ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which the ethanol extract of Epimedium brevicornu （EEBM） intervenes in mesenchymal adipose-derived stem cells （ADSCs） to delay aging in castrated rats. MethodsForty-five 3-month-old SPF female SD rats were ovariectomized and randomly divided into model group， ADSCs treatment group， and ADSCs groups treated with low， medium， and high concentrations of EEBM （1， 50， 100 μg·L^-1）， referred to as the AE low， medium， and high concentration groups， with 9 rats in each group. After tail vein injection of 200 μL of the corresponding stem cell suspension， aging-related indicators including cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor （p21）， tumor suppressor gene （p53）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-8 （IL-8）， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， cysteine-aspartic acid protease-3 （Caspase-3）， and lipofuscin were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） and Western blot. ResultsCompared with the model group， the IL-6 content in the AE low， medium， and high concentration groups was significantly decreased （P<0.05）. Lipofuscin， MDA， and IL-8 levels in the ADSCs treatment group and AE low， medium， and high concentration groups were significantly reduced （P<0.01）， while SOD content was significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the ADSCs treatment group， lipofuscin and IL-8 levels in the AE low， medium， and high concentration groups were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The MDA content was significantly decreased in the AE medium concentration group （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， protein levels of p21， p53， Bax， and Caspase-3 in the ADSCs treatment group and AE low， medium， and high concentration groups were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the Bcl-2 protein level was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the ADSCs treatment group， protein levels of p21， p53， Bax， and Caspase-3 in the AE low， medium， and high concentration groups were significantly reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the Bcl-2 protein level in the AE low concentration group was significantly increased （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe results of this experiment show that EEBM-treated ADSCs or ADSCs may delay aging in castrated rats by inhibiting cell apoptosis， reducing cell cycle inhibitors and pro-inflammatory factors， enhancing antioxidant capacity， and reducing oxidative reactions. Moreover， EEBM-treated ADSCs demonstrate stronger anti-aging effects than ADSCs alone. This study provides experimental evidence supporting the clinical use of EEBM to intervene in ADSCs and delay aging.

ObjectiveBased on the adenosine 5'-monophosphate （AMP）-activated protein kinase/protein kinase B/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （AMPK/Akt/Nrf2） pathway， this study aims to explore the mechanism by which modified Guishenwan improves glucose and lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS） rats. MethodsA PCOS rat model was established by continuous oral administration of letrozole （1 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） for 21 days. Successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into a model group， a metformin group （0.25 g·kg^-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose modified Guishenwan groups （4.01， 8.02， and 16.04 g·kg^-1·d^-1）， with 8 rats in each group. Ten normal rats were assigned to the normal group. The drug groups were given their respective doses， while the normal and model groups were given an equal volume of normal saline. Intervention lasted for 4 weeks. Testosterone （T）， estradiol （E₂）， follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， and luteinizing hormone （LH） were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and the LH/FSH ratio was calculated. Fasting blood glucose （FPG）， fasting insulin （FINS）， triglyceride （TG）， and total cholesterol （TC） levels were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer， and the insulin resistance index （HOMA-IR） and insulin sensitivity index （HOMA-ISI） were calculated. Oral glucose tolerance test （OGTT） and insulin tolerance test （ITT） were conducted. Malondialdehyde （MDA）， advanced glycation end products （AGEs）， and superoxide dismutase （SOD） levels in serum and ovarian tissue were measured using a chemical fluorescence method. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to assess ovarian tissue pathology. Real-time quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot were used to measure the expression of AMPK/Akt/Nrf2 pathway-related genes and proteins in ovarian tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group exhibited significantly increased levels of T， LH， LH/FSH， FPG， FINS， TG， TC， and HOMA-IR， while FSH， E₂， and HOMA-ISI were significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. MDA and AGEs levels were significantly higher in both serum and ovarian tissue， and SOD levels were significantly reduced （P<0.05）. AMPK， Akt， and Nrf2 mRNA and protein expression in ovarian tissue was also significantly reduced （P<0.05）. The OGTT and ITT results showed significantly higher blood glucose levels at each time point （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with impaired glucose and insulin tolerance. Ovarian follicles showed polycystic changes， reduced corpus luteum， and sparse granulosa cell layers. Compared with the model group， the metformin group and the high-dose modified Guishenwan group showed significant decreases in T， LH， LH/FSH， FPG， FINS， TG， TC， and HOMA-IR， while FSH， E₂， and HOMA-ISI were significantly increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In the high-dose modified Guishenwan group， MDA and AGEs levels in serum and ovarian tissue were significantly reduced， and SOD levels were significantly increased （P<0.05）. The mRNA and protein expression of AMPK， Akt， and Nrf2 in ovarian tissue was significantly increased （P<0.05）. OGTT and ITT results showed that blood glucose levels in rats decreased significantly at each time point （P<0.05， P<0.01）. No obvious abnormalities were observed in ovarian tissue. Compared with the low-dose modified Guishenwan group， the high-dose group showed significant decreases in T， LH， LH/FSH， FPG， FINS， TG， TC， and HOMA-IR， while FSH， E₂， and HOMA-ISI were significantly increased （P<0.05）. OGTT and ITT results indicated that the high-dose modified Guishenwan group significantly improved glucose and insulin tolerance in rats. No significant abnormalities were observed in ovarian tissue. ConclusionModified Guishenwan effectively improves glucose and lipid metabolism abnormalities and inhibits oxidative stress in PCOS rats， potentially through regulation of the AMPK/Akt/Nrf2 pathway.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the anatomical relationship among the nerve roots, intervertebral space, pedicles, and intradural rootlets of the cervical spine for improving operative outcomes and exploring neuroventral decompression approach in posterior endoscopic cervical discectomy (PECD). Methods: Cervical computed tomography myelography imaging data from January 2021 to May 2023 were collected, and the RadiAnt DICOM Viewer Software was employed to conduct multiplane reconstruction. The following parameters were recorded: width of nerve root (WN), nerve root-superior pedicle distance (NSPD), nerve root-inferior pedicle distance (NIPD), and the relationship between the intervertebral space and the nerve root (shoulder, anterior, and axillary). Additionally, the descending angles between the spinal cord and the ventral (VRA) and dorsal (DRA) rootlets were measured. Results: The WN showed a gradual increase from C4 to C7, with measurements notably larger in men compared to women. The NSPD decreased gradually from the C2–3 to the C5–6 levels. However, the NIPD showed an opposite level-related change, notably larger than the NSPD at the C4–5, C5–6, and C7–T1 levels. Furthermore, significant differences in NIPD were observed between different age groups and genders. The incidence of the anterior type exhibited a gradual decrease from the C2–3 to the C5–6 levels. Conversely, the axillary type exhibited an opposite level-related change. Additionally, the VRA and DRA decreased as the level descended, with measurements significantly larger in females. Conclusion A prediction of the positional relationship between the intervertebral space and the nerve root is essential for the direct neuroventral decompression in PECD to avoid damaging the neural structures. The axillary route of the nerve root offers a safer and more effective pathway for performing direct neuroventral decompression compared to the shoulder approach.

Objective: This study investigates the potential of radiomics to predict postoperative progression of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) after posterior cervical spine surgery. Methods: This retrospective study included 473 patients diagnosed with OPLL at Peking University Third Hospital between October 2006 and September 2022. Patients underwent posterior spinal surgery and had at least 2 computed tomography (CT) examinations spaced at least 1 year apart. OPLL progression was defined as an annual growth rate exceeding 7.5%. Radiomic features were extracted from preoperative CT images of the OPLL lesions, followed by feature selection using correlation coefficient analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and dimensionality reduction using principal component analysis. Univariable analysis identified significant clinical variables for constructing the clinical model. Logistic regression models, including the Rad-score model, clinical model, and combined model, were developed to predict OPLL progression. Results: Of the 473 patients, 191 (40.4%) experienced OPLL progression. On the testing set, the combined model, which incorporated the Rad-score and clinical variables (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.751), outperformed both the radiomics-only model (AUC = 0.693) and the clinical model (AUC = 0.620). Calibration curves demonstrated good agreement between predicted probabilities and observed outcomes, and decision curve analysis confirmed the clinical utility of the combined model. SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis indicated that the Rad-score and age were key contributors to the model’s predictions, enhancing clinical interpretability. Conclusion Radiomics, combined with clinical variables, provides a valuable predictive tool for assessing the risk of postoperative progression in cervical OPLL, supporting more personalized treatment strategies. Prospective, multicenter validation is needed to confirm the utility of the model in broader clinical settings.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the anatomical relationship among the nerve roots, intervertebral space, pedicles, and intradural rootlets of the cervical spine for improving operative outcomes and exploring neuroventral decompression approach in posterior endoscopic cervical discectomy (PECD). Methods: Cervical computed tomography myelography imaging data from January 2021 to May 2023 were collected, and the RadiAnt DICOM Viewer Software was employed to conduct multiplane reconstruction. The following parameters were recorded: width of nerve root (WN), nerve root-superior pedicle distance (NSPD), nerve root-inferior pedicle distance (NIPD), and the relationship between the intervertebral space and the nerve root (shoulder, anterior, and axillary). Additionally, the descending angles between the spinal cord and the ventral (VRA) and dorsal (DRA) rootlets were measured. Results: The WN showed a gradual increase from C4 to C7, with measurements notably larger in men compared to women. The NSPD decreased gradually from the C2–3 to the C5–6 levels. However, the NIPD showed an opposite level-related change, notably larger than the NSPD at the C4–5, C5–6, and C7–T1 levels. Furthermore, significant differences in NIPD were observed between different age groups and genders. The incidence of the anterior type exhibited a gradual decrease from the C2–3 to the C5–6 levels. Conversely, the axillary type exhibited an opposite level-related change. Additionally, the VRA and DRA decreased as the level descended, with measurements significantly larger in females. Conclusion A prediction of the positional relationship between the intervertebral space and the nerve root is essential for the direct neuroventral decompression in PECD to avoid damaging the neural structures. The axillary route of the nerve root offers a safer and more effective pathway for performing direct neuroventral decompression compared to the shoulder approach.

Objective: This study investigates the potential of radiomics to predict postoperative progression of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) after posterior cervical spine surgery. Methods: This retrospective study included 473 patients diagnosed with OPLL at Peking University Third Hospital between October 2006 and September 2022. Patients underwent posterior spinal surgery and had at least 2 computed tomography (CT) examinations spaced at least 1 year apart. OPLL progression was defined as an annual growth rate exceeding 7.5%. Radiomic features were extracted from preoperative CT images of the OPLL lesions, followed by feature selection using correlation coefficient analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and dimensionality reduction using principal component analysis. Univariable analysis identified significant clinical variables for constructing the clinical model. Logistic regression models, including the Rad-score model, clinical model, and combined model, were developed to predict OPLL progression. Results: Of the 473 patients, 191 (40.4%) experienced OPLL progression. On the testing set, the combined model, which incorporated the Rad-score and clinical variables (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.751), outperformed both the radiomics-only model (AUC = 0.693) and the clinical model (AUC = 0.620). Calibration curves demonstrated good agreement between predicted probabilities and observed outcomes, and decision curve analysis confirmed the clinical utility of the combined model. SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis indicated that the Rad-score and age were key contributors to the model’s predictions, enhancing clinical interpretability. Conclusion Radiomics, combined with clinical variables, provides a valuable predictive tool for assessing the risk of postoperative progression in cervical OPLL, supporting more personalized treatment strategies. Prospective, multicenter validation is needed to confirm the utility of the model in broader clinical settings.

