In recent years, the rising prevalence of obesity and its associated metabolic syndromes has emerged as a critical global public health concern. Sustained weight loss exceeding 10% of total body weight has been shown to ameliorate obesity-related comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hepatic steatosis. Recently, the potential of brown adipose tissue (BAT) to improve metabolism has garnered significant attention. However, evidence regarding weight loss therapies that promote BAT activation remains limited in preclinical models and is even scarcer in clinical studies, partly due to the paucity of appropriate BAT assessment techniques. This review aims to explore the potential impact of various weight loss therapies on BAT, with the goal of providing novel insights and strategies for the treatment of obesity.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of 1，25（OH）₂D₃ on the level of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ （PPAR-γ） in the liver， the phenotype of hepatic macrophages， and liver inflammation in a rat model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis （NASH）， as well as the mechanism of 1，25（OH）₂D₃ improving liver inflammation. MethodsAfter 1 week of adaptive feeding， 24 specific pathogen-free Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal group ［choline-supplemented L-amino acid-defined （CSAA） diet］， normal+1，25（OH）₂D₃ group ［CSAA diet+1，25（OH）₂D₃］， model group ［choline-deficient L-amino acid-defined diet （CDAA） diet］， and model+1，25（OH）₂D₃ group ［CDAA diet+1，25（OH）₂D₃］， with 6 rats in each group. The dose of 1，25（OH）₂D₃ was 5 μg/kg for intraperitoneal injection twice a week for 12 weeks. The serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST） and alanine aminotransferase （ALT） were measured， liver histopathology was observed， and SAF score was assessed. M1 hepatic macrophages and M2 hepatic macrophages were measured to analyze in the change in the phenotype of hepatic macrophages， and ELISA was used to measure the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-4 （IL-4）， and interleukin-10 （IL-10） in liver tissue， and qPCR was used to measure the mRNA level of PPAR-γ. The two-factor analysis of variance was use for comparison between groups， and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison； the Pearson method was used for correlation analysis. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model rats with CDAA diet-induced NASH had significant increases in the serum levels of AST and ALT （P=0.019 and P<0.001）， the SAF score of liver histopathology （P<0.001）， the level of M1 hepatic macrophages （P<0.001）， and the ratio of M1 and M2 hepatic macrophages （P<0.001）， as well as a significant increase in the level of TNF-α （P<0.001） and a significant reduction in the level of IL-4 in liver tissue （P=0.025）. The 1，25（OH）₂D₃ group had significant reductions in the serum levels of ALT （P<0.001）， the SAF score of liver histopathology （P<0.001）， the level of M1 hepatic macrophages （P<0.001）， and the ratio of M1 and M2 hepatic macrophages （P=0.001）， the level of IL-1β （P<0.001） and a significant increase in the level of M2 hepatic macrophages （P=0.017）， the level of IL-10 （P=0.039）， the level of IL-4 （P<0.001）， the level of PPAR-γ （P=0.016）. There were significant interactions between CDAA diet-induced NASH model and 1，25（OH）₂D₃ in serum the levels of AST and ALT （P=0.007 and P=0.008）， the SAF scores of liver histopathology （P<0.001）， the level of M1 hepatic macrophages （P<0.001）， the level of M2 hepatic macrophages （P=0.008）， the ratio of M1 and M2 of hepatic macrophages （P=0.005）， the level of TNF-α （P<0.001）， the level of IL-10 （P=0.038）， the level of IL-4 （P<0.001） and the level of PPAR-γ （P=0.009）. The correlation analysis showed that PPAR-γ was negatively correlated with the ratio of M1 and M2 hepatic macrophages （r=-0.415， P=0.044） and was positively correlated with M2 hepatic macrophages （r=0.435， P=0.033）， IL-10 （r=0.433， P=0.035）， and IL-4 （r=0.532， P=0.007）. ConclusionThis study shows that 1，25（OH）₂D₃ improves liver inflammation in NASH by activating PPAR-γ to regulate the phenotypic transformation of hepatic macrophages.

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Yifei Jianpi prescription on the of signal transducer and activator of transcription protein 1 （STAT1）/interferon regulatory factor 3 （IRF3） signaling pathway in a pneumonia model induced by lipopolysaccharide （LPS） and to explore the mechanism of Yifei Jianpi prescription in improving lung immune and inflammatory responses. MethodsSixty male SPF SD rats were used in this study. Ten rats were randomly assigned to the normal control group， and the remaining 50 were instilled with LPS in the trachea to establish a pneumonia model. After successful modeling， the rats were randomly divided into the model group， dexamethasone group （0.5 mg·kg^-1）， and Yifei Jianpi prescription high-dose （12 mg·kg^-1）， medium-dose （6 mg·kg^-1）， and low-dose （3 mg·kg^-1） groups， with 10 rats in each group. Treatment was administered once daily， and the normal control and model groups received the same volume of normal saline. After 14 days， flow cytometry was used to detect the classification of whole blood lymphocytes. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to measure serum levels of immunoglobulin G （IgG）， immunoglobulin A （IgA）， immunoglobulin M （IgM）， and the content of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-8 （IL-8）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， and interleukin-10 （IL-10） in alveolar lavage fluid （BALF）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe lung tissue pathology and score the damage. Thymus weight， spleen weight， and wet-to-dry weight ratio （W/D） were recorded. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression of STAT1， IRF3， IL-6， and interferon-alpha （IFN-α） in lung tissues， while Western blot was performed to assess the protein expression of STAT1， IRF3， IL-6， and IFN-α. ResultsCompared with the normal control group， the model group showed significantly increased proportion of B lymphocytes in peripheral blood， decreased proportions of NK cells and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ （P<0.05， P<0.01）， decreased serum levels of IgG and IgA， significantly increased IgM levels （P<0.01）， significantly elevated content of TNF-α， IL-6， and IL-8 in BALF， and significantly decreased IL-10 levels （P<0.01）. Lung tissue damage was evident， with significant increases in thymus and spleen weights and a higher W/D ratio （P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expression of STAT1， IRF3， IFN-α， and IL-6 in lung tissues was significantly upregulated （P<0.05，P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Yifei Jianpi prescription groups showed significantly reduced proportions of B lymphocytes in peripheral blood， increased proportions of NK cells and CD4⁺/CD8⁺ ratios （P<0.05， P<0.01）， significantly increased serum levels of IgG and IgA， significantly decreased IgM levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）， significantly reduced levels of TNF-α， IL-6， and IL-8 in BALF， and significantly increased IL-10 levels （P<0.01）. Lung tissue damage was alleviated， thymus and spleen weights were significantly reduced， and the W/D ratio was markedly decreased （P<0.01）. The mRNA and protein expression of STAT1， IRF3， IFN-α， and IL-6 in lung tissues was significantly downregulated （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionYifei Jianpi prescription can alleviate lung tissue damage and improve immune and inflammatory responses in LPS-induced pneumonia rats. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of STAT1/IRF3 signaling pathway activation.

