Depression is a high-incidence mental disorder with complex causes and multifaceted pathogenic mechanisms. Its pathogenesis has not yet been fully elucidated， which has hindered the development of novel and highly effective antidepressant drugs. This condition severely affects human physical and mental health while imposing a significant socio-economic burden. At present， several hypotheses exist regarding the pathogenesis of depression， including monoamine neurotransmitter imbalances， neurotrophic factor deficiencies， neural plasticity impairments， glutamate dysregulation， neuroinflammatory disorders， gut microbiota imbalances， and mitochondrial autophagy dysfunction. Currently， most clinical antidepressants are monoamine neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitors. Although they exhibit certain therapeutic effects， they are associated with significant drawbacks， such as severe adverse reactions and poor patient compliance. In contrast， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， characterized by its multi-targeted effects， mild efficacy， and minimal side effects， has demonstrated significant advantages in the treatment of depression. Chinese medicine Polygalae Radix possesses the functions of calming the mind， enhancing cognitive functions， harmonizing the heart and kidneys， and dispelling phlegm to open orifices. It is often included in compound prescriptions for the clinical treatment of depression. Based on current hypotheses regarding the pathogenesis of depression， this paper systematically reviews research progress on the antidepressant mechanisms of Polygalae Radix from multiple perspectives， including its active components， its use in herbal pairings， and its inclusion in TCM compound prescriptions. This review aims to provide a scientific basis for the clinical application of Polygalae Radix in antidepressant therapy and to serve as a reference for the modernization of its antidepressant research.

BACKGROUND: Spicy food consumption has been reported to be inversely associated with mortality from multiple diseases. However, the effect of spicy food intake on the incidence of vascular diseases in the Chinese population remains unclear. This study was conducted to explore this association. METHODS: This study was performed using the large-scale China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) prospective cohort of 486,335 participants. The primary outcomes were vascular disease, ischemic heart disease (IHD), major coronary events (MCEs), cerebrovascular disease, stroke, and non-stroke cerebrovascular disease. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to assess the association between spicy food consumption and incident vascular diseases. Subgroup analysis was also performed to evaluate the heterogeneity of the association between spicy food consumption and the risk of vascular disease stratified by several basic characteristics. In addition, the joint effects of spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of vascular disease were also evaluated, and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the reliability of the association results. RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 12.1 years, a total of 136,125 patients with vascular disease, 46,689 patients with IHD, 10,097 patients with MCEs, 80,114 patients with cerebrovascular disease, 56,726 patients with stroke, and 40,098 patients with non-stroke cerebrovascular disease were identified. Participants who consumed spicy food 1-2 days/week (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = [0.93, 0.97], P <0.001), 3-5 days/week (HR = 0.96, 95% CI = [0.94, 0.99], P = 0.003), and 6-7 days/week (HR = 0.97, 95% CI = [0.95, 0.99], P = 0.002) had a significantly lower risk of vascular disease than those who consumed spicy food less than once a week ( Ptrend <0.001), especially in those who were younger and living in rural areas. Notably, the disease-based subgroup analysis indicated that the inverse associations remained in IHD ( Ptrend = 0.011) and MCEs ( Ptrend = 0.002) risk. Intriguingly, there was an interaction effect between spicy food consumption and the healthy lifestyle score on the risk of IHD ( Pinteraction = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS Our findings support an inverse association between spicy food consumption and vascular disease in the Chinese population, which may provide additional dietary guidance for the prevention of vascular diseases.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Prospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Vascular Diseases/etiology* ; Risk Factors ; China/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Cerebrovascular Disorders/epidemiology* ; East Asian People

BACKGROUND: Whether adherence to a healthy lifestyle is associated with a lower risk of developing pneumonia and a better long-term prognosis remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate associations of individual and combined lifestyle factors (LFs) with the incidence risk and long-term prognosis of pneumonia hospitalization. METHODS: Using data from the China Kadoorie Biobank study, we used the multistate models to investigate the role of five high-risk LFs, including smoking, excessive alcohol drinking, unhealthy dietary habits, physical inactivity, and unhealthy body shape, alone or in combination in the transitions from a generally healthy state at baseline to pneumonia hospitalization or cardiovascular disease (CVD, regarded as a reference outcome), and subsequently to mortality. RESULTS: Most of the five high-risk LFs were associated with increased risks of transitions from baseline to pneumonia and from pneumonia to death, but with different risk estimates. The greater the number of high-risk LFs, the higher the risk of developing pneumonia and long-term mortality risk after pneumonia, with the strength of associations comparable to that of LFs and CVD. Compared to participants with 0-1 high-risk LF, the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for transitions from baseline to pneumonia and from pneumonia to death in those with five high-risk LFs were 1.43 (1.28-1.60) and 1.98 (1.61-2.42), respectively. Correspondingly, the respective HRs (95% CIs) for transitions from baseline to CVD and from CVD to death were 2.00 (1.89-2.11) and 1.44 (1.30-1.59), respectively. The risk estimates changed slightly when further adjusting for the presence of major chronic diseases. CONCLUSION In this Chinese population, unhealthy LFs were associated with an increased incidence and long-term mortality risk of pneumonia.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Life Style ; Pneumonia/etiology* ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Smoking

