OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of combination therapy of wheat-grained sized cone moxibustion and point-to-point needle insertion with medical ozone penetrating injection for allergic rhinitis (AR) and its effect on inflammation-related indexes. METHODS: Thirty-one patients with persistent AR were enrolled. The patients received medical ozone injection at bilateral Yingxiang (LI20)-to-Shangyingxiang (EX-HN8), and wheat-grained sized cone moxibustion at Dazhui (GV14), twice a week (with a 3-day interval) for 4 consecutive weeks. The total nasal symptoms score (TNSS), total non-nasal symptom score (TNNSS), rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ), and rhinitis control assessment test (RCAT) scores were evaluated before treatment, after treatment, and at the 8-week follow-up. Levels of eosinophil (EOS) count, immunoglobulin E (IgE), interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, and IL-17 were measured before and after treatment. Clinical efficacy was evaluated after treatment, and the recurrence rate was assessed at follow-up. RESULTS: Compared with those before treatment, the TNSS, TNNSS, and RQLQ scores were decreased (P<0.05), while the RCAT score was increased (P<0.05) after treatment and at follow-up. There were no statistically significant differences in above indexes between the post-treatment and follow-up (P>0.05). After treatment, the whole blood EOS count and serum levels of IgE, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-17 were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05). After treatment, 17 cases were markedly effective, 12 cases were effective, and 2 cases were ineffective, resulting in a total effective rate of 93.5%. At follow-up, 2 cases relapsed, and the recurrence rate was 6.9%. CONCLUSION Combination therapy of wheat-grained sized cone moxibustion and point-to-point needle insertion with medical ozone injection can improve AR symptoms, reduce the recurrence rate, and enhance the quality of life. The mechanism may be associated with the regulation of immune-related indexes.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Moxibustion ; Adult ; Ozone/administration & dosage* ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; Acupuncture Points ; Adolescent ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Immunoglobulin E/blood* ; Rhinitis, Allergic/immunology* ; Interleukin-4/immunology*

The polymerase 1 and transcript release factor (PTRF)-cytoplasmic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) phospholipid remodeling pathway facilitates tumor proliferation in glioma. Nevertheless, blockade of this pathway leads to the excessive activation of oncogenic receptors on the plasma membrane and subsequent drug resistance. Here, CD26/dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) was identified through screening of CRISPR/Cas9 libraries. Suppressing PTRF-cPLA2 signaling resulted in the activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway through phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine remodeling, which ultimately increased DPP4 transcription. In turn, DPP4 interacted with EGFR and prevented its ubiquitination. Linagliptin, a DPP4 inhibitor, facilitated the degradation of EGFR by blocking its interaction with DPP4. When combined with the cPLA2 inhibitor AACOCF3, it exhibited synergistic effects and led to a decrease in energy metabolism in glioblastoma cells. Subsequent in vivo investigations provided further evidence of a synergistic impact of linagliptin by augmenting the sensitivity of AACOCF3 and strengthening the efficacy of temozolomide. DPP4 serves as a novel target and establishes a constructive feedback loop with EGFR. Linagliptin is a potent inhibitor that promotes EGFR degradation by blocking the DPP4-EGFR interaction. This study presents innovative approaches for treating glioma by combining linagliptin with AACOCF3 and temozolomide.

Objective To explore the intrinsic relationship between circadian clock and cell cycle in osteoarthritis(OA)chondrocytes,especially the regulation of cell cycle-related genes by the clock gene Bmal1.Methods The chondroid ATDC5 cells induced by insulin-transfering-selenium(ITS)were divided into control group,OA group and LV-Bmal1 group.The cell viability of each group was detected by CCK8 method.The expression of Bmal1,Per1,Wee1,Cdk1,Ccnb1 and Mmp13 mRNA in each group was detected by RT-qPCR.The expression of BMAL1,PER1,WEE1,CDK1,CCNB1 and MMP13 protein in each group was detected by Western blot.The effects of Bmal1 on different stages of cell cycle and apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry.The regulation of Bmal1 on Per1,Wee1,Cdk1,Ccnb1 and Mmp13 and their roles in OA were analyzed.Results Compared with the normal group,the cell viability of the OA group was increased,the relative mRNA expression of Bmal1 and Wee1 in the OA group decreased,and the relative mRNA expression of Per1,Cdk1,Ccnb1 and Mmp13 increased signif-icantly.The cell viability of LV-Bmal1 group decreased,the relative expression of Bmal1 and Wee1 mRNA in-creased,and the relative expression of Per1,Cdk1,Ccnb1 and Mmp13 mRNA decreased(P＜0.05).Correlation analysis showed that Bmal1 was positively correlated with Wee1 and they were negatively correlated with Per1,Cdk1,Ccnb1 or Mmp13.The results of Western blot showed that protein expression in different groups were con-sistent with the trend of PCR.The results of cell cycle and apoptosis showed that compared with the normal group,the S phase and G2/M phase of the OA group were shortened,the proportion of cells decreased significantly,and the proportion of early and late apoptosis increased.The S phase and G2/M phase of the LV-Bmal1 group were prolonged,the proportion of cells was increased,and the proportion of early and late apoptosis was decreased.Conclusions Circadian clock gene Bmal1 in inflammatory chondrocytes might regulate the expression of cell cycle-related genes.

