Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA), one of the most severe types of male infertility, etiology often remains unclear in most cases. Therefore, this study aimed to detect four biallelic detrimental variants (0.5%) in the minichromosome maintenance domain containing 2 ( MCMDC2 ) genes in 768 NOA patients by whole-exome sequencing (WES). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) demonstrated that MCMDC2 deleterious variants caused meiotic arrest in three patients (c.1360G>T, c.1956G>T, and c.685C>T) and hypospermatogenesis in one patient (c.94G>T), as further confirmed through immunofluorescence (IF) staining. The single-cell RNA sequencing data indicated that MCMDC2 was substantially expressed during spermatogenesis. The variants were confirmed as deleterious and responsible for patient infertility through bioinformatics and in vitro experimental analyses. The results revealed four MCMDC2 variants related to NOA, which contributes to the current perception of the function of MCMDC2 in male fertility and presents new perspectives on the genetic etiology of NOA.
Humans ; Male ; Azoospermia/genetics* ; Meiosis/genetics* ; Spermatogenesis/genetics* ; Adult ; Exome Sequencing ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins/genetics* ; Alleles ; Infertility, Male/genetics*

Objective:To investigate the relationship between fibroblast growth factor receptor-2(FGFR2)gene polymorphisms and the risk of breast cancer and its protein expression in Han women from Heilongjiang,China.Meth-ods:Using the Snapshot technique for multiplex single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping,the polymorphisms rs3135718 and rs1219648 of FGFR2 were analyzed in 747 breast cancer patients and 716 healthy controls.Logistic re-gression was used to examine the association between these genotypes and breast cancer susceptibility.In a subset of 338 cases,immunohistochemistry was performed to assess FGFR2 protein expression,and chi-square tests was used to analyze the relationship between polymorphisms and protein expression.Results:The genotype frequencies of FGFR2 rs3135718 and rs1219648 showed significant differences between the breast cancer and control group.Logistic regression revealed that,for rs3135718,the CT,CC,and CT+CC genotypes were associated with increased breast cancer risk compared to the TT genotype(OR=1.280,95%CI:1.003-1.633;OR=1.500,95%CI:1.112-2.023;OR=1.341,95%CI:1.066-1.688).For rs1219648,the GA,GG,and GA+GG genotypes were significantly associated with higher breast cancer risk compared to the AA genotype(OR=1.352,95%CI:1.063-1.719;OR=1.826,95%CI:1.361-2.504;OR=1.475,95%CI:1.175-1.852).However,no significant association was found between FGFR2 rs3135718 and rs1219648 polymorphisms and FGFR2 protein expression(χ2=0.052,P=0.820;χ2=0.117,P=0.732).Conclusion:FGFR2 gene poly-morphisms rs3135718 and rs1219648 are significantly associated with breast cancer susceptibility in Han women from Heilongjiang,China,but these polymorphisms do not show a clear relationship with FGFR2 protein expression.

Objective To analyze the research status and hotspots in the field of astragalus polysaccharides;To provide references for further research.Methods Research literature about astragalus polysaccharides was retrieved from CNKI,Wanfang Data,VIP,PubMed,and Web of Science databases from 1st,Jan.2013 to 1st,July 2023.NoteExpress 3.7 software was used to manage the literature and ultimately establish a database.Excel 2019,CiteSpace 6.2.2R and VOSviewer 1.6.18 were used to visually analyze the publication volume,authors,institutions,and keywords of the included literature.Results A total of 2 462 articles were included,with 1 284 Chinese articles and 1 178 English articles.The main research institutions were Gansu University of Chinese Medicine,Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.The core authors of Chinese literature were Liu Yongqi,Wang Hongxin,Lu Meili,etc.The core authors of English literature included Zhang Wei,Li Ke,Yang Xiaojun,etc.High-frequency keywords of Chinese literature included Astragali Radix,rats,polysaccharides,cell apoptosis,and oxidative stress,etc.High frequency keywords in English literature included expression,in vitro,oxidative stress,apoptosis,etc.Conclusion The research on astragalus polysaccharides focuses on their pharmacological effects and mechanisms.Intestinal flora,immune regulation,autophagy and apoptosis are the hot action mechanisms in this field.The focus of disease research involves tumor and diabetes,and antiviral,anti infection and other pharmacological effects are the research trend.

Objective To investigate the role of Sneathia sanguinegens(S.sanguinegens)in the development of unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion(URSA).Methods A case-control study was conducted to analyze the vaginal flora characteristics of 65 patients with URSA and 18 healthy controls through 16S rRNA gene sequencing.Toxicity profile of S.sanguinegens on human cervical cancer cells(ME-180),human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC)and human placental choriocarcinoma cells(JEG-3)was analyzed at the cellular level to assess the mechanism of it in adverse pregnancy outcomes.And S.sanguinegens was used to infect C57BL/6J mice to explore the toxic effect on living organisms.Results The relative abundance of Sneathia was increased in patients with URSA compared with healthy controls.It was positively correlated with the number of miscarriages,and was attributed to S.sanguinegens.We also found that S.sanguinegens damaged ME-180,JEG-3 and HUVEC cells.The degree of cellular damage was related to the level of S.sanguinegens added.Intravenous infection with S.sanguinegens caused inflammatory damage in several organs and extramedullary hematopoiesis in the spleen.Conclusion S.sanguinegens is closely related to URSA and should be emphasized in patients with high vaginal bacterial load.

