1.Structure and Function of GPR126/ADGRG6
Ting-Ting WU ; Si-Qi JIA ; Shu-Zhu CAO ; De-Xin ZHU ; Guo-Chao TANG ; Zhi-Hua SUN ; Xing-Mei DENG ; Hui ZHANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):299-309
GPR126, also known as ADGRG6, is one of the most deeply studied aGPCRs. Initially, GPR126 was thought to be a receptor associated with muscle development and was primarily expressed in the muscular and skeletal systems. With the deepening of research, it was found that GPR126 is expressed in multiple mammalian tissues and organs, and is involved in many biological processes such as embryonic development, nervous system development, and extracellular matrix interactions. Compared with other aGPCRs proteins, GPR126 has a longer N-terminal domain, which can bind to ligands one-to-one and one-to-many. Its N-terminus contains five domains, a CUB (complement C1r/C1s, Uegf, Bmp1) domain, a PTX (Pentraxin) domain, a SEA (Sperm protein, Enterokinase, and Agrin) domain, a hormone binding (HormR) domain, and a conserved GAIN domain. The GAIN domain has a self-shearing function, which is essential for the maturation, stability, transport and function of aGPCRs. Different SEA domains constitute different GPR126 isomers, which can regulate the activation and closure of downstream signaling pathways through conformational changes. GPR126 has a typical aGPCRs seven-transmembrane helical structure, which can be coupled to Gs and Gi, causing cAMP to up- or down-regulation, mediating transmembrane signaling and participating in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation and migration. GPR126 is activated in a tethered-stalk peptide agonism or orthosteric agonism, which is mainly manifested by self-proteolysis or conformational changes in the GAIN domain, which mediates the rapid activation or closure of downstream pathways by tethered agonists. In addition to the tethered short stem peptide activation mode, GPR126 also has another allosteric agonism or tunable agonism mode, which is specifically expressed as the GAIN domain does not have self-shearing function in the physiological state, NTF and CTF always maintain the binding state, and the NTF binds to the ligand to cause conformational changes of the receptor, which somehow transmits signals to the GAIN domain in a spatial structure. The GAIN domain can cause the 7TM domain to produce an activated or inhibited signal for signal transduction, For example, type IV collagen interacts with the CUB and PTX domains of GPR126 to activate GPR126 downstream signal transduction. GPR126 has homology of 51.6%-86.9% among different species, with 10 conserved regions between different species, which can be traced back to the oldest metazoans as well as unicellular animals.In terms of diseases, GPR126 dysfunction involves the pathological process of bone, myelin, embryo and other related diseases, and is also closely related to the occurrence and development of malignant tumors such as breast cancer and colon cancer. However, the biological function of GPR126 in various diseases and its potential as a therapeutic target still needs further research. This paper focuses on the structure, interspecies differences and conservatism, signal transduction and biological functions of GPR126, which provides ideas and references for future research on GPR126.
2.Development goals and strategies of ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica.
Chuan-Zhi KANG ; Si-Qi LIU ; Bang-Xing HAN ; Tao ZHOU ; Xiao WANG ; Da-Hui LIU ; Ye YANG ; Lan-Ping GUO
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(1):42-47
This paper aims to contribute to guaranteeing the stable development and enhancing the understanding of ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica so that the national strategy and industrial demand can be better served. It first introduces current traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)policy and industrial development status from five aspects, including policy guarantee, theoretical support, technological innovation, standardization system, and brand influence. Then, the paper analyzes the development dilemma of TCM agriculture in production and quality increase and ecological environment protection. It also proposes the development goals of ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica that meet the current industrial development demand, which are reducing chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and carbon emissions, improving quality, increasing efficiency, and protecting ecological environment. In addition, the new development goals are interpreted through case studies. Finally, this paper proposes four development strategies for ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica: conducting research on the pattern and spatial and temporal variations of nationwide TCM production areas; studying the internal and external ecological memories of medicinal plant growth from the perspectives of genetic variations and environmental adaptation variations and elucidating their contributions to the formation of quality; carrying out selection and breeding of stress-resistant varieties for ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica, the optimization of key technologies for soil improvement and restoration and green prevention and control against diseases and pests, and the improvement of quality; carrying out research on the quality assurance and value realization of ecological products made from TCM. This research can provide guidance for policy formulation, theoretical development of the discipline, and the enhancement of industrial technology for ecological agriculture of Chinese materia medica.
Agriculture/methods*
;
China
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal
;
Plants, Medicinal/chemistry*
;
Ecosystem
;
Materia Medica
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
3.Heart Yin deficiency and cardiac fibrosis: from pathological mechanisms to therapeutic strategies.
Jia-Hui CHEN ; Si-Jing LI ; Xiao-Jiao ZHANG ; Zi-Ru LI ; Xing-Ling HE ; Xing-Ling CHEN ; Tao-Chun YE ; Zhi-Ying LIU ; Hui-Li LIAO ; Lu LU ; Zhong-Qi YANG ; Shi-Hao NI
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(7):1987-1993
Cardiac fibrosis(CF) is a cardiac pathological process characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix(ECM). When the heart is damaged by adverse stimuli, cardiac fibroblasts are activated and secrete a large amount of ECM, leading to changes in cardiac fibrosis, myocardial stiffness, and cardiac function declines and accelerating the development of heart failure. There is a close relationship between heart yin deficiency and cardiac fibrosis, which have similar pathogenic mechanisms. Heart Yin deficiency, characterized by insufficient Yin fluids, causes the heart to lose its nourishing function, which acts as the initiating factor for myocardial dystrophy. The deficiency of body fluids leads to stagnation of blood flow, resulting in blood stasis and water retention. Blood stasis and water retention accumulate in the heart, which aligns with the pathological manifestation of excessive deposition of ECM, as a tangible pathogenic factor. This is an inevitable stage of the disease process. The lingering of blood stasis combined with water retention eventually leads to the generation of heat and toxins, triggering inflammatory responses similar to heat toxins, which continuously stimulate the heart and cause the ultimate outcome of CF. Considering the syndrome of heart Yin deficiency, traditional Chinese medicine capable of nourishing Yin, activating blood, and promoting urination can reduce myocardial cell apoptosis, inhibit fibroblast activation, and lower the inflammation level, showing significant advantages in combating CF.
Humans
;
Fibrosis/drug therapy*
;
Animals
;
Yin Deficiency/metabolism*
;
Myocardium/metabolism*
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
4.Network Meta-analysis of Chinese medicine injection for cerebral small vessel disease.
Qi-Lin DU ; Rui FANG ; Hui-Fang NIE ; Zhi-Gang MEI ; Jin-Wen GE
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(9):2563-2581
Network Meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of different traditional Chinese medicine injections combined with conventional western medicine in treatment of cerebral small vessel disease(CSVD). Computerized searches were conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, EMbase, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed for randomized controlled trial(RCT) published in Chinese or English using traditional Chinese medicine injections to treat CSVD. The search time is from the inception to July 15, 2024. Literature screening and statistical analysis were conducted with NoteExpress 3.0.3, RevMan 5.3.5, and Stata 15.1.6. A total of 45 articles were included, involving 3 717 patients, with 1 944 patients in the treatment group and 1 773 patients in the control group. A total of 15 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine injections were involved. Network Meta-analysis indicated that,(1) in terms of improving clinical total effective rate, the best intervention in SUCRA was Ciwujia Injection + conventional western medicine.(2) In terms of reducing NIHSS scores, the best intervention in SUCRA was Xueshuantong Injection + conventional western medicine.(3) In terms of improving ADL scores, the best intervention in SUCRA was Danshen Injection + conventional western medicine.(4) In terms of improving MMSE scores, the best intervention in SUCRA was Xueshauntong Injection + conventional western medicine.(5) In terms of improving MoCA scores, the best intervention in SUCRA was Salvianolate Injection + conventional western medicine.(6) In terms of reducing plasma viscosity(PV), the best intervention in SUCRA was Danhong Injection + conventional western medicine.(7) In terms of reducing the hematocrit, the best intervention in SUCRA was Xuesaitong Injection + conventional western medicine.(8) In terms of reducing fibrinogen, the best intervention in SUCRA was Xuesaitong Injection + conventional western medicine.(9) In terms of reducing erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR), the best intervention in SUCRA was Danshen Injection + conventional western medicine.(10) In terms of reducing total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG), and low-density lipoprotein(LDL), the best intervention in SUCRA was Danshen Injection + conventional western medicine. The radar chart results indicated that the advantage of Salvianolate Injection lies in improving cognitive function, while the advantage of Xueshuantong Injection lies in improving neurological function. The advantage of Xuesaitong Injection lies in improving hemodynamic parameters, and the advantage of Danshen Injection lies in improving behavioral ability, hemodynamics, and blood lipid levels. In terms of safety, there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the traditional Chinese medicine injection treatment group and the conventional western medicine group, and no serious adverse reactions occurred. The results showed that the combination of traditional Chinese medicine injections and conventional western medicine can effectively improve the clinical total effective rate, the neurological and cognitive functions, hemodynamic parameters, and blood lipid levels of patients suffering from CSVD. In addition, more double-blind, multi-center, large-sample RCT is needed to verify these findings and to provide more high-quality evidence on the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine injections for CSVD.
Humans
;
Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases/drug therapy*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
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Injections
;
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
5.Professor YANG Zhong-qi's prescription patterns for hypertension based on latent structure model and association rule analysis.
Hui-Lin LIU ; Shi-Hao NI ; Xiao-Jiao ZHANG ; Wen-Jie LONG ; Xiao-Ming DONG ; Zhi-Ying LIU ; Hui-Li LIAO ; Zhong-Qi YANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(10):2865-2874
Based on latent structure model and association rule analysis, this study investigates the prescription patterns used by professor YANG Zhong-qi in treating hypertension with traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and infers the associated TCM syndromes, providing a reference for clinical syndrome differentiation and treatment. The observation window spanned from January 8, 2013, to June 26, 2024, during which qualified herbal decoction prescriptions meeting efficacy criteria were extracted from the outpatient medical record system of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine and compiled into a standardized database. Statistical analysis of high-frequency herbs included frequency counts and herbal property-channel tropism analysis. Latent structure modeling and association rule analysis were performed using R 4.3.2 and Lantern 5.0 software to identify core herbal combinations and infer TCM syndrome patterns. A total of 2 436 TCM prescriptions were included in the study, involving 263 drugs with a cumulative frequency of 29 783. High-frequency herbs comprised Uncariae Ramulus cum Uncis, Poria, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Puerariae Lobatae Radix, and Alismatis Rhizoma, predominantly categorized as deficiency-tonifying, heat-clearing, and blood-activating and stasis-resolving herbs. Latent structure analysis identified 18 latent variables, 74 latent classes, 5 comprehensive clustering models, and 15 core herbal combinations, suggesting that the core syndrome clusters include liver Yang hyperactivity pattern, Yin deficiency with Yang hyperactivity pattern, phlegm-stasis intermingling pattern, and liver-kidney insufficiency pattern. Association rule analysis revealed 22 robust association rules. RESULTS:: indicate that hypertension manifests as a deficiency-rooted excess manifestation, significantly associated with functional dysregulation of the liver, lung, spleen-stomach, heart, and kidney. Key pathogenic mechanisms involve liver Yang hyperactivity, phlegm-stasis interaction, and liver-kidney insufficiency. Therapeutic strategies should prioritize liver-calming, spleen-fortifying, and deficiency-tonifying principles, supplemented by dynamic regulation of Qi-blood and Yin-Yang balance according to syndrome evolution, alongside pathogen-eliminating methods such as phlegm-resolving and stasis-dispelling. Synergistic interventions like mind-tranquilizing therapies should be tailored to individual conditions.
Hypertension/drug therapy*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
;
Humans
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
;
Drug Prescriptions
;
Latent Class Analysis
6.Development of intelligent equipment for rapid microbial detection of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma decoction pieces based on measurement technology for traditional Chinese medicine manufacturing.
Yang LIU ; Wu-Zhen QI ; Yu-Tong WU ; Shan-Xi ZHU ; Xiao-Jun ZHAO ; Qia-Tong XIE ; Yu-Feng GUO ; Jing ZHAO ; Nan LI ; Shi-Jun WANG ; Qi-Hui SUN ; Zhi-Sheng WU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(16):4610-4618
Microbial detection and control of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) decoction pieces are crucial for the quality control of TCM preparations. It is also a key area of research in the measurement technology and equipment development for TCM manufacturing. Guided by TCM manufacturing measurement methodologies, this study presented a design of a novel portable microbial detection device, using Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma decoction pieces as a demonstration. Immunomagnetic separation technology was employed for specific isolation and labeling of target microorganisms. Enzymatic signal amplification was utilized to convert weak biological signals into colorimetric signals, constructing an optical biosensor. A self-developed smartphone APP was further applied to analyze the colorimetric signals and quantify target concentrations. A portable and automated detection system based on Arduino microcontroller was developed to automatically perform target microbial separation/extraction, as well as mimetic enzyme labeling and catalytic reactions. The developed equipment specifically focuses on the rapid and quantitative microbial analysis of TCM active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates in TCM manufacturing, and final TCM products. Experimental results demonstrate that the equipment could detect Salmonella in samples within 2 h, with a detection limit as low as 5.1 × 10~3 CFU·mL~(-1). The equipment enables the rapid detection of microorganisms in TCM decoction pieces, providing a potential technical solution for on-site rapid screening of microbial contamination indicators in TCM. It has broad application prospects in measurement technology for TCM manufacturing and offers strong technical support for the modernization, industrialization, and intelligent development of TCM.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis*
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Atractylodes/microbiology*
;
Rhizome/microbiology*
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Biosensing Techniques/methods*
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
;
Colorimetry/instrumentation*
;
Quality Control
7.A finite element method biomechanical study of a new type of composite anterior cervical internal fixation methods.
Zhi-Peng HOU ; Sen-Qi YE ; Ji-Hui ZHANG ; Liu-Jun ZHAO ; Yong-Jie GU ; Liang YU
China Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology 2025;38(11):1156-1163
OBJECTIVE:
To compare the biomechanical properties of four internal fixation methods in a lower cervical spine injury model using the finite element method.
METHODS:
Cervical CT data of a 28-year-old healthy adult male were utilized to establish a finite element model of the normal cervical spine and a lower cervical spine three-column injury model. Four internal fixation methods were then applied to the three-column injury model, resulting in four groups:Group A, anterior cervical locked-plate(ACLP) fixation system model(anterior approach);Group B, posterior cervical pedicle screw fixation model (posterior approach);Group C, combined anterior and posterior cervical pedicle screw fixation model; Group D, Novel composite anterior cervical internal fixation model. A 75 N axial compressive load and a 1.0 N·m pure moment were applied to the upper surface of the cervical spine model to simulate flexion, extension, rotation, and lateral bending movements. The intervertebral range of motion(ROM) and stress distribution of the internal fixators under different motion conditions were compared across all models.
RESULTS:
Compared with the normal model, the reductions in overall intervertebral ROM for each group under flexion, extension, rotation, and lateral bending were as follows:Group A, 24.04°, 23.12°, 6.24°, and 9.06°;Group B, 24.42°, 24.34°, 6.48°, and 9.20°;Group C, 25.43°, 25.29°, 7.17°, and 9.57°;Group D, 24.75°, 25.5°, 6.71°, and 9.12°. The peak stress values of the internal fixators in each group were:Group A, 53.9 MPa, 79.9 MPa, 61.4 MPa, and 80.3 MPa;Group B, 218.3 MPa, 105.4 MPa, 206.6 MPa, and 186.8 MPa;Group C, 40.8 MPa, 97.2 MPa, 47.1 MPa, and 39.4 MPa;Group D, 93.0 MPa, 144.0 MPa, 64.8 MPa, and 106.3 MPa.
CONCLUSION
The biomechanical properties of the novel composite anterior cervical internal fixation method are similar to those of the combined anterior-posterior fixation method, and superior to both the anterior cervical ACLP plate-screw fixation and posterior cervical pedicle screw fixation methods.
Humans
;
Finite Element Analysis
;
Cervical Vertebrae/physiopathology*
;
Male
;
Biomechanical Phenomena
;
Adult
;
Fracture Fixation, Internal/methods*
;
Range of Motion, Articular
8.Analysis of Hormone Levels in Patients with Hematological Diseases Before and After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Tansplantation.
