BACKGROUND:How to repair bone defect has been a clinical problem for a long time.The effective ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine have good biological activity and therapeutic effect,and the combination of effective ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine and tissue engineering materials has a broad prospect in the field of bone repair.The combination of different effective ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine and scaffolds has similarities in their functional relationships. OBJECTIVE:To collect the cases of the combinations of effective ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine and scaffolds,then analogize tissue engineering scaffolds and effective ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine into two types of traditional Chinese medicine that generate compatibility relationships based on the inspiration of the compatibility of seven emotions and summarize the relationship between the two based on their functional relationships. METHODS:Relevant articles from January 1998 to January 2024 were searched in PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),using English search terms"traditional Chinese medicine,Chinese medicine,traditional Chinese medicine monomers,bone defect,bone repair,bone tissue engineering,tissue engineering,scaffold"and Chinese search terms"traditional Chinese medicine,effective ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine,traditional Chinese medicine monomers,bone tissue engineering,bone tissue engineering scaffold,scaffold,tissue engineering,bone defect,bone repair."A total of 88 articles were included for review and analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Both tissue engineering scaffold materials and active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine have been widely used in the field of bone repair.Although they have obvious advantages in osteogenesis,there are still many shortcomings.Many studies are dedicated to preparing composite materials from the two,hoping to exert a detoxification and synergism through the interaction between the two.(2)Some drugs and materials can promote each other in osteogenesis,antibacterial,and promoting angiogenesis,enhancing their original effects.Inspired by the traditional concept of prescription compatibility,this article summarized it as a"Mutual promotion"relationship and provided examples to support it.(3)Some drugs can enhance the strength of materials,while some materials can achieve sustained release and controlled release effects,increase drug loading and stability,or achieve targeted delivery of drugs loaded on them.The article summarized this unilateral enhancement effect as a"Mutual assistance"relationship.(4)The combination of some traditional Chinese medicine and materials can reduce the toxic side effects of the other party.The article summarizes this detoxification relationship as"Mutual restraint and detoxification."(5)The article provided a new perspective on traditional Chinese medicine composite scaffolds,inspired by the seven emotions compatibility relationship and based on the classification of action relationships.It introduced traditional Chinese medicine concepts into the field of tissue engineering,providing new research ideas for subsequent researchers of composite scaffolds,and providing certain convenience in material selection and matching.

Stem cell treatment may enhance erectile dysfunction (ED) in individuals with cavernous nerve injury (CNI). Nevertheless, no investigations have directly ascertained the implications of varying amounts of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HUC-MSCs) on ED. We compare the efficacy of three various doses of HUC-MSCs as a therapeutic strategy for ED. Sprague-Dawley rats (total = 175) were randomly allocated into five groups. A total of 35 rats underwent sham surgery and 140 rats endured bilateral CNI and were treated with vehicles or doses of HUC-MSCs (1 × 10 6 cells, 5 × 10 6 cells, and 1 × 10 7 cells in 0.1 ml, respectively). Penile tissues were harvested for histological analysis on 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, 28 days, 60 days, and 90 days postsurgery. It was found that varying dosages of HUC-MSCs enhanced the erectile function of rats with bilateral CNI and ED. Moreover, there was no significant disparity in the effectiveness of various dosages of HUC-MSCs. However, the expression of endothelial markers (rat endothelial cell antigen-1 [RECA-1] and endothelial nitric oxide synthase [eNOS]), smooth muscle markers (alpha smooth muscle actin [α-SMA] and desmin), and neural markers (neurofilament [RECA-1] and neurogenic nitric oxide synthase [nNOS]) increased significantly with prolonged treatment time. Masson's staining demonstrated an increased in the smooth muscle cell (SMC)/collagen ratio. Significant changes were detected in the microstructures of various types of cells. In vivo imaging system (IVIS) analysis showed that at the 1 st day, the HUC-MSCs implanted moved to the site of damage. Additionally, the oxidative stress levels were dramatically reduced in the penises of rats administered with HUC-MSCs.
Male ; Animals ; Erectile Dysfunction/metabolism* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation/methods* ; Rats ; Penis/pathology* ; Humans ; Disease Models, Animal ; Umbilical Cord/cytology* ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries/complications* ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III/metabolism* ; Actins/metabolism* ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I/metabolism*

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

Objective To investigate the changes in eosinophil counts and the activation of microglial cells in the brain tissues of mice at different stages of Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection, and to examine the role of microglia in regulating the progression of angiostrongyliasis and unravel the possible molecular mechanisms. Methods Fifty BALB/c mice were randomly divided into the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-day and 25-d infection groups, of 10 mice in each group. All mice in infection groups were infected with 30 stage III A. cantonensis larvae by gavage, and animals in the control group was given an equal amount of physiological saline. Five mice were collected from each of infection groups on days 7, 14, 21 d and 25 d post-infection, and 5 mice were collected from the control group on the day of oral gavage. The general and focal functional impairment was scored using the Clark scoring method to assess the degree of mouse neurological impairment. Five mice from each of infection groups were sacrificed on days 7, 14, 21 d and 25 d post-infection, and 5 mice from the control group were sacrificed on the day of oral gavage. Mouse brain tissues were sampled, and the pathological changes of brain tissues were dynamically observed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Immunofluorescence staining with eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) was used to assess the degree of eosinophil infiltration and the counts of microglial cells in mouse brain tissues in each group, and the morphological parameters of microglial cells (skeleton analysis and fractal analysis) were quantified by using Image J software to determine the morphological changes of microglial cells. In addition, the expression of M1 microglia markers Fcγ receptor III (Fcgr3), Fcγ receptor IIb (Fcgr2b) and CD86 antigen (Cd86), M2 microglia markers Arginase 1 (Arg1), macrophage mannose receptor C-type 1 (Mrc1), chitinase-like 3 (Chil3), and phagocytosis genes myeloid cell triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (Trem2), CD68 antigen (Cd68), and apolipoprotein E (Apoe) was quantified using real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) assay in the mouse cerebral cortex of mice post-infection. Results A large number of A. cantonensis larvae were seen on the mouse meninges surface post-infection, and many neuronal nuclei were crumpled and deeply stained, with a large number of bleeding points in the meninges. The median Clark scores of mouse general functional impairment were 0 (interquartile range, 0), 0 (interquartile range, 0.5), 6 (interquartile range, 1.0), 14 (interquartile range, 8.5) points and 20 (interquartile range, 9.0) points in the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-d and 25-d groups, respectively (H = 22.45, P < 0.01), and the median Clark scores of mouse focal functional impairment were 0 (interquartile range, 0), 2 (interquartile range, 2.5), 7 (interquartile range, 3.0), 18 (interquartile range, 5.0) points and 25 (interquartile range, 6.5) points in the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-d and 25-d groups, respectively (H = 22.72, P < 0.01). The mean scores of mice general and focal functional impairment were all higher in the infection groups than in the control group (all P values < 0.05). Immunofluorescence staining showed a significant difference in the eosinophil counts in mouse brain tissues among the five groups (F = 40.05, P < 0.000 1), and the eosinophil counts were significantly higher in mouse brain tissues in the 14-d (3.08 ± 0.78) and 21-d infection groups (5.97 ± 1.37) than in the control group (1.00 ± 0.28) (both P values < 0.05). Semi-quantitative analysis of microglia immunofluorescence showed a significant difference in the counts of microglial cells among the five groups (F = 17.66, P < 0.000 1), and higher Iba1 levels were detected in mouse brain tissues in 14-d (5.75 ± 1.28), 21-d (6.23 ± 1.89) and 25-d infection groups (3.70 ± 1.30) than in the control group (1.00 ± 0.30) (all P values < 0.05). Skeleton and fractal analyses showed that the branch length [(162.04 ± 34.10) μm vs. (395.37 ± 64.11) μm; t = 5.566, P < 0.05] and fractal dimension of microglial cells (1.30 ± 0.01 vs. 1.41 ± 0.03; t = 5.266, P < 0.05) were reduced in mouse brain tissues in the 21-d infection group relative to the control group. In addition, there were significant differences among the 5 groups in terms of M1 and M2 microglia markers Fcgr3 (F = 48.34, P < 0.05), Fcgr2b (F = 55.46, P < 0.05), Cd86 (F = 24.44, P < 0.05), Arg1 (F = 31.18, P < 0.05), Mrc1 (F = 15.42, P < 0.05) and Chil3 (F = 24.41, P < 0.05), as well as phagocytosis markers Trem2 (F = 21.19, P < 0.05), Cd68 (F = 43.95, P < 0.05) and Apoe (F = 7.12, P < 0.05) in mice brain tissues. Conclusions A. cantonensis infections may induce severe pathological injuries in mouse brain tissues that are characterized by massive eosinophil infiltration and persistent activation of microglia cells, thereby resulting in progressive deterioration of neurological functions.

Advanced atherosclerosis is the major global cause of death, as featured by the aggregation of apoptotic cells (ACs) in necrotic cores. The defective efferocytosis and dysfunctional cholesterol efflux of macrophages are the main reasons for forming necrotic cores in advanced atherosclerosis. In this study, we constructed self-assembled procyanidins (PC) NPs for loading pitavastatin (Pita). The designed HA@PC@Pita NPs with hyaluronic acid (HA) modification combined the advantages of efferocytosis restoration of Pita and cholesterol efflux enhancement of PC. In vitro assay indicated that HA@PC@Pita NPs could induce M1/M2 repolarization and upregulate ERK5/Mertk expression to restore efferocytosis of macrophages. Simultaneously, HA@PC@Pita NPs notably promoted cholesterol efflux by promoting macrophage lipophagy, a selective autophagy of lipid droplets. In vivo study showed that HA@PC@Pita NPs cleared necrotic core and enhanced plaque stability in the ApoE ^-/- mice model with advanced atherosclerosis. Taken together, this study demonstrated the potential of HA@PC@Pita NPs for the treatment of advanced atherosclerosis.

