Cold has been a long-term survival challenge in the evolutionary process of mammals. In response to cold stress, in addition to brown adipose tissue (BAT) dissipating energy as heat through glucose and lipid oxidation to maintain body temperature, cold stimulation can strongly activate thermogenesis and energy expenditure in beige fat cells, which are widely distributed in the subcutaneous layer. However, the effects of cold stimulation on other tissues and systemic lipid metabolism remain unclear. Our previous research indicated that, under cold stress, BAT not only produces heat but also secretes numerous exosomes to mediate BAT-liver crosstalk. Whether subcutaneous fat has a similar mechanism is still unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the alterations in lipid metabolism across various tissues under cold exposure and to explore whether subcutaneous fat regulates systemic glucose and lipid metabolism via exosomes, thereby elucidating the regulatory mechanisms of lipid metabolism homeostasis under physiological stress. RT-qPCR, Western blot, and H&E staining methods were used to investigate the physiological changes in lipid metabolism in the serum, liver, epididymal white adipose tissue, and subcutaneous fat of mice under cold stimulation. The results revealed that cold exposure significantly enhanced the thermogenic activity of subcutaneous adipose tissue and markedly increased exosome secretion. These exosomes were efficiently taken up by hepatocytes, where they profoundly influenced hepatic lipid metabolism, as evidenced by alterations in the expression levels of key genes involved in lipid synthesis and catabolism pathways. This study has unveiled a novel mechanism by which subcutaneous fat regulates lipid metabolism through exosome secretion under cold stimulation, providing new insights into the systemic regulatory role of beige adipocytes under cold stress and offering a theoretical basis for the development of new therapeutic strategies for obesity and metabolic diseases.
Animals ; Lipid Metabolism/physiology* ; Mice ; Exosomes/metabolism* ; Cold Temperature ; Subcutaneous Fat/physiology* ; Thermogenesis/physiology* ; Adipose Tissue, Brown/metabolism* ; Male

Alveolar bone reconstruction simulation is an effective means for quantifying orthodontics, but currently, it is not possible to directly obtain human alveolar bone material models for simulation. This study introduces a prediction method for the equivalent shear modulus of three-dimensional random porous materials, integrating the first-order Ogden hyperelastic model to construct a computed tomography (CT) based porous hyperelastic Ogden model (CT-PHO) for human alveolar bone. Model parameters are derived by combining results from micro-CT, nanoindentation experiments, and uniaxial compression tests. Compared to previous predictive models, the CT-PHO model shows a lower root mean square error (RMSE) under all bone density conditions. Simulation results using the CT-PHO model parameters in uniaxial compression experiments demonstrate more accurate prediction of the mechanical behavior of alveolar bone under compression. Further prediction and validation with different individual human alveolar bone samples yield accurate results, confirming the generality of the CT-PHO model. The study suggests that the CT-PHO model proposed in this paper can estimate the material properties of human alveolar bone and may eventually be used for bone reconstruction simulations to guide clinical treatment.
Humans ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods* ; Porosity ; Alveolar Process/physiology* ; Bone Density ; Computer Simulation ; Elasticity ; X-Ray Microtomography ; Stress, Mechanical ; Finite Element Analysis ; Models, Biological

Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models have been widely used to predict various stages of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion. Models based on machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) can provide better ideas for the construction of PBPK models, which can accelerate the prediction speed and improve the prediction quality of PBPK. ML and AL can complement the advantages of PBPK model to accelerate the progress of drug research and development. This review introduces the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence in pharmacokinetics, summarizes the research progress of physiological pharmacokinetic models based on machine learning and artificial intelligence, and analyzes the limitations of machine learning and artificial intelligence applications and their application prospects and prospects.

