BACKGROUND:Chondrocyte apoptosis is an important factor in the development of osteoarthritis,and Complanatoside A has a flavonoid effect,which can inhibit apoptosis of various cells,but its effect on chondrocyte apoptosis and the mechanism of action are not clear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the intrinsic association and mechanism of Complanatoside A in chondrocyte apoptosis based on the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. METHODS:(1)The cartilage tissues of the femur and tibia transected during knee arthroplasty were collected,and chondrocytes were isolated,cultured in vitro,and identified.(2)Cell counting kit-8 was used to detect the optimal intervention concentration of Complanatoside A in the concentration range of 0-160 μmol/L.(3)Chondrocytes were divided into blank group,sodium nitroprusside(1.5 mmol/L)-induced group,and sodium nitroprusside(1.5 mmol/L)+Complanatoside A(5 μmol/L)group.The viability and apoptosis rate of the cells in each group were detected by cell counting kit-8 and flow cytometry.The expression of type Ⅱ collagen and SOX9 was detected by immunofluorescence staining.The expression of apoptosis-related proteins and Wnt/β-catenin pathway proteins was detected by western blot assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The cells extracted in vitro were cultured and stained,and were clearly identified as chondrocytes.Complanatoside A had no obvious cytotoxicity to chondrocytes in the concentration range of 0-80 μmol/L,and significantly improved the chondrocyte viability in the concentration range of 2.5-10 μmol/L,especially when the concentration was 5 μmol/L.The apoptotic rate of chondrocytes was higher in the sodium nitroprusside-induced group than the blank control group,while the apoptotic rate was lower in the sodium nitroprusside+Complanatoside A group than the sodium nitroprusside-induced group.The fluorescence intensity of type Ⅱ collagen and SOX9 in chondrocytes was weaker in the sodium nitroprusside-induced group than the blank control group,while the fluorescence intensity of type Ⅱ collagen and SOX9 in the sodium nitroprusside+Complanatoside A group was higher than that of the sodium nitroprusside-induced group.In the sodium nitroprusside-induced group,the protein expression of Bax,Caspase-3,matrix metalloproteinase 13,Wnt3a,Wnt5a and β-catenin was higher than that of the blank control group,while the protein expression of Bcl-2 was lower than that of the blank control group.In the sodium nitroprusside+Complanatoside A group,except for the protein expression of Bcl-2 which was higher than that of the sodium nitroprusside-induced group,the expression of the other aforementioned proteins was lower than that of the sodium nitroprusside-induced group.To conclude,Complanatoside A has a certain inhibitory effect on chondrocyte apoptosis,which could regulate apoptosis-related proteins and promote the expression of chondrocyte regulatory factors,and presumably might play a role through inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the morphological characteristics of the postero-superior protuberance of the calcaneus and to explore its relationship with Haglund malformation. METHODS: Ankle lateral X-ray films of 391 hospitalized patients between May 2021 and June 2024 were retrospectively collected. The morphological parameters of the postero-superior protuberance of the calcaneus were measured, including the length of the base, the height of the base, and the tip angle of the postero-superior protuberance of the calcaneus, and the morphological types were classified according to the above parameters, including the peak type, the hill type, and the flat type. The related parameters of Haglund malformation were measured, including Fowler-Philipp angle (FPA), calcaneal pitch angle (CPA), parallel pitch line (PPL), Chauveaux-Liet angle (CLA), and X/Y ratio (total calcaneal length/length of greater tuberosity of calcaneus). The differences of the morphological parameters of the postero-superior protuberance of the calcaneus and the related indicators of Haglund deformity among the three types and between the males and the females were compared and analyzed, and the differences of the positive numbers of the related indicators of Haglund deformity among the three types were compared. RESULTS: According to the morphological parameters of the postero-superior protuberance of the calcaneus, there were 64 cases of peak type, 245 cases of hill type, and 82 cases of flat type. There was no significant difference in the length of the base of the postero-superior protuberance of the calcaneus, CPA, CLA, and X/Y ratio among the three types ( P>0.05). Among the three types, the peak type had the largest FPA and the flat type had the smallest ( P<0.05); the peak type had the smallest tip angle of the postero-superior protuberance of the calcaneus and the flat type had the largest ( P<0.05); the positive rate of PPL in the hill type was significantly higher than that in the peak type and flat type ( P<0.05); the height of the base of the postero-superior protuberance of the calcaneus in the flat type was the smallest ( P<0.05). FPA, CPA, CLA, PPL, and X/Y ratio were positive in 2, 42, 172, 142, and 77 patients, respectively. There was no significant difference in the number of positive Haglund deformity indicators among the three types ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference between male and female patients in the tip angle of the postero-superior protuberance of the calcaneus, FPA, the positive rate of PPL, and X/Y ratio ( P>0.05). The length and the height of the base of the postero-superior protuberance of the calcaneus, CPA, and CLA in male patients were significantly higher than those in female patients ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION The postero-superior protuberance of the calcaneus can be divided into three types: the peak type, the hill type, and the flat type. The peak type is more likely to suffer from Haglund deformity, and the males are more likely to suffer from Haglund deformity than the females.
