A prospective, split-face, randomized controlled trial of intense pulsed light-photodynamic therapy for seborrhea.

BACKGROUND: Seborrhea poses a common cosmetic concern in adolescents and young adults, often accompanied by enlarged pores, and contributing to various skin conditions, including acne vulgaris and seborrheic dermatitis. At present, there is a lack of effective treatment for this problem, and the potential of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in reducing sebum remains inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: This exploratory, prospective, single-center, double-blinded, randomized split-face controlled trial aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of intense pulsed light-photodynamic therapy (IPL-PDT) versus IPL therapy for seborrhea. METHODS: Participants with seborrhea underwent 3 times of IPL treatment (590 nm, 15-17 J/cm2 based on patient's tolerance) for one hemifacial part and IPL-PDT treatment for the other. Follow-up assessment was conducted up to 8 weeks after the final treatment. RESULTS: Compared with single IPL treatment, IPL-PDT can significantly inhibit sebum secretion and decrease pore size. PDT group exhibited no additional damage to the skin barrier, with even lower transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Additionally, the PDT group showed superior improvement in scores of porphyrins, red areas, and ultraviolet (UV) spots. Both groups experienced only mild topical adverse effects, well tolerated by the participants. CONCLUSION: IPL-PDT is a more effective method than IPL in the treatment of seborrhea, as well as on the improvement of the skin barrier function.

Successful treatment of hidradenocarcinoma using ALA-PDT combined with local narrow margin excision.

Hidradenocarcinoma is a rare malignancy of sweat gland differentiation. It is known for its high rate of recurrence and metastasis, which has a serious impact on human health and aesthetics. However, the treatment options for this disease are limited, making prompt and appropriate treatment is a daunting challenge. In this report, we present the first successful cure of hidradenocarcinoma using 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) combined with local narrow margin excision on the left side of the forehead in an elderly woman. No recurrence during one year of follow-up after the combined therapy. This case will provide a valuable reference for more efficient management of similar cases in clinic.

Exploring the Pathogenesis and Mechanism-Targeted Treatments of Rosacea: Previous Understanding and Updates.

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by recurrent erythema, flushing, telangiectasia, papules, pustules, and phymatous changes in the central area of the face. Patients with this condition often experience a significant negative impact on their quality of life, self-esteem, and overall well-being. Despite its prevalence, the pathogenesis of rosacea is not yet fully understood. Recent research advances are reshaping our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of rosacea, and treatment options based on the pathophysiological perspective hold promise to improve patient outcomes and reduce incidence. In this comprehensive review, we investigate the pathogenesis of rosacea in depth, with a focus on emerging and novel mechanisms, and provide an up-to-date overview of therapeutic strategies that target the diverse pathogenic mechanisms of rosacea. Lastly, we discuss potential future research directions aimed at enhancing our understanding of the condition and developing effective treatments.

Secular Trends in Sleep Conditions in Chinese Elderly Individuals: A National Population-Based Study.

Purpose: As one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world, the elderly population is expected to reach over 400 million in China by 2032. Many studies have suggested a positive association between sleep duration and adverse health events among elderly individuals. This study aimed to investigate the sleep conditions of Chinese elderly individuals between 2005 and 2018. Patients and methods: Data for 53,013 elderly individuals were taken from five cycles of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) during 2005-2018. Sex- and age-specific means and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to estimate sleep duration trends. Changes in sleep patterns were explored during this period. The prevalence of short and long sleep durations was assessed and age-standardized by the 2010 census. Finally, self-reported sleep quality was used to determine sleep conditions from another perspective among elderly individuals. Results: The mean sleep duration decreased from 7.87 (95% CI: 7.83-7.91) to 7.29 (95% CI: 7.25-7.33) hours between 2005 and 2018. Changes in sleep duration patterns were found during the study period. The proportion of the elderly population who slept ≤6 hours increased and that of those who slept ≥9 hours decreased noticeably over the past 13 years. The age-standardized prevalence of short sleep duration increased from 32.7% (95% CI: 32.7-32.9%) to 38.4% (95% CI: 38.3-38.5%). A significant decrease was observed in the prevalence of long sleep duration. Conclusion: Sleep conditions are gradually shifting toward a shorter sleep duration and poorer sleep quality among Chinese elderly individuals.

