ObjectiveTo study the effect and mechanism of Shentong Zhuyutang in treating intervertebral disc degeneration （IDD） in rats. MethodsIn the cell experiment， male rats were administrated with normal saline or low-， medium-， and high-dose （3.38， 6.75，13.5 g·kg^-1， respectively） Shentong Zhuyutang by gavage， respectively， and serum samples were collected after 7 days of continuous administration. Another 10 male rats were selected for the isolation of nucleus pulposus cells. The cell model of IDD was established by treatment with interleukin （IL）-1β. The modeled cells were then treated with Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum and the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 （Fer-1）， respectively， to investigate the effects of Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum on the proliferation and ferroptosis of nucleus pulposus cells. To study the role of silent information regulator 1 （SIRT1）/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2） in the regulation of ferroptosis in nucleus pulposus cells by Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum， this study treated the cells with the SIRT1 inhibitor Ex 527 and the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385， respectively， in addition to the treatment with IL-1β and high-dose Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum. The cell-counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay and EdU staining were employed to measure the cell viability and proliferation， respectively. The Fe²⁺， glutathione （GSH）， and malondiadehyde （MDA） levels were measured by colorimetric assay. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4）， acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family 4 （ACSL4）， Collagen Ⅱ， Aggrecan， SIRT1， and Nrf2. Immunofluorescence was used detect SIRT1 expression. In the animal experiment， male rats were treated with anulus puncture for the modeling of IDD. Rats were randomly assigned into sham operation， model， Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum （13.5 g·kg^-1）， and positive control （nimesulide dispersible tablets， 0.18 mg·kg^-1） groups. Rats in the drug intervention groups were administrated with corresponding agents at 1 mL·kg^-1， and those in the sham operation and model groups were administrated with equal volumes of normal saline， once daily for 28 consecutive days. At the end of the last administration， the histopathological changes in the intervertebral discs of rats were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and scored by the Masuda method. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of SIRT1， Nrf2， GPX4， and Collagen Ⅱ in the nucleus pulposus tissue. ResultsCompared with the control group， the IL-1β group of nucleus pulposus cells showed elevated levels of Fe²⁺， MDA， and ACSL4 （P<0.05）， decreased cell viability， lowered GSH level， and down-regulated protein levels of GPX4， Collagen Ⅱ， and Aggrecan （P<0.05）. Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum and Fer-1 reversed the effects of IL-1β on the viability and ferroptosis of nucleus pulposus cells and up-regulated the protein levels of Collagen Ⅱ and Aggrecan in nucleus pulposus cells （P<0.05）. Compared with the control group， the IL-1β group showcased down-regulated expression of Sirt1 and Nrf2 in nucleus pulposus cells （P<0.05）. Compared with the IL-1β group， the high-dose Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum+IL-1β group showed up-regulated expression of SIRT1 and Nrf2 in nucleus pulposus cells （P<0.05）. Compared with the high-dose Shentong Zhuyutang-containing serum+IL-1β group， the ML385 group showed down-regulated protein levels of Nrf2 and GPX4， lowered GSH level， and elevated Fe²⁺ and MDA levels （P<0.05）. In addition， the Ex 527 group showed down-regulated protein levels of SIRT1， Nrf2， and GPX4 （P<0.05）. The results of the animal experiment showed that compared with the sham operation group， the model group had severe degeneration of the intervertebral disc tissue with increased pathological score， up-regulated protein level of ACSL4 （P<0.05）， and down-regulated protein levels of SIRT1， Nrf2， GPX4， and Collagen Ⅱ （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the Shentong Zhuyutang group showed alleviated IDD with declined pathological score， down-regulated protein level of ACSL4 （P<0.05）， and up-regulated protein levels of SIRT1， Nrf2， GPX4， and Collagen Ⅱ （P<0.05）. ConclusionShentong Zhuyutang may activate the SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling pathway to inhibit the ferroptosis of nucleus pulposus cells， thereby delaying the process of IDD in rats.

