1.EGR2 maintains neuropathic pain by promoting microglial phagocytosis.
Caiyun XI ; Jianxi ZHANG ; Zhifeng HUANG ; Liqiong HE ; Kailu ZOU ; Xiaoping XU ; Qulian GUO ; Bei SUN ; Changsheng HUANG
Journal of Central South University(Medical Sciences) 2025;50(4):586-601
OBJECTIVES:
Neuropathic pain (NP) is one of the most common forms of chronic pain, yet current treatment options are limited in effectiveness. Peripheral nerve injury activates spinal microglia, altering their inflammatory response and phagocytic functions, which contributes to the progression of NP. Most current research on NP focuses on microglial inflammation, with relatively little attention to their phagocytic function. Early growth response factor 2 (EGR2) has been shown to regulate microglial phagocytosis, but its specific role in NP remains unclear. This study aims to investigate how EGR2 modulates microglial phagocytosis and its involvement in NP, with the goal of identifying potential therapeutic targets.
METHODS:
Adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were used to establish a chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of the sciatic nerve. Pain behaviors were assessed on days 1, 3, 7, 10, and 14 post-surgery to confirm successful model induction. The temporal and spatial expression of EGR2 in the spinal cord was examined using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), Western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) was used to overexpress EGR2 in the spinal cord, and behavioral assessments were performed to evaluate the effects of EGR2 modulation of NP. CCI and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) models were established in animals and microglial cell lines, respectively, and changes in phagocytic activity were measured using RT-qPCR and fluorescent latex bead uptake assays. After confirming the involvement of microglial phagocytosis in NP, AAV was used to overexpress EGR2 in both in vivo and in vitro models, and phagocytic activity was further evaluated. Finally, eukaryotic transcriptome sequencing was conducted to screen differentially expressed mRNAs, followed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses to identify potential downstream effectors of EGR2.
RESULTS:
The CCI model successfully induced NP. Following CCI, EGR2 expression in the spinal cord was upregulated in parallel with NP development. Overexpression of EGR2 via spinal AAV injection enhanced microglial phagocytic activity and increased pain hypersensitivity in rats. Both animal and cellular models showed that CCI or LPS stimulation enhanced microglial phagocytosis, which was further amplified by EGR2 overexpression. Transcriptomic analysis of spinal cord tissues from CCI rats overexpressing EGR2 revealed upregulation of numerous genes associated with microglial phagocytosis and pain regulation. Among them, Lag3 emerged as a potential downstream target of EGR2.
CONCLUSIONS
EGR2 contributes to the maintenance of NP by enhancing microglial phagocytosis in the spinal dorsal horn.
Animals
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Microglia/metabolism*
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Phagocytosis/physiology*
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Neuralgia/physiopathology*
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Early Growth Response Protein 2/metabolism*
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Male
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Rats
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Spinal Cord/metabolism*
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Sciatic Nerve/injuries*
2.Expert consensus on pulpotomy in the management of mature permanent teeth with pulpitis.
Lu ZHANG ; Chen LIN ; Zhuo CHEN ; Lin YUE ; Qing YU ; Benxiang HOU ; Junqi LING ; Jingping LIANG ; Xi WEI ; Wenxia CHEN ; Lihong QIU ; Jiyao LI ; Yumei NIU ; Zhengmei LIN ; Lei CHENG ; Wenxi HE ; Xiaoyan WANG ; Dingming HUANG ; Zhengwei HUANG ; Weidong NIU ; Qi ZHANG ; Chen ZHANG ; Deqin YANG ; Jinhua YU ; Jin ZHAO ; Yihuai PAN ; Jingzhi MA ; Shuli DENG ; Xiaoli XIE ; Xiuping MENG ; Jian YANG ; Xuedong ZHOU ; Zhi CHEN
International Journal of Oral Science 2025;17(1):4-4
Pulpotomy, which belongs to vital pulp therapy, has become a strategy for managing pulpitis in recent decades. This minimally invasive treatment reflects the recognition of preserving healthy dental pulp and optimizing long-term patient-centered outcomes. Pulpotomy is categorized into partial pulpotomy (PP), the removal of a partial segment of the coronal pulp tissue, and full pulpotomy (FP), the removal of whole coronal pulp, which is followed by applying the biomaterials onto the remaining pulp tissue and ultimately restoring the tooth. Procedural decisions for the amount of pulp tissue removal or retention depend on the diagnostic of pulp vitality, the overall treatment plan, the patient's general health status, and pulp inflammation reassessment during operation. This statement represents the consensus of an expert committee convened by the Society of Cariology and Endodontics, Chinese Stomatological Association. It addresses the current evidence to support the application of pulpotomy as a potential alternative to root canal treatment (RCT) on mature permanent teeth with pulpitis from a biological basis, the development of capping biomaterial, and the diagnostic considerations to evidence-based medicine. This expert statement intends to provide a clinical protocol of pulpotomy, which facilitates practitioners in choosing the optimal procedure and increasing their confidence in this rapidly evolving field.
