BACKGROUND:Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative disease of the joints that can lead to disability.Its main pathological features are persistent inflammation and cartilage destruction.Triptolide has been used to treat a variety of chronic joint diseases.However,the mechanism of triptolide in the treatment of osteoarthritis has not been clarifiedOBJECTIVE:To identify the effective targets of triptolide in the treatment of osteoarthritis by network pharmacology,and to investigate the therapeutic effect of triptolide on osteoarthritis in the osteoarthritis model.METHODS:Network pharmacology was used to anticipate the potential targets and signaling pathways of triptolide in the treatment of osteoarthritis,and molecular docking technology was used to validate the core targets.A rat osteoarthritis model was established by anterior cruciate ligament transection.Eight weeks after modeling,the rats were administered with triptolide and sodium hyaluronate by intra-articular injection for 6 weeks.After 6 weeks of intervention,the pathological changes in rat knee joints were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and safranin O-fast green staining.The levels of inflammatory factors in rat serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The expression of aggrecan,type Ⅰ platelet-responsive protein-containing desmoglein metalloproteinase 5,type Ⅱ collagen and matrix metalloproteinase 13 proteins in rat articular cartilage was tested by immunohistochemical staining.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The results of network pharmacology indicated that the target of triptolide may be related to the inhibition of the release of factors such as interleukin 6,tumor necrosis factor a,interleukin 1β,matrix metalloproteinase 9,and the over-activation of the nuclear factor-κB/JAK2-STAT3 signaling pathway.(2)Triptplide could reduce the degree of joint swelling in osteoarthritic rats;pathologically improve the articular cartilage and maintain the cartilage structure;decrease the serum levels of interleukin 6,tumor necrosis factor a,interleukin 1β,matrix metalloproteinase 9,and matrix metalloproteinase 3 in osteoarthritic rats;reduce the protein expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 and type Ⅰ platelet-responsive protein-containing desmoglein metalloproteinase 5 in the articular cartilage;and increase the expression of type Ⅱ collagen and aggrecan in the cartilage,thereby achieving cartilage protection.

BACKGROUND:Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative disease of the joints that can lead to disability.Its main pathological features are persistent inflammation and cartilage destruction.Triptolide has been used to treat a variety of chronic joint diseases.However,the mechanism of triptolide in the treatment of osteoarthritis has not been clarifiedOBJECTIVE:To identify the effective targets of triptolide in the treatment of osteoarthritis by network pharmacology,and to investigate the therapeutic effect of triptolide on osteoarthritis in the osteoarthritis model.METHODS:Network pharmacology was used to anticipate the potential targets and signaling pathways of triptolide in the treatment of osteoarthritis,and molecular docking technology was used to validate the core targets.A rat osteoarthritis model was established by anterior cruciate ligament transection.Eight weeks after modeling,the rats were administered with triptolide and sodium hyaluronate by intra-articular injection for 6 weeks.After 6 weeks of intervention,the pathological changes in rat knee joints were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and safranin O-fast green staining.The levels of inflammatory factors in rat serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The expression of aggrecan,type Ⅰ platelet-responsive protein-containing desmoglein metalloproteinase 5,type Ⅱ collagen and matrix metalloproteinase 13 proteins in rat articular cartilage was tested by immunohistochemical staining.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The results of network pharmacology indicated that the target of triptolide may be related to the inhibition of the release of factors such as interleukin 6,tumor necrosis factor a,interleukin 1β,matrix metalloproteinase 9,and the over-activation of the nuclear factor-κB/JAK2-STAT3 signaling pathway.(2)Triptplide could reduce the degree of joint swelling in osteoarthritic rats;pathologically improve the articular cartilage and maintain the cartilage structure;decrease the serum levels of interleukin 6,tumor necrosis factor a,interleukin 1β,matrix metalloproteinase 9,and matrix metalloproteinase 3 in osteoarthritic rats;reduce the protein expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 and type Ⅰ platelet-responsive protein-containing desmoglein metalloproteinase 5 in the articular cartilage;and increase the expression of type Ⅱ collagen and aggrecan in the cartilage,thereby achieving cartilage protection.

