Objective To investigate the effects and potential mechanisms of polystyrene micro/nanoplastics(PS-MNPs)on testicular Sertoli cells.Methods Sixty male C57BL/6N mice(8 weeks old)were randomly divided into a control group(deionized water),a PS-NPs group[particle size of 20 nm,2.5 mg/(kg·d)],and a PS-MPs group[particle size of 5 μm,2.5 mg/(kg·d)],with 20 mice in each group.The corresponding agents were gavaged once daily for 6 months.HE staining was used to observe the histopathological and morphological changes in the testicular tissues.Immunohistochemistry of marker proteins was employed to evaluate the changes in the number of Sertoli cells.Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analyses were performed to identify functions and signaling pathways enriched in the testicular transcriptome.Mouse testicular Sertoli cell line TM4 was divided into a control group(deionized water),a 2.5NPs group(2.5 μg/mL),and a 2.5MPs group(2.5 μg/mL).All groups received continuous exposure through 130 cell passages.Cell viability and proliferative capacity were evaluated using CCK-8 assay and EdU incorporation,while cell migration was assessed using transwell and cell scratch assays.RT-qPCR and Western blotting were used to detect the changes in the expression of key molecules regulating mesenchymal phenotypic transformation(MPT)at mRNA and protein levels.Results Pathological analysis revealed that,when compared to the control group,PS-NPs and PS-MPs treatment resulted in extended spaces between testicular seminiferous tubules,loosely arranged spermatogenic cells,and enhanced vacuolization.Immunohistochemical analysis of marker proteins indicated a decreasing trend in the number of testicular Sertoli cells in the PS-NPs and PS-MPs groups than the control group,with the PS-NPs group having statistical significance(P<0.01).GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that PS-MNPs exposure-related altered genes were significantly enriched in cell adhesion signaling pathways(P<0.05).PS-MPs exposure significantly inhibited the growth and migration ability of TM4 cells(P<0.05),but PS-NPs exposure had no such effect on cell growth but notably enhanced cell migration ability.PS-NPs exposure inhibited the expression levels of E-cadherin and ZO-1(P<0.01)and up-regulated the expression of N-cadherin and vimentin(P<0.01),and PS-MPs exposure led to significant up-regulation of vimentin(P<0.01)and down-regulation of E-cadherin,N-cadherin,and ZO-1(P<0.05).Both PS-MPs and PS-NPs exposure up-regulated the mRNA levels of Snail2,Twist1,and Zeb2(P<0.01).Conclusion Exposure of PS-MNPs leads to abnormal proliferation and migration of TM4 cells,induces decreases in cell-cell contacts among Sertoli cells and spermatogenic cells at all levels possibly through MPT,and thus results in testicular damage.

Objective To investigate whether long-term low-dose exposure to polystyrene microplastics(PS-MPs)induces ferroptosis in testicular Sertoli cells and then leads to testicular injury.Methods Forty 8-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a control group(deionized water group)and a PS-MPs group[2.5 mg/(kg·d)],with 20 mice in each group.Corresponding agents were gavaged once a day for 12 consecutive months.HE staining and Prussian blue staining were used to detect histopathological damage and accumulation of ferrous ions in the testes.Electron transmission microscopy was employed to observe the mitochondrial morphology of testicular Sertoli cells.Mouse Sertoli cell line TM4 was divided into a Con group(standard culture)and an MPs group(2.5 μg/mL PS-MPs).After both groups underwent continuous exposure and passed up to the 100th generation,morphological changes were observed under the microscope;cell viability was detected with CCK8 assay,and production of reactive oxygen species(ROS)and mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP)were detected with a ROS probe and a mitochondrial membrane potential probe(JC-1),respectively.Flow cytometry,ferrous ion(Fe2+)kit and Western blotting were applied to detect cell apoptosis,intracellular iron ion content,and protein levels of key molecules of ferroptosis in tissues and cells.Results Long-term exposure to PS-MPs resulted in significantly reduced diameter and thickness of mouse varicocele(P<0.01),fewer testicular Sertoli cells(P<0.05),with characteristic ferroptosis alterations in the mitochondria,and increased accumulation of ferrous ions in testicular tissue.Exposure to PS-MPs down-regulated the key molecules of ferroptosis,glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4)and ferritin light chain(FTL)when compared with the control group(P<0.05).In the cell model,long-term PS-MPs exposure led to morphological changes and decreased cell viability(P<0.05),more production of ROS(P<0.01),and decrease in MMP(P<0.05)of TM4 cells.The exposure had no effect on cell apoptosis,but elevated the intracellular content of ferric ions(P<0.01),and down-regulated GPX4 and FTL protein levels(P<0.05).Conclusion Long-term low-dose exposure to PS-MPs induces mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress in testicular Sertoli cells,activates the ferroptosis pathway,and ultimately leads to testicular injury in mice.

