1.Long-term prognosis of recompensation in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis
Zhiwei XIE ; Bo LI ; Lihua LIN ; Ying TAN ; Jianping LI ; Yujuan GUAN ; Yaping WANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(6):1246-1252
Liver cirrhosis recompensation refers to the process in which patients with decompensated cirrhosis achieve the disappearance of decompensated complications and restoration of liver function and clinical phenotype to a compensated state after etiological treatment or symptomatic treatment. In recent years, with effective control of the etiology of cirrhosis and treatment or prevention of decompensated complications, the clinical significance of recompensation has gained increasing attention. This article elaborates on recompensation from the aspects of definition, diagnostic criteria, influencing factors, mechanisms affecting long-term prognosis, and clinical management strategies, and with reference to the latest research evidence, this article also discusses the core value of recompensation in improving quality of life and reducing the risk of end-stage events, in order to provide a basis for optimizing the comprehensive management of liver cirrhosis.
2.Gardeniae Fructus-Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Regulates Ferroptosis via Nrf2/SLC7A11/GPX4 Signaling Pathway to Alleviate Myocardial Remodeling in Rat Model of Myocardial Infarction
Xuesong CHEN ; Rongnan QIU ; Shenghao WANG ; Yan FENG ; Jutong XIE ; Yuwen YAN ; Tianlin YANG ; Changxu XIE ; Lei GAO ; Jianping SHEN ; Yuehong SHEN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(20):54-62
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Gardeniae Fructus-Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma on ferroptosis in the rat model of myocardial infarction and further elucidate its role in myocardial remodeling. MethodsThe rat model of myocardial infarction was established by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. The 50 successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into model group, ferroptosis inhibitor group (2 mg·kg-1), enalapril group (2.1 mg·kg-1), and low- and high-dose (4 g·kg-1 and 8 g·kg-1, respectively) Gardeniae Fructus-Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, with 10 rats in each group. The rat model of myocardial infarction was established by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. After 4 weeks of treatment, echocardiography was used to assess the cardiac structure and function. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Masson staining were employed to observe pathological morphology and fibrosis of the myocardial tissue. Serum levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and myosin heavy chain-β (MHC-β) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Prussian blue staining was performed to detect myocardial iron deposition. The myocardial mitochondrial structure was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) in the myocardial tissue were determined by lipid peroxidation assay kits. Immunofluorescence assay was conducted to observe the fluorescence intensity of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in the myocardial tissue. Western blot analysis was performed to evaluate the expression levels of proteins in the Nrf2/solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11)/glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) pathway. ResultsCompared with the sham group, the model group showed increased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD), and serum levels of NT-proBNP, TGF-β, and MHC-β (P<0.01), decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS) (P<0.01), disarrangement of myocardial cells, inflammatory cell infiltration, severe myocardial fibrosis, increased myocardial iron deposition, and irregular mitochondrial morphology with vacuolation. Furthermore, the modeling led to increased MDA (P<0.01), decreased GSH (P<0.01), diminished Nrf2 fluorescence intensity in the myocardial tissue, and downregulated expression levels of Nrf2, SLC7A11, and GPX4 (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, Gardeniae Fructus-Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma reduced the LVEDD, LVESD, and serum levels of NT-proBNP, TGF-β, and MHC-β (P<0.05, P<0.01), increased the LVEF and LVFS (P<0.05, P<0.01), alleviated pathological changes such as myocardial cell disarrangement, inflammatory cell infiltration, myocardial fibrosis, and iron deposition, lowered the level of MDA (P<0.05, P<0.01), raised the level of GSH (P<0.05, P<0.01), improved the mitochondrial morphology and reduced vacuolation in the myocardial tissue, enhanced Nrf2 fluorescence intensity, and upregulated the expression levels of Nrf2, SLC7A11, and GPX4 (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the rat model of myocardial infarction. ConclusionGardeniae Fructus-Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma alleviates pathological damage and myocardial remodeling in the rat model of myocardial infarction by inhibiting ferroptosis, the mechanism of which is related to the activation of Nrf2/SLC7A11/GPX4 signaling pathway.
3.Gardeniae Fructus-Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma Regulates Ferroptosis via Nrf2/SLC7A11/GPX4 Signaling Pathway to Alleviate Myocardial Remodeling in Rat Model of Myocardial Infarction
Xuesong CHEN ; Rongnan QIU ; Shenghao WANG ; Yan FENG ; Jutong XIE ; Yuwen YAN ; Tianlin YANG ; Changxu XIE ; Lei GAO ; Jianping SHEN ; Yuehong SHEN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(20):54-62
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Gardeniae Fructus-Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma on ferroptosis in the rat model of myocardial infarction and further elucidate its role in myocardial remodeling. MethodsThe rat model of myocardial infarction was established by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. The 50 successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into model group, ferroptosis inhibitor group (2 mg·kg-1), enalapril group (2.1 mg·kg-1), and low- and high-dose (4 g·kg-1 and 8 g·kg-1, respectively) Gardeniae Fructus-Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, with 10 rats in each group. The rat model of myocardial infarction was established by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. After 4 weeks of treatment, echocardiography was used to assess the cardiac structure and function. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Masson staining were employed to observe pathological morphology and fibrosis of the myocardial tissue. Serum levels of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and myosin heavy chain-β (MHC-β) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Prussian blue staining was performed to detect myocardial iron deposition. The myocardial mitochondrial structure was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) in the myocardial tissue were determined by lipid peroxidation assay kits. Immunofluorescence assay was conducted to observe the fluorescence intensity of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) in the myocardial tissue. Western blot analysis was performed to evaluate the expression levels of proteins in the Nrf2/solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11)/glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) pathway. ResultsCompared with the sham group, the model group showed increased left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD), and serum levels of NT-proBNP, TGF-β, and MHC-β (P<0.01), decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS) (P<0.01), disarrangement of myocardial cells, inflammatory cell infiltration, severe myocardial fibrosis, increased myocardial iron deposition, and irregular mitochondrial morphology with vacuolation. Furthermore, the modeling led to increased MDA (P<0.01), decreased GSH (P<0.01), diminished Nrf2 fluorescence intensity in the myocardial tissue, and downregulated expression levels of Nrf2, SLC7A11, and GPX4 (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, Gardeniae Fructus-Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma reduced the LVEDD, LVESD, and serum levels of NT-proBNP, TGF-β, and MHC-β (P<0.05, P<0.01), increased the LVEF and LVFS (P<0.05, P<0.01), alleviated pathological changes such as myocardial cell disarrangement, inflammatory cell infiltration, myocardial fibrosis, and iron deposition, lowered the level of MDA (P<0.05, P<0.01), raised the level of GSH (P<0.05, P<0.01), improved the mitochondrial morphology and reduced vacuolation in the myocardial tissue, enhanced Nrf2 fluorescence intensity, and upregulated the expression levels of Nrf2, SLC7A11, and GPX4 (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the rat model of myocardial infarction. ConclusionGardeniae Fructus-Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma alleviates pathological damage and myocardial remodeling in the rat model of myocardial infarction by inhibiting ferroptosis, the mechanism of which is related to the activation of Nrf2/SLC7A11/GPX4 signaling pathway.
4.Ameliorating effects of tetrahydrocurcumin and its nano-preparations on lipopolysaccharide-induced depression in mice
Hui Tan ; Yuanping Li ; Jingyuan Meng ; Tengteng Ma ; Yan Yang ; Zhengmao Yang ; Jiaqing Ma ; Jianping Xie ; Ying Guo
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(1):79-86
Objective :
To investigate the antidepressant effects and the underlying mechanisms of tetrahydrocurcumin(THC) and its nanoparticle formulation(THCN).
Methods :
Forty-six male ICR mice were randomly divided into Con group, LPS group, THC group, THCN group and SER group. A mouse depression model was established by intraperitoneal administration of LPS. The anxiety and depression-like behaviors of mice were evaluated by open field test(OFT) and forced swimming test(FST). Myelin staining was applied to assess the extent of demyelination in the prefrontal cortex of the mice. The prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were further examined for the expression levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein(GFAP) and Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4) through quantitative immunofluorescence assays.
Results :
Compared with the Con group, the LPS group showed increased anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors in both the long-term and short-term experiments(P<0.05); the degree of demyelination increased in the LPS group of the long-term experiment(P<0.01); the expression of GFAP was reduced in the LPS group of the short-term experiment(P<0.01), while the expression of TLR4 increased(P<0.05); the expression of TLR4 decreased in the THC group(P<0.01); the expression of GFAP in the prefrontal cortex of the THCN group was reduced(P<0.01), while the expression of TLR4 increased(P<0.05). Compared with the LPS group, the THC group showed reduced depressive-like behaviors in the long-term experiment(P<0.05), while the anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors of the THCN group and the SER group were reduced(P<0.05), and the anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors of the THC group and the THCN group were reduced in the short-term experiment(P<0.05); the degree of demyelination was reduced in the THC group, THCN group and SER group in the long-term experiment(P<0.05); the expression of GFAP increased in the THC group of the short-term experiment(P<0.05), while the expression of TLR4 was reduced(P<0.05), and the expression of GFAP increased in the THCN group(P<0.05). Compared with the THC group, the THCN group and the SER group showed reduced anxiety-like behaviors in the long-term experiment(P<0.05); the expression of GFAP in the prefrontal cortex of the THCN group was reduced in the short-term experiment(P<0.05), while the expression of TLR4 in the hippocampal DG area increased in the short-term experiment(P<0.01).
Conclusion
Tetrahydrocurcumin and its nanoparticle formulation both exert significant ameliorative effects on depression-like behaviors and demyelination in mice induced by lipopolysaccharide. The antidepressant mechanism of THC appears to be mediated through the down-regulation of TLR4 and the up-regulation of GFAP. The mechanism underlying the antidepressant action of THCN seems predominantly focused on the enhancement of GFAP expression.
5.Dipsacus asper Treats Alzheimer's Disease in Caenorhabditis elegans by Regulating PPARα/TFEB Pathway
Mengmeng WANG ; Jianping ZHAO ; Limin WU ; Shuang CHU ; Yanli HUANG ; Zhenghao CUI ; Yiran SUN ; Pan WANG ; Hui WANG ; Zhenqiang ZHANG ; Zhishen XIE
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(5):104-114
ObjectiveTo investigate the anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) effect of Dipsacus asper(DA) in the Caenorhabditis elegans model, and decipher the underlying mechanism via the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα)/transcription factor EB (TFEB) pathway. MethodsFirst, transgenic AD C. elegans individuals were assigned into the blank control, model, positive control (WY14643, 20 µmol·L-1), and low-, medium-, and high-dose (100, 200, and 400 mg·L-1, respectively) DA groups. The amyloid β-42 (Aβ42) formation in the muscle cells, the paralysis time, and the deposition of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) in the head were detected. The lysosomal autophagy in the BV2 cell model was examined by Rluc-LC3wt/G120A. The expression levels of lysosomal autophagy-related proteins LC3Ⅱ, LC3I, LAMP2, and TFEB were detected by Western blot. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was employed to determine the mRNA levels of autophagy-related genes beclin1 and Atg5 and lysosome-related genes LAMP2 and CLN2 downstream of PPARα/TFEB. A reporter gene assay was used to detect the transcriptional activities of PPARα and TFEB. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the fluorescence intensity of PPARα, and the active components of the ethanol extract of DA were identified by UPLC-MS. RCSB PDB, Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), and Autodock were used to analyze the binding between the active components and PPARα-ligand-binding domain (LBD). ResultsCompared with the model group, the positive control group and 200 and 400 mg·L-1 DA groups showed prolonged paralysis time (P<0.05), and all the treatment groups showed decreased Aβ deposition in the head (P<0.01). DA within the concentration range of 50-500 mg·L-1 did not affect the viability of BV2 cells. In addition, DA enhanced the autophagy flux (P<0.05), up-regulated the mRNA levels of beclin1, Atg5, LAMP2, and CLN2 (P<0.05, P<0.01), promoted the nuclear translocation of TFEB (P<0.05), increased LAMP2 expression and autophagy flux (P<0.05, P<0.01), and enhanced the transcriptional activities of PPARα and TFEB (P<0.01). The positive control group and 200 and 400 mg·L-1 DA groups showed enhanced fluorescence intensity of PPARα in the BV2 nucleus (P<0.01). UPLC-MS detected nine known compounds of DA, from which 8 active components of DA were screened out. The docking results suggested that a variety of components in DA could bind to PPARα-LBD and form stable hydrogen bonds. ConclusionDA may reduce the pathological changes in AD by regulating the PPARα-TFEB pathway.
