Osteoporotic fractures(OPF) refer to the fractures caused by minor violence in the state of osteoporosis, seriously threatening the life and health of elderly patients. Drug and surgical therapies have limitations such as single targets, diverse adverse reactions, and poor prognosis. Kidney-tonifying traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has good potential in the treatment of OPF. TCM can promote the healing of OPF by promoting angiogenesis in the early stage of bone healing, promoting osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in the stage of bone repair, maintaining the balance of osteogenic and osteoclastic system in the stage of bone remodeling, and regulating the oxidative stress responses throughout the process of OPF healing. TCM can alleviate the pathological state of osteoporosis and promote fracture healing in OPF patients via multiple pathways and targets, demonstrating the advantages and potential of biphasic regulation.
Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Osteoporotic Fractures/metabolism* ; Animals ; Fracture Healing/drug effects* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Kidney/metabolism* ; Osteogenesis/drug effects*

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response caused by severe infection or trauma, and is one of the common causes of acute lung injury(ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS). Sepsis-acute lung injury(SALI) is a critical clinical condition with high morbidity and mortality. Its pathogenesis is complex and not yet fully understood, and there is currently a lack of targeted and effective treatment options. Pyroptosis, a novel form of programmed cell death, plays a key role in the pathological process of SALI by activating inflammasomes and releasing inflammatory factors, making it a potential therapeutic target. In recent years, the role of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) in regulating signaling pathways related to pyroptosis through multi-components and multi-targets has attracted increasing attention. TCM may intervene in pyroptosis by inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes and regulating the expression of Caspase family proteins, thus alleviating inflammatory damage in lung tissues. This paper systematically reviews the molecular regulatory network of pyroptosis in SALI and explores the potential mechanisms and research progress on TCM intervention in cellular pyroptosis. The aim is to provide new ideas and theoretical support for basic research and clinical treatment strategies of TCM in SALI.
Pyroptosis/drug effects* ; Humans ; Sepsis/genetics* ; Acute Lung Injury/physiopathology* ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Inflammasomes/metabolism* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics*

Objective:To explore the intervention effects of the "four-steps tendon resetting and collaterals dredging manipulation" on the symptoms and muscle status of calf muscle group of patients with chronic ankle sprains.Methods:This study was a prospective self-controlled clinical trial. A total of 39 patients with chronic ankle sprains who sought treatment at the basic units from April to September 2023 and Rehabilitation Medicine Center of Characteristic Medical Center of PLA Rocket Force from February to October 2023 were recruited. The "four-steps tendon resetting and collaterals dredging manipulation" was employed for treatment, with two sessions conducted per patient and one session per week. Pain levels were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), ankle joint function was evaluated using the Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale and Function Assessment (AOFAS) score, and MyotonPRO digital palpation instrument was used to measure bilateral triceps and peroneal longus muscles and evaluate muscle status.Results:Compared with before treatment, VAS scores decreased ( t values were 5.85, 5.97, respecively, P<0.001) and AOFAS scores increased ( Z values were -4.59, -4.68, respecively, P<0.001). Before the first treatment and after the second treatment, the damping vibration frequency (Freq) of the affected and healthy triceps and peroneal muscles increased ( t values were -3.09,-2.92,-2.97,-2.28, respecively, P<0.05), the muscle stiffness (Stiff) increased ( t values were -3.12, -2.99, -2.88, -2.15, respecively, P<0.05), and the logarithmic attenuation value (Decr) of the damping vibration of the healthy calf triceps muscle decreased ( t=-2.31, P<0.05); Compared before and after the first treatment, the Decr value ( t=-2.51, P<0.05) and Stiff value ( t=-2.05, P<0.05) of the affected fibular longus muscle increased, while the Ferq, Decr, and Stiff values of the healthy calf triceps muscle increased before and after treatment ( t values were -2.92, -2.13, -2.64, respecively, P<0.05); before and after the second treatment, the Freq values of the triceps and peroneal longus muscles on the affected and healthy sides increased ( t values were -4.28, -2.67, -2.69, -2.38, respecively, P<0.05) and Stiff values increased ( t values were -4.24, -3.43, -3.87, -2.33, respecively, P<0.05); there was no statistical significance in Ferq, Decr, and Stiff values between the affected and healthy sides before and after the first and second treatments ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The "four-steps tendon resetting and collaterals dredging manipulation" can improve the symptoms of chronic ankle sprains and significantly change the muscle condition of the affected and healthy sides of the calf. The mechanism may be related to the neuromuscular control mechanism.

