ObjectiveTo evaluate the therapeutic effects of modified Banxia Xiexintang（MBXT） on polycystic ovary syndrome with insulin resistance（PCOS-IR） rats and reveal its potential mechanisms based on the integrated analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics. MethodsFemale SD rats were selected， and a PCOS-IR model was established by intragastric administration of letrozole combined with a high-fat diet for 21 days. The modeled rats were randomly divided into the model group， MBXT low-， medium-， and high-dose groups（6.62， 13.23， 26.46 g·kg^-1）， and metformin group（0.158 g·kg^-1）， with a normal group set up separately. After 14 days of administration， the estrous cycle was observed， ovarian morphology was examined by hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining， and the levels of testosterone（T）， estradiol（E₂）， follicle-stimulating hormone（FSH）， and luteinizing hormone（LH） in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. Serum metabolites and ovarian tissue gene expression were detected using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic orbitrap mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS） and RNA-Seq technology， respectively， followed by multi-omics integrated analysis. ResultsPharmacodynamic findings revealed that all MBXT dose groups could reversed abnormal estrous cycles in PCOS-IR rats， improve polycystic ovarian lesions， and normalize dysregulated serum hormone levels（T， LH， E₂， FS， P<0.05， P<0.01）. Metabolomic analysis revealed that compared with the model group， MBXT reversed 278 differential metabolites such as estrone and S-formylglutathione， mainly involving pathways such as steroid hormone biosynthesis， glutathione metabolism， and lipid peroxidation regulation. Transcriptomic analysis identified 434 differentially expressed genes， and enrichment analysis revealed that MBXT significantly regulated lipid peroxidation defense systems， including glutathione metabolism， peroxisome function， and fatty acid metabolism， thereby intervening in ferroptosis processes. It also engaged in inflammation-related pathways such as the chemokine signaling pathway. Integrated analysis revealed that both metabolomics and transcriptomics co-enriched metabolic pathways associated with ferroptosis and fatty acid metabolism. And key Hub genes［such as Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 2 gene（Rac2） and Fas ligand gene（Faslg）］ showed significant correlations with differential metabolites. ConclusionMBXT can effectively ameliorate reproductive dysfunction and metabolic disorders in PCOS-IR rats. Its mechanism may be related to remodeling the immune-metabolism network， particularly by regulating MHC-mediated immune responses， inhibiting local ovarian ferroptosis， and enhancing steroid hormone synthesis pathways.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of modified Banxia Xiexintang（MBXT） in improving ovarian dysfunction in polycystic ovary syndrome with insulin resistance（PCOS-IR） rats by inhibiting ferroptosis through the adenosine monophosphate（AMP）-activated protein kinase（AMPK）/fatty acid synthase（FASN）/glutathione peroxidase 4（GPX4） signaling pathway. MethodsSeventy-six female SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group（n=13） and a modeling group（n=63）. The modeling group established a PCOS-IR model by intragastric administration of letrozole combined with a high-fat diet for 21 days. After successful modeling， these rats were randomly divided into the model group， MBXT low-， medium-， and high-dose groups（6.62， 13.23， 26.46 g·kg^-1）， metformin group（0.158 g·kg^-1）， and high-dose of MBXT combined with ferroptosis inducer Erastin group（15 mg·kg^-1）， with 10 rats in each group. After 14 days of intervention， ovarian pathological morphology was observed by hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining， the mitochondrial ultrastructure of granulosa cells was observed by transmission electron microscopy（TEM）， ovarian reactive oxygen species（ROS） levels were detected by dihydroethidium（DHE） probe， biochemical methods were used to detect Fe²⁺， malondialdehyde（MDA）， glutathione（GSH） and other indicators in ovarian tissues， serum sex hormone and insulin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）， and the protein expressions of AMPK， FASN， acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4（ACSL4）， GPX4， and solute carrier family 7 member 11（SLC7A11） in ovarian tissues were detected by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed polycystic changes in the ovaries， with atrophy of mitochondria in granulosa cells and increased membrane density. Serum levels of testosterone（T）， luteinizing hormone（LH）， and insulin were significantly increased（P<0.01）. The levels of ROS， MDA， 4-hydroxynonenal（4-HNE）， and Fe²⁺ in ovarian tissues were significantly elevated（P<0.01）， while adenosine triphosphate（ATP）， GSH， and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate （NADPH） levels were significantly decreased（P<0.01）. The phosphorylation levels of AMPK and acetyl-CoA carboxylase （ACC）， as well as the protein expressions of SLC7A11， GPX4， and ferroptosis suppressor protein 1（FSP1） were significantly downregulated（P<0.01）， whereas the expressions of FASN， ACSL4， and nuclear receptor coactivator 4（NCOA4） were significantly upregulated（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， MBXT intervention at various doses improved the above pathological changes and biochemical indicators in a dose-dependent manner， with the high-dose group showing the most significant effect（P<0.01）. Compared with the MBXT high-dose group， the high-dose of MBXT combined with ferroptosis inducer Erastin group restored ovarian ferroptosis characteristics in rats， with increased ROS and lipid peroxidation products， and altered expressions of key proteins（P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionMBXT can effectively improve ovarian function and metabolic disorders in PCOS-IR rats. Its mechanism may be related to activating the AMPK/ACC signaling pathway， downregulating FASN and ACSL4 to reduce lipid peroxidation substrates， and restoring glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase/phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase（G6PD/PHGDH） metabolic flux to enhance the GPX4/FSP1 antioxidant defense system， thereby inhibiting ferroptosis in ovarian granulosa cells.

Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA), one of the most severe types of male infertility, etiology often remains unclear in most cases. Therefore, this study aimed to detect four biallelic detrimental variants (0.5%) in the minichromosome maintenance domain containing 2 ( MCMDC2 ) genes in 768 NOA patients by whole-exome sequencing (WES). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) demonstrated that MCMDC2 deleterious variants caused meiotic arrest in three patients (c.1360G>T, c.1956G>T, and c.685C>T) and hypospermatogenesis in one patient (c.94G>T), as further confirmed through immunofluorescence (IF) staining. The single-cell RNA sequencing data indicated that MCMDC2 was substantially expressed during spermatogenesis. The variants were confirmed as deleterious and responsible for patient infertility through bioinformatics and in vitro experimental analyses. The results revealed four MCMDC2 variants related to NOA, which contributes to the current perception of the function of MCMDC2 in male fertility and presents new perspectives on the genetic etiology of NOA.
Humans ; Male ; Azoospermia/genetics* ; Meiosis/genetics* ; Spermatogenesis/genetics* ; Adult ; Exome Sequencing ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins/genetics* ; Alleles ; Infertility, Male/genetics*

Objective:Utilizing a seven-year panel data set of a targeted admission medical student cohort,this study aims to examine their career development and provide insights for retaining healthcare talent in township health centers and village clinics in the central and western rural areas of China.Method:Starting from 2015,cohorts of targeted and general clinical graduates from four medical colleges in central and western China were selected and tracked for their career progression.Results:The targeted graduates'standardized residency training and medical licensing examination pass rates were similar to those of general clinical graduates.They advanced more quickly in professional titles and positions,with 82.5%becoming attending physicians and 16.2%obtaining positions in the seventh year after graduation.However,their monthly income was significantly lower than that of general clinical graduates,and this income discrepancy expanded annually.As of December 2022,among the 493 targeted graduates who completed their contracts,38.5%stayed in grassroots positions.Of those who left,60%moved to county-level or higher public hospitals,7.9%pursued further studies,and 27.7%were unemployed.Conclusion:Targeted graduates are well-trained and advance rapidly in their careers,but their lower income significantly impacts their willingness to remain at the grassroots level.After completing their service period,about one-third of the targeted graduates choose to stay in grassroots positions.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of the therapy of soothing liver and strengthening spleen(shortened as Shugan Jianpi therapy)in the treatment of active thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy(TAO)complicated with dry eye,and to provide a reference basis for clinical treatment.Methods A total of 108 patients with active TAO complicated with dry eye of liver depression and qi stagnation type were randomly divided into observation group and control group,54 patients in each group.Both groups were given conventional treatment for intervention of Graves'disease,and additionally the control group was given hormone shock therapy by intravenous injection of Methylprednisolone Sodium Succinate,and the observation group was treated with Chinese medicine prescription for soothing liver and strengthening spleen orally and intravenous injection of Methylprednisolone Sodium Succinate.The treatment period lasted for 12 weeks,and then the patients were followed up till to the 6th month.The changes of clinical activity score(CAS),proptosis,ocular surface disease index(OSDI),corneal fluorescein staining(FL),Schirmer I test(SIT)and tear film break-up time(BUT)in the two groups were observed before and after the treatment.After treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated.Results(1)After 6 months of treatment,the total effective rate in the observation group was 94.44%(51/54)and that in the control group was 74.07%(40/54),and the intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the efficacy of the observation group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the CAS,OSDI score and proptosis of the patients in the two groups were all lower than those before treatment(P＜0.01),and the reduction in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).(3)After treatment,the indicators of tear secretion function such as SIT,FL score and BUT of patients in the two groups were improved compared with those before treatment(P＜0.01),and the improvement in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the differences being all statistically significant(P＜0.01).Conclusion Shugan Jianpi therapy exerts certain clinical efficacy in treating patients with active TAO complicated with dry eye of liver depression and qi stagnation type,which can effectively relieve the proptosis,prolong the tear film break-up time,promote the secretion of tears and the repair of corneal epithelium,improve the visual function,and enhance the quality of life of the patients.

