Causality of genetically determined blood metabolites on irritable bowel syndrome: A Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional bowel disorders and dysmetabolism plays an important role in the pathogenesis of disease. Nevertheless, there remains a lack of information regarding the causal relationship between circulating metabolites and IBS. A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted in order to evaluate the causal relationship between genetically proxied 486 blood metabolites and IBS.

Causal relationship of genetically predicted gut microbiota with thyroid cancer: a bidirectional two-sample mendelian randomization study.

Background: Previous investigations have demonstrated a correlation between the composition of gut microbiota and the development of thyroid cancer (TC). Nonetheless, there was no consensus on the causal effect of gut microbiota composition on TC risk. Therefore, the present study aimed to perform a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to explore potential causal associations between gut microbiota and TC risk.

Hybrid Mimulus flowers attract a new pollinator.

Hybridization is common in flowering plants and is believed to be an important force driving adaptation and speciation. The flowers of hybrids often exhibit new trait combinations, which, theoretically, could attract new species of pollinators. In this study, we found that the hybrids between a hummingbird-pollinated species Mimulus cardinalis and a self-pollinated species Mimulus parishii attract bumblebees (Bombus impatiens), a pollinator not attracted to either of the progenitor species.

Association between the dietary inflammatory index and all-cause mortality in the U.S. cancer survivors: A prospective cohort study using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database.

Background: Cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Diet can impact inflammation and consequently affect cancer outcomes. The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) can serve as a tool to assess the inflammatory potential of cancer survivors' diets and further predict their survival.

Causal effects of specific gut microbiota on musculoskeletal diseases: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Recent observational studies and clinical trials demonstrated an association between gut microbiota and musculoskeletal (MSK) diseases. Nonetheless, whether the gut microbiota composition has a causal effect on the risk of MSK diseases remains unclear.

Methods: Based on large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS), we performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal relationship between gut microbiota and six MSK diseases, namely osteoporosis (OP), fracture, sarcopenia, low back pain (LBP), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Association between inflammatory markers and bone mineral density: a cross-sectional study from NHANES 2007-2010.

Purpose: Monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are acknowledged as novel inflammatory markers. However, studies investigating the correlation between inflammatory markers and osteoporosis (OP) remain scarce. We aimed to investigate the relationship between NLR, MLR, PLR and bone mineral density (BMD).

Decreased histidine-rich glycoprotein and increased complement C4-B protein levels in follicular fluid predict the IVF outcomes of recurrent spontaneous abortion.

Background: Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) is a common and complicated pregnancy-related disease that lacks a suitable biomarker to predict its recrudescence.

Methods: Tandem mass tag (TMT) analysis was conducted to obtain quantitative proteomic profiles in follicular fluid from patients with a history of RSA and from control group. ELISA validation of candidate differentially expressed proteins was conducted in a larger group of patients.

Association between Sensitivity to Thyroid Hormone Indices and Bone Mineral Density in US Males.

Objectives: Thyroid hormone is acknowledged as a pivotal factor in skeletal development and adult bone maintenance. However, available data about the relationship between sensitivity to thyroid hormone and bone mineral density (BMD) remain limited and conflicting. The purpose of the study was to explore the complex relationship between sensitivity to thyroid hormone indices and BMD using cross-sectional analysis.

S100P promotes trophoblast syncytialization during early placenta development by regulating YAP1.

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a severe complication of pregnancy that is caused by genetic abnormalities, immune dysfunction, aberrant cell biology, and tissue structure destruction. Among which, placental dysfunction is crucial in the pathogenetic progression of RPL. Although some regulatory factors associated with RPL have been reported, the placental changes correlated with RPL still need to be elucidated.

Association between sensitivity to thyroid hormone indices and the risk of osteoarthritis: an NHANES study.

Objectives: Thyroid hormones play an instrumental role in chondrogenic differentiation and matrix maturation. However, studies investigating the relationship between thyroid function and the risk of osteoarthritis (OA) remain scarce. This study was designed to investigate the correlation between thyroid status and OA from a novel perspective of sensitivity to thyroid hormones.