Fen LI ; Yu-Jin LI ; Jie ZHAO ; Zhi-Xiang LU ; Xiao-Li GAO ; Hai-Tao HE ; Xue-Zhong GU ; Feng-Yu CHEN ; Hui-Yuan LI ; Qi SA ; Lin ZHANG ; Peng HU
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(5):1443-1452
OBJECTIVE:
By analyzing the hormone secretion of the adenohypophysis, thyroid glands, gonads, and adrenal cortex in patients with hematological diseases before and after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), this study aims to preliminarily explore the effect of HSCT on patients' hormone secretion and glandular damage.
METHODS:
The baseline data of 209 hematological disease patients who underwent HSCT in our hospital from January 2019 to December 2023, as well as the data on the levels of hormones secreted by the adenohypophysis, thyroid glands, gonads and adrenal cortex before and after HSCT were collected, and the changes in hormone levels before and after transplantation were analyzed.
RESULTS:
After allogeneic HSCT, the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), triiodothyronine (T3), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and estradiol (E2) decreased, while the levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle- stimulating hormone (FSH) increased. The T3 level of patients with decreased TSH after transplantation was lower than that of those with increased TSH after transplantation. In female patients, the levels of prolactin (PRL), progesterone (Prog), and testosterone (Testo) decreased after HSCT. Testo and PRL decreased when there was a donor-recipient sex mismatch, and the levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol (COR) decreased when the HLA matching was haploidentical. The levels of T3, FT3, and PRL decreased after autologous HSCT. In allogeneic HSCT patients, the levels of TSH, T4, T3, FT3, and ACTH in the group with graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were significantly lower than those in the group without GVHD. Logistic regression analysis showed the changes in hormone levels after transplantation were not correlated with factors such as the patient's sex, age, or whether the blood types of the donor and the recipient are the same.
CONCLUSION
HSCT can affect the endocrine function of patients with hematological diseases, mainly affecting target glandular organs such as the thyroid, gonads, and adrenal glands, while the secretory function of the adenohypophysis is less affected.
Humans
;
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
;
Female
;
Male
;
Hematologic Diseases/blood*
;
Follicle Stimulating Hormone/blood*
;
Triiodothyronine/blood*
;
Luteinizing Hormone/blood*
;
Thyroid Gland/metabolism*
;
Estradiol/blood*
;
Thyrotropin/blood*
;
Gonads/metabolism*
;
Adult
;
Middle Aged
;
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone/blood*
;
Hormones/metabolism*
;
Adrenal Cortex/metabolism*
;
Prolactin
9.A Novel Mouse Model Unveils Protein Deficiency in Truncated CDKL5 Mutations.
Xue FENG ; Zi-Ai ZHU ; Hong-Tao WANG ; Hui-Wen ZHOU ; Ji-Wei LIU ; Ya SHEN ; Yu-Xian ZHANG ; Zhi-Qi XIONG
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(5):805-820
Mutations in the cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 gene (CDKL5) cause a severe neurodevelopmental disorder, yet the impact of truncating mutations remains unclear. Here, we introduce the Cdkl5492stop mouse model, mimicking C-terminal truncating mutations in patients. 492stop/Y mice exhibit altered dendritic spine morphology and spontaneous seizure-like behaviors, alongside other behavioral deficits. After creating cell lines with various Cdkl5 truncating mutations, we found that these mutations are regulated by the nonsense-mediated RNA decay pathway. Most truncating mutations result in CDKL5 protein loss, leading to multiple disease phenotypes, and offering new insights into the pathogenesis of CDKL5 disorder.
Animals
;
Disease Models, Animal
;
Mice
;
Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/deficiency*
;
Mutation/genetics*
;
Epileptic Syndromes/genetics*
;
Humans
;
Dendritic Spines/pathology*
;
Spasms, Infantile/genetics*
;
Male
;
Seizures/genetics*
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
10.A Novel Model of Traumatic Optic Neuropathy Under Direct Vision Through the Anterior Orbital Approach in Non-human Primates.
Zhi-Qiang XIAO ; Xiu HAN ; Xin REN ; Zeng-Qiang WANG ; Si-Qi CHEN ; Qiao-Feng ZHU ; Hai-Yang CHENG ; Yin-Tian LI ; Dan LIANG ; Xuan-Wei LIANG ; Ying XU ; Hui YANG
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(5):911-916

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