1.Ehhadh inhibits renal tubulointerstitial inflammation by regulating lipid metabolism in high-fat diet mice
Jiaxin YAN ; Ting WU ; Yan ZHU ; Fang YAO ; Xiaofeng WANG ; Chunyang DU
Chinese Journal of Pathophysiology 2025;41(9):1665-1673
AIM:To observe the role of enoyl-coenzyme A hydratase/L-3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydroge-nase(Ehhadh)in renal tubulointerstitial inflammation in high-fat diet(HFD)fed mice,and to explore its molecular mecha-nism.METHODS:Twenty-four C57BL/6N mice were randomly divided into 4 groups:standard diet(SD)group,HFD group,HFD with Ehhadh overexpression(HFD+Ehh)group and HFD with blank vector(HFD+Vec)group.Each group consisted of 6 mice.The HFD mice were fed with a diet containing 60%fat,20%protein,and 20%carbohydrates for 16 weeks.Briefly,at the end of 8 weeks,the mice in HFD+Ehh or HFD+Vec group were injected with adeno-associated virus 9(AAV9)-Ehhadh or AAV9-vector via the tail vein,and then continued another 8-week HFD feeding.At the end of the experiments,the renal function and morphological changes were observed.The protein expression levels of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3),caspase-1 p10,interleukin-1β(IL-1β)and IL-18 in the kidney were detected by Western blot and immunohistochemistry.Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the colocalization of Ehhadh and peroxisomal biogenesis factor 14(Pex14).ELISA was used to detect the content of IL-1β and IL-18 in the urine.Lipid droplet formation in renal tissues was detected by Nile red staining.Absolute quantitative lip-idomic analysis were used to detect the differential lipid species in renal cortices of the mice in SD,HFD and HFD+Ehh groups.RESULTS:Compared with SD group,the expression of Ehhadh protein was significantly decreased in the peroxi-some of renal tubular epithelium cells in HFD-fed mice(P<0.01).Overexpression of Ehhadh significantly improved renal function(P<0.01)and alleviated the morphological changes of renal tubular epithelial cells in HFD group.Moreover,it significantly inhibited the expression of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 and macrophage infiltration in renal tu-bule interstitium of HFD-fed mice(P<0.01).At the same time,Ehhadh overexpression inhibited HFD-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation(P<0.01).It also attenuated lipid deposition in renal tubular epithelium cells(P<0.01)and promoted the β-oxidation of long-chain fatty acid such as cholesterol and phospholipids in peroxisomes.CONCLUSION:The Ehhadh inhibits tubulointerstitial inflammation by promoting long-chain fatty acid β-oxidation in peroxisomes and in-hibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in HFD-fed mice.
2.Naoqingtong Decoction Ameliorates Kidney Damage in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats via NLRP3 Inflammasomes
Jiaxin JU ; Caocao CHENG ; Teng GE ; Yalong KANG ; Fang GUAN ; Haifang WANG ; Juanjuan TAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):125-131
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Naoqingtong decoction (NQT) on the kidney damage and the inflammatory factors NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a C-terminal caspase recruitment domain (ASC), cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-1 (Caspase-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). MethodsTwenty-four SHRs were randomized into a model group, a low-dose (12.9 g·kg-1·d-1) NQT (NQT-L) group, a high-dose (25.8 g·kg-1·d-1) NQT group (NQT-H), and a captopril (CTP, 20 mg·kg-1·d-1) group, with 6 rats in each group. In addition, 6 homozygous male Wistar-Kyoto rats were used as the control group. The control and model groups were administrated with the same amount of normal saline by gavage for 8 weeks. General behaviors of rats were observed during the intervention period, and the blood pressure was measured periodically. At the end of intervention, the body mass was weighed, and both kidneys were collected and weighed for the calculation of the renal index. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to observe the pathological changes in the kidney tissue. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) and Western blot were employed to determine the expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, IL-6, and TNF-α in the kidney tissue. ResultsDuring the experiment period, the control group had normal mental status, food intake, and activity, while the model group showed thinning of hair, loss of luster, reduced activity, loss of appetite, fecal adhesion, and irritability, and some of the skin had scratches or blood scabs. The above symptoms were alleviated to different degrees after 8 weeks of NQT administration. An intelligent non-invasive sphygmomanometer was used to measure the tail artery pressure of rats, which showed that the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of rats in the model group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, drug interventions lowered the systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the model group showed severe pathological damage in the kidney tissue, which was alleviated in each drug intervention group. Compared with the control group, the model group showed up-regulated expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, IL-6, and TNF-α in the kidney tissue (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the drug intervention groups showed down-regulated expression levels of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, IL-6, and TNF-α in the kidney tissue (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionNQT can lower the blood pressure in SHRs by inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes, suppressing renal inflammation, and ameliorating hypertensive kidney damage.
