1.Enzyme-directed Immobilization Strategies for Biosensor Applications
Xing-Bao WANG ; Yao-Hong MA ; Yun-Long XUE ; Xiao-Zhen HUANG ; Yue SHAO ; Yi YU ; Bing-Lian WANG ; Qing-Ai LIU ; Li-He ZHANG ; Wei-Li GONG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):374-394
Immobilized enzyme-based enzyme electrode biosensors, characterized by high sensitivity and efficiency, strong specificity, and compact size, demonstrate broad application prospects in life science research, disease diagnosis and monitoring, etc. Immobilization of enzyme is a critical step in determining the performance (stability, sensitivity, and reproducibility) of the biosensors. Random immobilization (physical adsorption, covalent cross-linking, etc.) can easily bring about problems, such as decreased enzyme activity and relatively unstable immobilization. Whereas, directional immobilization utilizing amino acid residue mutation, affinity peptide fusion, or nucleotide-specific binding to restrict the orientation of the enzymes provides new possibilities to solve the problems caused by random immobilization. In this paper, the principles, advantages and disadvantages and the application progress of enzyme electrode biosensors of different directional immobilization strategies for enzyme molecular sensing elements by specific amino acids (lysine, histidine, cysteine, unnatural amino acid) with functional groups introduced based on site-specific mutation, affinity peptides (gold binding peptides, carbon binding peptides, carbohydrate binding domains) fused through genetic engineering, and specific binding between nucleotides and target enzymes (proteins) were reviewed, and the application fields, advantages and limitations of various immobilized enzyme interface characterization techniques were discussed, hoping to provide theoretical and technical guidance for the creation of high-performance enzyme sensing elements and the manufacture of enzyme electrode sensors.
2.Cervical lordosis ratio can be used as a decision-making indicator for selection of posterior surgical approach for multi-level cervical spondylotic myelopathy
Jiahang MIAO ; Sheng MA ; Qupeng LI ; Huilin YU ; Tianyu HU ; Xiao GAO ; Hu FENG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(9):1796-1802
BACKGROUND:At present,research has only shown that the cervical lordosis ratio can be an important factor in predicting the loss of lordosis curvature after laminoplasty,and no one has studied whether the cervical lordosis ratio,a dynamic level indicator,can be one of the decision-making factors for the selection of posterior cervical surgical procedures. OBJECTIVE:To investigate whether the cervical lordosis ratio,an index of cervical hyperextension and hyperflexion,can be used as a selective index for laminoplasty and laminectomy fusion. METHODS:A retrospective review of 141 patients who had undergone posterior cervical surgery more than one year of follow-up due to multi-level cervical spondylotic myelopathy from December 2015 to March 2020 was performed.Among them,63 patients received laminectomy and fusion(laminectomy and fusion group)and 78 patients received laminoplasty(laminoplasty group).The demographic statistics(gender,age,body mass index,follow-up time),imaging indexes such as C2-7 Cobb angle,C2-7 range of motion,flexion Cobb angle,extension Cobb angle,flexion range of motion and extension range of motion,clinical effect indexes such as Japanese Orthopaedic Association score and visual analog scale score were compared between the two groups.The evaluation index of cervical lordosis alignment change was C2-7 Cobb angle difference before and after operation(ΔCL).Cervical lordosis ratio was equal to 100%×flexion range of motion/C2-7 range of motion.Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine the role of cervical lordosis ratio in predicting postoperative severe cervical lordosis loss(ΔCL≤-10°).According to the critical value of cervical lordosis ratio(68.5%),all patients were divided into low cervical lordosis ratio group and high cervical lordosis ratio group.In these two ratio groups,the cervical lordosis alignment index and clinical effect index between the two operation groups were discussed again. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Cervical lordosis alignment decreased after laminectomy and fusion and laminoplasty(P=0.039,P=0.002),and cervical lordosis alignment change in laminoplasty group(ΔCL)was greater than that of laminectomy and fusion group,and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant.(2)Based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis,cervical lordosis ratio in predicting severe cervical lordosis alignment change(ΔCL≤-10°)had good identification ability(area under the curve=0.792).(3)In low cervical lordosis ratio group,there was no significant difference in cervical lordosis alignment change(ΔCL)between laminectomy and fusion group and laminoplasty group(P=0.141).(4)In high cervical lordosis ratio group,the ΔCL of laminoplasty group was greater than that in laminectomy and fusion group(P=0.001),which had a higher probability of postoperative severe cervical lordosis alignment change(ΔCL≤-10°)(43%,29%).(5)It is indicated that cervical lordosis ratio can be used as a decision-making index for the choice of posterior surgery for multi-level cervical spondylotic myelopathy.Laminoplasty can be considered in the low cervical lordosis ratio group,while laminectomy and fusion can be considered in the high cervical lordosis ratio group.
