The biological clock(also known as the circadian rhythm)is the fundamental reliance for all organisms on Earth to adapt and survive in the Earth's rotation environment.Circadian rhythm is the most basic regulatory mechanism of life activities,and plays a key role in maintaining normal physiological and biochemical homeostasis,disease occurrence and treatment.Recent studies have shown that the biologi-cal clock plays an important role in the development of oral tissues and in the occurrence and treatment of oral diseases.Since there is cur-rently no guiding literature on the research methods of biological clock in stomatology,researchers mainly conduct research based on pub-lished references,which has led to controversy about the research methods of biological clock in stomatology,and there are many confusions about how to rationally apply the research methods of circadia rhythms.In view of this,this expert consensus summarizes the characteristics of the biological clock and analyzes the shortcomings of the current biological clock research in stomatology,and organizes relevant experts to summarize and recommend 10 principles as a reference for the rational implementation of the biological clock in stomatology research.

Objective:To evaluate the effects of exosomes derived from cardiac fibroblasts treated with hypothermic hypoxia-reoxygenation on ventricular electrical conduction during hypothermic cardiac ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in rats.Methods:SPF neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats of either sex, aged 1-2 days, were used, and primary cardiac fibroblasts were extracted by differential adhesion method. The cells were passaged for 2-4 generations. When the cell density reached 60%-70%, the cells were transferred and exposed to 95% N 2 + 5% CO 2 for 1 h at 4 ℃, and then exposed to 95% air + 5% CO 2 for 24-48 h at 37 ℃, and then exosomes were extracted. Twenty-four SPF healthy adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 2-3 months, weighing 280-360 g, were divided into 3 groups ( n=8 each) according to the random number table method: control group (group C), hypothermic cardiac IR group (I/R group) and exosome + hypothermic cardiac IR group (Exo-IR group). At 48 h before equilibrium perfusion, 1.5 ml (200 μg) of exosomes secreted by cardiac fibroblasts treated with hypothermic hypoxia-reoxygenation was injected into the tail vein in Exo-IR group, and PBS 1.5 ml was injected into the tail vein in C group and IR group each. Group C received 110 min equilibration perfusion. After 20 min of equilibration, the perfusion was suspended for 60 min (global ischemia) followed by 30 min of reperfusion in IR and Exo-IR groups. Microelectrode arrays were applied at 20 min of equilibrium perfusion and 15 and 30 min of reperfusion to obtain myocardial conduction velocity (CV), absolute conduction inhomogeneity (P 5-95) and inhomogeneity index (P 5-95/P 50) on the left ventricular surface of isolated rat hearts. Results:Compared with group C, the CV was significantly decreased at 15 and 30 min of reperfusion, and P 5-95 and P 5-95/P 50 were increased in IR and Exo-IR groups ( P<0.05). Compared with IR group, CV was significantly increased at 15 and 30 min of reperfusion, and P 5-95 and P 5-95/P 50 were decreased in Exo-IR group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Exosomes derived from cardiac fibroblasts treated with hypothermic hypoxia-reoxygenation can improve ventricular electrical conduction during hypothermic cardiac I/R in rats.