6.Non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ): physiological function in Mycobacterium and application in gene editing.
Shasha XIANG ; Yu HUANG ; Jianping XIE
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(4):1280-1290
DNA double-strand breaks represent a common type of serious DNA damage in living organisms, causing instability of the genome and leading to cell death. Homologous recombination and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) are the two main ways to repair DNA double-strand breaks. The core components involved in the NHEJ pathway are highly conserved in both yeast and humans. A few bacteria such as Mycobacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus subtilis also have the NHEJ mechanism. NHEJ plays a key role in the double strand repair of Mycobacterium in latency. This paper summarizes the mechanism and important components of NHEJ in Mycobacterium, introduces the application of NHEJ in gene editing, and reviews the research progress of the NHEJ pathway in Mycobacterium. We hope to bring new insights into the molecular mechanism and provide clues for the application of NHEJ in Mycobacterium.
DNA End-Joining Repair/physiology*
;
Gene Editing/methods*
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Mycobacterium/physiology*
;
DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded
;
Humans
7.Serum proteomics and machine learning unveil new diagnostic biomarkers for tuberculosis in adolescents and young adults.
Yu CHEN ; Hongxiang XU ; Yao TIAN ; Qian HE ; Xiaoyun ZHAO ; Guobin ZHANG ; Jianping XIE
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(4):1478-1489
Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) are one of the major populations susceptible to tuberculosis. However, little is known about the unique characteristics and diagnostic biomarkers of tuberculosis in this population. In this study, 81 AYAs were recruited, and the high-quality serum proteome of the AYAs with tuberculosis was profiled by quantitative proteomics. The data of serum proteomics indicated that the relative abundance of hemoglobin and apolipoprotein was significantly reduced in the patients with active tuberculosis (ATB). The pathway enrichment analysis showed that the downregulated proteins in the ATB group were mainly involved in the antioxidant and cell detoxification pathways, indicating extensive oxidative stress damage. Random forest (RF) and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) were employed to evaluate protein importance, which yielded a set of candidate proteins that can distinguish between ATB and non-ATB. The analysis with the support vector machine algorithm (recursive feature elimination) suggested that the combination of apolipoprotein A-I (APOA1), hemoglobin subunit beta (HBB), and hemoglobin subunit alpha-1 (HBA1) had the highest accuracy and sensitivity in diagnosing ATB. Meanwhile, the levels of hemoglobin (HGB) and albumin (ALB) can be used as blood biochemical indicators to evaluate changes in the protein levels of APOA1 and HBB. This study established the serum proteome landscape of AYAs with tuberculosis and identified new biomarkers for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in this population.
Humans
;
Proteomics/methods*
;
Biomarkers/blood*
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Adolescent
;
Young Adult
;
Apolipoprotein A-I/blood*
;
Machine Learning
;
Tuberculosis/blood*
;
Proteome/analysis*
;
Male
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Hemoglobins/analysis*
;
Female
;
Blood Proteins/analysis*
;
Adult
8.The effect of cannabidiol and its nano-preparation on depressive behaviors in mice
Yuanping Li ; Hui Tan ; Jingyuan Meng ; Yan Yang ; Tengteng Ma ; Zhengmao Yang ; Jiaqing Ma ; Jianping Xie ; Ying Guo
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(3):440-445, 454
Objective :
To investigate the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of cannabidiol(CBD) and its nano-formulations on depression-like behaviors in mice.
Methods :
A murine model of acute anxiety and depression was established by intraperitoneal administration of lipopolysaccharide(LPS). A total of 55 mice were randomly assigned into several groups: for the long-term study, a control group(Con), a model group(LPS), a cannabidiol group(CBD), a nano-cannabidiol group(NCBD), and a sertraline(SER) group, each consisting of 7 mice. In the short-term study, mice were divided into four groups: the Con group, LPS group, CBD group, and NCBD group, with 5 mice in each group. Except for the Con group and LPS group, which were given distilled water, the remaining groups were administered 25 and 50 mg/kg of cannabidiol and its nano-formulationviaoral gavage. The open field and forced swimming tests were employed to assess anxiety-and depression-like behaviors inmice. Luxol Fast Blue myelin staining was employed to evaluate myelin sheath morphology in the prefrontal cortex, and immunofluorescence staining was utilized to quantify the protein expression levels of silencing information regulator(SIRT2), ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1(Iba-1), and interleukin-1β(IL-1β) in the prefrontal cortex.
