1.Research progress on the mechanism of action of rosmarinic acid in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases
Ke CAI ; Sheng-ru HUANG ; Fang-fang GAO ; Xiu-juan PENG ; Sheng GUO ; Feng LIU ; Jin-ao DUAN ; Shu-lan SU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2025;60(1):12-21
With the rapid development of social economy and the continuous improvement of human living standard, the incidence, fatality and recurrence rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are increasing year by year, which seriously affects people's life and health. Conventional therapeutic drugs have limited improvement on the disability rate, so the search for new therapeutic drugs and action targets has become one of the hotspots of current research. In recent years, the therapeutic role of the natural compound rosmarinic acid (RA) in CVD has attracted much attention, which is capable of preventing CVD by modulating multiple signalling pathways and exerting physiological activities such as antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-platelet aggregation, as well as anti-coagulation and endothelial function protection. In this paper, the role of RA in the prevention of CVD is systematically sorted out, and its mechanism of action is summarised and analysed, with a view to providing a scientific basis and important support for the in-depth exploration of the prevention value of RA in CVD and its further development as a prevention drug.
2.Research progress on PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in neoadjuvant therapy for esophageal cancer
Liji CHEN ; Hongmei MA ; Shifa ZHANG ; Kaize ZHONG ; Dongbao YANG ; Jiuhe SUN ; Hongfeng LIU ; Ru SONG ; Jishan ZHANG ; Haibo CAI
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(05):714-721
Esophageal cancer is one of the malignant tumors that poses a threat to human health, with both high incidence and malignancy. Currently, surgery following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy is the standard treatment for locally advanced esophageal cancer; however, the long-term prognosis remains unsatisfactory. In recent years, inhibitors of programmed death protein-1 (PD-1) and its ligand (programmed death ligand-1, PD-L1) have achieved breakthrough progress in other solid tumors, and research on esophageal cancer is gradually being conducted. With the demonstration of good efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in the first-line and second-line treatment of advanced unresectable esophageal cancer, their incorporation into neoadjuvant treatment regimens has become a hot topic. Therefore, this article reviews the mechanism of action of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and their application in the neoadjuvant treatment of esophageal cancer.
3.Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Sleep Deprivation-induced Acceleration of Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology
Si-Ru YAN ; Ming-Yang CAI ; Ya-Xuan SUN ; Qing HUO ; Xue-Ling DAI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(10):2474-2485
Sleep deprivation (SD) has emerged as a significant modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), with mounting evidence demonstrating its multifaceted role in accelerating AD pathogenesis through diverse molecular, cellular, and systemic mechanisms. SD is refined within the broader spectrum of sleep-wake and circadian disruption, emphasizing that both acute total sleep loss and chronic sleep restriction destabilize the homeostatic and circadian processes governing glymphatic clearance of neurotoxic proteins. During normal sleep, concentrations of interstitial Aβ and tau fall as cerebrospinal fluid oscillations flush extracellular waste; SD abolishes this rhythm, causing overnight rises in soluble Aβ and tau species in rodent hippocampus and human CSF. Orexinergic neurons sustain arousal, and become hyperactive under SD, further delaying sleep onset and amplifying Aβ production. At the molecular level, SD disrupts Aβ homeostasis through multiple converging pathways, including enhanced production via beta-site APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) upregulation, coupled with impaired clearance mechanisms involving the glymphatic system dysfunction and reduced Aβ-degrading enzymes (neprilysin and insulin-degrading enzyme). Cellular and histological analyses revealed that these proteinopathies are significantly exacerbated by SD-induced neuroinflammatory cascades characterized by microglial overactivation, astrocyte reactivity, and sustained elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6) through NF‑κB signaling and NLRP3 inflammasome activation, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of neurotoxicity. The synaptic and neuronal consequences of chronic SD are particularly profound and potentially irreversible, featuring reduced expression of critical synaptic markers (PSD95, synaptophysin), impaired long-term potentiation (LTP), dendritic spine loss, and diminished neurotrophic support, especially brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) depletion, which collectively contribute to progressive cognitive decline and memory deficits. Mechanistic investigations identify three core pathways through which SD exerts its neurodegenerative effects: circadian rhythm disruption via BMAL1 suppression, orexin system hyperactivity leading to sustained wakefulness and metabolic stress, and