1.Construction of Organoid-on-a-chip and Its Applications in Biomedical Fields
Rui-Xia LIU ; Jing ZHANG ; Xiao LI ; Yi LIU ; Long HUANG ; Hong-Wei HOU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):293-308
Organoid-on-a-chip technology represents a promising interdisciplinary advancement that merges two cutting-edge biomedical platforms: stem cell-derived organoids and microfluidics-based organ-on-a-chip systems. Organoids are self-organizing three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures that mimic the key structural and functional features of in vivo organs. However, traditional organoid culture systems are often static, lacking dynamic environmental cues and suffering from limitations such as batch-to-batch variability, low stability, and low throughput. Organ-on-a-chip platforms, by contrast, utilize microfluidic technologies to simulate the dynamic physiological microenvironment of human tissues and organs, enabling more controlled cell growth and differentiation. By integrating the advantages of organoids and organ-on-a-chip technologies, organoid-on-a-chip systems transcend the limitations of conventional 3D culture models, offering a more physiologically relevant and controllable in vitro platform. In organoid-on-a-chip systems, stem cells or pre-formed organoids are cultured in micro-engineered environments that mimic in vivo conditions, enabling precise control over fluid flow, mechanical forces, and biochemical cues. Specifically, these platforms employ advanced strategies including bio-inspired 3D scaffolds for structural support, precise spatial cell patterning via 3D bioprinting, and integrated biosensors for real-time monitoring of metabolic activities. These synergistic elements recreate complex extracellular matrix signals and ensure high structural fidelity. Based on structural complexity, organoid-on-a-chip systems are classified into single-organoid and multi-organoid types, forming a trajectory from unit biomimicry to systemic simulation. Single-organoid chips focus on highly biomimetic units by integrating vascular, immune, or neural functions. Multi-organoid chips simulate inter-organ crosstalk and systemic homeostasis, advancing complex disease modeling and PK/PD evaluation. This emerging technology has demonstrated broad application potential in multiple fields of biomedicine. Organoid-on-a-chip systems can recapitulate organ developmentin vitro, facilitating research in developmental biology. They mimic organ-specific physiological activities and mechanisms, showing promising applications in regenerative medicine for tissue repair or replacement. In disease modeling, they support the reconstruction of models for neurodegenerative, inflammatory, infectious, metabolic diseases, and cancers. These platforms also enable in vitro drug testing and pharmacokinetic studies (ADME). Patient-derived chips preserve genetic and pathological features, offering potential for precision medicine. Additionally, they reduce species differences in toxicology, providing human-relevant data for environmental, food, cosmetic, and drug safety assessments. Despite progress, organoid-on-a-chip systems face challenges in dynamic simulation, extracellular matrix (ECM) variability, and limited real-time 3D imaging, requiring improved materials and the integration of developmental signals. Current bottlenecks also include the high technical threshold for automation and the lack of standardized validation frameworks for regulatory adoption. Meanwhile, the concept of a “human-on-a-chip” has been proposed to mimic whole-body physiology by integrating multiple organoid modules. This approach enables systemic modeling of drug responses and toxicity, with the potential to reduce animal testing and revolutionize drug development. Future advancements in bio-responsive hydrogels and flexible biosensors will further empower these platforms to bridge the gap between bench-side research and personalized clinical interventions. In conclusion, organoid-on-a-chip technology offers a transformative in vitro model that closely recapitulates the complexity of human tissues and organ systems. It provides an unprecedented platform for advancing biomedical research, clinical translation, and pharmaceutical innovation. Continued development in biomaterials, microengineering, and analytical technologies will be essential to unlocking the full potential of this powerful tool.
