This study aims to explore the mechanism of lung and gut protection by Tanreqing Capsules on the mice infected with influenza virus based on "the lung-gut axis". A total of 110 C57BL/6J mice were randomized into control group, model group, oseltamivir group, and low-and high-dose Tanreqing Capsules groups. Ten mice in each group underwent body weight protection experiments, and the remaining 12 mice underwent experiments for mechanism exploration. Mice were infected with influenza virus A/Puerto Rico/08/1934(PR8) via nasal inhalation for the modeling. The lung tissue was collected on day 3 after gavage, and the lung tissue, colon tissue, and feces were collected on day 7 after gavage for subsequent testing. The results showed that Tanreqing Capsules alleviated the body weight reduction and increased the survival rate caused by PR8 infection. Compared with model group, Tanreqing Capsules can alleviate the lung injury by reducing the lung index, alleviating inflammation and edema in the lung tissue, down-regulating viral gene expression at the late stage of infection, reducing the percentage of neutrophils, and increasing the percentage of T cells. Tanreqing Capsules relieved the gut injury by restoring the colon length, increasing intestinal lumen mucin secretion, alleviating intestinal inflammation, and reducing goblet cell destruction. The gut microbiota analysis showed that Tanreqing Capsules increased species diversity compared with model group. At the phylum level, Tanreqing Capsules significantly increased the abundance of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, while reducing the abundance of Bacteroidota and Proteobacteria to maintain gut microbiota balance. At the genus level, Tanreqing Capsules significantly increased the abundance of unclassified＿f＿Lachnospiraceae while reducing the abundance of Bacteroides, Eubacterium, and Phocaeicola to maintain gut microbiota balance. In conclusion, Tanreqing Capsules can alleviate mouse lung and gut injury caused by influenza virus infection and restore the balance of gut microbiota. Treating influenza from the lung and gut can provide new ideas for clinical practice.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Mice ; Lung/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Capsules ; Orthomyxoviridae Infections/virology* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Male ; Humans ; Female ; Influenza A virus/physiology* ; Influenza, Human/virology*

Extensive studies have identified potential adverse effects on semen quality of obesity, based on body mass index, but the association between body fat distribution, a more relevant indicator for obesity, and semen quality remains less clear. We conducted a longitudinal study of 4304 sperm donors from the Guangdong Provincial Human Sperm Bank (Guangzhou, China) during 2017-2021. A body composition analyzer was used to measure total and local body fat percentage for each participant. Generalized estimating equations were employed to assess the association between body fat percentage and sperm count, motility, and morphology. We estimated that each 10% increase in total body fat percentage (estimated change [95% confidence interval, 95% CI]) was significantly associated with a 0.18 × 10 6 (0.09 × 10 6 -0.27 × 10 6 ) ml and 12.21 × 10 6 (4.52 × 10 6 -19.91 × 10 6 ) reduction in semen volume and total sperm count, respectively. Categorical analyses and exposure-response curves showed that the association of body fat distribution with semen volume and total sperm count was stronger at higher body fat percentages. In addition, the association still held among normal weight and overweight participants. We observed similar associations for upper limb, trunk, and lower limb body fact distributions. In conclusion, we found that a higher body fat distribution was significantly associated with lower semen quality (especially semen volume) even in men with a normal weight. These findings provide useful clues in exploring body fat as a risk factor for semen quality decline and add to evidence for improving semen quality for those who are expected to conceive.
Humans ; Male ; Adult ; Semen Analysis ; China ; Body Fat Distribution ; Longitudinal Studies ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Body Mass Index ; Tissue Donors ; Obesity/complications* ; Spermatozoa ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; East Asian People

