This paper summarized Professor PENG Peichu's experience in the differentiation and treatment of prostate cancer in three phases and four stages. It is considered that prostatic cancer is categorized into root deficiency and branch excess， with depletion of healthy qi as the root， and the accumulation of cancer toxin as the minifestation. Clinical diagnosis and treatment of prostatic cancer can be divided into three phases and four stages according to the exuberance and decline of pathogenic and healthy qi and the changes of deficiency and excess of yin and yang. In the initial accumulation phase of cancer toxin （yang excess stage）， the key pathogenesis is the accumulation of dampness， heat and static blood， and internal generation of cancer toxin， and the treatment should be resolving toxins， fighting cancer and dispelling yang excess. In the phase of healthy qi deficiency and toxin accumulation （yin deficiency stage）， with the lung and kidney yin deficiency， dampness， heat and static toxin accumulation as the key pathogenesis， the treatment should be centered on mutual generation between metal and water to nourish kidney yin， supplemented with the method of clearing heat and draining dampness， activating blood and resolving toxins， for which self-made Nanbei Formula（南北方）is usually used. In the phase of yang deficiency and cold stagnation （yang deficiency stage and yin excess stage）， with the spleen and kidney yang deficiency， cold dampness stagnation， static heat and toxin accumulation as the key pathogenesis， the treatment should be warming and tonifying spleen and kidney to dissipate cold accumulation； for deficiency of both yin and yang， and excess pathogen obstruction， modified Yanghe Decoction（阳和汤） is recommended， while for yang deficiency， cold congealing and blood stasis， self-made Wenshen Sanjie Formula（温肾散结方） can be used， and for cold dampness binding with cancer toxin， and cold complex with heat， self-made Quanan Formula （泉安方） is advised.

Objective This study aimed to identify PAX9 variants in non-syndromic tooth agenesis families of Chi-na,as well as to analyze the genotype-phenotype of non-syndromic tooth agenesis caused by PAX9 variants,which can provide a basis for the genetic diagnosis of tooth agenesis.Methods We collected the data of 44 patients with non-syn-dromic oligodontia who underwent treatment at Stomatological Hospital of Hebei Medical University between 2018 and 2023.Whole-exome sequencing was performed on the peripheral blood of the proband and its core family members,and the variants were verified by Sanger sequencing.Pathogenicity analysis and function prediction of the variants were per-formed using bioinformatics tools.The correlation between the genotype of PAX9 variant and its corresponding pheno-type was examined by reviewing 55 publications retrieved from PubMed.The studies involved 232 tooth agenesis pa-tients with PAX9 variants.Results A novel PAX9 c.447delG(p.Pro150Argfs*62)and a reported PAX9 c.406C>T(p.Gln136*)were identified in two Chinese families.Through bioinformatics analysis and three-dimensional structural mod-eling,we postulated that the frameshift variant was pathogenic.The outcome was the premature cessation of PAX9 pro-tein,which caused severe structural and functional deficiencies.Summarizing the PAX9 genotype-phenotype relationship revealed that patients carrying the PAX9 variant commonly led to loss of the second molars.Conclusion We identified the novel PAX9 c.447delG(p.Pro150Argfs*62)in a Chinese family of non-syndromic oligodontia,expanding the known variant spectrum of PAX9.The most susceptible tooth position for PAX9 variants of tooth agenesis was the second mo-lars and the deciduous molars during the deciduous dentition.

Objective To investigate the design of cuffed pediatric tracheal tubes and compare the effects of different tracheal intubation depth placement strategies on the position of the tracheal tube tip and cuff of 5 tracheal tube brands.Methods A total of 180 children who were admitted to Tianjin Children's Hospital from October 2020 to December 2021,with endotracheal intubation under general anesthesia,aged 1-6 years,were enrolled.The length of the subglottic airway was measured by electronic bronchoscopy.Dimensional data from 5 cuffed pediatric tracheal tube brands were recorded,including the length of the tracheal tube cuff,the distance from the tip of the tracheal tube to the upper edge of the cuff,and the tip of the tracheal tube to the lower edge of the tube glottis marker line the distance.Calculation of the required cuffed endotracheal tube internal diameter(ID)for 180 pediatric patients was performed based on the Motoyama formula,the positions of tracheal tube tip and upper cuff border were calculated for each of the 180 tracheas using depth mark to based tracheal tube placement,placement of the tracheal tube tip at 2 cm above the carina,and mid-tracheal tube placement.Results There were differences in the dimensional data of the 5 cuffed pediatric tracheal tube brands.Depth mark-based tracheal tube placement resulted in the incidence rate of tube tip to carina placement less than 1 cm was 3.9%-67.8%,and the highest incidence of bronchial intubation is Ruijing,up to 17.8%.The tracheal tube tip was placed 2 cm above the carina,and no improper placement of the tracheal tube cuff and tube tip was found in all brands.Mid-tracheal tube placement led to 100%subglottic and supraglottic tracheal tube cuff positions,except Weili.Conclusions There are differences in design between different brands of cuffed pediatric tracheal tube,and some of the design deficiencies may lead to the risk of airway complications.The method used to guide the insertion depth and the brand of cuffed tracheal tubes can affect the tracheal tube position.Placement of the tracheal tube tip at 2 cm above the carina allowed safe tracheal tube placement in children aged 1-6 years.

