Erectile dysfunction (ED) is prevalent among men, but its relationship with dietary habits is uncertain. The aim of our study was to assess whether dietary patterns enhance erectile function by reviewing the literature published before August 1, 2022, via PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases. The data compiled included author details; publication dates, countries, treatments, patient numbers, ages, follow-ups, and clinical trial outcomes, such as ED cases, odds ratios (ORs), confidence intervals (CIs), and International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) scores with means and standard deviations. An analysis of 14 studies with 27 389 participants revealed that plant-based diets (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.66-0.75; P < 0.00001), low-fat diets (OR = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.13-0.53; P = 0.0002), and alternative diets such as intermittent fasting and organic diets (OR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.36-0.80; P = 0.002) significantly reduced ED risk. High-protein low-fat diets (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.12-1.64; P < 0.00001) and high-carb low-fat diets (HR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.55-1.04; P < 0.00001) improved IIEF-5 scores. Combined diet and exercise interventions decreased the likelihood of ED (OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.28-0.85; P = 0.01) and increased the IIEF-5 score (OR = 3.40, 95% CI: 1.69-5.11; P < 0.0001). Diets abundant in fruits and vegetables (OR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.96-0.98; P < 0.00001) and nuts (OR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.37-0.80; P = 0.002) were also correlated with lower ED risk. Our meta-analysis underscores a strong dietary-ED association, suggesting that low-fat/Mediterranean diets rich in produce and nuts could benefit ED management.
Humans ; Male ; Erectile Dysfunction/epidemiology* ; Diet ; Diet, Fat-Restricted ; Feeding Behavior ; Penile Erection/physiology* ; Diet, Vegetarian

BACKGROUND: Based on the China-VHD database, this study sought to develop and validate a Valvular Heart Disease- specific Age-adjusted Comorbidity Index (VHD-ACI) for predicting mortality risk in patients with VHD. METHODS & RESULTS: The China-VHD study was a nationwide, multi-centre multi-centre cohort study enrolling 13,917 patients with moderate or severe VHD across 46 medical centres in China between April-June 2018. After excluding cases with missing key variables, 11,459 patients were retained for final analysis. The primary endpoint was 2-year all-cause mortality, with 941 deaths (10.0%) observed during follow-up. The VHD-ACI was derived after identifying 13 independent mortality predictors: cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary artery hypertension, low body weight, anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, renal insufficiency, moderate/severe hepatic dysfunction, heart failure, cancer, NYHA functional class and age. The index exhibited good discrimination (AUC, 0.79) and calibration (Brier score, 0.062) in the total cohort, outperforming both EuroSCORE II and ACCI (P < 0.001 for comparison). Internal validation through 100 bootstrap iterations yielded a C statistic of 0.694 (95% CI: 0.665-0.723) for 2-year mortality prediction. VHD-ACI scores, as a continuous variable (VHD-ACI score: adjusted HR (95% CI): 1.263 (1.245-1.282), P < 0.001) or categorized using thresholds determined by the Yoden index (VHD-ACI ≥ 9 vs. < 9, adjusted HR (95% CI): 6.216 (5.378-7.184), P < 0.001), were independently associated with mortality. The prognostic performance remained consistent across all VHD subtypes (aortic stenosis, aortic regurgitation, mitral stenosis, mitral regurgitation, tricuspid valve disease, mixed aortic/mitral valve disease and multiple VHD), and clinical subgroups stratified by therapeutic strategy, LVEF status (preserved vs. reduced), disease severity and etiology. CONCLUSION The VHD-ACI is a simple 13-comorbidity algorithm for the prediction of mortality in VHD patients and providing a simple and rapid tool for risk stratification.

This consensus will introduce the characteristics of fillers used in the surgical cavities of domestic nasal surgery patients based on relevant literature and expert opinions. It will also provide recommendations for the selection of cavity fillers for different nasal diseases, with chronic sinusitis as a representative example.
Humans ; Nasal Cavity/surgery* ; Nasal Surgical Procedures ; China ; Consensus ; Sinusitis/surgery* ; Dermal Fillers

