Osteoarthritis (OA), a highly prevalent degenerative joint disease worldwide, is defined by articular cartilage degradation, abnormal bone remodeling, and persistent chronic inflammation. It severely compromises patients’ quality of life, and currently, there is no radical cure. Abnormal mechanical stress is widely regarded as a core driver of OA pathogenesis, and the exploration of mechanical signal perception and transduction mechanisms has become crucial for deciphering OA’s pathophysiological processes. Piezo1, a key mechanosensitive cation channel belonging to the Piezo protein family, has recently gained significant attention due to its pivotal role in mediating cellular responses to mechanical stimuli in joint tissues. This review systematically examines Piezo1’s expression patterns, regulatory mechanisms, and pathological functions in OA, with a particular focus on its dual roles in modulating chondrocyte homeostasis and bone metabolism disorders, while also delving into the underlying molecular signaling pathways and potential therapeutic implications. Piezo1, consisting of approximately 2 500 amino acids and forming a unique trimeric propeller-like structure, is widely expressed in chondrocytes, osteocytes, mesenchymal stem cells, and synovial cells. It exhibits permeability to cations such as Ca²⁺, K⁺, and Na⁺, and directly responds to membrane tension changes induced by mechanical stimuli like fluid shear stress and mechanical overload. In OA patients and animal models, Piezo1 expression is significantly upregulated, especially in cartilage regions subjected to abnormal mechanical stress (e.g., human temporomandibular joint cartilage). This overexpression is closely associated with aggravated cartilage degeneration, increased chondrocyte apoptosis, accelerated cellular senescence, and intensified inflammatory responses. Mechanical overload and pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β) are key inducers of Piezo1 upregulation: IL-1β activates the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway to enhance Piezo1 expression, forming a pathogenic positive feedback loop that inhibits chondrocyte autophagy, promotes apoptosis, and further accelerates joint degeneration. Mechanistically, Piezo1 mediates OA progression through multiple interconnected pathways. When activated by mechanical stress, Piezo1 triggers excessive Ca²⁺ influx, leading to endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and mitochondrial dysfunction, which directly induce chondrocyte apoptosis. This process involves the activation of downstream signaling cascades such as cGAS-STING and YAP-MMP13/ADAMTS5. YAP, a transcriptional regulator, upregulates the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) and aggrecanase (ADAMTS5), thereby accelerating cartilage matrix degradation. Additionally, Piezo1-driven Ca²⁺ overload promotes the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and upregulates senescence markers (p16 and p21), accelerating chondrocyte senescence via the p38MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Senescent chondrocytes secrete senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors (e.g., IL-6, IL-1β), further amplifying joint inflammation. In terms of bone metabolism, Piezo1 maintains joint homeostasis by promoting the differentiation of fibrocartilage stem cells into chondrocytes and balancing bone formation and resorption through regulating the FoxC1/YAP axis and RANKL/OPG ratio. Therapeutically, targeting Piezo1 shows promising potential. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that Piezo1 inhibitors (e.g., GsMTx4) can reduce joint damage and alleviate pain in OA mice. Simultaneously, siRNA-mediated co-silencing of Piezo1 and TRPV4 (another mechanosensitive channel) decreases intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration, inhibits chondrocyte apoptosis, and promotes cartilage repair. Conditional knockout of Piezo1 using Gdf5-Cre transgenic mice alleviates cartilage degeneration in post-traumatic OA models by downregulating MMP13 and ADAMTS5 expression. Despite existing challenges, such as off-target effects of inhibitors, inefficient local drug delivery, and interindividual genetic variability, strategies like developing selective Piezo1 antagonists, optimizing targeted nanocarriers, and combining Piezo1-targeted therapy with physical therapy provide viable avenues for clinical translation. The authors propose that Piezo1 serves as a critical therapeutic target for OA, and future research should focus on deciphering its context-dependent regulatory networks, developing tissue-specific intervention strategies, and validating their efficacy and safety in clinical trials to address the unmet medical needs of OA patients.

