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Objective To investigate the effect of applying antimicrobial drugs and the timing of intervention on pregnancy outcome in patients with risk factors for threatened abortion combined with intrauterine infection. Methods A retrospective survey of 1527 patients with risk factors for threatened abortion combined with intrauterine infection from January 2018 to December 2022 in Zhengzhou Women & Infants Hospital was conducted, divided into the group with antimicrobial drugs (n=471) and the group without antimicrobial drugs (n=1 056) according to whether antimicrobial drugs were applied, and their pregnancy outcomes were observed separately. The impact of the presence of 1, 2,≥3 intrauterine infection high-risk factors on pregnancy outcomes in both groups was also observed. Results There was no statistically significant difference in the age, parity, body mass index (BMI), gestational age prolongation, postpartum infection rate of pregnant women, fetal gestational age, and birth weight between the two groups (P＞0.05). The neonatal survival rate in the antimicrobial agent group was lower than that in the non-antimicrobial agent group (61.36% vs 82.39%, χ2=78.735, P＜0.01), and the rate of complications in surviving newborns was higher in the antimicrobial agent group compared to the non-antimicrobial agent group (26.64% vs 10.57%, χ2=44.973, P＜0.01). Stratified analysis showed no statistically significant differences in neonatal survival rates and complication rates when there were 1, 2, ≥3 intrauterine infection high-risk factors in both groups (P＞0.05). Conclusion There is an overall effect of using or not using antimicrobial drugs on neonatal outcome, but there is no difference in the stratification of different numbers of risk factors.

Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (FLL) has been preclinically and clinically used to treat musculoskeletal diseases. However, whether and how FLL affect the canonical Wnt/β‐catenin signaling in the management of osteoporosis remains largely unknown. To this end, ovariectomized (OVX) rats and primary osteoblasts were administrated with FLL aqueous extract and medicated serum, respectively. Supplement of FLL to OVX rats maintains bone quality by attenuating the reduction in bone mineral density, strength and microstructure. The maintenance may be associated with upregulating the expression of insulin‐like growth factor‐1, osteoprotegerin, phospho (p)‐low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein 6, p‐glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β), β‐catenin, Runx2 and c‐Myc, and downregulating the expressions of sclerostin (SOST), dickkopf‐related protein 1 (DKK1), GSK3β and p‐β‐catenin in rat femurs and tibias. In addition, the medicated serum promotes osteoblastic bone formation through activation of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling via inhibition of DKK1 and SOST overexpression. Salidroside may be one of the active ingredients in FLL that are beneficial for bone homeostasis. In summary, our results suggest that FLL may preserve bone quality through induction of canonical Wnt/β‐catenin signaling via inhibition of DKK1 and SOST overexpression. And FLL may offer a new source of the DKK1 or SOST inhibitors in protection against osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Salidroside, one of the main active ingredients in Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (FLL), is well demonstrated to exert anti-osteoporotic effect. However, the plasma pharmacokinetic profile of salidroside in FLL in estrogen-deficient rats remains unknown. Objective: The objective was to develop a sensitive, rapid, and accurate ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) method for the determination of the pharmacokinetics profile of salidroside after oral administration of FLL aqueous extract in normal and ovariectomized (OVX) rats. Materials and Methods: OVX and normal rats were orally administrated with FLL at a bolus of 7 g/kg. Plasma samples were precipitated by methanol, and the supernatant was chromatographed by a Waters BEH C18column with a gradient elution of ammonium acetate and acetonitrile. Quantification was carried out on the electrospray ionization, positive multiple reaction monitoring modes. Results: The lower limit of detection was 50 ng/mL, and the dynamic linear range was 50–30,000 ng/mL with a value of R2 > 0.99. The intra- and inter-day precisions were lower than 14.67%, and accuracy was in the range of 99.29%–103.37%. The recovery of salidroside ranged from 88.90% to 101.78%, with the matrix effect ranging from 85.53% to 100.45%. The t1/2, MRT0–∞, and apparent volume of distribution for salidroside increased in OVX rats. Conclusion: A sensitive, accurate, and rapid method was successfully established and validated for the determination of plasma characteristics of salidroside in Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats. The results suggest that ovariectomy could interfere with salidroside metabolism in SD rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lycopene (LYC), one of the major carotenoids in tomatoes, has been preclinically and clinically used to obesity and type 2 diabetes management. However, whether its ability of countering body weight gain is related to induction of brown-like adipocyte phenotype in white adipose tissues (WAT) remains largely unknown. Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) serves the brown-like phenotype conversion and energy expenditure. Here, we show that LYC treatment promotes glucose consumption and improves insulin sensitivity, as well as fosters white adipocytes browning through up-regulating mRNA and protein expression levels of PPARγ, uncoupling protein 1, PPARγ coactivator-1α and PR domain-containing 16 in the differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes and primary adipocytes, as well as in the WAT of HFD-exposed obese mice. In addition, LYC treatment attenuates body weight gain and improves serum lipid profiles as well as promotes brown adipose tissue activation in obese mice. Moreover, PPARγ is induced with LYC intervention in mitochondria respiration and browning in white adipocytes and tissues. Taken together, these results suggest that LYC counteracts obesity and improves glucose and lipid metabolism through induction of the browning via up-regulation of PPARγ, which offers a new perspective of this compound to combat obesity and obesity-related disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]