Depression, a prevalent mental disorder with significant socioeconomic burdens, underscores the urgent need for safe and effective non-pharmacological interventions. Recent advances in microbiome research have revealed the pivotal role of gut microbiota dysbiosis in the pathogenesis of depression. Concurrently, exercise, as a cost-effective and accessible intervention, has demonstrated remarkable efficacy in alleviating depressive symptoms. This comprehensive review synthesizes current evidence on the interplay among exercise, gut microbiota modulation, and depression, elucidating the mechanistic pathways through which exercise ameliorates depressive symptoms via the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis. Depression is characterized by gut microbiota alterations, including reduced alpha and beta diversity, depletion of beneficial taxa (e.g., Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Coprococcus), and overgrowth of pro-inflammatory and pathogenic bacteria (e.g., Morganella, Klebsiella, and Enterobacteriaceae). Metagenomic analyses reveal disrupted metabolic functions in depressive patients, such as diminished synthesis of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), impaired tryptophan metabolism, and dysregulated bile acid conversion. For instance, Bifidobacterium longum deficiency correlates with reduced synthesis of neuroactive metabolites like homovanillic acid, while decreased Coprococcus abundance limits butyrate production, exacerbating neuroinflammation. Furthermore, elevated levels of indole derivatives from Clostridium species inhibit serotonin (5-HT) synthesis, contributing to depressive phenotypes. These dysbiotic profiles disrupt the MGB axis, triggering systemic inflammation, neurotransmitter imbalances, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity. Exercise exerts profound effects on gut microbiota composition, diversity, and metabolic activity. Longitudinal studies demonstrate that sustained aerobic exercise increases alpha diversity, enriches SCFA-producing genera (e.g., Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia, and Akkermansia), and suppresses pathobionts (e.g., Desulfovibrio and Streptococcus). For example, a meta-analysis of 25 trials involving 1 044 participants confirmed that exercise enhances microbial richness and restores the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, a biomarker of metabolic health. Notably, endurance training promotes Veillonella proliferation, which converts lactate into propionate, enhancing energy metabolism and delaying fatigue. Exercise also strengthens intestinal barrier integrity by upregulating tight junction proteins (e.g., ZO-1, occludin), thereby reducing lipopolysaccharide (LPS) translocation and systemic inflammation. However, excessive exercise may paradoxically diminish microbial diversity and exacerbate intestinal permeability, highlighting the importance of moderate intensity and duration. Exercise ameliorates depressive symptoms through multifaceted interactions with the gut microbiota, primarily via 4 interconnected pathways. First, exercise mitigates neuroinflammation by elevating anti-inflammatory SCFAs such as butyrate, which suppresses NF-κB signaling to attenuate microglial activation and oxidative stress in the hippocampus. Animal studies demonstrate that voluntary wheel running reduces hippocampal TNF‑α and IL-17 levels in stress-induced depression models, while fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from exercised mice reverses depressive behaviors by modulating the TLR4/NF‑κB pathway. Second, exercise regulates neurotransmitter dynamics by enriching GABA-producing Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, thereby counteracting neuronal hyperexcitability. Aerobic exercise also enhances the abundance of Lactobacillus plantarum and Streptococcus thermophilus, which facilitate 5-HT and dopamine synthesis. Clinical trials reveal that 12 weeks of moderate exercise increases fecal Coprococcus and Blautia abundance, correlating with improved 5-HT bioavailability and reduced depression scores. Third, exercise normalizes HPA axis hyperactivity by reducing cortisol levels and restoring glucocorticoid receptor sensitivity. In rodent models, chronic stress-induced corticosterone elevation is reversed by probiotic supplementation (e.g., Lactobacillus), which enhances endocannabinoid signaling and hippocampal neurogenesis. Furthermore, exercise upregulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) via microbial metabolites like butyrate, promoting histone acetylation and synaptic plasticity. FMT experiments confirm that exercise-induced microbiota elevates prefrontal BDNF expression, reversing stress-induced neuronal atrophy. Fourth, exercise reshapes microbial metabolic crosstalk, diverting tryptophan metabolism toward 5-HT synthesis instead of neurotoxic kynurenine derivatives. Butyrate inhibits indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), a key enzyme in the kynurenine pathway linked to depression. Concurrently, exercise-induced Akkermansia enrichment enhances mucin production, fortifies the gut barrier, and reduces LPS-driven neuroinflammation. Collectively, these mechanisms underscore exercise as a potent modulator of the microbiota-gut-brain axis, offering a holistic approach to alleviating depression through microbial and neurophysiological synergy. Current evidence supports exercise as a potent adjunct therapy for depression, with personalized regimens (e.g., aerobic, resistance, or yoga) tailored to individual microbiota profiles. However, challenges remain in optimizing exercise prescriptions (intensity, duration, and type) and integrating them with probiotics, prebiotics, or FMT for synergistic effects. Future research should prioritize large-scale randomized controlled trials to validate causality, multi-omics approaches to decipher MGB axis dynamics, and mechanistic studies exploring microbial metabolites as therapeutic targets. The authors advocate for a paradigm shift toward microbiota-centric interventions, emphasizing the bidirectional relationship between physical activity and gut ecosystem resilience in mental health management. In conclusion, this review underscores exercise as a multifaceted modulator of the gut-brain axis, offering novel insights into non-pharmacological strategies for depression. By bridging microbial ecology, neuroimmunology, and exercise physiology, this work lays a foundation for precision medicine approaches targeting the gut microbiota to alleviate depressive disorders.

