Pancreatic cancers (PCs) is a common malignant tumor with poor prognosis in the digestive system. Its main treatment methods include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. The early diagnosis rate of hidden onset of PCs is low, and most patients have already lost the opportunity to undergo surgery when diagnosed with PCs. Chemotherapy is still the main treatment for advanced PCs, but the use of chemotherapy drugs in PCs can easily lead to drug resistance. The most significant feature that distinguishes PCs from other tumors is its rich and dense matrix, which not only hinders drug penetration but also impedes the infiltration of immune cells. The above reasons have led to a very low survival rate of PCs patients. Therefore, drug delivery systems are very important in the diagnosis and treatment of PCs. They can improve drug delivery, enhance biological barrier penetration, reduce side effects, and combine multiple treatment methods. Therefore, the treatment prospects of PCs are very broad. Currently, drug delivery systems widely applied in PCs primarily include nanodrug delivery systems, tumor microenvironment-targeted drug delivery system, immunotherapy drug delivery system, gene therapy drug delivery system, and combination therapy drug delivery system that synergize multiple therapeutic modalities. Emerging drug delivery systems (DDSs) have revolutionized PCs treatment by addressing these challenges through multiple mechanisms. Nanoformulations improve drug solubility, prolong circulation time, and reduce systemic toxicity via passive/active targeting. Smart DDSs responsive to PCs-specific stimuli enable extracellular matrix degradation, tumor-associated fibroblasts reprogramming, and vascular normalization to enhance drug accessibility. Last but not least, carrier systems loaded with myeloid-derived suppressor cell inhibitors or T cell activators can reverse immunosuppression and potentiate immunotherapy efficacy. Advanced platforms co-deliver chemotherapeutics with immunomodulators, gene-editing tools, or sonodynamic agents to achieve synergistic antitumor effects. These platforms aim to address critical challenges in PCs treatment, such as enhancing drug bioavailability, overcoming stromal barriers, reprogramming immunosuppressive niches, and achieving multi-mechanistic antitumor effects. This article provides a systematic summary and prospective analysis of the current development status, latest cutting-edge advances, opportunities, and challenges of the above-mentioned drug delivery systems in the field of PCs therapy.

As artificial intelligence technology rapidly advances, its deployment within the medical sector presents substantial ethical challenges. Consequently, it becomes crucial to create a standardized, transparent, and secure framework for processing medical data. This includes setting the ethical boundaries for medical artificial intelligence and safeguarding both patient rights and data integrity. This consensus governs every facet of medical data handling through artificial intelligence, encompassing data gathering, processing, storage, transmission, utilization, and sharing. Its purpose is to ensure the management of medical data adheres to ethical standards and legal requirements, while safeguarding patient privacy and data security. Concurrently, the principles of compliance with the law, patient privacy respect, patient interest protection, and safety and reliability are underscored. Key issues such as informed consent, data usage, intellectual property protection, conflict of interest, and benefit sharing are examined in depth. The enactment of this expert consensus is intended to foster the profound integration and sustainable advancement of artificial intelligence within the medical domain, while simultaneously ensuring that artificial intelligence adheres strictly to the relevant ethical norms and legal frameworks during the processing of medical data.
Artificial Intelligence/legislation & jurisprudence* ; Humans ; Consensus ; Computer Security/standards* ; Confidentiality/ethics* ; Informed Consent/ethics*

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder with a high incidence and severe impact on the human body, which can induce systemic chronic inflammatory responses. Chronic inflammation is an important cause of exacerbation of OSA and its associated complications. Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor 3 (NLRP3) is an inflammasome that is widely found in epithelial cells and immune cells and plays an important role in inflammatory diseases as an important component of innate immunity. Research evidence suggests that the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes can exacerbate the damage to neurons, endothelial cells, lung and kidney caused by OSA, and these effects can be eliminated by genetic or pharmacological deletion of NLRP3. Targeting inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome may serve as a co-therapeutic strategy for OSA-induced related complications. This article reviews NLRP3 inflammasome and its mechanism in OSA-related concurrent diseases, which can provide scientific basis for prevention and intervention of OSA and its related complications.
Humans ; Inflammasomes ; Endothelial Cells ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein ; Inflammation ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; Nucleotides

