Osteoporosis is a prevalent skeletal condition characterized by reduced bone mass and strength, leading to increased fragility. Buqi-Tongluo (BQTL) decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has yet to be fully evaluated for its potential in treating bone diseases such as osteoporosis. To investigate the mechanism by which BQTL decoction inhibits osteoclast differentiation in vitro and validate these findings through in vivo experiments. We employed MTS assays to assess the potential proliferative or toxic effects of BQTL on bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) at various concentrations. TRAcP experiments were conducted to examine BQTL's impact on osteoclast differentiation. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were utilized to evaluate the relative expression levels of osteoclast-specific genes and proteins under BQTL stimulation. Finally, in vivo experiments were performed using an osteoporosis model to further validate the in vitro findings. This study revealed that BQTL suppressed receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast resorption activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner without observable cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effects of BQTL on osteoclast formation and function were attributed to the downregulation of NFATc1 and c-fos activity, primarily through attenuation of the MAPK, NF-κB, and Calcineurin signaling pathways. BQTL's inhibitory capacity was further examined in vivo using an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model, demonstrating a strong protective effect against bone loss. BQTL may serve as an effective therapeutic TCM for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and the alleviation of bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency and related conditions.
Animals ; NFATC Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Ovariectomy ; Osteoclasts/metabolism* ; Female ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Osteoporosis/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Bone Resorption/genetics* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Humans ; RANK Ligand/metabolism* ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics* ; Transcription Factors

Objective To explore the effect of exercise-induced fatigue on intra-and interhemispher-ic functional connectivity of the primary motor cortex during unilateral ankle plantar-dorsiflexion.Meth-ods Twenty-four healthy adult males(age:21.6±2.2 years;all right-side dominant)were selected as participants for the study.They ran on a treadmill at an individualized constant speed until fatigue.Fatigue was determined when all the following criteria were met:(1)participants failing to maintain the individualized constant speed despite the strong verbal encouragement from the experimenters;(2)reaching a rating of perceived exertion(RPE)score of at least 19;and(3)their heart rate reaching 90%of their age-predicted maximal heart rate(220-age).Moreover,EEG signals from four channels(C1,C2,C3,and C4)of the primary motor cortex were collected during unilateral ankle dorsi-plan-tarflexion movements before and after fatigue,followed by EEG coherence analyses on the collected da-ta.Results Compared to the pre-fatigue state,the coherence values of the intra-hemispheric primary motor cortex electrode pairs C1-C3 and C2-C4 during unilateral ankle plantar-dorsiflexion decreased significantly in the alpha and gamma bands after fatigue(both P<0.05).Conversely,the value of the interhemispheric primary motor cortex electrode pair C1-C2 increased significantly in the beta band(P<0.05).Conclusion Exercise-induced fatigue significantly weakens the intra-hemispheric functional con-nectivity of the primary motor cortex during unilateral ankle plantar-dorsiflexion.However,it may en-hance the interhemispheric functional connectivity and potentially collaborate to strengthen the regula-tion of fatigued muscles.

The study was a prospective observational study. A total of 24 patients who underwent maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) at Haidian Hospital in Beijing from May 2024 to June 2024 were included as the study subjects. The safety and efficacy of a new single-needle dialysis in MHD patients were evaluated. The reasons for using single-needle dialysis included waiting for the maturity of internal fistula(7 cases, 29.17%), autogenous arteriovenous fistula thrombosis occurred (6 cases, 25.00%), puncture difficulty occurred (7 cases, 29.17%), and pain sensitivity or elderly (4 cases, 16.67%). The results showed that the average blood flow was (155.65±5.90) ml/min, total blood volume was (35.92±2.65) L during single-needle dialysis. One patient had slight puncture leakage, and the puncture success rate was 95.83%. Relevant indicators of dialysis adequacy showed that the average urea clearance (Kt/V) was 0.90±0.42, urea reduction ratio was 58.31%±7.93%, and online real-time Kt/V monitoring average value was 0.98±0.55. The results suggest that the application of the new improved single-needle dialysis mode in MHD patients is safe and effective.

