BACKGROUND:The prevalence of osteoporosis is high in postmenopausal women,but muscle mass,grip strength,and how these factors affect osteoporosis are understudied,and the exact link between them has not been clarified.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the correlation between muscle mass,grip strength,appendicular skeletal muscle index and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and to assess the potential values of these indices in predicting and diagnosing postmenopausal osteoporosis.METHODS:Eighty-three postmenopausal women were collected from the outpatient clinic of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from February 2023 to January 2024.General data were collected.Bone mineral density was detected.T-value,muscle mass of each part,grip strength were recorded.The body mass index and appendicular skeletal muscle index were calculated.The patients were categorized into non-osteoporosis group(n=17)and postmenopausal osteoporosis group(n=66)according to T value and fracture history,and were statistically analyzed accordingly.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The body mass,body mass index,bone mineral density of the overall lumbar spine,muscle mass and appendicular skeletal muscle index were higher in the non-osteoporosis group than the osteoporosis group(P＜0.05).(2)Muscle mass was positively correlated with bone mineral density of the overall lumbar spine and individual vertebrae(P＜0.05).(3)Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis showed that body mass and grip strength were linearly and positively correlated with muscle mass;body height and muscle mass were linearly and positively correlated with grip strength,and body mass was linearly and negatively correlated with grip strength.Body mass index was linearly and positively correlated with bone mineral density,and age was linearly and negatively correlated with bone mineral density.(4)Analysis by receiver operating characteristic curve showed that:muscle mass(the area under the curve,sensitivity,specificity and critical value of muscle mass were 0.744,76.50％,74.20％and 36.50 kg,respectively,with P=0.002)and appendicular skeletal muscle index(the area under the curve,sensitivity,specificity and critical value of appendicular skeletal muscle index were 0.739,82.40％,62.10％and 5.81 kg/m2,respectively,and P=0.002)had good predictive value for postmenopausal osteoporosis.To conclude,a reduction in muscle mass and appendicular skeletal muscle index can help to predict the risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis,and the possibility of osteoporosis should be taken into account in postmenopausal women when muscle mass is＜36.50 kg or appendicular skeletal muscle index is＜5.81 kg/m2,in order to prevent the occurrence of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND:The prevalence of osteoporosis is high in postmenopausal women,but muscle mass,grip strength,and how these factors affect osteoporosis are understudied,and the exact link between them has not been clarified.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the correlation between muscle mass,grip strength,appendicular skeletal muscle index and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and to assess the potential values of these indices in predicting and diagnosing postmenopausal osteoporosis.METHODS:Eighty-three postmenopausal women were collected from the outpatient clinic of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from February 2023 to January 2024.General data were collected.Bone mineral density was detected.T-value,muscle mass of each part,grip strength were recorded.The body mass index and appendicular skeletal muscle index were calculated.The patients were categorized into non-osteoporosis group(n=17)and postmenopausal osteoporosis group(n=66)according to T value and fracture history,and were statistically analyzed accordingly.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The body mass,body mass index,bone mineral density of the overall lumbar spine,muscle mass and appendicular skeletal muscle index were higher in the non-osteoporosis group than the osteoporosis group(P＜0.05).(2)Muscle mass was positively correlated with bone mineral density of the overall lumbar spine and individual vertebrae(P＜0.05).(3)Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis showed that body mass and grip strength were linearly and positively correlated with muscle mass;body height and muscle mass were linearly and positively correlated with grip strength,and body mass was linearly and negatively correlated with grip strength.Body mass index was linearly and positively correlated with bone mineral density,and age was linearly and negatively correlated with bone mineral density.(4)Analysis by receiver operating characteristic curve showed that:muscle mass(the area under the curve,sensitivity,specificity and critical value of muscle mass were 0.744,76.50％,74.20％and 36.50 kg,respectively,with P=0.002)and appendicular skeletal muscle index(the area under the curve,sensitivity,specificity and critical value of appendicular skeletal muscle index were 0.739,82.40％,62.10％and 5.81 kg/m2,respectively,and P=0.002)had good predictive value for postmenopausal osteoporosis.To conclude,a reduction in muscle mass and appendicular skeletal muscle index can help to predict the risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis,and the possibility of osteoporosis should be taken into account in postmenopausal women when muscle mass is＜36.50 kg or appendicular skeletal muscle index is＜5.81 kg/m2,in order to prevent the occurrence of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Photodynamic immunotherapy is a promising strategy for cancer treatment. However, the dysfunctional tumor vasculature results in tumor hypoxia and the low efficiency of drug delivery, which in turn restricts the anticancer effect of photodynamic immunotherapy. In this study, we designed photosensitive lipid nanoparticles. The synthesized PFBT@Rox Lip nanoparticles could produce type I/II reactive oxygen species (ROS) by electron or energy transfer through PFBT under light irradiation. Moreover, this nanosystem could alleviate tumor hypoxia and promote vascular normalization through Roxadustat. Upon irradiation with white light, the ROS produced by PFBT@Rox Lip nanoparticles in situ dysregulated calcium homeostasis and triggered endoplasmic reticulum stress, which further promoted the release of damage-associated molecular patterns, enhanced antigen presentation, and stimulated an effective adaptive immune response, ultimately priming the tumor microenvironment (TME) together with the hypoxia alleviation and vessel normalization by Roxadustat. Indeed, in vivo results indicated that PFBT@Rox Lip nanoparticles promoted M1 polarization of tumor-associated macrophages, recruited more natural killer cells, and augmented infiltration of T cells, thereby leading to efficient photodynamic immunotherapy and potentiating the anti-primary and metastatic tumor efficacy of PD-1 antibody. Collectively, photodynamic immunotherapy with PFBT@Rox Lip nanoparticles efficiently program TME through the induction of immunogenicity and oxygenation, and effectively suppress tumor growth through immunogenic cell death and enhanced anti-tumor immunity.

The incidence of vascular diseases is extremely high and mechanical stress plays an important role in vascular remodeling.Reactive oxygen species(ROS)at physiological levels modulate cell signaling while excessive ROS trigger oxidative stress and induce injury.The types of mechanical stresses in the vascular system and the sources of ROS are summarized.Besides,the roles and mechanisms of mechanical stress-induced oxidative stress in vascular diseases are discussed.This review will facilitate a deeper understanding of vascular activity and disease development at the molecular level,provide potential targets for treating vascular diseases.In addition,there are still research gaps on the mechanism of oxidative stress induced by mechanical stress in vascular diseases.Therefore,the potential research direction of mechanical stress-induced oxidative stress in the vascular system is also predicted,with the aim to promote the development of mechanobiology to a certain extent.

Objective To explore the effect of diet therapy on alcohol-induced chronic liver injury in rats and its relationship with TLR4 pathway.Methods According to Pueraria:Poria:Amomum villosum:Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae:Codonopsis:Zingiberis Rhizoma=15∶15∶10∶10∶10∶6,the water extract of the therapeutic prescription was prepared.A total of 78 female SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups:normal group(n=12),model group(n=18),Hugan tablet group(0.35 g·kg-1,n=12),low-,medium-and high-dose Shiliaofang groups(2,6,18 g·kg-1,n=12).Except for the normal group,the rats in each group were induced alcoholic liver disease(ALD)by gradient alcohol gavage.After 10 weeks of intervention,the changes of body weight and water intake of rats were observed.The whole blood routine,serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(TC)and liver malondialdehyde(MDA)were measured.The levels of serum alcohol dehydrogenase(ADH),aldehyde dehydrogenase(ALDH),lipopolysaccharide(LPS),D-lactic acid(D-LA),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6)and interleukin-10(IL-10)were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of liver and ileum.Oil red staining was used to observe liver fat deposition.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of ileal tight junction component occludin.Western blot was used to detect the expression of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB p65 protein in liver.Results Compared with the model group,the levels of WBC,LYC,TC,ALT,AST,LPS,D-LA,TNF-α and IL-6 in each diet group decreased,IL-10 increased,liver inflammatory cell infiltration and red lipid droplets decreased,intestinal villi were intact and densely arranged,the expression of occludin protein in ileum increased,and the expression of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB p65 protein in liver decreased.Conclusion The self-made dietotherapy prescription has a significant protective effect on chronic liver injury induced by alcohol in rats,which may be related to its down-regulation of TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB p65 protein expression and up-regulation of ileal occludin protein expression,improvement of intestinal mucosal barrier function,reduction of endotoxin entry into the liver,activation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway,thereby reducing the second hit to the liver.This diet can be developed as a potential anti-alcoholic liver injury drug.

Microfibrino-associated protein (MFAP) 2 is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein and a member of the MFAP family. It participates in the assembly of extracellular elastic microfibers.Upregulation of MFAP2 can promote the occurrence and development of various tumors and regulate multiple cancer-related signaling pathways and is related to their prognosis, making it a potential target for tumor treatment. This article summarizes the research progress on the pathogenesis, targeted therapy and prognosis of MFAP2 in malignant tumors.

Protein liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), a pivotal phenomenon intricately linked to cellular processes, is regulated by various other proteins. However, there is still a lack of high-throughput methods for screening protein regulators of LLPS in target proteins. Here, we developed a CRISPR/Cas9-based screening method to identify protein phase separation regulators by integrating bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Using this newly developed method, we screened the RNA-binding proteins that regulate PABPN1 phase separation and identified the tumor suppressor QKI as a promoter of PABPN1 phase separation. Furthermore, QKI exhibits decreased expression levels and diminished nuclear localization in colorectal cancer cells, resulting in reduced PABPN1 phase separation, which, in turn, promotes alternative polyadenylation (APA), cell proliferation, and migration in colorectal cancer.
Humans ; Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics* ; RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics* ; Poly(A)-Binding Protein I/genetics* ; CRISPR-Cas Systems ; Flow Cytometry ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Movement

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether auraptene (AUR) exerts a protective effect on acute diquat (DQ)-induced liver injury in mice and explore its underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Forty SPF-grade healthy male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into normal control group (Control group), DQ poisoning model group (DQ group), AUR treatment group (DQ+AUR group), and AUR control group (AUR group), with 10 mice in each group. The DQ poisoning model was established via a single intraperitoneal injection of 40 mg/kg DQ aqueous solution (0.5 mL); Control group and AUR group received an equal volume of pure water intraperitoneally. Four hours post-modeling, DQ+AUR group and AUR group were administered 0.5 mg/kg AUR aqueous solution (0.2 mL) by gavage once daily for 7 consecutive days, while Control group and DQ group received pure water. Blood and liver tissues were collected after anesthesia on day 7. Liver ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hepatic glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were detected using WST-1, thiobarbituric acid (TBA), and enzymatic reaction methods, respectively. Protein expression of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), and activated caspase-9 in liver tissues was analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS: Transmission electron microscopy revealed that mitochondria in the Control group exhibited mild swelling, uneven distribution of matrix, and a small number of cristae fractures. In the AUR group, mitochondria showed mild swelling, with no obvious disruption of cristae structure. In the DQ group, mitochondria demonstrated marked swelling and increased volume, matrix dissolution, loss and fragmentation of cristae, and extensive vacuolization. In contrast, the DQ+AUR group showed significantly reduced mitochondrial swelling, volume increase, matrix dissolution, cristae loss and fragmentation, and vacuolization compared to the DQ group. Compared with the DQ group, the DQ+AUR group exhibited significantly lower serum AST levels (U/L: 173.45±23.60 vs. 255.33±41.51), ALT levels (U/L: 51.77±21.63 vs. 100.70±32.35), and hepatic MDA levels (μmol/g: 12.40±2.76 vs. 19.74±4.10), along with higher hepatic GSH levels (mmol/g: 37.65±14.95 vs. 20.58±8.52) and SOD levels (kU/g: 124.10±33.77 vs. 82.81±22.00), the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Western blotting showed upregulated Nrf2 expression (Nrf2/β-actin: 0.87±0.37 vs. 0.53±0.22) and HO-1 expression (HO-1/β-actin: 1.06±0.22 vs. 0.49±0.08), and downregulated Keap1 expression (Keap1/β-actin: 0.82±0.12 vs. 1.52±0.76) and activated caspase-9 expression (activated caspase-9/β-actin: 1.16±0.28 vs. 1.71±0.30) in the DQ+AUR group compared to the DQ group (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION AUR attenuates DQ-induced acute liver injury in mice by activating the Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.
Animals ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Liver/pathology* ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/drug therapy* ; Diquat/poisoning* ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism* ; Oxidative Stress ; Apoptosis ; Coumarins

Objective To explore the effect of diet therapy on alcohol-induced chronic liver injury in rats and its relationship with TLR4 pathway.Methods According to Pueraria:Poria:Amomum villosum:Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae:Codonopsis:Zingiberis Rhizoma=15∶15∶10∶10∶10∶6,the water extract of the therapeutic prescription was prepared.A total of 78 female SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups:normal group(n=12),model group(n=18),Hugan tablet group(0.35 g·kg-1,n=12),low-,medium-and high-dose Shiliaofang groups(2,6,18 g·kg-1,n=12).Except for the normal group,the rats in each group were induced alcoholic liver disease(ALD)by gradient alcohol gavage.After 10 weeks of intervention,the changes of body weight and water intake of rats were observed.The whole blood routine,serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(TC)and liver malondialdehyde(MDA)were measured.The levels of serum alcohol dehydrogenase(ADH),aldehyde dehydrogenase(ALDH),lipopolysaccharide(LPS),D-lactic acid(D-LA),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6)and interleukin-10(IL-10)were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of liver and ileum.Oil red staining was used to observe liver fat deposition.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of ileal tight junction component occludin.Western blot was used to detect the expression of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB p65 protein in liver.Results Compared with the model group,the levels of WBC,LYC,TC,ALT,AST,LPS,D-LA,TNF-α and IL-6 in each diet group decreased,IL-10 increased,liver inflammatory cell infiltration and red lipid droplets decreased,intestinal villi were intact and densely arranged,the expression of occludin protein in ileum increased,and the expression of TLR4,MyD88 and NF-κB p65 protein in liver decreased.Conclusion The self-made dietotherapy prescription has a significant protective effect on chronic liver injury induced by alcohol in rats,which may be related to its down-regulation of TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB p65 protein expression and up-regulation of ileal occludin protein expression,improvement of intestinal mucosal barrier function,reduction of endotoxin entry into the liver,activation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway,thereby reducing the second hit to the liver.This diet can be developed as a potential anti-alcoholic liver injury drug.