Objective To compare the performance of 7 Chinese-developed GenAI models (DeepSeek, Wenxin Yiyan, Tongyi, Doubao, Kimi, Hunyuan, and iFLYTEK Spark) in responding to common diseases of the pediatric genitourinary system and to explore their potential applications.Methods A total of 80 questions covering basic disease information, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis related to “hypospadias, hydronephrosis, and cryptorchidism” were developed as prompts.The models were tested under 3 modes:“quick thinking, ”“deep thinking, ” and “deep thinking + internet access.” The results were evaluated in a blinded review by two pediatric urologists.The responses were graded into 4 levels—A, B, C, and D—based on accuracy, completeness, and relevance.The proportions of responses rated as A and A+B were statistically analyzed and compared across the different models/modes.Results The “deep thinking” mode of DeepSeek demonstrated the best performance, with 88% of responses rated as A and 96% rated as A+B.DeepSeek (deep thinking + internet access), Doubao (quick thinking), Hunyuan (deep thinking), and Doubao (deep thinking + internet access) followed closely, also showing excellent response capabilities.Among the top 5 models/modes, significant differences were observed in the proportion of Alevel responses (P＜0.05), while differences in the proportion of A+B-level responses were not statistically significant (P＞0.05).Conclusion Certain Chinese-developed GenAI models, represented by DeepSeek (deep thinking), demonstrate significant application potential.However, they still cannot consistently provide recommendations rated at the A+B level (recommended grade or higher) with 100% accuracy.In clinical practice, both doctors and patients should view GenAI as an auxiliary tool for education and information acquisition rather than as a final decision-making authority.All information must be reviewed and confirmed by professional physicians.

Objective:To explore the relationship between post-traumatic growth and stress perception as well as the chain-mediated roles of psychological resilience and navigating social support in patients with primary liver cancer(PLC), in order to provide theoretical ideas for the nursing and intervention of PLC patients.Methods:Convenience sampling was used to select PLC patients admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital, Third Affiliated Hospital, and Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from October 2023 to May 2024 as the research subjects. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale, Perceived Social Support Scale, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale.Results:A total of 236 PLC patients were ultimately included, including 189 males and 47 females. Age distribution was as follows: 18-40 years years (7 cases), 41-60 years (128 cases), and ≥61 years (101 cases). Posttraumatic growth showed a significant negative correlation with perceived stress ( r=-0.512, P<0.01), while demonstrating positive correlations with psychological resilience and perceived social support ( r=0.605, 0.515, both P<0.01). Psychological resilience and perceived social support had mediating and chain mediating effects between perceived stress and posttraumatic growth, with mediating effects of -0.176 and -0.069, accounting for 29.24% and 11.46% of the total effect, respectively. The chain mediating effect value was 0.073, accounting for 12.13% of the total effect. Conclusions:The pathway of stress perception on post-traumatic growth in patients with PLC is indirect, and stress perception can contribute to the growth of post-traumatic growth in patients through psychological resilience, and navigating social support.

Aim To explore the potential mechanism of metformin on ATP-binding cassette transport A1(ABCA1)expression.Methods J774A.1 macrophages were treated with metformin and cycloheximide,and ABCA1 expression was determined by Western blot.His-tagged ABCA1 and HA-tagged Ub plasmids were co-transferred into HEK293 cells and stimulated with metformin.Co-immunoprecipitation(Co-IP)was used to test the binding ability of ABCA1 and ubiquitin.Candidate E3 ubiquitin-protein ligases(CE3)of ABCA1 were identified through Co-IP-based pro-teomics.The MIB1 plasmid was constructed and transferred into HEK293 cells,and Western blot was used to determine the effect of metformin and MIB1 on ABCA1 expression.Results Metformin increased the expression of ABCA1 in J774A.1 cells(P<0.01),and inhibited ABCA1 degradation(P<0.05).Metformin disrupted the binding of ABCA1 to ubiquitin(P<0.05).The proteins regulated by metformin in ABCA1 expression were primarily enriched in pathways re-lated to cell development,inflammation and immune defense.Metformin may upregulate ABCA1 protein expression via MIB1(P<0.05).Conclusion Metformin inhibits the degradation of ABCA1 by blocking the ubiquitin-proteasome system(UPS),and MIB1 might act as a candidate E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase(CE3)for ABCA1.

Objective:To investigate the clinical experience and efficacy of unrelated umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for the treatment of congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (CAMT).Methods:A case summary was conducted.The clinical data of 2 children with CAMT who were finally cured by unrelated umbilical cord blood HSCT in the Department of Pediatric Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from March 2020 to August 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.Related studies were retrieved from databases CNKI, Wanfang and PubMed using search terms including " congenital amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia" and " hematopoietic stem cell transplantation" from the inception to July 2024.The clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment processes, and prognosis of CAMT patients treated by HSCT were then summarized.Results:Both cases exhibited scattered skin haemorrhages throughout the body and carried 2 compound heterozygous mutations with pathogenicity in the MPL gene.Both patients were finally diagnosed with CAMT.Case 1 was a girl aged 3 at the time of transplantation, and case 2 was also a girl, who aged 5 at the time of transplantation.Both of them received unrelated umbilical cord blood HSCT and hematopoietic reconstruction was achieved.The time of neutrophil and platelet implantation was 21 and 40 days after transplantation in case 1, and 20 and 31 days in case 2, respectively.The chimerism rate of neutrophil implantation in both children was complete chimerism of donor cells.Implantation syndrome was detected in case 1 following transplantation.Case 2 suffered implantation syndrome, hypertensive encephalopathy, and cytomegalovirus infection following transplantation.Both children showed no graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).Both children had hematopoietic and immune reconstruction after transplantation and their primary diseases were cured.Cases 1 and 2 were followed up for more than 14 and 17 months, respectively.Both of them achieved disease-free survival during the follow up.Literature review of 26 cases with CAMT treated by HSCT, including the above-mentioned 2 cases was conducted, with an overall disease-free survival rate of 92.3%(24/26).Of 12 cases with CAMT typing, 10 were type Ⅰ and 2 were type Ⅱ.Of the 26 cases treated by HSCT, 17 had bone marrow HSCT, with an overall survival rate of 88.2%(15/17), and 2 had peripheral blood HSCT.Seven cases had umbilical cord blood HSCT (6 cases receiving unrelated umbilical cord blood HSCT and 1 case receiving related umbilical cord blood HSCT), with an overall survival rate of 100%.Unlike bone marrow and peripheral blood HSCT, unrelated umbilical cord blood HSCT did not result in 3-4 grade GVHD. Conclusions:Unrelated umbilical cord blood HSCT can achieve good therapeutic effects in CAMT patients when there is no suitable donor.Myeloablative pretreatment is conducive to CAMT patients.

Periodontal bone defects, primarily caused by periodontitis, are highly prevalent in clinical settings and manifest as bone fenestration, dehiscence, or attachment loss, presenting a significant challenge to oral health. In regenerative medicine, harnessing developmental principles for tissue repair offers promising therapeutic potential. Of particular interest is the condensation of progenitor cells, an essential event in organogenesis that has inspired clinically effective cell aggregation approaches in dental regeneration. However, the precise cellular coordination mechanisms during condensation and regeneration remain elusive. Here, taking the tooth as a model organ, we employed single-cell RNA sequencing to dissect the cellular composition and heterogeneity of human dental follicle and dental papilla, revealing a distinct Platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) mesenchymal stem/stromal cell (MSC) population with remarkable odontogenic potential. Interestingly, a reciprocal paracrine interaction between PDGFRA⁺ dental follicle stem cells (DFSCs) and CD31⁺ Endomucin⁺ endothelial cells (ECs) was mediated by Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and Platelet-derived growth factor subunit BB (PDGFBB). This crosstalk not only maintains the functionality of PDGFRA⁺ DFSCs but also drives specialized angiogenesis. In vivo periodontal bone regeneration experiments further reveal that communication between PDGFRA⁺ DFSC aggregates and recipient ECs is essential for effective angiogenic-osteogenic coupling and rapid tissue repair. Collectively, our results unravel the importance of MSC-EC crosstalk mediated by the VEGFA and PDGFBB-PDGFRA reciprocal signaling in orchestrating angiogenesis and osteogenesis. These findings not only establish a framework for deciphering and promoting periodontal bone regeneration in potential clinical applications but also offer insights for future therapeutic strategies in dental or broader regenerative medicine.
Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha/metabolism* ; Humans ; Neovascularization, Physiologic/physiology* ; Dental Sac/cytology* ; Single-Cell Analysis ; Transcriptome ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Bone Regeneration ; Animals ; Dental Papilla/cytology* ; Periodontium/physiology* ; Stem Cells/metabolism* ; Regeneration ; Angiogenesis