Purpose To investigate the value of oxaliplatin-induced sinusoidal injury based on 3D CT image segmentation technology,and to analyze its variation.Materials and Methods A total of 24 patients with uneven hypoperfusion of liver parenchyma in the portal vein phase of enhanced CT after receiving oxaliplatin regimen chemotherapy from November 2019 to July 2021 in the Second Affiliated Hospital,Jiangxi Medical College,Nanchang University were analyzed,retrospectively.The imaging data of patients with epigastric CT enhancement before chemotherapy,early chemotherapy(1-3 cycles)and late chemotherapy(≥4 cycles)were collected.Two doctors used 3D Slicer software to segment and measure the liver volume and spleen volume at each stage on the CT image,as well as the hepatic hypoperfusion volume(HHV)of the liver in the portal vein phase after chemotherapy,and calculated the HHV ratio(HHVR),liver volume hepatomegaly rate and spleen volume splenomegaly rate,and performed statistical analysis.Results The ICC for HHV,liver volume and spleen volume measured by two doctors were 0.997(P=0.000),0.905(P=0.000)and 0.998(P=0.000),respectively.Reddish-brown could be used to represent normal liver parenchyma,and blue could be used to render the HHV area to achieve HHV visualization.There was a statistically significant increase in HHVR in the late stage of chemotherapy compared with the early stage of chemotherapy[(74.35±30.56)%vs.(57.15±30.53)%;t=3.226,P=0.004].In the early and late stages of chemotherapy,the liver volume and spleen volume increased statistically significantly compared with those before chemotherapy(all P<0.05),and the spleen volume splenomegaly rate value in the late stage of chemotherapy increased statistically compared with the early stage of chemotherapy[25.75(7.40,70.66)%vs.17.86(4.44,63.59)%;Z=2.229,P=0.026].The Pearson correlation coefficient between liver volume hepatomegaly rate and HHVR was 0.377(P=0.008),and the Spearman correlation coefficient between spleen volume splenomegaly rate and HHVR was 0.296(P=0.041).Conclusion The application of 3D CT image segmentation technology to measure the HHV caused by oxaliplatin has good consistency,and can realize the visual display of HHV.With the increase of chemotherapy cycle,the extent of oxaliplatin-induced sinusoidal injury shows an increasing trend,and is positively correlated with hepatomegaly and splenomegaly.

Perceptual decision making refers to the process by which individuals make choices and judgments based on sensory information, serving as a fundamental ability for human adaptation to complex environments. While traditional research has focused on perceptual decision making in isolated contexts, growing evidence highlights the profound influence of social contexts prevalent in real-world scenarios. As a crucial factor supporting individual survival and development, social context not only provides rich information sources but also shapes perceptual decision making through top-down processing mechanisms, prompting researchers to recognize the inherently social nature of human decisions. Empirical studies have demonstrated that social information, such as others’ choices or group norms, can systematically bias individuals’ perceptual decisions, often manifesting as conformity behaviors. Social influence can also facilitate performance under certain conditions, particularly when individuals can accurately identify and adopt high-quality social information. The impact of social context on perceptual decisions is modulated by a variety of external and internal factors, including group characteristics(e.g., group size, response consistency), attributes of peers (e.g., familiarity, social status, distinctions between human and artificial agents), as well as individual differences such as confidence, personality traits, and developmental stage. The motivations driving social influence encompass three primary mechanisms: improving decision accuracy through informational influence, gaining social acceptance through normative influence, and maintaining positive self-concept. Recent computational approaches have employed diverse theoretical frameworks to provide valuable insights into the cognitive mechanisms underlying social influence in perceptual decision making. Reinforcement learning models demonstrate how social feedback shapes future choices through reward-based updating. Bayesian inference frameworks describe how individuals integrate personal beliefs with social information based on their respective reliabilities, dynamically updating beliefs to optimize decisions under uncertainty. Drift diffusion models offer powerful tools to decompose social influence into distinct cognitive components, allowing researchers to differentiate between changes in perceptual processing and shifts in decision criteria. Collectively, these models establish a comprehensive methodological foundation for disentangling the multiple pathways by which social context shapes perceptual decisions. Neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies provide converging evidence that social context influences perceptual decision making through multi-level neural mechanisms. At early perceptual processing stages, social influence modulates sensory evidence accumulation in parietal cortex and directly alters primary visual cortex activity, while guiding selective attention to stimulus features consistent with social norms through attentional alignment mechanisms. At higher cognitive levels, the reward system (ventral striatum, ventromedial prefrontal cortex) is activated during group-consistent decisions; emotion-processing networks (anterior cingulate cortex, insula, amygdala) regulate experiences of social acceptance and rejection; and mentalizing-related brain regions (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, temporoparietal junction) support inference of others’ mental states and social information integration. These neural circuits work synergistically to achieve top-down multi-level modulation of perceptual decision making. Understanding the mechanisms by which social context shapes perceptual decision making has broad theoretical and practical implications. These insights inform the optimization of collective decision-making, the design of socially adaptive human-computer interaction systems, and interventions for cognitive disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and anorexia nervosa. Future studies should combine computational modeling and neuroimaging approaches to systematically investigate the multi-level and dynamic nature of social influences on perceptual decision making.

The study was a prospective observational study. A total of 24 patients who underwent maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) at Haidian Hospital in Beijing from May 2024 to June 2024 were included as the study subjects. The safety and efficacy of a new single-needle dialysis in MHD patients were evaluated. The reasons for using single-needle dialysis included waiting for the maturity of internal fistula(7 cases, 29.17%), autogenous arteriovenous fistula thrombosis occurred (6 cases, 25.00%), puncture difficulty occurred (7 cases, 29.17%), and pain sensitivity or elderly (4 cases, 16.67%). The results showed that the average blood flow was (155.65±5.90) ml/min, total blood volume was (35.92±2.65) L during single-needle dialysis. One patient had slight puncture leakage, and the puncture success rate was 95.83%. Relevant indicators of dialysis adequacy showed that the average urea clearance (Kt/V) was 0.90±0.42, urea reduction ratio was 58.31%±7.93%, and online real-time Kt/V monitoring average value was 0.98±0.55. The results suggest that the application of the new improved single-needle dialysis mode in MHD patients is safe and effective.

Aquatic organisms can secrete biomacromolecules through specialized organs, tissues, or structures, enabling adhesion to underwater material surfaces and leading to severe biofouling issues. This phenomenon adversely impacts aquatic ecosystem health and human activities. Biofouling has emerged as an emerging global environmental challenge. Adhesion serves as the foundation of biofouling, representing a critical step toward a comprehensive understanding of the adhesion mechanisms of aquatic organisms. Biomacromolecules, including proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates, are the primary functional components in the adhesive substances of aquatic fouling organisms. Research indicates that these biomacromolecules exhibit diversity in types and characteristics across different aquatic organisms, yet their adhesion mechanisms show unifying features. Despite significant progress, there remains a lack of comprehensive reviews on the adhesion mechanisms mediated by biomacromolecules in aquatic fouling organisms, particularly on the roles of lipids and carbohydrates. Through a comprehensive analysis of existing literature, this review systematically summarizes the mechanistic roles of three classes of macromolecules in aquatic biofouling adhesion processes. Proteins demonstrate central functionality in interfacial adhesion and cohesion through specialized functional amino acids, conserved structural domains, and post-translational modifications. Lipids enhance structural stability via hydrophobic barrier formation and antioxidative protection mechanisms. Carbohydrates contribute to adhesion persistence through cohesive reinforcement and enzymatic resistance of adhesive matrices. Building upon these mechanisms, this review proposes four prospective research directions: optimization of protein-mediated adhesion functionality, elucidation of lipid participation in adhesion dynamics, systematic characterization of carbohydrate adhesion modalities, and investigation of macromolecular synergy in composite adhesive systems. The synthesized knowledge provides critical insights into underwater adhesion mechanisms of aquatic fouling organisms and establishes a theoretical foundation for developing mechanism-driven antifouling strategies. This work advances fundamental understanding of bioadhesion phenomena while offering practical guidance for next-generation antifouling technology development.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the chain mediating role of family care and emotional management in the relationship between social support and anxiety among rural primary school students. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted among students in grades 4 to 6 from four counties in Hunan Province. Data were collected using the Social Support Rating Scale, Family Care Index Scale, Emotional Intelligence Scale, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder -7. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of anxiety symptoms. Mediation analysis was conducted to assess the chain mediating effects of family care and emotional management between social support and anxiety. RESULTS: A total of 4 141 questionnaires were distributed, with 3 874 valid responses (effective response rate: 93.55%). The prevalence rate of anxiety symptoms among these students was 9.32% (95%CI: 8.40%-10.23%). Significant differences were observed in the prevalence rates of anxiety symptoms among groups with different levels of social support, family functioning, and emotional management ability (P<0.05). The total indirect effect of social support on anxiety symptoms via family care and emotional management was significant (β=-0.137, 95%CI: -0.167 to -0.109), and the direct effect of social support on anxiety symptoms remained significant (P<0.05). Family care and emotional management served as significant chain mediators in the relationship between social support and anxiety symptoms (β=-0.025,95%CI:-0.032 to -0.018), accounting for 14.5% of the total effect. CONCLUSIONS Social support can directly affect anxiety symptoms among rural primary school students and can also indirectly influence anxiety symptoms through the chain mediating effects of family care and emotional management. These findings provide scientific evidence for the prevention of anxiety in primary school students from multiple perspectives.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Social Support ; Anxiety/etiology* ; Child ; Students/psychology* ; Emotions ; Logistic Models

