ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of α-ketoglutarate （α-KG） on hepatic lipid deposition in offspring caused by arsenic exposure during pregnancy. Methods8-week-old institute of cancer research （ICR） mice were mated in a ratio of 2∶1 between females and males， and the detection of vaginal plugs confirmed pregnant. A total of 32 pregnant mice were randomly divided into four groups： control group， arsenic group， α-KG group， arsenic+α-KG group. On gestational day 0-16 （GD0-GD16）， the arsenic and arsenic+α-KG groups were exposed to sodium arsenite （NaAsO₂ ，15 mg/L） in drinking water everyday， and the α-KG and arsenic+α-KG groups were gavaged with α-KG （2 g/kg） everyday. On GD16， pregnant mice were euthanized to collect fetal liver， and fetal body weight and crown-rump length were measured. Gene expression differences between the control group and the arsenic group were analyzed by transcriptome. The total triglycerides （TGs） and subtypes in fetal liver were detected by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry （LC-MS/MS）. Oil red O staining was used to observe the histopathological changes in the liver. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction （qPCR） was used to detect the expression level of genes related to lipid synthesis， transport， and degradation， and phosphatidylinositol 3' -kinase/ protein kinase B （PI3K/AKT） in the liver of fetus. ResultsTranscriptomics analysis showed that 2 144 genes were downregulated and 1 675 genes were upregulated in the arsenic exposed fetal liver； body weight and crown-rump length were reduced （P_TuKey<0.05）； the level of hepatic TGs was elevated in arsenic group （P_TuKey<0.05）； oil-red O staining showed a significant increase in lipid droplets in arsenic group （P_TuKey<0.01）； the expression of lipid synthesis-related genes were significantly upregulated （P_TuKey<0.05）； the expression of β-oxidation-related genes and lipid degradation-related genes were downregulated （P_TuKey<0.05）； the expression of PI3K， AKT decreased（P_TuKey<0.05）. Compared with the arsenic group， the body weight and crown-rump length of fetus increased in the arsenic+α-KG group （P_TuKey<0.05）； the level of hepatic TGs decreased in the arsenic+α-KG group （P_TuKey<0.05）； oil red O staining showed lipid droplets significantly decreased （P_TuKey<0.01）； the expression of lipid synthesis-related genes were downregulated （P_TuKey<0.05）， the expression of β-oxidation-related genes and lipid degradation-related genes were upregulated （P_TuKey<0.05）； the expression levels of PI3K and AKT increased （P_TuKey<0.05）. Conclusionα-KG alleviated hepatic lipid deposition in offspring exposed to arsenic during pregnancy through activating PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Subtype classification of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) based on optical coherence tomography (OCT) images serves as an effective auxiliary tool for clinicians in diagnosing disease progression and formulating treatment plans. To improve the classification accuracy of AMD subtypes, this study proposes a keypoint-based, attention-enhanced residual network (KPA-ResNet). The proposed architecture adopts a 50-layer residual network (ResNet-50) as the backbone, preceded by a keypoint localization module based on heatmap regression to outline critical lesion regions. A two-dimensional relative self-attention mechanism is incorporated into convolutional layers to enhance the representation of key lesion areas. Furthermore, the network depth is appropriately increased and an improved residual module, ConvNeXt, is introduced to enable comprehensive extraction of high-dimensional features and enrich the detail of lesion boundary contours, ultimately achieving higher classification accuracy of AMD subtypes. Experimental results demonstrate that KPA-ResNet achieves significant improvements in overall classification accuracy compared with conventional convolutional neural networks. Specifically, for the wet AMD subtypes, the classification accuracies for inactive choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and active CNV reach 92.8% and 95.2%, respectively, representing substantial improvement over ResNet-50. These findings validate the superior performance of KPA-ResNet in AMD subtype classification tasks. This work provides a high-accuracy, generalizable network architecture for OCT-based AMD subtype classification and offers new insights into integrating attention mechanisms with convolutional neural networks in ophthalmic image analysis.
Tomography, Optical Coherence/methods* ; Humans ; Macular Degeneration/diagnostic imaging* ; Neural Networks, Computer

Objective:To identify the key epithelial cell characteristics that can accurately diagnose eosinophilic chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps（ECRSwNP） through nasal brush sampling and comparing with the pathological results of nasal polyp tissue sections. Methods:Ninety-one patients underwent surgery in the Ophthalmology and ENT Department of the Second People's Hospital of Longgang District, Shenzhen, from January 2022 to July 2024 were selected. The cohort comprised 58 males and 33 females（mean age: 41.4 years; range: 12.0-71.0）. The clinical characteristics of the patients, including gender, age, disease duration, smoking and drinking history, asthma history, subjective symptoms, sinus CT, and nasal endoscopy scores, were recorded. Nasal brush sampling of nasal polyps and inferior turbinate mucosa was performed before surgery to obtain cytological specimens, and nasal polyp tissues were collected during surgery. The demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic nasal polyps were compared, as well as the relationship between nasal brush cytology of nasal polyps and inferior turbinate and nasal polyp histopathology. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 23.0 software. Results:Among the 91 patients, no significant differences were observed between ECRSwNP and NECRSwNP patients in terms of age, gender, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and disease duration. The nasal brush cell population in ECRSwNP patients was more likely to contain eosinophils（P<0.001） and less likely to contain lymphocytes and plasma cells（P<0.001）. Additionally, the ciliated cells in ECRSwNP patients exhibited larger widths（P=0.036）, shorter cilium lengths（P<0.001）, and more disordered arrangements（P<0.001） compared to NECRSwNP patients. In nasal brush cells from the inferior turbinate, ECRSwNP patients also showed shorter cilium lengths（P<0.001） and shorter cilia（P=0.024） compared to NECRSwNP patients. Conclusion:There are significant differences in obtaining epithelial cytological information from nasal polyps or inferior turbinates through nasal brush sampling between ECRSwNP and NECRSwNP patients.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Nasal Polyps/complications* ; Sinusitis/complications* ; Aged ; Chronic Disease ; Adolescent ; Nasal Mucosa/pathology* ; Young Adult ; Rhinitis/complications* ; Eosinophilia/pathology* ; Child ; Eosinophils/pathology* ; Rhinosinusitis

OBJECTIVES: To explore the molecular mechanism of Jiangzhi Huaban Decoction (JZHBD) for improving atherosclerosis through the "qi meridian-blood channels" pathway. METHODS: ApoE^-/- mouse models of atherosclerosis were established by high-fat diet feeding for 8 weeks, with C57BL/6 mice on a normal diet as the controls. Forty ApoE^-/- mouse models were randomized into model group, low-, medium-, and high-dose JZHBD treatment groups, and atorvastatin treatment group (n=8) for their respective treatments for 8 weeks. The changes in body weight and overall condition of the mice were monitored weekly. After the treatments, serum levels of TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, TBA, ALT, and AST of the mice were measured, pathological changes in the liver and aortic root plaques were examined with HE staining, and lipid accumulation in the liver and aortic wall was assessed using Oil Red O staining. The core molecular mechanism was studied through transcriptomics, and the expressions of the key pathway proteins were confirmed using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Treatment with JZHBD significantly reduced blood lipid and total bile acid levels, improved liver function and hepatic steatosis, and decreased aortic lipid deposition and plaque area in the mouse models of atherosclerosis. Transcriptomic analysis suggested that the therapeutic mechanism of JZHBD involved reverse cholesterol transport, PPAR signaling, and the inflammatory pathways. In atherosclerotic mice, JZHBD treatment obviously up-regulated hepatic expressions of PPARγ, LXRα, ABCA1, ABCG1, and CYP7A1, down-regulated hepatic expressions of p-p65/p65, IL-6, IL1β in the liver, increased ABCG5 and ABCG8 expressions in the intestines, and decreased ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expressions in the aortic plaques. CONCLUSIONS JZHBD improves atherosclerotic vascular damage and plaque formation possibly by regulating hepatic reverse cholesterol transport and inflammation via modulating the hepatic PPARγ/LXRα/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic/metabolism* ; Liver/metabolism* ; Mice ; Atherosclerosis/metabolism* ; Cholesterol/metabolism* ; PPAR gamma/metabolism* ; Male ; Diet, High-Fat ; Biological Transport

