Aim To explore the improvement effect of Bazi Bushen capsule on thymic degeneration in SAMP6 mice and the possible mechanism.Methods Twenty 12 week old male SAMP6 mice were randomly divided into the model group(SAMP6)and the Bazi Busheng capsule treatment group(SAMP6+BZBS).Ten SAMR1 mice were assigned to a homologous control group(SAMR1).The SAMP6+BZBS group was oral-ly administered Bazi Bushen capsule suspension(2.8 g·kg-1)daily,while the other two groups were orally administered an equal amount of distilled water.After nine weeks of administration,the morphology of the thymus in each group was observed and the thymus in-dex was calculated;HE staining was used to observe the structural changes of thymus tissue;SA-β-gal stai-ning was used to detect thymic aging;flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of thymic CD3+T cells in each group;Western blot was used to detect the levels of p16,Bax,Bcl-2,and cleaved caspase-3 proteins in thymus;immunofluorescence was applied to detect the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells in each group;ELISA was employed to detect IL-7 lev-els in thymus.Results Compared with the SAMP6 group,the thymic index of the SAMP6+BZBS group significantly increased(P＜0.05);the disordered thy-mic structure was significantly improved;the positive proportion of SA-β-gal staining significantly decreased(P＜0.01);the proportion of CD3+T cells apparently increased(P＜0.05);the level of p16 protein signifi-cantly decreased(P＜0.05);the level of Bcl-2 pro-tein significantly increased(P＜0.05),while the lev-el of cleaved caspase-3 protein markedly decreased(P＜0.05);the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells evidently increased;the level of IL-7 significantly increased(P＜0.01).Conclusions Bazi Bushen capsule can delay thymic degeneration,inhibit cell ap-optosis in thymus and promote thymic cell development in SAMP6 mice,which may be related to increasing the proportion of cortical thymic epithelial cells and promoting IL-7 secretion.

The Piezo protein is a non-selective mechanosensitive cation channel that exhibits sensitivity to mechanical stimuli such as pressure and shear stress. It converts mechanical signals into bioelectric activity within cells, thus triggering specific biological responses. In the digestive system, Piezo protein plays a crucial role in maintaining normal physiological activities, including digestion, absorption, metabolic regulation, and immune modulation. However, dysregulation in Piezo protein expression may lead to the occurrence of several pathological conditions, including visceral hypersensitivity, impairment of intestinal mucosal barrier function, and immune inflammation.Therefore, conducting a comprehensive review of the physiological functions and pathological roles of Piezo protein in the digestive system is of paramount importance. In this review, we systematically summarize the structural and dynamic characteristics of Piezo protein, its expression patterns, and physiological functions in the digestive system. We particularly focus on elucidating the mechanisms of action of Piezo protein in digestive system tumor diseases, inflammatory diseases, fibrotic diseases, and functional disorders. Through the integration of the latest research findings, we have observed that Piezo protein plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of various digestive system diseases. There exist intricate interactions between Piezo protein and multiple phenotypes of digestive system tumors such as proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis. In inflammatory diseases, Piezo protein promotes intestinal immune responses and pancreatic trypsinogen activation, contributing to the development of ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and pancreatitis. Additionally, Piezo1, through pathways involving co-action with the TRPV4 ion channel, facilitates neutrophil recruitment and suppresses HIF-1α ubiquitination, thereby mediating organ fibrosis in organs like the liver and pancreas. Moreover, Piezo protein regulation by gut microbiota or factors like age and gender can result in increased or decreased visceral sensitivity, and alterations in intestinal mucosal barrier structure and permeability, which are closely associated with functional disorders like irritable bowel sydrome (IBS) and functional consitipaction (FC). A thorough exploration of Piezo protein as a potential therapeutic target in digestive system diseases can provide a scientific basis and theoretical support for future clinical diagnosis and treatment strategies.