BACKGROUND:Flap transplantation technique is a commonly used surgical procedure for the treatment of severe tissue defects,but postoperative flap necrosis is easily triggered by ischemia-reperfusion injury.Therefore,it is still an important research topic to improve the survival rate of transplanted flaps. OBJECTIVE:To review the pathogenesis and latest treatment progress of flap ischemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS:CNKI,WanFang Database and PubMed database were searched for relevant literature published from 2014 to 2024.The search terms used were"flap,ischemia-reperfusion injury,inflammatory response,oxidative stress,Ca2+overload,apoptosis,mesenchymal stem cells,platelet-rich plasma,signaling pathways,shock wave,pretreatment"in Chinese and English.After elimination of irrelevant literature,poor quality and obsolete literature,77 documents were finally included for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Flap ischemia/reperfusion injury may be related to pathological factors such as inflammatory response,oxidative stress response,Ca2+overload,and apoptosis,which can cause apoptosis of vascular endothelial cells,vascular damage and microcirculation disorders in the flap,and eventually lead to flap necrosis.Studies have found that mesenchymal stem cell transplantation,platelet-rich plasma,signaling pathway modulators,shock waves,and pretreatment can alleviate flap ischemia/reperfusion injuries from different aspects and to varying degrees,and reduce the necrosis rate and necrosis area of the grafted flap.Although there are many therapeutic methods for skin flap ischemia/reperfusion injury,a unified and effective therapeutic method has not yet been developed in the clinic,and the advantages and disadvantages of various therapeutic methods have not yet been compared.Most of the studies remain in the stage of animal experiments,rarely involving clinical observations.Therefore,a lot of research is required in the future to gradually move from animal experiments to the clinic in order to better serve the clinic.

BACKGROUND:Osteosarcoma has a complex pathogenesis and a poor prognosis.While advancements in medical technology have led to some improvements in the 5-year survival rate,substantial progress in its treatment has not yet been achieved. OBJECTIVE:To screen key molecular markers in osteosarcoma,analyze their relationship with osteosarcoma treatment drugs,and explore the potential disease mechanisms of osteosarcoma at the molecular level. METHODS:GSE99671 and GSE284259(miRNA)datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database.Differential gene expression analysis and Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis(WGCNA)on GSE99671 were performed.Functional enrichment analysis was conducted using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes separately for the differentially expressed genes and the module genes with the highest positive correlation to the disease.The intersection of these module genes and differentially expressed genes was taken as key genes.A Protein-Protein Interaction network was constructed,and correlation analysis on the key genes was performed using CytoScape software,and hub genes were identified.Hub genes were externally validated using the GSE28425 dataset and text validation was conducted.The drug sensitivity of hub genes was analyzed using the CellMiner database,with a threshold of absolute value of correlation coefficient|R|>0.3 and P<0.05. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Differential gene expression analysis identified 529 differentially expressed genes,comprising 177 upregulated and 352 downregulated genes.WGCNA analysis yielded a total of 592 genes with the highest correlation to osteosarcoma.(2)Gene Ontology enrichment results indicated that the development of osteosarcoma may be associated with extracellular matrix,bone cell differentiation and development,human immune regulation,and collagen synthesis and degradation.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment results showed the involvement of pathways such as PI3K-Akt signaling pathway,focal adhesion signaling pathway,and immune response in the onset of osteosarcoma.(3)The intersection analysis revealed a total of 59 key genes.Through Protein-Protein Interaction network analysis,8 hub genes were selected,which were LUM,PLOD1,PLOD2,MMP14,COL11A1,THBS2,LEPRE1,and TGFB1,all of which were upregulated.(4)External validation revealed significantly downregulated miRNAs that regulate the hub genes,with hsa-miR-144-3p and hsa-miR-150-5p showing the most significant downregulation.Text validation results demonstrated that the expression of hub genes was consistent with previous research.(5)Drug sensitivity analysis indicated a negative correlation between the activity of methotrexate,6-mercaptopurine,and pazopanib with the mRNA expression of PLOD1,PLOD2,and MMP14.Moreover,zoledronic acid and lapatinib showed a positive correlation with the mRNA expression of PLOD1,LUM,MMP14,PLOD2,and TGFB1.This suggests that zoledronic acid and lapatinib may be potential therapeutic drugs for osteosarcoma,but further validation is required through additional basic experiments and clinical studies.

