1.Ameliorative effects and mechanisms of an integrated endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibitor on lipopolysaccharide-induced cognitive impairment in mice.
Dandan LIU ; Wenjia LIU ; Lihua XIE ; Xiaofan XU ; Xiaolin ZHONG ; Wenyu CAO ; Yang XU ; Ling CHEN
Journal of Central South University(Medical Sciences) 2025;50(6):986-994
OBJECTIVES:
The integrated endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibitor (ISRIB) is a selective inhibitor of the protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) signaling pathway within endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and can improve spatial and working memory in aged mice. Although ERS and oxidative stress are tightly interconnected, it remains unclear whether ISRIB alleviates cognitive impairment by restoring the balance between ERS and oxidative stress. This study aims to investigate the effects and mechanisms of ISRIB on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cognitive impairment in mice.
METHODS:
Eight-week-old male ICR mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: Normal saline (NS) group, LPS group, and ISRIB+LPS group. NS and LPS groups received daily intraperitoneal injections of normal saline for 7 days; on day 7, LPS group mice received intraperitoneal LPS (0.83 mg/kg) to establish a cognitive impairment model. ISRIB+LPS group received ISRIB (0.25 mg/kg) intraperitoneally for 7 days, with LPS injected 30 minutes after ISRIB on day 7. Cognitive ability was evaluated by the novel place recognition test (NPRT). Real-time fluorogenic quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to detect changes in nitric oxide synthase (NOS), superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD-1), and catalase (CAT) gene expression in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Oxidative stress markers malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG), were measured in hippocampal and prefrontal cortex tissues.
RESULTS:
Compared with the NS group, mice in LPS group showed a significant reduction in novel place recognition ratio, upregulation of hippocampal NOS-1 and NOS-2 mRNA, downregulation of SOD-1 and CAT mRNA, increased MDA and GSSG, decreased GSH, and reduced GSH/GSSG ratio (all P<0.05). Compared with the LPS group, mice in ISRIB+LPS group exhibited significantly improved novel place recognition, downregulated NOS-1 and NOS-2 mRNA, upregulated SOD-1 and CAT mRNA, decreased MDA and GSSG, increased GSH, and an elevated GSH/GSSG ratio in the hippocampus (all P<0.05). No significant changes were observed in the prefrontal cortex.
CONCLUSIONS
ISRIB improves LPS-induced cognitive impairment in mice by restoring the oxidative/antioxidant balance in the hippocampus.
Animals
;
Lipopolysaccharides
;
Male
;
Mice, Inbred ICR
;
Cognitive Dysfunction/drug therapy*
;
Mice
;
Oxidative Stress/drug effects*
;
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress/drug effects*
;
Hippocampus/drug effects*
;
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II/genetics*
;
Guanidines/pharmacology*
;
eIF-2 Kinase/antagonists & inhibitors*
;
Signal Transduction/drug effects*
;
Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism*
2.Research progress in novel gene sequencing technique in prevention and control of hospital-associatal infections
Hongping TANG ; Meihua YAO ; Lihua CAO ; Qingfeng SHI
Chinese Journal of Nosocomiology 2025;35(21):3349-3354
The widespread prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms in clinical settings poses significant challen-ges to the prevention and control of hospital-associatal infections.Novel gene sequencing techniques,such as whole-genome sequencing(WGS)and metagenomic next-generation sequencing(mNGS),have emerged as revo-lutionary tools for precisely tracing to the source of hospital-associatal infection outbreak and the prevention and control through high-resolution genomic analysis.The technical principles and advantages of WGS and mNGS were systematically reviewed in the article.The pivotal roles of the techniques in confirmation of outbreak,identification of infection source,transmission chain rebuilding,study on transmission dynamics and evaluation of effect on in-fection prevention and control were elaborated through analysis of typical cases in China and abroad so as to pro-vide theoretical bases and technical support for precise identification of prevention and control of nosocomial infec-tion.
