BACKGROUND:Bone remodeling is the biological basis of orthodontic tooth movement.Type 2 diabetes mellitus leads to metabolic changes in the jaw and alveolar bone,so it is hypothesized that tooth mobility characteristics may be altered in a high-sugar environment.OBJECTIVE:To explore the impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus on orthodontic tooth movement in rats within one tooth movement cycle.METHODS:Seventy-two Sprague-Dawley rats were selected.Forty rats were randomly chosen and fed with a high-fat diet to construct a type 2 diabetes mellitus model.Thirty-two rats that were successfully modeled were randomly divided into a type 2 diabetes mellitus group(n=16)and a diabetic orthodontic group(n=16).The remaining 32 rats were randomly divided into a control group(n=16)and an orthodontic group(n=16).The rats in the orthodontic group and the diabetic orthodontic group were equipped with nickel-titanium coil spring orthodontic force application devices to move the unilateral maxillary first molars mesially with a force of 50 g.The rats were anesthetized and sacrificed on the 3rd,7th,14th,and 21st days after orthodontic treatment,and Micro-CT was used to measure the mesial displacement of the first molars and detect the changes in the bone microstructure parameters on the tension side.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:There were significant differences in the tooth movement distances among the four groups of rats on the 3rd,7th,14th,and 21st days of orthodontic treatment(P＜0.05).There were significant differences in bone mineral density,bone volume fraction and trabecular bone separation on the tension side among the four groups on the 7th,14th,and 21st days of orthodontic treatment(P＜0.05).There were differences in the trabecular thickness among the four groups on the 3rd and 14th days of orthodontic treatment(P＜0.05).The diabetic orthodontic group had the smallest tension-side alveolar bone mineral density,bone volume fraction,and trabecular thickness,and the largest tooth movement distance and trabecular separation on the 21st day of orthodontic treatment.The above results indicate that type 2 diabetes mellitus adversely affects bone microstructural parameters on the tension side in orthodontic tooth movement in rats,suggesting the occurrence of an osteoporotic state.

BACKGROUND:Bone remodeling is the biological basis of orthodontic tooth movement.Type 2 diabetes mellitus leads to metabolic changes in the jaw and alveolar bone,so it is hypothesized that tooth mobility characteristics may be altered in a high-sugar environment.OBJECTIVE:To explore the impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus on orthodontic tooth movement in rats within one tooth movement cycle.METHODS:Seventy-two Sprague-Dawley rats were selected.Forty rats were randomly chosen and fed with a high-fat diet to construct a type 2 diabetes mellitus model.Thirty-two rats that were successfully modeled were randomly divided into a type 2 diabetes mellitus group(n=16)and a diabetic orthodontic group(n=16).The remaining 32 rats were randomly divided into a control group(n=16)and an orthodontic group(n=16).The rats in the orthodontic group and the diabetic orthodontic group were equipped with nickel-titanium coil spring orthodontic force application devices to move the unilateral maxillary first molars mesially with a force of 50 g.The rats were anesthetized and sacrificed on the 3rd,7th,14th,and 21st days after orthodontic treatment,and Micro-CT was used to measure the mesial displacement of the first molars and detect the changes in the bone microstructure parameters on the tension side.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:There were significant differences in the tooth movement distances among the four groups of rats on the 3rd,7th,14th,and 21st days of orthodontic treatment(P＜0.05).There were significant differences in bone mineral density,bone volume fraction and trabecular bone separation on the tension side among the four groups on the 7th,14th,and 21st days of orthodontic treatment(P＜0.05).There were differences in the trabecular thickness among the four groups on the 3rd and 14th days of orthodontic treatment(P＜0.05).The diabetic orthodontic group had the smallest tension-side alveolar bone mineral density,bone volume fraction,and trabecular thickness,and the largest tooth movement distance and trabecular separation on the 21st day of orthodontic treatment.The above results indicate that type 2 diabetes mellitus adversely affects bone microstructural parameters on the tension side in orthodontic tooth movement in rats,suggesting the occurrence of an osteoporotic state.