Humans ; Calcaneus/anatomy & histology* ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Radiography ; Child ; Aged

The interaction between m⁶A-methylated RNA and chromatin modification remains largely unknown. We found that targeted inhibition of bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) by siRNA or its inhibitor (JQ1) significantly decreases mRNA m⁶A levels and suppresses the malignancy of breast cancer (BC) cells via increased expression of demethylase AlkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5). Mechanistically, inhibition of BRD4 increases the mRNA stability of ALKBH5 via enhanced binding between its 3' untranslated regions (3'UTRs) with RNA-binding protein RALY. Further, BRD4 serves as a scaffold for ubiquitin enzymes tripartite motif containing-21 (TRIM21) and ALKBH5, resulting in the ubiquitination and degradation of ALKBH5 protein. JQ1-increased ALKBH5 then demethylates mRNA of extra spindle pole bodies like 1 (ESPL1) and reduces binding between ESPL1 mRNA and m⁶A reader insulin like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 3 (IGF2BP3), leading to decay of ESPL1 mRNA. Animal and clinical studies confirm a critical role of BRD4/ALKBH5/ESPL1 pathway in BC progression. Further, our study sheds light on the crosstalks between histone modification and RNA methylation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate ideal screw implant angle in reconstruction of tibiofibular syndesmosis injury by using a biomechanical test. METHODS: A total of 24 ankle specimens from adult cadavers were used as the tibiofibular syndesmosis injury model. According to the angle of screw placement, the tibiofibular syndesmosis injury models were randomly divided into groups A (0°), B (10°-15°), C (20°-25°), and D (30°-35°), and the screws were placed at a level 2 cm proximal to the ankle joint. The displacement of fibula was measured by biomechanical testing machine at neutral, dorsiflexion (10°), plantar flexion (15°), varus (10°), and valgus (15°) positions, with axial load of 0-700 N (pressure separation test). The displacement of fibula was also measured at neutral position by applying 0-5 N·m torque load during internal and external rotation (torsional separation test). RESULTS: In the pressure separation test, group C exhibited the smallest displacement under different positions and load conditions. At neutral position, significant differences were observed ( P<0.05) between group A and group C under load of 300-700 N, as well as between group B and group C under all load conditions. At dorsiflexion position, significant differences were observed ( P<0.05) between group A and group C under load of 500-700 N, as well as between groups B, D and group C under all load conditions, and the displacements under all load conditions were significantly smaller in group A than in group B ( P<0.05). At plantar flexion position, significant differences were observed ( P<0.05) between group D and group C under all load conditions. At valgus position, significant differences were observed ( P<0.05) between group A and group C under load of 400-700 N, as well as between groups B, D and group C under all load conditions. In the torsional separation test, group C exhibited the smallest displacement and group B had the largest displacement under different load conditions. During internal rotation, significant differences were observed ( P<0.05) between group B and group C under all load conditions, as well as between group D and group C at load of 3-5 N·m. During external rotation, significant differences were observed between groups B, D and group C under all load conditions ( P<0.05). No significant difference was detected between groups at the remaining load conditions ( P>0.05). CONCLUSION The ideal screw implant angle in reconstruction of tibiofibular syndesmosis injury was 20°-25°, which has a small displacement of fibula.
