The production of high-quality oocytes requires precisely orchestrated intercellular communication. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are cell-derived nanoparticles that play a vital role in the transfer of bioactive molecules, which has gained much attention in the field of diagnosis and treatment. Over the past ten years, the participation of EVs in the reproductive processes of oocytes has been broadly studied and has shown great potential for elucidating the intricacies of female reproductive health. This review provides an extensive discussion of the influence of EVs on oocytes, emphasizing their involvement in normal physiology and altered cargo under pathological conditions. In addition, the positive impact of therapeutic EVs on oocyte quality and their role in alleviating ovarian pathological conditions are summarized.
Humans ; Extracellular Vesicles/physiology* ; Oocytes/cytology* ; Female ; Animals ; Cell Communication/physiology*

Objective To analyze changes in sleep,mood state,and brain function in healthy populations living in near-sea-level environments before and after exposure to high-altitude environment,and to explore the correlations between regional brain functional changes and variations in sleep and mood states.Methods A total of 45 healthy volunteers were enrolled.The participants came from regions of near-sea-level altitudes and were exposed to the high-altitude environment for a short period of time.The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI),Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale(SDS),Patient Health Questionnaire-9(PHQ-9),Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale(SAS),and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7(GAD-7)were administered to assess sleep quality as well as depressive and anxiety symptoms at 4 time points—prior to high-altitude exposure,immediately after exposure,one month after returning to low-altitude regions,and three months after returning to low-altitude regions.Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI)data were collected before and after high-altitude exposure,and regional brain functional parameters,including the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations(ALFF)and functional connectivity strength,were analyzed.Statistical analyses were performed,including a linear mixed-effects model to evaluate longitudinal changes in scale scores,paired-sample t-tests to compare brain function differences before and after exposure,and Pearson correlation analyses to examine the relationship between brain functional changes and alterations in sleep and mood states.Results Compared with the pre-exposure findings,the participants exhibited significantly increased PSQI scores(8.89±4.41 vs.5.08±2.69,P<0.05)and PHQ-9 scores(3.60±4.19 vs.1.54±2.30,P<0.05)immediately after high-altitude exposure.One month after returning to the low-altitude environment,both sleep and depression scores decreased relative to the findings immediately after exposure(PSQI:3.88±2.13 vs.8.89±4.41,P<0.05;PHQ-9:1.50±2.25 vs.3.60±4.19,P<0.05)and showed no statistically significant difference compared with the pre-exposure findings(P>0.05).Three months after returning to near-sea-level environment,sleep,depression,and anxiety scores were all reduced compared with the findings immediately after exposure(PSQI:3.76±2.31 vs.8.89±4.41,P<0.05;PHQ-9:1.24±2.13 vs.3.60±4.19,P<0.05;SAS:23.84±5.93 vs.27.93±7.05,P<0.05),also showing no significant difference compared with the pre-exposure levels(P>0.05).Brain function analysis revealed that,relative to the pre-exposure levels,ALFF in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus,insula,and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex(DLPFC)increased after high-altitude exposure(P<0.05),and that functional connectivity strength in the DLPFC was also elevated(P<0.05).Furthermore,changes in DLPFC functional connectivity strength were positively correlated with changes in sleep and mood scores(P<0.05).Conclusion High-altitude exposure has a significant impact on the sleep,mood states,and brain function of populations from near-sea-level regions,and DLPFC,in particular,is closely associated with changes in sleep and mood states.The findings of this study provide a theoretical basis for health management and intervention strategies in high-altitude environments.

BACKGROUND:With aging,the regenerative capacity and differentiation function of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells progressively decline,reducing bone tissue repair efficacy.Thus,identifying bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell subpopulations with enhanced osteogenic potential is of significant importance for advancing bone tissue engineering.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the osteogenic differentiation potential differences between STRO-1 positive and negative bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells under osteogenic induction conditions.METHODS:SD rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isolated and cultured.The expression of CD29,CD45,CD90,and STRO-1 was identified via flow cytometry and immunofluorescence.Immunomagnetic cell sorting was used to separate STRO-1 positive and negative bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.The cells of two groups were subjected to osteogenic induction for 7 and 14 days.qRT-PCR and western blotting were performed to analyze differences in osteogenesis-related gene expression(Collagen I,Runt-related transcription factor 2,osteoprotegerin,and osteocalcin)and protein levels.Alizarin red staining and alkaline phosphatase staining were used to observe calcium nodule formation.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Flow cytometry showed high expression levels of CD29 and CD90 and low expression of CD45,with a positive STRO-1 expression rate of 12.8％.Immunofluorescence results were consistent with those of flow cytometry.After magnetic cell sorting,STRO-1 positive cells demonstrated a higher colony formation rate than STRO-1 negative cells.On day 14,STRO-1 positive cells showed significantly higher osteogenic differentiation potential than on day 7,with significantly elevated osteogenesis-related marker levels compared to STRO-1 negative cells(P＜0.01).The findings indicate that STRO-1 positive bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells exhibit significant advantages in osteogenic potential,providing a theoretical basis for their selection as ideal seed cells in bone tissue engineering.In future applications,they may represent a promising therapeutic approach for bone defect repair.

Cancer patients often experience worsening pain due to the limitations of traditional pharmacological treatments. This paper explores the innovative application of multi-agent systems in this field. As a key component of artificial intelligence, multi-agent systems assist healthcare providers in making intelligent decisions and interventions based on patients' conditions, and can collaborate with other smart devices to provide personalized care. This review discusses the concept of multi-agent systems, their application in pain management, and the potential challenges and countermeasures, aiming to provide guidance for the intelligent management of cancer patient pain.

BACKGROUND:With aging,the regenerative capacity and differentiation function of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells progressively decline,reducing bone tissue repair efficacy.Thus,identifying bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell subpopulations with enhanced osteogenic potential is of significant importance for advancing bone tissue engineering.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the osteogenic differentiation potential differences between STRO-1 positive and negative bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells under osteogenic induction conditions.METHODS:SD rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isolated and cultured.The expression of CD29,CD45,CD90,and STRO-1 was identified via flow cytometry and immunofluorescence.Immunomagnetic cell sorting was used to separate STRO-1 positive and negative bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.The cells of two groups were subjected to osteogenic induction for 7 and 14 days.qRT-PCR and western blotting were performed to analyze differences in osteogenesis-related gene expression(Collagen I,Runt-related transcription factor 2,osteoprotegerin,and osteocalcin)and protein levels.Alizarin red staining and alkaline phosphatase staining were used to observe calcium nodule formation.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Flow cytometry showed high expression levels of CD29 and CD90 and low expression of CD45,with a positive STRO-1 expression rate of 12.8％.Immunofluorescence results were consistent with those of flow cytometry.After magnetic cell sorting,STRO-1 positive cells demonstrated a higher colony formation rate than STRO-1 negative cells.On day 14,STRO-1 positive cells showed significantly higher osteogenic differentiation potential than on day 7,with significantly elevated osteogenesis-related marker levels compared to STRO-1 negative cells(P＜0.01).The findings indicate that STRO-1 positive bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells exhibit significant advantages in osteogenic potential,providing a theoretical basis for their selection as ideal seed cells in bone tissue engineering.In future applications,they may represent a promising therapeutic approach for bone defect repair.

Cancer patients often experience worsening pain due to the limitations of traditional pharmacological treatments. This paper explores the innovative application of multi-agent systems in this field. As a key component of artificial intelligence, multi-agent systems assist healthcare providers in making intelligent decisions and interventions based on patients' conditions, and can collaborate with other smart devices to provide personalized care. This review discusses the concept of multi-agent systems, their application in pain management, and the potential challenges and countermeasures, aiming to provide guidance for the intelligent management of cancer patient pain.

ObjectiveTo study the anti-inflammatory effects of Blumea balsamifera （L.） DC oil （BBO） based on nuclear factor kappa-B （NF-κB） nonclassical and arachidonic acid （AA） pathway. MethodsEffects of BBO on the production of slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis （SRS-A） were detected by the ileal smooth muscle method. The contents of prostaglandin E₂ （PGE₂） and leukotriene B₄ （LTB₄） in lipopolysaccharides （LPS） -induced macrophages were detected by ELISA kit. The expression of COX-2， 5-LOX， FLAP and RelB were detected by qRT-PCR. Western blot was performed to detect the effects of BBO on the level of NF-κB nonclassical pathway proteins TNF receptor associated factor 3 （TRAF3）， TNF receptor associated factor 2 （TRAF2）， NF-κB-inducing kinase （NIK）， p100 and RelB. ResultsThe contractile tension of guinea pig ileum was reduced （P<0.001）， and the SRS-A production inhibition rate reached 65.34% at 1mg·mL^-1 BBO concentration. Compared with LPS group， BBO reduced the concentrations of PGE₂ （P<0.05） and LTB₄ （P<0.05）_， and decreased the expressions of COX-2 （P<0.05）， 5-LOX （P<0.05） and FLAP （P<0.05） in AA pathway at concentrations of 40-80 μg·mL^-1. Moreover， 40-80 μg·mL^-1 BBO decreased the concentrations of TRAF3 （P<0.05）， TRAF2 （P<0.05）， and NIK （P<0.05）， and further inhibited the phosphorylation of p100 （P<0.05）， as well as the level of the transcription factor RelB in genes （P<0.05） and proteins （P<0.05） in nonclassical NF-κB pathway， whereas BBO did not cause such changes. ConclusionBBO may potentially exert its anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing the regulatory proteins TRAF3 and TRAF2 and the transcription factor RelB in NF-κB nonclassical pathway. The inhibitory action extending to the induction kinase function of NIK， further hindering the phosphorylation of p100 and its binding with the transcription factor RelB. Consequently， downstream elements in the AA pathway， including the pivotal rate-limiting enzymes COX-2， 5-LOX and FLAP， were altered. This modulation influences the levels of inflammatory mediators such as PGE₂ and LTB₄.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical significance of early troponin I (TnI) level in the prognosis of severe heat stroke. METHODS: Clinical data of 131 patients with severe heat stroke in the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Affiliated Changzhou NO.2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (study dataset) and ICU 67 patients with severe heat stroke in Jintan First People's Hospital of Changzhou (validation dataset) were retrospectively analyzed from June 2013 to September 2022. The patients were divided into survival group and death group according to 30-day outcomes. TnI was collected within 24 hours after admission to the emergency department. Cox regression analysis was performed to analyze the risk factors of severe heat stroke death. Spearman correlation test was used to analyze the correlation between TnI and heart rate, and peripheral systolic blood pressure. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to evaluate the predictive value of TnI for death in patients with severe heat stroke. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was conducted to assess the clinical net benefit rate of TnI prediction. Grouping by TnI cut-off value, Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to analyze 30-day cumulative survival. Sensitivity analysis included modified Possion regression, E-value, and subgroup forest map was used to evaluate the mortality risk of TnI in different populations. External dataset was used to verify the predictive value of TnI. RESULTS: The death group had significantly higher TnI compared to the survival group [μg/L: 0.623 (0.196, 1.510) vs. 0.084 (0.019, 0.285), P < 0.01]. Multivariate Cox regression analysis after adjusting for confounding factors showed that TnI was an independent risk factor for death [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.885, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.528-2.325,P < 0.001]. Spearman correlation test showed that TnI was positively correlated with heart rate (r = 0.537, P < 0.001) and negatively correlated with peripheral systolic blood pressure (r = -0.611, P < 0.001). ROC curve showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of the TnI (0.817) was better than that of the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II, 0.756). The DCA curve showed that the range of clinical net benefit rate of TnI (6.21%-20.00%) was higher than that of APACHE II score (5.14%-20.00%). Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that patients in the low-risk group (TnI ≤ 0.106) had a significantly higher 30-day survival rate than that in the high-risk group (TnI > 0.106) group (Log-Rank test: χ² = 17.350, P < 0.001). Modified Possion regression with adjustment for confounding factors showed that TnI was still an independent risk factor for death in patients with severe heat stroke [relative risk (RR) = 1.425, 95%CI was 1.284-1.583, P < 0.001]. The E-value was 2.215. The subgroup forest plot showed that the risk factors of TnI were obvious in male patients and patients ≤ 60 years old (male: HR = 1.731, 95%CI was 1.402-2.138, P < 0.001; ≤ 60 years old: HR = 1.651, 95%CI was 1.362-2.012, P < 0.001). In the validation dataset, ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC (0.836) of TnI predicting the prognosis of severe heat stroke was still higher than the APACHE II score (0.763). CONCLUSIONS Early elevation of TnI is a high-risk factor for death in patients with severe heat stroke, and it has a good predictive value for death.
Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Troponin I ; Retrospective Studies ; Clinical Relevance ; ROC Curve ; Prognosis ; Intensive Care Units ; Heat Stroke/diagnosis* ; Sepsis

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignancies with the highest incidence rate and mortality rate worldwide, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for about 85%. Only 5% NSCLC patients are anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement positive NSCLC, but the prognosis of these patients is poor, and treatment is urgent. Ensartinib (X-396), a next-generation ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor (ALK-TKI), has shown greater potency on inhibiting ALK activity and controlling brain metastases than crizotinib, which is indicated for the treatment of crizotinib-resistant, ALK-positive NSCLC patients. Several phase I to III clinical trials included both healthy volunteers and NSCLC patients have been conducted both in China and abroad. In this review, we briefly summarized the results of these trials, and preliminary efficacy, safety, pharmacology and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of ensartinib were discussed.

The liver is the metabolic center of mammalian body. Systematic study on liver's proteome expression under different physiological and pathological conditions helps us understand the functional mechanisms of the liver. With the rapid development of liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry technique, numerous studies on liver physiology and pathology features produced a large number of proteomics data. In this paper, 834 proteomics experiments of mouse liver were systematically collected and the mouse liver proteome database (Mouse Liver Portal, http://mouseliver.com) was established. The Mouse Liver Portal contains the liver's proteomics data under different physiology and pathology conditions, such as different gender, age, circadian rhythm, cell type and different phase of partial hepatectomy, non-alcoholic fatty liver. This portal provides the changes in proteins' expression in different conditions of the liver, differently expressed proteins and the biological processes which they are involved in, potential signal transduction and regulatory networks. As the most comprehensive mouse liver proteome database, it can provide important resources and clues for liver biology research.
Animals ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Databases, Factual ; Liver ; Mice ; Proteome ; Proteomics