BACKGROUND:Diabetes exacerbates intervertebral disc degeneration in a number of ways,and good glycemic control is beneficial in preventing intervertebral disc degeneration.OBJECTIVE:To review the relationship between diabetes and intervertebral disc degeneration to provide a reference for the clinical treatment of disc degeneration in patients with diabetes.METHODS:Literature searches were performed in CNKI and PubMed databases for articles published from 1980 to 2023.The Chinese and English search terms were"diabetes,intervertebral disc degeneration,cartilage endplate degeneration,apoptosis,advanced glycation end products,osmotic stress."Finally,73 articles were included for summary and analysis.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The pathophysiological process of diabetes-induced intervertebral disc degeneration is different from that of physiological degeneration.The main mechanisms of diabetes-induced intervertebral disc degeneration include:intracellular hyperglycemia,impaired blood supply to the intervertebral discs due to microvascular pathology,cellular senescence,apoptosis,and autophagy,accumulation of advanced glycation end products,osmotic stress,and destruction of the extracellular matrix components due to other pathways.(2)Drugs such as curcumin,resveratrol,and lupeol have therapeutic effects on intervertebral disc degeneration,but their safety and effectiveness need to be further demonstrated in clinical treatment.

BACKGROUND:Duhuo Jisheng Decoction is a classic prescription for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis,but its specific mechanism is not clear.Extracellular vesicles have the powerful function of inter-cell communication and signal transmission,and may be the signal carrier for the Decoction.OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects of serum extracellular vesicles treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction on the proliferation,migration,invasion,and apoptosis of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synovial cells.METHODS:The rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synovial cell model was established by co-culturing with tumor necrosis factor-α in vitro.The experiment was divided into five groups:normal group,model group,serum treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction group,extracellular vesicles treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction group,and extracellular vesicles treated with normal saline group.The optimal concentration and time of drug-containing serum and extracellular vesicles were screened by CCK-8 assay.Expression of inflammatory cytokines in the supernatants of cells in each group was detected by ELISA.The migration ability of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synovial cells was detected by scratch assay.The invasive ability of cells was measured by Transwell Invasion assay.Hoechst staining was adoped to detect cell apoptosis.The expression levels of apoptosis-related genes and proteins were detected by qRT-PCR and western blot assay.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The optimal volume fraction of serum treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction was 10%and optimal mass concentration of extracellular vesicles treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction was 10 ng/mL;the optimal time for the interaction between the two was 24 hours.(2)Compared with the model group,serum treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction,extracellular vesicles treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction,and extracellular vesicles treated with normal saline could suppress the expression of inflammatory factors of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synovial cells(P<0.05),scratch healing(P<0.05),migration and invasion(P<0.05).Moreover,the inhibition of extracellular vesicles treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction was more significant(P<0.05).(3)Drug-containing serum and extracellular vesicles treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction promoted the apoptosis of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synovial cells.(4)Compared with the model group,serum treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction,extracellular vesicles treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction,and extracellular vesicles treated with normal saline could increase the expression of proapoptotic factors Caspase-3,Caspase-9,and Bax(P<0.05)and decrease the expression of antiapoptotic factor Bcl-2(P<0.05).Moreover,extracellular vesicles treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction had a more significant regulatory effect on apoptosis-related factors.Above findings indicate that extracellular vesicles treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction can inhibit the excessive proliferation,migration,and invasion of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synovial cells and promote their apoptosis.

BACKGROUND:Duhuo Jisheng Decoction is a classic prescription for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis,but its specific mechanism is not clear.Extracellular vesicles have the powerful function of inter-cell communication and signal transmission,and may be the signal carrier for the Decoction.OBJECTIVE:To explore the effects of serum extracellular vesicles treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction on the proliferation,migration,invasion,and apoptosis of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synovial cells.METHODS:The rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synovial cell model was established by co-culturing with tumor necrosis factor-α in vitro.The experiment was divided into five groups:normal group,model group,serum treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction group,extracellular vesicles treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction group,and extracellular vesicles treated with normal saline group.The optimal concentration and time of drug-containing serum and extracellular vesicles were screened by CCK-8 assay.Expression of inflammatory cytokines in the supernatants of cells in each group was detected by ELISA.The migration ability of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synovial cells was detected by scratch assay.The invasive ability of cells was measured by Transwell Invasion assay.Hoechst staining was adoped to detect cell apoptosis.The expression levels of apoptosis-related genes and proteins were detected by qRT-PCR and western blot assay.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The optimal volume fraction of serum treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction was 10%and optimal mass concentration of extracellular vesicles treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction was 10 ng/mL;the optimal time for the interaction between the two was 24 hours.(2)Compared with the model group,serum treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction,extracellular vesicles treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction,and extracellular vesicles treated with normal saline could suppress the expression of inflammatory factors of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synovial cells(P<0.05),scratch healing(P<0.05),migration and invasion(P<0.05).Moreover,the inhibition of extracellular vesicles treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction was more significant(P<0.05).(3)Drug-containing serum and extracellular vesicles treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction promoted the apoptosis of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synovial cells.(4)Compared with the model group,serum treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction,extracellular vesicles treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction,and extracellular vesicles treated with normal saline could increase the expression of proapoptotic factors Caspase-3,Caspase-9,and Bax(P<0.05)and decrease the expression of antiapoptotic factor Bcl-2(P<0.05).Moreover,extracellular vesicles treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction had a more significant regulatory effect on apoptosis-related factors.Above findings indicate that extracellular vesicles treated with Duhuo Jisheng Decoction can inhibit the excessive proliferation,migration,and invasion of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synovial cells and promote their apoptosis.

