This study employed bioinformatics to screen the feature genes related to efferocytosis in diabetic kidney disease(DKD) and explores traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) regulating these feature genes. The GSE96804 and GSE30528 datasets were integrated as the training set, and the intersection of differentially expressed genes and efferocytosis-related genes(ERGs) was identified as DKD-ERGs. Subsequently, correlation analysis, protein-protein interaction(PPI) network construction, enrichment analysis, and immune infiltration analysis were performed. Consensus clustering was conducted on DKD patients based on the expression levels of DKD-ERGs, and the expression levels, immune infiltration characteristics, and gene set variations between different subtypes were explored. Eight machine learning models were constructed and their prediction performance was evaluated. The best-performing model was evaluated by nomograms, calibration curves, and external datasets, followed by the identification of efferocytosis-related feature genes associated with DKD. Finally, potential TCMs that can regulate these feature genes were predicted. The results showed that the training set contained 640 differentially expressed genes, and after intersecting with ERGs, 12 DKD-ERGs were obtained, which demonstrated mutual regulation and immune modulation effects. Consensus clustering divided DKD into two subtypes, C1 and C2. The support vector machine(SVM) model had the best performance, predicting that growth arrest-specific protein 6(GAS6), S100 calcium-binding protein A9(S100A9), C-X3-C motif chemokine ligand 1(CX3CL1), 5'-nucleotidase(NT5E), and interleukin 33(IL33) were the feature genes of DKD. Potential TCMs with therapeutic effects included Astragali Radix, Trionycis Carapax, Sargassum, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Curcumae Radix, and Alismatis Rhizoma, which mainly function to clear heat, replenish deficiency, activate blood, resolve stasis, and promote urination and drain dampness. Molecular docking revealed that the key components of these TCMs, including β-sitosterol, quercetin, and sitosterol, exhibited good binding activity with the five target genes. These results indicated that efferocytosis played a crucial role in the development and progression of DKD. The feature genes closely related to both DKD and efferocytosis, such as GAS6, S100A9, CX3CL1, NT5E, and IL33, were identified. TCMs such as Astragali Radix, Trionycis Carapa, Sargassum, Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Curcumae Radix, and Alismatis Rhizoma may provide a new therapeutic strategy for DKD by regulating efferocytosis.
Humans ; Computational Biology ; Diabetic Nephropathies/physiopathology* ; Protein Interaction Maps ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Phagocytosis/genetics* ; Efferocytosis

Objective To understand the current situation of human brain donation in Hebei Province by analyzing the basic information of Human Brain Bank samples of Hebei Medical University in order to provide basic data support for subsequent scientific research.Methods The samples collected from the Human Brain Bank of Hebei Medical University were analyzed(from December 2019 to February 2024),including gender,age,cause of death,as well as quality control data such as postmortem delay time,pH value of cerebrospinal fluid and and RNA integrity number and result of neuropathological diagnosis.Results Until February 2024,30 human brain samples were collected and stored in the Human Brain Bank of Hebei Medical University,with a male to female ratio of 9∶1.Donors over 70 years old accounted for 53％.Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases(36.67％)and nervous system diseases(23.33％)accounted for a high proportion of the death causes.The location of brain tissue donors in Shijiazhuang accounted for 90％donations,and the others were from outside the city.The postmortem delay time was relatively short,90％within 12 hours and 10％more than 12 hours.69.23％of the brain samples had RNA integrity values greater than 6.Cerebrospinal fluid pH values ranged from 5.8 to 7.5,with an average value of 6.60±0.45.Brain weights ranged from 906-1496 g,with an average value of(1210.78±197.84)g.Three apolipoprotein E(APOE)alleles were detected including five genotypes(ε2/ε3,ε2/ε4,ε3/ε3,ε3/ε4,ε4/ε4).Eleven staining methods related to neuropathological diagnosis had been established and used.A total of 12 cases were diagnosed as neurodegenerative diseases(including Alzheimer's disease,Parkinson's disease,multiple system atrophy,corticobasal degeneration and progressive supranuclear palsy,etc.),accounting for 40％donated brains.The comorbidity rate of samples over 80 years old was 100％.Conclusion The summary and analyses of the data of brain donors in the Human Brain Bank of Hebei Medical University can reflect the current situation of the construction and operation of the brain bank in Hebei Province,and it can also be more targeted to understand and identify potential donors.Our information can provide reference for the construction of brain bank and provides more reliable materials and data support for scientific research.

