1.Arginine Metabolic Disorder in Heart Failure Rats: Analysis Based on Targeted Metabolomics and Bioinformatics
Zeyu LI ; Xiaoqing WANG ; Zhengyu FANG ; Yurou ZHAO ; He XIAO ; Penghaobang LIU ; Haiming ZHANG ; Chunyan LIU ; Yanhong HU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(10):229-237
ObjectiveThis study systematically analyzed the arginine metabolic dysregulation in the rat model of heart failure (HF), providing a modern scientific basis for elucidating the pathogenesis of HF and offering new insights for the prevention and treatment of HF with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). MethodsA thoracotomy was performed to ligate the left anterior descending coronary artery of rats, which induced acute myocardial ischemia and thus led to the development of post-myocardial infarction heart failure. The rats were divided into a sham surgery group and a model group, with eight rats in each group. Serum targeted metabolomics analysis was performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-TQ-S), and the spatial distribution of metabolites in cardiac tissue was observed using airflow-assisted desorption electrospray ionizationmass spectrometry imaging (AFADESI-MSI). Targets associated with HF and arginine metabolism were screened from databases including GeneCards and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, and enrichment analysis of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and Gene Ontology (GO) was performed. Finally, molecular docking was conducted to verify the binding between core metabolic components and key targets, and potential TCMs were predicted based on the core pathways and targets. ResultsCompared with the sham surgery group, the levels of arginine and citrulline in the serum of model rats were significantly decreased (P<0.01), while those of proline, ornithine, creatine, creatinine and glutamate were significantly increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). Cardiac mass spectrometry imaging showed a decreased abundance of arginine in the local myocardial tissue. Bioinformatics analysis identified 24 core functional targets, such as the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS1), 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A (HTR2A), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and enrichment analysis indicated that these targets were significantly involved in the calcium signaling pathway, neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions, and phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway. Molecular docking confirmed strong binding activities between arginine, citrulline and HTR2A, as well as between creatine, creatinine and EGFR. Based on pathway-target prediction, potential TCM interventions, such as ginseng and magnolia, were identified. ConclusionThis study revealed characteristic arginine metabolic disorder in HF, and the core targets of HF were closely associated with the phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway. It provides a modern biological interpretation of the pathogenesis of HF in TCM from the perspectives of metabolites and signaling pathways, and offers valuable insights for targeted therapy of HF and the development of TCM.
2.Arginine Metabolic Disorder in Heart Failure Rats: Analysis Based on Targeted Metabolomics and Bioinformatics
Zeyu LI ; Xiaoqing WANG ; Zhengyu FANG ; Yurou ZHAO ; He XIAO ; Penghaobang LIU ; Haiming ZHANG ; Chunyan LIU ; Yanhong HU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(10):229-237
ObjectiveThis study systematically analyzed the arginine metabolic dysregulation in the rat model of heart failure (HF), providing a modern scientific basis for elucidating the pathogenesis of HF and offering new insights for the prevention and treatment of HF with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). MethodsA thoracotomy was performed to ligate the left anterior descending coronary artery of rats, which induced acute myocardial ischemia and thus led to the development of post-myocardial infarction heart failure. The rats were divided into a sham surgery group and a model group, with eight rats in each group. Serum targeted metabolomics analysis was performed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-TQ-S), and the spatial distribution of metabolites in cardiac tissue was observed using airflow-assisted desorption electrospray ionizationmass spectrometry imaging (AFADESI-MSI). Targets associated with HF and arginine metabolism were screened from databases including GeneCards and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, and enrichment analysis of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and Gene Ontology (GO) was performed. Finally, molecular docking was conducted to verify the binding between core metabolic components and key targets, and potential TCMs were predicted based on the core pathways and targets. ResultsCompared with the sham surgery group, the levels of arginine and citrulline in the serum of model rats were significantly decreased (P<0.01), while those of proline, ornithine, creatine, creatinine and glutamate were significantly increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). Cardiac mass spectrometry imaging showed a decreased abundance of arginine in the local myocardial tissue. Bioinformatics analysis identified 24 core functional targets, such as the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS1), 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 2A (HTR2A), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and enrichment analysis indicated that these targets were significantly involved in the calcium signaling pathway, neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions, and phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway. Molecular docking confirmed strong binding activities between arginine, citrulline and HTR2A, as well as between creatine, creatinine and EGFR. Based on pathway-target prediction, potential TCM interventions, such as ginseng and magnolia, were identified. ConclusionThis study revealed characteristic arginine metabolic disorder in HF, and the core targets of HF were closely associated with the phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway. It provides a modern biological interpretation of the pathogenesis of HF in TCM from the perspectives of metabolites and signaling pathways, and offers valuable insights for targeted therapy of HF and the development of TCM.