Objective:To investigate microstructural alterations in the optic chiasm and optic radiations of multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) based on diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI).Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. Retrospective analyses were conducted on the clinical and imaging data of 63 patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and 62 patients with NMOSD diagnosed at First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2019 to December 2023. According to the occurrence of optic neuritis (ON), they were categorized into ON-positive MS (ON+MS) group (40 cases), ON-negative MS (ON-MS) group (23 cases), ON-positive NMOSD (ON+NMOSD) group (40 cases) and ON-negative NMOSD (ON-NMOSD) group (22 cases). In addition, 40 healthy controls were enrolled during the same period. DKI data of all subjects were collected, and DKI post-processing was performed to obtain fractional anisotropy (FA), mean kurtosis (MK), axial kurtosis (AK), and radial kurtosis (RK) values of the optic chiasm and bilateral optic radiations. The scores of the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), and expanded disability status scale (EDSS) were obtained. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyze the differences in DKI parameters of the optic chiasm and bilateral optic radiation among the 5 groups, and the Holm-Bonferroni method was employed for multiple comparison correction in pairwise comparisons.Results:There were statistically significant overall differences in the DKI parameters of the optic chiasm and bilateral optic radiations among healthy control group, ON+MS group, ON-MS group, ON+NMOSD group, and ON-NMOSD group (all P0.05). The FA value of the optic chiasm in ON+NMOSD group was significantly lower than that of healthy control group and ON-MS group, as well as ON-NMOSD group ( P0.05). The FA value of the left optic radiation in ON+NMOSD group was lower than that in healthy control group and the ON-MS group. The RK value of the optic chiasm in ON+MS group was lower than that in the healthy control group and ON-NMOSD group ( P0.05). The MK and RK values of the left optic radiation in ON-MS group were significantly lower than those in the ON+NMOSD group and ON-NMOSD group ( P0.05). Conclusions:NMOSD and RRMS patients demonstrate varying degrees of microstructural damage in the optic chiasm and optic radiations. Differences of DKI parameters suggest different pathological mechanisms of visual pathway damage between NMOSD and MS, which may be helpful for early detection of occult visual pathway lesions.

Objective:To investigate microstructural alterations in the optic chiasm and optic radiations of multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) based on diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI).Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. Retrospective analyses were conducted on the clinical and imaging data of 63 patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) and 62 patients with NMOSD diagnosed at First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2019 to December 2023. According to the occurrence of optic neuritis (ON), they were categorized into ON-positive MS (ON+MS) group (40 cases), ON-negative MS (ON-MS) group (23 cases), ON-positive NMOSD (ON+NMOSD) group (40 cases) and ON-negative NMOSD (ON-NMOSD) group (22 cases). In addition, 40 healthy controls were enrolled during the same period. DKI data of all subjects were collected, and DKI post-processing was performed to obtain fractional anisotropy (FA), mean kurtosis (MK), axial kurtosis (AK), and radial kurtosis (RK) values of the optic chiasm and bilateral optic radiations. The scores of the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), and expanded disability status scale (EDSS) were obtained. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyze the differences in DKI parameters of the optic chiasm and bilateral optic radiation among the 5 groups, and the Holm-Bonferroni method was employed for multiple comparison correction in pairwise comparisons.Results:There were statistically significant overall differences in the DKI parameters of the optic chiasm and bilateral optic radiations among healthy control group, ON+MS group, ON-MS group, ON+NMOSD group, and ON-NMOSD group (all P0.05). The FA value of the optic chiasm in ON+NMOSD group was significantly lower than that of healthy control group and ON-MS group, as well as ON-NMOSD group ( P0.05). The FA value of the left optic radiation in ON+NMOSD group was lower than that in healthy control group and the ON-MS group. The RK value of the optic chiasm in ON+MS group was lower than that in the healthy control group and ON-NMOSD group ( P0.05). The MK and RK values of the left optic radiation in ON-MS group were significantly lower than those in the ON+NMOSD group and ON-NMOSD group ( P0.05). Conclusions:NMOSD and RRMS patients demonstrate varying degrees of microstructural damage in the optic chiasm and optic radiations. Differences of DKI parameters suggest different pathological mechanisms of visual pathway damage between NMOSD and MS, which may be helpful for early detection of occult visual pathway lesions.