BACKGROUND:Previous studies by our research group discovered that Jiawei Xiaoyao San has a significant anti-liver cancer effect,but the specific mechanism of action was unclear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the regulatory effects of the traditional Chinese medicine formula Jiawei Xiaoyao San on the levels of miRNAs in plasma exosomes of rats with diethylnitrosamine chronically induced primary liver cancer,based on high-throughput sequencing combined with bioinformatics. METHODS:SD rats were randomly divided into a blank control group,a liver cancer model group,and a Jiawei Xiaoyao San treatment group.Liver cancer models were induced by continuous administration of diethylnitrosamine for 12 weeks.Starting from the 17th week,rats in the Jiawei Xiaoyao San treatment group were administered Jiawei Xiaoyao San once daily until the end of the 20th week,while rats in the blank control and liver cancer model groups were given an equivalent volume of saline.Anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effects were validated by assessing the morphological structure of rat liver tissues,along with the expression of the hepatocellular carcinoma markers,Glypican-3 protein and serum alpha-fetoprotein.Plasma exosomes from each group of rats were isolated using ultracentrifugation.High-throughput sequencing technology was used to screen for differentially expressed miRNAs in rat plasma exosomes.Bioinformatics was used to predict the potential biomarkers through which Jiawei Xiaoyao San exerts its anti-liver cancer effects via liver cancer-derived exosomal miRNAs,followed by functional analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Jiawei Xiaoyao San significantly improved the morphological structure of liver tissues in a rat model of liver cancer.Compared with the liver cancer model group,the expression of liver cancer markers Glypican-3 protein and serum alpha-fetoprotein was significantly reduced in the Jiawei Xiaoyao San treatment group.(2)Bioinformatics analysis showed that in the Jiawei Xiaoyao San group,upregulated miR-223-3p in the liver cancer model group had target binding sites with genes E2F1 and NCOA1,which were closely related to liver cancer survival and prognosis.Therefore,Jiawei Xiaoyao San has a therapeutic effect on liver cancer,possibly by targeting negative regulation of NCOA1/E2F1 through liver cancer plasma-derived exosomal miR-223-3p,thereby playing anti-liver cancer effect.

BACKGROUND:The granulosa cell state greatly affects the quality of oocytes.As the increased proportion of aged women in assisted reproduction,granulosa cells from patients of different ages are examined at transcript levels in order to better assess oocyte quality. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the expression changes of mRNA and long non-coding RNA in granulosa cells from the young and aged patients. METHODS:Waste cumulus granulosa cells obtained during the assisted reproductive cycle.Young group was in 25-35 years old,and the aged group was in 38-45 years old.Granulosa cells collected from the young and aged females were analyzed using RNA sequencing,three replications for each group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The RNA sequencing analysis results showed that the average sequencing volume of samples was more than 14 G;the data quality Q30 after quality control was more than 93%;the average mapping rate of data was 98.4%,which indicates that the data had good quality.(2)The results of principal component analysis and correlation analysis showed that the samples of the aged group and the young group could be clearly distinguished.(3)The difference analysis results showed that compared with the young group,a total of 410 differentially expressed mRNAs were detected in the aged group(167 up-regulated and 243 down-regulated).GO analysis results showed that the down-regulated genes were mainly enriched in regulatedexocytosis and the emetabolicprocess.GSEA analysis results showed that secretion-related pathways in the aged group were down-regulated.(4)Compared with the young group,662 differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs were detected in the aged group,and 1 772 protein-coding genes were directly regulated by these long non-coding RNAs,among which 59 genes overlaped with differentially expressed genes.The results showed that the expression of secretion-related genes and pathways in granulosa cells of the aged group was down-regulated,thus affecting oocyte quality.At the same time,these down-regulated genes were regulated by long non-coding RNA.Therefore,the expression of long non-coding RNA might be related to age.

