ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Jingmaiyan granules （composed of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos， Sedi Herba， Paeoniae Radix Rubra， Moutan Cortex， Rhei Radix et Rhizoma Praeparata， and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma） combined with external application of Jinhuang Ointment in treating acute-stage blood heat stasis type superficial thrombophlebitis （ST） of lower extremities， and to explore their effects on hemorheology and serum inflammatory factors. MethodsA randomized， double-blind， placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted. A total of 124 patients with lower extremity ST were randomized into two groups（62 cases in each group）. The control group received external application of Jinhuang ointment and oral placebo treatment， while the observation group received external application of Jinhuang ointment and oral Jingmaiyan granules. Both groups were treated for 2 weeks. The clinical symptom scores， therapeutic efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome， pain visual analog scale （VAS） scores， hemorheological indices ［including whole blood high-shear， medium-shear， and low-shear viscosity， as well as plasma viscosity （PV）］， and inflammatory factors ［C-reactive protein （CRP）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）］ were compared before and after treatment. ResultsAfter 2 weeks of treatment， the total effective rate in the observation group （98.3%， 60/62） was significantly higher than that in the control group （83.8%， 52/62）， with a statistically significant difference （Z=3.512 1， P<0.05）. Compared with pre-treatment scores， the scores for skin color， skin temperature， swelling， pain， and cord or nodules were significantly reduced in both groups （P<0.05）， with more pronounced improvement in the observation group （P<0.05）. Additionally， compared with pre-treatment levels， the whole blood viscosity （low-， medium-， and high-shear） significantly improved in both groups after treatment （P<0.05）， with more marked improvement in the observation group （P<0.05）. Furthermore， the plasma viscosity， CRP， IL-6， and TNF-α levels were significantly reduced in both groups after treatment （P<0.05）， with more pronounced improvement observed in the observation group （P<0.05）. ConclusionThe combination of external application of Jinhuang ointment and oral Jingmaiyan granules effectively improves clinical symptoms， hemorheological abnormalities， and inflammatory responses in patients with acute stage blood heat stasis type ST of lower extremities. The treatment is safe and holds clinical promotion value.

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of sophoranone （SOP） on the biological behavior of nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-1 cells and mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） signaling pathway. METHODS CNE-1 cells were divided into blank group and SOP low-， medium- and high-concentration groups （SOP-L group， SOP-M group， SOP-H group， 25， 50 and 100 μmol/L）. The number of invasive cells， the number of migratory cells， and the apoptosis rate of cells were detected. The expression levels of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase （MEK）， extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 （ERK1）， ERK2， and c-Jun N-terminal kinase （JNK） mRNA， as well as phosphorylation levels of ERK， JNK， and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （abbreviated as “p38”） proteins in cells were all detected. Additionally， cells were divided into blank group， SOP high-concentration group （SOP- H group， 100 μmol/L）， SOP high-concentration combined with p38 inhibitor group （SOP-H+SB group， 100 μmol/L SOP+10 μmol/L SB）， and SOP high-concentration combined with JNK inhibitor group （SOP-H+SP group， 100 μmol/L SOP+10 μmol/L SP）. The number of invasive cells， cell migration rate， and the protein phosphorylation levels of JNK and p38 in cells， as well as the protein expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9（MMP-9）， proliferating cell nuclear antigen Ki67， and cleaved-caspase-3 were measured. RESULTS Compared with the blank group， SOP for each concentration could significantly decrease the number of invasive cells， the number of migratory cells， and mRNA expressions of MEK， ERK1， ERK2 （except for the SOP-L group） and JNK， but increase the apoptosis rate of cells and phosphorylation levels of ERK， JNK， and p38 proteins （P＜0.05）. Compared with the SOP-H group， the protein phosphorylation levels of p38 and JNK， and the protein expression of cleaved-caspase-3 were decreased significantly in SOP-H+SB group and SOP-H+SP group， while the number of invasive cells， cell migration rate， and the protein expression levels of MMP-9 and Ki67 were all increased significantly （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS SOP can inhibit the proliferation， migration and invasion of CNE-1 cells， and induce the apoptosis， the mechanisms of which may be associated with promoting the phosphorylation of proteins related to the MAPK signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the effect of polystyrene microplastics(PS-MPs)combined with high-fat treatment on vascular endothelial cells.Methods:Human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs)were cultured in the DMEM medium containing 5%fe-tal bovine serum.HUVECs were treated with conventional culture,high-fat treatment,and PS-MPs combined with high-fat treatment.The experiment was conducted in the three groups of control group,high-fat treatment group and PS-MPs+high-fat treatment group.CCK-8 assay was used to measure cell viability,F-actin staining was used to observe cell morphological changes,and flow cytometry,scratch assay,and tube formation assay were used to measure the apoptosis,migration,and tube-forming ability of cells.Results:After HUVECs were exposed to the high-fat environment,there was a significant reduction in cell viability,shrinkage of cells,a signifi-cant increase in cell apoptosis,and significant reductions in cell migration and tube-forming ability.Compared with the high-fat treat-ment group,there were no significant changes in cell viability,cell morphology,cell apoptosis,and cell migration ability after PS-MPs combined with high-fat treatment,but the tube-forming ability of cells was further impaired.Conclusion:High-fat treatment will affect cell viability,change cell morphology,and damage vascular endothelial cell function,and PS-MPs combined with high-fat treat-ment can aggravate the damage of vascular endothelial cell function.

