bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Audiological evaluation in Chinese patients with mitochondrial encephalomyopathies
Authors: Liu Yuhe , Xue Junfang , Zhao Danhua , Chen Li , Yuan Yun , Wang Zhaoxia 
Published: January 2024

Background
Hearing impairment has been reported to be common in patients with mitochondrial disorders, a group of diseases characterized by pleiomorphic clinical manifestations due to defects in oxidative phosphorylation of mitochondria. This study aimed to investigate the audiological characteristics in a large cohort of patients with mitochondrial disease.

Methods
Comprehensive audiological evaluations, including pure tone audiometry, tympanometry, speech audiometry, otoacoustic emissions, electrocochleography and auditory brainstem evoked potentials, were performed in 73 Chinese patients with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy and with confirmed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) defects.

Results
Among the patients, 71% had hearing impairment. However, the incidence rate and severity of hearing impairment were much less in the chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (CPEO) subtype than in the mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS), myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red fibers (MERRF) and Kearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS) subtypes. While most of our patients had a predominantly cochlea origin for the hearing deficit, five patients had an auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder and three patients had impairment of both cochlea and auditory cortex.

Conclusions
Various portions of the auditory system could be involved in patients with mitochondrial diseases, including cochlea, auditory nerve, auditory pathway and cortex. Hearing loss was more associated with multisystem involvement. Genotype, mutant load of mtDNA and other unknown factors could contribute to heterogeneity of hearing impairment in mitochondrial disease.
Association of interleukin-6 promoter polymorphism with knee osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis
Authors: Zhipeng Ai , Xianming Ning , Tao Shou , Wenru Tang , Ying Luo , Jihong Zhang 
Published: January 2024

Background
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of human polyarthritis. Many genetic factors have been implicated in OA. It was reported that a polymorphism in the gene of interleukin-6 (IL-6) was associated with OA of knee. The aim of this study was to determine whether functional IL-6 promoter -174G/C (rs1800795) polymorphisms confer susceptibility to knee OA.

Methods
A meta-analysis was conducted on the association between the IL-6 polymorphism and knee OA. Electronic search at PubMed, EMBASE, Weipu database, and Wanfang database was conducted to select studies. Case-control studies containing available genotype frequencies of IL-6 -174G/C were chosen, and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to assess the strength of this association.

Results
A total of seven studies involving 6 464 subjects (knee OA 3 331 and controls 3 133) were considered in this study. The results suggested that the variant genotypes were not associated with knee OA risk in all genetic models (additive model: OR=1.144, 95% CI 0.934-1.402, P=0.194; recessive model: OR=1.113, 95% CI 0.799-1.550, P=0.526; dominant model: OR=1.186, 95% CI 0.918-1.531, P=0.191). A symmetric funnel plot, the Begg's test (P >0.05), suggested that the data lacked publication bias.

Conclusions
This meta-analysis does not support the idea that rs1800795 genotype is associated with increased risk of knee OA. However, to draw comprehensive and more reliable conclusions, further prospective studies with larger numbers of participants worldwide are needed to examine the association between rs1800795 polymorphism and knee OA.
Evaluation of CD24 as a marker to rapidly define the mesenchymal stem cell phenotype and its differentiation in human nucleus pulposus
Authors: Xiaoming Guan , Xun Ma , Li Zhang , Haoyu Feng , Zhuo Ma 
Published: January 2024

Background
Recent studies have indicated that human nucleus pulposus contain mesenchymal stem cells (NP-MSCs). However, the immunophenotypic variation of NP-MSCs in vitro was unclear. The present study was conducted to address the immunophenotypic variation of mesenchymal stem cells in nucleus pulposus under continuous proliferation in vitro and show the difference between mesenchymal stem cells and nucleus pulposus cell.

Methods
Tissue samples were obtained from thoracolumbar burst fracture patients and degenerative disc disease patients who underwent discectomy and fusion procedures. Flow cytometric and laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) were used to detect the variation of mesenchymal stem cells in nucleus pulposus which were expressing CD105 and CD24 in condition with or without transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1).

Results
More than 90% of the analyzed primary cells of mesenchymal stem cells in nucleus pulposus fulfilled the general immunophenotyping criteria for MSCs, such as CD44, CD105 and CD29, but the marker of mature NP cells characterized as CD24 was negative. In continuous cultures, the proportion of mesenchymal stem cells which were expressing CD44, CD105 and CD29 in nucleus pulposus gradually decreased. The mesenchymal stem cells in nucleus pulposus cells were positive for CD105 and CD29, with slight positivity for CD44. The CD24 expression gradually increased in proliferation. Bi-parametric flow cytometry and laser scanning confocal microscopy confirmed the presence of cells which were expressing CD105 and CD24 independently, and only a small part of cells expressed both CD105 and CD24 simultaneously. TGF-β1 could stimulate mesenchymal stem cells in nucleus pulposus to express CD24.

Conclusions
Non-degenerative and degenerative NP contains mesechymal stem cells. The variation of CD24 can be used as a marker to identify the NP-MSCs differentiation into NP-like cells.
Validation of quantitative computed tomography-derived areal bone mineral density with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in an elderly Chinese population
Authors: Xiaoguang Cheng , Ling Wang , Qianqian Wang , Yimin Ma , Yongbin Su , Kai Li 
Published: January 2024

Background
The performance of computed tomography X-ray absorptiometry (CTXA) against the dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as standard has not been studied in Chinese population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the precision of this measurement and validate the value of quantitative computed tomography (QCT) by comparing CTXA results with DXA results in an elderly Chinese population.

Methods
One hundred and three females of 46 to 76 years old and 49 males of 52 to 76 years old were recruited from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology study. All subjects underwent hip scans by both QCT and DXA on the same day. For precision determination, 30 subjects had duplicate DXA hip scans. The hip QCT data of a subset of 27 subjects were separately analyzed by two observers and reanalyzed by one observer at a different time. The inter- and intra-observer variations of CTXA measurement were assessed, and the difference and correlation between CTXA and DXA results were analyzed.

Results
The inter- and intra-observer variations of CTXA were 0.070 and 0.024 g/cm2 in the femoral neck (FN), and 0.030 and 0.012 g/cm2 in the total hip (TH), which were comparable to the DXA inter-scan variations (0.013 g/cm2 for FN and 0.014 g/cm2 for TH). The results of CTXA bone mineral density (BMD) were highly correlated with those of DXA (R
2 = 0.810 for FN and R
2 = 0.878 for TH). The BMD values of CTXA in FN and TH were lower than those of DXA by 21.0% and 17.8% (P<0.05), respectively. However, after appropriate transformation, the difference was eliminated and a comparable T score could be obtained.

Conclusions
CTXA shows good agreement with DXA for the measurement of BMD in the proximal femur, which makes QCT suitable for the quantification of bone mineral content in the hip and helpful for the diagnosis of osteoporosis.
Construction of plasmid vector pAFP-HSVtk-IRES2-EGFP and its effect on the cytotoxicity of ganciclovir to hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Lai Zhiyong , Qin Qin , Yu Baofeng , Xie Jun , Gao Ranpeng , Zhang Tiantian , Li Chunfeng , Niu Kai , Xu Jun 
Published: January 2024

Background
Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase phosphorylates ganciclovir to ganciclovir monophosphate, which is then converted to ganciclovir triphosphate by endogenous cellular nucleoside kinases. The ganciclovir triphosphate acts as a DNA chain terminator due to the lack of a functional 3′-OH group and terminates the process of DNA replication, hence leading to cell apoptosis. At present, HSVtk gene usually acts as suicide gene to kill tumor cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the selective cytotoxicity of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase/ganciclovir (HSVtK/GCV) suicide gene system controlled by the α-fetoprotein (AFP) promoter on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells in vitro.

Methods
pAFP-HSVtk-IRES2-EGFP recombinant plasmid vectors driven by the AFP promoter were constructed. HL-7702 liver cells, HUH-7 HCC, and HepG2 HCC were transfected with the recombinant plasmids. HSVtK gene expression was detected using Western blotting analysis. HepG2 cells line stably expressing HSVtk gene was selected by G418 reagent. The cytotoxicity of HSVtK/GCV suicide gene system on hepatoma cells was measured by CCK-8 reagents when different doses of ganciclovir were added.

