OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect and mechanism of acupuncture at "Weizhong" (BL40) on microcirculation of paravertebral skeletal muscle in rats with chronic blunt injury of lumbar muscle based on the insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway. METHODS: Forty-eight SPF-grade SD rats were randomized into a blank group (8 rats) and a modeling group (40 rats). Chronic blunt injury model was established by weight impact method in the modeling group. Forty rats were successfully modeled, and were randomly divided into a model group, an acupuncture at Weizhong group (Weizhong group), an acupuncture at non-acupoint group (non-acupoint group), an inhibitor group, and an inhibitor+acupuncture at Weizhong group (inhibitor+Weizhong group), 8 rats in each group. In the Weizhong group and the inhibitor+Weizhong group, acupuncture was applied at bilateral "Weizhong" (BL40). In the non-acupoint group, acupuncture was applied at non-acupoints, i.e. points 0.5 cm inward from bilateral "Weizhong" (BL40). The acupuncture intervention was delivered 20 min each time, once a day for continuous 2 weeks. In the inhibitor group and the inhibitor+Weizhong group, intraperitoneal injection of IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) inhibitor was given once a day, at a dosage of 2 mg/100 g, for continuous 2 weeks. Before modeling and on the 1st, 7th and 14th days of intervention, the body mass was measured. Before and after modeling, and after intervention, the limb grip strength and paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) were measured. After intervention, the morphology of psoas muscle was observed by HE staining; the ultrastructure of psoas muscle capillaries was observed by electron microscopy; the levels of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) were detected by ELISA; and the protein and mRNA expression of IGF-1, IGF-1R, PI3K, AKT of psoas muscle was detected by Western blot and real-time PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the blank group, in the model group, the body mass on the 7th and 14th days of intervention, the limb grip strength, and the PWT of left and right hind feet were decreased (P<0.001, P<0.01); the skeletal muscle cells showed enlarged intercellular space, loosely arranged and irregularly shaped, the capillaries in the psoas muscle tissues were edematous, and the lumen of the blood vessels was obviously atrophied; the levels of serum VEGF and eNOS were decreased (P<0.001); in psoas muscle, the protein expression of IGF-1 and IGF-1R, as well as the p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT values were decreased (P<0.001), the mRNA expression of IGF-1, IGF-1R, PI3K and AKT was decreased (P<0.001, P<0.05). Compared with the model group, in the Weizhong group, the body weight was increased on the 7th and 14th days of intervention (P<0.001), the limb grip strength and the PWT of the left and right hind feet were increased (P<0.001, P<0.01); the arrangement of the skeletal muscle cells was relatively tight and the intercellular space was reduced, the blood vessels tended to be regular and the structure of the basement membrane was continuous, while the lumens of blood vessels were collapsed locally; the levels of serum VEGF and eNOS were increased (P<0.001); in psoas muscle, the protein expression of IGF-1 and IGF-1R, as well as the p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT values were increased (P<0.001), the mRNA expression of IGF-1, IGF-1R, PI3K and AKT was increased (P<0.001, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, in the inhibitor group, the body mass was decreased on the 7th and 14th days of intervention (P<0.05, P<0.01); the limb grip strength and the PWT of the left hind foot were decreased (P<0.01, P<0.001); the intercellular space of skeletal muscle cells was larger, the nuclei of the cells and erythrocytes were scattered in the intercellular space, the damage of the capillaries in the muscular tissues was serious, the collagen fibers were sparsely distributed and disorganized; the levels of serum VEGF and eNOS were decreased (P<0.001, P<0.01); in psoas muscle, the protein expression of IGF-1 and IGF-1R, as well as the p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT values were decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05, P<0.001), the mRNA expression of IGF-1, IGF-1R, PI3K, and AKT was decreased (P<0.01, P<0.001, P<0.05). Compared with the Weizhong group, in the non-acupoint group and the inhibitor+Weizhong group, the body mass was decreased on the 7th and 14th days of intervention (P<0.001, P<0.01), the limb grip strength was decreased (P<0.001); the morphology of muscle cell was relatively poor, with generally irregular, there was mild collapse and atrophy in the vascular lumen, and mild edema in the endothelial cells; the levels of serum VEGF and eNOS were decreased (P<0.001); in psoas muscle, the protein expression of IGF-1 and IGF-1R, as well as the p-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT values were decreased (P<0.01, P<0.001), the mRNA expression of IGF-1, IGF-1R, PI3K, and AKT was decreased (P<0.001, P<0.01, P<0.05). Compared with the Weizhong group, the PWT of the left hind foot was decreased in the non-acupoint group (P<0.001), and PWT of the left and right hind feet was decreased in the inhibitor+Weizhong group (P<0.001). CONCLUSION Acupuncture at "Weizhong" (BL40) promotes lumbar muscle repair in chronic low back pain, its mechanism may be related to the activation of the IGF-1/PI3K/AKT pathway, thereby improving the microcirculation.
