An enzymatically activated AND-gate DNA logic circuit for tumor cells recognition via multi-microRNAs detection.

The DNA-based logic circuit, constructed to mimic biochemical reaction networks, is highly significant in detecting biomarkers at the molecular level. The differences in the expression levels of microRNAs (miRNAs) within different types of cells provide hope for distinguishing cell subtypes. However, reliance on a single miRNA often leads to unreliable results. Herein, we constructed an enzyme-triggered cascade logic circuit based on the AND gate, which is capable of generating corresponding fluorescence signals in the presence of target miRNAs. The introduction of apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) sites effectively reduces the likelihood of false signal generation. Amplification of the fluorescence signal relies on the catalytic hairpin assembly and the repetitive reuse of the multicomponent nucleic acid enzyme (MNAzyme). We demonstrated that the logic circuit can not only distinguish cancer cells from normal cells but also identify different types of cancer cells. The programmability of the logic circuits and the simplicity of the assay system allow us to modify the functional sequences to recognize different types of biomarkers, thus providing a reference for the identification of various cell subtypes.

[Retracted] MicroRNA­202 inhibits endometrial stromal cell migration and invasion by suppressing the K­Ras/Raf1/MEK/ERK signaling pathway.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editor's attention by a concerned reader that certain of the Transwell invasion assay data shown in Figs. 2C and 4B were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in a paper by different authors at a different research institute that had already been submitted for publication. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article had already been submitted for publication prior to its submission to International Journal of Molecular Medicine, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office did not receive a satisfactory reply. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [International Journal of Molecular Medicine 46: 2078­2088, 2020; DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2020.4749].

Magnetically Controlled Photothermal, Colorimetric, and Fluorescence Trimode Assay for Gastric Cancer Exosomes Based on Acid-Induced Decomposition of CP/Mn-PBA DSNBs.

The accurate quantification of cancer-derived exosomes, which are emerging as promising noninvasive biomarkers for liquid biopsies in the early diagnosis of cancer, is becoming increasingly imperative. In our work, we developed a magnetically controlled photothermal, colorimetric, and fluorescence trimode aptasensor for human gastric cancer cell (SGC-7901)-derived exosomes. This sensor relied on CP/Mn-PBA DSNBs nanocomposites, created by decorating copper peroxide (CP) nanodots on polyethyleneimine-modified manganese-containing Prussian blue analogues double-shelled nanoboxes (PEI-Mn-PBA DSNBs). Through self-assembly, we attached CD63 aptamer-labeled CP/Mn-PBA DSNBs (Apt-CP/Mn-PBA DSNBs) to complementary DNA-labeled magnetic beads (cDNA-MB). During exosome incubation, these aptamers preferentially formed complexes with exosomes, and we efficiently removed the released CP/Mn-PBA DSNBs by using magnetic separation. The CP/Mn-PBA DSNBs exhibited high photoreactivity and photothermal conversion efficiency under near-infrared (NIR) light, leading to temperature variations under 808 nm irradiation, correlating with different exosome concentrations. Additionally, colorimetric detection was achieved by monitoring the color change in a 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) system, facilitated by PEI modification, NIR-enhanced peroxidase-like activity of CP/Mn-PBA DSNBs and their capacity to generate Cu2+ and H2O2 under acidic conditions. Moreover, in the presence of Cu2+ and ascorbic acid (AA), DNA sequences could form dsDNA-templated copper nanoparticles (CuNPs), which emitted strong fluorescence at around 575 nm. Increasing exosome concentrations correlated with decreases in temperature, absorbance, and fluorescence intensity. This trimode biosensor demonstrated satisfactory ability in differentiating gastric cancer patients from healthy individuals using human serum samples.

Pyrogenic Carbon Degradation by Galvanic Coupling with Sprayed Seawater Microdroplets.

Surface waves are known for their mechanical role in coastal processes that influence the weather and climate. However, their chemical impact, particularly on the transformation of pyrogenic carbon, is poorly understood. Pyrogenic carbon is generally assumed to show negligible postformational alteration of its stable carbon isotope composition. Here we present an electrochemical interaction of pyrogenic carbon with the sprayed seawater microdroplets resulting from wave breaking, driven by the galvanic coupling between the microdroplet water-carbon interfaces and the microdroplet water-vapor interfaces. This enables refractory pyrogenic carbon to rapidly degrade via the oxygenation and mineralization reaction, which makes it ∼2.6‰ enriched in 13C, far exceeding the generally assumed postformation alteration values (<0.5‰) of pyrogenic carbon. The unique chemical dynamics of seawater microdroplets provide new insights into the discrepancy in carbon isotope signatures between riverine and marine black carbon, emphasizing the potential of coastal oceans for carbon sequestration in the global carbon cycle.

Pressure-Driven Switching of Photoelectron Impact Ionization-Chemical Ionization/Penning Ionization in Vacuum Ultraviolet Photoionization Mass Spectrometry.

Vacuum ultraviolet photoionization (VUV-PI) is a soft ionization technique that operates under pressures ranging from vacuum to ambient pressure. VUV-PI has played an essential role in direct sampling mass spectrometry. In this study, new ionization processes initiated by photoelectrons have been studied through the inclusion of a radio frequency (RF) electric field at different pressures. After deducting the contribution of single photoionization (SPI), the signal intensity of 1 ppmv toluene (C7H8+) in Ar was approximately 5-fold higher than that in N2. Mixed gases with different ionization energies (IEs) and excitation energies (EEs) were further investigated to reveal that metastable species were involved in the enhancement process. Reactant ions were produced by photoelectron impact ionization (PEI), which further triggered ion-molecule reactions, i.e., chemical ionization (CI). Metastable species were produced by photoelectron impact excitation (PEE), which further triggered Penning ionization (PenI). Analytes with IEs above 10.6 eV, such as CO2 (IE = 13.78 eV) and CHCl3 (IE = 11.37 eV), could be sensitively ionized by PenI with a sensitivity comparable to SPI. Except for the contribution of SPI, the dominant ionization process was switched from PEI-CI to PenI when the pressure was elevated from 50 to 500 Pa, as the electron energy gradually decreased and was only able to produce metastable states based on the kinetic energy balance equation of electrons. The conversion processes and conditions from PEI-CI to PenI will provide novel insights to develop new selective and sensitive VUV-PI sources and understand the ionization mechanism in other discharge ionization sources.

Mechanisms of imbalanced testicular homeostasis in infancy due to aberrant histone acetylation in undifferentiated spermatogonia under different concentrations of Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) exposure.

Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), identified as an endocrine-disrupting chemical, is associated with reproductive toxicity. This association is particularly noteworthy in newborns with incompletely developed metabolic functions, as exposure to DEHP can induce enduring damage to the reproductive system, potentially influencing adult reproductive health. In this study, we continuously administered 40 µg/kg and 80 µg/kg DEHP to postnatal day 5 (PD5) mice for ten days to simulate low and high doses of DEHP exposure during infancy. Utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), our analysis revealed that varying concentrations of DEHP exposure during infancy induced distinct DNA damage response characteristics in testicular Undifferentiated spermatogonia (Undiff SPG). Specifically, DNA damage triggered mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to acetyl-CoA content alterations. Subsequently, this disruption caused aberrations in histone acetylation patterns, ultimately resulting in apoptosis of Undiff SPG in the 40 µg/kg DEHP group and autophagy in the 80 µg/kg DEHP group. Furthermore, we found that DEHP exposure impacts the development and functionality of Sertoli and Leydig cells through the focal adhesion and PPAR signaling pathways, respectively. We also revealed that Leydig cells regulate the metabolic environment of Undiff SPG via Ptn-Sdc4 and Mdk-Sdc4 after DEHP exposure. Finally, our study provided pioneering evidence that disruptions in testicular homeostasis induced by DEHP exposure during infancy endure into adulthood. In summary, this study elucidates the molecular mechanisms through which DEHP exposure during infancy influences the development of testicular cell populations.

Ion Optical Optimization Method for an Ultrahigh Resolution Planar Multireflection Time-of-Flight Mass Analyzer Using the Hill Climbing Algorithm.

