AIM:To investigate whether Xibining Ⅱ(XBN Ⅱ)attenuates cartilage damage in rats with knee osteoarthritis(KOA)by modulating glycolysis via the AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK)/peroxisome proliferator-acti-vated receptor γ coactivator 1α(PGC1α)signaling pathway.METHODS:Thirty-two SD rats were randomly divided into sham group,KOA group,XBN Ⅱ group and metformin(AMPK activator)group,with 8 rats in each group.The rats in KOA group were subjected to the anterior cruciate ligament transection procedure to establish the KOA model.Starting from the 14th day after modeling,the rats in XBN Ⅱ group received a daily dose of XBN Ⅱ via gavage once a day,and those in metformin group were administered metformin via intraperitoneal injection once a day for 4 weeks.Subsequently,the histopathological changes of the cartilage were examined by HE and safranin O-fast green staining with matching Mankin and OARSI scores.The protein levels of phosphorylated AMPK(p-AMPK)and PGC1α in cartilage were quanti-fied through immunohistochemistry.In addition,RT-qPCR and Western blot were conducted to measure the mRNA and protein expression levels of glycolysis-related factors,including glucose transporter 1,hexokinase 2 and lactate dehydroge-nase A,biomarkers related to cartilage synthesis and catabolism,such as collagen type Ⅱ,aggrecan,matrix metallopro-teinase 13 and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5,and AMPK/PGC1α signaling pathway-re-lated indicators.RESULTS:Lactate levels in cartilage and serum were higher in KOA group compared with sham group(P<0.05).Similarly,the cartilage in KOA group exhibited significant surface abrasion and structural damage,with faint-stained matrix and significantly higher Mankin and OARSI scores compared with sham group(P<0.05).Further analysis revealed significant decreases in the mRNA and protein expression levels of factors related to cartilage anabolism and AMPK/PGC1α signaling pathway in KOA group compared with sham group(P<0.05).In contrast,there were marked in-creases in the mRNA and protein expression levels of factors related to cartilage catabolism and glycolysis(P<0.05).No-tably,XBN Ⅱ and metformin treatments significantly improved the cartilage morphology,reduced Mankin and OARSI scores,and reversed the changes in mRNA and protein levels of the aforementioned indexes(P<0.05).CONCLU-SION:Treatment with XBN Ⅱ can alleviate cartilage damage in KOA rats by inhibiting glycolysis,through a mechanism involving activation of the AMPK/PGC1α signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE To explore the intervention mechanism of Shangke Lengtongtie on cold hyperalgesia in KOA mice based on the HMGB1/CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling axis.METHODS Monosodium iodoacetate(MIA)was used for the intra-articular injec-tion into the knee joint to establish mice model of knee osteoarthritis(KOA).Peripheral blood monocytes were extracted from mice,cultured,and then reinfused into the tail vein of the mice.Subsequently,in vivo animal imaging was used to observe the recruitment sites of these monocytes.The cold hyperalgesia threshold was measured at various time points in each group of mice.Hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining was used to evaluate the level of synovial pathological changes.ELISA was employed to detect the expression of in-flammatory factors IL-1β,TNF-α,and pain mediators CGRP and Substance P in mouse serum.Western blot and qPCR methods were used to detect the protein and gene expression of cold hyperalgesia-related indicators such as TRPA1,TRPM8,HMGB1,CXCL12,CXCR4,Collagen Ⅰ,and Netrin-1 in synovial tissue,as well as DCC in dorsal root ganglia(DRG)tissue.RESULTS In vivo ima-ging showed that after the monocytes were reinfused into KOA mice,they were recruited to the knee joint area,with the HMGB1 group exhibiting a greater recruitment of circulating monocytes at the knee joint.Additionally,compared to the control group,the KOA group and HMGB1 group showed inflammatory pathological changes in the synovium,increased expression of serum inflammatory factors and pain mediators,reduced cold hyperalgesia threshold,and upregulated protein and gene expression of cold hyperalgesia-related indica-tors in synovial and DRG tissues.The changes were more significant in the HMGB1 group compared to the KOA group(P<0.05).Af-ter treatment with Shangke Lengtongtie or GL intervention,synovial inflammation was alleviated,serum inflammatory factors and pain mediators decreased,cold hyperalgesia threshold increased,and the upregulation of cold hyperalgesia-related indicator protein and gene expression levels was significantly reversed(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Shangke Lengtongtie exerts a beneficial effect on the mitigation of synovitis and cold hyperalgesia in KOA mice,a therapeutic mechanism that possibly mediated through the inhibition of the HMGB1/CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling axis.

OBJECTIVE To explore the intervention mechanism of Shangke Lengtongtie on cold hyperalgesia in KOA mice based on the HMGB1/CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling axis.METHODS Monosodium iodoacetate(MIA)was used for the intra-articular injec-tion into the knee joint to establish mice model of knee osteoarthritis(KOA).Peripheral blood monocytes were extracted from mice,cultured,and then reinfused into the tail vein of the mice.Subsequently,in vivo animal imaging was used to observe the recruitment sites of these monocytes.The cold hyperalgesia threshold was measured at various time points in each group of mice.Hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining was used to evaluate the level of synovial pathological changes.ELISA was employed to detect the expression of in-flammatory factors IL-1β,TNF-α,and pain mediators CGRP and Substance P in mouse serum.Western blot and qPCR methods were used to detect the protein and gene expression of cold hyperalgesia-related indicators such as TRPA1,TRPM8,HMGB1,CXCL12,CXCR4,Collagen Ⅰ,and Netrin-1 in synovial tissue,as well as DCC in dorsal root ganglia(DRG)tissue.RESULTS In vivo ima-ging showed that after the monocytes were reinfused into KOA mice,they were recruited to the knee joint area,with the HMGB1 group exhibiting a greater recruitment of circulating monocytes at the knee joint.Additionally,compared to the control group,the KOA group and HMGB1 group showed inflammatory pathological changes in the synovium,increased expression of serum inflammatory factors and pain mediators,reduced cold hyperalgesia threshold,and upregulated protein and gene expression of cold hyperalgesia-related indica-tors in synovial and DRG tissues.The changes were more significant in the HMGB1 group compared to the KOA group(P<0.05).Af-ter treatment with Shangke Lengtongtie or GL intervention,synovial inflammation was alleviated,serum inflammatory factors and pain mediators decreased,cold hyperalgesia threshold increased,and the upregulation of cold hyperalgesia-related indicator protein and gene expression levels was significantly reversed(P<0.05).CONCLUSION Shangke Lengtongtie exerts a beneficial effect on the mitigation of synovitis and cold hyperalgesia in KOA mice,a therapeutic mechanism that possibly mediated through the inhibition of the HMGB1/CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling axis.

AIM:To investigate whether Xibining Ⅱ(XBN Ⅱ)attenuates cartilage damage in rats with knee osteoarthritis(KOA)by modulating glycolysis via the AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK)/peroxisome proliferator-acti-vated receptor γ coactivator 1α(PGC1α)signaling pathway.METHODS:Thirty-two SD rats were randomly divided into sham group,KOA group,XBN Ⅱ group and metformin(AMPK activator)group,with 8 rats in each group.The rats in KOA group were subjected to the anterior cruciate ligament transection procedure to establish the KOA model.Starting from the 14th day after modeling,the rats in XBN Ⅱ group received a daily dose of XBN Ⅱ via gavage once a day,and those in metformin group were administered metformin via intraperitoneal injection once a day for 4 weeks.Subsequently,the histopathological changes of the cartilage were examined by HE and safranin O-fast green staining with matching Mankin and OARSI scores.The protein levels of phosphorylated AMPK(p-AMPK)and PGC1α in cartilage were quanti-fied through immunohistochemistry.In addition,RT-qPCR and Western blot were conducted to measure the mRNA and protein expression levels of glycolysis-related factors,including glucose transporter 1,hexokinase 2 and lactate dehydroge-nase A,biomarkers related to cartilage synthesis and catabolism,such as collagen type Ⅱ,aggrecan,matrix metallopro-teinase 13 and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5,and AMPK/PGC1α signaling pathway-re-lated indicators.RESULTS:Lactate levels in cartilage and serum were higher in KOA group compared with sham group(P<0.05).Similarly,the cartilage in KOA group exhibited significant surface abrasion and structural damage,with faint-stained matrix and significantly higher Mankin and OARSI scores compared with sham group(P<0.05).Further analysis revealed significant decreases in the mRNA and protein expression levels of factors related to cartilage anabolism and AMPK/PGC1α signaling pathway in KOA group compared with sham group(P<0.05).In contrast,there were marked in-creases in the mRNA and protein expression levels of factors related to cartilage catabolism and glycolysis(P<0.05).No-tably,XBN Ⅱ and metformin treatments significantly improved the cartilage morphology,reduced Mankin and OARSI scores,and reversed the changes in mRNA and protein levels of the aforementioned indexes(P<0.05).CONCLU-SION:Treatment with XBN Ⅱ can alleviate cartilage damage in KOA rats by inhibiting glycolysis,through a mechanism involving activation of the AMPK/PGC1α signaling pathway.

Objective To analyze the correlation between the prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and fall incidence among the elderly in urban and rural areas in Chongqing, and to provide evidence for targeted intervention. Methods In 2019, a questionnaire survey was conducted among the elderly aged 65 and over in four districts and counties using multistage stratified cluster random sampling. The difference of NCDs prevalence and fall incidence was compared by Chi-square test. The correlation between NCDs and fall incidence was analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Results A total of 806 and 801 elderly people aged 65 and above in urban and rural areas，respectively, were investigated The fall incidence among the elderly in rural areas (12.98%) was higher than that in urban areas (7.94%) (χ2=10.916, P=0.001). The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the prevalence of heart disease (OR=2.988, 95%CI:1.544-5.785), osteoporosis (OR=2.696, 95%CI:1.527-4.760) and vestibular dysfunction or deafness (OR=3.180, 95%CI:1.142-8.861) was associated with fall incidence among urban elderly people. Factors including need for care (OR=2.315，95%CI：1.130-4.744), diabetes (OR=3.067，95%CI:1.634-5.756), osteoporosis (OR=1.972, 95%CI:1.210-3.214), and arthritis (OR=2.975, 95%CI:1.901-4.657) were associated with fall incidence among rural elderly people. Conclusion The fall incidence among the elderly in rural areas is higher than that in urban areas in Chongqing. The prevalence of NCD is high among the elderly. Timely treatment of NCDs should be provided to reduce fall incidence among the elderly.

