Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid metabolites affected by WenDanTang based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry.

WenDanTang (WDT) is a Chinese herbal formula used to treat various diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases. However, the neuroprotective metabolic pathways and the components involved in this process are not fully understood. In this study, we examined the neuroprotective metabolic pathways of WDT in rat brains using cerebrospinal fluid metabolomics and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. Twelve rats were randomly divided into a WDT (administrated with WDT solution) and a control group. The ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography technique was used to explore the components of the WDT solution and cerebrospinal fluid, and secondary mass spectra of cerebrospinal fluid were used to identify possible brain-incorporating components after WDT. The results of the differential metabolism analysis showed that eight metabolites were typically altered (all p < 0.05). By comparing the secondary mass spectra of the cerebrospinal fluid of rats and WDT solution, two possible brain-incorporating components of WDT, stachydrine and α-methoxyphenylacetic acid, were identified. The data also suggested that WDT affects nucleotide metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and B-vitamin metabolic pathways, the central differential metabolic pathways. These data suggest that WDT protects neurons through its active components, such as stachydrine, and regulates biochemical metabolism to affect the brain's energy metabolism and antioxidant capacity.

Scientometric analysis of post-stroke depression research based on CiteSpace.

Post-stroke depression (PSD) has served as a severe and common complication leading to a higher level of mortality. Though various studies have been focused on PSD, limited research endeavor has been dedicated to bibliometric analysis in the past. In view of this, the current analysis serves to elucidate the latest status of global research and pinpoint the emerging area of interest for PSD, in order to support further investigation of the field. Publications related to PSD were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database on September 24, 2022, and included in the bibliometric analysis. VOSviewer and CiteSpace software were used to visually analyze publication outputs, scientific cooperation, highly-cited references, and keywords to identify the current status and future trends in PSD research. A total of 533 publications were retrieved. The annual number of publications showed an increasing trend from 1999 to 2022. In terms of country and academic institution, the USA and Duke University have topped the list of PSD research respectively. Meanwhile, Robinson RG and Alexopoulos GS have been the most representative investigators of the field. In the past, researchers focused on the risk factors of PSD, late-life depression, and Alzheimer disease. In recent years, further research effort has been placed on meta-analysis, ischemic stroke, predictor, inflammation, mechanism, and mortality. In conclusion, in the past 20 years, PSD research has been progressing and gaining more attention. The bibliometric analysis successfully unveiled the field's major contributing countries, institutions, and investigators. Furthermore, current hot spots and future trends in the field of PSD were identified, which included meta-analysis, ischemic stroke, predictor, inflammation, mechanism, and mortality.

A bioinformatics approach to identifying the biomarkers and pathogenesis of major depressive disorder combined with acute myocardial infarction.

This study investigated the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) using bioinformatics. We analyzed MDD and AMI (MDD-AMI) datasets provided by the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database for genes common to MDD and AMI using GEO2R and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). We also performed Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses, and we used Disease Ontology (DO) analysis to identify a) the pathways through which genes function and b) comorbidities. We also created a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network using the STRING database to identify the hub genes and biomarkers. NetworkAnalyst 3.0 was used to construct a transcription factor (TF) gene regulatory network. We also identified relevant complications and potential drug candidates. The 27 genes common to MDD and AMI were enriched in the pathways regulating TFs and mediating immunity and inflammation. The hub genes in the PPI network included TLR2, HP, ICAM1, LCN2, LTF, VCAN, S100A9 and NFKBIA. Key TFs were KLF9, KLF11, ZNF24, and ZNF580. Cardiovascular, pancreatic, and skeletal diseases were common complications. Hydrocortisone, simvastatin, and estradiol were candidate treatment drugs. Identification of these genes and their pathways may provide new targets for further research on the pathogenesis, biomarkers, and treatment of MDD-AMI. Together our results suggested that TLR2 and VCAN might be the key genes associated with MDD complicated by AMI.

Alzheimer disease effects of different stages on intestinal flora: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer disease (AD) is a common degenerative disease of the central nervous system that can be divided into 3 stages, according to the degree of cognitive impairment. The clinical manifestations are cognitive dysfunction and memory loss, impacting the daily activities of the affected individuals. In recent years, studies have demonstrated a relationship between intestinal flora and AD. However, no meta-analysis has documented the correlation between AD and intestinal flora, to the best of our knowledge. Herein, we sought to assess the correlation between different stages of AD and intestinal flora. A systematic and comprehensive understanding of this relationship is of great significance for developing prevention and treatment strategies against AD. METHODS: A comprehensive search of the medical literature in Chinese and English language was performed in databases, such as PubMed, EBSCO, CNKI, web of science, WanFang, Cochrane Library, and CBM databases. Pre-defined search strategies were used to retrieve clinical studies of Alzheimer disease and gut microbiota. The included studies were independently analyzed by the 2 researchers who extracted the data. The quality of the data was evaluated according to the "Cochrane system evaluator manual." Finally, Endnote and RevMan software were used for systematic regression and meta-analysis of evidence. RESULTS: We documented the intestinal flora changes in the 3 stages of Alzheimer disease, according to currently available clinical evidence, and revealed the correlation between the abundance and diversity of flora and treatment efficacy. These findings are essential for developing new strategies for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer disease. INPLASY REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY2021100093. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Since all data utilized in this systematic review and meta-analysis are published, ethical approval was not needed.