Humans ; Bone Screws ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Fibula/injuries* ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/methods* ; Adult ; Ankle Joint/surgery* ; Ankle Injuries/surgery* ; Tibia/surgery* ; Male ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Weight-Bearing ; Female ; Cadaver ; Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods*

Objective:To investigate the expressions of apoptosis-related factors survivin, p53 and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in breast cancer tissues and their prognostic value.Methods:A total of 131 patients undergoing radical mastectomy for breast cancer who were admitted to Tangshan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital from February 2015 to January 2019 were selected as the research subjects. During the operation, the cancer tissues and adjacent tissues (normal tissues >3 cm from the tumor margin) were collected from the patients. Expressions of survivin, p53 and HER2 in cancer tissues and adjacent tissues of patients were detected by using immunohistochemistry. The prognoses of patients were recorded after the follow-up for 3 years; the recurrence, metastasis and death treated as the poor prognosis, the rest prognoses of patients were treated as the good prognosis group. The difference of clinicopathological characteristics between the poor prognosis group and the good prognosis group was compared. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze risk factors for prognosis of breast cancer patients. The result of prognosis of breast cancer was taken as the golden standard. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the value of survivin pasitive, p53 pasitive, HER2 pasitive alone, the combination of both and the combination of the there in the judgement of poor prognosis of breast cancer.Results:The positive expression rates of survivin [49.6% (65/131) vs. 7.6% (10/131)], p53 [60.3% (79/131) vs. 13.0% (17/131)] and HER2 [79.4% (104/131) vs. 16.8% (22/131)] in cancer tissues were higher than those in adjacent tissues (all P<0.001). A total of 131 breast cancer patients were followed up for 3 years without any loss of follow-up, and the follow-up rate was 100%. Within the follow-up for 3 years, there were 15 (11.5%) cases of recurrence, 8 (6.1%) cases of metastasis, and 10 (7.6%) cases of death, the incidence of poor prognosis was 25.2% (33/131); and the remaining 98 cases had good prognosis. The proportions of patients with TNM stage Ⅲ, lymph node metastasis, poorly differentiated histology, tumor diameter ≥3 cm, survivin, p53, and HER2 positive expressions in the poor prognosis group were higher than those in the good prognosis group (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that TNM stage Ⅲ [ OR = 5.323 (95% CI 2.190-12.936)], lymph node metastasis [ OR = 4.773 (95% CI 1.964-11.600)], tumor diameter ≥3 cm [ OR = 3.582(95% CI 1.474-8.706)], positive survivin [ OR = 2.740 (95% CI 1.127-6.659)], positive p53 [ OR = 3.271 (95% CI 1.346-7.949)], and positive HER2 [ OR = 3.873 (95% CI 1.594-9.412)] were independent risk factors for prognosis of breast cancer (all P<0.001). The ROC curve results showed that the area under the curve (AUC) values of survivin positive, p53 positive,HER2 positive, and the combination of any two were more than 0.80 (all P<0.001); the AUC of the combination of the three was 0.944 (95% CI 0.890-0.977) ( P<0.001). Conclusions:The expressions of survivin, p53, and HER2 are highly expressed in breast cancer tissues. The expressions of the three can be used to judge the prognosis of breast cancer patients, and the combination of the three has a higher judgement value.