5-Aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy versus minocycline for moderate-to-severe rosacea: A single-center, randomized, evaluator-blind controlled study.

BACKGROUND: 5-Aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) showed potential to treat rosacea according to recent studies; however, a lack of clinical evidence and unclear adverse effects limit its use. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of ALA-PDT vs minocycline on rosacea. METHODS: In this single-center, randomized, evaluator-blind, controlled study, patients with moderate-to-severe rosacea were allocated to receive 3 to 5 sessions of ALA-PDT or 8 weeks of 100 mg daily minocycline treatment, followed by a 24-week follow-up. RESULTS: Of all the 44 randomized patients, 41 received complete treatment (ALA-PDT: 20 and minocycline: 21 patients). At the end of treatment, ALA-PDT showed noninferior improvement of papulopustular lesions and Rosacea-specific Quality of Life compared with minocycline (median reduction of lesion count: 19 vs 22, median change of Rosacea-specific Quality of Life score: 0.48 vs 0.53). The Clinician's Erythema Assessment success of ALA-PDT was lower than that of minocycline's (35% vs 67%). Demodex density and relapse rate were comparable in both groups. Erythema, mild pain, and exudation were the most common adverse reactions of ALA-PDT. LIMITATIONS: Limited sample size restricted us from drawing further conclusions. CONCLUSION: As minocycline does, ALA-PDT can improve rosacea mainly in papulopustular lesions and patients' quality of life, indicating a new option for rosacea.

Digitalization of prevention and treatment and the combination of western and Chinese medicine in management of acute heart failure.

Digitalization has emerged as a new trend in healthcare, with great potential and creating many unique opportunities, as well as many challenges. Cardiovascular disease is one of the major causes of disease-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, and the threat to life posed by acute heart failure is evident. In addition to traditional collegiate therapies, this article reviews the current status and subdisciplinary impact of digital healthcare at the level of combined Chinese and Western medical therapies. It also further discusses the prospects for the development of this approach, with the objective of developing an active role for digitalization in the combination of Western and Chinese medicine for the management of acute heart failure in order to support maintenance of cardiovascular health in the population.

A Teleoperated Robotic System-Assisted Percutaneous Transiliac-Transsacral Screw Fixation Technique.

Transiliac-transsacral screw fixation is challenging in clinical practice as the screws need to break through six layers of cortical bone. Transiliac-transsacral screws provide a longer lever arm to withstand the perpendicular vertical shear forces. However, the screw channel is so long that a minor discrepancy can lead to iatrogenic neurovascular injuries. The development of medical robots has improved the precision of surgery. The present protocol describes how to use a new teleoperated robotic system to execute transiliac-transacral screw fixation. The Robot was operated remotely to position the entry point and adjust the orientation of the sleeve. The screw positions were evaluated using postoperative computed tomography (CT). All the screws were safely implanted, as confirmed using intraoperative fluoroscopy. Postoperative CT confirmed that all the screws were in the cancellous bone. This system combines the doctor's initiative with the Robot's stability. The remote control of this procedure is possible. Robot-assisted surgery has a higher position-retention capacity compared with conventional methods. In contrast to active robotic systems, surgeons have full control over the operation. The robot system is fully compatible with operating room systems and does not require additional equipment.

A diagnostic prediction model for hypertension in Han and Yugur population from the China National Health Survey (CNHS).

