OBJECTIVE To investigate the apoptosis-inducing effect of esculetin （Esc） on acute myeloid leukemia （AML） HL-60 cells by regulating the protein kinase B （AKT）/S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 （SKP2）/MutT homolog 1 （MTH1） pathway. METHODS AML HL-60 cells were randomly divided into control group （routine culture）， Esc low-concentration group （L-Esc group， 25 μmol/L Esc）， Esc medium-concentration group （M-Esc group， 50 μmol/L Esc）， Esc high-concentration group （H-Esc group， 100 μmol/L Esc）， and high-concentration of Esc+ SC79 （AKT agonist） group （100 μmol/L Esc+5 μmol/L SC79）. Cell proliferation in each group was detected by MTT assay and colony formation assay. The level of reactive oxygen species （ROS） in cells was measured by using the CM-H2DCFDA fluorescent probe. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. Western blot assay was performed to detect the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins [B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， cleaved caspase-3]， AKT/SKP2/MTH1 pathway-related proteins （p-AKT， AKT， SKP2， MTH1）， along with the upstream and downstream proteins of AKT phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）， cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 （P21） and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B （P27）. RESULTS Compared with control group， the cell viability， colony number， and the phosphorylation levels of AKT and PI3K proteins as well as protein expressions of SKP2， MTH1 and Bcl-2 were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）， while ROS level， apoptosis rate， and the expression levels of Bax， cleaved caspase-3， P21 and P27 proteins were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. Moreover， the effects of Esc exhibited concentration-dependence （P＜0.05）. Compared with H-Esc group， above indexes of high-concentration of Esc+ SC79 group were reversed significantly （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Esc may promote massive ROS production and induce activation of apoptosis in HL-60 cells by inhibiting the AKT/SKP2/MTH1 pathway， thus inhibiting the proliferation of HL-60 cells.

Premature ejaculation refers to a sexual dysfunction in which men experience a short intravaginal ejaculation latency and a lack of control over ejaculation during sexual activity. The onset of this condition is often accompanied by anxiety and depression, which can seriously affect the quality of the patient′s sexual life and the relationship between partners. Based on the "integration of body and spirit" theory in traditional Chinese medicine, our team believes that this condition is a comorbidity of physical and spiritual factors. We propose that the core pathogenesis of this disease lies in the "loss of form and essence, impairment of spirit, and depression of the mind, "while the primary treatment principle involves "nourishing form and regulating spirit." As a result, a new diagnosis and treatment approach of "four-dimensional integration" is summarized in this study. The disease is treated through the four dimensions of shape, body, spirit, and emotion. Traditional Chinese medicine is used to adjust the shape in cases where the physical form is damaged. For individuals with depression of heart and liver qi, the treatment focuses on soothing the heart and smoothing liver qi, and the modified Wangyou Powder and Xuanzhi Decoction is used. In cases where the heart and kidney function are compromised, the treatment involves nourishing both the heart and kidney while restoring interaction between the heart and the kidney, and modified Jihuo Yansi Elixir is used. To reduce the sensitivity of the glans penis, the patient′s body is washed with a traditional Chinese medicine formula, and a delicate fumigation formula is decocted for external washing. For those who are not in tune with their god, psychological counseling can be used to regulate their spirit and advocate "self-partner" and psychotherapy. If there are issues with intimacy, partners should focus on cooperating during foreplay, sexual intercourse, and post-coital interactions. Overall, the treatment aims to harmonize the body and spirit, addressing both physical and psychological factors through a comprehensive, multi-dimensional approach. This method provides new perspectives and ideas for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of this condition.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of Dendrobium officinale (Tiepi Shihu) extract (DOE) on insomnia. METHODS: Forty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (n=7 per group): normal control, model control, melatonin (MT, 40 mg/kg), and 3-dose DOE (0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 g/kg) groups. Rats were raised in a strong-light (10,000 LUX) and -noise (>80 db) environment (12 h/d) for 16 weeks to induce insomnia, and from week 10 to week 16, MT and DOE were correspondingly administered to rats. The behavior tests including sodium pentobarbital-induced sleep experiment, sucrose preference test, and autonomous activity test were used to evaluate changes in sleep and emotions of rats. The metabolic-related indicators such as blood pressure, blood viscosity, blood glucose, and uric acid in rats were measured. The pathological changes in the cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) region of rat brain were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin staining and Nissl staining. Additionally, the sleep-related factors gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate (GA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Finally, we screened potential sleep-improving receptors of DOE using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array and validated the results with quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: DOE significantly improved rats' sleep and mood, increased the sodium pentobarbital-induced sleep time and sucrose preference index, and reduced autonomic activity times (P<0.05 or P<0.01). DOE also had a good effect on metabolic abnormalities, significantly reducing triglyceride, blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood viscosity indicators (P<0.05 or P<0.01). DOE significantly increased the GABA content in hippocampus and reduced the GA/GABA ratio and IL-6 level (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In addition, DOE improved the pathological changes such as the disorder of cell arrangement in the hippocampus and the decrease of Nissel bodies. Seven differential genes were screened by PCR array, and the GABA_A receptors (Gabra5, Gabra6, Gabrq) were selected for verification. The results showed that DOE could up-regulate their expressions (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION DOE demonstrated remarkable potential for improving insomnia, which may be through regulating GABA_A receptors expressions and GA/GABA ratio.
Animals ; Dendrobium/chemistry* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Male ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/blood* ; Plant Extracts/therapeutic use* ; Receptors, GABA-A/metabolism* ; Noise/adverse effects* ; Light/adverse effects* ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid/metabolism* ; Sleep/drug effects* ; Rats ; Receptors, GABA/metabolism*

