1.Mechanism of Huoxue Rongluo Prescription Regulating Bmal1 Gene to Promote Blood-brain Barrier Repair After Ischemic Stroke
Yuanchen LIAO ; Desheng ZHOU ; Qiang MA ; Lei LUO ; Menghao HE ; Lijuan LIU ; Xiaofeng GAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(22):40-50
ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of Huoxue Rongluo prescription (HXRLP) in repairing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) after ischemic stroke (IS). MethodsMale C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into sham operation (Sham) group, cerebral infarction model (MCAO) group, environmental circadian disruption with cerebral infarction model (ECD-MCAO) group, low-, medium-, and high-dose HXRLP (HXRLP-L, M, and H) groups (8.5, 17, 34 g·kg-1·d-1, respectively), and positive drug butylphthalide (NBP) group (0.23 mL·d-1). In the Sham group, only the exposed blood vessels were isolated without suture insertion. In the other groups, the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model of mice was prepared. In the ECD-MCAO group, HXRLP groups, and NBP group, the environmental circadian disruption (ECD) model was prepared. The mice in the Sham group, MCAO group, and ECD-MCAO group were given the same volume of soybean oil by gavage, while those in the other groups were given the corresponding drugs by gavage. Samples were collected after 7 consecutive days of administration. The mNSS score was used to evaluate the repair effect of HXRLP on neurological deficits after IS. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to assess the impact of HXRLP on the pathological damage of brain tissue after IS. 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining and cerebral blood perfusion status were used to evaluate the repair effect of HXRLP on brain tissue damage after IS. Evans blue staining and transmission electron microscopy were used to evaluate the improvement effect of HXRLP on the permeability injury of BBB after IS. Immunofluorescence (IF) staining was used to observe the expression of von Willebrand Factor (vWF), brain and muscle Arnt-like 1 (Bmal1), and Occludin in brain tissue. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of Bmal1, Occludin, tight junction protein (Claudin-5), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and angiopoietins(Ang), and related analysis was conducted. ResultsCompared with the Sham group, the MCAO group exhibited significantly aggravated neurological deficits, cerebral infarction volume, brain pathological damage, and BBB leakage (P0.01) and significantly reduced cerebral blood perfusion (P0.01). The expression of Bmal1, vWF, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), and Ang in brain tissue was significantly enhanced (P0.01), while the expression of Occludin and Claudin-5 was significantly weakened (P0.01). Compared with the MCAO group, the ECD-MCAO group showed significantly aggravated neurological deficits, cerebral infarction volume, and BBB leakage (P0.01), obviously worsened brain pathological damage (P0.05), significantly reduced cerebral blood perfusion (P0.01), and significantly decreased expression of Bmal1, vWF, VEGFA, Ang, Occludin, and Claudin-5 in brain tissue (P0.01). Compared with the ECD-MCAO group, the HXRLP groups of all doses presented significantly improved neurological deficits, cerebral infarction volume, brain pathological damage, and BBB leakage (P0.01), significantly increased cerebral blood perfusion (P0.01), and enhanced expression levels of Bmal1, vWF, VEGFA, Ang, Occludin, and Claudin-5 in brain tissue (P0.01). ConclusionHXRLP can regulate the clock protein Bmal1 and promote the expression of VEGFA, Ang, Occludin, and Claudin-5, thereby improving BBB damage after IS.
3.Pterostilbene: A natural neuroprotective stilbene with anti-Alzheimer's disease properties.
Songlan GAO ; Honglei ZHANG ; Na LI ; Lijuan ZHANG ; Zhe ZHU ; Changlu XU
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(4):101043-101043
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia, and no effective treatment has been developed for it thus far. Recently, the use of natural compounds in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases has garnered significant attention owing to their minimal adverse reactions. Accordingly, the potential therapeutic effect of pterostilbene (PTS) on AD has been demonstrated in multiple in vivo and in vitro experiments. In this study, we systematically reviewed and summarized the results of these studies investigating the use of PTS for treating AD. Analysis of the literature revealed that PTS may play a role in AD treatment through various mechanisms, including anti-oxidative damage, anti-neuroinflammation, anti-apoptosis, cholinesterase activity inhibition, attenuation of β-amyloid deposition, and tau protein hyperphosphorylation. Moreover, PTS interferes with the progression of AD by regulating the activities of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α), monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B), silent information regulator sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), and phosphodiesterase 4A (PDE4A). Furthermore, to further elucidate the potential therapeutic mechanisms of PTS in AD, we employed network pharmacology and molecular docking technology to perform molecular docking of related proteins, and the obtained binding energies ranged from -2.83 to -5.14 kJ/mol, indicating that these proteins exhibit good binding ability with PTS. Network pharmacology analysis revealed multiple potential mechanisms of action for PTS in AD. In summary, by systematically collating and summarizing the relevant studies on the role of PTS in treatment of AD, it is anticipated that this will serve as a reference for the precise targeted prevention and treatment of AD, either using PTS or other developed drug interventions.
4.Clinical efficacy of therapeutic whole blood exchange combined with lymphoplasmapheresis in refractory autoimmune hemolytic anemia
Gang WANG ; Yixin GAO ; Linyan WU ; Liuyan PAN ; Suying HE ; Lijuan ZHOU ; Yongzheng PENG ; Minghui YANG
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2025;38(10):1348-1354
Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of therapeutic whole blood exchange combined with lymphoplasmapheresis in the treatment of refractory autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of AIHA patients who underwent therapeutic whole blood exchange combined with lymphoplasmapheresis at our hospital from March 2022 to May 2025. Efficacy was assessed by comparing changes in hemoglobin, platelet count, and bilirubin levels before and after treatment. Safety was evaluated by analyzing vital signs before and after the procedure, parameters during the exchange, and adverse reactions. Results: A total of 12 AIHA patients were enrolled, completing 19 exchange procedures. The number of procedures per patient ranged from 1 to 3. The median treatment duration was 67 (65-73) minutes, with a median exchange volume of 2 025 (1 851-2 121) mL, comprising 4.5 (4-6) units of red blood cells and 1 350 (1 200-1 400) mL of plasma. Ten patients achieved partial remission, one achieved complete remission, and one showed no response, yielding an response rate of 91% (11/12). After a single session, hemoglobin increased significantly by 17.58±9.85 g/L (P<0.01), while platelets counts decreased by 45 (17.5, 79)×10
/L (P<0.05), and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure showed a significant elevation (P<0.05). However, no statistically significant differences were observed in total bilirubin, indirect bilirubin, white blood cell count, or heart rate. During the procedures, 4 adverse reactions occurred in 3 patients: one child experienced severe heart rate fluctuation twice consecutively, and two adults developed plasma allergies. All reactions resolved spontaneously without pharmacological intervention. Conclusion: The combination of therapeutic whole blood exchange and lymphoplasmapheresis appears to be a safe and effective treatment for refractory AIHA patients.
5.Factors affecting pre-exposure prophylaxis use among men who have sex with men
LI Xinge ; WANG Lijuan ; SONG Liang ; DING Haifeng ; GAO Yanjie
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(12):1201-1205
Objective:
To investigate the factors affecting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use among men who have sex with men (MSM), so as to provide a basis for improving PrEP uptake among MSM and optimizing HIV prevention and control strategies.
Methods:
The MSM were recruited at a HIV testing site of the "Danlan Public Welfare" organization in Beijing Municipality using the convenient sampling method from March to May 2024. Sociodemographic information, awareness of basic AIDS knowledge, sexual orientation and behaviors, the use of PrEP and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in the past six months were collected using the questionnaire survey. Multivariable logistic regression model and decision tree model were used to analyze the influencing factors for PrEP use among MSM.
