AIM:To investigate the mechanism of reduced tear secretion in depression-related dry eye rats based on 5-HT/TRPV4/AQP5.METHODS:Healthy SD male rats were established with chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)method to establish a depression-induced dry eye model(n=8), and the control group was blank rats(n=8). The ELISA method was used to compare the 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)in serum and hippocampal tissue of the two groups, and the HE sections of lacrimal gland and AQP5 immunohistochemistry were observed. Western blot and RT-PCR were used to detect the expression of 5-HT3R, TRPV4 and AQP5 in the lacrimal gland tissue of the two groups of rats.RESULTS:The tear secretion in the depression-induced group was significantly reduced(P=0.001), the serum and hippocampal 5-HT levels were significantly reduced(all P<0.05), the expression of AQP5 antibody in the lacrimal gland immunohistochemistry was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.001), the expression of 5-HT3R, TRPV4 and AQP5 in the lacrimal gland was significantly reduced(all P<0.05), and no obvious inflammatory cells were found in the lacrimal gland tissue sections.CONCLUSION:Depression-related dry eye may occur through a non-inflammatory 5-HT/TRPV4/AQP5 mechanism.

AIM:To investigate the mechanism of reduced tear secretion in depression-related dry eye rats based on 5-HT/TRPV4/AQP5.METHODS:Healthy SD male rats were established with chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)method to establish a depression-induced dry eye model(n=8), and the control group was blank rats(n=8). The ELISA method was used to compare the 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)in serum and hippocampal tissue of the two groups, and the HE sections of lacrimal gland and AQP5 immunohistochemistry were observed. Western blot and RT-PCR were used to detect the expression of 5-HT3R, TRPV4 and AQP5 in the lacrimal gland tissue of the two groups of rats.RESULTS:The tear secretion in the depression-induced group was significantly reduced(P=0.001), the serum and hippocampal 5-HT levels were significantly reduced(all P<0.05), the expression of AQP5 antibody in the lacrimal gland immunohistochemistry was significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.001), the expression of 5-HT3R, TRPV4 and AQP5 in the lacrimal gland was significantly reduced(all P<0.05), and no obvious inflammatory cells were found in the lacrimal gland tissue sections.CONCLUSION:Depression-related dry eye may occur through a non-inflammatory 5-HT/TRPV4/AQP5 mechanism.

Objective: Inflammatory cascade reactions play a crucial role in secondary neuronal injury in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The aim of this study was to explore the correlations between specific serological indicators, early neurological deterioration (END), disease prognosis, and syndrome factors in AIS based on this injury mechanism. Methods: The data for this study were collected from 135 patients with AIS admitted to the emergency department of Fangshan Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, within 24 h of onset between November 2019 and May 2021. Among these, 29 patients had complete data and experienced END. Additionally, 9 non-END patients were matched from the remaining 90 patients with complete data, resulting in a total of 38 patients for statistical analysis. Statistical methods, including logistic regression and receiver operating curves, were used to analyze the correlation between serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-10 (IL-10), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) within 24 h of END onset, disease prognosis, and syndrome factors. Grouping criteria included END occurrence, presence of syndrome elements on the first and third day post-onset, and prognosis at 90 days post-onset. Results: All 38 cases had onset time of less than 12 h, and there were no significant differences in age, gender, and onset time between the END and non-END groups. The TNF-α serum level within 24 h of onset was not associated with the occurrence of END but was negatively correlated with all-cause mortality at 90 days [0.110; P<0.05). An elevated IL-10 serum level within 24 h of onset showed a strong negative correlation with non-disabling and good functional outcomes at 90 days post-onset (0.110; P<0.05). When the ICAM-1 serum levels exceeded 233 599.500 μg/L and 125 141.500 μg/L, respectively, the susceptibility to endogenous wind and endogenous fire on the third day of onset was 15.364 times and 6.071 times higher, respectively, than that in patients with serum levels below these thresholds. Conclusion As accessible and objective biomarkers, inflammatory serum indicators are closely associated with both disease progression and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome elements. They enhance AIS diagnosis, assessment, and treatment and contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of TCM syndrome differentiation in AIS diagnosis and treatment.

Object To study the efficacy and potential mechanism of Tongbianling capsule in constipation. Methods The effects of Tongbianling capsule on intestinal motility in normal mice and carbon powder propulsion rate in small intestine of constipation model mice after were observed administration. The potential targets and key pathways of Tongbianling capsule in treating constipation were identified through network pharmacology. To verify the mechanism, the expression of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT and CASP3 proteins in mouse colon tissue was detected by the western blot. Results The time for mice to excrete the first black stool was shortened and the number of fecal particles was increased in Tongbianling capsule administration group, and the carbon powder propulsion rate of mice in each Tongbianling capsule administration group was increased. The results of network pharmacology showed that treatment of constipation by Tongbianling capsule may be related to signaling pathways such as PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and 5-HT. The protein expression of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, and CASP3 in mouse colon tissue could be significantly downregulated in administration group. Conclusion Tongbianling capsule could effectively promote intestinal peristalsis in mice, increase the frequency of defecation, and effectively treat constipation. The mechanism of its action may be related to the direct or indirect regulation of intestinal motility by the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

Objective: To investigate the potential of conventional cranial computed tomography (CT) in assessing the early neurological deterioration(END), long-term prognosis, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome elements during the acute phase in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods: This study included 101 patients with AIS onset within 24 h in the Emergency Department of Fangshan Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, from November 2019 to May 2021. To investigate the correlation between the relevant characteristics of the first conventional cranial CT in patients with AIS onset within 24 h and END, 90 d prognosis, and initial syndrome elements, the presence or absence of END, the 90 d prognosis (non-disabling outcome or functionally independent outcome), and the establishment of syndrome elements (internal fire, phlegm-dampness, blood stasis, qi deficiency, yin deficiency) were used as dependent variables and grouping criteria. Results: This study included 61 males and 40 females, with an age of (64.43±10.56) years. The time from onset to conventional cranial CT examination was 3.50 (1.50, 9.75) h. Among the patients, there were 70 cases (69.3%) of mild AIS, 30 cases (29.7%) of moderate AIS, and one case (1.0%) of severe AIS. Fifteen patients (14.9%) received intravenous thrombolysis. Among the 101 patients, six syndrome elements were observed within 24 h of onset: internal wind in 101 cases (100.0%), internal fire in 58 cases (57.4%), phlegm-dampness in 60 cases (59.4%), blood stasis in 67 cases (66.3%), qi deficiency in 39 cases (38.6%), and yin deficiency in 23 cases (22.8%). The incidence of END was higher in patients with lesions in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere to the affected limb (32.9%) than in those without such lesions (10.7%), showing a strong positive correlation with END occurrence (OR=4.082, P = 0.026). The incidence of END was higher in patients with lesions in the basal ganglia region (33.3%) and the carotid system blood supply area (32.8%) than in those without lesions in the basal ganglia region (15.8%) and the carotid system territory (14.7%), showing moderate positive correlations with END occurrence (OR=2.667, P =0.047; OR=2.836, P=0.044). The proportion of non-disabling outcomes was lower among patients with white matter degeneration (30.8%) and lesions in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere to the affected limb (52.1%) than in those without white matter degeneration (63.6%) and without such lesions in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere to the affected limb (78.6%), both showing strong negative correlations with the occurrence of non-disabling outcomes (OR=0.254, P=0.034; OR=0.296, P=0.015). Similarly, the proportion of functionally independent outcomes was lower among individuals with white matter degeneration (30.8%) and lesions in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere to the affected limb (64.4%) than in those without white matter degeneration (77.3%) and without such lesions in the contralateral cerebral hemisphere to the affected limb (89.3%), both also showing strong negative correlations with the occurrence of functionally independent outcomes (OR=0.131, P=0.001; OR=0.217, P=0.014). The incidence rates of internal fire, blood stasis, and yin deficiency syndrome elements were 66.7%, 73.0%, and 30.2%, respectively, among patients with lesions in the basal ganglia region, compared to 42.1%, 55.3%, and 10.5% among those without lesions in this region. The presence of lesions in the basal ganglia region showed moderate to strong positive correlations with internal fire and yin deficiency syndrome elements (OR=2.750, P=0.016; OR=3.670, P=0.028). Patients with lesions in the centrum semiovale and corona radiata regions (66.7%) had a higher incidence of qi deficiency than those without lesions in this region (33.7%), showing a strong positive correlation with the occurrence of qi deficiency (OR=3.931, P=0.022). No CT characteristics were found to be correlated with phlegm-dampness syndrome elements. Conclusion The first cranial CT in patients with AIS has potential application value in predicting disease progression, assessing prognosis, and diagnosing syndromes, which can provide physicians with diagnostic and treatment decisions to improve the long-term prognosis of patients with AIS.

ObjectiveTo explore the optimal construction method and the biological basis for establishing a mouse model of ischemic heart disease（IHD） with Qi and Yin deficiency syndrome by intraperitoneal injection of isoproterenol（ISO）. MethodsA total of 144 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned into three normal groups and nine model groups according to body mass， with 12 mice in each group. The model groups 1， 4， and 7 were administered ISO via intraperitoneal injection at a dose of 5 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 for four consecutive days， the model groups 2， 5， and 8 received ISO at a dose of 10 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 for seven consecutive days， while the model groups 3， 6， and 9 were given ISO at a dose of 15 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 for 14 consecutive days. The normal groups were administered an equivalent volume of normal saline via intraperitoneal injection. After the modeling process， body mass， 24-hour food and water intake， grip strength， and spontaneous activity of the mice were measured. Cardiac function was assessed using echocardiography， the serum levels of norepinephrine（NE）， cyclic adenosine monophosphate（cAMP）， and cyclic guanosine monophosphate（cGMP） were determined via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA）. The content of adenosine triphosphate（ATP） in myocardial tissue was measured by biochemical analysis， while histopathological changes in myocardial tissue were observed via hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining. An orthogonal experimental design was applied for intuitive analysis and variance analysis to screen the optimal modeling conditions of the mouse model of IHD with Qi and Yin deficiency syndrome. A data-dependent acquisition（DDA） proteomic technique was employed to quantitatively detect differentially expressed proteins in myocardial tissue between the optimal model group and the normal group. And bioinformatics analysis was conducted to explore the potential biological mechanisms underlying the Qi and Yin deficiency model of IHD. ResultsOrthogonal results showed that the injection cycle had a great influence on model establishment， and the optimal modeling condition was identified as intraperitoneal injection of ISO at 15 mg·kg^-1·d^-1 for 14 consecutive days. Under this condition， compared with the normal group， the model group demonstrated significant reductions in body mass， food intake， water intake， grip strength， total distance and average speed of exercise， ejection fraction（EF）， fractional shortening（FS）， serum levels of NE and cGMP， and myocardial ATP content（P<0.01）， while immobility time， cAMP level， and the cAMP/cGMP value were significantly increased（P<0.05， P<0.01）. HE staining results revealed that myocardial tissue in the model group had disordered cell arrangement， inflammatory cell infiltration， myocardial fiber rupture， and fibrous tissue proliferation. Proteomic analysis identified 141 differentially expressed proteins in the model group compared with the normal group， with 52 up-regulated and 89 down-regulated. Gene Ontology（GO） functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes（KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis indicated that the cellular components（CC） were mainly related to mitochondria and the inner mitochondrial membrane， the biological processes（BP） were associated with complement activation， platelet activation， and responses to metal ions， suggesting that the potential functional pathways involved the complement and coagulation cascade， as well as porphyrin metabolism. ConclusionContinuous intraperitoneal injection of ISO at a dose of 15 mg·kg^-1 for 14 days successfully establishes a mouse model of IHD with Qi and Yin deficiency syndrome， and the underlying mechanisms may be related to the regulation of iron ions by complement C3， C5 and Cp， and plays a role in the regulation through the BP of complement activation， platelet activation， and responses to metal ions， and the signaling pathways of the complement and coagulation cascade and porphyrin metabolism.

Objective: To explore the relationship between related factors of non-suicidal self-injury behavior (NSSI) among middle school students in Guizhou Province, so as to provide the evidence for preventing high risk behaviors in adolescents. Methods: A stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 1 034 junior and senior middle school students from Zunyi City, Qiannan Prefecture and Tongren City in Guizhou Province from April to October in 2023. Questionnaire survey was conducted to collect information including Adolescent Self injury Scale and Family Assessment Device. The R 4.4.1 software was employed for network analysis visualization, centrality indicators, and result stability assessment. Results: The detection rate of NSSI behavior among middle school students in Guizhou province was 29.6%, with a detection rate of 25.5% for boys and 33.1% for girls, showing a statistically significant difference ( χ 2=7.07, P <0.05). There were statistically significant differences in scores of emotional communication, egoism, family rules, positive communication, problem solving, expression of positive emotions and management of negative emotions self-efficacy, and bullying victimization in various dimensions between middle school students with and without NSSI ( Z =-13.66 to -7.05, P <0.01). NSSI among middle school students was positively correlated with social/relational bullying, depression and anxiety, and there were relatively close connections in the network ( r =0.35, 0.43, 0.42, P <0.01). Centrality indicators showed that the highest in strength and closeness centrality were stress ( Z =1.29, 1.58), the highest in betweenness centrality was for emotional communication ( Z =1.91), and the highest in expected influence index was for physical bullying ( Z =1.44)( P < 0.05). Conclusions Stress, emotional communication and physical bullying have significant impacts in the network of factors related to NSSI. Social/relational bullying, depression and anxiety have strong direct correlations with NSSI behavior among middle school students.

AIM: To investigate the global research status, hotspots, and trends of exosome studies in ophthalmology, providing a theoretical foundation and constructive references for future research, and promoting in-depth development in this field.METHODS: Relevant literature on exosomes in ophthalmology published up to May 20, 2024, was retrieved from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI), Web of Science Core Collection, and PubMed databases. Visual analyses of publication countries, institutions, authors, high-frequency keywords, burst keywords, and timelines were performed using CiteSpace 6.3.R1 and VOSviewer software.RESULTS: A total of 37 Chinese articles and 548 English articles were included. The top five countries in terms of publication volume were the United States(130 articles), China(80 articles), South Korea(24 articles), the United Kingdom(20 articles), and Japan(19 articles). The leading foreign institutions were the University of California System, Duke University, and Harvard University, while the top domestic institutions were Qingdao University, the Department of Ophthalmology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, and the School of Physical Education and Sports Science at Beijing Normal University. Analysis of Chinese and English high-frequency and burst keywords indicated that global research hotspots on exosomes in ophthalmology primarily focus on dry eye, extracellular vesicles, mesenchymal stem cells and their derived exosomes, ocular surface diseases, ocular surface inflammation, biomarkers, retinal protection, immune eye diseases, uveitis, degenerative eye diseases, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, neovascularization, thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, and glaucoma, while English high-frequency words mainly were dry eye, dry eye disease, delivery, regenerative medicine, uveal melanoma, protein, and transplantation. Research has evolved from initial basic biological studies to exploring the pathogenesis of ocular diseases and advancing toward novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.CONCLUSION: Over the past 5 a, research on exosomes in ophthalmology has grown rapidly. Exosomes, as novel biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets, have become central to studies on the pathogenesis and clinical applications of ophthalmic diseases. Their roles in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of these diseases represent promising directions for future research.

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) technology originated in China during the Eastern Jin Dynasty and has rapidly developed over the past two decades, becoming a primary method for studying the causal relationship between gut microbiota and the occurrence and progression of diseases. At the same time, the therapeutic effects of FMT in the field of gastrointestinal diseases have gained widespread recognition and are gradually expanding into other disease areas. The FMT procedure is relatively complex, and there is currently no standardized method; its success is influenced by various factors, including the donor, recipient, processing of the fecal material, and the method of implantation. Given the increasingly recognized relationship between gut microbiota and various diseases, FMT has become a research hotspot in both scientific studies and clinical applications, achieving a series of significant advancements. To help researchers better understand this technology, this paper will outline the development history of FMT, summarize common operational methods in research and clinical settings, review its application progress, and look forward to future development directions.

Isoliquiritigenin (ISL) is a chalcone compound isolated from licorice, known for its anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, and antioxidant properties. Our previous study has demonstrated that ISL effectively lowers blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) mice and improves disturbances in glucolipid and energy metabolism induced by T2DM. This study aims to further investigate the effects of ISL on alleviating abnormal endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) caused by T2DM and to elucidate its molecular mechanisms. In vivo experiments were conducted using 8-week-old SPF male C57BL/6J mice. The T2DM animal model was established by high-fat and high-sugar diet combined with intraperitoneal injections of streptozotocin (STZ), in compliance with the ethical guidelines set by the Animal Welfare Committee of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (approval number: BUCM-2022021503-1134). In vitro experiments employed human liver cancer HepG2 cells, which were induced with tunicamycin (TM) to establish the ERS cell model. Transcriptomic sequencing was used to analyze changes in gene expression in the liver samples of T2DM mice following ISL treatment. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was employed to assess the regulatory effects of ISL on key ERS genes. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blot (WB), and immunofluorescence techniques were used to evaluate ISL's effects on ERS-related proteins. Results indicate that ISL significantly downregulates the expression of ERS-related genes, reduces the level of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), and inhibits the phosphorylation of protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), thereby alleviating abnormal ERS induced by T2DM. Additionally, ISL increases the protein levels of insulin receptor substrate (IRS) 1 and IRS2 and enhances the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt), thereby improving insulin sensitivity. In conclusion, ISL is able to alleviate T2DM associated symptoms by improving abnormal ERS and enhancing insulin sensitivity.