Single-cell transcriptomic analysis reveals the antiangiogenic role of Mgarp in diabetic retinopathy.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a common vascular complication of diabetes mellitus and a leading cause of vision loss worldwide. Endothelial cell (EC) heterogeneity has been observed in the pathogenesis of DR. Elucidating the underlying mechanisms governing EC heterogeneity may provide novel insights into EC-specific therapies for DR. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We used the single-cell data from the Gene Expression Omnibus database to explore EC heterogeneity between diabetic retinas and non-diabetic retinas and identify the potential genes involved in DR. CCK-8 assays, EdU assays, transwell assays, and tube formation assays were conducted to determine the role of the identified gene in angiogenic effects. RESULTS: Our analysis identified three distinct EC subpopulations in retinas and revealed that Mitochondria-localized glutamic acid-rich protein (Mgarp) gene is potentially involved in the pathogenesis of DR. Silencing of Mgarp significantly suppressed the proliferation, migration, and tube formation capacities in retinal endothelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: This study not only offers new insights into transcriptomic heterogeneity and pathological alteration of retinal ECs but also holds the promise to pave the way for antiangiogenic therapy by targeting EC-specific gene.

[Effects of PM2.5 and O3 sub-chronic combined exposure on ATP amount and ATPase activities in rat nasal mucosa].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of fine particle matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) combined exposure on adenosine triphosphate (ATP) amount and ATPase activities in nasal mucosa of Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. METHODS: Twenty male SD rats were divided into control group (n=10) and exposure group (n=10) by random number table method. The rats were fed in the conventional clean environment and the air pollutant exposure system established by our team, respectively, and exposed for 208 d. During the exposure period, the concentrations of PM2.5 and O3 in the exposure system were monitored, and a comprehensive assessment of PM2.5 and O3 in the exposure system was conducted by combining self-measurement and site data. On the 208 d of exposure, the core, liver, spleen, kidney, testis and other major organs and nasal mucosal tissues of the rats were harvested. Each organ was weighed and the organ coefficient calculated. The total amount of ATP was measured by bioluminescence, and the activities of Na+-K+ -ATPase and Ca2+ -ATPase were detected by spectrophotometry. The t test of two independent samples was used to compare the differences among the indicator groups. RESULTS: From the 3rd week to the end of exposure duration, the body weight of the rats in the exposure group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05), and there was no significant difference in organ coefficients between the two groups. The average daily PM2.5 concentration in the exposure group was (30.68±19.23) µg/m3, and the maximum 8 h ozone concentration (O3-8 h) was (82.45±35.81) µg/m3. The chemiluminescence value (792.4±274.1) IU/L of ATP in nasal mucosa of the rats in the exposure group was lower than that in the control group (1 126.8±218.1) IU/L. The Na+-K+-ATPase activity (1.53±0.85) U/mg in nasal mucosa of the rats in the exposure group was lower than that in the control group (4.31±1.60) U/mg (P < 0.05). The protein content of nasal mucosa in the control group and the exposure group were (302.14±52.51) mg/L and (234.58±53.49) mg/L, respectively, and the activity of Ca2+-ATPase was (0.81±0.27) U/mg and (0.99±0.73) U/mg, respectively. There was no significant difference between the groups. CONCLUSION: The ability of power capacity decreased in the rat nasal mucossa under the sub-chronic low-concentration exposure of PM2.5 and O3.

Small extracellular vesicles-derived from 3d cultured human nasal mucosal mesenchymal stem cells during differentiation to dopaminergic progenitors promote neural damage repair via miR-494-3p after manganese exposed mice.

