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 compare the intestinal injury induced by different intensities of waveshock in rats exposed to extremely cold environment and to preliminarily explore the characteristics of the injury.Methods Sixty healthy male SD rats(2 months old,weighing 200～250 g)were randomly divided into 6 groups(n=10):blank control group,low-temperature control group,5.0 MPa shock control group,and low-temperature+4.0,4.5 and 5.0 MPa shock groups.The rats in the experimental groups were pre-treated in a-10℃low-temperature environment for 30 min and then subjected to intestinal injury by using BST-I biological shock tube with different driving pressures.At 3,8,and 24 h after injury,the serum levels of IL-6,TNF-α,intestinal fatty acid binding protein(I-FABP),and diamine oxidase(DAO)were detected,and the survival of rats within 24 h was recorded.At 24 h after injury,the rats were anesthetized and dissected,the characteristics of intestinal injury were observed,and pathological examination was performed.The differences of intestinal injury were compared among the 6 groups to explore the characteristics of intestinal injuries after different intensities of shockwave in rats after exposure to extremely cold environment.Results Compared with the blank control group,the other 5 groups exhibited different severities of intestinal injury,and the rats in the low-temperature+different shock groups were more prone to intestinal edema and trauma.The mortality rate was significantly increased in the low-temperature+5.0 MPa shock group(P<0.05).Pathological and serological studies found that dual effects of very cold environment and blast injury resulted in intestinal mucosal hemorrhage,edema,and disintegration of lamina propria in the experimental rats.The indicators of intestinal mucosal injury and intestinal inflammatory factors were also significantly increased when compared with the blank control group,and significant differences were among the groups with increment of shock intensity(P<0.05).Conclusion Exposure to very cold environment combined with abdominal blast injury increases mortality rate in rats,manifested by elevated serological indicators and intestinal inflammatory factors,as well as varying severities of intestinal wall edema and submucosal bleeding.Furthermore,the severity of the injury is positively related to the impact intensity,with worsened as the impact intensity increasing.

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 explore the efficacy and safety of platelet-derived growth factor(PDGF)combined with allograft bone transplantation in the treatment of spinal tuberculosis.Methods A total of 177 patients with lumbar tuberculosis admitted to the 4th People's Hospital of Qinghai Province from August 2018 to August 2023 were selected as the research subjects.Patients were divided into control group(n=49)and observation group(n=128)based on the source of the transplanted bone.All patients underwent at least 2 weeks of standard quadruple anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy before surgery.Patients in the control group received PDGF combined with autograft bone transplantation,while patients in the observation group received PDGF combined with allograft bone transplantation.The surgical duration,intraoperative blood loss,and length of hospital stay of patients in the two groups were recorded;the erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR)and serum C-reactive protein(CRP)levels of patients in the two groups were compared before surgery and at 1,3,6 months after surgery.Preoperative CT and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)examinations were performed,and postoperative CT and MRI were performed after bone fusion was completed to compare the changes in Cobb angle before and after surgery.The visual analogue scale(VAS)was used to assess the pain degree in the lumbar region before surgery and at 1,3,6 months after surgery.The VAS scores of patients in the two groups,VAS scores of male patients in the two groups,and VAS scores of female patients in the two groups were compared before and after surgery,respectively.Results There was no statistically significant difference in surgical duration and length of hospital stay between the observation group and the control group(P＞0.05).The intraoperative blood loss of patients in the observation group was significantly less than that in the control group(P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in Cobb angle before and after surgery between the two groups(P＞0.05).The postoperative Cobb angle significantly decreased in both groups when compared to preoperative values(P＜0.05).The VAS scores of patients in both groups decreased sequentially before surgery and at 1,3,6 months after surgery,with statistically significant differences in intra-group pairwise comparisons(P＜0.05).The VAS scores of male patients in both groups decreased sequentially before surgery and at 1,3,6 months after surgery,with statistically significant differences in intra-group pairwise comparisons(P＜0.05).The VAS scores of female patients in both groups also decreased sequentially before surgery and at 1,3,6 months after surgery,with statistically significant differences in intra-group pairwise comparisons(P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in VAS scores between the observation group and the control group before surgery and at 1,6 months after surgery(P＞0.05);the VAS score of patients in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group at 3 months after surgery(P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in VAS scores between male patients in the observation group and male patients in the control group before surgery and at 1,3,6 months after surgery(P＞0.05);the VAS score of male patients in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group at 3 months after surgery(P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in VAS scores between female patients in the observation group and female patients in the control group before surgery and at 1,6 months after surgery(P＞0.05);the VAS score of female patients in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group at 3 months after surgery(P＜0.05).The ESR of patients in both groups decreased sequentially before surgery and at 1,3,6 months after surgery,with statistically significant differences in intra-group pairwise comparisons(P＜0.05).The serum CRP levels of patients in both groups also decreased sequentially before surgery and at 1,3,6 months after surgery,with statistically significant differences in intra-group pairwise comparisons(P＜0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in ESR between the observation group and the control group before surgery and at 1,3,6 months after surgery(P＞0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in serum CRP level between the observation group and the control group before surgery and at 1,6 months after surgery(P＞0.05);the serum CRP level of patients in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group at 3 months after surgery(P＜0.05).Conclusion The effect of PDGF combined with allograft bone transplantation in the treatment of spinal tuberculosis is comparable to that of autograft bone transplantation,but PDGF combined with allograft bone transplantation can significantly reduce postoperative pain degree,improve patient comfort,avoid additional damage caused by autograft bone transplantation,and reduce the physical burden on patients.It can be considered a safe and reliable surgical method for bone grafting in lumbar tuberculosis surgery.

Objective:To investigate the appropriate pretreatment methods for single cell RNA sequencing of airway aspirate cells.Methods:Four fresh airway aspirate specimens were collected from four patients with acute respiratory tract infections. These specimens were digested with airway aspirate digester and prepared into single cell suspension. The cells were used for library construction directly (DE), or fixed with 10×Genomics Chromium Next GEM Single Cell Fixed RNA Sample Preparation Kit and then mixed to construct the library (DF), or cryopreserved, thawed, fixed (FF) before mixed to construct the library. All three methods were treated with oil emulsion using 10 4 cells and subjected to single-cell sequencing using the 10×Genomics platform. The number of obtained cells, data quality, annotated cell types and expression of marker genes were analyzed. Differences in the expression of highly variable genes (HVGs) of the same cell subsets obtained by the three pretreatment methods were compared using Pearson correlation. Expression of the differentially expressed genes in the same cell subpopulation obtained by different pretreatment methods was also compared. The correlation of the expression of differentially expressed genes between the same cell subsets obtained by the three pretreatment methods was analyzed by Pearson correlation. Results:The median numbers of single cells obtained using DE, FF and DF methods were 2 733, 1 140 and 5 897 ( P>0.05). The unique molecular identifiers were higher than 500. The median numbers of genes obtained using the three methods were 801, 887 and 1 259 ( P>0.05). The cells with novelty score over 0.8 accounted for 99%, 87% and 93%, respectively. There were nine cell subsets obtained by the three methods, including squamous cells, secretory cells, ciliated cells, T cells, B cells, macrophages, plasma cells and neutrophils. DF and FF methods could obtain more basal cells with specific high expression of keratin 5 than DE method. The differentially expressed and highly variable genes in the same cell subsets obtained by the three pretreatment methods showed high consistency in their expression with a significant correlation ( P<0.001). Conclusions:Under the same sequencing data volume, the quality of data obtained from fixed airway aspirate single-cell suspensions using the method of probe hybridization and transcriptome sequencing was comparable to that obtained directly from fresh cells. This method was more suitable for the pretreatment of clinical samples used for single-cell RNA sequencing.

OBJECTIVE：To study the effects of gentiopicroside on the apo ptosis o f human pancreatic cancer cells PANC- 1，and to explore its mechanism from the perspective of IL- 6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. METHODS ：Using PANC- 1 cells as model ， the proliferation inhibition rate of cells was tested by MTT assay after treated with 0（negative contro ），2，4，8，16，32，64，128 mg/L gentiopicroside for 72 h and IC 50 were calculated. The cells were divided into negative control group ，gemcitabine group （positive control，4 mg/L）and gentiopicroside low-concentration ，medium-concentration and high-concentration groups （15，30，60 mg/L）. After cultured for 1，3，5，7 d，Trypan blue exclusion staining was used to count the survival cell ，and the growth of cells was investigated. After cultured for 72 h，colony formation assay was used to observe colony formation rate of cells ；the apoptotic rate of cells was detected by Hoechst 33258 staining；the mRNA and protein expressions of IL- 6，JAK2，STAT3 in cells were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting assay. RESULTS ：4-28 mg/L gentiopicroside could inhibit the proliferation of cells （P＜0.05 or P＜ 0.01），in concentration dependent trend ；IC50 was 9.54 mg/L. Compared with negative control group ，survival cell count （cultured from 3，5，7 d），mRNA and protein expressions of IL- 6，JAK2 and STAT 3 in cells were decreased significantly in gemcitabine group ， gentiopicroside medium-concentration and high-concentration groups （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01），while the apoptotic rate was increased significantly （P＜0.01）. The colony formation rate of cellswere decreased significantly in gemcitabine group and gentiopicroside high-concentration group （P＜0.01）. mail：hb.gz@163.com Compared with gemcitabine group ，there was no statistical significance in above indexes of gentiopicroside high- 6716008。 concentration group （P＞0.05）. CONC LUSIONS：30，60 mg/L gentiopicroside could inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of PANC- 1 cells，and 60 mg/L gentiopicroside is similar to gemcitabine in the effects. Its mechanism may be related to inhibiting the activation of IL- 6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect and mechanism of glucosides of chaenomeles speciosa (GCS) on ischemia/reperfusion-induced brain injury in mouse model. METHODS: Fifty 8-week C57BL/C mice were randomly divided into five groups with 10 in each group:sham group, model group, GCS 30 mg/kg group, GCS 60 mg/kg group and GCS 90 mg/kg group, and the GCS was administrated by gavage (once a day) for 14 d. HE staining was performed to investigate the cell morphology; the Zea-Longa scores were measured for neurological activity; TUNEL staining was performed to investigate the cell apoptosis; ELISA was used to detected the oxidative stress and inflammation; Western Blot was performed to investigate the key pathway and neurological functional molecules. RESULTS: Compared with the sham group, the brain tissues in model group were seriously damaged, presenting severe cell apoptosis, oxidative stress and inflammation, associated with increased NF-κB P65 and TNF-α levels as well as decreased myelin associate glycoprotein (MAG) and oligodendrocyte-myelin glycoprotein (OMgp)levels (all <0.01). Compared with the model group, the brain tissues in GCS groups were ameliorated, and cell apoptosis, oxidative stress and inflammation were inhibited, associated with decreased NF-κB P65 and TNF-α levels as well as increased MAG and OMgp levels (all <0.01), which were more markedly in GCS 60 mg/kg group. CONCLUSIONS GCS can inhibit the NF-κB P65 and TNF-α, reduce the oxidative stress and inflammation, decrease the cell apoptosis in mouse ischemia/reperfusion-induced brain injury model, and 60 mg/kg GCS may be the optimal dose.
Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; Brain Injuries ; drug therapy ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Glucosides ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; NF-kappa B ; genetics ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rosaceae ; chemistry ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; genetics

Objective To explore relationship between clinical features and peripheral blood test indicators and curative effect in adult patients with acquired hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS). Methods A total of 61 adult patients with acquired HPS who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University and the Affiliated Jiangning Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from April 2014 to March 2017 were enrolled, including 38 males and 23 females, with a median age of 48 years (17-86 years). The retrospective analyses of their clinical data and laboratory examination results were made in this study. Results There was no significant difference in the therapeutic effective rate of 61 HPS patients caused by different inducements after treatment (P ＝0.184). The prothrombin time (PT) before treatment was higher than that after treatment [(12.90±1.97) s vs. (12.35±1.78) s, P＝ 0.046]; the level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) before treatment was higher than that after treatment (median: 476 U/L vs. 231 U/L, P ＝ 0.000); the level of D-dimer (D-D) before treatment was higher than that after treatment (median: 1.46 mg/L vs. 0.51 mg/L, P ＝ 0.007); the level of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) before treatment was higher than that after treatment (median: 54.9 U/L vs. 26.0 U/L, P＝ 0.000); the level of serum calcium before treatment was lower than that after treatment [(2.07±0.20) mmol/L vs. (2.18±0.23) mmol/L, P ＝ 0.043]. The peripheral blood platelet counts (Plt) in the effective group (32 cases) before treatment was higher than that in the ineffective group (29 cases) (median: 104.0×109/L vs. 63.5×109/L, P ＝0.007), the level of albumin (ALB) in the effective group was higher than that in the ineffective group [(35.50 ±6.17) mmol/L vs. (31.93 ±6.54) mmol/L, P ＝ 0.033], the level of serum calcium in the effective group was higher than those in the ineffective group [(2.18±0.18) mmol/L vs. (2.08±0.20) mmol/L, P ＝ 0.047], the level of prothrombin time (PT) in the effective group was lower than that in the ineffective group [(12.40±1.76) s vs. (13.43±2.06) s, P ＝ 0.041], and the level of LDH in the effective group was lower than that in the ineffective group (median: 415.0 U/L vs. 593.5 U/L, P＝ 0.032). Conclusion The lower expressions of Plt, ALB and serum calcium, and the higher expressions of PT and LDH may indicate the poor prognosis of adult acquired HPS, and there fore these patients need to be paid attention.

Objective:To investigate the effect of siRNA interfering survivin gene on proliferation of human tongue cancer Tca8113 cells,and clarify the effect of survivin Tca8113 cells biomechanism.Methods: The Tca8113 cells at logarithmic growth phase were selected and divided into interference group,negative control group,and blank control group.The relative levels of survivin mRNA and survivin protein expression of 3 groups were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot assay,the inhibitory rate of proliferation of Tca8113 cells was checked by MTT method,the apoptotic rate was assessed by flow cytometry(FCM),the the migration ability of Tca8113 cells were detected by Wound healing assay.Results: Compared with control group,the survivin mRNA and protein expression was markedly down-regulated in Tca8113 cells following RNA interference treatment(P<0.05),the cell proliferation were down-regulated in interference group(P<0.05),the cell apoptotic rate were up-regulated in interference group(P<0.05),the migration ability was significantly decreased in interference group(P<0.05).Conclusion: The expression of siRNA-survivin can significantly inhibit the invasion in tongue cancer Tca8113 cells,indicating it might be a potential biological therapeutic target for tongue cancer.

OBJECTIVETo correlate the clinical features of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with mutations of FLT3-ITD, NPM1, CEBPA, c-KIT, DNMT3A and ND4 genes as well as chromosomal aberrations.

METHODSSomatic mutations of aforementioned genes in 412 newly diagnosed AML patients were detected with PCR and direct sequencing. All patients were also subjected to R-banding chromosomal analysis. The results were correlated with the clinical features and prognosis of the patients.

RESULTSThe mutation rates of FLT3-ITD, NPM1, CEBPA, c-KIT, DNMT3A and ND4 were 9.0% (26/289), 19.1% (50/262), 18.9% (34/180), 3.4% (7/208), 6.6% (9/137) and 6.9% (4/58), respectively. Patients with poor prognosis based on genetic mutations had lower blood platelet count than those with intermediate and good prognosis (P=0.001 and P=0.001, respectively). None of the three groups attained median overall survival (OS) (P> 0.05). The complete remission (CR) was similar among the three groups (P> 0.05). For patients with different prognosis based on cytogenetic findings, white blood cell count in those with intermediate prognosis was higher than those with good and poor prognosis (P< 0.001 and P=0.004, respectively), while the blood platelet count of the intermediate group was higher than that of the group with good prognosis (P=0.018). No significant difference was found among the three groups in terms of hemoglobin level (P> 0.05). The group with poor prognosis has attained shorter OS compared with those with good and intermediate prognosis (P< 0.001 and P=0.003, respectively). However, the CR rate of the group with good prognosis was higher than that of the intermediate group (P=0.001). For the group with intermediate prognosis, presence of genetic mutations did not correlate with the clinic characteristics such as white blood cell count, blood platelet count, hemoglobin level, OS and CR rate (P> 0.05 for all comparisons).

CONCLUSIONGenetic mutations combined with cytogenetic analysis can facilitate the prognosis and personalized treatment for patients with AML.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; genetics ; mortality ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Prognosis ; Young Adult