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

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of preserving the urethral ridge during Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate（HoLEP）in preventing postoperative retrograde ejaculation and to evaluate its impact on sexual function.Methods:This prospective cohort study enrolled patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia（BPH）who underwent HoLEP at Xiamen Haicang Hospital（Haicang Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen Medical College）from November 2022 to June 2024. Inclusion criteria were as follows：diagnosis of BPH confirmed by color Doppler ultrasound；International Prostate Symptom Score（IPSS）> 7；maximum urinary flow rate（Q max）< 15 ml/s；prostate-specific antigen（PSA）< 4 ng/ml；and an active sexual life with intact antegrade ejaculation. Exclusion criteria included neurogenic bladder，active urinary tract infection（UTI），and other relevant conditions. Patients were grouped based on the operating surgeon's comprehensive judgment during surgery，considering the degree of prostatic median lobe hyperplasia（preserved if hyperplasia was mild，not preserved if severe）. The EP-HoLEP group underwent “tunnel technique” enucleation of the middle lobe hyperplasia with preservation of the urethral ridge，while the HoLEP group underwent conventional prostate enucleation. Primary outcomes included postoperative retrograde ejaculation rate，International Index of Erectile Function（IIEF），Ejaculation Projection Score（EPS），IPSS，Quality of Life Score（QOL），Q max，post-void residual urine volume（PVR），operative time，and postoperative complications. Univariate analysis was used to screen potential influencing factors，followed by multivariate logistic regression to identify independent predictors. Results:Seventy patients with BPH were enrolled，with 35 in each group. Baseline characteristics，including age［（69.97 ± 5.14）years vs.（72.34 ± 5.08）years］，body mass index（BMI）［（22.99 ± 1.41）kg/m2 vs.（23.16 ± 1.38）kg/m2］，prostate volume［47.4（31.9，59.4）ml vs. 44.2（34.9，61.7）ml］，PSA［4.0（1.9，8.2）ng/ml vs. 3.1（2.6，5.0）ng/ml］，hemoglobin［（130.09 ± 12.92）g/L vs.（125.69 ± 17.26）g/L］，IPSS［17（10，22）vs. 17（10，27）］，QOL［5（4，5）vs. 4（4，5）］，Q max［7.5（6.3，9.1）ml/s vs. 7.0（5.9，8.9）ml/s］and PVR［65（22，167）ml vs. 60（16，150）ml］showed no statistically significant differences between the two groups（ P > 0.05）. Operative time［65（55，76）min vs. 63（55，73）min］，postoperative 2-hour hemoglobin［（124.17 ± 14.89）g/L vs.（120.11 ± 15.44）g/L］，and postoperative hospital stay［（3.94 ± 1.89）days vs.（3.66 ± 1.53）days］were also comparable between the two groups（ P > 0.05）. No significant difference was observed in the decrease in IIEF score［1（0，2）vs. 2（0，6）， P = 0.203］. EPS at 3 months［2（1，3）vs. 1（0，2）， P < 0.001］and at 6 months［2（1，2）vs. 1（0，2）， P < 0.001］postoperatively were significantly higher in the EP-HoLEP group. The incidence of postoperative UTI did not differ significantly［5.7%（2/35）vs. 2.9%（1/35）， P = 1.00］. Two cases of urinary retention occurred after catheter removal in the EP-HoLEP group，while none occurred in the HoLEP group. No blood transfusions or urethral strictures were reported in either group. The incidence of retrograde ejaculation was significantly lower in the EP-HoLEP group［28.6%（10/35）vs. 68.6%（24/35）， P <0.001］. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that urethral ridge preservation was an independent protective factor for retrograde ejaculation after HoLEP（ OR = 0.159，95% CI 0.053 ? 0.476， P = 0.001）. Conclusions:Urethral ridge preservation during HoLEP is safe and feasible，significantly reduces retrograde ejaculation，and preserves ejaculatory function，though it offers limited erectile function preservation. This approach is suitable for middle-aged，young，or younger elderly patients who prioritize ejaculatory quality，and provides clinical evidence for surgical optimization.

