This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic factors of primary osteosarcoma of the breast (POB), providing evidence for optimizing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for this rare malignancy.

BACKGROUND:Carnosic acid,a bioactive compound found in rosemary,has been shown to reduce inflammation and reactive oxygen species(ROS).However,its mechanism of action in osteoclast differentiation remains unclear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of carnosic acid on osteoclast activation,ROS production,and mitochondrial function. METHODS:Primary bone marrow-derived macrophages from mice were extracted and cultured in vitro.Different concentrations of carnosic acid(0,10,15,20,25 and 30 μmol/L)were tested for their effects on bone marrow-derived macrophage proliferation and toxicity using the cell counting kit-8 cell viability assay to determine a safe concentration.Bone marrow-derived macrophages were cultured in graded concentrations and induced by receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand for osteoclast differentiation for 5-7 days.The effects of carnosic acid on osteoclast differentiation and function were then observed through tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining,F-actin staining,H2DCFDA probe and mitochondrial ROS,and Mito-Tracker fluorescence detection.Western blot and RT-PCR assays were subsequently conducted to examine the effects of carnosic acid on the upstream and downstream proteins of the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand-induced MAPK signaling pathway. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining and F-actin staining showed that carnosic acid dose-dependently inhibited in vitro osteoclast differentiation and actin ring formation in the cell cytoskeleton,with the highest inhibitory effect observed in the high concentration group(30 μmol/L).Carnosic acid exhibited the most significant inhibitory effect during the early stages(days 1-3)of osteoclast differentiation compared to other intervention periods.Fluorescence imaging using the H2DCFDA probe,mitochondrial ROS,and Mito-Tracker demonstrated that carnosic acid inhibited cellular and mitochondrial ROS production while reducing mitochondrial membrane potential,thereby influencing mitochondrial function.The results of western blot and RT-PCR revealed that carnosic acid could suppress the expression of NFATc1,CTSK,MMP9,and C-fos proteins associated with osteoclast differentiation,and downregulate the expression of NFATc1,Atp6vod2,ACP5,CTSK,and C-fos genes related to osteoclast differentiation.Furthermore,carnosic acid enhanced the expression of antioxidant enzyme proteins and reduced the generation of ROS during the process of osteoclast differentiation.Overall,carnosic acid exerts its inhibitory effects on osteoclast differentiation by inhibiting the phosphorylation modification of the P38/ERK/JNK protein and activating the MAPK signaling pathway in bone marrow-derived macrophages.

Clinical trials have demonstrated that kilohertz-frequency transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TSCS) can be used to facilitate the recovery of sensory-motor function for patients with spinal cord injury, whereas the neural mechanism of TSCS is still undetermined so that the choice of stimulation parameters is largely dependent on the clinical experience. In this paper, a finite element model of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation was used to calculate the electric field distribution of human spinal cord segments T ₁₂ to L ₂, whereas the activation thresholds of spinal fibers were determined by using a double-cable neuron model. Then the variation of activation thresholds was obtained by varying the carrier waveform, the interphase delay, the modulating frequency, and the modulating pulse width. Compared with the sinusoidal carrier, the usage of square carrier could significantly reduce the activation threshold of dorsal root (DR) fibers. Moreover, the variation of activation thresholds was no more than 1 V due to the varied modulating frequency and decreases with the increased modulating pulse width. For a square carrier at 10 kHz modulated by rectangular pulse with the frequency of 50 Hz and the pulse width of 1 ms, the lowest activation thresholds of DR fibers and dorsal column fibers were 27.6 V and 55.8 V, respectively. An interphase delay of 5 μs was able to reduce the activation thresholds of the DR fibers to 20.1 V. The simulation results can lay a theoretical foundation on the selection of TSCS parameters in clinical trials.
