Alzheimer's disease （AD） is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive decline in memory and cognitive function. Despite some achievements in AD research over the past few decades， its exact etiology remains elusive， with no reliable treatment currently available. This has spurred an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies， particularly for neuroprotective agents with minimal side effects and high efficacy. Natural plant extracts contain a class of steroidal or triterpenoid saponin compounds， exhibiting various pharmacological activities， and they are believed to hold immense potential in the prevention and treatment of AD. Studies have indicated that natural saponins may exert their effects through multiple pathways， including reducing amyloid-β peptide deposition， inhibiting abnormal phosphorylation of Tau protein， modulating oxidative stress， decreasing inflammatory responses， and suppressing cell apoptosis. Particularly， certain traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） formulations containing natural saponin components have demonstrated promising advantages in AD treatment， offering significant clinical prospects. This review summarized the research progress on saponin compounds extracted from natural plants in the prevention and treatment of AD and delved into their mechanisms of action. Through comprehensive analysis of these studies， the potential mechanisms of saponins in AD treatment were elucidated， aiming to provide valuable insights for the development of novel therapeutic drugs， and the review hopes that future research and clinical experiments will fully explore their potential in AD treatment， offering more effective therapeutic options for patients.

OBJECTIVE Exploring the expression levels of serum miR-124-3p and miR-202-5p levels in patients with allergic rhinitis(AR) and their clinical significance. METHODS One hundred and seventy-three patients with AR admitted to our hospital during the period from January 2022 to December 2022 were selected as the observation group,and another 63 healthy people who underwent physical examination in our hospital during the same period were selected as the control group. RESULTS In the control,mild,and severe groups,serum miR-124-3p(1.02±0.29 vs. 0.79±0.21 vs. 0.63±0.18) levels gradually decreased and miR-202-5p(1.01±0.25 vs. 1.39±0.29 vs. 1.62±0.33) levels gradually increased,with statistically significant differences between the two comparisons(P<0.05);Pearson correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between serum miR-124-3p levels and miR-202-5p levels in AR patients(r=-0.437,P<0.001);Serum miR-124-3p level[OR(95％CI)=0.651(0.508-0.835)],duration of symptom onset[OR(95％CI)=1.671(1.088-2.567)],asthma[OR(95％CI)=1.571(1.029-2.399)],and serum miR-202-5p level[OR(95％CI)=2.053(1.020-4.133)]were influential factors in patients with severe AR(P<0.05);the combined prediction of serum miR-124-3p and miR-202-5p was superior to the prediction of serum miR-124-3p(Z=2.385,P=0.017) and miR-202-5p(Z=2.466,P=0.014) alone. CONCLUSION Serum miR-124-3p is lowly expressed and miR-202-5p is highly expressed in AR patients,which is closely correlated with the severity of the patient's disease and is expected to be a potential biomarker.

Objective To observe the change of human urinary microalbumin(MA)and α1-microglobulin(α1-MG)after different intensities and duration of+Gz exposure,and explore the effect of+Gz exposure on renal function.Methods Urinary samples of 62 young health male subjects were collected after human centrifuge training,the highest+Gz exposure intensity and duration were+6.5 G/10 s for group A(n=15),+6.5 G/45 s for group B(n=11),+8 G/10 s for group C(n=23)and+9 G/10 s for group D(n=13)respectively.Urinary MA and α1-MG were measured before and 2 hours and 24 hours after centrifuge training by rate scatteringimmune turbidimetric.The results were compared between four groups and between the different time after centrifuge training.Results The levels of urinary MA and α1-MG significantly increased 2 hours after training(P<0.05,P<0.01),and urinary MA of groups B,D were significantly higher than those of groups A,C(P<0.05,P<0.01).In subjects of A,B,C and D groups,the ratio of urinary MA beyond the normal value were 13.3%、54.5%、17.4%and 53.8%respectively and the ratio of urinary α1-MG beyond the normal value were 26.7%、36.4%、26.1%and 38.5%respectively.Urinary MA and α1-MG of four groups decreased 24 hours after centrifuge training,there were no significant changes compared with those before training(P>0.05),and all returned to normal levels within 48 hours after training.Conclusion Moderate and high level of+Gz exposure may cause recoverable glomeruli and renal tubule function abnormalities.This effect aggravates with the increase of+Gz exposure intensity,duration and has individual differences.The study shows that human renal function should be tested and careful protected after high intensity+Gz exposure.

Objective:To explore the severe complications, such as blindness, brain infarction and even death caused by cosmetic autologous fat filler injection and their underlying mechanisms.Methods:From May 2022 to October 2023, 64 male New Zealand rabbits were selected in the clinical laboratory of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine and divided into 8 groups with 8 rabbits in each group. They were divided into grinding fat group, fat granule group, fat lipid group and normal saline group, and each group was further divided into 0.2 ml group and 0.4 ml group. Fat was cut from the rabbit groin, then chopped or treated with collagenase I, and centrifuged to separate fat lipids and fat particles, as well as other tissues. The rabbit facial artery was exposed along the incision below the mandibular angle, and 0.2 or 0.4 ml of chopped fat, fat particles, and lipids were retrogradely injected into the facial artery in each group, and then the incision was closed under the microscope. Ophthalmic and neurological symptoms were observed and recorded after surgery, and visual electrophysiology and fundus microscopy were performed to verify visual acuity and fundus artery obstruction.Results:Two weeks after surgery, the incidence of ophthalmic symptoms in the 0.2 ml injection group was 100% in the grinding fat group, 62.5% in the fat granule group, 0 in the lipid group and 0 in the normal saline group. The complication rates of 0.4 ml embolic injection were 100%, 87.50%, 12.5% and 0, respectively. The incidence of neurological symptoms was 62.5%, 25.0%, 0 and 0, respectively. Mortality rates were 37.5%, 12.5%, 0 and 0 after injection of 0.2 ml, and 100%, 50%, 0 and 0 after injection of 0.4 ml, respectively.Conclusions:Animal models have shown that grinding adipose tissue without collagenase I treatment is more likely to cause serious complications, simple lipid entry into blood vessels does not block relevant arteries, and fat volume is positively correlated with the incidence of postoperative complications.

Objective:To investigate the risk of stroke in elderly hypertensive(HTN)patients with varying baseline triglyceride glucose(TYG)index, and to identify the risk factors associated with stroke in this population.Methods:This study was a prospective cohort study that included 459 elderly patients with hypertension who were admitted to Beijing Anzhen Hospital from January 2018 to January 2020.The patients were divided into four groups based on their quartile of TYG index: Q1 group(TYG index≤8.02, 114 cases), Q2 group(8.028.85, 115 cases). The study compared the baseline clinical data and incidence of stroke(hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke)after two years of follow-up among the four groups, and analyzed the risk factors of stroke using Cox regression analyses.Results:This study examined 459 elderly patients with hypertension, of which 251(54.7%)were male and 208(45.3%)were female, with an average age of(71.7 ± 6.2)years(65-79 years). The study found significant differences among the four groups in various factors( P<0.05 for all). The study followed up with patients for a median of 33 months, 55 cases were lost to follow-up.Out of the remaining patients, 10.9% experienced stroke, with 3.7% being hemorrhagic stroke and 7.2% being ischemic stroke.The occurrence of stroke was observed in 5.3%, 8.7%, 13.0%, and 16.2% of patients in the Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4 groups, respectively.The results of Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that the risk of stroke increased gradually as the quartile increased.Specifically, compared to the Q1 group, the risk of stroke increased by 1.016 times(95% CI: 0.933-1.106, P=0.715), 1.264 times(95% CI: 1.067-1.497, P=0.007), and 1.472 times(95% CI: 1.119-1.936, P=0.006)in the Q2, Q3, and Q4 groups, respectively.Notably, both Q3 and Q4 groups showed a significant increase in the risk of ischemic stroke( HR=1.313, 95% CI: 1.016-1.697, P=0.037; HR=1.509, 95% CI: 1.113-2.046, P=0.008), while the Q4 group showed a significant increase in the risk of hemorrhagic stroke( HR=1.132, 95% CI: 1.021-1.255, P=0.019). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that male( HR=1.336), smoking history( HR=1.485), hyperlipidemia( HR=1.216), previous stroke( HR=1.547), sleep apnea( HR=1.484), diastolic blood pressure( HR=1.114), hemoglobin( HR=0.962), albumin/creatinine ratio( HR=1.318), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol( HR=1.125), TYG index( HR=1.293), left ventricular mass index( HR=1.103), and anti-platelet therapy( HR=0.874)were all found to be independent risk factors for stroke. Conclusions:In elderly patients with hypertension, there is a significant positive correlation between TYG index and stroke risk, particularly ischemic stroke.This suggests that TYG index could be clinically valuable in improving cerebrovascular risk stratification.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and feasibility of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) combined with radical surgery for elderly patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC).Methods:One hundred and fourty eight patients with LAGC after NACT and gastrectomy between 2012 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. They were divided into two groups: (1) <65 years old (111 cases) and (2) ≥65 years old (37 cases) and their clinicopathological and prognostic data were compared.Results:There was no significant difference between the two groups in the incidence of hematological complications such as anemia ( χ2=0.235, P=0.628), leukopenia ( χ2=0.613, P=0.434), neutropenia ( χ2=0.011, P=0.918) and thrombocytopenia ( χ2=0.253, P=0.615) and non-hematological complications such as nausea ( χ2=0.092, P=0.762), vomiting ( χ2=0.166, P=0.683), diarrhea ( χ2=0.015, P=0.902) and mucositis ( χ2=0.199, P=0.766) due to NACT. There were no statistical differences between the older patients and the younger in operation duration ( t=0.270, P=0.604), intraoperative bleeding ( t=1.140, P=0.250) and R 0 resection rate ( χ2=0.105, P=0.750). The incidence of postoperative complications was 25.2% and 37.8% in the younger patients and the olders ( χ2=2.172, P=0.141). Pleural effusion ( χ2=7.007, P=0.008) and pulmonary infection ( χ2=10.204, P=0.001) was significantly higher in the older patients than in the youngers. The 3-year progression-free survival rate ( t=0.494, P=0.482) and 3-year overall survival rate ( t=0.013, P=0.908) were comparable between the two groups. Conclusions:NACT combined with radical surgery is safe and effective in elderly patients with LAGC, except for higher perioperative pulmonary-related complications.

