ObjectiveThis study aims to reveal the mechanism of liver and kidney injuries caused by Dictamni Cortex and its interrelationship by metabonomics analysis of liver and kidney via ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry （UPLC-Q-TOF-MS）. MethodsThe content of the marker compounds of Dictamni Cortex was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography （HPLC） to carry out quality control. Sprague Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a blank group （normal saline）， an administration group （0.9， 2.7， 8.1 g·kg^-1）， and a high-dose withdrawal control group， with eight rats in each group. Continuous administration was performed once daily for 28 days. The liver and kidney injuries caused by each administration group were assessed by organ indices， pathological observations， and serum and plasma biochemical indices measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The potential biomarkers of liver and kidney injuries caused by Dictamni Cortex were screened， and pathway enrichment analysis and correlation analysis were performed based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. ResultsCompared with the blank group， both the medium- and low-dose groups showed insignificant damage to the liver and kidney of rats. The high-dose group exhibited the most serious damage， and the level of liver and kidney function indices ［alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， creatinine （Cr）， and blood urea nitrogen （BUN）］ and serum inflammatory indices （［interleukin 1β （IL-1β）， IL-6， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）］ in the serum were significantly changed （P<0.01）. The liver and kidney metabolism pathways and differential metabolites were quite different. Among them， phenylalanine metabolism， niacin and nicotinamide metabolism， and glycerophospholipid metabolism were common pathways. Correlation analysis of differential metabolites showed that there were significant correlations among disorders of 4′-Phosphopantothenoylcysteine， PC （16∶0/15∶0）， phenylethylamine， arachidonic acid， and linoleic acid in liver and kidney tissue. ConclusionThe decoction of Dictamni Cortex can cause liver and kidney injuries， and its mechanism may be related to oxidative stress and lipid metabolism disorders. The correlation of differential metabolites indicates the interaction between liver and kidney injuries.

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of the immunotoxicity induced by dictamnine （DIC） in rats and the recovery effect after drug withdrawal by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry， thereby providing a theoretical basis for elucidating the toxic mechanism of DIC. MethodsSD rats were randomized into blank （normal saline）， DIC （10 mg·kg^-1）， and DIC withdrawal （recovery period） groups （n=8）. The rats were continuously treated for 7 days， once a day， and the body weight and organ weight were recorded. The levels of interleukin-1 （IL-1）， IL-6， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in the serum and immunoglobulin A （IgA）， immunoglobulin G （IgG）， and immunoglobulin M （IgM） in the spleen were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathological changes in the spleen. ultra performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry （UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） was employed to screen the potential biomarkers of immune inflammation caused by DIC， and pathway enrichment analysis and correlation analysis were performed. The mRNA levels of IL-1β， TNF-α， lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 2 （LPCAT2）， and farnesoid X receptor （FXR） in the serum were determined by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultsCompared with the blank group， the DIC group showed elevated levels of IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α in the serum （P<0.01）， and the DIC withdrawal group showcased lowered levels of IL-1β， IL-6， and TNF-α in the serum （P<0.01）. The levels of IgA， IgG， and IgM in the spleen of rats in the DIC group were decreased （P<0.01）， while those in the DIC withdrawal group were recovered （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Untargeted metabolomics of the serum and spleen screened out 14 common differential metabolites and 14 common metabolic pathways. The Spearman correlation analysis between differential metabolites and inflammatory factors identified PC （32∶0）， LysoPC （20∶4/0∶0）， LysoPC （P-18∶0/0∶0）， taurochenodeoxycholic acid， taurocholic acid， LysoPC ［20∶5（5Z，8Z，11Z，14Z，17Z）/0∶0］， chenodeoxycholic acid， arachidonic acid， LysoPC （18∶0/0∶0）， LysoPC （15∶0/0∶0）， LysoPC （16∶0/0∶0）， and LysoPC （17∶0/0∶0） as the biomarkers of immunotoxicity induced by DIC in SD rats. In the process of immunotoxicity caused by DIC， lipid metabolism disorders such as glycerophospholipid metabolism， primary bile acid metabolism， and arachidonic acid metabolism were enriched， which was consistent with the DIC-induced inflammatory factors and pathological characteristics of the spleen. Compared with the blank group， the DIC group exhibited up-regulated mRNA levels of IL-1β， TNF-α， LPCAT2， and FXR （P<0.01）， and the up-regulation was decreased in the withdrawal group （P<0.01）. ConclusionDIC can lead to immune and inflammatory disorders. DIC withdrawal can regulate the expression of biomarkers related to serum and spleen metabolites， regulate the inflammatory metabolic pathway， reduce the inflammation level， and alleviate the metabolic disorders， thus attenuating the potential toxicity induced by DIC.