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder with a high incidence and severe impact on the human body, which can induce systemic chronic inflammatory responses. Chronic inflammation is an important cause of exacerbation of OSA and its associated complications. Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor 3 (NLRP3) is an inflammasome that is widely found in epithelial cells and immune cells and plays an important role in inflammatory diseases as an important component of innate immunity. Research evidence suggests that the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes can exacerbate the damage to neurons, endothelial cells, lung and kidney caused by OSA, and these effects can be eliminated by genetic or pharmacological deletion of NLRP3. Targeting inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome may serve as a co-therapeutic strategy for OSA-induced related complications. This article reviews NLRP3 inflammasome and its mechanism in OSA-related concurrent diseases, which can provide scientific basis for prevention and intervention of OSA and its related complications.
Humans ; Inflammasomes ; Endothelial Cells ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein ; Inflammation ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; Nucleotides

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics of hospitalized patients with hematologic diseases complicated with carbapenem-resistant organisms (CRO) infection and analyze the risk factors of 30-day all-cause mortality. METHODS: The clinical data and laboratory test data of 77 hospitalized patients with hematologic diseases complicated with CRO infection in department of hematology of the Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from January 2015 to December 2020 were retrospectively analysed, the risk factors of 30-day all-cause mortality after CRO infection were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Among the total of 77 patients with hematologic diseases complicated with CRO infection, 29 died and 48 survived within 30 days of infection, with a case fatality rate of 37.66%. A total of 93 strains of CRO were isolated from these patients, of which Acinetobacter baumannii had the highest detection rate (25.81%, 24/93), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (18.28%, 17/93). The lung was the most common site of CRO infection. The detected pathogens were highly resistant to carbapenems, and 64.52% (60/93) of the pathogens were resistant to imipenem with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC)≥16 μg/ml. The results of the univariate analysis showed that albumin concentration <25 g/L (P =0.048), serum creatinine concentration≥120 μmol/L (P =0.023), age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (ACCI) (P =0.037) and primary treatments (supportive treatment, immunosuppressive therapy, chemotherapy, HSCT) (P =0.048) were significantly associated with 30-day all-cause mortality after infection. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that when CRO infection confirmed, albumin concentration <25 g/L (P =0.014, OR=6.171), serum creatinine concentration≥120 μmol/L (P =0.009, OR=10.867) were independent risk factors for 30-day mortality of patients with hematologic diseases complicated with CRO infection. CONCLUSION The mortality rate of CRO-infected patients with hematologic diseases is high. The detected pathogenic bacteria are highly resistant to imipenem. The albumin concentration <25 g/L and the serum creatinine concentration≥ 120 μmol/L at diagnosis of CRO infection were independent risk factors for 30-day mortality of the patients with hematologic diseases.
Humans ; Carbapenems/pharmacology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Creatinine ; Hematologic Diseases ; Risk Factors ; Imipenem ; Albumins

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA) is a widely prevalent autoimmune inflammatory disease that severely affects patients' quality of life. Currently, conventional formulations against RA have several limitations, such as nonspecificity, poor efficacy, large drug dosages, frequent administration, and systemic side effects. Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems have emerged as a promising stra-tegy for the diagnosis and treatment of RA since nanotechnology can overcome the limitations of traditional treatments and simplify the complexity of the disease. These systems enable targeted delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs to the inflamed areas through active and passive targeting, achieving specificity to the joints, overcoming the need for increased dosage and administration frequency, and reducing associated adverse reactions. This article aimed to review nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems in the field of RA and elucidate how nanosystems can be utilized to deliver therapeutic drugs to inflamed joints for controlling RA progression. By discussing the current issues and challenges faced by nanodrug delivery systems and highlighting the urgent need for solutions, this article offers theoretical support for further research on nanotechnology-based co-delivery systems in the future.
Humans ; Quality of Life ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Autoimmune Diseases/drug therapy* ; Nanotechnology

In this experiment, the PK/PD fitting model of Chuanxiong(Chuanxiong Rhizoma) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis was established in the form of acupoint combined with external application gel paste. Firstly, the rheumatoid arthritis model was induced by ovalbumin, and the articular fluid of rabbits was extracted by microdialysis. The pharmacokinetic process of Chuanxiong in rabbit articular fluid was analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS, and the pharmacokinetic model was established. The pharmacodynamic effects of Chuanxiong on inflammatory factors IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The pharmacodynamic model was established, and the PK/PD model was obtained by fitting the data of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. The results of pharmacokinetics showed that the concentration of ligustrolide A in the articular cavity by drug administration on classical acupoint Zusanli(ST 36) was higher than that by Yanglingquan(GB 34), which reflected the advantage of typical acupoint, while ligustrazine concentration was higher after administration through Yanglingquan than through Zusanli, which was different from the traditional acupoint theory. The results of pharmacodynamics showed that the drug had lag effect. The PK/PD model was constructed by fitting the data. When IL-1β was taken as the efficacy index, the PK/PD models of Chuanxiong in typical acupoint Zusanli group, atypical acupoint Yanglingquan group, and non-acupoint group were E=115.28C_e/(3 316.72+C_e), E=108.73C_e/(2 993.47+C_e), and E=101.34C_e/(3 028.51+C_e). When TNF-α was taken as the efficacy index, the PK/PD models of Chuanxiong in typical acupoint Zusanli group, atypical acupoint Yanglingquan group, and non-acupoint group were E=68.31C_e/(3 285.16+C_e), E=59.27C_e/(2 919.86+C_e), and E=53.61C_e/(2 862.87+C_e). When IL-6 was taken as the efficacy index, the PK/PD models of Chuanxiong in typical acupoint Zusanli group, atypical acupoint Yanglingquan group, and non-acupoint group were E=59.92C_e/(3 461.17+C_e), E=58.34C_e/(2 723.51+C_e), and E=49.17C_e/(2 862.76+C_e). The parameters showed that there were significant differences in E_(max), EC_(e50) and k_(eo). The analysis of data found that the PK/PD fitting effect of Zusanli, a typical acupoint, was the best, which proved that it was still the best site for drug administration. To sum up, it shows that there may be bidirectional selectivity between drugs and acupoints.
Animals ; Rabbits ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Interleukin-6 ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Acupuncture Points ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy*

Objectives: To investigated the safety and efficacy of treating patients with acute non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and elevated levels of N-terminal pro-hormone B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) with levosimendan within 24 hours of first medical contact (FMC). Methods: This multicenter, open-label, block-randomized controlled trial (NCT03189901) investigated the safety and efficacy of levosimendan as an early management strategy of acute heart failure (EMS-AHF) for patients with NSTEMI and high NT-proBNP levels. This study included 255 patients with NSTEMI and elevated NT-proBNP levels, including 142 males and 113 females with a median age of 65 (58-70) years, and were admitted in the emergency or outpatient departments at 14 medical centers in China between October 2017 and October 2021. The patients were randomly divided into a levosimendan group (n=129) and a control group (n=126). The primary outcome measure was NT-proBNP levels on day 3 of treatment and changes in the NT-proBNP levels from baseline on day 5 after randomization. The secondary outcome measures included the proportion of patients with more than 30% reduction in NT-proBNP levels from baseline, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) during hospitalization and at 6 months after hospitalization, safety during the treatment, and health economics indices. The measurement data parameters between groups were compared using the t-test or the non-parametric test. The count data parameters were compared between groups using the χ² test. Results: On day 3, the NT-proBNP levels in the levosimendan group were lower than the control group but were statistically insignificant [866 (455, 1 960) vs. 1 118 (459, 2 417) ng/L, Z=-1.25,P=0.21]. However, on day 5, changes in the NT-proBNP levels from baseline in the levosimendan group were significantly higher than the control group [67.6% (33.8%,82.5%)vs.54.8% (7.3%,77.9%), Z=-2.14, P=0.03]. There were no significant differences in the proportion of patients with more than 30% reduction in the NT-proBNP levels on day 5 between the levosimendan and the control groups [77.5% (100/129) vs. 69.0% (87/126), χ²=2.34, P=0.13]. Furthermore, incidences of MACE did not show any significant differences between the two groups during hospitalization [4.7% (6/129) vs. 7.1% (9/126), χ²=0.72, P=0.40] and at 6 months [14.7% (19/129) vs. 12.7% (16/126), χ²=0.22, P=0.64]. Four cardiac deaths were reported in the control group during hospitalization [0 (0/129) vs. 3.2% (4/126), P=0.06]. However, 6-month survival rates were comparable between the two groups (log-rank test, P=0.18). Moreover, adverse events or serious adverse events such as shock, ventricular fibrillation, and ventricular tachycardia were not reported in both the groups during levosimendan treatment (days 0-1). The total cost of hospitalization [34 591.00(15 527.46,59 324.80) vs. 37 144.65(16 066.90,63 919.00)yuan, Z=-0.26, P=0.80] and the total length of hospitalization [9 (8, 12) vs. 10 (7, 13) days, Z=0.72, P=0.72] were lower for patients in the levosimendan group compared to those in the control group, but did not show statistically significant differences. Conclusions: Early administration of levosimendan reduced NT-proBNP levels in NSTEMI patients with elevated NT-proBNP and did not increase the total cost and length of hospitalization, but did not significantly improve MACE during hospitalization or at 6 months.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Aged ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Simendan/therapeutic use* ; Non-ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction ; Heart Failure/drug therapy* ; Peptide Fragments ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Biomarkers ; Prognosis

