ObjectiveTo explore the potential mechanism of Changji'an Formula （肠激安方） on intestinal permeability for rats with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome （IBS-D） of liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome by the microRNA-29b-3p （miR-29b-3p）/tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 3 （TRAF3）/nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB）/myosin light chain kinase （MLCK） axis. MethodsTwenty-four 1-day-old male Sprague-Dawley （SD） suckling rats were selected， and the IBS-D rat model of liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome was established via a three-factor method，i.e. maternal separation plus acetic acid stimulation and restraint stress， for 6 consecutive weeks. After successful modeling， the rats were randomly divided into a model group， pinaverium bromide group， low-dose and high-dose Changji'an Formula groups， with 6 rats in each group. Another 6 age-matched non-modeled SD rats were included as the control group. The low-dose and high-dose Changji'an Formula groups were given intragastric administration of Changji'an Formula solution at doses of 16.74 g/（kg·d） and 33.48 g/（kg·d）， respectively； the pinaverium bromide group received intragastric administration of pinaverium bromide tablets at 0.018 g/（kg·d）； and the control group was given distilled water at 10 ml/（kg·d） via intragastric gavage. The intervention was conducted once daily for 14 consecutive days. After the gavage treatment， the fecal water content of rats in each group was measured. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the serum levels of intestinal permeability indicators， including D-lactic acid （D-LA）， diamine oxidase （DAO）， and lipopolysaccharide （LPS）. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction （qRT-PCR） was conducted to determine the mRNA expression levels of miR-29b-3p， TRAF3， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， p65， p50， and MLCK in colonic tissues. Western Blot analysis was employed to detect the protein expression levels of TRAF3， TNF-α， p65， phosphorylated p65 （p-p65）， MLCK， myosin light chain （MLC）， phosphorylated MLC （p-MLC）， and tight junction proteins including junctional adhesion molecule-A （JAM-A）， Occludin， and Claudin-1 in colonic tissues. ResultsCompared with the control group， the model group exhibited significantly increased fecal water content and serum levels of D-LA， DAO， and LPS， along with decreased protein expression levels of JAM-A， Occludin， and Claudin-1 in colonic tissues （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Additionally， in the model group， the mRNA expression levels of miR-29b-3p， TNF-α， p65， p50， and MLCK in colonic tissues were up-regulated， while the mRNA and protein expression levels of TRAF3 were down-regulated； the protein levels of TNF-α and MLCK， as well as the ratios of p-p65/p65 and p-MLC/MLC， significantly elevated （P＜0.01）. Compared with the model group， all treatment groups showed reduced fecal water content and serum levels of D-LA， DAO， and LPS， along with down-regulated mRNA expression levels of miR-29b-3p， TNF-α， p65， p50， and MLCK， and up-regulated TRAF3 mRNA expression in colonic tissues. Moreover， the pinaverium bromide group and high-dose Changji'an Formula group presented increased protein levels of Occludin， Claudin-1， and TRAF3， as well as decreased protein levels of TNF-α and MLCK， and reduced ratios of p-p65/p65 and p-MLC/MLC in colonic tissues （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Compared with the low-dose Changji'an Formula group， the high-dose group had lower fecal water content and serum levels of DAO and LPS （P＜0.01）. In comparison with the pinaverium bromide group， the high-dose Changji'an Formula group showed a significant decrease in serum DAO level （P＜0.01）. ConclusionsChangji'an Formula can reduce intestinal permeability and restore intestinal barrier function in IBS-D rats of liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome by regulating the miR-29b-3p/TRAF3/NF-κB/MLCK axis.

ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Dihuang Yinzi （DY） on motor dysfunction in rats with advanced Parkinson's disease （PD） and to investigate the mechanisms by which DY improves advanced PD symptoms through the "gut microbiota-short-chain fatty acids （SCFAs）-inflammation-neuroprotection pathway". MethodsAn advanced PD rat model was induced by rotenone. Rats were divided into a normal group， model group， positive drug group （levodopa， 50 mg·kg^-1）， and DY low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （5.2， 10.4， 20.8 g·kg^-1）. After 7 days of administration， motor function was evaluated using the open-field， pole-climbing， and inclined plate tests. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe pathological changes in the substantia nigra and colon， and immunohistochemistry was performed to detect α-Synuclein （α-Syn） and tyrosine hydroxylase （TH） expression in the substantia nigra. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to measure levels of dopamine （DA）， 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT）， 3，4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid （DOPAC）， Levodopa， homovanillic acid （HVA）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and interleukin-1β （IL-1β）. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression of zonula occludens-1 （ZO-1） and occludin. Gut microbiota diversity was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing， and gas chromatography （GC） was used to determine the content of SCFAs in colonic contents. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly decreased movement speed and distance in the open-field test， prolonged pole-climbing time， and reduced retention angle on the inclined plate （P<0.01）， accompanied by increased α-Syn expression （P<0.01） and decreased TH expression （P<0.01） in the brain. Compared with the model group， all DY dose groups improved motor dysfunction in advanced PD rats to varying degrees （P<0.05， P<0.01） and alleviated pathological damage in the brain and colon. High-dose DY significantly reduced α-Syn aggregation in the substantia nigra （P<0.01） and increased TH expression （P<0.01）. ELISA and Western blot results showed that， compared with the normal group， the model group exhibited decreased levels of DA， 5-HT， DOPAC， Levodopa， and HVA in the striatum （P<0.01）， increased levels of TNF-α， IL-6， and IL-1β in the colon and striatum （P<0.01）， and significantly reduced expression of ZO-1 （P<0.05） and occludin in the colon （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all DY dose groups increased the levels of DA， 5-HT， DOPAC， Levodopa， and HVA in the striatum to varying degrees （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In the high-dose DY group， the levels of TNF-α， IL-6， and IL-1β in the colon and striatum were reduced （P<0.01）， while the expression of ZO-1 （P<0.05） and occludin in the intestine was increased. The 16S rRNA sequencing results indicated that the relative abundances of Actinobacteriota， Enterobacteriaceae， and Erysipelotrichaceae were increased in the model group， whereas the relative abundances of Bacteroidota， class Clostridia， Lachnospiraceae， and Akkermansia muciniphila were decreased. These changes were effectively reversed after high-dose DY intervention. GC analysis showed that the content of SCFAs in the colonic contents of rats in the model group was decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while after high-dose DY intervention， the levels of acetate， propionate， isobutyrate， and butyrate were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionDY may exert therapeutic effects in advanced PD by regulating the gut microbiota-SCFAs-inflammation pathway.

There are practical and cost-effective opportunities for the prevention and early intervention of periodontal disease, a common oral condition. Depression and anxiety represent major global mental health challenges, and they are characterized by high prevalence rates and an elevated suicide risk. Their clinical management is complicated by extended treatment timelines and substantial healthcare costs. Accumulating evidence demonstrates a statistically significant bidirectional association between periodontal disease and depression/anxiety disorders. However, established clinical pathways integrating these conditions remain lacking. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of current research examining the relationship between periodontal disease and mood disorders, specifically depression and anxiety. This study explored the bidirectional mechanisms within the microbiota-oral-brain axis, which includes both periodontal disease inducing neuroinflammation through pro-inflammatory factors, such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) activating the TLR-4/NF-κB signaling pathway, and depression and anxiety leading to “glucocorticoid resistance” through hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation, thus causing dual immune dysfunction that exacerbates periodontal tissue destruction, as well as the mechanisms by which biological, psychological, and social factors contribute to the bidirectional association between periodontal disease and depression/anxiety. We propose implementing bidirectional referral protocols between dental and psychiatric services in clinical practice, incorporating mental health screening tools, such as Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7(GAD-7), for patients with moderate-to-severe periodontal disease, and incorporating periodontal examination into routine assessment during psychiatric services. This multidisciplinary approach aims to break the vicious circle between these conditions and provide clinicians with pragmatic intervention strategies.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Yifei Jianpi prescription on the of signal transducer and activator of transcription protein 1 （STAT1）/interferon regulatory factor 3 （IRF3） signaling pathway in a pneumonia model induced by lipopolysaccharide （LPS） and to explore the mechanism of Yifei Jianpi prescription in improving lung immune and inflammatory responses. MethodsSixty male SPF SD rats were used in this study. Ten rats were randomly assigned to the normal control group， and the remaining 50 were instilled with LPS in the trachea to establish a pneumonia model. After successful modeling， the rats were randomly divided into the model group， dexamethasone group （0.5 mg·kg^-1）， and Yifei Jianpi prescription high-dose （12 mg·kg^-1）， medium-dose （6 mg·kg^-1）， and low-dose （3 mg·kg^-1） groups， with 10 rats in each group. Treatment was administered once daily， and the normal control and model groups received the same volume of normal saline. After 14 days， flow cytometry was used to detect the classification of whole blood lymphocytes. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to measure serum levels of immunoglobulin G （IgG）， immunoglobulin A （IgA）， immunoglobulin M （IgM）， and the content of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-8 （IL-8）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and interleukin-10 （IL-10） in alveolar lavage fluid （BALF）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe lung tissue pathology and score the damage. Thymus weight， spleen weight， and wet-to-dry weight ratio （W/D） were recorded. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression of STAT1， IRF3， IL-6， and interferon-alpha （IFN-α） in lung tissues， while Western blot was performed to assess the protein expression of STAT1， IRF3， IL-6， and IFN-α. ResultsCompared with the normal control group， the model group showed significantly increased proportion of B lymphocytes in peripheral blood， decreased proportions of NK cells and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ （P<0.05， P<0.01）， decreased serum levels of IgG and IgA， significantly increased IgM levels （P<0.01）， significantly elevated content of TNF-α， IL-6， and IL-8 in BALF， and significantly decreased IL-10 levels （P<0.01）. Lung tissue damage was evident， with significant increases in thymus and spleen weights and a higher W/D ratio （P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expression of STAT1， IRF3， IFN-α， and IL-6 in lung tissues was significantly upregulated （P<0.05，P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Yifei Jianpi prescription groups showed significantly reduced proportions of B lymphocytes in peripheral blood， increased proportions of NK cells and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ ratios （P<0.05， P<0.01）， significantly increased serum levels of IgG and IgA， significantly decreased IgM levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）， significantly reduced levels of TNF-α， IL-6， and IL-8 in BALF， and significantly increased IL-10 levels （P<0.01）. Lung tissue damage was alleviated， thymus and spleen weights were significantly reduced， and the W/D ratio was markedly decreased （P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expression of STAT1， IRF3， IFN-α， and IL-6 in lung tissues was significantly downregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionYifei Jianpi prescription can alleviate lung tissue damage and improve immune and inflammatory responses in LPS-induced pneumonia rats. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of STAT1/IRF3 signaling pathway activation.

[Objective] To explore the temperature parameters affecting the polybrene test and determine the optimal temperature conditions for detecting unexpected antibodies of the Rh system. [Methods] The reaction of IgG human anti-D antibody with different dilutions (undiluted, 1∶2, 1∶4, 1∶8, 1∶16, 1∶32，1∶64) with D antigen-positive red blood cells was detected by manual polybrene test (MPT). Different temperatures (25℃ and 37℃) were set, and the reaction time with low ionic medium was 4 minutes. The agglutination integral value of anti-D and red cell depolymerization time were compared to observe the effect of enhanced agglutination reaction, thereby establishing the test temperature reaction conditions for enhancing the MPT. The same reaction condition was applied to 36 blood samples containing unexpected antibodies of the Rh system, and the effect of enhanced MPT was observed in comparison with the polybrene method and the antiglobulin test (column agglutination). [Results] With all other conditions held constant, when low ionic medium was added, the incubation temperature of 25℃ and 37℃ resulted in different total agglutination integral values for anti-D (20.9±2.025 vs 25.5±2.635), and the comparison showed a significant difference (P<0.05). When the antibody dilution was 1∶16, the incubation temperature of 25℃ and 37℃ resulted in different agglutination integral values (3.9±0.738 vs 5.8±0.632), and the comparison showed a significant difference (P<0.05). Erythrocyte depolymerization time (62.8±8.149 vs 90.1±10.713) was significantly different (P<0.05). At a dilution of 1∶32, the incubation temperatures of 25℃ and 37℃ resulted in different agglutination integral values (2.5±0.527 vs 4.3±0.675), as well as different red blood cell dissociation times (35.4±7.792 vs 57.4±10.885)(P<0.05), and the comparison showed a significant difference (P<0.05), with no differences observed in the other groups. In the detection of 36 Rh system unexpected antibody samples, when the antibody titer was ≤2, the enhanced polybrene method had a higher positive rate, and when the antibody titer was ≥4, the detection rates of the three methods were consistent. [Conclusion] The reference temperature condition for the modified MPT is incubation at 37℃ for 4 min after the addition of low ionic medium. The application of this temperature condition to unexpected antibody samples of Rh system could achieve a significant enhancement effect, thereby increasing transfusion safety for the treatment of emergency patients, and is worth popularizing.

Approximately 10% of the global adult population has diabetes, with accumulating evidence linking suboptimal vitamin D levels to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and its complications. Current clinical studies suggest that vitamin D supplementation may enhance insulin sensitivity and improve glycemic control, prompting significant interest in its potential as a therapeutic intervention. However, further high-quality, large-scale randomized controlled trials are required to validate its efficacy in glucose metabolism regulation and clarify the underlying molecular mechanisms. These investigations will provide critical evidence to inform precision medicine approaches for diabetes prevention and management.

Aluminum adjuvants are widely used in the field of vaccines due to their ability to induce efficient and long-lasting immune responses and good safety profile. With the development of immunology, the requirements for adjuvants have gradually increased, and traditional aluminum adjuvants can no longer meet all the needs of application. The development of novel aluminum adjuvants has become a hot research topic in order to achieve good immunity-enhancing effects and induce specific types and strengths of immune responses. This review briefly introduces the mechanism of action and safety of aluminum adjuvants, with focus on the research progress of novel aluminum adjuvants in recent years, mainly including nano-aluminum adjuvants and composite aluminum adjuvants (aluminum adjuvants compounded with immunity-stimulating molecules or delivery carriers), and a prospect of their future research direction, aiming to provide some reference for the further development and clinical application of aluminum adjuvants.

Cerebral small vessel disease （CSVD） is a spectrum of pathological conditions affecting intracranial small blood vessels and is associated with a variety of clinical manifestations， including cognitive impairment， gait abnormalities， and sleep disorders. In recent years， the association between CSVD and sleep disorders has attracted increasing attention. This article reviews the association of CSVD with various sleep disorders such as obstructive/central sleep apnea hypoventilation syndrome， restless legs syndrome， and insomnia， analyzes the mechanisms by which sleep disorders cause CSVD， and proposes potential directions for future research.

Radiochemotherapy-induced oral mucositis (OM) is a common oral complication in patients with tumors following head and neck radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Erosion and ulcers are the main features of OM that seriously affect the quality of life of patients and even the progress of tumor treatment. To date, differences in clinical prevention and treatment plans for OM have been noted among doctors of various specialties, which has increased the uncertainty of treatment effects. On the basis of current research evidence, this expert consensus outlines risk factors, clinical manifestations, clinical grading, ancillary examinations, diagnostic basis, prevention and treatment strategies and efficacy indicators for OM. In addition to strategies such as basic oral care, anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents, anti-infective agents, pro-healing agents, and photobiotherapy recommended in previous guidelines, we also emphasize the role of traditional Chinese medicine in OM prevention and treatment. This expert consensus aims to provide references and guidance for dental physicians and oncologists in formulating strategies for OM prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, standardizing clinical practice, reducing OM occurrence, promoting healing, and improving the quality of life of patients.
Humans ; Chemoradiotherapy/adverse effects* ; Consensus ; Risk Factors ; Stomatitis/etiology*

In the ever-evolving landscape of cancer therapy, while cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy aim to eradicate malignant cells, they also inadvertently trigger cellular senescence in both cancerous and microenvironmental tissues. Therapy-induced senescence (TIS) can act as a barrier against tumor growth by halting cell proliferation in the short term, but the long-term persistence of therapy-induced senescent (TISnt) cells may pose a significant challenge in cancer management. Their distinct characteristics, like senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), metabolic dysregulation, and immune evasion, make them exhibit remarkable heterogeneity to orchestrate the tumor microenvironment (TME), resulting in therapy resistance. However, how these TISnt cells functioning differently in cancer progression, and the intricate mechanisms by which they remodel the senescence-associated immunosuppressive microenvironment present challenges for improving anticancer therapy. Therefore, this review summarizes the heterogeneous TISnt cell phenotypes contributing to an accumulated senescent state, outlines their multidimensional interactions in the senescent microenvironment, and discusses current senescence-targeting strategies. Building on the current understanding of TIS, we propose potential avenues for improving TIS-targeting methodologies in the context of head and neck cancer, a representative heterogeneous malignancy, which can substantially enhance the efficacy of the "one-two punch" sequential treatment approach for head and neck cancer.
Humans ; Cellular Senescence/drug effects* ; Tumor Microenvironment ; Neoplasms/pathology* ; Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype