OBJECTIVE To explore the intervention mechanism of Bushen anzhi decoction （BSAZD） in rats with insomnia induced by kidney failing to store spirit. METHODS A total of 36 SD rats were randomly divided into normal group （normal saline）， model group （normal saline）， eszopiclone group （positive control group， 0.27 mg/kg）， and low-， medium- and high-dose BSAZD groups （5.85， 11.70， 23.40 g/kg）， with 6 rats in each group. Except for the normal group， rats in the remaining groups were subjected to combined administration of D-galactose and DL-4-chlorophenylalanine to establish the rat model of insomnia due to kidney failing to store spirit. After successful modeling， corresponding liquid medicine or normal saline was intragastrically administered once daily for 14 consecutive days. After the last administration， behavioral indicators and hippocampal histopathological morphology of rats were detected. Untargeted metabolomics was adopted to screen serum differential metabolites and enrich relevant signaling pathways. RESULTS Compared with the model group， the high-dose BSAZD group exhibited significantly increased open arm entries ， open arm time and sleep time （ P ＜0.05）， accompanied by markedly decreased closed arm entries， closed arm time and sleep latency （ P ＜0.05）. Hippocampal neurons in the high-dose BSAZD group were arranged regularly， and the size， morphology and location of cell nuclei were nearly normal. Untargeted metabolomics analysis identified oxidized glutathione， glutamate and other differential metabolites in serum of rats in the high-dose BSAZD group； these differential metabolites were mainly enriched in GABAergic synapse， glutamatergic synapse， cAMP signaling pathway and 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism pathway. CONCLUSIONS BSAZD can improve sleep quality， relieve anxiety-like behaviors in rats with insomnia due to kidney failing to store spirit. Its therapeutic mechanism may be associated with regulating GABAergic and glutamatergic synaptic pathways to restore neurotransmitter balance and further alleviate oxidative stress injury， modulating the cAMP signaling pathway to facilitate neural repair， and intervening the 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism pathway to optimize energy supply.

OBJECTIVE To explore the intervention mechanism of Bushen anzhi decoction （BSAZD） in rats with insomnia induced by kidney failing to store spirit. METHODS A total of 36 SD rats were randomly divided into normal group （normal saline）， model group （normal saline）， eszopiclone group （positive control group， 0.27 mg/kg）， and low-， medium- and high-dose BSAZD groups （5.85， 11.70， 23.40 g/kg）， with 6 rats in each group. Except for the normal group， rats in the remaining groups were subjected to combined administration of D-galactose and DL-4-chlorophenylalanine to establish the rat model of insomnia due to kidney failing to store spirit. After successful modeling， corresponding liquid medicine or normal saline was intragastrically administered once daily for 14 consecutive days. After the last administration， behavioral indicators and hippocampal histopathological morphology of rats were detected. Untargeted metabolomics was adopted to screen serum differential metabolites and enrich relevant signaling pathways. RESULTS Compared with the model group， the high-dose BSAZD group exhibited significantly increased open arm entries ， open arm time and sleep time （ P ＜0.05）， accompanied by markedly decreased closed arm entries， closed arm time and sleep latency （ P ＜0.05）. Hippocampal neurons in the high-dose BSAZD group were arranged regularly， and the size， morphology and location of cell nuclei were nearly normal. Untargeted metabolomics analysis identified oxidized glutathione， glutamate and other differential metabolites in serum of rats in the high-dose BSAZD group； these differential metabolites were mainly enriched in GABAergic synapse， glutamatergic synapse， cAMP signaling pathway and 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism pathway. CONCLUSIONS BSAZD can improve sleep quality， relieve anxiety-like behaviors in rats with insomnia due to kidney failing to store spirit. Its therapeutic mechanism may be associated with regulating GABAergic and glutamatergic synaptic pathways to restore neurotransmitter balance and further alleviate oxidative stress injury， modulating the cAMP signaling pathway to facilitate neural repair， and intervening the 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism pathway to optimize energy supply.

Objective:To develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based automatic scoring model for magnetic resonance imaging-detected extramural vascular invasion (AI-mrEMVI) and evaluate its performance and prognostic value in patients with rectal cancer.Methods:In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, a total of 2 501 rectal cancer patients from seven centers between November 2012 and December 2020 were included and divided into completely independent training ( n=1 830) and validation ( n=671) cohorts. A nnUNet-based AI-mrEMVI scoring model was constructed. Manual mrEMVI scores assigned by two radiologists served as the reference standard for accessing the accuracy of the AI-mrEMVI scoring. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression were used to evaluate the prognostic stratification ability of the AI-mrEMVI scores. The concordance index (C-index) was calculated to evaluate prognostic performance. Results:In the validation cohort, the manual mrEMVI scores were 0-2 in 425 patients (63.3%), 3 in 89 (13.4%), and 4 in 157 (23.4%). The AI-mrEMVI model identified 0-2 in 375 patients (55.9%), 3 in 95 (14.2%), and 4 in 201 (30.0%), with an overall accuracy of 81.1% (544/671, 95% CI 77.9%-84.0%). The 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates for patients with AI-mrEMVI scores of 0-2, 3, and 4 were 85.2%, 70.0%, and 58.2%, respectively, and the 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 87.2%, 81.6%, and 62.6%, respectively (DFS: χ2=48.74, P<0.001; OS: χ2=30.04, P<0.001). Multivariable Cox regression showed that for DFS, AI-mrEMVI scores of 3 and 4 were associated with hazard ratios ( HR) of 1.75 (95% CI 1.11-2.77, P=0.016) and 2.65 (95% CI 1.86-3.78, P<0.001), respectively. For OS, an AI-mrEMVI score of 4 was associated with an HR of 2.56 (95% CI 1.62-4.03, P<0.001). The C-index values of the AI-mrEMVI scoring model for predicting DFS and OS were 0.647 (95% CI 0.608-0.686) and 0.650 (95% CI 0.598-0.702), respectively. Conclusion:The proposed AI-mrEMVI automatic scoring model demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy and performed favorably in predicting DFS and OS prognostic risk in patients with rectal cancer.

Objectives:To analyze the risk factors of atrial fibrillation in patients with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy(NOHCM)and explore the relationship between left ventricular/atrial volume and atrial fibrillation.Methods:Consecutive NOHCM patients admitted at Fuwai Hospital from January 2023 to January 2024 with complete clinical data,satisfactory echocardiography imaging data were included in this analysis,patients were divided into atrial fibrillation group(n=28)and non-atrial fibrillation group(n=57).Left-sided volumetric and functional parameters were measured by one-beat real-time full-volume three-dimensional echocardiography,including left ventricular end-diastolic volume(LVEDV),left ventricular end-systolic volume(LVESV),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),left atrial volume(LAV).The left ventricular end-diastolic volume(LVEDVi)index,left ventricular end-systolic volume index(LVESVi)and left atrial volume index(LAVi)were calculated.Other echocardiographic parameters including interventricular septum(IVSmax)thickness,left ventricular posterior wall thickness(LVPW),and left atrial diameter(LAD)were routinely measured.Mitral valve forward flow spectrum,tissue Doppler,tricuspid regurgitation velocity,and left atrial size were used to evaluate the left ventricular diastolic function of patients,and diastolic dysfunction was classified into grade I,II,and III.Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of atrial fibrillation in patients with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Results:Compared with the non-atrial fibrillation group,LVEDV([143.8±26.7]ml vs.[117.1±21.9]ml)and LVEDVi([79.4±11.9]ml/m2 vs.[64.2±10.6]ml/m2)were smaller in atrial fibrillation group(both P<0.001).Compared with the non-atrial fibrillation group,LAD([40.2±4.7]mm vs.[48.6±4.8]mm)and LAVi([37.3±8.9]ml/m2 vs.[64.4±17.1]ml/m2)were lager in atrial fibrillation group(both P<0.001).Compared with the non-atrial fibrillation group,the proportion of NYHA functional classification≥Ⅲ was higher(15.8%vs.50.0%,P<0.001),LVEF was lower([61.5±5.5]%vs.[57.6±5.0]%,P=0.002),and proportion of severe diastolic dysfunction was higher in atrial fibrillation group(P<0.001).Logistic regression analysis showed that the factors associated with atrial fibrillation in NOHCM patients were LVEDVi(OR=0.744,95%CI:0.575-0.962,P=0.024)and LAVi(OR=1.602,95%CI:1.032-2.486,P=0.036).Conclusions:LVEDVi and LAVi are related factors for atrial fibrillation in patients with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.LVEDVi is negatively,while LAVi is positively associated with the occurrence of atrial fibrillation in NOHCM patients.

