BACKGROUND:There are many treatment methods for knee osteoarthritis,among which electroacupuncture,as an important non-drug treatment,is effective in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis,but its exact mechanism is not clear. OBJECTIVE:Effect of electroacupuncture on the expression of p53 and P21 in articular cartilage and subchondral bone of aged rats with knee osteoarthritis. METHODS:Eight 6-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were included in the young group and sixteen 24-month-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into old group(n=8)and electroacupuncture group(n=8).The rats in the electroacupuncture group received electroacupuncture stimulation once a day,5 days a week,for 8 continuous weeks,and the other two groups did not do any treatment.Eight weeks later,the level of type Ⅱ collagen C-terminal peptide in peripheral blood was detected by ELISA,the morphology of left knee cartilage and subchondral bone was observed by safranin O-fast green staining,the degree of knee cartilage degeneration was evaluated by modified Mankin's score,the microstructure of left knee cartilage and subchondral bone was detected by micro-CT,and the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase 13,P53,P21 Mrna and protein were detected by RT-PCR and western blot respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the young group,the level of C-terminal peptide of type Ⅱ collagen in the peripheral blood was increased in the old group(P<0.05).The micro-CT results showed that the bone volume fraction,bone mineral density and the number of bone trabeculae were decreased in the old group compared with the young group(P<0.05),while the trabecular separation increased(P<0.05).Safranin O-fast green staining showed that in the old group,the surface layer of cartilage was uneven with fissures,the morphology of chondrocytes was irregular and stained unevenly,the boundary between the cartilage and subchondral bone was blurred,and the matrix loss was serious.The Mankin's score was higher in the old group than the young group(P<0.05).The expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13,P53,P21 at Mrna and protein levels increased in the old group compared with the young group(P<0.05).Compared with the old group,electroacupuncture decreased the level of C-terminal peptide of type Ⅱ collagen(P<0.05),increased the bone volume fraction,bone mineral density and the number of bone trabeculae(P<0.05),and decreased the trabecular separation(P<0.05).Safranin O-fast green staining showed that in the electroacupuncture group,the surface of cartilage was smooth and red staining was uniform,and the cell morphology and structure were between the young group and the old group.Following electroacupuncture treatment,the Mankin's score(P<0.05),matrix metalloproteinase 13 and P21 Mrna expression(P<0.05),and matrix metalloproteinase 13 and P53 protein expression decreased(P<0.05),while there was a decreasing trend of P53 Mrna and P21 protein expression,but with no statistical significance(P>0.05).To conclude,electroacupuncture may delay articular cartilage degeneration and subchondral osteoporosis in aged rats by inhibiting the expression of P53 and P21,so as to protect joints and delay joint aging.

BACKGROUND:Inflammation is one of the important factors that induce cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.Studies have shown that electroacupuncture can effectively reduce inflammation after ischemic stroke and improve the symptoms of neurological deficits,but the mechanism is not clear. OBJECTIVE:To observe the effect of electroacupuncture on Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-κB in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS:Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham operation group,model group and electroacupuncture group,with 16 rats in each group.The rat model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury was prepared by middle cerebral artery occlusion.At 24 hours after modeling,the rats in the electroacupuncture group were treated with electroacupuncture,once a day,20 minutes each time,for a total of 5 days.The sham operation group and the model group did not do any intervention.After 5 days of intervention,Longa method was used to evaluate the degree of neurological injury in rats.Triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining and hematoxylin-eosin staining were used to measure the volume of cerebral infarction and the pathological changes of brain tissue in rats.Serum interleukin-6,interleukin-18 and tumor necrosis factor-α were detected by ELISA.Expressions of Toll-like receptor 4 and nuclear factor-κB in the cerebral cortex at mRNA and protein levels were detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR and western blot,respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the sham operation group,the neurological function scores,serum interleukin-6,interleukin-18,and tumor necrosis factor-α levels,Toll-like receptor 4 and nuclear factor-κB mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly higher in the model group(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,electroacupuncture significantly reduced the neurological function scores,serum interleukin-6,interleukin-18,and tumor necrosis factor-α levels,Toll-like receptor 4 and nuclear factor-κB mRNA and protein expression levels(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Compared with the sham operation group,the volume of cerebral infarction in the model group increased significantly(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the volume of cerebral infarction in the electroacupuncture group decreased(P＜0.05).In the model group,the arrangement of neurons was disordered,some nerve cells disappeared,nuclei presented with pyknosis and incomplete structure.After electroacupuncture intervention,the degree of neuronal degeneration and neuronal loss in the cerebral cortex of rats were reduced compared with those in the model group.To conclude,electroacupuncture can significantly improve the neurobehavior of rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury,reduce brain tissue injury,and effectively reduce the level of serum inflammatory factors.The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway.

Objective:To explore the clinical value of CT identification of vascular variations in the dorsal side of right middle segmental bronchus before thoracoscopic lobectomy.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 3 patients who underwent thoracoscopic lobectomy at Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital from July 2022 to March 2024 and had a variant blood vessel on the dorsal side of the right middle segmental bronchus. Relevant literature was also reviewed.Results:Among the 3 patients, 2 were female and 1 was male, with ages of 66, 50 and 69 years old, respectively. Prior to admission, imaging examinations revealed space-occupying lesions or nodes in the right lung, and all patients underwent thoracoscopic right lobectomy and systematic lymph node dissection. Postoperative pathology diagnosed adenocarcinoma in the lower lobe of the right lung, cystic adenoma in the upper lobe of the right lung and invasive adenocarcinoma in the lower lobe of the right lung. Preoperative chest CT scans revealed an abnormal blood vessel on the dorsal side of the right middle segmental bronchus, and its direction and confluence with the right lower pulmonary vein or left atrium were observed on the downward CT imaging. This was confirmed and treated accordingly during surgery. All 3 patients had no postoperative complications and recovered smoothly. Follow-up showed good health status.Conclusions:The vascular variation on the dorsal side of the right middle segmental bronchus has obvious characteristic manifestations on chest CT. Identifying the variation by CT before thoracoscopic lobectomy can effectively ensure surgical safety and reduce the occurrence of postoperative complications.

The dental operative microscope has been widely employed in the field of dentistry, particularly in endodontics and operative dentistry, resulting in significant advancements in the effectiveness of root canal therapy, endodontic surgery, and dental restoration. However, the improper use of this microscope continues to be common in clinical settings, primarily due to operators' insufficient understanding and proficiency in both the features and established operating procedures of this equipment. In October 2019, Professor Jingping Liang, Vice Chairman of the Society of Cariology and Endodontology, Chinese Stomatological Association, organized a consensus meeting with Chinese experts in endodontics and operative dentistry. The objective of this meeting was to establish a standard operation procedure for the dental operative microscope. Subsequently, a consensus was reached and officially issued. Over the span of about four years, the content of this consensus has been further developed and improved through practical experience.
Humans ; Dentistry, Operative ; Consensus ; Endodontics ; Root Canal Therapy ; Dental Care

  Objective  To understand the current status of surgical treatment for hemophilia osteoarthropathy (HO) in China.  Methods  Using an online questionnaire, select domestic hospitals that partici-pated in the compilation of the 'Guideline for perioperative management of hemophilia patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery in China ', in addition to members of the National Joint Surgery Group, and the Orthopedic Branch of the Chinese Medical Association for targeted investigation and analysis.  Results  A total of 17 domestic hospitals were included, all of which were general hospitals. Hospitals that started HO surgery treatment before 2000 accounted for 35.29%. A total of 3057 surgical cases of HO were reported by those hospitals. The most commonly performed surgical procedures were hip and knee joint replacement. The most commonly used coagulation factor replacement regimen was recombinant coagulation factor preparation. Ten hospitals reported finding patients with transfusion-related infectious diseases. Bleeding and hematoma formation were the most frequently reported surgical complications. Excessive length of hospital stay and high economic costs were the most frequently reported problems.  Conclusions  Surgical treatment for HO in 17 hospitals is mainly carried out in some large comprehensive medical centers in the eastern region. Compared with the patient base, the popularity and number of surgeries are still relatively insufficient. It is necessary to further standardize the treatment system by standardizing factor replacement and strengthening rehabilitation to improve surgical treatment outcomes.

Methyltransferase like 13 (METTL13), a kind of methyltransferase, is implicated in protein binding and synthesis. The upregulation of METTL13 has been reported in a variety of tumors. However, little was known about its potential function in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) so far. In this study, we found that METTL13 was significantly upregulated in HNSCC at both mRNA and protein level. Increased METTL13 was negatively associated with clinical prognosis. And METTL13 markedly affected HNSCC cellular phenotypes in vivo and vitro. Further mechanism study revealed that METTL13 could regulate EMT signaling pathway by mediating enhancing translation efficiency of Snail, the key transcription factor in EMT, hence regulating the progression of EMT. Furthermore, Snail was verified to mediate METTL13-induced HNSCC cell malignant phenotypes. Altogether, our study had revealed the oncogenic role of METTL13 in HNSCC, and provided a potential therapeutic strategy.
Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Humans ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck/genetics*

Activation of the heart normally begins in the sinoatrial node (SAN). Electrical impulses spontaneously released by SAN pacemaker cells (SANPCs) trigger the contraction of the heart. However, the cellular nature of SANPCs remains controversial. Here, we report that SANPCs exhibit glutamatergic neuron-like properties. By comparing the single-cell transcriptome of SANPCs with that of cells from primary visual cortex in mouse, we found that SANPCs co-clustered with cortical neurons. Tissue and cellular imaging confirmed that SANPCs contained key elements of glutamatergic neurotransmitter system, expressing genes encoding glutamate synthesis pathway (Gls), ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors (Grina, Gria3, Grm1 and Grm5), and glutamate transporters (Slc17a7). SANPCs highly expressed cell markers of glutamatergic neurons (Snap25 and Slc17a7), whereas Gad1, a marker of GABAergic neurons, was negative. Functional studies revealed that inhibition of glutamate receptors or transporters reduced spontaneous pacing frequency of isolated SAN tissues and spontaneous Ca

Gait adaptability refers to adjustments of gait to accomplish walking and to overcome environmental difficulties. According to the training environment, gait adaptability training in stroke rehabilitation can be divided into two categories: real environment and simulated environment. The simulated environment is divided into simple indoor and multimoding environment. Some technologies, such as virtual reality and augmented reality may provide safer and more efficient methods for gait adaptability training. Gait adaptability training can improve walking function and confidence of hemiplegic patients, and help them to return to community life and social participation.

Nanoparticles (NPs) have shown potential in cancer therapy, while a single administration conferring a satisfactory outcome is still unavailable. To address this issue, the dissolving microneedles (DMNs) were developed to locally deliver functionalized NPs with combined chemotherapy and photothermal therapy (PTT).

Objective: To explore the value of the constructed prognostic prediction model of resectable lung cancer in predicting the survival and prognosis of patients. Methods: A total of 2 267 patients with primary lung cancer in Shanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital from January 2007 to September 2018 were selected. All patients underwent primary lung cancer surgery without a second primary tumor. Gender, age, occupation, tumor site, pathological type, surgical path, surgical method, tumor stage and treatment were selected as the prognostic factors. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to construct a prognostic index (PI) equation to calculate the PI value of each patient. According to the different ranges of PI values, the low-, intermediate- and high-risk prognosis groups were divided, and the survival status of three groups were evaluated. Results: Gender (RR= 0.684, P= 0.001), age (RR= 0.591, P < 0.01), occupation (RR= 1.439, P= 0.001), pathological type (RR= 3.694, P < 0.01), surgical path (RR= 0.734, P= 0.001), tumor stage (RR= 0.352, P= 0.007) were independent factors affecting the prognosis of patients with resectable lung cancer. Female, ≤65 years old, thoracoscopic surgery, and tumor stage Ⅰ were prognostic protective factors, and their risks of poor prognosis were reduced by 31.6%, 40.9%, 26.6%, and 64.8%, respectively. Farmer and adenosquamous carcinoma were prognostic risk factors, and their risks of poor prognosis were increased by 43.9% and 269.4%, respectively. The PI equation was ∑β_ix_i=-0.380 X₁-0.526 X₂+0.364 X₃₁+1.307 X₅₅-0.309 X₆-1.045 X₈₁ (X₁ was the gender, X₂ was the age, X₃₁ was the occupation as a farmer, X₅₅ was the pathological type of adenosquamous carcinoma, X₆ was the surgical path, X₈₁ was the tumor stage Ⅰ). PI <-1 was the low-risk group, PI ≥-1 and ≤-0.5 was the intermediate-risk group, PI >-0.5 was the high-risk group, and the differences of their survival rates were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates for the low-, risk groups were 96.8%, 87.0% and 77.9%; the intermediate-risk group were 91.8%, 82.2% and 61.7%; the high-risk group were 86.5%, 61.7% and 50.3%. respectively. Conclusion The prognostic prediction model of resectable lung cancer can predict the prognosis risk and the corresponding survival rate of patients with resectable lung cancer, and it can help clinicians to evaluate the prognosis and formulate subsequent treatment plans.