OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of zedoarondiol on neovascularization of atherosclerotic (AS) plaque by exosomes experiment. METHODS: ApoE^-/- mice were fed with high-fat diet to establish AS model and treated with high- and low-dose (10, 5 mg/kg daily) of zedoarondiol, respectively. After 14 weeks, the expressions of anti-angiogenic protein thrombospondin 1 (THBS-1) and its receptor CD36 in plaques, as well as platelet activation rate and exosome-derived miR-let-7a were detected. Then, zedoarondiol was used to intervene in platelets in vitro, and miR-let-7a was detected in platelet-derived exosomes (Pexo). Finally, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were transfected with miR-let-7a mimics and treated with Pexo to observe the effect of miR-let-7a in Pexo on tube formation. RESULTS: Animal experiments showed that after treating with zedoarondiol, the neovascularization density in plaques of AS mice was significantly reduced, THBS-1 and CD36 increased, the platelet activation rate was markedly reduced, and the miR-let-7a level in Pexo was reduced (P<0.01). In vitro experiments, the platelet activation rate and miR-let-7a levels in Pexo were significantly reduced after zedoarondiol's intervention. Cell experiments showed that after Pexo's intervention, the tube length increased, and the transfection of miR-let-7a minics further increased the tube length of cells, while reducing the expressions of THBS-1 and CD36. CONCLUSION Zedoarondiol has the effect of inhibiting neovascularization within plaque in AS mice, and its mechanism may be potentially related to inhibiting platelet activation and reducing the Pexo-derived miRNA-let-7a level.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; Exosomes/drug effects* ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic/genetics* ; Neovascularization, Pathologic/genetics* ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Humans ; Blood Platelets/drug effects* ; Apolipoproteins E/deficiency* ; Thrombospondin 1/metabolism* ; CD36 Antigens/metabolism* ; Platelet Activation/drug effects* ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Nitrogen narcosis is a neurological syndrome that manifests when humans or animals encounter hyperbaric nitrogen, resulting in a range of motor, emotional, and cognitive abnormalities. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is known for its significant involvement in regulating motivation, cognition, and action. However, its specific contribution to nitrogen narcosis-induced hyperlocomotion and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we report that exposure to hyperbaric nitrogen notably increased the locomotor activity of mice in a pressure-dependent manner. Concurrently, this exposure induced heightened activation among neurons in both the ACC and dorsal medial striatum (DMS). Notably, chemogenetic inhibition of ACC neurons effectively suppressed hyperlocomotion. Conversely, chemogenetic excitation lowered the hyperbaric pressure threshold required to induce hyperlocomotion. Moreover, both chemogenetic inhibition and genetic ablation of activity-dependent neurons within the ACC reduced the hyperlocomotion. Further investigation revealed that ACC neurons project to the DMS, and chemogenetic inhibition of ACC-DMS projections resulted in a reduction in hyperlocomotion. Finally, nitrogen narcosis led to an increase in local field potentials in the theta frequency band and a decrease in the alpha frequency band in both the ACC and DMS. These results collectively suggest that excitatory neurons within the ACC, along with their projections to the DMS, play a pivotal role in regulating the hyperlocomotion induced by exposure to hyperbaric nitrogen.
Animals ; Gyrus Cinguli/drug effects* ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Locomotion/drug effects* ; Neurons/drug effects* ; Mice ; Nitrogen/toxicity* ; Inert Gas Narcosis/physiopathology* ; Corpus Striatum/physiopathology*

