ObjectiveThis paper aims to investigate the effects of icariin on spermatogenesis in mice with exercise-induced fatigue and explore the underlying mechanisms. MethodsICR male mice were screened by swimming and randomly divided into normal group， model group， vitamin C group， icariin groups with low， medium， and high doses， and medium-dose icariin+N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester （L-NAME） group， with 10 mice per group. Except for the normal group， all the other groups underwent weighted swimming training to establish an exercise-induced fatigue model. No gavage was administered during the first two weeks of the weighted training. From week three to four， the icariin groups with low， medium， and high doses received 0.03， 0.06， and 0.12 g·kg^-1 icariin via gavage， respectively. The vitamin C group received 0.2 g·kg^-1 vitamin C. The L-NAME group received 0.06 g·kg^-1 icariin and 0.01 g·kg^-1 L-NAME via intraperitoneal injection. The normal and model groups received equivalent physiological saline. After the experiment， body weight and the last exhaustive swimming time were recorded. Blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， lactate （LA）， lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， testicular testosterone （T）， testicular Ca²⁺/Mg²⁺-adenosine triphosphatase （ATPase） （micro-assay）， and the levels of testicular cyclic guanosine monophosphate （cGMP） were measured by using kits. Sperm CD46 levels were detected by flow cytometry. Testicular seminiferous tubules were observed via hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， and the testicular morphometric score （TMS） was used to evaluate the spermatogenic function. Protein expression of regucalcin （RGN， SMP30）， cGMP-dependent protein kinase 1 （PKG）， and cGMP-dependent protein kinase anchoring protein （GKAP1） was detected by Western blot. Testicular regucalcin expression was examined by immunofluorescence （IF）. The epididymal sperm quality of mice was observed under a microscope. Fluorescence-stained sections of stimulated by retinoic acid gene 8 （STRA8）， synaptonemal complex protein 3 （SCP3）， and transition protein 1（TNP1） in testicular seminiferous tubules were assessed by immunohistochemistry （IHC）. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed decreased body weight and exhaustive swimming time （P<0.01）， significantly increased fatigue markers （LA， LDH， and BUN） and lipid peroxidation product MDA （P<0.01）， reduced testicular RGN， PKG， GKAP1， testosterone， Ca²⁺/Mg²⁺-ATPase， and cGMP levels （P<0.01）， decreased sperm motility， sperm count， and TMS scores， and downregulated the expression of STRA8， SCP3， and TNP1. Compared with the model group， the icariin group with high dose exhibited increased exhaustive swimming time （P<0.01）， reduced LA， LDH， BUN， and MDA levels （P<0.01）， elevated superoxide dismutase （SOD） （P<0.01）， upregulated testicular RGN， PKG， GKAP1， testosterone， Ca²⁺/Mg²⁺-ATPase， and cGMP levels （P<0.01）， improved sperm motility， sperm count， and TMS scores， and enhanced STRA8， SCP3， and TNP1 expression. Compared with the L-NAME group， the icariin group with medium dose showed increased expression of STRA8， SCP3， and TNP1 in the testicular tissue （P<0.01） and elevated cGMP and GKAP1 levels （P<0.01）. ConclusionExercise-induced fatigue reduces the expression of RGN and cGMP/PKG/GKAP1 in mice， thereby causing abnormal spermatogenesis and impairing reproductive function in mice. Icariin ameliorates spermatogenic dysfunction in exercise-induced fatigue mice by promoting the expression of RGN and cGMP/PKG/GKAP1， thereby mitigating the damage of exercise-induced fatigue to the reproductive system.

