OBJECTIVES: To propose a hypothesis that aloe-emodin may inhibit scar tissue fibrosis through thrombospondin-1(THBS1)-PI3K-Akt pathway. METHODS: By cultivating fibroblasts derived from scar tissue after cleft palate surgery in humans, aloe emodin of different concentrations (10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 μmol/L) was added to the cells which activity was detected. At the same time, transcriptome sequencing was performed on scar tissue and cells, and bioinformatics methods were used to explore potential targets and signaling pathways of scar tissue fibrosis. RESULTS: Aloe-emodin had a concentration dependent inhibitory effect on fibroblast proliferation,with the 40 μmol/L concentration group showing the most significant effect. The results of tissue and cell sequencing indicated that differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in extracellular matrix-receptor interaction pathway, and shared a common differential gene which was THBS1. The ORA analysis results indicated that differentially expressed genes, including THBS1, were significantly enriched in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS Aloe emodin may inhibit the PI3K-Akt pathway by downregulating THBS1, thereby reducing the proliferation activity of fibroblasts derived from postoperative palatal scar tissue.
Thrombospondin 1/genetics* ; Humans ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Fibroblasts/cytology* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Fibrosis ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Cicatrix/metabolism* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Anthraquinones/pharmacology* ; Cells, Cultured

Acute kidney injury (AKI), a life-threatening clinical syndrome, lacks effective therapeutic interventions beyond supportive care such as hemodialysis and kidney transplantation. Pathologically, excessive reactive oxygen species -mediated oxidative stress is recognized as a pivotal contributor to AKI progression, positioning reactive oxygen species scavenging as a critical therapeutic target. Emerging nanozymes, nanomaterials with enzyme-mimetic activities, have shown promise in addressing AKI by targeting renal oxidative stress. The article mainly reviewed the content of classification of nanozymes, research findings on nanozymes in treating AKI along with discussions on their mechanisms of action, as well as the current challenges and existing issues in nanozymes-based AKI therapy, to provide enhanced research perspectives for advancing nanozyme applications in the prevention and treatment of AKI.

Objective:To simulate and compare the impact of scar contraction force on maxillary alveolar bone displacement after cleft palate surgery in different regions of the palate.Methods:The same scar contraction force was applied to the grouping hard pal-ate area on the original finite element model of the maxilla with cleft palate,and calculations were performed in ANSYS 17.0.Divid-ed into four groups based on the applied force area:anterior half(group 1),posterior half(group 2),lateral half(group 3),and me-dial half(group 4).Nodes in the alveolar bone of the cleft and non-cleft sides were selected as observation points.The three-dimen-sional displacement of observation points was recorded and compared between groups.Results:The displacement of group 1＞group 3,4＞group 2(P＜0.01).Conclusion:Scars from different parts of the hard palate can lead to a decrease in the length,width,and height of the maxillary alveolar bone.Among them,the anterior scar has the most severe impact,followed by the medial and lateral scars,and the posterior scar has the smallest impact.

Diabetic kidney disease(DKD)is one of the common microvascular complications in diabetes mellitus patients,with oedema,proteinuria,and continuous decline in renal function as the main clinical manifestations,and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)believes that diabetic kidney disease is caused by a deficiency of Qi and Yin,which runs through the whole process of the disease.In recent years,academician Tong Xiaolin's theory of"state-target theory"provides new ideas for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.The"state"is a general term for the overall manifestation of the patient's condition.The overall manifestation of the condition of diabetic kidney disease is a"state of deficiency and impairment"with Qi and Yin deficiency as the key mechanism of the disease.The"target"refers to the specific symptoms of the disease or abnormal examination results,which are the clinical symptoms and abnormal indicators caused by diabetic kidney disease.Ginseng astragali dihuang soup is effective in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy,and the application of this formula based on the theory of state-target can make the therapeutic effect more significant,achieve the therapeutic effect of supporting positive Qi,replenishing the deficiency and benefiting the loss,and improve the clinical symptoms and the abnormal physicochemical indexes of diabetic nephropathy,and the state-target co-adjustment,which can provide a new way of thinking for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic nephropathy for the clinicians.

Diabetic kidney disease(DKD)is one of the common microvascular complications in diabetes mellitus patients,with oedema,proteinuria,and continuous decline in renal function as the main clinical manifestations,and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)believes that diabetic kidney disease is caused by a deficiency of Qi and Yin,which runs through the whole process of the disease.In recent years,academician Tong Xiaolin's theory of"state-target theory"provides new ideas for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.The"state"is a general term for the overall manifestation of the patient's condition.The overall manifestation of the condition of diabetic kidney disease is a"state of deficiency and impairment"with Qi and Yin deficiency as the key mechanism of the disease.The"target"refers to the specific symptoms of the disease or abnormal examination results,which are the clinical symptoms and abnormal indicators caused by diabetic kidney disease.Ginseng astragali dihuang soup is effective in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy,and the application of this formula based on the theory of state-target can make the therapeutic effect more significant,achieve the therapeutic effect of supporting positive Qi,replenishing the deficiency and benefiting the loss,and improve the clinical symptoms and the abnormal physicochemical indexes of diabetic nephropathy,and the state-target co-adjustment,which can provide a new way of thinking for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic nephropathy for the clinicians.

Objective:To simulate and compare the impact of scar contraction force on maxillary alveolar bone displacement after cleft palate surgery in different regions of the palate.Methods:The same scar contraction force was applied to the grouping hard pal-ate area on the original finite element model of the maxilla with cleft palate,and calculations were performed in ANSYS 17.0.Divid-ed into four groups based on the applied force area:anterior half(group 1),posterior half(group 2),lateral half(group 3),and me-dial half(group 4).Nodes in the alveolar bone of the cleft and non-cleft sides were selected as observation points.The three-dimen-sional displacement of observation points was recorded and compared between groups.Results:The displacement of group 1＞group 3,4＞group 2(P＜0.01).Conclusion:Scars from different parts of the hard palate can lead to a decrease in the length,width,and height of the maxillary alveolar bone.Among them,the anterior scar has the most severe impact,followed by the medial and lateral scars,and the posterior scar has the smallest impact.

Acute kidney injury (AKI), a life-threatening clinical syndrome, lacks effective therapeutic interventions beyond supportive care such as hemodialysis and kidney transplantation. Pathologically, excessive reactive oxygen species -mediated oxidative stress is recognized as a pivotal contributor to AKI progression, positioning reactive oxygen species scavenging as a critical therapeutic target. Emerging nanozymes, nanomaterials with enzyme-mimetic activities, have shown promise in addressing AKI by targeting renal oxidative stress. The article mainly reviewed the content of classification of nanozymes, research findings on nanozymes in treating AKI along with discussions on their mechanisms of action, as well as the current challenges and existing issues in nanozymes-based AKI therapy, to provide enhanced research perspectives for advancing nanozyme applications in the prevention and treatment of AKI.

Objective:To study the effect of Compound Duzhong Jiangu Granules on joint function, quality of life and inflammatory factors in patients with Kashin-Beck disease.Methods:By group design, 135 patients with Kashin-Beck disease in Chongxin County, Pingliang City, Gansu Province, were selected and divided into intervention group (100 cases treated with Compound Duzhong Jiangu Granules, 12 g/bag, 1 bag/time, 3 times/day, treatment for 1 month) and control group (35 cases treated with ibuprofen, 0.3 g/capsule, 1 capsule/time, 2 times/day, treatment for 2 weeks) according to the randomized, single-blind principle. The changes of joint dysfunction index score, joint function improvement rate, total scores of Kashin-Beck disease quality of life (KBDQOL) and scores of each dimension were analyzed before treatment, 1 month and 3 months after treatment. The serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), nuclear factor κB (NFκB)-p65, inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2), nitric oxide (NO), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay before treatment and 1 month after treatment.Results:The total scores of joint dysfunction index of the intervention group and the control group 1 month after treatment and 3 months after treatment were lower than those before treatment, but 3 months after treatment was higher than 1 month after treatment ( P < 0.001). One month after treatment, the total effective rates of joint function improvement in the intervention group and the control group were 68.00% (68/100) and 54.55% (18/33), respectively; 3 months after treatment, the total effective rates of the intervention group and the control group were 36.00% (36/100) and 39.39%(13/33), respectively. The total scores and scores of each dimension of KBDQOL were not significant for the main effect of the group ( P > 0.05), but significant for the main effect at the time point ( P < 0.05), and there was no interactive effect ( P > 0.05). There were significant differences in the scores of social support and mental status dimensions in the intervention group at different time points ( P < 0.001). And in the intervention group, the total score, the scores of physical function, activity limitation, economy and overall health dimensions were statistically significant between before treatment and 1 month after treatment, 1 month after treatment and 3 months after treatment( P < 0.05); however, there was no significant difference between before treatment and 3 months after treatment ( P > 0.05). One month after treatment, the serum PGE2 levels of both groups were decreased ( P < 0.05), and there was no difference in other inflammatory factors at different groups and time points ( P > 0.05). Conclusion:Compound Duzhong Jiangu Granules can effectively inhibit the inflammatory reaction of patients with Kashin-Beck disease, promote the improvement of joint function and improve the quality of life in various aspects.

Background::Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a complex psychiatric disorder associated with widespread alterations in the subcortical brain structure. Hemispheric asymmetries are a fundamental organizational principle of the human brain and relate to human psychological and behavioral characteristics. We aimed to explore the state of thalamic lateralization of SCZ.Methods::We used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis, whole-brain analysis of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF), and resting-state seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analysis to investigate brain structural and functional deficits in SCZ. Also, we applied Pearson's correlation analysis to validate the correlation between Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) scores and them.Results::Compared with healthy controls, SCZ showed increased gray matter volume (GMV) of the left thalamus ( t = 2.214, p = 0.029), which positively correlated with general psychosis ( r = 0.423, p = 0.010). SCZ also showed increased ALFF in the putamen, the caudate nucleus, the thalamus, fALFF in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and the caudate nucleus, and decreased fALFF in the precuneus. The left thalamus showed significantly weaker resting-state FC with the amygdala and insula in SCZ. PANSS negative symptom scores were negatively correlated with the resting-state FC between the thalamus and the insula ( r = -0.414, p = 0.025). Conclusions::Collectively, these results suggest the possibility of aberrant laterality in the left thalamus and its FC with other related brain regions involved in the limbic system.

Background::Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a complex psychiatric disorder associated with widespread alterations in the subcortical brain structure. Hemispheric asymmetries are a fundamental organizational principle of the human brain and relate to human psychological and behavioral characteristics. We aimed to explore the state of thalamic lateralization of SCZ.Methods::We used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis, whole-brain analysis of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF), and resting-state seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analysis to investigate brain structural and functional deficits in SCZ. Also, we applied Pearson's correlation analysis to validate the correlation between Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) scores and them.Results::Compared with healthy controls, SCZ showed increased gray matter volume (GMV) of the left thalamus ( t = 2.214, p = 0.029), which positively correlated with general psychosis ( r = 0.423, p = 0.010). SCZ also showed increased ALFF in the putamen, the caudate nucleus, the thalamus, fALFF in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and the caudate nucleus, and decreased fALFF in the precuneus. The left thalamus showed significantly weaker resting-state FC with the amygdala and insula in SCZ. PANSS negative symptom scores were negatively correlated with the resting-state FC between the thalamus and the insula ( r = -0.414, p = 0.025). Conclusions::Collectively, these results suggest the possibility of aberrant laterality in the left thalamus and its FC with other related brain regions involved in the limbic system.