1.Study of the evaluation methods for evidence and recommendation in Chinese expert consensus on off-label use of drugs
Mingyue ZHANG ; Nan CHEN ; Ling XU ; Zhenggang BAI ; Likai LIN
China Pharmacy 2025;36(6):641-647
OBJECTIVE To provide reference for optimizing or formulating unified evaluation methods for evidence and recommendation in expert consensus on off-label use of drugs. METHODS Retrieved from CNKI, Wanfang data, VIP, CBM, PubMed and Web of Science, Chinese expert consensuses on off-label use of drugs involving evaluation methods for evidence and recommendations were collected from the inception to August 1, 2024. After screening the literature and extracting relevant data, descriptive statistical analysis was conducted. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS Among the 32 articles included, 14 articles (43.8%) used Micromedex’s Thomson grading system, only 7 articles (21.9%) considered economic factors when forming recommendations, 10 articles (31.3%) reported the conflicts of interest; only 2 articles (6.3%) involved experts in the field of evidence-based medicine methodology. There were differences in the sources of evidence, factors considered in forming recommendations, and the grading standards for evidence and recommendations among different expert consensus evidence evaluation methods. There were also differences in evidence levels and recommendation strength of the same drug off-label use in different expert consensus. It is recommended that in future consensus-building processes, greater attention should be paid to potential conflicts of interest among participants, collaboration with methodological experts should be enhanced, and efforts should be expedited to establish unified standards for evaluating evidence and recommendation methodologies.
2.Dupilumab for the treatment of severe asthma:a rapid health technology assessment
Huayu WANG ; Shichao DONG ; Wei SUN ; Ying WANG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(6):648-654
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness of dupilumab in the treatment of severe asthma with rapid health technology assessment (HTA), and to provide evidence-based evidence for clinical treatment. METHODS Retrieved from PubMed,Cochrane Library,CNKI,Wanfang, VIP database, and other related websites of HTA. HTA reports, systematic review/meta-analysis, and economic studies of dupilumab in the treatment of severe asthma were collected. Researchers independently identified literature, extracted data, and assessed the quality of included studies. Qualitative description was performed. RESULTS A total of 15 pieces of literature were included, involving 9 systematic reviews/meta-analyses and 6 economic studies. In terms of effectiveness, dupilumab was significantly better than placebo. Compared with other biological drugs, in the patients with severe asthma aged 12 years and above, for those with eosinophil (EOS) ≥300 cells/μL, dupilumab ranked first in improving forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), outperforming tezepelumab, benralizumab, and mepolizumab. It ranked second in reducing acute exacerbations, surpassed only by tezepelumab, while its effect on improving asthma control questionnaire score was relatively lower, being better only than benralizumab. For those with 150 cells/μL ≤EOS<300 cells/μL, dupilumab was superior to mepolizumab in reducing asthma exacerbation, while the effect on FEV1 was weaker than benralizumab and mepolizumab. In terms of safety, there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events and serious adverse events between dupilumab and placebo or other biological drugs, while the incidence of injection site reactions of dupilumab was significantly higher than placebo. In terms of cost-effectiveness, the research results of different countries were not consistent, and there was a lack of research data from China. CONCLUSIONS Dupilumab is an effective and safe choice in the treatment of severe asthma, and its cost-effectiveness requires further research based on China’s medical environment to be determined.
