ObjectiveTo investigate whether the effect of Danggui Shaoyaosan （DSS） on cognitive impairment is related to its promotion of ketone body metabolism in the brain and regulation of glutamate/α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isox-azolepropionic acid receptor （AMPAR） pathway. MethodsMale APP/PS1 mice were randomized into model， low-dose （3.2 g·kg^-1） DSS， medium-dose （6.4 g·kg^-1） DSS， high-dose （12.8 g·kg^-1） DSS， ketogenic diet， and inhibitor （talampanel， 5 mg·kg^-1） groups. C57BL/6J wild-type mice were selected as the normal group. The talampanel group was intragastrically administered for 2 consecutive weeks from the 6th week， and the other groups were continuously treated for 8 weeks before behavioral testing. The ultrastructure of synapses in hippocampal CA1 region was observed by transmission electron microscopy， and calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase Ⅱ （CaMKⅡ） expression was detected by immunohistochemistry （IHC）. The levels of β-hydroxybutyrate （BHB） and lactic acid （LAC） were measured by biochemical kits， and those of glutamate （Glu）， glutamine （Gln）， γ-aminobutyric acid （GABA）， and synaptophysin （SYP） by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The mRNA levels of glutamine synthetase （GS）， glutaminase （GLS）， glutamate decarboxylase （GAD）， CaMKⅡ， and AMPAR subunits GluA1 and GluA2 were quantified by Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and the protein levels of GS， GLS， GAD， GluA1， and GluA2 by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group exhibited decreased recognition index， spontaneous alternation rate， and residence time in the target quadrant （P<0.01）， increased escape latency and ratio of the time in the opposite side of the target quadrant to the time in the target quadrant （P<0.05， P<0.01）， damaged synaptic ultrastructure of hippocampal CA1 region， increased positive expression of CaMKⅡ， no significant difference in BHB level， elevated LAC and Glu levels （P<0.01）， declined SYP， Gln， and GABA levels （P<0.01）， downregulated mRNA and protein levels of GS， GAD， and GluA2 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and upregulated mRNA and protein levels of GLS and GluA1 （P<0.05， P<0.01） and mRNA level of CaMKⅡ （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， DSS intervention improved the behavioral indexes of mice （P<0.05， P<0.01）， enhanced the synaptic ultrastructure plasticity in hippocampal CA1 region， decreased the positive expression of CaMKⅡ， raised the BHB level （P<0.01）， reduced the LAC and Glu levels （P<0.01）， elevated the SYP， Gln， and GABA levels （P<0.01）， upregulated the mRNA and protein levels of GS， GAD， and GluA2， and downregulated the mRNA and protein levels of GLS and GluA1 （P<0.05， P<0.01） and the mRNA level of CaMKⅡ （P<0.01）. ConclusionDSS can improve the learning and memory and enhance the synaptic plasticity of APP/PS1 mice. Its neuroprotective effect is coupled with the promotion of ketone body formation and remodeling of brain energy metabolism， and is related to the regulation of glutamate/AMPAR pathway.

In cases where a tracheal injury exceeds half the length of the adult trachea or one-third of the length of the child trachea, it becomes difficult to perform end-to-end anastomosis after tracheal resection due to excessive tension at the anastomosis site. In such cases, tracheal replacement therapy is required. Advances in tissue engineering technology have led to the development of tissue engineering tracheal substitutes, which have promising applications. Hydrogels, which are highly hydrated and possess a good three-dimensional network structure, biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, biodegradability, and modifiability, have had wide applications in the field of tissue engineering. This article provides a review of the characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, and effects of various hydrogels commonly used in tissue engineering trachea in recent years. Additionally, the article discusses and offers prospects for the future application of hydrogels in the field of tissue engineering trachea.

OBJECTIVE To study the improvement effects and mechanism of proanthocyanidins （PACs） on steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head （SONFH） in rabbits based on the receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 （RIPK1）/RIPK3/mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein （MLKL） signaling pathway. METHODS SONFH model in rabbits was induced by injecting Escherichia coli endotoxin+methylprednisolone. The successfully modeled rabbits were randomly divided into Model group （normal saline）， low-dose PACs group （PACs-L group， 11 mg/kg）， high-dose PACs group （PACs-H group， 22 mg/kg）， high-dose PACs+ RIPK1 activator （rRIPK1） group （PACs-H+rRIPK1 group， 22 mg/kg PACs+4 μg/kg rRIPK1）， along with a control group （normal saline）， with 6 rabbits in each group. Each administration group was given relevant medicine once a day intragastrically/via injection， for 4 consecutive weeks. After the last administration， the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in rabbit serum were measured. The changes in the microstructure of rabbit femurs， including bone mineral density （BMD）， trabecular thickness （Tb.Th）， trabecular number （Tb.N）， and trabecular separation （Tb. Sp） were examined. The histopathological features of rabbit femoral tissues were observed， and the apoptotic status of cells within the rabbit femoral tissues was detected. The mRNA expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） and bone morphogenetic protein 2 （BMP2） in rabbit femoral tissues were determined. The expressions of RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL signaling pathway-related proteins in femoral tissues were detected. RESULTS Compared with the Control group， serum contents of TNF-α and IL-6， Tb.Sp， empty bone cavity rate， cell apoptosis rate， phosphorylation levels of RIPK1， RIPK3 and MLKL in femoral tissue were significantly increased in the Model group （P＜0.05）. BMD， Tb.Th， Tb.N， as well as the mRNA expression of VEGF and BMP2， along with protein expression of caspase-8， in the femoral tissues were all decreased （P＜0.05）. The bone cells in the femoral tissue were unevenly distributed， and the trabeculae were arranged sparsely. Compared with the Model group， the aforementioned quantitative indicators （P＜0.05） and pathological changes in all dosage groups of PACs showed significant improvements. Compared with the PACs-H group， the aforementioned quantitative indicators （P＜0.05） and pathological changes in the PACs-H+rRIPK1 group showed significant reversal. CONCLUSIONS PACs can ameliorate SONFH in rabbits， and its mechanism of action may be related to the inhibition of the activation of the RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL signaling pathway， suppression of apoptosis in femoral tissue cells， and promotion of angiogenesis.

Tooth pulpitis is a prevalent oral disorder. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of pulpitis and developing effective treatment strategies hold great significance. Ferroptosis has recently emerged as a new form of cell death, but the role of ferroptosis in pulpitis remains largely unknown. In our study, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was used to identify cellular heterogeneity between 3 pulpitis tissue and 3 healthy pulp tissue, and explored ferroptosis occurrence in pulpitis tissue and inflamed dental pulp cells (DPCs). In scRNA-seq, 40 231 cells (Pulpitis: 17 814; Healthy pulp: 22 417) were captured, and visualized into 12 distinct cell clusters. Differentially expressed ferroptosis-related genes (DE-FRGs) were almost presented in each cluster in pulpitis vs healthy pulp. ROS and Fe²⁺ levels significantly rose, and immunohistochemistry showed low expression of GPX4 and high expression of PTGS2 in pulpitis. In LPS-stimulated DPCs, thymosin α1 increased the expression of GPX4 and FTL, and decreased expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and Fe²⁺ levels. In rat pulpitis models, both prothymosin α (PTMA, precursor of thymosin α1) gelatin sponge placed at the hole of pulp (LPS-P(gs)) and PTMA injection in pulp (LPS-P(i)) significantly reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells and expression of PTGS2, and increased the expression of GPX4. In RNA sequencing, the expression of DE-FRGs were reversed when thymosin α1 were added in LPS-stimulated DPCs. Collectively, single-cell atlas reveals cellular heterogeneity between pulpitis and healthy pulp, and ferroptosis occurrence in pulpitis. Thymosin α1 may reduce ferroptosis in DPCs to alleviate pulpitis and thus potentially has the ability to treat pulpitis.
