Natural products (NPs) are an important source of new drugs for the treatment of stroke. Identifying cellular targets for bioactive molecules is a major challenge and critical issue in the development of new drugs for stroke. Small-molecule probes play a unique role in target discovery. However, drawbacks to these probes include non-specificity, unstable activity, and difficulty in synthesis. Small-molecule probes based on NPs at least partially compensate for these shortcomings. NPs feature rich chemical and structural diversity, biocompatibility, and unique biological activities. These features could be exploited to provide new ideas and tools for target discovery. Small-molecule probes based on NPs provide a precise and direct search for interacting protein targets of NPs-active small molecules. This review explores the properties of small-molecule probes based on NPs and their applications in mechanistic studies of stroke and other diseases. We hope that this review will bring new perspectives to the mechanistic study of NPs-active small molecules and accelerate the translation of these ingredients into drug candidates for the treatment of stroke.

Objective To investigate the effect of interleukin-9(IL-9)on the growth of lung adenocarcinoma in mice and its possible mechanism of action.Methods Mouse lung adenocarcinoma CMT167 cells were inoculated subcutaneously in BALB/C mice to construct a subcutaneous transplantation tumor model of mouse lung adenocarcinoma and to observe the effect of IL-9 on the growth of mouse tumors.Flow cytometry(FCM)and Western blot(WB)were used to detect the expression of IL-9 recep-tor(IL-9R)in mouse lung adenocarcinoma CMT167 cells.CMT167 cells were treated with different concentrations of IL-9 in vitro,and changes in cell viability and apoptosis were observed at different time points.Changes in the percentages of myeloid-derived immunosuppressive cells(MDSCs),CD4+T cells,and CD8+T cells in the tumor tissues of mice were analyzed by using FCM.Results Compared with mice in control group,the growth of mouse lung subcutaneous graft tumors was significantly in-hibited,and the weight of graft tumor was reduced after IL-9 treatment(both P＜0.01).Compared with the control group,the expression of IL-9R in mouse lung adenocarcinoma CMT167 cells was significantly increased(P＜0.01).After treatment with different concentrations of IL-9 in vitro,there were no significant changes in the viability and apoptosis of mouse lung adenocar-cinoma CMT167 cells compared to the control group.The number of MDSCs in mouse tumor tissues was decreased after IL-9 treatment(P＜0.05),while proportions of CD4+T cells and CD8+T cells in tumor tissues were increased(P＜0.01).Conclu-sion IL-9Reduces the number of MDSCs and increases the proportions of CD4+T cells and CD8+T cells in mouse tumor tis-sues,therefore inhibits the growth of lung adenocarcinoma tumors in mice.

Objective To investigate the effect and possible mechanism of microRNA-26a(miR-26a)on the syn-thesis of extracellular matrix(ECM)induced by high glucose(HG)in renal tubular epithelial cells(RTECs).Methods A model of diabetic kidney disease(DKD)was constructed by inducing RTECs with HG.MiR-26a was overexpressed in HG-induced RTECs,and RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to assess the effects of miR-26a on ECM synthesis and ferroptosis-related markers in HG-treated RTECs.Ferrostatin(Fer-1)was used to inhibit ferroptosis in the DKD model,and its impact on ECM synthesis was evaluated.RT-qPCR and Western blot were performed to measure ferroptosis-related markers,and fluorescence microscopy was used to observe the intensity of reactive oxygen species(ROS).Results Compared with the control group,the expression of miR-26a decreased in HG-treated cells,while the expression levels of ECM synthesis-related indexes fibronectin and collagen Ⅰ in-creased.After overexpressing miR-26a,the HG+miR-26a group showed a significant increase in miR-26a expres-sion and a decrease in fibronectin and collagen Ⅰ expression compared to the HG group.In terms of ferroptosis,the protein and mRNA expression of SLC7A11 and GPX4 significantly decreased,the expression of TFR-1 and AC-SL4 significantly increased,and the fluorescence intensity of ROS was significantly enhanced in the HG group com-pared with the control group.Inhibition of ferroptosis in the HG+Fer-1 group resulted in significant changes in fer-roptosis and ECM synthesis-related indicators expression levels compared to the HG group.Furthermore,re-expres-sion of miR-26a in the HG+miR-26a led to significant changes in ferroptosis-related indicators expression levels and decreased ROS fluorescence intensity compared to the HG group.Conclusions In HG-induced RTECs,miR-26a inhibits the occurrence of ferroptosis,thus reducing ECM synthesis.

Objective To investigate the association between intraoperative hypotension and post-operative acute kidney injury(AKI)in patients undergoing brain tumor resections.Methods A total of 428 patients undergoing elective craniotomy for tumor resection were selected,276 males and 152 females,aged≥18 years,BMI 15-36 kg/m2,ASA physical statusⅡ orⅢ.Based on postoperative occurrence of AKI,the patients were divided into two groups:the AKI group and the control group.This study defined three thresholds for hypotension,including MAP during surgery below 65 mmHg,60 mmHg,and 55 mmHg.Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the correlation between intraoperative hypotension and postoperative AKI under three thresholds.Results A total of 107 patients had postoperative AKI.The re-sults of multivariable regression analysis indicated that intraoperative MAP＜65 mmHg(OR = 1.11,95%CI 1.03-1.20,P = 0.010)and intraoperative MAP＜60 mmHg(OR = 1.12,95%CI 1.02-1.23,P = 0.017)were associated with postoperative AKI.Conclusion Intraoperative MAP＜65 mmHg or 60 mmHg is associated with postoperative AKI in patients undergoing brain tumor resection.

Objective To explore the regulation of Chaihuang Qingyi Huoxue Granule on intestinal microecological changes in rats with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) and the potential mechanism for its treatment of SAP. Methods Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into sham operation group (SHAM),SAP model group (SAP),and Chaihuang Qingyi Huoxue Granule (CH)group,with 16 rats in each group. Each group was further divided into 12 h and 24 h subgroups. The SAP model was induced by retrograde injection of 5％ sodium taurocholate into the pancreaticobiliary duct through duodenal wall. The SHAM and SAP groups received normal saline by gavage,while the CH group received 1.2 g·kg-1 Chaihuang Qingyi Huoxue Granule solution by gavage every six hours. At 12 h and 24 h after operation,eight rats from each group were sacrificed to collect abdominal aortic blood,pancreatic and ileal tissues for analysis. Ascites,pancreatic and ileal tissues were observed. Serum amylase(AMY) and lipase (LPS) levels were measured biochemically. Pathological changes in pancreatic and ileal tissues were investigated by HE staining. Claudin-1 protein expression in ileal tissue was detected by Western Blot. Changes in the intestinal flora of ileocecal contents were analyzed by 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing. Results Compared to the SHAM group at the same time points,the SAP group exhibited extensive pancreatic edema and necrosis. Serum AMY and LPS levels,pancreatic and ileal histopathological scores increased,and Claudin-1 protein expression in ileal tissue markedly decreased (all P<0.05). The differences in abundance of microbial community increased,while the evenness of community composition reduced. The microbial richness showed no significant change (P>0.05),but the microbial diversity decreased(P<0.05). Proteobacteria were dominant intestinal bacteria. Relative abundances of Oscillospira,Ruminococcus,Bifidobacterium,and Bacteroides S24-7 decreased,whereas relative abundances of Shigella and Allobaculum increased. The differences in abundance of microbial community reduced,and the evenness of community composition increased. The microbial richness showed no significant change(P>0.05),but the microbial diversity increased (P<0.05). Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the dominant intestinal bacteria. Relative abundances of Oscillospira,Ruminococcus,Bifidobacterium,and Bacteroides S24-7 increased,whereas relative abundances of Shigella and Allobaculum decreased. After the intervention of CH,pathological damage in ileal tissue was improved. The expression of Claudin-1 protein in the intestinal mucosal barrier increased compared to the model group(P<0.05). The differences in abundance of microbial community reduced,and the evenness of community composition increased. CH group showed an increase in some beneficial bacteria and decrease in pathogenic bacteria compared to model group. Conclusion Chaihuang Qingyi Huoxue Granule may reduce pancreas injury in rats with SAP,which may be involved in modulating the intestinal microecology and improving intestinal mucosal barrier function.

Objective:To predict lymph node metastasis in patients preoperatively diagnosed with early-stage cervical cancer based on preoperative inflammatory and immune nutritional indicators,and to construct a nomo-gram prediction model,providing a basis and tool for preoperative diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 307 patients preoperatively diag-nosed with early-stage cervical cancer who underwent surgical treatment at the Obstetrics and Gynecology De-partment of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2018 to July 2023.R software was used to randomize the groups into a training set(n=231)and a validation set(n=76)in a 3∶1 ratio.Uni-variate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to identify factors influencing lymph node me-tastasis in patients preoperatively diagnosed with early-stage cervical cancer.R software was used to establish a nomogram prediction model and draw receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves and calibration curves for validation.Results:① The results of univariate logistic regression analysis showed that positive lymphovascular invasion,platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR)≥151.70,neutrophil-to-white blood cell ratio(NWR)≥0.65,plate-let-to-albumin ratio(PAR)≥ 4.94,preoperative systemic immune-inflammation index(SII)≥604.03,and sys-temic inflammatory response index(SIRI)≥ 1.05 were associated with lymph node metastasis(P＜0.05).②Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that positive lymphovascular invasion,NWR≥0.65,and PAR≥4.94 were independent risk factors for lymph node metastasis in patients preoperatively diagnosed with early-stage cervical cancer(OR＞1,P＜0.05).③ A nomogram was constructed to predict lymph node metastasis in patients preoperatively diagnosed with early-stage cervical cancer.The ROC curve shows an area under the train-ing set curve(AUC)of 0.821 and a validation set AUC of 0.858.The calibration curve shows an average abso-lute error of 0.024 for the training set and 0.059 for the validation set.Conclusions:The prediction model for lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer constructed using preoperative inflammatory and immune nutritional indi-cators such as NWR,PAR is helpful for gynecological oncologists to predict lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer patients before surgery.

