A previous study showed that the length of the foreskin plays a role in the risk of sexually transmitted infections and chronic prostatitis, which can lead to poor quality of sexual life. Here, the association between foreskin length and sexual dysfunction was evaluated. A total of 5700 participants were recruited from the andrology clinic at The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China (Hefei, China). Clinical characteristics, including foreskin length, were collected, and sexual function was assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) and Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT) questionnaires. Men with sexual dysfunction were more likely to have redundant foreskin than men without sexual dysfunction. Among the 2721 erectile dysfunction (ED) patients and 1064 premature ejaculation (PE) patients, 301 (11.1%) ED patients and 135 (12.7%) PE patients had redundant foreskin, respectively. Men in the PE group were more likely to have redundant foreskin than men in the non-PE group ( P = 0.004). Logistic regression analyses revealed that the presence of redundant foreskin was associated with increased odds of moderate/severe ED (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.31, adjusted P = 0.04), moderate PE (aOR = 1.38, adjusted P = 0.02), and probable PE (aOR = 1.37, adjusted P = 0.03) after adjusting for confounding variables. Our study revealed a positive correlation between the presence of redundant foreskin and the risk of sexual dysfunction, especially in PE patients. Assessment of the length of the foreskin during routine clinical diagnosis may provide information for patients with sexual dysfunction.
Humans ; Male ; Foreskin ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Adult ; Erectile Dysfunction/epidemiology* ; Premature Ejaculation/epidemiology* ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological/epidemiology* ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of Qingda Granule (QDG) in ameliorating hypertension-induced cardiac damage and investigate the underlying mechanisms involved. METHODS: Twenty spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were used to develope a hypertension-induced cardiac damage model. Another 10 Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were used as normotension group. Rats were administrated intragastrically QDG [0.9 g/(kg•d)] or an equivalent volume of pure water for 8 weeks. Blood pressure, histopathological changes, cardiac function, levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory response markers were measured. Furthermore, to gain insights into the potential mechanisms underlying the protective effects of QDG against hypertension-induced cardiac injury, a network pharmacology study was conducted. Predicted results were validated by Western blot, radioimmunoassay immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively. RESULTS: The administration of QDG resulted in a significant decrease in blood pressure levels in SHRs (P<0.01). Histological examinations, including hematoxylin-eosin staining and Masson trichrome staining revealed that QDG effectively attenuated hypertension-induced cardiac damage. Furthermore, echocardiography demonstrated that QDG improved hypertension-associated cardiac dysfunction. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and colorimetric method indicated that QDG significantly reduced oxidative stress and inflammatory response levels in both myocardial tissue and serum (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Both network pharmacology and experimental investigations confirmed that QDG exerted its beneficial effects in decreasing hypertension-induced cardiac damage by regulating the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)/angiotensin II (Ang II)/Ang II receptor type 1 axis and ACE/Ang II/Ang II receptor type 2 axis.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Hypertension/pathology* ; Renin-Angiotensin System/drug effects* ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Male ; Rats, Inbred WKY ; Blood Pressure/drug effects* ; Myocardium/pathology* ; Rats ; Inflammation/pathology*

AP2 transcription factors belong to the AP2/ERF superfamily and are involved in the regula-tion of various biological processes in plant growth and development,as well as in response to biotic and abiotic stresses.However,studies on the AP2 transcription factor family of Perilla frutescens have not been reported.In this study,totally 18 AP2 family members were identified from the Perilla frutescens ge-nome and analyzed for gene structure,conserved motifs,and cis-acting elements using bioinformatics.WRINKLED1(WRI1)is a key regulator of lipid biosynthesis in many plant species and plays an impor-tant role in the regulation of lipid synthesis.Sequence comparison revealed that one member of WRI1 is highly homologous to AtWRI1 and contains two conserved AP2 domains,named PfWRI1.The expression levels of PfAP2 family genes were analyzed in different tissues of Perilla frutescens and at different stages of seed development in conjunction with the transcriptome data,and the results showed that PfWRI1 is highly expressed only in the seeds of Perilla frutescens,suggesting that PfWRI1 may be related to the de-velopmental process of the seeds.The overexpression vector of plant pCAMBIA1303-PfWRI1 was con-structed,and wild-type(Col)and mutant(wri1-1)Arabidopsis thaliana were transformed by Agrobacte-rium tumefaciens to obtain overexpression and complementation lines,respectively.The results showed that the expression of P fWRI1 led to an increase in oil content of Arabidopsis seeds by 8.90％-13.57％compared with Col,and promoted the accumulation of oleic acid(C18:1)and linoleic acid(18:2)and reduced the accumulation of palmitic acid(C16:0),arachidonic acid(C20:0),and cis-11-Eicosenoic acid(C20:1)in transgenic Arabidopsis seeds.In addition,PfWRI1 gene expression increased the ex-pression of glycolysis and fatty acid biosynthesis-related genes AtPKP-α,AtPKP-β1,AtBCCP2,AtSUS2,and AtLIP1.Taken together,PfWRI1 may promote lipid accumulation by increasing unsaturated fatty acid content through interaction with the above genes.

