ObjectiveMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS); however, its underlying neurological pathogenic mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Endogenous formaldehyde (FA), a metabolic byproduct of methylation-demethylation cycles, has recently been implicated in neurotoxicity, oxidative damage, and cognitive impairment. This study aimed to investigate whether excessive FA contributes to myelin sheath demyelination in mice and to evaluate the protective effects and mechanisms of two FA-elimination strategies: sodium bisulfite (NaHSO₃), a classical FA scavenger, and polyethylene glycol-modified astaxanthin nanoparticles (PEG-ATX@NPs), a brain-targeted nano-antioxidant formulation. MethodsA chronic demyelination model was established by feeding female C57BL/6J mice a diet containing 0.2% cuprizone (CPZ) for four weeks, followed by a two-week intervention period. Eighty mice were randomly assigned to four groups: NS (normal saline), CPZ+NS, CPZ+NaHSO₃, and CPZ+PEG-ATX@NPs. Behavioral tests, including open-field, Y-maze, and pole-climbing assays, were conducted to assess locomotor activity, motor coordination, and working memory. FA levels in serum, corpus callosum, and spinal cord were measured using an Na-FA fluorescent probe and quantified via in vivo and ex vivo fluorescence imaging. Neuroinflammatory responses were evaluated by measuring TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels using ELISA, while oxidative stress was assessed by reactive oxygen species (ROS) fluorescence intensity. Demyelination was examined via Luxol fast blue staining, and microglial activation was analyzed by Iba1 immunofluorescence. Correlation analyses were performed to explore relationships among FA levels, inflammatory cytokines, ROS intensity, and behavioral parameters. ResultsCompared with the NS group, mice in the CPZ+NS group exhibited significant weight loss, impaired motor coordination and memory, and markedly reduced myelin regeneration (P<0.05). FA levels and pro-inflammatory cytokines were significantly elevated in serum, corpus callosum, and spinal cord (P<0.05). FA-associated fluorescence in brain and spinal tissues, as well as ROS intensity across all tissues examined, also increased substantially (P<0.05). CPZ treatment induced pronounced microglial activation and severe demyelination in the corpus callosum (P<0.01). Both NaHSO₃ and PEG-ATX@NPs effectively reduced FA accumulation in the brain and spinal cord, attenuated demyelination, suppressed microglial activation, decreased inflammatory cytokine levels, and improved motor and cognitive performance. These results confirm that CPZ induced severe demyelination accompanied by oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and abnormal FA accumulation. Following intervention with either NaHSO₃ or PEG-ATX@NPs, endogenous FA levels in the CNS were substantially reduced. Both treatments alleviated demyelination and significantly decreased the number of activated microglia. Levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in serum, corpus callosum, and spinal cord were downregulated. Behavioral performance improved significantly, as evidenced by enhanced locomotor activity, better coordination, and improved memory function. These findings indicate that both FA-scavenging agents mitigate CPZ-induced biochemical and behavioral abnormalities. ConclusionThis study demonstrates that excessive endogenous FA is closely associated with cognitive impairment, inflammatory dysregulation, and demyelination in a CPZ-induced chronic demyelination mouse model. Clearing abnormally elevated FA effectively reduces neuroinflammation, suppresses microglial overactivation, decreases oxidative stress, and alleviates demyelination, ultimately improving motor and cognitive outcomes in mice. These results suggest that targeting endogenous FA represents a promising therapeutic strategy for MS and other demyelinating disorders. Further investigations are warranted to explore the long-term safety, dosage optimization, and molecular pathways involved in FA-mediated neurotoxicity.

ObjectiveMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS); however, its underlying neurological pathogenic mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Endogenous formaldehyde (FA), a metabolic byproduct of methylation-demethylation cycles, has recently been implicated in neurotoxicity, oxidative damage, and cognitive impairment. This study aimed to investigate whether excessive FA contributes to myelin sheath demyelination in mice and to evaluate the protective effects and mechanisms of two FA-elimination strategies: sodium bisulfite (NaHSO₃), a classical FA scavenger, and polyethylene glycol-modified astaxanthin nanoparticles (PEG-ATX@NPs), a brain-targeted nano-antioxidant formulation. MethodsA chronic demyelination model was established by feeding female C57BL/6J mice a diet containing 0.2% cuprizone (CPZ) for four weeks, followed by a two-week intervention period. Eighty mice were randomly assigned to four groups: NS (normal saline), CPZ+NS, CPZ+NaHSO₃, and CPZ+PEG-ATX@NPs. Behavioral tests, including open-field, Y-maze, and pole-climbing assays, were conducted to assess locomotor activity, motor coordination, and working memory. FA levels in serum, corpus callosum, and spinal cord were measured using an Na-FA fluorescent probe and quantified via in vivo and ex vivo fluorescence imaging. Neuroinflammatory responses were evaluated by measuring TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels using ELISA, while oxidative stress was assessed by reactive oxygen species (ROS) fluorescence intensity. Demyelination was examined via Luxol fast blue staining, and microglial activation was analyzed by Iba1 immunofluorescence. Correlation analyses were performed to explore relationships among FA levels, inflammatory cytokines, ROS intensity, and behavioral parameters. ResultsCompared with the NS group, mice in the CPZ+NS group exhibited significant weight loss, impaired motor coordination and memory, and markedly reduced myelin regeneration (P<0.05). FA levels and pro-inflammatory cytokines were significantly elevated in serum, corpus callosum, and spinal cord (P<0.05). FA-associated fluorescence in brain and spinal tissues, as well as ROS intensity across all tissues examined, also increased substantially (P<0.05). CPZ treatment induced pronounced microglial activation and severe demyelination in the corpus callosum (P<0.01). Both NaHSO₃ and PEG-ATX@NPs effectively reduced FA accumulation in the brain and spinal cord, attenuated demyelination, suppressed microglial activation, decreased inflammatory cytokine levels, and improved motor and cognitive performance. These results confirm that CPZ induced severe demyelination accompanied by oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and abnormal FA accumulation. Following intervention with either NaHSO₃ or PEG-ATX@NPs, endogenous FA levels in the CNS were substantially reduced. Both treatments alleviated demyelination and significantly decreased the number of activated microglia. Levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in serum, corpus callosum, and spinal cord were downregulated. Behavioral performance improved significantly, as evidenced by enhanced locomotor activity, better coordination, and improved memory function. These findings indicate that both FA-scavenging agents mitigate CPZ-induced biochemical and behavioral abnormalities. ConclusionThis study demonstrates that excessive endogenous FA is closely associated with cognitive impairment, inflammatory dysregulation, and demyelination in a CPZ-induced chronic demyelination mouse model. Clearing abnormally elevated FA effectively reduces neuroinflammation, suppresses microglial overactivation, decreases oxidative stress, and alleviates demyelination, ultimately improving motor and cognitive outcomes in mice. These results suggest that targeting endogenous FA represents a promising therapeutic strategy for MS and other demyelinating disorders. Further investigations are warranted to explore the long-term safety, dosage optimization, and molecular pathways involved in FA-mediated neurotoxicity.

Kv1.3,a voltage-gated potassium channel,is highly expressed in T lymphocytes,the nervous system,and vascular smooth muscle cells.It plays a critical role in membrane excitability and electrical signal transduction,serving as an important target for studying T-cell function and providing a promising direction for developing therapeutics against autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.Therefore,the de-velopment of specific inhibitors of Kv1.3 channel has emerged as a novel therapeutic strategy for these disorders.In this study,we isolated and purified a novel Kv1.3-inhibitory peptide toxin,LmKTx13,from the venom of the scorpion Lychas mucronatus using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chroma-tography(RP-HPLC).LmKTx13 consists of 38 amino acid residues,including six cysteines that form three disulfide bonds.Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings revealed that LmKTx13 potently inhibited Kv1.3 with an IC50 of 7.92±3.0 nmol/L.Selectivity analysis showed that 2 μmol/L LmKTx13 also in-hibited Kv1.2 and Kv1.7,but exhibited no significant effects on other potassium channel subtypes or voltage-gated sodium channels.Further investigation into the mechanism demonstrated that LmKTx13 acts as a pore-blocking inhibitor of Kv1.3.By analyzing the effects of LmKTx13 on Kv1.3 channel gating ki-netics and performing sequence alignment of the pore regions of Kv1.3 and Kv1.5,we constructed site-directed mutants and identified the pore region of Kv1.3 as the critical binding site for LmKTx13.Key residues involved in the interaction included T425,G427,and H451.In summary,we discovered a no-vel pore-blocking Kv1.3 inhibitor,LmKTx13,from L.mucronatus venom,which exhibits high affinity and selectivity for Kv1.3.These findings highlight its potential as a potential lead molecule for developing Kv1.3-targeted therapeutics.