BACKGROUND:In recent years,with the in-depth study of programmed cell death,new models of programmed cell death(mitophagy,ferroptosis,cuproptosis,and disulfidptosis)involved in Alzheimer's disease injury are gradually emerging and have large research space in the future. OBJECTIVE:To review the molecular mechanism of novel programmed cell death mode(mitophagy,ferroptosis,cuproptosis,and disulfidptosis),the crosstalk mechanism of novel cell death mode,and clinical transformation in Alzheimer's disease,aiming to provide a new perspective for exploring the mechanism of action and drug targets in Alzheimer's disease. METHODS:The first author used the computer to search the literature published between 1991 and 2024.101 articles were finally included according to the inclusion criteria. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Programmed cell death is a necessary regulatory pathway to maintain normal cell renewal and homeostasis.Among them,new types of programmed cell death such as mitophagy,ferroptosis,cuproptosis,and disulfidptosis are hot research fields in life science.(2)Mitophagy can clear damaged mitochondria in Alzheimer's disease neurons,reduce intracellular reactive oxygen species,restore the energy metabolism and signal transduction of neurons in Alzheimer's disease,and play a crucial role in regulating the health and function of neurons.(3)Studies on ferroptosis in Alzheimer's disease have attracted much attention.It can regulate Alzheimer's disease through various ways such as cystine/glutamate,iron metabolism,and polyunsaturated fatty acids,thus affecting Aβ deposition and Tau protein phosphorylation.Recent studies have shown that natural polyphenols,Suanzoren decoction,poria acid,and vitamin E can resist ferroptosis in Alzheimer's disease.(4)Cuproptosis is a new and unique form of cell death involving copper dependence,accumulation of fatty acylated proteins,and reduction of iron-sulfur tufting proteins.Excessive copper exposure may directly interact with Aβ plaques and amyloid precursor proteins,exacerbating cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease.Currently,the research field of cuproptosis is emerging,and the mechanism of action has not been fully clarified.(5)Disulfidptosis,as an emerging form of programmed cell death,is caused by disulfide stress due to excessive cystine accumulation and glucose starvation,resulting in damage to the actin skeleton associated with Alzheimer's disease.(6)Various patterns of programmed cell death have a tandem mechanism in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease,forming an interaction network of various programmed cell death with autophagy as the core,providing great potential for multi-level and multi-target regulation of Alzheimer's disease.The crosstalk network mechanism between autophagy,necroptosis,and pyroptosis/ferroptosis co-regulates Alzheimer's disease.(7)Cuproptosis and disulfidptosis,as a new mode of programmed death,have not been reported deeply enough in Alzheimer's disease,and further research and continuous attentions are still needed in the future.(8)Since most studies on mitophagy,ferroptosis,cuproptosis,and disulfidptosis are based on basic experiments or biogenic analysis,there is a lack of large-scale and long-term clinical research validation.Further in-depth studies are needed in the future to provide new ideas and effective strategies for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

ObjectiveTo construct a group-based trajectory model (GBTM) for early medication adherence check-in, and to analyze the relationship between different trajectories and treatment outcomes in tuberculosis patients using data that were generated from smart tools for monitoring their medication adherence and check-in. MethodsFrom October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023, a total of 163 pulmonary tuberculosis patients diagnosed in Fengxian District were selected as the study subjects. The GBTM was utilized to analyze the weekly active check-in trajectories of the subjects during the first 4 weeks and establish different trajectory groups. The χ² tests were employed to compare the differences between groups and logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between different trajectory groups and treatment outcomes. ResultsA total of four groups were generated by GBTM analyses, of which a low level of punch card was maintained in group A, 6% of the drug users increased rapidly from a low level in group B, 17% of drug users increased gradually from a low level in group C, and 18% of drug users maintained a high level of punch card in group D. The trajectory group was divided into two groups according to homogeneity, namely the low level medication punch card group (group A) and the high level medication punch card group (group B, group C, and group D). The results of multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that low-level medication check-in (OR=3.250, 95%CI: 1.089‒9.696), increasing age (OR=1.030, 95%CI: 1.004‒1.056), and not undergoing sputum examination at the end of the fifth month (OR=2.746, 95%CI: 1.090‒7.009) were significantly associated with poor treatment outcomes. ConclusionThe medication check-in trajectory of pulmonary tuberculosis patients within the first 4 weeks is correlated with adverse outcomes, or namely consistent low-level medication adherence check-ins are associated with poor treatment outcomes, while high-level medication adherence check-ins are associated with a lower incidence of adverse outcomes.