 microglia. As demonstrated by the aforementioned findings, THP protected LPS-treated BV2 microglia by regulating the M1/M2 polarization and preventing inflammation, which might be connected to the regulation of α7nAChR on BV2 microglia.
Berberine Alkaloids/chemistry* ; alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor/chemistry* ; Microglia/metabolism* ; Mice ; Animals ; Cell Line ; Corydalis/chemistry* ; Humans ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Inflammation/drug therapy* ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/immunology* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/immunology*

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to analyze the clinical features and genetic etiology of a patient with multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF) retrospectively. METHODS: A severely oligospermic patient from the Reproductive Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University was selected as the study subject. Clinical data and examination results were collected. High-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics were used to analyze the genetic etiology. And Sanger sequencing was employed to validate findings in the family. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the sperm ultrastructure, and immunofluorescence analysis was performed to examine the localization of FSIP2 protein in the sperm. RESULTS: The patient presented with severe oligospermia, and sperm morphology displayed MMAF. TEM revealed fibrous sheath and 9+2 microtubule structural disruptions in the sperm. Sequencing identified compound heterozygous variants in the FSIP2 gene (c.17798C > T, c.5927T > G), inherited from the father and mother, respectively. According to the guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, the variants were classified as pathogenic. The patient's spouse underwent intracytoplasmic single sperm injection, resulting in one embryo, but no clinical pregnancy occurred after embryo transfer. CONCLUSION This study reported the mutation of FSIP2 gene c.17798C > T, c.5927T > G in a patient with MMAF. These findings expand the mutational spectrum of the FSIP2 gene and provide insights for genetic and assisted reproductive counseling for patients with MMAF.
Humans ; Male ; Sperm Tail/pathology* ; Heterozygote ; Oligospermia/genetics* ; Spermatozoa ; Mutation ; Infertility, Male/genetics* ; Adult ; Pedigree ; Retrospective Studies ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic

Loss-of-function variants of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) can lead to reduced bone formation, culminating in diminished bone mass. Our previous study reported transcription factor osterix (SP7)‍-binding sites on the LRP5 promoter and its pivotal role in upregulating LRP5 expression during implant osseointegration. However, the potential role of SP7 in ameliorating LRP5-dependent osteoporosis remained unknown. In this study, we used mice with a conditional knockout (cKO) of LRP5 in mature osteoblasts, which presented decreased osteogenesis. The in vitro experimental results showed that SP7 could promote LRP5 expression, thereby upregulating the osteogenic markers such as alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and β‍-catenin (P<0.05). For the in vivo experiment, the SP7 overexpression virus was injected into a bone defect model of LRP5 cKO mice, resulting in increased bone mineral density (BMD) (P<0.001) and volumetric density (bone volume (BV)/total volume (TV)) (P<0.001), and decreased trabecular separation (Tb.‍Sp) (P<0.05). These data suggested that SP7 could ameliorate bone defect healing in LRP5 cKO mice. Our study provides new insights into potential therapeutic opportunities for ameliorating LRP5-dependent osteoporosis.
Animals ; Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-5/metabolism* ; Osteoporosis/genetics* ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Sp7 Transcription Factor/physiology* ; Osteogenesis ; Bone Density ; Osteoblasts/metabolism* ; Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; beta Catenin/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: Acupuncture therapies are known for their effectiveness in treating a variety of gastric diseases, although the mechanisms underlying these effects are not fully understood. This study tested the effectiveness of electroacupuncture (EA) at acupoints Zhongwan (RN12) and Weishu (BL21) for managing gastric motility disorder (GMD) and investigated the underlying mechanisms involved. METHODS: A GMD model was used to evaluate the impact of EA on various aspects of gastric function including the amplitude of gastric motility, electrogastrogram, food intake, and the rate of gastric emptying. Immunofluorescence techniques were used to explore the activation of spinal neurons by EA, specifically examining the presence of cholera toxin B subunit (CTB)-positive neurons and fibers emanating from acupoints RN12 and BL21. The stimulation of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic neurons in the spinal dorsal horn, the inhibition of sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal lateral horn, and their collective effects on the activity of sympathetic nerves were examined. RESULTS: EA at RN12 and BL21 significantly improved gastric motility compromised by GMD. Notably, EA activated spinal neurons, with CTB-positive neurons and fibers from RN12 and BL21 being detectable in both the dorsal root ganglia and the spinal dorsal horn. Further analysis revealed that EA at these acupoints not only stimulated GABAergic neurons in the spinal dorsal horn but also suppressed sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the spinal lateral horn, effectively reducing excessive activity of sympathetic nerves triggered by GMD. CONCLUSION EA treatment at RN12 and BL21 effectively enhances gastric motility in a GMD model. The therapeutic efficacy of this approach is attributed to the activation of spinal neurons and the modulation of the spinal GABAergic-sympathetic pathway, providing a neurobiological foundation for the role of acupuncture in treating gastric disorders. Please cite this article as: Zhang MT, Liang YF, Dai Q, Gao HR, Wang H, Chen L, Huang S, Wang XY, Shen GM. A spinal neural circuit for electroacupuncture that regulates gastric functional disorders. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(1): 56-65.
Electroacupuncture ; Animals ; Male ; Acupuncture Points ; Stomach Diseases/physiopathology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Gastrointestinal Motility ; Rats ; Gastric Emptying ; Neurons ; Spinal Cord ; Stomach/physiopathology*

Objective To screen the risk factors and risk prediction model for coronary atherosclerotic heart disease in Xining area. Methods Five hundred and eighteen patients with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease who attended the Qinghai Specialized Hospital for Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases and Cerebrovascular Diseases from May 2018 to September 2022 were selected as the observation group, and another 421 patients with non-coronary heart disease were set as control group. The general information of patients were collected. The risk factors affecting the development of coronary heart disease were screened using Logistic regression analysis, and a risk prediction model was constructed, then receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to validate the predictive value of risk model. Results The gender ratio and smoking history yielded no statistical difference between two groups (P>0.05), but statistical difference was found in age, body mass index (BMI), diabetes history, hypertension history, smoking history and family history between two groups (P<0.05). Serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and uric acid (UA) were all higher than the control group, and serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level was lower than the control group, with statistical difference (all P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis denoted that age, BMI, diabetes history, hypertension history, smoking history, family history, TC, LDL, and UA were risk factors for the development of coronary heart disease (P<0.05). ROC curve analysis yielded an AUC of 0.890 for the risk model, with a sensitivity and specificity of 72.03% and 91.14%, respectively. Conclusion Patient's age, BMI, and the presence of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and smoking, family history, abnormal blood lipid profiles, and abnormal blood uric acid are all risk factors for the development of coronary heart disease, and the risk model constructed on the basis of the above risk factors has a high degree of sensitivity and specificity, which is of great value in accurately evaluating the risk of coronary heart disease.

In recent years, obesity has emerged as a significant risk factor jeopardizing human health and stands out as an urgent issue demanding attention from the global public health sector. The factors influencing obesity are intricate, making it challenging to comprehensively elucidate its causes. Recent studies indicate that food reward significantly contributes to the genesis and progression of obesity. Food reward comprises three integral components: hedonic value (liking), eating motivation (wanting), and learning and memory. Each facet is governed by the corresponding neural pathway. The mesocorticolimbic system (MS) plays a pivotal role in regulating food reward, wherein the MS encompasses dopamine (DA) neurons originating from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) projecting into various brain regions or nuclei such as the nucleus accumbens (NAc), prefrontal cortex (PFC), amygdala, and hippocampus. On one hand, prolonged consumption of palatable foods induces adaptive alterations and synaptic remodeling in neural circuits regulating food reward. This includes the attenuation of neuronal connections and signal transmission among the PFC, visual cortex, hypothalamus, midbrain, and brain stem, resulting in aberrant food reward and compelling the body to compensate for satisfaction deficiency by increasing food consumption. Studies involving humans and animals reveal that compulsive eating bears resemblance to the behavior observed in individuals with substance addictions, encompassing aspects such as food cravings, loss of eating control, and dieting failures. Propelled by food reward, individuals often opt for their preferred palatable foods during meals, potentially leading to excessive energy intake. Coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, this surplus energy is stored in the body, transforming into fat and culminating in obesity. While evidence supports the notion that prolonged exposure to a high-energy-density diet contributes to abnormal food reward, the internal mechanisms remain somewhat unclear. In previous research on depression, substance abuse, and alcohol dependence, it has been confirmed that there is a close connection between inflammation and reward. For example, obese people show a higher tendency toward depression, and white blood cell count is an important mediating variable between intake and depressive symptoms. In addition, it has been found in individuals with alcohol dependence and drug abuse that long-term opioid overdose or alcohol abuse will activate glial cells to release pro-inflammatory cytokines that affect neuronal function, and disrupt synaptic transmission of neurotransmitters to promote addictive behaviors. Comprehensive analysis suggests that inflammation may play an important role in the reward regulation process. Recent studies indicate that metaflammation within the central or peripheral system, triggered by excess nutrients and energy, can disrupt the normal transmission of reward signals. This disruption affects various elements, such as DA signaling (synthesis, release, reuptake, receptor function, and expression), mu opioid receptor function, glutamate excitatory synaptic transmission, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signal activation, and central insulin/leptin receptor signal transduction. Consequently, this disruption induces food reward dysfunction, thereby fostering the onset and progression of obesity. Building upon these findings, we hypothesized that obesity may be linked to abnormal food reward induced by metaflammation. This review aims to delve deeply into the intricate relationship between obesity, food reward, and metaflammation. Additionally, it seeks to summarize the potential mechanisms through which metaflammation induces food reward dysfunction, offering novel insights and a theoretical foundation for preventing and treating obesity.

ObjectiveTo investigate the influence of concentration ratio（CR） between the internal reference and target components on the quantitative accuracy of quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker（QAMS） by taking ginsenosides as an example. MethodUltra performance liquid chromatography（UPLC） was employed， the contents of nine components in Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma（ginsenosides Rg₁， Re， Rf， Rh₁， Rb₁， Rc， Rb₂， Rb₃， Rd） were determined by external standard method（ES）. Using ginsenoside Rg₁ as the internal reference， the contents of the remaining 8 ginsenosides were determined by QAMS， and the quantitative results were compared with those of ES to evaluate the quantitative accuracy of the established QAMS. According to the contents of these 9 ginsenosides， the simulated sample solutions with different CRs of ginsenoside Rg₁ to ginsenosides Rf， Rb₂， Rd were prepared with the reference substance（CR=100∶1， 10∶1， 5∶1， 2∶1， 1∶1， 0.5∶1， 0.25∶1）， in order to validate the effect of the CRs between the internal reference and other components on the quantitative accuracy of the QAMS. ResultThe results of ginsenosides Re， Rf， Rb₁， Rc， Rb₂ calculated by the two methods were the same with the relative standard deviation（RSD）<3%， however， the results of ginsenosides Rh₁， Rb₃ and Rd calculated by the two methods were different with RSDs of 7.06%-9.61%. According to the result of the simulated sample solution， the difference between the calculated results of ES and QAMS was large when the CR between the internal reference（ginsenoside Rg₁） and other components was 5 or 10 or even higher. ConclusionThe quantitative error of QAMS will increase when the CR between the quantitative component and the internal reference is too large， so it is suggested that when establishing the QAMS， the components with close concentration to the internal reference should be selected for quantification.