Osteoporosis is a prevalent skeletal condition characterized by reduced bone mass and strength, leading to increased fragility. Buqi-Tongluo (BQTL) decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has yet to be fully evaluated for its potential in treating bone diseases such as osteoporosis. To investigate the mechanism by which BQTL decoction inhibits osteoclast differentiation in vitro and validate these findings through in vivo experiments. We employed MTS assays to assess the potential proliferative or toxic effects of BQTL on bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) at various concentrations. TRAcP experiments were conducted to examine BQTL's impact on osteoclast differentiation. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were utilized to evaluate the relative expression levels of osteoclast-specific genes and proteins under BQTL stimulation. Finally, in vivo experiments were performed using an osteoporosis model to further validate the in vitro findings. This study revealed that BQTL suppressed receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast resorption activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner without observable cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effects of BQTL on osteoclast formation and function were attributed to the downregulation of NFATc1 and c-fos activity, primarily through attenuation of the MAPK, NF-κB, and Calcineurin signaling pathways. BQTL's inhibitory capacity was further examined in vivo using an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model, demonstrating a strong protective effect against bone loss. BQTL may serve as an effective therapeutic TCM for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and the alleviation of bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency and related conditions.
Animals ; NFATC Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Ovariectomy ; Osteoclasts/metabolism* ; Female ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Osteoporosis/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Bone Resorption/genetics* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Humans ; RANK Ligand/metabolism* ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics* ; Transcription Factors

Bacterial biofilms gave rise to persistent infections and multi-organ failure, thereby posing a serious threat to human health. Biofilms were formed by cross-linking of hydrophobic extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), such as proteins, polysaccharides, and eDNA, which were synthesized by bacteria themselves after adhesion and colonization on biological surfaces. They had the characteristics of dense structure, high adhesiveness and low drug permeability, and had been found in many human organs or tissues, such as the brain, heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, and skeleton. By releasing pro-inflammatory bacterial metabolites including endotoxins, exotoxins and interleukin, biofilms stimulated the body’s immune system to secrete inflammatory factors. These factors triggered local inflammation and chronic infections. Those were the key reason for the failure of traditional clinical drug therapy for infectious diseases.In order to cope with the increasingly severe drug-resistant infections, it was urgent to develop new therapeutic strategies for bacterial-biofilm eradication and anti-bacterial infections. Based on the nanoscale structure and biocompatible activity, nanobiomaterials had the advantages of specific targeting, intelligent delivery, high drug loading and low toxicity, which could realize efficient intervention and precise treatment of drug-resistant bacterial biofilms. This paper highlighted multiple strategies of biofilms eradication based on nanobiomaterials. For example, nanobiomaterials combined with EPS degrading enzymes could be used for targeted hydrolysis of bacterial biofilms, and effectively increased the drug enrichment within biofilms. By loading quorum sensing inhibitors, nanotechnology was also an effective strategy for eradicating bacterial biofilms and recovering the infectious symptoms. Nanobiomaterials could intervene the bacterial metabolism and break the bacterial survival homeostasis by blocking the uptake of nutrients. Moreover, energy-driven micro-nano robotics had shown excellent performance in active delivery and biofilm eradication. Micro-nano robots could penetrate physiological barriers by exogenous or endogenous driving modes such as by biological or chemical methods, ultrasound, and magnetic field, and deliver drugs to the infection sites accurately. Achieving this using conventional drugs was difficult. Overall, the paper described the biological properties and drug-resistant molecular mechanisms of bacterial biofilms, and highlighted therapeutic strategies from different perspectives by nanobiomaterials, such as dispersing bacterial mature biofilms, blocking quorum sensing, inhibiting bacterial metabolism, and energy driving penetration. In addition, we presented the key challenges still faced by nanobiomaterials in combating bacterial biofilm infections. Firstly, the dense structure of EPS caused biofilms spatial heterogeneity and metabolic heterogeneity, which created exacting requirements for the design, construction and preparation process of nanobiomaterials. Secondly, biofilm disruption carried the risk of spread and infection the pathogenic bacteria, which might lead to other infections. Finally, we emphasized the role of nanobiomaterials in the development trends and translational prospects in biofilm treatment.

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy of intraoperative slide rail CT combined with C-arm X-ray assis-tance and just C-arm for percutaneous screw in the treatment of pelvic posterior ring injury.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on the patient data of 76 patients with posterior pelvic ring injury admitted to the Department of Orthopedic Trauma from December 2018 to February 2022.Among them,39 patients in the CT group were treated with C-arm combined with slide rail CT-assisted inline fixation including 23 males and 16 females with an average age of(44.98±7.33)years old;and the other 37 patients in the C-arm group were treated with intraline fixation treatment under only C-arm fluoroscopy in-cluding 24 males and 13 females with an average age of(44.37±10.82)years old.Among them,42 patients with anterior ring fractures were treated with percutaneous inferior iliac spines with internal fixation(INFIX)or suprapubic support screws to fix the anterior pelvic ring.Postoperative follow-up time,operation time,complications of the two groups were compared.Results of Matta reduction criteria,Majed efficacy evaluation,the CT grading and the rate of secondary surgical revision were com-pared.Results The nailing time of(32.63±7.33)min in CT group was shorter than that of(52.95±10.64)min in C-arm group(t=-9.739,P＜0.05).The follow-up time between CT group(11.97±1.86)months and C-arm group(12.03±1.71)months were not statistically significant(P＞0.05).The postoperative complication rates between two groups were not statistically significant(x2=0.159,P＞0.05).Results of Matta reduction criteria(Z=2.79,P＜0.05),Majeed efficacy evaluation(Z=2.79,P＜0.05),CT grading(Z=2.83,P＜0.05)in CT group were better than those in C-arm group(P＜0.05);the secondary surgical revision rate in the CT group was significantly lower than that in the C-arm group(x2=5.641,P＜0.05).Conclusion Compared with traditional C-arm fluoroscopy,intraoperative slide rail CT combined with C-arm assisted percutaneous sacroiliac joint screw placement surgery has the characteristics of short operation time,high accuracy and safety,and significant decrease in postoperative sec-ondary revision rate,and is one of the effective methods for re-establishing the stability of the posterior ring of pelvic fracture.