Background The high work intensity and possible subsequently increased susceptibility to occupational hazards of calcium carbide plants may lead to hypertension in workers, but there are few studies on the relationship between occupational hazard exposure and hypertension in workers involving the production process of calcium carbide. Objective To explore the influence of occupational hazards on the incidence of hypertension in calcium carbide plants. Methods Using historical cohort design, the employees of a calcium carbide factory in the western part of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region were selected as research subjects. According to the pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria, the study population comprised an exposure group of 377 employees (including furnace workers, inspection workers, and maintenance workers) exposed to dust, noise & carbon monoxide, and a control group of 388 employees (including central control workers, electricians, and administrative personnel) without above-mentioned exposure. The total sample size was 765 participants. The follow-up period was from April 2011 to October 2022, and the study endpoint was defined as the conclusion of the follow-up period or diagnosed hypertension in annual occupational health examination. Information on general demographic characteristics, living habits, and work status was collected from all study subjects. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the association between occupational hazard exposure and the risk of hypertension among the calcium carbide plant employees. Results The average age, mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure, proportion of males, smoking rate, and alcohol consumption rate in the exposure group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Compared to baseline, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels increased in the exposure group and the control group at the end of the follow-up (P<0.05). At the end of the follow-up, the average differences between systolic/ diastolic blood pressure and baseline values in the exposure group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). During the follow-up period, a total of 223 cases of hypertension occurred, with a total follow-up of 2785 person-years, resulting in an incidence density of 8007.18 per 100000 person-years, an average age of onset of (35.90±8.22) years, and an average working age of onset of (2.69±1.97) years. The incidence density in the exposure group was 128.71% higher than that in the control group, and the risk of hypertension in the exposure group was 2.115 times that of the control group. The risk of hypertension was 2.199 times higher for men than for women, 1.344 times higher for those aged 30 and above than for those under 30, 1.546 times higher for smokers than for non-smokers, and 1.750 times higher for drinking workers than for non-drinking ones. The results of Cox proportional hazards regression modeling indicated that the hazard ratio (95%CI) of hypertension among the employees exposed to dust, noise, and carbon monoxide was 2.254 (1.703, 2.982), 1.594 (1.107, 2.295), and 1.567 (1.079, 2.274), respectively, when different covariates (gender, age, smoking, and alcohol consumption) were included. The results of Log-rank test showed that there were statistically significant differences in the distribution of disease-free survival between the exposure group and the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion Occupational exposures to dust, noise, and carbon monoxide may increase the risk of hypertension among calcium carbide plant workers.

Achieving precise restoration of tooth function and personalized restoration of natural tooth esthetics has always been a significant challenge in direct restorative dentistry. The traditional direct restorative techniques are limited by the subjective operations of dentists, resulting in high technical sensitivity, long operation time, and unpredictable restoration results, making it difficult to meet patients' personalized demands for restoration outcomes. An innovative flowable resin injection technique was introduced in this study. By combining digital design with personalized restoration guides, this technique achieves precise and personalized tooth restoration, thus revolutionizing the traditio-nal paradigm of direct tooth restoration. Specifically, this technique is guided by the patient's subjective aesthetic needs. It utilizes digital technology to pre-design the restoration result and creates a personalized restoration guide. During clinical operation, the dentist needs to only precisely inject the flowable resin into the guide, allowing for rapid completion of the restoration, thereby significantly reducing the operation time and improving the precision and predictability of the restoration. The perfect combination of digital design and flowable resin injection not only significantly improves the precision and predictability of direct tooth restoration but also remarkably shortens the clinical operation time and reduces the requirements for the dentist's technical level, making it widely applicable to the restoration of various tooth defects. Thus, it improves patient satisfaction and reduces the workload of dentists. This innovative restoration technique is expected to become a new productive force in future clinical direct adhesive restorations.
Humans ; Dental Restoration, Permanent/methods* ; Esthetics, Dental ; Composite Resins ; Computer-Aided Design ; Injections

Dental treatments for children and adolescents have unique clinical characteristics that differ from dental care for adults in terms of children's physiology, psychology, and behavior. These differences impose specific requirements on the application of local anesthesia in pediatric dental procedures. This article presents expert consensus on the principles of local anesthesia techniques in pediatric dental therapies, including the use of common anesthetic drugs and dosage control, safety and efficacy evaluation, and prevention and management of complications. The aim is to improve the safety and quality of pediatric dental treatments and offer guidance for clinical application by dentists.
