Advances in analytical methods for endogenous bile acids based on UPLC-MS/MS technology / 药学学报

Bile acids (BAs) are a group of endogenous steroid molecules that regulate lipid, glucose and energy metabolism. They play an important role in maintaining body homeostasis and physiological functions as key signaling molecules for host and gut microbial metabolism. The accurate characterization and quantification of BAs in vivo is of great importance in basic and clinical research. Over the past decades, enzymatic assay, enzyme-linked immunoassay, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), chromatography, and other related techniques have been developed and applied to the detection of BAs. The diverse structures of BAs, the existence of isomers and the complex matrix of biological samples pose great challenges for the detection of endogenous BAs. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) is a robust analytical technique that combines the rapid separation capacities of UPLC with the powerful structural identification capabilities of MS/MS, facilitating the more rapid separation, characterization and accurate quantitative of target analytes in biological samples. UPLC-MS/MS has been widely used in the quantitative analysis of BAs in recent years for its high selectivity, high sensitivity, and high accuracy. This paper summarized the biosynthetic pathways of BAs, sample pretreatment methods, common analytical detection techniques, and highlights the current status of the application of UPLC-MS/MS technology in the analysis of endogenous BAs over the past five years, to provide a reference for the accurate detection of endogenous BAs and further research development and application.

Study on the chemical constituents of the fruits of Psidium guajava / 药学学报

italic>Psidium guajava Linn. is an evergreen shrub or small tree of Psidium Linnaeus in the Myrtaceae family. One new glycoside (1) together with 3 known meroterpenoids (2-4) and 9 known glycosides (5-13) were isolated from the fruits of Psidium guajava Linn.. The structure of the new compound was elucidated by the spectroscopic data analysis of HR-ESIMS, 1D- and 2D-NMR, and it was named psiguaoside A (1). The known compounds were identified as guajadial (2), 4,5-diepipsidial A (3), psidial A (4), chrysin-8-C-β-D-glucoside (5), 2,6-dihydroxy-3,5-dimethyl-4-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-benzophenone (6), quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (7), quercetin-3-O-xyloside (8), guaijaverin (9), avicularin (10), guavinoside E (11), guavinoside B (12), guajaphenone A (13). In the bioactivity assay, compound 3 exhibited significant inhibitory activitiy of U87 with IC50 values of 8.379 μmol·L-1.

Features of intestinal flora in children with food protein-induced proctocolitis based on high-throughput sequencing / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the features of intestinal flora in children with food protein-induced proctocolitis (FPIP) by high-throughput sequencing.@*METHODS@#A total of 31 children, aged <6 months, who experienced FPIP after exclusive breastfeeding and attended the outpatient service of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University from October 2018 to February 2021 were enrolled as the FPIP group. Thirty-one healthy infants were enrolled as the control group. Fecal samples were collected to extract DNA for PCR amplification. High-throughput sequencing was used to perform a bioinformatics analysis of 16S rDNA V3-V4 fragments in fecal samples.@*RESULTS@#The diversity analysis of intestinal flora showed that compared with the control group, the FPIP group had a lower Shannon index for diversity (P>0.05) and a significantly higher Chao index for abundance (P<0.01). At the phylum level, the intestinal flora in both groups were composed of Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Compared with the control group, the FPIP group had a significant reduction in the composition ratio of Actinobacteria (P<0.001) and a significant increase in the composition ratio of Proteobacteria (P<0.05). At the genus level, the intestinal flora in the FPIP group were mainly composed of Escherichia, Clostridium, Enterococcus, Klebsiella, and Bifidobacterium, and the intestinal flora in the control group were mainly composed of Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus. Compared with the control group, the FPIP group had a significant reduction in the composition ratio of Bifidobacterium and Ruminococcus (P<0.05) and significant increases in the composition ratios of Clostridium and Shigella (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Compared with the control group, the FPIP group has a reduction in the diversity of intestinal flora and an increase in their abundance, and there are certain differences in several bacterial genera. These results suggest that changes in the composition of intestinal flora at genus level may play an important role in the development and progression of FPIP.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) Improves Ethanol-Induced Reproductive Dysfunction by Enhancing Steroidogenesis and Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