3.Seroprevalence and influencing factors of low-level neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in community residents
Shiying YUAN ; Jingyi ZHANG ; Huanyu WU ; Weibing WANG ; Genming ZHAO ; Xiao YU ; Xiaoying MA ; Min CHEN ; Xiaodong SUN ; Zhuoying HUANG ; Zhonghui MA ; Yaxu ZHENG ; Jian CHEN
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(5):403-409
ObjectiveTo understand the seropositivity of neutralizing antibodies (NAb) and low-level NAb against SARS-CoV-2 infection in the community residents, and to explore the impact of COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection on the levels of NAb in human serum. MethodsOn the ground of surveillance cohort for acute infectious diseases in community populations in Shanghai, a proportional stratified sampling method was used to enroll the subjects at a 20% proportion for each age group (0‒14, 15‒24, 25‒59, and ≥60 years old). Blood samples collection and serum SARS-CoV-2 NAb concentration testing were conducted from March to April 2023. Low-level NAb were defined as below the 25th percentile of NAb. ResultsA total of 2 230 participants were included, the positive rate of NAb was 97.58%, and the proportion of low-level NAb was 25.02% (558/2 230). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that age, infection history and vaccination status were correlated with low-level NAb (all P<0.05). Individuals aged 60 years and above had the highest risk of low-level NAb. There was a statistically significant interaction between booster vaccination and one single infection (aOR=0.38, 95%CI: 0.19‒0.77). Compared to individuals without vaccination, among individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 once, both primary immunization (aOR=0.23, 95%CI: 0.16‒0.35) and booster immunization (aOR=0.12, 95%CI: 0.08‒0.17) significantly reduced the risk of low-level NAb; among individuals without infections, only booster immunization (aOR=0.28, 95%CI: 0.14‒0.52) showed a negative correlation with the risk of low-level NAb. ConclusionsThe population aged 60 and above had the highest risk of low-level NAb. Regardless of infection history, a booster immunization could reduce the risk of low-level NAb. It is recommended that eligible individuals , especially the elderly, should get vaccinated in a timely manner to exert the protective role of NAb.
4.Effect of Scutellariae Radix Combined with EGFR-TKIs on Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Yaya YU ; Chenjing LEI ; Zhenzhen XIAO ; Qi MO ; Changju MA ; Lina DING ; Yadong CHEN ; Yanjuan ZHU ; Haibo ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(18):106-115
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Scutellariae Radix combined with epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) on cell proliferation, apoptosis, cancer stem cell (CSC) marker expression, and metabolism in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. MethodsThe anti-tumor effects of Scutellariae Radix and EGFR-TKIs (gefitinib or osimertinib) in NSCLC cells were evaluated using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) double staining apoptosis assay. The activity of Scutellariae Radix and EGFR-TKIs in three-dimensional (3D) cultures of NSCLC cells was assessed using the CellTiter-Glo® 3D cell viability assay. The mRNA and protein expression levels of CSC markers, sex determining region y box protein 2 (SOX2) and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A1 (ALDH1A1), were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) and Western blot, respectively. Changes in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected by ROS staining, and the redox ratio was detected by femtosecond laser labeling free imaging (FLI). ResultsUnder both two-dimensional (2D) and 3D culture conditions, compared with the blank group and EGFR-TKI group, the combination group showed significantly reduced cell viability and increased apoptosis rate (P<0.05). Compared with the EGFR-TKI group, the mRNA and protein levels of CSC markers were significantly downregulated in the combination group (P<0.05). Additionally, the redox ratio was significantly elevated (P<0.05), and ROS levels were also increased in the combination group compared with the EGFR-TKI group. ConclusionIn NSCLC cells, Scutellariae Radix enhances the redox ratio and increases ROS levels, thereby inhibiting the expression of CSC markers and strengthening the anti-tumor effects of EGFR-TKIs. This provides a novel molecular mechanism by which Scutellariae Radix may enhance the sensitivity of targeted therapies.
