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Background and Objective: Clinical studies found high levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) expression in patients with periodontitis. Studies suggest that HGF plays an important role in periodontitis, is involved in inflammation, and modulates alveolar bone integrity in periodontitis. This study aims to investigate the effects and mechanisms of HGF in the progression of experimental periodontitis. Methods: We used silk thread ligation to induce periodontitis in HGF‐overexpressing transgenic (HGF‐Tg) and wild‐type C57BL/6J mice. The effects of HGF overexpression on alveolar bone destruction were assessed by microcomputed tomography imaging at baseline and on days 7, 14, 21, and 28. We analyzed the cytokines (IL‐6 and TNF‐α) and lymphocytes in periodontitis tissues by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry. The effects of HGF on alveolar bone destruction were further tested by quantifying the systemic bone metabolism markers CTXI and PINP and by RNA sequencing for the signaling pathways involved in bone destruction. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were performed to further elucidate the involved signaling pathways. Results: We found that experimental periodontitis increased HGF production in periodontitis tissues; however, the effects of HGF overexpression were inconsistent with disease progression. In the early stage of periodontitis, periodontal inflammation and alveolar bone destruction were significantly lower in HGF‐Tg mice than in wild‐type mice. In the late stage, HGF‐Tg mice showed higher inflammatory responses and progressively aggravated bone destruction with continued stimulation of inflammation. We identified the IL‐17/RANKL/TRAF6 pathway as a signaling pathway involved in the HGF effects on the progression of periodontitis. Conclusion: HGF plays divergent effects in the progression of experimental periodontitis and accelerates osteoclastic activity and bone destruction in the late stage of inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposed an inversion method of atmosphere aerosol or cloud microphysical parameters based on dual wavelength lidar data. The matching characteristics between aerosol/cloud particle size distribution and Gamma distribution were studied using aircraft observation data. The feasibility of particle effective radius retrieval from lidar ratio and backscatter ratio was simulated and studied. A method for inverting the effective radius and number concentration of atmospheric aerosols or small cloud droplets using backscatter ratio was proposed, and the error sources and applicability of the algorithm were analyzed. This algorithm was suitable for the inversion of uniformly mixed and single property aerosol layers or small cloud droplets. Compared with the previous study, this algorithm could quickly obtain the microphysical parameters of atmosphere particles and has good robustness. For aerosol particles, the inversion range that this algorithm can achieve was 0.3–1.7 μm. For cloud droplets, it was 1.0–10 μm. An atmosphere observation experiment was conducted using the multi-wavelength lidar developed by Xi'an University of Technology, and a thin cloud formation process was captured. The microphysical parameters of aerosol and cloud during this process were retrieved. The results clearly demonstrate the growth of effective radius and number concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Left-behind children (LBC; being left behind by one parent or both parents who migrated to a different location over six months) suffered higher peer victimization than did non-left-behind children. However, it is unclear whether intrapersonal (i.e. self-esteem) and environmental factors (i.e. perceived social support) would moderate the effect of LBC status on peer victimization. A total of 1,064 primary school students from rural China participated in this study. They provided demographic information and completed self-report measures on self-esteem, perceived social support, and peer victimization. After controlling for age and gender, multiple regression analysis revealed that LBC experienced higher peer victimization than their non-left-behind counterparts. Self-esteem and perceived social support were negatively associated with peer victimization. Self-esteem moderated the negative impact of being left behind on peer victimization, but perceived social support did not. Furthermore, the moderated moderation model revealed that the buffering role of self-esteem in the relation between being left behind and peer victimization only emerged among children with low perceived social support. These findings suggested that being left behind would increase the risk of peer victimization, but self-esteem could be a protective factor, especially for children with low social support. Intervention programs should pay more attention to LBC in rural China, improve their self-esteem and social support, thus reducing the likelihood of suffering peer victimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent suicide has become an increasingly serious social problem in China. Bullying victimization was found to be an influential factor of suicidal tendency, but less attention has been paid to the internal mechanisms of the relationship. This paper examined the relationship between adolescents' bullying victimization and suicidal tendency, and the mediating effects of internalizing problems and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Generalized Structural Equation Model was employed to a sample of 3,575 Chinese secondary school students. Bullying victimization has a direct positive impact on adolescents' suicidal tendency, but also has an indirect impact on suicidal tendency through three paths: the independent mediating role of internalizing problems and NSSI, and the chain mediating role of internalizing problems and NSSI. The results suggested that students who are bullied tend to have a higher risk of suicidal tendency, and internalizing problems and NSSI are usually the prelude to suicidal behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) are the most abundant immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, and the M2‐type TAMs can promote tumor growth, invasion and angiogenesis, and suppress antitumor immune responses. It has been reported that spectrin beta, non‐erythrocytic 1 (SPTBN1) may inhibit the infiltration of macrophages in Sptbn1+/− mouse liver, but whether tumor SPTBN1 affects TAMs polarization remains unclear. This study investigated the effect and mechanism of tumor cell SPTBN1 on polarization and migration of TAMs in hepatoma and breast cancer. By analyzing tumor immune databases, we found a negative correlation between SPTBN1 and abundance of macrophages and myeloid‐derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in the tumor microenvironment. By reverse transcription–quantitative real‐time PCR assays and cell migration assays, the migration and M2 polarization of macrophages were enhanced by the culture medium from hepatocellular carcinoma cell line PLC/PRF/5, SNU449, and breast cancer cell line MDA‐MB‐231 with SPTBN1 suppression, which could be reversed by CXCL1 neutralizing antibody MAB275. Meanwhile, the ability of migration and colony formation of PLC/PRF/5, SNU449, and MDA‐MB‐231 cells were promoted when coculture with M2 macrophages. We also found that SPTBN1 regulated CXCL1 through p65 by cytoplasmic‐nuclear protein isolation experiments and ChIP‐qPCR. Our data suggest that tumor cell SPTBN1 inhibits migration and M2‐type polarization of TAMs by reducing the expression and secretion of CXCL1 via inhibiting p65 nuclear localization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dynamic surveillance of vasculature is essential for evaluating the healing of oral ulcer. Existing techniques used in vascular imaging face limitations, such as inadequate spatial resolution, restricted diagnostic depth, and the necessity of exogenous contrast agents. Therefore, this study aimed to use robust photoacoustic imaging (PAI) for the dynamic monitoring of vascular response during healing and the associated treatment process of oral ulcer., Methods: Kunming mice (male, 8 weeks old, 31-41 g) were treated with 50% acetic acid for 90 s on the tongue mucosa for induction of oral traumatic ulcer. Mice were randomly divided into three groups (n=12): the control, compound chamomile and lidocaine hydrochloride gel (CCLH), and phycocyanin (PC) groups. PAI was then conducted on days 0, 2, 3, 5, and 7 to obtain vessel parameters of the ulcer area, including vessel intensity, density, mean diameter, maximum diameter, and curvature. Immunohistochemical and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining were performed on days 3 and 7 to assess microvessel density and inflammation score. The ulcer healing rate and body weight changes were evaluated for clinical observation., Results: Beginning on the second day after ulcer induction, there was a progressive increase over time in blood intensity and vessel parameters, including vascular density and diameter. On day 7, the CCLH and PC groups demonstrated significantly higher measures than did the control group in terms of blood intensity (P<0.05 and P<0.01), vascular density (both P values <0.05), mean diameter (both P values <0.01), and maximum diameter (P<0.01 and P<0.05). Vessel curvature in the two treatment groups exhibited no significant differences compared to that in the control group (both P values >0.05). The effects of vascular morphological changes were further supported by the histological and clinical outcomes. On day 7, compared to that of the control group, the level of microvessel density was significantly higher in both the CCLH (P<0.01) and PC (P<0.05) groups. The histopathological score in PC group was significantly lower than that of the control group on day 7 (P<0.05). Additionally, compared to that of the control group, the healing rates of the CCLH (P<0.01) and PC groups (P<0.05) were superior on day 7. On day 3, the control group showed more weight loss than did the CCLH (P<0.05) and PC (P<0.01) groups., Conclusions: These findings indicate that PAI is a valuable strategy for the dynamic and quantitative analysis of vascular alterations in oral traumatic ulcers and support its prospective application in improving clinical treatment., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://qims.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/qims-24-123/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery. All rights reserved.)

Carthamus tinctorius L. (Safflower) is extensively used as a functional food and herbal medicine, with its application closely associated with hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA). However, the low oral bioavailability of HSYA in safflower extract (SFE) limits its health benefits and application. Our study found that co-administration of 250, 330, and 400 mg/kg peach kernel oil (PKO) increased the oral bioavailability of HSYA in SFE by 1.99-, 2.11-, and 2.49-fold, respectively. The enhanced bioavailability is attributed to improved lipid solubility and intestinal permeability of HSYA in SFE due to PKO. PKO is believed to modify membrane fluidity and tight junctions, increase paracellular penetration, and inhibit the expression and function of P-glycoprotein, enhancing the transcellular transport of substrates. These mechanisms suggest that PKO is an effective absorption enhancer. Our findings provide valuable insights for developing functional foods with improved bioavailability., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is characterized by the loss of gastric glandular cells, which are replaced by the intestinal-type epithelium and fibrous tissue. Ginsenoside Rg1 (Rg1) is the prevalent ginsenoside in ginseng, with a variety of biological activities, and is usually added to functional foods. As a novel form of programmed cell death (PCD), pyroptosis has received substantial attention in recent years. Despite the numerous beneficial effects, the curative impact of Rg1 on CAG and whether its putative mechanism is partially via inhibiting pyroptosis still remain unknown. To address this gap, we conducted a study to explore the mechanisms underlying the potential anti-CAG effect of Rg1. We constructed a CAG rat model using a multifactor comprehensive method. A cellular model was developed by using 1-methyl-3-nitro-1-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) combined with Nigericin as a stimulus applied to GES-1 cells. After Rg1 intervention, the levels of inflammatory indicators in the gastric tissue/cell supernatant were reduced. Rg1 relieved oxidative stress via reducing the myeloperoxidase (MPO) and malonaldehyde (MDA) levels in the gastric tissue and increasing the level of superoxide dismutase (SOD). Additionally, Rg1 improved MNNG+Nigericin-induced pyroptosis in the morphology and plasma membrane of the cells. Further research supported novel evidence for Rg1 in the regulation of the NF-κB/NLRP3/GSDMD pathway and the resulting pyroptosis underlying its therapeutic effect. Moreover, by overexpression and knockout of GSDMD in GES-1 cells, our findings suggested that GSDMD might serve as the key target in the effect of Rg1 on suppressing pyroptosis. All of these offer a potential theoretical foundation for applying Rg1 in ameliorating CAG.