Objective:To explore whether the degree of skeletal muscle atrophy in obese individuals under the influence of colorectal cancer is more severe than that in non-obese individuals.Methods:The clinical data of patients who underwent radical resection of colorectal cancer in our department from Jul 2020 to Dec 2021 was collected. Sixty-four obese patients were included and 64 non-obese patients were matched according to propensity score. At the same time, 51 obese patients were collected from non-tumor patients and matched with 51 non-obese patients. The psoas muscle index (PMI) of included patients was analyzed and compared.Results:The PMI of patients with colorectal cancer was significantly lower than that of corresponding non-tumor patients, regardless of gender and body weight (both P<0.05). The PMI of obese patients with colorectal cancer was significantly lower than that of non-obese patients ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The impact of colorectal cancer on skeletal muscle atrophy in obese individuals is greater than that in normal weight individuals. Therefore, the skeletal muscle status of obese patients with colorectal cancer should be evaluated more comprehensively.

RNA editing, an essential post-transcriptional reaction occurring in double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), generates informational diversity in the transcriptome and proteome. In mammals, the main type of RNA editing is the conversion of adenosine to inosine (A-to-I), processed by adenosine deaminases acting on the RNAs (ADARs) family, and interpreted as guanosine during nucleotide base-pairing. It has been reported that millions of nucleotide sites in human transcriptome undergo A-to-I editing events, catalyzed by the primarily responsible enzyme, ADAR1. In hematological malignancies including myeloid/lymphocytic leukemia and multiple myeloma, dysregulation of ADAR1 directly impacts the A-to-I editing states occurring in coding regions, non-coding regions, and immature miRNA precursors. Subsequently, aberrant A-to-I editing states result in altered molecular events, such as protein-coding sequence changes, intron retention, alternative splicing, and miRNA biogenesis inhibition. As a vital factor of the generation and stemness maintenance in leukemia stem cells (LSCs), disordered RNA editing drives the chaos of molecular regulatory network and ultimately promotes the cell proliferation, apoptosis inhibition and drug resistance. At present, novel drugs designed to target RNA editing(e.g., rebecsinib) are under development and have achieved outstanding results in animal experiments. Compared with traditional antitumor drugs, epigenetic antitumor drugs are expected to overcome the shackle of drug resistance and recurrence in hematological malignancies, and provide new treatment options for patients. This review summarized the recent advances in the regulation mechanism of ADAR1-mediated RNA editing events in hematologic malignancies, and further discussed the medical potential and clinical application of ADAR1.

Objective To investigate the safety and efficacy of novel bioabsorbable vascular scaffold(BVS)in the treatment of patients with complex coronary artery disease.Methods This was a retrospective,matched,single-center observational study.45 patients with coronary atherosclerotic cardiopathy received BVS treatment in the cardiovascular medicine department Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University from June 2020 to June 2021(BVS),and 45 patients treated with drug-eluting stents(DES)group were selected according to matching study requirements during the same period.Baseline,surgical,and follow-up data were compared between the two groups to evaluate safety and efficacy.The main measures of safety were:surgical time,intraoperative adverse events,etc.,and the end point of efficacy was target lesion failure(TLF),including cardiac death,target vessel myocardial infarction,and ischa-driven target lesion revascularization.Results A total of 90 patients were enrolled in this study,all of whom were followed up for at least 3 years.There were 20 cases of bifurcation lesions and 25 cases of diffuse long lesions in the two groups,and 50 cases of imaging were reviewed among the 90 patients.The proportion of stable coronary heart disease,history of diabetes,history of hypertension,history of smoking,pre-dilated balloon pressure and postoperative diastolic blood pressure in BVS group was higher than that in DES group,and the proportion of family history was lower than that in DES group(all P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in the rates of cardiac death,target vessel myocardial infarction,and ischemia-driven revascularization of target lesions between the two groups(all P＞0.05).Binary Logistic regression model analysis showed that the diameter stenosis ratio of target lesions was an independent risk factor for intrastent restenosis(OR 2.786,95％CI 1.096-7.081,P=0.031).Conclusions Compared with traditional DES,BVS implantation has consistent safety and efficacy in the treatment of complex coronary artery disease within 3 years.The diameter stenosis ratio of target lesions was an independent risk factor for intrastent restenosis.

