BACKGROUND:Spleen has the functions of blood storage,hematopoiesis,and immunity.With the increase of age,the structural degeneration and functional decline of spleen lead to the impairment of immune system function,thus accelerating the aging process of the body.The treatment of spleen aging in tree shrews with highly active umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells has not been reported. OBJECTIVE:To explore the intervention effect and mechanism of highly active umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells on spleen aging in tree shrews. METHODS:Highly active umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were isolated,cultured,and obtained from the umbilical cord tissue of newborn tree shrews by caesarean section.The differentiation abilities of adipogenesis,osteogenesis,and chondrogenesis were detected by three-line differentiation kit.Cell cycle and surface markers were detected by flow cytometry.The second generation of highly active umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were transfected with Genechem Green Fluorescent Protein with infection complex values of 100,120,140,160,180,and 200,respectively,to screen the best transfection conditions.After transfection,the fourth generation of highly active umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells was injected into the tail vein of tree shrews in the elderly treatment group.The young control group and the aged model group were not given special treatment.After 4 months of treatment,the spleen tissue was taken and the structure of the spleen was observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining.β-Galactosidase staining was used to detect the activity of aging-related galactosidase.Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression levels of p21 and p53 proteins.Ki67 and PCNA immunofluorescence staining was used to detect cell proliferation activity.Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expression levels of spleen autophagy protein molecules Beclin 1 and APG5L/ATG5.Reactive oxygen species fluorescence staining was used to detect the content of reactive oxygen species in spleen tissue.CD3 immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the change of the proportion of total T lymphocytes.The secretion levels of interleukin 1β and transforming growth factor β1 in spleen were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.The distribution of highly active umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells labeled with green fluorescent protein in spleen tissue was observed by DAPI double staining of nucleus. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Highly active umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells grew in a short spindle shape with fish-like growth,with a large proportion of G0/G1 phase,and had the potential to differentiate into adipogenesis,osteogenesis,and chondrogenesis.(2)Multiplicity of infection=140 and transfection for 72 hours were the best conditions for labeling tree shrews highly active umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells with Genechem Green Fluorescent Protein.(3)Compared with the aged model group,in the aged treatment group,the spleen tissue cells of tree shrews were arranged closely,and the area of white pulp was increased(P<0.01);the boundary between red pulp and white pulp was clear;the proportion of germinal centers did not show statistically significant difference(P>0.05).The activity level of galactosidase related to spleen tissue aging was decreased(P<0.001),and the expression levels of aging protein molecules p21 and p53 were down-regulated(P<0.001).The expression levels of proliferation-related molecules Ki67 and PCNA were up-regulated(P<0.001,P<0.05);expression levels of autophagy-related molecules Beclin 1 and APG5L/ATG5 were up-regulated(P<0.001),and the content of reactive oxygen species decreased(P<0.001),and the proportion of CD3+T cells increased(P<0.05).The secretion level of interleukin 1β in the aging-related secretion phenotype decreased(P<0.001);no significant difference was found in transforming growth factor β1 level(P>0.05).Compared with the young control group,the above indexes were significantly different in the elderly treatment group(P<0.05).(4)Green fluorescent cells labeled with green fluorescent protein were observed in spleen tissue of tree shrews the elderly treatment group by frozen tissue section observation.The results show that intravenous infusion of highly active umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells can migrate to spleen tissue,inhibit the production of reactive oxygen species,down-regulate the expression of aging-related proteins,induce autophagy,promote cell proliferation,reduce chronic inflammation,and then improve the structure and function of spleen tissue.

Objective: To assess the awareness and associated factors of wild mushroom poisoning among students in Guizhou Province, so as to provide a scientific foundation for wild mushroom poisoning prevention and control among students. Methods: By a multi stage stratified cluster random sampling method, 1 162 students from Guizhou Province were selected in May 2024. The questionnaire survey was administered to evaluate knowledge regarding wild mushroom poisoning. Data were analyzed employing the χ 2 test and Logistic regression model. Results: Among the nine questions assessing awareness of wild mushroom poisoning, only three had the awareness rate exceeding 70%. Binary Logistic regression analysis revealed that students who "actively learn about the prevention of wild mushroom poisoning" ( OR=0.48, 95%CI =0.26-0.92) and "spread knowledge about wild mushroom poisoning to others" ( OR=0.47, 95%CI =0.33-0.69) scored higher on the wild mushroom poisoning knowledge questions ( P <0.05). Conversely, students with a habit of consuming wild mushrooms ( OR=1.52, 95%CI =1.15-2.02) scored lower ( P < 0.05 ). 42.3% of the students suggested that scientific dissemination and publicity about wild mushrooms should be intensified. Conclusions The awareness rate of wild mushroom poisoning knowledge among students in Guizhou Province requires further attention. Comprehensive knowledge should be disseminated systematically through various channels to further improve students awareness of the prevention and control of wild mushroom poisoning.

ObjectiveTo investigate the inhibitory effects and mechanisms of Xiayuxue Tang （XYXT） on hepatocellular carcinoma cells through the regulation of succinate metabolism and succinylation modification. MethodsXYXT-medicated serum was prepared. The effects of different concentrations of succinate on the proliferation of HepG2 and MHCC97H cells were observed using the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay， and the experimental concentrations for subsequent tests were determined. Further CCK-8 assays were performed to evaluate the effects of XYXT-medicated serum of different concentrations （5%， 10%， and 15%） on cell proliferation. Flow cytometry， scratch test， and Transwell assay were employed to analyze the effect of 10% XYXT-medicated serum on the cell cycle， migration， invasion， and apoptosis. The changes in succinate metabolism and succinylation modification were examined based on succinate content assays， succinate dehydrogenase （SDH） activity detection， and western blot. The expressions of Yes-associated protein 1 （YAP1） and sirtuin 5 （SIRT5） were detected via Real-time PCR and western blot. Molecular docking was applied to validate the binding between XYXT’s main components and target proteins. ResultsCompared with the control group， 1-2 mmol·L^-¹ succinate significantly promoted HepG2 and MHCC97H cell proliferation （P<0.01）. XYXT-medicated serum （5%， 10%， and 15%） markedly inhibited the proliferation of both cell lines compared with the blank group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Treatment with 10% XYXT-medicated serum arrested the cell cycle at the stage prior to DNA synthesis （G₀/G₁） （P<0.01）， suppressed migration （P<0.01） and invasion （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and promoted apoptosis of HepG2 and MHCC97H cells （P<0.01）. Co-treatment with XYXT and succinate reversed the inhibitory effects of XYXT on proliferation， migration， and invasion of HepG2 and MHCC97H cells （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The proportion of cells at G₀/G₁ phase decreased （P<0.01）， and the apoptosis rate decreased （P<0.01）. In terms of succinate metabolism， compared with the blank serum group， the 10% XYXT-medicated serum reduced succinate levels of HepG2 and MHCC97H cells （P<0.05， P<0.01）， enhanced SDH activity （P<0.01）， and downregulated succinylation modification. In terms of YAP1/SIRT5 pathway， compared with the blank serum group， the 10% XYXT-medicated serum significantly downregulated the mRNA and protein expressions of YAP1 in HepG2 and MHCC97H cells （P<0.05， P<0.01） while significantly upregulated the mRNA and protein expressions of SIRT5 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Molecular docking confirmed that there was a good binding ability between YAP1 and SIRT5， as well as between XYXT's main active components and YAP1 and SIRT5. ConclusionXYXT suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma cells by modulating the YAP1/SIRT5 signaling axis to intervene in succinate metabolism and succinylation modification.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoji Hufei Formula in protecting children with close contact exposure to influenza， and to provide reference and evidence-based support for better clinical prevention and treatment of influenza in children. MethodsA multicenter， prospective， non-randomized， parallel， controlled trial was conducted from October 2021 to May 2022 in five hospitals， including Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Confirmed influenza cases and influenza-like illness （ILI） cases were collected， and eligible children with close contact exposure to these cases were recruited in the outpatient clinics. According to whether the enrolled close contacts were willing to take Xiaoji Hufei formula for influenza prevention， they were assigned to the observation group （108 cases） or the control group （108 cases）. Follow-up visits were conducted on days 7 and 14 after enrollment. The primary outcomes were the incidence of ILI and the rate of laboratory-confirmed influenza. Secondary outcomes included traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom score scale for influenza， influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate， influenza hospitalization rate， and time to onset after exposure to influenza cases. ResultsA total of 216 participants were enrolled， with 108 in the observation group and 108 in the control group. Primary outcomes： （1） Incidence of ILI： The incidence was 12.0% （13/108） in the observation group and 23.1% （25/108） in the control group， with the observation group showing a significantly lower incidence （χ²=4.6， P<0.05）. （2） Influenza confirmation rate： 3.7% （4/108） in the observation group and 4.6% （5/108） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference. Secondary outcomes： （1） TCM symptom score scale： after onset， nasal congestion and runny nose scores differed significantly between the two groups （P<0.05）， while other symptoms such as fever， sore throat， and cough showed no significant differences. （2） Influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate： 84.6% （11 cases） in the observation group and 96.0% （24 cases） in the control group， with no significant difference. （3） Time to onset after exposure： The median onset time after exposure to index patients was 7 days in the observation group and 4 days in the control group， with a statistically significant difference （P<0.05）. ConclusionIn previously healthy children exposed to infectious influenza cases under unprotected conditions， Xiaoji Hufei formula prophylaxis significantly reduced the incidence of ILI. Xiaoji Hufei Formula can be recommended as a specific preventive prescription for influenza in children.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoji Hufei Formula in protecting children with close contact exposure to influenza， and to provide reference and evidence-based support for better clinical prevention and treatment of influenza in children. MethodsA multicenter， prospective， non-randomized， parallel， controlled trial was conducted from October 2021 to May 2022 in five hospitals， including Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Confirmed influenza cases and influenza-like illness （ILI） cases were collected， and eligible children with close contact exposure to these cases were recruited in the outpatient clinics. According to whether the enrolled close contacts were willing to take Xiaoji Hufei formula for influenza prevention， they were assigned to the observation group （108 cases） or the control group （108 cases）. Follow-up visits were conducted on days 7 and 14 after enrollment. The primary outcomes were the incidence of ILI and the rate of laboratory-confirmed influenza. Secondary outcomes included traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom score scale for influenza， influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate， influenza hospitalization rate， and time to onset after exposure to influenza cases. ResultsA total of 216 participants were enrolled， with 108 in the observation group and 108 in the control group. Primary outcomes： （1） Incidence of ILI： The incidence was 12.0% （13/108） in the observation group and 23.1% （25/108） in the control group， with the observation group showing a significantly lower incidence （χ²=4.6， P<0.05）. （2） Influenza confirmation rate： 3.7% （4/108） in the observation group and 4.6% （5/108） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference. Secondary outcomes： （1） TCM symptom score scale： after onset， nasal congestion and runny nose scores differed significantly between the two groups （P<0.05）， while other symptoms such as fever， sore throat， and cough showed no significant differences. （2） Influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate： 84.6% （11 cases） in the observation group and 96.0% （24 cases） in the control group， with no significant difference. （3） Time to onset after exposure： The median onset time after exposure to index patients was 7 days in the observation group and 4 days in the control group， with a statistically significant difference （P<0.05）. ConclusionIn previously healthy children exposed to infectious influenza cases under unprotected conditions， Xiaoji Hufei formula prophylaxis significantly reduced the incidence of ILI. Xiaoji Hufei Formula can be recommended as a specific preventive prescription for influenza in children.

Globally, over 300 million surgeries are performed each year, and more than 50% of surgeries involve patients aged 65 and older. Aging poses significant challenges to perioperative brain health, as the deterioration of brain structure and function increases susceptibility to postoperative neurological complications. Protecting perioperative brain health remains a worldwide clinical challenge. With senescence, the brain undergoes a progressive decline in homeostasis across various molecular, cellular, and regional functions. Anesthetics and surgical stimuli may accelerate the disruption of brain homeostasis and exacerbate age-related neurodegeneration. This review provides a framework for understanding how anesthesia and surgery can affect brain health in the aging population and contribute to postoperative neurological complications, with a particular focus on perioperative neurocognitive disorder.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic interstitial lung disease, is characterized by aberrant wound healing, excessive scarring and the formation of myofibroblastic foci. Although the role of alternative splicing (AS) in the pathogenesis of organ fibrosis has garnered increasing attention, its specific contribution to pulmonary fibrosis remains incompletely understood. In this study, we identified an up-regulation of serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 7 (SRSF7) in lung fibroblasts derived from IPF patients and a bleomycin (BLM)-induced mouse model, and further characterized its functional role in both human fetal lung fibroblasts and mice. We demonstrated that enhanced expression of Srsf7 in mice spontaneously induced alveolar collagen accumulation. Mechanistically, we investigated alternative splicing events and revealed that SRSF7 modulates the alternative splicing of pyruvate kinase (PKM), leading to metabolic dysregulation and fibroblast activation. In vivo studies showed that fibroblast-specific knockout of Srsf7 in conditional knockout mice conferred resistance to bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Importantly, through drug screening, we identified lomitapide as a novel modulator of SRSF7, which effectively mitigated experimental pulmonary fibrosis. Collectively, our findings elucidate a molecular pathway by which SRSF7 drives fibroblast metabolic dysregulation and propose a potential therapeutic strategy for pulmonary fibrosis.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) serves as a treasure trove of ancient knowledge, holding a crucial position in the medical field. However, the exploration of TCM's extensive information has been hindered by challenges related to data standardization, completeness, and accuracy, primarily due to the decentralized distribution of TCM resources. To address these issues, we developed a platform for TCM knowledge discovery (TCMKD, https://cbcb.cdutcm.edu.cn/TCMKD/). Seven types of data, including syndromes, formulas, Chinese patent drugs (CPDs), Chinese medicinal materials (CMMs), ingredients, targets, and diseases, were manually proofread and consolidated within TCMKD. To strengthen the integration of TCM with modern medicine, TCMKD employs analytical methods such as TCM data mining, enrichment analysis, and network localization and separation. These tools help elucidate the molecular-level commonalities between TCM and contemporary scientific insights. In addition to its analytical capabilities, a quick question and answer (Q&A) system is also embedded within TCMKD to query the database efficiently, thereby improving the interactivity of the platform. The platform also provides a TCM text annotation tool, offering a simple and efficient method for TCM text mining. Overall, TCMKD not only has the potential to become a pivotal repository for TCM, delving into the pharmacological foundations of TCM treatments, but its flexible embedded tools and algorithms can also be applied to the study of other traditional medical systems, extending beyond just TCM.

Objective: To investigate the association of parental knowledge and skills in myopia prevention and control with healthy eye behavior in primary school children, so as to provide a basis for accurate family education. Methods: A total of 4 979 students in grades 1-5 from eight elementary schools in Pudong New Area were sampled between October and December in 2022 by using a stratified cluster sampling method. A self administered questionnaire was used to assess healthy eye behavior in primary school children and parental knowledge and skills in myopia prevention and control. The Chi squared test, independent samples t-test and Logistic regression were used to analyse the association between parental knowledge and skills in myopia prevention and control and healthy eye behaviour in primary school children. Results: Parents of primary school children with a high level of knowledge and skills in myopia prevention and control were 50.97% and 56.36%, respectively. The knowlegde entry scores for parents of lower and middle elementary school students were higher than those of parents of upper primary students with respect to their understanding, on the main causes of myopia in their children, the correct knowledge of myopia prevention and control, the role of family members in helping each other to manage and treat myopia in their children and the parents responsibility to teach their children to use their eyes correctly and