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The ovary is an important organ for women to maintain reproductive and endocrine functions. Ovarian aging can lead to female reproductive aging, which is a key factor causing rapid aging of the female body. Umbilical cord-derived MSCs (UC-MSCs) play a therapeutic role in various degenerative diseases. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is widely used in the treatment of reversing oocyte quality. However, it is unclear whether UC-MSCs combined with DHEA supplementation can improve ovarian senescence in naturally aging mice. To address this question, we studied the influence of the combination of human UC-MSCs (hUC-MSCs) and DHEA on ovarian morphology and function in naturally aging mice. The results showed a significant augmentation in the number of primary follicles, as well as a significant upregulation of estradiol (E2), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) hormone levels, and a significant increase in survival rate in naturally aging mice treated by hUC-MSCs and DHEA. Moreover, the combination of hUC-MSCs and DHEA significantly reduced the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and downregulated the expression levels of proinflammatory factors IL-6, IL-18, and TNF-α. Furthermore, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway was inhibited. Conclusively, the combination therapy of hUC-MSC + DHEA contributed to restore ovarian function in aging mice and extend their lifespan by restoring hormone levels and inhibiting inflammatory factors.

Aim: To examine prenatal diagnosis strategies through fetal karyotype analysis for 3117 pregnant women with genetic amniocentesis indications. Materials & methods: According to the different indications for amniocentesis, the study was divided into 8 groups. The number of amniocentesis specimens, the number of abnormal karyotypes and the positive rate of each group were analyzed. Results: Compared with prenatal serum screening, noninvasive prenatal DNA testing is more accurate and can effectively improve screening efficiency.Multiple prenatal diagnosis indicators (37.349%) were more likely to be detected than single prenatal diagnosis indicators (11.091%). Conclusion: None of the screeningmethods can completely replace amniocentesis, and for pregnant womenwith genetic indications for amniocentesis, amniocentesis is strongly recommended.

Abstract Background Alveolar cleft is a type of cleft lip and palate that seriously affects the physical and mental health of patients. In this study, a model of the alveolar cleft phenotype was established in rabbits to evaluate the effect of bone collagen particles combined with human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUC-MSCs) on the repair of alveolar cleft bone defects. Methods A model of alveolar clefts in rabbits was established by removing the incisors on the left side of the upper jaw bone collagen particles combined with HUC-MSCs that were then implanted in the defect area. Blood biochemical analysis was performed 3 months after surgery. Skull tissues were harvested for gross observation, and micro-focus computerised tomography (micro-CT) analysis. Tissues were harvested for histological and immunohistochemical staining. The experiments were repeated 6 months after surgery. Results Bone collagen particles and HUC-MSCs showed good biocompatibility. Bone collagen particles combined with HUC-MSCs were markedly better at inducing bone repair and regeneration than bone collagen particles alone. Conclusions Combining HUC-MSCs with bone collagen particles provides a simple, rapid and suitable method to fill a bone defect site and treat of alveolar cleft bone defects.

Background/Aims: A growing body of evidence has suggested that thiazolidinediones (TZDs) potentially reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of TZDs on CRC risk in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Patients and Methods: A systematic search of electronic databases was performed for studies evaluating the exposure to TZDs and reporting CRC risk in diabetic patients. Pooled estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using fixed or random effects models. Results: A total of 10 observational studies reporting more than 18,972 CRC cases in 2,470,768 DM patients were included. Meta-analysis showed a 9% reduction in CRC risk associated with TZDs use in all studies [relative risk (RR) =0.91, 95% CI = 0.84–0.99, P = 0.03] and cohort studies (RR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.80–0.99, P = 0.04), respectively. However, such effect was not shown in case–control studies. In subgroup analyses, lower CRC risk was found in Asian population (RR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.29–0.53, P = 0.00), and a trend toward lower CRC risk was observed in US population (RR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.88–1.01, P = 0.08). CRC risk was significantly modified with non-pioglitazone TZD use (RR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.82–0.95, P = 0.00), but not with pioglitazone use (RR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.89–1.01, P = 0.11). No significant difference was observed with cancer site (colon or rectum). There was considerable inherent heterogeneity across studies, partly explained by study location. Conclusions: This meta-analysis supports a protective association between TZDs use and CRC risk in patients with DM. Future well-designed prospective studies with larger cohorts would be needed to understand this association better.