Osteoarthritis (OA), a highly prevalent degenerative joint disease worldwide, is defined by articular cartilage degradation, abnormal bone remodeling, and persistent chronic inflammation. It severely compromises patients’ quality of life, and currently, there is no radical cure. Abnormal mechanical stress is widely regarded as a core driver of OA pathogenesis, and the exploration of mechanical signal perception and transduction mechanisms has become crucial for deciphering OA’s pathophysiological processes. Piezo1, a key mechanosensitive cation channel belonging to the Piezo protein family, has recently gained significant attention due to its pivotal role in mediating cellular responses to mechanical stimuli in joint tissues. This review systematically examines Piezo1’s expression patterns, regulatory mechanisms, and pathological functions in OA, with a particular focus on its dual roles in modulating chondrocyte homeostasis and bone metabolism disorders, while also delving into the underlying molecular signaling pathways and potential therapeutic implications. Piezo1, consisting of approximately 2 500 amino acids and forming a unique trimeric propeller-like structure, is widely expressed in chondrocytes, osteocytes, mesenchymal stem cells, and synovial cells. It exhibits permeability to cations such as Ca²⁺, K⁺, and Na⁺, and directly responds to membrane tension changes induced by mechanical stimuli like fluid shear stress and mechanical overload. In OA patients and animal models, Piezo1 expression is significantly upregulated, especially in cartilage regions subjected to abnormal mechanical stress (e.g., human temporomandibular joint cartilage). This overexpression is closely associated with aggravated cartilage degeneration, increased chondrocyte apoptosis, accelerated cellular senescence, and intensified inflammatory responses. Mechanical overload and pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β) are key inducers of Piezo1 upregulation: IL-1β activates the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway to enhance Piezo1 expression, forming a pathogenic positive feedback loop that inhibits chondrocyte autophagy, promotes apoptosis, and further accelerates joint degeneration. Mechanistically, Piezo1 mediates OA progression through multiple interconnected pathways. When activated by mechanical stress, Piezo1 triggers excessive Ca²⁺ influx, leading to endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and mitochondrial dysfunction, which directly induce chondrocyte apoptosis. This process involves the activation of downstream signaling cascades such as cGAS-STING and YAP-MMP13/ADAMTS5. YAP, a transcriptional regulator, upregulates the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) and aggrecanase (ADAMTS5), thereby accelerating cartilage matrix degradation. Additionally, Piezo1-driven Ca²⁺ overload promotes the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and upregulates senescence markers (p16 and p21), accelerating chondrocyte senescence via the p38MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Senescent chondrocytes secrete senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors (e.g., IL-6, IL-1β), further amplifying joint inflammation. In terms of bone metabolism, Piezo1 maintains joint homeostasis by promoting the differentiation of fibrocartilage stem cells into chondrocytes and balancing bone formation and resorption through regulating the FoxC1/YAP axis and RANKL/OPG ratio. Therapeutically, targeting Piezo1 shows promising potential. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that Piezo1 inhibitors (e.g., GsMTx4) can reduce joint damage and alleviate pain in OA mice. Simultaneously, siRNA-mediated co-silencing of Piezo1 and TRPV4 (another mechanosensitive channel) decreases intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration, inhibits chondrocyte apoptosis, and promotes cartilage repair. Conditional knockout of Piezo1 using Gdf5-Cre transgenic mice alleviates cartilage degeneration in post-traumatic OA models by downregulating MMP13 and ADAMTS5 expression. Despite existing challenges, such as off-target effects of inhibitors, inefficient local drug delivery, and interindividual genetic variability, strategies like developing selective Piezo1 antagonists, optimizing targeted nanocarriers, and combining Piezo1-targeted therapy with physical therapy provide viable avenues for clinical translation. The authors propose that Piezo1 serves as a critical therapeutic target for OA, and future research should focus on deciphering its context-dependent regulatory networks, developing tissue-specific intervention strategies, and validating their efficacy and safety in clinical trials to address the unmet medical needs of OA patients.