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

OBJECTIVE: CRISPR-Cas protects bacteria from exogenous DNA invasion and is associated with bacterial biofilm formation and pathogenicity. METHODS: We analyzed the type I-F CRISPR-Cas system of Legionella pneumophila WX48, including Cas1, Cas2-Cas3, Csy1, Csy2, Csy3, and Cas6f, along with downstream CRISPR arrays. We explored the effects of the CRISPR-Cas system on the in vitro growth, biofilm-forming ability, and pathogenicity of L. pneumophila through constructing gene deletion mutants. RESULTS: The type I-F CRISPR-Cas system did not affect the in vitro growth of wild-type or mutant strains. The biofilm formation and intracellular proliferation of the mutant strains were weaker than those of the wild type owing to the regulation of type IV pili and Dot/Icm type IV secretion systems. In particular, Cas6f deletion strongly inhibited these processes. CONCLUSION The type I-F CRISPR-Cas system may reduce biofilm formation and intracellular proliferation in L. pneumophila.
Legionella pneumophila/pathogenicity* ; CRISPR-Cas Systems ; Biofilms/growth & development* ; Phenotype ; Bacterial Proteins/metabolism* ; Gene Deletion

Objective To analyze and compare the efficacy of DNA barcode,i.e.,Cytochrome b(Cytb)and 12S ribosomal RNA(12S rRNA)gene sequences,in the species identification of wildlife.Methods DNA extraction,quantification,PCR amplification of Cytb and 12S rRNA gene fragments,Sanger sequencing,and sequence alignment analysis were performed on ten wildlife samples.Results Both gene fragments were successfully amplified in six samples,while Cytb alone was successfully amplified in 1 sample,and 12S rRNA alone in 3 samples.Sequence analysis indicated that Cytb enabled species-level identification for 6 samples(Gallinula chloropus,Streptopelia orientalis,Phasianus colchicus,Falco naumanni,Myiopsitta monachus and Lynx lynx)and genus-level identification for 1 sample(Lepus).In contrast,12S rRNA achieved species-level identificaggion for 8 samples(Gallinula chloropus,Lepus sinensis,Phasianus colchicus,Myiopsitta monachus,Muntiacus reevesi,Macaca mulatta and Lynx lynx),representing seven species,and genus-level identification for 1 sample(Falco).However,by combining Cytb and 12S rRNA,all samples could be identified to the species level.Conclusion When applying DNA barcodes to wildlife identification,the Cytb and 12S rRNA gene regions analyzed here can effectively identify common species such as Gallinula chloropus and Streptopelia orientalis,but face difficulties in distinguishing closely related species within the same genus.Therefore,when conducting wildlife species identification,it is recommended to use two or more DNA barcode markers.

Aim To observe the interventional effects of Polygala fallax Hemsl.(PFH)on diabetic kidney disease(DKD)rats and the regulatory mechanism of ferroptosis.Methods Thirty-six SD rats were ran-domly divided into the control group,DKD group,fer-rostatin-1(Fer-1)group,PFH-L group,PFH-M group,and PFH-H group,with six rats in each group.Model-ing was induced by a one-time intraperitoneal injection of 35 mg·kg-1 streptozocin(STZ)in combination with high-sugar and high-fat feed.Ferrostatin-1(25μmol·kg-1)was injected intraperitoneally in Fer-1 group.The PFH-L,PFH-M,and PFH-H groups were gavaged with 50,100 and 200 mg·kg-1 of alcoholic extracts of PFH respectively,and the control and DKD groups were gavaged with an equal volume of distilled water once a day for eight weeks.At the end of drug administration,blood glucose,24h-UP,BUN and Scr levels were measured in each group of rats.HE stai-ning and Masson staining were used to observe renal histopathological changes.ELISA was employed to de-termine the levels of total iron,MDA and GSH activity.IHC was used to observe the expression of Nrf2,SLC7A11,and GPX4 in renal tissues.Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of COL1A1,α-SMA,TGF-,FTH-1,TFR-1,Nrf2,SLC7A1 1,GPX4,in renal tissues.RT-qPCR was used to detect the ex-pression levels of Nrf2,SLC7A11,GPX4 mRNA in re-nal tissues.Results Compared with the control group,blood glucose,24h-UP,BUN,Scr increased(P＜0.05);glomerular volume increased,tubular dilata-tion and collagen fiber deposition were obvious;total i-ron,MDA content increased and GSH activity de-creased(P＜0.05);there was increased protein ex-pression of COL1A1,α-SMA,TGF-β,TFR-1 and de-creased protein expression of FTH-1(P＜0.01);there was decreased mRNA and protein expression of Nrf2,SLC7A11,GPX4 in DKD group rats(P＜0.01).Compared with the DKD group,blood glucose,24h-UP,BUN and Scr decreased(P＜0.05);renal tissue le-sions were significantly reduced;total iron and MDA content decreased,and GSH activity increased(P＜0.05);COL1A1,α-SMA,TGF-β,and TFR-1 protein expression decreased and FTH-1 protein expression in-creased(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);Nrf2,SLC7A11,GPX4 mRNA and protein expression increased in Fer-1 and PFH dose groups(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Conclusions PFH attenuates renal histopathological injury in DKD rats,and the mechanism may be related to the regula-tion of the Nrf2/SLC7A11/GPX4 signaling pathway.

This study was aimed at establishing a method of ultra-fast quantitative PCR for Brucella detection.We used an exogenous recombinant plasmid as the internal reference and targeted the T4SS secretion system,an important Brucella viru-lence factor,to design specific primers and probes.The sensitivity,specificity,and repeatability of this method were evaluated,and a standard curve was constructed.The coincidence rate of detection findings with this method versus quantitative PCR was determined.This method markedly decreased the detection time to only 10 minutes.The standard curve demonstrated a good linear relationship(Y=-3.410 7x+38.357,R2=0.998 5)with a low minimum detection limit of 10 copies/μL.The method exhibited good specificity and did not specifically amplify several common clinical bacteria other than Brucella.The de-tection of three concentrations of positive plasmids yielded coefficients of variation(CVs)of 0.20％to 0.91％,thus demonstra-ting the method's excellent repeatability.Furthermore,140 clinical samples were analyzed concurrently with the fluorescence PCR method,which yielded a 100％compliance rate and consistent results.Our findings indicated that the Brucella ultra-fast quantitative PCR was ultrafast;had high sensitivity,high specificity,and good specificity;and can be used for the clinical de-tection of Brucella and emergency investigation of epidemics.Therefore,this method is valuable for the early diagnosis of Bru-cella.

Aim To investigate the effects of SAHA on the expression of P-gp and the pharmacokinetic pa-rameters of its substrate phenytoin sodium in rats under hypoxic environments.Methods Wistar rats were randomly divided into the normioxic group,the hypoxic model group,and the low-,medium-and high-dose vorinostat(SAHA)groups.Liver tissues were col-lected,and the expression levels of P-gp and HDAC5 were detected by Real-time PCR and Western blot.The morphological changes of liver tissues were ob-served by HE staining.Following intragastric adminis-tration of 50 mg·kg-1 phenytoin sodium to each group,blood samples were collected,and the plasma concentration of phenytoin sodium was determined u-sing UFLC-MS/MS to calculate pharmacokinetic pa-rameters.Results Compared with the normoxic group,the expression of HDAC5 in the liver tissues of hypoxia model rats increased,while the expression of P-gp decreased.After SAHA treatment,HDAC5 expression decreased,and P-gp expression increased.Among the SAHA groups,the medium-dose group showed the most significant effect,and HE staining re-sults indicated that this concentration did not cause damage to rat liver tissues.Compared with the normox-ic group,the AUC,Cmax,and T1/2 of phenytoin sodium in hypoxia model rats were significantly raised.After administration of the medium dose of SAHA,the AUC,Cmax,MRT,and T1/2 were significantly reduced,while CLZ/r was significantly increased.Conclusions Un-der hypoxic environments,the expression of P-gp in rat liver tissue is significantly downregulated,leading to increased systemic exposure of phenytoin,reduced clearance,and consequently elevated blood concentra-tions,raising the risk of central nervous system toxici-ty.In contrast,SAHA suppresses HDAC5 expression,thereby activating P-gp transcription and enhancing its efflux function.This results in decreased systemic ex-posure and improved clearance of phenytoin,signifi-cantly reducing drug accumulation in body and ulti-mately lowering the risk of adverse effects.