OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanism by which the extract of Semen Ziziphi Spinosae extract promotes bone growth in mice by modulation of the expression of miR-34a-5p in brain tissue. METHODS: Mice were assigned to four experimental groups:a normal control group, a drug administration group (receiving 0.320 mg·g^-1 body weight of Semen Ziziphi Spinosae extract via intragastric administration), a positive control group (receiving 0.013 mg·g^-1 body weight of jujube seed saponin via intragastric administration), and a combination group administration with Semen Ziziphi Spinosae extract plus a 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) agonist (intragastric administration of Semen Ziziphi Spinosae extract combined with intracerebroventricular injection of 8 μg P-MPPF per mice for the final three days of the experiment). Following a 20-day administration period, the effects of the interventions on bone growth, serum growth hormone (GH) levels, and 5-HT2AR expression in brain tissue were evaluated. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) that were differentially expressed in the brain tissues of mice exhibiting bone growth induced by Semen Ziziphi Spinosae extract, as compared to those in normal mice, were identified using a gene chip approach. The interaction between miR-34a-5p and 5-HT2AR was subsequently validated through quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chainreaction (RT-qPCR) and dual-luciferase reporter gene assays. Subsequently, by utilizing the miR-34a-5p inhibitor group and mimics group, along with the normal control group, the drug administration group, the positive control group, and the drug administration combined with miR-34a-5p inhibitor group, the variations in 5-HT2AR expression in mouse brain tissue across all groups were examined, and the binding activity of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) to the 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A receptor (5-HT1AR) in mice was assessed. RESULTS: The body lengths of the normal control group and the drug administration group were(8.9±0.3) and(10.4±0.4) cm;femur lengths were (8.5±0.3) and (9.1±0.5) mm;tibia lengths were (10.7±0.3) and (11.2±0.4) mm, respectively. The contents of GH levels were (58.6±8.2) and (72.9±6.1) ng·ml-1;and the contents of 5-HT2AR were (32.0±5.0) and (21.9± 5.5) ng·ml-1, respectively. Compared with the normal control group, the drug administration group promoted the growth of body length, femur, and tibia in mice, and increased GH secretion, showing statistically significant differences (P<0.05). Additionally, it significantly reduced the content of 5-HT2AR in brain tissue, with statistical significance (P<0.01). The gene chip analysis identified a total of 16 differentially expressed miRNAs, of which 13 were up-regulated and 3 were down-regulated. Bioinformatics analysis predicted that the up-regulated miR-34a-5p could regulate the expression of 5-HT2AR, a prediction that was confirmed through a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, demonstrating a direct regulatory interaction between the two. Furthermore, in vivo experiments in mice revealed that overexpression and silencing of miR-34a-5p resulted in corresponding changes in the expression levels of 5-HT2AR in brain tissues/cells, as well as in the binding activity between 5-HT and 5-HT1AR. CONCLUSION The Semen Ziziphi Spinosae extract promotes animal bone growth by enhancing miR-34a-5p expression in brain tissue, downregulating the expression level of 5-HT2AR, improving the binding activity between 5-HT and 5-HT1AR, and extending slow-wave sleep duration, thereby stimulating GH secretion.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Mice ; Male ; Brain/metabolism* ; Ziziphus/chemistry* ; Bone Development/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology*

Objective:To explore the assessment value of liver enzyme changes before and after hepatectomy on the prognosis of patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC). Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 421 patients with primary HCC who received at the First and Second Affiliated Hospitals of Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2016 to December 2020.The univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses were used to screen the risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with primary HCC,and the optimal cut-off value was selected to group the most valuable indicators among them,further analyzing the different factors among subgroups.The Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess the prognosis of the subgroups,and the survival curves were plotted and statistically tested. Results:Multivariate COX regression analysis revealed that Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer(BCLC)stage,tumor number,alpha-fetoprotein(AFP),the quantitative change of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase(GGT)and total bilirubin(TBIL)before and after surgery were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with primary HCC(P＜0.01),and there were differences in hepatitis B virus surface antigen(HBsAg),TNM stage,BCLC stage,tumor size,tumor number,tumor differentiation degree,AFP,surgery type,intraoperative bleeding volume,postoperative albumin-bilirubin(ALBI)and white blood cell count between the high and low GGT variation groups(P＜0.05).Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the prognosis of patients with primary HCC between the high and low GGT variation groups was significantly different,with a hazard ratio of 2.603 for mortality and 1.449 for recurrence(both P＜0.01). Conclusion:The quantitative change of GGT before and after hepatectomy has an evaluation value for the prognosis of patients with primary HCC,and the quantitative change of GGT greater than 29.5 is an independent risk factor for the prognosis of patients with primary HCC.

