In this study, we investigated the anti-osteoporotic activity and mechanism of action of extract of Panax quiquefolium L. based on zebrafish model combined with metabolomics technology. A zebrafish model of prednisolone-induced osteoporosis was used to compare the anti-osteoporotic activity of Panax quiquefolium L., and the expression of osteoblast-associated genes and osteoclast-associated genes in zebrafish was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), using bone fluorescence area and fluorescence density as evaluation indexes. Metabolomics based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) was used to explore the change patterns of biomarkers and the metabolic pathways affected. The results showed that the 50% ethanol extracts of Panax quiquefolium L. from Jilin, Canada, Wenden and the United States can significantly improve the bone fluorescence area of zebrafish compared with model group. Furthermore, four sources 50% ethanol extracts of Panax quiquefolium L. except United States also can significantly improve the bone fluorescence density of zebrafish. In addition, PCR showed that extract of Panax quiquefolium L. can significantly up-regulated the expression of vitamin D receptor b (vdrb), collagen type I α2 (col1a2) and cysteine-rich acidic secreted protein (sparc) genes, and down-regulated the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (mmp9), anti-tartrase acid phosphatase (trap) and cathepsin K (ctsk) genes. Metabolomic analysis identified 24 key differential metabolites. Furthermore, pathway analysis showed that Panax quiquefolium L. could regulate the levels of 10 key biomarkers by participating in purine metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle and pentose phosphate metabolism and improve the osteoporosis status of zebrafish. This study preliminically revealed the anti-osteoporosis mechanism of 50% ethanol extract from Panax quiquefolium L. through multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway and also provides theoretical basis for clinical development and utilization of anti-osteoporosis products of Panax quiquefolium L. This experiment was approved by the Experimental Animal Welfare Ethics Committee of the Institute of Biology, Shandong Academy of Sciences (approval number: SWS20181002).

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in cancer metastasis. Exploring metastasis-associated lncRNAs and developing effective strategy for targeted regulation of lncRNA function in vivo are of utmost importance for the treatment of metastatic cancer, which however remains a big challenge. Herein, we identified a new functional lncRNA (denoted lncBCMA), which could stabilize the expression of eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1A1 (eEF1A1) via antagonizing its ubiquitination to promote triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) growth and metastasis. Based on this regulatory mechanism, an endosomal pH-responsive nanoparticle (NP) platform was engineered for systemic lncBCMA siRNA (siBCMA) delivery. This NPs-mediated siBCMA delivery could effectively silence lncBCMA expression and promote eEF1A1 ubiquitination, thereby leading to a significant inhibition of TNBC tumor growth and metastasis. These findings show that lncBCMA could be used as a potential biomarker to predict the prognosis of TNBC patients and NPs-mediated lncBCMA silencing could be an effective strategy for metastatic TNBC treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To explore lumbar plexus nerve block combined with general anesthesia in elderly patients undergoing hip operation could improve analgesia effect, reduce consumption of analgesics, prevent inflammatory reaction, and avoid postoperative delirium(POD). METHODS: Totally 200 elderly patients underwent hip fracture surgery from February 2020 to September 2021 were selected and were divided into observation group and control group according to different anesthesia methods. There were 97 patients in observation group including 66 males and 33 females; aged (70.23±6.60) years old;body mass index (BMI) was (23.13±1.94) kg·m-2;19 patients with hemi arthroplasty, 46 patients with total hip arthroplasty, and 32 patients with femur intertrochanteric fixation;treated with lumbar plexus block combined with general anesthesia. There were 94 patients in control group, including 66 males and 33 females;aged (68.80±6.24) years old;BMI was (22.88±1.85) kg·m-2;14 patients with hemi arthroplasty, 39 patients with total hip arthroplasty, and 41 patients with femur intertrochanteric fixation;treated with only general anesthesia. Nine patients were separated due to the change of surgical protocol or chronic disease. The incidence of POD at 1, 2 and 3 days after surgery, mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score, visual analogue scale (VAS) in resting state, serum inflammatory factors levels [such as C-reactive protein(CRP), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interleukin-6(IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)] at 1 d before operation, 1 and 6 h after surgery, consumption of sufentanil between two groups were compared. RESULTS: The incidences of POD in observation group were lower than control group at 1, 2 and 3 days of operation (P<0.05), MMSE score in observation group was higher than that of control group (P<0.05), VAS in observation group was lower than that of control group (P<0.01). The incidences of POD decreased and MMSE score were increaed in both groups day by day (P<0.01). The levels of CRP, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in observation group were lower than that of control group at 1 h after operation (P<0.01). The levels of CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α in observation group were lower than that of control group at 6 h after operation (P<0.01), while no statisitical difference in IL-1β between two groups(P>0.05). The consumption of sufentanil in observation group was lower than that of control group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION Compared with general anesthesia, lumbar plexus nerve block combined with general anesthesia for the operations of hip fracture in elderly patients has better analgesic effect, has advantages of slight inflammatory reaction, and could decrease consumption of opioid and incidence of POD.
Aged ; Female ; Male ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Emergence Delirium ; Interleukin-6 ; Sufentanil ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; Hip Fractures/surgery* ; Anesthesia, General ; Inflammation ; Lumbosacral Plexus

Background/Aims: The accuracy of endosonographers in diagnosing gastric subepithelial lesions (SELs) using endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is influenced by experience and subjectivity. Artificial intelligence (AI) has achieved remarkable development in this field. This study aimed to develop an AI-based EUS diagnostic model for the diagnosis of SELs, and evaluated its efficacy with external validation. Methods: We developed the EUS-AI model with ResNeSt50 using EUS images from two hospitals to predict the histopathology of the gastric SELs originating from muscularis propria. The diagnostic performance of the model was also validated using EUS images obtained from four other hospitals. Results: A total of 2,057 images from 367 patients (375 SELs) were chosen to build the models, and 914 images from 106 patients (108 SELs) were chosen for external validation. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of the model for differentiating gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and non-GISTs in the external validation sets by images were 82.01%, 68.22%, 86.77%, 59.86%, and 78.12%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy in the external validation set by tumors were 83.75%, 71.43%, 89.33%, 60.61%, and 80.56%, respectively. The EUS-AI model showed better performance (especially specificity) than some endosonographers.The model helped improve the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of certain endosonographers. Conclusions We developed an EUS-AI model to classify gastric SELs originating from muscularis propria into GISTs and non-GISTs with good accuracy. The model may help improve the diagnostic performance of endosonographers. Further work is required to develop a multi-modal EUS-AI system.

Blau syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by the a mix of granulomatous arthritis, uveitis, and dermatitis. Patients typically manifest multisystem involvement, including ocular, skin, and skeletal abnormalities. Blau syndrome is extremely rare, with a global incidence of less than one in a million among children. In this multidisciplinary consultation, we present a case of a 21-year-old young female patient having multisystemic involvement since early childhood. She was presented with multiple joint swelling, skin lesions, increased eye discharge, and accompanied by hypertension and arterial abnormalities, and received a diagnosis of uveitis. The patient had been receiving steroid treatment since the age of 6 and has tried various medications, with some improvement in joint swelling and ocular symptoms. Through this rare disease multidisciplinary consultation, we aim to provide guidance in the molecular diagnosis of the patient, multisystem assessment, and the selection and formulation of treatment plans. Additionally, we hope that by reporting this case, clinical physicians can gain a better understanding of the diagnosis and comprehensive treatment strategies for Blau syndrome, thereby improving the management and treatment of rare diseases.

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.
Female ; Humans ; Adolescent ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Smell ; COVID-19/complications* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Incidence ; Olfaction Disorders/etiology* ; Taste Disorders/etiology* ; Prognosis

Humans ; Consensus ; Hypersensitivity ; Desensitization, Immunologic/adverse effects* ; Immunotherapy/adverse effects* ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Allergens

Objective To analyze the nutritional level, obesity status and the prevalence of frypertension in Blang, Deang and Va ethnic groups in Yunnan, to explore the relationship among nutritional physical index, obesity indicators and blood pressure, and use the cutoff value of related indicators to warn frypertension. Methods This paper was based on a statistical analysis of the 7 nutritional pfrysical indexes, 5 types of obesity status and frypertension status of 766 Blang, 570 Deang and 565 Va. Results We found that the nutritional pfrysique index of man)' items (4 items for men and 4 items for women) of Blang was significantly higher than that of Deang and Va (P<0. 05), the Erismann' s index and Pelidisi' s index of Deang female were significantly higher than those of Blang female and Va female (P<0. 05). The differences in the obesity rates determined by the three obesity determination indexes of waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and percent of bod)' fat (PBF) were statistically significant among the three ethnic groups (P < 0. 05), and the obesity rates determined by the three indexes of bod)' mass index (BMI), body adiposity index (BAI) and PBF were all the highest in the Blang, and the central obesity rates determined by the two indexes of WC and WHR were all the highest in Va. The rank of the prevalence of hypertension was Va > Blang > Deang and the difference was statistically significant (P<0. 05). Conclusion Pelidisi' s index, WHR, and PBF all have good early warning effects on frypertension in all three ethnic groups.

Consecutively hospitalized patients with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China were retrospectively enrolled from January 2020 to March 2020 to investigate the association between the use of renin-angiotensin system inhibitor (RAS-I) and the outcome of this disease. Associations between the use of RAS-I (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB)), ACEI, and ARB and in-hospital mortality were analyzed using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models in overall and subgroup of hypertension status. A total of 2771 patients with COVID-19 were included, with moderate and severe cases accounting for 45.0% and 36.5%, respectively. A total of 195 (7.0%) patients died. RAS-I (hazard ratio (HR)= 0.499, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.325-0.767) and ARB (HR = 0.410, 95% CI 0.240-0.700) use was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality among patients with COVID-19. For patients with hypertension, RAS-I and ARB applications were also associated with a reduced risk of mortality with HR of 0.352 (95% CI 0.162-0.764) and 0.279 (95% CI 0.115-0.677), respectively. RAS-I exhibited protective effects on the survival outcome of COVID-19. ARB use was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality among patients with COVID-19.
Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists/therapeutic use* ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; COVID-19 ; Humans ; Hypertension/drug therapy* ; Renin-Angiotensin System ; Retrospective Studies

Child ; Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Primary Myelofibrosis/therapy* ; Thiotepa ; Transplantation Conditioning