In the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), astrocytes are the ubiquitous glial cells that have complex morphological and molecular characteristics. These fascinating cells play essential neurosupportive and homeostatic roles in the healthy CNS and undergo morphological, molecular, and functional changes to adopt so-called 'reactive' states in response to CNS injury or disease. In recent years, interest in astrocyte research has increased dramatically and some new biological features and roles of astrocytes in physiological and pathological conditions have been discovered thanks to technological advances. Here, we will review and discuss the well-established and emerging astroglial biology and functions, with emphasis on their potential as therapeutic targets for CNS injury, including traumatic and ischemic injury. This review article will highlight the importance of astrocytes in the neuropathological process and repair of CNS injury.
Astrocytes/drug effects* ; Humans ; Animals ; Central Nervous System/pathology* ; Central Nervous System Diseases/physiopathology*

Objective:To investigate the use of treatment measures in patients with severe postpartum hemor-rhage and massive blood transfusion.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of parturients from 18 medical institutions who gave birth between January 2019 and June 2023,with postpartum hemorrhage≥ 1000 ml within 24 hours after delivery and red blood cell(RBC)transfusion≥4 U.According to the amount of RBC transfusion,the patients were divided into massive-transfusion(MT)group(≥ 10 U)and non-massive-transfusion(non-MT)group(4-＜10 U).The high-risk factors for postpartum hemorrhage,causes of hemorrhage,and medical and surgical treatment measures were compared between the two groups.Results:A total of 575 patients were included(134 cases in MT group and 441 cases in non-MT group).In the MT group,the proportions of multiparous women,gravidity≥2,preterm birth,previous cesarean section,placenta previa,and placenta accreta were significantly higher than those in the non-MT group,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).The primary cause of postpartum haemorrhage in the MT group was placental factors(58.2％),whereas uterine atony was the main cause in the non-MT group(52.2％).Analysis of medication treatment showed that carboprost tromethamine was the most frequently used secondary uterotonic in both groups(73.1％and 80.5％).Surgical management analysis revealed that the proportion of surgical interventions was higher in the MT group than that in the non-MT group.Among the 44 patients who underwent hysterectomy,33 cases un-derwent hysterectomy during cesarean section,with the primary cause of postpartum haemorrhage being placen-tal factors(29 cases,87.9％).Conclusion:Patients with severe postpartum haemorrhage requiring massive transfusion need extensive pharmacological and surgical interventions.It is crucial to reduce risk factors,particu-larly by decreasing the incidence of primary cesarean sections,optimize uterotonic use,and ultimately minimize the occurrence of severe postpartum haemorrhage and massive transfusion.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of pregnancy complicated with Beh?et′s disease, so as to improve the diagnosis and treatment of the disease and improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 10 pregnant women with Beh?et′s disease, who were admitted to Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from January 2016 to June 2024. The maternal and neonatal outcomes were analyzed.Results:The 10 pregnant women with Beh?et′s disease had a mean age of (31.2±5.3) years (range: 25-41 years). Nine were diagnosed before pregnancy and one was diagnosed during the second trimester of pregnancy. The mean age of disease onset was (20.5±6.1) years (range: 10-34 years). Clinical manifestations included oral ulcers, genital ulcers, fever, uveitis, hematochezia, diarrhea, constipation, and skin rash. Nine of them received medication during pregnancy, while one did not. The disease conditions of five women were active during pregnancy and other five remained stable. In terms of delivery mode, five women had vaginal delivery and five delivered by cesarean section. Nine delivered at term and one had preterm delivery. All neonates survived without adverse outcomes.Conclusions:The management of pregnancy complicated with Beh?et′s disease requires a multidisciplinary team approcach. Individualized decisions regarding medication, timing of delivery, and mode of delivery are essential to achieve optimal maternal and fetal outcomes.