Animals ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/genetics* ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics* ; Male ; Humans ; Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics* ; Wounds, Nonpenetrating/metabolism* ; Acupuncture Points

OBJECTIVES: Exposure to rare earth elements (REEs) has been linked to various systemic diseases, but their impact on the offspring blood-brain barrier (BBB) via the gut-brain axis remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of maternal exposure to neodymium oxide (Nd₂O₃) on the BBB integrity of offspring rats, and to evaluate the potential protective role of bifidobacterium tetrad viable tablets (BTVT) against Nd₂O₃-induced intestinal and BBB damage. METHODS: Healthy adult SD rats were mated at a 1:1 male-to-female ratio, with the day of vaginal plug detection marked as gestational day 0. A total of 60 pregnant rats were randomly assigned to the following groups: Control, 50 mg/(kg·d) Nd₂O₃, 100 mg/(kg·d) Nd₂O₃, 200 mg/(kg·d) Nd₂O₃, and 200 mg/(kg·d) Nd₂O₃ + BTVT group. Treatments were administered by daily oral gavage throughout pregnancy and lactation. On postnatal day 21 (weaning), offspring feces, brain, and colon tissues were collected. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to assess structural changes in brain and intestinal tissues. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in feces were quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Evans Blue (EB) dye extravasation assessed BBB permeability. Gene and protein expression levels of tight junction proteins occludin and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) were measured by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blotting (WB), respectively. Neodymium levels in brain tissue were determined via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). RESULTS: HE staining revealed that maternal Nd₂O₃ exposure caused mucosal edema, increased submucosal spacing, and lymphocyte infiltration in offspring colon, as well as neuronal degeneration and vacuolization in brain tissue. BTVT intervention alleviated these changes. GC-MS analysis showed that levels of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and isobutyric acid significantly decreased, while valeric acid and isovaleric acid increased in offspring of Nd₂O₃-exposed mothers (P<0.05). BTVT significantly restored levels of acetic, propionic, and isobutyric acids and reduced valeric acid content (P<0.05). EB permeability was significantly elevated in Nd₂O₃-exposed offspring brains (P<0.05), but reduced with BTVT treatment (P<0.05). RT-PCR and WB showed downregulation of occludin and ZO-1 expression following Nd₂O₃ exposure (P<0.05), which was reversed by BTVT (P<0.05). ICP-MS results indicated significantly increased brain neodymium levels in offspring from all Nd₂O₃-exposed groups (P<0.05), while BTVT significantly reduced neodymium accumulation compared to the 200 mg/(kg·d) Nd₂O₃ group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Maternal exposure to Nd₂O₃ during pregnancy and lactation disrupts intestinal health and BBB integrity in offspring, elevates brain neodymium accumulation, and induces neuronal degeneration. BTVT effectively mitigates Nd₂O₃-induced intestinal and BBB damage in offspring, potentially through modulation of the gut-brain axis.