This study aims to investigate the effect of Linggui Zhugan Decoction(LGZGD) on autophagy in the mouse model of chronic heart failure(CHF) induced by myocardial infarction(MI), as well as the regulatory effect of LGZGD on the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF-1α)/heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) signaling pathway, based on bioinformatics and animal experiments. The active ingredients and corresponding targets of LGZGD were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology and Analysis Database, and GEO, GeneCards, and DisGeNET were searched for the disease targets. Cytoscape was used to establish a "drug-component-target" network. The protein-protein interaction(PPI) network analysis was performed on STRING. R language was used for Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encycloperfia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) enrichment analyses. Molecular docking was adopted to validate the core targets. The mouse model of MI-induced CHF was established by surgical ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. The modeled mice were assigned into the sham, model, low-, medium-, and high-dose(2.34, 4.68, and 9.36 g·kg~(-1), respectively) LGZGD, and captopril(3.25 mg·kg~(-1)) groups. After continuous administration for 6 weeks, a Doppler ultrasound imaging system was used to examine the heart function indicators: left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF), left ventricular fractional shortening(LVFS), left ventricular end-systolic dimension(LVIDs), and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension(LVIDd). The myocardial tissue was stained with hematoxylin-eosin for the observation of morphological changes. The mRNA levels of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta(LC3B), Beclin1, p62, HIF-1α, and HO-1 in the myocardial tissue were determined by RT-qPCR. The protein levels of LC3B, beclin1, p62, autophagy-related protein 5(ATG5), HIF-1α, and HO-1 were determined by Western blot. The results showed that 103 active components of LGZGD, corresponding to 224 targets, were obtained. A total of 3 485 and 6 165 targets related to MI and CHF, respectively, were retrieved. The GSE16499 dataset obtained 3 263 differentially expressed genes. There were 31 common targets. The top 3 core active components were quercetin, naringenin, and 1-methoxyphaseollidin. The topology analysis results showed that the core targets were MAPK3, HMOX1(HO-1), MYC, ADRB2, PPARD, and HIF1A(HIF-1α). The molecular docking results showed strong binding between the core targets and the main active components of LGZGD. LGZGD significantly improved the heart function and alleviated the pathological changes in the myocardial tissue of mice. Western blot and RT-qPCR results showed that the HIF-1α/HO-1 signaling pathway and autophagy were activated in the model group. LGZGD up-regulated the levels of LC3B, Beclin1, ATG5, HIF-1α, and HO-1 while down-regulating the mRNA and protein levels of p62. In summary, LGZGD can enhance autophagy and improve the heart function in the mouse model of CHF after MI by upregulating the HIF-1α/HO-1 signaling pathway.
Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Myocardial Infarction/drug therapy* ; Heart Failure/physiopathology* ; Mice ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Male ; Computational Biology ; Heme Oxygenase-1/genetics* ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Humans ; Chronic Disease ; Disease Models, Animal

