Modes of Nanodroplet Formation and Growth on an Ultrathin Water Film.

Using nanobubbles as geometrical confinements, we create a thin water film (∼10 nm) in a graphene liquid cell and investigate the evolution of its instability at the nanoscale under transmission electron microscopy. The breakdown of the water films, resulting in the subsequent formation and growth of nanodroplets, is visualized and generalized into different modes. We identified distinct droplet formation and growth modes by analyzing the dynamic processes involving 61 droplets and 110 liquid bridges within 31 Graphene Liquid Cells (GLCs). Droplet formation is influenced by their positions in GLCs, taking on a semicircular shape at the edge and a circular shape in the middle. Growth modes include liquid mass transfer driven by Plateau-Rayleigh instability and merging processes in and out-of-plane of the graphene interface. Droplet growth can lead to the formation of liquid bridges for which we obtain multiview projections. Data analysis reveals the general dynamics of liquid bridges, including drawing liquids from neighboring residual water films, merging with surrounding droplets, and merging with other liquid bridges. Our experimental observations provide insights into fluid transport at the nanoscale.

Association of glycogen synthase kinase-3ß with cognitive impairment in type 2 diabetes patients: a six-year follow-up study.

Background: Our previous multicenter case-control study showed that aging, up-regulation of platelet glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (GSK-3ß), impaired olfactory function, and ApoE ϵ4 genotype were associated with cognitive decline in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. However, the causal relationship between these biomarkers and the development of cognitive decline in T2DM patients remains unclear. Methods: To further investigate this potential relationship, we designed a 6-year follow-up study in 273 T2DM patients with normal cognitive in our previous study. Baseline characteristics of the study population were compared between T2DM patients with and without incident mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We utilized Cox proportional hazard regression models to assess the risk of cognitive impairment associated with various baseline biomarkers. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were performed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of these biomarkers in predicting cognitive impairment. Results: During a median follow-up time of 6 years (with a range of 4 to 9 years), 40 patients (16.13%) with T2DM developed MCI. Participants who developed incident MCI were more likely to be older, have a lower education level, have more diabetic complications, a higher percentage of ApoE ϵ4 allele and a higher level of platelet GSK-3ß activity (rGSK-3ß) at baseline (P<0.05). In the longitudinal follow-up, individuals with higher levels of rGSK-3ß were more likely to develop incident MCI, with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 1.60 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05, 2.46), even after controlling for potential confounders. The AUC of the combination of age, rGSK-3ß and ApoEϵ4 allele predicted for incident MCI was 0.71. Conclusion: Platelet GSK-3ß activity could be a useful biomarker to predict cognitive decline, suggesting the feasibility of identifying vulnerable population and implementing early prevention for dementia.

Structurally diverse cucurbitane-type triterpenoids from the tubers of Hemsleya chinensis with cytotoxic activity.

Ten previously undescribed cucurbitane-type triterpenoids, namely hemslyencins A-F (1-6) and hemslyencosides A-D (7-10), together with twenty previously reported compounds (11-30), were isolated from the tubers of Hemsleya chinensis. Their structures were elucidated by unambiguous spectroscopic data (UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR data). Hemslyencins A and B (1 and 2) possessing unique 9, 11-seco-ring system with a six-membered lactone moiety, were the first examples among of the cucurbitane-type triterpenoids, and hemslyencins C and D (3 and 4) and hemslyencoside D (10) are the infrequent pentacyclic cucurbitane triterpenes featuring a 6/6/6/5/6 fused system. The cytotoxic activities of all isolated compounds were evaluated against MCF-7, HCT-116, HeLa, and HepG2 cancer cells, and their structure-activity relationships (SARs) was discussed as well. Compounds 17, 25, and 26 showed significant cytotoxic effects with IC50 values ranging from 1.31 to 9.89 µM, among which compound 25 induced both apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase in a dose dependent manner against MCF-7 cells.

Yin Yang 1 promotes the neuroendocrine differentiation of prostate cancer cells via the non-canonical WNT pathway (FYN/STAT3).

