1.Effect of Yang-Reinforcing and Blood-Activating Therapy on the Long-Term Prognosis for Dilated Cardio-myopathy Patients with Yang Deficiency and Blood Stasis Syndrome:A Retrospective Cohort Study
Shiyi TAO ; Jun LI ; Lintong YU ; Ji WU ; Yuqing TAN ; Xiao XIA ; Fuyuan ZHANG ; Tiantian XUE ; Xuanchun HUANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(1):53-59
ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy on the long-term prognosis for patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) of yang deficiency and blood stasis syndrome. MethodsA retrospective cohort study was conducted involving 371 DCM patients with yang deficiency and blood stasis syndrome. The yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy was defined as the exposure factor. Patients were categorized into exposure group (186 cases) and non-exposure group (185 cases) according to whether they received yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy combined with conventional western medicine for 6 months or longer. The follow-up period was set at 48 months, and the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess the cumulative incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in both groups. Cox regression analysis was used to explore the impact of yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy on the risk of MACE, and subgroup analysis was performed. Changes in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome score, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) score were compared between groups at the time of first combined use of yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy (before treatment) and 1 year after receiving the therapy (after treatment). ResultsMACE occurred in 31 cases (16.67%) in the exposure group and 47 cases (25.41%) in the non-exposure group. The cumulative incidence of MACE in the exposure group was significantly lower than that in the non-exposure group [HR=0.559, 95%CI(0.361,0.895), P=0.014]. Cox regression analysis showed that yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy was an independent factor for reducing the risk of MACE in DCM patients [HR=0.623, 95%CI(0.396,0.980), P=0.041], and consistent results were observed in different subgroups. Compared with pre-treatment, the exposure group showed decreased TCM syndrome score and MLHFQ score, reduced LVEDD, and increased LVEF and LVFS after treatment (P<0.05); in the non-exposure group, TCM syndrome score decreased, LVEF and LVFS increased, and LVEDD reduced after treatment (P<0.05). After treatment, the exposure group had higher LVEF and LVFS, smaller LVEDD, and lower TCM syndrome score and MLHFQ score compared with the non-exposure group (P<0.05). ConclusionCombining yang-reinforcing and blood-activating therapy with conventional western medicine can reduce the risk of MACE in DCM patients with yang deficiency and blood stasis syndrome, meanwhile improving their clinical symptoms, cardiac function, and quality of life.
2.Preliminary development of Health Literacy Evaluation Scale for Chinese High School Students
GUO Shihao, ZHU Fan, ZHU Guiyin, QI Tiantian, YANG Shuang, HU Bin, WU Huiyun, JIANG He, MA Yinghua
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(5):676-680
Objective:
To develop a health literacy evaluation scale for Chinese high school students, providing a tool for dynamic monitoring of health literacy among high school students and evaluating the effectiveness of health school construction.
Methods:
Through theoretical research, an evaluation index system for health literacy of Chinese high school students was constructed. Two rounds of Delphi expert consultations were conducted to quantitatively screen the items, and the item pool was revised based on expert opinions to compile the health literacy evaluation scale for Chinese students. Two focus group interviews were held to collect suggestions from health educators, high school teachers, and high school students regarding optimized scale length, question types, difficulty and wording of the scale. The scale was revised accordingly. A pilot survey was conducted in Beijing and Tianjin in November 2024, and the reliability and validity of the scale were evaluated based on the pilot survey data.
Results:
The response rate in both rounds of Delphi expert consultations was over 80%, and the expert authority coefficient was over 0.70. The expert opinions were highly concentrated, and the dispersion was small. The revised item pool based on expert opinions contained 39 items. The revised scale based on the suggestions and opinions collected from the focus group interviews had a moderate number of questions and difficulty level. The pilot survey obtained 800 valid responses, with the response rate of 89.39%. The Cronbach α coefficient of the scale was 0.911, χ 2/df =3.321, the root mean square error of approximation was 0.054, the adjusted goodness-of-fit index was 0.991 , and the factor loadings of some items were less than 0.40.
Conclusion
The health literacy evaluation scale for Chinese high school students demonstrates scientific rigor and practical applicability, with good internal consistency and structural validity.
