Objective Based on the visualization graph analysis of the research hotspots of Angelica sinensis, predict the future research trends, and provide references for the next step of Angelica sinensis research. Methods Chinese and English literatures on Angelica sinensis collected from CNKI, WanFang, VIP and Web of Science from 2012 to 2022 were retrieved. CiteSpace 6.1.R6 software was used to perform visualization econometrics analysis on the number of publications, authors, institutions, journals, keywords and other topics. Results 3490 Chinese literatures and 409 English literatures were included. Visual knowledge map analysis showed that Gansu University of Chinese Medicine and Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine were the research institutions with the largest number of literature publications in Chinese and English respectively. Journals published mainly include Shizhen Traditional Chinese Medicine and Materia medica, Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Current research hotspots include the effects of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides, volatile oils, and ferulic acid on the hematopoietic system, chronic diseases, and cognitive impairment, as well as clinical efficacy evaluations of classic prescriptions containing Angelica sinensis and their modified formulations. The research trend was characterized by a focus on the pharmacological study of Danggui Buxue Tang,employing various experimental approaches such as network pharmacology, serum pharmacology, and metabolomics to elucidate the mechanisms of Angelica sinensis. Conclusion The pharmacological effects of Angelica sinensis and its compound were extensive, which should be further researched.

Patients with Takayasu arteritis combined with aortic valve disease often have a poor prognosis following surgical valve replacement, frequently encountering complications such as perivalvular leakage, valve detachment, and anastomotic aneurysm. This article presents a high-risk case wherein severe aortic valve insufficiency associated with Takayasu arteritis was successfully managed through transcatheter aortic valve implantation via the transapical approach. The patient had satisfactory valve function with no complications observed during the six-month postoperative follow-up. This case provides a minimally invasive and feasible alternative for the clinical management of such high-risk patients.

The inflammatory microenvironment is closely associated with the initiation and progression of osteoarthritis （OA）， specifically manifesting as macrophage activation， dysregulation of inflammatory cytokines， and redox imbalance. Following an overview of the pathological characteristics of the OA inflammatory microenvironment， this paper reviews the research progress on the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） intervening in OA by modulating the inflammatory microenvironment. It has been found that TCM monomers/active ingredients （such as total alkaloids from Strychnos nux-vomica ， quercetin， triptolide， etc.）， herb pairs （e.g. Angelica pubescens - Gentiana macrophylla ， Carthami Flos-Lycopodii Herba）， and TCM formulas （such as Zhuanggu jianxi formula， Duhuo jisheng decoction and Rongjin niantong formula， etc.） can inhibit macrophage activation， reduce the release of proinflammatory cytokines and the generation of reactive oxygen species by inhibiting multiple signaling pathways， including nuclear factor-κB， Wnt/ β -catenin， and mitogen-activated protein kinase， thereby alleviating the articular inflammatory microenvironment， restoring local joint homeostasis， and slowing the progression of OA.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic etiology of 46 Chinese pedigrees affected with Hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) and provide genetic counseling and reproductive intervention. METHODS: Whole-exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing were carried out on 87 patients from the 46 pedigrees to analyze the variants of EXT1 and EXT2 genes. Pathogenicity of the variants was assessed based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG/AMP). Prenatal diagnosis and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) were provided for couples with identified pathogenic mutations. This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the hospital (Ethics No.: LL-SC-SG-2014-010). RESULTS: In total 17 and 22 pathogenic variants were respectively identified in the EXT1 and EXT2 genes, among which 5 EXT1 and 12 EXT2 variants were unreported previously. Three patients with no family history were found to harbor de novo variants of the EXT1 gene. Twenty nine couples had opted for PGT or underwent prenatal diagnosis following natural conception, and 17 healthy babies were born. CONCLUSION This study has clarified the genetic etiology of 45 HME pedigrees and identified 17 novel variants, which has enriched the mutational spectrum of the EXT1 and EXT2 genes. Reproductive intervention through PGT and prenatal diagnosis have prevented the recurrence of HME in these families.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Pedigree ; Exostoses, Multiple Hereditary/diagnosis* ; N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases/genetics* ; Adult ; Exostosin 1 ; Asian People/genetics* ; Genetic Testing ; Exostosin 2 ; Mutation ; China ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Pregnancy ; Genetic Counseling ; Preimplantation Diagnosis ; Exome Sequencing ; East Asian People