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

Objective To investigate the impact of emodin(EM)on vascular endothelial cell injury in rats with diabetes macroangiopathy by regulating hypoxia inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)/vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)signaling pathway.Methods SD rats were divided into blank group and modeling group,the rats in the modeling group were fed with high fat and high sugar combined with N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester to build the diabetes macroangiopathy model,and the blank group was fed with ordinary diet.The vascular endothelial cells successfully isolated from the thoracic aorta of rats in blank group and modeling group were named control group and model group,respectively.The vascular endothelial cells in the modeling group were divided into model group,dimethyloxallyl glycine(DMOG)group(10 μmol·L-1DMOG),combined group(80 mg·L-1EM+10 μmol·L-1 DMOG)and experimental-L,-M,-H groups(20,40,80 mg·L-1 EM).The apoptosis of rat vascular endothelial cells was detected by flow cytometry;Western blot was applied to detect the expression of HIF-1αand VEGF proteins in rat vascular endothelial cells.Results The apoptosis rates of vascular endothelial cells in experimental-M,-H groups,DMOG group,combined group,model group and control group were(10.18±0.36)％,(6.28±0.20)％,(24.96±1.18)％,(12.36±0.49)％,(18.76±0.68)％and(4.59±0.26)％;HIF-1α protein levels were 0.96±0.07,0.78±0.06,2.03±0.12,1.05±0.13,1.58±0.12 and 0.69±0.05;VEGF protein levels were 0.59±0.05,0.23±0.02,0.98±0.06,0.63±0.04,0.86±0.07 and 0.11±0.01.The above indexes in the model group were compared with the control,DMOG,experimental-M and experimental-H groups,and the above indexes in the combined group were compared with the experimental-H group,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion EM may inhibit HIF-1α/VEGF pathway to improve vascular endothelial cell injury in rats with diabetes macroangiopathy.

177Lu-prostate specific membrane antigen(PSMA)radio-ligand therapy has been approved abroad for advanced prostate cancer and has been in several clinical trials in China.Based on domestic clinical practice and experimental data and referred to international experience and viewpoints,the expert group forms a consensus on the clinical application of 177Lu-PSMA radio-ligand therapy in prostate cancer to guide clinical practice.

mRNA vaccines and drugs enter host cells through delivery vectors and produce target proteins using the protein synthesis mechanism of cells. mRNA and target proteins can induce the body to produce innate immunity and adaptive immunity, and the target protein itself can also play a corresponding role. Tumor cells are inhibited and cleared under the above immune effects and target proteins. This article reviews the immunogenicity of mRNA, that is, the specific mechanism of stimulating the body to produce an immune response.At the same time, the main types of cells transfected by mRNA vaccine were briefly introduced. (1) Muscle cells, epidermal cells, dendritic cells and macrophages at the injection site; (2) immune cells in peripheral lymphoid organs;(3) liver cells and spleen cells, etc. Although transfected with a variety of cells, it is mainly enriched in immune cells and liver cells because immune cells express toll-like receptors and liver cells express low-density lipoprotein receptors. mRNA vaccines and drugs are mainly divided into non-replicating mRNA (nrmRNA),self-amplifying RNA (saRNA), trans-amplifying RNA (taRNA) and circular RNA (circRNA).This article reviews how these 4 types of vaccines and drugs work, and compares their advantages and disadvantages. Due to its inherent immunogenicity, instability, and low delivery efficiency in vivo, mRNA vaccines and drugs have been unable to enter the clinic. This article describes in detail how to reformation and modify the 5'cap, 5'UTR, 3'UTR, ORF, 3'Poly(A) and some nucleotides of mRNA to eliminate its immunogenicity and instability. Due to the low efficiency of the delivery carrier, the researchers optimized it. This article briefly introduces the application of non-viral vectors and their targeting, specifically involving the mechanism of action of various types of delivery vectors and their advantages and disadvantages, and summarizes some of the current targeting vectors. Targeted carriers can improve the delivery efficiency of mRNA to specific tissues and prevent side effects of systemic exposure, such as liver injury. The specific methods of using mRNA vaccines and drugs to treat cancer are as follows: mRNA can be used to encode and transcribe tumor-associated antigens, tumor-specific antigens (TSAs), therapeutic antibodies, cytokines, tumor suppressors, oncolytic viruses, CRISPR-Cas9, CARs and TCRs, so as to play an anti-tumor role. In this paper, the specific mechanism of the above methods and the current research and development of corresponding mRNA vaccines and drugs are briefly reviewed. The successful development of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine has brought mRNA technology to the attention of the world and brought new and effective means for the prevention and treatment of cancer. mRNA vaccines and drugs have the advantages of short development cycle, dual immune mechanism, safety, high efficiency and large-scale production. At the same time, there are also many areas that need further improvement, such as the development of ideal target TSAs, the in-depth development of saRNA, taRNA and circRNA, the development of targeted nano-delivery for different tissues and organs, the expansion of mRNA administration routes, and the development of mRNA that can be stably stored at room temperature or even high temperature. These problems need to be further studied and solved. In addition to cancer therapy, mRNA vaccines and drugs can also be used in the treatment of infectious diseases, genetic diseases, regenerative medicine and anti-aging. mRNA vaccines and drugs are a very promising platform, and we believe that they will benefit cancer patients in the near future.

Traditional decoction pieces have low efficiency, poor batch-to-batch consistency, and irregular physical form, making it difficult to meet the demands of modern automated production and precise and rapid clinical blending. Therefore, this study aims to develop a new type of granular drinking tablet to meet the demand for high-quality development in the traditional Chinese medicine industry. In the current study, the differences and similarities between the new Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (LJF) granular drinking tablets and the traditional ones were evaluated based on the flowability, the paste rate of the standard soup, the characterization fingerprint, the degree of pasting, the content of active ingredients, the transfer rate, and its traditional antipyretic and anti-inflammatory efficacy, using the traditional LJF decoction piece as a reference. The flowability experiments showed that the flowability of medium-sized granules (10-24 mesh) was significantly better than that of traditional drinking tablets (P < 0.01); the results of the paste rate showed that there was no significant difference between the different particle sizes and the original decoction pieces (P > 0.05), but the small particle sizes (24-65 mesh) had poor decoction clarity and gelatinization; the transfer rate was calculated as chlorogenic acid and luteoloside, and there was no significant difference in the transfer rate between traditional slices and different particle sizes (P > 0.05); the pharmacological results showed that the contents of rat tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), rat interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and rat prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂), xylene ear swelling inhibition rate and granuloma inhibition rate showed that there was no significant difference between the traditional and new granule decoction pieces (P > 0.05). In this study, by examining the fluidity, paste rate, paste degree, and antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effects of the new granular decoction piece of LJF, it was initially revealed that the new granular drinking tablets of LJF were consistent with the basic properties and pharmacological effects of the commercially available traditional drinking tablets. Still, the new granular tablets were characterized by high utilization rate, homogeneous quality, and ease of clinical transfer, which had a good prospect for application. The animal experiment was approved by the Ethics Committee of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (approval number. 2022B214).

Epidemiological data and clinical characteristics of patients with tick-borne diseases were analyzed to improve diagnosis and treatment outcomes.The data of 32 patients(epidemiology and clinical characteristics)treated for tick-borne diseases at Beijing Ditan Hospital from January 2013 to June 2023 were retrospectively reviewed.Of the 32 patients,17 were diagnosed with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome(SFTS),5 with Lyme disease,and 10 with rick-ettsial disease.Disease was concentrated from May to Octo-ber each year.There were 14 local cases in Beijing(43.8％),with Pinggu District accounting for the highest proportion(4 cases,28.6％),16 imported cases from other provinces(50.0％),and 2 cases(6.3％)from people living abroad.The median time from disease onset to hospitalization was 8 days and the median length of hospitalization was 10 days.The mean age of patients with tick-borne diseases was 50.16±14.61(range,21-80)years.By occupation,farmers were at the greatest risk of tick-borne diseases(14 cases,43.8％).Erythema migrans(EM)was a typical skin lesion characteristic of Lyme disease,and fever was seen in all three groups,but mainly in patients with SFTS and rickettsial disease,who mainly presented with moderate fever.Decreased WBC and NEUT counts were most commonly seen in SFTS,whereas no WBC ab-normality was seen in patients with Lyme disease.Decreased EOS counts were seen in both SFTS and rickettsial disease,whereas no abnormality was seen in Lyme disease.Decreased PLT counts were typical of SFTS.Patients with rickettsial disease and SFTS showed significant liver damage with markedly elevated ALT and AST levels.Significant myocardial damage with ele-vated CK and CK-MB levels was seen in SFTS.Elevated CRP was mainly seen in rickettsial disease.Elevated PCT counts were mostly seen in rickettsial infections,followed by SFTS.The incidence of tick-borne diseases in Beijing continues to increase an-nually.Since diagnosis is often delayed,vigilant surveillance is key to improve diagnosis.Therefore,detailed epidemiological in-formation of each tick-borne disease based on clinical characteristics is needed to ensure early diagnosis and treatment.

