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 investigate the acute toxicity， long-term toxicity， skin irritation and anaphylaxis of Bee venom （BV） plastics， and to evaluate its preclinical safety. METHODS： The acute toxicity of BV plastics to rats was investigated after administration of high-dose， medium-dose and low-dose （144， 96， 48 mg/kg） of BV plastics. The long-term toxicity of BV plastics was investigated by continuous administration of high-dose， medium-dose and low-dose （72， 48， 24 mg/kg） of BV plastics for 28 days. The irritation of intact and damaged skin in rabbits with 8 mg/kg BV plastics was investigated by using the self-control method of left and right homologous body. The skin anaphylaxis of guinea pig were investigated after sensitized with 15 mg/kg BV plastics on the left back （on 0， 7th， 14th day） and stimulated with 15 mg/kg BV plastics on the right back. RESULTS： During the acute toxicity experiment with BV plastic，the weight of rats and the changes of viscera were normal，and there was no relevant toxic reaction. Long-term toxicity test results showed that no significant pathological changes were observed at 24 h after the last administration； the spleen index  of rats in BV low-dose group， testicular index in middle-dose group and epididymis index in high-dose and middle-dose groups were significantly increased， while PT in plasma of rats in BV medium-dose and low-dose groups was significantly prolonged （P＜0.05）. There were no abnormal changes in organ appearance， other organ index， coagulation index and blood biochemical index. All above indexes became normal at the end of 2-week recovery period. Skin irritation test showed that BV plastics could cause slight erythema and obvious scab on the skin of rabbits which along with little irritation on intact or damaged skin. Skin anaphylaxis test showed that BV plastics produced mild erythema in the skin of guinea pigs， belonging to light allergy. CONCLUSIONS： No acute or long-term toxicity is observed after transdermal administration of BV plastics， which is safe and only causes mild irritation and irritability to skin， indicating there is good safety of the plastic under experiment doses.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of propranolol on the left ventricular (LV) volume during CT coronary angiography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The LV volume of 252 normal Chinese subjects (126 subjects with propranolol medication and 126 age- and gender-matched Chinese subjects without medication) was estimated using 64 slices multi-detector CT (MDCT). The heart rate difference was analyzed by the logistic linear regression model with variables that included gender, age, body height, body weight, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and the dosage of propranolol. The following global LV functional parameters were calculated: the real-end diastolic volume (EDV), the real-end systolic volume (ESV) and the real-ejection fraction (EF). RESULTS: The female subjects had a greater decrease of heart rate after taking propranolol. The difference of heart rate was negatively correlated with the dosage of propranolol. The real-EDV, the real-ESV and the real-EF ranged from 48.1 to 109 mL/m2, 6.1 to 57.1 mL/m2 and 41% to 88%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the SBP and DBP between the groups without and with propranolol medication (123 +/- 17 and 80 +/- 10 mmHg; 120 +/- 14 and 80 +/- 11 mmHg, respectively). The real-EDV showed no significant difference between these two groups, but the real-ESV and real-EF showed significant differences between these two groups (69.4 +/- 9.3 and 70.6 +/- 8.9 mL/m2; 23.5 +/- 5.7 and 25.6 +/- 3.7 mL/m2, 66.5 +/- 5.1% and 63.5 +/- 4.6%, respectively). CONCLUSION: The difference of heart rate is significantly influenced by gender and the dosage of propranolol. Propranolol will also increase the ESV, which contributes to a decreased EF, while the SBP, DBP and EDV are not statistically changed.
Adrenergic beta-Antagonists/*administration & dosage ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; Contrast Media/diagnostic use ; *Coronary Angiography ; Diastole ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart Rate/*drug effects ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Propranolol/*administration & dosage ; Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; Systole ; *Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Triiodobenzoic Acids/diagnostic use ; Ventricular Function, Left/*drug effects