Mitigation of gestational diabetes-induced endothelial dysfunction through FGF21-NRF2 pathway activation involving L-Cystine.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) disrupts glucolipid metabolism, endangering maternal and fetal health. Despite limited research on its pathogenesis and treatments, we conducted a study using serum samples from GDM-diagnosed pregnant women. We performed metabolic sequencing to identify key small molecule metabolites and explored their molecular interactions with FGF21. We also investigated FGF21's impact on GDM using blood samples from affected women. Our analysis revealed a novel finding: elevated levels of L-Cystine in GDM patients. Furthermore, we observed a positive correlation between L-Cystine and FGF21 levels, and found that L-Cystine induces NRF2 expression via FGF21 for a period of 96 h. Under high glucose (HG) conditions, FGF21 upregulates NRF2 and downstream genes NQO1 and EPHX1 via AKT phosphorylation induced by activation of IRS1, enhancing endothelial function. Additionally, we confirmed that levels of FGF21, L-Cystine, and endothelial function at the third trimester were effectively enhanced through appropriate exercise and diet during pregnancy in GDM patients (GDM + ED). These findings suggest FGF21 as a potential therapeutic agent for GDM, particularly in protecting endothelial cells. Moreover, elevated L-Cystine via appropriate exercise and diet might be a potential strategy to enhance FGF21's efficacy.

Identification of Key Genes and Pathways for Anaerobic Germination Tolerance in Rice Using Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) in Association with Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) Mapping.

BACKGROUND: Rice is one of the most important food crops in the world, and with the development of direct seeding methods for rice, exposure to anaerobic stress has become a major factor limiting its growth. RESULTS: In this experiment, we tested the tolerance to anaerobic germination of rice varieties NIP and HD84, and they were used as parents to construct a DH (doubled-haploid) population. The transcriptomes of NIP (highly tolerant) and HD86 (intolerant), and their progeny HR (highly tolerant) and NHR (intolerant) were sequenced from normal and anaerobic environments. The differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) were subjected to GO (Gene ontology), KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes), and WGCNA analyses. QTL mapping of the DH population identified tolerance to anaerobic germination-related chromosomal segments. The transcriptome results from 24 samples were combined with the anaerobic stress QTL results for 159 DH population lines to construct a metabolic network to identify key pathways and a gene interaction network to study the key genes. Essential genes were initially subjected to rigorous functional validation, followed by a comprehensive analysis aimed at elucidating their potential utility in domestication and breeding practices, particularly focusing on the exploitation of dominant haplotypes. CONCLUSION: The results show that pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) are the starting signals of energy metabolism for coleoptile length growth, the auxin transporter EXPA is the determining signal for coleoptile length growth. The pivotal genes Os05g0498700 and Os01g0866100 exert a negative regulatory influence on coleoptile length, ultimately enhancing tolerance to anaerobic germination in rice. Analyses of breeding potential underscore the additional value of Os05g0498700-hyp2 and Os01g0866100-hyp2, highlighting their potential utility in further improving rice through breeding programs. The results of our study will provide a theoretical basis for breeding anaerobic-tolerant rice varieties.

Mechanisms of cordycepin in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension in rats based on metabonomics and transcriptomics.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a fatal disease featured by high morbidity and mortality. Although Cordycepin is known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immune-enhancing effects, its role in PAH treatment and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The therapeutic effects of Cordycepin on rats with PAH were investigated using a monocrotaline (MCT)-induced rat model. The metabolic effects of Cordycepin were assessed based on the plasma metabolome. The potential mechanisms of Cordycepin in PAH treatment were investigated through transcriptome sequencing and validated in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC). Evaluations included hematoxylin and eosin staining for pulmonary vascular remodeling, CCK-8 assay, EDU, and TUNEL kits for cell viability, proliferation, and apoptosis, respectively, and western blot for protein expression. Cordycepin significantly reduced right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) and right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI) in PAH rats, and mitigated pulmonary vascular remodeling. Plasma metabolomics showed that Cordycepin could reverse the metabolic disorders in the lungs of MCT-induced PAH rats, particularly impacting linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid metabolism pathways. Transcriptomics revealed that the P53 pathway might be the primary pathway involved, and western blot results showed that Cordycepin significantly increased P53 and P21 protein levels in lung tissues. Integrated analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics suggested that these pathways were mainly enriched in linoleic acid metabolism and alpha-linolenic acid metabolism pathway. In vitro experiments demonstrated that Cordycepin significantly inhibited the PDGFBB (PD)-induced abnormal proliferation and migration of PASMC and promoted PD-induced apoptosis. Meanwhile, Cordycepin enhanced the expression levels of P53 and P21 proteins in PD-insulted PASMC. However, inhibitors of P53 and P21 eliminated these effects of Cordycepin. Cordycepin may activate the P53-P21 pathway to inhibit abnormal proliferation and migration of PASMC and promote apoptosis, offering a potential approach for PAH treatment.

