Currently, the drug delivery system (DDS) based on nanomaterials has become a hot interdisciplinary research topic. One of the core issues is drug loading and controlled release, in which the key lever is carriers. Vaterite, as an inorganic porous nano-material, is one metastable structure of calcium carbonate, full of micro or nano porous. Recently, vaterite has attracted more and more attention, due to its significant advantages, such as rich resources, easy preparations, low cost, simple loading procedures, good biocompatibility and many other good points. Vaterite, gained from suitable preparation strategies, can not only possess the good drug carrying performance, like high loading capacity and stable loading efficiency, but also improve the drug release ability, showing the better drug delivery effects, such as targeting release, pH sensitive release, photothermal controlled release, magnetic assistant release, optothermal controlled release. At the same time, the vaterite carriers, with good safety itself, can protect proteins, enzymes, or other drugs from degradation or inactivation, help imaging or visualization with loading fluorescent drugs in vitro and in vivo, and play synergistic effects with other therapy approaches, like photodynamic therapy, sonodynamic therapy, and thermochemotherapy. Latterly, some renewed reports in drug loading and controlled release have led to their widespread applications in diverse fields, from cell level to clinical studies. This review introduces the basic characteristics of vaterite and briefly summarizes its research history, followed by synthesis strategies. We subsequently highlight recent developments in drug loading and controlled release, with an emphasis on the advantages, quantity capacity, and comparations. Furthermore, new opportunities for using vaterite in cell level and animal level are detailed. Finally, the possible problems and development trends are discussed.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of zedoarondiol on neovascularization of atherosclerotic (AS) plaque by exosomes experiment. METHODS: ApoE^-/- mice were fed with high-fat diet to establish AS model and treated with high- and low-dose (10, 5 mg/kg daily) of zedoarondiol, respectively. After 14 weeks, the expressions of anti-angiogenic protein thrombospondin 1 (THBS-1) and its receptor CD36 in plaques, as well as platelet activation rate and exosome-derived miR-let-7a were detected. Then, zedoarondiol was used to intervene in platelets in vitro, and miR-let-7a was detected in platelet-derived exosomes (Pexo). Finally, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were transfected with miR-let-7a mimics and treated with Pexo to observe the effect of miR-let-7a in Pexo on tube formation. RESULTS: Animal experiments showed that after treating with zedoarondiol, the neovascularization density in plaques of AS mice was significantly reduced, THBS-1 and CD36 increased, the platelet activation rate was markedly reduced, and the miR-let-7a level in Pexo was reduced (P<0.01). In vitro experiments, the platelet activation rate and miR-let-7a levels in Pexo were significantly reduced after zedoarondiol's intervention. Cell experiments showed that after Pexo's intervention, the tube length increased, and the transfection of miR-let-7a minics further increased the tube length of cells, while reducing the expressions of THBS-1 and CD36. CONCLUSION Zedoarondiol has the effect of inhibiting neovascularization within plaque in AS mice, and its mechanism may be potentially related to inhibiting platelet activation and reducing the Pexo-derived miRNA-let-7a level.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; Exosomes/drug effects* ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic/genetics* ; Neovascularization, Pathologic/genetics* ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Humans ; Blood Platelets/drug effects* ; Apolipoproteins E/deficiency* ; Thrombospondin 1/metabolism* ; CD36 Antigens/metabolism* ; Platelet Activation/drug effects* ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To explore the influential factors and predictive value of early femoral head collapse progression following allogeneic fibula grafting(AFG)surgery.Methods Clinical and radiological data of 68 patients(75 hips)with osteonecrosis of the femoral head(ONFH)who underwent AFG between January 2008 and December 2022 at the Orthopedics and Traumatology Department,Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine were retrospectively analyzed.Seventy-five hips were divided into stable(n=40)and progressive(n=35)groups based on the presence or absence of postoperative collapse progression.Age,gender,etiology,location of the lesion,Association Research Circulation Osseous(ARCO)stage,Japanese Committee of Osteonecrosis Investigation(JIC)classification,China-Japan Friendship Hospital(CJFH)classification,and Hounsfield units(HU)value of anterolateral sclerosis rim(ⅠSHU)were collected.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the factors influencing early collapse progression after AFG.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the predictive value of the identified factors influencing postoperative early collapse progression.Results Of the 75 hips,35(46.7%)had postoperative collapse progression.Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that age,ARCO stage,JIC classification,and ⅠSHU were in fluencing factors for early femoral head collapse progression after AFG(P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that ARCO stage ⅢA and JIC classification C2 were independent risk factors for early femoral head collapse progression after AFG,while ⅠSHU was identified as an independent protective factor(P<0.05).The ROC curve analysis showed that the sensitivities of ARCO stage,JIC classification,ⅠSHU,and the combined predictive model were 0.850,0.725,0.800,and 0.775,the specificities were 0.486,0.657,0.743,and 0.914,and the area under the ROC curve(AUC)were 0.668,0.725,0.811,and 0.896,respectively.Conclusions ⅠSHU is associated with early collapse progression after AFG in patients with ONFH.ARCO stage ⅢA,JIC classification C2,and ⅠSHU are independent factors influencing postoperative early collapse progression and have a certain predictive value.

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy of natural orifice specimen extraction surgery(NOSES)combined with enhanced recovery after surgery(ERAS)and conventional laparoscopic surgery in treatment of rectal cancer patients.Methods A hundred patients with rectal cancer in the Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery,the 940th Hospital of Joint Logistics Support Force of PLA were selected as the research objects from January 2019 to December 2021,including 49 cases treated with NOSES combined with ERAS were set as the observation group,and 51 cases treated with conventional laparoscopic surgery of rectal cancer were set as the control group.Postoperative C-reactive protein(CRP),procalcitonin(PCT),interleukin-6(IL-6),white blood cell count(WBC),percentage of neutrophil(NEUT),K+ concentration,postoperative peristalsis recovery time,first time out-of-bed activity,first liquid feeding time,removal time of urinary,and drainage tubes,hospital stay and intraoperative blood loss,number of lymph node detection,positive margin rate,incidence of complications,and pain score were compared between the two groups.Results The observation group showed significant lower postoperative CRP,PCT,IL-6 levels when compared with control group(P<0.05),while no significant difference in K+ concentration between the two groups(P>0.05).The recovery time of intestinal peristalsis,the time of the first out-of-bed activity,the first liquid feeding time,the time of removal of the urinary tube and the drainage tube,and the number of days of hospitalization in observation group were all superior to the control group(P<0.05).The observation group with the duration of surgery was longer than the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).There were no significant differences in intraoperative bleeding,number of lymph nodes detected and positive rate of resection margins between the two groups(P>0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups(4.1%vs.7.8%,P>0.05).The observation group showed significant lower pain scores than control group on the 1st,2nd and 3rd day after surgery(P<0.05).Conclusions NOSES combined with ERAS in treatment of rectal cancer patients is safe and feasible,can narrow the surgical incision,alleviate stress response and postoperative pain,improve postoperative efficacy and reduce the occurrence of complications,so is worthy of promotion and application.

Objective To explore the potential influencing factors of post-operative healthcare-associated infection(HAI)in colorectal cancer patients,as well as the mediating effect relationship between the influencing factors and the diagnosis-intervention packet(DIP)payment differentials.Methods Medical data of patients who underwent colorectal cancer surgery in a tertiary first-class cancer hospital in Guangzhou were retrospectively analyzed.According to HAI status,patients were divided into infection group and non-infection group.Baseline demographic information and differences in DIP payment differentials between two groups of patients were compared by rank sum test or chi-square test.The influence of each potential factor on the occurrence of HAI was analyzed by logistic re-gression.Mediating analysis was preformed by bootstrap method,and mediating effect of HAI and total hospitaliza-tion days on DIP payment differentials was evaluated.Results A total of 350 patients were included in analysis,50 were in the infection group and 300 in the non-infection group.The incidence of HAI was 14.29％.Logistic regres-sion analysis result showed that risk of HAI in patients with central venous catheterization ≥10.00 days was 13.558 times higher than that＜10.00 days(P＜0.001);risk of HAI in patients with urinary catheterization ≥3.00 days was 2.388 times higher than that＜3.00 days(P=0.022).There were all statistically significant differences in DIP payment differentials among patients with different ages,prognostic nutritional index(PNI),HAI status,total length of hospitalization stay,duration of surgery,central venous catheterization days,and catheterization days(all P＜0.05).The mediating analysis results showed that the occurrence of HAI resulted a change in DIP payment di-fferentials by affecting the total number of hospitalization days.The mediating effect value of total hospitalization days was 0.038,accounting for 35.68％of the total effect.Conclusion Medical institutions should pay attention to HAI resulting from prolonged central venous and urinary catheterization in patients underwent surgery for colorectal cancer,reducing the total length of hospital stay,thus reducing the overruns associated with the increased DIP pay-ment differentials.

Objective To understand the respiratory protection competency of staff in hospitals.Methods Staff from six hospitals of different levels and characteristics in Beijing were selected,including doctors,nurses,medical technicians,and servicers,to conduct knowledge assessment on respiratory protection competency.According to exposure risks of respiratory infectious diseases,based on actual cases and daily work scenarios,content of respira-tory protection competency assessment was designed from three aspects:identification of respiratory infectious di-seases,transmission routes and corresponding protection requirements,as well as correct selection and use of masks.The assessment included 6,6,and 8 knowledge points respectively,with 20 knowledge points in total,all of which were choice questions.For multiple-choice questions,full marks,partial marks,and no mark were given respective-ly if all options were correct,partial options were correct and without incorrect options,and partial options were correct but with incorrect options.Difficulty and discrimination analyses on question of each knowledge point was conducted based on classical test theory.Results The respiratory protection competency knowledge assessment for 326 staff members at different risk levels in 6 hospitals showed that concerning the 20 knowledge points,more than 60％participants got full marks for 6 points,while the proportion of full marks for other questions was relatively low.Less than 10％participants got full marks for the following 5 knowledge points:types of airborne diseases,types of droplet-borne diseases,conventional measures for the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infec-tion with respiratory infectious diseases,indications for wearing respirators,and indications for wearing medical protective masks.Among the 20 knowledge questions,5,1,and 14 questions were relatively easy,medium,and difficult,respectively;6,1,4,and 9 questions were with discrimination levels of ≥0.4,0.30-0.39,0.20-0.29,and ≤0.19,respectively.Conclusion There is still much room for hospital staff to improve their respiratory protection competency,especially in the recognition of diseases with different transmission routes and the indications for wearing different types of masks.

Through a compound induction method, combined with neurobehavioral, macroscopic characterization and objective pathological evaluation indicators, a murine depression model of liver depression transforming into fire syndrome was constructed and confirmed. The model was constructed using a combination of sleep deprivation, light exposure, and alternate-day food deprivation. Evaluation was conducted at three levels: face validity, constructs validity, and predictive validity. The establishment of the liver depression transforming into fire syndrome depression model was further validated through the counterproof of traditional Chinese medicine formulas. In terms of face validity, compared to the control group, mice in the model group exhibited typical depressive symptoms in neurobehavioral assessments; the general observation of the model group mice reveals disheveled and lackluster fur, along with delayed and easily agitated responses. Additionally, there is a substantial increase in water consumption. In the sleep phase detection of mouse, the model group showed a significant increase in the proportion of time spent in the wake phase during sleep, accompanied by a significant decrease in the proportions of time spent in both non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep phases. There are significant differences in physiological indicators such as average blood flow velocity, blood flow rate, tongue, urine, and claw color (r values) in the internal carotid artery. Structural validity demonstrated that levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine (DA), and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the hippocampus of model mice decreased significantly, while acetylcholine (ACh), tryptophan (Try), and glutamic acid (Glu) levels increased significantly. Treatment with Danzhi Xiaoyao San led to varying degrees of restoration in the aforementioned neurotransmitters. In terms of predictive validity, the antidepressant paroxetine effectively ameliorated depressive behaviors in the model mice, and the classic formula Danzhi Xiaoyao San demonstrated varying degrees of improvement in depression-related indicators. In conclusion, this study has established a novel animal model of liver-stagnation with the fire depression, thereby expanding the repertoire of traditional Chinese medicine depression models. This development contributes to the diversification of melancholic syndrome models in Chinese medicine, offering a broader spectrum of options for scientific exploration, efficacy evaluation, and drug screening in the future prevention and treatment of depression with traditional Chinese medicine. Animal experiments were conducted with the approval and supervision of the Animal Ethics Committee of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ethics number: 20230313040).

Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides in the continuation treatment of mild and moderate depression.Methods An open,single-arm,multi-center design was adopted in our study.Adult patients with mild and moderate depression who had received acute treatment of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides were enrolled and continue to receive Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides capsules for 24 weeks,the dose remained unchanged during continuation treatment.The remission rate,recurrence rate,recurrence time,and the change from baseline to endpoint of Hamilton Depression Scale(HAMD),Hamilton Anxiety Scale(HAMA),Clinical Global Impression-Severity(CGI-S)and Arizona Sexual Experience Scale(ASEX)were evaluated.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was reported.Results The scores of HAMD-17 at baseline and after treatment were 6.60±1.87 and 5.85±4.18,scores of HAMA were 6.36±3.02 and 4.93±3.09,scores of CGI-S were 1.49±0.56 and 1.29±0.81,scores of ASEX were 15.92±4.72 and 15.57±5.26,with significant difference(P＜0.05).After continuation treatment,the remission rate was 54.59％(202 cases/370 cases),and the recurrence rate was 6.49％(24 cases/370 cases),the recurrence time was(64.67±42.47)days.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events was 15.35％(64 cases/417 cases).Conclusion Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides capsules can be effectively used for the continuation treatment of mild and moderate depression,and are well tolerated and safe.