Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver injury resulting from factors like viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, fatty liver disease, and cholestatic liver disease. Liver transplantation is currently the gold standard for treating severe liver diseases. However, it is limited by a shortage of donor organs and the necessity for lifelong immunosuppressive therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into various liver cells and enhance liver function when transplanted into patients due to their differentiation and proliferation capabilities. Therefore, it can be used as an alternative therapy for treating liver diseases, especially for liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver transplant complications. However, due to the potential tumorigenic effects of MSCs, researchers are exploring a new approach to treating liver fibrosis using extracellular vesicles (exosomes) secreted by stem cells. Many studies show that exosomes released by stem cells can promote liver injury repair through various pathways, contributing to the treatment of liver fibrosis. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms by which stem cell exosomes affect liver fibrosis through different pathways and their potential therapeutic targets. Additionally, we discuss the advantages of exosome therapy over stem cell therapy and the possible future directions of exosome research, including the prospects for clinical applications and the challenges to be overcome.

Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver injury resulting from factors like viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, fatty liver disease, and cholestatic liver disease. Liver transplantation is currently the gold standard for treating severe liver diseases. However, it is limited by a shortage of donor organs and the necessity for lifelong immunosuppressive therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into various liver cells and enhance liver function when transplanted into patients due to their differentiation and proliferation capabilities. Therefore, it can be used as an alternative therapy for treating liver diseases, especially for liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver transplant complications. However, due to the potential tumorigenic effects of MSCs, researchers are exploring a new approach to treating liver fibrosis using extracellular vesicles (exosomes) secreted by stem cells. Many studies show that exosomes released by stem cells can promote liver injury repair through various pathways, contributing to the treatment of liver fibrosis. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms by which stem cell exosomes affect liver fibrosis through different pathways and their potential therapeutic targets. Additionally, we discuss the advantages of exosome therapy over stem cell therapy and the possible future directions of exosome research, including the prospects for clinical applications and the challenges to be overcome.

Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver injury resulting from factors like viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, fatty liver disease, and cholestatic liver disease. Liver transplantation is currently the gold standard for treating severe liver diseases. However, it is limited by a shortage of donor organs and the necessity for lifelong immunosuppressive therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into various liver cells and enhance liver function when transplanted into patients due to their differentiation and proliferation capabilities. Therefore, it can be used as an alternative therapy for treating liver diseases, especially for liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver transplant complications. However, due to the potential tumorigenic effects of MSCs, researchers are exploring a new approach to treating liver fibrosis using extracellular vesicles (exosomes) secreted by stem cells. Many studies show that exosomes released by stem cells can promote liver injury repair through various pathways, contributing to the treatment of liver fibrosis. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms by which stem cell exosomes affect liver fibrosis through different pathways and their potential therapeutic targets. Additionally, we discuss the advantages of exosome therapy over stem cell therapy and the possible future directions of exosome research, including the prospects for clinical applications and the challenges to be overcome.

OBJECTIVE To prepare vancomycin hydrochloride （VH）-loaded polydopamine （PDA） nanoparticles （VH@PDA nanoparticles）， and study their antimicrobial effect in combination with photothermal therapy. METHODS Using PDA as the carrier， VH was loaded to prepare VH@PDA nanoparticles （PDA nanoparticles were prepared using the same method）. The nanoparticles were characterized with laser particle size analyzer， transmission electron microscope， and UV visible absorption spectrometer； the drug loading capacity and encapsulation efficiency of the nanoparticles were determined. The near-infrared laser irradiation was adopted to determine their photothermal ability. Taking Staphylococcus aureus as the research object， the bactericidal properties of the nanoparticles in combination with photothermal therapy in vitro were clarified through plate colony coating method， live/dead staining analysis， crystal violet staining. Using L929 cells as the research object， the effects of VH@PDA nanoparticles at different mass concentrations （0， 3.125， 6.25， 12.5， 25， 50 and 100 μg/mL） on cell viability were investigated to assess their biocompatibility. RESULTS VH@PDA nanoparticles were successfully loaded with VH， exhibiting uniform particle size （approximately 300 nm）， distinct pore size， and a spherical structure. The drug loading capacity was 11.34%， the encapsulation efficiency was 32.00%， the photothermal conversion efficiency reached 23.55%， and they demonstrated stable photothermal performance. The antibacterial effect results of the combined photothermal therapy demonstrated that without near- infrared laser irradiation， the antibacterial effects of VH， PDA nanoparticles， and VH@PDA nanoparticles were not significant. However， when subjected to near-infrared laser irradiation， VH@PDA nanoparticles exhibited a pronounced antibacterial effect. The results of the cell experiments revealed that after treatment with VH@PDA nanoparticles at various mass concentrations， the cell viability rates remained above 80%. CONCLUSIONS VH@PDA nanoparticles are successfully prepared， which exhibit stable photothermal properties， significant antibacterial effects when combined with photothermal therapy， and good biocompatibility.

BACKGROUND: The epidemiological pattern and disease burden of type 2 diabetes have been shifting in China over the past decades. This analysis described the epidemiological transition of type 2 diabetes in the past three decades and projected the trend in the future three decades in China. METHODS: Age-, sex-, and year-specific incidence, prevalence, death, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for people with 15 years or older and diabetes or high fasting glucose in China and related countries from 1990 to 2021 were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease. We obtained the trends of age-, sex-, and year-specific rates and absolute numbers of incidence, prevalence, deaths, and DALYs attributable to type 2 diabetes in China from 1990 to 2021. Using the Lee-Carter model, we projected the incidence, prevalence, death, and DALYs attributable to type 2 diabetes to 2050 stratified by age and sex. RESULTS: The age-standardized incidence of type 2 diabetes was 341.5 per 100,000 persons (1.6 times in 1990) and the age-standardized prevalence was 9.96% (9960.0 per 100,000 persons, 2.5 times in 1990) in China 2021. In 2021, there were 0.9 million deaths and 26.8 million DALYs due to type 2 diabetes or hyperglycemia, as 2.9 and 2.7 times the data in 1990, respectively. The age-standardized rates of type 2 diabetes and hyperglycemia were projected to raise to 449.5 per 100,000 persons for incidence, 18.17% for prevalence, 244.6 per 100,000 persons for death, and 4720.2 per 100,000 persons for DALYs by 2050. The incidence of type 2 diabetes kept growing among individuals under the age of 20 years in the past three decades (128.7 per 100,000 persons in 1990 and 439.9 per 100,000 persons in 2021) and estimating 1870.8 per 100,000 in 2050. CONCLUSIONS The incidence, prevalence, and disease burden of type 2 diabetes grew rapidly in China in the past three decades. The prevention of type 2 diabetes in young people and the care for elder adults will be the greatest challenge for the country.
Humans ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/mortality* ; China/epidemiology* ; Prevalence ; Female ; Male ; Incidence ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Aged ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Disability-Adjusted Life Years ; Aged, 80 and over

Debates persist regarding the efficacy and safety of azvudine, particularly its real-world outcomes. This study involved patients aged ≥60 years who were admitted to 25 hospitals in mainland China with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between December 1, 2022, and February 28, 2023. Efficacy outcomes were all-cause mortality during hospitalization, the proportion of patients discharged with recovery, time to nucleic acid-negative conversion (T _NANC), time to symptom improvement (T _SI), and time of hospital stay (T _HS). Safety was also assessed. Among the 5884 participants identified, 1999 received azvudine, and 1999 matched controls were included after exclusion and propensity score matching. Azvudine recipients exhibited lower all-cause mortality compared with controls in the overall population (13.3% vs. 17.1%, RR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67-0.90; P = 0.001) and in the severe subgroup (25.7% vs. 33.7%; RR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66-0.88; P < 0.001). A higher proportion of patients discharged with recovery, and a shorter T _NANC were associated with azvudine recipients, especially in the severe subgroup. The incidence of adverse events in azvudine recipients was comparable to that in the control group (2.3% vs. 1.7%, P = 0.170). In conclusion, azvudine showed efficacy and safety in older patients hospitalized with COVID-19 during the SARS-CoV-2 omicron wave in China.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2019.01.013.].

Cardiac fibrosis is characterized by an elevated amount of extracellular matrix (ECM) within the heart. However, the persistence of cardiac fibrosis ultimately diminishes contractility and precipitates cardiac dysfunction. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are emerging as important regulators of cardiac fibrosis. Here, we elucidate the functional role of a specific circular RNA CELF1 in cardiac fibrosis and delineate a novel feedback loop mechanism. Functionally, circ-CELF1 was involved in enhancing fibrosis-related markers' expression and promoting the proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), thereby exacerbating cardiac fibrosis. Mechanistically, circ-CELF1 reduced the ubiquitination-degradation rate of BRPF3, leading to an elevation of BRPF3 protein levels. Additionally, BRPF3 acted as a modular scaffold for the recruitment of histone acetyltransferase KAT7 to facilitate the induction of H3K14 acetylation within the promoters of the Celf1 gene. Thus, the transcription of Celf1 was dramatically activated, thereby inhibiting the subsequent response of their downstream target gene Smad7 expression to promote cardiac fibrosis. Moreover, Celf1 further promoted Celf1 pre-mRNA transcription and back-splicing, thereby establishing a feedback loop for circ-CELF1 production. Consequently, a novel feedback loop involving CELF1/circ-CELF1/BRPF3/KAT7 was established, suggesting that circ-CELF1 may serve as a potential novel therapeutic target for cardiac fibrosis.

ObjectiveTo observe the efficacy and safety of Uyghur medicine Yangxin Dawayimixike Honey Paste （养心达瓦依米西克蜜膏， YDMHP） in the treatment of stable angina pectoris （SAP） of qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome. MethodsA randomized ， double-blind， positive-controlled，multi-center clinical trial was conducted， in which 370 patients with SAP of qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome were randomly divided into treatment group（279 cases）and control group（91cases）at a ratio of 3∶1. The treatment group was orally administered with YDMHP， 3 g each time， and placebo of Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule （血府逐瘀胶囊）， 2.4 g each time， while the control group was treated with Xuefu Zhuyu Capsule， 2.4 g each time， and placebo of YDMHP， 3 g each time， both twice a day for a course of 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the effect of angina pectoris symptom. The secondary outcomes include single angina symptom scores such as number of attacks， duration of attacks， pain intensity and usae of nitroglycerin scores， the total angina symptom score before and after the treatment， the usage of nitroglycerin， the exercise duration in treadmill exercise test （TET） and the Duck treadmill score among patients，the scores of Seattle Angina Questionnaire （SAQ） on five dimensions including physical limitations， anginal stability， anginal frequency， treatment satisfaction， and disease perception， and efficacy of TCM syndrome and of each single TCM symptom after treatment. The safety were evaluated by examine blood routine， urine routine， liver and kidney function， fasting blood sugar， electrocardiogram， adverse events. ResultsThe total effective rate of angina symptom in the treatment group was 71.69% （200/279）， significantly higher than 51.64% （47/91） in the control group （P＜0.01）. The curative and markedly effective rate of TCM syndrome in the treatment group was 53.05% （148/279）， which was significantly higher than 25.27% （23/91） in the control group （P＜0.01）. After treatment， scores of the number as well as duration of angina attacks and pain severity， the total score of angina symptoms， and the usage of nitroglycerin significantly decreased in both groups， and more changes were seen in the treatment group than in the control group； the scores of physical limitations， anginal stability， anginal frequency， treatment satisfaction， and disease perception in both groups significantly increased， and more improvement were shown in the experimental group regarding the anginal stability， anginal frequency and treatment satisfaction （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. The effects of chest pain， chest tightness， palpitation， shortness of breath and fatigue in experimental group were significantly higher than those in control group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. There was no significant difference in the exercise duration of treadmill test and Duke score among patients between the two groups either before or after treatment （P＞0.05）. Adverse events occurred in 66 cases （23.66%） of the experimental group and 16 cases （17.58%） of the control group， with no statistical significance between the two groups （P＞0.05）. ConclusionThe Uyghur medicine YDMHP can effectively improve symptoms of angina pectoris， reduce the number， duration， and intensity of attacks， decrease the dosage of nitrogly-cerin and improve the individual TCM symptoms and has good safety in the treatment of SAP patients of qi stagnation and blood stasis.