5.Adolescent Smoking Addiction Diagnosis Based on TI-GNN
Xu-Wen WANG ; Da-Hua YU ; Ting XUE ; Xiao-Jiao LI ; Zhen-Zhen MAI ; Fang DONG ; Yu-Xin MA ; Juan WANG ; Kai YUAN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(9):2393-2405
ObjectiveTobacco-related diseases remain one of the leading preventable public health challenges worldwide and are among the primary causes of premature death. In recent years, accumulating evidence has supported the classification of nicotine addiction as a chronic brain disease, profoundly affecting both brain structure and function. Despite the urgency, effective diagnostic methods for smoking addiction remain lacking, posing significant challenges for early intervention and treatment. To address this issue and gain deeper insights into the neural mechanisms underlying nicotine dependence, this study proposes a novel graph neural network framework, termed TI-GNN. This model leverages functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to identify complex and subtle abnormalities in brain connectivity patterns associated with smoking addiction. MethodsThe study utilizes fMRI data to construct functional connectivity matrices that represent interaction patterns among brain regions. These matrices are interpreted as graphs, where brain regions are nodes and the strength of functional connectivity between them serves as edges. The proposed TI-GNN model integrates a Transformer module to effectively capture global interactions across the entire brain network, enabling a comprehensive understanding of high-level connectivity patterns. Additionally, a spatial attention mechanism is employed to selectively focus on informative inter-regional connections while filtering out irrelevant or noisy features. This design enhances the model’s ability to learn meaningful neural representations crucial for classification tasks. A key innovation of TI-GNN lies in its built-in causal interpretation module, which aims to infer directional and potentially causal relationships among brain regions. This not only improves predictive performance but also enhances model interpretability—an essential attribute for clinical applications. The identification of causal links provides valuable insights into the neuropathological basis of addiction and contributes to the development of biologically plausible and trustworthy diagnostic tools. ResultsExperimental results demonstrate that the TI-GNN model achieves superior classification performance on the smoking addiction dataset, outperforming several state-of-the-art baseline models. Specifically, TI-GNN attains an accuracy of 0.91, an F1-score of 0.91, and a Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.83, indicating strong robustness and reliability. Beyond performance metrics, TI-GNN identifies critical abnormal connectivity patterns in several brain regions implicated in addiction. Notably, it highlights dysregulations in the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex, consistent with prior clinical and neuroimaging findings. These regions are well known for their roles in emotional regulation, reward processing, and impulse control—functions that are frequently disrupted in nicotine dependence. ConclusionThe TI-GNN framework offers a powerful and interpretable tool for the objective diagnosis of smoking addiction. By integrating advanced graph learning techniques with causal inference capabilities, the model not only achieves high diagnostic accuracy but also elucidates the neurobiological underpinnings of addiction. The identification of specific abnormal brain networks and their causal interactions deepens our understanding of addiction pathophysiology and lays the groundwork for developing targeted intervention strategies and personalized treatment approaches in the future.
6.Associations between statins and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events among peritoneal dialysis patients: A multi-center large-scale cohort study.
Shuang GAO ; Lei NAN ; Xinqiu LI ; Shaomei LI ; Huaying PEI ; Jinghong ZHAO ; Ying ZHANG ; Zibo XIONG ; Yumei LIAO ; Ying LI ; Qiongzhen LIN ; Wenbo HU ; Yulin LI ; Liping DUAN ; Zhaoxia ZHENG ; Gang FU ; Shanshan GUO ; Beiru ZHANG ; Rui YU ; Fuyun SUN ; Xiaoying MA ; Li HAO ; Guiling LIU ; Zhanzheng ZHAO ; Jing XIAO ; Yulan SHEN ; Yong ZHANG ; Xuanyi DU ; Tianrong JI ; Yingli YUE ; Shanshan CHEN ; Zhigang MA ; Yingping LI ; Li ZUO ; Huiping ZHAO ; Xianchao ZHANG ; Xuejian WANG ; Yirong LIU ; Xinying GAO ; Xiaoli CHEN ; Hongyi LI ; Shutong DU ; Cui ZHAO ; Zhonggao XU ; Li ZHANG ; Hongyu CHEN ; Li LI ; Lihua WANG ; Yan YAN ; Yingchun MA ; Yuanyuan WEI ; Jingwei ZHOU ; Yan LI ; Caili WANG ; Jie DONG
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(21):2856-2858
7.Research progress on the impact and mechanism of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) components in atherosclerosis.
