Where Microsurgical Tubal Reanastomosis Stands in the In vitro Fertilization Era.

Among various options of contraception, bilateral tubal ligation (BTL) remains the most frequently used method for women worldwide even at present. However, up to 30% of those who undergo BTL eventually change their minds and wish to conceive again for a variety of reasons, such as a change in marital status or simply wanting more children. In this case, we can either approach it surgically with tubal re-anastomosis (TA) or by in vitro fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer. Despite the many advantages of TA which lead the American Society of Reproductive Medicine Committee Opinion to recommend it as the primary choice of treatment in posttubal ligation infertility in 2012, IVF is widely being chosen as the first-line treatment nowadays. This study will review the efficacy of TA in various aspects, including pregnancy rate, cost-effectiveness, feasibility, and accessibility, based on review of the literature and our experience. Through this study, we intend to provide a basis for gynecologists to consider TA as the first option in women who wish to conceive again after BTL in this day and age of IVF.

The Influence of Environmental Factors on Site Selection Augment Breeding Success in Honey Bees: An Insight of Honey Bee Genetic Resource Conservation.

Honey bee reproductive behavior involves a complicated mating system that embodies a number of factors, including environmental and human-induced factors. Controlled breeding in isolated mating stations is a prerequisite to maintain the genetic resources of honey bees through natural mating. The concept of controlled mating is a challenge in most beekeeping operations due to its low mating success rate. Therefore, a detailed investigation into the suitability of isolated mating stations is of interest. Thus, we bred two subspecies of honey bees (Apis cerana koreana and Apis mellifera L.) in isolated mating stations (island) from 2021 to 2023 and in an open breeding station in 2023. Our results demonstrate that the highest percentage of the mating success rate in isolated mating stations was recorded in the Wido Island, which had the highest percentage of bare land, coniferous forests, deciduous forests, fields, and mixed forests. The mating success rate was higher in the summer and spring for A. cerana and A. mellifera, respectively. The mating success rate was higher in open mating compared to controlled mating (Island) and did not vary between pure-breeding and cross-breeding lines. Our findings suggested that mating stations with mixed forest and fields are potential sites for the successful breeding of honey bees.

Effects of Perilla frutescens Var. Acuta in Busulfan-Induced Spermatogenesis Dysfunction Mouse Model.

PURPOSE: The leaves of Perilla frutescens var. acuta (PFA) are generally reported to have antioxidant, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor effects and commonly used as a traditional medicine in East Asia. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect and antioxidant activity of PFA on busulfan-induced testicular dysfunction, histological damage, oxidative stress (OS), sperm quality, and hormone levels using a mouse model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: C57BL/6 male mice were divided into four groups: control, busulfan-only treated, and varying concentrations of PFA (100 and 200 mg/kg) with busulfan. In the busulfan group, 40 mg/kg of busulfan was intraperitoneally injected to induce azoospermia. Mice were orally administered PFA for 35 consecutive days after busulfan administration. Samples were collected and assessed for testis/body weight, testicular histopathology, sperm quality, serum hormone levels, and OS to evaluate the effects of PFA treatment on spermatogenesis dysfunction induced by busulfan. RESULTS: The busulfan-induced testicular dysfunction model showed reduced testis weight, adverse histological changes, significantly decreased sex hormones and sperm quality, and attenuated OS. These results indicate that PFA treatment significantly increased testis weight, testis/body weight, epididymal sperm count, motility, and testosterone level compared with busulfan alone. PFA treatment also attenuated the busulfan-induced histological changes. Furthermore, compared with mice treated with busulfan alone, PFA supplementation upregulated the testicular mRNA expression of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase 1 (Sod1) and glutathione peroxidase 1 (Gpx1), with a decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) production and an increase in SOD and GPx activities. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that PFA exerts a protective effect against testicular damage by attenuating OS induced by busulfan. Our results suggest that PFA is a potentially relevant drug used to decrease the side effects induced by busulfan on testicular function and sperm during cancer chemotherapy.

Study of selenium enrichment metabolomics in Bacillus subtilis BSN313 via transcriptome analysis.

In this study, the transcriptome analysis was practiced to identify potential genes of probiotic Bacillus subtilis BSN313 involved in selenium (Se) enrichment metabolism. The transcriptomic variation of the strain was deliberated in presence of three different sodium selenite concentrations (0, 3, and 20 µg/mL). The samples were taken at 1 and 13 h subsequent to inoculation of selenite and gene expression profiles in Se metabolism were analyzed through RNA sequencing. The gene expression levels of the pre log phase were lower than the stationary phase. It is because, the bacteria has maximum grown with high concentration of Se (enriched with organic Se), at stationary phase. Bacterial culture containing 3 µg/mL concentration of inorganic Se (sodium selenite) has shown highest gene expression as compared to no or high concentration of Se. This concentration (3 µg/mL) of sodium selenite (as Se) in the medium promoted the upregulation of thioredoxin reductase expression, whereas its higher Se concentration inhibited the formation of selenomethionine (SeMet). The result of 5 L bioreactor fermentation showed that SeMet was also detected in the fermentation supernatant as the growth entered in the late stationary phase and reached up to 857.3 ng/mL. The overall intracellular SeMet enriched content in BSN313 was extended up to 23.4 µg/g dry cell weight. The other two selenoamino acids (Se-AAs), methyl-selenocysteine, and selenocysteine were hardly detected in medium supernatant. From this study, it was concluded that SeMet was the highest content of organic Se byproduct biosynthesized by B. subtilis BSN313 strain in Se-enriched medium during stationary phase. Thus, B. subtilis BSN313 can be considered a commercial probiotic strain that can be used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. This is because it can meet the commercial demand for Se-AAs (SeMet) in both industries.

Finite element analysis of optimal fixation method for femoral neck fracture with different reduction conditions / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:The traditional fixation method for femoral neck fractures is three hollow screws inverted triangle fixation,and the optimal fixation method for femoral neck fractures that have not achieved anatomical reduction is inconclusive. OBJECTIVE:To compare the biomechanical properties of cannulated screws internal fixation for sub-capitated femoral neck fracture with different reduction qualities based on finite element analysis. METHODS:The three-dimensional digital model was reconstructed using CT data of the proximal femur from a healthy male volunteer.The femur was modeled to sub-capitated femoral neck fractures.Fracture models were divided into anatomical reduction group,coxa vara group,and coxa valgus group.All fracture model groups were transferred using the standard group,screw depression group,and screw elevation group.A vertical downward stress of 1 400 N was applied to the femoral head at the top of the acetabulum.The displacement and stress distribution of the femur and internal fixator under different fixation methods were observed,and the maximum stress and displacement of the femur and fixator were compared. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)For anatomical reduction femoral neck fracture,the peak stress of fixation in the standard group,screw depression group and screw elevation group was 41.35,31.27 and 43.32 MPa,respectively.The maximum peak stress of the femur was found on the screw elevation group(28.58 MPa),and the standard group had the maximum peak displacement.(2)During hip varus,the stresses in the three subgroups were relatively dispersed and even.The peak stress of the femur in the standard group was the smallest,but the peak displacement was the largest.The stability of fixation might be poor.The peak displacement of the femur in the screw depression group was the smallest.(3)In the hip valgus,obvious screw stress concentration appeared in the screw depression group,and the peak displacement was the largest among the three subgroups,and an in-out-in phenomenon appeared.The peak stress of the screws in the screw elevation group was the largest among the three subgroups,but the peak displacement was the smallest.(4)It is concluded that for sub-capitated femoral neck fractures that are completely anatomically reduced,it is recommended to use standard inverted triangular nails for fixation.When the hip varus and hip valgus occur within the allowable range of the reduction standard,it is recommended to use the inverted triangle screw to fix it by rotating the corresponding angle in the same direction as the hip varus or valgus.

Network meta-analysis on efficacy and safety of different biological agents in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis / 中国组织工程研究

OBJECTIVE:There are many kinds of biological agents for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in clinic,but the differences in therapeutic efficacy and safety are still unclear.The purpose of this study is to compare the differences in effectiveness and safety of different biological agents for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS:CNKI,VIP,WanFang,China Biomedical Literature System,PubMed,Cochrane Library,Web of Science,and Embase databases were searched to collect the randomized controlled trials on biological agents for rheumatoid arthritis that meet the requirements from inception to October 1,2022.The literature was selected by EndNote software,and the quality of the included literature was evaluated by RevMan 5.3 software.The software Stata 14.2 was used for direct meta-analysis and network meta-analysis of ACR20(American College of Rheumatology 20%response),ACR50(American College of Rheumatology 50%response),ACR70(American College of Rheumatology 70%response),erythrocyte sedimentation rate,and adverse reactions. RESULTS:Totally 39 articles were included,including 5 low-risk articles,4 high-risk articles,and the remaining 30 articles contained unknown risk bias,with a total of 13 treatment measures.The results of network meta-analysis:(1)In ACR20,infliximab combined with methotrexate(OR=5.54,95%CI:1.33-23.01,P<0.05),abatacept+methotrexate tablets(OR=3.21,95%CI:1.13-9.10,P<0.05),and tocilizumab(OR=2.95,95%CI:1.61-5.44,P<0.05)were better than methotrexate tablets.The probabilistic ranking of ACR20 was:infliximab+methotrexate tablets>abatacept+methotrexate tablets>tocilizumab>certlizumab>etanercept+methotrexate tablets.(2)In the aspect of ACR50,etanercept combined with methotrexate tablets(OR=4.04,95%CI:2.13-7.66,P<0.05),infliximab combined with methotrexate tablets(OR=4.79,95%CI:1.19-19.26,P<0.05),and tocilizumab combined with methotrexate tablets(OR=3.54,95%CI:1.36-9.22,P<0.05)had better therapeutic effects than methotrexate tablets.The probabilistic ranking of ACR50 was:etanercept+methotrexate tablets>infliximab+methotrexate tablets>tocilizumab+methotrexate tablets>tocilizumab>certlizumab+methotrexate tablets.(3)In terms of ACR70,the therapeutic effects of infliximab combined with methotrexate tablets(OR=8.00,95%CI:2.31-27.69,P<0.05),etanercept combined with methotrexate tablets(OR=4.26,95%CI:2.51-7.21,P<0.05),and tocilizumab combined with methotrexate tablets(OR=3.51,95%CI:1.82-6.80,P<0.05)were better than methotrexate tablets.The probabilistic ranking of ACR70 was infliximab+methotrexate tablets>etanercept+methotrexate tablets>tocilizumab+methotrexate tablets>certlizumab>adalimumab+methotrexate tablets.(4)In erythrocyte sedimentation rate,etanercept combined with methotrexate tablets(SMD=-9.23,95%CI:-16.55 to-1.92,P<0.05)was better than etanercept and methotrexate tablets(SMD=14.59,95%CI:7.28-21.91,P<0.05).The probabilistic ranking of erythrocyte sedimentation rate was etanercept+methotrexate tablets>infliximab+methotrexate tablets>etanercept>adalimumab+methotrexate tablets>methotrexate tablets.(5)In terms of adverse reactions,placebo(OR=0.62,95%CI:0.39-0.99,P<0.05)was better than infliximab and certlizumab(OR=0.44,95%CI:0.25-0.78,P<0.05).The probabilistic ranking of adverse reactions was placebo>infliximab>etanercept+methotrexate tablets>certlizumab>etanercept. CONCLUSION:Based on evidence from 39 randomized controlled trials,infliximab combined with methotrexate tablets(highly recommended)can be the first choice in clinic,and etanercept combined with methotrexate tablets(highly recommended)can be the second choice in terms of good effectiveness and safety.