Objectives:To investigate the application value of laparoscopic double stapler firings and double stapling technique combined with rectal eversion and total extra-abdominal resection (LDER) in the anal preservation treatment of low rectal cancer.Methods:Inclusion criteria: (1) age was 18-70; (2) the distance of the lower tumor edge from the anal verge was 4-5 cm; (3) primary tumor with a diameter ≤3 cm; (4) preoperative staging of T1~2N1~2M0; (5) "difficult pelvis", defined as ischial tuberosity diameter<10 cm or body mass index>25 kg/m 2; (6) patients with strong intention for sphincter preservation; (7) no preoperative treatment (e.g., chemotherapy, radiotherapy, molecular targeted therapy, or immunotherapy); (8) no lateral lymph node enlargement; (9) no previous anorectal surgery; (10) patients with good basic condition who could tolerate surgery. Exclusion criteria: (1) previously suffered from malignant tumors of the digestive tract or currently suffering from malignant tumors out of the digestive tract; (2) patients with preoperative anal dysfunction (Wexner score ≥ 10), or fecal incontinence. The specific surgical steps are as follows: the distal end of the rectum was dissected to the level of the interspace between internal and external sphincters of anal canal. Five centimeters proximal to the tumor, the mesorectum was ligated, and a liner stapler was used to transect the rectum. The distal rectum with the tumor were then everted and extracted through the anus. The rectum was transected 0.5-1.0 cm distal to the tumor with a linear stapler. Full thickness suture was used to reinforce the stump of the rectum, which was then brought back into the pelvic cavity. Finally, an end-to-end anastomosis between the colon and the rectum was performed. A retrospective descriptive study was performed of the clinical and pathological data of 12 patients with T1-T2 stage low rectal cancer treated with LDER at Henan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022. Results:All 12 patients successfully completed LDER with sphincter preservation, without conversion to open surgery or changes in surgical approach. The median surgical time was 272 (155-320) minutes, with a median bleeding volume of 100 (50-200) mL. No protective stoma was performed, and all patients received R0 resection. The average hospital stay was 9 (7-15) days. There were no postoperative anastomotic leakage or perioperative deaths. All 12 patients received postoperative follow-up, with a median follow-up of 12 months (6-36 months) and a Wexner score of 8 (5-14) at 6 months postoperatively. There was no tumor recurrence or metastasis during the follow-up period.Conclusions:LDER is safe and effective for the treatment of low rectal cancer.

italic>Anoectochilus roxburghii liquid (spray, a hospital preparation of Wu Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University) has shown a good clinical treatment effect during the COVID-19 pandemic, but its material basis and mechanism of action are still unclear. In this study, network pharmacology and molecular docking methods were used to predict the molecular mechanism of A. roxburghii liquid against COVID-19, and pharmacodynamic experiments in vitro were conducted to study the interaction between the current targets with clear preventive and therapeutic effects and the key components of A. roxburghii liquid. UPLC-MS and database were used to compare and analyze the active ingredients in the liquid, and 17 potential active ingredients with good drug-like properties were screened by in vivo pharmacokinetics process in SwissADME database. SwissTargetPrediction and GeneCards were searched to find 93 common targets. Cytoscape 3.8.2 software was used to construct the "component-target" network map, and the Metascape platform was used for gene function annotation and pathway enrichment analysis. It was found that the extract could regulate the positive response to external stimuli, inflammatory response, cytokine production and other biological processes by binding the active ingredients such as isorhamnetin, kaempferol, luteolin, quercetin and apigenin to the common targets (NOS3, MPO, MMP3, etc.), and play an anti-COVID-19 role. In the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) activity inhibition assay, it was found that the stock solution of A. roxburghii liquid (for spray), and the supernatant after removing polysaccharides (mainly containing flavonoids) could to some extent inhibit the activity of ACE2. Crucially, in the experiment of 2019-nCOV-S pseudovirus infecting HEK-293T-ACE2 cells, we found that A. roxburghii liquid may exert anti-COVID-19 effects by blocking the binding of SARS-CoV-S protein to ACE2.

Objective To explore the effect of modified Shaoyao Gancao Decoction combined with acupuncture on Oswestry Disability Index(ODI)of patients after surgery for osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture(OVCF).Methods A total of 94 patients with OVCF of liver-kidney deficiency and yin-blood deficiency type were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group,with 47 cases in each group.Both groups were treated with surgical treatment by percutaneous balloon kyphoplasty or percutaneous vertebroplasty.After the operation,the control group was given acupuncture therapy,and the observation group was treated with modified Shaoyao Gancao Decoction combined with acupuncture therapy.Both groups were treated for 12 weeks(3 months in total).The changes of pain visual analogue scale(VAS)score,ODI score,bone mineral density(BMD)of lumbar vertebrae 2-4(L2-4),femoral neck,Wards triangle and total hip,and serum levels of bone metabolism indicators of type I collagen C-terminal peptide(CTX-1),bone alkaline phosphatase(BALP)and blood calcium in the two groups at different observation time points after operation were observed.After treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated.Results(1)After 3 months of treatment,the total effective rate of the observation group was 100.00%(47/47),and that of the control group was 87.23%(41/47).The intergroup comparison(tested by Fisher's exact test)showed that the clinical efficacy of the observation group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.01).(2)On the seventh day,first month and third month after operation,the pain VAS score and thoracolumbar function of ODI scores of the two groups were significantly lower than those at the previous observation time point(P＜0.05),and the decrease of VAS score and thoracolumbar ODI score in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group on the seventh day,first month and third month after operation(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).(3)After treatment(one month after operation),the BMD values of L2-4,femoral neck,Wards triangle and total hip in the two groups were significantly higher than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the increase of BMD values in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).(4)After treatment(one month after operation),the serum levels of bone metabolism indicators of CTX-1,BALP and calcium of the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease of serum CTX-1,BALP and calcium levels in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P＜0.01).Conclusion Modified Shaoyao Gancao Decoction combined with acupuncture exerts certain effect for the treatment of OVCF patients with liver-kidney deficiency and yin-blood deficiency type.The combined therapy can significantly relieve postoperative pain symptoms,improve BMD and bone metabolism,promote the recovery of thoracolumbar function,and effectively enhance the overall efficacy.

Objectives:To investigate the application value of laparoscopic double stapler firings and double stapling technique combined with rectal eversion and total extra-abdominal resection (LDER) in the anal preservation treatment of low rectal cancer.Methods:Inclusion criteria: (1) age was 18-70; (2) the distance of the lower tumor edge from the anal verge was 4-5 cm; (3) primary tumor with a diameter ≤3 cm; (4) preoperative staging of T1~2N1~2M0; (5) "difficult pelvis", defined as ischial tuberosity diameter<10 cm or body mass index>25 kg/m 2; (6) patients with strong intention for sphincter preservation; (7) no preoperative treatment (e.g., chemotherapy, radiotherapy, molecular targeted therapy, or immunotherapy); (8) no lateral lymph node enlargement; (9) no previous anorectal surgery; (10) patients with good basic condition who could tolerate surgery. Exclusion criteria: (1) previously suffered from malignant tumors of the digestive tract or currently suffering from malignant tumors out of the digestive tract; (2) patients with preoperative anal dysfunction (Wexner score ≥ 10), or fecal incontinence. The specific surgical steps are as follows: the distal end of the rectum was dissected to the level of the interspace between internal and external sphincters of anal canal. Five centimeters proximal to the tumor, the mesorectum was ligated, and a liner stapler was used to transect the rectum. The distal rectum with the tumor were then everted and extracted through the anus. The rectum was transected 0.5-1.0 cm distal to the tumor with a linear stapler. Full thickness suture was used to reinforce the stump of the rectum, which was then brought back into the pelvic cavity. Finally, an end-to-end anastomosis between the colon and the rectum was performed. A retrospective descriptive study was performed of the clinical and pathological data of 12 patients with T1-T2 stage low rectal cancer treated with LDER at Henan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022. Results:All 12 patients successfully completed LDER with sphincter preservation, without conversion to open surgery or changes in surgical approach. The median surgical time was 272 (155-320) minutes, with a median bleeding volume of 100 (50-200) mL. No protective stoma was performed, and all patients received R0 resection. The average hospital stay was 9 (7-15) days. There were no postoperative anastomotic leakage or perioperative deaths. All 12 patients received postoperative follow-up, with a median follow-up of 12 months (6-36 months) and a Wexner score of 8 (5-14) at 6 months postoperatively. There was no tumor recurrence or metastasis during the follow-up period.Conclusions:LDER is safe and effective for the treatment of low rectal cancer.

Atherosclerosis caused by disorders of lipid metabolism is the main pathological basis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.Statins are the cornerstone of lipid-modulating therapy for this type of disease,but in practice there are still some patients with suboptimal lipid management.Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9(PCSK9)inhibitors have been gradually applied as a new class of lipid-modulating drugs for the treatment in patients with this type of disease,and recent studies have shown that in addition to regulating lipid metabolism,PCSK9 inhibitors also have potential anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet activation effects.This article sorts out the multiple pharmacological mechanisms of action of PCSK9 inhibitors and the current status of clinical research of PCSK9 inhibitors.Besides,it discusses the factors that may affect the efficacy of PCSK9 inhibitors,in order to provide a reference for the safe and rational medication of PCSK9 inhibitors.