Objective: To investigate the expression of glycoprotein non metastatic melanoma protein B (GPNMB) in renal eosinophilic tumors and to compare the value of GPNMB with CK20, CK7 and CD117 in the differential diagnosis of renal eosinophilic tumors. Methods: Traditional renal tumor eosinophil subtypes, including 22 cases of renal clear cell carcinoma eosinophil subtype (e-ccRCC), 19 cases of renal papillary cell carcinoma eosinophil subtype (e-papRCC), 17 cases of renal chromophobe cell carcinoma eosinophil subtype (e-chRCC), 12 cases of renal oncocytoma (RO) and emerging renal tumor types with eosinophil characteristics [3 cases of eosinophilic solid cystic renal cell carcinoma (ESC RCC), 3 cases of renal low-grade eosinophil tumor (LOT), 4 cases of fumarate hydratase-deficient renal cell carcinoma (FH-dRCC) and 5 cases of renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma (E-AML)], were collected at the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from January 2017 to March 2022. The expression of GPNMB, CK20, CK7 and CD117 was detected by immunohistochemistry and statistically analyzed. Results: GPNMB was expressed in all emerging renal tumor types with eosinophil characteristics (ESC RCC, LOT, FH-dRCC) and E-AML, while the expression rates in traditional renal eosinophil subtypes e-papRCC, e-chRCC, e-ccRCC and RO were very low or zero (1/19, 1/17, 0/22 and 0/12, respectively); the expression rate of CK7 in LOT (3/3), e-chRCC (15/17), e-ccRCC (4/22), e-papRCC (2/19), ESC RCC (0/3), RO (4/12), E-AML(1/5), and FH-dRCC (2/4) variedly; the expression of CK20 was different in ESC RCC (3/3), LOT(3/3), e-chRCC(1/17), RO(9/12), e-papRCC(4/19), FH-dRCC(1/4), e-ccRCC(0/22) and E-AML(0/5), and so did that of CD117 in e-ccRCC(2/22), e-papRCC(1/19), e-chRCC(16/17), RO(10/12), ESC RCC(0/3), LOT(1/3), E-AML(2/5) and FH-dRCC(1/4). GPNMB had 100% sensitivity and 97.1% specificity in distinguishing E-AML and emerging renal tumor types (such as ESC RCC, LOT, FH-dRCC) from traditional renal tumor types (such as e-ccRCC, e-papRCC, e-chRCC, RO),respectively. Compared with CK7, CK20 and CD117 antibodies, GPNMB was more effective in the differential diagnosis (P<0.05). Conclusion: As a new renal tumor marker, GPNMB can effectively distinguish E-AML and emerging renal tumor types with eosinophil characteristics such as ESC RCC, LOT, FH-dRCC from traditional renal tumor eosinophil subtypes such as e-ccRCC, e-papRCC, e-chRCC and RO, which is helpful for the differential diagnosis of renal eosinophilic tumors.
Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms/pathology* ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell/pathology* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Angiomyolipoma/diagnosis* ; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/diagnosis* ; Membrane Glycoproteins