Humans ; Spinal Cord Stimulation/methods* ; Nerve Fibers/physiology* ; Finite Element Analysis ; Spinal Cord/physiology* ; Computer Simulation ; Spinal Cord Injuries/physiopathology* ; Lumbosacral Region ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation/methods* ; Models, Neurological

Osteoporosis is a prevalent skeletal condition characterized by reduced bone mass and strength, leading to increased fragility. Buqi-Tongluo (BQTL) decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has yet to be fully evaluated for its potential in treating bone diseases such as osteoporosis. To investigate the mechanism by which BQTL decoction inhibits osteoclast differentiation in vitro and validate these findings through in vivo experiments. We employed MTS assays to assess the potential proliferative or toxic effects of BQTL on bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) at various concentrations. TRAcP experiments were conducted to examine BQTL's impact on osteoclast differentiation. RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were utilized to evaluate the relative expression levels of osteoclast-specific genes and proteins under BQTL stimulation. Finally, in vivo experiments were performed using an osteoporosis model to further validate the in vitro findings. This study revealed that BQTL suppressed receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast resorption activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner without observable cytotoxicity. The inhibitory effects of BQTL on osteoclast formation and function were attributed to the downregulation of NFATc1 and c-fos activity, primarily through attenuation of the MAPK, NF-κB, and Calcineurin signaling pathways. BQTL's inhibitory capacity was further examined in vivo using an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model, demonstrating a strong protective effect against bone loss. BQTL may serve as an effective therapeutic TCM for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and the alleviation of bone loss induced by estrogen deficiency and related conditions.
Animals ; NFATC Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Ovariectomy ; Osteoclasts/metabolism* ; Female ; Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; NF-kappa B/genetics* ; Osteoporosis/genetics* ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Bone Resorption/genetics* ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Humans ; RANK Ligand/metabolism* ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics* ; Transcription Factors

Objective To explore the application value of metagenomic next-generation sequen-cing(mNGS)technology in the diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis.Methods A total of 129 patients with suspected spinal tuberculosis admitted from January 2021 to January 2023 were selected as study subjects.Lesion tissue samples were collected intraoperatively and subjected to conventional microbio-logical testing(CMT),Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA(MTB-DNA)amplification testing,and mNGS testing.The diagnostic efficacy of different testing methods was compared using results of com-prehensive clinical diagnosis as the gold standard.Results Among 129 patients,101(78.29％)were confirmed to have spinal tuberculosis,and 28(21.71％)had other spinal infections.Using clinical results as the diagnostic gold standard,the sensitivity of mNGS was 94.06％(95/101),and specificity was 89.29％(25/28);the sensitivity of MTB-DNA amplification was 90.10％(91/101),and specificity was 89.29％(25/28);the sensitivity of CMT was 86.14％(87/101),and specifici-ty was 85.71％(24/28).Compared with MTB-DNA amplification and CMT,mNGS showed the highest consistency with clinical results,and its consistency in detecting different lesion sites was also optimal,with statistically significant differences(P＜0.05).Conclusion mNGS testing has high diagnostic value for spinal tuberculosis and can provide a reference for clinical diagnosis,thereby guiding clinical decision-making.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of the combined therapy of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis and anisodamine hydrobromide in the treatment of sepsis-induced coagulopathy(SIC).Methods A total of 102 SIC patients treated in our hospital from Sep-tember 2021 to September 2024 were selected as study subjects.They were divided into control group(n=51)and experimental group(n=51)according to different treatment methods.The control group received conventional treatment,while the experimental group received an additional combined therapy of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis and anisodamine hydrobromide on the basis of the control group.Coagulation function and thrombotic risk were assessed in both groups before treatment and at 24,48,and 72 h after treatment.Clinical efficacy and treatment safety were com-pared,and lactate clearance rate was measured before treatment and at 2,6,and 24 h after treat-ment.Results After treatment,the levels of thrombin time(TT),prothrombin time(PT),acti-vated partial thromboplastin time(APTT),and D-dimer(D-D)decreased,while the platelet(PLT)count and fibrinogen(FIB)levels increased compared with treatment before,with all differ-ences being statistically significant(P＜0.05).At 24 hours post-treatment,the TT,PT,and D-D levels in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05),whereas no significant differences were observed in the remaining indicators(P＞0.05).At 48 hours post-treat-ment,the TT,PT,APTT,and D-D levels in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group,while the PLT level was higher(P＜0.05).At 72 hours post-treatment,the TT,PT,and APTT levels in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group,whereas the PLT and FIB levels were higher(P＜0.05).The levels of the four new thrombotic indicators,namely thrombomodulin(TM),thrombin-antithrombin complex(TAT),plasmin-α2-antiplasmin complex(PIC),and tissue plasminogen activator-plasminogen activator inhibitor complex(t-PAIC),decreased with prolonged treatment duration in both groups,with differences in different time points being statistically significant(P＜0.05).At 24 hours post-treatment,the TM and TAT levels in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group,with both differences being statistical-ly significant(P＜0.05).At 48 hours post-treatment,the TM,PIC,and t-PAIC levels in the ex-perimental group were lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05).At 72 hours post-treat-ment,the levels of four indicators thrombosis in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group,but only the differences in TM and PIC levels were statistically significant(P＜0.05).The thromboelastography indicators,including R value,K value,and maximum amplitude(MA)decreased,while α angle increased with prolonged treatment duration in both groups(P＜0.05).At 24 and 48 hours post-treatment,the R value in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group,with both differences being statistically significant(P＜0.05).At 72 hours post-treatment,the R value,and MA in the experimental group were lower than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment(SOFA)score,SIC score,and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Ⅱ score decreased post-treatment in both groups compared with pretreatment levels,and were lower in the experimental group than in the con-trol group(P＜0.05).The lactate clearance rate increased with prolonged treatment duration in both groups(P＜0.05).At 2,6,and 24 hours post-treatment,the lactate clearance rate in the ex-perimental group was higher than that in the control group(P＜0.05).The 28-day survival rate was 100.00％in the experimental group,which was higher than 92.16％in the control group(P＜0.05).Conclusion The combined therapy of promoting blood circulation and removing blood sta-sis and anisodamine hydrobromide has good clinical efficacy in the treatment of SIC.It can improve patients' coagulation function,reduce thrombotic risk,and has high treatment safety.

OBJECTIVE To systematically evaluate the methodological quality of the postoperative chemotherapy guidelines/ consensuses for ovarian epithelial tumor. METHODS A search was conducted across databases including PubMed， Embase， Web of Science， CBM， VIP， Chinese Medical Journal Data， Wanfang Data， and CNKI， as well as the official websites of GIN， NICE， Medlive， AHRQ， CSCO， ASCO， and NCCN. The search period was from the establishment of the databases/websites to March 10， 2025. The quality of the included guidelines/consensus was evaluated by using the AGREE-Ⅱ tool. RESULTS A total of 16 guidelines/consensuses were included. The domain scores of AGREE-Ⅱ evaluation were as follows： scope and purpose of 85.07%， participants of 47.92%， rigor of development of 57.49%， clarity of presentation of 88.02%， applicability of 8.20%， and independence of 53.39%. Among them， 14 were recommended at grade B and 2 were recommended at grade C. The subgroup analysis by different countries/regions and different types of studies showed that the scores for participants， rigor of development， and independence of the guidelines/consensuses in China were significantly lower than foreign countries （P＜0.05）； the scores for participants and rigor of development of the guidelines were significantly higher than consensuses （P＜0.05）. The guideline/ consensus recommendation results indicated that grade B guidelines/consensus recommend platinum-based combination chemotherapy as the preferred adjuvant chemotherapy regimen for stage Ⅰ high-grade serous carcinoma patients；platinum-based combination chemotherapy±bevacizumab was recommended as the preferred adjuvant chemotherapy regimen for stage Ⅱ-Ⅳ high- grade serous carcinoma patients and for platinum-sensitive recurrent high-grade serous carcinoma patients； non-platinum single- agent chemotherapy±bevacizumab was recommended as the preferred chemotherapy regimen for platinum-resistant recurrent high- grade serous carcinoma patients. CONCLUSIONS The overall quality of postoperative chemotherapy guidelines/consensuses for ovarian epithelial tumor is not high. The methodological quality of guidelines/consensuses in China is still lagging behind that of foreign countries. The recommendations differ from those in foreign countries. It is recommended to improve the aspects of participants， rigor of development， and independence， to recommend treatment plans based on the different stages of ovarian cancer， and develop guidelines/consensuses that align with China’s national conditions.

Objective:To explore the diagnosis and treatment strategies of multiple primary malignancies(MPM).Methods:The medical records and the process of diagnosis and treatment of a patient with heterochronous double primary cancer were retrospectively analyzed,and the treatment strategy was discussed by multi-disciplinary team(MDT).Results:A female patient with heterochronous double primary cancer was reported.The first primary tumor was gastric cancer and the second primary tumor was lung cancer.The first primary tumor was diagnosed at 67 years of age,and the interval between the first primary tumor and second primary tumor was 13 months.Pleural metastasis and pelvic metastasis occurred during the follow-up.Pleural metastasis originated from lung cancer,and pelvic metastasis was considered as gastric cancer implantation.Tumor MDT discussion was conducted at each stage of diagnosis and treatment,and the histopathological diagnosis was confirmed by puncture biopsy or surgical resection.The patient received systemic therapy combined with local treatment for metastases of different tumors and had a longer overall survival(67 months).Side effects were tolerable,and the quality of life was satisfactory throughout the treatment period.Conclusion:For patients with MPM,it is necessary to actively carry out MDT discussion,clarify the histopathological diagnosis,evaluate the clinicopathological and metastatic characteristics,and implement active and effective treatment.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of preserving the urethral ridge during Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate（HoLEP）in preventing postoperative retrograde ejaculation and to evaluate its impact on sexual function.Methods:This prospective cohort study enrolled patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia（BPH）who underwent HoLEP at Xiamen Haicang Hospital（Haicang Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen Medical College）from November 2022 to June 2024. Inclusion criteria were as follows：diagnosis of BPH confirmed by color Doppler ultrasound；International Prostate Symptom Score（IPSS）> 7；maximum urinary flow rate（Q max）< 15 ml/s；prostate-specific antigen（PSA）< 4 ng/ml；and an active sexual life with intact antegrade ejaculation. Exclusion criteria included neurogenic bladder，active urinary tract infection（UTI），and other relevant conditions. Patients were grouped based on the operating surgeon's comprehensive judgment during surgery，considering the degree of prostatic median lobe hyperplasia（preserved if hyperplasia was mild，not preserved if severe）. The EP-HoLEP group underwent “tunnel technique” enucleation of the middle lobe hyperplasia with preservation of the urethral ridge，while the HoLEP group underwent conventional prostate enucleation. Primary outcomes included postoperative retrograde ejaculation rate，International Index of Erectile Function（IIEF），Ejaculation Projection Score（EPS），IPSS，Quality of Life Score（QOL），Q max，post-void residual urine volume（PVR），operative time，and postoperative complications. Univariate analysis was used to screen potential influencing factors，followed by multivariate logistic regression to identify independent predictors. Results:Seventy patients with BPH were enrolled，with 35 in each group. Baseline characteristics，including age［（69.97 ± 5.14）years vs.（72.34 ± 5.08）years］，body mass index（BMI）［（22.99 ± 1.41）kg/m2 vs.（23.16 ± 1.38）kg/m2］，prostate volume［47.4（31.9，59.4）ml vs. 44.2（34.9，61.7）ml］，PSA［4.0（1.9，8.2）ng/ml vs. 3.1（2.6，5.0）ng/ml］，hemoglobin［（130.09 ± 12.92）g/L vs.（125.69 ± 17.26）g/L］，IPSS［17（10，22）vs. 17（10，27）］，QOL［5（4，5）vs. 4（4，5）］，Q max［7.5（6.3，9.1）ml/s vs. 7.0（5.9，8.9）ml/s］and PVR［65（22，167）ml vs. 60（16，150）ml］showed no statistically significant differences between the two groups（ P > 0.05）. Operative time［65（55，76）min vs. 63（55，73）min］，postoperative 2-hour hemoglobin［（124.17 ± 14.89）g/L vs.（120.11 ± 15.44）g/L］，and postoperative hospital stay［（3.94 ± 1.89）days vs.（3.66 ± 1.53）days］were also comparable between the two groups（ P > 0.05）. No significant difference was observed in the decrease in IIEF score［1（0，2）vs. 2（0，6）， P = 0.203］. EPS at 3 months［2（1，3）vs. 1（0，2）， P < 0.001］and at 6 months［2（1，2）vs. 1（0，2）， P < 0.001］postoperatively were significantly higher in the EP-HoLEP group. The incidence of postoperative UTI did not differ significantly［5.7%（2/35）vs. 2.9%（1/35）， P = 1.00］. Two cases of urinary retention occurred after catheter removal in the EP-HoLEP group，while none occurred in the HoLEP group. No blood transfusions or urethral strictures were reported in either group. The incidence of retrograde ejaculation was significantly lower in the EP-HoLEP group［28.6%（10/35）vs. 68.6%（24/35）， P <0.001］. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that urethral ridge preservation was an independent protective factor for retrograde ejaculation after HoLEP（ OR = 0.159，95% CI 0.053 ? 0.476， P = 0.001）. Conclusions:Urethral ridge preservation during HoLEP is safe and feasible，significantly reduces retrograde ejaculation，and preserves ejaculatory function，though it offers limited erectile function preservation. This approach is suitable for middle-aged，young，or younger elderly patients who prioritize ejaculatory quality，and provides clinical evidence for surgical optimization.