BACKGROUND:Various proteins,signaling pathways,and inflammatory mediators are involved in the pathophysiological process of osteoarthritis.The development of small molecule drugs targeting these proteins,signaling pathways,and inflammatory mediators can effectively delay the progression of osteoarthritis and ameliorate its clinical manifestations. OBJECTIVE:To review the research progress of small molecule drugs in the treatment of osteoarthritis based on the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. METHODS:PubMed,CNKI,and WanFang databases were searched with English search terms"osteoarthritis,arthritis,osteoarthrosis,degenerative,arthritides,deformans,small molecule drugs,small molecule inhibitors,small molecule agents"and Chinese search terms"osteoarthritis,small molecule drugs,small molecule inhibitors."A total of 68 articles were included for review according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Currently,studies concerning the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis remain unclear.The occurrence and development of osteoarthritis are strongly associated with proteins,cytokines,and signal transduction pathways,so its therapeutic mechanism is relatively complex.Currently,targeting proteins,cytokines,and signal transduction pathways related to osteoarthritis with small molecule drugs has become a major research focus.(2)Small molecule drugs frequently possess visible intracellular or extracellular targets and efficacy,containing enhancing cartilage repair,resisting joint degradation,attenuating inflammation,and relieving pain.Other anti-osteoarthritis small molecule drugs have shown promise in promoting stem cell chondrogenic differentiation and cartilage matrix reconstruction.(3)At present,small molecule drugs targeting the pathophysiological process of osteoarthritis to delay the progression of osteoarthritis are still in the experimental stage,but most of these small molecule drugs have shown the expected results in the experimental process,and there are no relevant studies to illustrate the efficacy of small molecule drugs in the treatment of osteoarthritis.(4)Small molecule drugs for the treatment of osteoarthritis have reached the expected experimental results in the basic experimental stage.Numerous studies have exhibited that small molecule drugs can target the suppression of specific proteins,cytokines,and signal transduction pathways that cause osteoarthritis,so as to treat osteoarthritis.Nevertheless,its safety and effectiveness still need to be identified by further basic and clinical studies.This process needs to be investigated and studied by more scholars.(5)At present,many scholars in and outside China have made contributions to the treatment of osteoarthritis.Compared with traditional treatment methods,small molecule drugs reveal better efficacy and safety in the basic experimental stage,and it is expected to become an emerging method for the treatment of osteoarthritis in the future to rid patients of pain.

Objective To analyze the risk factors associated with the occurrence of rectal neuroendocrine tumors (RNETs) and construct a risk prediction model. Methods Clinical data of patients who underwent electronic colonoscopy were collected. The clinical information on patients with and without RNETs were compared, and potential risk factors for RNETs were identified. Binary logistic regression was performed to analyze the relevant risk factors and construct a risk prediction model. Results Among 164 patients, 66 were diagnosed with RNETs, and 98 who did not have such a condition were randomly selected. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age, fatty liver, anxiety and depression, total cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were significant factors influencing the occurrence of RNETs (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified age (P=0.015), anxiety and depression (P=0.031), cholesterol level (P=0.009), fatty liver (P=0.001), and CEA (P<0.001) as independent risk factors for RNETs. The participants were randomly divided into training and test sets at a 7:3 ratio. The training set was used to construct a nomogram-based risk prediction model, and the testing set was used for internal validation. The area under the curve values for the training and testing sets were 0.843 and 0.772, respectively (P>0.05). These findings indicate a good discriminative performance. The calibration curves for the training and testing sets were in good agreement with the 45° standard line, which suggests that the predicted probabilities were consistent with the actual outcomes. Decision curve analysis showed that the model provided a high net benefit within a threshold range of 0.2 to 0.7 for clinical decision making. Conclusion Young age, fatty liver, high CEA levels, high cholesterol levels, and anxiety and depression are independent risk factors for RNETs. The nomogram model constructed based on these risk factors exhibits a strong capability to predict the occurrence of RNETs, and clinical intervention can be considered based on the predicted probability values.

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the most abundant catechin in green tea, possesses various biomedical activities and has garnered significant attention because of its notable anticancer properties. This article reviews the research progress on the antitumor mechanisms of EGCG, focusing on its roles in inducing tumor cell apoptosis; inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis; modulating the tumor microenvironment; and influencing epigenetic modifications. Given its natural origin, safety, and low cost, EGCG could be a preferred option for the development of new cancer therapeutic drugs or enhancing the efficacy of combination therapies. This work aims to provide a theoretical foundation for further research and development of EGCG and scientific evidence for its application in cancer prevention and treatment.