Objective To explore the predictive value of peripheral blood cells in the efficacy of neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Methods A retrospective study was conducted on patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (clinical stages Ⅱ-Ⅳa) who underwent neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College from April 2020 to November 2023. According to whether the pathology was completely relieved after treatment, patients were divided into a pathological complete remission group and a pathological incomplete remission group. The College of American Pathologists criteria were used to evaluate the tumor pathological regression grade (TRG) after neoadjuvant therapy (TRG=0, 1 defined as a good efficacy group, TRG=2, 3 defined as a poor efficacy group). Results A total of 92 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were collected, including 72 males and 20 females. The average age was (65.86±7.66) years. The complete remission of pathology was closely related to the number of lymphocytes in the blood before treatment (P=0.019). The area under the curve (AUC) for predicting complete remission of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy was 0.678, the maximum Youden index was 0.328, and the optimal cutoff value was 1.845. The incidence of postoperative pulmonary infection in the pathological incomplete remission group was higher than that in the pathological complete remission group (25.0% vs. 5.6%, P=0.030). Using the optimal cutoff value, there were statistically significant differences in pathological N stage and pathological TNM stage between patients with lymphocyte counts <1.845×109/L and ≥1.845×109/L (P<0.05). Treatment response (by TRG) was significantly associated with the pretreatment red blood cell count (P=0.009). The AUC for predicting a good TRG response was 0.669, with a maximum Youden index of 0.385 and an optimal cutoff value of 4.235. Between the good and poor response groups, there were statistically significant differences in postoperative pathological T stage (P<0.001), N stage (P=0.041), and TNM stage (P＜0.001). When stratified by the optimal cutoff value, there were statistically significant differences in age (P＜0.001) and the prevalence of hypertension (P=0.022) between patients with red blood cell counts <4.235×1012/L and ≥4.235×1012/L. Conclusion A pretreatment absolute lymphocyte count ≥1.845×109/L and a red blood cell count <4.235×1012/L are good predictors for pathological complete response and a good pathological response, respectively, following neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Objective: To investigate the association between body weight standardized vitamin B intakes and blood pressure among school aged children, so as to provide evidence for developing dietary guidance and intervention strategies of promoting healthy blood pressure in children. Methods: The data were derived from a pediatric health cohort established in both urban and rural areas of Chongqing. A total of 1 368 primary school students in grades one to three were recruited for the baseline survey between October and November 2014 by using a stratified cluster random sampling design. From February to March 2019, 1 283 participants completed the first follow up assessment. Dietary intake and sociodemographic characteristics were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire and a self administered questionnaire. Blood pressure, height, weight, and other anthropometric indicators were measured. Body weight standardized intakes of six B vitamins(B 1, B 2, B 3, B 6, B 9, and B 12 )were categorized into tertiles( T1-T 3). Linear mixed effects models were applied to examine the associations between body weight standardized vitamin B intakes and changes in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP). In addition, mixed effects Logistic regression models were used to assess the risk of elevated blood pressure. Results: Linear mixed effects model regression analyses showed that, after adjusting for potential confounders including age, sex, and family history of obesity, body weight standardized B vitamin intake was negatively associated with SBP, DBP, and MAP in school aged children ( β =-7.79 to -0.68, all P <0.05). Results from the mixed effects Logistic regression models showed that, compared with the T 1 group, children in the T 3 group had a lower risk of elevated blood pressure for vitamin B 1 ( OR=0.40, 95%CI =0.25-0.64), B 2 ( OR=0.36, 95%CI =0.23-0.58), B 3 ( OR=0.47, 95%CI =0.31-0.72, B 6 ( OR=0.37, 95%CI =0.22-0.60), B 9 ( OR=0.36, 95%CI =0.21-0.60), and B 12 ( OR= 0.56 , 95%CI =0.37-0.86)(all P <0.05). Conclusions Body weight standardized B vitamins were associated with changes in blood pressure levels and the risk of elevated blood pressure among school aged children. Ensuring sufficient dietary intakes of vitamin B may help prevent and control of abnormal blood pressure in children.