The Association between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Venous Thromboembolism: A Bidirectional Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study.

BACKGROUND: Despite previous observational studies linking obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to venous thromboembolism (VTE), these findings remain controversial. This study aimed to explore the association between OSA and VTE, including pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT), at a genetic level using a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. METHODS: Utilizing summary-level data from large-scale genome-wide association studies in European individuals, we designed a bidirectional two-sample MR analysis to comprehensively assess the genetic association between OSA and VTE. The inverse variance weighted was used as the primary method for MR analysis. In addition, MR-Egger, weighted median, and MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) were used for complementary analyses. Furthermore, a series of sensitivity analyses were performed to ensure the validity and robustness of the results. RESULTS: The initial and validation MR analyses indicated that genetically predicted OSA had no effects on the risk of VTE (including PE and DVT). Likewise, the reverse MR analysis did not find substantial support for a significant association between VTE (including PE and DVT) and OSA. Supplementary MR methods and sensitivity analyses provided additional confirmation of the reliability of the MR results. CONCLUSION: Our bidirectional two-sample MR analysis did not find genetic evidence supporting a significant association between OSA and VTE in either direction.

Identification and Regulation of Hypoxia-Tolerant and Germination-Related Genes in Rice.

In direct seeding, hypoxia is a major stress faced by rice plants. Therefore, dissecting the response mechanism of rice to hypoxia stress and the molecular regulatory network is critical to the development of hypoxia-tolerant rice varieties and direct seeding of rice. This review summarizes the morphological, physiological, and ecological changes in rice under hypoxia stress, the discovery of hypoxia-tolerant and germination-related genes/QTLs, and the latest research on candidate genes, and explores the linkage of hypoxia tolerance genes and their distribution in indica and japonica rice through population variance analysis and haplotype network analysis. Among the candidate genes, OsMAP1 is a typical gene located on the MAPK cascade reaction for indica-japonica divergence; MHZ6 is involved in both the MAPK signaling and phytohormone transduction pathway. MHZ6 has three major haplotypes and one rare haplotype, with Hap3 being dominated by indica rice varieties, and promotes internode elongation in deep-water rice by activating the SD1 gene. OsAmy3D and Adh1 have similar indica-japonica varietal differentiation, and are mainly present in indica varieties. There are three high-frequency haplotypes of OsTPP7, namely Hap1 (n = 1109), Hap2 (n = 1349), and Hap3 (n = 217); Hap2 is more frequent in japonica, and the genetic background of OsTPP7 was derived from the japonica rice subpopulation. Further artificial selection, natural domestication, and other means to identify more resistance mechanisms of this gene may facilitate future research to breed superior rice cultivars. Finally, this study discusses the application of rice hypoxia-tolerant germplasm in future breeding research.

Extreme drought alters methane uptake but not methane sink in semi-arid steppes of Inner Mongolia.

