OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

Exosomes represent a class of nanoscale extracellular vesicles that facilitate the exchange of genetic information among various cells.Alzheimer's disease(AD)stands as a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by its subtle and advan-cing onset,representing the foremost form of dementia lacking effective therapeutic interventions.Notably,investigations have illuminated the involvement of exosomes in the pathogenesis of AD,attributing diagnostic and therapeutic significance to their role,particularly concerning exosomal microRNAs(miRNA).The miRNAs carried by exosomes serve as potential biomarkers for AD,while also exhibiting potential benefits in ameliorating cognitive dysfunction in individuals afflicted by AD.This article aims to comprehensively review the origins of exosomes(encom-passing both mesenchymal cell-derived exosomes and brain-de-rived exosomes)and their potential as therapeutic agents targe-ting AD.

Objective To retrospectively investigate and analyze the specially permitted aeromedical evaluation results of overage military flying personnel,in order to provide references for health management and related evaluation methods improvement.Methods The clinical data and evaluation results of overage flying personnel were collected from 2012 to 2023.Disease spectrum was analyzed,and qualified rates among different airplane types and aviation duties were compared.Results 79.57%of the 509 flying personnel were detected with diseases,and the top ten were hyperlipidemia,fatty liver,thyroid nodule,renal cyst,hepatic cyst,gallbladder polyps,hyperuricemia,carotid artery arteriosclerosis,hypertension and hepatic hemangioma.96.08%of the personnel were qualified to continue flying,1.96%were disqualified and 1.96%were temporarily disqualified.The qualified rates among different airplane types and aviation duties were not significantly different(P?>?0.05).Conclusion Overage military flying personnel could apply for specially permitted aeromedical evaluation to extend their flying lifespan.Attention should be paid to metabolic and cardiovascular diseases in aeromedical support and evaluation for these experienced flying personnel.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and adverse reactions of simultaneous integrated boost intensity-modulated radiotherapy (SIB-IMRT) combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of superior mediastinal lymph node metastasis after esophageal cancer surgery.Methods:The clinical data of 72 patients with concurrent chemoradiotherapy for superior mediastinal lymph node metastasis after esophageal cancer surgery in Tai'an Cancer Prevention and Treatment Hospital from January 2019 to May 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, and they were divided into intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) group (36 cases) and SIB-IMRT group (36 cases) according to different radiotherapy methods. The short-term efficacy, long-term survival rate and adverse reactions of the two groups were compared.Results:The response rate in the IMRT group was 66.7% (24/36), the response rate in the SIB-IMRT group was 86.1% (31/36), and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( χ2 = 3.77, P = 0.047). The 1-, 2- and 3-year overall survival rates in the IMRT group were 75.0%, 44.4% and 27.8%, and the 1-, 2- and 3-year overall survival rates in the SIB-IMRT group were 83.3%, 52.8% and 33.3%; the difference in the overall survival between the two groups was not statistically significant ( χ2 = 0.70, P = 0.401). There were statistical differences in the incidence of leukopenia, radiation esophagitis and radiation pleural gastritis between the two groups (all P < 0.05). There were no statistical differences in the incidence of radiation pneumonia and gastrointestinal reactions between the two groups (both P > 0.05). Conclusions:SIB-IMRT combined with chemotherapy in patients with superior mediastinal lymph node metastasis after esophageal cancer surgery has good local control rate and mild adverse reactions.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to explore the mechanism of intestinal inflammation and barrier repair in Crohn's disease (CD) regulated by moxibustion through bile acid (BA) enterohepatic circulation and intestinal farnesoid X receptor (FXR). METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group, CD model group, mild moxibustion group and herb-partitioned moxibustion group. CD model rats induced by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid were treated with mild moxibustion or herb-partitioned moxibustion at Tianshu (ST25) and Qihai (CV6). The changes in CD symptoms were rated according to the disease activity index score, the serum and colon tissues of rats were collected, and the pathological changes in colon tissues were observed via histopathology. Western blot, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence were used to evaluate the improvement of moxibustion on intestinal inflammation and mucosal barrier in CD by the BA-FXR pathway. RESULTS: Mild moxibustion and herb-partitioned moxibustion improved the symptoms of CD, inhibited inflammation and repaired mucosal damage to the colon in CD rats. Meanwhile, moxibustion could improve the abnormal expression of BA in the colon, liver and serum, downregulate the expression of interferon-γ and upregulate the expression of FXR mRNA, and inhibit Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) mRNA. The IHC results showed that moxibustion could upregulate the expression of FXR and mucin2 and inhibit TLR4 expression. Western blot showed that moxibustion inhibited the protein expression of TLR4 and MyD88 and upregulated the expression of FXR. Immunofluorescence image analysis showed that moxibustion increased the colocalization sites and intensity of FXR with TLR4 or nuclear factor-κB p65. In particular, herb-partitioned moxibustion has more advantages in improving BA and upregulating FXR and TLR4 in the colon. CONCLUSION Mild moxibustion and herb-partitioned moxibustion can improve CD by regulating the enterohepatic circulation stability of BA, activating colonic FXR, regulating the TLR4/MyD88 pathway, inhibiting intestinal inflammation and repairing the intestinal mucosal barrier. Herb-partitioned moxibustion seems to have more advantages in regulating BA enterohepatic circulation and FXR activation. Please cite this article as: Shen JC, Qi Q, Han D, Lu Y, Huang R, Zhu Y, Zhang LS, Qin XD, Zhang F, Wu HG, Liu HR. Moxibustion improves experimental colitis in rats with Crohn's disease by regulating bile acid enterohepatic circulation and intestinal farnesoid X receptor. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(2): 194-204.
Rats ; Animals ; Crohn Disease/pathology* ; Moxibustion/methods* ; Toll-Like Receptor 4/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88/metabolism* ; Colitis ; Inflammation ; Enterohepatic Circulation ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism*