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of hypertension is high among Chinese adults, thus, identifying non-hypertensive individuals at high risk for intervention will help to improve the efficiency of primary prevention strategies. METHODS: The cross-sectional data on 9699 participants aged 20 to 80 years were collected from the China National Health Survey in Gansu and Hebei provinces in 2016 to 2017, and they were nonrandomly split into the training set and validation set based on location. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to develop the diagnostic prediction model, which was presented as a nomogram and a website with risk classification. Predictive performances of the model were evaluated using discrimination and calibration, and were further compared with a previously published model. Decision curve analysis was used to calculate the standardized net benefit for assessing the clinical usefulness of the model. RESULTS: The Lasso regression analysis identified the significant predictors of hypertension in the training set, and a diagnostic model was developed using logistic regression. A nomogram with risk classification was constructed to visualize the model, and a website ( https://chris-yu.shinyapps.io/hypertension_risk_prediction/ ) was developed to calculate the exact probabilities of hypertension. The model showed good discrimination and calibration, with the C-index of 0.789 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.768, 0.810) through internal validation and 0.829 (95% CI: 0.816, 0.842) through external validation. Decision curve analysis demonstrated that the model was clinically useful. The model had a higher area under receiver operating characteristic curves in training and validation sets compared with a previously published diagnostic model based on Northern China population. CONCLUSION: This study developed and validated a diagnostic model for hypertension prediction in Gansu Province. A nomogram and a website were developed to make the model conveniently used to facilitate the individualized prediction of hypertension in the general population of Han and Yugur.

Dietary supplementation of n-3 PUFAs ameliorates LL37-induced rosacea-like skin inflammation via inhibition of TLR2/MyD88/NF-κB pathway.

Rosacea is a facial chronic inflammatory skin disease with dysfunction of immune and neurovascular system and treatments for rosacea are challenging. N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), one of essential fatty acids, are needed for health maintenance and exert anti-inflammation and immunomodulatory effects in a series of cutaneous diseases such as atopic dermatitis and photoaging through dietary supplementation. However, the role of n-3 PUFAs on rosacea remains to be elucidated. In this study, KEGG enrichment analysis and GO analysis indicated that the biological process and signaling pathways, including chemokine signaling pathway, regulated by n-3 PUFAs highly overlapped with those in the pathogenic biological process of rosacea, especially the erythema telangiectasia type. Next, mice were randomized to fed with a customized n-3 PUFAs diet. We showed that n-3 PUFAs ameliorated skin erythema, inhibited dermal inflammatory cell infiltration (mast cells, neutrophils, and CD4 +T cells) and suppressed elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines in LL37-induced rosacea-like mice. Besides, n-3 PUFAs were also verified to repress angiogenesis in LL37-induced mice skin. Further investigation revealed that n-3 PUFAs attenuated LL37-induced inflammation via TLR2/ MyD88/ NF-κB pathway both in mice and in keratinocytes. In conclusion, our findings underscore that dietary supplementation of n-3 PUFAs have the potential to become an efficient and safe clinical therapeutic candidate for rosacea.

A FRET sensor based on quantum dots-porphyrin assembly for Fe(III) detection with ultra-sensitivity and accuracy.

Exploring sensors based on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) systems enables the continuous development of biological sensing technologies. Herein, we report the construction of a FRET sensor with dual-emissive quantum dots (QDs) and meso-tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl) porphine (TSPP). The sensor is composed of mesial green-emissive QDs with a thick silica shell (gQD@SiO2) and circumjacent blue-emissive QDs coated with ultra-thin silica spacer, on which is linked TSPP (bQD@SiO2-TSPP). The gQD@SiO2 endows the sensor with a fluorescent background. Due to the ultra-thin silica spacing, coupled with the superior resonance effect of bQD fluorescence and the Soret-band absorption of TSPP, the FRET efficiency is highly sensitive to the chelation state of TSPP. Relying on the absorbance transition of TSPP complexed with Fe(III), the FRET sensor is applied for ultra-sensitive Fe(III) detection. In aqueous solution, the sensor is demonstrated to linearly detect Fe(III) in the range of 0-1 µM, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 40 nM. More importantly, reliable Fe(III) detection can be achieved via the specific complexation of Fe(III) by TSPP and the ratiometric fluorescent response. As such, the inter-/intra-day precisions in standard samples, as well as the recovery rate in biological matrices, are fully validated. The excellent analytical performance, in combination with the excellent biocompatibility of the FRET sensor, allows semi-quantitative Fe(III) imaging in living cells.