BACKGROUND: The protective effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on cardiac ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury has been widely reported. Dental pulp-derived mesenchymal stem cells (DP-MSCs) have therapeutic effects on various diseases, including diabetes and cirrhosis. This study aimed to determine the therapeutic effects of DP-MSCs on I/R injury and elucidate the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Myocardial I/R injury model mice were treated with DP-MSCs or a miR-19a-3p mimic. The infarct volume, fibrotic area, pyroptosis, inflammation level, and cardiac function were measured. Cardiomyocytes exposed to hypoxia-reoxygenation were transfected with the miR-19a-3p mimic, miR-19a-3p inhibitor, or negative control. Pyroptosis and protein expression in the interferon regulatory factor 8/mitogen-activated protein kinase (IRF-8/MAPK) pathway were measured. RESULTS: DP-MSCs protected cardiac function in cardiac I/R-injured mice and inhibited cardiomyocyte pyroptosis. The upregulation of miR-19a-3p protected cardiac function, inhibited cardiomyocyte pyroptosis, and inhibited IRF-8/MAPK signaling in cardiac I/R-injured mice. DP-MSCs inhibited cardiomyocyte pyroptosis and the IRF-8/MAPK signaling by upregulating the miR-19a-3p levels in cardiomyocytes injured by I/R. CONCLUSION DP-MSCs protected cardiac function by inhibiting cardiomyocyte pyroptosis through miR-19a-3p under I/R conditions.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Pyroptosis/genetics* ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Myocytes, Cardiac/cytology* ; Mice ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Dental Pulp/cytology* ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury/therapy* ; MAP Kinase Signaling System/physiology*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of endoscopic-assisted median nerve decompression with one-stage extensor indicis proprius (EIP) tendon transfer for reconstruction of thumb abduction in patients with severe carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). METHODS: The clinical data of 12 patients with severe CTS who met the selection criteria between December 2019 and December 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 2 males and 10 females with an average age of 55.4 years ranging from 35 to 67 years. The symptom duration of CTS was 12-120 months (mean, 48.7 months) and the thenar muscle atrophy duration was 6-48 months (mean, 13.4 months). The median nerve was released with the help of endoscope, and the EIP tendon was transferred to reconstruct the abduction function of the thumb. The operation time and complications were recorded. Two-point discrimination, palmar abduction angle of the thumb, radial abduction angle of the thumb, and pinch force of the thumb were measured and compared before operation and at last follow-up, and the effectiveness was evaluated by Kapandji score and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score. The satisfaction of the operation was evaluated at last follow-up. RESULTS: All surgeries were successfully completed with a mean operation time of 54 minutes (range, 45-68 minutes). All patients were followed up 6-50 months, with an average of 15.3 months. There was no complications such as wound infection, scar pain of wrist, or tendon rupture of transposition, and there were 3 cases of mild limitation of finger extension in the donor site of index finger. At last follow-up, two-point discrimination, palmar abduction angle of the thumb, radial abduction angle of the thumb, Kapandji score, and DASH score were significantly better than those before operation ( P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in thumb pinch force between pre- and post-operation ( P>0.05). The evaluation of surgical satisfaction showed that 7 cases were very satisfied and 5 cases were satisfied. CONCLUSION The combination of endoscopic-assisted median nerve decompression and one-stage EIP tendon transfer effectively improves hand function and quality of life in patients with severe CTS by restoring thumb abduction and alleviating neurological symptoms.
Humans ; Tendon Transfer/methods* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome/physiopathology* ; Female ; Decompression, Surgical/methods* ; Aged ; Adult ; Thumb/physiopathology* ; Endoscopy/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Median Nerve/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods*

The cardioprotective effects of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors (HDIs) are at odds with the deleterious effects of HDAC depletion. Here, we use HDAC3 as a prototype HDAC to address this contradiction. We show that adult-onset cardiac-specific depletion of HDAC3 in mice causes cardiac hypertrophy and contractile dysfunction on a high-fat diet (HFD), excluding developmental disruption as a major reason for the contradiction. Genetically abolishing HDAC3 enzymatic activity without affecting its protein level does not cause cardiac dysfunction on HFD. HDAC3 depletion causes robust downregulation of lipid oxidation/bioenergetic genes and upregulation of antioxidant/anti-apoptotic genes. In contrast, HDAC3 enzyme activity abolishment causes much milder changes in far fewer genes. The abnormal gene expression is cardiomyocyte-autonomous and can be rescued by an enzyme-dead HDAC3 mutant but not by an HDAC3 mutant (Δ33-70) that lacks interaction with the nuclear-envelope protein lamina-associated polypeptide 2β (LAP2β). Tethering LAP2β to the HDAC3 Δ33-70 mutant restored its ability to rescue gene expression. Finally, HDAC3 depletion, not loss of HDAC3 enzymatic activity, exacerbates cardiac contractile functions upon aortic constriction. These results suggest that the cardiac function of HDAC3 in adults is not attributable to its enzyme activity, which has implications for understanding the cardioprotective effects of HDIs.