Objective:To analyze the incidence of pregnancy complications and maternal-neonatal outcomes in women with a history of preconception metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS).Methods:This study was a retrospective cohort study. Pregnant women with singleton pregnancy who delivered in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, from September 2019 to December 2024 were selected as the observation subjects. After propensity score matching, 42 women in the MBS group and 157 women in the control group were finally included. The general clinical characteristics, pregnancy status and maternal-neonatal outcomes of the two groups were compared and analyzed.Results:(1) There were no statistically significant differences in the age, proportion of preconception obesity, chronic hypertension, preconception diabetes and primipara between the MBS group and the control group (all P>0.05). The median interval between surgery and pregnancy of pregnant women in the MBS group was 14.0 months (6.0, 27.5 months). Twenty-nine pregnant women (69%, 29/42) were pregnant after 1 year of surgery, and 13 pregnant women (31%, 13/42) were pregnant within 1 year. (2) The levels of hemoglobin, serum iron and triglyceride in the MBS group were significantly lower than those in the control group in the second and third trimester (all P<0.05), but there were no statistically significant differences in the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol and albumin between the two groups (all P>0.05). (3) Compared with the control group, the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus in MBS group [21.7% (34/157) vs 7.1% (3/42)] and the proportion of large for gestational age [23.6% (37/157) vs 2.4% (1/42)] were lower; the incidence of anemia [6.4% (10/157) vs 33.3% (14/42)], fetal growth restriction [7.0% (11/157) vs 23.8% (10/42)] and small for gestational age [3.8% (6/157) vs 19.0% (8/42)] were higher; the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the cesarean section rate, premature rupture of membranes rate, postpartum hemorrhage ≥1 000 ml rate, gestational age at delivery and preterm birth rate between the two groups (all P>0.05). The neonatal birth weight of the MBS group was significantly lower than that of the control group [(3 044±523) vs (3 256±491) g, P=0.016], but the proportion of neonates with 1-minute Apgar score<7 and the rate of neonatal intensive care unit admission were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Women who got pregnant after MBS had lower neonatal weight, decreased incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus and large for gestational age, but higher incidence of small for gestational age and anemia in late pregnancy. It is necessary to focus on the nutritional management of pregnant women with MBS before pregnancy, improve anemia, and strengthen the ultrasound follow-up of fetal growth to optimize the perinatal outcome.

Objective:To investigate the use of treatment measures in patients with severe postpartum hemor-rhage and massive blood transfusion.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of parturients from 18 medical institutions who gave birth between January 2019 and June 2023,with postpartum hemorrhage≥ 1000 ml within 24 hours after delivery and red blood cell(RBC)transfusion≥4 U.According to the amount of RBC transfusion,the patients were divided into massive-transfusion(MT)group(≥ 10 U)and non-massive-transfusion(non-MT)group(4-＜10 U).The high-risk factors for postpartum hemorrhage,causes of hemorrhage,and medical and surgical treatment measures were compared between the two groups.Results:A total of 575 patients were included(134 cases in MT group and 441 cases in non-MT group).In the MT group,the proportions of multiparous women,gravidity≥2,preterm birth,previous cesarean section,placenta previa,and placenta accreta were significantly higher than those in the non-MT group,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).The primary cause of postpartum haemorrhage in the MT group was placental factors(58.2％),whereas uterine atony was the main cause in the non-MT group(52.2％).Analysis of medication treatment showed that carboprost tromethamine was the most frequently used secondary uterotonic in both groups(73.1％and 80.5％).Surgical management analysis revealed that the proportion of surgical interventions was higher in the MT group than that in the non-MT group.Among the 44 patients who underwent hysterectomy,33 cases un-derwent hysterectomy during cesarean section,with the primary cause of postpartum haemorrhage being placen-tal factors(29 cases,87.9％).Conclusion:Patients with severe postpartum haemorrhage requiring massive transfusion need extensive pharmacological and surgical interventions.It is crucial to reduce risk factors,particu-larly by decreasing the incidence of primary cesarean sections,optimize uterotonic use,and ultimately minimize the occurrence of severe postpartum haemorrhage and massive transfusion.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of pregnancy complicated with Beh?et′s disease, so as to improve the diagnosis and treatment of the disease and improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 10 pregnant women with Beh?et′s disease, who were admitted to Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from January 2016 to June 2024. The maternal and neonatal outcomes were analyzed.Results:The 10 pregnant women with Beh?et′s disease had a mean age of (31.2±5.3) years (range: 25-41 years). Nine were diagnosed before pregnancy and one was diagnosed during the second trimester of pregnancy. The mean age of disease onset was (20.5±6.1) years (range: 10-34 years). Clinical manifestations included oral ulcers, genital ulcers, fever, uveitis, hematochezia, diarrhea, constipation, and skin rash. Nine of them received medication during pregnancy, while one did not. The disease conditions of five women were active during pregnancy and other five remained stable. In terms of delivery mode, five women had vaginal delivery and five delivered by cesarean section. Nine delivered at term and one had preterm delivery. All neonates survived without adverse outcomes.Conclusions:The management of pregnancy complicated with Beh?et′s disease requires a multidisciplinary team approcach. Individualized decisions regarding medication, timing of delivery, and mode of delivery are essential to achieve optimal maternal and fetal outcomes.