3.Effect of electromyographic perception-assisted robotic training combined with paired association stimulation on upper limb function in hemiplegic patients after stroke
Min BAI ; Lihua CAO ; Ziqi YE ; Dingjie ZHOU ; Xueping LI
Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice 2025;31(5):505-512
Objective To explore the effect of electromyographic perception-assisted robotic training combined with paired associa-tion stimulation on upper limb function in hemiplegic patients after stroke.Methods From December,2023 to December,2024,120 hemiplegic patients after stroke in Nanjing Pukou People's Hos-pital(Liangjiang Hospital,Southeast University)were randomly assigned to control group(n=60)and experi-mental group(n=60)using random envelope method.Both groups received medication and routine rehabilita-tion training,the control group received traditional muscle strength training combined with paired associative stimulation,and the experimental group received electromyographic perception robot-assisted training combined with paired association stimulation.Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremities(FMA-UE),modified Barthel In-dex(MBI),and modified Ashworth Scale(MAS)were conducted before and four weeks after treatment.The sur-face electromyography(sEMG)was used to detect the root mean square(RMS)and integrated electromyography(iEMG)of the biceps and triceps brachii,and to calculate the corresponding co-activation ratio(CR).Results Nine cases in the control group and four cases in the experimental group dropped down.After treatment,RMS of triceps,CR of flexion elbow,the scores of FMA-UE and MBI increased in both groups(|t|>2.219,P<0.001),and were better in the experimental group than in the control group(|t|>2.084,P<0.05);the biceps RMS and CR of elbow extension significantly increased in experimental group(|t|>3.863,P<0.001),and were better in the experimental group than in the control group(|t|>2.498,P<0.05).The MAS score of biceps improved in experi-mental group after treatment(Z=-4.097,P<0.001),and was better in the experimental group than in the con-trol group(Z=-3.459,P<0.01).Conclusion Electromyographic perception robot-assisted training combined with paired association stimulation can im-prove the upper limb motor function and the ability of daily living in hemiplegic patients after stroke.
4.Characteristic Analysis of Effective Components and Compounds of TCM for Prevention and Treatment of Breast Cancer Based on Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway Targeting
Haoyang WANG ; Lin GUO ; Hui ZHAO ; Lihua CAO ; Na LI ; Mingsan MIAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(5):282-290
Breast cancer is a kind of malignant tumor with a complex mechanism, and its morbidity and mortality are increasing year by year, which seriously threatens women's health. At present, the main clinical treatments are surgical resection, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and drug therapy, but they are often accompanied by side effects and adverse reactions, which affect the therapeutic effect. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has the advantages of multi-component and multi-target treatment in the fight against breast cancer. The wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is one of the classic pathways in cancer research. Abnormally activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway inhibits β-catenin degradation by blocking the formation of Axin/glycogen synthase kinase 3β/adenomatous polyposis coli complex, thus promoting β-catenin nuclear metastasis, and it binds to T cell transcription factor/lymphoenhancer factor-1 to initiate downstream target genes and further interfere with the proliferation, migration, and invasion of tumor cells to affect the tumor process. Previous studies have shown that TCM monomers and compounds can mediate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to inhibit the malignant phenotype of breast cancer cells, thus playing an anti-breast cancer role, and the biochemical process involved in the regulation of therapeutic drugs has not been systematically combed. By analyzing and collating Chinese and foreign literature at the present stage, this paper discussed the association mechanism between Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and breast cancer and analyzed the internal mechanism of TCM monomers and compounds in mediating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to exert anti-breast cancer effect. The statistical results showed that the flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids in TCM monomers could target the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and block the further development of malignant phenotype of breast cancer cells. TCM compounds with functions of clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and tonifying kidney and liver were commonly used to intervene in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to prevent breast cancer. Compared with the current inhibitors of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, the application of TCM monomers and compounds is expected to bring low-toxicity and high-efficiency breast cancer treatment drugs to the clinical practice, and the existing results provide a reference for the subsequent screening, research, and development of TCM small-molecule compounds and TCM compounds against breast cancer.