Objective:To investigate the indications for prenatal diagnosis using copy number variation-sequencing (CNV-seq) and the abnormalities detected by the method.Methods:This retrospective analysis involved 17 994 singleton pregnant women who underwent prenatal CNV-seq at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2019 to December 2022. These cases were divided into five groups based on the following indications for CNV-seq: abnormal fetal ultrasound findings, high-risk results indicated by non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) or Down's syndrome serological screening (Down's screening), adverse pregnancy history, and advanced maternal age. The proportions of cases with the indications for prenatal CNV-seq, the detection rates of abnormalities (numerical abnormalities of chromosomes, pathogenic/likely pathogenic CNV in structural abnormalities) in the five groups, and the distribution of these abnormalities were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square test. Results:Among the 17 994 pregnant women, the women with abnormal fetal ultrasound findings, high-risk NIPT results, high-risk Down's screening results, adverse pregnancy history, and advanced maternal age accounted for 32.65% (5 875/17 994), 11.90% (2 142/17 994), 31.62% (5 690/17 994), 11.70% (2 105/17 994), and 12.13% (2 182/17 994), respectively. The detection rates of abnormalities in the five groups were 10.60% (623/5 875), 34.64% (742/2 142), 4.69% (267/5 690), 2.99% (63/2 105), and 3.67% (80/2 182), respectively. The overall detection rate of abnormalities was 9.86% (1 775/17 994). The cases with numerical abnormalities of chromosomes accounted for 68.79% (1 221/1 775), trisomy 21 was predominant (49.30%, 602/1 221). Chromosomal structural abnormalities were detected in 31.21% (554/1 775) of the cases with abnormalities, with 57.76% (320/554) harboring pathogenic CNVs and 42.24% (234/554) harboring likely pathogenic CNVs. The detection rate of chromosomal numerical abnormalities was higher than that of structural abnormalities in the abnormal fetal ultrasound group, NIPT high-risk group, and advanced maternal age group [6.81% (400/5 875) vs. 3.80% (223/5 875), χ2=53.10; 27.96% (599/2 142) vs. 6.68% (143/2 142), χ2=338.40; 2.43% (53/2 182) vs. 1.24% (27/2 182), χ2=8.61; all P<0.01]. A total of 416 microdeletions and 255 microduplications were detected in the 554 cases. The top three regions with the highest frequencies in microdeletions were Xp22.31 (12.74%, 53/416), 22q11.21 (7.93%, 33/416), and 17q12 (5.77%, 24/416); in microduplications, they were 22q11.21 (14.90%, 38/255), 17q12 (3.53%, 9/255), and 7q11.23 (3.53%, 9/255). Conclusions:Abnormal fetal ultrasound findings accounted for the highest proportion of prenatal diagnostic indications. The overall detection rate of abnormalities by CNV-seq is relatively high, especially in those with high-risk NIPT results as an indication for prenatal diagnosis. Among the chromosomal structural abnormalities detected in this study, the frequencies of Xp22.31 microdeletion and 22q11.21 microduplication are higher.

Objective To observe the value of T1WI deep learning models for evaluating brain injury of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia(NHB).Methods Totally 106 NHB(defined as newborns with neonatal behavioral neurological assessment≤37,NHB group)and 119 non-NHB newborns(control group)in center A,as well as 34 NHB and 18 non-NHB newborns in center B were collected.ROI was delineated based on bilateral globus pallidus on T1WI.A total of 690 slices were obtained by preprocessing data of center A and then were divided into training set(n=552)and test set(n=138)at a ratio of 8∶2.ResNet18,DenseNet121 and EfficientNetB0 models was established,respectively.External validation was performed based on data of center B.Receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn,area under the curves(AUC)were calculated to evaluate the performance of models for assessing NHB brain injuries compared with traditional visual analysis.Results The AUC of ResNet18 model for evaluating NHB brain injury was 0.910-0.990,significantly higher than that of DenseNet121 model(0.710-0.820)and EfficientNetB0 model(0.640-0.740)(all P＜0.001).The accuracy,sensitivity and precision of ResNet18 model for evaluating NHB brain injury were all higher than those of visual analysis(all P＜0.05),while no significant difference of specificity was found between the above two(P＞0.05).Conclusion T1WI ResNet18 model showed excellent performance and generalization ability for evaluating NHB brain injury.

Objective To investigate the relationship between polymorphisms at the rs3093030 and rs5498 loci of the intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1)gene in combination with high sensitive C-reactive protein(hs-CRP)and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with HTN(T2MH)susceptibility.Methods 200 newly diagnosed T2DM patients,175 T2MH patients and 200 healthy controls from Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University between September 2021 and January 2022.Single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNP)-scan high-throughput technology was used to detect the genotyping of serum rs3093030 and rs5498 polymorphisms in the study subjects and to detect hs-CRP levels in peripheral plasma to analysed and explore the correlation between them and the development of T2MH.Results The peripheral blood hs-CRP expression level of patients in the T2MH group[2.65(1.18,6.50)mg/L]was significantly higher than that in the T2DM group[1.82(0.80,4.48)mg/L]and healthy controls[1.02(0.54,2.29)mg/L],and the differences were statistically significant(Z=-2.729,-7.132,all P<0.001).After population classification by genotype,it was found that compared with healthy controls,rs3093030 CC(Z=-3.912,-5.800),rs5498 AA(Z=-3.293,-4.944)and AG(Z=-3.275,-4.872)genotypes had significantly higher hs-CRP levels.The peripheral blood hs-CRP levels of patients with rs3093030 CT genotype in the T2MH group were significantly higher than that of healthy controls(Z=-3.987),and the differences was statistically significant(all P<0.001),respectively.Meanwhile,regression analysis showed that HS-CRP was a risk factor for both T2MH group and healthy control group(OR=1.181,95%CI=1.095～1.274,P<0.001).Conclusion There is a correlation between ICAM-1 gene rs3093030 and rs5498 polymorphisms combined with hs-CRP levels in peripheral blood and the pathogenesis of T2MH patients.

