Objective Differentially expressed genes in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) were subjected to bioinformatic and Mendelian randomization analyses to elucidate their prognostic significance in OSCC. Methods The TCGA database and dataset GSE138206 were used to screen the common differential genes of OSCC, and their relationship was analyzed by using Mendelian randomization. The prognostic value of differential genes was further analyzed by Cox risk regression. The biological function of genes with high prognostic value was further evaluated by single gene differential analysis. Results A total of 147 common differential genes were screened from the two databases. Results of two-sample Mendelian randomization showed that GREM2 was associated with the increased risk of OSCC. In addition, SH3BGRL2 was associated with a decreased risk of OSCC, and DKK1, CCL11, and HOXC6 were considered as independent prognostic markers of OSCC. The predicted results of DKK1 were consistent with the actual results. KEGG enrichment analysis indicated the potential involvement of DKK1 in arachidonic acid and linoleic acid metabolism. Furthermore, DKK1 showed positive correlations with Tgd and Th2 cells, while displaying negative associations with PDC, Cytotoxic cells, Mast cells, CD8 T cells, TFH cells, B cells, T cells, and Th17 cells. Conclusion GREM2 is associated with an increased risk of OSCC. DKK1 is highly expressed in OSCC and associated with poor prognosis, which may be involved in regulating the metabolism of arachidonic acid and linoleic acid and immune cell invasion in OSCC.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture at "four pharyngeal points" on simple vocal tics with liver hyperactivity disturbed wind in children. METHODS: Sixty children with simple vocal tics of liver hyperactivity disturbed wind were randomly divided into an observation group (30 cases, 1 case dropped out) and a control group (30 cases). The control group was given Changma Xifeng tablets orally, 3 times a day, while the observation group was treated with acupuncture at "four pharyngeal points" on the basis of the treatment in the control group, 15-20 min a time, once daily for 7 days, with a 3-day break. Both groups were treated for 3 months. The TCM syndrome score and Yale global tic severity scale (YGTSS) score of the two groups were observed before treatment and after 1, 2, 3 months of treatment, the disappearance time of simple vocal tics was recorded, and the therapeutic efficacy was evaluated after treatment. RESULTS: After 1, 2, 3 months of treatment, the TCM syndrome scores and YGTSS scores of the two groups were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.01, P<0.05), and the scores of the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05, P<0.01). The disappearance time of simple vocal tics in the observation group was earlier than that in the control group (P<0.05). The effective rate of the observation group was 93.1% (27/29), which was higher than 73.3% (22/30) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Acupuncture at "four pharyngeal points" could improve symptoms in children with simple vocal tics of liver hyperactivity disturbed wind, and shorten the disappearance time of simple vocal tics.
Humans ; Male ; Acupuncture Points ; Female ; Child ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Child, Preschool ; Liver/drug effects* ; Tics/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

This study investigated the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of medical ozone on sepsis- associated kidney injury (S-AKI) induced by lipopolysaccharide in mice. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, renal histopathological evaluation, detection of renal function biochemical indicators, immunofluorescence staining, and Western blot analysis, the effects of intraperitoneal injection of ozone on inflammation, coagulation, and renal tissue in mice were systematically detected.The results demonstrated that ozone treatment significantly reduced circulating levels of the specific markers (citrullinated histone H3 and myeloperoxidase-DNA complexes) from neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in S-AKI mice, with a suppression on inflammatory and tissue factor expression in renal tissue. Furthermore, ozone effectively improved microcirculation dysfunction, reduced tubular damage and interstitial inflammatory infiltration, thereby alleviating pathological changes of kidneys of S-AKI mice. Mechanistic studies revealed that ozone enhances phagocytic clearance of tissue factor-rich microparticles (TF-MPs) by activating the 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) / scavenger receptor (SR)-A1 signaling pathway in macrophages. In Sr-a1-/- mice, renoprotective effect of ozone was completely abolished, confirming the critical role of SR-A1 in this mechanism. In summary, this study demonstrates that medical ozone promotes macrophage clearance of TF-NETs complexes through the AMPK/SR-A1 signaling axis, exerting dual protective effects on mice through anti-inflammatory action and microcirculation improvement, which provides novel intervention targets and therapeutic strategies for S-AKI treatment.