BACKGROUND:Exosomes are nanoscale extracellular vesicles secreted by various types of cells,with advantages such as high bioavailability,low toxicity,low immunogenicity,and good biocompatibility.However,natural exosomes have certain limitations in clinical therapy.By using bioengineering techniques to modify and engineer exosomes,the engineered exosomes not only improve their original therapeutic effects but also exhibit excellent biostability and targeting specificity,showing great potential for application in the field of tissue repair.OBJECTIVE:To summarize the various strategies for engineering exosomes,including functional loading and surface modification,outline the research progress of engineered exosomes in different tissue repairs,and explore the therapeutic potential of engineered exosomes in tissue repair.METHODS:PubMed database was searched for relevant literature published between 2010 and 2024 using the search terms"engineered exosomes,tissue repair,biomaterials,tissue engineering,wound healing,parenchyma,bone regeneration,cartilage,neural,myocardial,hepatic."Studies that were not closely related to the article's theme,of poor quality,repetitive,or outdated were excluded.A total of 115 articles met the inclusion criteria.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Functional loading is used to combine therapeutic molecules with exosomes to obtain additional properties or to enhance the original physiological function of the exosome,among which ultrasonication and extrusion are simple to operate and can obtain higher drug loading capacity at the same time.(2)Surface modification can make exosomes express desired proteins or enhance their targeting,including genetic engineering and chemical modification.Genetic engineering is complicated,poorly reproducible,and the end product is poorly controllable.Chemical modification,on the other hand,is relatively simple and versatile,and is more suitable for designing highly targeted and functionally specific engineered exosomes.(3)Among the techniques for pre-treating cells to obtain engineered exosomes,hypoxic pre-treatment is more widely used because of its simplicity and clearer mechanism,which can activate glycolysis to promote cell proliferation,and regulate the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor signaling pathway through the generation of hypoxia-inducible factors to promote angiogenesis.(4)The function of exosomes is affected by various factors such as cell source,cell state,synthesis process,and extracellular environment.If the engineering strategy is complicated,it is more difficult to ensure the functional consistency of the final engineered exosomes,so the relatively simple and reliable engineering strategy is more suitable for its clinical application.(5)Engineered exosomes combined with biomaterials or scaffolds can be used to treat complex wounds of skin soft tissue,such as infected wounds and diabetic ulcers.This approach enhances exosome delivery and controls their release,promotes tissue repair,controls infection,and regulates the local microenvironment of the wound.(6)A single mechanism of engineered exosomes is often ineffective due to the specificity of the bone tissue fracture,so dual or even multi-functional engineered exosomes are needed to promote fracture repair while anti-inflammatory or remodeling the vascular system.(7)The source of exosomes has a significant impact on neural tissue repair.Exosomes derived from different neural cells promote neural repair through different effects.In addition,the combination of stents and engineered exosomes for traumatic brain injury has obvious advantages,the stent itself provides hemostasis and support,combined with the engineered exosomes itself to promote the repair effect,can obtain better therapeutic effect.(8)In cardiac and hepatic tissue repair,it is needed to develop anti-fibrotic engineered exosomes to resist the abnormal repair of cardiac and hepatic tissues themselves,which will require further research in the future.

BACKGROUND:Exosomes are nanoscale extracellular vesicles secreted by various types of cells,with advantages such as high bioavailability,low toxicity,low immunogenicity,and good biocompatibility.However,natural exosomes have certain limitations in clinical therapy.By using bioengineering techniques to modify and engineer exosomes,the engineered exosomes not only improve their original therapeutic effects but also exhibit excellent biostability and targeting specificity,showing great potential for application in the field of tissue repair.OBJECTIVE:To summarize the various strategies for engineering exosomes,including functional loading and surface modification,outline the research progress of engineered exosomes in different tissue repairs,and explore the therapeutic potential of engineered exosomes in tissue repair.METHODS:PubMed database was searched for relevant literature published between 2010 and 2024 using the search terms"engineered exosomes,tissue repair,biomaterials,tissue engineering,wound healing,parenchyma,bone regeneration,cartilage,neural,myocardial,hepatic."Studies that were not closely related to the article's theme,of poor quality,repetitive,or outdated were excluded.A total of 115 articles met the inclusion criteria.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Functional loading is used to combine therapeutic molecules with exosomes to obtain additional properties or to enhance the original physiological function of the exosome,among which ultrasonication and extrusion are simple to operate and can obtain higher drug loading capacity at the same time.(2)Surface modification can make exosomes express desired proteins or enhance their targeting,including genetic engineering and chemical modification.Genetic engineering is complicated,poorly reproducible,and the end product is poorly controllable.Chemical modification,on the other hand,is relatively simple and versatile,and is more suitable for designing highly targeted and functionally specific engineered exosomes.(3)Among the techniques for pre-treating cells to obtain engineered exosomes,hypoxic pre-treatment is more widely used because of its simplicity and clearer mechanism,which can activate glycolysis to promote cell proliferation,and regulate the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor signaling pathway through the generation of hypoxia-inducible factors to promote angiogenesis.(4)The function of exosomes is affected by various factors such as cell source,cell state,synthesis process,and extracellular environment.If the engineering strategy is complicated,it is more difficult to ensure the functional consistency of the final engineered exosomes,so the relatively simple and reliable engineering strategy is more suitable for its clinical application.(5)Engineered exosomes combined with biomaterials or scaffolds can be used to treat complex wounds of skin soft tissue,such as infected wounds and diabetic ulcers.This approach enhances exosome delivery and controls their release,promotes tissue repair,controls infection,and regulates the local microenvironment of the wound.(6)A single mechanism of engineered exosomes is often ineffective due to the specificity of the bone tissue fracture,so dual or even multi-functional engineered exosomes are needed to promote fracture repair while anti-inflammatory or remodeling the vascular system.(7)The source of exosomes has a significant impact on neural tissue repair.Exosomes derived from different neural cells promote neural repair through different effects.In addition,the combination of stents and engineered exosomes for traumatic brain injury has obvious advantages,the stent itself provides hemostasis and support,combined with the engineered exosomes itself to promote the repair effect,can obtain better therapeutic effect.(8)In cardiac and hepatic tissue repair,it is needed to develop anti-fibrotic engineered exosomes to resist the abnormal repair of cardiac and hepatic tissues themselves,which will require further research in the future.

Objective To assess the echogenicity of the ultrasound-guided catheter and its associated delivery system. Methods The study consisted of in vitro characterization experiments and animal studies. In the in vitro phase, the acoustic and mechanical properties of the ultrasound-guided catheter were compared with those of the traditional MPA2 catheter, including parameters such as echo intensity, recognizability, and angle dependence. In the animal experiments, a ventricular septal defect (VSD) model was established in miniature pigs to compare the procedural performance of the ultrasound-guided delivery system versus the conventional system. Evaluation indicators included the time required for the system to cross the VSD, the detection rate of the system within the right ventricle, and the occurrence of intraoperative complications. Results The ultrasound-guided catheter demonstrated a significantly higher mean echo intensity than the MPA2 catheter [(237.3±1.8) dB vs. (190.9±13.1) dB, P<0.001] and a markedly improved recognizability rate (82.3%±5.6% vs. 26.7%±3.2%, P<0.001), along with better angle independence and image quality. In animal experiments, the ultrasound-guided delivery system significantly reduced the time required to cross the VSD [(18.5±5.7) min vs. (30.3±4.5) min, P<0.001] and substantially increased the detection rate within the right ventricle (100.0% vs. 30.0%). No severe complications occurred in any experimental animal. Conclusion The ultrasound-guided catheter and its corresponding delivery system exhibite superior ultrasound visibility and operational performance in both in vitro and animal experiments, indicating strong potential for clinical application.

