1.Extraction process optimization and quality control of Xuetong capsules
Fangjian CHEN ; Juanjuan ZHAO ; Kanti YE ; Yuxin SUN ; Jiyong LIU ; Jun YANG
Journal of Pharmaceutical Practice and Service 2025;43(2):82-86
Objective To optimize the extraction process of Xuetong capsules and establish its quality control method. Methods The extraction process was optimized by orthogonal experiment using ethanol reflux method to investigate the effects of different factors on diphenylstilbene, aloin and extraction yield. The content of 5 anthraquinone compounds in Xuetong capsule was determined by HPLC. Results The optimal extraction process was to add 10 times ethanol, with an ethanol concentration of 70%, and extract 3 times, each time for 1 h; 5 components had a good linear relationship with peak area within a certain concentration range, r>0.999 7; The range of sample recovery rate was 93.66%-96.85%, RSD range of 1.48%-1.66%. The content determination results of the 5 components in three batches of Xuetong capsules were (0.632-0.641), (0.660-0.681), (1.968-1.991), (2.547-2.580), and (1.076-1.101) mg/g. Conclusion The method was accurate, reproducible, and highly feasible, which could be references for producing and improving the quality control standards of Xuetong capsules.
2.Effect of Wulao Qisun Prescription on Proliferation and Osteogenic Differentiation of AS Fibroblasts by Regulating Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway
Juanjuan YANG ; Ping CHEN ; Haidong WANG ; Zhendong WANG ; Haolin LI ; Zhimin ZHANG ; Yuping YANG ; Weigang CHENG ; Jin SU ; Jingjing SONG ; Dongsheng LU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(2):67-73
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of the Wulao Qisun prescription on pathological new bone formation in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). MethodsSynovial fibroblasts were isolated from the hip joints of AS patients and observed under a microscope to assess cell morphology. The cells were identified using immunofluorescence staining. The isolated AS fibroblasts were divided into blank group, low drug-containing serum group, medium drug-containing serum group, high drug-containing serum group, and positive drug group. After drug intervention, cell proliferation was measured using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay to observe fibroblast growth and determine the optimal intervention time. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was measured using the alkaline phosphatase assay. Protein expression of osteocalcin (OCN), osteopontin (OPN), and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) was detected by Western blot. The mRNA expression levels of Wnt5a, β-catenin, and Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR). ResultsCompared with the blank group, each drug-containing serum group of Wulao Qisun prescription and the positive drug group inhibited the proliferation of AS fibroblasts and reduced ALP expression (P<0.01). Compared with the blank group, the low drug-containing serum group of Wulao Qisun prescription downregulated β-catenin mRNA expression (P<0.05). The medium and high drug-containing serum groups and the positive drug group significantly downregulated Wnt5a and β-catenin mRNA expression (P<0.05, P<0.01), with the positive drug group showing the most pronounced effect (P<0.01). The high drug-containing serum group and the positive drug group significantly upregulated DKK-1 mRNA expression (P<0.01). Compared with the blank group, the low drug-containing serum group of Wulao Qisun prescription inhibited the expression of OPN and Runx2 proteins (P<0.05, P<0.01), while the medium and high drug-containing serum groups and the positive drug group inhibited the expression of OCN, OPN, and Runx2 proteins (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionThe Wulao Qisun prescription can inhibit the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of AS fibroblasts, thereby delaying the formation of pathological new bone in AS. The possible mechanism involves the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin-related gene expression, further inhibiting the transcription of downstream target genes.
