1.Exploration of Zhuyuwan in Treatment of Atherosclerosis from Perspective of Lipid Transport Disorder
Wei SONG ; Zhongyi ZHANG ; Hairong QIU ; Mei ZHAO ; Zubing ZHOU ; Tao SHEN ; Yong ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(13):54-61
This article discusses the key pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (AS) based on the physiological characteristics and pathological changes of lipids and introduces the therapeutic effect of Zhuyuwan on AS, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases from the spleen. As essential substances, lipids have the same essence but different forms. They circulate throughout the body with body fluids under the action of Yang Qi to nourish the nutrient Qi and support the defensive Qi. Lipid metabolism disorder often leads to the obstruction of Qi movement, the accumulation of dampness and turbidity, and the generation of phlegm and blood stasis. It has been proven that the formation of vulnerable plaques in AS is attributed to the interaction of three pathogenic factors: deficiency of healthy Qi, phlegm-turbidity, and collateral stasis. Their pathological essence is closely related to abnormal lipid metabolism. As lipids constitute the thick and dense components of body fluids, their impaired dispersion may lead to phlegm-turbidity and blood stasis, the pathological process of which is predominantly ascribed to the dysfunction of the spleen in distributing essence. Therefore, AS is rooted in spleen-stomach disorder, manifests as plaques formed by pathological product accumulation in vessels, with lipid transport disorder as its core pathogenesis. Specifically speaking, the dysfunction of spleen in transportation with accumulation of dampness-turbidity marks the initial stage, and blood turbidity and coagulation and phlegm-nodules accumulating in vessels represent the intermediate phase. Cold accumulation and stagnated heat transforming into toxins represent the terminal stage. Zhuyuwan, first recorded in Taiping Holy Prescriptions for Universal Relief, contains equal proportions of Coptidis Rhizoma and Evodiae Fructus. Coptidis Rhizoma, bitter and cold, exerts descending and purging actions to assist stomach Qi in lowering turbidity. Evodiae Fructus, pungent-bitter and hot, disperses obstruction and promotes free flow to support spleen Qi in ascending the clear. The compatibility of Coptidis Rhizoma and Evodiae Fructus ascends the clear and descends the turbid to harmonize Yin and Yang, assisting the spleen in distributing essence and resolving lipid accumulation to reduce lipid levels. In terms of the therapeutic mechanism, Zhuyuwan modulates lipid metabolism by correcting immune-inflammation network imbalance, improving gut microbiota composition and metabolism, and enhancing reverse cholesterol transport. By analyzing the pathological characteristics of lipid transport disorder in AS, this study delves into the intrinsic connections between cardiovascular disease and lipid transport disorder, giving novel insights into the prevention and treatment of AS.
2.Exploration of Zhuyuwan in Treatment of Atherosclerosis from Perspective of Lipid Transport Disorder
Wei SONG ; Zhongyi ZHANG ; Hairong QIU ; Mei ZHAO ; Zubing ZHOU ; Tao SHEN ; Yong ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(13):54-61
This article discusses the key pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (AS) based on the physiological characteristics and pathological changes of lipids and introduces the therapeutic effect of Zhuyuwan on AS, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases from the spleen. As essential substances, lipids have the same essence but different forms. They circulate throughout the body with body fluids under the action of Yang Qi to nourish the nutrient Qi and support the defensive Qi. Lipid metabolism disorder often leads to the obstruction of Qi movement, the accumulation of dampness and turbidity, and the generation of phlegm and blood stasis. It has been proven that the formation of vulnerable plaques in AS is attributed to the interaction of three pathogenic factors: deficiency of healthy Qi, phlegm-turbidity, and collateral stasis. Their pathological essence is closely related to abnormal lipid metabolism. As lipids constitute the thick and dense components of body fluids, their impaired dispersion may lead to phlegm-turbidity and blood stasis, the pathological process of which is predominantly ascribed to the dysfunction of the spleen in distributing essence. Therefore, AS is rooted in spleen-stomach disorder, manifests as plaques formed by pathological product accumulation in vessels, with lipid transport disorder as its core pathogenesis. Specifically speaking, the dysfunction of spleen in transportation with accumulation of dampness-turbidity marks the initial stage, and blood turbidity and coagulation and phlegm-nodules accumulating in vessels represent the intermediate phase. Cold accumulation and stagnated heat transforming into toxins represent the terminal stage. Zhuyuwan, first recorded in Taiping Holy Prescriptions for Universal Relief, contains equal proportions of Coptidis Rhizoma and Evodiae Fructus. Coptidis Rhizoma, bitter and cold, exerts descending and purging actions to assist stomach Qi in lowering turbidity. Evodiae Fructus, pungent-bitter and hot, disperses obstruction and promotes free flow to support spleen Qi in ascending the clear. The compatibility of Coptidis Rhizoma and Evodiae Fructus ascends the clear and descends the turbid to harmonize Yin and Yang, assisting the spleen in distributing essence and resolving lipid accumulation to reduce lipid levels. In terms of the therapeutic mechanism, Zhuyuwan modulates lipid metabolism by correcting immune-inflammation network imbalance, improving gut microbiota composition and metabolism, and enhancing reverse cholesterol transport. By analyzing the pathological characteristics of lipid transport disorder in AS, this study delves into the intrinsic connections between cardiovascular disease and lipid transport disorder, giving novel insights into the prevention and treatment of AS.
