ObjectiveTo explore the effect of Shenge Bushen Capsules （SBC） on sexual development in normal 3-week-old mice. MethodsThe experiment consisted of two parts. In the first part， mice were divided into four groups： The control group and the low， medium， and high-dose SBC groups （234.7， 469.4， 938.7 mg·kg^-1， respectively）. In the second part， mice were divided into four groups： Control group， Pseudostellariae Radix polysaccharide （PRP） group， total flavonoids group， and SBC group， all receiving a dose of 469.4 mg·kg^-1. After 7 days of administration， the vaginal opening of female mice and the descent of testes and scrotum in male mice， as well as the ovarian and testicular organ indices， were observed. After 4 weeks of administration， female and male mice were housed together for 2 days， and the pregnancy rate of females was monitored. After delivery， the pregnant female mice continued receiving the treatment for 4 weeks， and the sexual development of their offspring， including vaginal opening， testicular descent， and organ indices of ovaries and testes， was observed. Serum sex hormones were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone （GnRH） and growth hormone （GH） proteins in the hypothalamus was assessed by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the control group， there was no significant effect on the vaginal opening of female mice or the descent of testes in male mice after 7 days of SBC administration. After 4 weeks of administration， the pregnancy rate in the low-dose group was significantly reduced （P<0.05）， but no significant effects were observed in the other groups. The three doses of SBC did not significantly affect the ovarian or testicular organ indices， and there was no significant upregulation in the expression of GnRH or GH in the hypothalamus. The primary component of SBC， Pseudostellariae Radix polysaccharide， significantly reduced the vaginal opening in female mice after 7 days of administration （P<0.05）. After 4 weeks， the serum estradiol levels of non-pregnant female mice were decreased （P<0.05）， but there was no significant effect on the expression of GnRH or GH proteins in the hypothalamus of either male or female mice. Additionally， there were no significant effects on precocious puberty indicators， such as vaginal opening and testicular descent， in the offspring mice. ConclusionSBC does not significantly promote precocious puberty in young mice， and it does not have any noticeable effects on the pregnancy rate of adult mice or the sexual development of their offspring.

BackgroundPatients with depressive disorder often exhibit impaired decision-making functions. However， the relationship between decision-making abilities and depressive and anxiety symptoms in these patients remains unclear. ObjectiveTo explore the characteristics of decision-making behavior in patients with depressive disorder， and to analyze its relationship with clinical symptoms. MethodsA total of 48 patients diagnosed with depressive disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fourth edition （DSM-IV） were recruited from the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine of the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University from October 2020 to May 2023. Concurrently， 52 healthy individuals matched for age and gender were recruited from Luzhou as the control group. Beck Depression Inventory （BDI） and Beck Anxiety Inventory （BAI） were used for assessment， and decision-making behavior was evaluated using Probabilistic Reversal Learning （PRL） task. Indicators assessed included the number of trials to criterion， perseverative errors， win-stay rate and lose-shift rate. Spearman correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between BDI and BAI scores and PRL task indicators. ResultsThe depression group showed a significantly higher lose-shift rate compared with the control group （t=3.684， P<0.01）. There were no statistically significant differences between two groups in trials to criterion， perseverative errors and win-stay rate （t=0.329， 0.132， 0.609， P>0.05）. In depression group， BDI and BAI scores were positively correlated with the win-stay rate（r=0.450， 0.398， P<0.01）. ConclusionPatients with depressive disorder are more likely to change their decision-making strategies following negative outcomes. Furthermore， the severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms is associated with a greater propensity to maintain existing decisions after receiving positive feedback. ［Funded by 2019 Joint Project of Luzhou Science and Technology Bureau-Southwest Medical University （number， 2019LZXNYDJ39］

