BACKGROUND:A large number of studies have confirmed that the therapeutic effectiveness of mesenchymal stem cell secretome is comparable to that of mesenchymal stem cells,but the mechanism of its action is still unclear. OBJECTIVE:To summarize the research progress of mesenchymal stem cell secretome in recent years,to investigate the molecular mechanism of its therapeutic effect,to analyze the current problems and to look forward to the future development. METHODS:The terms"exosomes,mesenchymal stem cells secrete,extracellular vesicles,mesenchymal stem cells,mechanism"were used as English search terms in the PubMed database.Articles that were not related to the research purpose of the article and duplicated articles were excluded.At the same time,we combined the method of literature tracking.Finally,109 articles that met the criteria were incuded for the review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The mesenchymal stem cell secretome promotes tissue repair and regeneration through delivering genetic material,immunomodulatory factors,growth factors,etc.to target cells,by activating anti-apoptotic,regulating angiogenesis,modulating fibrosis and pro-survival pathways in target cells.(2)The potential of mesenchymal stem cell secretome in disease therapy has also been confirmed.Numerous research results have shown that mesenchymal stem cell secretome can be used as a new cell-free treatment for inflammatory and degenerative diseases.(3)Mesenchymal stem cell secretome has been engineered to have more efficient therapeutic effects in recent years.However,due to the heterogeneity of the mesenchymal stem cell secretome and the complexity of its components,the exact mechanism of its therapeutic effect is still unclear.(4)At present,further research is needed to identify the key targets of mesenchymal stem cell secretome,and innovative specific and enhanced mesenchymal stem cell secretome should be developed by combining with engineering and genetic engineering technologies in the future.

The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has recently been proposed as a key player in the representation of itch stimuli. However, to date, little is known about the contribution of specific ACC interneuron populations to itch processing. Using c-Fos immunolabeling and in vivo Ca²⁺ imaging, we reported that both histamine and chloroquine stimuli-induced acute itch caused a marked enhancement of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-expressing interneuron activity in the ACC. Behavioral data indicated that optogenetic and chemogenetic activation of these neurons reduced scratching responses related to histaminergic and non-histaminergic acute itch. Similar neural activity and modulatory role of these neurons were seen in mice with chronic itch induced by contact dermatitis. Together, this study highlights the importance of ACC VIP⁺ neurons in modulating itch-related affect and behavior, which may help us to develop novel mechanism-based strategies to treat refractory chronic itch in the clinic.
Animals ; Pruritus/physiopathology* ; Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide/metabolism* ; Interneurons/metabolism* ; Gyrus Cinguli/metabolism* ; Mice ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Histamine ; Chloroquine ; Optogenetics ; Mice, Transgenic

ObjectiveTo explore the distribution pattern of tongue image characteristics in patients with glucolipid metabolic disorders and its main syndromes. MethodsA total of 841 patients with glucolipid metabolic disorders （disease group）， and 380 healthy subjects （control group） were included. The disease group was classified into three syndrome types： 283 cases of liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome， 311 cases of phlegm-dampness obstruction syndrome， and 247 cases of qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome. Tongue image data were collected using the TFDA-1 Tongue Diagnosis Instrument， and the TDAS V3.0 software was used to analyze the color， texture， and morphological features of the tongue body （TB） and tongue coating （TC） in patents with different syndromes of disease group （including lightness （L）， red-green axis （a）， yellow-blue axis （b）， luminance （Y）， difference between red signal and brightness （Cr）， difference between blue signal and brightness （Cb）， contrast （CON）， angular second moment （ASM）， entropy （ENT）， mean value （MEAN）， tongue coating area/tongue surface area （perAll）， and tongue coating area/non-coated area （perPart））. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify influencing factors for different syndrome types of glucolipid metabolic disorders. ResultsThe tongue body indicators TB-L， TB-Y， and TB-Cb in the disease group were significantly higher than those in the control group， while TB-a， TB-b， and TB-Cr were significantly lower. The tongue coating indicators TC-L， TC-Y， TC-Cb， perAll， and perPart in the disease group were significantly higher than those in the control group， while TC-a， TC-b， and TC-Cr were significantly lower （P＜0.05）. Comparing with the different syndromes in disease group， the TB-L and TB-Y of the liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome， and the phlegm-damp obstruction syndrome were higher than those of the qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome； the TB-a and TB-Cr of the phlegm-damp obstruction syndrome were lower than those of the qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome； the perAll of the phlegm-damp obstruction syndrome was higher than that of the qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome （P＜0.05）. In the analysis of the morphological characteristics of tongue signs， more spotted tongue in disease group compared with control group， more teeth-marked tongue in liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome than the other two syndromes， more greasy coating in phlegm-damp obstruction syndrome， and more stasis spots of tongue in qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome （P＜0.05）. Logistic regression analysis identified that greasy coating， spotted tongue， stasis spots of tongue， tooth-marked tongue， perAll， and TB-Cb are the influencing factors of liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome； greasy coating， tooth-marked tongue， TC-Cb， and TC-Cr are the influencing factors of phlegm-damp obstruction syndrome； cracked tongue， stasis spots of tongue， tooth-marked tongue， and TB-Y are the influencing factors of qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome （P＜0.05）. ConclusionCompared to healthy individuals， patients with glycolipid metabolic disorder have darker tongue color and thicker， greasy tongue coating. Glycolipid metabolic disorder patients of liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome exhibit a reddish tongue with finer textures and more tooth marks； patients of phlegm-damp obstruction syndrome have lighter tongue coating with a coarser texture and a higher prevalence of greasy coating； patients of qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome display lower tongue brightness with a higher prevalence of blood stasis spots.