3.Comparison of small-sample multi-class machine learning models for plasma concentration prediction of valproic acid
Xi CHEN ; Shen’ao YUAN ; Hailing YUAN ; Jie ZHAO ; Peng CHEN ; Chunyan TIAN ; Yi SU ; Yunsong ZHANG ; Yu ZHANG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(11):1399-1404
OBJECTIVE To construct three-class (insufficient, normal, excessive) and two-class (insufficient, normal) models for predicting plasma concentration of valproic acid (VPA), and compare the performance of these two models, with the aim of providing a reference for formulating clinical medication strategies. METHODS The clinical data of 480 patients who received VPA treatment and underwent blood concentration test at the Xi’an International Medical Center Hospital were collected from November 2022 to September 2024 (a total of 695 sets of data). In this study, predictive models were constructed for target variables of three-class and two-class models. Feature ranking and selection were carried out using XGBoost scores. Twelve different machine learning algorithms were used for training and validation, and the performance of the models was evaluated using three indexes: accuracy, F1 score, and the area under the working characteristic curve of the subject (AUC). RESULTS XGBoost feature importance scores revealed that in the three-class model, the importance ranking of kidney disease and electrolyte disorders was higher. However, in the two-class model, the importance ranking of these features significantly decreased, suggesting a close association with the excessive blood concentration of VPA. In the three-class model, Random Forest method performed best, with F1 score of 0.704 0 and AUC of 0.519 3 on the test set; while in the two-class model, CatBoost method performed optimally, with F1 score of 0.785 7 and AUC of 0.819 5 on the test set. CONCLUSIONS The constructed three-class model has the ability to predict excessive VPA blood concentration, but its prediction and model generalization abilities are poor; the constructed two-class model can only perform classification prediction for insufficient and normal blood concentration cases, but its model performance is stronger.
4.Synthesis and anti-inflammatory activity of three series of coumarin-based derivatives
Xiujuan ZHAO ; Hengli YANG ; Jinye WU ; Xiaoqi ZHENG ; Yaoping ZHANG ; Yuping LIN ; Chunyan HU
Journal of China Pharmaceutical University 2025;56(1):40-48
In this work, starting from 4-hydroxycoumarin, three series of 22 coumarin derivatives, among which 8 have not been reported in the literature, were synthesized and their in vitro anti-inflammatory activities and mechanisms of action were preliminarily investigated using mouse macrophage model. The results showed that most of the derivatives could significantly inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory factor NO, with compounds 2e, 2f, 2g, 2h, 2i, 2j, 4e, and 4f showing better anti-inflammatory activity than the positive control drug dexamethasone. Further experiments showed that compounds 2h and 4f significantly inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory factors IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β in RAW264.7 macrophages, and could, therefore, be used as lead compounds for further studies.
5.Immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of early-stage triple-negative breast cancer:a meta-analysis
Chunyan YANG ; Shaohua ZHANG ; Rongkang LI ; Lei PENG ; Li ZHAO ; Jun BIE
China Pharmacy 2025;36(18):2322-2327
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of early-stage triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). METHODS A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, and Wanfang Data to collect randomized controlled trials (RCT) on the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy (experimental group) versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy (control group) in the treatment of TNBC. After literature screening, data extraction and literature quality evaluation, meta-analysis was performed using Stata 17.0. RESULTS A total of 5 RCT involving 1 498 patients were included. The meta-analysis results showed that the pathological complete response rate (pCR) [RR=1.34, 95%CI (1.09, 1.63), P=0.03], pCR in patients with positive programmed death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) [RR=1.33, 95%CI (1.16, 1.51), P=0.01], pCR in patients with positive lymph nodes [RR= 1.56, 95%CI (1.27, 1.93), P=0.01], the incidence of grade 3-4 adverse events (AEs) [RR=1.07, 95%CI (1.01, 1.14), P= 0.04], the incidence of serious AEs [RR=1.57, 95%CI (1.31, 1.87), P=0.03], and the incidence of treatment discontinuation due to AEs [RR=1.45, 95%CI (1.19, 1.76), P=0.01] were significantly higher in the experimental group than control group. There were no statistically significant difference in pCR in patients with negative PD-1/PD-L1[RR= E-mail:biejun23@126.com 1.26, 95%CI (0.98, 1.62), P=0.08] and pCR in patients with negative lymph nodes [RR=1.14, 95%CI (0.97, 1.33), P=0.17] between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy demonstrates significant efficacy in early-stage TNBC patients, with more pronounced benefits observed in those who are PD-1/PD-L1 positive and lymph node- positive. However, the incidence of AEs is relatively high.
6.A Case of Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer with Rare BRAF p.L485_T488delinsF Mutation Treated with Dabrafenib and Trametinib.
