Objective To observe the clinical effect of Jiu-Wei-Yong-An granule combined with cetirizine in the treatment of damp-heat accumulation syndrome of eczema. Methods 108 eczema patients with syndrome of damp-heat accumulated in the skin, treated in the Department of Traditional Chinese Surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University from December 2021 to March 2023, were selected. They were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 54 cases in each. Both groups took cetirizine tablets orally for basic treatment. The observation group was given Jiu-Wei-Yong-An granules, and the control group was given placebos of the same. The clinical efficacy before and after treatment in the two groups was observed and compared, including TCM syndrome scores, eczema area and severity index （EASI）, visual analogue scale （VAS）, and adverse reactions. Results After treatment, the total effective rate of the observation group （88.9%） was higher than that of the control group （77.8%）, and the difference was statistically significant （P<0.05）. After treatment, the TCM syndrome score, EASI and VAS in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group （P<0.05）, and the difference was statistically significant. There was no significant difference in the total rate of adverse reactions between the two groups （P>0.05）. Conclusion The combination of Jiu-Wei-Yong-An granules and cetirizine tablets in the treatment of damp-heat eczema showed significantly better clinical outcomes in the observation group compared to the control. It effectively improved patient conditions, reduced skin lesion areas, and alleviated itching, with both safety and efficacy that merit clinical promotion.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM）external treatment methods in alleviating skin pruritus caused by eczema through a Meta-analysis. Methods Randomized clinical trials investigating the use of TCM external treatment methods for skin pruritus caused by eczema were searched in databases including China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）, VIP, Wanfang, Sinomed, PubMed, Embase, LILACS, and Cochrane, up to December 2024. Two reviewers independently screened and entered the statistical data, conducted bias risk assessment by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, version 5.1.0, and performed Meta-analysis using RevMan 5.4.1. Results Ultimately, 14 studies involving 1 788 patients were included. Compared to the control group, TCM external treatment methods （treatment group）showed better improvement in pruritus scores （Z=11.88, P<0.000 01）, better improvement in Eczema Area and Severity Index （EASI） scores （Z=23.15, P<0.000 01）, higher overall clinical efficacy rate （Z=6.21, P<0.000 01）, better improvement in TCM symptoms （Z=5.49, P<0.000 01）, and lower clinical recurrence rate （Z=2.88, P=0.004）. Three of the included studies mentioned adverse reactions, with the treatment group showing lower adverse reactions than the control group. Conclusion The external treatment of TCM was more effective in treating skin pruritus caused by eczema compared to the control group. Given the biases and heterogeneity in the included literature, this conclusion needs to be further substantiated by more large-scale, multi-center, randomized, controlled, and double-blind studies.

OBJECTIVE: Paridis Rhizoma (Chonglou in Chinese), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, has been shown have strong anti-tumor effects. Paris saponin VII (PSVII), an active constituent isolated from Paridis Rhizoma, was demonstrated to significantly suppress the proliferation of BxPC-3 cells in our previous study. Here, we aimed to elucidate the anti-pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) effect of PSVII and the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Cell viability was determined by CCK-8, colony formation, and cell migration assays. Cell apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were measured by flow cytometry with annexin V/propidine iodide (Annexin V/PI) and 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA), respectively. Pyroptosis was evaluated by morphological features, Hoechst 33342/PI staining assay, and release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). JC-1 fluorescent dye was employed to measure mitochondrial membrane potential. Western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were used to determine the levels of proteins or mRNAs. The effect in vivo was assessed by a xenograft tumor model. RESULTS: PSVII inhibited the viability of PDAC cells (BxPC-3, PANC-1, and Capan-2 cells) and induced gasdermin E (GSDME) cleavage, as well as the simultaneous cleavage of Caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP). Knockdown of GSDME shifted PSVII-induced pyroptosis to apoptosis. Additionally, the effect of PSVII was significantly attenuated by Z-Asp(OMe)-Glu(OMe)-Val-Asp(OMe)-fluoromethylketone (Z-DEVD-FMK), on the induction of GSDME-dependent pyroptosis. PSVII also elevated intracellular ROS accumulation and stimulated Bax and Caspase-3/GSDME to conduct pyroptosis in PDAC cells. The ROS scavenger N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) suppressed the release of LDH and inhibited Caspase-9, Caspase-3, and GSDME cleavage in PDAC cells, ultimately reversing PSVII-induced pyroptosis. Furthermore, in a xenograft tumor model, PSVII markedly suppressed the growth of PDAC tumors and induced pyroptosis. CONCLUSION These results demonstrated that PSVII exerts therapeutic effects through Caspase-3/GSDME-dependent pyroptosis and may constitute a novel strategy for preventing chemotherapeutic resistance in patients with PDAC in the future.

