Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver injury resulting from factors like viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, fatty liver disease, and cholestatic liver disease. Liver transplantation is currently the gold standard for treating severe liver diseases. However, it is limited by a shortage of donor organs and the necessity for lifelong immunosuppressive therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into various liver cells and enhance liver function when transplanted into patients due to their differentiation and proliferation capabilities. Therefore, it can be used as an alternative therapy for treating liver diseases, especially for liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver transplant complications. However, due to the potential tumorigenic effects of MSCs, researchers are exploring a new approach to treating liver fibrosis using extracellular vesicles (exosomes) secreted by stem cells. Many studies show that exosomes released by stem cells can promote liver injury repair through various pathways, contributing to the treatment of liver fibrosis. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms by which stem cell exosomes affect liver fibrosis through different pathways and their potential therapeutic targets. Additionally, we discuss the advantages of exosome therapy over stem cell therapy and the possible future directions of exosome research, including the prospects for clinical applications and the challenges to be overcome.

Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver injury resulting from factors like viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, fatty liver disease, and cholestatic liver disease. Liver transplantation is currently the gold standard for treating severe liver diseases. However, it is limited by a shortage of donor organs and the necessity for lifelong immunosuppressive therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into various liver cells and enhance liver function when transplanted into patients due to their differentiation and proliferation capabilities. Therefore, it can be used as an alternative therapy for treating liver diseases, especially for liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver transplant complications. However, due to the potential tumorigenic effects of MSCs, researchers are exploring a new approach to treating liver fibrosis using extracellular vesicles (exosomes) secreted by stem cells. Many studies show that exosomes released by stem cells can promote liver injury repair through various pathways, contributing to the treatment of liver fibrosis. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms by which stem cell exosomes affect liver fibrosis through different pathways and their potential therapeutic targets. Additionally, we discuss the advantages of exosome therapy over stem cell therapy and the possible future directions of exosome research, including the prospects for clinical applications and the challenges to be overcome.

Liver fibrosis is a chronic liver injury resulting from factors like viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, fatty liver disease, and cholestatic liver disease. Liver transplantation is currently the gold standard for treating severe liver diseases. However, it is limited by a shortage of donor organs and the necessity for lifelong immunosuppressive therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into various liver cells and enhance liver function when transplanted into patients due to their differentiation and proliferation capabilities. Therefore, it can be used as an alternative therapy for treating liver diseases, especially for liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver transplant complications. However, due to the potential tumorigenic effects of MSCs, researchers are exploring a new approach to treating liver fibrosis using extracellular vesicles (exosomes) secreted by stem cells. Many studies show that exosomes released by stem cells can promote liver injury repair through various pathways, contributing to the treatment of liver fibrosis. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms by which stem cell exosomes affect liver fibrosis through different pathways and their potential therapeutic targets. Additionally, we discuss the advantages of exosome therapy over stem cell therapy and the possible future directions of exosome research, including the prospects for clinical applications and the challenges to be overcome.

Renal interstitial fibrosis （RIF） is a common pathological change process from the development of various chronic nephropathies to the end stage， and it is an important histological manifestation of renal function decline. At present， no effective anti-fibrosis drugs have been found in clinical practice. In recent years， with the continuous development of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） pharmacology， molecular biology， system biology， and network pharmacology， the research on regulating RIF with TCM monomer， single TCM， TCM compound， Chinese patent medicine， and TCM injection is deepening. Among them， Jianpi Yishen recipe， Shendi Bushen capsules， Jianzhong Bushen Xiaozheng decoction， Liuwei Dihuangtang， and Lycium barbarum polysaccharides can regulate transforming growth factor-β/small mother against decapentaplegic （TGF-β₁/Smads）， Wnt/β-catenin， and neurogenic locus notch homolog protein （Notch） signaling pathways. Wulingsan， Zhenwutang， pachymic acid ZA， pachymic acid ZC， and pachymic acid ZD， which mainly induce diuresis， can regulate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Hirudin， curcumin， and Fuzheng Huayu recipe， which mainly promote blood circulation， can inhibit inflammation-related pathways such as p-nuclear transcription factor-κB （NF-κB）， Toll-like receptor 4/p-nuclear transcription factor-κB （TLR4/NF-κB）， and Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （JAK/STAT）， so as to achieve anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidation effects and alleviate the progression of RIF. Shenshuai Xiezhuo decoction， Shenkang injection， and Shenshuai recipe， which are mainly used for invigorating Qi， removing blood stasis， and removing turbidity， can inhibit transdifferentiation of pericytes-myofibroblasts through vascular endothelial growth factor receptor （VEGFR） signaling pathway. At present， there are many studies on the regulation of the RIF signaling pathway by TCM， but there is a lack of a systematic summary. In this study， by combing the signaling pathway of TCM in the treatment of RIF， the effective target of TCM treatment is screened， and its possible mechanism is found， which provides new ideas for clinical treatment and new drug research and development.