Results
Plasmid pAFP-TK-IRES2-EGFP-expressed HSVtk gene was constructed successfully. HSVtk gene expression level was significantly higher in AFP-positive hepatoma cells than in AFP-negative liver cells. After G418 selection, a HepG2 cells line stably expressing HSVtk gene was acquired. With the increase of the dose of ganciclovir the optical density at 450 nm of HepG2 cells stably expressing HSVtk gene gradually decreased (P <0.05).

Conclusion
The HSVtK gene-specific expression in hepatoma cells as well as the cytotoxicity of the suicide gene system in HepG2 cells provided the basis for the targeted gene therapy of HCC.
Metformin ameliorates insulin resistance in L6 rat skeletal muscle cells through upregulation of SIRT3
Authors: Yuping Song , Jingli Shi , Ying Wu , Chong Han , Junjie Zou , Yongquan Shi , Zhimin Liu 
Published: January 2024

Background
SIRT3 is an important regulator in cell metabolism, and recent studies have shown that it may be involved in the pharmacological effects of metformin. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process are unclear.

Methods
The effects of SIRT3 on the regulation of oxidative stress and insulin resistance in skeletal muscle were evaluated in vitro. Differentiated L6 skeletal muscle cells were treated with 750 μmol/L palmitic acid to induce insulin resistance. SIRT3 was knocked down and overexpressed in L6 cells. SIRT3, nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) p65, c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1), and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) were evaluated by Western blotting.

Results
Over expression of SIRT3 increased glucose uptake and decreased ROS production in L6-IR cells as well as in L6 cells. Knock-down of SIRT3 induced increased production of ROS while decreased glucose uptake in both L6 and L6-IR cells, and these effects were reversed by N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC). Metformin increased the expression of SIRT3 (1.5-fold) and SOD2 (2-fold) while down regulating NF-κB p65 (1.5-fold) and JNK1 (1.5-fold). Knockdown of SIRT3 (P<0.05) reversed the metformin-induced decreases in NF-κB p65 and JNK1 and the metformin-induced increase in SOD2 (P<0.05).

Conclusions
Upregulated SIRT3 is involved in the pharmacological mechanism by which metformin promotes glucose uptake. Additionally, SIRT3 may function as an important regulator of oxidative stress and a new alternative approach for targeting insulin resistance-related diseases.
Development and evaluation of a patching treatment questionnaire for Chinese amblyopic children
Authors: Xu Jinling , Lu Qun , Huang Ying , Chen Yuanyuan , Chen Jie , Yu Xinping 
Published: January 2024

Background
Amblyopia is a common disease for children. The main treatment approach for amblyopia is to patch the normally sighted eye and force the use of the amblyopic eye. However, patching treatment in children may negatively impact psychological well-being of both the child and family. At present, no specific questionnaire is available to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of amblyopic treatment for children and their families in China. The purpose of our study was to develop a Chinese version of patching treatment questionnaire, and evaluate its reliability and validity.

Methods
The original patching treatment questionnaire of amblyopia treatment index (ATI) was translated into Chinese. Amblyopic patients aged 4–9 years receiving patching 4–8 hours per day or full-time were recruited. The reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the patching treatment questionnaire were determined by internal consistency, test-retest reliability, item-scale correlations, and construct validity. The associated baseline factors and the questionnaire responses were assessed.

Results
One hundred and nine children with amblyopia treated with patching were enrolled. Distribution of response options for individual items and correlation with the respective subscale were calculated. Factor analysis revealed that 16 of the 21 items were loaded in the three subscales as follows: “adverse effects” of treatment, “difficulties with compliance” and “‘social stigma” of treatment. Internal consistency values measured by Cronbach's α coefficient (0.768) and split-half coefficient (0.790) were satisfactory for the total scales. The intra-class correlation coefficient for test-retest reliability was 0.998. No significant difference was found between the overall questionnaire scores and children's age, sex, baseline visual acuity of amblyopic eyes, improvement of the amblyopic eye, or patching time.

Conclusions
We developed a Chinese version of the patching treatment questionnaire with satisfactory reliability and validity. Validation in a patch-treated pediatric amblyopic population indicated that the questionnaire may be useful for Chinese children.
Radioactive probe-guided parathyroidectomy for secondary hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Fei Yuan , Weijia Yu , Ahmad Waqas , Zhixue Yang , Hua Cao , Juncheng Li , Guoqin Jiang 
Published: January 2024

Background
The value of gamma probes in the surgical treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT) was determined. The aim of this study was to enhance the rate of successful total parathyroidectomy in patients with sHPT using intraoperative gamma probe investigations.

Methods
We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 48 sHPT patients between May 2007 and September 2011. Preoperative 99Tcm- methoxyisobutyl isonitrile (MIBI) scintigraphy and high-frequency ultrasonography were used for parathyroid localization. Thirty-five patients (group I) underwent conventional neck exploration and open parathyroidectomy. Thirteen patients (group II) underwent gamma probe-guided total parathyroidectomy and parathyroid transplantation. The two groups were compared in terms of the number of parathyroid resections, operative time, and postoperative changes in the blood levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium, and phosphate.

Results
The clinical manifestations, PTH and calcium levels, age distribution, and clinical characteristics did not differ between the two groups. The accuracy of preoperative 99Tcm-MIBI scintigraphy (89.74%) for the diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism did not differ from that of ultrasonography (81.25%). However, the accuracy of 99Tcm-MIBI scintigraphy (66.67%) for localizing hyperfunctioning parathyroids was significantly lower than that of ultrasonography (76.86%). The operation time was significantly longer in group I ((120±25) minutes) than in group II ((90±30) minutes). The accuracy of parathyroid identification was significantly higher in group II (92.59%) than in group I (80.39%). On average, significantly fewer parathyroid specimens were obtained in group I (2.5±0.5) than in group II (3.5±0.5). Compared with group I, group II showed a significant increase (15.4%) in the number of parathyroid resections. The PTH, calcium, and phosphate levels significantly decreased postoperatively in all patients.

Conclusions
Intraoperative gamma probe examination confirmed that the excised specimen was parathyroid tissue and improved the accuracy of parathyroid resection. The parathyroidectomy rate was increased by 15.4% due to the use of these probes. However, the probes did not detect all ectopic parathyroids, and further research is required to clarify the underlying reasons.
Effect of maternal age on pregnancy: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Liu Xiaoli , Zhang Weiyuan 
Published: January 2024

Background
In the last few decades, there has been a delay in first-time pregnancies, and the average age of women at the time of delivery has increased in many countries. Advanced maternal age is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study aimed to determine the present trends and pregnancy outcomes related to maternal age in China.

Methods
Data were collected from 39 hospitals in mainland of China. All deliveries were performed after 28 completed weeks of gestation and between January 1 and December 31, 2011. In total, 110 450 of 112 441 cases were included in the study. All enrolled cases were divided into 6 age groups with 5-year intervals. The χ2 test or Fisher's exact test and unadjusted binary-Logistic regression were used for statistical analysis.

Results
The mean age at the time of delivery was 28.18±4.70 years (range, 14–52 years). The teenage group (15–19 years) had a higher risk than the 25–29-year old group for anemia (odds ratio (OR), 1.4), preeclampsia (OR, 1.6), preterm birth (OR, 2.1), low birth weight neonates (OR, 2.3), and perinatal mortality (OR, 3.6). The 35–39-year old group and ≥40-year-old group had a higher risk than the 25–29-year-old group for leiomyoma (OR, 4.2 vs. 5.8), pregestational diabetes (OR, 2.2 vs. 3.8), chronic hypertension (OR, 4.6 vs. 6.5), gestational diabetes (OR, 2.6 vs. 3.5), preeclampsia (OR, 2.5 vs. 3.6), premature delivery (OR, 1.8 vs. 2.4), postpartum hemorrhage (OR, 1.5 vs. 1.7), placenta previa (OR, 2.7 vs. 4.0), placental abruption (OR, 1.4 vs. 2.5), cesarean delivery (OR, 2.1 vs. 2.5), macrosomia (OR, 1.2 vs. 1.2), low birth weight neonates (OR, 1.6 vs. 2.3), and perinatal mortality (OR, 1.6 vs. 3.7).