Ferroptosis/drug effects* ; Dental Pulp/drug effects* ; Animals ; Pulpitis/pathology* ; Rats ; Thymalfasin/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Male ; Thymosin/pharmacology* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and clinical therapeutic effect of in-line mechanical in-exsufflation to assist sputum clearance in patients with invasive mechanical ventilation. METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted at the department of critical care medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from April 2022 to May 2023. Patients who were invasively ventilated and treated with in-line mechanical in-exsufflation to assist sputum clearance were enrolled. Baseline data were collected. Sputum viscosity, oxygenation index, parameters of ventilatory function and respiratory mechanics, clinical pulmonary infection score (CPIS) and vital signs before and after day 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 of use of the in-line mechanical in-exsufflation were assessed and recorded. Statistical analyses were performed by using generalized estimating equation (GEE). RESULTS: A total of 13 invasively ventilated patients using in-line mechanical in-exsufflation were included, all of whom were male and had respiratory failure, with the main cause being cervical spinal cord injury/high-level paraplegia (38.46%). Before the use of the in-line mechanical in-exsufflation, the proportion of patients with sputum viscosity of grade III was 38.46% (5/13) and decreased to 22.22% (2/9) 7 days after treatment with in-line mechanical in-exsufflation. With the prolonged use of the in-line mechanical in-exsufflation, the patients' CPIS scores tended to decrease significantly, with a mean decrease of 0.5 points per day (P < 0.01). Oxygenation improved significantly, with the oxygenation index (PaO₂/FiO₂) increasing by a mean of 23.3 mmHg (1 mmHg ≈ 0.133 kPa) per day and the arterial partial pressure of oxygen increasing by a mean of 12.6 mmHg per day (both P < 0.01). Compared to baseline, the respiratory mechanics of the patients improved significantly 7 days after in-line mechanical in-exsufflation use, with a significant increase in the compliance of respiratory system (Cst) [mL/cmH₂O (1 cmH₂O ≈ 0.098 kPa): 55.6 (50.0, 58.0) vs. 40.9 (37.5, 50.0), P < 0.01], and both the airway resistance and driving pressure (DP) were significantly decreased [airway resistance (cmH₂O×L^-1×s^-1): 9.6 (6.9, 10.5) vs. 12.0 (10.0, 13.0), DP (cmH₂O): 9.0 (9.0, 12.0) vs. 11.0 (10.0, 15.0), both P < 0.01]. At the same time, no new lung collapse was observed during the treatment period. No significant discomfort was reported by patients, and there were no substantial changes in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and mean arterial pressure before and after the in-line mechanical in-exsufflation treatment. CONCLUSIONS The combined use of the in-line mechanical in-exsufflation to assist sputum clearance in patients on invasive mechanical ventilation can effectively improve sputum characteristics, oxygenation and respiratory mechanics. The in-line mechanical in-exsufflation was well tolerated by the patients, with no treatment-related adverse events, which demonstrated its effectiveness and safety.
Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Respiration, Artificial/methods* ; Respiratory Insufficiency/therapy* ; Sputum

The bioactivity-guided isolation of potentially active natural products has been widely utilized in pharmaceutical discovery. In this study, by screening fungal extracts against coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), three new aspochalasins, templichalasins A‒C (1‒3), along with six known aspochalasins (4‒9) were isolated from an active extract derived from the endophytic fungus Aspergillus templicola LHWf045. Compound 1 features a unique 5/6/5/7/5 pentacyclic ring system, while compounds 2 and 3 possess unusual 5/6/6/7 tetracyclic skeletons. Their structures were characterized through extensive spectroscopic analyses, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Additionally, we demonstrated that compound 4 can be readily converted into compounds 1‒3 under mild acidic conditions and proposed a plausible mechanism for this conversion. Bioactivity evaluation of compounds 1‒9 against CVB3 revealed the inhibitory effects of all compounds against the virus. Notably, compound 9 exhibited superior antiviral activity, surpassing the commercial drug ribavirin in selectivity index (SI) value.
Antiviral Agents/isolation & purification* ; Aspergillus/chemistry* ; Molecular Structure ; Enterovirus B, Human/drug effects* ; Endophytes/chemistry* ; Cytochalasins/isolation & purification* ; Drug Discovery ; Humans

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of different dosage forms of Kaixinsan （KXS） on the morphology and function of mitochondria in rat models of Alzheimer's disease （AD） and potential mechanisms of action. MethodsMale SD rats were randomly assigned to a sham group， model group， treatment groups receiving KXS decoction， powders， and granules （3.08 g·kg^-1）， as well as donepezil group （0.51×10^-3 g·kg^-1）， with 10 rats in each group. AD model was created using intracerebroventricular injection of streptozocin （STZ）. After 30 days of administration， behavioral assessments were conducted， and mitochondrial morphology was observed using transmission electron microscopy. Mitochondrial respiratory chain complex content was measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Changes in mitochondrial membrane potential were measured via JC-1 staining， and superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity and reactive oxygen species （ROS） levels were measured via biochemical assays. The mRNA expression of adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）， peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α （PGC-1α）， and silent information regulator 3 （SIRT3） was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and Western blot was used to examine the protein expression levels of optic atrophy protein1 （OPA1）， mitochondrial fission protein 1 （FIS1）， AMPK， p-AMPK， PGC-1α， and SIRT3. ResultsCompared with the sham group， rats in the model group had significantly lower recognition index， spontaneous alternation rate， escape latency， number of platform crossings， time spent in the target quadrant， and percentage of distance traveled in the target quadrant distance （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Significant mitochondrial damage was observed in the hippocampal tissue， with a marked decrease in mitochondrial respiratory chain complex content （P<0.01） and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential （P<0.05）. Additionally， the SOD activity was reduced， while ROS levels were elevated （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of PGC-1α and SIRT3 was significantly downregulated （P<0.01）， along with decreased protein expression levels of OPA1， p-AMPK/AMPK， PGC-1α， and SIRT3， whereas FIS1 protein expression was significantly upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， rats in KXS-treated groups （various dosage forms） showed significant improvement in behavioral indexes （P<0.05， P<0.01）， reduced hippocampal mitochondrial damage， and more organized mitochondrial cristae. Mitochondrial respiratory chain complex content was significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and mitochondrial membrane potentials were elevated （P<0.05）. SOD activity was elevated， and ROS levels were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Furthermore， the mRNA expression of PGC-1α and SIRT3 was upregulated， with increased protein levels of OPA1， p-AMPK/AMPK， PGC-1α， and SIRT3， while FIS1 protein expression levels were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Across the KXS-treated groups， the granule group showed a higher spontaneous alternation rate than the decoction and powder groups （P<0.05）. ConclusionKXS decoction， powders， and granules can improve the learning and memory ability of rats， with granules being the most effective. The mechanism of action may involve activation of the AMPK/PGC-1α/SIRT3 signaling pathway， improvement of the mitochondrial function， and subsequent amelioration of the brain energy metabolism disorders.