Objective To investigate the effect of vecuronium bromide on the malignant biological behavior of gastric cancer cells and its molecular mechanism.Methods Gastric cancer cells HGC-27 were divided into control group,experimental-L,-M,-H groups,si-NC group,si-FGD5-AS1 group,pcDNA-FGD5-AS1 group,pcDNA group,experimental-H+pcDNA group,experimental-H+pcDNA-FGD5-AS1 group.The control group was cultured conventionally;experimental-L,-M,-H groups were treated with 5,10 and 20μmol·mL-1 vecuronium bromide,respectively;si-FGD5-AS1 group and the si-NC group were transfected with lncRNA FGD5-AS1 interference expression vector and negative control plasmid,respectively;pcDNA-FGD5-AS1 group and pcDNA group were transfected with lncRNA FGD5-AS1 overexpression vector and negative control plasmid,respectively;lncRNA FGD5-AS1 overexpression vector and negative control plasmid were transfected into HGC-27 cells in the experimental-H+pcDNA-FGD5-AS1 group and experimental-H+pcDNA group,and then treated with 20 μmuol·mL-1 vecuronium bromide.Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT),flow cytometry and real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)were applied to dectect cell viability,apoptosis and lncRNA FGD5-AS1 expression.Results The cell activity of control group,experimental-L,-M,-H groups,si-NC group,si-FGD5-AS1 group,pcDNA group,PCDNA-FGD5-AS1 group,experimental-H+pcDNA group and experimental-H+PCDNA-FGD5-AS1 group were 1.31±0.07,0.58±0.03,1.31±0.06,0.51±0.03,1.29±0.08,1.68±0.15,0.59±0.03 and 1.16±0.06;the apoptosis rates were(6.49±0.44)％,(23.52±0.98)％,(6.42±0.44)％,(26.75±0.97)％,(6.72±0.38)％,(2.56±0.19)％,(23.56±1.04)％and(11.65±0.47)％;the expression levels of lncRNA FGD5-AS1 were 1.00±0.05,0.37±0.02,0.99±0.05,0.21±0.02,1.00±0.03,2.98±0.12,0.38±0.02 and 0.87±0.05,respectively.The above indexes were compared with the control group and experimental-H group,those in the si-FGD5-AS1 group were compared with the si-NC group,those in the pcDNA-FGD5-AS1 group were compared with the pcDNA group,and those in the experimental-H+pcDNA-FGD5-AS1 group were compared with the experimental-H+pcDNA group,the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Vecuronium bromide may inhibit the proliferation of HGC-27 cells and promote cell apoptosis by down-regulating lncRNA FGD5-AS1.