BACKGROUND:Scaffold materials serve as platforms that provide space and structure,playing a crucial role in the regeneration of cartilage tissue.Scholars from around the world are exploring different approaches to fabricate more ideal scaffold materials. OBJECTIVE:To review the design principles and preparation methods of cartilage scaffolds,and to further explore the advantages and limitations of various preparation methods. METHODS:Literature searches were conducted on the databases of CNKI,WanFang Data,PubMed,and FMRS from 1998 to 2023.The search terms were"cartilage repair,cartilage tissue engineering,cartilage scaffold materials,preparation"in Chinese and English.A total of 57 articles were ultimately reviewed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The articular cartilage has a unique structure and limited self-repair capacity after injury.Even if self-repair occurs,the newly formed cartilage is typically fibrocartilage,which is far inferior to normal articular cartilage in terms of structure and mechanical properties.It is difficult to maintain normal function and often leads to degenerative changes.Currently,the design and fabrication of scaffold materials for cartilage repair need to consider the following aspects:biocompatibility and biodegradability,suitable pore structure and porosity,appropriate mechanical properties,and bioactivity.(2)Research on the preparation of cartilage scaffolds has made significant progress,continuously introducing new preparation methods and optimization strategies.These methods have their advantages and disadvantages,providing more possibilities for customized preparation and functional design of cartilage scaffolds according to specific requirements.

BACKGROUND:Bone formation is the process by which osteoblasts synthesize and secrete osteoid and promote its mineralization,which generally involves mechanical signal transduction.Osteoblasts are primarily regulated by mechanical factors such as gravity,compressive stress,tensile stress,fluid shear stress,and hydrostatic pressure in vivo,and different mechanical stimuli modulate the proliferation,differentiation,and apoptosis of osteoblasts through various mechanisms,including hormones,cytoskeletal proteins,and microRNAs.By clarifying the effects of biomechanical forces on osteoblasts,it provides ideas and a reference basis for the treatment of osteometabolic diseases involving osteoblasts. OBJECTIVE:To review the effects of different biomechanical forces on the biological characteristics of osteoblasts. METHODS:We conducted a literature search using PubMed,Web of Science,FMRS,CNKI,and WanFang databases for relevant publications published from 2000 to 2023,covering basic research and tissue engineering studies related to the effects of biomechanical forces on osteoblasts.Ultimately,a total of 70 articles were reviewed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Different biomechanical forces have an impact on the biological characteristics of osteoblasts,including proliferation,differentiation,and apoptosis,and these effects are dependent on the intensity and duration of the applied force.Specifically,the effects are as follows:(1)Under microgravity conditions,osteoblast proliferation and differentiation are inhibited,resulting in a decrease in bone density and the development of osteoporosis.(2)Compared to microgravity,hypergravity has a promoting effect on osteoblast proliferation.(3)The effects of compressive stress on osteoblasts are dependent on the loading intensity and time.Appropriate compressive stress can promote osteoblast proliferation and differentiation,which is beneficial for bone tissue formation and repair,while excessive compressive stress can cause osteoblast apoptosis and bone tissue destruction.(4)The biological effects of different types of tensile stress on osteoblasts differ.Studies have shown that a strain rate within the range of 0-12%has a promoting effect on osteoblast proliferation.(5)Fluid shear stress can promote osteoblast proliferation and differentiation and enhance the bone-inducing effect of biomaterials.(6)Static hydrostatic pressure can affect the biological behavior of osteoblasts,including proliferation,differentiation,and apoptosis,and these effects are closely related to the time and intensity of the pressure.Understanding the effects of different biomechanical forces on osteoblasts is of great significance for a deeper understanding of bone growth and maintenance mechanisms.

