1.Does Vertebral Cement Augmentation Reduce Postoperative Proximal Junction Complications in Spinal Deformity Corrective Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Dong LI ; Xin SUN ; Jie LI ; Yanjie XU ; Yong QIU ; Zezhang ZHU ; Zhen LIU
Neurospine 2025;22(1):51-66
Objective:
To assess the effectiveness of vertebral cement augmentation (VCA) at upper instrumented vertebra (UIV) and UIV+1 in preventing proximal junction complications in correction surgery for adult spinal deformity patients.
Methods:
A literature search was conducted on Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases for comparative studies published before December 30th, 2024. Two reviewers independently screened eligible articles based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, assessed study quality with Newcastle-Ottawa scale, and extracted data like study characteristics, surgical details, primary and secondary outcomes. Data analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4 and Stata software.
Results:
Of all 513 papers screened, a meta-analysis was conducted on 7 articles, which included 333 cases in the VCA group and 827 cases in the control group. Patients in the VCA group had significantly older age and lower T score than patients in the control group. Although there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of proximal junctional failure between the 2 groups, the results of the meta-analysis showed that the incidence of proximal junctional failure and the need for revision surgery were reduced by 36% and 71%, respectively, in the VCA group. One study reported 2 clinically silent pulmonary cement embolism and 1 patient requiring surgical decompression for cement leak into the spinal canal.
Conclusion
This meta-analysis supported the use of VCA in corrective surgery for spinal deformities patients, especially in patients with advanced age and osteoporosis.
2.Does Vertebral Cement Augmentation Reduce Postoperative Proximal Junction Complications in Spinal Deformity Corrective Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Dong LI ; Xin SUN ; Jie LI ; Yanjie XU ; Yong QIU ; Zezhang ZHU ; Zhen LIU
Neurospine 2025;22(1):51-66
Objective:
To assess the effectiveness of vertebral cement augmentation (VCA) at upper instrumented vertebra (UIV) and UIV+1 in preventing proximal junction complications in correction surgery for adult spinal deformity patients.
Methods:
A literature search was conducted on Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases for comparative studies published before December 30th, 2024. Two reviewers independently screened eligible articles based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, assessed study quality with Newcastle-Ottawa scale, and extracted data like study characteristics, surgical details, primary and secondary outcomes. Data analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4 and Stata software.
Results:
Of all 513 papers screened, a meta-analysis was conducted on 7 articles, which included 333 cases in the VCA group and 827 cases in the control group. Patients in the VCA group had significantly older age and lower T score than patients in the control group. Although there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of proximal junctional failure between the 2 groups, the results of the meta-analysis showed that the incidence of proximal junctional failure and the need for revision surgery were reduced by 36% and 71%, respectively, in the VCA group. One study reported 2 clinically silent pulmonary cement embolism and 1 patient requiring surgical decompression for cement leak into the spinal canal.
Conclusion
This meta-analysis supported the use of VCA in corrective surgery for spinal deformities patients, especially in patients with advanced age and osteoporosis.
