YiQi GuBen formula alleviates airway inflammation and airway remodeling in OVA-induced asthma mice through TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: We aim to investigate the effect of YiQi GuBen formula (YQGB) on airway inflammation and airway remodeling in the ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma model to further explore the potential mechanisms of YQGB in treating allergic asthma. METHODS: Mice were divided into five groups randomly (n = 10): the control group, OVA group, OVA + Dex (0.1 mg/kg) group, OVA + low-dose (1.1 g/kg) YQGB group, and OVA + high-dose (2.2 g/kg) YQGB group. Inflammatory cell count and IgE were detected in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Lung tissue histopathology was observed by using H&E, PAS, Masson, and immunohistochemistry staining. qRT-PCR and western blot were applied to analyze key genes and proteins associated with TLR4 and NF-κB signaling pathways. RESULTS: In OVA-induced asthma mice, YQGB decreased eosinophils and IgE in BALF. YQGB alleviated the OVA-induced inflammatory infiltration and declined IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, Eotaxin, ECP, GM-CSF, LTC4, and LTD4. YQGB attenuated the OVA-induced goblet cell metaplasia and mucus hypersecretion. YQGB mitigated the OVA-induced subepithelial fibrosis and lowered TGF-ß1, E-Cadherin, Vimentin, and Fibronectin. YQGB ameliorated the OVA-induced airway smooth muscle thickening and lessened α-SMA and PDGF levels. YQGB reduced the expression of TLR4, MyD88, TRAF6, IκBα, and p65 mRNAs, and IκBα and p-p65 protein levels were also reduced. CONCLUSION: YQGB exhibits the anti-asthma effect by reducing airway inflammation and airway remodeling through suppressing TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway, and is worth promoting clinically.

Association between sleep disorders and constipation Risk: A systematic review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential relationship between sleep disturbances and various types of constipation in patients. METHODS: We conducted systematic searches in the research databases PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library to identify qualifying studies. Using Stata software version 14.0, we calculated the Odds Ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) for constipation in patients with sleep disorders. If P > 0.1 and I2 ≤ 50 %, we employed a fixed-effects model; otherwise, we applied a random-effects model. We assessed publication bias using funnel plots and Egger's test. RESULT: The pooled analysis demonstrated that individuals with sleep disorders were associated with an increased risk of all-cause constipation (OR = 1.47; 95 %CI: 1.31-1.64; I2 = 88.8 %, P＜0.001). Specifically, both children (OR = 1.29; 95 %CI: 1.16-1.42; I2 = 63.8 %, P＜0.001) and adults (OR = 1.65; 95 %CI: 1.39-1.97; I2 = 92.4 %, P＜0.001) with a history of sleep disorders exhibited an increased risk of all-cause constipation.. Furthermore, patients with a history of insufficient sleep were also associated with an increased risk of constipation (OR = 1.33; 95 %CI: 1.20-1.46; I2 = 6.7 %, P＜0.001). Additionally, patients with poor sleep quality were found to have an increased risk of constipation (OR = 1.56; 95 %CI: 1.0-2.45; I2 = 90.9 %, P = 0.05). Lastly, patients with insomnia were found to have the highest risk of constipation (OR = 1.94; 95 %CI: 1.37-2.76; I2 = 97.8 %, P＜0.001). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis indicates that sleep disorders are associated with an elevated risk of constipation. Insomnia, poor sleep quality, and insufficient sleep duration all contribute to elevating the risk of constipation. These findings emphasize the significance of recognizing sleep disorders as an independent risk factor for constipation in both children and adults.

YiQi GuBen capsule alleviates OVA-induced asthma through improving mitochondrial dysfunction.

Objective: This study aims to explore the effect of YiQi GuBen capsule on improving mitochondrial dysfunction in an animal model of asthma.Methods: The mice (n = 8) were divided into four groups including control (NC), ovalbumin (OVA), dexamethasone (OVA + DEX), and YiQi GuBen (OVA + YQGB) groups. Firstly, we established an OVA-induced mouse asthma model except for the NC group, which then were treated with dexamethasone and YiQi GuBen capsule. Subsequently, HE staining and Masson staining were used for pathological analysis of mice lung tissues. Next, we used transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to observe the effect of the Yiqi Guben capsule on the ultrastructure of mitochondria. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the ROS level, membrane potential, and the number of mitochondria in lung tissue. Moreover, we analyzed the copy number of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the expression levels of activator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) and mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM).Results: The results of the pathological analysis showed that after treatment with the YiQi GuBen capsule, the lung tissue damage was significantly reduced. In addition, we observed that the ultrastructural damage of mitochondria was improved. Flow cytometry proved that after treatment with the YiQi GuBen capsule, the level of ROS in the mitochondria was effectively reduced, while the mitochondrial membrane potential decreased and the number increased significantly. Moreover, we found that the copy number of mtDNA was significantly increased and the expression levels of PGC-1α and TFAM were significantly upgraded.Conclusion: This study suggests YiQi GuBen capsule can effectively improve mitochondrial dysfunction in the OVA-induced mouse model.

The relationship between human blood metabolites and preeclampsia-eclampsia: A Mendelian randomization study.

Preeclampsia and eclampsia are serious complications of pregnancy, leading to high rates of maternal and neonatal mortality. During pregnancy, there are changes in relevant serum metabolites in women. However, it remains unclear if these serum metabolites contribute to the development of associated disorders during pregnancy. Therefore, we conducted a Mendelian randomization study to explore the causal relationship between serum metabolites and preeclampsia and eclampsia. We utilized the inverse variance weighted model as our primary analysis approach. We complemented this with sensitivity analyses, including the heterogeneity test, horizontal pleiotropy test, and leave-one-out analysis, to ensure the robustness of our findings. Furthermore, we conducted linkage disequilibrium score regression, multivariable Mendelian randomization, and metabolic pathway analysis to further explore the genetic data. The Mendelian randomization analysis has identified γ-glutamylglutamine, inosine, and isoleucine 10 metabolites that are significantly associated with preeclampsia, and γ-glutamylglutamine and phenylacetate 8 metabolites that may potentially contribute to the development of eclampsia. Notably, γ-glutamylglutamine has been found to have a causal relationship with both preeclampsia and eclampsia. In the multivariable Mendelian randomization analysis, our research findings suggest that both isoleucine and X-14304-leucylalanine directly impact preeclampsia within the context of amino acids and peptides. Moreover, our observations reveal that carbohydrates can also have a direct effect on preeclampsia. Importantly, it should be emphasized that only 3-lactate in amino acids has been shown to have a direct influence on eclampsia. This research has the potential to enhance our understanding of the biological variances related to disease status, providing a foundation for future investigations.

An empirical study on learners' learning emotion and learning effect in offline learning environment.

The application of non-cognitive factors represented by facial emotion in educational evaluation has attracted much attention in recent years. There are many existing studies on facial emotion assisted education evaluation, but most of them are based on virtual learning environments, which means that the research on facial emotion and learning effect in offline learning environments is sparse. In order to solve this problem, this study designed an emotion observation experiment based on the offline learning environment, obtained the type of learner facial emotion and learning effect of 127 college students, and further explored the relationship between the two. The results show that: 1) We obtained eight types of learner emotion through the combined description method: joy, relaxation, surprise, meekness, contempt, disgust, sadness, anxiety and their respective PAD emotional mean. 2) We obtained the correlation results of the six emotions of joy, relaxation, surprise, meekness, contempt, and anxiety with the learning effect and the predicted value of the learning effect. 3) We then constructed an explanatory model of learner emotion and learning effect based on the offline learning environment.

Corrigendum: Association between precocious puberty and obesity risk in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1226933.].

Association between precocious puberty and obesity risk in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential association between early onset puberty and the risk of different forms of obesity in children. Methods: The databases PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Library were systematically searched for relevant studies. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of obesity in precocious puberty were calculated using Stata software 14.0. A fixed-effects model was used if P > 0.1 and I2 ≤ 50%. Otherwise, a random-effects model was used. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and Egger's test. Result: The pooling analysis showed that precocious puberty in girls was associated with a higher risk of obesity (OR = 1.98; 95% CI: 1.76-2.24; I2 = 0.00%, P < 0.001). Girls with a history of precocious puberty were found to have an increased risk of general obesity (OR = 2.03; 95% CI: 1.62-2.55; I2 = 22.2%, P < 0.001), central obesity (OR = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.70-2.26; I2 = 0.00%, P < 0.001), and overweight (OR = 2.03; 95% CI: 1.68-2.46; I2 = 5.1%, P < 0.001). The pooled analysis showed that precocious puberty in boys was not associated with an increased risk of obesity (OR = 1.14; 95% CI: 0.86-1.51; I2 = 50.6%, P = 0.369). In boys, the occurrence of precocious puberty was not associated with an elevated risk of general obesity (OR = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.40-2.27; I2 = 79.6%, P = 0.922), central obesity (OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 0.96-1.43; I2 = 0.00%, P = 0.125), or overweight (OR = 1.03; 95% CI: 0.56-1.88; I2 = 74.4%, P = 0.930). Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that the onset of puberty at an early age in girls is associated with an increased risk of obesity, however precocious puberty in boy was not associated with an increased risk of obesity. These findings highlight that precocious puberty should be considered an independent risk factor for obesity in girls. Systematic Review Registration: CRD42023404479.