Objective To construct an in vitro"metabolic memory"cell model of HT-22 mouse hippocampal neurons induced by high glucose,and to investigate the effect of"metabolic memory"on apoptosis and histone acetylation in HT-22 cells.Methods HT-22 cells were cultured in high glucose medium(glucose concentration was 55 mmol/L)and conventional glucose medium(glucose concentration was 25 mmol/L),and cells were divided into the control group(NG 4,6 and 8 groups,25 mmol/L glucose was cultured for 4,6 and 8 days,respectively),the high glucose group(HG 4,6 and 8 groups,respectively)and the metabolic memory group(HG2NG2,HG2NG4,HG2NG6,HG4NG2 and HG4NG4 groups,high glucose culture for 2 days to 25 mmol/L glucose culture for 2,4 or 6 days,high glucose culture for 4 days to 25 mmol/L glucose culture for 2 or 4 days).Cell viability was detected by CCK-8 method.The release of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)in cell culture supernatant was detected,and the optimal time to establish a"metabolic memory"model was selected.Subsequently,cells were divided into the NG4 group,the NG8 group,the HG4 group,the HG4NG4 group and the HG8 group,and the cell morphology of each group was observed by optical microscope.The apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry.The activities of deacetylase(HDAC)and histone acetyltransferase(HAT)were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Western blot assay was used to detect expression levels of histone deacetylase 4(HDAC4),B lymphocyte tumor 2(Bcl-2),Bcl-2 related X protein(Bax)and Caspase-3 protein.Results The HG4NG4 group was the ideal cell model with high glucose metabolic memory.Cells of the NG4 group and the NG8 group were interwoven into a dense network,growing well,with spindle shaped cells and distinct synaptic structures.However,in the HG4 group and the HG8 group,the cell body became round,synaptic structure disappeared and growth was inhibited.In the HG4NG4 group,the number of cells increased but their morphology was damaged.Results of flow cytometry showed that compared with the NG8 group,the apoptosis rates were significantly increased in the HG8 group and the HG4NG4 group(P＜0.05).ELISA results showed that compared with the NG8 group,the expression levels of HDAC4,Bax,and Caspase-3 proteins increased in the HG8 group and the HG4NG4 group,while the expression level of Bcl-2 protein significantly decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with the HG8 group,there were no significant differences in protein expression levels of HAT and HDAC in the HG4NG4 group.Western blot reslts showed that compared with the NG8 group,the levels of HDAC4,Bax and Caspase-3 protein increased in the HG8 group and the HG4NG4 group(P＜0.05).Compared with the HG8 group,there were no significant differences in protein expression levels in the HG4NG4 group.Conclusion HT-22 mouse hippocampal neurons cultured with 55mmol/L high glucose for 4 days,and then cultured with 25 mmol/L glucose for 4 days are the ideal"metabolic memory"cell model.The mechanism may be related to the increased activity of HDAC,HAT and HDAC4 expression in the hyperglycemic model.

BACKGROUND:Previous studies have shown that knee joint moment changes in patients with knee osteoarthritis,but there are few reports on the correlation of moment changes with knee extensor muscle strength and gait spatiotemporal parameters. OBJECTIVE:To explore the correlation of knee extensor muscle strength and gait spatiotemporal parameters with peak knee flexion moment and knee adduction moment in female patients with knee osteoarthritis. METHODS:Twenty knee osteoarthritis female patients with single knee disease hospitalized in Guizhou Hospital,Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from February to August 2022 were selected as the knee osteoarthritis group,and an additional 20 healthy females without musculoskeletal disease were selected as the control group.The knee extensor force at 60(°)/s was measured with the Biodex isokinetic instrument.The gait spatiotemporal parameters and peak knee flexion moment and knee adduction moment were collected with the Italian BTS infrared motion capture system and force measuring platform.Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation of muscle strength and gait spatiotemporal parameters with peak knee adduction moment and knee flexion moment,and the variables significantly related to knee joint moment were further included in the multiple stepwise regression analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the control group,the knee osteoarthritis group had significantly lower knee extensor force,step speed,step frequency,step length,step width,peak knee adduction moment and knee flexion moment at 60(°)/s(P<0.05).(2)Pearson correlation analysis showed that the 60(°)/s centripetal extensor force,step speed,step frequency and step length were positively correlated with the peak knee flexion moment,and negatively correlated with the peak knee adduction moment,with a statistically significant difference(P<0.05).(3)The results of multiple stepwise regression showed that step speed and 60(°)/s knee extensor force were the strongest predictors of peak knee flexion moment,and the total R2 value of the two factors was 0.426,indicating that 42.6%of the total variance of this parameter could be explained.Step length and 60(°)/s centripetal extensor force were the strongest predictors of peak knee adduction moment.The total R2 value of the two factors was 0.602,indicating that 60.2%of the total variance of this parameter could be explained.(4)It is concluded that knee extensor strength,step speed and step length are the main variables affecting peak knee adduction moment and knee flexion moment.Therefore,these variables can be used for clinical gait monitoring and guidance to change knee joint load during knee osteoarthritis rehabilitation.

