The toad, known for its various medicinal properties including parotid gland secretion (toad venom), dried skin, and gallbladder (toad bile), holds considerable medicinal applications as a valuable traditional Chinese animal medicine. Currently, in-depth attentions have been paid to the chemical composition and pharmacological properties of toad venom and skin; however, a lesser number of detailed analyses were concentrated on the toad bile. This review provides an overview of the chemical constituents in the bile of the Bufo genus, with a special focus on the cholestane and bufadienolides, and highlights the progress in their biosynthetic pathway and pharmacological activities. The analysis uncovers a distinct category of unsaturated Δ²² or Δ²³-C₂₇/C₂₈ bile acids in the toad gallbladder, potentially acting as key intermediaries in forming C-17 α-pyrone of bufadienolides. Furthermore, the high presence of 3α-OH configured bufadienolides in toad bile, in contrast to the common 3β-OH configured found in toad venom or skin, indicates a possible link between their minimal toxicity and the toad's self-defensive or physiological control. This review provides scientific basis for the development and utilization of toad bile resources, and provides useful reference for the discovery of lead compounds, analysis of the biosynthetic pathway of bufadienolides, and research on toad physiology.

Ubiquitin-specific protease 1 (USP1) is one of the deubiquitinating enzymes which has received increasing attention in cancer research. USP1 is overexpressed in many types of cancer cells, and has been found to control tumorigenesis and progression by regulating various proteins associated with tumors, such as SIK2, GSK-3β, and Bcl-2. Knockdown or pharmacological inhibition of USP1 can effectively suppress tumors and is also expected to address the issues of cisplatin and poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor resistance. This review describes the structure and function of USP1 and the relationship between USP1 targets and tumors and systematically summarizes the structure-activity relationships of small molecule USP1 inhibitors disclosed from 2013 to 2023. Finally, this review discusses the challenges and opportunities in developing small molecule USP1 inhibitors.

As the second largest cofactor after ATP in body, S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) is responsible for methyl donor in SAM-dependent methyltransferases (MTases). The methylation of essential ingredients (e.g., DNA, RNA, protein) plays a critical role in epigenetic regulation, cellular signal transduction and metabolic cycles, which is closely related to different kinds of diseases. Therefore, SAM-dependent methyltransferases are considered as promising drug targets. Currently, a growing number of nucleoside analogues have been developed as SAM-competitive inhibitors, blocking the downstream signaling pathways to cure diseases. In the review, we outline the design strategy and optimization process of methyltransferase inhibitors, analyze the shortcomings and solutions of developing nucleoside derivatives as MTase inhibitors, to provide guidance and broad direction to the development of nucleoside MTase inhibitors.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of joint needling method combined with ultrasound in the treatment of qi stagnation and blood stasis type of patellofemoral pain syndrome(PFPS).Methods Eighty-six patients with qi stagnation and blood stasis type of PFPS were randomly divided into observation group and control group,with 43 cases in each group.The control group was given western medicine conventional treatment combined with functional exercise,and the observation group was given joint needling method combined with ultrasound treatment on the basis of the control group.Both groups were treated for 2 consecutive weeks.After 2 weeks of treatment,the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated,and the changes in the Visual Analogue Scale(VAS)scores of knee pain and the Kujala scale scores of the two groups were observed before and after treatment.The changes in active range of motion(AROM)of the affected knee joint were compared before and after treatment between the two groups.Results(1)After treatment,the VAS scores of the two groups of patients were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the observation group was significantly superior to the control group in improving the level of VAS scores,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(2)After treatment,the Kujala scores of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the observation group was significantly superior to the control group in improving the level of Kujala scores,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(3)After treatment,the AROM of patients in the two groups were significantly improved(P＜0.05),and the observation group was significantly superior to the control group in improving the level of AROM,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).(4)The total effective rate was 95.35%(41/43)in the observation group and 81.40%(35/43)in the control group.The efficacy of the observation group was superior to that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion The joint needling method combined with ultrasound can significantly relieve the pain symptoms of patients with PFPS and promote the recovery of knee joint function,and the clinical efficacy is remarkable.

