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Background Pre-pregnancy obesity can have a range of effects on both the mother and the fetus, possibly due to abnormalities in maternal-fetal metabolism. Therefore, exploring the mechanisms is essential to improve fetal prognosis. Objective To investigate the alterations of factors associated with obesity and glucose metabolism in the placentas of pregnant women with different BMI levels before pregnancy. Methods A total of 100 singleton pregnant women who delivered in Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University in 2019 were selected as the study subjects. The clinical data were collected based on the electronic medical record system. The subjects were divided into the low/normal body mass group (n=57) and overweight/obese group (n=43) based on their pre-pregnancy body mass. The expression of long non-coding RNA metastasis-associated Lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (LncRNA MALAT1), serum amyloid A3 (SAA3), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) mRNA in placental tissue were measured using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Results The age of the subjects ranged from 22 to 43 years, with an average age of (32.7±4.2) years, including 61 primiparas, 21 with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), 14 with low body mass, 43 with normal body mass, 26 with overweight, and 17 with obese. The proportion of GDM and neonatal body mass in the overweight/obese group was higher than that in the low/normal body mass group, and the weight gain during pregnancy was lower than that in the low/normal body mass group, with statistically significant differences (P

Background The prevalence of pelvic floor dysfunction in postmenopausal women is progressively increasing, leading to a significant impact on both physical and mental well-being due to stress urinary incontinence (SUI) . Objective To investigate the impact of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) in conjunction with Kegel exercises on pelvic floor structure and clinical symptoms in individuals experiencing mild to moderate SUI. Methods A total of 75 patients with menopausal syndrome accompanied by mild to moderate SUI who visited the Menopause Clinic at Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University in 2022 were selected. They were allocated into the MHT group and the control group in a 2∶1 ratio using a random number table method, and the MHT group was further randomly divided into subgroups receiving Tibolone and estrogen combined with progestogen therapy (EPT) in a 1∶1 ratio. Both the control group and the MHT group underwent pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT), commonly referred to as Kegel exercises, for 15-30 minutes per session, 2-3 times daily, and 2-3 d per weekly, over a continuous period of 12 months. The control group received Kuntai capsules orally in combination with PFMT, with 4 capsules taken per dose, 3 times a day, for 12 months. The MHT group received menopausal hormone therapy in conjunction with PFMT. The EPT subgroups include continuous combined estrogen-progestin therapy (1 mg estradiol valerate + 10 mg dydrogesterone, once daily), continuous sequential estrogen-progestin therapy (femoston 12 courses), and the Tibolone subgroup takes tibolone orally, all of which were administered continuously for 12 months. The study examined serum estradiol (E2) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels within and between groups and subgroups before and after treatment. In addition, measurements were obtained for urethral rotation angle (URA), bladder detrusor thickness (BDT), posterior vesicourethral angle (PVUA), levator hiatus area (LHA), urinary incontinence quantification, ICI-Q-SF score, clinical efficacy, as well as changes in the modified Kupperman Menopausal Index (KMI) score, and the modified oxford staging (MOS) . Results Upon completion of the study, 7 participants from the MHT group were lost to follow-up (5 in the Tibolone subgroup and 2 in the EPT subgroup), with 3 participants from the control group also lost to follow-up. In the end, a total of 65 participants were included. After 1 year of treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in FSH, E2, and MOS between the MHT group and the control group (P>0.05). After 1 year of treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in PUVA, BDT, and URA between the MHT group and the control group (P>0.05). However, the LHA of the MHT group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P=0.028). After 1 year of treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in PUVA, BDT, URA, and LHA between the EPT and Tibolone subgroups (P>0.05). Statistically significant differences were found in the comparison of clinical efficacy between the control group and the MHT group (P=0.005). Conversely, no statistically significant differences were observed in the comparison of clinical efficacy between the EPT and Tibolone subgroups (P=0.727). After 1 year of treatment, the MHT group showed lower urinary incontinence quantity, ICI-Q-SF score, and KMI score compared to the control group (P0.05) . Conclusion The combination of MHT with PFMT yields a positive effect on the pelvic floor structure and markedly alleviates symptoms of urinary incontinence. Nevertheless, there is no significant differences between EPT and Tibolone in the improvement of pelvic floor structure and alleviation of clinical symptoms in patients.

