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  Original articles

  Generation of blood vessel organoids from human embryonic stem cells

  XU Caiping, ZHAGN Bowen, LI Yunqiao, FAN Tao, CHEN Yanzhou, HUA Zheng, QIN Jinhua, LI Yanhua

  2026, 50(6): 401-407. https://doi.org/10.7644/j.issn.1674-9960.2026-00019

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  Objective To establish and characterize vascular organoids based on the capacity of definitive differentiation and multiple cell self-organization of human embryonic stem cells （hESCs）. Methods The hESCs were subjected to a stepwise induction protocol to sequentially differentiate into mesoderm progenitors, lateral plate mesoderm progenitors, and endothelial cells over a 5-day period. The resulting endothelial cell population was harvested and embedded in Matrigel to undergo three-dimensional culture of 6-8 days, allowing for self-organization into vascular organoids with branched luminal networks. The organoids were characterized via morphological analysis, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining, and transmission electron microscopy. Results The generated organoids formed complex networks of branched lumens, containing （41.10±4.51）% CD31⁺ endothelial cells and （6.88%±0.40）% CD140b⁺ pericytes. Among the endothelial cells, （43.00±0.21）% were CD31⁺CD184⁺ arterial endothelial cells and （3.66±0.25）% were CD31⁺CD184^-CD73⁺ venous endothelial cells. Immunofluorescence analysis found that the vascular organoids were composed of VE-cadherin⁺Sox17⁺ arterial endothelial cells, VE-cadherin⁺NR2F2⁺ venous endothelial cells, PDGFR-β⁺ pericytes, α-SMA⁺ smooth muscle cells, and collagen I. Tight junctions were observed between endothelial cells, and characteristic Weibel-Palade body ultrastructures were identified within the cytoplasm that resembled the structures of human microvascular units. Conclusion We have established a robust method for generating hESCs-based vascular organoids that mimic the architecture of functional microvasculature. This three-dimensional vascular organoid can serve as a promising platform for research on vascular development and disease modeling.
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  Original articles

  Functional investigation of Oxtr⁺ neurons in the basal forebrain during chronic social defeat stress

  NING Shuyi, LI Hao, LI Shen, YANG Rui, YU Yan, WU Haitao

  2026, 50(6): 408-416. https://doi.org/10.7644/j.issn.1674-9960.2026-00004

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  Objective To investigate the regulatory role of oxytocin receptors （Oxtr） in the basal forebrain in chronic social defeat stress （CSDS）-induced social avoidance behavior. Methods c-Fos immunofluorescence staining, stereotaxic injection, fiber photometry calcium recording, and RNAscope in situ hybridization were employed to compare behavioral performance and neural activity between wild-type mice and those with basal forebrain-specific Oxtr deletion under the CSDS model. Results Compared with the control group without CSDS exposure, CSDS-exposed mice had their social interactions with unfamiliar CD1 mice significantly shortened, accompanied by a marked increase in the proportion of c-Fos-positive neurons in the basal forebrain. Fiber photometry recordings suggested that calcium activity in Oxtr⁺ neurons of the basal forebrain was significantly enhanced during social interactions in CSDS mice. Notably, selective deletion of Oxtr in the basal forebrain significantly alleviated CSDS-induced social avoidance and effectively attenuated stress-induced neuronal hyperactivation. Conclusion Basal forebrain Oxtr⁺ neurons play a key regulatory role in chronic social defeat stress-induced social avoidance and the processing of social fear-related cues.
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  Original articles

  Synergistic effects of music and exercise for antidepression and mechanisms

  CHEN Junrui, DU Chunxiao, LU Jiawen, LI Yuxiang, WANG Zhiding, LI Ge, HAN Gencheng

