PURPOSE: To investigate the incidence and influencing factors of bone loss in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was conducted. Patients with SCI in our hospital from January 2019 to March 2023 were collected. According to the correlation between bone mineral density (BMD) at different sites, the patients were divided into the lumbar spine group and the hip joint group. According to the BMD value, the patients were divided into the normal bone mass group (t > -1.0 standard deviation) and the osteopenia group (t ≤ -1.0 standard deviation). The influencing factors accumulated as follows: gender, age, height, weight, cause of injury, injury segment, injury degree, time after injury, start time of rehabilitation, motor score, sensory score, spasticity, serum value of alkaline phosphatase, calcium, and phosphorus. The trend chart was drawn and the influencing factors were analyzed. SPSS 26.0 was used for statistical analysis. Correlation analysis was used to test the correlation between the BMD values of the lumbar spine and bilateral hips. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of osteoporosis after SCI. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The incidence of bone loss in patients with SCI was 66.3%. There was a low concordance between bone loss in the lumbar spine and the hip, and the hip was particularly susceptible to bone loss after SCI, with an upward trend in incidence (36% - 82%). In this study, patients with SCI were divided into the lumbar spine group (n = 100) and the hip group (n = 185) according to the BMD values of different sites. Then, the lumbar spine group was divided into the normal bone mass group (n = 53) and the osteopenia group (n = 47); the hip joint group was divided into the normal bone mass group (n = 83) and the osteopenia group (n = 102). Of these, lumbar bone loss after SCI is correlated with gender and weight (p = 0.032 and < 0.001, respectively), and hip bone loss is correlated with gender, height, weight, and time since injury (p < 0.001, p = 0.015, 0.009, and 0.012, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The incidence of bone loss after SCI was high, especially in the hip. The incidence and influencing factors of bone loss in the lumbar spine and hip were different. Patients with SCI who are male, low height, lightweight, and long time after injury were more likely to have bone loss.
Humans ; Spinal Cord Injuries/complications* ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Incidence ; Adult ; Bone Density ; Middle Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Osteoporosis/etiology* ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic/etiology* ; Aged ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects and underlying mechanism of ionizing radiation on the adipogenic of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). METHODS: Mouse MSCs were cultured in vitro and treated with 2 Gy and 6 Gy radiation with ⁶⁰Co, and the radiation dose rate was 0.98 Gy/min. Bulk RNA-seq was performed on control and irradiated MSCs. The changes of adipogenic differentiation and oxidative stress pathways of MSC were revealed by bioinformatics analysis. Oil Red O staining was used to detect the adipogenic differentiation ability of MSCs in vitro, and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to detect the expression differences of key regulatory factors Cebpa, Lpl and Pparg after radiation treatment. At the same time, qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the effect of inhibition of Nrf2, a key factor of antioxidant stress pathway, on the expression of key regulatory factors of adipogenesis. Moreover, the species conservation of the irradiation response of human bone marrow MSCs and mouse MSC was determined by qPCR. RESULTS: Bulk RNA-seq suggested that ionizing radiation promotes adipogenic differentiation of MSCs and up-regulation of oxidative stress-related genes and pathways. The results of Oil Red O staining and qPCR showed that ionizing radiation promoted the adipogenesis of MSCs, with high expression of Cebpa, Lpl and Pparg, as well as oxidative stress-related gene Nrf2. Nrf2 pathway inhibitors could further enhance the adipogenesis of MSCs in bone marrow after radiation. Notably, the similar regulation of oxidative pathways and enhanced adipogenesis post irradiation were observed in human bone marrow MSCs. In addition, irradiation exposure led to up-regulated mRNA expression of interleukin-6 and down-regulated mRNA expression of colony stimulating factor 2 in human bone marrow MSCs. CONCLUSION Ionizing radiation promotes adipogenesis of MSCs in mice, and oxidative stress pathway participates in this effect, blocking Nrf2 further promotes the adipogenesis of MSCs. Additionally, irradiation activates oxidative pathways and promotes adipogenic differentiation of human bone marrow MSCs.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology* ; Oxidative Stress/radiation effects* ; Animals ; Adipogenesis/radiation effects* ; Mice ; Radiation, Ionizing ; Cell Differentiation/radiation effects* ; Humans ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism* ; PPAR gamma ; Cells, Cultured