Results :
In the long-term experiment, the LPS group exhibited a significant reduction in shuttle times(P<0.05), an increase in immobility time(P<0.01), and a decrease in the number and length of myelin sheaths(P<0.05) compared to the Con group. Compared to the LPS group, the depressive behaviors in the CBD, NCBD, and SER groups were significantly alleviated(P<0.01), and the number and length of myelin sheaths increased(P<0.05). In the short-term experiment, compared to the Con group, the LPS group exhibited significantly increased anxiety-and depression-like behaviors(P<0.05), downregulated SIRT2 expression(P<0.01), and upregulated Iba-1 and IL-1β expression(P<0.01). The CBD and NCBD groups demonstrated a reduction in anxiety and depression-like behaviors(P<0.05), an increase in SIRT2 expression(P<0.01), and a decrease in Iba-1 and IL-1β expressions(P<0.05) compared to the LPS group.
Conclusion
CBD and its nano-formulations effectively mitigate anxiety and depression-like behaviors in mice. The underlying mechanisms may be associated with the reversal of SIRT2 protein expression, demyelination changes, microglial activation, and the levels of inflammatory factors in the prefrontal cortex.
9.Prevalence and associated factors of diabetic retinopathy among type 2 diabetes in Dongcheng District and Tongzhou District, Beijing City: a cross-sectional study
Xiaorong ZHU ; Fangyuan YANG ; Lin ZHANG ; Rongrong XIE ; Jianping FENG ; Zhong XIN ; Wei TIAN
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;58(9):1324-1330
Objective:Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common cause of adult blindness in China. Screening of DR is important for early detection, prevention, and treatment. However, there is still controversy in the research on the prevalence and risk factors of DR in China. This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of DR and related risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Beijing City.Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted in in Dongcheng District and Tongzhou District, Beijing City. Patients with type 2 diabetes aged 18-80 years were selected from four communities, and all subjects underwent questionnaires, physical examinations, laboratory examinations and fundus photography. The logistic regression model was used to analyze the associated factors of DR.Results:A total of 1 531 subjects were included, with the median age of 66 years old and the average age of (65.6±7.4) years old, and the glycosylated hemoglobin level in the subjects was 7.2%±1.3%, and the glycosylated hemoglobin compliance rate was 56.0%(857/1 531). A total of 254 patients with diabetic retinopathy were detected, and the prevalence of DR was 16.6%(254/1 531). Among them, there were 218 cases of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy and 36 cases of proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Compared with the non-DR group, there were statistically significant differences in fasting blood glucose ( Z=-3.74, P<0.001), glycosylated hemoglobin( Z=-10.664, P<0.001), urinary microalbumin excretion rate( Z=-7.767, P<0.001), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol( Z=-2.589, P=0.01), and duration of diabetes( Z=-10.189, P<0.001) between the DR group and the non-DR group. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the duration of diabetes ( OR=1.08, 95% CI: 1.06-1.10, P<0.001), glycosylated hemoglobin ( OR=1.38, 95% CI: 1.23-1.55, P<0.001), and FPG ( OR=1.11, 95% CI: 1.03-1.19, P=0.008) were associated factors for DR. Conclusion:In this study, the prevalence of DR in 4 communities of type 2 diabetes in Beijing City was 16.6%. Besides, this study further confirmed that the duration of diabetes, fasting blood glucose levels, and glycosylated hemoglobin are associated factors for DR in patients with type 2 diabetes.
10.Clinical management of thrombocytopenia in cirrhosis
Jianping LI ; Ying TAN ; Hang SUN ; Ganqiu LIN ; Binbin CHEN ; Yue WU ; Zhiwei XIE ; Yaping WANG ; Aiqi LU ; Yujuan GUAN
Chinese Journal of Hepatology 2024;32(6):489-492
Thrombocytopenia is one of the common complications of cirrhotic patients, which can induce an increasing bleeding risk and closely correlate with bleeding following invasive procedures. Consequently, how to respond to thrombocytopenia is crucial for improving the prognosis of patients with cirrhosis. This article reviews the main mechanisms of cirrhosis concurrent with thrombocytopenia, as well as the corresponding clinical management strategies.


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