This study aims to investigate the protective effects and mechanisms of polysaccharide extract PCP1 from Polygonatum cyrtonema in ameliorating cerebral ischemia-reperfusion(I/R) injury in rats through modulation of the Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/NOD-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3) signaling pathway. In vivo, SD rats were randomly divided into the sham group, model group, PCP1 group, nimodipine(NMDP) group, and TLR4 signaling inhibitor(TAK-242) group. A middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion(MCAO/R) model was established, and neurological deficit scores and infarct size were evaluated 24 hours after reperfusion. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) and Nissl staining were used to observe pathological changes in ischemic brain tissue. Transmission electron microscopy(TEM) assessed ultrastructural damage in cortical neurons. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to measure the levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interleukin-6(IL-6), interleukin-18(IL-18), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-10(IL-10), and nitric oxide(NO) in serum. Immunofluorescence was used to analyze the expression of TLR4 and NLRP3 proteins. In vitro, a BV2 microglial cell oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion(OGD/R) model was established, and cells were divided into the control, OGD/R, PCP1, TAK-242, and PCP1 + TLR4 activator lipopolysaccharide(LPS) groups. The CCK-8 assay evaluated BV2 cell viability, and ELISA determined NO release. Western blot was used to analyze the expression of TLR4, NLRP3, and downstream pathway-related proteins. The results indicated that, compared with the model group, PCP1 significantly reduced neurological deficit scores, infarct size, ischemic tissue pathology, cortical cell damage, and the levels of inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, TNF-α, and NO(P<0.01). It also elevated IL-10 levels(P<0.01) and decreased the expression of TLR4 and NLRP3 proteins(P<0.05, P<0.01). Moreover, in vitro results showed that, compared with the OGD/R group, PCP1 significantly improved BV2 cell viability(P<0.05, P<0.01), reduced cell NO levels induced by OGD/R(P<0.01), and inhibited the expression of TLR4-related inflammatory pathway proteins, including TLR4, myeloid differentiation factor 88(MyD88), tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6(TRAF6), phosphorylated nuclear factor-kappaB dimer RelA(p-p65)/nuclear factor-kappaB dimer RelA(p65), NLRP3, cleaved-caspase-1, apoptosis-associated speck-like protein(ASC), GSDMD-N, IL-1β, and IL-18(P<0.05, P<0.01). The protective effects of PCP1 were reversed by LPS stimulation. In conclusion, PCP1 ameliorates cerebral I/R injury by modulating the TLR4/NLRP3 signaling pathway, exerting anti-inflammatory and anti-pyroptotic effects.
Animals ; Toll-Like Receptor 4/genetics* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Reperfusion Injury/genetics* ; Male ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Polysaccharides/isolation & purification* ; Polygonatum/chemistry* ; Brain Ischemia/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Mice ; Humans

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

OBJECTIVE: Peritoneal fibrosis (PF) is an adverse event that occurs during long-term peritoneal dialysis, significantly impairing treatment efficiency and adversely affecting patient outcomes. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV), a principal active component derived from Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge, has exhibited anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects in various settings. This study aims to investigate the potential therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of AS-IV in the treatment of PF. METHODS: The PF mouse model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 4.25% peritoneal dialysis fluid (100 mL/kg). The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HMrSV5 cells was induced by the addition of 10 ng/mL transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). The differentially expressed genes in HMrSV5 cells treated with AS-IV were screened using transcriptome sequencing analysis. The potential targets of AS-IV were screened using network pharmacology and analyzed using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. RESULTS: Administration of AS-IV at doses of 20, 40, or 80 mg/kg effectively mitigated the increase in peritoneal thickness and the development of fibrosis in mice with PF. The expression of the fibrosis marker α-smooth muscle actin in the peritoneum was significantly decreased in AS-IV-treated mice. The treatment of AS-IV (10, 20, and 40 μmol/L) significantly delayed the EMT of HMrSV5 cells induced by TGF-β, as demonstrated by the decreased number of 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine-positive cells, reduced migrated area, and decreased expression of fibrosis markers. A total of 460 differentially expressed genes were detected in AS-IV-treated HMrSV5 cells through transcriptome sequencing, with notable enrichment in the phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT) signaling pathway. The reduced levels of phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K) and p-AKT were detected in HMrSV5 cells with AS-IV treatment. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was predicted as a direct target of AS-IV, exhibiting strong hydrogen bond interactions. The activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway by the compound 740Y-P, and the activation of the EGFR pathway by NSC 228155 each partially counteracted the inhibitory effect of AS-IV on the EMT of HMrSV5 cells. CONCLUSION AS-IV delayed the EMT process in peritoneal mesothelial cells and slowed the progression of PF, potentially serving as a therapeutic agent for the early prevention and treatment of PF. Please cite this article as: Huang Y, Chu CL, Qiu WH, Chen JY, Cao LX, Ji SY, Zhu B, Wang GK, Shen QQ. Astragaloside IV delayed the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in peritoneal fibrosis by inhibiting the activation of EGFR and PI3K-AKT pathways. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):694-705.
Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/drug effects* ; Animals ; Saponins/pharmacology* ; Triterpenes/pharmacology* ; Mice ; Peritoneal Fibrosis/pathology* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; ErbB Receptors/metabolism* ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Male ; Humans ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Cell Line ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

Objective To observe the clinical effect of Dongjing Tiaoshen Comprehensive Therapy combined with computerized cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia(CCBT-I)in the treatment of chronic insomnia patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome.Methods A total of 60 patients with chronic insomnia of liver depression and spleen deficiency type were randomly divided into observation group and control group,30 cases in each group.Both groups of patients were treated with CCBT-I as the basic treatment,the observation group was additionally treated with Dongjing Tiaoshen Comprehensive Therapy,i.e.,mind-regulating acupuncture therapy combined with regular aerobic exercises and Dantian Qigong exercises,and the control group was additionally treated with cranial electrotherapy stimulation.The course of treatment for the two groups covered 4 weeks.The changes of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)score,Self-rating Anxiety Scale(SAS)score and Self-rating Depression Scale(SDS)score in the two groups were observed before and after treatment,and the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated after treatment.Results(1)After 4 weeks of treatment,the total effective rate of the observation group was 86.67%(26/30),and that of the control group was 70.00%(21/30).The intergroup comparison(tested by rank sum test)showed that the curative effect of the observation group was significantly superior to that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the PSQI scores of the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease of PSQI scores in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P＜0.05).(3)After treatment,the SAS and SDS scores of the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment(P＜0.05),and the decrease of SAS and SDS scores in the observation group tended to be superior to that in the control group,but there was no significant difference between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion For the treatment of chronic insomnia of liver depression and spleen deficiency type,the combination of Dongjing Tiaoshen Comprehensive Therapy with CCBT-I can significantly improve the sleep quality,relieve anxiety and depression,and improve the quality of life of the patients,which exerts significant efficacy.

Objective:To investigate the prognosis and the factors that influence it in patients with non-gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) who are at low risk of recurrence.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. Clinicopathologic and prognostic data from patients with non-gastric GISTs and at low risk of recurrence (i.e., very low-risk or low-risk according to the 2008 version of the Modified NIH Risk Classification), who attended 18 medical centers in China between January 2000 and June 2023, were collected. We excluded patients with a history of prior malignancy, concurrent primary malignancy, multiple GISTs, and those who had received preoperative imatinib. The study cohort comprised 1,571 patients with GISTs, 370 (23.6%) of whom were at very low-risk and 1,201 (76.4%) at low-risk of recurrence. The cohort included 799 (50.9%) men and 772 (49.1%) women of median age 57 (16–93) years. Patients were followed up to July 2024. The prognosis and its influencing factors were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic curves for tumor diameter and Ki67 were established, and the sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC) and optimal cut-off value with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Propensity score matching was implemented using the 1:1 nearest neighbor matching method with a matching tolerance of 0.02.Results:With a median follow-up of 63 (12–267) months, the 5- and 10-year overall survival (OS) rates of the 1,571 patients were 99.5% and 98.0%, respectively, and the 5- and 10-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 96.3% and 94.4%, respectively. During postoperative follow-up, 3.8% (60/1,571) patients had disease recurrence or metastasis, comprising 0.8% (3/370) in the very low-risk group and 4.7% (57/1,201) in the low-risk group. In the low-risk group, recurrence or metastasis occurred in 5.5% (25/457) of patients with duodenal GISTs, 3.9% (25/645) of those with small intestinal GISTs, 9.2% (6/65) of those with rectal GISTs, and 10.0% (1/10) of those with colonic GISTs. Among the 60 patients with metastases, 56.7% (34/60) of the metastases were located in the abdominal cavity, 53.3% (32/60) in the liver, and 3.3% (2/60) in bone. During the follow-up period, 13 patients (0.8%) died of disease. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted for tumor diameter and Ki67 and assessed using the Jordon index. This showed that the difference in DFS between the two groups was statistically significant when the cutoff value for tumor diameter was 3.5 cm (AUC 0.731, 95% CI: 0.670–0.793, sensitivity 77.7%, specificity 64.1%). Furthermore, the difference in DFS between the two groups was statistically significant when the cutoff value for Ki67 was 5% (AUC 0.693, 95% CI: 0.624–0.762, sensitivity 60.7%, specificity 65.3%). Multifactorial analysis revealed that tumor diameter ≥3.5 cm, Ki67 ≥5%, and R1 resection were independent risk factors for DFS in patients with non-gastric GISTs at low risk of recurrence (all P<0.05). Furthermore, age >57 years, Ki67 ≥5%, and R1 resection were also independent risk factors for OS in patients with non-gastric GISTs at low risk of recurrence (all P<0.05). We also grouped the patients according to whether they had received postoperative adjuvant treatment with imatinib for 1 or 3 years. This yielded 137 patients in the less than 1-year group, 139 in the 1-year plus group; and 44 in both the less than 3 years and 3-years plus group. After propensity score matching for age, tumor diameter, Ki67, and resection status, the differences in survival between the two groups were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). The 10-year DFS and OS were 87.5% and 95.5%, respectively, in the group treated with imatinib for less than 1 year and 88.5% and 97.8%, respectively, in the group treated for more than 1 year. The 10-year DFS and OS were 89.6% and 92.6%, respectively, in the group treated with imatinib for less than 3 years and 88.0% and 100.0%, respectively, in the group treated with imatinib for more than 3 years. Conclusion:The overall prognosis of primary, non-gastric, low recurrence risk GISTs is relatively favorable; however, recurrences and metastases do occur. Age, tumor diameter, Ki67, and R1 resection may affect the prognosis. For some patients with low risk GISTs, administration of adjuvant therapy with imatinib for an appropriate duration may help prevent recurrence and improve survival.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between urinary metals copper (Cu), arsenic (As), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), iron (Fe), lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) and grip strength. Methods We used linear regression models, quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to assess the relationship between metals and grip strength.Results In the multimetal linear regression, Cu (β=-2.119), As (β=-1.318), Sr (β=-2.480), Ba (β=0.781), Fe (β= 1.130) and Mn (β=-0.404) were significantly correlated with grip strength (P < 0.05). The results of the quantile g-computation showed that the risk of occurrence of grip strength reduction was -1.007 (95％ confidence interval:-1.362, -0.652; P < 0.001) when each quartile of the mixture of the seven metals was increased. Bayesian kernel function regression model analysis showed that mixtures of the seven metals had a negative overall effect on grip strength, with Cu, As and Sr being negatively associated with grip strength levels. In the total population, potential interactions were observed between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn (Pinteractions of 0.003 and 0.018, respectively).Conclusion In summary, this study suggests that combined exposure to metal mixtures is negatively associated with grip strength. Cu, Sr and As were negatively correlated with grip strength levels, and there were potential interactions between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the regulatory effects of biofilm associated non-coding small RNA(sRNA)00085 on the survival and environmental fitness of Listeria monocytogenes.Homologous recombination technology was used to construct a deletion mutant strain(△sRNA 00085)and a complementary strain(C △sRNA 00085)of the sRNA00085 target gene.The differences in biological characteristics were compared among the standard strain,△sRNA 00085,and C△sRNA 00085.The deletion of sRNA00085 led to a significant decrease in biofilm formation capacity and sensitivity to several antibiotics,including penicillin,piperacillin,doxycycline,tetracycline,vancomycin,and cotrimoxazole.However,only the minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)of tetracycline exhibited a significant decrease in △sRNA00085.Meanwhile,the decreased biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance of the sRNA00085 mutant were restored in the C△sRNA00085 strain.Furthermore,we investigated the transcription levels of tetracycline resistance-related genes in L.monocytogenes.Down-regu-lated transcription of the tetS gene but no significant difference in transcription of the tetA gene were observed in △sRNA 00085 compared with the standard strain and C△sRNA00085.Moreover,the elimination of sRNA00085 did not affect bacterial growth ability or sensitivity to disinfectants.These findings highlight that sRNA00085 plays an important role in the environ-mental adaptability of L.monocytogenes by affecting bacterial biofilm formation and resistance.

Objective:To investigate the clinical features and prognostic factors of patients with primary extranodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL)in the rituximab era.Methods:The continuous data of newly diagnosed DLBCL patients with complete case data and first-line treated with rituximab,cyclophosphamide,epirubicin,vincristine,prednisone(R-CHOP)or R-CHOP treatment admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University from January 2013 to November 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.The clinical and molecular immunological features and prognosis of extranodal DLBCL were analyzed,Logistics regression model was used to analyzed the influencing factors of patients prognosis.Results:A total of 237 patients were enrolled,of which 54.4％(129 cases)were primary extranodal sources of DLBCL,and the most common extranodal sites were as follows:stomach(19.4％),colon(14.7％),tonsils(12.4％),skin/muscle(9.3％),central(7.7％),nasal/nasopharynx(6.2％),bone marrow(5.4％),testes(4.7％).The 3-year PFS and OS of DLBCL patients with extranodal involvement of bone marrow,central,liver,gastrointestinal or pulmonary origin were significantly lower than those of other patients with extranodal DLBCL of non-special site origin,and the difference was statistically significant(PFS:65.2％vs 76.7％,P=0.008;OS:82.6％vs 88.3％,P=0.04).Multivariate analysis showed that the prognostic factors affecting OS included NCCN-IPI score＞3(OR:0.142,95％CI:0.041-0.495,P=0.002),non-germinal center source(OR:2.675,95％CI:1.069-6.694,P=0.036),and DEL patients(OR:0.327,95％CI:0.129-0.830,P=0.019).An NCCN-IPI score＞3 was the only independent adverse prognostic factor for PFS(OR:0.235,95％CI:0.116-0.474,P＜0.001).Conclusion:Patients with primary extranodal source DLBCL are more common in gastrointestinal involvement,and the overall prognosis is worse than that of patients with lymph node origin.NCCN-IPI score is an important independent adverse prognostic factor for predicting overall survival and progression-free survival in patients with primary extranodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Objective:To investigate the early predictive value of halving time(HT)of BCR-ABLIS for deep molecular response(DMR)in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia(CML)treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitor(TKI).Methods:The continuous data of newly diagnosed CML patients with complete case data and first-line imatinib treatment admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University from January 2014 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed.Combined with the clinical characteristics of the patients and the efficacy analysis at each time point,a logistic regression model was used to explore the independent influencing factors of DMR,and combined HT of BCR-ABLIS with BCR-ABLIS level at 3 months to predict DMR of the patients.Results:Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that HT and 3-month BCR-ABLIS levels were independent influencing factors for MR4,MR4.5,and stable MR4.5(P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis determined that the best cut-off value of HT was 28 days.Compared with patients with HT＞28 d,patients with HT ≤28 d were more likely to obtain DMR at 2,3,and 5 years,respectively(74.2％vs 27.3％,71.2％vs 22.7％,and 63.6％vs 25.0％,all P＜0.001).The patients were divided into 4 groups according to BCR-ABLIS levels at 3 months and HT.Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the patients in the BCR-ABLIS ≤10％and HT≤28 d group had a higher probability of obtaining cumulative MR4 and MR4.5 than those in the BCR-ABLIS≤10％and HT＞28 d group(P＜0.05);Patients in the BCR-ABLIS＞10％and HT≤28 d group had a higher probability of obtaining cumulative MR4 and MR4.5 than those in the BCR-ABLIS＞10％and HT＞28 d group(P＜0.05).Conclusion:In addition to BCR-ABLIS level,HT of BCR-ABLIS can be used as another important predictor of treatment efficacy in CML patients.The combination of BCR-ABLIS level and HT has a more accurate predictive value for long-term molecular response of CML patients after TKI treatment.

Objective:To investigate the prognosis and the factors that influence it in patients with non-gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) who are at low risk of recurrence.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study. Clinicopathologic and prognostic data from patients with non-gastric GISTs and at low risk of recurrence (i.e., very low-risk or low-risk according to the 2008 version of the Modified NIH Risk Classification), who attended 18 medical centers in China between January 2000 and June 2023, were collected. We excluded patients with a history of prior malignancy, concurrent primary malignancy, multiple GISTs, and those who had received preoperative imatinib. The study cohort comprised 1,571 patients with GISTs, 370 (23.6%) of whom were at very low-risk and 1,201 (76.4%) at low-risk of recurrence. The cohort included 799 (50.9%) men and 772 (49.1%) women of median age 57 (16–93) years. Patients were followed up to July 2024. The prognosis and its influencing factors were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic curves for tumor diameter and Ki67 were established, and the sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC) and optimal cut-off value with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Propensity score matching was implemented using the 1:1 nearest neighbor matching method with a matching tolerance of 0.02.Results:With a median follow-up of 63 (12–267) months, the 5- and 10-year overall survival (OS) rates of the 1,571 patients were 99.5% and 98.0%, respectively, and the 5- and 10-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 96.3% and 94.4%, respectively. During postoperative follow-up, 3.8% (60/1,571) patients had disease recurrence or metastasis, comprising 0.8% (3/370) in the very low-risk group and 4.7% (57/1,201) in the low-risk group. In the low-risk group, recurrence or metastasis occurred in 5.5% (25/457) of patients with duodenal GISTs, 3.9% (25/645) of those with small intestinal GISTs, 9.2% (6/65) of those with rectal GISTs, and 10.0% (1/10) of those with colonic GISTs. Among the 60 patients with metastases, 56.7% (34/60) of the metastases were located in the abdominal cavity, 53.3% (32/60) in the liver, and 3.3% (2/60) in bone. During the follow-up period, 13 patients (0.8%) died of disease. Receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted for tumor diameter and Ki67 and assessed using the Jordon index. This showed that the difference in DFS between the two groups was statistically significant when the cutoff value for tumor diameter was 3.5 cm (AUC 0.731, 95% CI: 0.670–0.793, sensitivity 77.7%, specificity 64.1%). Furthermore, the difference in DFS between the two groups was statistically significant when the cutoff value for Ki67 was 5% (AUC 0.693, 95% CI: 0.624–0.762, sensitivity 60.7%, specificity 65.3%). Multifactorial analysis revealed that tumor diameter ≥3.5 cm, Ki67 ≥5%, and R1 resection were independent risk factors for DFS in patients with non-gastric GISTs at low risk of recurrence (all P<0.05). Furthermore, age >57 years, Ki67 ≥5%, and R1 resection were also independent risk factors for OS in patients with non-gastric GISTs at low risk of recurrence (all P<0.05). We also grouped the patients according to whether they had received postoperative adjuvant treatment with imatinib for 1 or 3 years. This yielded 137 patients in the less than 1-year group, 139 in the 1-year plus group; and 44 in both the less than 3 years and 3-years plus group. After propensity score matching for age, tumor diameter, Ki67, and resection status, the differences in survival between the two groups were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). The 10-year DFS and OS were 87.5% and 95.5%, respectively, in the group treated with imatinib for less than 1 year and 88.5% and 97.8%, respectively, in the group treated for more than 1 year. The 10-year DFS and OS were 89.6% and 92.6%, respectively, in the group treated with imatinib for less than 3 years and 88.0% and 100.0%, respectively, in the group treated with imatinib for more than 3 years. Conclusion:The overall prognosis of primary, non-gastric, low recurrence risk GISTs is relatively favorable; however, recurrences and metastases do occur. Age, tumor diameter, Ki67, and R1 resection may affect the prognosis. For some patients with low risk GISTs, administration of adjuvant therapy with imatinib for an appropriate duration may help prevent recurrence and improve survival.