Patients with severe trauma require an extremely timely treatment and transfusion plays an irreplaceable role in the emergency treatment of such patients. An increasing number of evidence-based medicinal evidences and clinical practices suggest that patients with severe traumatic bleeding benefit from early transfusion of low-titer group O whole blood or hemostatic resuscitation with red blood cells, plasma and platelet of a balanced ratio. However, the current domestic mode of blood supply cannot fully meet the requirements of timely and effective blood transfusion for emergency treatment of patients with severe trauma in clinical practice. In order to solve the key problems in blood supply and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma, Branch of Clinical Transfusion Medicine of Chinese Medical Association, Group for Trauma Emergency Care and Multiple Injuries of Trauma Branch of Chinese Medical Association, Young Scholar Group of Disaster Medicine Branch of Chinese Medical Association organized domestic experts of blood transfusion medicine and trauma treatment to jointly formulate Chinese expert consensus on blood support mode and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma patients ( version 2024). Based on the evidence-based medical evidence and Delphi method of expert consultation and voting, 10 recommendations were put forward from two aspects of blood support mode and transfusion strategies, aiming to provide a reference for transfusion resuscitation in the emergency treatment of severe trauma and further improve the success rate of treatment of patients with severe trauma.

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and mutation spectrum of monogenic diseases in Chinese population through a large-scale,multicenter carrier screening.Methods This study was conducted among a total of 33 104 participants(16 610 females)from 12 clinical centers across China.Carrier status for 223 genes was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and different PCR methods.Results The overall combined carrier frequency was 55.58%for 197 autosomal genes and 1.84%for 26 X-linked genes in these participants.Among the 16 669 families,874 at-risk couples(5.24%)were identified.Specifically,584 couples(3.50%)were at risk for autosomal genes,306(1.84%)for X-linked genes,and 16 for both autosomal and X-linked genes.The most frequently detected autosomal at-risk genes included GJB2(autosomal recessive deafness type 1A,393 couples),HBA1/HBA2(α-thalassemia,36 couples),PAH(phenylketonuria,14 couples),and SMN1(spinal muscular atrophy,14 couples).The most frequently detected X-linked at-risk genes were G6PD(G6PD deficiency,236 couples),DMD(Duchenne muscular dystrophy,23 couples),and FMR1(fragile X syndrome,17 couples).After excluding GJB2 c.109G>A,the detection rate of at-risk couples was 3.91%(651/16 669),which was lowered to 1.72%(287/16 669)after further excluding G6PD.The theoretical incidence rate of severe monogenic birth defects was approximately 4.35‰(72.5/16 669).Screening for a battery of the top 22 most frequent genes in the at-risk couples could detect over 95%of at-risk couples,while screening for the top 54 genes further increased the detection rate to over 99%.Conclusion This study reveals the carrier frequencies of 223 monogenic genetic disorders in the Chinese population and provides evidence for carrier screening strategy development and panel design tailored to the Chinese population.In carrier testing,genetic counseling for specific genes or gene variants can be challenging,and the couples need to be informed of these difficulties before testing and provided with options for not screening these genes or gene variants.

Adequate inflammation can effectively eliminate harmful substances and prevent disease as a self-protective measure to prevent further damage to the body,while abnormally activated inflammation is detrimental to the body.Nucleotide binding and oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)inflammasome that participates in inflammatory responses are closely related to many physiological and pathological processes and play an important role in the occurrence and development of pulmonary diseases.This article mainly reviewed the activation mechanism and hypothesis of NLRP3 inflammasome,as well as the research on treating respiratory diseases by interfering with NLRP3 inflammasome.