Status of wearable flexible monitoring devices based on organic field effect transistors in biomedical field / 医疗卫生装备

The working principle and development of flexible semiconductor devices based on organic field effect transistor(OFET)technology were introduced.The current research status of OFET-based wearable flexible monitoring devices were reviewed,including biomechanical monitoring devices,tattoo biomonitoring devices and cellular detection devices and etc.The deficiencies of OFET-based wearable flexible monitoring devices were analyzed,and it's pointed out that miniaturization,personalization and diversification were the directions for the development of the future OFET-based wearable flexible moni-toring devices.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2024,45(1):93-100]

Clinical and electrophysiological characteristics and treatment outcomes of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody ANCA-associated vasculitic neuropathy / 中华内科杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of ANCA-associated vasculitic neuropathy (VN) and analyze the predictors of treatment outcomes.Methods:Retrospective case series. In all, 652 consecutive patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis were admitted to the First Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital between January 2006 and December 2022. Peripheral neuropathy occurred in 91 patients. Patients were excluded if other known causes of neuropathy were present. Sixty-one patients were eventually enrolled, including 17 with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), 11 with granulomatosis polyangiitis (GPA), and 33 with microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). Their clinical data were collected and clinical characteristics, VN manifestations, electrophysiological findings (including interside amplitude ratio [IAR]), and treatment outcomes were compared among the three subsets of AAV. Then, factors influencing the treatment outcomes were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression analysis.Results:Peripheral neuropathy occurred in 62.1%(18/29) of EGPA, 8.3%(15/180) of GPA, and 13.1%(58/443) of MPA patients. The age at onset and examination was higher in patients with MPA than those with EGPA or GPA ( P<0.01). The occurrence of VN was later in patients with GPA than those with EGPA ( P<0.01), and the GPA group had fewer affected nerves than the other two groups ( P<0.016). The abnormal IARs of motor nerves in lower limbs were more detected in the EGPA than the MPA group ( P<0.01). Logistic regression analysis suggested that higher Birmingham vasculitis activity score-version 3 (BVAS-V3) ( OR=6.85, 95% CI 1.33-35.30) was associated with better treatment outcomes of VN. However, central nervous system involvement was a risk factor for poor treatment outcomes ( OR=0.13, 95% CI 0.02-0.89). Conclusions:The clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of VN were slightly different among subsets of AAV. Patients with GPA often presented with polyneuropathy and had fewer nerves affected; mononeuritis multiplex was more common in EGPA than GPA and MPA. Higher BVAS-V3 and central nervous system involvement might predict the treatment outcome of VN.

Mechanism of Fufang Congrong Yizhi Capsules in treatment of mild cognitive impairment based on network pharmacology / 中国药理学通报

Aim To predict the mechanism of Fufang Congrong Yizhi Capsules (FCYC) in the treatment of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by network pharmacology method, and further validate it in combination with cellular experiments. Methods TCMSP, Gene-Cards, OMIM and TTD databases, Chinese Pharmacopoeia and related literature were used to screen the active ingredients of FCYC and the targets of MCI treatment. The TCM-compound-target-disease network and PPI of intersection targets were constructed, and the GO and KEGG analysis were performed by the Ehamb bioinformation platform. GO and KEGG analysis were performed through Yihanbo biological information platform. Cell model of MCI was established by PC-12 injury induced by Aβ

The value of presepsin, procalcitonin, and C-reactive protein in sepsis associated organ failure in the emergency department: a retrospective analysis according to the Sepsis-3 definition

Objective@#Early diagnosis of sepsis is essential for bundle treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical significance of presepsin in sepsis related organ failure in the emergency department compared to other inflammatory markers. @*Methods@#This was a retrospective review. Enrolled patients were divided into three groups, namely non-infectious organ failure, sepsis, and septic shock groups. The efficacy of presepsin, procalcitonin, and C-reactive protein (CRP) in discriminating sepsis were compared among the three patient groups. The presepsin, procalcitonin, and CRP levels were compared between 28-day survivors and non-survivors among those with sepsis. @*Results@#A total of 277 patients with organ failure were included. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROCs) of presepsin, procalcitonin, and CRP for differentiating sepsis from non-infectious organ failure were 0.622, 0.777, and 0.809, respectively. The areas under the curve (AUCs) of presepsin, procalcitonin, and CRP for differentiating sepsis from septic shock were 0.717, 0.667, and 0.609, respectively. The AUCs of presepsin, procalcitonin, and CRP for predicting sepsis related mortality were 0.743, 0.635, and 0.632, respectively. Sepsis patients with high presepsin levels had a higher mortality than those with lower presepsin levels. @*Conclusion@#Presepsin is a good marker to differentiate septic shock from sepsis and predict mortality. CRP can aid the differential diagnosis of non-infectious causes in patients with organ failure.

Advances in the internal fixation surgical approach for sacroiliac joint dislocation caused by posterior pelvic ring injury / 局解手术学杂志

Injury of the posterior pelvic ring can easily be caused by high-energy impact,and sacroiliac joint dislocation is the most common.The sacroiliac joint,as the hub of load transfer between the trunk and lower extremities,is essential to maintain the stability of the posterior pelvic ring,and once dislocation occurs,restoring the stability of the posterior pelvic ring by timely surgery is necessary.The current surgical approaches for the internal fixation of sacroiliac joint are mainly divided into anterior approach and posterior approach.The choice of the surgical approach directly affects the exposure of the surgical field,the stability of internal fixation and the prognosis of patients;therefore,it is particularly important to select the appropriate surgical approach and fixation method.In this paper,we briefly review the selection of sacroiliac joint fixation points,surgical approaches and postoperative complications.

Evaluation value of stress hyperglycemia ratio combined with C-reactive protein and procalcitonin in the evaluation of postoperative infection in patients with open tibiofibular fracture / 中国综合临床

Objective:To explore the the evaluation value of stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and serum procalcitonin (PCT) for postoperative infection in patients with open tibiofibular fractures.Methods:This study was a prospective analysis. Patients with open tibiofibular fractures hospitalized in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery of The Second Hospital of Tangshan and North China University of Science and Technology Affiliated Hospital from January 2018 to January 2023 were collected as the research objects, and a total of 839 cases were assessed for outcome, which were divided into infection group (103 cases) and non-infection group (736 cases) according to whether the selected subjects had postoperative infection. The clinical data of the two groups were analyzed by univariate analysis, and the risk factors of postoperative infection of open fracture of tibia and fibula were analyzed by multivariate Logistic regression, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to analyze the predictive efficacy of SHR, CRP, PCT, and their combined models on adverse outcomes.Results:Univariate analysis showed that the infection group had SHR (1.82±0.31), CRP (92.28±36.07) mg/L, PCT (6.35±1.79) μg/L, the non infection group had (1.05±0.12), (56.35±10.21) mg/L and (2.17±0.41) μg/L, respectively, and there were significant differences between the two groups ( t values were 46.90, 21.60, and 54.17, respectively; all P<0.001). The proportion of albumin (<30 g/L) in the infection group was higher than that in the non-infection group (63.11%(65/103), 37.64%(277/736) (χ 2=24.28, P<0.001), and the two groups had significant differences in the rate of time from injury to operation (the infection group ≥6 h was 71.84%(74/103), <6 h was 28.16%(29/103); the non-infection group ≥6 h was 43.07%(317/736), <6 h was 56.93%(419/736); χ 2=35.37, P<0.001), the rate of Gustilo-Anderson classification (the infection group Ⅰ、Ⅱ was 44.46%(46/103), ⅢA was 33.98%(35/103), ⅢB was 12.62%(13/103), ⅢC was 8.47%(9/103);the non-infection groupⅠ、Ⅱ was 59.10%(435/736), ⅢA was 32.47%(239/736), ⅢB was 5.98%(44/736), ⅢC was 2.45%(18/736); χ 2=20.34, P<0.001) and the rate of postoperative drainage volume (the infection group was 40.60%(48/103),the non-infection group was 58.02%(427/736); χ 2=4.79, P=0.029). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that SHR ( OR=1.871,95% CI 1.621-2.160, P<0.001), CRP ( OR=1.060, 95% CI 1.015-1.107, P=0.009), PCT ( OR=1.497, 95% CI 1.420-1.577, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for postoperative infection in open tibiofibular fractures. Among them, SHR had the highest OR value, which was the strongest factor affecting the outcome of the study. Other independent factors were age ( OR=1.052, 95% CI 1.038-1.066, P<0.001) and Gustilo-Anderson type-ⅢC ( OR=1.875, 95% CI 1.038-2.015, P<0.001). By drawing the ROC curve of SHR, CRP, PCT and their combined model to predict the incidence of postoperative infection in open tibiofibular fractures, the results showed that the combined model had higher diagnostic predictive value than the single application, and its sensitivity and specificity were 86.4% and 70.4%, respectively, which were higher than the sensitivity (78.6%, 77.7%, 75.7%) and specificity (69.2%, 69.3%, 69.6%) of the single assessment. Conclusion:The combined model of SHR, CRP and PCT has a higher predictive value than the single detection, which can provide a better clinical basis for the early diagnosis of postoperative infection in patients with open tibiofibular fractures.

