ObjectiveTo investigate the influencing factors for recompensation in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis， as well as the impact of recompensation on the prognosis of such patients， and to provide a basis for early identification of high-risk patients in clinical practice. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of patients who attended The Third People’s Hospital of Kunming from January 2016 to December 2022 and were diagnosed with decompensated liver cirrhosis due to hepatitis B， hepatitis C， alcoholic hepatitis， and autoimmune hepatitis， and they were divided into recompensation group and persistent decompensation group. To control for confounding factors， whether recompensation occurred was used as the rouping variable，and BMI， alcohol consumption history， HIV infection history， TG， CHOL， LDL， and HDL were used as covariates. The propensity score was calculated， and 1：1 nearest neighbor matching was performed with a caliper value of 0.1. After propensity score matching， the recompensation group and the persistent decompensation group with relatively balanced covariates were obtained. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional-hazards regression model analyses were used to investigate the influencing factors for recompensation； the “rms” package was used to establish a nomogram； the receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was plotted to calculate the area under the ROC curve （AUC）； the Hosmer-Lemeshow test was used to assess the goodness of fit of the model； the “Calibration Curves” package was used to plot calibration curves for model assessment. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves， and the Log-rank test was used for comparison of survival curves. ResultsAmong the 863 patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis， 305 experienced recompensation， resulting in an incidence rate of 35.3%. After PSM， 610 cases were successfully matched， with 305 cases in each group. The univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that etiology （hepatitis C： hazard ratio［HR］=0.288， P=0.002）； male（HR=0.701， P=0.016）， age（HR=0.988， P=0.047）， hemoglobin （HGB）（HR=1.006， P=0.017）， and CD4 T cell（HR=1.001，P=0.047）， TIPS procedure （HR=1.808，P=0.042） were independent influencing factors for recompensation in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis. During follow-up， 116 patients died of liver disease-related causes， with 27 patients （8.85%） in the recompensation group and 89 （15.95%） in the persistent decompensation group； 109 patients developed HCC， with 23 patients （7.54%） in the recompensation group and 86 （15.41%） in the persistent decompensation group. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed significant separation between the patients with different states of compensation in terms of liver disease-related mortality rate and the incidence rate of HCC， and the Log-rank test showed that there were significant differences between the two groups in liver disease-related mortality rate （χ²=9.023， P=0.003） and the incidence rate of HCC （χ²=10.526， P=0.001）. ConclusionEtiology，sex，age，TIPS，HGB，and CD4 T cell are independent influencing factors for recompensation in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis. There is a significant difference in the incidence rate of recompensation between decompensated liver cirrhosis patients with different etiologies， and female patients and patients with a younger age，a history of TIPS， a higher HGB level， and a higher CD4 lymphocyte count are more likely to experience recompensation. Recompensation is the key to improving the long-term prognosis of patients and can significantly reduce long-term liver disease-related mortality rate and the incidence rate of HCC.

ObjectiveTo investigate the predictive factors for HBsAg clearance in chronic hepatitis B （CHB） patients with a low level of hepatitis B surface antigen （HBsAg） treated with pegylated interferon α-2b （PEG-IFN-α-2b）， to establish a combined predictive model and a nomogram based on multiple factors， and to provide a reference for formulating individualized treatment regimens and predicting treatment outcome in clinical practice. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for 167 CHB patients with HBsAg <1 500 IU/mL who attended The Third People’s Hospital of Kunming from January 2022 to January 2024 and were treated with PEG-IFN-α-2b. According to whether clinical cure was achieved， the patients were divided into HBsAg clearance group and HBsAg non-clearance group. Related data were collected， including general information and serological/biochemical/virological indicators at different time points during treatment. The independent samples t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data， and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data； the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent influencing factors. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to assess the value of indicators used alone or in combination in predicting clinical cure， and calibration curves were plotted to assess the risk prediction model. ResultsThe univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences between the two groups in age （t=-6.839， P<0.05）， history of nucleos（t）ide analogue treatment for over 1 year （χ²=59.339， P<0.05）， genotype （χ²=4.610， P<0.05）， nonalcoholic fatty liver disease （χ²=5.319， P<0.05）， hepatitis B virus DNA status before treatment （χ²=60.861， P <0.05）， compensated liver cirrhosis （χ²=10.960， P<0.05）， HBeAg status before treatment （χ²=19.060， P<0.05）， a history of interferon treatment （χ²=8.162， P<0.05）， presence of interferon antibodies after treatment （χ²=12.858， P<0.05）， HBsAg level before treatment （Z=-7.412， P<0.05）， alanine aminotransaminase （ALT） level at baseline （Z=-6.117， P<0.05）， ALT level at 12 weeks of treatment （Z=-7.171， P<0.05）， platelet count （PLT） at 24 weeks of treatment （Z=-3.622， P<0.05）， and thyroid stimulating hormone （TSH） level at 24 weeks of treatment （Z=-2.830， P<0.05）. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age （odds ratio ［OR］=1.230， P=0.007）， history of nucleos（t）ide analogue treatment for over 1 year （OR=0.008， P=0.011）， HBeAg status before treatment （OR=0.003， P=0.012）， HBsAg level before treatment （OR=1.005， P=0.014）， ALT level at baseline （OR=0.949， P=0.014）， ALT level at 12 weeks of treatment （OR=0.969， P=0.016）， PLT at 24 weeks of treatment （OR=0.969， P=0.022）， and TSH level at 24 weeks of treatment （OR=3.608， P=0.045） were independent influencing factors for HBsAg clearance at 48 weeks of treatment in CHB patients with HBsAg <1 500 IU/mL. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test yielded χ²=1.398， P=0.994， indicating that the model had good fitting. The Bootstrap method was used to perform internal validation of the nomogram model， and there was a good degree of fitting between the calibration curve and the ideal curve， with a mean absolute error of 0.029. The ROC curve analysis showed that the combination of predictive factors had an area under the ROC curve of 0.982 （95% confidence interval： 0.961 — 0.999）， with a sensitivity of 94.10% and a specificity of 93.10%， suggesting that the nomogram model had a good discriminatory ability. For the CHB patients with HBsAg <1 500 IU/mL and different features， further analysis of HBsAg clearance rate at 48 weeks of treatment showed an HBsAg clearance rate of 69.60% for those with HBsAg ≤67.65 IU/mL before treatment， 58.30% for those with a baseline ALT level of ≥62.50 U/L， 68.30% for those with an ALT level of ≥92.50 U/L at 12 weeks of treatment， 42.40% for those with PLT ≥104×10⁹/L at 24 weeks of treatment， and 48.30% for those with a TSH level of ≤1.38 μIU/mL at 24 weeks of treatment， with significant differences between the two groups （all P<0.001）. ConclusionAge， history of nucleos（t）ide analogue treatment for over 1 year， HBeAg status before treatment， HBsAg level before treatment， baseline ALT level， ALT level at 12 weeks of treatment， PLT level at 24 weeks， and TSH level at 24 weeks of treatment are independent predictive factors. The combined prediction nomogram model constructed in this study has a relatively high value in predicting clinical cure at 48 weeks of PEG-IFN-α-2b treatment in CHB patients with HBsAg<1 500 IU/mL， thereby providing a reference for selecting suitable treatment population and predicting clinical cure.

Objective:This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the incidence and influencing factors of tricuspid regurgitation (TR) in the short term after pacemaker lead implantation at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, so as to provide evidence for understanding pacemaker lead-related TR.Methods:Consecutive patients who underwent single- or dual-chamber permanent pacemaker implantation between June 2019 and December 2023 in the Department of Cardiology were enrolled. General clinical data and relevant parameters were collected. Changes in TR severity before and shortly after the procedure were assessed using echocardiography. TR progression was defined as an increase by one grade or more, and TR improvement as a decrease by one grade or more. Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with TR progression.Results:A total of 219 patients were included (128 males, 91 females), with a mean age of 69.7 ± 11.2 years. The median follow-up time was 99 (26, 199) days. TR remained unchanged in 114 patients (52.1%), improved in 46 (21.0%)—including 36 (16.4%) with one-grade reduction, 9 (4.1%) with two-grade reduction, and 1 (0.5%) with three-grade reduction—and progressed in 59 patients (26.9%). Among those with progression, 51 (23.3%) had mild-to-moderate TR worsening by one grade, and 8 (3.7%) had moderate or worse TR worsening by at least two grades. Notably, one case involved lead perforation of the leaflet and two cases had lead impingement. Compared with the non-progression group ( n = 114), pacemaker indication (AV block vs. sick sinus syndrome), baseline left atrial diameter, pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP), and the severity of mitral regurgitation (MR) and TR were significantly associated with TR progression or improvement (all P < 0.05). Ordinal logistic regression analysis identified preoperative TR severity [ OR=10.57 (3.77–29.68), P < 0.001] and pacemaker indication [ OR=0.452 (0.222–0.918), P = 0.028] as independent predictors of postoperative TR progression. Patients with AV block were more likely to receive left bundle branch pacing ( P < 0.001), which may contribute to their lower risk of TR. Conclusions:Short-term progression of TR after pacemaker implantation is relatively common, although severe TR remains rare. Preoperative TR severity and pacemaker indication are independent predictors of short-term TR progression. The use of physiological pacing modalities may help reduce the incidence of TR following pacemaker lead implantation.