Objective The MMV-Net,a deep learning framework based on mammogram multiple views,was constructed to evaluate the classification performance of the model for benign and malignant masses.Methods A retrospective analysis was conduc-ted on a dataset of 1 585 breast X-ray images from Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital from 2018 to 2020,including 806 be-nign cases and 779 malignant cases.The dataset was divided into the training set(n=1268)and the test set(n=317)according to an 8∶2 ratios,and the training set was stratified according to the 5-fold cross validation.The integrated DDSM dataset and INBreast dataset were used as external test sets(n=1645)to evaluate the model performance.Each case in the input layer contained 4 views.The MMV-Net model was constructed by removing the last two layers of the ResNet22 network structure and adding an average poo-ling layer as the feature extraction layer,as well as fully connection layer and softmax activation function as the decision layers.Bayes-ian hyperparameter optimization was used.The performance of MMV-Net,MFA Net,and ensemble inception V4 models in AUC val-ues,accuracy,precision,recall and F1 scores were compared.Results The AUC values of MMV-Net model for distinguishing benign and malignant masses on the test set were 0.913,0.882 for MFA-Net,and 0.865 for inception V4.The accuracy and precision evalu-ation metrics of the MMV-Net model were also higher than the other two models.Conclusion The deep learning MMV-Net model based on multiple views of mammogram is helpful for the classification of benign and malignant breast masses.

ObjectiveTo observe the efficacy and safety of Huashi Runzao prescription for patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome （pSS） of combined dryness and dampness pattern. MethodA total of 105 eligible patients were randomized into the experimental group （65 cases） and control group （40 cases）， and they were respectively treated with Huashi Runzao prescription and hydroxychloroquine for 12 weeks. Visual Analogue Scale （VAS） was employed to assess the symptoms. The symptoms of dryness， fatigue， and pain， European League Against Rheumatism （EULAR） Sjögren's Syndrome Patient Reported Index （ESSPRI）， EULAR Sjögren's syndrome disease activity index （ESSDAI）， and immune inflammatory indicators before and after treatment were compared between the two groups， and adverse reactions were observed. ResultAfter treatment， the ESSPRI score was lower than that before treatment in the experimental groups （P<0.01） and was lower in the experimental group than in the control group （P<0.05）. The VAS scores of dry mouth， dry eyes， overall dryness， fatigue， and pain in the experimental group decreased compared with those before treatment （P<0.01）， and the experimental group had lower VAS scores of dry mouth and overall dryness than the control group （P<0.01）. After treatment， the ESSDAI score of both groups decreased compared with that before treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）， but there was no significant difference between the groups. After treatment， the level of immunoglobulin M （IgM） decreased （P<0.01） and the level of complement C3 increased （P<0.01） in the experimental group， while the level of complement C3 decreased in the control group （P<0.05）. There was no significant difference in the laboratory indexes between groups. During the treatment， stomachache occurred to one case in the experimental group， which was alleviated after the treatment， and no adverse reaction was observed in the control group. According to the chi-square test， the occurrence of adverse reactions was insignificantly different between the two groups. ConclusionHuashi Runzao prescription can alleviate the symptoms of dryness， fatigue， and pain， and reduce disease activity without associated side effects in pSS patients with combined dampness and dryness pattern.

ObjectiveTo analyze the clinical characteristics of geographic tongue in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome （pSS）. MethodPatients with pSS treated in the China-Japan Friendship Hospital from December 2018 to October 2021 were enrolled and divided into different groups according to the presence of geographic tongue or the severity. Phi correlation analysis，Chi-square test， and Mann-Whitney test were used to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with geographic tongue. ResultA total of 182 pSS patients were included in this study，including 75 （41.2%） patients with geographic tongue and 107 （58.8%） without geographic tongue. Partial exfoliation was more common than total exfoliation， and the anterior part of the tongue was the most common exfoliation site. The number of patients with severe geographic tongue was more than those with mild-to-moderate geographic tongue. Compared with pSS patients without geographic tongue，those with geographic tongue were more common in fissured tongue （92.0%/41.1%，χ²=48.491，P<0.05），red or crimson tongue （48.0%/23.3%，χ²=12.009，P<0.05），Yin deficiency syndrome （100.0%/43.9%，χ²=62.739，P<0.05），and Qi deficiency syndrome （94.7%∶50.5%，χ²=40.046，P<0.05），less common in phlegm-dampness syndrome （33.3%/72.0%，χ²=26.709，P<0.05），and showed higher proportions in hyperglobulinemia （89.3%/65.4%，χ²=13.547，P<0.01），ANA ≥1∶160 （78.1%/57.3%，χ²=8.227，P<0.01），and positive RF （51.4%/36.5%，χ²=3.877，P<0.05）. Compared with pSS patients with mild geographic tongue，pSS patients with moderate-to-severe geographic tongue had higher proportions in hyperglobulinemia （98.1%/68.2%，χ²=14.617，P<0.01），positive anti-CENP-B （26.0%/4.8%，χ²=4.214，P<0.05），and reduced complement 3 （26.4%/4.5%，χ²=4.647，P<0.05）. The geographic tongue was positively associated with fissured tongue （φ=0.531），Yin deficiency syndrome （φ=0.587），and Qi deficiency syndrome （φ=0.469），negatively associated with phlegm-dampness syndrome （φ=-0.447），and weakly associated with tongue color （φ<0.4）. There was no statistical difference in the disease activity index between patients with or without geographic tongue and severity. ConclusionMore than 40% of pSS patients had geographic tongue accompanied by fissured tongue. Geographic tongue is positively associated with Yin deficiency syndrome and Qi deficiency syndrome，and negatively associated with phlegm-dampness syndrome， indicating that treatment should be based on tonifying Qi and nourishing Yin. Compared with pSS patients without geographic tongue， those with geographic tongue may have higher positive rate of some immune indicators，which deserves further exploration.