AIM: To investigate the global research status, hotspots, and trends of exosome studies in ophthalmology, providing a theoretical foundation and constructive references for future research, and promoting in-depth development in this field.METHODS: Relevant literature on exosomes in ophthalmology published up to May 20, 2024, was retrieved from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI), Web of Science Core Collection, and PubMed databases. Visual analyses of publication countries, institutions, authors, high-frequency keywords, burst keywords, and timelines were performed using CiteSpace 6.3.R1 and VOSviewer software.RESULTS: A total of 37 Chinese articles and 548 English articles were included. The top five countries in terms of publication volume were the United States(130 articles), China(80 articles), South Korea(24 articles), the United Kingdom(20 articles), and Japan(19 articles). The leading foreign institutions were the University of California System, Duke University, and Harvard University, while the top domestic institutions were Qingdao University, the Department of Ophthalmology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, and the School of Physical Education and Sports Science at Beijing Normal University. Analysis of Chinese and English high-frequency and burst keywords indicated that global research hotspots on exosomes in ophthalmology primarily focus on dry eye, extracellular vesicles, mesenchymal stem cells and their derived exosomes, ocular surface diseases, ocular surface inflammation, biomarkers, retinal protection, immune eye diseases, uveitis, degenerative eye diseases, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, neovascularization, thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, and glaucoma, while English high-frequency words mainly were dry eye, dry eye disease, delivery, regenerative medicine, uveal melanoma, protein, and transplantation. Research has evolved from initial basic biological studies to exploring the pathogenesis of ocular diseases and advancing toward novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.CONCLUSION: Over the past 5 a, research on exosomes in ophthalmology has grown rapidly. Exosomes, as novel biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets, have become central to studies on the pathogenesis and clinical applications of ophthalmic diseases. Their roles in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of these diseases represent promising directions for future research.

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and osteoporosis (OP) are two very common metabolic diseases. A growing body of experimental evidence supports a pathophysiological link between MAFLD and OP. MAFLD is often associated with the development of OP. Rutaecarpine (RUT) is one of the main active components of Chinese medicine Euodiae Fructus. Our previous studies have demonstrated that RUT has lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic effects, and can improve the OP of rats. However, whether RUT can improve both fatty liver and OP symptoms of MAFLD mice at the same time remains to be investigated. In this study, we used C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 months to construct a MAFLD model, and gave the mice a low dose (5 mg·kg^-1) and a high dose (15 mg·kg^-1) of RUT by gavage for 4 weeks. The effects of RUT on liver steatosis and bone metabolism were then evaluated at the end of the experiment [this experiment was approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (approval number: IMB-20190124D₃03)]. The results showed that RUT treatment significantly reduced hepatic steatosis and lipid accumulation, and significantly reduced bone loss and promoted bone formation. In summary, this study shows that RUT has an effect of improving fatty liver and OP in MAFLD mice.

[Objective] To explore the relationship between neutrophil activation under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and the incidence of cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CS-AKI). [Methods] This prospective cohort study enrolled adult patients who scheduled for cardiac surgery under CPB at West China Hospital between May 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023. The primary outcome was acute kidney injury (AKI). Blood samples (5 mL) were obtained from the central vein before surgery, at rewarming, at the end of CPB, and 24 hours after surgery. Neutrophils were labeled with CD11b, CD54 and other markers. To assess the effect of neutrophils activation on AKI, propensity score matching (PSM) was employed to equilibrate covariates between the groups. [Results] A total of 120 patients included into the study, and 17 (14.2%) developed AKI. Both CD11b⁺ and CD54⁺ neutrophils significantly increased during the rewarming phase and the increases were kept until 24 hours after surgery. During rewarming, the numbers of CD11b⁺ neutrophils were significantly higher in AKI compared to non-AKI (4.71×10⁹/L vs 3.31×10⁹/L, Z=-2.14, P<0.05). Similarly, the CD54⁺ neutrophils counts were also significantly higher in AKI than in non-AKI before surgery (2.75×10⁹/L vs 1.79×10⁹/L, Z=-2.99, P<0.05), during rewarming (3.12×10⁹/L vs 1.62×10⁹/L, Z=-4.34, P<0.05), and at the end of CPB (4.28×10⁹/L vs 2.14×10⁹/L, Z=-3.91, P<0.05). An analysis of 32 matched patients (16 in each group) revealed that CD11b⁺ and CD54⁺ neutrophil levels of AKI were 1.74 folds (4.83×10⁹/L vs 2.77×10⁹/L, Z=-2.72, P<0.05) and 2.34 folds (3.32×10⁹/L vs 1.42×10⁹/L, Z=-4.12, P<0.05), respectively, of non-AKI at rewarming phase. [Conclusion] Neutrophils are activated during CPB, and they can be identified by CD11b/CD54 markers. The activated neutrophils of AKI patients are approximately 2 folds of non-AKI during the rewarming phase, with disparity reached peak between groups during rewarming. These findings suggest the removal of 50% of activated neutrophils during the rewarming phase may be effective to reduce the risk of AKI.