BACKGROUND:In recent years,artificial intelligence has gradually emerged and has been applied in various fields such as spinal cord nerve injury and repair,which has a positive impact on clinical treatment. OBJECTIVE:To study the application progress of artificial intelligence in the diagnosis,treatment,and rehabilitation of spinal cord nerve injury and repair,clarify the research hotspots and shortcomings in this field,and provide suggestions for future research work. METHODS:Relevant literature on artificial intelligence in the field of spinal cord nerve injury and repair was retrieved on the Web of Science core collection database until 2023.CiteSpace 6.1.R6 and VOSviewer 1.6.19 software was used to perform general literature analysis,co-citation of literature,co-citation of journals,double image overlay of journals,keyword clustering,and other visual analysis on the literature data. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)A total of 1 713 articles were selected,and the annual publication volume in this field showed a fluctuating upward trend,with the United States taking the lead,and Kadone and Hideki being the authors with the highest publication volume.ARCH PHYS MED REHAB was the journal with the highest number of citations.(2)Keyword co-occurrence and cluster analysis showed that after removing keywords similar to the search terms,the main keywords were divided into three main clusters:Exoskeleton and exercise rehabilitation(the largest core hotspot);machine learning and neural plasticity;robotics and rehabilitation training.(3)Keyword burst analysis showed that deep learning and artificial intelligence had become burst terms in the past five years.(4)The results of in-depth analysis of co cited and highly cited literature showed that the hotspots of artificial intelligence in the field of spinal cord nerve injury and repair were mainly focused on powered exoskeletons,gaits,electrical nerve stimulation,intracortical brain-computer interface(IBCI),robots,and polymer biomaterials,and neural stem cell.(5)The research on artificial intelligence in the field of spinal cord nerve injury and repair has shown an upward trend in recent years.The focus of this field had gradually shifted from single treatment methods such as exoskeletons and electrical stimulation to intelligent,precise,and personalized directions.(6)There were some limitations in this field,such as the consequences of missing or imbalanced data,low data accuracy and reproducibility,and ethical issues(such as privacy,research transparency,and clinical reliability).Future research should address the issue of data collection,requiring large sample,high-quality clinical datasets to establish effective artificial intelligence models.At the same time,the research on genomics and other mechanisms in this field is very weak.In the future,various machine learning technologies such as brain chips can be used,and gene editing therapy,single-cell spatial transcriptome and other methods can be used to study the basic mechanisms of regeneration-related gene upregulation and axon growth structural protein production.

Objective:To explore the clinical value of serum intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) for the formation and development of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) cirrhosis complicated with esophageal varices (EV).Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of patients with CHB cirrhosis complicated with EV who were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University from September 2020 to October 2023 in this cohort study. PVT was diagnosed and graded according to the imaging examination, and patients were divided into PVT group and non-PVT group. The thrombus recanalization of PVT in PVT group and newly occurring PVT events in non-PVT group was observed during twelve-month follow-up. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the baseline level of I-FABP. Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between two groups. Kaplan-Meier curves and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluated the predictive performance of I-FABP for newly occurring PVT event. The cumulative incidence was compared by log-rank test. Results:A total of 161 patients with CHB cirrhosis complicated with EV were included, with an average age of (57.71±11.12) years old, including 46 patients with PVT and 115 patients without PVT. During the follow-up period, 11 PVT patients had thrombus recanalization. Meanwhile, 17 patients without PVT had newly occurring PVT events. The I-FABP level was 2.59 (1.63, 3.18) μmol/L in the PVT group and 1.94 (1.44, 2.81) μmol/L in the non-PVT group, and the difference was statistically significant ( Z=2.12, P=0.034). The baseline I-FABP level in patients with newly occurring PVT event was higher than that in patients without PVT (2.78(1.86, 3.20) μmol/L vs 1.92 (1.18, 2.74) μmol/L), while the I-FABP level in patients with thrombus recanalization was lower than that in patients without thrombus recanalization (2.06 (1.16, 2.69) μmol/L vs 2.84 (1.92, 3.27) μmol/L). The differences were both statistically significant ( Z=2.61 and 2.25, respectively, both P<0.05). The non-PVT patients were stratified according to the median level of I-FABP, and the Kaplan-Meier curve showed that patients with I-FABP<1.94 μmol/L in the non-PVT group had a significantly lower cumulative rate of newly occurring PVT during follow-up compared to those with I-FABP≥1.94 μmol/L (7.1% (4/56) vs 22.0% (13/59), χ2=5.03, P=0.025). The ROC curve showed that I-FABP had a certain predictive efficacy for the occurrence PVT. The area under the curve were 0.698 (95% confidence interval 0.606 to 0.780) and the optimal cut-off of 2.36 μmol/L, with sensitivity of 70.59% and specificity of 69.39%. Conclusion:I-FABP is not only associated with PVT recanalization in CHB cirrhosis, but also a potential biomarker for predicting PVT formation and development.

BACKGROUND:Inflammation and apoptosis play key roles in the pathological process of cervical spondylotic myelopathy.Previous studies have shown that Pueraria lobata decoction has favorable therapeutic effects on cervical spondylotic myelopathy.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects and mechanism of Pueraria lobata decoction in neuroinflammatory response and apoptosis in rats with cervical spondylotic myelopathy.METHODS:Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups:a normal group,a sham-operated group,a model group,and three groups that received low,medium,and high doses of Pueraria lobata decoction.An animal model of cervical spondylotic myelopathy was constructed through compression of the spinal cord with water-absorbing and expanding material.Gastric administration of Pueraria lobata decoction(4.86,9.72,and 19.44 g/kg)was given in the three Pueraria lobata decoction groups 2 weeks after surgery,and the resting groups were given saline by gavage,once daily for 4 weeks.Motor function evaluation(Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan score)was performed in rats on days 1,7,14,21 and 28 after drug administration.At 4 weeks after drug administration,hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathomorphologic changes in spinal cord tissue;immunofluorescence double staining was used for the detection of microglial cell polarization in spinal cord tissue;quantitative fluorescence PCR was used to detect the changes in the expression of interleukin-6 and interleukin-1β mRNA;western blot assay was used to detect the protein expression of p-NF-κB p65,NF-κB p65,NLRP3,ASC,Cleaved Caspase-1,Bax,Bcl-2,Cleaved Caspase-3,NOX4,p-Drp1,Drp1,and Mfn2 in spinal cord tissues;TUNEL assay was used to detect apoptosis in spinal cord tissues;and DHE staining was used to detect reactive oxygen species levels in rat spinal cord tissues.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the normal and sham-operated groups,reduced Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scores were observed in the model group(P<0.05),spinal cord neurons were crumpled and malformed with vacuolike changes.The Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scores in the low-,medium-and high-dose Pueraria lobata decoction groups were significantly higher than those in the model group(P<0.05),and spinal cord neuronal damage reduced significantly.(2)Compared with the normal and sham-operated groups,there were elevated levels of Iba-1 and inducible nitric oxide synthase proteins and increased interleukin-6 and interluekin-1β mRNA expression in the spinal cord tissue of rats in the model group(P<0.05).The expression levels of Iba-1,inducible nitric oxide synthase,p-NF-κB,NLRP3,ASC and cleaved caspase-1 proteins as well as interleukin-6 and interleukin-1β mRNAs in the spinal cord tissues of rats in the low-,medium-and high-dose Pueraria lobata decoction groups were reduced compared with those in the model group(P<0.05).(3)Compared with the normal and sham-operated groups,the rate of TUNEL-positive cells and the levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 proteins were increased in the spinal cord tissues of rats in the model group(P<0.05),while the expression of Bcl-2 protein was reduced(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the above indexes were significantly improved in the low-,medium-and high-dose Pueraria lobata decoction groups.(4)Compared with the normal and sham-operated groups,the model group exhibited increased levels of reactive oxygen species,along with elevated expression of NOX4 and p-Drp1 proteins(P<0.05)and reduced expression of Mfn2 protein(P<0.05)in the rat spinal crod tissue.Compared with the model group,the low-,medium-,and high-dose Pueraria lobata decoction groups exhibited reduced levels of reactive oxygen species,as well as decreased expression of NOX4 and p-Drp1 proteins(P<0.05)and increased expression of Mfn2 protein(P<0.05)in the rat spinal cord tissue.To conclude,Pueraria lobata decoction inhibits neuroinflammatory responses and neuronal apoptosis in the rat model of cervical spondylotic myelopathy,and the mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of the NOX4/reactive oxygen species/DRP1 signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND:Inflammation and apoptosis play key roles in the pathological process of cervical spondylotic myelopathy.Previous studies have shown that Pueraria lobata decoction has favorable therapeutic effects on cervical spondylotic myelopathy.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects and mechanism of Pueraria lobata decoction in neuroinflammatory response and apoptosis in rats with cervical spondylotic myelopathy.METHODS:Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into six groups:a normal group,a sham-operated group,a model group,and three groups that received low,medium,and high doses of Pueraria lobata decoction.An animal model of cervical spondylotic myelopathy was constructed through compression of the spinal cord with water-absorbing and expanding material.Gastric administration of Pueraria lobata decoction(4.86,9.72,and 19.44 g/kg)was given in the three Pueraria lobata decoction groups 2 weeks after surgery,and the resting groups were given saline by gavage,once daily for 4 weeks.Motor function evaluation(Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan score)was performed in rats on days 1,7,14,21 and 28 after drug administration.At 4 weeks after drug administration,hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathomorphologic changes in spinal cord tissue;immunofluorescence double staining was used for the detection of microglial cell polarization in spinal cord tissue;quantitative fluorescence PCR was used to detect the changes in the expression of interleukin-6 and interleukin-1β mRNA;western blot assay was used to detect the protein expression of p-NF-κB p65,NF-κB p65,NLRP3,ASC,Cleaved Caspase-1,Bax,Bcl-2,Cleaved Caspase-3,NOX4,p-Drp1,Drp1,and Mfn2 in spinal cord tissues;TUNEL assay was used to detect apoptosis in spinal cord tissues;and DHE staining was used to detect reactive oxygen species levels in rat spinal cord tissues.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the normal and sham-operated groups,reduced Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scores were observed in the model group(P<0.05),spinal cord neurons were crumpled and malformed with vacuolike changes.The Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scores in the low-,medium-and high-dose Pueraria lobata decoction groups were significantly higher than those in the model group(P<0.05),and spinal cord neuronal damage reduced significantly.(2)Compared with the normal and sham-operated groups,there were elevated levels of Iba-1 and inducible nitric oxide synthase proteins and increased interleukin-6 and interluekin-1β mRNA expression in the spinal cord tissue of rats in the model group(P<0.05).The expression levels of Iba-1,inducible nitric oxide synthase,p-NF-κB,NLRP3,ASC and cleaved caspase-1 proteins as well as interleukin-6 and interleukin-1β mRNAs in the spinal cord tissues of rats in the low-,medium-and high-dose Pueraria lobata decoction groups were reduced compared with those in the model group(P<0.05).(3)Compared with the normal and sham-operated groups,the rate of TUNEL-positive cells and the levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 proteins were increased in the spinal cord tissues of rats in the model group(P<0.05),while the expression of Bcl-2 protein was reduced(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the above indexes were significantly improved in the low-,medium-and high-dose Pueraria lobata decoction groups.(4)Compared with the normal and sham-operated groups,the model group exhibited increased levels of reactive oxygen species,along with elevated expression of NOX4 and p-Drp1 proteins(P<0.05)and reduced expression of Mfn2 protein(P<0.05)in the rat spinal crod tissue.Compared with the model group,the low-,medium-,and high-dose Pueraria lobata decoction groups exhibited reduced levels of reactive oxygen species,as well as decreased expression of NOX4 and p-Drp1 proteins(P<0.05)and increased expression of Mfn2 protein(P<0.05)in the rat spinal cord tissue.To conclude,Pueraria lobata decoction inhibits neuroinflammatory responses and neuronal apoptosis in the rat model of cervical spondylotic myelopathy,and the mechanism of action may be related to the regulation of the NOX4/reactive oxygen species/DRP1 signaling pathway.

Objective:To explore the clinical value of serum intestinal fatty acid-binding protein (I-FABP) for the formation and development of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) cirrhosis complicated with esophageal varices (EV).Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of patients with CHB cirrhosis complicated with EV who were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University from September 2020 to October 2023 in this cohort study. PVT was diagnosed and graded according to the imaging examination, and patients were divided into PVT group and non-PVT group. The thrombus recanalization of PVT in PVT group and newly occurring PVT events in non-PVT group was observed during twelve-month follow-up. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the baseline level of I-FABP. Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison between two groups. Kaplan-Meier curves and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluated the predictive performance of I-FABP for newly occurring PVT event. The cumulative incidence was compared by log-rank test. Results:A total of 161 patients with CHB cirrhosis complicated with EV were included, with an average age of (57.71±11.12) years old, including 46 patients with PVT and 115 patients without PVT. During the follow-up period, 11 PVT patients had thrombus recanalization. Meanwhile, 17 patients without PVT had newly occurring PVT events. The I-FABP level was 2.59 (1.63, 3.18) μmol/L in the PVT group and 1.94 (1.44, 2.81) μmol/L in the non-PVT group, and the difference was statistically significant ( Z=2.12, P=0.034). The baseline I-FABP level in patients with newly occurring PVT event was higher than that in patients without PVT (2.78(1.86, 3.20) μmol/L vs 1.92 (1.18, 2.74) μmol/L), while the I-FABP level in patients with thrombus recanalization was lower than that in patients without thrombus recanalization (2.06 (1.16, 2.69) μmol/L vs 2.84 (1.92, 3.27) μmol/L). The differences were both statistically significant ( Z=2.61 and 2.25, respectively, both P<0.05). The non-PVT patients were stratified according to the median level of I-FABP, and the Kaplan-Meier curve showed that patients with I-FABP<1.94 μmol/L in the non-PVT group had a significantly lower cumulative rate of newly occurring PVT during follow-up compared to those with I-FABP≥1.94 μmol/L (7.1% (4/56) vs 22.0% (13/59), χ2=5.03, P=0.025). The ROC curve showed that I-FABP had a certain predictive efficacy for the occurrence PVT. The area under the curve were 0.698 (95% confidence interval 0.606 to 0.780) and the optimal cut-off of 2.36 μmol/L, with sensitivity of 70.59% and specificity of 69.39%. Conclusion:I-FABP is not only associated with PVT recanalization in CHB cirrhosis, but also a potential biomarker for predicting PVT formation and development.

