Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound delays the progression of osteoarthritis by regulating the YAP-RIPK1-NF-κB axis and influencing autophagy.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the joint. As the disease progresses, patients will gradually develop symptoms such as pain, physical limitations and even disability. The risk factors for OA include genetics, gender, trauma, obesity, and age. Unfortunately, due to limited understanding of its pathological mechanism, there are currently no effective drugs or treatments to suspend the progression of osteoarthritis. In recent years, some studies found that low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) may have a positive effect on osteoarthritis. Nonetheless, the exact mechanism by which LIPUS affects osteoarthritis remains unknown. It is valuable to explore the specific mechanism of LIPUS in the treatment of OA. METHODS: In this study, we validated the potential therapeutic effect of LIPUS on osteoarthritis by regulating the YAP-RIPK1-NF-κB axis at both cellular and animal levels. To verify the effect of YAP on OA, the expression of YAP was knocked down or overexpressed by siRNA and plasmid in chondrocytes and adeno-associated virus was injected into the knee joint of rats. The effect of LIPUS was investigated in inflammation chondrocytes induced by IL-1ß and in the post-traumatic OA model. RESULTS: In this study, we observed that YAP plays an important role in the development of osteoarthritis and knocking down of YAP significantly inhibited the inflammation and alleviated cartilage degeneration. We also demonstrated that the expression of YAP was increased in osteoarthritis chondrocytes and YAP could interact with RIPK1, thereby regulating the NF-κB signal pathway and influencing inflammation. Moreover, we also discovered that LIPUS decreased the expression of YAP by restoring the impaired autophagy capacity and inhibiting the binding between YAP and RIPK1, thereby delaying the progression of osteoarthritis. Animal experiment showed that LIPUS could inhibit cartilage degeneration and alleviate the progression of OA. CONCLUSIONS: These results showed that LIPUS is effective in inhibiting inflammation and cartilage degeneration and alleviate the progression of OA. As a result, our results provide new insight of mechanism by which LIPUS delays the development of osteoarthritis, offering a novel therapeutic regimen for osteoarthritis.

Bacillus subtilis reduces antibiotic resistance genes of animal sludge in vermicomposting by improving heat stress tolerance of Eisenia foetida and bacterial community adjustment.

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in livestock industry have been recognized as a kind of pollutant. The effect of Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) as an additive for the reduction of ARGs in animal sludge from livestock and poultry wastewater treatment plant during vermicomposting was investigated. We also evaluated the oxidative stress level and growth of earthworms, Eisenia foetida, bacterial community succession, and the quality of the end products. Two treatments were conducted using B. subtilis, one at 18 °C and another at 28 °C. Controls were setup without the bacteria. The results showed that inoculation of B. subtilis promoted the degradation of organics at 28 °C and increased the germination index to 236%. The increased activities of the superoxide dismutase (1.69 U/mg pr) and catalase (8.05 U/mg pr) and the decreased activity of malondialdehyde (0.02 nmol/mg pr) by B. subtilis at 28 °C showed that the earthworms were relieved of heat stress. The addition of B. subtilis reduced the abundance of 32 target ARGs, including integron (intI-1), transposase (IS613) and resistant genes, such as sulfonamide (sul2), quinolone (oprJ), macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin group B (ermF, ermB), tetracycline (tetL-02, tetX), ß-lactama (blaOXA10-01) and aminoglycoside [strB, aac(6')-Ib(aka aacA4)-01, aac(6')-Ib(aka aacA4)-02]. Organic matter degrading Membranicola, Paludisphaera, Sphingorhabdus and uncultured bacterium belonging to the order Chitinophagales, nitrifying and nitrogen-fixing Singulisphaera and Allorhizobium-Neorhizobium-Pararhizobium-Rhizobium, soil remediating Achromobacter, and plant growth promoting Kaistia, Galbibacter and Ilumatobacter were increased significantly (P < 0.05). However, the growth of harmful bacteria such as Burkholderiaceae was inhibited in the vermicompost. In earthworm guts, the probiotic Mesorhizobium was promoted, while the pathogenic uncultured bacterium belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae was reduced. Besides, B. subtilis enhanced the host relationships between bacteria and ARGs. These findings might be helpful in the removal of ARGs in animal wastes and in understanding the synergy between earthworms and microorganisms.