Objective:To analyze the incidence of pregnancy complications and maternal-neonatal outcomes in women with a history of preconception metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS).Methods:This study was a retrospective cohort study. Pregnant women with singleton pregnancy who delivered in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, from September 2019 to December 2024 were selected as the observation subjects. After propensity score matching, 42 women in the MBS group and 157 women in the control group were finally included. The general clinical characteristics, pregnancy status and maternal-neonatal outcomes of the two groups were compared and analyzed.Results:(1) There were no statistically significant differences in the age, proportion of preconception obesity, chronic hypertension, preconception diabetes and primipara between the MBS group and the control group (all P>0.05). The median interval between surgery and pregnancy of pregnant women in the MBS group was 14.0 months (6.0, 27.5 months). Twenty-nine pregnant women (69%, 29/42) were pregnant after 1 year of surgery, and 13 pregnant women (31%, 13/42) were pregnant within 1 year. (2) The levels of hemoglobin, serum iron and triglyceride in the MBS group were significantly lower than those in the control group in the second and third trimester (all P<0.05), but there were no statistically significant differences in the levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol and albumin between the two groups (all P>0.05). (3) Compared with the control group, the incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus in MBS group [21.7% (34/157) vs 7.1% (3/42)] and the proportion of large for gestational age [23.6% (37/157) vs 2.4% (1/42)] were lower; the incidence of anemia [6.4% (10/157) vs 33.3% (14/42)], fetal growth restriction [7.0% (11/157) vs 23.8% (10/42)] and small for gestational age [3.8% (6/157) vs 19.0% (8/42)] were higher; the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the cesarean section rate, premature rupture of membranes rate, postpartum hemorrhage ≥1 000 ml rate, gestational age at delivery and preterm birth rate between the two groups (all P>0.05). The neonatal birth weight of the MBS group was significantly lower than that of the control group [(3 044±523) vs (3 256±491) g, P=0.016], but the proportion of neonates with 1-minute Apgar score<7 and the rate of neonatal intensive care unit admission were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Women who got pregnant after MBS had lower neonatal weight, decreased incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus and large for gestational age, but higher incidence of small for gestational age and anemia in late pregnancy. It is necessary to focus on the nutritional management of pregnant women with MBS before pregnancy, improve anemia, and strengthen the ultrasound follow-up of fetal growth to optimize the perinatal outcome.

Objective:The clinical data of prenatal stillbirth were analyzed in order to increase the understand-ing of the causes of stillbirth.Methods:Prenatal stillbirth cases that terminated pregnancy in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital,Affiliated Hospital of Medical School,Nanjing University from January 2018 to December 2022 were col-lected,and the distribution characteristics of clinical data and the stillbirth causes were analyzed.The causes of death were classified according to the standards developed by the Stillbirth Collaborative Research Network(SCRN)in the United States,and they were divided into clear cause-of-death group and unknown cause-of-death group.The different characteristics of the two groups were compared and analyzed.Results:There were 210 ca-ses of prenatal stillbirth during the study period,and 104 cases met the inclusion criteria.Among them,33 cases(31.7%)had autopsy results,39 cases(37.5%)had genetic results,and 75 cases(72.1%)had placental pathol-ogy.According to the classification of SCRN standard,55 cases(52.9%)were probably related to the cause of death,33 cases(31.7%)were classified as possible,13 cases(12.5%)were probably unrelated,and 3 cases(2.9%)could not be attributed to the cause of death,that is,84.6%(88 cases)in the clear cause of death group and 15.4%(16 cases)in the unknown cause of death group.The rate of placental pathological examination in the clear cause of death group was significantly higher than that in the unknown cause of death group(78.4%).In the classification of causes of death,placental pathological changes accounted for the largest proportion,account-ing for 26.9%(28 cases),followed by pregnancy complications accounting for 25.0%(26 cases),and 15.4%of the cases were still unexplained.Conclusions:Placental pathology is of great significance for clarifying the cause of stillbirth.It is feasible to use SCRN to classify the etiology of stillbirth.Pathological placental conditions account for a relatively high proportion in the classification of stillbirth causes.It is recommended that each case of stillbirth placenta should undergo pathological examination.

