As the important source of bone cells, osteoblasts are involved in bone formation and repair, and play a key role in maintaining bone balance. If the osteogenic differentiation process in vivo is disrupted, a variety of bone-related diseases may occur. Natural products, which have a wide range of sources, a wide variety of physiological activities, and few toxic side-effects, have been found in recent years to be able to regulate osteoblast differentiation. Based on the sources of natural products, this paper reviews the intervention of natural products from plant, animal and microbial sources on osteogenic differentiation, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for natural products in the treatment of bone diseases.

This study explores the role and underlying molecular mechanisms of fucoidan sulfate(FPS) in regulating heme oxygenase-1(Hmox1)-mediated ferroptosis to ameliorate myocardial injury in diabetic cardiomyopathy(DCM) through in vivo and in vitro experiments and network pharmacology analysis. In vivo, a DCM rat model was established using a combination of "high-fat diet feeding + two low-dose streptozotocin(STZ) intraperitoneal injections". The rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal, model, FPS, and dapagliflozin(Dapa) groups. In vitro, a cellular model was created by inducing rat cardiomyocytes(H9c2 cells) with high glucose(HG), using zinc protoporphyrin(ZnPP), an Hmox1 inhibitor, as the positive control. An automatic biochemical analyzer was used to measure blood glucose(BG), serum aspartate aminotransferase(AST), serum lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), and serum creatine kinase-MB(CK-MB) levels. Echocardiography was used to assess rat cardiac function, including ejection fraction(EF) and fractional shortening(FS). Pathological staining was performed to observe myocardial morphology and fibrotic characteristics. DCFH-DA fluorescence probe was used to detect reactive oxygen species(ROS) levels in myocardial tissue. Specific assay kits were used to measure serum brain natriuretic peptide(BNP), myocardial Fe~(2+), and malondialdehyde(MDA) levels. Western blot(WB) was used to detect the expression levels of myosin heavy chain 7B(MYH7B), natriuretic peptide A(NPPA), collagens type Ⅰ(Col-Ⅰ), α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA), ferritin heavy chain 1(FTH1), solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11), glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4), 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal(4-HNE), and Hmox1. Immunohistochemistry(IHC) was used to examine Hmox1 protein expression patterns. FerroOrange and Highly Sensitive DCFH-DA fluorescence probes were used to detect intracellular Fe~(2+) and ROS levels. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe changes in mitochondrial morphology. In network pharmacology, FPS targets were identified through the PubChem database and PharmMapper platform. DCM-related targets were integrated from OMIM, GeneCards, and DisGeNET databases, while ferroptosis-related targets were obtained from the FerrDb database. A protein-protein interaction(PPI) network was constructed for the intersection of these targets using STRING 11.0, and core targets were screened with Cytoscape 3.9.0. Molecular docking analysis was conducted using AutoDock and PyMOL 2.5. In vivo results showed that FPS significantly reduced AST, LDH, CK-MB, and BNP levels in DCM model rats, improved cardiac function, decreased the expression of myocardial injury proteins(MYH7B, NPPA, Col-Ⅰ, and α-SMA), alleviated myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis, and reduced Fe~(2+), ROS, and MDA levels in myocardial tissue. Furthermore, FPS regulated the expression of ferroptosis-related markers(Hmox1, FTH1, SLC7A11, GPX4, and 4-HNE) to varying degrees. Network pharmacology results revealed 313 potential targets for FPS, 1 125 targets for DCM, and 14 common targets among FPS, DCM, and FerrDb. Hmox1 was identified as a key target, with FPS showing high docking activity with Hmox1. In vitro results demonstrated that FPS restored the expression levels of ferroptosis-related proteins, reduced intracellular Fe~(2+) and ROS levels, and alleviated mitochondrial structural damage in cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, FPS improves myocardial injury in DCM, with its underlying mechanism potentially involving the regulation of Hmox1 to inhibit ferroptosis. This study provides pharmacological evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of FPS for DCM-induced myocardial injury.
Animals ; Ferroptosis/drug effects* ; Rats ; Diabetic Cardiomyopathies/physiopathology* ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Polysaccharides/pharmacology* ; Heme Oxygenase-1/genetics* ; Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism* ; Myocardium/pathology* ; Humans ; Cell Line ; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing)

