Sarcopenia is a syndrome with clinical manifestations of gradual decline in muscle mass and function. It mostly occurs in the elderly population, which can lead to weight loss and muscle strength weakening, resulting in difficulties in daily activities and seriously affecting the quality of life of patients. In recent years, the relationship between sarcopenia and cardiovascular metabolic diseases has received extensive attention. Studies have shown that sarcopenia is closely related to cardiovascular metabolic diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus, and interacts with each other through insulin resistance, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation and other mechanisms. This paper reviews the research progress on sarcopenia and cardiovascular metabolic diseases in the elderly in recent years, focusing on the relationship between sarcopenia and cardiovascular metabolic diseases, aiming to provide new ideas for clinical prevention and treatment of sarcopenia.

ObjectiveTo establish a mouse model of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) through intermittent hypoxia induction, and to develop a comprehensive and reliable evaluation system for the HPH model, thereby providing experimental evidence for mechanistic studies and translational applications related to this disease. MethodsTwenty-four male specific pathogen-free (SPF) BALB/c mice were randomly divided into a control group and a model group, with 12 mice per group. Mice in the model group were placed in a hypobaric oxygen chamber control system to establish the HPH model, whereas mice in the control group received no intervention. After 28 days of modeling, a comprehensive evaluation of the pathophysiological characteristics of both groups was performed using a general condition scoring scale, echocardiography, hemodynamic measurements, blood gas analysis, hematological tests, organ coefficient determination, histopathological examination, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In addition, correlation analyses were conducted among echocardiographic parameters, the contents of endothelin‑1 (ET‑1) and N‑terminal pro‑B‑type natriuretic peptide (NT‑proBNP) in lung tissue, and other measured indices. ResultsWith prolonged modeling duration time, body weight, water intake, and activity level of mice in the model group were significantly decreased compared with the control group (P<0.05). Echocardiography showed that, compared with the control group, the model group exhibited increased right ventricular dimensions (P<0.01), right ventricular anterior wall thickening (P<0.01), and widened main pulmonary artery diameter (P<0.01), whereas the peak systolic velocity across the pulmonary valve, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, and peak systolic velocity of the tricuspid annulus were significantly decreased (P<0.001); tricuspid regurgitation was observed in some model animals. Hemodynamic results revealed that right ventricular systolic pressure was elevated in the model group compared with the control group (P<0.001). Blood gas analysis showed that pH, partial pressure of oxygen, oxygen saturation, actual bicarbonate, and total carbon dioxide were all decreased in the model group compared with the control group (P<0.01). Hematological indices demonstrated that lymphocyte counts (P<0.05) and reticulocyte counts (P<0.001) were decreased in the model group compared with the control group. Compared with the control group, the organ coefficients of heart and lung in the model group were significantly increased (P<0.05 and P<0.001). Pathological examination revealed that the right ventricular hypertrophy index was significantly increased in the model group (P<0.001), with varying degrees of damage to the right ventricle, pulmonary artery, and pulmonary vessels; both the pulmonary artery wall thickness percentage and the pulmonary wall area percentage were significantly elevated (P<0.001). ELISA results showed that the levels of ET‑1 and NT‑proBNP in lung tissues were significantly increased in the model group compared with the control group (P<0.05 and P<0.001, respectively). Correlation analysis indicated that some echocardiographic parameters were highly correlated with multiple indices in the development of HPH (P<0.05). ConclusionEchocardiography can accurately assess a series of hemodynamic changes in HPH, including right ventricular structural, functional impairment, and pulmonary hypertension. Laboratory tests not only help verify whether the model has been successfully established, but also provide deeper insights into the pathogenesis of HPH, evaluate the effects of interventions, and offer scientific evidence for clinical outcomes. Pathological examination can further confirm the alterations in pulmonary vascular remodeling and increased right heart load. This multimodal analysis provides a reliable animal model and evaluation paradigm for both basic and translational research on HPH, and is of great significance for exploring disease mechanisms and developing precision therapeutic strategies.

ObjectiveTo establish three standardized rehabilitation unit models covering acute, critical and comprehensive recovery stages for traumatic brain injury (TBI) that fit the whole-course characteristics, clarify their multidisciplinary collaborative framework, standardized procedures, and information management system, and verify the clinical effectiveness of this staged rehabilitation unit on long-term functional prognosis and in-hospital complications of TBI patients. MethodsThis study was conducted at two stages: model construction and efficacy verification. At the first stage, TBI rehabilitation units for acute, critical and recovery stages were established in the Department of Neurosurgery, Intensive Care Unit and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, respectively, with unified multidisciplinary team configuration, standardized assessment and treatment protocols, collaborative workflows, and a dedicated information management system. At the second stage, 324 TBI patients admitted to the newly built rehabilitation units from July, 2023 to July, 2025 were enrolled as the observation group, and 167 TBI patients receiving traditional management from January, 2018 to December, 2022 were retrospectively selected as the control group. The primary outcomes were 1-year post-injury Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) and Disability Rating Scale (DRS) scores. Secondary outcomes included the incidence of in-hospital complications and the mean indwelling time of tracheal intubation, gastric tube and urinary catheter. ResultsThe 1-year GOS score was significantly higher (t = -7.836, P < 0.001), and the DRS score was significantly lower (t = -6.742, P < 0.001) in the observation group than in the control group. The overall incidence of complications was significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group (χ² = 18.762, P < 0.001). The incidences of pulmonary infection, urinary tract infection, pressure ulcer, lower extremity venous thrombosis and joint contracture deformity were all significantly reduced (χ² > 4.328, P < 0.05). The indwelling time of tracheal intubation, gastric tube and urinary catheter was significantly shorter in the observation group than in the control group (t > 10.276, P < 0.001). ConclusionThe acute-critical-comprehensive three-stage standardized TBI rehabilitation unit could significantly improve the long-term functional outcomes of TBI patients, reduce the incidence of complications, and shorten the indwelling time of invasive tubes through multidisciplinary collaboration, whole-course standardized management and information-based quality control. This model conforms to the pathological and functional laws of TBI, realizes seamless whole-course connection from acute treatment to recovery rehabilitation, and has good clinical feasibility and promotion value. It can provide evidence-based evidence and practical reference for the homogenized and standardized development of TBI rehabilitation in China.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which aerobic exercise improves hippocampal neuroinflammation and learning and memory ability in brain-aged mice via interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7). MethodsA total of 60 male specific pathogen-free (SPF) C57BL/6J mice were enrolled in the experiment, including 30 young mice (2 months old) and 30 naturally aging mice (12 months old). Young mice and old mice were respectively randomly assigned to four groups: young control group (group C, n=15), young exercise group (group CE, n=15), and aging control group (group A, n=15), aging exercise group (group AE, n=15). Mice in the exercise groups received an 8-week continuous treadmill aerobic exercise intervention, while control mice were kept under routine feeding without exercise intervention. After the intervention, Barnes maze and Y-maze behavioral tests were performed to comprehensively assess the learning and memory abilities of each group of mice. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the ultrastructural morphological changes of hippocampal synapses. Western blot assay was utilized to detect the protein expression and phosphorylation levels of Janus kinase 1 (JAK1), signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), as well as the expression of postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95). Immunofluorescence staining was applied to quantify the fluorescence intensity of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (IBA1) in hippocampal tissues. The expression levels of inflammatory cytokines including interferon-α (IFN-α), interferon-β (IFN-β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to detect the mRNA expression level of IRF7, and DNA methylation assay was further conducted to analyze the methylation level of the IRF7 gene in mouse hippocampus. ResultsAt the molecular level, compared with group C, the protein expression levels of JAK1, STAT1, p‑JAK1, and p‑STAT1 in group A were significantly increased (P<0.05), whereas PSD95 expression was decreased (P<0.05). ELISA assays showed that the levels of IFN‑α, IFN‑β, TNF‑α, and IL‑1β were significantly elevated in group A (P<0.001). RT‑PCR analysis revealed that, compared with group C, the mRNA expression of IRF7 in group A was markedly upregulated (P<0.000 1), while the CpG methylation rate of the IRF7 promoter was significantly reduced (P<0.05). In contrast, all the above parameters in the AE group showed improvements relative to those in group A. Immunofluorescence staining indicated positive IBA1 expression in the brain tissues of group A mice. Exercise intervention reversed these abnormal changes. ConclusionIn aged mice, aerobic exercise induces hypermethylation of the IRF7 promoter region, suppresses IRF7 expression and activation of the downstream IFN‑I/JAK1/STAT1 signaling pathway, accompanied by alleviated neuroinflammation, improved learning and memory, and ameliorated brain aging-related phenotypes.

