1.Effect of "Fahan" on Metabolites of Blumea balsamifera Analyzed by Non-targeted Metabolomics
Jiayuan CAO ; Xin XU ; Xiangsheng ZHANG ; Bingnan LIU ; Yongyao WEI ; Ke ZHONG ; Yuxin PANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(2):200-207
ObjectiveTo characterize the changes of metabolites of Blumea balsamifera in the process of sweating by non-targeted metabolomics, and to investigate the influence of sweating processing on the constituents of B. balsamifera. MethodsUltra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS) metabolomics was used to identify the metabolites in no sweating group(F1), sweating 2 d group(F2) and sweating 4 d group(F3), the differences of metabolites between the groups were compared by principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA), and differential metabolites were screened according to the variable importance in the projection(VIP) value>1 and P<0.05, and the pathway enrichment of the differential metabolites was analyzed by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG). ResultsThe results of PCA and OPLS-DA showed a clear distinction between the three groups of samples, indicating significant differences in the compositions of the three groups of samples. A total of 433 differential metabolites were screened between the F1 and F2, with 154 up-regulated and 279 down-regulated, the significant up-regulated metabolites were tangeritin, 5-O-demethylnobiletin and so on, while the metabolites with significant down-regulation included alternariol, fortunellin, etc. A total of 379 differential metabolites were screened between the F2 and F3, with 150 up-regulated and 229 down-regulated, the significant up-regulated metabolites were isoimperatorin, helianyl octanoate and so on, and the significant down-regulated metabolites were hovenoside I, goyasaponin Ⅲ, etc. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that tyrosine metabolism, isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, tryptophan metabolism, valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis, pantothenate and coenzyme A biosynthesis may be the key pathways affecting metabolite differences of B. balsamifera after sweating treatment. ConclusionSweating can reduce the content of endophytic mycotoxins in B. balsamifera and has a great impact on the synthesis and metabolic pathways of total flavonoids and auxin. This study can provide a reference for the process research on the sweating conditions of B. balsamifera.
2.The Critical Roles of GABAergic Interneurons in The Pathological Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease
Ke-Han CHEN ; Zheng-Jiang YANG ; Zi-Xin GAO ; Yuan YAO ; De-Zhong YAO ; Yin YANG ; Ke CHEN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(9):2233-2240
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of dementia in the elderly, is characterized by severe cognitive decline, loss of daily living abilities, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. This condition imposes a substantial burden on patients, families, and society. Despite extensive research efforts, the complex pathogenesis of AD, particularly the early mechanisms underlying cognitive dysfunction, remains incompletely understood, posing significant challenges for timely diagnosis and effective therapeutic intervention. Among the various cellular components implicated in AD, GABAergic interneurons have emerged as critical players in the pathological cascade, playing a pivotal role in maintaining neural network integrity and function in key brain regions affected by the disease. GABAergic interneurons represent a heterogeneous population of inhibitory neurons essential for sustaining neural network homeostasis. They achieve this by precisely modulating rhythmic oscillatory activity (e.g., theta and gamma oscillations), which are crucial for cognitive processes such as learning and memory. These interneurons synthesize and release the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, exerting potent control over excitatory pyramidal neurons through intricate local circuits. Their primary mechanism involves synaptic inhibition, thereby modulating the excitability and synchrony of neural populations. Emerging evidence highlights the significant involvement of GABAergic interneuron dysfunction in AD pathogenesis. Contrary to earlier assumptions of their resistance to the disease, specific subtypes exhibit vulnerability or altered function early in the disease process. Critically, this impairment is not merely a consequence but appears to be a key driver of network hyperexcitability, a hallmark feature of AD models and potentially a core mechanism underlying cognitive deficits. For instance, parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons display biphasic alterations in activity. Both suppressing early hyperactivity or enhancing late activity can rescue cognitive deficits, underscoring their causal role. Somatostatin-positive (SST+) neurons are highly sensitive to amyloid β-protein (Aβ) dysfunction. Their functional impairment drives AD progression via a dual pathway: compensatory hyperexcitability promotes Aβ generation, while released SST-14 forms toxic oligomers with Aβ, collectively accelerating neuronal loss and amyloid deposition, forming a vicious cycle. Vasoactive intestinal peptide-positive (VIP+) neurons, although