1.Anti-inflammation Effects of Chanqin Granules on PM2.5-induced Airway Neurogenic Inflammation Mediated by Nerve Growth Factor in Rats
Bing Ruo SHEN ; Ya JU ; Ping Xiao YU
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2017;34(6):882-887
Objective To observe the anti-inflammation effects of Chanqin granules on airway neurogenic inflammation induced by fine particulate matter (PM2.5)and mediated by nerve growth factor (NGF)and to explore the therapeutic mechanism. Methods Forty SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups,namely saline control group, PM2.5 exposure group, anti-NGF group, Chanqin granules group and Huifeining group (Pseudoephedrine Hydrochloride,Chlorpheniramine Maleate and Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide Solution),8 rats in each group. PM2.5 exposure rat model was established by intratracheal drop infusion of PM2.5 suspension. The rats in PM2.5 exposure group were given gastric gavage of normal saline after PM2.5 exposure , and the anti-NGF group was given gastric gavage of saline after PM2.5 exposure and intraperitoneal injection of anti-NGF agent. Chanqin granules group was given gastric gavage of Chanqin granules (9.36 g·kg-1·d-1)after PM2.5 exposure,Huifeining group was given gastric gavage of Huifeining (8 mL·kg-1·d-1)after PM2.5 exposure,and saline control group was given gastric gavage of normal saline after intratracheal drop infusion of normal saline , the treatment covering 2 weeks. After medication,the contents of substance P (SP),calcitonin gene related peptide(CGRP), neurokinin A(NKA), neurokinin B(NKB), and nerve growth factor(NGF) in rat serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the expression levels of SP and NGF in lung tissue and dorsal root ganglia were measured by immunohistochemistry , and the protein and mRNA expression levels of NGF in lung tissue and dorsal root ganglia were determined by Western blotting method and reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR),respectively. Results Compared with the saline control group, the levels of SP, NKA, NKB, NGF and CGRP in rat serum, immunohistochemical mean optical density of NGF in lung tissue and SP and NGF in dorsal root ganglia, the protein and mRNA expression levels of NGF in lung tissue and the protein expression level of NGF in dorsal root ganglia of PM2.5 exposure group were all increased(P < 0.05). Compared with PM2.5 exposure group,the above indexes in anti-NGF group, Chanqin granules group, and Huifeining group were decreased (P < 0.05), and there being no differences between the 3 groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion Chanqin granules have certain effects on relieving the neurogenic inflammation in rat airway induced by PM2.5 through inhibiting the expression of NGF.
2.Neuroimaging Mechanism of The Modified Electro-convulsive Therapy on The Anti-depressive Effects and Cognitive Impairment
Ruo-Bing SHEN ; Wen-Wen SHEN ; Shu-Gui GAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(7):1817-1832
Modified electro-convulsive therapy (MECT) is one of the most potent treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD). However, it remains a second-line option due to significant side effects, such as transient memory loss. The relationship between therapeutic efficacy and cognitive impairment warrants further investigation to develop improved treatment regimens. In this review, we examine recent evidence from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies aiming to identify structural and functional brain changes specifically associated with both the antidepressant effects and the amnesic outcomes of MECT. MECT induces widespread alterations across multiple brain systems. Increases in gray matter volume (GMV) have been observed in the prefrontal, temporal, and parietal cortices, as well as in subcortical regions such as the hippocampus (HP), amygdala, and striatum. Strengthening of myelination has also been reported along the dorsolateral prefrontal-limbic pathways. Functional changes include increased spontaneous neural activity in prefrontal areas, reorganization of intrinsic connectivity within the default mode network (DMN), and altered functional connectivity (FC) among the DMN, salience network (SN), and central executive network (CEN). Correlational studies have identified structural and functional alterations linked to antidepressant efficacy, including right hippocampal volume enlargement, prefrontal cortical thickening, reduced iron deposition in the striatum, decreased FC within certain DMN nodes, and enhanced effective connectivity from the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) to the right angular gyrus. In contrast, the amnesic effects have been associated with increased volumes in the left hippocampus and bilateral dentate gyrus; enhanced FC in the left angular gyrus and left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC); increased FC between the right ventral anterior insula and DLPFC; and reduced FC in the left thalamus and bilateral precuneus. Changes in the hippocampus appear to correlate with both antidepressant efficacy and memory impairment. Clinical studies have found no significant correlation between the severity of memory impairment and the reduction in depressive symptoms, suggesting that the therapeutic and adverse effects may arise from distinct regional or subregional mechanisms. Supporting this hypothesis, recent findings show that increased right hippocampal volume is significantly associated with reduced depression scores, whereas increased volume in the left dentate gyrus correlates with declines in delayed recall performance. Additionally, enhanced connectivity between the anterior hippocampus and middle occipital gyrus (MOG) has been linked to mood improvement, while decreased FC between the mid-hippocampus and angular gyrus has been associated with impairments in memory integration. In conclusion, current evidence suggests that the antidepressant and memory-impairing effects of MECT may localize to distinct hippocampal subregions. These effects likely result from differential modulation of local neural activity and functional connectivity, leading to divergent behavioral outcomes. Given that both effects may originate in deep and spatially constrained structures such as the hippocampus, small-sample studies and conventional methodologies may fail to differentiate them effectively. Future research should employ large-scale, longitudinal designs utilizing high-field MRI and multimodal neuroimaging to characterize MECT-induced structure-function coupling in the hippocampus and its integration at the network level. Additionally, multiscale analyses spanning molecular, circuit, and network dimensions would be beneficial.
4.Yixin Ningshen Tablet Alleviates Comorbidity of Myocardial Infarction and Depression by Enhancing Myocardial Energy Metabolism and Increasing Availability of Monoamine Neurotransmitter.
Bing JIANG ; Ruo-Ming WU ; Hai-Dong LI ; Kun LI ; Hui LI ; Wen-Zhen DANG ; Gui-Ze FENG ; Wei-Lian BAO ; Guan YE ; Xiao-Yan SHEN
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2022;28(7):586-593
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the therapeutic effect of Yixin Ningshen Tablet (YXNS) on comorbidity of myocardial infarction (MI) and depression in rats and explore the underlying mechanism.
METHODS:
The Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups with 7 rats in each group according to their weights, including control, model, fluoxetine (FLXT, 10 mg/kg), low-dose YXNS (LYXNS, 100 mg/kg), and high-dose YXNS (HYXNS, 300 mg/kg) groups. All rats were pretreated with corresponding drugs for 12 weeks. The rat model of MI and depression was constructed by ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery and chronic mild stress stimulation. The echocardiography, sucrose preference test, open field test, and forced swim test were performed. Myocardial infarction (MI) area and myocardial apoptosis was also detected. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), corticosterone (CORT), and norepinephrine (NE) were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The proteins of adenosine 5'-monophosphate -activated protein kinase (AMPK), p-AMPK, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), and nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1) in heart were detected by Western blot analysis. The expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1), kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO), and kynureninase (KYNU) in hippocampus were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.
RESULTS:
Compared with the model group, the cardiac function of rats treated with YXNS improved significantly (P<0.01). Meanwhile, YXNS effectively reduced MI size and cardiomyocytes apoptosis of rats (P<0.01 or P<0.05), promoted AMPK phosphorylation, and increased PGC-1α protein expression (P<0.01 or P<0.05). HYXNS significantly increased locomotor activity of rats, decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β, and increased the serum levels of 5-HT, NE, ACTH, and CORT (all P<0.05). Moreover, HYXNS decreased the mRNA expressions of IDO1, KMO and KYNU (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
YXNS can relieve MI by enhancing myocardial energy metabolism. Meanwhile, YXNS can alleviate depression by resisting inflammation and increasing availability of monoamine neurotransmitters. It may be used as a potential drug to treat comorbidity of MI and depression.
AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism*
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Adrenocorticotropic Hormone
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Animals
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Comorbidity
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Depression/drug therapy*
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Energy Metabolism
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Interleukin-6/metabolism*
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Myocardial Infarction/pathology*
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Neurotransmitter Agents
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Rats
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Serotonin/metabolism*
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Tablets
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Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism*
5.Analysis on off-label use of drugs in pediatric guidelines and consensus published by Chinese authors.
Min MENG ; Ping WANG ; Hui LAN ; Wen Juan LEI ; Quan SHEN ; Qi ZHOU ; Ren Feng SU ; Meng LYU ; Bo YANG ; Xu Fei LUO ; Ruo Bing LEI ; Tian Chun HOU ; Qiu LI ; Yao Long CHEN
Chinese Journal of Pediatrics 2022;60(3):215-220
Objective: To understand the current situation regarding pediatric off-label use of drugs recommendations in Chinese clinical practice guidelines and to make recommendations for standardized reporting format regarding off-label use of drugs for children. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out by systematically searching the databases for Chinese guideline consensus articles published in journals between 2018 and 2020 and extracting recommendations regarding off-label use of drugs from those articles. The essential characteristics of the included guidelines, the ranking of off-label drug types, the order of drug information, the type of off-label drug use, and the percentage of citation studies on which the recommendations were based were analyzed. Results: Among 108 studies that included Chinese off-label guidelines and consensus, 364 recommendations on pediatric off-label use of drugs were included. The Chinese Medical Association published the most, 48 out of the 108 studies (44.4%), and of those 14 studies (13.0%) were on infectious and parasitic diseases. Of the 364 recommendations on off-label use of drugs, the most commonly addressed drugs were 16 recommendations (4.4%) for cyclosporine A, 11 recommendations (3.0%) for methotrexate , and 11 recommendations (3.0%) for fentanyl. The most commonly addressed drug categories were as follows: 68 recommendations (18.6%) were immune system drugs, 66 recommendations (18.1%) were anti-infectives, and 56 recommendations (15.4%) were oncology drugs. The most commonly addressed drug information accounts were as follows: 364 recommendations (100.0%) were indications, 204 recommendations (56.0%) were dosages, and 198 recommendations (54.4%) were the route of administration. Based on the instructions approved by the Chinese Food and Drug Administration, the main forms of the off-label drug were as follows: 175 recommendations (48.1%) were unapproved indications, 127 recommendations (34.9%) were unapproved populations, and 72 recommendations (19.8%) were unapproved ages. Only 129 recommendations (35.4%) were cited, mainly including clinical guidelines (48 studies, 23.4%), reviews (22 studies, 10.7%), and pediatric randomized controlled trials (22 studies, 10.7%). Conclusions: Off-label use of drugs is commonly recommended in pediatric guidelines and consensus documents written by Chinese authors. However, the reporting of the recommendations varies widely, and the quality of the supporting evidence is poor.
Child
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China
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Consensus
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Cross-Sectional Studies
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Humans
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Off-Label Use
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Pharmaceutical Preparations