Gelsemium elegans (G. elegans) is an extremely poisonous plant that is widely distributed in southern China and southeastern Asia. G. elegans poisoning events occur frequently in southern China, and are therefore an urgent public health problem requiring multidisciplinary action. However, the toxic components and toxicological mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we describe a systematic investigation on the toxic components of G. elegans, resulting in the isolation and identification of 120 alkaloids. Based on acute toxicity screening, the structure-toxicity relationship of Gelsemium alkaloids was proposed for the first time. Moreover, gelsedine- and humantenine-type alkaloids were detected in the clinical blood sample, and were confirmed to be causative in the poisoning. The most toxic compound, gelsenicine (1), had selective inhibitory effects toward ventral respiratory group (VRG) neurons in the medulla, which is the main brain region controlling respiration in the central nervous system. Gelsenicine (1) strongly inhibited the firing of action potentials in VRG neurons through its ability to stimulate GABA_A receptors, the main receptors involved in inhibitory neurotransmission. Application of GABA_A receptor antagonists successively reversed action potential firing in gelsenicine (1)-treated VRG neurons. Importantly, the GABA_A receptor antagonists securinine and flumazenil significantly increased the survival of poisoned animals. Our findings provide insight into the components and mechanisms of G. elegans toxicity, and should assist the development of effective emergency treatments for G. elegans poisoning.

Chemotherapeutic drugs, such as cisplatin and phenanthriplatin (PhenPt), as STING agonists to induce DNA damage and activate the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-stimulator of interferon genes (cGAS-STING) signaling pathway provides a potential strategy for clinical chemo-immunotherapy. However, treatment with Pt-based drugs leads to irreversible ectopia of phosphatidylserine (PS), a major component of the intracellular membrane, to the surface of the cancer cells by enzymes (Xkr8). Exposed PS can bind to immune cell receptors and inhibit the presentation of tumor antigens, leading to immunosuppression and attenuation of chemotherapy. Herein, we report a novel approach to enhance chemo-immunotherapy by constructing siRNA targeted Xkr8 (siXkr8)-mediated tetrahedral framework nucleic acid nanogel structure concurrently loaded with PhenPt (siXkr8-FNG/PhenPt) for co-delivery of siRNA and Pt-based drugs. The results showed that siXkr8-FNG/PhenPt can not only be used as an efficient delivery carrier to deliver siXkr8, block the expression of Xkr8, reduce the exposure of PS on the cancer cells surface, but also act as an immune stimulant to activate cGAS-STING pathway, effectively improve the immunosuppressive microenvironment, produce antitumor immune response, and inhibit tumor growth and metastasis. Overall, this new delivery system is important for improving the effect of Pt-based drug chemotherapy, inducing immune enhancement and nucleic acid drug delivery.

Radiochemotherapy-induced oral mucositis (OM) is a common oral complication in patients with tumors following head and neck radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Erosion and ulcers are the main features of OM that seriously affect the quality of life of patients and even the progress of tumor treatment. To date, differences in clinical prevention and treatment plans for OM have been noted among doctors of various specialties, which has increased the uncertainty of treatment effects. On the basis of current research evidence, this expert consensus outlines risk factors, clinical manifestations, clinical grading, ancillary examinations, diagnostic basis, prevention and treatment strategies and efficacy indicators for OM. In addition to strategies such as basic oral care, anti-inflammatory and analgesic agents, anti-infective agents, pro-healing agents, and photobiotherapy recommended in previous guidelines, we also emphasize the role of traditional Chinese medicine in OM prevention and treatment. This expert consensus aims to provide references and guidance for dental physicians and oncologists in formulating strategies for OM prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, standardizing clinical practice, reducing OM occurrence, promoting healing, and improving the quality of life of patients.
Humans ; Chemoradiotherapy/adverse effects* ; Consensus ; Risk Factors ; Stomatitis/etiology*

With the growing emphasis on maternal and child oral health, the significance of managing oral health across preconception, pregnancy, and infancy stages has become increasingly apparent. Oral health challenges extend beyond affecting maternal well-being, exerting profound influences on fetal and neonatal oral development as well as immune system maturation. This expert consensus paper, developed using a modified Delphi method, reviews current research and provides recommendations on maternal and child oral health management. It underscores the critical role of comprehensive oral assessments prior to conception, diligent oral health management throughout pregnancy, and meticulous oral hygiene practices during infancy. Effective strategies should be seamlessly integrated across the life course, encompassing preconception oral assessments, systematic dental care during pregnancy, and routine infant oral hygiene. Collaborative efforts among pediatric dentists, maternal and child health workers, and obstetricians are crucial to improving outcomes and fostering clinical research, contributing to evidence-based health management strategies.
Humans ; Pregnancy ; Female ; Infant ; Consensus ; Mouth Diseases/therapy* ; Pregnancy Complications/therapy* ; Oral Health ; Infant, Newborn ; Delphi Technique ; Oral Hygiene