Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and osteoporosis (OP) are two very common metabolic diseases. A growing body of experimental evidence supports a pathophysiological link between MAFLD and OP. MAFLD is often associated with the development of OP. Rutaecarpine (RUT) is one of the main active components of Chinese medicine Euodiae Fructus. Our previous studies have demonstrated that RUT has lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic effects, and can improve the OP of rats. However, whether RUT can improve both fatty liver and OP symptoms of MAFLD mice at the same time remains to be investigated. In this study, we used C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 months to construct a MAFLD model, and gave the mice a low dose (5 mg·kg^-1) and a high dose (15 mg·kg^-1) of RUT by gavage for 4 weeks. The effects of RUT on liver steatosis and bone metabolism were then evaluated at the end of the experiment [this experiment was approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (approval number: IMB-20190124D₃03)]. The results showed that RUT treatment significantly reduced hepatic steatosis and lipid accumulation, and significantly reduced bone loss and promoted bone formation. In summary, this study shows that RUT has an effect of improving fatty liver and OP in MAFLD mice.

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) processing is a specialized pharmaceutical technique with the primary objective of reducing the toxicity of medicinal substances. Euphorbia pekinensis, E. ebracteolata, and E. fischeriana, all belonging to Euphorbiaceae, are classified as drastic purgative herbs, traditionally used for eliminating retained water, reducing swelling, resolving toxicity, and dispersing masses. However, these herbs are also associated with adverse effects such as abdominal pain and diarrhea. Accordingly, they are commonly processed with vinegar, milk, or Terminalia chebula decoction to reduce the toxicity. This review summarizes the chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, historical evolution of processing methods, and detoxification mechanisms of the three toxic Euphorbia species. The primary toxic constituents are terpenoids. Specifically, E. ebracteolata and E. fischeriana are rich in diterpenoids, while E. pekinensis contains diterpenoids, triterpenoids, and sesquiterpenoids. Studies have shown that vinegar processing promotes structural transformations of diterpenoids, including ether bond hydrolysis, lactone ring opening, esterification, oxidation, and epoxide ring cleavage, thereby reducing the content and toxicity of these compounds. Milk processing facilitates the dissolution of toxic components into the residual liquid of excipients, leading to decreases in their concentrations in the final decoction pieces. Processing with T. chebula decoction raises the levels of tannin-derived phenolic acids, which antagonize the adverse effects of the intestine. These findings reveal a shared detoxification pattern among the three toxic herbs. Accordingly, this review proposes the concept of a shared detoxification mechanism for toxic herbs belonging to the same family or genus. That is, toxic herbs belonging to the same taxon often exhibit similar toxicological profiles and can undergo detoxification through the same processing methods, reflecting common underlying mechanisms. Investigating such shared mechanisms across multiple species of the same genus offers a promising research strategy. Ultimately, the research into processing-induced detoxification mechanisms provides both theoretical and practical support for ensuring the safety of toxic TCM.
Euphorbia/classification* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/metabolism* ; Humans ; Animals ; Inactivation, Metabolic ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

