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Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) combined with tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) on clinical efficacy and sleep disorder in patients with chronic tinnitus., Patients and Methods: 126 patients with chronic tinnitus treated in our hospital from May 2020 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. These subjects were randomly divided into two groups: the electrical stimulation group and the combined group, in line with the random table method, with 63 patients in each group. Patients in the electrical stimulation group received TDCS treatment, and patients in the combined group were given TDCS combined with TRT. The clinical effects, tinnitus severity [Tinnitus Evaluation Questionnaire (TEQ) score and Tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) score], sleep status [Sleep Status Rating Scale (SRSS) score and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score], psychological status [Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) score and Self Rating Depression Scale (SDS) score] and the quality of life (Quality of Life Scale) of these subjects in two groups were analyzed., Results: The clinical effect of simple TDCS was 82.53%, which was sharply lower compared to 95.24% in the combined group (p<0.05). After the treatment, TEQ score, THI score, SRSS score, PSQI score, HAMA score, and SDS score were decreased in both groups (p<0.05), and the combined group was much lower than the TDCS group (p<0.01). Compared with the pre-treatment period, the scores of restrictions in daily living, medical resource utilization, somatic symptoms, and emotional disturbance were elevated in both groups after treatment, and the combined group had markedly higher scores than the TDCS group (p<0.05)., Conclusions: TDCS combined with TRT had obvious effects in treating chronic tinnitus, which largely reduced the severity of tinnitus, improved patients' sleep quality and psychological status, and improved the quality of life, indicating a certain worthy of clinical application and promotion.

Dry eye disease (DED) is a prevalent ocular disorder with a multifactorial etiology. The pre-angiogenic and pre-inflammatory milieu of the ocular surface plays a critical role in its pathogenesis. DZ2002 is a reversible type III S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase (SAHH) inhibitor, which has shown excellent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities in vivo and in vitro. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of DZ2002 in rodent models of DED. SCOP-induced dry eye models were established in female rats and mice, while BAC-induced dry eye model was established in female rats. DZ2002 was administered as eye drops (0.25%, 1%) four times daily (20 μL per eye) for 7 or 14 consecutive days. We showed that topical application of DZ2002 concentration-dependently reduced corneal neovascularization and corneal opacity, as well as alleviated conjunctival irritation in both DED models. Furthermore, we observed that DZ2002 treatment decreased the expression of genes associated with angiogenesis and the levels of inflammation in the cornea and conjunctiva. Moreover, DZ2002 treatment in the BAC-induced DED model abolished the activation of the STAT3-PI3K-Akt-NF-κB pathways in corneal tissues. We also found that DZ2002 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs) while downregulating the activation of the STAT3-PI3K-Akt-NF-κB pathway. These results suggest that DZ2002 exerts a therapeutic effect on corneal angiogenesis in DED, potentially by preventing the upregulation of the STAT3-PI3K-Akt-NF-κB pathways. Collectively, DZ2002 is a promising candidate for ophthalmic therapy, particularly in treating DED., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Pharmacological Society.)