Objective:To explore the association between the use of tetracyclines during pregnancy and congenital malformations, with the aim of providing evidence-based guidance for the rational use of antibiotics during pregnancy.Methods:Data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and the Canada Vigilance Adverse Reaction (CVAR) database from January 2015 to September 2024 were collected. Five methods including Tree-based scan statistic (TreeScan), proportional reporting ratio (PRR), reporting odds ratio (ROR), the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) comprehensive standard, and the Bayesian confidence propagation neural network (BCPNN) were used to detect signals of risk for congenital malformations in offspring following maternal use of tetracyclines during pregnancy. A signal that met the threshold criteria of all above 5 methods was considered as a risk signal. Based on population-based cohort of the drug exposures and adverse pregnancy outcomes (DEEP) data from January 2013 to December 2021 in Xiamen City, propensity score matching (PSM)-based Poisson regression was applied to evaluate the association between the first-trimester tetracyclines exposure and congenital malformations in offspring. Adjusted relative risk (a RR) and its 95% confidence interval ( CI) were calculated. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to validate the reliability of the results. Results:A total of 304 098 reports of adverse events during pregnancy were obtained from the FAERS and CVAR databases. Among them, 5 028 reports were related to tetracyclines, including 1 026 reports of congenital malformations in offspring, involving congenital malformations of musculoskeletal system, other digestive system, and other congenital malformations. Signal detection results suggested that tetracyclines may be a risk signal for above congenital malformations in offspring. The DEEP data included 411 936 pregnant women. After PSM, 240 pregnant women exposed to tetracyclines were included. The results showed no significant association between the first-trimester tetracyclines exposure and congenital malformations in offspring (a RR=0.75, 95% CI: 0.26-2.17), sensitivity analysis also showed no correlation. Conclusions:Data mining from the FAERS and CVAR databases suggests a potential association between tetracyclines use during pregnancy and congenital malformations in offspring. However, the DEEP data study shows no significant correlation.

Objective:To explore the association between the use of tetracyclines during pregnancy and congenital malformations, with the aim of providing evidence-based guidance for the rational use of antibiotics during pregnancy.Methods:Data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) and the Canada Vigilance Adverse Reaction (CVAR) database from January 2015 to September 2024 were collected. Five methods including Tree-based scan statistic (TreeScan), proportional reporting ratio (PRR), reporting odds ratio (ROR), the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) comprehensive standard, and the Bayesian confidence propagation neural network (BCPNN) were used to detect signals of risk for congenital malformations in offspring following maternal use of tetracyclines during pregnancy. A signal that met the threshold criteria of all above 5 methods was considered as a risk signal. Based on population-based cohort of the drug exposures and adverse pregnancy outcomes (DEEP) data from January 2013 to December 2021 in Xiamen City, propensity score matching (PSM)-based Poisson regression was applied to evaluate the association between the first-trimester tetracyclines exposure and congenital malformations in offspring. Adjusted relative risk (a RR) and its 95% confidence interval ( CI) were calculated. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to validate the reliability of the results. Results:A total of 304 098 reports of adverse events during pregnancy were obtained from the FAERS and CVAR databases. Among them, 5 028 reports were related to tetracyclines, including 1 026 reports of congenital malformations in offspring, involving congenital malformations of musculoskeletal system, other digestive system, and other congenital malformations. Signal detection results suggested that tetracyclines may be a risk signal for above congenital malformations in offspring. The DEEP data included 411 936 pregnant women. After PSM, 240 pregnant women exposed to tetracyclines were included. The results showed no significant association between the first-trimester tetracyclines exposure and congenital malformations in offspring (a RR=0.75, 95% CI: 0.26-2.17), sensitivity analysis also showed no correlation. Conclusions:Data mining from the FAERS and CVAR databases suggests a potential association between tetracyclines use during pregnancy and congenital malformations in offspring. However, the DEEP data study shows no significant correlation.