Purpose To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of abdominal plain scan and contrast-enhanced multi-slice CT after orally diluted iodide in time segment(Post-ODI ANCCE-MSCT)for gastrointestinal fistula(GIF)secondary to acute pancreatitis(AP).Materials and Methods A total of 108 patients with late AP in the prospective and continuously collected database of Hunan Provincial People's Hospital from January 2017 to December 2022 were retrospectively extracted.Their demographic information and clinical features were recorded and GIF were screened by Post-ODI ANCCE-MSCT.The comprehensive clinical diagnosis results within 5 days thereafter were used as reference standards.The sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value,negative predictive value and accuracy of Post-ODI ANCCE-MSCT for diagnosing GIF secondary to AP were calculated using a four-cell table,and the consistency of the two methods was evaluated by Kappa test and McNemar's test.Results Sensitivity was 91.5%(95%CI 78.7%-97.2%),specificity was 98.4%(95%CI 90.0%-99.9%),positive predictive value was 97.7%(95%CI 86.5%-99.9%),negative predictive value was 93.8%(95%CI 84.0%-98.0%),and the accuracy was 95.4%(95%CI 91.4%-99.3%),respectively.The Kappa value was 0.905,and P value was 0.375 via McNemar's test.Conclusion Post-ODI ANCCE-MSCT can diagnose GIF secondary to AP in a simple,non-invasive,rapid and accurate way,and provide earlier,more accurate and reliable image basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objective To investigate the value of intestinal fatty acid binding protein(I-FABP)in predicting the development and progression of acute-on-chronic liver failure(ACLF).Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 168 patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis who were admitted to The Affiliated Hospital of Yanbian University from September 2020 to March 2023.The conditions of the patients with ACLF on admission were observed,and the patients were followed up for 6 months to identify new-onset ACLF cases.ELISA was used to measure the serum level of I-FABP on admission.The Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups,and the Kruskal-Wallis H rank sum test was used for comparison between multiple groups;the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups;the Jonckheere-Terpstra test was used for trend analysis.The Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between two variables,and the multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to investigate the influencing factors for new-onset ACLF during follow-up.The Kaplan-Meier curve was used to analyze the onset of ACLF in different groups,and the log-rank test was used for the analysis of such differences.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and the area under the ROC curve(AUC)were used to investigate the performance of I-FABP in predicting the development and progression of ACLF.Results Among the 168 patients enrolled in this study,there were 43 patients with ACLF and 125 patients without ACLF,among whom 19 developed ACLF during follow-up.The patients with ACLF on admission had a significantly higher level of I-FABP than those without ACLF(Z=4.359,P<0.001).The patients with new-onset ACLF had a significantly higher level of I-FABP than those without new-onset ACLF(Z=3.414,P<0.001).The level of I-FABP increased with the increase in ACLF severity grade(H=17.385,P<0.001,Ptrend<0.001).The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that I-FABP was independently associated with new-onset ACLF during follow-up(hazard ratio=2.138,95%confidence interval[CI]:1.297-3.525,P=0.003),and the tertile of I-FABP showed a good discriminatory ability(χ2=12.16,P<0.001).The ROC curve showed that I-FABP had a good performance in predicting the development and progression of ACLF,with an area under the ROC curve of 0.854(95%CI:0.791-0.903)and 0.747(95%CI:0.661-0.820),respectively,and an optimal cut-off value of 2.07 μg/L and 1.86 μg/L,respectively.Conclusion I-FABP can be used as a biomarker to predict the development and progression of ACLF,and it may help to identify high-risk patients and improve clinical management.

BACKGROUND:With the continuous improvement and progress of artificial intelligence technology in the treatment of spinal deformity,a large number of studies have been invested in this field,but the main research status,hot spots and development trends are still unclear. OBJECTIVE:To visually analyze the literature related to artificial intelligence in the field of spinal deformities by using bibliometrics,identify the research hotspots and shortcomings in this field,and provide references for future research. METHODS:The core database of Web of Science was used to search the articles related to artificial intelligence in the field of spinal deformities published from inception to 2023.The data were visually analyzed by Citespace 5.6.R5 and VOSviewer 1.6.19. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)A total of 165 papers were included,and the number of papers published in this field showed a fluctuating upward trend.The author with the largest number of articles is Lafage V,and the country with the largest number of articles is China.(2)Keyword analysis results show that adolescent scoliosis,deep learning,classification,precision and robot are the main keywords.(3)The in-depth analysis results of co-cited and highly cited articles show that artificial intelligence has three hotspots in the field of spinal deformities,including the use of U-shaped architecture(a mature mode of deep learning convolutional neural networks)to automatically measure imaging parameters(Cobb angle and accurate segmentation of paraspinal muscles),multi-view correlation network architecture(i.e.,spine curvature assessment framework),and robot-guided spinal surgery.(4)In the field of artificial intelligence treatment of spinal malformations,the mechanism research such as genomics is very weak.In the future,unsupervised hierarchical clustering and other machine learning techniques can be used to study the basic mechanism of susceptibility genes in the field of spinal deformities by genome-wide association analysis and other genomics research methods.

BACKGROUND:The activation of NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3)inflammasome has been found to be an important factor in the pathogenesis of gouty arthritis,and the activation of NLPR3 inflammasome can be effectively inhibited by regulating the PTEN-induced kinas 1(PINK1)/Parkin signaling pathway. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of Duhuo Jisheng Decoction on the PINK1/Parkin/NLRP3 signaling pathway. METHODS:(1)Animal experiment:Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group,model group,positive control group(Qiushuixian tablets 0.3 mg/kg),and low-,medium-,and high-dose Duhuo Jisheng Decoction groups(6.9,13.8,and 27.6 g/kg,respectively).A rat gouty arthritis model was constructed by injecting monosodium urate crystal suspension into the right hind ankle joint cavity of rats in all the groups except for the control group.(2)Cell experiment:Human monocytes(THP-1)were divided into blank control group,model group,Duhuo Jisheng Decoction-containing serum group,and PINK1 siRNA+Duhuo Jisheng Decoction-containing serum group.The cells in each group except the blank control group were stimulated with sodium urate to establish an in vitro gouty arthritis model.(3)The swelling degree,joint circumference,gait score,joint inflammation index and degree of pathological grading in the ankle joints of rats were observed.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the levels of uric acid,C-reactive protein,NLRP3,and interleukin 1β.Immunoblotting assay was used to detect the levels of proteins related to the PINK1/Parkin/NLRP3 pathway.Tetramethyl azolidine blue assay was used to detect cell activity.Immunofluorescent double staining was performed to detect the level of mitophagy.Immunofluorescence was used to detect the expression of NLRP3 and interleukin 1β. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the control group,rats in the model group showed elevated ankle swelling and ankle circumference at 6-48 hours(P<0.05),elevated gait scores and joint inflammation indexes at 24 and 48 hours(P<0.05),elevated serum uric acid and C-reactive protein levels,degree of pathological classification,expression of PINK1,Parkin,and NLRP3 proteins,and interleukin 1β level in synovial tissues(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the protein expression levels of PINK1 and Parkin in all the Duhuo Jisheng Decoction groups were elevated,while the levels of the other indexes were decreased(P<0.05).(2)Compared with the model group,NLRP3 activity,interleukin 1β level and mitochondrial outer membrane translocator protein 20 protein level in the Duhuo Jisheng Decoction-containing serum group were decreased(P<0.05),while the proliferation inhibition rate,PINK1,Parkin and LC3B protein level were increased(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the mitochondrial autophagy level of cells in the Duhuo Jisheng Decoction-containing serum group was elevated(P<0.05),while NLRP3 and interleukin 1β protein levels were decreased(P<0.05).(3)Compared with the Duhuo Jisheng Decoction-containing serum group,the mitochondrial autophagy level of cells in the PINK1 siRNA+Duhuo Jisheng Decoction-containing serum group was decreased(P<0.05),and the expression levels of NLRP3 and interleukin 1β were elevated(P<0.05).To conclude,Duhuo Jisheng Decoction inhibits the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome by regulating the PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway, thereby exerting a therapeutic effect on gouty arthritis.