Objective To analyze the influencing factors of chronic liver failure in patients with primary hepatic carcinoma(PHC)before intervention,and to establish and evaluate a nomogram risk prediction model.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted by collecting general data and clinical test data within 24 hours of admission for PHC patients.Univariate analysis and Lasso regression were used for variable selection,followed by multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify independent influencing factors for CLF before PHC intervention,leading to the establishment of a nomogram risk prediction model.The model was evaluated using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test,receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,calibration curve,clinical decision curve,and clinical impact curve.Result A total of 353 cases of PHC patients were collected,including 153 cases in the liver failure group and 200 cases in the non-liver failure group,with a prevalence rate of 43.3％.Variables selected by Lasso regression included gastrointestinal bleeding,prothrombin time(PT),albumin(ALB),total bilirubin(TBIL),and gamma glutamyl transferase(GGT).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that gastrointestinal bleeding(OR=13.549,95％CI:2.899～63.322,P=0.001),PT(OR=1.599,95％CI:1.282～1.995,P＜0.001),TBIL(OR=1.016,95％CI:1.006～1.025,P=0.002),and GGT(OR=1.002,95％CI:1.000～1.003,P=0.028)were independent risk factors for chronic liver failure prior to PHC intervention,leading to the establishment of a nomogram risk prediction model.The Hosmer Lemeshow test showed that the model had a good fit(x2=6.152,P＞0.05);the area under ROC was 0.902(0.869-0.934),with a sensitivity of 80.4％and a specificity of 87.5％.The calibration curve indicated that the model predicts chronic liver failure prior to PHC intervention with good consistency.Clinical decision curve analysis and clinical impact curve analysis showed that the model has good clinical utility within a certain threshold range.Conclusion Gastrointestinal bleeding,PT ≥16.05s,TBIL≥37.80 mmol/L,and GGT≥ 99.00 U/L are independent risk factors for the occurrence of chronic liver failure before PHC intervention.The established nomogram risk prediction model has certain clinical application value in predicting the risk of chronic liver failure before PHC intervention.

Objective To compare the efficacy of Tenofovir Alafenamide(TMF)and Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate(TDF)in terms of liver function restoration,virus clearance,immune regulation,anti liver fibrosis,lipid metabolism,bone and renal safety,and adverse reactions.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 110 patients with chronic hepatitis B(CHB)admitted to Kunming Third People's Hospital from January 2022 to December 2022.Patients were divided into the TMF treatment group(n=55)and the TDF treatment group(n=55)based on their treatment regimen.We compared the levels of transaminase levels,antiviral efficacy,T cell subsets,renal function electrolytes,lipid metabolism,four liver fibrosis-related indicators,and changes in liver stiffness grading before and after treatment in two groups of patients.The incidence of adverse reactions post-treatment was also compared.Results After 48 weeks of treatment,the levels of TBIL,ALT,AST,GGT,and GLOB in both groups of patients were significantly lower than pre-treatment levels(P<0.05).The decrease in AST levels in the TMF group was lower than that in the TDF group(P<0.05).After 48 weeks of treatment,the HBV-DNA seroconversion rate in the TMF group(90.90%)was higher than that in the TDF group(83.64%).The serological HBsAg clearance rate in the TMF group(7.3%)was lower than that in the TDF group(9.1%),while the HBeAg clearance rate in the TMF group(38.2%)was significantly higher than that in the TDF group(18.2%),with statistical significance(P<0.05).After 48 weeks of treatment,levels of CD3+,CD4+,and CD8+in both groups were significantly elevated compared to pre-treatment levels(P<0.05);notably,the TMF group had higher post-treatment levels of CD3+,CD4+,and CD8+than the TDF group.After 48 weeks,the average values of HA,IV-C,and LN among the TMF group for liver fibrosis indicators were significantly lower than those in the TDF group(P<0.05).The proportions of F0 and F2 in both groups significantly increased post-treatment,while the proportions of F3 and F4 significantly decreased(P to be supplemented);furthermore,the proportions of F0 and F2 in the TMF group were significantly higher than those in the TDF group,and the proportions of F3 and F4 in the TMF group were significantly lower than those in the TDF group(P<0.05).After 48 weeks,HDL-C levels in the TMF group increased compared to pre-treatment(P<0.05).There were no significant differences in TG,TC,HDL-C,or LDL-C levels in the TDF group compared to pre-treatment(P>0.05).After 48 weeks of treatment,there was no difference in the levels of BUN、Cr、P+,and Ca+in the TMF group compared to pre-treatment(P>0.05);however,BUN and Cr levels in the TDF group were significantly higher than pre-treatment levels,while P+and Ca+levels were significantly lower(P<0.05).The incidence of elevated uric acid and bone pain was significantly higher in the TMF group compared to the TDF group(P<0.05);the incidence of diarrhea and abdominal pain was slightly higher in the TMF group compared to the TDF group(P>0.05).Conclusion Compared to TDF,TMF demonstrates a higher rate of liver function recovery,a greater virological response,enhanced anti fibrotic efficacy,and improved drug safety,making it worthy of clinical application in the future.

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between albumin （Alb） and recompensation by comparing recompensation rate between hepatitis B/C virus-related decompensated liver cirrhosis patients with different Alb levels， and to provide guidance for the identification and management of high-risk patients in clinical practice. MethodsRelated clinical data were collected from 734 patients with hepatitis B/C virus-related decompensated liver cirrhosis who attended The Third People’s Hospital of Kunming from January 1， 2016 to December 31， 2022， and they were divided into three groups based on the level of Alb. The linear regression analysis and chi-square test were used for trend tests. The Kaplan-Meier curve was plotted for the cumulative incidence rate of recompensation in the three groups， and the log-rank test was used for comparison between groups. A Cox proportional-hazards regression model analysis was used to investigate the association between Alb and recompensation in patients with hepatitis B/C virus-related decompensated liver cirrhosis. ResultsAmong the 734 patients with hepatitis B/C virus-related decompensated liver cirrhosis， 270 achieved recompensation， with a recompensation rate of 36.8%. All patients had a median Alb level of 29.90 （25.90 — 34.80） g/L on admission， and according to the level of Alb， they were divided into <25.9 g/L group with 177 patients， 25.9 — 34.8 g/L group with 377 patients， and >34.8 g/L group with 180 patients； 36 patients （20.3%） in the <25.9 g/L group， 138 （36.6%） in the 25.9 — 34.8 g/L group， and 96 （53.3%） in the >34.8 g/L group achieved recompensation， and the recompensation rate increased with the increase in Alb level （χ²=41.730， P<0.001）. After adjustment for all confounding factors， compared with the <25.9 g/L group， there was a significant increase in the incidence rate of recompensation in the 25.9 — 34.8 g/L group （hazard ratio ［HR］=1.842， 95% confidence interval ［CI］： 1.274 — 2.663） and the >34.8 g/L group （HR=2.336， 95% CI： 1.575 — 3.463）. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that there was a significant difference in the cumulative incidence rate of recompensation between the three groups （χ²=41.632， P<0.001）. ConclusionAlb level is an influencing factor for recompensation in patients with hepatitis B/C virus-related decompensated liver cirrhosis， and the recompensation rate increases with the increase in Alb level.

Objective:To investigate the prognostic factors of ultrasound-guided microwave ablation (MWA) in the treatment of papillary thyroid carcinoma.Methods:The medical records of 97 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma treated in Shangqiu First People’s Hospital from Jun. 2019 to Dec. 2021 were retrospectively analyzed.All of them were treated with ultrasount-guided MWA,including 38 males and 59 females,aged (48.24±7.86) years. The patients were followed up until Oct. 2024, and the prognosis of the patients was statistically analyzed.According to whether there was new lymph node metastasis or recurrence,the patients were divided into good prognosis group and poor prognosis group.Statistical software SPSS26.0 was used to process the baseline data of the two groups,and the factors affecting the prognosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma were analyzed.Results:Among 97 patients,3 cases were lost to follow-up,73 cases were in good prognosis group and 21 cases were in poor prognosis group.The incidence of multiple lesions,diameter 5-10 mm,close envelope and BRAFV600E mutations in poor prognosis group were 52.38%, 76.19%, 61.90% and 57.14%, respectively, which were higher than 27.40%, 49.32%, 20.55% and 31.51% in good prognosis group ( P<0.05) .TSH level of (2.94±0.61) mlU/L was higher than that of good prognosis group (2.67±0.52) mlU/L ( P<0.05) .Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that multiple lesions ( OR=2.915,95%CI:1.073-7.916) ,diameter 5-10mm ( OR=3.289,95% CI:1.090-9.920) , close to the envelope ( OR=6.283,95% CI:2.203-17.917) and BRAFV600E mutations ( OR=2.899,95% CI:1.071-7.843) were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in ultrasound-guided MWA treatment of isthmic papillary carcinoma ( P<0.05) .The ROC curve showed that the AUC value of the four combinations was 0.895,which was significantly higher than the number of lesions (0.625) , tumor size (0.634) , close envelope (0.707) and BRAFV600E mutation (0.628) . Conclusion:Multiple lesions,5-10mm in diameter,close envelope and BRAFV600E mutation are the factors affecting the poor prognosis of patients with isthmic papillary carcinoma treated with ultrasound-guided MWA,and the combination of the four factors is more effective in predicting the prognosis of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Objective To investigate the influencing factors for recompensation in patients with decompensated hepatitis B cirrhosis,and to establish a predictive model.Methods A total of 517 patients who attended The Third People's Hospital of Kunming and were diagnosed with decompensated hepatitis B cirrhosis from January 1,2016 to December 31,2022 were enrolled.The clinical data of the patients were reviewed,and the 207 patients with no portal hypertension-related complications within at least 1 year were enrolled as recompensation group,while the 310 patients without recompensation were enrolled as persistent decompensation group.Related clinical data were collected,and the univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed for the factors that might affect the occurrence of recompensation.The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups,and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups;the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups.The"rms"package was used to establish a nomogram;the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was plotted,and the area under the ROC curve(AUC)was calculated;the Hosmer-Lemeshow test was used to evaluate the degree of fitting of the model;the"Calibration Curves"package was used to plot the calibration curve for model assessment.Results Among the patients with decompensated hepatitis B cirrhosis,207(40.03%)had recompensation.The univariate Cox regression analysis showed that there were significant differences between the recompensation group and the persistent decompensation group in TIPS history,genotyping,portal vein thrombosis,complicated infection,Child-Pugh class,age,hemoglobin(Hb),platelet count,total protein,albumin(Alb),alanine aminotransferase,triglyceride,cholesterol,creatinine,Na,interleukin-6,high-sensitivity C-reactive protein,portal vein width,and portal vein velocity(all P<0.05).The multivariate regression analysis showed that TIPS history(hazard ratio[HR]=2.491,95%confidence interval[CI]:1.325-4.681,P=0.005),portal vein thrombosis(HR=0.345,95%CI:0.152-0.783,P=0.001),Hb(HR=1.007,95%CI:1.000-1.013,P=0.028),Alb(HR=1.048,95%CI:1.017-1.080,P=0.002),and portal vein width(HR=0.899,95%CI:0.835-0.967,P=0.004)were independent influencing factors for recompensation in patients with decompensated hepatitis B cirrhosis.A nomogram model was established based on the above five influencing factors,and the Hosmers-Lemeshow test showed that this model had a good degree of fitting(χ2=3.202,P=0.921).The nomogram model had an AUC of 0.728,a sensitivity of 50.3%,and a specificity of 85.0%,and the calibration curve showed good consistency between the actual value of this model in predicting the occurrence of recompensation and the predicted value in patients with decompensated hepatitis B cirrhosis.Conclusion Patients with decompensated hepatitis B cirrhosis who have a history of TIPS and high levels of Alb and Hb are more likely to have recompensation,and it is relatively difficult for patients with portal vein thrombosis and an increase in portal vein width to achieve recompensation.

Hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain damage poses a high risk of death or lifelong disability, yet effective treatments remain elusive. Here, we demonstrated that miR-100-5p levels in the lesioned cortex increased after HI insult in neonatal mice. Knockdown of miR-100-5p expression in the brain attenuated brain injury and promoted functional recovery, through inhibiting the cleaved-caspase-3 level, microglia activation, and the release of proinflammation cytokines following HI injury. Engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs) containing neuron-targeting rabies virus glycoprotein (RVG) and miR-100-5p antagonists (RVG-EVs-Antagomir) selectively targeted brain lesions and reduced miR-100-5p levels after intranasal delivery. Both pre- and post-HI administration showed therapeutic benefits. Mechanistically, we identified protein phosphatase 3 catalytic subunit alpha (Ppp3ca) as a novel candidate target gene of miR-100-5p, inhibiting c-Fos expression and neuronal apoptosis following HI insult. In conclusion, our non-invasive method using engineered EVs to deliver miR-100-5p antagomirs to the brain significantly improves functional recovery after HI injury by targeting Ppp3ca to suppress neuronal apoptosis.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Extracellular Vesicles/metabolism* ; Mice ; Recovery of Function/physiology* ; Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain/therapy* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Antagomirs/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Animals, Newborn ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Brain Injuries/metabolism* ; Glycoproteins ; Peptide Fragments ; Viral Proteins

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