Humans
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Calcium Compounds/therapeutic use*
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Consensus
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Dental Pulp
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Dentition, Permanent
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Oxides/therapeutic use*
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Pulpitis/therapy*
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Pulpotomy/standards*
3.Expert consensus on the prevention and treatment of enamel demineralization in orthodontic treatment.
Lunguo XIA ; Chenchen ZHOU ; Peng MEI ; Zuolin JIN ; Hong HE ; Lin WANG ; Yuxing BAI ; Lili CHEN ; Weiran LI ; Jun WANG ; Min HU ; Jinlin SONG ; Yang CAO ; Yuehua LIU ; Benxiang HOU ; Xi WEI ; Lina NIU ; Haixia LU ; Wensheng MA ; Peijun WANG ; Guirong ZHANG ; Jie GUO ; Zhihua LI ; Haiyan LU ; Liling REN ; Linyu XU ; Xiuping WU ; Yanqin LU ; Jiangtian HU ; Lin YUE ; Xu ZHANG ; Bing FANG
International Journal of Oral Science 2025;17(1):13-13
Enamel demineralization, the formation of white spot lesions, is a common issue in clinical orthodontic treatment. The appearance of white spot lesions not only affects the texture and health of dental hard tissues but also impacts the health and aesthetics of teeth after orthodontic treatment. The prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of white spot lesions that occur throughout the orthodontic treatment process involve multiple dental specialties. This expert consensus will focus on providing guiding opinions on the management and prevention of white spot lesions during orthodontic treatment, advocating for proactive prevention, early detection, timely treatment, scientific follow-up, and multidisciplinary management of white spot lesions throughout the orthodontic process, thereby maintaining the dental health of patients during orthodontic treatment.
Humans
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Consensus
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Dental Caries/etiology*
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Dental Enamel/pathology*
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Tooth Demineralization/etiology*
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Tooth Remineralization
4.Multidisciplinary expert consensus on weight management for overweight and obese children and adolescents based on healthy lifestyle
HONG Ping, MA Yuguo, TAO Fangbiao, XU Yajun, ZHANG Qian, HU Liang, WEI Gaoxia, YANG Yuexin, QIAN Junwei, HOU Xiao, ZHANG Yimin, SUN Tingting, XI Bo, DONG Xiaosheng, MA Jun, SONG Yi, WANG Haijun, HE Gang, CHEN Runsen, LIU Jingmin, HUANG Zhijian, HU Guopeng, QIAN Jinghua, BAO Ke, LI Xuemei, ZHU Dan, FENG Junpeng, SHA Mo, Chinese Association for Student Nutrition & ; Health Promotion, Key Laboratory of Sports and Physical Fitness of the Ministry of Education,〖JZ〗 Engineering Research Center of Ministry of Education for Key Core Technical Integration System and Equipment,〖JZ〗 Key Laboratory of Exercise Rehabilitation Science of the Ministry of Education
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(12):1673-1680
Abstract
In recent years, the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents has risen rapidly, posing a serious threat to their physical and mental health. To provide scientific, systematic, and standardized weight management guidance for overweight and obese children and adolescents, the study focuses on the core concept of healthy lifestyle intervention, integrates multidisciplinary expert opinions and research findings,and proposes a comprehensive multidisciplinary intervention framework covering scientific exercise intervention, precise nutrition and diet, optimized sleep management, and standardized psychological support. It calls for the establishment of a multi agent collaborative management mechanism led by the government, implemented by families, fostered by schools, initiated by individuals, optimized by communities, reinforced by healthcare, and coordinated by multiple stakeholders. Emphasizing a child and adolescent centered approach, the consensus advocates for comprehensive, multi level, and personalized guidance strategies to promote the internalization and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. It serves as a reference and provides recommendations for the effective prevention and control of overweight and obesity, and enhancing the health level of children and adolescents.
