Purpose: To investigate the relationship between vaginal microbial community structure and premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). Methods: Twenty-eight women with POI and 12 healthy women were recruited at Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital between August and September 2020. Blood samples were collected for glucose tests and detection of sex hormone levels and vaginal secretions were collected for microbial group determination. Vaginal microbial community profiles were analysed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing using the Illumina MiSeq system (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA, USA). Results: Compared to the controls, the serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, testosterone, and the follicle-stimulating hormone/luteinizing hormone ratio, significantly increased, and oestradiol and anti-Müllerian hormone levels significantly decreased in women with POI. Higher weighted UniFrac values were observed in women with POI than in healthy women. Bacteria in the genera Lactobacillus, Brevundimonas, and Odoribacter were more abundant in the microbiomes of healthy women, while the quantity of bacteria in the genus Streptococcus was significantly increased in the microbiomes of women with POI. Moreover, these differences in microbes in women with POI were closely related to follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, oestradiol, and anti-Müllerian hormone levels and to the follicle-stimulating hormone/luteinizing hormone ratio. Conclusions: Women with POI had altered vaginal microbial profiles compared to healthy controls. The alterations in their microbiomes were associated with serum hormone levels. These results will improve our understanding of the vaginal microbial community structure in women with POI. Trial registration: CHICTR, ChiCTR2000029576. Registered 3 August 2020 - Retrospectively registered, https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=48844.

Initial microbial colonization of the oral after birth provides a vital stimulus for neonatal immune and development. The establishment of the gut microbiota has been shown to differ between very low birth weight (VLBW) infants delivered by caesarian section (C-section) and those delivered vaginally. The objective of this study was to investigate the community structure of the oral microbiota in VLBW infants delivered by the two modes. In total, 23 VLBW infants who were hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit of Shenzhen BaoAn Maternity & Child Health care Hospital (Shenzhen, China) were recruited for this study: 12 infants delivered vaginally, and the other 11 infants delivered by C-section. The assessment of oral microbiota community was performed using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The results demonstrated that the oral bacterial communities were dominated by the phylum Proteobacteria in both groups. Higher relative abundance of genera Ureaplasma and Pantoea were observed in the vaginal delivery infants, but genera Corynebacterium, Methylobacterium and Variovorax were more prevalent in cesarean-born infants. Furthermore, many metabolic pathways with significant differences between the two groups were detected, mostly related to vitamin, amino acid metabolism and diseases. Additionally, ɑ-diversity and clinical data showed no significant differences between the two groups. This study indicated that the mode of delivery influences the oral bacterial structure of VLBW infants after birth, but the consequences for neonatal development should be researched in a further study.

This study aims to investigate whether a deep learning approach incorporating retinal blood vessels can effectively identify ischemic stroke patients with a high burden of White Matter Hyperintensities (WMH) using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as the gold standard. In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated 263 ischemic stroke inpatients who had acquired both retinal fundus images and MRI images. The primary outcome was the diagnostic WMH on MRI brain, defined as different degrees of the age-related white matter changes (ARWMC) grade (<2 or ≥2). We developed a deep-learning network model with retinal fundus images to estimate WMH. The mean age of the patient cohort was 60.8 years, with 196 individuals (74.5%) being male. The prevalence of risk factors was as follows: hypertension in 237 (90.1%), diabetes in 109 (41.4%), hyperlipidemias in 84 (31.9%), coronary heart disease in 37 (14.1%), hyperhomocysteinemia in 70 (26.6%), and hyperuricemia in 73 (27.8%). Severe WMH defined as global ARWMC grade ≥2 was found in 139 (52.9%) participants. Using binocular fundus images, we achieved an F1 score of 0.811 and a Macro Accuracy of 0.811 in the ARWMC classification task. Additionally, we conducted experiments by progressively occluding fundus images to assess the relationship between different areas of the fundus images and ARWMC prediction. Our study presents a novel deep learning model designed to detect a high burden of WMH using binocular fundus images in ischemic stroke patients. We have conducted initial investigations into the predictive significance of various fundus image areas for WMH identification. These findings underscore the need for broader data collection, further model training, and prospective data validation.

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), a modifiable cause of infertility with substantial implications for women's well-being, prompts the exploration of efficacious adjunctive treatments. Acupuncture emerges as a promising therapeutic avenue; however, the nuanced effects of acupuncture in POI warrant more comprehensive investigation. The intricate mechanisms dictating individualized responses remain elusive. This trial seeks to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture as an adjunctive treatment for POI, concurrently delving into the impact of transcriptome analysis on peripheral blood to unravel the underpinnings of these individual variations. The overarching objective is to enrich our comprehension of acupuncture's therapeutic potential in the context of POI, with a view to advancing holistic patient care. Constituting an open-label, nested case-control study, this research endeavors to enroll 108 women diagnosed with POI. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the study group or the control group, each comprising 54 subjects. Ten patients from each group meeting specific criteria will partake in transcriptome analysis. An additional 10 subjects meeting the study criteria will form a healthy control group. The study group will exclusively undergo acupuncture treatment, while the control group will solely receive Fenmutong. Acupuncture sessions, administered thrice weekly across three menstrual cycles from the fifth day of menstruation, constitute the intervention. Primary outcome measurement rests on Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) levels, supplemented by secondary assessments encompassing biometric features, hormone biomarkers, anxiety and depression scores, and transcriptome analysis. Baseline measurements precede intervention, with post-intervention evaluations following. The study endeavors to discern specific genes linked to individualized responses to acupuncture. Data analysis, employing SPSS 25.0 software, incorporates a meticulous examination of peripheral blood samples for transcriptome analysis. The investigation aspires to shed light on genetic determinants influencing the effects of acupuncture on women with POI, thereby fostering elevated standards in patient care and management. This study pivots on the principal objective of scrutinizing the efficacy of acupuncture as an adjunctive treatment for POI. Beyond effectiveness, it undertakes an exploration of the intricate mechanisms underlying the diverse responses exhibited by individuals in the context of acupuncture, augmenting the depth of understanding in this therapeutic domain.

Acupuncture is a popular therapeutic therapy for premature ovarian insufficiency (POI). The specific effect and the underlying mechanism of Guanyuan acupoint on the ovarian function of POI model mice remain unclear. The female C57BL6 mice were injected peritoneally with 12 mg/kg busulfan and 120 mg/kg cyclophosphamide to induce POI. The acupuncture intervention at Guanyuan acupoint was performed on the second day after the modeling. Vaginal smears were used to monitor the estrous cycle. The hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was used to observe the morphological changes of ovarian tissue, and the TUNEL fluorescence staining assay was carried out to detect the apoptotic level of granulosa cells. The sex hormone levels were monitored as well. RNA sequencing was performed to select candidate gene which was regulated by acupuncture. Finally, the upstream lactating modification mechanism of Rictor was further investigated. The results showed that acupuncture at Guanyuan acupoint increased the number of vaginal exfoliated cells and inhibited the apoptosis of granulosa cell in POI model mice. Sex hormone levels indicated a marked decrease in AMH and E₂ in POI group, with a concurrent significant rise in FSH levels. Furthermore, the Rictor/mTOR pathway was inactivated in POI model group, while was prominently activated by acupuncture at Guanyuan acupoint. Acupuncture intervened H3K18la to increase Rictor promoter activity in POI. In conclusion, acupuncture at Guanyuan acupoint increased body and ovarian weight, improved ovarian tissue morphology and structure, improved follicle development, and regulated ovarian function in POI model mice. This might be related to the activation of the Rictor/mTOR pathway.