1.Dipsacus asper Treats Alzheimer's Disease in Caenorhabditis elegans by Regulating PPARα/TFEB Pathway
Mengmeng WANG ; Jianping ZHAO ; Limin WU ; Shuang CHU ; Yanli HUANG ; Zhenghao CUI ; Yiran SUN ; Pan WANG ; Hui WANG ; Zhenqiang ZHANG ; Zhishen XIE
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(5):104-114
ObjectiveTo investigate the anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) effect of Dipsacus asper(DA) in the Caenorhabditis elegans model, and decipher the underlying mechanism via the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα)/transcription factor EB (TFEB) pathway. MethodsFirst, transgenic AD C. elegans individuals were assigned into the blank control, model, positive control (WY14643, 20 µmol·L-1), and low-, medium-, and high-dose (100, 200, and 400 mg·L-1, respectively) DA groups. The amyloid β-42 (Aβ42) formation in the muscle cells, the paralysis time, and the deposition of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) in the head were detected. The lysosomal autophagy in the BV2 cell model was examined by Rluc-LC3wt/G120A. The expression levels of lysosomal autophagy-related proteins LC3Ⅱ, LC3I, LAMP2, and TFEB were detected by Western blot. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was employed to determine the mRNA levels of autophagy-related genes beclin1 and Atg5 and lysosome-related genes LAMP2 and CLN2 downstream of PPARα/TFEB. A reporter gene assay was used to detect the transcriptional activities of PPARα and TFEB. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the fluorescence intensity of PPARα, and the active components of the ethanol extract of DA were identified by UPLC-MS. RCSB PDB, Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), and Autodock were used to analyze the binding between the active components and PPARα-ligand-binding domain (LBD). ResultsCompared with the model group, the positive control group and 200 and 400 mg·L-1 DA groups showed prolonged paralysis time (P<0.05), and all the treatment groups showed decreased Aβ deposition in the head (P<0.01). DA within the concentration range of 50-500 mg·L-1 did not affect the viability of BV2 cells. In addition, DA enhanced the autophagy flux (P<0.05), up-regulated the mRNA levels of beclin1, Atg5, LAMP2, and CLN2 (P<0.05, P<0.01), promoted the nuclear translocation of TFEB (P<0.05), increased LAMP2 expression and autophagy flux (P<0.05, P<0.01), and enhanced the transcriptional activities of PPARα and TFEB (P<0.01). The positive control group and 200 and 400 mg·L-1 DA groups showed enhanced fluorescence intensity of PPARα in the BV2 nucleus (P<0.01). UPLC-MS detected nine known compounds of DA, from which 8 active components of DA were screened out. The docking results suggested that a variety of components in DA could bind to PPARα-LBD and form stable hydrogen bonds. ConclusionDA may reduce the pathological changes in AD by regulating the PPARα-TFEB pathway.
2.Posterior lateral perforator flap in lower limb combined with free fibula for maxillary tissue defect repair.
Mingming YAN ; Luwen SONG ; Zhenghao MA ; Tao WANG ; Kai HU ; Xuji WANG ; Jiancheng LI
Chinese Journal of Reparative and Reconstructive Surgery 2025;39(1):88-94
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the effectiveness of posterior lateral perforator flap in lower limb combined with free fibula for maxillary tissue defect repair.
METHODS:
Between December 2018 and December 2023, 16 patients with the maxillary malignant tumors were admitted. There were 10 males and 6 females, with an average age of 64.3 years (range, 54-75 years). There were 7 cases of maxillary gingival cancer, 5 cases of hard palate cancer, and 4 cases of maxillary sinus cancer. According to the 2017 American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM stage, there were 8 cases of stage Ⅲ, 6 cases of stage Ⅳa, and 2 cases of stage Ⅳb. After resection of the lesion, the remaining maxillary defects were classified into class Ⅱa in 3 cases, class Ⅱb in 5 cases, and class Ⅲb in 8 cases according to Brown's classification. The size of soft tissue defects ranged from 4 cm×3 cm to 8 cm×6 cm. The posterior lateral perforator flap in lower limb in size of 5 cm×4 cm-9 cm×7 cm were harvested to repair soft tissue defects, and free fibula in length of 6-11 cm were used to repair bone defects. The donor sites of the lower limb were sutured directly (6 cases) or repaired with free skin grafting (10 cases). Six patients with positive lymph node pathology were treated with radiotherapy after operation. At 6 and 12 months after operation, the self-assessment was performed by the University of Washington Quality of Survival Questionnaire Form (QUW-4) in five dimensions (facial appearance, swallowing function, chewing function, speech function, and mouth opening), and swallowing function was evaluated by using the Kubota water swallowing test.
