Recently, male reproductive health has attracted extensive attention, with the adverse effects of circadian disruption on male fertility gradually gaining recognition. However, the mechanism by which circadian disruption leads to damage to male reproductive system remains unclear. In this review, we first summarized the dual regulatory roles of circadian clock genes on the male reproductive system: (1) circadian regulation of testosterone synthesis via the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular (HPT) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axes; (2) non-circadian regulation of spermatogenesis. Next, we further listed the possible mechanisms by which circadian disruption impairs male fertility, including interference with the oscillatory function of the reproductive system, i.e., synchronization of the HPT axis, crosstalk between the HPT axis and the HPA axis, as well as direct damage to germ cells by disturbing the non-oscillatory function of the reproductive system. Future research using spatiotemporal omics, epigenomic assays, and neural circuit mapping in studying the male reproductive system may provide new clues to systematically unravel the mechanisms by which circadian disruption affects male reproductive system through circadian clock genes.
Male ; Humans ; Animals ; Circadian Clocks/physiology* ; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/physiology* ; Circadian Rhythm/genetics* ; Spermatogenesis/physiology* ; Pituitary-Adrenal System/physiology* ; Testis/physiology* ; Testosterone/biosynthesis* ; CLOCK Proteins ; Infertility, Male/physiopathology*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between insulin resistance and uterine volume in girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP). METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted involving 61 girls diagnosed with ICPP who visited the pediatric growth and development clinic of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between January 2022 and September 2024, designated as the ICPP group, and 61 normally developing girls as the control group. The differences in insulin resistance index (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, HOMA-IR), uterine volume, and other indicators between the two groups were compared, and the relationship between insulin resistance and uterine volume in these girls was analyzed. RESULTS: The uterine volume and HOMA-IR level in the ICPP group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that there was a positive correlation between HOMA-IR level and uterine volume in the ICPP group (r_s=0.643, P<0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that as HOMA-IR increased,uterine volume in the girls tended to increase (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There is an association between insulin resistance and uterine volume in girls with ICPP, and as HOMA-IR increases, uterine volume in the girls also increases.
Humans ; Female ; Insulin Resistance ; Puberty, Precocious/metabolism* ; Uterus/pathology* ; Child ; Retrospective Studies ; Organ Size ; Linear Models

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*

Aim To explore the effect and mechanism of the artesunate(ART)on hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods The cell lines MHCC-97H and HCC-LM3 were used to be detected.MTT and clone formation were used to determine the cell proliferation;Wound healing was used to detect the cell migration;Transwell was used to test the cell invasion.Flow-cy-tometry was used to detect cell apoptosis and cell cy-cle.RNA-seq and qRT-PCR was used to detect the genes expression.Results The proliferation,migra-tion and invasion of treated cells were obviously inhibi-ted(P＜0.01).Moreover,the apoptosis rate in-creased significantly,so did the proportion of G2/M cells.Transcriptomic analysis identified GADD45A as a potential target of ART through RNA-sequencing da-ta,and suggested that ART might induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest through regulating the expression of GADD45A.In addition,the results of mechanism studies and signaling analysis suggested that GADD45A had interaction with its upstream gene NACC1(nucle-us accumbens associated 1).Moreover,after ART treatment,the expressions of GADD45A and NACC1 were changed significantly.Conclusion ART may be a potential drug to resist HCC by affecting the expres-sion of GADD45A and its upstream gene NACC1,which provides a new drug,a new direction and a new method for the clinical treatment of HCC.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and survival analysis of myelodysplastic syndromes(MDS)with RUNX1 gene mutation.Methods:Clinical data of 177 newly diagnosed MDS patients admitted to the Department of Hematology,the Second Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University from October 1,2015 to October 31,2022 were retrospectively analyzed.Gene mutation detection was performed by second-generation sequencing technology,and clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with RUNX1 gene mutation were analyzed.Results:A total of 30 cases(16.95％)of RUNX1 gene mutations were detected,including 15 missense mutations(50.0％),9 frameshift deletion mutations(30.0％),4 splice site mutations(13.3％),1 insertion mutation(3.3％),and 1 nonsense mutation(3.3％).Patients with RUNX1 mutations had a median age of 68.5 years at diagnosis(range:62.25-78.50 years old).There were no significantly differences between RUNX1 mutations and wild type patients in age distribution,gender,peripheral blood white blood cell count,hemoglobin level,bone marrow and peripheral blood blasts ratio,IPSS-R cytogenetics,IPSS-R stage,etc.(P＞0.05).However,there were statistically significant differences in platelet count and whether complicated karyotype.Compared with patients without RUNX1 gene mutation,patients with RUNX1 gene mutation had lower platelet count(P=0.018),and were less likely to have complicated karyotype at initial diagnosis(P=0.01).Cox proportional hazards model analysis showed that when other co variates remained unchanged,the higher the platelet count,the better the survival of patients(HR=0.995,95％CI:0.990-0.999,P=0.036);In the IPSS-M prognostic stratification,keeping other covariates unchanged,the risk of progression or death of myelodysplastic syndrome was significantly lower in the medium to high-risk and low-risk groups compared with the high-risk group(HR=0.149,95％CI:0.031-0.721,P=0.018;HR=0.026,95％CI:0.003-0.234,P=0.001).Survival analysis showed that MDS patients with RUNX1 gene mutation had worse overall survival time(P＜0.001).Patients with RUNX1 mutation had worse OS than non-mutation patients in the early WHO group.RUNX1 mutation and IPSS-M risk stratification mean OS and mean LFS were worse in low-risk patients than in non-mutated patients.Conclusion:RUNX1 gene mutation is an adverse prognostic factor in MDS patients,especially in the IPSS-M prognosis stratification group of low-risk,medium-low risk,medium-high risk and WHO classification of early patients.

With the approach of untargeted metabolomics and correlation analysis, this study aimed to explore the mechanism of Aurantii Fructus from Lingnan region in alleviating dryness by analyzing the different effects of raw Aurantii Fructus(RAF) and processed Aurantii Fructus(PAF) on fecal endogenous metabolism in normal rats. Eighteen Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats were randomly divided into a control group(C), an RAF group(10 g·kg~(-1)), and a PAF group(10 g·kg~(-1)). After seven days of administration, the effects of RAF and PAF on dryness-related indexes were compared, including water intake, fecal water content, salivary secretion, the expression of AQP5, VIP, and 5-HT in the submandibular gland, as well as the expression of AQP3, VIP, and 5-HT in the colon. The fecal samples in each group were determined by LC-MS. Multivariate statistical analysis and Pearson correlation coefficient were used for screening the differential metabolites and metabolic pathways in alleviating dryness of RAF. The results indicated that both RAF and PAF showed certain dryness, and the dryness of RAF was more significant. Moreover, PAF could alleviate dryness of RAF to a certain extent by reducing the water intake, fecal water content, and the expression of AQP3, VIP, and 5-HT in the colon and increasing the salivary secretion and the levels of AQP5, VIP, and 5-HT in the submandibular gland. According to the analysis of fecal metabolomics, 99 and 58 metabolites related to dryness were found in RAF and PAF respectively, where 16 of them played an important role in alleviating dryness of RAF. Pathway analysis revealed that the mechanism of PAF in alleviating dryness of RAF was presumably related to the regulation of riboflavin metabolism, purine metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, pyrimidine metabolism, alanine metabolism, aspartate metabolism, glutamate metabolism, and retinol metabolism pathways. This study suggested that PAF might alleviate dryness of RAF by affecting the metabolic levels of the body, which provides a new basis for further clarifying the processing mechanism of PAF.
Rats ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Serotonin ; Metabolomics ; Water