Background In recent years, the symptoms of perimenopausal hearing loss (PMS-HL) have received widespread attention, but there is no targeted treatment. Zuoci pill has been used clinically for a hundred years, but there is no relevant research on the treatment of PMS-HL with this drug. Objective To explore the mechanism and therapeutic targets of Zuoci pill on PMS-HL through further validation of animal experiments based on the network pharmacology and molecular docking technology. Methods The active components and action targets of Zuoci pill were obtained through TCMSP and Uniprot databases, and the protein targets of PMS-HL were obtained through GeneCards, OMIM, TTD, DrugBank, and PharmGKB databases according to the composition of Zuoci pill from inception to February 2023, the intersection was taken to screen the potential therapeutic targets of Zuoci pill for the treatment of PMS-HL, and the "drug-active ingredient-target" interaction network diagram was constructed. The protein interaction analysis function of the String database was utilized to screen core targets. The Metascape database was used for enrichment analysis of the function of the proteins and pathways. Molecular docking of the core proteins was performed using Autodock and Pymol software to determine the binding capacity between key active ingredients and core targets. The menopausal animal model was established from September 2022 to January 2023, including Sham operation group (SHAM) group, ovariectomized (OVX) group, and Zuoci pill (ZCW) group, and serum level of the key protein interleukin 1β (IL-1β) was detected and statistically analyzed using SPSS 26.0. Results There were 90 active components, 226 potential protein targets, 2 481 PMS-HL related targets, and 150 Zuoci pill and PMS-HL intersection targets for the compounds in the Zuoci pill formula. A total of 183 items for biological process, 103 items for molecular function, and 103 items for cellular components were obtained in the Gene Ontology (GO) function. The top three Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were cancer pathways, lipid and atherosclerotic lesion pathway, and receptor activation pathway for chemical carcinogenesis. Molecular docking showed that the main active ingredients of Zuoci pill in treating PMS-HL were quercetin, kaempferol, stigmasterol, β- Sitosterol, isorhamnetin, diosgenin, tetrahydrostilbene and kaempferone; the active components of Zuoci pill can bind to the core target proteins of serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1), cellular tumor antigen p53 (TP53), interleukin 6 (IL-6), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA), cystatinase 3 (CASP3), IL-1β, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) stably. Comparison of serum IL-1β level among the three groups of rats showed statistically significant difference (F=11.73, P

Background Pregnancy and vaginal delivery are important factors leading to pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) in women, manifested as pelvic organ prolapse (POP), stress urinary incontinence (SUI), and sexual dysfunction. Postpartum pelvic floor function rehabilitation has become a research hotspot in recent years. Stimulating the pelvic floor muscle groups through active exercise and passive contraction can improve detrusor stability and levator muscle function to prevent and treat PFD. Objective To investigate the clinical value of biofeedback electrical stimulation combined with pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) therapy in the rehabilitation of pelvic floor function after vaginal delivery through a clinical controlled study. Methods Postpartum women with PFD after delivery implemented in Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beijing Shijitan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University from January 2020 to January 2022 were selected as the research subjects, and divided into the observation group and the control group using a random number table method. The observation group was treated with biofeedback electrical stimulation combined with PFMT, while the control group was treated with PFMT alone. The muscle strength of the pelvic floor class Ⅰ and class Ⅱ muscle fibers, the ratio of SUI and POP level of the two groups before and after treatment; postpartum PFMT situation; scores of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Questionnaire (PFDI-20), Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire-7 (PFIQ-7), and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICI-Q-SF) before and at 3 and 6 months after the treatment. Results A total of 327 cases were included in the observation group and 343 cases in the control group. After the treatment, the strength recovery of type Ⅰ and Ⅱ muscle fibers in the observation group was better than the control group (P0.05). The proportion of PFMT frequency≥5 times/week in the observation group was higher than that in the control group at 3 months and 6 months after treatment (P

Background Menopause will cause series of pathophysiologic changes and long-term complications (coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, osteoporosis, etc.), among which coronary heart disease is a major health threat. Objective To investigate the effects of menopausal status and aging on common risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) in middle-aged women, such as increased carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and obesity. Methods A total of 556 healthy premenopausal women aged 45 to 54 years who received regular physical examinations at the physical examination center of Beijing Shijitan Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University in 2018 were initially selected, with 89 excluded according to relevant criteria, and 467 women were finally included as study subjects. The included subjects were divided into the pre-menopausal group (n=176) and postmenopausal group (n=291) according to whether they were postmenopausal during a 3-year follow-up period. Changes in BMI, waist circumference, blood glucose, blood pressure, blood lipids and other indicators were monitored, inter- and intra-group comparisons were performed before and after the follow-up period. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the effects of menopausal status and age on the incidence of risk factors for coronary heart disease in middle-aged women. Results The average age of 467 subjects was (47.6±2.3) years old. Compared with baseline, waist circumference, uric acid (UA), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels increased, fasting blood glucose (FBG) level decreased after 3 years (P

Autologous platelet concentrate (APC) is a platelet concentrate obtained by centrifugation of human or animal blood, mainly includes first-generation platelet concentrate platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and second-generation platelet concentrate platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), which is widely applied in varies fields such as dental implants, bone defect repairing and burn plastic surgery because of its role in wound healing and tissue repair. In recent years, autologous platelet concentrate has been applied to improve ovarian function, promote the repair of endometrial hyperplasia, treat cervical and vulvo-related lesions, and has achieved significant efficacy. However, there is a lack of effective integration of PRP and PRF research results in the field of gynecology. This paper systematically and comprehensively review the preparation, biological properties and applications in various gynecological diseases, in order to provide clinicians with new treatment ideas for gynecological diseases and reference for the further application of APC.

Background Overweight/obese women are a growing population with high incidence of depression, anxiety and psychological abnormalities. Due to lack of effective responsive measures to emotions and behaviors, weight loss outcomes are often unsatisfactory in overweight/obese women with anxiety and depression. And less attention has been paid to weight loss outcomes and emotions in this group.Objective To explore the effect of daily self-weighing supported by online supervision on body composition and emotions in overweight/obese women with anxiety and depression.Methods A prospective, randomized, controlled study was conducted with 92 overweight/obese women with mild to moderate anxiety and depression voluntarily recruited from Beijing's Haidian District from October to December 2019. The subjects were randomized into an experimental group (n=46) and a control group (n=46) at a ratio of 1∶1, and treated with weight control interventions for three months: besides eating the appropriate food combinations with scientific and individualized guidance and excising rationally, the experimental group measured their body weight daily with online supervision from the special member of our research group and reported the data to the group, while the control group measured their body weight per month, which was collected by our research group through monthly telephone follow-up. Body composition measurement result, anxiety assessed using Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and depression assessed using Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) were compared at baseline and three months after the intervention.Results All the participants completed the questionnaire assessment and follow-up. After the intervention, the control group had higher average body weight, BMI, body fat percentage and body fat as well as larger average visceral fat area than the experimental group （P

New Findings What is the central question of this study? We investigated the effects of oestrogen and Cimicifuga racemosa on the stellate ganglion, cardiac noradrenaline pathway and Ca2+–calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in ovariectomized rats. What is the main finding and its importance? The right stellate ganglion, but not the left, may be associated with decreased left ventricular noradrenaline content in ovariectomized rats. Oestrogen can reverse all changes caused by ovariectomy. Cimicifuga racemosa did not affect left ventricular noradrenaline, but decreased protein expression of β1-adrenergic receptor and Ca2+–calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II. The results might explain potential effects of C. racemosa on the cardiovascular system and provide new insights into cardiovascular protection. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of oestrogen and Cimicifuga racemosa on the stellate ganglion, cardiac noradrenaline (NA) pathway and Ca2+–calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK II). Forty adult female Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into the following four groups: sham operated (SHAM); ovariectomized (OVX); ovariectomized with oestrogen treatment (E2); and ovariectomized with C. racemosa treatment (iCR). After 4 weeks of treatment, the NA content was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, and dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH) and noradrenaline transporter (NET) expression were detected by immunohistochemistry. Western blotting was used to determine NET, β1-adrenergic receptor (β1-AR) and CaMK II expression. Compared with the SHAM group, body weights, DBH and NET expression in the right stellate ganglia, and NET, β1-AR and CaMK II expression in the left ventricles of the OVX group were increased, whereas left ventricular NA content was decreased; DBH and NET expression in the left stellate ganglion was not significantly different. The indexes of the E2 group were similar to those of the SHAM group. Moreover, in the iCR group, DBH, NET, β1-AR and CaMK II expression was decreased; NET expression and NA content of the left ventricle remained unchanged. Our conclusions are as follows. First, the right stellate ganglion, but not the left, may be associated with decreased left ventricular NA content in OVX rats. Second, oestrogen increases the left ventricular NA content and adjusts the expression of DBH and NET in the right stellate ganglion and restores β1-AR and CaMK II protein expression to normal levels. Third, C. racemosa does not affect left ventricular NA, but decreases the protein expression of β1-AR and CaMK II. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Effect of isopropanolic Cimicifuga racemosa extract (iCR) on uterine fibroid size compared with tibolone. Method. The randomized, double-blind, controlled study in China enrolled 244 patients aged 40-60 years with menopausal symptoms (Kupperman Menopause Index ≥ 15). The participants were treated with either iCR of 40mg crude drug/day (N = 122) or tibolone 2.5mg/day (N = 122) orally for 3 months in 2004. Now, we investigated the subset of all women (N = 62) with at least one uterine fibroid at onset of treatment for the effect of iCR (N = 34) on fibroid size compared with tibolone (N = 28) by transvaginal ultrasonography. Results. The median myoma volume decreased upon iCR by as much as -30% (P = 0.016) but increased upon tibolone by +4.7%.The percentage of volume change, mean diameter change and geometricmean diameter change of the iCR group compared to tibolone were statistically significant (P = 0.016, 0.021, 0.016 respectively). Conclusion. Our results suggest that iCR (Remifemin) is a valid herbal medicinal product in patients with uterine myomas as it provides adequate relief from menopausal symptoms and inhibits growth of the myomas in contrast to tibolone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Activation of the complement system may play a role in the pathophysiology of human labor. Yet no unanimous conclusion has been drawn., Objective: To compare the differences in maternal complement components C3 and C4 serum levels in cesarean section and the vaginal delivery at term and in the postpartum hemorrhage., Methods: One hundred and sixty six women delivered at term were enrolled in this study. Maternal blood samples were obtained from 47 cases of elective cesarean section and 119 cases of the vaginal delivery. Serum complement levels were measured subsequently by immuno-scatter turbidimetry., Results: The maternal complement levels declined significantly during delivery by both the cesarean section and the vaginal delivery (p＜0.01) in comparison with the baseline. A much larger drop of C3 serum level was found in the postpartum hemorrhage and in the vaginal delivery, and the incidence of the postpartum hemorrhage has a positive correlation with the complement decline rate., Conclusion: The complement system may be involved in the delivery process and represents a predictive value in postpartum hemorrhage.