Animals ; Female ; Blood-Brain Barrier/pathology* ; Pregnancy ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; Male ; Neodymium/toxicity* ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/prevention & control* ; Lactation ; Maternal Exposure/adverse effects* ; Brain

This consensus will introduce the characteristics of fillers used in the surgical cavities of domestic nasal surgery patients based on relevant literature and expert opinions. It will also provide recommendations for the selection of cavity fillers for different nasal diseases, with chronic sinusitis as a representative example.
Humans ; Nasal Cavity/surgery* ; Nasal Surgical Procedures ; China ; Consensus ; Sinusitis/surgery* ; Dermal Fillers

120 extracted maxillary first premolars were endodontically treated and randomly divided into 5 groups(n=24).The teeth in group A had 4 walls of coronal tooth structure,in group B,C,D and E had only 3 walls,missing the palatal,buccal,mesial and distal wall,respectively.The teeth in group A0-E0(n=6)were restored without post,in group A1-E1(n=6)with buccal post,in group A2-E2(n=6)with palatal post,in group A3-E3(n=6)with buccal and palatal post,respectively.The fracture resistance of group A was higher than that of B,C,D and E groups(P＜0.05).The fracture resistance of fiber posts placed in the buccal root canal was higher than that in the palatal root canal(P＜0.05).The 360° complete ferrule can provide the best fracture resistance,When the ferrule is not complete,it is recommended to place buccal fiber post for repair.

Objective To investigate the relationship between the therapeutic effect of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and cytokines in aqueous humor in patients with diabetic retinopathy(DR).Methods From July 2023 to December 2023,50 DR patients(56 eyes)who were treated with anti-VEGF drugs in the Department of Ophthal-mology,the Third Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University were included in this study.The patients were divided into the diabetic macular edema(DME)group(30 patients,36 eyes)and the proliferative DR(PDR)group(20 patients,20 eyes).Patients in the DME group received an intravitreal injection of aflibercept once a month for three consecutive times,with aqueous humor extracted before each injection.Patients in the PDR group received an intravitreal injection of aflibercept one week before vitrectomy,with aqueous humor extracted before injection and during vitrectomy,respective-ly.The concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGF-A),placental growth factor(PLGF),interleukin(IL)-1β,IL-23,IL-17A,and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)in the aqueous humor were detected using the Luminex as-say.Before injection therapy,all patients underwent best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)and central macular thickness(CMT)examinations,and their correlations with cytokine concentrations in DR patients before injection therapy were ana-lyzed.Results Compared to before injection therapy,the concentrations of VEGF-A,PLGF,and IL-23 in the aqueous humor of patients in the DME group decreased significantly after treatment(all P＜0.05);additionally,the CMT de-creased,and the BCVA increased(both P＜0.05).After injection therapy,the concentrations of VEGF,PLGF,IL-1β,IL-23,IL-17A,and TNF-α in the aqueous humor of patients in the PDR group significantly decreased compared to before injec-tion therapy(all P＜0.05).Before injection therapy,the levels of VEGF-A,PLGF,and IL-23 in the aqueous humor of pa-tients in the DME group were higher than those in the PDR group,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).The correlation analysis results showed that before injection therapy,VEGF was negatively correlated with BCVA(r=-0.767,P=0.004)and was positively correlated with CMT(r=0.662,P=0.019)and IL-23(r=0.765,P=0.004)in the DME group.There was no correlation between the cytokines in the aqueous humor of patients in the PDR group be-fore injection therapy(all P＞0.05).Conclusion Changes in the concentration of VEGF-A,PLGF,and IL-23 are closely related to the occurrence and development of DR.Anti-VEGF treatment can improve BCVA and decrease CMT in DME pa-tients.The expression level of IL-23 in aqueous humor can serve as a predictive factor for the anti-VEGF efficacy in DR pa-tients,providing new targets for early diagnosis and treatment of DR.

