OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects and underlying mechanism of ionizing radiation on the adipogenic of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). METHODS: Mouse MSCs were cultured in vitro and treated with 2 Gy and 6 Gy radiation with ⁶⁰Co, and the radiation dose rate was 0.98 Gy/min. Bulk RNA-seq was performed on control and irradiated MSCs. The changes of adipogenic differentiation and oxidative stress pathways of MSC were revealed by bioinformatics analysis. Oil Red O staining was used to detect the adipogenic differentiation ability of MSCs in vitro, and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to detect the expression differences of key regulatory factors Cebpa, Lpl and Pparg after radiation treatment. At the same time, qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the effect of inhibition of Nrf2, a key factor of antioxidant stress pathway, on the expression of key regulatory factors of adipogenesis. Moreover, the species conservation of the irradiation response of human bone marrow MSCs and mouse MSC was determined by qPCR. RESULTS: Bulk RNA-seq suggested that ionizing radiation promotes adipogenic differentiation of MSCs and up-regulation of oxidative stress-related genes and pathways. The results of Oil Red O staining and qPCR showed that ionizing radiation promoted the adipogenesis of MSCs, with high expression of Cebpa, Lpl and Pparg, as well as oxidative stress-related gene Nrf2. Nrf2 pathway inhibitors could further enhance the adipogenesis of MSCs in bone marrow after radiation. Notably, the similar regulation of oxidative pathways and enhanced adipogenesis post irradiation were observed in human bone marrow MSCs. In addition, irradiation exposure led to up-regulated mRNA expression of interleukin-6 and down-regulated mRNA expression of colony stimulating factor 2 in human bone marrow MSCs. CONCLUSION Ionizing radiation promotes adipogenesis of MSCs in mice, and oxidative stress pathway participates in this effect, blocking Nrf2 further promotes the adipogenesis of MSCs. Additionally, irradiation activates oxidative pathways and promotes adipogenic differentiation of human bone marrow MSCs.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology* ; Oxidative Stress/radiation effects* ; Animals ; Adipogenesis/radiation effects* ; Mice ; Radiation, Ionizing ; Cell Differentiation/radiation effects* ; Humans ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism* ; PPAR gamma ; Cells, Cultured

OBJECTIVE: To establish an in vitro cell model simulating acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) bone marrow microenvironment injury with the advantage of mouse serum of aGVHD model and explore the effect of serum of aGVHD mouse on the adipogenic differentiation ability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). METHODS: The 6-8-week-old C57BL/6N female mice and BALB/c female mice were used as the donor and recipient mice of the aGVHD model, respectively. Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) mouse model (n=20) was established by being injected with bone marrow cells (1×10⁷ per mouse) from donor mice within 4-6 hours after receiving a lethal dose (8.0 Gy, 72.76 cGy/min) of γ ray general irradiation. A mouse model of aGVHD (n=20) was established by infusing a total of 0.4 ml of a mixture of donor mouse-derived bone marrow cells (1×10⁷ per mouse) and spleen lymphocytes (2×10⁶ per mouse). The blood was removed from the eyeballs and the mouse serum was aspirated on the 7^th day after modeling. Bone marrow-derived MSCs were isolated from 1-week-old C57BL/6N male mice and incubated with 2%, 5% and 10% BMT mouse serum and aGVHD mouse serum in the medium, respectively. The effect of serum in the two groups on the in vitro adipogenic differentiation ability of mouse MSCs was detected by Oil Red O staining. The expression levels of related proteins PPARγ and CEBPα were detected by Western blot. The expression differences of key adipogenic transcription factors including PPARγ, CEBPα, FABP4 and LPL were determined by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). RESULTS: An in vitro cell model simulating the damage of bone marrow microenvironment in mice with aGVHD was successfully established. Oil Red O staining showed that the number of orange-red fatty droplets was significantly reduced and the adipogenic differentiation ability of MSC was impaired at aGVHD serum concentration of 10% compared with BMT serum. Western blot experiments showed that adipogenesis-related proteins PPARγ and CEBPα expressed in MSCs were down-regulated. Further RT-qPCR assay showed that the production of PPARγ, CEBPα, FABP4 and LPL, the key transcription factors for adipogenic differentiation of MSC, were significantly reduced. CONCLUSION The adipogenic differentiation capacity of MSCs is inhibited by aGVHD mouse serum.
