1.Trend change of the mortality and disease burden of hypertensive nephropathy in Chongqing in 2012-2023
Xianbin DING ; Yan JIAO ; Rui DING ; Biao KANG ; Hao MU ; Jie XU ; Ting CHEN ; Jiawei XIE
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2025;36(6):43-47
Objective To analyze trend changes of disease burden of hypertensive nephropathy (HTN) between 2012 and 2023 in Chongqing, and to provide the suggestion for HTN prevention and treatment. Methods Death cases of HTN from Chongqing death registration data between 2012 and 2023 were analyzed to calculate indicators such as mortality, age standardization mortality rate (ASMR), rate of years of life lost (YLL) and Average years of life lost. The mortality of HTN between male and female, urban and rural were compared by Chi-square test. The trend change was explained by average annual percent of change (AAPC). Results The mortality and standardized mortality of HTN in Chongqing decreased from 5.44/100 000 and 3.13/100 000 in 2012 to 2.76/100 000 and 1.07/100,000 in 2023 respectively. The average annual percent change (AAPC) was -5.41% and -8.35% respectively, and the differences in the change trends were statistically significant (P<0.01). The mortality and standardized mortality of HTN in males and females decreased with AAPC of 5.50%, 8.07%, 5.27% and 8.69% respectively, and the differences in the change trends were all statistically significant (all P< 0.05). From 2012 to 2014, 2019 and 2021, the mortality rate of HTN in rural areas was higher than that in urban areas (all P < 0.05). The mortality and standardized mortality of HTN in rural areas decreased with AAPC of 6.58% and 9.46% respectively, and the differences in the change trends were all statistically significant (all P<0.05). The rate of YLL and standardized YLL of HTN in Chongqing decreased from 96.02/100 000 and 60.42/100 000 in 2012 to 44.98/100 000 and 21.49/100 000 in 2023 respectively. The AAPC was -5.83% and -7.80% respectively, and the differences in the change trends were statistically significant (both P < 0.05). AYLL of HTN were 17.88 years in 2012, and it was 17.08 years in 2023. There were no statistically significant differences in the changes (both P > 0.05). The standardized AYLL of HTN in rural areas increased at an average annual rate of 1.14%, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion The mortality and YLL rate of HNT in Chongqing was lower than it in China. Moreover, its trend was decreased. It should be strengthened early screening and healthy management of HNT.
2.Comparison on chemical components of Angelicae Sinensis Radix before and after wine processing by HS-GC-IMS, HS-SPME-GC-MS, and UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS combined with chemometrics.
Xue-Hao SUN ; Jia-Xuan CHEN ; Jia-Xin YIN ; Xiao HAN ; Zhi-Ying DOU ; Zheng LI ; Li-Ping KANG ; He-Shui YU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(14):3909-3917
The study investigated the intrinsic changes in material basis of Angelicae Sinensis Radix during wine processing by headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry(HS-GC-IMS), headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(HS-SPME-GC-MS), and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS) combined with chemometrics. HS-GC-IMS fingerprints of Angelicae Sinensis Radix before and after wine processing were established to analyze the variation trends of volatile components and characterize volatile small-molecule substances before and after processing. Principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) were employed for differentiation and difference analysis. A total of 89 volatile components in Angelicae Sinensis Radix were identified by HS-GC-IMS, including 14 unsaturated hydrocarbons, 16 aldehydes, 13 ketones, 9 alcohols, 16 esters, 6 organic acids, and 15 other compounds. HS-SPME-GC-MS detected 118 volatile components, comprising 42 unsaturated hydrocarbons, 11 aromatic compounds, 30 alcohols, 8 alkanes, 6 organic acids, 4 ketones, 7 aldehydes, 5 esters, and 5 other volatile compounds. UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS identified 76 non-volatile compounds. PCA revealed distinct clusters of raw and wine-processed Angelicae Sinensis Radix samples across the three detection methods. Both PCA and OPLS-DA effectively discriminated between the two groups, and 145 compounds(VIP>1) were identified as critical markers for evaluating processing quality, including 4-methyl-3-penten-2-one, ethyl 2-methylpentanoate, and 2,4-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane detected by HS-GC-IMS, angelic acid, β-pinene, and germacrene B detected by HS-SPME-GC-MS, and L-tryptophan, licoricone, and angenomalin detected by UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS. In conclusion, the integration of the three detection methods with chemometrics elucidates the differences in the chemical material basis between raw and wine-processed Angelicae Sinensis Radix, providing a scientific foundation for understanding the processing mechanisms and clinical applications of wine-processed Angelicae Sinensis Radix.
Wine/analysis*
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Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods*
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Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods*
;
Angelica sinensis/chemistry*
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Solid Phase Microextraction/methods*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification*
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Chemometrics
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Volatile Organic Compounds/chemistry*
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Principal Component Analysis
;
Ion Mobility Spectrometry/methods*
3.Comparative analysis of the safety and efficacy of fenestrated pedicle screw with cement and conventional pedicle screw with cement in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures: A meta-analysis.
Li CAO ; Hong-Jie XU ; Yi-Kang YU ; Huan-Huan TANG ; Bo-Hao FANG ; Ke CHEN
Chinese Journal of Traumatology 2025;28(2):101-112
PURPOSE:
Bone cement-reinforced fenestrated pedicle screws (FPSs) have been widely used in the internal fixation and repair of the spine with osteoporosis in recent years and show significant improvement in fixation strength and stability. However, compared with conventional reinforcement methods, the advantages of bone cement-reinforced FPSs remain undetermined. This article compares the effects of fenestrated and conventional pedicle screws (CPSs) combined with bone cement in the treatment of osteoporosis.
METHODS:
A clinical control study of FPSs and CPSs combined with bone cement reinforcement in osteoporotic vertebral internal fixation was performed using the database PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, the Wanfang, and the China Biomedical Literature Service System. Two evaluators screened the relevant literature in strict accordance with the inclusion criteria (diagnosis of participants, type of clinical study, treatment with FPS and CPS, and outcome indicators) and exclusion criteria (duplicate literature and missing or incorrect data) and independently conducted data extraction and quality evaluation. Clinical control studies of direct comparison between FPS and CPS combined with bone cement reinforcement in patients who were definitively diagnosed with thoracolumbar fractures or spinal degenerative diseases were included. Quality evaluation was conducted using the Cochrane risk bias evaluation tool for randomized controlled studies and using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for retrospective case-control studies. RevMan software (version 5.3) was used for the meta-analysis to compare the clinical efficacy, radiological results, and related complications of the 2 methods.
RESULTS:
A total of 13 articles were included, including 7 randomized controlled studies and 6 retrospective case-control studies. There were 909 patients in these studies, 451 in the FPS and polymethyl methacrylate (FPS & PMMA) group and 458 in the CPS and polymethyl methacrylate (CPS & PMMA) group. The results of the meta-analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the 2 groups in operation time, hospital stay, visual analogue score, Japanese orthopaedic association score, Oswestry disability index score, Cobb angle, vertebral body deformation index and fusion rate (p > 0.05). The mean difference of intraoperative bleeding volume was -10.45, (95% confidence intervals (CI) (-16.92, -3.98), p = 0.002), the mean difference of loss height of the anterior edge of the vertebral body after surgery was -0.69 (95% CI (-0.93, -0.44), p < 0.001), and the relative risk (RR) of overall complication rate was 0.43 (95% CI (0.27, 0.68), p < 0.001), including the RR of bone cement leakage rate was 0.57 (95% CI (0.39, 0.85), p = 0.005). The screw loosening rate (RR = 0.26, 95% CI (0.13, 0.54), p < 0.001) of the FPS group was significantly lower than that of the CPS group.
CONCLUSION
The existing clinical evidence shows that compared with the CPS combined with bone cement, the use of FPS repair in the internal fixation of an osteoporotic vertebral body can reduce the amount of intraoperative bleeding, be more conducive to maintaining the height of the vertebral body, and significantly reduce the incidence of postoperative complications such as bone cement leakage and screw loosening.
Humans
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Pedicle Screws
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Bone Cements
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Spinal Fractures/surgery*
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Osteoporotic Fractures/surgery*
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Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation*
4.Construction and application of a large capacity VNAR library from the whitespotted bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium playgiosum).