Mucositis is a common gastrointestinal complication in cancer patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy, including oral mucositis and gastrointestinal mucositis, with clinical manifestations of oral ulcers, vomiting, diarrhea and pain that seriously reduce the quality of life of patients and even affect anticancer therapy. Toll-like receptor (TLR) are important receptors involved in innate immunity and in the development of chemoradiation-induced mucositis by mediating the effect between microorganisms and the host. A comprehensive understanding of the role of TLR in mucositis is helpful to guide the prevention and treatment of mucositis. This paper reviews the available studies on TLR and mucositis. The results of the literature review indicate that different TLR have different roles in chemoradiation-induced mucositis: TLR2 is an important receptor in the inflammatory cascade of chemoradiation-induced mucositis; TLR4 activation can increase gastrointestinal mucosal inflammation and lead to oral epithelial ulceration; TLR5 agonists can reduce the degree of radiation-induced mucositis damage; and antagonizing or knocking out TLR9 can reduce chemoradiation-induced gastrointestinal mucositis. However, no TLR agonists or inhibitors have yet been applied in clinical practice, and additional studies are needed to explore the role of different TLR in mucositis in the future to provide a reference for the precise prevention and treatment of chemoradiation-induced mucositis.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Bifidobacteria in preventing caries. Methods : Databases including PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Scopus, Clinicaltrials. gov, CNKI, WanFang Data and VIP were electronically searched from inception to April 2020 to collect randomized controlled trials of Bifidobacterium for caries. Meta-analysis was performed using Revman 5.4 software. Results: In total, 10 randomized controlled trials (RCT) of 518 patients, including 262 in the test group and 256 in the control group, were included. Meta-analysis results reveal no statistically significant differences in salivary Streptococcus mutans counts (SMD=-0.31, 95%CI -0.66 to 0.04, P=0.08) (RR=0.53, 95%CI 0.17 to 1.66, P=0.28) and salivary Lactobacilli counts (SMD=-0.07, 95%CI -0.39 to 0.26, P=0.69) (RR=0.87, 95%CI 0.59 to 1.29, P=0.50). No statistical differences in the counts of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus counts were noted in dental plaque, and no statistical difference in the occurrence of caries in deciduous teeth. Three of the 10 RCTS included in this study did not report adverse events, 5 had no adverse reactions, and 2 reported gastrointestinal discomfort. Conclusion Current evidence suggests that Bifidobacteria do not effectively reduce Streptococcus mutans counts and Lactobacillus counts in saliva and dental plaque, or reduce the occurrence of caries in deciduous teeth. The safety of this treatment also requires further investigation.

As a natural extension of One Belt and One Road Initiative in Africa, the Republic of Mozambique plays an important role in the spread of Chinese medicine in Africa. By searching for the materials from the official foreign aid agencies of China, Japan, the United States and Europe, this paper compares and analyzes the current situation of medical aid to Mozambique by China, Japan, the United States and Europe. It is found that Japan, the United States and Europe focus on basic health facilities, social vulnerable groups, local epidemic diseases and other grassroots assistance. Finally, it proposes to set up projects that cater to the needs of recipient countries and strengthen the exchange of traditional medicine to seek multilateral aid cooperation and develop medical aid based on project audience. We hope that we can learn from others, so that China’s medical aid to Mozambique and thus to Africa could be more comprehensive, and the spread of Traditional Chinese Medicine could be spreaded in Africa.