ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which Banxia Xiexin Tang （BXT） regulates the advanced glycation end products （AGE）/receptor for advanced glycation end products （RAGE） signaling pathway to reduce neuroinflammatory responses and ameliorate cognitive dysfunction in the rat model of vascular dementia （VD）. MethodsThe components of BXT were detected by ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole -orbitrap-tandem mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS/MS）， and the core components and key action pathways were screened out by network pharmacology and molecular docking. Sixty SPF-grade male SD rats were randomly allocated into the sham and modeling groups by the random number table method. The VD model was replicated by the modified bilateral occlusion of the common carotid arteries （2-VO） method. The successfully modeled rats were randomly allocated into the model， low-， medium-， and high-dose （3.748 5， 7.497， 14.994 g·kg^-1） BXT （BXT-L， BXT-M， and BXT-H）， and nimodipine （NMP， 0.002 7 g·kg^-1） groups according to the random number table method. The rats in the drug intervention groups were administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage， and the sham and model groups received the same amount of normal saline for 14 consecutive days. The Morris water maze， Y-maze， and new object recognition experiments were conducted to evaluate the cognitive dysfunction of rats. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to evaluate the histopathological changes of the hippocampal tissue in rats. The mRNA levels of AGE， RAGE， and phosphorylated nuclear factor-kappa B p65 （p-NF-κB p65） in the hippocampal tissue of rats were determined by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. The expression of related proteins in the AGE/RAGE pathway in the hippocampal tissue of rats was determined by Western blot and immunohistochemistry （IHC）. The levels of neurotransmitters and inflammatory mediators in the rat serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. ResultsThe chemical components of BXT were detected by UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS/MS. Network pharmacology and molecular docking identified the AGE/RAGE pathway as the key pathway. The results of the water maze， Y maze， and novel object recognition tests showed that compared with the sham group， the model group demonstrated prolonged successful latency and decreases in number of platform crossings， alternation rate， number of entries into the new arm， preference index， and discrimination index （P0.01）. Compared with the model group， the BXT-H and BXT-M groups showed shortened successful latency （P0.01） and increases in number of platform crossings （P0.05）， alternation rate （P0.01）， number of entries into the new arm （P0.05）， preference index （P0.01）， and discrimination index （P0.01）. HE results showed that compared with the sham group， the cells of model rats were loosely and disorderly arranged， and the nuclei were condensed. Compared with the model group， the pathological changes of the hippocampus in the BXT group were mitigated. Real-time PCR results showed that compared with the sham group， the model group presented up-regulated mRNA levels of AGE， RAGE， and p-NF-κB p65 in the hippocampus （P0.01）， and compared with the model group， the BXT-H and BXT-M groups showcased down-regulated mRNA levels of AGE， RAGE， and p-NF-κB p65 （P0.01）. Western blot results showed that compared with the sham group， the model group presented up-regulated expression of AGE， RAGE， p-NF-κB p65， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） （P0.05）， and compared with the model group， the BXT-H group presented down-regulated expression of AGE， RAGE， p-NF-κB p65， and TNF-α （P0.05）. IHC results showed that compared with the sham group， the model group had increased expression of RAGE （P0.01）， and compared with the model group， the BXT-H and BXT-M groups had reduced expression of RAGE （P0.01）. ELISA results showed that compared with the sham group， the model group exhibited elevated levels of TNF-α and Interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and declined levels of acetylcholine （ACh） and dopamine （DA） in the serum （P0.01）. Compared with the model group， the BXT-L， BXT-M， and BXT-H groups showed lowered levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in the serum （P0.05） and elevated levels of ACh and DA （P0.05）. ConclusionBXT may ameliorate cognitive dysfunction in the rat model of VD by down-regulating the AGE/RAGE signaling pathway， reducing neuroinflammatory responses， and regulating neurotransmitter levels.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which Banxia Xiexin Tang （BXT） regulates the advanced glycation end products （AGE）/receptor for advanced glycation end products （RAGE） signaling pathway to reduce neuroinflammatory responses and ameliorate cognitive dysfunction in the rat model of vascular dementia （VD）. MethodsThe components of BXT were detected by ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole -orbitrap-tandem mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS/MS）， and the core components and key action pathways were screened out by network pharmacology and molecular docking. Sixty SPF-grade male SD rats were randomly allocated into the sham and modeling groups by the random number table method. The VD model was replicated by the modified bilateral occlusion of the common carotid arteries （2-VO） method. The successfully modeled rats were randomly allocated into the model， low-， medium-， and high-dose （3.748 5， 7.497， 14.994 g·kg^-1） BXT （BXT-L， BXT-M， and BXT-H）， and nimodipine （NMP， 0.002 7 g·kg^-1） groups according to the random number table method. The rats in the drug intervention groups were administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage， and the sham and model groups received the same amount of normal saline for 14 consecutive days. The Morris water maze， Y-maze， and new object recognition experiments were conducted to evaluate the cognitive dysfunction of rats. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to evaluate the histopathological changes of the hippocampal tissue in rats. The mRNA levels of AGE， RAGE， and phosphorylated nuclear factor-kappa B p65 （p-NF-κB p65） in the hippocampal tissue of rats were determined by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. The expression of related proteins in the AGE/RAGE pathway in the hippocampal tissue of rats was determined by Western blot and immunohistochemistry （IHC）. The levels of neurotransmitters and inflammatory mediators in the rat serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. ResultsThe chemical components of BXT were detected by UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS/MS. Network pharmacology and molecular docking identified the AGE/RAGE pathway as the key pathway. The results of the water maze， Y maze， and novel object recognition tests showed that compared with the sham group， the model group demonstrated prolonged successful latency and decreases in number of platform crossings， alternation rate， number of entries into the new arm， preference index， and discrimination index （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the BXT-H and BXT-M groups showed shortened successful latency （P<0.01） and increases in number of platform crossings （P<0.05）， alternation rate （P<0.01）， number of entries into the new arm （P<0.05）， preference index （P<0.01）， and discrimination index （P<0.01）. HE results showed that compared with the sham group， the cells of model rats were loosely and disorderly arranged， and the nuclei were condensed. Compared with the model group， the pathological changes of the hippocampus in the BXT group were mitigated. Real-time PCR results showed that compared with the sham group， the model group presented up-regulated mRNA levels of AGE， RAGE， and p-NF-κB p65 in the hippocampus （P<0.01）， and compared with the model group， the BXT-H and BXT-M groups showcased down-regulated mRNA levels of AGE， RAGE， and p-NF-κB p65 （P<0.01）. Western blot results showed that compared with the sham group， the model group presented up-regulated expression of AGE， RAGE， p-NF-κB p65， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） （P<0.05）， and compared with the model group， the BXT-H group presented down-regulated expression of AGE， RAGE， p-NF-κB p65， and TNF-α （P<0.05）. IHC results showed that compared with the sham group， the model group had increased expression of RAGE （P<0.01）， and compared with the model group， the BXT-H and BXT-M groups had reduced expression of RAGE （P<0.01）. ELISA results showed that compared with the sham group， the model group exhibited elevated levels of TNF-α and Interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and declined levels of acetylcholine （ACh） and dopamine （DA） in the serum （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the BXT-L， BXT-M， and BXT-H groups showed lowered levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in the serum （P<0.05） and elevated levels of ACh and DA （P<0.05）. ConclusionBXT may ameliorate cognitive dysfunction in the rat model of VD by down-regulating the AGE/RAGE signaling pathway， reducing neuroinflammatory responses， and regulating neurotransmitter levels.