Relationship between serum miR-501 and miR-195 levels and sensitivity to concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:To investigate the relationship between serum miR-501 and miR-195 levels and sensitivity to concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC).Methods:Clinical data of 96 patients with LACC admitted to Nanyang Central Hospital from January 2020 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed and compared with those of 96 healthy subjects during physical examination in our hospital during the same period to compare the differences of serum miR-501 and miR-195 levels. Tumor status was reviewed at 6 months after concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Patients were divided into the sensitive and resistant groups according to the evaluation criteria of solid tumor efficacy. The relationship between serum miR-501 and miR-195 levels and the sensitivity to concurrent chemoradiotherapy in LACC patients was analyzed by univariate and multivariate analyses. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was also drawn to predict differential efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy sensitivity in LACC patients. Multivariate analysis was conducted by binary logistic regression analysis. P<0.05 indicated statistically significant differences. Results:In LACC patients, serum miR-501 level was significantly higher, whereas serum miR-195 level was significantly lower than those in physical examination subjects (both P<0.05). Univariate analysis showed that serum miR-501 level at admission in the resistant group was significantly higher, whereas serum miR-195 level was significantly lower than those in the sensitive group (both P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that serum miR-501 and miR-195 levels were significantly correlated with the sensitivity to concurrent chemoradiotherapy in LACC patients. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.736 and 0.913, respectively. Conclusions:The higher the serum miR-501 level and the lower the serum miR-195 level before treatment, the higher the probability of resistance to concurrent chemoradiotherapy in LACC patients. Serum miR-501 and miR-195 levels of LACC patients before treatment have certain predictive value for the sensitivity to concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Timing of hormone therapy and its association with cardiovascular risk and metabolic parameters in 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide-induced primary ovarian insufficiency mouse model.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of various initiation time points and durations of hormone therapy (HT) on cardiovascular and metabolic parameters of premenarche, primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) mouse model, induced by 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide. METHODS: A total of 50 mice at 4 weeks of age were developed into POI mouse model, further randomly categorized into 5 groups: control group without any intervention; no HT group with only high-fat diet (NT); group 1 with delayed estradiol treatment (T1); group 2 with on-time, continuous estradiol treatment (T2); and group 3 with on-time estradiol treatment but early stop (T3). Cardiovascular risk and metabolic parameters were measured. RESULTS: Presenting with similar body weights, blood glucose levels of T1, T2, and T3 were all significantly lower than NT (p < .001). Serum total cholesterol and insulin were also significantly lower in all HT groups than in NT, especially in T2 (p < .001). For serum low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, only T2 resulted in the statically lower level than those of NT, T1, and T3 (p < .001). Aortic thickness was significantly increased with aggravated fibrotic change of the intima in NT, and such consequence was significantly ameliorated in HT groups, mostly lowered in T2 (p < .05). Last, serum pro-inflammatory cytokines were significantly low in the HT groups than in NT, especially in T2 with the lowest level (p < .05). . CONCLUSIONS: On-time, continuous E2 treatment immediately after a biologic estrogen deprivation event significantly reduced metabolic and cardiovascular risks in young, pre-menarche female mouse models of POI, confirming decreased serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Computer simulation approach to the identification of visfatin-derived angiogenic peptides.