The interleukin-10 （IL-10） family is expressed in various types of cells and has a wide range of biological functions， and it plays an important role in the development and progression of hepatic fibrosis. Hepatic fibrosis is a chronic liver disease characterized by abnormal repair of hepatic tissues after injury， activation of hepatic stellate cells， and excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix. The IL-10 family members include IL-10， IL-19， IL-20， IL-22， IL-24， IL-26， IL-28， IL-29， and IL-35， with similarities in structure and function， and changes in their expression levels are closely associated with the progression of hepatic fibrosis. Moderate upregulation of the expression of IL-10 family members can help maintain the quiescent state of hepatic stellate cells， promote the transformation of macrophages to anti-inflammatory phenotype， and regulate the activity of natural killer cells， thereby inhibiting inflammatory response， regulating cell apoptosis and autophagy， and finally reversing the progression of hepatic fibrosis. This article discusses the mechanism of action of IL-10 family members and their application in traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine therapies， in order to provide new thoughts for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis.

Objective: To investigate the chemical compositions of Maxing Shigan Decoction (麻杏石甘汤, MXSGD) and elucidate its anti-influenza A virus (IAV) mechanism from prediction to validation. Methods: Ultra high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was employed to analyze the chemical compositions of MXSGD. Network pharmacology theories were used to screen and identify shared targets of both the potential targets of active ingredients of MXSGD and IAV. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was then constructed, followed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. The binding stability between core bioactive compounds and key targets was validated by molecular docking and dynamic simulations. A total of 24 BALB/c mice were infected with IAV to build IAV mouse models. After successful modelling, the mouse models were randomly divided into model, MXSGD high-dose (2.8 g/kg), MXSGD low-dose (1.4 g/kg), and oseltamivir (20.14 mg/kg) groups, with an additional normal mice as control group (n = 6 per group). The treatments were administered by gavage daily between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. for five consecutive days. Upon completion of the administration, the body weight ratio, lung index, protein content in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and the levels of inflammatory factors including interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in mice were measured to preliminarily analyze the therapeutic efficacy of MXSGD against IAV infection. Furthermore, the expression levels of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) proteins in the HIF-1 signaling pathway, which was enriched by network pharmacology, were detected by Western blot. Results: A total of 212 chemical components in MXSGD were identified by the UPLC-MS/MS method. These chemical components can be classified into 9 primary categories and 31 secondary categories. After intersecting the chemical component targets with IAV-related targets, a total of 567 potential MXSGD components targeting IAV were identified. The construction of PPI network and the results of both GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that the anti-IAV effects of MXSGD were associated with multiple pathways, including apoptosis, TNF, HIF-1, and IL-17 signaling pathways. The results of molecular docking demonstrated that the binding energies between the core compound 1-methoxyphaseollin and key targets including HIF-1α, mTOR, and VEGF were all lower than – 5.0 kcal/mol. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the structural stability of the resulting complexes. Animal experiments showed that compared with the normal controls, IAV-infected mice showed significantly reduced body weight ratio, markedly increased lung index, protein content in BALF, and the levels of inflammatory factors such as IL-6 and TNF-α (P < 0.01), thereby causing damage to the lung tissue; consequently, the expression levels of mTOR, HIF-1α, and VEGF proteins in the lung tissues of these mice were significantly elevated (P < 0.01). However, after MXSGD treatment, the mouse models presented a significant increase in body weight ratio, as well as marked decreases in lung index, protein content in BALF, and the levels of inflammatory factors including IL-6 and TNF-α (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the therapy alleviated IAV-induced injuries and significantly downregulated the expression levels of mTOR, HIF-1α, and VEGF proteins in lung tissues (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). Conclusion MXSGD exerts anti-IAV effects through multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway synergism. Among them, 1-methoxyphaseollin is identified as a potential key component, which alleviates virus-induced lung injury and inflammatory response via the regulation of HIF-1 signaling pathway, providing experimental evidence for the clinical application of MXSGD.

Liver failure （LF） is a severe clinical syndrome characterized by severe impairment or decompensation of liver function. At present， the key role of immune molecules in the pathogenesis of LF has been well established. These molecules not only directly participate in the pathological process of LF， but also influence the course of LF by modulating the behavior of immune cells. In addition， immune molecules can be used as potential biomarkers for evaluating the prognosis of LF. This article summarizes the role of immune molecules in LF and explores the therapeutic strategies based on these immune molecules， in order to provide new directions for the diagnosis and treatment of LF.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between fibroblast growth factor receptor-2(FGFR2)gene polymorphisms and the risk of breast cancer and its protein expression in Han women from Heilongjiang,China.Meth-ods:Using the Snapshot technique for multiplex single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping,the polymorphisms rs3135718 and rs1219648 of FGFR2 were analyzed in 747 breast cancer patients and 716 healthy controls.Logistic re-gression was used to examine the association between these genotypes and breast cancer susceptibility.In a subset of 338 cases,immunohistochemistry was performed to assess FGFR2 protein expression,and chi-square tests was used to analyze the relationship between polymorphisms and protein expression.Results:The genotype frequencies of FGFR2 rs3135718 and rs1219648 showed significant differences between the breast cancer and control group.Logistic regression revealed that,for rs3135718,the CT,CC,and CT+CC genotypes were associated with increased breast cancer risk compared to the TT genotype(OR=1.280,95%CI:1.003-1.633;OR=1.500,95%CI:1.112-2.023;OR=1.341,95%CI:1.066-1.688).For rs1219648,the GA,GG,and GA+GG genotypes were significantly associated with higher breast cancer risk compared to the AA genotype(OR=1.352,95%CI:1.063-1.719;OR=1.826,95%CI:1.361-2.504;OR=1.475,95%CI:1.175-1.852).However,no significant association was found between FGFR2 rs3135718 and rs1219648 polymorphisms and FGFR2 protein expression(χ2=0.052,P=0.820;χ2=0.117,P=0.732).Conclusion:FGFR2 gene poly-morphisms rs3135718 and rs1219648 are significantly associated with breast cancer susceptibility in Han women from Heilongjiang,China,but these polymorphisms do not show a clear relationship with FGFR2 protein expression.

Objective To investigate the role of Sneathia sanguinegens(S.sanguinegens)in the development of unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion(URSA).Methods A case-control study was conducted to analyze the vaginal flora characteristics of 65 patients with URSA and 18 healthy controls through 16S rRNA gene sequencing.Toxicity profile of S.sanguinegens on human cervical cancer cells(ME-180),human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC)and human placental choriocarcinoma cells(JEG-3)was analyzed at the cellular level to assess the mechanism of it in adverse pregnancy outcomes.And S.sanguinegens was used to infect C57BL/6J mice to explore the toxic effect on living organisms.Results The relative abundance of Sneathia was increased in patients with URSA compared with healthy controls.It was positively correlated with the number of miscarriages,and was attributed to S.sanguinegens.We also found that S.sanguinegens damaged ME-180,JEG-3 and HUVEC cells.The degree of cellular damage was related to the level of S.sanguinegens added.Intravenous infection with S.sanguinegens caused inflammatory damage in several organs and extramedullary hematopoiesis in the spleen.Conclusion S.sanguinegens is closely related to URSA and should be emphasized in patients with high vaginal bacterial load.

Objective:To construct the inflammation score(IS)and nutrition-immunity score(NIS)for patients with multiple myeloma(MM),and to verify their prognostic stratification effects and significance.Methods:The clinical data of 129 newly diagnosed MM patients admitted to our hospital from August 2011 to September 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis of overall survival(OS)were comducted on clinical parameters,including inflammatory indicators such as red blood cell volume distribution width(RDW)and platelet count(PLT),nutritional-immune indicators such as albumin(ALB),absolute lymphocyte count(ALC),and suppressed immunoglobulin count(S-Ig count).To construct IS and NIS for prognosis,X-tile software and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to verify the prognostic stratification role and significance of IS and NIS.The time-dependent receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,C-index curve,calibration curve,and decision curve analysis(DCA)were used to evaluate the discrimination,accuracy,and clinical net benefit of IS and NIS in predicting overall survival(OS),and compared to the international staging system(ISS).Results:IS was constructed based on the scores of RDW and PLT,and NIS was constructed based on the scores of ALB,ALC,and S-Ig count.According to X-tile analysis and multivariate Cox regression analysis,IS and NIS can divide the patients into three risk strata respectively:low,medium and high IS and NIS groups.The differences in OS and hazard ratio(HR)between the low,medium,and high strata were statistically significant(P＜0.05).IS and NIS are both independent prognostic predictors for MM.The area under the ROC curve(AUC)and C index of IS and NIS for predicting 1-to 7-year OS were greater than those of ISS,and both were greater than 0.7.The prediction results of IS and NIS for 1-,3-,and 5-year OS rates were well consistent with the actual observed results.The DC A curves of IS and NIS for predicting 1-,3-,and 5-year OS were higher than that of ISS in a wide range of threshold probability intervals.Conclusion:IS and NIS have independent predictive significance for OS in MM patients.Their predictive discrimination,accuracy,and clinical net benefit are higher and better than ISS,and they may have potential application value in MM prognosis.