SPP1-ITGα5/β1 Accelerates Calcification of Nucleus Pulposus Cells by Inhibiting Mitophagy via Ubiquitin-Dependent PINK1/PARKIN Pathway Blockade.

Low back pain (LBP) caused by nucleus pulposus degeneration and calcification leads to great economic and social burden worldwide. Unexpectedly, no previous studies have demonstrated the association and the underlying mechanism between nucleus pulposus tissue degeneration and calcification formation. Secreted Phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) exerts crucial functions in bone matrix mineralization and calcium deposition.

Dose- and stage-dependent toxic effects of prenatal prednisone exposure on fetal articular cartilage development.

Prednisone is frequently used to treat rheumatoid diseases in pregnant women because of its high degree of safety. Whether prenatal prednisone exposure (PPE) negatively impacts fetal articular cartilage development is unclear. In this study, we simulated a clinical prednisone treatment regimen to examine the effects of different timings and doses of PPE on cartilage development in female and male fetal mice.

SynCAM1 deficiency in the hippocampal parvalbumin interneurons contributes to sevoflurane-induced cognitive impairment in neonatal rats.

Aims: Sevoflurane is widely used for general anesthesia in children. Previous studies reported that multiple neonatal exposures to sevoflurane can induce long-term cognitive impairment in adolescent rats, but the underlying mechanisms were not defined.

Methods: Postnatal day 6 (P6) to P8 rat pups were exposed to 30% oxygen with or without 3% sevoflurane balanced with air.

Clemastine-induced enhancement of hippocampal myelination alleviates memory impairment in mice with chronic pain.

Patients with chronic pain often experience memory impairment, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. The myelin sheath is crucial for rapid and accurate action potential conduction, playing a pivotal role in the development of cognitive abilities in the central nervous system. The study reveals that myelin degradation occurs in the hippocampus of chronic constriction injury (CCI) mice, which display both chronic pain and memory impairment.

Course-, dose-, and stage-dependent toxic effects of prenatal acetaminophen exposure on fetal long bone development.

Acetaminophen is a common analgesic and fever reduction medicine for pregnant women. Epidemiological studies suggest that prenatal acetaminophen exposure (PAcE) affects offspring health and development. However, the effects of PAcE on fetal long bone development and its potential mechanisms have not been elucidated.

The role of the gut-microbiota-brain axis via the subdiaphragmatic vagus nerve in chronic inflammatory pain and comorbid spatial working memory impairment in complete Freund's adjuvant mice.

Chronic inflammatory pain (CIP) is a common public medical problem, often accompanied by memory impairment. However, the mechanisms underlying CIP and comorbid memory impairment remain elusive. This study aimed to examine the role of the gut-microbiota-brain axis in CIP and comorbid memory impairment in mice treated with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA).

Contribution of activating lateral hypothalamus-lateral habenula circuit to nerve trauma-induced neuropathic pain in mice.

Neuropathic pain, a severe clinical symptom, significantly affects the quality of life in the patients. The molecular mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain have been the focus of research in recent decades; however, the neuronal circuit-mediated mechanisms associated with this disorder remain poorly understood. Here, we report that a projection from the lateral hypothalamus (LH) glutamatergic neurons to the lateral habenula (LHb), an excitatory LH-LHb neuronal circuit, participates in nerve injury-induced nociceptive hypersensitivity.

Intra-wound versus systemic vancomycin for preventing surgical site infection induced by methicillin-resistant S. aureus after spinal implant surgery in a rat model.

Background: Systemic vancomycin administration pre-operatively for the infection prophylaxis of spinal implant surgery remains unsatisfactory. This study aimed to explore the efficacy and dosage of local use of vancomycin powder (VP) in preventing surgical site infections after spinal implant surgery in a rat model.

Methods: Systemic vancomycin (SV; intraperitoneal injection, 88 mg/kg) or intraoperative intra-wound VP (VP0.

Peiminine regulates bone-fat balance by canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway in an ovariectomized rat model.

Peiminine is a major biologically active component of Fritillaria thunbergii Miq that exhibits good anticancer, antiinflammatory, and anti-osteoclast effects. However, its effects on osteoporosis (OP) remain unknown. This study aimed to explore whether Peiminine was able to regulate osteogenesis and adipogenesis in ovariectomized (OVX) rat.

Stage-, dose-, and course-dependent inhibition of prenatal amoxicillin exposure on fetal articular cartilage development in fetal mice.

Amoxicillin is widely used in the treatment of infectious diseases during pregnancy; however, the effects of prenatal amoxicillin exposure (PAE) on fetal development remain largely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the toxic effects of PAE on fetal cartilage at different stage-, dose-, and course. Pregnant Kunming mice were orally administered 300 mg/kg·d (converted from clinical dose) amoxicillin on gestational days (GD) 10-12 or 16-18 (mid or late pregnancy stage), 150 or 300 mg/kg.

Amniotes co-opt intrinsic genetic instability to protect germ-line genome integrity.

Unlike PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) in other species that mostly target transposable elements (TEs), >80% of piRNAs in adult mammalian testes lack obvious targets. However, mammalian piRNA sequences and piRNA-producing loci evolve more rapidly than the rest of the genome for unknown reasons. Here, through comparative studies of chickens, ducks, mice, and humans, as well as long-read nanopore sequencing on diverse chicken breeds, we find that piRNA loci across amniotes experience: (1) a high local mutation rate of structural variations (SVs, mutations ≥ 50 bp in size); (2) positive selection to suppress young and actively mobilizing TEs commencing at the pachytene stage of meiosis during germ cell development; and (3) negative selection to purge deleterious SV hotspots.

Melanin-like polydopamine nanoparticles mediating anti-inflammatory and rescuing synaptic loss for inflammatory depression therapy.

Inflammatory depression is closely related to neuroinflammation. However, current anti-inflammatory drugs have low permeability to cross blood-brain barrier with difficulties reaching the central nervous system to provide therapeutic effectiveness. To overcome this limitation, the nano-based drug delivery technology was used to synthesize melanin-like polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA NPs) (~ 250 nm) which can cross the blood-brain barrier.

Efficacy and safety of perioperative application of ketamine on postoperative depression: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.

Ketamine, a commonly used general anesthetic, can produce rapid and sustained antidepressant effect. However, the efficacy and safety of the perioperative application of ketamine on postoperative depression remains uncertain. We performed a meta-analysis to determine the effect of perioperative intravenous administration of ketamine on postoperative depression.

Integrated Proteomic and Phosphoproteomic Analysis of the Hippocampus in a Mouse Model of Early Life Inflammation.

Introduction: Inflammation in early life is a risk factor for the development of neuropsychiatric diseases later in adolescence and adulthood, yet the underlying mechanism remains elusive. In the present study, we performed an integrated proteomic and phosphoproteomic analysis of the hippocampus to identify potential molecular mechanisms of early life inflammation-induced cognitive impairment.

Methods: Both female and male mice received a single intraperitoneal injection of 100 μg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on postnatal day 10 (P10).

Meropenem-loaded Cement Is Effective in Preventing Gram-negative Osteomyelitis in an Animal Model.

Background: Low-dose antibiotic-loaded acrylic cement is routinely used for preventing skeletal infection or reimplantation in patients with periprosthetic joint infections. However, few reports about the selection of antibiotics in acrylic cement for antigram-negative bacteria have been proposed.

Questions/purposes: (1) Does the addition of antibiotics (tobramycin, meropenem, piperacillin, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, and aztreonam) to acrylic cement adversely affect compressive strength before and after elution? (2) Which antibiotics have the highest cumulative release within 28 days? (3) Which antibiotics showed antimicrobial activity within 28 days? (4) Does meropenem-loaded cement improve body weight, temperature, and other inflammatory markers compared with control unloaded cement?

Methods: This is an in vitro study that assessed the mechanical strength, antibiotic elution, and antibacterial properties of antibiotic-loaded cement, combined with an animal study in a rat model that evaluated key endpoints from the animal study.

Gut microbiota-mediated metabolic restructuring aggravates emotional deficits after anesthesia/surgery in rats with preoperative stress.

Patients with preoperative stress are prone to postoperative emotional deficits. However, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we characterize the changes of microbial composition and specific metabolites after anesthesia/surgery in rats with preoperative stress based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing and non-targeted metabolomics technique.

Transforming growth factor-β receptor 1: An intervention target for genetic poor cartilage quality induced by prenatal dexamethasone exposure.

Introduction: Fetal-originated osteoarthritis is relative to poor cartilage quality and may exhibit transgenerational genetic effects. Previous findings revealed prenatal dexamethasone exposure (PDE) induced poor cartilage quality in offspring.

Objectives: This study focused on further exploring molecular mechanism, heritability, and early intervention of fetal-originated osteoarthritis.

Echinacoside Inhibits Osteoclast Function by Down-Regulating PI3K/Akt/C-Fos to Alleviate Osteolysis Caused by Periprosthetic Joint Infection.

Infected osteolysis as a common secondary osteoporosis is associated with excessive osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption. The inhibition of osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption have been demonstrated an effective approach in the treatment of osteolytic diseases. Echinacoside (ECH) is a natural phenylethanoid glycoside with multiple biological functions, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and osteoblast differentiation promotion.

Downregulation of Fat Mass and Obesity-Related Protein in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex Participates in Anxiety- and Depression-Like Behaviors Induced by Neuropathic Pain.

N6-methyladenosine (mA) is the most abundant methylation modification on mRNA in mammals. Fat mass and obesity-related protein (FTO) is the main RNA mA demethylase. FTO is involved in the occurrence and maintenance of neuropathic pain (NP).

Evaluation of Experimental and Clinical Efficacy on Surgical Debridement and Systemic Antibiotics Treatment for Early Knee Infection after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Deep knee infection (DKI) after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is rare and challenging. The optimal treatment strategy for infection after ACLR remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the optimal treatment for early infection after ACLR surgery.

Reduced inhibition underlies early life LPS exposure induced-cognitive impairment: Prevention by environmental enrichment.

Early life immune activation has negative effects on the development of central nervous system and cognitive function, yet the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that inflammation induces changes in microglia morphology, which lead to excessive synaptic pruning and improper function of neural circuits. Therefore, we hypothesized that early immune activation induced microglia activation, contributing to synaptic and cognitive impairments in adolescent mice.

The miR-98-3p/JAG1/Notch1 axis mediates the multigenerational inheritance of osteopenia caused by maternal dexamethasone exposure in female rat offspring.

As a synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone is widely used to treat potential premature delivery and related diseases. Our previous studies have shown that prenatal dexamethasone exposure (PDE) can cause bone dysplasia and susceptibility to osteoporosis in female rat offspring. However, whether the effect of PDE on bone development can be extended to the third generation (F3 generation) and its multigenerational mechanism of inheritance have not been reported.

Quadratus Lumborum Block Spares Postoperative Opioid Usage but Does Not appear to Prevent the Development of Chronic Pain After Gastrointestinal Surgery.

Background: Regional anesthesia has been used to reduce acute postsurgical pain and to  prevent chronic pain. The best technique, however, remains controversial.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the short- and long-term postoperative analgesic efficacy of ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum block (QLB) in open gastrointestinal surgery.

Identification and validation of pivotal genes related to age-related meniscus degeneration based on gene expression profiling analysis and in vivo and in vitro models detection.

Background: The componential and structural change in the meniscus with aging would increase the tissue vulnerability of the meniscus, which would induce meniscus tearing. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism of age-related meniscus degeneration with gene expression profiling analysis, and validate pivotal genes in vivo and in vitro models.

Methods: The GSE45233 dataset, including 6 elderly meniscus samples and 6 younger meniscus samples, was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database.

Novel rRNA-depletion methods for total RNA sequencing and ribosome profiling developed for avian species.

Deep sequencing of RNAs has greatly aided the study of the transcriptome, enabling comprehensive gene expression profiling and the identification of novel transcripts. While messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are of the greatest interest in gene expression studies as they encode for proteins, mRNAs make up only 3 to 5% of total RNAs, with the majority comprising ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs). Therefore, applications of deep sequencing to RNA face the challenge of how to efficiently enrich mRNA species prior to library construction.