Abstract Ginger is traditionally used as a sexual enhancer in folk medicine. Despite extensive studies on the effect of ginger on reproduction, the molecular mechanism of ginger prevention effect on ethanol-induced reproductive disorder is not fully understood. Twenty-four adult male ratswereallocated into control, ethanol (4 g/kg of body weight (BW)/day), ginger (250 mg/kg of BW/day) and ginger-ethanol group. Ginger and ethanol were administrated by gavage for 28 days. Testicular concentration of testosterone, TNF-α, and antioxidant enzymes activity and serum concentration of gonadotropins hormone and testosterone were measured. The gene expression of Nrf2 and NF-κB which regulate oxidative damage and inflammation, respectively, and StAR, P450scc and 17βHSD which are involved in testosterone synthesis were detected. Ethanol significantly decreased gonadotropin hormones, oxidative markers, expression of genes involved in testosterone synthesis and Nrf2, and in reverse significantly increased TNF-α, MDA and gene expression of NF-κB compared to control (p<0.05). While ginger could significantly improve all of the above factors compared to the ethanol group (p<0.05). These results were also supported by histological findings. It can be concluded that ginger prevents the ethanol-induced reproductive dysfunction by improving the gonadotropins, oxidative damage and inflammation and the genes involved in testosterone synthesis.

Research Progress on Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicines in Treating Gout / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Gout is the second largest metabolic disease in China， which can cause joint tissue damage and a variety of chronic diseases， and seriously affect human life and health. The increase in uric acid caused by disorder of purine metabolism or abnormal uric acid excretion is the biochemical basis of its pathogenesis. Western medical treatment mainly uses anti-inflammatory drugs such as colchicine， non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs， and uric acid lowering drugs such as febuxostat and benzbromarone， which have obvious effects， but there are problems such as easy to recurrence after drug withdrawal and more adverse reactions. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has a long history in the treatment of gout， and has the advantages of multi-channel， multi-target， and multi-level symptomatic treatment. It exerts therapeutic effects through lowering uric acid， anti-inflammatory， anti-oxidation， and protecting the kidneys. Its curative effect is obvious and the adverse reaction rate is low. In recent years， there have been many studies on the mechanism of TCM for gout animal models. Based on the review of relevant literature in recent years， this article has systematically sorted out the pathogenesis of gout， the mechanism of TCM for gout and related experimental design. The paper summarized and analyzed the mechanism of TCM in the treatment of gout from the aspects of regulating the level of inflammatory factors， inhibiting oxidation reaction， reducing uric acid and regulating signaling pathway， so as to provide reference for the research and development of drugs for gout.

Regulatory Mechanism of Total Glucosides of Paeony on Gut Microenvironment in Non-obese Diabetic Mice with Sjogren's Syndrome / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of total glucosides of paeony （TGPs） on intestinal motility， barrier function， and gut microbiota in non-obese diabetic （NOD） mice with Sjogren's syndrome （SS）. Method:Thirty NOD mice were randomly assigned into the model group （deionized water）， prebiotic fructo-oligosaccharide （FOS） group （700 mg∙kg^-1）， and the low- （160 mg∙kg^-1）， medium- （320 mg∙kg^-1）， and high-dose （640 mg∙kg^-1） TGP groups， with six mice in each group. Moreover， the BALB/c mice were employed as the normal control and administered with deionized water. The food and water intakes， number of discharged fecal particles， and fecal moisture content were observed to evaluate the effect of TGPs on intestinal motility in SS mice. The levels of <italic>D</italic>-lactate （<italic>D</italic>-Lac） content， diamine oxidase （DAO）， and junction-associated protein zonula occludens-1 （ZO-1） in mouse serum were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The fecal samples collected at different time points were determined by spread plate method and gas chromatography for uncovering the intestinal microbial communities and the content of short-chain fatty acids. Result:Compared with the normal group， the model group exhibited decreased food and water intakes （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， weakened intestinal propulsion （<italic>P</italic><0.01）， elevated <italic>D</italic>-Lac and DAO （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）， lowered ZO-1 and SCFAs （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and reduced number of intestinal bacteria （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. The comparison with the model group revealed that TGPs significantly increased the number of discharged fecal particles and fecal moisture content （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）， enhanced intestinal propulsion （<italic>P</italic><0.05， <italic>P</italic><0.01）， decreased serum <italic>D</italic>-Lac and DAO levels （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）， and up-regulated ZO-1 expression （<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Apart from increasing the proportions of <italic>Bifidobacterium</italic> and <italic>Lactobacillus</italic> and decreasing the proportion of<italic> Enterobacter </italic>in intestinal flora （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）， TGPs also accelerated the production of acetic acid and butyric acid （<italic>P</italic><0.05，<italic>P</italic><0.01）. Conclusion:TGPs attenuate SS-mediated constipation and restore the impaired intestinal barrier function in mice by increasing fecal moisture content， boosting intestinal motility， regulating intestinal microbial communities， elevating acetic acid and butyric acid levels， and up-regulating tight junction protein expression.