ObjectiveThis paper aims to investigate the effects of icariin on spermatogenesis in mice with exercise-induced fatigue and explore the underlying mechanisms. MethodsICR male mice were screened by swimming and randomly divided into normal group， model group， vitamin C group， icariin groups with low， medium， and high doses， and medium-dose icariin+N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester （L-NAME） group， with 10 mice per group. Except for the normal group， all the other groups underwent weighted swimming training to establish an exercise-induced fatigue model. No gavage was administered during the first two weeks of the weighted training. From week three to four， the icariin groups with low， medium， and high doses received 0.03， 0.06， and 0.12 g·kg^-1 icariin via gavage， respectively. The vitamin C group received 0.2 g·kg^-1 vitamin C. The L-NAME group received 0.06 g·kg^-1 icariin and 0.01 g·kg^-1 L-NAME via intraperitoneal injection. The normal and model groups received equivalent physiological saline. After the experiment， body weight and the last exhaustive swimming time were recorded. Blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， lactate （LA）， lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， testicular testosterone （T）， testicular Ca²⁺/Mg²⁺-adenosine triphosphatase （ATPase） （micro-assay）， and the levels of testicular cyclic guanosine monophosphate （cGMP） were measured by using kits. Sperm CD46 levels were detected by flow cytometry. Testicular seminiferous tubules were observed via hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， and the testicular morphometric score （TMS） was used to evaluate the spermatogenic function. Protein expression of regucalcin （RGN， SMP30）， cGMP-dependent protein kinase 1 （PKG）， and cGMP-dependent protein kinase anchoring protein （GKAP1） was detected by Western blot. Testicular regucalcin expression was examined by immunofluorescence （IF）. The epididymal sperm quality of mice was observed under a microscope. Fluorescence-stained sections of stimulated by retinoic acid gene 8 （STRA8）， synaptonemal complex protein 3 （SCP3）， and transition protein 1（TNP1） in testicular seminiferous tubules were assessed by immunohistochemistry （IHC）. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed decreased body weight and exhaustive swimming time （P<0.01）， significantly increased fatigue markers （LA， LDH， and BUN） and lipid peroxidation product MDA （P<0.01）， reduced testicular RGN， PKG， GKAP1， testosterone， Ca²⁺/Mg²⁺-ATPase， and cGMP levels （P<0.01）， decreased sperm motility， sperm count， and TMS scores， and downregulated the expression of STRA8， SCP3， and TNP1. Compared with the model group， the icariin group with high dose exhibited increased exhaustive swimming time （P<0.01）， reduced LA， LDH， BUN， and MDA levels （P<0.01）， elevated superoxide dismutase （SOD） （P<0.01）， upregulated testicular RGN， PKG， GKAP1， testosterone， Ca²⁺/Mg²⁺-ATPase， and cGMP levels （P<0.01）， improved sperm motility， sperm count， and TMS scores， and enhanced STRA8， SCP3， and TNP1 expression. Compared with the L-NAME group， the icariin group with medium dose showed increased expression of STRA8， SCP3， and TNP1 in the testicular tissue （P<0.01） and elevated cGMP and GKAP1 levels （P<0.01）. ConclusionExercise-induced fatigue reduces the expression of RGN and cGMP/PKG/GKAP1 in mice， thereby causing abnormal spermatogenesis and impairing reproductive function in mice. Icariin ameliorates spermatogenic dysfunction in exercise-induced fatigue mice by promoting the expression of RGN and cGMP/PKG/GKAP1， thereby mitigating the damage of exercise-induced fatigue to the reproductive system.

OBJECTIVE To form an expert consensus on the clinical application of parenteral direct thrombin inhibitors （DTIs） in patients during the perioperative period. METHODS Led by Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital （the Affiliated Hospital of UESTC）， a multidisciplinary working group was established. Through literature review and the Delphi method， clinical questions related to the rational perioperative use of parenteral DTIs were identified. A structured design was adopted using the “Population-Intervention-Comparison-Outcome” framework； systematic searches were conducted in CNKI， Medline， Embase and other databases. Relevant evidence from randomized controlled trials and cohort studies was included and synthesized. Evidence quality was assessed using the Grades of Recommendations Assessment，Development and Evaluation （GRADE） approach， and recommendations were formulated through multiple rounds of Delphi surveys and expert consensus meetings. RESULTS &CONCLUSIONS Seven recommendations （each with an expert consensus rate exceeding 90%） on the use of parenteral DTIs in perioperative patients were developed. These recommendations specify drug selection， dosing ranges， key monitoring points， and safety management strategies for parenteral DTIs in various scenarios， including the perioperative period of ventricular assist device implantation， the perioperative period of cardiac surgery， perioperative patients with lower-extremity atherosclerotic disease， the perioperative period of percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with acute coronary syndrome， the perioperative period of carotid artery stenting in patients with carotid stenosis， the perioperative period of patients with right heart thrombosis， and patients who develop related thrombosis and dysfunction after a central venous catheter insertion. In addition， warning and management pathways for perioperative bleeding and thrombotic events were proposed. This expert consensus， which is formulated based on the best available evidence， provides evidence-based guidance for standardized and individualized use of parenteral DTIs in perioperative period.

