Purpose: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is associated with several vascular disorders, but the associations between ED and vascular parameters are still unclear. Materials and Methods: We analyzed and synthesized a comprehensive range of studies from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus regarding the associations between ED and the following measures: ankle-brachial index (ABI), pulse wave velocity (PWV), intima-media thickness (IMT), nitrate-mediated dilation (NMD), flow-mediated dilation (FMD), augmentation index (AI), endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and other vascular parameters. Subgroup analysis was conducted according to specific types of parameters. Study quality was assessed by using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to confirm the robustness of the pooled results. Results: Fifty-seven studies with 7,312 individuals were included. Twenty-eight studies were considered to be high-quality. ED patients had a 0.11 mm higher IMT (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.07, 0.15), a 2.86% lower FMD (95% CI: -3.56, -2.17), a 2.34% lower NMD (95% CI: -3.37, -1.31), a 2.83% higher AI (95% CI: 0.02, 5.63), a 1.11 m/s higher PWV (95% CI: 0.01, 2.21), and a 0.72% lower percentage of EPCs (95% CI: -1.19, -0.24) compared to those without ED. However, ABI was similar between ED patients and non-ED individuals. According to sensitivity analysis, the pooled results were robust. Conclusions Our study confirmed the associations between ED and several vascular parameters and highlighted the importance of prevention and management of vascular and endothelial dysfunction in ED patients.

Purpose: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is associated with several vascular disorders, but the associations between ED and vascular parameters are still unclear. Materials and Methods: We analyzed and synthesized a comprehensive range of studies from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus regarding the associations between ED and the following measures: ankle-brachial index (ABI), pulse wave velocity (PWV), intima-media thickness (IMT), nitrate-mediated dilation (NMD), flow-mediated dilation (FMD), augmentation index (AI), endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and other vascular parameters. Subgroup analysis was conducted according to specific types of parameters. Study quality was assessed by using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to confirm the robustness of the pooled results. Results: Fifty-seven studies with 7,312 individuals were included. Twenty-eight studies were considered to be high-quality. ED patients had a 0.11 mm higher IMT (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.07, 0.15), a 2.86% lower FMD (95% CI: -3.56, -2.17), a 2.34% lower NMD (95% CI: -3.37, -1.31), a 2.83% higher AI (95% CI: 0.02, 5.63), a 1.11 m/s higher PWV (95% CI: 0.01, 2.21), and a 0.72% lower percentage of EPCs (95% CI: -1.19, -0.24) compared to those without ED. However, ABI was similar between ED patients and non-ED individuals. According to sensitivity analysis, the pooled results were robust. Conclusions Our study confirmed the associations between ED and several vascular parameters and highlighted the importance of prevention and management of vascular and endothelial dysfunction in ED patients.

Purpose: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is associated with several vascular disorders, but the associations between ED and vascular parameters are still unclear. Materials and Methods: We analyzed and synthesized a comprehensive range of studies from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus regarding the associations between ED and the following measures: ankle-brachial index (ABI), pulse wave velocity (PWV), intima-media thickness (IMT), nitrate-mediated dilation (NMD), flow-mediated dilation (FMD), augmentation index (AI), endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and other vascular parameters. Subgroup analysis was conducted according to specific types of parameters. Study quality was assessed by using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to confirm the robustness of the pooled results. Results: Fifty-seven studies with 7,312 individuals were included. Twenty-eight studies were considered to be high-quality. ED patients had a 0.11 mm higher IMT (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.07, 0.15), a 2.86% lower FMD (95% CI: -3.56, -2.17), a 2.34% lower NMD (95% CI: -3.37, -1.31), a 2.83% higher AI (95% CI: 0.02, 5.63), a 1.11 m/s higher PWV (95% CI: 0.01, 2.21), and a 0.72% lower percentage of EPCs (95% CI: -1.19, -0.24) compared to those without ED. However, ABI was similar between ED patients and non-ED individuals. According to sensitivity analysis, the pooled results were robust. Conclusions Our study confirmed the associations between ED and several vascular parameters and highlighted the importance of prevention and management of vascular and endothelial dysfunction in ED patients.

Purpose: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is associated with several vascular disorders, but the associations between ED and vascular parameters are still unclear. Materials and Methods: We analyzed and synthesized a comprehensive range of studies from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus regarding the associations between ED and the following measures: ankle-brachial index (ABI), pulse wave velocity (PWV), intima-media thickness (IMT), nitrate-mediated dilation (NMD), flow-mediated dilation (FMD), augmentation index (AI), endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and other vascular parameters. Subgroup analysis was conducted according to specific types of parameters. Study quality was assessed by using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to confirm the robustness of the pooled results. Results: Fifty-seven studies with 7,312 individuals were included. Twenty-eight studies were considered to be high-quality. ED patients had a 0.11 mm higher IMT (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.07, 0.15), a 2.86% lower FMD (95% CI: -3.56, -2.17), a 2.34% lower NMD (95% CI: -3.37, -1.31), a 2.83% higher AI (95% CI: 0.02, 5.63), a 1.11 m/s higher PWV (95% CI: 0.01, 2.21), and a 0.72% lower percentage of EPCs (95% CI: -1.19, -0.24) compared to those without ED. However, ABI was similar between ED patients and non-ED individuals. According to sensitivity analysis, the pooled results were robust. Conclusions Our study confirmed the associations between ED and several vascular parameters and highlighted the importance of prevention and management of vascular and endothelial dysfunction in ED patients.

