Parameters of peripheral blood cell have been shown as the potential predictors of erectile dysfunction (ED). To investigate the clinical significance of hematological parameters for predicting the risk of rapid ejaculation, we established a rat copulatory model on the basis of ejaculation distribution theory. Blood samples from different ejaculatory groups were collected for peripheral blood cell counts and serum serotonin (5-HT) tests. Meanwhile, the relationship between hematological parameters and ejaculatory behaviors was assessed. Final analysis included 11 rapid ejaculators, 10 normal ejaculators, and 10 sluggish ejaculators whose complete data were available. The platelet (PLT) count in rapid ejaculators was significantly lower than that in normal and sluggish ejaculators, whereas the platelet distribution width (PDW) and mean platelet volume (MPV) were significantly greater in rapid ejaculators. Multivariate logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the PLT was an independent protective factor for rapid ejaculation. Meanwhile, rapid ejaculators were found to have the lowest serum 5-HT compared to normal and sluggish ejaculators ( P < 0.001). Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between the PLT and serum 5-HT ( r = 0.662, P < 0.001), indicating that the PLT could indirectly reflect the serum 5-HT concentration. In addition, we assessed the association between the PLT and ejaculatory parameters. There was a negative correlation between ejaculation frequency (EF) and the PLT ( r = -0.595, P < 0.001), whereas there was a positive correlation between ejaculation latency (EL) and the PLT ( r = 0.740, P < 0.001). This study indicated that the PLT might be a useful and convenient diagnostic marker for predicting the risk of rapid ejaculation.
Male ; Animals ; Ejaculation/physiology* ; Rats ; Platelet Count ; Pilot Projects ; Serotonin/blood* ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Mean Platelet Volume ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; ROC Curve ; Erectile Dysfunction/physiopathology*

Objective To study chest computed tomography(CT)manifestations in neonates with chronic granulomatous disease(CGD)to provide clues for early diagnosis of this disease.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data and chest CT scan results of neonates diagnosed with CGD from January 2015 to December 2022 at Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital.Results Nine neonates with CGD were included,with eight presenting respiratory symptoms as the initial sign.Chest CT findings included:consolidation in all 9 cases;nodules in all 9 cases,characterized by multiple,variably sized scattered nodules in both lungs;masses in 4 cases;cavities in 3 cases;abscesses in 6 cases;bronchial stenosis in 2 cases;pleural effusion,interstitial changes,and mediastinal lymphadenopathy each in 1 case.CT enhancement scans showed nodules and masses with uneven or ring-shaped enhancement;no signs of pulmonary emphysema,lung calcification,halo signs,crescent signs,bronchiectasis,or scar lesions were observed.There was no evidence of rib or vertebral bone destruction.Fungal infections were present in 8 of the 9 cases,including 6 with Aspergillus infections;three of these involved mixed infections with Aspergillus,with masses most commonly associated with mixed Aspergillus infections(3/4).Conclusions The primary manifestations of neonatal CGD on chest CT are consolidation,nodules,and/or masses,with Aspergillus as a common pathogen.These features can serve as early diagnostic clues for neonatal CGD.

To investigate the crucial role of particle size in the biological effects of nanoparticles, a series of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) were prepared with particle size gradients (50, 100, 150, 200 nm) with the traditional Stober method and adjusting the type and ratio of the silica source. The correlation between toxicity and size-caused biological effects were then further examined both in vitro and in vivo. The results indicated that the prepared MSNs had a uniform size, good dispersal, and ordered mesoporous structure. Hemolytic toxicity was found to be independent of particle size. At the cellular level, MSNs with smaller particle sizes were more readily internalized by cells, which initiated to more intense oxidative stress, therefor inducing higher cytotoxicity, and apoptosis rate. In vivo studies demonstrated that MSNs primarily accumulated in the liver and kidneys of mice. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that larger MSNs were eliminated more efficiently by the urinary system than smaller MSNs. The mice's body weight monitoring, blood tests, and pathological sections of major organs indicated good biocompatibility for MSNs of different sizes. Animal welfare and the animal experimental protocols were strictly consistent with related ethics regulations of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University. Overall, this study prepared MSNs with a particle size gradient to investigate the correlation between toxicity and particle size using macrophages and endothelial cells. The study also examined the biosafety of MSNs with different particle sizes in vivo and in vitro, which could help to improve the safety design strategy of MSNs for drug delivery systems.

