Objective:To investigate the effects of berberine on the proliferation,apoptosis,inflammation,and osteogenic differen-tiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells(hPDLSCs)induced by lipopolysaccharide through regulating the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.Methods:HPDLSCs with good growth status were separated into a blank group(without any treatment),a lipopolysaccharide group(1 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide,A group),a low concentration berberine(berberine-L)group(1 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide+25 μmol/L berberine,B group),a medium concentration berberine(berberine-M)group(1 μg/mL lipopolysac-charide+50 μmol/L berberine,C group),a high concentration berberine(berberine-H)group(1 μg/mL+100 μmol/L berberine,D group),and a berberine-H+Prostratin group(1 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide+100 μmol/L berberine+1 μmol/L Prostratin,E group).Subsequently,the cell proliferation,levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β),IL-6,and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in the supernatant,cell apoptosis,osteogenic differentiation ability,expression of osteogenic differentiation related genes[RUNX family transcription fac-tor 2(Runx2),osteopontin(OPN),osteocalcin(OCN)],and expression levels of NF-κB and NLRP3 mRNA were detected.Results:The number of mineralized nodules,cell proliferation rate,ALP content,OPN,OCN,and Runx2 protein expression in the lipopolysac-charide group were greatly reduced compared to the blank group,however,the levels of IL-1 β,IL-6,and TNF-α,apoptosis rate,NF-κB,and NLRP3 mRNA expression in the supernatant were greatly increased(P＜0.05).After treating cells with different doses of berberine,the number of mineralized nodules,proliferation rate,ALP content,OPN,OCN,and Runx2 protein expression were greatly increased,the levels of IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α,apoptosis rate,NF-κB,and NLRP3 mRNA expression in the supernatant were greatly reduced,and the berberine-H group was the most great(P＜0.05).After treatment with berberine-H combined with Prostratin,the number of mineralized nodules,proliferation rate,ALP content,OPN,OCN and Runx2 protein expression were greatly reduced compared to single berberine-H treatment,the levels of IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α,apoptosis rate,NF-κB,and NLRP3 mRNA expression in the supernatant were greatly increased(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Berberine enhances lipopolysaccharide induced proliferation of hPDLSCs,inhibits apoptosis and inflammation,and promotes osteogenic differentiation by inhibiting the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the effects of berberine on the proliferation,apoptosis,inflammation,and osteogenic differen-tiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells(hPDLSCs)induced by lipopolysaccharide through regulating the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.Methods:HPDLSCs with good growth status were separated into a blank group(without any treatment),a lipopolysaccharide group(1 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide,A group),a low concentration berberine(berberine-L)group(1 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide+25 μmol/L berberine,B group),a medium concentration berberine(berberine-M)group(1 μg/mL lipopolysac-charide+50 μmol/L berberine,C group),a high concentration berberine(berberine-H)group(1 μg/mL+100 μmol/L berberine,D group),and a berberine-H+Prostratin group(1 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide+100 μmol/L berberine+1 μmol/L Prostratin,E group).Subsequently,the cell proliferation,levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β),IL-6,and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in the supernatant,cell apoptosis,osteogenic differentiation ability,expression of osteogenic differentiation related genes[RUNX family transcription fac-tor 2(Runx2),osteopontin(OPN),osteocalcin(OCN)],and expression levels of NF-κB and NLRP3 mRNA were detected.Results:The number of mineralized nodules,cell proliferation rate,ALP content,OPN,OCN,and Runx2 protein expression in the lipopolysac-charide group were greatly reduced compared to the blank group,however,the levels of IL-1 β,IL-6,and TNF-α,apoptosis rate,NF-κB,and NLRP3 mRNA expression in the supernatant were greatly increased(P＜0.05).After treating cells with different doses of berberine,the number of mineralized nodules,proliferation rate,ALP content,OPN,OCN,and Runx2 protein expression were greatly increased,the levels of IL-1β,IL-6,and TNF-α,apoptosis rate,NF-κB,and NLRP3 mRNA expression in the supernatant were greatly reduced,and the berberine-H group was the most great(P＜0.05).After treatment with berberine-H combined with Prostratin,the number of mineralized nodules,proliferation rate,ALP content,OPN,OCN and Runx2 protein expression were greatly reduced compared to single berberine-H treatment,the levels of IL-1β,IL-6 and TNF-α,apoptosis rate,NF-κB,and NLRP3 mRNA expression in the supernatant were greatly increased(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Berberine enhances lipopolysaccharide induced proliferation of hPDLSCs,inhibits apoptosis and inflammation,and promotes osteogenic differentiation by inhibiting the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the effect of bilateral globus pallidus internus deep brain stimulation (GPi-DBS) on motor performance, quality of life, sleep quality, neuropsychological status, and mood in patients with Meige syndrome.Methods:The clinical data of 17 patients with Meige syndrome accepted bilateral GPi-DBS in Department of Neurosurgery, People's Hospital of Peking University from May 2019 to March 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Established and validated rating scales were used to assess the motor performance, quality of life, sleep quality, neuropsychological status, and mood at baseline, and 1 and 2 years after GPi-DBS.Results:Burke-Fahn-Marsden dystonia rating scale (BFMDRS) motor total scores decreased from 14.4±6.2 at baseline to 4.3±2.2 and 3.5±1.9 at 1 and 2 years after GPi-DBS, with significant differences ( P<0.05). BFMDRS disability total scores decreased from 6.2±4.0 at baseline to 2.8±2.0 and 2.2±1.5 at 1 and 2 years after GPi-DBS, with significant differences ( P<0.05). In 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), the scores of physical function, role-physical, general health sub-items at 1 and 2 years after GPi-DBS were significantly higher than those at baseline ( P<0.05). No significant differences were noted in scores of sleep quality, neuropsychological function, or mood scales at 1 and 2 years after GPi-DBS compared with those at baseline ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Bilateral GPi-DBS is effective and safe in Meige syndrome, which can improve dystonic symptom and quality of life without adverse effects on sleep quality, neuropsychological function, or emotional status.

Objective:To explore the pathogenesis of glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN) in central nervous system from perspective of brain morphology.Methods:A prospective study was performed. Twenty-seven patients with right primary GPN admitted to Department of Neurosurgery, People's Hospital of Peking University from April 2019 to June 2023 and 27 healthy subjects (controls) matched with age, gender, dominant hand, and education level during the same period were recruited. These patients were divided into GPN with neurovascular compression group ( n=18) and GPN without neurovascular compression ( n=9) based on intraoperative presence of neurovascular compression. SPM8 software based on Matlab R2017b programming platform and VBM8 toolbox were used to process the whole-brain high-resolution 3D-T1 brain structural image data of the participants and analyze the differences in the gray matter volume of each brain region between the 2 groups. Pearson correlation was applied to analyze the correlations of gray matter volumes in brain regions enjoying significant difference with baseline data and pain characteristics of these GPN patients. Results:Compared with controls, patients with GPN had significantly reduced gray matter volumes in the left anterior cingulate gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, transverse temporal gyrus, precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus, right insula, thalamus, inferior parietal lobule, precentral gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and inferior temporal gyrus ( P<0.05, FDR corrected). Compared with GPN patients with neurovascular compression, GPN patients without neurovascular compression had significantly reduced gray matter volume in the bilateral anterior cingulate gyrus ( P<0.05, FDR corrected). Changes of gray matter volume in the right insula were negatively correlated with disease duration of GPN patients ( r=-0.521, P=0.005). Conclusion:GPN patients have extensive gray matter atrophy in the brain, which may play an essential role in GPN development and maintenance.