Potential role of the compound Eucommia bone tonic granules in patients with osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis: A retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis is a major source of pain, disability, and socioeconomic cost worldwide. Osteonecrosis is a disabling disorder that frequently occurs in the younger population aged from 20-50 years. The compound Eucommia bone tonic granules, a traditional Chinese medicine, can alleviate the damage of osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis. AIM: To investigate the potential role of the compound Eucommia bone tonic granules (Eucommia) in the treatment of patients with osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis. METHODS: One-hundred forty osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis cases admitted to our hospital from January 2013 to December 2017 were selected. Patients were divided into two groups: Eucommia-meloxicam group and meloxicam group. Clinical efficacy and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) score were evaluated according to the evaluation criteria of orthopedic diseases. The levels of bone-GLA protein, interleukin-17, recombinant human S100 calcium binding protein A12, sphingosine 1-phosphate, cystatin C, creatinine, and hemoglobin in peripheral blood were determined. RESULTS: The total effective rate in the two osteoarthritis groups was not different, but the total effective rate in the two osteonecrosis groups was significantly different. The overall efficacy of Eucommia-meloxicam group was superior to that of the meloxicam group. WOMAC showed that pain, stiffness, and dysfunction in the two groups of osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis before and after treatment were significantly different. The concentration of recombinant human S100 calcium binding protein A12, sphingosine 1-phosphate, cystatin C, creatinine, and hemoglobin before and after treatment in the Eucommia-meloxicam group and meloxicam group of osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis were significantly different, and the two treatment groups were significantly different from each other for osteoarthritis. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that Eucommia can effectively enhance the curative effect of meloxicam, and the combination of Eucommia and meloxicam is superior to meloxicam alone.

Targeting of MCT1 and PFKFB3 influences cell proliferation and apoptosis in bladder cancer by altering the tumor microenvironment.

Phosphofructokinase-2/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) and monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) play important roles in tumor endothelial cells (ECs) and several biological processes. The present study was conducted to study the effects of PFKFB3 and MCT1 on cell proliferation and apoptosis in the tumor microenvironment by co-culture of HUVECs and T24, a bladder cancer (BC) cell line, using a microfluidic device. Immunofluorescence assay showed that HUVEC activity was significantly enhanced under co-culture with T24 cells, according to the stronger fluorescence intensity of CD31 and CD105 than that in the signal­cultured cells. Quercetin treatment inhibited MCT1 expression but did not affect PFKFB3 expression. Knockdown of MCT1 or/and PFKFB3 increased the apoptosis rate of the HUVECs under single-culture and co-culture situations by staining with calcein and propidium iodide. Meanwhile, cell proliferation and lactic concentration were significantly decreased after the blocking of MCT1 or/and PFKFB3, as compared with that in the control group. No obvious differences in the effects on apoptosis, proliferation and lactic concentration were found between cells treated with quercetin and siMCT1. Thus, we concluded that the targeting of MCT1 and PFKFB3 regulated cell proliferation and apoptosis in BC cells by altering the tumor microenvironment, and quercetin exhibited a potential antitumor effect by targeting MCT1.

[DNA damage of splenic lymphocytes in pregnant mice exposed to carbon disulfide in implantation phase].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the DNA damage of splenic lymphocytes in pregnant mice exposed to carbon disulfide (CS2) in the implantation phase and to explore the mechanism of abnormal implantation induced by CS2 from the perspective of immune injury. METHODS: Mice were exposed to CS2 at different doses or at different time points in the implantation phase to establish model 1 and model 2. For model 1, mice were assigned to four groups to receive a single intraperitoneal injection of low-dose CS2 (0.1 LD50, 157.8 mg/kg), middle-dose CS2 (0.2 LD50, 315.7 mg/kg), and high-dose CS2 (0.4 LD50, 631.4 mg/kg) as well as an equal volume of olive oil (control) on gestational day (GD) 4. For model 2, mice were assigned to four groups to receive a single intraperitoneal injection of CS2 (0.4 LD50, 631.4 mg/kg) or an equal volume of olive oil (control) on GD3, GD4, GD5, and GD6. At the end, single cell suspension of splenic lymphocytes was prepared. Cell viability was measured by trypan blue staining, and the DNA damage of splenic lymphocytes was evaluated by alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis assay. RESULTS: The middle-dose and high-dose exposure groups showed significantly more DNA damage of splenic lymphocytes than the control group (P < 0.01); there was significant regression relationship between indicators of DNA damage and exposure doses (P < 0.01). The GD3, GD4, GD5, and GD 6 exposure groups showed significantly more DNA damage of splenic lymphocytes than the control group (P < 0.01), and the GD 4 exposure group had the most DNA damage. CONCLUSION: Exposure to CS2 in the implantation phase can induce DNA damage of splenic lymphocytes in pregnant mice, and the DNA damage was aggravated with the increase in CS2 concentration. GD4 may be the sensitive time point for DNA damage of splenic lymphocytes induced by CS2 in pregnant mice.