BACKGROUND:Dental mesenchymal stem cells are considered a promising source for bone tissue repair due to their high proliferation potential,osteogenic differentiation capacity,and immunomodulatory properties.However,some allogeneic applications of stem cells still have potential carcinogenic effects and immune rejection risks.Recently,studies have highlighted the paracrine effects mediated by secretions from dental mesenchymal stem cells in bone tissue repair.These secretions include the soluble factors and extracellular vesicles.OBJECTIVE:To review the research progress of dental mesenchymal stem cells in repairing bone defects through paracrine effects.METHODS:Using search terms"dental mesenchymal stem cell,paracrine,osteogenesis,conditioned medium,extracellular vesicle"in Chinese and English,relevant literature published between 2019 and 2024 was retrieved from databases including CNKI,PubMed,and Elsevier ScienceDirect.A total of 104 studies were ultimately selected for this review.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Dental mesenchymal stem cells-conditioned medium contains multiple bioactive factors beneficial for bone repair.These factors directly promote bone formation through regulatory agents such as osteocalcin,osteopontin,bone morphogenetic protein,and dentin sialophosphoprotein.They also play an indirect promoting role in bone tissue repair through neurotrophic factors,vascular endothelial growth factor,and immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory agents.(2)Dental derived mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles not only contain some cytokines from dental conditioned medium,but also various miRNAs,which promote bone repair by directly promoting osteogenesis,angiogenesis,regulating immune cells,and inflammation control.These extracellular vesicles can be engineered within different scaffold materials to achieve controlled or sustained release,enhancing therapeutic efficacy.

BACKGROUND:Dental mesenchymal stem cells are considered a promising source for bone tissue repair due to their high proliferation potential,osteogenic differentiation capacity,and immunomodulatory properties.However,some allogeneic applications of stem cells still have potential carcinogenic effects and immune rejection risks.Recently,studies have highlighted the paracrine effects mediated by secretions from dental mesenchymal stem cells in bone tissue repair.These secretions include the soluble factors and extracellular vesicles.OBJECTIVE:To review the research progress of dental mesenchymal stem cells in repairing bone defects through paracrine effects.METHODS:Using search terms"dental mesenchymal stem cell,paracrine,osteogenesis,conditioned medium,extracellular vesicle"in Chinese and English,relevant literature published between 2019 and 2024 was retrieved from databases including CNKI,PubMed,and Elsevier ScienceDirect.A total of 104 studies were ultimately selected for this review.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Dental mesenchymal stem cells-conditioned medium contains multiple bioactive factors beneficial for bone repair.These factors directly promote bone formation through regulatory agents such as osteocalcin,osteopontin,bone morphogenetic protein,and dentin sialophosphoprotein.They also play an indirect promoting role in bone tissue repair through neurotrophic factors,vascular endothelial growth factor,and immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory agents.(2)Dental derived mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles not only contain some cytokines from dental conditioned medium,but also various miRNAs,which promote bone repair by directly promoting osteogenesis,angiogenesis,regulating immune cells,and inflammation control.These extracellular vesicles can be engineered within different scaffold materials to achieve controlled or sustained release,enhancing therapeutic efficacy.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of drinking chlorinated water on the intestinal flora of rats and mice and to explore differences in the intestinal microecological responses of model animals to chlorine stimulation in chlorinated drinking water systems. MethodsSix 8-week-old male SD rats and six 8-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were acclimated for 5 days. Subsequently, the drinking water for both rats and mice was changed from pure water to water containing free chlorine at a concentration of 25.4–32.4 nmol/L. The intervention lasted for 8 weeks, during which all animals were fed the same diet. Fecal samples were collected before the intervention (week 0, as the control group) and on the last day of week 3 and week 8 (as the chlorinated water group), and microbial composition was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing, including α diversity (Chao1 and Shannon indices), β diversity [principal component analysis (PCA)], and linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis. ResultsAfter 3 weeks of intervention, α diversity of the intestinal flora in both rats and mice in the chlorinated water group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.01). After 8 weeks of intervention, no significant difference in α diversity was observed between rats in the chlorinated water group and those in the control group, whereas α diversity in mice remained significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.01). β diversity analysis showed significant alterations in microbial structure in the chlorinated water group. LEfSe analysis indicated that, compared with the control group, the abundances of Bacteroides and Ruminococcus were significantly reduced in the chlorinated water group, and microbial disturbance was more pronounced in mice [linear discriminant analysis (LDA) > 4.0], with a greater decrease in microbial diversity and a larger number of differentially abundant genera. ConclusionConsumption of chlorinated water can alter the diversity and structure of the intestinal flora in both rats and mice, with mice being more sensitive to this exposure. These findings suggest that the potential effects of chlorine on gut microecology should be considered in drinking water management and model selection for animal experiments.

