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ncRNAs are involved in numerous biological processes by regulating gene expression and cell stability. Studies have shown that ncRNAs also contribute to spermatogenesis. Leydig cells (LCs) and Sertoli cells (SCs) are somatic cells of the testis that support spermatogenesis and are vital to male fertility. In this review, we summarized the findings from studies on ncRNAs in SCs and LCs. In SCs, ncRNAs play key roles in phagocytosis, immunoprotection and development of SCs. In LCs, ncRNAs are involved in steroidogenesis, in particular production of testosterone as well as development of LCs. Here, we discuss the possible target genes and functions of ncRNAs in both types of cells. These ncRNAs regulate the expression of target genes or mRNA coding sequence regions, resulting in a chain reaction that influences cell function. In addition, microRNAs, lncRNAs, piRNA-like RNAs (pilRNAs) and natural antisense transcripts (NATs) are discussed in this review. In summary, we suggest that these ncRNAs might act in coordination to control spermatogenesis and maintain the environmental homeostasis of the testis.
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RNA Longo não Codificante , Testículo , Humanos , Células Intersticiais do Testículo , Masculino , RNA Longo não Codificante/genética , Células de Sertoli , Espermatogênese/genéticaRESUMO
Injectable hydrogels have wide applications in clinical practice. However, the development of tough and bioadhesive ones based on biopolymers, along with biofriendly and robust crosslinking strategies, still represents a great challenge. Herein, we report an injectable hydrogel composed of maleimidyl alginate and pristine gelatin, for which the precursor solutions could self-crosslink via mild Michael-type addition without any catalyst or external energy upon mixing. This hydrogel is tough and bioadhesive, which can maintain intactness as well as adherence to the defect of porcine skin under fierce bending and twisting, warm water bath, and boiling water shower. Besides, it is biocompatible, bioactive and biodegradable, which could support the growth and remodeling of cells by affording an extracellular matrix-like environment. As a proof of application, we demonstrate that this hydrogel could significantly accelerate diabetic skin wound healing, thereby holding great potential in healthcare.
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Materiais Biocompatíveis , Gelatina , Animais , Suínos , Materiais Biocompatíveis/farmacologia , Hidrogéis , Alginatos , ÁguaRESUMO
The health effects of ultrafine particles (UFPs) are of growing global concern, but the epidemiological evidence remains limited. Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) characterized by hypoxemia is a prevalent condition linked to many debilitating chronic diseases. However, the role of UFPs in the development of SDB is lacking. Therefore, this prospective panel study was performed to specifically investigate the association of short-term exposure to UFPs with SDB parameters in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Ninety-one COPD patients completed 226 clinical visits in Beijing, China. Personal exposure to ambient UFPs of 0-7 days was estimated based on infiltration factor and time-activity pattern. Real-time monitoring of sleep oxygen saturation, spirometry, respiratory questionnaires and airway inflammation detection were performed at each clinical visit. Generalized estimating equation was used to estimate the effects of UFPs. Exposure to UFPs was significantly associated with increased oxygen desaturation index (ODI) and percent of the time with oxygen saturation below 90 % (T90), with estimates of 21.50 % (95%CI: 6.38 %, 38.76 %) and 18.75 % (95%CI: 2.83 %, 37.14 %), respectively, per 3442 particles/cm3 increment of UFPs at lag 0-3 h. Particularly, UFPs' exposure within 0-7 days was positively associated with the concentration of alveolar nitric oxide (CaNO), and alveolar eosinophilic inflammation measured by CaNO exceeding 5 ppb was associated with 29.63 % and 33.48 % increases in ODI and T90, respectively. In addition, amplified effects on oxygen desaturation were observed in current smokers. Notably, individuals with better lung function and activity tolerance were more affected by ambient UFPs due to longer time spent outdoors. To our knowledge, this is the first study to link UFPs to hypoxemia during sleep and uncover the key role of alveolar eosinophilic inflammation. Our findings provide new insights into the effect spectrum of UFPs and potential environmental and behavioral intervention strategies to protect susceptible populations.
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Poluentes Atmosféricos , Material Particulado , Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica , Humanos , Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica/epidemiologia , Masculino , Feminino , Poluentes Atmosféricos/efeitos adversos , Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Idoso , Pequim/epidemiologia , Sono/fisiologia , Estudos Prospectivos , Exposição Ambiental/estatística & dados numéricos , Síndromes da Apneia do Sono , Tamanho da Partícula , Oxigênio , Hipóxia , Saturação de Oxigênio/fisiologiaRESUMO
Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is an effective method for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. Although many embolic agents have been developed in TACE, there are few ideal embolic agents that combine drug loading, imaging properties and vessel embolization. Here, we developed novel magnetic embolic microspheres that could simultaneously load sunitinib malate (SU), be detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and block blood vessels. Calcium alginate/poly (acrylic acid) hydrogel microspheres (CA/PAA-MDMs) with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) modified by citric acid were prepared by a drip and photopolymerization method. The embolization and imaging properties of CA/PAA-MDMs were evaluated through a series of experiments such as morphology, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, magnetic responsiveness analysis, elasticity, cytotoxicity, hemolysis test, in vitro MRI evaluation, rabbit ear embolization and histopathology. In addition, the ability of drug loading and drug release of CA/PAA-MDMs were investigated by using sunitinib (SU) as the model drug. In conclusion, CA/PAA-MDMs showed outstanding drug loading capability, excellent imaging property and embolization effect, which would be expected to be used as a potential biodegradable embolic agent in the clinical interventional therapy.
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INTRODUCTION: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) are prevalent respiratory diseases in China and impose significant burdens on the healthcare system. Moreover, the co-occurrence of COPD and OSA exacerbates clinical outcomes significantly. However, comprehensive epidemiological investigations in China remain scarce, and the defining characteristics of the population affected by COPD and OSA, alongside their intrinsic relationship, remain ambiguous. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We present a protocol for a prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study based on a digital health management platform across three different healthcare tiers in five sites among Chinese patients with COPD. The study aims to establish predicative models to identify OSA among patients with COPD and to predict the prognosis of overlap syndrome (OS) and acute exacerbations of COPD through the Internet of Things (IoT). Moreover, it aims to evaluate the feasibility, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of IoT in managing chronic diseases within clinical settings. Participants will undergo baseline assessment, physical examination and nocturnal oxygen saturation measuring. Specific questionnaires screening for OSA will also be administered. Diagnostic lung function tests and polysomnography will be performed to confirm COPD and OSA, respectively. All patients will undergo scheduled follow-ups for 12 months to record the changes in symptoms, lung functions and quality of life. Primary outcomes include the prevalence and characteristics of OS, while secondary outcomes encompass OS prognosis and the feasibility of the management model in clinical contexts. A total of 682 patients with COPD will be recruited over 12-24 months. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by Peking University Third Hospital, and all study participants will provide written informed consent. Study results will be published in an appropriate journal and presented at national and international conferences, as well as relevant social media and various stakeholder engagement activities. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04833725.
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Internet das Coisas , Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica , Apneia Obstrutiva do Sono , Humanos , Estudos Prospectivos , Qualidade de Vida , Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica/diagnóstico , Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica/epidemiologia , Atenção à Saúde , Estudos de Coortes , Apneia Obstrutiva do Sono/diagnóstico , Apneia Obstrutiva do Sono/epidemiologia , Apneia Obstrutiva do Sono/complicações , Estudos Observacionais como Assunto , Estudos Multicêntricos como AssuntoRESUMO
Cell-laden hydrogel microstructures have been used in broad applications in tissue engineering, translational medicine, and cell-based assays for pharmaceutical research. However, the construction of cell-laden hydrogel microstructuresin vitroremains challenging. The technologies permitting generation of multicellular structures with different cellular compositions and spatial distributions are needed. Herein, we propose a laser-guided programmable hydrogel-microstructures-construction platform, allowing controllable and heterogeneous assembly of multiple cellular spheroids into spatially organized multicellular structures with good bioactivity. And the cell-laden hydrogel microstructures could be further leveraged forin vitrodrug evaluation. We demonstrate that cells within hydrogels exhibit significantly higher half-maximal inhibitory concentration values against doxorubicin compared with traditional 2D plate culture. Moreover, we reveal the differences in drug responses between heterogeneous and homogeneous cell-laden hydrogel microstructures, providing valuable insight intoin vitrodrug evaluation.
