Alveolar bone is the thickened ridge of jaw bone that supports teeth. It is subject to constant occlusal force and pathogens invasion, and is therefore under active bone remodeling and immunomodulation. Alveolar bone holds a distinct niche from long bone considering their different developmental origin and postnatal remodeling pattern. However, a systematic explanation of alveolar bone at single-cell level is still lacking. Here, we construct a single-cell atlas of mouse mandibular alveolar bone through single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). A more active immune microenvironment is identified in alveolar bone, with a higher proportion of mature immune cells than in long bone. Among all immune cell populations, the monocyte/macrophage subpopulation most actively interacts with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) subpopulation. Alveolar bone monocytes/macrophages express a higher level of Oncostatin M (Osm) compared to long bone, which promotes osteogenic differentiation and inhibits adipogenic differentiation of MSCs. In summary, our study reveals a unique immune microenvironment of alveolar bone, which may provide a more precise immune-modulatory target for therapeutic treatment of oral diseases.

PurposePreoperative preparation for adrenalectomy for pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGL) is universally recognized as necessary, while the optimal strategy remains controversial. Our aims were to increase intraoperative hemodynamic stability, expedite postoperative recovery, decrease side effects and reduce costs for patients with PPGL undergoing adrenalectomy.MethodsWe identified 526 patients undergoing open adrenalectomy for PPGL in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University between May, 2007 and December, 2016. 149 patients received preoperative selective α-blockade with phenoxybenzamine, and 377 patients received non-selective α-blockade with prazosin, doxazosin or terazosin. There were no statistical differences between groups regarding preoperative patient and tumor characteristics. Operations were planned once hypertensive patients were well-controlled with blood pressure ≤130/85 mmHg. Intraoperatively, all patients received arterial blood pressure monitoring, and indwelling urinary catheters to record urine output. We recorded intraoperative hemodynamics, status in the postanesthesia or intensive care unit, postoperative recovery and complications.ResultsPatients in the non-selective group showed a more significant decline in postoperative systolic blood pressure than the selective group (P = 0.041). Also, patients in the non-selective group appeared to receive a long-term anti-hypertensive effect, especially for diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.037), which was a novel finding, based on the current literature.ConclusionsOur results confirmed that non-selective α-blockade produced a more significant anti-hypertensive effect than selective α-blockade. However, we found no significant difference in intraoperative hemodynamic instability, postoperative recovery and postoperative complications between groups.

Background: Regulation of gene expression is critical for stem cell differentiation, tissue development, and human health maintenance. Recently, epigenetic modifications of histone and chromatin remodeling have been verified as key controllers of gene expression and human diseases.Objective: In this study, we review the role of chromodomain helicase DNA-binding (CHD) proteins in stem cell differentiation, cell fate decision, and several known human developmental disorders and cancers.Conclusion: CHD proteins play a crucial role in stem cell differentiation and human diseases.

Background Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT), a type of light therapy that uses the concept of photobiomodulation, is developed to promote bone healing. Clinical studies have been conducted to assess the influence of PBMT on dental implant stability and success rate. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effect of PBMT and methodological quality of these studies on implants in human clinical trials. Methods An electronic search was performed in Pubmed, Embase, and the Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials (CENTRAL). Results Initially, 675 articles were identified, among which only 8 met the inclusion criteria. Four of the 8 studies presented a low risk of bias, whereas the other 4 were of moderate risk. Our review focused on implant success rates and implant stability measured at days 0 and 10, and at 3, 4, 6, and 12 weeks. No significant differences were observed between the PBMT group and the control group regarding implant stability or success rate. Conclusions The existing clinical studies did not provide sufficient evidence to observe positive effects of PBMT on implants in patients. An increased number of high-quality clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are required to verify the data and to draw convincing conclusions.

Chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 7 (CHD7), an ATP-dependent eukaryotic chromatin remodeling enzyme, is essential for the development of organs. The mutation of CHD7 is the main cause of CHARGE syndrome, but its function and mechanism in skeletal system remain unclear. Here, we show conditional knockout of Chd7 in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and preosteoblasts leads to a pathological phenotype manifested as low bone mass and severely high marrow adiposity. Mechanistically, we identify enhancement of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling in Chd7-deficient MSCs. Loss of Chd7 reduces the restriction of PPAR-γ and then PPAR-γ associates with trimethylated histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4me3), which subsequently activates the transcription of downstream adipogenic genes and disrupts the balance between osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation. Our data illustrate the pathological manifestations of Chd7 mutation in MSCs and reveal an epigenetic mechanism in skeletal health and diseases.