Botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) is a powerful neurotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum, which can relieve muscle spasm or limit gland secretion by inhibiting the release of acetylcholine at the neuromuscular/glandular junction. In addition, BTX-A can also play a role in the sensory feedback loop, which can ease pain. Currently, dentists are paying more attention to the cosmetic applications of BTX-A in the oral and maxillofacial region, while their understanding of BTX-A′s non-cosmetic applications is still insufficient. Although the specific molecular mechanism of BTX-A in oral diseases has not been fully clarified, with the development of evidence-based medicine, more and more clinical evidence has began to support the effectiveness of BTX-A in the therapeutic applications of oral diseases. This article will briefly review the main molecular mechanisms of BTX-A, the latest clinical research progress of BTX-A at home and abroad in the treatment of oral diseases, clinical contraindications and adverse reactions of BTX-A, providing a new idea for the treatment of oral diseases.

AIM:To explore the therapeutic effect of teprenone(geranylgeranylacetone,GGA)on lipopolysac-charide(LPS)-induced cardiac dysfunction and its mechanism.METHODS:(1)Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 wild-type mice and carboxyl terminus of heat shock protein 70(HSP70)-interacting protein(CHIP)gene knockout mice were randomly divided into control group,LPS group,LPS+GGA group and GGA group,with 8 mice in each group.The model was established by intraperitoneal injection of LPS(25 mg/kg),and 1 h after LPS stimulation,mice were given intraperito-neal injection of GGA(100 mg/kg).The technique of high-resolution ultrasonography system was used to evaluate the car-diac function of mice.The serum of mice from each group were collected to detect the levels of creatine kinase-MB(CK-MB)and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH).HE staining was performed to observe histological changes of cardiac tissues.ELISA was used to detect the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and interleukin-6(IL-6)in cardiac tissues.West-ern blot was used to detect the protein levels of HSP70,CHIP,karyopherin-α 2(KPNA2),myeloperoxidase(MPO),vas-cular cell adhesion molecule(VCAM),intercellular cell adhesion molecule(ICAM),and nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)in cardiac tissues.(2)In vitro cell inflammation model was established using mouse myocardial cells HL-1 stimulated with LPS.ELISA was used to detect the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in cell supernatants.Western blot was used to detect the pro-tein expression levels of HSP70,CHIP,and KPNA2 in myocardial cells.Immunofluorescence staining was performed to observe the content of nuclear NF-κB.RESULTS:(1)GGA effectively improved cardiac function of LPS-stimulated mice,significantly increased ejection fraction and left ventricular fractional shortening(P<0.01),reduced serum levels of CK-MB and LDH(P<0.01),and alleviated myocardial injury.(2)GGA significantly reduced the release of TNF-α and IL-6 caused by LPS(P<0.01),as well as nuclear translocation of NF-κB,decreased the levels of KPNA2,MPO,VCAM and ICAM in cardiac tissues,and increased the levels of HSP70 in cardiac tissues and cells(P<0.01).(3)In CHIP knockout myocardial cells and mice,GGA failed to inhibit LPS-induced inflammatory response and lost its effect on im-proving cardiac function.CONCLUSION:The protective effect of GGA against LPS-caused cardiac dysfunction of mice is related to increasing expression of HSP70 and promoting CHIP activation,which inhibits the translocation of NF-κB into nucleus and suppresses inflammatory factor release.CHIP knockout abolishes the effects of GGA on reducing LPS-induced inflammatory response and myocardial injury.

Objective To observe the value of dual-energy CT(DECT)radiomics combined with clinical and CT features for predicting differentiation degree of gastric adenocarcinoma(GAC).Methods Totally 254 patients with GAC were prospectively analyzed and divided into high-grade group(low differentiation GAC,n=88)and low-grade group(middle-high differentiation GAC,n=166)according to pathological results.The patients were also divided into training set(n=203,including 70 high-grade and 133 low-grade GAC)and verification set(n=51,including 18 high-grade and 33 low-grade GAC)at the ratio of 8∶2.Radiomics features were extracted and screened based on venous phase single-level(40,70,100 and 140 keV)DECT,and a multi-energy radiomics model was constructed to predict GAC classification.Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze clinical and CT features as well as DECT parameters in training set to construct a clinic-CT model.Then a combined model was constructed through combining clinic-CT model with radiomics model.The predictive efficacy of the models were evaluated,and the calibration degree of the combined model was assessed.Results The area under the curve(AUC)of clinic-CT model,multi-energy radiomics model and combined model was 0.74,0.75 and 0.78 in training set,and 0.73,0.77 and 0.78 in verification set,respectively.Except for AUC of combined model was higher than that of clinic-CT model in training set(P＜0.05),no significant difference of AUC was found among models in training set nor verification set(all P＞0.05).The calibration degree of combined model was good in both training set and verification set(both P＞0.05).Conclusion DECT radiomics combined with clinical and CT features could effectively predict differentiation degree of GAC.

Objective:To assess the quality of low-keV monoenergetic images using deep learning image reconstruction (DLIR) algorithm combined with dual energy CT (DECT) in gastric cancer and to compare them with images from the conventional adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASiR-V) algorithm.Methods:In this cross-sectional study, DECT images of 31 gastric cancer patients in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were prospectively collected from September 2022 to March 2023. The 55 keV monoenergy images were reconstructed using the DLIR algorithm at low-, medium-, and high-intensity levels (DLIR-L, DLIR-M, and DLIR-H) based on arterial phase and venous phase images, respectively. The 70 keV 40% mixing coefficient (ASiR-V40%) images were reconstructed using the ASiR-V algorithm. In the objective evaluation of images, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for both lesions and muscle were calculated across four sets of reconstructed images. In the subjective evaluation of images, scores were assigned to the overall image quality, lesion visibility, and diagnostic confidence for each set of reconstructed images. Comparisons of SNR and CNR between the 4 groups were made by One-way repeated-measures ANOVA or Friedman′s test. Comparisons of scores were made by Friedman′s test. The P value of pairwise comparison was adjusted using Bonferroni correction methods. Results:In the objective evaluations, CNR lesion, SNR lesion and SNR muscle were highest on the 55 keV DLIR-H images in the arterial and venous phases, and showed a gradually increasing trend on the 70 keV ASiR-V40%, 55 keV DLIR-L, DLIR-M, DLIR-H images ( P<0.05). In subjective evaluations, compared to the 70 keV ASiR-V40% images, overall image quality scores were numerically higher for the 55 keV DLIR-H ( P>0.05), similar or slightly worse for the 55 keV DLIR-M, and significantly lower for the 55 keV DLIR-L ( P<0.05). The lesion visibility and diagnostic confidence on the 55 keV DLIR reconstruction images were higher in both arterial and venous phases than 70 keV ASiR-V40% images ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Compared to the conventional 70 keV ASiR-V40% images, the 55 keV DLIR-H images had higher lesion contrast and diagnostic confidence with lower image noise. The 55 keV DLIR-M images had comparable overall image quality to 70 keV ASiR-V40% images, but the former had higher lesion contrast and diagnostic confidence. The 55 keV DLIR-L was unable to improve image quality to the level of 70 keV ASiR-V40%.

Objective To construct a structural equation model to analyze the effect of various factors on the quality of life in stroke patients.Methods In this cross-sectional study,a total of 657 stroke patients from 2 ter-tiary A hospitals in Shanghai were enrolled as investigation subjects via convenience sampling methodology.General information questionnaire,Sense of Coherence Scale-13,Perceived Social Support Scale,Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire,National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale,Self-Esteem Scale and Stroke-Specific Quality of Life were utilized as the investigating tools;Mplus 7.4 was used to construct a structural equation model.Results The aver age score of quality of life in stroke patients was(178.30±30.30);neurological status,self-esteem were negatively cor-related with quality of life(P＜0.05);sense of coherence,social support,coping style were positively correlated with quality of life(P＜0.05);sense of coherence,taking a confrontational approach for coping,yielding and neurological status had a direct impact on quality of life(path coefficients were 0.471,0.169、0.135,-0.089,P＜0.05);social sup-port,self-esteem,sense of coherence and neurological status had an indirect impact on quality of life(path coefficients were 0.232,0.108,0.058,-0.058,P＜0.001).Conclusion The quality of life in stroke patients is influenced by multi-ple factors interactively,and sense of coherence is an important factor affecting the quality of life;adopting a confron-tational approach as coping styles,good social support and high self-esteem can improve the level of quality of life.

