Objective To investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of a spray prepared from exosomes derived from M2 macrophages induced by interleukin-4 （IL-4） and tantalum particles （Ta） on the healing of pressure ulcers. Methods Bone marrow-derived macrophages were polarized into M2 macrophages using IL-4 or Ta, and exosomes （Exo-IL-4/Exo-Ta） were extracted. The regulatory effects of Exo-IL-4/Exo-Ta on M1 macrophage phenotypes and fibroblast matrix secretion were evaluated in vitro. Proteomic analysis was conducted to explore the biological processes and regulatory networks associated with Exo-Ta. A rat pressure ulcer model was used to assess the effects of Exo-IL-4/Exo-Ta spray on wound healing rate, inflammatory cell infiltration, and collagen deposition. Results In vitro, Exo-IL-4/Exo-Ta induced the polarization of M1 macrophages to M2 macrophages, reduced the secretion of pro-inflammatory factors, and promoted the expression of anti-inflammatory substances. Additionally, Exo-IL-4/Exo-Ta enhanced the production of collagen and fibronectin in fibroblasts. Proteomic analysis revealed that Exo-Ta primarily participated in biological processes such as energy metabolism and macromolecule biosynthesis. In vivo, Exo-IL-4/Exo-Ta spray accelerated wound healing, reduced inflammatory infiltration, and improved tissue remodeling in the rat pressure ulcer model. Conclusion Exosome sprays derived from M2 macrophages could accelerate pressure ulcer healing by modulating inflammation and promoting tissue regeneration, which demonstrated excellent clinical application potential.

Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of total arterial off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) using a left internal thoracic artery (LITA) combined with bilateral radial arteries (RAs). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with severe multi-vessel coronary artery disease who underwent total arterial OPCABG with a LITA and bilateral RAs at Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital from November 2020 to April 2023. Results A total of 24 patients were included, comprising 23 males and 1 female, with a mean age of (53.63±4.33) years. The New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class was Ⅱ to Ⅲ. The mean number of distal anastomoses was 3.17±0.38. A Y-graft was constructed in 12 patients and sequential grafting was performed in 4 patients. Concomitant procedures included coronary endarterectomy in 1 patient, intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) implantation in 10 patients, and thymoma resection in 1 patient. The mean operative time was (308.13±30.39) min, mechanical ventilation time was (15.42±7.42) h, ICU stay was (46.08±27.32) h, and postoperative hospital stay was (11.71±1.90) d. There were no in-hospital deaths. Postoperative complications included one patient of acute renal failure and one patient of cerebral infarction. Pre-discharge color Doppler echocardiography revealed that the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was significantly smaller than before surgery (P<0.05), while the left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening were significantly higher (P<0.05). Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed that all arterial grafts were patent. During a mean follow-up of (14.58±8.75) months, no patients experienced angina recurrence or mortality. Repeat coronary CTA or angiography in 16 patients one year postoperatively confirmed that all arterial grafts remained patent. Conclusion Total arterial OPCABG using a LITA and bilateral RAs is a safe and effective treatment for patients with severe multi-vessel coronary artery disease. For high-risk patients, intraoperative IABP support is recommended.

BACKGROUND: The available evidence regarding the benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on patients receiving dialysis with coronary artery disease (CAD) is limited and inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate the association between PCI and clinical outcomes as compared with medical therapy alone in patients undergoing dialysis with CAD in China. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective study was conducted in 30 tertiary medical centers across 12 provinces in China from January 2015 to June 2021 to include patients on dialysis with CAD. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and non-fatal stroke. Secondary outcomes included all-cause death, the individual components of MACE, and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium criteria types 2, 3, or 5 bleeding. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between PCI and outcomes. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) and propensity score matching (PSM) were performed to account for potential between-group differences. RESULTS: Of the 1146 patients on dialysis with significant CAD, 821 (71.6%) underwent PCI. After a median follow-up of 23.0 months, PCI was associated with a 43.0% significantly lower risk for MACE (33.9% [ n  = 278] vs . 43.7% [ n  = 142]; adjusted hazards ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.45-0.71), along with a slightly increased risk for bleeding outcomes that did not reach statistical significance (11.1% vs . 8.3%; adjusted hazards ratio 1.31, 95% confidence interval, 0.82-2.11). Furthermore, PCI was associated with a significant reduction in all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities. Subgroup analysis did not modify the association of PCI with patient outcomes. These primary findings were consistent across IPTW, PSM, and competing risk analyses. CONCLUSION This study indicated that PCI in patients on dialysis with CAD was significantly associated with lower MACE and mortality when comparing with those with medical therapy alone, albeit with a slightly increased risk for bleeding events that did not reach statistical significance.
