1.Effect of Epimedium brevicornu Ethanol Extract on Aging of Castrated Rats by Intervening in Mesenchymal Adipose-derived Stem Cells
Zuyu MENG ; Haiquan LIU ; Shaozi LIN ; Mei WANG ; Yiyao ZHANG ; Fang LIU ; Menghan LI ; Hongling CHEN ; Jiajia QIN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(1):174-181
ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which the ethanol extract of Epimedium brevicornu (EEBM) intervenes in mesenchymal adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) to delay aging in castrated rats. MethodsForty-five 3-month-old SPF female SD rats were ovariectomized and randomly divided into model group, ADSCs treatment group, and ADSCs groups treated with low, medium, and high concentrations of EEBM (1, 50, 100 μg·L-1), referred to as the AE low, medium, and high concentration groups, with 9 rats in each group. After tail vein injection of 200 μL of the corresponding stem cell suspension, aging-related indicators including cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (p21), tumor suppressor gene (p53), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), cysteine-aspartic acid protease-3 (Caspase-3), and lipofuscin were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot. ResultsCompared with the model group, the IL-6 content in the AE low, medium, and high concentration groups was significantly decreased (P<0.05). Lipofuscin, MDA, and IL-8 levels in the ADSCs treatment group and AE low, medium, and high concentration groups were significantly reduced (P<0.01), while SOD content was significantly increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the ADSCs treatment group, lipofuscin and IL-8 levels in the AE low, medium, and high concentration groups were significantly reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01). The MDA content was significantly decreased in the AE medium concentration group (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, protein levels of p21, p53, Bax, and Caspase-3 in the ADSCs treatment group and AE low, medium, and high concentration groups were significantly reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01), while the Bcl-2 protein level was significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with the ADSCs treatment group, protein levels of p21, p53, Bax, and Caspase-3 in the AE low, medium, and high concentration groups were significantly reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the Bcl-2 protein level in the AE low concentration group was significantly increased (P<0.01). ConclusionThe results of this experiment show that EEBM-treated ADSCs or ADSCs may delay aging in castrated rats by inhibiting cell apoptosis, reducing cell cycle inhibitors and pro-inflammatory factors, enhancing antioxidant capacity, and reducing oxidative reactions. Moreover, EEBM-treated ADSCs demonstrate stronger anti-aging effects than ADSCs alone. This study provides experimental evidence supporting the clinical use of EEBM to intervene in ADSCs and delay aging.
2.Regulation of Renal Interstitial Fibrosis-related Pathways by Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Review
Dandan WEI ; Shanshan LI ; Yongjie WANG ; Hongling WANG ; Zongyao WU ; Qingbo WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(16):254-265
Renal interstitial fibrosis (RIF) is a common pathological change process from the development of various chronic nephropathies to the end stage, and it is an important histological manifestation of renal function decline. At present, no effective anti-fibrosis drugs have been found in clinical practice. In recent years, with the continuous development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pharmacology, molecular biology, system biology, and network pharmacology, the research on regulating RIF with TCM monomer, single TCM, TCM compound, Chinese patent medicine, and TCM injection is deepening. Among them, Jianpi Yishen recipe, Shendi Bushen capsules, Jianzhong Bushen Xiaozheng decoction, Liuwei Dihuangtang, and Lycium barbarum polysaccharides can regulate transforming growth factor-β/small mother against decapentaplegic (TGF-β1/Smads), Wnt/β-catenin, and neurogenic locus notch homolog protein (Notch) signaling pathways. Wulingsan, Zhenwutang, pachymic acid ZA, pachymic acid ZC, and pachymic acid ZD, which mainly induce diuresis, can regulate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Hirudin, curcumin, and Fuzheng Huayu recipe, which mainly promote blood circulation, can inhibit inflammation-related pathways such as p-nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB), Toll-like receptor 4/p-nuclear transcription factor-κB (TLR4/NF-κB), and Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK/STAT), so as to achieve anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidation effects and alleviate the progression of RIF. Shenshuai Xiezhuo decoction, Shenkang injection, and Shenshuai recipe, which are mainly used for invigorating Qi, removing blood stasis, and removing turbidity, can inhibit transdifferentiation of pericytes-myofibroblasts through vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) signaling pathway. At present, there are many studies on the regulation of the RIF signaling pathway by TCM, but there is a lack of a systematic summary. In this study, by combing the signaling pathway of TCM in the treatment of RIF, the effective target of TCM treatment is screened, and its possible mechanism is found, which provides new ideas for clinical treatment and new drug research and development.