2.Construction of Organoid-on-a-chip and Its Applications in Biomedical Fields
Rui-Xia LIU ; Jing ZHANG ; Xiao LI ; Yi LIU ; Long HUANG ; Hong-Wei HOU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):293-308
Organoid-on-a-chip technology represents a promising interdisciplinary advancement that merges two cutting-edge biomedical platforms: stem cell-derived organoids and microfluidics-based organ-on-a-chip systems. Organoids are self-organizing three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures that mimic the key structural and functional features of in vivo organs. However, traditional organoid culture systems are often static, lacking dynamic environmental cues and suffering from limitations such as batch-to-batch variability, low stability, and low throughput. Organ-on-a-chip platforms, by contrast, utilize microfluidic technologies to simulate the dynamic physiological microenvironment of human tissues and organs, enabling more controlled cell growth and differentiation. By integrating the advantages of organoids and organ-on-a-chip technologies, organoid-on-a-chip systems transcend the limitations of conventional 3D culture models, offering a more physiologically relevant and controllable in vitro platform. In organoid-on-a-chip systems, stem cells or pre-formed organoids are cultured in micro-engineered environments that mimic in vivo conditions, enabling precise control over fluid flow, mechanical forces, and biochemical cues. Specifically, these platforms employ advanced strategies including bio-inspired 3D scaffolds for structural support, precise spatial cell patterning via 3D bioprinting, and integrated biosensors for real-time monitoring of metabolic activities. These synergistic elements recreate complex extracellular matrix signals and ensure high structural fidelity. Based on structural complexity, organoid-on-a-chip systems are classified into single-organoid and multi-organoid types, forming a trajectory from unit biomimicry to systemic simulation. Single-organoid chips focus on highly biomimetic units by integrating vascular, immune, or neural functions. Multi-organoid chips simulate inter-organ crosstalk and systemic homeostasis, advancing complex disease modeling and PK/PD evaluation. This emerging technology has demonstrated broad application potential in multiple fields of biomedicine. Organoid-on-a-chip systems can recapitulate organ developmentin vitro, facilitating research in developmental biology. They mimic organ-specific physiological activities and mechanisms, showing promising applications in regenerative medicine for tissue repair or replacement. In disease modeling, they support the reconstruction of models for neurodegenerative, inflammatory, infectious, metabolic diseases, and cancers. These platforms also enable in vitro drug testing and pharmacokinetic studies (ADME). Patient-derived chips preserve genetic and pathological features, offering potential for precision medicine. Additionally, they reduce species differences in toxicology, providing human-relevant data for environmental, food, cosmetic, and drug safety assessments. Despite progress, organoid-on-a-chip systems face challenges in dynamic simulation, extracellular matrix (ECM) variability, and limited real-time 3D imaging, requiring improved materials and the integration of developmental signals. Current bottlenecks also include the high technical threshold for automation and the lack of standardized validation frameworks for regulatory adoption. Meanwhile, the concept of a “human-on-a-chip” has been proposed to mimic whole-body physiology by integrating multiple organoid modules. This approach enables systemic modeling of drug responses and toxicity, with the potential to reduce animal testing and revolutionize drug development. Future advancements in bio-responsive hydrogels and flexible biosensors will further empower these platforms to bridge the gap between bench-side research and personalized clinical interventions. In conclusion, organoid-on-a-chip technology offers a transformative in vitro model that closely recapitulates the complexity of human tissues and organ systems. It provides an unprecedented platform for advancing biomedical research, clinical translation, and pharmaceutical innovation. Continued development in biomaterials, microengineering, and analytical technologies will be essential to unlocking the full potential of this powerful tool.
3.Bibliometric and Visual Analysis of Forensic Research on Body Fluid Identification
Bao-Yan XIE ; Ruo-Cheng XIA ; Ting-Ting JIANG ; Rui-Yang TAO ; Cheng-Tao LI
Journal of Forensic Medicine 2025;41(3):217-227
Objective To analyze the literature in the field of body fluid identification collected in the Web of Science Core Collection(WoSCC)database from 2000 to 2023,and explore the research sta-tus,hotspots and development trends in this field.Methods The CiteSpace software was utilized to conduct a visual analysis of the literature in the field of body fluid identification included in the WoSCC database from 2000 to 2023.Meanwhile,a bibliometric analysis of the annual publication vol-ume,journal distribution,national contribution,research institutions,author collaboration,and keywords of the literature was conducted.Results A total of 715 papers on forensic body fluid identification were included,and the annual publication volume showed a continuous and stable growth.Among the 55 countries(regions)that published papers,the United States ranked first with 174 papers,followed by China with 107 papers.In terms of journal distribution,Forensic Science International:Genetics had the largest number of papers,which accounted for 20%of the total papers.In terms of author collaboration,a total of 2 079 authors participated in body fluid identification research,and the author collaboration network showed a clearly clustered distribution.The keywords analysis revealed that re-search hotspots focused on traditional methods,specific RNA molecular markers,DNA methylation,spectroscopy,and the application of microbiomics.Conclusion Research in the field of forensic body fluid identification is thriving,and research institutions and teams should strengthen their collaboration.Establishing unified result interpretation standards and systems and exploring the multiple biomarkers combined application methods will be the research hotspots and important directions for future research in this field.
