Objective:To compare the clinical efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection and conventional treatment for partial rotator cuff tear and analyze the possible mechanism.Methods:A prospective randomize control study was performed for clinical data of 100 patients with partial rotator cuff tear admitted to Beijing Tongren Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University between January 2019 and December 2020. The patients were assigned to observation group ( n=50) and control group ( n=50) according to the random number table. Both groups were given conventional non-operative treatment, together with PRP injection in observation group and steroid injection in control group. The visual analogue score (VAS), Constant-Murley Score (CMS) and serum levels of inflammatory cytokines [interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)] were measured before and at 3, 6 months after treatment. The MRI images were also evaluated in observation group before treatment and at 6 months after treatment. Results:There were 55 males and 45 females with the age range of 40-75 years [(55.9±9.1)years]. All patients were followed up for 6.0-8.2 months [(6.2±2.9)months]. There were no significant differences between the two groups in VAS, CMS, IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α before treatment (all P>0.05). The VAS was (3.5±0.9)points and (1.4±0.4)points] in observation group at 3, 6 months after treatment, significant lower than (4.1±0.9)points and (1.8±0.5)points in control group (all P<0.01). The CMS was (59.5±9.4)points and (86.5±7.9)points in observation group at 3, 6 months after treatment, significant higher than (53.5±8.6)points and (78.5±8.4)points in control group (all P<0.01). The serum levels of IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α were (0.69±0.21)μg/L, (2.06±0.55)μg/L and (2.12±0.49)μg/L in observation group at 3 months after treatment, significant lower than (0.92±0.26)μg/L, (2.67±0.48)μg/L and (2.87±0.51)μg/L in control group (all P<0.01). The serum levels of IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α in observation group [(0.37±0.11)μg/L, (1.14±0.23)μg/L, (1.27±0.25)μg/L] were also significantly lower than those in control group [(0.45±0.09)μg/L, (1.36±0.27)μg/L, (1.88±0.26)μg/L] at 6 months after treatment (all P<0.01). In both groups, the VAS, CMS and inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α) showed significant improvement at 3, 6 months after treatment when compared to the pre-treatment levels (all P<0.05). Simutaneously, each group showed significant differences in each indicator at 3, 6 months after treatment ( P<0.05). In observation group, MRI showed that the high signal on the superior surface of the supraspinatus disappeared whereas the high signal in the tendon decreased at 6 months after treatment. Conclusion:For patients with partial rotator cuff tear, PRP injection can relive shoulder pain and improve shoulder function, which may be associated with the down-regulation of inflammatory responses.

Liver fibrosis is a dynamic wound-healing response characterized by the agglutination of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Si-Wu-Tang (SWT), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, is known for treating gynecological diseases and liver fibrosis. Our previous studies demonstrated that long non-coding RNA H19 (H19) was markedly upregulated in fibrotic livers while its deficiency markedly reversed fibrogenesis. However, the mechanisms by which SWT influences H19 remain unclear. Thus, we established a bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced liver fibrosis model to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of SWT on various cells in the liver. Our results showed that SWT markedly improved ECM deposition and bile duct reactions in the liver. Notably, SWT relieved liver fibrosis by regulating the transcription of genes involved in the cytoskeleton remodeling, primarily in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), and influencing cytoskeleton-related angiogenesis and hepatocellular injury. This modulation collectively led to reduced ECM deposition. Through extensive bioinformatics analyses, we determined that H19 acted as a miRNA sponge and mainly inhibited miR-200, miR-211, and let7b, thereby regulating the above cellular regulatory pathways. Meanwhile, SWT reversed H19-related miRNAs and signaling pathways, diminishing ECM deposition and liver fibrosis. However, these protective effects of SWT were diminished with the overexpression of H19 in vivo. In conclusion, our study elucidates the underlying mechanisms of SWT from the perspective of H19-related signal networks and proposes a potential SWT-based therapeutic strategy for the treatment of liver fibrosis.
Humans ; RNA, Long Noncoding/genetics* ; Liver Cirrhosis/genetics* ; Liver/metabolism* ; Hepatic Stellate Cells/pathology* ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Extracellular Matrix/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal