Phyllanthus emblica fruit extract alleviates halitosis and reduces the inflammatory response to oral bacteria.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of Phyllanthus emblica extract in alleviating halitosis and reducing the inflammatory response to halitosis-related bacteria. METHODOLOGY: This investigation, using Phyllanthus emblica fruit extract (PE), involved four aspects. First, we evaluated the effect on growth and aggregation of halitosis-related bacteria, including Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Solobacterium moorei, using a microdilution assay and scanning electron microscopy. Second, volatile sulfur compound (VSC) levels were measured on individuals with halitosis in randomized short-term (26 participants) and double-blind randomized long-term trials (18 participants in each group) after rinsing with PE for 3, 6, and 12 h, and 28 days. Third, we analyzed pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in TR146 cells using quantitative real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Lastly, we assessed pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion and Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 mRNA expression via the same experimental methods in a three-dimensional oral mucosal epithelial model (3D OMEM). RESULTS: PE extract dose-dependently inhibited the growth of F. nucleatum (50% inhibition concentration [IC50]=0.079%), P. gingivalis (IC50=0.65%), and S. moorei (IC50=0.07%) and effectively prevented bacterial aggregation. Furthermore, VSC contents decreased significantly at 3, 6, and 12 h after rinsing with 5% PE compared with those in the control. Long-term use of mouthwash containing 5% PE for 28 days led to a significant decrease in VSC contents. PE attenuated the F. nucleatum- or P. gingivalis-stimulated mRNA expression and protein release of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 in TR146 cells. It also suppressed IL-8 and prostaglandin E2 secretion and TLR2 mRNA expression in F. nucleatum-induced OMEMs. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the use of PE in oral care products to alleviate halitosis and it may reduce inflammation.

BDNF mimetics recover palmitic acid-induced injury in cardiomyocytes by ameliorating Akt-dependent mitochondrial impairments.

Cardiac lipotoxicity is a prevalent consequence of lipid metabolism disorders occurring in cardiomyocytes, which in turn precipitates the onset of heart failure. Mimetics of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), such as 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (DHF) and 7,8,3'-trihydroxyflavone (THF), have demonstrated significant cardioprotective effects. However, it remains unclear whether these mimetics can protect cardiomyocytes against lipotoxicity. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of DHF and THF on the lipotoxic effects induced by palmitic acid (PA), as well as the concurrent mitochondrial dysfunction. H9c2 cells were subjected to treatment with PA alone or in conjunction with DHF or THF. Various factors such as cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, death ratio, and mitochondrial function including mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), mitochondrial-derived reactive oxygen species (mito-SOX) production, and mitochondrial respiration were assessed. PA dose-dependently reduced cell viability, which was restored by DHF or THF. Additionally, both DHF and THF decreased LDH content, death ratio, and mito-SOX production, while increasing MMP and regulating mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in cardiomyocytes. Moreover, DHF and THF specifically activated Akt signaling. The protective effects of DHF and THF were abolished when an Akt inhibitor was used. In conclusion, BDNF mimetics attenuate PA-induced injury in cardiomyocytes by alleviating mitochondrial impairments through the activation of Akt signaling.

The mechanism of fluidity improvement of cement slurry by graphene oxide: a study on nanofriction.

Graphene oxide (GO) as a nano-reinforcing material has received extensive attention in cement composite materials. This paper employed molecular dynamics to simulate the friction process of calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) particles in the presence of double-sided and single-sided GCOOH (graphene oxide with a -COOH functional group, covering 10% of the surface). The investigation uncovered the lubricating effects of bifacial and unifacial GCOOH on the CSH interface. The findings indicate that the interfacial friction among CSH particles follows the sequence of double-sided GCOOH > pure CSH > single-sided GCOOH. In the double-sided GCOOH system, a greater external force is needed on the opposing side to alter the interaction with water molecules, calcium ions, and silica-oxygen tetrahedra, thereby enhancing friction. In contrast, the majority of the carboxyl groups on the single-sided GCOOH surface are strongly adsorbed onto the CSH surface, facilitating the entry of additional water molecules into the interlayer. Conversely, the unmodified side of the GCOOH has lower interactions with water molecules, hence improving its lubricating properties.

