Blue light inactivation technology, particularly at the 405 nm wavelength, has demonstrated distinct and multifaceted mechanisms of action against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, offering a promising alternative to conventional antibiotic therapies. For Gram-positive pathogens such as Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the bactericidal effects are primarily mediated by endogenous porphyrins (e.g., protoporphyrin III, coproporphyrin III, and uroporphyrin III), which exhibit strong absorption peaks between 400-430 nm. Upon irradiation, these porphyrins are photoexcited to generate cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS), including singlet oxygen, hydroxyl radicals, and superoxide anions, which collectively induce oxidative damage to cellular components. Early studies by Endarko et al. revealed that (405±5) nm blue light at 185 J/cm² effectively inactivated L. monocytogenes without exogenous photosensitizers, supporting the hypothesis of intrinsic photosensitizer involvement. Subsequent work by Masson-Meyers et al. demonstrated that 405 nm light at 121 J/cm² suppressed MRSA growth by activating endogenous porphyrins, leading to ROS accumulation. Kim et al. further elucidated that ROS generated under 405 nm irradiation directly interact with unsaturated fatty acids in bacterial membranes, initiating lipid peroxidation. This process disrupts membrane fluidity, compromises structural integrity, and impairs membrane-bound proteins, ultimately causing cell death. In contrast, Gram-negative bacteria such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Helicobacter pylori, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii exhibit more complex inactivation pathways. While endogenous porphyrins remain central to ROS generation, studies reveal additional photodynamic contributors, including flavins (e.g., riboflavin) and bacterial pigments. For instance, H. pylori naturally accumulates protoporphyrin and coproporphyrin mixtures, enabling efficient 405 nm light-mediated inactivation without antibiotic resistance concerns. Kim et al. demonstrated that 405 nm light at 288 J/cm² inactivates Salmonella by inducing genomic DNA oxidation (e.g., 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine formation) and disrupting membrane functions, particularly efflux pumps and glucose uptake systems. Huang et al. highlighted the enhanced efficacy of pulsed 405 nm light over continuous irradiation for E. coli, attributing this to increased membrane damage and optimized ROS generation through frequency-dependent photodynamic effects. Environmental factors such as temperature, pH, and osmotic stress further modulate susceptibility, sublethal stress conditions (e.g., high salinity or acidic environments) weaken bacterial membranes, rendering cells more vulnerable to subsequent ROS-mediated damage. The 405 nm blue light inactivates drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa through endogenous porphyrins, pyocyanin, and pyoverdine, with the inactivation efficacy influenced by bacterial growth phase and culture medium composition. Intriguingly, repeated 405 nm exposure (20 cycles) failed to induce resistance in A. baumannii, with transient tolerance linked to transient overexpression of antioxidant enzymes (e.g., superoxide dismutase) or stress-response genes (e.g., oxyR). For Gram-positive bacteria, porphyrin abundance dictates sensitivity, whereas in Gram-negative species, membrane architecture and accessory pigments modulate outcomes. Critically, ROS-mediated damage is nonspecific, targeting DNA, proteins, and lipids simultaneously, thereby minimizing resistance evolution. The 405 nm blue light technology, as a non-chemical sterilization method, shows promise in medical and food industries. It enhances infection control through photodynamic therapy and disinfection, synergizing with red light for anti-inflammatory treatments (e.g., acne). In food processing, it effectively inactivates pathogens (e.g., E. coli, S. aureus) without altering food quality. Despite efficacy against multidrug-resistant A. baumannii, challenges include device standardization, limited penetration in complex materials, and optimization of photosensitizers/light parameters. Interdisciplinary research is needed to address these limitations and scale applications in healthcare, food safety, and environmental decontamination.

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), a treasure of the Chinese nation, contains abundant chemical components and demonstrates unique pharmacological activities, showing important values in clinical applications. With profound connotations and broad application prospects, TCM urgently needs us to further explore and conduct systematic research. Puerarin is a small-molecule natural isoflavonoid carbon glycoside extracted from plants of Pueraria. It is also the main active ingredient of Puerariae Lobata Radix, a Chinese herbal medicine with both medicinal and edible values. Puerarin has a variety of pharmacological effects such as blood pressure-lowering, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-ischemia-reperfusion injury, antithrombotic, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, liver-protecting, nerve cell-protecting, and intestinal microbiota-regulating effects. It is also an active ingredient that has been widely studied. This article comprehensively reviews the research progress in the pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms of puerarin over the years, aiming to provide references and theoretical support for the in-depth research and development as well as clinical application of puerarin.
Isoflavones/chemistry* ; Humans ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Pueraria/chemistry*

PURPOSE: To investigate the incidence and influencing factors of bone loss in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was conducted. Patients with SCI in our hospital from January 2019 to March 2023 were collected. According to the correlation between bone mineral density (BMD) at different sites, the patients were divided into the lumbar spine group and the hip joint group. According to the BMD value, the patients were divided into the normal bone mass group (t > -1.0 standard deviation) and the osteopenia group (t ≤ -1.0 standard deviation). The influencing factors accumulated as follows: gender, age, height, weight, cause of injury, injury segment, injury degree, time after injury, start time of rehabilitation, motor score, sensory score, spasticity, serum value of alkaline phosphatase, calcium, and phosphorus. The trend chart was drawn and the influencing factors were analyzed. SPSS 26.0 was used for statistical analysis. Correlation analysis was used to test the correlation between the BMD values of the lumbar spine and bilateral hips. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of osteoporosis after SCI. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The incidence of bone loss in patients with SCI was 66.3%. There was a low concordance between bone loss in the lumbar spine and the hip, and the hip was particularly susceptible to bone loss after SCI, with an upward trend in incidence (36% - 82%). In this study, patients with SCI were divided into the lumbar spine group (n = 100) and the hip group (n = 185) according to the BMD values of different sites. Then, the lumbar spine group was divided into the normal bone mass group (n = 53) and the osteopenia group (n = 47); the hip joint group was divided into the normal bone mass group (n = 83) and the osteopenia group (n = 102). Of these, lumbar bone loss after SCI is correlated with gender and weight (p = 0.032 and < 0.001, respectively), and hip bone loss is correlated with gender, height, weight, and time since injury (p < 0.001, p = 0.015, 0.009, and 0.012, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The incidence of bone loss after SCI was high, especially in the hip. The incidence and influencing factors of bone loss in the lumbar spine and hip were different. Patients with SCI who are male, low height, lightweight, and long time after injury were more likely to have bone loss.
Humans ; Spinal Cord Injuries/complications* ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Incidence ; Adult ; Bone Density ; Middle Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Osteoporosis/etiology* ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic/etiology* ; Aged ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE: Observational studies have found associations between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's dementia (AD) and vascular dementia (VD); however, these findings are inconsistent. It remains unclear whether these associations are causal. METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis by systematically searching for observational studies on the association between IBD and dementia. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis based on summary genome-wide association studies (GWASs) was performed. Genetic correlation and Bayesian co-localization analyses were used to provide robust genetic evidence. RESULTS: Ten observational studies involving 80,565,688 participants were included in this meta-analysis. IBD was significantly associated with dementia (risk ratio [ RR] =1.36, 95% CI = 1.04-1.78; I ² = 84.8%) and VD ( RR = 2.60, 95% CI = 1.18-5.70; only one study), but not with AD ( RR = 2.00, 95% CI = 0.96-4.13; I ² = 99.8%). MR analyses did not supported significant causal associations of IBD with dementia (dementia: odds ratio [ OR] = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.98-1.03; AD: OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.95-1.01; VD: OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.97-1.07). In addition, genetic correlation and co-localization analyses did not reveal any genetic associations between IBD and dementia. CONCLUSION Our study did not provide genetic evidence for a causal association between IBD and dementia risk. The increased risk of dementia observed in observational studies may be attributed to unobserved confounding factors or detection bias.
Humans ; Mendelian Randomization Analysis ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases/complications* ; Dementia/etiology* ; Observational Studies as Topic ; Genome-Wide Association Study

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

Objective: To investigate the potential efficacy and safety of Lutai Danshen Baishao granules (LDBG) for treating female melasma associated with kidney deficiency and blood stasis patterns. Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at the Third Central Hospital of Tianjin, China from March to December 2023. A total of 110 female patients with melasma linked to kidney deficiency and blood stasis were enrolled and treated with either LDBG or a placebo twice daily for 60 days. Efficacy was assessed through measures such as the total melasma area, reduced melasma area, reduction rate of melasma area, melasma color score, Melasma Area and Severity Index (MASI) score, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptom score scale. Safety assessments included routine blood and biochemical tests. Results: Participants in both groups were aged 52–63 years, with no significant differences. After the 2-month intervention, the total melasma area decreased in both groups; however, a greater reduction was observed in the test group [462.50 mm2 (12.81%) vs. 100.00 mm2 (3.11%), P < .001]. Moreover, LDBG treatment significantly reduced the MASI and melasma color scores in the test group (P < .05). The total TCM symptom evaluation score significantly decreased (test group: 6.00 vs. placebo group: 7.00, P = .001), with significant relief in symptoms such as improvement in dark lips, nails, and waist soreness in the test group, compared with that in the placebo group (P < .05). Within-group comparisons revealed that TCM syndrome was significantly alleviated in the test group (P < .05). Conclusion LDBG intervention shows promising effectiveness in reducing female melasma and alleviating TCM syndromes.

The emerging and re-emerging arthropod-borne infectious diseases pose a serious threat to global public health security. Field and laboratory studies of arthropods of medical importance are essential and critical for the prevention and control of arthropod-borne infectious diseases. Various institutions or universities in China have been conducting research in the field or laboratory study of arthropods of medical importance, but up to 2023, it is still lacking detailed biosafety guidelines or recommendations that can guide the related work for arthropods of medical importance. In order to proactively address potential biosafety issues in the field or laboratory activities related to arthropods of medical importance, improve the standardization of arthropod biosafety classification, operations, and protection, and ensure the safety of practitioners, an expert consensus on the biosafety recommendation of arthropods of medical importance in field and laboratory has been developed, aiming to guide the future work of arthropods and ensure the national biosafety and biosecurity of China.