With the rapid development of social economy and the continuous improvement of human living standard, the incidence, fatality and recurrence rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are increasing year by year, which seriously affects people's life and health. Conventional therapeutic drugs have limited improvement on the disability rate, so the search for new therapeutic drugs and action targets has become one of the hotspots of current research. In recent years, the therapeutic role of the natural compound rosmarinic acid (RA) in CVD has attracted much attention, which is capable of preventing CVD by modulating multiple signalling pathways and exerting physiological activities such as antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-platelet aggregation, as well as anti-coagulation and endothelial function protection. In this paper, the role of RA in the prevention of CVD is systematically sorted out, and its mechanism of action is summarised and analysed, with a view to providing a scientific basis and important support for the in-depth exploration of the prevention value of RA in CVD and its further development as a prevention drug.

OBJECTIVE: Observational studies have shown inconsistent associations of loneliness or social isolation (SI) with ischemic heart disease (IHD), with unknown mediators. METHODS: Using data from genome-wide association studies of predominantly European ancestry, we performed a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) study to estimate causal effects of loneliness ( N = 487,647) and SI traits on IHD ( N = 184,305). SI traits included whether individuals lived alone, participated in various types of social activities, and how often they had contact with friends or family ( N = 459,830 to 461,369). A network MR study was conducted to evaluate the mediating roles of 20 candidate mediators, including metabolic, behavioral and psychological factors. RESULTS: Loneliness increased IHD risk ( OR= 2.129; 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.380 to 3.285), mediated by body fat percentage, waist-hip ratio, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. For SI traits, only fewer social activities increased IHD risk ( OR= 1.815; 95% CI: 1.189 to 2.772), mediated by hypertension, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting insulin, and smoking cessation. No reverse causality of IHD with loneliness and SI was found. CONCLUSION These findings suggested more attention should be paid to individuals who feel lonely and have fewer social activities to prevent IHD, with several mediators as prioritized targets for intervention.
Loneliness/psychology* ; Humans ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Social Isolation ; Myocardial Ischemia/etiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Risk Factors ; Aged

Objective To observe the efficacy of Chinese medicine in the treatment of pregnancy complicated with thalassemia and to investigate its influence on pregnancy outcomes.Methods A retrospective cohort study was carried out in 175 pregnant women complicated with thalassemia who met the inclusion criteria.According to the treatment methods,the patients were divided into Chinese medicine group(105 cases),iron supplementation group(41 cases)and untreated group(29 cases).The changes of hematological indicators and pregnancy outcomes in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy were compared among the three groups.The Chinese medicine group was further divided into three subgroups:56 cases in the Chinese patent medicine group,20 cases in the single Chinese medicine group and 29 cases in the Chinese herbal compound group.The changes of hematological indexes in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy in the three subgroups were compared.Moreover,the normative management of pregnant women with thalassemia during pregnancy was explored.Results(1)The concentration of hemoglobin(Hb)in the third trimester of the Chinese medicine group was(2.28±7.27)g/L higher than that in the second trimester,and the curative effect of Chinese medicine group was superior to that in the iron supplementation group and the untreated group(P＜0.05).The Hb concentration in the Chinese medicine group before delivery was(12.17±10.81)g/L higher than that in the second trimester,and the increase in the Chinese medicine group was more significantly than that in the other two groups(P＜0.05).(2)The level of serum ferritin(FER)in the third trimester of the three groups was lower than that in the second trimester,and the decrease of FER level in the iron supplementation group was less significantly than that in the other two groups(P＜0.05).(3)The Hb concentration in the third trimester of the single Chinese medicine group and the Chinese herbal compound group increased by(4.50±4.66),(3.62±8.77)g/L respectively compared with that in the second trimester,and the increase in the above two groups was more significantly than that in the Chinese patent medicine group(P＜0.05).(4)There was no significant difference in pregnancy outcomes among the three groups of pregnant women with thalassemia(P＞0.05).(5)Only 52.0％(91/175)of pregnant women with thalassemia underwent three or more blood routine tests after 20-24 weeks of pregnancy,34.3％(60/175)of pregnant women failed in re-examining the FER levels,and 21.2％(37/175)of pregnant women had no standardized iron supplementation.Conclusion Chinese medicine therapy is effective on improving anemia in pregnant women with thalassemia.Chinese herbal compound and single Chinese medicinal are more effective than Chinese patent medicine,and have not increased the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.Oral administration of iron can increase the iron reserve of pregnant women with thalassemia,but its effect on improving anemia is not as good as that of Chinese medicine.Attention should be got to the monitoring of anemia and iron metabolism indicators as well as the standardized use of iron supplements and Chinese patent medicines in pregnant women with thalassemia.

Objective To compare the changes of the medical animal resources(MAR)in Sichuan based on the data of the 3rd Chinese Materia Medica Resource Inventory(CMMRI,1983-1986)and the 4th CMMRI(2020-2022).Methods After field investigation and identification of the photos of the animals,the data of the MAR in Sichuan found in the 4th CMMRI were analyzed and compared with the data of 3rd CMMRI.Results 745 species of MAR were found in Sichuan during the 4th CMMRI,including 212 families and 468 genera.Compared with the 108 species found in 3rd CMMRI,the number of MAR in Sichuan had greatly increased,The Aves was found to have 243 species of MAR,which is the most plenty one among the 7 classes.There were 14 families which have more than 10 species of MAR.The family,Cyprinidae had 48 species of MAR.There were 33 common Chinese medicinal herbs and 3 genuine medicinal materials including Cordyceps sinensis,musk and Venenum bufonis were found in this investigation.The new distributions of Liangshan Cordyceps and Cordyceps gunnii were found in the investigation,and the new resources of Atypus heterothecus was found in Mountain Emei.There were 140 species of key protection of wild medicinal animals,including 44 species of animals under first-class protection and 96 species of animals under second-class protection.There were 230 species of animals which had important ecological,scientific,and social values,too.Conclusion Sichuan was plenty of medical animal resources and the protection of the forest musk deer,the Cordyceps sinensis and the pangolin was need to be strengthened.

Objective:To explore the value of REG3α,sST2 and TNFR1 in peripheral blood for risk stratification and prognostic evaluation of acute graft-versus-host disease(aGVHD)after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT)in children.Methods:From January 2020 to March 2022,70 children with aGVHD after allo-HSCT in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were selected as the research objects,of which 50 cases were mild aGVHD(grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ)and 20 cases were severe aGVHD(grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ).30 healthy children who underwent physical examinations in our hospital during the same period were selected as the control group.Luminex platform was used to detect the protein expression levels of REG3α,sST2 and TNFR1 during aGVHD occurrence,and the differences between the three groups were analyzed by one-way ANOVA.According to the outcome of aGVHD treatment within 28 days,the patients were divided into a good prognosis group of 58 cases and a poor prognosis group of 12 cases.The ROC curve was used to analyze the value of REG3α,sST2 and TNFR1 in predicting the prognosis of children with aGVHD.Results:The peripheral blood levels of REG3α,sST2 and TNFR1 in the mild aGVHD and severe aGVHD groups were significantly higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05),and those in the severe aGVHD group were significantly higher than those in the mild aGVHD group(P＜0.05).Compared with the good prognosis group,the peripheral blood levels of REG3α,sST2 and TNFR1 in the poor prognosis group were significantly higher(t=9.27,3.33,2.97;P＜0.01).ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC),sensitivity and specificity of the combined detection of REG3α,sST2 and TNFR1 in predicting the prognosis of children with aGVHD were higher than those of the above indicators detected alone or in pairs.Conclusion:The expression levels of REG3α,sST2 and TNFR1 were related to the severity of aGVHD.The combination of REG3α,sST2 and TNFR1 has a high clinical value in predicting the prognosis of children with aGVHD,which is expected to provide a reliable reference for clinical evaluation of the prognosis of children with aGVHD.

Objective To investigate the relationship and potential pathways between metal(loid)exposure and the risk of polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)in women of childbearing age. Methods This case-control study included 200 patients with PCOS(cases)and 896 non-PCOS controls with the age of 25-37 years.The concentrations of 29 metal(loid)s in the follicular fluid(FF)and clinical indicators in the serum were measured in all participants.Logistic regression analysis and mediation analysis were conducted to evaluate the associations between metal(loid)exposure and PCOS risk and investigate the possible roles of clinical indicators,respectively. Results Logistic regression analysis revealed an association between high copper levels in FF and increased PCOS risk(highest vs.lowest quartile:adjusted odds ratio=2.94,95%confidence interval:1.83-4.72).A high luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio and elevated levels of testosterone and anti-Müllerian hormone(AMH)were strongly associated with increased PCOS risk induced by high copper exposure.The mediation analysis indicated a mediating effect of AMH in the association between copper exposure and PCOS risk. Conclusion Copper may affect PCOS risk through the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis,mediated by AMH.Copper exposure and internal AMH levels are important indicators for early warning of PCOS development.

Background A large amount of iron deposition in the brain can cause neuronal damage by inducing oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and abnormal mitochondrial function. In addition, iron deposition is also reported to be closely related to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The neurofibrillary tangles aggregated by tau hyperphosphorylation are one of the important pathological features of AD. Objective To investigate potential effect of exogenous trivalent iron ions on neuronal activity in human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells and tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation. Methods SH-SY5Y cells were treated with ferric chloride (FeCl₃) at four concentrations (10, 100, 200, and 400 mg·L⁻¹). Cell survival rate was then detected by CCK8 assay. Intracellular iron content was determined prussian blue (Perl's) by iron staining after 24 h exposure to FeCl₃ at 10 or 200 mg·L⁻¹. Transfection of tau-P301L plasmid was conducted to construct an AD-like cell model for tau overexpression. The differences in the expression of the phosphorylated tau (p-tau) protein in SH-SY5Y cells and SH-SY5Y cells with tau overexpression were detected by Western blotting after 24 h exposure to FeCl₃ at 10 and 200 mg·L⁻¹. After dilution with phosphate buffered saline (PBS), FeCl₃, human tauR3, and FeCl₃ + tauR3 were incubated at 37℃, and the fluorescence intensity reflecting tau aggregation level was measured by thioflavin T(ThT) method at 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, and 96 h, respectively. Meanwhile, after 96 h coincubation of FeCl₃ and tauR3, the fibers formed by tau aggregation were observed under a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Results After 24 h of FeCl₃ exposure, the cell survival rate of SH-SY5Y cells among all groups was statistically different (F=8.63, P<0.01). The cell survival rates in the 200 and 400 mg·L⁻¹ groups were 80.1% and 68.7% of the control group, respectively (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the nuclei of the 200 mg·L⁻¹ FeCl₃ group were mainly yellowish-brown after iron staining and the positive cell rate was up-regulated by 12.9% (P<0.01). After 24 h of FeCl₃ exposure , the p-tau (Ser396) protein expression was statistically different among all groups (F=11.6, P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the p-tau protein expression level of SH-SY5Y cells in the 200 mg·L⁻¹ group was up-regulated by 72.7% (P<0.01). After FeCl₃-treated SH-SY5Y cells with tau overexpression for 24 h, the p-tau (Ser396) protein expression was statistically different among all groups (F=27.8, P<0.01). Compared with the tau group, the p-tau (Ser396) protein expression level of SH-SY5Y cells in the tau + 200 mg·L⁻¹ group was up-regulated by 44.6% (P<0.05). Compared with the tauR3 group, the fluorescence intensities in the 84 and 96 h tauR3 + FeCl₃ groups were up-regulated by 49.9% and 53.7% (P<0.01) respectively. After 96 h of coincubation, compared with the tauR3 group, FeCl₃ + tauR3 aggravated tau aggregation and formed fiber deposition under TEM. Conclusion Exogenous trivalent iron ions may inhibit SH-SY5Y cell viability, promote the phosphorylation of tau in SH-SY5Y cells transfected with tau-P301L plasmid, and aggravate tauR3 aggregation and fiber production.

There is growing evidence that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated with increased risks of psychiatric sequelae. Depression, anxiety, cognitive impairments, sleep disturbance, and fatigue during and after the acute phase of COVID-19 are prevalent, long-lasting, and exerting negative consequences on well-being and imposing a huge burden on healthcare systems and society. This current review presented timely updates of clinical research findings, particularly focusing on the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the neuropsychiatric sequelae, and identified potential key targets for developing effective treatment strategies for long COVID. In addition, we introduced the Formosa Long COVID Multicenter Study (FOCuS), which aims to apply the inflammation theory to the pathogenesis and the psychosocial and nutrition treatments of post-COVID depression and anxiety.

In recent years, the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)industry has experienced rapid development, resulting in a significant amount of Chinese medicinal residues generated during the industrial manufacturing process. Currently, the main methods of handling Chinese medicinal residues include stacking, landfilling, and incineration, which lead to substantial resource waste and potential environmental pollution. With "carbon peak" and "carbon neutrality"( "Dual Carbon")becoming national strategic goals, the TCM industry is ushering in a new wave of "low-carbon" trends, and the high-value utilization of Chinese medicinal residues has become a breakthrough for implementing a low-carbon economy in the TCM sector. From the perspective of a low-carbon economy, this article reviewed literature in China and abroad to summarize the microbial transformation technology, enzymatic conversion technology, biomass pyrolysis, gasification, hydrothermal liquefaction, and other high-value utilization technologies for Chinese medicinal residues. It also overviewed the applications of Chinese medicinal residue in feed additives, organic fertilizers, edible mushroom cultivation substrates, preparation of activated carbon for wastewater treatment, and new energy batteries. Considering the current status of resource utilization of Chinese medicinal residues, feasible strategies and suggestions for resource development and utilization were proposed to improve the quality and efficiency of the Chinese medicinal resource industry chain and promote green development, thereby providing research ideas and theoretical basis for achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; China ; Technology ; Industry