1.Fangchinoline induces antiviral response by suppressing STING degradation
Wang JINYONG ; Xie FANG ; Jia XIN ; Wang XUEJIAO ; Kong LINGDONG ; Li YIYING ; Liang XUE ; Zhang MEIQI ; He YUTING ; Feng WANDI ; Luo TONG ; Wang YAO ; Xu ANLONG
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2024;14(6):902-913
The stimulator of interferon genes(STING),an integral adaptor protein in the DNA-sensing pathway,plays a pivotal role in the innate immune response against infections.Additionally,it presents a valuable therapeutic target for infectious diseases and cancer.We observed that fangchinoline(Fan),a bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid(BBA),effectively impedes the replication of vesicular stomatitis virus(VSV),encephalomyocarditis virus(EMCV),influenza A virus(H1 N1),and herpes simplex virus-1(HSV-1)in vitro.Fan treatment significantly reduced the viral load,attenuated tissue inflammation,and improved survival in a viral sepsis mouse model.Mechanistically,Fan activates the antiviral response in a STING-dependent manner,leading to increased expression of interferon(1FN)and interferon-stimulated genes(ISGs)for potent antiviral effects in vivo and in vitro.Notably,Fan interacts with STING,preventing its degradation and thereby extending the activation of IFN-based antiviral responses.Collectively,our findings highlight the potential of Fan,which elicits antiviral immunity by suppressing STING degra-dation,as a promising candidate for antiviral therapy.
2.Morphological study on projections of tyrosine hydroxylase positive neurons in locus coeruleus to paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus in mice
Pengxin ZHANG ; Hui ZHU ; Fei PENG ; Peiyuan LYU ; Huijie FENG ; Meiqi XUE ; Yijia XUE ; Yulin DONG
Chinese Journal of Neuroanatomy 2024;40(4):405-412
Objective:To observe the projections from tyrosine hydroxylase(TH)positive neurons in locus coerule-us(LC)to tachykinin-1(TAC1)neurons in paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus(PVT),and morphologically determine whether they are involved in transmission and modulation of nociceptive information.Methods:TAC1-ires-Cre mice were hybridized with Rosa26:CAG-LSL-tdTomato(Ai9)mice.And spared nerve injury(SNI)induced neu-ropathic pain model was established with TAC1-ires-Cre::Ai9 mice to observe the colocalization of TAC1 and Fos and the close appositions between TAC1/FOS double-labeled neurons and TH positive axonal terminals.The distribution of the TH positive neurons and FG retrogradely labeled neurons were observed in the LC after Fluorogold(FG)was injec-ted into the PVT.Finally,the coexistences of TH positive neurons and RV labeled neurons in the LC were observed after injection of RV-mediated retrograde tracing system.Results:TAC1 positive neurons were shown with red fluores-cence in TAC1-ires-Cre::Ai9 mice.TAC1/FOS double-labeled neurons were found in the PVT of the SNI model.Some TAC1/FOS double labeled neurons made close appositions with TH positive axonal terminals.FG retrogradely labeled neurons were observed in the LC after FG injected into the PVT,and some of the FG labeled neurons coexisted with TH positive neurons.Using RV retrograde transsynaptic tracing virus,the results showed that presynaptic neurons of TAC1 positive neurons in the PVT were found in the LC,and most of the presynaptic neurons were TH positive neu-rons.Conclusion:TH positive neurons in the LC project to TAC1 positive neurons of the PVT,forming LCTH+-PVTTAC1+neural circuit,which were activated by nociceptive information.It demonstrates that this pathway plays a role in pain transmission or regulation.
3.Pharmacoeconomic evaluation of trastuzumab deruxtecan versus chemotherapy in the second-line treatment of advanced breast cancer with HER-2 low expression
Xue LI ; Caifeng JIA ; Ying ZHENG ; Sen ZHANG ; Meiqi WANG ; Mingxia WANG
China Pharmacy 2024;35(19):2383-2390
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the economics of trastuzumab deruxtecan versus the physician-selected chemotherapy (TPC) regimen in the second-line treatment of advanced breast cancer with epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) low expression from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system. METHODS Based on the data of DESTINY-Breast04 clinical trial, the dynamic Markov model was constructed. The time frame of the model simulation was 10 years, and the cycle was 3 weeks. Taking cost, quality-adjusted life year (QALY) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) as the model output indicators, the discount rate of 5% was applied, and 3 times China’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023 was taken as the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold value. Cost-utility analysis was used to evaluate the economics of the two treatment regiments in the hormone receptor-positive cohort and all patient cohorts, and uncertainty analysis was used to verify the robustness of the basic analysis result. RESULTS The results of the basic analysis showed that compared with the TPC regimen, the ICER value of trastuzumab deruxtecan regimen edu.cn were 1 045 655.76 and 906 404.99 yuan/QALY in the hormone receptor-positive cohort and all patients, respectively, both exceeding the WTP threshold (268 074 yuan/QALY). The results of single factor sensitivity analysis showed that progression-free survival utility value, the price of trastuzumab deruxtecan and progression disease utility had a significant influence on the model results. The results of probability sensitivity analysis showed that when the WTP threshold was 3 times China’s per capita GDP in 2023, the probability of economic viability of trastuzumab deruxtecan was 0. The results of scenario analysis showed that when the patient assistance program for trastuzumab deruxtecan was considered, the probability of trastuzumab deruxtecan regimen being economical was 0. However, when the price of trastuzumab deruxtecan was reduced by 70%, the probability of its being cost-effective was significantly increased to 82.80%. CONCLUSIONS At a WTP threshold of 3 times China’s per capita GDP in 2023, the trastuzumab deruxtecan regimen is not cost-effective compared to TPC regimen for the second-line treatment of advanced breast cancer with HER-2 low expression. Reducing the price of trastuzumab deruxtecan by region can improve its cost-effectiveness.
4.Morphological study of afferent connections of VGLUT2 positive neurons of mediodorsal thalamic nucleus in mice
Huijie FENG ; Fei PENG ; Meiqi XUE ; Cailian RUAN ; Yulin DONG
Chinese Journal of Neuroanatomy 2024;40(3):287-294
Objective:Using retrogradely trans-monosynaptic tracing method mediated by rabies virus(RV)to ob-serve presynaptic neuronal distributions of vesicular glutamate transporter 2(VGLUT2)-positive neurons of the med-iodorsal thalamic nucleus(MD)in whole brain.Methods:The helper viruses of RV were injected into the right MD of VGLUT2-ires-Cre mice,and two weeks later RV was injected into the same area.After another one week,perfusion was taken and whole brain scanning was performed to observe the distributions of RV-labeled presynaptic neurons throughout the brain.Results:After RV virus was injected into the MD of VGLUT2-ires-Cre mice,dense presynaptic neurons were observed in the cortex and brainstem.RV labeled neurons were mostly distributed in primary motor cortex(M1),sec-ondary motor cortex(M2),medial prefrontal cortex,orbitofrontal cortex and insular cortex at the cortical level.Tha-lamic retrogradely labeled neurons were mostly found in reticular thalamic nucleus and lateral hypothalamic area,and retrogradely labeled neurons in the brainstem were mainly distributed in lateral parabrachial nucleus,periaqueductal grey matter and dorsal raphe nucleus.Conclusion:The results in the present experiment suggest that VGLUT2-positive neurons within the MD can receive ascending information transmission from the brainstem,or regulation from the reticu-lar nucleus of thalamus.As a higher-order thalamus,MD can also receive descending projections from the cortex,and is involved in a variety of functions.Our results provide morphological basis for the study of the function and the related neural circuit of the MD.