Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma （ICC） is a special type of liver cancer with atypical clinical symptoms in the early stage， and most patients are already in the advanced stage at the time of initial diagnosis. Due to a lack of effective molecular markers and treatment options， ICC patients tend to have an extremely low five-year survival rate. Exosomes are vesicles secreted by cells that contain proteins， RNA， and lipids， and they are important carriers of intercellular communication. Recent studies have shown that exosomes play a crucial role in the development and progression of ICC， and this article reviews the role and mechanism of exosomes in the diagnosis and treatment of ICC and looks into the future treatment prospect and potential clinical application of exosomes.

ObjectiveTo explore the possible mechanism of the Yiqi Jiedu formula （YQ） in treating ischemic stroke （IS） from the perspective of the microbial-gut-brain axis （MGBA）. MethodRats were randomly divided into five groups， with six in each group， including sham surgery group， model group， and low， medium， and high dose YQ groups （1， 5， and 25 mg·kg^-1）. Except for the sham surgery group， all other groups were established with a middle cerebral artery occlusion （MCAO） model using the thread occlusion method. The success of modeling was determined through neurobehavioral scoring， and the protective effect of YQ on IS was evaluated. Then， the changes in gut microbiota before and after MCAO modeling and YQ administration were compared using 16S rDNA sequencing technology， and the possible biological pathways related to the effect of this formula were analyzed. The expression of inflammatory factors such as interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-17A （IL-17A）， and interleukin-10 （IL-10） in serum was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Western blot was used to detect the expression of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and Occludin in brain and intestinal tissue， and hematoxylin-eosin staining （HE） was used to observe pathological changes in the cerebral cortex and colon， so as to validate the possible mechanism of action. ResultYQ significantly improved the neurobehavioral score of MCAO rats （P<0.01） and played a good regulatory role in intestinal microbial disorders caused by enriched pathogens and opportunistic pathogens during the acute phase. Among them， significantly changed microorganisms include Morgentia， Escherichia Shigella， Adlercreutzia， and Androbacter. Bioinformatics analysis found that these bacteria may be related to the regulation of inflammation in the brain. Compared with the blank group， the detection of inflammatory factors in the serum of IS model rats showed an increase in inflammatory factors IL-6 and IL-17A （P<0.01） and a decrease in the content of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the content of inflammatory factors IL-6 and IL-17A in the serum of the treatment group decreased （P<0.05）， and that of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 increased （P<0.01）. The expression results of barrier proteins ZO-1 and Occludin in brain and intestinal tissue showed that the expression levels of both decreased in IS model rats （P<0.05）， while the expression levels of both increased in the treatment group （P<0.05）. ConclusionAcute cerebral ischemia can lead to an imbalance of intestinal microbiota and damage to the intestinal barrier， and it can increase intestinal permeability. YQ can regulate intestinal microbiota imbalance caused by ischemia， inhibit systemic inflammatory response， and improve the disruption of the gut-blood brain barrier， preventing secondary cascade damage to brain tissue caused by inflammation. The MGBA may be an important mechanism against the IS.

BACKGROUND:Overactive osteoclasts disrupt bone homeostasis and play a bad role in the pathological mechanisms of related skeletal diseases,such as osteoporosis,fragility fractures,and osteoarthritis.Studies have confirmed that ellagic acid and ellagtannin have the potential to inhibit osteoclast differentiation.As their natural metabolites,urolithin A has antioxidant,anti-inflammatory,anti-proliferative and anti-cancer effects,but its effect on osteoclast differentiation and its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. OBJECTIVE:To explore the effect of urolithin A on osteoclast differentiation induced by receptor activator for nuclear factor-κB ligand and its mechanism. METHODS:Mouse mononuclear macrophage leukemia cells(RAW264.7)that grew stably were cultured in vitro.Toxicity of urolithin A(0,0.1,0.5,1.5,2.5 μmol/L)to RAW264.7 cells were detected by cytotoxic MTS assay to screen out the safe concentration.Different concentrations of urolithin A were used again to intervene with receptor activator for nuclear factor-κB ligand-induced differentiation of RAW264.7 cells in vitro.Then,tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining and F-actin ring and nucleus staining were performed to observe its effect on the formation and function of osteoclasts.Finally,the expressions of urolithin A on upstream and downstream genes and proteins in the MAPK signaling pathway were observed by western blot and RT-qPCR assays. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Urolithin A inhibited osteoclast differentiation and F-actin ring formation in a concentration-dependent manner and 2.5 μmol/L had the strongest inhibitory effect.Urolithin A inhibited the mRNA expression of Nfatc1,Ctsk,Mmp9 and Atp6v0d2 and the protein synthesis of Nfatc1 and Ctsk,related to osteoclast formation and bone resorption.Urolithin A inhibited the activity of osteoclasts by downregulating the phosphorylation of p38 protein to inhibit the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the visceral adiposity index(VAI) and cognitive decline.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted.Between October 2020 and March 2023, 483 elderly residents living in communities in Hefei were recruited and divided into four groups based on VAI scores, Q1(VAI ≤ 1.14), Q2(VAI>1.15 and ≤1.85), Q3(VAI>1.86 and ≤2.81) and Q4(VAI>2.82).General cognitive function was assessed by(MMSE)and(MoCA).Attention and working memory were tested by forward and backward digit span tasks.Logistic regression was utilized to analyze the relationship between different VAI scores and insulin resistance.The correlation between different VAI scores and cognitive function domains was analyzed by partial correlation.Results:The values of BMI, fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, HOMA-IR and HOMA-β increased with increasing VAI scores(all P<0.01).VAI was significantly correlated with insulin sensitivity after adjusting for confounding factors including sex.The risk of insulin resistance in Q4 was 7.40 times that in Q1( OR=7.40, 95% CI: 4.30-12.74, P<0.05).In addition, the correlation coefficients between VAI and forward digital span and between VAI and backward digital span were -0.116 and -0.105, respectively(both P<0.05), but there was no correlation between VAI and MMSE or MoCA. Conclusions:VAI is closely related to insulin resistance and also associated with early cognitive decline in elderly people with visceral obesity.

Objective:To investigate the expression of hippocampal synapse-related proteins including synaptophysin (SYN), postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) and growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43) in rats with epilepsy accompanied by depression.Methods:The 3-month-old female clean grade SD rats were selected for the experiment.Lithium chloride pilocarpine was used to establish an epileptic rat model. Rats with successful epilepsy models were divided into epileptic depressive group (EWD group)and epileptic group with 10 in each group based on whether they were accompanied by depression. Furthermore, ten rats with matched body mass were taken as the depressive group and 10 were taken as control group. As for the depressive group rats, chronic unpredictable mild stress stimulation combined with orphanage was adopted to establish a model of depression.The depressive behaviors of rats were evaluated by body mass, sucrose preference test and open field test. Immunohistochemical staining and Western blot were used to detect the expression of SYN, PSD95 and GAP43 proteins in rat hippocampal tissue. SPSS 17.0 software was used for data statistical analysis, repeated measurement ANOVA was used for behavioral results, one-way ANOVA was used for inter group comparison of protein expression data, and LSD test was used for further pairwise comparison.Results:As for the body mass, there was significant interaction effect between the time and group among the 4 groups ( F=7.33, P<0.01). On the 8th day and the 29th day, the body weight of rats in the EWD group and the depressive group were lower than those in the epilepsy group (all P<0.05). The body weight of rats in the EWD group on the 29th day was lower than that on the first day ( P<0.05). As for the sucrose preference rates, there was significant interaction effect between the time and group among the 4 groups( F=2.67, P<0.05). The sucrose preference rate of EWD group on the15th and 29th day were lower than that on the first day (both P<0.05). The results of the open field test showed that the interaction effects of the number of vertical standing times( F=2.74) and the number of horizontal movement lattices ( F=1.76) both were not significant (both P>0.05), but both the time effect and group effect were significant (vertical standing times: Ftime=4.35, P<0.05, Fgroup=25.64, P<0.01; horizontal movement lattices: Ftime=12.75, P<0.01, Fgroup=21.37, P<0.01). The immunohistochemical results showed that there was a statistically significant difference in the number of positive cells expressing synaptic proteins SYN, PSD95 and GAP43 among the four groups of rats ( F=93.85, 58.66, 98.84, all P<0.05). The numbers of positive cells of SYN (11.73±4.30), PSD95 (24.47±7.58) and GAP43 (9.40±3.50) in the epilepsy group were lower than those in the control group ((51.00±15.39), (55.60±13.17) and (29.53±4.05)) (all P<0.05). The numbers of positive cells of SYN (5.80±3.53), PSD95 (12.87±4.03) and GAP43 (5.33±3.50) in the EWD group were lower than those in the depressive group ((11.33±3.22), (48.13±12.69) and (15.47±5.21) )(all P<0.05). Western blot results showed that there were statistically significant differences in the expression of synaptic proteins SYN, PSD95 and GAP43 among the four groups of rats ( F=13.19, 9.38, 16.80, all P<0.05). The expression levels of SYN, PSD95 and GAP43 in the epilepsy group were lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05). The expression levels of SYN, PSD95 and GAP43 in the EWD group were lower than those in the epilepsy group and the depressive group (all P<0.05). Conclusion:The low expression of SYN, PSD95 and GAP43 proteins in the hippocampus of rats with epilepsy accompanied by depression may be related to their pathogenesis.

