Age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index is associated with the risk of osteoporosis in older fall-prone men: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence linking the age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (aCCI), an assessment tool for multimorbidity, to fragility fracture and fracture-related postoperative complications. However, the role of multimorbidity in osteoporosis has not yet been thoroughly evaluated. We aimed to investigate the association between aCCI and the risk of osteoporosis in older adults at moderate to high risk of falling. METHODS: A total of 947 men were included from January 2015 to August 2022 in a hospital in Beijing, China. The aCCI was calculated by counting age and each comorbidity according to their weighted scores, and the participants were stratified into two groups by aCCI: low (aCCI < 5), and high (aCCI ≥5). The Kaplan Meier method was used to assess the cumulative incidence of osteoporosis by different levels of aCCI. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the association of aCCI with the risk of osteoporosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was adapted to assess the performance for aCCI in osteoporosis screening. RESULTS: At baseline, the mean age of all patients was 75.7 years, the mean BMI was 24.8 kg/m2, and 531 (56.1%) patients had high aCCI while 416 (43.9%) were having low aCCI. During a median follow-up of 6.6 years, 296 participants developed osteoporosis. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that participants with high aCCI had significantly higher cumulative incidence of osteoporosis compared with those had low aCCI (log-rank test: P < 0.001). When aCCI was examined as a continuous variable, the multivariable-adjusted model showed that the osteoporosis risk increased by 12.1% (HR = 1.121, 95% CI 1.041-1.206, P = 0.002) as aCCI increased by one unit. When aCCI was changed to a categorical variable, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios associated with different levels of aCCI [low (reference group) and high] were 1.00 and 1.557 (95% CI 1.223-1.983) for osteoporosis (P <  0.001), respectively. The aCCI (cutoff ≥5) revealed an area under ROC curve (AUC) of 0.566 (95%CI 0.527-0.605, P = 0.001) in identifying osteoporosis in older fall-prone men, with sensitivity of 64.9% and specificity of 47.9%. CONCLUSIONS: The current study indicated an association of higher aCCI with an increased risk of osteoporosis among older fall-prone men, supporting the possibility of aCCI as a marker of long-term skeletal-related adverse clinical outcomes.

The levels and related factors of posttraumatic growth among nurses: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Nurses often encounter traumatic events in their clinical practice. Trauma can have both negative effects, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and positive effects, such as growth and positive emotions. Posttraumatic growth is beneficial for nurses, as it contributes to positive mental health outcomes and increases life satisfaction. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Our study confirms that nurses commonly experience posttraumatic growth after being exposed to traumatic events, and the level of growth is moderate. We have identified individual, work-related, and social and organizational factors that may influence the occurrence of posttraumatic growth among nurses. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Our findings provide valuable insights for interventions aimed at promoting posttraumatic growth among nurses. It is crucial to consider individual factors, work-related factors, and social and organizational factors when designing these interventions. By addressing these factors, healthcare professionals can support nurses in coping with trauma and facilitate their posttraumatic growth. ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: While the negative effects of trauma on nurses have been well-documented, it is equally important to focus on ways to promote posttraumatic growth (PTG) among nurses. AIM: This study aims to explore the levels and related factors of PTG among nurses. METHOD: A comprehensive search was conducted across nine databases up to 26 December 2022. The pooled mean score for PTG was calculated and presented with a 95% confidence interval. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were performed to identify potential moderators of PTG among nurses. RESULTS: A total of 55 studies, involving 35,621 nurses from 11 countries and regions, were included in this review. The pooled scores of the PTG indicated that nurses experienced a moderate level of PTG (55.69, 95% CI: 50.67-60.72). DISCUSSION: Nurses commonly experience PTG following exposure to traumatic events, with a moderate level of PTG. Our systematic review highlights the potential determinants of PTG among nurses, including individual, work-related, and social and organizational factors. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Targeting these factors in interventions can provide nurses with the necessary resources and support to effectively cope with stress and trauma, and potentially facilitate PTG.