Background::Clinical opportunistic screening is a cost-effective cancer screening modality. This study aimed to establish an easy-to-use diagnostic model serving as a risk stratification tool for identification of individuals with malignant gastric lesions for opportunistic screening.Methods::We developed a questionnaire-based diagnostic model using a joint dataset including two clinical cohorts from northern and southern China. The cohorts consisted of 17,360 outpatients who had undergone upper gastrointestinal endoscopic examination in endoscopic clinics. The final model was derived based on unconditional logistic regression, and predictors were selected according to the Akaike information criterion. External validation was carried out with 32,614 participants from a community-based randomized controlled trial.Results::This questionnaire-based diagnostic model for malignant gastric lesions had eight predictors, including advanced age, male gender, family history of gastric cancer, low body mass index, unexplained weight loss, consumption of leftover food, consumption of preserved food, and epigastric pain. This model showed high discriminative power in the development set with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.791 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.750–0.831). External validation of the model in the general population generated an AUC of 0.696 (95% CI: 0.570–0.822). This model showed an ideal ability for enriching prevalent malignant gastric lesions when applied to various scenarios.Conclusion::This easy-to-use questionnaire-based model for diagnosis of prevalent malignant gastric lesions may serve as an effective prescreening tool in clinical opportunistic screening for gastric cancer.

Objective To investigate the mechanism of circadian clock protein Bmal1(Bmal1)on renal injury with chronic periodontitis,we established an experimental rat periodontitis model.Methods Twelve male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control and periodontitis groups(n=6,each group).The first maxillary molars on both sides of the upper jaw of rats with periodontitis were ligated by using orthodontic ligature wires,whereas the control group re-ceived no intervention measures.After 8 weeks,clinical periodontal parameters,including probing depth,bleeding index,and tooth mobility,were evaluated in both groups.Micro-CT scanning and three-dimensional image recon-struction were performed on the maxillary bones of the rats for the assessment of alveolar bone resorption.Histopatholo-gical observations of periodontal and renal tissues were conducted using hematoxylin-eosin(HE)and periodic acid-Schiff(PAS)staining.Renal function indicators,such as creatinine,albumin,and blood urea nitrogen levels,and oxida-tive stress markers,including superoxide dismutase,glutathione,and malondialdehyde levels,were measured using bio-chemical assay kits.MitoSOX red staining was used to detect reactive oxygen species(ROS)content in the kidneys.The gene and protein expression levels of Bmal1,nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2),and heme oxygenase-1(HO-1)in rat renal tissues were assessed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)and immuno-histochemical staining.Results Micro-CT and HE staining results showed significant bone resorption and attachment loss in the maxillary first molar region of the periodontitis group.Histological examination through HE and PAS staining revealed substantial histopathological damage to the renal tissues of the rats in the periodontitis group.The findings of the assessment of renal function and oxidative stress markers indicated that the periodontitis group exhibited abnormal levels of oxidative stress,whereas the renal function levels showed abnormalities without statistical significance.Mito-SOX Red staining results showed that the content of ROS in the renal tissue of the periodontitis group was significantly higher than that of the control group,and RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry results showed that the expression levels of Bmal1,Nrf2,and HO-1 in the renal tissues of the rats in the periodontitis group showed a decreasing trend.Conclu-sion Circadian clock protein Bmal1 plays an important role in the oxidative damage process involved in the renal of rats with periodontitis.

Objective This study aims to investigate the role of gap junction mediated by connexin 43(Cx43)in renal injury induced by periodontitis in rats.Methods Twelve SPF-grade Wistar male rats were divided into a control group and a periodontitis group by using a completely random number table method,with six rats in each group.The control group rats were not treated,while the periodontitis group rats were subjected to wire ligation of the neck of their bilateral maxillary first molars to construct a periodontitis model.After 8 weeks of modeling,the rats were examined for clinical indicators of the periodontium.micro-CT scanning of the maxilla reconstructed its 3D structure and analyzed the absorption of alveolar bone.Histopathological changes in periodontal and renal tissues were detected.MitoSOX red reagent was used to determine reactive oxygen species(ROS)content in renal tissues.A biochemical reagent kit was used to detect serum oxidative stress biomarkers.Real-time fluo-rescent quantitative-polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)was employed to determine Cx43,nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB),interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-6,BCL2-Associated X(Bax),B-lymphomatoma-2 gene(Bcl-2),and Caspase-3 mRNA were determined.Western blot analysis was used to detect Cx43,NF-κB,IL-1β,Bax,Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 protein.Re-sults micro-CT 3D reconstruction showed significant bone resorption of the first molar alveolar bone in the periodonti-tis group rats and decreased height of the alveolar ridge.The distance from the enamel cementum boundary to the top of the alveolar ridge in the periodontitis group was significantly higher than that inthe control group.The histopathological results showed a large number of inflammatory cells that infiltrated the periodontal tissue of the periodontitis group,and the alveolar bone was significantly absorbed.Rats in the periodontitis group also exhibited mild thickening of the glomer-ular basement membrane,dilation of the Bowman's capsule,and destruction of the brush-like edge of the renal tubules in the renal tissue.The MitoSOX red staining results showed a significant increase in ROS content in the renal tissue of the periodontitis group.The biochemical test results showed that the levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione in the serum of rats with periodontitis decreased,while that of malondialdehyde increased.The results of qRT-PCR and Western blot showed that the expression levels of Cx43,IL-1β,IL-6,Bax,Caspase-3 mRNA and Cx43,IL-1β,NF-κB,Bax,Caspase-3 proteins in the periodontitis group significantly increased compared with those in the control group,while the expression levels of Bcl-2 mRNA and protein decreased.Conclusion Periodontitis may activate NF-κB sig-naling molecules by upregulating the expression of Cx43 in rat kidney tissues,leading to increased levels of inflamma-tion and apoptosis and ultimately inducing kidney injury.