3.Quality assessment of guidelines/consensuses on traditional Chinese medicine/integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine diagnosis and treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Ruimin JIAO ; Jingjie ZHAO ; Juanjuan LI ; Wei CHEN ; Chaoru HAN ; Li LI ; Chunjun XU ; Hong YOU
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(3):446-452
ObjectiveTo evaluate the methodological quality and reporting quality of published guidelines/consensuses on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)/integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine diagnosis and treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and to provide a basis for formulating guidelines/consensuses on TCM/integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD in the future. MethodsDatabases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and CBM and the websites of China Association of Chinese Medicine and China Association of Integrative Medicine were searched for related articles published up to September 1, 2024. Two clinical researchers independently assessed the methodological quality and reporting quality of the guidelines/consensuses on TCM/integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD by using Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation Ⅱ (AGREE Ⅱ) and Reporting Items for Practice Guidelines in Healthcare (RIGHT). ResultsA total of nine guidelines/consensuses were included after literature screening, with four guidelines and five expert consensuses. The scores of different domains assessed by AGREE Ⅱ for the nine guidelines/consensuses were as follows: scope and purpose (47.1%), stakeholder involvement (41.0%), rigor of development (21.6%), clarity of presentation (40.2%), applicability (19.0%), and editorial independence (19.6%). The recommendation level of the articles was B level (recommended after revision) for four articles and C level (not recommended) for five articles. The RIGHT assessment showed high reporting rates for “Basic Information” and “Background”, while other areas needed to be improved. Currently, there was no international standard for the guidelines/consensuses on TCM/integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD, and the quality of these guidelines/consensuses needed to be enhanced to ensure comprehensiveness and credibility. ConclusionThere is still potential for improving the quality of guidelines/consensuses on TCM/integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD, and AGREE Ⅱ and RIGHT checklists should be strictly followed to ensure the fairness, scientific rigor, and transparency of these guidelines/consensuses.
4.Impact of digital fitting of orthokeratology on decentration and corneal aberration
Jun CAI ; Wenjia CAO ; Haoxi CHEN ; Jiaqian ZHANG ; Juanjuan WU ; Di SHEN ; Wei WEI
International Eye Science 2025;25(11):1893-1898
AIM: To investigate the decentration of the treatment zone(TZ)and the early impact on corneal higher-order aberrations(HOAs)induced by orthokeratology(OK)lenses fitted with digital corneal topography.METHODS: A retrospective longitudinal clinical study was conducted on 28 patients(28 right eyes)who were digitally fitted with OK lenses at the Laser Vision Center of Xi'an No.1 Hospital since 2023. Longitudinal measurements were taken at baseline, 1 wk, 1 and 3 mo post-treatment to assess changes in TZ diameter, decentration magnitude and direction. Furthermore, changes in corneal HOAs were observed, and correlations of decentration with each HOAs were also analyzed.RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 10.29±2.00 years, with 15 males and 13 females, and the average baseline spherical equivalent was -2.92±0.94 D. The average TZ diameters at 1 wk, 1, and 3 mo were 3.64±0.58, 3.83±0.57, and 3.69±0.55 mm, respectively, with no statistically significant differences between 1 wk and 3 mo. Horizontal decentration values were -0.43±0.28, -0.38±0.33, and -0.31±0.37 mm after wearing lenses for 1 wk, 1 and 3 mo, respectively, while vertical decentration values were -0.33±0.20, -0.33±0.23, and -0.36±0.23 mm across the same time points. The TZ consistently decentered inferotemporally, and changes in both horizontal and vertical decentration over time were not statistically significant(Fhorizontal=1.416, Phorizontal=0.252; Fvertical=0.126, Pvertical=0.882). Significant increases in total corneal HOAs, coma, and spherical aberration were observed at 5 mm optical zone post-wear(F=45.695, 33.401, and 45.091, all P<0.001). Vertical decentration at 1 wk and 1 mo was negatively correlated with total HOAs and coma(all P<0.05), while horizontal decentration at 3 mo showed a weak negative correlation with spherical aberration(P=0.037).CONCLUSION: Digitally-fitted OK lenses achieved stable TZ diameter by 1 wk post-wear, with minor inferotemporal decentration. Early post-wear corneal total HOAs, coma and sphercal aberration increased significantly, and vertical downward decentration was associated with elevated total HOAs and coma. However, correlations between decentration and HOAs weakened by 3 mo.