BACKGROUND: Dysfunction of the gap junction channel protein connexin 43 (Cx43) contributes to myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced ventricular arrhythmias. Cx43 can be regulated by small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) modification. Protein inhibitor of activated STAT Y (PIASy) is an E3 SUMO ligase for its target proteins. However, whether Cx43 is a target protein of PIASy and whether Cx43 SUMOylation plays a role in I/R-induced arrhythmias are largely unknown. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were infected with PIASy short hairpin ribonucleic acid (shRNA) using recombinant adeno-associated virus subtype 9 (rAAV9). Two weeks later, the rats were subjected to 45 min of left coronary artery occlusion followed by 2 h reperfusion. Electrocardiogram was recorded to assess arrhythmias. Rat ventricular tissues were collected for molecular biological measurements. RESULTS: Following 45 min of ischemia, QRS duration and QTc intervals statistically significantly increased, but these values decreased after transfecting PIASy shRNA. PIASy downregulation ameliorated ventricular arrhythmias induced by myocardial I/R, as evidenced by the decreased incidence of ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation, and reduced arrythmia score. In addition, myocardial I/R statistically significantly induced PIASy expression and Cx43 SUMOylation, accompanied by reduced Cx43 phosphorylation and plakophilin 2 (PKP2) expression. Moreover, PIASy downregulation remarkably reduced Cx43 SUMOylation, accompanied by increased Cx43 phosphorylation and PKP2 expression after I/R. CONCLUSION PIASy downregulation inhibited Cx43 SUMOylation and increased PKP2 expression, thereby improving ventricular arrhythmias in ischemic/reperfused rats heart.
Rats ; Male ; Animals ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury/metabolism* ; Connexin 43/genetics* ; Sumoylation ; Down-Regulation ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac/drug therapy* ; Myocardial Ischemia/metabolism* ; RNA, Small Interfering/metabolism*

Objective To investigate the allergen profiles of dust mite-sensitive allergic rhinitis patients in Dalian,and to lay the foun-dation for precise prevention and control of allergic rhinitis.Methods Clinical data of allergic rhinitis patients treated at Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University from January 2015 to December 2022 were collected.The allergen distribution spectrums were compared between different groups designated according to sex,age,allergen reaction level,combination of other allergens,and testing time.Results A total of 1 330 allergic rhinitis patients were included,among whom the total detection rate of dust mite allergy was 60.83%(n= 809),with 330(40.79%)of these having dust mite sensitization alone and 479(59.21%)having multiple sensitization.There were many kinds of allergens in multiple sensitization.Among those with dust mite allergy,all 20 combined allergens detected in this group were analyzed,and mugwort,cat hair,and common rinea grass were the top three allergens in combined sensitization,accounting for 64.52%.The number of other allergens combined with dust mite was mainly 1-3 species(88.73%),and a maximum of 10 allergens were simultaneously present.Patients with 1-3 other combined sensitivities were mainly reactive to respiratory allergens,and those with 4 or more allergens essentially had joint sensitization to respiratory and food allergens.As for the allergen reaction level,the dust mite sensitivity reaction was relatively strong,with grade 3 or above accounting for 61.19%.Except for mugwort,the other combined allergens elicited mainly grade 1 and grade 2 reactions.The detection rates of dust mite allergy were 61.84%in male patients and 59.94%in female patients,with no statistical difference between the sexes(χ2=4.000,P= 0.261).The detection rate of dust mite sensitization was highest in the group aged<20 years and decreased with age(χ2=69.984,P<0.001).Dust mite-sensitive allergic rhinitis mainly occurred from August to October,and the detection rate of dust mite sensitization was the highest in October,reaching 80.16%.Conclusion The dust mite sensitization rate in patients with allergic rhinitis in the Dalian area is relatively high,and multiple sensitization is more common.Combinations of respiratory allergens mainly involve 1-3 types,and mugwort,cat hair,and common ragweed are the most common aller-gens combined with dust mite.Therefore,prevention and control of allergic rhinitis should focus on the characteristics of dust mite allergy in this region.