Yunfei WANG ; Wen ZHAO ; Chuang YANG ; Rongyu ZHANG ; Chengjun WANG ; Chunyan HAN ; Jisheng LI
Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer 2025;28(8):638-643
The v-Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (BRAF) gene is one of the most critical proto-oncogenes and functions as a key regulator in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. The incidence of BRAF mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients ranges from 1.5% to 5.5%, with BRAF V600 mutations accounting for approximately 30%-50% of all BRAF mutations, among which BRAF V600E represents the most prevalent mutation type. Currently, the combination of Dabrafenib and Trametinib has been recommended as first-line therapy for BRAF V600-mutant NSCLC by multiple domestic and international guidelines including National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), and Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO). However, there are no clear targeted treatment recommendations for BRAF non-V600 mutations. Although case reports suggest that Dabrafenib combined with Trametinib may be effective for patients with BRAF non-V600 mutations, the efficacy and safety require further validation due to limited sample size and lack of large-scale clinical trial data. This article reports a case of NSCLC with a rare BRAF insertion and deletion mutation that responded well to the treatment of Dabrafenib in combination with Trametinib, aiming to enhance clinicians' understanding of such NSCLC cases with extremely rare mutation and provide a reference for future treatment strategies.
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Humans
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Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology*
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Imidazoles/administration & dosage*
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Lung Neoplasms/pathology*
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Mutation
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Neoplasm Metastasis
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Oximes/administration & dosage*
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Proto-Oncogene Mas
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf/genetics*
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Pyridones/administration & dosage*
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Pyrimidinones/administration & dosage*
7.GLP-1RAs attenuated obesity and reversed leptin resistance partly via activating the microbiome-derived inosine/A2A pathway.
Chunyan DONG ; Bailing ZHOU ; Binyan ZHAO ; Ke LIN ; Yaomei TIAN ; Rui ZHANG ; Daoyuan XIE ; Siwen WU ; Li YANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(2):1023-1038
Extensive evidence has demonstrated that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) can ameliorate obesity. Our previous studies revealed that (Ex-4)2-Fc, a long-acting GLP-1RA we developed, depends on the leptin pathway to treat obesity. However, the mechanisms linking (Ex-4)2-Fc and leptin resistance remain largely unclear. To address this question, we explored the mechanism of GLP-1RAs from the perspective of the gut microbiota, as increasing evidence indicates an important link between the gut microbiota and obesity. This study aimed to explore the potential role of the gut microbiota in the treatment of GLP-1RAs. We found that (Ex-4)2-Fc treatment reshaped obesity-induced gut microbiota disturbances and substantially increased the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila (Am). In addition, (Ex-4)2-Fc did not respond well in antibiotic-treated (ATB) Obese mice. Subsequent studies have shown that this defect can be overcome by gavage with Am. In addition, we found that Am enhanced (Ex-4)2-Fc therapy by producing the metabolite inosine. Inosine regulates the macrophage adenosine A2A receptor (A2A) pathway to indirectly reduce leptin levels in adipocytes Thus, elucidating the role of metabolites in regulating the leptin pathway will provide new insights into GLP-1RAs therapy and may lead to more effective strategies for guiding the clinical use of antidiabetic agents.
8.Characteristics and Associated Factors of Autoimmune Diseases-related Skin Ulcer: A Multi Center Study
Yafang ZHAO ; Chunyan ZHANG ; Shuang CUI
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2025;16(6):1474-1483
To explore the scoring level and related factors of autoimmune disease-related skin ulcers by collecting data from multiple centers, and to provide ideas and references for targeted intervention measures and management plans for clinical medical and nursing staff. From December 2022 to February 2024, data related to skin ulcers in patients with autoimmune diseases from 10 hospitals in different regions of China were collected. The data includes the patient's Fitzpatrick skin type, previous sunburn history, self-care ability, time of skin ulcer occurrence, location of skin ulcer occurrence, Bates Jensen wound score (BWAT) for skin ulcer, and VAS score for skin ulcer pain. The BWAT scores of skin ulcers in patients with different characteristics were analyzed using analysis of variance or Data from 304 patients were collected, with an average BWAT score of 32.0±8.6 for skin ulcers. The most common type of primary disease is dermatomyositis (28.9%). Skin ulcers mostly occur in the feet (22.0%), and the average VAS score for skin ulcer pain is (4.5±1.9) points. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the patient's region of origin ( The severity of skin ulcers is not related to the type of disease, and patients from economically underdeveloped and relatively cold climates have poorer skin ulcer conditions. Emphasizing the importance of adhering to regular medication to control the progression of the primary disease, and strengthening self observation of skin changes and pain at the ulcer site. A multidisciplinary collaborative skin ulcer management plan can be constructed based on the latest TIME clinical decision support tool (TIME-CDST), as well as TIME wound management principles for managing the ulcer site.
9.PAD4-siRNA alleviates disease progression of collagen-induced arthritis mice by regulating T cells subpopulation
Yanrong Lu ; Kai Zhao ; Chunyan Pang
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(2):272-278
Objective :
To investigate the therapeutic effects of a small interfering RNA(siRNA) vector targeting peptidyl arginine deaminase 4(PAD4) and splenocytes infected with a PAD4-siRNA virus, on collagen-induced arthritis(CIA) mice, and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.
Methods :
The experiment mice were divided into four groups: control group, model group, therapy group 1 and therapy group 2, with 7 mice in each group. Control group mice were not treated. Initially, collagen-induced arthritis(CIA) mice model were established using bovine type II collagen. Model group mice were injected by PBS buffer Therapy group 1 mice were injected of PAD4-siRNA virus solution into the tail vein of the CIA mice, while therapy group 2 mice were injected of splenocytes infected with PAD4-siRNA virus via the same route. These injections were carried out once a week for a total of eight weeks. Subsequently, the alterations in T follicular helper(Tfh), T follicular regulatory(Tfr), T helper 1(Th1), and CD4+IL-10+T cells in the splenocytes of the mice were analyzed. Additionally, the pathological changes in the articular cartilage of the mice joints were detected.
Results :
Comparison with control group, mice of model group exhibited a significant increase in the proportions of Tfh and Th1 cells in the spleen(P<0.05), while the proportions of Tfr and CD4+IL-10+T cells remained unchanged. Comparison with model group, therapy group 1 and therapy group 2 demonstrated a significant decrease in the proportions of Tfh and Th1 cells(P<0.05), with no changes were observed in the proportions of Tfr and CD4+IL-10+T cells. Additionally, the articular surface in the mice of control group was smooth, whereas model group showed signs of inflammatory cell infiltration, rough articular surface, and cartilage destruction. Following treatment with PAD4-siRNA, the infiltration of inflammatory cells and cartilage destruction in the hind paws of CIA mice in therapy group 1 were reduced. However, no reduction was observed in the infiltration of inflammatory cells and cartilage destruction in the front paws of CIA mice. In contrast, therapy group 2 exhibited a reduction in the infiltration of inflammatory cells and cartilage destruction in both the front and hind paws of CIA mice.
Conclusion
Gene silencing of PAD4 expression can decrease the proportion of Tfh and Th1 cells, leading to an amelioration of pathological changes in joints and cartilage of hind paws. Furthermore, the therapeutic efficacy is observed in the front paws of CIA mice, and PAD4-siRNA plays a role on CIA mice by regulating T cells subpopulation of splenocytes.
10.Study on the influence of field angle on the results of EPID dose verification in vivo
Jia FANG ; Wanli ZHU ; Chunyan DAI ; Yi ZHANG ; Yingjie MEI ; Jiaqian DAI ; Hongzhi ZHANG ; Fei ZHAO ; Shubo DING
Chongqing Medicine 2025;54(4):898-902
Objective To investigate the effect of field angle on the results of in vivo dose validation of electronic portal imaging device(EPID)in patients.Methods Design the mold test and analyze the influence of different mold thicknesses and different frame angles on the 2D γ pass rate.Twenty-three patients who un-derwent radiotherapy in the Department of Radiotherapy of Jinhua Municipal Central Hospital from January to June 2023 were selected as the research object.In vivo dose verification was carried out during treatment to obtain 2D γ pass rate using same-day sector beam CT(FBCT)of planned CT and executive image guided(IG-RT)as reference images,and the influence of field angle on pass rate was analyzed.Results When the frame angle was unchanged,the area of the shooting field was larger than 17 cm×17 cm,and the 2D γ passing rate decreased with the increase of the thickness.The frame angle had no effect on the 2D γ pass rate when the mold thickness was constant.In clinical treatment data,the passage rate of 2D γ near 0°/180° was higher than that near 90°/270°(P<0.05),and the passage rate near 90°/270° in the FBCT group was higher than that in the IGRT group(P<0.05).The median passing rate of 3 mm 2D γ was 97.97%in 3%of the 23 patients.The non-IGRT group was 96.81%,the IGRT group was 97.89%,the FBCT group was 98.94%.There was a statistically significant difference in 2D γ passing rate between the non-IGRT group and the IGRT group(Z=-5.083,P<0.05),and there was a statistically significant difference in 2D γ passing rate between the IGRT group and the FBCT group(Z=-10.657,P<0.05).Conclusion Clinically,the difference of pass rate in vi-vo dose verification at different rack angles is mainly due to the difference of images within and between ses-sions.Using same-day FBCT as the reference image for in-vivo dose verification can improve the accuracy of pass rate and eliminate the influence of image difference between sessions.


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