A dose-dependent protective effect of n-3 PUFAs in photoaging by promoting collagen production through MAPK pathway in SKH-1 mouse model.

BACKGROUND: Dietary supplementation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) can inhibit inflammation and oxidation of photoaging, but the effect and mechanism on regulation of dermis collagen remains poorly elucidated. The destruction of dermal collagen plays a crucial role in the process of long-term ultraviolet radiation (UVR) induced-photoaging, especially leading to deterioration of skin appearance and function. METHODS: In this study, we explored the protective effect of n-3 PUFAs on the regulation of collagen through the MAPK pathway using the SKH-1 photoaging mouse model. RESULTS: The results showed that n-3 PUFAs promoted collagen synthesis and reduced collagen degradation in a dose-dependent manner, which was mediated by the down-regulation of the MAPK pathway. In addition, n-3 PUFAs supplementation inhibited the production of MMP-1 and the UV-induced abnormal proliferation of keratinocytes. All these effects resulted in the remodeling of extracellular matrix (ECM) and finally made a significant improvement in the appearance of skin. CONCLUSION: Overall, the present study suggested that dietary supplementation of n-3 PUFAs has the potential clinical prospect to prevent UV-induced skin damage and photoaging.

Celastrol inhibits LL37-induced rosacea by inhibiting Ca2+/CaMKII-mTOR-NF-κB activation.

Rosacea is a common chronic facial inflammatory disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Due to the unclear etiology of rosacea, effective treatments are limited. Celastrol, a plant-derived triterpene, has been reported to alleviate inflammation in various diseases. However, whether celastrol exerts protective effects in rosacea remains to be elucidated. In this study, weighted gene co-expression network analyses (WGCNA) were performed. Hub modules closely related to rosacea clinical characteristics were identified and found to be involved in inflammation- and angiogenesis-related signaling pathways. Then, the pharmacological targets of celastrol were predicted using the TargetNet and Swiss Target Prediction databases. A GO analysis indicated that the biological process regulated by celastrol highly overlapped with the pathogenic biological processes in rosacea. Next, we showed that celastrol ameliorated erythema, skin thickness and inflammatory cell infiltration in the dermis of LL37-treated mice. Celastrol suppressed the expression of rosacea-related inflammatory cytokines and inhibited the Th17 immune response and cutaneous angiogenesis in LL37-induced rosacea-like mice. We further demonstrated that celastrol attenuated LL37-induced inflammation by inhibiting intracellular-free calcium ([Ca2+]i)-mediated mTOR signaling in keratinocytes. Chelating intracellular Ca2+ with BAPTA/AM potentiated celastrol-induced repression of LL37-induced p-S6 elevation. The mTOR agonist MHY1485 dramatically reinforced LL37-induced rosacea-like characteristics, while celastrol attenuated these outcomes. Moreover, celastrol inhibited LL37-activated NF-κB in a mTOR signaling-dependent manner. In conclusion, our findings underscore that celastrol may be a rosacea protective agent by inhibiting the LL37-activated Ca2+/CaMKII-mTOR-NF-κB pathway associated with skin inflammation disorders.

Improving the outcome of treating striae gravidarum by combined therapies using topical ß-glucan and 1565-nm non-ablative fractional laser: A prospective randomized vehicle-controlled parallel group study.