OBJECTIVE: To establish an in vitro cell model simulating acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) bone marrow microenvironment injury with the advantage of mouse serum of aGVHD model and explore the effect of serum of aGVHD mouse on the adipogenic differentiation ability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). METHODS: The 6-8-week-old C57BL/6N female mice and BALB/c female mice were used as the donor and recipient mice of the aGVHD model, respectively. Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) mouse model (n=20) was established by being injected with bone marrow cells (1×10⁷ per mouse) from donor mice within 4-6 hours after receiving a lethal dose (8.0 Gy, 72.76 cGy/min) of γ ray general irradiation. A mouse model of aGVHD (n=20) was established by infusing a total of 0.4 ml of a mixture of donor mouse-derived bone marrow cells (1×10⁷ per mouse) and spleen lymphocytes (2×10⁶ per mouse). The blood was removed from the eyeballs and the mouse serum was aspirated on the 7^th day after modeling. Bone marrow-derived MSCs were isolated from 1-week-old C57BL/6N male mice and incubated with 2%, 5% and 10% BMT mouse serum and aGVHD mouse serum in the medium, respectively. The effect of serum in the two groups on the in vitro adipogenic differentiation ability of mouse MSCs was detected by Oil Red O staining. The expression levels of related proteins PPARγ and CEBPα were detected by Western blot. The expression differences of key adipogenic transcription factors including PPARγ, CEBPα, FABP4 and LPL were determined by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). RESULTS: An in vitro cell model simulating the damage of bone marrow microenvironment in mice with aGVHD was successfully established. Oil Red O staining showed that the number of orange-red fatty droplets was significantly reduced and the adipogenic differentiation ability of MSC was impaired at aGVHD serum concentration of 10% compared with BMT serum. Western blot experiments showed that adipogenesis-related proteins PPARγ and CEBPα expressed in MSCs were down-regulated. Further RT-qPCR assay showed that the production of PPARγ, CEBPα, FABP4 and LPL, the key transcription factors for adipogenic differentiation of MSC, were significantly reduced. CONCLUSION The adipogenic differentiation capacity of MSCs is inhibited by aGVHD mouse serum.
Animals ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Adipogenesis ; Female ; Cell Differentiation ; Graft vs Host Disease/blood* ; Bone Marrow Cells/cytology* ; PPAR gamma/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal ; CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-alpha/metabolism*

OBJECTIVE: To prepare clinical-grade human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSC) with high expression of hematopoietic supporting factors and evaluate their stem cell characteristics. METHODS: Fetal umbilical cord tissues were collected from healthy postpartum women during full-term cesarean section. Wharton's jelly was mechanically separated and hUC-MSCs were obtained by explant culture method and enzyme digestion method in an animal serum-free culture system with addition of human platelet lysate. The phenotypic characteristics of hUC-MSCs obtained by two methods were detected by flow cytometry. The differences in proliferation ability between the two groups of hUC-MSCs were identified through CCK-8 assay and colony forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F) assay. The differences in multilineage differentiation potential between the two groups of hUC-MSCs were identified through induction of adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation. The mRNA expression levels of hematopoietic supporting factors such as SCF, IL-3, CXCL12, VCAM1 and ANGPT1 in the two groups of hUC-MSCs were identified by real-time fluorescence quantiative PCR(RT-qPCR). RESULTS: The results of flow cytometry showed that hUC-MSCs obtained by the two methods both expressed high levels of CD73, CD90 and CD105, while lowly expressed CD31, CD45 and HLA-DR. The results of CCK-8 and CFU-F assay showed that the proliferation ability of hUC-MSCs obtained by explant culture method was better than those obtained by enzyme digestion method. The results of the triple lineage differentiation experiment showed that there was no significant difference in multilineage differentiation potential between the two grous of hUC-MSCs. The results of RT-qPCR showed that the mRNA expression levels of hematopoietic supporting factors SCF, IL-3, CXCL12, VCAM1 and ANGPT1 in hUC-MSCs obtained by explant cultrue method were higher than those obtained by enzyme digestion method. CONCLUSION Clinical-grade hUC-MSCs with high expression levels of hematopoietic supporting factors were successfully cultured in an animal serum-free culture system.
Humans ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Umbilical Cord/cytology* ; Cell Differentiation ; Female ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Chemokine CXCL12/metabolism* ; Angiopoietin-1/metabolism* ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1/metabolism* ; Stem Cell Factor/metabolism* ; Flow Cytometry ; Pregnancy

Objective To investigate the changes in interleukin-34 (IL-34)levels in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients with severe pneumonia and their prognostic value. Methods A total of 66 patients with severe pneumonia (severe pneumonia group), 35 patients with non-severe pneumonia (non-severe pneumonia group), and 27 healthy adults (control group) were enrolled. The severe pneumonia group was further divided into survival group of 38 patients and non-survival group of 28 patients based on 28-day survival. Clinical data of all subjects were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to assess the predictive power of serum IL-34 and relative IL-34 gene expression in BALF for 28-day mortality in patients with severe pneumonia, as well as the predictive power of serum IL-34 for severe pneumonia. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted, and the Log-rank test was used to compare cumulative survival rates. Cox regression analysis was conducted to explore risk factors for 28-day mortality in patients with severe pneumonia. Pearson correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between serum IL-34 levels and relative IL-34 gene expression in BALF of patients with severe pneumonia. Results Serum IL-34 levels were higher in the severe pneumonia group than those in the non-severe pneumonia group, and were higher in the non-severe pneumonia group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Serum IL-34 levels and relative IL-34 gene expression in BALF were higher in the non-survival group than in the survival group (P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under the curve for predicting 28-day mortality in patients with severe pneumonia were 0.908 for serum IL-34 levels and 0.878 for relative IL-34 gene expression in BALF. The optimal cutoff value for serum IL-34 levels in predicting severe pneumonia was 129.9 pg/mL. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that increased serum IL-34 levels and increased relative IL-34 gene expression in BALF were independent risk factors for 28-day mortality in patients with severe pneumonia (P < 0.05). The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis results indicate that, with a cutoff value of 129.9 pg/mL, patients with severe pneumonia who had high serum levels of IL-34 exhibited a lower cumulative survival rate compared to those with low IL-34 level(Log-rank P < 0.001). Conclusion Serum IL-34 levels are significantly increased in patients with severe pneumonia, and relative IL-34 gene expression in BALF is positively correlated with serum IL-34 levels. Both can be used as indicators for predicting the prognosis of 28-day mortality in patients with severe pneumonia.