In recent years, the development of host-acting antibacterial compounds has gradually become a hotspot in the field of anti-infection. Through research on the interaction mechanism between hosts and pathogenic bacteria, it has been found that the immune system is one of the key targets of host-acting antibacterial compounds. There is a communication system called the quorum sensing system in microorganisms, which mainly adjusts the structure of multi-microbial community and coordinates the group behavior. When the quorum sensing molecules secreted by microorganisms reach a threshold concentration, the quorum sensing system is activated and the overall gene expression of the microorganism is changed. In addition to regulating the density of microorganisms, quorum sensing molecules can also act as a link between pathogenic microorganisms and hosts, entering the host immune system and playing a role in affecting the morphological structure of immune cells, secreting cytokines, and inducing apoptosis, leading to host immune injury and causing host immune dysfunction.The key mechanism of 3-oxo-C12-HSL and other acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) molecules in the innate immune system has been extensively studied. The lipid solubility allows AHLs to pass through the plasma membrane of host immune cells easily and induce dissolution of lipid domains. Then, it acts through signaling pathways such as p38MAPK and JAK-STAT, further influencing the immune cell’s defense response to bacteria and potentially leading to cell apoptosis. Additionally, the human lactonase paraoxonase 2, which can degrade3-oxo-C12-HSL, has been found in macrophage. It acts as an immune regulator that promotes macrophage phagocytosis of pathogens and is hypothesized to have the ability to reduce bacterial resistance. The mechanism of quorum sensing molecules in the adaptive immune system is less studied, the current results suggest that 3-oxo-C12-HSL is closely related to the mitochondrial pathway in host immune cells. For example, 3-oxo-C12-HSL induces apoptosis of Jurkat cells by inhibiting the expression of three mitochondrial electron transport chain proteins; it can also trigger mitochondrial dysfunction and induce mast cell apoptosis through Ca²⁺ signaling.Among the quorum sensing molecules, the AHLs have the greatest impact on plant immune system. The different effects on plant resistance depends on the chain lengths of acyl groups in bacterial-produced AHLs. Short-chain AHLs (C4-HSL and C8-HSL) induce plant resistance to pathogenic bacteria mainly through the auxin pathway and jasmonic acid pathway. Long-chain AHL (3-oxo-C14-HSL) is commonly used in hosts against fungal pathogens by inducing stomata defense responses, and the reaction process is related to salicylic acid. Diffusible signal factor molecules also interfere with the stomatal immunity caused by pathogens. It may act through the formin nanoclustering-mediated actin assembly and MPK3 pathway to inhibit the innate immunity of Arabidopsis. In summary, AHLs induced different plant pathways and affects the plant-bacteria interactions to trigger plant immunity. As a quorum sensing molecule of fungi, farnesol has similar effects on host immunity as AHLs, such as stimulating cytokine secretion and activating an inflammatory response. It also plays a unique role on dendritic cell differentiation and maturation. In addition, studies have found that farnesol has a protective effect on autoimmune encephalomyelitis, which may be related to its effect on the composition of intestinal microorganisms of the host.Therefore, targeting the host immune system and quorum sensing molecules to develop antibacterial compounds can effectively inhibit the invasion of pathogens and subserve the host to resist the influence of pathogenic bacteria. This article will review the mechanism of host immune responses triggered by important quorum sensing molecules, aiming to explore the targets of host-acting antibacterial compounds and provide new directions for the prevention or treatment of causative infectious sources and the development of related drugs.

Aim To elucidate the biological effects of insulin-like growth factor-1 ( IGF-1 ) and basic fibro-blast growth factor (bFGF) alone or in combination on the differentiation of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) into cardiomyocytes (CMs), and to explore the mechanism in the differentiation process of BMSCs into CMs induced by IGF-1 or bFGF. Methods After four weeks of BMSCs induced by induction differentiation medium ( with or without LY294002) containing IGF-1 and/or bFGF, the expression levels of proteins associated with the cardiomyogenic phenotype in BMSCs were detected via immunocytochemistry, immuno-fluorescence staining, and Western blot. Meanwhile, the expression levels of pathway related proteins were detected by Western blot. The cell ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) . The expression levels of myocardial specific genes were measured via RT-qPCR. Results Compared with the control group, the expression levels of myocardial specific proteins and genes significantly increased in the IGF-1, bFGF and combination groups and were the highest in the coinduction group. The TEM of the conduction group showed parallel myofilaments, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and so on. The additon of LY294002 decreased the expression levels of myocardial specific proteins, genes and phosphorylation Akt. Conclusions The effect of IGF-1 combined with bFGF on the differentiation of BMSCs into CMs is markedly better than that induced by IGF-1 or bFGF a-lone, and the differentiation process may depend on the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Objective:To compare the relationship between non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) and bone mass in different body parts in the physical examination population.Methods:It was a cross-sectional study. The data of 595 physical examiners who visited the Institute of Health Management, PLA General Hospital from June to September 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. The bone mass levels of lumbar 1-4 vertebral body (spine) and femur, average bone density were measured by double light energy X-ray bone density instrument. The basic information and biochemical indices of the physical examiners were collected. The difference between blood lipid components (including Non-HDL-C) and bone mass level of each body part were analyzed.Results:According to blood lipid stratification, there were significant differences in spine T value (T-spine) between triglyceride (TG) groups (-0.15±1.41 vs -0.38±1.3), Non-HDL-C groups (-1.01±0.74 vs -1.21±0.59, -1.04±0.73 vs -1.30±0.45,-1.07±0.71 vs -1.30±0.26) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) groups (-1.01±0.71 vs -1.32±0.56)(all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in other lipid groups and femoral T values in each component′s blood lipids. The T-spine decreased significantly in the LDL-C≥3.4 mmol/L group, and the differences were all significant among the Non-HDL-C group (all P<0.05). In binary logistic regression analysis, LDL-C≥3.4 mmol/L ( OR=3.961,95% CI:1.310-11.974) and Non-HDL-C>4.1 mmol/L ( OR=3.600,95% CI:1.035-12.524) were risk factors for vertebral bone mass loss (both P<0.05). Conclusion:People with elevated serum TG, Non-HDL-C and LDL-C in the physical examination population are prone to bone abnormalities. Non-HDL-C≥4.1 mmol/L and LDL-C≥3.4 mmol/L are more closely related to the vertebral bone mass loss and are the risk factors for vertebral bone mass loss.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between ALDH2 rs671 gene polymorphism and body fat content in Chinese Han population.Methods:It was a cross-sectional study. A total of 3 943 Chinese Han people were selected for physical examination in the Department of Health Medicine in the Second Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2017 to January 2020, including 2 749 males and 1 194 females; the average age was (48.12±7.98) years. The research subjects were divided into obesity group and non-obesity group according to their body fat rate. The basic information including age, gender, disease history, height, weight, body fat content and blood samples were collected; the ALDH2 rs671 gene polymorphism was detected. Genotype and allele frequencies were compared between groups by using χ2 test. The comparison of clinical data between different genotypes was conducted by using one-way analysis of variance. The correlation between various indicators, lifestyle and genotype was analyzed by using a logistic regression model. Results:The distribution of ALDH2 rs671 genotype was wild genotype GG (68.6%), heterozygous mutant genotype GL (28.7%) and homozygous mutant genotype LL (2.7%). In terms of baseline characteristics, there were significant differences in male (67.5% vs 71.3%), body mass index (BMI, (23.12±2.64) kg/m 2 vs (27.10±2.75) kg/m 2), genotype distribution (GG 65.6% vs 70.6%), drinking history (64.4% vs 68.8%), history of hypertension (18.7% vs 36.9%), coronary heart disease (3.7% vs 5.6%) and diabetes (9.7% vs 15.0%) between the obesity and non-obesity group (all P<0.05). Multifactor logistic regression showed that ALDH2-GG genotype ( OR=1.386, 95% CI: 1.078-1.782), age ( OR=1.051, 95% CI: 1.035-1.068), and BMI ( OR=2.182, 95% CI: 2.043-2.331) were risk factors for obesity differentiated by body fat percentage, and male ( OR=0.175, 95% CI: 0.123-0.250) was protective factor (all, P<0.05). Conclusion:ALDH2 rs671 polymorphism is related to body fat content. The risk of excessive body fat content in individuals with GG genotype is significantly increased.

