BACKGROUND Laparoscopic rectal cancer radical surgery is a complex procedure affected by various factors.However,the existing literature lacks standardized parameters for the pelvic region and soft tissues,which hampe...BACKGROUND Laparoscopic rectal cancer radical surgery is a complex procedure affected by various factors.However,the existing literature lacks standardized parameters for the pelvic region and soft tissues,which hampers the establishment of consistent conclusions.AIM To comprehensively assess 16 pelvic and 7 soft tissue parameters through computerized tomography(CT)-based three-dimensional(3D)reconstruction,providing a strong theoretical basis to address challenges in laparoscopic rectal cancer radical surgery.METHODS We analyzed data from 218 patients who underwent radical laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer,and utilized CT data for 3D pelvic reconstruction.Specific anatomical points were carefully marked and measured using advanced 3D modeling software.To analyze the pelvic and soft tissue parameters,we emp-loyed statistical methods including paired sample t-tests,Wilcoxon rank-sum tests,and correlation analysis.RESULTS The investigation highlighted significant sex disparities in 14 pelvic bone parameters and 3 soft tissue parameters.Males demonstrated larger measurements in pelvic depth and overall curvature,smaller measurements in pelvic width,a larger mesorectal fat area,and a larger anterior-posterior abdominal diameter.By contrast,females exhibited wider pelvises,shallower depth,smaller overall curvature,and an increased amount of subcutaneous fat tissue.However,there were no significant sex differences observed in certain parameters such as sacral curvature height,superior pubococcygeal diameter,rectal area,visceral fat area,waist circumference,and transverse abdominal diameter.CONCLUSION The reconstruction of 3D CT data enabled accurate pelvic measurements,revealing significant sex differences in both pelvic and soft tissue parameters.This study design offer potential in predicting surgical difficulties and creating personalized surgical plans for male rectal cancer patients with a potentially“difficult pelvis”,ultimately improving surgical outcomes.Further research and utilization of these parameters could lead to enhanced surgical methods and patient care in laparoscopic rectal cancer radical surgery.展开更多
Women represent the majority of patients with psychiatric diagnoses and also the largest users of psychotropic drugs.There are inevitable differences in efficacy,side effects and long-term treatment response between m...Women represent the majority of patients with psychiatric diagnoses and also the largest users of psychotropic drugs.There are inevitable differences in efficacy,side effects and long-term treatment response between men and women.Psychopharmacological research needs to develop adequately powered animal and human trials aimed to consider pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of central nervous system drugs in both male and female subjects.Healthcare professionals have the responsibility to prescribe sex-specific psychopharmacotherapies with a priority to differentiate between men and women in order to minimize adverse drugs reactions,to maximize therapeutic effectiveness and to provide personalized management of care.展开更多
Background:The scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment(PG-SGA)has been widely used to assess the nutritional status of cancer patients.The purpose of this study is to compare the differences in PG-SGA sc...Background:The scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment(PG-SGA)has been widely used to assess the nutritional status of cancer patients.The purpose of this study is to compare the differences in PG-SGA scores and the 7 domain scores of the PG-SGA in male and female cancer patients.Methods:This study was conducted at 72 hospitals from July 2013 to December 2018,a part of the Investigation on Nutritional Status and its Clinical Outcomes of Common Cancers.The PG-SGA was recorded to evaluate the nutritional status of patients.A total of 19,528 patients with 13 common malignancies were included in this study.Student t test and the χ^(2) test were applied to analyze the sex diferences in the 7 domain scores.The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database was used to analyze the expression levels of symptom-related genes.Results:There were significant sex dfferences in the PG-SGA(P=0.032),notably in patients with gastric cancer(male vs female:9.09±4.86 vs 9.58±5.07,P=0.005)and esophageal cancer(9.64±4.90 vs 10.46±4.96,P=0.011)and the average total PG-SGA of female patients was slightly higher than that of male patients(7.64±4.98 vs 7.77±5.14).The differences were mainly related to the weight,eating,symptom,as well as activity and physical function scores in the stratified analysis.Possible causes of the sex differences were the rates of nausea,vomiting,dry mouth,and other symptoms,in both gastric and esophageal cancer patients.Analysis of the TCGA database suggested that most of the related genes were sex neutral,except for genes related to dysphagia in gastric cancer(VEGFC was higher in female patients,VEGFA and VEGFB higher in male patients).Conclusions:There are sex differences in the PG-SGA scores in patients with various tumor types(female patients generally had higher scores than male patients),with differences mainly in the weight,eating,symptom,as well as activity and physical function scores.The sex differences in PG-SGA scores might be due to the differences in the clinical manifestations of the disease,and further studies should be carried out to investigate other factors influencing the PG-SGA scores in cancer patients.This study provides basic data supporting the individualized nutritional treatment of cancer patients in clinical practice.展开更多
AIM To evaluate sex differences and the effects of oestrogen administration in rat gastric mucosal defence.METHODS Sex differences in gastric mucus thickness and accumulation rate, absolute gastric mucosal blood flow ...AIM To evaluate sex differences and the effects of oestrogen administration in rat gastric mucosal defence.METHODS Sex differences in gastric mucus thickness and accumulation rate, absolute gastric mucosal blood flow using microspheres, the integrity of the gastric mucosal epithelium in response to a chemical irritant and the effects of oestrogen administration on relative gastric mucosal blood flow in an acute setting was assessed in an in vivo rat experimental model. Subsequently, sex differences in the distribution of oestrogen receptors and calcitonin gene related peptide in the gastric mucosa of animals exposed to oestrogen in the above experiments was evaluated using immunohistochemistry.RESULTS The absolute blood flow in the GI-tract was generally higher in males, but only significantly different in the corpus part of the stomach (1.12 ± 0.12 m L/min·g in males and 0.51 ± 0.03 m L/min·g in females) (P = 0.002). After removal of the loosely adherent mucus layer the thickness of the firmly adherent mucus layer in males and females was 79 ± 1 μm and 80 ± 3 μm respectively. After 60 min the mucus thickness increased to 113 ± 3 μm in males and 121 ± 3 μm in females with no statistically significant difference seen between the sexes. Following oestrogen administration(0.1 followed by 1 μg/kg·min), mean blood flow in the gastric mucosa decreased by 31% [68 ± 13 perfusion units (PFU)] in males which was significantly different compared to baseline(P = 0.02). In females however, mean blood flow remained largely unchanged with a 4% (5 ± 33 PFU) reduction. The permeability of the gastric mucosa increased to a higher level in females than in males (P = 0.01) after taurocholate challenge. However, the calculated mean clearance increase did not significantly differ between the sexes [0.1 ± 0.04 to 1.1 ± 0.1 m L/min·100 g in males and 0.4 ± 0.3 to 2.1 ± 0.3 m L/min·100 g in females(P = 0.065)]. There were no significant differences between 17β-Estradiol treated males (mean ratio of positive staining ± SEM)(0.06 ± 0.07) and females(0.11 ± 0.11) in the staining of ERα (P = 0.24). Also, there were no significant differences between 17β-Estradiol treated males (0.18 ± 0.21) and females (0.06 ± 0.12) in the staining of ERβ (P = 0.11). Finally, there were no significant differences between 17β-Estradiol treated males (0.04 ± 0.05) and females (0.11 ± 0.10) in the staining of CGRP(P = 0.14).CONCLUSION Gastric mucosal blood flow is higher in male than in female rats and is reduced in male rats by oestrogen administration.展开更多
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed sex-based differences in anti-viral responses,with a higher rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections as well as a higher rate of morbidity and mortality in men than in women.Males and females a...The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed sex-based differences in anti-viral responses,with a higher rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections as well as a higher rate of morbidity and mortality in men than in women.Males and females also show disparate immune responses to COVID-19 infection,which may be important contributors to lower rates of infection,disease severity and deaths in women than in men.Here,the authors review sex differences in SARS-CoV-2 infections,anti-viral immunity and vaccine responses,putting forth the importance of sex,the underappreciated variables in vaccine response and disease infectivity.展开更多
