Objective:To investigate the impact of exogenous hypoxia-inducible factor 1α(HIF-1α)on glucose metabolism-related proteins and neurological function in the hippocampal CA1 region of rats with cerebral ischemia.Methods:Adult male SD rats were randomly assigned to four groups: sham operation group(Sham group), cerebral ischemia reperfusion group(CIR group), recombinant adenovirus empty vector intervention group(Ad group), and recombinant adenovirus HIF-1α gene intervention group(AdHIF-1α group), each consisting of 12 rats.A rat model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury was induced using the modified suture method, and neurological deficits were assessed using the Longa method.In line with previous protocols, exogenous Ad and AdHIF-1α were introduced into the lateral ventricle of rats in the Ad and AdHIF-1α groups, respectively.After 28 days of observation, the animals were euthanized.Hippocampal tissue was collected for analysis, including Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining, terminal transferase labeling in situ(TUNEL)staining, and Nissl staining to evaluate pathological changes and neuronal survival in the hippocampal CA1 region.Western blot was performed to assess the expression levels of HIF-1α, glucose transporter 1(GLUT1), glucose transporter 3(GLUT3), and 6-phosphofructose-2-kinase/fructose-2, 6-bisphosphatase 3(PFKFB3)proteins in the hippocampal tissue.Results:Following 28 days of recombinant adenovirus HIF-1α gene therapy, rats in the AdHIF-1α group exhibited reduced neurological deficits compared to the CIR group( P<0.05).Histopathological analysis of nerve cells in the CA1 region of the hippocampus showed significant improvement, with an increase in the number of surviving nerve cells and a decrease in apoptotic cells( P<0.01).Western blot results indicated an upregulation of HIF-1α expression in the hippocampus of the CIR group compared to the Sham group, along with increased levels of glucose metabolism-related proteins(GLUT1, GLUT3, and PFKFB3)(all P<0.05).Furthermore, elevating HIF-1α expression through AdHIF-1α led to a further increase in the expression of glucose transporters(GLUT1, GLUT3, and PFKFB3)in the AdHIF-1α group, demonstrating statistically significant differences compared to the CIR group(all P<0.05).Notably, there were no statistically significant variances in the aforementioned parameters between the Ad group and the CIR group(all P>0.05). Conclusions:The AdHIF-1α gene has the potential to enhance neurological function, promote nerve cell survival, and decrease nerve cell apoptosis.This effect is likely achieved by increasing HIF-1α expression in the hippocampus, subsequently up-regulating GLUT1, GLUT3 and PFKFB3 expression, and ultimately improving glucose metabolism supply.Overall, this gene shows promise in protecting the brain.

OBJECTIVE To establish an HPLC method for investigating the stability of mandelonitrile in commonly used solvents and quantitation determination of mandelonitrile in Jian’er Qingjie mixture. METHODS The assay was performed on an Agilent TC-C18(250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm) column with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid(23∶27) pumped at a flow rate of 1.0 mL·min–1. The column temperature was 30 ℃ and the detection wavelength was set at 207 nm. The stability of the mandelonitrile solution prepared with solvents such as methanol, 95% ethanol, acetonitrile, water, phosphoric acid solution with pH 2.0−6.0, and acetonitrile solution containing 1.0% glacial acetic acid was investigated using the peak reduction rate as the indicator. RESULTS Mandelonitrile was labile in methanol, 95% ethanol or water and relatively stable in acetonitrile. The standard solutions of mandelonitrile prepared with phosphoric acid solutions at pH 2.0−3.5 or acetonitrile containing 1.0% glacial acetic acid were stable in 12 h. The linear range of mandelonitrile was 1.033−294.987 µg·mL–1(r=0.999 9) and the average recovery was 97.4% with RSD of 0.6%(n=9). The content range of mandelonitrile in 16 batches of Jian’er Qingjie mixture produced by 5 manufactures was 3.854−154.578 µg·mL–1. CONCLUSION The established method is simple and accurate. It can be used for the quality control of Jian’er Qingjie mixture. For almond aromatic water and its preparations, the influence of solvent on stability of mandelonitrile should be noticed.