Objective:The clinical data of prenatal stillbirth were analyzed in order to increase the understand-ing of the causes of stillbirth.Methods:Prenatal stillbirth cases that terminated pregnancy in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital,Affiliated Hospital of Medical School,Nanjing University from January 2018 to December 2022 were col-lected,and the distribution characteristics of clinical data and the stillbirth causes were analyzed.The causes of death were classified according to the standards developed by the Stillbirth Collaborative Research Network(SCRN)in the United States,and they were divided into clear cause-of-death group and unknown cause-of-death group.The different characteristics of the two groups were compared and analyzed.Results:There were 210 ca-ses of prenatal stillbirth during the study period,and 104 cases met the inclusion criteria.Among them,33 cases(31.7%)had autopsy results,39 cases(37.5%)had genetic results,and 75 cases(72.1%)had placental pathol-ogy.According to the classification of SCRN standard,55 cases(52.9%)were probably related to the cause of death,33 cases(31.7%)were classified as possible,13 cases(12.5%)were probably unrelated,and 3 cases(2.9%)could not be attributed to the cause of death,that is,84.6%(88 cases)in the clear cause of death group and 15.4%(16 cases)in the unknown cause of death group.The rate of placental pathological examination in the clear cause of death group was significantly higher than that in the unknown cause of death group(78.4%).In the classification of causes of death,placental pathological changes accounted for the largest proportion,account-ing for 26.9%(28 cases),followed by pregnancy complications accounting for 25.0%(26 cases),and 15.4%of the cases were still unexplained.Conclusions:Placental pathology is of great significance for clarifying the cause of stillbirth.It is feasible to use SCRN to classify the etiology of stillbirth.Pathological placental conditions account for a relatively high proportion in the classification of stillbirth causes.It is recommended that each case of stillbirth placenta should undergo pathological examination.

Objective:The clinical data of prenatal stillbirth were analyzed in order to increase the understand-ing of the causes of stillbirth.Methods:Prenatal stillbirth cases that terminated pregnancy in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital,Affiliated Hospital of Medical School,Nanjing University from January 2018 to December 2022 were col-lected,and the distribution characteristics of clinical data and the stillbirth causes were analyzed.The causes of death were classified according to the standards developed by the Stillbirth Collaborative Research Network(SCRN)in the United States,and they were divided into clear cause-of-death group and unknown cause-of-death group.The different characteristics of the two groups were compared and analyzed.Results:There were 210 ca-ses of prenatal stillbirth during the study period,and 104 cases met the inclusion criteria.Among them,33 cases(31.7%)had autopsy results,39 cases(37.5%)had genetic results,and 75 cases(72.1%)had placental pathol-ogy.According to the classification of SCRN standard,55 cases(52.9%)were probably related to the cause of death,33 cases(31.7%)were classified as possible,13 cases(12.5%)were probably unrelated,and 3 cases(2.9%)could not be attributed to the cause of death,that is,84.6%(88 cases)in the clear cause of death group and 15.4%(16 cases)in the unknown cause of death group.The rate of placental pathological examination in the clear cause of death group was significantly higher than that in the unknown cause of death group(78.4%).In the classification of causes of death,placental pathological changes accounted for the largest proportion,account-ing for 26.9%(28 cases),followed by pregnancy complications accounting for 25.0%(26 cases),and 15.4%of the cases were still unexplained.Conclusions:Placental pathology is of great significance for clarifying the cause of stillbirth.It is feasible to use SCRN to classify the etiology of stillbirth.Pathological placental conditions account for a relatively high proportion in the classification of stillbirth causes.It is recommended that each case of stillbirth placenta should undergo pathological examination.