The clinical research of Z-scores in assessing fetal coarctation of aorta / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To develop Z-scores for the aortic arch in normal fetuses as a reference for fetuses with suspected coarctation of aorta(CoA).Methods:The aortic arch inner diameters of 610 normal fetuses and 59 CoA fetuses from May 2010 to March 2015 in the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University were measured at the long axis of the aortic arch view. Gestational age(GA), femur length(FL) as the independent variable, the aortic arch inner diameters as the dependent variable, Z-scores were created relating the aortic arch inner diameters to the GA and FL. Z-score=[ln(measured diameter)-ln(predicted diameter)]/root MSE. Z-scores of the CoA fetuses were calculated with the above regression, and compared with the Z-scores of the control group.Results:A simple linear regression model was the best description of the data in each case and correlations between FL and the aortic arch inner diameters were excellent ( P<0.001). There was no significant difference in Z-scores calculated with FL or GA as independent variables ( P>0.05). Z-scores of the control group was between -2 and + 2, Z-scores of the CoA group was significantly lower and below -2( P<0.001). Conclusions:Z-scores of fetal aortic arch are sensitive indicators of fetal coarctation, and are of clinical importance for the diagnosis and follow-up study of CoA.

A new carbazole alkaloid from the stems of Clausena lansium / 药学学报

A new carbazole alkaloid was isolated from the aqueous extract of the stems of Clausena lansium (Lour.) Skeels by various chromatographic methods, including HPD-100, PRP-512A, silica gel, and reverse phase C18. Its structure was determined by spectroscopic and chemical methods, including UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D/2DNMR and ECD. Compound 1, named as Claulamine F, showed no antimicrobial activity on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In addition, compound 1 exhibited no cytotoxicity on five kinds of cancer cells through MTT methods.

The dilemma and breakthrough of oral administration of insulin / 药学学报

Diabetes is characterized by hyperglycemia, resulting from insulin deficiency or resistance, or both. Insulin plays an irreplaceable role in the treatment of diabetes. Subcutaneous injection is the main route of insulin administration, but usually leads to poor compliance and many side effects. Oral insulin is safer and more convenient, which has always been the Holy Grail for people to explore. After oral administration, insulin is absorbed into the hepatic portal vein and transported to the liver, which can activate the normal physiological functions and reduce the risk of hypoglycemia, insulin resistance, and improve patient compliance. However, the gastrointestinal tract has multiple absorption barriers such as chemical barrier, enzyme barrier, and permeation barrier. Due to the physical and chemical properties of insulin, it is difficult to achieve desired oral bioavailability. This article reviews the recent attempts and progress in the field of oral administration of insulin driven by innovative drug delivery technologies and biomaterials, including structural modification, enzyme inhibitors, absorption enhancers, various nanoparticles, liposomes, microspheres, and even microorganisms. Some clinical researches on oral insulin are also introduced.

Clinical significance of HPV-HC2 in diagnosis and prognosis of cervical lesions: a retrospective study

Background: To evaluate the human papillomavirus HC2 different range detection values and their clinical significance in prediction of CIN lesions grades as well as their role in the follow-up outcome after treatment.Methods: Using the hybrid capture 2 to detect and measure the HPV and the viral load quantity, we enrolled a total of 527 HPV positive women. All patients underwent thin prep liquid-based cytology test (TCT) and only 325 underwent colposcopy guided biopsy due to abnormal cytology results. All cytology and biopsy results were collected and analyzed according to the HPV viral load. Among these patients 108 patients were followed during 2years post-operatives and their prognosis results were collected and analyzed.Results: The proportion and severity of cytological abnormalities was positively correlated with the HPV-HC2 viral load (P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between cervical biopsy results and the HPV viral load P <0.05). The more the HPV-HC2 viral load was, the higher CIN2-3 grade percentage was getting. However no statically significant correlation was found between the HPV-HC2 viral load and the follow up outcomes after treatment (P>0.05).Conclusions: High HPV-HC2 viral load is significantly associated with the severity of cervical lesions (CIN), however it does not predict any further prognosis on follow-up after treatment.