Global climate change, particularly drought, is expected to alter grassland methane (CH4) oxidation, a key natural process against atmospheric greenhouse gas accumulation, yet the extent of this effect and its interaction with future atmospheric CH4 concentrations increases remains uncertain. To address this research gap, we measured CH4 flux during an imposed three-month rain-free period corresponding to a 100-year recurrence drought in soil mesocosms collected from 16 different Eurasian steppe sites. We also investigated the abundance and composition of methanotrophs. Additionally, we conducted a laboratory experiment to explore the impact of elevated CH4 concentration on the CH4 uptake capacity of grassland soil under drought conditions. We found that regardless of the type of grassland, CH4 flux was still being absorbed at its peak, meaning that all grasslands functioned as persistent CH4 sinks even when the soil water content (SWC) was <5 %. A bell-shaped relationship between SWC and CH4 uptake was observed in the soils. The average maximum CH4 oxidation rate in the meadow steppe was higher than that in the typical and desert steppe soils during extreme drought. The experimental elevation of atmospheric CH4 concentration counteracted the anticipated reduction in CH4 uptake related to physiological water stress on methanotrophic soil microbes under the drought stress. On the contrary, we found that across the regional scale, nitrogen, phosphorous, and total soil organic content played a crucial role in moderating the duration and magnitude of CH4 uptake with respect to SWC. USC-γ (Upland Soil Cluster γ) and JR-3 (Jasper Ridge Cluster) were the dominant group of soil methanotrophic bacteria in three types of grassland. However, the methanotrophic abundance, rather than the methanotrophic community composition, was the dominant microbiological factor governing CH4 uptake during the drought.

Gender differences in the incidence of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension after acute pulmonary embolism: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To explore the role of gender in the incidence of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension after acute pulmonary embolism. METHODS: Two researchers search the PubMed Database, Embase Database and Cochrane Library Database from their establishment to October 2022, using Endnote software for document management and RevMan5.3 software for the meta-analysis of the included literature. A total of 11 studies are selected, including 5788 acute pulmonary embolism events and 391 patients (179 males and 212 females) with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) under the stated conditions. The results show that there is no statistically significant difference in the incidence of CTEPH between males and females after PE (P = .28), with combined OR of 0.89 and 95% CI 0.72-1.10. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Gender is found to be absent as a factor in the incidence of CTEPH after acute pulmonary embolism. This may indicate that gender is not a risk factor for CTEPH and that female patients are not necessarily more likely to have a higher incidence than male patients. As such, accurate judgments should be made on the possible complications of all patients after acute pulmonary embolism, which will be conducive to early detection and intervention in the treatment of CTEPH.

Particle-associated denitrification is the primary source of N2O in oxic coastal waters.

The heavily human-perturbed coastal oceans are hotspots of nitrous oxide (N2O) emission to the atmosphere. The processes underpinning the N2O flux, however, remain poorly understood, leading to large uncertainties in assessing global N2O budgets. Using a suite of nitrogen isotope labeling experiments, we show that multiple processes contribute to N2O production throughout the estuarine-coastal gradient, sustaining intensive N2O flux to the atmosphere. Unexpectedly, denitrification, rather than ammonia oxidation as previously assumed, constitutes the major source of N2O in well-oxygenated coastal waters. Size-fractionated manipulation experiments with gene analysis further reveal niche partitioning of ammonia oxidizers and denitrifiers across the particle size spectrum; denitrification dominated on large particles and ammonia oxidizers on small particles. Total N2O production rate increases with substrate and particle concentrations, suggesting a crucial interplay between nutrients and particles in controlling N2O production. The controlling factors identified here may help understand climate feedback mechanisms between human activity and coastal oceans.

Vacuolar Phosphate Transporter1 (VPT1) may transport sugar in response to soluble sugar status of grape fruits.

Vacuolar Phosphate Transporter1 (VPT1)-mediated phosphate uptake in the vacuoles is essential to plant development and fruit ripening. Interestingly, here we find that the VPT1 may transport sugar in response to soluble sugar status of fruits. The VvVPT1 protein isolated from grape (Vitis vinifera) berries was tonoplast-localized and contains SPX (Syg1/Pho81/XPR1) and MFS (major facilitator superfamily) domains. Its mRNA expression was significantly increased during fruit ripening and induced by sucrose. Functional analyses based on transient transgenic systems in grape berry showed that VvVPT1 positively regulated berry ripening and significantly affected hexose contents, fruit firmness, and ripening-related gene expression. The VPT1 proteins (Grape VvVPT1, strawberry FaVPT1, and Arabidopsis AtVPT1) all showed low affinity for phosphate verified in yeast system, while they appear different in sugar transport capacity, consistent with fruit sugar status. Thus, our findings reveal a role for VPT1 in fruit ripening, associated to its SPX and MFS domains in direct transport of soluble sugar available into the vacuole, and open potential avenues for genetic improvement in fleshy fruit.