Objective:To evaluate the effects of exosomes derived from cardiac fibroblasts pretreated with sevoflurane on ventricular electrical conduction in isolated rat hearts subjected to hypothermic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) using the multi-electrode array mapping technique.Methods:Primary cardiac fibroblasts were extracted by differential adhesion in SPF Sprague-Dawley rats of either sex.Cardiac fibroblasts of passage 2-4 were treated with 2.5% sevoflurane for 1 h, and then cultured for 24-48 h to extract exosome.SPF healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 2-3 months, weighing 280-320 g, were divided into 3 groups ( n=8 each) using a random number table method: control group (group C), I/R group and sevoflurane-pretreated cardiac fibroblast-derived exosome+ IR group (group S+ IR). Hearts were perfused for 110-min equilibration in group C. After 20 min of equilibration, the perfusion was suspended for 60 min (global ischemia) followed by 30 min of reperfusion in IR and S+ IR groups.Exosomes 1 ml (200 μg) derived from cardiac fibroblasts pretreated with sevoflurane were injected through the tail vein at 48 h before surgery in group S+ IR, and the equal volume of normal saline was injected instead in C and IR groups.The cardiac conduction velocity (CV), conduction absolute inhomogeneity (P 5-95) and inhomogeneity index (P 5-95/P 50) were obtained at 20 min of equilibration (T 0) and 15 and 30 min of reperfusion (T 1, 2) using the microelectrode array attaching to the left ventricular surface of the isolated heart. Results:Compared with group C, CV was significantly decreased and P 5-95 and P 5-95/P 50 were increased at T 1 ( P<0.05), and no significant change was found at T 2 in group S+ IR ( P>0.05), and CV was significantly decreased and P 5-95 and P 5-95/P 50 were increased at T 1, 2 in group IR ( P<0.05). Compared with group IR, CV was significantly increased and P 5-95 and P 5-95/P 50 were decreased at T 1, 2 in group S+ IR ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Exosomes derived from cardiac fibroblasts pretreated with sevoflurane can improve ventricular electrical conduction in isolated rat hearts subjected to hypothermic I/R.

Background/Aims: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent functional gastrointestinal disease characterized by recurrent abdominal pain and bowel dysfunction. However, the majority of previous neuroimaging studies focus on brain structure and connections but seldom on the inter-hemispheric connectivity or structural asymmetry. This study uses multi-modal imaging to investigate the abnormal changes across the 2 cerebral hemispheres in patients with IBS. Methods: Structural MRI, resting-state functional MRI, and diffusion tensor imaging were acquired from 34 patients with IBS and 33 healthy controls. The voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity, fractional anisotropy, fiber length, fiber number, and asymmetry index were calculated and assessed for group differences. In addition, we assessed their relevance for the severity of IBS. Results: Compared with healthy controls, the inter-hemispheric functional connectivity of patients with IBS showed higher levels in bilateral superior occipital gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, precuneus, posterior cingulate gyrus, and angular gyrus, but lower in supplementary motor area. The statistical results showed no significant difference in inter-hemispheric anatomical connections and structural asymmetry, however negative correlations between inter-hemispheric connectivity and the severity of IBS were found in some regions with significant difference. Conclusions The functional connections between cerebral hemispheres were more susceptible to IBS than anatomical connections, and brain structure is relatively stable. Besides, the brain areas affected by IBS were concentrated in default mode network and sensorimotor network.

Background/Aims: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent functional gastrointestinal disease characterized by recurrent abdominal pain and bowel dysfunction. However, the majority of previous neuroimaging studies focus on brain structure and connections but seldom on the inter-hemispheric connectivity or structural asymmetry. This study uses multi-modal imaging to investigate the abnormal changes across the 2 cerebral hemispheres in patients with IBS. Methods: Structural MRI, resting-state functional MRI, and diffusion tensor imaging were acquired from 34 patients with IBS and 33 healthy controls. The voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity, fractional anisotropy, fiber length, fiber number, and asymmetry index were calculated and assessed for group differences. In addition, we assessed their relevance for the severity of IBS. Results: Compared with healthy controls, the inter-hemispheric functional connectivity of patients with IBS showed higher levels in bilateral superior occipital gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, precuneus, posterior cingulate gyrus, and angular gyrus, but lower in supplementary motor area. The statistical results showed no significant difference in inter-hemispheric anatomical connections and structural asymmetry, however negative correlations between inter-hemispheric connectivity and the severity of IBS were found in some regions with significant difference. Conclusions The functional connections between cerebral hemispheres were more susceptible to IBS than anatomical connections, and brain structure is relatively stable. Besides, the brain areas affected by IBS were concentrated in default mode network and sensorimotor network.

Objective:To investigate the value of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in diagnosis of retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis for early cervical cancer.Methods:Retrospectively analyze the preoperative PET/CT examination results and postoperative pathological results of patients with early cervical cancer who underwent surgical treatment from May 5, 2019 to August 31, 2020, and analyze the clinical characteristics, so as to explore the high risk factors of PET/CT in the diagnosis of retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis.Results:The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC) of PET/CT in the diagnosis of retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis were 75.2%, 60.0%, 81.3% and 0.707, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that 2009 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, tumor diameter >4 cm, lymphovascular space involvement (LVSI) positive, depth of invasion, high squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) level and cytological grade were important factors for PET/CT in the diagnosis of retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis ( P<0.05); Multivariate analysis showed that tumor diameter >4 cm was an independent risk factor for PET/CT diagnosis of retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis ( P=0.015). Conclusions:PET/CT has a certain diagnostic value in the evaluation of retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis, but it can not fully reflect the facticity of lymph node metastasis; tumor diameter > 4cm is an independent risk factor for PET/CT in the diagnosis of retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis.

　　Heavy metals including lead, cadmium, manganese, and mercury are important raw materials and auxiliary materials in industrial production, but they are also seriously polluting the environment. While most of the early toxicological data on heavy metals are derived from studying occupational exposure populations, the general adult population and the infants and adolescents are now increasingly being studied for the health hazards of heavy metals. Epidemiological and laboratory studies have clearly demonstrated the neurotoxicity of heavy metals and sleeping is heavily regulated and coordinated by nervous system. Based on available epidemiological studies, the paper reviewed the effects of heavy metals on sleep status of occupational and non-occupational (general adults as well as infants and adolescents) populations. In addition, it presented the associated mechanisms in terms of sleep-wake cycle and sleep-related neurochemicals.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of non-penetrating trabecular surgery combined with nearly 360-degree suture trabeculotomy for the treatment of primary congenital glaucoma (PCG).Methods:An observational case series study was conducted.A total of 29 cases (50 eyes) with PCG, including 21 males (35 eyes) and 8 females (15 eyes), were enrolled in Jiangsu Province Hospital and Nanjing Children's Hospital from January to November, 2019.The age of subjects ranged from 1 month to 4 years, and the median age was 6 months.Non-penetrating trabecular surgery was first performed in order to open the Schlemm canal.The cannulation and nearly 360-degree suture trabeculotomy were then performed with the twisted 6-0 polypropylene suture.Intraocular pressure (IOP), corneal diameter, cup-to-disc ratio (c/d) and complications were recorded preoperatively and 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, and 24 months postoperatively, and the proportion of sutures successfully passed through the Schlemm canal and the success rate of operation were recorded.This study followed the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by an Ethics Committee of The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (No.2019-SR-198). Written informed consent was obtained from the guardian of each subject prior to entering the study cohort.Results:Circumferential cannulation by suture was successfully performed in 90% of the subjects.The Harms trabeculotomy probe was applied in failed cases.Mean IOP was significantly lowered from preoperative (35.0±9.5) mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) to (9.9±4.4), (10.0±4.2), (9.7±4.4), (9.0±2.9), (9.4±4.2), (9.3±3.3) and (9.5±3.8) mmHg at postoperative 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months and 24 months, respectively ( F=141.56, P<0.01). Mean corneal diameter was significantly reduced from preoperative (13.7±1.4) mm to (13.3±1.4), (12.9±1.4), (12.8±1.3), (12.7±1.2), (12.6±1.1), (12.6±1.1) and (12.8±0.4) mm at postoperative 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months and 24 months, respectively ( F=4.55, P<0.01). Mean c/d was significantly reduced from preoperative 0.81±0.15 to 0.55±0.22, 0.48±0.23, 0.45±0.22, 0.43±0.21, 0.41±0.20, 0.40±0.21 and 0.31±0.19 at postoperative 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months and 24 months, respectively ( F=21.07, P<0.01). Forty-two eyes (93.3%) achieved complete success and 45 eyes (100%) achieved qualified success at postoperative 12 months.No severe complications were observed during or after surgery. Conclusions:Non-penetrating trabecular surgery combined with nearly 360-degree suture trabeculotomy can effectively treat patients with PCG without any severe complications.