4.Development of Benchtop Low-Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Technology and Its Application in Drug Control Field
Qi LIAO ; Yong-Hong LIU ; Ying JIAO ; Xiao-Ying YANG ; Yi-Hua YANG ; Cui-Mei LIU ; Rui-Xia GAO
Journal of Forensic Medicine 2025;41(3):267-276
At present,the drug substitutes represented by new psychoactive substances are gradually be-coming popular,leading to an increasing demand for identifying novel drugs with unknown structures in drug investigation.Nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)spectroscopy is an important tool for ana-lyzing molecular structures.In the absence of standard substances,quantitative NMR(qNMR)can un-dertake the quantitative analysis of target substances in complex mixtures and has unique advantages in the research of new drugs and their precursor drugs.Due to the limitations of the site and mainte-nance costs,as well as relatively complex operation,high-field superconducting NMR is less com-monly applied in drug research.The desktop low-field NMR developed in recent years provides a new alternative solution.Due to the use of permanent magnets,its size is reduced,and the operation and maintenance costs are lowered.It has been widely used in various research fields.This article reviews the development of low-field NMR technology,summarizes the application of desktop low-field NMR in screening and identification of suspicious substances,rapid content determination,analysis of drug manufacturing processes and synthetic routes,and correlation traceability.It also looks forward to the prospects and development directions of this technology in drug research,aiming to provide a reference for researchers who work in analytical chemistry and drug research.
5.Correlation between serum levels of LncRNA-PART1 and LncRNA-SNHG14 with disease stage,cognitive impairment and motor function in patients with Parkinson's disease
Ju GAO ; Jiajun WANG ; Xuebin XIA ; Rui WU ; Xin JIANG ; Zhanchi XIAO
International Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2025;46(8):943-947,954
Objective To investigate the correlation between serum levels of long non-coding RNA(Ln-cRNA)-prostate androgen regulated transcript 1(PART1),LncRNA-nucleolar ribonucleic acid host gene 14(SNHG14)and disease stage,cognitive impairment and motor function in patients with Parkinson's disease(PD).Methods A total of 100 PD patients(PD group)who admitted to the Department of Neurology in the hospital from January 2021 to December 2023 and 100 healthy subjects(control group)who underwent the physical examination during the same period of time were selected.According to Hoehn-Yahr staging,PD pa-tients were divided into early stage group(grade 1.0-2.5,20 cases),middle stage group(grade 3.0,48 ca-ses)and late stage group(grade 4.0-5.0,32 cases).According to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment(Mo-CA)score,the patients were divided into normal cognitive group(MoCA score≥26 points,33 cases),PD-mild cognitive impairment group(MoCA score 21-<26 points,46 cases)and PD dementia group(MoCA score<21 points,21 cases).According to the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale(UPDRS)-Ⅲ score,the pa-tients were divided into mild dyskinesia group(0-15 points,29 cases),moderate dyskinesia group(>15-40 points,46 cases)and severe dyskinesia group(>40-56 points,25 cases).Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect serum LncRNA-PART1 and LncRNA-SNHG14 levels.Spearman method was used to analyze the correlation between serum LncRNA-PART1,LncRNA-SNHG14 levels and Hoehn-Yahr staging,MoCA score and UPDRS-Ⅲ score in PD patients.Results The level of serum LncRNA-PART1 in PD group was lower than that in control group(P<0.05),and the level of LncRNA-SNHG14 was higher than that in control group(P<0.05).The serum levels of LncRNA-PART1 in the middle stage group and late stage groups were lower than those in the early stage group(P<0.05),and the levels of LncRNA-SNHG14 were higher than those in the early stage group(P<0.05).In addition,the serum level of LncRNA-PART1 in the late stage group was lower than that in the middle stage group(P<0.05),and the level of LncRNA-SNHG14 was higher than that in the