1.Research progress on the prevention and treatment of myocardial infarction by traditional Chinese medicine through regulating NF-κB signaling pathway
Lirong ZHENG ; Peili YANG ; Guiwei LI ; Junchi GUO ; Yingqiang ZHAO
China Pharmacy 2025;36(14):1807-1812
Myocardial infarction (MI) refers to an acute clinical syndrome of myocardial necrosis due to persistent ischemia and hypoxia, resulting from the sharp reduction or interruption of coronary blood flow. Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is the key factor in inducing inflammatory response, and it is involved in the production of pro-inflammatory factors and myocardial cell apoptosis. This article systematically describes the molecular regulation mechanism of the NF-κB signaling pathway in MI, and reviews the related research on the prevention and treatment of MI through the regulation of this signaling pathway by active ingredients and compound formulas from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It has been found that active ingredients from TCM, such as ginsenoside Rg3, baicalein, curcumin, tanshinone ⅡA, gambogic acid, as well as compound formulas, including Qili qiangxin capsules, Yiqi huoxue decoction, Lingbao huxin dan, Danhong injection, Baoyuan decoction combined with Taohong siwu decoction, can improve myocardial fibrosis, alleviate inflammatory responses, and inhibit cardiomyocyte apoptosis by suppressing the NF-κB signaling pathway. Thereby, they achieve the goal of preventing and treating MI.
2.Screening key genes of PANoptosis in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury based on bioinformatics
Lirong ZHU ; Qian GUO ; Jie YANG ; Qiuwen ZHANG ; Guining HE ; Yanqing YU ; Ning WEN ; Jianhui DONG ; Haibin LI ; Xuyong SUN
Organ Transplantation 2025;16(1):106-113
Objective To explore the relationship between PANoptosis and hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI), and to screen the key genes of PANoptosis in HIRI. Methods PANoptosis-related differentially expressed genes (PDG) were obtained through the Gene Expression Omnibus database and GeneCards database. Gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were used to explore the biological pathways related to PDG. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed. Key genes were selected, and their diagnostic value was assessed and validated in the HIRI mice. Immune cell infiltration analysis was performed based on the cell-type identification by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcripts. Results A total of 16 PDG were identified. GO analysis showed that PDG were closely related to cellular metabolism. KEGG analysis indicated that PDG were mainly enriched in cellular death pathways such as apoptosis and immune-related signaling pathways such as the tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway. GSEA results showed that key genes were mainly enriched in immune-related signaling pathways such as the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Two key genes, DFFB and TNFSF10, were identified with high accuracy in diagnosing HIRI, with areas under the curve of 0.964 and 1.000, respectively. Immune infiltration analysis showed that the control group had more infiltration of resting natural killer cells, M2 macrophages, etc., while the HIRI group had more infiltration of M0 macrophages, neutrophils, and naive B cells. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction results showed that compared with the Sham group, the relative expression of DFFB messenger RNA in liver tissue of HIRI group mice increased, and the relative expression of TNFSF10 messenger RNA decreased. Cibersort analysis showed that the infiltration abundance of naive B cells was positively correlated with DFFB expression (r=0.70, P=0.035), and the infiltration abundance of M2 macrophages was positively correlated with TNFSF10 expression (r=0.68, P=0.045). Conclusions PANoptosis-related genes DFFB and TNFSF10 may be potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for HIRI.
3.Practice of billable pharmacy service programs and billing in the United States
Lirong YANG ; Siyu LIU ; Shushan WU
China Pharmacy 2025;36(10):1161-1165
OBJECTIVE To introduce the characteristics and practice of billable pharmacy service programs in the United States, aiming to provide reference for the development of clinical pharmacy service and the establishment of corresponding billing criteria in China. METHODS By searching the official websites of American Pharmacists Association, American Society of Health- System Pharmacists, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the PubMed database, the contents of American billable pharmacy service programs, corresponding service billing criteria, the approaches to being paid as pharmacists and the clinical practice evidence were summarized. RESULTS Current major billable pharmacy service programs implemented in the United States included medication therapy management, outpatient pharmacy service, transition of care management, chronic disease management, annual wellness visits, as well as diabetes self-management training/education. Except for diabetes self-management training/education, which lacked robust data on practice outcomes, all other programs mentioned above were demonstrated to have positive impact on patient outcomes, reducing health care cost and/or generating revenues. The most common approaches for pharmacists to obtain reimbursement were “incident to” billing and using procedure codes. CONCLUSIONS Billable pharmacy practice programs in the United States are achieving progress in service specialization and billing standardization. China can learn from successful cases in the United States while considering its own national context, with the ultimate goal of improving the overall health outcomes of patients, so that pharmacy services can become an important part of the medical service system.
4.Effect of inhibiting of miR-203a-3p gene expression on proliferation and apoptosis of rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts
Lirong CHEN ; Qiuyu FAN ; Ya LIU ; Huiqin YANG
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2025;41(3):600-604
Objective:To explore the effect of inhibiting miR-203a-3p gene expression on proliferation and apoptosis of rheu-matoid arthritis(RA)synovial fibroblasts.Methods:Divided fibroblast-like synovial cells MH7A into Control group(untransfected cells),anti-miR-NC group(transfected with anti-miR-NC),anti-miR-203a-3p group(transfected with anti-miR-203a-3p),anti-miR-203a-3p+LiCl group(transfected with anti-miR-203a-3p+signal pathway activator LiCl).qRT-PCR was used to detect expression level of miR-203a-3p;clone formation experiment,MTT experiment were used to detect cell proliferation;flow cytometry was used to de-tect cell apoptosis;Western blot was used to detect protein expressions of PCNA,Bcl-2,Bax,Wnt1,β-catenin.Results:Transfec-tion of miR-203a-3p reduced the number of clones and survival rate of MH7A cells,increased rate of apoptosis,reduced expression levels of PCNA,Bcl-2,Wnt1,β-catenin protein,increased expression level of Bax protein.The signaling pathway activator LiCl in-creases the number of clones and survival rate of MH7A cells transfected with miR-203a-3p,reduces the rate of apoptosis,increases the expression level of Wnt1,β-catenin,PCNA,Bcl-2 protein,and reduces expression level of Bax protein.Conclusion:miR-203a-3p may promote proliferation of RA synovial fibroblasts and inhibit cell apoptosis by activating Wnt/β-catenin.
5.Bibliometrics and Visualization of the Regulation of Notch Signaling Pathway by TCM Based on Global Perspective
Hui SHANG ; Licheng RAN ; Rong CHEN ; Yawen SONG ; Yajun WANG ; Lirong CHEN ; Tong YANG ; Mingliang GUO ; Hui HE
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(4):1072-1083
Objective To analyze the research status,hot directions and frontier trends of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of diseases by regulating Notch signaling pathway based on bibliometrics.Methods Based on Citespace and Vosviewer,the literature on the regulation of Notch signaling pathway by traditional Chinese medicine in CNKI and WoSCC was visually analyzed.Results 362 and 85 related literatures were published in Chinese and English respectively until January 2024.Since 2013,the number of literatures published in this field has shown a fluctuating increasing trend.China is the country with the most publications;Hunan University of Chinese Medicine were the institutions with the most publications in the Chinese database,and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine was the institution with the most publications in the English literature database.Combined with the research direction of each research team and keyword clustering and burst analysis,the research hotspots of traditional Chinese medicine regulating Notch signaling pathway are focused on cerebral ischemia,myelosuppression and hepatic fibrosis.Diseases such as Asthma,colorectal cancer have become emerging research directions in recent years.Electroacupuncture therapy to promote stem cell proliferation and treat neurological diseases is one of the frontier research trends in this field.Conclusion Recent years have seen a rapid development of traditional Chinese medicine's disease prevention and treatment that targets Notch signaling pathway.Various expert teams have obtained rich research results,and the research hotspots show a diversified trend.In-depth exploration of this can provide strong evidence for the molecular mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of various diseases.