Comprehensive Review on Fabricating Bioactive Ceramic Bone Scaffold Using Vat Photopolymerization.

In recent years, bioactive ceramic bone scaffolds have drawn remarkable attention as an alternative method for treating and repairing bone defects. Vat photopolymerization (VP) is a promising additive manufacturing (AM) technique that enables the efficient and accurate fabrication of bioactive ceramic bone scaffolds. This review systematically reviews the research progress of VP-printed bioactive ceramic bone scaffolds. First, a summary and comparison of commonly used bioactive ceramics and different VP techniques are provided. This is followed by a detailed introduction to the preparation of ceramic suspensions and optimization of printing and heat treatment processes. The mechanical strength and biological performance of the VP-printed bioactive ceramic scaffolds are then discussed. Finally, current challenges and future research directions in this field are highlighted.

An integrated strategy to explore the wine-processed mechanism of Corni Fructus on chronic renal failure based on metabolomics, network analysis and bioinformatics approaches.

OBJECTIVES: Corni Fructus is one of the most famous traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) for the treatment of various chronic kidney diseases. Wine-processed Corni Fructus (WCF) is the main processed form of Crude Corni Fructus (CCF). In this study, potential mechanisms of action of CCF and WCF on chronic renal failure (CRF) model were developed to explore wine-processed mechanism of Corni Fructus. METHODS: An integrated strategy combining metabolomics, network analysis and bioinformatics analysis has been established to investigate the therapeutic mechanisms of WCF and CCF in rats with CRF. KEY FINDINGS: The histopathological results showed that both WCF and CCF improved kidney injury and dysfunction of CRF rats, but WCF was more effective than CCF. Metabolic pathway analysis indicated that 24 metabolites and 5 major disturbed pathways associated with CCF, while WCF regulated 27 metabolites and 2 metabolic pathways. Bioinformatic analysis and network analysis revealed that 8 genes and 7 genes were regulated by CCF and WCF on CRF rats, respectively. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction experiments verified the regulatory ability of CCF and WCF on the expression of 4 genes. CONCLUSIONS: An integrated strategy combined metabolomics, network analysis and bioinformatics was established to provide valuable holistic insight to explore the processing mechanism of TCMs.

The design and evaluation of bionic porous bone scaffolds in fluid flow characteristics and mechanical properties.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: At present, there is a lack of efficient modeling methods for bionic artificial bone scaffolds, and the tissue fluid/nutrient mass transport characteristics of bone scaffolds has not been evaluated sufficiently. This study aims to explore an effective and efficient modeling method for biomimetic porous bone scaffolds for biological three-dimensional printing based on the imitation of the histomorphological characteristics of human vertebral cancellous bone. The fluid mass transport and mechanical characteristics of the porous scaffolds were evaluated and compared with those of a human cancellous bone,and the relationship between the geometric parameters (e.g., the size, number, shape of pores and porosity) and the performence of biomimetic porous bone scaffolds are revealed. METHODS: The bionic modeling design method proposed in this study considers the biological characteristics of vertebral cancellous tissue and performs imitation and design of vertebrae-like two-dimensional slices images.It then reconstructs the slices layer-by-layer to form porous scaffolds with a three-dimensional reconstruction method, similar to computed tomography image reconstruction. By controlling the design parameters, this method can easily realize the formation of plate-like (femoral cancellous bone-like) or rod-like (vertebral cancellous bone-like) porous scaffolds. The flow characterization of porous structures was performed using the computational fluid simulation method. RESULTS: The flow characterization results showed that the permeability of the porous scaffolds and human bone was 10-8∼10-9m2,and when the porosity of the porous scaffolds was higher than 70%, the permeability was higher than that of human vertebrae with a porosity of 82%. The maximum shear stress of the designed porous scaffolds and human vertebra were less than 0.8Mpa, which was conducive to cell adhesion, cell migration, and cell differentiation. The results of 3D printing and mechanical testing showed good printability and reflected the relationship between the mechanical properties and design parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The design method proposed in this study has many controllable parameters, which can be adjusted to generate diversified functional porous structures to meet specific needs, increase the potential of bone scaffold design, and leave room for meeting the new requirements for bone scaffold characteristics in the future.

The study of bone mineral density measured by quantitative computed tomography in middle-aged and elderly men with abnormal glucose metabolism.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the value of quantitative computed tomography (QCT) measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) in middle-aged and elderly men with abnormal blood glucose. METHODS: Total 138 men aged above 50 years old with routine physical examination were involved in the study. All participants were evaluated with serological index, BMD by QCT and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Statistical analysis was conducted by χ2 test and regression model. RESULTS: All individuals were divided into normal blood glucose (NBG) group and abnormal blood glucose (ABG) group. Compared with NBG group, BMD detected by QCT was obviously lower in ABG group (P < 0.05). More cases with low bone mass or osteoporosis were detected by QCT measurement than DXA (χ2 = 56.618, P = 0.000), which were consistent in both NBG and ABG groups (χ2 was 33.564 and 23.250, P = 0.000). No significant difference of detection rates was found in both subgroups neither by QCT nor DXA measurement (χ2 = 4.204, P = 0.122). Regression analysis revealed that ABG was negatively associated with BMD assessed by QCT (ß = -0.217, P < 0.05), which did not show statistical difference after adjusting for age. CONCLUSION: In middle-aged and elderly male patients with NBG or ABG, QCT manifests higher detection rates of low bone mass and osteoporosis than DXA. ABG is negatively correlated with BMD measured by QCT, which is affected by age.

An integrated strategy to reveal the potential anti-asthma mechanism of peimine by metabolite profiling, network pharmacology, and molecular docking.

Peimine, one of the major quality markers in Fritillaria Cirrhosae Bulbus, was expected to become a new anti-asthma drug. However, its metabolic profiles and anti-asthma mechanism have not been clarified previously. In this study, a method was developed for the detection of peimine metabolites in vitro by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid triple quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The potential anti-asthma mechanism was predicted by an integrated analysis of network pharmacology and molecular docking. A total of 19 metabolites were identified with the aid of software and molecular networking. The metabolic profiles of peimine elucidated that the metabolism was a multi-pathway process with characteristics of species difference. The network pharmacology results showed that peimine and its metabolites could regulate multiple asthma-related targets. The above targets were involved in various regulatory pathways linked to asthma. Moreover, the results of molecular docking showed that both peimine and its metabolites had a certain affinity with the ß2 adrenergic receptor. The results provided not only important references to understand the metabolism and pharmacodynamic changes of peimine in vitro, but also supporting data for further pharmacological evaluation. It also provided a new perspective for clarifying the functional changes of traditional Chinese medicine in vitro.

Success Factors of Additive Manufactured Root Analogue Implants.

Dental implantation is an effective method for the treatment of loose teeth, but the threaded dental implants used in the clinic cannot match with the tooth extraction socket. A root analogue implant (RAI) has the congruence shape, which reduces the damage to bone and soft tissue. Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies have the advantages of high precision, flexibility, and easy operation, becoming the main manufacturing method of RAI in basic research. The purpose of this systematic review is to summarize AM technologies used for RAI manufacturing as well as the factors affecting successful implantation. First, it introduces the AM technologies according to different operating principles and summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Then the influences of materials, structure design, surface characteristics, implant site, and positioning are discussed, providing reference for designers and dentists. Finally, it addresses the gap between basic research and clinical application for additive manufactured RAIs and discusses the current challenges and future research directions for this field.

The efficacy and safety of lenalidomide in the treatment of multiple myeloma patients after allo-hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: There has been long-standing controversy regarding the effectiveness and safety of lenalidomide as a maintenance treatment for patients with multiple myeloma (MM) after allogeneic cell transplantation. This meta-analysis aimed to explore the effectiveness and safety of lenalidomide in the maintenance treatment of MM patients after allogeneic cell transplantation based on published data. METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in English and Chinese databases, covering all available publications until 1 December 2020. Statistical analysis was performed using the software STATA 14.0, and odds ratios (ORs) combined with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to explore the efficacy and safety of lenalidomide in the treatment of MM patients after allogeneic cell transplantation. RESULTS: A total of 173 MM cases in 8 independent studies from 2007 to 2014 were included. Through a single-arm meta-analysis of the disease status of MM patients after lenalidomide treatment, 3.6% of patients were in minimal response (MR, P=0.006), 39.0% were in complete remission (CR, P=0.169), 20.2% in partial remission (PR, P<0.001), 12.8% in very good partial remission (VGPR, P=0.049), and 9.7% in SD (P=0.023); the PD was 5.6% (P=0.010). Through meta-analysis of adverse reactions after taking lenalidomide, 35.3% (P=0.628) of participants developed acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD); 22.6% (P=0.049) developed chronic GVHD; 20.3% (P=0.001) developed infection; 22.5% (P=0.352) had thrombocytopenia; 32.5% (P<0.000) had neutropenia; pain occurred in 17.8% (P=0.350) of patients, and peripheral neuropathy occurred in 17.8% (P=0.995) of participants. The overall survival (OS) of ≥2 years and progression-free survival (PFS) of ≥2 years of MM patients after allo-hematopoietic-stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) taking lenalidomide were analyzed, and the results were 64.9% (P=0.049) and 58.4% (P=0.890), respectively. DISCUSSION: Lenalidomide is effective in the treatment of MM patients after allo-HSCT, and reducing the incidence of infection and peripheral neuropathy, but it is not effective in reducing GVHD and blood system adverse reactions.

A sesquiterpenoid from Ligularia pleurocaulis modulated macrophages polarisation through TLR4 pathway.

An eremophilane-type sesquiterpenoid (EPS), 3-oxo-eremophila-1,7(11)-dien-12,8ß-olide, has been isolated from anti-inflammatory folk herbs, Ligularia pleurocaulis. The aim of present study is to explore protective effects of EPS on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses in acute lung injury (ALI). EPS treatments (40 and 80 mg/kg) significantly ameliorated LPS-stimulated pathological changes in lungs. Furthermore, in vivo and in vitro mechanism studies suggest that EPS exerts its protective effects on LPS-induced ALI by regulating macrophage polarisation via suppression of TLR4/MyD88-mediated MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways, and EPS may be useful for the prevention on ALI in the clinical setting.

Association Between Triglyceride-Glucose Index and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in an Older Chinese Population Aged Over 75 Years.

Background: The association between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in older adults has not been fully understood. This research aims to explore the association between the TyG index and the incidence of T2DM in an older Chinese population aged over 75 years. Methods: This longitudinal analysis study was performed based on a database from a health check screening program in China. The participants were stratified based on the quintile ranges of the TyG index (Q1 to Q5 groups). T2DM was defined as fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥ 7.00 mmol/L and/or self-reported T2DM. The cumulative incidences of T2DM in various quintile groups were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to examine the independent impact of the TyG index on the risk of T2DM during the follow-up period. Subgroup analysis was performed by gender and BMI to further validate the credibility of the results. Results: During the follow-up period, a total of 231 new-onset T2DM cases were recorded among the 2,571 individuals aged over 75 years. After adjusting confounding factors, elevated TyG index independently indicated a higher risk of T2DM (HR = 1.89; 95% CI, 1.47-2.44; p < 0.01). Higher TyG index quintile groups (Q3 to Q5) also presented with a higher risk of T2DM (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.36, 1.44, and 2.12, respectively) as compared with the lowest quintile group (Q1). Subgroup analysis showed that increased TyG index led to a higher risk of T2DM with HR = 2.35 (95% CI, 1.73-3.19), 1.90 (95% CI, 1.27-2.83), 2.95 (95% CI, 1.94-4.50), and 1.72 (95% CI, 1.25-2.35) in male subgroup, female subgroup, BMI < 24 kg/m2 subgroup, and BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2 subgroup, respectively. Conclusions: Triglyceride-glucose index independently correlated with the risk of incident T2DM in Chinese adults aged over 75 years. The TyG index might be useful in monitoring T2DM in the older populations.

