Seminal plasma S100A8/A9 as a potential biomarker of genital tract inflammation.

ABSTRACT: Infections and inflammatory reactions in the male genital tract are the leading causes of male infertility with a prevalence of 6%-10%, primarily affecting testicular and epididymal function and ultimately compromising sperm quality. However, most infertile patients with genital infection/inflammation are asymptomatic and easily overlooked. Traditional indicators, including white blood cells, elastase, and other components in semen, can reflect inflammation of the genital tract, but there is still a lack of a uniform standard method of detection. Therefore, it is necessary to explore reliable markers in semen that reflect the inflammatory status of the genital tract. Using the experimental autoimmune orchitis (EAO) model to simulate noninfectious chronic orchitis, we successfully collected ejaculated seminal fluid from EAO rats using optimized electrical stimulation devices. Proteomic analysis was performed using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ). Compared to the control group, 55 upregulated and 105 downregulated proteins were identified in seminal plasma samples from the EAO group. In a preliminary screening, the inflammation-related protein S100A8/A9 was upregulated. We further verified that S100A8/A9 was increased in seminal plasma and highly expressed in testicular macrophages of the EAO model. In patients with oligoasthenospermia and genital tract infections, we also found that S100A8/A9 levels were remarkably increased in seminal plasma and testicular macrophages. S100A8/A9 in semen may be a potential biomarker for chronic genital inflammation. Our study provides a new potential biomarker for early diagnosis and further understanding of male infertility caused by genital inflammation.

Application of noninvasive test (acoustic attenuation imaging and ultrasonic shear wave elastography) to grade nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: An observational study.

The aim of this study was to validate the diagnostic efficacy of acoustic attenuation imaging (ATI) and ultrasonic shear wave elastography (SWE) in classifying nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). A total of 100 patients with NAFLD were recruited from our hospital between January 2021 and December 2022. Patient demographics and clinical data were collected, and 2-dimensional ultrasound was used to screen patients based on liver echo characteristics. Patients without liver space-occupying lesions underwent routine ultrasound examinations. Imaging or serology was used to confirm the presence of fatty liver in patients or healthy individuals. Patients with alcoholic liver disease (alcohol equivalent content < 20 g/day for women, <30 g/day for men), as well as those with lenticular degeneration, total parenteral nutrition, autoimmune liver disease, drug-induced hepatitis, and viral hepatitis, were excluded from the study. Out of the 100 included patients, 24 had normal liver, 21 had mild fatty liver, 30 had moderate fatty liver, and 25 had severe fatty liver. There were age differences between the normal group and patients with mild fatty liver, and the average body mass index (BMI) varied across the 4 groups. As the severity of the disease increased, the average BMI also increased (P < .05). The ATI scores and SWE scores differed significantly among the different groups (P < .05), with both scores showing an upward trend as the fatty liver condition worsened. Correlation analysis revealed positive correlations between ATI and SWE scores and the degree of fatty liver (P < .05), positive correlations with BMI (P < .05), and negative correlations with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol expression (P < .05). The area under the curve (AUC) for the ATI score in diagnosing different degrees of fatty liver was > 0.750, and the AUC for the SWE score was also > 0.750. The AUC for SWE score in diagnosing different degrees of fatty liver ranged from 1.01 to 4.57, while the combined AUC for ATI and SWE scores was > 0.850, with respective cutoff values of 3.62, 5.72, and 7.57 based on the maximum approximate entry index. The combination of ATI and SWE has a significant impact on the grading diagnosis of NAFLD, and its application can be extended to clinical practice.

Fracture Behavior of Steel Slag Powder-Cement-Based Concrete with Different Steel-Slag-Powder Replacement Ratios.

The influence of different replacement ratios of steel-slag powder as cement-replacement material on the fracture performance of concrete is studied in this paper. A three-point bending fracture test is carried out on slag powder-cement-based concrete (SPC)-notched beams with steel-slag powder as cementitious materials, partially replacing cement (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%). Load-deflection curves and load-crack-opening displacement curves of SPC-notched beams with five different replacement ratios of steel-slag powder were obtained. The effects of different steel-slag-powder replacement ratios on the fracture properties (fracture energy, fracture toughness, and double-K fracture parameters) of the SPC were analyzed and discussed. The results showed that the incorporation of appropriate steel-slag powder can affect the fracture performance of SPC. Compared with concrete without steel-slag powder, adding appropriate steel-slag powder can effectively improve the bond performance between aggregate and matrix because the steel-slag powder contains hydration activity substances such as calcium oxide and aluminium trioxide. The fracture energy and fracture toughness of SPC increased and then decreased with the increase in steel-slag-powder replacement ratios, and the SPC concrete showed best fracture performance with a 5% steel slag powder replacement ratio. Its fracture energy increases by 13.63% and fracture toughness increases by 53.22% compared with NC.

[Effect of bee venom injection on TrkA and TRPV1 expression in the dorsal root ganglion of rats with collagen-induced arthritis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effect of acupoint injection of bee venom on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in rats and explore the mechanism of bee venom therapy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: Fifteen male Wistar rats were randomly divided into bee venom treatment group (BV group), CIA model group, and control group. In the former two groups, CIA was induced by injections of collagen II+IFA (0.2 mL) via the tail vein, and in the control group, normal saline was injected instead. The rats in BV group received daily injection of 0.1 mL (3 mg/mL) bee venom for 7 consecutive days. All the rats were assessed for paw thickness and arthritis index from days 14 to 21, and the pain threshold was determined on day 21. The expressions of TRPV1 and TrkA in the dorsal root ganglion at the level of L4-6 were detected using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting, respectively. RESULTS: The rats in CIA model group started to show paw swelling on day 10, and by day 14, all the rats in this group showed typical signs of CIA. In BV group, the rats receiving been venom therapy for 7 days showed a significantly smaller paw thickness and a low arthritis index than those in the model group. The pain threshold was the highest in the control group and the lowest in the model group. TRPV1-positive cells and TrkA expression in the dorsal root ganglion was significantly reduced in BV group as compared with that in the model group. CONCLUSION: s Injection of bee venom can decrease expression of TRPV1 and TrkA in the dorsal root ganglion to produce anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, suggesting the potential value of bee venom in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Efficiency and current in a correlated ratchet.

We present a detailed study of the transport and the efficiency of a ratchet system in a periodic potential in the presence of correlated noises. The current and the efficiency of the system are investigated. It is found that, when the potential is spatially symmetric, the correlation between the two noises can induce a net transport. The efficiency shows many interesting features as a function of the applied force, the noise intensity, the external load, etc. The efficiency can be maximized as a function of noise intensity (or temperature), which shows that the thermal fluctuation can facilitate the efficiency of energy transformation.

Correlated noise in a logistic growth model.

The logistic differential equation is used to analyze cancer cell population, in the presence of a correlated Gaussian white noise. We study the steady state properties of tumor cell growth and discuss the effects of the correlated noise. It is found that the degree of correlation of the noise can cause tumor cell extinction.

Efficiency optimization in a correlation ratchet with asymmetric unbiased fluctuations.

The efficiency of a Brownian particle moving in a periodic potential in the presence of asymmetric unbiased fluctuations is investigated. We found that even on the quasistatic limit there is a regime where the efficiency can be a peaked function of temperature, which proves that thermal fluctuations facilitate the efficiency of energy transformation, contradicting the earlier findings [H. Kamegawa et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 5251 (1998)]. It is also found that the mutual interplay between temporal asymmetry and spatial asymmetry may induce optimized efficiency at finite temperatures. The ratchet is not most efficient when it gives maximum current.