  2026, 50(6): 417-424. https://doi.org/10.7644/j.issn.1674-9960.2026-00043

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  Objective To explore the synergistic antidepressant effects of music therapy combined with exercise and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Methods A depressive-like mouse model was established using the chronic restraint stress （CRS） paradigm. The effects of exercise alone and exercise combined with music were assessed. Behavioral alterations were evaluated using the elevated plus maze and forced swim tests. Hippocampal transcriptomic sequencing was performed to investigate potential molecular mechanisms by which music enhanced the antidepressant efficacy of exercise. Microglial activation was examined via immunofluorescence staining. Systemic inflammatory changes were quantified using RT-qPCR. Neuronal injury and synaptic plasticity were assessed using Nissl staining and Golgi staining, respectively. Results Behavioral assessments showed that CRS induced distinct depressive-like behaviors, which were reversed by exercise and improved by the combined music-exercise intervention. Transcriptomic analysis suggested that music could enhance the antidepressant effects of exercise by modulating neuroinflammatory pathways. Immunofluorescence and RT-qPCR results indicated that the combined intervention could more significantly reduce levels of peripheral inflammatory cytokines and ameliorate systemic inflammation than exercise alone. Nissl and Golgi staining revealed that music combined with exercise more effectively mitigated depression-related neuronal damage, as evidenced by increased Nissl body abundance and enhanced dendritic spine density in the hippocampus. Conclusion The combination of music and exercise can more effectively improve depressive-like behaviors in CRS mice than exercise alone. This enhanced benefit may be associated with attenuation of neuroinflammation and improved recovery of neuronal integrity and synaptic plasticity.
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  Original articles

  Serum lipids and immune factor omics of operational fatigue in young males

  ZHANG Qinghan, FAN Lijun, SONG Mingxiao, GUO Ziyi, WANG Jing, CHEN Xuewei, LU Junyu

  2026, 50(6): 425-433. https://doi.org/10.7644/j.issn.1674-9960.2026-00010

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  Objective To study the molecular mechanisms underlying operational fatigue in young males using serum lipidomics and immune factor omics. Methods Sixty young males were involved in this study, who were asked to fill in the questionnaire about their fatigue and sleep during training period （TP） and recovery period （RP）. The levels of blood lactic acid （BLA） and creatine kinase （CK） were measured to determine their levels of fatigue. Serum lipidomics and immune factor profiles were also analyzed to identify potential biomarkers that were detected using ELISA. Results Fatigue scores were significantly higher during TP than during RP （P<0.05） while sleep quality was poorer. CK[TP：（498.90±215.50）U/L vs. RP：（181.74±65.14）U/L] and BLA levels [TP：（5.83±1.23）mmol/L vs. RP：（3.07±0.64）mmol/L] were higher during TP. Lipidomics analysis suggested that the phosphatidylcholine （PC） subclass lipid molecule PC （18∶1-20∶3）⁺Na（AUC=0.85） was moderately correlated with fatigue scores （r=-0.64, P<0.001） and with BLA levels （r=0.57, P<0.001）. Immune factor profiling indicated that platelet-derived growth factor BB （PDGF-BB） （AUC=0.78） was negatively correlated with BLA levels （r=-0.40, P<0.01） and CK（r=-0.46, P<0.001）. The trends observed in the omics analyses were corroborated by ELISA validation results. Conclusion These findings suggest a “lipid-immune” two-dimensional evaluation system for operational fatigue. The lipid subclass PC and PDGF-BB may serve as candidate biomarkers for monitoring operational fatigue by reflecting changes in energy metabolism and responses related to minor tissue injury and repair. Furthermore, the PDGF-BB-PC metabolic axis may provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying the occurrence of operational fatigue.
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  A real-time quantitative PCR method for detection of viruses in water of the Yellow River basin

  YANG Xuanxuan, YANG Dong, PANG Xinru, SHI Danyang, CHEN Tianjiao, JIN Min, HU Zhiyong, LI Junwen

