Osteoporosis is a prevalent skeletal condition characterized by reduced bone mass and strength, leading to increased fragility. Buqi-Tongluo (BQTL) decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has yet to be fully evaluated for its potential in treating bone diseases such as osteoporosis. To investigate the mechanism by which BQTL decoction inhibits osteoclast differentiation in vitro and validate these findings through in vivo experiments. We employed MTS assays to assess the potential proliferative or toxic effects of BQTL on bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) at various concentrations. TRAcP experiments were conducted to examine BQTL's impact on osteoclast differentiation. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were utilized to evaluate the relative expression levels of osteoclast-specific genes and proteins under BQTL stimulation. Finally, in vivo experiments were performed using an osteoporosis model to further validate the in vitro findings. This study revealed that BQTL suppressed receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast resorption activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner without observable cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effects of BQTL on osteoclast formation and function were attributed to the downregulation of NFATc1 and c-fos activity, primarily through attenuation of the MAPK, NF-κB, and Calcineurin signaling pathways. BQTL's inhibitory capacity was further examined in vivo using an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model, demonstrating a strong protective effect against bone loss. BQTL may serve as an effective therapeutic TCM for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and the alleviation of bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency and related conditions.
Animals ; NFATC Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Ovariectomy ; Osteoclasts/metabolism* ; Female ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Osteoporosis/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Bone Resorption/genetics* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Humans ; RANK Ligand/metabolism* ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics* ; Transcription Factors

Sensorineural hearing loss is one of the most common sensory disorders. In recent years, auditory neuropathy spectrum disorders caused by mutations in the OTOF gene have garnered significant attention worldwide, marking it as the first deafness gene with breakthroughs in gene therapy. Most patients with OTOF gene mutations present with stable, congenital, or prelingual onset of hearing loss, which can range from severe to profound and even complete hearing loss. However, a minority of patients may exhibit mild to moderate progressive hearing loss or temperature-sensitive hearing loss. This review further explores the genotype-phenotype relationship of the OTOF gene based on reported cases in China and abroad. Additionally, we analyze the characteristics of the natural history of OTOF gene mutations within the Chinese population. This study aims to provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of hearing loss associated with OTOF gene mutations.
Humans ; Mutation ; Phenotype ; Genotype ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/genetics* ; Membrane Proteins/genetics*

Objective To explore the identification method,pathogenesis,clinical characteristics and individualized pharmacotherapy of asymptomatic hyperuricemia after renal transplantation.Methods The pharmacist was on duty at the organ transplant outpatient clinic.During this time,they analyzed and sorted out the medications,identified and differentiated a case of asymptomatic hyperuricemia related to spironolactone in a patient who had undergone a renal transplant,and provided comprehensive care throughout the entire process.Results The asymptomatic hyperuricemia in this patient might be associated with spironolactone,and the adverse reactions of the patient were alleviated by pharmacists through optimizing clinical treatment.Up to now,no hyperuricemia occurred.Conclusions Pharmacists are required to collaborate closely with clinicians to establish medication profiles for patients under long-term follow-up and to closely monitor and evaluate drug-related adverse reactions.Additionally,they should assess the renal function and immune status of transplant recipients promptly and formulate individualized treatment plans in order to enhance the long-term survival of both the transplanted kidneys and the recipients.

Background The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is a vast area with a wide array of ecological environments, resulting in considerable regional variations in air pollution characteristics. Current research is limited by a scarcity of systematic, region-wide studies and risk assessments. Objective To assess the health risks associated with inhalation exposure to nine heavy metal and metalloid elements in atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) for the population of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Methods From the 10th to the 16th of each month throughout 2023, atmospheric PM_2.5 samples were collected at designated monitoring sites in 12 leagues (cities) across the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to analyze the characteristics and trends in concentration. The health risk assessment model developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency was employed to evaluate both the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks associated with the heavy metal elements beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), hydrargyrum (Hg), plumbum (Pb), manganese (Mn), and nickel (Ni) and the metalloid elements stibium (Sb) and arsenic (As). Results In 2023, a total of 1206 valid PM_2.5 samples were analyzed from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The annual average PM_2.5 concentrations in Inner Mongolia, as well as in the cities of Ordos, Wuhai, and the Alxa League, all exceeded the national limit of 35 μg·m⁻³. The PM_2.5 concentrations across the leagues (cities) exhibited a clear seasonal variation, peaking in winter, followed by spring, and reaching a minimum in summer and autumn. The median PM_2.5 concentration in Ordos throughout the year was higher than that in the other leagues (cities) of the region. Concerning health risks, the non-carcinogenic risks associated with the 9 elements detected in each league (city) were all below 1, indicating acceptable levels. However, the non-carcinogenic risk values for Mn, Cr, and As were relatively high; specifically, Ordos City displayed the highest non-carcinogenic risk values for Mn (7.74×10⁻¹) and Cr (2.97×10⁻²), while Chifeng City recorded the highest value for As (2.34×10⁻³). The carcinogenic risk values for As, Cd, Cr, and Ni fell within the range of 1×10⁻⁹ to 1×10⁻⁵, representing an acceptable level. The health risks varied with age, and the elderly residents faced the highest non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks. Conclusion While the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks from heavy metals and metalloids within atmospheric PM_2.5 in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region are generally within acceptable limits, the potential risks that Mn, As, and Cr pose to the health of elderly people warrants particular attention, and Ordos and Chifeng cities exhibit notably higher health risks among other areas. It is recommended that regular, long-term monitoring be conducted, taking into account the specific conditions at monitoring sites across each league (city), and that targeted air quality management strategies be implemented to protect public health.