Objective:To prepare the resiquimod-loaded lipid microbubbles R848-MBs, evaluate their enhanced ultrasound imaging and high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation effects, and explore their ability to improve tumor immune microenvironment synergize with HIFU.Methods:R848-MBs were prepared by the thin film hydration-mechanical shock method; The basic characteristics and safety of R848-MBs were detected, the HIFU controlled-release characteristics were verified in vitro and the drug metabolism and biological distribution were investigated in vivo. The ability of enhancing ultrasound imaging was observed in vitro and in vivo. To investigate the enhanced HIFU ablation effect of R848-MBs, six EMT6 tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into HIFU group and R848-MBs+ HIFU group, three mice in each group, the changes in contrast average sound intensity before and after ablation in mouse tumor areas and the change of ultrasound image gray value in tumor area were evaluated, the tumor were resected to observe the coagulative necresis by TTC staining and HE staining. Forty-five tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into control group, Free R848 group, HIFU group, Blank-MBs+ HIFU group and R848-MBs+ HIFU group, nine mice in each group. On the third day after treatment, 3 mice in each group were randomly selected and killed, to evaluate the ability of R848-MBs to improve tumor immune microenvironment synergize with HIFU. The expression level of CRT on the surface of tumor cells were detected by immunofluorescence staining, the proportion of mature DC in lymph nodes, spleen, and CD8 + T cells in spleen were detected by flow cytometry. The treatment effectiveness of each group( n=6) were evaluated by measuring tumor volume, observing and drawing survival curves. Results:The R848-MBs lipid microbubbles with good safety were successfully prepared, with a concentration of 2.58×10 9/ml, as spherical bubbles under optical microscope and laser confocal microscopy, in a particle size of (1.72±0.11)μm, at a surface potential of (-10.16±0.73)mV. The cumulative drug release was up to 83.44% after HIFU (90 W, 3 s) in vitro. The concentration of R848 in plasma decreased rapidly, and the drug concentration in tumor tissue of the R848-MBs+ HIFU group was higher than that of the R848 group 24 hours after treatment ( P<0.01). The ultrasound imaging of R848-MBs was significantly enhanced in contrast mode in vitro and in vivo; R848-MBs can significantly enhance the HIFU ablation effect, the contrast average sound intensity change in the tumor area before and after ablation in the R848MBs+ HIFU group was greater than that in the R848 group ( P<0.05), and the immediate ultrasound grayscale value change in the HIFU+ R848-MBs group was 46.34±3.21, which was significantly greater than that in the HIFU group (10.67±1.53), with statistical significance ( P<0.000 1). Coagulation necrosis was observed in tumor HE staining and TTC staining. The results of treatment efficacy in vivo showed that R848-MBs+ HIFU group had the strongest therapeutic effect, and R848-MBs combined with HIFU treatment could significantly prolong the survival period of mice compared with intravenous injection of free R848 ( P<0.01). Immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry results showed an increase in the expression level of CRT on the surface of tumor tissue in the R848-MBs combined with HIFU group, and the percentage of mature DC in tumor draining lymph nodes (58.53±1.04)% were significantly higher than those in the HIFU group (37.56±2.13)% ( P<0.001), and the percentage of mature DC in the spleen (70.65±1.91)% were significantly higher than those in the HIFU group (36.46±3.89)% ( P<0.001), the percentage of CD8 + T cells in the spleen (27.46±3.04)% was significantly higher than that in the HIFU group (18.69±0.29)% ( P<0.01). Conclusions:The HIFU controlled-release lipid microbubbles R848-MBs can not only enhance the efficiency of HIFU ablation, but also improve the tumor immune microenvironment.

Humans ; Gemcitabine ; Neoplasms

Abstract: Objective　To investigate the clinical characteristics and incidence of Brucella encephalitis and meningitis in children. Methods We report the clinical data of a child with Brucella melitensis meningitis in children, and summarize the incidence, diagnosis methods and treatment of Brucella encephalitis or meningitis in children, taking into account the relevant domestic and foreign literature from January 2014 to December 2020. Results　A 4-year-old girl was admitted to the hospital with status epilepticus on March 15, 2021 because of interrupted right limb numbness for 16 hours and convulsions for 2 hours. She had 2 non-febrile convulsions three months before admission and was diagnosed with epilepsy. This incident was acute, accompanied by low fever, with epilepsy as the main manifestation. Cerebrospinal fluid test suggested central nervous system infection, but the nature of infection could not be determined by routine and biochemistry of cerebrospinal fluid.The cerebrospinal fluid next generation sequencing confirmed that the pathogen of the infection was B. melitensis, which was further verified by the peripheral blood antibody test. After effective antibiotics combined with a full course of treatment, the patient recovered after six months of treatment. A total of 60 articles were retrieved in the database, including 29 in Chinese. During this period, a total of 7 cases of brucellosis in children with nervous system involvement were reported, one of which was a case report, and the other 6 cases were mentioned in the comprehensive analysis of children with brucellosis. Conclusions　Brucella encephalitis or meningitis in children has a low incidence and various clinical features, which are easy to be misdiagnosed or missed.