Animals ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Adipogenesis ; Female ; Cell Differentiation ; Graft vs Host Disease/blood* ; Bone Marrow Cells/cytology* ; PPAR gamma/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal ; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To prepare clinical-grade human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSC) with high expression of hematopoietic supporting factors and evaluate their stem cell characteristics. METHODS: Fetal umbilical cord tissues were collected from healthy postpartum women during full-term cesarean section. Wharton's jelly was mechanically separated and hUC-MSCs were obtained by explant culture method and enzyme digestion method in an animal serum-free culture system with addition of human platelet lysate. The phenotypic characteristics of hUC-MSCs obtained by two methods were detected by flow cytometry. The differences in proliferation ability between the two groups of hUC-MSCs were identified through CCK-8 assay and colony forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F) assay. The differences in multilineage differentiation potential between the two groups of hUC-MSCs were identified through induction of adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation. The mRNA expression levels of hematopoietic supporting factors such as SCF, IL-3, CXCL12, VCAM1 and ANGPT1 in the two groups of hUC-MSCs were identified by real-time fluorescence quantiative PCR(RT-qPCR). RESULTS: The results of flow cytometry showed that hUC-MSCs obtained by the two methods both expressed high levels of CD73, CD90 and CD105, while lowly expressed CD31, CD45 and HLA-DR. The results of CCK-8 and CFU-F assay showed that the proliferation ability of hUC-MSCs obtained by explant culture method was better than those obtained by enzyme digestion method. The results of the triple lineage differentiation experiment showed that there was no significant difference in multilineage differentiation potential between the two grous of hUC-MSCs. The results of RT-qPCR showed that the mRNA expression levels of hematopoietic supporting factors SCF, IL-3, CXCL12, VCAM1 and ANGPT1 in hUC-MSCs obtained by explant cultrue method were higher than those obtained by enzyme digestion method. CONCLUSION Clinical-grade hUC-MSCs with high expression levels of hematopoietic supporting factors were successfully cultured in an animal serum-free culture system.
Humans ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Umbilical Cord/cytology* ; Cell Differentiation ; Female ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Chemokine CXCL12/metabolism* ; Angiopoietin-1/metabolism* ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1/metabolism* ; Stem Cell Factor/metabolism* ; Flow Cytometry ; Pregnancy

With the advent of an aging society,Alzheimer's disease(AD)has gradually become a major ailment affecting the elderly.AD is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with cognitive impairments.In AD patients,brain network connections are disrupted,and their topological properties are also affected,leading to the disintegration of anatomical and functional connections.Anatomical connections can be tracked and evaluated using structural magnetic imaging(MRI)and diffusion tensor imaging(DTI),while functional connections are detected through functional MRI to assess their connectivity status.This review incorporates the findings of previous scholars and summarizes the current research of AD.It mainly discusses the imaging characteristics of large-scale brain network changes in AD patients,so as to provide researchers with scientific and objective imaging markers for AD prediction and early diagnosis,as well as future research.

Bladder cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide, with a high rate of recurrence and mortality, which is the ninth most common malignancy globally. Cystoscopy remains the gold standard for clinical bladder cancer diagnosis, but its invasive nature can lead to bacterial infection and inflammation. Urine cytology is a non-invasive and simple diagnostic method, but it has lower sensitivity in detecting low-grade bladder cancer and may yield false negative results. Therefore, identifying ideal diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers is crucial for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of bladder cancer. Aptamers, characterized as single-stranded DNA or RNA with unique three-dimensional conformations, exhibit the ability to identify various targets, ranging from small molecules to tumor cells. Aptamers, also known as chemical antibodies, are generated by systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) process and can function similarly to traditional antibodies. They hold numerous advantages over antibodies, such as ease of modification, low immunogenicity, and rapid tissue penetration and cell internalization due to their nucleic acid molecule structure. Since their discovery in the 1990s, aptamers have been widely used in biochemical analysis, disease detection, new drug research and other fields. This article provides an overview of aptamer selection and characterization for bladder cancer, discussing the research advancements involving aptamers in diagnosing and treating this disease. It covers aptamers obtained through different SELEX methods, including protein-SELEX, cell-SELEX, tissue-SELEX, and aptamers from other cancer SELEX; the detection in blood samples and urine samples; and application in targeted therapy and immunotherapy for bladder cancer. Currently, several aptamers capable of identifying bladder cancer have been generated, serving as molecular probes that have played a pivotal role in the early detection and treatment of bladder cancer. Bladder cancer perfusion therapy is well-suited for aptamer drug therapy because it does not require internal circulation, making it a suitable clinical indication for aptamer drug development. In addition, bladder cancer can be detected and monitored by collecting urine samples from patients, making it a preferred disease for clinical conversion of aptamers. While aptamers show promise, there is still much room for development compared with antibodies. There are still many clinically applied cancer biomarkers without corresponding aptamers, and more aptamers targeting different biomarkers should be selected and optimized to improve the sensitivity and accuracy for cancer detection and therapy. The field of aptamers urgently needs successful commercial products to promote its development, and home rapid detection/monitoring, imaging and targeted therapy of bladder cancer by infusion may be the breakthrough point for future application of aptamers.

Objective:To establish a mesenchymal stem cell(MSC)-based in vitro cell model for the evaluation of mouse bone marrow acute graft-versus-host disease(aGVHD).Methods:Female C57BL/6N mice aged 6-8 weeks were used as bone marrow and lymphocyte donors,and female BALB/c mice aged 6-8 weeks were used as aGVHD recipients.The recipient mouse received a lethal dose(8.0 Gy,72.76 cGy/min)of total body γ irradiation,and injected with donor mouse derived bone marrow cells(1× 107/mouse)in 6-8 hours post irradiation to establish a bone marrow transplantation(BMT)mouse model(n=20).In addition,the recipient mice received a lethal dose(8.0 Gy,72.76 cGy/min)of total body γ irradiation,and injected with donor mouse derived bone marrow cells(1 × 107/mouse)and spleen lymphocytes(2 × 106/mouse)in 6-8 hours post irradiation to establish a mouse aGVHD model(n=20).On the day 7 after modeling,the recipient mice were anesthetized and the blood was harvested post eyeball enucleation.The serum was collected by centrifugation.Mouse MSCs were isolated and cultured with the addition of 2％,5％,and 10％recipient serum from BMT group or aGVHD group respectively.The colony-forming unit-fibroblast(CFU-F)experiment was performed to evaluate the potential effects of serums on the self-renewal ability of MSC.The expression of CD29 and CD105 of MSC was evaluated by immunofluorescence staining.In addition,the expression of self-renewal-related genes including Oct-4,Sox-2,and Nanog in MSC was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR).Results:We successfully established an in vitro cell model that could mimic the bone marrow microenvironment damage of the mouse with aGVHD.CFU-F assay showed that,on day 7 after the culture,compared with the BMT group,MSC colony formation ability of aGVHD serum concentrations groups of 2％and 5％was significantly reduced(P＜0.05);after the culture,at day 14,compared with the BMT group,MSC colony formation ability in different aGVHD serum concentration was significantly reduced(P＜0.05).The immunofluorescence staining showed that,compared with the BMT group,the proportion of MSC surface molecules CD29+and CD 105+cells was significantly dereased in the aGVHD serum concentration group(P＜0.05),the most significant difference was at a serum concentration of 10％(P＜0.001,P＜0.01).The results of RT-qPCR detection showed that the expression of the MSC self-renewal-related genes Oct-4,Sox-2,and Nanog was decreased,the most significant difference was observed at an aGVHD serum concentration of 10％(P＜0.01,P＜0.001,P＜0.001).Conclusion:By co-culturing different concentrations of mouse aGVHD serum and mouse MSC,we found that the addition of mouse aGVHD serum at different concentrations impaired the MSC self-renewal ability,which providing a new tool for the field of aGVHD bone marrow microenvironment damage.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Ningxin decoction in treating patients with permanent atrial fibrillation(AF)of deficiency of both qi and yin type infected by coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).Methods From February to August 2023,120 patients with permanent AF of deficiency of both qi and yin type infected by COVID-19 were collected from the outpatient clinic of Guang'anmen Hospital South Campus,China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences.Patients were randomly divided into a control group and a treatment group using a random number table method,there were 60 cases in each group,and 1 case fell off in each group,leaving 59 cases in each group.The treatment group was given Ningxin decoction(drug composition:Cassia branch 15 g,Cornus officinalis 15 g,Rehmannia 15 g,Rhodiola rosea 15 g,Ginseng 6 g,Mulberry parasitica 10 g,Coptis coptis 3 g,Salvia miltiorrhiza 12 g,Ligusticum chuanxiong 10 g,Ophiopogon 12 g,and schisandra Vinegar 6 g)using formula granules to rinse with water,twice a day.The control group was given 10 mg of coenzyme Q10 twice a day,and both groups were treated continuously for 4 weeks.The improvements in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)symptoms,including chest pain,dizziness,fatigue,lethargy,palpitations,chest tightness and shortness of breath,insomnia,and excessive dreams before and after treatment in two groups,as well as changes in heart rate variability(HRV)and heart rate deceleration indicators were observed.Results The treatment group showed significant therapeutic effects in improving chest pain,fatigue,palpitations,chest tightness and shortness of breath,there were also improvements in lethargy,insomnia,and excessive dreaming,there was no significant therapeutic effect in improving dizziness.The control group showed significant therapeutic effects in improving palpitations,there were also improvements in chest pain,chest tightness and shortness of breath,while there was no significant therapeutic effect in other aspects.The treatment group showed significantly higher effective rates in improving chest pain,fatigue,lethargy,chest tightness and shortness of breath,insomnia,and excessive dreaming compared to the control group[chest pain:95.45%(42/44)vs.78.57%(33/42),fatigue:83.67%(41/49)vs.31.25%(15/48),lethargy:73.91%(34/46)vs.12.77%(6/47),chest tightness and shortness of breath:88.89%(48/54)vs.63.64%(35/55),insomnia:78.43%(40/51)vs.12.24%(6/49),excessive