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is an age-related progressive skeletal muscle disorder involving the loss of muscle mass or strength and physiological function. Efficient and precise AI algorithms may play a significant role in the diagnosis of sarcopenia. In this study, we aimed to develop a machine learning model for sarcopenia diagnosis using clinical characteristics and laboratory indicators of aging cohorts. METHODS: We developed models of sarcopenia using the baseline data from the West China Health and Aging Trend (WCHAT) study. For external validation, we used the Xiamen Aging Trend (XMAT) cohort. We compared the support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), and Wide and Deep (W&D) models. The area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) and accuracy (ACC) were used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the models. RESULTS: The WCHAT cohort, which included a total of 4057 participants for the training and testing datasets, and the XMAT cohort, which consisted of 553 participants for the external validation dataset, were enrolled in this study. Among the four models, W&D had the best performance (AUC = 0.916 ± 0.006, ACC = 0.882 ± 0.006), followed by SVM (AUC =0.907 ± 0.004, ACC = 0.877 ± 0.006), XGB (AUC = 0.877 ± 0.005, ACC = 0.868 ± 0.005), and RF (AUC = 0.843 ± 0.031, ACC = 0.836 ± 0.024) in the training dataset. Meanwhile, in the testing dataset, the diagnostic efficiency of the models from large to small was W&D (AUC = 0.881, ACC = 0.862), XGB (AUC = 0.858, ACC = 0.861), RF (AUC = 0.843, ACC = 0.836), and SVM (AUC = 0.829, ACC = 0.857). In the external validation dataset, the performance of W&D (AUC = 0.970, ACC = 0.911) was the best among the four models, followed by RF (AUC = 0.830, ACC = 0.769), SVM (AUC = 0.766, ACC = 0.738), and XGB (AUC = 0.722, ACC = 0.749). CONCLUSIONS: The W&D model not only had excellent diagnostic performance for sarcopenia but also showed good economic efficiency and timeliness. It could be widely used in primary health care institutions or developing areas with an aging population. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chictr.org, ChiCTR 1800018895.
Humans ; Aged ; Sarcopenia/diagnosis* ; Deep Learning ; Aging ; Algorithms ; Biomarkers

Objective: To understand weekend screen time of preschool children in Nanjing, Jiangsu and to explore its association with parental factors,aiming to provide effective strategies for screen time intervention. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted in 6 424 parents of preschool children in 20 kindergartens selected using convenience samping method in Nanjing to understand the association of screen time during weekends and parental factors. Results: The proportion of preschool children in Nanjing with screen time ≥2 h/d was 13.01%, among which the proportion of boys was 14.61%, and girls was 11.34%. The difference was statistically significant(χ2=15.27, P<0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between 3.5-6 years old, boys, paternal education lower than junior high school or equal to senior high school, and no exercise habits with children’s screen time ≥2 h/d(OR=1.43, 1.42, 2.21, 1.82, 2.47, 2.05, 1.36, 1.38, 1.39, 1.52, P<0.05). Conclusion The video screen time of 3-6 year old preschool children in Nanjing is at moderate level. Parents’ exercise habits and education shows impact on screen time of preschool children, and should be given attention and support.

In order to ensure normal body function, the human body is dependent on a tight control of its blood glucose levels. This is accomplished by a highly sophisticated network of various hormones and neuropeptides released mainly from the brain, pancreas, liver, intestine as well as adipose and muscle tissue. Within this network, the pancreas represents a key player by secreting the blood sugar-lowering hormone insulin and its opponent glucagon. However, disturbances in the interplay of the hormones and peptides involved may lead to metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) whose prevalence, comorbidities and medical costs take on a dramatic scale. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to uncover and understand the mechanisms underlying the various interactions to improve existing anti-diabetic therapies and drugs on the one hand and to develop new therapeutic approaches on the other. This review summarizes the interplay of the pancreas with various other organs and tissues that maintain glucose homeostasis. Furthermore, anti-diabetic drugs and their impact on signaling pathways underlying the network will be discussed.
Blood Glucose ; Brain ; Comorbidity ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Glucagon ; Glucose* ; Hand ; Homeostasis* ; Human Body ; Insulin ; Intestines ; Liver ; Neuropeptides ; Pancreas ; Peptides ; Prevalence

Objective To investigate the proper depth of muscle relaxant without affecting elec-trophysiological monitoring in patients undergoing posterior fossa surgery under total intravenous an-esthesia (TIVA).Methods Forty patients selected for posterior fossa surgery were randomly divided into two groups A and B.Group A:no muscle relaxants were administered after anesthesia induction until the EMG was completed.Group B:muscle relaxants maintained in range of TOF 2%-25% dur-ing electrophysiological monitor.TIVA were used to all patients and BIS was maintained in range of 40-60.Two electrophysiological data were applied during the electrophysiological monitoring:sponta-neity EMG and evoked EMG.EMG amplitude was recorded at different TOF value.Operation time and the dosages of propofol,sufentanil,rocuronium bromide were recorded.Also,the SBP,DBP,HR at perioperational period and facial nerve function before surgery,one week and six months after sur-gery were recorded.Results The electrophysiological monitoring completed successfully in all pa-tients.The total amount of propofol in group A significantly increased than those in group B(P <0.05).Three patients in group A had body movement during the operation.Four cases in group B couldn??t perform electrophysiological monitor when the TOF had three signals.There were no differ-ence between the two groups in SBP,DBP,HR and facial nerve function.Conclusion Maintaining TOF value in range of 2%-25% under non-depolarizing muscle relaxant during CPA surgery doesn??t affect intraoperative nerve electrophysiological monitor and prevent body movement,total dose of sed-ative anesthetics is also decresed.