BACKGROUND:Human periodontal ligament stem cells are potential functional cells for periodontal tissue engineering.However,long-term in vitro culture may lead to reduced stemness and replicative senescence of periodontal ligament stem cells,which may impair the therapeutic effect of human periodontal ligament stem cells. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of oxymatrine on the stemness maintenance and osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells in vitro,and to explore the potential mechanism. METHODS:Periodontal ligament stem cells were isolated from human periodontal ligament tissues by tissue explant enzyme digestion and cultured.The surface markers of mesenchymal cells were identified by flow cytometry.Periodontal ligament stem cells were incubated with 0,2.5,5,and 10 μg/mL oxymatrine.The effect of oxymatrine on the proliferation activity of periodontal ligament stem cells was detected by CCK8 assay.The appropriate drug concentration for subsequent experiments was screened.Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of stem cell non-specific proteins SOX2 and OCT4 in periodontal ligament stem cells.qRT-PCR and western blot assay were used to detect the expression levels of related osteogenic genes and proteins in periodontal ligament stem cells. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The results of CCK8 assay showed that 2.5 μg/mL oxymatrine significantly enhanced the proliferative activity of periodontal stem cells,and the subsequent experiment selected 2.5 μg/mL oxymatrine to intervene.(2)Compared with the blank control group,the protein expression level of SOX2,a stem marker of periodontal ligament stem cells in the oxymatrine group did not change significantly(P>0.05),and the expression of OCT4 was significantly up-regulated(P<0.05).(3)Compared with the osteogenic induction group,the osteogenic genes ALP,RUNX2 mRNA expression and their osteogenic associated protein ALP protein expression of periodontal ligament stem cells were significantly down-regulated in the oxymatrine+osteogenic induction group(P<0.05).(4)The oxymatrine up-regulated the expression of stemness markers of periodontal ligament stem cells and inhibited the bone differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells,and the results of high-throughput sequencing showed that it may be associated with WNT2,WNT16,COMP,and BMP6.

Objective:To study the relationship between serum adiponectin level and early vascular aging (EVA).Methods:The cross-sectional study method was used. Six hundred and seventy-two subjects who completed health checkup from June to December 2023 in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University were selected. The subjects were divided into the EVA group (237 cases) and the control group (435 cases) based on brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). According to the adiponectin tertiles method, the subjects were divided into low adiponectin subgroup (2.4 to 6.6 mg/L, 225 cases), medium adiponectin subgroup (6.7 to 9.1 mg/L, 227 cases) and high adiponectin subgroup (9.2 to 19.8 mg/L, 220 cases). The basic demographic information, past history and serological indexes were recorded. Univariate and multivariate binary Logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the risk factors for EVA, and multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the effect of adiponectin on EVA.Results:The male proportion, age, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides (TG), fasting blood glucose (FBG), uric acid, glycated hemoglobin (HbA 1c), homocysteine, baPWV and alcohol history proportion in EVA group were significantly higher than those in control group: 64.98% (154/237) vs. 53.33% (232/435), 53 (47, 57) years old vs. 46 (39, 52) years old, (26.34 ± 3.37) kg/m 2 vs. (25.16 ± 3.91) kg/m 2, (132.27 ± 15.48) mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) vs. (117.30 ± 13.04) mmHg, (81.79 ± 11.04) mmHg vs. (71.93 ± 10.10) mmHg, 1.45 (1.03, 2.03) mmol/L vs. 1.08 (0.76, 1.65) mmol/L, 5.52 (5.03, 6.21) mmol/L vs. 5.14 (4.77, 5.56) mmol/L, (380.04 ± 96.43) μmol/L vs. (362.18 ± 94.94) μmol/L, 5.80 (5.50, 5.90)% vs. 5.70 (5.40, 5.82)%, 10.70 (9.01, 12.90) μmol/L vs. 9.96 (8.30, 12.20) μmol/L, 1 586 (1 511, 1 719) cm/s vs. 1 299 (1 215, 1 367) cm/s and 19.41% (46/237) vs. 13.56% (59/435), the adiponectin was significantly lower than that in control group: 7.00 (5.70, 8.75) mg/L vs. 8.40 (6.40, 10.60) mg/L, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.01 or <0.05). There were no statistical differences in total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), creatinine and smoking history proportion between two groups ( P>0.05). The male proportion, BMI, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, TG, FBG, uric acid, creatinine, HbA 1c, homocysteine, EVA incidence, baPWV, smoking history proportion and alcohol history proportion in low adiponectin subgroup and medium adiponectin subgroup were significantly higher than those in high adiponectin subgroup, furthermore, the indexes except HbA 1c in low adiponectin subgroup were significantly higher than those in medium adiponectin subgroup, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.05); the HDL-C in low adiponectin subgroup and medium adiponectin subgroup was significantly lower than that in high adiponectin subgroup, furthermore, that in low adiponectin subgroup was significantly lower than that in medium adiponectin subgroup, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.05); there were no statistical differences in age, TC and LDL-C among the three subgroups ( P>0.05). Univariate binary Logistic regression analysis result showed that age, male, BMI, alcohol history, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, TG, FBG, uric acid and HbA 1c were the risk factors for EVA ( P<0.01 or <0.05), while the adiponectin was a protective factor for EVA ( P<0.01). Multivariate binary Logistic regression analysis result showed that age, systolic blood pressure, TG and FBG were risk factors for EVA ( OR = 1.098, 1.066, 1.209 and 1.268; 95% CI 1.069 to 1.127, 1.050 to 1.082, 1.007 to 1.451 and 1.069 to 1.502; P<0.01 or <0.05), while adiponectin was a protective factor ( OR = 0.892, 95% CI 0.828 to 0.962, P<0.01). Multivariable Logistic regression analysis result showed that adiponectin consistently remained a protective factor for EVA across unadjusted, preliminary adjusted and fully adjusted covariate models ( OR = 0.553, 0.580 and 0.576; 95% CI 0.451 to 0.678, 0.440 to 0.764 and 0.435 to 0.763; P<0.01). Conclusions:The serum APN level is negatively correlated with the risk of EVA, which may be an independent protective factor for the EVA.

