ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between the vasodilation and hydrogen sulfide （H₂S） mechanism of total flavonoids of chrysanthemum （TFCC） and the large conductance Ca²⁺- activated K⁺ （BK_Ca） channels on vascular smooth muscle cells （VSMCs） of the middle cerebral artery in rats. In addition， this study will also investigate the effect of TFCC on the expression of BK_Ca channel alpha protein in rat middle cerebral artery VSMCs. MethodsThe primary method employed was acute digestion to isolate VSMCs from the middle cerebral artery of rats； whole-cell patch-clamp techniques were used to measure BK_Ca channel currents； primary tissue adherence culture was utilized to cultivate VSMCs from the middle cerebral artery of rats； Western blot were employed to determine protein expression levels. ResultsIn whole-cell patch-clamp experiments， both the H₂S donor NaHS （100 μmol/L） and endogenous H₂S enhanced BK_Ca channel currents. TFCC （30， 90， and 270 mg/L） also activatedBK_Ca channels and exhibited a certain concentration-dependent effect. Even after blocking endogenous H₂S production， TFCC （270 mg/L） still activated BK_Ca channels in VSMCs of the middle cerebral artery in rats. In Western blot experiments， the α-subunit of BK_Ca channel proteins was expressed in all groups of cells， but TFCC （30， 90， and 270 mg/L） and inhibitor IBTX group did not affect the expression of channel protein content.Conclusion TFCC can promote the opening of BK_Ca channels by promoting the generation of endogenous H₂S， or directly activate BK_Ca channels， thereby playing a role in relaxing cerebral blood vessels. However， TFCC had no significant effect on the expression of BK_Ca channel proteins.

BACKGROUND:Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells play pivotal roles in cell communication and epigenetic regulation due to their low immunogenicity and targeted delivery effects,and have been clinically applied in the treatment of various diseases.OBJECTIVE:To review the isolation,purification,identification methods,and application progress of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes,and to facilitate the development of large-scale preparation techniques and clinical translation of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes.METHODS:The Chinese search terms"exosome,mesenchymal stem cells,isolation,purification,characterization,clinical application"and the English search terms"exosome,extracellular vesicles,mesenchymal stem cells,isolation,characterization,application"were used to search the literature published before September 2024 in CNKI,PubMed,and Web of Science databases.Articles with poor relevance to the topic,outdated,or duplicated content were excluded,and finally,109 articles were included for review.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)This paper reviews recent methods for isolating and purifying exosomes,comparing the characteristics of ultracentrifugation,ultrafiltration,size-exclusion chromatography,polymer precipitation,immunoaffinity,microfluidic methods,and other novel approaches based on their underlying principles.(2)Methods for identifying exosomes can be categorized into physical and biochemical analyses,characterizing exosomes based on their shape,size,and characteristic proteins.(3)Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes have broad applications in multiple fields such as medical aesthetics,wound repair,and cancer treatment,due to their immune-regulatory properties and ability to cross biological barriers.(4)The clinical translation of exosomes faces challenges due to their complex structure,lack of universal isolation techniques,and poor stability,making it difficult to achieve in a short period of time.

BACKGROUND:Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells play pivotal roles in cell communication and epigenetic regulation due to their low immunogenicity and targeted delivery effects,and have been clinically applied in the treatment of various diseases.OBJECTIVE:To review the isolation,purification,identification methods,and application progress of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes,and to facilitate the development of large-scale preparation techniques and clinical translation of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes.METHODS:The Chinese search terms"exosome,mesenchymal stem cells,isolation,purification,characterization,clinical application"and the English search terms"exosome,extracellular vesicles,mesenchymal stem cells,isolation,characterization,application"were used to search the literature published before September 2024 in CNKI,PubMed,and Web of Science databases.Articles with poor relevance to the topic,outdated,or duplicated content were excluded,and finally,109 articles were included for review.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)This paper reviews recent methods for isolating and purifying exosomes,comparing the characteristics of ultracentrifugation,ultrafiltration,size-exclusion chromatography,polymer precipitation,immunoaffinity,microfluidic methods,and other novel approaches based on their underlying principles.(2)Methods for identifying exosomes can be categorized into physical and biochemical analyses,characterizing exosomes based on their shape,size,and characteristic proteins.(3)Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes have broad applications in multiple fields such as medical aesthetics,wound repair,and cancer treatment,due to their immune-regulatory properties and ability to cross biological barriers.(4)The clinical translation of exosomes faces challenges due to their complex structure,lack of universal isolation techniques,and poor stability,making it difficult to achieve in a short period of time.

