The concept of holism is the core idea of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. Various organs and tissues coordinate with each other to maintain the body's life activities， with a close and mutual influence between the spleen， stomach， and the central nervous system （brain）. The gut-brain axis plays an important bridging role between the digestive system and the central nervous system， achieving bidirectional information exchange between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract through complex neuroendocrine and immune mechanisms. The theory of cross-organ interaction involves the mutual influence， coordination， and integration between different organs and systems； multimodality， on the other hand， utilizes multiple sensory modalities， such as vision， hearing， and touch， to convey information. By combining TCM theory with the gut-brain axis theory， a cross-organ multimodal characterization system is established to explore its mechanism and application value in refractory diseases such as functional gastrointestinal disorders， precancerous gastrointestinal diseases， Alzheimer's disease， Parkinson's syndrome， type 2 diabetes， and depression.

BACKGROUND: Biomarkers-based prediction of long-term risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is scarce. We aim to develop a risk score integrating clinical routine information (C) and plasma biomarkers (B) for predicting long-term risk of ACS patients. METHODS: We included 2729 ACS patients from the OCEA (Observation of cardiovascular events in ACS patients). The earlier admitted 1910 patients were enrolled as development cohort; and the subsequently admitted 819 subjects were treated as validation cohort. We investigated 10-year risk of cardiovascular (CV) death, myocardial infarction (MI) and all cause death in these patients. Potential variables contributing to risk of clinical events were assessed using Cox regression models and a score was derived using main part of these variables. RESULTS: During 16,110 person-years of follow-up, there were 238 CV death/MI in the development cohort. The 7 most important predictors including in the final model were NT-proBNP, D-dimer, GDF-15, peripheral artery disease (PAD), Fibrinogen, ST-segment elevated MI (STEMI), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), termed as CB-ACS score. C-index of the score for predication of cardiovascular events was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.76-0.82) in development cohort and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.76-0.78) in the validation cohort (5832 person-years of follow-up), which outperformed GRACE 2.0 and ABC-ACS risk score. The CB-ACS score was also well calibrated in development and validation cohort (Greenwood-Nam-D'Agostino: P = 0.70 and P = 0.07, respectively). CONCLUSIONS CB-ACS risk score provides a useful tool for long-term prediction of CV events in patients with ACS. This model outperforms GRACE 2.0 and ABC-ACS ischemic risk score.

Objective:To prepare mesenchymal stem cells with antioxidant capacity (AO-MSC ) from human umbilical cords and evaluate its cell biological properties.Methods:In control group,mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) were isolated by digesting human umbilical cord Wharton's Jelly tissues with 0.2％ collagenase Ⅱ,and the released cells were collected and cultured in an animal serum-free culture medium.In AO-MSC group,incompletely collagenase Ⅱ-digested tissue debris were allowed to adhere to flusk flat bottoms and the AO-MSC was harvested by adherent culture. The conventional digestion and culture method was used as control.MSC colony forming ability was evaluated by fibroblast colony forming assay (CFU-F).MSC proliferative capacity was evaluated by CCK-8 assay.The MSC surface markers were detected by using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining.The adipogenic and osteogenic capacity of MSC was evaluated by multi-differentiation in vitro,and the mRNA expression of genes that control adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR );Moreover,the mRNA expression of antioxidant substances such as SOD-1,GSH,GAT,and NQO1 in MSC was also evaluated by RT-qPCR.Results:The AO-MSC isolated by this strategy reached a confluence of 80％-90％ at around 18 days and grew in a swirling pattern.Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining assays showed that CD73,CD29,CD105,CD90 were highly expressed and CD31,CD45,HLA-DR were scarcely expressed in AO-MSC.AO-MSC exhibited stronger self-renewal and differentiation ability compared to MSC.However,the in vitro adipogenic-osteogenic capacity of MSC in the control group was stronger than that of AO-MSC.RT-qPCR assay showed that AO-MSC expressed higher mRNA levels of antioxidant substances compared to MSC.Conclusion:Human AO-MSC is successfully prepared from human umbilical cord without animal serum.

