1.Mechanism of Bushen Kaixuan Tongluo Prescription in Improving Diabetic Nephropathy Based on cAMP Signaling Pathway
Miao XU ; Baosheng ZHAO ; You WANG ; Yuzhuo CHANG ; Zehao LIU ; Lingling QIN ; Haiyan WANG ; Ming GAO ; Cuiyan LYU ; Tonghua LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(11):87-96
ObjectiveTo investigate the molecular mechanism by which the Bushen Kaixuan Tongluo prescription exerts a renal protective effect in mice with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) by regulating the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathway. MethodsThirty specific pathogen-free (SPF) male db/db mice were adaptively fed for three weeks. Mice with a random tail vein blood glucose level ≥ 11.1 mmol·L-1 and urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) ≥ 30 mg·g-1 were considered successfully modeled. The successfully modeled mice were randomly divided into five groups with six mice in each group: the model group, the low-, medium-, and high-dose Bushen Kaixuan Tongluo prescription groups (administered at doses of 7, 14, 28 g·kg-1·d-1 respectively), and the positive drug irbesartan group (administered at a dose of 20 mg·kg-1·d-1). Additionally, six db/m mice were selected as the blank group. Mice in each group were given intragastric administration of the Bushen Kaixuan Tongluo prescription at the corresponding concentrations, irbesartan, or an equal volume of pure water, and the intervention lasted for 12 weeks. During the experiment, the general conditions, body weight changes, and renal function indicators of the mice were dynamically monitored. After the intervention, a blood glucose meter was used to measure the fasting blood glucose (FBG) of the mice. An automatic biochemical analyzer was employed to detect the levels of serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), urinary microalbumin (uALB), ACR, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), leptin (LEP), glycosylated serum protein (GSP), and insulin (INS) in the mice. Renal tissues were collected for hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining, and Masson's trichrome staining to observe the histopathological changes. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect the expressions of protein kinase A (PKA) and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) in the mice. Western blot analysis was performed to determine the expression levels of PKA, phosphorylated protein kinase A (p-PKA), CREB, phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (p-CREB), and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) proteins in the renal tissues of the mice. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of PKA, CREB, and Bcl-2 in the renal tissues of the mice. ResultsCompared with the blank group, the mice in the model group showed listlessness, decreased activity, and a significant increase in body weight (P<0.01). Biochemical indicators revealed that the levels of BUN, uALB, ACR, AST, ALT, TC, TG, FBG, LEP, GSP, and INS were significantly increased (P<0.01), while SCr showed an increasing trend with no statistically significant difference. Compared with the model group, the mice in the Bushen Kaixuan Tongluo prescription intervention groups had improved general conditions and a decreasing trend in body weight. Biochemical indicators showed that the levels of BUN, uALB, ACR, TC, GSP, and INS were significantly decreased (P<0.05), while SCr, AST, ALT, TG, and LEP showed a decreasing trend with no statistically significant difference. Renal histopathological analysis showed that the model group exhibited typical DKD pathological features such as thickening of the glomerular basement membrane, expansion of the mesangial matrix, and deposition of collagen fibers in the renal tubulointerstitium, and all treatment groups could alleviate the above pathological damages. The IHC results showed that compared with the blank group, the expression levels of p-PKA and p-CREB in the renal tissues of the model group were significantly decreased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the expression level of p-PKA in the medium-dose Bushen Kaixuan Tongluo prescription group was significantly increased (P<0.01), while the expression level of p-CREB showed an increasing trend with no statistically significant difference. Western blot results showed that compared with the blank group, the expression levels of p-PKA/PKA, p-CREB/CREB, and Bcl-2 in the model group were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the expression levels of these proteins in the medium-dose Bushen Kaixuan Tongluo prescription group were significantly increased (P<0.01). Real-time PCR results showed that compared with the blank group, the mRNA expressions of PKA, CREB, and Bcl-2 in the model group were significantly down-regulated (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the mRNA expressions of these genes in the medium-dose Bushen Kaixuan Tongluo prescription group were significantly up-regulated (P<0.05). ConclusionThe Bushen Kaixuan Tongluo prescription can improve the liver and kidney functions of db/db mice, correct lipid metabolism disorders and glucose metabolism imbalance. Its renal protective effect is associated with up-regulating the cAMP signaling pathway to improve renal fibrosis and reduce the level of oxidative stress, thereby protecting renal function.
