In recent years, China has been facing the dual challenges of declining fertility rates and births, with male reproductive health issues, especially the decline in semen quality, identified as a pivotal contributor to this phenomenon. Meanwhile, accumulating evidence indicates that air pollutants, an increasingly severe environmental problem, can damage semen quality not only directly through their biological toxicity but also indirectly by disrupting the composition of microbial communities in the gut and semen, thereby dysregulating immune function, endocrine homeostasis, and oxidative stress responses. The gut microbiota and semen microbiota, as important components of the human microecosystem, play crucial roles in maintaining reproductive health. This article comprehensively reviewed the research progress on the potential effects of air pollutants (particulate matter and gaseous pollutants), gut microbiota, and semen microbiota on semen quality. Specifically, it elucidated the mechanisms of interaction between these factors and explored how they affect male fertility.

Normal heart function depends on complex regulation by the brain, and abnormalities in the brain‒heart axis affect various diseases, such as myocardial infarction and anxiety disorders. However, systematic tracking of the brain regions associated with the input and output of the heart is lacking. In this study, we injected retrograde transsynaptic pseudorabies virus (PRV) and anterograde transsynaptic herpes simplex virus (HSV) into the left ventricular wall of mice to identify the whole-brain regions associated with the input to and output from the heart. We successfully detected PRV and HSV expression in at least 170 brain subregions in both male and female mice. Sex differences were discovered mainly in the hypothalamus and medulla, with male mice exhibiting greater correlation and hierarchical clustering than female mice, indicating reduced similarity and increased modularity of virus expression patterns in male mice. Further graph theory and multiple linear regression analysis of different injection timelines revealed that hub regions of PRV had highly similar clusters, with different brain levels, suggesting a top-down, hierarchically transmitted neural control pattern of the heart. Hub regions of HSV had scattered clusters, with brain regions gathered in the cortex and brainstem, suggesting a bottom-up, leapfrog, multipoint neural sensing pattern of the heart. Both patterns contain many hub brain regions that have been previously overlooked in brain‒heart axis studies. These results provide brain targets for future research and will lead to deeper insight into the brain mechanisms involved in specific heart conditions.
Animals ; Male ; Female ; Heart/physiology* ; Mice ; Herpesvirus 1, Suid ; Brain/physiology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Brain Mapping ; Efferent Pathways/physiology* ; Afferent Pathways/physiology* ; Simplexvirus ; Sex Characteristics

Cancer multidrug resistance (MDR) impairs the therapeutic efficacy of various chemotherapeutics. Novel approaches, particularly the development of MDR reversal agents, are critically needed to address this challenge. This study demonstrates that tenacissoside I (TI), a compound isolated from Marsdenia tenacissima (Roxb.) Wight et Arn, traditionally used in clinical practice as an ethnic medicine for cancer treatment, exhibits significant MDR reversal effects in ABCB1-mediated MDR cancer cells. TI reversed the resistance of SW620/AD300 and KBV200 cells to doxorubicin (DOX) and paclitaxel (PAC) by downregulating ABCB1 expression and reducing ABCB1 drug transport function. Mechanistically, protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1), whose expression correlates with poor prognosis and shows positive association with both ABCB1 and EGFR expressions in tumor tissues, was differentially expressed in TI-treated SW620/AD300 cells. SW620/AD300 and KBV200 cells exhibited elevated levels of EGFR asymmetric dimethylarginine (aDMA) and enhanced PRMT1-EGFR interaction compared to their parental cells. Moreover, TI-induced PRMT1 downregulation impaired PRMT1-mediated aDMA of EGFR, PRMT1-EGFR interaction, and EGFR downstream signaling in SW620/AD300 and KBV200 cells. These effects were significantly reversed by PRMT1 overexpression. Additionally, TI demonstrated resistance reversal to PAC in xenograft models without detectable toxicities. This study establishes TI's MDR reversal effect in ABCB1-mediated MDR human cancer cells through inhibition of PRMT1-mediated aDMA of EGFR, suggesting TI's potential as an MDR modulator for improving chemotherapy outcomes.