oxidative stress accumulation through mitochondrial dysfunction and reactive oxygen species overproduction. The review critically evaluates promising therapeutic interventions including pharmacological approaches (melatonin, dual orexin receptor antagonists), metabolic strategies (ketogenic diets, and Mediterranean diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids), lifestyle modifications (targeted exercise regimens, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia), and emerging technologies (non-invasive photobiomodulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation). Current research limitations include insufficient understanding of dose-response relationships between SD duration/intensity and AD pathology progression, lack of long-term longitudinal clinical data in genetically vulnerable populations (particularly APOE ε4 carriers and those with familial AD mutations), the absence of standardized SD protocols across experimental models that accurately mimic human chronic sleep restriction patterns, and limited investigation of sex differences in SD-induced AD risk. The accumulated evidence underscores the importance of addressing sleep disturbances as part of multimodal AD prevention strategies and highlights the urgent need for clinical trials evaluating sleep-focused interventions in at-risk populations. The review proposes future directions focused on translating mechanistic insights into precision medicine approaches, emphasizing the need for biomarkers to identify SD-vulnerable individuals, chronotherapeutic strategies aligned with circadian biology, and multi-omics integration across sleep, proteostasis and immune profiles may delineate precision-medicine strategies for at-risk populations. By systematically examining these critical connections, this analysis positions sleep quality optimization as a viable strategy for AD prevention and early intervention while providing a comprehensive roadmap for future mechanistic and interventional research in this rapidly evolving field.
4.Protective role and mechanistic exploration of Irisin in doxorubicin induced-cardiomyopathy
Yu-Ge JIN ; Song-Sen LI ; Hao WANG ; Cai-Ru GUO ; Bing-Bing ZHANG ; Hao-Jie CHEN ; Ya-Xin BAN ; Ru-Bing LIANG
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(2):220-224
Objective To study the protective effect of Irisin in doxorubicin(Dox)induced-Cardiomyopathy and its possible mechanism.Methods AC 16 cells were used to construct Dox injury model and divided into control group(AC 16 cells were cultured with complete medium),Irisin group(AC16 cells were treated with 10 ng·L-1 Irisin for 24 h),Dox group(AC 16 cells were treated with 4 μmol·L-1 Dox for 24 h),Dox+Irisin group(AC 16 cells were pretreated with 10 ng·L-1 Irisin for 2 h,and then treated with 4 pmol·L-1 Dox for 24 h).Cell counting kit-8(CCK-8),terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling(TUNEL)and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)were used to detect the proliferation,apoptosis and mortality of AC 16 cells.Western blot was used to detect the expression levels of nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)signaling pathway and apoptotic factors B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2),Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax)and caspase-9 protein.Mito-Tracker Red CMXRos probe was used to detect mitochondrial membrane potential.Results In the contrl group,Irisin group,Dox group,Dox+Irisin group,the rate of apoptosis were(0.97±0.09)%,0,(42.80±6.70)%,(11.74±1.79)%;the expression of Bax protein were 0.85±0.01,0.36±0.02,1.15±0.07,0.37±0.11;the expression of caspase-9 protein were 0.52±0.02,0.59±0.03,1.11±0.02,0.67±0.08;the expression of Bcl-2 protein were 1.01±0.04,1.05±0.25,0.43±0.02 and 0.99±0.30;the probability of mitochondrial damage were(0.02±0.01)%,(0.5±0.15)%,(38.6±2.39)%,(1.58±0.54)%.The difference of the above indexes between the contrl group and the Dox group were statistically significant(all P<0.05);the difference between Dox group and Dox+Irisin group were statisically significant(all P<0.05).Conclusion Irisin could reduce the expression level of Bax,caspase-9,p-NF-κB,and p-mTOR caused by Dox,increase the expression level of Bcl-2,ameliorate the myocardial damage caused by Dox,and reduce cardiotoxicity.
5.Progress of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced resectable esophageal carcinoma
Junjun HUANG ; Jiuhe SUN ; Shifa ZHANG ; Hongfeng LIU ; Ru SONG ; Qian WANG ; Liji CHEN ; Haibo CAI
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2024;31(07):1058-1065
Surgery is the preferred treatment for resectable esophageal cancer, but in locally advanced esophageal cancer, the effect of surgery alone is not ideal, so surgery-based comprehensive treatment is the best option. Neoadjuvant therapy has become a standard treatment in the treatment of locally advanced resectable esophageal cancer. Neoadjuvant therapy includes neoadjuvant chemotherapy, radiochemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, etc. With the significant efficacy and acceptable toxicity of immunotherapy in the first-line and second-line treatment of advanced esophageal cancer, neoadjuvant immunotherapy has become a research hotspot of locally advanced resectable esophageal cancer. This article reviews the latest research progress and some limitations of neoadjuvant immunotherapy in locally advanced resectable esophageal cancer.
