Dysfunction of anti-tumor immune responses is crucial for cancer progression. Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), which can potentiate T cell responses, is an effective strategy for the normalization of host anti-tumor immunity. In recent years, immune checkpoints, expressed on both tumor cells and immune cells, have been identified; some of them have exhibited potential druggability and have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical treatment. However, limited responses and immune-related adverse events (irAEs) cannot be ignored. This review outlines the development and applications of ICBs, potential strategies for overcoming resistance, and future directions for ICB-based cancer immunotherapy.
Humans ; Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Immunotherapy/methods* ; Animals

Astragali Radix (AR), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has demonstrated therapeutic efficacy against various diseases, including cardiovascular conditions, over centuries of use. While doxorubicin serves as an effective chemotherapeutic agent against multiple cancers, its clinical application remains constrained by significant cardiotoxicity. Research has indicated that AR exhibits protective properties against doxorubicin-induced cardiomyopathy (DIC); however, the specific bioactive components and underlying mechanisms responsible for this therapeutic effect remain incompletely understood. This investigation seeks to identify the protective bioactive components in AR against DIC and elucidate their mechanisms of action. Through network medicine analysis, astragaloside IV (AsIV) and formononetin (FMT) were identified as potential cardioprotective agents from 129 AR components. In vitro experiments using H9c2 rat cardiomyocytes revealed that the AsIV-FMT combination (AFC) effectively reduced doxorubicin-induced cell death in a dose-dependent manner, with optimal efficacy at a 1∶2 ratio. In vivo, AFC enhanced survival rates and improved cardiac function in both acute and chronic DIC mouse models. Additionally, AFC demonstrated cardiac protection while maintaining doxorubicin's anti-cancer efficacy in a breast cancer mouse model. Lipidomic and metabolomics analyses revealed that AFC normalized doxorubicin-induced lipid profile alterations, particularly by reducing fatty acid accumulation. Gene knockdown studies and inhibitor experiments in H9c2 cells demonstrated that AsIV and FMT upregulated peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) and PPARα, respectively, two key proteins involved in fatty acid metabolism. This research establishes AFC as a promising therapeutic approach for DIC, highlighting the significance of multi-target therapies derived from natural herbals in contemporary medicine.
Animals ; Doxorubicin/adverse effects* ; Saponins/administration & dosage* ; Isoflavones/pharmacology* ; Rats ; Cardiomyopathies/prevention & control* ; Mice ; Fatty Acids/metabolism* ; Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism* ; Triterpenes/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Humans ; Cardiotonic Agents/administration & dosage* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Cell Line ; Astragalus Plant/chemistry* ; Astragalus propinquus

Objective:To evaluate the optical performance of two aspheric intraocular lenses (IOL) AcrySof IQ SN60WF and Proming A1-UV with identical negative spherical aberration values, using the optical bench OptiSpheric IOL R&D through an in vitro study. Methods:The optical performance of + 20.0 D blue-light filtering SN60WF and monofocal high-order aspheric non blue-light filtering A1-UV IOL was evaluated through cornea models with the spherical aberration of 0 μm (ISO-1) and + 0.28 μm (ISO-2) under apertures of 3.0 mm and 4.5 mm via the optical bench OptiSpheric IOL R&D.The modulation transfer function (MTF) and USAF 1951 resolution test chart were employed to measure the IOL with centering, decentration of 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9 and 1.1 mm, as well as tilt of 3°, 5°, 7°, 9° and 11°.The spectral transmittance of IOL was measured with the UV-3300 UV-VIS spectrophotometer.Results:Compared with the A1-UV IOL, the spectral transmittance of SN60WF for blue light with wavelengths of 400-500 nm was significantly reduced, which effectively reduced the passage of blue light.At an aperture of 3.0 mm, the MTF values at 100 lp/mm spatial frequency for the centered SN60WF and A1-UV were 0.576 and 0.598 under ISO-1 corneal measurement conditions, 0.564 and 0.563 under ISO-2 conditions.At an aperture of 4.5 mm, the MTF values were 0.238 and 0.404 under ISO-1 corneal measurement conditions, and 0.438 and 0.339 under ISO-2 conditions.The MTF values of A1-UV and SN60WF at 3.0 mm aperture and 100 lp/mm spatial frequency under ISO-1 corneal measurement conditions were larger than those under ISO-2 corneal measurement conditions.Under ISO-1 corneal measurement conditions with a 3.0 mm aperture, A1-UV had a better optical quality compared to SN60WF, whereas under ISO-2 corneal measurement conditions, the optical quality of both IOLs was similar.Under the 3.0 mm aperture, the MTF values of SN60WF and A1-UV at a decentration of 0.3 mm and 100 lp/mm spatial frequency were 0.414 and 0.571 under ISO-1 corneal measurement conditions, 0.438 and 0.512 under ISO-2 corneal measurement conditions, respectively.The MTF values of SN60WF and A1-UV at a tilt of 3° were 0.522 and 0.597 under ISO-1 corneal measurement conditions, and 0.532 and 0.531 under ISO-2 corneal measurement conditions.The MTF values and USAF resolution test chart of A1-UV had no significant change between the two corneal measurement conditions.When subjected to equal degrees of decentration or tilting, except for the ISO-1 corneal measurement conditions at a 4.5 mm aperture, the MTF values of A1-UV showed a gradual decline across various spatial frequencies compared to SN60WF.With the increase in aperture size, the impact of IOL decentration or tilting on MTF values and USAF 1951 resolution test chart became more notable for A1-UV relative to SN60WF.Conclusions:The SN60WF IOL effectively filters blue light within the wavelength range of 400-500 nm.However, when both IOL experience decentration greater than 0.3 mm or tilting beyond 3°, the optical quality of the IOL will decline.A1-UV has a distinct advantage over SN60WF in terms of resistance to both decentration and tilting-induced optical performance degradation in vitro.