From the perspective of competitive endogenous RNA(ceRNA) constructed by metastasy-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1(Malat1) and microRNA 16-5p(miR-16-5p), the improvement mechanism of Tonggu Xiaotong Capsules(TGXTC) on the imbalance and disorder of "cholesterol-iron" metabolism in chondrocytes of osteoarthritis(OA) was explored. In vivo experiments, 60 8-week-old C57BL/6 mice were acclimatized and fed for 1 week and then randomly divided into two groups: blank group(12 mice) and modeling group(48 mice). The animals in modeling group were anesthetized by 5% isoflurane inhalation, which was followed by the construction of OA model. They were then randomly divided into model group, TGXTC group, Malat1 overexpression group, and TGXTC+Malat1 overexpression(TGXTC+Malat1-OE) group, with 12 mice in each group. The structural changes of mouse cartilage tissues were observed by Masson staining after the intervention in each group. RT-PCR was employed to detect the mRNA levels of Malat1 and miR-16-5p in cartilage tissues. Western blot was used to analyze the protein expression of ATP-binding cassette transporter A1(ABCA1), sterol regulatory element-binding protein(SREBP), cytochrome P450 family 7 subfamily B member 1(CYP7B1), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein(CHOP), acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4(ACSL4), and glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4) in cartilage tissues. In vitro experiments, mouse chondrocytes were induced by thapsigargin(TG), and the combination of Malat1 and miR-16-5p was detected by double luciferase assay. The fluorescence intensity of Malat1 in chondrocytes was determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The miR-16-5p inhibitory chondrocyte model was constructed. RT-PCR was used to analyze the levels of Malat1 and miR-16-5p in chondrocytes under the inhibition of miR-16-5p. Western blot was adopted to analyze the regulation of TG-induced chondrocyte proteins ABCA1, SREBP, CYP7B1, CHOP, ACSL4, and GPX4 by TGXTC under the inhibition of miR-16-5p. The results of in vivo experiments showed that,(1) compared with model group, TGXTC group exhibited a relatively complete cartilage layer structure. Compared with Malat1-OE group, TGXTC+Malat1-OE group showed alleviated cartilage surface damage.(2) Compared with model group, TGXTC group had a significantly decreased Malat1 mRNA level and an increased miR-16-5p mRNA level in mouse cartilage tissues(P<0.01).(3) Compared with the model group, the protein levels of ABCA1 and GPX4 in the cartilage tissue of mice in the TGXTC group increased, while the protein levels of SREBP, CYP7B1, CHOP and ACSL4 decreased(P<0.01). The results of in vitro experiments show that,(1) dual-luciferase was used to evaluate that miR-16-5p has a targeting effect on the Malat1 gene.(2)Compared with TG+miR-16-5p inhibition group, TG+miR-16-5p inhibition+TGXTC group had an increased mRNA level of miR-16-5p and an decreased mRNA level of Malat1(P<0.01).(3) Compared with TG+miR-16-5p inhibition group, TG+miR-16-5p inhibition+TGXTC group exhibited increased expression of ABCA1 and GPX4 proteins and decreased expression of SREBP, CYP7B1, CHOP, and ACSL4 proteins(P<0.01). The reasults showed that TGXTC can regulate the ceRNA of Malat1 and miR-16-5p to alleviate the "cholesterol-iron" metabolism disorder of osteoarthritis chondrocytes.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; RNA, Long Noncoding/metabolism* ; Chondrocytes/drug effects* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Osteoarthritis/drug therapy* ; Iron/metabolism* ; Male ; Cholesterol/metabolism* ; Humans ; Capsules ; RNA, Competitive Endogenous

OpenSim is an open source, free motion simulation and gait analysis software, which can be used to dynamically simulate and analyze the complex motion of the human body, and is widely used in human biomechanical research. Since OpenSim can analyze multi-dimensional motion data such as muscle strength, joint torque, and muscle synergistic activation during human movement, it can be used to study the biomechanical mechanism of musculoskeletal imbalance diseases and various treatment methods in TCM orthopedics, and has a broad application prospect in the field of TCM orthopedics. By the analysis of the basic characteristics, elements, analysis process, and application prospects of OpenSim, it is concluded that OpenSim musculoskeletal model has a large application space in the field of traditional Chinese medicine orthopedic, which is helpful to explain the pathogenesis and mechanism of diseases, and promote the precision diagnosis and treatment of orthopedics diseases;the application of OpenSim musculoskeletal model can solve the problem that the previous research paid attention to the bone malalignment and not enough attention to the tendon, and provide a new method for the research of orthopedic diseases. At present, there are still problems in the promotion and application of OpenSim, such as large equipment requirements and high operation threshold. Therefore, multidisciplinary cooperation, clinical research, and data sharing are the basic research strategies in this field.
Humans ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Orthopedics ; Traumatology ; Software ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Musculoskeletal System ; Models, Biological