3.Study on the mechanism of Danggui buxue decoction regulating neutrophil extracellular traps to improve osteo-porosis in rats with premature ovarian failure
Chuiqiao HUANG ; Shuai CHEN ; Qian LI ; Liancheng GUAN ; Jie GAO ; Zhong QIN ; Yunzhi CHEN
China Pharmacy 2025;36(6):655-660
OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism through which Danggui buxue decoction regulates neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) to improve osteoporosis (OP) in rats with premature ovarian failure (POF). METHODS Female SD rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group, calcitriol group, and Danggui buxue decoction low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups, with 9 rats in each group. Except for the normal group, all other groups were administered cisplatin via intraperitoneal injection on days 1 and 8 to establish a POF complicated with OP model. Each group received the corresponding drugs or normal saline intragastrically starting from day 5, once a day, for 4 consecutive weeks. After the last medication, serum levels of estradiol (E2), NETs, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3], receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL), and osteocalcin (BGP) were measured. The histopathological changes in bone tissue were observed. The expressions of vitamin D receptor (VDR), myeloperoxidase (MPO), neutrophil elastase (NE) and citrullinated histone H3 (CitH3) in bone tissue were detected; the protein expressions of 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1α-hydroxylase (CYP27B1) and 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1) were also determined. RESULTS Compared with the normal group, the bone tissue of rats in the model group showed a significant reduction in the number of trabeculae, which was thinner broken and poorly connected, with significant destruction of the reticular structure, and an enlarged marrow cavity. Serum levels of NETs and RANKL, the protein expressions of MPO, NE, CitH3 and CYP24A1 in bone tissue were significantly increased or upregulated, while serum levels of E2, 25(OH)D3 and BGP as well as protein expressions of VDR and CYP27B1 were significantly decreased or downregulated (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the histopathological changes in the bone tissue of rats in each administration group showed some degree of recovery, with significant improvements observed in most quantitative indicators (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Danggui buxue decoction can restore the E2 level in POF complicated with OP rats, and improve OP. The mechanism may be related to its ability to upregulate VD level and inhibit the formation of NETs.
4.Improvement of quality control methods and “quality evaluation via color discrimination”of Hypericum perforatum
Xishuo LI ; Benzheng SU ; Zhenni QU ; Juanjuan ZHU ; Yanpeng DAI ; Dianhua SHI
China Pharmacy 2025;36(6):661-667
OBJECTIVE To provide a reference for the quality control of Hypericum perforatum. METHODS High- performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to establish fingerprints for 20 batches of H. perforatum and determine the contents of its main components: chlorogenic acid, rutin, hyperin, isoquercitrin, avicularin, quercitrin and quercetin. Cluster analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0 software. The chromaticity values (luminance value L*, red-green value a*, and yellow- blue value b*) of H. perforatum powder were measured using electronic eye. A prediction model for the contents of seven components in H. perforatum based on its appearance chromaticity values was established using machine learning algorithms. The predictive performance of the models was evaluated using root-mean-square-error (RMSE). RESULTS A total of 16 common peaks were calibrated in the fingerprints of 20 batches of H. perforatum, and 9 peaks were identified, which were chlorogenic acid, rutin, hyperin, isoquercitrin, avicularin, quercitrin, quercetin, hypericin and hyperforin; the similarities of the 20 batches of samples and reference fingerprint ranged from 0.889-0.987. The contents of chlorogenic acid, rutin, hyperin, isoquercitrin, avicularin, quercitrin and quercetin were 0.025%-0.166%, 0.048%-0.339%, 0.082%-0.419%, 0.017%-0.209%, 0.011%-0.134%, 0.020%-0.135%, 0.041%-0.235%, respectively. Cluster analysis results showed that 18 batches of qualified H. perforatum were grouped into three categories, when the Euclidean distance was set to 1.4. L* of the 20 batches of H. perforatum ranged from 62.814 to 75.668, a* ranged from 1.409 to 3.490, and b* ranged from 25.249 to 30.759. RMSE of three prediction models, namely XGBoost, LightGBM, and AdaBoost, ranged from 0.008 to 0.070, indicating good fitting performance. XGBoost model predicted the contents of the other six components with high accuracy, except for rutin. CONCLUSIONS The established fingerprints and content determination methods are accurate, reproducible, and reliable. The content prediction model based on appearance chromaticity values, combined with machine learning algorithms, can be used for the quality control of H. perforatum.