BACKGROUND The gut microbiota(GM)has been proven to play a role in the regulation of host lipid metabolism,which provides a new theory about the pathogenesis of dyslipidemia.However,the associations of GM with dyslipi...BACKGROUND The gut microbiota(GM)has been proven to play a role in the regulation of host lipid metabolism,which provides a new theory about the pathogenesis of dyslipidemia.However,the associations of GM with dyslipidemia based on sex differences remain unclear and warrant elucidation.AIM To investigate the associations of GM features with serum lipid profiles based on sex differences in a Chinese population.METHODS This study ultimately recruited 142 participants(73 females and 69 males)at Honghui Hospital,Xi’an Jiaotong University.The anthropometric and blood metabolic parameters of all participants were measured.According to their serum lipid levels,female and male participants were classified into a high triglyceride(H_TG)group,a high total cholesterol(H_CHO)group,a low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(L_HDL-C)group,and a control(CON)group with normal serum lipid levels.Fresh fecal samples were collected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing.UPARSE software,QIIME software,the RDP classifier and the FAPROTAX database were used for sequencing analyses.RESULTS The GM composition at the phylum level included Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes as the core GM.Different GM features were identified between females and males,and the associations between GM and serum lipid profiles were different in females and males.The GM features in different dyslipidemia subgroups changed in both female patients and male patients.Proteobacteria,Lactobacillaceae,Lactobacillus and Lactobacillus_salivarius were enriched in H_CHO females compared with CON females,while Coriobacteriia were enriched in L_HDL-C females.In the comparison among the three dyslipidemia subgroups in females,Lactobacillus_salivarius were enriched in H_CHO females,and Prevotellaceae were enriched in L_HDL-C females.Compared with CON or H_TG males,Prevotellaceae,unidentified_Ruminococcaceae,Roseburia and Roseburia_inulinivorans were decreased in L_HDL-C males(P value<0.05),and linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis indicated an enrichment of the above GM taxa in H_TG males compared with other male subgroups.Additionally,Roseburia_inulinivorans abundance was positively correlated with serum TG and total cholesterol levels,and Roseburia were positively correlated with serum TG level.Furthermore,Proteobacteria(0.724,95%CI:0.567-0.849),Lactobacillaceae(0.703,95%CI:0.544-0.832),Lactobacillus(0.705,95%CI:0.547-0.834)and Lactobacillus_salivarius(0.706,95%CI:0.548-0.835)could distinguish H_CHO females from CON females,while Coriobacteriia(0.710,95%CI:0.547-0.841),Coriobacteriales(0.710,95%CI:0.547-0.841),Prevotellaceae(0.697,95%CI:0.534-0.830),Roseburia(0.697,95%CI:0.534-0.830)and Roseburia_inulinivorans(0.684,95%CI:0.520-0.820)could discriminate H_TG males from CON males.Based on the predictions of GM metabolic capabilities with the FAPROTAX database,a total of 51 functional assignments were obtained in females,while 38 were obtained in males.This functional prediction suggested that cellulolysis increased in L_HDL-C females compared with CON females,but decreased in L_HDL-C males compared with CON males.CONCLUSION This study indicates associations of GM with serum lipid profiles,supporting the notion that GM dysbiosis may participate in the pathogenesis of dyslipidemia,and sex differences should be considered.展开更多
Neuroscience studies have demonstrated that functional differences in human brains between males and females might result in their cognitive and psychological distinctions. To investigate sex differences in resting-st...Neuroscience studies have demonstrated that functional differences in human brains between males and females might result in their cognitive and psychological distinctions. To investigate sex differences in resting-state functional networks for children, the functional brain networks of two groups including boys and girls were reconstructed by functional connectivity with significant between-group differences respectively based on two brain atlases, and then the reconstructed functional networks were compared from the viewpoint of small-world properties. The functional brain networks of the two groups both displayed topological properties of the small-world network based on different brain atlases but exhibited some sex differences in certain measures. Specifically, for the automated anatomical labeling atlas, compared with girls, boys showed stronger small-world properties and higher ability of local information processing in brain networks;for the Harvard Oxford Atlas, the shortest path length of boys increased, indicating poorer performance in both global information transmission and resistance to the random attack.展开更多
Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is in relentless progression, along with the adoption of western lifestyle in sub-Saharan Africa. In Senegal, the incidence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) rose from 5% to 12...Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is in relentless progression, along with the adoption of western lifestyle in sub-Saharan Africa. In Senegal, the incidence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) rose from 5% to 12% in Dakar during the last 20 years. That increase was observed in both women and men, and according to current data, the former paid the heaviest price in terms of mortality compared to men. In this study, we aim to retrospectively assess the clinical characteristics and angiographic profile of ACS in women compared to men in two tertiary care centers in Dakar. Methods: In this study, we retrospectively analyzed and compared data between men and women among 133 patients who underwent coronary angiogram for ACS in 2 tertiary centers from February 2019 to January 2020. Results: A total of 133 patients were included in our study of whom 97 (72.9%) were men. The mean age was 58 ± 13.6 years. Women were older than men (61.4 ± 14.3 years vs 56.6 ± 13.5 years (p = 0.07). Hypertension, sedentary lifestyle and obesity were significantly more frequent in women (69.4%, 52.7% and 19.4%) when compared to men (38.8%, 25.7% and 6.19%) respectively, (p = 0.001;0.002 and 0.03). Smoking was less frequent in women (2.8%) than in men (44.3%), (p Conclusion: In our study, women with ACS were older, had more cardiovascular risk factors but less angiographic extent of disease than men.展开更多
Skeletal muscle size and strength are important for overall health for astronauts.However,how male and female muscle may respond differently to micro-and partial-gravity environments is not fully understood.The purpos...Skeletal muscle size and strength are important for overall health for astronauts.However,how male and female muscle may respond differently to micro-and partial-gravity environments is not fully understood.The purpose of this study was to determine how biological sex and sex steroid hormones influence the progression of muscle atrophy after long term exposure to micro and partial gravity environments in male and female rats.Male and female Fisher rats(n=120)underwent either castration/ovariectomy or sham surgeries.After two weeks recovery,animals were divided into microgravity(0g),partial-gravity(40%of weight bearing,0.4g),or full weight bearing(1g)interventions for 28 days.Measurements of muscle size and strength were evaluated prior to and after interventions.At 0g,females lost more dorsiflexion strength,plantar flexion strength,and other metrics of muscle size compared to males;castration/ovariectomy did not influence these differences.Additionally,at 0.4g,females lost more dorsiflexion strength,plantar flexion strength,and other metrics of muscle strength compared to males;castration/ovariectomy did not influence these differences.Females have greater musculoskeletal aberrations during exposure to both microgravity and partial-gravity environments;these differences are not dependent on the presence of sex steroid hormones.Correspondingly,additional interventions may be necessary to mitigate musculoskeletal loss in female astronauts to protect occupational and overall health.展开更多