3.Preliminary development with reliability and validity testing of health literacy assessment scale for junior high school students
QI Tiantian, ZHU Fan, ZHU Guiyin, GUO Shihao, YANG Shuang, WU Huiyun, HU Bin, JIANG He, MA Yinghua
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(6):816-820
Objective:
To develop and validate a health literacy assessment scale for junior high school students, providing an effective tool for evaluating and monitoring health literacy among Chinese adolescents.
Methods:
Based on school health education policy documents, a health literacy assessment framework was constructed, comprising five horizontal and four vertical dimensions. From May to June and August to September in 2024, the framework was refined through Delphi expert consultations and focus group discussions, leading to the development of the Health Literacy Assessment Scale for Junior High School Students. In September 2024, a convenience sample of 625 students from three junior high schools in Beijing and Tianjin completed the questionnaire. Item analysis, reliability, and validity tests were conducted to evaluate the scale.
Results:
The recovery rate for two rounds of expert consultation questionnaires was 100%. The expert authority coefficients ( Cr ) were 0.86 and 0.87 respectively (both >0.70), with Kendall W values of 0.34 and 0.27 ( P <0.05). The focus group discussions followed a rigorous structure, and after multiple rounds of item screening and revision, the version 3.0 of the junior high school students health literacy assessment scale was developed, comprising 57 items. Three items that failed to meet the comprehensive screening criteria were preliminarily removed, and the final scale contained 54 items. The scale demonstrated excellent reliability, with an overall Cronbach s α coefficient of 0.92 and split half reliability of 0.93. Confirmatory factor analysis [ χ 2/df =2.094, root mean square error of approximation ( RMSEA )=0.042, comparative fit index ( CFI )=0.911, Tucker Lewis index ( TLI )=0.907] indicated good model fit indices.
Conclusions
The preliminary development of the health literacy assessment scale for junior high school students follows a rigorous item screening process with well designed dimensions, demonstrating good reliability and validity, thus serving as an appropriate evaluation tool for adolescent health literacy.
4.Triangular Wave tACS Improves Working Memory Performance by Enhancing Brain Activity in the Early Stage of Encoding.
Jianxu ZHANG ; Jian OUYANG ; Tiantian LIU ; Xinyue WANG ; Binbin GAO ; Jinyan ZHANG ; Manli LUO ; Anshun KANG ; Zilong YAN ; Li WANG ; Guangying PEI ; Shintaro FUNAHASHI ; Jinglong WU ; Jian ZHANG ; Tianyi YAN
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(7):1213-1228
Working memory is an executive memory process that includes encoding, maintenance, and retrieval. These processes can be modulated by transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) with sinusoidal waves. However, little is known about the impact of the rate of current change on working memory. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of two types of tACS with different rates of current change on working memory performance and brain activity. We applied a randomized, single-blind design and divided 81 young participants who received triangular wave tACS, sinusoidal wave tACS, or sham stimulation into three groups. Participants performed n-back tasks, and electroencephalograms were recorded before, during, and after active or sham stimulation. Compared to the baseline, working memory performance (accuracy and response time) improved after stimulation under all stimulation conditions. According to drift-diffusion model analysis, triangular wave tACS significantly increased the efficiency of non-target information processing. In addition, compared with sham conditions, triangular wave tACS reduced alpha power oscillations in the occipital lobe throughout the encoding period, while sinusoidal wave tACS increased theta power in the central frontal region only during the later encoding period. The brain network connectivity results showed that triangular wave tACS improved the clustering coefficient, local efficiency, and node degree intensity in the early encoding stage, and these parameters were positively correlated with the non-target drift rate and decision starting point. Our findings on how tACS modulates working memory indicate that triangular wave tACS significantly enhances brain network connectivity during the early encoding stage, demonstrating an improvement in the efficiency of working memory processing. In contrast, sinusoidal wave tACS increased the theta power during the later encoding stage, suggesting its potential critical role in late-stage information processing. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential mechanisms by which tACS modulates working memory.
Humans
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Memory, Short-Term/physiology*
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Male
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Female
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Young Adult
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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation/methods*
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Brain/physiology*
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Adult
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Electroencephalography
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Single-Blind Method
5.Engineering of Pichia pastoris for producing glycoproteins with hybrid-type (GlcNAcMan5GlcNAc2) N-glycans.
