1.Oxylipidomics Combined with Transcriptomics Reveals Mechanism of Jianpi Huogu Prescription in Treating Steroid-induced Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head in Rats
Lili WANG ; Qun LI ; Zhixing HU ; Qianqian YAN ; Liting XU ; Xiaoxiao WANG ; Chunyan ZHU ; Yanqiong ZHANG ; Weiheng CHEN ; Haijun HE ; Chunfang LIU ; Na LIN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(11):190-199
ObjectiveTo unveil the mechanism of Jianpi Huogu prescription (JPHGP) in ameliorating the dyslipidemia of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femur head (SONFH) by oxylipidomics combined with transcriptomics. MethodsSixty SD rats were assigned into normal, model, low-, medium-, and high-dose (2.5, 5, 10 g·kg-1, respectively) JPHGP, and Jiangushengwan (1.53 g·kg-1) groups. Lipopolysaccharide was injected into the tail vein at a dose of 20 μg·kg-1 on days 1 and 2, and methylprednisolone sodium succinate was injected at a dose of 40 mg·kg-1 into the buttock muscle on days 3 to 5. The normal group received an equal volume of normal saline. Drug administration by gavage began 4 weeks after the last injection, and samples were taken after administration for 8 weeks. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was conducted to reveal the histopathological changes of the femoral head, and the number of adipocytes, the rate of empty bone lacunae, and the trabecular area were calculated. Micro-computed tomography was used for revealing the histological and histomorphometrical changes of the femoral head. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the serum levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), and apolipoprotein B (ApoB). At the same time, the femoral head was collected for oxylipidomic and transcriptomic detection. The differential metabolites and differential genes were enriched and analyzed, and the target genes regulating lipid metabolism were predicted. The predicted target proteins were further verified by molecular docking, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot. ResultsCompared with the normal group, the model group showcased thinning of the femoral head, trabecular fracture, karyopyknosis, subchondral cystic degeneration, increases in the number of adipocytes and the rate of empty bone lacunae (P<0.01), a reduction in the trabecular area (P<0.01), decreases in BMD, Tb.Th, Tb.N, and BV/TV, and increases in Tb.Sp and BS/BV (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the JPHGP groups showed no obvious thinning of the femoral head or subchondroidal cystic degeneration. The high- and medium-dose JPHGP groups presented declines in the number of adipocytes and the rate of empty bone lacunae, an increase in the trabecular area (P<0.05, P<0.01), rises in BMD, Tb.Th, Tb.N, and BV/TV, and decreases in Tb.Sp and BS/BV (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the normal group, the model group showcased raised serum levels of TG, TC, LDL, and ApoB and lowered serum levels of HDL and ApoA1 (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the JPHGP groups had lowered serum levels of TG, TC, LDL, and ApoB (P<0.05, P<0.01) and a risen serum level of ApoA1 (P<0.05, P<0.01). Moreover, the serum level of HDL in the high-dose JPHGP group increased (P<0.01). A total of 19 different metabolites of disease set and drug set were screened out by oxylipidomics of the femoral head, and 119 core genes with restored expression were detected by transcriptomics. The enriched pathways were mainly concentrated in inflammation, lipids, apoptosis, and osteoclast differentiation. Molecular docking, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot results showed that compared with the normal group, the model group displayed increased content of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) in the femoral head (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, medium- and high-dose JPHGP reduced the content of 5-LO and PPARγ (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionJPHGP can restore the levels of oxidized lipid metabolites by regulating the 5-LO-PPARγ axis to treat SONFH in rats. Relevant studies provide experimental evidence for the efficacy mechanism of JPHGP in the treatment of SONFH.