Manganese (Mn) exposure is a common environmental risk factor for Parkinson's disease (PD), with pathogenic mechanisms associated with dopaminergic neuron damage and neuroinflammation. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) have emerged as a novel therapeutic approach for neural damage repair. The functional sEVs released from MSCs when they are induced into dopaminergic progenitors may have a better repair effect on neural injury. Therefore, we collected sEVs obtained from primary human nasal mucosal mesenchymal stem cells (hnmMSC-sEVs) or cells in the process of dopaminergic progenitor cell differentiation (da-hnmMSC-sEVs), which were cultured in a 3D dynamic system, and observed their repair effects and mechanisms of Mn-induced neural damage by intranasal administration of sEVs. In Mn-exposed mice, sEVs could reach the site of brain injury after intranasal administration, da-hnmMSC enhanced the repair effects of sEVs in neural damage and behavioral competence, as evidenced by restoration of motor dysfunction, enhanced neurogenesis, decreased microglia activation, up-regulation of anti-inflammatory factors, and down-regulation of pro-inflammatory factors. The transcriptomics of hnmMSC-sEVs and da-hnmMSC-sEVs revealed that miRNAs, especially miR-494-3p in sEVs were involved in neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects. Overexpression of miR-494-3p in sEVs inhibited Mn-induced inflammation and neural injury, and its repair mechanism might be related to the down-regulation of CMPK2 and NLRP3 in vitro experiments. Thus, intranasal delivery of da-hnmMSC-sEVs is an effective strategy for the treatment of neural injury repair.

Microglia-endothelial cross-talk regulates diabetes-induced retinal vascular dysfunction through remodeling inflammatory microenvironment.

Inflammation-mediated crosstalk between neuroglial cells and endothelial cells (ECs) is a fundamental feature of many vascular diseases. Nevertheless, the landscape of inflammatory processes during diabetes-induced microvascular dysfunction remains elusive. Here, we applied single-cell RNA sequencing to elucidate the transcriptional landscape of diabetic retinopathy (DR). The transcriptome characteristics of microglia and ECs revealed two microglial subpopulations and three EC populations. Exploration of intercellular crosstalk between microglia and ECs showed that diabetes-induced interactions mainly participated in the inflammatory response and vessel development, with colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) and CSF1 receptor (CSF1R) playing important roles in early cell differentiation. Clinically, we found that CSF1/CSF1R crosstalk dysregulation was associated with proliferative DR. Mechanistically, ECs secrete CSF1 and activate CSF1R endocytosis and the CSF1R phosphorylation-mediated MAPK signaling pathway, which elicits the differentiation of microglia and triggers the secretion of inflammatory factors, and subsequently foster angiogenesis by remodeling the inflammatory microenvironment through a positive feedback mechanism.

A Biodegradable, Adhesive, and Stretchable Hydrogel and Potential Applications for Allergic Rhinitis and Epistaxis.

Bioadhesive hydrogels have attracted considerable attention as innovative materials in medical interventions and human-machine interface engineering. Despite significant advances in their application, it remains critical to develop adhesive hydrogels that meet the requirements for biocompatibility, biodegradability, long-term strong adhesion, and efficient drug delivery vehicles in moist conditions. A biocompatible, biodegradable, soft, and stretchable hydrogel made from a combination of a biopolymer (unmodified natural gelatin) and stretchable biodegradable poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate is proposed to achieve durable and tough adhesion and explore its use for convenient and effective intranasal hemostasis and drug administration. Desirable hemostasis efficacy and enhanced therapeutic outcomes for allergic rhinitis are accomplished. Biodegradation enables the spontaneous removal of materials without causing secondary damage and minimizes medical waste. Preliminary trials on human subjects provide an essential foundation for practical applications. This work elucidates material strategies for biodegradable adhesive hydrogels, which are critical to achieving robust material interfaces and advanced drug delivery platforms for novel clinical treatments.