The patient, a 20-day-old male, was admitted due to respiratory distress that had persisted for 20 days after birth. The main clinical manifestations included gradually worsening respiratory distress and edema. The patient received treatment including mechanical ventilation and diuretics. Echocardiography indicated cardiomegaly, pulmonary hypertension, and heart failure. A comprehensive systemic examination revealed a significant blowing vascular murmur upon auscultation over the anterior fontanelle and bilateral temporal regions. Further imaging studies including cranial magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance angiography, and magnetic resonance venography showed marked dilation of the superior sagittal sinus, transverse sinus, and sigmoid sinus, leading to a definitive diagnosis of dural arteriovenous fistula. After a multidisciplinary consultation, the patient underwent cerebral angiography and partial embolization of the left parietal arteriovenous fistula. Postoperatively, the patient was treated with positive inotropes, diuretics, and fluid restriction. Ultimately, the patient was weaned off the ventilator and discharged in improved condition. This article reports a case of neonatal dural arteriovenous fistula presenting with respiratory distress and discusses the multidisciplinary approach to managing this condition, which aids in early disease recognition and guides clinical decision-making.
Humans ; Male ; Infant, Newborn ; Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations/diagnosis* ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/etiology* ; Embolization, Therapeutic

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP) in treating stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome by exercise duration and metabolic equivalents. METHODS: This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled stable angina patients with phlegm-heat and blood-stasis syndrome from 22 hospitals. They were randomized 1:1 to STDP (35 mg/pill, 6 pills per day) or placebo for 56 days. The primary outcome was the exercise duration and metabolic equivalents (METs) assessed by the standard Bruce exercise treadmill test after 56 days of treatment. The secondary outcomes included the total angina symptom score, Chinese medicine (CM) symptom scores, Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) scores, changes in ST-T on electrocardiogram and adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: This trial enrolled 309 patients, including 155 and 154 in the STDP and placebo groups, respectively. STDP significantly prolonged exercise duration with an increase of 51.0 s, compared to a decrease of 12.0 s with placebo (change rate: -11.1% vs. 3.2%, P<0.01). The increase in METs was significantly greater in the STDP group than in the placebo group (change: -0.4 vs. 0.0, change rate: -5.0% vs. 0.0%, P<0.01). The improvement of total angina symptom scores (25.0% vs. 0.0%), CM symptom scores (38.7% vs. 11.8%), reduction of nitroglycerin consumption (100.0% vs. 11.3%), and all domains of SAQ, were significantly greater with STDP than placebo (all P<0.01). The changes in Q-T intervals at 28 and 56 days from baseline were similar between the two groups (both P>0.05). Twenty-five participants (16.3%) with STDP and 16 (10.5%) with placebo experienced AEs (P=0.131), with no serious AEs observed. CONCLUSION STDP could improve exercise tolerance in patients with stable angina and phlegm-heat and blood stasis syndrome, with a favorable safety profile. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IPR-15006020).
Humans ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Angina, Stable/physiopathology* ; Aged ; Syndrome ; Treatment Outcome ; Placebos ; Tablets

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect and safety of Lu'e Biyan Formula (LBF) combined with loratadine in the treatment of moderate to severe allergic rhinitis (AR) patients with Fei (Lung)-qi deficiency-coldness (FQDC) syndrome. METHODS: From September 2023 to December 2024, moderate to severe AR patients with FQDC syndrome were recruited from the Outpatient Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Pulmonary Diseases Part 1, China-Japan Friendship Hospital. Participants were randomly assigned to a test group and a control group by using a random number table at a ratio of 1:1. Both groups received oral loratadine tablets (10 mg, once daily) for 2 weeks. In addition, the test group received oral LBF (30 mL, twice daily), and the control group received a placebo of LBF. Changes in the Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS), Total Non-nasal Symptom Score (TNNSS), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ), and Chinese medicine (CM) syndrome scores before and after treatment were compared between groups. Moreover, the total effective rates and disease recurrence rates were compared. Adverse events (AEs) during the study period were also recorded. RESULTS: Totally 109 participants were recruited, and the full analysis set included 105 cases, 54 in the test group and 51 in the control group. Compared with the pre-treatment values, the scores of sneezing, runny nose, nasal obstruction, nasal itching, TNSS, TNNSS, VAS, RQLQ, and CM syndrome were significantly reduced in both groups at 1 and 2 weeks post-treatment and 12 weeks post-drug withdrawal (P<0.01). After treatment, the aforementioned scores in the test group were all markedly lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). Moreover, the total effective rate in the test group was higher than that in the control group (98.15% vs. 70.59%, P<0.01). After 12 weeks of drug withdrawal, there was no significant difference in the recurrence rate between groups (13.21% vs. 22.22%, P>0.05). No obvious AEs were observed in either group following treatment. CONCLUSIONS The combination of LBF with loratadine can effectively alleviate the symptoms of moderate to severe AR patients with FQDC syndrome, thereby improving their quality of life. This therapy demonstrated both precise effect and high safety. (Trial registration No. ITMCTR2025000589).
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Male ; Rhinitis, Allergic/drug therapy* ; Female ; Adult ; Double-Blind Method ; Quality of Life ; Qi ; Middle Aged ; Loratadine/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Syndrome ; Lung/drug effects* ; Young Adult ; Treatment Outcome