Male infertility is a significant cause of psychosocial and marital distress in approximately 50% of couples who are unable to conceive, with male factors being the underlying cause. Guijiajiao (Colla Carapacis et Plastri, CCP) is a Traditional Chinese Medicine commonly used to treat male infertility. The present study aimed to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the preventive effects of CCP on male infertility. An infertile male rat model was established using cyclophosphamide (CTX), and CCP was administered for both treatment and prevention. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was also performed to explore the role of gut microbiota in the CCP-mediated prevention of male infertility in rats. Sperm motility and concentration were determined using a semi-automatic sperm classification analyzer. Subsequently, histopathological analysis using HE staining was performed to examine the changes in the small intestine and testis. Moreover, the serum levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and testosterone were measured by ELISA. In addition, immunohistochemistry was conducted to detect CD3 expression in the small intestine, while RT-qPCR was employed to assess the expressions of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), cluster of differentiation 3 (CD3), Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL-10) in the small intestine and epididymis. Finally, gut microbiota was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. CCP improved sperm motility, number, and concentration in CTX-induced infertile male rats. CCP increased the serum testosterone level, inhibited the immune cell infiltration of the intestinal lamina propria, and promoted the aggregation of CD3⁺ T cells in CTX-induced male infertility rats. CCP also inhibited the expressions of MCP-1, CXCL-10, and IL-1β in the epididymis of male infertility rats. At the genus level, CTX led to a reduction in the abundance of Lactobacillus, Clostridia_UCG.014, and Romboutsia in the intestinal tract of rats. In contrast, CCP decreased the abundance of Ruminococcus and increased the abundance of Romboutsia in infertile male rats. Additionally, FMT experiments proved that the gut microbiota of CCP-treated rats facilitated testicular tissue recovery and spermatogenesis while also reducing the serum LPS level in infertile male rats. CCP improves the spermatogenic ability of infertile male rats by restoring gut microbiota diversity and inhibiting epididymal inflammation.
Humans ; Rats ; Male ; Animals ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology* ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; Semen ; Sperm Motility ; Infertility, Male/prevention & control* ; Testosterone

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of plumbagin as a novel ferroptosis inducer in bladder cancer inhibition. MethodBladder cancer T24 cells were used in this study. The effect of different concentrations of plumbagin （0.1， 1， 2， 3， 6， 12， 24， 48 μmol·L^-1） on the viability of T24 cells was detected by cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8）. The effect of different concentrations of plumbagin （1.5， 3， 6 μmol·L^-1） on the apoptosis of T24 cells was detected by annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate （Annexin V FITC）/PI apoptosis kit. Different inhibitors （ferroptosis inhibitor Fer-1， apoptosis inhibitor VAD， and necroptosis inhibitor Nec-1） were used in combination with plumbagin （6 μmol·L^-1）. Reactive oxygen species （ROS） fluorescent probe （DCFH-DA）， malonaldehyde （MDA）， and glutathione （GSH） kits were used to detect the effects of different concentrations of plumbagin （1.5， 3， 6 μmol·L^-1） on the level of ROS and the content of MDA and GSH in T24 cells， respectively. The effect of different concentrations of plumbagin （1.5， 3， 6 μmol·L^-1） on peroxide levels in T24 cells was detected by C11-BODIPY fluorescent probe. Western blot was used to detect the effect of different concentrations of plumbagin （1.5， 3， 6 μmol·L^-1） on the protein expression of solute carrier family 7 member 11 （SLC7A11）， glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）， nuclear factor E₂-related factor-2 （Nrf-2）， and Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 （Keap1）. ResultCompared with the blank group， plumbagin could inhibit the activity of T24 cells （P<0.05） with IC₅₀ of 3.52 μmol·L^-1. At the concentrations of 1.5， 3， 6 μmol·L^-1， plumbagin significantly promoted the apoptosis of T24 cells （P<0.05） as compared with the blank group. Compared with the plumbagin group at 6 μmol·L^-1， the ferroptosis inhibitor and apoptosis inhibitor groups could reverse the inhibitory effect of 6 μmol·L^-1 plumbagin on the proliferation of T24 cells （P<0.05）. Compared with the blank group， the plumbagin groups at 1.5， 3， 6 μmol·L^-1 showed increased content of ROS， MDA， and lipid peroxides in T24 cells， decreased GSH level， and reduced SLC7A11， GPX4， and Nrf-2/Keap1 （P<0.05）. Conclusionplumbagin can induce ferroptosis， and its mechanism is related to the Nrf-2/Keap1 signaling pathway.

Animals ; Materia Medica ; Rats ; Turtles

OBJECTIVE To prepare Neuritic acid oral emulsion ，to optimize its formulation and preparation technology ，and to investigate its stability. METHODS Neuritic acid oral emulsion was prepared by mechanical method. On the basis of single factor experiment ，the appearance ，centrifugal stability ，centrifugal stability constant （Ke）and particle size of the emulsion as indexes，the formulation was optimized by orthogonal design ，taking the dosage of oleic acid ，octylphenol polyoxyethylene ether-10 and propylene glycol as factors ，the preparation technology was optimized by taking emulsification temperature ，shear time，pressure of high-pressure homogenization and cycle times of high-pressure homogenization as factors. The content of neuritic acid was determined by high performance liquid chromatography. The stability of Neuritic acid oral emulsion was investigated by high temperature test ，accelerated test and long-term test. RESULTS The optimal formulation and preparation technology were as follows：neuritic acid of 1 g，oleic acid of 5％ ，octylphenol polyoxyethylene ether- 10 of 4％ ，propylene glycol of 2％ ， emulsification temperature of 60 ℃ ，shear time of 2 min，homogenization pressure of 40 MPa and cycle times of twice. After three experiments ，the average particle size of Neuritic acid oral emulsion was 158.05 nm（RSD＝1.58％，n＝3），the average Ke was 0.39（RSD＝1.49％，n＝3），and the appearance was uniform milky white ，there was no stratification. The results of high temperature test showed that Neuritic acid oral emulsion was prone to stratification in high temperature environment ，and the content of neuritic acid increased. The results of accelerated test and long-term test showed that there was no significant change in the appearance or the content of neuritic acid when Neuritic acid oral emulsion was placed at room temperature for 6 months. CONCLUSIONS The formulation and preparation technology are stable and feasible ，and can be used for the preparation of Neuritic acid oral emulsion. Neuritic acid oral emulsion should not be placed in high temperature environment. It has good stability at room temperature for 6 months.

The role of point-of-care (POC) diagnostics is important in public health. With the support of smartphones, POC diagnostic technologies can be greatly improved. This opportunity has arisen from not only the large number and fast spread of cell-phones across the world but also their improved imaging/diagnostic functions. As a tool, the smartphone is regarded as part of a compact, portable, and low-cost system for real-time POC, even in areas with few resources. By combining near-infrared (NIR) imaging, measurement, and spectroscopy techniques, pathogens can be detected with high sensitivity. The whole process is rapid, accurate, and low-cost, and will set the future trend for POC diagnostics. In this review, the development of smartphone-based NIR fluorescent imaging technology was described, and the quality and potential of POC applications were discussed.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has become a global disease with accelerating incidence worldwide in the 21st century while its accurate etiology remains unclear. In the past decade, gut microbiota dysbiosis has consistently been associated with IBD. Although many IBD-associated dysbiosis have not been proven to be a cause or an effect of IBD, it is often hypothesized that at least some of alteration in microbiome is protective or causative. In this article, we selectively reviewed the hypothesis supported by both association studies in human and pathogenesis studies in biological models. Specifically, we reviewed the potential protective bacterial pathways and species against IBD, as well as the potential causative bacterial pathways and species of IBD. We also reviewed the potential roles of some members of mycobiome and virome in IBD. Lastly, we covered the current status of therapeutic approaches targeting microbiome, which is a promising strategy to alleviate and cure this inflammatory disease.

Objective:To validate the feasibility of establishing a dosimetric model for insect species by investigating the ecological environment of an inland site in the northwestern China.Methods:For Damalacore, a simplified anatomical model based on anatomy and geometry and a model based on CT scan sequence image were established to produce a voxel model. In combination with the Monte Carlo particle transport process, the deposited energy of the radionuclides in the insect tissues/organs was obtained. The dose rate from 90Sr and 137Cs to Damalacore was calculated on the basis of empirical formula. Results:The dose rate from internal exposure to the simplified anatomical model was 8.58×10 -2for 90Sr and 4.25×10 -3μGy/h for 137Cs, whereas the dose rate from external exposure to the simplified anatomy model was 2.81×10 -2for 90Sr and 2.56×10 -1μGy/h for 137Cs, respectively. The internal exposure to the voxel model from 90Sr and 137Cs was 3.91×10 -2and 2.91×10 -3μGy/h, whereas the external exposure to the voxel model from 90Sr and 137Cs was 2.81×10 -2 and 2.56×10 -1μGy/h, respectively. The internal exposure from 90Sr and 137Cs to ERICA model was 1.46×10 -1 and 1.46×10 -2μGy/h, whereas the external exposure to the ERICA model from 90Sr and 137Cs was 5.79×10 -2 and 2.58×10 -1μGy/h, respectively. Conclusions:The calculated results based on the two models are similar to those based on ERICA model and therefore are proved reliable. With improved model accuracy, the calculated result are more close to the practical situation and feasible.