Objective To explore the efficacy of T-cell spot test of tuberculosis infection(T-SPOT.TB)in the differential diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis(STB),and optimize diagnostic efficacy through the optimal cut-off value of receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Methods Clinical data of patients with spinal infection in a hospi-tal from January 2010 to May 2019 were collected,including preoperative T-SPOT.TB test results,white blood cell count,C-reactive protein,erythrocyte sedimentation rate,procalcitonin,and tuberculosis antibodies,etal.Clinical diagnosis was conducted based on diagnostic criteria.The sensitivity and specificity of T-SPOT.TB in preoperative diagnosis of STB and other spinal infection was analyzed,and the diagnostic efficacy of the optimized T-SPOT.TB indicators was evaluated.Results A total of 132 patients were included in this study,out of whom 78 patients(59.09％)were diagnosed with STB,and 54(40.91％)were diagnosed with non-tuberculosis(non-TB)spinal in-fection.The sensitivity and specificity of T-SPOT.TB in differential diagnosis of STB were 67.68％and 66.67％,respectively.Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that compared with non-TB spinal infection,the OR va-lue of T-SPOT.TB test in diagnosing STB was 4.188(95％CI:1.847-9.974,P＜0.001).The optimized T-SPOT.TB evaluation index through ROC curve to determine the optimal cut-off values of ESAT-6,CFP-10,and CFP-10+ESAT-6 for differential diagnosis of STB and non-TB spinal infection were 12.5,19.5,and 36,respec-tively,and area under curve(AUC)values were 0.765 6,0.741 5,and 0.778 6,respectively,all with good diag-nostic efficacy.CFP-10+ESAT-6 had the highest AUC.CFP-10+ESAT-6 specific spot count had higher efficacy in the diagnosis of STB,with a diagnostic accuracy of 75.56％,higher than 67.42％of pre-optimized T-SPOT.TB.Conclusion T-SPOT.TB test has high diagnostic efficacy in differentiating STB from non-TB spinal infection.Posi-tivity in T-SPOT.TB test,especially with spot count of CFP-10+ESAT-6 over 36,indicates a higher likelihood of STB.

ObjectiveThe traditional Chinese medicine Strychnos nux-vomica L. (SN) has the clinical effect of reducing swelling and relieving pain; however, SN is toxic due to its alkaloid components. Little is known about the endogenous metabolic changes induced by SN toxicity in rats and their potential effects on the metabolic dysregulation of intestinal microbiota. Therefore, toxicological investigation of SN is of great significance to its safety assessment. In this study, the toxic mechanisms of SN were explored using a combination of metabonomics and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. MethodsThe toxic dose, intensity, and target organ of SN were determined in rats using acute, cumulative, and subacute toxicity tests. UHPLC-MS was used to analyze the serum, liver, and renal samples of rats after intragastric SN administration. The decision tree and K Nearest Neighbor (KNN) model were established based on the bootstrap aggregation (bagging) algorithm to classify the omics data. After samples were extracted from rat feces, the high-throughput sequencing platform was used to analyze the 16S rRNA V3-V4 region of bacteria. ResultsThe bagging algorithm improved the accuracy of sample classification. Twelve biomarkers were identified, where their metabolic dysregulation may be responsible for SN toxicity in vivo. Several types of bacteria such as Bacteroidetes, Anaerostipes, Oscillospira and Bilophila, were demonstrated to be closely related to physiological indices of renal and liver function, indicating that SN-induced liver and kidney damage may be related to the disturbance of these intestinal bacteria. ConclusionThe toxicity mechanism of SN was revealed in vivo, which provides a scientific basis for the safe and rational clinical use of SN.