Objective: To investigate the effects of "liver-smoothing and spirit-regulating" acupuncture on the intestinal flora, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the hippocampal toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/ transcription factor (NF)-κB signaling pathway in depressive disorder mouse model, and to explore its underlying mechanisms. Methods: Eighteen male SPF-grade C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to the control, model, and acupuncture groups using a random number method, with six mice in each group. The depression disorder model was induced in mice from both the acupuncture and model groups using CUMS. The mice in the acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture at the acupoints of "Baihui" (DU20), "Yintang" (DU29), "Hegu" (LI4), and "Taichong" (LR3) on the 15th day of modeling, with a duration of 20 min per session, once per day, for 2 consecutive weeks. Behavioral differences were assessed using the sucrose preference test, open field test, and forced swim test. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe pathological changes in the hippocampus and colon. The levels of the inflammatory factors interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and LPS in the hippocampus and colon were measured using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of TLR4 and NF-κB protein in the hippocampus. Changes in gut microbiota structure and abundance were analyzed by 16 S rDNA sequencing. Results: Compared to the control group, the model group showed reduced sucrose preference rate, time in the center area, and total distance, with an increase in immobility time (P<0.01). Inflammatory pathological changes were observed in the hippocampal CA1 region and colon. The contents of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and LPS in the hippocampus and colon increased (P<0.01). The protein expression levels of hippocampal TLR4 and NF-κB were increased (P<0.01). The Chao1 index was increased (P<0.01). The relative abundances of Pseudomonadales, Acinetobacter, Moraxellaceae, Solibacillus, Escherichia_shigella, Enterobacteriaceae, Enterobacterales, Dubosiella, and Erysipelottichales were decreased, while the relative abundances of Alloprevotella and gram_negative_bacteriurh_cTPY_13 were increased (P<0.05). The pathways of lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and pathogenic Escherichia coli infection were upregulated, and the pathway of terpenoid backbone biosynthesis was downregulated (P<0.01). Compared to the model group, the acupuncture group showed increased sucrose preference, time in the center area, and total distance, with a decrease in immobility time (P<0.01). The inflammatory pathological changes in the hippocampal CA1 region and colon were alleviated. The contents of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and LPS in the hippocampus and colon were reduced(P<0.01). The protein expression levels of hippocampal TLR4 and NF-κB were reduced (P<0.01). The Chao1 index was decreased (P<0.05), and the relative abundances of Dubosiella and Erysipelotrichaceae were increased, while the relative abundance of Rikenellaceae, Alloprevotella, and gram_negative_bacteriuch_cTPY_13 were decreased(P<0.05). The pathways of lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and pathogenic Escherichia coli infection were significantly downregulated, and the pathway of terpenoid backbone biosynthesis was upregulated (P<0.01). Conclusion " Liver-smoothing and spirit-regulating" acupuncture can improve depressive symptoms in depressive disorder mice, potentially through regulating the LPS and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway mediated by intestinal flora, reducing the inflammatory response of the hippocampus, and improving the pathological injury of the hippocampus.

Objective: To investigate the awareness rate of non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP) for AIDS and its influencing factors among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province. Methods: From January to June 2024, MSM aged ≥16 years in Yangzhou City were recruited using the snowball sampling method. Basic information, sexual behavior characteristics, awareness and usage of nPEP, and awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for AIDS were collected through questionnaire surveys. Factors affecting awareness of nPEP among MSM were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression model. Results: A total of 740 participants were enrolled, with a median age of 29 (interquartile range, 14) years. There were 497 participants with a college degree and above educational level, accounting for 67.16%. A total of 541 participants resided in urban areas, accounting for 73.11%. The awareness rate of nPEP was 57.30%. The primary channels for awareness were the internet and healthcare institution promotions, with 159 and 119 participants, accounting for 37.50% and 28.07%, respectively. A total of 57 participants had utilized nPEP, with a usage rate of 7.70%. The main reason for using nPEP was having unprotected sex, with 21 participants, accounting for 36.84%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that unmarried MSM (OR=2.369, 95%CI: 1.236-4.540) and those who were aware of PrEP (OR=28.067, 95%CI: 17.664-44.597) had a significantly higher likelihood of being aware of nPEP. Conclusions The awareness rate and usage rate of nPEP among MSM in Yangzhou City are both relatively low. Awareness of nPEP is mainly influenced by marital status and whether participants are aware of PrEP.

This paper introduces FU Wenbin's clinical experience in treatment of post-stroke depression with holistic therapy of acupuncture and moxibusiton for Shugan Tiaoshen (soothing the liver and regulating the mind). In pathogenesis, post-stroke depression is associated with the loss of the mind control and the failure of the liver in maintaining the free flow of qi. In treating principle, soothing the liver qi and regulating the mind are equally important, and the holistic regulation is applicable with the combination of multiple therapies. During treatment, the four-gate points are stimulated at first to promote liver qi flowing, the acupoints of the conception vessel and the governor vessel (e.g. Zhongwan [CV12], Guanyuan [CV4], Baihui [GV20], Yintang [GV24⁺]) are combined to regulate the mind and regain the consciousness. The conditions of illness are differentiated in terms of excess and deficiency, and the point prescription is modified accordingly. Refined moxibustion is applied specially at Fengchi (GB20), Fengfu (GV16) and Wangu (GB12) to warm meridians, strengthen yang and nourish the mind. In the last step of treatment, shallow needling techniques, such as the pricking and bloodletting, intradermal needling and auricular acupuncture, are used to consolidate the curative effect.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Depression/etiology* ; Stroke/psychology* ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Points ; Moxibustion ; Aged ; Adult