3.The role of CYP2E1 in trichloroethylene-induced skin sensitization and liver damage in guinea pigs
Lijuan WU ; Xiangrong SONG ; Fengrong LU ; Hongling LI ; Jiaheng HE ; Xiao ZHANG ; Hailan WANG
China Occupational Medicine 2025;52(3):249-256
Objective To investigate the role of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) in trichloroethylene (TCE)-induced skin sensitization and liver damage in guinea pigs, using diallyl sulfide (DAS), a CYP2E1 inhibitor, as an intervention. Methods Specific pathogen-free female guinea pigs were randomly divided into blank control group, solvent control group, positive control (2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene) group, TCE-exposure group, and DAS-intervention group. Skin sensitization experiments were conducted using the guinea pig TCE maximal dose-skin sensitization test. Urinary trichloroacetic acid levels were determined following TCE induction and challenge. At 48 hours after the final challenge, serum liver function markers and inflammatory cytokines levels were detected. Histopathological examination on skin and liver tissues was performed, and hepatic CYP2E1 protein expression and oxidative stress indicators were assessed. Results The sensitization rates of guinea pigs were 100.0%, 75.0%, and 33.3% in the positive control, TCE-exposure, and DAS-intervention groups, respectively, while the blank control and solvent control groups were both 0.0%. Compared with the guinea pigs in TCE-exposure group, those in the DAS-intervention group had lower urinary trichloroacetic acid levels at intradermal induction, local induction, first challenge, and 24 hours after the final challenge time point (all P<0.05). Histopathology of guinea pigs showed dermal inflammatory infiltration and basal keratinocyte necrosis in the TCE-exposure group, whereas only mild dermal inflammation was observed in the DAS-intervention group. The guinea pigs in TCE-exposure group exhibited diffuse hepatocellular necrosis, while hepatic damage in the DAS-intervention group was alleviated, characterized by only mild hepatocellular steatosis and hepatocyte swelling around the central vein. The skin sensitization rate of guinea pigs in the TCE-exposure group increased (all P<0.01), the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT )activity, the levels of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-17, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF- α) increased (all P<0.05), the relative expression of CYP2E1 protein, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and the level of malondialdehyde in liver tissue increased (all P<0.05), while the activity of catalase decreased (P<0.05), compared with the blank control and solvent control groups. The serum ALT activity and the levels of IL-2, IL-17, and TNF-α of guinea pigs in DAS-intervention group reduced (all P<0.05), as well as CYP2E1 protein expression, SOD activity, and malondialdehyde level in liver tissue reduced (all P<0.05), compared with the TCE-exposure group. Conclusion TCE can induce hepatic CYP2E1 expression, thereby promoting oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, which contributes to skin sensitization and liver damage. DAS alleviates TCE-induced toxic effects on skin and liver by inhibiting CYP2E1 expression.
4.The latest progress of personalized drug screening and therapy research for common clinical tumors through the PDX model platform.
Yitong YUAN ; Hongling GAO ; Yanhong LI ; Xiangying JIAO
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(10):101225-101225
The establishment of mouse models is critical for discovering the biological targets of tumorigenesis and cancer development, preclinical trials of targeted drugs, and formulation of personalized therapeutic regimens. Currently, the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model is considered a reliable animal tumor model because of its ability to retain the characteristics of the primary tumor at the histopathological, molecular, and genetic levels, and to preserve the tumor microenvironment. The application of the PDX model has promoted in-depth research on tumors in recent years, focusing on drug development, tumor target discovery, and precise treatment of patients. However, there are still some common questions. This review introduces the latest research progress and common questions regarding tumors with high mortality rates, focusing on their application in targeted drug screening and the formulation of personalized medical strategies. The challenges faced, improvement methods, and future development of the PDX model in tumor treatment applications are also discussed. This article provides technical guidance and comprehensive expectations for anti-cancer drug screening and clinical personalized therapy.