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery (AAOCA) in children. Methods: There were 17 children diagnosed with AAOCA from January 2013 to January 2022 in Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.Their clinical manifestations, laboratory and imaging data, treatment and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed. Results: These 17 children included 14 males and 3 females, with the age of (8.7±3.5) years. There were 4 anomalous left coronary artery (ALCA) and 13 anomalous right coronary artery (ARCA). Seven children presented with chest pain or chest pain after exercise, three patients presented with cardiac syncope, one complained chest tightness and weakness, and the other six patients had no specific symptoms. Cardiac syncope and chest tightness occurred in patients with ALCA. Fourteen children had the dangerous anatomical basis of myocardial ischemia caused by coronary artery compression or stenosis on imaging. Seven children had coronary artery repair, of whom two were ALCA and five were ARCA. One patient had received heart transplantation because of heart failure. The incidence of adverse cardiovascular events and poor prognosis in ALCA group was higher than that in ARCA group (4/4 vs. 0/13, P<0.05). They were followed up in the outpatient department regularly for 6 (6, 12) months; except for the one who lost visit, the rest of the patients had a good prognosis. Conclusions: Cardiogenic syncope or cardiac insufficiency usually occurs in ALCA, and adverse cardiovascular events and poor prognosis are more common in ALCA than in ARCA. Early surgical treatment should be considered for children with ALCA and ARCA accompanied by myocardial ischemia.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Retrospective Studies ; China ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Heart Failure ; Chest Pain ; Syncope

Objective: To evaluate the vascular toxicity of chemicals by a real-time observation approach using the transgenic zebrafish. Methods: The spatiotemporal vascular alterations of transgenic zebrafish after chemical exposure were assessed by laser confocal microscopy and high-content screening analysis, respectively. Results: The method using Laser Confocal Microscopy (LCM) is easier to operate and yields high-resolution images, while it is lower throughput and inefficient. In contrast, high-content analysis (HCA) analysis obtains high-quality data of vascular toxicity manifesting whole blood vasculature, whereas it requires delicate operation procedures and advanced experimental conditions. Conclusion: Two kinds of zebrafish imaging methods each have advantages and disadvantages. LCM is suitable for the evaluation of a small number of chemicals. HCA, a cutting-edge technology, has great potential for chemical safety assessment allowing high throughput vascular toxicity tests of a good number of chemicals at a time.
Animals ; Animals, Genetically Modified ; Cardiovascular System ; Toxicity Tests ; Zebrafish