Aim To preliminarily evaluate the effects of hypobaric hypoxia on organism damage in rats with post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD),with a view to laying a foundation for drug research in plateau PTSD.Methods The rats were randomly divided into four groups,namely,the control(Control)group,the sin-gle-prolonged stress(SPS)group,the hypobaric hy-poxia(HH)group and the single-prolonged stress combined with hypobaric hypoxia(SPS+HH)group.The PTSD model was firstly constructed using the SPS method for rats in the SPS and SPS+HH groups.On the second day,rats in the HH group and SPS+HH group were placed in a low-pressure hypoxia chamber at a simulated altitude of 6000 m for 14 days.General condition,behavior,blood tests,and histomorphology were examined in order to evaluate the damage caused by low pressure hypoxia in PTSD rats.Results The body mass of rats in the SPS+HH group was signifi-cantly reduced;the feces were partly hard and lumpy,and some of them were seen to have high viscosity.Anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors were ob-served in all groups except in the control group,in which hypobaric hypoxia aggravated the behavioral ab-normalities in SPS rats.Rats in both the SPS and SPS+HH groups had coagulation dysfunction and abnor-mally increased blood viscosity,which was significantly abnormal in the SPS+HH group;erythrocytes,hemo-globin,and erythrocyte specific volume in whole blood of rats in the SPS+HH group were significantly in-creased compared with those of rats in the SPS group;and serum TP,LDH and GLU levels were abnormal in rats in the SPS+HH group.Dilated and congested blood vessels were seen in hippocampal tissue,conges-ted central veins were seen in hepatic tissue,and dilat-ed and congested liver sinusoids with mild granuloma-tous degeneration of hepatocytes were seen in rats of the SPS+HH group.Conclusion Hypobaric hypoxia exacerbates depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors in PTSD rats,as well as hematological indices and his-tomorphometric abnormalities in PTSD rats.

Human beings are inevitably exposed to toxic substances as a result of influences of potential contamination factors in the environment,food and medicines,which poses a threat to human health.In order to effectively screen and prevent the exposure or intake of such substances,it is neces-sary to develop in vitro assays for the detection and toxicity evaluation of toxic substances.High content screening(HCS)has been recognized as an important tool for toxicity testing and risk assessment of compounds due to its high throughput and automation advantages,and has been widely used in in vitro toxicology research.In this review,we described the system components of HCS and its workflow in toxicity screening and toxicity evaluation by focusing on cases of their application in toxicity detection and evaluation studies,including the cytotoxicity,hepatotoxicity,nephrotoxicity,genotoxicity,neurotox-icity,cardiotoxicity,and developmental toxicity.In addition,the applications and developments of machine learning in HCS were explored,especially to the advantages of supervised and unsupervised machine learning strategies for high throughput image screening and data analysis.Finally,the future applications of HCS in toxicity screening and evaluation are outlined,especially in terms of binding new models and gene editing technology.