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma （GR）-containing serum on lipopolysaccharide （LPS）-induced inflammation in human colon epithelial adenocarcinoma cells （Caco2） based on inhibition of ferroptosis by the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2）/heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1） pathway. MethodCaco2 cells were divided into a normal group， a model group （LPS， 200 μg·L^-1）， low-， medium-， and high-dose GR-containing serum groups （5%， 10%， 20%）， and a ferroptosis inhibitor group （3-amino-4-cyclohexylamino-benzoic acid ethyl ester， Fer-1， 10 μmol·L^-1）. The cells in the normal group were cultured normally， while those in other groups underwent the induction of an inflammation model. The cells in the low-， medium-， and high-dose GR-containing serum groups were treated with 5%， 10%， and 20% GR-containing serum for 24 hours， respectively， and the cells in the ferroptosis inhibitor group were treated with Fer-1 for 24 hours. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe mitochondrial morphology in each group. Flow cytometry was used to detect intracellular Fe²⁺ levels. Microplate assays were performed to measure superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity， malondialdehyde （MDA） and glutathione peroxidase （GSH-Px） levels. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to measure interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， IL-6， IL-10， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） levels. Western blot was used to measure the expression levels of Nrf2， HO-1， ferritin heavy chain 1 （FTH1）， and glutathione peroxidase 4 （GSH-Px4） proteins. Small interfering RNA （siRNA） was used to investigate the role of Nrf2 in ferroptosis regulation. The cells after interference were divided into a negative control （NC） group， a Si-Nrf2 group， a GR-containing serum （20%） + Si-Nrf2 group， and a GR-containing serum （20%） + NC group. Microplate assays were performed to measure MDA， SOD， and GSH-Px levels， and Western blot was used to measure the expression levels of Nrf2， HO-1， FTH1， and GSH-Px4 proteins. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed mitochondrial contraction， increased mitochondrial membrane thickness， and smaller mitochondrial morphology， increased Fe²⁺ content （P<0.01）， blunted SOD activity （P<0.01）， decreased GSH-Px expression （P<0.01）， increased MDA content （P<0.01）， reduced expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 （P<0.05）， reduced FTH1 expression （P<0.01）， and down-regulated GSH-Px4 expression （P<0.01）. In the GR-containing serum groups， the medium- and high-dose groups showed a significant decrease in Fe²⁺ content （P<0.01）， potentiated SOD and GSH-Px activities （P<0.01）， and decreased MDA levels （P<0.01）. The high-dose group showed a significant increase in Nrf2 expression （P<0.05）， and the medium-dose group showed increased expression of HO-1 and GSH-Px4 proteins （P<0.05）. The expression levels of FTH1 significantly increased in the low-， medium-， and high-dose groups （P<0.01）. The study on mechanism revealed that compared with the NC group， the cells transfected with Nrf2 siRNA showed increased MDA content （P<0.01）， blunted SOD activity （P<0.01）， decreased GSH-Px activity （P<0.01）， decreased expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 （P<0.01）， and reduced levels of FTH1 and GSH-Px4 proteins （P<0.01）. Compared with the Si-Nrf2 group， the cells treated with GR-containing serum showed a decrease in MDA content （P<0.01）， an increase in SOD activity （P<0.01）， an increase in GSH-Px activity （P<0.01）， increased expression of Nrf2 and FTH1 proteins （P<0.05）， and higher expression levels of HO-1 and GSH-Px4 proteins （P<0.01）. ConclusionGR-containing serum can reduce the inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress levels in LPS-induced Caco2 cells. Its mechanism is related to the promotion of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway expression， alleviating intracellular lipid peroxidation and inhibiting ferroptosis.

The evaluation of germplasm resources is the prerequisite for the development, utilization, and conservation of Chinese medicinal resources. The selection of excellent germplasm is the key to the breeding and orderly production of Pinellia ternata. In this study, 21 germplasm materials of P. ternata from major production areas in China were collected and analyzed for population diversity after phenotypic preliminary screening. The results have revealed that the P. ternata population has abundant phenotypic variation, and the phenotypic changes could be divided into five phenotypes in terms of organ trait variation. Further analysis of variation in 20 quantitative traits of the population revealed that the coefficient of variation for adenosine content(339.05%) was the largest, while the coefficient of variation for the underground plant height(16.35%) was the smallest. Correlation analysis showed that there was a strong correlation among various traits, with 52 pairs of traits showing highly significant correlation(P<0.01) and 19 pairs of traits showing a significant correlation(P<0.05). The 21 germplasms in the test could be classified into three major clusters by cluster analysis, with Cluster Ⅱ having the highest number and content of nucleosides, making it suitable for the selection and breeding of P. ternata varieties with high content of nucleosides. The yield in Cluster Ⅲ was higher than that in other groups, making it suitable for the selection and breeding of P. ternata varieties with a high yield. All trait indicators could be simplified into five principal component factors through principal component analysis, and the cumulative contribution rate was up to 86.04%. Further, comprehensive analysis using membership function and stepwise regression analysis identified nine traits, such as plant height, main leaf length, and underground plant height as characteristic indicators for the comprehensive evaluation of germplasm resources of P. ternata. BX007, BX008, and BX005 were identified as germplasms with both high yield and high uridine content, with BX007 having the highest uridine content of 479.51 μg·g~(-1). It belonged to the germplasm of P. ternata with double bulbils and could be cultivated as a potential good variety. Based on the phenotypic classification of P. ternata, systematic resource evaluation was carried out in this study, which could lay a foundation for the excavation of genetic resources and the breeding of new varieties of P. ternata.
Plants, Medicinal ; Pinellia/genetics* ; Plant Breeding ; Phenotype ; Uridine