Meta-analysis of effects of yoga exercise intervention on sleep quality in breast cancer patients.

Objective: This study seeks to systematically evaluate and test the effects of yoga exercise intervention programs on sleep quality in breast cancer patients in order to suggest more optimized exercise programs. Method: Computer searches of the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and CINAHL databases are conducted from the date of their inception to June 8th, 2022 to collect randomized controlled trials on the effects of yoga exercise intervention on sleep quality in breast cancer patients. Two investigators independently carry out the inclusion and exclusion criteria literature screening, data extraction and methodological quality assessment of the included literature by applying the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Subgroup analysis is performed using RevMan 5.4.1 software, and the six moderating variables of intervention format, intervention type, weekly intervention frequency, total intervention duration, single intervention duration and intervention evaluation at different time points are set for the 782 subjects of the 12 included publications. Results: Twelve randomized controlled trials with a total sample size of 782 subjects are included, including 393 subjects in the experimental group and 389 subjects in the control group. The meta-analysis shows that yoga exercise intervention is effective in improving sleep quality in breast cancer patients [SMD = -0.40, 95% CI: (-0.71, -0.09), P = 0.01]; yoga exercise intervention focusing on positive meditation [SMD = -0.55, 95% CI: (-1.08, -0.03), P = 0.04] is effective in improving sleep; yoga exercise intervention two or three times a week is effective in improving sleep quality [SMD = -0.69, 95% CI: (-1.19, -0.19), P = 0.007]; yoga exercise intervention for 6-8 weeks significantly improves sleep quality [SMD = -0.86, 95% CI: (-1.65, -0.08), P =0.03]; and evaluation immediately after the end of intervention improves sleep outcomes [SMD = -0.17, 95% CI: (-0.33, 0.00), P = 0.05], while differences in sleep quality improvement are not statistically significant for the remaining subgroup outcomes (P > 0.05). Conclusion: The available evidence suggests that yoga exercise intervention has good effects on improving sleep quality in breast cancer patients. Positive meditation intervention type, intervention frequency of two or three times per week, total intervention duration of 6-8 weeks and evaluation immediately after the end of intervention are shown to be effective in improving sleep quality.

Genome-Wide Association Study of Xian Rice Grain Shape and Weight in Different Environments.

Drought is one of the key environmental factors affecting the growth and yield potential of rice. Grain shape, on the other hand, is an important factor determining the appearance, quality, and yield of rice grains. Here, we re-sequenced 275 Xian accessions and then conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on six agronomic traits with the 404,411 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) derived by the best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) for each trait. Under two years of drought stress (DS) and normal water (NW) treatments, a total of 16 QTLs associated with rice grain shape and grain weight were detected on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, and 12. In addition, these QTLs were analyzed by haplotype analysis and functional annotation, and one clone (GSN1) and five new candidate genes were identified in the candidate interval. The findings provide important genetic information for the molecular improvement of grain shape and weight in rice.

Meta-analysis of correlation between sleep duration and gender difference in adults with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation between sleep duration and type II diabetes in adults. METHOD: Computer databases searches were carried out through October 1, 2022, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science. Relevant literature was collected, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and extracted data were used to exclude studies and evaluate quality on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.4.1 software with random/fixed effects models. RESULTS: A total of 5 studies with 74,226 subjects (31,611 in the male study group, 42,615 in the female study group) were included. The meta-analysis revealed that women with long sleep duration (LSD) have a higher risk for developing type II diabetes than men, OR = 0.70; 95% CI 0.59-0.84, Z = 4.00 and P < 0.001. Men with short sleep duration (SSD) tended to have a higher risk in developing type II diabetes than women though the difference between men and women did not reach statistical significance, OR = 1.09, 95% CI 0.73-1.62, Z = 0.42 and P = 0.68. Further subgroup analysis by regional populations suggested that men in Europe and America with SSD had a higher risk of type II diabetes OR = 1.52, 95% CI 1.04-2.21, Z = 2.18 and P = 0.03. CONCLUSION: Women with LSD may have a higher risk for type II diabetes, and men in Europe and America with SSD may have a higher risk for type II diabetes than men of other regions.

