OBJECTIVES: To investigate the molecular mechanism by which He's Yangchao Formula improves ovarian function in premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) mice through intestinal flora modulation. METHODS: Forty female ICR mice (aged 6-8 weeks) were intraperitoneally injected with cyclophosphamide (150 mg/kg) to establish a POI model, while 10 untreated mice served as the blank control. Successfully modeled mice were randomly divided into four groups (n=10/group): low-dose He's Yangchao Formula (6 g crude herb/kg), high-dose He's Yangchao Formula (25 g crude herb/kg), positive control (estradiol), and model control (distilled water). Treatments were admin-istered daily by gavage for 6 weeks. Vaginal exfoliated cells were stained with Wright-Giemsa solution to monitor estrous cycles. Serum estradiol and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were measured by ELISA. Ovarian FSH receptor (FSHR) expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Glycolysis-related proteins pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) were analyzed by Western blotting and immuno-fluorescence. Fecal samples from blank control, model control, and high-dose groups underwent metagenomic sequencing to evaluate intestinal microbiota diversity and com-position. RESULTS: He's Yangchao Formula restored estrous cyclicity, increased serum estradiol (P<0.05), decreased serum FSH (P<0.05), and upregulated FSHR expression in granulosa cells (P<0.05). Metagenomic analysis revealed significant structural differences in intestinal flora among blank control, model control, and high-dose groups (P<0.01). The high-dose group showed reduced abundance of conditional pathogens (e.g., Alistipes, Prevotella, Odoribacter, Blautia, Rikenella) compared to the model control (P<0.05). Functional enrichment analysis indicated involvement of glycolysis-related pathways. Concordantly, PKM2 and GLUT4 expression was downregulated in the model control but upregulated in He's Yangchao Formula groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS He's Yangchao Formula ameliorates POI in mice by remodeling intestinal flora structure, enhancing glycolytic activity, improving ovarian sex hormone secretion, increasing granulosa cell FSHR expression, and restoring estrous cyclicity.

Objective: To observed the effect of a curcumin-based vaginal gel combined with electroporation for the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) caused by Candida albicans. Methods: Temperature-sensitive in situ gels (ISG) were prepared using poloxamers 407 and 188 as matrices. The mass ratio of poloxamer 407 and poloxamer 188 was 7:1 with a gelation temperature of approximately 29°C and gelation time of 2.5 min. Results: Electroporation increased the transmucosal permeability of the model drug, doxorubicin and improved the antifungal effects of curcumin. In vitro antifungal experiments showed that the number of fungal colonies in curcumin ISG combined with electroporation was lower than that in pure curcumin ISG. In vivo pharmacodynamic experiments showed that, compared to the model group, curcumin ISG with electroporation inhibited the growth of C. albicans, alleviated vaginal mucosal edema, and reduced the inflammatory response. Conclusion Curcumin ISG combined with electroporation has substantial potential for the efficient clinical treatment of VVC.

Objective To analyze the relationship between implant placement methods and the change of alveolar crest mucosal thickness under different gingival thickness.Methods A total of 98 patients with posterior tooth loss from June 2022 to December 2022 were selected,and a total of 120 implants were implanted.There were 90 samples in the thin gingiva group(gingiva thickness＜3 mm)and 30 samples in the thick gingiva group(gingiva thickness≥3 mm).For the thin gingival cases,three different surgical meth-ods were used for one-stage implantation.Group A(32 teeth)received ridge trimming before implantation.In group B,30 implants were placed under the bone.In group C,28 teeth used tent technique to analyze the vertical soft tissue thickness changes of alveolar crest before and 3～4 months after osseointegration.Results The thin gingival group was treated with three different treatments A,B and C.The gingival thickness increased from Ha(1.96±0.35)mm,Hb(1.89±0.42)mm,Hc(1.96±0.29)mm to H'a(2.88±0.23)mm,H'b(2.93±0.30)mm,H'c(2.65±0.22)mm,respectively.The alveolar crest vertical mucosal thickness of the three groups increased significantly(P＜0.05).The increase in group A and B(about 1 mm)was slightly higher than that in group C(about 0.6 mm),while there was no significant difference between the control group Hd(3.60±0.24)mm and H'd(3.36±0.47)mm(P＞0.05).In addition,the intraoperative gingival thickness measurements(Ha,Hb,Hc,Hd)were basically consistent with the CBCT imaging measurements(HA,HB,HC,HD),and there was no significant difference(P＞0.05).Conclusion Careful analysis of the vertical thickness of the alveolar crest to the mucosa before implant surgery and selection of different implantation methods can increase the vertical thickness of the alveolar crest to the appropriate position,thereby maintaining the stability of the bone around the implant and improving the success rate of the implant.