6.Identification of core genes in programmed cell death during ischemia-reperfusion injury in kidney transplantation based on machine learning and experimental validation
Guining HE ; Lirong ZHU ; Jie YANG ; Zhen HE ; Minghu LI ; Haibin LI ; Ning WEN ; Xuyong SUN
Organ Transplantation 2025;16(5):738-746
Objective To identify key patterns of programmed cell death(PCD)and core genes during ischemia-reperfusion injury(IRI)in kidney transplantation.Methods Kidney transplant datasets were obtained from gene expression database,and PCD-related differentially expressed genes were screened.The non-negative matrix factorization algorithm was used to classify patients and analyze subtype-specific biological functions and key PCD patterns.Machine learning models combined with univariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were employed to identify core PCD genes during IRI in kidney transplantation and explore their correlation with key PCD patterns.A rat kidney transplant model was used to assess IRI severity through hematoxylin-eosin staining,serum creatinine(Scr),blood urea nitrogen(BUN),and Western blotting for key gene protein expression.Results Fourteen PCD-related genes were identified.Patients were classified into metabolic(subtype 1)and inflammatory(subtype 2)subtypes.Subtype 2 activated four key PCD patterns:pyroptosis,necroptosis,apoptosis and immunogenic cell death.The optimal model(XGBoost-CV:10 fold+Lasso-CV:10 fold)and survival analysis identified MCL1,BAG3,and RHOB as core PCD genes during IRI in kidney transplantation,which were broadly correlated with key PCD patterns.Experimental results showed that compared to the sham group,rats in the model group had more severe tubular injury,higher Scr and BUN levels,and increased BAG3,RHOB and MCL1 protein expression(all P<0.001).Conclusions These four PCD patterns are crucial in the pathogenesis of IRI in kidney transplantation.MCL1,BAG3 and RHOB may serve as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for IRI in kidney transplantation.
7.Epidemiologic characteristics of dengue fever in Ruili City at the China-Myanmar border in late 2023
Lirong YUAN ; Wenzhi YANG ; Yue OUYANG ; Tang LIU ; Hongmei ZHAN ; Run CHEN ; Junyu ZHANG ; Hongning ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(7):735-741
This study was aimed atanalyzing the epidemic characteristics of dengue fever in Ruili City atthe China-Myanmar bor-der in late 2023,to provide evidence for local dengue fever prevention and control measures.Adult Aedes mosquitoes were collected from Ruili City with a backpack type mosquito sucking machine in October of 2023.Serum samples frompatients with suspected den-gue were collected in acutephase,in November of 2023.Detection ofdengue virus(DENV)nucleic acids in Aedesmosquitoes and acute phase serum samples from suspected dengue fever patients using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction,and nucleic acid positive samples were inoculated into Vero cells for viral culture.After three consecutive blind passage,samples with cytopathic effect(CPE)were collected for be sequencingand analysisof genetic and evolutionary information.Dengue case characteristics were analyzed through descriptive epidemiological methods.Among the 109 cases of dengue fever,the ratio of males to females was 1.27∶1.The youngest patient was 1 year old,the oldest patient was 84 years old,the age group of 20~59 years accounted for 73.39%,and the major-ity of occupations were freelancer(40.37%).A total of 827 female Aedes albopictus and 312 Aedes aegypti were collected,all of which tested negative for DENV nucleic acid.109 serum samples tested positive for DENV nucleic acid,including 49 DENV-1 and 60 DENV-2.Moreover,five DENV-1 and nine DENV-2 samples were obtainedthrough third-generation blind passaging with CPE.The E gene sequences of these five DENV-1 strains were