RESULTS:
Postoperative pathological examination showed that all patients were squamous cell carcinoma. One patient who was treated with radiotherapy developed osteomyelitis and 1 patient developed venous crisis of skin flap. The rest of the flaps and all skin grafts survived, and the wounds healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 1-5 years (mean, 2.8 years). Two patients died of local recurrence of the tumor at the 4th and 5th years after operation, respectively. Except for the chewing function score and total score at 6 months after operation, which showed significant differences compared to preoperative scores ( P<0.05), there was no significant difference in other QUW-4 scale scores between different time points ( P>0.05). The patients' swallowing function evaluated by Kubota water swallowing test reached normal in 4 cases, suspicious in 9 cases, and abnormal in 3 cases at 6 months after operation, and 10, 6, and 0 cases at 12 months after operation, respectively. The swallowing function at 12 months was significantly better than that at 6 months ( Z=-2.382, P=0.017).
CONCLUSION
The posterior lateral perforator flap in the lower limb combined with free fibula to repair maxillary tissue defects can repair soft and hard tissue defects at the same time, so that the patient's facial appearance, swallowing function, chewing function, speech function, and mouth opening are satisfactorily restored and the mid-term effectiveness is good.
Humans
;
Middle Aged
;
Male
;
Female
;
Fibula/surgery*
;
Aged
;
Perforator Flap
;
Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods*
;
Maxilla/surgery*
;
Maxillary Neoplasms/surgery*
;
Free Tissue Flaps/transplantation*
;
Lower Extremity/surgery*
;
Bone Transplantation/methods*
;
Treatment Outcome
3.Optimizing blood-brain barrier permeability in KRAS inhibitors: A structure-constrained molecular generation approach.
Xia SHENG ; Yike GUI ; Jie YU ; Yitian WANG ; Zhenghao LI ; Xiaoya ZHANG ; Yuxin XING ; Yuqing WANG ; Zhaojun LI ; Mingyue ZHENG ; Liquan YANG ; Xutong LI
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(8):101337-101337
Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) protein inhibitors are a promising class of therapeutics, but research on molecules that effectively penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) remains limited, which is crucial for treating central nervous system (CNS) malignancies. Although molecular generation models have recently advanced drug discovery, they often overlook the complexity of biological and chemical factors, leaving room for improvement. In this study, we present a structure-constrained molecular generation workflow designed to optimize lead compounds for both drug efficacy and drug absorption properties. Our approach utilizes a variational autoencoder (VAE) generative model integrated with reinforcement learning for multi-objective optimization. This method specifically aims to enhance BBB permeability (BBBp) while maintaining high-affinity substructures of KRAS inhibitors. To support this, we incorporate a specialized KRAS BBB predictor based on active learning and an affinity predictor employing comparative learning models. Additionally, we introduce two novel metrics, the knowledge-integrated reproduction score (KIRS) and the composite diversity score (CDS), to assess structural performance and biological relevance. Retrospective validation with KRAS inhibitors, AMG510 and MRTX849, demonstrates the framework's effectiveness in optimizing BBBp and highlights its potential for real-world drug development applications. This study provides a robust framework for accelerating the structural enhancement of lead compounds, advancing the drug development process across diverse targets.
4.Clinical analysis of mandibular tumor resection with free fibula transplantation and implant implantation via the intraoral approach.
Jiancheng LI ; Mingming YAN ; Zhenghao MA ; Ruixue TIAN ; Xuji WANG ; Kai HU ; Lina JIANG
West China Journal of Stomatology 2025;43(2):212-219
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the clinical application of the digital-assisted reconstruction of the mandible and tumors with free fibula transplantation and immediate implantation via the intraoral approach.
METHODS:
Twelve patients with benign mandibular tumors were collected. Three-dimensional mandibular reconstruction was performed digitally before surgery to simulate mandibular tumor resection, fibula resection and reconstruction, and implant implantation. The intraoperative resection of the mandibular tumor was conducted through the intraoral approach under the guidance of a guide plate, and fibula resection, molding, reconstruction, and oral fixation were immediately performed. Implant implantation was performed during the second phase of implant surgery and denture restoration was performed 1-2 months after surgery.
RESULTS:
The types of mandibular defects were BrownⅠ (one case), Ⅰc (four cases), Ⅱ (one case), Ⅱc(three cases), and Ⅲ (three cases). The length of the fibular bone was 12-22 cm. The number of fibular molding amputations was as follows: two cases in two segments, six cases in three segments, three cases in four segments, and one case in five segments. All of these cases underwent folding fibular reconstruction of mandibular and alveolar bone defects. A total of 44 implants were implanted, and none failed after operation.
CONCLUSIONS
The intraoral approach is a reliable method for the resection of mandibular benign tumors, with few postoperative complications and the ability to position and fix accurately the reconstructed folded fibula under digital design. The immediate implantation of the transplanted fibula does not affect the blood supply and has a high success rate. It is an effective and reliable method for the resection and reconstruction of mandibular benign tumors.
Humans
;
Fibula/transplantation*
;
Mandibular Neoplasms/surgery*
;
Mandibular Reconstruction/methods*
;
Bone Transplantation/methods*
;
Male
;
Middle Aged
;
Female
;
Mandible/surgery*
;
Adult
;
Free Tissue Flaps
;
Surgery, Computer-Assisted
5.Mechanism of Zexie Tang in regulating macrophage M1/M2 polarization balance based on PI3K/AKT pathway
Erwen LI ; Zhenghao CUI ; Gai GAO ; Zhongxue FU ; Xiaowei ZHANG ; Hui WANG ; Zhenqiang ZHANG ; Jiangyan XU ; Zhishen XIE
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2024;40(8):1684-1691,中插1
Objective:To explore the effect and possible mechanism of Zexie Tang(ZXT)regulate the balance of M1/M2 polarization in macrophage cells.Methods:Lipid metabolism disorder mouse model was induced by Western diet(WD)in vivo,RAW264.7 cell M1/M2 macrophage model was induced by LPS/IL-4 in vitro,set up blank group,model group and ZXT group.The flu-orescence intensity of M1 and M2 macrophage markers in adipose tissue and RAW264.7 cells was observed by immunofluorescence staining;protein levels of p-AKT,AKT and COX-2 were measured by Western blot;levels of macrophage marker gene mRNAs of M1 and M2 were analysed by qPCR;IL-1β and IL-10 were measured by ELISA;content of NO was detected by Griess;binding of active components of Alismatis Rhizoma and Atractylodes Macrocephala with PI3K protein was analyzed by Docking.Results:Compared with WD group,expression of CD11c was significantly decreased in ZXT group,while expression of CD206 was significantly up-regulated;ZXT reversed LPS-induced increased in CD80 expression,down-regulated mRNA levels of M1 macrophage marker gene iNOS,etc,decreased the expression of COX-2 protein,and inhibited the secretion of IL-1β(P<0.001);ZXT promoted IL-4-induced CD206 expression,up-regulation of M2 macrophage marker gene Arg-1 and other mRNAs levels and secretion of IL-10;ZXT reversed the LPS-induced increased in NO release;p-AKT/AKT protein level increased in vivo and in vitro after ZXT administration;Docking re-sults show that many active ingredients in Alismatis Rhizoma and Atractylodes Macrocephala could form hydrogen bonds stably with PI3K protein.Conclusion:ZXT regulates the M1/M2 polarization balance of macrophages,and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of PI3K/AKT pathway.
6.Continuous vital signs monitoring using wireless wearable devices in patients after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for lung cancer: A prospective self-control study
Xiaoli MEI ; Yuchen HUANG ; Jian ZHOU ; Yuanyuan SONG ; Ailin LUO ; Mei YANG ; E ZHENG ; Yang QIU ; Beinuo WANG ; Zhenghao DONG ; Hu LIAO
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2024;31(02):229-235
Objective To explore the reliability and safety of continuous monitoring of vital signs in patients using wireless wearable monitoring devices after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for lung cancer. Methods The patients undergoing VATS for lung cancer in West China Hospital, Sichuan University from May to August 2023 were prospectively enrolled. Both wireless wearable and traditional wired devices were used to monitor the vital signs of patients after surgery. Spearman correlation analysis, paired sample t test and ratio Bland-Altman method were used to test the correlation, difference and consistency of monitoring data measured by the two devices. The effective monitoring rate of the wireless wearable device within 12 hours was calculated to test the reliability of its continuous monitoring. Results A total of 20 patients were enrolled, including 15 females and 5 males with an average age of 46.20±11.52 years. Data collected by the two monitoring devices were significantly correlated (P<0.001). Respiratory rate and blood oxygen saturation data collected by the two devices showed no statistical difference (P>0.05), while heart rate measured by wireless wearable device was slightly lower (=−0.307±1.073, P<0.001), and the blood pressure (=1.259±5.354, P<0.001) and body temperature(=0.115±0.231, P<0.001) were slightly higher. The mean ratios of heart rate, respiratory rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure and body temperature collected by the two devices were 0.996, 1.004, 1.000, 1.014, and 1.003, respectively. The 95% limits of agreement (LoA) and 95% confidence interval of 95%LoA of each indicator were within the clinically acceptable limit. The effective monitoring rate of each vital signs within 12 hours was above 98%. Conclusion The wireless wearable device has a high accuracy and reliability for continuous monitoring vital signs of patients after VATS for lung cancer, which provides a security guarantee for subsequent large-scale clinical application and further research.
7.Effects of polystyrene microplastics on the growth,biofilm formation and virulence of Klebsiella pneumoniae
Zhenfu CHENG ; Miao BAI ; Yuchao BAI ; Qianxiu ZHAO ; Zhenghao WANG ; Can ZHANG ; Chuanfu ZHANG
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2024;59(10):1835-1841
Objective To explore the effects of polystyrene microplastics(PS-MPs)on the growth,activity,oxida-tive stress levels,biofilm formation and virulence of Klebsiella pneumoniae.Methods Klebsiella pneumoniae was exposed to PS-MPs at different concentrations(10,50 and 100 μg/ml)and particle sizes(0.1,1.0 and 5.0 μm),and the growth curves were measured.The bacterial activity was determined by CCK-8(cell counting kit-8).The level of intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS)was determined by fluorescence probe.The biofilm forming ability was determined by crystal violet staining.Real-time quantitative fluorescent PCR(qRT-PCR)was used to detect the relative expression levels of biofilm-forming genes(luxS,mrkA,wbbM,pgaA,wzm)and viru-lence genes(ureA,uge,wabG,fimH).Results A high concentration(100 μg/ml)of 0.1 μm PS-MPs had a stronger inhibitory effect on the growth and activity of Klebsiella pneumoniae,and the intracellular ROS level signifi-cantly increased,indicating that smaller particle size and higher concentration of PS-MPs were more toxic to bacte-ria.PS-MPs of 100 μg/ml particle size groups(0.1,1.0 and 5.0 μm)significantly promoted the biofilm forma-tion of Klebsiella pneumoniae.The relative expression levels of biofilm formation related genes(luxS,mrkA,wbbM,pgaA,wzm)and virulence genes(ureA,uge,wabG,fimH)increased.Conclusion By inducing Kleb-siella pneumoniae to produce a high level of ROS,PS-MPs can cause oxidative stress,inhibit the growth and activi-ty of bacteria,and enhance the biofilm formation ability and virulence,thus affecting the biological characteristics of Klebsiae pneumoniae.