BACKGROUND:Diabetes exacerbates intervertebral disc degeneration in a number of ways,and good glycemic control is beneficial in preventing intervertebral disc degeneration.OBJECTIVE:To review the relationship between diabetes and intervertebral disc degeneration to provide a reference for the clinical treatment of disc degeneration in patients with diabetes.METHODS:Literature searches were performed in CNKI and PubMed databases for articles published from 1980 to 2023.The Chinese and English search terms were"diabetes,intervertebral disc degeneration,cartilage endplate degeneration,apoptosis,advanced glycation end products,osmotic stress."Finally,73 articles were included for summary and analysis.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The pathophysiological process of diabetes-induced intervertebral disc degeneration is different from that of physiological degeneration.The main mechanisms of diabetes-induced intervertebral disc degeneration include:intracellular hyperglycemia,impaired blood supply to the intervertebral discs due to microvascular pathology,cellular senescence,apoptosis,and autophagy,accumulation of advanced glycation end products,osmotic stress,and destruction of the extracellular matrix components due to other pathways.(2)Drugs such as curcumin,resveratrol,and lupeol have therapeutic effects on intervertebral disc degeneration,but their safety and effectiveness need to be further demonstrated in clinical treatment.

Objective:To summarize the clinical features of 8 cases with intramycardial hematoma(IMH) following congenital cardiac surgery in children.Methods:We retrospectly searched 8 patients with intramycardial hematoma after congenital cardiac surgery in Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center from 2008 to 2024.Results:Mean age and mean weight at surgery were(13±15) months and(7.8±3.5)kg respectively. 6 of 8 cases were interventricular septal hematoma. In the other 2 patients, intramycardial hematoma was located in left ventrical free wall. All IMH were postoperatively detected by transthoracic echocardiaography. Two patients were managed with ECMO intraoperatively. Finally, all patients were discharged successfully with good clinical results. Mean time to IMH resolution in six patients was(33.5±4.6) days and mean left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) was 0.60±0.09. Another patient was followed up for 3 months and the IMH was not absorbed. One patient was lost to follow-up.Conclusion:IMH is a rare complication after congenital heart disease. The absorption of hematoma is a dynamic process and mean time to IMH resolution is about 1month. In IMH patients with hemodynamic instability, ECMO can be a good treatment to create opportunities for hematoma absorbtion.

Amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques are one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, currently available anti-amyloid therapies fail to show effectiveness in the treatment of AD in humans. It has been found that there are different types of Aβ plaque (diffuse and focal types) in the postmortem human brain. In this study, we aimed to investigate the correlations among different types of Aβ plaque and AD-related neuropathological and cognitive changes based on a postmortem human brain bank in China. The results indicated that focal plaques, but not diffuse plaques, significantly increased with age in the human hippocampus. We also found that the number of focal plaques was positively correlated with the severity of AD-related neuropathological changes (measured by the "ABC" scoring system) and cognitive decline (measured by the Everyday Cognitive Insider Questionnaire). Furthermore, most of the focal plaques were co-localized with neuritic plaques (identified by Bielschowsky silver staining) and accompanied by microglial and other inflammatory cells. Our findings suggest the potential of using focal-type but not general Aβ plaques as biomarkers for the neuropathological evaluation of AD.
Alzheimer Disease/pathology* ; Amyloid beta-Peptides/metabolism* ; Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor ; Brain/pathology* ; Cognitive Dysfunction/pathology* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Humans ; Neuroinflammatory Diseases ; Plaque, Amyloid/pathology*

