BACKGROUND:A large number of studies have demonstrated that stem cell exosomes play an important role in the repair of bone defects,either directly as carriers for loading other small molecules or surface modifications,or by binding to biomaterials to promote the repair and regeneration of bone tissue.OBJECTIVE:To summarize the osteogenic mechanisms of stem cell exosomes from different sources and their research progress in bone defect repair.METHODS:Chinese search terms"stem cell,exosome,bone,biomaterial,carrier,bioceramic,polymer,metal,hydrogel,engineered exosome"were used to search CNKI.English search terms"stem cell,exosome,bone defect,biomaterial,carrier,bioceramic,ploymer,metal material,hydrogel,engineering exosome"were used to search PubMed database.According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,77 relevant articles were finally included for summary.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Exosomes from stem cells of different origins can promote osteoblast proliferation and differentiation,promote angiogenesis,and regulate osteoclast activity and macrophage phenotype to promote bone formation and bone mineralization.In addition,many achievements of exosomes in the field of bone defect repair were described from two aspects:biomaterial-assisted exosomes and engineered exosomes.However,the current research on stem cell exosomes in bone tissue engineering is still insufficient,and most of these studies are limited to small animal models,while the treatment of bone defects in large animals,including humans,will be more complex,which will also become a major challenge for the treatment of bone defects.This will also be a great challenge in the dissemination of exosome therapy.

BACKGROUND:A large number of studies have demonstrated that stem cell exosomes play an important role in the repair of bone defects,either directly as carriers for loading other small molecules or surface modifications,or by binding to biomaterials to promote the repair and regeneration of bone tissue.OBJECTIVE:To summarize the osteogenic mechanisms of stem cell exosomes from different sources and their research progress in bone defect repair.METHODS:Chinese search terms"stem cell,exosome,bone,biomaterial,carrier,bioceramic,polymer,metal,hydrogel,engineered exosome"were used to search CNKI.English search terms"stem cell,exosome,bone defect,biomaterial,carrier,bioceramic,ploymer,metal material,hydrogel,engineering exosome"were used to search PubMed database.According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,77 relevant articles were finally included for summary.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Exosomes from stem cells of different origins can promote osteoblast proliferation and differentiation,promote angiogenesis,and regulate osteoclast activity and macrophage phenotype to promote bone formation and bone mineralization.In addition,many achievements of exosomes in the field of bone defect repair were described from two aspects:biomaterial-assisted exosomes and engineered exosomes.However,the current research on stem cell exosomes in bone tissue engineering is still insufficient,and most of these studies are limited to small animal models,while the treatment of bone defects in large animals,including humans,will be more complex,which will also become a major challenge for the treatment of bone defects.This will also be a great challenge in the dissemination of exosome therapy.

Purpose: It was aimed to clarify the casual connection between prostate cancer (PCa) and arthritis by utilizing two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis and data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database. Materials and Methods: This study utilized NHANES data. Through association analysis and risk stratification analysis, the association between arthritis and PCa were examined. MR analysis was performed to elucidate the causal relationship between arthritis and PCa. Sensitivity analysis and Steiger directionality test confirmed the reliability of the MR analysis results. Results: A total of 23,608 (PCa:controls=413:23,195) participants after a sample exclusion and variable definition process were screened in NHANES database. Adjustments across three diverse models consistently revealed a notable influence of arthritis on PCa progression. Arthritis was identified as a risk factor for PCa (odds ratio [OR] 1.88, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.36–2.62, p<0.001). Subsequent analysis indicated that in the arthritis-adjusted model with multiple covariates, the area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.94. The inverse variance weighting method of MR analysis showed a causal relationship between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and PCa (OR 1.090, 95% CI 1.053–1.128, p<0.001) as well as osteoar-thritis and PCa (OR 1.002, 95% CI 1.001–1.004, p=0.002). This suggested that RA and osteoarthritis were risk factors for PCa. The heterogeneity (p>0.05), horizontal pleiotropy (p>0.05), leave-one-out and Steiger test confirmed reliability of MR results. Conclusions NHANES database and MR analyses identified arthritis as a risk factor for PCa, offering fresh avenues for preventive and therapeutic approaches.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the latest research progress of graphene and its derivatives (GDs) in bone repair. METHODS: The relevant research literature at home and abroad in recent years was extensively accessed. The properties of GDs in bone repair materials, including mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, and antibacterial properties, were systematically summarized, and the unique advantages of GDs in material preparation, functionalization, and application, as well as the contributions and challenges to bone tissue engineering, were discussed. RESULTS: The application of GDs in bone repair materials has broad prospects, and the functionalization and modification technology effectively improve the osteogenic activity and material properties of GDs. GDs can induce osteogenic differentiation of stem cells through specific signaling pathways and promote osteogenic activity through immunomodulatory mechanisms. In addition, the parameters of GDs have significant effects on the cytotoxicity and degradation behavior. CONCLUSION GDs has great potential in the field of bone repair because of its excellent physical and chemical properties and biological properties. However, the cytotoxicity, biodegradability, and functionalization strategies of GDs still need to be further studied in order to achieve a wider application in the field of bone tissue engineering.
Graphite/pharmacology* ; Tissue Engineering/methods* ; Humans ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Biocompatible Materials/pharmacology* ; Bone Regeneration ; Tissue Scaffolds/chemistry* ; Cell Differentiation ; Bone and Bones ; Bone Substitutes/chemistry* ; Animals

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of in vitro cultured calculus bovis (ICCB) on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury (CIRI) and its mechanism. METHODS: A CIRI rat model and a cell model were induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in Sprague Dawley rats and oxygen glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) in BV2 cells, respectively. The CIRI rat model was evaluated using the modified neurological severity score (mNSS), brain water content, and cerebral infarction volume after 1.5 h of ischemia followed by 72 h of reperfusion. Histopathological changes in the cortex and hippocampal CA1 region were observed with hematoxylin and eosin staining. Microglial polarization and NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein (NLRP) 3 inflammasome expression in the cortex were examined by immunofluorescence. BV2 cell viability was measured via MTT assay after treatment with ICCB and Nigericin. The expressions of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 proteins and inflammatory cytokines were detected with Western blotting in OGD/R treated BV2 cells (0.5 h OGD+24 h reperfusion) and in cells pretreated with Nigericin for 24 h. RESULTS: ICCB treatment significantly improved neurological function, reduced cerebral infarct volume and brain water content, and mitigated pathological damage in the cortical and hippocampal CA1 regions of rats subjected to CIRI (all P<0.05). ICCB promoted the transition of cortical microglia from M1 to M2 phenotypes and suppressed NLRP3 activation in microglial cells (all P<0.01). ICCB significantly down-regulated the expression of NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1 proteins, and reduced the secretion of IL-18 and IL-1β in BV2 cells of OGD/R model (all P<0.01). In addition, Nigericin significantly reversed the salvage effect of ICCB on model cells (both P<0.01) and the modulation of inflammatory cytokines (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS ICCB exerts a protective effect against CIRI by mitigating neuroinflammation, through the reduction of M1 microglial polarization, promotion of M2 conversion, and suppression of the NLRP3/ASC/caspase-1 signaling pathway.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reperfusion Injury/prevention & control* ; Microglia/metabolism* ; Rats ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein ; Brain Ischemia/metabolism* ; Male

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of intraoperative blood salvage autotransfusion on local recurrence and long-term metastasis of patients after carotid body tumor resection. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a consecutive series of 61 patients undergoing elective carotid body tumor resection from August 2009 to December 2020. Among them, 14 received intraoperative blood salvage autotransfusion (autotrasfusion group) and 47 did not (non-autotransfusion). Data of general information, surgical status and postoperative follow-up results were collected. RESULTS: The proportion of Shamblin Ⅲ in the autotransfusion group was 85.7%, which was significantly higher than 31.9% in the non-autotransfusion group (P=0.003). The average operation time of the 14 patients in the autotransfusion group was (264±84) min, intraoperative blood loss was 1 200 (700, 2 700) mL, and autologous blood transfusion was 500 (250, 700) mL. Of these, 8 patients (57%) required concomitant allogeneic blood with 400 (260, 400) mL of allogeneic blood. The average operation time of the 47 patients in the non-autotransfusion group was (153±75) min, and the intraoperative blood loss was 300 (100, 400) mL. Of these, 6 (13%) required allogeneic blood transfusion, and 520 (400, 520) mL of allogeneic blood was used. Compared with the non-autotransfusion group, the average operation time in the autologous blood transfusion group was significantly longer (P < 0.001), and the intraoperative blood transfusion volume was larger (P=0.007). Of the 14 patients undergoing autotransfusion, 8 (57%) needed allogeneic blood at the same time; while in the 47 non-autologous transfusion patients, 6 (13%) needed allogeneic blood transfusion. The proportion of autotransfusion group using allogeneic blood at the same time was even higher (P=0.002). The incidence of nerve injury within 30 days after surgery was 29.5%, and there was no significant difference between the two groups. No early deaths occurred. The average follow-up was (76±37) months. One case of local recurrence occurred in the non-autotransfusion group. There was no distant metastasis. There were no tumor-related deaths. The estimated 5-year and 10-year overall survival rates were 96.4% and 83.8%, respectively. There was no significant difference in overall survival between the two groups (P=0.506). CONCLUSION The use of intraoperative blood salvage autotransfusion increased no risk of local recurrence and distant metastasis in patients with carotid body tumor, which is safe and effective in carotid body tumor resection.
Humans ; Blood Transfusion, Autologous/methods* ; Operative Blood Salvage/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Female ; Carotid Body Tumor/pathology* ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; Aged ; Adult ; Operative Time

Objective:To investigate the sleep characteristics and clinical features of patients with vestibular migraine（VM）, and to explore the influencing factors of sleep disorder in VM patients. Methods:A cross-sectional study method was adopted to collect VM patients from Otolaryngology department and neurology department of our hospital from June 2022 to June 2024（divided into sleep disorder group and non-sleep disorder group according to whether there is sleep disorder） as the experimental group, and recruit non-VM volunteers with clinical characteristics matching with the experimental group during the same period as the control group. The clinical data of the subjects were collected, and the sleep quality of the subjects was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index（PSQI）. The influencing factors of sleep disorders in VM patients were analyzed by multivariate Logistic regression, and the correlation between sleep disorders and clinical features such as headache, vertigo and hearing in VM patients was analyzed by Spearman correlation coefficient. Results:A total of 530 individuals with VM were analyzed, including 332 with sleep disturbances（62.64%）, 198 without sleep issues（37.36%）, and 50 in the control group. The overall PSQI score and all its components were significantly higher in the VM group compared with the control group（P<0.05）. A positive correlation was observed between PSQI and VAS, DHI-T, DHI-E, DHI-F and DHI-P（r=0.797, P<0.05; r=0.834, P<0.05; r=0.794, P<0.05; r=0.771, P<0.05; r=0.877, P<0.05）, PSQI had no correlation with pure tone hearing（r=0.324, P=0.167）. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that female, age ≥60 years, living alone, duration of disease ≥3 months, motion sickness history, and HADS-A were independent influencing factors for comorbidification of sleep disorder in VM patients（P<0.05）. Conclusion:The prevalence of sleep disorders in patients with vestibular migraine（VM） was significantly higher compared to the control group. Moreover, the severity of sleep disorders was positively correlated with the intensity of headache and vertigo in VM patients. It is recommended that female VM patients aged 60 years or older, living alone, with a disease duration of three months or longer, a history of motion sickness, and anxiety symptoms undergo sleep assessments to determine the presence of sleep disorders. This approach provides a theoretical foundation for precise treatment and prevention strategies for VM.
Humans ; Migraine Disorders/complications* ; Sleep Wake Disorders/complications* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Vertigo ; Female ; Male ; Vestibular Diseases/complications* ; Sleep Quality ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Logistic Models

Objective:This study aims to investigate the influence of microvessel density（MVD） and microlymphatic vessel density（MLVD） on the prognosis of patients with hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma（HPSCC） and to develop a nomogram prediction model for prognosis based on pathological characteristics. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinicopathological and follow-up data from HPSCC patients who underwent surgical treatment at our institution between June 2010 and June 2020. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on tumor tissues and adjacent normal margin tissues to evaluate MVD and MLVD. The associations among MVD, MLVD, and clinicopathological features were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were conducted to identify independent risk factors affecting overall survival（OS）. Based on these findings, a nomogram model was constructed and its predictive accuracy was assessed using C-index, receiver operating characteristic（ROC） curve, and calibration curve. Results:Both MVD and MLVD were significantly higher in HPSCC tumor tissues compared to normal tissues. Patients in the high MVD and high MLVD groups exhibited significantly lower OS rates than those in the low MVD and low MLVD groups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that N stage, recurrence, nerve invasion, lymph node capsule invasion, MVD, and MLVD were independent prognostic factors of OS. Based on these factors, a nomogram prognosis model was successfully constructed. The nomograms demonstrated superior performance in terms of C-index, area under the ROC curve, and calibration, outperforming the AJCC TNM staging system. Conclusion:Elevated MVD and MLVD levels are associated with poorer prognosis in HPSCC patients. The nomogram model based on pathological features provides valuable insights for clinical assessment and decision-making.
Humans ; Hypopharyngeal Neoplasms/blood supply* ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Microvascular Density ; Nomograms ; Lymphatic Vessels/pathology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/blood supply* ; Microvessels/pathology* ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Survival Rate

Kupffer cells (KCs), as residents and sentinels of the liver, are involved in the formation of hepatic fibrosis (HF). However, the biological functions of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in KCs to HF have not been determined. In this study, the expression levels of circRNAs, microRNAs, and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in KCs from a mouse model of HF mice were investigated using microarray and circRNA-Seq analyses. circDcbld2 was identified as a candidate circRNA in HF, as evidenced by its up-regulation in KCs. Silver staining and mass spectrometry showed that Wtap and Igf2bp2 bind to cirDcbld2. The suppression of circDcbld2 expression decreased the KC inflammatory response and oxidative stress and inhibited hepatic stellate cell (HSCs) activation, attenuating mouse liver fibrogenesis. Mechanistically, Wtap mediated the N ⁶-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation of circDcbld2, and Igf2bp2 recognized m6A-modified circDcbld2 and increased its stability. circDcbld2 contributes to the occurrence of HF by binding miR-144-3p/Et-1 to regulate the inflammatory response and oxidative stress. These findings indicate that circDcbld2 functions via the m6A/circDcbld2/miR-144-3p/Et-1 axis and may act as a potential biomarker for HF treatment.