Hepatic encephalopathy （HE） is a common complication of severe liver disease in the end stage， and it is urgently needed to improve the rate of effective treatment and clarify the pathogenesis of HE. The liver is a crucial hub for immune regulation， and disruption of immune homeostasis is a key factor in the pathological mechanisms of HE. As the main metabolites of intestinal flora， short-chain fatty acids （SCFAs） play a vital role in the biological processes of both innate and adaptive immunity and can regulate the proliferation and differentiation of immune cells maintain the homeostasis of intestinal microenvironment and the integrity of barrier function. Studies have shown that SCFAs participate in bidirectional and dynamic interactions with the liver-gut-brain axis through immunomodulatory pathways， thereby playing an important role in the diagnosis， treatment， and prognostic evaluation of HE. Starting from the immunoregulatory effect of SCFAs， this article summarizes and analyzes the crosstalk relationship between SCFAs and the liver-gut-brain axis and the significance of SCFAs in the diagnosis and treatment of HE， in order to provide new ideas for optimizing clinical prevention and treatment strategies.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the mediating role of sleep duration in the relationship between depression symptoms and myopia among middle school students. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional research conducted using a stratified cluster random sampling method. A total of 1 728 middle school students were selected from two junior high schools and two senior high schools in certain urban areas and farms of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Questionnaire surveys and vision tests were conducted among the students. Spearman analysis was used to analyze the correlation between depression symptoms, sleep duration, and myopia. The Bootstrap method was employed to investigate the mediating effect of sleep duration between depression symptoms and myopia. RESULTS: The prevalence of myopia in the overall population was 74.02% (1 279/1 728), with an average sleep duration of (7.6±1.0) hours. The rate of insufficient sleep was 83.62% (1 445/1 728), and the proportion of students exhibiting depression symptoms was 25.29% (437/1 728). Correlation analysis showed significant negative correlations between visual acuity in both eyes and sleep duration with depressive emotions as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (with correlation coefficients of -0.064, -0.084, and -0.199 respectively; P<0.01), as well as with somatic symptoms and activities (with correlation coefficients of -0.104, -0.124, and -0.233 respectively; P<0.01) and interpersonal relationships (with correlation coefficients of -0.052, -0.059, and -0.071 respectively; P<0.05). The correlation coefficients for left and right eye visual acuity and sleep duration were 0.206 and 0.211 respectively (P<0.001). Sleep duration exhibited a mediating effect between depression symptoms and myopia (indirect effect=0.056, 95%CI: 0.029-0.088), with the mediating effect value for females (indirect effect=0.066, 95%CI: 0.024-0.119) being higher than that for males (indirect effect=0.042, 95%CI: 0.011-0.081). CONCLUSIONS Sleep duration serves as a partial mediator between depression symptoms and myopia in middle school students.
Humans ; Myopia/etiology* ; Male ; Female ; Depression/physiopathology* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Sleep ; Adolescent ; Students ; Child ; Time Factors ; Sleep Duration

Nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-κB） is an important intracellular transcription factor widely involved in the processes such as immune response， inflammatory response， cell proliferation， and apoptosis. The abnormal activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in various liver diseases including chronic hepatitis， liver fibrosis， liver cirrhosis， and hepatocellular carcinoma. Extensive studies have shown that inhibiting NF-κB activity may effectively reduce inflammation and fibrosis and improve metabolic disorders. Several natural compounds， such as matrine and salvianolic acid B， have shown the potential in suppressing NF-κB activity， thereby exerting anti-inflammatory， anti-fibrotic， and anti-tumor effects. This article systematically reviews the critical role of the NF-κB signaling pathway in liver diseases and its potential as a therapeutic target， in order to highlight its potential as a therapeutic target for liver diseases and provide new directions for the treatment of liver diseases.

