Exosomes: potential diagnostic markers and drug carriers for adenomyosis.

Adenomyosis is a common benign gynecological disorder and an important factor leading to infertility in fertile women. Adenomyosis can cause deep lesions and is persistent and refractory in nature due to its tumor-like biological characteristics, such as the ability to implant, adhere, and invade. The pathogenesis of adenomyosis is currently unclear. Therefore, new therapeutic approaches are urgently required. Exosomes are nanoscale vesicles secreted by cells that carry proteins, genetic materials and other biologically active components. Exosomes play an important role in maintaining tissue homeostasis and regulating immune responses and metabolism. A growing body of work has shown that exosomes and their contents are key to the development and progression of adenomyosis. This review discusses the current research progress, future prospects and challenges in this emerging therapeutic tool by providing an overview of the changes in the adenomyosis uterine microenvironment and the biogenesis and functions of exosomes, with particular emphasis on the role of exosomes and their contents in the regulation of cell migration, proliferation, fibrosis formation, neovascularization, and inflammatory responses in adenomyosis.

Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Chinese Patent Medicines for Cervical High-risk Human Papillomavirus Infection: A Bayesian Network Meta-analysis.

Background: Many Chinese patent medicines have been reported to show anti-tumor cell effects on cervical cancer. To estimate the comparative effectiveness and safety of Chinese patent medicines for cervical high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Chinese patent medicines for HR-HPV infection were searched in eight databases until 31 August 2022, and two review authors independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias. Outcomes concerning efficacy were evaluated as odds ratio (OR) and 95% credible intervals (CrI) utilizing R 4.1.2 and Stata 16.1. The protocol was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42022351120). Results: We ultimately identified 60 RCTs that involved 5,951 participants and 8 interventions. Chinese patent medicines combined with recombinant human interferon (rhIFN) have better treatment effects than rhIFN alone. The results showed that Baofukang suppository (BFK) combined with rhIFN is greater for the rate of HR-HPV clearance follow-up at 6 months (SUCRA = 78.16%). Kushen gel (KS) combined with rhIFN ranked first for the rate of HR-HPV clearance after treatment (SUCRA = 90.77%). Furthermore, KS + rhIFN is most likely to be the best intervention for improving the clinical effectiveness rate (SUCRA = 87.39%). Adverse reactions were not statistically significant in BFK + rhIFN versus BFK, BFK + rhIFN versus rhIFN, and BFK versus rhIFN. Conclusion: The combination of Chinese patent medicines with rhIFN may demonstrate a higher efficacy than rhIFN alone in clearing the virus and improving cervical symptoms. Weighing with the clinical comprehensive efficacy, BFK + rhIFN and KS + rhIFN maybe the optimal treatments for cervical HR-HPV infection. However, more high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed in the future to further confirm the efficacy and safety of proprietary Chinese medicines for cervical HR-HPV infection.

Study on the effect of additives on microbial diversity, predicted functional profiles, and fermentation quality of Broussonetia papyrifera and Pennisetum sinese mixed ensilage in the karst region.

In this research, we evaluated the effect of exogenous lactic acid bacteria and Amomum villosum essential oil (AVEO) on the chemical composition, microbial community composition, microbial functional diversity, and fermentation quality of Broussonetia papyrifera (BP) and Pennisetum sinese (PS) mixed silages. The BP:PS mixing ratios were 100:0, 70:30, 50:50, 30:70, and 0:100. After 3 and 30 days of ensiling at 22°C-25°C, microbial diversity and function, and fermentation quality, were assessed. Increasing PS content resulted in decreased ammoniacal nitrogen and pH, increased water-soluble carbohydrate content, increased relative abundance of Lactococcus and Acinetobacter, and reduced relative abundance of Caproiciproducens and Pseudomonas. A 50:50 BP:PS ratio effectively improved the fermentation quality compared to anaerobic fermentation with BP or PS alone, while AVEO treatment further improved fermentation quality by increasing Lactococcus relative abundance. Moreover, as fermentation proceeded, ensiling enhanced the 'Human diseases', 'Environmental information processing', and 'Cellular processes' functions at the first level, as well as the 'Two-component system' and 'ABC transporters' functions at the third level. Different additives affected the fermentation of BP and PS mixed silage by regulating microbial community succession and metabolic pathways during ensiling.