Microplastics and nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants that act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), raising significant concerns about their impact on human health. Research highlights the hazardous effects of MPs/NPs on both male and female reproductive systems, influencing germ cells, embryo development, and progeny. Additionally, studies show that MPs/NPs affect the gene expression of anabolic steroid hormones in vitro and in vivo, inducing reproductive toxicity through mechanisms such as oxidative stress and inflammation. Considering these adverse effects, identifying natural compounds that can mitigate the toxicity of MPs/NPs is increasingly important. Plants offer a wealth of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that can counteract these harmful effects. Among these, anthocyanins, natural colorants responsible for the vibrant hues of fruits and flowers, exhibit a wide range of biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-neoplastic properties. Moreover, anthocyanins can modulate sex hormone levels and alleviate reproductive toxicity. Cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G), one of the most extensively studied anthocyanins, shows promise in reducing reproductive toxicity, particularly in females, and in protecting male reproductive organs, including the testis and epididymis. This protective effect is believed to result from its interaction with steroid receptors, specifically the androgen and estrogen receptors (ERs). These findings highlight the need to explore the mechanisms by which anthocyanins mitigate the reproductive toxicity caused by MPs/NPs. This review provides novel insights into how natural compounds can be leveraged to lessen the impact of environmental contaminants on human health, especially concerning reproductive health.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between sarcopenic obesity(SO), defined by various obesity indicators, and mortality risk in older adults based on a prospective cohort from multiple nursing homes.Methods:Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the 2019 consensus of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia.Obesity was defined using six different indicators: waist circumference(WC), waist-hip ratio(WHR), waist-height ratio(WHTR), body mass index(BMI), visceral fat area(VFA), and percentage of body fat(PBF).A prospective cohort of adults aged 60 and above was established across 15 nursing homes in Zigong City, with annual follow-ups on survival status conducted over two consecutive years.Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed to analyze the association between SO, defined by different obesity indicators, and mortality risk, calculating hazard ratios( HR)and their 95% confidence intervals( CI). Results:A total of 695 older adults were included in the study, of whom 67.1% were male.During the 2-year follow-up period, 88 participants died.The prevalence of SO as defined by WC, WHR, WHTR, BMI, VFA, PBF was found to be 17.6%, 30.1%, 48.9%, 3.0%, 28.3%, and 58.7%, respectively.When SO was defined using WC, WHR, WHTR, BMI, and VFA, there was no statistically significant difference in mortality rates between the SO and non-SO groups.However, when defined by PBF, the SO group exhibited a significantly higher mortality rate compared to the non-SO group(16.9% vs.6.6%, P<0.01).Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that, compared to the non-SO group, the SO group defined by PBF had a significantly increased mortality risk( HR=2.81, 95% CI: 1.67-4.73, P<0.001).After adjusting for potential confounding factors, the mortality risk for the SO group remained significantly higher than that of the non-SO group( HR=1.97, 95% CI: 1.14-3.38, P=0.015). Conclusions:The prevalence of SO varies significantly across different obesity indicators.SO defined by PBF is significantly associated with mortality risk in nursing home residents.This study provides new evidence for further optimizing the diagnostic criteria for SO in this population.