middle stage group(P<0.05).The serum LncRNA-PART1 levels in the PD-mild cognitive impairment group and PD dementia group were lower than those in the normal cognitive group(P<0.05),while the LncRNA-SNHG14 levels were higher than those in the normal cognitive group(P<0.05).Additionally,the serum LncRNA-PART1 level in the PD dementia group was lower than that in the PD-mild cognitive impairment(P<0.05),while the LncRNA-SNHG14 level was higher than that in the PD-mild cog-nitive impairment group(P<0.05).The serum levels of LncRNA-PART1 in the moderate dyskinesia group and severe dyskinesia group were lower than those in the mild dyskinesia group(P<0.05),and the levels ofLncRNA-SNHG14 were higher than that in the mild dyskinesia group(P<0.05).In addition,the serum level of LncRNA-PART1 in the severe dyskinesia group was lower than that in the moderate dyskinesia group(P<0.05),and the level of LncRNA-SNHG14 was higher than that in the moderate dyskinesia group(P<0.05).Spearman method results showed that serum LncRNA-PART1 level was negatively correlated with Hoehn-Yahr staging and UPDRS-Ⅲ score in PD patients,and positively correlated with MoCA score(P<0.05).The level of serum LncRNA-SNHG14 was positively correlated with Hoehn-Yahr staging and UPDRS-Ⅲ score in PD patients,and negatively correlated with MoCA score(P<0.05).Conclusion The level of ser-um LncRNA-PART1 in PD patients is decreased,and the level of LncRNA-SNHG14 is increased,both of them are related to the disease stage,cognitive impairment and motor function of PD patients,which may be-come evaluation indicators for PD progression.
6.Predictive analysis of NLR and TNF-α level for the efficacy of TACE combined with microwave ablation therapy in patients with massive liver cancer
Hui XING ; Ying TAN ; Xiuzhen WANG ; Rui LI ; Xia LIU
Journal of International Oncology 2025;52(2):101-106
Objective:To explore the predictive value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and tumor necrosis factor -α (TNF-α) level on the therapeutic effect of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with microwave ablation in patients with massive liver cancer.Methods:The medical records of 106 patients with massive liver cancer who underwent TACE combined with microwave ablation treatment in the Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University from February 2020 to February 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The efficacy was evaluated 6 weeks after surgery, and the patients were divided into remission group and non-remission group according to the therapeutic effect. The levels of NLR and TNF-α in the two groups were detected before surgery, 3 days after surgery and 7 days after surgery. Point two column correlation was used to analyze the relationship between the levels of NLR and TNF-α in different time periods and the therapeutic effect of TACE combined with microwave ablation in patients with massive liver cancer. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to analyze the predictive value of NLR and TNF-α levels in different time periods for the therapeutic effect of TACE combined with microwave ablation in patients with massive liver cancer.Results:Six weeks after surgery, out of 106 patients with massive liver cancer, 13 achieved complete remission, 48 achieved partial remission, 20 experienced disease progression, and 25 remained stable. The overall remission rate was 57.55% (61/106). Before surgery, the levels of NLR [ (2.26±0.13) vs. (2.43±0.12), t=6.87, P<0.001] and TNF-α [ (36.20±4.38) pg/ml vs. (42.74±5.74) pg/ml, t=6.66, P<0.001] in the remission group ( n=61) were lower than those in the non-remission group ( n=45), with statistically significant differences. At 3 days after surgery, there were no statistically significant difference in the levels of NLR [ (6.16±3.22) vs. (6.22±3.30), t=0.09, P=0.925] or TNF-α [ (48.84±7.22) pg/ml vs. (49.13±7.34) pg/ml, t=0.20, P=0.840] between the remission group and the non-remission group. At 7 days after surgery, the levels of NLR [ (2.60±0.18) vs. (2.82±0.26), t=5.15, P<0.001] and TNF-α [ (38.20±6.30) pg/ml vs. (45.57±5.79) pg/ml, t=6.16, P<0.001] in the remission group were lower than those in the