Objective To analyze the mechanism of Huangwu Ganfu Ointment in relieving pain of knee osteoarthritis(KOA)based on network pharmacology;To verify it in animal experiments.Methods The active components of Huangwu Ganfu Ointment were obtained by TCMSP database,PubChem database and SwissADME platform,the effective components were screened,and the targets were obtained from SEA database.KOA disease-related targets were obtained from GeneCards,OMIM and other databases,and the intersection targets were obtained.A effective component-target-disease network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.9.0 Software.Protein-protein interaction(PPI)network was constructed by STRING database and core targets were screened.GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of intersection targets were analyzed using DAVID platform.The KOA rat model with cold and damp syndrome was established,and the intervention of Huangwu Ganfu Ointment was carried out.The efficacy was observed and the core target expressions were detected.Results Totally 104 effective components were screened from Huangwu Ganfu Ointment,and 59 potential targets were obtained for treating KOA.PPI network interaction analysis obtained the important targets of IL6,IL1B and PTGS2.KEGG enrichment results showed that Huangwu Ganfu Ointment may involve 84 signaling pathways such as IL-17,TNF,TRP and NF-κB in the treatment of KOA,most of which were related to inflammation.The results of animal experiments showed that Lecuesne MG scores increased in the model rats(P<0.05),and paw withdrawal threshold(PWT)significantly decreased(P<0.05).Compared with model group,PWT in Huangwu Ganfu Ointment medium-and high-dosage groups were significantly recovered,and synovitis Krenn score decreased(P<0.05).The Mankin score of cartilage tissue of Huangwu Ganfu Ointment high-dosage group decreased(P<0.05).The contents of IL-6 and IL-1β in all Huangwu Ganfu Ointment groups decreased(P<0.01).Huangwu Ganfu Ointment medium-and high-dosage groups could down-regulate the expression of TRPV1 protein(P<0.05,P<0.01).Conclusion The mechanism of Huangwu Ganfu Ointment in alleviating the pain of KOA may be related to reducing inflammatory response,reducing the release of inflammatory factors of IL-1β and IL-6,alleviating inflammatory pain sensitivity of KOA,and down-regulating the expression level of TRPV1.

Objective:To explore the correlation between time in range (TIR) after short-term treatment and glycated hemoglobin after 3 months (HbA lc-3m) in patients with newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods:In this cross-sectional study, a total of 94 patients with newly-diagnosed T2DM who received treatment in the Department of Endocrinology of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region People′s Hospital were enrolled from January 2018 to September 2022. The patients were followed-up for 3 months and had complete medical record. TIR was divided into three groups according to different target ranges of blood glucose (TIR1: TIR with blood glucose between 3.9 and 10.0 mmol/L, TIR2: TIR with blood glucose between 3.9 and 7.8 mmol/L, TIR3: TIR with fasting, premeal or bedtime blood glucose <6.1 mmol/L and 2 h postprandial blood glucose <8.0 mmol/L). The patients were divided into two groups based on whether their HbA 1c-3m level was less than 6.5%, and the baseline data and variations in TIR for distinct target glucose levels were compared between the two groups. Spearman′s correlation analysis and binary logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the relationship between baseline indicators, TIR after short-term treatment and HbA 1c-3m. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was drawn to evaluate the predictive ability of different TIR after short-term therapy for HbA 1c-3m. Results:There were statistically significant differences in TIR1 [81.0 (67.5, 94.6)% vs 71.4 (51.7, 85.7)%], TIR2 [57.7 (29.7, 70.8)% vs 40.9 (22.4, 52.3)%] and TIR3 [23.8 (10.2, 39.5)% vs 13.0 (4.8, 25.0)%] between patients with a HbA 1c-3m<6.5% and patients with a HbA 1c-3m≥6.5% (all P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that among all the patients with newly-diagnosed T2DM, TIR1, TIR2 and TIR3 were all negatively correlated with HbA 1c-3m [6.4 (6.1, 6.9)%] ( r=-0.322, -0.348, -0.303, respectively, all P<0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for the confounding factors, TIR1 ( OR=1.021, 95% CI: 1.002-1.041; P=0.034), TIR2 ( OR=1.024, 95% CI: 1.006-1.043; P=0.011), TIR3 ( OR=1.037, 95% CI: 1.010-1.065; P=0.008) were all independently related to HbA 1c-3m. When HbA lc-3m<6.5% was taken as the target value, the area under the ROC curve: TIR1 was 0.639 (95% CI: 0.528-0.751), TIR2 was 0.671 (95% CI: 0.560-0.782), TIR3 was 0.659 (95% CI: 0.549-0.770), respectively. When HbA lc-3m<7.0% was taken as the target value, the area under the ROC curve: TIR1 was 0. 730 (95% CI: 0.619-0.841), TIR2 was 0.744 (95% CI: 0.642-0.846), TIR3 was 0.701 (95% CI: 0.588-0.814). There was no significant difference in the area among the three statistics ( P>0.05). Conclusions:For newly-diagnosed T2DM patients, TIR after short-term treatment is negatively correlated with HbA 1c after 3 months and has good predictive value for it.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of hypomethylating agents (HMA) in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) .Methods:A total of 409 MDS patients from 45 hospitals in Zhejiang province who received at least four consecutive cycles of HMA monotherapy as initial therapy were enrolled to evaluate the efficacy and safety of HMA. Mann-Whitney U or Chi-square tests were used to compare the differences in the clinical data. Logistic regression and Cox regression were used to analyze the factors affecting efficacy and survival. Kaplan-Meier was used for survival analysis. Results:Patients received HMA treatment for a median of 6 cycles (range, 4-25 cycles) . The complete remission (CR) rate was 33.98% and the overall response rate (ORR) was 77.02%. Multivariate analysis revealed that complex karyotype ( P=0.02, OR=0.39, 95% CI 0.18-0.84) was an independent favorable factor for CR rate. TP53 mutation ( P=0.02, OR=0.22, 95% CI 0.06-0.77) was a predictive factor for a higher ORR. The median OS for the HMA-treated patients was 25.67 (95% CI 21.14-30.19) months. HMA response ( P=0.036, HR=0.47, 95% CI 0.23-0.95) was an independent favorable prognostic factor, whereas complex karyotype ( P=0.024, HR=2.14, 95% CI 1.10-4.15) , leukemia transformation ( P<0.001, HR=2.839, 95% CI 1.64-4.92) , and TP53 mutation ( P=0.012, HR=2.19, 95% CI 1.19-4.07) were independent adverse prognostic factors. There was no significant difference in efficacy and survival between the reduced and standard doses of HMA. The CR rate and ORR of MDS patients treated with decitabine and azacitidine were not significantly different. The median OS of patients treated with decitabine was longer compared with that of patients treated with azacitidine (29.53 months vs 20.17 months, P=0.007) . The incidence of bone marrow suppression and pneumonia in the decitabine group was higher compared with that in the azacitidine group. Conclusion:Continuous and regular use of appropriate doses of hypomethylating agents may benefit MDS patients to the greatest extent if it is tolerated.

ObjectiveTo observe the regulatory effect of Huangwu Ganfu ointment on transient receptor potential anchor protein 1 （TRPV1） receptor expression， macrophage polarization， and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p38 MAPK） signaling pathway in synovial tissue of knee osteoarthritis （KOA） rats with yang deficiency and cold coagulation syndrome and explore the mechanism of relieving peripheral inflammatory hyperalgesia of KOA. MethodForty-eight male SD rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， high-dose， middle-dose， and low-dose groups of Huangwu Ganfu ointment （9.3， 4.65， 2.325 g·kg^-1）， and celecoxib group （20.82 mg·kg^-1）. The KOA rat model of yang deficiency and cold coagulation syndrome was established through climate box and swimming for two weeks combined with an injection of sodium iodoacetate （MIA） in the articular cavity. After continuous administration for four weeks， the general condition of rats in each group was observed， and the pain withdrawal threshold （PWT） and joint diameter induced by mechanical stimulation were recorded. The expression levels of interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， nerve growth factor （NGF）， and calcitonin gene-related peptide （CGRP） inflammatory factor were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the histopathological changes of synovial tissue of the knee joint were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of TRPV1， p38 MAPK， and p-p38 MAPK in synovial tissue of the knee joint， and immunofluorescence （IF） was used to evaluate the polarization of M1/M2 macrophages. ResultCompared with that in the blank group， the overall mental state of the model group was worse， and the autonomous activity was decreased. The body mass was lower， and