ObjectiveTo observe the analgesic efficacy and safety of Qihuang acupuncture theory combined with opioid analgesics in patients with moderate to severe cancer pain due to lung cancer. MethodsPatients with moderate to severe cancer pain from lung cancer were randomly divided into Qihuang acupuncture group and control group， with 33 cases in each group. The control group was treated with long-acting opioid analgesics at maintenance doses and supplementary analgesic medications as needed. In case of breakthrough pain， short-acting opioids were used for rescue. The Qihuang acupuncture group received Qihuang acupuncture treatment in addition to the treatment used in the control group， administered once every other day， with 3 sessions constituting one treatment course. The treatment duration for both groups was 5 days. The primary outcome was the change in pain intensity， measured using the numerical rating scale （NRS） before and after treatment， and the NRS change rate was calculated. Secondary endpoints included the daily NRS change rate， the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group （ECOG） Performance Status （PS） score， the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire （EORTC QLQ-C30） score， and the 24-hour equivalent hydrocodone sustained-release tablet dose. Laboratory tests， including routine blood， urine， stool， liver function， and kidney function， were performed before and after treatment. Adverse events were recorded throughout the trial. ResultsAll patients completed the trial， and both groups showed a decrease in average NRS scores and PS scores after treatment， with the Qihuang acupuncture group showing lower average NRS scores and PS scores than the control group （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. After treatment， the NRS change rate in the Qihuang acupuncture group was （0.42±0.17）， significantly higher than that in the control group （0.14±0.27， P＜0.01）. The daily NRS change rate during treatment was also higher in the Qihuang acupuncture group compared to the control group （P＜0.01）. The Qihuang acupuncture group showed an increase in overall health status and functional scores in the EORTC QLQ-C30， and a decrease in symptom scores for fatigue， nausea and vomiting， pain， dyspnea， insomnia， appetite loss， constipation， and financial difficulties. In contrast， overall health status and constipation scores in the control group increased， while scores of fatigue， nausea and vomiting， pain， and appetite loss decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. After treatment， the 24-hour equivalent hydrocodone sustained-release tablet dose did not show significant difference in the Qihuang acupuncture group （P＞0.05）， while the control group showed a significant increase in the 24-hour dose （P＜0.01）. No significant abnormalities were observed in laboratory tests before and after treatment in either group. During the study， the incidence of nausea and vomiting as well as constipation in the Qihuang acupuncture group was both 3.03% （1/33）， while the incidence in the control group was 27.27% （9/33） and 36.36% （12/33）， respectively， with the Qihuang acupuncture group showing significantly lower incidence （P＜0.01）. No serious adverse reactions were observed in either group. ConclusionQihuang acupuncture therapy combined with opioid analgesics is more effective than using opioids alone in relieving pain in patients with moderate to severe cancer pain due to lung cancer. It can improve the patients' physical condition and quality of life， reduce the dose of opioid analgesics， and has good safety.