2.Oxylipidomics Combined with Transcriptomics Reveals Mechanism of Jianpi Huogu Prescription in Treating Steroid-induced Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head in Rats
Lili WANG ; Qun LI ; Zhixing HU ; Qianqian YAN ; Liting XU ; Xiaoxiao WANG ; Chunyan ZHU ; Yanqiong ZHANG ; Weiheng CHEN ; Haijun HE ; Chunfang LIU ; Na LIN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(11):190-199
ObjectiveTo unveil the mechanism of Jianpi Huogu prescription (JPHGP) in ameliorating the dyslipidemia of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femur head (SONFH) by oxylipidomics combined with transcriptomics. MethodsSixty SD rats were assigned into normal, model, low-, medium-, and high-dose (2.5, 5, 10 g·kg-1, respectively) JPHGP, and Jiangushengwan (1.53 g·kg-1) groups. Lipopolysaccharide was injected into the tail vein at a dose of 20 μg·kg-1 on days 1 and 2, and methylprednisolone sodium succinate was injected at a dose of 40 mg·kg-1 into the buttock muscle on days 3 to 5. The normal group received an equal volume of normal saline. Drug administration by gavage began 4 weeks after the last injection, and samples were taken after administration for 8 weeks. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was conducted to reveal the histopathological changes of the femoral head, and the number of adipocytes, the rate of empty bone lacunae, and the trabecular area were calculated. Micro-computed tomography was used for revealing the histological and histomorphometrical changes of the femoral head. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the serum levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), and apolipoprotein B (ApoB). At the same time, the femoral head was collected for oxylipidomic and transcriptomic detection. The differential metabolites and differential genes were enriched and analyzed, and the target genes regulating lipid metabolism were predicted. The predicted target proteins were further verified by molecular docking, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot. ResultsCompared with the normal group, the model group showcased thinning of the femoral head, trabecular fracture, karyopyknosis, subchondral cystic degeneration, increases in the number of adipocytes and the rate of empty bone lacunae (P<0.01), a reduction in the trabecular area (P<0.01), decreases in BMD, Tb.Th, Tb.N, and BV/TV, and increases in Tb.Sp and BS/BV (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the JPHGP groups showed no obvious thinning of the femoral head or subchondroidal cystic degeneration. The high- and medium-dose JPHGP groups presented declines in the number of adipocytes and the rate of empty bone lacunae, an increase in the trabecular area (P<0.05, P<0.01), rises in BMD, Tb.Th, Tb.N, and BV/TV, and decreases in Tb.Sp and BS/BV (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the normal group, the model group showcased raised serum levels of TG, TC, LDL, and ApoB and lowered serum levels of HDL and ApoA1 (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the JPHGP groups had lowered serum levels of TG, TC, LDL, and ApoB (P<0.05, P<0.01) and a risen serum level of ApoA1 (P<0.05, P<0.01). Moreover, the serum level of HDL in the high-dose JPHGP group increased (P<0.01). A total of 19 different metabolites of disease set and drug set were screened out by oxylipidomics of the femoral head, and 119 core genes with restored expression were detected by transcriptomics. The enriched pathways were mainly concentrated in inflammation, lipids, apoptosis, and osteoclast differentiation. Molecular docking, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot results showed that compared with the normal group, the model group displayed increased content of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) in the femoral head (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, medium- and high-dose JPHGP reduced the content of 5-LO and PPARγ (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionJPHGP can restore the levels of oxidized lipid metabolites by regulating the 5-LO-PPARγ axis to treat SONFH in rats. Relevant studies provide experimental evidence for the efficacy mechanism of JPHGP in the treatment of SONFH.
