BACKGROUND: Premature menopause, defined as natural menopause before age 40, is associated with diminished ovarian reserve. Despite growing concerns regarding environmental pollutants, no large-scale population-based studies have systematically examined the association between urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon metabolites (UPAHMs) and premature menopause. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed 2001-2020 NHANES data, including urinary levels of six PAH metabolites: 1-naphthol (1-NAP), 2-naphthol (2-NAP), 3-fluorene (3-FLU), 2-fluorene (2-FLU), 1-phenanthrene (1-PHE), and 1-pyrene (1-PYR). Premature menopause was self-reported as natural menopause occurring before age 40. Multivariable logistic regression assessed UPAHMs' association with premature menopause, with restricted cubic splines (RCS) evaluating nonlinear trends. Subgroup analyses examined demographic interactions. RESULTS: Among 2,565 participants, 662 reported premature menopause. Multivariable logistic regression showed significant associations between elevated urinary levels of 1-NAP (OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00-1.02, P = 0.02), 2-NAP (OR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00-1.02, P = 0.02), and 3-FLU (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.05, P = 0.01) and increased risk of premature menopause. RCS analysis revealed significant nonlinear relationships for 2-NAP, 3-FLU, 2-FLU, 1-PHE, and 1-PYR with premature menopause risk. White participants showed greater susceptibility to UPAHMs. CONCLUSION Elevated UPAHMs, particularly 1-NAP, 2-NAP, and 3-FLU, were linked to higher premature menopause risk, with nonlinear trends observed. White individuals demonstrated greater vulnerability, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to reduce PAH exposure.
Humans ; Female ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; United States/epidemiology* ; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons/urine* ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Environmental Pollutants/urine* ; Nutrition Surveys ; Menopause, Premature/urine* ; Young Adult ; Environmental Exposure

Objective:To explore the clinical manifestations of IgG4-related diseases（IgG4-RD） complicated with moderately differentiated adenosquamous carcinoma of the parotid gland, the diagnostic criteria for IgG4-related diseases and parotid malignant tumors, treatment regimens, and the application of fine-needle aspiration in disease diagnosis, so as to reduce clinical misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the case data of a patient with IgG4-related diseases（IgG4-RD） complicated with moderately differentiated adenosquamous carcinoma of the parotid gland admitted to our department in March 2024. The clinical characteristics, imaging findings, preoperative puncture results, and postoperative pathological features were analyzed, and relevant literatures on both diseases were reviewed and summarized. Results:The elderly male patient was admitted due to "a mass in the parotid area in front of the right ear for more than 3 months". Through clinical examination, imaging examination, laboratory examination, and preoperative needle biopsy, the diagnosis of "right parotid moderately differentiated adenosquamous carcinoma complicated with IgG4-related disease" was considered. It was also considered that IgG4-related disease did not involve other organs before surgery, so no systemic hormone therapy was given before or after surgery. After surgery combined with postoperative radiotherapy, follow-up showed that neither the parotid tumor nor IgG4-related disease recurred. Conclusion:"IgG4-related disease complicated with moderately differentiated adenosquamous carcinoma"is a rare clinical disease. Both lack typical clinical manifestations and specific imaging features, and the diagnosis is mostly unclear before surgery. Pathological examination is of great significance in the diagnosis of the disease, while fine-needle aspiration has limited value in the diagnosis, which should attract the attention of clinicians. In addition, for patients with both diseases, individualized treatment plans should be formulated.
Humans ; Parotid Neoplasms/pathology* ; Male ; Carcinoma, Adenosquamous/pathology* ; Immunoglobulin G4-Related Disease/complications* ; Parotid Gland/pathology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Immunoglobulin G

In the context of Chinese narrative medicine， narrative foreclosure is an abnormal state in the process of life narrative， which is the “fractured or stagnation of the life narrative process”. Based on analyzing the characteristics and performance of typical traumatic narrative foreclosures in literary works and clinical reality， this paper proposed that narrative care is of great significance for the traumatic subject to get out of narrative foreclosures and re-enter the narrative process of mental and physical comfort. “Narrative care” is a way of care in which medical staff or educator in health institutions use their narrative capital and narrative wisdom to establish interpersonal narrative connections with themselves， their families， and service or education recipients， so as to nourish subjects in narrative foreclosure and help them get out of life’s dilemmas. Narrative caregivers assist the traumatic subjects in gaining the restorative power to repair the fractured narrative process of life through the construction of a narrative community， getting out of isolation， achieving growth， and restoring overall health.