This study investigates the association of CD105 (endoglin) with the invasiveness of paclitaxel-resistant ovarian cancer (OC) cells and explores the potential mechanism. A paclitaxel-resistant OC cell line OC3/TAX300, which expresses the stem cell marker CD105 and has a high invasive potential, was established in our previous study. After CD105 knockdown using CD105 siRNA, the invasiveness of the OC cells was decreased, and the chemo-resistance was reversed, but the CD105 overexpression was related to the poor survival of the primary OC patients. The differentially expressed genes were investigated in the OC cells after the CD105 knockdown. The results showed that, in the CD105-siRNA transfected cells, the expressions of some genes (such as KIAA0125, SSTR5-AS1, CDH18, MIAT, NDRG1, E-cadherin, DUSP1, MAL, MYC, and JAK3 ) were significantly upregulated, but the expressions of other genes (such as PRKAR2B, KLK10, DDX17, and lncRNA SNHG7 ) were markedly downregulated. Several genes, such as NDRG1 and E-cadherin, are known to be related to cancer metastasis and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). A KEGG analysis found that 264 signaling pathways changed after the CD105 knockdown, of which 27 signaling pathways showed significant enrichment. Our results show that CD105 is related to the metastasis of OC and may promote the EMT of OC by inhibiting NDRG1 and E-cadherin. MYC, JAK3, and IKBKB mediate the CD105-induced metastasis of OC via the MAPK/PI3K/AKT and JAK/STAT signaling pathways in the OC cells. Therefore, inhibiting the CD105 expression may be useful for treating OC., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2021.)

Objectives: Intrauterine adhesion is a disease involving endometrial fibrosis that arises from injury to the basal layer of the endometrium. Here, we aimed to explore the preventive effects of decellularized and lyophilized amniotic membrane on endometrial fibrosis in a rat model of intrauterine adhesion., Materials and Methods: Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 2 groups. For the intrauterine adhesion group, endometria of left uteri were scraped without treatment. For the intrauterine adhesion plus decellularized and lyophilized amniotic membrane transplant group, decellularized and lyophilized amniotic membrane was sutured onto the scraped wound of left uteri. Right uteri were kept as the control group. At 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after transplant, uteri were sampled for histologic and immunohistochemical evaluation., Results: Histology examination revealed extensive fibrosis with significantly reduced numbers of endometrial glands in uteri in the intrauterine adhesion group. Immunohistochemical staining showed a remarked increase in expression of transforming growth factor β1 (P < .01) and decreased expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (P < .01) in the intrauterine adhesion group. In rats with transplant of decellularized and lyophilized amniotic membrane, endometrial fibrosis apparently improved (P < .05) with reduced expression of transforming growth factor β1 and increased matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression (P < .05). However, there were no significant differences in the number of endometrial glands or endometrial thickness between the 2 groups (P > .05)., Conclusions: Development of intrauterine adhesion was prevented with transplant of decellularized and lyophilized amniotic membrane via suppression of transforming growth factor β1 and increased production of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in a rat model.