3.Hypoxia Exercise Mediates The miR-27/PPARγ Pathway to Improve Lipid Metabolism in Obese Rats at Target Genes and Protein Levels
Wei KONG ; Jie SHAO ; Teng ZHAI ; Qian CHENG ; Fang-Zheng HAN ; Yi QU ; Lei ZHU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(6):1386-1400
ObjectiveTo explore the sequential effects of hypoxic exercising on miR-27/PPARγ and lipid metabolism target gene and protein expression levels in the obesity rats’ liver. Methods13-week-old male diet-induced obesity rats were randomly divided into three groups (n=10): normal oxygen concentration quiet group (N), hypoxia quiet group (H), hypoxic exercise group (HE). Exercise training on the horizontal animal treadmill for 1 h/d, 5 d/week for a total of 4 week, and the intensity of horizontal treadmill training was 20 m/min (hypoxic concentration was 13.6%). Comparison of the weights of perirenal fat and epididymal fat in rats across different groups and calculation of Lee’s index based on body weight and body length of rats in each group were done. And the serum concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were detected. RT-PCR and Western Blot were used to detect the levels of miR-27, PPARγ, CYP7A1 and CD36. ResultsHypoxic exercise decreased the expression levels of miR-27 in the obese rats’ liver, however, the expression level of PPARγ was gradually increased. The expression levels of miR-27 in HE group were significantly lower than N group (P<0.05). The expression levels of PPARγ mRNA in N group were significantly lower than H group (P<0.05), especially lower than HE group (P<0.01). The protein expression of PPARγ protein in N group was significantly lower than that other groups (P<0.01). The expression of lipid metabolism-related genes and proteins increased in the obese rats’ liver. The expression of CYP7A1 mRNA in N group was significantly lower than H group (P<0.05), especially lower than HE group (P<0.01). The expression of CYP7A1 protein in the obese rats’ liver in N group was extremely lower than H group and HE group (P<0.01). The protein expression of CD36 in N group was significantly lower than that in HE group (P<0.05). Hypoxia exercise improved the related physiological and biochemical indexes of lipid metabolism disorder. The perirenal fat weight of obese rats in HE group was extremely lower than N group and H group (P<0.01), and the perirenal fat weight in N group was significantly higher than H group (P<0.05). The epididymal fat weight in N group was significantly higher than H group (P<0.05), and extremely higher than HE group (P<0.01). The Lee’s index in HE group was extremely lower than N group and H group (P<0.01). The serum concentration of TC in obese rats in HE group was extremely lower than N group and H group (P<0.01). The serum concentration of TG in HE group was extremely lower than N group and H group (P<0.01). The serum concentration of LDL-C in N group was extremely higher than HE group (P<0.01). The serum concentration of HDL-C in N group was extremely lower than H group (P<0.01). ConclusionHypoxia and hypoxia exercise may negatively regulate the levels of PPARγ by inhibiting miR-27 in the obese rats’ liver, thereby affecting the expression of downstream target genes CYP7A1 and CD36, and promoting cholesterol, fatty acid oxidation and HDL-C transport in the liver, and ultimately the lipid levels in obese rats were improved. The effect of hypoxia exercise on improving blood lipid is better than simple hypoxia intervention.
4.Effects and mechanism of triptolide on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats
Dongjie ZHU ; Xinzheng HE ; Jie ZOU ; Shidan YU ; Hongxia LI
Journal of Pharmaceutical Practice and Service 2025;43(7):339-343
Objective To investigate the effect of triptolide on cerebral ischemia- reperfusion injury (CIRI) and explore its molecular mechanism. Methods One hundred and forty-four Wistar rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group, low, medium, high dose of triptolide group and butylphthalide group, with 24 rats in each group. The CIRI rat model was established by blocking the middle cerebral artery for 2 hours. 3 days before modeling, the rats in each group were ip administration once a day. 24 hours after reperfusion, the neurological deficit score was detected, the rate of cerebral infarction was measured by TTC staining, the blood brain barrier (BBB) permeability was detected by EB penetration test. The pathological changes neurons in the ischemic penumbra cortex were observed by HE and TUNEL staining. The content of inflammatory factors in ischemic cerebral cortex were detected by Elisa method. The expression of TLR4/NF-κB pathway related proteins were detected by Western blot. Results Compared with the model group, the neurological deficit score, cerebral infarction rate and EB content in the triptolide middle, high dose groups and the butylphthalide group were significantly decreased (P<0.05). The pathological changes of cortical neurons in the ischemic penumbra were significantly improved, and the apoptosis rate of neurons was significantly decreased (P<0.05). The content of TNF-α, IL-1β and the expression of TLR4, p-NF-κB, cleaved caspase-3, Bax were significantly decreased, the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly increased, the ratio of p-NF-κB/NF-κB and Bax/Bcl-2 were significantly decreased (P<0.05). The regulatory effect of the high dose triptolide group on various detection indexes were better than that of the butylphthalide group (P<0.05). Conclusion Triptolide could protect the permeability of BBB, improve the neurological deficit and neuropathy in CIRI rats, and reduce the rate of cerebral infarction, its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of TLR4/NF-κB pathway and which mediated inflammatory response and neuronal apoptosis.