3.Mechanism of Pharmacological Liver and Kidney Injuries of Dictamni Cortex Based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS
Jiahe YAN ; Sujie LIU ; Xiaofan WANG ; Chen WANG ; Jiaxin RUAN ; Fang LU ; Shumin LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(20):48-56
ObjectiveThis study aims to reveal the mechanism of liver and kidney injuries caused by Dictamni Cortex and its interrelationship by metabonomics analysis of liver and kidney via ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). MethodsThe content of the marker compounds of Dictamni Cortex was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to carry out quality control. Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a blank group (normal saline), an administration group (0.9, 2.7, 8.1 g·kg-1), and a high-dose withdrawal control group, with eight rats in each group. Continuous administration was performed once daily for 28 days. The liver and kidney injuries caused by each administration group were assessed by organ indices, pathological observations, and serum and plasma biochemical indices measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The potential biomarkers of liver and kidney injuries caused by Dictamni Cortex were screened, and pathway enrichment analysis and correlation analysis were performed based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. ResultsCompared with the blank group, both the medium- and low-dose groups showed insignificant damage to the liver and kidney of rats. The high-dose group exhibited the most serious damage, and the level of liver and kidney function indices [alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatinine (Cr), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN)] and serum inflammatory indices ([interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)] in the serum were significantly changed (P<0.01). The liver and kidney metabolism pathways and differential metabolites were quite different. Among them, phenylalanine metabolism, niacin and nicotinamide metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism were common pathways. Correlation analysis of differential metabolites showed that there were significant correlations among disorders of 4′-Phosphopantothenoylcysteine, PC (16∶0/15∶0), phenylethylamine, arachidonic acid, and linoleic acid in liver and kidney tissue. ConclusionThe decoction of Dictamni Cortex can cause liver and kidney injuries, and its mechanism may be related to oxidative stress and lipid metabolism disorders. The correlation of differential metabolites indicates the interaction between liver and kidney injuries.
4.Metabolomics Reveals Immune System Domage of Dictamnine
Xiaocan GAI ; Jiaxin RUAN ; Sujie LIU ; Chen WANG ; Xiaofan WANG ; Jiahe YAN ; Yu WANG ; Fang LU ; Shumin LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(20):57-65
ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of the immunotoxicity induced by dictamnine (DIC) in rats and the recovery effect after drug withdrawal by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry, thereby providing a theoretical basis for elucidating the toxic mechanism of DIC. MethodsSD rats were randomized into blank (normal saline), DIC (10 mg·kg-1), and DIC withdrawal (recovery period) groups (n=8). The rats were continuously treated for 7 days, once a day, and the body weight and organ weight were recorded. The levels of interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the serum and immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), and immunoglobulin M (IgM) in the spleen were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathological changes in the spleen. ultra performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was employed to screen the potential biomarkers of immune inflammation caused by DIC, and pathway enrichment analysis and correlation analysis were performed. The mRNA levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 2 (LPCAT2), and farnesoid X receptor (FXR) in the serum were determined by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR). ResultsCompared with the blank group, the DIC group showed elevated levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in the serum (P<0.01), and the DIC withdrawal group showcased lowered levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in the serum (P<0.01). The levels of IgA, IgG, and IgM in the spleen of rats in the DIC group were decreased (P<0.01), while those in the DIC withdrawal group were recovered (P<0.05, P<0.01). Untargeted metabolomics of the serum and spleen screened out 14 common differential metabolites and 14 common metabolic pathways. The Spearman correlation analysis between differential metabolites and inflammatory factors identified PC (32∶0), LysoPC (20∶4/0∶0), LysoPC (P-18∶0/0∶0), taurochenodeoxycholic acid, taurocholic acid, LysoPC [20∶5(5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)/0∶0], chenodeoxycholic acid, arachidonic acid, LysoPC (18∶0/0∶0), LysoPC (15∶0/0∶0), LysoPC (16∶0/0∶0), and LysoPC (17∶0/0∶0) as the biomarkers of immunotoxicity induced by DIC in SD rats. In the process of immunotoxicity caused by DIC, lipid metabolism disorders such as glycerophospholipid metabolism, primary bile acid metabolism, and arachidonic acid metabolism were enriched, which was consistent with the DIC-induced inflammatory factors and pathological characteristics of the spleen. Compared with the blank group, the DIC group exhibited up-regulated mRNA levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, LPCAT2, and FXR (P<0.01), and the up-regulation was decreased in the withdrawal group (P<0.01). ConclusionDIC can lead to immune and inflammatory disorders. DIC withdrawal can regulate the expression of biomarkers related to serum and spleen metabolites, regulate the inflammatory metabolic pathway, reduce the inflammation level, and alleviate the metabolic disorders, thus attenuating the potential toxicity induced by DIC.