Results:
A total of 414 participants were surveyed, with a mean age of (33.52±8.50) years. Among them, 345 individuals (83.33%) had a college degree and above. The predominant sexual orientation was homosexual, with 265 individuals, accounting for 64.01%. The majority reported having 1 to 2 same-sex partners in the past six months, with 182 individuals (43.96%). A total of 39 individuals (9.42%) had used PEP in the past six months. A total of 68 individuals (16.43%) had used PrEP during the same period. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that educational attainment (college degree and above, OR=28.200, 95%CI: 3.162-251.519), the number of same-sex partners in the past six months (3-5 partners, OR=3.963, 95%CI: 1.065-14.755; ≥6 partners, OR=7.518, 95%CI: 1.829-30.910), and the use of PEP in the past six months (OR=18.606, 95%CI: 7.587-45.631) were significant factors associated with PrEP use among MSM. The decision tree model identified educational level, sexual orientation, and the number of same-sex partners in the past six months as factors affecting PrEP use among MSM. Among these, the number of same-sex partners in the past six months emerged as the primary influencing factor. The use of PrEP was 38.46% among MSM who had ≥3 same-sex partners in the past six months and identified as homosexual or heterosexual.
Conclusion
The use of PrEP among MSM is primarily associated with educational level, the number of same-sex partners in the past six months, use of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in the past six months, and sexual orientation.
6.Identification of Lipid Metabolism Genes in Cerebral Infarction and Intervention Effect of Huoxue Rongluo Prescription
Siyang YAN ; Renyi YANG ; Feiya LI ; Menghao HE ; Lijuan LIU ; Desheng ZHOU ; Xiaofeng GAO
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;31(2):33-40
Objective To identify lipid metabolism genes in cerebral infarction;To explore the intervention effect of Huoxue Rongluo Prescription.Methods Multi-chip combined differential analysis(GSE61616,GSE30655)was used to identify lipid metabolism genes in cerebral infarction in combination with Reactome database,and the expression differences of lipid metabolism genes in cerebral infarction were identified and verified in GSE97537 chip;Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation of 51 cerebral infarction samples in GSE61616,GSE30655,GSE97537,GSE137595,GSE22255,GSE163614,and GSE78731 datasets;PPI,GO and KEGG analysis of lipid metabolism genes in cerebral infarction were performed through STRING database and R clusterProfiler package.SD rats were made to the model of cerebral infarction,and was administered with Huoxue Rongluo Prescription extract 11.7 g/kg by intragastric administration for 7 days.The symptoms of neurological deficit,the changes of Nissl bodies and the mRNA expressions of PLA2G4A,SPHK1,and PTGES key genes in lipid metabolism in cerebral infarction were observed.Results TSPO,CYP1B1,PLIN2,CH25H,PLA2G4A,ANGPTL4,PTGS1,SPHK1,and PTGES were identified as lipid metabolism genes in cerebral infarction,and were significantly highly expressed and positively correlated in cerebral infarction.Among them,PTGS1,PLA2G4A,and SPHK1 interacted with each other,which were the key genes of lipid metabolism in cerebral infarction;the lipid metabolism gene in cerebral infarction mainly exerted molecular functions such as oxidoreductase activity,iron ion binding,heme binding,etc.,mediating arachidonic acid metabolism,phospholipase D signaling pathway,VEGF signaling pathway,involved in regulation of lipid metabolism process,fatty acid metabolism process,fatty acid derivative metabolism process.The symptoms of neurological deficit in the model rats with cerebral infarction were severe(P<0.001),and Huoxue Rongluo Prescription could effectively improve the neurological deficit of model rats(P<0.001).The Nissl staining indicated that the neuronal structure was abnormal and the number was significantly reduced after cerebral infarction(P<0.001).Huoxue Rongluo Prescription could increase the number of neurons(P<0.001)and repair the neuronal structure.RT-qPCR showed that the key genes of lipid metabolism in cerebral infarction were significantly higher in cerebral infarction(P<0.001),corroborated with the bioinformatics results,and Huoxue Rongluo Prescription could reduce the expression of key lipid metabolism genes of PTGS1,PLA2G4A,and SPHK1(P<0.001,P<0.01,P<0.05).Conclusion Huoxue Rongluo Prescription can down-regulate the expressions of PTGS1,PLA2G4A,SPHK1,exert molecular functions such as oxidoreductase activity,iron ion binding,heme binding,and mediate arachidonic acid metabolism,phospholipase D signaling pathway,and VEGF signaling pathway.It participates in the process of lipid metabolism regulation,fatty acid metabolism,and fatty acid derivative metabolism,increases the number of Nissl bodies,improves the symptoms of neurological deficits,and exerts neuroprotective effects.