Objective To establish an ultra-high performance liquid phase tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry method for the determination of L-synephrine in rat plasma and to study its pharmacokinetics.Methods The plasma samples were precipitated by acetonitrile vortex,centrifuged,dried by nitrogen,dissolved by mobile phase,and then analyzed.Chromatographic column:Shiseido CAPCELL PAK CR(1∶4)column(2.0 mm × 150.0 mm,5 μm),temperature:25 ℃.Mobile phase:Acetonitrile:0.1％formic acid solution(containing 10 mmoL·L-1 ammonium formate)(73∶27)with flow rate:0.3 mL·min-1 and injection volume was 2 μL.The electrospray ion source ionization and positive ion multiple reaction monitoring mode were used for mass spectrometry detection,and biological sample methodology verification was carried out according to requirements.After intragastric administration with 5 mg·kg-1 dose of L-synephrine,blood samples were collected at different time points to investigate the pharmacokinetic characteristics of L-synephrine in rats.Results L-synephrine showed a good linear relationship in the range of 2-800 ng·mL-1,the lowest limit of quantification of L-synephrine was 2 ng·mL-1.Precision,extraction recovery,matrix effect,accuracy,dilution effect and residual effect all meet the requirements all met the requirements.The main pharmacokinetic parameters:Cmax were(464.83±76.68)ng·L-1,tmax were(0.67±0.26)h,t1/2z were(1.89±0.48)h,AUC0-t were(602.26±42.25)ng·mL-1·h-1,AUC0-∞ were(612.28±41.18)ng·mL-1·h-1.Conclusion The established ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry method for the determination of L-synephrine in rat plasma is simple and rapid,and can be used for the determination of L-synephrine in plasma.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of humanized anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody for steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (SR-aGVHD) in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) recipients. Methods: A total of 64 patients with SR-aGVHD between June 2019 and October 2020 in Suchow Hopes Hematology Hospital were enrolled in this study. Humanized anti-CD25 monoclonal antibodies 1 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1) were administered on days 1, 3, and 8, and then once per week according to the disease progression. Efficacy was assessed at days 7, 14, and 28 after humanized anti-CD 25 treatment. Results: Of the 64 patients with a median age of 31 (15-63) years, 38 (59.4%) were male and 26 (40.6%) were female. The overall response (OR) rate of the humanized CD25 monoclonal antibody in 64 patients with SR-aGVHD on days 7, 14, and 28 were 48.4% (31/64), 53.1% (34/64), and 79.7% (51/64), respectively. Liver involvement is an independent risk factor for poor efficacy of humanized CD25 monoclonal antibody for SR-aGVHD at day 28 (OR=9.588, 95% CI 0.004-0.291, P=0.002). The median follow-up time for all patients was 17.1 (0.2-50.8) months from the start of humanized CD25 monoclonal antibody therapy. The 1- and 2-year OS rates were 63.2% (95% CI 57.1% -69.3%) and 52.6% (95% CI 46.1% -59.1%), respectively. The 1- and 2-year DFS rates were 58.4% (95% CI 52.1% -64.7%) and 49.8% (95% CI 43.4% -56.2%), respectively. The 1- and 2-year NRM rates were 28.8% (95% CI 23.1% -34.5%) and 32.9% (95% CI 26.8% -39.0%), respectively. The results of the multifactorial analysis showed that liver involvement (OR=0.308, 95% CI 0.108-0.876, P=0.027) and GVHD grade Ⅲ/Ⅳ (OR=9.438, 95% CI 1.211-73.577, P=0.032) were independent risk factors for OS. Conclusion: Humanized CD25 monoclonal antibody has good efficacy and safety for SR-aGVHD. This study shows that SR-aGVHD with pretreatment grade Ⅲ/Ⅳ GVHD and GVHD involving the liver has poor efficacy and prognosis and requires early intervention.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Acute Disease ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use* ; Graft vs Host Disease/therapy* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/adverse effects* ; Retrospective Studies ; Salvage Therapy/methods* ; Steroids ; Adolescent ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a user-friendly risk score for older mitral regurgitation (MR) patients, referred to as the Elder-MR score. METHODS: The China Senile Valvular Heart Disease (China-DVD) Cohort Study functioned as the development cohort, while the China Valvular Heart Disease (China-VHD) Study was employed for external validation. We included patients aged 60 years and above receiving medical treatment for moderate or severe MR (2274 patients in the development cohort and 1929 patients in the validation cohort). Candidate predictors were chosen using Cox's proportional hazards model and stepwise selection with Akaike's information criterion. RESULTS: Eight predictors were identified: age ≥ 75 years, body mass index < 20 kg/m², NYHA class III/IV, secondary MR, anemia, estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min per 1.73 m², albumin < 35 g/L, and left ventricular ejection fraction < 60%. The model displayed satisfactory performance in predicting one-year mortality in both the development cohort (C-statistic = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.69-0.77, Brier score = 0.06) and the validation cohort (C-statistic = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.68-0.78, Brier score = 0.06). The Elder-MR score ranges from 0 to 15 points. At a one-year follow-up, each point increase in the Elder-MR score represents a 1.27-fold risk of death (HR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.21-1.34, P < 0.001) in the development cohort and a 1.24-fold risk of death (HR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.17-1.30, P < 0.001) in the validation cohort. Compared to EuroSCORE II, the Elder-MR score demonstrated superior predictive accuracy for one-year mortality in the validation cohort (C-statistic = 0.71 vs. 0.70, net reclassification improvement = 0.320, P < 0.01; integrated discrimination improvement = 0.029, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS The Elder-MR score may serve as an effective risk stratification tool to assist clinical decision-making in older MR patients.