detected,all were found to belong to DENV-1 genotype I,and had same evolu-tionary branch as the 2023 Guangzhou,China(PP563911),the 2019 Myanmar(MW793710),and 2019 Attapeu,Laos(MW559046).The nucleotide and amino acid sequence similarityamong the five DENV-1 genotype was 99.4%-99.9%and 99.8%-100.0%.Compared with the aforementioned epidemic strains,their nucleotide similarities were 99.5%-100.0%,99.4%-99.6%and 99.3%-99.5%,respec-tively,and amino acid similarity was 99.8%-100.0%.Nine DENV-2 E gene sequences were of Asian genotype I and belonged to the same evolutionary branch as the 2018 Myanmar(MW788982),2019 Hangzhou(OP684212)and 2019 Ruili(OQ928150).The nucleotide and amino acid similarities of the nine samples were 99.5%-100.0%and 99.8%-100.0%,respectively.Compared with the aforementioned epidemic strains,their nucleotide similarities were 99.7%-100.0%,99.3%-99.7%and 99.3%-99.7%,respectively,and the amino acid similarity was 99.8%-100%,99.8%-100.0%and 99.4%-99.6%,respectively.Two dengue vectors,Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti,were present in Ruili city,and the dengue outbreak was caused primarily by DENV-1 genotype I and DENV-2 Asian genotype I in later 2023.The sources of DENV-1 were probably the same as those of DENV-1 with Guangzhou(2023),and the sources of DENV-2 were probably from Myanmar.Dengue cases were found primarilyin the 20-59 year age group and freelancers,thus suggesting that relevant local departments should strengthen surveillance of dengue imported case and vector.
8.Heavy-ion FLASH irradiation mitigates acute intestinal injury and its regulatory mechanisms
Yuchen YANG ; Jiaying HAN ; Xiaobo LI ; Junyu ZHANG ; Lirong ZHOU ; Jian SHI ; Xiaowu DENG ; Hongyu ZHU
Chinese Journal of Radiological Medicine and Protection 2025;45(11):1092-1099
Objective:To investigate the differences in acute intestinal injury and regulatory mechanisms in mice following carbon ion FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) and conventional dose rate radiotherapy (CONV-RT).Methods:Healthy C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into three groups: control group, FLASH-RT group (100 Gy/s), and CONV-RT group (0.1 Gy/s), with 9 mice in each group. All mice received carbon ion whole abdominal radiotherapy. DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) and cell proliferation were evaluated by measuring the expression of phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX) and nuclear-associated antigen 67 (Ki67) using immunohistochemistry; apoptosis was analyzed using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL); transcriptome sequencing was used to analyze the differences in molecular pathways between FLASH-RT and CONV-RT.Results:Compared with the CONV-RT group, the FLASH-RT group showed significantly reduced intestinal γ-H2AX signal at 3 h after radiotherapy ( t=3.80, P<0.01), significantly increased expression of Ki67 at the base of intestinal crypts at 6 h after radiotherapy ( t=4.30, P<0.001), and a significantly decreased number of TUNEL-positive cells at 12 h after radiotherapy ( t=3.08, P<0.01). Transcriptome sequencing analysis showed that FLASH-RT specifically activated the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) pathway, avoiding the excessive activation of CONV-RT-induced nuclear factor-κB and B cell receptor inflammatory pathways as well as the inhibition of energy metabolism. Conclusions:Compared with CONV-RT, carbon ion FLASH-RT can reduce DSB damage, preserve the proliferative activity of intestinal stem cells, activate the IGF pathway, and regulate inflammatory, immune, and metabolic pathways, thereby significantly alleviating acute intestinal epithelial injury. Specifically, the regulation of repair pathways mediated by reduced DSB and the inhibition of inflammatory pathways are potential protective mechanisms for normal tissues.
