This paper introduces Professor LIU Zhibin 's clinical experience in the treatment of subjective tinnitus with acupuncture based on the "kidney-bone-brain" axis. Professor LIU proposes that the disease is most closely related to the kidney and brain. The lesion is located in the brain, and the pathogenesis is kidney essence deficiency, marrow sea loss, and ear orifice dystrophy. The "kidney-bone-brain" shows close correlation in physiological function, pathological changes and treatment. According to the "kidney-bone-brain" axis, Professor LIU proposes that the treatment of subjective tinnitus should be tonifying kidney qi, tonifying essence and filling marrow, and the principle of local acupoint selection, touching bone acupuncture, matching distal acupoints and proximal acupoints, tonifying kidney and benefiting brain should be adopted. The acupoints of Tinggong (SI19) and Yifeng (TE17) are selected to be treated with touching bone acupuncture, combined with Taixi (KI3), Shenshu (BL23), Baihui (GV20) and Shenting (GV24), so as to achieve common benefit of kidney, bone and brain, and multi-angle treatment.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/history* ; Tinnitus/physiopathology* ; Acupuncture Points ; Kidney/physiopathology* ; Brain/physiopathology* ; Bone and Bones/physiopathology* ; Female ; Male ; Adult ; Middle Aged

Steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH) is avascular necrosis of the femoral head caused by long-erm use of corticosteroids, and its pathogenesis is complex and affected by changes in the dynamic balance of the bone microenvironment. With the deepening of research, the role of bone microenvironment in the pathogenesis of SONFH has been gradually revealed. In the case of excessive use of glucocorticoids (GCs), the bone microenvironment changes significantly, causing imbalance in bone lipid metabolism, microcirculation disorders and disorders of immune regulation, which promotes the increase of the number and activity of osteoclasts, and interferes with the differentiation of osteoblasts and adipoblasts. Through the regulation of PI3K/AKT, OPG/RANKL/RANK, MAPK, JAK/STAT, Hedgehog and other signaling pathways, it eventually leads to osteocyte apoptosis, bone microvascular rupture and destruction of trabecular bone structure, which in turn leads to osteonecrosis, bone density reduction and bone microstructure destruction due to bone microcirculation ischemia, and finally leads to necrosis of the femoral head. This article reviews the role of bone microenvironment homeostasis in GCs-induced ONFH and the regulatory mechanism of bone microenvironment, which is helpful to reveal the pathogenesis of SONFH and provide a theoretical basis for exploring effective intervention strategies.
Humans ; Femur Head Necrosis/physiopathology* ; Animals ; Signal Transduction ; Bone and Bones/metabolism* ; Glucocorticoids/adverse effects* ; Cellular Microenvironment

The bone-touching acupuncture method, as one of the five-body acupuncture techniques, is widely used and highly effective in the treatment of brain diseases, though its theoretical foundation has been lacking. This paper explores the close connection between bones and the brain in both physiological and pathological states, as described in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) classics, and explains the "bone-brain axis" concept within the framework of TCM. It summarizes the effects and characteristics of the five-body acupuncture techniques, traces the origins and modern applications of the bone-touching acupuncture method, and discusses its theoretical basis for treating brain diseases. The aim is to provide a reference for future clinical and mechanistic research on bone-touching acupuncture in brain disease treatment and to offer new perspectives and approaches for acupuncture treatment of brain diseases.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods* ; Brain/physiopathology* ; Brain Diseases/physiopathology* ; Bone and Bones/physiopathology* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods*

To analyze the differentially expressed exosomal miRNAs in subchondral osteoblasts in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and to investigate the key miRNAs potentially involved in the occurrence and progression of OA.
 Methods: Subchondral bones were harvested from 6 patients with OA. All subjects were divided into two groups which was based on the severity of joint wear: An OA group, severely worn side of subchondral bone, and a control group, less worn side of subchondral bone. The exosomes were extracted from osteoblast cells and their characteristics were identified. Then exosomal miRNAs were extracted and sequencing analysis was conducted to compare the expression in the two groups. The most differentially expressed ones (log2Ratio≥2) were subject to miRNA target prediction and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) to further quantify the difference.
 Results: Osteoblast extractions were confirmed to be exosomes, which were small double-membranous vesicles with 30-200 nm in diameter and 50-150 nm in peak value of particle size under the scanning microscope. High-throughput sequencing revealed 124 miRNAs whose expression significantly increased in the OA group. The most differentially expressed one with maximum fold change was hsa-miR-4717-5p and its target gene was RGS2. RT-qPCR demonstrated hsa-miR-4717-5p expression in the OA group was relatively higher than that in the control group (2.243 vs 0.480, P<0.01).
 Conclusion: There is distinct difference in expression profiles of exosomal miRNAs in subchondral osteoblasts between patients with OA and normal subjects. Up-regulated expression of miRANs might participate in OA occurrance and progression.
Bone and Bones ; Exosomes ; genetics ; pathology ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; Osteoarthritis ; physiopathology ; Osteoblasts ; pathology

Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) represents a mild or compensated form of primary hypothyroidism. The diagnosis of SCH is controversial, as its symptoms are non-specific and its biochemical diagnosis is arbitrary. The treatment of SCH was examined among non-pregnant adults, pregnant adults and children. In non-pregnant adults, treatment of SCH may prevent its progression to overt hypothyroidism, reduce the occurrence of coronary heart disease, and improve neuropsychiatric and musculoskeletal symptoms associated with hypothyroidism. These benefits are counteracted by cardiovascular, neuropsychiatric and musculoskeletal side effects. SCH is associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes that may improve with treatment. Treating SCH in children is safe and may improve growth. Importantly, the evidence in this field is largely from retrospective and prospective studies with design limitations, which precludes a conclusive recommendation for the treatment of SCH.
Adolescent ; Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Bone and Bones ; Child ; Coronary Disease ; blood ; Disease Progression ; Female ; Goiter ; complications ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; blood ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Male ; Migraine Disorders ; physiopathology ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Treatment Outcome