Correlation of multifidus degeneration with sex, age and side of herniation in patients with lumbar disc herniation.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between multifidus degeneration and sex, age and side of protrusion in patients with lumbar disc herniation(LDH). METHODS: Data were collected from September 2015 to September 2022 from patients with L4/5 and L5/S1 LDH. A total of 104 patients (62 males and 42 females) were included in this study, and there were 35 and 69 cases of L4/5 and L5/S1 LDH, respectively. Patients were divided into 4 groups according to age: group 1 (20-29), group 2 (30-39), group 3 (40-49) and group 4 (50-59). Magnetic resonance spectroscopy analysis was used to observe the fat fraction (FF) and functional cross-sectional area (f-CSA) of the defatted multifidus muscle of the protruding side (affected side) and the nonprotruding side (healthy side) of the L4/5 and L5/S1 gaps to evaluate the relationship between multifidus degeneration and sex, age and protruding side in patients with LDH. RESULTS: Between sexes, the FF of the multifidus muscle was significantly greater in women than in men, regardless of whether it was on the affected or healthy side of the L4/5 segment or on the affected or healthy side of the L5/S1 segment (P < 0.05). Between age groups, there was a significantly positive relationship between the change in FF (%) of the multifidus muscle in patients with LDH and age, with increasing fatty infiltration of the multifidus increasing with age (P < 0.05); notably, there was a significant difference between group 4 and the remaining three groups but no significant difference between groups 1, 2 and 3. The f-CSA of the multifidus (cm2) was negatively correlated with age, with the f-CSA of the multifidus becoming more atrophic with increasing age; specifically, there was a significant difference between group 1 and the other three groups (P < 0.05) but not between groups 2, 3 and 4. Regarding the side of the herniated disc, (1) the differences in FF and f-CSA at the L4/5 and L5/S1 levels were not statistically significant between the affected side and the healthy side in patients with lumbar disc herniation at the L4/5 segment (P > 0.05); (2) the differences in FF and f-CSA at the L5/S1 level were not statistically significant between the affected side and the healthy side in patients with LDH at the L5/S1 segment (P > 0.05); (3) the difference between FF at the L4/5 level and f-CSA and FF at the L5/S1 level was not statistically significant (P > 0.05); and (4) the f-CSA at the L5/S1 level was significantly greater on the healthy side than on the affected side (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The proportion of lipoatrophy in female patients with L4/5 and L5/S1 disc herniations was greater than that in male patients. Lipoatrophy of the multifidus muscle increased with age and was significantly worse in patients over 50 years of age. The f-CSA of the multifidus muscle was negatively related to age, and the f-CSA of the multifidus muscle became more atrophic with increasing age. A comparison of degeneration showed no significant difference between the L4/5 patients and the L5/S1 patients in terms of f-CSA atrophy on the affected side of the herniated disc compared to the healthy side.

The association between nasal mucosa bacteria and serum metals in children with nasal diseases.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) and adenoid hypertrophy (AH) are common nasal diseases in children. Studies have shown that heavy metals are environmental risk factors for nasal diseases, and the pathogenic mechanisms may be related to dysregulation of nasal mucosal microbiota. However, it is unclear how heavy metal exposure relates to the nasal mucosal microbiota in nasal diseases. Therefore, we explored serum metal exposure levels and nasal mucosal microbiota composition in children with different nasal disease, and further studied the potential correlation between metal exposure and disease-related taxa. There were 64 children recruited for this study. The 23 metals concentrations in serum were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and nasal mucosal bacteria was identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. Nasal diseases (AR and AH) in children were associated with alterations in the abundance and diversity of the nasal mucosal microbiota. The nasal microbiota of children with AR showed lower diversity, while the microbiota of children with AH showed higher diversity. Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size showed 108 differentially abundant taxa between AR and control groups, 35 differentially abundant taxa among large adenoid, moderate adenoid and small adenoid groups. The serum zinc concentration was negatively correlated with Pielou's eveness index and Simpson's Index in children classified by adenoid size. The spearman correlation analysis showed that multiple disease-related taxa were closely associated with metal concentrations in serum. Our findings may support a link between metal exposure and the diversity and composition of nasal bacteria in children with nasal disease, which present new evidence for the effects of metals on children health.

[Clinical characteristics of nasal respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartoma].