Fermentation quality, bacterial community, and predicted functional profiles in silage prepared with alfalfa, perennial ryegrass and their mixture in the karst region.

There is little information regarding the dynamics of fermentation products and the bacterial community in silage prepared with alfalfa (MS), perennial ryegrass (LP), and their mixture in the karst region. In this study, we explored the effects of combining MS with LP in different ratios (100% MS, 70% MS + 30% LP, 50% MS + 50% LP, 30% MS + 70% LP and 100% LP; fresh matter basis) on silage chemical composition, fermentation quality, bacterial communities and predicted functions during the ensiling process. Each treatment was prepared in triplicate and stored at room temperature (22-25°C) for 7, 15, and 45 days. The dry matter (DM) and water-soluble carbohydrate content of the silages increased as the LP proportion in the mixed silage increased; at 45 days, the 70% MS + 30% LP, 50% MS + 50% LP and 30% MS + 70% LP silages contained higher (p < 0.05) CP content than the 100% MS and 100% LP silages. The 30% MS + 70% LP and 100% LP silages exhibited lower (p < 0.05) pH and higher (p < 0.05) LA content than the other silages; at 45 days, none of the silages contained PA or BA. As fermentation proceeded, the abundance of harmful (Enterobacteriaceae and Sphingomonas) and beneficial (Lentilactobacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, Secundilactobacillus, and Levilactobacillus) microorganisms decreased and increased, respectively, as the LP proportion in the mixed silage increased. The predicted functional distribution of microbial communities and metabolic pathways revealed that the 30% MS + 70% LP and 100% LP silages had a stronger capacity for fermentation and a weaker capacity for nitrate reduction than the other silages. Moreover, as the fermentation proceeded, the 30% MS + 70% LP and 100% LP treatments enhanced the functions of "Metabolism," "Genetic information processing" and "Organismal systems" at level 1, the functions of "Amino acid metabolism" and "Nucleotide metabolism" at level 2, and the functions of "Metabolic pathways," "Biosynthesis of secondary metabolites," "Biosynthesis of antibiotics" and "Purine metabolism" at level 3. Thus, adding LP could improve the fermentation quality of MS silage by changing the composition and metabolic function of microbes; furthermore, ensiling 30% alfalfa with 70% ryegrass can produce high-quality silage in the karst region.

Chinese patent medicines combined with hormone replacement therapy for premature ovarian failure: A Bayesian network meta-analysis.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy differences between Chinese patent medicines combined with hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the treatment of premature ovarian failure (POF) by the Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) method. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting Chinese patent medicine combined with HRT for POF included Medline (via PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database (CNKI), Wanfang Database (Wanfang), VIP Database (VIP), and China Biology Medicine Database (CBM) from the inception of the databases to July 2022. Two researchers independently screened the articles, extracted data, and evaluated the quality. The literature that met the inclusion criteria was screened out, the quality and risk of bias of the included studies were assessed according to the Cochrane 5.1 manual and RevMan 5.4, and NMA was performed using Stata 15.0 and R software. Results: Sixty-four RCTs involving 5,675 individuals containing 12 oral Chinese patent medicines combined with HRT were enrolled into the current NMA. The results showed that when compared with patients using only HRT, the total clinical response rate is greater in patients using HRT combined with one of these 12 oral Chinese patent medicines. Among them, Zuogui pills + HRT [odds ratio (OR) = 3.92; 95% credible interval (CrI) = 0.86, 23.84; SUCRA = 73.76%] is most likely to be the best intervention, and the suboptimal intervention is Guishen pills + HRT (OR = 3.22, 95% CrI = 1.16, 9.44, SUCRA = 70.60%). Conclusion: Chinese patent medicines combined with HRT were more effective than HRT alone in the treatment of POF. Zuogui pills are good at decreasing follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) and more effective in the improvement of total clinical response rate; Xuefu Zhuyu capsule is also good at decreasing FSH. Ziheche capsule is an expert in improving estradiol level; Kuntai capsule shows the lowest incidence of adverse reactions. However, the quality of the literature included in this study is relatively low, so it may affect the results of the study. Therefore, higher quality and multi-center trial would be necessary for supporting these results. Systematic review registration: [www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero], identifier [CRD42022350587].