5.Assessment of respiratory protection competency of staff in healthcare facilities
Hui-Xue JIA ; Xi YAO ; Mei-Hua HU ; Bing-Li ZHANG ; Xin-Ying SUN ; Zi-Han LI ; Ming-Zhuo DENG ; Lian-He LU ; Jie LI ; Li-Hong SONG ; Jian-Yu LU ; Xue-Mei SONG ; Hang GAO ; Liu-Yi LI
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2024;23(1):25-31
Objective To understand the respiratory protection competency of staff in hospitals.Methods Staff from six hospitals of different levels and characteristics in Beijing were selected,including doctors,nurses,medical technicians,and servicers,to conduct knowledge assessment on respiratory protection competency.According to exposure risks of respiratory infectious diseases,based on actual cases and daily work scenarios,content of respira-tory protection competency assessment was designed from three aspects:identification of respiratory infectious di-seases,transmission routes and corresponding protection requirements,as well as correct selection and use of masks.The assessment included 6,6,and 8 knowledge points respectively,with 20 knowledge points in total,all of which were choice questions.For multiple-choice questions,full marks,partial marks,and no mark were given respective-ly if all options were correct,partial options were correct and without incorrect options,and partial options were correct but with incorrect options.Difficulty and discrimination analyses on question of each knowledge point was conducted based on classical test theory.Results The respiratory protection competency knowledge assessment for 326 staff members at different risk levels in 6 hospitals showed that concerning the 20 knowledge points,more than 60%participants got full marks for 6 points,while the proportion of full marks for other questions was relatively low.Less than 10%participants got full marks for the following 5 knowledge points:types of airborne diseases,types of droplet-borne diseases,conventional measures for the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infec-tion with respiratory infectious diseases,indications for wearing respirators,and indications for wearing medical protective masks.Among the 20 knowledge questions,5,1,and 14 questions were relatively easy,medium,and difficult,respectively;6,1,4,and 9 questions were with discrimination levels of ≥0.4,0.30-0.39,0.20-0.29,and ≤0.19,respectively.Conclusion There is still much room for hospital staff to improve their respiratory protection competency,especially in the recognition of diseases with different transmission routes and the indications for wearing different types of masks.
6.Expert consensus on the evaluation and management of dysphagia after oral and maxillofacial tumor surgery
Xiaoying LI ; Moyi SUN ; Wei GUO ; Guiqing LIAO ; Zhangui TANG ; Longjiang LI ; Wei RAN ; Guoxin REN ; Zhijun SUN ; Jian MENG ; Shaoyan LIU ; Wei SHANG ; Jie ZHANG ; Yue HE ; Chunjie LI ; Kai YANG ; Zhongcheng GONG ; Jichen LI ; Qing XI ; Gang LI ; Bing HAN ; Yanping CHEN ; Qun'an CHANG ; Yadong WU ; Huaming MAI ; Jie ZHANG ; Weidong LENG ; Lingyun XIA ; Wei WU ; Xiangming YANG ; Chunyi ZHANG ; Fan YANG ; Yanping WANG ; Tiantian CAO
Journal of Practical Stomatology 2024;40(1):5-14
Surgical operation is the main treatment of oral and maxillofacial tumors.Dysphagia is a common postoperative complication.Swal-lowing disorder can not only lead to mis-aspiration,malnutrition,aspiration pneumonia and other serious consequences,but also may cause psychological problems and social communication barriers,affecting the quality of life of the patients.At present,there is no systematic evalua-tion and rehabilitation management plan for the problem of swallowing disorder after oral and maxillofacial tumor surgery in China.Combining the characteristics of postoperative swallowing disorder in patients with oral and maxillofacial tumors,summarizing the clinical experience of ex-perts in the field of tumor and rehabilitation,reviewing and summarizing relevant literature at home and abroad,and through joint discussion and modification,a group of national experts reached this consensus including the core contents of the screening of swallowing disorders,the phased assessment of prognosis and complications,and the implementation plan of comprehensive management such as nutrition management,respiratory management,swallowing function recovery,psychology and nursing during rehabilitation treatment,in order to improve the evalua-tion and rehabilitation of swallowing disorder after oral and maxillofacial tumor surgery in clinic.
