The occurrence of benign prostate hyperplasia(BPH)was related to disrupted sex steroid hormones,and metformin(Met)had a clinical response to sex steroid hormone-related gynaecological disease.How-ever,whether Met exerts an antiproliferative effect on BPH via sex steroid hormones remains unclear.Here,our clinical study showed that along with prostatic epithelial cell(PEC)proliferation,sex steroid hormones were dysregulated in the serum and prostate of BPH patients.As the major contributor to dysregulated sex steroid hormones,elevated dihydrotestosterone(DHT)had a significant positive rela-tionship with the clinical characteristics of BPH patients.Activation of adenosine 5'-monophosphate(AMP)-activated protein kinase(AMPK)by Met restored dysregulated sex steroid hormone homeostasis and exerted antiproliferative effects against DHT-induced proliferation by inhibiting the formation of androgen receptor(AR)-mediated Yes-associated protein(YAP1)-TEA domain transcription factor(TEAD4)heterodimers.Met's anti-proliferative effects were blocked by AMPK inhibitor or YAP1 over-expression in DHT-cultured BPH-1 cells.Our findings indicated that Met would be a promising clinical therapeutic approach for BPH by inhibiting dysregulated steroid hormone-induced PEC proliferation.

Background/Aims: Low educational attainment is a well-established risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in developed areas. However, the association between educational attainment and the risk of NAFLD is less clear in China. Methods: A cross-sectional study including over 200,000 Chinese adults across mainland China was conducted. Information on education level and lifestyle factors were obtained through standard questionnaires, while NAFLD and advanced fibrosis were diagnosed using validated formulas. Outcomes included the risk of NAFLD in the general population and high probability of fibrosis among patients with NAFLD. Logistic regression analysis was employed to estimate the risk of NAFLD and fibrosis across education levels. A causal mediation model was used to explore the potential mediators. Results: Comparing with those receiving primary school education, the multi-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for NAFLD were 1.28 (1.16 to 1.41) for men and 0.94 (0.89 to 0.99) for women with college education after accounting for body mass index. When considering waist circumference, the odds ratios (95% CIs) were 0.94 (0.86 to 1.04) for men and 0.88 (0.80 to 0.97) for women, respectively. The proportions mediated by general and central obesity were 51.00% and 68.04% for men, while for women the proportions were 48.58% and 32.58%, respectively. Furthermore, NAFLD patients with lower educational attainment showed an incremental increased risk of advanced fibrosis in both genders. Conclusions In China, a low education level was associated with a higher risk of prevalent NAFLD in women, as well as high probability of fibrosis in both genders.

Cell membrane camouflaged nanoparticles have been widely used in the field of drug leads discovery attribute to their unique biointerface targeting function. However, random orientation of cell membrane coating does not guarantee effective and appropriate binding of drugs to specific sites, especially when applied to intracellular regions of transmembrane proteins. Bioorthogonal reactions have been rapidly developed as a specific and reliable method for cell membrane functionalization without disturbing living biosystem. Herein, inside-out cell membrane camouflaged magnetic nanoparticles (IOCMMNPs) were accurately constructed via bioorthogonal reactions to screen small molecule inhibitors targeting intracellular tyrosine kinase domain of vascular endothelial growth factor recptor-2. Azide functionalized cell membrane acted as a platform for specific covalently coupling with alkynyl functionalized magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles to prepare IOCMMNPs. The inside-out orientation of cell membrane was successfully verified by immunogold staining and sialic acid quantification assay. Ultimately, two compounds, senkyunolide A and ligustilidel, were successfully captured, and their potential antiproliferative activities were further testified by pharmacological experiments. It is anticipated that the proposed inside-out cell membrane coating strategy endows tremendous versatility for engineering cell membrane camouflaged nanoparticles and promotes the development of drug leads discovery platforms.

Balancing the risks and benefits of organophosphate pesticides(OPs)on human and environmental health relies partly on their accurate measurement.A highly sensitive fluorescence anti-quenching multi-residue bio-barcode immunoassay was developed to detect OPs(triazophos,parathion,and chlorpyrifos)in apples,turnips,cabbages,and rice.Gold nanoparticles were functionalized with monoclonal antibodies against the tested OPs.DNA oligonucleotides were complementarily hybridized with an RNA fluorescent label for signal amplification.The detection signals were generated by DNA-RNA hybridization and ribonuclease H dissociation of the fluorophore.The resulting fluorescence signal en-ables multiplexed quantification of triazophos,parathion,and chlorpyrifos residues over the concen-tration range of 0.01-25,0.01-50,and 0.1-50 ng/mL with limits of detection of 0.014,0.011,and 0.126 ng/mL,respectively.The mean recovery ranged between 80.3％and 110.8％with relative standard deviations of 7.3％-17.6％,which correlate well with results obtained by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS).The proposed bio-barcode immunoassay is stable,reproducible and reliable,and is able to detect low residual levels of multi-residue OPs in agricultural products.