Objective:To explore the relationship between suicide attempts,school bullying,and psychological resilience in children and adolescents with major depressive disorder(MDD)and school bullying and psychological resilience.Methods:A total of 784 patients with MDD aged 10 to 18 years were included.The Chinese version of the Olweus Bullying Victimization Questionnaire,Adolescent Psychological Resilience Scale,and a suicide attempt assessment were utilized to evaluate school bullying,psychological resilience,and suicide attempt.Stepwise logistic regression was applied to identify the associated factors of suicide attempts.Results:The occurrence of suicide at-tempts in children and adolescents with MDD was positively associated with physical bullying(OR=1.85,95％CI:1.14-3.02)and indirect bullying(OR=1.48,95％CI:1.06-2.04),and negatively associated with higher levels of goal focus(OR=0.62,95％CI:0.45-0.85)and positive cognition(OR=0.62,95％CI:0.45-0.85)at higher levels.Conclusion:Bullying significantly increases the risk of suicide attempts in children and adolescents with MDD,while higher psychological resilience could mitigate this risk.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To explore the association between acupuncture during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) and the live birth rate (LBR) using different propensity score methods. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, eligible women who underwent a COH were divided into acupuncture and non-acupuncture groups. The primary outcome was LBR, as determined by propensity score matching (PSM). LBR was defined as the delivery of one or more living infants that reached a gestational age over 28 weeks after embryo transfer. The propensity score model encompassed 16 confounding variables. To validate the results, sensitivity analyses were conducted using three additional propensity score methods: propensity score adjustment, inverse probability weighting (IPW), and IPW with a "doubly robust" estimator. RESULTS: The primary cohort encompassed 9751 patients (1830 [18.76%] in the acupuncture group and 7921 [81.23%] in the non-acupuncture group). Following 1:1 PSM, a higher LBR was found in the acupuncture cohort (41.4% [755/1824] vs 36.4% [664/1824], with an odds ratio of 1.23 [95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.41]). Three additional propensity score methods produced essentially similar results. The risk of serious adverse events did not significantly differ between the two groups. CONCLUSION This retrospective study revealed an association between acupuncture and an increased LBR among patients undergoing COH, and that acupuncture is a safe and valuable treatment option. Please cite this article as: Zheng XY, Jiang ZY, Li YT, Li CL, Zhu H, Yu Z, Yu SY, Yang LL, Tang SY, Lü XY, Liang FR, Yang J. Association between acupuncture and live birth rates after fresh embryo transfer: A cohort study based on different propensity score methods. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):528-536.
Humans ; Female ; Propensity Score ; Embryo Transfer ; Adult ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Pregnancy ; Live Birth ; Birth Rate ; Cohort Studies

OBJECTIVE: Observational studies have found associations between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's dementia (AD) and vascular dementia (VD); however, these findings are inconsistent. It remains unclear whether these associations are causal. METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis by systematically searching for observational studies on the association between IBD and dementia. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis based on summary genome-wide association studies (GWASs) was performed. Genetic correlation and Bayesian co-localization analyses were used to provide robust genetic evidence. RESULTS: Ten observational studies involving 80,565,688 participants were included in this meta-analysis. IBD was significantly associated with dementia (risk ratio [ RR] =1.36, 95% CI = 1.04-1.78; I ² = 84.8%) and VD ( RR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.18-5.70; only one study), but not with AD ( RR = 2.00, 95% CI = 0.96-4.13; I ² = 99.8%). MR analyses did not supported significant causal associations of IBD with dementia (dementia: odds ratio [ OR] = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.98-1.03; AD: OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.95-1.01; VD: OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.97-1.07). In addition, genetic correlation and co-localization analyses did not reveal any genetic associations between IBD and dementia. CONCLUSION Our study did not provide genetic evidence for a causal association between IBD and dementia risk. The increased risk of dementia observed in observational studies may be attributed to unobserved confounding factors or detection bias.
Humans ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/complications* ; Dementia/etiology* ; Observational Studies as Topic ; Genome-Wide Association Study

The integration of science and education is not only an important strategy for promoting social progress and technological development,but also a modern form of higher education aiming at cultivating innovative talents.Conducting scientific research training for undergraduate medical students is one of the important ways to cultivate their innovative abilities and comprehensive qualities.Our team proposed a"teaching,science,and ideology trinity"teaching model to comprehensively cultivate students' scientific research comprehensive abilities under the value orientation of ideological and political education by or-ganically integrating molecular biology experimental teaching with the scientific research training of under-graduate medical students.In this teaching activity,taking the experiment of gene polymorphism as an example,our team selected students with research potential from the whole grade and divided them into 4 project groups that were instructed by 4 teachers.The students were trained in the whole process of scien-tific research,including topic selection,project writing,experimental designing,application for research ethics,and project summary.Our team has always adhered to student-contentedness of educational con-cepts to stimulate students' intrinsic motivation throughout the teaching process.Students are the design-ers and implementers of the project,and teachers are only guides and promoters of learning.After this training,students not only became familiar with the writing and implementation of scientific research pro-jects,but also improved their literature reading,experimental designing,experimental skills,and prob-lem-solving abilities.More importantly,this teaching activity also cultivated students' awareness of re-search ethics and academic moral standards.