7.Expert consensus on cryoablation therapy of oral mucosal melanoma
Guoxin REN ; Moyi SUN ; Zhangui TANG ; Longjiang LI ; Jian MENG ; Zhijun SUN ; Shaoyan LIU ; Yue HE ; Wei SHANG ; Gang LI ; Jie ZHNAG ; Heming WU ; Yi LI ; Shaohui HUANG ; Shizhou ZHANG ; Zhongcheng GONG ; Jun WANG ; Anxun WANG ; Zhiyong LI ; Zhiquan HUNAG ; Tong SU ; Jichen LI ; Kai YANG ; Weizhong LI ; Weihong XIE ; Qing XI ; Ke ZHAO ; Yunze XUAN ; Li HUANG ; Chuanzheng SUN ; Bing HAN ; Yanping CHEN ; Wenge CHEN ; Yunteng WU ; Dongliang WEI ; Wei GUO
Journal of Practical Stomatology 2024;40(2):149-155
Cryoablation therapy with explicit anti-tumor mechanisms and histopathological manifestations has a long history.A large number of clinical practice has shown that cryoablation therapy is safe and effective,making it an ideal tumor treatment method in theory.Previously,its efficacy and clinical application were constrained by the limitations of refrigerants and refrigeration equipment.With the development of the new generation of cryoablation equipment represented by argon helium knives,significant progress has been made in refrigeration efficien-cy,ablation range,and precise temperature measurement,greatly promoting the progression of tumor cryoablation technology.This consensus systematically summarizes the mechanism of cryoablation technology,indications for oral mucosal melanoma(OMM)cryotherapy,clinical treatment process,adverse reactions and management,cryotherapy combination therapy,etc.,aiming to provide reference for carrying out the standardized cryoablation therapy of OMM.
8.RAS-selective lethal small molecule 3 inhibits the fibrosis of pathological scar fibroblasts
Jiangyong SHEN ; Xi HE ; Yuting TANG ; Jianjun WANG ; Jinyi LIU ; Yuanyuan CHEN ; Xinyi WANG ; Tong LIU ; Haoyuan SUN
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2024;28(8):1168-1173
BACKGROUND:Abnormal extracellular matrix accumulation and excessive proliferation of fibroblasts are the main manifestations of pathological scars.Excessive proliferation of fibroblasts leads to the production of large amounts of collagen-based extracellular matrix.Therefore,to investigate the role of fibroblast fibrosis in the formation of pathological scar will provide a new idea for revealing the mechanism of pathological scar and biological therapy. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of RAS-selective lethal small molecule 3(RSL3)on the fibrosis of human pathological scar fibroblasts. METHODS:Then cases of pathological scar tissue and normal skin tissue samples from the same individuals,provided by the Department of Burn Plastic Surgery,General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University,were collected.Fibroblasts of human pathological scar and human normal skin were extracted and used in the following experiments.The general condition of the pathological scar tissue and the normal skin tissue was detected by hematoxylin-eosin staining.The appearance of fibroblasts from pathological scar and normal skin were observed by inverted microscope.The fibroblasts were verified by immunofluorescence assay.The cells were treated with different concentrations of RSL3(1,3,5,7,9,11,13 μmol/L).The inhibitory concentration of RSL3 on fibroblasts was detected by cell counting kit-8.Control group(without treatment)and RSL3 intervention group(treated with 7 μmol/L RSL3 for 24 hours)were set up.The mRNA and protein expressions of glutathione peroxidase 4,type Ⅰ collagen,type Ⅲ collagen and α-smooth muscle actin were detected by Qrt-PCR and western blot,respectively.Level of malondialdehyde in cells was detected.The residual scratch area was measured by cell scratch test after 24 hours to calculate the percentage of residual scratch area. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 in the pathological scar group was higher than that in the normal skin group(Mrna:t=3.252,P<0.01;protein:t=5.075,P<0.01).The expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 in the pathological scar fibroblast group was higher than that in the normal skin fibroblast group(Mrna:t=10.32,P<0.01;protein:t=26.22,P<0.01).Compared with the control group,the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 was decreased(Mrna:t=2.798,P<0.05;protein:t=4.643,P<0.01),the content of malondialdehyde was increased(t=2.917,P<0.05),the expression of type Ⅰ collagen(Mrna:t=15.84,P<0.01;protein:t=4.610,P<0.01),type Ⅲ collagen(Mrna:t=28.86,P<0.01;protein:t=7.713,P<0.01)and α-smooth muscle actin(Mrna:t=2.671,P<0.05;protein:t=7.417,P<0.01)were decreased in the RSL3 intervention group.Compared with the control group,the migration ability was weakened in the RSL3 intervention group(t=14.06,P<0.01).To conclude,RSL3 can inhibit the expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 and then inhibit the ability of fibrosis and migration of pathological scar fibroblasts.
9.Applicable techniques for subchondral separation of femoral head necrosis treated by tissue engineering
Yixuan HUANG ; Hao CHEN ; Peng XUE ; Hongzhong XI ; Shuai HE ; Guangquan SUN ; Bin DU ; Xin LIU
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2024;28(21):3385-3392
BACKGROUND:The appearance of the crescent sign in femoral head necrosis is a"turning point"in the progression of the disease,and repairing and stabilizing the bone-cartilage interface is particularly important in preventing further progression and collapse of the femoral head.Tissue engineering offers potential advantages in the simultaneous repair and integration of the bone-cartilage interface. OBJECTIVE:To review potentially suitable techniques addressing the subchondral separation in femoral head necrosis. METHODS:Relevant articles from January 1970 to April 2023 were searched in PubMed,Web of Science,and China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI)using English search terms"femoral head necrosis,avascular necrosis of femoral head,osteonecrosis of femoral head"and Chinese search terms"femoral head necrosis,subchondral bone,cartilage,integration of cartilage and subchondral bone".A total of 114 articles were included for review and analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Structural defects,ischemic and hypoxic environment,inflammatory factors,and stress concentration may cause subchondral separation in osteonecrosis of the femoral head.Subchondral bone collapse and failure of hip-preserving surgery may be associated.Integration of tissue engineering scaffolds with the bone-cartilage interface is one potential approach for treating subchondral separation in osteonecrosis of the femoral head.(2)Current literature suggests that multiphase scaffolds,gradient scaffolds,and composite materials have shown improvements in promoting cell adhesion,proliferation,and deposition of bone and cartilage matrix.These advancements aid in the integration of scaffolds with the bone-cartilage interface and have implications for the treatment of subchondral separation in osteonecrosis of the femoral head.(3)Surface modifications of scaffolds can enhance interface integration efficiency,but they have their advantages and disadvantages.Scaffolds providing different environments can induce differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells and facilitate integration between different interfaces.(4)Future scaffolds for subchondral separation in osteonecrosis of the femoral head are expected to be composite materials with gradient and differentiated biomimetic structures.Surface modifications and stem cell loading can promote integration between the bone-cartilage interface and scaffolds for therapeutic purposes,but further experimental verification is still needed.Challenges include synchronizing scaffold degradation rate with repair progress and ensuring stability between different interfaces.
10.Expert consensus on the evaluation and rehabilitation management of shoulder syndrome after neek dissection for oral and maxillofacial malignancies
Jiacun LI ; Moyi SUN ; Jiaojie REN ; Wei GUO ; Longjiang LI ; Zhangui TANG ; Guoxin REN ; Zhijun SUN ; Jian MENG ; Wei SHANG ; Shaoyan LIU ; Jie ZHANG ; Jicheng LI ; Yue HE ; Chunjie LI ; Kai YANG ; Zhongcheng GONG ; Qing XI ; Bing HAN ; Huaming MAI ; Yanping CHEN ; Jie ZHANG ; Yadong WU ; Chao LI ; Changming AN ; Chuanzheng SUN ; Hua YUAN ; Fan YANG ; Haiguang YUAN ; Dandong WU ; Shuai FAN ; Fei LI ; Chao XU ; Wei WEI
Journal of Practical Stomatology 2024;40(5):597-607
Neck dissection(ND)is one of the main treatment methods for oral and maxillofacial malignancies.Although ND type is in con-stant improvement,but intraoperative peal-pull-push injury of the accessory nerve,muscle,muscle membrane,fascia and ligament induced shoulder syndrome(SS)is still a common postoperative complication,combined with the influence of radiochemotherapy,not only can cause pain,stiffness,numbness,limited dysfunction of shoulder neck and arm,but also may have serious impact on patient's life quality and phys-ical and mental health.At present,there is still a lack of a systematic evaluation and rehabilitation management program for postoperative SS of oral and maxillofacial malignant tumors.Based on the previous clinical practice and the current available evidence,refer to the relevant lit-erature at home and abroad,the experts in the field of maxillofacial tumor surgery and rehabilitation were invited to discuss,modify and reach a consenusus on the etiology,assessment diagnosis,differential diagnosis,rehabilitation strategy and prevention of SS,in order to provide clinical reference.


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