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and mutation spectrum of monogenic diseases in Chinese population through a large-scale,multicenter carrier screening.Methods This study was conducted among a total of 33 104 participants(16 610 females)from 12 clinical centers across China.Carrier status for 223 genes was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and different PCR methods.Results The overall combined carrier frequency was 55.58%for 197 autosomal genes and 1.84%for 26 X-linked genes in these participants.Among the 16 669 families,874 at-risk couples(5.24%)were identified.Specifically,584 couples(3.50%)were at risk for autosomal genes,306(1.84%)for X-linked genes,and 16 for both autosomal and X-linked genes.The most frequently detected autosomal at-risk genes included GJB2(autosomal recessive deafness type 1A,393 couples),HBA1/HBA2(α-thalassemia,36 couples),PAH(phenylketonuria,14 couples),and SMN1(spinal muscular atrophy,14 couples).The most frequently detected X-linked at-risk genes were G6PD(G6PD deficiency,236 couples),DMD(Duchenne muscular dystrophy,23 couples),and FMR1(fragile X syndrome,17 couples).After excluding GJB2 c.109G>A,the detection rate of at-risk couples was 3.91%(651/16 669),which was lowered to 1.72%(287/16 669)after further excluding G6PD.The theoretical incidence rate of severe monogenic birth defects was approximately 4.35‰(72.5/16 669).Screening for a battery of the top 22 most frequent genes in the at-risk couples could detect over 95%of at-risk couples,while screening for the top 54 genes further increased the detection rate to over 99%.Conclusion This study reveals the carrier frequencies of 223 monogenic genetic disorders in the Chinese population and provides evidence for carrier screening strategy development and panel design tailored to the Chinese population.In carrier testing,genetic counseling for specific genes or gene variants can be challenging,and the couples need to be informed of these difficulties before testing and provided with options for not screening these genes or gene variants.

Objective To observe the effects of"Sleep Recipe"on the behavior,brain tissue and central neurotransmitters of insomnia rats.Methods The male rats with SD were randomly divided into control group,model group,sleep formula group,and eszolam group,with 10 rats in each group,and the insomnia model was constructed by intraperitoneal injection of P-chlorphenylalanine(PCPA).After successful modeling,the control group and the model group were given saline gavage,and the medylom group and eszolam group were given drug gavage.The insomnia-like behavior of rats in each group was evaluated by pentobarbital sodium correction experiment and open field experiment,Hematoxlin and eosin(HE)staining observed the pathological changes of rat cerebral cortex,hippocampus,and hypothalamic tissue,and Enzyme-linked mmunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to determine the expression levels of Gamma-aminobutyric acid(GABA),5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT).Results The sleep latency of rats in the model group was significantly elongated(P<0.01),while the sleep time was less(P<0.01),and the mental state and fur color were poor,significantly decreased in body weight(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the sleep latency was significantly shortened(P<0.01),the sleep duration was significantly prolonged(P<0.01),and the body mass was significantly increased(P<0.05,P<0.01);In the open field experiment,the total activity distance of rats in the model group increased,the average speed and central region residence time decreased(P<0.05),the total activity distance of rats in the Sleep Formula group and Eszolam group decreased significantly(P<0.05),the average speed increased and the central region residence time increased(P<0.05).HE results showed that the number of neurons,morphological structure and arrangement of neurons,such as cerebral cortex,hippocampus and hypothalamus in the model group,were damaged to varying degrees,and the sleep formula group and estazolam group were significantly improved.ELISA results showed that the expression of 5-HT and GABA in the cerebral cortex and hypothalamus of rats in the model group was significantly reduced(P<0.01,P<0.05),and the expression of GABA in hippocampal tissues was also significantly reduced(P<0.01).The protein expression levels of cerebral cortical GABA,hypothalamic GABA and 5-HT in the Sleep Formula group were significantly increased(P<0.01).Conclusion Sleep Formula can improve the mental state,restore normal body weight,improve sleep efficiency,and reduce anxiety and tension in insomnia rats.The mechanism may be related to increasing the content of 5-HT and GABA,and inhibiting the spread and conduction of hypothalamic and brainstem pro-awakening nuclei.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the molecular characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in children, and to compare the molecular characteristics of different types of strains (infection and colonization strains) so as to reveal pathogenic molecular markers of S. aureus. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used to conduct nasopharyngeal swab sampling from healthy children in the community and clinical samples from infected children in the hospital. Whole genome sequencing was used to detect antibiotic resistance genes and virulence genes. A random forest method to used to screen pathogenic markers. RESULTS: A total of 512 S. aureus strains were detected, including 272 infection strains and 240 colonization strains. For virulence genes, the carrying rates of enterotoxin genes (seb and sep), extracellular enzyme coding genes (splA, splB, splE and edinC), leukocytotoxin genes (lukD, lukE, lukF-PV and lukS-PV) and epidermal exfoliating genes (eta and etb) in infection strains were higher than those in colonization strains. But the carrying rates of enterotoxin genes (sec, sec3, seg, seh, sei, sel, sem, sen, seo and seu) were lower in infection strains than in colonization strains (P<0.05). For antibiotic resistance genes, the carrying rates of lnuA, lnuG, aadD, tetK and dfrG were significantly higher in infection strains than in colonization strains (P<0.05). The accuracy of cross-validation of the random forest model for screening pathogenic markers of S. aureus before and after screening was 69% and 68%, respectively, and the area under the curve was 0.75 and 0.70, respectively. The random forest model finally screened out 16 pathogenic markers (sem, etb, splE, sep, ser, mecA, lnuA, sea, blaZ, cat(pC233), blaTEm-1A, aph(3')-III, ermB, ermA, ant(9)-Ia and ant(6)-Ia). The top five variables in the variable importance ranking were sem (OR=0.40), etb (OR=3.95), splE (OR=1.68), sep (OR=3.97), and ser (OR=1.68). CONCLUSIONS The random forest model can screen out pathogenic markers of S. aureus and exhibits a superior predictive performance, providing genetic evidence for tracing highly pathogenic S. aureus and conducting precise targeted interventions.
Child ; Humans ; Staphylococcus aureus/genetics* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Enterotoxins/genetics* ; Staphylococcal Infections ; Whole Genome Sequencing

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of pediatric myofibroma/myofibromatosis of the soft tissue and bone. Methods: All cases of pediatric myofibroma/myofibromatosis of the soft tissue and bone diagnosed between January 2011 and December 2018 were retrieved from the surgical pathology records in the Department of Pathology, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Beijing, China. Clinical and radiological data were collected. H&E and immunohistochemistry were used to examine histological and immunophenotypic features and to make the diagnosis and differential diagnosis. The relevant literature was also reviewed. Results: Twenty-eight cases of pediatric myofibroma/myofibromatosis of the soft tissue and bone were respectively collected. The patients' ages ranged from 2 months to 14 years, with a mean age of 7 years. There were 7 females and 21 males. There were 12 cases located in soft tissue, including the finger (n=9), upper arm (n=1) and foot (n=2). There were 14 cases located in the bone of limb, including the femur (n=8), tibia (n=4), clavicle (n=2), fibula (n=2) and radius (n=1). There were 2 cases of myofibromatosis involving multiple bones. Radiology showed lytic lesions in the bone. The proliferation of spindle-shaped myofibroblasts arranged in fascicles with indistinct eosinophilic cytoplasm and bland nuclei, with no pleomorphism and cytological atypia. The characteristic histologic structure was the biphasic nodular growth pattern with cellular and paucicellular regions. The tumors might arrange in a hemangiopericytoma-like pattern. The stroma varied between dense fibrosis and myxoid changes. The reactive new bone formation and inflammatory cell infiltration also existed. Immunohistochemical study showed that the SMA was positive. The surgical resections were performed. One of the patients had tumor recurrence as a result of 11-month follow-up. Conclusions: The pediatric myofibroma/myofibromatosis of the soft tissue and bone is a very rare benign tumor and has a good prognosis. It has a characteristic morphology and its differential diagnosis from other spindle cell tumors could be made with the immunohistochemical analysis.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Bone and Bones/pathology* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Leiomyoma ; Myofibroma/diagnosis* ; Myofibromatosis/diagnosis* ; Child, Preschool ; Adolescent