Hao WANG ; Tiantian WANG ; Bin ZHANG ; Jun WU ; Huifang XU ; Yanru ZHANG ; Kehai LIU ; Bo LIU
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(9):3617-3629
Glycosylation modification is an important post-translational modification of proteins, which participates in regulating protein half-life, biological activity, and immunogenicity, thereby affecting their functions. Glycoproteins expressed in Pichia pastoris predominantly carry high-mannose type glycans, primarily composed of mannose residues, which starkly contrasts with the complex-type glycans synthesized by mammalian cells. This study aims to transform the high mannose glycosylation modification of P. pastoris into a hybrid glycosylation modification similar to that of mammalian cells through genetic engineering technology. We introduced the mannosidase Ⅰ gene (MDSⅠ) from Trichoderma viride and the human β-1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I gene (GnTⅠ) into a previously constructed P. pastoris strain (∆och1) capable of producing Man8GlcNAc2 glycans. To precisely regulate the expression of MDSⅠ and GnTⅠ, we designed various promoter combinations, including the strong inducible AOX promoter and the constitutive GAP promoter. The receptor-binding domain (RBD, residues 377-588) of the spike protein from the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was selected as the reporter protein for this investigation (MERS-RBD). The N-glycosylation profile of MERS-RBD was systematically analyzed using PNGase F digestion coupled with mass spectrometry. The results showed that after the knockout of och1 and the introduction of MDSⅠ and GnTⅠ genes with different promoter combinations, P. pastoris strains capable of producing GlcNAcMan5GlcNAc2 glycans were successfully generated. When the AOX promoter was used to control the MDSⅠ gene and the GAP promoter was used to control the GnTⅠ gene, the engineered strain exhibited the highest proportion of hybrid-type GlcNAcMan5GlcNAc2 glycans, which accounted for 68.38% of the total N-glycosylation. In conclusion, we successfully engineered a P. pastoris strain capable of synthesizing hybrid-type GlcNAcMan5GlcNAc2 glycans, establishing a foundation for subsequent research on the biosynthesis of complex-type N-glycans in P. pastoris.
Glycosylation
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Glycoproteins/genetics*
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Polysaccharides/metabolism*
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N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases/metabolism*
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Pichia/metabolism*
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Humans
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Mannosidases/metabolism*
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Genetic Engineering
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Trichoderma/genetics*
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Recombinant Proteins/genetics*
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Saccharomycetales
6.Analysis of the etiology and factors associated with the severity of chronic spontaneous urticaria in children
Tiantian ZHOU ; Xuege WU ; Huan YANG ; Xiao FANG ; Jinqiu JIANG ; Jingsi CHEN ; Xiaoyan LUO ; Hua WANG
Chinese Journal of Dermatology 2024;57(4):324-330
Objective:To analyze the etiology of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) in children and associated factors affecting the disease severity.Methods:A single-center cross-sectional study was conducted. Children aged ≤ 17 years with CSU were prospectively enrolled at the Department of Dermatology, Children′s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from November 2021 to November 2022. Clinical data were collected, serum total IgE and allergen-specific IgE (sIgE) were detected, and basophil activation test (BAT) and autologous serum skin test (ASST) were performed. According to the ASST and BAT results, the children were divided into the chronic autoimmune urticaria (CAU) group (positive for both ASST and BAT), non-CAU group (negative for both ASST and BAT), and partial CAU group (positive for either ASST or BAT). Differences in the etiology and clinical characteristics were analyzed between the CAU group and the non-CAU group. Based on the weekly urticaria activity score (UAS7), the children with CSU were divided into the mild group (UAS7 < 16 points) and moderate to severe group (UAS7 ≥ 16 points). Factors associated with the severity of CSU in children were analyzed using logistic regression. Non-normally distributed quantitative data were expressed as M ( Q1, Q3), and the non-parametric rank sum test (Kruskal-Wallis test) was used to compare quantitative data among multiple groups. Results:This study enrolled a total of 93 children with CSU, including 50 males (53.8%) and 43 females (46.2%), with the age being 5.9 (2.9, 9.2) years, and the disease duration being 4 (2, 8) months; 32 patients (34.4%) were complicated by angioedema, 28 (30.1%) had a family history of chronic urticaria, 49 (52.7%) had a family history of atopic diseases, 14 (15.1%) had a family history