dreaming:76.09%(35/46)vs.43.75%(21/48),all P<0.05].The standard deviation of all normal to normal RR intervals(SDNN),root mean square of the difference between adjacent NN intervals(RMSSD),standard deviation of all 5-minute RR intervals(SDANN),and percent of NN50 in the total number of NN intervals(PNN50)in both groups after treatment were significantly increased compared to before treatment,and the RMSSD,SDANN,and PNN50 in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the control group after treatment[RMSSD(ms):28.96±3.59 vs.24.34±2.66,SDANN(ms):108.55±11.80 vs.100.44±13.58,PNN50:7%(6%,7%)vs.5%(5%,6%),all P<0.05].There was no statistically significant difference in heart rate deceleration between the two groups before and after treatment.Conclusion Ningxin decoction has a good effect on the improvement of TCM syndromes and heart rate variability in patients with permanent atrial fibrillation of deficiency of both qi and yin type after being infected by COVID-19.

Traumatic supraorbital fissure syndrome (TSOFS) is a symptom complex caused by nerve entrapment in the supraorbital fissure after skull base trauma. If the compressed cranial nerve in the supraorbital fissure is not decompressed surgically, ptosis, diplopia and eye movement disorder may exist for a long time and seriously affect the patients′ quality of life. Since its overall incidence is not high, it is not familiarized with the majority of neurosurgeons and some TSOFS may be complicated with skull base vascular injury. If the supraorbital fissure surgery is performed without treatment of vascular injury, it may cause massive hemorrhage, and disability and even life-threatening in severe cases. At present, there is no consensus or guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of TSOFS that can be referred to both domestically and internationally. To improve the understanding of TSOFS among clinical physicians and establish standardized diagnosis and treatment plans, the Skull Base Trauma Group of the Neurorepair Professional Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Neurotrauma Group of the Neurosurgery Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, Neurotrauma Group of the Traumatology Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and Editorial Committee of Chinese Journal of Trauma organized relevant experts to formulate Chinese expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic supraorbital fissure syndrome ( version 2024) based on evidence of evidence-based medicine and clinical experience of diagnosis and treatment. This consensus puts forward 12 recommendations on the diagnosis, classification, treatment, efficacy evaluation and follow-up of TSOFS, aiming to provide references for neurosurgeons from hospitals of all levels to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of TSOFS.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and is characterized by alternating periods of inflammation and remission. Although UC incidence is lower in Taiwan than in Western countries, its impact remains considerable, demanding updated guidelines for addressing local healthcare challenges and patient needs. The revised guidelines employ international standards and recent research, emphasizing practical implementation within the Taiwanese healthcare system. Since the inception of the guidelines in 2017, the Taiwan Society of Inflammatory Bowel Disease has acknowledged the need for ongoing revisions to incorporate emerging therapeutic options and evolving disease management practices. This updated guideline aims to align UC management with local contexts, ensuring comprehensive and context-specific recommendations, thereby raising the standard of care for UC patients in Taiwan. By adapting and optimizing international protocols for local relevance, these efforts seek to enhance health outcomes for patients with UC.

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic, fluctuating inflammatory condition that primarily affects the gastrointestinal tract. Although the incidence of CD in Taiwan is lower than that in Western countries, the severity of CD presentation appears to be similar between Asia and the West. This observation indicates the urgency for devising revised guidelines tailored to the unique reimbursement system, and patient requirements in Taiwan. The core objectives of these updated guidelines include the updated treatment choices and the integration of the treat-to-target strategy into CD management, promoting the achievement of deep remission to mitigate complications and enhance the overall quality of life. Given the diversity in disease prevalence, severity, insurance policies, and access to medical treatments in Taiwan, a customized approach is imperative for formulating these guidelines. Such tailored strategies ensure that international standards are not only adapted but also optimized to local contexts. Since the inception of its initial guidelines in 2017, the Taiwan Society of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (TSIBD) has acknowledged the importance of continuous revisions for incorporating new therapeutic options and evolving disease management practices. The latest update leverages international standards and recent research findings focused on practical implementation within the Taiwanese healthcare system.