Objectives:To analyze the risk factors of atrial fibrillation in patients with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy(NOHCM)and explore the relationship between left ventricular/atrial volume and atrial fibrillation.Methods:Consecutive NOHCM patients admitted at Fuwai Hospital from January 2023 to January 2024 with complete clinical data,satisfactory echocardiography imaging data were included in this analysis,patients were divided into atrial fibrillation group(n=28)and non-atrial fibrillation group(n=57).Left-sided volumetric and functional parameters were measured by one-beat real-time full-volume three-dimensional echocardiography,including left ventricular end-diastolic volume(LVEDV),left ventricular end-systolic volume(LVESV),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),left atrial volume(LAV).The left ventricular end-diastolic volume(LVEDVi)index,left ventricular end-systolic volume index(LVESVi)and left atrial volume index(LAVi)were calculated.Other echocardiographic parameters including interventricular septum(IVSmax)thickness,left ventricular posterior wall thickness(LVPW),and left atrial diameter(LAD)were routinely measured.Mitral valve forward flow spectrum,tissue Doppler,tricuspid regurgitation velocity,and left atrial size were used to evaluate the left ventricular diastolic function of patients,and diastolic dysfunction was classified into grade I,II,and III.Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of atrial fibrillation in patients with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy Results:Compared with the non-atrial fibrillation group,LVEDV([143.8±26.7]ml vs.[117.1±21.9]ml)and LVEDVi([79.4±11.9]ml/m2 vs.[64.2±10.6]ml/m2)were smaller in atrial fibrillation group(both P<0.001).Compared with the non-atrial fibrillation group,LAD([40.2±4.7]mm vs.[48.6±4.8]mm)and LAVi([37.3±8.9]ml/m2 vs.[64.4±17.1]ml/m2)were lager in atrial fibrillation group(both P<0.001).Compared with the non-atrial fibrillation group,the proportion of NYHA functional classification≥Ⅲ was higher(15.8%vs.50.0%,P<0.001),LVEF was lower([61.5±5.5]%vs.[57.6±5.0]%,P=0.002),and proportion of severe diastolic dysfunction was higher in atrial fibrillation group(P<0.001).Logistic regression analysis showed that the factors associated with atrial fibrillation in NOHCM patients were LVEDVi(OR=0.744,95%CI:0.575-0.962,P=0.024)and LAVi(OR=1.602,95%CI:1.032-2.486,P=0.036).Conclusions:LVEDVi and LAVi are related factors for atrial fibrillation in patients with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.LVEDVi is negatively,while LAVi is positively associated with the occurrence of atrial fibrillation in NOHCM patients.

Objective To analyze the effects of intravenous tirofiban following endovascular treatment on the prognosis of patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke who did not achieve successful recanalization.Methods This retrospective study included consecutive patients with acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke who underwent endovascular treatment but did not achieve successful recanalization.These patients were retrospectively enrolled from the Department of Neurology at Nanjing Jinling Hospital,Affiliated Hospital of Medical School,Nanjing University,the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University,Wuhan No.1 Hospital,and Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College(the First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College)between January 2015 and April 2023.Baseline and clinical data were collected including age,sex,medical history(hypertension,diabetes,atrial fibrillation,hyperlipidemia),personal history(smoking and drinking),National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)score at admission,trial of Org 10172 in acute stroke treatment(TOAST)classification(large artery atherosclerosis,cardioembolism,or other types),Alberta stroke program early CT score(ASPECTS)on admission,intravenous thrombolysis,onset-to-puncture time(OTP),collateral circulation status(poor collaterals:American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology/Society of Interventional Radiology[ASTIN/SIR]score 0-2;good collateral:ASTIN/SIR score 3-4),procedure duration(from femoral or radial artery puncture to device removal),occlusion site,number of passes for thrombus retrieval,and post-procedural modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction(mTICI)grade.Patients were divided into a tirofiban group and a non-tirofiban group based on whether they received post-procedural intravenous tirofiban.The primary outcome is a favorable functional outcome at 90-day since onset(modified Rankin scale[mRS]score ≤ 3).Safety outcomes included mortality at 90-day since onset(mRS score 6),any intracranial hemorrhage within 24 h post-procedure,and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 24 h post-procedure.1∶1 propensity score matchings using the nearest neighbor method was performed based on variables with P＜0.05 in the comparison between the tirofiban and non-tirofiban groups.Differences in primary and safety outcomes between the matched groups were compared.Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were conducted with favorable outcomes at 90 days as the dependent variable to evaluate the effect of intravenous tirofiban administration after endovascular therapy on 90-day prognosis in patients without successful recanalization.Results A total of 356 patients without successful recanalization after endovascular treatment were included,comprising 195 males and 161 females,with a median age of 70(61,78)years(32-92 years).Among them,76 and 280patients were assigned to the tirofiban and non-tirofiban groups,respectively.At 90 days,114 patients had favorable outcomes,while 242 had unfavorable outcomes.(1)Before the 1∶1 propensity score matching,significant differences were observed between the tirofiban and non-tirofiban groups in terms of admission NIHSS score,ASPECTS,good collateral circulation,intravenous thrombolysis,and mTICI grade(all P＜0.05).After 1∶1 propensity score matching,66 matched pairs(132 patients)were obtained.No significant differences in the baseline and clinical characteristics were found between the two groups after matching(all P＞0.05).(2)After 1∶1 matching,a significant difference was observed in the rate of favorable outcomes at 90 days between the two groups(48.5％[32/66]vs.30.3％[20/66],P=0.033)after propensity score matching,while no significant differences were found in 90-day mortality,intracranial hemorrhage within 24h,or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 24h(all P＞0.05).(3)Univariate analysis after 1∶1 matching indicated that age,atrial fibrillation,smoking history,admission NIHSS score,M2 segment middle cerebral artery occlusion,good collateral circulation,number of passes for thrombus retrieval,and tirofiban treatment were factors influencing favorable outcomes at 90 days.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that younger age(aOR,0.942,95％CI 0.906-0.978,P=0.002),lower admission NIHSS score(aOR,0.855,95％CI 0.777-0.941,P=0.001),good collateral circulation(aOR,5.534,95％CI 2.141-14.301,P＜0.01),tirofiban treatment(aOR,2.774,95％CI 1.092-7.046,P=0.032),and M2 segment MCA occlusion(reference:internal carotid artery occlusion;aOR,4.874,95％CI 1.428-16.632,P=0.011)were independent predictors of favorable outcomes at 90 days.Conclusions Intravenous tirofiban administration after endovascular therapy may improve 90-day neurological outcomes in patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke who did not achieve successful recanalization without increasing the risk of hemorrhage.Further large-scale randomized controlled trials are warranted to validate these findings.

Objective To analyze the effects of intravenous tirofiban following endovascular treatment on the prognosis of patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke who did not achieve successful recanalization.Methods This retrospective study included consecutive patients with acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke who underwent endovascular treatment but did not achieve successful recanalization.These patients were retrospectively enrolled from the Department of Neurology at Nanjing Jinling Hospital,Affiliated Hospital of Medical School,Nanjing University,the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University,Wuhan No.1 Hospital,and Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College(the First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College)between January 2015 and April 2023.Baseline and clinical data were collected including age,sex,medical history(hypertension,diabetes,atrial fibrillation,hyperlipidemia),personal history(smoking and drinking),National Institutes of Health stroke scale(NIHSS)score at admission,trial of Org 10172 in acute stroke treatment(TOAST)classification(large artery atherosclerosis,cardioembolism,or other types),Alberta stroke program early CT score(ASPECTS)on admission,intravenous thrombolysis,onset-to-puncture time(OTP),collateral circulation status(poor collaterals:American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology/Society of Interventional Radiology[ASTIN/SIR]score 0-2;good collateral:ASTIN/SIR score 3-4),procedure duration(from femoral or radial artery puncture to device removal),occlusion site,number of passes for thrombus retrieval,and post-procedural modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction(mTICI)grade.Patients were divided into a tirofiban group and a non-tirofiban group based on whether they received post-procedural intravenous tirofiban.The primary outcome is a favorable functional outcome at 90-day since onset(modified Rankin scale[mRS]score ≤ 3).Safety outcomes included mortality at 90-day since onset(mRS score 6),any intracranial hemorrhage within 24 h post-procedure,and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 24 h post-procedure.1∶1 propensity score matchings using the nearest neighbor method was performed based on variables with P＜0.05 in the comparison between the tirofiban and non-tirofiban groups.Differences in primary and safety outcomes between the matched groups were compared.Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were conducted with favorable outcomes at 90 days as the dependent variable to evaluate the effect of intravenous tirofiban administration after endovascular therapy on 90-day prognosis in patients without successful recanalization.Results A total of 356 patients without successful recanalization after endovascular treatment were included,comprising 195 males and 161 females,with a median age of 70(61,78)years(32-92 years).Among them,76 and 280patients were assigned to the tirofiban and non-tirofiban groups,respectively.At 90 days,114 patients had favorable outcomes,while 242 had unfavorable outcomes.(1)Before the 1∶1 propensity score matching,significant differences were observed between the tirofiban and non-tirofiban groups in terms of admission NIHSS score,ASPECTS,good collateral circulation,intravenous thrombolysis,and mTICI grade(all P＜0.05).After 1∶1 propensity score matching,66 matched pairs(132 patients)were obtained.No significant differences in the baseline and clinical characteristics were found between the two groups after matching(all P＞0.05).(2)After 1∶1 matching,a significant difference was observed in the rate of favorable outcomes at 90 days between the two groups(48.5％[32/66]vs.30.3％[20/66],P=0.033)after propensity score matching,while no significant differences were found in 90-day mortality,intracranial hemorrhage within 24h,or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage within 24h(all P＞0.05).(3)Univariate analysis after 1∶1 matching indicated that age,atrial fibrillation,smoking history,admission NIHSS score,M2 segment middle cerebral artery occlusion,good collateral circulation,number of passes for thrombus retrieval,and tirofiban treatment were factors influencing favorable outcomes at 90 days.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that younger age(aOR,0.942,95％CI 0.906-0.978,P=0.002),lower admission NIHSS score(aOR,0.855,95％CI 0.777-0.941,P=0.001),good collateral circulation(aOR,5.534,95％CI 2.141-14.301,P＜0.01),tirofiban treatment(aOR,2.774,95％CI 1.092-7.046,P=0.032),and M2 segment MCA occlusion(reference:internal carotid artery occlusion;aOR,4.874,95％CI 1.428-16.632,P=0.011)were independent predictors of favorable outcomes at 90 days.Conclusions Intravenous tirofiban administration after endovascular therapy may improve 90-day neurological outcomes in patients with acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusion stroke who did not achieve successful recanalization without increasing the risk of hemorrhage.Further large-scale randomized controlled trials are warranted to validate these findings.

Objective:To develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based automatic scoring model for magnetic resonance imaging-detected extramural vascular invasion (AI-mrEMVI) and evaluate its performance and prognostic value in patients with rectal cancer.Methods:In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, a total of 2 501 rectal cancer patients from seven centers between November 2012 and December 2020 were included and divided into completely independent training ( n=1 830) and validation ( n=671) cohorts. A nnUNet-based AI-mrEMVI scoring model was constructed. Manual mrEMVI scores assigned by two radiologists served as the reference standard for accessing the accuracy of the AI-mrEMVI scoring. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression were used to evaluate the prognostic stratification ability of the AI-mrEMVI scores. The concordance index (C-index) was calculated to evaluate prognostic performance. Results:In the validation cohort, the manual mrEMVI scores were 0-2 in 425 patients (63.3%), 3 in 89 (13.4%), and 4 in 157 (23.4%). The AI-mrEMVI model identified 0-2 in 375 patients (55.9%), 3 in 95 (14.2%), and 4 in 201 (30.0%), with an overall accuracy of 81.1% (544/671, 95% CI 77.9%-84.0%). The 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates for patients with AI-mrEMVI scores of 0-2, 3, and 4 were 85.2%, 70.0%, and 58.2%, respectively, and the 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 87.2%, 81.6%, and 62.6%, respectively (DFS: χ2=48.74, P<0.001; OS: χ2=30.04, P<0.001). Multivariable Cox regression showed that for DFS, AI-mrEMVI scores of 3 and 4 were associated with hazard ratios ( HR) of 1.75 (95% CI 1.11-2.77, P=0.016) and 2.65 (95% CI 1.86-3.78, P<0.001), respectively. For OS, an AI-mrEMVI score of 4 was associated with an HR of 2.56 (95% CI 1.62-4.03, P<0.001). The C-index values of the AI-mrEMVI scoring model for predicting DFS and OS were 0.647 (95% CI 0.608-0.686) and 0.650 (95% CI 0.598-0.702), respectively. Conclusion:The proposed AI-mrEMVI automatic scoring model demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy and performed favorably in predicting DFS and OS prognostic risk in patients with rectal cancer.

The pathogenesis of chronic wound healing is complex.It is often difficult to heal due to a long course of disease,difficulty in treatment,and it seriously affects the quality of life in patients.The active ingredients,couplet medicinals,and compound formulas of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)possess unique advantages in the treatment of chronic wound healing.The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/Akt)signaling pathway is extremely critical in the treatment of chronic wound healing by regulating a series of biological processes,including cell apoptosis,angiogenesis,and inflammatory responses.This article reviews the relevant research on the regulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway by TCM to promote chronic wound healing.It has been found that the active ingredients of TCM(such as geniposide,astragaloside,and ginsenosides,etc.),and compound formulas(such as Chonghe ointment,Huanglian ointment,Shirun shaoshang ointment,etc.)mainly reduce inflammatory responses,promote angiogenesis,regulate cell autophagy,and accelerate wound healing by activating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway;at the same time,there are also a few couplet medicinals(such as Huangqi-Honghua)and compound formulas(such as Xiangpi Shengji ointment)that exert anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting this signaling pathway,to promote wound healing.

Objectives:To investigate the feasibility of using bedside echocardiography on the evaluation of potential donors with different causes of brain death for adult heart transplantation. Methods:Bedside echocardiographic and clinical data of consecutive potential donors for adult heart transplantation evaluated by the team of our institution from February 2018 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.Based on different causes of brain death,the potential donors were divided into stroke(ischemic or hemorrhagic,n=398)and non-stroke(head trauma,brain tumor,anoxia,n=272)groups.The clinical and echocardiographic features were compared between the two groups.A total of 350 donors were assigned to our hospital by the China Organ Transplant Response System and met the inclusion criteria for donor selection.There were 195 cases in the stroke group and 155 in the non-stroke group.Retrieval operations were performed and the retrieval rate of hearts for transplantation in stroke donors was compared to that in non-stroke donors. Results:(1)Among the 670 potential heart donors,compared with the non-stroke group,donors in the stroke group were significantly older,had higher body mass index,larger left ventricular end-diastolic diameter,thicker interventricular septum,higher rates of echocardiographic abnormalities,higher prevalence of hypertension(all P<0.001).Among the 670 potential heart donors,17.5%(117 cases)did not meet the echo selection criteria,the common causes were left ventricular hypertrophy(59 cases,50.4%),left ventricular ejection fraction<50%(27 cases,23.1%),wall motion abnormalities(21 cases,17.9%),and left ventricular dilation(14 cases,12.0%).(2)Among the 350 donors who had met the selection criteria and assigned to our hospital by the China Organ Transplant Response System and underwent retrieval operation,70.3%(246 cases)were successfully procured,110 cases(44.7%)in the stroke group and 136 cases(55.3%)in the non-stroke group.The retrieval rate of stroke donors(110/195,56.4%)was lower compared with that of non-stroke(136/155,87.7%,P<0.001),104 cases(29.7%)were not retrieved,and the leading cause of unsuccessful organ retrieval was the occlusion of at least one major coronary artery(91 cases,87.5%). Conclusions:Bedside echocardiography is of great value as a screening tool for cardiac donors.Cardiac structures of the potential donor with stroke as the cause of brain death were different from those with non-stroke causes.The retrieval rate of stroke donors was lower than that of non-stroke donors,even if the initial criteria for donor selection were fulfilled.