Grounded in the theory of "all marrows dominated by brain", this study explored the therapeutic mechanism of Zuogui Pills in modulating the oxytocin(OXT)/oxytocin receptor(OXTR) feed-forward loop in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis(PMOP). A PMOP rat model was established using ovariectomy, and 70 Sprague-Dawley female rats were randomly divided into the following groups: sham operation group, model group, estradiol group(17β-estradiol, 0.05 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)), Zuogui Pills low, medium, and high dose groups(0.2, 0.4, 0.8 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1), respectively), and an antagonist group(atosiban 0.9 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1) + 17β-estradiol 0.05 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1) + Zuogui Pills 0.4 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)). After 12 weeks of model establishment, treatment was administered by gavage once daily for another 12 weeks, followed by sample collection. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to measure serum levels of estrogen(E_2), OXT, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase(TRACP-5b), and bone alkaline phosphatase(BALP). Histopathological changes in the left distal femur were observed through hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining. Micro-computed tomography(micro-CT) was used to analyze the microstructure of the right distal femur. Western blot was employed to detect the expression levels of OXTR, small GTP-binding protein Ras, Raf1 proto-oncogene(Raf1), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 1/2(MEK1/2), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2(ERK1/2), and their phosphorylated forms in tibial tissues. Compared with the model group, the Zuogui Pills medium and high dose groups showed significantly increased levels of E_2, OXT, and BALP, with a notable decrease in TRACP-5b levels. Morphologically, the trabeculae in the left distal femur were more tightly arranged. The fibrous structure in the right distal femur was significantly improved in the Zuogui Pills high dose group. Additionally, the expression of OXTR, Ras, p-Raf1, p-MEK1/2, and p-ERK1/2 proteins in tibial tissues was significantly increased. The therapeutic effect of the Zuogui Pills high dose group was partially inhibited when an OXTR antagonist was administered. These findings suggest that Zuogui Pills can regulate the OXT/OXTR feed-forward loop, activate the phosphorylation of the downstream Ras/Raf1/MEK/ERK signaling pathway, and ultimately improve bone mineral density, thereby exerting therapeutic effects in PMOP.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Female ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Oxytocin/genetics* ; Receptors, Oxytocin/genetics* ; Humans ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal/genetics* ; Bone and Bones/drug effects* ; Brain/drug effects* ; Bone Marrow/drug effects*

Objective： The aim of this study is to explore the predictive value of biparametric magnetic resonance imaging(bpMRI)for pelvic lymph node metastasis in prostate cancer patients with PSA≤20 μg/L and establish a nomogram. Methods： The imaging data and clinical data of 363 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from July 2018 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used to screen independent risk factors for pelvic lymph node metastasis in prostate cancer, and a nomogram of the clinical prediction model was established. Calibration curves were drawn to evaluate the accuracy of the model. Results： Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed extrocapusular extension (OR=8.08,95%CI=2.62－24.97, P<0.01), enlargement of pelvic lymph nodes (OR=4.45,95%CI=1.16－17.11,P=0.030), and biopsy ISUP grade(OR=1.97,95%CI=1.12－3.46, P=0.018)were independent risk factors for pelvic lymph node metastasis. The C-index of the prediction model was 0.834, which indicated that the model had a good prediction ability. The actual value of the model calibration curve and the prediction probability of the model fitted well, indicating that the model had a good accuracy. Further analysis of DCA curve showed that the model had good clinical application value when the risk threshold ranged from 0.05 to 0.70.Conclusion： For prostate cancer patients with PSA≤20 μg/L, bpMRI has a good predictive value for the pelvic lymph node metastasis of prostate cancer with extrocapusular extension, enlargement of pelvic lymph nodes and ISUP grade≥4.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging* ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Nomograms ; Prostate-Specific Antigen/blood* ; Lymph Nodes/pathology* ; Pelvis ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Prostatectomy ; Lymph Node Excision ; Risk Factors ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Logistic Models ; Middle Aged ; Aged

