Objective: To analyze the disease burden and trends of oral diseases among China’s elderly population (1990-2021) and provide evidence for developing targeted intervention strategies Methods : Using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 study, we extracted prevalence, incidence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for oral conditions (permanent dental caries, edentulism, periodontal diseases, and other oral disorders) in individuals aged ≥60 years in China. Due to data limitations, other oral diseases only included DALYs and prevalence. Age-standardized rates (ASR)—including age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR), age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR), and age-standardized DALYs rate (ASDR)--were calculated. Trends were assessed via Joinpoint regression using average annual percentage change (AAPC), stratified by sex and age groups (60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85-89, 90-94, 95+ years). Results: From 1990 to 2021, China’s elderly population exhibited distinct trends in oral disease burden. Overall oral diseases showed declining ASDR and ASPR, yet ASIR slightly increased. Permanent dental caries demonstrated significant rises across ASDR, ASIR, and ASPR. Edentulism showed declining ASDR and ASPR alongside stable ASIR. 95+ age group saw rising rates. Periodontal diseases remained largely stable in ASDR and ASPR but experienced a slight ASIR decline. Other oral disorders showed mild ASDR decline and stable ASPR. Notably, sex and age disparities persisted. Women consistently bore higher burdens for overall oral diseases, caries, edentulism, and other oral diseases but lower periodontal disease rates compared to men. 85-89, 90-95, 95+ age group faced rising DALYs and prevalence for overall oral diseases, while all other age groups demonstrated declining trends in both DALYs and prevalence; for permanent caries, the 60-64 age group showed the largest increases in DALY rate, incidence, and prevalence; edentulism demonstrated the most pronounced and sustained rises in DALY rate and prevalence in the 95+ group, while declining most rapidly in the 60-64 age group; for periodontal disease, both DALY rates and prevalence declined in the 90-94 and 95+ age groups, but increased across all measures (DALY rate, incidence, and prevalence) in the 70-74 and 75-79 age group; other oral conditions exhibited relatively stable burden distributions or minor changes, with no significant age-specific shifting trends observed. Conclusion From 1990 to 2021, China’s elderly oral disease burden declined overall, but caries surged, edentulism improved, periodontal diseases stabilized, and other oral diseases slightly declined. Prioritizing older women and the adults aged 85+ is critical to addressing evolving oral health needs.

Buyang Huanwu Decoction(BYHWD), as one of the classic formulas in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) for the treatment of cerebral ischemic stroke(CIS), has demonstrated definite effects in clinical practice. However, the material basis and mechanism of treatment have not been systematically elucidated. This study employed network pharmacology and molecular docking to analyze the potential targets and mechanisms of blood-and brain-penetrating active components of BYHWD in reducing cell apoptosis in CIS. Cell experiments were then carried out to validate the prediction results. In the experiments, five active components including hydroxysafflor yellow A( HSYA), tetramethylpyrazine( TMP), astragaloside Ⅳ( AS-Ⅳ), amygdalin( AMY), and paeoniflorin(PF) were selected to explore the pharmacological effects of BYHWD. HT22 cells were treated with BYHWD, and the cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) method was employed to examine the toxic and side effects of BYHWD. A cell model of oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation( OGD/R) was constructed, with apoptosis and pyroptosis as the main screening indicators. The levels of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) and glutathione(GSH) were measured to assess the cell membrane integrity. Flow cytometry was employed to detect apoptosis, and the activities of caspase-3 and caspase-1 were measured to clarify the status of apoptosis and pyroptosis. ELISA was employed to determine the levels of interleukin(IL)-1β and IL-18 to confirm pyroptosis. HSYA and AMY were identified in this study as the active components regulating apoptosis and pyroptosis. TUNEL was employed to detect the apoptosis rate, and Western blot was employed to determine the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), and caspase-3, which confirmed that the anti-apoptotic effect of the combined component group was superior to that of the single component groups. The molecular docking results revealed strong binding affinity of HSYA and AMY with SDF-1α and CXCR4.AMD3100, a selective antagonist of CXCR4, was then used for intervention. The results of Western blot showed alterations in the expression levels of apoptosis-associated proteins, SDF-1α, and CXCR4. In conclusion, HSYA and AMY influence cellular apoptosis by modulating the SDF-1α/CXCR4 signaling cascade.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Animals ; Neurons/cytology* ; Mice ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Cell Line ; Glucose/metabolism* ; Humans ; Neuroprotective Agents/pharmacology*

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of denosumab in the treatment of prostate cancer with bone metastases. METHODS: Relevant studies were retrieved from PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, Sinomed , CNKI and Wanfang databases. The Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool was used to evaluate the quality of included studies, and relevant data were extracted. meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 and RStudio software, and forest plots were generated. RESULTS: Six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. Compared with the control group, denosumab significantly reduced the risk of skeletal-related events (HR=0.78, 95% CI: 0.62-0.93). In terms of safety, denosumab did not increase the risk of total adverse events, severe adverse events and the adverse events higher than CTC grade 3. CONCLUSION Denosumab can delay the time to first skeletal-related event with good safety. However, due to the limitations of this study, further high-quality, large-sample, multicenter RCTs are needed to confirm these findings.
Humans ; Denosumab/therapeutic use* ; Bone Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/drug therapy* ; Male ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Bone Density Conservation Agents/therapeutic use*