〓 Objectives: To analyze the pathological and clinical features of nasal respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartoma（REAH）, and summarize the diagnostic points, to improve the experience of diagnosis and treatment. Methods:The clinical data of 16 patients with REAH were analyzed retrospectively. The clinical manifestations, pathological features, imaging features, surgical treatment and prognosis were summarized. Results:16 cases of REAH were studied, 10 cases（62.50%） were associated with sinusitis, 1 case（6.25%） was associated with inverted papilloma, 1 case（6.25%） was associated with hemangioma. 5 cases（31.25%） had a history of nasal sinus surgery, including 1 case with 3 times of nasal sinus surgery, 1 case with 2 times of nasal sinus surgery, 3 cases with 1 time of nasal sinus surgery; 10 cases（62.50%） occurred in the bilateral olfactory cleft, 2 cases（12.50%） in the unilateral olfactory cleft, 3 cases（18.75%） in the unilateral middle turbinate, 1 case（6.25%） in the nasopharynx. All 16 patients were pathologically diagnosed as REAH. In the patients with lesions located in bilateral olfactory fissures, symmetrical widening of olfactory fissures and lateral displacement of middle turbinate were observed on preoperative sinus CT. The average width of bilateral olfactory fissures was （9.9±2.70） mm. The ratio of wide to narrow olfactory cleft was 1.21 ± 0.19. There was no significant difference in Lund-Mackay score between the two sides（P>0.05）. All patients underwent surgery under general anesthesia and nasal endoscopy. The follow-up period ranged from 1 to 66 months, and no recurrence occurred. Conclusion:Preoperative diagnosis of REAH is facilitated by the combination of clinical manifestations and endoscopic and imaging features. Endoscopic complete resection can achieve a good therapeutic effect.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of brain and gonad reveals reproduction-related miRNAs in the giant prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii.

Macrobrachium rosenbergii (M. rosenbergii), as a species of common prawn, is a delicacy that is consumed all over the world. By interacting with the target gene 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR), microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate its expression and ultimately participate in the regulation of reproductive development. However, research focusing on miRNA regulation during gonadal development in M. rosenbergii received very little attention. To explore the association between miRNA and reproduction, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) on brain and gonad organs in male and female M. rosenbergii. A total of 494 miRNAs were obtained in RNA-seq, including 31 and 59 differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs in the brain and gonads, respectively. Furthermore, 9 DE miRNAs were randomly selected from the brain and gonads, and qRT-PCR was conducted to validate the results of RNA-seq. Interestingly, dpu-miR-133 was found to be substantially expressed in the male brain and testis but poorly expressed in the female brain, ovary, and other organs. Analysis of dpu-miR-133 by Targetscan and MiRanda predicted to target 5-HT1. Furthermore, the dual-luciferase reporter assay manifested that dpu-miR-133 can combine with 5-HT1. Overall, our research work provides basic data for further study on the miRNA-mediated regulation of brain, gonad, and reproductive development of study M. rosenbergii.

Characteristics of IgG4-related disease complicated with allergic rhinitis or chronic rhinosinusitis: a large cross-sectional cohort study.

In clinical practice, we found that IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) patients complicated with allergic rhinitis (AR)/chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) seemed to have unique characteristics different from patients with IgG4-RD alone. In this study, demographic, clinical and laboratory characteristics of IgG4-RD patients complicated with AR/CRS were investigated. We retrospectively analyzed 756 IgG4-RD patients who were recruited in four medical centers from 2009 to 2021. We divided 756 IgG4-RD patients into 2 groups: the case group included IgG4-RD patients complicated with AR/CRS, and the control group included IgG4-RD patients without AR/CRS. 411 patients were complicated with AR/CRS among 756 IgG4-RD patients. Multiple organs involvement (≥ 3, p < 0.0001, OR 3.585 (95% CI 2.655-4.839)) and other types of allergic disease (p < 0.0001, OR 2.007 (95% CI 1.490-2.693)) were more common in the case group. Patients in the case group had a higher level of serum IgG4 (650 mg/dL vs 385 mg/dL, p < 0.0001), IgE (347 mg/dL vs 98 mg/dL, p < 0.0001) and ESR (14 mm/h vs 12 mm/h, p < 0.05). High IgE level (p < 0.01, OR 1.003 (95% CI 1.001-1.005)) and other types of allergic disease (p < 0.05, OR 3.196 (95% CI 1.146-8.908)) were risk factors for patients in the case group, in which most patients had nasal manifestations before the diagnosis of IgG4-RD. The median time interval from nasal symptoms appearance to IgG4-RD diagnosis was - 120 and - 90 months for patients complicated with AR and CRS, respectively. IgG4-RD patients are often complicated with AR/CRS and have distinct characteristics, which appear to be a subgroup of IgG4-RD. The data suggests a pathogenic association of IgG4-RD and AR/CRS.

Exposure to the real ambient air pollutants alters the composition of nasal mucosa bacteria in the rat model.

Studies have indicated that ambient pollutant exposure correlates with nasal disease, in which nasal mucosa microbiota play a crucial role. However, the association between exposure to real-ambient air pollutants and the composition of nasal mucosa microbiota has not been well studied. This study aimed to explore the composition of nasal mucosa microbiota after exposure to real-ambient air pollutants with a special system. We monitored PM2.5, O3, etc. in the system and confirmed PM2.5 and O3 were the main pollutants. SD rats were exposed to the system for 16 weeks in summer or 22 weeks in autumn-winter. The concentrations of PM2.5 were 24.00 µg/m3 in the Summer stage and 22.21 µg/m3 in the autumn-winter stage. The O3 concentrations were 25.46 and 13.55 µg/m3, respectively. Exposure altered bacterial beta diversity in the summer stage. There were 4 and 3 different bacteria at the king, order, family and genus levels between the two groups at the two stages, respectively. The abundance of opportunistic pathogens changed, Pseudomonas decreased in summer stage, and Bifidobacterium increased in the autumn-winter stage. The influence of the season on the nasal mucosa microbiota was analyzed. The alpha diversity of the autumn-winter stage was higher than that of the summer stage. LEfSe analysis revealed 34 differential bacterial taxa at the king, order, family and genus level in the two control groups and 31 of the two exposure groups, which were not the same as the bacteria between the control groups and exposure groups. We found that PM2.5 combined with O3 exposure was associated with the composition of the nasal mucosa microbiota and the abundance of opportunistic pathogens, in which season likely impacted the microbiota.

[Characteristics and Significance of Gene Expression Changes in Peripheral Blood of Lumbar Disc Extrusion Patients before and after Nonoperative Treatment].

OBJECTIVE: To define the gene expression characteristics in the peripheral blood of patients with lumbar disc extrusion (LDE) and the effect of nonoperative treatment on the gene expression. METHODS: DNA microarray was used to identify semi-quantitatively the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the peripheral blood of patients with LDE and that of the healthy controls and the variation trend of these DEGs after nonoperative treatment. Enrichment analysis was done to reveal the functional characteristics of these DEGs, and network analysis was done to identify key genes that contribute to gene dysregulation. The levels of these key genes were measured by qRT-PCR to examine their expression in LDE patients and the controls, and the effect of nonoperative treatment on the expression level. RESULTS: We identified 153 DEGs in the peripheral blood of LDE patients and healthy controls, including 131 upregulated genes and 22 downregulated genes. Enrichment analysis revealed that most of the DEGs were related to immunity and the inflammatory response. Network analysis revealed that toll-like receptor 4 ( TLR4 ), matrix metallopeptidase 9 ( MMP9) and myeloperoxidase ( MPO), cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide ( CAMP), resistin ( RETN), toll-like receptor 5 ( TLR5) were the key genes in the protein-protein interaction network. These key genes were all enriched into the terms releated to immunity and the inflammatory response. The patients experienced pain relief after nonoperative treatment. Among the 153 DEGs, TLR5 , interleukin 1 receptor antagonist ( IL1 RN) and solute carrier family 8 member A1 ( SLC8 A1) were downregulated after nonoperative treatment. qRT-PCR revealed that the levels of TLR4, MMP9 , MPO, CAMP, RETN, TLR5, IL1 RN and SLC8 A1 in the peripheral blood of the LDE patients were higher than those of the healthy control group ( P<0.05). In addition, TLR5 , IL1 RN and SLC8 A1 expression levels decreased after treatmentin in comparison with the levels before treatment ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Gene expression in the peripheral blood of LDE patients was characterized by the dysregulation of immune and inflammatory response-related genes, among which, TLR4, MMP9, MPO, CAMP, RETN and TLR5, the genes relevant to immune and inflammatory response, played a key role in the dysregulation of gene expression in the peripheral blood of LDE patients. The outcome of non-operative treatment may be related to the downregulation of the overexpressed TLR5, IL1 RN and SLC8 A1 in the peripheral blood of patients.