BACKGROUND:Currently,there have been studies on the regulatory mechanism of lncRNA\miRNA\mRNA co-expression network on the occurrence and development of osteoarthritis.Our research group has screened qualified NONHSAT248596.1 and miR-146a-5p through the database in the previous stage,but the corresponding in vivo experiments to verify the above regulatory mechanisms are still lacking. OBJECTIVE:To explore the role of NONHSAT248596.1 in regulating competitive endogenous RNA of miR-146a-5p in cartilage degeneration mediated by stromal cell derived factor type 1/chemokine receptor 4 axis in vivo. METHODS:The models of osteoarthritis were established in 36 New Zealand rabbits by injecting stromal cell derived factor 1 solution into the knee joint of the right hind limb.According to the random number table method,they were divided into four groups.lncRNA group,miRNA group,ceRNA group and control group were injected with lentivirus vector overexpressing NONHSAT248596.1,lentivirus vector overexpressing miR-146a-5p,lentivirus vector overexpressing miR-146a-5p+NONHSAT248596.1 and empty lentivirus vector into the molded knee joint,respectively.At 4,8 and 12 weeks of modeling,cartilage tissues and subchondral bone tissues of the knee joint were taken for relevant detection. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Hematoxylin-eosin staining and safranin fast green staining showed different degrees of degeneration in the four groups.At 4 weeks,the cartilage tissue of the lncRNA group showed swelling of chondrocytes,loss of cell polarity,destruction of extracellular matrix,surface erosion,fracture formation and partial or full layer loss of cartilage tissue.The degree of cartilage injury was gradually aggravated with time.The progression of articular cartilage inflammation in the miRNA group was the slowest among the four groups.qRT-PCR showed that at the same time point,mRNA expression levels of NONHSAT248596.1,chemokine receptor 4,matrix metalloproteinase 3,matrix metalloproteinase 9 and matrix metalloproteinase 13 in cartilage tissue of the lncRNA group were higher than those of the other three groups(P＜0.05).The mRNA expression levels of miR-146a-5p,aggrecan and type Ⅱ collagen were lower than those of the other three groups(P＜0.05).The mRNA expression levels of NONHSAT248596.1,chemokine receptor 4,matrix metalloproteinase 3,matrix metalloproteinase 9 and matrix metalloproteinase 13 in the miRNA group were lower than those in the ceRNA group and control group at 8 and 12 weeks after the model construction(P＜0.05).The mRNA expressions of miR-146a-5p,aggrecan and type Ⅱ collagen were higher than those of the ceRNA group and control group(P＜0.05).Western blot assay showed that at the same time point,the expression levels of aggrecan and type Ⅱ collagen in cartilage tissue of the lncRNA group were always lower than those of the other three groups(P＜0.05).The expression levels of aggrecan and type Ⅱ collagen in cartilage tissue of the miRNA group at 8 and 12 weeks after modeling were higher than those of the ceRNA group and control group(P＜0.05).The results showed that miR-146a-5p,as the target of NONHSAT248596.1,could be inhibited by the effect of its ceRNA.After acting on miR-146a-5p,NONHSAT248596.1 regulates the stromal cell derived factor type 1/chemokine receptor 4 axis to affect the expression of matrix metalloprotein,type Ⅱ collagen,and aggrecan in osteoarthritis chondrocytes,resulting in the degradation of extracellular matrix and the loss of proteoglycan.

BACKGROUND:Obesity has become a global health issue,often accompanied by complications including obesity-related muscle atrophy.While exercise has been reported to improve various obesity-related diseases,there is limited research focusing on exercise modes. OBJECTIVE:To compare the effects of moderate-intensity continuous training(MICT)and high-intensity interval training(HIIT)on obesity-related muscle atrophy in mice under the premise of the same exercise distance,providing a scientific basis for exercise interventions for obesity-related muscle atrophy. METHODS:Seventy-two male C57BL/6 mice were divided into six groups(n=12 per group):standard chow diet,standard chow diet+MICT,standard chow diet+HIIT,high-fat diet,high-fat diet+MICT,and high-fat diet+HIIT.The study evaluated the effects of 8-week treadmill training with different exercise modes on long-term high-fat diet-induced muscle atrophy by detecting muscle mass,muscle index,muscle fiber cross-sectional area,muscle lipid deposition,and the expression of muscle atrophy marker genes Murf-1 and Atrogin-1 in the gastrocnemius muscle of mice exposed to long-term high-fat diet. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared to the high-fat diet group,both MICT and HIIT improved the decrease in gastrocnemius muscle index(MICT+18.8%vs.HIIT+17.6%,not significant between the two modes),muscle fiber atrophy(MICT+15.5%vs.HIIT+13.7%,not significant between the two modes),and muscle lipid deposition(MICT-19.8%vs.HIIT-17.1%,not significant between the two modes).At the gene level,compared with the high-fat diet group,both MICT and HIIT could significantly down-regulate the expression of Murf-1(MICT-62.4%vs.HIIT-52.6%,the down-regulation caused by MICT was significantly greater than that by HIIT;P＜0.01)and Atrogin-1(MICT-43.3%vs.HIIT-29.8%,the down-regulation caused by MICT was significantly greater than that by HIIT;P＜0.01).Based on exercise mode comfort and genetic evidence,MICT mode might be more suitable for exercise interventions in obesity-related muscle atrophy.