6.Basic and Clinical Research of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in The Treatment of Central Nervous System Diseases
Hong-Ru LI ; Cai-Hong LEI ; Shu-Wen LIU ; Yuan YANG ; Hai-Xia CHEN ; Run ZHANG ; Yin-Jie CUI ; Zhong-Zheng LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2024;51(11):2921-2935
As a microbial therapy method, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has attracted the attention of researchers in recent years. As one of the most direct and effective methods to improve gut microbiota, FMT achieves therapeutic benefits by transplanting functional gut microbiota from healthy human feces into the intestines of patients to reconstruct new gut microbiota. FMT has been proven to be an effective treatment for gastrointestinal diseases such as Clostridium difficile infection, irritable bowel syndrome, and inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, the clinical and basic research of FMT outside the gastrointestinal system is also emerging. It is worth noting that there is bidirectional communication between the gut microbial community and the central nervous system (CNS) through the gut-brain axis. Some gut bacteria can synthesize and release neurotransmitters such as glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and dopamine. Imbalanced gut microbiota may interfere with the normal levels of these neurotransmitters, thereby affecting brain function. Gut microbiota can also produce metabolites that may cross the blood-brain barrier and affect CNS function. FMT may affect the occurrence and development of CNS and its related diseases by reshaping the gut microbiota of patients through a variety of pathways such as nerves, immunity, and metabolites. This article introduces the development of FMT and the research status of FMT in China, and reviews the basic and clinical research of FMT in neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease), neurotraumatic diseases (spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury) and stroke from the characteristics of three types of nervous system diseases, the characteristics of intestinal flora, and the therapeutic effect and mechanism of fecal microbiota transplantation, summarize the common mechanism of fecal microbiota transplantation in the treatment of CNS diseases and the therapeutic targets. We found that the common mechanisms of FMT in the treatment of nervous system diseases may include the following 3 categories through summary and analysis. (1) Gut microbiota metabolites, such as SCFAs, TMAO and LPS. (2) Inflammatory factors and immune inflammatory pathways such as TLR-MyD88 and NF-κB. (3) Neurotransmitter 5-HT. In the process of reviewing the studies, we found the following problems. (1) In basic researches on the relationship between FMT and CNS diseases, there are relatively few studies involving the autonomic nervous system pathway. (2) Clinical trial studies have shown that FMT improves the severity of patients’ symptoms and may be a promising treatment for a variety of neurological diseases. (3) The improvement of clinical efficacy is closely related to the choice of donor, especially emphasizing that FMT from healthy and young donors may be the key to the improvement of neurological diseases. However, there are common challenges in current research on FMT, such as the scientific and rigorous design of FMT clinical trials, including whether antibiotics are used before transplantation or different antibiotics are used, as well as different FMT processes, different donors, different functional analysis methods of gut microbiota, and the duration of FMT effect. Besides, the safety of FMT should be better elucidated, especially weighing the relationship between the therapeutic benefits and potential risks of FMT carefully. It is worth mentioning that the clinical development of FMT even exceeds its basic research. Science and TIME rated FMT as one of the top 10 breakthroughs in the field of biomedicine in 2013. FMT therapy has great potential in the treatment of nervous system diseases, is expected to open up a new situation in the medical field, and may become an innovative weapon in the medical field.