Objective:To establish a brain metastasis (BM) prediction model for limited-stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC) patients who achieved complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) after thoracic chemoradiotherapy, and to explore the value of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) in different risk groups.Methods:Clinical data of 274 patients with LS-SCLC who achieved CR/PR after thoracic chemoradiotherapy in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital from January 2010 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, including 144 cases in the PCI group and 130 in the non-PCI group. The nomogram was developed based on variables determined by univariate and multivariate analyses in the non-PCI group. The bootstrap method, receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve, calibration curve and decision curve analysis (DCA) were employed to evaluate the predictive power and clinical benefits of the model. Patients were stratified into high- and low-risk groups based on risk scores. The brain metastases-free survival (BMFS), progression-free survival (PFS), extracranial progression-free survival (ePFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between patients with and without PCI in different risk-stratified populations using the log-rank test.Results:The nomogram included five variables: systemic immune inflammation index (SII), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), pro-gastrin-releasing peptide precursor (ProGRP), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and blood calcium. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the nomogram in predicting 1- and 2-year BMFS was 0.761 and 0.822. In the low-risk group, there was no significant difference in the BMFS ( P=0.374), PFS ( P=0.551), ePFS ( P=0.508) and OS ( P=0.767) between the PCI and non-PCI groups. In the high-risk group, PCI could significantly increase the BMFS ( P<0.001) and PFS ( P=0.022), while there was no significant difference in the ePFS ( P=0.963) and OS ( P=0.632). And propensity score-matching (PSM) analysis showed similar results. Conclusions:PCI does not improve OS in LS-SCLC patients regardless of high or low risk of BM. However, PCI significantly prolong the BMFS and PFS in patients at a high risk of BM.

Patients with gastric cancer are at high risk for venous thromboembolism(VTE)and bleeding,and patients who develop VTE are often associated with poor outcomes,making it clinically challenging to identify and manage the risk of thrombosis in patients with gastric cancer.Risk factors for VTE in gastric cancer patients include age,obesity,surgery,chemotherapy,etc.It is essential to identify high-risk patients and adopt aggressive prevention strategies.The main strategy to prevent and treat VTE is the use of anticoagulant drugs.This article discusses guidelines and recent studies for the prevention and treatment of VTE in patients with gastric cancer to help clinicians make individualized decisions for their patients and maximize clinical outcomes for their patients.

Patients with primary membranous nephropathy(PMN)tend to develop thrombosis,especially in the early phase of the disease.The pathogenesis of thrombosis is multifactorial,with hypoalbuminemia being widely regarded as an inde-pendent risk factor.Other factors include proteinuria,M-type phospholipase A2 receptor antibody,and D-dimer.Although prophy-lactic anticoagulation therapy is frequently used in clinical practice to prevent thrombosis in PMN patients,there are still many un-resolved issues regarding the optimal prevention of thrombosis in this condition.The timing of prophylactic anticoagulation,the threshold of serum albumin level,and the choice of treatment regimen are still lacking consensus.This article reviewed the relevant literature on these topics,aiming to establish a standard for thrombosis prevention and treatment for this population in the future and provide guidance for clinical practice.

Objective:To predict lymph node metastasis in patients preoperatively diagnosed with early-stage cervical cancer based on preoperative inflammatory and immune nutritional indicators,and to construct a nomo-gram prediction model,providing a basis and tool for preoperative diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 307 patients preoperatively diag-nosed with early-stage cervical cancer who underwent surgical treatment at the Obstetrics and Gynecology De-partment of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2018 to July 2023.R software was used to randomize the groups into a training set(n=231)and a validation set(n=76)in a 3∶1 ratio.Uni-variate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to identify factors influencing lymph node me-tastasis in patients preoperatively diagnosed with early-stage cervical cancer.R software was used to establish a nomogram prediction model and draw receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves and calibration curves for validation.Results:① The results of univariate logistic regression analysis showed that positive lymphovascular invasion,platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio(PLR)≥151.70,neutrophil-to-white blood cell ratio(NWR)≥0.65,plate-let-to-albumin ratio(PAR)≥ 4.94,preoperative systemic immune-inflammation index(SII)≥604.03,and sys-temic inflammatory response index(SIRI)≥ 1.05 were associated with lymph node metastasis(P＜0.05).②Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that positive lymphovascular invasion,NWR≥0.65,and PAR≥4.94 were independent risk factors for lymph node metastasis in patients preoperatively diagnosed with early-stage cervical cancer(OR＞1,P＜0.05).③ A nomogram was constructed to predict lymph node metastasis in patients preoperatively diagnosed with early-stage cervical cancer.The ROC curve shows an area under the train-ing set curve(AUC)of 0.821 and a validation set AUC of 0.858.The calibration curve shows an average abso-lute error of 0.024 for the training set and 0.059 for the validation set.Conclusions:The prediction model for lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer constructed using preoperative inflammatory and immune nutritional indi-cators such as NWR,PAR is helpful for gynecological oncologists to predict lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer patients before surgery.