Optical imaging is highly valued for its superior temporal and spatial resolution. This is particularly important in near-infrared II (NIR-II, 1 000-3 000 nm) imaging, which offers advantages such as reduced tissue absorption, minimal scattering, and low autofluorescence. These characteristics make NIR-II imaging especially suitable for deep tissue visualization, where high contrast and minimal background interference are critical for accurate diagnosis and monitoring. Currently, inorganic fluorescent probes—such as carbon nanotubes, rare earth nanoparticles, and quantum dots—offer high brightness and stability. However, they are hindered by ambiguous structures, larger sizes, and potential accumulation toxicity in vivo. In contrast, organic fluorescent probes, including small molecules and polymers, demonstrate higher biocompatibility but are limited by shorter emission wavelengths, lower quantum yields, and reduced stability. Recently, gold clusters have emerged as a promising class of nanomaterials with potential applications in biocatalysis, fluorescence sensing, biological imaging, and more. Water-soluble gold clusters are particularly attractive as fluorescent probes due to their remarkable optical properties, including strong photoluminescence, large Stokes shifts, and excellent photostability. Furthermore, their outstanding biocompatibility—attributed to good aqueous stability, ultra-small hydrodynamic size, and high renal clearance efficiency—makes them especially suitable for biomedical applications. Gold clusters hold significant potential for NIR-II fluorescence imaging. Atomic-precision gold clusters, typically composed of tens to hundreds of gold atoms and measuring only a few nanometers in diameter, possess well-defined three-dimensional structures and clear spatial coordination. This atomic-level precision enables fine-tuned structural regulation, further enhancing their fluorescence properties. Variations in cluster size, surface ligands, and alloying elements can result in distinct physicochemical characteristics. The incorporation of different atoms can modulate the atomic and electronic structures of gold clusters, while diverse ligands can influence surface polarity and steric hindrance. As such, strategies like alloying and ligand engineering are effective in enhancing both fluorescence and catalytic performance, thereby meeting a broader range of clinical needs. In recent years, gold clusters have attracted growing attention in the biomedical field. Their application in NIR-II imaging has led to significant progress in vascular, organ, and tumor imaging. The resulting high-resolution, high signal-to-noise imaging provides powerful tools for clinical diagnostics. Moreover, biologically active gold clusters can aid in drug delivery and disease diagnosis and treatment, offering new opportunities for clinical therapeutics. Despite the notable achievements in fundamental research and clinical translation, further studies are required to address challenges related to the standardized synthesis and complex metabolic behavior of gold clusters. Resolving these issues will help accelerate their clinical adoption and broaden their biomedical applications.

To explore the role of the "Clinical Practice Guidelines" column and others in the Medical Joumnal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital (Med J PUMCH) in promoting diseiplinary development.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of bear bile powder (BBP) on acute lung injury (ALI) and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: The chemical constituents of BBP were analyzed by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). After 7 days of adaptive feeding, 50 mice were randomly divided into 5 groups by a random number table (n=10): normal control (NC), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), dexamethasone (Dex), low-, and high-dose BBP groups. The dosing cycle was 9 days. On the 12th and 14th days, 20 µL of Staphylococcus aureus solution (bacterial concentration of 1 × 10^-7 CFU/mL) was given by nasal drip after 1 h of intragastric administration, and the mice in the NC group was given the same dose of phosphated buffered saline (PBS) solution. On the 16th day, after 1 h intragastric administration, 100 µL of LPS solution (1 mg/mL) was given by tracheal intubation, and the same dose of PBS solution was given to the NC group. Lung tissue was obtained to measure the myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, the lung wet/dry weight ratio and expressions of CD14 and other related proteins. The lower lobe of the right lung was obtained for pathological examination. The concentrations of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-6, tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α ) and IL-1β in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, and the number of neutrophils was counted. The colonic contents of the mice were analyzed by 16 sRNA technique and the contents of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were measured by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). RESULTS: UPLC-MS revealed that the chemical components of BBP samples were mainly tauroursodeoxycholic acid and taurochenodeoxycholic acid sodium salt. BBP reduced the activity of MPO, concentrations of inflammatory cytokines, and inhibited the expression of CD14 protein, thus suppressing the activation of NF-κB pathway (P<0.05). The lung histopathological results indicated that BBP significantly reduced the degree of neutrophil infiltration, cell shedding, necrosis, and alveolar cavity depression. Moreover, BBP effectively regulated the composition of the intestinal microflora and increased the production of SCFAs, which contributed to its treatment effect (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS BBP alleviates lung injury in ALI mouse through inhibiting activation of NF-κB pathway and decreasing expression of CD14 protein. BBP may promote recovery of ALI by improving the structure of intestinal flora and enhancing metabolic function of intestinal flora.
Animals ; Acute Lung Injury/pathology* ; Lipopolysaccharides ; Ursidae ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome/drug effects* ; Bile/chemistry* ; Lipopolysaccharide Receptors/metabolism* ; Powders ; Male ; Lung/drug effects* ; Mice ; Peroxidase/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Cytokines/metabolism*