non-remission group, with statistically significant differences. There were statistically significant differences in NLR and TNF-α levels before surgery, 3 days and 7 days after surgery between the remission group and the non-remission group ( F=82.43, P<0.001; F=54.45, P<0.001; F=76.23, P<0.001; F=15.61, P<0.001). Further pair-to-pair comparison showed that the levels of NLR and TNF-α were higher in both groups 3 and 7 days after surgery than before surgery, but the levels of NLR and TNF-α were lower in both groups 7 days after surgery than 3 days after surgery, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.005). Point two column correlation analysis showed that NLR level, TNF-α level and the efficacy of TACE combined with microwave ablation in patients with massive liver cancer were significantly positively correlated before and 7 days after surgery ( r=0.42, P<0.001; r=0.49, P<0.001; r=0.43, P<0.001; r=0.46, P<0.001). ROC curve showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of NLR and TNF-α alone in predicting the efficacy of TACE combined with microwave ablation in patients with massive liver cancer before and 7 days after surgery was 0.750 (95% CI: 0.656-0.844), 0.788 (95% CI: 0.699-0.877), 0.751 (95% CI: 0.652-0.850), 0.788 (95% CI: 0.700-0.876), respectively. The AUC of combined prediction of NLR and TNF-α before and 7 days after surgery were 0.818 (95% CI: 0.736-0.900) and 0.813 (95% CI: 0.730-0.897), respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in the AUC values of NLR and TNF-α alone or in combination for predicting the therapeutic effect of TACE combined with microwave ablation in patients with massive liver cancer before and 7 days after surgery (all P>0.05) . Conclusions:The levels of NLR and TNF-α before and 7 days after surgery are related to the effect of TACE combined with microwave ablation in patients with massive liver cancer, and the combination of NLR and TNF-α levels before and 7 days after surgery has certain value in predicting the effect of TACE combined with microwave ablation in patients with massive liver cancer.
7.Exploration on medication law of national TCM master Lu Fang in treating primary trigeminal neuralgia based on data mining
Qi SUN ; Wenyu LAN ; Rui MA ; Xiaorui WANG ; Yuanduo XIA ; Tianjiao LU ; Meixi LU
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;47(4):529-534
Objective:To explore the medication law of national TCM master Lu Fang in the treatment of primary trigeminal neuralgia (PTN) based on data mining.Methods:With the prescription of the outpatient patients of Harbin Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Professor Lu Fang from September 2014 to September 2022 as the data source, the frequency, property and taste, and meridian tropism of the prescribed drugs were analyzed using Excel 2022 software. R 4.2.1 was used for mining analysis on Chinese materia medica, including correlation, relevance, and clustering,and the medication law in the treatment of PTN was discussed.Results:A total of 300 prescriptions were analyzed, involving 177 kinds of Chinese materia medica, with a frequency of 3 120 times, and 34 kinds of of high-frequency Chinese materia medica. The high frequently Chinese materia medica included Chuanxiong Rhizoma, Angelicae Dahuricae Radix, Puerariae Lobatae Radix, Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix, and Viticis Fructus. The main properties were warm, slightly cold, and neutral, while the main tastes were pungent, bitter, and sweet. The meridian tropism analysis ranked the liver, lung, spleen, and stomach meridians in descending order. Analysis yielded 21 strong association rules, and the association analysis formed a core prescription group based on Chuanxiong Rhizoma, Angelicae Dahuricae Radix, and Ligustici Rhizoma et Radix. The analysis obtained 5 types of clustering combinations.Conclusion:Professor Lu Fang's the medication law to treat primary trigeminal neuralgia is mainly dispelling wind and alleviating pain, which is often combined with the methods, such as searching and dredging collaterals, clearing and dispelling the stagnated heat, calming the liver and subduing yang, soothing the liver and invigorating the spleen.
