ObjectiveTo elucidate the efficacy connotation of Shudi Qiangjin pills （SQP） against liver and kidney deficiency in steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head （SONFH） from the perspective of the "disease-syndrome-formula" association and to clarify the underlying mechanisms based on in vivo and in vitro experiment validation. MethodsThe chemical components and the corresponding putative targets of SQP were collected from the Integrative Pharmacology-based Research Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCMIP） v2.0， the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine （ETCM） v2.0， and HERB databases. The SONFH-related genes were identified based on the differential expression profiles of peripheral blood of patients with SONFH compared to the healthy volunteers， and the disease phenotype-related targets were collected from the TCMIP v2.0 database. Then， the interaction network of "SONFH-related genes and candidate targets of SQP" was constructed based on "gene-gene interaction information"， and the major network targets were screened by calculating the topological characteristic values of the network followed by the functional mining according to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） database and the SoFDA database. After that， the SONFH rat model was prepared by lipopolysaccharide combined with methylprednisolone injection， and 2.5， 5， 7.5 g·kg^-1 SQP （once per day， equivalent to 1， 2， and 3 times the clinical equivalent dose， respectively） or 7.3×10^-3 g·kg^-1 of alendronate sodium （ALS， once per week， equivalent to the clinical equivalent dose） was given for 8 weeks. The effect characteristics of SQP and ALS in the treatment of SONFH were evaluated by micro-computed tomography scanning， hematoxylin and eosin staining， alkaline phosphatase （ALP） staining， immunohistochemical staining， enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay， and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling（TUNEL）staining， and a comparative efficacy analysis was conducted with ALS. In addition， SONFH cell models were prepared by dexamethasone stimulation of osteoblasts， and the intervention was carried out with the medicated serum of SQP at the aforementioned three doses. Cell counting kit-8， ALP staining， ALP activity assay， alizarin red staining， and flow cytometry were employed to investigate the regulatory effect of SQP on osteoblasts. The expression levels of osteogenesis-related proteins and key factors of the target signaling axis were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. ResultsThe network analysis results demonstrated that the candidate targets of SQP primarily exerted their therapeutic effects through key signaling pathways， including phosphoinositide 3-kinase（PI3K）/protein kinase B（Akt）， lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis， prolactin， chemokines， and neurotrophic factors pathways. These pathways were significantly involved in critical biological processes such as muscle and bone metabolism and the regulation of the "neuro-endocrine-immune" network， thereby addressing both modern medical symptoms （e.g.， delayed skeletal maturation and recurrent fractures） and traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptoms （e.g.， fatigue， aversion to cold， cold limbs， and pain in the limbs and joints in patients with SONFH characterized by liver and kidney deficiency syndrome. Among these pathways， the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway exhibited the highest degree of enrichment. The in vivo experimental results demonstrated that starting from the 4^th week after modeling， the modeling group exhibited a significant reduction in body weight compared to the control group （P<0.05）. After six weeks of treatment， all dosage groups of SQP showed significantly higher body weights compared to the model group （P<0.01）. Compared with the normal group， the model group exhibited significant decreases in bone mineral density （BMD）， bone volume fraction （BV/TV）， trabecular number （Tb.N）， osteocalcin （OCN）， alkaline phosphatase （ALP） levels in femoral head tissue， and serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase （BALP） （P<0.01）， along with significant increases in trabecular separation （Tb.Sp）， empty lacunae rate in tissue， and apoptosis rate （P<0.01）. In comparison to the model group， the SQP intervention groups showed significant improvements in BMD， BV/TV and Tb.N （P<0.01）， significant reductions in Tb.Sp， empty lacunae rate and apoptosis rate （P<0.05）， and significant increases in protein levels of OCN and ALP as well as BALP content （P<0.05）. The in vitro experimental results revealed that all dosage groups of SQP medicated serum showed no toxic effects on osteoblast. Compared with the normal group， the model group displayed significant suppression of osteoblast proliferation activity， ALP activity， and calcified nodule formation rate （P<0.01）， significant decreases in mRNA transcription levels of OCN and Runt-related transcription factor 2 （RUNX2） （P<0.01）， significant reductions in protein content of osteopontin （OPN）， typeⅠ collagen （ColⅠ）A1， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， PI3K， and phosphorylated （p）-Akt （P<0.01）， and a significant increase in apoptosis rate （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the SQP medicated serum intervention groups exhibited significant increases in proliferation activity， ALP activity， calcified nodule formation rate， mRNA transcription levels of OCN and RUNX2， and protein content of OPN， ColⅠA1， Bcl-2， PI3K， and p-Akt （P<0.05）， along with a significant decrease in apoptosis rate （P<0.01）. ConclusionSQP can effectively reduce the disease severity of SONFH with liver and kidney deficiency syndrome and improve bone microstructure， with the therapeutic effects exhibiting a dose-dependent manner. The mechanism may be related to its regulation of key processes such as muscle and bone metabolism and the correction of imbalances in the "neuro-endocrine-immune" network， thereby promoting osteoblast differentiation and inhibiting osteoblast apoptosis. The PI3K/Akt signaling axis is likely one of the key pathways through which this formula exerts its effects.

ObjectiveToll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）， a receptor for pathogen-associated molecular patterns of innate immunity， is associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Interleukin （IL）-6， IL-1β， and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） as common pro-inflammatory cytokines and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein （hs-CRP） are related to inflammatory responses. This study evaluated the clinical efficacy and possible mechanisms of therapeutic effects of Fengyintang on early and mid-stage PD with excessive heat generating wind by observing the effects of Fengyintang on the serum levels of TLR4， IL-6， IL-1β， TNF-α， and hs-CRP in the patients with PD. MethodsSixty-eight PD patients who met the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned into the control group and the observation group （n=34）. Both groups were treated with anti-PD Western medicine and the observation group was additionally treated with Fengyintang. Both groups were treated for 8 weeks. Before and after 8 weeks of treatment， the patients in the two groups were measured for their TCM symptom scores， International Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale （MDS-UPDRS） score， Parkinson's Disease Non-Motor Symptom Scale （NMSS） score， Patient Assessment of Constipation Symptom （PAC-SYM） score， Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index （PSQI）， Hamilton Anxiety Scale （HAMA） score， Hamilton Depression Scale （HAMD） score， and changes in serum TLR4， IL-6， IL-1β， TNF-α， and hs-CRP levels. ResultsOne case in the control group was removed due to loss of visit， and a total of 67 PD patients （33 in the control group and 34 in the observation group） who met the criteria were included for analysis. After treatment， patients in the observation group showed decreases in scores of TCM symptoms， MDS-UPDRS， NMSS， PAC-SYM， PSQI， HAMA， and HAMD （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Moreover， the observation group had lower scores of TCM symptoms， MDS-UPDRS， NMSS， PAC-SYM， PSQI， HAMA， and HAMD than the control group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The observation group showed higher efficacy in terms of TCM symptoms and MDS-UPDRS score than the control group （Z=-0.57， P<0.05）. The overall response rate was higher in the observation group than in the control group （Z=-0.62， P<0.05， P<0.01）. The serum TLR4， TNF-α， IL-1β， IL-6， and hs-CRP levels of the observation group were lower than those of the control group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionFengyintang combined with Western medicine can safely and effectively alleviate the clinical symptoms， reduce the levels of inflammatory factors， improve the quality of life， and delay the disease progression of PD patients by inhibiting peripheral TLR4 expression and thus suppressing the downstream inflammatory response.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment plan for ankylosing spondylitis complicated with lower cervical spine fracture and dislocation, adopt the treatment plan of preoperative continuous traction, intraoperative prizing reduction combined with anterior long-segment plate-screw and posterior short-segment pedicle screw-rod system internal fixation, and evaluate its surgical efficacy and clinical application value. METHODS: From June 2018 to September 2022, 7 male patients with ankylosing spondylitis complicated with lower cervical spine fractures were admitted, aged 43 to 65 years old. Among them, there was 1 case of C_3,4 fracture, 1 case of C_4,5 fracture, 1 case of C_6,7 fracture, and 4 cases of C_5,6 fracture, all of which were fracture and dislocation. All patients received preoperative continuous skull traction, and intraoperative prizing reduction combined with anterior long-segment plate-screw and posterior short-segment pedicle screw-rod system internal fixation. The Neck Disability Index (NDI), Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, and Frankel scale were used to evaluate the neurological function and quality of life before and after surgery. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate neck and limb pain. The operation time, blood loss, hospital stay, and surgery-related complications were recorded. RESULTS: All 7 patients were followed up for 6 to 24 months after surgery. The operation time of the 7 patients ranged from 300 to 480 minutes, the blood loss ranged from 300 to 1000 ml, and the hospital stay ranged from 8 to 25 days. The preoperative NDI of the 7 patients ranged from 25% to 42%, which decreased to 12% to 30% at 1 week after surgery and 5% to 25% at the last follow-up. The preoperative JOA score ranged from 8 to 13 points, which increased to 12 to 15 points at 1 week after surgery and 13 to 16 points at the last follow-up. The preoperative VAS ranged from 6 to 8 points, which decreased to 2 to 4 points at 1 week after surgery and 0 to 3 points at the last follow-up. Regarding the Frankel grade of neurological function, 2 patients were grade C before surgery and recovered to grade D at the last follow-up after surgery, and the remaining patients recovered to grade E at the last follow-up after surgery. There were 3 cases of pressure ulcers, including 1 case of intraoperative pressure ulcer, 1 case of cervical cerebrospinal fluid leakage, 1 case of screw loosening, and 1 case of aggravated fracture dislocation due to preoperative traction. CONCLUSION Preoperative cervical traction combined with intraoperative prizing reduction and anterior long-segment plate combined with posterior short-segment pedicle screw internal fixation provides a safe and effective surgical option for ankylosing spondylitis complicated with lower cervical spine fracture and dislocation, which can minimize surgical trauma and improve clinical efficacy. However, this study has a small sample size and a short follow-up time for some patients, so further verification with large-sample and long-term follow-up data is still needed.
Humans ; Male ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/methods* ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing/surgery* ; Cervical Vertebrae/surgery* ; Spinal Fractures/surgery* ; Traction ; Aged ; Joint Dislocations/surgery*

Background: Bushen Zhuanggu Formula (BZF), derived from the classic Yougui Pills, has shown favorable clinical efficacy in treating advanced nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (NONFH), particularly by promoting bone repair. However, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Objective: This study aimed to explore the mechanisms by which BZF promotes bone repair in advanced NONFH. Materials and methods: A total of 518 potential BZF targets were identified from the ETCM v2.0 database. Transcriptomic profiling of clinical cohorts revealed 485 differentially expressed genes in advanced NONFH patients compared to healthy controls. A drug target-disease gene interaction network was constructed to identify candidate BZF targets involved in NONFH pathogenesis. In vivo experiments were conducted to validate the effects of BZF in a rat model of advanced NONFH. Results: Network analysis identified key pathways associated with blood circulation obstruction, immune-inflammatory imbalance, and abnormal bone metabolism. Protein kinase C alpha (PKCA), Ras proto-oncogene (RAS), mitogen-activated protein kinase 3(ERK), ETS proto-oncogene 1 (ETS1), and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) formed a signaling axis implicated in NONFH pathogenesis. BZF treatment alleviated joint inflammation, preserved trabecular bone morphology, reduced bone loss, and promoted bone repair. Mechanistically, BZF significantly downregulated the expression of PKCA, RAS, ERK, ETS1, and RANKL, improved blood circulation, and inhibited osteoclast activation while promoting osteoblast activation. Conclusion: BZF may promote bone repair in advanced NONFH by enhancing blood circulation and modulating the PKC-RAS-ERK-ETS1-RANKL signaling axis, thereby reversing dysregulated bone metabolism.