Objective:To explore the feasibility of using quantitative parameters of double contrast-enhanced ultrasound (DCUS) to noninvasively predict lymphatic metastasis in gastric cancer before operation.Methods:From December 2021 to October 2023, 119 patients undergoing gastrectomy at the Second Hospital & Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, were enrolled retrospectively. Based on the pathological findings, they were divided into lymph node metastasis (N1, 94 cases) and non-lymph node metastasis (N0, 25 cases) groups. All patients underwent DCUS within 3 days before surgery. Previous to DCUS, lesions′ location and ultrasonic T-staging were recorded by conventional ultrasound. Quantitative parameters such as arrival time (AT), time to peak (TTP), baseline intensity (BI), peak intensity (PI) and wash-in slope (WIS) were obtained by the time-intensity curve (TIC) automatically, and then manually calculated enhanced intensity (ΔPI=PI–BI) and enhanced time (ΔTTP=TTP–AT). Binary Logistic regression analysis was used to screen independent risk factors for predicting lymph nodes metastasis in gastric cancer, and regression models were established.Results:Statistical tests revealed significant differences in ultrasonic T-staging ( P<0.001) and degree of differentiation ( P=0.015) between N1 and N0 group. Among DCUS quantitative parameters, statistical differences in PI, ΔPI and WIS were observed between the two groups (all P<0.05), while no significant differences were found in BI, AT, TTP and ΔTTP (all P>0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that ultrasonic T-staging and WIS were independent risk factors for predicting lymphatic metastasis. The regression model built on the above two factors performed well in predicting lymph nodes metastasis, with an area under the curve of 0.905, accuracy of 93.3% (superior to the prediction model based on DCUS quantitative parameters alone, P<0.05), sensitivity of 95.7% and specificity of 84.0%. Conclusions:DCUS quantitative parameters may be helpful to evaluate lymphatic metastasis of gastric cancer prior to surgery, and the accuracy of prediction would be improved by combing with ultrasonic T-staging.

Gastric cancer(GC)is one of the most common gastrointestinal tumors.As a newly discovered type of non-coding RNAs,transfer RNA(tRNA)-derived small RNAs(tsRNAs)play a dual biological role in cancer.Our previous studies have demonstrated the potential of tRF-23-Q99P9P9NDD as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for GC.In this work,we confirmed for the first time that tRF-23-Q99P9P9NDD can promote the proliferation,migration,and invasion of GC cells in vitro.The dual luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed that tRF-23-Q99P9P9NDD could bind to the 3'untranslated region(UTR)site of acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase short/branched chain(ACADSB).In addition,ACADSB could rescue the effect of tRF-23-Q99P9P9NDD on GC cells.Next,we used Gene Ontology(GO),the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG),and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis(GSEA)to find that downregulated ACADSB in GC may promote lipid accumulation by inhibiting fatty acid catabolism and ferroptosis.Finally,we verified the correlation between ACADSB and 12 ferroptosis genes at the transcriptional level,as well as the changes in reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels by flow cytometry.In summary,this study proposes that tRF-23-Q99P9P9NDD may affect GC lipid metabolism and ferroptosis by targeting ACADSB,thereby promoting GC progression.It provides a theoretical basis for the diagnostic and prognostic monitoring value of GC and opens up new possibilities for treatment.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between FCER2（2206A>G） gene polymorphism and the efficacy of inhaled corticosteroids（ICS） in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis（CRS）. Methods:A total of 208 CRS patients were routinely treated with functional endonasal sinus surgery and postoperative ICS. DNA extraction, PCR amplification and gene sequencing were performed to observe the FCER2（2206A>G） gene polymorphism and calculate the allele frequency. The visual analog scale（VAS） score, Lund-Kennedy score, and computed tomography（CT） Lund-Mackay score were determined 6 months after surgery among patients with different genotypes. Moreover, the polymorphism frequency was compared among different subgroups（chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps versus chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps, eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis versus non-eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis）. Results:There were FCER2（2206A>G） gene polymorphism in patients with CRS, and the phenotypes included 3 genotypes, AA, AG and GG, with distribution frequencies of 68（32.7%）, 116（55.8%） and 24（11.5%） cases, respectively. No significant differences were found in age, VAS score, nasal endoscopic Lund-Kennedy score and CT imaging Lund-Mackay score among patients with CRS of each genotype before surgery. In patients with the AA genotype, the changes in VAS score（5.74±1.10）, Lund Kennedy score（5.92 ± 1.14）, and CT imaging Lund-Mackay score（13.26±4.26） were significantly higher than in patients with the AG（4.37±0.86, 5.37±1.24, 10.82±3.77） and GG（4.26±0.80, 5.18±1.56, 10.10±3.53） genotype（P<0.05）. However, there were no marked difference between patients with the AG genotype and those with the GG genotype（P>0.05）. Compared with patients with non-eosinophilic sinusitis, Among them, the differences between the GG genotype and AG /AA genes were more significant in eosinophilic sinusitis compared to non-eosinophilic sinusitis（P<0.01）. Conclusion:The FCER2（2206A>G） gene in patients with CRS has genetic polymorphism and is associated with the recovery of CRS patients after surgery, individual corticosteroid sensitivity, and subgroup variability.