Objective To explore the identification method,pathogenesis,clinical characteristics and individualized pharmacotherapy of asymptomatic hyperuricemia after renal transplantation.Methods The pharmacist was on duty at the organ transplant outpatient clinic.During this time,they analyzed and sorted out the medications,identified and differentiated a case of asymptomatic hyperuricemia related to spironolactone in a patient who had undergone a renal transplant,and provided comprehensive care throughout the entire process.Results The asymptomatic hyperuricemia in this patient might be associated with spironolactone,and the adverse reactions of the patient were alleviated by pharmacists through optimizing clinical treatment.Up to now,no hyperuricemia occurred.Conclusions Pharmacists are required to collaborate closely with clinicians to establish medication profiles for patients under long-term follow-up and to closely monitor and evaluate drug-related adverse reactions.Additionally,they should assess the renal function and immune status of transplant recipients promptly and formulate individualized treatment plans in order to enhance the long-term survival of both the transplanted kidneys and the recipients.

Objective:To explore the application value of blue laser endoscopic linkage color imaging (LCI) in the diagnosis of benign and malignant lesions in colonic laterally spreading tumor (LST).Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted. The clinical data of 62 patients with colonic LST diagnosed and treated in the Second People's Hospital of Kunshan from June 2019 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent 2 modes of blue laser endoscopic LCI and white light imaging (WLE) combined with indigo blush staining for colonoscopy to determine the benign and malignant LST lesions, and the lesion tissues were taken under the endoscope for pathological diagnosis. Kappa test was used to evaluate the consistency of the diagnostic results of LCI and WLE with pathological diagnosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of LCI and WLE for LST. Results:A total of 92 LST lesions were detected in 62 patients. Pathological findings showed that among the 92 lesions, there were 2 inflammatory lesions, 4 proliferative lesions, 46 low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, 37 high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia and 3 infiltrating cancer in mucosa or under mask. The results of LCI of 92 lesions showed that 4 lesions were type Ⅰ, 39 lesions were type Ⅱ, 45 lesions were type Ⅲ, 2 lesions were inflammatory and 2 lesions were hyperplastic; the diagnosis results of WLE showed that 6 lesions were type Ⅰ, 40 lesions were type Ⅱ, 37 lesions were type Ⅲ, 4 lesions were inflammatory and 5 lesions were proliferative. Among LCI results, 82 neoplastic lesions were consistent with pathological diagnosis, and 4 non-neoplastic lesions were consistent with pathological diagnosis, with a total coincidence rate of 93.48% (86/92); LCI was consistent with pathological diagnosis ( Kappa = 0.586, P < 0.05). Among WLE results, 74 neoplastic lesions were consistent with pathological diagnosis, and 3 non-neoplastic lesions were consistent with pathological diagnosis, with a total coincidence rate of 83.70% (77/92); WLE was consistent with pathological diagnosis ( Kappa =0.447, P < 0.05). The consistency of pathological diagnosis with LCI was higher than that with WLE. ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve of LCI and WLE for the diagnosis of benign and malignant lesions in colonic LST was 0.810 (95% CI: 0.715-0.884) and 0.681 (95% CI: 0.575-0.774), respectively. Conclusions:Blue laser endoscopic LCI has a high consistency with pathological diagnosis in the diagnosis of benign and malignant lesions in colonic LST. It has a high diagnostic value for colonic LST.

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacy between the pressing tendon suture with a lateral anchor and the knotted suture with a lateral anchor in the treatment of severe rotator cuff tear under shoulder arthroscopy.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted of the 42 patients who had been treated at Department of Orthopedic Sports Medicine, Affiliated Hospital to Qingdao University from December 2018 to December 2019 for severe rotator cuff tear. They were 13 males and 29 females, with an age of (58.3±10.1) years (from 32 to 74 years). The injury was on the right side in 26 cases and on the left side in 16 cases. Of them, 22 received pressing tendon suture with a lateral anchor under shoulder arthroscopy and 20 knotted suture with a lateral anchor under shoulder arthroscopy. The flexion, abduction and external rotation of the shoulder, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score, University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) score, Constant-Murley shoulder score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score and imaging MRI Sugaya grading were compared between the 2 groups 12 months after operation.Results:There was no significant difference in the preoperative general data between the 2 groups, showing comparability between them ( P>0.05). At 12 months after operation, the pressing tendon suture group had better abduction and flexion of the shoulder, a lower VAS pain score and a higher ASES score than the knotted suture group, but the differences were insignificant ( P>0.05). At 12 months after operation, the pressing tendon suture group achieved significantly better external rotation (39.2°±11.7°) and significantly higher UCLA score (28.1±4.7) and Constant-Murley shoulder score (77.0±9.3) than the knotted suture group (29.8°±14.6°, 22.1±5.7 and 66.4±11.0) ( P<0.05). At 12 months after operation, the imaging MRI Sugaya grading was significantly lower for the pressing tendon suture group than that for the knotted suture group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:In the treatment of patients with severe rotator cuff tear under shoulder arthroscopy, the pressing tendon suture with a lateral anchor may lead to better clinical prognosis than the knotted suture with a lateral anchor.

Objective:To study the effect of microglia depletion combined with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) transplantation for spinal cord injury (SCI) repair.Methods:GFP-BMSCs were cultured, identified and detected for expression levels of growth factors. The effects of BMSCs ondorsal root ganglion (DRG) axon outgrowth were observed by the co-culture of BMSCs with DRGs. Mice were depleted of microglia by administrating the colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) inhibitor PLX3397. The spinal cords of these microglia-depleted mice were subjected to crush injury. BMSCs were transplanted into SCI area after microglia depletion. Mice were randomly divided into control group (SCI+BMSCs) and experimental group (PLX3397+SCI+BMSCs). Mice were sacrificed at corresponding time points after transplantation for observing the survival of transplanted BMSCs and the repair of spinal cord. BMS score was used for evaluation of motor function recovery.Results:BMSCs secreted a large number of neurotrophic factors and promoted the growth of DRG axons when co-cultured with DRGs. Depletion of microglia significantly improved the survival of transplanted BMSCs. Compared with BMSCs transplantation alone, the combined treatments slightly but non-significantly reduced the area of the lesion ( t=2.141, P=0.065). Immunofluorescence staining showed that both BMSC transplantation alone and the combined treatments did not cause the corticospinalaxons across the lesion and into distal spinal cord. BMS scores were (1.20±0.45), (3.20±0.45), (3.80±0.45), (4.20±0.45), and (4.60±0.55) points in control group at 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 d after injury. The experimental groups were(0.60±0.55), (3.00±0.71), (3.80±0.84), (4.20±0.84), and (4.40±0.89) points, respectively. Conclusion:Depletion of microglia improves the survival of transplanted cells, depletion of microglia combined with BMSC transplantation did not result in a significant reduction in lesion area. At the same time, the damaged CST axons were notregenerated. Thus, combining cell transplantation with axon-promoting strategy may be necessary for SCI repair.

Objective:To explore the clinical effectiveness of arthroscopic treatment of tibial eminence avulsion fracture by four-point fixation with suture anchors.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed of the 58 patients with tibial eminence avulsion fracture who had been treated by the same group of surgeons using four-point fixation technique with suture anchors under arthroscopy at Department of Sports Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital to Qingdao University from January 2015 to December 2018. They were 33 males and 25 females, with an average age of 18.4 years (from 14 to 32 years). By the modified Meyers-McKeever classification, 15 fractures were type Ⅱ, 19 type Ⅲ and 24 type Ⅳ. Recorded and compared were knee Lysholm scores, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores and tibial eminence height between preoperation and one year postoperation; recorded at the last follow-up were range of knee motion and results of Lachman and pivot-shift tests.Results:The 58 patients were followed up for a mean of 20.7 months (from 12 to 33 months). Bony union was achieved in all patients within 12 weeks after operation. In this cohort, the Lysholm score (85.2±4.9) and IKDC score (86.2±4.3) at one year postoperation were significantly higher than the preoperative values (43.2±5.2 and 51.2±4.9), and the post-operative tibial eminence height [(9.1±1.2) mm] was significantly lower than the preoperative value [(12.6±1.2) mm] (all P<0.05). The correlation coefficients between the tibial eminence height and the Lysholm & IKDC scores at one year postoperation were -0.16 and -0.17, respectively. The last follow-up showed a 132°±5° range of knee motion for all patients, a positive result of pivot-shift test (grade Ⅱ) for 3 and a positive result of Lachman test (grade Ⅰ) for 2. Conclusion:Arthroscopic treatment of tibial eminence avulsion fracture by four-point fixation with suture anchors can lead to satisfactory effectiveness, showing advantages of minimal invasion, anatomic reduction, reliable fixation, and little impact on the epiphysis plate.