8.Observation on the Effect of Modified Banxia Xiexin Decoction on Inflammatory Factors in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome of Stomach Heat and Spleen Deficiency Type Through the Regulatory Mechanism of Intestinal Flora
Xiaoyan XIA ; Rui ZHAO ; Yang CHEN ; Xiaojuan ZHANG ; Jing WANG
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;42(2):367-373
Objective To observe the effect of modified Banxia Xiexin Decoction on inflammatory factors in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS)of stomach heat and spleen deficiency type through the regulatory mechanism of intestinal flora.Methods A total of 86 patients with PCOS of stomach heat and spleen deficiency type were randomly divided into control group(45 cases)and observation group(41 cases).The control group was treated with conventional western medicine,and the observation group was treated with modified Banxia Xiexin Decoction on the basis of treatment for the control group.One menstrual cycle constituted a course of treatment,and the treatment lasted for three continuous menstrual cycles.The two groups were observed in the changes of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome score,endometrial thickness,serum inflammatory factors of tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α),C-reactive protein(CRP)and interleukin-6(IL-6),sex hormone levels of luteinizing hormone(LH),estradiol(E2),follicle stimulating hormone(FSH)and LH/FSH,as well as the intestinal flora before and after treatment.The clinical efficacy and pregnancy rate of the two groups were compared after treatment.Results(1)After 3 menstrual cycles of treatment,the total effective rate of the observation group was 87.80%(36/41),and that of the control group was 68.89%(31/45).The intergroup comparison(tested by chi-square test)showed that the clinical efficacy of the observation group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P<0.05).(2)After treatment,the scores of TCM syndromes in the two groups were decreased when compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and the decrease in the observation group was more significant than that in the control group(P<0.01).(3)After treatment,the endometrial thickness in the two groups was increased when compared with that before treatment(P<0.05),and the increase in the observation group was superior to that in the control group(P<0.01).(4)The pregnancy rate of the observation group was 92.68%(38/41),which was significantly higher than 73.33%(33/45)of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).(5)After treatment,the levels of serum E2,LH and LH/FSH in the two groups were decreased when compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),but there was no significant change in the level of serum FSH before and after treatment(P>0.05).The comparison between the two groups showed that the decrease of serum E2,LH and LH/FSH levels in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P<0.01).(6)After tieatment,the levels of serum CRP,IL-6,TNF-α in patients of the two groups were decreased compared with those before treatment(P<0.05),and the decrease in the observation group was superior to that in the control group(P<0.01).(7)After treatment,the levels of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli in the intestinal flora of the two groups were higher than those before treatment(P<0.05),and the levels of Enterococcus faecalis and Bacteroides were lower than those before treatment(P<0.05),while the levels of Enterobacter did not change significantly before and after treatment(P>0.05).The comparison between the two groups showed that the increase of the levels of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli and the decrease of the levels of Enterococcus faecalis and Bacteroides in the observation group were significantly superior to those in the control group(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Conclusion Modified Banxia Xiexin Decoction has a significant clinical effect in the treatment of PCOS of stomach heat and spleen deficiency type.The decoction is effective on improving the clinical symptoms and inflammatory factor levels of patients by regulating intestinal flora.
9.Identification of blood-entering components of Anshen Dropping Pills based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS combined with network pharmacology and evaluation of their anti-insomnia effects and mechanisms.