potentially spared in number early in the disease, exhibit altered firing properties (e.g., broader spikes, lower frequency), contributing to network dysfunction (e.g., in CA1). Furthermore, VIP release induced by 40 Hz sensory stimulation (GENUS) enhances glymphatic clearance of Aβ, demonstrating a direct link between VIP neuron function and modulation of amyloid pathology. Given their central role in network stability and their demonstrable dysfunction in AD, GABAergic interneurons represent promising therapeutic targets. Current research primarily explores three approaches: increasing interneuron numbers (e.g., improving cortical PV+ interneuron counts and behavior in APP/PS1 mice with the antidepressant citalopram; transplanting stem cells differentiated into functional GABAergic neurons to enhance cognition), enhancing neuronal activity (e.g., using low-dose levetiracetam or targeted activation of specific molecules to boost PV+ interneuron excitability, restoring neural network γ‑oscillations and memory; non-invasive neuromodulation techniques like 40 Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), GENUS, and minimally invasive electroacupuncture to improve inhibitory regulation, promote memory, and reduce Aβ), and direct GABA system intervention (clinical and animal studies reveal reduced GABA levels in AD-affected brain regions; early GABA supplementation improves cognition in APP/PS1 mice, suggesting a therapeutic time window). Collectively, these findings establish GABAergic interneuron intervention as a foundational rationale and distinct pathway for AD therapy. In conclusion, GABAergic interneurons, particularly the PV+, SST+, and VIP+ subtypes, play critical and subtype-specific roles in the initiation and progression of AD pathology. Their dysfunction significantly contributes to network hyperexcitability, oscillatory deficits, and cognitive decline. Understanding the heterogeneity in their vulnerability and response mechanisms provides crucial insights into AD pathogenesis. Targeting these interneurons through pharmacological, neuromodulatory, or cellular approaches offers promising avenues for developing novel, potentially disease-modifying therapies.
3.Single mini-incision combined with honeycomb titanium plate in treatment of acute acromioclavicular joint disloca-tion
Yu-Chen WANG ; Wei-Zhong YU ; Yun-Feng LI ; Wen-Ke ZHU ; Chuan JIA ; Jun-Qi WU ; Hua GAO ; Lin JI
China Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology 2024;37(6):576-582
Objective To explore clinical effect of single small incision with honeycomb titanium plate in treating acute acromioclavicular dislocation.Methods The clinical data of 40 patients with acute acromioclavicular dislocation admitted from December 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed and divided into two groups according to different surgical methods.Among them,20 patients were fixed with single small incision with honeycomb titanium plate(titanium plate group),including 11 males and 9 females,aged from 23 to 65 years old with an average of(47.40±12.58)years old;12 patients on the left side,8 patients on the right side;11 patients with type Ⅲ,3 patients with type Ⅳ,and 6 patients with type Ⅴ according to Rockwood classification.Twenty patients were fixed with clavicular hook plate(clavicular hook group),including 8 males and 12 females,aged from 24 to 65 years old with an average of(48.40±12.08)years old;12 patients on the left side,8 patients on the right side;10 patients with type Ⅲ,2 patients with type Ⅳ,and 8 patients with type V according to Rockwood classifica-tion.Operative time,incision length,intraoperative blood loss,hospital stay,visual analogue scale(VAS)and Constant-Murley score of shoulder joint function were compared between two groups.Anteroposterior radiographs of the affected shoulder joint were recorded before,immediately and 6 months after surgery,and the coracoclavicular distance was measured and compared.Results Both groups of patients were successfully completed operation without serious complications.All patients were fol-lowed up for 6 to 15 months with an average of(11.9±4.8)months.There were no incisional infection,internal plant fracture or failure,bone tunnel fracture and other complications occurred.The incision length of titanium plate group(35.90±3.14)mm was significantly shorter than that of clavicular hook group(49.30±3.79)mm(P<0.05).There were no significant difference in operative time,intraoperative blood loss and hospital stay between two groups(P>0.05).At 1 and 3 months after operation,VAS of titanium plate group was lower than that of clavicular hook group(P<0.05).Connstant-Murley scores in titanium plate group at 1,3 and 6 months after operation were(86.80±1.36),(91.60±2.32)and(94.90±2.22),respectively;and in clavicular hook group were(78.45±5.47),(85.55±2.01)and(90.25±1.92),which were higher than that of clavicular hook group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in coracoclavicular distance between two groups immediately and 6 months after op-eration(P>0.05).Conclusion For the treatment of acute acromioclavicular joint dislocation,single small incision combined with honeycomb titanium plate have advantages of shorter incision,fast recovery of shoulder joint function without the second operation,and has good satisfaction of patient.