BACKGROUND: A growing number of studies have shown that Yin Yang 1 (YY1) promotes the development of multiple tumours. The purpose of the current study was to determine the mechanism by which YY1 mediates neuroendocrine differentiation of prostate cancer (NEPC) cells undergoing cellular plasticity. METHODS: Using the Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, we bioinformatically analyzed YY1 expression in prostate cancer (PCa). Aberrant YY1 expression was validated in different PCa tissues and cell lines via quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. In vivo and in vitro functional assays verified the oncogenicity of YY1 in PCa. Further functional assays showed that ectopic expression of YY1 promoted cellular plasticity in PCa cells via epithelial-mesenchymal transition induction and neuroendocrine differentiation. RESULTS: Androgen deprivation therapy induced a decrease in YY1 protein ubiquitination, enhanced its stability, and thus enhanced the transcriptional activity of FZD8. Castration enhanced FZD8 binding to Wnt9A and mediated cellular plasticity by activating the non-canonical Wnt (FZD8/FYN/STAT3) pathway. CONCLUSIONS: We identified YY1 as a novel dysregulated transcription factor that plays an important role in NEPC progression in this study. We believe that an in-depth investigation of the mechanism underlying YY1-mediated disease may lead to improved NEPC therapies.

Identification of a novel splice site mutation in the DNAAF4 gene of a Chinese patient with primary ciliary dyskinesia.

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare hereditary orphan condition that results in variable phenotypes, including infertility. About 50 gene variants are reported in the scientific literature to cause PCD, and among them, dynein axonemal assembly factor 4 ( DNAAF4 ) has been recently reported. DNAAF4 has been implicated in the preassembly of a multiunit dynein protein essential for the normal function of locomotory cilia as well as flagella. In the current study, a single patient belonging to a Chinese family was recruited, having been diagnosed with PCD and asthenoteratozoospermia. The affected individual was a 32-year-old male from a nonconsanguineous family. He also had abnormal spine structure and spinal cord bends at angles diagnosed with scoliosis. Medical reports, laboratory results, and imaging data were investigated. Whole-exome sequencing, Sanger sequencing, immunofluorescence analysis, hematoxylin-eosin staining, and in silico functional analysis, including protein modeling and docking studies, were used. The results identified DNAAF4 disease-related variants and confirmed their pathogenicity. Genetic analysis through whole-exome sequencing identified two pathogenic biallelic variants in the affected individual. The identified variants were a hemizygous splice site c.784-1G>A and heterozygous 20.1 Kb deletion at the DNAAF4 locus, resulting in a truncated and functionless DNAAF4 protein. Immunofluorescence analysis indicated that the inner dynein arm was not present in the sperm flagellum, and sperm morphological analysis revealed small sperm with twisted and curved flagella or lacking flagella. The current study found novel biallelic variants causing PCD and asthenoteratozoospermia, extending the range of DNAAF4 pathogenic variants in PCD and associated with the etiology of asthenoteratozoospermia. These findings will improve our understanding of the etiology of PCD.

Five New C21 -Steroidal Sapogenins from the Acid Hydrolysate of Cynanchum otophyllum Roots.

Five new C21 -steroidal sapogenins (1-5) named cynotogenins J-N, were isolated from the acid hydrolysate of Cynanchum otophyllum roots. Their structures were established by extensive spectroscopic analysis (UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, and NMR). Most notably, compounds 1-3 harboring a rare 5ß,6ß-epoxy group in the C21 -steroidal skeleton of Cynanchum plants. All compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicities against multiple cancer cell lines, in which compounds 5 showed weak cytotoxicity against HepG2 cancer cells with IC50 values of 44.90 µM.

The application of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring in selective dorsal neurotomy for primary premature ejaculation: a prospective single-center study.

Selective dorsal neurotomy (SDN) is a surgical treatment for primary premature ejaculation (PE), but there is still no standard surgical procedure for selecting the branches of the dorsal penile nerves to be removed. We performed this study to explore the value of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) of the penile sensory-evoked potential (PSEP) for standard surgical procedures in SDN. One hundred and twenty primary PE patients undergoing SDN were selected as the PE group and 120 non-PE patients were selected as the normal group. The PSEP was monitored and compared between the two groups under both natural and general anesthesia (GA) states. In addition, patients in the PE group were randomly divided into the IONM group and the non-IONM group. During SDN surgery, PSEP parameters of the IONM group were recorded and analyzed. The differences in PE-related outcome measurements between the perioperative period and 3 months' postoperation were compared for the PE patients, and the differences in effectiveness and complications between the IONM group and the non-IONM group were compared. The results showed that the average latency of the PSEP in the PE group was shorter than that in the normal group under both natural and GA states (P < 0.001). Three months after surgery, the significant effective rates in the IONM and non-IONM groups were 63.6% and 34.0%, respectively (P < 0.01), and the difference in complications between the two groups was significant (P < 0.05). IONM might be useful in improving the short-term therapeutic effectiveness and reducing the complications of SDN.