Anti-inflammatory octahydroindolizine alkaloid enantiomers from Dendrobium crepidatum.

Six pairs of octahydroindolizine-type alkaloid enantiomers (1-6) including three new compounds [(-)-1/(+)-1, 2] were isolated from the stems of Dendrobium crepidatum. Their structures including the absolute configurations were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analyses and comparison between the experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD). All compounds were examined for their inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in RAW264.7 cells. It was found that compounds (+)-1, 2 and (+)-6 exhibited pronounced inhibition on NO production with IC50 values in the range of 3.62-16.11 µM, being more active than the positive control, dexamethasone (IC50 = 47.04 µM). In vivo, compound 6 (100, 50 and 10 mg/kg) showed protective effects against LPS-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in mice.

Channa argus BMH from Baima Hu Lake: sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial genome.

Northern snakehead, Channa argus, is a commercially important food fish species in China. In the present study, the complete mitochondrial genome of C.argus from the Baima Hu Lake was characterized. It is 16,558 bp in length, consist of 22 tRNA genes, 13 PCD genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 1 D-loop region. The overall base composition of the C. argus mitogenome is 27.26% A, 24.21% T, 31.58% C and 16.95% G, exhibits a similar AT bias (51.47%) feature to other vertebrate mitogenomes. The phylogenetic analysis showed that C. argus clustered in genus Channa. The present resultes provide useful information to population genetics and conservation biology studies of Channa fishes.

Doxercalciferol Alleviates Bone Deteriorations and Cartilage Degeneration in Aging Mice.

BACKGROUND: Age-related bone deteriorations are the common endocrine disorders in the elderly population, leading to an increased risk of fractures. Therefore, effective treatment strategies provide a way to prevent bone loss and improve the quality of life in the elderly population. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-osteoporotic effects of doxercalciferol (DOX) in aging mice. METHODS: Bone metabolism-related markers were measured by ELISA assay. The expression of bone formation and resorption-related genes was performed by RT-qPCR analysis. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Safranin O staining were performed to analyze the trabecular bone and cartilage degeneration. RESULTS: Aging resulted in urine ca2+ excretion, a decrease in bone ca2+ content and reduction of biomechanical strength in mice. We also found that the level of PTH was increased in aging mice, while DOX administration markedly down-regulated serum PTH in aging mice. H&E and Safranin O staining showed that DOX protected against aging-induced bone loss and cartilage regeneration in the tibia from aging mice. Furthermore, DOX treatment resulted in an increase in Runx2, osterix and Col1a1 mRNA expression and a decrease in Ctsk, MMP-9 and CAII mRNA expression in the tibia from aging mice. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated that DOX had a beneficial effect on age-related bone deteriorations in aging mice by promoting osteoblast activity and cartilage regeneration and inhibiting osteoclast-specific genes expression.