Virtual reality(VR)has been a promising tool for developing visuospatial tasks.Among visuospatial tasks,mental rotation tasks are widely used in the assessment of visuospatial ability.Males have a distinct advantage i...Virtual reality(VR)has been a promising tool for developing visuospatial tasks.Among visuospatial tasks,mental rotation tasks are widely used in the assessment of visuospatial ability.Males have a distinct advantage in mental rotation ability compared to females,yet it is generally produced by investigations based on two-dimensional(2D)images on a computer screen.Sex differences in mental rotation tasks with three-dimensional(3D)objects in VR were not fully investigated.It is unclear whether the male's advantages in 2D mental rotation tasks are weakened in 3D tasks.The aim of this study was to provide new insights into the understanding of sex differences in mental rotation tasks presented in VR.Here,we developed a VR mental rotation task(VR-MRT)using 3D objects presented by a head-mounted display(HMD)and used VR-based eye tracking and electroencephalography(EEG)to examine eye movements and neural oscillations for males and females.Our results showed that females preferred a piecemeal strategy compared to males,suggesting a significant sex difference in visual strategy.More importantly,we found no significant sex differences in alpha-band and beta-band oscillations related to rotation processes of VR-MRT.These findings indicated that sex differences in the VR-MRT were mainly attributed to the selection of visual strategy rather than the rotation processes.The study helps to comprehensively understand the dominant factors contributing to the sex differences in the VR-MRT.展开更多
Sex-biased mortality can occur in birds during development,for example due to sexual differences in energy requirement and/or environmental sensitivity,or the effects of sex hormones or sex differences in the expressi...Sex-biased mortality can occur in birds during development,for example due to sexual differences in energy requirement and/or environmental sensitivity,or the effects of sex hormones or sex differences in the expression of mutations linked to sex chromosomes.The extent of sex-bias in mortality may also be related to environmental conditions that influence offspring development and survival.Urban areas often provide poorer conditions for nestling development resulting in higher offspring mortality compared to natural areas,which may accelerate sex differences in offspring mortality in cities.To test this hypothesis,we examined the sex ratio of dead offspring in Great Tits(Parus major),using 427 samples of unhatched eggs and dead nestlings collected in two urban and two forest sites between 2013 and 2019.The ratio of males in the whole sample of dead offspring(56.9%)was significantly higher than expected by an 1:1 ratio,and the strongest sex biases were detected in urban areas(57.6%males)and in young nestlings(<14 days old,59.0%males).However,the sex ratios of dead offspring did not differ significantly among study sites and between offspring developmental stages.29.3%of unhatched eggs contained a visible embryo,and the proportion of embryo-containing unhatched eggs did not differ significantly between urban and forest study sites.These results suggest male-biased offspring mortality in Great Tits,and highlight the need of large datasets to detect subtle differences between habitats and developmental stages.展开更多
The aim of this study was to explore the differences between boys and girls in the diagnosis and clinical phenotypes of autism spectrum disorder(ASD) in China's mainland. Children diagnosed with ASD(n = 1064, 228 ...The aim of this study was to explore the differences between boys and girls in the diagnosis and clinical phenotypes of autism spectrum disorder(ASD) in China's mainland. Children diagnosed with ASD(n = 1064, 228 females) were retrospectively included in the analysis. All children were assessed using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised(ADI-R) and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule(ADOS). The results showed that girls scored significantly higher in ADI-R socioemotional reciprocity than boys, and also scored lower in ADI-R and ADOS restricted and repetitive behaviors(RRBs). Meanwhile, the proportions of girls who satisfied the diagnostic cut-off scores in the ADI-R RRBs domain were lower than in boys(P \ 0.05). Our results indicated that girls with ASD show greater socio-emotional reciprocity than boys. Girls also tended to show fewer RRBs than boys, and the type of RRBs in girls differ from those in boys. The ADI-R was found to be less sensitive in girls, particularly for assessment in the RRBs domain.展开更多
A growing number of studies have identified sex differences in response to general anesthesia;however,the underlying neural mechanisms are unclear.The medial preoptic area(MPA),an important sexually dimorphic structur...A growing number of studies have identified sex differences in response to general anesthesia;however,the underlying neural mechanisms are unclear.The medial preoptic area(MPA),an important sexually dimorphic structure and a critical hub for regulating consciousness transition,is enriched with estrogen receptor alpha(ERa),particularly in neuronal clusters that participate in regulating sleep.We found that male mice were more sensitive to sevoflurane.Pharmacological inhibition of ERαin the MPA abolished the sex differences in sevoflurane anesthesia,in particular by extending the induction time and facilitating emergence in males but not in females.Suppression of ERαin vitro inhibited GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons of the MPA in males but not in females.Furthermore,ERα.knockdown in GABAergic neurons of the male MPA was sufficient to eliminate sex differences during sevoflurane anesthesia.Collectively,MPA ERαpositively regulates the activity of MPA GABAergic neurons in males but not in females,which contributes to the sexdifference of mice in sevoflurane anesthesia.展开更多
BACKGROUND Few studies have been conducted on sex differences in the incidence, pathophysiology, and prognosis of gastric cancer(GC).AIM To analyze the differences in GC characteristics according to sex in patients wh...BACKGROUND Few studies have been conducted on sex differences in the incidence, pathophysiology, and prognosis of gastric cancer(GC).AIM To analyze the differences in GC characteristics according to sex in patients who underwent surgical treatment for GC.METHODS A total of 2983 patients diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma who received surgical treatment at the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital between 2003 and 2017 were included.Baseline clinicopathological characteristics, histologic type of GC, overall and GC-specific survival rates, and associated risk factors were analyzed.RESULTS Among the 2983 patients, 2005(67.2%) and 978(32.8%) were males and females, respectively.The average age of the female group(59.36 years) was significantly younger than that of the male group(61.66 years;P < 0.001).Cancer of the gastric body(P < 0.001) and diffuse-type histology(P < 0.001) were more common in females than in males.This trend was more prominent in females younger than 60 years of age, with a significantly higher proportion of diffuse-type cancer than in the male group.Regardless of sex, diffuse-type GC was more common in younger patients, and the proportion of intestinal-type GC increased with age.The overall survival rate was significantly higher in females(P < 0.001).However, this difference disappeared for GC-specific survival(P = 0.168), except for the poor GC-specific survival rate in advanced-stage cancer(stage Ⅲ or above) in females(P = 0.045).The risk factors for GC-related mortality were older age, upper location of GC, and diffuse-or mixed-type histology.In terms of comorbidities, more males died from diseases other than GC, including other malignancies such as lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and pancreatic cancer, and respiratory diseases such as interstitial lung disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, while there were relatively more cardiovascular or cerebrovascular deaths in females.CONCLUSION Sex-based differences in GC were observed in clinicopathological features, including age at diagnosis, tumor location, histologic type, survival rate, and comorbidities.展开更多
Background:When lowlanders rapidly ascend to altitudes>2500 m,they may develop acute mountain sickness(AMS).The individual susceptibility,ascending velocity,time spent at altitude,activity levels and altitude reach...Background:When lowlanders rapidly ascend to altitudes>2500 m,they may develop acute mountain sickness(AMS).The individual susceptibility,ascending velocity,time spent at altitude,activity levels and altitude reached are considered risk factors for AMS.However,it is not clear whether sex is a risk factor.The results have been inconclusive.We conducted a meta-analysis to test whether there were sex-based differences in the prevalence of AMS using Lake Louise Scoring System.Methods:Systematic searches were performed in August 2019 in EMBASE,PubMed,and Web of Science for prospective studies with AMS data for men and women.The titles and abstracts were independently checked in the primary screening step,and the selected full-text articles were independently assessed in the secondary screening step by the two authors(YPH and JLW)based on pre-defined inclusion criteria.The meta-analysis was performed using by the STATA 14.1 software program.A random-effects model was employed.Results:Eighteen eligible prospective studies were included.A total of 7669 participants(2639[34.4%]women)were tested.The results showed that there was a statistically significant higher prevalence rate of AMS in women than in men(RR=1.24,95%CI 1.09–1.41),regardless of age or race.However,the heterogeneity was significant in the analysis(Tau2=0.0403,Chi2=50.15,df=17;I2=66.1%,P=0.000),it was main caused by different numbers of subjects among the studies(coefficient=–2.17,P=0.049).Besides,the results showed that there was no evidence of significant publication bias in the combined studies on the basis of Egger’s test(bias coefficient=1.48,P=0.052)and Begg’s test(P=0.130).Conclusions:According to this study,the statistically significant finding emerging from this study was that women have a higher prevalence of AMS.However,the authors could not exclude studies where patients were on acetazolamide.Our analysis provided a direction for future studies of the relationship of sex and the risk of AMS,such as the pathological mechanism and prevention research.展开更多