Humans ; Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases/antagonists & inhibitors* ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects* ; ErbB Receptors/genetics* ; Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Drug Resistance, Multiple/drug effects* ; Methylation/drug effects* ; Saponins/administration & dosage* ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B/genetics* ; Doxorubicin/pharmacology* ; Paclitaxel/pharmacology* ; Female ; Repressor Proteins

Objective To develop a portable three-dimensional foot motion analysis system based on low-cost inertial measurement units(IMU)and force sensing resistor(FSR),and to explore the feasibility of assessing three-dimensional motion of internal small joints of foot in barefoot and shod conditions. Methods The system consisted of data sampling,data transmitting and data processing parts.IMUs were employed for data acquisition of small foot joints,and FSRs were utilized to detect heel strike and toe off.All the data were transmitted via wireless local area network.Data processing was accomplished by a self-programmed Excel mac-ro.From January to July,2024,two healthy female subjects wearing the device walked in the corridor at self-se-lected pace,for ten meters.Gait analysis was used to conduct consistency test on subject 2.Dorsiflexion-plan-tarflexion,adduction-abduction and internal rotation-external rotation of the 1st metatarsal relative to the phalan-geal(Met-Ph),the midfoot relative to the 1st metatarsal(Mid-Met)were recorded and analyzed on subject 1 in consecutive barefoot walking and two types of nurse footwear walking conditions. Results The system showed good consistency between tests.Dorsiflexion-plantarflexion,adduction-abduction and inter-nal rotation-external rotation ranges of motion were reduced in both Met-Ph and Mid-Met with shoes compared with those of bare foot,they were the least in arch support. Conclusion A low-cost,portable three-dimensional foot motion analysis system has been developed,which could be used to measure barefoot motion and shod foot motion in consecutive walking.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of Jianpiwenyang Gel(SSWYG)for treating chronic diarrhea and explore its therapeutic mechanism.Methods Eighty patients with chronic diarrhea of spleen and stomach weakness type were randomized into two groups for interventions with lifestyle adjustment and treatment with bifid triple viable capsules(control group,n=40)or naval application with SSWYG(treatment group,n=40)for one week,after which symptoms of chronic diarrhea were evaluated.The Chinese medicine system pharmacology analysis platform(TCMSP),GeneCards,NCBI,OMIM database and GEO database(GSE14841)were used to obtain the active ingredients and target proteins of SSWYG and chronic diarrhea-related targets.The key targets were obtained by topological analysis for Gene Ontology(GO)and KEGG analyses.The affinity and binding characteristics of SSWYG for specific targets were verified by molecular docking using AutoDock software.Results In both groups,gastrointestinal symptom rating scale(GSRS),Bristol Scale and TCM syndrome scores significantly improved after the treatments(P<0.05),and better effects were observed in the treatment group(P<0.05).Sixty-eight targets of SSWYG in treating chronic diarrhea were obtained,and 33 most probable ones were screened out by topological analysis.GO and KEGG analyses identified several chronic diarrhea-related pathways including the TNF and IL-17 pathways.Molecular docking study showed good affinity of the core components of SSWYG for the key targets CASP3,JNK,IL1B,IL6,and AKT1.JUN and CASP3 had the lowest binding energy and the highest stable binding energy with multiple major active ingredients of SSWYG.Conclusion SSWYG can significantly improve clinical symptoms of chronic diarrhea possibly by regulating the TNF and IL-17 as well as other pathways via CASP3 and JUN,suggesting a complex therapeutic mechanism of SSWYG involving multiple ingredients and targets and coordinated regulation of multiple pathways.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of Jianpiwenyang Gel(SSWYG)for treating chronic diarrhea and explore its therapeutic mechanism.Methods Eighty patients with chronic diarrhea of spleen and stomach weakness type were randomized into two groups for interventions with lifestyle adjustment and treatment with bifid triple viable capsules(control group,n=40)or naval application with SSWYG(treatment group,n=40)for one week,after which symptoms of chronic diarrhea were evaluated.The Chinese medicine system pharmacology analysis platform(TCMSP),GeneCards,NCBI,OMIM database and GEO database(GSE14841)were used to obtain the active ingredients and target proteins of SSWYG and chronic diarrhea-related targets.The key targets were obtained by topological analysis for Gene Ontology(GO)and KEGG analyses.The affinity and binding characteristics of SSWYG for specific targets were verified by molecular docking using AutoDock software.Results In both groups,gastrointestinal symptom rating scale(GSRS),Bristol Scale and TCM syndrome scores significantly improved after the treatments(P<0.05),and better effects were observed in the treatment group(P<0.05).Sixty-eight targets of SSWYG in treating chronic diarrhea were obtained,and 33 most probable ones were screened out by topological analysis.GO and KEGG analyses identified several chronic diarrhea-related pathways including the TNF and IL-17 pathways.Molecular docking study showed good affinity of the core components of SSWYG for the key targets CASP3,JNK,IL1B,IL6,and AKT1.JUN and CASP3 had the lowest binding energy and the highest stable binding energy with multiple major active ingredients of SSWYG.Conclusion SSWYG can significantly improve clinical symptoms of chronic diarrhea possibly by regulating the TNF and IL-17 as well as other pathways via CASP3 and JUN,suggesting a complex therapeutic mechanism of SSWYG involving multiple ingredients and targets and coordinated regulation of multiple pathways.