5.Exploration of Mechanism of Huanglian Zhimutang in Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Based on PI3K/Akt Pathway
Lei WANG ; Yun PAN ; Lihua WAN ; Wenling TU ; Lingyong CAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(21):168-177
ObjectiveBased on the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway, the effects of Huanglian Zhimutang on glucose and lipid metabolism disorders and hepatic insulin resistance (IR) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were investigated. MethodsGoto-Kakizaki (GK) rats were fed a high-fat diet to induce a T2DM rat model and then randomly divided into four groups: normal control group, model control group, metformin group (0.10 g·kg-1), and Huanglian Zhimutang group (3.60 g·kg-1), with eight rats in each group. Drug intervention was administered continuously for 8 weeks. Serum and liver tissues were collected from each group. Fasting insulin (FINS) levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index was calculated. Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Liver tissue pathology was observed via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were detected using ELISA. Network pharmacology and transcriptomics sequencing were combined to analyze differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in liver tissue from the normal control group, model control group, and Huanglian Zhimutang group. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis was performed to identify pathways affected by Huanglian Zhimutang intervention in T2DM. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was used to assess the mRNA expression of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), PI3K, Akt, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) in liver tissue, while Western blot was used to evaluate corresponding protein expression levels. ResultsAfter 8 weeks of Huanglian Zhimutang intervention, typical symptoms of T2DM rats such as polydipsia, polyphagia, and polyuria were significantly alleviated, along with reductions in fasting blood glucose levels and insulin resistance(P<0.01). Histopathological results revealed that Huanglian Zhimutang effectively improved hepatic steatosis and inflammatory edema and reduced lipid vacuole formation. Biochemical tests demonstrated that Huanglian Zhimutang significantly reduced serum levels of TC, TG, and LDL-C(P<0.01). ELISA results showed that Huanglian Zhimutang effectively decreased serum concentrations of IL-6 and TNF-α(P<0.05,P<0.01). Combined network pharmacology predictions with KEGG pathway analysis of transcriptomics showed that DEGs between the Huanglian Zhimutang and model control groups were significantly enriched in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Real-time PCR and Western blot results confirmed that Huanglian Zhimutang upregulated the expression of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway-related mRNAs and proteins in liver tissue(P<0.05,P<0.01), thereby reducing inflammation, alleviating hepatic lipid accumulation, and enhancing insulin sensitivity. ConclusionHuanglian Zhimutang effectively ameliorates glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in T2DM rats. Its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the PI3K/Akt pathway, which reduces inflammation and hepatic lipid deposition and relieves hepatic insulin resistance.
6.Exploration of Mechanism of Huanglian Zhimutang in Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Based on PI3K/Akt Pathway
Lei WANG ; Yun PAN ; Lihua WAN ; Wenling TU ; Lingyong CAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(21):168-177
ObjectiveBased on the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway, the effects of Huanglian Zhimutang on glucose and lipid metabolism disorders and hepatic insulin resistance (IR) with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were investigated. MethodsGoto-Kakizaki (GK) rats were fed a high-fat diet to induce a T2DM rat model and then randomly divided into four groups: normal control group, model control group, metformin group (0.10 g·kg-1), and Huanglian Zhimutang group (3.60 g·kg-1), with eight rats in each group. Drug intervention was administered continuously for 8 weeks. Serum and liver tissues were collected from each group. Fasting insulin (FINS) levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index was calculated. Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Liver tissue pathology was observed via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were detected using ELISA. Network pharmacology and transcriptomics sequencing were combined to analyze differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in liver tissue from the normal control group, model control group, and Huanglian Zhimutang group. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis was performed to identify pathways affected by Huanglian Zhimutang intervention in T2DM. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was used to assess the mRNA expression of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), PI3K, Akt, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) in liver tissue, while Western blot was used to evaluate corresponding protein expression levels. ResultsAfter 8 weeks of Huanglian Zhimutang intervention, typical symptoms of T2DM rats such as polydipsia, polyphagia, and polyuria were significantly alleviated, along with reductions in fasting blood glucose levels and insulin resistance(P<0.01). Histopathological results revealed that Huanglian Zhimutang effectively improved hepatic steatosis and inflammatory edema and reduced lipid vacuole formation. Biochemical tests demonstrated that Huanglian Zhimutang significantly reduced serum levels of TC, TG, and LDL-C(P<0.01). ELISA results showed that Huanglian Zhimutang effectively decreased serum concentrations of IL-6 and TNF-α(P<0.05,P<0.01). Combined network pharmacology predictions with KEGG pathway analysis of transcriptomics showed that DEGs between the Huanglian Zhimutang and model control groups were significantly enriched in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Real-time PCR and Western blot results confirmed that Huanglian Zhimutang upregulated the expression of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway-related mRNAs and proteins in liver tissue(P<0.05,P<0.01), thereby reducing inflammation, alleviating hepatic lipid accumulation, and enhancing insulin sensitivity. ConclusionHuanglian Zhimutang effectively ameliorates glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in T2DM rats. Its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the PI3K/Akt pathway, which reduces inflammation and hepatic lipid deposition and relieves hepatic insulin resistance.