Aim To explore the potential mechanisms underlying therapeutic effects of cordycepin in asthma by utilizing network pharmacology,molecular docking,and in vitro cellular validation.Methods The thera-peutic targets associated with asthma and the drug tar-gets of cordycepin were systematically identified through comprehensive database searches.An overlap analysis of the two gene sets was performed,followed by the construction of a protein-protein interaction(PPI)network and topological analysis to identify the core targets.The core targets were subjected to Kyoto Ency-clopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway a-nalysis and Gene Ontology(GO)enrichment analysis,and a drug-target-pathway network was constructed.To validate the interaction between cordycepin and core targets,molecular docking and molecular dynamics sim-ulations were conducted.Subsequently,the pharmaco-logical effects and underlying mechanisms of cordyce-pin were validated in vitro using Beas-2B cells,emplo-ying Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK-8)assay and quantita-tive real-time reverse transcription PCR(RT-qPCR).Results A total of 438 potential targets of cordycepin were identified,113 of which overlapped with asthma-related therapeutic targets.Topological analysis based on the PPI network revealed 22 core targets.Using KEGG enrichment analysis,165 significantly enriched pathways were identified,including the TNF and HIF-1 signaling pathways.Molecular docking analysis re-vealed high binding affinities between cordycepin and select core targets,which further corroborated by mo-lecular dynamics simulations.In vitro experiments showed that after cordycepin pretreatment,the upregu-lation of MAPK1,HIF1A,MTOR,MYC,IL10,and JUN mRNA was significantly rescued in HDM-stimulated Beas-2B cells.Conclusions Cordycepin exerts anti-asthmatic effects by targeting MAPK1 and other key molecules,thereby providing a scientific foundation for its further development and clinical application.

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction disease caused by a dysregulated host response to infection.It has com-plex pathophysiological changes,and in severe cases,it can rap-idly develop into septic shock and multiple organ dysfunction or multiple organ failure.At present,the pathological mechanism of sepsis and its induced organ dysfunction is complex and the in-fluencing factors are numerous.So far,there is still a lack of specific and effective treatment strategies.RNA modify-N6-methyladenosine(m6 A)is one of the most common post-tran-scriptional modifications on eukaryotic RNAs.It is involved in the regulation of the occurrence and development of a variety of inflammatory diseases,including sepsis,and even multiple organ dysfunction induced by sepsis by affecting the metabolism of RNAs.It includes cardiac dysfunction,acute lung injury(ALI)and acute kidney injury(AKI).Therefore,this article will dis-cuss the effect of m6A modification on the function of immune cells,and its important role in sepsis and its induced multiple or-gan dysfunction diseases by regulating inflammatory signals,py-roptosis,mitochondrial damage and ferroptosis.This will provide new therapeutic targets and strategies for the clinical prevention and treatment of sepsis and its induced multiple organ dysfunc-tion diseases.

