Aging is a physiological process characterized by the gradual decline of the body's functions over time.In recent years, the emergence of molecular hydrogen(H 2)medicine has introduced novel approaches to the field of anti-aging.Numerous animal experiments and clinical trials have demonstrated that H 2 possesses considerable potential to regulate oxidative stress, inflammation, organelle energy metabolism, and programmed cell death, while also offering protective effects on various organs and systems.Currently, H 2 is being utilized in the prevention and treatment of various age-related diseases, thereby opening new avenues for anti-aging interventions.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) by using zero-profile anchored cage (ZAC) in treatment of consecutive three-level cervical spondylosis, by comparing with plate-cage construct (PCC). METHODS: A clinical data of 65 patients with cervical spondylosis admitted between January 2020 and December 2022 and met the selection criteria was retrospectively analyzed. During consecutive three-level ACDF, 35 patients were fixed with ZAC (ZAC group) and 30 patients with PCC (PCC group). There was no significant difference in baseline data between the two groups ( P>0.05), including gender, age, body mass index, surgical segment, preoperative Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, Neck Disability Index (NDI), visual analogue scale (VAS) score, prevertebral soft tissue thickness (PSTT), cervical lordosis, and surgical segmental angle. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay, clinical indicators (JOA score, NDI, VAS score), and radiological indicators (cervical lordosis, surgical segmental angle, implant subsidence, surgical segment fusion, and adjacent segment degeneration), and the postoperative complications [swelling of the neck (PSTT), dysphagia] were recorded and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Patients in both groups were followed up 24-39 months. There was no significant difference in follow-up duration between the two groups ( P>0.05). The operation time and intraoperative blood loss were lower in ZAC group than in PCC group, and the length of hospital stay was longer, but there was no significant difference ( P>0.05). At each time point after operation, both groups showed significant improvements in JOA score, VAS score, and NDI compared with preoperative scores ( P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the two groups at each time point after operation ( P>0.05). Both groups showed an increase in PSTT at 3 days and 3, 6 months after operation compared to preoperative levels ( P<0.05), but returned to preoperative levels at last follow-up ( P>0.05). The PSTT at 3 days and 3 months after operation were significantly lower in ZAC group than in PCC group ( P<0.05), and there was no significant difference between the two groups at 6 months and at last follow-up ( P>0.05). The incidences of dysphagia at 3 days and 3 months were significantly lower in ZAC group than in PCC group ( P<0.05), while no significant difference was observed at 6 months and last follow-up between the two groups ( P>0.05). There was no postoperative complication in both groups including hoarseness, esophageal injury, cough, or hematoma. Both groups showed improvement in cervical lordosis and surgical segmental angle compared to preoperative levels, with a trend of loss during follow-up. The cervical lordosis loss and surgical segmental angle loss were significantly more in the ZAC group than in PCC group ( P<0.05). The incidence of implante subsidence was significantly higher in ZAC group than in PCC group ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the ZAC group and PCC group in the incidences of surgical segment fusion and adjacent segment degeneration ( P>0.05). CONCLUSION In consecutive three-level ACDF, both ZAC and PCC can achieve satisfactory effectiveness. The former can reduce the incidence of postoperative dysphagia, while the latter can better maintain cervical curvature and reduce the incidence of implant subsidence.
Humans ; Spondylosis/surgery* ; Cervical Vertebrae/surgery* ; Spinal Fusion/instrumentation* ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Diskectomy/instrumentation* ; Bone Plates ; Treatment Outcome ; Adult ; Aged ; Internal Fixators ; Operative Time ; Length of Stay

Aging is a physiological process characterized by the gradual decline of the body's functions over time.In recent years, the emergence of molecular hydrogen(H 2)medicine has introduced novel approaches to the field of anti-aging.Numerous animal experiments and clinical trials have demonstrated that H 2 possesses considerable potential to regulate oxidative stress, inflammation, organelle energy metabolism, and programmed cell death, while also offering protective effects on various organs and systems.Currently, H 2 is being utilized in the prevention and treatment of various age-related diseases, thereby opening new avenues for anti-aging interventions.

Taking Union Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology as an example,it discusses the basic ideas and innovative practices of project organization from"passive order taking"to"active planning",platform construction from"free growth"to"directional cultivation",team construction from"wearing hats"to"focusing on actual combat",and achievement transformation from"resource guidance"to"comprehensive policy".It puts forward some suggestions that hospitals should play the leading role of"national team"in organizing scientific research and innovation practice,pay attention to the docking of national strategy,the linkage of university resources.