Different sagittal and vertical malocclusions exhibit different characteristics in the growth,development,and final morphol-ogy of the temporomandibular joint.Different skeletal malocclusions affect the spatial and morphological characteristics of the final tem-poromandibular joint through different growth and development mechanisms.These mechanisms have important guiding significance for determining the etiology and guiding treatment plans of maxillofacial malocclusion in children and adolescents in clinical practice.This article summarized and analyzed morphological differences of the temporomandibular joint fossa and condyle in different sagittal and ver-tical malocclusions,as well as the relative position of the condyle in the fossa.It is found that there is a connection between different maxillofacial malocclusions and the characteristics of the temporomandibular joint,with the vertical direction having a more significant impact on the temporomandibular joint than the sagittal direction;the impact of vertical malocclusion on the temporomandibular joint is mainly reflected in the shape of the joint fossa and the position of the condyle in the fossa.The joint fossa of hyperdivergent malocclu-sion is often relatively low and flat,with the condyle located in the anterior upper position of the fossa.The joint fossa of hypodivergent is relatively narrow and deep,and the condyle is relatively backward and lower in the joint fossa.The possible mechanisms were also elaborated,providing reference for clinicians'comprehensive diagnosis and treatment.

Objective:To investigate the effects of antibacterial absorbable suture closure in the repair of small range of bone defect wounds due to deep sternal wound infection after median thoracotomy.Methods:This study was a retrospective non-randomized clinical controlled study. A total of 32 patients (20 males and 12 females, aged (58±11) years) who met the inclusion criteria and underwent closure with antibacterial absorbable sutures (hereinafter referred to as direct closure surgery) admitted to Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital of Southern Medical University (hereinafter referred to as our hospital) from October 2017 to December 2021 were included in direct closure group. A total of 39 patients (27 males and 12 females, aged (59±11) years) who met the inclusion criteria and received bilateral pectoralis major muscle flap packing repair admitted to our hospital from January 2015 to January 2020, were included in muscle flap packing group. In the two groups, sternal infected wounds were thoroughly debrided during stage Ⅰ surgery, followed by wound repair during stage Ⅱ surgery. The width of sternal cross-section defects after debridement was less than 1 cm for patients in the two groups. For patients in direct closure group, stage Ⅱ wound repair involved intermittent sutures to the anterior sternal plate or full-thickness sternum with a total of 6 or 7 double sternal sutures. Relevant data including the duration of the stage Ⅱ wound repair surgery and the volume of blood loss during surgery, length of hospital stay, and bacterial wound infection of patients in the two groups were recorded. The postoperative complications and wound healing of patients in the two groups were recorded. During follow-up, the wound infection or recurrence of patients in the two groups and the sternal healing of patients in direct closure group were observed.Results:Compared with those in muscle flap packing group, the duration of stage Ⅱ wound repair surgery and length of hospital stay of patients in direct closure group were significantly shorter (with t values of 13.61 and 6.25, respectively, P<0.05), and there was no statistically significant difference in intraoperative blood loss volume of the stage Ⅱ wound repair surgery between the two groups ( P>0.05). The main bacterial infection in the two groups was Staphylococcus. In direct closure group, one patient had exudation in the wound two weeks post-operation, however the wound healed well after two weeks of conservative dressing changes; the wounds of the other patients healed well. In muscle flap packing group, 5 patients had postoperative complications, of which one patient died, and the wounds of 4 patients healed after dressing change or reoperation; the wounds of the other patients healed well. There was no statistically significant difference in complication incidence of patients between the two groups ( P>0.05). During the follow-up of 22-45 months, there was no re-infection or recurrence in the wound of patients in direct closure group and surviving patients in muscle flap packing group, the sternum of patients in the direct closure group achieved anatomical union. Conclusions:Direct closure surgery can not only effectively repair sternal cross-sectional defects with width below 1 cm due to deep sternal wound infections after median thoracotomy, but can also significantly shorten the operation time and duration of hospitalization.

AIM:To explore the roles and associations of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4 alpha(HNF4A)and mu-protocadherin(MUCDHL)in the kidney of diabetic mice.METHODS:(1)A cohort of six 12-week-old db/m mice and six db/db mice were selected and maintained on a standard diet until 16 weeks.The protein levels of fibronectin(FN),collagen type III(Col-III),E-cadherin,α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA),HNF4A,Snail and MUCDHL in renal tissues were scrutinized using Western blot.Immunohistochemical staining was conducted to observe the distribution and expres-sion of FN,HNF4A and MUCDHL.(2)Mouse renal tubular epithelial cells(mRTEC)were cultured in vitro and catego-rized into groups:normal glucose(NG)group,high glucose(HG)group,overexpression control groups(NG+vector and HG+vector),overexpression groups(NG+OE-MUCDHL,HG+OE-MUCDHL,NG+OE-HNF4A and HG+OE-HNF4A),knockdown control groups(NG+control and HG+control),and knockdown groups(NG+si-MUCDHL,HG+si-MUCDHL,NG+si-HNF4A and HG+si-HNF4A).The relevant protein levels were also detected by Western blot.RESULTS:(1)In db/db group,elevated body weight,blood glucose and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio(UACR)indicated significant re-nal injury.Compared with db/m group,the mice in db/db group exhibited increased expression of FN,Col-III,α-SMA and Snail,and decreased expression of E-cadherin,HNF4A and MUCDHL.MUCDHL was predominantly expressed in the apical membrane of renal tubular epithelial cells,FN in the tubular mesenchyme,and HNF4A in the plasma and nu-cleus of renal tubular cells.(2)In HG group,there was an up-regulation in the expression of fibrosis-related proteins and a down-regulation in the expression of E-cadherin,HNF4A and MUCDHL compared with NG group.Overexpression of MUCDHL led to a decrease in the expression of FN,Col-III,α-SMA and Snail proteins,an increase in the expression of E-cadherin and MUCDHL proteins,and unaltered expression of HNF4A.Knockdown of MUCDHL resulted in a reversal of the aforementioned effects,with HNF4A expression remaining unaltered.Overexpression of HNF4A led to an increased ex-pression of MUCDHL,and the expression changes of the remaining indicators were consistent with the overexpression of MUCDHL.Knockdown of HNF4A reversed the aforementioned effects.MUCDHL may represent a downstream target gene of HNF4A.CONCLUSION:The diminished expression of HNF4A and MUCDHL in the renal tubules of diabetic mice implies their involvement in the progression of renal fibrosis in diabetic kidney disease(DKD).HNF4A may potentially impede the progression of renal fibrosis in DKD by up-regulating the expression of MUCDHL.

Objective To observe and compare the changes of vertebral bone mineral density(BMD)in the early stages of spinal Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.Methods Patients who underwent spinal surgery at Xiangya Hospital,Central South University from January 1 to December 31,2023 were continuously enrolled(spinal tuber-culosis group),based on gender matching,non-spinal tuberculosis surgical patients treated for spinal stenosis were selected as the control group.Dual-energy X-ray scans were performed on the enrolled patients,difference in verte-bral BMD between two groups of patients was compared.An animal model of spinal Mycobacterium tuberculosis in-fection(referred to as the animal model)was constructed,differences in microstructure of trabecular bone between spinal tuberculosis group and control group was compared,and the bone volume/tissue volume(BV/TV),the thickness of trabecular bone(Tb.Th),the number of trabecular bone(Tb.N),and sparse density of trabecular(Tb.Sp)were used as evaluation indexes to further analyze the bone quality differences between the diseased verte-brae and the neighboring vertebrae.Results 69 patients were included in the spinal tuberculosis group and the con-trol group,respectively.The BMD of patients in the spinal tuberculosis group(0.793[0.712,0.869]g/cm2)was lower than that of the control group(0.907[0.800,1.020]g/cm2),difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Microstructure of trabecular bone BV/TV([18.4±5.4]％),Tb.Th([0.124±0.010]mm)in the spinal tuberculosis group of animal model were significantly altered compared with BV/TV([22.6±3.2]％),Tb.Th([0.160±0.017]mm)in the control group(both P＜0.05).In the spinal tuberculosis group,microstructure of diseased vetebral trabecular bone BV/TV([25.5±6.7]％)and Tb.N([1.871±0.443]/mm)were significantly lower than BV/TV([26.6±6.8]％)and Tb.N([1.969±0.454]/mm)in the neighboring vertebrae,both with statistically difference(both P＜0.05).Conclusion In the early stages of spinal Mycobacterium tuberculosis infec-tion,microstructure of vertebral trabecular bone can be altered,leading to a decrease in BMD.