Angiogenesis plays an essential role in various normal physiological processes, such as embryogenesis, tissue repair, and skin regeneration. Visfatin is a 52 kDa adipokine secreted by various tissues including adipocytes. It stimulates the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and promotes angiogenesis. However, there are several issues in developing full-length visfatin as a therapeutic drug due to its high molecular weight. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop peptides, based on the active site of visfatin, with similar or superior angiogenic activity using computer simulation techniques.Initially, the active site domain (residues 181∼390) of visfatin was first truncated into small peptides using the overlapping technique. Subsequently, the 114 truncated small peptides were then subjected to molecular docking analysis using two docking programs (HADDOCK and GalaxyPepDock) to generate small peptides with the highest affinity for visfatin. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations (MD) were conducted to investigate the stability of the protein-ligand complexes by computing root mean square deviation (RSMD) and root mean square fluctuation(RMSF) plots for the visfatin-peptide complexes. Finally, peptides with the highest affinity were examined for angiogenic activities, such as cell migration, invasion, and tubule formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Through the docking analysis of the 114 truncated peptides, we screened nine peptides with a high affinity for visfatin. Of these, we discovered two peptides (peptide-1: LEYKLHDFGY and peptide-2: EYKLHDFGYRGV) with the highest affinity for visfatin. In an in vitrostudy, these two peptides showed superior angiogenic activity compared to visfatin itself and stimulated mRNA expressions of visfatin and VEGF-A. These results show that the peptides generated by the protein-peptide docking simulation have a more efficient angiogenic activity than the original visfatin.

Honey Bee Colonies (Apis mellifera L.) Perform Orientation Defensiveness That Varies among Bred Lines.

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) express complex behavioral patterns (aggressiveness) in defensive mechanisms for their survival. Their phenotypic expression of defensive behavior is influenced by internal and external stimuli. Knowledge of this behavior has recently become increasingly important, though beekeepers are still faced with the challenges of selecting defensive and less-defensive bred lines. Field evaluation of defensive behavior among bred lines of honey bees is required to overcome the challenges. Chemical cues (alarm pheromone and isopentyl acetate mixed with paraffin oil) and physical and visual stimuli (dark leather suede, colony marbling, and suede jiggling) were used to evaluate defensiveness and orientation among five bred lines of honeybee colonies. Our results showed that both chemical assays recruited bees, but the time of recruitment was significantly faster for alarm pheromone. Honeybees' response to both assays culminated in stings that differed among bred lines for alarm pheromone and paraffin when colonies were marbled. Honeybee orientation defensiveness varied among bred lines and was higher in more defensive bred lines compared to less-defensive bred lines. Our findings suggest that it is crucial to repeatedly evaluate orientation defensiveness at the colony level and among bred lines when selecting breeding colonies.

Arenobufagin-loaded PEG-PLA nanoparticles for reducing toxicity and enhancing cancer therapy.

Arenobufagin (ArBu) is a natural anticancer drug with good anti-tumor effects, but its clinical applications and drug development potential are limited due to its toxicity. The purpose of this study is to reduce the toxic side effects of ArBu and improve the efficacy of tumor treatment by incorporating it into poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly (lactide) co-polymer (PEG-PLA). ArBu@PEG-PLA micelles were prepared by a thin film hydration method. The optimized micelles were characterized by size, stability, drug loading, encapsulation rate, and drug release. The tumor-inhibition efficacy of the micelles was evaluated on A549 cells and tumor-bearing mice. The ArBu@PEG-PLA micelles have good drug-loading capacity, release performance, and stability. They can accumulate at the tumor site through the EPR effect. The micelles induce apoptosis through a mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Compared with the free ArBu, the ArBu@PEG-PLA micelles had lower toxicity and higher safety in the acute toxicity evaluation experiment. The in vivo anti-tumor experiment with tumor-bearing mice showed that the tumor-inhibition rate of ArBu@PEG-PLA micelles was 72.9%, which was 1.28-fold higher than that of free ArBu (57.1%), thus showing a good tumor treatment effect. This study indicates that ArBu@PEG-PLA polymeric micelles can significantly improve the toxicity and therapeutic efficacy of ArBu. These can lead to a new therapeutic strategy to reduce the toxicity of ArBu and enhance tumor treatment.