Analysis of the influence of different regimens of highly active antiretroviral therapy on maternal and infant outcomes in HIV-infected pregnant women / 中国实用妇科与产科杂志

OBJECTIVE: To compare the maternal and infant outcomes of pregnant women infected with human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)treated with different regimens of highly active antiretroviral therapy(HAART).METHODS: For pregnant women infected with the human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)who received antiviral therapy and delivered in the Eighth Peple's Hospital of Guangzhu between May 2015 and June 2018,they will be grouped according to different treatment options. The pregnant women's body weight,CD4+T lymphocytes,white blood cells,hemoglobin,serum albumin,neonatal body weight and adverse pregnancy outcomes were compared and analyzed.RESULTS:(1)There was no significantly statistical difference between the two groups of pregnant women in terms of body weight,white blood cells,hemoglobin or serum albumin(P>0.05).(2)The changes of CD4+T lymphocytes in the two groups of pregnant women before and after treatment were statistically different(P0.05).(4)There was no significantly statistical difference in the incidence of premature birth,premature rupture of fetal membrane,low birth weight,low amniotic fluid,fetal malformation or neonatal asphyxia between the two groups(P>0.05).Until December 2018,there were no positive reports of HIVRNA and HIV antibody detection in two groups of infants.CONCLUSION: The two HAART schemes have no significant difference in the influence on nutritional status,immune status or maternal and infant outcomes of HIV-infected pregnant women,and they are both effective and feasible,and vertical transmission of HIV from mother to child can be blocked.

A new furocoumarin from the stems of Clausenalansium / 药学学报

One undescribed and two known furocoumarins were isolated from the stems of the Clausenalansium through a series of isolation and purification approaches including HPD-100 macroporous resin column, silica gel, reverse phase C18 and so on. Their structures were determined to be 8-[(2S,3S,6E)-2,3-epoxy-3,7-dimethyl-oct-6-enyloxy] psoralen (1), 8-(7',8'-epoxygeranyloxy) psoralen (2) and 8-[(2E)-6-oxo-3,7-dimethyloct-2-enyloxy] psoralen (3) by spectroscopic methods. Compound 1 is a new furocoumarin. Compound 2 showed cytotoxicity to H460 (IC50 = 43.94 μmol·L-1) and compound 3 showed cytotoxicity to HeLa (33.76 μmol·L-1) through the cytotoxic tests against five human cancer cell lines (H460, H7402, HCT-8, HeLa and MCF-7) for all compounds.

Polarity of ameloblasts and odontoblasts and their related regulators / 华西口腔医学杂志

The polarity of ameloblasts and odontoblasts is crucial for their differentiation and function. Polarity-related molecules play an important role in this process. This review summarizes the process of polarity formation of ameloblasts and odontoblasts and their related regulators.

Identification of active compound combination contributing to anti-inflammatory activity of Xiao-Cheng-Qi Decoction via human intestinal bacterial metabolism / 中国天然药物

Human intestinal bacteria play an important role in the metabolism of herbal medicines, leading to the variations in their pharmacological profile. The present study aimed to investigate the metabolism of Xiao-Cheng-Qi decoction (XCQD) by human intestinal bacteria and to discover active component combination (ACC) contributing to the anti-inflammatory activity of XCQD. The water extract of XCQD was anaerobically incubated with human intestinal bacteria suspensions for 48 h at 37 °C. A liquid chromatography-hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF/MS) method was performed for identification of the metabolites. In addition, the anti-inflammatory effects of XCQD and biotransformed XCQD (XCQD-BT) were evaluated in vitro with cytokines in RAW264.7 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A total of 51 compounds were identified in XCQD and XCQD-BT. Among them, 20 metabolites were proven to be transformed by human intestinal bacteria. Significantly, a combination of 14 compounds was identified as ACC from XCQD-BT, which was as effective as XCQD in cell models of inflammation. In conclusion, this study provided an applicable method, based on intestinal bacterial metabolism, for identifying combinatory compounds responsible for a certain pharmacological activity of herbal medicines.