Effect of lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and their mixture on the chemical composition, fermentation quality, and bacterial community of cellulase-treated Pennisetum sinese silage.

The present study investigated the effects of Lentilactobacillus buchneri, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and a mixture of the two on the cellulose degradation and microbial community of cellulase-treated Pennisetum sinese (CTPS) during biological pretreatment. The CTPS was stored without additives (CK) or with L. buchneri (L), yeast (Y, S. cerevisiae), and their mixture (LY) under anaerobic conditions for 60 days. All inoculants enhanced the anaerobic fermentation of CTPS. In relative to L, inoculations with Y and LY decreased the cellulose level of fermented-CTPS by 8.90 ~ 17.13%. Inoculation with L inhibited the growth of Weissella cibaria during anaerobic storage. However, inoculations with LY increased the relative abundance of the homofermentative bacterium Lactiplantibacillus plantarum by 6.04%. Therefore, inoculating S. cerevisiae reduced the adverse effects of L. buchneri-stimulated fermentation on cellulose degradation by altering the bacterial community during anaerobic storage of P. sinese. This work provides a new insight for the subsequent anaerobic digestion of P. sinese.

Effects of epiphytic and exogenous lactic acid bacteria on fermentation quality and microbial community compositions of paper mulberry silage.

This study aimed to isolate, characterize, and identify lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains from various sources and evaluate their effects on the nutritional quality, fermentation characteristics, and microbial compositions of paper mulberry (PM) after 60 days of ensiling. Forty-nine LAB strains were isolated from Phalaris arundinacea silage, pickle, and fresh PM leaves; three of these strains (Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, YC1; Levilactobacillus brevis, PC3; and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, BP17) and one commercial inoculant Gaofuji (GFJ) were subsequently used. Compared with other treatments, PC3 and BP17 increased (P < 0.05) the LAB count and crude protein content and decreased (P < 0.05) the molds and coliform bacteria counts, pH, and ammonia-N content of PM silages. BP17 and PC3 increased the relative Lactiplantibacillus abundance and decreased that of Lelliottia and Cladosporium, improving PM silage quality. Therefore, PC3 and BP17 can improve the fermentation quality of PM silage and could be used as silage starter cultures.

Effect of Amomum villosum essential oil as an additive on the chemical composition, fermentation quality, and bacterial community of paper mulberry silage.

Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera L., PM) is being used as a new type of animal protein feed to address the feed crisis. To investigate the effect of additives on the chemical composition, fermentation quality, and bacterial community of PM silage (at room temperature, 25°), paper mulberry was fermented with formic acid (FA), Amomum villosum essential oil (AVEO) and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculant treatments. The results showed that fresh PM had a low water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) content and large amounts of unclassified bacteria. Compared with the CK and LAB treatments, the FA and AVEO treatments significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the pH and increased the lactic acid content of PM silage after 60 days of ensiling. In the AVEO-treated silages the abundance of Lactococcus in the early stage of ensiling increased by 14.09%, the abundances of Levilactobacillus and Lentilactobacillus in the late stage of ensiling increased by 58.34 and 91.12%, respectively, and the abundance of Stenotrophomonas decreased by 94.71%, resulting in improved PM silage quality. These results confirmed that AVEO could potentially be developed as a new additive for improving the fermentation quality of silage.

Influence of Fermented-Moutai Distillers' Grain on Growth Performance, Meat Quality, and Blood Metabolites of Finishing Cattle.

The present study evaluated the effect of dietary supplementation with fermented-Moutai distillers' grain (FMDG) on the growth performance, meat quality, amino acid composition and blood metabolites of finishing cattle. Thirty cattle (2 years old; 237.55 ± 10.72 kg) were randomly assigned to one of three dietary supplementations: 0% FMDG (control), 15% FMDG (R1) and 30% FMDG (R2) [dry matter (DM) basis]. After 60 days, the inclusion of FMDG had no significant (p > 0.05) effects on the growth performance indices (dry matter intake, average daily gain and feed efficiency), meat quality (cooking yield, shear force, L*, a*, and b* values) or bovine blood biochemical indicators (except albumin and immunoglobulin A). Cattle fed R1 had the lowest (p = 0.001) loin eye area. Supplementation with FMDG significantly (p < 0.05) increased the beef contents of various amino acids (except isoleucine and arginine) compared with the control diet. Specifically, R2 significantly increased (p < 0.05) the total amino acid, essential amino acid, non-essential amino acid and umami amino acid contents in beef, while the difference in bitter amino acid content between different treatments was not significant (p = 0.165). These results suggest that it is feasible to include FMDG at up to 30% DM without affecting the growth performance, meat quality or blood metabolites of finishing cattle.

Effects of Additives on Silage Fermentation Characteristic and In Vitro Digestibility of Perennial Oat at Different Maturity Stages on the Qinghai Tibetan.

To effectively use local grass resources to cover the winter feed shortage on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, the silage fermentation and in vitro digestibility of perennial oat (Helictotrichonvirescens Henr.) were investigated. Perennial oat was harvested at the heading/flowering stage, wilted under sunny conditions, chopped, vacuumed in small bag silos, and stored at ambient temperatures (5-15 °C) for 60 days. The silages were treated without (CK) or with local lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculant (IN1), commercial LAB inoculant (IN2), and sodium benzoate (BL). Control silages of perennial oat at early heading stage showed higher (p < 0.05) lactate and acetate contents and lower (p < 0.05) final pH, butyrate, and ammonia-N contents than those at the flowering stage. High levels of dry matter recovery (DMR) and crude protein (CP) were observed in IN1- and BL-treated silages, with high in vitro gas production and dry matter digestibility. Compared to CK, additives increased (p < 0.05) aerobic stability by inhibiting yeasts, aerobic bacteria, and coliform bacteria during ensiling. In particular, the local LAB inoculant increased (p < 0.05) concentrations of lactate, acetate and propionate, and decreased concentrations of butyrate and ammonia-N in silages. This study confirmed that local LAB inoculant could improve the silage quality of perennial oat, and this could be a potential winter feed for animals such as yaks on the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau.

An Overview of Systematic Reviews of Acupuncture for Infertile Women Undergoing in vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer.

Background: Currently, more and more subfertility couples are opting for combined acupuncture to improve the success rate of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). However, the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in IVF-ET is still highly controversial. Objectives: The purpose of this overview is to summarize evidence of essential outcomes of systematic reviews (SRs) of acupuncture in IVF-ET and evaluate their methodological quality. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature search for relevant SRs in eight databases from inception to July 31, 2020, without language restriction. We evaluated the methodological quality of the included SRs by using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), which was the latest available assessment tool. The Risk of Bias in Systematic Review (ROBIS) tool was used to assess the risk of bias in SRs. We assessed the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) score to determine the strength of evidence. We excluded the overlapping randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and performed a re-meta-analysis of the primary RCTs. Results: This review included 312 original RCT studies and 65,388 participants. By using AMSTAR-2, we found that the methodological quality of 16 SRs was critically low, because they had more than one critical weakness. Our reviews showed that although the GRADE for quality of evidence profile was suboptimal, acupuncture seemed to be beneficial in increasing the pregnancy rate. Our re-meta-analysis suggested that acupuncture was superior to sham acupuncture in improving the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) of IVF-ET with substantial heterogeneity (RR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.13-1.52, p = 0.0004, I2 = 66%). No statistical difference was observed regarding the outcomes of live birth rate (LBR), ongoing pregnancy rate (OPR), biochemical pregnancy rate (BPR), and miscarriage rate (MR) between two groups. When compared with no adjunctive treatment groups, acupuncture improved CPR (RR = 1. 25, 95% CI: 1.11-1.42, p = 0.0003) and OPR (RR = 1. 38, 95% CI: 1.04-1.83, p = 0.03). Acupuncture was more superior than no adjunctive treatment in reducing MR (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.03-1.95, p = 0.03) and BPR (RR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.02-1.37, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Although the evidence of acupuncture in IVF-ET is insufficient, acupuncture appears to be beneficial to increase the clinical pregnancy rate in women undergoing IVF-ET. However, there are severe heterogeneity and methodological quality defects, which limit the reliability of results. Further, high-quality primary studies are still needed.