Objective To elucidate the changes in the gut microbiota and molecular mechanism of huaier in enhancing the efficacy of oxaliplatin (OXA) chemotherapy in gastric cancer (GC). Methods The effects of huaier on the gut microbiota structure and intestinal barrier function in MKN45-bearing mice were analyzed by using 16S rRNA sequencing, RT-qPCR, and IHC. UPLC-MS and network pharmacology, as well as in vivo experimental approaches, were employed to investigate the key bioactive constituents of huaier systematically and elucidate the underlying mechanisms by which huaier exerts therapeutic effects against GC. The expression of the PI3K/AKT/SREBP pathway was detected in cancer cells and tissues via Western blot analysis. The safety profile of huaier combined with OXA was verified through serum biochemistry and HE-stained tissue section analyses. Results Huaier inhibited the PI3K/AKT/SREBP pathway by increasing the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila, reduced lipid droplet deposition, and ultimately enhanced the sensitivity to OXA in the treatment of GC. Conclusion This study demonstrates the value of huaier in gastric cancer treatment by enhancing chemosensitivity and provides novel insights into its systemic therapeutic effects through molecular mechanisms and gut microbiota modulation.

Allergic rhinitis (AR), a globally prevalent immune-mediated inflammatory condition, is still an incurable disease. In the present study, we have validated the impact of the Kelch-like ECH associated protein 1 (Keap1)-related oxidative stress and inflammatory response in clinical AR patient peripheral blood and nasal swab samples, emphasizing the biological relevance of Keap1 and AR. Targeting Keap1 -nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) related anti-oxidative stress may be effective for AR intervention. Drawing inspiration from the Keap1 homodimerization and the E3 ligase characteristics, we herein present a design of novel bivalent molecules for chemical knockdown of Keap1. For the first time, we characterized ternary complexes of Keap1 dimer and one molecule of bivalent compounds. The best bivalent molecule 8 encompasses robust capacity to degrade Keap1 as a homoPROTAC^KEAP1. It efficaciously suppresses inflammatory cytokines in extensively different cells, including human nasal epithelial cells. Moreover, in an AR mouse model, we confirmed that the chemical degradation induced by homoPROTAC^KEAP1 led to therapeutic benefits in managing AR symptoms, oxidative stress and inflammation. In summary, our findings underscore the efficacy of targeting the Keap1 system through the homoPROTAC-ing technology as an innovative and promising treatment strategy for the incurable allergic disorders.

Immature permanent teeth refer to those that have erupted but have not yet formed and matured in terms of shape and structure. The characteristics of their disease onset and treatment methods are different from those of ordinary permanent teeth. Children with special healthcare needs often lack the capacity to cooperate during routine dental procedures, making treatment under general anesthesia (GA) the preferred option. With social advancements, the demand for pediatric dental GA has considerably increased. This study discuss the treatment strategies for immature permanent teeth under GA, including diagnosis, therapeutic principles, key considerations, and clinical approaches for dental caries, pulpitis periapical periodontitis, etc.
Child ; Humans ; Anesthesia, General ; Dental Caries/diagnosis* ; Dentition, Permanent ; Periapical Periodontitis/therapy* ; Pulpitis/therapy*

Objective:To investigate the synergistic activity and mechanism of vinegar baked radix bupleurum polysaccharides(VBCP)in combination with oxaliplatin(OXA),and to provide new ideas for the clinical treatment of primary hepatocellular carci-noma.Methods:MTT assay was used to detect the cytotoxic effect of VBCP 3-4 and VBCP 3-3 in combination with OXA on Huh7 cells;ICP-MS was used to measure the uptake rate of OXA by Huh7 cells and evaluate the in vitro synergistic pathway of VBCP 3-4 in combination with OXA;Western blotting was used to measure the expression levels of related transporter proteins in Huh7 cells and explore the synergistic mechanism of VBCP 3-4 in combination and MRP1 in Huh7 cells,and the protein expression level of multidrug resistance-associated protein(MRP)2 was upregulated to 18.11%and 25.00%,respectively(P=0.008,P=0.001),while that of MRP1 was upregulated to 28.51%(P>0.05)and 39.70%(P=0.015),respectively.After the combination of VBCP 3-4 and OXA,the protein expression of MRP2,MRP1,and breast cancer resis-tance protein(BCRP)was inhibited;MRP2 was reduced by 47.38%in the high-dose combination group(P=0.000)and 15.18%in the low-dose combination group(P=0.049);MRP1 was reduced by 64.96%in the high-dose combination group(P=0.000)and 34.63%in the low-dose combination group(P=0.000);BCRP was reduced by 29.00%(P=0.020)in the high-dose combination group.Acting on Huh7 cells alone,VBCP 3-4 significantly reduced the protein expression levels of MRP2,MRP1,and BCRP,and in the high-dose VBCP 3-4 group,MRP2 and MRP1 were reduced by 24.91%and 20.79%,respectively(P=0.004,P=0.005).VBCP 3-4 downregu-lated the protein expression level of BCRP by 15.02%in the high-dose group(P=0.003)and 13.92%in the middle-dose group(P=0.030).Conclusion:VBCP 3-4 exerts a synergistic effect by inhibiting the expression of the efflux transporter proteins MRP1,MRP2,and BCRP,promoting the intake of OXA by Huh7 cells,and increasing the intracellular effective concentration.

After COVID -19, patients, medical workers and the whole society in COVID -19 were faced with the challenge of how to quickly return to normal life. Patients cured in COVID -19 would face mental or psychological barriers, or be discriminated against, or face problems such as overweight of local epidemic prevention policies. The front-line medical personnel experienced job burnout and a variety of mental and psychological disorders, with some even developing physical symptoms. During the epidemic, ordinary people were in a state of psychological stress, education, production and economic activities were affected, and the incidence of mental or psychological disorders increases. It was necessary to provide COVID -19 patients with mental health monitoring and counseling. Give professional guidance to front-line medical staff, arrange rotation reasonably, and pay attention to their mental health status. Local governments should strictly implement the national epidemic prevention system, formulate epidemic prevention policies with humanistic care, actively publicize epidemic related knowledge and safeguard the rights and interests of the people.

BACKGROUND:Stable intertrochanteric fractures can be treated by closed reduction and internal fixation,but there is no absolute advantage for unstable intertrochanteric fractures with osteoporosis. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the efficacy of arthroplasty in the treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly with osteoporosis by comparing the indexes related to closed reduction internal fixation and arthroplasty. METHODS:Clinical data of 102 elderly patients with unstable intertrochanteric fractures of the femur treated in Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2017 to January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.Patients were divided into two groups according to the surgical method.In the Gamma3 group,62 cases received Gamma3 internal fixation system.In the joint replacement group,40 cases received an artificial femoral head replacement or total hip replacement.Surgical information,hospitalization,hip function,and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)There were statistical differences between the Gamma3 group and the joint replacement group in weight-bearing time(P＜0.001),hospital stay(P＜0.05),intraoperative bleeding(P＜0.001),and length of surgery(P＜0.001).The mean weight-bearing time and hospital stay were shorter in the joint replacement group than in the Gamma3 group.Intraoperative bleeding and duration of surgery were better in the Gamma3 group than in the joint replacement group.(2)There was no significant difference in Harris hip score,subitem centesimal hip score,and postoperative complications 12 months after surgery in both groups(P=0.526,0.788,0.228).(3)It is indicated that arthroplasty has achieved better outcomes in the treatment of elderly unstable intertrochanteric fractures combined with osteoporosis,enabling early weight bearing and functional exercise.Careful selection of the appropriate patient and prosthesis type for arthroplasty will result in greater patient benefit.

Levothyroxine anaphylaxis is a rare yet severe adverse reaction to exogenous levothyroxine. While levothyroxine desensitization is commonly employed, its direct application in patients with severe shock poses considerable risks. Omalizumab may offer a potential adjunctive approach to induce tolerance to levothyroxine. We reported a case of a 30-year-old female with a history of thyroid papillary carcinoma who developed anaphylactic shock following oral administration of 50 μg levothyroxine daily after surgery. High serum level of immunoglobulin E (IgE 99.2 kU/L) and positive intradermal tests to all brands of levothyroxine available in China confirm a type Ⅰ hypersensitivity reaction. Several reports have proven the role of omalizumab in desensitization protocol in IgE-mediated diseases; therefore, she was pretreated with three courses of omalizumab (150 mg intradermal injection every four weeks). She then successfully completed oral levothyroxine desensitization and tolerated treatment dose of levothyroxine without experiencing allergic symptoms along with normalization of thyroid function. Further research is warranted to assess its potential as a standard treatment in difficult-to-treat levothyroxine hypersensitivity.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of different functional dyspepsia(FD)modeling methods and explore the thera-peutic effect and potential mechanism of Banxia Xiexin Decoction on FD.METHODS BALB/c mice were randomly divided into the blank group,iodoacetamide group,loperamide group,tail clamp group and vinegar group.After 1 week of intervention,the status of mice in each group was observed and their gastrointestinal motility,hormone levels and pathological changes were detected.A more i-deal FD modeling method was evaluated and determined.After modeling,different doses of Banxia Xiexin Decoction were given to in-tervene,and the changes in the gastrointestinal function of mice were observed.The expression of related proteins was studied by im-munohistochemistry,ELISA,Western Blot and other experimental methods.RESULTS Comparing the four modeling methods,it was found that the mice in the iodoacetamide group,loperamide group,and vinegar group showed weight loss compared to the blank group;the gastric emptying rate and small intestinal propulsion rate of mice in the iodoacetamide group and vinegar group decreased;changes in gastrointestinal hormones were found in the serum of mice in the tail clip group and vinegar group.Finally,the iodoacetamide meth-od was evaluated as the optimal FD modeling method.The administration results showed that Banxia Xiexin Decoction had no signifi-cant effect on the food intake and body weight of FD mice,while medium and high doses could improve the physical condition of FD mice,increase their gastric emptying rate and small intestine propulsion rate.The experimental results of immunohistochemistry,West-ern blotting,and ELISA confirmed that medium and high doses of Banxia Xiexin Decoction can significantly reduce the expression lev-els of TNF-α and IL-6 in the duodenum and serum of FD mice.CONCLUSION The iodoacetamide method is a better FD modeling method.Banxia Xiexin Decoction can improve the condition of FD mice,increase gastrointestinal motility,reduce the secretion of in-flammatory factor,thereby achieving the therapeutic effect of treating FD.

Recent studies have shown that stress can substantially facilitate breast cancer metastasis,which can be reduced by nonselective β1/β2-adrenergic receptor(β1/β2-AR)blocker.However,several side effects were identified.Thus,it is extremely warranted to explore more effective and better-tolerated β2-AR blocker.Currently,we demonstrated that baicalin(BA),a major bioactive component of Scutellaria bai-calensis Georgi,could significantly attenuate stress hormones especially epinephrine(Epi)-induced breast cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro.Mechanistically,we identified that β2-AR was a direct target of BA via the drug affinity responsive target stability(DARTS)combined with mass spectrum assay,and BA photoaffinity probe with pull-down assay,which was further confirmed by a couple of bio-physical and biochemical assays.Furthermore,we demonstrated that BA could directly bind to the Phe-193 and Phe-289 of β2-AR,subsequently inhibit cyclic adenosine monophosphate-protein kinase A-focal adhesion kinase(cAMP-PKA-FAK)pathway,and thus impede epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT),thereby hindering the metastatic progression of the chronic stress coupled with syngeneic and xenograft in vivo orthotopic and tail vein mouse model.These findings firstly identify BA as a potential β2-AR inhibitor in the treatment of stress-induced breast cancer metastasis.

Background and purpose:Abnormal DNA methylation is closely associated with the onset and progression of tumors.This study aimed to investigate the expression of intermediate filament family orphan 1(IFFO1),a methylation-driven gene(MDG)in pancreatic adenocarcinoma(PAAD),along with its effects on the invasion and metastasis of PAAD cells,as well as its potential as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker.Methods:mRNA expression data(TCGA-PAAD-mRNA),DNA methylation data(TCGA-PAAD-meth,GSE53051,PACA-AU)of PAAD and adjacent normal tissues,as well as DNA methylation data of healthy individuals'blood(GSE69270),were obtained from the The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA),International Cancer Genome Consortium(ICGC)and Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)databases.By performing differential expression analysis combined with differential methylation analysis,we screened for MDG in PAAD.In the TCGA database,Pearson correlation tests were employed to verify the relationship between IFFO1 promoter methylation level and its expression level.Additionally,Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship among IFFO1 promoter methylation level,expression level,and the prognosis of PAAD.Pathological sections of cancer tissues and corresponding adjacent tissues from 27 PAAD patients were obtained from Shanghai General Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.All samples involved in this study were approved by the human ethics committee of Shanghai General Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine(ethics number:hospital ethics review[2017]No.53).Immunohistochemistry staining(IHC)was utilized to detect the expression of IFFO1 in cancer tissues and corresponding adjacent tissues from 27 PAAD patients.Based on the median expression level of IFFO1,patients in the TCGA database were classified into high-expression and low-expression groups.Subsequently,differential analysis,gene ontology(GO)enrichment analysis and gene set enrichment analysis(GSEA)were performed.Western blot and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RTFQ-PCR)were employed to assess the expression variations of IFFO1 between the normal pancreatic ductal epithelial cell line H6C7 and the PAAD cell lines MIA PaCa2,BxPC-3,AsPC-1 and Capan-2.The impact of IFFO1 overexpression on the migration and invasion capacities of PAAD cell lines AsPC-1 and Capan-2 was evaluated using scratch and invasion assays.Additionally,receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were utilized to assess the diagnostic and prognostic significance of IFFO1 methylation levels in the TCGA pan-cancer cohort.Results:Through the cross-screening of five datasets,41 MDG in PAAD were identified.Among these,IFFO1 was found to be the gene most closely associated with the prognosis of PAAD[hazard ratio(HR)=0.28,P＜0.001].IFFO1 exhibited high methylation and low expression levels in PAAD.Moreover,a significant negative correlation was observed between the methylation level of its promoter and its expression level(r=-0.55,P＜0.001).IHC results indicated that IFFO1 expression was significantly lower in PAAD tissues than in adjacent non-tumor tissues(P＜0.05).TCGA survival analysis demonstrated that patients with high methylation or low expression of IFFO1 had poorer overall survival(P＜0.05).Both GO and GSEA analyses indicated that the pathway"Negative regulation of cell migration"was enriched in patients with high IFFO1 expression.Western blot and RTFQ-PCR results demonstrated that IFFO1 expression in normal pancreatic ductal epithelial cells H6C7 was significantly higher compared with PAAD cell lines MIA PaCa2,BxPC-3,AsPC-1,and Capan-2.Overexpression of IFFO1 significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of the PAAD cell lines AsPC-1 and Capan-2.Additionally,pan-cancer analysis revealed that IFFO1 exhibited abnormal promoter methylation and low expression across various cancer types,with its methylation levels demonstrating significant diagnostic and prognostic prediction value among different tumors.Conclusion:Promoter hypermethylation results in decreased expression of IFFO1 in PAAD.IFFO1 may suppress the invasion and migration abilities of PAAD cells.Furthermore,IFFO1 methylation holds great promise as a novel biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of PAAD.