Pharmacodynamic advantages and characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine in prevention and treatment of ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke(IS) is a severe cerebrovascular disease with a high incidence, mortality, and disability rate. The first-line treatment for IS is the use of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator(r-t PA).Regrettably, numerous patients encounter delays in treatment due to the narrow therapeutic window and the associated risk of hemorrhage. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has exhibited distinct advantages in preventing and treating IS. TCM enhances cerebral microcirculation, alleviates neurological disorders, regulates energy metabolism, mitigates infammation, reduces oxidative stress injuries, and inhibits apoptosis, thereby mitigating brain damage and preventing IS recurrence. This article summarizes the etiology, pathogenesis, therapeutic strategies, and relationship with modern biology of IS from the perspective of TCM, describes the advantages of TCM in the treatment of IS, and further reviews the pharmacodynamic characteristics and advantages of TCM in the acute and recovery phases of IS as well as in post-stroke complications. Additionally, it offers valuable insights and references for the clinical application of TCM in IS prevention and treatment, as well as for the development of novel drugs.

Peripheral origin exosomal micro RNAs aggravate glymphatic system dysfunction in diabetic cognitive impairment

Cognitive dysfunction is one of the common central nervous systems(CNS)complications of diabetes mellitus,which seriously affects the quality of life of patients and results in a huge economic burden.The glymphatic system dysfunction mediated by aquaporin-4(AQP4)loss or redistribution in perivascular astrocyte endfeet plays a crucial role in diabetes-induced cognitive impairment(DCI).However,the mechanism of AQP4 loss or redistribution in the diabetic states remains unclear.Accumulating evidence suggests that peripheral insulin resistance target tissues and CNS communication affect brain homeostasis and that exosomal miRNAs are key mediators.Glucose and lipid metabolism disorder is an important pathological feature of diabetes mellitus,and skeletal muscle,liver and adipose tissue are the key target insulin resistance organs.In this review,the changes in exosomal miRNAs induced by peripheral metabolism disorders in diabetes mellitus were systematically reviewed.We focused on exosomal miRNAs that could induce low AQP4 expression and redistribution in perivascular astrocyte endfeet,which could provide an interorgan communication pathway to illustrate the pathogenesis of DCI.Furthermore,the mechanisms of exosome secretion from peripheral insulin resistance target tissue and absorption to the CNS were summarized,which will be beneficial for proposing novel and feasible strategies to optimize DCI prevention and/or treatment in diabetic patients.

Bidirectional regulation of the brain-gut-microbiota axis following traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury is a prevalent disorder of the central nervous system.In addition to primary brain parenchymal damage,the enduring biological consequences of traumatic brain injury pose long-term risks for patients with traumatic brain injury;however,the underlying pathogenesis remains unclear,and effective intervention methods are lacking.Intestinal dysfunction is a significant consequence of traumatic brain injury.Being the most densely innervated peripheral tissue in the body,the gut possesses multiple pathways for the establishment of a bidirectional“brain-gut axis”with the central nervous system.The gut harbors a vast microbial community,and alterations of the gut niche contribute to the progression of traumatic brain injury and its unfavorable prognosis through neuronal,hormonal,and immune pathways.A comprehensive understanding of microbiota-mediated peripheral neuroimmunomodulation mechanisms is needed to enhance treatment strategies for traumatic brain injury and its associated complications.We comprehensively reviewed alterations in the gut microecological environment following traumatic brain injury,with a specific focus on the complex biological processes of peripheral nerves,immunity,and microbes triggered by traumatic brain injury,encompassing autonomic dysfunction,neuroendocrine disturbances,peripheral immunosuppression,increased intestinal barrier permeability,compromised responses of sensory nerves to microorganisms,and potential effector nuclei in the central nervous system influenced by gut microbiota.Additionally,we reviewed the mechanisms underlying secondary biological injury and the dynamic pathological responses that occur following injury to enhance our current understanding of how peripheral pathways impact the outcome of patients with traumatic brain injury.This review aimed to propose a conceptual model for future risk assessment of central nervous system-related diseases while elucidating novel insights into the bidirectional effects of the“brain-gut-microbiota axis.”

Promoting nitric oxide electroreduction to ammonia over electron-rich Cu modulated by Ru doping

Electrocatalytic nitric oxide(NO)reduction is a promising strategy to produce ammonia.Developing a facile approach to synthesize efficient catalysts with enhanced NO electroreduction performance is highly desirable.Here,a series of Ru-doped Cu materials are constructed through in situ electroreduction of corresponding metal hydroxides.The optimized Ru_(0.05)Cu_(0.95)exhibits superior electrocatalytic performance for ammonia synthesis by using NO/Ar(1/4,n/n)as the feedstocks(Faradaic efficiency:64.9%,yield rate:17.68μmol cm^(-2)h^(-1)),obviously outperforming Cu counterpart(Faradaic efficiency:33.0%,yield rate:5.73μmol cm^(-2)h^(-1)).Electrochemical in situ Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy and online differential electrochemical mass spectrometry(DEMS)are adopted to detect intermediates and unveil the possible reaction pathway.The downshift of the Cu d-band center induced by Ru doping facilitates the rate-limiting hydrogenation step and decreases the desorption energy of NH_(3),leading to high Faradaic efficiency and yield of ammonia.

Centrifuge modeling of tunneling-induced ground surface settlement in sand

Stress changes in the soil induced by tunnel excavation may cause excessive ground settlement.However,high-quality experimental data on ground settlement due to tunnel excavation are limited.In this study,centrifuge tests are conducted to investigate the threedimensional ground surface settlement,considering different intersection angles and cover-to-tunnel diameter ratios.The results indicate that the major influence zone along the longitudinal direction on the ground surface settlement is±1.25D,where D is the tunnel diameter.When the monitoring section is perpendicular to the tunneling direction,the transverse ground settlement due to the tunnel excavation is symmetrical with respect to the tunnel centerline.In contrast,an asymmetric ground settlement profile is observed when the monitoring section intersects the tunneling direction at an angle of 60.Applying a Gaussian curve to fit the ground surface settlement curve,the width parameter,K(i.e.,the distance between the tunnel centerline and the inflection point of the settlement trough to the tunnel burial depth),varies from 0.33 to 0.39.The ground surface settlement induced by twin tunnel excavation can be captured reasonably by superimposing two identical Gaussian curves.When the cover to tunnel diameter ratios(C/D)are 1.5 and 2.7,the maximum ground surface settlements are 0.67%of D and 0.35%of D,respectively.It is clear that the maximum ground surface settlement decreases with an increase in the C/D ratio.