Objective To construct an animal model of dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM)with heart failure toxin syndrome that conforms to the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome and identify potential biomarkers or intervention targets for DCM with heart failure toxin syndrome.Methods Fifteen male SD rats were divided into a blank control,doxorubicin,or DCM with heart failure toxin syndrome group using a random number table method,with five rats per group.The doxorubicin group received intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin at a dose of 1.25 mg/kg,administered on the first and fourth days of each week,along with a standard diet.The DCM with heart failure toxin syndrome group,in addition to the doxorubicin treatment,was given 42％white liquor(10 mL/kg)via gavage every other day,along with a 45％high-fat feed and 10％fructose water.The blank control group received intraperitoneal injection of an equivalent volume of phosphate-buffered saline at the same time points as the doxorubicin group,along with a standard diet.The model was established for 10 weeks.At the fourth and tenth weeks of modeling,echocardiography was performed to measure left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),fractional shortening(FS),systolic left ventricular posterior wall thickness(LVPWs),diastolic left ventricular posterior wall thickness,systolic left ventricular internal diameter(LVIDs),and diastolic left ventricular internal diameter(LVIDd);macroscopic changes in fur color of the rats were assessed using the red-green-blue colorimetric method.After modeling,the open field test was conducted to evaluate the exercise tolerance of the rats,and the grip strength test was performed to assess changes in forelimb grip strength.Hematoxylin-eosin,Masson,and wheat germ agglutinin staining were used to evaluate pathological changes in cardiac tissue.Bulk RNA sequencing analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed genes(DEGs)in the hearts of rats between the blank control and the DCM with heart failure toxin syndrome groups.Using DCM,the Blue value of rat fur color,and forelimb grip strength as phenotypic traits,weighted gene co-expression network analysis(WGCNA)was performed to screen for characteristic module gene sets(MEs)associated with DCM with heart failure toxin syndrome.Overlapping analysis was performed on DEGs,immune-related gene sets,and MEs,and the intersecting genes were identified as potential biomarkers or intervention targets for DCM with heart failure toxin syndrome.The sensitivity and specificity of these targets were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis.Results Compared with the blank control group,at the tenth week of modeling,the LVEF,FS,and LVPWs of rats in the doxorubicin group and the DCM with heart failure toxin syndrome group decreased,whereas LVIDs and LVIDd increased,and the movement distance of the open field test and forelimb grip strength were reduced(P＜0.05).At the 10th week of modeling,the Blue value of fur color in the DCM with heart failure toxin syndrome group was significantly lower than that of the blank control and doxorubicin groups(P＜0.05).Compared with the blank control group,rats in the doxorubicin and DCM with heart failure toxin syndrome groups exhibited significant cardiac dilation and increased immune cell infiltration in cardiac tissue,accompanied by collagen deposition and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.Bulk RNA sequencing identified 2,003 DEGs,including 1,082 downregulated genes and 921 upregulated genes.WGCNA results revealed that the MEturquoise module had the strongest positive correlation with DCM and the strongest negative correlation with the Blue value and forelimb grip strength.The overlapping analysis identified four intersecting genes:bone morphogenetic protein 6(Bmp6),serine-threonine-protein kinase 1(Pak1),proto-oncogene JunD(JunD),and S100 calcium-binding protein A3(S100A3).ROC curve analysis demonstrated that these four genes exhibited high sensitivity and specificity for DCM with heart failure toxin syndrome.Conclusion The rat model constructed by intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin combined with a high-fat feed,fructose water,and white liquor gavage closely aligns with the characteristics of the DCM with heart failure toxin syndrome.Bmp6,JunD,Pak1,and S100A3 are potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets for DCM heart failure toxin syndrome.

Objective To analyze and intervene in typical cases of off-label drug uses of efgartigimod in the treatment of Guillain-Barré syndrome,and to provide further medication strategies for the management of Guillain-Barré syndrome.Methods By reviewing the treatment of two cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome,where intravenous immunoglobulin was ineffective or the blood product supply was limited,the clinical pharmacist conducted an evidence-based evaluation of the off-label drug uses of efgartigimod for the treatment of Guillain-Barré syndrome following guidelines and norms,provided assistance to the physician in developing a treatment regimen(10 mg·kg-1 once a week for 4 weeks),and closely monitored and evaluated the medication administration process.Results Two patients had significant improvement and no serious adverse events after treatment with efgartigimod.Clinical pharmacists play an important role in the decision-making,regulation and monitoring of off-label drug uses,ensuring the safety and rationality of medication use.Conclusion Clinical pharmacists should actively involved in the practice of off-label drug uses and make a contribution to the promotion of rational clinical use of medication.