In recent years， the incidence of pulmonary nodules has kept rising. To give full play to the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in the treatment of pulmonary nodules and identify the breakthrough points of integrating TCM with Western medicine， the China Association of Chinese Medicine organized medical experts in TCM and western medicine to carry out in-depth discussion regarding this disease. The discussion encompassed the modern medical advances， TCM theories of etiology and pathogenesis， the role and advantages of TCM in the whole course management of pulmonary nodules， contents and methods of research on pulmonary nodules， and science popularization work， aiming to provide a reference for clinical practice and scientific research. After discussion， the experts concluded that the occurrence of pulmonary nodules was rooted in the deficiency of the lung and spleen and triggered by phlegm dampness， blood stasis， and Qi stagnation. TCM can treat pulmonary nodules by controlling and reducing nodules， improving physical constitution， ameliorating multi-system nodular diseases， reducing anxiety and avoiding excessive diagnosis and treatment， and serving as an alternative for patients who are unwilling or unfit for surgical treatment. At present， the optimal diagnosis and treatment strategy for pulmonary nodules has not been formed， which needs to be further studied from multiple perspectives such as clinical epidemiology， biology， and evidence-based medicine. The primary task of current research is to find out the advantages， effective prescriptions， and target populations and determine the effective outcomes of TCM in the treatment of pulmonary nodules. At the same time， basic research should be carried out to explore the etiology and biological behaviors of pulmonary nodules. The expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary nodules with integrated TCM and Western medicine needs to be continuously revised to guide clinicians to conduct standardized， scientific， and accurate effective diagnosis and treatment.

Objective To evaluate the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of benzbromarone in patients with hyperuricemia(HUA).Methods Thirty patients with HUA were randomly divided into A,B and C groups,with 10 patients in each group.Three groups was given a single oral dose of benzbromarone 25,50 and 100 mg.After the single administration test,group B continued to take benzbromarone 50 mg orally once a day for 28 days.The concentration of benzbromarone in plasma was measured using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS)method,and the serum uric acid(SUA)level was measured by fully automated biochemical analyzer.Results The single oral administration of benzbromarone tablets exhibited linear pharmacokinetic characteristics within the range of 25-100 mg.The main pharmacokinetic parameters were as follows:t1/2 were(11.67±1.85),(12.84±1.22)and(13.25±1.02)h;tmax values were(2.84±0.15),(3.07±0.18)and(3.15±0.25)h;Cmax values were(2.21±0.85),(2.67±0.68)and(3.25±0.72)mg·L-1;AUC0-24h were(14.25±3.25),(18.20±3.34)and(19.25±3.44)mg·h·L-1,respectively.After continuous administration,there was no significant change in the degree and speed of drug absorption,and there was accumulation in the body.After 28 days of oral treatment with benzbromarone,the SUA levels of 10 HUA patients were significantly reduced,with 8 patients having SUA levels＜360 μmol·L-1.Conclusion A single oral dose of benzbromarone tablets exhibits linear pharmacokinetic characteristics at 25-100 mg,and continuous oral doses of benzbromarone tablets can significantly reduce SUA levels in patients with HUA.

In this study, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) were used as excipients to prepare solid dispersion (SD) of scutellarin. The SD of scutellarin were prepared by melting method with cumulative dissolution rate as the index of investigation. The preparation conditions of SD of scutellarin were optimized by single factor experiment, which investigated the type of the carrier material, the type of DESs, and the ratio of the drug to the carrier. The optimum preparation conditions of DESs-SD were as follows: using Poloxamer 407 as the carrier material, PEG 200/urea (2∶1) as the DESs system, and the ratio of carrier, DESs, and drug was 6∶1∶1. The drug loading capacity of scutellarin in SD was 12.53% under the optimum preparation conditions. Differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and scanning electron microscope exhibited that scutellarin was amorphous form in the SD system. Furthermore, the stability of the DESs-based SD of scutellarin was evaluated by high temperature, high humidity, and strong light tests, which showed that the cumulative dissolution rate and scutellarin content of SD decreased with time under these conditions. Finally, the result of pharmacokinetic studies indicated that the oral absorption of the scutellarin could be increased using DESs as an excipient in the preparation of SD. The animal experiment was approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (approval number: FJTCMIACUC 2023048). Consequently, this research offers a novel and effective approach for using DESs to enhance the oral bioavailability of active substances with low water solubility.

Aim To investigate the regulatory mecha-nism of butin on the proliferation,migration,cycle blockage and pyroptosis related inflammatory factors in human fibroblast-like synoviocytes of rheumatoid arthri-tis(HFLS-RA).Methods Cell proliferation,migra-tion and invasion were studied using cell migration and invasion assays.Cell cycle was detected by flow cytom-etry,and the expression of the pyroptosis-associated in-flammatory factors IL-1β,IL-18,caspase-1 and caspase-3 was detected by ELISA,RT-qPCR and West-ern blot.Results Migration and invasion experiments showed that the cell proliferation rate of the butin group was lower than that of the blank control group(P＜0.05).Cell cycle analysis demonstrated that in the G0/G1 phase,the DNA expression was elevated in the medium and high-dose groups of butin(P＜0.05),while in the G2 and S phases,the DNA expression was reduced in the medium and high-dose groups of butin(P＜0.05).The results of ELISA,RT-qPCR and Western blot assay revealed that the expression of IL-1β,IL-1 8,caspase-1,and caspase-3 decreased in the butin group compared with the IL-1β+caspase-3 in-hibitor group(P＜0.05).Conclusions Butin inhib-its HFLS-RA proliferation by inhibiting the synthesis of inflammatory vesicles by caspase-1 in the pyroptosis pathway,thereby reducing the production and release of inflammatory factors such as IL-1β and IL-18 down-stream of the pathway,and also inhibits HFLS-RA pro-liferation by exerting a significant blocking effect in the G1 phase,which may be one of the potential mecha-nisms of butin in the treatment of RA.

Objective: Patients with late life depression sometimes refuse to receive electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) owing to its adverse reactions. To alleviate patient’s resistance, a novel ECT stimulation strategy named mixed-strategy ECT (msECT) was designed in which patients are administered conventional ECT during the first three sessions, followed by low energy stimulation during the subsequent sessions. However, whether low energy electrical stimulation in the subsequent stage of therapy affect its efficacy and reduce adverse reactions in patients with late life depression remains unknown. To explore differences between msECT and regular ECT(RECT) with respect to clinical efficacy and side effects Methods: This randomized, controlled trial was conducted from 2019 to 2021 on 60 patients with late life depression who were randomly assigned to two groups: RECT or msECT. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used to compare the two stimulation strategies regarding their efficacy and side effects on cognition. Chi-squared test was used to compare side effects in the two strategies. Results: In the intent-to-treat group, the GEE model suggested no differences between-group difference in Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 score over time (Wald χ2=7.275, p=0.064), whereas the comparison of side effects in the two strategies favored msECT (Wald χ2=8.463, p=0.015) as fewer patients had adverse events during the second phase of treatment with msECT (χ2 =13.467, p=0.004). Conclusion msECT presents its similar efficacy to RECT. msECT may have milder side effects on cognition.

This study collected epidemic data of COVID-19 in Zhengzhou from January 1 to January 20 in 2022. The epidemiological characteristics of the local epidemic in Zhengzhou High-tech Zone caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant were analyzed through epidemiological survey and big data analysis, which could provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of the Delta variant. In detail, a total of 276 close contacts and 599 secondary close contacts were found in this study. The attack rate of close contacts and secondary close contacts was 5.43% (15/276) and 0.17% (1/599), respectively. There were 10 confirmed cases associated with the chain of transmission. Among them, the attack rates in close contacts of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth generation cases were 20.00% (5/25), 17.86% (5/28), 0.72% (1/139) and 14.81% (4/27), 0 (0/57), respectively. The attack rates in close contacts after sharing rooms/beds, having meals, having neighbor contacts, sharing vehicles with the patients, having same space contacts, and having work contacts were 26.67%, 9.10%, 8.33%, 4.55%, 1.43%, and 0 respectively. Collectively, the local epidemic situation in Zhengzhou High-tech Zone has an obvious family cluster. Prevention and control work should focus on decreasing family clusters of cases and community transmission.
Humans ; SARS-CoV-2 ; COVID-19 ; Epidemics ; Incidence

Objective:At present,the doctor-patient relationship is tense.The prevalence of negative emotions,such as depression and anxiety,among healthcare workers is increasing every year.Negative attitudes of medical workers toward mental problems may aggravate the doctor-patient conflict and psychological problems of medical workers.This study aims to explore the complex network relationships between outpatient medical workers'attitudes toward mental problems,doctor-patient relationships,and their depression/anxiety levels. Methods:A total of 578 outpatient medical staff from the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University(167 males,411 females)completed questionnaires on their attitudes toward mental problems,doctor-patient relationships,and depression/anxiety symptoms.Network analysis was conducted separately to construct the"attitude towards mental problems-doctor-patient relationship network"and"depression-anxiety related network". Results:The edge between"M15(insulting words)"and"D8(waste time)"showed the strongest strength in the"attitude towards mental problems-doctor-patient relationship network",and"M15(insulting words)"had the highest bridge strength in the network.For the analysis of emotional variables,"P1(anhedonia)"showed the most obvious association with"D10(communication difficulties)"in the doctor-patient relationship and"M2(poor quality of life)"in the psychiatric attitudes,and"P1(anhedonia)"was the key bridge symptom in the network. Conclusion:The"insulting words"may be an intervention target for medical workers'attitudes toward mental problems.The"anhedonia"in depression is the potential symptom that needs to be treated.Intervention targeting these variables may be beneficial to improve the mental health level of medical workers and the doctor-patient relationship.