of autoimmune diseases, and 26 (28.0%) had at least one atopic comorbidity. Etiologic analysis showed that 32 cases (32/69, 46.4%) were positive for ASST and 28 (28/70, 40.0%) were positive for BAT. Both ASST and BAT were performed in 57 cases, and they were divided into the CAU group (18 cases), non-CAU group (24 cases), and partial CAU group (15 cases) according to the test results. There were no significant differences in the age, disease duration, gender ratio, proportion of patients with atopic comorbidity, or proportion of patients having a family history of atopic diseases among the 3 groups (all P > 0.05), while the proportion of patients with moderate to severe CSU (UAS7 ≥ 16 points) was higher in the CAU group (16/18) than in the non-CAU group (11/24, P < 0.05). Triggering factors were identified in 19 cases (20.4%), including 18 (19.3%) cases of food allergy and 1 case (1.0%) of antibiotic allergy. The serum total IgE level was elevated in 22 cases (22/89, 24.7%), and 40 (40/81, 49.4%) showed elevated levels of at least 1 sIgE. The UAS7 of the children with CSU was 16 (15, 21) points, and there were 31 (33.3%) children with mild CSU and 62 (66.7%) with moderate to severe CSU. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that BAT positivity was associated with disease severity ( OR = 7.566, 95% CI: 2.238 - 25.572, P < 0.05). After adjustment for age and gender, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that BAT positivity was associated with moderate to severe CSU ( OR = 6.725, 95% CI: 1.361 - 33.227, P < 0.05) . Conclusions:Autoimmunity may be the main cause of CSU in children, followed by allergic factors. ASST could be used as a primary screening test for the diagnosis of CAU in children, and BAT may help identify CAU and predict disease severity.
7.Mechanism of Naozhenning granules in regulating mitochondrial energy metabolism in multiple cerebral concussion rats
Li GAO ; Le ZHAO ; Nannan WEI ; Liya WU ; Tiantian WANG ; Weiyi ZHANG ; Yonghui WANG
China Pharmacy 2024;35(9):1050-1056
OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism of Naozhenning granules in regulating mitochondrial energy metabolism in hippocampal tissue of multiple cerebral concussion (MCC) model rats. METHODS SPF grade Wistar rats were used to prepare MCC models using the “free fall impact method”. The successfully modeled rats were divided into model group, piracetam group, and Naozhenning granule low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups, and a normal group was also set up, with 8 rats in each group. Rats in each treatment group orally administered corresponding drugs at doses of 0.324 g/kg for the piracetam group and 2.25, 4.5 and 9 g/kg for the Naozhenning granule low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups; the normal group and model group were given equal volumes of normal saline; once a day, for 14 consecutive days. The motor exploration ability, learning and memory ability of rats were tested; the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content in the hippocampal tissue of rat was detected; the changes in the mitochondrial structure of hippocampal tissue was observed; the fluorescence intensity of mitochondrial dynamin- related protein 1 (Drp1), mitochondrial fission protein 1 (Fis1), mitochondrial fusion 1 (Mfn1), and optic atrophy protein 1 (Opa1) were detected in the hippocampal tissue of rat; the protein expression levels of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α(PGC-1α), nuclear respiratory factor-1(NRF-1),mitochondrial transcription factor A(TFAM), Wnt-3a,β-catenin in hippocampal tissue of rat were detected. RESULTS Compared with the normal group, the total exercise distance, number of central grid entries, number of upright positions, new object recognition index, mitochondrial ATP content, fluorescence intensity of Mfn1 and Opa1, the protein expression levels of PGC-1α、NRF-1、TFAM、Wnt-3a、 β-catenin in the model group were significantly reduced (P<0.01), while the rest time and fluorescence intensity of Drp1 and Fis1 in hippocampal tissue were significantly increased (P<0.01). The results of transmission electron microscopy showed that the mitochondria in the hippocampal tissue were significantly swollen, with a large number of broken and reduced cristae, and some mitochondria had myeloid changes in the membrane. Compared with the model group, the levels/contents of the above indicators in rats of each administration group showed varying degrees of reversal, and most of the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05 or P<0.01); the degree of mitochondrial swelling in the hippocampal tissue was reduced, with a small amount of broken and reduced cristae, fuzzy fractures appeared in local areas of the rough endoplasmic reticulum. CONCLUSIONS Naozhenning granules can improve the motor exploration, learning and memory abilities of MCC model rats, repair neuronal damage, and exert neuroprotective effects. Its mechanism may be related to activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway,maintaining the balance of mitochondrial division and fusion,and promoting mitochondrial biosynthesis.