Objective To investigate the expression of FBXO43in various cancers and its relationship with immune cell infiltration and prognosis using bioinformatics.Methods Gene expression data for 33 cancers were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)and Genotype-Tissue Expression(GTEx)databases to analyze FBXO43expression.Clinical and survival data were sourced from the TCGA database.Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis(GEPIA)was used to assess the correlation between FBXO43expression and the clinical stage.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between FBXO43expression and prognosis.R lan-guage was used to analyze the associations between FBXO43expression and clinical stages,immune cell infiltration,immune checkpoint genes,tumor mutation burden(TMB),microsatellite instability(MSI),and mismatch repair(MMR)genes.The potential biological mech-anisms of FBXO43were explored using gene set enrichment analysis(GSEA).Moreover,qRT-PCR was performed to measure FBXO43 expression in normal gastric mucosal cells(GES-1),gastric cancer cells(HGC-27,MGC-803,and MKN-45),normal liver cells(LO-2),and liver cancer cells(SMMC-7721,HEPG2,HuH7,and MHCC97-H).Results Combined TCGA and GTEx database statistics revealed higher FBXO43expression in 26 types of cancer tissues,including adrenocortical carcinoma(ACC),bladder urothelial carcinoma,breast invasive carcinoma,cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma,cholangiocarcinoma,colon adenocarcinoma,and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma,than in normal tissues(P<0.05).However,FBXO43expression was lower in three types of cancer tissues:kidney chromophobe(KICH),testicular germ cell tumor(TGCT),and thyroid carcinoma(P<0.05).GEPIA data analysis showed that FBXO43expression positively correlated with the clinical stages of ACC,KICH,kidney renal clear cell carcinoma(KIRC),and kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma(KIRP)and negatively correlated with the clinical stages of ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma(OV)and TGCT(P<0.05).Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that abnormal FBXO43expression was associated with the prognosis of various cancers(P<0.05).Specifically,high FBXO43expression was a risk factor for ACC,KICH,KIRC,KIRP,low-grade glioma,liver hepato-cellular carcinoma,mesothelioma,and sarcoma,but protective in thymoma(THYM).The XCELL algorithm found that FBXO43expres-sion was negatively correlated with immune scores in nine types of cancer tissues,including glioblastoma multiforme,KIRP,acute myeloid leukemia,lung squamous cell carcinoma,and OV,and closely related to immune cell infiltration levels in 24 types of cancer tissues,espe-cially showing a significant negative correlation with most immune cells in SARC(P<0.01).Correlation analysis revealed a significant association between FBXO43and TMB,MSI,and MMR in all cancers.GSEA analysis indicated that FBXO43is involved in the cell cycle and immune-related functions in various tumors.qRT-PCR results showed that FBXO43expression was upregulated in liver cancer cells and downregulated in gastric cancer cells(all P<0.05).Conclusion Abnormal FBXO43expression is closely associated with the occur-rence and progression of multiple cancers.Thus,FBXO43may serve as a novel marker of immune cell infiltration and prognosis,thereby offering new directions for targeted cancer therapy.

Objective:To explore the application of the semi-flipped classroom combined with knowledge point auction learning method in the theoretical teaching among stomatological students and its effectiveness.Methods:Undergraduates from four classes at Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-Sen University were taken as research subjects. Students from two classes ( n=198) were taught using the semi-flipped classroom combined with the knowledge point auction learning method, while students from the other two classes ( n=172) were taught with the regular classroom teaching method as controls. Classroom quizzes were used to compare the two classes' mastery of important and difficult points, and a questionnaire was used to investigate students' feedback on the class outcomes. SPSS 22.0 was used for the independent samples t-test. Results:The mean test score of the experimental class was higher than that of the control class (88.51±11.02 vs. 80.40±8.53). The results of the questionnaire showed that students' interest in the course, comprehension and absorption of knowledge points, degree of satisfaction with the class, and mastery of the contents in sections in the experimental class were significantly higher than those in the control class (7.28±1.51 vs. 9.10±0.73, 6.92±1.44 vs. 8.69±1.62, 6.09±1.87 vs. 7.61±1.46, 6.40±1.04 vs. 7.70±0.86 ).Conclusions:The semi-flipped classroom combined with the knowledge point auction learning method is innovative and achieves good teaching outcomes. It holds promise for wider use in the theoretical teaching of various clinical subjects. To explore the application of the semi-flipped classroom combined with knowledge point auction learning method in the theoretical teaching among stomatological students and its effectiveness.

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors of tinnitus in Sichuan and Chongqing. Methods: We designed a tinnitus epidemiological questionnaire. The multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling methods was applied to obtain study subjects in six areas (Nanchong, Jiangjin, Fengdu, Yunyang, Suining and Ya'an), which were selected for epidemiological investigation. Home visit completion of epidemiological questionnaires was conducted. The trained investigators guided the respondents to fill in the tinnitus epidemiological questionnaires, and the epidemiological status of six areas on prevalence and risk factor was investigated. SPSS 22.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: Sampling population were 10 289, in which 9 273 were valid questionnaires. There were 4 281 males and 4 992 females, with an average age of 47.3 years, among which 34.83% (3 230/9 273) had tinnitus. 3.99% (370/9 273) were diagnosed with bothersome tinnitus. In a multivariable logistic regression mod, the following factors were associated with onsetting of tinnitus: sleep disorder [Odds Ratio(OR)=3.74] and noise exposure(OR=1.99). The risk of disease was lowest in the age of 30-40 years old, while the risk of disease was higher for people under 30 and over 40. In another multivariable logistic regression mode, the following factors were associated with having bothersome tinnitus: older people were more likely to suffer from tinnitus, sleep disorders (OR=4.68) and noise exposure (OR=1.56). Conclusions: The prevalence of tinnitus in Sichuan and Chongqing is about 34.83%, but most of the tinnitus is short-lived and has low loudness, which will not affect the patients. Only a small number of patients with tinnitus (3.99%) persist and affect their health and need treatment. The occurrence and exacerbation of tinnitus may be related to sleep, age, and noise exposure.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tinnitus/epidemiology*

To investigate the inhibitory effect of sildenafil on Caco-2 cell proliferation and its anti-inflammatory effect on menadione-induced NCM460 cell inflammation model, MTT assay was used to determine cell proliferation. Intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)and nitric oxide(NO)levels were detected by fluorescent probe. Western blot was used to detect the expression of eNOS/ERK/JNK pathway related proteins in Caco-2 cells and correlated inflammatory cytokines in NCM460 cells. The effect of sildenafil on the growth of two probiotics was determined by spectrophotometry. Results showed that sildenafil signi-ficantly inhibited the proliferation of Caco-2 cells and enhanced the expression levels of eNOS, p-eNOS, p-JNK1/2 and p-ERK1/2 proteins in Caco-2 cells; while after adding NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester(L-NAME), the expression levels of eNOS, p-eNOS, p-JNK1/2 and p-ERK1/2 proteins were significantly lower than those of the sildenafil group. Compared with the menadione group, sildenafil significantly reduced ROS levels in NCM460 cells and inhibited the expression levels of IL-6, IL-1β, p62, and TNF-α. Moreover, high concentrations of sildenafil had no obvious toxic effects on Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Thus, the results indicated that sildenafil could effectively inhibit the intestinal inflammatory response without affecting the balance of the intestinal flora, and prevent colorectal cancer by reducing the oxidative stress responses in the intestinal cells.

Objective: To analyze the significance of serum free light chain (sFLC) for the prognosis of the patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM). Methods: The clinical data of 621 NDMM patients in Changzheng Hospital from June 2010 to December 2016 was retrospectively analyzed. The serum free light chain levels were measured and the ratios of κ/λ chains were calculated. The significance of serum free light chain ratio (sFLCR) for the prognosis of NDMM patients was analyzed. Results: Among the 621 NDMM patients, 42 patients (6.8%) were in the normal free light chain ratio group (0.26≤sFLCR≤1.65), 247 patients (39.8%) were in the low free light chain ratio group (0.01＜sFLCR＜0.26 or 1.65＜sFLCR＜100), and 332 patients (53.5%) were in the high free light chain ratio group (sFLCR≤0.01 or sFLCR≥100). Compared with normal sFLCR group, the abnormal sFLCR group showed low level of hemoglobin; elevated levels of bone marrow plasma cells, serum creatinine and β 2 -MG, and more patients were in DS stage Ⅲ and ISS stage Ⅲ with high risks of cytogenetics(all P＜0.05). The overall survival (OS) in the normal sFLCR group was significantly better than the abnormol sFLCR groups (not reached vs 58.7 months, P=0.043). Compared with the patients with both high sFLCR and low risks of cytogenetics, the patients with high sFLCR and high risks of cytogenetics showed shorter overall survival time (median OS time was 41.6 months vs 61.4 months, P=0.015). Conclusion The NDMM patients with significantly abnormal sFLCR may indicate more tumor load and higher aggressive progression. sFLCR should be an independent prognostic indicator for the outcome of multiple myeloma. The patients with high sFLCR and cytogenetic abnormalities, have worse prognosis than the others.

Objective:To evaluate the micro-push-out bond strengths of prefabricated glass fiber posts with poly-dopamine functionalized to root dentin using resin cements, contrasted with silane treatment. Methods:In the study, 30 glass fiber posts were randomly divided into 3 groups ( 10 posts in each group) for different surface treatments. Group 1, treated with poly-dopa; Group 2, treated with silane coupling agent for 60s;Group 3, no surface treatment (Control group). The 30 extracted human, single-rooted teeth were endodontically treated and a 9 mm post space was prepared in each tooth with post drills provided by the manufacturer. Following post cementation, the specimens were stored in distilled water at 37 ℃ for 7 days. The micro-push-out bond strengths were tested using a universal testing machine (0. 5 mm/min), and the failure modes were examined with a stereomicroscope. The data of the three groups were statistically analyzed using the one-way ANOVA test(α= 0. 05). Results:The bond strengths were (7. 909 ± 1. 987) MPa for Group 1, (5. 906 ± 0. 620) MPa for Group 2, and 4. 678 ± 0. 910 MPa for Group 3 . The bond strength of poly-dopamine group was significantly higher than that of the silane group (P<0. 05). Conclusion: Contrasted with silane treatment, surface poly-dopamine functionaliza-tion was confirmed to be a more reliable method for improving the bond strength of resin luting agents to fiber posts.

This paper was designed to investigate the effect of laminar shear stress on matrix metalloproteinase -9 (MMP-9) expression in rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and the possible signal transduction mechanism involved. Rat bone marrow MSCs were isolated and cultured, then, exposed to laminar shear stress at indicated strengths such as low (5dyne/cm2), medium (15 dyne/cm2) and high (30 dyne/cm2) via parallel plate flow chamber. RT-PCR was used to analyze the expression of MMP-9. The signaling inhibitors such as Wortmannin (PI3K specific inhabitor), SB202190 (p38MAPK specific inhabitor), and PD98059 (ERK1/2 specific inhabitor) were used to investigate the possible mechanical signal transduction pathway. The results showed: (1) The expression of MMP-9 was weak in static state, however, MMP-9 expression increased when MSCs were exposed to 15 dyne/cm2 shear stress for 2 hours, and MMP-9 expression increased with the extension of stimulating time, and it reached the peak at 24 h; (2) MSCs were stimulated by shear stress for 2 hours at different strengths (5 dyne/cm2, 15 dyne/cm2, 30 dyne/cm2), and under all these conditions, the expression of MMP-9 increased, and reached the peak at 15 dyne/cm2; (3) After MSCs were pretreated by three kinds of signal pathway inhibitors, the expression of MMP-9 did not change obviously in Wortmannin group and PD98059 group, but it was significantly inhibited in SB202190 group. This study demonstrated that shear stress could induce the expression of MMP-9 in rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells; the amount of MMP-9 expression was closely related to stimulating time and the strengths of shear stress; and p38MAPK signal pathway played a critical role during the process.
Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Rats ; Signal Transduction ; Stress, Mechanical