Objective: Total neoadjuvant therapy has been used to improve tumor responses and prevent distant metastases in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Patients with complete clinical responses (cCR) then have the option of choosing a watch and wait (W&W) strategy and organ preservation. It has recently been shown that hypofractionated radiotherapy has better synergistic effects with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors than does conventionally fractionated radiotherapy, increasing the sensitivity of microsatellite stable (MSS) colorectal cancer to immunotherapy. Thus, in this trial we aimed to determine whether total neoadjuvant therapy comprising short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) combined with a PD-1 inhibitor improves the degree of tumor regression in patients with LARC. Methods: TORCH is a prospective, multicenter, randomized, phase II trial (TORCH Registration No. NCT04518280). Patients with LARC (T3-4/N+M0, distance from anus ≤10 cm) are eligible and are randomly assigned to consolidation or induction arms. Those in the consolidation arm receive SCRT (25Gy/5 Fx), followed by six cycles of toripalimab plus capecitabine and oxaliplatin (ToriCAPOX). Those in the induction arm receive two cycles of ToriCAPOX, then undergo SCRT, followed by four cycles of ToriCAPOX. Patients in both groups undergo total mesorectal excision (TME) or can choose a W&W strategy if cCR has been achieved. The primary endpoint is the complete response rate (CR, pathological complete response [pCR] plus continuous cCR for more than 1 year). The secondary endpoints include rates of Grade 3-4 acute adverse effects (AEs) etc. Results: Up to 30 September 2022, 62 patients attending our center were enrolled (Consolidation arm: 34, Induction arm:28). Their median age was 53 (27-69) years. Fifty-nine of them had MSS/pMMR type cancer (95.2%), and only three MSI-H/dMMR. Additionally, 55 patients (88.7%) had Stage III disease. The following important characteristics were distributed as follows: lower location (≤5 cm from anus, 48/62, 77.4%), deeper invasion by primary lesion (cT4 7/62, 11.3%; mesorectal fascia involved 17/62, 27.4%), and high risk of distant metastasis (cN2 26/62, 41.9%; EMVI+ 11/62, 17.7%). All 62 patients completed the SCRT and at least five cycles of ToriCAPOX, 52/62 (83.9%) completing six cycles of ToriCAPOX. Finally, 29 patients achieved cCR (46.8%, 29/62), 18 of whom decided to adopt a W&W strategy. TME was performed on 32 patients. Pathological examination showed 18 had achieved pCR, four TRG 1, and 10 TRG 2-3. The three patients with MSI-H disease all achieved cCR. One of these patients was found to have pCR after surgery whereas the other two adopted a W&W strategy. Thus, the pCR and CR rates were 56.2% (18/32) and 58.1% (36/62), respectively. The TRG 0-1 rate was 68.8% (22/32). The most common non-hematologic AEs were poor appetite (49/60, 81.7%), numbness (49/60, 81.7%), nausea (47/60, 78.3%) and asthenia (43/60, 71.7%); two patients did not complete this survey. The most common hematologic AEs were thrombocytopenia (48/62, 77.4%), anemia (47/62, 75.8%), leukopenia/neutropenia (44/62, 71.0%) and high transaminase (39/62, 62.9%). The main Grade III-IV AE was thrombocytopenia (22/62, 35.5%), with three patients (3/62, 4.8%) having Grade IV thrombocytopenia. No Grade V AEs were noted. Conclusions: SCRT-based total neoadjuvant therapy combined with toripalimab can achieve a surprisingly good CR rate in patients with LARC and thus has the potential to offer new treatment options for organ preservation in patients with MSS and lower-location rectal cancer. Meanwhile, the preliminary findings of a single center show good tolerability, the main Grade III-IV AE being thrombocytopenia. The significant efficacy and long-term prognostic benefit need to be determined by further follow-up.
Humans ; Middle Aged ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Chemoradiotherapy ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Prospective Studies ; Rectal Neoplasms/pathology* ; Thrombocytopenia/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome ; Adult ; Aged