6.Care report and literature analysis of exogenous insulin autoimmune syndrome
Yujuan WANG ; Quanzhi LI ; Jing WANG ; Mengyuan ZHU ; Xiaofei HAO ; Jie CHENG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(15):1921-1925
OBJECTIVE To explore the significance of pharmaceutical care through the diagnosis and treatment of a patient with exogenous insulin autoimmune syndrome (EIAS), combined with the analysis of literature reports. METHODS Clinical pharmacist participated in the diagnosis and treatment process of one case of EIAS. Based on the characteristics of the patient’s condition, the pharmacist provided medication suggestions and formulated pharmaceutical monitoring measures. At the same time, the pharmacist searched for relevant literature on insulin autoimmune syndrome (IAS) and EIAS, extracted data (gender, age, occurrence time, laboratory tests, clinical symptoms, intervention and outcome), and conducted analysis. RESULTS Based on the patient’s medication information in the past 3 years, clinical pharmacist determined that the EIAS was likely caused by insulin aspartate 30. The clinician adopted the clinical pharmacist’s suggestion to discontinue insulin and switch to oral hypoglycemic drugs. The patient improved after treatment. The literature analysis showed that among the 257 patients with IAS reported, 212 cases were caused by drugs; among them, 23 cases were caused by lipoic acid, and 56 cases were caused by exogenous insulin. There were no significant differences in age, glycosylated hemoglobin, and body mass index between the two groups. The lowest blood glucose level in the lipoic acid group was significantly lower than that in the exogenous insulin group (P<0.05). The proportion of females and the proportion of fasting insulin ≥ 1 000 μU/mL were significantly higher in the lipoic acid group than in the exogenous insulin group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Compared with EIAS, lipoic acid-induced IAS usually causes more severe hypoglycemia, and the fasting insulin level is usually higher than 1 000 μU/mL, which is more common in female patients. The participation of clinical pharmacists in the diagnosis and treatment of EIAS can help improve the diagnosis and treatment level of similar rare diseases and ensure the safety of patients’ medication.
7.Postoperative Stage-based Functional Protection Strategies for Lung Cancer Based on Theory of "Lungs Governing Qi"
Luchang CAO ; Guanghui ZHU ; Ruike GAO ; Manman XU ; Xiaoyu ZHU ; Wei HOU ; Ying ZHANG ; Jie LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(18):86-93
Lung cancer (LC) is a significant global public health issue, with both its incidence and mortality rates ranking among the highest worldwide. The age-standardized incidence and mortality rates are increasing annually, posing a serious threat to the life and health of LC patients. Radical surgical resection is the primary treatment for malignant lung tumors. However, postoperative multidimensional functional impairments, including respiratory, mucosal, and psychological functions, are common. These impairments not only reduce patients' quality of life and affect their treatment tolerance and duration, but also negatively correlate with prognosis, facilitating disease recurrence and metastasis. At present, postoperative functional dysfunction after LC surgery remains a key clinical challenge that urgently needs to be addressed. There is a lack of standardized and regulated postoperative rehabilitation treatment management and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) differentiation and treatment strategies for LC. Focusing on the core underlying pathogenesis of "Qi sinking" after LC surgery, and guided by the classical TCM theory of "lungs governing Qi", this study, based on the core concept of the "five perspectives on treatment" theory, innovatively proposes the respiratory dysfunction as the core pathogenesis of "Qi sinking in the chest" during the rapid rehabilitation phase, mucosal dysfunction as the core pathogenesis of "Yin deficiency and Qi sinking" during the postoperative adjuvant treatment phase, and the psychological dysfunction as the core pathogenesis of "Qi sinking with emotional constraint" during the consolidation phase. Accordingly, stage-specific dynamic functional protection strategies are constructed. In the rapid rehabilitation phase, the strategy emphasizes tonifying Qi and uplifting sinking Qi, with differentiation and treatment based on the principle of ''descending before ascending''. In the adjuvant treatment phase, the approach focuses on nourishing Yin and uplifting Qi, with prescription combinations that integrate unblocking and tonification. In the consolidation phase, the strategy aims to resolve constraint and uplift Qi, with clinical treatment emphasizing a combination of dynamic and static methods. At each stage of functional rehabilitation, clinical differentiation and treatment should support healthy Qi and eliminate pathogenic factors simultaneously. This study is the first to propose the concept of postoperative functional protection in TCM, offering a new approach for TCM differentiation and treatment in the full-cycle, stage-based, and dynamic protection of postoperative function in LC patients. It is expected to contribute to the construction and development of an integrated TCM-Western medicine comprehensive program for cancer prevention and treatment in China.