OBJECTIVE: Lipid oxidation is involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and may be contribute to the development of Ischemic stroke (IS). However, the lipid profiles associated with IS have been poorly studied. We conducted a pilot study to identify potential IS-related lipid molecules and pathways using lipidomic profiling. METHODS: Serum lipidomic profiling was performed using LC-MS in 20 patients with IS and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Univariate and multivariate analyses were simultaneously performed to identify the differential lipids. Multiple testing was controlled for using a false discovery rate (FDR) approach. Enrichment analysis was performed using MetaboAnalyst software. RESULTS: Based on the 294 lipids assayed, principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) models were used to distinguish patients with IS from healthy controls. Fifty-six differential lipids were identified with an FDR-adjusted P less than 0.05 and variable influences in projection (VIP) greater than 1.0. These lipids were significantly enriched in glycerophospholipid metabolism (FDR-adjusted P = 0.009, impact score = 0.216). CONCLUSIONS Serum lipid profiles differed significantly between patients with IS and healthy controls. Thus, glycerophospholipid metabolism may be involved in the development of IS. These results provide initial evidence that lipid molecules and their related metabolites may serve as new biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for IS.
Humans ; Pilot Projects ; Lipidomics ; Male ; Female ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Middle Aged ; Ischemic Stroke/blood* ; Aged ; China ; Lipids/blood* ; Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; East Asian People

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

Objectives:To investigate the impact of the Micra AV leadless pacemaker on cardiac function.Methods:A total of 76 patients who received the implantation of Micra AV leadless pacemaker due to sick sinus syndrome or atrioventricular block at Ruijin Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from September 2022 to April 2023 were included in this study.Among them,26 patients(34.2%)had sick sinus syndrome,and 50 patients(65.8%)had atrioventricular block.The patients were followed up for 1 year postoperatively.Cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography,and the parameters of the pacemaker were collected through the outpatient clinic programming system.Results:After a follow-up of 120(87,181)days,compared with the preoperative state,the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)decreased postoperatively([66.6±5.6]%vs.[63.8±5.2]%,P<0.001),and the cardiac output increased[(4.3±1.2)L/min vs.(5.3±1.5)L/min,P<0.001].There were no statistically significant differences in various cardiac function indexes of patients with sick sinus syndrome between the postoperative and preoperative states(all P>0.05).Compared with the preoperative state,in patients with atrioventricular block,the LVEF decreased postoperatively([67.0±5.1]%vs.[63.4±4.4]%,P<0.001),the cardiac output increased([4.2±1.1]L/min vs.[5.2±1.2]L/min,P<0.001),and the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter decreased[(49.9±5.4)mm vs.(48.6±5.0)mm,P=0.044].Firth's logistic regression analysis indicated that the preoperative LVEF(for every 1%increase,OR=1.56,95%CI:1.12-2.17,P=0.001),stroke volume(for every 1 ml increase,OR=1.15,95%CI:1.04-1.28,P=0.001),body mass index(for every 1 kg/m2 increase,OR=1.49,95%CI:1.02-2.17,P=0.020),and hypertension(OR=12.71,95%CI:1.11-145.13,P=0.039)were independent risk factors for the decrease in LVEF after surgery in patients with atrioventricular block.After the implantation of the MciraTM AV leadless pacemaker,the overall atrioventricular synchrony rate was 81.2%(68.8%,89.0%).The atrioventricular synchrony rates of patients with sick sinus syndrome and those with atrioventricular block were 70.6%(59.5%,83.4%)and 82.4%(74.2%,89.3%)respectively(P<0.05).Firth's logistic regression analysis indicated that sick sinus syndrome(OR=0.26,95%CI:0.07-0.89,P=0.029)and preoperative LVEF(for every 1%increase,OR=1.18,95%CI:1.03-1.35,P=0.015)were independent predictive factors for the atrioventricular synchrony rate>80%.Conclusions:There are differences in the impacts of the Micra AV leadless pacemaker on the LVEF and atrioventricular synchrony rate between patients with sick sinus syndrome and those with atrioventricular block.The preoperative LVEF,stroke volume,body mass index,and hypertension have independent predictive effects on the decrease in postoperative LVEF in patients with atrioventricular block.Sick sinus syndrome and preoperative LVEF are independent predictive factors for the atrioventricular synchrony rate>80%after surgery.