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the effect of Huanglian-Renshen-Decoction (HRD) on ameliorating type 2 diabetes mellitus by maintaining islet β -cell identity through regulating paracrine and endocrine glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)/GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) in both islet and intestine. METHODS: The db/db mice were divided into the model (distilled water), low-dose HRD (LHRD, 3 g/kg), high-dose HRD (HHRD, 6 g/kg), and liraglutide (400 µ g/kg) groups using a random number table, 8 mice in each group. The db/m mice were used as the control group (n=8, distilled water). The entire treatment of mice lasted for 6 weeks. Blood insulin, glucose, and GLP-1 levels were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. The proliferation and apoptosis factors of islet cells were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF) staining. Then, GLP-1, GLP-1R, prohormone convertase 1/3 (PC1/3), PC2, v-maf musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homologue A (MafA), and pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (PDX1) were detected by Western blot, IHC, IF, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively. RESULTS: HRD reduced the weight and blood glucose of the db/db mice, and improved insulin sensitivity at the same time (P<0.05 or P<0.01). HRD also promoted mice to secrete more insulin and less glucagon (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Moreover, it also increased the number of islet β cell and decreased islet α cell mass (P<0.01). After HRD treatment, the levels of GLP-1, GLP-1R, PC1/3, PC2, MafA, and PDX1 in the pancreas and intestine significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION HRD can maintain the normal function and identity of islet β cell, and the underlying mechanism is related to promoting the paracrine and endocrine activation of GLP-1 in pancreas and intestine.
Animals ; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1/metabolism* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/metabolism* ; Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor/metabolism* ; Insulin-Secreting Cells/pathology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Male ; Blood Glucose/metabolism* ; Insulin/blood* ; Mice ; Intestinal Mucosa/pathology* ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Islets of Langerhans/pathology*

OBJECTIVE: To assess the safety and topical efficacy of prim-O-glucosylcimifugin (POG) and investigate the molecular mechanisms of its therapeutic effects in atopic dermatitis (AD). METHODS: The effects of POG on human keratinocyte cell viability and its anti-inflammatory properties were evaluated using cell counting kit-8 assay and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Subsequently, the impact of POG on the differentiation of cluster of differentiation (CD) 4⁺ T cell subsets, including T-helper type (Th) 1, Th2, Th17, and regulatory T (Treg), was examined through in vitro experiments. Network pharmacology analysis was used to elucidate POG's therapeutic mechanisms. Furthermore, the therapeutic potential of topically applied POG was further evaluated in a calcipotriol-induced mouse model of AD. The protein and transcript levels of inflammatory markers, including cytokines, lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (Lck) mRNA, and LCK phosphorylation (p-LCK), were quantified using immunohistochemistry, RT-qPCR, and Western blot analysis. RESULTS: POG was able to suppress cell proliferation and downregulate the transcription of interleukin 4 (Il4) and Il13 mRNA. In vitro experiments indicated that POG significantly inhibited the differentiation of Th2 cells, whereas it exerted negligible influence on the differentiation of Th1, Th17 and Treg cells. Network pharmacology identified LCK as a key therapeutic target of POG. Moreover, the topical application of POG effectively alleviated skin lesions in the calcipotriol-induced AD mouse models without causing pathological changes in the liver, kidney or spleen tissues. POG significantly reduced the levels of Il4, Il5, Il13, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (Tslp) mRNA in the AD mice. Concurrently, POG enhanced the expression of p-LCK protein and Lck mRNA. CONCLUSION Our research revealed that POG inhibits Th2 cell differentiation by promoting p-LCK protein expression and hence effectively alleviates AD-related skin inflammation. Please cite this article as: Zhao H, Ma X, Wang H, Ding XJ, Kuai L, Song JK, Zhang Z, Yang D, Gao CJ, Li B, Zhou M. Prim-O-glucosylcimifugin mitigates atopic dermatitis by inhibiting Th2 differentiation through LCK phosphorylation modulation. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 309-319.
Dermatitis, Atopic/drug therapy* ; Animals ; Humans ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Phosphorylation/drug effects* ; Mice ; Th2 Cells/drug effects* ; Keratinocytes/drug effects* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Calcitriol/analogs & derivatives*