Based on the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor(α7nAChR), this study examined how tetrahydropalmatine(THP) affected BV2 microglia exposed to lipopolysaccharide(LPS), aiming to clarify the possible mechanism underlying the anti-depression effect of THP from the perspectives of preventing inflammation and regulating polarization. First, after molecular docking and determination of the content of Corydalis saxicola Bunting total alkaloids, THP was initially identified as a possible anti-depression component. The BV2 microglia model of inflammation was established with LPS. BV2 microglia were allocated into a normal group, a model group, low-and high-dose(20 and 40 μmol·L~(-1), respectively) THP groups, and a THP(20 μmol·L~(-1))+α7nAChR-specific antagonist MLA(1 μmol·L~(-1)) group. The CCK-8 assay was used to screen the safe concentration of THP. A light microscope was used to examine the morphology of the cells. Western blot and immunofluorescence were used to determine the expression of α7nAChR. qRT-PCR was performed to determine the mRNA levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS), cluster of differentiation 86(CD86), suppressor of cytokine signaling 3(SOCS3), arginase-1(Arg-1), cluster of differentiation 206(CD206), tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α, interleukin(IL)-6, and IL-1β. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was employed to measure the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in the cell supernatant. The experimental results showed that THP at concentrations of 40 μmol·L~(-1) and below had no effect on BV2 microglia. THP improved the morphology of BV2 microglia, significantly up-regulated the protein level of α7nAChR, significantly down-regulated the mRNA levels of iNOS, CD86, SOCS3, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, significantly up-regulated the mRNA levels of Arg-1 and CD206, and dramatically lowered the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in the cell supernatant. However, the antagonist MLA abolished the above-mentioned ameliorative effects of THP on LPS-treated BV2 microglia. As demonstrated by the aforementioned findings, THP protected LPS-treated BV2 microglia by regulating the M1/M2 polarization and preventing inflammation, which might be connected to the regulation of α7nAChR on BV2 microglia.
Berberine Alkaloids/chemistry* ; alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor/chemistry* ; Microglia/metabolism* ; Mice ; Animals ; Cell Line ; Corydalis/chemistry* ; Humans ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Inflammation/drug therapy* ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/immunology* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/immunology*

This study aims to investigate the polarized microscopic mineral phase characteristics, inorganic element content, and potential health risks associated with the intake of raw and calcined fossil mineral Chinese medicinal material Draconis Os. Microscopy was employed to observe the mineralogical characteristics of Draconis Os and compare the microscopic features and phase composition of raw and calcined Draconis Os under monochromatic and orthogonal polarized light. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS) was employed to determine the content of 30 inorganic elements. Health risk assessment was conducted by calculating the single pollution index(P_i), average daily intake of elements for adults(ADI), target hazard quotient(THQ), non-carcinogenic assessment method-hazard quotient(HQ), and the carcinogenic risk of elements(CR). The results indicated that under monochromatic polarized light, the Draconis Os powder sections exhibited light gray-brown to gray-brown irregular fragments, some with undulating textures that were slightly curved. Under crossed polarized light, they appeared dark gray, grayish-white, and yellowish-white. Clear apatite was visible in the ground sections of Draconis Os under crossed polarized light. P_i results indicated that Draconis Os samples were free from contamination and were of good quality. According to the maximum allowable limits of heavy metals stipulated in ISO Traditional Chinese Medicine: Determination of heavy metals in herbal medicines used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, ADI, THQ, HQ, and CR were taken as assessment indicators. Only the THQ value for As(arsenic) in raw Draconis Os was greater than 1, while the THQ values for other heavy metal elements in the Draconis Os samples were all less than 1. The study demonstrates that the primary mineral phase of raw and calcined Draconis Os is apatite, with some samples co-existing with calcite, which can serve as one of the means for quality control of Draconis Os. The elemental analysis results from ICP-MS provide scientific evidence for the safety assessment of Draconis Os, indicating that Draconis Os is safe in clinical application.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis* ; Risk Assessment ; Minerals/chemistry* ; Fossils ; Humans ; Drug Contamination ; Mass Spectrometry