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a prevalent neurodegenerative condition characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory loss. As the incidence of AD continues to rise annually, researchers have shown keen interest in the active components found in natural plants and their neuroprotective effects against AD. Quercetin, a flavonol widely present in fruits and vegetables, has multiple biological effects including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant. Oxidative stress plays a central role in the pathogenesis of AD, and the antioxidant properties of quercetin are essential for its neuroprotective function. Quercetin can modulate multiple signaling pathways related to AD, such as Nrf2-ARE, JNK, p38 MAPK, PON2, PI3K/Akt, and PKC, all of which are closely related to oxidative stress. Furthermore, quercetin is capable of inhibiting the aggregation of β‑amyloid protein (Aβ) and the phosphorylation of tau protein, as well as the activity of β‑secretase 1 and acetylcholinesterase, thus slowing down the progression of the disease.The review also provides insights into the pharmacokinetic properties of quercetin, including its absorption, metabolism, and excretion, as well as its bioavailability challenges and clinical applications. To improve the bioavailability and enhance the targeting of quercetin, the potential of quercetin nanomedicine delivery systems in the treatment of AD is also discussed. In summary, the multifaceted mechanisms of quercetin against AD provide a new perspective for drug development. However, translating these findings into clinical practice requires overcoming current limitations and ongoing research. In this way, its therapeutic potential in the treatment of AD can be fully utilized.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the metabolic characteristics of ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG) in myeloid leukemia by in vitro culture of myeloid leukemia cells and construction of tumor-bearing nude mouse model. METHODS: U937, THP-1, HL60 and K562 cells were cultured in vitro. The cells in logarithmic growth phase (l×10 ⁵ cells/well) were added with ¹⁸F-FDG, and the uptake rate of ¹⁸F-FDG was measured at 15, 30, 60 and 120 min after addation, respectively. The four kinds of cells were inoculated subcutaneously into the hind limbs of nude mice to establish a tumor-bearing nude mouse model. When the tumor size was about 500 mm³, ¹⁸F-FDG was injected through the tail vein of the mice, and positron emission tomography/computed tomography was performed at 60 min after injection. The morphology of tumor-bearing cells was observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining in serial pathological sections. RESULTS: After co-incubation with ¹⁸F-FDG, the ¹⁸F-FDG uptake rates of U937 cells were significantly higher than THP-1, HL60 and K562 cells at 4 time points (all P <0.05), and THP-1 cells were higher than K562 cells (all P <0.05). The uptake rate of ¹⁸F-FDG by leukemia cells was rapid in the first 60 min, then tended to be stable. Pathological analysis showed that subcutaneous inoculation of U937, THP-1, HL60 and K562 cells could successfully establish tumor-bearing nude mouse models of myeloid leukemia. The ¹⁸F-FDG uptake value in U937 tumor-bearing nude mice was significantly higher than THP-1, HL60 and K562 tumor-bearing nude mice (all P <0.01). The ¹⁸F-FDG uptake values in THP-1 and HL60 tumor-bearing nude mice were significantly higher than that in K562 tumor-bearing nude mice (both P <0.01). CONCLUSION The tumor-bearing nude mouse model of myeloid leukemia can be successfully constructed by subcutaneous inoculation. The ¹⁸F-FDG uptake rate of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells is higher in cells cultured in vitro and tumor-bearing nude mouse model. ¹⁸F-FDG may have better clinical application value for AML.
