BACKGROUND:Recent research indicates that disc degeneration is closely related to abnormal stress load,and mechanotransduction proteins play a key role in it. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the role and mechanism of mechanotransduction proteins in the mechanotransduction process induced by abnormal mechanical stimulation in disc degeneration,and to summarize the current treatment strategies targeting mechanotransduction to delay intervertebral disc degeneration. METHODS:Using"intervertebral disc,nucleus pulposus,annulus fibrosus,cartilaginous endplate,cell,mechanics,signal transduction,protein,biomechanics"as Chinese search terms,and"intervertebral disc,nucleus pulposus,annulus fibrosus,cartilaginous endplate,cell,mechanical stimulation,signal transduction,protein,biomechanics"as English search terms,relevant literature in the PubMed and CNKI databases was searched.A total of 88 articles were ultimately included for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Disc cells can sense external mechanical stimulation through various mechanotransduction proteins and convert it into biological responses within the cells.These transduction proteins mainly include collagen proteins in the extracellular matrix,cell membrane surface receptors(such as integrins and ion channels),and cytoskeleton structural proteins.Their regulation of mechanotransduction processes primarily involves the activation of multiple pathways,such as the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway,nuclear factor-kB signaling pathway,and Ca2+/Calpain2/Caspase3 pathway.Mechanotransduction proteins play a key role in the mechanotransduction of disc cells.Abnormal expression of these proteins or resulting changes in the extracellular matrix environment can disrupt the mechanical balance of disc cells,leading to disc degeneration.In-depth study of the expression and regulatory mechanisms of mechanotransduction proteins in disc cells,and identification of key pathological links and therapeutic targets,is of significant importance for developing treatment strategies for disc degeneration.Current strategies to delay intervertebral disc degeneration by targeting mechanotransduction mainly include regulation of transduction proteins and improvement of the extracellular matrix.However,research in this area is still in its early stages.As research continues,new breakthroughs are expected in the regulation of disc degeneration by mechanotransduction proteins.