scientifically (3.05±1.21, 2.97±1.20; 5.92±0.68, 5.83±0.86; 4.46±0.88, 4.40±0.93; 3.88±1.04, 3.72±1.07); all differences were statistically significant (t=2.04, 3.39, 2.00, 4.87, P<0.05). The differences in the scores of parents of primary school children in different grades for all items were statistically significant (t=2.93-7.31, P<0.05) in the skill entries. Parental knowledge levels were poor for items of full scores that assessed the following: knowing the main causes of their childrens myopia, awareness of the correct knowledge of myopia prevention and control measures, awareness of Comprehensive Prevention and Control Strategy for Children and Adolescents with Myopia, and concerning that their childrens future education and employment will be affected by myopia, understanding the responsibility of parents for guiding children to use their eyes scientifically and correctly, with 12.71%, 22.90%, 19.30%, 21.83% and 22.47% respectively. Parental skills were poor for items of full scores that assessed the following:reminding their children to rest their eyes when doing homework, reading or writing, deliberately avoiding mobile phone use when spending time with their children, the number of times which taking children to the hospital for refractive screening in the past year, and giving their children extra learning tasks, with 33.26%, 15.12%, 9.00% and 5.36% respectively. Compared to parental knowledge in myopia prevention and control, parental skills had a more pronounced effect on the four dimensions of healthy eye behavior (reading and writing, screen time, outdoor activities, and sleep duration) among students in different grades (OR=1.41-3.37, P<0.05). Conclusions Parental knowledge and skills in myopia prevention and control are still insafficient, associated with healthy eye behavior in primary school children. There is a need to strengthen accurate health education for parents on the prevention and control of myopia, to cultivate healthy eye behaviour among primary school students and reduce the incidence of myopia among them.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharides （DOP） in reversing carbon tetrachloride （CCl₄）-induced hepatic fibrosis （HF） in rats via the Notch signaling pathway and evaluate the therapeutic effect of DOP by ultrasound elastography. MethodFifty-six male SD rats were randomized into normal， model， colchicine （1×10^-4 g·kg^-1）， Fuzheng Huayu powder （0.45 g·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （0.05， 0.1， 0.2 g·kg^-1） DOP groups （n=8）. The rats in the model group and each treatment group were injected subcutaneously with a mixture of CCl₄-olive oil （2∶3） once every 3 days for 10 weeks. After 6 weeks of modelling， the rats were administrated with corresponding drugs once a day for 4 weeks. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and Masson staining were employed to observe the pathomorphological changes of the liver tissue. An automatic biochemical analyzer was used to measure the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate transaminase （AST）， alkaline phosphatase （ALP）， and total bile acids （TBA）. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to measure the serum levels of hyaluronic acid （HA）， laminin （LN）， type Ⅲ precollagen （PC-Ⅲ）， and type Ⅳ collagen （Col-Ⅳ）. The mRNA and protein levels of α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， Notch1， Jagged1， and Hes1 in the liver tissue were determined by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot， respectively. The Young's modulus （YM） of the rat liver was measured by acoustic radiation force impulse （ARFI） elastography before and after treatment. Then， the correlations of YM with the serum levels of HA， LN， PC-Ⅲ， and Col-Ⅳ and the protein levels of α-SMA and Notch1 signaling pathway-related factors in the liver tissue were analyzed. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed disordered arrangement of liver cell cords， obvious infiltration of inflammatory cells， appearance of a large number of fat vacuoles， and fibrous proliferation， elevated levels of ALT， AST， TBA， ALP， HA， LN， PC-Ⅲ， and Col-Ⅳ in the serum， and up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of α-SMA， Notch1， Jagged1， and Hes1 in the liver tissue （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， drug interventions alleviated the pseudolobule formation and the collagen deposition in confluent areas. Except that the serum level of ALT in the low-dose DOP group had no significant changes， drug interventions， especially high-dose DOP， lowered the levels of ALT， AST， TBA， ALP， HA， LN， PC-Ⅲ， and Col-Ⅳ in the serum and down-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of α-SMA， Notch1， Jagged1， and Hes1 in the liver tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The results of ARFI and correlation analysis showed that the YM of the liver tissue was increased in the model group （P<0.01） compared with that in the normal group， Compared with the model group， drug interventions decreased YM （P<0.01）. YM was positively correlated with the expression levels of HA， LN， PC-Ⅲ， α-SMA， Notch1， Jagged1， and Hes1s （r=0.754， 0.734， 0.801， 0.885， 0.896， 0.757， and 0.800， respectively， P<0.01）， and it had a moderate correlation with Col-Ⅳ （r=0.688， P<0.01）. ConclusionDOP can reverse HF by down-regulating the Notch1/Jagged1/Hes1 signaling pathway. YM can be used as an indicator in the assessment of the efficacy of DOP against HF.