Objective:To compare the clinical outcomes between percutaneous Kirschner wire leverage plus plaster fixation and elastic intramedullary nailing in the treatment of radial neck fractures in children.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the 60 children with radial neck fracture who had been treated by percutaneous Kirschner wire leverage plus plaster fixation at Department of Pediatric Orthopedics, Children's Hospital of Soochow University from January 2016 to July 2023 (set as an internal fixation-free group). They were 30 males and 30 females (34 left and 26 right sides) with an age of (7.7±3.0) years. At the same time, another cohort of 60 patients were chosen as an intramedullary nailing group who had been treated by percutaneous Kirschner wire leverage plus elastic intramedullary nailing and matched in age and gender with those in the internal fixation-free group. The preoperative fracture angulation, operative time, hospitalization time, fracture angulation on the first postoperative day, fracture angulation at 1 month postoperatively, rate of angulation loss after reduction, Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS) at the last follow-up and complications were compared between the 2 groups.Results:There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in their preoperative general data, showing comparability ( P<0.05). The 120 pediatric patients were followed up for (7.5±3.2) months. The operative time [(27.4±15.0) min] and hospitalization time [(3.4±1.9) d] in the internal fixation-free group were significantly shorter than those in the intramedullary nailing group [(45.4±13.5) min and (4.4±1.3) d] ( P<0.05). The preoperative fracture angulation (50.8°±1.9°), fracture angulation on the first postoperative day (11.3°±1.2°), fracture angulation at 1 month postoperatively (12.1°±1.3°), rate of angulation loss after reduction (2.9%±0.5%), and MEPS at the last follow-up [(90.4±2.0) points] in the internal fixation-free group showed no significant differences from those in the intramedullary nailing group [49.5°±1.7°, 11.1°±1.2°, 13.3°±1.5°, 3.9%±1.4%, and (90.2±2.3) points] ( P>0.05). None of the patients in the internal fixation-free group developed pin-tail irritation sign or premature epiphyseal closure after surgery, whereas 3 patients in the intramedullary nailing group developed pin-tail irritation sign and 2 ones premature epiphyseal closure after surgery, showing a significant difference in the complication rate between the 2 groups [0 (0/60) versus 8.3% (5/60)] ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Percutaneous Kirschner wire leverage plus plaster fixation and close elastic intramedullary nailing can both achieve satisfactory outcomes in the treatment of radial neck fractures in children. However, percutaneous Kirschner wire leverage plus plaster fixation needs shorter operative time and hospitalization time, leads to fewer complications, and requires no reoperation to remove internal fixation.

Objective:To investigate the clinical value of multiparametric myocardial imaging using a dual-layer detector spectral CT in the non-invasive preoperative assessment of patients with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease (CHD) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods:The clinical and imaging data of 90 patients who underwent coronary CT angiography (CCTA) with dual-layer spectral detector CT and invasive coronary angiography (ICA) within 30 days at the Affiliated Changshu Hospital of Nantong University from January 2021 to October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 189 coronary arteries were included in the study cohort. The patients were divided into PCI ( n=44) and non-PCI groups ( n=46) according to whether they received PCI after evaluation with ICA. The diameter stenosis rate of the coronary arteries, myocardial iodine concentration (IC) and effective atomic number (Z eff) values were obtained from CCTA conventional and spectral images. The IC values and Z eff values of the myocardium in the areas with abnormal perfusion were compared with those in the areas with normal perfusion. The diagnostic performance of these parameters, as well as their combined model, was evaluated and compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the curve (AUC) in the pre-PCI assessment of patients with CHD. Results:Baseline patient data did not show statistically significant differences between the PCI and non-PCI groups (all P>0.05). There were statistically significant differences in IC values [(0.42±0.28) and (2.26±0.48) mg/ml] and Z eff values (7.39±0.33 and 8.50±0.25) between the myocardium areas with abnormal perfusion and the myocardium areas with normal perfusion in all patients (all P<0.001). The AUC for assessing whether patients with CHD need PCI treatment using myocardial IC and Z eff values were 0.865 and 0.853, respectively, which were significantly higher than assessment based only on lumen diameter stenosis rate (AUC=0.726, P<0.001). Conclusions:The IC and Z eff derived from myocardial spectral images can be used to diagnose myocardial perfusion abnormalities in patients with CHD. The spectral myocardial multi-parameters imaging shows promising potentials in pre-PCI assessment of patients with CHD, which can improve the efficiency of evaluation and may help to avoid unnecessarily invasive procedures.

Objective:To assess the prognostic impact of frailty on elderly inpatients with heart failure.Methods:This prospective cohort study enrolled 121 in elderly patients with heart failure from Beijing Hospital, the General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, and Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital between September 2018 and April 2019.Patients were assessed for frailty using the Fried frailty phenotype and categorized into frail and non-frail groups.Follow-ups were conducted at 3-, 6-, and 12-months post-enrollment through clinic visits or phone calls to record adverse events.Composite endpoints include all-cause mortality and rehospitalization duo to deterioration of heart failure.Results:The study included 121 patients with an average age of 78.0±7.4 years, of whom 71(58.7%)were male and 57(47.1%)were classified as frail.Compared to the non-frail group, the frail group had lower estimated glomerular filtration rates[49.5±20.7 ml/(min·1.73m 2) vs.(64.0±27.1)ml/(min·1.73m 2)], lower scores in Basic Activities of Daily Living[5.0(4.0, 6.0) vs.6.0(5.0, 6.0)], Instrumental Activities of Daily Living[2.0(1.3, 7.8) vs.7.0(5.0, 8.0)], and Mini-Mental State Examination[26.0(16.0, 28.0) vs.27.0(22.3, 29.0)], all P<0.05.They also experienced longer hospital stays[10.5(6.0, 18.8)days vs.8.0(6.0, 11.8)days, P=0.008].During the follow-up period, the incidence of composite endpoint events was significantly higher in the frail group(43.9% vs.25.0%, P=0.029).Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that the one-year incidence of composite endpoint events was significantly higher in the frail group( P=0.013).Multivariable Cox regression analysisindicated that frailty was an independent risk factor for composite endpoint events( HR=2.201, 95% CI: 1.089-4.447, P=0.028). Conclusions:Frailty is an independent risk factor for poor outcomes in elderly hospitalized patients with heart failure and should be considered a crucial factor in clinical assessment and treatment strategies.

Objective:To examine the structural network changes in participants with amnestic mild cognitive impairment(aMCI)and investigate the correlation between these changes and the onset of Alzheimer's disease(AD).Methods:In this prospective study, a total of 100 individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment(aMCI)were enrolled as the research group.Additionally, 25 healthy individuals who were matched in terms of age and sex were enrolled as healthy controls.Upon enrollment, all participants underwent MRI scans, neuropsychological assessments, and clinical evaluations.The participants were then followed every 6 months for a period of 36 months or until they withdrew from the study.Based on the outcome of the follow-up(whether Alzheimer's disease occurred), the aMCI participants were divided into two groups: stable aMCI group and progressive aMCI group.The Chinese version of the Brief Mental State Examination(MMSE), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA), the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale(CDR), and the Auditory Word Learning Test(AVLT)were utilized to evaluate the overall mental and cognitive status of the subjects.Pearson correlation analysis was employed to investigate the relationship between structural network changes and cognitive decline.Logistic regression was performed to analyze the predictive ability of structural network changes in determining the onset of AD.Results:Compared to the stable aMCI group, the progressive aMCI group exhibited lower levels of global efficiency( P=0.002), local efficiency( P=0.007), feeder connections( P=0.003), local connections( P=0.008), and right precuneus nodal efficiency( P=0.010).Correlation analysis revealed that global efficiency( r=0.604, P=0.002), feeder connections( r=0.513, P=0.012), and right precuneus nodal efficiency( r=0.504, P=0.014)were correlated with AVLT-delay scores(baseline)in the progressive aMCI group.A logistic regression model demonstrated that global efficiency, feeder connections, and right precuneus nodal efficiency could significantly predict the onset of AD(all P<0.05, AUCunited=0.797, 95% CI: 0.684-0.884, sensitivity=73.91, 95% CI: 51.6-89.8, specificity=76.60, 95% CI: 62.0-87.7). Conclusions:Among participants with aMCI, individuals who exhibit lower global efficiency, feeder connections, or right precuneus nodal efficiency are at a higher risk of developing AD.These indicators are anticipated to serve as new targets for clinical intervention.

Biliary tract cancers (BTC), a heterogeneous disease with poor prognosis, including gallbladder cancer (GBC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC). Although surgery is currently the primary regimen to treat BTC, most BTC patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage and miss the opportunity of surgical eradication. As a result, non-surgical therapy serves as the main intervention for advanced BTC. In recent years, immunotherapy has emerged as one of the most promising therapies in a number of solid cancers, and it includes immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) monotherapy or combined therapy, tumor vaccines, oncolytic virus immunotherapy, adoptive cell therapy (ACT), and cytokine therapy. However, these therapies have been practiced in limited clinical settings in patients with BTC. In this review, we focus on the discussion of latest advances of immunotherapy in BTC and update the progress of multiple current clinical trials with different immunotherapies.