OBJECTIVE To study the improvement effect and mechanism of Dendrobium officinale on skin damage in mice with xeroderma. METHODS The mice were randomly divided into control group， model group， and D. officinale group， with 5 mice in each group. Except for the control group （which only underwent shaving treatment）， the mice in all other groups were induced to develop a xeroderma model using an acetone-ether mixture for five consecutive days. The mice in D. officinale group were treated with 200 μL of D. officinale suspension （0.2 mg/mL） two hours after the first modeling each day. Mice in the control group and the model group were applied with an equal volume of pure water； once a day， until the end of the modeling process. After last medication， skin lesions and pathological morphology of the mice were observed. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the expressions of Filaggrin， Loricrin and Ki67 proteins in skin tissue of the mice. The core pathways through which D. officinale improves skin damage in xeroderma were screened using 16S rRNA sequencing combined with gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） enrichment analyses， and subsequent validation was conducted. RESULTS Compared with the control group， the mice in the model group exhibited obvious scratching behavior， with a large amount of scale on the skin， excessive epidermal keratinization， and thickened stratum spinosum. The skin scale score， epidermal thickness， and the expression levels of Ki67， Filaggrin， and Loricrin proteins in the skin tissue were significantly increased/elevated （ P ＜0.05）. Compared with model group， the mice in the D. officinale group exhibited reduced scratching behavior and scaling， along with a mitigated degree of skin keratinization. The aforementioned quantitative indicators were significantly decreased/reduced （ P ＜0.05）. The results of core pathway screening revealed that the KEGG pathways involving differentially expressed genes included signaling pathways such as interleukin-17 （IL-17） and tumor necrosis factor （TNF）. Further validation experim ents found that after intervention with D. officinale ， mRNA expression of downstream effector molecules CCN1， Hbegf， Tnfrsf12a， and Thbs1 genes in skin tissues were all significantly reduced （ P ＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS D. officinale can repair skin damage in mice with xeroderma， and its mechanism of action is related to restoring the balance of proliferation and differentiation in keratinocytes and down-regulating the mRNA expressions of CCN1， Hbegf， Tnfrsf12a， and Thbs1.

Cardiovascular diseases and psychological disorders represent two major threats to human physical and mental health. Research on electrocardiogram (ECG) signals offers valuable opportunities to address these issues. However, existing methods are constrained by limitations in understanding ECG features and transferring knowledge across tasks. To address these challenges, this study developed a multi-resolution feature encoding network based on residual networks, which effectively extracted local morphological features and global rhythm features of ECG signals, thereby enhancing feature representation. Furthermore, a model compression-based continual learning method was proposed, enabling the structured transfer of knowledge from simpler tasks to more complex ones, resulting in improved performance in downstream tasks. The multi-resolution learning model demonstrated superior or comparable performance to state-of-the-art algorithms across five datasets, including tasks such as ECG QRS complex detection, arrhythmia classification, and emotion classification. The continual learning method achieved significant improvements over conventional training approaches in cross-domain, cross-task, and incremental data scenarios. These results highlight the potential of the proposed method for effective cross-task knowledge transfer in ECG analysis and offer a new perspective for multi-task learning using ECG signals.
Humans ; Electrocardiography/methods* ; Mental Health ; Algorithms ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Machine Learning ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac/diagnosis* ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Mental Disorders

Drug delivery technologies are crucial components in drug development, greatly enhancing drug bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy and reducing toxic side effects. Cell membrane-based biomimetic carriers have attracted considerable interest owing to their intrinsic biointeractive capability derived from source cells in vivo. This review summarizes the fundamental properties and functional attributes of cell membrane–based biomimetic carriers from different cellular sources and discusses their advancements in tumor-targeted drug delivery and role in the activation of antitumor immunity. Ultimately, the discussion focuses on the prospects and potential challenges in employing cell membrane-based biomimetic carriers for antitumor treatment.