Objective:To compare the therapeutic effects of different inhaled medications on patients with frequent cough in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including changes in symptoms and acute exacerbation.Methods:This study was based on the RealDTC study, and the study subjects were stable COPD patients from the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University from December 2016 to March 2023. The demographic characteristics, smoking status, history of biofuel exposure, history of acute exacerbation in the past year, lung function, COPD Assessment Test (CAT) score, modified British Medical Research Council Respiratory Difficulty Questionnaire (mMRC) score, and inhalation medication regimen of the patients were collected. Patients with frequent cough are defined as having a cough score of ≥2 in the first item of the CAT score. According to the type of inhaled medication, patients with frequent cough are divided into l long-acting muscarine anticholinergic (LAMA), long-acting β2 agonists (LABA)+ LAMA, inhaled corticosteroids (ICS)+ LABA, and ICS+ LABA+ LAMA groups. At the 6th month follow-up, CAT scores were collected and symptom control was evaluated, including minimum clinical improvement (MCID) (defined as a decrease of ≥2 points from baseline in CAT scores at the 6th month) and improvement in cough symptoms (defined as a decrease of ≥1 point from baseline in cough scores). During a one-year follow-up, the number of acute exacerbations was evaluated. The relationship between different inhaled medications and prognosis in patients with frequent cough in COPD was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results:A total of 653 patients with frequent cough in COPD were included, with a CAT score of (16.4±6.1) and a cough score of 3(2, 3). After 6 months of follow-up, 403 patients (61.7%) achieved MCID, and 394 patients (60.3%) had improved cough symptoms; During a one-year follow-up, 227 patients (34.8%) experienced acute exacerbation. After receiving inhalation medication treatment, the CAT scores and cough scores of four groups of patients with frequent cough, namely LAMA, LABA+ LAMA, ICS+ LABA, and ICS+ LABA+ LAMA, decreased compared to before treatment (all P<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference in the proportion of △CAT score, MCID, and acute exacerbation among the four groups of LAMA, LABA+ LAMA, ICS+ LABA, and ICS+ LABA+ LAMA (all P<0.05), while there was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of △cough score and cough score reduction ≥1 point (all P>0.05). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with patients treated with LAMA or ICS+ LABA drugs, patients with frequent cough in COPD treated with LABA+ LAMA or ICS+ LABA+ LAMA drugs were more likely to achieve MCID and less likely to experience acute exacerbation (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared with LAMA or ICS+ LABA, patients with frequent cough in COPD who receive LABA+ LAMA or ICS+ LABA+ LAMA drug treatment are more likely to improve symptoms and have a lower risk of acute exacerbation.

As artificial intelligence technology rapidly advances, its deployment within the medical sector presents substantial ethical challenges. Consequently, it becomes crucial to create a standardized, transparent, and secure framework for processing medical data. This includes setting the ethical boundaries for medical artificial intelligence and safeguarding both patient rights and data integrity. This consensus governs every facet of medical data handling through artificial intelligence, encompassing data gathering, processing, storage, transmission, utilization, and sharing. Its purpose is to ensure the management of medical data adheres to ethical standards and legal requirements, while safeguarding patient privacy and data security. Concurrently, the principles of compliance with the law, patient privacy respect, patient interest protection, and safety and reliability are underscored. Key issues such as informed consent, data usage, intellectual property protection, conflict of interest, and benefit sharing are examined in depth. The enactment of this expert consensus is intended to foster the profound integration and sustainable advancement of artificial intelligence within the medical domain, while simultaneously ensuring that artificial intelligence adheres strictly to the relevant ethical norms and legal frameworks during the processing of medical data.
Artificial Intelligence/legislation & jurisprudence* ; Humans ; Consensus ; Computer Security/standards* ; Confidentiality/ethics* ; Informed Consent/ethics*

Objective To examine the antiplatelet effect of ticagrelor by microfluidic chip and flow cytometry under shear stress in vitro. Methods Microfluidic chip was used to examine the effect of ticagrelor on platelet aggregation at the shear rates of 300/s and 1500/s.We adopted the surface coverage of platelet aggregation to calculate the half inhibition rate of ticagrelor.The inhibitory effect of ticagrelor on ADP-induced platelet aggregation was verified by optical turbidimetry.Microfluidic chip was used to construct an in vitro vascular stenosis model,with which the platelet reactivity under high shear rate was determined.Furthermore,the effect of ticagrelor on the expression of fibrinogen receptor (PAC-1) and P-selectin (CD62P) on platelet membrane activated by high shear rate was analyzed by flow cytometry. Results At the shear rates of 300/s and 1500/s,ticagrelor inhibited platelet aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner,and the inhibition at 300/s was stronger than that at 1500/s (both P<0.001).Ticagrelor at a concentration ≥4 μmol/L almost completely inhibited platelet aggregation.The inhibition of ADP-induced platelet aggregation by ticagrelor was similar to the results under flow conditions and also in a concentration-dependent manner.Ticagrelor inhibited the expression of PAC-1 and CD62P. Conclusion We employed microfluidic chip to analyze platelet aggregation and flow cytometry to detect platelet activation,which can reveal the responses of different patients to ticagrelor.
Humans ; Ticagrelor/pharmacology* ; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors/pharmacology* ; Flow Cytometry/methods* ; Microfluidics ; Platelet Aggregation