Hao LI ; Litong LIU ; Xinyi KANG ; Chuan-Wei CHEN ; Mengran WANG ; Shaoqin FU ; Qingtong ZHOU ; Bo ZHAO ; Dehua YANG ; Ming-Wei WANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(4):1912-1921
Fifty whitespotted bamboo sharks (Chiloscyllium playgiosum) of both sexes were used to establish a large capacity variable domain of the new antigen receptor (VNAR) library with a total capacity of over 109 colony-forming units (CFU). It was applied to screen VNARs against human serum albumin (HSA) and human transcription factor EB (TFEB), respectively. Meanwhile, VNAR libraries specific to HSA and TFEB with capacities above 108 CFU were obtained following conventional immunization. These two approaches were systematically studied in terms of VNAR yield and composition. By comparing the VNAR sequences obtained from naïve and antigen-immunized libraries, we found that the complementary-determining region 3 (CDR3) of the former differs in composition from that of the latter. It shares a higher degree of homology with the naïve library. Meanwhile, the binding efficiency assessed by ELISA is also different between the naïve and antigen-immunized libraries. The binding of VNARs from the TFEB-immunized library appeared to surpass that observed with the naïve libraries, whereas the performance of VNARs from the HSA-immunized library indicated that both the immunized and naïve libraries for HSA had positive binding responses in polyclonal and monoclonal ELISA. The results are useful to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic products based on shark VNARs.
5.Cost-effectiveness of Fractional Flow Reserve Versus Intravascular Ultrasound to Guide Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Results From the FLAVOUR Study
Doyeon HWANG ; Hea-Lim KIM ; Jane KO ; HyunJin CHOI ; Hanna JEONG ; Sun-ae JANG ; Xinyang HU ; Jeehoon KANG ; Jinlong ZHANG ; Jun JIANG ; Joo-Yong HAHN ; Chang-Wook NAM ; Joon-Hyung DOH ; Bong-Ki LEE ; Weon KIM ; Jinyu HUANG ; Fan JIANG ; Hao ZHOU ; Peng CHEN ; Lijiang TANG ; Wenbing JIANG ; Xiaomin CHEN ; Wenming HE ; Sung Gyun AHN ; Ung KIM ; You-Jeong KI ; Eun-Seok SHIN ; Hyo-Soo KIM ; Seung-Jea TAHK ; JianAn WANG ; Tae-Jin LEE ; Bon-Kwon KOO ;
Korean Circulation Journal 2025;55(1):34-46
Background and Objectives:
The Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular UltrasoundGuided Intervention Strategy for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis (FLAVOUR) trial demonstrated non-inferiority of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI. We sought to investigate the cost-effectiveness of FFR-guided PCI compared to IVUS-guided PCI in Korea.
Methods:
A 2-part cost-effectiveness model, composed of a short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model, was developed for patients who underwent PCI to treat intermediate stenosis (40% to 70% stenosis by visual estimation on coronary angiography).The lifetime healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the healthcare system perspective. Transition probabilities were mainly referred from the FLAVOUR trial, and healthcare costs were mainly obtained through analysis of Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Health utilities were mainly obtained from the Seattle Angina Questionnaire responses of FLAVOUR trial participants mapped to EQ-5D.
Results:
From the Korean healthcare system perspective, the base-case analysis showed that FFR-guided PCI was 2,451 U.S. dollar lower in lifetime healthcare costs and 0.178 higher in QALYs compared to IVUS-guided PCI. FFR-guided PCI remained more likely to be cost-effective over a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis.
Conclusions
Based on the results from the FLAVOUR trial, FFR-guided PCI is projected to decrease lifetime healthcare costs and increase QALYs compared with IVUS-guided PCI in intermediate coronary lesion, and it is a dominant strategy in Korea.
6.Cost-effectiveness of Fractional Flow Reserve Versus Intravascular Ultrasound to Guide Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Results From the FLAVOUR Study
Doyeon HWANG ; Hea-Lim KIM ; Jane KO ; HyunJin CHOI ; Hanna JEONG ; Sun-ae JANG ; Xinyang HU ; Jeehoon KANG ; Jinlong ZHANG ; Jun JIANG ; Joo-Yong HAHN ; Chang-Wook NAM ; Joon-Hyung DOH ; Bong-Ki LEE ; Weon KIM ; Jinyu HUANG ; Fan JIANG ; Hao ZHOU ; Peng CHEN ; Lijiang TANG ; Wenbing JIANG ; Xiaomin CHEN ; Wenming HE ; Sung Gyun AHN ; Ung KIM ; You-Jeong KI ; Eun-Seok SHIN ; Hyo-Soo KIM ; Seung-Jea TAHK ; JianAn WANG ; Tae-Jin LEE ; Bon-Kwon KOO ;
Korean Circulation Journal 2025;55(1):34-46
Background and Objectives:
The Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular UltrasoundGuided Intervention Strategy for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis (FLAVOUR) trial demonstrated non-inferiority of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI. We sought to investigate the cost-effectiveness of FFR-guided PCI compared to IVUS-guided PCI in Korea.
Methods:
A 2-part cost-effectiveness model, composed of a short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model, was developed for patients who underwent PCI to treat intermediate stenosis (40% to 70% stenosis by visual estimation on coronary angiography).The lifetime healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the healthcare system perspective. Transition probabilities were mainly referred from the FLAVOUR trial, and healthcare costs were mainly obtained through analysis of Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Health utilities were mainly obtained from the Seattle Angina Questionnaire responses of FLAVOUR trial participants mapped to EQ-5D.
Results:
From the Korean healthcare system perspective, the base-case analysis showed that FFR-guided PCI was 2,451 U.S. dollar lower in lifetime healthcare costs and 0.178 higher in QALYs compared to IVUS-guided PCI. FFR-guided PCI remained more likely to be cost-effective over a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis.
Conclusions
Based on the results from the FLAVOUR trial, FFR-guided PCI is projected to decrease lifetime healthcare costs and increase QALYs compared with IVUS-guided PCI in intermediate coronary lesion, and it is a dominant strategy in Korea.
7.Cost-effectiveness of Fractional Flow Reserve Versus Intravascular Ultrasound to Guide Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Results From the FLAVOUR Study
Doyeon HWANG ; Hea-Lim KIM ; Jane KO ; HyunJin CHOI ; Hanna JEONG ; Sun-ae JANG ; Xinyang HU ; Jeehoon KANG ; Jinlong ZHANG ; Jun JIANG ; Joo-Yong HAHN ; Chang-Wook NAM ; Joon-Hyung DOH ; Bong-Ki LEE ; Weon KIM ; Jinyu HUANG ; Fan JIANG ; Hao ZHOU ; Peng CHEN ; Lijiang TANG ; Wenbing JIANG ; Xiaomin CHEN ; Wenming HE ; Sung Gyun AHN ; Ung KIM ; You-Jeong KI ; Eun-Seok SHIN ; Hyo-Soo KIM ; Seung-Jea TAHK ; JianAn WANG ; Tae-Jin LEE ; Bon-Kwon KOO ;
Korean Circulation Journal 2025;55(1):34-46
Background and Objectives:
The Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular UltrasoundGuided Intervention Strategy for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis (FLAVOUR) trial demonstrated non-inferiority of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI. We sought to investigate the cost-effectiveness of FFR-guided PCI compared to IVUS-guided PCI in Korea.
Methods:
A 2-part cost-effectiveness model, composed of a short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model, was developed for patients who underwent PCI to treat intermediate stenosis (40% to 70% stenosis by visual estimation on coronary angiography).The lifetime healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the healthcare system perspective. Transition probabilities were mainly referred from the FLAVOUR trial, and healthcare costs were mainly obtained through analysis of Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Health utilities were mainly obtained from the Seattle Angina Questionnaire responses of FLAVOUR trial participants mapped to EQ-5D.
Results:
From the Korean healthcare system perspective, the base-case analysis showed that FFR-guided PCI was 2,451 U.S. dollar lower in lifetime healthcare costs and 0.178 higher in QALYs compared to IVUS-guided PCI. FFR-guided PCI remained more likely to be cost-effective over a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis.
Conclusions
Based on the results from the FLAVOUR trial, FFR-guided PCI is projected to decrease lifetime healthcare costs and increase QALYs compared with IVUS-guided PCI in intermediate coronary lesion, and it is a dominant strategy in Korea.
8.Cost-effectiveness of Fractional Flow Reserve Versus Intravascular Ultrasound to Guide Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Results From the FLAVOUR Study
Doyeon HWANG ; Hea-Lim KIM ; Jane KO ; HyunJin CHOI ; Hanna JEONG ; Sun-ae JANG ; Xinyang HU ; Jeehoon KANG ; Jinlong ZHANG ; Jun JIANG ; Joo-Yong HAHN ; Chang-Wook NAM ; Joon-Hyung DOH ; Bong-Ki LEE ; Weon KIM ; Jinyu HUANG ; Fan JIANG ; Hao ZHOU ; Peng CHEN ; Lijiang TANG ; Wenbing JIANG ; Xiaomin CHEN ; Wenming HE ; Sung Gyun AHN ; Ung KIM ; You-Jeong KI ; Eun-Seok SHIN ; Hyo-Soo KIM ; Seung-Jea TAHK ; JianAn WANG ; Tae-Jin LEE ; Bon-Kwon KOO ;
Korean Circulation Journal 2025;55(1):34-46
Background and Objectives:
The Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular UltrasoundGuided Intervention Strategy for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis (FLAVOUR) trial demonstrated non-inferiority of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI. We sought to investigate the cost-effectiveness of FFR-guided PCI compared to IVUS-guided PCI in Korea.
Methods:
A 2-part cost-effectiveness model, composed of a short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model, was developed for patients who underwent PCI to treat intermediate stenosis (40% to 70% stenosis by visual estimation on coronary angiography).The lifetime healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the healthcare system perspective. Transition probabilities were mainly referred from the FLAVOUR trial, and healthcare costs were mainly obtained through analysis of Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Health utilities were mainly obtained from the Seattle Angina Questionnaire responses of FLAVOUR trial participants mapped to EQ-5D.
Results:
From the Korean healthcare system perspective, the base-case analysis showed that FFR-guided PCI was 2,451 U.S. dollar lower in lifetime healthcare costs and 0.178 higher in QALYs compared to IVUS-guided PCI. FFR-guided PCI remained more likely to be cost-effective over a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis.
Conclusions
Based on the results from the FLAVOUR trial, FFR-guided PCI is projected to decrease lifetime healthcare costs and increase QALYs compared with IVUS-guided PCI in intermediate coronary lesion, and it is a dominant strategy in Korea.
9.Application and process optimization of automated magnetic bead sorting technology in T-SPOT.TB assay for tuberculosis infection
Tian ZHENG ; Xiao CHEN ; Hao LIU ; Meijuan KONG ; BeiPei KANG ; Jun XI ; Ke ZHOU ; Jiayun LIU
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;59(10):1779-1786
To evaluate the clinical application value of magnetic bead sorting technology (MBS) using the T-cell select kit combined with an automatic cell sorter for isolating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to realize automated specimen pre-processing and process optimization in T-SPOT.TB assay. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 300 patients recruited from the first affiliated hospital of Air Force Medical University from March 2023 to July 2024. Among them, there were 167 males and 133 females. The age range of the patients was 18 to 65 years, with a median age of 49.0 (33.3, 59.0) years and a mean age of (46.4±13.9) years. 4 ml of anticoagulated whole blood samples in duplicate were collected from each patient. One fresh sample (0-4 h) was processed immediately using density gradient centrifugation (DGC) for PBMC isolation, while the other was processed using MBS method at either 0-4 h or 34-54 h post-collection. The cycles for cell enrichment step of the automatic cell sorter were adjusted from the conventional 4 cycles to 2 cycles. Statistical analysis was performed using Cohen′s Kappa test to evaluate the concordance of T-SPOT.TB results across all processing groups. The results showed that for fresh samples (0-4 h), the T-SPOT.TB results for samples processed with 4-cycle and 2-cycle MBS enrichment steps demonstrated positive concordance rates of 91.7% and 93.1%, negative concordance rates of 100% for both, overall concordance rates of 98.0% and 97.9%, and Kappa values of 0.94 and 0.95, respectively, compared with the reference results for paired samples processed using DGC. Correspondingly, the results for samples processed with the 4-cycle and 2-cycle MBS methods at 34-54 h post-collection yielded positive concordance rates of 90.0% and 81.3%, negative concordance rates of 95.1% and 100%, overall concordance rates of 93.0% and 82.9%, and Kappa values of 0.86 and 0.43, respectively, compared with the reference results for fresh samples processed using DGC. In conclusion,for 0-4 h samples, the T-SPOT.TB results from both 4-cycle and 2-cycle MBS enrichment protocols were highly consistent with the reference results from conventional DGC methods. However, for 34-54 h stored samples, results from the 4-cycle MBS method rather than the 2-cycle protocol exhibited significantly superior concordance with the reference results. The MBS method using T-Cell Select kit achieves automated sample pre-processing for T-SPOT.TB assay, reduces hands-on time, and provides a viable alternative with reliable results for long-stored specimens.
10.Effects of Yiqi Juanbi Formula on chondrocyte pyroptosis in collagen-induced arthritic rats via NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling pathway
Xin-yu CUI ; Hao-lin LI ; Wei-qing LI ; Hui-qin KANG ; Wei-gang CHENG ; Pei-xin HE ; Cai-hong YANG ; Ping CHEN ; Hai-dong WANG
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2025;47(9):2880-2887
AIM To investigate the effects of Yiqi Juanbi Formula on chondrocyte pyroptosis in rat models of collagen-induced arthritis(CIA).METHODS Fifty rats were subcutaneously injected at the tail base with an emulsion containing equal volumes of bovine type Ⅱ collagen and incomplete Freund's adjuvant(IFA)to establish the CIA models.These rats were then randomly assigned to the model group,the methotrexate group(0.35 mg/kg),and the low-dose,medium-dose,and high-dose Yiqi Juanbi Formula groups(9.4,18.7,37.4 g/kg),in contrast to the ten intact rats serving in the normal control group.Following four weeks of intragastric administration,the rats had their general conditions observed;their joint swelling and arthritis indices measured;their ankle joint pathology assessed by HE staining;their serum levels of IL-1β,IL-18 and TNF-ɑ detected by ELISA;their mRNA expressions of NLRP3,Caspase-1,GSDMD,IL-1β,IL-18 and TNF-ɑ in ankle cartilage quantified by RT-qPCR;their protein expressions of NF-κB,NLRP3 and Caspase-1 in ankle cartilage analyzed by Western blot;and their NLRP3 and GSDMD positive expressions in ankle cartilage examined by immunohistochemistry.RESULTS Compared to the control group,the model group showed significantly increased joint swelling and arthritis indices(P<0.01);elevated serum levels of IL-1 β,IL-18 and TNF-ɑ(P<0.01);pathological changes including cartilage surface defects,reduced cell count,altered cellular morphology,irregular cell arrangement,and significant inflammatory cell infiltration in synovial tissue;upregulated mRNA expressions of NF-κB,NLRP3,Caspase-1,GSDMD,IL-1β,IL-18 and TNF-ɑ(P<0.01)and increased protein expressions of NF-κB,NLRP3 and Caspase-1(P<0.01)in ankle cartilage;enhanced positive expressions of NLRP3 and GSDMD in ankle cartilage(P<0.01).Compared to the model group,the groups intervened with methotrexate or medium-or high-dose Yiqi Juanbi Formula exhibited reduced joint swelling and arthritis indices(P<0.01);alleviated pathological damage in ankle joints;decreased serum levels of IL-1β,IL-18 and TNF-ɑ(P<0.01);downregulated mRNA expressions of NF-κB,NLRP3,Caspase-1,GSDMD,IL-1β,IL-18 and TNF-ɑ(P<0.05,P<0.01),and reduced protein expressions of NF-κB,NLRP3 and Caspase-1(P<0.05,P<0.01)in ankle cartilage;and diminished positive expressions of NLRP3 and GSDMD in ankle cartilage(P<0.01).CONCLUSION Yiqi Juanbi Formula alleviates inflammation in CIA rats,potentially by inhibiting the activation of the NF-κB/NLRP3/Caspase-1 signaling pathway,thereby suppressing chondrocyte pyroptosis.


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