Depression is a major cause of disability and has adverse effects.Despite the many types of anti-depressants,clinical treatments of depression remain poor.Therefore,novel anti-depressant mechanisms need to be explored.The beneficial effects of irisin on the nervous system are gradually being elucidated,and studies have found that irisin has an anti-depressant effect,which may become a new treatment for depression.This study explored the mechanism of irisin and its upstream and downstream anti-depressants by reviewing the existing studies explaining the link between irisin and depression,and proposes that SIRT1/PGC-1α may mediate FNDC5/irisin to regulate BDNF to promote neurogenesis and improve depression,which provides a new idea to study irisin and its upstream and downstream anti-depressants.

Objective:To study the influence of the severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) on the visual function of patients with type 2 diabetes, to provide scientific basis for the early prevention and control of DR.Methods:This study was designed as a cross-sectional study, recruiting already-diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients in four community health service centers in Guizhou Province between February and September 2022. Employing the Chinese version of the Visual Function Index-14 (VF-14), assess the participants′ near vision, visual adaptation, subjective visual perception, and stereo vision, with higher scores indicating poorer visual function. Categorize the severity of each eye′s damage into no diabetic retinopathy (DR), mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), moderate NPDR, severe NPDR, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), and use a 5-level DR grading system to evaluate the overall severity of diabetic retinopathy in both eyes. Employing linear regression analysis to investigate the linear relationship between DR and visual function index. Local weighted regression evaluates the nonlinear relationship between the DR composite score and the scores of visual function, with a steeper slope indicating poorer visual function for that level.Results:A total of 542 patients with type 2 diabetes were investigated, including 244 (45.02%) males, 298 (54.98%) females, and 162 (29.89%) patients with DR. After adjusting for confounders, compared with those without DR, patients with binocular DR Had overall scores ( β=0.136, P=0.003), near vision ( β=0.163, P<0.001), visual adaptation ( β=0.092, P=0.042), subjective vision ( β=0.120, P=0.009) and stereo vision ( β=0.094, P=0.044) were higher than those without DR. There were no differences in visual functions between DR And monocular DR. The local weighted regression curve showed that near vision (slope: 23.78) and overall score (slope: 58.37) increased sharply from mild to moderate NPDR in both eyes. Visual adaptation (slope: 5.37, 7.72), subjective vision (slope: 6.53, 7.93), stereovision (slope: 0.74, 0.91) increased slowly in mild to moderate NPDR in both eyes and in moderate to severe NPDR/PDR in both eyes. Conclusion:Binocular DR is associated with impaired visual function, but there is no difference between monocular DR And non-DR visual function. The early damage of DR To visual function is mainly manifested in near vision. In the prevention and control of DR, more attention should be paid to visual function, especially the change of near vision, and retinal damage should not be assessed solely by visual status.