Quarantine insects are economically important pests that frequently invade new habitats.A rapid and accurate monitoring method to trace the geographical sources of invaders is required for their prevention,detection,and eradication.Current methods based on genetics are typically time-consuming.Here,we developed a novel tracing method based on insect gut microbiota.The source location of the insect gut microbiota can be used to rapidly determine the geographical origin of the insect.We analyzed 179 gut microbiota samples from 591 individuals of 22 quarantine insect species collected from 36 regions in China.The gut microbiota of these insects primarily included Actinobacteria,Bacteroidetes,Cyanobacteria,Firmicutes,Proteobacteria,and Tenericutes.The diversity of the insect gut microbiota was closely associated with geographical and environmental factors.Different insect species could be distinguished based on the composition of gut microbiota at the phylum level.Populations of individual insect species from different regions could be distin-guished based on the composition of gut microbiota at the phylum,class,and order levels.A method for determining the geographical origins of invasive insect species has been established;however,its practical application requires further investigations before implementation.

Objective:To investigate the surgical treatment of the tumors at cervicothoracic junction.Methods:A retrospective analyses was performed for 63 patients with tumors at the cervicothoracic junction receiving surgery from Mar 2008 to May 2020 in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University. Clinical data about manifestation, surgical approach, resection degree and pathological types were collected. There were 43 cases of asymptomatic patients and 20 cases of patients with ≥1 clinical manifestations. Twenty two patients receiving radical resection with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Anterior approach was the most popular treatment in open surgery (24 cases, 38.1%), and 8 cases of anterolateral approach(6 cases of Hemiclamshell incisions, 2 cases of trap-door incisions), 1 case of posterior approach, 2 cases of posterolateral approach and 1 case of supraclavicular combined posterolateral approach.Results:Pathological examination suggested 61 cases of radical resection and 2 cases of microscopic residual. Neurilemmoma was the most common pathological type (27 cases, 42.9%), the second common pathological type was tumor originated from fibrous tissues (6 cases, 9.5%). The 3-year overall survival rate of those 63 patients was 88.9%, while the 5-year overall survival rate was 84.1%.Conclusion:Tumors involving the cervicothoracic junction are characterized as special location, complicated anatomy and various histopathological subtypes. Individualized approach and surgery improve safety and normalization of tumors at cervicothoracic junction treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate evodiamine (EVO)-induced hepatotoxicity and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: HepG2 cells were treated with EVO (0.04-25 μmol/L) for different time intervals, and the cell survival rate was examined by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) method. After HepG2 cells were treated with EVO (0.2, 1 and 5 μmol/L) for 48 h, the alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities and total bilirubin (TBIL) content of supernatant were detected. A multifunctional microplate reader was used to detect the intracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in HepG2 cells to evaluate the level of cell lipid peroxidation damage. The interactions between EVO and apoptosis, autophagy or ferroptosis-associated proteins were simulated by molecular docking. The HepG2 cells were stained by mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) fluorescent probe (JC-10) and annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide (Annexin V-FITC/PI), and MMP and apoptosis in HepG2 cells were detected by flow cytometry. The protein expression levels of caspase-9, caspase-3, bile salt export pump (BSEP) and multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: The cell survival rate was significantly reduced after the HepG2 cells were exposed to EVO (0.04-25 μmol/L) in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of the HepG2 cells treated with EVO for 24, 48 and 72 h were 85.3, 6.6 and 4.7 μmol/L, respectively. After exposure to EVO (0.2, 1 and 5 μmol/L) for 48 h, the ALT, AST, LDH, ALP activities and TBIL content in the HepG2 cell culture supernatant, and the MDA content in the cells were increased, and SOD enzyme activity was decreased. Molecular docking results showed that EVO interacted with apoptosis-associated proteins (caspase-9 and caspase-3) better. JC-10 and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining assays demonstrated that EVO could decrease MMP and promote apoptosis in the HepG2 cells. Western blot results indicated that the protein expressions of cleaved caspase-9 and cleaved caspase-3 were upregulated in the HepG2 cell treated with EVO for 48 h. In contrast, the protein expressions of pro-caspase-3, BSEP and MRP2 were downregulated. CONCLUSION These results suggested that 0.2, 1 and 5 μmol/L EVO had the potential hepatotoxicity, and the possible mechanism involved lipid peroxidation damage, cell apoptosis, and cholestasis.
ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Member 11 ; Apoptosis ; Caspase 3 ; Caspase 9 ; Cholestasis ; Hep G2 Cells/drug effects* ; Humans ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Liver/drug effects* ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Multidrug Resistance-Associated Protein 2 ; Quinazolines/toxicity*