1.Mechanism of Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula in regulating synaptic damage in nucleus accumbens neurons of rats with insomnia complicated with depression through TREM2/C1q axis.
Ying-Juan TANG ; Jia-Cheng DAI ; Song YANG ; Xiao-Shi YU ; Yao ZHANG ; Hai-Long SU ; Zhi-Yuan LIU ; Zi-Xuan XIANG ; Jun-Cheng LIU ; Hai-Xia HE ; Jian LIU ; Yuan-Shan HAN ; Yu-Hong WANG ; Man-Shu ZOU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(16):4538-4545
This study aims to investigate the effect of Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula on the neuroinflammation of rats with insomnia complicated with depression through the regulation of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2(TREM2)/complement protein C1q signaling pathway. Rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a positive drug group, as well as a high, medium, and low-dose groups of Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula, with 10 rats in each group. Except for the normal group, the other groups were injected with p-chlorophenylalanine and exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress to establish the rat model of insomnia complicated with depression. The sucrose preference experiment, open field experiment, and water maze test were performed to evaluate the depression in rats. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to detect serum 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT), dopamine(DA), and norepinephrine(NE) levels. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and Nissl staining were used to observe the damage in nucleus accumbens neurons. Western blot and immunofluorescence were performed to detect TREM2, C1q, postsynaptic density 95(PSD-95), and synaptophysin 1(SYN1) expressions in rat nucleus accumbens, respectively. Golgi-Cox staining was utilized to observe the synaptic spine density of nucleus accumbens neurons. The results show that, compared with the model group, Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula can significantly increase the sucrose preference as well as the distance and number of voluntary activities, shorten the immobility time in forced swimming test and the successful incubation period of positioning navigation, and prolong the stay time of space exploration in the target quadrant test. The serum 5-HT, DA, and NE contents in the model group are significantly lower than those in the normal group, with the above contents significantly increased after the intervention of Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula. In addition, Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula can alleviate pathological damages such as swelling and loose arrangement of tissue cells in the nucleus accumbens, while increasing the Nissl body numbers. Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula can improve synaptic damage in the nucleus accumbens and increase the synaptic spine density. Compared to the normal group, the expression of C1q protein was significantly higher in the model group, while the expression of TREM2 protein was significantly lower. Compared to the model group, the intervention with Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula significantly downregulated the expression of C1q protein and significantly upregulated the expression of TREM2. Compared with the model group, the PSD-95 and SYN1 fluorescence intensity is significantly increased in the groups receiving different doses of Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula. In summary, Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula can reduce the C1q protein expression, relieve the TREM2 inhibition, and promote the synapse-related proteins PSD-95 and SNY1 expression. Chaijin Jieyu Anshen Formula improves synaptic injury of the nucleus accumbens neurons, thereby treating insomnia complicated with depression.
Animals
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Male
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Rats
;
Nucleus Accumbens/metabolism*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
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Depression/complications*
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Membrane Glycoproteins/genetics*
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/complications*
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Neurons/metabolism*
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Receptors, Immunologic/genetics*
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Signal Transduction/drug effects*
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Synapses/metabolism*
2.Quality evaluation of Xinjiang Rehmannia glutinosa and Rehmannia glutinosa based on fingerprint and multi-component quantification combined with chemical pattern recognition.
Pan-Ying REN ; Wei ZHANG ; Xue LIU ; Juan ZHANG ; Cheng-Fu SU ; Hai-Yan GONG ; Chun-Jing YANG ; Jing-Wei LEI ; Su-Qing ZHI ; Cai-Xia XIE
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(16):4630-4640
The differences in chemical quality characteristics between Xinjiang Rehmannia glutinosa and R. glutinosa were analyzed to provide a theoretical basis for the introduction and quality control of R. glutinosa. In this study, the high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) fingerprints of 6 batches of Xinjiang R. glutinosa and 10 batches of R. glutinosa samples were established. The content of iridoid glycosides, phenylethanoid glycosides, monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides in Xinjiang R. glutinosa and R. glutinosa was determined by high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection(HPLC-DAD), high performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light scattering detection(HPLC-ELSD), and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy(UV-Vis). The determination results were analyzed with by chemical pattern recognition and entropy weight TOPSIS method. The results showed that there were 19 common peaks in the HPLC fingerprints of the 16 batches of R. glutinosa, and catalpol, aucubin, rehmannioside D, rehmannioside A, hydroxytyrosol, leonuride, salidroside, cistanoside A, and verbascoside were identified. Hierarchical cluster analysis(HCA) and principal component analysis(PCA) showed that Qinyang R. glutinosa, Mengzhou R. glutinosa, and Xinjiang R. glutinosa were grouped into three different categories, and eight common components causing the chemical quality difference between Xinjiang R. glutinosa and R. glutinosa in Mengzhou and Qinyang of Henan province were screened out by orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA). The results of content determination showed that there were glucose, sucrose, raffinose, stachyose, polysaccharides, and nine glycosides in Xinjiang R. glutinosa and R. glutinosa samples, and the content of catalpol, rehmannioside A, leonuride, cistanoside A, verbascoside, sucrose, and glucose was significantly different between Xinjiang R. glutinosa and R. glutinosa. The analysis with entropy weight TOPSIS method showed that the comprehensive quality of R. glutinosa in Mengzhou and Qinyang of Henan province was better than that of Xinjiang R. glutinosa. In conclusion, the types of main chemical components of R. glutinosa and Xinjiang R. glutinosa were the same, but their content was different. The chemical quality of R. glutinosa was better than Xinjiang R. glutinosa, and other components in R. glutinosa from two producing areas and their effects need further study.
Rehmannia/classification*
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
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Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods*
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Quality Control
3.A novel homozygous mutation of CFAP300 identified in a Chinese patient with primary ciliary dyskinesia and infertility.
Zheng ZHOU ; Qi QI ; Wen-Hua WANG ; Jie DONG ; Juan-Juan XU ; Yu-Ming FENG ; Zhi-Chuan ZOU ; Li CHEN ; Jin-Zhao MA ; Bing YAO
Asian Journal of Andrology 2025;27(1):113-119
Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a clinically rare, genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous condition characterized by chronic respiratory tract infections, male infertility, tympanitis, and laterality abnormalities. PCD is typically resulted from variants in genes encoding assembly or structural proteins that are indispensable for the movement of motile cilia. Here, we identified a novel nonsense mutation, c.466G>T, in cilia- and flagella-associated protein 300 ( CFAP300 ) resulting in a stop codon (p.Glu156*) through whole-exome sequencing (WES). The proband had a PCD phenotype with laterality defects and immotile sperm flagella displaying a combined loss of the inner dynein arm (IDA) and outer dynein arm (ODA). Bioinformatic programs predicted that the mutation is deleterious. Successful pregnancy was achieved through intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Our results expand the spectrum of CFAP300 variants in PCD and provide reproductive guidance for infertile couples suffering from PCD caused by them.
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Pregnancy
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China
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Ciliary Motility Disorders/genetics*
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Codon, Nonsense
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East Asian People/genetics*
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Exome Sequencing
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Homozygote
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Infertility, Male/genetics*
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Kartagener Syndrome/genetics*
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Pedigree
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Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic
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Cytoskeletal Proteins/genetics*
4.A Prognostic Model Based on Colony Stimulating Factors-related Genes in Triple-negative Breast Cancer
Yu-Xuan GUO ; Zhi-Yu WANG ; Pei-Yao XIAO ; Chan-Juan ZHENG ; Shu-Jun FU ; Guang-Chun HE ; Jun LONG ; Jie WANG ; Xi-Yun DENG ; Yi-An WANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2024;51(10):2741-2756
ObjectiveTriple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the breast cancer subtype with the worst prognosis, and lacks effective therapeutic targets. Colony stimulating factors (CSFs) are cytokines that can regulate the production of blood cells and stimulate the growth and development of immune cells, playing an important role in the malignant progression of TNBC. This article aims to construct a novel prognostic model based on the expression of colony stimulating factors-related genes (CRGs), and analyze the sensitivity of TNBC patients to immunotherapy and drug therapy. MethodsWe downloaded CRGs from public databases and screened for differentially expressed CRGs between normal and TNBC tissues in the TCGA-BRCA database. Through LASSO Cox regression analysis, we constructed a prognostic model and stratified TNBC patients into high-risk and low-risk groups based on the colony stimulating factors-related genes risk score (CRRS). We further analyzed the correlation between CRRS and patient prognosis, clinical features, tumor microenvironment (TME) in both high-risk and low-risk groups, and evaluated the relationship between CRRS and sensitivity to immunotherapy and drug therapy. ResultsWe identified 842 differentially expressed CRGs in breast cancer tissues of TNBC patients and selected 13 CRGs for constructing the prognostic model. Kaplan-Meier survival curves, time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves, and other analyses confirmed that TNBC patients with high CRRS had shorter overall survival, and the predictive ability of CRRS prognostic model was further validated using the GEO dataset. Nomogram combining clinical features confirmed that CRRS was an independent factor for the prognosis of TNBC patients. Moreover, patients in the high-risk group had lower levels of immune infiltration in the TME and were sensitive to chemotherapeutic drugs such as 5-fluorouracil, ipatasertib, and paclitaxel. ConclusionWe have developed a CRRS-based prognostic model composed of 13 differentially expressed CRGs, which may serve as a useful tool for predicting the prognosis of TNBC patients and guiding clinical treatment. Moreover, the key genes within this model may represent potential molecular targets for future therapies of TNBC.
5.Effects of hydroxysafflor yellow A on autophagy in bEnd.3 cells after oxygen-glucose deprivation
Yao-Yao DAI ; Meng-Qi SHU ; Ru-Heng WEI ; Zhu-Yue MIAO ; Zhi-Bin DING ; Dong MA ; Jian-Jun HUANG ; Li-Juan SONG ; Cun-Gen MA
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(12):1734-1738
Objective To explore the effect and mechanism of hydroxysafflor yellow A(HSYA)on autophagy in bEnd.3 cells after oxygen-glucose deprivation(OGD).Methods The bEnd.3 cells were divided into normal group(conventional culture),model group(OGD model),HSYA group(OGD model+75 μmol·L-1 HSYA),3-methyladenine(3MA)group(5 mmol·L-1 3MA+OGD model)and 3 MA+HSYA group(5 mmol·L-1 3 MA+OGD model+75 μmol·L-1 HSYA).The level of apoptosis was determined by TUNEL fluorescence staining;Western blot was used to detect the expression of autophagy,blood brain barrier(BBB)related proteins;real time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction method for determining the expression of sirtuin-1(SIRT1)and forkhead box protein O3a(FOXO3A)mRNA.Results In the normal group,model group,HSYA group,3MA group and 3MA+HSYA group,the positive cells selected for TUNEL staining were 5.00±1.00,28.00±2.00,21.00±3.00,35.33±2.51 and 29.67±2.52;the expression levels of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-Ⅱ/-Ⅰ(LC3-Ⅱ/-Ⅰ)were 0.90±0.20,1.34±0.10,1.95±0.14,0.76±0.15 and 1.14±0.09;sequestosome 1(P62)were 0.99±0.02,0.60±0.02,0.38±0.01,0.67±0.04 and 0.54±0.01;occludin were 1.39±0.17,0.62±0.15,1.00±0.09,0.40±0.13 and 0.80±0.15;zonula occludens-1(ZO-1)were 1.63±0.20,0.64±0.06,0.98±0.14,0.37±0.14 and 0.87±0.04;SIRT1 mRNA were 1.00±0.00,0.75±0.07,1.69±0.09,0.31±0.02 and 0.56±0.01;FOXO3A mRNA were 1.00±0.00,0.80±0.05,1.47±0.09,0.40±0.01 and 0.62±0.09,respectively.Significant differences were found between model group and normal group,HSYA group and model group,3MA+HSYA group and 3MA group(P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.001).Conclusion HSYA may enhance autophagy levels in bEnd.3 cells after OGD through the SIRT1/FOXO3A pathway,inhibit cell apoptosis and alleviate BBB damage.
6.A phase I dose-finding trial of hyperthermic intraperitoneal docetaxel combined with cisplatin in patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer
Zhi-yao YOU ; Miao-fang WU ; Hui LI ; Yan-fang YE ; Li-juan WANG ; Zhong-qiu LIN ; Jing LI
Journal of Gynecologic Oncology 2024;35(1):e1-
Objective:
To identify the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of docetaxel combined with a fixed dose of cisplatin (75 mg/m 2 ) delivered as hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in patients with ovarian cancer.
Methods:
In this phase I trial, a time-to-event Bayesian optimal interval design was used.Docetaxel was given at a starting dose of 60 mg/m2 and was increased in 5 mg/m2 increments until the MTD was determined or the maximum dose level of 75 mg/m2 was reached. The doselimiting toxicity (DLT) rate was set at 25%, with a total sample size of 30 patients. HIPEC was delivered immediately following debulking surgery at a target temperature of 43°C for 90 minutes.
Results:
From August 2022 to November 2022, 30 patients were enrolled. Among the patients who received a dose of docetaxel ≤65 mg/m2 , no DLT was reported. DLTs were observed in one patient who received 70 mg/m2 docetaxel (grade 3 anaemia) and in three patients who received 75 mg/m2 docetaxel (one case of grade 3 anaemia, one case of grade 3 hepatic impairment and one case of grade 4 thrombocytopenia). Patients treated with docetaxel 75 mg/m2 in combination with cisplatin 75 mg/m2 had an estimated DLT rate of 25%, which was the closest to the target DLT rate and was therefore chosen as the MTD.
Conclusion
Docetaxel, in combination with a fixed dose of cisplatin (75 mg/m2), can be used safely at intraperitoneal doses of 75 mg/m2 in ovarian cancer patients who received HIPEC (43°C, 90 minutes) following debulking surgery.
7.A phase I dose-finding trial of hyperthermic intraperitoneal docetaxel combined with cisplatin in patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer
Zhi-yao YOU ; Miao-fang WU ; Hui LI ; Yan-fang YE ; Li-juan WANG ; Zhong-qiu LIN ; Jing LI
Journal of Gynecologic Oncology 2024;35(1):e1-
Objective:
To identify the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of docetaxel combined with a fixed dose of cisplatin (75 mg/m 2 ) delivered as hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in patients with ovarian cancer.
Methods:
In this phase I trial, a time-to-event Bayesian optimal interval design was used.Docetaxel was given at a starting dose of 60 mg/m2 and was increased in 5 mg/m2 increments until the MTD was determined or the maximum dose level of 75 mg/m2 was reached. The doselimiting toxicity (DLT) rate was set at 25%, with a total sample size of 30 patients. HIPEC was delivered immediately following debulking surgery at a target temperature of 43°C for 90 minutes.
Results:
From August 2022 to November 2022, 30 patients were enrolled. Among the patients who received a dose of docetaxel ≤65 mg/m2 , no DLT was reported. DLTs were observed in one patient who received 70 mg/m2 docetaxel (grade 3 anaemia) and in three patients who received 75 mg/m2 docetaxel (one case of grade 3 anaemia, one case of grade 3 hepatic impairment and one case of grade 4 thrombocytopenia). Patients treated with docetaxel 75 mg/m2 in combination with cisplatin 75 mg/m2 had an estimated DLT rate of 25%, which was the closest to the target DLT rate and was therefore chosen as the MTD.
Conclusion
Docetaxel, in combination with a fixed dose of cisplatin (75 mg/m2), can be used safely at intraperitoneal doses of 75 mg/m2 in ovarian cancer patients who received HIPEC (43°C, 90 minutes) following debulking surgery.
8.A phase I dose-finding trial of hyperthermic intraperitoneal docetaxel combined with cisplatin in patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer
Zhi-yao YOU ; Miao-fang WU ; Hui LI ; Yan-fang YE ; Li-juan WANG ; Zhong-qiu LIN ; Jing LI
Journal of Gynecologic Oncology 2024;35(1):e1-
Objective:
To identify the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of docetaxel combined with a fixed dose of cisplatin (75 mg/m 2 ) delivered as hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in patients with ovarian cancer.
Methods:
In this phase I trial, a time-to-event Bayesian optimal interval design was used.Docetaxel was given at a starting dose of 60 mg/m2 and was increased in 5 mg/m2 increments until the MTD was determined or the maximum dose level of 75 mg/m2 was reached. The doselimiting toxicity (DLT) rate was set at 25%, with a total sample size of 30 patients. HIPEC was delivered immediately following debulking surgery at a target temperature of 43°C for 90 minutes.
Results:
From August 2022 to November 2022, 30 patients were enrolled. Among the patients who received a dose of docetaxel ≤65 mg/m2 , no DLT was reported. DLTs were observed in one patient who received 70 mg/m2 docetaxel (grade 3 anaemia) and in three patients who received 75 mg/m2 docetaxel (one case of grade 3 anaemia, one case of grade 3 hepatic impairment and one case of grade 4 thrombocytopenia). Patients treated with docetaxel 75 mg/m2 in combination with cisplatin 75 mg/m2 had an estimated DLT rate of 25%, which was the closest to the target DLT rate and was therefore chosen as the MTD.
Conclusion
Docetaxel, in combination with a fixed dose of cisplatin (75 mg/m2), can be used safely at intraperitoneal doses of 75 mg/m2 in ovarian cancer patients who received HIPEC (43°C, 90 minutes) following debulking surgery.
9.Efficacy and safety of acupuncture for polycystic ovary syndrome: An overview of systematic reviews.
Han YANG ; Zhi-Yong XIAO ; Zi-Han YIN ; Zheng YU ; Jia-Jia LIU ; Yan-Qun XIAO ; Yao ZHOU ; Juan LI ; Jie YANG ; Fan-Rong LIANG
Journal of Integrative Medicine 2023;21(2):136-148
BACKGROUND:
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the primary cause of anovulatory infertility, bringing serious harm to women's physical and mental health. Acupuncture may be an effective treatment for PCOS. However, systematic reviews (SRs) on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for PCOS have reported inconsistent results, and the quality of these studies has not been adequately assessed.
OBJECTIVE:
To summarize and evaluate the current evidence on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for PCOS, as well as to assess the quality and risks of bias of the available SRs.
SEARCH STRATEGY:
Nine electronic databases (Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, and China Biology Medicine disc) were searched from their establishment to July 27, 2022. Based on the principle of combining subject words with text words, the search strategy was constructed around search terms for "acupuncture," "polycystic ovary syndrome," and "systematic review."
INCLUSION CRITERIA:
SRs of randomized controlled trials that explored the efficacy and (or) safety of acupuncture for treating patients with PCOS were included.
DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS:
Two authors independently extracted study data according to a predesigned form. Tools for evaluating the methodological quality, risk of bias, reporting quality, and confidence in study outcomes, including A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2), Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews (ROBIS), Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses for Acupuncture (PRISMA-A), and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE), were used to score the included SRs.
RESULTS:
A total of 885 studies were retrieved, and 11 eligible SRs were finally included in this review. The methodological quality of 2 SRs (18.18%) was low, while the other 9 SRs (81.82%) were scored as extremely low. Four SRs (36.36%) were considered to be of low risk of bias. As for reporting quality, the reporting completeness of 9 SRs (81.82%) was more than 70%. Concerning the confidence in study results, 2 study results were considered to have a high quality of evidence (3.13%), 14 (21.88%) a "moderate" quality, 28 (43.75%) a "low" quality, and 20 (31.24%) considered a "very low" quality. Descriptive analyses suggested that combining acupuncture with other medicines can effectively improve the clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and ovulation rate, and reduce luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and body mass index (BMI). When compared with medicine alone, acupuncture alone also can improve CPR. Further, when compared with no intervention, acupuncture had a better effect in promoting the recovery of menstrual cycle and reducing BMI. Acupuncture was reported to cause no adverse events or some adverse events without serious harm.
CONCLUSION
The efficacy and safety of acupuncture for PCOS remains uncertain due to the limitations and inconsistencies of current evidence. More high-quality studies are needed to support the use of acupuncture in PCOS.
Pregnancy
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Humans
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Female
;
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome/etiology*
;
Acupuncture Therapy/adverse effects*
;
Infertility, Female/etiology*
;
China
10.Identification of taste critical quality attribute and formulation optimization of Xiaoer Qingrening Granules based on electronic tongue and human senses
Xiao-yan HU ; Ying LU ; Xiao-meng WANG ; Li-juan MA ; Yu-nan WEI ; Ping DAI ; Chao-fu MA ; Han ZHANG ; Jing WANG ; Nan LI ; Xing-xing DAI ; Lu YAO ; Bei-lei XU ; Wei XU ; Zhi-sheng WU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2023;58(10):2875-2881
This study primarily concentrated on scientific problems of poor taste caused by unclear critical quality attributes of oral preparations manufactured by Chinese materia medica, successfully established an identification method for taste critical quality attribute and a taste improvement method combining electronic tongue with human senses, and determined the optimal taste formula, to improve patients' oral medication compliance. The study received ethical approval from the Review Committee of the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. The results showed that the proportion of bitterness of Xiaoer Qingrening Granule was 61.8%, and its bitterness grade was 3.70, it was determined that bitterness is the critical quality attribute that caused the poor taste of Xiaoer Qingrening Granule. Additionally, the optimal taste formula per milliliter of Xiaoer Qingrening sugar-free intermediate was determined with allowable daily intake, solubility, and sweetness as the limiting conditions, which was 40 mg hydroxypropyl

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