Pelvic organ prolapse (POP), whose etiology is influenced by genetic and clinical risk factors, considerably impacts women's quality of life. However, the genetic underpinnings in non-European populations and comprehensive risk models integrating genetic and clinical factors remain underexplored. This study constructed the first polygenic risk score (PRS) for POP in the Chinese population by utilizing 20 disease-associated variants from the largest existing genome-wide association study. We analyzed a discovery cohort of 576 cases and 623 controls and a validation cohort of 264 cases and 200 controls. Results showed that the case group exhibited a significantly higher PRS than the control group. Moreover, the odds ratio of the top 10% risk group was 2.6 times higher than that of the bottom 10%. A high PRS was significantly correlated with POP occurrence in women older than 50 years old and in those with one or no childbirths. As far as we know, the integrated prediction model, which combined PRS and clinical risk factors, demonstrated better predictive accuracy than other existing PRS models. This combined risk assessment model serves as a robust tool for POP risk prediction and stratification, thereby offering insights into individualized preventive measures and treatment strategies in future clinical practice.
Humans ; Female ; Pelvic Organ Prolapse/epidemiology* ; Middle Aged ; Risk Assessment/methods* ; China/epidemiology* ; Multifactorial Inheritance ; Aged ; Risk Factors ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Case-Control Studies ; Adult ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Genetic Risk Score ; East Asian People

ObjectiveTo investigate the role of paraventricular nucleus (PVN) corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) neurons in chronic restraint stress (CRS)-induced anxiety-like behavior. And whether exercise relieves chronic restraint stress-induced anxiety through PVN CRH neurons. MethodsTwenty 8-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control (Ctrl) group and chronic restraint stress (CRS) group. The open field test (OFT) and elevated plus maze (EPM) were used to evaluate anxiety-like behavior of the mice. Food intake was recorded after CRS. Immunofluorescence staining was used to label the expression of c-Fos expression in PVN and calculate the co-expression of c-Fos and CRH neurons. We used chemogenetic activation of PVN CRH neurons to observed the anxiety-like behavior. 8-week treadmill training (10-16 m/min, 60 min/d, 6 d/week) were used to explore the role of exercise in ameliorating CRS-induced anxiety behavior and how PVN CRH neurons involved in it. ResultsCompared with Ctrl group, CRS group exhibited significant anxiety-like behavior. In OFT, the mice in CRS groups spent less time in center area (P<0.001). In EPM, the time in open arm in CRS group were significantly decreased (P<0.001). Besides, food intake was also suppressed in CRS group compared with Ctrl group (P<0.05). Compared with Ctrl group, CRS significantly increase c-Fos expression in PVN and most of CRH neurons co-express c-Fos (P<0.001). Chemogenetic activation of PVN CRH neurons induced anxiety-like behavior (P<0.05) and inhibited feeding behavior (P<0.01). Exercise relieves chronic restraint stress-induced anxiety (P<0.001) and relieved the anorexia caused by chronic restraint stress (P<0.05). Aerobic exercise inhibited the CRS labeled c-Fos in PVN CRH neurons (P<0.001). Furthermore, ablation of PVN CRH neurons attenuated CRS induced anxiety-like behavior. ConclusionCRS activated PVN CRH neurons, induced anxiety-like behavior and reduced food intake. 8-week exercise attenuated CRS-induced anxiety-like behavior through inhibiting PVN CRH neuron. Ablation of CRH PVN neurons ameliorated CRS-induced anxiety-like behavior. These finding reveals a potential neural mechanism of exercise-relieving CRS-induced anxiety-like behavior. This provides a new idea and theoretical basis for the treatment of anxiety and related mental disorders.

Oxidative stress due to aberrant metabolism is considered as a crucial contributor to diabetes and its complications. Hyperglycemia and hyperlipemia boost excessive reactive oxygen species generation by elevated mitochondrial respiration, increased nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase activity, and enhanced pro-oxidative processes, including protein kinase C pathways, hexosamine, polyol, and advanced glycation endproducts, which exacerbate oxidative stress. Oxidative stress plays a significant role in the onset of diabetes and its associated complications by impairing insulin production, increasing insulin resistance, maintaining hyperglycemic memory, and inducing systemic inflammation. A more profound comprehension of the molecular processes that link oxidative stress to diabetes is crucial to new preventive and therapeutic strategies. Therefore, this review discusses the mechanisms underlying how oxidative stress contributes to diabetes mellitus and its complications. We also summarize the current approaches for prevention and treatment by targeting the oxidative stress pathways in diabetes.
Oxidative Stress/physiology* ; Humans ; Diabetes Mellitus/physiopathology* ; Diabetes Complications/metabolism* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Glycation End Products, Advanced/metabolism* ; Animals

Objective:To elucidate the inhibitory effect of interferon-γ(IFN-γ)on the proliferation of neuroblastoma cells and the protentral gene signature of IFN-γ and the relationship between the expression of gene signature of IFN-γ in the neuroblastoma cells and its adverse prognosis,and to clarify the effect of IFN-γ and its gene signture in the neuroblastoma.Methods:The SK-N-BE(2)(proto-oncogene N-MYC amplification type)and SH-SY5Y(proto-oncogene N-MYC non-amplification type)neuroblastoma cells were selected and treated with different concentrations(0,500,750,1 000 and 1 500 μg·L-1)of IFN-γ for 24 h,followed by cell proliferation assays using cell counting kit-8(CCK-8).Transcriptome sequencing was then performed to identify the gene signature of IFN-γ.Additionally,the tissue microarrays from 23 cases of neuroblastoma and 6 cases of normal adrenal gland samples were collected,immunohistochemistry(IHC)analysis was used to to detect the expression of gene signature of IFN-γ.Based on the expression levels of gene signature of IFN-γ,the samples were divided into SULT2B1 low and high expression groups.The correlation between the expression of gene signature of IFN-γ and poor prognosis of the patients was analyzed.Results:The CCK-8 assay results showed that as IFN-γconcentration increased,the proliferation of SK-N-BE(2)cells was significantly inhibited(P＜0.01),with inhibitory rates of SK-N-BE(2)cells in four groups were 6.73％,6.77％,7.67％,and 9.19％,respectively.In contrast,the proliferation rate of SH-SY5Y cells were significantly increased with the increase of IFN-γ concentrations(P＜0.01),and the proliferation rates of SH-SY5Y cells in four groups were 46.80％,79.19％,70.30％,and 72.33％,respectively.Transcrip tome sequencing identified hydroxysteroid sulfotransferase 2B1(SULT2B1)as a potential gene signature of IFN-γ.The IHC analysis results showed the expression amount of SULT2B1 protein in neuroblastoma tissues was increased.The clinical data analysis results revealed significant differences in age(Z=-2.618,P=0.018),lymphnode metastasis(x2=4.439,P=0.035),and distant metastasis(x2=5.856,P=0.016)between low and high SULT2B1 expression groups.Conclusion:IFN-γ can inhibit the proliferation of SK-N-BE(2)cells while promoting the proliferation of SH-SY5Y cells.SULT2B1 is a potential gene signature of IFN-γ,and its expression is upregulated in neuroblastoma tissue.SULT2B1 high expression is significantly associated with poor prognosis in the neuroblastoma patients.