Objective This study aims to explore changes in uncoupling protein 2(UCP2)in experimental periodonti-tis-associated renal injury induced by ligation and investigate the effect of UCP2 on renal injury induced by periodontitis.Methods Twelve Wistar male rats were randomly divided into two groups:control and periodontitis groups.A periodon-tal model was built by ligating the maxillary first molars area with 0.2 mm orthodontic ligature wire.After 8 weeks,the in-traoral condition of the rats was observed and periodontal clinical indices such as gingival bleeding index(BI),periodontal probing depth(PD),and tooth mobility(TM)were detected.The maxillary bone was scanned by Micro CT to observe the alveolar bone resorption.The tissue mineral density(TMD),bone mineral density(BMD),bone volume fraction(BV/TV),trabecular thickness(Tb.Th),trabecular bone separation(Tb.Sp)were recorded,and the distance from the enamel bone boundary to the alveolar crest(CEJ-ABC)of the maxillary first molar was measured.The oxidative stress indexes such as malondialdehyde,glutathione(GSH),and superoxide dismutase(SOD)were detected using frozen rat kidney tissue.The gene expression of UCP2,nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2),and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α(PGC-1α)was observed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)test.The gingival tissue of the rats was used for immunohistochemical staining to observe the expression of the UCP2 protein.The fixed rat kidney tissue was used for hematoxylin-eosin(HE),periodic acid-schiff(PAS),MitoSOX Red,JC-1,and immu-nohistochemical staining to observe the renal histopathology,the level of reactive oxygen species(ROS),the level of mito-chondrial membrane potential,and the expression of UCP2,Nrf2,and PGC-1α protein.Rat serum was collected to detect renal function indices,namely,blood urea nitrogen(BUN),creatinine(Cre),and albumin(Alb).Results Compared with the control group,the periodontitis group showed red,swollen,and soft gingival tissue,with gingival probing bleeding,periodontal PD increased,tooth loosening,alveolar bone resorption,decreased TMD,BMD,BV/TV,and Tb.Th indices,and increased Tb.Sp index,CEJ-ABC,and gingival UCP2 protein expression.Compared with the control group,the levels of MDA and ROS in the kidney tissue of periodontitis rats and the gene and protein expression of UCP2 increased,and the levels of MMP,GSH,and SOD and the gene and protein expression of Nrf2 and PGC-1α decreased.Renal functional indi-ces,namely,BUN,Cre,and Alb,were not significantly different between the two groups.Conclusion UCP2 may play a role in renal injury induced by periodontitis through oxidative stress.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical effect of Jiechang Buxu pills on chronic relapsing ulcerative colitis （syndrome of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency） and the repair effect on mucosal barrier injury. MethodA total of 108 patients were randomly assigned into observation （54 cases） and control （54 cases） groups. Both groups were treated with mesalazine enteric-coated tablets， 0.5 g/time， 3 times/d. In addition， the observation group received Jiechang Buxu pills， 10 g/time， 3 times/d， and the control group received simulant of Jiechang Buxu pills， 10 g/time， 3 times/d. Both groups were treated for 3 consecutive months. During monthly follow-up， clinical response， clinical remission rate， C-reactive protein （CRP） compliance rate， fecal calprotectin （FC） compliance rate， and endoscopic mucosal healing rate were compared. The early recurrence rate was recorded after 3 months of follow-up. The modified Mayo score， mucosal histological score， colonoscopic mucosal score， inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire （IBDQ） score， and syndrome score of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency were compared before and after treatment. The levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）， diamine oxidase （DAO）， D-lactic acid （D-LA）， interleukin（IL）-1β， IL-6， IL-17A， IL-22， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， T helper 17 （Th17）， and regulatory T cells （Treg）， and Th17/Treg ratio were measured and calculated before and after treatment. ResultThe clinical response rate， clinical remission rate， and CRP compliance rate in the observation group were higher than those in the control group （P<0.05， P<0.01） 1， 2 and 3 months after treatment. The FC compliance rate in the observation group was higher than that in the control group （P<0.05） 2 and 3 months after treatment. After treatment， the observation group had higher endoscopic mucosal healing rate （P<0.01） and lower early recurrence rate （P<0.05） than the control group. In addition， the observation group had lower Mayo score， mucosal histological score， colonoscopic mucosal score， and syndrome score of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency （P<0.01）， higher IBDQ score （P<0.01）， lower levels of HIF-1α， DAO， D-LA， IL-1β， IL-6， IL-17A， TNF-α， Th17， and Th17/Treg and higher levels of IL-22 and Treg （P<0.01） than the control group. ConclusionJiechang Buxu pills combined with mesalazine enteric-coated tablets can improve the clinical response rate， clinical remission rate， CRP compliance rate， FC compliance rate， and endoscopic mucosal healing rate， reduce the early recurrence rate and disease activity， promote histological remission， and improve the quality of life in the patients with chronic relapsing ulcerative colitis （syndrome of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency）. The therapy may exert the therapeutic effect by inhibiting inflammation， inducing intestinal mucosal immune tolerance， and protecting the function of intestinal mucosal barrier.