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

Objective To investigate and analyze the distribution of serum cytokeratin 19 fragment antigen 21-1(CYFRA21-1)and squamous cell carcinoma-associated antigen(SCCA)levels in healthy pregnant women during pregnancy and to assess their diagnostic value for cervical cancer in pregnancy.Methods A total of 441 healthy pregnant women and 69 patients with cervical cancer in pregnancy who attended the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University from Jan 2021 to May 2024 were selected,and 165 healthy women in the Physical Examination Center of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University were included in the same period as the control group.The healthy pregnant women were divided into 143 in early pregnancy(T1 group),147 in middle pregnancy(T2)and 151 in late pregnancy(T3).Serum CYFRA21-1 and SCCA values were detected and analyzed in all groups.One-way ANOVA,independent samples t-test,Mann-Whitney U-test,Kruskal-Wallis H-test,logistic analysis,and ROC curves were used for comparative analysis.Results The CYFRA21-1 and SCCA values were 1.66(1.19-2.17)ng/mL and 0.8(0.6-1.0)ng/mL in the control group,3.07(2.11-4.14)ng/mL and 0.9(0.7-1.3)ng/mL in the healthy pregnant women group,and were 4.33(2.99-7.60)ng/mL and 1.8(0.9-8.5)ng/mL in the patients with cervical cancer in pregnancy group,respectively.There was a statistically significant difference in the two serum values between every two groups(P<0.05).CYFRA21-1 levels were 3.13(2.46-4.05)ng/mL,1.89(1.50-2.53)ng/mL and 4.19(3.48-5.43)ng/mL in the T1,T2,and T3 groups,respectively;and SCCA levels were 0.9(0.7-1.1)ng/mL,0.7(0.6-1.0)ng/mL and 1.2(0.8-1.7)ng/mL,respectively.The results of T1 and T3 groups were higher than those of the control group(P<0.05);however,there was no statistically significant difference between the results of the T2 group and those of the control group(P>0.05).The areas under the ROC curves for the diagnosis of cervical cancer in pregnancy for CYFRA21-1,SCCA,human epididymis protein 4(HE4),anti-carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)and joint indicators were 0.684,0.724,0.612,0.791 and 0.913,with sensitivities of 36%,48%,38%,57%and 73%,specificities of 96%,97%,89%,86%and 99%,respectively.The cut-off values of each indicator were 6.05 ng/mL,2.60 ng/mL,51.45 pg/mL and 1.75 ng/mL,respectively.Conclusion Serum CYFRA21-1 and SCCA levels were higher in pregnant women during early and late pregnancy compared with non-pregnant individuals,while they were not statistically different from non-pregnant women during mid-trimester.CYFRA21-1 and SCCA have diagnostic value for patients with cervical cancer during pregnancy.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Objective To investigate the incidence rate,clinical characteristics,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen,China.Methods Led by Shenzhen Children's Hospital,the Shenzhen Neonatal Data Collaboration Network organized 21 institutions to collect 36 cases of neonatal stroke from January 2020 to December 2022.The incidence,clinical characteristics,treatment,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen were analyzed.Results The incidence rate of neonatal stroke in 21 hospitals from 2020 to 2022 was 1/15 137,1/6 060,and 1/7 704,respectively.Ischemic stroke accounted for 75％(27/36);boys accounted for 64％(23/36).Among the 36 neonates,31(86％)had disease onset within 3 days after birth,and 19(53％)had convulsion as the initial presentation.Cerebral MRI showed that 22 neonates(61％)had left cerebral infarction and 13(36％)had basal ganglia infarction.Magnetic resonance angiography was performed for 12 neonates,among whom 9(75％)had involvement of the middle cerebral artery.Electroencephalography was performed for 29 neonates,with sharp waves in 21 neonates(72％)and seizures in 10 neonates(34％).Symptomatic/supportive treatment varied across different hospitals.Neonatal Behavioral Neurological Assessment was performed for 12 neonates(33％,12/36),with a mean score of(32±4)points.The prognosis of 27 neonates was followed up to around 12 months of age,with 44％(12/27)of the neonates having a good prognosis.Conclusions Ischemic stroke is the main type of neonatal stroke,often with convulsions as the initial presentation,involvement of the middle cerebral artery,sharp waves on electroencephalography,and a relatively low neurodevelopment score.Symptomatic/supportive treatment is the main treatment method,and some neonates tend to have a poor prognosis.

Endodontic diseases are a kind of chronic infectious oral disease.Common endodontic treatment concepts are based on the removal of inflamed or necrotic pulp tissue and the replacement by gutta-percha.However,it is very essential for endodontic treatment to debride the root canal system and prevent the root canal system from bacterial reinfection after root canal therapy(RCT).Recent research,encompassing bacterial etiology and advanced imaging techniques,contributes to our understanding of the root canal system's anatomy intricacies and the technique sensitivity of RCT.Success in RCT hinges on factors like patients,infection severity,root canal anatomy,and treatment techniques.Therefore,improving disease management is a key issue to combat endodontic diseases and cure periapical lesions.The clinical difficulty assessment system of RCT is established based on patient conditions,tooth conditions,root canal configuration,and root canal needing retreatment,and emphasizes pre-treatment risk assessment for optimal outcomes.The findings suggest that the presence of risk factors may correlate with the challenge of achieving the high standard required for RCT.These insights contribute not only to improve education but also aid practitioners in treatment planning and referral decision-making within the field of endodontics.