Objective:To analyze the influencing factors and improvement paths of the cultivation of full-time doctoral scientific and technological innovation ability in large public hospitals, and propose countermeasures and suggestions.Methods:This studyed conducted a survey and analysis of 122 doctors from Linyi People′s Hospital in Shandong Province, and completed a current situation study based on the analysis results.Results:There was no significant difference between the two groups in gender, age, degree type, professional category, discipline level, Graduate School type, job type and other indicators. There were significant differences between the two groups in scientific research topic selection ability score, project design ability score, data analysis ability score, data interpretation ability score, project approval in recent 5 years, project level, number of SCI journal papers published in recent 5 years, cumulative impact factors of SCI journal papers, and annual number of academic activities ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The hospital can improve the scientific and technological innovation ability of full-time doctors by setting up a special cultivation plan, establishing an interdisciplinary team, optimizing scientific research management services, improving the evaluation and assessment system, and improving welfare protection.

Objective:To identify the pathogenic characteristics of a suspected gonadal mosaicism Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) family, and provide provide basis for pregnancy selection of similar families.Methods:A BMD family admitted to Hunan Jiahui Genetics Hospital from June 2012 to September 2019 was systematically reviewed. The medical history and family history of the proband were checked, and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification was used to detect the deletion/duplication of 79 exons of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) gene in the proband, fetuses, and parents. Moreover, potential variants were verified by combining PCR amplification, short tandom repeat polymorphic linkage analysis, and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. High-quality embryos are screened for transplantation after preimplantation genetic testing for monogenic (PGT-M). And amniotic fluid was collected in the second trimester for prenatal diagnostic verification.Results:According to the phenotype analysis of the proband, the initial clinical diagnosis was BMD, and the exon 45-50 deletion in DMD gene was detected. The mutation was not detected in the mother′s peripheral blood, but when she was pregnant again, the prenatal diagnosis showed that the fetus had the same deletion mutation as the proband. Neither of two vitro embryos tested by PGT-M has the deletion mutation, then single embryo transfer was performed nor was pregnancy successful. After confirmation of prenatal diagnosis during pregnancy, a normal baby girl was born by full-term cesarean section.Conclusions:This BMD family was a family with two consecutive BMD homodeletion mutations, and the mutation of the DMD gene was not detected in the peripheral blood of the proband′s mother and two embryonic cells, suggesting that the mother may be a gonad chimeric carrier of this deletion mutation. The combined application of prenatal diagnosis and PGT-M provides a reference approach to effectively avoid the birth of similar children.

Objective:To explore the social and physical anhedonia and its relationship to intrinsic motivation in patients with schizophrenia.Methods:One hundred and twenty-five stable schizophrenic patients from three psychiatric hospitals in Hefei, Wuhu and Beihai, and 101 healthy controls from same communities were recruited.All subjects completed Chinese version of revised social anhedonia scale(RSAS-C), Chinese version of revised physical anhedonia scale(RPAS-C) and intrinsic motivation inventory for schizophrenia research(IMI-SR), while positive and negative syndrome scale(PANSS) and Calgary depression scale for schizophrenia(CDSS) were used to assess the clinical symptoms of schizophrenic patients.All analyses were conducted by SPSS 26.0 software.The Mann-Whitney U test and covariance analysis were used for comparison between the groups, and Spearman correlation and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to explore the association between the anhedonia and intrinsic motivation in schizophrenics. Results:Compared with controls, the RSAS-C (10.00(6.00, 14.00) vs 11.00(8.00, 15.00), Z=-2.187, P<0.05) and RPAS-C (12.00(7.50, 20.00) vs 16.00(10.00, 23.00), Z=-3.026, P<0.01) scores in patients were higher, but the differerce between the groups disappeared after controlling age, sex and years of education.The IMI-SR perceived choice subscore (31.00(28.00, 39.00 vs 36.00(31.00, 42.00), Z=-3.172, P<0.01) were lower, while value/usefulness subscores (41.00(35.00, 45.00) vs 36.00(32.00, 42.00), Z=-3.387, P<0.01) were higher in patients than those in controls, and there was no significant difference between the total score and interest/enjoyment subscore(both P<0.05). In patents, Spearman correlation analysis showed that the RSAS-C and RPAS-C scores were significant negatively correlated with the IMI-SR total scores and interest/enjoyment subscore, perceived choice and value/usefulness( r=-0.193--0.364, all P<0.05), which still existed after controlling age, sex, years of education, course of disease, antipsychotic dose, and scores of PANSS and CDSS.Logistic regression analysis showed that the score of RSAS-C( B=-0.096, 95% CI=0.836-0.998, P=0.025) and perceived choice subscore( B=-0.110, 95% CI=0.823-0.974, P=0.010) had negative effects on the IMI-SR total score. Conclusion:There is a correlation between anhedonia and intrinsic motivation in patients with schizophrenia, the higher the social anhedonia, the lower the intrinsic motivation to participate in cognitive activities, suggesting that intervention for social anhedonia may have significance in improving the intrinsic motivation of patients with cognitive rehabilitation therapy.