3.Establishment and evaluation of the comorbidity animal model of knee osteoarthritis and hypertension with pattern of liver and kidney deficiency
Zhaochen MA ; Chu ZHANG ; Mingzhu XU ; Yudong LIU ; Weiheng CHEN ; Yanqiong ZHANG ; Na LIN
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;47(5):652-661
Objective To establish the animal model of comorbidity of knee osteoarthritis(KOA)and hypertension with pattern of liver and kidney deficiency and evaluate its characteristics of comorbidity and pattern.Methods Wistar-Kyoto(WKY)rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats(SHR)were assigned to the WKY control group(control group),hypertension combined with KOA sham-operation group(sham-operation group),hypertension combined with KOA group(model group),hypertension combined with KOA and liver-kidney deficiency pattern group(LKD group).The animal model of KOA combined with hypertension was prepared by anterior cruciate ligament transection(ACLT)in spontaneously hypertensive rats.ACLT combined with intramuscular injection of hydrocortisone was performed to prepare an animal model of KOA with liver-kidney deficiency(LKD)pattern type,combined with hypertension.Then,the related indexes of LKD syndrome were detected in turn,including the contents of thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH),testosterone(T),corticosterone(CORT),adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH)in serum,and enzyme activities of alanine transaminase(ALT),aspartate transaminase(AST),and alkaline phosphatase(ALP)in serum,the mass ratio of liver,kidney,spleen,thymus to the brain,body weight,anal temperature,activity situation,and emotion.Systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure,and other blood pressure-related indices were also detected.The levels of serum tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and interleukin-1β(IL-1β),plantar mechanical pain sensitivity threshold,weight difference score of both hind limbs,hind limb joint swelling,and quadruped gait parameters were also measured.Furthermore,hematoxylin-eosin,safranine-fast green,and Masson staining were performed to observe pathological changes,cartilage degeneration,and bone destruction of the knee joint,and the microstructure parameters of the tibia were detected by Micro-CT imaging.Results Compared to the model group,the contents of serum TSH,ACTH,T,CORT and the mass ratio of the kidney,spleen,and thymus to the brain in the LKD group decreased(P<0.05).Compared to the control group,the systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure of the other three groups increased significantly(P<0.05).Compared to the sham-operation group,serum TNF-α and IL-1β levels increased,plantar mechanical pain threshold decreased,weight difference score of both hind limbs and joint swelling of the affected limb increased(P<0.05),and gait parameters(e.g.,gait length and standing time of the affected limbs)became abnormal in the model and LKD groups.Simultaneously,the cartilage surface defect of the rat knee joint was severe,the arrangement of the surface chondrocytes was altered,the cartilage layer became thinner,the muscle fibers increased,and the cartilage ossification was severe.Furthermore,the relative volume,thickness,and number of trabeculae of the knee joint decreased significantly(P<0.05).Conclusion The rat model established in this study is consistent with the clinical characteristics of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in patients with comorbidities of hypertension and KOA with liver and kidney deficiency pattern.This rat model can characterize the typical symptoms of liver and kidney deficiency pattern.It has typical pathological changes in knee cartilage and subchondral bone tissues and can maintain a stable range of high systolic and diastolic blood pressure.It also explore the scientific connotation of simultaneous treatment of different diseases in traditional Chinese medicine,revealing the therapeutic mechanism and developing new drugs.
4.m6A-related gene clustering analysis and immune cell infiltration analysis in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury after cardiopulmonary bypass based on machine learning
Yao TANG ; Wendong CHEN ; Yanqiong WANG ; Wei YANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2024;31(10):1475-1485
Objective To identify the N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-related characteristic genes analyzed by gene clustering and immune cell infiltration in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MI/RI) after cardiopulmonary bypass through machine learning. Methods The differential genes associated with m6A methylation were screened by the dataset GSE132176 in GEO, the samples of the dataset were clustered based on the differential gene expression profile, and the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis of the differential genes of the m6A cluster after clustering were performed to determine the gene function of the m6A cluster. R software was used to determine the better models in machine learning of support vector machine (SVM) model and random forest (RF) model, which were used to screen m6A-related characteristic genes in MI/RI, and construct characteristic gene nomogram to predict the incidence of disease. R software was used to analyze the correlation between characteristic genes and immune cells, and the online website was used to build a characteristic gene regulatory network. Results In this dataset, a total of 5 m6A-related differential genes were screened, and the gene expression profiles were divided into two clusters for cluster analysis. The enrichment analysis of m6A clusters showed that these genes were mainly involved in regulating monocytes differentiation, response to lipopolysaccharides, response to bacteria-derived molecules, cellular response to decreased oxygen levels, DNA transcription factor binding, DNA-binding transcription activator activity, RNA polymerase Ⅱ specificity, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway, interleukin-17 signaling pathway. The RF model was determined by R software as the better model, which determined that METTL3, YTHDF1, RBM15B and METTL14 were characteristic genes of MI/RI, and mast cells, type 1 helper lymphocytes (Th1), type 17 helper lymphocytes (Th17), and macrophages were found to be associated with MI/RI after cardiopulmonary bypass in immune cell infiltration. Conclusion The four characteristic genes METTL3, YTHDF1, RBM15B and METTL14 are obtained by machine learning, while cluster analysis and immune cell infiltration analysis can better reveal the pathophysiological process of MI/RI.
