International Journal of Medical Sciences最新文献

{"title":"The diagnostic role of machine learning models related to visceral fat with sex-specific distribution in subtypes of primary aldosteronism.","authors":"Yu Luo, Xiaoyu He, Fen Wang, Luoning Gou, Zheng Liu, Chuou Xu, Anhui Xu, Junhui Xie","doi":"10.7150/ijms.131815","DOIUrl":"10.7150/ijms.131815","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Primary aldosteronism (PA) subtypes exhibit significant sex-specific differences, particularly regarding cardiovascular risk and the metabolic syndrome. This study investigated these differences between subtypes and developed a machine learning model for subtype prediction.</p><p><strong>Design and methods: </strong>This retrospective study analyzed clinical and imaging data from 276 PA patients, subtyped by adrenal venous sampling. Visceral and cardiac adipose deposition were quantified, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression identified optimal predictive parameters for model development.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Unilateral PA (UPA) presented with prominent hypertension and hypokalemia, whereas bilateral PA (BPA) showed more visceral fat deposition, with notable sex differences. (1) In males, the BPA group had a higher body mass index, abdominal fat, and larger epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) volume along with a greater E/e' ratio compared to UPA. (2) Across both subtypes, males demonstrated more abdominal fat than females. (3) In females, BPA had higher triglycerides, serum calcium than UPA. (4) In males, an XGBoost model using visceral fat area (VFA), serum potassium, systolic blood pressure, and plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) achieved an AUC of 0.84±0.05. An XGBoost model in females based on serum potassium, lipid profile, PAC after saline infusion test, and CT nodule characteristics yielded an AUC of 0.75±0.02.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>PA subtypes exhibit prominent sex-specific cardiometabolic profiles. In males, BPA correlates with significantly greater ectopic fat deposition and elevated cardiovascular risks. Combining VFA with key biochemical markers demonstrates superior diagnostic efficacy for PA subtyping in the male group.</p>","PeriodicalId":14031,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"23 6","pages":"1982-1991"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13181375/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147972307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Effects of a Prebiotic Formula Promoting <i>Akkermansia muciniphila</i> (AKK) on Gut Health: A Single-Centre, Randomised Controlled Trial.","authors":"Chih-Kuan Wu, I-Shiung Cheng, Yu-Chun Chung, Megan F Liu, Yung-Kai Lin, Yung-Hsiang Lin, Kristin Morris, Di Chang, Chi-Fu Chiang, Ming-Ta Yang","doi":"10.7150/ijms.125881","DOIUrl":"10.7150/ijms.125881","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Gut health is closely associated with metabolic homeostasis, and alterations in gut microbiota composition have been linked to inflammation and metabolic disorders. Prebiotics targeting specific taxa, such as <i>Akkermansia muciniphila</i>, have attracted interest for their potential to modulate gut microbiota composition. While preclinical studies have suggested a role for <i>A. muciniphila</i> in gut-related metabolic pathways, clinical evidence supporting its effects on microbiome regulation and metabolic outcomes remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effects of a prebiotic blend designed to promote <i>A. muciniphila</i> on gut microbiota composition and selected physiological parameters.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Seventy participants were randomized to receive either placebo or the AKK formula for 8 weeks. Anthropometric assessments, blood tests, and stool examinations were performed at baseline and at weeks 4 and 8. The main analyses were conducted in the per-protocol population (n = 25 per group).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results revealed no significant markers of liver or kidney dysfunction in either group. The AKK formula group showed an increased qPCR-derived relative abundance of <i>A. muciniphila</i> compared with total bacteria. Gut microbiome analysis further demonstrated selective changes in gut microbiota composition in the AKK formula group, including an increased relative abundance of <i>Bifidobacterium</i> and decreased relative abundances of <i>Proteobacteria</i>, <i>Erysipelotrichia</i>, and <i>Escherichia-Shigella</i>. A trend toward lower gastrointestinal discomfort scores was observed in the AKK formula group during the intervention period.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The AKK formula increased the relative abundance of <i>A. muciniphila</i>, was associated with selective modulation of gut microbiota composition, and showed a trend toward reduced gastrointestinal discomfort, supporting its potential relevance in future gut health research.</p>","PeriodicalId":14031,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"23 6","pages":"1952-1965"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13181376/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147972363","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association Between Post-COVID-19 Herpes Zoster Reactivation and Peripheral Nervous System Disorders: Multinational Real-World Evidence from TriNetX.","authors":"Yu-Chen Cheng, Chien-Lin Lu, Joshua Wang, Yi-Chou Hou, Kuo-Cheng Lu","doi":"10.7150/ijms.127617","DOIUrl":"10.7150/ijms.127617","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The increased incidence of herpes zoster (HZ) following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) suggests a period of immune dysregulation, but the associated long-term neuro-immunological risks remain unclear.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Utilizing de-identified electronic health records from the TriNetX Global Collaborative Network, we established 1:1 propensity score-matched cohorts of COVID-19 survivors, comparing HZ-exposed and unexposed groups over a three-year follow-up. Primary endpoints included the incidence of peripheral nervous system disorders: Bell's palsy, Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), and myasthenia gravis (MG). Analyses included Cox proportional hazards models, landmark analyses, and multiple sensitivity analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>HZ reactivation was associated with increased three-year risks of all outcomes. The risk of Bell's palsy was elevated early and remained sustained (hazard ratio 3.625, 95% confidence interval 3.151-4.170). In contrast, the risks of GBS (hazard ratio 1.858, 95% confidence interval 1.243-2.779) and MG (hazard ratio 1.640, 95% confidence interval 1.178-2.284) showed delayed increases emerging after the first year. These associations remained consistent across sensitivity analyses and were more pronounced in individuals with metabolic comorbidities. COVID-19 vaccination was not associated with an increased risk of these outcomes, although subgroup findings should be interpreted with caution due to limited event counts.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Post-COVID-19 HZ is associated with an increased risk of peripheral nervous system disorders, highlighting the need for symptom-based neurological awareness during both early and delayed post-infectious periods.</p>","PeriodicalId":14031,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"23 6","pages":"2006-2015"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13181386/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147972385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Rare RNA Methylations m²G, Cm, m⁵U and ms²i⁶A: Roles in Disease Pathogenesis and Emerging Therapeutic Implications.","authors":"Keyu Wan, Tiantian Nie, Qin Zhang, Ying Huang, Jing Bian, Jia Min","doi":"10.7150/ijms.125197","DOIUrl":"10.7150/ijms.125197","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>RNA methylation modifications play a central and multifaceted role in various physiological processes by precisely regulating key steps in the RNA life cycle, including nuclear processing, nuclear export, splicing, and cytoplasmic translation. These modifications, which occur on the four nucleotides that constitute RNA strands, are tightly regulated by specific proteins known as \"writers,\" \"readers,\" and \"erasers.\" Advances in high-throughput sequencing and mass spectrometry technologies have progressively unveiled the biological functions of common RNA methylation marks such as N6-methyladenosine (m⁶A), N1-methyladenosine (m¹A), and 5-methylcytosine (m⁵C). However, our understanding of how RNA modifications influence various cellular processes remains limited, and research focusing on the biological significance of rare RNA methylation modifications is particularly scarce. This review shifts the research focus toward several relatively understudied and less widely recognized RNA methylation modifications, providing an in-depth analysis of four specific modifications: N2-methylguanosine (m²G), 2'-O-methylcytidine (Cm), 5-methyluridine (m⁵U), and 2-methylthio-N6-isopentenyladenosine (ms²i⁶A). It comprehensively elucidates their molecular mechanisms, biological functions, and associations with disease. In addition, this article summarizes the current methodologies available for detecting RNA modifications and discusses the potential applications of these RNA methylation modifications in disease therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":14031,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"23 6","pages":"1966-1981"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13181387/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147972352","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Therapeutic Hypothermia Ameliorates Apoptosis and Cerebral Injury by Upregulating HECTD1-mediated Ubiquitination and VDAC3 Degradation in a Rat CPR Model.","authors":"Pei Liu, Jiali Wu, Lirong Wang, Jiawei He, Zhanghuan He, Lei Wang, Shen Zhao","doi":"10.7150/ijms.112837","DOIUrl":"10.7150/ijms.112837","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objective: </strong>Post-cardiac arrest (CA) brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability in patients with return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Our previous study showed that hypothermia-induced VDAC3 ubiquitination attenuated apoptosis of microglia cells following simulated ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). This study aimed to further investigate the role of E3 ubiquitin ligase, HECTD1, in the ubiquitination and degradation of VDAC3, which is involved in hypothermic neuroprotection.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into two groups, namely the normothermic (T37) group and hypothermic (T33) group, which were further divided into three subgroups: PBS, si-NC, and si-Hectd1. All the rats were subjected to 8 min of asphyxia-induced CA and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The core temperature in the T33 and T37 groups were maintained at 33 ± 0.5 °C and 37 ± 0.5 °C, respectively, after 5 min following ROSC and maintained for 6 h. The si-Hectd1 subgroups were administered adeno-associated viral vector with siRNA against rat Hectd1 (si-Hectd1). The PBS and si-NC subgroups were administered the same volume of PBS and nonspecific siRNA, respectively, as controls. Survival time was measured for the resuscitated rats. At 72 h after ROSC, the neurological injuries to rats were evaluated using neurological deficit scores, Serum S100B and neuron-specific enolase levels, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and transmission electron microscopy analysis. Apoptosis-related proteins were measured using western blot assay. The interaction and colocalization of HECTD1 and VDAC3 were evaluated by immunoprecipitation and double immunofluorescence assays, respectively.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Survival time and neurological outcomes, as well as ultrastructural damage, were significantly improved in the T33 group, with the T37 + si-Hectd1 subgroup showing the worst outcome at ROSC 72 h. Compared to the T37 group, the T33 group showed reduced expression of VDAC3, cleaved caspase-3, and BAX but increased expression of HECTD1 and BCL-2 at ROSC 72 h. Additionally, compared to the T37 group, the T33 group showed increased VDAC3 and Hectd1 interaction, resulting in increased VDAC3 ubiquitination at ROSC 72 h; Hectd1 knockdown reversed these effects. The PBS and si-NC subgroups showed no significant differences under both targeted temperatures.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Hypothermia treatment contributed to greater antiapoptotic neuroprotection in the rat CA/CPR model, which may be attributed to the promotion of HECTD1-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of VDAC3.</p>","PeriodicalId":14031,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"23 6","pages":"1992-2005"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13181373/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147972368","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predictors of One-Year Mortality in Hospitalized Patients with Splenic Infarction: Survival Analysis of a Retrospective Cohort in Taiwan.","authors":"Jin-Wei Lin, Yu Kuo, Mei-Jy Jeng, Chien-Chien Tzeng, Chorng-Kuang How, Teh-Fu Hsu, David Hung-Tsang Yen, Hsien-Hao Huang","doi":"10.7150/ijms.130149","DOIUrl":"10.7150/ijms.130149","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Splenic infarction, an uncommon disease, has been demonstrated to be associated with substantial short-term mortality. Given the limited evidence on long-term mortality, this investigation examined the clinical and radiological characteristics of splenic infarction, its long-term prognosis, and predictors of mortality.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective cohort study at a tertiary care hospital in Taiwan enrolled adult inpatients with first-episode splenic infarction diagnosed on computed tomography from January 2011 to May 2022. The primary outcome was 1-year all-cause mortality. Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariate weighted Cox regression were applied for survival analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The cohort included 304 individuals with an average age of 65.4 years. The mean CCI was 6, and active malignancy was observed in 49%. The estimated 1-year all-cause mortality rate was 61%, and the median survival time was 89 days. Compared with survivors, non-survivors exhibited significantly higher rates of left-sided pleural effusion, peri-splenic ascites, multiple or total infarction, and both portal and splenic vein thrombosis on CT imaging. Older age, active malignancy, decreased hemoglobin levels, low platelet counts, prolonged INR, elevated D-dimer, and peri-splenic ascites were independent predictors of mortality.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In splenic infarction, 1-year mortality is notably high. The identified independent prognostic factors included age, malignancy, laboratory findings, and radiologic features. These findings may assist clinicians in early risk stratification for hospitalized patients with splenic infarction.</p>","PeriodicalId":14031,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"23 6","pages":"2016-2026"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13181384/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147972342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Targeted Vaginal Microbiome Modulation by Postbiotic Intervention Reduces Dysbiosis-Associated Pathogens in Infertile Women: A Pilot Study.","authors":"Li-Te Lin, Chia-Jung Li, Pei-Hsuan Lin, Shih-Hsuan Cheng, Emmanuel Naveen Raj, Yu-Chen Chen, Chyi-Uei Chern, Zhi-Hong Wen, Kuan-Hao Tsui","doi":"10.7150/ijms.130288","DOIUrl":"10.7150/ijms.130288","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Vaginal dysbiosis characterized by depleted Lactobacillus populations is associated with impaired fertility outcomes in women undergoing assisted reproduction. Postbiotic interventions delivering antimicrobial peptides without live bacteria may offer targeted microecological modulation while preserving community stability. We investigated the microbial and clinical effects of an eight-week antimicrobial peptide-based postbiotic in infertile women.