2.Progress on recombinant viral vector vaccines of African swine fever
Yunyun MA ; Wei LIU ; Haiyan LU ; Shandian GAO ; Junjun SHAO ; Huiyun CHANG
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(4):859-866
African swine fever(ASF)caused by African swine fever virus(ASFV)is a febrile,hem-orrhage and highly fatal infectious disease in pigs,which poses a serious threat to the global pig in-dustry.Currently,no vaccine is available for the prevention and control of ASF,and several ASF vaccines,including gene deletion attenuated live vaccines,live vector vaccines,and subunit vaccines are under the development stage in the laboratory research.As one of the most promising vaccines,live vector vaccine has the characteristic of safety and simulation of the pathogen natural infection to effectively stimulate the innate and adaptive immune responses,which becomes one of the hotspots in the research and development of novel ASF vaccines.This review focuses on the pro-gress in using modified viruses as vectors for ASF live vector vaccines,and aims to provide valua-ble information for future development of safe and effective ASF vector vaccines.
3.Mechanism by which eupatilin improves learning and memory abilities in rats with subarachnoid hemorrhage
Menghui MO ; Guangmou ZHANG ; Haiyan ZHOU ; Lifen SHI ; Lulu CHANG ; Shuxin CHENG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(18):3833-3839
BACKGROUND:Eupatilin,a flavonoid active component derived from Artemisia sinensis,has been reported to relieve inflammation and improve neurological scores in rats with subarachnoid hemorrhage,but its role and mechanism in learning and memory remain unclear.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of eupatilin on learning and memory abilities and P38 mitogen activated protein kinase(p38 MAPK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription-3(STAT3)pathway proteins in rats with subarachnoid hemorrhage.METHODS:A total of 50 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham surgery group,model group,eupatilin group,hesperetin group,eupatilin+hesperetin group,with 10 rats in each group.Except for the sham surgery group,the rats in the other groups were used to construct a subarachnoid hemorrhage model through intravascular perforation.Two hours after successful modeling,the eupatilin group was injected with 10 mg/kg eupatilin via the tail vein,the hesperetin group was injected with 50 mg/kg hesperetin(p38 MAPK/STAT3 signaling pathway activator)via the tail vein,the eupatilin+hesperetin group was injected with 10 mg/kg eupatilin and 50 mg/kg hesperetin via the tail vein,and the sham surgery group and the model group were injected with 10 mL/kg saline via the tail vein.The drug treatment lasted for 24 hours.The neurologic deficit score and Morris water maze experiment were applied to detect the neurological function and learning and memory abilities of rats.Hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to detect the histopathological changes of the hippocampus.TUNEL method was used to detect neuronal apoptosis.Immunohistochemical staining was conducted to detect the number of doublecortin-positive cells in hippocampal tissue.Western blot was applied to detect the expression of p38 MAPK/STAT3 protein in hippocampal tissue.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the sham surgery group,rats in the model group had lower neurological deficit scores,learning and memory abilities,and number of doublecortin-positive cells(P<0.05),and higher neuronal apoptosis rate and protein expression of p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK and p-STAT3/STAT3(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,rats in the eupatilin group showed higher neurological deficit scores,learning and memory abilities,and number of doublecortin-positive cells(P<0.05),and lower neuronal apoptosis rate and protein expression of p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK and p-STAT3/STAT3(P<0.05),while those in the nerolone group showed lower neurological deficit scores,learning and memory abilities,and number of doublecortin-positive cells(P<0.05),and higher neuronal apoptosis rate and protein expression of p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK and p-STAT3/STAT3(P<0.05).Compared with the eupatilin group,rats in the eupatilin+hesperetin group had lower neurological deficit scores,learning memory abilities,and number of doublecortin-positive cells(P<0.05),and higher neuronal apoptosis rate and protein expression of p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK and p-STAT3/STAT3(P<0.05).Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that compared with the model group,the nerve cells were more neatly arranged in the eupatilin group,disorganized in the hesperetin group,and arranged in a similar way to the model group in the eupatilin+hesperetin group.To conclude,eupatilin may improve learning and memory abilities of rats with subarachnoid hemorrhage by inhibiting the p38 MAPK/STAT3 signaling pathway.
4.Research Progress of Cellular Mechanosensors Mediating Cancer Pain
Chang LIU ; Haiyan LI ; Lihua HANG
Journal of Medical Biomechanics 2025;40(4):1040-1049
Cellular mechanical transduction is the process by which cells perceive mechanical signals and transform them into chemical ones.Crucial cellular mechanosensors include PIEZO,TRPV4,and integrins.These sensors can modulate specific pathophysiological processes,such as fibrosis,tumor development,as well as cell proliferation,differentiation,and movement.Recent researches indicate that PIEZO,TRPV4,and integrins play an important role in various types of cancer pain,such as bone cancer pain,by detecting mechanical stimuli,which subsequently activate internal signaling pathways.This review summarizes advancements of PIEZO,TRPV4,and interegrins in cancer pain researches,aiming to lay a foundation for developing new therapeutic drugs that target cellular mechanical transduction for treating cancer pain.
5.Non-targeted screening and prioritization of emerging pollutants in sewage using direct injection high-resolution mass spectrometry
Chao ZHANG ; Chang WANG ; Xiangru YI ; Jingjing SONG ; Li YANG ; Tao WANG ; ZhiWen WEI ; Keming YUN ; Haiyan CUI ; Fangxing YANG ; Meng HU
Chinese Journal of Forensic Medicine 2025;40(3):317-322
Objective To establish a high-throughput non-targeted screening and prioritization method for emerging pollutants(EPs)in sewage using direct injection high-resolution mass spectrometry(HRMS).Methods The sewage samples were filtered by membrane filter and directly subjected to the liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometer based on a method modified from our previous study.A C18 chromatographic column was applied for a gradient elution separation,and accurate mass and mass spectral fragment information were obtained through the MS full scan mode and MS/MS DIA data collection mode.After peak detection and alignment,the features from the raw data through open source software MZmine 3,and then high-throughput screening strategies such as MassBank and PubChem databases were used for compound annotation.Finally,the candidate features were confirmed with chemical standards by compared their retention time and mass spectrum fragmentation ion peaks.Results 13 EPs were identified,including 7 industrial chemicals,4 pharmaceuticals,1 pesticide and 1 metabolite.High detection rates were observed for metformin(86.2%),2-hydroxybenzothiazole(79.3%),1,2-benzisothiazole-3-one(72.4%),and 1,2-benzisothiazole-3-one(72.4%).The quantitative concentration range of EPs was 1.37~19.05 ng/mL,with the high concentrations observed for melamine(19.05 ng/mL)and furosemide(18.49 ng/mL).Ecological risk assessment identified 1,2-benzisothiazol-3-one,4-aminoacetophenone,creatinine,2-hydroxybenzothiazole,and furosemide as key pollutants.Conclusion This direct injection coupled with HRMS workflow enables efficient non-targeted screening and prioritization of emerging EPs in sewage samples,highlighting five ecotoxicologically critical EPs.The methodology enhances environmental monitoring capabilities and provide critical technical support for interdisciplinary research such as environmental forensics and health risk assessment.
6.Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention in Diabetic Nephropathy Based on PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway: A Review
Miao XU ; Xiaolei JIA ; Lingling QIN ; Haiyan WANG ; You WANG ; Yuzhuo CHANG ; Cuiyan LYU ; Tonghua LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(11):90-97
Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a renal disorder induced by prolonged hyperglycemia, with major pathological features including persistent albuminuria, progressive decline in glomerular filtration rate, and elevated arterial blood pressure. As one of the most common and severe microvascular complications of diabetes, the pathogenesis of DN is complex and multifactorial. Without timely and effective treatment, DN may eventually progress to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Currently available therapeutic options are often associated with significant adverse effects and high costs, and a large number of patients still progress to ESRD due to delayed treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent need for safer and more effective treatment strategies to improve the living standards and enhance the survival and quality of life of patients with DN. Modern studies have demonstrated that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway plays a critical role in oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, autophagy, and glycolysis, and is closely associated with the pathophysiological progression of DN. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has achieved remarkable progress in the prevention and treatment of DN, supported by rich clinical experience and confirmed therapeutic efficacy. With its characteristics of multi-target, multi-component, and multi-pathway actions, along with minimal side effects, TCM can delay the progression of DN and alleviate patient symptoms. Among these mechanisms, the regulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway has gradually become a research hotspot. This paper systematically reviews the role and mechanisms of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in the onset and progression of DN based on extensive literature research, summarizes the latest research advances on the precise modulation of the PI3K/Akt pathway by Chinese medicine monomers, active constituents, Chinese patent medicines, and herbal compound formulas in the treatment of DN, aiming to provide a strong theoretical reference for the development of clinically effective agents for DN prevention and treatment.
7.Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention in Diabetic Nephropathy Based on PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway: A Review
Miao XU ; Xiaolei JIA ; Lingling QIN ; Haiyan WANG ; You WANG ; Yuzhuo CHANG ; Cuiyan LYU ; Tonghua LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(11):90-97
Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a renal disorder induced by prolonged hyperglycemia, with major pathological features including persistent albuminuria, progressive decline in glomerular filtration rate, and elevated arterial blood pressure. As one of the most common and severe microvascular complications of diabetes, the pathogenesis of DN is complex and multifactorial. Without timely and effective treatment, DN may eventually progress to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Currently available therapeutic options are often associated with significant adverse effects and high costs, and a large number of patients still progress to ESRD due to delayed treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent need for safer and more effective treatment strategies to improve the living standards and enhance the survival and quality of life of patients with DN. Modern studies have demonstrated that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway plays a critical role in oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, autophagy, and glycolysis, and is closely associated with the pathophysiological progression of DN. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has achieved remarkable progress in the prevention and treatment of DN, supported by rich clinical experience and confirmed therapeutic efficacy. With its characteristics of multi-target, multi-component, and multi-pathway actions, along with minimal side effects, TCM can delay the progression of DN and alleviate patient symptoms. Among these mechanisms, the regulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway has gradually become a research hotspot. This paper systematically reviews the role and mechanisms of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in the onset and progression of DN based on extensive literature research, summarizes the latest research advances on the precise modulation of the PI3K/Akt pathway by Chinese medicine monomers, active constituents, Chinese patent medicines, and herbal compound formulas in the treatment of DN, aiming to provide a strong theoretical reference for the development of clinically effective agents for DN prevention and treatment.
8.Automatic acquisition and analytic procedure of acupuncture manipulation based on optical navigation.
Changshuai ZHANG ; Zihao FENG ; Weichao CHANG ; Weigang MA ; Yongjian WU ; Haiming LI ; Xingfang PAN ; Haiyan REN ; Yangyang LIU ; Zhaoshui HE ; Wenjun TAN
Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion 2025;45(10):1383-1390
This paper presents an automatic acquisition and analytic procedure of acupuncture manipulation based on optical navigation, aiming at solving the shortcomings of existing acquisition methods of acupuncture manipulation. An acquisition holder installed at the handle tail of filiform needle was designed to display the movement trajectory of the needle during acupuncture delivery by collecting the movement trajectory of holder. The 3-month old male Bama miniature pig was selected as the experimental subject, and 6 points, "Bojian" "Qiangfeng" "Housanli" "Xiaokua" "Huiyang" (BL35) and "Baihui" (GV20), were selected during acupuncture manipulation. The optical navigation system was used to collect the real-time data, and these data were per-processed and analyzed using mean filtering and Fourier transform. The acupuncture procedure was divided into 3 stages, inserting, lifting-thrusting, and twisting. The results showed that the accuracy was 96.3% at lifting-thrusting stage, and that was 100.0% at twisting stage. The decomposition effect of the entire procedure was satisfactory. This study provides a new approach to the quantitative analysis of acupuncture manipulation. In the future, it needs to further optimize the algorithm and expand the sample size so as to improve the accuracy of this analytic technique.
Acupuncture Therapy/methods*
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Male
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Animals
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Swine
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Acupuncture Points
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Humans
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Swine, Miniature
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Needles
9.Non-targeted screening and prioritization of emerging pollutants in sewage using direct injection high-resolution mass spectrometry
Chao ZHANG ; Chang WANG ; Xiangru YI ; Jingjing SONG ; Li YANG ; Tao WANG ; ZhiWen WEI ; Keming YUN ; Haiyan CUI ; Fangxing YANG ; Meng HU
Chinese Journal of Forensic Medicine 2025;40(3):317-322
Objective To establish a high-throughput non-targeted screening and prioritization method for emerging pollutants(EPs)in sewage using direct injection high-resolution mass spectrometry(HRMS).Methods The sewage samples were filtered by membrane filter and directly subjected to the liquid chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometer based on a method modified from our previous study.A C18 chromatographic column was applied for a gradient elution separation,and accurate mass and mass spectral fragment information were obtained through the MS full scan mode and MS/MS DIA data collection mode.After peak detection and alignment,the features from the raw data through open source software MZmine 3,and then high-throughput screening strategies such as MassBank and PubChem databases were used for compound annotation.Finally,the candidate features were confirmed with chemical standards by compared their retention time and mass spectrum fragmentation ion peaks.Results 13 EPs were identified,including 7 industrial chemicals,4 pharmaceuticals,1 pesticide and 1 metabolite.High detection rates were observed for metformin(86.2%),2-hydroxybenzothiazole(79.3%),1,2-benzisothiazole-3-one(72.4%),and 1,2-benzisothiazole-3-one(72.4%).The quantitative concentration range of EPs was 1.37~19.05 ng/mL,with the high concentrations observed for melamine(19.05 ng/mL)and furosemide(18.49 ng/mL).Ecological risk assessment identified 1,2-benzisothiazol-3-one,4-aminoacetophenone,creatinine,2-hydroxybenzothiazole,and furosemide as key pollutants.Conclusion This direct injection coupled with HRMS workflow enables efficient non-targeted screening and prioritization of emerging EPs in sewage samples,highlighting five ecotoxicologically critical EPs.The methodology enhances environmental monitoring capabilities and provide critical technical support for interdisciplinary research such as environmental forensics and health risk assessment.
10.Study on facial diagnosis of coronary heart disease based on objective features
Mengyao DUAN ; Jing GUAN ; Zhixi HU ; Haiyan ZHU ; Chang HAO ; Zijian LI ; Zhuoyang XIAO ; Feng LI
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(11):1540-1546
Objective To explore the objective facial appearance characteristics of patients with coronary heart disease(CHD).Methods From April 7,2019 to December 1,2022,313 patients with CHD were recruited from Dongzhimen Hospital,Beijing University of Chinese Medicine,Dongfang Hospital,Beijing University of Chinese Medicine,and the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine,together with 293 healthy controls.Standardized facial images were obtained using the tongue-face diagnostic instrument.The face was divided into six regions:the forehead,left cheek,right cheek,nose,lips,and chin.Nine color parameters were extracted from each region,including red(R),green(G),blue(B),hue(H),saturation(S),value(V),lightness(L),red-green axis(a),and yellow-blue axis(b).Comparisons between groups were performed.Results Compared with the healthy group,in the forehead region,values of R,S,V,a,and b were higher in the coronary heart disease group,whereas B was lower(P<0.05);in the left cheek,nose,and chin regions,R,G,B,V,and L decreased,whereas S,a,and b increased(P<0.05);in the right cheek region,R,G,B,H,V,and L decreased,while S,a,and b increased(P<0.05);in the lips region,R,G,B,H,V,L,and a decreased,whereas S and b increased(P<0.05).Conclusion Compared with healthy individuals,patients with CHD present with a darker,more saturated facial complexion with reduced brightness,overall manifesting as"dark red complexion"and"dense but not bright color,"suggesting the pathogenesis of qi and blood circulation stagnation and internal blood stasis retention.The objective expression of facial features may have greater application value in syndrome differentiation and auxiliary diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine.

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