7.Effects of polystyrene microplastics on growth and development and hepatic lipid metabolism in mice
Xinxue GAO ; Jiaxin GAO ; Jianyu ZHU ; Xinqi SHI ; Bocheng TAO ; Ning LI ; Lijuan CHEN
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2024;28(29):4634-4638
BACKGROUND:Plastic as a durable,inexpensive,easy to manufacture organic synthetic polymer materials are widely used.At the same time,plastic resistance to high temperatures,acid and alkali resistance,corrosion-resistant properties make it difficult to degrade in nature,and ultimately forming a huge number of microplastic pollution threatening human health. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of microplastic exposure on growth and development and hepatic lipid metabolism in mice. METHODS:Twenty C57BL/6J male mice were adaptively fed for one week,and then randomly divided into normal and microplastic groups(n=10 per group).Mice in the normal group were given a normal diet and water,for 4 weeks.Mice in the microplastic group were given a normal diet and free drinking of microplastic(polystyrene)water with a concentration of 1 000 μg/L,for 4 weeks.At 2 and 4 weeks of drinking,body mass and grip strength,blood lipids and liver and kidney function,ultrasonic morphology and pathological morphology of liver and lipid deposition were detected. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)With the extension of time,the body mass of mice in the two groups gradually increased,and the body mass of mice in the microplastic group was greater than that in the normal group after 2,4 weeks of drinking water(P<0.05).With the extension of time,the grip strength of mice in the normal group gradually increased,and the grip strength of mice in the microplastic group first decreased and then increased,and the grip strength of mice in the microplastic group was lower than that in the normal group after drinking water for 4 weeks(P<0.05).(2)Liver ultrasound examination showed that compared with the normal group,the ultrasonic echo signal of the liver in the microplastic group was enhanced after 2 and 4 weeks of drinking water.(3)Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that the morphology of liver cells in the microplastic group did not change significantly after 2 and 4 weeks of drinking water,but inflammatory cell infiltration could be seen.Oil red O staining showed that obvious lipid deposition was observed in the liver of microplastic group after 2 and 4 weeks of drinking water.(4)Compared with the normal group,the levels of serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol,triacylglycerol,and aspartate aminotransferase in the microplastic group were decreased after 2 weeks of drinking water(P<0.05),and the serum triacylglycerol concentration was decreased after 4 weeks of drinking water(P<0.05).(5)These findings confirm that microplastics may cause weight gain,loss of physical strength,and abnormal hepatic lipid metabolism in mice.
8.Best evidences for postpartum follow-up in patients with gestational diabetes
Liu YANG ; Jing QIAN ; Lijuan YANG ; Fang XUE ; Mengfan JIANG ; Jin GAO ; Jinzhi LI
Modern Clinical Nursing 2024;23(2):65-71
Objective To summarise the best evidence for postpartum follow-up acquired from patients with gestational diabetes mellitus so as to provide an evidence-based reference for establishment of a postpartum follow-up program.Methods Literature on postpartum blood glucose follow-up in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus was retrieved from 17 major databases including BMJ Best Practice,UpToDate,Joanna Briggs Institute(JBI),International Guide Collaboration Network,National Institute for Health and Care Excellence(NICE),American Diabetes Association website,Medlive,Cochrane Library,Embase,OVID,PubMed,Web of Science,Quanfang local PubMed,CNKI,Wanfang Data,VIP,and Sinomed from the inception of databases to July 2023.The literature to be retrieved included guidelines,expert consensus,evidence summaries,systematic reviews,clinical decisions,and the original studies.Results A total of 9 articles,five practice guidelines,a systematic review,an evidence summaries,an expert consensus and a clinical decisions,were included.Totally,17 pieces of best evidence were summarised from the five aspects:postpartum blood glucose,lifestyle guidance,breastfeeding,drug treatment and health education.Conclusions The summarised best evidences can provide evidence-based references for postpartum follow-up of patients with gestational diabetes.Nursing staff in hospitals and community health centres should formulate relevant follow-up plans according to the actual postpartum conditions of patients in order to prevent the incidence of postpartum Type Ⅱ diabetes.
