BACKGROUND:Human periodontal ligament stem cells are potential functional cells for periodontal tissue engineering.However,long-term in vitro culture may lead to reduced stemness and replicative senescence of periodontal ligament stem cells,which may impair the therapeutic effect of human periodontal ligament stem cells. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of oxymatrine on the stemness maintenance and osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells in vitro,and to explore the potential mechanism. METHODS:Periodontal ligament stem cells were isolated from human periodontal ligament tissues by tissue explant enzyme digestion and cultured.The surface markers of mesenchymal cells were identified by flow cytometry.Periodontal ligament stem cells were incubated with 0,2.5,5,and 10 μg/mL oxymatrine.The effect of oxymatrine on the proliferation activity of periodontal ligament stem cells was detected by CCK8 assay.The appropriate drug concentration for subsequent experiments was screened.Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of stem cell non-specific proteins SOX2 and OCT4 in periodontal ligament stem cells.qRT-PCR and western blot assay were used to detect the expression levels of related osteogenic genes and proteins in periodontal ligament stem cells. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The results of CCK8 assay showed that 2.5 μg/mL oxymatrine significantly enhanced the proliferative activity of periodontal stem cells,and the subsequent experiment selected 2.5 μg/mL oxymatrine to intervene.(2)Compared with the blank control group,the protein expression level of SOX2,a stem marker of periodontal ligament stem cells in the oxymatrine group did not change significantly(P>0.05),and the expression of OCT4 was significantly up-regulated(P<0.05).(3)Compared with the osteogenic induction group,the osteogenic genes ALP,RUNX2 mRNA expression and their osteogenic associated protein ALP protein expression of periodontal ligament stem cells were significantly down-regulated in the oxymatrine+osteogenic induction group(P<0.05).(4)The oxymatrine up-regulated the expression of stemness markers of periodontal ligament stem cells and inhibited the bone differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells,and the results of high-throughput sequencing showed that it may be associated with WNT2,WNT16,COMP,and BMP6.

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) accompanied with KMT2D gene mutation and the impact of its co-mutated genes on prognosis. Methods Clinical data of 155 newly diagnosed DLBCL patients were obtained. The second-generation sequencing method was used to detect 475 hotspot genes, including KMT2D mutation. Patients were divided into the KMT2D mutation group and KMT2D wild-type group based on the presence or absence of KMT2D gene mutation. Clinical characteristics, differences in co-mutated genes, and survival differences between the two groups were compared. Results The frequency of KMT2D mutation was 31%, which is predominantly observed in elderly patients (P=0.07) and less in the double-expressor phenotype (P=0.07). Compared with the KMT2D wild-type group, KMT2D gene mutation was associated with higher co-mutation rates of CDKN2A (OR=2.82, P=0.01) and BCL2 (OR=3.84, P=0.016), while being mutually exclusive with MYC gene mutation (OR=0.11, P=0.013). In univariate survival analysis, no statistically significant difference in overall survival (OS) was found between the KMT2D mutation group and the wild-type group (P=0.54). Further analysis of the prognostic significance of KMT2D with other gene mutations indicated that patients with KMT2D^mutBTG2^mut had poorer OS than those with KMT2D^wt BTG2^mut (P=0.07) and KMT2D^wt BTG2^wt (P=0.05). On the contrary, patients with KMT2D^mut CD79B^mut had better OS than those with KMT2D^mut CD79B^wt (P=0.09), with no prognostic impact observed for other co-mutated genes. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that Ann Arbor stages Ⅲ and Ⅳ (HR=2.751, 95%CI: 1.169-6.472, P=0.02), elevated LDH levels (HR=2.461, 95%CI: 1.396-4.337, P=0.002), Ki-67 index>80% (HR=1.875, 95%CI: 1.066-3.299, P=0.029), and KMT2D^mutBTG2^mut(HR=4.566, 95%CI: 1.348-15.471, P=0.015) were independent risk factors for OS in patients with DLBCL (P<0.05). Conclusion DLBCL patients with KMT2D mutation often have multiple gene mutations, among which patients with a co-mutated BTG2 gene have poor prognosis.

Objective To understand the individual dose monitoring of occupational external exposure for radiation workers in Wuhan City and analyze the dose change trend, and to provide a scientific basis for radiation protection management of radiation workers. Methods The data on the monitoring results of occupational external exposure of radiation workers in Wuhan City from 2017 to 2021 were collected through the National Personal Dose Registration System, and the individual dose levels of different years, different occupational categories, and different levels of hospitals were analyzed. Results A total of 9 134 radiation workers were investigated, with an average annual effective dose per capita of 0.20 mSv/a. The overall personal annual effective dose from 2017 to 2021 showed a decreasing trend (P<0.001). The per capita annual effective dose in medical applications was higher than that in industrial applications (0.22 mSv vs 0.14 mSv; P<0.001). Among medical applications, diagnostic radiologists had the highest average annual effective dose (0.27 mSv), and among industrial applications, industrial irradiators had the highest average annual effective dose (0.29 mSv). The proportion of personnel with personal annual effective doses exceeding 1 mSv was higher in interventional radiology and industrial nondestructive testing (4.90% and 1.90%). The annual effective dose per capita in Class I and unrated hospitals was higher (0.35 mSv). Conclusion The average annual effective dose of radiation workers in Wuhan City has decreased year by year and has not exceeded the national standard limit (20 mSv). Radiation protection management still needs to focus on personnel with personal annual effective doses exceeding 1mSv in interventional radiology and industrial nondestructive testing, and supervision over primary healthcare institutions and industrial radiation should be strengthened.

To explore the role of the "Clinical Practice Guidelines" column and others in the Medical Joumnal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital (Med J PUMCH) in promoting diseiplinary development.

Coronary atherosclerotic heart disease(CHD)is an ischemic cardiovascular condition caused by the narrowing or blockage of the vascular lumen due to coronary atherosclerosis.Clinically,it presents as angina pectoris,heart failure,or sud-den cardiac death,and stands as one of the primary causes of mortality among both urban and rural populations in China.Cir-cRNA,classified as non-coding RNAs,can function as upstream regulatory molecules for miRNA or RNA-binding proteins.They actively participate in various pathological processes associated with CHD,including endothelial cell dysfunction,smooth mus-cle cell migration,macrophage-derived foam cell formation,an-giogenesis,myocardial injury,and repair,as well as post-in-farction heart failure.The expression pattern of these molecules is highly specific to the illness and tissue,indicating their poten-tial as therapeutic targets for disease management and as biomar-kers.Furthermore,they also open up new avenues for drug tar-get development in the field of traditional Chinese medicine.This article aims to provide an overview of the recent research progress on circRNA in the regulation of coronary heart disease,as well as the mechanisms involved in traditional Chinese medi-cine.It serves as a valuable reference for future research on cor-onary heart disease.

Aim To investigate the effect of saikosapo-nin on mitochondrial autophagy in rats with functional dyspepsia(FD)of liver stomach disharmony type by regulating the hypoxia inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)/BCL2/adenovirus E1B interacting protein 3(BNIP3)signaling pathway.Methods A compound factor method was used to construct a liver stomach disharmo-ny type FD rat model.The rats were randomly separa-ted into a blank group,a model group,a dompendone group,and low,medium,and high dose saikosaponin groups,with 10 rats in each group.The gastrointesti-nal function of rats in each group was observed,inclu-ding gastric emptying rate and small intestine propul-sion rate,ELISA method was applied to detect serum levels of motilin(MTL)and gastrin(GAS),his-topathologic changes of the gastric sinus were observed by HE staining,transmission electron microscopy was applied to observe the mitochondrial structure of gastric antrum tissue,reagent kit was applied to detect levels of ROS,MDA,and SOD,Western blot was applied to detect the expression of mitochondrial LC3,Beclin1,p62,HIF-1α,and BNIP3 proteins in gastric antrum tissue.Results Compared with the blank group,the gastric antrum tissue of rats in the model group showed a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration,mito-chondrial swelling and deformation,and a large num-ber of autophagosomes,the gastric emptying rate,small intestine propulsion rate,MTL,GAS,SOD,and p62 were greatly reduced,the levels of ROS,MDA,the protein expression of LC3 Ⅱ/LC3 I,Beclin1,HIF-1α,and BNIP3 were greatly increased(P＜0.05);compared with the model group,the symptoms of gastric antrum tissue were greatly improved in the dompendone group,low,medium,and high-dose sai-kosaponin groups,with clear mitochondrial cristae and reduced autophagosomes,the gastric emptying rate,small intestine propulsion rate,MTL,GAS,SOD,and p62 were greatly increased,the levels of ROS,MDA,the protein expression of LC3 Ⅱ/LC3 Ⅰ,Beclin1,HIF-1α,and BNIP3 were greatly reduced(P＜0.05).Conclusion Saikosaponin can improve gas-trointestinal function and inhibit mitochondrial autoph-agy in liver stomach disharmony type FD rats,and its mechanism of action may be related to the inhibition of the HIF-1α/BNIP3 signaling pathway.

Objective To evaluate the clinical effect of a new three-phase Chinese medicine(CM)external treatment for acute lateral ankle ligament injuries.Methods From July to December 2023,64 patients with acute lateral ankle ligament in-juries were randomly assigned to receive either the new three-phase CM external treatment combined with the POLICE(pro-tect,optimal loading,ice,compression,elevation)treatment(observation group)or the POLICE treatment(control group),with 32 cases in each group.The observation group consisted of 17 males and 15 females,with an average age of(30.59±3.10)years old ranging from 25 to 36 years old,while the control group included 14 males and 18 females,with an average age of(30.03±3.19)years old ranging from 24 to 37 years old.Visual analogue scale(VAS)evaluation and Figure of 8 measurement were used to evaluate the degree of ankle joint pain and swelling of the subjects at the initial enrollment and after 1 week and sixth weeks of treatment.At the same time,the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society(AOFAS)and Karlsson Ankle Function Score System were used to evaluate the improvement of ankle joint function in patients at all stages.MRI imaging was employed to observe the degree of biological healing of the anterior talofibular ligament,with the signal to noise ratio(SNR)in-dicating the level of healing.A lower SNR suggests better ligament healing,as it represents lower water content in the ligament.Results All patients completed a 6-week follow-up.There was no significant difference in VAS,AOFAS score and Karlsson score between the two groups before treatment(P＞0.05).After 1 week and 6 weeks of treatment,the VAS,AOFAS score and Karlsson score of the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05).After 1 week of treatment,the VAS score of the obser-vation group(3.21±0.87)was lower than that of the control group(4.21±1.50),and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).After 1 weeks of treatment,the AOFAS and Karlsson scores[(50.84±4.70)points,(49.97±4.00)points]of the ob-servation group were higher than those[(46.91±5.56)points,(46.66±5.36)points]of the control group(P＜0.05).MRI images showed that after 6 weeks of treatment,the SNR value of the observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(SNR of the observation group was 75.25±16.59,the contral gruop was 85.81±15.55),(P＜0.05).Conclusion Compared with the control group,the new three-phase CM external treatment is signifi-cantly effective in reducing pain and swelling,enhancing ligament repair quality,and promoting functional recovery of the an-kle joint in patients with acute lateral malleolar ligament injuries.