Humans ; Child ; Anesthesia, Local/methods* ; Consensus ; Anesthesia, Dental/methods* ; Adolescent ; Anesthetics, Local/administration & dosage* ; Dental Care for Children

Objective: To comprehensively evaluate the clinical efficacy of a single dose of tranexamic acid (TXA) in reducing perioperative blood loss in patients undergoing craniomaxillofacial plastic and cosmetic surgery through meta-regression analysis. Methods: Embase, PubMed, Wanfang Data, VIP database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR) and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were electronically retrieved to collect clinical studies evaluating efficacy of perioperative TXA administration in patients undergoing craniomaxillofacial plastic and cosmetic surgery, from inception to August 2024. Quality assessment of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was performed using Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias Tool. Based on the results of methodological heterogeneity, corresponding meta-analyses were conducted using either random-effects or fixed-effects models in R programming software. Results: Thirty-one articles were included, involving 2 072 patients who underwent craniomaxillofacial plastic and cosmetic surgeries. Among these patients, 1 051 were in the TXA treatment group, and 1 021 were in the control group. The paired meta-analysis showed that compared with the control group, the use of TXA significantly reduced bleeding volume in perioperative patients [standardized mean difference (SMD)=-1.13; 95%CI (-1.47, -0.80), P<0.001]. Subgroup analysis revealed that TXA significantly reduced intraoperative bleeding volume in patients across different surgeries, with the order of efficacy as follows: orthognathic surgery [SMD=-1.44; 95%CI (-2.07, -0.80), P<0.001], cleft palate repair [SMD=-1.32; 95%CI (-2.14, -0.50), P<0.001], rhinoplasty [SMD=-0.97; 95%CI (-1.63, -0.30), P<0.001], and craniosynostosis [SMD=-0.96; 95%CI (-1.40, -0.53), P=0.040]. The result of the meta regression showed there was no significant difference in the hemostatic effect of TXA on patients with increasing doses (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 mg/kg) (P=0.650). Sensitivity analysis verified that the pooled values were stable and reliable. The Egger's test indicated a certain degree of publication bias (Z=-3.40, P<0.001). Conclusion: Existing evidence suggests that TXA effectively reduces perioperative blood loss in patients undergoing craniofacial plastic surgery, regardless of its dosage administered.

Objective:To detect the biological markers related to Alzheimer's disease(AD)in the peripheral blood of AD patients,and to explore the activities and levels of the antioxidant function indexes and the expressions of related genes and proteins in the blood of AD patients and the changes after intervention of selenium-rich food.Methods:The Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE)combined with electroencephalogram or brain CT and clinician diagnosis were used for screening AD.Fifty-six elderly patients with AD aged 75-90 years old were selected.Among them,28 cases were selected as normal diet group for AD(AD group),and 28 cases were selected as dietary selenium intervention group(Se-AD group).The patients in Se-AD group were given daily dietary selenium supplementation(increaseing dietary selenium by 15-20 μg per day)for 3 months.Meanwhile,30 people with the same age were selected as healthy control group.The activities of serum superoxide dismutase(SOD),cholinesterase(CHE),and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px)and the levels of serum malondialdehyde(MDA),homocysteine(Hcy),and nitric oxide(NO)as well as reagent kit the levels of serum β-amyloid protein(Aβ),and microtubule-associated protein(Tau)and phosphorylated microtubule-associated protein(p-Tau)of the subjects in various groups were detected by and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)method;the expression levels of apolipoprotein E4(ApoE4),presenilin 1(PS1),presenilin 2(PS2),cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase 3(Caspase3),sorting associated protein receptor 1(SORL1),β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1(BACE1),hypoxia-inducible factor 1(HIF1),nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB),β-amyloid precursor protein(APP),protein kinase C(PKC),and Aβ mRNA in peripheral blood of the subjects various groups were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)method.Results:Compared with healthy control group,the serum SOD activities of the patients in Se-AD group and AD group were significantly decreased(P＜0.05),while serum CHE activity and the levels of MDA and Hcy were significantly increased(P＜0.05);the serum GSH-Px activity of the patients in AD group was significantly decreased(P＜0.05),and the level of NO was significantly increased(P＜0.05).Compared with Se-AD group,serum CHE activity and the level of Hcy of the patients in AD group were significantly increased(P＜0.05).The expression levels of ApoE4,PS1,Caspase3,BACE1,NF-κB and APP mRNA of the patients in Se-AD group and AD group were significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the expression levels of PKC mRNA were significantly decreased(P＜0.05);the expression level of PS2 mRNA of the patients in AD group was significantly increased(P＜0.05),and the expression levels of Aβ mRNA of the patients in Se-AD group and AD group were significantly increased(P＜0.05).Conclusion:The activities of serum SOD,GSH-Px and CHE and the levels of MDA,Hcy and NO,the levels of Aβ,Tau and p-Tau proteins,and the expression levels of ApoE4,PS1,Caspase3,BACE1,NF-κB,PKC,PS2,Aβ and APP mRNA in peripheral blood of the AD patients may vary and can be used for clinical diagnosis of the AD patients.Selenium-rich food can improve AD to some extent,and its mechanism is related to reducing the oxidative damage of brain tissue and decreasing the expression of AD related genes PS2 and Aβ.

Acute intermittent porphyria(AIP)is a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by reduced activity of hydroxymethylbilane synthase(HMBS),or porphobilinogen deaminase(PBGD),the third enzyme in the heme biosynthesis pathway,with very low penetrance.AIP mainly affects women and is triggered by vari-ous factors,leading to acute neurovisceral symptoms such as abdominal pain,nausea and vomiting,intestinal obstruction,constipation,and in severe cases,epilepsy,weakness of the limbs,and psychiatric disturbances.Recurrent attacks may result in chronic injuries.Due to nonspecific symptoms and limited clinical awareness,AIP is often misdiagnosed,contributing to high morbidity and mortality.To standardize diagnosis and treatment practices,the Chinese Society of Rare Diseases,in collaboration with the Study Group of Endocrinology Rare Diseases,the Chinese Society of Endocrinology,and the Chinese Pharmacists Association Rare Diseases Medi-cation Working Committee,developed the Expert Consensus on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Intermittent Porphyria in China(2024).This consensus was based on a review of 116 relevant studies,with a professional panel of 27 experts using the Delphi method to reach agreement on 23 key recommendations,aiming to guide standardized clinical practice in the diagnosis,treatment,evaluation,and prevention of AIP.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors of severe influenza B viral pneumonia complicated with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.Methods Forty-six patients with severe influenza B virus pneumonia were collected and divided into the invasive pulmonary aspergillosis(IPA)group(17 cases)and the control group(29 cases)based on whether they were complicated with IPA.The clinical manifestations,laboratory indicators,chest CT imaging findings,bronchoscopic manifestations,broncho alveolar lavage fluid(BALF)culture and metagenomic next-generation sequencing results were compared between the two group.Treatment conditions and final treatment outcomes were also compared between the two groups.Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore risk factors of severe influenza B virus pneumonia complicated with IPA.Results After treatment,a total of 6 patients died(35.30％),all of whom were in the invasive pulmonary aspergillosis group.In both groups,the symptoms of dyspnea,cough,expectoration and chest pain were more severe,and systemic symptoms such as fatigue,fever and muscle pain were also quite obvious.There were no significant differences in clinical symptoms,combined bacterial infection and hormone use between the two groups.Compared with the control group,white blood cell count,neutrophil count,blood GM test and BALF GM test were higher in the combined group.The proportion of patients with nodules and patchy shadows on imaging and the proportion of patients showing pseudomembrane manifestations under bronchoscopy were higher(P＜0.05).Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that white blood cell count,GM in BALF,nodules and patchy shadows in lung imaging and pseudomembrane manifestations under bronchoscopy were influencing factors for severe influenza B virus pneumonia combined with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis(P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that GM≥1 in BALF and pseudomembrane manifestations under bronchoscopy were risk factors for severe influenza B virus pneumonia combined with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis(P＜0.05).Conclusion When GM test level of BALF in patients with severe influenza B virus pneumonia is≥1 and pseudomembrane manifestations are seen under bronchoscopy,the possibility of combined invasive pulmonary aspergillus infection should be highly vigilant.