Injectable photocrosslinking spherical hydrogel-encapsulated targeting peptide-modified engineered exosomes for osteoarthritis therapy.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease urgently needing effective treatments. Bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell-derived exosomes (Exo) are considered good drug carriers whereas they have limitations such as fast clearance and low retention. This study aimed to overcome the limitations of Exo in drug delivery using multiple strategies. Novel photocrosslinking spherical gelatin methacryloyl hydrogel (GelMA)-encapsulated cartilage affinity WYRGRL (W) peptide-modified engineered Exo were developed for OA treatment and the performance of the engineered Exo (W-Exo@GelMA) loaded with a small inhibitor LRRK2-IN-1 (W-Exo-L@GelMA) was investigated in vitro and in vivo. The W-Exo-L@GelMA showed an effective targeting effect on chondrocytes and a pronounced action on suppressing catabolism and promoting anabolism in vitro. Moreover, W-Exo-L@GelMA remarkably inhibited OA-related inflammation and immune gene expression, rescuing the IL-1ß-induced transcriptomic responses. With enhanced retention in the joint, W-Exo-L@GelMA demonstrated superior anti-OA activity and cartilage repair ability in the OA murine model. The therapeutic effect was validated in the cultured human OA cartilage. In conclusion, photocrosslinking spherical hydrogel-encapsulated targeting peptide-modified engineered Exo exhibit notable potential in OA therapy. Engineering Exo by a series of strategies enhanced the targeting ability and retention and cartilage-targeting and Exo-mediated drug delivery may offer a novel strategy for OA treatment.Clinical trial registration: Not applciable.

Cooked pork-derived exosome nanovesicles mediate metabolic disorder-microRNA could be the culprit.

In this study, exosomes from cooked meat were extracted by ultra-high-speed centrifugation. Approximately 80% of exosome vesicles were within 20-200 nm. In addition, the surface biomarkers of isolated exosomes were evaluated using flow cytometry. Further studies showed the exosomal microRNA profiles were different among cooked porcine muscle, fat and liver. Cooked pork-derived exosomes were chronically administered to ICR mice by drinking for 80 days. The mice plasma levels of miR-1, miR-133a-3p, miR-206 and miR-99a were increased to varying degrees after drinking exosome enriched water. Furthermore, GTT and ITT results confirmed an abnormal glucose metabolism and insulin resistance in mice. Moreover, the lipid droplets were significantly increased in the mice liver. A transcriptome analysis performed with mice liver samples identified 446 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Functional enrichment analysis found that DEGs were enriched in metabolic pathways. Overall, the results suggest that microRNAs derived form cooked pork may function as a critical regulator of metabolic disorder in mice.

Swine wastewater treatment by combined process of iron carbon microelectrolysis-physical adsorption-microalgae cultivation.

Combined treatments were designed based on iron-carbon micro-electrolysis treatment (ICME), physical adsorption (PA) with zeolite (Z) or vermiculite (V) and microalgae cultivation (MC, Chlorella vulgaris) for removing pollutants from swine wastewater (SW): ICME + MC (IM), ICME + Z + MC (IZM) and ICME + V + MC (IVM). Results showed that the minimum total nitrogen (TN) of 43.66 mg L-1, NH4+-N of 1.33 mg-1 and total phosphorus (TP) of 0.14 mg-1 were obtained by IVM, while the minimum chemical oxygen demand (COD) was 105 mg-1 via IM. During the process of combined treatments, ICME contributed most to the removal of TN (84.52% by IZM), TP (97.78% by IVM and IZM) and COD (62.44% by IVM), and maximum NH4+-N removal (55.64%) was obtained by MC procedure in IM process. Vermiculite performed better than zeolite during all the combined treatments. Besides, the maximum cell dry weight (CDW, 0.74 g-1) of C. vulgaris was obtained by IM on day 13. The results provide an efficient integrated method for swine wastewater treatment.