Objective To construct a uricase-deficient mouse model with stable inheritance using the CRISPR/Cas9 system,and evaluate its ability to simulate the disease characteristics of patients with hyperuricemia.Methods Double single guide RNAs(sgRNAs)were designed on both sides of exon 2～4 of the Uox gene.sgRNA and Cas9 mRNA for gene knockout were microinjected into the fertilized eggs of mice.After culture for 2～4 h,the embryos were transferred to surrogate mother mice to produce an F0 generation.Uox-knockout mice were identified by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing analysis.Positive mice were then mated with wild-type(WT)mice to produce an F1 generation,and heterozygous female and male F1 mice were then selected to obtain homozygous F2 mice.Serum and urine levels of uric acid,creatinine,and urea,and serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)levels were detected and compared between homozygous and wild-type mice.Pathological changes in kidney and liver tissues were observed by hematoxylin and eosin and Masson staining.Results Urine levels of serum uric acid(male:(4116.8±1928.1)μmol/L,P＜0.001;female:(2998.0±547.7)μmol/L,P＜0.01)and serum levels of uric acid(male:(478.4±114.6)μmol/L,P＜0.001;female:(507.7±129.6)μmol/L,P＜0.001),creatinine((91.8±55.6)μmol/L,P＜0.001),urea((28.6±13.9)mmol/L,P＜0.05),ALT((53.3±23.3)U/L,P＜0.01),and AST((203.3±70.3)U/L,P＜0.001)were significantly increased in Uox-/-mice compared with WT mice.Histopathological examination showed moderate hepatocyte degeneration in the liver,moderate-to-severe tubular cystic dilation,degeneration,and fibrosis in the kidney,glomerular hypertrophy and hyperplasia,small-vessel dilation and congestion,and infiltration of stromal monocytes and lymphocytes in Uox-/-mice.Conclusions We successfully established a homozygous uricase-deficient mouse strain using CRISPR/Cas9 technology,as a suitable animal model for research in the field of hyperuricemia.

Objective:To identify and summarize the best evidence for pelvic floor muscle exercises (PFME) in preventing pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) during pregnancy.Methods:A systematic search was conducted in databases including UpToData, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, Wanfang Data, SinoMed, Yiigle, and Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence Based Healthcare Center Database and so on. The search spanned from January 1, 2018, to March 16, 2023. Two researchers independently evaluated the quality of clinical decision-making articles, expert consensus, and systematic reviews, while four researchers appraised the quality of guidelines. Evidence extraction and grading were performed independently by two researchers.Results:A total of nine documents were included: three guidelines, two clinical decision-making articles, one expert consensus, and three systematic reviews. A total of 20 evidence-based recommendations were summarized in six categories: indications and contraindications, assessment, implementation plans, supervision and follow-up, management, and outcome evaluation.Conclusions:PFME during pregnancy is effective in preventing PFD. Healthcare providers should integrate best evidence into clinical practice to develop tailored PFME plans for pregnant women, aiming to prevent PFD.

Objective To construct a uricase-deficient mouse model with stable inheritance using the CRISPR/Cas9 system,and evaluate its ability to simulate the disease characteristics of patients with hyperuricemia.Methods Double single guide RNAs(sgRNAs)were designed on both sides of exon 2～4 of the Uox gene.sgRNA and Cas9 mRNA for gene knockout were microinjected into the fertilized eggs of mice.After culture for 2～4 h,the embryos were transferred to surrogate mother mice to produce an F0 generation.Uox-knockout mice were identified by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing analysis.Positive mice were then mated with wild-type(WT)mice to produce an F1 generation,and heterozygous female and male F1 mice were then selected to obtain homozygous F2 mice.Serum and urine levels of uric acid,creatinine,and urea,and serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT)and aspartate aminotransferase(AST)levels were detected and compared between homozygous and wild-type mice.Pathological changes in kidney and liver tissues were observed by hematoxylin and eosin and Masson staining.Results Urine levels of serum uric acid(male:(4116.8±1928.1)μmol/L,P＜0.001;female:(2998.0±547.7)μmol/L,P＜0.01)and serum levels of uric acid(male:(478.4±114.6)μmol/L,P＜0.001;female:(507.7±129.6)μmol/L,P＜0.001),creatinine((91.8±55.6)μmol/L,P＜0.001),urea((28.6±13.9)mmol/L,P＜0.05),ALT((53.3±23.3)U/L,P＜0.01),and AST((203.3±70.3)U/L,P＜0.001)were significantly increased in Uox-/-mice compared with WT mice.Histopathological examination showed moderate hepatocyte degeneration in the liver,moderate-to-severe tubular cystic dilation,degeneration,and fibrosis in the kidney,glomerular hypertrophy and hyperplasia,small-vessel dilation and congestion,and infiltration of stromal monocytes and lymphocytes in Uox-/-mice.Conclusions We successfully established a homozygous uricase-deficient mouse strain using CRISPR/Cas9 technology,as a suitable animal model for research in the field of hyperuricemia.

Objective To analyze the relationship between implant placement methods and the change of alveolar crest mucosal thickness under different gingival thickness.Methods A total of 98 patients with posterior tooth loss from June 2022 to December 2022 were selected,and a total of 120 implants were implanted.There were 90 samples in the thin gingiva group(gingiva thickness＜3 mm)and 30 samples in the thick gingiva group(gingiva thickness≥3 mm).For the thin gingival cases,three different surgical meth-ods were used for one-stage implantation.Group A(32 teeth)received ridge trimming before implantation.In group B,30 implants were placed under the bone.In group C,28 teeth used tent technique to analyze the vertical soft tissue thickness changes of alveolar crest before and 3～4 months after osseointegration.Results The thin gingival group was treated with three different treatments A,B and C.The gingival thickness increased from Ha(1.96±0.35)mm,Hb(1.89±0.42)mm,Hc(1.96±0.29)mm to H'a(2.88±0.23)mm,H'b(2.93±0.30)mm,H'c(2.65±0.22)mm,respectively.The alveolar crest vertical mucosal thickness of the three groups increased significantly(P＜0.05).The increase in group A and B(about 1 mm)was slightly higher than that in group C(about 0.6 mm),while there was no significant difference between the control group Hd(3.60±0.24)mm and H'd(3.36±0.47)mm(P＞0.05).In addition,the intraoperative gingival thickness measurements(Ha,Hb,Hc,Hd)were basically consistent with the CBCT imaging measurements(HA,HB,HC,HD),and there was no significant difference(P＞0.05).Conclusion Careful analysis of the vertical thickness of the alveolar crest to the mucosa before implant surgery and selection of different implantation methods can increase the vertical thickness of the alveolar crest to the appropriate position,thereby maintaining the stability of the bone around the implant and improving the success rate of the implant.

Objective:To identify and summarize the best evidence for pelvic floor muscle exercises (PFME) in preventing pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) during pregnancy.Methods:A systematic search was conducted in databases including UpToData, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP, Wanfang Data, SinoMed, Yiigle, and Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence Based Healthcare Center Database and so on. The search spanned from January 1, 2018, to March 16, 2023. Two researchers independently evaluated the quality of clinical decision-making articles, expert consensus, and systematic reviews, while four researchers appraised the quality of guidelines. Evidence extraction and grading were performed independently by two researchers.Results:A total of nine documents were included: three guidelines, two clinical decision-making articles, one expert consensus, and three systematic reviews. A total of 20 evidence-based recommendations were summarized in six categories: indications and contraindications, assessment, implementation plans, supervision and follow-up, management, and outcome evaluation.Conclusions:PFME during pregnancy is effective in preventing PFD. Healthcare providers should integrate best evidence into clinical practice to develop tailored PFME plans for pregnant women, aiming to prevent PFD.