Humans ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Coronary Artery Disease/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Renal Dialysis/methods* ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; China ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Treatment Outcome

The mechanism of L-perilla alcohol(L-POH) in intervening hypoxic pulmonary hypertension(HPAH) was discussed based on network pharmacology, and experimental verification. The active components and potential targets of the volatile oil of Rhodiola tangutica(VORA) in the intervention of HPAH were screened by network pharmacology. The biological process of Gene Ontology(GO) and the signaling pathway enrichment of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) were analyzed for the core targets, and a "component-common target-disease" network was constructed. Four active components were screened from VORA: L-POH, linalool, geraniol, and(-)-myrtenol. The core targets for treating HPAH were HSP90AA1, AKT1, ESR1, PIK3CA, EP300, EGFR, and JAK2. GO enrichment analysis mainly involved biological processes such as reaction to hypoxia, heme binding, and steroid binding. KEGG enrichment analysis mainly involved hypoxia-inducing factor 1(HIF-1) signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway, and Janus kinase/activator of signal transduction and transcription(JAK/STAT) signaling pathway. The vasodilation effects of the four active components were screened by perfusion experiment of extracorporeal vascular rings, and the mechanism of the main active component L-POH was studied by channel blockers. The inhibitory effects of the four active components on the proliferation of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells(PASMCs) induced by hypoxia were screened by cell proliferation experiment, and the mechanism of the main active component L-POH was studied by flow cytometry, cell cycle experiment, and Western blot. The results showed that L-POH could directly act on vascular smooth muscle to relax pulmonary arterioles, induce ATP-sensitive potassium channels to open, and inhibit extracellular Ca~(2+) influx through voltage-gated calcium channels to relax blood vessels. In addition, L-POH could inhibit the abnormal proliferation of PASMCs induced by hypoxia and promote its apoptosis, and its mechanism may be related to the increase in Bax protein expression and the decrease in p-JAK2, p-STAT3, Bcl-2, and cyclinA2 protein expression. In summary, L-POH can interfere with HPAH by relaxing pulmonary arterioles and inhibiting the proliferation of smooth muscle cells.
Network Pharmacology ; Animals ; Hypertension, Pulmonary/physiopathology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Rats ; Hypoxia/metabolism* ; Rhodiola/chemistry* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Humans ; Monoterpenes/chemistry* ; Male ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVES: To explore the mediating role of sleep duration in the relationship between depression symptoms and myopia among middle school students. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional research conducted using a stratified cluster random sampling method. A total of 1 728 middle school students were selected from two junior high schools and two senior high schools in certain urban areas and farms of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Questionnaire surveys and vision tests were conducted among the students. Spearman analysis was used to analyze the correlation between depression symptoms, sleep duration, and myopia. The Bootstrap method was employed to investigate the mediating effect of sleep duration between depression symptoms and myopia. RESULTS: The prevalence of myopia in the overall population was 74.02% (1 279/1 728), with an average sleep duration of (7.6±1.0) hours. The rate of insufficient sleep was 83.62% (1 445/1 728), and the proportion of students exhibiting depression symptoms was 25.29% (437/1 728). Correlation analysis showed significant negative correlations between visual acuity in both eyes and sleep duration with depressive emotions as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (with correlation coefficients of -0.064, -0.084, and -0.199 respectively; P<0.01), as well as with somatic symptoms and activities (with correlation coefficients of -0.104, -0.124, and -0.233 respectively; P<0.01) and interpersonal relationships (with correlation coefficients of -0.052, -0.059, and -0.071 respectively; P<0.05). The correlation coefficients for left and right eye visual acuity and sleep duration were 0.206 and 0.211 respectively (P<0.001). Sleep duration exhibited a mediating effect between depression symptoms and myopia (indirect effect=0.056, 95%CI: 0.029-0.088), with the mediating effect value for females (indirect effect=0.066, 95%CI: 0.024-0.119) being higher than that for males (indirect effect=0.042, 95%CI: 0.011-0.081). CONCLUSIONS Sleep duration serves as a partial mediator between depression symptoms and myopia in middle school students.