Epidemiological trends and disease burden of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in children within 10 years / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To retrospectively analyze the epidemiological trend of children with lower gastrointestinal bleeding in recent 10 years,and investigate the change of their disease burden,so as to provide a theoretical basis for the accurate prevention and control of children's lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Methods A total of 671 children with "lower gastrointestinal bleeding" who were diagnosed in our hospital from 2012 to 2021 were collected as research subjects. To analyze the microscopic examination rate and common etiology of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in children in the past 10 years,as well as the epidemiological characteristics of different age groups, different regions and different basic diseases; Calculate and compare the rate of disability life lost (YLD), early death life lost (YLL) and disability adjusted life year (DALY) of children with lower gastrointestinal bleeding within 10 years, and calculate the annual change percentage (AAPC) to analyze the change trend of disease burden. Results The microscopic examination rate of children with lower gastrointestinal bleeding showed a trend of increasing in the past 10 years (P18 years old, hypertension and gastroenteritis. The DALY rate, YLL rate and YLD rate caused by lower gastrointestinal bleeding in the past 10 years showed an upward trend (P<0.05). Conclusion The microscopic examination rate of lower gastrointestinal bleeding in children was graduallyincreasing,and the prevalence rate of basic diseases such as boys,hypertension and gastroenteritis was increasing;in addition,the disease burden caused by children's lower gastrointestinal bleeding was also increasing year by year and should be protected.

Advances in antitumor research of bifunctional small molecule inhibitors targeting heat shock protein 90 / 药学学报

The heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) protein family is a cluster of highly conserved molecules that play an important role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. Hsp90 and its co-chaperones regulate a variety of pathways and cellular functions, such as cell growth, cell cycle control and apoptosis. Hsp90 is closely associated with the occurrence and development of tumors and other diseases, making it an attractive target for cancer therapeutics. Inhibition of Hsp90 expression can affect multiple oncogenic pathways simultaneously. Most Hsp90 small molecule inhibitors are in clinical trials due to their low efficacy, toxicity or drug resistance, but they have obvious synergistic anti-tumor effect when used with histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, tubulin inhibitors or topoisomerase II (Topo II) inhibitors. To address this issue, the design of Hsp90 dual-target inhibitors can improve efficacy and reduce drug resistance, making it an effective tumor treatment strategy. In this paper, the domain and biological function of Hsp90 are briefly introduced, and the design, discovery and structure-activity relationship of Hsp90 dual inhibitors are discussed, in order to provide reference for the discovery of novel Hsp90 dual inhibitors and clinical drug research from the perspective of medicinal chemistry.

Function of Cortactin/N-cadherin signal axis in pathological myocardial hypertrophy / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the regulatory effect of Cortaetin on pathological myocardial hypertrophy induced by isoprenaline (ISO) and the underlying mechanism. Methods ISO was used to stimulate neonatal rat cardiomyocytes for 24 h, and myocardial hypertrophy model was established at the cellular level. C57BL/6 mice were injected subcutaneously with ISO for one week to establish myocardial hypertrophy model at animal level. RT-qPCR was used to detect the changes of mRNA and Western blot was used to detect the changes of relative protein content. Immunofluorescence was used to measure the subcellular location of Cortaetin and the change of its expression. The overex-pression of Cortaetin by adenovirus infection and the knockdown of Cortaetin by transfection of small interfering RNA were studied. Results On the cellular and animal levels, ISO-induced myocardial hypertrophy models were successfully established, and it was observed that ISO caused the decrease of Cortaetin and N-cadherin protein levels. Overexpression of Cortaetin could reverse the decrease of N-cadherin protein level and myocardial hypertrophy caused by ISO. Knockdown of Cortaetin showed the opposite effect. Conclusion Cortaetin, in combination with N-cadherin, may play a role in combating myocardial hypertrophy by enhancing the connections between cardiomyocytes.