ObjectiveTo discuss the correlation between young patients’ adverse transfusion reaction and pre-transfusion C reactive protein （CRP） level and EO% （percentage of eosinophils） . MethodsThe observation group was chosen from among sixty-six young patients who experienced transfusion-related adverse events between January 2019 and December 2020. For each patient chosen to be included in the observation group， another patient from the same department， with the same disease and gender， who had been hospitalized in the same month and received the same type of blood product transfusion， but had not experienced any transfusion-related adverse effects， was chosen to be in the control group. We examined and compared their ages， transfusion experiences， allergy backgrounds， EO%， and CRP levels in peripheral blood prior to transfusion. A receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was used to examine the diagnostic value of EO% and CRP for transfusion-related adverse events. Simultaneously， a logistic analysis was performed on the risk factors for transfusion-related adverse events. ResultsPre-transfusion CRP was higher in patients with FNHTR in the observation group than it was in patients in the control group； pre-transfusion CRP was also higher in patients with ATR in the observation group than it was in patients in the control group. There were also statistically significant differences between these variables in the percentage of patients with transfusion history and pre-transfusion EO% （ P＜0.05）. For the transfusion of different blood types， there was statistical significance in the occurrence of ATR and FNHTR （ P＜0.05）. For the diagnosis of FNHTR， the CRP area under the ROC curve was 0.889， and the best cut-off value was 18.05 mg/L. For the diagnosis of ATR， the area under the ROC curve was 0.749， and the best cut-off values were 17.60 mg/L. ConclusionPre-transfusion C-reactive protein level is an independent risk factor for FNHTR and ATR in young patients； the predictive value of EO% for adverse blood transfusion reactions is insufficient.

Sarcopenia obesity (SO), a specific disease with co-occurrence of obesity and sarcopenia, is shown clinically as abnormal accumulation of fat, decreased mass and strength of muscle, and increased risk of incidence and mortality of other chronic diseases. Currently, there exist various definitions and diagnoses about SO in the various regions of the world. Its prevalence in populations elevates in an age-dependent manner. This article summarized the possible pathogenesis of SO from the view of chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and Hippo pathway, subsequently listed and analyzed potential pharmacological targets (fibroblast growth factor, CD44, adiponectin, etc) involved in treating SO, in order to provide new ideas for clinical diagnosis, treatment of SO patients and research and development of innovative drugs.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine metabolic disease of women. Clinical studies have shown that PCOS patients are likely having abnormal bone metabolism, and with increased risk of osteoporosis. This review summarized the common pathological mechanisms for both PCOS and osteoporosis, and elucidated the research progress on PCOS-inducing bone metabolism disorders from emphasizing on the regulation of endocrine hormones including insulin, androgen, growth hormone, vitamin D, parathyroid hormone and calcitonin. It is expected that this review will shed new light on monitoring and intervention for bon health of PCOS patients.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of obesity on the dose-effect relationship of remimazolam when combined with alfentanil in painless gastroscopy.Methods:American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅰor Ⅱ patients of both sexes, scheduled for elective painless gastroscopy, aged 18-64 yr, were divided into 2 groups according to the body mass index (BMI): normal (BMI 19-24 kg/m 2) group and obese (BMI≥28 kg/m 2) group.Alfentanil 5 μg/kg combined with remimazolam was given intravenously in all the patients, and the dose of remimazolam was determined by the modified Dixon′s up-and-down method.The initial dose of remimazolam was 0.25 mg/kg, and each time the dose was increased or decreased by 0.05 mg/kg based on the sedative effect.The response was defined as positive when the responses that affected the operation of examination developed during insertion of the gastroscope and within the first 2 min of examination such as swallowing, bucking or body movement.This process was repeated until the seventh intersection occurred.The 50% effective dose (ED 50), 95% effective dose (ED 95), and 95% confidence interval ( CI) of remimazolam were calculated by probit method. Results:There were 26 patients in normal group and 18 patients in obese group.The ED 50 (95% CI) of remimazolam was 0.196 (0.087-0.274) mg/kg, and the ED 95 (95% CI) was 0.322 (0.256-1.397) mg/kg in normal group.The ED 50 (95% CI) of remimazolam was 0.125 (0.102-0.148) mg/kg, and the ED 95 (95% CI) was 0.161 (0.141-0.242) mg/kg in obese group.The ED 50 and ED 95 were significantly lower in obese group than in normal group ( P<0.001). Conclusions:Obesity increases the potency of remimazolam when combined with alfentanil 5 μg/kg in the patients undergoing painless gastroscopy.