The interactions between microorganisms and medicinal plants are crucial to the quality improvement of medicinal plants. Medicinal plants attract microorganisms to colonize by secreting specific compounds and provide niche and nutrient support for these microorganisms, with a symbiotic network formed. These microorganisms grow in the rhizosphere, phyllosphere, and endophytic tissues of plants and significantly improve the growth performance and medicinal component accumulation of medicinal plants by promoting nutrient uptake, enhancing disease resistance, and regulating the synthesis of secondary metabolites. Microorganisms are also widely used in the ecological planting of medicinal plants, and the growth conditions of medicinal plants are optimized by simulating the microbial effects in the natural environment. The interactions between microorganisms and medicinal plants not only significantly improve the yield and quality of medicinal plants but also enhance their geoherbalism, which is in line with the concept of green agriculture and eco-friendly development. This study reviewed the research results on the interactions between medicinal plants and microorganisms in recent years and focused on the analysis of the great potential of microorganisms in optimizing the growth environment of medicinal plants, regulating the accumulation of secondary metabolites, inducing systemic resistance, and promoting the ecological planting of medicinal plants. It provides a scientific basis for the research on the interactions between medicinal plants and microorganisms, the research and development of microbial agents, and the application of microorganisms in the ecological planting of medicinal plants and is of great significance for the quality improvement of medicinal plants and the green and sustainable development of TCM resources.
Plants, Medicinal/metabolism* ; Bacteria/genetics* ; Symbiosis

Prostate cancer(PCa) is a common malignant tumor among elderly men, with high incidence and mortality rates worldwide, posing a serious threat to human health. Traditional treatments face limitations, highlighting the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies. Recent studies on the regulatory mechanisms of micro ribonucleic acid(microRNA, miRNA) in tumor development has identified miRNA as new targets for PCa diagnosis and treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), with its multi-mechanism, multi-target, and multi-pathway regulatory properties, shows promising potential in miRNA-based PCa therapy. This review summarized recent findings on miRNA' roles in PCa and research progress of TCM intervention and found that a variety of miRNA played important regulatory roles in cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, metastasis, immune microenvironment, and drug resistance, and their potential as biomarkers for PCa diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy, indicating the potential to be a biomarker for the diagnosis, prognosis evaluation, and treatment of PCa. The review concluded that the active components of TCM(terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, and others) and compounds(Yishen Tonglong Decoction, Shenhu Decoction, Zhoushi Qiling Decoction, Fuzheng Yiliu Decoction, and Qilan Formula) could regulate the expression of their downstream target genes by acting on specific miRNA and affect the above biological behaviors of PCa cells, thus playing a role in the treatment of PCa. This review aims to provide a theoretical basis for miRNA as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for PCa and suggest new avenues for further development of targeted therapy strategies against miRNA.
Humans ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Male ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Animals ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects*

Objective This study aimed to investigate natural infection of rodents with Ehrlichia and Neoehrlichia at major Chinese land-border ports along the"Belt and Road".Methods In 2022,rodents were monitored in 10 ports in northern and southern China and identified based on diagnostic morphological characteristics.The 16S rRNA genes of Ehrlichia and Neoehrlichia were detected by PCR using universal primers from rodent samples and phylogenetic analysis was performed based on the sequences of the detected positive pathogens.Results A total of 356 rodents were sampled,including 2 orders,5 families,15 genera,and 20 species.Predominantly,73,61,56,and 58 were Meriones unguiculatus(20.51%),Rattus norvegicus(17.13%),Apodemus agrarius(15.73%),and Microtus gregalis(16.29%).Only one Microtus fortis from Suifenghe Port was infected with Ehrlichia sp.Moreover,12 rodents were infected with Neoehrlichia spp.(overall positivity rate:3.37%).Conclusions Natural infections with Ehrlichia spp.and Neoehrlichia spp.were demonstrated in rodents at important Chinese land-border ports.The positivity rate of Neoehrlichia spp.was high in some ports,indicating that surveillance for ticks and their prevention and control measures should be intensified in these regions.