ANCW: Affective norms for 4030 Chinese words.

Affective information contained in words is gaining increased attention among neurolinguists and psycholinguists around the world. This study established the Affective Norms for Chinese Words (ANCW) with valence, arousal, dominance, and concreteness ratings for 4030 words that were Chinese adaptations of the CET-4 (The National College English Test Band 4) official syllabus. Despite the existing Chinese affective norms such as the Chinese Affective Words System (CAWS), the ANCW provides much more and richer Chinese vocabulary. By using 7-point (ranging from 1 to 7) Likert scales in a paper-and-pencil procedure, we obtained ratings for all variables from 3717 Chinese undergraduates. The ANCW norms possessed good response reliability and were compatible with prior normative studies in Chinese. The pairwise correlation analysis revealed quadratic relations between valence and arousal, arousal and dominance, as well as valence and concreteness. Additionally, valence and dominance, as well as arousal and concreteness, presented a linear correlation, and concreteness and dominance were correlated. The ANCW provides reliable and standardized stimulus materials for further research involving emotional language processing.

Research on equity of medical resource allocation in Yangtze River Economic Belt under healthy China strategy.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the fairness of medical resource allocation in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, based on the Healthy China strategy. It aimed to identify the issues with resource allocation fairness and provide optimization suggestions. Methods: To assess the allocation fairness from a geographical population perspective, the study used the Health Resource Concentration and Entropy Weight TOPSIS methods. Additionally, the study analyzed the allocation fairness from an economic level angle, using the Concentration Curve and Concentration Index. Results: The study found that the downstream area had higher resource allocation fairness than the midstream and upstream areas. The middle reaches had more resources than the upper and lower reaches, based on population concentration. The Entropy Weight TOPSIS method found that Shanghai, Zhejiang, Chongqing, and Jiangsu had the highest comprehensive score index of agglomeration. Furthermore, from 2013 to 2019, the fairness of medical resource distribution gradually improved for different economic levels. Government health expenditure and medical beds were distributed more equitably, while general practitioners had the highest level of unfairness. However, except for medical and health institutions, traditional Chinese medicine institutions, and primary health institutions, other medical resources were mostly distributed to areas with better economic conditions. Conclusion: The study found that the fairness of medical resource allocation in the Yangtze River Economic Belt varied greatly based on geographical population distribution, with inadequate spatial accessibility and service accessibility. Although the fairness of distribution based on economic levels improved over time, medical resources were still concentrated in better economic areas. The study recommends improving regional coordinated development to enhance the fairness of medical resource allocation in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

Genetic Diversity and Breeding Signatures for Regional Indica Rice Improvement in Guangdong of Southern China.

As the pioneer of the Green Revolution in China, Guangdong province witnessed the improvement and spread of semi-dwarf Xian/Indica rice cultivars and possessed diverse rice germplasm of landrace and cultivars. A total of 517 accessions containing a core germplasm of 479 newly sequenced landraces and modern cultivars were used to reveal breeding signatures and key variations for regional genetic improvement of indica rice from Guangdong. Four subpopulations were identified in the collection, which including Ind IV as a novel subpopulation that not covered by previously released accessions. Modern cultivars of subpopulation Ind II were inferred to have less deleterious variations, especially in yield related genes. About 15 Mb genomic segments were identified as potential breeding signatures by cross-population likelihood method (XP-CLR) of modern cultivars and landraces. The selected regions spanning multiple yield related QTLs (quantitative trait locus) which identified by GWAS (genome-wide association studies) of the same population, and specific variations that fixed in modern cultivars of Ind II were characterized. This study highlights genetic differences between traditional landraces and modern cultivars, which revealed the potential molecular basis of regional genetic improvement for Guangdong indica rice from southern China.

15 and 30 min of immobilization after IUI: a randomized control trial.

The purpose of this study is to provide evidence for better guidance related to bed rest after intrauterine insemination (IUI). We conducted a randomized trial to compare the effect of 15 min versus 30 min of bed rest after IUI on pregnancy rate. A total of 204 couples were recruited from May 2021 to December 2021 and randomized to remain in the supine position for either 15 or 30 min after the procedure. The outcomes were the clinical pregnancy rate and comfort level after IUI. Ultimately, 198 couples were included in the analysis. The 15-min immobilization group consisted of 100 couples (226 cycles), and the 30-min immobilization group consisted of 98 couples (225 cycles). The clinical pregnancy rate per couple in the 15-min immobilization group (26 of 100) was not different from that in the 30-min immobilization group (23 of 98). With the use of discrete-time survival analysis, the cumulative probability of clinical pregnancy also showed no difference between these two groups. Based on the literature and on our study, the possible beneficial effect of 30-min immobilization after IUI is at least questionable, and a shorter time could be implemented depending on the results of a systematic review and the individual patient data from the currently executed trials.

Analysis on status quo of outcomes and measurement instruments of randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for post-stroke dysphagia / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To analyze the report status of outcomes and measurement instruments of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture for post-stroke dysphagia, so as to provide a basis for designing clinical trials and developing the core outcome set in acupuncture for post-stroke dysphagia.@*METHODS@#RCTs of acupuncture for post-stroke dysphagia were searched in databases i.e. CNKI, SinoMed, Wanfang, PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science and clinical trial registries i.e. ClinicalTrials.gov and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), from January 1st, 2012 to October 30th, 2021. By literature screening and data extraction, outcomes and measurement instruments were summarized and analyzed.@*RESULTS@#A total of 172 trials (including 165 RCTs and 7 ongoing trials registrations) were included, involving 91 outcomes. The outcomes could be classified into 7 domains according to functional attributes, namely clinical manifestation, physical and chemical examination, quality of life, TCM symptoms/syndromes, long-term prognosis, safety assessment and economic evaluation. It was found that there were various measurements instruments with large differences, inconsistent measurement time point and without discriminatively reporting primary or secondary outcomes.@*CONCLUSION@#The status quo of outcomes and measurement instruments of RCTs of acupuncture for post-stroke dysphagia is not conducive to the summary and comparison of each trial's results. Thus, it is suggested to develop a core outcome set for acupuncture for post-stroke dysphagia to improve the normative and research quality of their clinical trial design.

Development of the method for determinating ADCC biological activity of IVIG / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To establish a method for determinating the antigen-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) of human immunoglobulin (pH4)for intravenous injection (IVIG) on luciferase reporter gene-modified cell assay. 【Methods】 As effector cells, Jurkat-NFAT-Luc-CD16 cells were used in the assay, and PLC/PRF/5 cells were used as target cells. After incubation of effector cells and target cells with IVIG, the method for determinating ADCC biological activity of IVIG was established by detecting luciferase released by activated T nuclear factor after binding of IVIG Fc fragment to effector cells. Meanwhile, the experimental assay conditions were optimized, and the methodology was verified subsequently. 【Results】 IVIG had a dose-response relationship in this method, which was consistent with four parameter logistic model. And the PLC/PRF/5 cells were finally determined as the target cells. The initial dilution concentration of antibody was 20 mg/mL, and the ratio dilution was 1∶2, and the effector to target ratio was 1∶3, and co-incubation time of two cells and IVIG was 24 hours. Within-run and between-run analysis including three independent tests, initial working concentration relative light unit (RLU) and the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the concentration for 50% of maximal effect(EC50) were less than 11%. The relative titers of the recovery samples of the two different dilution groups were (23.50±1.69)% and (49.30±2.97)%, respectively, and the corresponding recovery rates were (93.50±6.30)% and (96.24±5.43)%, respectively, with RSD less than 11%. 【Conclusion】 The method for determinating ADCC biological activity of IVIG based on luciferase reporter gene-modified cell assay was successfully established. It could be applied in determinating the ADCC biological activity of IVIG, and has the advantages of satisfactory linearity, accuracy, precision and specificity.