8.Expression level of LAMA2 in pan-cancer and its correlation with prognosis and immune microenvironment
Yichuan WANG ; Rui CAO ; Zhenghao CHEN ; Ye TIAN
International Journal of Surgery 2024;51(6):376-381
Objective:To investigate the relationship between the LAMA2 gene expression and the survival time of cancer patients, tumor microenvironment, tumor immune cell infiltration, and the immunotherapy responsiveness in pan-cancer. Methods:Download the expression data matrix and the clinical data from TCGA and IMvigor210, furthermore analyze the correlation between the expression level of LAMA2 and survival time, tumor microenvironment, and immunotherapy responsiveness by R and perform the gene set enrichment analysis of LAMA2 in pan-cancer to explore the related pathways. The Wilcoxon test was used to compare the expression difference of LAMA2 between tumor tissues and normal tissues. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis, and univariate COX regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk ratio relationship of LAMA2 in various tumors. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between the expression level of LAMA2 and tumor microenvironment immune score, as well as immune cell infiltration. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between the immunotherapy responsiveness and the expression level of LAMA2. Results:Compared with normal tissues, the expression level of LAMA2 was significantly decreased in most cancer types. In addition, the up-regulation or down-regulationand of LAMA2 expression may indicate the prognosis of patients. Univariate COX regression analysis showed that LAMA2 was significantly associated with prognosis in bladder cancer, renal papillary cell carcinoma, adrenocortical carcinoma, and so on. LAMA2 expression level was also significantly correlated with tumor microenvironment score, immune score and stromal score. Furthermore, the expression level of LAMA2 was correlated with the infiltration of tumor immune cells, including B cell, CD8 + T cell, regulatory T cell, mast cell, and so on. The results of gene set enrichment analysis show that the LAMA2 was mostly involved in the biological process of ion channels, gene expression, and skeletal muscle movement. LAMA2 expression was also associated with tumor mutation burden, microsatellite instability, and cell programmed death-ligand 1 immunotherapy responsiveness. Conclusions:LAMA2 has predictive value for survival and prognosis of patients in tumors, and is significantly correlated with tumor microenvironment, immune cell infiltration, tumor microenvironment, immunotherapy responsiveness, etc. As a potential tumor marker, LAMA2 provides a new direction for tumor prognosis judgment and treatment selection.
9.Effect of neotropine against form deprivation myopia in guinea pigs and mechanism
Xinyi YANG ; Hongpeng HUANG ; Xiaoxuan GUO ; Zhenghao BAO ; Peng ZHANG ; Yuan LUO ; Lan SUN ; Yongan WANG
Chinese Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology 2024;38(5):360-368
OBJECTIVE To investigate the modulating effect of neotropics on form deprivation myopia(FDM)in guinea pigs.METHODS Tricolour guinea pigs were randomly divided into normal control group,FDM model group,FDM+saline group,FDM+atropine group,and FDM+neotropine group,with eight animals in each group.Except for the normal control group,the right eyes of the guinea pigs were covered for 14 d to establish a guinea pig FDM model.The drug administration groups were injected with 10 μL of saline,1%atropine,or 1%neotropine into the vitreous cavity once every other day.The changes in the refractive error and axial length of both eyes were recorded for 1 d before the intervention and for 14 d after the intervention.Then,the eyeballs of guinea pigs were taken from the right eyes.HE staining was used to evaluate the histopathological structure of the sclera while sirius red staining was used to detect the collagen protein content in the sclera.RT-qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expressions of transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1),matrix metalloproteinase(MMP-2)and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase(TIMP-2)in guinea pigs'sclera.The protein expression levels of collagen type Ⅰ(Col-Ⅰ)and TGF-β1 in guinea pig sclera were detected by Western blotting while those of MMP-2,TIMP-2 and Ki-67 were detected by immunohistochemical staining.RESULTS Compared with the nor-mal control group,eyes of guinea pig in the FDM model group showed a significantly lower refractive error(P<0.01),significant elongation of the ocular axis(P<0.01),scattered distribution of scleral fibre bundles,sparse collagen cells,reduced scleral thickness(P<0.01),and a significantly lower collagen protein content(P<0.01).The mRNA and protein expressions of TIMP-2 and TGF-β1 were lower(P<0.05,P<0.01),and MMP-2 was higher(P<0.01)in scleral tissue.The protein expression level of Col-Ⅰwas lower(P<0.05)while that of Ki-67 was elevated(P<0.01)in scleral tissue.Compared with the FDM model group,there were no significant changes in any of the indexes in the FDM+saline group.The refractive error of the right eyes of guinea pigs in the FDM+neotropium group and the FDM+atropium group were significantly higher(P<0.05),the length of the ocular axis was significantly shorter(P<0.05),the collagen fibres were arranged more tightly,the fibre bundles were distributed more orderly,the distribution of the collagen cells was more uniform,and the thickness of the sclera was significantly increased(P<0.01).Collagen protein contents were significantly higher(P<0.05,P<0.01),the mRNA and protein expressions of TIMP-2 and TGF-β1 were significantly higher(P<0.01),MMP-2 mRNA and protein expressions were significantly lower(P<0.05,P<0.01).The protein expression level of Col-Ⅰwas higher(P<0.05,P<0.01),and that of Ki-67 was lower(P<0.05,P<0.01)in scleral tissue.CONCLU-SION The muscarinic antagonist neotropine inhibits the development of myopia in guinea pigs in the FDM model by reversing both the down-regulation of TGF-β1 and the up-regulation of MMP-2 in scleral tissues and inhibiting the remodeling of the scleral extracellular matrix.
10.Study on the promotion effect mechanism of ethanol extract from Atractylodes macrocephala on microglia phagocytosis and degradation of Aβ based on regulating PPAR-γ signaling pathway
Shuang CHU ; Yanrao WU ; Limin WU ; Zhenghao CUI ; Pan WANG ; Yiran SUN ; Zhishen XIE ; Zhenqiang ZHANG
China Pharmacy 2023;34(1):12-17
OBJECTIVE To explore the effect mechanism of ethanol extract from Atractylodes macrocephala (EEAM) on microglial phagocytosis and degradation of amyloid β (Aβ) based on peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR- γ) signaling pathway. METHODS Taking neuromicroglial cell BV2 as subjects, confocal microscopy was used to observe the effects of EEAM (0.3, 0.4, 0.5 mg/mL, similarly hereinafter) on phagocytosis and degradation of Aβ in microglia. Human embryonic kidney cell HEK293 was used to investigate the effects of EEAM on luciferase transcriptional activity of PPAR-γ. The effect of EEAM on nuclear translocation of PPAR-γ was investigated by immunofluorescence. Alzheimer’s disease BV2 cell model was induced by Aβ1-42, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to investigate the effects of EEAM on mRNA expressions of PPAR-γ downstream target genes (Lxra, Lxrb, Abca1, Abcg1, Cd36, Sra and Apoe). RESULTS The results of Aβ uptake experiment showed that after the intervention of medium and high doses of EEAM, fluorescence intensity of Aβ in BV2 cells increased significantly (P<0.05). The degradation experiment of Aβ showed that after the intervention of medium and high doses of EEAM, fluorescence intensity of Aβ in BV2 cells decreased significantly (P<0.05). After the intervention of different doses of EEAM, luciferase transcriptional activity of PPAR-γ in HEK293 cells increased significantly (P<0.05); fluorescence intensity of PPAR-γ in BV2 cells and nuclei (except for low-dose group) increased significantly (P<0.05). mRNA expressions of Lxra, Lxrb, Abca1, Abcg1, Cd36, Sra and Apoe in BV2 cells were increased significantly (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS EEAM can promote the uptake and degradation of Aβ in microglia by activating PPAR-γ signaling pathway, thus improving Alzheimer’s disease.


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