5.Study on the mechanism of hyperoside regulating hepatic lipid synthesis to ameliorate non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in mice
Changrui LONG ; Shijian XIANG ; Zhenhua ZHANG ; Huixing WU ; Benjie ZHOU ; Chengyu LU
China Pharmacy 2025;36(6):668-673
OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement mechanism of hyperoside (HYP) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into normal (NFD) group, model (HFD) group and HYP group, with 8 mice in each group. Except for NFD group, the mice in other groups were fed with HF60 high-fat diet to establish NAFLD model; HYP group was simultaneously given HYP 100 mg/kg intragastrically every day, for 16 consecutive weeks. The body weight and liver weight of mice in each group were recorded 16 h after the last medication; the histopathological changes and lipid accumulation in the liver were observed, and the contents of triglyceride (TAG) in liver tissue and serum contents of TAG, aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) were measured; LC-MS/MS method was adopted to detect lipid changes in the liver tissue of mice for lipidomics analysis, and protein expressions of lipid synthesis-associated proteins peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) were also tested. Human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 was divided into normal control group, model group, HYP low-concentration group (50 μmol/L), HYP high-concentration group (100 μmol/L), HYP low-concentration+GW6471 (PPARαinhibitor) group, and HYP high-concentration+GW6471 group. Except for normal control group, the remaining cells were induced with oleic acid and palmitic acid to establish a high-fat cell model. The accumulation of lipid droplets in each group of cells was observed, and the TAG content was detected. RESULTS Compared with HFD group, HYP group exhibited significant reductions in liver fat vacuoles, lipid accumulation, liver weight, and TAG content in liver tissue, as well as serum contents of ALT, AST and TAG (P<0.05). Additionally, the expression of PPARα protein in liver tissue was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the pathological morphological changes associated with NAFLD were alleviated. Lipidomic analysis revealed that HYP significantly reduced the levels of TAG, diacylglycerol and other lipids in the liver. Compared with model group, cellular lipid droplet accumulation and TAG content decreased significantly in HYP low- and high-concentration groups (P<0.05); GW6471 could significantly reverse the improvement effect of HYP on above indicators (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS HYP can effectively ameliorate NAFLD induced by a high-fat diet in mice, and the mechanism may be related to the activation of PPARα to regulate hepatic lipid synthesis.
6.Effect and mechanism of Sanqi danshen tablets in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Yutian LEI ; Dan FENG ; Xinli CHEN ; Yuan YANG ; Hui WU
China Pharmacy 2025;36(6):674-679
OBJECTIVE To investigate the potential mechanism of Sanqi danshen tablets in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS Core targets of Sanqi danshen tablets in the treatment of NAFLD were explored by network pharmacological methods. Gene ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were also performed. Based on the results obtained from network pharmacological studies, using SD rats as subjects, the NAFLD model was induced by feeding them high-fat diet. The effects of Sanqi danshen tablets on pathological changes such as lipid droplet vacuoles and lipid accumulation in the liver tissue of NAFLD rats, as well as its impact on relative indicators of lipid metabolism, inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, were investigated. RESULTS A total of 20 core targets for the treatment of NAFLD with Sanqi danshen tablets were screened, primarily involved in GO functions such as biological regulation, cellular membrane and binding, and enriched in signaling pathways related to inflammatory responses, oxidative stress and lipid metabolism. Compared with the model group, lipid droplet vacuoles were reduced significantly in low-dose, medium-dose, high-dose groups of Sanqi danshen tablets and positive control (simvastatin) group, the number of lipid droplets decreased significantly and the color became lighter. The contents of total cholesterol, triglyceride (except for medium- dose group of Sanqi danshen tablets), aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, tumor necrosis factor-α (except for low-dose group of Sanqi danshen tablets), interleukin-17 (except for Sanqi danshen tablets groups) and malondialdehyde (except for low- dose group of Sanqi danshen tablets) in liver tissue were significantly decreased, while the content of superoxide dismutase was significantly increased (P<0.01 or P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Sanqi danshen tablets exert anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and lipid metabolism regulating effects by influencing the levels of inflammation, oxidative stress and lipids metabolism-related indicators, thereby improving NAFLD in rats.
7.Pharmacokinetic study of 3 blood-absorbed components of Xiangshao sanjie oral liquid in rats with hyperplasia of mammary gland
Yu ZHANG ; Jiaming LI ; Dan PENG ; Ruoqiu FU ; Yue MING ; Zhengbi LIU ; Jingjing WANG ; Shiqi CHENG ; Hongjun XIE ; Yao LIU
China Pharmacy 2025;36(6):680-685
OBJECTIVE To explore the pharmacokinetic characteristics of 3 blood-absorbed components of Xiangshao sanjie oral liquid in rats with hyperplasia of mammary gland (HMG). METHODS Female SD rats were divided into control group and HMG group according to body weight, with 6 rats in each group. The HMG group was given estrogen+progesterone to construct HMG model. After modeling, two groups were given 1.485 g/kg of Xiangshao sanjie oral liquid (calculated by crude drug) intragastrically, once a day, for 7 consecutive days. Blood samples were collected before the first administration (0 h), and at 5, 15, 30 minutes and 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 hours after the last administration, respectively. Using chlorzoxazone as the internal standard, the plasma concentrations of ferulic acid, paeoniflorin and rosmarinic acid in rats were detected by UPLC-Q/TOF-MS. The pharmacokinetic parameters [area under the drug time curve (AUC0-24 h, AUC0-∞), mean residence time (MRT0-∞), half-life (t1/2), peak time (tmax), peak concentration (cmax)] were calculated by the non-atrioventricular model using Phoenix WinNonlin 8.1 software. RESULTS Compared with the control group, the AUC0-24 h, AUC0-∞ and cmax of ferulic acid in the HMG group were significantly increased (P<0.05); the AUC0-24 h, AUC0-∞ , MRT0-∞ , t1/2 and cmax of paeoniflorin increased, but there was no significant difference between 2 groups (P>0.05); the AUC0-24 h and MRT0-∞ of rosmarinic acid were significantly increased or prolonged (P<0.05). C ONCLUSIONS In HMG model rats, the exposure of ferulic acid, paeoniflorin and rosmarinic acid in Xiangshao sanjie oral liquid all increase, and the retention time of rosmarinic acid is significantly prolonged.
8.Study on the improvement effects of Compound qinbai granules on ulcerative colitis in rats and its mechanism
Shouyan HE ; Wenpeng LUO ; Liao PAN ; Jinyin XIAO ; Zhenquan WANG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(6):686-691
OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement effects of Compound qinbai granules on ulcerative colitis (UC) in rats and its mechanism based on short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) and their targets G protein-coupled receptor (GPR). METHODS Male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group (12 rats) and model group (30 rats); the model group was given 5% dextran sulfate sodium solution to induce the UC model. Model rats were divided into the model group, positive control group [Mesalazine enteric-coated tablets 270 mg/(kg·d)] and Compound qinbai granules group [2.52 g/(kg·d)], with 9 rats in each group. Rats in each group were orally administered with normal saline or corresponding medication twice a day, for three consecutive weeks. During intragastric administration, the general conditions of rats in each group were observed, and the disease activity index (DAI) scores were assessed after the last administration. Serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (transforming growth factor-β1, interleukin-10) were measured. Pathological changes in their colonic tissues were observed and scored. Additionally, the content of SCFA (acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid) in their feces as well as the protein and mRNA expressions of GPR41, GPR43 and GPR109A in colonic tissues were detected. RESULTS Compared with the normal group, rats in the model group exhibited lethargy and obvious blood in their feces; the colonic tissue structure was severely damaged, with pathological changes such as notable glandular loss, edema, and inflammatory cell infiltration visible; the serum levels of pro- inflammatory cytokines, DAI score and colonic pathology score were significantly increased, while the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines, SCFA content, and protein and mRNA expressions of GPR41, GPR43 and GPR109A were significantly decreased or down-regulated (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the general condition and pathological changes of colonic tissue in each administration group showed improvement, with significant reversal observed in the aforementioned quantitative indicators (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Compound qinbai granules can alleviate intestinal inflammation and intestinal mucosal damage in UC rats. These effects may be related to its ability to restore intestinal SCFA levels and the expression of their target GPR.
9.Effects of Chaihu longgu muli decoction on neuronal damage in refractory epilepsy rats and its mechanism
China Pharmacy 2025;36(6):692-697
OBJECTIVE To explore the effect and potential mechanism of Chaihu longgu muli decoction on hippocampal neuronal damage in refractory epilepsy rats. METHODS The refractory epilepsy rat model was established by intracerebroventricular injection of kainic acid. The refractory epilepsy rats were randomly assigned into model group, celecoxib group (positive control), Chaihu longgu muli decoction group, Chaihu longgu muli decoction+empty loading group, Chaihu longgu muli decoction+cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) overexpression group, with 12 rats in each group. Another 12 rats were selected as sham operation group (injected with normal saline into the lateral ventricle). After 8 weeks of corresponding drug/normal saline intervention, Racine grading criteria were applied to evaluate the seizure behavior of rats; pathological changes and cell apoptosis in CA3 region of hippocampal tissue were observed; ELISA method was adopted to detect the levels of COX-2, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in hippocampal tissue. The colorimetric method was applied to detect the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in hippocampal tissue. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blot were applied to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of COX-2 and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in hippocampal tissue. RESULTS The rats in the sham operation group had no epileptic seizures. Compared with sham operation group, Racine grade of epilepsy, apoptotic rate of hippocampal tissue cells, COX-2, PGE2 and TNF-α levels, MDA contents, mRNA and protein levels of COX-2 and P-gp in the model group increased significantly, while SOD activity decreased significantly (P<0.05); prominent damage was observed in the hippocampal CA3 region. Compared with model group, Racine grade of epilepsy, apoptotic rate of hippocampal tissue cells, COX-2, PGE2 and TNF-α levels, MDA contents, mRNA and protein levels of COX-2 and P-gp in celecoxib group and Chaihu longgu muli decoction group decreased significantly, while SOD activity increased significantly(P<0.05); the neuronal damage in hippocampal CA3 region was alleviated. Compared with Chaihu longgu muli decoction group and Chaihu longgu muli decoction+ empty loading group, the improvement in the aforementioned indicators in rats from Chaihu longgu muli decoction+COX-2 overexpression group was significantly reversed (P<0.05), with exacerbated neuronal damage in the CA3 region of the hippocampal tissue. CONCLUSIONS Chaihu longgu muli decoction may alleviate hippocampal neuronal damage in refractory epilepsy rats by inhibiting the activation of COX-2/PGE2 signaling pathway, inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress, thereby alleviating hippocampal neuronal damage in refractory epilepsy rats.
10.Effect mechanism of LncRNA MALAT1 on doxorubicin resistance in osteosarcoma cells
Fudong LIANG ; Shufang DI ; Wei LUO ; Jianghua QI ; Libing LIU
China Pharmacy 2025;36(6):698-703
OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship of long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) and doxorubicin (DOX) resistance in osteosarcoma (OS) cells. METHODS MG-63 and MG-63/DOX cells were treated with different concentrations of DOX (0, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 1 μmol/L), and survival rates and half maximal inhibitory concentration were determined using CCK-8 assay. The expressions of LncRNA MALAT1 in MG-63 and MG-63/ DOX cells were detected by real-time quantitative fluorescence PCR. MG-63/DOX cells were divided into Control group, knocking down LncRNA MALAT1 negative control (sh-NC) group, sh-MALAT1 group, sh-MALAT1+anti-NC group, and sh-MALAT1+ anti-miR-154-5p group. The expressions of LncRNA MALAT1, miR-154-5p and cyclin D1 (CCND1) mRNA in MG-63/DOX cells of each group were detected. The effects of knocking down LncRNA MALAT1 on the proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of MG-63/DOX cells were detected by CCK-8 assay, scratch test, Transwell experiment and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear protein (PCNA) and CCND1 protein in MG-63/DOX cells was detected by Western blot assay. Interactions between LncRNA MALAT1 and miR-154-5p, miR-154-5p and CCND1 were detected by dual luciferase reporter gene experiment. RESULTS Compared with 0 μmol/L DOX, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1 and 1 μmol/L DOX could reduce the survival rates of MG-63 and MG-63/DOX cells (except for 0.01 μmol/L DOX) (P<0.05), IC50 were 0.07 and 0.13 μmol/L, respectively. The survival rate, cell migration number and invasion number of MG-63/DOX cells, scratch closure rate, mRNA expressions of LncRNA MALAT1, mRNA and protein expressions of CCND1, and PCNA protein expression in sh-MALAT1 group were significantly lower than sh-NC group and Control group; the apoptosis rate and miR-154-5p expression were significantly higher than sh-NC group and Control group (P<0.05). sh-MALAT1+anti-miR-154-5p group was able to reverse the aforementioned biological effects in sh-MALAT1 group (P<0.05). In MG-63/DOX cells transfected with both MALAT1-wild type (WT) and CCND1-WT, the luciferase activity in the miR-154-5p mimic group was significantly lower than mimic negative control group (P< 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Knocking down LncRNA MALAT1 can inhibit the DOX resistance of OS cells, and its mechanism may be targeting the miR-154-5p/CCND1 axis.
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