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.
Female ; Humans ; Adolescent ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Smell ; COVID-19/complications* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Incidence ; Olfaction Disorders/etiology* ; Taste Disorders/etiology* ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical significance of translocator proteins (TSPO) gene in the treatment of FLT3-ITD/DNMT3A R882 double-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS: Seventy-six patients with AML hospitalized in the Department of Hematology of the Affiliated People's Hospital of Ningbo University from June 2018 to June 2020 were selected, including 34 patients with FLT3-ITD mutation, 27 patients with DNMT3A R882 mutation, 15 patients with FLT3-ITD/DNMT3A R882 double mutation, as well as 19 patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) hospitalized during the same period as control group. RNA was routinely extracted from 3 ml bone marrow retained during bone puncture, and TSPO gene expression was detected by transcriptome sequencing (using 2-deltadeltaCt calculation). RESULTS: The expression of TSPO gene in FLT3-ITD group and DNMT3A R882 group at first diagnosis was 2.02±1.04 and 1.85±0.76, respectively, which were both higher than 1.00±0.06 in control group, but the differences were not statistically significant (P=0.671, P=0.821). The expression of TSPO gene in the FLT3-ITD/DNMT3A R882 group was 3.98±1.07, wich was significantly higher than that in the FLT3-ITD group and DNMT3A R882 group, the differences were statistically significant (P=0.032, P=0.021). The expression of TSPO gene in patients who achieved complete response after chemotherapy in the FLT3-ITD/DNMT3A R882 group was 1.19±0.87, which was significantly lower than that at first diagnosis, and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.011). CONCLUSION TSPO gene may be used as an indicator of efficacy in FLT3-ITD /DNMT3A R882 double-mutated AML.
Humans ; DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases/genetics* ; DNA Methyltransferase 3A ; Mutation ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy* ; Nucleophosmin ; Prognosis ; fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3/genetics* ; Receptors, GABA/therapeutic use*

ObjectiveTo investigate the role of PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway in the protective effect of hydrogen sulfide（H₂S） on endothelial cell senescence induced by hydrogen peroxide （H₂O₂）. MethodsSenescence in human umbilical vein endothelial cells （HUVEC） was induced by 60 μmol/L H₂O₂ for 1 h， and the effects of NaHS on the senescence were examined by the expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 （PAI-1） and senescence-associated β-galactosidase （SA-β-Gal） staining. Meanwhile，the expression of protein kinase B（Akt）， Phospho protein kinase B（p-Akt）， and endothelial nitric oxide synthase （eNOS） were examined by western blot， and the senescence-related parameters. The content of the nitric oxide （NO） was measured by nitrate reduction method. ResultsCompared with the control group， after being treated with 60 μmol/L H₂O₂， the number of SA-β-gal positive cells and the expression of PAI-1 were significantly increased. However， after pretreatment of NaHS， the expression of PAI-1， the ratio of SA-β-gal positive cells was significantly decreased， but the expression of p-Akt， eNOS and the NO concentration increased. ConclusionNaHS could reverse HUVEC senescence induced by H₂O₂， and this may be highly associated with PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy of transurethral fenestration with holmium laser as the initial management for duplex kidney associated with ureterocele in children. MethodsThe clinical data of 35 children with duplex kidney and ureterocele who underwent surgical treatment in our department from January 2016 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the different initial treatment options， the subjects were divided into two groups： transurethral fenestration by holmium： YAG laser （group A） and single-port laparoscopic heminephrectomy and transperitoneal single-port laparoscopic ureterovesical replantation（group B）. Group A （n=22） received endoscopic holmium laser ureterotomy and group B （n=13） underwent kidney or bladder level reconstruction and ureterocele exclusion surgery. The age， gender， upper urinary tract condition， location of ureterocele， preoperative and postoperative vesicoureteral reflux， postoperative complications requiring additional surgery were recorded and statistically analyzed. ResultsIn group A， 13 cases had cyst crumpled and hydronephrosis subsided， 4 cases had completely disappeared cysts， de novo vesicoureteral reflux occurred in 8 cases， 5 cases underwent reoperation 3~6 months after operation， among which 4 cases underwent ureterovesical replantation because of urinary tract infection by de novo vesicoureteral reflux， 1 case received heminephrectomy and cystoscopic cystectomy because of the cyst collapse. In group B， 9 cases had favorable prognosis， 4 cases underwent reoperation from 6 to 12 months after operation， among which 1 case underwent replantation due to postoperative anastomotic obstruction， 3 cases underwent replantation due to ureteral stump syndrome. The mean operation time between group A and B was （31.77±13.43） min vs. （174.46±37.79） min，t=-13.131，P=0.000； the mean hospital stay was （2.27±1.93） d vs. （11.54±7.33） d，t=-4.465，P=0.001， and the difference was statistically significant. There was no significant difference in the early reoperation rate between the two groups （Fisher P=0.698）. ConclusionEndoscopic fenestration with holmium laser could be used as the initial management for duplex kidney combined with ureterocele in infants and young children.

ObjectiveTo explore the association between lipoprotein a ［Lp （a）］ and major adverse cardiovascular events （MACE） in patients with coronary heart disease （CHD） within 1 year after percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI）. MethodsOur study consecutively included 297 CHD patients who underwent PCI in our hospital from January 1， 2013 to December 31， 2014 and finished follow-up visits 1 year later. All patients were divided into 3 groups according to Lp（a）≤150mg/L， 150mg/L＜Lp（a）≤300mg/L and Lp（a）＞300mg/L. MACE occurrences were recorded. MACE is defined as hospitalization for recurrent angina pectoris， unplanned revascularization， acute myocardial infarction， acute heart failure and cardiogenic death. The different incidences of MACE within one year after PCI between patients with different Lp（a） levels were compared by univariate and multivariate survival analysis. ResultsThe average event-free survival time of 297 patients was （11.41±2.04） months. A total of 30 patients suffered from MACE， and the incidence of MACE was 10.1%. After constructing the event-free survival curves and comparing the survival rate by Log-rank test， it was found that patients with LP （a） > 300mg/L had a higher incidence of MACE. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used for multivariate adjustment. As a quantitative variable， elevated Lp（a） level was risk factor of MACE occurrence in CHD patients within 1 year after PCI ［hazard ratio（HR） per 1-SD increase 1.76， 95% confidence interval （CI）： 1.41～2.19， P<0.001］. As a categorical variable， Lp （a） > 300mg/L was also positively correlated with MACE occurrence within in CHD patients 1 year after PCI （HR 2.25， 95%CI： 1.38～3.67， P=0.001）. ConclusionsThe higher the level of Lp（a）， the higher the incidence of MACE within 1 year after PCI in CHD patients. Lp（a） is an independent risk factor for MACE occurrence within 1 year after PCI in CHD patients.

ObjectiveTo investigate the practicability and efficacy of Inlay preputial graft urethroplasty combined with Buck fascia integral covering technique （Inlay-BFIC） in the treatment of hypospadias. MethodsA total of 85 surgeries of hypospadias with urethral plate width of 3-5mm at the level of the glans navicular fossa from January 2018 to August 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups according to the time of technique applied. Group A： from November 2018 to December 2020， 38 consecutive patients， including 5 re-operation cases， were operated with Inlay-BFIC urethroplasty. Surgical approach： a thin and full-thickness free preputial graft was embedded in the middle incision of the urethral plate when patients underwent TIP procedure； after the urethroplasty， the pre-reserved Buck fascia combined with glans wings was sutured at the midline as an intermediate layer to cover the neo-urethra. Group B： from January 2018 to December 2018， 47 consecutive primary hypospadias patients underwent conventional TIP procedure. The data of perioperative period and postoperative follow-up were recorded and analyzed statistically. ResultsTotally 85 patients were repaired by one-stage procedure. Group A with Inlay-BFIC vs. group B with conventional TIP： the mean age （39.46±34.66） vs.30.23±26.02） m， t=1.362， P=0.178， the mean length of penis （3.53±1.00） vs. （3.46±0.76） cm， t=0.373， P=0.710， the mean width of glans （1.32±0.36） cm vs. （1.37±0.22） cm， t=-0.779， P=0.438， the mean length of urethroplasty （2.10±0.68） vs.（1.92±0.61） cm， t=1.282， P=0.203. There was no significant difference between the two groups. The preoperative degree of ventral curvature and the mean operative time between group A and group B were （28.29±21.38） vs. （19.68±7.62）°， t=2.364， P=0.023 and （135.29±39.79） vs. （96.60±27.21） min， t=5.107， P=0.000. There was significant difference between the two groups. The postoperative follow-up time was 4 to 36 months. There were 2 cases of urinary fistula in Group A and 6 cases in Group B （χ²=1.387，P=0.239）， 1 cases of urethral stricture in Group A and 3 in Group B （χ²=0.659，P=0.417）. There was no significant difference between the two groups. There was no recurrent ventral curvature and urethral diverticulum in both groups. There were 4 cases of glans or urethral dehiscence in Group A and 17 cases in Group B （χ²=7.428，P=0.006）. There was significant difference between the two groups. Fifteen patients in each group received urinary flow rate test. There was no significant difference between two groups in maximum flow rate （Qmax）， average flow rate （Qavc）， flow time （FT） and voided volume （V）. ConclusionsFor the treatment of hypospadias by Buck fascia integral covering technique combined with Inlay preputial graft urethroplasty， the incidence of urinary fistula， urethral stricture， urethral diverticulum， residual penis curvature and postoperative urinary flow rate are similar to those of conventional TIP procedure， but it can significantly reduce the occurrence of glans or urethral dehiscence.