OBJECTIVES: To investigate local cerebral blood perfusion in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) based on cerebral blood flow (CBF) values of arterial spin labeling (ASL). METHODS: A prospective study was conducted on 90 preterm infants with a gestational age of <32 weeks and a birth weight of <1 500 g who were born in the Department of Obstetrics and admitted to the Department of Neonatology in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from August 2021 to June 2022. All of the infants underwent cranial MRI and ASL at the corrected gestational age of 35-40 weeks. According to the presence or absence of BPD, they were divided into a BPD group with 45 infants and a non-BPD group with 45 infants. The two groups were compared in terms of the CBF values of the same regions of interest (frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, thalamus, and basal ganglia) on ASL image. RESULTS: Compared with the non-BPD group, the BPD group had a significantly lower 1-minute Apgar score, a significantly longer duration of assisted ventilation, and a significantly higher incidence rate of fetal distress (P<0.05). After control for the confounding factors such as corrected age and age at the time of cranial MRI by multiple linear regression analysis, compared with the non-BPD group, the BPD group still had higher CBF values of the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, basal ganglia, and thalamus at both sides (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS BPD can increase cerebral blood perfusion in preterm infants, which might be associated with hypoxia and a long duration of assisted ventilation in the early stage.
Infant ; Pregnancy ; Female ; Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Infant, Premature ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/epidemiology* ; Prospective Studies ; Gestational Age ; Cerebrovascular Circulation

The aim of this study was to produce E^rns protein of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) by using suspensively cultured CHO cells expression system and to analyze the immunogenicity of the purified E^rns protein. In this study, the recombinant eukaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3.1-BVDV-E^rns was constructed based on the gene sequence of BVDV-1 NADL strain. The E^rns protein was secreted and expressed in cells supernatant after transfecting the recombinant expression plasmid pcDNA3.1-BVDV-E^rns into CHO cells. The expression and purification of the E^rns protein was analyzed by SDS-PAGE, the reactivity was determined with anti-His monoclonal antibodies and BVDV positive serum with Western blotting. Immunogenicity analysis of the E^rns protein was determined after immunizing New Zealand white rabbits, and the serum antibodies were tested by indirect ELISA (iELISA) and indirect immunofluorescence (IFA). The serum neutralizing titer of the immunized rabbits was determined by virus neutralization test. The concentration of the purified E^rns protein was up to 0.886 mg/mL by BCA protein quantification kit. The results showed that the E^rns protein could be detected with anti-His monoclonal antibodies and anti-BVDV sera. Serum antibodies could be detected by iELISA on the 7th day post-prime immunization, and the antibody level was maintained at a high titer until the 28th day post-immunization. The antibody titer was 1:128 000. Furthermore, the expression of the E^rns protein in BVDV-infected MDBK cells could be detected with immunized rabbits sera by IFA. Moreover, antigen-specific neutralizing antibodies of 2.71 log₁₀ was induced in rabbits. In this study, purified BVDV E^rns protein was successfully produced using CHO suspension culture system, and the recombinant protein was proved to have a good immunogenicity, which may facilitate the development of BVD diagnosis method and novel subunit vaccine.
Rabbits ; Animals ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus ; CHO Cells ; Antibodies, Viral ; Diarrhea Viruses, Bovine Viral/genetics* ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/genetics* ; Diarrhea ; Viral Vaccines/genetics*

Objective To establish a health education program for home emergency management of acute complications of diabetes in the elderly.Methods The program was drafted by literature review and panel discussion.The final draft was formed after two rounds of correspondence from 13 experts.Results The recovery rate of the two rounds of expert correspondence was 100%,and the expert authority coefficient was 0.98.The Kendall's harmony coefficients of the two rounds of correspondence were 0.263 and 0.212 respectively(both P<0.001).The established health education program included indicators of three categories:early stage of acute complications of diabetes at home(understanding the inducing factors),emergency warning(quick and early identification in case of emergency),and emergency treatment at home.Conclusion The contents of the health education program are systematic and reliable and meet the needs of health education for home emergency management of the elderly with diabetes.
Humans ; Aged ; Delphi Technique ; Health Education ; Diabetes Mellitus/therapy* ; Diabetes Complications

Aim To explore the effect of artesunate (ART) on the function of breast cancer cells during the progression of breast cancer and the possible mechanism of action. Methods MCF-7 (30 μmol • L-