  2026, 50(6): 434-440. https://doi.org/10.7644/j.issn.1674-9960.2025-00255

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  Objective To establish a real-time quantitative PCR （qPCR） method for detection of common viruses in a water environment,and to assess the severity of contamination by norovirus,enterovirus,hepatitis A virus,and human adenovirus F in the Yellow River basin. Methods A qPCR method for detection of common viruses was established. Viruses were enriched via adsorption-elution,concentrated via ultrafiltration,and quantified by qPCR. Results Twenty-two samples were collected during the high-flow season （September-October 2024） and the low-flow season （March 2025）. Neither norovirus nor enterovirus was detected in the samples. Hepatitis A virus was detected in 27.27% of the samples,and human adenovirus F in 18.18%. The concentrations of the detected viruses ranged from 1.3 to 2.1 lgGC/L. Conclusion Norovirus and enterovirus are not detected while contamination by hepatitis A virus and human adenovirus F is observed in some samples. These results may provide a reference for biosafety assessment and management of water resources in the Yellow River basin.
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  Best evidence for the prevention, treatment and management of acute mountain sickness based on the PIPOST framework

  ZHENG Ronghang, HU Yue, YU Xuan, LUO Yongjun

  2026, 50(6): 441-451. https://doi.org/10.7644/j.issn.1674-996.2025-00295

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  Objective To summarize the best available evidence of the prevention and management of acute mountain sickness （AMS） in order to provide evidence-based guidance for clinical practice. Methods A top-down systematic search was performed using the ‘6S’ evidence model across such databases as UpToDate, BMJ Best Practice, Joanna Briggs Institute（JBI）, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database（EMbase）, Web of Science（WoS）, CNKI, and Wanfang, as well as websites of related professional societies（SinoMed）. Literature that was published from the inception of databases to November 2025 was retrieved. Results A total of 18 articles were retrieved, including 2 guidelines, 3 expert consensus statements, 3 clinical decision support resources, 3 Meta-analyses, 2 systematic reviews, and 5 randomized controlled trials. Finally, 27 evidence items were synthesized and categorized into 7 thematic domains： staged acclimatization, non-pharmacological prevention, pharmacological prevention, adjunctive prevention, non-pharmacological treatment, pharmacological treatment, and patient education. Conclusion This study has summarized the best evidence of AMS prevention and management. Healthcare professionals are recommended to optimize AMS management by taking into account the specific settings and characteristics of patients.
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  Original articles

  An infectious disease prevention and control framework integrating situational awareness and strategy optimization

  LI Hao, GUO Junwang, PENG Bo, ZHANG Ke

  2026, 50(6): 452-457. https://doi.org/10.7644/j.issn.1674-9960.2026-00005

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  Objective To propose a new approach to characterizing the evolution of intervention strategies in order to address the inability of current methods to capture the dynamic, adaptive, and multi-Objective nature of public health decision-making during the prediction of long-term changes in epidemics. Methods Epidemic control was conceptualized as a continuous and iterative process involving environmental conditions and pathogen transmission. Situational awareness was integrated with strategy optimization to predict the transmission and dynamic interventions of infectious diseases. This approach comprised a closed loop of environmental simulation, strategy generation, and utility-based evaluation. At each time point, sequential steps including situational awareness, strategy generation, evaluation and selection, and implementation were taken to simulate the adjustments in intervention strategies and their effects on transmission dynamics. Results The proposed approach accurately predicted epidemic trajectories amid dynamic adjustment of intervention strategies and improved the characterization of long-term evolution of epidemics. It also enabled systematic simulation and comparative analysis of intervention pathways and their long-term consequences under different policy preferences, such as prioritizing economic activity or maintaining a Zero-COVID （Zero-Coronavirus Disease） policy. Conclusion The proposed approach provides a new dimension for understanding dynamic human-machine collaborative decision-making in case of complicated public health emergencies and offers a scalable platform for computational experiments to support the development of forward-looking and adaptive strategies for epidemic control.
Reviews
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  Reviews