BACKGROUND: Butylphthalide (NBP) and edaravone (EDV) injection are common acute ischemic stroke medications in China, but there is a lack of large real-world safety studies on them. This study aimed to determine the incidence of adverse events, detect relevant safety signals, and assess the risk factors associated with these medications in real-world populations. METHODS: In this study, data of acute ischemic stroke patients were extracted from the electronic medical record database of six tertiary hospitals between January 2019 and August 2021. Baseline confounders were eliminated using propensity score matching. The drugs' safety was estimated by comparing the results of 24 laboratory tests standards on liver function, kidney function, lipid level, and coagulation function. The drugs' relative risk was estimated by logistic regression. A third group with patients who did not receive NBP or EDV was constructed as a reference. Prescription sequence symmetry analysis was used to evaluate the associations between adverse events and NBP and EDV, respectively. RESULTS: 81,292 patients were included in this study. After propensity score matching, the NBP, EDV, and third groups with 727 patients in each group. Among the 15 test items, the incidence of adverse events was lower in the NBP group than in the EDV group, and the differences were statistically significant. The multivariate logistic regression equation revealed that NBP injection was not a promoting factor for abnormal laboratory test results, whereas EDV had statistically significant effects on aspartate transaminase, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol. Prescription sequence symmetry analysis showed that NBP had a weak correlation with abnormal platelet count. EDV had a positive signal associated with abnormal results in gamma-glutamyl transferase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, prothrombin time, and platelet count. CONCLUSIONS In a large real-world population, NBP has a lower incidence of adverse events and a better safety profile than EDV or other usual medications.

AIM: To investigate the effect of lncRNA MALAT1 on the proliferation, migration and angiogenesis of retinal vascular endothelial cells and its molecular mechanism.METHODS: The expression levels of lncRNA MALAT1 in plasma of normal control group, diabetic without retinopathy group and diabetic retinopathy group were detected by qPCR and the effect of glucose culture on the expression levels of lncRNA MALAT1 were detected by qPCR too. The expression level of miR-124-3p was detected by qRT-PCR; Western blotting was used to detect the expression level of SOX7; The targeting relationship between lncRNA MALAT1 and miR-124-3p, miR-124-3p and SOX7 were detected by the dual-luciferase reporter system; CCK-8 assay was used to detect cell proliferation activity; Transwell assay was used to detect the migration ability of cells; Angiogenesis of hRMECs cells was measured by in vitro tube formation assay.RESULTS:The expression level of lncRNA MALAT1 in plasma of diabetic retinopathy patients was significantly higher than that of diabetic without retinopathy group and normal control group(P<0.001). In vitro glucose culture significantly promoted the expression of lncRNA MALAT1 in hRMECs cells, as well as the proliferation, migration and angiogenesis of hRMECs cells(all P<0.05). Knockdown of lncRNA MALAT1 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and tubule formation of hRMECs cells(all P<0.05). Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay showed that lncRNA MALAT1 targeted with miR-124-3p, and miR-124-3p targeted with SOX7. Overexpression of miR-124-3p significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and tubule formation of hRMECs cells(all P<0.05). Overexpression of lncRNA MALAT1+miR-124-3p, miR-124-3p+SOX7, and knockdown of lncRNA MALAT1+overexpression of SOX7 all significantly eliminated the inhibitory effect of hRMECs cells(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION: lncRNA MALAT1 promote the proliferation, migration and angiogenesis of retinal endothelial cells in diabetic retinopathy by down-regulating the negative regulation of miR-124-3p on SOX7. Therefore, abnormal upregulation of lncRNA MALAT1 in patients with diabetic retinopathy is a potential biomarker.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of skin diseases and diabetes mellitus (DM) are prominent around the world. The current scope of knowledge regarding the prevalence of skin diseases and comorbidities with type 2 DM (T2DM) is limited, leading to limited recognition of the correlations between skin diseases and T2DM. METHODS: We collected 383 subjects from the Da Qing Diabetes Study during the period from July 9th to September 1st, 2016. The subjects were categorized into three groups: Normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and T2DM. The prevalence and clinical characteristics of skin diseases were recorded and investigated. RESULTS: In this cross-sectional study, 383 individuals with ages ranging from 53 to 89-year-old were recruited. The overall prevalence of skin diseases was 93.5%, and 75.7% of individuals had two or more kinds of skin diseases. Additionally, there were 47 kinds of comorbid skin diseases in patients with T2DM, of which eight kinds of skin diseases had a prevalence >10%. The prevalence of skin diseases in NGT, IGT, and T2DM groups were 93.3%, 91.5%, and 96.6%, respectively; stratified analysis by categories showed a statistically significant difference in "disturbances of pigmentation" and "neurological and psychogenic dermatoses". The duration of T2DM also significantly associated with the prevalence of "disturbances of pigmentation" and "neurological and psychogenic dermatoses". Subsequently, the prevalence of "disturbances of pigmentation" was higher in males than females in NGT (P < 0.01) and T2DM (P < 0.01) groups. In addition, the difference in the prevalence of "disturbances of pigmentation" was also significant in NGT and T2DM groups (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS There was a high prevalence of skin diseases in the Da Qing Diabetes Study. To address the skin diseases in the Da Qing Diabetes Study, increased awareness and intervention measures should be implemented.