Objective:To investigate the causes and management strategies of anesthetic complications during percutaneous spinal endoscopic surgery under local anesthesia.Methods:A total of 16 800 patients (8 625 males and 8 175 females) who underwent percutaneous spinal endoscopic surgery under local anesthesia (including intravenous basic anesthesia) in Tianjin Hospital, Shandong Public Health Clinical Center and Hebei General Hospital from February 2012 to February 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The average age was 45.3±21.6 years (range, 12-84 years). There were 220 cases of posterior cervical keyhole endoscopic surgery, 50 cases of thoracic transforaminal endoscopic surgery, 70 cases of thoracic posterior interlaminar endoscopic surgery, 11 670 cases of lumbar transforaminal endoscopic surgery, and 4 790 cases of lumbar posterior interlaminar endoscopic surgery. The occurrence time, clinical manifestations, management of intraoperative anesthesia complications were recorded, as well as surgical segments, puncture sites, complication symptoms, signs, outcome and prognosis.Results:All patients received percutaneous water-mediated uniaxial spinal endoscopic surgery under local anesthesia. There were 9 patients experienced anesthesia complications, including 6 cases of epidural diffusion of anesthetics and 3 cases of anesthetics mistakenly entering the subarachnoid space. There were 4 males and 5 females, aged 48.4±18.2 years (range, 28-84 years). There were 1 case of T 12L 1 disc herniation, 1 case of C 5-6 disc herniation, 3 cases of L 4-5 disc herniation and 4 cases of L 5S 1 disc herniation. Surgical segments and procedures: 1 case of C 5-6 posterior Keyhole endoscopic surgery, 1 case of T 12L 1 transforaminal endoscopic surgery, 2 cases of L 4-5 transforaminal endoscopic surgery, 1 case of L 4-5 interlaminar endoscopic surgery, and 4 cases of L 5S 1 interlaminar endoscopic surgery. Anesthesia complications all appeared 5-10 min after injection of local anesthetics, with symptoms of decreased oxygen saturation, decreased blood pressure, altered consciousness, and sensory and motor dysfunction of limbs. 6 patients with epidural diffusion of anesthetics recovered completely after symptomatic treatment in 5 cases, and 1 case was left with foot drop. Three patients with anesthetics mistakenly entering the subarachnoid space were immediately converted to the supine position, of which one recovered by mask oxygenation; 1 patient improved after emergency tracheal intubation, rehydration, and application of vasoconstrictive medications; and 1 patient developed multiple complications such as multiorgan failure, rhabdomyolysis, and sepsis after tracheal intubation, and recovered at 3 months after surgery with symptomatic treatment. Conclusions:Epidural diffusion and entering into subarachnoid space of anesthetics are serious complications of local anesthesia in percutaneous spinal endoscopic surgery. In addition to sensory and motor dysfunction of the limbs, the functions of the respiratory and circulatory systems can also be affected. It is necessary to be alert to the occurrence of anesthesia-related complications during operation and early identification and treatment.

Objective:To analyze the association between unhealthy lifestyles and depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and stress among secondary school students in Jiangsu Province.Methods:From September to November 2023, a multistage stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select secondary school students from 13 districts and cities in Jiangsu Province. A questionnaire survey was conducted on their unhealthy lifestyles (low physical activity, smoking, drinking, internet addiction, poor sleep quality, and unhealthy diet), as well as their depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and stress. The multivariate logistic regression model and mixed graph model were used to construct a network and analyze the association between unhealthy lifestyles and depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and stress.Results:A total of 81 414 secondary school students were finally included in this study, including 39 725 (48.79%) female students and 41 689 (51.21%) male students. The prevalence of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and stress were 18.55%, 32.09% and 12.91%, respectively. The multivariate logistic regression model showed that after adjusting for age, gender, urban-rural status, residential status, and family type, compared with students without unhealthy lifestyles, students with low physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, internet addiction, poor sleep quality, and unhealthy diet had a significantly increased risk of depressive symptoms ( OR=1.12, 95% CI:1.07-1.17; OR=1.60, 95% CI: 1.49-1.72; OR=1.79, 95% CI: 1.71-1.88; OR=3.05, 95% CI: 2.77-3.36; OR=6.66, 95% CI: 6.40-6.93; OR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.24-1.34) and a significantly increased risk of anxiety symptoms ( OR=1.09, 95% CI: 1.05-1.13; OR=1.42, 95% CI: 1.33-1.52; OR=1.76, 95% CI: 1.69-1.83; OR=2.40, 95% CI: 2.17-2.65; OR=5.79, 95% CI: 5.59-6.00; OR=1.16, 95% CI: 1.12-1.21). Students who smoked, drank alcohol, had internet addiction, and had poor sleep quality had a significantly increased risk of stress ( OR=1.49, 95% CI: 1.38-1.61; OR=1.79, 95% CI: 1.70-1.89; OR=2.25, 95% CI: 2.04-2.48; OR=6.74, 95% CI: 6.43-7.06). The node with poor sleep quality (bridge strength=0.48) in the network constructed by the mixed graph model had the strongest centrality of the bridge connecting unhealthy lifestyles with depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and stress. Conclusion:Low physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, internet addiction, poor sleep quality, and unhealthy diet increase the risk of depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms among Jiangsu Province secondary school students. Smoking, alcohol consumption, internet addiction, and poor sleep quality increase the risk of stress among Jiangsu Province secondary school students. Sleep quality is an important intervention target for Jiangsu Province secondary school students to alleviate their negative emotions.