A fluorescence endoscopic laser confocal microscope(FELCM) was used to direct the injection of sinomenine solid lipid nanoparticles(Sin-SLN) into the joint, and the in vitro effectiveness of Sin-SLN in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) was evaluated. Sin-SLN was prepared with the emulsion evaporation-low temperature curing method. The Sin-SLN prepared under the optimal conditions showed the encapsulation efficiency of 64.79%±3.12%, the drug loading of 3.84%±0.28%, the average particle size of(215.27±4.21) nm, and the Zeta potential of(-32.67±0.84) mV. Moreover, the Sin-SLN demonstrated good stability after sto-rage for 30 days. The rabbit model of RA was established by the subcutaneous injection of ovalbumin and complete Freund's adjuvant. Five groups were designed, including a control group, a model group, a Sin(1.5 mg·kg~(-1)) group, a Sin-SLN(1.5 mg·kg~(-1)) group, and a dexamethasone(positive drug, 1.0 mg·kg~(-1), ig) group. The control group and the model group only received puncture treatment without drug injection. After drug administration, the local skin temperature and knee joint diameter were monitored every day. The knee joint diameter and the local skin temperature were lower in the drug administration groups than in the model group(P<0.05, P<0.01). FELCM recorded the morphological alterations of the cartilage of knee joint. The Sin-SLN group showed compact tissue structure and smooth surface of the cartilage. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to determine the serum le-vels of interleukin-1(IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α). The findings revealed that the Sin-SLN group had lower IL-1 and TNF-α levels than the model group(P<0.05, P<0.01). Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was employed to reveal the pathological changes of the synovial tissue, which were significantly mitigated in the Sin-SLN group. The prepared Sin-SLN had uniform particle size and high stability. Through joint injection administration, a drug reservoir was formed. Sin-SLN effectively alleviate joint swelling and cartilage damage of rabbit, down-regulated the expression of inflammatory cytokines, and inhibited the epithelial proliferation and inflammatory cell infiltration of the synovial tissue, demonstrating the efficacy in treating RA.
Animals ; Rabbits ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Fluorescence ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Interleukin-1 ; Arthritis, Experimental/drug therapy*

OBJECTIVES: To explore the cytotoxicity of four wild mushrooms involved in a case of Yunnan sudden unexplained death (YNSUD), to provide the experimental basis for prevention and treatment of YNSUD. METHODS: Four kinds of wild mushrooms that were eaten by family members in this YNSUD incident were collected and identified by expert identification and gene sequencing. Raw extracts from four wild mushrooms were extracted by ultrasonic extraction to intervene HEK293 cells, and the mushrooms with obvious cytotoxicity were screened by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). The selected wild mushrooms were prepared into three kinds of extracts, which were raw, boiled, and boiled followed by enzymolysis. HEK293 cells were intervened with these three extracts at different concentrations. The cytotoxicity was detected by CCK-8 combined with lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) Assay Kit, and the morphological changes of HEK293 cells were observed under an inverted phase contrast microscope. RESULTS: Species identification indicated that the four wild mushrooms were Butyriboletus roseoflavus, Boletus edulis, Russula virescens and Amanita manginiana. Cytotoxicity was found only in Amanita manginiana. The raw extracts showed cytotoxicity at the mass concentration of 0.1 mg/mL, while the boiled extracts and the boiled followed by enzymolysis extracts showed obvious cytotoxicity at the mass concentration of 0.4 mg/mL and 0.7 mg/mL, respectively. In addition to the obvious decrease in the number of HEK293 cells, the number of synapses increased and the refraction of HEK293 cells was poor after the intervention of Amanita manginiana extracts. CONCLUSIONS The extracts of Amanita manginiana involved in this YNSUD case has obvious cytotoxicity, and some of its toxicity can be reduced by boiled and enzymolysis, but cannot be completely detoxicated. Therefore, the consumption of Amanita manginiana is potentially dangerous, and it may be one of the causes of the YNSUD.
Humans ; HEK293 Cells ; Sincalide ; China ; Amanita ; Death, Sudden