This study explored the potential therapeutic targets and mechanisms of Danggui Shaoyao San(DSS) in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease(AD) through transcriptomics and metabolomics, combined with animal experiments. Fifty male C57BL/6J mice, aged seven weeks, were randomly divided into the following five groups: control, model, positive drug, low-dose DSS, and high-dose DSS groups. After the intervention, the Morris water maze was used to assess learning and memory abilities of mice, and Nissl staining and hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining were performed to observe pathological changes in the hippocampal tissue. Transcriptomics and metabolomics were employed to sequence brain tissue and identify differential metabolites, analyzing key genes and metabolites related to disease progression. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR) was employed to validate the expression of key genes. The Morris water maze results indicated that DSS significantly improved learning and cognitive function in scopolamine(SCOP)-induced model mice, with the high-dose DSS group showing the best results. Pathological staining showed that DSS effectively reduced hippocampal neuronal damage, increased Nissl body numbers, and reduced nuclear pyknosis and neuronal loss. Transcriptomics identified seven key genes, including neurexin 1(Nrxn1) and sodium voltage-gated channel α subunit 1(Scn1a), and metabolomics revealed 113 differential metabolites, all of which were closely associated with synaptic function, oxidative stress, and metabolic regulation. RT-qPCR experiments confirmed that the expression of these seven key genes was consistent with the transcriptomics results. This study suggests that DSS significantly improves learning and memory in SCOP model mice and alleviates hippocampal neuronal pathological damage. The mechanisms likely involve the modulation of synaptic function, reduction of oxidative stress, and metabolic balance, with these seven key genes serving as important targets for DSS in the treatment of AD.
Animals ; Alzheimer Disease/genetics* ; Male ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Metabolomics ; Transcriptome/drug effects* ; Maze Learning/drug effects* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Humans ; Disease Models, Animal ; Memory/drug effects*

Following the core outcome set standards for development(COS-STAD), this study aims to construct core outcome set(COS) for clinical research on traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) treatment of simple obesity. Firstly, a comprehensive review was conducted on the randomized controlled trial(RCT) and systematic review(SR) about TCM treatment of simple obesity that were published in Chinese and English databases to collect reported outcomes. Additional outcomes were obtained through semi-structured interviews with patients and open-ended questionnaire surveys for clinicians. All the collected outcomes were then merged and organized as an initial outcome pool, and then a preliminary list of outcomes was formed after discussion by the working group. Subsequently, two rounds of Delphi surveys were conducted with clinicians, methodology experts, and patients to score the importance of outcomes in the list. Finally, a consensus meeting was held to establish the COS for clinical research on TCM treatment of simple obesity. A total of 221 RCTs and 12 SRs were included, and after integration of supplementary outcomes, an initial outcome pool of 141 outcomes were formed. Following discussions in the steering advisory group meeting, a preliminary list of 33 outcomes was finalized, encompassing 9 domains. Through two rounds of Delphi surveys and a consensus meeting, the final COS for clinical research on TCM treatment of simple obesity was determined to include 8 outcomes: TCM symptom scores, body mass index(BMI), waist-hip ratio, waist circumference, visceral fat index, body fat rate, quality of life, and safety, which were classified into 4 domains: TCM-related outcomes, anthropometric measurements, quality of life, and safety. This study has preliminarily established a COS for clinical research on TCM treatment of simple obesity. It helps reduce the heterogeneity in the selection and reporting of outcomes in similar clinical studies, thereby improving the comparability of research results and the feasibility of meta-analysis and providing higher-level evidence support for clinical practice.
Humans ; Obesity/therapy* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Treatment Outcome ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*

Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) is a critical endocrine mediator implicated in male reproductive physiology. To investigate the correlation between IGF2 protein levels and various aspects of male infertility, specifically focusing on sperm quality, inflammation, and DNA damage, a cohort of 320 male participants was recruited from the Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (Hangzhou, China) between 1 st January 2024 and 1 st March 2024. The relationship between IGF2 protein concentrations and sperm parameters was assessed, and Spearman correlation and linear regression analysis were employed to evaluate the independent associations between IGF2 protein levels and risk factors for infertility. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure IGF2 protein levels in seminal plasma, alongside markers of inflammation (tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α] and interleukin-1β [IL-1β]). The relationship between seminal plasma IGF2 protein levels and DNA damage marker phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX) was also explored. Our findings reveal that IGF2 protein expression decreased notably in patients with asthenospermia and teratospermia. Correlation analysis revealed nuanced associations between IGF2 protein levels and specific sperm parameters, and low IGF2 protein concentrations correlated with increased inflammation and DNA damage in sperm. The observed correlations between IGF2 protein levels and specific sperm parameters, along with its connection to inflammation and DNA damage, underscore the importance of IGF2 in the broader context of male reproductive health. These findings lay the groundwork for future research and potential therapeutic interventions targeting IGF2-related pathways to enhance male fertility.
Humans ; Male ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor II/metabolism* ; Infertility, Male/genetics* ; DNA Damage ; Adult ; Inflammation/metabolism* ; Spermatozoa/metabolism* ; Semen Analysis ; Semen/metabolism* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Histones/metabolism* ; Interleukin-1beta/metabolism*