Iron is an essential trace element in the human body, crucial in maintaining normal physiological functions. Recent studies have identified iron ions as a significant factor in initiating the ferroptosis process, a novel mode of programmed cell death characterized by iron overload and lipid peroxide accumulation. The iron metabolism pathway is one of the primary mechanisms regulating ferroptosis, as it maintains iron homeostasis within the cell. Numerous studies have demonstrated that abnormalities in iron metabolism can trigger the Fenton reaction, exacerbating oxidative stress, and leading to cell membrane rupture, cellular dysfunction, and damage to tissue structures. Therefore, regulation of iron metabolism represents a key strategy for ameliorating ferroptosis and offers new insights for treating diseases associated with iron metabolism imbalances. This review first summarizes the mechanisms that regulate iron metabolic pathways in ferroptosis and discusses the connections between the pathogenesis of various diseases and iron metabolism. Next, we introduce natural and synthetic small molecule compounds, hormones, proteins, and new nanomaterials that can affect iron metabolism. Finally, we provide an overview of the challenges faced by iron regulators in clinical translation and a summary and outlook on iron metabolism in ferroptosis, aiming to pave the way for future exploration and optimization of iron metabolism regulation strategies.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality based on the 10-year population-based multicenter prospective study. METHODS: A general population-based multicenter prospective study was conducted at four sites in rural China between 2013 and 2023. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models and restricted cubic spline analyses were used to assess the association between BMI and mortality. Stratified analyses were performed based on the individual characteristics of the participants. RESULTS: Overall, 19,107 participants with a sum of 163,095 person-years were included and 1,910 participants died. The underweight (< 18.5 kg/m ²) presented an increase in all-cause mortality (adjusted hazards ratio [ aHR] = 2.00, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.66-2.41), while overweight (≥ 24.0 to < 28.0 kg/m ²) and obesity (≥ 28.0 kg/m ²) presented a decrease with an aHR of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.52-0.73) and 0.51 (95% CI: 0.37-0.70), respectively. Overweight ( aHR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67-0.86) and mild obesity ( aHR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.59-0.87) had a positive impact on mortality in people older than 60 years. All-cause mortality decreased rapidly until reaching a BMI of 25.7 kg/m ² ( aHR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) and increased slightly above that value, indicating a U-shaped association. The beneficial impact of being overweight on mortality was robust in most subgroups and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSION This study provides additional evidence that overweight and mild obesity may be inversely related to the risk of death in individuals older than 60 years. Therefore, it is essential to consider age differences when formulating health and weight management strategies.
Humans ; Body Mass Index ; China/epidemiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Rural Population/statistics & numerical data* ; Aged ; Follow-Up Studies ; Adult ; Mortality ; Cause of Death ; Obesity/mortality* ; Overweight/mortality*

OBJECTIVE To establish HPLC fingerprints of three drying processes(Atmospheric pressure drying,Decompression drying,Freeze-drying)of Danggui Buxue granules,and combine them with antioxidant tests to determine the optimal drying process and main active components of Danggui Buxue granules.METHODS The fingerprints of multiple batches of Danggui Buxue granules were established by HPLC;the"Fingerprint Similarity Evaluation System of Traditional Chinese Medicine Chromatogram"was used to evaluate the similarity;Hierarchical Cluster Analysis(HCA)and Principal Component Analysis(PCA)were used to characterize the different drying processes of Danggui Buxue granules;evaluate the antioxidant activity of Danggui Buxue granules in different drying processes using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazy(DPPH)and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)diammonium salt(ABTS)free radical scavenging method;the spectrum-effect relationship between Danggui Buxue granules fingerprint and antioxi-dant activity was analyzed by grey correlation degree and Pearson,Spearman,Kendall's tau-b correlation analysis methods.RE-SULTS The results of fingerprint showed that there were 16 common peaks in 30 batches of Danggui Buxue granules,and 6 of them were identified by comparison.The results of Cluster Analysis and Principal Component Analysis showed that 30 batches of Danggui buxue granules were divided into 3 categories,and the difference between the groups of atmospheric pressure drying was the least.The results of oxidation test showed that different drying processes of Danggui Buxue granules had good antioxidant activity,and the atmos-pheric pressure drying had the lowest IC50 and the strongest antioxidant activity.Finally,combining the results of gray correlation anal-ysis and correlation analysis,the compounds F2,F10,F13(calycosin),F15(formononetin),F16 might be important characteristic peaks reflecting the antioxidant activity of Danggui Buxue granules.CONCLUSION Compared with other drying processes,atmos-pheric pressure drying has higher batch consistency and stronger antioxidant activity,and can be used as the preferred drying process for Danggui Buxue granules,and components 2,10,13,15 and 16 are the main active ingredients for Danggui Buxue granules to exert antioxidant effects.