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fifteen infertile women (mean age 38.7 ± 4.1 years) with ≥ 2 prior <i>in vitro</i> fertilization failures received intravaginal postbiotic therapy (VAGINNE^®, Good-Care Biotech, Ltd.) for 8.0 ± 0.3 weeks before frozen embryo transfer (FET). Paired vaginal samples collected pre- and post-treatment underwent full-length 16S rRNA gene sequencing using PacBio Sequel platform. Microbiome composition, beta-diversity, differential abundance, and absolute bacterial load were analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The cohort achieved a clinical pregnancy rate of 46.7% (7/15) following postbiotic intervention and subsequent FET. Beta-diversity analysis revealed preservation of global community structure (PERMANOVA R² = 0.05, p = 0.65), indicating ecological stability. Despite cohort-level stability, patient-specific analysis identified favorable microbiome restructuring in 73% of participants (11/15), including emergence of Lactobacillus-dominant communities in previously dysbiotic profiles. Absolute abundance quantification demonstrated selective elimination of dysbiosis-associated pathogens: Prevotella decreased from 408.47±990.78 to 0.29±0.83 cells/sample (p < 0.01), Pseudomonas from 419.07±567.04 to 89.14±114.42 (p < 0.05), and complete clearance of Howardella (3.53±9.87 to undetectable). Conversely, Gluconacetobacter increased significantly from undetectable to 2.93±4.18 cells/sample (p < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In this pilot cohort, antimicrobial peptide-based postbiotic therapy was associated with encouraging pregnancy outcomes and targeted pathogen clearance. The intervention selectively reduced high-burden detrimental taxa while maintaining microbiome architectural integrity, supporting precision microecological modulation as a promising adjuvant strategy for reproductive health.</p>","PeriodicalId":14031,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"23 6","pages":"1921-1932"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13181365/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147972388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nutritional Supplementation Combined with Exercise for Musculoskeletal Health in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Evaluating Proteins, Amino Acids, and Creatine across Reproductive Stages.","authors":"Kee-Hsin Chen, Tzu-Pei Yeh, Shu-Cheng Lin, Pi-Ju Liu, Dorothy Bai, I-Hui Chen","doi":"10.7150/ijms.130435","DOIUrl":"10.7150/ijms.130435","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Women experience progressive musculoskeletal deterioration across reproductive stages, with accelerated changes during the menopausal transition. Exercise provides established benefits, but the additive effects of nutritional supplementation strategies, including proteins, amino acids, and related compounds such as creatine, remain uncertain. Previous systematic reviews focused on older adults aged 65 years and above, leaving a knowledge gap regarding women facing unique metabolic challenges related to reproductive hormones. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate whether nutritional supplementation combined with exercise enhances muscle mass, strength, and bone health outcomes in women across reproductive stages, with particular attention to the menopausal transition.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Eight databases were searched from inception to July 2025: CINAHL, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, PsycINFO, MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. We included randomized controlled trials examining nutritional supplementation combined with exercise in women across reproductive stages. Interventions comprised whole proteins, amino acids, amino acid derivatives, or protein-derived peptides administered with structured exercise programs. Comparators included exercise alone or a placebo plus exercise. Primary outcomes were muscle mass measures. Secondary outcomes included muscle strength, bone health parameters, body composition, and adverse events. Random-effects meta-analyses calculated Hedges' g with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Fourteen trials including 763 women across reproductive stages met the inclusion criteria, which evaluated whole-protein supplements (five studies), amino acids and derivatives (six studies), and creatine monohydrate (three studies). The combined intervention showed no significant effects on muscle mass measures: skeletal muscle mass (g=0.065, 95% CI: -0.353 to 0.482, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;=0.762), appendicular lean mass (g=0.197, 95% CI: -0.177 to 0.571, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;=0.302), or fat-free mass (g=0.069, 95% CI: -0.110 to 0.249, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;=0.447). Significant improvements occurred in bench press (g=0.279, 95% CI: 0.008 to 0.550, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;=0.043) and handgrip strength (g=0.412, 95% CI: 0.039 to 0.786, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;=0.031). No significant effects emerged for bone mineral content (g=0.195, 95% CI: -0.281 to 0.671, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;=0.421) or bone mineral density (g=0.087, 95% CI: -0.129 to 0.303, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt;=0.430). No increase in adverse events was observed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Current evidence does not support robust additive effects of nutritional supplementation on muscle mass or bone health when combined with exercise in women across reproductive stages. Selective upper-body strength improvements were observed, particularly in studies using creatine supplementation. Exercise alone provides reliab","PeriodicalId":14031,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"23 6","pages":"1933-1951"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13181379/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147972309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cytotoxic Effects of the Synthetic Cannabinoid, 5F-MDMB-PICA on Human Glioblastoma U87-MG Cells.","authors":"Mohammed Mufadhe Alanazi, Fawaz Alasmari, Mohammad M Algahtani, Abdullah S Alhamed, Khaled A Alhosaini, Mohammed M Almutairi, Faleh Alqahtani, Wael A Alanazi, Faisal N Alharbi, Raghad Alsanie, Mohammed Alshehri, Youssef Sari","doi":"10.7150/ijms.125987","DOIUrl":"10.7150/ijms.125987","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Synthetic cannabinoids, particularly 5F-MDMB-PICA, have emerged as potent psychoactive substances, exhibiting a binding affinity to the CB1 receptor approximately 380 times greater than that of Δ9-THC, the principal psychoactive compound in cannabis. Their widespread abuse has been associated with severe intoxication and fatalities globally. This study aimed to investigate the cytotoxic effects and mechanisms of 5F-MDMB-PICA in U87-MG astrocyte-like cells, a common model in neurobiological research. U87-MG cells (passages 7-15) were treated with increasing concentrations of 5F-MDMB-PICA (1-200 μM) for 24 hours. We employed several assays to evaluate cytotoxicity (MTT assay), oxidative stress, mitochondrial membrane potential, cellular migration (wound healing), and cell death (flow cytometry). Additionally, gene expression analysis via qRT-PCR focused on apoptotic and inflammatory markers. A receptor docking study was performed to verify similarities in binding sites between 5F-MDMB-PICA and Δ9-THC. Our results showed that exposure to 5F-MDMB-PICA led to a concentration-dependent increase in cytotoxicity and oxidative stress, alongside a significant decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. There was a marked elevation in apoptosis and necrosis, coupled with impaired cellular migration. Gene expression analysis revealed significant upregulation of pro-apoptotic and inflammatory genes, such as P53, Bax, TNF-α, and COX-2, indicating a robust pro-apoptotic and pro-inflammatory response. Notably, key residues (Phe200 and Ser383) in the CB1 binding pocket were identified as crucial for the interaction of both compounds, which might provide insight into the shared patterns of cytotoxic effects. These findings highlight the neurotoxic effects of 5F-MDMB-PICA, underscoring the serious public health risks associated with synthetic cannabinoids.</p>","PeriodicalId":14031,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"23 6","pages":"1896-1907"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13181372/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147972346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biomarkers on Fibrotic Lung Diseases Associated with Usual Interstitial Pneumonia.","authors":"Yuhang Cheng, Qing Chang, Feng Li","doi":"10.7150/ijms.129394","DOIUrl":"10.7150/ijms.129394","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) is a common pattern in fibrotic lung diseases characterized by distinctive radiological and histopathological features. UIP is associated with various underlying causes including idiopathic UIP, i.e. idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and secondary UIP, e.g. connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung diseases (CTD-ILDs) and fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonia (fHP). Previous work suggests radiological UIP patterns have strong correlations with overall poor prognosis. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the diverse entities of fibrotic lung diseases presenting with the UIP pattern. This review also highlights previous studies in biomarker searching of IPF and secondary UIP. A number of biomarkers associated with disease diagnosis are summarized, providing new insights for clinicians in disease differentiation. Finally, this review emphasizes the future directions of differential diagnosis through radiology- and blood- biomarkers with the integration of artificial intelligence (AI).</p>","PeriodicalId":14031,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Medical Sciences","volume":"23 6","pages":"1908-1920"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13181377/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147972392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}