To explore the level of hsa_circ_0001588 in plasma of patients with gastric cancer and to analyze the relationship between the plasma level of hsa_circ_0001588 and clinical characteristic,toll like receptors 4(TLR4)and T lymphocyte subsets,this study enrolled 124 gastric cancer patients who were treated in our hospital from March 2021 to May 2022 as study group.Simultaneously,another 130 patients diagnosed with superficial gastritis by gastroscopy were selected as benign group,and 130 healthy individuals were set as control group.The plasma hsa_circ_0001588 level was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction,the plasma level of TLR4 was detected by double antibody sandwich ELISA,and plasma CD3+,CD4+,CD8+,and CD4+/CD8+levels were tested by Wmini5146 flow cytometry.Then the diagnostic efficacy of plasma hsa_circ_0001588,TLR4 and T lymphocytes for gastric cancer was evaluated,and the correlation between the level of hsa_circ_0001588 in plasma and the level of TLR4 and T lymphocytes in gastric cancer patients was verified.Data showed that the levels of hsa_circ_0001588,TLR4 and CD8+in plasma of study group were higher than those of benign group and control group,while the levels of CD3+,CD4+and CD4+/CD8+were lower than those of benign group and control group(P＜0.05).Furthermore,a decrease was observed in plasma hsa_circ_0001588 level in gastric cancer patients after surgery compared to baseline data.Among gastric cancer patients of different clinicopathological characteristics,patients with high clinical stage,high degree of infiltration,poor differentiation and distant metastasis had high plasma hsa_circ_0001588 level(P＜0.05).Diagnostic analysis denoted that the separate test of plasma hsa_circ_0001588,TLR4 and T-lymphocytes all had good diagnostic efficacy for gastric cancer,while combined test showed the highest diagnostic efficacy.Comparison among gastric cancer patients revealed that high hsa_circ_0001588 expression group had lower expression of CD3+,CD4+and CD4+/CD8+,and higher expression of TLR4 and CD8+than those of low hsa_circ_0001588 expression group(P＜0.05),suggesting that plasma hsa_circ_0001588 level was negatively correlated with CD3+,CD4+and CD4+/CD8+expression,but positively correlated with TLR4 and CD8+.In conclusion,the level of hsa_circ_0001588 in plasma is elevated in patients with gastric cancer,and it has a negative correlation with CD3+,CD4+and CD4+/CD8+,but positive correlation with TLR4 and CD8+expression.

BackgroundSchizophrenia is a common severe mental disorder with complex pathogenesis. There are few studies on the correlation between kynurenine metabolites in peripheral serum and urine in schizophrenia. ObjectiveTo investigate the concentration of tryptophan-kynurenine metabolites and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in serum and urine in patients with schizophrenia， and their correlation with clinical symptoms， so as to explore potential biological characteristics related to schizophrenia. MethodsA total of 38 patients with schizophrenia who met the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders， fifth edition （DSM-5）， and were hospitalized or attended outpatient clinic at Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital from December 2021 to December 2022 were included in the study. Additionally， 26 healthy individuals were concurrently recruited from the community of Hangzhou to serve as a control group. All participants were requested to complete the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale （PANSS）. The levels of tryptophan （TRP）， kynurenine （KYN）， kynurenic acid （KYNA）， quinolinic acid （QUIN）， picolinic acid （PIC）， xanthurenate and 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT） in both serum and urine were measured using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometry. Serum and urine IL-6 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the correlation between serum and urinary KYN metabolites， as well as the correlation between metabolite levels and clinical symptoms in the patient group. ResultsPatients with schizophrenia had significantly higher level of IL-6 in serum （U=798.500， P<0.01） and lower level of PIC in urine （U=253.000， P=0.013） compared with the control group. Additionally， level of serum KYN was positively correlated with QUIN/KYNA ratio and QUIN/PIC ratio （r=0.562， 0.438， P<0.05） in patients with schizophrenia. 5-HT/KYN ratio in serum was positively correlated with PANSS total score and negative symptom subscale score （r=0.458， 0.455， P<0.01） in patients with schizophrenia. ConclusionSerum TRP-KYN pathway metabolite levels in patients with schizophrenia were associated with neurotoxic metabolite ratios in urine and the severity of negative symptoms. ［Funded by Zhejiang Medical and Health Science and Technology Program Exploratory （number， 2022KY990）］