BACKGROUND:The plantarflexor weakness is a common muscle defect in patients with spastic cerebral palsy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth,which clinically manifests abnormal gaits,and the relationship between plantarflexor weakness and abnormal gaits is unclear. OBJECTIVE:To explore the biomechanical behavior of the lower limb under the action of a single factor of plantarflexor weakness to reveal the mechanism of abnormal gait induced by plantarflexor weakness and to provide guidance for the rehabilitation training of patients with plantarflexor weakness. METHODS:A predictive framework of musculoskeletal multibody dynamics in the sagittal plane was established based on OpenSim Moco to predict lower limb joint angles and muscle activation changes during walking in normal subjects.The validity of the framework was verified by combining the inverse kinematics and electromyogram activation time of the experimental data.Reduced isometric muscle forces were used to model plantarflexor weakness and to compare predicted lower extremity joint angles,joint moments,and muscle energy expenditure with normal subjects to analyze the effects of plantarflexor weakness on lower extremity biomechanics. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The Moco-based prediction framework realistically predicted the biomechanical changes of the lower limbs during walking in normal subjects(joint angles:normalized correlation coefficient≥0.73,root mean square error≤7.10°).(2)The musculoskeletal model used a small stride support phase to increase the"heel-walking"gait during plantarflexor weakness.When the plantarflexor weakness reached 80%,the muscle energy expenditure was 5.691 4 J/kg/m,and the maximum activation levels of the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles were 0.72 and 0.53,which might cause the plantarflexor weakness patients to be more prone to fatigue when walking.(3)Muscle energy expenditure was significantly higher when the weakness of plantarflexors exceeded 40%,and the joint angles and moments of the lower limbs deteriorated significantly when the weakness of plantarflexors exceeded 60%,suggesting that there may be a"threshold"for the effect of plantarflexor weakness on gait,which may correspond to the point at which health care professionals should intervene in the clinical setting.