Background: To investigate directional deviations between pilot holes and final pedicle screw trajectories in freehand placement and analyze risk factors for misplacement. While pedicle screws are widely used in thoracolumbosacral surgery, directional deviations between pilot holes and final screw trajectories remain understudied as potential risk factors for misplacement. Methods: Thirty-three patients undergoing posterior fixation were prospectively enrolled. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) tracked the spatial positions of pedicle finders and screwdrivers via custom software. Surgeons (n = 6) were stratified into senior, middle, and junior groups. Analyzed variables included the use of tapping, surgeon experience, spinal deformity status, screw tip morphology, and surgical parameters. Results: Among 198 implanted screws (6.00 ± 2.88/patient), all exhibited trajectory deviations (8.12° ± 3.47°). Tapping significantly reduced deviations (7.23° ± 3.23° vs. 8.87° ± 3.31°, p < 0.01). Senior surgeons achieved smaller deviations (7.34° ± 3.33°) than the middle group (8.60° ± 3.51°, p = 0.039) and junior group (8.68° ± 3.49°, p = 0.022). Multivariate analysis confirmed tapping (p = 0.001) and senior experience (p = 0.023) as protective factors. No significant associations emerged for spinal deformity (8.43° ± 3.73° vs. 7.97° ± 3.35°, p = 0.377), screw tip type (cylindrical, 8.43° ± 3.26° vs. tapered, 8.07 ± 3.51°; p = 0.637), obesity, or surgical position parameters. Conclusions Freehand pedicle screw placement consistently produces trajectory deviations from pilot holes, and surgeon experience and tapping are modifiable protective factors. The IMU-based tracking system enables quantitative surgical motion analysis, suggesting its utility for training optimization and technique standardization.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which Banxia Xiexin Tang （BXT） regulates the advanced glycation end products （AGE）/receptor for advanced glycation end products （RAGE） signaling pathway to reduce neuroinflammatory responses and ameliorate cognitive dysfunction in the rat model of vascular dementia （VD）. MethodsThe components of BXT were detected by ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole -orbitrap-tandem mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS/MS）， and the core components and key action pathways were screened out by network pharmacology and molecular docking. Sixty SPF-grade male SD rats were randomly allocated into the sham and modeling groups by the random number table method. The VD model was replicated by the modified bilateral occlusion of the common carotid arteries （2-VO） method. The successfully modeled rats were randomly allocated into the model， low-， medium-， and high-dose （3.748 5， 7.497， 14.994 g·kg^-1） BXT （BXT-L， BXT-M， and BXT-H）， and nimodipine （NMP， 0.002 7 g·kg^-1） groups according to the random number table method. The rats in the drug intervention groups were administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage， and the sham and model groups received the same amount of normal saline for 14 consecutive days. The Morris water maze， Y-maze， and new object recognition experiments were conducted to evaluate the cognitive dysfunction of rats. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to evaluate the histopathological changes of the hippocampal tissue in rats. The mRNA levels of AGE， RAGE， and phosphorylated nuclear factor-kappa B p65 （p-NF-κB p65） in the hippocampal tissue of rats were determined by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. The expression of related proteins in the AGE/RAGE pathway in the hippocampal tissue of rats was determined by Western blot and immunohistochemistry （IHC）. The levels of neurotransmitters and inflammatory mediators in the rat serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. ResultsThe chemical components of BXT were detected by UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS/MS. Network pharmacology and molecular docking identified the AGE/RAGE pathway as the key pathway. The results of the water maze， Y maze， and novel object recognition tests showed that compared with the sham group， the model group demonstrated prolonged successful latency and decreases in number of platform crossings， alternation rate， number of entries into the new arm， preference index， and discrimination index （P0.01）. Compared with the model group， the BXT-H and BXT-M groups showed shortened successful latency （P0.01） and increases in number of platform crossings （P0.05）， alternation rate （P0.01）， number of entries into the new arm （P0.05）， preference index （P0.01）， and discrimination index （P0.01）. HE results showed that compared with the sham group， the cells of model rats were loosely and disorderly arranged， and the nuclei were condensed. Compared with the model group， the pathological