The biological samples of oral genetic diseases and rare diseases are extremely precious. Collecting and preserving these biological samples are helpful to elucidate the mechanisms and improve the level of diagnose and treatment of oral genetic diseases and rare diseases. The standardized construction of biobanks for oral genetic diseases and rare diseases is important for achieving these goals. At present, there is very little information on the construction of these biobanks, and the standards or suggestions for the classification and coding of biological samples from oral and maxillofacial sources, and this is not conducive to the standardization and information construction of biobanks for special oral diseases. This consensus summarizes the background, necessity, principles, and key points of constructing the biobank for oral genetic diseases and rare diseases. On the base of the group standard "Classification and Coding for Human Biomaterial" (GB/T 39768-2021) issued by the National Technical Committee for Standardization of Biological Samples, we suggest 76 new coding numbers for different of biological samples from oral and maxillofacial sources. We hope the consensus may promote the standardization, and smartization on the biobank construction as well as the overall research level of oral genetic diseases and rare diseases in China.

Objective:To explore the effect of the enriched environment(EE)on pyroptosis in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury(CIRI).Methods:45 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: a sham surgery(Sham)group, a cerebral ischemia-reperfusion(CIR)group and an enriched environment(EE)group, with 15 rats in each group.Except for the Sham group, the right middle cerebral artery occlusion model was established in the other two groups.After surgery, the EE group was fed in EE, and the other two groups were fed in standard environment.All the rats were assessed using the modified neurological severity score(mNSS)before modeling and on the 1st day, 7th day and 14th day following surgery.On the 14th day after surgery, 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride(TTC)staining was used to evaluate the infarct volume, hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining was used to examine pathomorphological changes of the hippocampal CA1 region on the ischemic side of the rats in each group, immunohistochemical assay was used to detect the expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3)and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1(caspase-1)proteins in the CA1 region, and ultrastructural changes in neurons in the CA1 region were observed under transmission electron microscopy.Results:Compared with the Sham group, the mNSS scores of the CIR group and the EE group were significantly higher on the 1st day and 7th day after surgery( P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the CIR and EE groups( P>0.05). On the 14th day after surgery, compared with the CIR group, the EE group showed a decrease in the mNSS score and the cerebral infarct volume( P<0.05), alleviated pathomorphological changes, decreased expression of NLRP3 and caspase-1 proteins( P<0.05), and alleviated pathological changes of pyroptosis in the ultrastructure of neurons. Conclusions:EE can reduce the damage of neurological function, reduce the cerebral infarct volume, and play a protective role for the brain in CIRI rats.The mechanism may be related to the down-regulation of the expression of NLRP3 and caspase-1 proteins related to the classical pyroptosis pathway, leading to the inhibition of pyroptosis.

Objective: A model was built by neural network analysis to study the relationship between different degrees of vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency and malnutrition-induced stomatitis. Methods: Data from 30 healthy volunteers and 30 patients with malnutrition-induced stomatitis were collected. The distribution of lesions, the number of affected sites and clinical manifestations were recorded, and the severity was scored. The levels of vitamin B12 and folic acid in the peripheral blood of the two groups were simultaneously measured. The SPSS software was used to analyze the correlation between vitamin B12 and folic acid levels in the peripheral blood of patients with malnutrition-induced stomatitis and healthy volunteers, and the MATLAB software package was used to analyze the data via a neural network. Results: The levels of vitamin B12 and folic acid significantly correlated with the grade of malnutrition-induced stomatitis. Simultaneous B12 and folic acid deficiency linearly correlated with the occurrence and severity of malnutrition-induced stomatitis. Based on this correlation, a thermogram model of malnutrition-induced stomatitis was constructed. Conclusion Malnutrition-induced stomatitis is closely related to vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency. Their synergistic effect may promote the occurrence and development of malnutrition-induced stomatitis. The construction of the malnutrition-induced stomatitis model aids the targeted etiological treatment of patients with moderate and severe deficiency to prevent malnutrition-induced stomatitis.

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, treatment and prognosis of oralmucosal malignant melanoma to provide a reference for clinical practice. Methods: Data from 19 patients with oralmucosal malignant melanoma were collected, and their clinical manifestations, treatment methods and follow-up results were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Among the 19 patients, 11 cases (58%) had lesions in the gingiva, 7 cases (37%) had lesions in the palate, and 1 case (5%) had lesions in the tongue, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Eight patients had regional lymph node metastasis with a metastasis rate of 42%, of which 4 cases had multiple site metastasis, and the total number of regional lymph node metastasis sites was 15. Among the 19 patients, 3 cases received only surgery, 4 cases received cryotherapy, and 12 cases received combined surgery, cryotherapy and biological immunotherapy. Pathological examination showed malignant melanoma. The positive rates of S-100, HMB-45 and Melan-A were 95%, 89% and 84%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that patients with lesions less than 5 cm2 had a higher survival rate (P < 0.05). Conclusions Oral malignant melanomas usually present as black lesions in the oral mucosa, which are prone to metastasis in early stage. The area of lesions may affect the prognosis of the disease. Therefore, the large range of black lesions or masses should be the alert for the clinicians. Oral malignant melanoma patients are usually treated with combined treatment with surgery, cryotherapy and biological immunotherapy.

Oral immunosuppression caused by smoking creates a microenvironment to promote the occurrence and development of oral mucosa precancerous lesions. This study aimed to investigate the role of metabolism and macrophage polarization in cigarette-promoting oral leukoplakia. The effects of cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on macrophage polarization and metabolism were studied in vivo and in vitro. The polarity of macrophages was detected by flow cytometric analysis and qPCR. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to perform a metabolomic analysis of Raw cells stimulated with CSE. Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry were used to detect the polarity of macrophages in the condition of glutamine abundance and deficiency. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), wound-healing assay, and Annexin V-FITC (fluorescein isothiocyanate)/PI (propidium iodide) double-staining flow cytometry were applied to detect the growth and transferability and apoptosis of Leuk-1 cells in the supernatant of Raw cells which were stimulated with CSE, glutamine abundance and deficiency. Hyperkeratosis and dysplasia of the epithelium were evident in smoking mice. M2 macrophages increased under CSE stimulation in vivo and in vitro. In total, 162 types of metabolites were detected in the CSE group. The metabolites of nicotine, glutamate, arachidic acid, and arginine changed significantly. The significant enrichment pathways were also selected, including nicotine addiction, glutamine and glutamate metabolism, and arginine biosynthesis. The results also showed that the supernatant of Raw cells stimulated by CSE could induce excessive proliferation of Leuk-1 and inhibit apoptosis. Glutamine abundance can facilitate this process. Cigarette smoke promotes oral leukoplakia via regulating glutamine metabolism and macrophage M2 polarization.
Animals ; Glutamine ; Leukoplakia, Oral ; Macrophages ; Mice ; Smoking ; Tumor Microenvironment