How to restore medical services in the ophthalmic department in the post-pandemic period of COVID-19.

Currently, the epidemics situation of COVID-19 is still grim. As a high-risk department, it is necessary to take corresponding prevention and control measures in the ophthalmology department. To guide the ophthalmology department of medical institutions to recover from the post-pandemic period of COVID-19, we designed relevant prevention and control strategies formulated by the National Health Committee, combined with our practical work of hospital pandemic management. The prevention and control strategies contained ward settings, channel design, allocation of protective equipment, screening of hospitalized patients, supervision-guided improvement, ward disinfection, the management of patients and escorts. There are 64 doctors and nurses who had standardized training during the post-pandemic period in the ophthalmology department. A total of 185 patients were admitted to the ophthalmology department of our institution, and 107 operations were successfully performed during that period. We made a follow-up visit two weeks after discharge to ask whether the patients had fever and/or other symptoms and whether he had been diagnosed with a COVID-19 case. Ultimately the ophthalmic ward was free of infection with the novel coronavirus. These showed that our prevention strategies were effective for ophthalmology department to defending COVID-19 in the process of recovering medical services.

Microarray analysis reveals an inflammatory transcriptomic signature in peripheral blood for sciatica.

BACKGROUND: Although the pathology of sciatica has been studied extensively, the transcriptional changes in the peripheral blood caused by sciatica have not been characterized. This study aimed to characterize the peripheral blood transcriptomic signature for sciatica. METHODS: We used a microarray to identify differentially expressed genes in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica compared with that of healthy controls, performed a functional analysis to reveal the peripheral blood transcriptomic signature for sciatica, and conducted a network analysis to identify key genes that contribute to the observed transcriptional changes. The expression levels of these key genes were assessed by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: We found that 153 genes were differentially expressed in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica compared with that of healthy controls, and 131 and 22 of these were upregulated and downregulated, respectively. A functional analysis revealed that these differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were strongly enriched for the inflammatory response or immunity. The network analysis revealed that a group of genes, most of which are related to the inflammatory response, played a key role in the dysregulation of these DEGs. These key genes are Toll-like receptor 4, matrix metallopeptidase 9, myeloperoxidase, cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, resistin and Toll-like receptor 5, and a qRT-PCR analysis validated the higher transcript levels of these key genes in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica than in that of healthy controls. CONCLUSION: We revealed inflammatory characteristics that serve as a peripheral blood transcriptomic signature for sciatica and identified genes that are essential for mRNA dysregulation in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica.

Integrated traditional Chinese medicine alleviates sciatica while regulating gene expression in peripheral blood.

BACKGROUND: Although integrated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has long been indicated to be effective in the treatment of sciatica and is widely used in the management of this condition, the mechanism by which integrated TCM alleviates sciatica has not yet been fully defined, and the effect of integrated TCM on gene expression in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica is still unknown. We performed this study to investigate the effect of integrated TCM on peripheral blood gene expression in patients with sciatica and to explore new clues for studying the mechanism of integrated TCM in alleviating sciatica. METHODS: We used a microarray to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica and healthy controls (DEGs-baseline), bioinformatic analysis to reveal the characteristics of DEGs-baseline, and the key genes that contribute to the gene dysregulation. A microarray was also used to identify DEGs in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica after integrated TCM treatment compared with those at baseline, and the expression levels of DEGs were validated by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: We identified 153 DEGs-baseline, which included 131 upregulated genes and 22 downregulated genes. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that most of the DEGs-baseline were related to immunity and the inflammatory response and that TLR4, MMP9, MPO, CAMP, RETN, TLR5, and IL1RN were key genes involved in the dysregulation of genes in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica. The expression levels of TLR5, IL1RN, SLC8A1, RBM20, GPER1, IL27, SOCS1, and GRTP1-AS1 were decreased in the peripheral blood of patients after integrated TCM treatment compared with that at baseline, which was accompanied by relief of pain. CONCLUSION: Integrated TCM treatment relieved pain while regulating the gene expression of TLR5, IL1RN, SLC8A1, RBM20, GPER1, IL27, SOCS1, and GRTP1-AS1 in the peripheral blood of patients with sciatica. Our study provides new clues for studying the mechanism of TCM in treating sciatica.