Objective:To study the influence of the severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) on the visual function of patients with type 2 diabetes, to provide scientific basis for the early prevention and control of DR.Methods:This study was designed as a cross-sectional study, recruiting already-diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients in four community health service centers in Guizhou Province between February and September 2022. Employing the Chinese version of the Visual Function Index-14 (VF-14), assess the participants′ near vision, visual adaptation, subjective visual perception, and stereo vision, with higher scores indicating poorer visual function. Categorize the severity of each eye′s damage into no diabetic retinopathy (DR), mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), moderate NPDR, severe NPDR, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), and use a 5-level DR grading system to evaluate the overall severity of diabetic retinopathy in both eyes. Employing linear regression analysis to investigate the linear relationship between DR and visual function index. Local weighted regression evaluates the nonlinear relationship between the DR composite score and the scores of visual function, with a steeper slope indicating poorer visual function for that level.Results:A total of 542 patients with type 2 diabetes were investigated, including 244 (45.02%) males, 298 (54.98%) females, and 162 (29.89%) patients with DR. After adjusting for confounders, compared with those without DR, patients with binocular DR Had overall scores ( β=0.136, P=0.003), near vision ( β=0.163, P<0.001), visual adaptation ( β=0.092, P=0.042), subjective vision ( β=0.120, P=0.009) and stereo vision ( β=0.094, P=0.044) were higher than those without DR. There were no differences in visual functions between DR And monocular DR. The local weighted regression curve showed that near vision (slope: 23.78) and overall score (slope: 58.37) increased sharply from mild to moderate NPDR in both eyes. Visual adaptation (slope: 5.37, 7.72), subjective vision (slope: 6.53, 7.93), stereovision (slope: 0.74, 0.91) increased slowly in mild to moderate NPDR in both eyes and in moderate to severe NPDR/PDR in both eyes. Conclusion:Binocular DR is associated with impaired visual function, but there is no difference between monocular DR And non-DR visual function. The early damage of DR To visual function is mainly manifested in near vision. In the prevention and control of DR, more attention should be paid to visual function, especially the change of near vision, and retinal damage should not be assessed solely by visual status.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of primary closure versus T-tube drainage in patients with common bile duct stones after laparoscopic common bile duct exploration and stone extraction. Methods:Fifty-two patients with common bile duct stones who received treatment at The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University between February 2021 and February 2023 were included in this study. All patients underwent laparoscopic common bile duct exploration and stone extraction and then were divided into two groups ( n = 26 per group) using a randomized controlled trial design with allocation based on a random number table. The control group received T-tube drainage postoperatively, whereas the observation group underwent primary suture treatment. Both groups were observed for 3 days postoperatively to compare various postoperative clinical indicators, including serum levels of cortisol, adrenaline, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, direct bilirubin, total bile acid, alkaline phosphatase, and gamma-glutamyl transferase, and the occurrence of postoperative complications. Results:The operative time in the observation group was significantly shorter than that in the control group [(105.30 ± 5.89) minutes vs. (121.36 ± 5.86) minutes, t = 9.86, P < 0.001]. The intraoperative blood loss in the observation group was significantly less than that in the control group [(40.31 ± 4.53) mL vs. (45.20 ± 4.76) mL, t = 3.80, P < 0.001]. The length of hospital stay in the observation group was significantly shorter than that in the control group [(12.01 ± 2.86) days vs. (14.32 ± 2.73) days, t = 2.98, P = 0.005]. The gastrointestinal function recovery time in the observation group was shorter than that in the control group [(31.42 ± 2.59) days vs. (37.62 ± 2.63) days, t = 8.57, P < 0.001]. The bile drainage volume in the observation group was less than that in the control group [(168.69 ± 15.41) mL vs. (275.62 ± 15.32) mL, t = 25.09, P < 0.001]. The serum level of cortisol in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(469.63 ± 20.62) mmol/L vs. (359.65 ± 19.87) mmol/L, t = 19.58, P < 0.001]. The serum level of adrenaline in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(274.62 ± 20.21) ng/L vs. (198.64 ± 20.16) ng/L, t = 13.57, P < 0.001]. The serum level of C-reactive protein in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(3.42 ± 0.37) mg/L vs. (2.74 ± 0.25) mg/L, t = 7.77, P < 0.001]. The serum level of interleukin-6 in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group [(112.36 ± 8.94) μg/L vs. (87.62 ± 8.63) μg/L, t = 10.15, P < 0.001]. The serum level of direct bilirubin in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group [(24.52 ± 4.62) μmol/L vs. (35.62 ± 4.87) μmol/L, t = 8.43, P < 0.001]. The serum level of total bile acid in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group [(10.62 ± 4.21) U/L vs. (17.64 ± 4.16) U/L, t = 6.05, P < 0.001]. The serum level of alkaline phosphatase in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group [(100.21 ± 10.24) mg/L vs. (112.74 ± 11.25) mg/L, t = 4.20, P < 0.001]. The serum level of gamma-glutamyl transferase in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group [(122.36 ± 8.94) μg/L vs. (142.62 ± 5.63) μg/L, t = 9.78, P < 0.001]. The incidence of complications in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group [7.69% (2/26) vs. 30.77% (8/26), χ2 = 4.46, P = 0.035]. Conclusion:Compared with T-tube drainage, primary closure following laparoscopic common bile duct exploration and stone extraction can reduce patient stress responses, improve liver function, shorten postoperative recovery time, and result in a lower incidence of complications.

Herb-induced liver injury (HILI) is a type of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) caused by Chinese herb medicines, natural medicines or their related preparations. With the increasing number of reports on HILI events in recent years, traditional Chinese medicine is facing great challenges and controversies. Compared to other types of DILI, HILI is more complicated in terms of diagnosis and risk factors.This article reviews the current research status on the herb-induced liver injury.

Objective To construct a sensitive index system of care quality for patients with epilepsy. Methods Based on the Donabedian structure-process-result theoretical model, relevant literatures on the care of epilepsy patients at home and abroad were searched, and the evaluation indicators on the quality of care for epilepsy were extracted based on work experience, and the framework of the index system was established. Through two rounds of expert letter consultation, the indicators were improved and the sensitive indicator system of care quality for patients with epilepsy was finally determined. Results The effective questionnaire recovery rates of the first and second rounds were 95% and 100%, and the expert authority coefficients were 0.891 and 0.890, respectively. The constructed sensitive index system of care quality for epileptic patients included 3 primary indexes, 7 secondary indexes and 35 tertiary indexes. Conclusion The sensitive index system of nursing quality of epilepsy patients based on Delphi method can provide reference for clinical nursing work of epilepsy patients.

AIM:To investigate the effect of hypoxia-preconditioned human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes(hUCMSC-Exos)on pulmonary vascular endothelial-mesenchymal transition(EndMT)in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension(HPH).METHODS:(1)Primary hUCMSCs were isolated and cultured by tissue adhesion method,and hUCMSC-Exos were extracted by ultrafiltration and identified.(2)Twenty-four SPF male SD rats were ran-domly divided into normoxia(N)group,hypoxia(H)group,hypoxia+normoxic hUCMSC-Exos group and hypoxia+hypoxia-preconditioned hUCMSC-Exos group,with 6 rats in each group.The rats in H group and intervention groups were placed in a cabin that simulated the hypoxic environment at an altitude of 5 000 m,and normoxic hUCMSC-Exos,hypoxia-precon-ditioned hUCMSC-Exos or equivalent volume of PBS were injected through the tail vein on the 3rd,5th,7th,10th and 14th days in hypoxia environment.After 21 d of modeling,the right ventricular systolic pressure(RVSP)and right ven-tricular hypertrophy index(RVHI)of the rats were detected,and the pathological changes of lung tissues were observed by HE staining.(3)After starvation for 12 h,human pulmonary arteriole endothelial cells(HPAECs)were randomly di-vided into normoxic control(N-Con)group,hypoxic model(H-Con)group,hypoxia+normoxic hUCMSC-Exos group and hypoxia+hypoxia-preconditioned hUCMSC-Exos group.The migration ability and tube formation ability of HPAECs were detected by Transwell assay and tube formation experiment.The expression of CD31 and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)in HPAECs was detected by immunofluorescence double-staining.The protein levels of CD31,VE-cadherin,α-SMA and vimentin in pulmonary vessels and HPAECs were assessed by Western blot.RESULTS:(1)The HPH rat model was suc-cessfully established after 21 d of hypoxia,and EndMT occurred in pulmonary vessels.Compared with N group,the levels of RVSP,RVHI,percentage of vascular wall area(WA%)and percentage of vascular wall thickness(WT%)in H group were significantly increased(P＜0.01),pulmonary vascular wall thickening and the protein levels of CD31 and VE-cad-herin were significantly decreased(P＜0.01),while the protein levels of α-SMA and vimentin were significantly increased in pulmonary vessels(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Compared with H group,the RVSP,RVHI,WA%and WT%(P＜0.01)were significantly decreased(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01),and pulmonary vascular remodeling was attenuated after normoxic or hypoxia-preconditioned hUCMSC-Exos intervention.After hypoxia-preconditioned hUCMSC-Exos intervention,HPH pul-monary vascular remodeling and EndMT formation were significantly inhibited.(2)After 48 h of hypoxic treatment,the migration,tubule formation and EndMT of HPAECs were induced.Compared with H-Con group,cell migration and tube formation were significantly decreased after hypoxia-preconditioned hUCMSC-Exos intervention(P＜0.01).The protein levels of CD31 and VE-cadherin were increased,while the protein levels of α-SMA and vimentin were decreased(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).CONCLUSION:Hypoxia-preconditioned hUCMSC-Exos attenuate the formation of HPH pulmonary vascu-lar remodeling by inhibiting pulmonary vascular EndMT.