Objective:To explore the structural and functional characteristics of microbiota in oropharynx of sub-healthy children with gastrointestinal heat retention syndrome(GHRS)differentiated by traditional Chinese medicine,and screen the biometric operational taxonomic units(OTUs)to assist the clinical diagnosis.Methods:We recruited children according to the"GHRS diagnostic scale",collected their oropharyngeal swabs,and sequenced the 16S rDNA V4 region.We described the bacterial structure with alpha-indexes,beta-distances,and relative abundances;moreover,we screened the differential genera/OTUs with Wilcoxon rank-sum test,MetagenomeSeq analysis,and linear discriminant analysis effect size(LEfSe)analysis,in which biometric OTUs were selected to construct the receiver operating characteristic curve to verify the diagnostic value.The bacterial function was predicted with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways according to 16S rDNA gene by using Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States.Results:The study population was composed of 10 children with GHRS and 10 healthy control children.GHRS children were more likely to overeat(gluttony,P=.033).Alpha-indexes,such as Sobs,abundance-based coverage estimator,Bootstrap,and Qstat,were significantly higher in the GHRS group,while beta-distances did not exhibit any significant intergroup differences.There were 9 differently distributed non-predominant genera between the groups in Wilcoxon rank-sum test,as well as 13 non-predominant genera in MetagenomeSeq analysis and 3 non-predominant OTUs in LEfSe analysis.OTU44 and OTU196 were used to construct the receiver operating characteristic curve,and the area under curve was 0.92.Predicted functions showed that pathways related to oxidative phosphorylation and carbon metabolism were enriched in healthy control samples,while the pathway related to renin secretion was remarkably enriched in GHRS samples.Conclusion:Unique oropharyngeal microbial structure and function were identified in GHRS children.OTU44 and OTU196 were specific OTUs,which could be used as biomarkers of GHRS to assist clinical diagnosis.

Objective: To search for specific metabolites in the lungs of pneumonia rats fed with a high-calorie diet, as well as explore the changes in the lung metabolites of young rats treated with Yinlai Decoction (YD) and its effects on inflammation-related metabolic pathways.Methods: Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and a special high-calorie diet were used to induce Sprague Dawley (SD) rats to simulate the intestinal state of infant pneumonia. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry technology (LC-MS/MS) was used to detect metabolites in each group. Supervised orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model values were used for the detection results to find the differential metabolites. The metabolic pathways that are involved with the differential metabolites were clarified through enrichment analysis and topological analysis. Finally, the T cell receptor signaling pathway (TCR) signal conversion was analyzed by the network pharmacology method. Results: In the high-calorie diet combined with pneumonia group (M3), a total of 55 metabolites were determined to be different from the normal group (N). A total of 36 metabolites were determined to be different from those in the lung metabolites of the YD treatment group (T1). YD had a regulatory effect on glutathione metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, ascorbic acid and aldehyde metabolism and phenylalanine metabolism. And the small molecule metabolites could act on the FYN and lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (LCK) target proteins in the TCR signaling pathway, thereby affecting the immune function of the lungs. Conclusion: A high-calorie diet can cause abnormal sphingolipid metabolism in the lungs of young rats, thereby creating chronic lung inflammation in young rats. YD has a beneficial effect when used to treat young rats with LPS-induced pneumonia fed on high-calorie diets. Its mechanisms of action may affect the body's immune pathways by regulating the oxidative stress pathway affected by glutathione metabolism.