Humans ; Myopia/etiology* ; Male ; Female ; Depression/physiopathology* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Sleep ; Adolescent ; Students ; Child ; Time Factors ; Sleep Duration

OBJECTIVE: By analyzing the hormone secretion of the adenohypophysis, thyroid glands, gonads, and adrenal cortex in patients with hematological diseases before and after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), this study aims to preliminarily explore the effect of HSCT on patients' hormone secretion and glandular damage. METHODS: The baseline data of 209 hematological disease patients who underwent HSCT in our hospital from January 2019 to December 2023, as well as the data on the levels of hormones secreted by the adenohypophysis, thyroid glands, gonads and adrenal cortex before and after HSCT were collected, and the changes in hormone levels before and after transplantation were analyzed. RESULTS: After allogeneic HSCT, the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and estradiol (E2) decreased, while the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle- stimulating hormone (FSH) increased. The T3 level of patients with decreased TSH after transplantation was lower than that of those with increased TSH after transplantation. In female patients, the levels of prolactin (PRL), progesterone (Prog), and testosterone (Testo) decreased after HSCT. Testo and PRL decreased when there was a donor-recipient sex mismatch, and the levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol (COR) decreased when the HLA matching was haploidentical. The levels of T3, FT3, and PRL decreased after autologous HSCT. In allogeneic HSCT patients, the levels of TSH, T4, T3, FT3, and ACTH in the group with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were significantly lower than those in the group without GVHD. Logistic regression analysis showed the changes in hormone levels after transplantation were not correlated with factors such as the patient's sex, age, or whether the blood types of the donor and the recipient are the same. CONCLUSION HSCT can affect the endocrine function of patients with hematological diseases, mainly affecting target glandular organs such as the thyroid, gonads, and adrenal glands, while the secretory function of the adenohypophysis is less affected.
Humans ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Female ; Male ; Hematologic Diseases/blood* ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone/blood* ; Triiodothyronine/blood* ; Luteinizing Hormone/blood* ; Thyroid Gland/metabolism* ; Estradiol/blood* ; Thyrotropin/blood* ; Gonads/metabolism* ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/blood* ; Hormones/metabolism* ; Adrenal Cortex/metabolism* ; Prolactin

OBJECTIVE: To assess the cardioprotective effect and impact of Qishen Granules (QSG) on different ischemic areas of the myocardium in heart failure (HF) rats by evaluating its metabolic pattern, substrate utilization, and mechanistic modulation. METHODS: In vivo, echocardiography and histology were used to assess rat cardiac function; positron emission tomography was performed to assess the abundance of glucose metabolism in the ischemic border and remote areas of the heart; fatty acid metabolism and ATP production levels were assessed by hematologic and biochemical analyses. The above experiments evaluated the cardioprotective effect of QSG on left anterior descending ligation-induced HF in rats and the mode of energy metabolism modulation. In vitro, a hypoxia-induced H9C2 model was established, mitochondrial damage was evaluated by flow cytometry, and nuclear translocation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 α (HIF-1 α) was observed by immunofluorescence to assess the mechanism of energy metabolism regulation by QSG in hypoxic and normoxia conditions. RESULTS: QSG regulated the pattern of glucose and fatty acid metabolism in the border and remote areas of the heart via the HIF-1 α pathway, and improved cardiac function in HF rats. Specifically, QSG promoted HIF-1 α expression and entry into the nucleus at high levels of hypoxia (P<0.05), thereby promoting increased compensatory glucose metabolism; while reducing nuclear accumulation of HIF-1 α at relatively low levels of hypoxia (P<0.05), promoting the increased lipid metabolism. CONCLUSIONS QSG regulates the protein stability of HIF-1 α, thereby coordinating energy supply balance between the ischemic border and remote areas of the myocardium. This alleviates the energy metabolism disorder caused by ischemic injury.
Animals ; Myocardial Infarction/physiopathology* ; Male ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Glucose/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Energy Metabolism/drug effects* ; Rats ; Fatty Acids/metabolism* ; Myocardium/pathology*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effect of Xiangshao Granules (XSG) on post-stroke depression (PSD) and explore the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Forty-three C57BL/6J mice were divided into 3 groups: sham (n=15), PSD+vehicle (n=14), and PSD+XSG (n=14) groups according to a random number table. The PSD models were constructed using chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The sham group only experienced the same surgical operation, but without MACO and CUMS stimulation. The XSG group received XSG (60 mg/kg per day) by gavage for 4 weeks. The mice in the sham and vehicle groups were given the same volume of 0.9% saline at the same time. The body weight and behavior tests including open field test, sucrose preference test, tail suspension test, and elevated plus-maze test, were used to validate the PSD mouse model. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and immunofluorescence staining were used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of XSG. The potential molecular mechanisms were explored and verified through network pharmacology analysis, Nissl staining, Western blot, ELISA, and RT-qPCR, respectively. RESULTS: The body weight and behavior tests showed that MCAO combined with CUMS successfully established the PSD models. XSG alleviated neuronal damage, reduced the expressions of pro-apoptotic proteins Caspase-3 and B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2)-associated X (BAX), and increased the expression of anti-apoptotic protein BCL-2 in PSD mice (P<0.05 or P<0.01). XSG inhibited microglial activation and the expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1 β, and IL-6 via the toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor kappa-B signaling pathway in PSD mice (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Furthermore, XSG decreased the expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase1 (IDO1) and increased the concentration of 5-hydroxytryptamine in PSD mice (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION XSG could reverse the anxiety/depressionlike behaviors and reduce the neuronal injury in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of PSD mice, which may be a potential therapeutic agent for PSD.
Animals ; Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase/metabolism* ; Depression/etiology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Prefrontal Cortex/pathology* ; Microglia/metabolism* ; Stroke/drug therapy* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice ; Behavior, Animal/drug effects*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the anti-hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) activity of total alkaloids from Gelsemium elegans Benth. (TAG) in vivo and in vitro and to elucidate their potential mechanisms of action through transcriptomic analysis. METHODS: TAG extraction was conducted, and the primary components were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The effects of TAG (100, 150, and 200 µg/mL) on various tumor cells, including SMMC-7721, HepG2, H22, CAL27, MCF7, HT29, and HCT116, were assessed. Effects of TAG on HCC proliferation and apoptosis were detected by colony formation assays and cell stainings. Caspase-3, Bcl-2, and Bax protein levels were detected by Western blotting. In vivo, a tumor xenograft model was developed using H22 cells. Totally 40 Kunming mice were randomly assigned to model, cyclophosphamide (20 mg/kg), TAG low-dose (TAG-L, 0.5 mg/kg), and TAG high-dose (TAG-H, 1 mg/kg) groups, with 10 mice in each group. Tumor volume, body weight, and tumor weight were recorded and compared during 14-day treatment. Immune organ index were calculated. Tissue changes were oberseved by hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry. Additionally, transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses, as well as quatitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), were performed to detect mRNA and metabolite expressions. RESULTS: HPLC successfully identified the components of TAG extraction. Live cell imaging and analysis, along with cell viability assays, demonstrated that TAG inhibited the proliferation of SMMC-7721, HepG2, H22, CAL27, MCF7, HT29, and HCT116 cells. Colony formation assays, Hoechst 33258 staining, Rhodamine 123 staining, and Western blotting revealed that TAG not only inhibited HCC proliferation but also promoted apoptosis (P<0.05). In vivo experiments showed that TAG inhibited the growth of solid tumors in HCC in mice (P<0.05). Transcriptomic analysis and RT-qPCR indicated that the inhibition of HCC by TAG was associated with the regulation of the key gene CXCL13. CONCLUSION TAG inhibits HCC both in vivo and in vitro, with its inhibitory effect linked to the regulation of the key gene CXCL13.
Animals ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Liver Neoplasms/genetics* ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics* ; Humans ; Alkaloids/therapeutic use* ; Gelsemium/chemistry* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Mice ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays