Objective To investigate the effects of metformin(Met)on the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells under different glucose concentration culture conditions,and to find the potential role of miR-139-5p in the process.Methods PANC-1 cells were treated with different concentrations of metformin(0/5/10/20 mmol/L)in 25 mmol/L(high-glucose group,HG)or 5 mmol/L(normal-glucose group,NG)glucose culture,cell proliferation,apoptosis,migration and cell cycle were detected after 48 h.The expression of miR-139-5p was quantitatively detected by RT-qPCR,and the miR-139-5p mimics were transfected into PANC-1 cells to clarify the role of miR-139-5p.Results Metformin inhibited the proliferation,promoted apoptosis,and induced S phase and G2/M phase arrest of PANC-1 cells under in high glucose and normal glucose culture conditions,and its anti-proliferation and pro-apoptosis effects were more significant in the normal glucose groups.The expression of miR-139-5p was up-regu-lated by metformin treatment in normal but not in high glucose culture.Further studies showed that miR-139-5p mimics inhibited of PANC-1 cells proliferation without metformin pre-incubation and enhanced the anti-prolifera-tion effect of 5 mmol/L metformin.The pro-apoptotic effect of 10 mmol/L metformin in normal glucose culture conditions.Conclusions In normal-glucose culture conditions,metformin can inhibit proliferation,induce apop-tosis and cell cycle arrest of PANC-1 cells more significantly than in higher-glucose culture,which may be partly related to the up-regulation of miR-139-5p.

Objective To determine the effect of enamel matrix derivative(EMD)on remineralization of artificial root dentin caries.Methods Bovine root dentin blocks were placed in a demineralization solution to create artificial root dentin carious lesions.The lesions were then randomly divided into EMD group(30 g/L EMD,the experimental group),sodium fluoride(NaF)aqueous solution group(1 g/L NaF,the positive control group)and distilled and deionised water(DDW)group(the negative control group),and all the lesions were pH-cycled at 6 cycles per day for 8 d.Morphology of the lesions were observed by scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and polarized light microscopy(PLM).Transverse microradiography(TMR)was used to examine mineral loss,lesion depth and mineral content.Results After pH-cycling,the surface morphology by SEM and the vertical morphology by PLM suggested that EMD and NaF treatment,but not DDW,caused mineral accumulation of artificial root dentin caries.Meanwhile,TMR revealed significantly lower mineral loss,shallower lesion depth and more mineral content in the EMD group than the DDW group(P＜0.05)after pH-cycling.Conclusion EMD can significantly promote remineralization of root dentin caries in vitro,and is a promising agent for non-invasive root caries therapy.

Objective To probe the spatial distribution of respiratory-related nuclei throughout the whole brain,and to investigate the circuit and projection links between the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN)and the preB?tzinger complex (preB?tC)in mice.Methods Using a retrograde tracing strategy from peripheral to central,pseudorabies viruses (PRV)were microinjected into the diaphragm of mice to retrogradely label the upstream inputs brain regions from spinal respiratory phrenic motor neurons. The anterograde non-transsynaptic tracing viruses (AAV2/9-EGFP)were microinjected into the PVN to label the downstream brain region of the PVN;And using the Cre/loxP gene expression strategy,Dio-EGFP and Retro-Cre viruses were injected in the PVN and preB?tC,respectively,to validate the PVN-preB?tC circuit and the projection relationship between the two.Results The results of PRV-mediated retrograde tracing showed that PRV-EGFP-positive neurons were distributed in several brain regions such as PVN,preB?tC,nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS),locus coeruleus (LC)and periaqueductal grey (PAG).Except for the medulla oblongata region,the PVN brain region had the highest percentage of PRV-EGFP-positive neurons (P<0.0001 ).After AAV2/9-EGFP viruses were injected in the PVN,green neurofibrils were observed in the preB?tC brain region after viral infection;Dio-EGFP and Retro-Cre viruses were injected in the PVN and preB?tC,respectively,and green neuronal cells were seen in the brain region of the PVN after viral infection.Conclusion PVN is an important upstream input nucleus of spinal respiratory phrenic motor neurons,and has the potential to regulate respiration through direct projections from PVN-preB?tC circuit.

Objective:To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Xixian Tongshuan Capsules/Pills combined with Western medicine in treating cerebral infarction.Methods:All RCTs about Xixian Tongshuan Capsules/Pills combined with Western medicine in treating cerebral infarction were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang Database, VIP database, PubMed and CBM. The search period was from the database establishment to December 31, 2021. Two researchers independently extracted the basic literature data and evaluated the methodological quality, then used RevMan5.4 software for meta-analysis.Results:Totally 9 articles were included, involving a total of 988 patients, including 505 cases in the observation group and 483 cases in the control group. Meta-analysis showed that the total effective rate of Xixian Tongshuan Capsules/Pills combined with Western medicine in treating cerebral infarction was higher than that of conventional Western medicine [ RR=1.20, 95% CI (1.13, 1.27), P<0.05]. At the same time, the effect of NIHSS score, Barthel score and FIB were better than those of conventional Western medicine [respectively: MD=-3.21, 95% CI (-4.45, -1.97), P<0.05; MD=11.83, 95% CI (10.66, 13.00), P<0.05; MD=-0.95, 95% CI (-1.36, -0.54), P<0.05]. After treatment with Xixian Tongshuan Capsules/Pills combined with Western medicine, the adverse reactions mainly included dizziness, nausea, indigestion, rash, facial blushing, etc. There was no statistically significant difference in safety between the two groups [ RR=1.50, 95% CI (0.75, 3.01), P>0.05]. Conclusions:Under the treatment of conventional Western medicine, the addition of Xixian Tongshuan Capsules/Pills can improve the clinical efficacy of cerebral infarction treatment, effectively improve the symptoms of neurological impairment, improve the ability of daily life, and promote the prognosis and recovery, and without increasing the incidence of adverse reactions. However, large sample and high quality studies are still needed to support the conclusion.

Chitosan is a natural polysaccharide that is widely used in food, textile, cosmetics, and medical industries. In the field of stomatology, chitosan and its derivatives are widely used in the treatment of many common oral diseases due to a variety of excellent biological properties, such as anti-infection, drug-loading, remineralization and osteogenesis. This review summarized the latest advances in the biological properties of chitosan and its derivatives, as well as their applications in the prevention and treatment of oral diseases.
Anti-Infective Agents ; Chitosan

Candida albicans (Ca) is an important opportunistic pathogenic fungus found in the oral cavity, which plays an important role in oral microecological balance, and often interacting with other bacteria including Streptococcusmutans (Sm). Meanwhile, the characteristics of Ca such as adhesion, acidogenicity, aciduric nature and the ability to produce collagenolytic proteinases indicate its latent cariogenic potential. This review summarizes the research progress of the detectable rate of Ca in caries, its cariogenic potential and the interaction with Sm and other oral bacteria, in order to extend the understanding of pathogenesis of dental caries and to contribute new therapeutic and preventive strategies for dental caries.

With the popularity of cataract and refractive surgery, especially the increasing implantation of advanced technology lens implants, dry eye significantly affects image quality.In 2017, the Asia-Pacific Association of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (APACRS) produced the new Principles of Preferred Practice for the Management of the Ocular Surface in Cataract and Refractive surgery (hereafter referred to as the PPP). This document provides detailed evidence-based discussions on the incidence rate, pathogenesis, diagnosis, evaluation, clinical symptoms, and treatment of dry eyes during perioperative period of refractive surgery and cataract surgery.The article which interpreted the PPP is aimed to remind general ophthalmologists to pay more attention to the dry eye in cataract and refractive surgery, and make the management of the ocular surface more standardized.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis for a sporadic case with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). METHODS: Peripheral blood samples were collected from the patient, his unaffected parents and 100 healthy controls. The NF1 gene was detected by PCR and direct sequencing. RESULTS: The patient was found to carry a novel nonsense variant c.4339C>T (p.Q1447X) in exon 33 of the NF1 gene. The same variant was not found in his unaffected parents and the 100 healthy controls. CONCLUSION The c.4339C>T (p.Q1447X) variant probably underlies the pathogenesis of NF1 in this patient.

Objective: To analyze the survival time of people living with HIV/AIDS and related influencing factors in Sichuan province during 1991-2017. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the data of 143 988 HIV/AIDS cases. The data were collected from Chinese HIV/AIDS Comprehensive Information Management System. Life table method was used to calculate the survival proportion of the cases, and Cox proportion hazard regression model was used to identify the factors related with survival time. Results: Among 143 988 HIV/AIDS cases a total of 30 420 cases died of AIDS related diseases (21.1%) and the average survival time was 11.51 years (95%CI: 11.39-11.64). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the influencing factors for the survival of HIV/AIDS cases were gender (male vs. female, HR=1.35, 95%CI: 1.32-1.40), education level (primary school or below vs. junior middle school: HR=1.15, 95%CI: 1.12-1.18), ethnic group (Han vs. other ethnic groups, HR=1.46, 95%CI: 1.41-1.52), occupation (farmer vs. other occupations: HR=1.26, 95%CI: 1.22-1.29), age (≥55 years old vs. 15-24 years old: HR=3.18, 95%CI: 3.02- 3.36), disease phase (AIDS vs. HIV infection: HR=1.44, 95%CI: 1.39-1.48), antiretroviral therapy (ART) (receiving ART vs. receiving no ART: HR=0.20, 95%CI: 0.19-0.20), and CD₄⁺T cell counts at diagnosis (>500 cells/μl vs.<200 cells/μl: HR=0.42, 95%CI: 0.40-0.45). Conclusions The average survival time of HIV/AIDS cases was 11.51 years in Sichuan during 1991- 2017. The risk factors for the survival of the cases were male, education level of primary school or below, Han ethnic group, farmer, old age at diagnosis, disease phase, The protective factors for the survival of HIV/AIDS cases were receiving ART and higher CD₄⁺ T cell counts at diagnosis.

Enterococcus faecalis is an important pathogen in pulp periapical disease that has been widely studied in recent years. A large number of studies have shown that the high detection rate of Enterococcus faecalis in root canals with persistent or secondary infection after root canal therapy is closely related to the failure of root canal therapy. The presence of Enterococcus faecalis in periapical pulp disease is related to its pathogenicity and virulence factors. Enterococcus faecalis can directly invade host tissues or induce immune inflammation in host tissues, resulting in periapical pulp tissue damage and lesions. Enterococcus faecalis has a strong tolerance to conventional root canal antibiotics and disinfection methods and is difficult to completely remove from the complex root canal system. How to fight Enterococcus faecalis infection has become an important direction in the treatment of pulp periapical disease. This article reviews the pathogenic mechanism of Enterococcus faecalis infection in pulp periapical disease and the progress in its treatment.