Effects of obesity-related anthropometric indices and body composition on erectile dysfunction mediated by coronary artery disease: A Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: The causal relationship between obesity-related anthropometric indicators/body composition and erectile dysfunction has not been established in previous observational studies. METHOD: We screened single nucleotide polymorphisms significantly associated with exposure from genome-wide association studies as instrumental variables (p < 5.0 × 10-8 ). The summary statistics for erectile dysfunction were collected from a genome-wide association study with a sample size of 223,805. Exposure and outcome populations included are of European ancestry. We used univariate and multivariate Mendelian randomization (i) to investigate the causal relationship between genetically predicted obesity-related anthropometric indicators/body composition and erectile dysfunction and (ii) to examine the mediating role of coronary artery disease. Mendelian randomization analysis was conducted using an inverse variance weighted method. A series of sensitivity analyses validated the results of the Mendelian randomization analysis. Causal estimates are expressed as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Obesity-related anthropometric indicators/body composition were associated with an increased risk of erectile dysfunction in univariate Mendelian randomization analyses. For the 1-SD increase in body mass index, the odds ratio was 1.841 (95% confidence interval: 1.049-1.355, p = 0.006). For the 1-SD increase in waist circumference and hip circumference, the odds ratios were 1.275 (95% confidence interval: 1.101-1.478, p = 0.001) and 1.156 (95% confidence interval: 1.015-1.317, p = 0.009), respectively. The odds ratio for the 1-SD increase in whole body fat mass was 1.221 (95% confidence interval: 1.047-1.388, p = 0.002). For the 1-SD increase in leg fat percentage (left and right), the odds ratios were 1.256 (95% confidence interval: 1.006-1.567, p = 0.044) and 1.285 (95% confidence interval: 1.027-1.608, p = 0.028), respectively. For the 1-SD increase in leg fat mass (left and right), the odds ratios were 1.308 (95% confidence interval: 1.108-1.544, p = 0.001) and 1.290 (95% confidence interval: 1.091-1.524, p = 0.003), respectively. For the 1-SD increase in arm fat mass (left and right), the odds ratios were 1.269 (95% confidence interval: 1.113-1.447, p < 0.001) and 1.254, respectively. Multivariate Mendelian randomization analysis showed that after adjusting for coronary artery disease, some genetic predispositions to obesity-related anthropometric indicators and body composition were still associated with an increased risk of erectile dysfunction. Significant associations were found for waist circumference-erectile dysfunction (odds ratio: 1.218, 95% confidence interval: 1.036-1.432), leg fat percentage (left)-erectile dysfunction (odds ratio: 1.245, 95% confidence interval: 1.035-1.497), leg fat mass (left)-erectile dysfunction (odds ratio: 1.264, 95% confidence interval: 1.051-1.521), arm fat mass (right)-erectile dysfunction (odds ratio: 1.186, 95% confidence interval: 1.024-1.373), and arm fat mass (left)-erectile dysfunction (odds ratio: 1.17, 95% confidence interval: 1.018-1.360). Meanwhile, coronary artery disease mediated the effects of fat on erectile dysfunction, and the proportion of coronary artery disease-mediated cases ranged from 10% to 22%. CONCLUSION: There is a potential causal relationship between obesity-related anthropometric indicators/body composition and erectile dysfunction. Higher waist circumference, leg fat percentage, and arm fat mass may increase the risk of erectile dysfunction, and coronary artery disease partly mediates this overall effect. Understanding the causal relationship between obesity and erectile dysfunction and the mediating role of coronary artery disease may provide more information for erectile dysfunction intervention and prevention strategies.

Gonadal Transcriptome Analysis and Sequence Characterization of Sex-Related Genes in Cranoglanis bouderius.

In China, the Cranoglanis bouderius is classified as a national class II-protected animal. The development of C. bouderius populations has been affected by a variety of factors over the past few decades, with severe declines occurring. Considering the likelihood of continued population declines of the C. bouderius in the future, it is critical to investigate the currently unknown characteristics of gonadal differentiation and sex-related genes for C. bouderius conservation. In this study, the Illumina sequencing platform was used to sequence the gonadal transcriptome of the C. bouderius to identify the pathways and genes related to gonadal development and analyze the expression differences in the gonads. A total of 12,002 DEGs were identified, with 7220 being significantly expressed in the ovary and 4782 being significantly expressed in the testis. According to the functional enrichment results, the cell cycle, RNA transport, apoptosis, Wnt signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway, and prolactin signaling pathway play important roles in sex development in the C. bouderius. Furthermore, the sequence characterization and evolutionary analysis revealed that AMH, DAX1, NANOS1, and AR of the C. bouderius are highly conserved. Specifically, the qRT-PCR results from various tissues showed significant differences in AMH, DAX1, NANOS1, and AR expression levels in the gonads of both sexes of C. bouderius. These analyses indicated that AMH, DAX1, NANOS1, and AR may play important roles in the differentiation and development of C. bouderius gonads. To our best knowledge, this study is the first to analyze the C. bouderius gonadal transcriptome and identify the structures of sex-related genes, laying the foundation for future research.

Bibliometrics and visualisation analysis of literature on varicocele: From 2002 to 2021.

Varicocele is a common disease in men, with a global incidence of approximately 25%. A comprehensive and systematic analysis of the knowledge map on it will help in assessing frontier research and identify knowledge gaps. In total, 4103 articles published from 2002 to 2021 in 1066 journals were included. They represent the current research status worldwide, potential hotspots and future research directions. In the past decades, the number of publications and citations of varicocele-related studies have increased steadily. Academic institutions in the United States played a leading role in varicocele research. The country, institution, journal and author with the most publications were the United States (779), Cleveland Clinic Foundation (132), Andrologia (246) and Agarwal A (106), respectively. The most frequently used keywords were Varicocele (1620), Male Infertility (944), Varicocelectomy (288), Testis (245), Sperm (166), Oxidative Stress (144), Azoospermia (119), Semen Analysis (118), Laparoscopy (116) and Adolescent (97). Currently, the main focus of current varicocele research is its surgical treatment method and effect on sperm quality. The frontier research hotspot is the specific mechanism of varicocele-induced decrease in sperm quality.

Interactions effects of nano-microplastics and heavy metals in hybrid snakehead (Channa maculata ♀ × Channa argus ♂).

The interaction between microplastics and contaminants has potentially generated new undefined risks on animals and ecosystems, and nano-microplastics are considered to be more harmful than microplastics. This experiment investigated the interactions and effects of nano-microplastics with heavy metals cadmium in hybrid snakehead. Different concentrations of nano-microplastics 80 nm (50 µg/L and 500 µg/L) and Cd (50 µg/L) were used for exposure, and four sampling points were set for 24 h, 48 h, 96 h and clear-48 h. Results indicated that the morphology of gill was altered under the influence of nano-microplastics and cadmium, and the damage was aggravated with time. Nano-microplastics and Cd can cause oxidative damage to fish liver partly by effect the activities of antioxidant enzyme, and significantly suppressed the expressions of genes related to the inflammation (IL-1ß and TNF-α) and as well as significantly up-regulated the expression of genes HSP70 and SOD. Additionally, the mRNA levels of MT gene can be speculated that the heavy metal cadmium may accumulated in the body over time. And the concentration of heavy metals will also affect their accumulation in the body. Our study elucidated the nano-microplastics and Cd will increase the impact on environmental and organisms that the nano-microplastics contribute to the bioaccumulation of metals, which served as a new support for study the interaction between environmental contaminants.

Single and Combined Effects of Microplastics and Cadmium on the Cadmium Accumulation and Biochemical and Immunity of Channa argus.

Microplastics can accumulate residual drugs and heavy metals in the environment and accumulate through the layers of the food chain, ultimately causing harm to human health. The pollution of microplastics in the freshwater environment is becoming more and more serious, which directly affects the safety of aquatic organisms. This experiment studied the effects of single and composite microplastics and Cd on the tissue damage, antioxidant, and immune response of juvenile Channa argus. Microplastics with different diameters of 80 nm, 0.5 µm (200 µg/L), and Cd (50 µg/L) were used for exposure, and four sampling points were set for 24 h, 48 h, 96 h, and clear 48 h. Under different treatments, a certain degree of gill tissue damage can be found in 96 h. Microplastics and Cd can cause oxidative stress and affect the antioxidant status, and the impact of 0.5-µm microplastics is stronger than that of 80-nm microplastics. There is an antagonistic effect between the two microplastics and Cd during compound exposure, but the activity of CAT shows a synergistic effect. Microplastics and Cd affect the expression of immune-related genes to varying degrees. When exposed together, the expression of HSP70 gene all showed mutual antagonism, while the expression of IL-1ß gene was different. The expression of the MT gene can infer the ability of microplastics to accumulate Cd, and microplastics with a small diameter of 80 nm have stronger enrichment capabilities.

A dosage-effect assessment of acute toxicology tests of microplastic exposure in filter-feeding fish.

Abundant microplastics was found in aquatic ecosystem and aquatic organisms, which raised many concerns in public. Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), a species filter-feeding planktivorous fish, feed on particle between 4 and 85 µm in size, and the respiratory process works together with feeding mechanism when filtering plankton from water. The aim of this study was to assess the physiological response of silver carp exposed to 5 µm polystyrene microspheres during 48 h of exposure followed by 48 h of depuration through the gill histology, and oxidative stress biomarkers in intestine. The results revealed that microplastics can pass through the whole digestive tract of silver carp and be excreted by feces. Low microplastic concentration (80 µg/L) induced oxidative stress and up-regulation of TUB84 and HSP70 gene in intestine, and silver carp have ability to recover after the exposure to microplastic was removed. High microplastic concentration (800 µg/L) definitely cause significant damage to gills and intestines, in this situation, far beyond the possibility of fish own repair, and even when the threaten removed, silver carp can't recovery soon. Our studies assessed the dosage-effect relationship with physiological stress on silver carp when exposure to microplastics.

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in commercial fishes from estuarine areas of Guangdong, South China.

The widespread presence of microplastics in global aquatic ecosystems has aroused growing concerns regarding their potential impact on aquatic biota. Data show an extensive plastic pollution in coastal areas of Guangdong, China, however, to date there has been no quantitative study on the ingestion of microplastics by commercial fishes from the estuarine areas. In this study, we analyzed the abundance, characteristics, species-specific and spatial distribution of microplastics in six species of commercial fish from estuarine areas of Guangdong. Sixty-four fish samples from nineteen sampling sites were investigated. The average abundance of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of the commercial fishes was 5.4 items/individual, indicating potential food safety. The majority of microplastics were fibers, white in color and less than 1 mm in size. Species-specific and spatial distribution of the microplastics were observed in terms of abundance, shape, color and size. Sillago japonica had the highest (6.9 items/individual), while Alepes djedaba had the lowest (3 items/individual) abundance of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract. We recommend demersal Mugil cephalus and pelagic Konosirus punctatus to be considered as two species suitable for monitoring microplastics ingestion in the seafloor and water column communities.

Benzo[a]pyrene induces microbiome dysbiosis and inflammation in the intestinal tracts of western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) and zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is one of the most well studied carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that has been associated with a wide range of toxic effects in aquatic organisms. In the present study, the mosquitofish and zebrafish were exposed to BaP (100 µg/L) for 15 days. We analyzed the intestinal microbial community of mosquitofish and zebrafish using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and also performed transcriptional profiling of the inflammation pathway related genes in the intestinal tissues. Our results showed that BaP exposure induced similar changes to the composition of microbial community in mosquitofish and zebrafish. At the phylum level, the abundance of Proteobacteria decreased while the abundance of Firmicutes increased following BaP exposure. At the genus level, a common pathogenic genus staphylococcus significantly increased in the BaP treatment groups, compared to the control (DMSO, ~0.001% v/v). In addition, it was observed that BaP significantly increased the mRNA level of il1ß in both mosquitofish and zebrafish. The transcript levels of il6, il8, il10 and ifnphi1 were significantly increased in zebrafish, however not in mosquitofish, following Bap exposure. Our findings suggest that BaP could induce microbiota dysbiosis and inflammation in the intestine of mosquitofish and zebrafish.

Microplastics in wild freshwater fish of different feeding habits from Beijiang and Pearl River Delta regions, south China.

Microplastic pollution is a major global challenge and a severe threat to aquatic organisms. The Pearl River Basin is the most important river system in Guangdong Province, China. As the second largest tributary of the Pearl River Basin, the Beijiang River flows through many cities in Guangdong Province and eventually merges into the Pearl River Delta. The goal of this research was to explore the microplastic pollution problem in the Beijiang River and Pearl River Delta. In total, 26 surface water and 47 wild freshwater fish samples from the Pearl River Delta and the main runoff area of the Beijiang River were collected. The average abundance of microplastics in surface water samples from the Beijiang River was 3183 items/m³, and the average abundance in fish samples was 5.6 items/individual; the values for the Pearl River Delta were 7571 items/m³ and 4.8 items/individual. In all samples, fibers and fragments were the major microplastic contaminants, most were white in color, and most were <1 mm in size. The microplastic abundance in carnivorous fish samples in the Beijiang River and Pearl River Delta was 3.5 and 3 items/individual, respectively, and omnivorous fish samples had 6.8 and 6.2 items/individual, respectively. Thus, the microplastic abundance in omnivorous fish samples was about twice that of the carnivorous fish. These results reveal the quantity of microplastic pollution in the Beijiang River and the Pearl River Delta and provide an important basis for further study of microplastics in the freshwater ecosystem of the Pearl River Basin.

Transcriptomic changes in western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) liver following benzo[a]pyrene exposure.

Widely distributed western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) has been used as a new model species for hazard assessment of environmental stressors such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, most of the PAH studies using G. affinis rely on targeted biomarker-based analysis, and thus may not adequately address the complexity of the toxic mechanisms of the stressors. In the present study, the whole transcriptional sequencing of G. affinis liver after exposure to a PAH model, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) (100 µg/L), for 20 days was performed by using the HiSeq XTen sequencers. In total, 58,156,233 and 51,825,467 clean nucleotide reads were obtained in the control and BaP-exposed libraries, respectively, with average N50 lengths of 1419 bp. In addition, after G. affinis was exposed for 20 days, 169 genes were upregulated, and 176 genes were downregulated in liver. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were applied to all the genes to determine the genes' biological functions and processes. The results clearly showed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly related to immune pathways and metabolic correlation pathways. Interestingly, almost all the pathways related with the immunity were upregulated, while the metabolism pathways were downregulated. Lastly, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to measure expressional levels of twelve genes confirmed through the DGE analysis. These results demonstrate that BaP damages immunity and enhances the consumption of all available energy storage to activate mechanisms of the detoxification in G. affinis. Up until now, the present study is the first time that a whole transcriptome sequencing analysis in the liver of G. affinis exposed to BaP has been reported.