The accurate assessment of burn injuries is complex and difficult. The emergence of some new skin imaging techniques, such as hyperspectral imaging, unilateral magnetic resonance imaging, laser Doppler perfusion imaging, etc., has made great progress in research on burn injury assessment. With the continuous progress of imaging technology and medical imaging, medical imaging technologies such as digital radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasonography, and so on, have played an important role in burn injury assessment. However, there are still relatively few research reports on burn injury imaging, which may be due to the fact that the imaging techniques and diagnostic experience used for burn injury assessment are not yet fully popular in some medical institutions, and the imaging manifestations related to burns are complex and lack of specificity. This article mainly reviews the application research progress of various imaging techniques in the assessment of burn injury in recent years, aiming to explore the application value of various imaging techniques in burn injury assessment.

Objective To observe the value of anatomical characteristics of femoral intercondylar notch of knee joint for predicting non-contact anterior cruciate ligament tear(NC-ACLT).Methods MRI data of knee joint of 55 patients with NC-ACLT(NC-ACLT group)and 55 controls(control group)were retrospectively analyzed.The parameters of intercondylar notch,including depth,width,depth/width ratio,opening width,opening width index,area and width of the femoral condyle's outer edge at the same level were measured between groups,and the types of intercondylar notch(type A,U and W)were recorded.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to screen the independent impact factors of NC-ACLT.Receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn,and the area under the curves(AUC)were calculated to evaluate the efficacy of each intercondylar notch parameter for predicting NC-ACLT.Results The depth and depth/width ratio of intercondylar notch in NC-ACLT group were both higher,while the opening width and opening width index of intercondylar notch in NC-ACLT group were both lower than those in control group(all P＜0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the depth of intercondylar notch was an independent impact factors of NC-ACLT(P＜0.05).Taken 29.55 mm in depth of intercondylar notch,1.45 in depth/width ratio of intercondylar notch,21.15 mm in opening width of intercondylar notch and 0.29 in opening width index as the optimal cut-off value,respectively,the sensitivity of the above parameters for predicting NC-ACLT was 74.55％,58.18％,67.27％and 67.27％,the specificity was 69.09％,80.00％,61.82％and 78.18％,and the AUC was 0.720,0.713,0.652 and 0.710,respectively.Conclusion The anatomical characteristics of femoral intercondylar notch of knee joint could be used to predict NC-ACLT.The depth,depth/width ratio,opening width and opening width index of intercondylar notch could be used as predictive indicators.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of over-the-top reconstruction combined with the modified Lemaire technique in the treatment of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries with pivot-shift positive.Methods:From March 2020 to October 2021, a total of 46 patients with ACL injury and pivot-shift test grade II or above were admitted to Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Dalian University. There were 28 males and 18 females, aged 28.0±10.5 years (range, 15-45 years). All cases were unilateral, including 17 cases of left knee and 29 cases of right knee. The pivot-shift test showed that 30 cases were grade II and 16 cases were grade III, and the cause of injury was sports injury. The semitendinosus muscle and gracilis muscle were harvested, and the ACL was reconstructed with the over-the-top combined modified Lemaire technique. The International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, Lysholm score and KT-2000 side-to-side difference before and after operation were compared.Results:All patients successfully completed the operation and were followed up for 26.6±2.3 months (range, 24-28 months). The Lysholm scores of the patients at 3 months and 24 months after operation were 73.6±4.3 and 91.6±2.8, which were higher than those before operation (58.5±4.6), and the difference was statistically significant ( F=18.351, P<0.001). The IKDC scores of patients at 3 months and 24 months after operation were 59.0±2.0 and 91.8±3.2, respectively, which were higher than those before operation 50.3±2.8, and the difference was statistically significant ( F=17.290, P<0.001). The side-to-side difference of KT-2000 was 1.7±0.8 mm and 1.5±0.4 mm at 3 and 24 months after operation, respectively, which was lower than that before operation (5.9±1.1 mm), and the difference was statistically significant ( F=14.192, P<0.001). At 24 months after operation, 3 patients had pivot shift test grade I and 4 patients had Lachman test grade I, but they complained of good knee stability and did not receive further treatment. At the last follow-up, there were no complications such as incision and intra-articular infection, deep vein thrombosis, knee stiffness, quadriceps musculus ossificans myositis, and reconstruction ligament rupture. All patients returned to sports with an average time of 15.7±2.6 months (range, 12-24 months). Conclusion:Over-the-top reconstruction combined with the modified Lemaire technique for the treatment of ACL injury with positive pivot shift test effectively improves knee function and promotes the patient's return to sports, with a low incidence of surgical complications.

Objective:To evaluate the short-term clinical outcomes of meniscus reconstruction using autologous peroneus longus tendon grafts.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 20 patients (12 males, 8 females) with a mean age of 37.8±5.7 years (range, 31-47 years) and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 26.3±5.8 kg/m 2 (range, 20.1-31.3 kg/m 2) who underwent meniscal reconstruction with autologous peroneus longus tendon in Affiliated Xinhua Hospital of Dalian University from June 2020 to June 2022. A control group of 20 patients (15 males, 5 females), with a mean age of 39.1±6.2 years (range, 32-47 years) and a mean BMI of 25.6±5.4 kg/m 2 (range, 20.2-32.7 kg/m 2), underwent partial meniscectomy during the same period. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, Lysholm score, visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. The morphology and signal intensity of grafts, Recht grading for cartilage damage, and the need for secondary arthroscopy were also evaluated. Results:The mean follow-up duration was 24.3±4.3 months for the tendon graft group and 24.2±3.6 months for the partial meniscectomy group. At 3 and 6 months postoperatively, the partial meniscectomy group demonstrated superior knee function scores compared to the tendon graft group ( P<0.05). Similarly, VAS were lower in the partial meniscectomy group at 3 months postoperatively ( P<0.05), although no significant difference was found at 6 months ( P>0.05). By 12 months postoperatively, differences in pain and function between the two groups were no longer statistically significant ( P>0.05). At 24 months, the tendon graft group exhibited significantly better outcomes in terms of the Lysholm score (84.31±12.20 vs. 72.67±14.18), IKDC score (82.21±10.55 vs. 74.09±11.68), VAS score (2.10±1.74 vs. 3.80±1.81), and KOOS score (85.37±13.14 vs.75.14±17.94) compared to the partial meniscectomy group ( P<0.05). Regarding graft healing, 19 patients in the tendon graft group demonstrated a grade 3 graft-residual meniscus complex at 24 months, significantly improved from 5 patients at 3 months postoperatively. Furthermore, no grafts showed a grade 3 signal intensity at 3 months, while 19 patients showed such improvements by 24 months. MRI at the 24-month follow-up revealed cartilage damage in 7 patients in the tendon graft group and 20 patients in the partial meniscectomy group, with severe cartilage damage (Recht grade>II) observed in 1 patient in the tendon graft group and 7 patients in the partial meniscectomy group. All 20 patients in the tendon graft group achieved minimal clinically significant differences by 24 months, and 4 of them underwent secondary arthroscopy, which revealed vascularization between the graft and residual meniscal tissue. Conclusion:The use of the peroneus longus tendon for meniscal reconstruction reduces knee pain, enhances knee function, and effectively fills the tibiofemoral joint space while protecting the articular cartilage through graft remodeling.