Aetiological distribution of pulmonary hypertension and the value of transthoracic echocardiography screening in the respiratory department: A retrospective analysis from China.

METHODS: The aetiological composition and clinical characteristics of patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) hospitalised in the respiratory department were retrospectively analysed, as well as the correlation between transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and right heart catheterization (RHC) for evaluating pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) and mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP). RESULTS: Of 731 patients, 544 (74.42%) were diagnosed with PH by RHC. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was the most common type of PH, accounting for 30.10%; PH due to lung disease and/or hypoxia accounted for 20.79%, and PH due to pulmonary artery obstructions accounted for 19.29%. TTE has the highest specificity for diagnosing PH due to pulmonary artery obstructions. The specificity was 0.9375, the sensitivity was 0.7361 and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.836. PASP, and mPAP estimated by TTE were different for various types of PH. In terms of PASP, TTE overestimated PASP in PH due to lung disease and/or hypoxia, but there was no significant difference compared with RHC (P > 0.05). TTE underestimates PAH patients' PASP compared with RHC. In terms of mPAP, TTE underestimated the mPAP of all types of PH, as there was a significant difference in the TTE-estimated mPAP of patients with PAH compared with RHC but not on other types of PH. Pearson correlation analysis of TTE and RHC showed a moderate overall correlation (rPASP 0.598, P < 0.001; rmPAP 0.588, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among the patients with PH in the respiratory department, patients with PAH accounted for the majority. TTE has high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of PH due to pulmonary artery obstructions in the respiratory department.

Recent Advances in Biologically Active Ingredients from Natural Drugs for Sepsis Treatment.

Sepsis refers to the dysregulated host response to infection; its incidence and mortality rates are high. It is a worldwide medical problem but there is no specific drug for it. In recent years, clinical and experimental studies have found that many monomer components of traditional Chinese medicine have certain effects on the treatment of sepsis. This paper reviews the advances in research on the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine involved in the treatment of sepsis in recent years according to their chemical structure; it could provide ideas and references for further research and development in Chinese materia medica for the treatment of sepsis.

Peptidome and Transcriptome Analysis of Plant Peptides Involved in Bipolaris maydis Infection of Maize.

Southern corn leaf blight (SCLB) caused by Bipolaris maydis threatens maize growth and yield worldwide. In this study, TMT-labeled comparative peptidomic analysis was established between infected and uninfected maize leaf samples using liquid-chromatography-coupled tandem mass spectrometry. The results were further compared and integrated with transcriptome data under the same experimental conditions. Plant peptidomic analysis identified 455 and 502 differentially expressed peptides (DEPs) in infected maize leaves on day 1 and day 5, respectively. A total of 262 common DEPs were identified in both cases. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that the precursor proteins of DEPs are associated with many pathways generated by SCLB-induced pathological changes. The expression profiles of plant peptides and genes in maize plants were considerably altered after B. maydis infection. These findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of SCLB pathogenesis and offer a basis for the development of maize genotypes with SCLB resistance.

Meta-analysis of efficacy and safety of bevacizumab in the treatment of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia epistaxis.