the joint diameter was increased. The X-ray showed that the osteophyte at the edge of the joint proliferated， and the articular surface was obviously rough. The articular cavity was significantly narrowed， and the PWT was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The contents of IL-1β， TNF-α， CGRP， and NGF in serum and synovium Krenn score increased significantly （P<0.01）. The protein expression of TRPV1 and p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK increased significantly （P<0.01）， and the proportion of M1 macrophages and M1/M2 increased （P<0.01）， while the proportion of M2 macrophages decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with model group， the body mass in the low， middle， and high dose groups of Huangwu Ganfu ointment increased to different degrees （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The diameter of the knee joint in the high dose group of Huangwu Ganfu ointment and celecoxib group decreased （P<0.01）. The recovery of PWT in the high and middle dose groups of Huangwu Ganfu ointment groups was more obvious （P<0.05）. The contents of IL-1β and CGRP in the serum of rats in each administration group were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， and the content of serum TNF-α in the celecoxib group and high dose group of Huangwu Ganfu ointment decreased significantly （P<0.05）. The content of serum NGF in the middle dose group of Huangwu Ganfu ointment decreased significantly （P<0.05）， and the synovium Krenn score decreased in the high dose group of Huangwu Ganfu ointment （P<0.05）. In addition， the protein expression of TRPV1 and p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK in synovial tissue decreased significantly in all groups of Huangwu Ganfu ointment （P<0.01）. The proportion of M1 macrophages in synovial tissue in the celecoxib group and all groups of Huangwu Ganfu ointment decreased （P<0.01）， and the proportion of M2 macrophages in the high dose group of Huangwu Ganfu ointment increased （P<0.05）. The M1/M2 in the middle and high dose groups of Huangwu Ganfu ointment decreased （P<0.05）. ConclusionHuangwu Ganfu ointment can mediate the polarization of macrophages to reduce the inflammatory reaction of KOA， alleviate the release of inflammatory pain mediators， and lower the protein expression of TRPV1. The mechanism may be related to the p38 MAPK signaling pathway， so as to improve the peripheral hyperalgesia of KOA.

Objective To observe and compare the changes of vertebral bone mineral density(BMD)in the early stages of spinal Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.Methods Patients who underwent spinal surgery at Xiangya Hospital,Central South University from January 1 to December 31,2023 were continuously enrolled(spinal tuber-culosis group),based on gender matching,non-spinal tuberculosis surgical patients treated for spinal stenosis were selected as the control group.Dual-energy X-ray scans were performed on the enrolled patients,difference in verte-bral BMD between two groups of patients was compared.An animal model of spinal Mycobacterium tuberculosis in-fection(referred to as the animal model)was constructed,differences in microstructure of trabecular bone between spinal tuberculosis group and control group was compared,and the bone volume/tissue volume(BV/TV),the thickness of trabecular bone(Tb.Th),the number of trabecular bone(Tb.N),and sparse density of trabecular(Tb.Sp)were used as evaluation indexes to further analyze the bone quality differences between the diseased verte-brae and the neighboring vertebrae.Results 69 patients were included in the spinal tuberculosis group and the con-trol group,respectively.The BMD of patients in the spinal tuberculosis group(0.793[0.712,0.869]g/cm2)was lower than that of the control group(0.907[0.800,1.020]g/cm2),difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).Microstructure of trabecular bone BV/TV([18.4±5.4]％),Tb.Th([0.124±0.010]mm)in the spinal tuberculosis group of animal model were significantly altered compared with BV/TV([22.6±3.2]％),Tb.Th([0.160±0.017]mm)in the control group(both P＜0.05).In the spinal tuberculosis group,microstructure of diseased vetebral trabecular bone BV/TV([25.5±6.7]％)and Tb.N([1.871±0.443]/mm)were significantly lower than BV/TV([26.6±6.8]％)and Tb.N([1.969±0.454]/mm)in the neighboring vertebrae,both with statistically difference(both P＜0.05).Conclusion In the early stages of spinal Mycobacterium tuberculosis infec-tion,microstructure of vertebral trabecular bone can be altered,leading to a decrease in BMD.