Premature ovarian insufficiency(POI)is a complex endocrine disorder that significantly affects the physiological and repro-ductive functions of women,and it has become one of the main causes of infertility in women of childbearing age.The clinical features of POI include amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea,low estrogen or estrogen deficiency,and an increase in the level of gonadotropin.The in-cidence rate of POI tends to increase,yet its etiology and pathogenesis remain unclear.At present,the conventional treatment methods for POI have limited efficacy in fundamentally improving ovarian function or addressing the fertility issue.With the development of re-generative medicine,mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)have become one of the research hotspots in POI therapy,and their exosomes have attracted wide attention as a promising"cell-free therapy".A number of animal experimental studies have shown that MSCs and their exosomes can exert a therapeutic effect on POI by affecting granulosa cell proliferation and apoptosis,promoting ovarian angiogen-esis,reducing oxidative stress and fibrosis,enhancing follicular development,and regulating immunity.In addition,related clinical studies have also made some progress.This article reviews the mechanisms and clinical effect of MSCs and their exosomes in the treatment of POI,in order to provide a reference for further research and bench-to-bedside translation of POI therapies.

Objective To investigate the gene expression profile of cervical exfoliated cells from woman treated by artificial cycle,and their potential association with endometrial receptivity in order to screen specific biomarkers closely related to the receptivity.Methods A total of 19 female patients were enrolled from those preparing for frozen embryo transfer(FET)at the Reproductive Center of First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from February 2024 to October 2024.Under the artificial cycle frozen embryo transfer protocol,the endometrial tissues were collected on the 4th day after progesterone administration(P+4)to verify their endometrial receptivity status.Additionally,cervical exfoliated cells were collected on the 4th day(P+4)and the 6th day(P+6)after progesterone administration.RNA sequencing(RNA-Seq)was used to detect gene expression profiles.Differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were identified using the criteria of|log2fold change|＞1 and a false discovery rate(FDR)＜0.05,followed by bioinformatics analysis.The protein-protein interaction(PPI)network of DEGs was constructed using R software(4.4.1)and analyzed with gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)analyses.The candidate genes were identified based on the PPI network using Cytoscape software.Quantitative reverse transcription PCR(RT-qPCR)was employed to validate the target candidate genes both in vitro and in vivo.Results The rsERT confirmed that all 19 women were in state of endometrial receptivity at P+6.RNA-Seq identified 3 458 DEGs in cervical exfoliated cells between P+4 and P+6.The up-regulated DEGs were mainly enriched in the pathways associated with immune response and cell differentiation,and the down-regulated ones were mainly enriched in the pathways associated with lipid metabolism and cell proliferation.Using maximal clique Centrality(MCC)algorithm in the PPI network,the top 20 genes were selected.Among them,6 genes,such as IFIT2,OASL,MX1,RSAD2,IFIT1 and IFIT3,tied for the first place,and the 6 genes all belong to interferon-stimulated genes(ISGs).qRT-PCR indicated that the above 6 genes showed significantly higher expression levels in the cervical exfoliated cells at the P+4 stage than the cells at the P+6 stage(P＜0.05).Conclusion There are changes in the expression levels of the genes related to immunity and cytoskeleton remodeling in cervical exfoliated cells during the endometrial receptivity phase.The decrease in the expression of ISGs may serve as a potential biomarker for endometrial receptivity.

Objective To explore the relationship between serum chitosinase 3-like protein 1(CHI3L1)and Syndecan-1(SDC1)levels and bone metabolism in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and their predictive efficacy on osteoporosis.Methods A total of 412 elderly patients with type 2 diabetes admitted to this hospital from May 2019 to May 2023 were included in this study,and were divided into normal bone mass group(n=151),reduced bone mass group(n=138)and osteoporosis group(n=123)according to the iffer-ences in bone mineral density.Serum CHI3L1 and SDC1 levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosor-bent assay,and serum levels of type 1 collagen cross-linked carboxyl terminal peptide(CTX),25-hydroxyvita-min D[25-(OH)D],osteocalcin(OC),and type 1 procollagen N-terminal propeptide(P1NP)were deter-mined by automatic chemiluminescence immunoassay.Pearson correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationship between serum CHI3L1,SDC1 and bone metabolism in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.Re-ceiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to evaluate the predictive value of serum CHI3L1 and SDC1 on osteoporosis in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors of osteoporosis in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.Results There were significant differences in diabetes course,fasting blood glucose,HbA1c and HDL-C a-mong normal bone mass group,decreased bone mass group and osteoporosis group(P＜0.05).The levels of serum CHI3L1,25-(OH)D,P1NP and osteocalcin in osteoporosis group were lower than those in osteopenia group,and those in osteopenia group were lower than those in normal bone mass group,the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Serum SDC1 and CTX levels in osteoporosis group were higher than those in osteopenia group,and those in osteopenia group were higher than those in normal bone mass group,the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).Serum CHI3L1 was positively correlated with 25-(OH)D,P1NP and OC(P＜0.05),and negatively correlated with CTX(P＜0.05).Serum SDC1 was negatively correlated with 25-(OH)D,P1NP,OC(P＜0.05),and positively correlated with CTX(P＜0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of serum CHI3L1,SDC1 and their combination predicted osteoporosis in elderly pa-tients with type 2 diabetes were 0.851,0.772 and 0.904,respectively.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that long duration of diabetes,increased HbA1c,high expression of OC,CHI3L1＞4.16 ng/mL,SDC1≥50.94 ng/mL were all influential factors for osteoporosis in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes(P＜0.05).Conclusion Low expression of CHI3L1 and high expression of SDC1 in serum are associated with ab-normal bone metabolism in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.These two indexes are expected to be used as biological markers to predict osteoporosis in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.

Objective To investigate the mediating role of anxiety and depression in social sup-port and burnout among primary caregivers of stroke patients.Methods A convenience sampling method was employed to select 506 primary caregivers of stroke patients as research subjects.The Gen-eral Information Questionnaire,Caregiver Burnout Inventory for Stroke Patients,Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support,and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used for data col-lection.Results The total scores for caregiver burnout,social support,anxiety,and depression a-mong primarycaregivers of stroke patients were(72.83±14.32),(47.79±7.74),(10.49±3.00),and(10.45±3.06),respectively.Correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between caregiver burnout and social support(r=-0.245,P＜0.001),and positive correlations with anxiety and depression(r=0.178,0.216,P＜0.001).Anxiety and depression partially media-ted the relationship between social support and caregiver burnout,accounting for 7.9％and 10.7％of the total effect,respectively.Conclusion Social support,anxiety,depression,and burnout are closely interrelated.Social support can directly or indirectly influence the occurrence of burnoutthrough anxiety and depression.Medical staff should pay attention to the anxiety and depression status of primary caregivers of stroke patients and enhance social support levels to reduce the incidence of burnout by alleviating anxiety and depression.

Objective To explore the economic toxicity perceptions and experiences of caregivers of colorectal cancer patients from the perspective of social ecological systems theory.Methods Using purposive sampling,18 caregivers of colorectal cancer patients hospitalized in the gastrointestinal sur-gery and oncology departments of a tertiary grade A hospital in Yangzhou were selected for semi-struc-tured interviews.The Colaizzi 7-step analysis method was employed to organize and analyze the data.Results Three main themes and nine sub-themes were extracted regarding the economic toxicity expe-riences and needs of caregivers of colorectal cancer patients.Microsystem included multiple negative experiences,impacted individual health,and difficulties in surrogate decision-making;mesosystem in-cluded heavy family financial burden,altered family lifestyle,and tense family atmosphere;macrosys-tem included needs for the scope and intensity of medical insurance reimbursement,needs for medical resources and services,and a desire for social support.Conclusion The ecological system of caregiv-ers of colorectal cancer patients is not optimistic,and is generally affected by economic toxicity.Inter-vention strategies can be sought from multiple aspects,including alleviating the negative experiences of caregivers,strengthening social support,and paying attention to the needs of caregivers,aiming to re-duce the level of economic toxicity among caregivers of colorectal cancer patients.

BACKGROUND:Based on different algorithms of machine learning,how to carry out clinical research on lumbar disc herniation with the help of various algorithmic models has become a trend and hot spot in the development of intelligent medicine at present. OBJECTIVE:To review the characteristics of different algorithmic models of machine learning in the diagnosis and treatment of lumbar disc herniation,and summarize the respective advantages and application strategies of algorithmic models for the same purpose. METHODS:The computer searched PubMed,Web of Science,EMBASE,CNKI,WanFang,VIP and China Biomedical(CBM)databases to extract the relevant articles on machine learning in the diagnosis and treatment of lumbar disc herniation.Finally,96 articles were included for analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Different algorithm models of machine learning provide intelligent and accurate application strategies for clinical diagnosis and treatment of lumbar disc herniation.(2)Traditional statistical methods and decision trees in supervised learning are simple and efficient in exploring risk factors and establishing diagnostic and prognostic models.Support vector machine is suitable for small data sets with high-dimensional features.As a nonlinear classifier,it can be applied to the recognition,segmentation and classification of normal or degenerative intervertebral discs,and to establish diagnostic and prognostic models.Ensemble learning can make up for the shortcomings of a single model.It has the ability to deal with high-dimensional data and improve the precision and accuracy of clinical prediction models.Artificial neural network improves the learning ability of the model,and can be applied to intervertebral disc recognition,classification and making clinical prediction models.On the basis of the above uses,deep learning can also optimize images and assist surgical operations.It is the most widely used model with the best performance in the diagnosis and treatment of lumbar disc herniation.The clustering algorithm in unsupervised learning is mainly used for disc segmentation and classification of different herniated segments.However,the clinical application of semi-supervised learning is relatively less.(3)At present,machine learning has certain clinical advantages in the identification and segmentation of lumbar intervertebral discs,classification and grading of the degenerative intervertebral discs,automatic clinical diagnosis and classification,construction of the clinical predictive model and auxiliary operation.(4)In recent years,the research strategy of machine learning has changed to the neural network and deep learning,and the deep learning algorithm with stronger learning ability will be the key to realizing intelligent medical treatment in the future.

ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanism of the Yiqi Jiedu formula （YQ） in treating ischemic stroke （IS） from the perspective of the microbial-gut-brain axis （MGBA）. MethodRats were randomly divided into five groups， with six in each group， including sham surgery group， model group， and low， medium， and high dose YQ groups （1， 5， and 25 mg·kg^-1）. Except for the sham surgery group， all other groups were established with a middle cerebral artery occlusion （MCAO） model using the thread occlusion method. The success of modeling was determined through neurobehavioral scoring， and the protective effect of YQ on IS was evaluated. Then， the changes in gut microbiota before and after MCAO modeling and YQ administration were compared using 16S rDNA sequencing technology， and the possible biological pathways related to the effect of this formula were analyzed. The expression of inflammatory factors such as interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-17A （IL-17A）， and interleukin-10 （IL-10） in serum was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Western blot was used to detect the expression of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and Occludin in brain and intestinal tissue， and hematoxylin-eosin staining （HE） was used to observe pathological changes in the cerebral cortex and colon， so as to validate the possible mechanism of action. ResultYQ significantly improved the neurobehavioral score of MCAO rats （P<0.01） and played a good regulatory role in intestinal microbial disorders caused by enriched pathogens and opportunistic pathogens during the acute phase. Among them， significantly changed microorganisms include Morgentia， Escherichia Shigella， Adlercreutzia， and Androbacter. Bioinformatics analysis found that these bacteria may be related to the regulation of inflammation in the brain. Compared with the blank group， the detection of inflammatory factors in the serum of IS model rats showed an increase in inflammatory factors IL-6 and IL-17A （P<0.01） and a decrease in the content of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the content of inflammatory factors IL-6 and IL-17A in the serum of the treatment group decreased （P<0.05）， and that of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 increased （P<0.01）. The expression results of barrier proteins ZO-1 and Occludin in brain and intestinal tissue showed that the expression levels of both decreased in IS model rats （P<0.05）， while the expression levels of both increased in the treatment group （P<0.05）. ConclusionAcute cerebral ischemia can lead to an imbalance of intestinal microbiota and damage to the intestinal barrier， and it can increase intestinal permeability. YQ can regulate intestinal microbiota imbalance caused by ischemia， inhibit systemic inflammatory response， and improve the disruption of the gut-blood brain barrier， preventing secondary cascade damage to brain tissue caused by inflammation. The MGBA may be an important mechanism against the IS.