AIM: To analyze the prevalence, severity, types, and correction of astigmatism in children, and provide scientific evidences for the prevention and treatment of refractive errors.METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 29 153 children aged 6-12 years from Xi'an and Lantian County, Shaanxi Province, China. Visual acuity and non-cycloplegic refraction were measured. Astigmatism was defined as an absolute cylindrical power ≥0.5 D in the right eye. Differences in astigmatism severity, type distribution, and refractive correction were analyzed across age, gender, and region.RESULTS:The prevalence of astigmatism increased with age, peaking at 11 years old(62.88%). Boys(57.10%)had a higher prevalence than girls(54.86%), and the municipal areas(58.29%)had a higher prevalence than county areas(51.75%). Mild astigmatism was the most common(63.82%), with moderate astigmatism increasing with age. The highest prevalence of high astigmatism was observed in 11-years-old children(9.68%). Compound myopic astigmatism(59.28%)and mixed astigmatism(25.16%)were the most frequent types. With increasing age, compound myopic astigmatism increased, while simple myopic, simple hyperopic, and compound hyperopic astigmatism decreased. Mixed astigmatism increased from ages 6 to 7, but declined from ages 7 to 12. For astigmatic axis types, with-the-rule astigmatism was the most prevalent(81.06%)and increased with age, peaking at 11 years(85.74%). Against-the-rule astigmatism showed a declining trend, while oblique astigmatism remained relatively stable. Distribution differences in astigmatism types and axes by gender and region were observed. Significant differences in astigmatism severity, types, and axis types across different ages, genders, and regions were observed(all P<0.05). The overall refractive correction rate for children with astigmatism was only 40.18%.CONCLUSION: The overall prevalence of astigmatism among children aged 6-12 years in Shaanxi Province was 56.02%, with higher prevalence observed in boys and in municipal areas. Age, gender, and region significantly influenced the prevalence of astigmatism. Notably, less than half of the children with astigmatism received refractive correction, highlighting the need for increased attention from parents and relevant authorities.

Myocardial fibrosis （MF）， characterized by decreased cardiac function and myocardial compliance， is a pathological process and a progression factor in various cardiovascular diseases. The nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 （NLRP3） inflammasome is closely related to the development of MF. Recent studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） can regulate the NLRP3 inflammasome to alleviate MF. Based on this， this article systematically summarizes the research progress on the mechanisms by which TCM regulates the NLRP3 inflammasome to improve MF. It is found that active ingredients of TCM， such as alkaloids （lycorine，vincristine，bufalin）， saponins （astragaloside Ⅳ， diosgenin，ginsenoside Rg3）， terpenoids （celastrol，oridonin）， and phenols （polydatin，curcumin，phloridzin） as well as TCM formulas （Zhachong shisanwei pills，Zhilong huoxue tongyu capsules， Luqi formula） can inhibit the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome， thereby suppressing the release of inflammatory factors such as interleukin-1β and IL-18， reducing inflammatory damage to myocardial tissue， alleviating excessive deposition of the extracellular matrix， and thus exerting the effect of improving MF.

Objective: To prepare platelet membrane biomimetic liposomes loaded with vincristine sulfate (VCR) for targeted delivery to tumor. Methods: Vincristine sulfate liposomes (LIPO) were prepared using the pH-gradient method, followed by the fusion of platelet membranes and subsequent drug loading to obtain platelet membrane biomimetic liposomes (PLM-LIPO). The particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), Zeta potential, and drug encapsulation efficiency (EE%) of both liposomes were characterized. The tumor-targeting capability was evaluated through in vitro cellular experiments and in vivo biodistribution studies. Results: The optimal preparation conditions for LIPO were determined as follows: DPPC-to-cholesterol molar ratio of 1∶1, internal aqueous phase of 0.3 M pH 4.0 citrate buffer, external aqueous phase of 1 M Na HPO solution, drug-to-lipid ratio of 1∶10, drug loading temperature of 60℃, and loading time of 10 minutes. The LIPO exhibited a mean particle size of (147.3±2.24) nm, PDI of 0.078±0.014, Zeta potential of (-3.54±0.75) mV, and EE% of 91.37±0.47. For PLM-LIPO, prepared via membrane fusion followed by drug loading, the mean particle size was (185.3±3.61) nm, PDI was 0.075±0.022, Zeta potential was (-18.91±1.54) mV, and EE% was 63.36±2.45. In the CD62P validation experiment, the fluorescence intensity of PLM-LIPO was five times higher than that of LIPO. In vitro cellular uptake experiments revealed that PLM-LIPO showed 1.3-fold and 1.2-fold higher uptake rates compared to LIPO at 6 h and 12 h, respectively. In vivo experiments demonstrated that 1h after administration, the accumulation of PLM-LIPO at tumor sites was 4-fold higher than that of LIPO and 6-7 times higher than that in healthy mice. Conclusion: The platelet membrane biomimetic liposomes loaded with vincristine sulfate were successfully developed. Both cellular uptake and tissue distribution studies confirmed the PLM-LIPO enhanced tumor-targeting capability.

