Scientific reports
February 19, 2025
Xue Zhang, Xin Zhao, Jiaxin Xu et al.
8 citations
For emergency intubation in critically ill adults, using esketamine for induction results in higher mean arterial pressure during and after the procedure compared to a midazolam/sufentanil admixture, with no significant difference in heart rate. Patients receiving esketamine required less norepinephrine, had a shorter duration of ventilation support (median 105 vs. 212 hours), and a shorter ICU stay (median 7 vs. 15 days). 28-day mortality did not differ between groups, and no serious adverse events occurred. Esketamine appears to be a hemodynamically stable induction agent for this population.
Stress and health : journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress
August 1, 2025
Jianhao Zhou, Xin Zhao, Cheng Fan et al.
2 citations
A single session of mindfulness meditation quickly lowers blood pressure and shifts heart rate variability toward a more relaxed state in college students under stress. An eight-week standardized mindfulness program further reduces stress-induced blood pressure, improves emotional well-being, and increases mindfulness, with benefits still present twelve weeks later. A sham meditation group also showed emotional and mindfulness improvements, but only the real meditation group had lower blood pressure during stress after training. The findings suggest that brief meditation can calm the body's immediate stress response, while regular practice builds lasting resilience, allowing students to choose different techniques for different stress scenarios.
Molecular psychiatry
April 13, 2026
Xin Zhao, Xinyu Zhang, Shiying Yuan et al.
Ketamine, a drug used for anesthesia and rapid antidepressant effects, also modulates systemic immunity and protects organs through interactions with the gut microbiota, microbial metabolites, and immune-cell trafficking. Along the gut-brain axis, ketamine restores microbial balance, normalizes short-chain fatty acid levels, and reduces migration of gut-derived immune cells to the central nervous system, correlating with reduced neuroinflammation and depressive-like behaviors. Through the gut-lung axis, ketamine limits bacterial translocation and reduces pulmonary infiltration of pro-inflammatory cells, suggesting potential relevance in acute lung injury. Arketamine appears to provide more sustained neuroprotection with fewer adverse effects than esketamine. The findings suggest broad therapeutic potential for neuropsychiatric and inflammatory diseases, but causal studies are needed.