8.A Hierarchical Strategy for Differentiation and Treatment of Recurrent Aphthous Oral Ulcers Related to Targeted Therapy for Lung Cancer Based on Yin Deficiency and Qi Collapse
Luchang CAO ; Guanghui ZHU ; Ruike GAO ; Manman XU ; Xiaoyu ZHU ; Ming LIN ; Ying ZHANG ; Jie LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(18):116-125
Tumor treatment-related adverse reactions are a major focus of clinical concern, among which recurrent aphthous oral ulcers (RAU) associated with targeted therapy for lung cancer (LC) are among the most painful and distressing for patients. Currently, modern medical interventions show limited efficacy, and there is an urgent need for more effective treatment strategies. This study differentiates RAU associated with targeted therapy for LC from chemotherapy-related and ordinary oral ulcers, elucidates the pathophysiological basis of such ulcers, and traces the theoretical origin of "Yin deficiency and Qi collapse". Based on the new system of "five perspectives on diagnosis and treatment" for tumor prevention and treatment, with a focus on the core and symptom perspectives and rooted in the traditional concept of "lung dominating Qi", we innovatively propose the concept of "medicine-induced ulcer" and are the first to introduce the theory of "Yin deficiency and Qi collapse" into the syndrome differentiation and treatment of RAU associated with targeted therapy for LC (i.e., medicine-induced ulcer). We propose that "Yin deficiency and Qi collapse" is the core pathogenesis of medicine-induced ulcers, in which the collapse of formless Qi is the key to their onset, while the deficiency and stasis of tangible Yin and blood constitute the root of recurrence. A hierarchical strategy for syndrome differentiation and treatment is established: first treating the collapse of formless Qi, then replenishing tangible deficiencies, and concurrently preventing recurrence. We emphasize that treatment should address both root and manifestation, with appropriate prioritization. In the acute phase, while relieving symptoms and promoting ulcer healing by nourishing Qi, uplifting collapse, and generating body fluids, attention should also be paid to nourishing spleen Yin, facilitating the circulation of nutritive Qi, and alleviating stasis to target the root pathogenesis and reduce recurrence. A verified case is presented to support this approach. This study enriches the theoretical framework and clinical methods of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of RAU associated with targeted therapy for LC, promotes symptom management of treatment-related adverse reactions through integrated TCM and Western medicine, and provides theoretical support for the construction and development of a comprehensive differentiation and treatment system for lung cancer prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.
9.Relationship between angle kappa, angle alpha and objective visual quality in patients with multifocal intraocular lens
Chaojie* ZHU ; Tan* LONG ; Ting MA ; Jie YAN ; Rui WANG
International Eye Science 2025;25(9):1399-1405
AIM: To investigate how angles kappa and alpha affect postoperative visual quality in patients with multifocal intraocular lens(mIOLs)implantation.METHODS: Retrospective cases series. A total of 46 patients(46 eyes)who underwent phacoemulsification were subsumed. The correlation between Preoperative angles kappa and alpha, wave-front aberrations and objective visual quality of cornea, internal, and total eye after surgery were analyzed using iTrace.RESULTS: The magnitude of angle kappa was negatively correlated with internal and total modulation transfer function(MTF)at 3 mm; the magnitude of angle kappa was positively correlated with astigmatism, trefoil, higher-order aberrations(HOAs)of both internal and total eye at 3 mm. The magnitude of angle alpha was negatively correlated with total MTF and total Strehl ratio at 3 mm. The magnitude of angle alpha was positively correlated with corneal coma at 5 mm, internal astigmatism at both 3 mm and 5 mm, and total spherical aberration(SA)at 3 mm. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that, among candidate independent variables(kappa, alpha, astigmatism, SA, coma, trefoil, and HOAs), astigmatism is the only independent factor for altering corneal MTF at 3 mm and 5 mm; astigmatism and HOAs emerged as independent factors for altering internal MTF at 3 mm and 5 mm, and total MTF at 3 mm; astigmatism, SA and HOAs emerged as independent factors for altering total MTF at 5 mm.CONCLUSION: With greater preoperative angle kappa or angle alpha, patients who accept mIOL implantation tend to have larger internal astigmatism and HOAs, which resulting in poor visual quality, especially those with small pupil size.
10.Network Pharmacology and Experimental Verification Unraveled The Mechanism of Pachymic Acid in The Treatment of Neuroblastoma
Hang LIU ; Yu-Xin ZHU ; Si-Lin GUO ; Xin-Yun PAN ; Yuan-Jie XIE ; Si-Cong LIAO ; Xin-Wen DAI ; Ping SHEN ; Yu-Bo XIAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(9):2376-2392
ObjectiveTraditional Chinese medicine (TCM) constitutes a valuable cultural heritage and an important source of antitumor compounds. Poria (Poria cocos (Schw.) Wolf), the dried sclerotium of a polyporaceae fungus, was first documented in Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica and has been used therapeutically and dietarily in China for millennia. Traditionally recognized for its diuretic, spleen-tonifying, and sedative properties, modern pharmacological studies confirm that Poria exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antitumor activities. Pachymic acid (PA; a triterpenoid with the chemical structure 3β-acetyloxy-16α-hydroxy-lanosta-8,24(31)-dien-21-oic acid), isolated from Poria, is a principal bioactive constituent. Emerging evidence indicates PA exerts antitumor effects through multiple mechanisms, though these remain incompletely characterized. Neuroblastoma (NB), a highly malignant pediatric extracranial solid tumor accounting for 15% of childhood cancer deaths, urgently requires safer therapeutics due to the limitations of current treatments. Although PA shows multi-mechanistic antitumor potential, its efficacy against NB remains uncharacterized. This study systematically investigated the potential molecular targets and mechanisms underlying the anti-NB effects of PA by integrating network pharmacology-based target prediction with experimental validation of multi-target interactions through molecular docking, dynamic simulations, and in vitro assays, aimed to establish a novel perspective on PA’s antitumor activity and explore its potential clinical implications for NB treatment by integrating computational predictions with biological assays. MethodsThis study employed network pharmacology to identify potential targets of PA in NB, followed by validation using molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, MM/PBSA free energy analysis, RT-qPCR and Western blot experiments. Network pharmacology analysis included target screening via TCMSP, GeneCards, DisGeNET, SwissTargetPrediction, SuperPred, and PharmMapper. Subsequently, potential targets were predicted by intersecting the results from these databases via Venn analysis. Following target prediction, topological analysis was performed to identify key targets using Cytoscape software. Molecular docking was conducted using AutoDock Vina, with the binding pocket defined based on crystal structures. MD simulations were performed for 100 ns using GROMACS, and RMSD, RMSF, SASA, and hydrogen bonding dynamics were analyzed. MM/PBSA calculations were carried out to estimate the binding free energy of each protein-ligand complex. In vitro validation included RT-qPCR and Western blot, with GAPDH used as an internal control. ResultsThe CCK-8 assay demonstrated a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect of PA on NB cell viability. GO analysis suggested that the anti-NB activity of PA might involve cellular response to chemical stress, vesicle lumen, and protein tyrosine kinase activity. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis suggested that the anti-NB activity of PA might involve the PI3K/AKT, MAPK, and Ras signaling pathways. Molecular docking and MD simulations revealed stable binding interactions between PA and the core target proteins AKT1, EGFR, SRC, and HSP90AA1. RT-qPCR and Western blot analyses further confirmed that PA treatment significantly decreased the mRNA and protein expression of AKT1, EGFR, and SRC while increasing the HSP90AA1 mRNA and protein levels. ConclusionIt was suggested that PA may exert its anti-NB effects by inhibiting AKT1, EGFR, and SRC expression, potentially modulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. These findings provide crucial evidence supporting PA’s development as a therapeutic candidate for NB.


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