This study aimed to explore the intervention effect of Chuanxiong-Chishao herb pair(CX-CS) on a myocardial infarction-atherosclerosis(MI-AS) mouse model and investigate its effect on the expression profile of circular RNAs(circRNAs)/long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs) in ischemic myocardium and aorta. Sixty male ApoE~(-/-) mice were randomly assigned to a model group, high-, medium-, and low-dose CX-CS groups(7.8, 3.9, and 1.95 g·kg~(-1)), and a positive drug group(metoprolol 26 mg·kg~(-1) and simvastatin 5.2 mg·kg~(-1)), with 12 mice in each group. Male C57BL/6J mice were assigned to the sham group. The mice in the model group and the groups with drug intervention were fed on a high-fat diet for 10 weeks, followed by anterior descending coronary artery ligation. After that, the mice were fed on a high-fat diet for another two weeks to induce the MI-AS model. The mice in the sham group received normal feed, followed by sham surgery without coronary artery ligation. Mice in the groups with drug intervention received CX-CS or positive drug by gavage for four weeks from the 9th week of high-fat feeding, and those in the model group and the sham group received an equal volume of normal saline. Whole transcriptome sequencing was performed on the heart and aorta tissues of the medium-dose CX-CS group, the model group, and the sham group after administration. The results showed that the medium-and high-dose CX-CS groups showed improved cardiac function and reduced myocardial fibrosis area, and the medium-dose CX-CS group showed significantly reduced plaque area. CX-CS treatment could reverse the expression of circRNA＿07227 and circRNA＿11464 in the aorta of AS model and circRNA expression(such as circRNA＿11505) in the heart of the MI model. Differentially expressed circRNAs between the CX-CS-treated mice and the model mice were mainly enriched in lipid synthesis, lipid metabolism, lipid transport, inflammation, and angiogenesis in the aorta, and in angiogenesis, blood pressure regulation, and other processes in the heart. CX-CS treatment could reverse the expression of lncRNAs such as ENSMUST00000162209 in the aorta of the AS model and TCONS＿00002123 in the heart of the MI model. Differentially expressed lncRNAs between the CX-CS-treated mice and model mice were mainly enriched in lipid metabolism, angiogenesis, autophagy, apoptosis, and iron death in the aorta, and in angiogenesis, autophagy, and iron death in the heart. In summary, CX-CS can regulate the expression of a variety of circRNAs and lncRNAs, and its intervention mechanism in coronary heart disease may be related to the regulation of angiogenesis and inflammation in ischemic myocardium, as well as lipid metabolism, lipid transport, inflammation, angiogenesis in AS aorta.
Animals ; Male ; Mice ; Atherosclerosis/genetics* ; Lipids ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Myocardial Infarction/genetics* ; RNA, Circular/genetics* ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effects of bis (2-butoxyethyl) phthalate (BBOP) on the onset of male puberty by affecting Leydig cell development in rats. METHODS: Thirty 35-day-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated to five groups mg/kg bw per day that were gavaged for 21 days with BBOP at 0, 10, 100, 250, or 500 mg/kg bw per day. The hormone profiles; Leydig cell morphological metrics; mRNA and protein levels; oxidative stress; and AKT, mTOR, ERK1/2, and GSK3β pathways were assessed. RESULTS: BBOP at 250 and/or 500 mg/kg bw per day decreased serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone levels mg/kg bw per day (P < 0.05). BBOP at 500 mg/kg bw per day decreased Leydig cell number mg/kg bw per day and downregulated Cyp11a1, Insl3, Hsd11b1, and Dhh in the testes, and Lhb and Fshb mRNAs in the pituitary gland (P < 0.05). The malondialdehyde content in the testis significantly increased, while Sod1 and Sod2 mRNAs were markedly down-regulated, by BBOP treatment at 250-500 mg/kg bw per day (P < 0.05). Furthermore, BBOP at 500 mg/kg bw per day decreased AKT1/AKT2, mTOR, and ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and GSK3β and SIRT1 levels mg/kg bw per day (P < 0.05). Finally, BBOP at 100 or 500 μmol/L induced ROS and apoptosis in Leydig cells after 24 h of treatment in vitro (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: BBOP delays puberty onset by increasing oxidative stress and apoptosis in Leydig cells in rats. UNLABELLED The graphical abstract is available on the website www.besjournal.com.
Rats ; Male ; Animals ; Leydig Cells/metabolism* ; Testosterone ; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta/pharmacology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sexual Maturation ; Testis ; Oxidative Stress ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; Apoptosis