  Formation and development of the immune inflammation hypothesis in depression

  WU Lanrui, XUE Rui, LIU Peng, ZHANG Youzhi

  2026, 50(6): 458-466. https://doi.org/10.7644/j.issn.1674-9960.2026-00040

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  Depression has become a severe public health concern,widely recognized as a prevalent mental disorder with a high incidence rate,substantial disability burden,and a high suicide rate. Antidepressants based on the traditional monoamine hypothesis have achieved certain success in clinical application. However,this hypothesis still faces significant limitations in explaining disease heterogeneity and treatment resistance. In recent years,clinical observations and experimental studies have highlighted the growing significance of immune system dysfunction in the pathogenesis of depression,leading to the development of the immunoinflammatory hypothesis of depression. The origins of the immunoinflammatory hypothesis can be traced back to the macrophage theory of depression,which shifted the focus of depressive pathogenesis from a generalized inflammatory response to the overactivation of specific immune cells,namely macrophages. The subsequent development of the cytokine hypothesis further elucidated the role of cytokines as key messengers linking peripheral immune activation to central nervous system dysfunction. It also systematically outlined the network of pathways through which the immune system influences depressive behaviors. Recent studies have suggested that different immune subtypes,such as myeloid-dominated and lymphocytic-dominated immune activation,may be associated with distinct clinical manifestations of depression. This insight not only enriches the theoretical implications of the immunoinflammatory hypothesis but also promotes the development of inflammatory markers. The proposal of the immunoinflammatory hypothesis has,for the first time,extended the etiology of depression from the central nervous system to the peripheral immune system. Thus,the formation and development of the immunoinflammatory hypothesis,the core pathological mechanisms underlying immune inflammation-induced depression,as well as the biomarkers and treatment strategies based on this hypothesis are reviewed. This review aims to provide a theoretical framework for a deeper understanding of the immunoinflammatory mechanisms underlying depression and to promote the development of precision treatment regimens for immune-driven depression.
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  Reviews

  Advancements in research on types of excipients of inhaled preparations

  MIAO Panyu, DENG Yaochen, LI Conghui, ZHANG Hui, WANG Zengming, ZHENG Aiping, LIU Nan

  2026, 50(6): 467-473. https://doi.org/10.7644/j.issn.1674-9960.2025-00231

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  Pharmaceutical excipients are critical to the performance and safety of pulmonary inhaled formulations. This article reviews the research advances in key excipients of three dominating types of inhaled preparations： pressurized metered-dose inhalers, nebulizers, and dry powder inhalers. The first type contains propellants （becoming novel and environmentally friendly） that serve as the driving force, cosolvents/solubilizers （e.g., ethanol） that enhance drug solubility, and stabilizers （e.g., surfactants, antioxidants） that maintain physical and chemical stability. The second type-nebulizers-are solutions or suspension systems that rely on appropriate cosolvents and stabilizers to ensure the solubility, sterility and stability of drugs. Finally, dry powder inhalers, which require no propellants, depend on the properties of carrier excipients （e.g., lactose）, the use of dispersion enhancers （e.g., L-leucine）, and stabilizer systems to ensure stability of products. The research and development of excipients will become increasingly functional and intelligent. Advances in novel nano-excipients and nucleic acid delivery systems are expected to provide new solutions to the pulmonary delivery of macromolecular drugs.
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  Reviews

  Research progress in mechanisms of action and application of brain endurance training

  YU Ying, ZHANG Xinbi, ZHANG Na, ZHANG Liqing, ZHANG Hongzhen

  2026, 50(6): 474-480. https://doi.org/10.7644/j.issn.1674-9960.2025-00277

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  Brain endurance training （BET） can enhance athletic performance and resistance to mental fatigue by integrating cognitive load into physical training and leveraging the synergistic adaptations of these dual demands on brain function and structure. This review traces the evolution of conceptions and training modalities of BET, summarizes evidence for its effects on aerobic endurance, cognitive performance, and sport-specific skills, outlines potential mechanisms related to the plasticity of the central nervous system, and recommends training strategies in the hope of facilitating program design and real-world implementation across populations and sport disciplines.