5.Efficacy of internal limiting membrane flap technique and simple internal limiting membrane peeling in the treatment of idiopathic macular hole
Lili CHEN ; Dingding WANG ; Juanjuan WANG ; Shu ZHOU
International Eye Science 2025;25(12):2017-2021
AIM: To explore the efficacy of internal limiting membrane(ILM)flap technique and simple ILM peeling in the treatment of idiopathic macular hole(IMH)and related influencing factors.METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on totally 32 patients(35 eyes)with IMH who received surgery at our department from January 2023 to November 2024. All the patients simultaneously received phacoemulsification combined with intraocular lens implantation, and they were divided into study group(19 eyes)and control group(16 eyes), with ILM flap technique and simple ILM peeling received in the two groups, respectively. The closure situation of macular hole, best corrected vision acuity(BCVA), and macular structure were observed in the two groups of patients. Furthermore, the correlation of BCVA and healing type of macular hole at the last time of follow-up with each parameter was analyzed.RESULTS: There was no statistical difference between the two groups of patients in preoperative general characteristics(all P>0.05). At the last time of follow-up, the macular hole was heeled in both groups, with 7 eyes of U-shaped heeling, 6 eyes of V-shaped heeling, and 6 eyes of irregular heeling in the study group, and with 13 eyes of U-shaped of heeling, 1 eye of V-shaped heeling and 2 eyes of irregular heeling in the control group(χ2=7.167, P=0.028). The postoperative BCVA was better than preoperative level(all P<0.05), there were no statistical significant differences between the two groups of patients in macular choroidal thickness before and after surgery(P>0.05), but the macular retinal thickness of the study group was thinner than that of the control group(168.11±92.11 vs 235.56±92.18 μm, P=0.03). Pearson correlation analysis indicated that BCVA at the last time of follow-up was positively correlated with the preoperative minimum diameter(r=0.476, P<0.05)and the diameter hole index(r=0.361, P<0.05), and negatively correlated with traction hole index(r=-0.364, P=0.031); Keendall correlation analysis showed that the postoperative closure types positively correlated with the basal diameter(τ=0.296, P=0.029), minimum diameter(τ=0.366, P=0.007), and visual acuity at the last time of follow-up(τ=0.412, P=0.003), while negatively correlated with macular hole index(τ=-0.415, P=0.002)and traction hole index(τ=-0.511, P<0.01). During the follow-up period, neither group of patients experienced postoperative complications.CONCLUSION: Both ILM flap technique and simple ILM peeling are safe and effective in treating IMH. As the smaller the basal diameter and minimum diameter of the macular hole, the larger the macular hole index and traction hole index, the probability of U-shaped heeling after surgery is greater and the visual acuity is better.
6.Research progress on ferroptosis mediated by microglia in hypoxic-ischemic brain damage.
Tao GUO ; Hanjun ZUO ; Xianfeng KUANG ; Shukun ZHANG ; Bolin CHEN ; Lixing LUO ; Xiao YANG ; Zhao WANG ; Juanjuan LI
Chinese Journal of Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2025;41(6):552-558
In hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD), the programmed cell death known as ferroptosis is significantly activated. Microglial cells demonstrate a high level of sensitivity to iron accumulation. Understanding how to regulate the dual role of microglia and transforming the microglial ferroptosis to a moderate and controllable process has considerable implications for the targeted treatment in HIBD. This paper serves as an overview of microglia-mediated ferroptosis in HIBD as a disease model. We discuss various aspects centered around microglia, including pathophysiological mechanisms, polarization and functions of microglia, molecular mechanisms of ferroptosis, signaling pathways, and therapeutic strategies. The review aims to provide a reference for studies of ferroptosis in microglia.
Microglia/physiology*
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Ferroptosis/physiology*
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Humans
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Animals
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Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain/pathology*
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Signal Transduction
7.USP20 as a super-enhancer-regulated gene drives T-ALL progression via HIF1A deubiquitination.
Ling XU ; Zimu ZHANG ; Juanjuan YU ; Tongting JI ; Jia CHENG ; Xiaodong FEI ; Xinran CHU ; Yanfang TAO ; Yan XU ; Pengju YANG ; Wenyuan LIU ; Gen LI ; Yongping ZHANG ; Yan LI ; Fenli ZHANG ; Ying YANG ; Bi ZHOU ; Yumeng WU ; Zhongling WEI ; Yanling CHEN ; Jianwei WANG ; Di WU ; Xiaolu LI ; Yang YANG ; Guanghui QIAN ; Hongli YIN ; Shuiyan WU ; Shuqi ZHANG ; Dan LIU ; Jun-Jie FAN ; Lei SHI ; Xiaodong WANG ; Shaoyan HU ; Jun LU ; Jian PAN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(9):4751-4771
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a highly aggressive hematologic malignancy with a poor prognosis, despite advancements in treatment. Many patients struggle with relapse or refractory disease. Investigating the role of the super-enhancer (SE) regulated gene ubiquitin-specific protease 20 (USP20) in T-ALL could enhance targeted therapies and improve clinical outcomes. Analysis of histone H3 lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) data from six T-ALL cell lines and seven pediatric samples identified USP20 as an SE-regulated driver gene. Utilizing the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and BloodSpot databases, it was found that USP20 is specifically highly expressed in T-ALL. Knocking down USP20 with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) increased apoptosis and inhibited proliferation in T-ALL cells. In vivo studies showed that USP20 knockdown reduced tumor growth and improved survival. The USP20 inhibitor GSK2643943A demonstrated similar anti-tumor effects. Mass spectrometry, RNA-Seq, and immunoprecipitation revealed that USP20 interacted with hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A) and stabilized it by deubiquitination. Cleavage under targets and tagmentation (CUT&Tag) results indicated that USP20 co-localized with HIF1A, jointly modulating target genes in T-ALL. This study identifies USP20 as a therapeutic target in T-ALL and suggests GSK2643943A as a potential treatment strategy.
8.Gastrodin inhibits ferroptosis to alleviate hypoxic-ischemic brain damage in neonatal mice by activating GPX4/SLC7A11/FTH1 signaling.
Tao GUO ; Bolin CHEN ; Jinsha SHI ; Xianfeng KUANG ; Tengyue YU ; Song WEI ; Xiong LIU ; Rong XIAO ; Juanjuan LI
Journal of Southern Medical University 2025;45(10):2071-2081
OBJECTIVES:
To evaluate the therapeutic effect of gastrodin against hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) in neonatal mice and explore the role of GPX4/SLC7A11/FTH1 signaling in mediating its effect.
METHODS:
Twenty-four 9- to 11-day-old C57BL/6J mice were randomized equally into 4 groups for sham operation, HIBD modeling by right common carotid artery ligation and subsequent exposure to hypoxia for 1 h, or gastrodin treatment at 100 or 200 mg/kg before and at 1 and 2 days after modeling. The mice then underwent neurological assessment (Zea-Longa scores), and the cerebral cortical penumbra tissue were collected for HE and Nissl staining, detection of ferroptosis biomarkers and protein expressions of GPX4, SLC7A11, and FTH1 with Western blotting and immunofluorescence co-localization, and observation of mitochondrial ultrastructure with electron microscopy. In cultured HT22 neuronal cells with oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) for 2 h, the effects of pretreatments with 0.5 mmol/L gastrodin, 10 μmol/L RSL3 (a GPX4 inhibitor), alone or in combination, were analyzed on expressions of ferroptosis-related proteins, cellular Fe²⁺, ROS, lipid peroxidation, MDA, and GSH levels, mitochondrial membrane potential (JC-1), and cell viability.
RESULTS:
Gastrodin treatment at the two doses both significantly ameliorated HIBD and neurological deficits of the mice, reduced mitochondrial damage and Fe²⁺, MDA and ROS levels, increased GSH level, and upregulated GPX4, SLC7A11, and FTH1 protein expressions. In HT22 cells, gastrodin pretreatment obviously attenuated OGD-induced ferroptosis and improved cell viability and mitochondrial function. Co-treatment with RSL3 potently abrogated the inhibitory effects of gastrodin on Fe²⁺, ROS, BODIPY-C11, and MDA levels and attenuated its protective effects on GSH level, cell viability, and mitochondrial membrane potential.
CONCLUSIONS
Gastrodin provides neuroprotective effects in neonatal mice with HIBD by suppressing neuronal ferroptosis via upregulating the GPX4/SLC7A11/FTH1 signaling pathway.
Animals
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Ferroptosis/drug effects*
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Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain/drug therapy*
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Signal Transduction/drug effects*
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Phospholipid Hydroperoxide Glutathione Peroxidase
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Glucosides/pharmacology*
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Animals, Newborn
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Benzyl Alcohols/pharmacology*
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Amino Acid Transport System y+/metabolism*
9.pLM4ACP: a model for predicting anticancer peptides based on machine learning and protein language models.