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Tangbikang granules on oxidative stress of sciatic nerve in diabetic rats by regulating adenylate activated protein kinase/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α/mitochondrial Sirtuins 3 （AMPK/PGC-1α/SIRT3） signaling pathway. MethodThe spontaneous obesity type 2 diabetes model was established using ZDF rats. After modeling， they were randomly divided into high， medium， and low dose Tangbikang granule groups （2.5， 1.25， 0.625 g·kg^-1·d^-1） and lipoic acid group （0.026 8 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and the normal group was set up. The rats were administered continuously for 12 weeks after modeling. The blood glucose of rats was detected before intervention and at 4， 8， 12 weeks after intervention. At the 12^th week， motor nerve conduction velocity （MNCV）， sensory nerve conduction velocity （SNCV）， nerve blood flow velocity， mechanical pain threshold， and thermal pain threshold were detected. The sciatic nerve was taken for hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining to observe the tissue morphology. The ultrastructure of the sciatic nerve was observed by transmission electron microscope. The expression levels of superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in sciatic nerve were determined by enzyme-related immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The mRNA expressions of AMPKα， AMPKβ， PGC-1α， and SIRT3 in sciatic nerve were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultCompared with the normal group， fasting blood glucose in the model group was increased at each time point （P<0.01）. The mechanical pain threshold was decreased （P<0.05）， and the incubation time of the hot plate was extended （P<0.01）. MNCV， SNCV， and nerve blood flow velocity decreased （P<0.05）. The expression level of SOD was decreased （P<0.01）. The expression levels of MDA， IL-1β， and TNF-α were increased （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression levels of AMPKα， AMPKβ， PGC-1α， and SIRT3 were decreased （P<0.01）. The structure of sciatic nerve fibers in the model group was loose， and the arrangement was disordered. The demyelination change was obvious. Compared with the model group， the fasting blood glucose of rats in the high dose Tangbikang granule group was decreased after the intervention of eight weeks and 12 weeks （P<0.01）. The mechanical pain threshold increased （P<0.05）. The incubation time of the hot plate was shortened （P<0.01）. MNCV， SNCV， and Flux increased （P<0.05）. The expression level of SOD was increased （P<0.01）. The expression levels of MDA， IL-1β， and TNF-α were decreased （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression levels of AMPKα， AMPKβ， PGC-1α， and SIRT3 were increased （P<0.01）. The sciatic nerve fibers in the high-dose Tangbikang granule group were tighter and more neatly arranged， with only a few demyelinating changes. The high， medium， and low dose Tangbikang granule groups showed a significant dose-effect trend. ConclusionTangbikang granules may improve sciatic nerve function in diabetic rats by regulating AMPK/PGC-1α/SIRT3 signaling pathway partly to inhibit oxidative stress.

From the perspectives of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） information knowledge base and assisted decision-making knowledge base， the construction status， quality evaluation status and existing problems of current TCM knowledge bases have been sorted out. And based on the quality evaluation strategies and dimensions of know-ledge bases in other disciplines， the evaluation indexes for TCM knowledge base is discussed， and the evaluation framework is initially formed， providing ideas for the improvement of the TCM knowledge base evaluation system. In terms of the evaluation indexes， there are basic evaluation dimensions which include data sources， data collection， and data application. The specific evaluation dimension of the information-based knowledge base is data quality， while that of the assisted decision-making knowledge base is data matching. Except for the data application dimension which counts the valid data items in the database for calculation， other indexes are scored based on the qualitative evaluation of "yes"， "no" or "unknown". The basic evaluation score and the specific evaluation score are added to obtain the total score. The knowledge base is graded according to the score， and the results are presented in the form of grade plus number.