Primary osteoporosis (POP) is one of the most common diseases in the elderly people resulting in high risk of fracture and poor quality of life. In addition to the pathological changes in bone mass, most of the POP patients also suffer from Chinese medicine (CM) syndromes of Shen (Kidney) essence deficiency. Shen essences are highly related to bone. Shen essence deficiency plays an important part in the development of POP and a better diagnosis of POP could be made by combining CM syndromes with Western medicine risk factors. Treatments of POP should aim at both increasing the bone mass and relieving the syndromes of Shen essence deficiency. Clinical study confirmed that treating POP patients with Shen-tonifying herbs could increase the bone mass and relieve the CM syndromes of POP patients. Basic researches clarified the mechanism by which Shen-tonifying herbs increased bone mass in animal models. The mechanisms by which Shentonifying herbs relieve the CM syndromes are still in investigation.
Aging ; pathology ; Animals ; Bone and Bones ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Kidney ; pathology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Osteoporosis ; drug therapy

The therapeutic effects and mechanisms of traditional Chinese kidney-tonifying drugs in treating osteoporosis have become the focus under study. Pharmacological studies have shown that traditional Chinese kidney-tonifying drugs are promoters for the proliferation of osteoblasts, inhibitors for the activity of osteoclasts, regulators for the estrogen level and its receptor, plays important roles in promoting osteogenesis and suppressing adipogenesis of marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), modulating the function of OPG/RANK/RANKL system and the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus, as well as antioxidation. The anti-osteoporotic active ingredients and pharmacological action mechanism of traditional Chinese kidney-tonifying drugs are summarized from the perspective of molecular and cell biology in this paper, so as to provide references for the study of their mechanism of anti-osteoporosis and for the development of traditional Chinese kidney-tonifying and bone-strengthening drugs.
Animals ; Bone and Bones ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Kidney ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Osteoporosis ; drug therapy ; physiopathology

Bone is a unique organ composed of mineralized hard tissue, unlike any other body part. The unique manner in which bone can constantly undergo self-remodeling has created interesting clinical approaches to the healing of damaged bone. Healing of large bone defects is achieved using implant materials that gradually integrate with the body after healing is completed. Such strategies require a multidisciplinary approach by material scientists, biological scientists, and clinicians. Development of materials for bone healing and exploration of the interactions thereof with the body are active research areas. In this review, we explore ongoing developments in the creation of materials for regenerating hard tissues.
Animals ; Bone Regeneration/*drug effects ; Bone Substitutes/*therapeutic use ; Bone and Bones/*drug effects/pathology/physiopathology ; Ceramics/therapeutic use ; Diffusion of Innovation ; Fracture Healing/drug effects ; Humans ; Hydrogels ; Polymers/therapeutic use ; Regenerative Medicine/*trends ; Tissue Engineering/*trends ; Treatment Outcome

To introduce the approaches and procedures of neurologic erectile dysfunction (ED) assessment in our institute, and evaluate the neurologic investigation by making an analysis of 58 cases. Diagnostic criteria of neurologic ED: nervous system injuries or diseases, abnormal clinical symptoms and signs, electrophysiological abnormalities of nervous system, abnormal results of nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity (NPTR) (penis rigidity <60% and lasting time <10 minutes). In the group of 20 patients with the injuries of the brain, spinal cord or spinal root nerves, pudendal cortical somatic evoked potential (PCSEP), sacral reflex latency (SRL), pudendal-to-cortical motor evoked potential (PCMEP), penile sym- pathetic skin responses (PSSR) and NPTR showed abnormality by 45%, 20%, 20%, 85% and 85%, re- spectively. In 38 patients with the injuries of pelvic fracture with urethra break, PCSEP, SRL, PCMEP, PSSR and NPTR showed abnormality by 24%, 5%, 20%, 92% and 66%, respectively. In the former, 35% were identified to have severe ED, and 50%, moderate ED; in the latter, 21%, to have severe ED, 13%, medium ED, and 37%, light ED. The approaches and procedures were proved to possess excellent specificity and reliability in the assessment of neurological ED.
Erectile Dysfunction/physiopathology* ; Evoked Potentials, Motor ; Fractures, Bone/complications* ; Humans ; Male ; Pelvic Bones/injuries* ; Penile Erection ; Penis/physiopathology* ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spinal Cord Injuries/complications*

Sheng's acupuncture manipulation at bone-nearby acupoints is a set of needling manipulation of the chief physician of TCM, SHENG Xie-sun, summarized through his over 50 years clinical experiences and on the basis of Internal Classic. Regarding this manipulation, on the premise of acupoint selection based on syndrome differentiation, the acupoints close to bone are possibly selected and punctured, with the needle tip toward bone edge, and followed by the technique to achieve reducing purpose. Clinically, the significant immediate analgesia can be achieved in pain disorders such as headache and toothache. Professor Sheng thought, corresponding to the location of needle insertion and needling depth, the tissue layers of needle tip passing through should be considered specially. The site of needle insertion should be changeable so as to ensure the needle tip reaching the bone. This manipulation for analgesia provides a certain guide for acupuncture study, especially for the mechanism study on acupuncture analgesia.
Acupuncture ; education ; history ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; history ; methods ; Bone and Bones ; physiopathology ; China ; History, 20th Century ; Humans ; Meridians ; Pain Management ; history ; methods