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Hidrogéis , Engenharia Tecidual , Hidrogéis/farmacologia , Hidrogéis/química , LasersRESUMO
Pultruded GFRP (glass fiber-reinforced polymer) materials are widely used in structural engineering because of their lightweight, corrosion immunity, and electromagnetic transparency. However, the design of load-bearing components facing substantial compressive stresses, e.g., columns, must be more stringent than steel structures due to excessive deformability, material heterogeneity, and vulnerability to stress concentration. This manuscript investigates the failure performance of locally produced GFRP materials, focusing on the material heterogeneity effect on the mechanical resistance of a support joint of a pultruded tubular GFRP column. This experimental campaign employs relatively short rectangular profile fragments to isolate the support behavior and verify a simplified numerical finite element model, which neglects the nonlinearity of GFRP material. This work determines the material failure mechanisms behind the mechanical performance of pultruded profiles subjected to longitudinal compression for various column lengths.
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Air pollution contributes substantially to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To date, the effect of air pollution on oxygen saturation (SpO2) during sleep and potential susceptibility factors remain unknown. In this longitudinal panel study, real-time SpO2 was monitored in 132 COPD patients, with 270 nights (1615 h) of sleep SpO2 recorded. Exhaled nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon monoxide (CO) were measured to assess airway inflammatory characteristics. Exposure levels of air pollutants were estimated by infiltration factor method. Generalized estimating equation was used to investigate the effect of air pollutants on sleep SpO2. Ozone, even at low levels (<60 µg/m3), was significantly associated with decreased SpO2 and extended time of oxygen desaturation (SpO2 < 90%), especially in the warm season. The associations of other pollutants with SpO2 were weak, but significant adverse effects of PM10 and SO2 were observed in the cold season. Notably, stronger effects of ozone were observed in current smokers. Consistently, smoking-related airway inflammation, characterized by higher levels of exhaled CO and H2S but lower NO, significantly augmented the effect of ozone on SpO2 during sleep. This study highlights the importance of ozone control in protecting sleep health in COPD patients.
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Poluentes Atmosféricos , Poluição do Ar , Ozônio , Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica , Humanos , Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Saturação de Oxigênio , Material Particulado/análise , Exposição Ambiental/análise , Poluição do Ar/análise , Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica/epidemiologia , Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica/induzido quimicamente , Ozônio/análise , Fenótipo , Fumar/efeitos adversosRESUMO
Conventional epidermal bioelectronics usually do not conform well with natural skin surfaces and are susceptible to motion artifact interference, due to incompatible dimensions, insufficient adhesion, imperfect compliance, and usually require complex manufacturing and high costs. We propose in situ forming hydrogel electrodes or electronics (ISF-HEs) that can establish highly conformal interfaces on curved biological surfaces without auxiliary adhesions. The ISF-HEs also have favorable flexibility and soft compliance comparable to human skin (≈0.02 kPa-1), which can stably maintain synchronous movements with deformed skins. Thus, the as-prepared ISF-HEs can accurately monitor large and tiny human motions with short response time (≈180 ms), good biocompatibility, and excellent performance. The as-obtained nongapped hydrogel electrode-skin interfaces achieve ultralow interfacial impedance (≈50 KΩ), nearly an order of magnitude lower than commercial Ag|AgCl electrodes as well as other reported dry and wet electrodes, regardless of the intrinsic micro-obstacles (wrinkles, hair) and skin deformation interference. Therefore, the ISF-HEs can collect high-quality electrocardiography and surface electromyography (sEMG) signals, with high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR ≈ 32.04 dB), reduced signal crosstalk, and minimized motion artifact interference. Simultaneously monitoring human motions and sEMG signals have also been implemented for the general exercise status assessment, such as the shooting competition in the Olympics. The as-prepared ISF-HEs can be considered as supplements/substitutes of conventional electrodes in percutaneously noninvasive monitoring of multifunctional physiological signals for health and exercise status.
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Artefatos , Pele , Humanos , Eletrodos , Monitorização Fisiológica , HidrogéisRESUMO
The growing burden of eye disease worldwide has aroused increasing concern upon its environmental etiology. This study aims to evaluate the associations of air pollutants with emergency room visits for eye diseases and the effect modification by temperature. Based on 24,389 cases from a general hospital during 2014-2019 in Beijing, China, this study used generalized additive models to examine the associations of air pollutants and emergency room visits for total eye diseases (ICD10: H00-H59) and conjunctivitis (ICD10: H10). Short-term exposures to PM2.5, PM10, CO, and NO2 were associated with increased visits for total eye diseases and conjunctivitis, and stronger effect estimates were observed in high (>75th) temperature group for PM2.5, PM10, CO, and NO2 and low (<75th) temperature group for CO and NO2. For instance, a 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 at lag0-1 were associated with a 0.73% (95% CI: 0.23%, 1.24%) increase in total eye disease visits and a 1.34% (95% CI: 0.55%, 2.13%) increase in conjunctivitis visits, respectively. Meanwhile, a 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 was associated with a 1.57% (95% CI: 0.49%, 2.64%) change in high temperature group and a 0.48% (95% CI: -0.24%, 1.19%) change in medium temperature group (P for interaction = 0.04) in total eye disease visits. Our study emphasizes the importance of controlling the potential hazards of air pollutants on eyes, especially on days with relatively higher or colder temperature.
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Poluentes Atmosféricos , Poluição do Ar , Oftalmopatias , Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Poluição do Ar/análise , Pequim , China , Serviço Hospitalar de Emergência , Oftalmopatias/epidemiologia , Humanos , Material Particulado/análise , TemperaturaRESUMO
The development of easy-to-use, low-cost, and visualized detection platforms for screening human dental caries and periodontal diseases is in urgent demand. In this work, a Au@Ag nanorods-poly(dimethylsiloxane) (Au@Ag NRs-PDMS) wearable mouthguard, which can visualize the tooth lesion sites through the color change of it at the corresponding locations, is presented. The Au@Ag NRs-PDMS composite exhibits a distinct color response to hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) gas generated by bacterial decay at the lesion sites. Moreover, the Au@Ag NRs-PDMS mouthguard is demonstrated to own desired mechanical properties, excellent chemical stability, as well as good biocompatibility, and can accurately locate the lesion sites in human oral cavity. These findings suggest that the mouthguard has the potential to be utilized on a large scale to help people self-monitor their oral health in daily life, and treat oral diseases locally.
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Cárie Dentária , Nanotubos , Doenças Periodontais , Dispositivos Eletrônicos Vestíveis , Ouro/química , Humanos , Nanotubos/químicaRESUMO
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent endocrine disorder in reproductive-aged women. Clinical manifestations include hyperandrogenism, chronic anovulation, polycystic ovaries and being frequently accompanied by insulin resistance (IR) and obesity. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs which are involved in the regulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Altered miRNAs levels have been showed to be associated with a variety of diseases including diabetes, endometriosis and cancer. In recent years, more and more evidence suggests abnormal expression of miRNAs are detected in granulosa cells, theca cells, adipose tissue, follicular fluid, serum and peripheral blood leukocytes of women with PCOS and display vital role in the occurrence and development of PCOS. This will shed light on new strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of this syndrome. In this paper, we will review the recent research on miRNAs with respect to PCOS.