Xin CHEN ; Jing-Jing ZHU ; Xiao-Fan YANG ; Yu-Peng MA ; Yi-Min BAO ; Ke NING
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2025;77(1):107-119
Atherosclerosis (AS) is a prevalent clinical vascular condition and serves as a pivotal pathological foundation for cardiovascular diseases. Understanding the pathogenesis of AS has significant clinical and societal implications, aiding in the development of targeted drugs. Neutrophils, the most abundant leukocytes in circulation, assume a central role during inflammatory responses and closely interact with AS, which is a chronic inflammatory vascular disease. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are substantial reticular formations discharged by neutrophils that serve as an immune defense mechanism. These structures play a crucial role in inducing dysfunction of the vascular barrier following endothelial cell injury. Components released by NETs pose a threat to the integrity of vascular endothelium, which is essential as it acts as the primary barrier to maintain vascular wall integrity. Endothelial damage constitutes the initial stage in the onset of AS. Recent investigations have explored the intricate involvement of NETs in AS progression. The underlying structures of NETs and their active ingredients, including histone, myeloperoxidase (MPO), cathepsin G, neutrophil elastase (NE), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), antimicrobial peptide LL-37, alpha-defensin 1-3, and high mobility group protein B1 have diverse and complex effects on AS through various mechanisms. This review aims to comprehensively examine the interplay between NETs and AS while providing insights into their mechanistic underpinnings of NETs in this condition. By shedding light on this intricate relationship, this exploration paves the way for future investigations into NETs while guiding clinical translation efforts and charting new paths for therapeutic interventions.
Extracellular Traps/physiology*
;
Humans
;
Atherosclerosis/immunology*
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Neutrophils/physiology*
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Leukocyte Elastase/metabolism*
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Peroxidase/physiology*
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Matrix Metalloproteinases/physiology*
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Cathepsin G/metabolism*
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Cathelicidins
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HMGB1 Protein/physiology*
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Histones
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Animals
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Endothelium, Vascular
8.Conserved translational control in cardiac hypertrophy revealed by ribosome profiling.
Bao-Sen WANG ; Jian LYU ; Hong-Chao ZHAN ; Yu FANG ; Qiu-Xiao GUO ; Jun-Mei WANG ; Jia-Jie LI ; An-Qi XU ; Xiao MA ; Ning-Ning GUO ; Hong LI ; Zhi-Hua WANG
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2025;77(5):757-774
A primary hallmark of pathological cardiac hypertrophy is excess protein synthesis due to enhanced translational activity. However, regulatory mechanisms at the translational level under cardiac stress remain poorly understood. Here we examined the translational regulations in a mouse cardiac hypertrophy model induced by transaortic constriction (TAC) and explored the conservative networks versus the translatome pattern in human dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The results showed that the heart weight to body weight ratio was significantly elevated, and the ejection fraction and fractional shortening significantly decreased 8 weeks after TAC. Puromycin incorporation assay showed that TAC significantly increased protein synthesis rate in the left ventricle. RNA-seq revealed 1,632 differentially expressed genes showing functional enrichment in pathways including extracellular matrix remodeling, metabolic processes, and signaling cascades associated with pathological cardiomyocyte growth. When combined with ribosome profiling analysis, we revealed that translation efficiency (TE) of 1,495 genes was enhanced, while the TE of 933 genes was inhibited following TAC. In DCM patients, 1,354 genes were upregulated versus 1,213 genes were downregulated at the translation level. Although the majority of the genes were not shared between mouse and human, we identified 93 genes, including Nos3, Kcnj8, Adcy4, Itpr1, Fasn, Scd1, etc., with highly conserved translational regulations. These genes were remarkably associated with myocardial function, signal transduction, and energy metabolism, particularly related to cGMP-PKG signaling and fatty acid metabolism. Motif analysis revealed enriched regulatory elements in the 5' untranslated regions (5'UTRs) of transcripts with differential TE, which exhibited strong cross-species sequence conservation. Our study revealed novel regulatory mechanisms at the translational level in cardiac hypertrophy and identified conserved translation-sensitive targets with potential applications to treat cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure in the clinic.
Animals
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Humans
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Cardiomegaly/physiopathology*
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Ribosomes/physiology*
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Protein Biosynthesis/physiology*
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Mice
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Cardiomyopathy, Dilated/genetics*
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Ribosome Profiling
9.Research progress in effect of traditional Chinese medicine on aerobic glycolysis in colorectal cancer.
Xu MA ; Sheng-Long LI ; Guang-Rong ZHENG ; Da-Cheng TIAN ; Gang-Gang LU ; Jie GAO ; Yu-Qi AN ; Li-Yuan CAO ; Liang LI ; Xiao-Yong TANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(6):1496-1506
Colorectal cancer(CRC) is a common malignant tumor worldwide. Due to the treatment intolerance and side effects, CRC rank the top among various cancers regarding the incidence and mortality rates. Therefore, exploring new therapies is of great significance for the treatment of CRC. Aerobic glycolysis(AEG) plays an important role in the microenvironment formation, proliferation, metastasis, and recurrence of CRC and other tumor cells. It has been confirmed that intervening in the AEG pathway can effectively curb CRC. The active ingredients and compound prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) can effectively inhibit the proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance and regulate the apoptosis of tumor cells by modulating AEG-associated transport proteins [eg, glucose transporters(GLUT)], key enzymes [hexokinase(HK) and phosphofructokinase(PFK)], key genes [hypoxia-inducible factor 1(HIF-1) and oncogene(c-Myc)], and signaling pathways(MET/PI3K/Akt/mTOR). Accordingly, they can treat CRC, reduce the recurrence, and improve the prognosis of CRC. Although AEG plays a key role in the development and progression of CRC, the specific mechanisms are not yet fully understood. Therefore, this article delves into the intrinsic connection of the targets and mechanisms of the AEG pathway with CRC from the perspective of tumor cell glycolysis and explores how active ingredients(oxymatrine, kaempferol, and dioscin) and compound prescriptions(Quxie Capsules, Jiedu Sangen Decoction, and Xianlian Jiedu Prescription) of TCM treat CRC by intervening in the AEG pathway. Additionally, this article explores the shortcomings in the current research, aiming to provide reliable targets and a theoretical basis for treating CRC with TCM.
Humans
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Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics*
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
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Glycolysis/drug effects*
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Animals
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional
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Signal Transduction/drug effects*
10.Mechanism of Quanduzhong Capsules in treating knee osteoarthritis from perspective of spatial heterogeneity.
Zhao-Chen MA ; Zi-Qing XIAO ; Chu ZHANG ; Yu-Dong LIU ; Ming-Zhu XU ; Xiao-Feng LI ; Zhi-Ping WU ; Wei-Jie LI ; Yi-Xin YANG ; Na LIN ; Yan-Qiong ZHANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(8):2209-2216
This study aims to systematically characterize the targeted effects of Quanduzhong Capsules on cartilage lesions in knee osteoarthritis by integrating spatial transcriptomics data mining and animal experiments validation, thereby elucidating the related molecular mechanisms. A knee osteoarthritis model was established using Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats, via a modified Hulth method. Hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining was employed to detect knee osteoarthritis-associated pathological changes in knee cartilage. Candidate targets of Quanduzhong Capsules were collected from the HIT 2.0 database, followed by bioinformatics analysis of spatial transcriptomics datasets(GSE254844) from cartilage tissues in clinical knee osteoarthritis patients to identify spatially specific disease genes. Furthermore, a "formula candidate targets-spatially specific genes in cartilage lesions" interaction network was constructed to explore the effects and major mechanisms of Quanduzhong Capsules in distinct cartilage regions. Experimental validation was conducted through immunohistochemistry using animal-derived biospecimens. The results indicated that Quanduzhong Capsules effectively inhibited the degenerative changes in the cartilage of affected joints in rats, which was associated with the regulation of Quanduzhong Capsules on the thioredoxin-interacting protein(TXNIP)-NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3)-bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2(BMPR2)-fibronectin 1(FN1)-matrix metallopeptidase 2(MMP2) signal axis in the articular cartilage surface and superficial zones, subsequently inhibiting cartilage matrix degradation leading to oxidative stress and inflammatory diffusion. In summary, this study clarifies the spatially specific targeted effects and protective mechanisms of Quanduzhong Capsules within pathological cartilage regions in knee osteoarthritis, providing theoretical and experimental support for the clinical application of this drug in the targeted therapy on the inflamed cartilage.
Animals
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Osteoarthritis, Knee/metabolism*
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Rats
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Male
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Humans
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Capsules
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Female
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Disease Models, Animal

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