Objective: To determine the clinical efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection combined with warm acupuncture and moxibustion for treating patients with knee osteoarthritis and cold dampness obstruction syndrome. Methods: One hundred and twenty-eight patients with knee osteoarthritis and cold dampness obstruction syndrome who visited the Rehabilitation Department and Orthopedics Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from January 2023 to March 2024 and who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomly divided into an experimental (n=64) and control group (n=64) using the random number table method. The experimental group was treated with PRP injection combined with warm acupuncture and moxibustion, whereas the control group was treated with normal saline injection combined with warm acupuncture and moxibustion treatment. PRP and normal saline injections were administered once every two weeks, a total of four times. Patients were treated with warm acupuncture and moxibustion once a day, six times a week, for four consecutive weeks. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome, visual analog scale (VAS), and Lysholm scores were determined before treatment, at week 4 and week 8 of treatment, and week 16 of follow-up. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), osteoprotegerin (OPG), bone gla protein(BGP), and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) levels were compared between the two groups before and after 8 weeks of treatment. The clinical efficacy and safety indicators between the two groups were also compared. Results: There was no statistical difference in baseline data such as gender, age, disease duration, and body mass index between the two groups of patients. Compared with before treatment, both groups showed decreased WOMAC total and subscale, TCM syndrome total score and symptom scores, and VAS scores, and an increase in Lysholm scores at 4, 8, and 16 weeks after treatment. After treatment, serum IL-6, MMP-3, TNF-α, and COMP levels decreased, whereas serum OPG and BGP levels increased (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, patients in the experimental group showed decreased WOMAC total and subscale, TCM syndrome total score and symptom scores, and VAS scores, and an increase in Lysholm score at 4, 8, and 16 weeks after treatment. Compared with the control group, patients in the experimental group showed decreased serum IL-6, MMP-3, TNF-α, and COMP levels and an increase in serum OPG and BPG levels after treatment (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the experimental group was 91.94%, higher than that of the control group (81.97%; P<0.05). Conclusion PRP injection combined with warm acupuncture and moxibustion can improve various TCM symptoms, improve knee joint function and bone metabolism, and reduce inflammation in patients with knee osteoarthritis and cold dampness obstruction syndrome.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement effects of Runchang granules on the constipation in mice and its potential mechanism. METHODS The mice were randomly divided into normal control group， model group， Runchang granules low-dose and high-dose groups （5， 10 g/kg）， mosapride group （0.003 g/kg， positive control）， with 6 mice in each group. The latter 4 groups were given loperamide intragastrically （0.004 g/kg）， twice a day， for 3 consecutive days. Normal control group and model group were given purified water intragastrically， and administration groups were given relevant medicine intragastrically for 7 consecutive days. After the last medication， fecal moisture content and intestinal motility of mice were determined， while the structures of colon and ileum， and the secretion of colonic mucus were observed. Protein expressions of tyrosine kinase receptor （c-kit）， mucin 2 （MUC2） and stem cell factor （SCF） were determined in colon； meanwhile， the mRNA expression levels of inflammatory factors [tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， IL-1β， inducible nitric oxide synthase （iNOS）] as well as factors related to promoting intestinal motility [neuronal nitric oxide synthase （nNOS）， smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase （smMLCK）， 5-hydroxytryptamine 4 receptor （5-HT4R）， MUC2， SCF， c-kit] were determined. RESULTS Compared with model group， the fecal water content， intestinal propulsion rate， protein expression of c-kit in colon， relative expressions of MUC2 and SCF protein， and mRNA expressions of factors related to promoting intestinal motility （except for nNOS and SCF in Runchang granules low-dose group） were all increased significantly in Runchang granules low-dose and high-dose groups， and mosapride group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. mRNA expression levels of inflammatory factors were decreased significantly（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. Both colon and ileum injuries improved， and the secretion of colon mucus was increased significantly in Runchang granules high-dose group （P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS Runchang granules have laxative effect and can improve constipation in mice， and its mechanism may be related to the promotion of the secretion of colon mucus and MUC2 expression， and the activation of SCF/c-kit signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the antiviral effect of Menispermi Rhizoma total alkaloids and its relationship with the type Ⅰ interferon （IFN-Ⅰ） signaling pathway. MethodThe effects of Menispermi Rhizoma total alkaloids on the intracellular replication of influenza A virus （H1N1）， vesicular stomatitis virus （VSV）， and cerebral myocarditis virus （EMCV） were detected by fluorescent inverted microscope， flow cytometry， Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and Western blot. A mouse model infected with H1N1 was constructed， and the mice were divided into a control group， H1N1 model group， Menispermi Rhizoma total alkaloids groups （10， 20， 30 mg·kg^-1）， and oseltamivir group （40 mg·kg^-1）， so as to study the effects on the weight and survival rate of infected mice. Real-time PCR was used to detect the activation effect of Menispermi Rhizoma total alkaloids on the IFN-Ⅰ pathway in cells， and the relationship between the antiviral effect of Menispermi Rhizoma total alkaloids in IFNAR1 knockout A549 cells （IFNAR1^-/--A549） and IFN-Ⅰ pathway was detected. ResultCompared with the control group， the virus proliferated significantly in the model group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， Menispermi Rhizoma total alkaloids could significantly inhibit the replication of H1N1， VSV， and EMCV in vitro （P<0.01）， inhibit the weight loss of the mice infected with the H1N1 in vivo， and improve the survival rate of mice （P<0.05）. In addition， Menispermi Rhizoma total alkaloids activated the IFN-I pathway and relied on this pathway to exert the function of antiviral infection. ConclusionMenispermi Rhizoma total alkaloids exert antiviral effects in vivo and in vitro by activating the IFN-Ⅰ pathway.

BACKGROUND:M2 macrophages have the function of reducing inflammatory factors and promoting tissue healing.Therefore,how to regulate M2 polarization of macrophages has been a hot research topic in recent years,and some miRNAs have been found to have this function. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of miR-378a on the polarization of the Raw264.7 macrophage cell line. METHODS:The M1 polarization of macrophages was induced by lipopolysaccharide and interferon-γ.Interleukin-4 induced M2 polarization and the expression of endogenous miR-378a in each cell type was detected using qRT-PCR to verify whether miR-378a was involved in the polarization of macrophages.By transfection with lentivirus as the vector of overexpression of miR-378a,the stable expression of miR-378a cell lines was screened.Macrophage M1 polarization was induced synergically by lipopolysaccharide and interferon-γ.Macrophage M2 polarization was induced by interleukin-4.The levels of M1/M2 polarization-related cytokines in the supernatant of the macrophage culture medium were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.qRT-PCR was used to detect the polarization characteristics of M1/M2-type macrophages and the mRNA expression levels of related cytokines. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The expression level of endogenous miR-378a in Raw264.7 cells of each group increased after macrophage polarization.(2)Compared with the non-transfected group,the expressions of proinflammatory cytokine-induced nitric oxide synthase,tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin-6 and interleukin-1β in macrophage M1 induced polarization were significantly decreased in the miR-378a transfection group(P<0.05);the levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase,tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 in cell supernatant were also significantly decreased(P<0.05).(3)Compared with the non-transfected group,the expressions of CD206,interleukin-10 and arginase-I in macrophage M2 induced polarization were significantly increased(P<0.05);the levels of CD206 and interleukin-10 in cell supernatant were also significantly increased(P<0.05)in the miR-378a transfection group.(4)It is indicated that overexpression of miR-378a promotes the M2 polarization of macrophages and inhibits the M1 polarization of macrophages.

Objective To explore the presence and potential interactions of microbes and bacteriophages in the blood of healthy individuals by employing in-depth bioinformatics mining to analyze the structure and function of the blood microbi-ome ecosystem.Methods Blood plasma samples from 1 600 voluntary blood donors collected at Mianyang Central Blood Station from 2012 to 2018 were subjected to DNA extraction and library construction.High-throughput sequencing was con-ducted using the Illumina HiSeq 4500 platform,followed by extensive bioinformatics analysis.Microbial abundance in blood samples was analyzed using metagenomic analysis software such as Bowtie2,Trimmomatic and Kraken.Subsequent phage-ome analysis included sequence quality control,assembly,identification,clustering and functional annotation using software such as Megahit,geNomad,CheckV and eggNOG-mapper.Phylogenetic trees,species annotation and host analysis and pre-diction for the identified blood bacteriophages were constructed using iTOL,BLAST and PhaBOX software.Results Met-agenomic sequencing identified microbes across 36 phyla,151 orders,338 families,338 genera and 3 757 species in the plasma samples.At the species level,the most abundant species included Bacillus cereus,Lactobacillus murinus,L.johnso-nii,Faecalibacterium prausnitzii,B.thuringiensis,L.reuteri,Cutibacterium acnes,Dietzia sp.JS16-p6b,Mycoplasma hyo-rhinis,M.hyopneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus.Through phageome analysis,202 viral Operational Taxonomic Units(vOTUs)were identified,revealing 24 types of bacteriophages.Host analysis using the viral host database completed mat-ches for 15 potential bacteriophage hosts,including Stenotrophomonas maltophilia,Rhodoferax lacus,Pseudoalteromonas marina,Thalassotalea loyana,Vibrio alginolyticus,V.tasmaniensis,V.vulnificus,Pseudomonas sp.,Agrobacterium sp.ST15.13/040,Enterococcus gallinarum,Flavobacterium sp.,Thermotoga naphthophila,Chryseobacterium sp.RU33C,L.acidipiscis and Neisseria mucosa.Conclusion The study of the healthy human blood microbiome and phageome reveals the presence of microbes and phages in the blood,which may have profound impacts on human health.

Objective This study aims to compare the accuracy of self-developed universal implant guide(SDG),3D printed digital guide(DG),and free hand(FH)simulated implantation in the posterior tooth area of dental models.Methods Ten junior dentists were selected to place three implants in the 35,37,and 46 tooth sites of the mandibular models(35,36,37,and 46 missing teeth)by using SDG,DG,and FH,and the process was repeated again to take the av-erage value.Cone beam computed tomography(CBCT)was used to evaluate the global coronal deviation,global apical deviation,depth deviation,and angular deviation between the actual position and preoperative planned position.Re-sults The coronal deviation and apical deviation of the three implant sites in the SDG group were not significantly dif-ferent from those in the two other groups(P>0.05).The depth deviation and angular deviation in the SDG group were smaller than those in the DG group(P<0.05)and FH group(P<0.05),respectively.All deviations at site 37 in the SDG group were not different from those at site 35(P>0.05),while the depth and angular deviation at site 37 in the DG group were higher than those at site 35(P<0.05).Conclusion The precision of the self-developed universal dental im-plant guide can meet the requirements of clinical posteri-or implantation.

Objective To investigate the role of miR-194-3p in regulating functional changes in osteoblasts in a simulated microgravity environment and to provide a theoretical foundation for understanding the mechanical response mechanisms of osteoblasts in extreme mechanical environments.Methods The effects of microgravity on osteoblasts were simulated by using a rotary cell culture system.MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts were transfected with an miR-194-3p inhibitor and changes in proliferation,differentiation,apoptosis,and mineralization were assessed using MTT assay,RT-PCR,Western blot,double fluorescence staining,and alizarin red staining.Results Elevated expression of miR-194-3p under simulated microgravity conditions led to the suppression of osteoblast proliferation,differentiation,and mineralization to a certain extent,while promoting osteoblast apoptosis.However,transfection with the miR-194-3p inhibitor significantly downregulated miR-194-3p expression and partially reversed the reduced osteoblast proliferation,decreased expression of osteogenic differentiation markers such as ALP,OCN,and COL-I genes and proteins,decreased bone mineralization nodules,and increased osteoblast apoptosis induced by microgravity exposure.These findings indicated that miR-194-3p effectively ameliorates abnormal osteoblast function under microgravity conditions.Conclusions MiR-194-3p acts as a negative regulatory factor in the mechanical responses of osteoblasts under simulated microgravity.

Objective To investigate the prognostic value of atherogenic index of plasma(AIP)for the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)in elderly patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI).Methods A total of 355 elderly patients with acute STEMI who received coronary interventional therapy in Department of Cardiology,Affilia-ted Hospital of Hebei University from January to May 2023 were recruited retrospectively,and fi-nally 343 of them with complete telephone follow-up data were included in this study.According to their AIP quartile level,they were divided into A1 group(＜0.212,84 cases),A2 group(0.212-0.339,87 cases),A3 group(0.339-0.434,86 cases)and A4 group(≥0.434,86 cases).The incidences of cardiac death,nonfatal myocardial infarction,ischemia-driven target vessel re-modeling and heart failure re-hospitalization were observed during 1-year follow-up.Kaplan-Meier survival curve was plotted to compare the incidence of MACE in the 4 groups.ROC curve analysis was employed to determine the predictive value of AIP.Results During 1-year follow-up,signifi-cant differences were observed in the proportions of ischemia-driven target vessel revasculariza-tion,heart failure re-hospitalization and non-fatal acute myocardial infarction among the 4 groups(P＜0.05,P＜0.01),and such difference was also seen in the cumulative survival rate among them(log rankx2=8.528,P=0.036).Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that gender,hypertension,atrial fibrillation,multi-vessel disease,left main artery disease,number of stents,SYNTAX score,Killip grade,BNP,HbA1c,TC,LDL-C and HDL-C levels,and AIP were independent predictors of MACE.The AUC value of AIP in predicting MACE in elderly patients with acute STEMI was 0.855(95％CI:0.776-0.933),with a sensitivity of 66.7％and a specificity of 93.0％.When the above indicators combined together,the AUC value was 0.907(95％CI:0.954-0.987),and the sensitivity and specificity was 100.0％and 90.7％,respectively.The AUC value of combined prediction was significantly better than that of single indicator(P＜0.05).Conclusion AIP is a powerful biomarker,and can be used to predict the prognosis of elderly acute STEMI after coronary interventional therapy,and it combined with Killip grade,SYNTAX score,HbA1c,and number of stents shows better predictive efficacy.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation（allo-HSCT）in children with severe aplastic anemia（SAA）.Methods:Twenty-seven cases with SAA who had been treated with allo-HSCT from January 2020 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed and reviewed.Results:（1）A total of 27 SAA patients were enrolled，including 18 males and 9 females，with a median age of 8 (2-15) years.There were 20 cases of SAA-Ⅰ type,7 cases of SAA-Ⅱ type.Based upon donor sources，three cases of matched sibling donors hematopoietic stem cell transplantation,and 24 cases of haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were adopted.（2）Hematopoietic reconstruction was achieved in all 27 cases.The median implantation time of neutrophils and platelets was 10（9-20）days and 12（7-26）days respectively.The cumulative incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease（GVHD）was 66.67%（18/27）.The incidence of grade Ⅰ-Ⅱ was 55.56%（15/27）and that of grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ was 11.11%（3/27）.The incidence of chronic GVHD was 7.41%（2/27）.Transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) occurred in 7.41%（2/27）patients,cytomegalovirus viremia in 62.96%（17/27）patients,epstein-barr virus infection in 33.33%（9/27）patients,and 14.81%（4/27）patients progressed to post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD).（3）The median follow-up time was 12 (2-28) months.The overall survival rate was 96.29%.Twenty-six patients survived,and one patient died due to multiple complications of severe acute GVHD,TA-TMA,cytomegalovirus infection,PTLD and secondary epilepsy.Conclusion:Allo-HSCT is an effective therapy for SAA in children.The effective rate of this research is 96.29%.Acute GVHD is still the key to therapy.The incidence rate of acute GVHD is 66.67% in this study.The blood incompatibility of donor and recipient may affect the incidence of GVHD.The intensity of GVHD prevention should be reduced after HLA-matched sibling donor-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation so as to avoid the complications of virus recurrence and PTLD.

Objective To investigate the correlations between IgM deposition levels,glomerular ultra-structural and clinicopathological features in primary IgA nephropathy(IgAN).Methods Data from 155 IgAN patients were categorized into three cohorts by IgM deposition levels.We assessed differences in glomerular ultra-structure,clinical indices,MEST-C scores,and factors influencing IgM deposition levels.Results The marked IgM cohort showed higher urinary protein,IgG deposition,and T scores,with reduced serum albumin and lympho-cyte counts(P<0.05).Logistic regression identified FPE and T score as independent factors for IgM deposition.Conclusions IgM deposition correlates with FPE severity in IgAN,suggesting its utility in assessing renal dam-age and guiding treatment strategies.