Objective To explore clinical effect of the fifth metatarsal head excision and non-excision in rheumatoid arthritis(RA)forefoot deformity reconstruction.Methods Retrospective analysis was performed on 50 patients(76 feet)with moderate to severe forefoot deformity caused by RA treated from May 2015 to January 2019.According to degeneration of the fifth metatarsophalangeal joint,the fifth metatarsal head was retained or excised by wind-like forefoot reconstruction,and divid-ed into the fifth metatarsal head preservation group(preservation group)and the fifth metatarsal head resection group(resec-tion group).Twenty-four female patients in preservation group,aged from 47 to 81 years old with an average of(60.37±8.60)years old;the course of disease ranged from 13 to 22 years with an average of(19.00±3.06)years;body mass index(BMI)ranged from 21 to 28 kg·m-2 with an average of(23.53±2.47)kg·m-2;six patients(6 feet)with moderate hallux valgus defor-mity and 18 patients(30 feet)with severe hallux valgus deformity;treated with the first metatarsophalangeal joint fusion com-bined with the second th the fourth metatarsophalangeal joint arthroplasty and the fifth metatarsophalangeal joint cleanup.Twenty-six female patients in resection group were female,aged from 30 to 80 years old with an average of(58.53±13.70)years old;the course of disease ranged from 8 to 25 years with an average of(17.94±3.92)years;BMI raged from 20 to 28 kg·m-2 with an average of(24.60±2.03)kg·m-2;4 patients(4 feet)with moderate bunion valgus deformity and 22 patients(36 feet)with severe bunion valgus deformity;treated by the first metatarsophalangeal joint fusion combined with the second th the fifth metatarsophalangeal joint resection of the metatarsophalangeal head.Operation time and postoperative complications between two groups were observed,hallux valgus angle(HVA),intermetatarsal angles between the first and the second metatarsals(I-MAFS),intermetatarsal angles between the first and fifth metatarsals(IMAFF),Japanese Society for Surgery of Foot(JSSF)score before surgery and at the latest follow-up were compared.Results Fifty patients were followed-up from 14 to 46(25.30± 8.83)months in resection group and 12 to 48 with an average of(24.30±1 1.12)months in preservation group,while no signifi-cant difference between two groups(P＞0.05).There were no significant difference in operation time and postoperative compli-cations between two groups(P＞0.05).JSSF scores,HVA,IMAFS and IMAFF in fesection group were improved from(45.09± 3.35)points,(38.90±13.67)°,(12.88±1.72)°,(32.50±2.99)° before operation to(81.60±3.27)points,(15.40±0.90),(9.06±2.27)°,(22.20±1.98)° at the latest follow-up(P＜0.05);preservation group were improved from(47.09±3.96)points,(43.30±12.65)°,(13.99±3.13)°,(33.20±6.14)° to(83.10±3.66)points,(15.20±1.54)°,(8.99±1.02)°,(24.70±1.88)°,respectively.There were no significant difference in JSSF score,HVA,IMAFS and IMAFF between two groups before opera-tion and the latest follow-up(P＞0.05).At the latest follow-up,there were statistically significant differences in pain and defor-mity in JSSF scores between two groups(P＜0.05).Conclusion Both rheumatoid anterior foot reconstruction and anterior foot reconstruction fifth metatarsophalangeal joint debridement showed significant improvement in clinical efficacy and imaging re-sults.Compared with rheumatoid prefoot reconstruction,the fifth metatarsophalangeal joint reconstruction for the treatment of moderate and severe deformity of rheumatoid prefoot showed better improvement in pain,but worse improvement in deformity.For the moderate to severe deformity of the forefoot caused by rheumatoid disease,patients with mild to moderate degenerative deformity of the articular surface of the fifth metatarsal phalanges may be considered for use.

Objective:To establish a mesenchymal stem cell(MSC)-based in vitro cell model for the evaluation of mouse bone marrow acute graft-versus-host disease(aGVHD).Methods:Female C57BL/6N mice aged 6-8 weeks were used as bone marrow and lymphocyte donors,and female BALB/c mice aged 6-8 weeks were used as aGVHD recipients.The recipient mouse received a lethal dose(8.0 Gy,72.76 cGy/min)of total body γ irradiation,and injected with donor mouse derived bone marrow cells(1× 107/mouse)in 6-8 hours post irradiation to establish a bone marrow transplantation(BMT)mouse model(n=20).In addition,the recipient mice received a lethal dose(8.0 Gy,72.76 cGy/min)of total body γ irradiation,and injected with donor mouse derived bone marrow cells(1 × 107/mouse)and spleen lymphocytes(2 × 106/mouse)in 6-8 hours post irradiation to establish a mouse aGVHD model(n=20).On the day 7 after modeling,the recipient mice were anesthetized and the blood was harvested post eyeball enucleation.The serum was collected by centrifugation.Mouse MSCs were isolated and cultured with the addition of 2％,5％,and 10％recipient serum from BMT group or aGVHD group respectively.The colony-forming unit-fibroblast(CFU-F)experiment was performed to evaluate the potential effects of serums on the self-renewal ability of MSC.The expression of CD29 and CD105 of MSC was evaluated by immunofluorescence staining.In addition,the expression of self-renewal-related genes including Oct-4,Sox-2,and Nanog in MSC was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR).Results:We successfully established an in vitro cell model that could mimic the bone marrow microenvironment damage of the mouse with aGVHD.CFU-F assay showed that,on day 7 after the culture,compared with the BMT group,MSC colony formation ability of aGVHD serum concentrations groups of 2％and 5％was significantly reduced(P＜0.05);after the culture,at day 14,compared with the BMT group,MSC colony formation ability in different aGVHD serum concentration was significantly reduced(P＜0.05).The immunofluorescence staining showed that,compared with the BMT group,the proportion of MSC surface molecules CD29+and CD 105+cells was significantly dereased in the aGVHD serum concentration group(P＜0.05),the most significant difference was at a serum concentration of 10％(P＜0.001,P＜0.01).The results of RT-qPCR detection showed that the expression of the MSC self-renewal-related genes Oct-4,Sox-2,and Nanog was decreased,the most significant difference was observed at an aGVHD serum concentration of 10％(P＜0.01,P＜0.001,P＜0.001).Conclusion:By co-culturing different concentrations of mouse aGVHD serum and mouse MSC,we found that the addition of mouse aGVHD serum at different concentrations impaired the MSC self-renewal ability,which providing a new tool for the field of aGVHD bone marrow microenvironment damage.

Objective To investigate the application effect of external treatment method of Xingqi Huoxue Zhitong Paste in the treatment of phlebitis. Methods Using mannitol as an inflammatory agent, a phlebitis model was established by infusion into the ear marginal vein of rabbits. Successfully modeled rabbits were randomly divided into four subgroups for intervention, while the blank control group was routinely raised without any intervention. After the intervention, the improvement effect of Xingqi Huoxue Zhitong Paste on mannitol-induced transfusion-induced phlebitis in rabbits was explored by observing the manifestations of phlebitis, serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) levels. Results The success rate was up to 90.0%. On the first day of treatment, there were 8 ineffective cases and 1 effective case in the saline group; 6 ineffective cases and 3 effective cases in the hirudoid group; 7 ineffective cases and 2 effective cases in the magnesium sulfate group; 7 ineffective cases and 2 effective cases in the Xingqi Huoxue Zhitong Paste group. There was no significant difference in the curative effect among the four groups (P=0.431). On the fourth day of treatment, there were 5 ineffective cases, 2 effective cases, and 2 markedly effective cases in the saline group; 1 effective case, 5 markedly effective cases, and 3 cured cases in the hirudoid group; 2 effective cases, 5 markedly effective cases, and 2 cured cases in the magnesium sulfate group; 2 effective cases, 4 markedly effective cases, and 3 cured cases in the Xingqi Huoxue Zhitong Paste group. On the fourth day of treatment, compared with the saline group, the curative effects of the hirudoid group (P=0.001), the magnesium sulfate group (P=0.020), and the Xingqi Huoxue Zhitong Paste group (P=0.003) were statistically significant. There was no significant difference in curative effect in the magnesium sulfate group and the Xingqi Huoxue Zhitong Paste group when compared with the hirudoid group (P>0.05); there