ObjectiveTo learn the density and seasonal variation of adult mosquitoes in Pudong New Area of Shanghai, and to explore the influence of meteorological factors on the density of adult mosquitoes. MethodsFrom April to November in 2017‒2021, adult mosquito density in Pudong New Area was monitored every ten days a time by using CO₂ trapping light method. Meteorological data were collected during the same time, and Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression model were used to investigate the correlation between adult mosquito density and meteorological factors. ResultsThe seasonal variation of adult mosquito density showed a single-peak pattern, with the peak of 7.09 mosquitoes·(set·time)^-1 in July. The adult mosquito density was positively correlated with the monthly average temperature, monthly maximum temperature, monthly minimum temperature, and monthly average relative humidity (r=0.813, 0.793, 0.820, 0.617, all P<0.05), but negatively correlated with monthly average air pressure (r=-0.738, P<0.05). The regression equation of the adult mosquito density and monthly minimum temperature in Pudong New Area of Shanghai was Y=0.066 X₃-0.884, with a corrected R² of 0.673, indicating a good model fitting. ConclusionThe overall seasonal variation of adult mosquito density in Pudong New Area showed a single-peak pattern. The density of adult mosquitoes was correlated with the monthly average temperature, monthly maximum temperature, monthly minimum temperature, monthly average relative humidity, and monthly average air pressure, and linearly correlated with monthly minimum temperature.

ObjectiveTo analyze the "compatibility" relationship of sugars and glycosides and the heat-clearing and blood-cooling effect of the roots of four varieties of Rehmannia glutinosa and provide a basis for research on the pharmacodynamic material basis and quality control of R. glutinosa. MethodsThe content of sugars and glycosides in the roots of four varieties of R. glutinosa was determined during the growth period. The principal component analysis （PCA）， orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis （OPLS-DA）， and the "compatibility" relationship of active components were employed to screen out the differential samples. A rat model of bleeding due to blood heat was used to verify the pharmacodynamic differences and the potential active components of differential samples. ResultsThe content and proportion characteristics of various components in roots of the four varieties of R. glutinosa during the expansion stage and the maturity stage had obvious differences. The proportion of phenylethanoid glycosides at the maturity stage was higher than that at the expansion stage. The R. glutinosa variety 85-5 had special quality characteristics among the tested varieties. All the samples alleviated the symptoms in the rat model. The effect of clearing heat and cooling blood was different between the maturity stage and the expansion stage， as well as between 85-5 samples at the maturity stage and other samples. The effect of clearing heat and cooling blood of R. glutinosa roots was the result of the combined action of multiple components in R. glutinosa roots and might be related to the high proportions of polysaccharides， iridoid glycosides， and phenylethanoid glycosides. ConclusionThe growth stage and variety affect the quality of R. glutinosa roots. The effect of clearing heat and cooling blood of R. glutinosa roots was related to the content and proportions of various components. The study can provide a basis for the basic research on the active components and quality control of R. glutinosa.