ObjectiveHuman Ku70 protein mainly involves the non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair of double-stranded DNA breaks (DSB) through its DNA-binding properties, and it is recently reported having an RNA-binding ability. This paper is to explore whether Ku70 has RNA helicase activity and affects miRNA maturation. MethodsRNAs bound to Ku protein were analyzed by RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (RIP-seq) and bioinfomatic anaylsis. The expression relationship between Ku protein and miRNAs was verified by Western blot (WB) and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays. Binding ability of Ku protein to the RNAs was tested by biolayer interferometry (BLI) assay. RNA helicase activity of Ku protein was identified with EMSA assay. The effect of Ku70 regulated miR-124 on neuronal differentiation was performed by morphology analysis, WB and immunofluorescence assays with or without Zika virus (ZIKV) infection. ResultsWe revealed that the Ku70 protein had RNA helicase activity and affected miRNA maturation. Deficiency of Ku70 led to the up-regulation of a large number of mature miRNAs, especially neuronal specific miRNAs like miR-124. The knockdown of Ku70 promoted neuronal differentiation in human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) and SH-SY5Y cells by boosting miR-124 maturation. Importantly, ZIKV infection reduced the expression of Ku70 whereas increased expression of miR-124 in hNPCs, and led to morphologically neuronal differentiation. ConclusionOur study revealed a novel function of Ku70 as an RNA helicase and regulating miRNA maturation. The reduced expression of Ku70 with ZIKV infection increased the expression of miR-124 and led to the premature differentiation of embryonic neural progenitor cells, which might be one of the causes of microcephaly.

GPCRs are the largest membrane protein receptor superfamily in the human body, with more than 800 isoforms, and approximately 35% of Food and Drug Administration-approved and marketed drugs currently target GPCRs for the treatment of a wide range of diseases, for heart failure (beta-adrenergic receptors), peptic ulcer (histamine receptors), prostate cancer (gonadotropin receptors), hypertension (adrenergic and angiotensin receptors), pain (opioid receptors), and bronchial asthma (beta2-adrenergic receptors) examples. Although the number of GPCRs is enormous, the signaling proteins downstream of them are limited, heterotrimeric G proteins (GPs) are key proteins that signal GPCRs, translate extracellular stimuli into intracellular responses by coupling to GPCRs and initiate multiple signaling events via downstream cascades. Podocytes are an important component of the glomerular filtration barrier, and their damage is a central event in proteinuria formation and progressive glomerulosclerosis. This article reviews the regulation of GPs, their signaling and their role in podocyte injury to provide a theoretical basis for scientific research and clinical treatment of this disease.

BACKGROUND:The most prominent transcription factor activated by tumor stem cells in osteosarcoma is EZH2,and silencing of EZH2 has been reported to inhibit osteosarcoma cell growth.Studies have confirmed that bovine serum albumin-chitosan nanoparticles are a drug delivery vector with excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability,and the albumin carrier can provide tumor-targeted drug delivery function. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect and mechanism of bovine serum albumin-chitosan nanoparticles loaded with EPZ6438(EZH2 inhibitor)for the treatment of osteosarcoma. METHODS:(1)Bovine serum albumin-chitosan nanoparticles loaded with and without EPZ6438 were prepared.The drug encapsulation rate and drug release rate of serum albumin-chitosan nanoparticles loaded with EPZ6438 were detected.(2)MG-63 cells were divided into four groups and added with PBS(control group),serum albumin-chitosan nanoparticle extract solution(blank nanoparticle group),EPZ6438 solution(free drug group),and serum albumin-chitosan nanoparticle extract loaded with EPZ6438(drug-loaded nanoparticle group),respectively.After 3 days of culture,cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry and the expression of caspase-3 mRNA was detected by RT-PCR.(3)Twelve nude mice were selected and the subcutaneous tumor-bearing mouse model was established by injecting MG-63 cell suspension under the armpit.After successful modeling,the mice were randomly divided into four groups for intervention.Normal saline(control group),serum albumin-chitosan nanoparticle solution(blank nanoparticle group),EPZ6438 solution(free drug group)and serum albumin-chitosan nanoparticle solution loaded with EPZ6438(drug-loaded nanoparticle group)were injected into tumor tissues,with three animals in each group.After 7 days of injection,the tumor volume and frozen sections of tumor tissue were observed by TUNEL staining. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The drug encapsulation rate of the nanoparticles was about 8.8%,and the nanoparticles had a good drug release effect in pure water.The drug release amount was(34.72±1.93)μg at 24 hours,(48.58±1.10)μg at 72 hours,(49.18±1.24)μg at 120 hours,and(50.25±1.13)μg at 168 hours.The drug release reached the plateau at 120 hours,and the release rate was about 97.9%.(2)After 3 days of cell culture with MG-63,the apoptotic rate in the control group and blank nanoparticle group was lower than that in the free drug group and drug-loaded nanoparticle group(P<0.001),and the expression of caspase 3 mRNA was lower than that in the free drug group and drug-loaded nanoparticle group(P<0.000 1).(3)After 7 days of injection,the tumor volume of nude mice in the drug-loaded nanoparticle group was smaller than that in the other three groups(P<0.05),and the percentage of TUNEL-positive cells in tumor tissue was higher than that in the other three groups(P<0.000 1).(4)The results verify that serum albumin-chitosan nanoparticles loaded with EPZ6438 can inhibit the growth of osteosarcoma by inducing apoptosis of tumor cells.