Apical microsurgery is accurate and minimally invasive, produces few complications, and has a success rate of more than 90%. However, due to the lack of awareness and understanding of apical microsurgery by dental general practitioners and even endodontists, many clinical problems remain to be overcome. The consensus has gathered well-known domestic experts to hold a series of special discussions and reached the consensus. This document specifies the indications, contraindications, preoperative preparations, operational procedures, complication prevention measures, and efficacy evaluation of apical microsurgery and is applicable to dentists who perform apical microsurgery after systematic training.
Microsurgery/standards* ; Humans ; Apicoectomy ; Contraindications, Procedure ; Tooth Apex/diagnostic imaging* ; Postoperative Complications/prevention & control* ; Consensus ; Treatment Outcome

The culture of suspended Vero cells is facing difficulties such as low cell viability and long doubling time. To investigate the main reasons for the slow growth and low viability of suspended Vero cells, this study conducted transcriptomic analysis of suspended Vero cells (Vero-XF) and adherent Vero cells (Vero-AD) to screen the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) affecting the growth of suspended cells. In addition, epidermal growth factor (EGF) was supplemented to the culture system to improve the growth of Vero-XF. The results showed that compared with the Vero-AD group, the Vero-XF group had 7 376 significant DEGs. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analysis revealed that the DEGs were mainly enriched in the autophagy and mitophagy pathways. Eleven DEGs were selected and verified by quantitative real-time PCR, which showed up-regulated expression of ATG9B, WIPI2, LAMP2, OPTN, Rab7a, and DEPTOR and down-regulated expression of ATG4D, being consistent with the results of transcriptomic analysis. In addition, the Vero-XF group showed significantly up-regulated expression of ATG101, ATG2A, and STX17 and insignificant change in the expression of NBR1, compared with the Vero-AD group. The protein levels of LC3 and P62 in Vero-XF and Vero-AD were determined by Western blotting, which showed up-regulated expression of LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ and down-regulated expression of P62 in Vero-XF, indicating a higher level of autophagy. Finally, the exogenous supplementation of EGF at 10, 20, and 30 μg/L in the culture system reduced the autophagy level of Vero-XF by 22.35%, 48.15%, and 71.29%, increased the specific growth rate by 15.48%, 33.33%, and 57.14%, and decreased the apoptosis rate by 2.84%, 15.46%, and 16.23%, respectively. The results of this study preliminarily reveal that the activation of autophagy is one of the reasons for the slow growth of Vero-XF, which provides reference for the subsequent culture of suspended Vero cells.
Animals ; Vero Cells ; Autophagy/genetics* ; Chlorocebus aethiops ; Epidermal Growth Factor/pharmacology* ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Transcriptome ; Cell Survival

Increasing evidence shows that the early lesions of Parkinson's disease (PD) originate from gut, and correction of microbiota dysbiosis is a promising therapy for PD. FLZ is a neuroprotective agent on PD, which has been validated capable of alleviating microbiota dysbiosis in PD mice. However, the detailed mechanisms still need elucidated. Through metabolomics and 16S rRNA analysis, we identified glycoursodeoxycholic acid (GUDCA) was the most affected differential microbial metabolite by FLZ treatment, which was specially and negatively regulated by Clostridium innocuum, a differential microbiota with the strongest correlation to GUDCA production, through inhibiting bile salt hydrolase (BSH) enzyme. The protection of GUDCA on colon and brain were also clarified in PD models, showing that it could activate Nrf2 pathway, further validating that FLZ protected dopaminergic neurons through promoting GUDCA production. Our study uncovered that FLZ improved PD through microbiota-gut-brain axis, and also gave insights into modulation of microbial metabolites may serve as an important strategy for treating PD.

