1.A New Approach to Network Pharmacological Analysis Based on Key Pathophysiological Processes
Yizhi YAN ; Chaoya LI ; Manfei DENG ; Peng ZENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2023;29(17):203-211
In recent years, the field of network pharmacology (NP) has developed rapidly, but the flawed and routine workflow has seriously affected the scientificity and reliability of NP analysis results. For complex diseases caused by environmental and genetic factors, symptomatic treatment or drugs targeting a single pathophysiological process cannot prevent or delay the progression of the disease, so the drug development fails or withdraws from the market. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new ideas for NP analysis that combines multiple pathophysiological processes. The key pathophysiological process is an important and complete set of pathological changes in the process of the occurrence, development, and outcome of the disease, which represents the current comprehensive and profound understanding of the nature of the disease. In order to improve the quality of NP research and promote the healthy development of the NP field, this paper proposes a new idea of NP analysis based on key pathophysiological processes. Based on the long-term clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine and the key pathophysiological process of the disease, the method comprehensively analyzes the pharmacological mechanism and active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine compound from the perspective of key pathophysiological process, which increases the scientifically, reliability, and repeatability of the analysis results. This paper takes Alzheimer's disease (AD) as an example to illustrate the necessity, feasibility, main workflow, advantages, and disadvantages of this method, and it is expected to screen disease-modifying drugs that prevent or reverse the course of the disease and promote the clinical transformation of research results.
2.Value of serum IgA/C3 ratio in the diagnosis of IgA nephropathy and its correlation with the clinicopathological features.
Shuangshuang ZHU ; Yongqiang LI ; Shulu ZHOU ; Qingzhu WEI ; Kangping DENG ; Xiaohong WANG ; Bin LI ; Jianghuan LIU ; Xinyu LIU ; Ying ZHANG ; Xiaofei SHAO ; Aiqun LIU ; Bifang WU ; Zhihong ZHAO ; Xiaomeng XU ; Hanfei LIN ; Qin LIU ; Jiamin LI ; Honglei WANG ; Qin ZHOU ; Chaoya ZHU ; Daoyuan LV ; Yue XIA ; Hequn ZOU
Journal of Southern Medical University 2015;35(12):1683-1688
OBJECTIVETo investigate the value of serum IgA/C3 ratio in the diagnosis of IgA nephropathy and explore its relationship with the clinicopathological features of the patients.
METHODSSixty-six patients with IgA nephropathy, 111 with other glomerular diseases, and 40 healthy control subjects without kidney disease were tested for serum IgA and C3 levels using CRM470 adjusted standardized immune turbidimetric method, and the IgA/C3 ratio was calculated. According to Oxford and Lee's classification criteria, we analyzed the pathological grades of the renal biopsy samples from patients with IgA nephropathy. The ROC curve was used to assess the value of serum IgA and IgA/C3 ratio in predicting IgA nephropathy.
RESULTSPatients with IgA nephropathy had an elevated serum IgA/C3 ratio than those with other glomerular diseases and the control subjects, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.776. An elevated serum IgA/C3 ratio was not found to significantly correlate with the pathological grade of renal biopsy samples in patients with IgA nephropathy.
CONCLUSIONIn the absence of renal biopsy findings, serum IgA/C3 ratio can help in the diagnosis of IgA nephropathy.
Biopsy ; Case-Control Studies ; Complement C3 ; analysis ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; blood ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin A ; blood ; Kidney ; pathology
3.Value of serum IgA/C3 ratio in the diagnosis of IgA nephropathy and its correlation with the clinicopathological features
Shuangshuang ZHU ; Yongqiang LI ; Shulu ZHOU ; Qingzhu WEI ; Kangping DENG ; Xiaohong WANG ; Bin LI ; Jianghuan LIU ; Xinyu LIU ; Ying ZHANG ; Xiaofei SHAO ; Aiqun LIU ; Bifang WU ; Zhihong ZHAO ; Xiaomeng XU ; Hanfei LIN ; Qin LIU ; Jiamin LI ; Honglei WANG ; Qin ZHOU ; Chaoya ZHU ; Daoyuan L ; Yue XIA ; Hequn ZOU
Journal of Southern Medical University 2015;(12):1683-1688
Objective To investigate the value of serum IgA/C3 ratio in the diagnosis of IgA nephropathy and explore its relationship with the clinicopathological features of the patients. Methods Sixty-six patients with IgA nephropathy, 111 with other glomerular diseases, and 40 healthy control subjects without kidney disease were tested for serum IgA and C3 levels using CRM470 adjusted standardized immune turbidimetric method, and the IgA/C3 ratio was calculated. According to Oxford and Lee's classification criteria, we analyzed the pathological grades of the renal biopsy samples from patients with IgA nephropathy. The ROC curve was used to assess the value of serum IgA and IgA/C3 ratio in predicting IgA nephropathy. Results Patients with IgA nephropathy had an elevated serum IgA/C3 ratio than those with other glomerular diseases and the control subjects, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.776. An elevated serum IgA/C3 ratio was not found to significantly correlate with the pathological grade of renal biopsy samples in patients with IgA nephropathy. Conclusion In the absence of renal biopsy findings, serum IgA/C3 ratio can help in the diagnosis of IgA nephropathy.
4.Value of serum IgA/C3 ratio in the diagnosis of IgA nephropathy and its correlation with the clinicopathological features
Shuangshuang ZHU ; Yongqiang LI ; Shulu ZHOU ; Qingzhu WEI ; Kangping DENG ; Xiaohong WANG ; Bin LI ; Jianghuan LIU ; Xinyu LIU ; Ying ZHANG ; Xiaofei SHAO ; Aiqun LIU ; Bifang WU ; Zhihong ZHAO ; Xiaomeng XU ; Hanfei LIN ; Qin LIU ; Jiamin LI ; Honglei WANG ; Qin ZHOU ; Chaoya ZHU ; Daoyuan L ; Yue XIA ; Hequn ZOU
Journal of Southern Medical University 2015;(12):1683-1688
Objective To investigate the value of serum IgA/C3 ratio in the diagnosis of IgA nephropathy and explore its relationship with the clinicopathological features of the patients. Methods Sixty-six patients with IgA nephropathy, 111 with other glomerular diseases, and 40 healthy control subjects without kidney disease were tested for serum IgA and C3 levels using CRM470 adjusted standardized immune turbidimetric method, and the IgA/C3 ratio was calculated. According to Oxford and Lee's classification criteria, we analyzed the pathological grades of the renal biopsy samples from patients with IgA nephropathy. The ROC curve was used to assess the value of serum IgA and IgA/C3 ratio in predicting IgA nephropathy. Results Patients with IgA nephropathy had an elevated serum IgA/C3 ratio than those with other glomerular diseases and the control subjects, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.776. An elevated serum IgA/C3 ratio was not found to significantly correlate with the pathological grade of renal biopsy samples in patients with IgA nephropathy. Conclusion In the absence of renal biopsy findings, serum IgA/C3 ratio can help in the diagnosis of IgA nephropathy.
5.Pharmacodynamic Substances and Action Mechanisms of Chaihu Shugansan in Antidepressant Treatment: A Review
Jieyun LIN ; Yang DUAN ; Miaoqing LONG ; Chaoya LI ; Manfei DENG ; Peng ZENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(10):246-257
Depression is a kind of complex mental illness, which is mainly treated by western medicine at present, but the effect of western antidepressant drugs is not good due to the combined influence of side effects and individual differences of patients. Depression is a "stagnation syndrome" in traditional Chinese medicine, and its treatment principle is to disperse stagnated liver Qi for relieving Qi stagnation. The classic traditional Chinese medicine formula Chaihu Shugansan (CHSGS) has a long history of treating depression and demonstrates significant therapeutic efficacy. Clinically, the addition and subtraction of CHSGS is flexible, but the properties of the active ingredients are vague, and the mechanism and function are unclear. In order to elucidate the pharmacodynamic basis and antidepressant mechanism of CHSGS, this article reviews the pharmacodynamic material basis of CHSGS, clinical research and antidepressant mechanism research progress. Clinically, CHSGS can treat various types of depression such as primary depression, post-stroke depression, and postpartum depression. This article summarizes 32 main ingredients of CHSGS, among which albiflorin, ferulic acid, naringin, hesperidin, saikosaponin a, glycyrrhetinic acid, tangeretin, meranzin hydrate, nobiletin and glycyrrhizic acid are the quality markers (Q-markers) for the antidepressant effect of CHSGS. The antidepressant mechanism of CHSGS is complex, including regulating monoamine neurotransmitters, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, neurotrophic factors, inflammatory response, cell damage-related pathways, oxidative stress, etc. This article helps to deeply understand the pharmacodynamic basis and mechanism of CHSGS in treating depression, and provides a theoretical basis for the clinical application of CHSGS in treating depression and the development of antidepressant drugs.
6.Pharmacodynamic Substances and Mechanisms of Da Chengqitang in Treating Stroke: A Review
Yizhi YAN ; Xinyi LIU ; Yang DUAN ; Miaoqing LONG ; Chaoya LI ; Qiang LI ; Yi'an CHEN ; Shasha YANG ; Yue ZHANG ; Peng ZENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(9):297-306
Stroke is the main cause of death and disability among adults in China and is characterized by high incidence, disability, mortality, and recurrence rates. The combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine has great potential in treating stroke and its sequelae. The classic traditional Chinese medicine prescription Da Chengqitang (DCQT) has a long history and proven efficacy in treating stroke. Clinically, DCQT is often used to treat stroke and its sequelae. However, the number and quality of clinical trials of DCQT in treating stroke need to be improved. Because of the insufficient basic research, the active ingredients and multi-target mechanism of action of DCQT remain unclear. Our research group has previously confirmed that DCQT can effectively reverse neurological damage, reduce iron deposition, and downregulate the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the rat model of hemorrhagic stroke. The treatment mechanism is related to the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-mediated signaling pathway and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling-mediated microglia activation. To clarify the pharmacodynamic basis and anti-stroke mechanism of DCQT, this article reviews the research progress in the treatment of stroke with DCQT in terms of clinical trials, pharmacodynamic material basis, safety evaluation, and mechanisms of absorbed components. This article summarizes 45 major phytochemical components of DCQT, 11 of which are currently confirmed absorbed components. Among them, emodin, rhein, chrysophanol, aloe-emodin, synephrine, hesperidin, naringin, magnolol, and honokiol can be used as quality markers (Q-markers) of DCQT. The mechanism of DCQT in treating stroke is complex, involving regulation of inflammatory responses, neuronal damage, oxidative stress, blood-brain barrier, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and anti-platelet aggregation. This article helps to deeply understand the pharmacodynamic basis and mechanism of DCQT in treating stroke and provides a theoretical basis for the clinical application of DCQT in treating stroke and the development of stroke drugs.