Testosterone 2% Gel Can Normalize Testosterone Concentrations in Men with Low Testosterone Regardless of Body Mass Index

IntroductionLittle is known about the effect of body mass index (BMI) on the efficacy and safety of testosterone therapy in hypogonadal men. A prior noncomparative trial demonstrated that testosterone 2% gel restored testosterone levels in hypogonadal men and was generally well tolerated.AimThis post hoc analysis evaluated the influence of BMI on the pharmacokinetics of testosterone therapy in men with low testosterone.MethodsMen (N = 149) aged 18–75 applied testosterone 2% gel to the front and inner thigh once daily for 90 days. Starting dose was 40 mg/day, which could be adjusted at days 14, 35, and 60. Patients were split into categories depending on baseline BMI: Tertile 1 (≤29.1 kg/m²), Tertile 2 (29.2–32.4 kg/m²), and Tertile 3 (>32.4 kg/m²).Main Outcome MeasuresEfficacy end points were average serum total testosterone concentrations over 24 hours and maximum serum testosterone concentrations at day 90. Adverse events were recorded.ResultsThe efficacy analysis included 129 men with low testosterone (mean age 52.9, 54.0, and 54.2 years for Tertiles 1, 2, and 3, respectively) defined as serum testosterone <250–300 ng/dL. Baseline testosterone levels were comparable across BMI tertiles. After 90 days of treatment with testosterone 2% gel (≥40 mg/day), 79.1%, 79.5%, and 73.8% of patients in Tertiles 1, 2, and 3, respectively, achieved serum testosterone concentrations in the physiologic range (i.e., ≥ 300 to ≤ 1,140 ng/dL). The mean average daily dose at day 90 was higher in participants in Tertiles 3 vs. 2 (P = 0.039) and Tertiles 3 vs. 1 (P = 0.010). The gel was generally well tolerated, with skin reactions the most commonly reported adverse event (16.1%; n = 24).ConclusionsIn this study, daily application of testosterone 2% gel was effective at returning serum testosterone to physiologic levels in men with low testosterone and high BMI, although required dose was affected by BMI. Dobs A, Norwood P, Potts S, Gould E, and Chitra S. Testosterone 2% gel can normalize testosterone concentrations in men with low testosterone regardless of body mass index. J Sex Med 2014;11:857–864.     

Application value of fluorescence visualization-assisted technology in the resection of liver cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundThe purpose of this study is to systematically evaluate the application value of fluorescence visualization-assisted technology in the resection of liver cancer.MethodsA systematic search was conducted of the literature on fluorescence visualization-assisted technology in the resection of liver cancer in randomized controlled trials, semi-randomized controlled trials, and observational studies. The retrieval period was up to April 2022. Publications and conference papers in English were manually searched and the references included in the literature were traced. After evaluating the quality of the included studies, the total analysis and subgroup analysis based on pathological types of liver malignant lesions were conducted using the Review Manager 5.1 software.ResultsEight studies were included with a total of 646 patients enrolled. Analysis indicated that the fluorescence visualization could significantly shorten the operative time [mean difference (MD) = -38.33; 95% CI = -71.70 ∼ -4.96; P = 0.02], reduce blood loss [MD = 12.96; 95% CI = 11.98 ∼ 13.95; P < 0.001], shorten the hospital stay [MD = -8.0; 95% CI = -14.29 ∼ -1.72; P = 0.01], reduce postoperative complications [odds ratio (OR) = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.21 ∼ 0.91; P = 0.03], and reduce the recurrence rate [OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.21 ∼ 0.77; P = 0.006].ConclusionThis systematic review revealed the superiority of fluorescence visualization-assisted technology for the resection of liver cancer, and offers high practical application value.     

Effect of Aldrin on Life History Characteristics of Rotifer <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brachionus calyciflorus </Emphasis>Pallas

The organochlorine insecticide aldrin is commonly used in intensive agriculture, and demonstrates estrogenic activity. Rotifers such as Brachionus calyciflorus are favored test animals in aquatic toxicology because of their more sensitivity to most toxicants. In the tested concentration range of 0.04–1.28 mg/L, aldrin shortened significantly the durations of embryonic development. Lower concentrations of aldrin had an intriguing effect on the reproduction of the rotifers and are beneficial to their survival. Different endpoints of both development and reproduction had different sensitivity to aldrin. The reproductive endpoint of the rotifers is more sensitive to aldrin than the developmental endpoint.     

Altered Cortical Thickness Related to Clinical Severity But Not the Untreated Disease Duration in Schizophrenia

Although previous studies have reported deficits in the gray matter volume of schizophrenic patients, it remains unclear whether these deficits occur at the onset of the disease, before treatment, and whether they are progressive over the duration of untreated disease. Furthermore, the gray matter volume represents the combinations of cortical thickness and surface area; these features are believed to be influenced by different genetic factors. However, cortical thickness and surface area in antipsychotic-naive first-episode schizophrenic patients have seldom been investigated. Here, the cortical thicknesses and surface areas of 128 antipsychotic-naive first-episode schizophrenic patients were compared with 128 healthy controls. The patients exhibited significantly lower cortical thickness, primarily in the bilateral prefrontal and parietal cortex, and increased thickness in the bilateral anterior temporal lobes, left medial orbitofrontal cortex, and left cuneus. Furthermore, decreased cortical thickness was related to positive schizophrenia symptoms but not to the severity of negative symptoms and the untreated disease duration. No significant difference of surface area was observed between the 2 groups. Thus, without the confounding factors of medication and illness progression, this study provides further evidence to support anatomical deficits in the prefrontal and parietal cortex early in course of the illness. The increased thicknesses of the bilateral anterior temporal lobes may represent a compensatory factor or may be an early-course neuronal pathology caused by preapoptotic osmotic changes or hypertrophy. Furthermore, these anatomical deficits are crucial to the pathogenesis of positive symptoms and relatively stable instead of progressing during the early stages of the disease.Key words: schizophrenia, cortical thickness, first-episode, antipsychotic-naive, MRI     

Magnolol Inhibits Tumor Necrosis Factor-α-Induced ICAM-1 Expression via Suppressing NF-κB And MAPK Signaling Pathways in Human Lung Epithelial Cells

Magnolol is a traditional Chinese medicine from the root and bark of Magnolia officinalis. It has long been used to treat anxiety, cough, headache and allergies, as well as a variety of inflammations. Lung inflammation is a key event in the pathogenesis of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The present study sought to examine the effects of magnolol on tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced upregulation of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), activation of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway in cultured human pulmonary epithelial cells, and adhesion of human macrophage-like U937 cells to A549 cells. A549 cells were incubated with magnolol at 25 and 50 μmol/l. Then, 20 ng/ml TNF-α was used to activate the cells. Magnolol inhibited the growth of human pulmonary epithelial A549 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Magnolol suppressed the adhesion of U937 cells to TNF-α-induced A549 cells. In cultured human pulmonary epithelial A549 cells, magnolol decreased TNF-α-induced upregulation of ICAM-1. Magnolol repressed TNF-α-induced activation of NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways in A549 cells by inhibiting phosphorylation of NF-κB, p38, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2, and stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK)/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). These findings support the hypothesis that magnolol inhibits the inflammatory process in lung epithelial A549 cells by suppressing the ICAM-1 and NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways. Taken together, these results indicate that magnolol offers significant potential as a therapeutic treatment for inflammatory diseases of the lungs including asthma, sepsis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.     

定坤丹联合替勃龙治疗围绝经期综合征的临床研究

川贝母因其药用效果良好,被中国及世界上多个国家广泛应用于临床治疗中。但是随着川贝母药材资源需求量的急剧增长及其野生基原植物存在产量低,自然条件下种子数量少、发芽率及成活率极低等缺陷,使得川贝母野生基原植物资源处于濒危状态。以中国知网和Web of Science这两大数据库所发表的文章为基础,综述了川贝母本草学考证、野生基原植物资源分布状况及其影响因素、保育措施及利用内生真菌获得贝母类生物碱等方面的研究进展。以期从传统的保育措施及现阶段积极探索的微生物提取活性物质的角度为川贝母野生基原植物资源的保育提供发展思路,以期早日实现川贝母的供需平衡。     

Subtyping relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis using structural MRI

Journal of Neurology - Subtyping relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients may help predict disease progression and triage patients for treatment. We aimed to subtype RRMS...     

构建“学校、家庭、社区”一体化青少年性教育模式研究

针对青少年性教育实施过程中产生的异化现象和所面临的瓶颈问题,提出了构建青少年性教育推广模式的思路,阐述了＂家庭、学校、社区＂一体化模式对全面推广实施青少年性教育所发挥的重要作用;构建了一体化模式的框架体系并进一步分析了一体化模式的运行机制;研究表明只有构建合理有效的青少年性教育推广模式,才能从根本上解决青少年性教育所面临的诸多问题,才能建立长久有效的可持续发展机制。