[Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and risk of erectile dysfunction: A bidirectional two-sample mendelian randomization study].

Objective：The purpose of this study was to explore the causal relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) by using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. METHODS: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were screened as instrumental variables (IVs) using the public genome-wide association study summary data set (GWAS). Univariate MR, bidirectional MR and multivariate MR methods were used to analyze the causal relationship between NAFLD and ED. RESULTS: IVW results showed that NAFLD was not associated with ED (OR=0.991 2, 95%CI: 0.955 2－1.0286, P=0.640 6). The results of reverse MR showed that there was no correlation between ED and NAFLD (OR=1.181 5, 95%CI: 0.820 8－1.7007, P=0.369 5). Multivariate MR results showed that there was still no causal relationship between the two diseases after adjusting for confounding factors. CONCLUSION: The results showed that there was no causal relationship between NAFLD and the risk of ED.

[PKEP with complete preservation of the urethral mucosa in the 11－1 o'clock position improves urinary continence and protects erectile function in BPH patients].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of transurethral plasmakinetic enucleation of the prostate (PKEP) with complete preservation of the urethral mucosa in the 11－1 o'clock position on urinary continence and erectile function in BPH patients. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 84 cases of BPH treated by traditional PKEP (group A, n = 48) or modified PKEP with complete preservation of the urethral mucosa in the 11－1 o'clock position (group B, n = 36) from January 2017 to December 2021. All the patients had sexual activities within three months preoperatively. We followed up the patients for 12 months after surgery and compared the baseline, surgery-related and follow-up data between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups of patients in age, disease duration, prostate volume, preoperative postvoid residual urine (PVR), preoperative maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), IPSS, PSA level, QOL scores or IIEF-5 scores, nor in the operation time, intraoperative hemoglobin decrease, volume of resected tissue, bladder flushing time, postoperative hospital stay, or postoperative improvement of Qmax and IPSS. The rate of urinary continence was significantly higher in group B than in A at 1 month postoperatively (66.67% ï¼»24/36ï¼½ vs 43.25% ï¼»20/48ï¼½, P = 0.025) and so were IIEF-5 scores at 6 months (16.69 ± 3.21 vs 15.27 ± 2.74, P = 0.032) and 12 months (18.04 ± 2.04 vs 16.96 ± 2.54, P = 0.039), while the incidence rate of retrograde ejaculation markedly lower in the former than in the latter group at 6 months (33.33% ï¼»12/36ï¼½ vs 56.25% ï¼»28/48ï¼½, P = 0.018) and 12 months (25% ï¼»9/36ï¼½ vs 47.92% ï¼»23/48ï¼½, P = 0.027). At 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery, the patients in group B also showed remarkably higher QOL scores than those in group B (2.61 ± 0.81 vs 2.12 ± 0.69, P = 0.005; 2.24 ± 0.66 vs 1.94 ± 0.51,P = 0.026; 2.12 ± 0.83 vs 1.80 ± 0.53,P = 0.047; and 1.94 ± 0.65 vs 1.72 ± 0.58, P = 0.038). CONCLUSION: Modified PKEP with complete preservation of the urethral mucosa in the 11－1 o'clock position can improve urinary continence, protect erectile function and ameliorate QOL in patients with BPH.

miR-133a-3p inhibits the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by regulating ankyrin repeat domain 44.

In this study, we aimed to identify the specific microRNAs (miRNAs) that are involved in the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) from ovariectomized (OVX) mice, and to further explore the mechanism by which these miRNAs regulate osteogenic differentiation. Based on the existing studies, the expression of seven miRNAs in BMSCs from OVX mice was evaluated using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The expression of miR-133a-3p and osteogenesis-related genes (runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), Osterix, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and osteopontin) in BMSCs treated with miR-133a-3p mimics or inhibitors was detected by qRT-PCR or Western blotting. Osteogenesis efficiency was determined using ALP and alizarin red staining. The effector-target relationship between miR-133a-3p and ankyrin repeat domain 44 (ANKRD44) was confirmed by bioinformatics and a dual luciferase assay. Among the seven selected miRNAs, miR-133a-3p expression was significantly increased in BMSCs from OVX mice. Overexpression of miR-133a-3p dramatically inhibited the expression of osteogenesis-related genes in BMSCs and reduced ALP activity and mineralization. However, these processes were markedly ameliorated upon miR-133a-3p inhibition. Moreover, miR-133a-3p appeared to target ANKRD44, and the ANKRD44 expression was negatively regulated by miR-133a- 3p. Furthermore, ANKRD44 upregulation eliminated the anti-osteogenic differentiation effects of miR-133a-3p in BMSCs. Thus, our results indicated that miR-133a-3p inhibits the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs by suppressing ANKRD44.