Objective:To construct an evaluation index system for the core competence of hospital specialist service operation assistants and provide reference for the evaluation of such competence.Methods:From January to March 2022, literature analysis and behavioral event interviews were used to initially establish a core competence evaluation index system of hospital specialist service operation assistants, based on the Donabedian model. Subsequently, the Delphi expert consultation method was applied to conduct correspondence consultation, inviting experts to evaluate the contents and importance of the index system, using analytic hierarchy process to determine the weights of the indexes at all levels.Results:Two rounds of expert consultation were carried out, and the valid recovery rate of the questionnaire was 100%. The familiarity coefficient of the second round of correspondence was 0.87, the basis of judgment coefficient was 0.90, and the authority coefficient was 0.89. The final evaluation index system for core competence of hospital specialist service operation assistant consisted of 3 first-level indexes, 13 second-level indexes and 81 third-level indexes. The weight of the first-level index structure index was 0.266, and the highest weight among the second-level indexes was the operational development ability (0.083), while the highest weight among the third-level indexes of operational development ability was the comprehensive coordination ability (0.193); The weight of the first-level index process index was 0.405, and the corresponding second-level and third-level indexes with the highest weight were department operation practice work (0.157) and reasonable resource allocation (0.303), respectively; The weight of the first-level index result index was 0.329, and the corresponding second-level and third-level indexes with the highest weight were the weight of medical quality and safety (0.103) and drug adverse reaction reporting rate (0.237), respectively.Conclusions:The evaluation index system constructed in this study proves scientific and reasonable in weight assignment, proving a reference for the management of the specialist service operation assistants.

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a very important pathogen, especially for children.On a global scale, GAS is an important cause of morbidity and mortality.But the burden of disease caused by GAS is still unknown in China and also has not obtained enough attention.For this purpose, the expert consensus is comprehensively described in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of GAS diseases in children, covering related aspects of pneumology, infectiology, immunology, microbiology, cardiology, nephrology, critical care medicine and preventive medicine.Accordingly, the consensus document was intended to improve management strategies of GAS disease in Chinese children.

Objective:To investigate the differences in virological and immunological indicators of HIV-1 infected individuals with different degrees of immunosuppression, analyze the correlation between the sample/cutoff ratio (S/CO), viral load (VL), Western blot (WB) band type and immune status of HIV-1 infected individuals.Methods:A total of 639 HIV-1 antibodies positive and treatment-naive samples from Henan, Beijing and Yunnan during the period of 2017-2019 were divided into three groups: no immunosuppression (CD4≥500 cells/μl), mild immunosuppressive (350cells/μl≤CD4<500cells/μl), moderate immunosuppression (200 cells/μl≤CD4<350 cells/μl), severe immunosuppression (CD4<200 cells/μl). Chi-square test was used to compare S/CO, WB band type among different immunosuppression groups, analyze the relationship between various indicators and immune status.Results:In each immunosuppressive group, S/CO>20 had the highest occurrence rate (>37%), and showed a decreasing trend with the enhancement of immunity ( P<0.05), the occurrence rate of 119%), the occurrence rate of 078%), while the occurrence rates of p55 (<40%) and p39 (<3%) were the lowest, the differences of the occurrence rates of gp41 and p51 among different immunosuppression groups were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The area under the curve determined by S/CO value combined with viral load for no, mild, moderate and severe immunosuppression groups were respectively 0.651 (95% CI: 0.600-0.702; P<0.05), 0.587 (95% CI: 0.540-0.635; P<0.05), 0.605 (95% CI: 0.560~0.650; P<0.05), 0.647 (95% CI: 0.586-0.708; P<0.05). Conclusions:The S/CO value viral load was the best for the determination of non-immunosuppressive status; The absence of gp41 and p51, S/CO>20 suggest that the patient may be in non or severe immunosuppressed state, respectively.