[Objective] To investigate the effect of Shenmai injection on the preservation quality of suspended red blood cells of high hemoglobin population in Xizang plateau. [Methods] Whole blood (400 mL, n=8) collected by the Xizang Autonomous Region Blood Center was centrifuged at 3 000 g for 10 minutes to remove most of the plasma, followed by the addition of 100 mL of MAP preservation solution to obtain plateau suspended red blood cells, which were then divided into three equal portions. One portion was the control group, and another part had 15 mL of MAP preservation solution added, which was the dosage group. The third portion involved diluting Shenmai injection with MAP, followed by addition of 15 mL of MAP preservation solution containing Shenmai to the red blood cells, resulting in a final concentration of Shenmai injection of 1%, which was the Shenmai group. Blood routine, pH value, electrolytes, glucose, lactate, free Hb, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), P50, phosphatidylserine (PS) and other indicators were detected at day 1, 21 and 35, respectively. [Results] The Hb concentration and Hct of the dosage group and the Shenmai group were significantly lower than those of the control group, with values of (179.3±17.8) vs (181.0±17.1) vs (199.1±19.5) g/L for Hb concentration and (53.2±2.6)% vs (53.3±2.5)% vs (58.4±3.1)% for Hct. The three groups maintained this pattern until the end of storage. In the middle and late stages of preservation, the glucose and Na⁺ contents in the dosage group and the Shenmai group were higher than those in the control group, while the lactate and K⁺ contents were lower than those in the control group. At the end of storage, the glucose and Na⁺ content of the Shenmai group was higher than that of the dosage group, while the lactate and K⁺ content were lower than that of the dosage group. From day 1 to day 35 of storage, the hemolysis rate of the Shenmai group was significantly lower than that of the control group and the dosage group. On day 21 and 35 of storage, the PS expression rate in the Shenmai group was significantly lower than that in the control group and the dosage group, which were (6.52±0.40)% vs (7.24±0.91)% vs (8.27±0.93)% and (7.29±0.53)% vs (9.37±0.82)% vs (8.39±0.76)%, respectively. [Conclusion] The hemolysis rate and PS of suspended red blood cells of Xizang high altitude prepared by adding Shenmai injection were significantly lower than those in the control group and the dosage group, which was conducive to reducing hemolysis and slowing down the aging of red blood cells, and had a certain improvement on the preservation quality of suspended red blood cells in Xizang plateau people.

[Objective] To use Chitosan Methacryloyl (CSMA) loaded with artificial platelet-derived exosomes (aPexos) as the needle body material, and gelatin and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) loaded with Epigallocatechin gallate(EGCG) as the backing material to prepare microneedles, aims to investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of aPexos-EGCG microneedles in the treatment of burn wound healing. [Methods] First, aPexos were extracted using ultrasound and gradient ultracentrifugation. The concentration, morphology, and growth factor content (TGF-β1, PDGF-BB, VEGF) of the exosomes were assessed using NTA, transmission electron microscopy, and ELISA kits. The aPexos and EGCG were then dissolved in the needle body and backing materials, respectively. The aPexos and EGCG were loaded into the needle body and backing layer, respectively. The morphology, mechanical properties, and puncture performance of the microneedles were examined, and the preparation conditions for the microneedles loaded with aPexos-EGCG were optimized. Finally, animal experiments and tissue staining were conducted to assess the efficacy of the aPexos-EGCG microneedles in promoting burn wound healing in rats. [Results] The size distribution of aPexos was mainly in the range of 50-150 nm, with an average diameter of 132.7±3.8 nm and an average concentration of approximately 2.88×10¹³±3.62×10¹² particles/mL. The concentrations of TGF-β1, PDGF-BB, and VEGF were approximately 1 363±135.9 ng/mL, 63.5±14.8 ng/mL, and 1 606.0±77.5 pg/mL, respectively. Mechanical property testing of the microneedles indicated that, compared with the blank microneedles, the drug-loaded microneedles had sufficient piercing ability to penetrate the stratum corneum of the skin. The results of the rat burn wound healing experiment showed that the wound healing rates of the d 3, d 7, aPexos-EGCG microneedle group compared to the control group showed significant differences, with respective values of (47.64±12.5)% vs (18.11±6.40)%, (87.45±5.57)% vs (79.85±5.03)%(P<0.05). Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining revealed more intact epidermal layers in the aPexos-EGCG microneedle group. Masson staining showed that the collagen deposition percentage in the aPexos-EGCG microneedle group was higher than in the control group. Immunofluorescence staining results indicated that the aPexos-EGCG microneedle group had a reduced content of M1-type macrophages and an increased content of M2-type macrophages. Additionally, the vascular markers CD31 and α-SMA showed elevated expression in this group, with significant differences compared to the other groups (P<0.05). [Conclusion] The aPexos-EGCG microneedle developed in this study exhibits good mechanical properties, capable of successfully penetrating the skin's stratum corneum and delivering aPexos and EGCG. aPexos promotes wound repair, while EGCG regulates the ratio of M1 and M2 macrophages at the wound site and suppresses the inflammatory response. This microneedle can effectively promote wound healing in rats with burn injuries, offering a novel approach for tissue repair.