Background:The onset and clinical presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)are sex-related.Few studies have investigated the distinctions in clinical characteristics and treatment preferences in male and femal...Background:The onset and clinical presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)are sex-related.Few studies have investigated the distinctions in clinical characteristics and treatment preferences in male and female SLE patients in the initial cohort.This study aimed to improve the understanding of Chinese SLE patients by characterizing the different sexes of SLE patients in the inception cohort.Methods:Based on the initial patient cohort established by the Chinese SLE Treatment and Research Group,a total of 8713 patients(795 men and 7918 women)with newly diagnosed SLE were enrolled between April 2009 and March 2021.Of these,2900 patients(347 men and 2553 women)were eligible for lupus nephritis(LN).A cross-sectional analysis of the baseline demographic characteristics,clinical manifestations,laboratory parameters,organ damage,initial treatment regimens,and renal pathology classification was performed according to sex.Results:In the SLE group,as compared to female patients,male patients had a later age of onset(male vs.female:37.0±15.8 years vs.35.1±13.7 years,P=0.006)and a higher SLE International Collaborative Clinic/American College of Rheumatology damage index score(male vs.female:0.47±1.13 vs.0.34±0.81,P=0.015),LN(male vs.female:43.6%vs.32.2%,P<0.001),fever(male vs.female:18.0%vs.14.6%,P=0.010),thrombocytopenia(male vs.female:21.4%vs.18.5%,P=0.050),serositis(male vs.female:14.7%vs.11.7%,P=0.013),renal damage(male vs.female:11.1%vs.7.4%,P<0.001),and treatment with cyclophosphamide(CYC)(P<0.001).The frequency of leukopenia(male vs.female:20.5%vs.25.4%,P=0.002)and arthritis(male vs.female:22.0%vs.29.9%,P<0.001)was less in male patients with SLE.In LN,no differences were observed in disease duration,SLE Disease Activity Index score,renal biopsy pathological typing,or 24-h urine protein quantification among the sexes.In comparisons with female patients with LN,male patients had later onset ages(P=0.026),high serum creatinine(P<0.001),higher end-stage renal failure rates(P=0.002),musculoskeletal damage(P=0.023),cardiovascular impairment(P=0.009),and CYC use(P=0.001);while leukopenia(P=0.017),arthritis(P=0.014),and mycophenolate usage(P=0.013)rates were lower.Conclusions:Male SLE patients had more severe organ damage and a higher LN incidence compared with female SLE patients;therefore,they may require more aggressive initial treatment compared to female patients.展开更多
Within-species variation in pollinator behavior is widely observed, but its causes have been minimally investigated. Pollinator sex is associated with large differences in behavior that may lead to predictable differe...Within-species variation in pollinator behavior is widely observed, but its causes have been minimally investigated. Pollinator sex is associated with large differences in behavior that may lead to predictable differences in flower foraging, but this expectation has not been explicitly tested. We investigate sex-associated differences in nectar-foraging behavior of the hawkmoth Hyles lineata, using pollen on the proboscis as a proxy for flower visitation. We tested two predictions emerging from the literature: (1) the sexes differ in the flower species they visit, (2) females are more specialized in flower choice. We also examined potential drivers underlying these predictions by performing field and laboratory experiments to test whether males (3) switch among flower species more frequently, or (4) fly farther and therefore encounter more species than females. Consistent with prediction (1), pollen load composition differed between the sexes, indicative of visitation differences. Contrary to prediction (2), females consistently carried more species-rich pollen loads than males. (3) Both sexes switched between flower species at similar rates, suggesting that differences in floral fidelity are unlikely to explain why females are less specialized than males. (4) Males flew longer distances than females;coupled with larger between-site differences in pollen composition for females, this result suggests that sex differences in mobility influence foraging, and that females may forage more frequently and in smaller areas than males. Together, our results demonstrate that sex-associated foraging differences can be large and consistent over time, and highlight the importance of sex as a driver of variation in pollinator behavior.展开更多
Despite extensive characterization of sex differences in the medial preoptic area(mPOA)of the hypothalamus,we know surprisingly little about whether or how male and female mPOA neurons differ electrophysiologically,es...Despite extensive characterization of sex differences in the medial preoptic area(mPOA)of the hypothalamus,we know surprisingly little about whether or how male and female mPOA neurons differ electrophysiologically,especially in terms of neuronal firing and behavioral pattern generation.In this study,by performing whole-cell patch clamp recordings of the mPOA,we investigated the influences of sex,cell type,and gonadal hormones on the electrophysiological properties of mPOA neurons.Notably,we uncovered significant sex differences in input resistance(male>female)and in the percentage of neurons that displayed post-inhibitory rebound(male>female).Furthermore,we found that the current mediated by the T-type Ca^(2+)channel(IT),which is known to underlie post-inhibitory rebound,was indeed larger in male mPOA neurons.Thus,we have identified salient electrophysiological properties of mPOA neurons,namely IT and post-inhibitory rebound,that are male-biased and likely contribute to the sexually dimorphic display of behaviors.展开更多
Microglia are the resident immune cells in the brain and maintain homeostasis and functionality of this tissue. These cells are key producers of immune mediators, such as cytokines and chemokines, are critical for nor...Microglia are the resident immune cells in the brain and maintain homeostasis and functionality of this tissue. These cells are key producers of immune mediators, such as cytokines and chemokines, are critical for normal brain development, and affect neurogenesis, axonal migration, synapse formation and function, and programmed cell death, among others. Sex differences exist in many of these processes throughout brain development up to adulthood and the aged brain. In the last few years, sex differences in microglia responses, brain colonization, and number and morphology within the developing brain have drawn the attention of researchers as a potential explanation to the sex differences in the brain and due to their potential relevance in the incidence, prevalence, and outcome of many neurological disorders. In this review, we summarize the sex differences of microglial cell functions and their potential relevance in physiological as well as pathological conditions in the brain.展开更多
Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)refers to the build-up of fat in the liver associated with metabolic dysfunction and has been estimated to affect a quarter of the population worldwide.Although metabolis...Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)refers to the build-up of fat in the liver associated with metabolic dysfunction and has been estimated to affect a quarter of the population worldwide.Although metabolism is highly influenced by the effects of sex hormones,studies of sex differences in the incidence and progression of MAFLD are scarce.Metabolomics represents a powerful approach to studying these differences and identifying potential biomarkers and putative mechanisms.First,metabolomics makes it possible to obtain the molecular phenotype of the individual at a given time.Second,metabolomics may be a helpful tool for classifying patients according to the severity of the disease and obtaining diagnostic biomarkers.Some studies demonstrate associations between circulating metabolites and early and established MAFLD,but little is known about how metabolites relate to and encompass sex differences in disease progression and risk management.In this review,we will discuss the epidemiological metabolomic studies for sex differences in the development and progression of MAFLD,the role of metabolic profiles in understanding mechanisms and identifying sex-dependent biomarkers,and how this evidence may help in the future management of the disease.展开更多
基金2021 Zhejiang Province Public Welfare Technology Application Research Funding Project,No.LGC21H160002Basic Scientific Research Projects in Wenzhou City in 2022,No.Y20220885Wenzhou Medical University 2021 Higher Education Teaching Reform Project,No.JG2021167.
文摘BACKGROUND Laparoscopic rectal cancer radical surgery is a complex procedure affected by various factors.However,the existing literature lacks standardized parameters for the pelvic region and soft tissues,which hampers the establishment of consistent conclusions.AIM To comprehensively assess 16 pelvic and 7 soft tissue parameters through computerized tomography(CT)-based three-dimensional(3D)reconstruction,providing a strong theoretical basis to address challenges in laparoscopic rectal cancer radical surgery.METHODS We analyzed data from 218 patients who underwent radical laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer,and utilized CT data for 3D pelvic reconstruction.Specific anatomical points were carefully marked and measured using advanced 3D modeling software.To analyze the pelvic and soft tissue parameters,we emp-loyed statistical methods including paired sample t-tests,Wilcoxon rank-sum tests,and correlation analysis.RESULTS The investigation highlighted significant sex disparities in 14 pelvic bone parameters and 3 soft tissue parameters.Males demonstrated larger measurements in pelvic depth and overall curvature,smaller measurements in pelvic width,a larger mesorectal fat area,and a larger anterior-posterior abdominal diameter.By contrast,females exhibited wider pelvises,shallower depth,smaller overall curvature,and an increased amount of subcutaneous fat tissue.However,there were no significant sex differences observed in certain parameters such as sacral curvature height,superior pubococcygeal diameter,rectal area,visceral fat area,waist circumference,and transverse abdominal diameter.CONCLUSION The reconstruction of 3D CT data enabled accurate pelvic measurements,revealing significant sex differences in both pelvic and soft tissue parameters.This study design offer potential in predicting surgical difficulties and creating personalized surgical plans for male rectal cancer patients with a potentially“difficult pelvis”,ultimately improving surgical outcomes.Further research and utilization of these parameters could lead to enhanced surgical methods and patient care in laparoscopic rectal cancer radical surgery.
文摘Women represent the majority of patients with psychiatric diagnoses and also the largest users of psychotropic drugs.There are inevitable differences in efficacy,side effects and long-term treatment response between men and women.Psychopharmacological research needs to develop adequately powered animal and human trials aimed to consider pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of central nervous system drugs in both male and female subjects.Healthcare professionals have the responsibility to prescribe sex-specific psychopharmacotherapies with a priority to differentiate between men and women in order to minimize adverse drugs reactions,to maximize therapeutic effectiveness and to provide personalized management of care.
基金We are grateful for the financial support from the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2017YFC1309200).
文摘Background:The scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment(PG-SGA)has been widely used to assess the nutritional status of cancer patients.The purpose of this study is to compare the differences in PG-SGA scores and the 7 domain scores of the PG-SGA in male and female cancer patients.Methods:This study was conducted at 72 hospitals from July 2013 to December 2018,a part of the Investigation on Nutritional Status and its Clinical Outcomes of Common Cancers.The PG-SGA was recorded to evaluate the nutritional status of patients.A total of 19,528 patients with 13 common malignancies were included in this study.Student t test and the χ^(2) test were applied to analyze the sex diferences in the 7 domain scores.The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database was used to analyze the expression levels of symptom-related genes.Results:There were significant sex dfferences in the PG-SGA(P=0.032),notably in patients with gastric cancer(male vs female:9.09±4.86 vs 9.58±5.07,P=0.005)and esophageal cancer(9.64±4.90 vs 10.46±4.96,P=0.011)and the average total PG-SGA of female patients was slightly higher than that of male patients(7.64±4.98 vs 7.77±5.14).The differences were mainly related to the weight,eating,symptom,as well as activity and physical function scores in the stratified analysis.Possible causes of the sex differences were the rates of nausea,vomiting,dry mouth,and other symptoms,in both gastric and esophageal cancer patients.Analysis of the TCGA database suggested that most of the related genes were sex neutral,except for genes related to dysphagia in gastric cancer(VEGFC was higher in female patients,VEGFA and VEGFB higher in male patients).Conclusions:There are sex differences in the PG-SGA scores in patients with various tumor types(female patients generally had higher scores than male patients),with differences mainly in the weight,eating,symptom,as well as activity and physical function scores.The sex differences in PG-SGA scores might be due to the differences in the clinical manifestations of the disease,and further studies should be carried out to investigate other factors influencing the PG-SGA scores in cancer patients.This study provides basic data supporting the individualized nutritional treatment of cancer patients in clinical practice.
文摘AIM To evaluate sex differences and the effects of oestrogen administration in rat gastric mucosal defence.METHODS Sex differences in gastric mucus thickness and accumulation rate, absolute gastric mucosal blood flow using microspheres, the integrity of the gastric mucosal epithelium in response to a chemical irritant and the effects of oestrogen administration on relative gastric mucosal blood flow in an acute setting was assessed in an in vivo rat experimental model. Subsequently, sex differences in the distribution of oestrogen receptors and calcitonin gene related peptide in the gastric mucosa of animals exposed to oestrogen in the above experiments was evaluated using immunohistochemistry.RESULTS The absolute blood flow in the GI-tract was generally higher in males, but only significantly different in the corpus part of the stomach (1.12 ± 0.12 m L/min·g in males and 0.51 ± 0.03 m L/min·g in females) (P = 0.002). After removal of the loosely adherent mucus layer the thickness of the firmly adherent mucus layer in males and females was 79 ± 1 μm and 80 ± 3 μm respectively. After 60 min the mucus thickness increased to 113 ± 3 μm in males and 121 ± 3 μm in females with no statistically significant difference seen between the sexes. Following oestrogen administration(0.1 followed by 1 μg/kg·min), mean blood flow in the gastric mucosa decreased by 31% [68 ± 13 perfusion units (PFU)] in males which was significantly different compared to baseline(P = 0.02). In females however, mean blood flow remained largely unchanged with a 4% (5 ± 33 PFU) reduction. The permeability of the gastric mucosa increased to a higher level in females than in males (P = 0.01) after taurocholate challenge. However, the calculated mean clearance increase did not significantly differ between the sexes [0.1 ± 0.04 to 1.1 ± 0.1 m L/min·100 g in males and 0.4 ± 0.3 to 2.1 ± 0.3 m L/min·100 g in females(P = 0.065)]. There were no significant differences between 17β-Estradiol treated males (mean ratio of positive staining ± SEM)(0.06 ± 0.07) and females(0.11 ± 0.11) in the staining of ERα (P = 0.24). Also, there were no significant differences between 17β-Estradiol treated males (0.18 ± 0.21) and females (0.06 ± 0.12) in the staining of ERβ (P = 0.11). Finally, there were no significant differences between 17β-Estradiol treated males (0.04 ± 0.05) and females (0.11 ± 0.10) in the staining of CGRP(P = 0.14).CONCLUSION Gastric mucosal blood flow is higher in male than in female rats and is reduced in male rats by oestrogen administration.
文摘The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed sex-based differences in anti-viral responses,with a higher rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections as well as a higher rate of morbidity and mortality in men than in women.Males and females also show disparate immune responses to COVID-19 infection,which may be important contributors to lower rates of infection,disease severity and deaths in women than in men.Here,the authors review sex differences in SARS-CoV-2 infections,anti-viral immunity and vaccine responses,putting forth the importance of sex,the underappreciated variables in vaccine response and disease infectivity.
基金Supported by Youth Program of Xi'an Municipal Health Commission of China,No.2022qn07General Program of Xi'an Municipal Health Commission of China,No.2020ms14National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81702067.
文摘BACKGROUND The gut microbiota(GM)has been proven to play a role in the regulation of host lipid metabolism,which provides a new theory about the pathogenesis of dyslipidemia.However,the associations of GM with dyslipidemia based on sex differences remain unclear and warrant elucidation.AIM To investigate the associations of GM features with serum lipid profiles based on sex differences in a Chinese population.METHODS This study ultimately recruited 142 participants(73 females and 69 males)at Honghui Hospital,Xi’an Jiaotong University.The anthropometric and blood metabolic parameters of all participants were measured.According to their serum lipid levels,female and male participants were classified into a high triglyceride(H_TG)group,a high total cholesterol(H_CHO)group,a low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(L_HDL-C)group,and a control(CON)group with normal serum lipid levels.Fresh fecal samples were collected for 16S rRNA gene sequencing.UPARSE software,QIIME software,the RDP classifier and the FAPROTAX database were used for sequencing analyses.RESULTS The GM composition at the phylum level included Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes as the core GM.Different GM features were identified between females and males,and the associations between GM and serum lipid profiles were different in females and males.The GM features in different dyslipidemia subgroups changed in both female patients and male patients.Proteobacteria,Lactobacillaceae,Lactobacillus and Lactobacillus_salivarius were enriched in H_CHO females compared with CON females,while Coriobacteriia were enriched in L_HDL-C females.In the comparison among the three dyslipidemia subgroups in females,Lactobacillus_salivarius were enriched in H_CHO females,and Prevotellaceae were enriched in L_HDL-C females.Compared with CON or H_TG males,Prevotellaceae,unidentified_Ruminococcaceae,Roseburia and Roseburia_inulinivorans were decreased in L_HDL-C males(P value<0.05),and linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis indicated an enrichment of the above GM taxa in H_TG males compared with other male subgroups.Additionally,Roseburia_inulinivorans abundance was positively correlated with serum TG and total cholesterol levels,and Roseburia were positively correlated with serum TG level.Furthermore,Proteobacteria(0.724,95%CI:0.567-0.849),Lactobacillaceae(0.703,95%CI:0.544-0.832),Lactobacillus(0.705,95%CI:0.547-0.834)and Lactobacillus_salivarius(0.706,95%CI:0.548-0.835)could distinguish H_CHO females from CON females,while Coriobacteriia(0.710,95%CI:0.547-0.841),Coriobacteriales(0.710,95%CI:0.547-0.841),Prevotellaceae(0.697,95%CI:0.534-0.830),Roseburia(0.697,95%CI:0.534-0.830)and Roseburia_inulinivorans(0.684,95%CI:0.520-0.820)could discriminate H_TG males from CON males.Based on the predictions of GM metabolic capabilities with the FAPROTAX database,a total of 51 functional assignments were obtained in females,while 38 were obtained in males.This functional prediction suggested that cellulolysis increased in L_HDL-C females compared with CON females,but decreased in L_HDL-C males compared with CON males.CONCLUSION This study indicates associations of GM with serum lipid profiles,supporting the notion that GM dysbiosis may participate in the pathogenesis of dyslipidemia,and sex differences should be considered.
文摘Neuroscience studies have demonstrated that functional differences in human brains between males and females might result in their cognitive and psychological distinctions. To investigate sex differences in resting-state functional networks for children, the functional brain networks of two groups including boys and girls were reconstructed by functional connectivity with significant between-group differences respectively based on two brain atlases, and then the reconstructed functional networks were compared from the viewpoint of small-world properties. The functional brain networks of the two groups both displayed topological properties of the small-world network based on different brain atlases but exhibited some sex differences in certain measures. Specifically, for the automated anatomical labeling atlas, compared with girls, boys showed stronger small-world properties and higher ability of local information processing in brain networks;for the Harvard Oxford Atlas, the shortest path length of boys increased, indicating poorer performance in both global information transmission and resistance to the random attack.
文摘Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is in relentless progression, along with the adoption of western lifestyle in sub-Saharan Africa. In Senegal, the incidence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) rose from 5% to 12% in Dakar during the last 20 years. That increase was observed in both women and men, and according to current data, the former paid the heaviest price in terms of mortality compared to men. In this study, we aim to retrospectively assess the clinical characteristics and angiographic profile of ACS in women compared to men in two tertiary care centers in Dakar. Methods: In this study, we retrospectively analyzed and compared data between men and women among 133 patients who underwent coronary angiogram for ACS in 2 tertiary centers from February 2019 to January 2020. Results: A total of 133 patients were included in our study of whom 97 (72.9%) were men. The mean age was 58 ± 13.6 years. Women were older than men (61.4 ± 14.3 years vs 56.6 ± 13.5 years (p = 0.07). Hypertension, sedentary lifestyle and obesity were significantly more frequent in women (69.4%, 52.7% and 19.4%) when compared to men (38.8%, 25.7% and 6.19%) respectively, (p = 0.001;0.002 and 0.03). Smoking was less frequent in women (2.8%) than in men (44.3%), (p Conclusion: In our study, women with ACS were older, had more cardiovascular risk factors but less angiographic extent of disease than men.
基金NASA Awards:80NSSC21K0311(M.E.R./S.B.R)and 80NSSC19K1598(S.B,R.)as well as NIH Award:R37HD019938(U.B.K.),and T32GM144273(A.W.)from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
文摘Skeletal muscle size and strength are important for overall health for astronauts.However,how male and female muscle may respond differently to micro-and partial-gravity environments is not fully understood.The purpose of this study was to determine how biological sex and sex steroid hormones influence the progression of muscle atrophy after long term exposure to micro and partial gravity environments in male and female rats.Male and female Fisher rats(n=120)underwent either castration/ovariectomy or sham surgeries.After two weeks recovery,animals were divided into microgravity(0g),partial-gravity(40%of weight bearing,0.4g),or full weight bearing(1g)interventions for 28 days.Measurements of muscle size and strength were evaluated prior to and after interventions.At 0g,females lost more dorsiflexion strength,plantar flexion strength,and other metrics of muscle size compared to males;castration/ovariectomy did not influence these differences.Additionally,at 0.4g,females lost more dorsiflexion strength,plantar flexion strength,and other metrics of muscle strength compared to males;castration/ovariectomy did not influence these differences.Females have greater musculoskeletal aberrations during exposure to both microgravity and partial-gravity environments;these differences are not dependent on the presence of sex steroid hormones.Correspondingly,additional interventions may be necessary to mitigate musculoskeletal loss in female astronauts to protect occupational and overall health.
基金This work was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China(11972066,T2288101,U20A20390,11827803)the National Key Research and Development Plan of China(2020YFC2005902).
文摘Virtual reality(VR)has been a promising tool for developing visuospatial tasks.Among visuospatial tasks,mental rotation tasks are widely used in the assessment of visuospatial ability.Males have a distinct advantage in mental rotation ability compared to females,yet it is generally produced by investigations based on two-dimensional(2D)images on a computer screen.Sex differences in mental rotation tasks with three-dimensional(3D)objects in VR were not fully investigated.It is unclear whether the male's advantages in 2D mental rotation tasks are weakened in 3D tasks.The aim of this study was to provide new insights into the understanding of sex differences in mental rotation tasks presented in VR.Here,we developed a VR mental rotation task(VR-MRT)using 3D objects presented by a head-mounted display(HMD)and used VR-based eye tracking and electroencephalography(EEG)to examine eye movements and neural oscillations for males and females.Our results showed that females preferred a piecemeal strategy compared to males,suggesting a significant sex difference in visual strategy.More importantly,we found no significant sex differences in alpha-band and beta-band oscillations related to rotation processes of VR-MRT.These findings indicated that sex differences in the VR-MRT were mainly attributed to the selection of visual strategy rather than the rotation processes.The study helps to comprehensively understand the dominant factors contributing to the sex differences in the VR-MRT.
基金financially supported by the Hungarian National Research,Development and Innovation Office(NKFIH,grant K132490 to AL and grant PD142106 to IP)by the HUN-REN Hungarian Research Network(grant 16007 to AL)by the Sustainable Development and Technologies National Programme of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences(NP2022-II-6/2022)。
文摘Sex-biased mortality can occur in birds during development,for example due to sexual differences in energy requirement and/or environmental sensitivity,or the effects of sex hormones or sex differences in the expression of mutations linked to sex chromosomes.The extent of sex-bias in mortality may also be related to environmental conditions that influence offspring development and survival.Urban areas often provide poorer conditions for nestling development resulting in higher offspring mortality compared to natural areas,which may accelerate sex differences in offspring mortality in cities.To test this hypothesis,we examined the sex ratio of dead offspring in Great Tits(Parus major),using 427 samples of unhatched eggs and dead nestlings collected in two urban and two forest sites between 2013 and 2019.The ratio of males in the whole sample of dead offspring(56.9%)was significantly higher than expected by an 1:1 ratio,and the strongest sex biases were detected in urban areas(57.6%males)and in young nestlings(<14 days old,59.0%males).However,the sex ratios of dead offspring did not differ significantly among study sites and between offspring developmental stages.29.3%of unhatched eggs contained a visible embryo,and the proportion of embryo-containing unhatched eggs did not differ significantly between urban and forest study sites.These results suggest male-biased offspring mortality in Great Tits,and highlight the need of large datasets to detect subtle differences between habitats and developmental stages.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81471017)a Scientific Project of the Ministry of Health of China (201302002)
文摘The aim of this study was to explore the differences between boys and girls in the diagnosis and clinical phenotypes of autism spectrum disorder(ASD) in China's mainland. Children diagnosed with ASD(n = 1064, 228 females) were retrospectively included in the analysis. All children were assessed using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised(ADI-R) and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule(ADOS). The results showed that girls scored significantly higher in ADI-R socioemotional reciprocity than boys, and also scored lower in ADI-R and ADOS restricted and repetitive behaviors(RRBs). Meanwhile, the proportions of girls who satisfied the diagnostic cut-off scores in the ADI-R RRBs domain were lower than in boys(P \ 0.05). Our results indicated that girls with ASD show greater socio-emotional reciprocity than boys. Girls also tended to show fewer RRBs than boys, and the type of RRBs in girls differ from those in boys. The ADI-R was found to be less sensitive in girls, particularly for assessment in the RRBs domain.
基金This workwas supported by,the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82071554 and 81620108012).
文摘A growing number of studies have identified sex differences in response to general anesthesia;however,the underlying neural mechanisms are unclear.The medial preoptic area(MPA),an important sexually dimorphic structure and a critical hub for regulating consciousness transition,is enriched with estrogen receptor alpha(ERa),particularly in neuronal clusters that participate in regulating sleep.We found that male mice were more sensitive to sevoflurane.Pharmacological inhibition of ERαin the MPA abolished the sex differences in sevoflurane anesthesia,in particular by extending the induction time and facilitating emergence in males but not in females.Suppression of ERαin vitro inhibited GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons of the MPA in males but not in females.Furthermore,ERα.knockdown in GABAergic neurons of the male MPA was sufficient to eliminate sex differences during sevoflurane anesthesia.Collectively,MPA ERαpositively regulates the activity of MPA GABAergic neurons in males but not in females,which contributes to the sexdifference of mice in sevoflurane anesthesia.
基金Supported by National Research Foundation of Korea
文摘BACKGROUND Few studies have been conducted on sex differences in the incidence, pathophysiology, and prognosis of gastric cancer(GC).AIM To analyze the differences in GC characteristics according to sex in patients who underwent surgical treatment for GC.METHODS A total of 2983 patients diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma who received surgical treatment at the Seoul National University Bundang Hospital between 2003 and 2017 were included.Baseline clinicopathological characteristics, histologic type of GC, overall and GC-specific survival rates, and associated risk factors were analyzed.RESULTS Among the 2983 patients, 2005(67.2%) and 978(32.8%) were males and females, respectively.The average age of the female group(59.36 years) was significantly younger than that of the male group(61.66 years;P < 0.001).Cancer of the gastric body(P < 0.001) and diffuse-type histology(P < 0.001) were more common in females than in males.This trend was more prominent in females younger than 60 years of age, with a significantly higher proportion of diffuse-type cancer than in the male group.Regardless of sex, diffuse-type GC was more common in younger patients, and the proportion of intestinal-type GC increased with age.The overall survival rate was significantly higher in females(P < 0.001).However, this difference disappeared for GC-specific survival(P = 0.168), except for the poor GC-specific survival rate in advanced-stage cancer(stage Ⅲ or above) in females(P = 0.045).The risk factors for GC-related mortality were older age, upper location of GC, and diffuse-or mixed-type histology.In terms of comorbidities, more males died from diseases other than GC, including other malignancies such as lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and pancreatic cancer, and respiratory diseases such as interstitial lung disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, while there were relatively more cardiovascular or cerebrovascular deaths in females.CONCLUSION Sex-based differences in GC were observed in clinicopathological features, including age at diagnosis, tumor location, histologic type, survival rate, and comorbidities.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(81571843)the second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program(2019QZKK0607)the Key Special Program of Logistic Scientific Research of PLA(BLJ18J005)。
文摘Background:When lowlanders rapidly ascend to altitudes>2500 m,they may develop acute mountain sickness(AMS).The individual susceptibility,ascending velocity,time spent at altitude,activity levels and altitude reached are considered risk factors for AMS.However,it is not clear whether sex is a risk factor.The results have been inconclusive.We conducted a meta-analysis to test whether there were sex-based differences in the prevalence of AMS using Lake Louise Scoring System.Methods:Systematic searches were performed in August 2019 in EMBASE,PubMed,and Web of Science for prospective studies with AMS data for men and women.The titles and abstracts were independently checked in the primary screening step,and the selected full-text articles were independently assessed in the secondary screening step by the two authors(YPH and JLW)based on pre-defined inclusion criteria.The meta-analysis was performed using by the STATA 14.1 software program.A random-effects model was employed.Results:Eighteen eligible prospective studies were included.A total of 7669 participants(2639[34.4%]women)were tested.The results showed that there was a statistically significant higher prevalence rate of AMS in women than in men(RR=1.24,95%CI 1.09–1.41),regardless of age or race.However,the heterogeneity was significant in the analysis(Tau2=0.0403,Chi2=50.15,df=17;I2=66.1%,P=0.000),it was main caused by different numbers of subjects among the studies(coefficient=–2.17,P=0.049).Besides,the results showed that there was no evidence of significant publication bias in the combined studies on the basis of Egger’s test(bias coefficient=1.48,P=0.052)and Begg’s test(P=0.130).Conclusions:According to this study,the statistically significant finding emerging from this study was that women have a higher prevalence of AMS.However,the authors could not exclude studies where patients were on acetazolamide.Our analysis provided a direction for future studies of the relationship of sex and the risk of AMS,such as the pathological mechanism and prevention research.