Objective:To investigate the role of alkylation repair homolog 5(ALKBH5)-mediated N6-methyladenosine(m6A)modifi-cation in endometrial decidualization.Methods:The mouse models of pregnancy and pseudopregnancy were established,and quantita-tive real-time PCR and Western blot were used to measure the expression pattern of ALKBH5 in the endometrium.The mouse and cell models of artificially induced decidualization were established,and quantitative real-time PCR,Western blot,and immunohistochemis-try were used to measure the expression levels of decidualization-related markers.The EpiQuik m6A RNA methylation quantification kit was used to measure the level of m6A.The mouse and cell models of artificially induced decidualization with interference of ALKBH5 expression were established,and quantitative real-time PCR,Western blot,and immunohistochemistry were used to measure the expression levels of decidualization-related markers,cell proliferation marker molecules,and apoptosis molecules.Flow cytometry was used to measure cell apoptosis rate.Results:In the mouse model of pregnancy,the expression level of ALKBH5 at the uterine em-bryo implantation site was significantly higher than that adjacent to the implantation site,and in the mouse and cell models of artifi-cially induced decidualization,compared with the control group,the induction group had a significant increase in the expression level of ALKBH5 and a significant reduction in the level of m6A.Inhibiting the expression of ALKBH5 led to an increase in the level of m6A,which in turn inhibited the proliferation of stromal cells,induced cell apoptosis,and ultimately impaired the normal process of en-dometrial decidualization.Conclusion:ALKBH5 deficiency leads to an increase in the level of m6A and decidualization injury in the en-dometrium,which lays a foundation for the research on m6A modifi-cation in decidualization.

Objective To investigate the predictive value of combined detection of serum myelin basic pro-tein(MBP),creatine kinase isoenzyme(CKBB)and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine(8-OHDG)in the prognosis of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy(HIE).Methods A total of 150 neonates with neonatal HIE in the hospital from January 2020 to December 2023 were selected as the observation group,and 60 healthy neonates were selected as the control group.The levels of serum MBP,CKBB,and 8-OHDG were compared between two groups,the correlation between serum MBP,CKBB,and 8-OHDG levels and the severity of the disease was analyzed,clinical data and serum MBP,CKBB,and 8-OHDG levels of neonates with different prognosis were compared,and the influencing factors of neonatal HIE prognosis and the predictive value of MBP,CKBB,and 8-OHDG in the prognosis of neonatal HIE were analyzed.Results The serum levels of MBP,CKBB and 8-OHDG in mild,moderate and severe neonates in observation group were higher than those in control group(P<0.05).Serum levels of MBP,CKBB and 8-OHDG in observation group were positively correlated with the severity of the disease(P<0.05).The Apgar score 1 min after birth in the neonates with poor prognosis was lower than that in the neonates with good prognosis(P<0.05),and the severity of the disease,serum MBP,CKBB and 8-OHDG levels were higher than those in the neonates with good prognosis(P<0.05).Mul-tivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that Apgar score 1 min after birth,serum MBP,CKBB and 8-OHDG were independent influencing factors for the prognosis of neonates with HIE(P<0.05).The area un-der the curve of combined detection of serum MBP,CKBB and 8-OHDG for predicting the prognosis of neo-nates with HIE was 0.941,which was significantly higher than those predicted by each index alone(P<0.05).Conclusion Serum MBP,CKBB and 8-OHDG levels are related to the prognosis of neonates with HIE and the severity of brain injury,and the combination of the three could provide reference for the prognosis e-valuation of neonates with HIE.

ObjectiveTo investigate the role and mechanism of DNA repair regulation in the process of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） recurrence. MethodsHCC tissue samples were collected from the patients with recurrence within two years or the patients with a good prognosis after 5 years， and the Tandem Mass Tag-labeled quantification proteomic study was used to analyze the differentially expressed proteins enriched in the four pathways of DNA replication， mismatch repair， base excision repair， and nucleotide excision repair， and the regulatory pathways and targets that play a key role in the process of HCC recurrence were analyzed to predict the possible regulatory mechanisms. The independent samples t-test was used for comparison of continuous data between two groups； a one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsFor the eukaryotic replication complex pathway， there were significant reductions in the protein expression levels of MCM2 （P=0.018）， MCM3 （P=0.047）， MCM4 （P=0.014）， MCM5 （P=0.008）， MCM6 （P=0.006）， MCM7 （P=0.007）， PCNA （P=0.019）， RFC4 （P=0.002）， RFC5 （P<0.001）， and LIG1 （P=0.042）； for the nucleotide excision repair pathway， there were significant reductions in the protein expression levels of PCNA （P=0.019）， RFC4 （P=0.002）， RFC5 （P<0.001）， and LIG1 （P=0.042）； for the base excision repair pathway， there were significant reductions in the protein expression levels of PCNA （P=0.019） and LIG1 （P=0.042） in the HCC recurrence group； for the mismatch repair pathway， there were significant reductions in the protein expression levels of MSH2 （P=0.026）， MSH6 （P=0.006）， RFC4 （P=0.002）， RFC5 （P<0.001）， PCNA （P=0.019）， and LIG1 （P=0.042） in recurrent HCC tissue. The differentially expressed proteins were involved in the important components of MCM complex， DNA polymerase complex， ligase LIG1， long patch base shear repair complex （long patch BER）， and DNA mismatch repair protein complex. The clinical sample validation analysis of important differentially expressed proteins regulated by DNA repair showed that except for MCM6 with a trend of reduction， the recurrence group also had significant reductions in the relative protein expression levels of MCM5 （P=0.008）， MCM7 （P=0.007）， RCF4 （P=0.002）， RCF5 （P<0.001）， and MSH6 （P=0.006）. ConclusionThere are significant reductions or deletions of multiple complex protein components in the process of DNA repair during HCC recurrence.

