ObjectiveTo explore the potential mechanism of Xianglian Huazhuo prescription （XLHZ） in treating chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） by regulating cell cycle and inhibiting proliferation， using bioinformatics technology and animal experiments. MethodsDifferential expressed genes （DEGs） related to CAG were screened using GEO database and GEO2R tool. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis （WGCNA） was employed to search for hub genes of CAG. These hub genes were intersected with cell cycle proliferation based on GeneCards database. Eenrichment analysis of the intersecting genes was performed to obtain signaling pathways and biological processes related to CAG. Protein protein interaction （PPI） analysis of genes was conducted using the Protein Interaction Platform （STRING） database to search the super hub gene （hub 2.0）， and animal experiments were conducted for further validation. Fourteen of 70 male Wistar rats were randomly selected as the normal group， and the remaining 56 rats were prepared by the combined modeling method of "starvation disorder+N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine （MNNG） + sodium salicylate". The successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into the model group， XLHZ-H， XLHZ-M， and XLHZ-L groups （36， 18， 9 g·kg^-1， respectively）， and Morodan group （1.4 g·kg^-1）. Each group was given corresponding intervention for 60 days. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the histopathological changes of gastric mucosa in rats. The ultrastructure of gastric mucosal tissue cells was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The relative expression levels of TGF-β₁， Smad2 and Smad3 proteins， S/G₂/M phase marker geminin and proliferation marker MCM2 were detected by Western blot in gastric mucosal tissue， and Spearman correlation analysis was performed. ResultsA total of 15 hub 2.0 genes were identified， including TGF-β₁， suggesting the involvement of the TGF-β₁ signaling pathway in the CAG pathogenesis. Compared with the normal group， the expressions of TGF-β₁， Smad2， geminin and MCM2 proteins in the gastric mucosa tissue of the model group were increased （P<0.05）， and the expression of Smad3 protein was decreased （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the expressions of TGF-β₁ and geminin in the gastric mucosa were decreased in the drug groups （P<0.05）. The XLHZ-M group， XLHZ-H group and Morodan group had significantly decreased protein expression of Smad2 and MCM2 （P<0.05）. The protein expression of Smad3 was significantly increased in XLHZ-M， XLHZ-H， and Morodan groups （P<0.05）. Spearman correlation analysis showed that Smad3 was negatively correlated with other indicators， and positively correlated with other indicators （P<0.01）. ConclusionXLHZ may inhibit TGF-β₁/Smads signaling pathway， regulate cell cycle， and inhibit proliferation in the treatment of CAG.

ObjectiveTo explore the potential mechanism of Xianglian Huazhuo prescription （XLHZ） in treating chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG） by regulating cell cycle and inhibiting proliferation， using bioinformatics technology and animal experiments. MethodsDifferential expressed genes （DEGs） related to CAG were screened using GEO database and GEO2R tool. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis （WGCNA） was employed to search for hub genes of CAG. These hub genes were intersected with cell cycle proliferation based on GeneCards database. Eenrichment analysis of the intersecting genes was performed to obtain signaling pathways and biological processes related to CAG. Protein protein interaction （PPI） analysis of genes was conducted using the Protein Interaction Platform （STRING） database to search the super hub gene （hub 2.0）， and animal experiments were conducted for further validation. Fourteen of 70 male Wistar rats were randomly selected as the normal group， and the remaining 56 rats were prepared by the combined modeling method of "starvation disorder+N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine （MNNG） + sodium salicylate". The successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into the model group， XLHZ-H， XLHZ-M， and XLHZ-L groups （36， 18， 9 g·kg^-1， respectively）， and Morodan group （1.4 g·kg^-1）. Each group was given corresponding intervention for 60 days. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe the histopathological changes of gastric mucosa in rats. The ultrastructure of gastric mucosal tissue cells was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The relative expression levels of TGF-β₁， Smad2 and Smad3 proteins， S/G₂/M phase marker geminin and proliferation marker MCM2 were detected by Western blot in gastric mucosal tissue， and Spearman correlation analysis was performed. ResultsA total of 15 hub 2.0 genes were identified， including TGF-β₁， suggesting the involvement of the TGF-β₁ signaling pathway in the CAG pathogenesis. Compared with the normal group， the expressions of TGF-β₁， Smad2， geminin and MCM2 proteins in the gastric mucosa tissue of the model group were increased （P<0.05）， and the expression of Smad3 protein was decreased （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the expressions of TGF-β₁ and geminin in the gastric mucosa were decreased in the drug groups （P<0.05）. The XLHZ-M group， XLHZ-H group and Morodan group had significantly decreased protein expression of Smad2 and MCM2 （P<0.05）. The protein expression of Smad3 was significantly increased in XLHZ-M， XLHZ-H， and Morodan groups （P<0.05）. Spearman correlation analysis showed that Smad3 was negatively correlated with other indicators， and positively correlated with other indicators （P<0.01）. ConclusionXLHZ may inhibit TGF-β₁/Smads signaling pathway， regulate cell cycle， and inhibit proliferation in the treatment of CAG.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a central neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory impairment in clinical. Currently, there are no effective treatments for AD. In recent years, a variety of therapeutic approaches from different perspectives have been explored to treat AD. Although the drug therapies targeted at the clearance of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) had made a breakthrough in clinical trials, there were associated with adverse events. Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the onset and progression of AD. Continuous neuroinflammatory was considered to be the third major pathological feature of AD, which could promote the formation of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. At the same time, these toxic substances could accelerate the development of neuroinflammation, form a vicious cycle, and exacerbate disease progression. Reducing neuroinflammation could break the feedback loop pattern between neuroinflammation, Aβ plaque deposition and Tau tangles, which might be an effective therapeutic strategy for treating AD. Traditional Chinese herbs such as Polygonum multiflorum and Curcuma were utilized in the treatment of AD due to their ability to mitigate neuroinflammation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and indomethacin had been shown to reduce the level of inflammasomes in the body, and taking these drugs was associated with a low incidence of AD. Biosynthetic nanomaterials loaded with oxytocin were demonstrated to have the capability to anti-inflammatory and penetrate the blood-brain barrier effectively, and they played an anti-inflammatory role via sustained-releasing oxytocin in the brain. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells could reduce neuroinflammation and inhibit the activation of microglia. The secretion of mesenchymal stem cells could not only improve neuroinflammation, but also exert a multi-target comprehensive therapeutic effect, making it potentially more suitable for the treatment of AD. Enhancing the level of TREM2 in microglial cells using gene editing technologies, or application of TREM2 antibodies such as Ab-T1, hT2AB could improve microglial cell function and reduce the level of neuroinflammation, which might be a potential treatment for AD. Probiotic therapy, fecal flora transplantation, antibiotic therapy, and dietary intervention could reshape the composition of the gut microbiota and alleviate neuroinflammation through the gut-brain axis. However, the drugs of sodium oligomannose remain controversial. Both exercise intervention and electromagnetic intervention had the potential to attenuate neuroinflammation, thereby delaying AD process. This article focuses on the role of drug therapy, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, gut microbiota therapy, exercise intervention, and brain stimulation in improving neuroinflammation in recent years, aiming to provide a novel insight for the treatment of AD by intervening neuroinflammation in the future.

Brain’s neural activities encompass both periodic rhythmic oscillations and aperiodic neural fluctuations. Rhythmic oscillations manifest as spectral peaks of neural signals, directly reflecting the synchronized activities of neural populations and closely tied to cognitive and behavioral states. In contrast, aperiodic fluctuations exhibit a power-law decaying spectral trend, revealing the multiscale dynamics of brain neural activity. In recent years, researchers have made notable progress in studying brain aperiodic dynamics. These studies demonstrate that aperiodic activity holds significant physiological relevance, correlating with various physiological states such as external stimuli, drug induction, sleep states, and aging. Aperiodic activity serves as a reflection of the brain’s sensory capacity, consciousness level, and cognitive ability. In clinical research, the aperiodic exponent has emerged as a significant potential biomarker, capable of reflecting the progression and trends of brain diseases while being intricately intertwined with the excitation-inhibition balance of neural system. The physiological mechanisms underlying aperiodic dynamics span multiple neural scales, with activities at the levels of individual neurons, neuronal ensembles, and neural networks collectively influencing the frequency, oscillatory patterns, and spatiotemporal characteristics of aperiodic signals. Aperiodic dynamics currently boasts broad application prospects. It not only provides a novel perspective for investigating brain neural dynamics but also holds immense potential as a neural marker in neuromodulation or brain-computer interface technologies. This paper summarizes methods for extracting characteristic parameters of aperiodic activity, analyzes its physiological relevance and potential as a biomarker in brain diseases, summarizes its physiological mechanisms, and based on these findings, elaborates on the research prospects of aperiodic dynamics.

Background Vascular endothelial damage associated with endothelial progenitor cell dysfunction is considered as an initiating step of hypertension and target organ damage, in which oxidative stress plays a key role. High-intensity intermittent exercise is an effective prevention and treatment method of various chronic diseases; however, little attention has been paid to its effects and mechanisms on endothelial progenitor cells. Objective To observe the effect of high-intensity intermittent exercise on the function of endothelial progenitor cells in patients with hypertension and explore the mechanism of oxidative stress. Methods A total of 60 patients with essential hypertension were randomly divided into a control group and an exercise group. The control group received conventional drug treatment (including diuretics, calcium blockers, and beta-blockers), and the exercise group performed high-intensity intermittent exercise for 8 weeks (3 times·week⁻¹) in addition to the treatment plan of the control group. Before and after intervention, brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) was used to evaluate vascular endothelial function; venous blood was sampled to perfrom circulating endothelial progenitor cell counts; endothelial progenitor cells were cultured in vitro, and the modified Boyden chamber assay and Matrigel lumen formation assay were used to detect their migration and tube formation ability, superoxide fluorescent anion probe method to detect reactive oxygen species levels, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining method to detect cell apoptosis, Western blotting to determine protein expression of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 2, NADPH oxidase 4, and superoxide dismutase. Results Four patients (13.3%) in the control group and 2 patients (6.7%) in the exercise group dropped out; the completion rate of the exercise group's training plan was 94.9%. Compared with the before-intervention indicators, blood pressure decreased, brachial artery FMD increased, number of circulating endothelial progenitor cells increased, their migration and tube formation ability were enhanced, reactive oxygen species levels and cell apoptosis rate were reduced, NADPH oxidase 2 and NADPH oxidase 4 protein expressions were down-regulated, and superoxide dismutase protein expression was up-regulated in the after-intervention exercise group, and the differences were all statistically significant (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the above indicators in the control group between before and after intervention (P > 0.05). Conclusion High-intensity intermittent exercise regulates oxidative stress mediated by NADPH oxidase, improves endothelial progenitor cell function, and restores vascular endothelial disorders in patients with essential hypertension.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of an intelligent handheld ultrasound (US) device for assisting non-expert general practitioners (GPs) in detecting carotid plaques (CPs) in community populations. Methods: This prospective parallel controlled trial recruited 111 consecutive community residents. All of them underwent examinations by non-expert GPs and specialist doctors using handheld US devices (setting A, setting B, and setting C). The results of setting C with specialist doctors were considered the gold standard. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the features of CPs were measured and recorded. The diagnostic performance of GPs in distinguishing CPs was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Inter-observer agreement was compared using the intragroup correlation coefficient (ICC). Questionnaires were completed to evaluate clinical benefits. Results: Among the 111 community residents, 80, 96, and 112 CPs were detected in settings A, B, and C, respectively. Setting B exhibited better diagnostic performance than setting A for detecting CPs (area under the curve, 0.856 vs. 0.749; P<0.01). Setting B had better consistency with setting C than setting A in CIMT measurement and the assessment of CPs (ICC, 0.731 to 0.923). Moreover, measurements in setting B required less time than the other two settings (44.59 seconds vs. 108.87 seconds vs. 126.13 seconds, both P<0.01). Conclusion Using an intelligent handheld US device, GPs can perform CP screening and achieve a diagnostic capability comparable to that of specialist doctors.

BACKGROUND:The development of artificial intelligence in the medical field is rapidly advancing,with increasing research on its applications in the field of bone trauma.Through bibliometric analysis,this paper analyzed the research hotspots of artificial intelligence in the field of bone trauma in recent years,and predicted the future research trend. OBJECTIVE:To summarize the development history,research status,hot spots,and future development trends of artificial intelligence technology in the field of bone trauma to provide new insights for future research. METHODS:This study selected relevant literature from the Web of Science core database,covering the period from the inception to August 2023,and retrieved 420 articles related to the application of artificial intelligence,machine learning,and deep learning in the field of bone trauma.After manual screening,202 articles related to this article were exported,and Citespace software was used for visual analysis of cooperation of countries,institutions,cited journals,citation analysis,keyword co-occurrence,and other aspects. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The overall number of publications from the 202 selected articles showed an upward trend,indicating significant research potential for future studies.The country with the highest centrality and the highest publication volume was the United States.The University of California(USA)was the most prolific research institution.(2)The top five most commonly used keywords in bone trauma research using artificial intelligence were deep learning,artificial intelligence,bone density,machine learning,and diagnosis.The keyword with the highest centrality was bone density,and the keyword with the highest frequency was deep learning.(3)The top 10 most cited reference papers provided comprehensive insights into the feasibility of applying artificial intelligence techniques to the diagnosis of bone trauma from various perspectives.Among them,eight papers focused on bone and joint injuries and deep convolutional neural networks.One paper discussed the use of deep learning in detecting osteoporosis in CT scans to prevent fragility fractures,while another paper explored the correlation between the application of artificial intelligence in identifying changes in skin texture and the recognition of bone characteristics.(4)In the future,the research hotspots of artificial intelligence will mainly focus on the specific study of fractures caused by bone and joint trauma and osteoporosis.The research trend mainly focuses on improving the performance of artificial intelligence algorithms,using new artificial intelligence technologies to accurately classify and quickly and efficiently diagnose bone injuries,especially for the diagnosis of complex and hidden fractures.By establishing finite element analysis models,more standardized evaluations of bone injuries can be achieved.

BACKGROUND:The extracellular-regulated protein kinase 5(ERK5)signaling protein is essential for the survival of organisms,and resveratrol can promote osteoblast proliferation through various pathways.However,whether resveratrol can regulate osteoblast function through the ERK5 signaling protein needs further verification. OBJECTIVE:To explore the regulatory effect of ERK5 on the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells and related secreted proteins,and to further verify whether resveratrol can complete the above process by activating ERK5. METHODS:Mouse MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts were treated with complete culture medium,XMD8-92(an ERK5 inhibitor),epidermal growth factor(an ERK5 activator),resveratrol alone,XMD8-92+EGF,and resveratrol+XMD8-92,respectively.Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of ERK5 and p-ERK5 proteins,proliferation-related proteins Cyclin D1,CDK4 and PCNA,and osteoblast-secreted proteins osteoprotegerin and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand in MC3T3-E1 cells of each group.The fluorescence intensity of ERK5,osteoprotegerin and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand in each group was detected by cell immunofluorescence staining,and cell proliferation was detected by EdU staining,respectively.The appropriate concentration and time of resveratrol intervention in MC3T3-E1 cells were determined by cell morphology observation and cell counting kit-8 assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The activation of ERK5 signaling protein could effectively promote the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells,up-regulate the osteoprotegerin/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand ratio.The appropriate concentration and time for resveratrol intervention in MC3T3-E1 cells was 5 μmol/L and 24 hours,respectively.Resveratrol could activate ERK5 signaling protein,thereby promoting osteoblast proliferation and up-regulating the osteoprotegerin/RANKL ratio.All these results indicate that resveratrol can promote the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells and up-regulate the osteoprotegerin/RANKL ratio by activating the ERK5 signaling protein.

BACKGROUND:The combination of platelet-rich fibrin and autogenous bone has achieved good results in the treatment of periodontal bone defects,but the study of the combination of the two in the treatment of severe alveolar bone defects is scarce. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of autologous bone transplantation plus platelet-rich fibrin on the repair of severe alveolar bone defects. METHODS:A total of 102 patients with severe alveolar bone defects in Hengshui People's Hospital from April 2022 to February 2023 were selected and divided into control and observation groups(n=51 per group)by random number table method.Guided tissue regeneration was performed in both groups.The bone defect was filled with autogenous bone in the control group,and the observation group underwent platelet-rich fibrin+autogenous bone filling for bone defects during the operation.The clinical efficacy,changes in tooth mobility,periodontal microecological environment(probing depth,clinical attachment loss,and bleeding index),height and density of alveolar bone,gingival crevicular fluid indicators(transforming growth factor-β,serine protease inhibitor,and matrix metalloproteinase-3)before and after surgery,as well as adverse reactions were observed between the two groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Six months after operation,there was no significant difference in treatment efficacy rate between the two groups(P>0.05).At 3 and 6 months after surgery,the levels of tooth mobility,probing depth,clinical attachment loss,and bleeding index in the observation group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).At 6 months after surgery,the height of alveolar bone in the observation group was higher than that in the control group(P<0.05).At 3 and 6 months after surgery,the levels of transforming growth factor-β in gingival crevicular fluid in the observation group were higher than those in the control group(P<0.05).At 3 and 6 months after surgery,the levels of serine protease inhibitor and matrix metalloproteinase-3 in the observation group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).The results suggest that using platelet-rich fibrin+autogenous bone filling in guided tissue regeneration treatment of patients with severe alveolar bone defects can improve the periodontal microenvironment,reduce gingival tissue inflammation,promote alveolar bone tissue regeneration and repair,and reduce tooth mobility.

With the widespread use of antibiotics, drug-resistant bacterial infections have become a significant threat to human health. Finding new antibacterial strategies that can effectively control drug-resistant bacterial infections has become an urgent task. Unlike small molecule drugs that target bacterial proteins, antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) can target genes related to bacterial resistance, pathogenesis, growth, reproduction and biofilm formation. By regulating the expression of these genes, ASO can inhibit or kill bacteria, providing a novel approach for the development of antibacterial drugs. To overcome the challenge of delivering antisense oligonucleotide into bacterial cells, various drug delivery systems have been applied in this field, including cell-penetrating peptides, lipid nanoparticles and inorganic nanoparticles, which have injected new momentum into the development of antisense oligonucleotide in the antibacterial realm. This review summarizes the current development of small nucleic acid drugs, the antibacterial mechanisms, targets, sequences and delivery vectors of antisense oligonucleotide, providing a reference for the research and development of antisense oligonucleotide in the treatment of bacterial infections.