Loss of Neuropilin2a/b or Sema3fa alters olfactory sensory axon dynamics and protoglomerular targeting.

Background: Olfactory Sensory Neuron (OSN) axons project from the zebrafish olfactory epithelium to reproducible intermediate target locations in the olfactory bulb called protoglomeruli at early stages in development. Two classes of OSNs expressing either OMP or TRPC2 exclusively target distinct, complementary protoglomeruli. Using RNAseq, we identified axon guidance receptors nrp2a and nrp2b, and their ligand sema3fa, as potential guidance factors that are differentially expressed between these two classes of OSNs.

Icariin, an Up-and-Coming Bioactive Compound Against Neurological Diseases: Network Pharmacology-Based Study and Literature Review.

Icariin is a biologically active substance in that is used for the treatment of neurologic disorders. However, a comprehensive analysis of the molecular mechanisms of icariin is lacking. In this review, we present a brief history of the use of icariin for medicinal purposes; describe the active chemical components of ; and examine the evidence from experimental studies that have uncovered molecular targets of icariin in different diseases.

Investigation of the Potential Mechanism Governing the Effect of the on COVID-19 by Network Pharmacology.

Background: Since December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to SARS-CoV-2 infection has emerged in Wuhan and rapidly spread throughout China and even to other countries. Combined therapy with modern medicine and traditional Chinese medicine has been proposed, in which (SZS) was regarded as one of the basic prescriptions.

Methods: Network pharmacological approaches along with candidate compound screening, target prediction, target tissue location, protein-protein interaction network, gene ontology (GO), KEGG enrichment analyses, and gene microarray analyses were applied.

Abnormal Cullin1 neddylation-mediated p21 accumulation participates in the pathogenesis of recurrent spontaneous abortion by regulating trophoblast cell proliferation and differentiation.

The study explores the role of neddylation in early trophoblast development and its alteration during the pathogenesis of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). Immunofluorescence and western blot were conducted to evaluate the expression pattern of NEDD8 protein in the first-trimester placentas of healthy control and RSA patients. Neddylated-cullins, especially neddylated-cullin1, were downregulated and their substrate, p21, was accumulated in RSA samples.

Intracellular ion and protein nanoparticle-induced osmotic pressure modify astrocyte swelling and brain edema in response to glutamate stimuli.

Intracellular tension activity plays a crucial role in cytotoxic brain edema and astrocyte swelling. Here, a few genetically encoded FRET-based tension probes were designed to detect cytoskeletal structural tension optically, including their magnitude and vectors. The astrocyte swelling resulted in GFAP tension increment, which is associated with the antagonistic effect of inward microfilaments (MFs) and microtubules (MTs) forces.

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of VEGFR-targeted macromolecular MRI contrast agent based on biotin-avidin-specific binding.

Developing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents with high relaxivity and specificity was essential to increase MRI diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy. In this study, the MRI contrast agent, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-targeted poly (l-lysine) (PLL)-diethylene triamine pentacetate acid (DTPA)-gadolinium (Gd) (VEGFR-targeted PLL-DTPA-Gd, VPDG), was designed and prepared to enhance the MRI diagnosis capacity of tumor. Biotin-PLL-DTPA-Gd was synthesized first, then, VEGFR antibody was linked to biotin-PLL-DTPA-Gd using biotin-avidin reaction.

Maternal common variant rs2305957 spanning PLK4 is associated with blastocyst formation and early recurrent miscarriage.

Objective: To investigate whether the common variant rs2305957 spanning PLK4 (Polo-like kinase 4) confers risk to embryo development in Northern Chinese Han (CHN) women.

Design: Genetic association study.

Setting: University hospital.

The impact of serum uric acid on the natural history of glomerular filtration rate: a retrospective study in the general population.

Serum uric acid (SUA) level has been proposed to have important connections with chronic kidney disease (CKD), while the impact of SUA level on the natural history of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decline remains unknown. The present study aims to study the association of the SUA level with the GFR decline in a general population. Two thousand, seven hundred and eighty-nine subjects who visited the Health Checkup Clinic both at 2008 and 2013 were identified.