Dental pulp calcification can lead to root canal stenosis or obliteration. It is usually difficult to negotiate the root canal if the affected tooth needs to be treated and intraoperative complications are easily brought about during the root canal treatment. The etiologies of dental pulp calcification are complicated and careful considerations should be given to the diagnosis and treatment. Only by weighing the advantages and disadvantages can appropriate treatment plan be chosen. Based on the literature and authors' clinical experiences, the present article summarizes the causes, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment strategies of dental pulp calcification, in order to provide some references in diagnosis and treatment for the dental clinicians.
Dental Pulp Calcification/therapy* ; Humans ; Root Canal Therapy

The onset of primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC) is usually occult, and early symptoms are not obvious. Most patients are at advanced stages of disease at diagnosis, and the prognosis is poor. Paraneoplastic syndrome (PNS) refers to the clinical manifestations indirectly caused by tumor metabolites or abnormal immune reactions that cannot be explained by the primary lesion, local tumor spread or distant metastasis. Hypercholesterolemia, hypercalcemia and hypoglycemia are the most commonly seen clinical presentations of PNS in PHC patients. Adequate understanding of PNS is of great importance in early diagnosis and treatment of PHC. In this review, we summarized the clinical manifestations and prognostic mechanisms of PNS in patients with PHC.

Objective:To establish the normal values of water-perfused high resolution esophageal manometry (HREM)(GAP-36A) at resting period, water swallowing, semisolid swallowing and solid swallowing in Chinese population.Methods:From September 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020, 91 healthy volunteers receiving water-perfused HREM (GAP-36A) at resting period, water swallowing, semisolid swallowing and solid swallowing were selected from 9 hospitals (Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology; the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University; the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University; the Second Affiliated Hospital, Naval Medical University; the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University; the First Affiliated Hospital, University of Science and Technology of China; Aviation General Hospital of China Medical University; the Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Nanjing University and the First People′s Hospital of Yichang). Parameters included the position of the upper and lower edges of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) and lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the length of the LES and UES, the position of the pressure inversion point (PIP), the resting pressure of UES and LES and swallow-related parameters such as the distal contraction integral (DCI), 4 s integrated relaxation pressure (IRP), distal latency (DL) and UES residual pressure. One-way analysis of variance, post-hoc test and sum rank test were used for statistical analysis.Results:A total of 87 healthy volunteers were enrolled, including 40 males and 47 females, aged (38.5±14.2) years old (ranged from 19 to 65 years old). The position of the upper and lower edges of the LES was (42.7±2.8) and (45.6±2.8) cm, respectively, the length of the LES was (2.9±0.4) cm, and the position of PIP was (43.3±2.8) cm. The position of the upper and lower edges of the UES was (18.1±3.0) and (22.6±2.0) cm, respectively, and the length of the UES was (4.8±1.0) cm. The resting pressure of LES and UES was (17.4±10.7) and (84.1±61.1) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), respectively. The DCI value at solid swallowing was higher than those at water swallowing and semisolid swallowing ((2 512.4±1 448.0) mmHg·s·cm vs. (2 183.2±1 441.2) and (2 150.8±1 244.8) mmHg·s·cm), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=-4.30 and -3.74, both P<0.001). The values of 4 s IRP at semisolid swallowing and solid swallowing were lower than that at water swallowing ((4.6±4.1) and (4.9±3.9) mmHg vs. (5.4±3.9) mmHg), and the differences were statistically significant ( t=3.38 and 2.09, P=0.001 and 0.037). The DL at water swallowing was shorter than those at semisolid swallowing and solid swallowing ((8.5±1.8) s vs. (9.8±2.2) and (10.6±2.8) s), and the DL at semisolid swallowing was shorter than that at solid swallowing, and the differences were statistically significant ( t=-10.21, -13.91 and -4.68, all P<0.001). The UES residual pressure at water swallowing was higher than those at semisolid swallowing and solid swallowing (9.5 mmHg, 6.5 to 12.3 mmHg vs. 8.0 mmHg, 4.5 to 11.7 mmHg and 5.5 mmHg, 2.0 to 9.3 mmHg), and the UES residual pressure at semisolid swallowing was higher than that at solid swallowing, and the differences were statistically significant ( t=3.48, 10.30 and 6.35, all P<0.001). Conclusions:The normal values of water-perfused HREM (GAP-36A) in Chinese population at resting period, water swallowing, semisolid swallowing and solid swallowing can provide a reference basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment for patients receiving water-perfused HREM examination.

Objective:The investigation and research on the application status of Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient (HVPG) is very important to understand the real situation and future development of this technology in China.Methods:This study comprehensively investigated the basic situation of HVPG technology in China, including hospital distribution, hospital level, annual number of cases, catheters used, average cost, indications and existing problems.Results:According to the survey, there were 70 hospitals in China carrying out HVPG technology in 2021, distributed in 28 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central Government). A total of 4 398 cases of HVPG were performed in all the surveyed hospitals in 2021, of which 2 291 cases (52.1%) were tested by HVPG alone. The average cost of HVPG detection was (5 617.2±2 079.4) yuan. 96.3% of the teams completed HVPG detection with balloon method, and most of the teams used thrombectomy balloon catheter (80.3%).Conclusion:Through this investigation, the status of domestic clinical application of HVPG has been clarified, and it has been confirmed that many domestic medical institutions have mastered this technology, but it still needs to continue to promote and popularize HVPG technology in the future.

Objective To investigate the effects of mercury on T lymphocytes and serum immune indexes of workers with Methods occupational mercury exposure. A total of 45 workers with occupational mercury exposure were selected as the ， mercury exposure group and 47 workers without occupational mercury exposure were selected as the control group using the judgment sampling method. Cold atomic absorption spectrometry was used to detect the urinary mercury level of the two groups. （ ） +， + +， + + - + Flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of cluster of differentiation CD 3 CD3CD4 CD3CD8 and CD3CD19 ， - （ - ） - （ - ） cells in peripheral blood and the levels of tumor necrosis factor α TNF α and interleukin 8 IL 8 in serum. The levels of （ ） ， Results immunoglobulin Ig A IgG and IgM in serum were measured by immune nephelometry. The urinary mercury level of （ ： vs ，P ） individuals in the mercury exposed group was higher than that of the control group median 92.7 13.2 μg/g Cr <0.01 . The +， + +， - + proportion of CD3 CD3CD4 CD3CD19 cells in peripheral blood and serum IgG level in the mercury exposed group （ P ）， - - （ P ） decreased all <0.05 and the serum TNF α and IL 8 levels increased all <0.01 compared with the control group. Urinary - + mercury level was negatively correlated with the proportion of CD3CD19 cells in peripheral blood and serum IgG level in the ［ （r） ， ， P ］， study subjects Spearman correlation coefficient S were −0.21 and −0.31 respectively all <0.05 and positively - - （r ， ， P ） ， correlated with serum TNF α and IL 8 levels S were 0.36 and 0.39 respectively all <0.05 . However the urinary mercury （ P ）， +， + +， level was neither correlated with IgA and IgM levels in serum all >0.05 nor with the proportion of CD3 CD3CD4 + + （ P ） Conclusion CD3CD8 cells in peripheral blood all >0.05 . Occupational exposure to mercury can lead to abnormal ， changes in peripheral blood T lymphocyte subsets B lymphocytes and serum immune factors in workers. The mercury load of occupational mercury exposure workers may impact their immune function.