The Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK-STAT) control natural killer (NK) cells development and cytotoxic functions, however, whether long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in this pathway remains unknown. We found that miR155HG was elevated in activated NK cells and promoted their proliferation and effector functions in both NK92 and induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-derived NK (iPSC-NK) cells, without reliance on its derived miR-155 and micropeptide P155. Mechanistically, miR155HG bound to miR-6756 and relieved its repression of JAK3 expression, thereby promoting the JAK-STAT pathway and enhancing NK cell proliferation and function. Further investigations disclosed that upon cytokine stimulation, STAT3 directly interacts with miR155HG promoter and induces miR155HG transcription. Collectively, we identify a miR155HG-mediated positive feedback loop of the JAK-STAT signaling. Our study will also provide a power target regarding miR155HG for improving NK cell generation and effector function in the field of NK cell adoptive transfer therapy against cancer, especially iPSC-derived NK cells.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the mechanism of Qingda Granules (QDG) for alleviating brain damage in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). METHODS: Twelve 5-week-old SHRs were randomized into SHR control group and SHR+QDG group treated with QDG by gavage at the daily dose of 0.9 g/kg for 12 weeks. The control rats, along with 6 age-matched WKY rats, were treated with saline only. Blood pressure changes of the rats were monitored, and pathologies and neuronal apoptosis in the cerebral cortex were examined with HE staining and TUNEL staining. Cerebral cortical expressions of miR-124 and STAT3 mRNA were detected using RT-qPCR, and the protein expressions of NeuN, STAT3, Bcl-2, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3 were detected with immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. In a HT22 cell model of oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R), the effects of QDG on cell viability and apoptosis, expressions of miR-124 and STAT3 mRNA, and protein expressions of STAT3, Bcl-2, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3 were evaluated using CCK8 assay, Hoechst 33342 staining, RT-qPCR, and Western blotting. RESULTS: Compared with WKY rats, SHRs had significantly elevated systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure with significantly increased neuronal apoptosis in the cerebral cortex, reduced expressions of NeuN, miR-124 and Bcl-2, and enhanced expressions of STAT3, Bax and cleaved caspase-3 (P<0.05). All these changes in the SHRs were significantly ameliorated by treatment with QDG (P<0.05). In the HT22 cell model, QDG treatment obviously reduced OGD/R-induced cell apoptosis, increased the expressions of miR-124 and Bcl-2, and suppressed the elevation of protein expressions of STAT3, Bax and cleaved caspase-3. CONCLUSIONS QDG inhibits cerebral cortical neuronal apoptosis and thereby attenuates brain damage in SHR rats by modulating the miR-124/STAT3 signaling axis.
Animals ; Rats, Inbred SHR ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; STAT3 Transcription Factor/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Rats ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Rats, Inbred WKY ; Male ; Hypertension

Enamel demineralization, the formation of white spot lesions, is a common issue in clinical orthodontic treatment. The appearance of white spot lesions not only affects the texture and health of dental hard tissues but also impacts the health and aesthetics of teeth after orthodontic treatment. The prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of white spot lesions that occur throughout the orthodontic treatment process involve multiple dental specialties. This expert consensus will focus on providing guiding opinions on the management and prevention of white spot lesions during orthodontic treatment, advocating for proactive prevention, early detection, timely treatment, scientific follow-up, and multidisciplinary management of white spot lesions throughout the orthodontic process, thereby maintaining the dental health of patients during orthodontic treatment.
Humans ; Consensus ; Dental Caries/etiology* ; Dental Enamel/pathology* ; Tooth Demineralization/etiology* ; Tooth Remineralization