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of one-stage posterior lesion removal and internal spinal fixation in patients with lumbar Brucellosis spondylitis.Methods The clinical data of 24 patients admitted from October 2017 to October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed,2 patients were lost to follow-up at 10 months after surgery,at the final 22 cases were included in the study,including 13 males and 9 females with an average age of(52.00±6.89)years old,were treated with one-stage posterior lesion removal and internal spinal fixation.The operation time,intraoperative bleeding,follow-up time,ery-throcyte sedimentation rate(ESR)and C-reactive protein(CRP)before and after operation were recorded.The pain visual ana-logue scale(VAS),Oswestry disability index(ODI),the Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)score for neurofunction,American Spinal Injury Association(ASIA)spinal cord injury grade and modified MacNab criteria were ussed to evaluate the efficacy.Results All patients were followed up from 12 to 30 months with an average of(17.41±4.45)months.The operation time was 70 to 155 min with an average of(1 16.59±24.32)min;the intraoperative bleeding volume was 120 to 520 ml with an average of(275.00±97.53)ml.CRP and ESR levels decreased more significantly at 1 week and at the final follow-up than pre-operative levels(P＜0.05).VAS,JOA score and ODI at 1 week and at the latest follow-up were more significantly improved than preoperative results(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference between ASIA preoperative and 1 week after operation(P＞0.05),and a significant difference between preoperative and last follow-up(P＜0.05).In the final follow-up,21 patients had ex-cellent efficacy,1 patient had fair,and there was no recurrence during the follow-up.Conclusion One-stage transpedicular le-sion removal and internal spinal fixation,with few incisions and short operation time,helps the recovery of neurological func-tion,and the prognosis meets the clinical requirements,which can effectively control Brucella spondylitis.

Aim To investigate the effect of Toddalia asiatica(TA)on bone destruction in rheumatoid ar-thritis(RA)and its possible mechanism by network pharmacology and in vitro experiments.Methods The active components and targets of TA against RA bone damage were analyzed by network pharmacology.Mo-lecular docking was performed by using AutoDock and PyMOL software pairs.MC3T3-e1 cells were cultured in vitro,and the effect of Toddalia asiatica alcohol ex-tract(TAAE)on cell viability was detected by CCK-8,and appropriate drug concentration and intervention time were screened.The osteoblast model was induced by osteogenic induction medium,and the osteogenic differentiation was detected by ALP staining,activity detection and alizarin red staining.The expression of pathway-related proteins Wnt3a and β-catenin was de-tected by Western blot,and the pathway inhibitor DKK-1 was used to further verify whether TAAE regulated osteoblast differentiation through the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.Results A total of 158 anti-RA bone destruction targets and 56 core targets were se-lected.The enrichment of KEGG signaling pathway mainly included cancer pathway,phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway and cAMP signaling pathway.The results of CCK-8 showed that 1 g·L-1 TAAE could significantly improve cell survival rate.The results of ALP staining and ALP activity de-tection showed that TAAE could significantly increase the staining positive rate and ALP activity of cells in-duced by osteogenic induction medium.Western blot showed that TAAE could increase the expression of Wnt3a and β-catenin.The expression of these proteins decreased after DKK-1 inhibitors were used.Conclu-sion TAAE can regulate osteoblast differentiation through Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to treat os-teodestruction in rheumatoid arthritis.

Patients with severe trauma require an extremely timely treatment and transfusion plays an irreplaceable role in the emergency treatment of such patients. An increasing number of evidence-based medicinal evidences and clinical practices suggest that patients with severe traumatic bleeding benefit from early transfusion of low-titer group O whole blood or hemostatic resuscitation with red blood cells, plasma and platelet of a balanced ratio. However, the current domestic mode of blood supply cannot fully meet the requirements of timely and effective blood transfusion for emergency treatment of patients with severe trauma in clinical practice. In order to solve the key problems in blood supply and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma, Branch of Clinical Transfusion Medicine of Chinese Medical Association, Group for Trauma Emergency Care and Multiple Injuries of Trauma Branch of Chinese Medical Association, Young Scholar Group of Disaster Medicine Branch of Chinese Medical Association organized domestic experts of blood transfusion medicine and trauma treatment to jointly formulate Chinese expert consensus on blood support mode and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma patients ( version 2024). Based on the evidence-based medical evidence and Delphi method of expert consultation and voting, 10 recommendations were put forward from two aspects of blood support mode and transfusion strategies, aiming to provide a reference for transfusion resuscitation in the emergency treatment of severe trauma and further improve the success rate of treatment of patients with severe trauma.

Objective To investigate the relationship between circadian sleep-wake biorhythm and prognosis in patients with middle cerebral artery acute ischemic stroke.Methods A total of 71 patients with acute ischemic stroke of middle cerebral artery were selected as the case group,and 67 patients without acute ischemic stroke and cerebrovascular stenosis were selected as the control group.According to the modified Rankin score at discharge,patients with acute ischemic stroke were subdivided into the good prognosis group(53 cases)and the poor prognosis group(18 cases).General clinical data of patients were collected,and differences of circadian rhythm,daytime sleep-wake rhythm,nighttime sleep-wake rhythm and circadian sleep-wake rhythm indexes were analyzed and compared between the two groups.Multivariate Logistic stepwise regression analysis was used to analyze prognostic factors of acute ischemic stroke in middle cerebral artery.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to analyze the predictive value of relevant variables.Results Age,male ratio,hypertension,diabetes,hyperlipidemia,smoking and drinking history were significantly higher in the case group than those in the control group.Daytime stability(IS)in the case group was lower than that in the control group(P＜0.05).Daytime total sleep time,wake time after falling asleep,light sleep period,deep sleep period,non-rapid eye movement(NREM)sleep period,rapid eye movement(REM)sleep period and the proportion of deep sleep period,the proportion of REM sleep period were higher in the case group than those of the control group,while the REM sleep latency and the proportion of light sleep period were lower than those of the control group(P＜0.05).The total sleep time,wake time,light sleep period,NREM sleep period and REM sleep period were higher in the case group than those of control group,while the proportion of sleep latency and REM sleep period were lower than those of the control group(P＜0.05).The proportion of increased circadian sleep,increased daytime sleep and low sleep efficiency at night were higher in the case group than those of the control group(P＜0.05).Logistic stepwise regression analysis showed that daytime REM sleep was a prognistic factor in middle cerebral artery acute ischemic stroke.During daytime REM sleep,the area under ROC curve(AUC)was 0.705,the sensitivity was 0.811 and the specificity was 0.611.Conclusion After acute ischemic stroke of middle cerebral artery,the circadian sleep-wake rhythm is unbalanced,which is manifested as poor daytime stability,increased daytime sleep,increased circadian sleep and low sleep efficiency at night.Daytime REM sleep has predictive value for prognosis of acute ischemic stroke of middle cerebral artery.

