Background Polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) attract widespread public attention due to their adverse effects on mammalian reproductive systems. However, it is currently unclear whether ferroptosis is related to testicular damage and decreased sperm quality in mice exposed to PS-MPs. Objective To clarify the reproductive damage in male mice exposed to PS-MPs and investigate the mechanism of ferroptotic effects. Methods Five-week-old male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four experimental groups, including one control group and three PS-MPs groups at low dose (0.5 mg·kg⁻¹), medium dose (5 mg·kg⁻¹), and high dose (50 mg·kg⁻¹), respectively, with 6 mice in each group. The treatment was delivered by gavage for 35 consecutive days (one time per day). After the mice were neutralized, the wet weights of testis and epididymis were measured, and organ coefficients were then calculated. Sperm was counted by hematimetry, and sperm motility and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level were evaluated using CCK-8 and CellTiter Glo ® Kit 2.0 Assay respectively. In addition, serum testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone were determined using ELISA kit, total testicular iron content was measured using tissue iron kit, and pathological changes in testicular tissue were observed after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. We also used glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) assays to examine their changes to better understand the physiological status of testicular tissue. Finally, the expression levels of ferroptosis-associated proteins glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) were detected by Western blotting. Results Compared with the control group, the testicular index in the high dose group decreased, and the epididymal index decreased in all dose groups (P<0.05). The results of sperm quality analysis showed that the sperm count in each dose group was lower than that of the control group; the sperm motility decreased, sperm malformation rate increased, and ATP level in sperm decreased in the medium and high dose groups. The results of HE staining showed that the spermatogenic epithelium was disordered and the arrangement of spermatogenic cells were loose in the low dose group, the spermatogenic gap was enlarged in the middle dose group, and the cells in the high dose group were vacuolated and even azoospermic. The results of serum sex hormone levels showed that the serum testosterone levels decreased in each dose group, the serum follicle-stimulating hormone levels decreased in the medium and high dose groups, and the serum luteinizing hormone levels decreased in the high dose group (P<0.05). The iron content in the testicular tissue homogenate of the high dose group increased (P<0.05). The levels of GSH and SOD in the homogenate of testicular tissue decreased in the medium and high dose groups, while the levels of MDA increased (P<0.05). The results of Western blotting showed that the protein expression level of GPX4 in the testis in the high dose group was lower than that in the control group. The protein expression levels of SLC7A11 in the medium and high dose groups were lower than that in the control group. The results of correlation analysis showed that the expression level of GPX4 was positively correlated with sperm count, and negatively correlated with MDA level (P<0.05). SLC7A11 expression level was positively correlated with sperm count, and negatively correlated with sperm malformation rate and MDA level (P<0.05). Conclusion PS-MPs exposure leads to decreased sperm quality, testicular damage, and decreased serum sex hormone levels in male mice, and its mechanism of action may involve ferroptosis.

[Objective] To explore the strategy of blood management in patients with massive transfusion in the frigid plateau region. [Methods] The treatment process of a patient with liver rupture in the frigid plateau region was analyzed, and the blood management strategy of the frigid plateau region was discussed in combination with the difficulties of blood transfusion and literature review. [Results] The preoperative complete blood count (CBC) test results of the patient were as follows: RBC 3.14×10¹²/L, Hb 10⁶ g/L, HCT 30.40%, PLT 115.00×10⁹/L; coagulation function: PT 18.9 s, FiB 1.31 g/L, DD > 6 μg/mL, FDP 25.86 μg/mL; ultrasound examination and imaging manifestations suggested liver contusion and laceration / intraparenchymal hematoma, splenic contusion and laceration, and massive blood accumulation in the abdominal cavity; it was estimated that the patient's blood loss was ≥ 2 000 mL, and massive blood transfusion was required during the operation; red blood cell components were timely transfused during the operation, and the blood component transfusion was guided according to the patient's CBC and coagulation function test results, providing strong support and guarantee for the successful treatment of the patient. The patient recovered well after the operation, and the CBC test results were as follows: RBC 4.32×10¹²/L, Hb 144 g/L, HCT 39.50%, PLT 329.00×10⁹/L; coagulation function: APTT 29.3 s, PT 12.1 s, FiB 2.728 g/L, DD>6 μg/mL, FDP 25.86 μg/mL. The patient was discharged after 20 days, and regular follow-up reexamination showed no abnormal results. [Conclusion] Individualized blood management strategy should comprehensively consider the patient’s clinical symptoms, the degree of hemoglobin decline, dynamic coagulation test results and existing treatment conditions. Efficient and reasonable patient blood management strategies can effectively improve the clinical outcomes of massive transfusion patients in the frigid plateau region.

ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Shenge Bushen Capsules （SBC） on sexual development in normal 3-week-old mice. MethodsThe experiment consisted of two parts. In the first part， mice were divided into four groups： The control group and the low， medium， and high-dose SBC groups （234.7， 469.4， 938.7 mg·kg^-1， respectively）. In the second part， mice were divided into four groups： Control group， Pseudostellariae Radix polysaccharide （PRP） group， total flavonoids group， and SBC group， all receiving a dose of 469.4 mg·kg^-1. After 7 days of administration， the vaginal opening of female mice and the descent of testes and scrotum in male mice， as well as the ovarian and testicular organ indices， were observed. After 4 weeks of administration， female and male mice were housed together for 2 days， and the pregnancy rate of females was monitored. After delivery， the pregnant female mice continued receiving the treatment for 4 weeks， and the sexual development of their offspring， including vaginal opening， testicular descent， and organ indices of ovaries and testes， was observed. Serum sex hormones were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone （GnRH） and growth hormone （GH） proteins in the hypothalamus was assessed by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the control group， there was no significant effect on the vaginal opening of female mice or the descent of testes in male mice after 7 days of SBC administration. After 4 weeks of administration， the pregnancy rate in the low-dose group was significantly reduced （P<0.05）， but no significant effects were observed in the other groups. The three doses of SBC did not significantly affect the ovarian or testicular organ indices， and there was no significant upregulation in the expression of GnRH or GH in the hypothalamus. The primary component of SBC， Pseudostellariae Radix polysaccharide， significantly reduced the vaginal opening in female mice after 7 days of administration （P<0.05）. After 4 weeks， the serum estradiol levels of non-pregnant female mice were decreased （P<0.05）， but there was no significant effect on the expression of GnRH or GH proteins in the hypothalamus of either male or female mice. Additionally， there were no significant effects on precocious puberty indicators， such as vaginal opening and testicular descent， in the offspring mice. ConclusionSBC does not significantly promote precocious puberty in young mice， and it does not have any noticeable effects on the pregnancy rate of adult mice or the sexual development of their offspring.

AIM: To compare the changes in corneal epithelial thickness(CET)after small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)and femtosecond laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis(FS-LASIK).METHODS: A total of 187 patients(187 eyes)who underwent either SMILE or FS-LASIK at Urumqi Aier Eye Hospital between December 2022 and November 2023 were collected. The patients were divided into SMILE group and FS-LASIK group according to surgical methods. The CET of the patients was measured by optical coherence tomography(OCT)system before surgery and at 1 wk, 1, 3, and 6 mo postoperatively.RESULTS: Changes in corneal epithelial thickness(△CET)in the central, paracentral, and mid-peripheral regions were compared at 6 mo postoperatively. The SMILE group was characterized by the most significant thickening in the central area and the least thickening in the mid-peripheral area; while the FS-LASIK group was characterized by the most significant thickening in the paracentral area and the least thickening in the mid-peripheral region. At 1 wk, 1, 3, and 6 mo postoperatively, within the 0-7 mm corneal area, the △CET for both the SMILE and FS-LASIK groups was correlated with the preoperative spherical equivalent.CONCLUSION: Within 6 mo postoperatively, both SMILE and FS-LASIK showed a similar trend in epithelial thickening but with distinct characteristics. The change in corneal epithelial thickness for both procedures was positively correlated with the preoperative diopter.

Obesity is a risk factor and pathological basis for various chronic non-communicable diseases and is an important risk factor leading to human mortality and disability. The harm of obesity to the body includes not only various systemic diseases but also some ocular diseases. Currently, the higher pursuit of life and visual quality has led to increased attention to the etiology and prevention of ocular diseases, and the impact of obesity on ocular diseases has been gradually discovered. This article reviews the impact of obesity on certain ocular diseases to deepen the understanding of obesity's impact on ocular diseases and provide a reference for the prevention and treatment of ocular diseases.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease characterized by synovial inflammation, cartilage loss. Often manifesting as joint pain and limited mobility, it severely affects the quality of life of patients. Traditional treatment methods such as pharmacological injections and surgical interventions primarily aim to alleviate symptoms but have limited effects on cartilage repair. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs), due to their anti-inflammatory and chondrogenic capabilities, is considered a new hope for the treatment of KOA. This article synthesizes the latest research findings from both domestic and international sources to discuss the theoretical basis for the clinical application of hUC-MSCs in treating KOA, clinical study design, and efficacy evaluation. It also addresses the challenges in the clinical application of hUC-MSCs and explores future directions, in the hope of providing feasible theoretical support for the treatment of KOA with hUC-MSCs.