Objective: A meta-analysis is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of bevacizumab in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) epistaxis. Method: Two researchers search PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases from their inception until September 3th, 2023. The literature is read and screened, and valid data extracted, collated and analyzed. Its quality is then assessed using the Cochrane risk assessment scale. This study uses Endnote 9.3 software for literature management and RevMan 5.3.1 software for evaluation. Results: A total of 7 documents met the requirements, including a total of 359 patients, and the literature quality evaluation was grade B. The Meta-analysis results showed that:Bevacizumab reduces the Epistaxis Severity Score (ESS) in patients with HHT epistaxis compared with the control [WMD = -0.22,95%CI (-0.38, -0.05), p = 0.01]. However, there is no significant effect on duration of epistaxis [WMD = -15.59, 95%CI (-70.41,39.23), p = 0.58] and number of epistaxes [WMD = -1.27,95%CI (-10.23,7.70), p = 0.78] in patients with HHT epistaxis. In terms of adverse effects, there is no significant difference between the bevacizumab group and control group [OR = 1.36, 95% CI (0.54, 3.44), p = 0.52]. Conclusion: Bevacizumab is superior to the control group in the treatment of HHT epistaxis, and adverse reactions are not further increased in the bevacizumab group than in the control group, suggesting that bevacizumab has clinical value in the treatment of HHT epistaxis.

Relationship between obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome and osteoporosis adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: This study is undertaken to explore the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) and osteoporosis, including the relationship between OSAHS and osteoporosis incidence, lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD), and lumbar spine T-score. Method: Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and other databases are searched from their establishment to April 2022. Literature published in 4 databases on the correlation between OSAHS and osteoporosis,lumbar spine BMD,lumbar spine T-score is collected. Review Manager 5.4 software is used for meta-analysis. Results: A total of 15 articles are selected, including 113082 subjects. Compared with the control group, the OSAHS group has a higher incidence of osteoporosis (OR = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.26~3.27, Z = 2.90, P = 0.004), the lumbar spine BMD is significantly lower (MD = -0.05, 95% CI: -0.08~-0.02, Z = 3.07, P = 0.002), and the lumbar spine T-score is significantly decreased (MD = -0.47, 95% CI: -0.79~-0.14, Z = 2.83, P = 0. 005). Conclusion: Compared with the control group, the OSAHS group has a higher incidence of osteoporosis and decreased lumbar spine BMD and T-score. In order to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, attention should be paid to the treatment and management of adult OSAHS, and active sleep intervention should be carried out.

Association of Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome with hearing loss: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: This study seeks to investigate the relationship between Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome (OSAHS) and hearing impairment by meta-analysis. Methods: Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and other databases are searched from their establishment to July 1st, 2022. Literature on the relationship between OSAHS and hearing loss is collected, and two researchers independently perform screening, data extraction and quality evaluation on the included literature. Meta-analysis is performed using RevMan 5.4.1 software. According to the heterogeneity between studies, a random-effects model or fixed-effects model is used for meta-analysis. Results: A total of 10 articles are included, with 7,867 subjects, 1,832 in the OSAHS group and 6,035 in the control group. The meta-analysis shows that the incidence of hearing impairment in the OSAHS group is higher than in the control group (OR = 1.38; 95% CI 1.18-1.62, Z = 4.09, P < 0.001), and the average hearing threshold of OSAHS patients is higher than that of the control group (MD = 5.89; 95% CI 1.87-9.91, Z = 2.87, P = 0.004). After stratifying the included studies according to hearing frequency, the meta-analysis shows that the OSAHS group has a higher threshold of 0.25, and the response amplitudes at frequencies 2, 4, 6, and 8 kHz are all higher than those of the control group. Conclusion: Compared with the control group, the OSAHS group has a higher incidence of hearing loss, mainly high-frequency hearing loss. Thus, OSAHS is closely associated with and a risk factor for hearing loss.

Natural drugs targeting inflammation pathways can be used to treat atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is the chronic gradual degradation of arteries in combination with inflammation. Currently, the main research focus has been on interactions between inflammatory cells, inflammatory mediators, and immune mechanisms, while some studies have reported natural drugs were exerting a critical role against AS, whereas the usage of natural drugs was always limited by various factors such as poor penetration across biological barriers, low bioavailability, and unclear mechanisms. Herein, we reviewed the potential targets for inflammation against AS, discussed the underlying mechanisms of natural drugs for AS, particularly highlighted the dilemma of current research, and finally, offered perspectives in this field.