Humans ; Nasal Polyps/complications* ; Rhinitis/complications* ; Sinusitis/complications* ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones/therapeutic use* ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Endoscopy/methods* ; Chronic Disease ; Receptors, IgE ; Lectins, C-Type

Here we introduced the teaching objectives, course contents and examination methods of oral biology in North America, Europe, Australia, Japan, Korea and other countries, compared the differences of oral biology courses among these schools, domestic and abroad, and we further analyzed the deep backgrounds or reasons of these differences. In brief, the oral biology education abroad is mainly for the graduate students, and the teaching target is improving the research ability of the students, in addition, the course contents varies a lot from school to school. Whereas in China, the teaching objects include both undergraduates and graduate students, the course aims to popularize the basic scientific knowledge of oral biology, and the course contents mostly depends on the uniform text books. The deep reasons of course differences might be related to different education systems and teaching targets. Our data will be helpful for the further improvement and future development of our domestic oral biology education.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects and underlying mechanism of Yinxing Mihuan oral solution （YM） on neovascularization and vascular remodeling in chemical photothrombosis-induced focal cerebral ischemia model in mice. MethodFifty SPF C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into sham group， model group， ginaton group （12.5 mg·kg^-1）， and low- （YM-L， 412 mg·kg^-1） and high-dose （YM-H， 824 mg·kg^-1） YM groups， with 10 mice in each group. The focal cerebral ischemia model was established by chemical photothrombosis method. Drugs in each group were administered by gavage for 14 consecutive days after operation. The modified neurological severity score （mNSS） and measurement of forelimb grasping were used to evaluate the neurologic impairment of mice. The vascular density of infarct border-zone （IBZ） was measured by fluorescein labelled dextran （FITC-dextran） method. The morphology of IBZ was evaluated and observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The expression of proteins related to neovascularization and vascular remodeling in brain tissues， including vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）， platelet and endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 （CD31）， hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）， von Willebrand factor （vWF）， and angiogenin （ANG）， was detected by Western blot. ResultCompared with the sham group， the model group showed manifest neurological deficits （P<0.01）， weakened forelimb grasping （P<0.01）， increased vascular density of IBZ （P<0.01）， and obvious pathological changes， such as neuronal necrosis and gliocyte proliferation. After treatment for 14 days， compared with the model group， the YM-H group showed improved neurological deficits （P<0.01）， and the YM-L group and the YM-H group showed strengthened forelimb grasping （P<0.01）. Moreover， the YM-L group displayed increased vascular density of IBZ （P<0.05）， reduced pathological damage， and up-regulated protein expression of CD31， ANG， HIF-1α， and vWF （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionYM could improve motor function and pathological morphological impairment in chemical photothrombosis-induced focal cerebral ischemia mouse model， and the underlying mechanism might be related to the promotion of neovascularization and vascular remodeling in IBZ.