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Glucose ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/epidemiology* ; Female ; Glucose Intolerance/epidemiology* ; Glucose Tolerance Test ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Skin Diseases/epidemiology*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical success of the treatment of maxillary anterior primary incisors caries with composite resin strip crowns. METHODS: Children who presented with severe early childhood caries and were treated comprehensive caries under general anesthesia from January to December 2016 were enrolled in this study. Composite crowns using preformed celluloid crown (3M ESPE, USA) called as "strip crown technique" were applied to treat vital primary incisors with two or multiple surface cavities. Selective etchings of enamel, Universal Bond adhesive and 3M Z350 resin were used to make strip crowns. The patients returned at the end of 6, 12 and 18 months and received clinical and radiologic examinations. Dentists who did not attend the treatment evaluated the strip crowns clinically by modified United States Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria. RESULTS: Four hundred eighteen restorations, placed in 127 children aged 1.17-5.75 years (average of 3.22), were evaluated. The overall retention rate was 97.8% at the end of 6 months, 93.6% at 12 months and 89.2% at 18 months. After 18 months, 28 restorations (6.7%) were totally lost and 4.1% were rated as having lost some resin material. Only four teeth (1.0%) had secondary caries at the end of 18 months and 1.4% teeth had pulpal pathology requiring root canal treatment. Composite crowns had good performance in contour and adjacent contact and improved aesthetics significantly. Twenty-nine teeth (6.9%) showed mild gingivitis and 93.1% showed healthy gingival. 11.2% of the teeth demonstrated color change because plaque accumulation and the polish could remove the stains. The complete loss of strip crowns was mainly related to eating bites. CONCLUSION Strip crowns performed well for restoring primary incisors with large or multisurface caries for periods of over 18 months. The strip crowns can be a durable and aesthetic restoration for vital carious primary incisors with adequate tooth structure after caries removal. Functional movement is an important cause of complete loss. Because of the high technical sensitivity and its requirement of the cooperation of children, strip crowns are more suitable for older and cooperative children as well as children receiving dental treatment under sedation or general anesthesia.
Child ; Child, Preschool ; Composite Resins ; Crowns ; Humans ; Incisor ; Infant ; Maxilla ; Tooth, Deciduous ; United States

Objective:The molecular connectivity index method and total statistical moment method were used to control the quality of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， and the stability and consistency of volatile components of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos were clarified. Method:Volatile oils in Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos from different producing areas was extracted for GC-MS determination with electron bombardment ion source， ion source temperature of 230 ℃， and detection range of m/z 35-650. Then National Institute of Standards and Technology （NIST） 05 and ChemicalBook database were used for qualitative analysis of these volatile components， the peak area normalization method was used for quantitative analysis， and the total statistical moment parameters and the zero-order， first-order， second-order， third-order molecular connectivity indexes of the components were calculated. Result:Number of peaks （RSD were 28.5%， 33.4%， respectively）， total zero-order moments （RSD were 55.5%， 128.9%， respectively） and total second-order moments （RSD were 15.3%， 21.5%， respectively） of 10 batches of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos were unstable， indicating that the types and contents of volatile components fluctuated sharply， but the total first-order moments （RSD were 7.5%， 8.8%， respectively） and the zero-order， first-order， second-order and third-order molecular connectivity indexes （RSD ranged from 8.1% to 10.3% and 4.2% to 5.5%， respectively） were relatively stable， indicating that the overall "imprinting template" of the components was similar. Statistical analysis of each parameter found that there were no significant differences in the number of peaks， total first-order moments and zero-order， first-order， second-order， third-order molecular connectivity indexes between volatile oils from Lonicerae Japonicae Flos and Lonicerae Flos. Conclusion:Under the guidance of supramolecular gas evolution "imprinting template" theory， the molecular connectivity index method and total statistical moment parameters are used to jointly characterize the "imprinting template" of TCM components in vitro， which can control the stability and consistency of TCM quality.