OBJECTIVE：To discuss the mechanism of synovitis of knee osteoarthritis （KOA）relieved by “Sanse powder ” volatile oil based on the activation of Nod-like receptor family 3（NLRP3）inflammasome. METHODS ：“Sanse powder ”volatile oil was extracted by distillation- condensation process and the components of it were analyzed by GC-MS. Fibroblast-like synovial cells（FLS）were extracted from the knee joint of male SD rats. The effects of 10，25，50，100，250，500，1 000 μg/mL“Sanse powder”volatile oil on the viability of FLS were examined by CCK-8 assay. KOA inflammatory cell model was induced by lipopolysaccharide for 12 h. The effects of 10，250 μg/mL“Sanse powder ”volatile oil on the protein and mRNA expression of NLRP3，caspase-1 and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein （ASC）were detected. The levels of IL- 1β and IL-18 in supernatants of FLS were determined . RESULTS ：Totally 0.51-0.61 g volatile oil with yellow clear and unique aromatic odor were extracted from“Sanse powder ”，and the extraction rate was 0.33％-0.41％（n＝9）. A total of 41 chemical components were isolated ，and 30 of them were identified and their peak area accounted for 90.073 6％ of the total peak area. The components with high relative content were gingerol flavonoids （17.573 9％），δ-junionene（15.434 5％），gingerol（11.509 5％），etc. When the concentration of volatile oil was 10-250 μg/mL，there was no significant effect on survival rate of FLS （P＞0.05）. Compared with blank group ，the relative protein and mRNA expression of NLRP 3，caspase-1 and ASC and the levels of IL- 1β and IL-18 in supernatant were significantly increased in model group （P＜0.05）. Compared with model group ，relative expression or levels of above indexes were all decreased significantly in FLS and supernatant of “Sanse powder ”volatile oil 10 and 250 μg/mL groups（P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS：“Sanse powder ”volatile oil can inhibit NLRP 3 inflammasome activation in FLS and reduce the downstream inflammatory cascade response ，thus exerting its efficacy in ameliorating synovial inflammation of KOA.

Objective:To calculate a new depth-time heliox conventional diving decompression scheme for improving the training efficiency of deep heliox conventional diving.Methods:Based on the classical calculation model of Haldane’s diving decompression scheme, we used its supersaturation safety coefficient for 60-120 m heliox conventional diving decompression scheme, calculated the decompression schemes for 80 m/15 min, 100 m/15 min, and 120 m/15 min depth-time diving, and verified them by training.Results:The total decompression time of the three schemes were shortened by 20, 31, and 36 min respectively than those of the depth/ 20 min scheme at the same depth. After 54 person/times heliox conventional diving trials, no decompression sickness symptoms were found.Conclusion:A new heliox conventional diving decompression scheme with every 5 minutes as an interval for underwater operation can effectively improve the diving training efficiency while ensuring divers’ safety.

Objective:To calculate a new depth-time heliox conventional diving decompression scheme for improving the training efficiency of deep heliox conventional diving.Methods:Based on the classical calculation model of Haldane’s diving decompression scheme, we used its supersaturation safety coefficient for 60-120 m heliox conventional diving decompression scheme, calculated the decompression schemes for 80 m/15 min, 100 m/15 min, and 120 m/15 min depth-time diving, and verified them by training.Results:The total decompression time of the three schemes were shortened by 20, 31, and 36 min respectively than those of the depth/ 20 min scheme at the same depth. After 54 person/times heliox conventional diving trials, no decompression sickness symptoms were found.Conclusion:A new heliox conventional diving decompression scheme with every 5 minutes as an interval for underwater operation can effectively improve the diving training efficiency while ensuring divers’ safety.

In order to verify the sstability and accuracy of DNA barcode technique, we chose Rosa laevigata Michx as study object. Genomic DNAs of 10 samples were extracted by modified CTAB method. ITS2 sequences were obtained by direct PCR sequencing; the other 6 sequences were obtained from GenBank. The sequences were assembled using the CodonCode Aligner. All of the 16 ITS2 sequences were aligned through Clustal-W and the genetic distances were computed using MEGA 5.0 in accordance with the Kimura 2-parameter (K-2-P) model. Results indicated that the lengths of ITS2 regions of R. laevigata ranged from 219 to 221 bp with two Poly C structure in it. The intra-specific genetic distances were smaller than inter-specific ones in ITS2 regions of R. laevigata. The NJ tree showed that R. laevigata and adulterants were divided into two clades, with 99%bootstrap value, showing good monophyly. So, ITS2 was considered a good marker to identify R. laevigata and its adulterants.