OBJECTIVE To explore the value of providing pharmaceutical service related to risdiplam in direct-to-patient （DTP） pharmacies. METHODS The follow-up data of spinal muscular atrophy （SMA） patients who purchased and used risdiplam from Shangyao Yunjiankang Yiyao Pharmacy （Shanghai） Co.， Ltd. from May 2021 to January 2023 were collected. The medication information， therapeutic efficacy and the occurrence of adverse events were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS A total of 42 prescriptions were checked by pharmacists in the DTP pharmacies， and 7 prescriptions were found to be unreasonable （16.7%， 7/42）， which were corrected after the timely intervention. During the follow-up management， pharmacists replied to 4 patients （9.5%， 4/42） regarding medication consultation about medication requirements and adverse events. Two patients with type Ⅰ SMA experienced adverse events： one of them presented with fever and the other presented with skin dryness with darkening. Both of them were grade Ⅰ toxic reactions and generally did not require clinical treatment. Considering that the patient sustained low-grade fever for a long time， the pharmacist suggested symptomatic treatment under the guidance of the doctor. CONCLUSIONS Pharmacists in DTP pharmacies conducting follow-up management of risdiplam use for rare disease SMA patients can help promote rational， standardized medication for patients.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of different drug regimens in the treatment of children with Kawasaki disease， and to provide evidence-based reference for clinical treatment. METHODS Retrieved from the Cochrane Library， Medline， Embase， CINAHL， Web of Science， ProQuest， Google Scholar， CNKI， Wanfang Data， Baidu academic database， World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registration Platform and ClinicalTrials. gov， randomized controlled trials （RCTs） about intravenous immunoglobulin （IVIG）+glucocorticoid or cyclosporine or tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α） blocker （trial group） versus standard IVIG therapy （control group） were collected from the establishment of the database to Feb. 28th， 2023. After screening the literature， extracting data， and evaluating the quality of the literature， Stata 14.2 software was used for network meta-analysis. RESULTS Ten RCTs with a total of 1 323 participants involving six measures were included： standard IVIG therapy， glucocorticoid therapy，cyclosporine therapy， TNF- α blocker therapy， remedial glucocorticoid therapy and remedial TNF- α blocker therapy. Results of network meta-analysis showed that the incidence of coronary artery aneurysms （CAA） at 4-8 weeks was significantly lower in patients receiving glucocorticoid therapy than receiving standard IVIG therapy and TNF-α blocker therapy. The incidences of CAA at 4-8 weeks in children treated with remedial glucocorticoid therapy and remedial TNF- α blocker therapy were significantly higher than those treated with glucocorticoid therapy； there was no significant difference in the incidence of CAA at 4-8 weeks among other interventions （P＞ 0.05）； network meta-order of the incidence was glucocorticoid therapy＜cyclosporine therapy＜standard IVIG therapy＜remedial TNF-α blocker therapy＜remedial glucocorticoid therapy＜TNF-α blocker therapy. The incidence of initial IVIG resistance in children receiving cyclosporine therapy was significantly lower than those receiving standard IVIG therapy； there was no significant difference in the incidence of initial IVIG resistance among other interventions （P＞0.05）； network meta-order of the incidence was cyclosporine therapy＜glucocorticoid therapy＜TNF-α blocker therapy＜standard IVIG therapy. There was no significant difference in the incidence of ADR among different interventions （P＞0.05）； network meta-order of the incidence was remedial TNF-α blocker therapy＜TNF-α blocker therapy＜standard IVIG therapy＜glucocorticoid therapy＜cyclosporine therapy. CONCLUSIONS Glucocorticoid therapy at the initial treatment can significantly reduce the risk of CAA at 4-8 weeks in children with Kawasaki disease； cyclosporine has a significant effect on improving initial IVIG resistance， and the use of TNF-α blocker in the remedial stage may have the lowest incidence of adverse reactions.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, the role and potential mechanism of transformer 2β (Tra2β) in cervical cancer were explored. METHODS: The transcriptional data of Tra2β in patients with cervical cancer from Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and cBioPortal databases were investigated. The functions of Tra2β were evaluated by using Western blot, MTT, colony formation, Transwell assays, and nude mouse tumor formation experiments. Target genes regulated by Tra2β were studied by RNA-seq. Subsequently, representative genes were selected for RT-qPCR, confocal immunofluorescence, Western blot, and rescue experiments to verify their regulatory relationship. RESULTS: The dysregulation of Tra2β in cervical cancer samples was observed. Tra2β overexpression in Siha and Hela cells enhanced cell viability and proliferation, whereas Tra2β knockdown showed the opposite effect. Alteration of Tra2β expression did not affect cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, tumor xenograft models verified that Tra2β promoted cervical cancer growth. Mechanically, Tra2β positively regulated the mRNA and protein level of SP1, which was critical for the proliferative capability of Tra2β. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated the important role of the Tra2β/SP1 axis in the progression of cervical cancer in vitro and in vivo, which provides a comprehensive understanding of the pathogenesis of cervical cancer.
Humans ; Animals ; Mice ; Female ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms/genetics* ; HeLa Cells ; Cell Proliferation ; Biological Assay ; Transcription Factors ; Sp1 Transcription Factor/genetics*