Objective:To explore the latent class characteristics of demoralization in severely disabled stroke patients, and analyze the differences and influencing factors of each class by latent class analysis.Methods:Convenience sampling was used to select 335 patients in the Neurointensive Care Unit of three Class Ⅲ Grade A hospitals in Anhui Province from October 2023 to March 2024, and were confirmed to be with post-stroke disability through follow-up as research subjects. General Information Questionnaire and Demoralization Scale-Ⅱ were used for a survey. Latent class analysis was used to identify latent classes of demoralization, and multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of different latent classes.Results:A total of 335 questionnaires were distributed, and 321 valid questionnaires were retrieved. The effective recovery rate of the questionnaires was 95.8%. Demoralization of severe stroke patients with disability was classified into four categories of low demoralization (40.2%, 129/321), moderate demoralization with coping loss (12.1%, 39/321), moderate demoralization with goal loss (21.2%, 68/321), and high disability (26.5%, 85/321). Multiple Logistic regression analysis showed that age, gender, per capita monthly income of the family, whether was the economic pillar of the family, long-term residence, and relationship with cohabitants were the influencing factors of demoralization in severe stroke patients with disability (all P<0.05) . Conclusions:There are four latent classes of demoralization in stroke patients with disability, and age, gender, per capita monthly income of the family, whether they are the economic pillar of the family, long-term residence, and relationship with cohabitants are the influencing factors of demoralization in severe stroke patients with disability.

Purpose To evaluate the value of tumors invasion in the central airway(TICA)in predicting the severe immune checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis(S-CIP)in lung cancer patients using propensity score matching(PSM).Materials and Methods The intact data of 162 consecutive lung cancer patients who received treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors in Xi'an International Medical Center Hospital from September 2019 to March 2022 were retrospectively collected.Patients were divided into S-CIP group(23 cases)and non-S-CIP group(139 cases)according to the presence of S-CIP.The demographic information of the patients,including gender,age,history of smoking,thoracic radiotherapy histology,baseline lung diseases,classification,TNM stage,tumor location as well as TICA were collected.A binary Logistic regression was used to analyze the confounding factors and independent risk factors of S-CIP and to predict the development of S-CIP.A 1:1 matching was performed by the nearest neighbor method for PSM.The PSM was used to pair the two groups,and the value of TICA in predicting S-CIP before and after PSM was compared.The receiver operating characteristic curve and the area under the curve were used for model performance based on TICA.Results Before PSM,the proportion of baseline lung diseases(78.3%vs.32.4%,OR=6.802,P=0.001),thoracic radiotherapy history(69.6%vs.30.2%,OR=5.300,P=0.002)and TICA(65.2%vs.27.3%,OR=5.882,P=0.001)in the S-CIP group was higher than those in the non-S-CIP group,and were independent risk factor for predicting S-CIP.After PSM,20 patients were included in each group.The presence of TICA was higher in S-CIP group than that in the non-S-CIP group(60.0%vs.20.0%,OR=6.000,P=0.013).The area under the curves of Logistic regression model based on TICA was 0.700(95%CI 0.534-0.866).Conclusion TICA is an independent risk factor for development of S-CIP,which has moderate degree of accuracy in predicting S-CIP,can be used for risk prediction and early intervention to reduce the poor prognosis of S-CIP patients.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical effectiveness and safety of Xiaozhong Zhitong Mixture （消肿止痛合剂） combined with antibiotic bone cement in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcer （DFU） with damp-heat obstructing syndrome. MethodsA total of 72 DFU patients with damp-heat obstructing syndrome were randomly assigned to treatment group （36 cases） and the control group （36 cases）. Both groups received standard treatment and topical antibiotic bone cement for ulcer wounds， while the treatment group received oral Xiaozhong Zhitong Mixture （50 ml per time， three times daily） in additionally. Both groups underwent daily wound dressing changes for 21 consecutive days. Ulcer healing rate， serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）， interleukin-1 beta （IL-1β）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， C-reactive protein （CRP）， and white blood cell （WBC） count were observed before and after treatment， and visual analog scale （VAS） scores for wound pain， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores， and the DFU Healing Scale （DMIST scale） were also compared. Liver and kidney function were evaluated before and after treatment， and adverse events such as allergic reactions， worsening ulcer pain were recorded. ResultsTotally 35 patients in the treatment group and 33 in the control group were included in the final analysis. The ulcer healing rate in the treatment group was （87.93±9.34）%， significantly higher than （81.82±12.02）% in the control group （P = 0.035）. Compared to pre-treatment levels， both groups showed significant reductions in serum CRP， WBC， MDA， IL-1β， and TNF-α levels， with an increase in SOD level （P＜0.05）. TCM syndrome scores， VAS， and DMIST scores also significantly decreased in both groups （P＜0.05）， with greater improvements in the treatment group （P＜0.05）. No significant adverse reactions were observed in either group during treatment. ConclusionXiaozhong Zhitong Mixture combined with antibiotic bone cement has significant advantages in promoting DFU healing， reducing inflammatory response， and alleviating oxidative stress in DFU patients with damp-heat obstructing syndrome， with good safety for DFU patients with damp-heat obstructing syndrome.