Machine Learning-based Identification of the Sites of DNA Double-Strand-Break in the Human Genome / 中国生物化学与分子生物学报

DNA double-strand break(DSB) is a serious form of DNA damage in cells, which is closely related to a variety of genomic instability diseases, including cancer, abnormal recombination and neuronal development. Due to the limitations of cost and technical threshold, high-resolution DSB mapping by high-throughput sequencing technology is very limited. This hinders our understanding of the DSB situation in the genomes of different species. Therefore, we developed a classification prediction model based on random Forest(RF), support vector machine(SVM) and logistic regression(LR) classifiers to predict DSB loci in the whole genome of human NHEK cells. In addition to the epigenetic features and DNA shape features commonly used in previous prediction studies, we found that DNA sequence features(kmer frequency, GC content, GC-skew, Mutual Information) can also characterize DSB sites. At the same time, the prediction accuracy is improved after considering DNA physical properties, chemical shifts and autocorrelation information. After combining all the above features, logistic regression(LR) has the best prediction performance(AUC = 0. 97), which is comparable to previous prediction(AUC = 0. 964). In addition, the optimal feature collection consisting of 294 features was obtained by the incremental feature search method, and the corresponding AUC value reached 0. 974.

Role and research progress of circular RNA in Alzheimer’s disease / 解剖学报

[Abstract] The circular RNA (circRNA) is a class of endogenous expressed non-coding RNA that are formed by covalently closed cyclization through reverse splicing. In recent years, a variety of highly conserved and cell-type specific circRNA have been identified in eukaryotes. Alzheimer’ s disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease and the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. Recent studies had shown that circRNA was involved in the pathogenesis and development of AD, such as amyloid β-protein (Aβ) metabolic, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, autophagy and synaptic plasticity. The role and application value of circRNA in AD pathology are reviewed to provide a theoretical basis for the application of circRNA in the treatment and diagnosis of AD.

ZLY18 protects against angiotensin II-induced cardiac fibrosis via inhibiting TGF-β1/Smads pathway / 中国药理学通报

Aim To explore the effect of ZLY18 on angiotensin II-induced cardiac fibrosis and the underlying mechanism. Methods Ang II was used to induce cardiac fibrosis in vitro and in vivo. Cardiac fibroblasts were divided into blank control group, model group and medicine group. The medicine group was subdivided into ZLY18(L)group, ZLY18(M)group and ZLY18(H)group. Compound ZLY18 was given 1, 2, 5 μmol·L-1 respectively. C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into control group, model group and medicine group. The medicine group were subdivided into ZLY18(L)group, ZLY18(M)group and ZLY18(H)group. Compound ZLY18 was given 10,20 and 50 mg·kg-1 respectively. Both the model group and the medicine group were given with Ang II to induce cardiac fibrosis. The changes of protein levels were detected by Western blot and immunofluorescence. The changes of cardiac function indexes in C57BL/6 mice were detected by small animal echocardiography. The morphology, cell arrangement and collagen fibers of cardiac fibroblasts were observed by tissue section staining and other methods. Results The model of Ang II-induced myocardial fibrosis was successfully established at the cell and animal levels, and ZLY18 treatment improved the elevated fibrosis-related protein caused by Ang II and abnormal cardiac function in mice. Moreover, ZLY18 was able to inhibit the increased phosphorylation of TGF-1 and Smad3 caused by Ang II and increased Smad2/3 nuclear entry, suggesting that the antifibrotic effect of ZLY18 might be related to the activation of TGF-1/Smads signaling pathway. Conclusions ZLY18 has a protective effect on Ang II-induced cardiac fibrosis. ZLY18 may inhibit TGF-β/Smads signaling pathway activation to exert anti-fibrotic effects.