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of remimazolam-alfentanil-mivacurium for fiberoptic bronchoscopy.Methods:A total of 100 patients of both sexes, aged 18-64 yr, with body mass index of 18.5-28.0 kg/m 2, of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅰ-Ⅲ, scheduled for elective fiberoptic bronchoscopy, were divided into 2 groups ( n=50 each) using a random number table method: remimazolam-alfentanil-mivacurium group (group R) and propofol-alfentanil-mivacurium group (group P). Oxygen was inhaled by mask, and alfentanil 10 μg/kg was slowly injected intravenously in advance.One minute later, remimazolam 0.2 mg/kg was injected intravenously in group R, propofol 1.5-2.0 mg/kg was injected in group P until loss of consciousness, and mivacurium 0.14 mg/kg was then injected intravenously in 2 groups.When the bispectral index value was 40-60, mechanical ventilation was performed after laryngeal mask was placed by the same anesthesiologist.During the maintenance of anesthesia, remimazolam 1 mg·kg -1·h -1 was infused intravenously in group R, propofol 4-6 mg ·kg -1·h -1 was infused intravenously in group P, and mivacurium was intermittently injected in both groups to maintain muscle relaxation.Before induction (T 0), when the laryngeal mask was placed (T 1), immediately when fiber bronchoscope reached juga (T 2), at 10 min after the surgery (T 3), at the end of the surgery (T 4) and when patients regained consciousness (T 5), blood pressure (BP), (HR), pulse oxygen saturation (SpO 2), breathing at the end of the CO 2 partial pressure (P ETCO 2), BIS values and Modified Observer's Assessment/Alertness and Sedation (MOAA/S) score were recorded.The time from beginning of anesthesia to beginning of examination, total examination time, the time from the end of administration to laryngal mask airway removal, the time to recovery of spontaneous breathing and the time from emergence to discharge from postanesthesia care unit (PACU) were recorded.The occurrence of intraoperative and postoperative adverse reactions was recorded. Results:There was no significant difference in SpO 2, P ETCO 2, BIS values and MOAA/S score at each time pint and the time from beginning of anesthesia to beginning of examination, the time to recovery of spontaneous breathing and the time from emergence time to discharge from PACU between the 2 groups ( P>0.05). Compared with group P, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were significantly increased at T 1, T 3 and T 4, the time from the end of administration to laryngal mask airway removal was prolonged, the incidence of intraoperative hypotension, postoperative cough and total adverse reactions were decreased in group R ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Remimazolam-alfentanil-mivacurium produces better efficacy than propofol-alfentanil-mivacurium for fiberoptic bronchoscopy.

Objective To evaluate the role of poly( ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 ( PARP-1) in lung ischemia-reperfusion ( I/R ) injury in rats and the relationship with autophagy. Methods Twenty-four clean-grade healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 8-12 weeks, weighing 200-240 g, were divided into 3 groups (n=8 each) using a random number table method: sham operation group (S group), lung I/R group ( I/R group) and lung I/R plus PARP-1 inhibitor PJ34 group ( I/R+PJ34 group) . The chest was only opened without clamping the left hilum of lung in group S. Lung I/R injury model was established by clam-ping the left hilum of lung for 45 min followed by 120 min reperfusion in I/R and I/R+PJ34 groups. PJ3410 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected at 30 min before ischemia in group I/R+PJ34, while the equal volume of normal saline was injected in S and I/R groups. The rats were sacrificed at the end of reperfusion, and lungs were removed for microscopic examination of the pathological changes ( with a light microscope) which were scored and for determination of wet to dry weight ratio ( W/D ratio) , cell apoptosis ( by TUNEL) , ex-pression of PARP-1 activity markers ( PAR) , Bcl-2, Bax, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3Ⅰ ( LC3-Ⅰ) , LC3-Ⅱ and Beclin-1 ( using Western blot ) . The apoptosis index, Bcl-2/Bax ratio and LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ ratio were calculated. Results Compared with S group, the W/D ratio, pathological scores, apoptosis index and LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ ratio were significantly increased, the expression of PAR and Beclin-1 was up-regulated, and Bcl-2/Bax ratio was decreased in I/R and I/R+PJ34 groups (P＜0. 05). Compared with I/R group, the W/D ratio, pathological scores, apoptosis index, and LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰratio were significantly decreased, the expression of PAR and Beclin-1 was down-regulated, and Bcl-2/Bax ratio was increased in I/R+PJ34 group ( P＜0. 05) . Conclusion PARP-1 activation is involved in lung I/R inju-ry in rats, and the mechanism may be related to increasing autophagy and inducing cell apoptosis.