Objective:To observe the clinical effectiveness of manual therapy based on posture decoding for patients with lower crossed syndrome (LCS).Methods:Thirty-six LCS patients were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, each of 18. The observation group received manual therapy based on posture decoding, while the control group was treated with proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF), both in 20min sessions, once a week for 4 weeks. Before the experiment, after one, two and four weeks of treatment and followed-up 4 and 8 weeks later, both groups were evaluated using a visual analogue scale (VAS), the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and finger-floor distance (FFD). Anterior pelvic tilt angles (ASIS-PSISs), sacral slopes (SS), lumbar curve index (LCI) and surface EMG flexion-relaxation ratios (FRRs) were also recorded from both groups before and after the treatment.Results:After one and four weeks of the treatment, the average VAS, ODI, and FFD had decreased significantly in both groups, with all significantly lower in the observation group, on average. At the final follow-up, the average VAS and ODI scores of both groups were significantly lower than before the treatment, with those of the observation group significantly lower than the control group′s averages. After 4 weeks of treatment significant differences were observed also in the group′s average ASIS-PSISs, SSs and LCIs compared with before the treatment. And right after the treatment the left and right surface electromyography FRRs of the observation group were significantly higher than those of the control group.Conclusion:Manual therapy based on posture decoding can significantly improve the pelvis forward angle and lumbar motion of LCS patients, relieving back pain and relaxing back muscles.

Objective:To investigate the effect of the duration of preoperative biliary drainage on postoperative complications after pancreaticoduodenectomy.Methods:The clinical data of 102 patients with benign and malignant hepatopancreatic ductal periampullary tumors who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy and preoperative biliary drainage in Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2016 to July 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the median duration of preoperative biliary drainage, the patients were divided into short-term drainage group (≤ the median duration of biliary drainage) and long-term drainage group (> the median duration of biliary drainage). The general data, the effect of biliary drainage, inflammation-related indicators and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression was used to screen the risk factors related to the postoperative severe complications.Results:Of the 102 patients, 68 (66.7%) were males and 34 (33.3%) were females, with a median age of 63 years (43-80 years). The median duration of preoperative biliary drainage was 14 d. There were 68 patients in short-term drainage group and 34 patients in long-term drainage group. There were no statistically significant differences in age, gender, body mass index (BMI), hypertension, diabetes mellitus, surgery history of upper abdominal, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade, carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 125, alpha-fetoprotein, prothrombin time, pancreaticojejunostomy method, operation time, and pathological type between the two groups (all P > 0.05). However, patients in long-term drainage group had higher conversion rate, more blood loss and longer hospital stay compared with those in short-term drainage group (all P < 0.05). Before biliary drainage, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level in short-term drainage group was higher than that in long-term drainage group ( Z = -2.59, P = 0.009), and there were no statistically significant differences in aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin (ALB), total bilirubin (TB) and direct bilirubin (DB) levels between the two groups before biliary drainage (all P > 0.05). After biliary drainage, DB in short-term drainage group was higher than that in long-term drainage group ( Z = -3.34, P = 0.001), and there was no statistically significant difference in ALT, AST, ALB, TB levels between the two groups (all P > 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the levels of white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes and the ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes between the two groups on the 1st and 3rd day after the operation (all P > 0.05). The total incidence of postoperative related complications in short-term drainage group and long-term drainage group was 63.2% (43/68), 70.6% (24/34), respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2 = 0.54, P = 0.461); the incidences of bile leakage, abdominal or gastrointestinal bleeding, intra-abdominal infection, delayed gastric emptying, all grades of pancreatic leakage, grade B and C pancreatic leakage were not statistically different between the two groups (all P > 0.05); the incidence of severe postoperative related complications in short-term drainage group was higher than that in long-term drainage group [27.9% (19/68) vs. 8.8% (3/34), χ2 = 4.90, P = 0.027]. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the long-term preoperative biliary drainage was an independent protective factor for postoperative severe complications (long-term drainage vs. short-term drainage: OR = 0.253, 95% CI 0.066-0.975, P = 0.046), while BMI ( OR = 1.174, 95% CI 0.986-1.398, P = 0.071) and pathological type (benign or borderline vs. malignant tumor: OR = 0.247, 95% CI 0.043-1.419, P = 0.117) were not independent influencing factors for postoperative severe complications. Conclusions:Short-term biliary drainage (≤14 d) is a risk factor for postoperative severe complications in patients with hepatopancreatic ductal periampullary tumor undergoing preoperative biliary drainage. Preoperative biliary drainage time is not associated with postoperative total complications, pancreatic leakage, bile leakage, abdominal or gastrointestinal bleeding, intra-abdominal infection, delayed gastric emptying.

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