ObjectiveTo analyze the pharmacodynamic substance basis of Shangkeling Spray and its potential mechanisms in intervening knee osteoarthritis （KOA） using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry （UPLC-MS）， network pharmacology， and molecular docking technology. MethodsUPLC-MS was used to identify the chemical components of Shangkeling Spray. Pharmacokinetic properties were employed to screen potential active ingredients. Network pharmacology methods were utilized to collect potential targets of these ingredients and the pathological gene set of KOA. An "active ingredient-disease" target network was constructed using databases such as STRING. Gene Ontology （GO） and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） functional enrichment analyses were performed using clusterProfiler. Libraries including NumPy were employed to calculate shortest path lengths to identify dominant pharmacodynamic links. Core gene clusters were identified using MCODE， validated through the Gene Expression Omnibus （GEO） database， and molecular docking was performed between key active ingredients and core targets. ResultsA total of 322 and 314 chemical components were identified under positive and negative ion modes， respectively， with 410 components in total after de-duplication， mainly including flavonoids， coumarins， terpenoids， organic acids， and alkaloids. Analysis of the "active ingredient-disease" network identified "development and regeneration"， "cell growth and death"， "immune system"， and "nervous system" as the dominant pharmacodynamic links of Shangkeling Spray in the treatment of KOA. Molecular docking showed that key active ingredients， such as bletillin A， formononetin， morin， oxymatrine， aconitine， gallic acid， curdione， apigenin， naringenin， and oleanolic acid， tightly bound to functional domains of 10 key targets including Jun proteins（JUN）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， protein kinase B1 （Akt1）， Caspase-3， nuclear transcription factor-κB subunit p65（RELA）， nuclear factor-kappaB1（NF-κB1）， Cyclin D₁， mammalian target of rapamycin（mTOR）， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）， and Fos proto-oncogene protein （FOS）. These interactions synergistically regulated the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/Akt/mTOR-related signaling axis and nervous system-related pathways， mediating cartilage repair， reducing inflammation and pain， and improving KOA. ConclusionThis study preliminarily clarifies the pharmacodynamic substance basis of Shangkeling Spray and suggests that its main active ingredients may improve KOA by synergistically regulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR-related pathways， providing a reference for subsequent exploration of its substance benchmark and mechanism of action.

The chemical components of Carthami Flos were investigated by using macroporous resin, silica gel column chromatography, reversed-phase octadecylsilane(ODS) column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20, and semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). The planar structures of the compounds were established based on their physicochemical properties and ultraviolet-visible(UV-Vis), infrared(IR), high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry(HR-ESI-MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) spectroscopic technology. The absolute configurations were determined by comparing the calculated and experimental electronic circular dichroism(ECD). Six flavonoid C-glycosides were isolated from the 30% ethanol elution fraction of macroporous resin obtained from the 95% ethanol extract of Carthami Flos, and identified as saffloquinoside F(1), 5-hydroxysaffloneoside(2), iso-5-hydroxysaffloneoside(3), isosafflomin C(4), safflomin C(5), and vicenin 2(6). Among these, the compounds 1 to 3 were new chalcone C-glycosides. The compounds 1, 2, 4, and 5 could significantly increase the viability of H9c2 cardiomyocytes damaged by oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation(OGD/R) at a concentration of 50 μmol·L~(-1), showing their good cardioprotective activity.
Glycosides/pharmacology* ; Flowers/chemistry* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Carthamus tinctorius/chemistry* ; Chalcones/pharmacology* ; Animals

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of 3D printing spinal external fixator combined with McKenzie therapy for patients with lumbar dics herniation (LDH). METHODS: Sixty patients with LDH between January 2022 and January 2023 were enrolled. Among them, 30 patients were given McKinsey training. According to different treatment methods, all patients were divided into McKenzie group and McKenzie + 3D printing group, 30 patients in each group. The McKenzie group provided McKenzie therapy. The McKenzie + 3D printing group were treated with 3D printing spinal external fixation brace on the basis of McKenzie therapy. Patients in both groups were between 25 and 60 years of age and had their first illness. In the McKenzie group, there were 19 males and 11 females, with an average age of (48.57±5.86) years old, and the disease duration was (7.03 ±2.39) months. The McKenzie + 3D printing group, there were 21 males and 9 females, with an average age of (48.80±5.92) years old, and the disease duration was(7.30±2.56) months. Pain was evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS), and lumbar spine function was assessed using the Oswestry disability index (ODI) and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score. VAS, ODI and JOA scores were compared between two groups before treatment and at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after treatment. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 12 months. The VAS for the McKenzie combined with 3D printing group before treatment and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-treatment were(6.533±0.860), (5.133±1.008), (3.933±0.868), (2.900±0.759), (2.067±0.640), (1.433±0.504), respectively. In the McKenzie group, the corresponding scores were (6.467±0.860), (5.067±1.048), (4.600±0.968), (3.533±1.008), (2.567±0.728), (1.967±0.809), respectively. The ODI of the McKenzie group before treatment and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-treatment were (41.033±6.810)%, (37.933±6.209)%, (35.467±6.962)%, (27.567±10.081)%, (20.800±7.531)%, (13.533±5.158)%, respectively. For the McKenzie combined with 3D printing group, the corresponding ODI were(38.033±5.605)%, (33.000±6.192)%, (28.767±7.045)%, (22.200±5.517)%, (17.700±4.836)%, (11.900±2.771)%, respectively. The JOA scores of the McKenzie combined with 3D printing group before treatment and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-treatment were(8.900±2.074), (13.133±2.330), (15.700±3.583), (20.400±3.480), (22.267±3.084), (24.833±2.640), respectively. In the McKenzie group, the corresponding scores were(9.200±2.091), (12.267±2.406), (15.333±3.198), (18.467±2.240), (20.133±2.751), (22.467±2.849), respectively. Before the initiation of treatment, no statistically significant differences were observed in the VAS, ODI, and JOA scores between two groups (P>0.05). At 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-treatment, the VAS in the McKenzie combined with 3D printing group was significantly lower than that in the McKenzie group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The comparison of ODI between two groups at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-treatment revealed statistically significant differences (P<0.05). At 6, 9, and 12 months post-treatment, the JOA score in the McKenzie combined with 3D printing group was significantly higher than that in the McKenzie-only group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The combination of 3D printed functional spinal external fixation brace with McKenzie therapy can significantly improve and maintain lumbar function in patients with LDH.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/surgery* ; External Fixators ; Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery* ; Adult ; Braces ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVES: To assess the changes in body composition and nutritional risks faced by children with different stages of acute leukemia (AL). METHODS: Bioelectrical impedance analysis combined with anthropometric measurements was used to detect body composition. This prospective study was conducted from August 2023 to July 2024 at Shandong Provincial Hospital, examining the body composition and physical balance of children with various stages of AL and healthy children. RESULTS: The non-fat components of children with AL and healthy children both showed a linear increase with age. In the younger age group, there were no significant differences in body composition between children with AL and healthy children. However, in the older age group, the body composition of children undergoing chemotherapy for AL was significantly lower than that of healthy children (P<0.05), and muscle mass recovered first after the completion of AL chemotherapy. The proportion of children with increased trunk fat in AL children who completed chemotherapy was significantly lower than that in healthy children (P<0.05), while the incidence rate of severe left-right imbalance in body composition was significantly higher (P<0.05). Muscle distribution in children with AL primarily showed insufficient limb and overall muscle mass, whereas healthy children mainly exhibited insufficient upper limb muscle mass. CONCLUSIONS The body composition of children with AL varies at different treatment stages, indicating that nutritional status is affected by both the disease itself and the treatment. Early screening can provide a basis for reasonable nutritional intervention.
Humans ; Child ; Male ; Female ; Child, Preschool ; Body Composition ; Prospective Studies ; Adolescent ; Leukemia/metabolism* ; Infant ; Nutritional Status ; Acute Disease ; Electric Impedance

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression levels and combined detection efficiency of serum mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean platelet volume (MPV), and tumor gene ( WT-1) in elderly patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). METHODS: One hundred elderly MDS patients admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to January 2021 were selected as observation group, and eighty healthy subjects during the same period were selected as control group. The levels of MCV, MPV and WT-1 were detected, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to analyze the value of combined detection of the three indicators in the prediction of MDS. The expression and correlation of MCV, MPV and WT-1 in elderly patients with MDS were analyzed and evaluated. RESULTS: The levels of MCV, MPV, and WT-1 in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (all P <0.001). Pearson correlation analysis showed that MCV was positively correlated with MPV and WT-1 (r =0.724, 0.733), while MPV was positively correlated with WT-1 (r =0.731). MCV, MPV, and WT-1 were independent influencing factors for elderly MDS (all P <0.05). The combined detection of the three indicators had the largest area under the curve (AUC) (0.873, 95%CI : 0.776-0.893) in the diagnosis of elderly MDS, with a sensitivity of 95.00%, a specificity of 90.00%, and Youden index of 0.850. The diagnostic value was significantly higher than that of a single indicator (both P <0.05). The levels of MCV, MPV, and WT-1 in severe patients were significantly higher than those in mild patients (all P <0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that high expression of MCV, MPV, and WT-1 were influencing factors of severe elderly MDS. The ROC curve analysis showed that the combined diagnosis of MCV, MPV and WT-1 had the largest AUC for predicting severe MDS in elderly patients (0.897, 95%CI : 0.709-0.926), and the sensitivity and specificity were 93.18% and 91.07%, respectively (P <0.05). CONCLUSION MCV, MPC, and WT-1 are highly expressed in elderly patients with severe MDS. These three indicators can reflect the bone marrow hematopoietic function status of the subjects. However, compared with single indicator detection, the combined detection of the three indicators is more effective in diagnosis. It has certain advantages in elderly MDS and disease staging, and its promotion and application value is higher.
Humans ; Myelodysplastic Syndromes/blood* ; Aged ; WT1 Proteins/blood* ; Mean Platelet Volume ; Erythrocyte Indices ; ROC Curve ; Male ; Female

BACKGROUND: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia in the elderly. This study aimed to evaluate urban-rural disparities in its prevalence and management in elderly Chinese. METHODS: Consecutive participants aged ≥ 65 years attending outpatient clinics were enrolled for AF screening using handheld single-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) from April 2017 to December 2022. Each ECG rhythm strip was reviewed from the research team. AF or uninterpretable single-lead ECGs were referred for 12-lead ECG. Primary study outcome comparison was between rural and urban areas for the prevalence of AF. The Student's t-test was used to compare mean values of clinical characteristics between rural and urban participants, while the Pearson's chi-square test was used to compare between-group proportions. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the association between AF and various patient characteristics. RESULTS: The 29,166 study participants included 13,253 men (45.4%) and had a mean age of 72.2 years. The 7073 rural participants differed significantly (P ≤ 0.02) from the 22,093 urban participants in several major characteristics, such as older age, greater body mass index, and so on. The overall prevalence of AF was 4.6% (n = 1347). AF was more prevalent in 7073 rural participants than 22,093 urban participants (5.6% vs. 4.3%, P < 0.01), before and after adjustment for age, body mass index, blood pressure, pulse rate, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption and prior medical history. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified overweight/obesity (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.17-1.54) in urban areas and cigarette smoking (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.20-2.17) and alcohol consumption (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.04-1.93) in rural areas as specific risk factors for prevalent AF. In patients with known AF in urban areas (n = 781) and rural areas (n = 338), 60.6% and 45.9%, respectively, received AF treatment (P < 0.01), and only 22.4% and 17.2%, respectively, received anticoagulation therapy (P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS In China, there are urban-rural disparities in AF in the elderly, with a higher prevalence and worse management in rural areas than urban areas. Our study findings provide insight for health policymakers to consider urban-rural disparity in the prevention and treatment of AF.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the dynamic changes of glucocorticoid (GC) dose and the feasibility of GC discontinuation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients under the background of Chinese medicine (CM). METHODS: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 1,196 RA patients enrolled in the China Rheumatoid Arthritis Registry of Patients with Chinese Medicine (CERTAIN) from September 1, 2019 to December 4, 2023, who initiated GC therapy. Participants were divided into the Western medicine (WM) and integrative medicine (IM, combination of CM and WM) groups based on medication regimen. Follow-up was performed at least every 3 months to assess dynamic changes in GC dose. Changes in GC dose were analyzed by generalized estimator equation, the probability of GC discontinuation was assessed using Kaplan-Meier curve, and predictors of GC discontinuation were analyzed by Cox regression. Patients with <12 months of follow-up were excluded for the sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Among 1,196 patients (85.4% female; median age 56.4 years), 880 (73.6%) received IM. Over a median 12-month follow-up, 34.3% (410 cases) discontinued GC, with significantly higher rates in the IM group (40.8% vs. 16.1% in WM; P<0.05). GC dose declined progressively, with IM patients demonstrating faster reductions (median 3.75 mg vs. 5.00 mg in WM at 12 months; P<0.05). Multivariate Cox analysis identified age <60 years [P<0.001, hazard ratios (HR)=2.142, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.523-3.012], IM therapy (P=0.001, HR=2.175, 95% CI: 1.369-3.456), baseline GC dose ⩽7.5 mg (P=0.003, HR=1.637, 95% CI: 1.177-2.275), and absence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use (P=0.001, HR=2.546, 95% CI: 1.432-4.527) as significant predictors of GC discontinuation. Sensitivity analysis (545 cases) confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS RA patients receiving CM face difficulties in following guideline-recommended GC discontinuation protocols. IM can promote GC discontinuation and is a promising strategy to reduce GC dependency in RA management. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT05219214).
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Retrospective Studies

Homo- or heterodimeric compounds that affect dimeric protein function through interaction between monomeric moieties and protein subunits can serve as valuable sources of potent and selective drug candidates. Here, we screened an in-house dimeric natural product collection, and panepocyclinol A (PecA) emerged as a selective and potent STAT3 inhibitor with profound anti-tumor efficacy. Through cross-linking C712/C718 residues in separate STAT3 monomers with two distinct Michael receptors, PecA inhibits STAT3 DNA binding affinity and transcription activity. Molecular dynamics simulation reveals the key conformation changes of STAT3 dimers upon the di-covalent binding with PecA that abolishes its DNA interactions. Furthermore, PecA exhibits high efficacy against anaplastic large T cell lymphoma in vitro and in vivo, especially those with constitutively activated STAT3 or STAT3^Y640F. In summary, our study describes a distinct and effective di-covalent modification for the dimeric compound PecA to disrupt STAT3 function.