Objective To establish the method for content determination of three lignans of Dendrobium Fimbriatum Hook..Methods The lignans in Dendrobium tasselii were identified by high-performance liquid chromatography/multi-stage mass spectrometry(HPLC-ESI/MSn)coupled with ultraviolet absorption spectrometry(UV)coupled with retention time localization of high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).The separation was carried out on a Kromasil 100-5 C18 column(4.6 mm×250 mm,5 μm)using a gradient elution of acetonitrile-0.1%formic acid solution as the mobile phase,the volume flow rate was 0.8 mL·min-1 and the column temperature was 35℃,and the mass spectrometry was performed using an ESI ion source with the data collected in the negative ion mode.The HPLC content was determined on the same column as that of MS analysis,with the mobile phase methanol + acetonitrile(V/V=1∶1)-0.01 mol/L ammonium acetate solution,gradient elution,flow rate of 0.8 mL·min-1,column temperature of 40℃,and detection wavelength of 215 nm.Results Syringaresinol di-O-glucoside and(-)-Syringaresinol 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and DL-Syringaresinol were identified from Dendrobium fimbriatum Hook.,and the results of content determination showed that the linear ranges of above three components were respectively 0.1701-3.4020,0.1020-2.0400,0.0403-0.8060 μg(r≥0.9995),the average recoveries were in the range of 97.71%-101.67%,and the relative standard deviations(RSDs)were all less than 3.0%.The contents of Syringaresinol di-O-glucoside and(-)-Syringaresinol 4-O-β-D-glucopyranoside and DL-Syringaresinol in the 10 batches of samples were 0.7779-1.3852,0.0734-0.1966,0.0295-0.1882 mg·g-1.Conclusion This research method can provide a reference basis for the quality evaluation method of Dendrobium fimbriatum Hook..

Mitral annular calcification(MAC)is an age-related,chronic,degenerative change in localized fibrous support structures,and current research suggests that it is a process similar to the active onset of atherosclerosis and aortic valve calcification,both of which are accompanied by the deposition of lipoprotein(α)[Lp(α)]and the formation of chronic inflammatory foci.Among them,Lp(α)is the hot spot of research.In recent years,the relationship between Lp(α)and aortic valve calcification has received extensive attention.A large number of studies have demonstrated that elevated Lp(α)and its associated oxidized phospholipids(OxPL)can promote aortic valve calcification and stenosis through multiple calcium-regulated pathways,but the pathophysiological process of MAC is much more complex and unclear,and there has been a preliminary exploration of the relationship between Lp(α)and MAC.To make the current relationship between the two clearer,and thus provide new possibilities for preventing or delaying MAC,the paper will review the three aspects of MAC,Lp(α),and the research progress between the two.

The implementation of amplicon sequencing and metagenomic sequencing methods in the whole-genome sequen-cing for MPXV testing was compared,to provide a technical reference for sequencing,tracing,and epidemic prevention and control of MPXV.For amplicon sequencing,targeted amplification of the viral whole genome was performed on MPXV DNA,and was followed by next-generation sequencing of the amplification products.For metagenomic sequencing,next-generation sequencing was performed directly on MPXV DNA.After the sequences were obtained,software such as CLC and IGV were used to analyze the effective data percentage,sequencing depth,and whole-genome sequencing coverage under different sequen-cing depths for both sequencing methods,to evaluate sequencing quality.Nextclade was used to analyze virus typing,muta-tions,and deletions.Subsequently,the similarity and completeness of sequences obtained through both sequencing methods were further compared.On the basis of mapping to the refer-ence sequence of strain MPXV-M5312_HM12_Rivers(Gen-Bank number NC_063383.1),the percentage effective data obtained from amplicon sequencing and metagenomic sequen-cing was 99.72％and 7.54％,respectively,with a sequencing depth range of 0× to 334 839 ×,and 44 × to 1 000 ×.On the basis of a sequencing depth of 10 ×,the site coverage of the above was 90.3％and 100％,respectively.IGV was used to validate the whole-genome coverage under different sequencing depths.The depth coverage of whole-genome sites for metagenomic sequencing was uniform,whereas that of the whole-genome sites for amplicon sequencing was uneven and significantly differed.Virus typing and sequence similarity analysis indicated that the viral sequences obtained with the two sequencing methods all belonged to the Ⅱb B.1 lineage of MPXV.Comparison with the reference sequence indicated that metagenomic sequencing identified 73 nucleotide mutation sites,whereas amplicon sequen-cing identified 68 mutation sites.Further analysis demonstrated that seven common mutation sites of Ⅱb B.1 were not detected in the amplicon sequencing,and two false positive private mutation sites were identified.Amplicon or metagenomic sequencing methods thus can be flexibly used in MPXV virus whole-genome sequencing.Amplicon sequencing yields more effective data,whereas metagenomic sequencing provides better uniformity of coverage and sequence accuracy.This study provides a prelimi-nary understanding of the efficacy of each method and may serve as a technical reference for improving the success rate of whole-genome sequencing of MPXV.