A novel ion optical optimization method for planar multireflection time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MR-TOFMS) is introduced in this paper. The multiparameters of the gridless mirror model, including geometric and voltage parameters, are automatically optimized using a self-made program created in SIMION 8.1. Combining with the hill climbing algorithm and parallel computing technique, this method substantially enhances optimization efficiency and accuracy. The fitting results demonstrated that the ion optical performance of the gridless mirror reached up to fourth-order isochronicity with respect to the energy spread and third-order isochronicity with respect to the spatial and angular spread. As a result, the gridless mirror model achieved an aberration limit resolution of 1.7 million under realistic ion beam conditions. Due to constraints of periodic lenses, the aberration limit resolution of the planar MR-TOFMS was optimized to 600k. These results indicate that the hill climbing algorithm is an effective method to search the optimal solutions in complex ion optical systems.

Sea Anemone-like Nanomachine Based on DNA Strand Displacement Composed of Three Boolean Logic Gates: Diversified Input for Intracellular Multitarget Detection.

Efficient and accurate acquisition of cellular biomolecular information is crucial for exploring cell fate, achieving early diagnosis, and the effective treatment of various diseases. However, current DNA biosensors are mostly limited to single-target detection, with few complex logic circuits for comprehensive analysis of three or more targets. Herein, we designed a sea anemone-like DNA nanomachine based on DNA strand displacement composed of three logic gates (YES-AND-YES) and delivered into the cells using gold nano bipyramid carriers. The AND gate activation depends on the trigger chain released by upstream DNA strand displacement reactions, while the output signal relies on the downstream DNAzyme structure. Under the influence of diverse inputs (including enzymes, miRNA, and metal ions), the interconnected logic gates simultaneously perform logical analysis on multiple targets, generating a unique output signal in the YES/NO format. This sensor can successfully distinguish healthy cells from tumor cells and can be further used for the diagnosis of different tumor cells, providing a promising platform for accurate cell-type identification.

The impact of environmental taxation on the structure and performance of industrial symbiosis networks: An agent-based simulation study.

How to use appropriate policy measures to intervene industrial symbiosis is valuable in theory but still lacks exploration. This paper discusses the effect of environmental taxation on industrial symbiosis networks. Firstly, the formation mechanism of industrial symbiotic network is analysed with the idea of agent-based modelling. Then, a simulation model was built to simulate the emergence process of industrial symbiosis networks. On this basis, the influence of environmental taxation on the structure and performance of the industrial symbiosis networks is explored. The results show that when the intensity of environmental tax is low, the industrial symbiotic network has the structural characteristics of random network. With the increase of environmental tax intensity, the cyclic ordering of network structure is gradually enhanced. The collection of environmental tax will not only reduce pollution, but also reduce the economic output of the network and reduce enterprise income to a greater extent. Finally, some relevant suggestions for the government to formulate environmental tax policy are provided based on the results.

Bulk RNA-sequencing, single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis, and experimental validation reveal iron metabolism-related genes CISD2 and CYP17A1 are potential diagnostic markers for recurrent pregnancy loss.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is associated with variable causes. Its etiology remains unexplained in about half of the cases, with no effective treatment available. Individuals with RPL have an irregular iron metabolism. In the present study, we identified key genes impacting iron metabolism that could be used for diagnosing and treating RPL. METHODS: We obtained gene expression profiles from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The Molecular Signatures Database was used to identify 14 gene sets related to iron metabolism, comprising 520 iron metabolism genes. Differential analysis and a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) of gene expression revealed two iron metabolism-related hub genes. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry were used on clinical samples to confirm our results. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and immune infiltration analysis were conducted. In addition, we analyzed the distribution of genes and performed CellChat analysis by single-cell RNA sequencing. RESULTS: The expression of two hub genes, namely, CDGSH iron sulfur domain 2 (CISD2)and Cytochrome P450 family 17 subfamily A member 1 (CYP17A1), were reduced in RPL, as verified by both qPCR and immunohistochemistry. The Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed the genes predominantly engaged in autophagy and iron metabolism. The area under the curve (AUC) demonstrated better diagnostic performance for RPL using CISD2 and CYP17A1. The single-cell transcriptomic analysis of RPL demonstrated that CISD2 is expressed in the majority of cell subpopulations, whereas CYP17A1 is not. The cell cycle analysis revealed highly active natural killer (NK) cells that displayed the highest communications with other cells, including the strongest interaction with macrophages through the migratory inhibitory factor (MIF) pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that CISD2 and CYP17A1 genes are involved in abnormal iron metabolism, thereby contributing to RPL. These genes could be used as potential diagnostic and therapeutic markers for RPL.