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of different dosage forms of Kaixinsan （KXS） on the morphology and function of mitochondria in rat models of Alzheimer's disease （AD） and potential mechanisms of action. MethodsMale SD rats were randomly assigned to a sham group， model group， treatment groups receiving KXS decoction， powders， and granules （3.08 g·kg^-1）， as well as donepezil group （0.51×10^-3 g·kg^-1）， with 10 rats in each group. AD model was created using intracerebroventricular injection of streptozocin （STZ）. After 30 days of administration， behavioral assessments were conducted， and mitochondrial morphology was observed using transmission electron microscopy. Mitochondrial respiratory chain complex content was measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Changes in mitochondrial membrane potential were measured via JC-1 staining， and superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity and reactive oxygen species （ROS） levels were measured via biochemical assays. The mRNA expression of adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase （AMPK）， peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α （PGC-1α）， and silent information regulator 3 （SIRT3） was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and Western blot was used to examine the protein expression levels of optic atrophy protein1 （OPA1）， mitochondrial fission protein 1 （FIS1）， AMPK， p-AMPK， PGC-1α， and SIRT3. ResultsCompared with the sham group， rats in the model group had significantly lower recognition index， spontaneous alternation rate， escape latency， number of platform crossings， time spent in the target quadrant， and percentage of distance traveled in the target quadrant distance （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Significant mitochondrial damage was observed in the hippocampal tissue， with a marked decrease in mitochondrial respiratory chain complex content （P<0.01） and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential （P<0.05）. Additionally， the SOD activity was reduced， while ROS levels were elevated （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of PGC-1α and SIRT3 was significantly downregulated （P<0.01）， along with decreased protein expression levels of OPA1， p-AMPK/AMPK， PGC-1α， and SIRT3， whereas FIS1 protein expression was significantly upregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， rats in KXS-treated groups （various dosage forms） showed significant improvement in behavioral indexes （P<0.05， P<0.01）， reduced hippocampal mitochondrial damage， and more organized mitochondrial cristae. Mitochondrial respiratory chain complex content was significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and mitochondrial membrane potentials were elevated （P<0.05）. SOD activity was elevated， and ROS levels were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Furthermore， the mRNA expression of PGC-1α and SIRT3 was upregulated， with increased protein levels of OPA1， p-AMPK/AMPK， PGC-1α， and SIRT3， while FIS1 protein expression levels were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Across the KXS-treated groups， the granule group showed a higher spontaneous alternation rate than the decoction and powder groups （P<0.05）. ConclusionKXS decoction， powders， and granules can improve the learning and memory ability of rats， with granules being the most effective. The mechanism of action may involve activation of the AMPK/PGC-1α/SIRT3 signaling pathway， improvement of the mitochondrial function， and subsequent amelioration of the brain energy metabolism disorders.

Objective:To systematically evaluate the authentic feeling of mental experience among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the process of dietary management, aiming to provide insights for maintaining the psychological well-being of patients with IBD and strengthening their dietary management.Methods:The qualitative studies related to dietary management in patients with IBD from China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP, China Biomedical Database, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and PsyINFO were searched from inception to January 31st 2025. Quality evaluation criteria for qualitative research of Joanna Briggs Institute, Australia, 2016 edition was used for literature evaluation. Meta integration method was used to integrate and analyze the literature findings.Results:A total of 11 articles were included in the review, from which 22 research findings were extracted and categorized into 7 groups, culminating in 3 integrated outcomes: IBD patients experienced complex emotions, IBD patients faced multiple pressures and IBD patients had ambivalent coping.Conclusions:IBD patients manifest profound psychological complexities throughout dietary management processes. Future healthcare professionals can implement multifaceted psychological intervention strategies to relieve psychological distress, promote positive emotion, overcome negative coping, and ultimately enhance the competence of dietary self-management among IBD patients.

Objective:To systematically evaluate the authentic feeling of mental experience among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the process of dietary management, aiming to provide insights for maintaining the psychological well-being of patients with IBD and strengthening their dietary management.Methods:The qualitative studies related to dietary management in patients with IBD from China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP, China Biomedical Database, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and PsyINFO were searched from inception to January 31st 2025. Quality evaluation criteria for qualitative research of Joanna Briggs Institute, Australia, 2016 edition was used for literature evaluation. Meta integration method was used to integrate and analyze the literature findings.Results:A total of 11 articles were included in the review, from which 22 research findings were extracted and categorized into 7 groups, culminating in 3 integrated outcomes: IBD patients experienced complex emotions, IBD patients faced multiple pressures and IBD patients had ambivalent coping.Conclusions:IBD patients manifest profound psychological complexities throughout dietary management processes. Future healthcare professionals can implement multifaceted psychological intervention strategies to relieve psychological distress, promote positive emotion, overcome negative coping, and ultimately enhance the competence of dietary self-management among IBD patients.