9.Recognition of Named Entities in Acupuncture Literature Based on Dictionary and Deep Learning Model
Xi WANG ; Lijuan KE ; Haiyan LI ; Tong GAO ; Huajun SUN ; Lei LEI
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;26(7):1779-1785
Objective Based on the acupuncture literature data set,a named entity recognition method of acupuncture literature based on dictionary and deep learning model is proposed to improve the effect of acupuncture literature entity recognition.Methods In this paper,the entity recognition methods of acupuncture literature were explored,and the vector representation effects based on word2vec and ALBERTmodels and ALBERT+domain dictionary were compared.On this basis,a named entity extraction method combining domain dictionary and ALBERT-BiLSTM-CRF deep learning model was proposed.Results According to the extraction effect of three model entities,the P value of word2vec-BiLSTM-CRF is 81.82%,the R value is 70.76%,and the F1 value is 75.48%;ALBERT-BiLSTM-CRF has an P value of 83.10%,a R value of 81.14%and a F1 value of 81.98%."ALBERT-BiLSTM-CRF+dictionary"is 92.57%,91.42%and 91.85%.In terms of entity categories,the top three entities with the highest accuracy rate are acupuncture,needling and needling site,which are 98%,ninety-seven percent and ninety-seven percent respectively,while the three entities with the lowest accuracy rate are acupoint matching corresponding symptoms,disease names and sample size,which are 50.00%,50.68%and 52.43%respectively.Conclusion Compared with the original ALBERT-BiLSTM-CRF model,the precision rate,recall rate and F1 value increased after adding the dictionary,and the convergence speed of the model after adding the dictionary was twice that without adding the dictionary.It is effective to use"ALBERT-BiLSTM-CRF+dictionary"model to identify named entities in acupuncture literature.
10.Clinical characteristics and prognosis of 8 cases of severe infant botulism
Lijuan WANG ; Kechun LI ; Suyun QIAN ; Hengmiao GAO ; Jun LIU ; Zheng LI ; Xinlei JIA ; Chaonan FAN ; Quan WANG
Chinese Journal of Pediatrics 2024;62(3):218-222
Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics and prognosis of severe infant botulism and evaluate the therapeutic effect of botulinum antitoxin in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).Methods:The clinical data of 8 cases diagnosed with infantile botulism were retrospectively analyzed in the PICU of Beijing Children′s Hospital from October 2019 to August 2023. Data of basic demographic information, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, treatment and prognosis of each child were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistical methods.Results:Eight laboratory-confirmed cases of infant botulism were included in this study, all of which were male infants with an age of 6.0 (3.3,6.8) months. Three of the children were from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, 2 of them were from Hebei, and the other 3 were from Beijing, Shandong and Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, respectively. All the patients were previously healthy. In 4 of these cases, the possible cause was the ingestion of either honey and its products or sealed pickled food by the mother or child before the onset of the disease. The first symptom was poor milk intake (4 cases), followed by shallow shortness of breath (7 cases), limb weakness (7 cases) and so on. The typical signs were bilateral dilated pupils (8 cases) and decreased limb muscle strength (8 cases). The main subtype was type B (7 cases), and only 1 case was classified as type A. Six of the children were treated with antitoxin therapy for a duration of 24 (19, 49) d. Seven of them had invasive mechanical ventilation. All the patients survived upon discharge with a follow-up period of 29 d to 3 years and 8 months. Six patients had fully recovered, and 2 recently discharged patients were gradually recovering.Conclusions:For infants with suspected contact or ingestion of botulinum and presented with bilateral pupillary paralysis, muscle weakness and clear consciousness, the stool should be collected for diagnostic testing using a mouse bioassay as soon as possible. Type B was the most common type. The antitoxin treatment was effectiveness and the prognosis was well.


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