Retrospective analysis: The application of human menopausal gonadotropin combined with letrozole for IUI in patients undergoing artificial insemination by husband due to unexplained or mild male factors.

Objective: To compare the effects of human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) combined with letrozole (LE) to HMG only for ovarian stimulation on pregnancy outcome of infertile patients undergoing artificial insemination by husband (AIH) due to unexplained or mild male factors. Materials and methods: Infertile patients with unexplained or mild male factors treated from July 2015 to December 2021 were selected as subjects. The patients were divided into two groups according to the ovarian stimulation schemes they received, namely HMG combined with LE or HMG only. We analyzed the laboratory examination results before drug treatment (baseline) and during ovarian stimulation and compared the pregnancy outcomes of the two groups using univariable analysis and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: In total, 526 cycles of 372 couples were included. The univariate analysis showed that the clinical pregnancy rate of the HMG combined with LE group was 24.8%, significantly higher than that of the HMG group (14.8%, P = 0.007). The live birth rate (19.9%) of the HMG combined with LE group were also significantly higher than those of the HMG group (11.2%, respectively). In multivariate logistic analysis, the age of males was negatively associated with the clinical pregnancy rate (OR 0.874, 95% CI 0.793~0.963, P=0.006) and live birth (OR0.875, 95% CI 0.783~0.977, P=0.018). Moreover, ovarian stimulation with HMG+LE was the only beneficial factor significantly associated with clinical pregnancy (OR 1.929, 95% CI 1.068~3.485, P=0.029) and live birth (OR 2.255, 95% CI 1.188~4.282, P=0.013). Conclusion: Ovarian stimulation using HMG combined with LE can increase the clinical outcomes (live birth and clinical pregnancy) among infertile patients undergoing AIH due to explained or mild male factors.

Mechanism of KNDy neurons in arcuate nucleus of hypothalamus involved in the occurrence of perimenopausal hot flashes / 解剖学报

Hot flashes are the most common specific symptom of perimenopausal women, which seriously endangers their physical and mental health and quality of life. Because the pathogenesis of hot flashes is not yet clear, and existing estrogen replacement therapy has many limitations and contraindications, it is particularly urgent and important to explore the pathogenesis of hot flashes and find new therapeutic targets. Recent studies suggest that abnormalities of KNDy neurons in the arcuate nucleus of hypothalamus when estrogen decreases during perimenopause are the key factors that trigger hot flashes. Some scholars believe that KNDy neurons in the arcuate nucleus are involved in the occurrence of hot flashes by regulating the pulse release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone and its downstream luteinizing hormone, while some other scholars believe that KNDy neurons in the arcuate nucleus play a key role in the process of hot flashes by regulating the median preoptic nucleus of the hypothalamic preoptic area. Therefore, this review intends to summarize the above two types of current relationship between the KNDy neurons in the arcuate nucleus and the occurrence of hot flashes and the possible mechanisms by which KNDy neurons participate in hot flashes, and lay a theoretical foundation for the exploring of new targets and method for the treatment of perimenopausal hot flashes.

Overexpression of MicroRNA-122 Resists Oxidative Stress-Induced Human Umbilical Vascular Endothelial Cell Injury by Inhibition of p53.

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) constitutes a great threat to health worldwide. Endothelial cell injury and dysfunction comprise the critical contributor for the development of DVT. However, the mechanism behind it remains poorly elucidated. The study is aimed at investigating the role of microRNA-122 (miR-122) and oxidative stress on DVT. The results showed that miR-122 overexpression dampened H2O2-evoked cytotoxic injury in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by increasing cell viability, suppressing cell apoptosis and oxidative stress injury. Notably, miR-122 overexpression attenuated provasoconstriction factor endothelin-1 (ET-1) expression in HUVECs exposed to H2O2 but enhanced the productions of vasodilatation factor Prostaglandin F1α (PGF1α). Moreover, inhibition of miR-122 had the opposite results. miR-122 could inhibit the expression of p53. Low expression of p53 could enhance the protection of miR-122 on HUVEC injury. This study highlights that miR-122 overexpression may restore H2O2-induced HUVEC injury by regulating the expression of p53.

Clinical manifestations and imaging characteristics of gliomatosis cerebri with pathological confirmation.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical manifestations and imaging characteristics of gliomatosis cerebri to raise the awareness and improve its diagnostic accuracy for patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical data, imaging characteristics and pathological examination of 12 patients with GC from Jan., 2008 to Jan., 2012 were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Patients with GC were clinically manifested with headache, vomiting, repeated seizures, fatigue and unstable walking, most of whom had more than 2 lesions involving in parietal lobe, followed by temporal lobe, frontal lobe, periventricular white matter and corpus callosum. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed diffuse distribution, T1-weighted images (T1WI) with equal and low signals and T2-weighted images (T2WI) with bilateral symmetrical high diffuse signals. There was no reinforcement by enhancement scanning and signals were different in diffusion-weighted images (DWI). The higher the tumor staging, the stronger the signals. Pathological examination showed neuroastrocytoma in which tumor tissues were manifested by infiltrative growth in blood vessels and around neurons. CONCLUSIONS: In clinical diagnosis of GC, much attention should be paid to the diffuse distribution of imaging characteristics, incomplete matching between clinical and imaging characteristics and confirmation by combining with histopathological examination.