Experimental quantum e-commerce.

E-commerce, a type of trading that occurs at a high frequency on the internet, requires guaranteeing the integrity, authentication, and nonrepudiation of messages through long distance. As current e-commerce schemes are vulnerable to computational attacks, quantum cryptography, ensuring information-theoretic security against adversary's repudiation and forgery, provides a solution to this problem. However, quantum solutions generally have much lower performance compared to classical ones. Besides, when considering imperfect devices, the performance of quantum schemes exhibits a notable decline. Here, we demonstrate the whole e-commerce process of involving the signing of a contract and payment among three parties by proposing a quantum e-commerce scheme, which shows resistance of attacks from imperfect devices. Results show that with a maximum attenuation of 25 dB among participants, our scheme can achieve a signature rate of 0.82 times per second for an agreement size of approximately 0.428 megabit. This proposed scheme presents a promising solution for providing information-theoretic security for e-commerce.

Counterion Engineering toward High-Performance and pH-Neutral Polyoxometalates-Based Hole-Transporting Materials for Efficient Organic Optoelectronic Devices.

Although protonated polyoxometalates (POMs) are promising hole-transporting layer (HTL) materials for optoelectronic devices owing to their excellent hole collection/injection property, pH neutrality, and noncorrosiveness, POMs are seldom used as high-performance HTL materials. Herein, we designed and synthesized a series of mixed-additive POMs with pH-neutral counterions (NH4+, K+, and Na+) as HTL materials. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray analyses indicated that the use of the lacunary heteropolyanion [P2W15O56]12- as an intermediate ensured successful incorporation of the counterions into the mixed-addenda POMs without causing deterioration of the POM frameworks. The hole-transporting layer performance of POM-NH4, which was characterized by a high work function and good conductivity and could be prepared using a low-cost method surpassed those of its protonated counterpart POM-4 and many classic HTL materials. An organic solar cell (OSC) modified with POM-NH4 delivered a power conversion efficiency of 18.0%, which was the highest photovoltaic efficiency achieved by POM-based OSCs to date. Moreover, an HTL material based on POM-NH4 reduced the turn-on voltage of an organic light-emitting diode from 4.2 to 3.2 V. The results of this study suggest that POMs are promising alternatives to the classic HTL materials owing to their excellent hole-collection ability, low costs, neutral nature, and high-chemical stability.

Hexamethylene amiloride synergizes with venetoclax to induce lysosome-dependent cell death in acute myeloid leukemia.

Tumors maintain an alkaline intracellular environment to enable rapid growth. The proton exporter NHE1 participates in maintenance of this pH gradient. However, whether targeting NHE1 could inhibit the growth of tumor cells remains unknown. Here, we report that the NHE1 inhibitor Hexamethylene amiloride (HA) efficiently suppresses the growth of AML cell lines. Moreover, HA combined with venetoclax synergized to efficiently inhibit the growth of AML cells. Interestingly, lysosomes are the main contributors to the synergism of HA and venetoclax in inhibiting AML cells. Most importantly, the combination of HA and venetoclax also had prominent anti-leukemia effects in both xenograft models and bone marrow samples from AML patients. In summary, our results provide evidence that the NHE1 inhibitor HA or its combination with venetoclax efficiently inhibits the growth of AML in vitro and in vivo.

Antagonizing interleukin-5 receptor ameliorates dextran sulfate sodium-induced experimental colitis in mice through reducing NLRP3 inflammasome activation.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a condition characterized by inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. Reducing intestinal inflammation is a promising approach for treating IBD. The nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, a critical component of the innate immune system, is implicated in the pathogenesis of IBD. Therefore, inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation is a potential therapeutic strategy for IBD. In this study, we investigated the effects of the interleukin-5 (IL-5) receptor antagonist YM-90709 on dextran sulfate sodium-induced experimental colitis in mice. We found that YM-90709 reduced the expressions of IL-1ß and caspase-1 p20 in the colon and ameliorated colitis. Furthermore, we identified YM-90709 as an effective agent for inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Knockdown of IL-5 receptor or using an inhibitor of STAT5, a key transcription factor downstream of the IL-5/IL-5 receptor signal pathway, also reduced NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent IL-1ß release and ASC speck formation. Our study is the first to demonstrate that the NLRP3 inflammasome may be a downstream signal of IL-5/IL-5 receptor and that YM-90709 protects against IBD by inhibiting IL-5 receptor. These findings suggest a new strategy for regulating intestinal inflammation and managing IBD.

Determination of the two-compartment model parameters of exhaled HCN by fast negative photoionization mass spectrometry.

Breath exhaled hydrogen cyanide (HCN) has been identified to be associated with several respiratory diseases. Accurately distinguishing the concentration and release rate of different HCN sources is of great value in clinical research. However, there are still significant challenges due to the high adsorption and low concentration characteristics of exhaled HCN. In this study, a two-compartment kinetic model method based on negative photoionization mass spectrometry was developed to simultaneously determine the kinetic parameters including concentrations and release rates in the airways and alveoli. The influences of the sampling line diameter, length, and temperature on the response time of the sampling system were studied and optimized, achieving a response time of 0.2 s. The negative influence of oral cavity-released HCN was reduced by employing a strategy based on anatomical lung volume calculation. The calibration for HCN in the dynamic range of 0.5-100 ppbv and limit of detection (LOD) at 0.3 ppbv were achieved. Subsequently, the experiments of smoking, short-term passive smoking, and intake of bitter almonds were performed to examine the influences of endogenous and exogenous factors on the dynamic parameters of the model method. The results indicate that compared with steady-state concentration measurements, the kinetic parameters obtained using this model method can accurately and significantly reflect the changes in different HCN sources, highlighting its potential for HCN-related disease research.

Vein hierarchy mediates the 2D relationship between leaf size and drought tolerance across subtropical forest tree species.

Previous studies have observed a 2D relationship (i.e. decoupled correlation) between leaf size (LS) and leaf economics as well as a tight correlation between leaf economics and drought tolerance. However, the underlying mechanism maintaining the relationship between LS and drought tolerance remains largely unknown. Here, we measured LS, water potential at 50% loss of hydraulic conductance, hydraulic safety margin and different orders of vein traits across 28 tree species in a subtropical forest in Southern China. We found that LS and drought tolerance were in two independent dimensions (R2 = 0.00, P > 0.05). Primary and secondary vein traits (i.e. vein diameter and density) explained the variation of LS, with R2 ranging from 0.37 to 0.70 (all Ps < 0.01), while minor vein traits accounted for the variation of leaf drought tolerance, with R2 ranging from 0.30 to 0.43 (all Ps < 0.01). Our results provide insight into the 2D relationship between LS and drought tolerance and highlight the importance of vein hierarchy in plant leaf functioning.

A Young Woman With Hypertonia, Severe Scoliosis, and Encephalopathy.

A 31-year-old woman was seen with contractures in her fingers and toes, carpal inversion, dysarthria, dysphagia, hypertonia, decreased tendon reflexes, absence of Babinski sign, and no psychiatric problems and significant global atrophy. What is your diagnosis?

Synergistic action of cavity and catalytic sites in etched Pd-Cu2O octahedra to augment the peroxidase-like activity of Cu2O nanoparticles for the colorimetric detection of isoniazid and ascorbic acid.

Despite the widespread use of nanozyme-based colorimetric assays in biosensing, challenges such as limited catalytic efficiency, inadequate sensitivity to analytes, and insufficient understanding of the structure-activity relationship still persist. Overcoming these hurdles by enhancing the inherent enzyme-like performance of nanozymes using the unique attributes of nanomaterials is still a significant obstacle. Here, we designed and constructed Pd-Cu2O nanocages (Pd-Cu2O NCs) by selectively etching the vertices of the copper octahedra to enhance the peroxidase-like (POD-like) activity of Cu2O nanoparticles. The improved catalytic activity of Pd-Cu2O NCs was attributed to their high specific surface area and abundant catalytic sites. Mechanistic studies revealed that reactive oxygen species (ROS) intermediates (•OH) were generated through the decomposition of H2O2, resulting in POD-like activity of the Pd-Cu2O NCs. The designed Pd-Cu2O NCs can oxidize 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) in the presence of H2O2, producing a blue oxidation product (oxTMB). The oxidation reaction was inhibited and led to a significant bleaching of the blue color in the presence of reducing substances isoniazid (INH) and ascorbic acid (AA). Based on these principles, we developed a colorimetric sensing platform for the detection of INH and AA, exhibiting good sensitivity and stability. This work provided a straightforward approach to the structural engineering of nanomaterials and the enhancement of enzyme-mimicking properties.

Adjusting the Electron-Withdrawing Ability of Acceptors in Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Conjugated Polymers for High-Performance OLEDs.

Constructing high-performance solution-processed organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) conjugated polymers remains a challenging issue. The electron-withdrawing ability of acceptors in TADF units significantly affects the TADF properties of the conjugated polymers. Herein, we have designed three TADF conjugated polymers, in which phenoxazine donors and anthracen-9(10H)-one acceptors are incorporated into the polymeric backbones and side chains, respectively, and the carbazole derivative is copolymerized as the host. By incorporating different heteroatoms, such as nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur, with slightly different electronegativities into anthracen-9(10H)-one, the effect of the electron-withdrawing ability of the acceptor on the performance of conjugated TADF polymer-based OLEDs is thus systematically studied. It is found that the introduction of a nitrogen atom can enhance the spin-orbital coupling and RISC process due to the modulated energy levels and nature of the excited states. As a result, the solution-processed OLEDs based on the prepared polymer p-PXZ-XN display an excellent comprehensive performance with an EQEmax of 17.6%, a low turn-on voltage of 2.8 V, and a maximum brightness of 14750 cd m-2. Notably, the efficiency roll-off is quite low, maintaining 15.1% at 1000 cd m-2, 12.1% at 3000 cd m-2, and 6.1% at 10000 cd m-2, which ranks in the first tier among the reported TADF conjugated polymers. This work provides a guideline for constructing high-efficiency TADF polymers.

Icariin improves cardiac function and remodeling via the TGF-ß1/Smad signaling pathway in rats following myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Postinfarction cardiac remodeling presents a compensatory mechanism aimed at mitigating congestive heart failure. It is distinguished by progressive dilatation and hypertrophy of the ventricular chambers, fibrotic alterations, and prolonged apoptosis of cardiomyocytes. The primary objective of this study was to assess the effects of icariin on myocardial fibrosis and ventricular remodeling in rats subjected to myocardial infarction (MI). METHODS: Male Sprague‒Dawley (SD) rats were subjected to randomization and subsequently divided into distinct groups: the control group, the sham group (undergoing sham operation), the MI group (experiencing ligation of the left anterior descending artery), and the icariin group. Within the icariin group, rats were further categorized into three different dose groups based on the administered icariin dosage: the MI30 group (30 mg/kg/day), the MI60 group (60 mg/kg/day), and the MI120 group (120 mg/kg/day). Cardiac function evaluation was carried out using echocardiography. Histological examinations, including hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, Masson staining, and immunohistochemistry studies, were conducted 90 days after the occurrence of MI. Additionally, Western blotting was employed to assess TGF-ß1, p-Smad2, and p-Smad3 levels. RESULTS: The administration of icariin revealed a noteworthy enhancement in cardiac function among rats afflicted with left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) ligation. In comparison to the icariin groups, the MI group exhibited reduced EF and FS, along with elevated LVEDD and LVESD. Furthermore, the cardiac fibrosis levels in the MI group rats exhibited a considerable increase compared to those in the icariin group. Notably, the levels of Collagen I, Collagen III, MMP2, and MMP9 were significantly higher in the MI group than in the icariin group, with evident distinctions. Moreover, the expression levels of TGF-ß, IL-13, p-Smad2, and p-Smad3 were notably upregulated in the MI group compared to the icariin group. CONCLUSIONS: In an experimental rat model of MI, the administration of icariin resulted in the amelioration of both cardiac function and remodeling processes, operating through the intricate TGF-ß1/Smad signaling pathway.