Although enteric glial cell (EGC) abnormal activation is reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), and inhibition of EGC gliosis alleviated gut and dopaminergic neuronal dysfunction was verified in our previous study, the potential role of gut microbiota on EGC function in PD still need to be addressed. In the present study, fecal microbiota transplantation revealed that EGC function was regulated by gut microbiota. By employing 16S rRNA and metabolomic analysis, we identified that 3-indolepropionic acid (IPA) was the most affected differential microbial metabolite that regulated EGC gliosis. The protective effects of IPA on PD were validated in rotenone-stimulated EGCs and rotenone (30 mg/kg i.g. for 4 weeks)-induced PD mice, as indicated by decreased inflammation, improved intestinal and brain barrier as well as dopaminergic neuronal function. Mechanistic study showed that IPA targeted pregnane X receptor (PXR) in EGCs, and inhibition of IL-13Rα1 involved cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathway, leading to inactivation of downstream JAK1-STAT6 pathway. Our data not only provided evidence that EGC gliosis was critical in spreading intestinal damage to brain, but also highlighted the potential role of microbial metabolite IPA in alleviating PD pathological damages through gut-brain axis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2025.02.029.].

OBJECTIVES: To observe the therapeutic effect of spermine in neonatal mouse models of severe hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) caused by enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection and explore its therapeutic mechanism in light of regulation of macrophage GBP5/NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. METHODS: Neonatal BALB/c mice (3-5 days old) were divided into control group, EV71 infection group and Spermine treatment group. The mice in the latter two groups received an intraperitoneal injection of 50 μL EV71 suspension (1×10⁶ TCID50 of EV71), followed 3 days later by intraperitoneal injection of 50 μL PBS or 100 μmol/L spermine. GBP5, NLRP3, CXCL10, and TNFSF10 expressions in heart, liver, lung and kidney tissues of the mice were detected using Western blotting and qPCR, and tissue pathologies and macrophage infiltration were assessed with HE staining and immunohistochemistry. In cultured THP-1 and RAW264.7 cells, the effects of EV71 infection, GBP5 siRNA transfection and treatment with spermine or eflornithine on GBP5, NLRP3, CXCL10, and TNFSF10 mRNA expressions were investigated using qPCR. RESULTS: In the neonatal mice, EV71 infection resulted in multiple organ damage, macrophage infiltration and activation of the GBP5/NLRP3 pathway, and spermine treatment significantly improved tissue injuries, reduced macrophage infiltration, and down-regulated the expressions of GBP5, NLRP3 and the inflammatory factors in the infected mice. In THP-1 and RAW264.7 cells, EV71 infection caused significant upregulation of GBP5, NLRP3, CXCL10, and TNFSF10 expressions, which were obviously lowered by spermine treatment. In THP-1 cells, treatment with eflornithine significantly suppressed the reduction of GBP5, NLRP3, CXCL10, and TNFSF10 expressions induced by GBP5 siRNA transfection. CONCLUSIONS Spermine suppressed EV71 infection-induced inflammatory responses by inhibiting GBP5-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation, suggesting a new strategy for treatment of severe HFMD.
Animals ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein ; Mice ; Macrophages/metabolism* ; Enterovirus A, Human ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Inflammasomes/metabolism* ; Spermine/therapeutic use* ; Animals, Newborn ; Humans ; Enterovirus Infections ; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease/drug therapy* ; RAW 264.7 Cells ; Chemokine CXCL10/metabolism*

Objective To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profiles of common pathogens isolated from cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)in CHINET program from 2015 to 2021.Methods The bacterial strains isolated from CSF were identified in accordance with clinical microbiology practice standards.Antimicrobial susceptibility test was conducted using Kirby-Bauer method and automated systems per the unified CHINET protocol.Results A total of 14 014 bacterial strains were isolated from CSF samples from 2015 to 2021,including the strains isolated from inpatients(95.3％)and from outpatient and emergency care patients(4.7％).Overall,19.6％of the isolates were from children and 80.4％were from adults.Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 68.0％and 32.0％,respectively.Coagulase negative Staphylococcus accounted for 73.0％of the total Gram-positive bacterial isolates.The prevalence of MRSA was 38.2％in children and 45.6％in adults.The prevalence of MRCNS was 67.6％in adults and 69.5％in children.A small number of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium(2.2％)and linezolid-resistant Enterococcus faecalis(3.1％)were isolated from adult patients.The resistance rates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae to ceftriaxone were 52.2％and 76.4％in children,70.5％and 63.5％in adults.The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant E.coli and K.pneumoniae(CRKP)was 1.3％and 47.7％in children,6.4％and 47.9％in adults.The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii(CRAB)and Pseudomonas aeruginosa(CRPA)was 74.0％and 37.1％in children,81.7％and 39.9％in adults.Conclusions The data derived from antimicrobial resistance surveillance are crucial for clinicians to make evidence-based decisions regarding antibiotic therapy.Attention should be paid to the Gram-negative bacteria,especially CRKP and CRAB in central nervous system(CNS)infections.Ongoing antimicrobial resistance surveillance is helpful for optimizing antibiotic use in CNS infections.