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Background: Different types of anesthesia may affect cancer patient's outcomes, we compared the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of patients with pancreatic cancer under total intravenous and inhalation anesthesia. Methods: The authors collected the electronic medical records of patients who had accepted at a pancreatectomy from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2016. Patients respectively received total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) or inhalational anesthesia (INHA). Stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting (SIPTW)was used to minimize differences. Kaplan–Meier survival was established to analyze the influence of sort of anesthesia on disease-free and overall survival. We compare the effects of each sort of anesthesia on cancer recurrence or metastasis and all-cause mortality. Results: A total of 463 patients who had undergone pancreatic cancer resection were collected in this study, of which 421 patients were available (TIVA group, n = 114 INHA group, n = 307). After SIPTW there were no significant differences between the two groups in disease-free survival (hazard ratio, 1.01, 95%CI, 0.78 to 1.29, P = 0.959) or overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.11, 95%CI, 0.87 to 1.42, P = 0.405). Conclusions: In conclusion, the present study showed no significant difference in overall survival and disease-free survival between total intravenous anesthesia and volatile anesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Milk protein allergy is one of the most common food allergies in infants. We aimed to test whether fecal calprotectin can be used to monitor food allergies in infants by comparing the fecal calprotectin levels in infants with a milk protein allergy before and after an intervention treatment. Methods: The study was designed as a prospective case–control trial. Stool samples were collected at follow-up, and the concentration of fecal calprotectin was determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The infant's weight and length were measured. Results: The allergic group comprised 90 milk-allergic infants (41 boys, 49 girls), and the nonallergic group comprised 90 nonallergic infants (51 boys, 39 girls). Compared with the fecal calprotectin level in the nonallergic group (median: 141 μg/g), that in the allergic group (median: 410 μg/g) was significantly higher (z = − 9.335, p < 0.001). After two dietary interventions and treatments, the fecal calprotectin levels of the infants with a milk protein allergy at the first (median: 253 μg/g) and second follow-up visits (median: 160 μg/g) were significantly lower than those before the intervention (z = − 7.884, p < 0.001 and z = − 8.239, p < 0.001, respectively). The growth index values (LAZ and WAZ) of the infants with a milk protein allergy at the first and second follow-up visits were significantly higher than those before dietary intervention (p < 0.05). Fecal calprotectin was negatively and significantly correlated with the WLZ and WAZ at the second follow-up visit (Spearman's rho = − 0.234, p = 0.01 and Spearman's rho = − 0.193, p = 0.03, respectively). Conclusion: The level of fecal calprotectin in infants with a milk protein allergy decreased after dietary intervention and seems to be a promising biological indicator for monitoring intestinal allergies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The oil-soluble contrast medium used in hysterosalpingography has been shown to have a fertility-enhancing effect, but the underlying mechanism is unclear, especially regarding the role of window of implantation (WOI). This study aimed to assess the endometrial immunological impact of the WOI before and after bathing with the oil-soluble contrast medium in women with recurrent implantation failure (RIF). Methods: This descriptive study involved two medical centers between December 18, 2019, and December 30, 2020. We included infertile women who underwent three or more transfer cycles, cumulative transplantation of at least four high-quality cleavage-stage embryos or three high-quality blastocysts without clinical pregnancy, and high-quality frozen embryos that were still available for implantation. Patients received 5 ml of ethiodized poppyseed oil bathing, endometrial biopsy around bathing, and frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) within four menstrual cycles after bathing. Patients were excluded if failure to complete anyone. Data on the baseline characteristics and clinical data of the FET cycles were collected, and endometrial biopsy specimens were collected in the luteal phase before and after bathing and subjected to immunohistochemistry. The number of CD56 and CD138 positive cells and H-score of expression of ανβ-3 and HOXA10 in endometrium were collected. Results: Thirty-four patients were initially enrolled in the study; ultimately, twelve patients with a median age of 32.5 years (range 27–40 years) completed the research. The median number of embryo transfer cycles was three (range 3–8). A total of 4 of 12 women (33.33%) were diagnosed with chronic endometritis before oil-soluble contrast bathing. After bathing, the median numbers of CD138-positive cells in endometrium decreased from 0.75 (range 0–13.5) to 0.65 (range 0–6), P = 0.035; additionally, the H-score of expression of ανβ-3 in endometrium increased from 148.50 ± 31.63 to 175.58 ± 31.83, P < 0.001. The thickness of the endometrium also significantly increased (8.90 ± 1.45 mm vs.10.11 ± 1.98 mm, P = 0.005). However, no consistent changes were found in the expression of CD56 and HOXA10 in the endometrium. Five patients experienced biochemical pregnancies (41.67%), four had clinical pregnancies (33.33%), and three achieved live births following oil-soluble contrast bathing (25%). Conclusions: These results suggest that oil-soluble contrast medium bathing decreased CD138-positive cells and upregulated expression of ανβ-3 during WOI in patients with RIF. This histological impact of endometrium may result in enhanced fertility during FET cycles. Investigating the ability of intrauterine bathing with lower-dosage oil-soluble contrast to improve pregnancy in the RIF population is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of serum S100A8/A9 in intestinal inflammation has been confirmed, and its role in food allergy is currently being investigated. Objective: To explore the levels of S100A8/A9 and inflammatory factors, including Toll-like receptors 4 (TLR4), Nuclear transcription factors (NF-κB) and Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), in mild food allergies. Methods: Eighty 3-week-old male Brown Norway rats were used. Forty rats were randomly assigned to the ovalbumin-sensitized experimental group, while 40 rats were assigned to the normal saline sham-sensitized control group. Body weight and length and the levels of serum ovalbumin-specific IgE (OVA-IgE), histamine, Th1-associated and Th2-associated factors, S100A8/A9 and inflammation-associated cytokines were compared. Results: Through the evaluation of OVA-IgE level and Th1/Th2 balance in the experimental group, a successful IgE-mediated food allergy model was constructed. Compared with the control group, the experimental group had higher serum S100A8/A9 levels on days 21, 28, 35 and 42 (all P < 0.05); higher TLR4 levels on days 28, 35 and 42 (all P < 0.05); higher TNF-α levels on days 28, 35 and 42 (all P < 0.05); higher NF-κB levels on days 35 and 42 (all P < 0.05); and higher IL-1β and IL-6 levels on days 7 to 42 (all P < 0.05). Moreover, positive correlations were found between the serum levels of S100A8/A9 and inflammation-associated cytokines [TNF-α: r = 0.378, P = 0.039; IL-1β: r = 0.679, P = 0.000; IL-6: r = 0.590, P = 0.001]. Conclusion: S100A8/A9 and inflammatory-related factors, including TLR4, NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β, is closely related to food allergies. Moreover, immune and inflammatory factors interact with each other in food allergies, which may provide insight into food allergy causes and treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM), a chronic metabolic disease, severely impairs male reproductive function. However, the underpinning mechanisms are still incompletely defined, and there are no effective strategies or medicines for these reproductive lesions. Icariin (ICA), the main active component extracted from Herba epimedii, is a flavonoid traditionally used to treat testicular dysfunction. Whether ICA can improve male reproductive dysfunction caused by DM and its underlying mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, by employing metformin as a comparative group, we evaluated the protective effects of ICA on male reproductive damages caused by DM and explored the possible mechanisms. Methods: Rats were fed with a high fat diet (HFD) and then intraperitoneally injected with streptozotocin (STZ) to induce diabetes. Diabetic rats were randomly divided into T2DM + saline group, T2DM + metformin group and T2DM + ICA group. Rats without the treatment of HFD and STZ were used as control group. The morphology of testicular tissues was examined by histological staining. The mRNA expression levels were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Immunostaining detected the protein levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) and sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) in testicular tissues. TUNEL assay was performed to determine cell apoptosis in the testicular tissues. The protein expression levels of HIF-1α and SIRT1 in the testicular tissues were determined by western blot assay. Results: ICA effectively improved male reproductive dysfunction of diabetic rats. ICA administration significantly decreased fasting blood glucose (FBG) and insulin resistance index (IRI). In addition, ICA increased testis weight, epididymis weight, sperm number, sperm motility and the cross-sectional area of seminiferous tubule. ICA recovered the number of spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes and Sertoli cells. Furthermore, ICA upregulated the expression of PCNA, activated SRIT1-HIF-1α signaling pathway, and inhibited intrinsic mitochondria dependent apoptosis pathway by upregulating the expression of Bcl-2 and downregulating the expression of Bax and caspase 3. Conclusion: These results suggest that ICA could attenuate male reproductive dysfunction of diabetic rats possibly via increasing cell proliferation and decreasing cell apoptosis of testis. ICA potentially represents a novel therapeutic strategy against DM-induced testicular damages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ophiocordyceps sinensis, which is only naturally found in the high-elevation extreme environment of the Tibetan Plateau, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine. Information concerning the evolutionary and geologic context of O. sinensis remains limited, however. Methods: We constructed the high-quality genome of O. sinensis and provided insight into the evolution and ecology of O. sinensis using comparative genomics. Results: We mapped the whole genome of the anamorph/asexual form Hirsutella of O. sinensis using Illumina and PacBio sequencing technologies and obtained a well assembled genome of 119.2 Mbp size. Long-read Single Molecule Real Time (SMRT) sequencing technology generated an assembly with more accurate representation of repeat sequence abundances and placement. Evolutionary analyses indicated that O. sinensis diverged from other fungi 65.9 Mya in the Upper Cretaceous, during the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. Gene family expansions and contractions in addition to genome inflation via long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposon insertions were implicated as an important driver of O. sinensis divergence. The insertion rate of LTR sequences into the O. sinensis genome peaked ~ 30–40 Mya, when the Tibetan Plateau rose rapidly. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis suggested that O. sinensis contained more genes related to ice binding compared to other closely related fungi, which may aid in their adaptability to the cold Tibetan Plateau. Further, heavy metal resistance genes were in low abundance in the O. sinensis genome, which may help to explain previous observations that O. sinensis tissues contain high levels of heavy metals. Conclusions: Our results reveal the evolutionary, geological, and ecological context for the evolution of the O. sinensis genome and the factors that have contributed to the environmental adaptability of this valuable fungus. These findings suggest that genome inflation via LTR retrotransposon insertions in O. sinensis coincided with the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. LTRs and the specific genetic mechanisms of O. sinensis contributed to its adaptation to the environment on the plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Children in poor areas show significant growth retardation that does not improve with an adequate supply of energy and nutrients, which may be related to asymptomatic intestinal infection caused by poor sanitation. Our objective was to explore the mechanism of intestinal inflammation inhibiting growth in the setting of asymptomatic colitis.Methods: Forty-eight 3-week-old Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups: the control group, colitis group (with asymptomatic colitis induced by 2.5% trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid) and pair-fed group (daily food intake matched to the pair in the colitis group). The linear growth was assessed, and the plasma levels of hormone and systemic cytokines were detected and compared by independent two-sample t-test or one-way ANOVA among groups.Results: At d5, the increases in the body length of the control, colitis and pair-fed groups were 1.65 ± 0.34 cm, 1.10 ± 0.30 cm and 1.38 ± 0.26 cm, respectively, and the increase in the body length in the colitis group was significantly less than that in the control group (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in the levels of hormone and cytokines among three groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, rats in the colitis group exhibited linear growth failure, as well as higher expression of calprotectin, tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2, lower insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3, and lower expression of nuclear factor kappa B in hepatocytes.Conclusions: In addition to undernutrition, the systemic inflammatory response caused by asymptomatic colitis may inhibit the linear growth of rats by its influence on the insulin-like growth factor/insulin-like growth factor binding protein axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]