5.Identification of Pharmacodynamic Material Basis of Ruyi Zhenbaowan by Multidimensional Correlation Model of "Pharmacodynamic-target-component-pharmacokinetic"
Mingzhu XU ; Huaiping LI ; Zhaochen MA ; Tao LI ; Yudong LIU ; Ziqing XIAO ; Chu ZHANG ; Kedian CHEN ; Weihua MA ; Feng HUANG ; Na LIN ; Yanqiong ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(24):68-77
ObjectiveTo identify the pharmacodynamic material basis of Ruyi Zhenbaowan in relieving neuropathic pain by integrating the calculation of biological network proximity and pharmacokinetic characterization. MethodThe interaction network of "drug candidate target-related gene of disease" was constructed by Cytoscape 3.8.2, and the average shortest path value of each drug putative target acting on neuropathic pain-related genes in this network was calculated by Pesca 3.8.0 tool so as to evaluate the network proximity between them, and screen prescription candidate targets with strong intervention efficiency and their corresponding potential effect components. After that, plasma and cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected from rats after administration of Ruyi Zhenbaowan at set time points, and the contents of potential effect components in samples was quantified by ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-ion trap mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TRAP/MS), and drug concentration-time curves were plotted, then the pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by DAS 2.1.1. ResultBy evaluating the network proximity between candidate targets and neuropathic pain-related genes in the interaction network, a total of 40 putative targets of Ruyi Zhenbaowan with strong intervention effects on neuropathic pain-related genes, such as estrogen receptor 1(ESR1), cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP)-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit alpha(PRKACA) and protein kinase B1 (Akt1), and 10 corresponding potential effect components, such as glycyrrhizic acid and betulinic acid, were obtained. Pharmacokinetic characterization showed that among the 10 potential effect components, gallic acid, apigenin-7-O-glucuronide, glycyrrhizic acid and apigenin were well absorbed and metabolized in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid, with long onset time and good bioavailability. ConclusionFrom the perspective of efficacy-target-constituent-pharmacokinetic, this study analyzes the main effective materials of Ruyi Zhenbaowan, such as glycyrrhizic acid, gallic acid, apigenin-7-O-glucuronide and apigenin, which have a high exposure in plasma or cerebrospinal fluid and have a strong intervention effect on neuropathic pain. The related results provide reliable experimental evidences for clarifying the material basis and developing quality standards of Ruyi Zhenbaowan.