Spermatogenesis is a fundamental process that requires a tightly controlled epigenetic event in spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). The mechanisms underlying the transition from SSCs to sperm are largely unknown. Most studies utilize gene knockout mice to explain the mechanisms. However, the production of genetically engineered mice is costly and time-consuming. In this study, we presented a convenient research strategy using an RNA interference (RNAi) and testicular transplantation approach. Histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) methylation was dynamically regulated during spermatogenesis. As Jumonji domain-containing protein 1A (JMJD1A) and Jumonji domain-containing protein 2C (JMJD2C) demethylases catalyze histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation (H3K9me2), we firstly analyzed the expression profile of the two demethylases and then investigated their function. Using the convenient research strategy, we showed that normal spermatogenesis is disrupted due to the downregulated expression of both demethylases. These results suggest that this strategy might be a simple and alternative approach for analyzing spermatogenesis relative to the gene knockout mice strategy.
Spermatogenesis/physiology* ; Animals ; Male ; Mice ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; Jumonji Domain-Containing Histone Demethylases/metabolism* ; Histones/metabolism* ; RNA Interference ; Testis/metabolism* ; Methylation ; Mice, Knockout ; Histone Demethylases

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) represents a paradigmatic approach to personalized medicine, developed through the systematic accumulation and refinement of clinical empirical data over more than 2000 years, and now encompasses large-scale electronic medical records (EMR) and experimental molecular data. Artificial intelligence (AI) has demonstrated its utility in medicine through the development of various expert systems (e.g., MYCIN) since the 1970s. With the emergence of deep learning and large language models (LLMs), AI's potential in medicine shows considerable promise. Consequently, the integration of AI and TCM from both clinical and scientific perspectives presents a fundamental and promising research direction. This survey provides an insightful overview of TCM AI research, summarizing related research tasks from three perspectives: systems-level biological mechanism elucidation, real-world clinical evidence inference, and personalized clinical decision support. The review highlights representative AI methodologies alongside their applications in both TCM scientific inquiry and clinical practice. To critically assess the current state of the field, this work identifies major challenges and opportunities that constrain the development of robust research capabilities-particularly in the mechanistic understanding of TCM syndromes and herbal formulations, novel drug discovery, and the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered clinical care. The findings underscore that future advancements in AI-driven TCM research will rely on the development of high-quality, large-scale data repositories; the construction of comprehensive and domain-specific knowledge graphs (KGs); deeper insights into the biological mechanisms underpinning clinical efficacy; rigorous causal inference frameworks; and intelligent, personalized decision support systems.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods* ; Artificial Intelligence ; Humans ; Precision Medicine ; Decision Support Systems, Clinical

Intravascular ultrasound(IVUS)is an ultrasound-based endovascular imaging technique,which has been widely used for the diagnosis and interventional treatment of coronary artery diseases.Intravascular ultrasound virtual histology(IVUS-VH)can qualitatively analyze the composition of intraarterial lesions according to the echo signal spectrum reflected by different pathological tissues,providing important reference information for cardiac and endovascular interventional procedures.In recent years,the application of IVUS-VH in lower extremity arterial revascularization has gradually attracted clinical attention.Especially,IVUS-VH may have certain value in predicting the prognosis.This article describes the application of IVUS-VH in lower extremity arterial revascularization,focusing on its value in predicting the prognosis.