4.A case of emergency transcatheter aortic valve replacement treatment for aortic stenosis complicated with acute heart failure shock in primary hospital
Huan GUO ; Yu-Dong LI ; Nian-Guo DONG ; Xiao-Ke SHANG ; Yu-Cheng ZHONG ; Chang-Dong ZHANG ; Ling-Bo ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Interventional Cardiology 2024;32(5):291-294
Aortic valve stenosis,as a common heart valve disease,progresses rapidly and has a poor clinical prognosis.In the case of combined acute heart failure,the pumping function of the heart is severely impaired,which may lead to a significant decrease in cardiac output,resulting in a state of shock.Transcatheter aortic valve replacement(TAVR)has become a first-line treatment for elderly patients with aortic valve stenosis since its first successful case in 2002.In China,with the advancement of technology and the strengthening of physician training,the capacity of grassroots hospitals in TAVR treatment is increasing.This case reports a patient with severe aortic valve stenosis accompanied by acute heart failure and shock status who received emergency TAVR treatment at a grassroots hospital.Due to limitations in conditions,TAVR was urgently implemented without extracorporeal circulation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support.The patient's blood pressure immediately rose to 105/65 mmHg after valve dilation during surgery,and the postoperative symptoms were significantly relieved.Follow up color Doppler ultrasound showed that the stenosis was relieved and the heart function was significantly improved.The success of this surgery provides a reference for emergency TAVR treatment in patients with severe aortic valve stenosis and heart failure in grassroots hospitals.
5.D-shant atrial shunt device implantable in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure:one case report and literature review
Shu-Na XIAO ; Wen-Jie GAO ; Xiao-Ke SHANG ; Chang-Dong ZHANG ; Yu-Cheng ZHONG ; Ying ZHI ; Lin-Li QIU ; Yan-Fei DONG ; Yan HE ; Wei TIAN ; Wen-Wen TANG
Chinese Journal of Interventional Cardiology 2024;32(8):472-477
To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of implantable D-shant atrial shunt device in patients with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension(PAH)and right heart failure.A 53-year-old female patient diagnosed with severe idiopathic PAH and right heart failure,her WHO FC grade was Ⅳ.The right heart catheter and implantation of D-shant atrial shunt device were performed under local anesthesia on November 30,2021.A 6 mm×4 cm peripheral artery balloon was selected to dilate the atrial septum and a D-shant atrial shunt device with a fixed 4 mm diameter orifice was implanted into the heart.The clinical symptoms and hemodynamics of the patient was improved after the intervention.Implantation of atrial shunt device as a palliative therapy to established a right to left shunt is another strategy for treating patients with severe PAH in late period,which has good effectiveness and safety.It could be the last replacement therapy to improve symptoms and prolonged lives to drug resistant and severe PAH patients.
7.Exploring lncRNA Expression Patterns in Patients With Hypertrophied Ligamentum Flavum
Junling CHEN ; Guibin ZHONG ; Manle QIU ; Wei KE ; Jingsong XUE ; Jianwei CHEN
Neurospine 2024;21(1):330-341
Objective:
Hypertrophy ligamentum flavum (LFH) is a common cause of lumbar spinal stenosis, resulting in significant disability and morbidity. Although long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been associated with various biological processes and disorders, their involvement in LFH remains not fully understood.
Methods:
Human ligamentum flavum samples were analyzed using lncRNA sequencing followed by validation through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. To explore the potential biological functions of differentially expressed lncRNA-associated genes, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed. We also studied the impact of lncRNA PARD3-AS1 on the progression of LFH in vitro.
Results:
In the LFH tissues when compared to that in the nonhypertrophic ligamentum flavum (LFN) tissues, a total of 1,091 lncRNAs exhibited differential expression, with 645 upregulated and 446 downregulated. Based on GO analysis, the differentially expressed transcripts primarily participated in metabolic processes, organelles, nuclear lumen, cytoplasm, protein binding, nucleic acid binding, and transcription factor activity. Moreover, KEGG pathway analysis indicated that the differentially expressed lncRNAs were associated with the hippo signaling pathway, nucleotide excision repair, and nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathway. The expression of PARD3-AS1, RP11-430G17.3, RP1-193H18.3, and H19 was confirmed to be consistent with the sequencing analysis. Inhibition of PARD3-AS1 resulted in the suppression of fibrosis in LFH cells, whereas the overexpression of PARD3-AS1 promoted fibrosis in LFH cells in vitro.
Conclusion
This study identified distinct expression patterns of lncRNAs that are linked to LFH, providing insights into its underlying mechanisms and potential prognostic and therapeutic interventions. Notably, PARD3-AS1 appears to play a significant role in the pathophysiology of LFH.