Dietary metal intake and the prevalence of erectile dysfunction in US men: Results from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2004.

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) mainly affects men over 40 years of age and is a common clinical condition. In addition to hypertension and diabetes, environment, and lifestyle are also significantly associated with erectile dysfunction. The relationship between dietary trace metal intake and ED has not been studied. Materials and methods: Data on participants were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for this study, and those with incomplete information on clinical variables were excluded. Dose-response curve analysis was used to investigate the relationship between dietary trace metal intake and ED prevalence. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for confounders to further investigate the relationship between dietary trace metal intake and ED prevalence. 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to adjust for differences between clinical variables for data reanalysis to confirm the reliability of the results. Results: A total of 3,745 individuals were included in the study, including 1096 ED patients and 2,649 participants without ED. Dietary intake of trace metals (Mg, Zn, Cu, and Se) was significantly higher in participants without ED than in ED patients (all P < 0.001). Dose-response curve analysis showed a significant negative association between these dietary metal intakes and ED prevalence (all P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for confounders (age, education, BMI, annual household income, hypertension, diabetes, marital status, race, and current health status) revealed that increased dietary metal intake reduced the odds ratio of ED. 1:1 PSM reanalysis further confirmed the validity of the results. Conclusion: Increasing dietary intake of trace metals (magnesium, zinc, copper, and selenium) within the upper limit is beneficial in reducing the prevalence of ED.

The Predictive Significance of Prognostic Nutritional Index and Serum Albumin/Globulin Ratio on the Overall Survival of Penile Cancer Patients Undergoing Penectomy.

Objective: To assess the value of using the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and serum albumin/globulin ratio (AGR) in predicting the overall survival (OS) of patients with penile cancer (PC) undergoing penectomy. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis of 123 patients who were admitted to our hospital due to PC from April 2010 to September 2021 and who underwent penectomy were included in the study. The optimal cut-off value of the PNI and AGR was determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Kaplan-Meier analysis and the Cox proportional hazard model were used to evaluate the correlation between the PNI, AGR, and OS in patients with PC. Results: A total of 16 of the 123 patients died during the follow-up period, and the median follow-up time was 58.0 months. The best cut-off values of the PNI and AGR were set to 49.03 (95% confidence interval 0.705-0.888, Youden index = 0.517, sensitivity = 57.9%, specificity = 93.7%, p < 0.001) and 1.28 (95% confidence interval 0.610-0.860, Youden index = 0.404, sensitivity = 84.1%, specificity = 56.2%, p = 0.003). The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the OS of the patients in the high PNI group and the high AGR group was significantly higher than that of the patients in the low PNI group and the low AGR group (p < 0.001). The univariable analysis showed that the aCCI, the clinical N stage, the pathological stage, and the PNI, AGR, SII, and PLR are all predictors of OS in patients with PC (p < 0.05). The multivariable analysis showed that the PNI (risk rate [HR] = 0.091; 95% CI: 0.010-0.853; p = 0.036) and the AGR (risk rate [HR] = 0.171; 95% CI: 0.043-0.680; p = 0.012) are independent prognostic factors for predicting OS in patients with PC undergoing penectomy. Conclusions: Both the PNI score and the serum AGR are independent prognostic factors for predicting OS in patients with PC undergoing penectomy.

BAP1-Related ceRNA (NEAT1/miR-10a-5p/SERPINE1) Promotes Proliferation and Migration of Kidney Cancer Cells.

Background: BAP1 is an important tumor suppressor involved in various biological processes and is commonly lost or inactivated in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). However, the role of the BAP1-deficient tumor competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network involved in ccRCC remains unclear. Thus, this study aims to investigate the prognostic BAP1-related ceRNA in ccRCC. Methods: Raw data was obtained from the TCGA and the differentially expressed genes were screened to establish a BAP1-related ceRNA network. Subsequently, the role of the ceRNA axis was validated using phenotypic experiments. Dual-luciferase reporter assays and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assays were used to confirm the ceRNA network. Results: Nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) expression was significantly increased in kidney cancer cell lines. NEAT1 knockdown significantly inhibited cell proliferation and migration, which could be reversed by miR-10a-5p inhibitor. Dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed miR-10a-5p as a common target of NEAT1 and Serine protease inhibitor family E member 1 (SERPINE1). FISH assays revealed the co-localization of NEAT1 and miR-10a-5p in the cytoplasm. Additionally, the methylation level of SERPINE1 in ccRCC was significantly lower than that in normal tissues. Furthermore, SERPINE1 expression was positively correlated with multiple immune cell infiltration levels. Conclusions: In BAP1-deficient ccRCC, NEAT1 competitively binds to miR-10a-5p, indirectly upregulating SERPINE1 expression to promote kidney cancer cell proliferation. Furthermore, NEAT1/miR-10a-5p/SERPINE1 were found to be independent prognostic factors of ccRCC.

Modulation of SIRT1 expression improves erectile function in aged rats.

Silent information regulator 2-related enzyme 1 (SIRT1) is an aging-related protein activated with aging. Herein, we evaluated the role of SIRT1 in aging-related erectile dysfunction. The expression of SIRT1 was modulated in aged Sprague-Dawley rats following intragastric administration of resveratrol (Res; 5 mg kg-1), niacinamide (NAM; 500 mg kg-1) or Res (5 mg kg-1) + tadalafil (Tad; phosphodiesterase-5 [PDE5] inhibitor; 5 mg kg-1) for 8 weeks. Then, we determined erectile function by the ratio of intracavernosal pressure (ICP)/mean systemic arterial pressure (MAP). Cavernosal tissues were extracted to evaluate histological changes, cell apoptosis, nitric oxide (NO)/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), the superoxide dismutase (SOD)/3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) level, and the expression of SIRT1, p53, and forkhead box O3 (FOXO3a) using immunohistochemistry, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated 2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate (dUTP) nick-end labeling (TUNEL), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and western blot analysis. Compared with the control, Res treatment significantly improved erectile function, reflected by an increased content of smooth muscle and endothelium, NO/cGMP and SOD activity, and reduced cell apoptosis and MDA levels. The effect of Res was improved by adding Tad. In addition, the protein expression of SIRT1 was increased in the Res group, accompanied by decreased p53 and FOXO3a levels. In addition, inhibition of SIRT1 by NAM treatment resulted in adverse results compared with Res treatment. SIRT1 activation ameliorated aging-related erectile dysfunction, supporting the potential of SIRT1 as a target for erectile dysfunction treatment.

[Up-regulated expression of miR-576 inhibits ALK4 expression, regulates JAK/STAT signaling pathway and promotes proliferation and migration of prostatic cancer cells].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism of the action of the miR-576/ALK4 axis on the progression of prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: PCa cells were transfected with miR-576 mimics/inhibitor, the proliferation and migration distance of the cells were detected by MTT and scratch wound healing assay, respectively. The targeted regulation effect of miR-576 on ALK4 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The effects of miR-576 on the mRNA and protein expressions and phosphorylation levels of the ALK4 and JAK/STAT signaling pathway factors JAK2 and STAT3 were determined by qPCR and Western blot, respectively. The C4-2 cells were co-treated with sh-ALK4 and Ruxolitinib for measurement of the proliferation and migration of the PCa cells. RESULTS: Bioinformatics analysis and binding site prediction showed that miR-576 was up-regulated in the PCa cells, and dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed its targeted regulation effect on ALK4 and its impact on the phosphorylation levels of JAK2 and STAT3. Overexpressed miR-576 promoted while knocked-down miR-576 inhibited the proliferation and migration of the PCa cells. sh-ALK4 increased the proliferation and migration of the cells, while Ruxolitinib suppressed the promoting effect of sh-ALK4. CONCLUSION: The expression of miR-576 is up-regulated in PCa, inhibits the expression of ALK4, regulates the activity of the JAK and STAT signaling pathways, and promotes the proliferation and migration of PCa cells.