5.Construction and application of a platform for reporting medication near-miss events
Fang WANG ; Xiaoguo YANG ; Dexin SHEN ; Xican ZHENG ; Xiaoyong DING ; Xiaomeng JIANG ; Jiaxin HUANGFU ; Jingrui QU
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2025;60(16):2009-2015
Objective To develop a platform for reporting medication near miss events and evaluate its application effectiveness,aiming to enhance medication safety of patients.Methods Based on literature review,qualitative interviews,and expert group meetings,a medication near-miss event reporting platform was constructed,including 4 modules:event content filling,event risk grading,event handling,and statistical analysis.50 nurses were conveniently selected from the pediatric ward of a tertiary grade A hospital in Henan Province as the application subjects.The reporting situation and filling duration of medication near miss events,the score of the Medication Near Miss Reporting Disorder Scale,and the incidence of medication near miss events were compared after the application of the platform(from March to August 2023)and before the application(from September 2022 to February 2023).Results The reporting rate of medication near miss events after the application of the platform was higher than that before the application of the platform,and the comparison of the distribution of event nature and occurrence links showed statistically significant differences(P<0.05).After the application of the platform,the reporting duration of medication near miss events was shorter than that before the application of the platform,and the score of the Medication Near Miss Reporting Disorder Scale was lower than that before the application of the platform.The differences were statistically significant(P<0.001).There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of medication near miss events before and after the application of the platform(P=0.241).Conclusion Using this platform can help improve the reporting rate of medication near miss events,reduce the time taken to fill out reports,and minimize reporting barriers for nurses.
6.DNAzyme targeting RIP3 suppresses NLRP3-mediated necroinflammation for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
Jiaxin JIA ; Hugang ZHANG ; Guangxu FANG ; Yang LI ; Kai WEN ; Hanyu LIU ; Haobo HAN ; Quanshun LI
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(11):5908-5932
Necroptosis, a form of programmed cell death, initiates a series of biological responses and further culminates in necroinflammatory processes, consequently limiting the efficacy of cytokine antagonists in treating inflammatory diseases. To address this issue, DNAzyme R3-Dz specifically targeting receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (RIP3) mRNA, a necrosome component, has been successfully developed and studied to elucidate the mechanism in cleaving its target mRNA. Then a polyamidoamine (PAMAM) derivative was constructed through the modification of nucleobase analog (termed AP) to achieve the R3-Dz delivery to macrophages. The AP/R3-Dz nanoparticles effectively downregulated the RIP3 expression, leading to subsequent decrease in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), ultimately inhibiting the necroinflammatory processes mediated by the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3). Finally, AP/R3-Dz nanoparticles and their combination with the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 suppressed the necrotic phenotype and ameliorated the disease progression in diverse models, including gouty arthritis, autoimmune hepatitis and rheumatoid arthritis. In summary, the AP/R3-Dz nanoparticles in combination with MCC950 have been demonstrated to achieve the intervention in necroptosis and inflammation by dual disruption of the intricate feedback loop of necroinflammation and thus have promising potential in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
7.Construction and application of a platform for reporting medication near-miss events
Fang WANG ; Xiaoguo YANG ; Dexin SHEN ; Xican ZHENG ; Xiaoyong DING ; Xiaomeng JIANG ; Jiaxin HUANGFU ; Jingrui QU
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2025;60(16):2009-2015
Objective To develop a platform for reporting medication near miss events and evaluate its application effectiveness,aiming to enhance medication safety of patients.Methods Based on literature review,qualitative interviews,and expert group meetings,a medication near-miss event reporting platform was constructed,including 4 modules:event content filling,event risk grading,event handling,and statistical analysis.50 nurses were conveniently selected from the pediatric ward of a tertiary grade A hospital in Henan Province as the application subjects.The reporting situation and filling duration of medication near miss events,the score of the Medication Near Miss Reporting Disorder Scale,and the incidence of medication near miss events were compared after the application of the platform(from March to August 2023)and before the application(from September 2022 to February 2023).Results The reporting rate of medication near miss events after the application of the platform was higher than that before the application of the platform,and the comparison of the distribution of event nature and occurrence links showed statistically significant differences(P<0.05).After the application of the platform,the reporting duration of medication near miss events was shorter than that before the application of the platform,and the score of the Medication Near Miss Reporting Disorder Scale was lower than that before the application of the platform.The differences were statistically significant(P<0.001).There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of medication near miss events before and after the application of the platform(P=0.241).Conclusion Using this platform can help improve the reporting rate of medication near miss events,reduce the time taken to fill out reports,and minimize reporting barriers for nurses.
8.Ehhadh inhibits renal tubulointerstitial inflammation by regulating lipid metabolism in high-fat diet mice
Jiaxin YAN ; Ting WU ; Yan ZHU ; Fang YAO ; Xiaofeng WANG ; Chunyang DU
Chinese Journal of Pathophysiology 2025;41(9):1665-1673
AIM:To observe the role of enoyl-coenzyme A hydratase/L-3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydroge-nase(Ehhadh)in renal tubulointerstitial inflammation in high-fat diet(HFD)fed mice,and to explore its molecular mecha-nism.METHODS:Twenty-four C57BL/6N mice were randomly divided into 4 groups:standard diet(SD)group,HFD group,HFD with Ehhadh overexpression(HFD+Ehh)group and HFD with blank vector(HFD+Vec)group.Each group consisted of 6 mice.The HFD mice were fed with a diet containing 60%fat,20%protein,and 20%carbohydrates for 16 weeks.Briefly,at the end of 8 weeks,the mice in HFD+Ehh or HFD+Vec group were injected with adeno-associated virus 9(AAV9)-Ehhadh or AAV9-vector via the tail vein,and then continued another 8-week HFD feeding.At the end of the experiments,the renal function and morphological changes were observed.The protein expression levels of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3),caspase-1 p10,interleukin-1β(IL-1β)and IL-18 in the kidney were detected by Western blot and immunohistochemistry.Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the colocalization of Ehhadh and peroxisomal biogenesis factor 14(Pex14).ELISA was used to detect the content of IL-1β and IL-18 in the urine.Lipid droplet formation in renal tissues was detected by Nile red staining.Absolute quantitative lip-idomic analysis were used to detect the differential lipid species in renal cortices of the mice in SD,HFD and HFD+Ehh groups.RESULTS:Compared with SD group,the expression of Ehhadh protein was significantly decreased in the peroxi-some of renal tubular epithelium cells in HFD-fed mice(P<0.01).Overexpression of Ehhadh significantly improved renal function(P<0.01)and alleviated the morphological changes of renal tubular epithelial cells in HFD group.Moreover,it significantly inhibited the expression of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 and macrophage infiltration in renal tu-bule interstitium of HFD-fed mice(P<0.01).At the same time,Ehhadh overexpression inhibited HFD-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation(P<0.01).It also attenuated lipid deposition in renal tubular epithelium cells(P<0.01)and promoted the β-oxidation of long-chain fatty acid such as cholesterol and phospholipids in peroxisomes.CONCLUSION:The Ehhadh inhibits tubulointerstitial inflammation by promoting long-chain fatty acid β-oxidation in peroxisomes and in-hibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in HFD-fed mice.