7.Chinese and international organoid research trends:a comparative bibliometric analysis based on CiteSpace
Zhihua CAO ; Tengjia HUANG ; Yixin LIU ; Xi CAO ; Ziying LI ; Sheng LI ; Lihua QIN
Journal of Clinical Medicine in Practice 2025;29(16):14-19,27
Objective To integrate multi-source heterogeneous literature data from China Na-tional Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI),Wanfang,VIP,and Web of Science(WoS)databases u-sing bibliometric methods,and to comparatively analyze the differences in knowledge structure charac-teristics and evolutionary pathways of organoid research between China and foreign countries.Meth-ods CiteSpace software was employed to conduct a visual atlas analysis of the publication volume,countries,institutions,authors,and keywords of 1,118 Chinese literatures and 10,871 English lit-eratures.Results China ranked the second globally in terms of publication volume(accounting for 22.09%),but exhibited low centrality in international collaboration networks.The density of the do-mestic institutional collaboration network was 0.003,indicating a relatively loose structure,with Fudan University leading domestic output with 15 Chinese papers.Keyword emergence analysis revealed that"organ-on-a-chip"and"biomechanics"have emerged as new hotspots since 2024.Conclusion It is recommended to establish an interdisciplinary collaborative innovation alliance to focus on break-throughs in the translational directions of organ-on-a-chip and biomechanics,thereby addressing the imbalance between"scale and quality"in China's organoid research.
8.The relationship among sleep quality, fatigue and work-related musculoskeletal disorders in firefighters
Xu JIN ; Wenchu HUANG ; Long′ao YANG ; Yun WANG ; Lei CAO ; Lihua HE
China Occupational Medicine 2025;52(5):496-502
Objective To explore the relationship among sleep quality, fatigue and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in firefighters, and to examine the mediating effect of fatigue between sleep quality and the risk of WMSDs. Methods A total of 271 firefighters from three prefecture-level cities in Jiangsu Province were selected as the study subjects by a convenient sampling method. The Chinese Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Fatigue Scale-14 were used to assess WMSDs, sleep quality and fatigue status among the study subjects. The effect of sleep quality and fatigue on WMSDs was analyzed, as well as the mediating role of fatigue between sleep quality and the risk of WMSDs. Results The annual prevalence of WMSDs among the firefighters was 68.6%. The firefighters who had poor and very poor sleep quality accounted for 36.2% and 7.7%, respectively. There were 88.6% of firefighters reported fatigue. The total scores of PSQI and fatigue of firefighters in WMSDs group were higher than those in non-WMSDs group (all P<0.01). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the higher the total score of PSQI, the worse the sleep quality, and the higher the risk of WMSDs in firefighters (all P<0.01). The higher the total score of fatigue, the higher the risk of WMSDs (P<0.01), and the risk of WMSDs in the fatigue group was higher than that in the non-fatigue group among the firefighters (P<0.01). The direct effect of sleep quality on WMSDs in firefighters was 0.028 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.012-0.050, P<0.01], and its indirect effect on WMSDs mediated by fatigue was 0.027 (95%CI: 0.018-0.040, P<0.01). Fatigue played a mediating role in sleep quality and WMSDs, with the mediating ratio of 0.491 (95%CI: 0.304-0.740, P<0.01). Conclusion Poor sleep quality and fatigue are related to an increased risk of WMSDs in firefighters in a dose-response manner. Fatigue plays a mediating role between sleep quality and the risk of WMSDs.
9.Construction of quality indicator system for pain nursing process in adult inpatients
Hongchen SHI ; Jinting CAO ; Li WANG ; Yu′e REN ; Guangzhao LIU ; Lihua ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Anesthesiology 2025;45(10):1298-1303
Objective:To construct a quality indicator system for pain nursing process in adult inpatients and to provide a scientific, objective and practical basis for the evaluation and management of pain nursing quality in clinical nursing.Methods:Based on the guidance framework of nursing procedures, a quality index system for pain nursing process in adult inpatients was preliminarily developed. Two rounds of expert questionnaires were conducted using the Delphi method, the analytic hierarchy process was used to analyze the weight of the indicators, and the semantic analysis of the indicator system was carried out with the nurses, and finally the quality indicator system for the pain nursing process in adult inpatients was constructed.Results:Both Delphi rounds attained 100% response rates, and the expert authority coefficients were 0.96 and 0.98 respectively, the familiarity coefficients were 0.95 and 0.98 respectively, both judgment basis coefficients were 0.98, and the Kendall′s coefficient of concordance were 0.187 and 0.451 respectively. The mean values of each indicator in semantic analysis ranged from 4.30 to 5.00, and the standard deviation was 0-1.06. The final constructed quality indicator system for the pain nursing process in adult inpatients included 5 primary-level indicators (pain assessment, pain nursing diagnosis, pain nursing plan, pain nursing measures, and pain nursing evaluation) and 28 secondary-level indicators.Conclusions:The quality indicator system for the pain nursing process is successfully constructed in adult inpatients, the method is scientific and reasonable, and the content is practical and reliable. It has guiding significance for evaluating the quality of pain nursing process for inpatients.
10.Construction of quality indicator system for pain nursing process in adult inpatients
Hongchen SHI ; Jinting CAO ; Li WANG ; Yu′e REN ; Guangzhao LIU ; Lihua ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Anesthesiology 2025;45(10):1298-1303
Objective:To construct a quality indicator system for pain nursing process in adult inpatients and to provide a scientific, objective and practical basis for the evaluation and management of pain nursing quality in clinical nursing.Methods:Based on the guidance framework of nursing procedures, a quality index system for pain nursing process in adult inpatients was preliminarily developed. Two rounds of expert questionnaires were conducted using the Delphi method, the analytic hierarchy process was used to analyze the weight of the indicators, and the semantic analysis of the indicator system was carried out with the nurses, and finally the quality indicator system for the pain nursing process in adult inpatients was constructed.Results:Both Delphi rounds attained 100% response rates, and the expert authority coefficients were 0.96 and 0.98 respectively, the familiarity coefficients were 0.95 and 0.98 respectively, both judgment basis coefficients were 0.98, and the Kendall′s coefficient of concordance were 0.187 and 0.451 respectively. The mean values of each indicator in semantic analysis ranged from 4.30 to 5.00, and the standard deviation was 0-1.06. The final constructed quality indicator system for the pain nursing process in adult inpatients included 5 primary-level indicators (pain assessment, pain nursing diagnosis, pain nursing plan, pain nursing measures, and pain nursing evaluation) and 28 secondary-level indicators.Conclusions:The quality indicator system for the pain nursing process is successfully constructed in adult inpatients, the method is scientific and reasonable, and the content is practical and reliable. It has guiding significance for evaluating the quality of pain nursing process for inpatients.

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