Conclusion
Maternal and neonatal risks are higher during the teenage years and at an advanced maternal age; 20–30 years of age is the lowest risk period for pregnancy and delivery.
Effects of the aqueous extract of Schizandra chinensis fruit on ethanol withdrawal-induced anxiety in rats
Authors: Wu Yiyan , Zhao Zhenglin , Yang Yupeng , Yang Xudong , Jang Eun Young , Schilaty Nathan D , Hedges David M , Kim Sang Chan , Cho Il Je , Zhao Rongjie 
Published: January 2024

Background
We previously demonstrated that the aqueous extract of the Schizandra chinensis fruit (AESC) ameliorated Cd-induced depletion of monoamine neurotransmitters in the brain through antioxidant activity. In the present study, we investigated the effect of AESC on anxiety-like behavior and the levels of norepinephrine and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol (a metabolite of norepinephrine) in different brain regions during ethanol withdrawal in rats.

Methods
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with 3 g/kg of ethanol (20%, w/v) or saline by daily intraperitoneal injection for 28 days followed by three days of withdrawal. During withdrawal, rats were given AESC (100 mg· kg -1·d-1, or 300 mg· kg -1·d-1, P.O.) once a day for three days. Thirty minutes after the final dose of AESC, the anxiogenic response was evaluated using an elevated plus maze, and the plasma corticosterone levels were examined by radioimmunoassay. Meanwhile, the concentrations of norepinephrine and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus and hippocampus were also measured by high performance liquid chromatography.

Results
Rats undergoing ethanol withdrawal exhibited substantial anxiety-like behavior, which was characterized by both the decrease in time spent in the open arms of the elevated plus maze and the increased level of corticosterone secretion, which were greatly attenuated by doses of AESC in a dose-dependent manner. The high performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that ethanol withdrawal significantly increased norepinephrine and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol levels in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, while not significantly altering them in the hippocampus. Similar to the results from the elevated plus maze test, the AESC significantly inhibited the elevation of norepinephrine and its metabolite in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus in a dose-dependent manner.

Conclusions
These results suggest that AESC attenuates anxiety-like behavior induced by ethanol withdrawal through modulation of the hypothalamic norepinephrine system in the brain.
Decrease in myostatin by ladder-climbing training is associated with insulin resistance in diet-induced obese rats
Authors: Tang Liang , Luo Kai , Liu Chentao , Wang Xudan , Zhang Didi , Chi Aiping , Zhang Jing , Sun Lijun 
Published: January 2024

Background
Suppression of myostatin (MSTN) has been associated with skeletal muscle atrophy and insulin resistance (IR). However, few studies link MSTN suppression by ladder-climbing training (LCT) and IR. Therefore, we intended to identify the correlation with IR between LCT and to analyze the signaling pathways through which MSTN suppression by LCT regulates IR.

Methods
The rats were randomly assigned to two types of diet: normal pellet diet (NPD, n=8) and high-fat diet (HFD, n=16). After 8 weeks, the HFD rats were randomly re-assigned to two groups (n=8 for each group): HFD sedentary (HFD-S) and high-fat diet ladder-climbing training (HFD-LCT). HFD-LCT rats were assigned to LCT for 8 weeks. Western blotting, immunohistochemistry and enzyme assays were used to measure expression levels and activities of MSTN, GLUT4, PI3K, Akt and Akt-activated targets (mTOR, FoxO1 and GSK-3β).

Results
The LCT significantly improved IR and whole-body insulin sensitivity in HDF-fed rats. MSTN protein levels decreased in matching serum (42%, P=0.007) and muscle samples (25%, P=0.035) and its receptor mRNA expression also decreased (16%, P=0.041) from obese rats after LCT. But the mRNA expression of insulin receptor had no obvious changes in LCT group compared with NPD and HFD-S groups (P=0.074). The ladder-climbing training significantly enhanced PI3K activity (1.7-fold, P=0.024) and Akt phosphorylation (83.3%, P=0.022) in HFD-fed rats, significantly increased GLUT4 protein expression (84.5%, P=0.036), enhanced phosphorylation of mTOR (4.8-fold, P <0.001) and inhibited phosphorylation of FoxO1 (57.7%, P=0.020), but did not affect the phosphorylation of GSK-3β.

Conclusions
The LCT significantly reduced IR in diet-induced obese rats. MSTN may play an important role in regulating IR and fat accumulation by LCT via PI3K/Akt/mTOR and PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway in HFD-fed rats.