[Efficacy of periodontal endoscope-assisted non-surgical treatment for severe and generalized periodontitis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of periodontal endoscope as an adjuvant therapy for the non-surgical periodontal treatment of patients with severe and generalized periodontitis. METHODS: Patients (n=13) were divided into three groups: patients treated with conventional subgingival scaling and root planing (SRP) (n=7, 408 sites) (group A), SRP using periodontal endoscope (n=4, 188 sites) (group B) or SRP with periodontal endoscope 3 months after initial SRP (n=2, 142 sites) (group C). Two subgroups were divided into 2 subgroups according to PD at the baseline: 46 mm as subgroup 2. Probing depth (PD), attachment loss (AL), gingival recession (GR) and bleeding on probing (BOP) were recorded. RESULTS: The results of 3 months after treatment showed all PD, AL, and GR values in group A1 were less than those in group B1 (P<0.05), but no significant difference in BOP was found between the two groups. The decrease in PD, BOP in group B2 was more obvious than those in group A2 (P<0.000 1), and the GR values in group B2 were more than those in group A2 (P<0.000 1). But the improvement of AL showed no statistical difference between the two groups (P=0.296 8). In group C1, no significant difference in PD, AL, and GR was observed after endoscopy-assisted therapy, but it was more effective for BOP (P<0.000 1). In group C2, the improvement in PD and AL was significantly different from the improvement in SRP alone (P=0.000 5, P=0.000 2) and was accompanied by more GR (P=0.000 5). CONCLUSIONS: In non-surgical treatment of severe and generalized periodontitis, SRP can achieve good therapeutic effect on sites with 46 mm, the application of periodontal endoscopy can increase the effect, reducing PD and GR, which may be an effective supplement to the current non-surgical periodontal treatment.

[Sagittal Balance Parameters Correlate with Resorption of the Lumbar Disc Extrusion: Results of a Retrospective Study].

OBJECTIVE: A retrospective study was designed to explore the relationship between the satittal spinopelvic alignment in patients with lumbar disc extrusion and spontaneous resorption. METHODS: From May 2010 to March 2019, referring to NASS evidence-based clinical guidelines, patients with lumbar disc extrusion were enrolled in this retrospective study, according to the degree of herniation size during the follow-up, the patients were divided into two groups: resorption (group R: the herniated disc completely disappeared or the herniation size was grade 1 according to Michgan State University (MSU) classification) and nonresorption (group N: the herniated disc remain unchanged or the herniation size overpass grade 1), spinopelvic parameters (including the pelvic incidence (PI), sacral slope (SS), pelvic tilt (PT), lumbar lordosis (LL)) were determined on standing profile radiographs of the lumbar spine and pelvis, and mean values were compared using the multi-factor analysis of variance. RESULTS: This study included 67 patients with lumbar disc extrusion. There were 37 in group R (the average age was 42.6 years), 21 males and 16 females, 13 cases at L 4-5 level and 24 cases at L 5-S 1 level, follow-up 22 months, and 30 in group N (the average age was 40.8 years), 19 males and 11 females, 12 cases at L 4-5 level and 18 cases at L 5-S 1 level, follow-up 21 months, at the follow up time, there symptoms were all satisfactorily relieved. There were no signifcant differences in age, gender, smoking history, chronic medical history, prominent segmnet, MSU classification, follow up time and other baseline conditions between two groups ( P>0.05). At the follow-up, in group R, all 30 cases of sagittal displaced disc disappeared, the herniated disc changed from the initial MSU classification of grade 2 in 19 cases and grade 3 in 18 cases to the post-absorption residual disc, which were limited to grade 1; in group N, 20 cases of sagittal displaced disc reduced to 14 cases, the herniated disc changed from the initial MSU classification of grade 2 in 21 cases and grade 3 in 9 cases to grade 2 in 27 cases and grade 3 in 3 cases. There was no significant difference in spinopelvic parameters between the two groups before the treatment ( P>0.05). At the follow-up, there was no significant difference in PI between the two groups ( P>0.05); the SS and LL in group R were bigger than those in group N, the PT in group R was smaller than that in group N, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Compared within the same group, before treatment and follow-up, there were no significant differences in PI, SS and PT in group R, but a bigger LL ( P<0.05); no significant differences in all the parameters in group N were found. CONCLUSION: Resorption may result in pinopelvic parameter changes, which suggest that the lumbar spine is better at cushioning against load, reducing the disc pressure, and leading to resorption of the herniated disc.

Identification of Key Genes Potentially Related to Intervertebral Disk Degeneration by Microarray Analysis.

Aims: This study was designed to investigate differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the annulus fibrosus (AF), nucleus pulposus (NP), and whole blood (WB) of intervertebral disk degeneration (IDD) patients. Materials and Methods: We retrieved microarray data set GSE70362, which contains the gene expression profiles of 24 AF and 24 NP samples from the Gene Expression Omnibus and identified DEGs in degenerative AF (AF-DEGs) and NP (NP-DEGs) samples compared with nondegenerative samples. We also examined gene expression profiles in WB from patients with IDD and healthy volunteers to identify DEGs in WB (WB-DEGs). We performed functional analyses on the DEGs common to AF-DEGs, NP-DEGs, and WB-DEGs. Expression of the common DEGs was partially validated by quantitative real-time-polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR). Results: In total, 846 AF-DEGs, 902 NP-DEGs, and 862 WB-DEGs were identified, and 22 DEGs were common among the three groups. Functional analyses showed that the common DEGs were enriched in 33 biological processes, 16 cellular components, 4 molecular functions, and 9 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways; 13 of the common DEGs were included in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) was identified as a hub gene in the PPI network. The QRT-PCR results for the expression of the genes protein disulfide isomerase family A member 4, FKBP prolyl isomerase 11, ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 4, SOD2, and actin binding LIM protein 1, were consistent with the gene chip hybridization results. Conclusions: This study identified key genes for future investigations of the underlying molecular mechanisms of IDD. These genes may provide future targets for the clinical treatment and diagnosis of IDD.

Investigation of the impact of PM2.5 on the ciliary motion of human nasal epithelial cells.

Nasal epithelium provides a physical barrier to potentially harmful stimuli. Cilia, which is on the apical side of the human nasal epithelial cells (HNEpCs), plays a critical role in removing inhaled harmful matter. Ciliary beat frequency (CBF) and ciliary beat pattern (CBP) are the two important indicators for ciliary beat function. However, impacts of the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on CBF and CBP are still unknown. We aimed to evaluate the impact of PM2.5 on the ciliary beat function of the HNEpCs and its potential mechanisms. After exposed to PM2.5 for 12 h, cilia of HNEpCs were in disordered arrangement. The ciliary coverage rate was decreased after PM2.5 exposure of a series of concentration, while the proportion of basal cells was continuously increased and could be observed on the apical side of the HNEpCs which is hardly be observed without PM2.5 exposure. PM2.5 increased the CBF after 12 h exposure, while 24 h exposure increased the CBF at the relative lower dosage groups and then made a decrease at relative higher dosage groups. CBF were classified into two different types, which had different changes following PM2.5 exposure. CBP showed significant changes characterized as the increased dyskinesia index. Total levels of cellular ATP and the mitochondrial membrane potential were decreased following 12 h exposure of PM2.5, while no change was found in O2 consumption. In conclusion, PM2.5 impact the ciliary beat function of HNEpCs, and the mitochondrial dysfunction might play an important role in it.