The prognostic nutritional index predicts the biochemical recurrence of patients treated with robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) in predicting the biochemical recurrence (BCR) of patients treated with robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP). METHODS: The clinical data of 136 patients treated with RALP in the Department of Urology, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University were retrospectively analyzed. The endpoint of observation was BCR. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was evaluated to determine the optimal cutoff value of PNI. The correlation of the PNI with BCR was estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: The optimal cutoff value of the PNI was 46.03 according to the ROC curve. (95% confidence interval: 0.604-0.805, Youden index = 0.401, sensitivity = 82.5%, specificity = 57.6%, p < 0.01). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that clinical staging, prostate-specific antigen, and PNI were independent prognostic factors for predicting BCR in patients treated with RALP. CONCLUSION: PNI is an independent prognostic factor for predicting BCR in patients treated with RALP. The incorporation of the PNI into risk assessments may provide additional prognostic information.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 3ß-O-neoglycosides of caudatin and its analogues as potential anticancer agents.

In order to study the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of C21-steroidal glycosides toward human cancer cell lines and explore more potential anticancer agents, a series of 3ß-O-neoglycosides of caudatin and its analogues were synthesized. The results revealed that most of peracetylated 3ß-O-monoglycosides demonstrated moderate to significant antiproliferative activities against four human cancer cell lines (MCF-7, HCT-116, HeLa, and HepG2). Among them, 3ß-O-(2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-ß-L-glucopyranosyl)-caudatin (2k) exhibited the highest antiproliferative activity aganist HepG2 cells with an IC50 value of 3.11 µM. Mechanical studies showed that compound 2k induced both apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at S phase in a dose dependent manner. Overall, these present findings suggested that glycosylation is a promising scaffold to improve anticancer activity for naturally occurring C21-steroidal aglycones, and compound 2k represents a potential anticancer agent deserved further investigation.

Protective effect of Lactobacillus-containing probiotics on intestinal mucosa of rats experiencing traumatic hemorrhagic shock.

This study was conducted to assess whether Lactobacillus-containing probiotics could protect intestinal mucosa in rats during traumatic hemorrhagic shock and to determine its underlying mechanisms. Healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats (300 ± 20 g) were randomly divided into four groups. During the study, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and hematoxylin and eosin methods were used. There was a significant increase in the expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in the rats that experienced traumatic hemorrhagic shock, along with increased mRNA of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-6. Pretreatment with Lactobacillus-containing probiotics reduced TLR4 expression, decreased phosphorylation (Ser536) and acetylation (Lys310) of p65, and decreased TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA. The probiotics combined acetate Ringer's group showed a less severe pathological manifestation compared to the other experimental groups. Lactobacillus-containing probiotics inhibited nuclear factor-kappa B signaling via the downregulation of TLR4, resulting in inflammatory homeostasis, which might be the mechanism whereby Lactobacillus protects the intestinal mucosa from damage caused by the traumatic hemorrhagic shock.

New C21-steroidal aglycones from the roots of Cynanchum otophyllum and their anticancer activity.

Naturally occurring C21-steroidal aglycones from Cynanchum exhibit significant antitumor effects. To expand the chemical diversity and get large scale C21-steroidal aglycones, the extracts of the roots of Cynanchum otophyllum were treated with 5% HCl in aqueous and the resulting hydrolysate was investigated. Nine new C21-steroidal aglycones (1-9) namely cynotogenins A-I, along with seventeen known analogous (10-26), were isolated from the hydrolysate. The structures of compounds 1-9 were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis (IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR) and comparison of observed spectroscopic data with those of reported in the literature. Aglycones 2-5 with rare cis-cinnamoyl group as well as 8 and 9 with 5ß,6ß-epoxy group were found from the genus of Cynanchum for the first time. The cytotoxicities of compounds 1-26 toward human cancer HeLa, H1299, HepG2, and MCF-7 cells were evaluated and preliminary structure-activity relationship (SAR) was discussed. Moreover, compound 20 inhibits HepG2 cell apoptosis and induces of G0/G1 phase arrest in a dose dependent manner.

Repeated propofol exposure-induced neuronal damage and cognitive impairment in aged rats by activation of NF-κB pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome.