Background and aims:Studies indicate that the gut microbiota and its metabolites are involved in the progression of cardiovascular diseases,and enterohepatic circulation plays an important role in this progression.This study aims to identify potential probiotics for the treatment of unstable angina(UA)and elucidate their mechanisms of action.Methods:Initially,the gut microbiota from patients with UA and control was analyzed.To directly assess the effects of Bifidobacterium supplementation,10 patients with UA were enrolled and administered Bifidobacterium(630 mg per intake twice a day for 1 month).The fecal metagenome,serum trimethyl-amine N-oxide(TMAO)levels,and other laboratory parameters were evaluated before and after Bifido-bacterium supplementation.Results:After supplementing with Bifidobacterium for 1 month,there were statistically significant dif-ferences(P＜0.05)in TMAO,aspartate aminotransferase,total cholesterol,and low-density lipoprotein compared to before.Additionally,the abundance of Bifidobacterium longum increased significantly,although the overall abundance of Bifidobacterium did not reach statistical significance.The gut micro-biota,metabolites,and gut-liver axis are involved in the progression of UA,and potential mechanisms should be further studied.Conclusions:Metagenomic analysis demonstrated a reduced abundance of Bifidobacterium in patients with UA.Supplementation with Bifidobacterium restored gut dysbiosis and decreased circulating TMAO levels in patients with UA.This study provides evidence that Bifidobacterium may exert cardiovascular-protective effects through the gut-liver-heart axis.

Objective:To summarize the clinical, pathological and molecular characteristics of various types of pediatric glioma, and to explore the differences in the morphology and clinical significance among various types of pediatric glioma.Methods:Based on the fifth edition of the World Health Organization classification of central nervous system tumors, this study classified or reclassified 111 pediatric gliomas that were diagnosed at Guangzhou Medical University Affiliated Women and Children′s Medical Center from January 2020 to June 2023. The clinical manifestations, imaging findings, histopathology, and molecular characteristics of these tumors were analyzed. Relevant literature was also reviewed.Results:The 111 patients with pediatric glioma included 56 males and 55 females, with the age ranging from 10 days to 13 years (average age, 5.5 years). Clinically, manifestations presented from 5 days to 8 years before the diagnosis, including epilepsy in 16 cases, increased intracranial pressure in 48 cases and neurological impairment in 66 cases. MRI examinations revealed tumor locations as supratentorial in 43 cases, infratentorial in 65 cases, and spinal cord in 3 cases. There were 73 cases presented with a solid mass and 38 cases with cystic-solid lesions. The largest tumor diameter ranged from 1.4 to 10.6 cm. Among the 111 pediatric gliomas, there were 6 cases of pediatric diffuse low-grade glioma (pDLGG), 63 cases of circumscribed astrocytoma glioma (CAG), and 42 cases of pediatric diffuse high-grade glioma (pDHGG). Patients with pDLGG and CAG were younger than those with pDHGG. The incidence of pDLGG and CAG was significantly lower in the midline of the infratentorial region compared to that of pDHGG. They were more likely to be completely resected surgically. The pDLGG and CAG group included 4 cases of pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, showing histological features of high-grade gliomas. Among the high-grade gliomas, 13 cases were diffuse midline gliomas and also showed histological features of low-grade glioma. Immunohistochemical studies of H3K27M, H3K27ME3, p53, ATRX, BRAF V600E, and Ki-67 showed significant differences between the pDLGG and CAG group versus the pDHGG group ( P<0.01). Molecular testing revealed that common molecular variations in the pDLGG and CAG group were KIAA1549-BRAF fusion and BRAF V600E mutation, while the pDHGG group frequently exhibited mutations in HIST1H3B and H3F3A genes, 1q amplification, and TP53 gene mutations. With integrated molecular testing, 2 pathological diagnoses were revised, and the pathological subtypes of 35.3% (12/34) of the pediatric gliomas that could not be reliably classified by histology were successfully classified. Conclusions:There are significant differences in clinical manifestations, pathological characteristics, molecular variations, and prognosis between the pDLGG, CAG and pDHGG groups. The integrated diagnosis combining histology and molecular features is of great importance for the accurate diagnosis and treatment of pediatric gliomas.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition. Natural products have gained traction in AD treatment due to their accessibility, low toxicity, and favorable pharmacological properties. However, their application is primarily constrained by poor solubility, instability, and limited permeability. The transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) offers potential solutions for transdermal delivery, enhanced penetration, improved efficacy, and reduced toxicity of natural drugs, aligning with the requirements of modern AD treatment. This review examines the application of hydrogels, microneedles (MNs), liposomes, nanoemulsions, and other TDDS-carrying natural products in AD treatment, with a primary focus on their effects on penetration and accumulation in the skin. The aim is to provide valuable insights into the treatment of AD and other dermatological conditions.
Animals ; Humans ; Administration, Cutaneous ; Biological Products/pharmacokinetics* ; Dermatitis, Atopic/drug therapy* ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Hydrogels/chemistry* ; Skin/metabolism* ; Skin Absorption

OBJECTIVE To explore the improvement effect of rape pollen on androgenic alopecia mice and its mechanism. METHODS The blank group, model group, positive drug group and administration group were set up, the androgenic alopecia mice model was induced by applying 0.2% testosterone after hair removal. The hair growth rate of mice were observed by using 5% minoxidil as positive drug and 0.4 g·mL-1 rape pollen oil solution as administration group. The hair quality and follicle condition of mice were observed by scanning electron microscope(SEM) and HE staining of skin tissue, respectively. The level of VEGF and bFGF in skin were detected by immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting, while the level of serum sex hormones and reactive oxygen species were detected by ELISA. RESULTS Rape pollen could significantly promote the hair growth in mice and improve the state of mice hair scales compared with model group. Mechanism exploration experiments showed that rape pollen could not promote hair regeneration of mice by regulating hormone levels or anti-oxidative stress. However, rape pollen could increase the expression of bFGF and VEGF related to skin angiogenesis at the modeling site. CONCLUSION Rape pollen can promote hair regeneration in androgenic alopecia mice. Its mechanism may be that it promotes perifollicular vascular regeneration by increasing bFGF and VEGF level.

The clinical translation of stem cells and their extracellular vesicles (EVs)-based therapy for central nervous system (CNS) diseases is booming. Nevertheless, the insufficient CNS delivery and retention together with the invasiveness of current administration routes prevent stem cells or EVs from fully exerting their clinical therapeutic potential. Intranasal (IN) delivery is a possible strategy to solve problems as IN route could circumvent the brain‒blood barrier non-invasively and fit repeated dosage regimens. Herein, we gave an overview of studies and clinical trials involved with IN route and discussed the possibility of employing IN delivery to solve problems in stem cells or EVs-based therapy. We reviewed relevant researches that combining stem cells or EVs-based therapy with IN administration and analyzed benefits brought by IN route. Finally, we proposed possible suggestions to facilitate the development of IN delivery of stem cells or EVs.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of a SARS-CoV-2 recombinant protein vaccine as a booster dose.Methods:A new immunogen, namely RBD-sc-trimer, was designed by tandem repeating of single receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein to mimic the trimeric form of RBD presented by the virus. The RBD-sc-trimer protein was expressed as a His-tagged fusion protein using a baculovirus expression system and purified by nickel affinity column. The purified protein was identified by Western blot. Its in vitro binding activity to human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) was analyzed by ELISA. The immunogenicity of RBD-sc-trimer as well as RBD proteins of other forms including RBD dimer (RBD-Fc), RBD monomer (RBD) and S protein trimer (S trimer) as a booster dose was evaluated in BALB/c mice. Results:In terms of both binding and neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, RBD-sc-trimer showed an immunogenicity that was superior to that of RBD-Fc and RBD and close to the level of S trimer. The antibody response induced by RBD-sc-trimer was characterized as Th1-biased. Moreover, it displayed a stronger cross-neutralization activity against SARS-CoV-2 Beta, Delta and Omicron variants. The titer of neutralizing antibody against Omicron induced by RBD-sc-trimer only decreased by 9.1 folds relative to the prototype strain, while the antibody response induced by RBD-Fc and S trimer decreased by 68.4 and 70.8 folds, respectively.Conclusions:The recombinant protein, RBD-sc-trimer, which was capable of eliciting stronger humoral response in mice as a booster dose and showed the superiority in raising cross-reactive antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants over non-trimeric RBD forms, should be considered as an optimal immunogen for the development of more effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.