Objective To investigate CBX2 and TIM3 in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma(SACC)tissue and their relationship with clinical pathological features and prognosis.Methods 80 patients with SACC who underwent surgical treatment in the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from January 2016 to January 2020 were selected.Immunohistochemistry was used to measure CBX2 and TIM3 in tissues.The relationship between CBX2 and TIM3 in SACC tissue and prognosis was discussed though Kaplan-Meier method.The factors influencing the prognosis of SACC were discussed using multivariate Cox regression.Results The positive rates of CBX2 and TIM3 in SACC tissues were clearly higher than those in normal glandular tissues adjacent to cancer(χ2=11.237,8.229,P<0.05).The CBX2 and TIM3 were associated with nerve invasion and distant metastasis(P<0.05).After a 5-year follow-up,26 cases died and 54 cases survived,with an overall 5-year survival rate of 67.50%(54/80).The death group had higher positive rates of CBX2 and TIM3 in SACC tissues than the survival group(P<0.05).Patients with positive CBX2 and TIM3 in SACC tissues had clearly lower 5-year survival rate than patients with negative CBX2 and TIM3(Log Rank χ2=6.564,5.197,P<0.05).CBX2,TIM3 positivity,nerve invasion,and distant metastasis were risk factors affecting prognosis(P<0.05).Conclusion The positive expression of CBX2 and TIM3 in SACC tissues is closely related to the clinical pathological features and prognosis of patients.

Objective To investigate the relationship between polymorphisms at the rs3093030 and rs5498 loci of the intercellular adhesion molecule-1(ICAM-1)gene in combination with high sensitive C-reactive protein(hs-CRP)and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with HTN(T2MH)susceptibility.Methods 200 newly diagnosed T2DM patients,175 T2MH patients and 200 healthy controls from Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University between September 2021 and January 2022.Single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNP)-scan high-throughput technology was used to detect the genotyping of serum rs3093030 and rs5498 polymorphisms in the study subjects and to detect hs-CRP levels in peripheral plasma to analysed and explore the correlation between them and the development of T2MH.Results The peripheral blood hs-CRP expression level of patients in the T2MH group[2.65(1.18,6.50)mg/L]was significantly higher than that in the T2DM group[1.82(0.80,4.48)mg/L]and healthy controls[1.02(0.54,2.29)mg/L],and the differences were statistically significant(Z=-2.729,-7.132,all P<0.001).After population classification by genotype,it was found that compared with healthy controls,rs3093030 CC(Z=-3.912,-5.800),rs5498 AA(Z=-3.293,-4.944)and AG(Z=-3.275,-4.872)genotypes had significantly higher hs-CRP levels.The peripheral blood hs-CRP levels of patients with rs3093030 CT genotype in the T2MH group were significantly higher than that of healthy controls(Z=-3.987),and the differences was statistically significant(all P<0.001),respectively.Meanwhile,regression analysis showed that HS-CRP was a risk factor for both T2MH group and healthy control group(OR=1.181,95%CI=1.095～1.274,P<0.001).Conclusion There is a correlation between ICAM-1 gene rs3093030 and rs5498 polymorphisms combined with hs-CRP levels in peripheral blood and the pathogenesis of T2MH patients.