ObjectiveTaking Chuanxiong Chatiaosan prescription as the carrier， by comparing the differences of volatile components in Chuanxiong Rhizoma with single decoction pieces and compatible prescription of different decoction pieces， the differences of material basic connotation of different formulations of Chuanxiong Chatiaosan were revealed from the aspects of processing （raw and wine-processed products）， compound compatibility and dosage form （powder and decoction）. MethodThe volatile oil was extracted from different decoction pieces of Chuanxiong Rhizoma， Chuanxiong Chatiaosan and its decoction with different decoction pieces of Chuanxiong Rhizoma by steam distillation， the main components and their relative contents were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry （GC-MS）. ResultA total of 25 volatile components were identified from different processed products of Chuanxiong Rhizoma， including 11 monoterpenoids， 4 phenols， 3 sesquiterpenoids， 3 phthalides， 2 ketones and 2 olefins， the contents of α-pinene， β-pinene， 3-butylphthalide and others increased after the raw products was processed with wine. A total of 85 constituents were identified from Chuanxiong Chatiaosan with different decoction pieces， including 31 monoterpenoids， 23 sesquiterpenoids， 5 alcohols， 5 aldehydes， 4 phenols， 4 phthalides， 3 ethers， 3 ketones， 1 olefin， 1 organic acid， 2 esters and 3 other compounds. A total of 22 components， including 9 sesquiterpenoids， 3 phthalides， 2 phenols， 6 monoterpenoids， 1 aldehyde and 1 alkane， were identified from the decoction of Chuanxiong Chatiaosan with different processed products. ConclusionThere was no significant difference in the composition between raw products and wine-processed products of Chuanxiong Rhizoma either in single decoction pieces or in compatibility prescription， but the relative content changed to some extent， and the wine-processed products was the most obvious. There was a great difference in the composition of volatile components between the Chuanxiong Chatiaosan and its decoction. The volatile components， such as isopulegol， isocalamendiol and safrole， were not found in the decoction. Components in Chuanxiong Rhizoma processed with wine will change with the addition of yellow rice wine， and volatile components can reflect the difference between decoction pieces and prescriptions of the wine-processed products.

N ⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification is critical for mRNA splicing, nuclear export, stability and translation. Fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO), the first identified m⁶A demethylase, is critical for cancer progression. Herein, we developed small-molecule inhibitors of FTO by virtual screening, structural optimization, and bioassay. As a result, two FTO inhibitors namely 18077 and 18097 were identified, which can selectively inhibit demethylase activity of FTO. Specifically, 18097 bound to the active site of FTO and then inhibited cell cycle process and migration of cancer cells. In addition, 18097 reprogrammed the epi-transcriptome of breast cancer cells, particularly for genes related to P53 pathway. 18097 increased the abundance of m⁶A modification of suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) mRNA, which recruited IGF2BP1 to increase mRNA stability of SOCS1 and subsequently activated the P53 signaling pathway. Further, 18097 suppressed cellular lipogenesis via downregulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBPα), and C/EBPβ. Animal studies confirmed that 18097 can significantly suppress in vivo growth and lung colonization of breast cancer cells. Collectively, we identified that FTO can work as a potential drug target and the small-molecule inhibitor 18097 can serve as a potential agent against breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE：To study the mechanism of enhancement effects of Astragalus complanatus polysaccharides（ACP） on the proliferation of meniscal fibrochondrocytes cells in rabbits. METHODS ：The meniscal fibrochondrocytes cells were isolated from 1-month-old New Zealand white rabbits. The meniscal fibrochondrocytes cells were divided into normal control group （PBS）， positive control group （glucosamine sulfate ，10 mg/mL）and ACP high-dose，medium-dose and low-dose groups （40，20，10 mg/mL）. The morphology of meniscal fibrochondrocytes cells were observed under microscope. Cell proliferation rate was detected by MTT assay. Cell cycle was observed with flow cytometry. ELISA assay was used to detect relative expression of medium collagen type Ⅱ（Col Ⅱ）and alkaline phosphatase protein （ALP）in meniscal fibrochondrocytes cells. RT-qPCR and Western blotting assay were adopted to detect mRNA and protein expression of transforming growth factor β 1 （TGF-β 1） and bone morphogenetic protein 2（BMP-2）. RESULTS ：After cultured for 72 h，meniscal fibrochondrocytes cells were fused into a single layer，and most of them were slender type in appearance. Compared with normal control group ，the proliferation rate of meniscal fibrochondrocytes cells and the percentage of cells at G 1/G0 phase were decreased significantly in positive control group and ACP high-dose，medium-dose and low-dose groups （P＜0.05）；the percentage of cells at S phase ，protein expression of Col Ⅱ and ALP，mRNA and protein expression of TGF-β1 and BMP- 2 were increased significantly （P＜0.05）. Compared with positive control group，inhibitory rate of meniscal fibrochondrocytes cells proliferation and the percentage of cells at G 1/G0 phase were decreased significantly in ACP high-dose group （P＜0.05），while the percentage of cells at S phase ，protein expression of Col Ⅱ and ALP ， mRNA and protein expression of TGF-β1 and BMP- 2 were increased significantly （P＜0.05）. The inhibitory proliferation rate of meniscal fibrochondrocytes cells and the percentage of cells at G 1/G0 phase were increased significantly in ACP low-dose group （P＜ 0.05），while the percentage of cells at S phase ，protein expression of Col Ⅱ and ALP ，mRNA and protein expression of TGF-β1 and BMP- 2 were decreased significantly （P＜0.05）. There was no statistical significance in above indexes of ACP medium-dose group. CONCLUSIONS ：ACP can promote the proliferation of meniscal fibrochondrocytes cells ，reduce the percentage of cells at G1/G0 phase，promote cell transformation to S phase ；the mechanism of which may be related to up-regulating TGF-β1，BMP-2 mRNA and protein expression ，promoting Col Ⅱ and ALP protein expression enhancement.

BACKGROUND:Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is a commonly sport-induced knee joint injury that does serious harm to the knee stability. ACL reconstruction is a commonly used treatment method, but researches on 1/2 peroneus longus tendon (PLT) graft are rarely reported. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical outcomes of removing the autologous ipsilateral 1/2 PLT under arthroscopy for ACL reconstruction. METHODS:106 patients with complete ACL rupture in the Affiliated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southwest Medical University from December 2010 to December 2014 were enrolled, and autologous ipsilateral 1/2 PLT was removed under arthroscopy for ACL reconstruction. At baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively, the knee stability was evaluated manually through the anterior drawer test, Lachman test, and pivot-shift test, and the knee function was evaluated by Tegner activity scale, Lysholm and International Knee Documentation Committee scores. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Postoperative anterior drawer test, Lachman test, and pivot-shift test tests were negative in all patients. In terms of Tegner activity scale, Lysholm and International Knee Documentation Committee scores, there were significant differences at baseline and postoperative 3 months as compared with postoperative 6 months (P < 0.05); the scores at baseline and postoperative 3 months showed significant differences compared with 12 months postoperatively (P < 0.05); the scores showed no significant difference between 6 and 12 months postoperatively (P > 0.05). These results indicate that autologous ipsilateral 1/2 PLT is a good choice for ACL reconstruction under arthroscopy, achieving rapid and satisfactory functional recovery of the knee joint, which is not only minimally invasive and easy to operate, but also exhibits good therapeutic efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Greater tuberosity of humerus, as the attachment point of rotator cuff, plays a vital role in shoulder.Neer and AO classification for proximal humeral fractures have been accepted extensively. However, the classification for single greater tuberosity fractures of the proximal humerus is little reported, and its fixation method remains controversial.OBJECTIVE: To explore the curative efficacy of the double-row suture anchors under arthroscopy for avulsion-type greater tuberosity fractures (Mutch type Ⅰ) METHODS: Clinical data of 24 patients with avulsion-type greater tuberosity fractures (Mutch type Ⅰ) undergoing double-row suture anchors under arthroscopy were analyzed retrospectively. The displacement distance of the greater tuberosity of humerus was measured on CT before and after fixation. The shoulder joint was evaluated by Constant-Murley Score and the University of California, Los Angeles score at baseline, 1, 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Besides, the visual analogue scale scores were detected at baseline and 12 months postoperatively.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Double-row suture anchors effectively improved the displacement of greater tuberosity and rotator cuff injury. (2) The patients accompanied by rotator cuff injury accounted for 79.16%. (3) The Constant-Murley Score and the University of California, Los Angeles scores were significantly improved at each time point (P < 0.05). The visual analogue scale scores after fixation were significantly superior to those before fixation (P < 0.05). (4) These results suggest that the double-row suture anchors under arthroscopy can effectively improve the displacement of greater tuberosity and alleviate the pain. Moreover, it is conductive for early recovery of the shoulder function with little trauma, so it is a good choice for avulsion-type greater tuberosity fractures (Mutch type Ⅰ).