Objective To explore the potential mechanism of Polygonum cuspidatum in alleviating silicosis using network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation. Methods i) The targets of active components of Polygonum cuspidatum and silicosis-related targets were retrieved from multiple databases. The overlapping targets were imported into Venny2.1.0 and STRING platforms. "Polygonum cuspidatum-active components-potential therapeutic targets for silicosis" network was constructed and core targets of Polygonum cuspidatum that can alleviate silicosis were identified using the Cytoscape3.10.2 software. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed using the DAVID database, and molecular docking was conducted with AutoDock software. ii) Human embryonic lung fibroblast MRC-5 cells were divided into three groups. Cells in the control group were cultured in high-glucose Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium containing 10.00% (V/V)fetal bovine serum. Cells in the silica group were treated with silica suspension at a final concentration of 150 μg·cm² (equivalent to 75 mg/L) for 48 hours. Cells in the silica + β-sitosterol group were first treated with silica suspension for 24 hours, then were cultured in medium containing β-sitosterol at a mass concentration of 50 μg/L for another 24 hours. Immunofluorescence assay and Western blotting were used to detect the effects of β-sitosterol, a core component of Polygonum cuspidatum, on the expression of phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT), B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2), and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in cells. Results i) A total of ten main active components of Polygonum cuspidatum, 840 targets of the active components, and 231 potential therapeutic targets for silicosis were screened through retrieval. A total of 10 core therapeutic targets were further screened, including tumor protein p53, serine/threonine protein kinase B1 (AKT1), heat shock protein 90-α, interleukin (IL)-6 , tumor necrosis factor, Src tyrosine kinase, estrogen receptor 1, epidermal growth factor receptor, BCL-2, and IL-1β. KEGG enrichment analysis yielded 178 related target pathways, among which, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway was most relevant to silicosis. Molecular docking results showed that the top five compounds of Polygonum cuspidatum with high degree centrality, including quercetin, luteolin, physovenine, rhein, and β-sitosterol, had strong binding affinities with core targets. Among them, β-sitosterol, a key component of Polygonum cuspidatum, ranked high in binding affinity to all core targets. Molecular docking visualization indicated that β-sitosterol ranked high in binding affinitiy with the core target proteins AKT1 and BCL-2. ii) Both immunofluorescence and Western blotting results showed that, the relative expression of p-AKT, BCL-2, and α-SMA proteins increased in MRC-5 cells of the silica group compared with the control group (all P<0.05), except for p-AKT detected by Western blotting. Compared with the silica group, the relative expression levels of p-AKT, BCL-2, and α-SMA proteins in the silica+β-sitosterol group decreased (all P<0.05). Conclusion β-sitosterol, the core component of Polygonum cuspidatum, may alleviate silicosis fibrosis via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the oral health status of the first-grade primary school students in Shanghai and analyze its influencing factors.Methods In 2021,Huangpu,Xuhui,Jiading,and Jing'an districts were selected in Shanghai by random sampling method.The first-grade students of 8 primary schools in these 4 districts were enrolled by random cluster sampling.Oral clinical examinations and questionnaires were conducted according to the criteria of the Fourth National Oral Health Epidemiological Survey.EpiData 3.1 software was used to create the database.SPSS 26.0 software was applied for statistical analysis.Chi-square test was used to compare the caries prevalence between groups,and two independent samples non-parametric test was used to compare the decayed,missing and filled teeth(DMFT)between groups.Multifactorial logistic regression model was used to analyzse the influencing factors of caries.Results A total of 824 informed consent forms and questionnaires were collected,of which 764 were completed,with an effective rate of 92.7％.The total caries prevalence of the participating students was 65.6％(501/764),and the mean DMFT was 3.24±3.47.A total of 2 473 carious teeth were found in the participating students,and 671 teeth were filled,with a filling rate of 27.1％.There were 7.91±2.76 permanent teeth erupted per student,and 56.3％(430/764)of the students had all 4 first permanent molars erupted.Multivariate logistic regression showed that eating sweets＞3 times a day(P=0.030),eating regularly before bedtime(P=0.001),and parents'cognition of kids'poor oral health status(P=0.025)were the influencing factors for the detection of caries in children.Conclusion The first-grade primary school students in Shanghai have high prevalence of caries.Eating sweets＞3 times a day,eating regularly before bedtime,and parents'cognition of kids'poor oral health status(P＜0.05)are the influencing factors for the detection of caries in children.

