Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the primary fibrogenic cells in the liver, and their activation plays a crucial role in the development and progression of hepatic fibrosis. Here, we report that retinoid X receptor-alpha (RXRα), a unique member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, is a key modulator of HSC activation and liver fibrosis. RXRα exerts its effects by modulating calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ)-mediated activation of AMP-activated protein kinase-alpha (AMPKα). In addition, we demonstrate that K-80003, which binds RXRα by a unique mechanism, effectively suppresses HSC activation, proliferation, and migration, thereby inhibiting liver fibrosis in the CCl₄ and amylin liver NASH (AMLN) diet animal models. The effect is mediated by AMPKα activation, promoting mitophagy in HSCs. Mechanistically, K-80003 activates AMPKα by inducing RXRα to form condensates with CaMKKβ and AMPKα via a two-phase process. The formation of RXRα condensates is driven by its N-terminal intrinsic disorder region and requires phosphorylation by CaMKKβ. Our results reveal a crucial role of RXRα in liver fibrosis regulation through modulating mitochondrial activities in HSCs. Furthermore, they suggest that K-80003 and related RXRα modulators hold promise as therapeutic agents for fibrosis-related diseases.

With the gradual development and popularization of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in China, some prefecture-level medical institutions in China have carried out and formed their own pre-hospital extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) model. Although the development levels of various prefecture-level cities are uneven and the start times vary, at present, the prefecture-level hospitals in China generally go through the development process of ECMO-in-hospital ECPR-pre-hospital ECPR-professional medical recovery center. Among them, in-hospital ECPR has the advantages of timely resuscitation, guaranteed quality of resuscitation, and fast activation speed of the ECPR team, and currently has a high success rate, with a low proportion of patients with neurological complications. However, pre-hospital ECPR is more challenging, requiring the coordination between pre-hospital and in-hospital emergency forces, multidisciplinary cooperation, and the quality of resuscitation before ECPR cannot be fully guaranteed, the long duration of patient's low perfusion, and other factors make the survival rate of patients without neurological damage obviously lower than that of in-hospital ECPR. China has a large population base, and comprehensive domestic and foreign data show that there should be no less than several million cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest under the age of 60 every year, so there is much to be done to improve the survival rate of pre-hospital ECPR. Pre-hospital ECPR is a project of concentrated resources and technology, which has high requirements for the multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment capabilities of medical institutions. The optimization of the implementation process of in-hospital and pre-hospital ECPR teams, the advancement of the timing of ECPR intervention, the selection of patients, the support and construction of multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment capabilities after ECPR, and the management of related complications and risk factors are closely related to the prognosis of ECPR patients. The recoverability of the brain and heart is currently the key factor restricting the further improvement of the survival rate of patients after ECPR. Considering that the recovery of neurological function mainly depends on the duration of the early low perfusion, the in-hospital treatment after the implementation of ECPR is mainly the low-temperature brain protection strategy, the effect of which is still controversial, so the recovery of cardiac function is the key that seriously restricts the survival of patients after ECPR in addition to neurological prognosis. The recoverability of the heart after ECPR can be implemented from multiple angles: the research on pathophysiological issues such as the matching of the heart itself after the implementation of ECPR, and the matching between the heart and ECMO, and the proposal of corresponding countermeasures will help to improve the survival rate of patients after ECPR. The large population and the potential salvageable population make the development of ECPR technology in China's tertiary hospitals urgent and necessary, with challenges and opportunities coexisting.
Humans ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/methods* ; China ; Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation/methods* ; Emergency Medical Services ; Risk Factors ; Prognosis

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

Objective To explore the effect of Orem self-care mode on disease management ability and quality of life of diabetic patients.Methods A total of 130 patients with diabetes were divided into the control group and the observation group by random number table method,65 cases in each group.The control group underwent routine nursing intervention,and the observation group were treated with Orem self-care mode.The intervention effects of the two groups were compared.Results After the intervention,the knowledge of diabetes management,the self-care ability and the improvement of quality of life in the observation group were better than those in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion The application of Orem self-care mode can significantly improve patients'cognition of the disease and self-management ability,which is of great significance to improve patients'condition and improve their quality of life.

Objective To investigate the effects of Shengjiyuhong ointment on coagulation system,endothelial progenitor cells(EPCs)differentiation and Rho kinase activity in rats with thromboangiitis obliterans by inhibiting autophagy.Methods The rat model of thromboangiitis obliterans was established by injecting sodium laurate solution into the left lower limb artery.40 SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group,model group,compound sodium aescinate gel group and Shengjiyuhong ointment group,10 per group.The pathological morphology of vascular tissue was detected by HE staining.The expression of autophagy related proteins was detected by Western blot,coagulation system parameters were detected by coagulation detector,EPCs differentiation was detected by flow cytometry,and Rho kinase activity was detected by immunohistochemistry.Results The expression of autophagy marker protein LC3Ⅱ/I,Beclin1,Rho kinase protein,the positive expression rate of CD34 in fibrinogen and EPCs of Shengjiyuhong ointment group were decreased,and the positive expression rate of serum prothrombin time,international normalized ratio,von Willebrand factor in EPCs and the expression of P62 in vascular tissue were increased(P＜0.05).The in vitro experiment showed that Shengjiyuhong ointment could reduce the expression of LC3Ⅱ/I and Beclin1,and increase the expression of P62 protein in injured endothelial cells(P＜0.05).Conclusion Shengjiyuhong ointment can effectively improve the coagulation function,promote the differentiation of EPCs and reduce the activity of Rho kinase in rats with thromboangIItis obliterans.The mechanism may be related to inhibition of autophagy.

Objective:To develop a novel magnetic composite nanoparticle with excellent targeting and biocompatibility and verify synergistic magnetic hyperthermia/radiotherapy efficacy in HeLa cells.Methods:Bovine serum albumin(BSA)was used to modify ferroferric oxide(Fe 3O 4)nanoparticles, and then L-selenocystine and folic acid(FA)were coupled on the surface of BSA by carbodiimide method to synthesize magnetic composite nanoparticles Fe 3O 4@BSA@SeCyc2@FA.The as-prepared nanoparticles were characterized to determine the structure, composition, and properties of the nanoparticles to support their biological applications.By evaluating the magnetothermal properties of the as-prepared nanoparticles, analyzing the internalization effect of HeLa cells on the particles and using CellTiter and reactive oxygen species(ROS)kits to detect the cell viability and ROS production of different experimental groups, respectively, the killing and inhibiting effects on HeLa cells were evaluated when hyperthermia was combined with radiotherapy. Results:The average particle size of the Fe 3O 4@BSA@SeCyc2@FA nanoparticles was(19.31 ± 4.84)nm, and the zeta potential was -25.4 mV(pH=7), which indicated that the as-prepared nanoparticles maintained acceptable dispersion and stability for biological experiments.By BSA and FA characteristic absorption peaks combined with the measured content of Se(10.89 μM), L-selenocystine and FA were successfully modified on the surface of the composite nanoparticles.The saturation magnetization value of the Fe 3O 4@BSA@SeCyc2@FA nanoparticles was 47.2 emu/g.The as-prepared nanoparticles maintained the specific absorption rate(SAR)value of 125.4 W/g at the alternating magnetic field of 518 kHz/16 kAm -1, indicating excellent heat generation efficiency(the temperature level ΔT=7 ℃ within 15 min).No significant toxicity was found for HUVEC cells even within the concentration range from 0 to 200 μg/ml and inhibition of cell viability of the HeLa was shown.When magnetic hyperthermia combined with high-energy X-ray, the cell viability of the HeLa decreased significantly to 54.7%, and the intracellular ROS production increased by 108.2% compared with the control group, which showed that the as-prepared nanoparticles significantly enhanced the radiosensitivity of HeLa cells, and the synergistic effect of magnetic hyperthermia combined with radiotherapy was more effective in inhibiting and killing them. Conclusions:The as-prepared nanoparticles show great promise for use as a multifunctional nanoplatform for the synergistic magnetic hyperthermia/radiotherapy to overcome the limitations of monotherapy for cancer treatment.

Objective To investigate the effects of electrical stimulation combined with muscle strength training on knee joint biomechanical characteristics in patients with patellofemoral pain(PFP).Methods Forty-six patients with PFP were recruited and randomly assigned to the muscle strength training(MST)and electrical muscle stimulation with strength training(EMS)groups.The intervention was performed three times a week for six weeks.The anterior knee pain scale(AKPS)was used to measure the knee pain degree.Knee kinematics,dynamics,and surface electromyography(sEMG)data were collected using an infrared motion capture system,force platform,and sEMG system during drop jumps before and after the intervention.Two-way analysis of variance with repeated measures was applied to determine the differences between the dependent variables of the two groups before and after the intervention.Results Compared with pre-intervention,the AKPS score,vastus medialis oblique(VMO)activation,VMO/vastus lateralis(VMO/VL)activation,maximum knee flexion angle,and peak knee extension moment increased significantly in the EMS group;the maximum knee abduction,external rotation angle,and peak knee external rotation moment decreased significantly in the EMS group after intervention.Compared with pre-intervention,the AKPS score,maximum knee flexion angle,and peak knee extension moment increased significantly in the MST group after intervention,the peak knee abduction and external rotation moment significantly decreased in the MST group after intervention.Post-hoc comparisons indicated that compared with the MST group,the AKPS score,VMO activation,VMO/VL activation were significantly higher and the maximum knee abduction angle was significantly lower in the EMS group.Conclusions EMS contributes to the better balance muscle activation of the VMO and VL and corrects the excessive knee abduction angle during jump landing,which may be helpful in relieving pain and improving lower limb function in patients with PFP.