Relationship between abnormal glucose metabolism and osteoporosis in Han Chinese men over the age of 50 years.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between abnormal glucose metabolism and osteoporosis (OP) in Han Chinese men over the age of 50 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 775 male patients aged over 50 years was performed at our hospital in 2011. The patients were divided into a normal glucose metabolism group, an impaired glucose regulation (IGR) group, and a type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) group. Differences in their bone mineral densities (BMDs), OP detection rates, and indices of bone metabolism were assessed. RESULTS: After adjusting for age and body mass index (BMI), there were no significant differences in lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total hip BMD values in the three groups (P>0.05) nor in OP detection rates (P=0.19). However, there were some significant differences in bone metabolism markers between the groups after adjusting for age, BMI, and serum creatinine (Cr): 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) was positively correlated with the presence of abnormal glycometabolism (r=0.08; P<0.01), while ß-carboxy-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen (ß-CTX), bone gamma-carboxyglutamic acid protein (BGP; osteocalcin [OC]), and procollagen type 1 intact N-terminal propeptide (P1NP) were negatively correlated (r=-0.13, -0.21, -0.14, respectively; P<0.01). Logistic regression analysis of the data indicated that BGP was the only bone metabolism marker significantly influenced by abnormal glucose metabolism (OR =0.96). CONCLUSION: There were no significant differences in BMD or OP detection rates between the three glycometabolism groups after adjusting for age and BMI. However, the bone metabolism marker, BGP, was significantly negatively correlated with abnormal glucose metabolism.

Effects of Stratified Vitamin D Supplementation in Middle-Aged and Elderly Individuals with Vitamin D Insufficiency.

The incidence of vitamin D deficiency is high globally, and vitamin D supplementation draws particular attention. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of stratified vitamin D supplementation in middle-aged and elderly individuals with vitamin D insufficiency in Beijing. A total of 448 subjects aged over 40 years old were selected from a community in Beijing. Among them, 100 middle-aged and elderly people with vitamin D insufficiency were randomly selected on a voluntary basis. They were further divided into control group and intervention group. The control group received health education and lifestyle guidance, and the intervention group received lifestyle guidance and vitamin D supplementation for nine months. The doses were stratified as follows: for vitamin D insufficiency, oral vitamin D3 supplement was given at 5000 IU/w; for mild vitamin D deficiency, oral vitamin D3 supplement was given at 10 000 IU/w; for severe vitamin D deficiency, oral vitamin D3 supplement was given at 15 000 IU/w. Safety evaluation was conducted after three-month treatment. The intervention group consisted of 8%, 62%, and 30% of cases who had vitamin D insufficiency, mild vitamin D deficiency, and severe vitamin D deficiency, respectively, which were similar with the control group. It showed that the blood 25(OH)D level increased significantly in the intervention group, from 14.30±4.30 ng/ml to 33.62±6.99 ng/ml (p<0.001), in contrast to insignificant change in the control group. Stratified vitamin D supplementation effectively increased the blood 25(OH)D level, as well as the number of cases with corrected vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency.

Ursolic acid alleviates inflammation and against diabetes­induced nephropathy through TLR4­mediated inflammatory pathway.

Ursolic acid (UA) is a triterpenoid isolated from Chinese herbal medicine. It is extensively distributed in the plant kingdom in at least 63 Chinese herbal medicines of 26 families. UA has multiple bioactivities, including anti­viral hepatitis, antitumor, anti­oxidation, anti­bacterium and anti­inflammation. The aim of this in vitro study was to examine the effects of UA on diabetes­induced nephropathy and its possible mechanism. In mice with diabetes­induced nephropathy, UA increased the body weight, reduced kidney/body weight index, protected kidney cells, alleviated inflammation [tumor necrosis factor (TNF)­α, interleukin (IL)­1ß, IL­6 and IL­18 levels] and kidney cell damage. It was also indicated that UA suppressed Toll­like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation factor 88 and nuclear factor­κB protein expression in mice with diabetes­induced nephropathy. The inhibition of TLR4 increased the anti­inflammation of UA on inflammation in rat with diabetes­induced nephropathy through the TLR4 signaling pathway. In conclusion, UA alleviates inflammation and inhibits diabetes­induced nephropathy through a TLR4­mediated inflammatory pathway. The present findings indicated that UA may be a possible therapeutic agent against diabetic nephropathy.