8.Application of 18F-AlF-P16-093 PET combined with multiparametric MRI in the diagnosis of primary prostate cancer lesions: a head-to-head comparative study based on needle biopsy pathology
Miao KE ; Jinhui LIU ; Shaonan ZHONG ; Jing ZHANG ; Mingzhao LI ; Di GU ; Ruiyue ZHAO ; Xinlu WANG
Chinese Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 2024;44(9):533-538
Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the novel prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted PET imaging agent 18F-AlF-P16-093 in combination with multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) for prostate cancer (PCa), and to explore its application in guiding transperineal puncture biopsy. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and pathological data of 36 patients diagnosed as PCa (age: 68-76 years) who underwent 18F-AlF-P16-093 PET/CT and mpMRI examinations at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from August 2023 to March 2024. The entire prostate was divided into 12 regions based on biopsy localization. Imaging evaluations were performed using PET/CT and mpMRI at the lesion level, with biopsy pathology as the gold standard. The correlations between mpMRI scores, PET/CT scores and pathological diagnosis results were evaluated by Phi coefficient analysis. Diagnostic efficacy was assessed by ROC curve analysis. Logistic regression was used to determine the impact of bleeding on image interpretation. Results:18F-AlF-P16-093 PET/CT showed a moderate positive correlation with pathological diagnosis result ( Phi=0.415, P<0.001), which was superior to mpMRI ( Phi=0.338, P<0.001). The diagnostic efficacy of PET single-modality model was superior to mpMRI in all indicators. The combination of 18F-AlF-P16-093 PET/CT with mpMRI significantly improved diagnostic specificity and positive predictive value, with the diagnostic specificity of the PET+ T 2 weighted imaging (WI)+ diffusion WI (DWI) and PET+ T 2WI+ DWI+ apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) combinations exceeding 90%, and the positive predictive value exceeding 80%. Bleeding did not significantly affect the diagnosis of PCa by mpMRI and PET/CT (odds ratio ( OR): 0.463-0.785, all P>0.05). Conclusion:18F-AlF-P16-093 PET/CT is superior to mpMRI in the detection and diagnostic efficacy of PCa lesions, and the combination of 18F-AlF-P16-093 PET with mpMRI can further improve diagnostic specificity and positive predictive value, which is of guiding significance for targeted prostate biopsy.
9.Advances in the study of the human microbiome in renal cell carcinoma
Kangli MA ; Yaorong LI ; Weiguang ZHAO ; Zhixian YAO ; Zhong ZHENG ; Junyao XU ; Junhua ZHENG ; Ke WU
Chinese Journal of Urology 2024;45(9):718-721
Renal cell carcinoma is one of the significant diseases endangering human health. Recent findings have shown that the human microbiome plays an important role in the occurrence and development of renal cell carcinoma, influencing its regression and treatment outcome. At present, microecological research on renal cell carcinoma are still in their initial stages, and their regulatory roles and specific mechanisms still need to be further explored. This article reviews the relationship between the human microbiome and renal cell carcinoma occurrence and development, as well as its role in diagnosis and therapies.
10.Chemical constituents from the n-butanol fraction of Siegesbeckia glabrescens
Rong YAN ; Zhong-Wen CHEN ; Yu-Ke ZHANG ; Xiao-Lu HUANG ; Bin LEI ; Hong-Ting YI ; Feng LIU ; Hua LIU
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2024;46(11):3664-3671
AIM To study the chemical constituents from the n-butanol fraction of Siegesbeckiae glabrescens Makino.METHODS The n-butanol fraction from S.glabrescens was isolated and purified by silica gel,ODS and preparative HPLC,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.RESULTS Seventeen compounds were isolated and identified as orientalin B(1),ent-2-oxo-15,16,19-trihydroxypimar-8(14)-ene(2),ent-12α,16-epoxy-2β,15α,19-trihydroxypimar-8-ene(3),ent-12α,16-epoxy-2β,15α,19-trihydroxy-pimar-8(14)-ene(4),kirenol(5),benzyl-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(6),hexyl-β-glucopyranoside(7),(Z)-3-hexenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside(8),phenylethyl-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(9),(6R,9S)-3-oxo-α-ionol-β-D-glucopyranoside(10),2-methoxy-4-(2-propenyl)phenyl-β-D-glucoside(11),4-allyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenyl glucoside(12),2-hydroxy-methylphenyl-1-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(13),icarside B2(14),everlastoside D(15),(2S,4R,5S,7S,9S,10R,13S,15R)-2,7,15,16,19-pentahydroxypimar-8(14)-ene(16),and benzyl-β-D-apiofuranosyl-(1″→6′)-β-D-glucopy-ranoside(17).Compound 9 showed weak ABTS radical scavenging capability,and compound 15 had strong DPPH and ABTS radicals scavenging activities.CONCLUSION Compounds 7-9,14-15 are isolated from genus Siegesbeckia for the first time.Compounds 2-4,7-17 are first isolated from this plant.Compound 9 and 15 exhibit antioxidant activities.

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