Purpose: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is associated with several vascular disorders, but the associations between ED and vascular parameters are still unclear. Materials and Methods: We analyzed and synthesized a comprehensive range of studies from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus regarding the associations between ED and the following measures: ankle-brachial index (ABI), pulse wave velocity (PWV), intima-media thickness (IMT), nitrate-mediated dilation (NMD), flow-mediated dilation (FMD), augmentation index (AI), endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and other vascular parameters. Subgroup analysis was conducted according to specific types of parameters. Study quality was assessed by using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to confirm the robustness of the pooled results. Results: Fifty-seven studies with 7,312 individuals were included. Twenty-eight studies were considered to be high-quality. ED patients had a 0.11 mm higher IMT (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.07, 0.15), a 2.86% lower FMD (95% CI: -3.56, -2.17), a 2.34% lower NMD (95% CI: -3.37, -1.31), a 2.83% higher AI (95% CI: 0.02, 5.63), a 1.11 m/s higher PWV (95% CI: 0.01, 2.21), and a 0.72% lower percentage of EPCs (95% CI: -1.19, -0.24) compared to those without ED. However, ABI was similar between ED patients and non-ED individuals. According to sensitivity analysis, the pooled results were robust. Conclusions Our study confirmed the associations between ED and several vascular parameters and highlighted the importance of prevention and management of vascular and endothelial dysfunction in ED patients.

Objective To systematically evaluate the short-term efficacy and safety of robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD) versus traditional laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD), and to provide a reference for clinical research and practice. Methods Chinese and English databases such as PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and VIP were searched to include the cohort studies comparing the clinical efficacy of robot-assisted laparoscopy and traditional laparoscopy in pancreaticoduodenectomy. The quality of included articles was evaluated based on Cochrane systematic review, and Stata15.1 software was used to perform a meta-analysis of related outcome measures extracted. Results A total of 12 cohort studies were included, with 1630 patients in total, and there were 683 patients in the RPD group and 947 patients in the LPD group. The meta-analysis showed that there were significant differences between the RPD group and the LPD group in postoperative bleeding rate (odds ratio [ OR ]=0.66, 95% confidence interval [ CI ]: 0.48-0.91, P < 0.05), rate of conversion to laparotomy ( OR =0.41, 95% CI : 0.30-0.56, P < 0.05), estimated intraoperative blood loss (weighted mean difference [ WMD ]=-0.77, 95% CI : -1.33 to -0.22, P < 0.05), and length of postoperative hospital stay (WMD=-0.45, 95% CI : -0.80 to -0.11, P < 0.05). Country of publication might be one of the sources of heterogeneity in the incidence rate of postoperative complications between subgroups ( P < 0.05). Conclusion Compared with traditional LPD, da Vinci RPD can reduce postoperative bleeding rate, intraoperative blood loss and rate of conversion to laparotomy and shorten postoperative hospital stay, and meanwhile, it does not increase the operation time and the incidence rate of postoperative complications. Both surgical procedures are safe and feasible.

Objective::To evaluate the intervention effect of Bushen Tongluo formula on zebrafish osteoporosis model and to clarify its regulation of autophagy mechanism on osteoclast differentiation. Method::The 260 young zebrafishes (3 dpf) were selected, the zebrafish osteoporosis model was established with 25 mmol·L^-1 prednisolone (Pred) for 3 days, confirming the successful model by calcein staining. The zebrafishes were divided into control group, Pred group (25 mmol·L^-1), etidronate disodium (ED) group (300 mg·L^-1), Bushen (BS) group (180 mg·L^-1), Tongluo (TL) group (30 mg·L^-1), and Bushen Tongluo (BSTL) group (210 mg·L^-1), 40 tails per group. After intervened with medicine for 4 days, the calcein staining was adopted to count the vertebral bone fluorescence area of zebrafish, Real-time PCR was adopted to detect the mRNA expression of akaline phosphatase (ALP), bone morphogenetic protein 2b (BMP-2b), runt-related protein 2 (Runx2) and cathepsin K (CTSK), phosphorus and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic-1 (NFATC-1). Divided RAW264.7 cells into control, Rankl induction (10 μg·L^-1), BS (180 mg·L^-1), TL (30 mg·L^-1), and BSTL group (210 mg·L^-1) after they were cultured to 80%-90% density. The expression of actin ring was detected by phalloidin cytoskeleton staining. The mRNA expression of TRAP, CTSK and autophagy-related genes 5 (ATG5), autophagy-related genes 7 (ATG7), and ubiquitin-binding protein p62 (p62) were detected by Real-time PCR. Result::Compared with the control group in vivo, the vertebral area and ALP, BMP-2b, and Runx2 expression of zebrafish in the Pred group were significantly decreased (P<0.01), and CTSK, TRAP, and NFATC-1 expression of zebrafish were significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with the Pred group, the vertebral area of the TL (P<0.05) and BSTL group (P<0.01) increased significantly. The expressions of ALP, BMP-2b, and Runx2 in the BS, TL, and BSTL group were significant increased (P<0.01). The expression of CTSK, TRAP, and NFATC-1 in BSTL group were significant decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the control group in vitro, the number of actin rings (P<0.01) and CTSK, TRAP, ATG5 (P<0.01) expression and ATG7, p62 (P<0.01) expression were significantly increased in the Rankl-induced group. Compared with the Rankl induction group, the number of actin rings and CTSK and TRAP expression were significantly decreased in the BS, TL, and BSTL group (P<0.05, P<0.01), while the expression of ATG5, ATG7, and p62 were significant decreased in the BSTL group (P<0.05). Conclusion::BSTL can significantly improve prednisolone-induced zebrafish osteoporosis and inhibit osteoclast differentiation by reducing autophagy-related gene expression.