OBJECTIVE To observe the effect of Huangjing Jiangya Decoction on blood pressure and sleep in patients with hy-pertension of qi-deficiency type accompanied by insomnia.METHODS 73 patients with hypertension of qi-deficiency type accompa-nied by insomnia who met the inclusion criteria were selected and randomly divided into an observation group of 36 cases and a control group of 37 cases.The control group was treated with amlodipine besylate tablets,and the observation group was given Huangjing Jian-gya Decoction oral treatment on the basis of the control group.Both groups were treated continuously for 8 weeks.The changes in TCM syndrome scores,office blood pressure monitoring(OBPM),home blood pressure monitoring(HBPM),24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring(ABPM),Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)scores and clinical efficacy of the two groups of patients before and after treatment were observed.RESULTS After treatment,the TCM syndrome scores in the observation group were significantly decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01),which were better than the control group(P<0.01);OBPM and HBMP in both groups were signifi-cantly reduced(P<0.05,P<0.01),the observation group was better than the control group(P<0.05,P<0.01);the ABPM of the observation group was significantly reduced(P<0.01),which was better than the control group(P<0.05,P<0.01);the sleep quali-ty,sleep latency,sleep duration,daytime dysfunction score and PSQI total score of the observation group were significantly decreased(P<0.01),which were better than those in the control group(P<0.05,P<0.01);the clinical efficacy of hypertension and insomnia in the observation group was both better than the control group(P<0.01).CONCLUSION Huangjing Jiangya Decoction combined with amlodipine can improve the symptoms of patients with hypertension of qi-deficiency type accompanied by insomnia,lower blood pressure,improve sleep quality,shorten sleep latency,alleviate daytime dysfunction,and has good clinical efficacy.

Background::Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and diameter, stiffness, and wave reflections, are independent and important clinical biomarkers and risk predictors for cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the present study was to establish nationwide reference values of carotid properties for healthy Chinese adults and to explore potential clinical determinants.Methods::A total of 3053 healthy Han Chinese adults (1922 women) aged 18-79 years were enrolled at 28 collaborating tertiary centers throughout China between April 2021 and July 2022. The real-time tracking of common carotid artery walls was achieved by the radio frequency (RF) ultrasound system. The IMT, diameter, compliance coefficient, β stiffness, local pulse wave velocity (PWV), local systolic blood pressure, augmented pressure (AP), and augmentation index (AIx) were then automatically measured and reported. Data were stratified by age groups and sex. The relationships between age and carotid property parameters were analyzed by Jonckheere-Terpstra test and simple linear regressions. The major clinical determinants of carotid properties were identified by Pearson’s correlation, multiple linear regression, and analyses of covariance.Results::All the parameters of carotid properties demonstrated significantly age-related trajectories. Women showed thinner IMT, smaller carotid diameter, larger AP, and AIx than men. The β stiffness and PWV were significantly higher in men than women before forties, but the differences reversed after that. The increase rate of carotid IMT (5.5 μm/year in women and 5.8 μm/year in men) and diameter (0.03 mm/year in both men and women) were similar between men and women. For the stiffness and wave reflections, women showed significantly larger age-related variations than men as demonstrated by steeper regression slopes (all P for age by sex interaction <0.05). The blood pressures, body mass index (BMI), and triglyceride levels were identified as major clinical determinants of carotid properties with adjustment of age and sex. Conclusions::The age- and sex-specific reference values of carotid properties measured by RF ultrasound for healthy Chinese adults were established. The blood pressures, BMI, and triglyceride levels should be considered for clinical application of corresponding reference values.

