Xiaoji Yinzi is one of the classic prescriptions for treating urinary diseases， originated from the Yan's Prescriptions to Aid the Living （Yan Shi Ji Sheng Fang） written by YAN Yonghe in the Song dynasty. Xiaoji Yinzi is composed of Rehmanniae Radix， Cirsii Herba， Talcum， Akebiae Caulis， Typhae Pollen， Nelumbinis Rhizomatis Nodus， Lophatheri Herba， Angelicae Sinensis Radix， Gardeniae Fructus， and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and has the effects of cooling blood and stopping bleeding， draining water and relieving stranguria. The medical experts of later generations have inherited the original prescription recorded in the Yan's Prescriptions to Aid the Living， while dispute has emerged during the inheritance of this prescription. In this study， the method of bibliometrics was employed to review and analyze the ancient documents and modern clinical studies involving Xiaoji Yinzi. The results showed that Xiaoji Yinzi has two dosage forms： powder and decoction. According to the measurement system in the Song Dynasty， the modern doses of hers in Xiaoji Yinzi were transformed. In the prepration of Xiaoji Yinzi powder， 149.2 g of Rehmanniae Radix and 20.65 g each of Cirsii Herba， Talcum， Akebiae Caulis， stir-fried Typhae Pollen， Nelumbinis Rhizomatis Nodus， Lophatheri Herba， wine-processed Angelicae Sinensis Radix， stir-fried Gardeniae Fructus， and stir-fried Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma are grounded into fine powder with the particle size of 4-10 meshes and a decocted with 450 mL water to reach a volume of 240 mL. After removal of the residue， the decoction was taken warm before meals， 3 times a day （i.e.， 7.77 g Rehmanniae Radix and 0.97 g each of the other herbs each time）. In the preparation of Xiaoji Yinzi decoction， 20.65 g each of the above 10 herbs are used， with stir-fried Typhae Pollen， wine-processed Angelica Sinensis Radix， stir-fired Gardeniae Fructus， stir-fired Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma， and raw materials of other herbs. Xiaoji Yinzi is specialized in treating hematuresis and blood stranguria due to heat accumulation in lower energizer， which causes injury of the blood collaterals of gallbladder and dysfunction of Qi transformation. In modern clinical practice， Xiaoji Yinzi is specifically used for treating urinary diseases and can be expanded to treat diseases of the cardiovascular system and other systems according to pathogenesis. The comprehensive research on the key information could provide a scientific reference for the future development of Xiaoji Yinzi.

BACKGROUND: Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is indicated as a broad-spectrum medicine for a variety of diseases, including cancer and cardiac disease. While the role of ATO in hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury (HIRI) has not been reported. Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify the effects of ATO on HIRI. METHODS: In the present study, we established a 70% hepatic warm I/R injury and partial hepatectomy (30% resection) animal models in vivo and hepatocytes anoxia/reoxygenation (A/R) models in vitro with ATO pretreatment and further assessed liver function by histopathologic changes, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, cell counting kit-8, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) for extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 was transfected to evaluate the role of ERK1/2 pathway during HIRI, followed by ATO pretreatment. The dynamic process of autophagic flux and numbers of autophagosomes were detected by green fluorescent protein-monomeric red fluorescent protein-LC3 (GFP-mRFP-LC3) staining and transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: A low dose of ATO (0.75 μmol/L in vitro and 1 mg/kg in vivo ) significantly reduced tissue necrosis, inflammatory infiltration, and hepatocyte apoptosis during the process of hepatic I/R. Meanwhile, ATO obviously promoted the ability of cell proliferation and liver regeneration. Mechanistically, in vitro  studies have shown that nontoxic concentrations of ATO can activate both ERK and phosphoinositide 3-kinase-serine/threonine kinase (PI3K-AKT) pathways and further induce autophagy. The hepatoprotective mechanism of ATO, at least in part, relies on the effects of ATO on the activation of autophagy, which is ERK-dependent. CONCLUSION Low, non-toxic doses of ATO can activate ERK/PI3K-AKT pathways and induce ERK-dependent autophagy in hepatocytes, protecting liver against I/R injury and accelerating hepatocyte regeneration after partial hepatectomy.
Animals ; Arsenic Trioxide ; Autophagy/physiology* ; Reperfusion Injury/prevention & control* ; Mice ; Male ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/physiology* ; Arsenicals/therapeutic use* ; Oxides/therapeutic use* ; Liver/metabolism* ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is marked by early-onset neurodevelopmental anomalies, yet the temporal dynamics of genetic contributions to these processes remain insufficiently understood. This study aimed to elucidate the role of the Shank3 gene, known to be associated with monogenic causes of autism, in early developmental processes to inform the timing and mechanisms for potential interventions for ASD. Utilizing the Shank3B knockout (KO) mouse model, we examined Shank3 expression and its impact on neuronal maturation through Golgi staining for dendritic morphology and electrophysiological recordings to measure synaptic function in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) across different postnatal stages. Our longitudinal analysis revealed that, while Shank3B KO mice displayed normal neuronal morphology at one week postnatal, significant impairments in dendritic growth and synaptic activity emerged by two to three weeks. These findings highlight the critical developmental window during which Shank3 is essential for neuronal and synaptic maturation in the ACC.
Animals ; Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism* ; Mice, Knockout ; Dendrites/metabolism* ; Mice ; Synapses/metabolism* ; Gyrus Cinguli/metabolism* ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Autism Spectrum Disorder/genetics* ; Microfilament Proteins

Background::With an increasing number of patients with hematological malignancies being treated with umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT), the correlation between immune reconstitution (IR) after UCBT and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) has been reported successively, but reports on double-negative T (DNT) cell reconstitution and its association with acute GVHD (aGVHD) after UCBT are lacking.Methods::A population-based observational study was conducted among 131 patients with hematological malignancies who underwent single-unit UCBT as their first transplant at the Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, between August 2018 and June 2021. IR differences were compared between the patients with and without aGVHD.Results::The absolute number of DNT cells in the healthy Chinese population was 109 (70-157)/μL, accounting for 5.82 (3.98-8.19)% of lymphocytes. DNT cells showed delayed recovery and could not reach their normal levels even one year after transplantation. Importantly, the absolute number and percentage of DNT cells were significantly higher in UCBT patients without aGVHD than in those with aGVHD within one year ( F = 4.684, P = 0.039 and F = 5.583, P = 0.026, respectively). In addition, the number of DNT cells in the first month after transplantation decreased significantly with the degree of aGVHD increased, and faster DNT cell reconstitution in the first month after UCBT was an independent protective factor for aGVHD (HR = 0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.23-0.93; P = 0.031). Conclusions::Compared to the number of DNT cells in Chinese healthy people, the reconstitution of DNT cells in adults with hematological malignancies after UCBT was slow. In addition, the faster reconstitution of DNT cells in the early stage after transplantation was associated with a lower incidence of aGVHD.

Objective:To analyze the causal relationship between lifestyle-based factors and the occurrence and development of hepatobiliary malignancies by Mendelian randomization study method,and to provide the potential clinical evidence for the prevention and treatment of hepatobiliary malignancies.Methods:The data from large-scale,independent genome-wide association studies(GWAS)were selected,and seven-step inclusion criteria for the instrumental variable screening were set up.The exposure lifestyles included the percentage of carbohydrate intake,percentage of fat intake,percentage of protein intake in the diet,coffee intake,weekly alcohol consumption times,leisure electronic screen exposure time,moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity(MVPA)during leisure time,sedentary behavior at work,age at first smoking,daily smoking quantity,current smoking status,and past smoking status,totaling 12 phenotypes.The primary analysis method used was the random effect model of the inverse variance weighted(IVW)method,and the heterogeneity was detected by Cochrane's Q test and the horizontal pleiotropy was detected by MR-Egger intercept method.Results:The current smoking status was significantly positively correlated with the increasing risk of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(OR=1.607,95%CI:1.113-2.322,P=0.011).Higher coffee intake was causally linked to a higher risk of liver cancer and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(OR=1.000,95%CI:0.999-1.000,P=0.012).In the physical activity,more MVPA was associated with the lower risk of liver cancer and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(OR=0.998,95%CI:0.996-0.999,P=0.002).The Cochrane's Q test results showed that there was mild heterogeneity between MVPA and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(Q=18.354,P=0.049)as well as the percentage of protein intake and intraphepatic cholangiocarainoma(Q=12.715,P=0.026),and the MR-Egger intercept method results showed there was no horizontal pleiotropy.Conclusion:There is a causal relationship between current smoking status and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma,and there is a causal relationship between more MVPA and the lower risk of liver cancer and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.Education on smoking and physical activity for the patients may offer potential benefits for the prevention of hepatobiliary malignancies.

At present,precise radiotherapy has been widely used through the development with many years,but the existing technique still is limited by the limitation of tolerance dose of normal tissues,which cannot achieve the optimal goal of treating tumor.Flash radiotherapy(Flash-RT)is one kind of radiotherapy technique that uses the beam with ultra-high dose rate(UHDR)to conduct irradiation,which can furthest treat tumors while significantly reduce radiation injury of normal tissues.But until now,the biological mechanism,key physical parameters and triggering mechanism of Flash-RT are still unclear,and its principle and clinical translational application are still in the stage of research.This review clarified the technological advance and clinical translational application of Flash-RT research through summarized the relevant research of Flash-RT.

The Flash radiotherapy(Flash-RT),which is the key breakthrough in the basic field of radiotherapy technique,which is expected to cause a new major transformation in the field of radiotherapy.In this paper,we reviewed the latest research advances of the application and the mechanism exploration of Flash-RT in tumor treatment.Current studies have found that both the Flash-RT with electron beams and photon and the Flash-RT with proton can reduce injury of normal tissue than radiotherapy with conventional dose-rate,but the relevant mechanisms are not yet clearly understood,which includes but not limited to oxygen depletion,DNA damage,cellular senescence,apoptosis and immune response.The difference of Flash-RT injury between tumor tissue and normal tissue further reduces the limitations of radiotherapy,and reduces the adverse reaction and complication compared with conventional radiotherapy,which has wide application prospects.

Radiotherapy is an important means to treat lung cancer,but it is easy to cause lung injury and reduce the quality of life of patients.Flash radiotherapy(FLASH-RT)has attracted attention due to its extremely short radiation duration and high dose rate,which can reduce toxicity of normal tissue while ensures treatment intensity of tumor.Whether Flash-RT can reduce radiation-induced lung injury has become an important research topic in recent years.Based on the literature analysis method,this review systematically assessed the effects and mechanisms of Flash-RT and radiotherapy with conventional dose rate on lung injury through searching relevant literatures at home and abroad,so as to provide scientific basis for the treatment of patients with lung cancer by reviewing the comparisons about the effects and mechanisms between Flash-RT and radiotherapy with conventional dose rate on lung injury.Compared with radiotherapy with conventional radiation rate,Flash-RT can significantly reduce lung injury and improve quality of life of patients.It is still demanded to explore the Flash-RT mechanism in future,so as to develop the Flash-RT instrument that is suitable for different tumors and to conduct larger-scale clinical researches.

An efficient vacuum suction system is a necessary prerequisite for the smooth operation of the oral diagnosis and treatment.During the use of the dental units,there is often a situation of vacuum suction weakness,resulting in the inability to discharge the mixture of blood,saliva,dental tissue and other mixtures in time,which affects the doctor's treatment field and increases the risk of aspiration pneumonia and cross-infection in patients.The working principle,pipeline system,filters and other aspects of the vacuum suction system that may affect the suction efficiency was analyzed.The causes and solutions of vacuum suction weakness were discussed,and operation suggestions were proposed to ensure the safe and effective use of equipment and ensure the safety of diagnosis and treatment.

The theory of “diagnosing diseases with sinews” means that through the diagnosis and examination of the channel sinews at the site of the lesion， the surplus and deficit state of qi and blood in the channel sinews， vessles and channels， and the degree of damage to the organism caused by the disease and evils， can be determined， forming the three elements （the nature of the disease， the location of the disease， and the disease tendency） of the disease diagnosis can be closely integrated to form the trinity of diagnostic modes， which is “examining the disease nature by sinews， identifying the pattern by sinews， and determining the tendency by sinews”. For intractable facial paralysis， the method of “diagnosing diseases with sinews” can be adopted， in which the morphological changes of the channel sinews are judged through diagnosis by observation， the traditional Chinese patterns are identified through diagnosis by palpation， and the points of meridian tendons and the circulation of tendon and treatment lines are determined through diagnosis by circulation. The “diagnosing diseases with sinews” not only helps to accurately determine the disease condition， patterns and development trend， but also helps to adopt targeted treatment for the disease and prevent the disease from spreading， and providing ideas and methods for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of intractable facial paralysis.