Objective To optimize the ethanol extraction technology parameters of Jinlei Compound through orthogonal experiment combined with beetle antennae search(BAS)-back propagation(BP)neural network.Methods On the basis of the optimal extraction concentration obtained by single factor investigation,the ratio of solid to liquid,extraction time and extraction times were set as the orthogonal test factors.The entropy weight method was used to calculate the comprehensive scores of the yield of luteolin,kaempferol,swertianin and dry paste.Then,the BAS-BP neural network model was established,and the optimum extraction process was predicted by the BAS.Results BAS-BP neural network optimized Jinlei Compound alcohol extraction process was as follows:solid-liquid ratio 1:10,extraction time of 0.5 h,extraction times of 3,the comprehensive score was 96.352 6.The optimal process parameters obtained by orthogonal design were:solid-liquid ratio 1:10,extraction for 0.5 h,extraction for 3 times,the comprehensive score 90.988 0.The comprehensive score of BAS-BP neural network model was slightly better than that of orthogonal experiment,but the difference between the two was small.The optimal extraction process of Jinlei Compound was determined by comprehensive production practice as the ratio of solid to liquid 1:10,extraction for 0.5 h,extraction for 3 times.Conclusion The optimized process based on BAS-BP neural network has higher extraction efficiency and good stability,which can provide reference for subsequent development and quality control.

Endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) disrupts vascular endothelial integrity and induces atherosclerosis. Active integrin β1 plays a pivotal role in promoting EndMT by facilitating TGFβ/Smad signaling in endothelial cells. Here, we report a novel anthraquinone compound, Kanglexin (KLX), which prevented EndMT and atherosclerosis by activating MAP4K4 and suppressing integrin β1/TGFβ signaling. First, KLX effectively counteracted the EndMT phenotype and mitigated the dysregulation of endothelial and mesenchymal markers induced by TGFβ1. Second, KLX suppressed TGFβ/Smad signaling by inactivating integrin β1 and inhibiting the polymerization of TGFβR1/2. The underlying mechanism involved the activation of FGFR1 by KLX, resulting in the phosphorylation of MAP4K4 and Moesin, which led to integrin β1 inactivation by displacing Talin from its β-tail. Oral administration of KLX effectively stimulated endothelial FGFR1 and inhibited integrin β1, thereby preventing vascular EndMT and attenuating plaque formation and progression in the aorta of atherosclerotic Apoe^-/- mice. Notably, KLX (20 mg/kg) exhibited superior efficacy compared with atorvastatin, a clinically approved lipid-regulating drug. In conclusion, KLX exhibited potential in ameliorating EndMT and retarding the formation and progression of atherosclerosis through direct activation of FGFR1. Therefore, KLX is a promising candidate for the treatment of atherosclerosis to mitigate vascular endothelial injury.
Animals ; Atherosclerosis/prevention & control* ; Mice ; Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Anthraquinones/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Integrin beta1/metabolism* ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/drug effects* ; Male ; Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/drug effects*