5.Cerebral autoregulation in cerebral small vessel disease
Furong LI ; Ya'nan ZHANG ; Shuhan LIU ; Weiwei DONG ; Xiaowen SUI ; Xin PAN ; Hongling ZHAO
International Journal of Cerebrovascular Diseases 2025;33(5):383-386
Cerebral blood flow directly affects the metabolism of substances and neural activity in the brain, and is closely associated with the occurrence and development of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). Multiple studies have revealed that various imaging biomarkers in patients with CSVD, such as lacunar infarction, enlarged perivascular spaces, cerebral microbleeds, cerebral atrophy, and white matter hyperintensities, are closely associated with cerebral autoregulation (CA) function. Therefore, understanding the regulatory mechanism of CA in patients with CSVD is of great significance for delaying the further development of CSVD, improving cerebral ischemia and cognitive impairment. This article reviews the correlation and mechanism between CA and CSVD.
6.Knockdown of human-specific lncRNA MEK6-AS1 improves osteogenic differentiation of senescent mesenchymal stem cells
Yunhua CHEN ; Di LI ; Xiaoyan ZHAO ; Ming CHEN ; Hongling LI ; Chunhua ZHAO
Basic & Clinical Medicine 2025;45(5):568-574
Objective To investigate the role of a novel human-specific long noncoding RNA(lncRNA),MEK6-AS1,and its potential molecular mechanism in improving the osteogenic differentiation of senescent mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs).Methods An in vitro human MSCs replicative senescence model was established by sequen-tial passaging,and then senescence was identified by β staining and senescence-related gene expression.RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of MEK6-AS1 during senescence and osteogenic differentiation of human MSCs(hMSCs);Lentiviral knockdown technology was used to regulate the expression of MEK6-AS1 in the MSCs replicative senescence model.Transcriptome sequencing technology was utilized to analyze the effects of MEK6-AS1 on the transcriptome of hMSCs especially on genes and pathways related to osteogenic differentiation.The effect of MEK6-AS1 as an intervention target at osteogenic differentiation of human senescent hMSCs was evaluated with alkaline phosphatase staining microscopy.PCR technology was used to detect osteogenic gene expression levels in cells.Results With aging process,the osteogenic differentiation ability of hMSCs decreased significantly while the expression level of MEK6-AS1 was enhanced(P<0.000 1).Knockdown of MEK6-AS1 significantly enhanced the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs by the up-regulating expression of osteogenic markers and increasing minerali-zation capacity(P<0.001).Conclusions Knockdown of human-specific lncRNA MEK6-AS1 improves osteogenic differentiation of senescent MSCs,providing a new target and theoretical basis for the treatment of senescence-asso-ciated osteoporosis.
7.Diagnostic value analysis of Xpert MTB/RIF combined with high-throughput metagenomic sequencing
Hongling LI ; Sijie YU ; Yuanyuan YU
China Modern Doctor 2024;62(12):32-36
Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of Xpert MTB/RIF combined with metagenic high-throughput sequencing in bacterial negative tuberculosis.Methods Retrospective analysis of 70 patients diagnosed with bacterial negative pulmonary tuberculosis from December 2019 to May 2022 enrolled in the study.Xpert MTB/RIF testing,high-throughput metagenomic sequencing,and a combination of the two were performed,respectively.Solid culture and proportional methods were used to diagnose biochemical pathogens and analyze diagnostic efficacy.The receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn with the predicted value.Results The positive rate of Xpert MTB/RIF diagnosis was 75.57%,and the negative rate was 21.43%.The positive rate of high-throughput sequencing for metagenomics was 78.57%,while the negative rate was 21.43%;The positive rate of combined diagnosis was 88.57%,and the negative rate was 11.43%.The detection sensitivity of Xpert MTB/RIF was 77.55%,the specificity was 59.86%,and the area under the curve(AUC)was 0.827.The sensitivity of high-throughput sequencing for metagenomes was 77.47%,the specificity was 61.02%,and the AUC was 0.808.The sensitivity of the combined detection was 89.75%,the specificity was 89.57%,and the AUC was 0.925.The results showed that the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of Xpert MTB/RIF combined with high-throughput metagenomic sequencing in bacterial negative pulmonary tuberculosis were higher than those of single detection(P<0.05).Conclusion Xpert MTB/RIF combined with metagenic high-throughput sequencing has good application value in the diagnosis of bacterial negative pulmonary tuberculosis,and is worthy of clinical application.