changes of the hippocampus in the BXT group were mitigated. Real-time PCR results showed that compared with the sham group， the model group presented up-regulated mRNA levels of AGE， RAGE， and p-NF-κB p65 in the hippocampus （P0.01）， and compared with the model group， the BXT-H and BXT-M groups showcased down-regulated mRNA levels of AGE， RAGE， and p-NF-κB p65 （P0.01）. Western blot results showed that compared with the sham group， the model group presented up-regulated expression of AGE， RAGE， p-NF-κB p65， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） （P0.05）， and compared with the model group， the BXT-H group presented down-regulated expression of AGE， RAGE， p-NF-κB p65， and TNF-α （P0.05）. IHC results showed that compared with the sham group， the model group had increased expression of RAGE （P0.01）， and compared with the model group， the BXT-H and BXT-M groups had reduced expression of RAGE （P0.01）. ELISA results showed that compared with the sham group， the model group exhibited elevated levels of TNF-α and Interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and declined levels of acetylcholine （ACh） and dopamine （DA） in the serum （P0.01）. Compared with the model group， the BXT-L， BXT-M， and BXT-H groups showed lowered levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in the serum （P0.05） and elevated levels of ACh and DA （P0.05）. ConclusionBXT may ameliorate cognitive dysfunction in the rat model of VD by down-regulating the AGE/RAGE signaling pathway， reducing neuroinflammatory responses， and regulating neurotransmitter levels.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty in falling asleep， sleep maintenance disorder and impaired daytime function. Its pathological mechanism involves multiple factors such as nerve excitability， circadian rhythm， cell apoptosis， oxidative stress injury. As a classical tyrosine kinase signaling pathway， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B（PI3K/Akt） triggers Akt phosphorylation cascade， inducing inflammatory response， apoptosis， autophagy， oxidative damage， nerve excitability， and circadian rhythm imbalance. Traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） can improve sleep by targeting the PI3K/Akt pathway. Based on this， this paper systematically reviews the research progress on the regulation of PI3K/Akt pathway by traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） for insomnia at home and abroad. These drugs can regulate neuronal excitability by regulating the PI3K/Akt pathway， affect the circadian rhythm， alleviate inflammation， apoptosis， autophagy and oxidative stress， and thus regulate sleep-wake. Furthermore， literature review indicates that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway may represent a specific pathway underlying phlegm-turbidity disturbing the upper Jiao-type insomnia.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which Banxia Xiexin Tang （BXT） regulates the advanced glycation end products （AGE）/receptor for advanced glycation end products （RAGE） signaling pathway to reduce neuroinflammatory responses and ameliorate cognitive dysfunction in the rat model of vascular dementia （VD）. MethodsThe components of BXT were detected by ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole -orbitrap-tandem mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS/MS）， and the core components and key action pathways were screened out by network pharmacology and molecular docking. Sixty SPF-grade male SD rats were randomly allocated into the sham and modeling groups by the random number table method. The VD model was replicated by the modified bilateral occlusion of the common carotid arteries （2-VO） method. The successfully modeled rats were randomly allocated into the model， low-， medium-， and high-dose （3.748 5， 7.497， 14.994 g·kg^-1） BXT （BXT-L， BXT-M， and BXT-H）， and nimodipine （NMP， 0.002 7 g·kg^-1） groups according to the random number table method. The rats in the drug intervention groups were administrated with corresponding drugs by gavage， and the sham and model groups received the same amount of normal saline for 14 consecutive days. The Morris water maze， Y-maze， and new object recognition experiments were conducted to evaluate the cognitive dysfunction of rats. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to evaluate the histopathological changes of the hippocampal tissue in rats. The mRNA levels of AGE， RAGE， and phosphorylated nuclear factor-kappa B p65 （p-NF-κB p65） in the hippocampal tissue of rats were determined by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. The expression of related proteins in the AGE/RAGE pathway in the hippocampal tissue of rats was determined by Western blot and immunohistochemistry （IHC）. The levels of neurotransmitters and inflammatory mediators in the rat serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. ResultsThe chemical components of BXT were detected by UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS/MS. Network pharmacology and molecular docking identified the AGE/RAGE pathway as the key pathway. The results of the water maze， Y maze， and novel object recognition tests showed that compared with the sham group， the model group demonstrated prolonged successful latency and decreases in number of platform crossings， alternation rate， number of entries into the new arm， preference index， and discrimination index （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the BXT-H and BXT-M groups showed shortened successful latency （P<0.01） and increases in number of platform crossings （P<0.05）， alternation rate （P<0.01）， number of entries into the new arm （P<0.05）， preference index （P<0.01）， and discrimination index （P<0.01）. HE results showed that compared with the sham group， the cells of model rats were loosely and disorderly arranged， and the nuclei were condensed. Compared with the model group， the pathological changes of the hippocampus in the BXT group were mitigated. Real-time PCR results showed that compared with the sham group， the model group presented up-regulated mRNA levels of AGE， RAGE， and p-NF-κB p65 in the hippocampus （P<0.01）， and compared with the model group， the BXT-H and BXT-M groups showcased down-regulated mRNA levels of AGE， RAGE， and p-NF-κB p65 （P<0.01）. Western blot results showed that compared with the sham group， the model group presented up-regulated expression of AGE， RAGE， p-NF-κB p65， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） （P<0.05）， and compared with the model group， the BXT-H group presented down-regulated expression of AGE， RAGE， p-NF-κB p65， and TNF-α （P<0.05）. IHC results showed that compared with the sham group， the model group had increased expression of RAGE （P<0.01）， and compared with the model group， the BXT-H and BXT-M groups had reduced expression of RAGE （P<0.01）. ELISA results showed that compared with the sham group， the model group exhibited elevated levels of TNF-α and Interleukin-1β （IL-1β） and declined levels of acetylcholine （ACh） and dopamine （DA） in the serum （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the BXT-L， BXT-M， and BXT-H groups showed lowered levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in the serum （P<0.05） and elevated levels of ACh and DA （P<0.05）. ConclusionBXT may ameliorate cognitive dysfunction in the rat model of VD by down-regulating the AGE/RAGE signaling pathway， reducing neuroinflammatory responses， and regulating neurotransmitter levels.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder characterized by difficulty in falling asleep， sleep maintenance disorder and impaired daytime function. Its pathological mechanism involves multiple factors such as nerve excitability， circadian rhythm， cell apoptosis， oxidative stress injury. As a classical tyrosine kinase signaling pathway， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B（PI3K/Akt） triggers Akt phosphorylation cascade， inducing inflammatory response， apoptosis， autophagy， oxidative damage， nerve excitability， and circadian rhythm imbalance. Traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） can improve sleep by targeting the PI3K/Akt pathway. Based on this， this paper systematically reviews the research progress on the regulation of PI3K/Akt pathway by traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） for insomnia at home and abroad. These drugs can regulate neuronal excitability by regulating the PI3K/Akt pathway， affect the circadian rhythm， alleviate inflammation， apoptosis， autophagy and oxidative stress， and thus regulate sleep-wake. Furthermore， literature review indicates that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway may represent a specific pathway underlying phlegm-turbidity disturbing the upper Jiao-type insomnia.

Organ transplantation is an effective alternative treatment for patients with end-stage organ failure. However, the shortage of donor organs has limited the widespread application of clinical transplantation. In recent years, breakthroughs in CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology have overcome the barrier of hyperacute rejection in xenotransplantation, offering a potential solution to the organ shortage crisis. Rejection remains a critical factor affecting graft survival. Antigen-presenting cells play a vital role in the initiation and progression of rejection and immune regulation in xenotransplantation. Therefore, in-depth investigation into the role of antigen-presenting cells in xenotransplantation is of great significance. This article summarizes the roles and therapeutic strategies of professional antigen-presenting cells, including macrophages, dendritic cells and B cells in xenotransplantation, aiming to provide insights for future research on immune regulation mechanisms in this field.