6.Identification of in Vitro and in vivo Chemical Constituents of Ruyi Zhenbaowan Based on UHPLC-Q Exactive Orbitrap HRMS
Kedian CHEN ; Zhaochen MA ; Bingbing CAI ; Ying LIU ; Yudong LIU ; Tao LI ; Mingzhu XU ; Haiping WANG ; Na LIN ; Yanqiong ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(24):78-84
ObjectiveTo identify the chemical constituents of Ruyi Zhenbaowan in vitro and in vivo. MethodThe chemical constituents of Ruyi Zhenbaowan were identified based on UHPLC-Q Exactive Orbitrap HRMS. A total of 12 male SD rats were randomized into two groups: control (pure water) and Ruyi Zhenbaowan (1.8 g·kg-1). The rats were administrated with the suspension of Ruyi Zhenbaowan or pure water by gavage. After 1.5 h, the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid were collected. Chromatographic separation was performed on a Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 column (2.1 mm × 150 mm, 1.7 μm) with a mixture of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution (A) and acetonitrile (B) as the mobile phase. Gradient elution was carried out according to the procedure of 0~15 min,97%~80%A;15~30 min ,80%~60%A;30~40 min,60%~30%A;40~45 min,30%~5%A. The ion source was electrospray ionization, and scan range was m/z 100-1 500. The prototype components and the components in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid were analyzed qualitatively by scanning in positive and negative ion modes and identified by comparison with the data in published literature and the information of standard substances. ResultA total of 126 chemical constituents were identified from the 80% methanol solution of Ruyi Zhenbaowan, and 14 and 7 prototype constituents were detected in the plasma and the cerebrospinal fluid, respectively. In addition, the fragmentation rules of apigenin, apigenin-7-O-glucuronide, galangin, liquiritin, piperine, glycyrrhizic acid, eugenol, gallic acid, and cholic acid were deduced. ConclusionThis study achieved rapid multicomponent characterization and identification of Ruyi Zhenbaowan in vitro and in vivo, providing theoretical support for exploring active substances and performing quality control.l.
7.Meta-analysis of Clinical Efficacy and"Disease-Symptom-Formula"Associated Mechanism Investigation of Shangke Jiegu Tablet Against Fractures
Xueting LIU ; Lin CHEN ; Suya ZHANG ; Haoying XI ; Ning ZHANG ; Na LIN ; Yanqiong ZHANG
Herald of Medicine 2024;43(12):1919-1929
Objective This study systematically evaluated the clinical efficacy of Shangke Jiegu tablet in the treatment of fracture,and explored the mechanism of action of Shangke Jiegu tablet and the compatibility of each efficacy group from the"Disease-Symptom-Formula"perspective.Methods Clinical research literatures on the use of Shangke Jiegu tablet for fracture intervention were retrieved from Chinese databases(CNKI,Wanfang Database,VIP database)and English databases(PubMed,Cochrane Library,EMbase),covering the period from the inception of the databases to January 2024.Risk assessment tools were used to evaluate the literature's quality,and the data were extracted and analyzed using Stata 16.0 software.Gene sets associated with fracture symptoms were identified through the TCMIP platform(version 2.0).Differential gene expression related to fractures was obtained from the GEO database.Chemical composition and candidate target profiles of the 12 herbs in Shangke Jiegu tablets were collected from TCMIP v 2.0.An interaction network between fracture-related genes and drug candidate targets was established,and core network targets were screened based on topological features,with functional enrichment analysis performed.Results A total of 14 articles were incorporated into the Meta-analysis,encompassing a total sample size of 1 293 cases,indicating an overall response rate of Shangke Jiegu tablets in fracture therapy(RR=1.24,95%CI:1.18-1.31,P<0.001).The"Disease-Symptom-Formula"association network analysis indicated that the pathways related to the putative targets of Shangke Jiegu tablet were primarily involved in bone healing,nerve and blood system regulation,and immune-inflammation regulation.Different efficacy groups within the prescriptions showed varying emphases on these roles.Conclusions Shangke Jiegu tablet may facilitate fracture healing by regulating blood and nervous systems,correcting immune-inflammatory imbalances,and maintaining bone and energy metabolism.The comprehensive effects include the dissipation of blood stasis,the promotion of blood circulation,the alleviation of swelling and pain,the regeneration of muscles and bones,and the clearance of heat and detoxification.These findings support the clinical advantages and positioning of Shangke Jiegu tablet.