Aim To study the effect of evodiamine(EVO)regulating forkhead box protein Ml(FOXM1)on the proliferation and apoptosis of colorectal cancer-resistant cells HCT8/5-FU.Methods CCK-8 assay and EdU assay were used to detect the effect of EVO on cell proliferation ability.Clone formation assay was employed to detect the effect of EVO on the clone for-mation ability of cells.Flow cytometric counting was applied to detect apoptosis.Western blot was utilized to detect the expression of cellular Bcl-2,Bax,FOXM1,β-catenin,c-MYC,and CyclinD1;Molecular docking was used to explore the EVO-FOXM1 interac-tion.Nude mouse transplant tumor model was estab-lished to validate the effect of EVO on HCT8/5-FU cells in vivo.Results CCK-8 assay showed that EVO inhibited the proliferation of HCT8/5-FU cells in a time-and concentration-dependent manner.EdU assay found that the newly proliferated cells in the EVO-trea-ted group were significantly reduced.The results of the clone formation assay showed that EVO inhibited the clone-forming ability of HCT8/5-FU cells.Flow cyto-metric counting found that apoptosis rate of the cells in the EVO group significantly increased.Western blot showed that FOXM1 and β-catenin were significantly highly expressed in HCT8/5-FU cells,and EVO down-regulated the expression of FOXM1,β-cateniin,c-MYC,CyclinD1,and Bcl-2,and up-regulated the ex-pression of Bax.Molecular docking revealed strong in-teractions between EVO and FOXM1.The in vivo ex-perimental results demonstrated that EVO exerted a substantial inhibitory effect on the growth of subcutane-ously implanted HCT8/5-FU xenograft tumors and regulated the expression of related proteins.HE stai-ning revealed significant nuclear consolidation and fragmentation of tumor cells in the EVO group.Con-clusions The findings suggest that EVO could sup-press the activation of the Wnt signaling pathway through a mechanism involving the downregulation of FOXM1 protein expression,thus inhibiting the prolifer-ation of HCT8/5-FU cells and induce their apoptosis.

Aim To investigate the effect of circRNF13 on oxaliplatin resistance in colorectal cancer cells and its related mechanism.Methods Cell transfection was used to overexpress circRNF13 in oxaliplatin-sensi-tive colorectal cancer cells SW620 or to inhibit cir-cRNF13 expression in oxaliplatin-resistant colorectal cancer cells SW620/OXA.Real-time quantitative fluo-rescent PCR(qRT-PCR)was used to detect the ex-pression levels of circRNF13,miR-16-5p,and mir-324-5p.Cell Count Kit 8(CCK-8)was used to meas-ure cell viability.Clonal formation experiments were used to measure clonal formation number.Western blot was used to detect CyclinD1,PCNA,Bax,Bcl-2 and cleaved caspase-3 protein expression level.Flow cy-tometry and in situ end labeling(TUNEL)were used to detect apoptosis.Dual luciferase assay was used to verify the targeting relationship between circRNF13 and miR-16-5p and mir-324-5p.Results The expression level of circRNF13 in SW620/OXA cells was signifi-cantly higher than that in SW620 cells,while the ex-pression levels of miR-16-5p and miR-324-5p were sig-nificantly lower than those in SW620 cells(P＜0.05).Overexpression of circRNF13 significantly in-creased the IC50 of oxaliplatin against SW620 cells,and inhibition of circRNF13 expression significantly decreased the IC50 of oxaliplatin against SW620/OXA cells.Overexpression of circRNF13 significantly in-creased cell viability,clonal formation number,Cy-clinD1,PCNA and Bcl-2 levels of oxaliplatin treated SW620 cells,while significantly decreased apoptosis rate,apoptosis index,Bax and cleaved caspase-3 lev-els(P＜0.05).Inhibition of circRNF13 expression significantly decreased the cell viability,clonal forma-tion number,CyclinD1,PCNA and Bcl-2 levels of ox-aliplatin treated SW620/OXA cells,while significantly increased the apoptosis rate,apoptosis index,Bax and cleaved caspase-3 levels(P＜0.05).circRNF13 tar-geted inhibition of the expression of miR-16-5p and mir-324-5p.Conclusions circRNF13 can increase oxaliplatin resistance in colorectal cancer cells,and the mechanism may be related to the targeted inhibition of circRNF13 on the expression of miR-16-5p,mir-324-5p and other miRNAs.

Objective To develop a knowledge-attitude-practice assessment scale for home prevention and man-agement of parastostomy hernia in ostomy patients,and to test its reliability and validity,to provide a reliable tool for evaluating the knowledge and practice level of home prevention and management of parastostomy hernia in pa-tients with ostomy.Methods Based on the theory of knowledge,attitude and practice,the initial scale was generat-ed through literature review,semi-structured interviews,expert correspondence,research group discussion and pre-sur-vey.From May to December 2023,685 patients with ostomy from the ostomy clinic of a tertiary hospital in Tianjin were investigated by purpose sampling method,and the reliability and validity were tested.Results A total of 673 valid questionnaires were collected,the results showed that the knowledge-attitude-practice assessment scale for pre-venting and managing parastomal hernia of ostomy patients at home included 3 dimensions of knowledge,attitude and practice,with a total of 27 items.The response rates of 2 rounds of the questionnaire were both 100％;the au-thority coefficients were all 0.915;the Kendall's coefficients of concordance were 0.279 and 0.301,respectively.The content validity index of each item was 0.875～1.000;the content validity index of the average scale level was 0.988;after 2 exploratory factor analysis,the cumulative variance contribution rate was 65.920％.The results of con-firmatory factor analysis showed that the model had a good fit,with a chi-square degree of freedom ratio(/df)of 1.945,the fitting goodness index(GFI)of 0.851,the comparative goodness of fit index(CFI)of 0.919,the root means square error of approximation(RMSEA)of 0.060.The Cronbach's alpha coefficient result of the scale is 0.957,with a test-retest reliability of 0.826 and a half reliability of 0.934.Conclusion The knowledge-attitude-practice assessment scale has good reliability and validity,and can be used as an assessment tool for home prevention and management of parastostomy hernia in ostomy patients.

Objective To develop a knowledge-attitude-practice assessment scale for home prevention and man-agement of parastostomy hernia in ostomy patients,and to test its reliability and validity,to provide a reliable tool for evaluating the knowledge and practice level of home prevention and management of parastostomy hernia in pa-tients with ostomy.Methods Based on the theory of knowledge,attitude and practice,the initial scale was generat-ed through literature review,semi-structured interviews,expert correspondence,research group discussion and pre-sur-vey.From May to December 2023,685 patients with ostomy from the ostomy clinic of a tertiary hospital in Tianjin were investigated by purpose sampling method,and the reliability and validity were tested.Results A total of 673 valid questionnaires were collected,the results showed that the knowledge-attitude-practice assessment scale for pre-venting and managing parastomal hernia of ostomy patients at home included 3 dimensions of knowledge,attitude and practice,with a total of 27 items.The response rates of 2 rounds of the questionnaire were both 100％;the au-thority coefficients were all 0.915;the Kendall's coefficients of concordance were 0.279 and 0.301,respectively.The content validity index of each item was 0.875～1.000;the content validity index of the average scale level was 0.988;after 2 exploratory factor analysis,the cumulative variance contribution rate was 65.920％.The results of con-firmatory factor analysis showed that the model had a good fit,with a chi-square degree of freedom ratio(/df)of 1.945,the fitting goodness index(GFI)of 0.851,the comparative goodness of fit index(CFI)of 0.919,the root means square error of approximation(RMSEA)of 0.060.The Cronbach's alpha coefficient result of the scale is 0.957,with a test-retest reliability of 0.826 and a half reliability of 0.934.Conclusion The knowledge-attitude-practice assessment scale has good reliability and validity,and can be used as an assessment tool for home prevention and management of parastostomy hernia in ostomy patients.