Objective To explore the mechanism of Qingda Granules(QDG)for alleviating brain damage in spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHRs).Methods Twelve 5-week-old SHRs were randomized into SHR control group and SHR+QDG group treated with QDG by gavage at the daily dose of 0.9 g/kg for 12 weeks.The control rats,along with 6 age-matched WKY rats,were treated with saline only.Blood pressure changes of the rats were monitored,and pathologies and neuronal apoptosis in the cerebral cortex were examined with HE staining and TUNEL staining.Cerebral cortical expressions of miR-124 and STAT3 mRNA were detected using RT-qPCR,and the protein expressions of NeuN,STAT3,Bcl-2,Bax,and cleaved caspase-3 were detected with immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.In a HT22 cell model of oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation(OGD/R),the effects of QDG on cell viability and apoptosis,expressions of miR-124 and STAT3 mRNA,and protein expressions of STAT3,Bcl-2,Bax,and cleaved caspase-3 were evaluated using CCK8 assay,Hoechst 33342 staining,RT-qPCR,and Western blotting.Results Compared with WKY rats,SHRs had significantly elevated systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure with significantly increased neuronal apoptosis in the cerebral cortex,reduced expressions of NeuN,miR-124 and Bcl-2,and enhanced expressions of STAT3,Bax and cleaved caspase-3(P＜0.05).All these changes in the SHRs were significantly ameliorated by treatment with QDG(P＜0.05).In the HT22 cell model,QDG treatment obviously reduced OGD/R-induced cell apoptosis,increased the expressions of miR-124 and Bcl-2,and suppressed the elevation of protein expressions of STAT3,Bax and cleaved caspase-3.Conclusion QDG inhibits cerebral cortical neuronal apoptosis and thereby attenuates brain damage in SHR rats by modulating the miR-124/STAT3 signaling axis.

AIM:This study aims to investigate the impact of nobiletin(NOB)on the gut microbiota and short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs)in high-fat diet-induced obese rats.METHODS:A total of 22 SD rats were randomly di-vided into the control(CON)group and high-fat diet(HFD)group.The HFD induced obesity,upon successful modeling,the rats were further divided into the HFD and NOB group,each group consisting of 6 rats.The NOB group received nobi-letin solution(100 mg·kg-1·d-1)via gavage for 21 consecutive days.Body weight was measured bi-daily,and hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining was employed to observe pathological changes in adipose tissue and liver.Serum lipid levels were as-sessed using an auto-biochemical analyzer.Analysis of the gut microbiota was performed using 16S ribosomal RNA(rRNA)sequencing,while high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry(LC-MS)was used to determine SCFAs levels in rat feces.RESULTS:Compared with CON group,HFD-fed demonstrated a substantial increase in body weight(P<0.01),accompanied by an augmentation in adipocyte diameter and the presence of hepatic cell vacuolization,indicative of cellular steatosis and inflammation.Moreover,there was a notable elevation in TG and TC levels(P<0.05).At the phylum level,the HFD rats exhibited an altered composition,characterized by an increase in Firmicutes and a con-current decrease in Bacteroidetes.At the genus level,Bacteroides,Lactobacillus and Blautia experienced a significant de-crease,while Colidextribacter showed an increase.Notably,there was a substantial reduction in the expression of propion-ic acid and butyric acid.In comparison to the HFD group,rats administered with NOB demonstrated a marked decrease in body weight(P<0.05),a reduction in adipocyte diameter,and an amelioration in hepatic cell vacuolization and cellular steatosis.Furthermore,TG and TC levels exhibited a significant decrease(P<0.05).At the phylum level,Firmicutes de-creased,and Bacteroidetes increased.At the genus level,Bacteroides,Lactobacillus and Blautia exhibited a significant in-crease,while Colidextribacter displayed a decrease.Additionally,there was an up-regulation of propionic acid and butyric acid levels in the NOB group.CONCLUSION:Nobiletin,through its multifaceted actions,demonstrates a potential anti-obesity effect by effectively reducing body weight in obese rats.This includes the regulation of gut microbiota structure,modulation of SCFAs content,and enhancement of lipid metabolism.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) diseases are common clinical conditions. The number of patients with TMJ diseases is large, and the etiology, epidemiology, disease spectrum, and treatment of the disease remain controversial and unknown. To understand and master the current situation of the occurrence, development and prevention of TMJ diseases, as well as to identify the patterns in etiology, incidence, drug sensitivity, and prognosis is crucial for alleviating patients′suffering.This will facilitate in-depth medical research, effective disease prevention measures, and the formulation of corresponding health policies. Cohort construction and research has an irreplaceable role in precise disease prevention and significant improvement in diagnosis and treatment levels. Large-scale cohort studies are needed to explore the relationship between potential risk factors and outcomes of TMJ diseases, and to observe disease prognoses through long-term follw-ups. The consensus aims to establish a standard conceptual frame work for a cohort study on patients with TMJ disease while providing ideas for cohort data standards to this condition. TMJ disease cohort data consists of both common data standards applicable to all specific disease cohorts as well as disease-specific data standards. Common data were available for each specific disease cohort. By integrating different cohort research resources, standard problems or study variables can be unified. Long-term follow-up can be performed using consistent definitions and criteria across different projects for better core data collection. It is hoped that this consensus will be facilitate the development cohort studies of TMJ diseases.

Lingual orthodontic technology has been in existence for over 50 years, undergoing various stages of emergence, development, decline, and maturity. In recent years, with the advancement of digital technology, customized lingual orthodontics has gradually become widely used in clinical practice, representing a significant achievement of digital technology in orthodontic clinical diagnosis and treatment. The integration of digital technology has made customized lingual orthodontics more convenient, precise, and efficient, enhancing patient comfort while significantly reducing the operational difficulty and technical barriers for orthodontists. This article focuses on analyzing the technical characteristics, operational challenges, and coping strategies of customized lingual orthodontics based on digital technology, aiming to provide a reference for clinical practice.

Objective:To isolate and identify SARS-CoV-2 epidemic strains and analyze the sequence characteristics of the virus strains following serial passages.Methods:Eleven nasopharyngeal swabs positive for SARS-CoV-2 antigen were collected from December 2022. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid, and positive specimens were inoculated onto Vero cells for virus isolation. The isolated strains were identified by Western blot and indirect immunofluorescence assay. The morphology of the isolated strains was observed using transmission electron microscopy. Nucleic acid was extracted from the isolates and passaged viruses for further sequencing and analysis.Results:All 11 specimens tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 using quantitative real-time PCR. SARS-CoV-2 strains were successfully isolated from seven specimens, and could be adaptively cultured, passaged, and expanded on Vero cells, achieving a peak titer exceeding 10 6.25 50% cell culture infectious dose (CCID 50)/ml. Western blot and indirect immunofluorescence results showed that the isolates could be specifically recognized by monoclonal antibodies and convalescent serum against SARS-CoV-2. Transmission electron microscopy revealed oval-shaped viral particles with diameters of approximately 100 nm. Next-generation sequencing of the viral isolates demonstrated a sequence homology greater than 99.50% with the Wuhan-Hu-1 reference strain (NC_045512) and 99.98% among the seven isolated strains, and all of the isolates belonged to the Omicron BF.7 variant. Sequence analysis after continuous passage and plaque purification of the BJ-NVSI-20230005 isolate showed that compared with passages 1-3, passages 4-6 had one nucleotide site mutation (C→T) in the ORF1ab gene and a deletion of 3 bp in the E gene, which resulted in a change from leucine to phenylalanine and the deletion of valine, respectively. Polymorphisms were observed in the sequences of plaque-purified clones. Conclusions:The seven successfully isolated SARS-CoV-2 strains all belong to the SARS-CoV-2 BF.7 variant, which is consistent with the prevalence trend in mainland China in December 2022.

Objective To explore the regulatory effect and mechanism of Zhongfeng Xinglou Tongfu Capsule on the brain inflammatory response of mice with cerebral hemorrhage through cholecystokinin octapeptide(CCK-8)mediated the interleukin 10(IL-10)/signal transduction and transcriptional activator 3(STAT3)signaling pathway.Methods A total of 110 C57BL/6 mice were divided into sham operation group,cerebral hemorrhage group,Zhongfeng Xinglou Tongfu Capsule low-,medium-,and high-dose groups according to the random number table method,with 22 mice in each group.The intracerebral hemorrhage model was established by collagenase method.At 2 hours after the establishment of the model,Zhongfeng Xinglou Tongfu Capsule suspension was intragastrically administered at a dose of 10 mL·kg-1.The sham operation group and the cerebral hemorrhage group were intragastrically administered with the same dose of normal saline.The neurofunctional score and left-turn rate of the mice were recorded.The dry and wet weight method was used to detect brain water content on the 72 h after surgery,and the Western Blot method was used to detect tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin 1β(IL-1β),interleukin 6(IL-6),interleukin 10(IL-10),and the relative expression levels of JAK-1,STAT3,and p-STAT3 pathway proteins around the hematoma of mice at 72 h after surgery.On the 3rd and 5th day after surgery,Elisa method was used to detect the relative expression level of CCK-8,qPCR method was used to detect the expression levels of IL-10 and STAT3 mRNA.Results Compared with the cerebral hemorrhage group,the NDS scores of mice in the low-,medium-,and high-dose groups of Zhongfeng Xinglou Tongfu Capsules were significantly reduced on the 3rd and 5th days after intervention treatment(P＜0.01).And the left-turn rate in the low-dose group on the 3rd and 5th days after intervention treatment was reduced(P＜0.05),the left-turn rate in the medium-dose group was reduced on the 3rd day(P＜0.05)and the 5th day(P＜0.01).Furthermore,the left-turn rate was obviously reduced on the 3rd and 5th day in the high-dose group(P＜0.01).The brain water content of mice in the low-dose group was reduced(P＜0.05),and the brain water content of mice in the medium-and high-dose groups was significantly reduced(P＜0.01).In the low-dose group,the expressions of pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-6 and JAK-1,STAT3,and p-STAT3 pathway proteins were significantly reduced(P＜0.01),while the expression of IL-1β was reduced(P＜0.05),the expression of IL-10 increased significantly(P＜0.01).The expression of pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6,as well as JAK-1,STAT3,and p-STAT3 pathway proteins in the medium-and high-dose groups was significantly reduced(P＜0.01),the expression of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 increased significantly(P＜0.01).The content of CCK-8 in the low-dose group was increased on the 3rd day after treatment(P＜0.05),and the content increased significantly on the 5th day(P＜0.01).The content of CCK-8 in the medium-and high-dose groups obviously increased on the 3rd and the 5th day after treatment(P＜0.01).The relative expression level of IL-10 mRNA was significantly increased after treatment(P＜0.01),but the relative expression level of STAT3 mRNA was significantly decreased after treatment(P＜0.01).Conclusion Zhongfeng Xinglou Tongfu Capsule can target the content of brain-gut peptide CCK-8 and regulate the IL-10/STAT3 signaling pathway to reduce the secondary inflammatory reaction and cytotoxic brain edema after cerebral hemorrhage.

Objective To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profiles of the common pathogens isolated from urine from 2015 to 2021 in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program.Methods The bacterial strains were isolated from urine and identified routinely in 51 hospitals across China in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021.Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by Kirby-Bauer method,automatic microbiological analysis system and E-test according to the unified protocol.Results A total of 261 893 nonduplicate strains were isolated from urine specimen from 2015 to 2021,of which gram-positive bacteria accounted for 23.8％(62 219/261 893),and gram-negative bacteria 76.2％(199 674/261 893).The most common species were E.coli(46.7％),E.faecium(10.4％),K.pneumoniae(9.8％),E.faecalis(8.7％),P.mirabilis(3.5％),P.aeruginosa(3.4％),SS.agalactiae(2.6％),and E.cloacae(2.1％).The strains were more frequently isolated from inpatients versus outpatients and emergency patients,from females versus males,and from adults versus children.The prevalence of ESBLs-producing strains in E.coli,K.pneumoniae and P.mirabilis was 53.2％,52.8％and 37.0％,respectively.The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant strains in E.coli,K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa and A.baumannii was 1.7％,18.5％,16.4％,and 40.3％,respectively.Lower than 10％of the E.faecalis isolates were resistant to ampicillin,nitrofurantoin,linezolid,vancomycin,teicoplanin and fosfomycin.More than 90％of the E.faecium isolates were ressitant to ampicillin,levofloxacin and erythromycin.The percentage of strains resistant to vancomycin,linezolid or teicoplanin was＜2％.The E.coli,K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa and A.baumannii strains isolated from ICU inpatients showed significantly higher resistance rates than the corresponding strains isolated from outpatients and non-ICU inpatients.Conclusions E.coli,Enterococcus and K.pneumoniae are the most common pathogens in urinary tract infection.The bacterial species and antimicrobial resistance of urinary isolates vary with different populations.More attention should be paid to antimicrobial resistance surveillance and reduce the irrational use of antimicrobial agents.