Protein as the allergens could lead to allergy. In addition, a widespread class of allergens were known as glycans of N-glycoprotein. N-glycoprotein contained oligosaccharide linked by covalent bonds with protein. Recently,studies implicated that allergy was associated with glycans of heterologous N-glycoprotein found in food, inhalants, insect toxins, etc. The N-glycan structure of N-glycoprotein allergen has exerted an influence on the binding between allergens and IgE, while the recognition and presentation of allergens by antigen-presenting cells (APCs) were also affected. Some researches showed thatN-glycan structure of allergen was remodeled by N-glycosidase, such as cFase I, gpcXylase, as binding of allergen and IgE partly decreased. Thus, allergic problems caused by N-glycoproteins could potentially be solved by modifying or altering the structure ofN-glycoprotein allergens, addressing the root of the issue. Mechanism of N-glycans associated allergy could also be elaborated through glycosylation enzymes, alterations of host glycosylation. This article hopes to provide a separate insight for glycoimmunology perspective, and an alternative strategy for clinical prevention or therapy of allergic diseases.

Objective To observe the intervention effect and mechanism of Chinese herbal compound(Zhenyuan Granules)on overweight in mice caused by estrogen deficiency.Methods An ovariectomized female mouse model was established to observe the effects of intragastric 14 week administration of Zhenyuan Granules on body mass and fat accumulation in mice.The 3T3-L1 mouse preadipocyte model was constructed to observe the effect of Zhenyuan Granules intervention on adipogenic differentiation.The expressions of key genes/proteins regulating adipocyte formation and fat synthesis in mouse adipose tissue and 3T3-L1 cells was detected to explore the mechanism of lipid-lowering effect of Zhenyuan Granules in vivo and in vitro.Results Zhenyuan Granules significantly decreased the body mass gain(P＜0.01),perigonadal and inguinal fat indexes(P＜0.05),significantly inhibited the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes into mature adipocytes(P＜0.01),significantly downregulated the expression levels of transcription factors peroxisome proliferators activated receptor γ(PPARγ)and sterol-regulatory element binding protein 1c(SREBP-1c)and enzymes acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1(ACC1)and fatty acid synthase(FAS)in adipose tissue and 3T3-L1 preadipocytes(P＜0.05),significantly enhanced the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK)and ACC1(P＜0.05).Conclusion Zhenyuan Granules can inhibit the formation of adipocytes and improve the overweight of female mice caused by estrogen deficiency.The mechanism is related to the activation of AMPK signaling pathway.It is suggested that Bushen Jianpi Chinese herbal compound Zhenyuan Granules is helpful for body mass control in postmenopausal women.

Objective To understand the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of healthcare-associated infec-tion(HAI)in neonates with different gestational ages and birth weights,and provide guidance for personalized cli-nical diagnosis and treatment.Methods According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria,240 neonates with HAI in the neonatal intensive care unit(NICU)of a hospital in Handan City from January 2018 to December 2022 were selected as the study group,720 neonates without HAI were selected as the control group based on systematic sam-pling method with a ratio of 1∶3.The incidence of HAI,distribution characteristics of infection site,pathogenic features of HAI,as well as the effect of different delivery modes on HAI in neonates with different gestational ages and birth weights were analyzed.Results Neonates with gestational age＜28 weeks and birth weight＜1 000 g had the highest incidence of HAI,which were 19.48％and 20.41％,respectively.Among neonates with gestational age＜28 weeks,unidentified site infection were the most(37.50％),while in all gestational age groups within 28-36+6 weeks,bloodstream infection(BSI)and respiratory system infection were predominant.For neonates with gestational age ≥37 weeks,BSI and unidentified site infection occurred frequently.Among neonates in all weight groups,BSI was the most frequent,followed by respiratory system infection.Pathogens from different sites of in-fections in neonates with different gestational ages and birth weights varied.Among neonates with gestational age of 28-31+6 weeks and birth weight of 1 000-1 499 g,the constituent of birth modes showed statistically significant difference between neonates with and without HAI(both P＜0.05).Conclusion Epidemiological and clinical chara-cteristics of HAI in neonates with different gestational ages and birth weights are different.For the prevention and control of HAI,individualized diagnosis and treatment plans should be developed to achieve precise prevention and control,reduce the incidence of HAI,and improve the overall treatment level of neonates.