Objective To investigate the oral health status and caries related influence factors in 3-year-old children in Shanghai.Methods A total of 1 709 3-year-old children in 29 kindergartens from Huangpu,Xuhui,Jiading,and Jing'an districts were selected for the survey by random cluster sampling in 2021.Oral clinical examinations and questionnaires were conducted according to the criteria of the Fourth National Oral Health Epidemiological Survey.EpiData 3.1 software was used to build the database,analyse the prevalence of caries and the mean dmft.Multivariate logistic regression model was used to evaluate the influence factors of caries.Results A total of 1 709 questionnaires were collected in this survey,of which 1469 were complete questionnaires,with a valid rate of 86.0%.The prevalence of caries was 27.8%,and the mean dmft was 1.09±2.49.The caries filling rate was 8.2%.Frequency of eating sweet food(P<0.001),eating before bedtime(P=0.016),a history of dental discomfort(P<0.001),no history of dental visits within six months(P=0.015),a history of dental visits for therapeutic purposes(P<0.001),caries status of mothers(P<0.001),and parent's education level(P=0.012)were influence factors of caries in 3-year-old children.Conclusion The prevalence of caries in 3-year-old children in Shanghai is lower than the national level,but more improvement is needed.The frequency of eating sweet food,eating before bedtime,and parent's cognition of oral health are the influence factors of children's caries.

Objective : To investigate the incidence of dental anxiety in pregnant women and its influencing factors. Methods : A total of 2 638 pregnant women in Shanghai were included in this study. Data on demographic and social factors, oral health behaviors and the number of teeth were collected. Participants completed the modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS), and an MDAS score greater than 12 was defined as a dental anxiety disorder. An electronic data capture system (EDC) was used to establish a database, and SPSS 22.0 was used to analyze the degree of anxiety and its influencing factors. Results: A total of 2 638 valid questionnaires were received. The incidence of dental anxiety in pregnant women was 34.9%. The results of a univariate analysis showed that the prevalence of dental anxiety in pregnant women (P<0.001) and MDAS score decreased (P<0.05) with increasing age, annual family income, educational level, frequency of cleaning, frequency of brushing and number of teeth. Conversely, the prevalence of dental anxiety in pregnant women (P<0.05) and MDAS score increased (P<0.05) as the number of pregnancies and gingival bleeding increased. Logistic analysis showed that education level “college” (P = 0.003) and “bachelor and above” (P<0.001), frequency of dental cleaning “semiannually or annually” (P = 0.021) and “biennial” (P<0.001), and frequency of brushing “twice a day” (P<0.001) were significantly associated with dental anxiety in pregnant women and were protective factors (OR<1). The frequency of gingival bleeding “Sometimes”(P<0.001) and the number of teeth “≤ 27” (P<0.001) were also significant risk factors for dental anxiety in pregnant women (OR>1).The results of a negative binomial regression analysis of MDAS showed that the frequency of dental cleaning and the number of teeth were significantly associated with dental anxiety. The frequency of dental cleaning "semiannually or annually" (P<0.001) was a protective factor (OR<1) for pregnant women's dental anxiety. The number of teeth ≤27 (P<0.001) was a risk factor (OR>1) for dental anxiety in pregnant women. Conclusion Educational level, teeth cleaning frequency, teeth brushing frequency, gingival bleeding, and the number of teeth influence dental anxiety in pregnant women. To effectively reduce the prevalence of dental anxiety, dentists should attach great importance to it in clinical practice and enhance pregnant women's awareness of oral hygiene maintenance by disseminating relevant health care knowledge.