Screening and identification of multiple constituents and their metabolites of Zhi-zi-chi decoction in rat urine and bile by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Zhi-zi-chi decoction (ZZCD) is a classical formula widely used in Chinese clinical application. In the present study, a novel and efficient strategy has been developed for screening and identification of multiple constituents and their metabolites of ZZCD using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography combined with triple time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The novel approach of an online data acquisition method dependent on multiple mass defect filter and dynamic background subtraction is combined with multiple data processing techniques. First, a total of 109 potential bioactive compounds were detected in ZZCD. Based on the same instrumental conditions, 100 compounds were found in rat biofluids after oral administration of ZZCD, including 61 original compounds of ZZCD as well as 39 metabolites. Conjugations with sulfate, glucuronate and amino acids were found as the predominant metabolic reaction of ZZCD. As more xenobiotics were detected in urine than those in bile were, it demonstrated that multiple components of ZZCD have undergone comprehensive renal excretion. This study reported the urinary and biliary excretion in rats after oral administration of ZZCD for the first time. The present study expands our knowledge about the constituents and metabolism of ZZCD, which could be very useful for further pharmacological and clinical studies of ZZCD.

A pre-classification strategy based on UPLC-Triple-TOF/MS for metabolic screening and identification of Radix glehniae in rats.

Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) have gained increasing popularity in modern society. However, the profiles of TCMs in vivo are still unclear owing to their complexity and low level in vivo. In this study, UPLC-Triple-TOF techniques were employed for data acquiring, and a novel pre-classification strategy was developed to rapidly and systematically screen and identify the absorbed constituents and metabolites of TCMs in vivo using Radix glehniae as the research object. In this strategy, pre-classification for absorbed constituents was first performed according to the similarity of their structures. Then representative constituents were elected from every class and analyzed separately to screen non-target absorbed constituents and metabolites in biosamples. This pre-classification strategy is basing on target (known) constituents to screen non-target (unknown) constituents from the massive data acquired by mass spectrometry. Finally, the screened candidate compounds were interpreted and identified based on a predicted metabolic pathway, well - studied fragmentation rules, a predicted metabolic pathway, polarity and retention time of the compounds, and some related literature. With this method, a total of 111 absorbed constituents and metabolites of Radix glehniae in rats' urine, plasma, and bile samples were screened and identified or tentatively characterized successfully. This strategy provides an idea for the screening and identification of the metabolites of other TCMs.

[Establishment and preliminary application of detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum based on variable number tandem repeat].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a laboratory method for detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum based on variable number tandem repeat (VNTR). METHODS: Mycobacterium tuberculosis was tested by VNTR and fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR) in 130 sputum samples from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and 200 specimens from patients with other lung diseases. According to the amplification conditions and clinical detection needs, MTUB21, MUTB04, QUB18, QUB26, QUB11b, MIRU31, MIRU10 and MIRU26 were selected as test targets. The results of VNTR and FQ-PCR were compared with Lowenstein-Jensen culture and clinical diagnosis, and analyzed by chi-square test. RESULTS: With the results of L-J culture as the standard, the sensitivity and specificity of VNTR were 93.1% (108/116) and 97.7% (209/214), and those of FQ-PCR were 94.0% (109/116) and 96.7% (207/214), respectively; no significant difference was observed between two groups (χ2=0.352, P=0.569). Using the clinical diagnosis as the standard, the sensitivity and specificity of VNTR were 86.9% (113/130) and 100% (200/200), and those of FQ-PCR were 87.7% (114/130) and 99.0% (198/200), respectively; the difference was not statistically significant (χ2=0.030, P=0.862). In 113 VNTR positive samples, the molecular codes differed from each other in 98.2% samples (111/113); only 2 samples had identical code (5-4-6-8-5-5-3-8). CONCLUSION: The study suggests that VNTR provides a promising method for diagnosis of clinical tuberculosis.