Humans ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology* ; Gastric Mucosa/pathology* ; Adenocarcinoma/pathology*

In this study, we investigated the pharmacological effect and possible molecular mechanism of higenamine (HG) in isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial infarction (MI). All procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. ISO was used to induce MI model in rats and H9c2 cells. The effects of HG on biomarkers and cardiac function in MI rats were evaluated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), echocardiography and hematoxylin-eosin staining (HE). The expression of apoptosis and autophagy related proteins were detected by Western blot in myocardial tissue and H9c2 cells, as well as methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) and transcription factor EB (TFEB) protein expression. Molecular docking was used to evaluate the interaction between HG and METTL3. The results showed that HG significantly improved cardiac function and pathologic changes in ISO-induced MI, and inhibited the levels of MI-related biomarkers such as creatine kinase Mb (CK-MB), creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Mechanism studies showed that HG inhibited the expression of apoptosis-related proteins (Bax/Bcl2, caspase3, cleaved-caspase3). Interestingly, HG up-regulated the expression of autophagy related protein Beclin1, promoted autophagy flux, and decreased the ratio of light chain 3B-I/light chain 3B-II (LC-3B-I/LC-3B-II). Further studies found that HG increased the autophagy regulator TFEB and inhibited METTL3 expression. Molecular docking results showed that HG had a good interaction with METTL3. Taken together, HG has a potential anti-MI effect via regulating METTL3/TFEB signaling pathway-mediated autophagy.

This study aimed to investigate the neurotoxicity induced by trichloroacetic acid (TCA) and the possible protective mechanisms of boron (B). Mouse BV2 cells were treated with TCA (0, 0.39, 0.78, 1.56, 3.12, 6.25, or 12.5 mmol/L) and B (0, 7.8, 15.6, 31.25, 62.5, 125, 500, or 1,000 mmol/L) for 3 h and 24 h, respectively. Then, reactive oxygen species, and supernatant proinflammatory cytokine and protein levels were analyzed after 24 h of combined exposure. Beyond the dose-dependent decrease in the cellular viability, it clearly increased after B supplementation ( P < 0.05). Moreover, B decreased oxidative damage, and significantly down-regulated IL-6 levels and up-regulated TNF-β production ( P < 0.05). B also decreased apoptosis via the p53 pathway. The present findings indicated that TCA may induce oxidative damage, whereas B mitigates these adverse effects by decreasing cell apoptosis.
Animals ; Apoptosis ; Boron/toxicity* ; Mice ; Oxidative Stress ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Trichloroacetic Acid/toxicity* ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism*

Objective: The underlying mechanism of Ezrin in ovarian cancer (OVCA) is far from being understood. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the role of Ezrin in OVCA cells (SKOV3 and CaOV3) and investigate the associated molecular mechanisms. Methods: We performed Western blotting, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, MTT, cell colony, cell wound healing, transwell migration and invasion, RhoA and Rac active pull down assays, and confocal immunofluorescence experiments to evaluate the functions and molecular mechanisms of Ezrin overexpression or knockdown in the proliferation and metastasis of OVCA cells. Results: The ectopic expression of Ezrin significantly increased cell proliferation, invasiveness, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in OVCA cells. By contrast, the knockdown of endogenous Ezrin prevented OVCA cell proliferation, invasiveness, and EMT. Lastly, we observed that Ezrin can positively regulate the active forms of RhoA rather than Rac-1 in OVCA cells, thereby promoting robust stress fiber formation. Conclusion Our results indicated that Ezrin regulates OVCA cell proliferation and invasiveness by modulating EMT and induces actin stress fiber formation by regulating Rho-GTPase activity, which provides novel insights into the treatment of the OVCA.
Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Cytoskeletal Proteins/metabolism* ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Ovarian Neoplasms/pathology* ; Stress Fibers/metabolism* ; rhoA GTP-Binding Protein/metabolism*