Objective To find out whether photobiomodulation(PBM)can mitigate cognitive dysfunction caused by chronic stress by affecting levels of adenosine triphosphate(ATP)and adenosine receptors.Methods Twenty-four C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a control group,a stress group,and a treatment group.Chronic unpredictable mild stress was used to establish a mouse model of stress.Six weeks into modeling,the treatment group was subjected to one week of PBM interventions.Behavioral tests were conducted to observe behavioral changes in the mice.Western blotting(WB)was used to detect the expressions of A1,A2B,and A3 adenosine receptors in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of mice in the three groups.Twelve C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a control group and an intervention group.The intervention group received a week of PBM interventions and underwent behavioral testing.WB was used to detect the expression changes of A1,A2B,and A3 adenosine receptors in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in both groups.Immunofluorescence assay was adopted to detect the expression of c-Fos in the hippocampus of mice in the two groups.The ATP assay kit made by Beyotime Biotechnology Co.,Ltd.was used to measure changes in ATP contents in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex tissues of mice.Cell experiments were conducted to verify the effect of PBM on intracellular ATP contents.Results Mice in the stress group covered a similar distance to the control group,but finished far fewer platform crossings.There was no significant difference between the treatment group and the control group in the number of times of platform crossings,but compared favorably with the stress group where the levels of adenosine receptors in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were lower,but were increased by PBM.After PBM interventions in normal mice,platform crossings were increased significantly compared to the control group.PBM also raised adenosine receptor levels and ATP contents in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex,and increased hippocampal c-Fos expressions.In vitro,PBM elevated intracellular ATP levels.Conclusion PBM may improve chronic stress-induced cognitive dysfunction by regulating ATP levels and adenosine receptor expressions,thereby modulating neuronal responsiveness in the hippocampus.

Objective:To discuss the changes of adenosine deaminase 2(ADA2)activity in the serum of the systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)patients,and to clarify its clinical value in the diagnosis and disease assessment of the SLE patients.Methods:According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,69 SLE patients(SLE group)and 69 healthy controls(control group)were enrolled as study subjects.The disease activity of SLE patients was evaluated by SLE Disease Activity Index(SLEDAI).The ADA2 activity in the serum of the subjects in both groups was detected.The patients were further divided into subgroups based on the presence or absence of the following clinical symptoms:arthritis,myositis,hematuria,proteinuria,pyuria,alopecia,new rash,mucosal ulcer,pleuritis,hypocomplementemia,elevated anti-double-stranded DNA(anti-dsDNA)antibody,thrombocytopenia,and leukopenia.The differences in serum ADA2 activity between joint symptomatic group and joint asymptomatic group were analyzed.The diagnostic efficacy of serum ADA2 activity was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis.The correlation between ADA2 activity and disease activity in the SLE patients was analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis.Results:Compared with control group,the ADA2 activity in the serum of the patients in SLE group was significantly increased(P<0.01).The ROC analysis results showed that when the cut-off value of ADA2 activity was set at 8.5 U·L-1,the diagnostic performance was optimal,with an area under the curve(AUC)of 0.879(95%CI:0.817-0.940),the specificity was 89.86%,and the sensitivity was 75.36%.The serum ADA2 activity was positively correlated with disease activity in the SLE patients(r=0.32,P=0.007).The subgroup analysis of clinical symptoms results showed that the serum ADA2 activity in the SLE patients with symptoms was significantly higher than that in the SLE patients without symptoms(P<0.01).No significant differences were observed in serum ADA2 activity between the SLE patients with and without myositis,hematuria,proteinuria,pyuria,alopecia,new rash,mucosal ulcer,pleuritis,hypocomplementemia,elevated anti-dsDNA antibody,thrombocytopenia,or leukopenia(P>0.05).Conclusion:The serum ADA2 activity is increased in the SLE patients and can serve as a diagnostic marker for SLE.Serum ADA2 activity is positively correlated with disease activity and is associated with arthritis in the SLE patients,suggesting its potential as an indicator for disease assessment and monitoring.

Piezo is a newly discovered mechanosensitive ion channel (MSC) in mammals, characterized by a unique homotrimeric three-leaf propeller-shaped structure that converts mechanical signals into biological and electrical signals, thus participating in the regulation of various physiological and pathological processes. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have demonstrated the crucial role of Piezo channel in renal physiology and pathophysiology. This article aims to provide new perspectives and targets for the prevention and treatment of renal diseases by reviewing the recent research advances in the structure, kinetics and pharmacology of Piezo channel, especially their expression and physiopathologic roles in the kidney.

Piezo is a newly discovered mechanosensitive ion channel (MSC) in mammals, characterized by a unique homotrimeric three-leaf propeller-shaped structure that converts mechanical signals into biological and electrical signals, thus participating in the regulation of various physiological and pathological processes. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have demonstrated the crucial role of Piezo channel in renal physiology and pathophysiology. This article aims to provide new perspectives and targets for the prevention and treatment of renal diseases by reviewing the recent research advances in the structure, kinetics and pharmacology of Piezo channel, especially their expression and physiopathologic roles in the kidney.

Kidney is a highly energy-demanding organ rich in mitochondria. Numerous studies have indicated that mitochondria play a crucial role in maintaining normal kidney function and in the pathogenesis of various kidney diseases. Mitochondrial DNA is the exclusive genome of mitochondria. Damage to mtDNA not only leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and degradation of mitochondrial quality, but also acts as an endogenous inflammatory molecule, activating various inflammatory pathways, which contribute to cellular damage and the progression of kidney diseases. This article reviews the mechanisms of mitochondrial DNA damage and its significant role in triggering inflammatory injury in kidney diseases. Additionally, it summarizes the current research progress on various intervention strategies targeting this type of damage.

Objective:To explore the role and molecular mechanism of Shikonin(SKN) in inhibiting the growth of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma(ATC) cells.Methods:The effect of SKN on ferroptosis in ATC cell lines CAL-62 was detected by flow cytometry; the expression levels of NF-κB, ferroptosis-related genes glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4) and selenoprotein thioredoxin reductase 1(TXNRD1), glucose metabolism-related genes pyruvate kinase isoform 2(PKM2) and glucose transporter protein 1(GLUT1) were detected by Western blotting; real-time fluorescence quantitative(qPCR) to detect changes in the expression levels of GPX4, PKM2 and GLUT1; reactive oxygen species(ROS) fluorescent probe to detect changes in intracellular ROS positivity; glucose and lactic acid assay kit to detect the levels of glucose, the raw material of glucose metabolism(GLU), and lactate(LD), the product of glucose metabolism; and establishment of a subcutaneous tumour model in BALB/c nude mice to analyse the inhibitory effect of SKN on ATC in vivo.Results:Compared to the control group, after SKN treatment, the protein expression levels of NF-κB, GPX4, TXNRD1, GLUT1, and PKM2 in CAL-62 cells decreased( P=0.004, P=0.012, P=0.043, P=0.001, P=0.018); the mRNA expression of GPX4, GLUT1, and PKM2 also decreased( P<0.001, P=0.029, P<0.001). Additionally, ROS production increased( P=0.041). After treatment with the ferroptosis inhibitor Liproxstatin-1(L-1), the proportion of cell death was reversed to a certain extent, and there was no statistically significant difference in cell death proportion after L-1 treatment. Intracellular ferroptosis occurred( P<0.001), with reduced levels of glutamate(GLU) uptake and lipid peroxidation(LD) generation( P<0.001). SKN inhibited ATC tumor growth in vivo( P=0.016). Conclusion:SKN promotes intracellular ferroptosis in ATC cells, inhibits glycolysis and glucose uptake, and suppresses ATC cell growth.

Benign anastomotic stenosis remains a common complication after bilojejunal anastomosis. Its pathogenesis includes the histology of bile duct, bile erosion, and inappropriate choice of surgical anastomosis or suture materials. Biliojejunal anastomotic stenosis can be determined preoperatively by MRCP, CT, and three-dimensional image reconstruction. Surgery remains treatment of choice for most cases, including surgical reconstruction and minimally invasive treatment, while the incidence of restenosis, residual stone, and reoperation is still high. Surgeons are still in search of optimal treatment modality to avoid anastomotic stenosis. In this article, we review the literature and summarize the latest clinical progress in the diagnosis and treatment of biliojejunal anastomotic stenosis combined with hepatic ductal stones.