ObjectiveTo analyze the "compatibility" relationship of sugars and glycosides and the heat-clearing and blood-cooling effect of the roots of four varieties of Rehmannia glutinosa and provide a basis for research on the pharmacodynamic material basis and quality control of R. glutinosa. MethodsThe content of sugars and glycosides in the roots of four varieties of R. glutinosa was determined during the growth period. The principal component analysis （PCA）， orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis （OPLS-DA）， and the "compatibility" relationship of active components were employed to screen out the differential samples. A rat model of bleeding due to blood heat was used to verify the pharmacodynamic differences and the potential active components of differential samples. ResultsThe content and proportion characteristics of various components in roots of the four varieties of R. glutinosa during the expansion stage and the maturity stage had obvious differences. The proportion of phenylethanoid glycosides at the maturity stage was higher than that at the expansion stage. The R. glutinosa variety 85-5 had special quality characteristics among the tested varieties. All the samples alleviated the symptoms in the rat model. The effect of clearing heat and cooling blood was different between the maturity stage and the expansion stage， as well as between 85-5 samples at the maturity stage and other samples. The effect of clearing heat and cooling blood of R. glutinosa roots was the result of the combined action of multiple components in R. glutinosa roots and might be related to the high proportions of polysaccharides， iridoid glycosides， and phenylethanoid glycosides. ConclusionThe growth stage and variety affect the quality of R. glutinosa roots. The effect of clearing heat and cooling blood of R. glutinosa roots was related to the content and proportions of various components. The study can provide a basis for the basic research on the active components and quality control of R. glutinosa.

BackgroundWith the rapid development of the networking technologies， internet addiction has increasingly become a serious mental health issue. Previous studies have revealed the link between childhood trauma and internet addiction， while the mediating role of perceived stress in this link is not yet clear. ObjectiveTo investigate the role of medical students' perceived stress in the relationship between childhood trauma and internet addiction， so as to provide references for the intervention of internet addiction. MethodsFrom February to March 2023， a random sampling technique was used to select 1 232 undergraduate students from the School of Clinical Medical Sciences of Southwest Medical University as research subjects. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form （CTQ-SF）， Perceived Stress Scale （PSS）， Internet Gaming Disorder Scale （IGDS）， and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale （BSMAS） were used for assessment. Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated. The mediation effect of perceived stress in the relationship between childhood trauma and internet addiction was tested using Model 4 in the SPSS Process 4.1， and Bootstrapping procedure involving 5 000 replicates was employed to confirm the statistical significance. ResultsA total of 1 016 （82.47%） valid completed questionnaires were gathered. The CTQ-SF scores of medical students were positively correlated with PSS scores， IGD scores， and BSMAS scores （r=0.583， 0.474， 0.465， P<0.01）. PSS scores were positively correlated with IGD scores and BSMAS scores （r=0.369， 0.479， P<0.01）. Childhood trauma in medical students was found to positively predict perceived stress （β=0.191， P<0.01）， social media addiction （β=0.160， P<0.01）， and internet gaming disorder （β=0.106， P<0.01）. Perceived stress played a significant mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and internet gaming disorder， indirect effect value was 0.018 （95% CI： 0.009~0.027）， accounting for 16.98%. Perceived stress also exhibited a significant mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and social media addiction， indirect effect value was 0.063 （95% CI： 0.048~0.079）， accounting for 39.38%. ConclusionChildhood trauma in medical students may affect internet gaming disorder and social media addiction through perceived stress. ［Funded by 2022 Annual Research Project of Sichuan Applied Psychology Research Center，（number，CSXL-22102）］

Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α), a core transcription factor responding to changes in cellular oxygen levels, is closely associated with a wide range of physiological and pathological conditions. However, its differential impacts on vascular cell types and molecular programs modulating human vascular homeostasis and regeneration remain largely elusive. Here, we applied CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing of human embryonic stem cells and directed differentiation to generate HIF-1α-deficient human vascular cells including vascular endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as a platform for discovering cell type-specific hypoxia-induced response mechanisms. Through comparative molecular profiling across cell types under normoxic and hypoxic conditions, we provide insight into the indispensable role of HIF-1α in the promotion of ischemic vascular regeneration. We found human MSCs to be the vascular cell type most susceptible to HIF-1α deficiency, and that transcriptional inactivation of ANKZF1, an effector of HIF-1α, impaired pro-angiogenic processes. Altogether, our findings deepen the understanding of HIF-1α in human angiogenesis and support further explorations of novel therapeutic strategies of vascular regeneration against ischemic damage.
Humans ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/metabolism* ; Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Hypoxia/metabolism* ; Cell Hypoxia/physiology*