To investigate the effects of Biyan Jiedu Capsules on the proliferation and apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells and their molecular mechanism, nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells CNE1 and CNE2 were used. They were divided into control group(30% blank serum medium), low-(10% drug-containing serum + 20% blank serum medium), medium-(20% drug-containing serum + 10% blank serum medium), and high-(30% drug-containing serum medium) concentration group of Biyan Jiedu Capsules according to in vitro experiment. After 24 h of intervention, the effects of Biyan Jiedu Capsules on the proliferation of CNE1 and CNE2 were detected by CCK-8 assay, clonal formation experiment, and EdU staining. The effect of Biyan Jiedu Capsules on apoptosis of CNE1 and CNE2 was detected by flow cytometry. Western blot was used to detect the effect of Biyan Jiedu Capsules on the expression of X-linked apoptosis inhibitor protein(XIAP), survivin, proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA), and PI3K/Akt pathway-related proteins in CNE1 and CNE2. The results showed that compared with the control group, the survival rate of CNE1 and CNE2 in the medium and high concentration groups of Biyan Jiedu Capsules could be decreased in a concentration-dependent way(P<0.05, P<0.01). At the same time, EdU staining and clonal formation experiments showed that the proliferation of CNE1 and CNE2 was significantly inhibited in the medium and high concentration groups of Biyan Jiedu Capsules(P<0.05, P<0.01). Flow cytometry showed that the apoptosis rate of CNE1 and CNE2 was significantly increased in all concentration groups of Biyan Jiedu Capsules(P<0.01), and the apoptosis rate was concentration-dependent. Western blot showed that the expressions of XIAP, survivin, PCNA, p-PI3K, and p-Akt in all concentration groups of Biyan Jiedu Capsules were significantly down-regulated(P<0.05, P<0.01). In conclusion, Biyan Jiedu Capsules can inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells possibly by down-regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
Humans ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/physiopathology* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Capsules ; Carcinoma/drug therapy*

Cryopreservation is the primary technique for in vitro preservation of allogeneic tissue. However, its success is often hindered by factors such as low temperature, ischemia, and hypoxia. This study investigated the potential of Sini Decoction, known for its antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties, to reduce cryopreservation-induced injury in rats' sciatic nerves. Sini Decoction was prepared according to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and its cytotoxicity on Rsc96 cells was assessed by using the CCK-8 method. Sini Decoction at concentrations of 4, 8, and 16 mg·mL~(-1), termed as low-(SL), medium-(SM), and high-(SH) doses group, was used for cryopreservation of rats' sciatic nerves. A normal control(NC) group and a fresh nerve control(fresh) group were set. Flow cytometry and TUNEL staining were used to detect the apoptosis of neural tissue cells after cryopreservation. Western blot was used to detect the expression of apoptosis-related proteins(Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3, and caspase-8) and nerve regeneration proteins(NGF and BDNF) in vitro after cryopreservation. Oxidative damage of neural tissue after cryopreservation was evaluated by measuring levels of GSH, SOD, MDA, ROS, and ATP. Cryopreserved nerves were then used for allogeneic transplantation. One week after transplantation, CD4~+ and CD8~+ fluorescent double staining assessed inflammatory cell invasion in the transplanted nerve segment, and ELISA evaluated the expression of serum inflammatory factors(IL-1, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) in recipients. Twenty weeks after transplantation, electrophysiology and NF200 neurofilament staining were used to evaluate nerve regeneration. RESULTS:: showed that Sini Decoction at concentrations of below 32 mg·mL~(-1) exhibited no cytotoxicity to Rsc96 cells. During in vitro nerve cryopreservation, Sini Decoction significantly reduced cell apoptosis, ROS, and MDA production compared to the NC group. In the SH group, the protein expression of NGF and BDNF in vitro, as well as ATP, SOD, and GSH production, were significantly increased. In the rejection reaction one week after transplantation, compared to the fresh nerve transplantation group, the SL and SM groups showed reduced CD4~+ and CD8~+ T cell invasion in the transplanted nerve segment and down-regulated IL-1, IFN-γ, and TNF-α expression in recipient serum. Twenty weeks after transplantation, the electrophysiological test results of CMAP, NCV, and NF200 neurofilament protein fluorescent staining in the SM and SH groups were superior to those in the NC and fresh groups. These findings indicate that Sini Decoction offers protective benefits in the cryopreservation of rats' sciatic nerves and holds significant potential for the in vitro preservation of tissue and organs.
Animals ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Rats ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Sciatic Nerve/cytology* ; Cryopreservation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Protective Agents/pharmacology*

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 detect the expression levels of various immune cells in peripheral blood,and to ex-plore their relationship with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion(URSA)and its clinical significance in di-agnosis and treatment.Methods:A total of 351 patients with URSA who visited Hebei Reproductive Health Hospi-tal between January 2020 and September 2022 were enrolled as the URSA group,while a control group compri-sing 30 healthy women who had experienced uncomplicated term delivery once and had no history of adverse pregnancy outcomes during the same period was selected.The levels of various immune cell subsets in peripheral blood during the luteal phase were measured and compared between the two groups.Receiver operating charac-teristic(ROC)curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal cutoff values of immune cell levels that could assist in URSA diagnosis and treatment,while logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors influ-encing URSA occurrence.Results:The number and percentage of CD3+CD8+cells in the peripheral blood of the URSA group were significantly lower compared to those in the control group(P＜0.05).Conversely,the per-centage of NK cells was significantly higher in the URSA group than in the control group(P＜0.05).Logistic re-gression analysis revealed that the increase in CD3+CD8+cell count in peripheral blood during the luteal phase was a protective factor of URSA(OR＜1,P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis determined optimal cutoff values for im-mune cell levels to assist in the diagnosing and treating URSA:702.82 cells/μl for CD3+CD8+cell count,28.39％for CD3+CD8+cell percentage,and 12.33％for NK cell percentage.After using the optimal cutoff value to convert continuous variables into binary variables,Logistic regression analysis showed that a CD3+CD8+cell count＜702.82 cells/μl and an NK cell percentage＞12.33％were independent risk factors for URSA(OR＞1,P＜0.05).Conclusions:The decrease of CD3+CD8+cells in peripheral blood during midluteal phase is closely related to the occurrence of URSA.The number of CD3+CD8+cells(702.82 cells/μl)and the percentage of NK cells(12.33％)can be used as reference values for the diagnosis and treatment of URSA.

Objective:To detect the expression levels of various immune cells in peripheral blood,and to ex-plore their relationship with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion(URSA)and its clinical significance in di-agnosis and treatment.Methods:A total of 351 patients with URSA who visited Hebei Reproductive Health Hospi-tal between January 2020 and September 2022 were enrolled as the URSA group,while a control group compri-sing 30 healthy women who had experienced uncomplicated term delivery once and had no history of adverse pregnancy outcomes during the same period was selected.The levels of various immune cell subsets in peripheral blood during the luteal phase were measured and compared between the two groups.Receiver operating charac-teristic(ROC)curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal cutoff values of immune cell levels that could assist in URSA diagnosis and treatment,while logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors influ-encing URSA occurrence.Results:The number and percentage of CD3+CD8+cells in the peripheral blood of the URSA group were significantly lower compared to those in the control group(P＜0.05).Conversely,the per-centage of NK cells was significantly higher in the URSA group than in the control group(P＜0.05).Logistic re-gression analysis revealed that the increase in CD3+CD8+cell count in peripheral blood during the luteal phase was a protective factor of URSA(OR＜1,P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis determined optimal cutoff values for im-mune cell levels to assist in the diagnosing and treating URSA:702.82 cells/μl for CD3+CD8+cell count,28.39％for CD3+CD8+cell percentage,and 12.33％for NK cell percentage.After using the optimal cutoff value to convert continuous variables into binary variables,Logistic regression analysis showed that a CD3+CD8+cell count＜702.82 cells/μl and an NK cell percentage＞12.33％were independent risk factors for URSA(OR＞1,P＜0.05).Conclusions:The decrease of CD3+CD8+cells in peripheral blood during midluteal phase is closely related to the occurrence of URSA.The number of CD3+CD8+cells(702.82 cells/μl)and the percentage of NK cells(12.33％)can be used as reference values for the diagnosis and treatment of URSA.

Objective:To detect the expression levels of various immune cells in peripheral blood,and to ex-plore their relationship with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion(URSA)and its clinical significance in di-agnosis and treatment.Methods:A total of 351 patients with URSA who visited Hebei Reproductive Health Hospi-tal between January 2020 and September 2022 were enrolled as the URSA group,while a control group compri-sing 30 healthy women who had experienced uncomplicated term delivery once and had no history of adverse pregnancy outcomes during the same period was selected.The levels of various immune cell subsets in peripheral blood during the luteal phase were measured and compared between the two groups.Receiver operating charac-teristic(ROC)curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal cutoff values of immune cell levels that could assist in URSA diagnosis and treatment,while logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors influ-encing URSA occurrence.Results:The number and percentage of CD3+CD8+cells in the peripheral blood of the URSA group were significantly lower compared to those in the control group(P＜0.05).Conversely,the per-centage of NK cells was significantly higher in the URSA group than in the control group(P＜0.05).Logistic re-gression analysis revealed that the increase in CD3+CD8+cell count in peripheral blood during the luteal phase was a protective factor of URSA(OR＜1,P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis determined optimal cutoff values for im-mune cell levels to assist in the diagnosing and treating URSA:702.82 cells/μl for CD3+CD8+cell count,28.39％for CD3+CD8+cell percentage,and 12.33％for NK cell percentage.After using the optimal cutoff value to convert continuous variables into binary variables,Logistic regression analysis showed that a CD3+CD8+cell count＜702.82 cells/μl and an NK cell percentage＞12.33％were independent risk factors for URSA(OR＞1,P＜0.05).Conclusions:The decrease of CD3+CD8+cells in peripheral blood during midluteal phase is closely related to the occurrence of URSA.The number of CD3+CD8+cells(702.82 cells/μl)and the percentage of NK cells(12.33％)can be used as reference values for the diagnosis and treatment of URSA.

Objective:To detect the expression levels of various immune cells in peripheral blood,and to ex-plore their relationship with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion(URSA)and its clinical significance in di-agnosis and treatment.Methods:A total of 351 patients with URSA who visited Hebei Reproductive Health Hospi-tal between January 2020 and September 2022 were enrolled as the URSA group,while a control group compri-sing 30 healthy women who had experienced uncomplicated term delivery once and had no history of adverse pregnancy outcomes during the same period was selected.The levels of various immune cell subsets in peripheral blood during the luteal phase were measured and compared between the two groups.Receiver operating charac-teristic(ROC)curve analysis was performed to determine the optimal cutoff values of immune cell levels that could assist in URSA diagnosis and treatment,while logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors influ-encing URSA occurrence.Results:The number and percentage of CD3+CD8+cells in the peripheral blood of the URSA group were significantly lower compared to those in the control group(P＜0.05).Conversely,the per-centage of NK cells was significantly higher in the URSA group than in the control group(P＜0.05).Logistic re-gression analysis revealed that the increase in CD3+CD8+cell count in peripheral blood during the luteal phase was a protective factor of URSA(OR＜1,P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis determined optimal cutoff values for im-mune cell levels to assist in the diagnosing and treating URSA:702.82 cells/μl for CD3+CD8+cell count,28.39％for CD3+CD8+cell percentage,and 12.33％for NK cell percentage.After using the optimal cutoff value to convert continuous variables into binary variables,Logistic regression analysis showed that a CD3+CD8+cell count＜702.82 cells/μl and an NK cell percentage＞12.33％were independent risk factors for URSA(OR＞1,P＜0.05).Conclusions:The decrease of CD3+CD8+cells in peripheral blood during midluteal phase is closely related to the occurrence of URSA.The number of CD3+CD8+cells(702.82 cells/μl)and the percentage of NK cells(12.33％)can be used as reference values for the diagnosis and treatment of URSA.