8.A real-world study on the clinical efficacy and influencing factors of TCM therapy of Fuzheng Kang'ai Decoction combined with PD-1 inhibitors in treating stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ NSCLC
Yuetong ZHONG ; Tiantian YANG ; Shunqin LONG ; Wanyin WU ; Xiaobing YANG
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;46(4):426-433
Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of programmed death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitos combined with Fuzheng Kang'ai Decoction in patients with stage Ⅲ or Ⅳ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and identify factors that influence progression and prognosis in real world.Methods:Objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression free survival (PFS), total survival time (OS) and adverse events of patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC who received PD-1 inhibitors for the first time in the Department of Oncology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine from August 2018 to March 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, and was prospectively followed up until September 2022. Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot survival curves and evaluate median PFS and median OS, while Cox proportional hazards regression model was used for multivariate analysis.Results:The final 66 patients were included in the study, with an ORR of 33.3% (22/66), a DCR of 86.4% (57/66), a median PFS of 9.90 months, and a median OS of 31.83 months. Univariate analysis showed that median PFS was associated with TNM stage, liver metastasis, PD-L1 expression level, lung immune prognostic index (LIPI), and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome types ( P values were 0.004, 0.033, 0.040, 0.004, and 0.001, respectively). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that TNM stage [ HR (95% CI)=4.179 (1.781, 9.804)], PD-L1 expression level 1%-49% [ HR (95% CI)=0.346 (0.127, 0.940)] or ≥ 50% [ HR (95% CI)=0.074 (0.019, 0.288)], LIPI [ HR (95% CI)=14.515 (2.939, 71.681)], and TCM characteristics of deficiency of yang qi [ HR (95% CI)=5.954 (2.093, 16.940)] were independent influencing factors for PFS. The overall and grade 3-5 treatment-related adverse events were 68.2% (45/66) and 9.1% (6/66), respectively. Conclusions:Fuzheng Kang'ai Decoction combined with PD-1 inhibitors is an effective and tolerable therapy for patients with advanced or metastatic NSCLC. TNM stage, liver metastasis, PD-L1 expression, LIPI and TCM characteristics are early predictors of clinical efficacy for patients with stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ NSCLC that receive traditional Chinese medicine combined with immunotherapy .
9.Application of continuous nursing based on EMS management mode in preschool children with wheezing diseases
Yunli JIANG ; Aiqiu LI ; Yanshang XIAO ; Tiantian LI ; Yachen HU ; Xiaoxiao ZHANG ; Beirong WU
Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University(Medical Science) 2024;44(2):228-236
Objective·To explore the effect of continuous nursing based on EMS[environment management(E),medicine direction(M)and self monitoring(S)]management mode on the preschool children with asthmatic diseases.Methods·A total of 67 children aged 0 to 6 years with asthmatic diseases admitted to the Department of Respiratory Medicine,Shanghai Children's Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from December 2019 to November 2020 were selected and divided into observation group(33 cases)and control group(34 cases)according to the random number table method,with 3 cases lost,and finally 32 cases in each group.The observation group received continuous nursing care based on EMS management mode,while the control group received routine care and discharge follow-up through the telephone.The children in the two groups were followed up at 1,3,and 6 months after discharge to evaluate the results of Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids(TRACK)and wheezing recurrence;Medication Adherence Report Scale for Asthma(MARS-A)and Nursing Job Satisfaction Questionnaire were used to evaluate medication adherence and nursing job satisfaction 6 months after discharge.Results·There was no significant difference in demographic characteristics and clinical baseline characteristics between the two groups.Repeated measures analysis of variance showed that effects of time,groups and the interaction of groups×time on the total score of TRACK were statistically significant.The total scores of TRACK in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group at 1,3,and 6 months after discharge(P=0.000).The total scores of TRACK in the two groups gradually increased with time(P=0.000).The recurrence rates of wheezing in the observation group were 25.0%,18.7%,and 9.4%at 1,3,and 6 months after discharge,which were significantly lower than those in the control group(50.0%,43.7%,and 31.3%,respectively,P<0.05).Generalized estimating equation analysis showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups(P=0.013),and the intervention effect of the observation group was better than that of the control group(OR=0.292).The MARS-A score of the observation group was 4.519±0.395 at 6 months after discharge,which was significantly higher than that of the control group(3.994±0.739,P=0.001).The nursing job satisfaction of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group(P=0.000).There was a moderate positive correlation between the MARS-A score and the nursing job satisfaction(r=0.389,P=0.001).Conclusion·Continuous nursing based on EMS management mode can significantly improve the medication compliance and wheezing control level of the preschool children with asthmatic diseases,significantly reduce the recurrence rate of wheezing,and improve the nursing satisfaction.
10.Baihe Wuyaotang Ameliorates NAFLD by Enhancing mTOR-mediated Liver Autophagy
Rui WANG ; Tiantian BAN ; Lihui XUE ; Xinyi FENG ; Jiyuan GUO ; Jiaqi LI ; Shenghe JIANG ; Xiaolei HAN ; Baofeng HU ; Wenli ZHANG ; Naijun WU ; Shuang LI ; Yajuan QI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(7):66-77
ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of Baihe Wuyaotang (BWT) on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and elucidate its underlying mechanism. MethodC57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to six groups: normal control, model, positive drug (pioglitazone hydrochloride 1.95×10-3 g·kg-1), and low-, medium-, and high-dose BWT (1.3,2.5 and 5.1 g·kg-1). Following a 12-week high-fat diet (HFD) inducement, the mice underwent six weeks of therapeutic intervention with twice-daily drug administration. Body weight was monitored weekly throughout the treatment period. At the fifth week, glucose tolerance (GTT) and insulin tolerance (ITT) tests were conducted. Subsequently, the mice were euthanized for the collection of liver tissue and serum, and the subcutaneous adipose tissue (iWAT) and epididymal adipose tissue (eWAT) were weighed. Serum levels of total triglycerides (TG) and liver function indicators,such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), were determined. Histological examinations, including oil red O staining, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, Masson staining, and transmission electron microscopy, were performed to evaluate hepatic lipid deposition, pathological morphology, and ultrastructural changes, respectively. Meanwhile, Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) were employed to analyze alterations, at both gene and protein levels, the insulin signaling pathway molecules, including insulin receptor substrate 1/2/protein kinase B/forkhead box gene O1 (IRS1/2/Akt/FoxO1), glycogen synthesis enzymes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxy kinase (Pepck) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), lipid metabolism-related genes stearoyl-coA desaturase-1 (SCD-1) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1), fibrosis-associated molecules α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), type Ⅰ collagen (CollagenⅠ), and the fibrosis canonical signaling pathway transforming growth factor-β1/drosophila mothers against decapentaplegic protein2/3(TGF-β1/p-Smad/Smad2/3), inflammatory factors such as interleukin(IL)-6, IL-8, IL-11, and IL-1β, autophagy markers LC3B Ⅱ/Ⅰ and p62/SQSTM1, and the expression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). ResultCompared with the model group, BWT reduced the body weight and liver weight of NAFLD mice(P<0.05, P<0.01), inhibited liver lipid accumulation, and reduced the weight of white fat: it reduced the weight of eWAT and iWAT(P<0.05, P<0.01) as well as the serum TG content(P<0.05, P<0.01). BWT improved the liver function as reflected by the reduced ALT and AST content(P<0.05, P<0.01). It improved liver insulin resistance by upregulating IRS2, p-Akt/Akt, p-FoxO1/FoxO1 expressions(P<0.05). Besides, it improved glucose and lipid metabolism disorders: it reduced fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose(P<0.05, P<0.01), improved GTT and ITT(P<0.05, P<0.01), reduced the expression of Pepck, G6Pase, and SCD-1(P<0.01), and increased the expression of CPT-1(P<0.01). The expressions of α-SMA, Collagen1, and TGF-β1 proteins were down-regulated(P<0.05, P<0.01), while the expression of p-Smad/Smad2/3 was downregulated(P<0.05), suggesting BWT reduced liver fibrosis. BWT inhibited inflammation-related factors as it reduced the gene expression of IL-6, IL-8, IL-11 and IL-1β(P<0.01) and it enhanced autophagy by upregulating LC3B Ⅱ/Ⅰ expression(P<0.05)while downregulating the expression of p62/SQSTM1 and mTOR(P<0.05). ConclusionBWT ameliorates NAFLD by multifaceted improvements, including improving IR and glucose and lipid metabolism, anti-inflammation, anti-fibrosis, and enhancing autophagy. In particular, BWT may enhance liver autophagy by inhibiting the mTOR-mediated signaling pathway.


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