Osteoarthritis (OA), a highly prevalent degenerative joint disease worldwide, is defined by articular cartilage degradation, abnormal bone remodeling, and persistent chronic inflammation. It severely compromises patients’ quality of life, and currently, there is no radical cure. Abnormal mechanical stress is widely regarded as a core driver of OA pathogenesis, and the exploration of mechanical signal perception and transduction mechanisms has become crucial for deciphering OA’s pathophysiological processes. Piezo1, a key mechanosensitive cation channel belonging to the Piezo protein family, has recently gained significant attention due to its pivotal role in mediating cellular responses to mechanical stimuli in joint tissues. This review systematically examines Piezo1’s expression patterns, regulatory mechanisms, and pathological functions in OA, with a particular focus on its dual roles in modulating chondrocyte homeostasis and bone metabolism disorders, while also delving into the underlying molecular signaling pathways and potential therapeutic implications. Piezo1, consisting of approximately 2 500 amino acids and forming a unique trimeric propeller-like structure, is widely expressed in chondrocytes, osteocytes, mesenchymal stem cells, and synovial cells. It exhibits permeability to cations such as Ca²⁺, K⁺, and Na⁺, and directly responds to membrane tension changes induced by mechanical stimuli like fluid shear stress and mechanical overload. In OA patients and animal models, Piezo1 expression is significantly upregulated, especially in cartilage regions subjected to abnormal mechanical stress (e.g., human temporomandibular joint cartilage). This overexpression is closely associated with aggravated cartilage degeneration, increased chondrocyte apoptosis, accelerated cellular senescence, and intensified inflammatory responses. Mechanical overload and pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β) are key inducers of Piezo1 upregulation: IL-1β activates the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway to enhance Piezo1 expression, forming a pathogenic positive feedback loop that inhibits chondrocyte autophagy, promotes apoptosis, and further accelerates joint degeneration. Mechanistically, Piezo1 mediates OA progression through multiple interconnected pathways. When activated by mechanical stress, Piezo1 triggers excessive Ca²⁺ influx, leading to endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and mitochondrial dysfunction, which directly induce chondrocyte apoptosis. This process involves the activation of downstream signaling cascades such as cGAS-STING and YAP-MMP13/ADAMTS5. YAP, a transcriptional regulator, upregulates the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) and aggrecanase (ADAMTS5), thereby accelerating cartilage matrix degradation. Additionally, Piezo1-driven Ca²⁺ overload promotes the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and upregulates senescence markers (p16 and p21), accelerating chondrocyte senescence via the p38MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Senescent chondrocytes secrete senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors (e.g., IL-6, IL-1β), further amplifying joint inflammation. In terms of bone metabolism, Piezo1 maintains joint homeostasis by promoting the differentiation of fibrocartilage stem cells into chondrocytes and balancing bone formation and resorption through regulating the FoxC1/YAP axis and RANKL/OPG ratio. Therapeutically, targeting Piezo1 shows promising potential. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that Piezo1 inhibitors (e.g., GsMTx4) can reduce joint damage and alleviate pain in OA mice. Simultaneously, siRNA-mediated co-silencing of Piezo1 and TRPV4 (another mechanosensitive channel) decreases intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration, inhibits chondrocyte apoptosis, and promotes cartilage repair. Conditional knockout of Piezo1 using Gdf5-Cre transgenic mice alleviates cartilage degeneration in post-traumatic OA models by downregulating MMP13 and ADAMTS5 expression. Despite existing challenges, such as off-target effects of inhibitors, inefficient local drug delivery, and interindividual genetic variability, strategies like developing selective Piezo1 antagonists, optimizing targeted nanocarriers, and combining Piezo1-targeted therapy with physical therapy provide viable avenues for clinical translation. The authors propose that Piezo1 serves as a critical therapeutic target for OA, and future research should focus on deciphering its context-dependent regulatory networks, developing tissue-specific intervention strategies, and validating their efficacy and safety in clinical trials to address the unmet medical needs of OA patients.

Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) are nanoscale extracellular vesicles secreted by plant cells, characterized by a lipid bilayer structure. These vesicles carry a variety of bioactive molecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids, and play essential roles in intercellular communication and physiological regulation in plants. Compared to animal-derived extracellular vesicles, PDEVs offer several advantages, such as a broad range of sources, high biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, and low production costs. Furthermore, PDEVs have demonstrated remarkable potential as natural nanocarriers for drug delivery, due to their ability to efficiently traverse biological barriers, such as the blood-brain barrier, making them promising candidates for drug delivery systems. This review systematically elaborates on the complex composition of PDEVs, which consists of lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, the typical structural characteristics of their lipid bilayers ranging from 30 to 150 nm, and their versatile loading capabilities as drug carriers, efficiently encapsulating various types of therapeutic agents such as hydrophilic small molecules, hydrophobic drugs, nucleic acids, and proteins. We systematically summarize the recent advancements in strategies for enhancing the loading efficiency of PDEVs, which include methods such as co-incubation, ultrasound-assisted loading, electroporation, freeze-thaw cycles, and microfluidic technology. These techniques are evaluated based on their underlying principles, suitable drug types, and their respective advantages. In addition to loading strategies, we focus on the engineered approaches to achieve targeted delivery using PDEVs, such as genetic engineering modifications, chemical ligand conjugation, membrane fusion technology, and polyethylene glycol (PEG) modification. We discuss the mechanisms of these strategies in enhancing targeting efficiency, prolonging in vivo circulation time, and improving therapeutic efficacy. Further, this review highlights the application of PDEVs in various disease models, including tumor, skin inflammation, metabolic disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases, showcasing their therapeutic potential as multifunctional delivery platforms. The ability of PDEVs to encapsulate diverse therapeutic agents and target specific tissues or cells opens up new avenues for the treatment of complex diseases, offering advantages over conventional drug delivery systems. However, despite the promising applications of PDEVs, several challenges remain in their development and clinical translation. These challenges include variability in source materials, standardization of preparation processes, quality control, scalability of production, and the need for clinical validation. To overcome these obstacles, the integration of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence-assisted design and multi-omics analysis is proposed as a way to facilitate the precise development of PDEVs. These emerging technologies hold the potential to further enhance the precision and effectiveness of plant-based drug delivery systems, ultimately advancing the field of precision medicine. In conclusion, the use of PDEVs as a platform for drug delivery represents a promising area of research with the potential to revolutionize therapeutic strategies. Their ability to encapsulate and deliver a wide variety of bioactive molecules, along with their inherent advantages in biocompatibility and versatility, makes them a valuable tool in the development of more efficient and targeted therapeutic interventions. Continued research and innovation in this field will pave the way for the clinical implementation of PDEVs in the treatment of various diseases, offering new hope for more effective and sustainable therapeutic options.

The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of different feeding modes on growth performance,blood biochemical indexes and intestinal flora of lactating Holstein male calves.Twenty-four newborn Holstein male calves with body mass of(40.00±1.01)kg and similar day old were selected and randomly divided into four groups of six calves each.The subgroups were low-milk group(LM),high-milk group(HM),high-milk milk replacer feeding group(HMR),and low-milk switching to high-milk milk replacer feeding group(CMR).The results showed that:At 45 d,the body mass of calves in the HM group was significantly higher than that of calves in the other groups(P＜0.05),and at 60 d,the body mass of calves in the HM group was significantly higher than that of calves in the LM &.CMR groups(P＜0.05).At 90 d,the body mass of calves in the LM group was significantly higher than that of calves in the HM group.Throughout the ex-perimental period,the average daily weight gain and average pellet feed intake of calves in the LM group were significantly higher than that of calves in the HM group(P＜0.05).The calf globulin level in the HMR group was significantly higher than that in the LM and HM groups(P＜0.05);the plasma immunoglobulin A level of calves in the HM group was significantly lower than that of calves in the LM and HMR groups(P＜0.05);and the plasma immunoglobulin M level of calves in the HM group was significantly higher than that of calves in the LM and CMR groups(P＜0.05),and HMR group was also significantly higher than that of LM group(P＜0.05);plasma glutathione peroxidase level of calves in HMR group was significantly higher than that of LM group(P＜0.05);plasma malondialdehyde level of calves in LM group was significantly higher than that of calves in HMR and HM groups(P＜0.05),and CMR group was also significantly higher than that of HM group(P＜0.05).Relative abundance of Thermodesulfovibrio was higher in the HM group(P＜0.05),relative abundance of Bacteroidetes in the LM group was significantly higher than that in the HMR and HM groups(P＜0.05),relative abundance of Blautia in the HM group(P＜0.05),and relative abundance of Corynebacterium in the CMR group was significantly higher than that in the LM and HM groups(P＜0.05).In summary,calves in the LM group had better weaning weights and pellet feed intake;calves in the CMR group could compensate for growth by supplemental feeding of milk replacer to obtain more optimal weaning weights and pel-let feed intake;the HMR group proved that milk-free feeding could ensure stable growth of calves;and calves in the HM group had a better pre-lactation growth performance,lower levels of oxida-tive stress,and a healthier fecal flora.