Gut microbial communities are likely remodeled in tandem with accumulated physiological decline during aging, yet there is limited understanding of gut microbiome variation in advanced age. Here, we performed a metagenomics-based enterotype analysis in a geographically homogeneous cohort of 367 enrolled Chinese individuals between the ages of 60 and 94 years, with the goal of characterizing the gut microbiome of elderly individuals and identifying factors linked to enterotype variations. In addition to two adult-like enterotypes dominated by Bacteroides (ET-Bacteroides) and Prevotella (ET-Prevotella), we identified a novel enterotype dominated by Escherichia (ET-Escherichia), whose prevalence increased in advanced age. Our data demonstrated that age explained more of the variance in the gut microbiome than previously identified factors such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) or diet. We characterized the distinct taxonomic and functional profiles of ET-Escherichia, and found the strongest cohesion and highest robustness of the microbial co-occurrence network in this enterotype, as well as the lowest species diversity. In addition, we carried out a series of correlation analyses and co-abundance network analyses, which showed that several factors were likely linked to the overabundance of Escherichia members, including advanced age, vegetable intake, and fruit intake. Overall, our data revealed an enterotype variation characterized by Escherichia enrichment in the elderly population. Considering the different age distribution of each enterotype, these findings provide new insights into the changes that occur in the gut microbiome with age and highlight the importance of microbiome-based stratification of elderly individuals.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Bacteroides ; China ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/microbiology* ; Escherichia coli/classification* ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/genetics* ; Metagenomics ; East Asian People

Accurate timing of myelination is crucial for the proper functioning of the central nervous system. Here, we identified a de novo heterozygous mutation in TMEM63A (c.1894G>A; p. Ala632Thr) in a 7-year-old boy exhibiting hypomyelination. A Ca²⁺ influx assay suggested that this is a loss-of-function mutation. To explore how TMEM63A deficiency causes hypomyelination, we generated Tmem63a knockout mice. Genetic deletion of TMEM63A resulted in hypomyelination at postnatal day 14 (P14) arising from impaired differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). Notably, the myelin dysplasia was transient, returning to normal levels by P28. Primary cultures of Tmem63a^-/- OPCs presented delayed differentiation. Lentivirus-based expression of TMEM63A but not TMEM63A_A632T rescued the differentiation of Tmem63a^-/- OPCs in vitro and myelination in Tmem63a^-/- mice. These data thus support the conclusion that the mutation in TMEM63A is the pathogenesis of the hypomyelination in the patient. Our study further demonstrated that TMEM63A-mediated Ca²⁺ influx plays critical roles in the early development of myelin and oligodendrocyte differentiation.
Animals ; Cell Differentiation/physiology* ; Oligodendroglia/metabolism* ; Mice, Knockout ; Mice ; Male ; Myelin Sheath/metabolism* ; Humans ; Child ; Cells, Cultured ; Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells/metabolism*

Objective To compare the oral cleansing effects of the microbubble toothbrush and the conventional pulsed oral irrigator to provide references for users.Methods Ninety identical 3D-printed resin tooth models were grouped and subjected to repeated experiments,which were divided randomly into five groups including a microbubble toothbrush high-speed gear(GN-H)group,a microbubble toothbrush medium-speed gear(GN-M)group,a microbubble low-speed gear(GN-L)group,a conventional pulsed oral irrigator high-speed gear(W-H)group and a conventional pulsed oral irrigator low-speed gear(W-L)group,with 18 teeth in each group.The cleansing effects of the microbubble toothbrush and the conventional pulsed oral irrigator were evaluated in terms of irrigating strength and abilities for eliminating plaque and debris.Results Both the two types of water flossers were provided with high irrigating strength and effectively reduced plaque and debris on tooth surfaces,and the GN-H,GN-M and GN-L groups behaved better significantly than the remained groups.The order of the five groups was GN-H group＞GN-M group＞W-H group＞GN-L group＞W-L group for irrigating strength,GN-H group＞GN-M group＞GN-L group＞W-H group＞W-L group for plaque removal,GN-H group＞GN-M group＞W-H group＞GN-L group＞W-L group for debris removal,with all the differences being statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion Both the two types of water flossers remove plaque and debris effectively,while the microbubble toothbrush gains advantages over the conventional pulsed oral irrigator.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(9):67-72]

Objective To investigate the risk factors for bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD)in twin preterm infants with a gestational age of<34 weeks,and to provide a basis for early identification of BPD in twin preterm infants in clinical practice.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the twin preterm infants with a gestational age of<34 weeks who were admitted to 22 hospitals nationwide from January 2018 to December 2020.According to their conditions,they were divided into group A(both twins had BPD),group B(only one twin had BPD),and group C(neither twin had BPD).The risk factors for BPD in twin preterm infants were analyzed.Further analysis was conducted on group B to investigate the postnatal risk factors for BPD within twins.Results A total of 904 pairs of twins with a gestational age of<34 weeks were included in this study.The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with group C,birth weight discordance of>25%between the twins was an independent risk factor for BPD in one of the twins(OR=3.370,95%CI:1.500-7.568,P<0.05),and high gestational age at birth was a protective factor against BPD(P<0.05).The conditional logistic regression analysis of group B showed that small-for-gestational-age(SGA)birth was an independent risk factor for BPD in individual twins(OR=5.017,95%CI:1.040-24.190,P<0.05).Conclusions The development of BPD in twin preterm infants is associated with gestational age,birth weight discordance between the twins,and SGA birth.

Objective To find potential biomarkers and analyzing metabolic pathways of the treatment by honey-processed Hedysari Radix,the cecal contents of rats with spleen-Qi deficiency were used as samples for analysis.Methods Sixty male SD rats were randomly divided into blank,model,experimental and control groups.The rats in other groups except the control group were carried out by using the three-factor compound modeling method of bitter-cold diarrhea,excessive exertion and hunger and satiety disorders.Experimental group was given 12.60 g·kg-1 honey-processed Hedysari Radix;control group was given 0.63 g·kg-1 lactobacillus bifidum triplex tabletsa;control and model groups received with equal volume of distilled water for a total of 15 days.Measure body weight,anal temperature,immune organ index of rats.Ultra-pressure liquid chromatography-quadrupole-exactive-mass spectrometry technology was used to measure the levels of endogenous metabolites in cecum contents.Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis and database"Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes"were used to identify potential differential metabolites and possible metabolic pathways.Results After the intervention,the average body weight of the experimental,control,model and blank groups was(216.87±7.85),(210.96±9.03),(159.47±5.18)and(293.51±22.98)g;anal temperature was(36.14±0.48),(35.40±0.64),(34.50±0.78)and(36.61±0.34)℃;the thymus indexes were(1.19±0.20),(1.24±0.25),(0.47±0.15)and(1.31±0.21)mg·g-1;the spleen indexes were(1.95±0.33),(2.18±0.28),(1.61±0.27)and(2.29±0.24)mg·g-1.Compared with the model group,the above indexes of the experimental group and the control group were significantly increased(all P＜0.01).A total of 14 potential biomarkers of Honey-processed Hedysari Radix in treating spleen-Qi deficiency syndrome were screened out in this study,which mainly involved amino acid metabolism such as tryptophan and glutamate,riboflavin metabolism and adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase metabolism.Conclusion Honey-processed Hedysari Radix can further protect the intestinal mucosal barrier and reduce the intestinal inflammatory response by improving the metabolic level of cecum contents in rats with spleen-Qi deficiency in cecum contents,thus exerting the effect of strengthening the spleen and tonifying the Qi.