Yitong LIU ; Wenxin CHEN ; Juanjuan LI ; Xue CHI ; Xiang MA ; Yanqiong TANG ; Hong LI
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(8):3252-3261
Cancer is a serious global health problem and a major cause of human death. Conventional cancer treatments often run the risk of impairing vital organ functions. Anticancer peptides (ACPs) are considered to be one of the most promising therapeutic agents against common human cancers due to their small sizes, high specificity, and low toxicity. Since ACP recognition is highly limited to the laboratory, expensive, and time-consuming, we proposed pLM4ACP, a model for predicting ACPs based on machine learning and protein language models. In this model, the protein language model ProtT5 was used to extract the features of ACPs, and the extracted features were input into the support vector machine (SVM) classification algorithm for optimization and performance evaluation. The model showcased significantly higher accuracy than other methods, with the overall accuracy of 0.763, F1-score of 0.767, Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.527, and area under the curve of 0.827 on the independent test set. This study constructs an efficient anticancer peptide prediction model based on protein language models, further advancing the application of artificial intelligence in the biomedical field and promoting the development of precision medicine and computational biology.
Machine Learning
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Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry*
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Humans
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Peptides/chemistry*
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Support Vector Machine
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Algorithms
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Computational Biology/methods*
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Neoplasms/drug therapy*
10.Meta-analysis of the effects of SLCO1B1 gene polymorphisms on the efficacy and safety of rosuvastatin
Chunyun LU ; Song WANG ; Kefeng LIU ; Ying XUE ; Juanjuan CHEN ; Yuanxia ZHAO ; Shuzhang DU
China Pharmacy 2024;35(19):2397-2403
OBJECTIVE To study the correlation between SLCO1B1 (521T>C and 388A>G) gene polymorphisms and the efficacy and safety of rosuvastatin. METHODS Retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, PharmGKB, CNKI database and Wanfang database, the studies about the effects of 521T>C and 388A>G gene polymorphisms on the efficacy and safety of rosuvastatin were collected during the inception to Dec. 2023. The included data were analyzed by using RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS A total of 16 studies were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that 521T>C gene polymorphism was significantly correlated with the efficacy of rosuvastatin. In the dominant gene model, compared with TT genotype, CC+TC genotype significantly improved the efficacy of rosuvastatin in raising high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) [MD=2.38, 95%CI(0.61,4.16), P=0.009 0]. In the homozygous gene model, compared with TT genotype, CC genotype significantly improved the efficacy of rosuvastatin in reducing total cholesterol [MD=-7.50,95%CI(-13.05, -1.95), P=0.008 0]. In heterozygous gene model, compared with TT genotype, TC genotype significantly improved rosuvastatin in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) [MD=-5.14, 95%CI(-9.74, -0.53), P=0.03] and increasing HDL-C [MD=5.67, 95%CI 232102311200) (2.61, 8.73), P=0.000 3]. 388A>G gene polymorphism was also significantly correlated with the efficacy of rosuvastatin. In dominant or homozygous gene models, compared with AA E-mail:dushuzhang911@163.com genotype, GG+AG genotype [MD=-6.88, 95%CI (-7.46,-6.30),P<0.000 1] or GG genotype [MD=-9.23, 95%CI(-9.41, 9.04), P<0.000 1] significantly improved the efficacy of rosuvastatin in lowering LDL-C. In the heterozygous gene model, compared with AA genotype, AG genotype significantly improved the efficacy of rosuvastatin in lowering LDL-C [MD=-3.00, 95%CI(-3.19, -2.82), P<0.000 1], total cholesterol [MD=-5.80, 95%CI(-6.00, -5.59), P<0.000 1] and triglyceride [MD=-11.79, 95%CI(-19.57, -4.02), P=0.003 0]. In the recessive gene model, compared with AA+AG genotype, GG genotype significantly improved the therapeutic efficacy of rosuvastatin in reducing LDL-C[MD=-4.31, 95%CI(-8.47, -0.14), P=0.040 0] and elevating HDL-C [MD=4.49, 95%CI (2.20, 6.77), P=0.000 1]. Under 4 gene models, there was a significant correlation between 521T>C gene polymorphism and rosuvastatin-related ADR probability (P<0.05), but no significant correlation was found in 388A>G gene polymorphism (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS The polymorphism of 521T>C gene is significantly related to the efficacy and safety of rosuvastatin in lowering lipid, and the C allele may be one of the factors leading to the increase of rosuvastatin in lipid-lowering efficacy and ADR. 388A> G gene polymorphism is significantly associated with the lipid-lowering efficacy of rosuvastatin, but not with its safety.

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