Moderate mechanical stress suppresses the IL-1ß-induced chondrocyte apoptosis by regulating mitochondrial dynamics.

Mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to osteoarthritis (OA) onset and progress. Mitochondrial dynamics, coupled with mitophagy, is critical for the maintenance of mitochondrial fitness, involving many cellular processes, such as proliferation and apoptosis. Excessive mechanical stress induces chondrocyte apoptosis; however, the effects of mechanical stress on mitochondrial dynamics remain elusive. In this study, we performed fluorescence staining, flow cytometry, transmission electron microscope, Western blot analysis, and RNA-sequencing to assess the effects of different strength of mechanical stimulation on mitochondrial functions of chondrocyte treated with interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß). We found that moderate mechanical stress reduced the IL-1ß-induced apoptosis by maintaining mitochondrial function and scavenging the reactive oxygen species, while excessive mechanical stress induced strong mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis. Moreover, RNAsequencing revealed that mitophagy and mitochondrial dynamics were involved in the regulation of mechanical stress on chondrocyte biology. In addition to the elevated mitophagy, moderate mechanical stress also promoted mitochondrial dynamics by enhancing the expression of MFN1/2 and OPA1 and the translocation of dynamin-related protein 1 from the cytoplasm to the mitochondria. However, an uncoupling of mitochondrial dynamics, characterized by strongly elevated fission, resulted in the unfavorable apoptosis of excessive mechanical stress-stimulated chondrocytes. This study revealed the effects of mechanical stress upon mitochondrial dynamics in chondrocyte.

MicroRNA-126b-5p Exacerbates Development of Adipose Tissue and Diet-Induced Obesity.

Obesity has become a worldwide epidemic, caused by many factors such as genetic regulatory elements, unhealthy diet, and lack of exercise. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding single-stranded RNA classes, which are about 22 nucleotides in length and highly conserved among species. In the last decade, a series of miRNAs were identified as therapeutic targets for obesity. In the present study, we found that miR-126b-5p was associated with adipogenesis. miR-126b-5p overexpression promoted the proliferation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes by upregulating the expression of proliferation-related genes and downregulating the expression of apoptosis-related genes; the inhibition of miR-126b-5p gave rise to opposite results. Similarly, miR-126b-5p overexpression could promote the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes by increasing the expression of lipid deposition genes and triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) levels. Moreover, luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that adiponectin receptor 2 (Adipor2) and acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, long chain (ACADL) were the direct target genes of miR-126b-5p. Moreover, overexpression of miR-126b-5p could exacerbate the clinical symptoms of obesity when mice were induced by a high-fat diet, including increased adipose tissue weight, adipocyte volume, and insulin resistance. Interestingly, overexpression of miR-126b-5p in preadipocytes and mice could significantly increase total fatty acid content and change the fatty acid composition of adipose tissue. Taken together, the present study showed that miR-126b-5p promotes lipid deposition in vivo and in vitro, indicating that miR-126b-5p is a potential target for treating obesity.

Short-Chain Fatty Acids and Their Association with Signalling Pathways in Inflammation, Glucose and Lipid Metabolism.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), particularly acetate, propionate and butyrate, are mainly produced by anaerobic fermentation of gut microbes. SCFAs play an important role in regulating energy metabolism and energy supply, as well as maintaining the homeostasis of the intestinal environment. In recent years, many studies have shown that SCFAs demonstrate physiologically beneficial effects, and the signalling pathways related to SCFA production, absorption, metabolism, and intestinal effects have been discovered. Two major signalling pathways concerning SCFAs, G-protein-coupled receptors (GPRCs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs), are well recognized. In this review, we summarize the recent advances concerning the biological properties of SCFAs and the signalling pathways in inflammation and glucose and lipid metabolism.

Selective deletion of Smad4 in postnatal germ cells does not affect spermatogenesis or fertility in mice.