To investigate the pharmacological activities and potential mechanisms of action of the active components in Artemisia argyi with artificial intelligence technology, a search was conducted in the HIT, TCMSP, and TCMIO databases, obtaining 199 active components of A. argyi. A comprehensive set of algorithms, including KNN, MLP, RF, SVM, and models based on Lipinski’s and Veber’s rules, was employed to predict the toxicity and oral bioavailability of A. argyi compounds, identifying 14 components that are non-toxic and have good oral bioavailability. The synthetic accessibility score (SAscore) model was used to analyze the synthetic accessibility of the 14 components mentioned above, and molecular segments were fragmented using BRICS and RECAP algorithms. Mining of the STP and PM databases yielded 406 target proteins for the core components of A. argyi, and Cytoscape was used to screen out 5 core targets: SRC, EGFR, PTPN11, HRAS, and PDGFRB. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses indicated that the core targets were involved in 808 GO enrichment analysis entries and 71 signaling pathways, including EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance, gap junction, phospholipase D, and JAK/STAT. Molecular docking results showed that active compounds of A. argyi have a good binding affinity with proteins SRC, EGFR, PTPN11, and HRAS. Cellular experiments have confirmed that ledol, an active component of A. argyi, can promote the proliferation of HUVEC cells within a certain concentration range and can increase the expression of EGFR protein. This study reveals the pharmacological characteristics and potential molecular mechanisms of the active components of A. argyi and lays a solid scientific foundation for its medicinal development.

Mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) are multipotent stem cells with the ability to self-renew and differentiate into multiple lineages. In recent years, MSCs have been increasingly used as a therapeutic strategy in orthopedic diseases such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, cartilage damage, tendon bone damage, bone defects, and degenerative bone diseases. Compared with cell-free therapy, MSCs have achieved better results. However, due to their widespread sources, complex action mechanisms, and diverse product types, there are certain limitations and controversies in their clinical application in orthopedics. This article will discuss the current main applications and future trends of MSCs in the field of orthopedics, looking forward to the prospects of MSCs application in orthopedics.

Objective To establish a culture method for micropapillary lung adenocarcinoma organoids and conduct targeted drug screening.Methods Organoids were extracted and cultured from a surgical tissue sample of a patient diagnosed with micropapillary lung adenocarcinoma,and the growth of lung cancer organoids was observed and recorded dynamically.The morphological and gene expression characteristics of tumor cells between lung cancer organoids and parental tissue were compared using hematoxylin eosin(HE)staining and immunohistochemical methods.Real time fluorescence quantitative polynucleotide chain reaction(qRT-PCR)method was used to detect gene mutations in lung cancer parental tissue and organoids.Finally,based on results of genetic testing,targeted drugs were selected and their therapeutic effects were verified.Results We have successfully cultured spherical organoids from micropapillary lung adenocarcinoma tissue,which can be passaged for at least 3 generations.HE staining results showed that the morphology of tumor cells in organoids was roughly consistent with that of parental tissue.The immunohistochemical results showed that the protein expression levels of various genes in lung cancer organoids and parental tissue were roughly the same.Results of gene mutation analysis showed that the mutated genes in lung cancer parental tissue and organoids were consistent,both reflecting RET fusion.The screening results of targeted drugs based on lung cancer organoids showed that vandertinib had the best anti-tumor effect in vitro.Conclusion Drug screening experiments based on micropapillary lung adenocarcinoma organoids can screen highly efficient targeted drugs in a short period of time,which may benefit patients with micropapillary lung adenocarcinoma.

In recent years, post-stroke depression (PSD) and post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) have gradually attracted the attention of scholars as common stroke-related non-motor symptoms. As an emerging non-invasive neuroimaging tool, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has been widely used in the study of neurological diseases, which can evaluate the functional status and recovery of these patients by monitoring changes in cerebral blood circulation and oxygenation signals; fNIRS is now being increasingly used in PSD and PSCI studies. This review mainly focuses on the research progress of fNIRS in identifying PSD and PSCI, exploring their neural mechanisms, and evaluating treatment effects, as well as advantages, disadvantages and future development prospects of fNIRS in clinical application, so as to provide some references for research on rehabilitation of affective disorders and cognitive disorders in stroke patients.

Objective: To explore the influencing factors for depressive symptoms in adolescents in China, so as to provide insights into promoting mental health of adolescents. Methods: The 2020 follow-up survey data of China Family Panel Studies were collected, including demographic information, lifestyle, family factors and academic factors of adolescents aged 10-19 years. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the 8-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. The influencing factors for depressive symptoms in adolescents were analyzed using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: A total of 2 777 adolescents were analyzed, including 1 470 males (52.93%) and 1 307 females (47.07%). There were 1 186 adolescents (42.71%) from urban areas and 1 591 adolescents (57.29%) from rural areas, 106 smokers (3.82%), and 459 adolescents (16.53%) with depressive symptoms. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that academic stress (OR=1.268, 95%CI: 1.151-1.396), poor self-rated health (OR=1.255, 95%CI: 1.116-1.411), smoking (OR=1.901, 95%CI: 1.127-3.207), low trust in parents (OR=0.780, 95%CI: 0.729-0.835) and large family size (OR=1.095, 95%CI: 1.035-1.158) were associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms in adolescents. Conclusion The influencing factors for depressive symptoms in adolescents were academic stress, self-rated health, smoking, trust in parents and family size.

[Objective]To investigate the effect and mechanism of Shuxuetong and its main component hirudin on the apoptosis of cerebellar granule neurons(CGNs)in Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats.[Methods]CGNs incubated in vitro for 7 days were divided into survival control group or 25 K group(cultured in medium containing 25 mmol/L KCL)and apopto-sis group or 5 K group(cultured in medium containing 5 mmol/L KCL).CGNs were separately treated with proportionally diluted and different concentrations of Shuxuetong(1/50,1/40,1/30,1/20 and 1/10)and the corresponding different con-centrations of hirudin(2,2.5,3.34,5 and 10 U/mL).Hoechst staining was performed to analyze the apoptosis.Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of Cleaved Caspase-3,Bim and VEGF.[Results]Hoechst staining showed that 5 K group had a higher apoptosis rate than 25 K group.In 25 K group,there was no significant change in the apoptosis rate between neurons treated with different concentrations of Shuxuetong and hirudin,but significant changes was found in 5 K group and the higher the concentration,the lower the apoptosis rate.Western blot results revealed that,compared with control neurons in 5 K group,Shuxuetong injection and hirudin treatments resulted in a decrease of Cleaved Caspase-3 and Bim expression,but an increase of VEGF protein.[Conclusions]Shuxuetong and its main component hirudin inhibits the apoptosis of CGNs through suppressing proapoptotic BH3-only protein Bim.