基金supported by grants from the Chinese National Key Technology R&D Program,Ministry of Science and Technology(Nos.2021YFC2501301-5 and 2017YFC0907601-3)Beijing Municipal Science&Technology Commission(No.Z201100005520022,23,and 25–27)CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences(CIFMS,2021-I2M-1-005).
文摘Background:The onset and clinical presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)are sex-related.Few studies have investigated the distinctions in clinical characteristics and treatment preferences in male and female SLE patients in the initial cohort.This study aimed to improve the understanding of Chinese SLE patients by characterizing the different sexes of SLE patients in the inception cohort.Methods:Based on the initial patient cohort established by the Chinese SLE Treatment and Research Group,a total of 8713 patients(795 men and 7918 women)with newly diagnosed SLE were enrolled between April 2009 and March 2021.Of these,2900 patients(347 men and 2553 women)were eligible for lupus nephritis(LN).A cross-sectional analysis of the baseline demographic characteristics,clinical manifestations,laboratory parameters,organ damage,initial treatment regimens,and renal pathology classification was performed according to sex.Results:In the SLE group,as compared to female patients,male patients had a later age of onset(male vs.female:37.0±15.8 years vs.35.1±13.7 years,P=0.006)and a higher SLE International Collaborative Clinic/American College of Rheumatology damage index score(male vs.female:0.47±1.13 vs.0.34±0.81,P=0.015),LN(male vs.female:43.6%vs.32.2%,P<0.001),fever(male vs.female:18.0%vs.14.6%,P=0.010),thrombocytopenia(male vs.female:21.4%vs.18.5%,P=0.050),serositis(male vs.female:14.7%vs.11.7%,P=0.013),renal damage(male vs.female:11.1%vs.7.4%,P<0.001),and treatment with cyclophosphamide(CYC)(P<0.001).The frequency of leukopenia(male vs.female:20.5%vs.25.4%,P=0.002)and arthritis(male vs.female:22.0%vs.29.9%,P<0.001)was less in male patients with SLE.In LN,no differences were observed in disease duration,SLE Disease Activity Index score,renal biopsy pathological typing,or 24-h urine protein quantification among the sexes.In comparisons with female patients with LN,male patients had later onset ages(P=0.026),high serum creatinine(P<0.001),higher end-stage renal failure rates(P=0.002),musculoskeletal damage(P=0.023),cardiovascular impairment(P=0.009),and CYC use(P=0.001);while leukopenia(P=0.017),arthritis(P=0.014),and mycophenolate usage(P=0.013)rates were lower.Conclusions:Male SLE patients had more severe organ damage and a higher LN incidence compared with female SLE patients;therefore,they may require more aggressive initial treatment compared to female patients.
文摘Within-species variation in pollinator behavior is widely observed, but its causes have been minimally investigated. Pollinator sex is associated with large differences in behavior that may lead to predictable differences in flower foraging, but this expectation has not been explicitly tested. We investigate sex-associated differences in nectar-foraging behavior of the hawkmoth Hyles lineata, using pollen on the proboscis as a proxy for flower visitation. We tested two predictions emerging from the literature: (1) the sexes differ in the flower species they visit, (2) females are more specialized in flower choice. We also examined potential drivers underlying these predictions by performing field and laboratory experiments to test whether males (3) switch among flower species more frequently, or (4) fly farther and therefore encounter more species than females. Consistent with prediction (1), pollen load composition differed between the sexes, indicative of visitation differences. Contrary to prediction (2), females consistently carried more species-rich pollen loads than males. (3) Both sexes switched between flower species at similar rates, suggesting that differences in floral fidelity are unlikely to explain why females are less specialized than males. (4) Males flew longer distances than females;coupled with larger between-site differences in pollen composition for females, this result suggests that sex differences in mobility influence foraging, and that females may forage more frequently and in smaller areas than males. Together, our results demonstrate that sex-associated foraging differences can be large and consistent over time, and highlight the importance of sex as a driver of variation in pollinator behavior.
基金This work was supported by Grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31871066,31922028 and 31900721)Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Major Project(2018SHZDZX05)the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDB32000000).
文摘Despite extensive characterization of sex differences in the medial preoptic area(mPOA)of the hypothalamus,we know surprisingly little about whether or how male and female mPOA neurons differ electrophysiologically,especially in terms of neuronal firing and behavioral pattern generation.In this study,by performing whole-cell patch clamp recordings of the mPOA,we investigated the influences of sex,cell type,and gonadal hormones on the electrophysiological properties of mPOA neurons.Notably,we uncovered significant sex differences in input resistance(male>female)and in the percentage of neurons that displayed post-inhibitory rebound(male>female).Furthermore,we found that the current mediated by the T-type Ca^(2+)channel(IT),which is known to underlie post-inhibitory rebound,was indeed larger in male mPOA neurons.Thus,we have identified salient electrophysiological properties of mPOA neurons,namely IT and post-inhibitory rebound,that are male-biased and likely contribute to the sexually dimorphic display of behaviors.
文摘Microglia are the resident immune cells in the brain and maintain homeostasis and functionality of this tissue. These cells are key producers of immune mediators, such as cytokines and chemokines, are critical for normal brain development, and affect neurogenesis, axonal migration, synapse formation and function, and programmed cell death, among others. Sex differences exist in many of these processes throughout brain development up to adulthood and the aged brain. In the last few years, sex differences in microglia responses, brain colonization, and number and morphology within the developing brain have drawn the attention of researchers as a potential explanation to the sex differences in the brain and due to their potential relevance in the incidence, prevalence, and outcome of many neurological disorders. In this review, we summarize the sex differences of microglial cell functions and their potential relevance in physiological as well as pathological conditions in the brain.
文摘Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)refers to the build-up of fat in the liver associated with metabolic dysfunction and has been estimated to affect a quarter of the population worldwide.Although metabolism is highly influenced by the effects of sex hormones,studies of sex differences in the incidence and progression of MAFLD are scarce.Metabolomics represents a powerful approach to studying these differences and identifying potential biomarkers and putative mechanisms.First,metabolomics makes it possible to obtain the molecular phenotype of the individual at a given time.Second,metabolomics may be a helpful tool for classifying patients according to the severity of the disease and obtaining diagnostic biomarkers.Some studies demonstrate associations between circulating metabolites and early and established MAFLD,but little is known about how metabolites relate to and encompass sex differences in disease progression and risk management.In this review,we will discuss the epidemiological metabolomic studies for sex differences in the development and progression of MAFLD,the role of metabolic profiles in understanding mechanisms and identifying sex-dependent biomarkers,and how this evidence may help in the future management of the disease.