9.Heavy-ion FLASH irradiation mitigates acute intestinal injury and its regulatory mechanisms
Yuchen YANG ; Jiaying HAN ; Xiaobo LI ; Junyu ZHANG ; Lirong ZHOU ; Jian SHI ; Xiaowu DENG ; Hongyu ZHU
Chinese Journal of Radiological Medicine and Protection 2025;45(11):1092-1099
Objective:To investigate the differences in acute intestinal injury and regulatory mechanisms in mice following carbon ion FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) and conventional dose rate radiotherapy (CONV-RT).Methods:Healthy C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into three groups: control group, FLASH-RT group (100 Gy/s), and CONV-RT group (0.1 Gy/s), with 9 mice in each group. All mice received carbon ion whole abdominal radiotherapy. DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) and cell proliferation were evaluated by measuring the expression of phosphorylated histone H2AX (γ-H2AX) and nuclear-associated antigen 67 (Ki67) using immunohistochemistry; apoptosis was analyzed using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL); transcriptome sequencing was used to analyze the differences in molecular pathways between FLASH-RT and CONV-RT.Results:Compared with the CONV-RT group, the FLASH-RT group showed significantly reduced intestinal γ-H2AX signal at 3 h after radiotherapy ( t=3.80, P<0.01), significantly increased expression of Ki67 at the base of intestinal crypts at 6 h after radiotherapy ( t=4.30, P<0.001), and a significantly decreased number of TUNEL-positive cells at 12 h after radiotherapy ( t=3.08, P<0.01). Transcriptome sequencing analysis showed that FLASH-RT specifically activated the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) pathway, avoiding the excessive activation of CONV-RT-induced nuclear factor-κB and B cell receptor inflammatory pathways as well as the inhibition of energy metabolism. Conclusions:Compared with CONV-RT, carbon ion FLASH-RT can reduce DSB damage, preserve the proliferative activity of intestinal stem cells, activate the IGF pathway, and regulate inflammatory, immune, and metabolic pathways, thereby significantly alleviating acute intestinal epithelial injury. Specifically, the regulation of repair pathways mediated by reduced DSB and the inhibition of inflammatory pathways are potential protective mechanisms for normal tissues.
10.Study on the Potential Distribution of Hedysari Radix in China under Different Climates Based on Integrating Multiple Models
Lirong GUO ; Yingmei HE ; Xiao MA ; Pengwei YANG ; Dongsheng LIU ; Lin NI
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;32(10):1-6
Objective To use multiple model integration to predict the potential distribution of suitable areas for Hedysari Radix in China and the main environmental factors affecting its distribution.Methods Based on 119 geographical distribution points obtained from species distribution databases,and incorporating 19 bioclimatic and topographic factors,a species distribution model was constructed using the Biomod2 software package 3.5-1 version ensemble modeling platform,integrating six algorithms including generalized linear model,gradient boosting machine,random forest,and others.Geographic information system spatial analysis methods were used to quantitatively assess the distribution characteristics of suitable habitats of Hedysari Radix under current climate conditions and under future climate scenarios,while identifying the primary environmental drivers of its distribution.Results The ensemble model showed significantly superior predictive performance.TSS value and AUC value were 0.924 and 0.992,respectively.Key environmental factors significantly influencing the distribution of Hedysari Radix included slope,aspect,daily average temperature difference,isothermity,seasonal variation coefficient of temperature,lowest temperature in the coldest month,annual precipitation,driest month precipitation,and seasonal variation coefficient of precipitation.Under current climate conditions,suitable habitats for Hedysari Radix were primarily concentrated in the regions of Longnan and Dingxi in Gansu Province,covering an area of approximately 26.17×104 km2.Under future climate scenarios,suitable habitats will gradually shift toward the northwest into lower temperature zones,with a significant reduction in area.Conclusion The habitat suitability model developed in this study provides a basis for the conservation and sustainable utilization of Hedysari Radix genetic resources,while also offering a methodological reference for ecological adaptability studies of medicinal plants.

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