Osteoporosis(OP) is a senile bone disease characterized by an imbalance between bone remodeling and bone formation. Targeting pathogenesis of kidney deficiency, spleen deficiency, and blood stasis, Bushen Jianpi Huoxue Decoction has a significant effect on the treatment of OP by tonifying kidney, invigorating spleen, and activating blood circulation. MicroRNA(miRNA) and the anti-apoptotic protein B-cell lymphoma-2-like protein 1(BCL2L1) are closely related to bone cell metabolism. Therefore, in this study, the binding of miR-140-5p to BCL2L1 was detected by dual luciferase assay and polymerase chain reaction(PCR). After silencing or overexpressing miR-140-5p, the apoptosis, autophagy, and osteogenic function of human fetal osteoblast cell line 1.19(HFOB1.19) were observed by flow cytometry and Western blot. Bushen Jianpi Huoxue Decoction-containing serum was prepared by intragastric administration of Bushen Jianpi Huoxue Decoction in rats. Different concentrations of Bushen Jianpi Huoxue Decoction-containing serum were used to treat HFOB1.19 with or without miR-140-5p mimic. The expression of osteogenic proteins in each group was observed, and the role of miR-140-5p/BCL2L1 in apoptosis and autophagy of HFOB1.19 was studied, along with the effect of Bushen Jianpi Huoxue Decoction on these processes. As indicated by the dual luciferase assay, miR-140-5p bound to BCL2L1. Flow cytometry and Western blot showed that miR-140-5p promoted apoptosis and inhibited autophagy in HFOB1.19. After intervention with high, medium, and low doses of Bushen Jianpi Huoxue Decoction-medicated serum, compared with the miR-140-5p NC group, the expression of osteocalcin(OCN), osteopontin(OPN), Runt-related transcription factor 2(RUNX2), and transforming growth factor beta 1(TGF-β1) decreased in the miR-140-5p mimic group, while the expression of bone morphogenetic protein 2(BMP2) showed no significant difference under high-dose intervention. Therefore, miR-140-5p/BCL2L1 can promote apoptosis and inhibit autophagy in HFOB1.19. Bushen Jianpi Huoxue Decoction can affect the osteogenic effect of miR-140-5p through BMP2.
MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Autophagy/drug effects* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Animals ; Cell Line ; bcl-X Protein/metabolism* ; Osteoblasts/metabolism* ; Rats ; Osteoporosis/physiopathology* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Osteogenesis/drug effects*

Forsythia suspensa is a traditional Chinese medicine and a commonly used landscaping plant. Its dried fruit is used in medicine for its functions of clearing heat, removing toxins, reducing swelling, dissipating masses, and dispersing wind and heat. It possesses extremely high medicinal and economic value. However, the genetic differentiation and diversity of its wild populations remain unclear. In this study, chloroplast genome sequences were obtained from 15 wild individuals of F. suspensa using high-throughput sequencing technology. The sequence characteristics and intraspecific variations were analyzed. The results were as follows:(1) The full length of the F. suspensa chloroplast genome ranged from 156 184 to 156 479 bp, comprising a large single-copy region, a small single-copy region, and two inverted repeat regions. The chloroplast genome encoded a total of 132 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes.(2) A total of 166-174 SSR loci, 792 SNV loci, and 63 InDel loci were identified in the F. suspensa chloroplast genome, indicating considerable genetic variation among individuals.(3) Population structure analysis revealed that F. suspensa could be divided into five or six groups. Both the population structure analysis and phylogenetic reconstruction results indicated significant genetic variation within the wild populations of F. suspensa, with no obvious correlation between intraspecific genetic differentiation and geographical distribution. This study provides new insights into the genetic diversity and differentiation within F. suspensa species and offers additional references for the conservation of species diversity and the utilization of germplasm resources in wild F. suspensa.
Genome, Chloroplast ; Forsythia/classification* ; Phylogeny ; Genetic Variation ; Chloroplasts/genetics* ; Microsatellite Repeats

