Objective To explore the effect of rehmanniae radix extract(RRE)on chondrocyte apoptosis in the rabbit model of knee osteoarthritis(KOA)by regulating the miR-485-5p/heat shock protein 90 beta family member 1(Hsp90b1)axis.Methods New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned into control,KOA,low-dose RRE,medium-dose RRE,high-dose RRE,celecoxib,high-dose RRE+antagonist control,and high-dose RRE+miR-485-5p antagonist groups,with 12 rabbits in each group.Rabbits in other groups except the control group were modeled for KOA with the improved Hulth method.After modeling for 8 weeks,the rabbits were administrated with corresponding agents for 4 weeks.The changes in the activity rating of rabbits were recorded.ELISA was employed to measure the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and interleukin(IL)-6 in the serum.Safranine O-fast green staining was conducted to reveal the pathological changes in the cartilage tissue and Mankin scoring was performed.TUNEL was employed to detect chondrocyte apoptosis.Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was performed to determine the expression of miR-485-5p in the cartilage tissue.Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of Hsp90b1,cleaved cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-3(Caspase-3),and Bcl2-associated-X(Bax)in the cartilage tissue.The dual-luciferase reporter assay was employed to examine the relationship between miR-485-5p and Hsp90b1.Results Compared with the control group,the KOA group showed down-regulated expression of miR-485-5p,elevated levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the serum,cartilage erosion and losses,and increases in activity rating,Mankin score,chondrocyte apoptosis rate,and protein levels of Hsp90b1,cleaved Caspase-3,and Bax(all P<0.001).Compared with the KOA group,RRE at low,medium,and high doses,and celecoxib up-regulated the expression of miR-485-5p,lowered the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the serum,alleviated the pathological damage to the cartilage tissue,and decreased the activity rating,Mankin score,chondrocyte apoptosis rate,and protein levels of Hsp90b1,cleaved Caspase-3,and Bax(all P<0.05).Compared with the high-dose RRE group and the high-dose RRE+antagonist control group,high-dose RRE+miR-485-5p antagonist down-regulated the expression of miR-485-5p,elevated the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the serum,exacerbated the pathological damage to the cartilage tissue,and increased the activity rating,Mankin score,chondrocyte apoptosis rate,and protein levels of Hsp90b1,cleaved Caspase-3,and Bax(all P<0.05).The results indicated that there was a targeted regulatory relationship between miR-485-5p and Hsp90b1.Conclusion RRE may inhibit the expression of Hsp90b1 by up-regulating miR-485-5p,thereby inhibiting chondrocyte apoptosis in the rabbit model of KOA.
Animals ; Rabbits ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Chondrocytes/pathology* ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/drug therapy* ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Rehmannia/chemistry* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/blood* ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology* ; Interleukin-6/blood* ; HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins/metabolism* ; Male ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*

As artificial intelligence technology rapidly advances, its deployment within the medical sector presents substantial ethical challenges. Consequently, it becomes crucial to create a standardized, transparent, and secure framework for processing medical data. This includes setting the ethical boundaries for medical artificial intelligence and safeguarding both patient rights and data integrity. This consensus governs every facet of medical data handling through artificial intelligence, encompassing data gathering, processing, storage, transmission, utilization, and sharing. Its purpose is to ensure the management of medical data adheres to ethical standards and legal requirements, while safeguarding patient privacy and data security. Concurrently, the principles of compliance with the law, patient privacy respect, patient interest protection, and safety and reliability are underscored. Key issues such as informed consent, data usage, intellectual property protection, conflict of interest, and benefit sharing are examined in depth. The enactment of this expert consensus is intended to foster the profound integration and sustainable advancement of artificial intelligence within the medical domain, while simultaneously ensuring that artificial intelligence adheres strictly to the relevant ethical norms and legal frameworks during the processing of medical data.
Artificial Intelligence/legislation & jurisprudence* ; Humans ; Consensus ; Computer Security/standards* ; Confidentiality/ethics* ; Informed Consent/ethics*

Objective: To describe the distribution characteristics of hypertension among adult twins in the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR) and to provide clues for exploring the role of genetic and environmental factors on hypertension. Methods: A total of 69 220 (34 610 pairs) of twins aged 18 and above with hypertension information were selected from CNTR registered from 2010 to 2018. Random effect models were used to describe the population and regional distribution of hypertension in twins. To estimate the heritability, the concordance rates of hypertension were calculated and compared between monozygotic twins (MZ) and dizygotic twins (DZ). Results: The age of all participants was (34.1±12.4) years. The overall self-reported prevalence of hypertension was 3.8%(2 610/69 220). Twin pairs who were older, living in urban areas, married, overweight or obese, current smokers or ex-smokers, and current drinkers or abstainers had a higher self-reported prevalence of hypertension (P<0.05). Analysis within the same-sex twin pairs found that the concordance rate of hypertension was 43.2% in MZ and 27.0% in DZ, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). The heritability of hypertension was 22.1% (95%CI: 16.3%- 28.0%). Stratified by gender, age, and region, the concordance rate of hypertension in MZ was still higher than that in DZ. The heritability of hypertension was higher in female participants. Conclusions: There were differences in the distribution of hypertension among twins with different demographic and regional characteristics. It is indicated that genetic factors play a crucial role in hypertension in different genders, ages, and regions, while the magnitude of genetic effects may vary.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Alcohol Drinking ; Diseases in Twins/genetics* ; Hypertension/genetics* ; Twins, Dizygotic/genetics* ; Twins, Monozygotic/genetics*

Objective: To describe the distribution characteristics of hyperlipidemia in adult twins in the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR) and explore the effect of genetic and environmental factors on hyperlipidemia. Methods: Twins recruited from the CNTR in 11 project areas across China were included in the study. A total of 69 130 (34 565 pairs) of adult twins with complete information on hyperlipidemia were selected for analysis. The random effect model was used to characterize the population and regional distribution of hyperlipidemia among twins. The concordance rates of hyperlipidemia were calculated in monozygotic twins (MZ) and dizygotic twins (DZ), respectively, to estimate the heritability. Results: The age of all participants was (34.2±12.4) years. This study's prevalence of hyperlipidemia was 1.3% (895/69 130). Twin pairs who were men, older, living in urban areas, married,had junior college degree or above, overweight, obese, insufficient physical activity, current smokers, ex-smokers, current drinkers, and ex-drinkers had a higher prevalence of hyperlipidemia (P<0.05). In within-pair analysis, the concordance rate of hyperlipidemia was 29.1% (118/405) in MZ and 18.1% (57/315) in DZ, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Stratified by gender, age, and region, the concordance rate of hyperlipidemia in MZ was still higher than that in DZ. Further, in within-same-sex twin pair analyses, the heritability of hyperlipidemia was 13.04% (95%CI: 2.61%-23.47%) in the northern group and 18.59% (95%CI: 4.43%-32.74%) in the female group, respectively. Conclusions: Adult twins were included in this study and were found to have a lower prevalence of hyperlipidemia than in the general population study, with population and regional differences. Genetic factors influence hyperlipidemia, but the genetic effect may vary with gender and area.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; China/epidemiology* ; Diseases in Twins/genetics* ; Hyperlipidemias/genetics* ; Metabolic Diseases ; Twins, Dizygotic ; Twins, Monozygotic/genetics*

[Abstract] Objective To study the role of hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) / stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) pathway in high altitude hypoxia preconditioning in rat. Methods Seventy-six adult male SD rats, which through fed in low-pressure oxygen chamber (altitude 5000 m) and Xining (altitude 2260 m) to establish the rat model of hypoxia preconditioning. Rats randomly divided into 6 groups: control group (Ctrl), high altitude hypoxic preconditioning 1 day group (HHP-1d), high altitude hypoxic preconditioning 4 days group (HHP-4d), high altitude hypoxic preconditioning 15 days group (HHP-15d), high altitude hypoxic preconditioning 30 days group (HHP-30d), medium altitude hypoxic preconditioning group (MHP). 7. 0 T small animal MRI was used to observe the intracranial structure, diameter of basilar artery and cerebral blood flow in the hippocampus and brainstem regions by the sequences of T2 weighted images (T2WI) and arterial spin labeling (ASL) in the groups of Ctrl, HHP-4d, HHP-30d and MHP. In each group, blood routine was tested, the concentrations of HIF-1α, SDF-1 in serum, platelet activating factor (PAF)and P-selectin (SELP) in plasma were detected by the method of ELISA. Results In the hypoxia preconditioning groups, intracranial structure and diameter of basilar artery had no significant difference, while cerebral blood flow in the regions of brainstem and hippocampus increased significantly (P<0. 05). Meanwhile, red blood cell and white blood cell increased significantly, while platelet decreased significantly in the groups of hypoxia preconditioning (P<0. 05). Red blood cell and platelet in MHP group were closer to Ctrl group. The concentrations of HIF-1α and SDF-1 (except HHP-1d group) increased significantly in hypoxia preconditioning groups (P<0. 05).The concentrations of PAF and SELP increased significantly in HHP-1d and HHP-15d groups. The concentration of PAF decreased significantly in the HHP-4d and HHP-30d groups, and SELP decreased significantly in HHP-4d group (P<0. 05). Conclusion Hypoxia preconditioning can increase oxygen storage and immune defense capacity, improve brain reserve capacity and play the effect of brain protection through HIF-1α/ SDF-1 pathway. The best effect preconditioning was feed at medium altitude (altitude 2260 m) for 30 days.

The finite element method (FEM) is a mathematical method for obtaining approximate solutions to a wide variety of engineering problems. With the development of computer technology, it is gradually applied to the study of biomechanics of human body. The application of the combination of FEM and biomechanics in exploring the relationship between vascular injury and disease, and pathological mechanisms will be a technological innovation for traditional forensic medicine. This paper reviews the construction and development of human vascular FEM modeling, and its research progress on the vascular biomechanics. This paper also looks to the application prospects of FEM modeling in forensic pathology.
Humans ; Computer Simulation ; Models, Biological ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Finite Element Analysis ; Forensic Medicine

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether the ethanol extract of Herpetospermum caudigerum Wall (EHC), a Xizang medicinal plant traditionally used for treating liver diseases, can improve imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like skin inflammation. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining were used to determine the effects of topical EHC use in vivo on the skin pathology of imiquimod-induced psoriasis in mice. The protein levels of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) in mouse skin samples were examined using immunohistochemical staining. In vitro, IFN-γ-induced HaCaT cells with or without EHC treatment were used to evaluate the expression of keratinocyte-derived intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and chemokine CXC ligand 9 (CXCL9) using Western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide and proteasome inhibitor MG132 were utilized to validate the EHC-mediated mechanism underlying degradation of ICAM-1 and CXCL9. RESULTS: EHC improved inflammation in the imiquimod-induced psoriasis mouse model and reduced the levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-17A in psoriatic lesions. Treatment with EHC also suppressed ICAM-1 and CXCL9 in epidermal keratinocytes. Further mechanistic studies revealed that EHC suppressed keratinocyte-derived ICAM-1 and CXCL9 by promoting ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated protein degradation rather than transcriptional repression. Seven primary compounds including ehletianol C, dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol, herpetrione, herpetin, herpetotriol, herpetetrone and herpetetrol were identified from the EHC using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry. CONCLUSION Topical application of EHC ameliorates psoriasis-like skin symptoms and improves the inflammation at the lesion sites. Please cite this article as: Zhong Y, Zhang BW, Li JT, Zeng X, Pei JX, Zhang YM, Yang YX, Li FL, Deng Y, Zhao Q. Ethanol extract of Herpetospermum caudigerum Wall ameliorates psoriasis-like skin inflammation and promotes degradation of keratinocyte-derived ICAM-1 and CXCL9. J Integr Med. 2023; 21(6): 584-592.
Animals ; Mice ; Interleukin-17/metabolism* ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; Imiquimod/adverse effects* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; Ligands ; Psoriasis/chemically induced* ; Keratinocytes ; Inflammation/drug therapy* ; Chemokines/metabolism* ; Interferon-gamma/metabolism* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Mice, Inbred BALB C

Objective To compare the effect of postoperative between total intravenous anesthesia(TIVA)use of alfentanil and remifentanil undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery.Methods A total of 130 and thirty patients scheduled for endoscopic sinus surgery,62 males and 68 females,aged 18-64 years,BMI 18-30 kg/m2,ASA physical status Ⅰ or Ⅱ,were randomly divided into two groups:alfentanil group(group A)and remifentanil group(group R).Midazolam 0.02 mg/kg,propofol target-controlled infusion(TCI)3 μg/ml,alfentanil 20 μg/kg,and rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg were injected intravenously in group A,and target-controlled infusion of propofol combined with alfentanil was used to maintain anesthesia.Midazo-lam 0.02 mg/kg,propofol TCI 3 μg/ml,remifentanil 1 μg/kg,and rocuronium 0.6 mg/kg were injected intravenously in group R,and target-controlled infusion of propofol combined with remifentanil was used to maintain anesthesia.The number of intraoperative hemodynamic adverse reactions such as hypertension,tachycardia,hypotension,bradycardia during operation,and pain degree at 30 minutes,60 minutes,24 hours after operation,extubation time,and rescue analgesia and adverse reactions such as nausea and vomi-ting,skin pruritus,respiratory depression within 24 hours after operation were recorded.Results Compared with group R,the incidence of intraoperative hypotension in group A was significantly lower(P＜0.05),the incidence of painless in group A 30 and 60 minutes after operation was significantly higher(P＜0.05),the incidence of mild and moderate pain was significantly decreased(P＜0.05),and the recovery time was significantly prolonged(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in rescue analgesia within 24 hours after operation.There were no significant differences in the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting,postoperative skin pruritus,and respiratory depression between the two groups.Conclusion In endoscopic sinus surgery,the effect of total intravenous anesthesia with alfentanil on postoperative analgesia is better than that of remifentanil,and the incidence of perioperative and postoperative adverse reactions in alfentanil is lower than that of remifentanil,while the recovery time of alfentanil is slightly longer than that of remifentanil.

Spermatogenesis is a continual process that occurs in the testes, in which diploid spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) differentiate and generate haploid spermatozoa. This highly efficient and intricate process is orchestrated at multiple levels. N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A), an epigenetic modification prevalent in mRNAs, is implicated in the transcriptional regulation during spermatogenesis. However, the dynamics of m⁶A modification in non-rodent mammalian species remains unclear. Here, we systematically investigated the profile and role of m⁶A during spermatogenesis in pigs. By analyzing the transcriptomic distribution of m⁶A in spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and round spermatids, we identified a globally conserved m⁶A pattern between porcine and murine genes with spermatogenic function. We found that m⁶A was enriched in a group of genes that specifically encode the metabolic enzymes and regulators. In addition, transcriptomes in porcine male germ cells could be subjected to the m⁶A modification. Our data show that m⁶A plays the regulatory roles during spermatogenesis in pigs, which is similar to that in mice. Illustrations of this point are three genes (SETDB1, FOXO1, and FOXO3) that are crucial to the determination of the fate of SSCs. To the best of our knowledge, this study for the first time uncovers the expression profile and role of m⁶A during spermatogenesis in large animals and provides insights into the intricate transcriptional regulation underlying the lifelong male fertility in non-rodent mammalian species.
Animals ; Male ; Mice ; Cell Differentiation/genetics* ; Mammals/metabolism* ; Methylation ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism* ; Spermatogenesis/genetics* ; Spermatozoa/metabolism* ; Swine/genetics* ; Testis/metabolism* ; Transcriptome ; RNA Methylation/genetics*

To evaluate the data obtained from the external quality assurance program initiated by Chinese Rheumatism Data Center (CRDC-QAP) for autoantibodies detection in 2021, so as to assess the consensus and differences in cross-laboratory testing to autoantibodies in China. This is a retrospective study. After collecting data from the first half year (from May 15th to July 10th) and the second half year (from August 15th to November 19th) of CRDC-QAP program for autoantibody detection in 2021, it firstly analyzed the qualitative consensus of the cross-laboratory results. Secondly, it compared the positivity grade of numeric results according to the Sample to cut-off ratio (S/CO ratio) calculation. Finally, the mean and coefficient variation (CV) of numeric results from three major manufacturers were calculated. A total of 303 and 332 clinical labs voluntarily participated in the first half year and the second half year of CRDC-QAP program for autoantibody detection in 2021, respectively. Except for anti-β2 glycoprotein type I (aβ2-GPI) IgM, the cross-laboratory consensus of qualitative results for the other autoantibodies is greater than 96%. As for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody (anti-CCP) and anti mitochondrial antibody-M2 (AMA-M2), the numeric results from more than 90% laboratories showed the same positivity grade. More than 50% of laboratories used chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) for quantitative evaluation of autoantibody. The CV of numeric results from different manufacturers showed certain differences(P<0.01) with the range from 0 to 238%. Although high consensus can be observed in term of qualitative result for autoantibody detection in cross-laboratory, there are still certain differences in numeric results in term of positivity grade and manufacturer-based CV.
Humans ; Autoantibodies ; Antibodies, Anticardiolipin/analysis* ; Retrospective Studies ; East Asian People ; beta 2-Glycoprotein I ; Rheumatic Diseases