9.Analysis of risk factors for hemorrhage during CT-guided lung biopsy based on a random forest model
Yong LI ; Xiaohui ZHAO ; Fang LIU ; Wenge XING ; Fengjuan LI ; Jinhai SHI ; Jiaxin LIU ; Chengmin YANG
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2024;37(10):1110-1114,1121
Objective To systematically analyze and identify key risk factors for postoperative pulmonary hemorrhage u-sing a combination of the random forest(RF)model and traditional logistic regression analysis,so as to provide data support for clinical practice.Methods This study included patients who underwent needle biopsy of lung masses from January 2020 to December 2023 in the Department of Interventional Therapy,Cancer Hospital,Tianjin Medical University.There were 844 cases,including 387 males and 457 females,ranging in age from 39 to 82 years.Clinical data and puncture-related characteristics were collected,including tumor size,puncture depth,puncture angle,presence of emphysema,lesion loca-tion in the lung,body position during puncture,whether the puncture passed through the interlobar fissure,and the number of punctures.The RF model was used to rank the importance of all variables,identifying those with the highest predictive value.Subsequently,a multivariate logistic regression model was applied to the top-ranked important variables to further e-valuate their independent impact on postoperative pulmonary hemorrhage.Results The RF model results showed that tumor size and puncture depth had the highest importance in predicting the risk of postoperative pulmonary hemorrhage.Multivari-ate logistic regression analysis further confirmed that smaller tumor size(HR:0.980,95%CI:0.971-0.989,P<0.05)was significantly associated with a lower risk of hemorrhage,while greater puncture depth(HR:1.146,95%CI:1.063-1.235,P<0.05)was closely related to a higher risk of hemorrhage.Additionally,other factors such as puncture angle,age,lesion location in the lung and presence of emphysema showed some influence but did not reach statistical significance in the multi-variate analysis.Conclusion This study successfully identified tumor size and puncture depth as independent risk factors for postoperative pulmonary hemorrhage by combining the RF model with multivariate logistic regression analysis.The appli-cation of the RF model improved the accuracy of feature selection,allowing us to focus on the most contributory predictive variables.These findings provide important support for preoperative risk assessment,suggesting that clinicians should priori-tize these key factors in preoperative evaluations to develop safer and more effective surgical plans,thereby reducing the risk of postoperative hemorrhage and other complications.
10.Effects of bisdemethoxycurcumin promoting neuronal differentiation of neuroblastoma cells in mice and its mechanism
Jiaxin WANG ; Hongzhi FANG ; Min WU ; Zejie YANG ; Wenbo XU ; Shuang ZHANG ; Shali LI ; Genyun TANG
China Pharmacy 2024;35(5):578-583
OBJECTIVE To study the effects of the curcumin derivative bisdemethoxycurcumin (BC) promoting neuronal differentiation of neuroblastoma cells Neuro-2a (N2a) in mice and its mechanism. METHODS The effects of BC (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 μmol/L) on the viability of N2a cells were detected by MTT assay to determine the concentration range of drug treatment. The control group, retinoic acid (RA) group (10 μmol/L) and BC groups (1, 2 and 4 μmol/L) were set up, and the length of neural protrusions of the differentiated cells was measured and the cell differentiation rate was calculated after 48 h and 72 h of culture. Compared with 0 min group, Western blot was used to detect the phosphorylation levels of protein kinase B (Akt), extracellular- signal regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38) proteins in cells treated by 4 μmol/L BC for 5, 15, 30, 60, 120 min. After intervention with inhibitors LY294002 (LY) and PD98059 (PD), the effects of BC on Akt and ERK1/2 protein phosphorylation levels and promoting neural differentiation were further validated. RESULTS According to the MTT experiment, the BC concentrations for subsequent induction of cell differentiation were determined to be 1, 2, and 4 μmol/L. After 48 hours of differentiation, compared with the control group, the cell differentiation rate in RA group and BC 1, 2 and 4 μmol/L groups, the length of cellular neural processes wjxhhxx413@163.com in the BC 4 μmol/L group significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01);after inducing differentiation of BC for 72 hours,compared with the control group, the cell differentiation rate and the length of cellular neural processes in the RA group, the cell differentiation rate in the BC 4 μmol/L group, and the length of cellular neural processes in the BC 2 μmol/L group all significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01).Compared with the 0 min group, the phosphorylation levels of Akt, ERK1/2, and p38 proteins in cells of the 5, 15, 30, 60 and 120 min groups increased to varying degrees after treated by 4 μmol/L BC, and some differences were statistically significant (P<0.05 or P<0.01). After adding the inhibitor LY/PD, compared with the BC group, the phosphorylation level of ERK1/2 protein in the PD+BC group cells were significantly reduced (P<0.01), and the cell differentiation rates in the LY group, LY+BC group, PD group, and PD+BC group was significantly reduced (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS BC promotes N2a cell differentiation mainly by increasing cell differentiation rate and neural protrusion length. The mechanism may be related to the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase/ ERK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways.

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