Qualitative and quantitative analysis methods for chemical components of different processed products of Corni Fructus were established to systematically characterize and identify these components, and the content of the main differential components was determined. The chemical components of different processed products of Corni Fructus were collected using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). Through analysis of self-built databases, literature, and reference standards, a total of 93 components were obtained, including 19 iridoids, 15 flavonoids, 16 organic acids, eight triterpenoids, eight tannins, four amino acids, two polysaccharides, five olefins, and 16 other compounds. Additionally, by using multivariate statistical methods, the differential components between different processed products of Corni Fructus were screened under the conditions of VIP>1.0 and FC<0.5 or FC>2.0 and P<0.05. The PCA and OPLS-DA results showed differences in the chemical components between different processed products of Corni Fructus. A total of 21 differential components were screened, including tartaric acid, morroniside, and rutin. On this basis, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS) was used to determine the content of 10 main common differential components, including gallic acid, morroniside, ursolic acid, loganin, swertiamarin, rutin, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, cornuside Ⅰ, quercetin, and oleanolic acid. The above 10 components showed a good linear relationship within the determined concentration range, with the precision, stability, repeatability, and sample recovery rate all meeting the requirements. Compared with that in Corni Fructus, the content of iridoid glycosides in wine-prepared Corni Fructus and wine-and honey-prepared Corni Fructus decreased, while the content of gallic acid, rutin, quercetin, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, ursolic acid, and oleanolic acid increased. Compared with wine-prepared Corni Fructus, wine-and honey-prepared Corni Fructus showed varying degrees of increase in all other components, except for a slight decrease in gallic acid content. In summary, this study clarified the influence of different processing methods on the chemical components of Corni Fructus, providing a theoretical basis for the scientific connotation, overall quality evaluation, and clinically rational application of Corni Fructus processing in the future.
Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Cornus/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Fruit/chemistry*

Extensive studies have identified potential adverse effects on semen quality of obesity, based on body mass index, but the association between body fat distribution, a more relevant indicator for obesity, and semen quality remains less clear. We conducted a longitudinal study of 4304 sperm donors from the Guangdong Provincial Human Sperm Bank (Guangzhou, China) during 2017-2021. A body composition analyzer was used to measure total and local body fat percentage for each participant. Generalized estimating equations were employed to assess the association between body fat percentage and sperm count, motility, and morphology. We estimated that each 10% increase in total body fat percentage (estimated change [95% confidence interval, 95% CI]) was significantly associated with a 0.18 × 10 6 (0.09 × 10 6 -0.27 × 10 6 ) ml and 12.21 × 10 6 (4.52 × 10 6 -19.91 × 10 6 ) reduction in semen volume and total sperm count, respectively. Categorical analyses and exposure-response curves showed that the association of body fat distribution with semen volume and total sperm count was stronger at higher body fat percentages. In addition, the association still held among normal weight and overweight participants. We observed similar associations for upper limb, trunk, and lower limb body fact distributions. In conclusion, we found that a higher body fat distribution was significantly associated with lower semen quality (especially semen volume) even in men with a normal weight. These findings provide useful clues in exploring body fat as a risk factor for semen quality decline and add to evidence for improving semen quality for those who are expected to conceive.
Humans ; Male ; Adult ; Semen Analysis ; China ; Body Fat Distribution ; Longitudinal Studies ; Sperm Count ; Sperm Motility ; Body Mass Index ; Tissue Donors ; Obesity/complications* ; Spermatozoa ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; East Asian People

BACKGROUND: The association of systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) with prognosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) patients has never been investigated in a large sample with long-term follow-up. This study aimed to explore the association of SIRI with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a nationally representative sample of CAD patients from United States. METHODS: A total of 3386 participants with CAD from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2018 were included in this study. Cox proportional hazards model, restricted cubic spline (RCS), and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) were performed to investigate the association of SIRI with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Piece-wise linear regression and sensitivity analyses were also performed. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 7.7 years, 1454 all-cause mortality occurred. After adjusting for confounding factors, higher lnSIRI was significantly associated with higher risk of all-cause (HR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.09-1.23) and CVD mortality (HR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.05-1.30) but not cancer mortality (HR = 1.17, 95% CI: 0.99-1.38). The associations of SIRI with all-cause and CVD mortality were detected as J-shaped with threshold values of 1.05935 and 1.122946 for SIRI, respectively. ROC curves showed that lnSIRI had robust predictive effect both in short and long terms. CONCLUSIONS SIRI was independently associated with all-cause and CVD mortality, and the dose-response relationship was J-shaped. SIRI might serve as a valid predictor for all-cause and CVD mortality both in the short and long terms.

Objective To develop the Perceived Spouse Support Scale for pregnant women in the second and third trimester of pregnancy and test its reliability and validity,so as to provide an effective tool for assessing the perceived spouse support level of pregnant women.Methods With social support theory as the theoretical framework,the questionnaire item pool was initially constructed through literature review and semi-structured interview,and the initial questionnaire was formed through expert correspondence and cognitive interview.From April to November 2023,570 pregnant women in the second and third trimester of pregnancy were selected by random sampling method for investigation,item analysis and reliability and validity test of the scale.Results Eventually 558 pregnant women completed the suivey.The Perceived Spouse Support Scale for pregnant women in the second and third trimesters contained 22 items,including instrumental support,informational support and emotional support.The Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.867;the split-half reliability was 0.793;the retest reliability was 0.965;the content validity index was 0.980.The cumulative variance contribution rate of the 3 common factors was 54.138％.Confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the model fit well.Conclusion The Perceived Spouse Support Scale has good reliability and validity,and it can be used as an evaluation tool for spouse support level of pregnant women.

Objective:To observe the effect of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) at different frequencies on cognitive impairment due to high-altitude hypoxia.Methods:Sixty officers and soldiers displaying cognitive impairment in a hypoxic high-altitude environment were randomly divided into 15Hz, 20Hz and 25Hz groups, each of 20. They were given rTMS at those frequencies for 30 days. Before the stimulation and after 15 and 30 days, event-related potentials, latencies of mismatched negativity (MMN) and P300 signals were recorded. The participants′ cognition was also evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA). Correlation between the electrophysiological indexes and the MoCA scores was computed.Results:After 15 days, all had shorter MMN latencies, higher total MoCA scores and better memory scores. The only significant difference among the three groups was in the average memory scores. After 15 days, MMN latency was significantly negatively correlated with the memory scores in all three groups ( r=0.44 to -0.54). Conclusions:rTMS at frequencies above 15Hz can effectively relieve cognitive impairment, especially memory dysfunction, resulting from high-altitude hypoxia.

Objective:To identify the risk factors for acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) undergoing haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HID-HSCT) .Methods:A total of 141 AML patients who underwent HID-HSCT at the Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from January 2020 to July 2021 were included. The cumulative incidence of aGVHD was analyzed using the Fine-Gray competing risk model, with relapse and death as competing events, to compare differences between groups. Potential risk factors were evaluated by univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression analyses to determine their independent effects on aGVHD.Results:Among the 141 patients, 86 (61.0%) were male and 55 (39.0%) were female, with a median age at transplantation of 34 years. Within 100 days post-transplant, 59 patients developed grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD, whereas 86 patients experienced no or grade Ⅰ aGVHD (the grade 0-Ⅰ aGVHD group) . Survival analysis showed that the 3-year overall survival was 68.7% (95% CI: 57.7%-81.9%) in the grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD group, compared with 78.8% (95% CI: 70.4%-88.3%) in the grade 0 - Ⅰ aGVHD group, with the difference not being statistically significant ( P=0.190) . Univariable analysis identified donor age ( P=0.020, HR=1.020, 95% CI: 1.000-1.040) and the female donor-male recipient sex combination ( P=0.033, HR=1.980, 95% CI: 1.160-3.380) as risk factors for grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD. Multivariable analysis confirmed that donor age ( P=0.005, HR=1.026, 95% CI: 1.008-1.047) and the female donor-male recipient sex combination ( P=0.002, HR=2.339, 95% CI: 1.354-4.037) were independent risk factors for aGVHD. Patients receiving grafts from donors aged >45 years had a significantly higher 100-day cumulative incidence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD compared with those receiving grafts from donors ≤45 years [54.7% (95% CI: 42.3%-67.0%) vs 31.6% (95% CI: 21.0%-42.1%) , P=0.006]. Similarly, patients with the female donor-male recipient sex combination had a higher 100-day cumulative incidence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ aGVHD than those with other sex combinations [56.8% (95% CI: 40.4%-73.1%) vs 36.9% (95% CI: 27.5%-46.3%) , P=0.015]. Conclusion:Older donor age and the female donor-male recipient sex combination remain independent risk factors for aGVHD in patients with AML undergoing HID-HSCT.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and influencing factors of single-cigarette use and dual cigarette-cigar use in China.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study that selected 85 638 urban and rural residents who met the inclusion criteria from the 2018 China Health Literacy Survey as research subjects. An analysis was conducted on 21 849 users of cigarettes and cigars among them. Due to the small number of individuals who exclusively used cigars (247 cases), the research subjects were divided into two categories: exclusive cigarette users and dual users of cigarettes and cigars. The groups were categorized by age (18-34 years, 35-54 years, ≥55 years), gender (male, female), education level (primary school and below, junior high school and high school, university and above) and annual household income (<20 000 yuan, 20 000-<80 000 yuan, ≥80 000 yuan) to compare the tobacco usage rate and conduct subgroup analyses for each subgroup. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed, incorporating general demographic characteristic information to explore the influencing factors of exclusive cigarette use and dual use of cigarettes and cigars, respectively.Results:The rate of exclusive cigarette use in our country was 24.3%, while the dual use rate of cigarettes and cigars was 0.9%. The exclusive cigarette use rate and the dual use rate of cigarettes and cigars among males were significantly higher than those among females (48.25% vs 2.48%, and 1.84% vs 0.06%) (both P<0.001). For males, the high-risk factors for exclusive cigarette use included living in urban areas ( OR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.23-1.54), being Han ethnicity ( OR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.51-1.98), and having an annual household income ≥20 000 yuan ( OR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.38-1.82) while having a junior high school education or higher was a protective factor ( OR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.52-0.90). Age≥35 years ( OR: 3.36, 95% CI: 2.62-4.32) and having a junior high school education or higher ( OR: 1.30, 95% CI: 1.02-1.67) were risk factors for dual use of cigarettes and cigars in males. Among females, living in urban areas ( OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.19-1.97) and being Han ethnicity ( OR: 5.96, 95% CI: 4.47-7.96) were risk factors for exclusive cigarette use, while having a university education or higher was a protective factor ( OR: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.18-0.42). However, for female dual use of cigarettes and cigars, no significant effects were observed for any demographic characteristics. Conclusions:The use rate of cigarettes alone in China is significantly higher than that of cigarette-cigar dual use, and the rates of cigarette use alone and cigarette-cigar dual use in men are significantly higher than those in women. Tobacco use is being affected by sociodemographic factors, among which place of residence, ethnicity and education level are the main influencing factors of cigarette use alone, and gender, age and education level are the main influencing factors of cigarette-cigar dual use.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to evaluate the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RV5) among < 5-year-old children in three provinces of China during 2020-2024 via a propensity score-matched test-negative case-control study. METHODS: Electronic health records and immunization information systems were used to obtain data on acute gastroenteritis (AGE) cases tested for rotavirus (RV) infection. RV-positive cases were propensity score matched with RV-negative controls for age, visit month, and province. RESULTS: The study included 27,472 children with AGE aged 8 weeks to 4 years at the time of AGE diagnosis; 7.98% (2,192) were RV-positive. The VE (95% confidence interval, CI) of 1-2 and 3 doses of RV5 against any medically attended RV infection (inpatient or outpatient) was 57.6% (39.8%, 70.2%) and 67.2% (60.3%, 72.9%), respectively. Among children who received the 3rd dose before turning 5 months of age, 3-dose VE decreased from 70.4% (53.9%, 81.1%) (< 5 months since the 3rd dose) to 63.0% (49.1%, 73.0%) (≥ 1 year since the 3rd dose). The three-dose VE rate was 69.4% (41.3%, 84.0%) for RVGE hospitalization and 57.5% (38.9%, 70.5%) for outpatient-only medically attended RVGE. CONCLUSION Three-dose RV5 VE against rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) in children aged < 5 years was higher than 1-2-dose VE. Three-dose VE decreased with time since the 3rd dose in children who received the 3rd dose before turning five months of age, but remained above 60% for at least one year. VE was higher for RVGE hospitalizations than for medically attended outpatient visits.
Humans ; Rotavirus Vaccines/immunology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Case-Control Studies ; Child, Preschool ; Infant ; Rotavirus Infections/epidemiology* ; Male ; Propensity Score ; Female ; Vaccine Efficacy ; Gastroenteritis/virology* ; Vaccines, Attenuated ; Rotavirus