Objective To analyze the imaging features of cerebral small vessel disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus by multimodal MRI.Methods The clinical data of 160 patients with cerebral small vessel disease admitted to our hospital from January to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.According to whether they were complicated with type 2 diabetes mellitus,they were divided into the diabetic group and the non-diabetic group,with 80 cases in each group.Both groups underwent multimodal MRI scans.And the severity of lacunar infarction,the severity of subcortical and periventricular white matter lesions,white matter integral and cerebral microbleeds of patients in the two groups were compared.Results The severity of lacunar infarction(χ2=34.076,P=0.001),subcortical white matter lesions(χ2=25.000,P=0.001),periventricular white matter lesions(χ2=22.895,P=0.001)and white matter integral(t=12.370,P=0.001)of patients in the diabetic group were significantly higher than those in the non-diabetic group.No cerebral microbleeds were detected in either group of patients.Conclusion Patients with cerebral small vessel disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus show characteristic multimodal MRI changes.The increase in the number of lacunar infarction lesions and the aggravation of white matter lesions can be used as the characteristic imaging basis for the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus related cerebral small vessel disease.

The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of different feeding modes on growth performance,blood biochemical indexes and intestinal flora of lactating Holstein male calves.Twenty-four newborn Holstein male calves with body mass of(40.00±1.01)kg and similar day old were selected and randomly divided into four groups of six calves each.The subgroups were low-milk group(LM),high-milk group(HM),high-milk milk replacer feeding group(HMR),and low-milk switching to high-milk milk replacer feeding group(CMR).The results showed that:At 45 d,the body mass of calves in the HM group was significantly higher than that of calves in the other groups(P＜0.05),and at 60 d,the body mass of calves in the HM group was significantly higher than that of calves in the LM &.CMR groups(P＜0.05).At 90 d,the body mass of calves in the LM group was significantly higher than that of calves in the HM group.Throughout the ex-perimental period,the average daily weight gain and average pellet feed intake of calves in the LM group were significantly higher than that of calves in the HM group(P＜0.05).The calf globulin level in the HMR group was significantly higher than that in the LM and HM groups(P＜0.05);the plasma immunoglobulin A level of calves in the HM group was significantly lower than that of calves in the LM and HMR groups(P＜0.05);and the plasma immunoglobulin M level of calves in the HM group was significantly higher than that of calves in the LM and CMR groups(P＜0.05),and HMR group was also significantly higher than that of LM group(P＜0.05);plasma glutathione peroxidase level of calves in HMR group was significantly higher than that of LM group(P＜0.05);plasma malondialdehyde level of calves in LM group was significantly higher than that of calves in HMR and HM groups(P＜0.05),and CMR group was also significantly higher than that of HM group(P＜0.05).Relative abundance of Thermodesulfovibrio was higher in the HM group(P＜0.05),relative abundance of Bacteroidetes in the LM group was significantly higher than that in the HMR and HM groups(P＜0.05),relative abundance of Blautia in the HM group(P＜0.05),and relative abundance of Corynebacterium in the CMR group was significantly higher than that in the LM and HM groups(P＜0.05).In summary,calves in the LM group had better weaning weights and pellet feed intake;calves in the CMR group could compensate for growth by supplemental feeding of milk replacer to obtain more optimal weaning weights and pel-let feed intake;the HMR group proved that milk-free feeding could ensure stable growth of calves;and calves in the HM group had a better pre-lactation growth performance,lower levels of oxida-tive stress,and a healthier fecal flora.

Objective:To compare the therapeutic efficacy and safety of local anesthesia and spinal anesthesia for the patients with varicocele(VC)who underwent microsurgical varicocelectomy(MV).Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the data of VC patients who underwent MV treatment at the Andrology Department of the Affiliated Ruikang Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine from May 2020 to March 2023.Cases with complete clinical data and follow-up evaluation were selected and divided into a control group(spinal anesthesia)and an observation group(local anesthesia)according to different anesthesia methods.The surgical time(including anesthesia time),visual analogue scale(VAS)score for pain,hospital stay,treatment cost,sperm concentration,for-ward motile sperm rate,and normal sperm morphology rate after three months of surgery,as well as postoperative complications and re-currence rate were compared between the two groups.Results:A total of 107 eligible cases were included,with 56 cases in the con-trol group and 51 cases in the observation group.There was no significant difference in the VAS score for pain during and after four hours of surgery,as well as postoperative complications,and recurrence rate between the two groups(P＞0.05).There was an signif-icant increase in sperm concentration,forward motile sperm rate,and normal sperm morphology rate in both of two groups after three months of surgery(P＜0.05).However,there was no significant difference between the two groups three months after surgery(P＞0.05).The surgical time and hospital stay were shorter than those of the control group(P＜0.05).And the treatment cost in observa-tion group was lower than that of the control group(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Both local anesthesia and lumbar anesthesia for MV treatment of VC have good efficacy and safety.However,patients treated with MV under local anesthesia for VC have obvious advanta-ges in terms of operation time(including anesthesia time),hospital stay,and treatment cost,which is worthy of clinical promotion and application.

Body weight abnormalities, including overweight, obesity, and underweight, have become a dual public health challenge in Chinese adults: overweight and obesity lead to a variety of chronic complications, while underweight increases the risks of malnutrition, sarcopenia, and organ dysfunction. To systematically address these issues, multidisciplinary experts in endocrinology, sports science, nutrition, and psychiatry from various regions have held multiple weight management seminars. Based on the latest epidemiological data and clinical evidence, they expanded the guideline to include assessment and intervention strategies for underweight, in addition to the core content of obesity management. This guideline outlines the etiological mechanisms, evaluation methods, and multidimensional management strategies for overweight and obesity, covering key areas such as diagnosis and assessment, medical nutrition therapy, exercise prescription, pharmacological intervention, and psychological support. It is intended to provide a scientific and standardized approach to weight management across the adult population, aiming to curb the rising prevalence of obesity, mitigate complications associated with abnormal body weight, and improve nutritional status and overall quality of life.

Objective:To evaluate the potential of IgG N-glycans as diagnostic biomarker for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) by comparing and analyzing the IgG N-glycan profiles with AS and healthy controls.Methods:A 1∶1 matched case-control study design was adopted, 81 AS patients who visited the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology at Taian City Central Hospital and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University between July 2020 and June 2021 were recruited. These patients were matched with 81 healthy individuals undergoing routine physical checkup. The levels of IgG N-glycosylation in human plasma were quantitatively measured using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography. Binomial logistic regression analysis was performed to identify IgG N-glycan biomarkers associated with AS.Results:A total of 14 primary glycans and 13 derived traits showed statistically significant differences between the AS case group and the control group. Binomial logistic regression analysis showed that glycan peak 4, agalactosylated glycans, fucosylated glycans, and fucosylated agalactosylated glycans were positively associated with AS[ OR(95% CI)=1.12(1.01, 1.42), 1.21(1.03, 1.43), 1.48(1.08, 2.03), and 1.27(1.04, 1.55); P=0.036, 0.022, 0.039, 0.020, respectively]. In terms of diagnostic performance, the single glycan GP4 exhibited the largest area under the ROC curve, with an AUC (95% CI) 0.751 (0.677, 0.826), while the combined glycan indicators (GP4+G0+F+FG0) achieved an AUC (95% CI) 0.768(0.697, 0.840). Conclusion:IgG N-glycans have the potentials to serve as candidate biomarkers for AS, and warrants further investigation.

Objective:A bidirectional Mendelian randomization approach was applied to dissect the causal association between dairy product consumption and osteoarthritis (OA), so to offering novel insights for the prevention, treatment, and prognosis assessment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA).Methods:A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted using public available genome-wide association studies. The primary analysis was performed using the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method. To assess the stability and reliability of the results, we compared IVW and MR-Egger regression using Cochran′s Q test to evaluate SNP heterogeneity. MR-Egger regression was employed to assess pleiotropy, while a leave-one-out approach was used for sensitivity analysis. Results:Based on 207 instrumental variables (IVs), two-sample MR analysis revealed that for each standard deviation increase in genetically predicted cheese intake, the risk of OA was significantly negatively associated [ OR(95% CI)=0.98(0.98, 0.99), P<0.001], so did the risk of KOA [ OR(95% CI)=0.73(0.63, 0.85), P<0.001]. However, no significant association was found between OA risk and the intake of full-fat milk (30 IVs), semi-skimmed milk (15 IVs), skimmed milk (32 IVs), soy milk (25 IVs), or other types of milk (13 IVs), yogurt (11 IVs), or butter (3 IVs). Conclusion:The two-sample MR analysis revealed causally inverse associations between cheese intake and OA as well as KOA.

Lentiviral vectors(LVs)are key gene delivery tools for integrating target genes into the host genome,but they may also pose risks of insertional mutagenesis.The vector copy number(VCN)in cells is critical for determining the safety of gene modification.However,the reliability and accuracy of its quantification process are influenced by multiple factors.Developing cell reference materials with specific vector copy numbers represents a viable approach to enhance the reliability and consistency of measurement results,enabling quality control of the quantification process and traceability of outcomes.However,the preparation of such reference materials faces challenges in cell sample design,preparation protocols,and advanced quantification techniques.In this study,T lymphocyte cell line Jurkat-based reference materials with LV gene copy numbers of 1 and 2 copy/cell were developed.A high-precision duplex digital polymerase chain reaction(dPCR)method was established to quantify the LV gene and endogenous genes simultaneously.Additionally,the results of dPCR were cross-validated through next-generation sequencing and flow cytometric analysis.Ultimately,confocal microscopy characterization results showed that the developed cell reference materials had intact morphology.The quantification result of VCN-1 was(1.07±0.11)copy/cell,and that of VCN-2 was(2.09±0.21)copy/cell.These cell reference materials demonstrated compliance with stability and homogeneity requirements,and could be applied for quality control throughout the VCN measurement workflow and metrological traceability,improving the accuracy,comparability,and validity of copy number measurements.