8.Construction and validation of a simple model for predicting the risk of prenatal depression
Yujia LIAO ; Siyu CHEN ; Xiangyu DENG ; Yanqiong GAN ; Shulei HAN ; Xinlin TAN ; Yue HUANG
Sichuan Mental Health 2023;36(5):466-472
BackgroundMental illness during pregnancy has become a major public health problem in China over the recent years, and depression is the most common psychological symptom during pregnancy. Current research efforts are directed towards the therapy on prenatal depression, whereas the construction of prediction model for prenatal depression risk has been little studied. ObjectiveTo construct a simple model for predicting the risk of prenatal depression, thus providing a valuable reference for the prevention of maternal depression during pregnancy. MethodsA total of 803 pregnant women attending three hospitals in Nanchong city were consecutively recruited from May 2021 to February 2022. A self-administered questionnaire was developed for the assessment of social demographic variables, obstetrical and general medical indexes and psychological status of all participants, and Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) was utilized to screen for the presence of maternal depression. Subjects were randomly assigned into modelling group (n=635) and validation group (n=168) at the ratio of 8∶2 under simple random sampling with replacement. The candidate risk factors of maternal depression during pregnancy were screened using binary Logistic regression analysis, and the predictive model was constructed. Then the performance of the predictive model was validated using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve. Results① Lack of companionship (β=-0.692, OR=0.501, 95% CI: 0.289~0.868), low mood during the last menstrual period (β=-1.510, OR=0.221, 95% CI: 0.074~0.656), emotional stress during the last menstrual period (β=-1.082, OR=0.339, 95% CI: 0.135~0.853), unsatisfactory relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law (β=-1.228, OR=0.293, 95% CI: 0.141~0.609), and indifferent generally relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law (β=-0.831, OR=0.436, 95% CI: 0.260~0.730) were risk factors for prenatal depression in pregnant women (P<0.05 or 0.01). ② Model for predicting the prenatal depression risk yielded an area under curve (AUC) of 0.698 (95% CI: 0.646~0.749), the maximum Youden index was 0.357 in modelling group with the sensitivity and specificity was 0.606 and 0.751, and an AUC of 0.672 (95% CI: 0.576~0.767) and maximum Youden index of 0.263 in validation group with the sensitivity and specificity of 0.556 and 0.707. ConclusionThe simple model constructed in this study has good discriminant validity in predicting of the risk of prenatal depression. [Funded by Nanchong Social Science Research Project of the 14th Five-Year Plan (number, NC21B165)]
9.Investigation on Mechanisms of Osteoking Against Four Types of Bone Injury Diseases Based on Heterogeneous Information Network with Concept of "Treating Different Diseases with an Identical Treatment"
Suya ZHANG ; Zhaochen MA ; Shuangrong GAO ; Weiheng CHEN ; Yanqiong ZHANG ; Na LIN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2023;29(24):42-53
ObjectiveTo elucidate the mechanism of Osteoking against fracture, femoral head necrosis, osteoarthritis, and lumbar disc herniation by integrating heterogeneous information network mining and experimental validation. MethodOn the basis of the disease-related database and transcriptome expression profiling dataset, as well as the ETCM database, the gene sets related to four target diseases and the candidate target spectrum of Osteoking were obtained through the integration and analysis of bioinformatics data, and a "disease-syndrome-formula-target-pathway-effect" heterogeneous information network was constructed. In addition, by functional enrichment analysis, the core targets of Osteoking in interfering with the imbalance network of four kinds of bone injury diseases, the biological pathways involved, and the corresponding clinical symptoms were screened, and they were verified in animal experiments. ResultHeterogeneous information network mining indicates that Osteoking may commonly reverse the imbalance networks of fracture, femoral head necrosis, osteoarthritis, and lumbar disc herniation via regulating cell function and activity, inhibiting inflammatory response, reducing bone destruction, and improving the immune function of the body by modulating relevant core candidate targets such as RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase (Akt1), catenin beta-1 (CTNNB1), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), heat shock protein 90-alpha (HSP90AA1), and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha isoform (PI3KCA), as well as related biological pathways such as phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt), janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), and Toll-like receptors. In particular, Osteoking may improve the blood supply of the fracture end by regulating blood circulation at the target site of the disease, and it may maintain the balance of bone metabolism by regulating hormone-related pathways to promote fracture healing. In addition, Osteoking may relieve lipid metabolism disorders by targeting and regulating lipid-related pathways, accelerate bone formation and bone repair, and delay the progression of femoral head necrosis. Osteoking may relieve the symptoms of pain by acting on neurological pathways to reduce local nociceptive stimulation in patients with osteoarthritis and lumbar disc herniation. Further experimental validation demonstrates that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is the most significantly enriched pathway for the key network targets of Osteoking for the four diseases. The candidate target of Osteoking may have the strongest association with the network of fracture-related genes. Therefore, this study chooses fracture as the target disease to verify the efficacy of Osteoking. The results show that Osteoking can accelerate bone formation and promote fracture healing by inhibiting the activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling axis. ConclusionThe study shows that the main mechanism of "treating different diseases with an identical treatment" of four bone injury diseases with Osteoking involves cell function regulation and immune inflammation-related signaling pathways. Further experimental validation identifies that the PI3K/Akt signaling axis may be one of the key pathways of Osteoking to promote bone regeneration, bone reconstruction, and bone metabolism homeostasis.
10.Clinical Efficacy and Mechanism of Osteoking in Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis Based on Real-world Data
Ruihan LI ; Jun ZHOU ; Zhi LIANG ; Shuai GAO ; Rui QUAN ; Xisheng WENG ; Yanqiong ZHANG ; Na LIN ; Weiheng CHEN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2023;29(24):63-71
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical efficacy and mechanisms of Osteoking in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in real-world practice, so as to provide a basis for the rational clinical use of Osteoking. MethodFrom the Osteoking for knee osteoarthritis case registration system, 638 KOA cases treated with Osteoking were selected and analyzed in SPSS 26.0. The clinical data were collected from 20 hospitals in China from May 2020 to December 2021. Descriptive analyses of patient age, gender, body mass index, course of treatment and other parameters were performed. The Mann-Whitney U test was performed to compare the visual analogue scale (VAS) and Western Ontario and McMaster universities arthritis index (WOMAC) scores before and after treatment. The integrative pharmacology-based research platform of traditional Chinese medicine (TCMIP) v2.0 was used for network analysis of the core targets of Osteoking in treating knee osteoarthritis. Furthermore, 20 KOA patients treated with Osteoking in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine from October to December in 2022 were enrolled in the treatment group, and 20 healthy volunteers in the control group. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the serum levels of related indicators to verify the prediction results. ResultA total of 638 KOA patients were treated with Osteoking, including 429 (67.24%) receiving Osteoking alone and 209 (32.76%) receiving Osteoking combined with other therapies. The female patients (415, 65.05%) were more than the male patients (223, 34.95%). The patients showed the mean age of (63.48±13.51) years, mean body mass index of (24.09±2.98) kg·m-2, and mean course of treatment of (15.78±9.66) days. Most of the patients were rated as grades Ⅱ (46.24%) and Ⅲ (34.64%) in Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grading and in the relief stage (82.45%) in clinical staging. There was no significant correlation between clinical staging and K-L grading results. The cluster analysis identified three TCM syndromes: Qi stagnation and blood stasis, cold-dampness obstruction, and liver-kidney deficiency. The overall clinical efficacy evaluation showed that VAS score decreased from (6.01±0.85) scores before treatment to (2.54±1.73) scores after treatment (P<0.05), and the WOMAC score decreased from (93.25±25.91) scores before treatment to (50.73±25.14) scores after treatment (P<0.05). The network analysis predicted that Osteoking might regulate the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways to exert the therapeutic effect. The clinical trial showed elevated TGF-β1 level (P<0.01) and lowered NF-κB subunit RELA and tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 1A (TNFRSF1A) levels (P<0.05) after treatment. The synergistic effects of these changes provide a multidimensional and comprehensive therapeutic efficacy for KOA, alleviating the joint pain and limited mobility in patients. ConclusionOsteoking showed significant therapeutic efficacy in treating KOA. Osteoking may act on multiple pathways involved in cartilage metabolism and inflammation. The findings provide experimental evidence and theoretical support for elucidating the multi-target mechanism of Osteoking in treating KOA.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail