ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of icariin on autophagy induced by low-concentration of glucocorticoid and exosome production in bone microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs).MethodsBMECs were isolated from femoral heads resected in total hip arthroplasty and then intervened with hydrocortisone of low concentration (0, 0.03, 0.06, 0.10 mg/mL), which were set as groups A, B, C, and D, respectively. On the basis of hydrocortisone intervention, 5×10?5 mol/L of icariin was added to each group (set as groups A1, B1, C1 and D1, respectively). Western blot was used to detect the expressions of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B (LC3B) and dead bone slice 1 (p62) after 24 hours. Exosomes were extracted from BMECs treated with icariin (intervention group) and without icariin (non-intervention group), and the diameter and concentration of exosomes were evaluated by nanoparticle tracking analysis technique. The total protein content of exosomes was detected by BCA method, and the expressions of proteins carried by exosomes including CD9, CD81, transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) were assessed by Western blot. The BMECs were further divided into three groups: BMECs in the experimental group and the control group were co-cultured with exosomes secreted by BMECs treated with or without icariin, respectively; the blank control group was BMECs without exosome intervention. The three groups were treated with hydrocortisone and Western blot was used to detect the expressions of LC3B and p62. The scratching assay was used to detect cell migration ability; angiogenic ability of BMECs was also assessed.ResultsWith the increase of hydrocortisone concentration, the protein expression of LC3B-Ⅱ increased gradually, and the protein expression of p62 decreased gradually (P<0.01). Compared with group with same concentration of hydrocortisone, the protein expression of LC3B-Ⅱ decreased and the protein expression of p62 increased after the administration of icariin (P<0.01). The concentration of exosomes in the intervention group was significantly higher than that in the non-intervention group (t=?10.191, P=0.001); and there was no significant difference in exosome diameter and total protein content between the two groups (P>0.05). CD9 and CD81 proteins were highly expressed in the non-intervention group and the intervention group, and the relative expression ratios of VEGFA/CD9 and TGF-β1/CD9 proteins in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the non-intervention group (P<0.01). After co-culture of exosomes, the protein expression of p62 increased in blank control group, control group, and experimental group, while the protein expression of LC3B-Ⅱ decreased. There were significant differences among groups (P<0.05). When treated with hydrocortisone for 12 and 24 hours, the scratch closure rate of the control group and experimental group was significantly higher than that of the blank control group (P<0.05), and the scratch closure rate of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). When treated with hydrocortisone for 4 and 8 hours, the number of lumens, number of sprouting vessels, and length of tubule branches in the experimental group and the control group were significantly greater than those in the blank control group (P<0.05); the length of tubule branches and the number of lumens in the experimental group were significantly greater than those in the control group (P<0.05).ConclusionIcariin and BMECs-derived exosomes can improve the autophagy of BMECs induced by low concentration of glucocorticoid.
The functional coupling between motor cortex and effector muscles during autonomic movement can be quantified by calculating the coupling between electroencephalogram (EEG) signal and surface electromyography (sEMG) signal. The maximal information coefficient (MIC) algorithm has been proved to be effective in quantifying the coupling relationship between neural signals, but it also has the problem of time-consuming calculations in actual use. To solve this problem, an improved MIC algorithm was proposed based on the efficient clustering characteristics of K-means ++ algorithm to accurately detect the coupling strength between nonlinear time series. Simulation results showed that the improved MIC algorithm proposed in this paper can capture the coupling relationship between nonlinear time series quickly and accurately under different noise levels. The results of right dorsiflexion experiments in stroke patients showed that the improved method could accurately capture the coupling strength of EEG signal and sEMG signal in the specific frequency band. Compared with the healthy controls, the functional corticomuscular coupling (FCMC) in beta (14~30 Hz) and gamma band (31~45 Hz) were significantly weaker in stroke patients, and the beta-band MIC values were positively correlated with the Fugl-Meyers assessment (FMA) scale scores. The method proposed in this study is hopeful to be a new method for quantitative assessment of motor function for stroke patients.
ObjectiveBased on the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD 2023) database, this study aims to compare the evolution of the disease burden of ulcerative colitis (UC) globally and in China from 1990 to 2023, and to predict the trends for the period 2024 to 2035. MethodsData on the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of ulcerative colitis (UC), as well as their corresponding rates at both the global level and in China, were extracted to describe their changing characteristics. Joinpoint regression was used to calculate the annual percent change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC). Furthermore, a Bayesian Age-Period-Cohort (BAPC) model was applied to project the disease burden from 2024 to 2035.ResultsIn 2023, the global age-standardized incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALYs rates of UC were 2.87, 44.19, 0.45, and 13.76 per 100 000 population, respectively. Compared with 1990, the global age-standardized incidence rate slightly increased by 6.69%, while the prevalence, mortality, and DALYs rates decreased by 6.81%, 2.17%, and 12.58%, respectively. From 1990 to 2023, the global age-standardized incidence rate showed an upward trend (AAPC = 0.19, 95%CI 0.16 to 0.22). The age-standardized prevalence and DALYs rates exhibited downward trends, with AAPC of ?0.19 (95%CI ?0.23 to ?0.16) and ?0.40 (95%CI ?0.59 to ?0.20), respectively (all P<0.001). The change in the age-standardized mortality rate was not significant (AAPC = ?0.10, 95%CI ?0.44 to 0.25). In China, the age-standardized incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALYs rates in 2023 were 1.41, 9.50, 0.23, and 5.94 per 100 000 population, respectively. Compared with 1990, the age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates increased significantly by 88.00% and 66.08%, respectively, whereas the age-standardized mortality and DALYs rates decreased significantly by 60.35% and 58.64%, respectively. From 1990 to 2023, China’s age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates demonstrated an upward trend, with AAPC of 1.81 (95%CI 1.69 to 1.93) and 1.20 (95%CI 1.34 to 1.48), respectively (all P<0.001). The age-standardized mortality and DALYs rates showed a downward trend, with AAPC of ?2.60 (95%CI ?3.11 to ?2.09) and ?2.58 (95%CI ?2.79 to ?2.37), respectively (allP <0.001). Notably, the magnitude of these declines in China was greater than that at the global level and across the five Socio-demographic Index (SDI) regions. Projections from the BAPC model indicated that from 2024 to 2035, the global age-standardized incidence rate will remain basically stable, while the prevalence, mortality, and DALYs rates will slowly decrease. In China, however, the age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates will continue to rise, while the mortality and DALYs rates will continue to decline. ConclusionThe mortality and DALYs rates of UC both globally and in China exhibit a downward trend, with a more pronounced decline observed in China. However, the incidence and prevalence burdens of UC in China show an increasing trend and are projected to continue rising over the next decade. Continuous monitoring is required, and more targeted prevention and control measures should be developed in light of the current situation.