7.Urinary Metabolomics Aanlysis of Differences in Effect of Aconiti Coreani Radix and Typhonii Rhizoma on Gerbils with Stroke
Liting ZHOU ; Wanting ZENG ; Ru JIA ; Huiying XU ; Yihui DING ; Hao DONG ; Haowen MA ; Yang QU ; Qian CAI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(8):157-166
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Aconiti Coreani Radix and Typhonii Rhizoma on the urinary metabolites of gerbils with stroke by non-targeted metabolomics technique, and then to clarify the mechanism of the two, as well as their similarities and differences. MethodTwenty-four gerbils were randomly divided into control group(CG), model group(MG), Aconiti Coreani Radix group(RA) and Typhonii Rhizoma group(RT). Except for the CG, ischemic stroke model was constructed using right unilateral ligation of gerbil carotid artery in the remaining groups. Except for the CG and MG, rats in the other groups received whole powder suspension(0.586 mg·g-1) was administered for 14 days. The neurological deficit in each group was scored by Longa scoring on days 0, 3, 7 and 14. After the end of administration, the serum, brain tissue and urine of gerbils in each group were collected, and the rate of cerebral infarction was detected by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride(TTC), and the levels of interleukin(IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α, malondialdehyde(MDA), superoxide dismutase(SOD), glutathione(GSH), and nitric oxide(NO) in serum and brain tissue were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The urine metabolomics of gerbils in each group was studied by ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-electrostatic field orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS), and the data were processed by multivariate statistical analysis, and differential metabolites were screened based on value of variable importance in the projection(VIP) of the first principal component>1 and t-test P<0.05. Metabolic pathway analysis of the screened differential metabolites was performed using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) database and Metaboanalyst 5.0. ResultCompared with the CG, the neurological deficit score was significantly increased in the MG(P<0.05), compared with the MG, the neurological deficit scores in the RA and RT were significantly reduced after 7 d and 14 d(P<0.05). Compared with the CG, the rate of cerebral infarction was significantly increased in the MG(P<0.05), compared with the MG, the rates of cerebral infarction in the RA and RT were significantly reduced(P<0.05). Compared with the CG, the levels of IL-6, TNF-α, and MDA in the serum and brain tissue of gerbils from the MG were significantly increased(P<0.05), and the levels of SOD, GSH and NO were significantly reduced(P<0.05). Compared with the MG, Aconiti Coreani Radix and Typhonii Rhizoma could down-regulate the levels of IL-6, TNF-α and MDA, and up-regulated the levels of SOD, GSH and NO. A total of 112 endogenous differential metabolites were screened by urine metabolomics, of which 16 and 26 metabolites were called back by Aconiti Coreani Radix and Typhonii Rhizoma, and could be used as potential biomarkers for both treatments in stroke gerbils, respectively. The results of the pathway analysis showed that both Aconiti Coreani Radix and Typhonii Rhizoma had regulatory effects on arginine and proline metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis. In addition, Aconiti Coreani Radix could also regulate riboflavin metabolism, Typhonii Rhizoma could also regulate purine metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, biosynthesis of pantothenate and coenzyme A, and β-alanine metabolism. ConclusionBoth Aconiti Coreani Radix and Typhonii Rhizoma have better therapeutic effects on stroke, with Aconiti Coreani Radix having stronger effects. From the metabolomics results, the main metabolic pathways regulated by Aconiti Coreani Radix involve amino acid metabolism, oxidative stress and so on, while Typhonii Rhizoma mainly involve amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, energy metabolism, etc.
8. Analysis of cerebral gray matter structure in multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica
Xiao-Li LIU ; Ai-Xue WU ; Ru-Hua LI ; An-Ting WU ; Cheng-Chun CHEN ; Lin XU ; Cai-Yun WEN ; Dai-Qian CHEN
Acta Anatomica Sinica 2024;55(1):17-24
Objective The volume and cortical thickness of gray matter in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO) were compared and analyzed by voxel⁃based morphometry (VBM) and surface⁃based morphometry (SBM), and the differences in the structural changes of gray matter in the two diseases were discussed. Methods A total of 21 MS patients, 16 NMO patients and 19 healthy controls were scanned by routine MRI sequence. The data were processed and analyzed by VBM and SBM method based on the statistical parameter tool SPM12 of Matlab2014a platform and the small tool CAT12 under SPM12. Results Compared with the normal control group (NC), after Gaussian random field (GRF) correction, the gray matter volume in MS group was significantly reduced in left superior occipital, left cuneus, left calcarine, left precuneus, left postcentral, left central paracentral lobule, right cuneus, left middle frontal, left superior frontal and left superior medial frontal (P<0. 05). After family wise error (FWE) correction, the thickness of left paracentral, left superiorfrontal and left precuneus cortex in MS group was significantly reduced (P<0. 05). Compared with the NC group, after GRF correction, the gray matter volume in the left postcentral, left precentral, left inferior parietal, right precentral and right middle frontal in NMO group was significantly increased (P<0. 05). In NMO group, the volume of gray matter in left middle occipital, left superior occipital, left inferior temporal, right middle occipital, left superior frontal orbital, right middle cingulum, left anterior cingulum, right angular and left precuneus were significantly decreased (P<0. 05). Brain regions showed no significant differences in cortical thickness between NMO groups after FWE correction. Compared with the NMO group, after GRF correction, the gray matter volume in the right fusiform and right middle frontal in MS group was increased significantly(P<0. 05). In MS group, the gray matter volume of left thalamus, left pallidum, left precentral, left middle frontal, left middle temporal, right pallidum, left inferior parietal and right superior parietal were significantly decreased (P<0. 05). After FWE correction, the thickness of left inferiorparietal, left superiorparietal, left supramarginal, left paracentral, left superiorfrontal and left precuneus cortex in MS group decreased significantly (P<0. 05). Conclusion The atrophy of brain gray matter structure in MS patients mainly involves the left parietal region, while NMO patients are not sensitive to the change of brain gray matter structure. The significant difference in brain gray matter volume between MS patients and NMO patients is mainly located in the deep cerebral nucleus mass.
