Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the primary fibrogenic cells in the liver, and their activation plays a crucial role in the development and progression of hepatic fibrosis. Here, we report that retinoid X receptor-alpha (RXRα), a unique member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is a key modulator of HSC activation and liver fibrosis. RXRα exerts its effects by modulating calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ)-mediated activation of AMP-activated protein kinase-alpha (AMPKα). In addition, we demonstrate that K-80003, which binds RXRα by a unique mechanism, effectively suppresses HSC activation, proliferation, and migration, thereby inhibiting liver fibrosis in the CCl₄ and amylin liver NASH (AMLN) diet animal models. The effect is mediated by AMPKα activation, promoting mitophagy in HSCs. Mechanistically, K-80003 activates AMPKα by inducing RXRα to form condensates with CaMKKβ and AMPKα via a two-phase process. The formation of RXRα condensates is driven by its N-terminal intrinsic disorder region and requires phosphorylation by CaMKKβ. Our results reveal a crucial role of RXRα in liver fibrosis regulation through modulating mitochondrial activities in HSCs. Furthermore, they suggest that K-80003 and related RXRα modulators hold promise as therapeutic agents for fibrosis-related diseases.

Peri-implant keratinized mucosa (PIKM) augmentation refers to surgical procedures aimed at increasing the width of PIKM. Consensus reports emphasize the necessity of maintaining a minimum width of PIKM to ensure long-term peri-implant health. Currently, several surgical techniques have been validated for their effectiveness in increasing PIKM. However, the selection and application of PIKM augmentation methods may present challenges for dental practitioners due to heterogeneity in surgical techniques, variations in clinical scenarios, and anatomical differences. Therefore, clear guidelines and considerations for PIKM augmentation are needed. This expert consensus focuses on the commonly employed surgical techniques for PIKM augmentation and the factors influencing their selection at second-stage surgery. It aims to establish a standardized framework for assessing, planning, and executing PIKM augmentation procedures, with the goal of offering evidence-based guidance to enhance the predictability and success of PIKM augmentation.
Humans ; Consensus ; Dental Implants ; Mouth Mucosa/surgery* ; Keratins

Objective:To investigate the safety,efficacy,and prognosis of high-dose melphalan in combination with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). Methods:The clinical data of 17 patients with newly diagnosed MM who underwent ASCT as first-line consolidation therapy at the Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College from March 2020 to October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The safety,efficacy,and prognosis of this treatment approach were evaluated. Results:Of the 17 patients,10 were male and 7 were female,with a median age of 56 (45-64) years. The stem cell engraftment rate was 100％,with a median neutrophil engraftment time of+10 (9-12) days and a median platelet engraftment time of+12 (10-21) days. The incidence of oral mucositis and intestinal infection after transplantation was 100％,with 2 cases of pulmonary infection,1 case of urinary tract infection,1 case of skin infection,and 11 cases of transient elevation of serum amylase. After transplantation,13 patients achieved a complete response (CR) or better,and the CR rate showed an increasing trend compared to before transplantation (13/17 vs 8/17;P=0.078). The median follow-up time was 18 (6-36) months,and 15 patients survived without progression,1 patient experienced disease progression,and 1 patient died due to clinical relapse and abandonment of treatment. The 2-year overall survival (OS) rate and progression-free survival (PFS) rate were approximately 90.0％ and 83.9％,respectively. Conclusion:High-dose melphalan in combination with ASCT as first-line consolidation therapy for MM can enhance the depth of patient response,further improve therapeutic efficacy,and the transplant-related complications are controllable,making it a viable option worth promoting in clinical practice.

Objective:To examine the correlation between serum Klotho levels and frailty in elderly people.Methods:In this cross-sectional study, 150 community-dwelling elderly people aged 65 years and over were enrolled.Subjects were divided into a frail(n=50, 33.3%), a pre-frail(n=47, 31.3%)and a non-frail(n=53, 35.3%)group based on the Fried phenotype.General participant data, routine laboratory test results, short physical performance battery(SPPB)results and human body composition data were collected.Serum Klotho protein levels were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The relationship between serum Klotho protein levels and frailty was analyzed by using Spearmen's correlation analysis and Logistic regression analysis.Results:Klotho protein levels were lower in the frail group than in the non-frail group( P=0.001), whereas differences between the frail group and the pre-frail group and between the pre-frail group and the non-frail group were not statistically significant(all P>0.05).When Klotho protein levels were classified into four quartiles, i.e., Q 1, Q 2, Q 3, and Q 4, using three cut-off vales(2.28, 3.52, and 5.09 mg/L), the prevalences of frailty were 51.4%(19/37), 39.5%(15/38), 24.3%(9/37)and 18.4%(7/38), respectively.The prevalence of frailty decreased with increasing Klotho protein levels( χ2=11.204, P=0.011).Spearman correlation analysis showed that the Klotho protein level was negatively correlated with frailty( r=-0.310, P<0.001).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis results showed that age( OR=1.109, 95% CI: 1.011-1.217, P=0.028)and sarcopenia( OR=6.511, 95% CI: 1.279-33.147, P=0.024)were risk factors for frailty, while walking( OR=0.104, 95% CI: 0.033-0.326, P<0.001), a high SPPB score( OR=0.780, 95% CI: 0.627-0.970, P=0.026), and a high Klotho protein level( OR=0.752, 95% CI: 0.581-0.974, P=0.031)were protective factors against frailty. Conclusions:The serum Klotho protein level may be used as a parameter for the assessment of frailty.It is negatively correlated with frailty, suggesting that elderly people with low serum Klotho protein levels are at high risk of developing frailty.

DNA genetic markers have always played important roles in individual identification, kinship analysis, ancestry inference and phenotype characterization in the field of forensic medicine. DNA methylation has unique advantages in biological age inference, body fluid identification and prediction of phenotypes. The majority of current studies independently examine DNA and DNA methylation markers using various workflows, and they use various analytical procedures to interpret the biological information these two markers present. Integrated methods detect DNA and DNA methylation markers simultaneously through a single experimental workflow using the same preparation of sample. Therefore, they can effectively reduce consumption of time and cost, streamline experimental procedures, and preserve valuable DNA samples taken from crime scenes. In this paper, the integrated detection approaches of DNA and DNA methylation markers on different detection platforms were reviewed. In order to convert methylation modifications to detectable forms, several options were available for pretreatment of genomic DNA, including digestion with methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme, affinity enrichment of methylated fragments, conversion of methylated or unmethylated cytosine. Multiplexed primers can be designed for DNA markers and converted DNA methylation markers for co-amplification. The schemes of using capillary electrophoresis platform for integrated detection add the pretreatment of genomic DNA on the basis of detecting DNA genetic markers. DNA and DNA methylation markers are then integrated by co-amplification. But the limited number of fluorescent options available and the length of amplicons restrict the type and quantity of markers that can be integrated into a panel. Pyrophosphate sequencing also supports integrated detection of DNA and DNA methylation markers. On this platform, due to the conversion of unmethylated cytosine to thymine after treatment with bisulfite, the methylation level of CpG site can be directly calculated using the peak height ratio of cytosine bases and thymine bases. Therefore, the methylation levels and SNP typing can be simultaneously obtained. However, due to the limited read length of sequencing, the detection of markers with longer amplicons is restricted. It is not conducive to fully interpret the complete information of the target sequence. Next-generation sequencing also supports integrated detection of DNA and DNA methylation markers. A preliminary experimental process including DNA extraction, pretreatment of genomic DNA, co-preparation of DNA and DNA methylation library and co-sequencing, has been formed based on the next-generation sequencing platform. It confirmed the feasibility of next-generation sequencing technology for integrated detection of DNA and DNA methylation markers. In field of biomedicine, various integrated detection schemes and corresponding data analysis approaches of DNA and DNA genetic markers developed based on the above detection process.Co-analysis can simultaneously obtain the genomic genetic and epigenetic information through a single analytic process. These schemes suggest that next-generation sequencing may be an effective method for achieving more accurate and highly integrated detection, helping to explore the potential for application in forensic biological samples. We finally explore the impact of interactions between sites and different pretreatment methods on the integrated detection of DNA and DNA methylation markers, and also propose the challenge of applying third-generation sequencing for integrated detection in forensic samples.

Aim To study the neuroprotective effects of Herba siegesbeckiae extract on cerebral ischemia/ reperfusion rats and its mechanism. Methods Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into model group, low, middle and high dose groups of Herba siegesbeckiae, and Sham operation group, and the drug was given continuously for seven days. The degree of neurologic impairment was evaluated by mNSS, and the infarct volume was measured by MRI. The number of Nissl-posi- tive cells was detected by Nissl staining, and the apop- tosis was accessed by Tunel staining. Furthermore, the expression of Bax, Bcl-2 and NeuN was observed by Western blot, and the expression of NeuN was detected by immunofluorescence staining. The expression of IL- 1β, TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA was performed by RT- qPCR. Results The mNSS score and the volume of ischemic cerebral infarction in the model group were significantly increased, and Herba siegesbeckiae extract treatment significantly decreased the mNSS score and infarct volume (P<0.05, P<0.01). Herba siegesbeckiae extract could increase the number of Nissl-pos- itive cells and the expression of NeuN (P<0.01), and reduce the number of Tunel-positive cells (P<0.01). Western blot showed that Herba siegesbeckiae extract inhibited the expression of Bax, increased Bcl-2 and NeuN in ischemic brain tissue (P<0.01). RT-qPCR showed that Herba siegesbeckiae extract inhibited the expression of IL-1 β, TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA in the is-chemic brain tissue (P<0.01). Conclusions Herba siegesbeckiae extract can reduce the cerebral infarction volume, improve the neurological function damage, inhibit the apoptosis of nerve cells and the expression of inflammatory factors and promote the expression of NeuN, there by exerting protective effects on MCAO rats.

Objective To investigate the infection status and changing trend of hepatitis C virus(HCV)infection in hospitalized patients in medical institutions,and provide reference for formulating HCV infection prevention and control strategies.Methods HCV infection surveillance results from cross-sectional survey data reported to China Healthcare-associated Infection(HAI)Surveillance System in 2020 were summarized and analyzed,HCV positive was serum anti-HCV positive or HCV RNA positive,survey result was compared with the survey results from 2003.Results In 2020,1 071 368 inpatients in 1 573 hospitals were surveyed,738 535 of whom underwent HCV test,4 014 patients were infected with HCV,with a detection rate of 68.93％and a HCV positive rate of 0.54％.The positive rate of HCV in male and female patients were 0.60％and 0.48％,respectively,with a statistically sig-nificant difference(x2=47.18,P＜0.001).The HCV positive rate in the 50-＜60 age group was the highest(0.76％),followed by the 40-＜50 age group(0.71％).Difference among all age groups was statistically signifi-cant(x2=696.74,P＜0.001).In 2003,91 113 inpatients were surveyed.35 145 of whom underwent HCV test,resulting in a detection rate of 38.57％;775 patients were infected with HCV,with a positive rate of 2.21％.In 2020,HCV positive rates in hospitals of different scales were 0.46％-0.63％,with the highest in hospital with bed numbers ranging 600-899.Patients'HCV positive rates in hospitals of different scales was statistically signifi-cant(X2=35.34,P＜0.001).In 2020,12 provinces/municipalities had over 10 000 patients underwent HCV-rela-ted test,and HCV positive rates ranged 0.19％-0.81％,with the highest rate from Hainan Province.HCV posi-tive rates in different departments were 0.06％-0.82％,with the lowest positive rate in the department of pedia-trics and the highest in the department of internal medicine.In 2003 and 2020,HCV positive rates in the depart-ment of infectious diseases were the highest,being 7.95％and 3.48％,respectively.Followed by departments of orthopedics(7.72％),gastroenterology(3.77％),nephrology(3.57％)and general intensive care unit(ICU,3.10％)in 2003,as well as departments of gastroenterology(1.35％),nephrology(1.18％),endocrinology(0.91％),and general intensive care unit(ICU,0.79％)in 2020.Conclusion Compared with 2003,HCV positive rate decreased significantly in 2020.HCV infected patients were mainly from the department of infectious diseases,followed by departments of gastroenterology,nephrology and general ICU.HCV infection positive rate varies with gender,age,and region.

Objective To explore the mechanism of'homotherapy for heteropathy'Zhigancao Decoction in the treatment of coronary heart disease arrhythmia and pulmonary fibrosis by network pharmacology and molecular docking technology.Methods All the active components of Zhigancao Decoction were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP)and Herbal Compendium(HERB).The SwissTargetPrediction database was used to predict the targets.Cytoscape software was used to construct the drugs-targets network diagram and network topology analysis was performed to obtain the core drug targets.The disease targets of coronary heart disease,arrhythmia and pulmonary fibrosis were obtained in GeneCards and OMIM databases,and the intersection targets of Chinese medicine and disease were obtained by Venny software.The intersection targets were imported into the STRING online database to construct a protein-protein interaction network,and the data were imported into Cytoscape software for visualization and screening of core targets.Gene ontology(GO)function enrichment analysis and kyto encyclo-pedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis were performed on the intersection targets using the Metascape database.Molecular docking verification and heat map visualization were performed on the core intersection target and the core drug target through the CB-DOCK2 online platform.Results A total of 137 active components of Zhigancao Decoction were screened out,and 848 corresponding drug targets were obtained by removing repeated values.A total of 9 962 targets of coronary heart disease,5 735 targets of arrhythmia and 7 722 targets of pulmonary fibrosis were obtained.A total of 362 drug-disease intersection targets were obtained by Venny platform processing.The potential core targets with higher degree values were GAPDH,IL-6,ALB,STAT3,TNF,MMP-9 and so on by network topology analysis.GO functional enrichment analysis showed that the main biological processes(BP)involved in Zhigancao Decoction'homotherapy for heteropathy'were the response to hormones,the positive regulation of circulatory system process,phosphorus metabolism process,the response to exogenous stimulation,and the response to organic matter,the main cellular components(CC)include lipid rafts,receptor complexes,cytoplasmic perinuclear regions,dendrites,membrane sides,etc.,the main molecular functions(MF)include protein kinase activity,kinase binding,protein homopolymerization activity,nuclear receptor activity,heme binding,etc..KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the main signaling pathways involved in Zhigancao Decoction'homotherapy for heteropathy'were lipid and atherosclerosis,calcium signaling pathway,cAMP signaling pathway,insulin resistance,cGMP-PKG signaling pathway,JAK-STAT signaling pathway,NF-κB signaling pathway,etc..The results of molecular docking suggested that there was a good binding activity between the main active component targets of Zhigancao Decoction and the core targets of'homotherapy for heteropathy'.Conclusion Zhigancao Decoction mainly regulates JAK-STAT,NF-κB,cAMP and other signaling pathways,acts on IL-6,STAT3,TNF,MMP-9 and other gene targets,and exerts the effect of'homotherapy for heteropathy'on coronary heart disease arrhythmia and pulmonary fibrosis.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of oblique lumbar interbody fusion(OLIF)combined with poste-rior percutaneous internal fixation in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis with or without redundant nerve roots(RNRs).Meth-ods A retrospective analysis of 92 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis treated by oblique lateral lumbar interbody fusion com-bined with posterior percutaneous internal fixation from June 2019 to June 2022 was performed.There were 32 males and 60 females,aged from 44 to 82 years old with an average of(63.67±9.93)years old.All patients were divided into RNRs positive group and RNRs negative group according to redundancy or not before operation.There were 38 patients in RNRs positive group,including 15 males and 23 females.The age ranged from 45 to 82 years old with an average of(65.45±10.37)years old.The disease duration was 24.00(12.00,72.00)months.There were 54 patients in RNRs negative group,including 17 males and 37 females.The age ranged from 44 to 77 years old with an average of(62.42±9.51)years old.The disease duration was 13.50(9.00,36.00)months.The general data of patients were recorded,including operation time,intraoperative blood loss and complications.The imaging parameters before and after operation were observed,including the number of stenosis segments,intervertebral space height,lumbar lordosis angle and dural sac area.The visual analogue scale(VAS)was used to evaluate the back and lower extremity pain,and the Oswestry disability index(ODI)was used to evaluate the activities of daily living.Results All patients were followed up for 8 to 18 months with an average of(11.04±3.61)months,and no complications were found during the follow-up period.The number of stenosis segments in RNRs positive group(1.71±0.46)was more than that in RNRs negative group(1.17±0.38).In RNRs positive group,intervertebral space height,dural sac area,low back pain VAS,lower extremity pain VAS,ODI score were(1.11±0.19)cm,(0.46±0.17)cm2,(5.39±1.00)scores,(5.05±1.01)points,(55.74±4.05)points,respectively.RNRs negative groups respectively(0.97±0.23)cm,(0.69±0.26)cm2,(4.50±0.77)scores,(4.00±0.58)scores,(47.33±3.43)％.In RNRs positive group,intervertebral space height,dural sac area,low back pain VAS,leg pain VAS,ODI score were(1.60±0.19)cm,(0.74±0.36)cm2,(3.39±0.72)scores,(3.05±1.01)scores,(46.74±4.82)scores,respectively.RNRs negative groups respectively(1.48±0.25)cm,(1.12±0.35)cm2,(3.00±0.82)scores,(3.00±0.82)scores,(37.67±3.58)％.The postoperative intervertebral space height,dural sac area,low back pain VAS score,lower extremity pain VAS and ODI score of the patients in the RNRs positive group and the negative group were signifi-cantly improved compared with those before operation,and the differences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).There were statistically significant differences in the number of stenosed segments,preoperative intervertebral space height,dural sac area,low back pain VAS,lower extremity pain VAS,and ODI between the two groups(P＜0.05).There were significant differences in postoperative intervertebral space height and postoperative ODI between the two groups(P＜0.05),but there was no significant difference in intervertebral space height before and after operation and ODI score before and after operation(P＞0.05).There were significant differences in operation time,intraoperative blood loss,postoperative dural sac area,difference of dural sac area before and after operation,postoperative low back pain VAS,difference of low back pain VAS score before and after oper-ation,difference of lower extremity pain VAS before and after operation between the two groups(P＜0.05).Conclusion OLIF combined with posterior percutaneous internal fixation has a good effect on patients with or without RNRs.Multi-segmental lumbar spinal stenosis and decreased dural sac area may lead to the occurrence of RNRs,and LSS patients with RNRs have more severe symptoms.LSS patients with RNRs have worse surgical outcomes than those without RNRs.

Aim To study the effect of salidroside combined with rosavin on ischemic stroke in rats.Methods The model of MCAO was established by u-sing thread-embolic method.The rats were divided into the sham group,MCAO group,salidroside combined with rosavin group,positive control group,and the drug was given continuously for seven days.The infarct volume was measured by MRI and neurological deficit score was evaluated by Zea-Longa.The levels of Ne-uN,BDNF,TGF-β1,p-Smad were observed by West-ern blot and immunofluorescence staining.The expres-sions of IL-1β,TNF-α and IL-6 were performed by RT-qPCR/ELISA.The primary cortical neurons were isolated,OGD/R inducted,divided into the normal group,OGD/R group,salidroside combined with rosa-vin group,and TGF-β1 inhibitor+salidroside com-bined with rosavin group,the drug was given for 24 hours,and the expressions of NeuN,BDNF,IL-1β,TNF-α and IL-6 were measured.Results Salidroside combined with rosavin could decrease the infarct vol-ume,improve the neurological function,promote the levels of Neun,BDNF,TGF-β1,p-Smad,and inhibit the expressions of IL-1β,TNF-α and IL-6.Salidroside combined with rosavin could promote NeuN,BDNF,inhibit IL-1β,TNF-α,IL-6 in primary nerve cells in-duced by OGD/R,and these effects were blocked by TGF-β1 inhibitor.Conclusions Salidroside combined with rosavin has neuroprotective effects on MCAO rats,and primary neurons are induced by OGD/R,and these effects are closely related to the TGF-β pathway.