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of single-balloon and double-balloon enteroscopy in diagnosing pediatric small bowel diseases and assess the diagnostic efficacy of computed tomography enterography (CTE) for small bowel diseases using enteroscopy as the reference standard. METHODS: Clinical data from 576 children who underwent enteroscopy at Hunan Children's Hospital between January 2017 and December 2023 were retrospectively collected. The children were categorized based on enteroscopy type into the single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE) group (n=457) and double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) group (n=119), and the clinical data were compared between the two groups. The sensitivity and specificity of CTE for diagnosing small bowel diseases were evaluated using enteroscopy results as the standard. RESULTS: Among the 576 children, small bowel lesions were detected by enteroscopy in 274 children (47.6%).There was no significant difference in lesion detection rates or complication rates between the SBE and DBE groups (P>0.05), but the DBE group had deeper insertion, longer procedure time, and higher complete small bowel examination rate (P<0.05). The complication rate during enteroscopy was 4.3% (25/576), with 18 cases (3.1%) of mild complications and 7 cases (1.2%) of severe complications, which improved with symptomatic treatment, surgical, or endoscopic intervention. Among the 412 children who underwent CTE, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing small bowel diseases were 44.4% and 71.3%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS SBE and DBE have similar diagnostic efficacy for pediatric small bowel diseases, but DBE is preferred for suspected deep small bowel lesions and comprehensive small bowel examination. Enteroscopy in children demonstrates relatively good overall safety. CTE demonstrates relatively low sensitivity but comparatively high specificity for diagnosing small bowel diseases.
Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Double-Balloon Enteroscopy/statistics & numerical data* ; Single-Balloon Enteroscopy/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; Male ; Female ; Child ; Operative Time ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/statistics & numerical data* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Intestine, Small/surgery* ; Intestinal Diseases/surgery*

Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans ; Dental Cementum/injuries* ; Consensus ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Tooth Fractures/therapy*

With the growing emphasis on maternal and child oral health, the significance of managing oral health across preconception, pregnancy, and infancy stages has become increasingly apparent. Oral health challenges extend beyond affecting maternal well-being, exerting profound influences on fetal and neonatal oral development as well as immune system maturation. This expert consensus paper, developed using a modified Delphi method, reviews current research and provides recommendations on maternal and child oral health management. It underscores the critical role of comprehensive oral assessments prior to conception, diligent oral health management throughout pregnancy, and meticulous oral hygiene practices during infancy. Effective strategies should be seamlessly integrated across the life course, encompassing preconception oral assessments, systematic dental care during pregnancy, and routine infant oral hygiene. Collaborative efforts among pediatric dentists, maternal and child health workers, and obstetricians are crucial to improving outcomes and fostering clinical research, contributing to evidence-based health management strategies.
Humans ; Pregnancy ; Female ; Infant ; Consensus ; Mouth Diseases/therapy* ; Pregnancy Complications/therapy* ; Oral Health ; Infant, Newborn ; Delphi Technique ; Oral Hygiene

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Qingxuan Zhike granules in improving cough symptoms and shortening the course of influenza (wind-heat invading lung) in children.Methods:In this multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical trial, a total of 240 outpatient influenza patients from 7 hospitals, including the First Affiliated Hospital of Yunnan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, from April 2023 to December 2023 were collected.The subjects were randomly divided into the control group and the experimental group via SAS software using the block randomization method.The differences between two groups were compared with t test, corrected t test and χ2 test.Subjects in the control group were given Oseltamivir phosphate granules, orally, twice a day (weight ≤15 kg, 30 mg/time; weight >15-23 kg, 45 mg/time; weight >23-40 kg, 60 mg/time; weight >40 kg, 75 mg/time; age≥13 years, 75 mg/time).In addition to Oseltamivir phosphate granules, subjects in the experimental group were also given Qingxuan Zhike granules, orally, 3 times a day (1-3 years old, 1/2 bag each time; >3-6 years old, 3/4 bag each time; >6-14 years old, 1 bag each time).After 5 days of treatment, the medication was suspended for 2 days.The effect of cough, antipyretic effect, clinical recovery rate, clinical recovery time, Canadian Acute Respiratory Illness and Flu Scale (CARIFS) score, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome effect, complication rate, and adverse reactions were evaluated between the two groups. Results:Finally, 232 cases were included in the study, including 115 cases in the experimental group and 117 cases in the control group.Before and after treatment, there were no significant difference in CARIFS cough score between the experimental group and the control group (all P>0.05).After treatment, the change in CARIFS cough score in the experimental group [(-1.00±0.91) scores]was significantly higher than that in the control group [(-0.75±0.98) scores] ( t=-1.995, P=0.047).After treatment, the change in TCM syndrome cough score in the experimental group [(-1.69±1.51) scores] was significantly higher than that in the control group [(-0.97±1.63) scores] ( t′=-0.035, P=0.001).The time of complete regression of fever in the experimental group [(44.82±22.72) h] was shorter than that in the control group [(51.35±27.07) h], and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( t=-1.966, P=0.050).The fever score showed that the area under the curve between the CARIFS symptom fever score and time in the experimental group was 4.40±2.42, while that in the control group was 5.12±2.44, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( t=-2.252, P=0.025).The clinical recovery rate was 93.91%(108/115) in the experimental group and 92.31%(108/117) in the control group, and there was no significant difference between the two groups ( χ2=0.233, P>0.05).The clinical recovery time in the experimental group [(2.93±1.21) d] was shorter than that in the control group [(3.29±1.15) d], and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( t=-2.279, P=0.024).After treatment, there was a significant difference in TCM syndrome score variation between the experimental group [(-12.00±4.13) scores] and the control group [(-10.85±4.31) scores] ( t′=-2.067, P=0.040).No complication occurred in both groups, and there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups ( χ2=1.299, P>0.05). Conclusions:Qingxuan Zhike granules combined with Oseltamivir phosphate can effectively improve the cough symptoms associated with influenza in children, shorten the time and course of fever, and improve the TCM syndrome score; thus, they are safe in clinical application.