was no significant difference in curative effect in the Hirudoid group and the Xingqi Huoxue Zhitong Paste group when compared with the magnesium sulfate group (P>0.05); there was no significant difference in curative effect in the hirudoid group and the magnesium sulfate group when compared with the Xingqi Huoxue Zhitong Paste group (P>0.05). The effective rate of the saline group was 11.1%, and the cure rate was 0%. The effective rate of the hirudoid group was 100.0%, and the cure rate was 33.3%. The effective rate of the magnesium sulfate group was 77.7%, and the cure rate was 44.4%. The effective rate of the Xingqi Huoxue Zhitong Paste group was 66.7%, and the cure rate was 22.2%. The drug effectiveness of the Xingqi Huoxue Zhitong Paste group, the hirudoid group, and the magnesium sulfate group was higher than that of the saline group (P < 0.05). After the intervention, the levels of serum inflammatory factors IL-6, TNF-α, and VEGF-A in the four model subgroups were statistically significant compared with the blank control group (P < 0.05). The levels of serum inflammatory factors IL-6, TNF-α, and VEGF-A in the saline group showed significant difference from those in the hirudoid group, the magnesium sulfate group, and the Xingqi Huoxue Zhitong Paste group (P < 0.05). Compared with the hirudoid group, the differences in serum inflammatory factors IL-6, TNF-α, and VEGF-A contents in the magnesium sulfate group and the Xingqi Huoxue Zhitong Paste group were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The inflammatory factor levels in the blank control group were the lowest, while those in the normal saline group were the highest. Conclusion Xingqi Huoxue Zhitong Paste group has an improving effect on mannitol-induced infusion phlebitis in rabbits, but its efficacy is inferior to that of the commonly used hirudoid ointment. Therefore, appropriate adjustments and improvements can be made to the drug formula to enhance its effectiveness.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a type of highly prevalent heterogeneous degenerative disease that leads to joint pain, deformity, the destruction of articular cartilage, and eventual disability. The current treatment strategies for OA often suffer from systemic side effects, poor anti-inflammatory efficacy, and persistent pain. To address these issues, we develop light-inducible nanomedicine that enables the co-delivery of anti-inflammatory drug (diacerein, DIA) and small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting nerve growth factor (NGF) for pain relief to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of OA. The nanomedicine is based on poly(β-amino-ester)-coated gold nanocages (AuNCs), which is further incorporated with the phase-change material (lauric acid/stearic acid, LA/SA). Following intra-articular (IA) injection in vivo, the nanomedicine displays high degree of drug accumulation and retention in the joint lesion of OA mouse models. The photothermal effect, induced by AuNCs, not only promotes DIA and siRNA release, but also upregulates the expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP-70) to resist the apoptosis of chondrocytes in the inflammatory condition. The internalization of both DIA and siRNA results in strong anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects, which greatly contribute to the joint repair of OA mice. This study offers a promising combination strategy for OA treatment.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a severe globally distributed liver disease that could occur at any age. Human menstrual blood-derived stem cells (MenSCs) have shown therapeutic effect in acute lung injury and liver failure. However, their role in the curative effect of AIH remains unclear. Here, a classic AIH mouse model was constructed through intravenous injection with concanavalin A (Con A). MenSCs were intravenously injected while Con A injection in the treatment groups. The results showed that the mortality by Con A injection was significantly decreased by MenSCs treatment and liver function tests and histological analysis were also ameliorated. The results of phosphoproteomic analysis and RNA-seq revealed that MenSCs improved AIH, mainly by apoptosis and c-Jun N-terminal kinase/mitogen-activated protein signaling pathways. Apoptosis analysis demonstrated that the protein expression of cleaved caspase 3 was increased by Con A injection and reduced by MenSCs transplantation, consistent with the TUNEL staining results. An AML12 co-culture system and JNK inhibitor (SP600125) were used to verify the JNK/MAPK and apoptosis signaling pathways. These findings suggested that MenSCs could be a promising strategy for AIH.
Mice ; Animals ; Humans ; Hepatitis, Autoimmune/pathology* ; Signal Transduction ; Disease Models, Animal ; Stem Cells