Objective The aim of this study is to discuss the causal relationship between periodontal disease(PD)and prostate cancer(PCa).Methods A two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization(MR)analysis based on publicly statistical data from genome-wide association studies(GWAS)was conducted.MR Egger,weighted medium,simple mode and weighted mode were supplemented,while inverse variance weighted analysis(IVW)was the main method of analysis.Heterogeneity testing,pleiotropy testing and leave-one-out testing were used to assess the sensitivity and stabili-ty.Results The results of MR analysis showed that PD had no significant impact on the occurrence of PCa:East Asian(IVW,PD:OR=1.07,P=0.48);European(IVW,PD:OR=1.00,P=0.37,periodontitis:OR=1.03,P=0.14,chronic gingivitis:OR=0.99,P=0.37,chronic periodontitis:OR=1.03,P=0.22).The reverse MR analysis also did not show a causal relationship between PCa and PD:East Asian(IVW,PD:OR=0.97,P=0.22);European(IVW,PD:OR=0.84,P=0.44,periodontitis:OR=1.01,P=0.75,chronic gingivitis:OR=0.93,P=0.23,chronic periodontitis:OR=0.99,P=0.80).The results of other analysis were consistent with those of IVW analysis.Conclusions The results of our two-sample bidirectional MR analysis do not support a causal relationship between PD and PCa.

Microplastics and nanoplastics(MPs/NPs)are ubiquitous environmental pollutants that act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals(EDCs),raising significant concerns about their impact on human health,Research highlights the hazardous effects of MPs/NPs on both male and female reproductive systems,influencing germ cells,embryo development,and progeny.Additionally,studies show that MPs/NPs affect the gene expression of anabolic steroid hormones in vitro and in vivo,inducing reproductive toxicity through mechanisms such as oxidative stress and inflammation,Considering these adverse effects,identifying natural compounds that can mitigate the toxicity of MPs/NPs is increasingly important.Plants offer a wealth of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that can counteract these harmful effects.Among these,anthocyanins,natural colorants responsible for the vibrant hues of fruits and flowers,exhibit a wide range of biological activities,including antioxidant,anti-inflammatory,and anti-neoplastic properties.Moreover,anthocyanins can modulate sex hormone levels and alleviate reproductive toxicity.Cyanidin-3-glucoside(C3G),one of the most extensively studied anthocyanins,shows promise in reducing reproductive toxicity,particularly in females,and in protecting male reproductive organs,including the testis and epididymis.This protective effect is believed to result from its interaction with steroid receptors,specifically the androgen and estrogen receptors(ERs).These findings highlight the need to explore the mechanisms by which anthocyanins mitigate the reproductive toxicity caused by MPs/NPs.This review provides novel insights into how natural compounds can be leveraged to lessen the impact of environmental contaminants on human health,especially concerning reproductive health.