Objective:To investigate the feasibility and technical points of single posterior total spine resection for L 5 vertebrae tumors, evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the technique, and propose a comprehensive treatment model for L 5 tumors on this basis. Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on the data of 13 patients with L 5 vertebrae tumor who were treated by total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) through single-stage posterior approach from January 2014 to September 2021, including 4 males and 9 females. The age range was 21-65 years, with an average age of 33.85±14.24 years. Imaging examination showed isolated tumors of L 5 vertebrae without other metastases. All patients were treated with a single posterior L 5 vertebrae tumor TES by adjusting the curvature of lumbar lordosis, and the lumbar nerve root was fully dissociated. The vertebra with tumor was removed entirely and lumbar stability reconstruction via a pedicle screw system. Various parameters, including operative time, blood loss, complications, preoperative and postoperative spine sagittal parameters, Japanese Orthopaedic Association scores (JOAs), tumor control and outcome, were listed and analyzed. Results:Preoperative pathological diagnosis of 13 patients was mainly primary bone tumor including giant cell tumor in 7 cases, and invasive hemangioma, epithelioid hemangioma, aneurysmal bone cyst, chordoma, plasma cell myeloma and bone metastasis of breast cancer in 1 case. The mean operative time was 333.23±99.48 min (range 175-480 min), and the mean intraoperative blood loss was 1 407.69±676.49 ml (range 300-2 800 ml). There were no serious perioperative complications during the perioperative period. The mean follow-up was 54.92±19.29 months (range 28-84 months). JOAs improved from 13.85±3.86 points before operation to 24.31±2.16 points at 6 months after operation, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=8.19, P<0.001). Postoperative delayed wound healing occurred in 2 case. 2 patients showed numbness of the left lower limb, and 1 patient had slightly reduced plantar flexion movement. Conclusion:Single posterior TES is a good surgical method for the treatment of isolated L 5 vertebrae tumors. Although this technique is difficult, it can reduce surgical wounds and postoperative complications and good functional and oncology prognosis can be achieved.

Objective:To investigate the effect of microRNA-15a (miR-15a) on the anti-oxidative stress ability of human lens epithelial cells (LECs) induced by high glucose and its possible mechanism.Methods:The anterior lens capsule specimens from patients with diabetic cataract (DC) and healthy donors were collected.The expressions of miR-15a and silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) in the specimens were detected by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blot, respectively.The human lens epithelial cell line HLEB-3 cells were cultured with 0, 10, 20, or 50 mmol/L glucose for 24 hours.The expression of miR-15a in the cells was detected by RT-qPCR.The expressions of SIRT1, forkhead transcription factor 3a (FOXO3a), and p53 proteins in the cells were determined by Western blot.The cell apoptosis was assayed by flow cytometry.The endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) content in the cells was measured by 2, 7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA). The total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, and malondialdehyde (MDA) activities in the cells were identified.HLEB-3 cells were transfected with miR-15a control or miR-15a inhibitor, then incubated with 50 mmol/L glucose for 24 hours.Cell apoptosis of the transfected cells was detected by flow cytometry.The endogenous ROS expression in the transfected cells was determined by DCFH-DA.The T-AOC, SOD, and GSH-Px activities as well as MDA concentration were measured.The relationship between miR-15a and SIRT1 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay.The SIRT1, FOXO3a, and p53 protein expressions in the transfected cells were detected by Western blot.This study was approved by an Ethics Committee of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (No.ZDEFY201803160023). Written informed consent was obtained from each subject.Results:The relative expression of miR-15a in normal lens anterior capsule tissue was 0.21±0.02, which was lower than 0.96±0.10 in lens anterior capsule tissue of DC patients, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=12.231, P<0.001). The relative expression of SIRT1 in the anterior lens capsule tissue was 0.89±0.09, which was higher than 0.31±0.05 in the anterior lens capsule tissue of DC patients, showing a statistically significant difference ( t=8.964, P<0.001). With the increase of glucose concentration, the relative expression of miR-15a, FOXO3a, and p53 in cells increased, and the relative expression of SIRT1 decreased; the apoptosis rate of cells increased; the ROS content and MDA concentration increased; the activities of T-AOC, SOD and GSH-Px decreased, and the differences were statistically significant (all at P<0.05). The apoptosis rate, ROS content, and MDA concentrations were higher in miR-15a control group than miR-15a inhibitor group, and the activities of T-AOC, SOD, and GSH-Px were lower in miR-15a control group than miR-15a inhibitor group, with statistically significant differences (all at P<0.05). The luciferase activity of the SIRT1-3'-untranslated region (UTR)-wild type (WT) reporter gene in miR-15a control group was significantly lower than that in miR-15a inhibitor group, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=5.978, P=0.004). No significant difference was found in the luciferase activity of the SIRT1-3'-UTR-mutant type (MUT) reporter gene ( t=0.432, P=0.688). The relative expressions of FOXO3a and p53 proteins were significantly higher in miR-15a control group than miR-15a inhibitor group, and the relative expression of SIRT1 protein was significantly lower in miR-15a control group than miR-15a inhibitor group, showing statistically significant differences (all at P<0.05). Conclusions:miR-15a can inhibit the anti-oxidative stress damage ability of LECs induced by high glucose, which may be achieved by inhibiting the expression of SIRT1 to up-regulate the activities of FOXO3a and p53, and aggravating apoptosis.