Animals ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18/metabolism* ; Mice, Nude ; Mice ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid/diagnostic imaging* ; HL-60 Cells ; K562 Cells ; Cell Line, Tumor ; U937 Cells

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the serological prevalence of high-titer IgG antibodies against 2019-nCoV among voluntary blood donors in Zunyi. METHODS: The blood plasma specimens were diluted at 1∶160 or 1∶320, then tested for the presence of 2019-nCoV IgG antibodies by using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The differences of antibody reactive rate among different genders, ages, and blood types were analyzed. RESULTS: 1 523 reactive specimens were identified in 5 378 specimens which were diluted at a ratio of 1∶160. Similarly, 329 reactive specimens were identified in 2 988 diluted at 1∶320. The overall reactive rate for antibodies was 22.1%. It was observed that females, individuals over the age of 40, and those with blood type AB exhibited higher high-titer antibody reactive rate. CONCLUSION After entering a new stage of 2019-nCoV infection prevention and control, there is a relatively high detection rate of high-titer 2019-nCoV IgG antibodies among voluntary blood donors in Zunyi. The reactive rate of antibodies varies among different genders, ages, and blood types.
Humans ; Blood Donors ; Immunoglobulin G/blood* ; Antibodies, Viral/blood* ; SARS-CoV-2/immunology* ; COVID-19 ; Female ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Adult ; China ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the efficacy and safety of decitabine-based myeloablative preconditioning regimen for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS: The clinical characteristics and efficacy of 115 AML patients who underwent allo-HSCT at the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from August 2018 to August 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 37 patients treated with decitabine conditioning regimen (decitabine group) and 78 patients without decitabine conditioning regimen (non-decitabine group). The cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), overall survival (OS), leukemia-free survival (LFS), non-relapse mortality (NRM) and graft versus host disease (GVHD) were analyzed. RESULTS: For the patients in first complete remission (CR1) state before allo-HSCT, the 1-year relapse rates of decitabine group(22 cases) and non-decitabine group(69 cases) were 9.1% and 29.6%, respectively, the difference was statistically significant(P =0.042). The 1-year cumulative incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) in decitabine group and non-decitabine group was 62.2% and 70.5%, respectively, and the 1-year cumulative incidence of chronic inhibitor-versus-host disease (cGVHD) was 18.9% and 14.1%, respectively, there were no significant differences in the incidence of aGVHD and cGVHD between the two groups (P >0.05). Of the 115 patients, there were no significantly differences in the 1-year CIR(21.7% vs 28.8%, P =0.866), NRM(10.9% vs 3.9%, P =0.203), OS(75.2% vs 83.8%, P =0.131) and LFS(74.6% vs 69.1%, P =0.912) between the decitabine group(37 cases) and the non-decitabine group(78 cases). CONCLUSION Decitabine-based conditioning regimen could reduce the relapse rate of AML CR1 patients with good safety.
Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/therapy* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation/methods* ; Decitabine/therapeutic use* ; Transplantation Conditioning/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Graft vs Host Disease ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Adolescent ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To detect the expression of methyltransferase-like 7B ( METTL7B) in bone marrow specimens of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and to analyze its influence and significance on clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of AML patients. METHODS: Bone marrow specimens from 60 newly diagnosed AML patients were collected as the observation group, and bone marrow specimens from 20 iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) patients were collected as the control group. Clinical and pathological data of AML patients were also collected. Real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression of METTL7B in AML patients and IDA patients. Statistical analyses were performed to investigate the relationship between the expression level of METTL7B and clinical-pathological characteristics in AML patients, as well as the impact of METTL7B expression level on efficacy. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the effect of METTL7B expression level on the overall survival time (OS) in AML patients. Meanwhile, a Cox proportional hazards regression model was constructed to identify the factors potentially affecting the prognosis of AML patients. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the expression level of METTL7B was significantly upregulated in AML patients (P < 0.05). Compared with the low-expression group of METTL7B, the high-expression group had a higher proportion of patients with high white blood cell (WBC) count, poor prognosis, and ineffective treatment, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The OS of patients in the high-expression group of METTL7B was significantly shorter than that in the low-expression group (P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that high WBC count, poor prognosis in prognosis stratification, and high expression of METTL7B were independent risk factors for the prognosis of AML patients (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION METTL7B is highly expressed in AML patients, and patients with high METTL7B expression exhibit shorter survival and poor prognosis. METTL7B is expected to serve as a new indicator for evaluating the prognosis of AML patients and may develop into a potential target for targeted treatment of AML in the future.
Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism* ; Prognosis ; Methyltransferases/metabolism* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Proportional Hazards Models

Objective To evaluate the influence of the wearing position of dosimeters outside lead aprons on effective dose estimation for interventional radiology workers, analyze the differences between single and double dosimeter methods in effective dose estimation, and provide a reference for the personal dose monitoring of interventional radiology workers. Methods This study employed a combined approach of on-site monitoring and Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate the impact of the wearing position of dosimeters outside lead aprons on effective dose estimation, as well as the differences between effective doses measured using single and double dosimeters. Interventional radiology workers wore dosimeters at three positions: the neck outside the lead collar, the left chest outside the lead apron, and inside the lead apron. Effective doses were estimated using the single and double dosimeter methods specified in GBZ 128-2019 Specifications for individual monitoring of occupational external exposure, and the impact of different wearing positions on the estimation results was compared. Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations were used to model dose distributions at the neck outside the lead collar and at the left chest outside the lead apron for operators performing cardiovascular interventions under tube voltages of 70, 80, 90, and 100 kVp and exposure angles of posteroanterior (PA), anteroposterior (AP), and left anterior oblique 45° (LAO45°) positions. The study assessed the impact of dosimeter wearing position on effective dose estimation. Results Monte Carlo simulations demonstrated that neck doses consistently exceeded left chest doses across different tube voltages and exposure angles, with neck-to-chest dose ratios of 0.80-0.90. Under identical tube voltage conditions, AP showed the highest doses, followed by LAO45°, and PA demonstrated the lowest doses. The single and double dosimeter methods exhibited consistent patterns in effective dose estimation. Single dosimeter method generally yielded higher effective doses with relative deviations of 9.9% to 83%, though these deviations decreased under high tube voltages. Field monitoring data indicated that most interventional radiology workers maintained relative deviations between single and double dosimeter calculations below 6%, with neck-to-chest dose ratios of 0.95-1.1. The estimation patterns remained consistent across both methods, though single dosimeter method showed slightly higher results. Conclusion Under PA, AP, or LAO45°, the doses at the neck consistently exceeded those at the left chest. Therefore, when wearing lead protective equipment, the dosimeter should be properly positioned at the neck outside the lead collar to accurately reflect the radiation doses of surgeons. Some interventional radiology workers improperly positioned the dosimeter (intended at the neck outside the lead collar) at the left chest outside the lead apron, and this may result in an underestimation of the effective dose.

Evidence mapping was used to systematically analyze the clinical research evidence of oral Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH), thus revealing the distribution and quality of evidence in this field. The relevant articles were retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science from inception to July 5, 2024. The distribution characteristics of evidence were presented numerically and graphically. A total of 35 Chinese patent medicines were identified, involving 261 articles. The basic information of the 35 Chinese patent medicines, publication trend, traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndromes, interventions, and outcome indicators were compared and analyzed, and the methodological quality of the articles was evaluated. The results indicated that the clinical scope of Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of ICH was broad. However, the available studies inadequately emphasized the advantages and characteristics of TCM, lacked the safety information and the standards for evaluating outcome indicators, and paid insufficient attention to cognitive ability and neuropsychology. In addition, these articles demonstrated low quality. It is recommended that follow-up clinical research should be standardized and highlight the characteristics of TCM. In the analysis of outcome indicators, TCM syndrome evaluation should be taken as an important outcome indicator, and the evaluation criteria should be unified. Moreover, more attention should be paid to patients' cognitive ability and neuropsychology. The holder of marketing license of Chinese patent medicines should standardize the clinical position and improve the safety information in the medicine instructions according to the relevant requirements of the National Medical Products Administration. Additionally, the proportion of Chinese patent medicines in the category A list of medical insurance should be increased, and the limited medical resources should be rationally allocated.
Cerebral Hemorrhage/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Nonprescription Drugs/administration & dosage* ; Administration, Oral