SMAD4 is the central component of canonical signaling in the transforming growth factor beta (TGFß) superfamily. Loss of Smad4 in Sertoli cells affects the expansion of the fetal testis cords, whereas selective deletion of Smad4 in Leydig cells alone does not appreciably alter fetal or adult testis development. Loss of Smad4 in Sertoli and Leydig cells, on the other hand, leads to testicular dysgenesis, and tumor formation in mice. Within the murine testes, Smad4 is also expressed in germ cells of the seminiferous tubules. We therefore, crossed Ngn3-Cre or Stra8-Cre transgenic mice with Smad4-flox mice to generate conditional knockout animals in which Smad4 was specifically deleted in postnatal germ cells to further uncover cell type-specific requirement of Smad4. Unexpectedly, these germ-cell-knockout mice were fertile and did not exhibit any detectable abnormalities in spermatogenesis, indicating that Smad4 is not required for the production of sperm; instead, these data indicate a cell type-specific requirement of Smad4 primarily during testis development. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 83: 615-623, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Slightly acidic electrolyzed water for reducing airborne microorganisms in a layer breeding house.

UNLABELLED: Reducing airborne microorganisms may potentially improve the environment in layer breeding houses. The effectiveness of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW; pH 5.29-6.30) in reducing airborne microorganisms was investigated in a commercial layer house in northern China. The building had a tunnel-ventilation system, with an evaporative cooling. The experimental area was divided into five zones along the length of the house, with zone 1 nearest to an evaporative cooling pad and zone 5 nearest to the fans. The air temperature, relative humidity, dust concentration, and microbial population were measured at the sampling points in the five zones during the study period. The SAEW was sprayed by workers in the whole house. A six-stage air microbial sampler was used to measure airborne microbial population. Results showed that the population of airborne bacteria and fungi were sharply reduced by 0.71 x 10(5) and 2.82 x 10(3) colony-forming units (CFU) m(-3) after 30 min exposure to SAEW, respectively. Compared with the benzalkonium chloride (BC) solution and povidone-iodine (PVP-I) solution treatments, the population reductions of airborne fungi treated by SAEW were significantly (P < 0.05) more, even though the three disinfectants can decrease both the airborne bacteria and fungi significantly (P < 0.05) 30 min after spraying. IMPLICATIONS: There are no effective methods for reducing airborne microbial levels in tunnel-ventilated layer breeding houses; additionally, there is limited information available on airborne microorganism distribution. This research investigated the spatial distribution of microbial population, and the effectiveness of spraying slightly acidic electrolyzed water in reducing microbial levels. The research revealed that slightly acidic electrolyzed water spray was a potential method for reducing microbial presence in layer houses. The knowledge gained in this research about the microbial population variations in the building may assist producers in managing the bird housing environment and engineers in designing poultry houses.

Comparison of supraclavicular block with infraclavicular block for distal arm surgeries: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.

BACKGROUND: Supraclavicular and infraclavicular nerve block are commonly used for the analgesia of distal arm surgeries, and this meta-analysis aims to compare their analgesic efficacy for distal arm surgeries. METHODS: We searched several databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases, and selected the randomized controlled trials exploring the analgesic efficacy of supraclavicular block versus infraclavicular block for distal arm surgeries. This meta-analysis was conducted using the random-effect or fixed-effect model based on the heterogeneity. RESULTS: Six randomized controlled trials were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with infraclavicular nerve block for distal arm surgeries, supraclavicular nerve block was associated with substantially reduced complete sensory block (odds ratio [OR] = 0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.19-0.88; P = .02) and block performance time (standard mean difference [SMD] = -3.06; 95% CI = -5.82--0.31; P = .03), but had no effect on duration of analgesia (SMD = -0.15; 95% CI = -0.49-0.18; P = .36), time to sensory block (SMD = -0.41; 95% CI = -2.28-1.47; P = .67), vascular puncture (OR = 1.03; 95% CI = 0.11-10.05; P = .98) or adverse events (OR = 0.70; 95% CI = 0.12-4.04; P = .69). CONCLUSIONS: Infraclavicular nerve block may be superior to supraclavicular nerve block for the analgesia of distal arm surgeries but needs increased block performance time.

The prevalence of obesity and relationship between obesity indicators and chronic diseases in Northern Shaanxi, China.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity not only affects human health but also is an important risk factor for a variety of chronic diseases. Therefore, it is particularly important to analyse the epidemic trend of obesity and actively carry out the prevention and control of obesity in the population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 4565 adults were selected by multi-stage stratified random sampling in Shenmu, Shaanxi Province, China. Univariate analysis was used to explore the epidemic characteristics of obesity in this region. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyse the relationship between obesity and chronic diseases. Finally, the prediction efficiency of different obesity indexes was analysed by drawing receiver operator characteristic curves (ROC). All statistical analysis was completed by SPSS 26.0 software. RESULTS: The prevalence rates of overweight, obesity, and central obesity were 39.9%, 18.2%, and 48.0%, respectively. After adjusting for other confounding factors, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that overweight and obesity were risk factors for hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and hyperuricaemia. Central obesity is a risk factor for dyslipidaemia and hyperuricaemia. High level of waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) was a risk factor for dyslipidaemia and hyperuricaemia (p < 0.05). Obesity-related indicators: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and WHtR, are strongly correlated with the increased risk of chronic diseases in northern Shaanxi, China. The optimal BMI cut-off values for predicting hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and hyperuricaemia were 24.27, 24.04, and 25.54, respectively. The optimal WC cut-off values for predicting dyslipidaemia and hyperuricaemia were 84.5 and 90.5, and WHtR cut-off values were 0.52 and 0.54, respectively. CONCLUSION: The problem of overweight, obesity, and central obesity in adults is serious in northern Shaanxi, China. Obesity of all types will increase the risk of chronic diseases. Therefore, a variety of preventive and therapeutic measures should be adopted to curb obesity and reduce the incidence of related chronic diseases.

Incidence and risk factors of urinary tract infection in hospitalized patients with spinal cord injury in a hospital of China.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) caused by spinal cord injury (SCI) can have significant morbidity. There is currently a lack of relevant data in China. This study explores incidence and risk factors of UTI in hospitalized patients with SCI in China, and will help healthcare professionals to make informed clinical decisions to reduce the incidence of UTI. This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of patients with SCI who were hospitalized at three campuses of a hospital in central China between August 2014 and August 2023. The files of patients with SCI were reviewed for demographics and clinical characteristics. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors associated with UTI. A total of 538 patients were included in this study. The incidence of UTI was 49.8%. Sex, hypoproteinemia, urinary incontinence, bladder irrigation, timing of rehabilitation, duration of indwelling urinary catheter were risk factors of UTI. The implementation of specific preventive measures is anticipated to result in a decrease in the occurrence of UTI among individuals with SCI, consequently enhancing their overall quality of life and prognosis.

Genetic predisposition to thyrotoxicosis and onset of knee osteoarthritis.

Objective: Thyroid hormones have actions on cartilage, whereas the association between thyroid hormone related diseases and osteoarthritis (OA) are unclear. This study aims to investigate the association between thyrotoxicosis and OA. Methods: Summary-level genetic data of thyrotoxicosis were obtained from FinnGen cohorts (nCase = 10,569, nControl = 762,037). Summary-level data of OA were obtained from a large-scale genome-wide association study of UK Biobank (nCase = 40,659, nControl = 756,338). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) robustly associated with thyrotoxicosis or OA were used as genetic instruments. A two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was designed to assess the effect of genetic predisposition of thyrotoxicosis on OA risk, as well as the reverse their relationship. The causal effect was estimated by Inverse-variance weighted method, with weighted median and MR-Egger as supplementary methods. Results: Genetic predisposition of thyrotoxicosis was associated with the onset of knee OA (autoimmune hyperthyroidism: odds ratio [OR]: 1.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03-1.07, FDR < 0.001; thyrotoxicosis: OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02-1.08, FDR = 0.016; thyrotoxicosis with diffuse goitre: OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02-1.07, FDR = 0.003; other and/or unspecified thyrotoxicosis: OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02-1.09, FDR = 0.003), whereas thyrotoxicosis was not associated with hip OA. In reverse MR analysis, genetic predisposition to OA was not associated with thyrotoxicosis. No pleiotropy was identified in the MR analyses. Sensitivity analyses indicated the robustness of the MR estimates. Conclusion: This study provides MR evidence supporting causal association of thyrotoxicosis with knee OA in European population, whereas OA may have no causal effects on thyrotoxicosis.