BACKGROUND: Prospective evidence on how offspring number influences morbidity and mortality remains limited. This study investigated the associations between number of offspring and morbidity and mortality risks among 0.5 million Chinese adults. METHODS: By using data from the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB; n = 512,723, an approximately 12-year follow-up), sex-stratified phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) analyses were conducted to investigate associations between offspring number (without vs . with offspring; more than one vs . one offspring) and risks of ICD10-coded morbidity and mortality. Sex-specific adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by Cox proportional-hazards models. RESULTS: Among 210,129 men and 302,284 women aged 30-79 years, 1,338,837 incident events were recorded. PheWAS results revealed that offspring number was associated with disease risks across multiple systems. Cox models showed that childless men ( vs . one offspring) had higher risks for nine of 36 diseases, while childless women for five of 37. Each additional offspring was associated with reduced risks of mental and behavioral disorders in men (aHR [95% CI] = 0.93 [0.87-0.98]) and both mental and behavioral disorders (aHR [95% CI] = 0.93 [0.89-0.97]) and breast cancer (aHR [95% CI] = 0.82 [0.78-0.86]) in women. However, each additional offspring was associated with a 4% increase in the risk of cholelithiasis and cholecystitis in women (aHR [95% CI] = 1.04 [1.02-1.07]). Among 282,630 patients, 44,533 deaths were documented. Childless patients had higher mortality risk in both men (aHR [95% CI] = 1.37 [1.28-1.47]) and women (aHR [95% CI] = 1.27 [1.15-1.41]). For men, each additional offspring reduced mortality by 4% (aHR [95% CI] = 0.96 [0.95-0.98]), while for women, the lowest risk was observed among those with three to four offspring ( Pnonlinear <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Offspring number is closely linked to morbidity and mortality risks. Further research is warranted to verify our findings and clarify the underlying mechanisms involved.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; China/epidemiology* ; Morbidity ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Family Characteristics ; Mortality ; East Asian People

BACKGROUND: Previous evidence showed that ambient air pollution and cardiovascular mortality are related. However, there is a lack of evidence towards the modification effect of long-term lifestyle on the association between short-term ambient air pollution and death from cardiovascular events. METHOD: A total of 14,609 death from major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were identified among the China Kadoorie Biobank participants from 2013 to 2018. Ambient air pollution exposure including particulate matter 2.5 (PM_2.5), SO₂, NO₂, CO, and O₃ from the same period were obtained from space-time model reconstructions based on remote sensing data. Case-crossover design and conditional logistic regression was applied to estimate the effect of short-term exposure to air pollutants on MACE mortality. RESULTS: We found MACE mortality was significantly associated with PM_2.5 (relative percent increase 2.91% per 10 µg/m³ increase, 95% CI 1.32-4.53), NO₂ (5.37% per 10 µg/m³ increase, 95% CI 1.56-9.33), SO₂ (6.82% per 10 µg/m³ increase, 95% CI 2.99-10.80), and CO (2.24% per 0.1 mg/m³ increase, 95% CI 1.02-3.48). Stratified analyses indicated that drinking was associated with elevated risk of MACE mortality with NO₂ and SO₂ exposure; physical inactivity was associated with higher risk of death from MACE when exposed to PM_2.5; and people who had balanced diet had lower risk of MACE mortality when exposed to CO and NO₂. CONCLUSIONS The study results showed that short-term exposure to ambient PM_2.5, NO₂, SO₂, and CO would aggravate the risk of cardiovascular mortality, yet healthy lifestyle conduct might mitigate such negative impact to some extent.
Humans ; Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Air Pollution/adverse effects* ; Middle Aged ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; Environmental Exposure/adverse effects* ; Life Style ; Aged ; Adult ; Risk Factors ; Cross-Over Studies ; East Asian People

L-valine is an important essential branched-chain amino acid widely used in industries such as feed, pharmaceuticals, and food. In order to further enhance the production performance of L-valine, this study systematically engineered the metabolism of a Corynebacterium glutamicum strain, preserved in the laboratory, which is capable of producing L-valine. First, strain VH-9 was obtained by enhancing the precursor supply, synthesis pathway, and transport system of L-valine. In a 5 L fermenter, the titer, yield, and productivity of L-valine were 76.6 g/L, 0.45 g/g, and 2.39 g/(L·h), respectively. Furthermore, strain VH-18 was obtained by enhancing the uptake of substrate glucose and balancing energy supply to reduce succinate accumulation, with the titer, yield, and productivity of L-valine increased to 82.7 g/L, 0.52 g/g, and 2.58 g/(L·h), respectively. After optimization of fermentation conditions, the titer, yield, and productivity of L-valine in strain VH-18 were further improved to 88.7 g/L, 0.54 g/g, and 2.77 g/(L·h), respectively. This study has achieved the high-efficiency production of L-valine through a systems metabolic engineering strategy.
Corynebacterium glutamicum/genetics* ; Metabolic Engineering/methods* ; Valine/biosynthesis* ; Fermentation ; Glucose/metabolism*

Objective:To explore the efficiency of radial collateral artery perforator flap to reconstruct defects of thumb web contracture release.Methods:The data of patients with moderate to severe thumb web contracture treated with radial collateral artery perforator flap from September 2018 to September 2022 in Department of Orthopedics-Hand Microsurgery of Xiangya Hospital, Central South University were analyzed retrospectively. A skin flap with the radial collateral artery perforating point as the center and the line connecting the deltoid muscle insertion point and the apex of the humeral lateral condyle as the axis were designed before surgery. During the operation, the skin scar in the thumb web area was first removed, and the contracted tissues such as deep fascia and muscles were loosened. Then, a skin flap was harvested along the design line and transferred to the recipient site. After vascular and nerve anastomosis under a microscope, the incision was intermittently sutured and a drainage tube was placed. The blood flow of the flap and complication were monitored closely. In the last follow-up, the distance and angle of thumb web were observed; the appearance, sensory recovery (excellent, good, moderate, and poor) and the hand function (S0 level to S4 level represented feeling no recovery to complete recovery) were evaluated.Results:A total of 8 patients were included, including 7 males and 1 female, aged 23-56 years (average of 40.3 years old). The distance of thumb web was 20-38 mm (average 26.9 mm), and the angle was 22°-36° (average 27.4°) before surgery. Five hands were classified as severe thumb web contracture, and 3 hands were moderate. The sizes of perforator flap were from 5.5 cm×3.5 cm-13.0 cm×6.5 cm. Seven flaps survived uneventfully and venous congestion occurred in 1 flap. After exploration, the flap survived completely. Primary healing of wounds occurred in the donor and recipient areas. Postoperative follow-up ranged from 6 months to 2.5 years (average 13.6 months). In the last follow-up, the distance of thumb web was 48-63 mm (average 57.1 mm), and the angle was 40°-52° (average 44.8°) post-operation. Thumb web function evaluation: excellent in 5 cases and good in 3 cases. All patients were satisfied with the thumb web. Sensory recovered to S3 in 3 cases, S2 in 4 cases and S1 in 1 case. The donor site healed well, leaving scars. There was no radial nerve damage, and elbow joint movement was normal.Conclusion:The radial collateral artery perforator flap has reliable blood supply, relatively simple operation and the appearance and function of thumb web restored well postoperatively. The application of radial collateral artery perforator flap is an effective procedure to repair the thumb web contracture.

Objective:To explore the repair effect of resveratrol combined with Schwann cell-like cells(SCLCs)dif-ferentiated from adipose-derived stem cells(ADSCs)on sciatic nerve injury in rats.Methods:ADSCs were primarily cultured and induced to differentiate into SCLCs.Cell morphology was observed by scanning electron microscopy.West-ern Blot method was used to detect the expressions of S100 calcium-binding protein β(S100β),p75 neurotrophin receptor(p75NTR),and glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP).Rats were randomly divided into Control group(Con-trol),Schwann cell-like cell group(SCLCs),resveratrol group(Res),and resveratrol+Schwann cell-like cell group(Res+SCLCs).Eight weeks after the successful establishment of the sciatic nerve injury model,the sciatic nerve func-tion index(SFI)of each group was detected by footprint experiment;the mechanical withdrawal threshold(MWT)was measured by von Frey filament stimulation needle;The wet weight ratio(WR)of the tibialis anterior muscle was deter-mined by weighing method;Western Blot and RT-qPCR methods were used to detect the expressions of neurotrophin-3(NT-3),nerve growth factor(NGF),insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1),and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)at the injury site.Results:After 8 days of induction of ADSCs,the cells had elongated poles and increased extracellular components;S100β,p75NTR,and GFAP proteins were highly expressed.After treatment with SCLCs,Res,and Res+SCLCs,the SFI and WR of the treatment groups were significantly better than those of the Control group(P＜0.05);the MWT of rats in the Res+SCLCs group and SCLCs group was reduced(P＜0.05).Western Blot re-sults showed that the expressions of NT-3,IGF-1,NGF,and BDNF proteins in rats in the Res+SCLCs group were higher than those in other groups(P＜0.05);The expressions of NT-3,NGF,and BDNF proteins in rats in the SCLCs group were higher than those in the Control group(P＜0.05);the expressions of NT-3 and NGF proteins in rats in the Res group were higher than those in the Control group(P＜0.05).RT-qPCR results showed that the expressions of NT-3,IGF-1,NGF,and BDNF mRNA in rats in the Res+SCLCs group were highly expressed;the expressions of NT-3,IGF-1,NGF,and BDNF mRNA in rats in the SCLCs group were higher than those in the Control group(P＜0.05);The expressions of IGF-1 and NGF mRNA in rats in the Res group were higher than those in the Control group(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Res combined with SCLCs differentiated from ADSCs has a good repair effect on sciatic nerve inju-ry in rats.