Objective To study the properties and antimicrobial activity of the novel self-assembled antimicrobial peptide(AMP)CR-16,and to provide experimental evidence for the treatment of bacterial infections.Methods CR-16 was designed and synthesized based on the structure of antimicrobial peptides Buforin Ⅱ and LfcinB.Dynamic light scattering(DLS),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and X-ray diffraction(XRD)were used to characterize CR-16.Based on the results of critical micelle concentration(CMC),the self-assembled properties of CR-16 were investigated using atomic force microscopy(AFM)and circular dichroism(CD).The minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)was used to study the inhibitory effect of CR-16 while transmission electron microscopy(TEM)was adopted to observe the interactions between CR-16 and the outer membrane of bacteria.Results AMP CR-16 was prepared as self-assemblies,which were regularly spherical in shape and stable in activity.CR-16 could inhibit both the growth of Escherichia coli and,more importantly,the growth of NDM-1-producing carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli,promising good prospects in treating infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.Conclusion CR-16 can be self-assembled and deliver antibacterial effects against Escherichia coli.

Objective To enhance the photostability of colchicine(COL)for sustained-release COL pellets.Methods The degradation was investigated by studying the photochemical degradation kinetics of COL.The impact of such physical properties of the photostabilizers as the type,color,dosage,and position on the photostability of COL in sustained-release pellets was also evaluated.Results The contents of photochemical degradation products did not increase after 10 days of light exposure to sustained-release COL pellets with red iron oxide of 4％(w/w)as the protective layer.Conclusion The findings of this study indicate that use of iron oxide as a photostabilizer in sustained-release COL pellets can significantly reduce the photochemical degradation of COL in the pellets.

Objective To develop a deep learning network based on attention mechanism to identify the number of the vertical man-dibular third molar(MTM)roots(single or double)on panoramic radiographs in an automatic way.Methods The sample consisted of 1 045 patients with 1 642 MTMs on paired panoramic radiographs and Cone-beam computed tomography(CBCT)and were randomly grouped into the training(80%),the validation(10%),and the test(10%).The evaluation of CBCT was defined as the ground truth.A deep learning network based on attention mechanism,which was named as RN-MTMnet,was trained to judge if the MTM on pano-ramic radiographs had one or two roots.Diagnostic performance was evaluated by accuracy,sensitivity,specificity,and positive predict value(PPV),and the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve with the area under the ROC curve(AUC).Its diagnostic perform-ance was compared with dentists'diagnosis,Faster-RCNN,CenterNet,and SSD using evaluation metrics.Results On CBCT images,single-rooted MTM was observed on 336(20.46%)sides,while two-rooted MTM was 1 306(79.54%).The RN-MTMnet achieved an accuracy of 0.888,a sensitivity of 0.885,a specificity of 0.903,a PPV of 0.976,and the AUC value of 0.90.Conclusion RN-MTM-net is developed as a novel,robust and accurate method for detecting the numberof MTM roots on panoramic radiographs.

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy and feasibility of applying a medial plantar vein flap to repair the great toenail flap donor site.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of patients who underwent great toenail flap or partial great toenail flap transplantation for finger reconstruction from January 2020 to June 2021 in Longgang Orthopedic Hospital of Shenzhen. During the operation, the donor site of the great toenail flap was repaired with medial plantar venous flaps, and the donor site of the medial plantar venous flaps was repaired with a free full-thickness skin graft. The survival of the flap was observed and the appearance, sensation, and complications of the flap were followed up. The foot function was evaluated by the Maryland foot function evaluation standard.Results:A total of 6 cases were enrolled, including 5 males and 1 female with an average of 22 years, ranged from 14-28 years old. The wound area of the great toenail flap was 2.2 cm×3.7 cm-5.5 cm×7.0 cm, and the skin flap was 2.5 cm×3.8 cm-5.5 cm×7.1 cm. All flaps survived. 2 cases developed tension blisters. All patients were followed up for 3-18 months, with an average of 9 months. And all flaps had no swollen appearance, good color, texture, and no ulcers or pain. Two-point discrimination was 7-10 mm, and the second/third donor area was concealed. According to the Maryland foot function evaluation standard, all 6 cases were rated as excellent.Conclusion:The application of the medial plantar vein flap to repair the donor area of the great toenail flap is an effective repair method. The donor area is concealed, the flap is not bloated, the texture is good, the survival rate is high, and the sensation recovered satisfactory.

