A retrospective study of neck rejuvenation using a noninsulated microneedle radiofrequency in Chinese subjects

Lasers in Medical Science - Large-scale long-term retrospective study of noninsulated microneedle radiofrequency treatment on neck rejuvenation is lacking. We conducted a 3-year retrospective...     

The association between plant-based diet and erectile function in Chinese young healthy men: A population-based study

The study was designed and conducted to evaluate the plant-based diet status and its association with erectile function (EF) in Chinese young healthy men. From July 2018 to May 2020, 116 objectively proved physically and psychologically healthy men were selected. Clinical questionnaires, detailed physical examinations and blood tests were all assessed. An overall plant-based diet index (PDI) and a healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI) were developed from each participant to measure plant-based diet quantitatively. The EF was measured by both the International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5) and the surrogated measures of endothelial function, peripheral levels of nitric oxide (NO) and E-selectin. In subjects, the mean PDI and hPDI were 53.8 ± 8.2 and 54.7 ± 8.9 respectively. Results of multivariate analysis showed that both PDI and hPDI were negatively associated with BMI (all p < .05), but had no relationships with NO, E-selectin, TT levels and IIEF-5 scores (all p > .05). In a subgroup of male population, Chinese young healthy men, the plant-based diet, measured by PDI and hPDI, was not related to erectile function. The population can adhere to plant-based diet to keep healthy without concerns of negative influence on erectile function.     

Culture bovine prospermatogonia with 2i medium

Germplasm cryopreservation and expansion of gonocytes/prospermatogonia or spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are important; however, it's difficult in cattle. Since inhibitors of Mek1/2 and Gsk3β (2i) can enhance pluripotency maintenance, effects of 2i-based medium on the cultivation of bovine prospermatogonia from the cryopreserved tissues were examined. The testicular tissues of newborn bulls were well cryopreserved. High mRNA levels of prospermatogonium/SSC markers (PLZF, GFRα-1) and pluripotency markers (Oct4/Pouf5, Sox2, Nanog) were detected and the PLZF⁺/GFRα-1⁺ prospermatogonia were consistently identified immunohistochemically in the seminiferous cords. Using differential plating and Percoll-based centrifugation, 41.59% prospermatogonia were enriched and they proliferated robustly in 2i medium. The 2i medium boosted mRNA abundances of Pouf5, Sox2, Nanog, GFRα-1, PLZF, anti-apoptosis gene Bcl2, LIF receptor gene LIFR and enhanced PLZF protein expression, but suppressed mRNA expressions of spermatogonial differentiation marker c-kit and pro-apoptotic gene Bax, in the cultured prospermatogonia. It also alleviated H₂O₂-induced apoptosis of the enriched cells and decreased histone H3 lysine (K9) trimethylation (H3K9me3) and its methylase Suv39h1/2 mRNA level in the cultured seminiferous cords. Overall, 2i medium improves the cultivation of bovine prospermatogonia isolated from the cryopreserved testes, by inhibiting Suv39h1/2-mediated H3K9me3 through Mek1/2 and Gsk3β signalling, evidencing successful cryopreservation and expansion of bovine germplasm.     

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and risk of prostatic diseases: Roles of insulin resistance

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the liver component of metabolic syndrome, is considered to be associated with high risk of prostatic diseases but a systematic review has not been conducted. Under a comprehensive review of the eligible clinical studies, a potential positive association between NAFLD and benign prostatic hyperplasia/prostate cancer (BPH/PCa) has been postulated. Insulin resistance and metabolic aberrations are considered to be the potential mechanism for such association. However, the relationship between NAFLD and other prostatic diseases, that is, prostatic inflammation and lower urinary tract symptoms, seems vague due to limited relevant studies in the literatures. The present review highlights that clinicians should be conscious of the detrimental effect of NAFLD on the development of BPH and PCa.     

Comparison of a fractional 2940-nm Er:YAG laser and 5% amorolfine lacquer combination therapy versus a 5% amorolfine lacquer monotherapy for the treatment of onychomycosis: a randomized controlled trial

Lasers in Medical Science - Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nail. The aim of this randomized controlled clinical trial was to compare the efficacy of 2940-nm Er:YAG laser treatment...     

Analysis of pharmacological mechanisms of Yinyanghuo as treatment of erectile dysfunction with network pharmacology-based strategy

Erectile dysfunction is considered an important health problem that impacts the quality of life of men. Yinyanghuo, also called Epimedium or Horny Goat Weed, is a frequently used Chinese traditional herbal medicine, commonly used in treating erectile dysfunction in China. A network pharmacology method was performed systematically, at a molecular level, to analyse the pharmacological mechanism of Yinyanghuo as erectile dysfunction therapy. The network pharmacology method used in this study primarily includes prescreening of the active compounds, prediction of targets, network analysis and gene enrichment analysis. This network analysis proved that 4 targets (AR, NR3C2, PDE5A and BMP2) could be the targets of Yinyanghuo therapy on erectile dysfunction. Besides, gene enrichment analysis predicted that Yinyanghuo might have a role in erectile dysfunction by regulating 10 molecular functions, 8 cellular components, 10 biological processes and 36 possible targets related to 10 signalling pathways. Our study demonstrated the molecular and pharmacological mechanisms of Yinyanghuo against erectile dysfunction with a holistic approach and demonstrated a powerful method for analysing pharmacological mechanisms and rational utilisation of Traditional Chinese Medicine clinically.     

Comparative study of different transplantation methods of adipose tissue-derived stem cells in the treatment of erectile dysfunction caused by cavernous nerve injury

We aimed to compare intracavernosal injection (ICI), tail vein injection (IV), and periprostatic injection (PPI) of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) for their ability to improve erectile function in cavernous nerve injury-induced erectile dysfunction (CNIED) rats and to explore the possible mechanism. Eighty-four male SD rats were divided into the sham group (n = 6), BCNI group (bilateral CN crush injury, n = 6), PBS-ICI group (n = 6), PBS-IV group (n = 6), PBS-PPI group (n = 6), ADSC-ICI group (n = 18), ADSC-IV group (n = 18) and ADSC-PPI group (n = 18). ADSCs were labelled with 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU), and six rats each in the ADSC-ICI group, ADSC-IV group, and ADSC-PPI group were sacrificed 2, 7, and 28 days after injection. EdU-labelled ADSCs were tracked by immunofluorescence staining. The intracavernosal pressure (ICP)/mean arterial pressure (MAP) ratio, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-positive nerve fibres in the dorsal penile nerve and the smooth muscle/collagen ratio in the cavernosum between groups were also evaluated. ADSCs can significantly improve erectile function through ICI or IV. The two are similar in efficacy and superior to PPI. The mechanism may be that after CN injury, ADSCs are recruited to around the MPG and secrete a variety of neurotrophic factors that promote the repair of the CN, thereby improving erectile function.     

Application of network pharmacology and molecular docking to elucidate the potential mechanism of Astragalus–Scorpion against prostate cancer

The present study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of the Astragalus–Scorpion drug pair in the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa). We employed network pharmacology and molecular docking technology to retrieving the active ingredients and corresponding targets of Astragalus–Scorpion by using TCMSP, BATMAN-TCM, TCMID and Swiss Target Prediction Databases. The targets related to PCa were retrieved through GeneCards. Cytoscape software was used to construct the ‘active ingredient–target disease’ network, and GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed on the common targets. Autodock software was used for molecular docking verification. In total, 26 active ingredients, 340 potential targets related to active ingredients and 122 common targets were screened from Astragalus–Scorpion drug pair. The core targets of the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network were JUN, AKT1, IL6, MAPK1 and RELA, whereas the core active ingredients were quercetin, kaempferol, formononetin, 7-o-methylisomucronulatol and calycosin. Nearly 762 GO entries and 154 pathways were obtained by using the pathway enrichment analysis. Molecular docking results revealed that quercetin and kaempferol bind to AKT1 and formononetin binds to RELA, all of which were found to be stable bounds.     

Systematic review and network meta-analysis assess the comparative efficacy and safety of transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary tumor

Neurosurgical Review - To quantitatively synthesize the comparative efficacy and safety of the most common surgical approaches including endonasal transsphenoidal endoscopic surgery (ETES),...     

Inhibition of Smad3 promotes the healing of rotator cuff injury in a rat model

To investigate the effect of inhibiting transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β1)/Smad2/3 signaling on rotator cuff (RC) healing. A bilateral supraspinatus tendon detachment‐repair model of Sprague‐Dawley (SD) rats was utilized. A total of 120 SD rats were randomly assigned to six groups and each group received the subacromial injection of normal saline, empty vectors, or lentiviral vectors containing small interfering RNA against TGF‐β1, Smad2, Smad3 at the bone‐tendon junction. Biomechanical and histological analyses were performed to evaluate bone‐tendon junction healing quality at 8 weeks after repair. Histologically, scar healing was found in all surgical groups. Animals with inhibited Smad3 exhibited better bone‐tendon junction structures with higher density, parallel orientation, and collagen fiber continuity than other surgical group animals. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the protein expression level of collagen I in animals with inhibited Smad3 was more prominent compared with all other surgical groups. Biomechanically, Animals with inhibited Smad3 showed better results in the maximum load at 4, 6, and 8 weeks after surgery compared with other surgical groups. Besides, C3H10T1/2 (Smad3?) cells increased TT‐D6 cell migration and tendon‐associated genes expression (scleraxis, tenascin C, collagen I) in coculture system. We conclude that inhibition of Smad3 promotes RC tendon healing in the rat supraspinatus model.