Xia-Xia REN ; Jin-Na YANG ; Xue-Jun LUO ; Hui-Ping LI ; Miao QIAO ; Wen-Jia WANG ; Yi HE ; Shui-Ping ZHOU ; Yun-Hui HU ; Rui-Ming LI
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(7):1928-1937
This study identified blood-entering components of Anshen Dropping Pills and explored their anti-insomnia effects and mechanisms. The main blood-entering components of Anshen Dropping Pills were detected and identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. The rationality of the formula was assessed by using enrichment analysis based on the relationship between drugs and symptoms, and core targets of its active components were selected as the the potential anti-insomnia targets of Anshen Dropping Pills through network pharmacology analysis. Furthermore, protein-protein interaction(PPI) network, Gene Ontology(GO) enrichment analysis, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway analysis were performed on the core targets. An active component-core target network for Anshen Dropping Pills was constructed. Finally, the effects of low-, medium-, and high-dose groups of Anshen Dropping Pills on sleep episodes, sleep duration, and sleep latency in mice were measured by supraliminal and subliminal pentobarbital sodium experiments. Moreover, total scores of the Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI) scale was used to evaluate the changes before and after the treatment with Anshen Dropping Pills in a clinical study. The enrichment analysis based on the relationship between drugs and symptoms verified the rationality of the Anshen Dropping Pills formula, and nine blood-entering components of Anshen Dropping Pills were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. The network proximity revealed a significant correlation between eight components and insomnia, including magnoflorine, liquiritin, spinosin, quercitrin, jujuboside A, ginsenoside Rb_3, glycyrrhizic acid, and glycyrrhetinic acid. Network pharmacology analysis indicated that the major anti-insomnia pathways of Anshen Dropping Pills involved substance and energy metabolism, neuroprotection, immune system regulation, and endocrine regulation. Seven core genes related to insomnia were identified: APOE, ALB, BDNF, PPARG, INS, TP53, and TNF. In summary, Anshen Dropping Pills could increase sleep episodes, prolong sleep duration, and reduce sleep latency in mice. Clinical study results demonstrated that Anshen Dropping Pills could decrease total scores of PSQI scale. This study reveals the pharmacodynamic basis and potential multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway effects of Anshen Dropping Pills, suggesting that its anti-insomnia mechanisms may be associated with the regulation of insomnia-related signaling pathways. These findings offer a theoretical foundation for the clinical application of Anshen Dropping Pills.
Animals
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
;
Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods*
;
Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/metabolism*
;
Mice
;
Network Pharmacology
;
Male
;
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
;
Humans
;
Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects*
;
Sleep/drug effects*
;
Female
;
Adult
10.Effect and mechanism of salt-processed Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex in improving insulin resistance based on network pharmacology and experimental verification.
Jin-Jie LEI ; Yang-Miao XIA ; Shang-Ling ZHAO ; Rui TAN ; Ling-Ying YU ; Zhi-Min CHEN
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(9):2373-2381
This study explores the therapeutic differences and mechanisms of salt-processed Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex in improving insulin resistance(IR) based on network pharmacology, molecular docking, and cellular experiments. The components and intersection targets of Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex in improving IR were collected from databases, and a "drug-component-target-disease" network and protein-protein interaction(PPI) network were constructed to screen core components and targets. A total of 29 active components and 240 intersection targets were identified, of which 13 were core targets. Gene Ontology(GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were used to identify key signaling pathways, and molecular docking was performed to validate the binding activity between core components and targets. An IR model in HepG2 cells was induced using insulin combined with high glucose, and the effects of Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex before and after salt-processing on cell glucose consumption were evaluated. The expression of proteins related to the mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)-protein kinase B(AKT) signaling pathways was detected by Western blot. The cellular experimental results showed that, compared with the model group, glucose consumption in the drug-treated groups was significantly increased(P<0.01), the phosphorylation level of extracellular regulated protein kinase(ERK) was decreased(P<0.05), the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT were increased, and the expression of glucose transporter 4(GLUT4) was also upregulated(P<0.05). Furthermore, the effect of salt-processed Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex was better than that of raw Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex. The study demonstrates that Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex, both before and after salt-processing, improves IR by regulating the expression of related proteins in the MAPK and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways, with enhanced effects after salt-processing.
Humans
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Network Pharmacology
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Phellodendron/chemistry*
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Insulin Resistance
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
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Hep G2 Cells
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Signal Transduction/drug effects*
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Molecular Docking Simulation
;
Protein Interaction Maps/drug effects*
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics*
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Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics*
;
Glucose/metabolism*

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