AIM:To explore the therapeutic effect and possible molecular mechanisms of prednisone combined with icariin(ICA)on hormone resistant nephrotic syndrome(SRNS).METHODS:In the in vi-vo experiment,rats were divided into control group,SRNS group,prednisone group,and P+I group.Each group was given corresponding drugs for 6 weeks.Detection of 24-hour urinary protein in rats using CBB;The blood biochemistry analyzer de-tects rat albumin,total cholesterol,triglycerides,creatinine,and urea nitrogen;HE and Masson were used to detect morphological changes in rat kidney tissue;Immunohistochemical detection of GR-α,GR-β,NLRP3,caspase-1,GSDMD,IL-1β.In the in vi-tro experiment,HK-2 cell injury model with doxoru-bicin,divided into control group,SRNS group,pred-nisone group,P+l group.GR-α,GR-β,NLRP3,cas-pase-1,GSDMD were detected by Rt-PCR and West-ern blot.RESULTS:In the in vivo experiment,com-pared with the control group,the SRNS group showed weight loss,increased 24-hour urine pro-tein,decreased albumin,increased total cholester-ol,triglycerides,creatinine,and urea nitrogen,renal tubular atrophy,increased renal interstitial area,sig-nificant infiltration of inflammatory cells,fibrous tis-sue proliferation,and GR-β,NLRP3,caspase-1,GSD-MD,IL-1 β in renal tissue decreased(P＜0.01);Com-pared with the SRNS group,the combined group showed weight gain,decreased 24-hour urine pro-tein,increased albumin,decreased total cholester-ol,triglycerides,creatinine,and urea nitrogen,re-duced renal tubular atrophy,reduced interstitial in-flammatory cell infiltration,reduced fibrosis,and and GR-α,NLRP3,caspase-1,GSDMD in renal tissue decreased increased(P＜0.01).In vitro experiments,compared with the control group,the model group showed GR-β,NLRP3,caspase-1,and GSDMD in-creased(P＜0.01),GR-α decreased(P＜0.01);Com-pared with the SRNS group,GR-β,NLRP3,caspase-1,and GSDMD decreased(P＜0.01),GR-α increased in the P+I group.CONCLUSION:The combination of prednisone and ICA has a protective effect on the kidneys of SRNS rats and can improve the therapeu-tic effect.The mechanism may be related to the NL-RP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pathway.

Polysaccharides are the main active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine and ideal raw materials for new drug development with diverse structures,rich activity and low toxicity.Research has shown that traditional Chinese medicine polysaccharides(TCMP)exhibit outstanding associated activities in anti-tumor,immunomodulatory,anti-fibrotic,and Alzheimer's disease prevention,with clear mechanisms and targeting properties.In this review,we discuss research progress of the mechanisms and discovery of target molecules of TCMP in various areas,including anticancer,immunomodulation,gut microbiota regulation,anti-fibrosis,and Alzheimer's disease prevention.By analyzing relevant literature,it has been observed that TCMP exhibits various complex mechanisms of action,highlighting significant targeting properties in immunomodulation,anticancer effects and disrupts angiogenesis activities.At the same time,this review summarizes and analyzes the current shortcomings and challenges in the research on TCMP and proposes future directions,aiming to provide new ideas and strategies for understanding the basis of active substances in traditional Chinese medicine and the development of original new drugs based on polysaccharides.

Objective This study aims to investigate the structure and anti-angiogenic activity of homogeneous polysaccharides in Honeysuckle flowers,constructing the theoretical basis for its widespread application.Methods Homogeneous Honeysuckle polysaccharide LF-02-2 was obtained through water extraction,alcohol precipitation,anion exchange chromatography,and gel permeation chromatography.The structure of LF-02-2 was deduced through molecular weight determination,monosaccharide composition analysis,sugar residue linkage analysis,partial acid hydrolysis,and sugar aldonic acid reduction combined with NMR data.Additionally,in vitro tube formation experiments using human microvascular endothelial cells(HMEC-1)were conducted to assess its anti-angiogenic activity.Results Structural analysis of LF-02-2 revealed a homogeneous polysaccharide with a weight-average molecular weight of 74.1 kDa.The monosaccharide composition included rhamnose(Rha),galactose(Gal),galacturonic acid(GalA),and arabinose(Ara)in molar ratios of 10.43:14.94:6.66:67.97.The main chain consisted of 1,4-linked α-Galp A,1,2-linked α-Rhap,and 1,2,4-linked α-Rhap.Branches were connected to O-4 of 1,2,4-linked α-Rhap and included β-Galp with terminal connections and 1,4,6-linked β-Galp and α-Araf with terminal and 1,5-linked connections.Tube formation experiments demonstrated that LF-02-2 significantly inhibited tube formation in human microvascular endothelial cells(HMEC).Conclusion LF-02-2,an RG-I pectic polysaccharide from Honeysuckle flowers,exhibited significant anti-angiogenic activity,suggesting its potential for development as an anti-angiogenic drug.