Esophageal cancer （EC） is a highly prevalent malignant tumor in China. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway， as one of the key oncogenic pathways， can promote the cell cycle progression， proliferation， migration， and invasion， induce chemoresistance， and inhibit apoptosis and autophagy of EC cells. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）， with the advantages of targeting multiple points with multiple components to delay cancer progression， can target the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway for EC treatment. This article preliminarily discusses the molecular mechanism and role of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in EC and elaborates on the specific targets and efficacy of TCM in treating EC through intervention in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in the past five years. TCM materials and extracts inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in EC include Borneolum， spore powder of Ganoderma lucidum without spore coat， extract of Celastrus orbiculatus， root extract of Taraxacum， and Bruceae Fructus oil emulsion. TCM active ingredients exerting the effect include flavonoids， terpenoids， saponins， phenols， polysaccharides， alkaloids， and other compounds. TCM compound prescriptions with such effect include Qige San， Huqi San， Xuanfu Daizhetang， Tongyoutang and its decomposed prescriptions， Liujunzi Tang， and Xishenzhi Formula. In addition， TCM injections such as Compound Kushen Injection and Kang'ai injection also inhibit the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in EC. This paper summarizes the role of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in EC and the TCM interventions， aiming to provide reference for the research and clinical application of new drugs for EC.

ObjectiveTo investigate the potential mechanism of Danggui Shaoyaosan （DSS） in ameliorating renal injury in db/db mice. MethodsThirty 8-week-old specific pathogen-free （SPF）-grade male db/db mice and six db/m mice were acclimated for one week. Urinary microalbumin and blood glucose levels were measured weekly in both db/db and db/m mice. Successful modeling was determined by significantly higher microalbuminuria in db/db mice compared to db/m mice and a fasting blood glucose ≥16.7 mmol·L^-1. The 30 db/db mice were randomly divided into five groups： the model group， the irbesartan （IBN） group， and three DSS dose groups （low-， medium-， and high-dose DSS groups， administered at 16.77， 33.54， 67.08 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively）. Additionally， the six db/m mice served as the normal control group. The IBN group received irbesartan at 0.025 g·kg^-1·d^-1 by gavage， while the three DSS groups received DSS at 16.77， 33.54， and 67.08 g·kg^-1·d^-1 by gavage， respectively. The normal and model groups were administered with an equivalent volume of normal saline by gavage. All interventions lasted for 8 consecutive weeks. After intervention， serum creatinine （SCr）， blood urea nitrogen （BUN）， urinary total protein （UTP）， triglyceride （TG）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） were measured to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the treatments. Renal histopathological changes were observed with hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of silencing information regulator 1 （SIRT1）， hypoxia-inducible factor-1α （HIF-1α）， very low-density lipoprotein receptor （VLDLr）， and cluster of differentiation 31 （CD31）. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA levels of HIF-1α and VLDLr. Immunohistochemistry was used to observe the expression and distribution of HIF-1α and Caspase-3. ResultsCompared to the normal group， the model group showed significantly increased SCr， BUN， UTP， TG， and LDL-C. HE staining revealed glomerulosclerosis， mesangial matrix hyperplasia， capillary loop distortion and thickening， with extensive inflammatory cell infiltration. Protein expression of SIRT1 and CD31 significantly decreased （P<0.05）， while HIF-1α and VLDLr protein and mRNA levels increased （P<0.05）. Immunohistochemistry showed increased expression of HIF-1α and Caspase-3 （P<0.05）， indicating hypoxia and apoptosis in renal cells. In all treatment groups， SCr， BUN， TG， and LDL-C were significantly reduced compared to the model group （P<0.05）， and UTP was significantly improved in the medium-dose DSS group （P<0.05）. Renal tissue structure and morphology were improved， inflammatory cells were reduced， and no vascular hyaline degeneration was observed. SIRT1 and CD31 protein expression was elevated to varying degrees compared to the model group （P<0.05）， while HIF-1α and VLDLr protein and mRNA levels decreased （P<0.05）. Immunohistochemistry showed reduced expression of HIF-1α and Caspase-3 in all treatment groups （P<0.05）， with the most significant improvement observed in the IBN group and medium-dose DSS group （P<0.05）. ConclusionDSS can effectively ameliorate glomerulosclerosis and lipid deposition in db/db mice， and its mechanism may involve the SIRT1/HIF-1α/VLDLr signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Danggui Shaoyaosan on the expression of Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-kappa B p65/NOD-like receptor protein 3 （TLR4/NF-κB p65/NLRP3） signaling pathway in the renal tissues of db/db mice with spontaneous diabetes， and to explore the potential mechanism by which Danggui Shaoyaosan alleviates inflammation in diabetic kidney disease （DKD）. MethodsThirty db/db mice were divided into five groups： A model group， Danggui Shaoyaosan low- （16.77 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， medium- （33.54 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， and high-dose （67.08 g·kg^-1·d^-1） intervention groups， as well as an irbesartan group （0.025 g·kg^-1·d^-1） by the random number table method， with 6 mice in each group. Additionally， 6 db/m mice were assigned to the normal group. After 8 weeks of intervention， the following parameters were determined by corresponding methods： body weight， fasting blood glucose （FBG）， 24-hour urinary protein （24 h-UTP）， and serum creatinine （SCr） levels， renal histopathological analysis by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， Masson staining， and periodic acid-Schiff （PAS） staining， the protein and mRNA expression levels of TLR4， NF-κB p65， NLRP3， tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-10 （IL-10）， and interleukin-18 （IL-18） by Western blot and Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， as well as TLR4， NF-κB p65， and NLRP3 protein expression in renal tissues by immunohistochemistry （IHC）. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group exhibited increased body weight， FBG， 24 h-UTP， and SCr levels （P<0.05）； disordered renal structure， thickened basement membrane， and interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration， elevated TLR4， NF-κB p65， NLRP3， TNF-α， IL-1β， IL-6， and IL-18 expression； as well as decreased IL-10 expression （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， these pathological changes and biochemical abnormalities were reversed in the medicine intervention groups to varying degrees （P<0.05）. ConclusionDanggui Shaoyaosan may delay DKD progression by alleviating renal inflammatory response and reducing urinary protein excretion via modulating the TLR4/NF-κB p65/NLRP3 signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic efficacy of Danggui Shaoyaosan （DSS） on renal injury in db/db mice and its impact on endoplasmic reticulum stress （ERS） in renal tissues. MethodsThirty 8-week-old male db/db mice and six db/m mice were acclimated for one week， after which urinary microalbumin and blood glucose levels were monitored to establish a diabetic kidney disease （DKD） model. The model mice were randomly divided into a model group， an irbesartan group， and three DSS treatment groups with different doses （16.77， 33.54， and 67.08 g·kg^-1·d^-1）. A normal group was set as control. Each group was intragastrically administered with the corresponding drugs or saline for 8 weeks. After the intervention， general conditions were observed. Serum cystatin C （Cys-C）， 24-hour urinary total protein （24 h-UTP）， 24-hour urinary microalbumin （24 h-UMA）， urinary creatinine （Ucr）， and urea nitrogen （UUN） were measured. Transmission electron microscopy （TEM） was used to observe glomerular basement membrane （GBM） and ultrastructural changes of the endoplasmic reticulum （ER） in glomerular endothelial cells. Western blot， real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze renal tissue structure and the expression of GRP78， CHOP， and related markers. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the mice in the model group showed curled posture， sluggish response， poor fur condition， increased levels of Cys-C， 24 h-UTP， 24 h-UMA， and UUN （P<0.05）， while Ucr decreased （P<0.05）. The GBM was significantly thickened， with podocyte and foot process fusion. The protein expressions of GRP78， CHOP， and ATF6 were significantly upregulated （P<0.05）， the mRNA levels of GRP78 and CHOP increased （P<0.05）， and immunohistochemistry showed an enhanced GRP78 signal （P<0.05）. After treatment， the mice exhibited improved behavior， normalized GBM and podocyte structure， improved ER morphology and markedly better biochemical indicators. Western blot， Real-time PCR， and immunohistochemistry indicated that the ERS-related markers were downregulated in the DSS treatment groups （P<0.05）， suggesting alleviated ERS and improved renal function. ConclusionDSS can effectively ameliorate renal pathological damage in db/db mice， possibly by regulating ERS in glomerular endothelial cells， although the underlying signaling mechanisms require further investigation.

BACKGROUND:Cell-free therapy is a research hotspot in the field of medical cosmetic anti-aging.It is still unknown for paracellular secretion of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived small extracellular vesicles loaded with the antiaging drug α-ketoglutaric acid to delay skin aging.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of the anti-aging agent α-ketoglutarate engineered human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived small extracellular vesicles in a D-galactose-induced model of dermal fibroblast senescence.METHODS:(1)Biological characteristics of primary human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were identified by osteogenic-lipogenic differentiation staining and flow cytometry.(2)The small extracellular vesicles derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell were obtained by using differential-ultracentrifugation.α-Ketoglutarate-engineered human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-small extracellular vesicles were constructed by electroporation,and biologically characterized by transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analyzer,while the encapsulation rate was assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography.(3)The effect of α-ketoglutarate on the proliferative capacity of dermal fibroblasts was assessed by CCK-8 and Edu cell proliferation assay kits.(4)The effect of α-ketoglutarate-engineered human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-small extracellular vesicles on delaying the senescence of dermal fibroblasts was evaluated by reactive oxygen species detection kit,western blot assay,and cellular immunofluorescence.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The obtained human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell and human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-small extracellular vesicles were biologically compatible.(2)There was no toxic effect on dermal fibroblasts when α-ketoglutarate was used in the concentration range of 0.5-8 mmol/L.(3)D-gal induced senescence in dermal fibroblasts,while α-ketoglutarate-engineered human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-small extracellular vesicles treatment reduced the level of oxidative stress,DNA damage,and collagen loss,which was further verified that α-ketoglutarate-engineered human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-small extracellular vesicles could effectively slow down the skin aging process.

BACKGROUND:Cell-free therapy is a research hotspot in the field of medical cosmetic anti-aging.It is still unknown for paracellular secretion of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived small extracellular vesicles loaded with the antiaging drug α-ketoglutaric acid to delay skin aging.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of the anti-aging agent α-ketoglutarate engineered human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived small extracellular vesicles in a D-galactose-induced model of dermal fibroblast senescence.METHODS:(1)Biological characteristics of primary human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were identified by osteogenic-lipogenic differentiation staining and flow cytometry.(2)The small extracellular vesicles derived from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell were obtained by using differential-ultracentrifugation.α-Ketoglutarate-engineered human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-small extracellular vesicles were constructed by electroporation,and biologically characterized by transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analyzer,while the encapsulation rate was assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography.(3)The effect of α-ketoglutarate on the proliferative capacity of dermal fibroblasts was assessed by CCK-8 and Edu cell proliferation assay kits.(4)The effect of α-ketoglutarate-engineered human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-small extracellular vesicles on delaying the senescence of dermal fibroblasts was evaluated by reactive oxygen species detection kit,western blot assay,and cellular immunofluorescence.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The obtained human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell and human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-small extracellular vesicles were biologically compatible.(2)There was no toxic effect on dermal fibroblasts when α-ketoglutarate was used in the concentration range of 0.5-8 mmol/L.(3)D-gal induced senescence in dermal fibroblasts,while α-ketoglutarate-engineered human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-small extracellular vesicles treatment reduced the level of oxidative stress,DNA damage,and collagen loss,which was further verified that α-ketoglutarate-engineered human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-small extracellular vesicles could effectively slow down the skin aging process.

ObjectiveTo investigate the association and translational mechanism between the hepatotoxicity of Xianling Gubao （XLGB） and its treatment of osteoporosis based on a zebrafish model. MethodsZebrafish were randomly selected four days after fertilization （4 dpf） and exposed to different concentrations of XLGB （0.7，0.35 mg·L^-1） for 96 h. At the endpoint of the exposure， the mortality rates of zebrafish in the treatment groups of different concentrations were counted， and the "dose-toxicity" curves were plotted. The 10% sublethal concentration （LC₁₀） was calculated. The liver area， acridine orange staining， and pathological tissue sections of transgenic zebrafish ［CZ16 （gz15Tg.Tg （fabp 10a： ds Red； ela31： EGFP）］ were used as indicators to confirm the hepatic damage caused by the sublethal concentration of XLGB. By using the prednisolone （PNSL）-induced osteoporosis model of zebrafish， the anti-osteoporosis activity of XLGB was evaluated by using the area of skull stained by alizarin red and the cumulative optical density value as indicators. Then， the toxicity difference of XLGB on the liver of zebrafish in healthy and osteoporotic states was compared， and the mechanism of the translational action of the toxicity of XLGB was predicted based on network pharmacology and real-time polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR）. ResultsThe LC₁₀ of XLGB on zebrafish （8 dpf） was 0.7 mg·L^-1. Compared with the blank group， the sublethal concentration （LC₁₀=0.7 mg·L^-1， 1/2 LC₁₀=0.35 mg·L^-1） of XLGB induced an increase in the number of apoptosis of hepatocytes in a dose-dependent manner， and the tissue arrangement of the liver was disordered and loose. The vacuoles were obvious， and the fluorescence area of the liver was significantly reduced （P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， the mineralized area and cumulative optical density value of zebrafish skull in the PNSL model group were significantly reduced （P<0.01）， and those in the 0.7，0.35 mg·L^-1 XLGB treatment group were significantly increased compared with the model group （P<0.01）. Most importantly， 0.7 mg·L^-1 XLGB had no significant effect on the liver of zebrafish in the osteoporosis disease model compared with the blank group. The results of network pharmacology and real-time PCR experiments showed that the toxic transformation of XLGB might be related to the differences in the expression levels of key targets， such as tumor protein 53 （TP53）， cysteine aspartic acid specific protease-3（Caspase-3）， interleukin（IL）-6， and alkaline phosphatase（ALP） in different organismal states. ConclusionUnder certain conditions， XLGB has hepatotoxicity in normal zebrafish， but under osteoporotic conditions， XLGB not only exerts significant anti-osteoporosis activity but also alleviates hepatotoxicity significantly， which provides a reference for the safe clinical use of XLGB and real evidence for the theories of traditional Chinese medicine of attacking poison with poison and of treating disease with corresponding drugs without damage to the body.

Objective:To investigate the related factors of kidney injury in patients with masked hypertension (MHT).Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. A total of 311 MHT patients who visited Dongguan Liaobu Community Health Service from June 1,2022 to June 1, 2023 were enrolled in the study. The complete blood biochemistry, urinary microalbumin and 24-hour urinary protein tests were conducted, and the risk factors of renal injury in MHT patients were analyzed with multivariate logistic regression.Results:The age of the 311 enrolled patients was(48.8±9.2)years, with 192 males(61.7%) There were 73 cases with microalbuminuria (MAU), accounting for 23.47% (73/311); and 28 cases of positive 24-hour urine total protein (24-hour UTP), accounted for 9.00% (28/311). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that fasting blood glucose level and mean nocturnal systolic blood pressure were independent risk factors of positive MAU in MHT patients ( OR=1.577, 95% CI: 1.049-2.370, P=0.030; OR=1.024, 95% CI: 1.001-1.047, P=0.038), while older age was a protective factor of MAU ( OR=0.965, 95% CI: 0.935-0.997, P=0.030); mean nocturnal systolic pressure, 24-hour mean systolic pressure and mean diurnal systolic pressure were independent risk factors of positive 24-hour UTP in MHT patients ( OR=1.031,95% CI: 1.000-1.064, P=0.049; OR=1.048,95% CI: 1.008-1.091, P=0.020; OR=1.042,95% CI: 1.003-1.083, P=0.035). Conclusion:Older age, fasting blood glucose, mean nocturnal systolic pressure, 24-hour mean systolic pressure and mean diurnal systolic pressure are associated with the renal injury in MHT patients.

Objective:To evaluate the mechanical stability of the bone block after LeFort Ⅰ osteotomy with maxillary advancement using absorbable plates fixed with tenon-and-mortise structures.Methods:This study developed three finite element models: one for the maxillary LeFort Ⅰ osteotomy with anterior advancement fixed with absorbable plates (Model 1); another for the maxillary LeFort Ⅰ osteotomy with anterior advancement fixed with absorbable plates assisted by tenon-and-mortise structures (Model 2); and the last one for the maxillary LeFort Ⅰ osteotomy with anterior advancement fixed with titanium plates and screws (Model 3). Simulated occlusal forces were applied on the anterior and posterior teeth in each model. The displacement changes of the nasal-palatine point (NP) and posterior nasal spine point (PNS) in the finite element coordinate system were compared and analyzed. The Mises equivalent stress distributions of the metal and absorbable plates were also examined to assess the mechanical stability of the three finite element models. Clinical data from 45 patients with dentofacial deformities treated from January 2017 to January 2023 at the Stomatology Hospital of China Medical University were collected. The age of the patients was 21±3 years. Among these, 15 patients had absorbable plates for fixation, 15 had absorbable plates assisted by tenon-and-mortise structures, and 15 had titanium plates and screws fixation after maxillary advancement. All patients underwent preoperative (T0), postoperative 3 days (T1), and 6 months (T2) spiral CT scans. The CT data in DICOM format were input into digital software, which was used to calculate the distances from the NP and PNS points to the horizontal plane (HP), right sagittal plane (FZSR), and coronal plane (CP) at T1 and T2. The distances at T1 and T2 were statistically analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test with SPSS 20.0, and a P value of<0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results:The finite element analysis showed that in the absorbable plate-only fixation group, the maximum displacement of the NP point (mm) under anterior and posterior tooth force conditions were 0.6 and 0.12, respectively, and for the PNS point, the maximum displacements were 0.5 and 0.11. In the tenon-and-mortise-assisted absorbable plate fixation group, the displacement of the NP point was 0.40 and 0.02 mm, and the displacement of the PNS point was 0.5 and 0.015 mm. In the titanium plate-screw fixation group, the NP point displacement was 0.33 and 0.055 mm, and the PNS point displacement was 0.16 and 0.1 mm. The Mises equivalent stress on the absorbable plates with tenon-and-mortise structure was significantly lower than that in the absorbable plate-only fixation group, while the titanium plate experienced the highest Mises equivalent stress. The clinical data analysis showed that in the horizontal direction, the postoperative stability of the three fixation methods was similar. However, in the vertical and anterior-posterior directions, the absorbable plate-only fixation group showed significant differences in the distances of PNS-HP, PNS-CP, and NP-CP between T1 and T2 ( P=0.018, P=0.009, P=0.017), suggesting significant postoperative bone displacement. In contrast, the tenon-and-mortise-assisted absorbable plate fixation group and the titanium plate-screw fixation group showed no significant differences in displacement during surgery and postoperatively(all P>0.05), demonstrating higher stability. Conclusions:The tenon-and-mortise-assisted absorbable plate fixation provides comparable stability to titanium plate fixation in clinical results, and it is more stable than absorbable plate-only fixation. In the mechanical study, when force was applied on the anterior teeth, the stability of the tenon-and-mortise-assisted absorbable plate fixation was slightly less than that of titanium plate fixation, but when posterior teeth were used, its stability exceeded both titanium plate fixation and absorbable plate-only fixation. The tenon-and-mortise-assisted absorbable plate fixation serves as an effective alternative to titanium plate fixation after LeFort Ⅰ osteotomy.

To explore the application of sequential analysis in post-market safety dynamic surveillance of vaccines. Under the dynamic monitoring data of vaccines post-market approval, this research introduces the fundamental principles of maximizing sequential probability ratio test (MaxSPRT) and Bayesian sequential analysis, employing R software. Through an example of dynamic safety monitoring data of vaccines post-market approval, we analyze using the MaxSPRT and Bayesian sequential analysis. The MaxSPRT identified a safety signal in week 4 ( P<0.05), while Bayesian sequential analysis indicated that the 95% highest density interval for the RR value at week 4 is 1.13-3.27, suggesting the first appearance of a safety signal at week 4. The MaxSPRT and Bayesian sequential analysis effectively leverage continuously accumulating dynamic monitoring data, thereby serving as a valuable method for post-market safety surveillance of vaccines.