In fixed prosthodontics, clear exposure of the preparation margin is the prerequisite for obtaining accurate digital impressions and improving the marginal fit of restorations. To resolve the issues associated with the cord retraction technique, such as pain, acute injury, and prolonged procedural time, this study proposes a new technology for intraoral digital impression taking with pneumatic gingival retraction. The new scanning head blows a high-speed airflow that instantaneously separates the free gingiva, locally exposing the subgingival preparation margin. Combined with the farthest point preservation stitching algorithm based on the distance from the normal vector and high-speed laser scanning photography, it achieves global preparation edge data and gingival reconstruction, realizing painless, non-invasive, and efficient precise acquisition of the preparation margin. Using this new technique, a patient with a full porcelain crown restoration on a posterior tooth was treated. The digital impression revealed a clear margin of the preparation, and the crown made from this data has a good marginal fit.

Objective:To investigate the association between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and the risk of diabetes mellitus (DM) in Chinese adults.Methods:This study was a secondary analysis of a multicenter, retrospective cohort study using data from the Chinese health screening program in the DATADRYAD database. Between 2010 and 2016, 211833 Chinese adults aged 20 years or older were screened for diabetes at baseline in 32 sites and 11 cities across the country. Baseline HDL-C level was the target independent variable and the risk of DM at follow-up was the dependent variable. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis assessed the independent association between HDL-C levels and the risk of developing DM. In this paper, the generalized Additive Model (GAM) and the smoothing curve fitting method were used to study the nonlinear relationships. In addition, subgroup analyses were conducted to assess the consistency of the correlations among different subgroup and to further validate the reliability of the results.Results:After adjusting for potential confounding factors such as age, sex and body mass index, HDL-C level was positively correlated with the development of diabetes ( HR=1.43, 95% CI: 1.08-1.90, P=0.012). The level of HDL-C showed a non-linear relationship with the risk of DM, and the inflection point was 1.81 mmol/L. The HR (95% CI) of the left and right sides of the inflection point were 0.94 (0.56-1.55) and 2.54 (1.93-3.30), respectively. When HDL-C>1.81 mmol/L, HDL-C was positively correlated with the occurrence of DM. Each 1.00 mmol/L increase in HDL-C increased the risk of diabetes mellitus by 1.54 times ( P<0.001); when HDL-C<1.81 mmol/L, the risk of diabetes decreased by 6% for every 1.00 mmol/L increase in HDL-C ( P=0.798). Subgroup analysis showed that, in the age, male, BMI 24.5-52.7 kg/m 2 subgroups, all the systolic blood pressure subgroups, diastolic blood pressure 69-77 and 78-164 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) subgroups, total cholesterol 0.02-4.26 and 5.00-17.84 mmol/L subgroups, all the triglyceride subgroups, low-density lipoprotein 0-2.42 and 2.99-12.60 mmol/L subgroups, alanine aminotransferase 23.4-1 508.4 U/L subgroups, aspartate transaminase 0-19.7 and 24.8-1 026.2 U/L subgroups, all the urea nitrogen subgroups, creatinine 61.5-76.9, 77.0-1 116.6 μmol/L subgroups, never smoking subgroup, subgroup with frequent alcohol consumption or family history of diabetes mellitus, the effect values of HDL-C and the risk of diabetes mellitus in Chinese adults showed good stability (all HR>1.00). Conclusions:High levels of HDL-C are associated with an increased risk of DM in Chinese adults. When HDL-C is greater than 1.81 mmol/L, HDL-C is positively correlated with DM.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect mechanism of Eucommia ulmoides on improving postpartum depression in rats. METHODS Pregnant rats were randomly divided into normal group， postpartum depression group， and low-dose and high-dose groups of E. ulmoides （1.34， 2.68 g/kg， calculated by crude drug）， with 10 rats in each group. Except for the normal group， the rats in other groups suffered from fear stress to induce postpartum depression model during pregnancy； at the same time of modeling， the administration groups were given relevant medicine intragastrically， while the normal group and postpartum depression group were given physiological saline intragastrically for 21 days. Postpartum behaviors of rats during the experiment were assessed using the open field test， Morris water maze test and sucrose preference test. Additionally， the levels of corticosterone （CORT） in serum， corticotropin releasing factor （CRF） and urocortin （UCN） in hypothalamus， and adrenocorticotropic hormone （ACTH） in hypophysis were detected； meanwhile， the protein expressions of CRF receptor 1 （CRFR1）， CRFR2， and voltage-dependent anion channel 1 （VDAC1） in hippocampal tissue were measured； the proportions of apoptotic cells and JC-1 high potential cells in hippocampal tissue were determined， and the morphology of hippocampal tissue was observed. RESULTS Compared with postpartum depression group， the high-dose group of E. ulmoides showed improvements in appetite， mental state， and hair color in rats； their body weight had increased； the scores of vertical movement， horizontal movement and self-sorting significantly increased； from the 2ed to 4th day avoidance latency significantly shortened， and the times of crossing the platform and the time of crossing the platform Δ 基金项目国家自然科学基金青年基金项目（No.82204789） significantly increased/prolonged （P＜0.05）； the ratio of glucose and water consumption significantly increased at 20 days of pregnancy and 30 days postpartum （P＜0.05）； the levels of CRF， UCN， ACTH and CORT， phagocytic rate， protein expressions of CRFR2 and VDAC1， and the proportion of apoptosis cells in hippocampal tissue were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）； the proportion of JC-1 high potential cells significantly increased （P＜0.05）， and the phenomenon of edema around neuronal cells was significantly improved. CONCLUSIONS E. ulmoides can improve postpartum depression by inhibiting excessive activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis， decreasing the expression of CRFR2， thereby inhibiting the expression of VDAC1， and decreasing the apoptosis of neuronal cells.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect mechanism of Eucommia ulmoides on improving postpartum depression in rats. METHODS Pregnant rats were randomly divided into normal group， postpartum depression group， and low-dose and high-dose groups of E. ulmoides （1.34， 2.68 g/kg， calculated by crude drug）， with 10 rats in each group. Except for the normal group， the rats in other groups suffered from fear stress to induce postpartum depression model during pregnancy； at the same time of modeling， the administration groups were given relevant medicine intragastrically， while the normal group and postpartum depression group were given physiological saline intragastrically for 21 days. Postpartum behaviors of rats during the experiment were assessed using the open field test， Morris water maze test and sucrose preference test. Additionally， the levels of corticosterone （CORT） in serum， corticotropin releasing factor （CRF） and urocortin （UCN） in hypothalamus， and adrenocorticotropic hormone （ACTH） in hypophysis were detected； meanwhile， the protein expressions of CRF receptor 1 （CRFR1）， CRFR2， and voltage-dependent anion channel 1 （VDAC1） in hippocampal tissue were measured； the proportions of apoptotic cells and JC-1 high potential cells in hippocampal tissue were determined， and the morphology of hippocampal tissue was observed. RESULTS Compared with postpartum depression group， the high-dose group of E. ulmoides showed improvements in appetite， mental state， and hair color in rats； their body weight had increased； the scores of vertical movement， horizontal movement and self-sorting significantly increased； from the 2ed to 4th day avoidance latency significantly shortened， and the times of crossing the platform and the time of crossing the platform Δ 基金项目国家自然科学基金青年基金项目（No.82204789） significantly increased/prolonged （P＜0.05）； the ratio of glucose and water consumption significantly increased at 20 days of pregnancy and 30 days postpartum （P＜0.05）； the levels of CRF， UCN， ACTH and CORT， phagocytic rate， protein expressions of CRFR2 and VDAC1， and the proportion of apoptosis cells in hippocampal tissue were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）； the proportion of JC-1 high potential cells significantly increased （P＜0.05）， and the phenomenon of edema around neuronal cells was significantly improved. CONCLUSIONS E. ulmoides can improve postpartum depression by inhibiting excessive activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis， decreasing the expression of CRFR2， thereby inhibiting the expression of VDAC1， and decreasing the apoptosis of neuronal cells.