Aim To investigate the effects of total fla-vonoids of Chuzhou chrysanthemum(TFCC)on the activity and migration of rat brain artery endothelial cells under hypoxia/reoxygenation(H/R)injury,as well as the relationship between TFCC's effects and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2(VEGFR2).Methods Primary rat brain artery endo-thelial cells were cultured,the H/R model of cells was constructed,VEGFR2 inhibitor SU5416(10 μmol·L-1)was used and a cell transfection model was estab-lished.The cell activity was detected by CCK-8,and the cell migration was detected by scratch method and Transwell assay.Results TFCC(30,90,270 mg·L-1)significantly increased the activity and migration ability of rat brain artery endothelial cells with H/R in-jury,the use of VEGFR2 blocker SU5416 and transfec-tion of VEGFR2 siRNA could significantly inhibit the enhanced activity and migration ability of TFCC on cer-ebral vascular endothelial cells in rats with H/R inju-ry.Conclusions TFCC promotes the activity and mi-gration ability of rat brain artery endothelial cell with H/R injury,and its mechanism is related to VEGFR2.

Sustainability is a critical issue in China's medical and health assistance and cooperation with Africa.As China enters a new phase in this field,achieving sustainability presents both opportunities and challenges.Summarizing past successes and identifying barriers are of great practical significance for future development.This study examines the current state of China's medical and health assistance and cooperation with Uganda and finds that China has actively sought to integrate into local communities by collaborating with Ugandan medical institutions.However,several factors continue to constrain the sustainability of these efforts,including Uganda's fragmented public-private healthcare system heavily reliant on external aid,the personnel structure of Chinese medical teams,and linguistic and cultural barriers between China and Uganda.Based on official policy documents from both countries and field research findings,this study recommends supporting and assisting Uganda in establishing an independent healthcare system,with a particular focus on maternal and child health,youth health,and chronic disease management.Furthermore,strengthening cultural exchanges can contribute to the sustainable development of China-Uganda and broader China-Africa medical and health assistance and cooperation.

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of moxibustion(Mox)combined with low-dose tadalafil(TAD)in the treatment of diabetes mellitus-induced erectile dysfunction(DMED)with the syndrome of Qi deficiency and blood stasis.Meth-ods:According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,we selected 90 patients with DMED for this trial and equally randomized them into a Mox,a TAD,and a Mox combined with TAD(Mox+TAD)group to be treated by mild Mox applied to the acupoints Zusanli,Sanyinjiao and Yinlingquan qd alt,oral medication with low-dose TAD at 5 mg per dose qd,and combination of the above two thera-pies,respectively,all for 4 weeks.We obtained from the patients their IIEF-5 scores,traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)symptoms scores,Erectile Hardness Scale(EHS)scores,corpus cavernosal hemodynamic indexes,and the peak systolic velocity(PSV),end diastolic velocity(EDV)and resistance index(RI)of the corpus cavernosal arteries before and after treatment,and compared them among the three groups.Results:The total effectiveness rate was significantly higher in the Mox+TAD(90.0％)than in the Mox(46.7％)and TAD groups(60.0％)(P＜0.05).Compared with the baseline,the IIEF-5 and EHS scores were increased,while the TCM symptoms scores decreased in all the three groups after treatment,more significantly in the Mox+TAD group than in the other two(P＜0.05).And the PSV and RI were remarkably increased,while the EDV decreased(P＜0.05)in all the three groups(P＜0.05)after treatment,with PSV even higher in the Mox+TAD than in the Mox and TAD groups(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Moxi-bustion combined with tadalafil has a definite efficacy and safety for the treatment of DMED,which can effectively improve the erectile function of the patients by increasing penile blood supply,benefiting qi and activating blood circulation.

Objective To compare the pain relief and long-term clinical success rate of vital pulp therapy and root canal treatment in mature permanent teeth with carious irreversible pulpitis.Methods A total of 90 patients diagnosed with carious irreversible pulpitis in mature permanent teeth were collected at Shanghai Stomatological Hospital from Jan 2021 to Jun 2022.They were randomly divided into two groups:test group(n=45)undergoing vital pulp therapy(VPT)and control group(n=45)undergoing root canal treatment(RCT).Pain scores were recorded before treatment,24 hours after operation and 7 days after operation.We conducted clinical evaluation and imaging analysis at 1,6,and 12 months after the surgery,then compared the pain scores and treatment success rates between the two groups.Results Eighty-one patients,including 39 patients in group VPT aged(31.00±1.43)years old and 42 patients in group RCT aged(30.60±1.54)years old,received follow-up for more than 1 year,and the success rate of the test group and control was 97.44%and 95.24%.The pain degree of the two groups was reduced at 24 hours and 7 days after operation(P<0.05),and the pain score of the test group was reduced compared with that in the control group 7 days after operation(P<0.01).Conclusion Compared with root canal treatment,vital pulp therapy for mature permanent teeth with carious irreversible pulpitis can achieve good results in short-term pain evolution and long-term clinical success.

Objective:To investigate the early diagnosis value of Pentraxin-3(PTX-3)promoter methylation for complicated appendicitis.Methods:Patients with appendicitis and healthy physical examination from Qingdao Hiser Medical Group were selected as the research objects,and they were divided into complicated appendicitis group(CA),simple appendicitis group(SA)and healthy control group(HCs).Plasma PTX-3 levels,mRNA expression,promoter methylation status,and clinical parameters—including total bilirubin(TBIL),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),albumin(Alb),white blood cell count(WBC),neutrophil count(NEU),C-reactive protein(CRP),and procalcitonin(PCT)—were analyzed.in each group.Spearman correlation analysis was used to test the correlation of variables.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to test the correlation between PTX-3 gene methylation and clinical parameters.The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC)was used to analyze the diagnostic value of PTX-3 methylation for CA.Results:The mRNA level and plasma concentration of PTX-3 in CA group were significantly higher than those in SA group and HCs group,while the methylation frequency of PTX-3 in CA group was significantly lower than that in SA group and HCs group(P<0.05).The methylation status of PTX-3 gene was significantly correlated with inflammatory markers(WBC,NEU,PCT,CRP)(P<0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that WBC,CRP and PCT were independent influencing factors of PTX-3 gene promoter methylation(P<0.05).Spearman correlation analysis showed that the PTX-3 mRNA level in peripheral blood of CA patients was negatively correlated with its methylation status(P<0.001).PTX-3 mRNA level was positively correlated with WBC,NEU,CRP and PCT levels(P<0.05).The sensitivity and specificity of PTX-3 gene methylation in the diagnosis of CA were 94.67%and 76.67%,re-spectively.When CA was diagnosed from SA patients,the AUCs of PTX-3 methylation were significantly higher than those of WBC,NEU,CRP and PCT(P<0.001).Conclusion:PTX-3 promoter methylation is involved in the pathogen-esis of AA by regulating the expression of PTX-3.It can be used to monitor the inflammatory state of patients with com-plicated appendicitis and serve as a non-invasive early diagnosis biomarker for complicated appendicitis.

Objective:Exploring the effect of Pinocembrin(Pino)regulating the Ras homolog gene family member A/Rho associated with curly helix binding protein kinase(RhoA/ROCK)signaling pathway of Ras homologous gene family members on the malignant biological behavior of gastric cancer cells.Methods:Cultivate human gastric cancer cells MGC803 with different concentrations of Pino(0～240μmol/L),detect cell survival rate using CCK-8 method,and screen for the optimal drug concentration.MGC803 cells were rseparated into MGC803 group(Control group),Pino-L group,Pino-M group,Pino-H group,and Pino-H+RhoA agonist CN03 group.The clone formation experiment was applied to detect the number of clones formed of cells in each group.Assessment of cell apoptosis using flow cytometry.Tran-swell invasion and migration experiments were used to detect the number of cells undergoing migration and invasion in each group;Detection of RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway and expression of epithelial mesenchymal transition related proteins in MGC803 cells using Western blot method.Results:Compared with the MGC803 group,the cell survival rate,clone formation number,migration cell number,and invasion cell number were all reduced in the Pino-L group,Pino-M group,and Pino-H group,and RhoA was also present in the cells,ROCK2,The expression levels of vimentin and N-cadherin gradually decreased(P<0.05),while the apoptosis rate and E-cadherin expression level gradually in-creased(P<0.05).The Pino-H+CN03 group reversed the trend of changes in the above indicators).Conclusion:Pino can prevent malignant biological behavior of gastric cancer cells,which may be related to the inhibition of the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine injection combined with esketamine injection in the treatment of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma radical resection.Methods Patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma radical resection were randomly divided into treatment and control groups.The treatment group will receive intravenous administration of 0.6 μg·kg-1 dexmedetomidine 10 minutes before anesthesia induction.Subsequently,anesthesia induction will be performed with intravenous administration of 0.5 mg·kg-1 esketamine.Anesthesia maintenance will be achieved with intravenous infusion of 0.25 mg·kg-1·h-1 esketamine and 0.3 μg·kg-1·h-1 dexmedetomidine used an infusion pump.The control group will receive intravenous administration of an equivalent volume of 0.9％NaCl 10 minutes before anesthesia induction.Anesthesia induction will then be performed with intravenous administration of 2.5-5.0 μg·kg-1 fentanyl.Anesthesia maintenance will involve intravenous infusion of 0.10-0.25 μg·kg-1·min-1 remifentanil used an infusion pump.The anesthesia effectiveness,analgesic effectiveness,hemodynamics and safety were compared between the two groups.Results Treatment group were enrolled 62 cases,1 case dropped out,and 61 cases were finally included in the statistical analysis.Control group were enrolled 61 cases,1 case dropped out,and 60 cases were finally included in the statistical analysis.The recovery room stay time of treatment and control groups was(25.97±4.52)and(18.39±3.64)min,the extubation time was(16.75±4.84)and(10.16±3.18)min,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).After operation 24 h,visual analogue scores of treatment and control groups were(0.85±0.17)and(1.39±0.25)points,adrenocorticotropin levels were(60.07±7.13)and(72.64±9.81)pg·mL-1,cortisol levels were(481.20±49.15)and(539.94±57.77)nmol·L-1,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).The mean arterial pressure at 30 min after anesthesia induction(T1)and at the end of surgery(T2)in treatment group were(82.34±4.98)and(86.57±4.18)mmHg,while those in control group were(77.25±7.16)and(76.02±6.29)mmHg;the heart rates of T1 and T2 in treatment groups were(64.08±4.19)and(66.45±4.83)time·min-1,while those in control group were(68.44±6.02)and(72.08±7.27)time·min-1;and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).The adverse drug reactions in two groups were nausea,vomiting,bradycardia and dizziness.The total incidences of adverse drug reactions in treatment and control groups were 8.20％and 15.00％,without significant difference(P＞0.05).Conclusion Dexmedetomidine injection combined with esketamine injection has a definitive analgesia efficacy in the treatment of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma radical resection,which can significantly reduce stress responses,maintain hemodynamic stability,without increasing the incidence of adverse drug reactions.