Objective:To investigate the indications for prenatal diagnosis using copy number variation-sequencing (CNV-seq) and the abnormalities detected by the method.Methods:This retrospective analysis involved 17 994 singleton pregnant women who underwent prenatal CNV-seq at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2019 to December 2022. These cases were divided into five groups based on the following indications for CNV-seq: abnormal fetal ultrasound findings, high-risk results indicated by non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) or Down's syndrome serological screening (Down's screening), adverse pregnancy history, and advanced maternal age. The proportions of cases with the indications for prenatal CNV-seq, the detection rates of abnormalities (numerical abnormalities of chromosomes, pathogenic/likely pathogenic CNV in structural abnormalities) in the five groups, and the distribution of these abnormalities were analyzed. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square test. Results:Among the 17 994 pregnant women, the women with abnormal fetal ultrasound findings, high-risk NIPT results, high-risk Down's screening results, adverse pregnancy history, and advanced maternal age accounted for 32.65% (5 875/17 994), 11.90% (2 142/17 994), 31.62% (5 690/17 994), 11.70% (2 105/17 994), and 12.13% (2 182/17 994), respectively. The detection rates of abnormalities in the five groups were 10.60% (623/5 875), 34.64% (742/2 142), 4.69% (267/5 690), 2.99% (63/2 105), and 3.67% (80/2 182), respectively. The overall detection rate of abnormalities was 9.86% (1 775/17 994). The cases with numerical abnormalities of chromosomes accounted for 68.79% (1 221/1 775), trisomy 21 was predominant (49.30%, 602/1 221). Chromosomal structural abnormalities were detected in 31.21% (554/1 775) of the cases with abnormalities, with 57.76% (320/554) harboring pathogenic CNVs and 42.24% (234/554) harboring likely pathogenic CNVs. The detection rate of chromosomal numerical abnormalities was higher than that of structural abnormalities in the abnormal fetal ultrasound group, NIPT high-risk group, and advanced maternal age group [6.81% (400/5 875) vs. 3.80% (223/5 875), χ2=53.10; 27.96% (599/2 142) vs. 6.68% (143/2 142), χ2=338.40; 2.43% (53/2 182) vs. 1.24% (27/2 182), χ2=8.61; all P<0.01]. A total of 416 microdeletions and 255 microduplications were detected in the 554 cases. The top three regions with the highest frequencies in microdeletions were Xp22.31 (12.74%, 53/416), 22q11.21 (7.93%, 33/416), and 17q12 (5.77%, 24/416); in microduplications, they were 22q11.21 (14.90%, 38/255), 17q12 (3.53%, 9/255), and 7q11.23 (3.53%, 9/255). Conclusions:Abnormal fetal ultrasound findings accounted for the highest proportion of prenatal diagnostic indications. The overall detection rate of abnormalities by CNV-seq is relatively high, especially in those with high-risk NIPT results as an indication for prenatal diagnosis. Among the chromosomal structural abnormalities detected in this study, the frequencies of Xp22.31 microdeletion and 22q11.21 microduplication are higher.

Objective To observe the value of T1WI deep learning models for evaluating brain injury of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia(NHB).Methods Totally 106 NHB(defined as newborns with neonatal behavioral neurological assessment≤37,NHB group)and 119 non-NHB newborns(control group)in center A,as well as 34 NHB and 18 non-NHB newborns in center B were collected.ROI was delineated based on bilateral globus pallidus on T1WI.A total of 690 slices were obtained by preprocessing data of center A and then were divided into training set(n=552)and test set(n=138)at a ratio of 8∶2.ResNet18,DenseNet121 and EfficientNetB0 models was established,respectively.External validation was performed based on data of center B.Receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn,area under the curves(AUC)were calculated to evaluate the performance of models for assessing NHB brain injuries compared with traditional visual analysis.Results The AUC of ResNet18 model for evaluating NHB brain injury was 0.910-0.990,significantly higher than that of DenseNet121 model(0.710-0.820)and EfficientNetB0 model(0.640-0.740)(all P＜0.001).The accuracy,sensitivity and precision of ResNet18 model for evaluating NHB brain injury were all higher than those of visual analysis(all P＜0.05),while no significant difference of specificity was found between the above two(P＞0.05).Conclusion T1WI ResNet18 model showed excellent performance and generalization ability for evaluating NHB brain injury.

Objective To investigate CBX2 and TIM3 in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma(SACC)tissue and their relationship with clinical pathological features and prognosis.Methods 80 patients with SACC who underwent surgical treatment in the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from January 2016 to January 2020 were selected.Immunohistochemistry was used to measure CBX2 and TIM3 in tissues.The relationship between CBX2 and TIM3 in SACC tissue and prognosis was discussed though Kaplan-Meier method.The factors influencing the prognosis of SACC were discussed using multivariate Cox regression.Results The positive rates of CBX2 and TIM3 in SACC tissues were clearly higher than those in normal glandular tissues adjacent to cancer(χ2=11.237,8.229,P<0.05).The CBX2 and TIM3 were associated with nerve invasion and distant metastasis(P<0.05).After a 5-year follow-up,26 cases died and 54 cases survived,with an overall 5-year survival rate of 67.50%(54/80).The death group had higher positive rates of CBX2 and TIM3 in SACC tissues than the survival group(P<0.05).Patients with positive CBX2 and TIM3 in SACC tissues had clearly lower 5-year survival rate than patients with negative CBX2 and TIM3(Log Rank χ2=6.564,5.197,P<0.05).CBX2,TIM3 positivity,nerve invasion,and distant metastasis were risk factors affecting prognosis(P<0.05).Conclusion The positive expression of CBX2 and TIM3 in SACC tissues is closely related to the clinical pathological features and prognosis of patients.