The roles of Hippo/YAP signaling pathway in physical therapy.

Cellular behavior is regulated by mechanical signals within the cellular microenvironment. Additionally, changes of temperature, blood flow, and muscle contraction also affect cellular state and the development of diseases. In clinical practice, physical therapy techniques such as ultrasound, vibration, exercise, cold therapy, and hyperthermia are commonly employed to alleviate pain and treat diseases. However, the molecular mechanism about how these physiotherapy methods stimulate local tissues and control gene expression remains unknow. Fortunately, the discovery of YAP filled this gap, which has been reported has the ability to sense and convert a wide variety of mechanical signals into cell-specific programs for transcription, thereby offering a fresh perspective on the mechanisms by which physiotherapy treat different diseases. This review examines the involvement of Hippo/YAP signaling pathway in various diseases and its role in different physical therapy approaches on diseases. Furthermore, we explore the potential therapeutic implications of the Hippo/YAP signaling pathway and address the limitations and controversies surrounding its application in physiotherapy.

Exercise-induced modulation of myokine irisin on muscle-bone unit in the rat model of post-traumatic osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a subtype of osteoarthritis (OA). Exercise may produce and release the myokine irisin through muscle fiber contraction. However, the effect of exercise-promoted irisin production on the internal interactions of the muscle-bone unit in PTOA studies remains unclear. METHODS: Eighteen 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups: Sham/sedentary (Sham/Sed), PTOA/sedentary (PTOA/Sed), and PTOA/treadmill-walking (PTOA/TW). The PTOA model was established by transection of anterior cruciate ligament (ACLT) and destabilization of medial meniscus (DMM). After 4 weeks of modeling, the PTOA/TW group underwent treadmill exercise (15 m/min, 30 min/d, 5 d/ week, 8 weeks), and the other two groups were free to move in the cage. Evaluation and correlation analysis of muscle, cartilage, subchondral bone and serological indexes were performed after euthanasia. RESULTS: Eight weeks of treadmill exercise effectively alleviated the trauma-induced OA phenotype, thereby maintaining cartilage and subchondral bone integrity in PTOA, and reducing quadriceps atrophy and myofibril degradation. Exercise reversed the down-regulated expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) and fibronectin type III structural domain protein 5 (FNDC5) in muscle tissue of PTOA rats, and increased the blood irisin level, and the irisin level was positively correlated with the expression of PGC-1α and FNDC5. In addition, correlation analysis showed that irisin metabolism level was strongly negatively correlated with Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) and subchondral bone loss, indicating that irisin may be involved in cartilage biology and PTOA-related changes in cartilage and subchondral bone. Moreover, the metabolic level of irisin was strongly negatively correlated with muscle fiber cross-sectional area (CSA), Atrogin-1 and muscle ring-finger protein-1(MuRF-1) expression, suggesting that irisin may alleviate muscle atrophy through autocrine action. CONCLUSION: Treadmill exercise can alleviate the atrophy and degeneration of muscle fibers in PTOA rats, reduce the degradation of muscle fibrin, promote the expression of serum irisin, and alleviate the degeneration of articular cartilage and subchondral bone loss in PTOA rats. These results indicate that treadmill exercise can affect the process of PTOA by promoting the expression of myokine irisin in rat muscle-bone unit.

Impacts of mixed ferrous sulfate-biochar additives on humification and bacterial community during electric field-assisted aerobic composting.

This study assessed the impact of nine mixed ferrous sulfates and biochars on electric field-assisted aerobic composting (EAC), focusing on the spectroscopy of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and microbial communities. Adding 1.05% ferrous sulfate and 5.25% biochar to EAC increased the specific ultraviolet absorbances at 254 and 280 nm by 142.3% and 133.9% on day 35, respectively. This ratio accelerated the early response of carboxyl groups (-COOH) and lignin (CꘌC), enhancing the relative abundance of Thermobifida (4.0%) and Thermopolyspora (4.3%). The condition contributed to humus precursor formation on day 5, increasing the maximum fluorescence intensity of the humus-like component by 74.2% compared to the control on day 35. This study is the first to develop a combined and efficient organic and inorganic additive by multiple-variable experimentation for DOM humification. Consequently, it optimizes EAC for solid waste recycling.

Rescuing SERCA2 pump deficiency improves bone mechano-responsiveness in type 2 diabetes by shaping osteocyte calcium dynamics.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D)-related fragility fractures represent an increasingly tough medical challenge, and the current treatment options are limited. Mechanical loading is essential for maintaining bone integrity, although bone mechano-responsiveness in T2D remains poorly characterized. Herein, we report that exogenous cyclic loading-induced improvements in bone architecture and strength are compromised in both genetically spontaneous and experimentally-induced T2D mice. T2D-induced reduction in bone mechano-responsiveness is directly associated with the weakened Ca2+ oscillatory dynamics of osteocytes, although not those of osteoblasts, which is dependent on PPARα-mediated specific reduction in osteocytic SERCA2 pump expression. Treatment with the SERCA2 agonist istaroxime was demonstrated to improve T2D bone mechano-responsiveness by rescuing osteocyte Ca2+ dynamics and the associated regulation of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Moreover, T2D-induced deterioration of bone mechano-responsiveness is blunted in mice with osteocytic SERCA2 overexpression. Collectively, our study provides mechanistic insights into T2D-mediated deterioration of bone mechano-responsiveness and identifies a promising countermeasure against T2D-associated fragility fractures.

Gut microbial alterations in arginine metabolism determine bone mechanical adaptation.

Although mechanical loading is essential for maintaining bone health and combating osteoporosis, its practical application is limited to a large extent by the high variability in bone mechanoresponsiveness. Here, we found that gut microbial depletion promoted a significant reduction in skeletal adaptation to mechanical loading. Among experimental mice, we observed differences between those with high and low responses to exercise with respect to the gut microbial composition, in which the differential abundance of Lachnospiraceae contributed to the differences in bone mechanoresponsiveness. Microbial production of L-citrulline and its conversion into L-arginine were identified as key regulators of bone mechanoadaptation, and administration of these metabolites enhanced bone mechanoresponsiveness in normal, aged, and ovariectomized mice. Mechanistically, L-arginine-mediated enhancement of bone mechanoadaptation was primarily attributable to the activation of a nitric-oxide-calcium positive feedback loop in osteocytes. This study identifies a promising anti-osteoporotic strategy for maximizing mechanical loading-induced skeletal benefits via the microbiota-metabolite axis.

[Correlation between miR-21, miR-191 and Clinical Stage of Patients with Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the relationship between microRNA (miR)-21, miR-191 and clinical stage of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). METHODS: 100 patients with DLBCL treated in Shanxi Fenyang Hospital from January 2019 to January 2021 were selected as the research subjects. All patients was divided into stage I, stage II, stage III and stage IV according to Ann-Arbor (Cotswolds) staging system at admission. The baseline data of patients at different clinical stages were counted and compared in detail. The relationship between the levels of miR-21 and miR-191 and the clinical stage of DLBCL patients was mainly analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 100 patients with DLBCL, there were 15 patients at stage I, 25 patients at stage II, 37 patients at stage III and 23 patients at stage IV. The levels of miR-21 and miR-191 in patients at stage Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ were increased gradually, which showed statistically significant differences (P<0.05). According to Kendall's tau-b correlation analysis, it was found that the levels of miR-21 and miR-191 were positively correlated with the clinical stage of DLBCL patients (r=0.566, 0.636). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the overexpression of serum miR-21 and miR-191 was a risk factor for high clinical stage in patients with DLBCL (OR>1, P<0.05). Bivariate Pearson correlation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between miR-21 and miR-191 levels in patients with DLBCL (r=0.339). CONCLUSION: The overexpression of miR-21 and miR-191 in patients with DLBCL is related to high clinical stage.