A rapid quantitative immunochromatographic assay for procalcitonin(PCT)using metal-organic frameworks modified with gold and platinum nanoparticles(MAPs)as labels was established in this work.The detection probe was prepared by conjugating MAPs with anti-PCT monoclonal antibody via an electrostatic adsorption method.Anti-PCT polyclonal antibody and sheep anti-mouse IgG were sprayed onto the nitrocellulose(NC)membrane as the test line and quality control line,respectively,to construct immunochromatographic strip for PCT quantitative detection via signal-amplification-based sandwich immunoassay.The results showed that the MAP-based immunochromatographic test had high sensitivity,high specificity,and good stability.The dynamic range for detection of PCT was 0.61 pg/mL-320 ng/mL,the detection limit was 0.25 pg/mL,and the intra-day and inter-day precision(Relative standard deviation)were less than 15%.The results of real sample analysis showed that a quite low volume of sample was required for detection of PCT in whole blood,which was of great significance for the early diagnosis,monitoring and treatment,and prognosis of inflammation.

Following the principles of evidence-based medicine,in accordance with the structure and drafting rules of standardized documents,based on literature research,according to the characteristics of chronic cough in children and issues that need to form a consensus,the TCM Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Cough in Children was formulated based on the Delphi method,expert discussion meetings,and public solicitation of opinions.The guideline includes scope of application,terms and definitions,eti-ology and diagnosis,auxiliary examination,treatment,prevention and care.The aim is to clarify the optimal treatment plan of Chinese medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease,and to provide guidance for improving the clinical diagnosis and treatment of chronic cough in children with Chinese medicine.

Objective To explore the factors affecting the fall risks in stroke patients,and predict the level of fall risk. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted.A total of 64 stroke patients in Huadong Hospital from July,2022 to January,2024 were enrolled.The patient's demographic data,functional indicators and walking indicator,includ-ing gender,age,height,weight,stroke type,course of disease,WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0(WHO-DAS 2.0),simplified Fugl-Meyer Assessment(FMA),Functional Reaching Test(FRT),Multi-Directional Reach Test(MDRT),Montreal Cognitive Assessment(MoCA)and Timed Up and Go Test were recorded.Using the risk level of falls in stroke patients as the dependent variable,first,a univariate analysis was conducted,and then dis-criminant analysis was followed to observe the risk factors for falls in stroke patients. Results All the included stroke patients had an average age of approximately 66 years old,more males than females,and more cerebral infarction patients than cerebral hemorrhage patients.The average course of the disease was(4.50±6.02)months.There were 19,26 and 19 stroke patients with mild,moderate and severe fall risk levels,respective-ly.One-way analysis of variance showed that the scores of WHODAS 2.0,FMA,FMA-Upper Extremities(FMA-UE),FMA-Lower Extremities(FMA-LE),FRT,MDRT-Forward(MDRT-F),MDRT-Right(MDRT-R)and Mo-CA were significantly differenct among stroke patients with different fall risk levels(F>2.277,P<0.05).Dis-criminant analysis showed that patients with different fall risk levels had different functional parameter equa-tions,using the retrospective method,the accuracy rates of Fisher discriminant function and Bayes discriminant function were 75%and 78.1%,and the misjudgment rates were 25%and 21.9%,respectively. Conclusion Activity and participation ability,upper and lower extremity motor function,stability limits of the forward and right direction and cognitive function are related factors to the risk level of falls.It could predicte the risk lev-el of falls by establishing a discriminant function through functional indicators.