Striae gravidarum (SG) is a kind of dermal scar associated with psychosocial and therapeutic challenge. Topical reagents and non-invasive laser are more preferred than invasive procedures for less pain and shorter downtime. However, there are few studies on comparing and combining these two modalities. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of a topical regimen containing ß-glucan, 1565-nm non-ablative fractional laser (NAFL; ResurFX), and combination of them for SG. A total of 128 unilateral abdomens from 64 subjects were randomly divided into four strategies and were followed up for 12 weeks: topical vehicle (Veh); topical ß-glucan (B); 1565-nm NAFL combined topical vehicle (NAFL); 1565-nm NAFL combined topical ß-glucan (B + NAFL). NAFL was applied three times with a 4-week interval. Topical reagent was applied b.i.d. for 12 weeks. Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) scores were assessed by blinded physician according to standard photograph, and by subjects at 12th week. The degree of SG atrophy was assessed by blinded physician before treatment and at the 12th week according to a standard 5-point scale. Collagen remodeling was evaluated by histological analysis and all adverse effects were recorded. A total of 56 women (112 unilateral abdomens) completed all study. The GAIS scores by blinded physician showed greater improvement in NAFL as compared with ß-glucan, and by subjects showed greater improvement in ß-glucan as compared with vehicle. In terms of striae atrophy scale, the improvement of SG atrophy was more prominent in NAFL compared to ß-glucan, and in ß-glucan + NAFL compared to Veh + NAFL. All treatments were well tolerated. Topical ß-glucan regimen can mildly improve SG. NAFL showed better results than topical ß-glucan regimen. The combined strategy may further improve the SG atrophy compared with single treatment strategy.

Inflammation burst after 5-aminolevulinic acid-photodynamic therapy for the treatment of actinic keratosis complicating rosacea: A case report.

A 72-year-old woman suffering from multiple actinic keratosis (AK) complicating steroid-induced rosacea received 5-aminolevulinic acid-photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) in our outpatient clinic. Both AKs and rosacea achieved remission after one session of PDT. However, an adverse effect of severe acute inflammatory response emerged with lasting hyperpigmentation. We then terminated the following PDT sessions . After skin care and close follow-up for a half year, most symptoms and lesions of AK and rosacea disappeared with mild hyperpigmentation left. ALA-PDT is commonly recommended for multiple AKs based on effectiveness and noninvasiveness, but has controversial efficacy and safety for rosacea. The unusual excessive inflammation in this patient after ALA-PDT may due to skin barrier destruction, vasomotor dysfunction and the immune response by dead Demodex after PDT. This case indicated that carefully evaluation before ALA-PDT is of great importance, especially for those patients with complicated skin situation. For AKs complicating rosacea, modified parameters of ALA-PDT such as less ALA incubation time or reduced light dose should be further studied to achieve the optimal efficacy and safety of ALA-PDT and offer the best benefit.

Remodeling Lymphatic Vessels in Intrinsically Aged Skin on SKH-1 Mouse Using Low Dose 5-aminolevulinic Acid Photodynamic Therapy via VEGF-C/VEGFR3 Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Decline of lymphatic vessel (LV) density and function in intrinsically aged skin can lead to harmful substance accumulation and fluid imbalance. Whether it will be improved by low dose ALA-PDT needs to be investigated. AIMS: To investigate the effect of low dose ALA-PDT on remodeling LVs in intrinsically aged skin. METHODS: Low dose ALA-PDT with 3 sessions were applied on the dorsal skin of intrinsically aged SKH-1 mice (15 months old). Skin biopsies were obtained from young mice (4 months old, Young-control), intrinsically aged mice before PDT (Old-pre-PDT), and after PDT at different time points (Old-PDT-24h, Old-PDT-1w, Old-PDT-4w), and skin phenotypes were evaluated by dermoscopy. The structure of LVs and extracellular matrix were evaluated via immunofluorescence staining and HE. The drainage function of LVs was evaluated by Evans Blue assay in vivo. The expression of Calcium-binding EGF domain-containing protein 1 (CCBE1), VE-cadherin, and the activation of VEGF-C/VEGFR3 signaling pathway were evaluated by ELISA and Western Blot. RESULTS: The density of LVs decreased and the lymphatic clearance was significantly delayed in aged skin. Low dose ALA-PDT increased the density of LVs and blood vessels. The clearance of Evans Blue assay showed the drainage function of LVs was improved after PDT treatments in vivo. The VE-cadherin and VEGF-C/VEGFR3 pathway up-regulated in intrinsically aged skin after ALA-PDT treatments. CONCLUSIONS: LVs in intrinsically aged skin were remodeled and their function were restored by low dose ALA-PDT via up-regulating the VEGF-C/VEGFR3 pathway and stimulating the expression of VE-cadherin.

[Rapid screening and identification of 167 illegally added medicines in herbal tea by ultra high performance liquid chromatography-electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry].

An accurate mass database and a method based on ultra high performance liquid chromatography-electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Orbitrap HRMS) were developed. These were applied in the screening and identification of illegally added medicines in herbal tea. Based on investigations, 167 medicines were selected to build an accurate MS database; these medicines included antipyretic analgesics, glucocorticoids, antibiotics, and antihistamines, among other categories. The database was established using Orbitrap HRMS and TraceFinder software. The database carried information on all selected compounds, including the molecular formula, accurate mass of precursor ions and fragment ions, retention time, and mass spectra. The samples were ultrasonically extracted with a 50% (v/v) methanol aqueous solution. The extracted solutions were separated using a Waters XBrigde BEH C18 column (100 mm×2.1 mm, 2.5 µm). As the mobile phases, 0.1% (v/v) formic acid aqueous solution and acetonitrile containing 0.1% (v/v) formic acid were used, with gradient elution. The sample solutions were analyzed by Orbitrap HRMS in the full-scan MS and data-dependent MS/MS acquisition modes (Full MS/dd-MS2). Positive and negative polarity data were simultaneously acquired. Some parameters were optimized to increase the peak intensity and sensitivity of all compounds. The resolutions in the full-MS scan and dd-MS2 scan were set to 70000 and 17500, respectively. In the full-MS mode, scanning was performed in the range of m/z 100 to 1000. In the MS/MS mode, the normalized collision energy (NEC) was set to 20%, 40%, and 60% for each compound. The inclusion list was not used during the measurement, and the dynamic exclusion time was set to 10.0 s. The loop count was set to 5. After acquiring the sample data with these conditions using Orbitrap MS, they were imported into TraceFinder software, through which the sample information was extracted and automatically matched with the information on compounds in the MS database. Screening and identification were conducted by comparing the retention times as well as the exact masses of precursor ions and fragment ions that were experimentally measured. If the errors between the experimentally and theoretically obtained masses of the precursor ions were below 5×10-6 and the deviations in retention times were less than 20 s, then suspicious positive compounds might be identified. Furthermore, if such compounds possess more than one similar fragment ion with a mass tolerance below 5×10-6, and exhibit similar ion distributions in the MS/MS profiles (compared to those in the database), they could be confirmed to be the same. The validation result showed that all compounds had good linear relationships, with correlation coefficients (r) greater than 0.99. Because pefloxacin, norfloxacin, desloratadine, astemizole and clindamycin had background interference, the method was not suitable for their quantification. Following experiments using three spiked concentrations, the recoveries of the rest 162 compounds were found to be in the range of 66.4%-118.1%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs, n=6), in the range of 0.1%-16.1%. When the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.2 mg/kg, 83 compounds were detected, while when the LOD was 1.0 mg/kg, 167 compounds were detected. All compounds were matched successfully to the standard added sample with the MS database in TraceFinder software. To lower the likelihood of false positive and false negative results, a quality control method was recommended. The method was applied to analyze 245 herbal tea samples, among which 12 positive samples were detected. Thirteen positive compounds were found, including acetaminophen, diclofenac sodium, chlorpheniramine, brompheniramine, dexamethasone, dexamethasone 21-acetate, prednisone, prednisone 21-acetate, metronidazole, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, amantadine, and dextromethorphan. In particular, amantadine, dextromethorphan, brompheniramine, and ciprofloxacin were newly detected, compared to standard methods. The developed method is rapid and accurate, and will be useful in the high-throughput screening of illegally added medicines in herbal tea.

Comparison of red light and blue light therapies for mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris: A randomized controlled clinical study.

BACKGROUND: Red and blue light therapies are safe and effective treatments for mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris. However, very few previous studies have directly compared the characteristics of these two methods. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and side effects of red light (RL) and blue light (BL) for acne vulgaris and to assess these two therapies in different types of lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 28 subjects with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris were randomized into the RL group or the BL group. Subjects in each group received different light treatments, and they were followed up regularly until 2 weeks after the last treatment. The improvement rates of different types of acne lesions were compared between the 2 groups, as well as the incidence of adverse reactions. RESULTS: At the 2-week follow-up, the average improvement rate of total acne lesions was 36.2% in the RL group and 30.7% in the BL group (p > .05). The average improvement rate of inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions was 51.5% and 17.3% in the RL group, compared with 26.4% and 10.0% in the BL group (all p > .05). Treatment-related adverse reactions were observed distinctly in the BL group. CONCLUSIONS: Red light and BL therapies have similar efficacy in mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris, especially for inflammatory lesions. RL had advantages with fewer adverse reactions compared with BL.

Proteomics and lipidomics reveal the protective mechanism of dietary n-3 PUFA supplementation for photoaging.

Chronic ultraviolet radiation exposure could induce photoaging, and even carcinogenesis. Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) supplementation has proved to alleviate photoaging and cutaneous carcinoma. Although the exact mechanism remains poorly elucidated, accumulated evidence suggests that the alleviation effect of n-3 PUFA for photoaging is a multifactorial procession characterized by different pathways. Here, we performed a whole-genome proteomics and lipidomics analyses using a self-constructed photoaging mouse model with n-3 PUFA or n-6 PUFA supplementation. Significant alleviation of photoaging was observed, and a total of 88 differentially expressed proteins and 152 differentially expressed lipids were identified in mice with n-3 PUFA supplementation. We found that n-3 PUFA may alleviate photoaging by upregulating Hmmr (hyaluronic acid receptor) expression, which can decrease Mmp9 expression, reducing collagen degradation. As most proteins were associated with lipogenesis and lipid metabolism, we further analyzed the lipidomics data, finding that most triglycerides (93%) showed a significant increase in the n-3 PUFA supplementation group. Our proteomics and lipidomics results indicate that the protective mechanism of n-3 PUFA for photoaging is complicated. Furthermore, the effect of elevated triglycerides by n-3 PUFA supplementation in counteracting skin photoaging cannot be ignored, which will become a new prime target in anti-photoaging.

Association of long-term exposure to ambient particulate pollution with stage 1 hypertension defined by the 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline and cardiovascular disease: The CHCN-BTH cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence regarding the effects of ambient air pollution on new stage 1 hypertension defined by the 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline remains sparse. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association of long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 with stage 1 hypertension and to explore the mediating and modifying effects of PM2.5 on cardiovascular disease (CVD). METHODS: A total of 32,135 participants aged 18-80 years were recruited in 2017. The three-year (2014-2016) average PM2.5 concentrations were assessed by a spatial statistical model. Blood pressure (BP) was divided into four categories according to the 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline: normal BP (SBP<120 mmHg and DBP<80 mmHg), elevated BP (SBP 120-129 mmHg and DBP<80 mmHg), stage 1 hypertension (SBP 130-139 mmHg or DBP 80-89 mmHg), and stage 2 hypertension (SBP≥140 mmHg or DBP≥90 mmHg or taking antihypertensive medications). The associations of PM2.5 with BP categories were estimated by two-level generalized linear mixed models. Analyses stratified by age, mediation and interaction analyses of PM2.5 and stage 1 hypertension with CVD were performed. RESULTS: We detected a positive significant association between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and stage 1 hypertension. Compared to normal BP, the OR was 1.05 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.08) per 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5. The association was stronger than that of elevated BP but weaker than that of stage 2 hypertension. Stage 1 hypertension only partially mediated the association between PM2.5 and CVD, and the mediation proportions ranged from 1.55% to 11.00%. However, it modified the association between PM2.5 and CVD, which was greater in participants with stage 1 hypertension (OR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.43, 1.93) than in participants with normal BP (OR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.57), with Pinteraction<0.001. In the analysis stratified by age, the above associations were age-specific, and significant associations were only observed in the young and middle-aged (<60 years) groups. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term exposure to ambient PM2.5 was significantly associated with stage 1 hypertension. This earlier stage of hypertension may be a trigger BP range for adverse effects of air pollution in the development of hypertension and CVD, especially in young and middle-aged individuals.