Systematic comparison of two kinds of Bufonis Venenum derived from different Bufo gargarizans subspecies based on metabolomics and antitumor activity / 中国中药杂志

This paper compared the differences between two kinds of Bufonis Venenum produced by Bufo gargarizans gargarizans and B. gararizans andrewsi, and verified the rationality of the market value orientation of Bufonis Venenum based on the zebrafish mo-del. Twenty batches of Bufonis Venenum from Jiangsu province, Hebei province, Liaoning province, Jilin province, and Liangshan, Sichuan province, including B. gargarizans gargarizans and B. gararizans andrewsi, were collected. The UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS combined with principal component analysis was used to compare the differences between two kinds of Bufonis Venenum. According to the limiting conditions of VIP>1, FC<0.5 or FC>2.0, and peak total area ratio>1%, 9 differential markers were determined, which were cinobufagin, cinobufotalin, arenobufagin, resibufogenin, scillaredin A, resibufagin, 3-(N-suberoylargininyl)-arenobufagin, 3-(N-suberoylargininyl)-marinobufagin, and 3-(N-suberoylargininyl)-resibufogenin. The content of 20 batches of Bufonis Venenum was determined according to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(2020 edition) by high-performance liquid chromatography, and the 2 batches of Bufonis Venenum, CS7(8.99% of total content) and CS9(5.03% of total content), with the largest difference in the total content of the three quality control indexes of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(bufalin, cinobufagin, and resibufogenin) were selected to evaluate their anti-liver tumor activity based on the zebrafish model. The tumor inhibition rates of the 2 batches were 38.06% and 45.29%, respectively, proving that only using the quality control indexes of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as the value orientation of Bufonis Venenum market circulation was unreasonable. This research provides data support for the effective utilization of Bufonis Venenum resources and the establishment of a rational quality evaluation system of Bufonis Venenum.

Comparison of curative effect between Tianji robot assisted screw placement and traditional cannulated screw internal fixation for femoral neck fracture / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the clinical efficacy and advantages of Tianji orthopedic robot assisted cannulated screw internal fixation for femoral neck fracture.@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 41 patients with femoral neck fracture who underwent internal fixation with cannulated screws from January 2019 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. According to different surgical methods, they were divided into Tianji robot group and traditional cannulated screw fixation group (traditional operation group). Among them, there were 18 patients in Tianji robot group including 8 males and 10 females with age of (56.00±4.22) years old, Garden typeⅠ (4 cases), type Ⅱ (11 cases), type Ⅲ (2 cases), and type Ⅳ (1 case). There were 23 patients in the traditional operation group, including 10 males and 13 females, aged (54.87±4.81) years old;there were 5 cases of Garden typeⅠ, 14 cases of type Ⅱ, 3 cases of type Ⅲ and 1 case of type Ⅳ. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, fluoroscopy times, guide needle placement times, operation costs and other indicators were observed and compared between two groups. Harris score was used to evaluate hip joint function 12 months after operation.@*RESULTS@#The wounds of all patients healed in Grade A without complications. There were significant differences between two groups in terms of operation time, times of intraoperative fluoroscopy, times of guide needle placement, amount of intraoperative bleeding, and operation cost (P<0.05). All 41 patients were followed up for at least 12 months. The fractures of both groups were healed. There was no infection, screw loosening, fracture displacement and femoral head necrosis in Tianji robot group during follow-up;Screw loosening occurred in 2 patients in the traditional operation group during follow-up. At 12 months after operation, Harris hip joint function score of Tianji robot group was higher than that of traditional operation group in daily activity, lameness, joint activity score and total score (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Tianji robot assisted nail placement is a better method for the treatment of femoral neck fracture, which improves the surgical efficiency, is more accurate, has higher success rate of one-time nail placement, shorter operation time, less radiation, and has better hip joint function recovery after surgery.