Digital technologies have become an integral part of complete denture restoration. With advancement in computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM), tools such as intraoral scanning, facial scanning, 3D printing, and numerical control machining are reshaping the workflow of complete denture restoration. Unlike conventional methods that rely heavily on clinical experience and manual techniques, digital technologies offer greater precision, predictability, and efficacy. They also streamline the process by reducing the number of patient visits and improving overall comfort. Despite these improvements, the clinical application of digital complete denture restoration still faces challenges that require further standardization. The major issues include appropriate case selection, establishing consistent digital workflows, and evaluating long-term outcomes. To address these challenges and provide clinical guidance for practitioners, this expert consensus outlines the principles, advantages, and limitations of digital complete denture technology. The aim of this review was to offer practical recommendations on indications, clinical procedures and precautions, evaluation metrics, and outcome assessment to support digital restoration of complete denture in clinical practice.
Humans ; Denture, Complete ; Computer-Aided Design ; Denture Design/methods* ; Consensus ; Printing, Three-Dimensional

The accurate prediction of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) properties represents a crucial step in early drug development for reducing failure risk. Current deep learning approaches face challenges with data sparsity and information loss due to single-molecule representation limitations and isolated predictive tasks. This research proposes molecular properties prediction with parallel-view and collaborative learning (MolP-PC), a multi-view fusion and multi-task deep learning framework that integrates 1D molecular fingerprints (MFs), 2D molecular graphs, and 3D geometric representations, incorporating an attention-gated fusion mechanism and multi-task adaptive learning strategy for precise ADMET property predictions. Experimental results demonstrate that MolP-PC achieves optimal performance in 27 of 54 tasks, with its multi-task learning (MTL) mechanism significantly enhancing predictive performance on small-scale datasets and surpassing single-task models in 41 of 54 tasks. Additional ablation studies and interpretability analyses confirm the significance of multi-view fusion in capturing multi-dimensional molecular information and enhancing model generalization. A case study examining the anticancer compound Oroxylin A demonstrates MolP-PC's effective generalization in predicting key pharmacokinetic parameters such as half-life (T0.5) and clearance (CL), indicating its practical utility in drug modeling. However, the model exhibits a tendency to underestimate volume of distribution (VD), indicating potential for improvement in analyzing compounds with high tissue distribution. This study presents an efficient and interpretable approach for ADMET property prediction, establishing a novel framework for molecular optimization and risk assessment in drug development.
Deep Learning

ObjectiveTo investigate the preventive and therapeutic effects of Tiaogan Huaxian pills combined with entecavir on hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B with liver Qi stagnation， spleen deficiency， and blood stasis syndrome and its effect on diffusion-weighted imaging （DWI）. MethodClinical data of 117 patients with liver disease who visited the Department of Hepatology at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine from January 2021 to April 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. According to different treatment plans， they were divided into a control group （59 cases） and a treatment group （58 cases）. Both groups of patients received entecavir-based etiology treatment， and the treatment group added Tiaogan Huaxian pills on the basis of basic treatment. Both groups were treated for 24 weeks. Before and after treatment， the two groups were compared in terms of alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， advanced surgical technologies （AST）， total bilirubin （TBil）， hepatitis B virus （HBV）-DNA conversion rate， liver stiffness measurement （LSM）， four items of liver fibrosis （hyaluronidase， type Ⅲ pro-collagen， type Ⅳ collagen， and laminin）， the fibrosis index based on four factors （FIB-4）， the aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index （APRI）， the apparent diffusion coefficient （ADC） value in magnetic resonance imaging （MRI）， and traditional Chinese medicine symptom scores， so as to analyze the efficacy of the two groups. ResultBefore treatment， there was no significant difference in ALT， AST， TBil， LSM， four items of liver fibrosis， FIB-4， APRI， HBV-DNA conversion rate， ADC value， and traditional Chinese medicine symptom scores between the two groups. After treatment， both groups of patients showed significant reductions in ALT， AST， TBil， LSM， hyaluronidase， type Ⅲ pro-collagen， type Ⅳ collagen， laminin， FIB-4， and APRI （P<0.05） and a significant increase in ADC value （P<0.05） and HBV-DNA conversion rate （P<0.01）. The traditional Chinese medicine symptom score of the treatment group decreased significantly （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group after treatment， the effective rate of clinical traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment group was 91.38% （53/58）， which was significantly higher than that of the control group （54.23%， 32/59） （Z=-4.325， P<0.01）. In the treatment group， ALT， AST， TBil， LSM， hyaluronidase， type Ⅲ pro-collagen， type Ⅳ collagen， laminin， FIB-4， APRI， and traditional Chinese medicine symptom scores all decreased significantly （P<0.05）， and the increase in ADC values was more significant （P<0.05）， while the difference in HBV-DNA conversion rate was not statistically significant. There were no serious adverse reactions or events in either group. ConclusionTiaogan Huaxian pills combined with entecavir have significant clinical efficacy in the treatment of hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B， which can reduce liver inflammation activity， delay hepatic fibrosis progression， and reduce traditional Chinese medicine symptom scores. It is worthy of clinical promotion and application.