(+)-Strebloside, a significant bioactive compound isolated from the roots of Streblus asper Lour., demonstrates inhibitory effects against multiple malignancies. However, its specific function and underlying mechanistic pathways in Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) remain unexplored. This investigation sought to elucidate the role and potential mechanisms of (+)-strebloside-induced NHL cell death. The results demonstrated that (+)-strebloside significantly induced apoptosis and ferroptosis in NHL cells, including those from Raji cell-derived xenograft models. Mechanistic analyses revealed that (+)-strebloside enhanced six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 3 (STEAP3)-induced ferroptosis in NHL, and STEAP3 inhibition reduced the proliferation-inhibitory effects of (+)-strebloside. Furthermore, (+)-strebloside suppressed NHL proliferation through the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) inhibition diminished the proliferation-inhibitory activity induced by (+)-strebloside. These findings indicate that (+)-strebloside presents promising therapeutic potential for NHL treatment.
Humans ; Ferroptosis/drug effects* ; Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin/physiopathology* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; MAP Kinase Signaling System/drug effects* ; Animals ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Mice ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Membrane Proteins/genetics* ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays ; Male ; Mice, Nude

In recent years, the rapid development of transportation and sports industries, coupled with the accelerated population aging in China, has led to a steady increase in the incidence of articular cartilage injuries, wear, and degenerative changes. Currently, the clinical treatment options for cartilage defects primarily include conservative therapies and surgical interventions, both of which have certain limitations. Cartilage tissue engineering (CTE), as a novel technology, provides an infinite prospect for cartilage regeneration and repair. Because of the abilities of scaffolds to mimic the natural cartilage structure, exhibit excellent biocompatibility and biomimetic mechanical properties, and promote cell adhesion and proliferation, scaffolds are considered effective delivery systems for growth factors, genes, and drugs. This review summarizes the clinical treatments for cartilage defects and their limitations, discusses the materials and preparation techniques of scaffolds used in CTE, with a particular focus on drug-loaded scaffold delivery systems in cartilage repair and regeneration, and offers a perspective on the future application of drug-loaded CTE. The aim is to provide theoretical guidance and new approaches for the repair of cartilage defects.
Tissue Engineering/methods* ; Humans ; Tissue Scaffolds ; Drug Delivery Systems/methods* ; Regeneration ; Cartilage, Articular/physiology* ; Animals ; Biocompatible Materials

G protein-coupled receptor (GPR) 40, as one of GPRs family, plays a potential role in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism. To study the effect of GPR40 novel agonist SZZ15-11 on hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia and its potential mechanism, spontaneous type 2 diabetic KKA^y mice, human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells and murine mature adipocyte 3T3-L1 cells were used. KKA^y mice were divided into four groups, vehicle group, TAK group, SZZ (50 mg·kg^-1) group and SZZ (100 mg·kg^-1) group, with oral gavage of 0.5% sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), 50 mg·kg^-1 TAK875, 50 and 100 mg·kg^-1 SZZ15-11 respectively for 45 days. Fasting blood glucose, blood triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC), non-fasting blood glucose were tested. Oral glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test were executed. Blood insulin and glucagon were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). After mice′s execution, liver tissue was harvested to test TG and TC content. Then pathological morphology of liver was observed through hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and the lipid metabolism relative signal pathway was analyzed by Western blot and RT-PCR. The experiments were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. At the same time, Akt phosphorylation level in HepG2 cells and adiponectin in 3T3-L1 cells treated with TNFα were measured with Western blot. The results show that SZZ15-11 not only decreased blood glucose and lipid, improved insulin sensitivity, but also increased fasting blood glucagon and promoted insulin secretion after glucose loading in KKA^y mice. Additionally, SZZ15-11 alleviated hepatic steatosis and liver dysfunction in KKA^y mice. In liver tissue, SZZ15-11 increased AMPKα phosphorylation level and cholesterol metabolism relative gene Abcg8 transcription. In HepG2 cells, SZZ15-11 increased Akt phosphorylation level. In adipocyte 3T3-L1, SZZ15-11 recovered the decreased adiponectin expression by TNFα. This study proved that GPR40 agonist SZZ15-11 could be a candidate compound for regulating glucolipid metabolic disorder.

Objective To observe the effects of carvedilol on renal function in mice with diabetic kidney disease(DKD)and to preliminarily study its mechanism of action.Methods C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into control group,model group and experimental group,with 10 mice in each group.The mouse model of type Ⅰ diabetes was established by intraperitoneal injection of 150 mg·kg-1 streptozotocin(STZ).After successful modeling,the experimental group mice were given 10 mg·kg-1·d-1 carvedilol by gavage,while the control group and model group were given equal amounts of 0.9％NaCl.During the experiment,the fasting blood glucose(FBG)of mice were monitored weekly.After 8 weeks of administration,the urinary albumin to creatinine ratio(UACR),uric acid(UA),and other contents in the urine of mice were detected,as well as the levels of iron(Fe),superoxide dismutase(SOD),and malondialdehyde(MDA)in the renal tissue.And hematoxylin-eosin(HE)and Masson staining were performed on the renal tissue to observe the pathological changes of the kidney.Results After 8 weeks of administration,the UACR of the control group,model group and experimental group were(12.43±1.13),(63.01±20.78)and(19.79±1.94)mg·mmol-1;the UA levels were(132.10±10.14),(174.40±7.06)and(135.00±3.95)μmol·L-1;the Fe levels were(7.49±0.81),(9.98±0.46)and(7.02±0.60)μmol·g prot-1;the SOD activities were(34.56±0.58),(30.27±1.22)and(34.43±1.36)U·mg prot1;the MDA contents were(5.49±0.31),(7.72±0.17)and(4.46±0.32)nmol·mg prot-1.The differences between model group and normal group were statistically significant(all P＜0.05);compared between experimental group and model group,the difference were significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Carvedilol can alleviate the damage of renal function in diabetes mice,and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting iron death and alleviating oxidative stress injury.

Objective:To explore the clinical outcome of internal fixation in the treatment of AO C-type distal radius fracture accompanied with dorsoulnar fragment involving 1/8 to 1/3 of the articular surface of the lunate facet.Methods:A total of 55 patients of AO C-type distal radius fracture accompanied with dorsoulnar fragment involving 1/8 to 1/3 of the articular surface of the lunate facet from July 2017 to July 2022 in Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University were retrospectively analyzed. In the volar plate group (volar locking plate treatment alone), there were 22 cases, 11 males and 11 females, aged 56.7±10.1 years, 10 C1 type, 7 C2 type and 5 C3 type. There were 15 patients in the volar plate+dorsal plate group (treated with volar locking plate combined with dorsal plate), including 6 males and 9 females, aged 55.7±8.1 years old, 4 C1 type, 5 C2 type and 6 C3 type. In the volar plate+dorsal screw group (treated with volar locking plate combined with dorsal screw), there were 18 cases, 8 males and 10 females, aged 53.5±11.6 years, 7 cases of C1 type, 5 cases of C2 type, and 6 cases of C3 type. The operation time, postoperative radiographic indicators, wrist range of motion (ROM), disability of arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) score, visual analogue scale (VAS) and postoperative complications were evaluated and compared between the three groups.Results:All operations were successfully completed. Patients were followed up for 14.9 ± 2.2 months (range, 12-18 months), and the fracture healing time was 12.4±2.3 weeks (range, 9-16 weeks). The operative time of patients in the volar plate group, volar plate+dorsal plate group and volar plate+dorsal screw group was 54.3±7.6 min, 70.7±5.9 min and 65.8± 7.1 min, respectively. Patients in the volar plate group had less operative time ( F=27.04, P<0.001). The residual displacement of the dorsoulnar fragment in sagittal, coronal, and axial CT scans in the three groups were (1.3±0.8 mm, 0.6±0.4 mm, 0.7±0.4 mm), (1.1±0.8 mm, 0.6±0.4 mm, 0.6±0.6 mm), (1.4±0.8 mm, 0.7±0.4 mm, 0.7±0.5 mm). The displacement of the dorsoulnar fragment of the two groups of combined volar and dorsal internal fixation was smaller than that of the volar plate group ( P<0.05). The ROM of wrist flexion of the three groups at 3 months after operation were 44.2°±4.6°, 47.7°±5.9°, 48.8°±5.1°, the ROM of wrist extension were 39.8°±6.2°, 44.3°± 4.6°, 44.7°±5.1°, the wrist DASH scores were 23.0±4.2, 20.1±4.1 and 19.4±3.0, and the VAS were 2.3±1.2, 1.6±1.3 and 1.3±1.0, respectively. The ROM of wrist flexion and extension and DASH score in volar plate+dorsal plate group were better than those in volar plate group ( P<0.05). The ROM of wrist flexion and extension, DASH score and VAS in the volar plate+dorsal screw group were better than those in the volar plate group ( P<0.05). There were no significant differences in terms of the wrist ROM, DASH score and VAS at 12 months after operation among the three groups ( P>0.05). There were 2 patients in the volar plate group with reduction loss, 3 patients with wrist chronic pain; 1 patient in the volar plate combined with dorsal plate group with dorsal tendon irritation, and no complications in the volar plate combined with dorsal screw group. Conclusion:For AO C-type distal radius fractures accompanied with a dorsoulnar fragment involving 1/8 to 1/3 of the articular surface of the lunate facet, the use of combined volar and dorsal internal fixation can improve the reduction accuracy and stability of the dorsoulnar fragment, and contribute to the early rehabilitation of postoperative wrist joint function. The effect of combined dorsal screw is comparable to that of dorsal plate internal fixation, but the complications of screw internal fixation are less.