OBJECTIVE: To investigate serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level and its changes with age in apparently healthy Chinese elderly population and analyze the differences between TSH levels detected using Roche and Snibe electrochemiluminescence immunoassay analyzers. METHODS: General clinical data and frozen fasting serum samples were collected from 5451 apparently healthy Chinese elderly individuals (> 60 years) from 10 centers in different geographic regions in China. Thyroid function indexes including TSH level were detected using Roche and Snibe electrochemiluminescence immunoassay analyzer, and the median (2.5% and 97.5% quantiles) TSH level was calculated. The variations of TSH level among the participants with geographic regions, gender, and age (with an interval of 5 years) were analyzed to determine the influence of these factors on TSH level. RESULTS: The reference ranges of serum TSH level established using Roche and Snibe electrochemiluminescence immunoassay analyzers were 0.42-9.47 mU/L and 0.36-7.98 mU/L, respectively, showing significant differences between the two methods (P < 0.001). The TSH levels measured at two centers in Western China were significantly higher than those at the other centers (P < 0.05). In elderly male population, serum TSH level tended to increase with age, which was not observed in elderly female population. At the age of 60-75 years, women generally had higher serum TSH level than men, but this difference was not observed in the population beyond 75 years. CONCLUSION In elderly population, serum TSH level can vary with geographic region, gender, and age, but there was no need for establishing specific reference ranges for these factors. The differences between different detection methods should be evaluated when interpreting the detection results of TSH level.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Asian People ; China ; Fasting ; Health Status ; Thyrotropin/blood*

Objective:To analyze the response of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with multiple and few symptoms to different inhalation drugs, including acute exacerbation and symptom changes.Methods:This study was a multi center, retrospective Cohort study. The subjects of this study were patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in stable stage in 12 hospitals in Hunan and Guangxi from December 2016 to February 2022. Demographics data, lung function, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Assessment test questionnaire (CAT) score, modified British Medical Research Council dyspnea questionnaire (mMRC) score and inhalation drug scheme of patients were collected. According to the CAT and mMRC scores, patients were divided into a multi symptom group (CAT≥10 points or mMRC≥2 points) or a few symptom group (CAT<10 points and mMRC<1 point); Subsequently, they were divided into four subgroups based on the inhalation drug regimen: long-acting anticholinergic drugs (LAMA) group, long-acting β2-receptor agonists (LABA)+ inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) group, LABA+ LAMA group, and LABA+ LAMA+ ICS group. All patients were followed up for 1 year, with minimum clinical improvement (MCID) defined as a decrease of ≥2 points in the patient′s CAT score at 6 months, and clinical symptom deterioration (CSD) defined as an increase of ≥2 points in the patient′s CAT score at 6 months.Results:A total of 929 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were included, including 719(77.4%) with multiple symptoms and 210(22.6%) with few symptoms. There was no statistically significant difference in MCID, CSD, acute exacerbation, hospitalization frequency, and mortality rate among subgroups of asymptomatic COPD patients treated with different inhalation drug regimens (all P>0.05). Among patients with multiple symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, compared to those who use LAMA or LABA+ ICS, those who used LABA+ LAMA or LABA+ LAMA+ ICS were more likely to obtain MCID and had a more significant improvement in CAT scores, and the risk of acute exacerbation is lower (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Lesser symptomatic COPD patients should receive single drug LAMA as the initial inhalation treatment drug, while multi symptomatic COPD patients should receive LABA+ LAMA as the initial inhalation treatment drug.