Effect of menthol, a transient receptor potential melastatin-8 channel activator, on pulmonary arterial hypertensive rats / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the effects of menthol, a transient receptor potential melastatin-8 channel activator, on treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in PAH model rats caused by monocrotaline (MCT). Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into six groups randomly (control group, MCT group, MCT + menthol 1 mg • kg

Histamine H / 中国药理学通报

Aim To determine the effect of histamine H

Recent advances of DJ-1 regulating mitochondrial function / 中国药理学通报

Dj-l is a protein encoded by PARK7 gene, a member of the peptidase C56 protein family. Defects in PARK7 gene may lead to autosomal recessive early-onset Parkinson ' s disease. Dj-1 is a multifunctional protein that acts as an active androgen receptor-mediated transcriptional regulator, a REDOX sensitive molecular chaperone, an oxidative stress sensor, and it also protects neurons from oxidative stress and cell death. In addition, DJ-1 is also associated with mitochondria, energy metabolism, mitochondrial homeostasis, mitophagy mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membranes and other life processes. However, the precise function of DJ-1 protein is not well understood. This paper reviews the effect, mechanism and molecular basis of DJ-1 protein in regulating mitochondrial function, and discusses its potential value in combination with clinical diseases. It has good timeliness, necessity, innovation and science, and also helps to provide new targets and ideas for clinical drug development.

Hepatic pathological characteristics and factors influencing alanine transaminase value below twice the upper limit of normal in patients with chronic hepatitis B / 中华肝脏病杂志

Objective: To analyze the hepatic pathological characteristics and factors influencing an alanine transaminase value below twice the upper limit of normal in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and further explore the optimal ALT threshold strategy for initiating antiviral therapy. Methods: Clinical data of treatment-naïve CHB patients who underwent liver biopsies from January 2010 to December 2019 were retrospectively collected. Multiple regression models were used to explore the ALT levels and significant risk of hepatic histological changes (≥G2/S2). Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the value of different models in diagnosing liver tissue inflammation≥G2 or fibrosis ≥ S2. Results: A total of 447 eligible CHB patients, with a median age of 38.0 years and 72.9% males, were included. During ALT normalization, there was significant liver inflammation (≥G2) and fibrosis (≥S2) in 66.9% and 53.0% of patients, respectively. With an ALT rise of 1-2×ULN, the proportions of liver inflammation≥G2 and fibrosis≥S2 were 81.2% and 60.0%, respectively. After adjusting for confounding factors, higher ALT levels (> 29 U/L) were found to be associated with significant liver inflammation (OR: 2.30, 95% CI: 1.11 ~ 4.77) and fibrosis (OR: 1.84, 95% CI: 1.10 ~ 3.09). After the measurement of glutamyltransferase-platelet ratio (GPR), the proportion of CHB patients with≥G2/S2 was significantly reduced under different treatment thresholds of ALT standards, and in particular, the erroneous evaluation of liver fibrosis≥S2 was significantly improved (33.5% to 57.5%). Conclusion: More than half of CHB patients have a normal ALT or one within 2 × ULN, regardless of whether or not there is apparent inflammation and fibrosis. GPR can significantly improve the precise assessment of different conditions of treatment thresholds for the ALT value in CHB patients.

Research status and outlook of deep learning in oral and maxillofacial medical imaging / 中华口腔医学杂志

Artificial intelligence, represented by deep learning, has received increasing attention in the field of oral and maxillofacial medical imaging, which has been widely studied in image analysis and image quality improvement. This narrative review provides an insight into the following applications of deep learning in oral and maxillofacial imaging: detection, recognition and segmentation of teeth and other anatomical structures, detection and diagnosis of oral and maxillofacial diseases, and forensic personal identification. In addition, the limitations of the studies and the directions for future development are summarized.