[Quality evaluation of Saposhnikoviae Radix based on QAMS combined with information entropy-response surface method].

This research was used with high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC), combined with information entropy-response surface method(RSM) to investigate the ethanol concentration, extraction time, liquid-to-material ratio. Taking the content of four chromogens as evaluation indexes, the weight coefficients of each index were given, and the comprehensive score was calculated to optimize the extraction process. Then, prim-O-glucosylcimifugin was used as the reference, the relative calibration factors(RCFs) of cimifugin, 4'-O-ß-D-glucosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol and sec-O-glucosylhamaudo to prim-O-glucosylcimifugin were calculated respectively. The contents of four components in Saposhnikoviae Radix were determined by both external standard method(ESM)and quantitative analysis of multi-components by single marker(QAMS) method, and the results were compared. At last, combined with principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) to evaluate the quality of the Saposhnikoviae Radix in different production areas. The optimal extraction process parameter of the Saposhnikoviae Radix was as follows: liquid-to-material ratio is 60∶1(mL·g~(-1)), extraction time is 35 min, and ethanol concentration is 70%. The repeatability of the RCFs was perfect, and the results calculated by the QAMS were consistent with the results from the ESM. The stoichiometric results indicate that there are obvious differences in the distribution of Saposhnikoviae Radix in different production areas, and cimifugin and prim-O-glucosylcimifugin are the characteristic compounds that cause this difference. In this study, the optimal extraction process is stable and feasible, and the method of QAMS is accurate and reliable. From the perspective of four chromogens, there are differences in the quality of the Saposhnikoviae Radix in different production areas. Therefore, the established extraction process combined with the method of QAMS can be used to evaluate the quality of Saposhnikoviae Radix and provide a scientific basis for the quality control of Saposhnikoviae Radix.

[Correlative analysis of degenerative lumbar scoliosis and osteoporosis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between degenerative lumbar scoliosis and osteoporosis in adults. METHODS: From March 2012 to June 2016, the clinical data of 53 patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis were retrospectively analyzed for a correlation study between degenerative lumbar scoliosis and osteoporosis. Fifty-three patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis were selected as observation group and another 53 inpatients without lumbar scoliosis as control group. There were 11 males and 42 females with an average age of 69 years (range 63 to 76 years) old in observation group. And in control group, there were 16 males and 37 females with an average age of 68.5 years (range 59 to 74 years) old, including lumbar disc herniation in 33 cases, lumbar spinal stenosis in 13 cases, spondylolisthesis in 7 cases. The 53 patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis were confirmed by X-ray and MRI, their Cobb angle of lumbar scoliosis was measured. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure the bone mineral density, the T values of L2-L4 segments, femoral neck, Ward triangle and femoral trochanter were recorded. Linear regression analysis was used to analyze the correlation between osteoporosis and degenerative lumbar scoliosis. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the bone mineral density T values between two groups (P<0.05). Bone mineral density T value in patients with lumbar scoliosis were significantly higher than that in the patients with no lumbar scoliosis (P<0.05), (-2.56±0.65 vs -1.39±0.77). The T values of L2-L4 segments, femoral neck, Ward triangle and femoral trochanter had no remarkable correlation with Cobb's angles. CONCLUSIONS: Osteoporosis is a risk factor for degenerative scoliosis, but the severity of osteoporosis and degree of scoliosis has no obvious correlation.