BACKGROUND:Traditional surgery for lumbar disc herniation involves extensive excision of tissue surrounding the nerve for decompression and removal of protruding lumbar intervertebral discs,which poses various risks and complications such as nerve damage causing paralysis,lumbar instability,herniation recurrence,intervertebral space infection,and adjacent vertebral diseases. OBJECTIVE:To propose the symmetrically adduction of lumbar decompression induced resorption of herniated nucleus pulpous technique for lumbar spine symmetrically decompression,showing the induced resorption of herniated nucleus pulpous phenomenon and early clinical efficacy,and then analyze its decompression mechanism. METHODS:214 patients with lumbar disc herniation at Department of Orthopedics,First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from March 2021 to May 2023 were enrolled in this study.Among them,81 patients received conservative treatment as the control group,and 133 patients received symmetrically adduction of lumbar decompression induced resorption of herniated nucleus pulpous treatment as the trial group.Before surgery,immediately after surgery(7-14 days),and early after surgery(over 1 year),MRI images were used to measure the volume changes of lumbar disc herniation.CT images were used to measure the posterior displacement distance of the lumbar spinous process ligament complex,as well as the width and height of the lateral recess.Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores were used to evaluate the patient's neurological function recovery. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Control group:81 patients with lumbar disc herniation were treated conservatively,with a total of 171 herniated lumbar discs.The average follow-up time was(22.7±23.1)months.The first and second MRI measurements of 171 herniated lumbar discs showed herniated lumbar disc volumes of(551.6±257.9)mm3 and(792.2±330.4)mm3,respectively,with an average volume increase rate of(53.2±44.4)%,showing statistically significant differences(P<0.001).Out of 171 herniated lumbar discs,4 experienced natural shrinkage,with an absorption ratio of 2.3%(4/171)and an absorption rate of(24.5±9.9)%.(2)Trial group:133 patients with lumbar disc herniation had a total of 285 herniated lumbar discs.(1)Immediately after surgery:All patients were followed up immediately after surgery.229 out of 285 herniated lumbar discs experienced retraction,with an absorption ratio of 80.3%(229/285)and an average absorption rate of(21.5±20.9)%,with significant and complete absorption accounting for 6.5%.There were a total of 70 herniated lumbar discs in the upper lumbar spine,with an absorption ratio of 85.7%(60/70),an average absorption rate of(23.1±19.5)%,and a maximum absorption rate of 86.6%.There were 215 herniated lumbar discs in the lower lumbar spine,with an absorption ratio of 78.6%(169/215),an average absorption rate of(21.0±21.3)%,and a maximum absorption rate of 83.2%.Significant and complete absorption of the upper and lower lumbar vertebrae accounted for 5.7%and 6.5%,respectively,with no statistically significant difference(P>0.05).The average distance of posterior displacement of the spinous process ligament complex immediately after surgery was(5.2±2.8)mm.There were no significant differences in the width and height of the left and right lateral recess before and immediately after surgery(P>0.05).The Japanese Orthopaedic Association score immediately after surgery increased from(10.1±3.4)before surgery to(17.0±4.8),and the immediate effective rate after surgery reached 95.6%.(2)Early postoperative period:Among them,46 patients completed the early postoperative follow-up.There were 101 herniated lumbar discs,with an absorption ratio of 94%(95/101)and an average absorption rate of(36.9±23.7)%.Significant and complete absorption accounted for 30.6%,with a maximum absorption rate of 100%.Out of 101 herniated lumbar discs,3 remained unchanged in volume,with a volume invariance rate of 2.97%(3/101).Out of 101 herniated lumbar discs,3 had an increased volume of herniated lumbar discs,with an increase ratio of 2.97%(3/101)and an increase rate of(18.5±18.4)%.The Japanese Orthopaedic Association score increased from preoperative(9.3±5.1)to(23.5±4.0),with an excellent and good rate of 93.4%.(3)The early postoperative lumbar disc herniation absorption ratios of the control group and trial group were 2.3%and 85.9%,respectively,with statistically significant differences(P<0.001).(4)Complications:There were two cases of incision exudation and delayed healing in the trial group.After conservative treatment such as dressing change,no nerve injury or death occurred in the incision healing,and no cases underwent a second surgery.(5)It is concluded that symmetrically adduction of lumbar decompression induced resorption of herniated nucleus pulpous is a new method for treating lumbar disc herniation that can avoid extensive excision of the"ring"nerve and achieve satisfactory early clinical efficacy.It does not damage the lumbar facet joints or alter the basic anatomical structure of the lateral recess,fully preserves the herniated lumbar discs,and can induce significant or even complete induced resorption of herniated nucleus pulpous.Symmetrically adduction of lumbar decompression induced resorption of herniated nucleus pulpous provides a new basis and method for the clinical treatment of lumbar disc herniation.

Objective To explore the effects of different fractionation doses,fractionation methods,and other related parameters on the peripheral blood lymphocyte count of patients with liver cancer receiving CyberKnife radiotherapy.Methods The clinical data of 90 patients with liver cancer receiving CyberKnife radiotherapy in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed.The peripheral blood lymphocyte counts of patients 1 week before CyberKnife radiotherapy and 1 week,1 month and 3 months after treatment were determined.The effects of different prescribed doses,fractionation doses and numbers of fractionations on the peripheral blood lymphocyte count were analyzed.Results The peripheral blood lymphocyte counts of patients with different prescribed doses,fractionation doses and fractionation methods after CyberKnife treatment decreased to varying degrees compared with those 1 week before treatment(P<0.05).The peripheral blood lymphocyte counts of patients in the groups with≤5 fractionations and fractionation dose>7 Gy were significantly higher than those of patients in the groups with>5 fractionations and the fractionation dose≤7 Gy,respectively(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in peripheral blood lymphocyte counts between patients with different prescribed doses before and after CyberKnife treatment(P>0.05).Conclusion CyberKnife in the treatment of liver cancer with≤5 ractionations and a fractionation dose of>7 Gy is more beneficial to alleviate the decrease of lymphocyte count caused by Cyberknife treatment.

Primary hepatic cancer is one of the major problems that need to be solved urgently in the field of public health, seriously endangering the life and health of Chinese people. Its treatment mode is multidisciplinary participation and synergy of multiple therapeutic methods. Even though there are many common clinical treatments for liver cancer in China, its therapeutic outcome is still unsatisfactory. yttrium-90 has been applied for more than 20 years, and a large amount of foreign clinical data have been accumulated. Combining the latest literature and clinical practice, the authors describe the clinical application and research progress of yttrium-90 micro-sphere selective internal radiation therapy in primary liver cancer.

Based on the"You Gu Wu Yun"theory in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),this paper believes that"Gu"in"You Gu Wu Yun"is extended to"state"from the perspective of"TCM state".In order to avoid the adverse reactions of TCM,the macro,meso,and micro three views should be used together,and macro,meso,and micro parameters should be integrated.We should also carefully identify the physiological characteristics,pathological characteristics,constitution,syndrome,and disease of human body by combining qualitative and quantitative method,highlighting the relationship between the prescription and the"state".The correspondence between prescription and the"state"will reduce the risk of adverse reactions of TCM.In this paper,we hope to focus on the guiding role of the"You Gu Wu Yun"theory in TCM research,to give full play to the characteristics and advantages of TCM,and to dialectically treat the role of TCM.

Objective Viral encephalitis is an infectious disease severely affecting human health.It is caused by a wide variety of viral pathogens,including herpes viruses,flaviviruses,enteroviruses,and other viruses.The laboratory diagnosis of viral encephalitis is a worldwide challenge.Recently,high-throughput sequencing technology has provided new tools for diagnosing central nervous system infections.Thus,In this study,we established a multipathogen detection platform for viral encephalitis based on amplicon sequencing. Methods We designed nine pairs of specific polymerase chain reaction(PCR)primers for the 12 viruses by reviewing the relevant literature.The detection ability of the primers was verified by software simulation and the detection of known positive samples.Amplicon sequencing was used to validate the samples,and consistency was compared with Sanger sequencing. Results The results showed that the target sequences of various pathogens were obtained at a coverage depth level greater than 20×,and the sequence lengths were consistent with the sizes of the predicted amplicons.The sequences were verified using the National Center for Biotechnology Information BLAST,and all results were consistent with the results of Sanger sequencing. Conclusion Amplicon-based high-throughput sequencing technology is feasible as a supplementary method for the pathogenic detection of viral encephalitis.It is also a useful tool for the high-volume screening of clinical samples.

The correspondence between prescription and syndrome is the advantage and characteristic of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)treatment.However,the pathogenesis of clinical diseases is complex and the condition is changeable,and the clinical application is difficult to achieve the maximum effect under the existing cognition of the correspondence between prescription and syndrome.In this paper,the five categories of physiological characteristics,pathological characteristics,constitution,syndrome,and disease of the longitudinal classification of"TCM state"are introduced into the correspondence of prescription and syndrome.Under the vertical perspective of"TCM state",the theoretical connotation of the correspondence between prescription and syndrome is interpreted as"correspondence between prescription and state",namely correspondence of"prescription-physiological characteristics",correspondence of"prescription-pathological characteristics",correspondence of"prescription-constitution",correspondence of"prescription-syndrome",and correspondence of"prescription-disease".It is hoped to accurately grasp the corresponding connotation of the correspondence between prescription and syndrome,in order to deepen the clinical thinking mode of TCM.

Objective:To provide references for the application of finite element model in the study of cervical vertebra by statistically analysing the frequency, numerical value, properties, and boundary setting of the finite element model and the corresponding material features as well as boundary settings in the literature.Methods:The literature on cervical vertebra-related finite element models was collected from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases from January 2013 to December 2023. The quality assessment was followed by manual screening. The data sources, application classification, material properties (Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio), and boundary conditions of cervical vertebra, cervical intervertebral, and cervical ligaments were statistically analyzed.Results:A total of 102 papers were included. The finite element models of the cervical vertebra were derived from medical image reconstruction modeling techniques, predominantly CT plain scan and magnetic resonance imaging. Among the 102 cervical vertebra models, the C3-C7 (lower cervical segment) model appeared with the highest frequency (19). The Young’s modulus of the cortical bone, cancellous bone, and posterior structure of cervical vertebrae were set at about 12 000 or 10 000, 440, and 3 600 MPa, respectively, and the Poisson’s ratios were mainly set at about 0.29 or 0.30, 0.29, and 0.29. The Young’s modulus of the cervical intervertebral disc endplate, nucleus pulposus, and annulus fibrosus were concentrated around 500 or 2 000, 1, and 100 MPa, respectively, and the Poisson’s ratios were set at about 0.40, 0.50, and 0.40, respectively. The Young’s modulus of the anterior longitudinal ligament, posterior longitudinal ligament, transverse ligament, ligamentum flavum, interspinous ligament, capsular ligament, and articular cartilage of the cervical spine were set around 30, 20, 20, 6-10, 4-8, 10 or 20, 10 MPa, and the Poisson’s ratios were set at aoubt 0.30, 0.30, 0.30, 0.30, 0.30, 0.40, and 0.30, respectively. The Young’s modulus of the upper cervical interdental ligament, lamina, cruciate ligament, nuchal ligament, and pterygoid ligament were set at about 10, 10, 10 or 20, 20, and 5 MPa, respectively, and the Poisson’s ratios were set at about 0.30. Head weight settings were more common at 50, 74, and 100 N.Conclusions:The finite element model of the cervical vertebra has great value in the study of cervical spondylosis, but further optimization is still needed in the assignment of material properties, mesh division, and model verification to improve the accuracy and clinical applicability of the model.