Objective To construct an optimal prediction model of chickenpox in Urumqi, and to provide reference for formulating the prevention and control strategies of chickenpox. Methods The multivariate autoregressive moving average model (ARIMAX) and random forest model (RF) were established based on the monthly incidence of chickenpox in Urumqi from 2014 to 2018, and the monthly incidence of chickenpox in 2019 was used to test the models and evaluate their prediction effect. The prediction performance of the two models was compared, and the best model was selected to predict the incidence of chickenpox in Urumqi. Results The incidence of chickenpox in Urumqi showed a regular bimodal distribution with obvious seasonality, and it showed a slow upward trend from July 2014 to December 2019. The fitting model was ARIMA(0,1,0)(0,1,1)₁₂, the root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) of ARIMAX model training set were 1.29 and 0.95, respectively, and the RMSE and MAE of the test set were 1.88 and 1.44, respectively. The training set RMSE and MAE of RF model were 1.56 and 1.56, respectively, and the test set RMSE and MAE were 4.83 and 3.96, respectively. Conclusion The performance of ARIMAX model is better than that of RF model, which can better predict the incidence trend of chickenpox in Urumqi. It is necessary to optimize the prediction model according to the actual situation and provide scientific guidance for the prevention and control of chickenpox.

Corneal alkali burns are a common form of corneal trauma, and their treatment has been a challenge in ophthalmology. Traditional treatments include anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, and corneal transplantation, with limited results. This review focuses on the research progress of mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)and their derived extracellular vesicles(MSCs-EVs)in the treatment of corneal alkali burns. MSCs have the ability of self-renewal, multidirectional differentiation, and immunomodulation, and the MSCs-EVs inherit its function from MSCs. MSCs-EVs inherit the functions of MSCs and has lower immunogenicity and better biocompatibility, which provides a new avenue for ophthalmic treatment. In addition, bioscaffolds are used as scaffolds or drug delivery systems in tissue engineering to promote tissue regeneration due to their excellent biocompatibility and degradability. This article reviews the mechanism of action and research progress of MSCs-EVs and combined bioscaffolds in the treatment of corneal alkali burns, and explores their potential in promoting the repair of corneal alkali burns and improving vision. These findings provide new strategies for the treatment of corneal alkali burns and are expected to improve the prognosis of patients.

Diabetic retinopathy(DR)has emerged as the leading cause of vision loss among working-age people in many countries under the increasing prevalence of diabetes and the longevity of the population. The pathogenesis of DR is complicated and has not been fully elucidated at present, while the treatment methods of DR have not been greatly improved, mainly retinal laser photocoagulation, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)treatment and vitrectomy surgery. The current treatment methods not only have shortcomings, but also bring serious economic burden to patients. Therefore, new methods are needed to explore the pathogenesis of DR, discover new treatments or improve current treatments, and improve the satisfaction of DR patients. In recent years, the identification and quantification of proteins expressed in blood, retina, vitreous humor, aqueous humor, and tears of all observable DR patients and DR rats and differentially expressed proteins after drug intervention have provided new ideas for further exploring the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of DR with the rise of proteomics, which put forward new insights into early detection and treatment.The proteomics of DR in recent years are reviewed, in order to provide new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of DR.

Corneal alkali burns are a common form of corneal trauma, and their treatment has been a challenge in ophthalmology. Traditional treatments include anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive, and corneal transplantation, with limited results. This review focuses on the research progress of mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)and their derived extracellular vesicles(MSCs-EVs)in the treatment of corneal alkali burns. MSCs have the ability of self-renewal, multidirectional differentiation, and immunomodulation, and the MSCs-EVs inherit its function from MSCs. MSCs-EVs inherit the functions of MSCs and has lower immunogenicity and better biocompatibility, which provides a new avenue for ophthalmic treatment. In addition, bioscaffolds are used as scaffolds or drug delivery systems in tissue engineering to promote tissue regeneration due to their excellent biocompatibility and degradability. This article reviews the mechanism of action and research progress of MSCs-EVs and combined bioscaffolds in the treatment of corneal alkali burns, and explores their potential in promoting the repair of corneal alkali burns and improving vision. These findings provide new strategies for the treatment of corneal alkali burns and are expected to improve the prognosis of patients.