Objective: To establish a novel stress-induced depression model by changing the lighting conditions and continuously damping cushion (L-D). Methods: The L-D stress depression animal model was established in C57BL / 6 mice with body weight of 18-22 g. Seventy-five mice with the horizontal and vertical scores higher than 30 and less than 120 in open field test were employed.In the research of model construction, mice were randomly divided into three groups: control group (n=9), chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) model group (n=10) and L-D model group (n=9). In the drug intervention experiments, mice were randomly divided into five groups: control group (n=9), chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) model group (n=10), L-D model group (n=9), CUMS+ fluoxetine group (n=10) and L-D model+ fluoxetine group (n=9). Open field test, forced swimming test and sucrose preference test were used to evaluate the degree of depression in animals. Results: (1) In the open field test, the horizontal score of CUMS model group (67.20±5.81) and the L-D model group (52.56±19.05) were significantly lower than that of the control group (76.44±9.22) (t=2.645, t=3.387, both P<0.05). And horizontal score of the L-D model was significantly lower than that of the CUMS model (t=2.321, both P<0.05). In forced swimming experiment, compared with the control group ((39.67±21.12)s), the immobility time of the CUMS model group ((60.90±10.34)s) and the L-D model group ((74.89±16.10)s) were significantly prolonged (t=2.831, 3.979, both P<0.05). The immobility time of the L-D model group was also significantly higher than that of the CUMS model group (t=2.278, P<0.05). In the sucrose preference experiment, the percentage of sucrose preference in CUMS model group ((72±7)%) and L-D model group ((65±5)%) was lower than that in the control group ((81±12)%) (t=2.195, 3.875, both P<0.05). The percentage of sucrose preference of L-D model group was significantly higher than that of CUMS model group (t=2.286, P<0.05). (2) After intervention with antidepressants, the horizontal scores of the CUMS model group (65.60±6.43) and the L-D model group (54.33±14.67) were significantly lower than that of the control group (75.78±8.27) in open field test (t=3.011, t=3.861, both P<0.05), and the score of L-D group was lower than that of CUMS group(t=2.235, P<0.05). The vertical score of the L-D model group (33.44±4.54) was significantly lower than that of the control group (39.22±5.56) (t=2.553, P<0.05). There was significant increase in the level score and vertical score of CUMS model and L-D model after fluoxetine intervention (t=3.090, t=2.692, both P<0.05), and significant twist in the vertical score of CUMS model and L-D model (t=2.681, t=2.354; both P<0.05). In the forced swimming experiment, the immobility time of the L-D model((64.11±13.06)s) was significantly longer than that of the control group ((42.00±13.77)s) (t=3.494, P<0.05). The immobility time of CUMS model and L-D model mice was significantly longer than that of non-intervention group (t=2.137, 2.940, both P<0.05). After the intervention of fluoxetine, there was no significant difference between the CUMS group, L-D group, the control group(all P>0.05). Conclusion Changing the lighting conditions and continuously damping cushion is a new method to establish mice model with depression behavior.Shorter modeling duration and simple operation are the main advantages of this model.

Objective:To analyze the levels of arachidonic acid (AA)and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)in the breast milk of lactating mothers in Changchun City of Jilin Province, and to explore their influence factors. Methods:The lactating mother’s basic information was collected with questionnaire, and the breast milk of lactating mothers on postpartum 22-25 d was obtained and the 3-day 24-hour dietary recall method was used to investigate the dietary intake information of 514 healthy lactating mothers.The Food Composition Table of China 2009 was used to calculate the intakes of five kinds of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in diet of lactating mothers and the gold key nutrition expert system software for corresponding nutrient analysis was used to calculate the amount of various kinds of foods in the lactating mothers’daily diet.The levels of AA and DHA in breast milk were determined with gas chromatography and the linear regression was used to analyze the related factors of AA and DHA levels in breast milk.Results:①The average concentration of AA in breast milk of 514 lactating mothers was (0.08±0.04)g·100 g-1,and the average concentration of DHA was (0.05±0.04)g·100 g-1. ②The single factor correlation analysis results showed that the oil intake was both positively correlated with AA and DHA levels in milk of lactating mothers (r= 0.360,r=0.354,P<0.001),while the intakes of linoleic acid (LA), alpha linolenic acid (ALA),eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA),DHA,dairy and meats and seafood in diet were both negatively correlated with AA (r= -0.321,r=-0.280,r=-0.255,r=-0.299,r=-0.196 ,r=-0.306,P<0.05)and DHA (r=-0.315,r=-0.279,r=-0.175,r=-0.189,r=-0.248,r=-0.142,P<0.05).③The linear regression analysis results showed regression equation that dairy intake (β=-0.265)and EPA intake (β=-0.144)were both negatively correlated with the level of AA (P=0.009),and dairy intake was also negatively correlated with the level of DHA (β=-0.233,P<0.001).Conclusion:The AA and DHA levels in breast milk of lactating mothers didn’t increase with the increasing of intake of milk or dairy products in the study.Moreover there is a competitive relationship between n-6 and n-3 series polyunsaturated fatty acids in the process of metabolism.

Reduning nasal sprays were prepared from Reduning injection to explore the pharmacokinetics of its nasal administration in rabbits. Healthy rabbits were divided into three groups: blank group, nasal administration group, and intravenous injection group. Plasma samples were pretreated using acetonitrite to precipitate proteins. High-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)was performed for the detection of chlorogenic acid. The results showed that chlorogenic acid was detected in the plasma samples of nasal administration group with the highest concentration occurring in 2-5 min after administration, which indicated that Reduning nasal sprays could be successfully absorbed from nasal mucosa and could rapidly metabolize in blood. Compared with intravenous injection group, nasal administration group had lower concentration of active ingredients, revealing that the transdermal absorption rate of Reduning nasal sprays requires further improvement.