Research on principle of benzoxazole derivative PO-291 inhibiting T cell proliferation / 中国药理学通报

Objective To investigate the immunosup-pressive activity of benzoxazole derivative PO-291 in inhibiting human activated T cell proliferation and function. Methods Human T cells were isolated and purified by the immunomagnetic microbeads and acti-vated by anti-CD3/anti-CD28 mAbs or alloantigen. Cell proliferation, the expression of CD25 and CD69, cell cycle and apoptosis were measured by flow cytome-try. Secretion levels, including IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17 and IFN-γ were determined by ELISA. The expression and phosphorylation of STAT5 and p70S6K of activated T cells were detected by Western blot. Re-sults PO-291 significantly inhibited human T cell proliferation with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 mAbs or alloan-tigen stimulation without obvious cytotoxicity. PO-291 did not affect CD25, CD69 and IL-2 expression, but induced T cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase. PO-291 significantly inhibited IL-17, IFN-γ and IL-6 expres-sion, but not IL-2, IL-4 and IL-10. PO-291 did not affect STAT5 and p70S6K expression, but inhibited STAT5 phosphorylation and enhanced p70S6K phos-phorylation. Conclusions PO-291 inhibits human ac-tivated T cell proliferation by affecting the JAK3/STAT5 pathway. PO-291 represents a potential lead compound for the design and development of new im-munosuppressive drugs for the treatment of organ trans-plantation and autoimmune diseases.

Exploration on impacting factors for restricting two-way referral system from patient's perspective / 重庆医学

Objective To explore and discuss the factors for restricting the two-way referral system from the patient's perspective in order to promote the formation of hierarchical medical system in Changsha City.Methods The stratified random sampling method was adopted to divide the Chansha City into the 3 grades of high,middle and low according to the regional economical development situation,2 districts in one grade,including 6 districts.Then each district was redivided into high,middle and low grades according to the economic situation,2 basic medical institutions were selected from each grade.A total of 360 patients were randomly sampled for conducting the questionnaire investigation.The patients and doctors specially participating in the two-way referral conducted the deep interview.Results The patients choosing to primary hospital for first visit accounted for 60.9％.The awareness degree of patients to two-way referral system was 21.1％,and the two-way referral service satisfaction in the patients with two-way referral was 85.7 ％.The patients' will of transfer treatment from primary hospital to superior hospital in case of disease condition need was 82.9 ％.The patients' will for conducting rehabilitation treatment from superior hospital to primary hospital was 77.6 ％.Conclusion Few patients choose primary hospital for first visit.The signing rate of family contract services is low and awareness degree of two-way referral system is not high.

Changes in expression of c-fos protein in spinal cord in a rat model of oxycodone dependence or withdrawal response / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective To evaluate the changes in the expression of c-fos protein in the spinal cord in a rat model of oxycodone dependence or withdrawal response.Methods Thirty SPF adult male Sprague-Dawley rats,aged 6-8 weeks,weighing 180-220 g,were divided into 3 groups (n=10 each) using a random number table method:normal saline group (group NS),oxycodone dependence group (group OD),and oxycodone withdrawal group (group OW).In OD and OW groups,oxycodone was injected subcutaneously in back,5 days in total,with the dose of 2,3,4,5 and 6 mg/kg in turn,3 times a day (8:00/15:00/22:00).The equal volume of normal saline was given instead in group NS.The mechanical paw withdrawal threshold was measured at 3 days before administration and 30 min after the last administration every day.The oxycodone withdrawal was induced by intraperitoneal injection of naloxone 4 mg/kg at 8 h after the last administration of oxycodone on 5th day in group OW.The withdrawal response scores and range of weight changes were recorded within 15 min after giving naloxone or normal saline in NS and OW groups.Spinal cord tissues were collected at 1 h after the last administration on 5th day in group OD and at 1 h after giving normal saline or naloxone on 5th day in NS and OW groups for determination of the expression of c-fos protein by Western blot.Results Compared with group NS,the mechanical paw withdrawal threshold was significantly increased on 1 and 2 days after administration,and the expression of c-fos protein in the spinal cord was up-regulated in OD and OW groups,and withdrawal response scores were significantly increased,and the range of weight change was increased in group OW (P＜0.05).The expression of c-fos protein was significantly down-regulated in group OW as compared with group OD (P＜0.05).Conclusion Oxycodone dependence or withdrawal response may be related to the expression of c-fos protein in the spinal cord of rats,and the expression is up-regulated during oxycodone dependence,while down-regulated during oxycodone withdrawal.