9.Au/Three-dimensional Graphene Hydrogel Modified Graphene Electrochemical Transistor for Highly Sensitive Detection of Dopamine
Ru-Ling WANG ; Zhi-Wei CAI ; Jun-Zi PAN ; Ru-Nan TAN ; Yun-Bin HE ; Gang CHANG
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2024;52(9):1307-1315,中插5-中插10
Three-dimensional graphene hydrogel(3DGH)was successfully prepared through a hydrothermal method,followed by its composition with gold nanoparticles(AuNPs)to construct a highly sensitive Au/3DGH graphene electrochemical transistor(GECT)dopamine(DA)sensor.AuNPs are efficient electrocatalytic materials.However,their tendency to aggregate during electrodeposition hinds the practical application.The porous and interconnected network structure of 3DGH provided abundant attachment sites,effectively preventing AuNPs aggregation.By modifying the sensor's gate with Au/3DGH,the excellent electrocatalytic performance of Au/3DGH towards DA and the high sensitivity of GECT were utilized to achieve highly sensitive detection of DA.The sensor exhibited a low detection limit of 20 nmol/L and a linear range of 20 nmol/L to 2.5 mmol/L.Remarkably,the sensor showed high sensitivity,excellent selectivity and strong stability,and hold great potnetial in highly sensitive portable detection of DA in disease prevention and clinical monitoring.
10.Development History and Frontier Research Progress of Pharmacokinetics of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Li-Jun ZHU ; Zhuo-Ru HE ; Cai-Yan WANG ; Dan-Yi LU ; Jun-Ling YANG ; Wei-Wei JIA ; Chen CHENG ; Yu-Tong WANG ; Liu YANG ; Zhi-Peng CHEN ; Bao-Jian WU ; Rong ZHANG ; Chuan LI ; Zhong-Qiu LIU
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;41(10):2746-2757
Pharmacokinetics of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is a discipline that adopts pharmacokinetic research methods and techniques under the guidance of TCM theories to elucidate the dynamic changes in the absorption,distribution,metabolism and excretion of active ingredients,active sites,single-flavour Chinese medicinal and compounded formulas of TCM in vivo.However,the sources and components of TCM are complex,and the pharmacodynamic substances and mechanisms of action of the majority of TCM are not yet clear,so the pharmacokinetic study of TCM is later than that of chemical medicines,and is far more complex than that of chemical medicines,and its development also confronts with challenges.The pharmacokinetic study of TCM originated in the 1950s and has experienced more than 70 years of development from the initial in vivo study of a single active ingredient,to the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study of active ingredients,to the pharmacokinetic study of compound and multi-component of Chinese medicine.In recent years,with the help of advanced extraction,separation and analysis technologies,gene-editing animals and cell models,multi-omics technologies,protein purification and structure analysis technologies,and artificial intelligence,etc.,the pharmacokinetics of TCM has been substantially applied in revealing and elucidating the pharmacodynamic substances and mechanisms of action of Chinese medicines,research and development of new drugs of TCM,scientific and technological upgrading of large varieties of Chinese patent medicines,as well as guiding the rational use of medicines in clinics.Pharmacokinetic studies of TCM have made remarkable breakthroughs and significant development in theory,methodology,technology and application.In this paper,the history of the development of pharmacokinetics of TCM and the progress of cutting-edge research was reviewed,with the aim of providing ideas and references for the pharmacokinetics of TCM and related research.

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