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Tissue‐resident cardiac macrophage subsets mediate cardiac tissue inflammation and repair after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). CC chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2)‐expressing macrophages have phenotypical similarities to M1‐polarized macrophages, are pro‐inflammatory, and recruit CCR2+ circulating monocytes to infarcted myocardium. Small extracellular vesicles (sEV) from CCR2̶ macrophages, which phenotypically resemble M2‐polarized macrophages, promote anti‐inflammatory activity and cardiac repair. Here, the authors harvested M2 macrophage‐derived sEV (M2EV) from M2‐polarized bone‐marrow‐derived macrophages for intramyocardial injection and recapitulation of sEV‐mediated anti‐inflammatory activity in ischemic‐reperfusion (I/R) injured hearts. Rats and pigs received sham surgery; I/R without treatment; or I/R with autologous M2EV treatment. M2EV rescued cardiac function and attenuated injury markers, infarct size, and scar size. M2EV inhibited CCR2+ macrophage numbers, reduced monocyte‐derived CCR2+ macrophage recruitment to infarct sites, induced M1‐to‐M2 macrophage switching and promoted neovascularization. Analysis of M2EV microRNA content revealed abundant miR‐181b‐5p, which regulated macrophage glucose uptake, glycolysis, and mitigated mitochondrial reactive oxygen species generation. Functional blockade of miR‐181b‐5p is detrimental to beneficial M2EV actions and resulted in failure to inhibit CCR2+ macrophage numbers and infarct size. Taken together, this investigation showed that M2EV rescued myocardial function, improved myocardial repair, and regulated CCR2+ macrophages via miR‐181b‐5p‐dependent mechanisms, indicating an option for cell‐free therapy for AMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preeclampsia (PE) is the most common medical complication during pregnancy and the second leading cause of maternal death worldwide. However, a better predictive model of PE remains to be explored. A total of 15 severe preeclampsia (sPE) and 75 healthy control patients were included in this study. Patient data was obtained from September 2019 to September 2021. Nuchal translucency (NT) and crown‐rump length (CRL) of the fetus were acquired by ultrasound. Maternal blood samples were collected at 11+0 to 13+6 weeks of gestation. Chemiluminescent immunoassays were used to detect serum testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) levels. Time‐resolved fluorescence analysis was used to examine the levels of serum pregnancy‐associated plasma protein A (PAPPA) and β‐human chorionic gonadotrophin (β‐HCG) protein. The sPE group exhibited increased T levels, and decreased E2 levels and E2/T ratios from 11 to 14 weeks of gestation, compared with the control group. E2 and the E2/T ratio showed positive linear correlation with CRL in pregnant women. Body‐mass‐index (BMI), T, and E2 were determined to be the main factors that affected the occurrence of sPE at the 12‐week gestation period time point. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve revealed that the AUC of the E2/T ratio was.717. The imbalanced T and E2 levels in the patients had a specific intrinsic relevance with sPE, which suggests them as novel predictors of the sPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD) is to restore blood supply and promote regeneration of skeletal muscle regeneration. Increasing evidence revealed that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a lipid signaling molecule, has significant therapeutic potential for tissue repair and regeneration. Though PGE2 has been well reported in tissue regeneration, the application of PGE2 is hampered by its short half-life in vivo and the lack of a viable system for sustained release of PGE2. Results: In this study, we designed and synthesized a new PGE2 release matrix by chemically bonding PGE2 to collagen. Our results revealed that the PGE2 matrix effectively extends the half-life of PGE2 in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the PGE2 matrix markedly improved neovascularization by increasing angiogenesis, as confirmed by bioluminescence imaging (BLI). Furthermore, the PGE2 matrix exhibits superior therapeutic efficacy in the hindlimb ischemia model through the activation of MyoD1-mediated muscle stem cells, which is consistent with accelerated structural recovery of skeletal muscle, as evidenced by histological analysis. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the chemical bonding strategy of chemical bonding PGE2 to collagen for sustained release and may facilitate the development of PGE2-based therapies to significantly improve tissue regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fetal membrane providing mechanical support and immune protection for the growing fetus until it ruptures during parturition. The abnormalities of fetal membrane (thickening, separation, etc.) are related to adverse perinatal outcomes such as premature delivery, fetal deformities and fetal death. As a noninvasive method, imaging methods play an important role in prenatal examination. In this paper, we comprehensively reviewed the manuscripts on fetal membrane imaging method and their potential role in predicting adverse perinatal fetal prognosis. We also discussed the prospect of artificial intelligence in fetal membrane imaging in the future., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wu, Cao, Xu, Zhang, Wei, Li and Chang.)