Identification of active compound combination contributing to anti-inflammatory activity of Xiao-Cheng-Qi Decoction via human intestinal bacterial metabolism / 中国天然药物

Human intestinal bacteria play an important role in the metabolism of herbal medicines, leading to the variations in their pharmacological profile. The present study aimed to investigate the metabolism of Xiao-Cheng-Qi decoction (XCQD) by human intestinal bacteria and to discover active component combination (ACC) contributing to the anti-inflammatory activity of XCQD. The water extract of XCQD was anaerobically incubated with human intestinal bacteria suspensions for 48 h at 37 °C. A liquid chromatography-hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF/MS) method was performed for identification of the metabolites. In addition, the anti-inflammatory effects of XCQD and biotransformed XCQD (XCQD-BT) were evaluated in vitro with cytokines in RAW264.7 cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A total of 51 compounds were identified in XCQD and XCQD-BT. Among them, 20 metabolites were proven to be transformed by human intestinal bacteria. Significantly, a combination of 14 compounds was identified as ACC from XCQD-BT, which was as effective as XCQD in cell models of inflammation. In conclusion, this study provided an applicable method, based on intestinal bacterial metabolism, for identifying combinatory compounds responsible for a certain pharmacological activity of herbal medicines.

The role of bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathway in tooth root development / 华西口腔医学杂志

The bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family is an important factor in the regulation of cell ular life activities and in the development of almost all tissues. BMP-mediated signaling plays an important role in tooth root development, which is a part of tooth development. Epithelial and mesenchymal interactions are involved in tooth root development, but the BMP signaling pathway has a different effect on tooth root development in epithelial and mesenchymal. This review summarizes the advances of BMP signaling in tooth root development.

Preventive and therapeutic effects of rhEGF gel on radiation-induced oral mucositis:A clinical observation / 医学研究生学报

Objective Few studies are reported on the prevention and management of oral mucositis(OM) induced by post-operative radiotherapy in patients with oral cavity cancer.This study aimed to investigate the therateutic effect of the recombinant human epidermal growth factor(rhEGF) gel on radiation-induced OM. Methods Sixty-eight cases of radiation-induced OM after surgery for oral cavity cancer were randomly divided into an experimental and a control group of equal number,the former treated with rhEGF gel while the latter with borax mouthwash. Comparisons were made between the two groups of patients in the severity of oral cavity mucous membrane injury,the intensity of radiation-induced oral pain,the in-cidence of oral cavity infection, and the duration of radiotherapy. Results At 3 weeks of radiotherapy,the patients of the experimental group showed mainly mild and moderate OM while the controls chiefly moderate and severe OM,and at 6 weeks,the former exhibited mainly moderate while the latter chiefly severe OM, with statistically significant differences in the incidence rate between the two groups (P<0.01). The experimental group, compared with the controls, had a significantly higher incidence rate of grade-Ⅰ radiation-induced pain (47.1% vs 20.6%,P<0.01),but lower rates of grade-Ⅱ(17.6% vs 32.4%,P<0.01) and grade-Ⅲpain(2.9% vs 20.6%,P<0.01).The rates of oral infection and antibiotics medication were remarkably lower in the experimental group than in the controls(23.5% vs 38.2% and 11.8% vs 26.5%,P<0.05),and the duration of radiotherapy was markedly shorter in the former than in the latter ([42.37±3.14] d vs [48.47±4.39] d, P<0.05). Conclusion The rhEGF gel can significantly reduce the severity of radiation-induced oral mucositis,improve its symptoms,and shorten the time of postoperative radiotherapy for patients with oral cavity cancer.