Background: Malignant vasovagal syncope (VVS) is characterized by cardiac arrest lasting more than 3 seconds during a syncope episode or head-up tilt test (HUTT). We aim to conduct a risk assessment for potential malignant VVS before the HUTT by using economic, simple and convenient demographic data, in order to prevent adverse outcomes for pediatric VVS.Purpose: To explore the correlation between demographic factors and pediatric malignant VVS, and verify the value of these factors in early risk assessment for malignant VVS before HUTT, so as to optimize test safety and reduce adverse events. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 3,734 children who were initially diagnosed with VVS due to unexplained syncope and presyncope. Finally, 122 children who met the diagnostic criteria for malignant VVS were included in the malignant VVS group, and 661 children who did not meet the criteria during the same period were matched as the control group. By analyzing demographic data and other factors, we attempted to clarify the association between these factors and malignant VVS. Results: Linear relationship: age and body mass index (BMI) have independent protective effects on malignant VVS. For every 1-year increase in age and every 1 kg/m2 increase in BMI, the risk of malignant VVS decreases by 12% and 9%, respectively. Nonlinear relationship: When the age is <12.9 years old, for every additional year of age, the risk of malignant VVS decreases by 20%. For ages 12.9 years and above, the efficacy is not significant. There is no significant nonlinear relationship between BMI and malignant VVS. Conclusion Age and BMI are independent protective factors for pediatric malignant VVS. Before the age of 12.9 years, the incidence of malignant VVS gradually decreases with the increase in age, and thereafter there is no significant impact.

BackgroundThe mental health issues of medical staff have received increasing attention. Previous studies have mainly focused on the epidemiological characteristics and influencing factors， but there is a lack of sufficient understanding of the heterogeneity characteristics of the depression-anxiety symptoms network among medical staff. ObjectiveTo compare the differences in the depression-anxiety symptoms network between medical staff and community residents， so as to provide references for the promotion of the mental health of medical staff. MethodsFrom June 1， 2022 to December 31， 2024， a stratified random sampling method was used to recruit 1 959 medical staff from public hospitals and community health centers in 9 townships （industrial parks） of Dongguan City， Guangdong Province， as well as 2 412 community residents in this area， were selected as the research subjects. The general situation questionnaire， Patients' Health Questionnaire Depression Scale-9 item （PHQ-9）， and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 item （GAD-7） were used for investigation. The network visualization was conducted using the qgraph package of R 4.0.0. The centrality indicators of the network were calculated using the networktools package. The reliability of the network structure was evaluated using the bootnet package. The differences in the depression-anxiety symptoms network between medical staff and community residents were compared using the NetworkComparisionTest package. ResultsA total of 1 792 medical staff and 2 110 community residents completed the survey. The numbers of medical staff with mild， moderate and severe depressive symptoms were 381 （21.26%）， 217 （12.11%） and 169 （9.43%）， respectively， while the numbers of community residents were 322 （15.26%）， 98 （4.64%） and 66 （3.13%）， respectively. The numbers of medical staff with mild， moderate and severe anxiety symptoms were 411 （22.94%）， 126 （7.03%） and 93 （5.19%）， respectively， while the numbers of community residents were 320 （15.17%）， 73 （3.46%） and 18 （0.85%）， respectively. The comparison of the detection rates of depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms between the two groups showed statistically significant differences （χ²=152.012， 205.953， P<0.01）. The network analysis results showed that the core symptom clusters of medical staff were "uncontrollable worry" "psychomotor retardation" "inability to relax"， and "depression"， while those of community residents were "uncontrollable worry" "inability to relax" "inferiority complex"， and "depression". There was a statistically significant difference in the network structure between the two groups （M=0.275， P<0.05）， and the overall connection strength of medical staff was lower than that of community residents （7.523 vs. 7.950， S=0.426， P<0.05）. ConclusionThe detection rates of depression and anxiety symptoms among medical staff were higher than those among community residents. The depression-anxiety symptoms network of medical staff was more concentrated， and the core symptoms were more prominent.［Funded by Social Development and Technology Project of Dongguan City （number， 20221800902552）］

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a globally life-threatening disease. Presently, few therapeutic medicines are available for treating IS, and rt-PA is the only drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US. In fact, many agents showing excellent neuroprotection but no blood flow-improving activity in animals have not achieved ideal clinical efficacy, while thrombolytic drugs only improving blood flow without neuroprotection have limited their wider application. To address these challenges and meet the huge unmet clinical need, we have designed and identified a novel compound AAPB with dual effects of neuroprotection and cerebral blood flow improvement. AAPB significantly reduced cerebral infarction and neural function deficit in tMCAO rats, pMCAO rats, and IS rhesus monkeys, as well as displayed exceptional safety profiles and excellent pharmacokinetic properties in rats and dogs. AAPB has now entered phase I of clinical trials fighting IS in China.

Aralia taibaiensi, widely distributed in western China, particularly in the Qinba Mountains, has been utilized as a folk medicine for treating diabetes, gastropathy, rheumatism, and cardiovascular diseases. Saponins from A. taibaiensis (sAT) have demonstrated protective effects against oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction induced by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In vivo, middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) induced inflammatory infiltration, neuronal injury, cell apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress in the ischaemic penumbra, which were effectively mitigated by sAT. sAT increased the mRNA and protein expression levels of apelin and its receptor apelin/apelin receptors (ARs) both in vivo and in vitro. (Ala13)-Apelin-13 (F13A) and small interfering RNA (siRNA) abolished the regulatory effects of sAT on neuroprotection mediated by adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/protein kinase B (Akt). Furthermore, sAT induced apelin/AR expression by simultaneously inhibiting P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (P38 MAPK)/activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) and upregulating hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). Our findings indicate that sAT regulates apelin/AR/AMPK by inhibiting P38 MAPK/ATF4 and upregulating HIF-1a, thereby suppressing oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction.
Animals ; Reperfusion Injury/prevention & control* ; Aralia/chemistry* ; Saponins/administration & dosage* ; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics* ; Male ; Apelin/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Neuroprotective Agents/administration & dosage* ; Brain Ischemia/genetics* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Oxidative Stress/drug effects* ; Apelin Receptors/genetics* ; Humans ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Mice

ObjectiveThis study aims to develop a prediction model for the compatibility of Chinese medicinal pairs based on Graph Convolutional Networks （GCN）， named HC-GCN. The model integrates the properties of herbs with modern pharmacological mechanisms to predict pairs with specific therapeutic effects. It serves as a demonstration by applying the model to predict and validate the efficacy of blood-activating herb pairs. MethodsThe training dataset for herb pair prediction was constructed by systematically collecting commonly used herb pairs along with their characteristic data， including Qi， flavor， meridian tropism， and target genes. Integrating traditional characteristics of herb with modern bioinformatics， we developed an efficacy-oriented herb pair compatibility prediction model （HC-GCN） using graph convolutional networks （GCN）. This model leverages machine learning to capture the complex relationships in herb pair compatibility， weighted by efficacy features. The performance of the HC-GCN model was evaluated using accuracy （ACC）， recall， precision， F1 score （F1）， and area under the ROC curve （AUC）. Its predictive effectiveness was then compared to five other machine learning models： eXtreme Gradient Boosting （XGBoost）， logistic regression （LR）， Naive Bayes， K-nearest neighbor （KNN）， and support vector machine （SVM）. ResultsUsing herb pairs with blood-activating effects as a demonstration， a prediction model was constructed based on a foundational dataset of 46 blood-activating herb pairs， incorporating their Qi， flavor， meridian tropism， and target gene characteristics. The HC-GCN model outperforms other commonly used machine learning models in key performance metrics， including ACC， recall， precision， F1 score， and AUC. Through the predictive analysis of the HC-GCN model， 60 herb pairs with blood-activating effects were successfully identified. Among of these potential herb pairs， 44 include at least one herb with blood-activating effects. ConclusionIn this study， we established an efficacy-oriented compatibility prediction model for herb pairs based on GCN by integrating the unique characteristics of traditional herbs with modern pharmacological mechanisms. This model demonstrated high predictive performance， offering a novel approach for the intelligent screening and optimization of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions， as well as their clinical applications.

Objective To explore the communication preferences for advance care planning(ACP)among elderly hospitalized patients and to provide references for improving the ACP implementation rate.Methods Convenience sampling was used to select elderly hospitalized patients from a tertiary hospital in Wenzhou City between April and November 2023.Face-to-face surveys were conducted using a general data collection form and a self-designed questionnaire on ACP communication preferences.Mixed Logit Model,willingness-to-pay analysis,relative importance analysis,and subgroup analysis were employed to explore preferences.Results 204 questionnaires were distributed and 200 valid questionnaires were recovered,with a valid questionnaire response rate of 98.04％.The Mixed Logit Model analysis indicated that key attributes-communication timing,communication form,family participation in ACP communication,legal validity of ACP documents,and out-of-pocket costs-significantly influenced preferences(P＜0.05).Willingness-to-pay analysis showed that changes in communication timing,communication form,and family participation altered patients' willingness to pay.Relative importance analysis ranked the top 3 attributes as commu-nication timing,communication form,and family participation.Subgroup analysis revealed that gender,education level,and residence location affected preferences(P＜0.05).Conclusion Key attributes of ACP communication affect elderly hospitalized patients' preferences and willingness to pay,with variations across subgroups.Healthcare professionals should develop optimal communication programs based on patient preferences and individual characteristics.

Objective:To analyze the values of platelet transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and SMAD family member 2 (Smad2) in patients′ peripheral platelets for CRC diagnosis and staging.Methods:Retrospective case-control study. Tumor tissues, paratumor tissues and peripheral blood samples were collected from 248 CRC patients (147 males, 101 females; age 21-93 years) diagnosed in the First Hospital of Jilin University from October 10th, 2020, to March 10th, 2025. Peripheral blood samples were also collected from 40 colorectal adenomatous polyp patients (21 males, 19 females; age 22-74 years) and 75 healthy individuals (43 males, 32 females; age 18-81 years) during the same period. Tissue homogenates and platelets were isolated using tissue disruption and gradient centrifugation, respectively. Total RNA was respectively extracted from tissues and platelets, and the expression levels of TGF-β and Smad2 were quantified by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) expressed as relative quantity 2 -ΔΔCt. Differences of TGF-β and Smad2 expression were compared between CRC tissues and adjacent tissues, as well as among CRC patients, polyp patients, and healthy controls. The relationship of platelet TGF-β and Smad2 expression with pathological features includingtumor stage, pathological type, and metastasis were analyzed. The efficiency of platelet TGF-β, Smad2, and their combination in diagnosing CRC was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results:The expression levels of TGF-β and Smad2 in CRC tumor tissues[1.09 (0.45, 2.00), 2.93 (0.78, 6.73)] were significantly higher than those in adjacent tissues[0.81 (0.27, 1.50), 1.29 (0.40, 2.63)] ( Z TGF-β=4.54, Z Smad2=6.67, both P<0.001). The expression levels of TGF-β and Smad2 in platelets of CRC patients[2.73(1.53, 4.38), 3.16 (1.58, 4.38)] were significantly higher than those in the colorectal polyp group[1.23(0.70, 2.54), 1.16(0.78, 2.27)] and the healthy control group[0.96(0.51, 1.88), 0.92 (0.55, 1.88)] ( H TGF-β=59.71, H Smad2=78.74, both P<0.001). Platelet TGF-β expression increased progressively with tumor stage (stage 1-4) ( P<0.05), while platelet Smad2 levels were higher in metastatic CRC compared with non-metastatic cases ( P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) for diagnosing CRC when combining platelet TGF-β and Smad2 was 0.81[95%Confidence interval( CI) 0.77—0.86], which was 0.90 (95% CI 0.86—0.93) if adding serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Conclusion:Platelet TGF-β and Smad2 expression correlates with the diagnosis and staging of CRC, demonstrating potential as liquid biopsy biomarkers for colorectal malignancies.