BACKGROUND: Elderly patients receive propofol at regular intervals for sedation during gastrointestinal endoscopy. However, the link between cognition and intermittent propofol exposure remains unclear. Thus, we used aged rats to investigate the effect of propofol on cognition. METHODS: The study included two parts. In the first part, aged (18-20 months old) male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent intermittent intraperitoneal injection of propofol (200 mg/kg) or intralipid, every 9 days or once a day. In the second part, some aged rats received intraperitoneal injection of Bay 11-7082 (1 mg/kg), a specific inhibitor of NF-κB, 30 min before propofol injection. Memory tests were performed to evaluate cognition 24 h after the entire treatment. The hippocampal neuronal damage was assessed by TUNEL staining. The hippocampal levels of p-NF-κB p65, NLRP3, caspase-1 p20, and cleaved caspase-3 were detected by western blotting. The hippocampal and serum levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α were evaluated using ELISA. RESULTS: There were no differences in the behavioral tests, hippocampal neuronal damage, and neuroinflammation between groups given intralipid and propofol treatment every 9 days. However, repeated propofol treatment once a day promoted activation of NF-κB and the NLRP3 inflammasome, inducing cognitive impairment and neuroinflammation. Interestingly, pretreatment with Bay-11-7082 not only inhibited NF-κB/NLRP3 inflammasome activation, but also attenuated neuronal damage and cognitive dysfunction in aged rats exposed to daily propofol treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Intermittent propofol treatment every 9 days may be safe for aged rats. However, propofol treatment once a day could impair the cognition of aged rats, partly through the activation of the NF-κB pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome, which may be a potential targets for the treatment of cognitive impairment in elderly patients.

[PDE-5i combined with RigiScan-based audiovisual sexual stimulation test versus nocturnal penile tumescence test in evaluation of erectile function].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical value of phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors (PDE-5i) combined with RigiScan-based audiovisual sexual stimulation (AVSS) test in comparison with that of nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) test in evaluation of erectile function. METHODS: A total of 166 ED patients, aged 21－63 (mean 31) years, with a disease course of 3 months to 10 years (mean 14 months), underwent NPT test or PDE-5i + RigiScan-based AVSS test from 2017 to 2018. We compared the results of the diagnostic strategies. Normal NPT patterns were presumed to indicate psychogenic and abnormal ones to indicate organic ED. RESULTS: Compared with the results of NPT test, no statistically significant difference was observed in the accuracy rate between Viagra + AVSS test and Cialis + AVSS test (P > 0.05). PDE-5i + RigiScan-based AVSS test achieved a sensitivity of 78.9% and a specificity of 90.7% in the diagnosis of psychogenic ED and an overall accuracy rate of 81.9%. According to the results of PDE-5i + RigiScan-based AVSS test, the patients fell into a normal and an abnormal erection group, with significant differences between the two groups in age, disease course, IIEF-5 score and maintenance time of penile tip rigidity ≥60% (P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis indicated that PDE-5i + RigiScan-based AVSS test accurately manifested the erectile function of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with NPT test, PDE -5i combined with RigiScan-based AVSS test is simple, inexpensive, practical and with a high sensitivity and specificity, and therefore can be used as the first-choice strategy for etiological diagnosis of ED.

P21 activated kinase-1 (PAK1) in macrophages is required for promotion of Th17 cell response during helminth infection.

CD4+ T cells differentiate into distinct functional effector and inhibitory subsets are facilitated by distinct cytokine cues present at the time of antigen recognition. Maintaining a balance between T helper 17 (Th17) and regulatory T (Treg) cells are critical for the control of the immunopathogenesis of liver diseases. Here, by using the mouse model of helminth Schistosoma japonicum (S japonicum) infection, we show that the hepatic mRNA levels of P21-activated kinase 1 (PAK1), a key regulator of the actin cytoskeleton, adhesion and cell motility, are significantly increased and associated with the development of liver pathology during S japonicum infection. In addition, PAK1-deficient mice are prone to suppression of Th17 cell responses but increased Treg cells. Furthermore, PAK1 enhances macrophage activation through promoting IRF1 nuclear translocation in an NF-κB-dependent pathway, resulting in promoting Th17 cell differentiation through inducing IL-6 production. These findings highlight the importance of PAK1 in macrophages fate determination and suggest that PAK1/IRF1 axis-dependent immunomodulation can ameliorate certain T cell-based immune pathologies.