Patients suffering from nerve injury often experience exacerbated pain responses and complain of memory deficits. The dorsal hippocampus (dHPC), a well-defined region responsible for learning and memory, displays maladaptive plasticity upon injury, which is assumed to underlie pain hypersensitivity and cognitive deficits. However, much attention has thus far been paid to intracellular mechanisms of plasticity rather than extracellular alterations that might trigger and facilitate intracellular changes. Emerging evidence has shown that nerve injury alters the microarchitecture of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and decreases ECM rigidity in the dHPC. Despite this, it remains elusive which element of the ECM in the dHPC is affected and how it contributes to neuropathic pain and comorbid cognitive deficits. Laminin, a key element of the ECM, consists of α-, β-, and γ-chains and has been implicated in several pathophysiological processes. Here, we showed that peripheral nerve injury downregulates laminin β1 (LAMB1) in the dHPC. Silencing of hippocampal LAMB1 exacerbates pain sensitivity and induces cognitive dysfunction. Further mechanistic analysis revealed that loss of hippocampal LAMB1 causes dysregulated Src/NR2A signaling cascades via interaction with integrin β1, leading to decreased Ca²⁺ levels in pyramidal neurons, which in turn orchestrates structural and functional plasticity and eventually results in exaggerated pain responses and cognitive deficits. In this study, we shed new light on the functional capability of hippocampal ECM LAMB1 in the modulation of neuropathic pain and comorbid cognitive deficits, and reveal a mechanism that conveys extracellular alterations to intracellular plasticity. Moreover, we identified hippocampal LAMB1/integrin β1 signaling as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of neuropathic pain and related memory loss.
Animals ; Laminin/genetics* ; Hippocampus/metabolism* ; Neuralgia/metabolism* ; Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology* ; Male ; Peripheral Nerve Injuries/metabolism* ; Extracellular Matrix/metabolism* ; Integrin beta1/metabolism* ; Pyramidal Cells/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction

AIM:This study aims to investigate the mechanism by which LINC00973 regulates multidrug re-sistance of non-small-cell lung cancer(NSCLC).METHODS:The GEPIA database was employed to analyze the expres-sion levels of LINC00973 in NSCLC and its correlation with patient prognosis in clinical settings.RT-qPCR was utilized to assess LINC00973 expression in various NSCLC cell lines and chemoresistant cells.The migration,invasion,stemness ca-pacity,and drug sensitivity of NSCLC cells with either overexpression or knockdown of LINC00973 were evaluated using wound healing assay,Transwell assay,sphere formation assay,and CCK-8 assay.RNA sequencing was conducted on LINC00973-overexpressing and parental NSCLC cells to identify dysregulated pathways and targets.The LncBase Pre-dicted v.2 and TargetScan databases were used to predict the microRNAs(miRNAs)co-bound by LINC00973 and their target genes.Mimics and inhibitors of candidate miRNAs were synthesized and transfected into NSCLC cells subjected to LINC00973 overexpression or knockdown.Changes in the expression level of LINC00973,and the mRNA and protein ex-pression levels of its target genes were assessed using RT-qPCR and Western blot.RESULTS:Analysis of the GEPIA da-tabase revealed that LINC00973 was significantly up-regulated in lung adenocarcinoma and lung squamous cell carcino-ma,correlating with poor prognosis of NSCLC patients.The LINC00973 expression was elevated in various NSCLC and chemoresistant cell lines(A549/DDP and A549/5-FU).Overexpression of LINC00973 in A549 and H520 cells markedly enhanced their migration,invasion,and stemness capabilities,while concurrently reducing sensitivity to chemotherapy and targeted therapies.RNA sequencing,along with RT-qPCR results,indicated that ATP-binding cassette transporter G5(ABCG5)was activated in LINC00973-overexpressing A549 and H520 cells.Further database analyses and dual trans-fection experiments confirmed that LINC00973 regulated ABCG5 expression through competitive binding with hsa-miR-150-5p.CONCLUSION:LINC00973,which is aberrantly up-regulated in NSCLC specimens and associated with poor clinical prognosis,promotes the expression of ABCG5 through competitive binding with hsa-miR-150-5p.This interaction leads to en-hanced invasion,stemness,and multidrug resistance in NSCLC cells.