Objective To explore the differences in MRI signs between traumatic and non-traumatic rotator cuff tears and their correlation with the degree of rotator cuff tears.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data and MRI man-ifestations of 82 patients in the trauma group and 80 patients in the non-trauma group with rotator cuff tears confirmed by arthroscopy.MRI indicators included 10 parameters:the degree of rotator cuff tear,tendon kinking-sign,tendon retraction,muscle edema,fatty degeneration,muscle atrophy,long head of the biceps tendon injury,acromion type,acromio-humeral distance(AHD),and lateral acro-mion angle(LAA).The clinical data and MRI indicators of the two groups were compared,and the correlation between MRI indica-tors and the degree of rotator cuff tears was analyzed.Results There were no significant difference in age and gender between the trauma group and the non-trauma group(P＞0.05),but the onset time of symptoms was significantly shorter in the trauma group compared to the non-trauma group(30 d vs 135 d,P＜0.001).Muscle edema,tendon kinking-sign,and long head of the biceps tendon injury were more common in the trauma group(P＜0.05),while fatty degeneration and type Ⅲ acromion were more common in the non-trauma group.The average AHD was smaller in the non-trauma group compared to the trauma group(P＜0.001).In addition,type Ⅲ acromion was more commonly seen in full-thickness rotator cuff tears,and AHD value was negatively correlated with the degree of rotator cuff tears(P＜0.05).Conclusion Muscle edema,tendon kinking-sign,and long head of the biceps tendon injury on MRI are highly suggestive of traumatic rotator cuff tears,while fatty degeneration,type Ⅲ acromion and smaller AHD indicate non-traumatic rotator cuff tears.Type Ⅲ acromion and decreased AHD increase the risk of full-thickness rotator cuff tears.

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical course and explore the risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 RNA negative conversion duration （NCD） in asymptomatic and mild-symptomatic patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. MethodsClinical data were collected from 244 confirmed cases of corona virus disease （COVID-19） with Omicron variant infection admitted to a temporal makeshift hospital in Shanghai from April 9， 2022 to May 20， 2022. Demographic and clinical data were analyzed， with a primary focus on the time of COVID-19 nucleic acid conversion. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to determine identify risk factors associated with NCD. ResultsThe median duration of negative RNA conversion was 9 days （ranged 7‒12 days）. The percentage of patients with positive nucleic acid results on the 5th， 7th， 10th， and 14th days after confirmed infection was 68.4%， 47.1%， 20.1%， and 5.7%， respectively. Kaplan-Meier curves indicated a median nucleic acid conversion time of 12 days （ranged 10‒14 days） for patients with hypertension， 9 days （ranged 7‒11 days） in patients without hypertension， and 11 days （ranged 9‒13 days） for patients aged ≥60 years， and 9 days （ranged 7‒11 days） for patients aged <60 years. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that only hypertension was an independent risk factor of NCD （RR=1.60； 95% CI： 1.03‒2.49， P=0.036）. ConclusionIn asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients infected with the Omicron variant， 20.1% patients continue to exhibit positive viral nucleic acid on the 10^th days of infection. The independent risk factor associated with the conversion of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid to negative is hypertension.

BACKGROUND:Studies have shown that poor dynamic postural control may lead to abnormal movement patterns during exercise,which may increase the risk of lower limb joint and anterior cruciate ligament injury.The stability of the body core is the basis of good dynamic postural control. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of core stability training on dynamic postural control and risk of injury in landing movements,and to compare the differences in training effects between genders. METHODS:Thirty-five college students(male=19,female=16)were recruited for 6 weeks of core stability training.The results of the Y balance test,trunk extensor endurance test,trunk flexor endurance test,lateral bridge endurance test,and landing error scoring system were analyzed before and after training. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The 6-week core stability training could improve trunk extensor endurance(P＜0.001),flexor endurance(P＜0.001),and lateral abdominal muscle endurance(P＜0.001).Core stability training could improve forward distance(P=0.026),backward inward distance(P＜0.001),backward outward distance(P=0.005)and comprehensive score(P＜0.001)of Y balance test for male and female college students.Landing error scoring system scores of both male and female college students significantly decreased after 6 weeks of core stability training(P＜0.001)while increasing knee(P＜0.001)and hip flexion angles(P＜0.001),decreasing knee valgus angle(P＜0.001)at the moment of touchdown,and could increase the maximum knee flexion angle(P＜0.001)and decrease the maximum knee valgus angle(P＜0.001).It is concluded that core stability training improves dynamic postural control and improves landing movement patterns,suggesting that it may help reduce the risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury.There are no sex differences in core stability training in terms of increased trunk flexor endurance,lateral bridge muscle group endurance,improved dynamic postural control,and reduced risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury.