Analysis of the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical characteristics of osteoporosis in patients with essential hypertension.

BACKGROUND: The present study investigated the prevalence of osteoporosis (OP) among patients with essential hypertension (EH) in the Changchun community and analysed the correlation between EH and OP. METHODS: The study included 425 subjects with EH and 425 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Bone mineral density (BMD) and serum creatinine (CR) levels were measured, and the subjects' current EH and OP statuses were surveyed to analyse the correlation between EH and OP. RESULTS: The EH group exhibited lower BMD and a higher rate of having OP than the control group, and this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). A significant sex difference in the BMD T-score was observed among the subjects (male: - 1.19 ± 1.55, female: - 1.70 ± 1.34). In both the EH group and the control group, the rate of having OP in females was greater than that in males. However, the OP prevalence among subjects with EH varied significantly by age, body weight, fracture history, nocturnal urination frequency, depression and anxiety status, duration of hypertension, and antihypertensive medication use (p < 0.05). Two-way analysis of variance suggested an effect of the interaction between different EH statuses and bone mass conditions on the serum CR values (F = 3.584, p = 0.028, bias η2 = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of OP and low BMD were significantly higher among subjects with EH than among healthy controls. Additionally, the findings indicate that age, weight, fracture history, nocturnal urination frequency, depression and anxiety, duration of hypertension and antihypertensive drug use may be correlated to having OP in EH subjects, requiring further studies. Moreover, serum CR levels in subjects with different bone mass profiles were strongly influenced by the presence or absence of EH, and the serum CR levels differed significantly with the interaction of these two factors.

Long-term debridement effect of denervated large sacrococcygeal pressure injury: A case report.

RATIONALE: Complicated pressure injury in paraplegic patients is common and difficult to manage. Previous case studies have documented short-term management; however, little is known regarding suitable approaches to long-term clearing of extensive pressure injury in the sacrococcygeal area under denervation. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 53-year-old man was bedridden for 1.5 years owing to cervical vertebral fracture-dislocation (C5-C6), resulting in extensive sacrococcygeal pressure injury. DIAGNOSES: On admission, he presented with the injury complicated by infection (stage IV necrosis), and his vital signs were unstable. INTERVENTIONS: The infection was treated with a range of antibiotics, including clindamycin phosphate, metronidazole, cefoperazone sodium, and sulbactam sodium. Debridement of the pressure injury was performed, helping remove the necrotic tissue and stimulate tissue regeneration. OUTCOMES: The patient was discharged after 88 days of hospitalization. The extent of the pressure injury at discharge was reduced compared with that at admission. At 4-month follow-up, the injury was nearly healed, with no signs of any further complications. LESSONS: This case study suggests that wound debridement is a cost-effective and clinically efficacious approach to long-term complicated pressure injury management.

LncRNA ZFAS1 protects chondrocytes from IL-1ß-induced apoptosis and extracellular matrix degradation via regulating miR-7-5p/FLRT2 axis.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence suggested that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) played vital roles in osteoarthritis (OA) progression. In this study, we aimed to reveal the protective roles of lncRNA ZFAS1 in osteoarthritis (OA) and further investigated its underlying mechanism. METHODS: The chondrocytes were stimulated by IL-1ß to establish an in vitro OA model. Then, the expression of ZFAS1, miR-7-5p, and FLRT2 in chondrocytes was determined by qRT-PCR. Gain- and loss-of-function assays of ZFAS1, miR-7-5p and FLRT2 were conducted. CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry analysis were performed to detect cell viability and apoptosis rate. The expression levels of cartilage-related proteins, including MMP13, ADAMTS5, Collagen II, and Aggrecan, were measured by western blot analysis. The interaction between ZFAS1 and miR-7-5p, as well as miR-7-5p and FLRT2, was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay. RESULTS: The expression of ZFAS1 and FLRT2 was down-regulated, while the expression of miR-7-5p was up-regulated in chondrocytes exposed to IL-1ß. ZFAS1 overexpression promoted cell viability and suppressed apoptosis in IL-1ß-treated chondrocytes. Besides, ZFAS1 overexpression suppressed the expression of MMP13 and ADAMTS5, but promoted the expression of Collagen II and Aggrecan to suppress ECM degradation. The mechanistic study showed that ZFAS1 sponged miR-7-5p to regulate FLRT2 expression. Furthermore, the overexpression of miR-7-5p could neutralize the effect of ZFAS1 in IL-1ß-treated chondrocytes, and suppression of FLRT2 counteracted the miR-7-5p down-regulation role in IL-1ß-treated chondrocytes. CONCLUSIONS: ZFAS1 could promote cell viability of IL-1ß-treated chondrocytes via regulating miR-7-5p/FLRT2 axis. Trial registration Not applicable.

Cytoprotective effect of Fufang Lurong Jiangu capsule against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in bone marrow stromal cell-derived osteoblasts through the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: Oxidative stress is increasingly recognized as a risk factor associated with the development and progression of osteoporosis. Fufang Lurong Jiangu Capsule (FLJC) has a known anti-osteoporotic effect, but its pharmacological effect on osteoblasts is not clearly understood. This study was designed to investigate FLJC effects/mechanisms on in vitro hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative damage of osteoblasts and on in vivo lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mice bone loss. FLJC alleviates osteoporosis via unknown pharmacological mechanisms. METHODS: Chemical compositions of FLJC preparations were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatographic fingerprinting. After rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell differentiation induction, resulting osteoblasts received various 48 h FLJC pretreatments before H2O2-based (200 µM) oxidative stress exposure. FLJC effects were measured on osteoblast cell viability, morphological changes, levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), localization of mitochondria, activity of antioxidant enzymes, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and mineralization, the secretion of Col I and expression of osteogenic markers. The percentages of apoptosis were determined by flow cytometric analysis; apoptosis-related protein levels, including nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) with or without Nrf2 inhibitor were analyzed via western blot. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and ALP staining revealed in vivo FLJC effect on mice LPS-induced bone loss. RESULTS: Five chemical components in FLJC were identified, and fingerprint analysis showed good reproducibility. FLJC pretreatment significantly reduced H2O2-induced ROS levels in osteoblasts and increased antioxidant enzyme activities to reduce oxidative damage. With regard to osteoblast differentiation, FLJC pretreatment increased ALP expression, as well as levels of mineralization and osteoblast markers. Additionally, FLJC protected against H2O2-induced apoptosis by inhibiting changes in expression of major Bcl-2 family effector proteins of the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Furthermore, FLJC protected cells from H2O2-induced oxidative damage by up-regulating Nrf2 and HO-1 protein levels. Finally, we confirmed that FLJC administration could reverse the bone loss in LPS-induced mice. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that FLJC may significantly attenuate oxidative damage of osteoblasts induced by H2O2 via the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, providing new insights to guide development of treatments for osteoporosis induced by oxidative injury.