Cell migration is defined as the directional movement of cells toward a specific chemical concentration gradient, which plays a crucial role in embryo development, wound healing and tumor metastasis. However, current research methods showed low flux and are only suitable for single-factor assessment, and it was difficult to comprehensively consider the effects of other parameters such as different concentration gradients on cell migration behavior. In this paper, a four-channel microfluidic chip was designed. Its characteristics were as follows: it relied on laminar flow and diffusion mechanisms to establish and maintain a concentration gradient; it was suitable for observation of cell migration in different concentration gradient environment under a single microscope field; four cell isolation zones (20 μm width) were integrated into the microfluidic device to calibrate the initial cell position, which ensured the accuracy of the experimental results. In particular, we used COMSOL Multiphysics software to simulate the structure of the chip, which demonstrated the necessity of designing S-shaped microchannel and horizontal pressure balance channel to maintain concentration gradient. Finally, neutrophils were incubated with advanced glycation end products (AGEs, 0, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0 μmol·L ^-1), which were closely related to diabetes mellitus and its complications. The migration behavior of incubated neutrophils was studied in the 100 nmol·L ^-1 of chemokine (N-formylmethionyl-leucyl-phenyl-alanine) concentration gradient. The results prove the reliability and practicability of the microfluidic chip.
Cell Movement ; Chemotaxis ; Equipment Design ; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices ; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques ; Microfluidics ; Neutrophils ; Reproducibility of Results

Objective:To review the incidence and treatment status of perioperative anemia in patients with gastric cancer.Methods:The clinicopathological data of gastric cancer patients who underwent surgery at Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from Jan to Dec 2019 were collected. Univariate analysis and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to explore the risk factors of preoperative anemia in gastric cancer.Results:A total of 879 patients were included in this study. The incidence of preoperative anemia in patients with gastric cancer was 35.6%. The incidence of postoperative anemia was 63.5%. The proportion of patients with preoperative anemia receiving treatment was 17.3%, and the proportion of patients with postoperative anemia receiving treatment was 17.4%. Univariate analysis showed that age, nutritional risk screening 2002, T stage, M stage, tumor stage and lymph node metastasis were associated with preoperative anemia (all P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age >60 years , nutritional risk screening 2002 ≥3, T 3-4 stage and M 1 stage were independent risk factors for preoperative anemia in patients with gastric cancer (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The incidence of perioperative anemia in patients with gastric cancer is high. At present, the proportion of patients with perioperative anemia receiving treatment is low. High nutritional risk, advanced age, late tumor T stage and distant metastasis are independent risk factors for preoperative anemia in patients with gastric cancer.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical outcomes of additional surgery after non-curative endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer.Methods:Sixty-nine patients with early gastric cancer who underwent ESD and were diagnosed as having non-curative resection by postoperative pathology at Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January 2014 to December 2020 were included in the retrospective observation. Patients were divided into the additional surgery group ( n=12) and the follow-up group ( n=57). The differences in clinical and pathological data of the two groups, the surgical outcomes of the additional surgery group, three-year recurrence-free survival and tumor-specific survival of the two groups, and the independent risk factors affecting three-year recurrence-free survival in the follow-up group were analyzed. Results:Compared with the follow-up group, the rates of submucosal infiltration [66.7% (8/12) VS 21.1% (12/57), χ 2=7.927, P=0.005], vascular invasion [33.3% (4/12) VS 1.8% (1/57), P=0.003] and nerve invasion [16.7% (2/12) VS 0.0% (0/57), P=0.028] in the additional surgery group were significantly higher. In the additional surgery group, the interval between the additional surgery and ESD was 18.5 d (7-55 d), the surgical time was 286.4±85.9 min, and the number of dissected lymph nodes was 25.6±7.4. Four patients (33.3%) had residual tumor. Postoperative complications occurred in 4 patients (33.3%) (all were discharged after conservative treatment), and there was no perioperative death. One patient developed liver metastases 17 months after the surgery, and died 22 months after surgery due to liver metastases. One patient died 22 months after surgery due to non-tumor causes. The three-year recurrence-free survival and three-year tumor-specific survival in additional surgery group were 91.7% (11/12) and 91.7% (11/12), respectively, and those in the follow-up group were 87.7% (50/57) and 100.0% (57/57), respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that tumor size ≥2 cm was an independent risk factor for three-year recurrence-free survival in the follow-up group ( P=0.037, HR=15.595, 95% CI: 1.181-205.952). Conclusion:Additional surgery and close follow-up are safe and feasible therapeutic strategies for early gastric cancer patients who underwent non-curative ESD. Clinicians should make reasonable choice based on the pathological results, patients' physical condition and surgery intention. But for patients with primary tumor size ≥2 cm, additional surgery is recommended.