8.Cerebral Hyperperfusion Syndrome
Furong LI ; Shuhan LIU ; Weiwei DONG ; Ya'nan ZHANG ; Xin PAN ; Xiaowen SUI ; Hongling ZHAO
International Journal of Cerebrovascular Diseases 2024;32(4):297-302
Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS) is a rare but serious complication after cerebral revascularization, which may lead to catastrophic consequences. The mechanism of CHS is not fully understood, and it may be related to cerebral autoregulation dysfunction and the increase of blood pressure after operation. Timely detection and treatment of cerebral hyperperfusion can avoid CHS. This article reviews the pathogenesis, diagnosis, clinical manifestations, prevention and treatment of CHS.
9.Predictive Modeling of Chronic Kidney Disease with Hypertension or Diabetes Based on Machine Learning Algorithms
Huijuan ZENG ; Bo TIAN ; Hongling YUAN ; Jie HE ; Guanxi LI ; Guojia RU ; Min XU ; Dong ZHAN
Journal of Kunming Medical University 2024;45(3):99-105
Objective To build the early predictive model for chronic kidney disease(CKD)in hypertension and diabetes patients in the community.Methods The CKD patients were recruited from 4 health care centers in 4 urban areas in Kunming.The control group was residents without hypertension and diabetes(n = 1267).The disease group was residents with hypertension and/or diabetes(n = 566).The questionnaire survey,physical examination,laboratory testing,and 5 SNPs gene types in the PVT1 gene.The risk factors,which were filtered with logistics regression,were used to build predictive models.Four machine learning algorithms were built:support vector machine(SVM),random forest(RF),Na?ve Bayes(NB),and artificial neural network(ANN)models.Results Thirteen indicators included in the final diagnostic model:age,disease type,ethnicity,blood urea nitrogen,creatinine,eGFR from MDRD,ACR,eGFR from EPI2009,PAM13 score,sleep quality survey,staying-up late,PVT1 SNP rs11993333 and rs2720659.The accuracy,specificity,Kappa value,AUC of ROC,and PRC of ANN are greater than those of the other 3 models.The sensitivity of RF is the highest among 4 types of machine learning.Conclusions The ANN predictive model has a good ability of efficiency and classification to predict CKD with hypertension and/or diabetes patients in the community.
10.Optical surface monitoring-based real-time 3D in vivo dose verification for patients with left breast cancer undergoing deep inspiration breath-hold radiotherapy
Jiahao WANG ; Hongling XIE ; Yadong ZHAO ; Pengfei ZHOU ; Hui LI ; Qiu TANG
Chinese Journal of Radiological Medicine and Protection 2024;44(6):517-522
Objective:To perform optical surface monitoring-based three-dimensional (3D) in vivo dose verification for patients with left breast cancer undergoing deep inspiration breath-hold surface-guided radiation therapy (DIBH-SGRT) and to investigate the dosimetric differences in the target volumes and related factors affecting γ pass rates. Methods:Totally 20 patients with left breast cancer who received DIBH-SGRT at the Department of Radiation Oncology, Women′s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University were selected. The optical surface monitoring-based intrafractional displacement deviations of the patients during DIBH were recorded. Meanwhile, electronic portal imaging device (EPID)-based in vivo dosimetry (EIVD) verification was performed for patients during the DIBH-SGRT, and γ pass rates were measured with the criteria of 2 mm/2%, 3 mm/3%, and 3 mm/5%. The dosimetric differences between planning target volumes (PTVs) and organs at risk (OARs) were analyzed based on dose-volume histograms (DVHs). Furthermore, Pearson correlation analysis was employed to determine the correlation of three γ pass rates with dosimetric differences and displacement deviations. Results:The average pass rates with the criteria of 2 mm/2%, 3 mm/3%, and 3 mm/5% were determined at 73.43%, 86.00%, and 92.96%, respectively, and the average deviations between EIVD measured doses and planned doses in PTV_TB and PTV Dmean were proved to be 0.23% and 0.59%, respectively ( P > 0.05). Pearson analysis revealed that the γ pass rates exhibited a weak correlation with dosimetric differences in PTVs( R<0.7) but strong correlations with intrafractional displacement deviations in Lat and Vert directions during DIBH ( R > 0.7). Conclusions:EIVD verification can ensure the high accuracy of dose delivery in PTVs during DIBH-SGRT for left breast cancer. Additionally, the EIVD verification system has the potential to detect displacement deviations during breath holding.

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