Objective:To discuss the effect of Aspergillus fumigatus(Af)on DNA damage and interleukin(IL)-33 expression in the human bronchial epithelial cells,and to clarify its related mechanism.Methods:Different concentrations(1,5,and 10 mg·L-1)of Af were used to stimulate the bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells to select the appropriate stimulation concentration.When the BEAS-2B cells were treated with N-acetylcysteine(NAC)and Af,the cells were divided into control group,Af group,NAC group,and Af+NAC group.When the BEAS-2B cells were treated with DNA double-strand break repair inhibitor NU7441 and Af,the cells were divided into control group,Af group,NU7441 group,and Af+NU7441 group.The comet assay was used to detect the percentages of comet tail DNA of cells in various groups;immunofluorescence method was used to detect the expression levels of DNA damage-related protein phosphorylated H2AX(yH2AX)in the cells in various groups;2,7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate(DCFH-DA)fluorescence probe was used to detect the levels of reactive oxygen species(ROS)in the cells in various groups;real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR)method was used to detect the expression levels of interleukih-33(IL-33),thymic stromal lymphopoietin(TSLP),and interleukih-25(IL-25)mRNA in the cells in various groups;Western blotting method was used to detect the expression levels of phosphorylated nuclear factor κB(p-NF-κB),phosphorylated ataxia telangiectasia mutated(p-ATM),and γH2AX proteins in the cells in various groups.Results:Compared with control group,the percentage of comet tail DNA and the expression level of γH2AX in the cells in 1 mg·L-1 Af group showed no significant difference(P＞0.05),while the percentage of comet tail DNA and the expression level of γH2AX in the cells in 5 mg·L-1 Af group were significantly increased(P＜0.01);compared with 5 mg·L-1 Af group,the percentage of comet tail DNA and the expression level of γH2AX in the cells in 10 mg·L-1 Af group were significantly increased(P＜0.01).Compared with control group,the ROS levels in the bronchial epithelial cells in 1 mg·L-1 Af group was significantly increased(P＜0.05);compared with 1 mg·L-1 Af group,the ROS level in the cells in 5 mg·L-1 Af group was significantly increased(P＜0.01);compared with 5 mg·L-1 Af group,the ROS level in the cells in 10 mg·L-1 Af group was significantly increased(P＜0.05).After treatment of NAC,compared with Af group,the percentage of comet tail DNA(P＜0.01),the expression level of γH2AX(P＜0.05),and the ROS level(P＜0.01)in the cells in Af+NAC group were significantly decreased;after treatment of NU7441,compared with Af group,the percentage of comet tail DNA and the expression level of yH2AX in the cells in Af+NU7441 group were significantly increased(P＜0.01).The RT-qPCR results showed that after treatment of NAC,compared with control group,the expression level of IL-33 mRNA in the cells in Af group was significantly increased(P＜0.05);compared with Af group,the expression level of IL-33 mRNA in the cells in Af+NAC group was significantly decreased(P＜0.05);after treatment of NU7441,compared with Af group,the expression level of IL-33 mRNA in the cells in Af+NU7441 group was significantly increased(P＜0.05).The Western blotting results showed that after treatment of NAC,compared with control group,the expression levels of p-NF-κB,p-ATM,and γH2AX proteins in the cells in Af group were significantly increased(P＜0.05);after treatment of NU7441,compared with Af group,the expression levels of p-NF-κB,p-ATM,and γH2AX proteins in the cells in Af+NAC group were significantly decreased(P＜0.05);After treat ment of NU7441,compared with Af group,the expression levels of p-NF-κB,p-ATM,and γH2AX proteins in the cells in Af+NU7441 group were significantly increased(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Af promotes the IL-33 expression in the human bronchial epithelial cells by causing DNA damage,and its mechanism may be related to the activation of ATM/NF-κB signaling pathway.

To address the shortcomings of traditional hydrogels in terms of mechanical performance and environmental stability,a new conductive organogel based on polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)and polypyrrole(PPy)was prepared in this study.By introducing dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO)as a solvent,the mechanical strength and durability of the gel were significantly improved.Various characterization techniques,including infrared spectroscopy,thermogravimetric analysis,and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize this conductive organogel.The experimental results showed that the prepared organogel exhibited optimal performance at PVA concentration level of 8%(m/m),with an average pore size of 5.2 μm and a conductivity of 0.65 S/cm.As a wearable strain sensor,the PVA/PPy organogel demonstrated excellent sensitivity and responsiveness,capable of precisely detecting joint and muscle movements as well as subtle physiological signals such as pulse and vocal cord vibrations.Notably,the gel maintained stable sensing performance even after 48 h at room temperature,showing outstanding environmental adaptability and long-term use potential.This innovative material design provided robust technical support for smart healthcare,health monitoring,and human-machine interaction,showing broad application prospects.