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy and feasibility of applying a medial plantar vein flap to repair the great toenail flap donor site.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of patients who underwent great toenail flap or partial great toenail flap transplantation for finger reconstruction from January 2020 to June 2021 in Longgang Orthopedic Hospital of Shenzhen. During the operation, the donor site of the great toenail flap was repaired with medial plantar venous flaps, and the donor site of the medial plantar venous flaps was repaired with a free full-thickness skin graft. The survival of the flap was observed and the appearance, sensation, and complications of the flap were followed up. The foot function was evaluated by the Maryland foot function evaluation standard.Results:A total of 6 cases were enrolled, including 5 males and 1 female with an average of 22 years, ranged from 14-28 years old. The wound area of the great toenail flap was 2.2 cm×3.7 cm-5.5 cm×7.0 cm, and the skin flap was 2.5 cm×3.8 cm-5.5 cm×7.1 cm. All flaps survived. 2 cases developed tension blisters. All patients were followed up for 3-18 months, with an average of 9 months. And all flaps had no swollen appearance, good color, texture, and no ulcers or pain. Two-point discrimination was 7-10 mm, and the second/third donor area was concealed. According to the Maryland foot function evaluation standard, all 6 cases were rated as excellent.Conclusion:The application of the medial plantar vein flap to repair the donor area of the great toenail flap is an effective repair method. The donor area is concealed, the flap is not bloated, the texture is good, the survival rate is high, and the sensation recovered satisfactory.

Objective    To review and analyze the clinical manifestations of common aortitis in cardiac surgery. Methods    We screened 41 552 patients who were hospitalized in the Department of Cardiac Surgery of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University from 2010 to 2020, analyzed the patients' clinical data, and classified according to the type of diseases. Then we summarized all their clinical manifestations. Results    In our center 145 patients were operated for aortitis diseases, including 75 males and 70 females, with the age of 24-76 (45.6±11.3) years. There were 61 patients of Takayasu's arteritis, 51 patients of Behcet's disease, 8 patients of syphilitic aortitis, 8 patients of systemic lupus erythematosus, 2 patients of Kawasaki disease, 4 patients of ankylosing spondylitis, 10 patients of dry syndrome, and 1 patient of scleroderma. Conclusion    Aortitis is not uncommon in cardiac surgery, and awareness of the disease should be enhanced. So that we can distinguish various types of aortitis and to make proper management to improve patients' prognosis.

Objective:Exploring the clinical efficacy of using ultra-thin lobulated anterolateral thigh perforator flap(ALTPF) with retrograde separation of perforating vessels from the superficial and deep junction layer of the superficial fascia to repair large soft tissue defects in the foot.Methods:From August 2021 to November 2022, 8 patients (5 males and 3 females) were admitted to the Second Department of Hand and Foot Surgery, the Affiliated Central Hospital of Dalian University of Technology. The patients were 28 to 52 years old in age. The soft tissue defects were located in dorsal and plantar foot. At the plantar foot, the wound involved the weight-bearing area with explosion of bone, tendon or internal fixtures. The area of soft tissue defects was 6.0 cm × 5.0 cm - 16.0 cm × 8.0 cm, and the sizes of ALTPF were 8.0 cm ×5.5 cm - 18.0 cm × 8.5 cm. Preoperative high frequency CUD combined with CTA angiography were employed to locate the 2 flap perforator vessels. By keeping the perforator vessels at center and according to the soft tissue defect area and the wound shape, an ALTPF with a proper size and shape was designed in anterolateral thigh. The perforator were separated in the boundary layer between superficial and deep fascia, where it helped to obviously thin the flap. After the flap was harvested, it was further lobulated between the 2 perforators into 2 lobes after having confirmed the effective blood supply. Finally the lobulated ALTPF was transferred to covered the defect in foot. Cautions should be taken to ensure that the flap covered the weight-bearing area of foot. All the donor sites were directly sutured. Postoperative follow-up was conducted to observe the survival of flaps and the functional recovery of the reconstructed site, also to evaluate the clinical effect. Postoperative follow-up included outpatient visits and reviews over WeChat or telephone. Recovery of the ankle motor function was evaluated according to the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Societ (AOFAS) ankle-hind foot score scale.Results:All 8 ALTPF survived. Over 6 to 18 months (10.8 months in average) of follow-up, the transferred flaps had good blood supply, soft in texture, with good elasticity and thin in appearance. Appearance and function of donor sites recovered well, except 1 patient who had mild scar hyperplasia. The plantar flap had good abrasion resistance. No flap damage, bleeding or granulation tissue hyperplasia occurred when walking. The mean score of AOFAS ankle-hind foot score achieved 95.6.Conclusion:The application of ultra-thin lobulated ALTPF with retrograde separation of perforating vessels from the superficial fascia at the junction layer for repairing large soft tissue defects in the foot has good clinical efficacy.