ObjectiveThe nucleolar protein PES1 (Pescadillo homolog 1) plays critical roles in ribosome biogenesis and cell cycle regulation, yet its involvement in cellular senescence remains poorly understood. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the functional consequences of PES1 suppression in cellular senescence and elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying its regulatory role. MethodsInitially, we assessed PES1 expression patterns in two distinct senescence models: replicative senescent mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and doxorubicin-induced senescent human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells. Subsequently, PES1 expression was specifically downregulated using siRNA-mediated knockdown in these cell lines as well as additional relevant cell types. Cellular proliferation and senescence were assessed by EdU incorporation and SA-β-gal staining assays, respectively. The expression of senescence-associated proteins (p53, p21, and Rb) and SASP factors (IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-8) were analyzed by Western blot or qPCR. Furthermore, Northern blot and immunofluorescence were employed to evaluate pre-rRNA processing and nucleolar morphology. ResultsPES1 expression was significantly downregulated in senescent MEFs and HepG2 cells. PES1 knockdown resulted in decreased EdU-positive cells and increased SA‑β‑gal-positive cells, indicating proliferation inhibition and senescence induction. Mechanistically, PES1 suppression activated the p53-p21 pathway without affecting Rb expression, while upregulating IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-8 production. Notably, PES1 depletion impaired pre-rRNA maturation and induced nucleolar stress, as evidenced by aberrant nucleolar morphology. ConclusionOur findings demonstrate that PES1 deficiency triggers nucleolar stress and promotes p53-dependent (but Rb-independent) cellular senescence, highlighting its crucial role in maintaining nucleolar homeostasis and regulating senescence-associated pathways.

Background Prenatal chronic psychological stress may increase the risk of allergic diseases in children, and eczema is the most common allergic disease in children, the pathogenesis of which is not yet fully understood. Objective To preliminarily clarify the changes in offspring intestinal flora after chronic stress exposure during pregnancy in rats that increases offspring immune imbalance and eczema susceptibility. Methods Thirty SPF-grade adult female SD rats were selected and randomly divided into a model group and a control group (n=15). Sixteen male rats were randomly divided into a model mating group and a control mating group (n=8). A 28-day chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model during pregnancy was established. On the 7th day of stress, male and female rats were caged in a ratio of 3:1. Blood samples were collected from female rats in each group via angular vein on the 1st day before stress, and on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th days after stress. The content of plasma corticosterone during pregnancy was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). For the offspring rats, an eczema model was constructed using 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). The number of scratching times of the offspring rats within 5 min was recorded. The offspring rats were divided into 4 groups: DNCB-CUMS group (MM), DNCB-control group (MC), solvent control-CUMS group (CM), and blank control group (CC), with 8 rats in each group. The eczema was induced once every 3 days, and the induction period was 12 d. The expression level of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the serum of offspring rats after the eczema induction experiment were determined by ELISA. The concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and interleukin-13 (IL-13) in the serum were quantified by multi-parameter flow cytometry. The composition and abundance of intestinal microbiota in the feces of offspring rats were detected by 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology. Results The plasma corticosterone concentrations in the model group were higher than those in the control group on the 7th and 21st days of stress (P<0.05). On the 14th and 21st days of stress, the 1% sucrose preference percentages of female rats in the model group were lower than that in the control group. On the 7th, 14th, and 21st days of stress, the horizontal movement scores of female rats in the model group and the vertical movement scores on the 7th and 14th days were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). After 6, 9, and 12 d of model building, the scratching frequencies in the MC group and MM group were significantly higher than those in the CC group and CM group (P<0.05). Moreover, there were differences in the contents of cytokines including IFN-γ, IL-2, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-13, and IgE among the offspring rat groups (P<0.05). The CM group and MM group led to an increase in the contents of TNF-α, IL-4, IL-13, and IgE cytokines (P<0.05), while the MM group caused a decrease in the contents of IFN-γ and IL-2 (P<0.05). After the eczema induction experiment, the α-diversity analysis showed that the Simpson index and Shannon index in the CM were higher than those in the CC (P<0.05), indicating that CUMS during the pregnancy of female rats could increase the species abundance of their offspring. The abundances of Prevotella and Lactobacillus in the CM group decreased (P<0.05). Conclusion Intestinal dysbiosis in offspring due to chronic prenatal psychological stress, which may be one of the mechanisms linking maternal stress to immune imbalance and increased susceptibility to eczema in offspring.

ObjectiveTo compare the contents and relative molecular weight distributions of proteins and polypeptides in Naoxuekang dropping pills， Huoxue Tongmai capsules and Maixuekang capsules of Hirudo single medicinal preparations， to evaluate the in vitro anticoagulant， antiplatelet and fibrinolytic activities of the three preparations， and to investigate the effects of temperature， pH and digestive enzymes on the anticoagulant activities of the three preparations. MethodsThe contents of soluble proteins and polypeptides in the three preparations were determined by bicinchoninic acid assay（BCA） and Bradford method， and the relative molecular weight distributions of the three preparations were determined by electrophoresis combined with gel chromatography. The antithrombin activity of the three preparations was evaluated by fibrinogen-thrombin time（Fibg-TT） method， and their anticoagulant activities were further assessed by the elongations of activated partial thromboplastin time（APTT）， prothrombin time（PT） and thrombin time（TT）. The antiplatelet aggregation activities of the three preparations were measured by turbidimetry and the fibrinolytic activities were measured by fibrin plate method. Relative TT was used as index to investigate the effects of temperature， pH and digestive enzyme buffer on anticoagulant activities of the three preparations. ResultsAt the lowest single dosage， the contents of proteins and polypeptides were in the order of Maixuekang capsules>Huoxue Tongmai capsules>Naoxuekang dropping pills. Both Huoxue Tongmai capsules and Maixuekang capsules had 11 electrophoretic bands between 4.0 kDa and 90 kDa， the bands of Maixuekang capsules were more clear in the range of >25 kDa， and there was 1 obvious band at 14 kDa for the two capsules. Huoxue Tongmai capsules had one specific band at 9.0 kDa and Maixuekang capsules had one specific band at 48.0 kDa. Naoxuekang dropping pills only had 2 electrophoretic bands at 6.5 kDa and 8.5 kDa， primarily containing peptides below 2 kDa， most of which were oligopeptides. The anticoagulant activity concentrations of the three preparations exhibited a certain dose-dependent effect. At the lowest single dosage， The anticoagulant activity concentrations were ranked as Naoxuekang dropping pills>Huoxue Tongmai capsules>Maixuekang capsules. The prolongation effect of the three preparations on coagulation time was dose-dependent. At the same concentration， the prolongation effect of Naoxuekang dropping pills and Huoxue Tongmai capsules was APTT prolongation rate>TT prolongation rate>PT prolongation rate， whereas for Maixuekang capsules， the sequence was TT prolongation rate>APTT prolongation rate>PT lengthening rate. At the single minimum dosage， the order of APTT prolongation rate was Maixuekang capsules>Huoxue Tongmai capsules≈Naoxuekang dropping pills， the order of PT prolongation rate was Naoxuekang dropping pills≈Maixuekang capsules>Huoxue Tongmai capsules， and the order of TT prolongation rate was Maixuekang capsules>Huoxue Tongmai capsules>Naoxuekang dropping pills. The three preparations showed dose-dependent effects on platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate（ADP） and arachidonic acid（AA）， and the effect induced by ADP was stronger than that induced by AA. The anti-platelet aggregation effect of Naoxuekang dropping pills was significantly stronger than that of Maixuekang capsules（P<0.01）， whereas Huoxue Tongmai capsules had the effect of promoting platelet aggregation. None of the three preparations had the ability to dissolve fibrin. The anticoagulant activity of Naoxuekang dropping pills was least affected by heating， while the activities of the two capsules decreased significantly within 5 min above 80 ℃， and continued to decrease within 2 h. Compared with pure water， the anticoagulant activities of the three preparations could be increased by 1-3 times under strong acidity（pH 1-3）. In the pepsin buffer， the anticoagulant activity of Naoxuekang dropping pills could be increased by 1-3 times， while the anticoagulant activities of Huoxue Tongmai capsules and Maxuekang capsules were significantly decreased， the lowest levels were about 60% and 20%， respectively. In trypsin buffer， the anticoagulant activities of Naoxuekang dropping pills， Huoxue Tongmai capsules and Maixuekang capsules decreased significantly， and the lowest levels decreased to about 41%， 41% and 35%， respectively. ConclusionThe contents of proteins and polypeptides and relative molecular weights of the preparations derived from lyophilized fresh Hirudo powder， dried Hirudo powder and reflux extract of Hirudo decrease sequentially， and the anticoagulant activity decrease gradually， but the anticoagulant pathway is different. And the anti-platelet aggregation activity of the reflux extract is significantly enhanced. The heat resistance and gastrointestinal stability of the three preparations increase successively， and the first two are suitable for enteric-soluble preparations， while the latter is suitable for routine oral administration. The above results can provide data reference for the rationality of different preparation methods， active substances， pharmacodynamics and mechanism of Hirudo preparations.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of leaflet augmentation technique to repair the recurrent mitral valve (MV) regurgitation after mitral repair in children. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of children who underwent redo MV repair for recurrent regurgitation after initial MV repair, using a leaflet augmentation technique combined with a standardized repair strategy at Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, from 2018 to 2022. The pathological features of the MV, key intraoperative procedures, and short- to mid-term follow-up outcomes were analyzed. Results A total of 24 patients (12 male, 12 female) were included, with a median age of 37.6 (range, 16.5–120.0) months. The mean interval from the initial surgery was (24.9±17.0) months. All children had severe mitral regurgitation preoperatively. The cardiopulmonary bypass time was (150.1±49.5) min, and the aortic cross-clamp time was (94.0±24.2) min. There were no early postoperative deaths. During a mean follow-up of (20.3±9.1) months, 3 (12.5%) patients developed moderate or severe mitral regurgitation (2 severe, 1 moderate). One (4.2%) patient died during follow-up, and one (4.2%) patient underwent a second MV reoperation. The left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was significantly reduced postoperatively compared to preoperatively [ (43.5±8.6) mm vs. (35.8±7.8)mm, P<0.001]. Conclusion The leaflet augmentation technique combined with a standardized repair strategy can achieve satisfactory short- to mid-term outcomes for the redo mitral repair after previous MV repair. It can be considered a safe and feasible technical option for cases with complex valvular lesions and severe pathological changes.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the LAMA2 gene expression and the survival time of cancer patients, tumor microenvironment, tumor immune cell infiltration, and the immunotherapy responsiveness in pan-cancer. Methods:Download the expression data matrix and the clinical data from TCGA and IMvigor210, furthermore analyze the correlation between the expression level of LAMA2 and survival time, tumor microenvironment, and immunotherapy responsiveness by R and perform the gene set enrichment analysis of LAMA2 in pan-cancer to explore the related pathways. The Wilcoxon test was used to compare the expression difference of LAMA2 between tumor tissues and normal tissues. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis, and univariate COX regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk ratio relationship of LAMA2 in various tumors. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between the expression level of LAMA2 and tumor microenvironment immune score, as well as immune cell infiltration. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between the immunotherapy responsiveness and the expression level of LAMA2. Results:Compared with normal tissues, the expression level of LAMA2 was significantly decreased in most cancer types. In addition, the up-regulation or down-regulationand of LAMA2 expression may indicate the prognosis of patients. Univariate COX regression analysis showed that LAMA2 was significantly associated with prognosis in bladder cancer, renal papillary cell carcinoma, adrenocortical carcinoma, and so on. LAMA2 expression level was also significantly correlated with tumor microenvironment score, immune score and stromal score. Furthermore, the expression level of LAMA2 was correlated with the infiltration of tumor immune cells, including B cell, CD8 + T cell, regulatory T cell, mast cell, and so on. The results of gene set enrichment analysis show that the LAMA2 was mostly involved in the biological process of ion channels, gene expression, and skeletal muscle movement. LAMA2 expression was also associated with tumor mutation burden, microsatellite instability, and cell programmed death-ligand 1 immunotherapy responsiveness. Conclusions:LAMA2 has predictive value for survival and prognosis of patients in tumors, and is significantly correlated with tumor microenvironment, immune cell infiltration, tumor microenvironment, immunotherapy responsiveness, etc. As a potential tumor marker, LAMA2 provides a new direction for tumor prognosis judgment and treatment selection.