Objective To study the influence of rosemary essential oil inhalation on the memory of mice experiencing sleep deprivation and to delineate the possible mechanisms involved.Methods C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into four experimental groups in this study:a control group(Con),a control group with rosemary essential oil inhalation(Con+REO),a sleep deprivation group(SD)and a sleep deprivation group with rosemary essential oil inhalation(SD+REO).A 72-hour sleep deprivation model was induced using the multiple platform water environment method,with the Con+REO and SD+REO groups exposed to rosemary essential oil inhalation.Cognitive function was evaluated through Y-maze and novel object recognition tests.The hippocampal tissue was analyzed for superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity and the concentrations of malondialdehyde(MDA)and glutathione(GSH).ELISA was used to determine the levels of norepinephrine(NE),dopamine(DA),and serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)in the hippocampus.The expression levels of postsynaptic density 95(PSD95)and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)in the hippocampus were determined using immunoblotting techniques.Results Compared with the Con and Con+REO groups,the SD group demonstrated a significant reduction in the spontaneous alternation percentage in the Y-maze as well as the novel object recognition index.Additionally,there was a pronounced decrease in hippocampal SOD activity and GSH content,a substantial elevation in MDA levels,and a decrease in the levels of DA,NE,and 5-HT.The expressions of PSD95 and BDNF proteins also decreased.In comparison with the SD group,the SD+REO group exhibited a significant increase in the spontaneous alternation percentage in the Y-maze and the novel object recognition index.There was also a marked increase in hippocampal SOD activity and GSH content,a reduction in MDA levels and elevated levels of NE and DA.Moreover,the expressions of PSD95 and BDNF proteins were upregulated.Conclusion The inhalation of rosemary essential oil enhances the memory of sleep-deprived mice,and the underlying mechanism may involve the mitigation of oxidative stress within the hippocampal tissue,the modulation of neurotransmitter levels,and the facilitation of synaptic plasticity.

Objective To investigate the effect of intraoperative renal artery resistance index(RI)in predicting postoperative acute kidney injury(AKI)in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopul-monary bypass(CPB).Methods Forty-four patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery with CPB,21 males and 23 females,aged ≥18 years,BMI 18.5-30.0 kg/m2,ASA physical status Ⅰ-Ⅲ,were select-ed.Left renal artery peak systolic velocity(PSV)and end-diastolic velocity(EDV)were measured by transesophageal echocardiography(TEE)20 minutes after general anesthesia induction(T1)and 30 minutes after CPB cessation(T2).RI was calculated as(PSV-EDV)/PSV.Patients were divided into two groups:the AKI group and the non-AKI group,according to whether occurred AKI by the diagnostic criteria of the kidney disease:improving global outcomes organization(KDIGO).Logistic multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for AKI occurrence.Results Sixteen patients(36％)oc-curred AKI.Compared with the non-AKI group,the CPB duration and aortic cross-clamp duration were sig-nificantly prolonged(P＜0.05),the renal artery RI at T,and T2 were significantly increased in the AKI group(P＜0.05).Multivariate logstic analysis showed that RI at T2 was an independent risk factor for AKI occurrence after cardiac surgery,the AUC was 0.893(95％CI 0.794-0.991,P＜0.010),the sensitivity and specificity were 84.5％and 78.6％,respectively,and the cut-off value was 0.720.Conclusion Intra-operative renal artery RI in patients undergoing cardiac surgery is an independent risk factor for AKI after cardiac surgery,and renal artery RI＞0.720 at 30 minutes after CPB cessation can serve as a predictive in-dicator for AKI after cardiac surgery.