3.NAD+ Ameliorates Endothelial Dysfunction in Hypertension via Activation of SIRT3/IDH2 Signal Pathway
Yumin QIU ; Xi CHEN ; Jianning ZHANG ; Zhangchi LIU ; Qiuxia ZHU ; Meixin ZHANG ; Jun TAO ; Xing WU
Journal of Sun Yat-sen University(Medical Sciences) 2025;46(1):70-80
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide on vascular endothelial injury in hypertension and its molecular mechanism. MethodsC57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into saline group (Saline) and hypertension group (Ang Ⅱ, which were infused with Ang Ⅱ via subcutaneously implanted osmotic pumps), and supplemented daily with nicotinamide mononucleotide (300 mg/kg), a precursor of NAD+. Blood pressure, endothelial relaxation function and pulse wave velocity were measured after 4 weeks. Wound healing assay and adhesion assay were used to evaluate the function of endothelial cells in vitro. mtROS levels were detected by immunofluorescence staining. RT-PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of mtDNA, SIRT3 and isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2). 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The protein expression levels of p-eNOS, eNOS, SIRT3 and IDH2 were detected by Western blot. ResultsNMN supplementation reduced blood pressure (P<0.001) and improved endothelial function and arterial stiffness (P<0.001) in hypertensive mice. In vitro, NMN improved endothelial function in AngII-stimulated endothelial cells (P<0.05) and attenuated mitochondrial oxidative stress levels (P<0.001). Mechanistically, NMN elevated SIRT3 activity (P<0.001), which subsequently enhanced IDH activity (P<0.001) and reduced oxidative stress levels in endothelial cells. Conversely, knockdown of IDH2 would reverse the effect of SIRT3 in improving endothelial function (P<0.001). ConclusionNAD+ lowers blood pressure and enhances vascular function in hypertension by reducing the level of oxidative stress in endothelial cells through activation of the SIRT3/IDH2 signal pathway.
4.Analysis of chemical components,prototype components migrating to the blood and metabolites of Sanhua decoction
Yanping LIU ; Ye CHEN ; Tao LU ; Juanmin TAO ; Yan QIU
China Pharmacy 2025;36(14):1760-1764
OBJECTIVE To study the chemical components, components migrating to the blood and metabolites of Sanhua decoction in rats. METHODS Male Wistar rats were divided into administration group and blank group, with 6 rats in each group. The rats in the administration group were given 13.3 g/kg of Sanhua decoction lyophilized powder solution by gavage once a day in the morning and evening, and the rats in the blank group were given an equal volume of saline by gavage once a day in the morning and evening, both for 3 consecutive days. Plasma samples were collected from the two groups of rats after the last administration. The chemical components, prototype components migrating to the blood and metabolites of Sanhua decoction were analyzed by UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS technique. The structures were identified combined with the self-built natural product high- resolution mass spectrometry database and relevant literature. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS Totally 69 compounds were identified from the lyophilized powder of Sanhua decoction, including 29 components from Rheum officinale, 16 components from Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex, 22 components from Aurantii Fructus Immaturus, and 10 components from Notopterygii Rhizoma et Radix. Among them, 3 components (citric acid, L-tyrosine, adenosine) were present in all 4 medicinal herbs. Another component (feruloylgluconic acid) still needed to be specifically attributed. A total of 43 prototype components migrating to the blood were identified, including flavonoids, phenols, anthraquinones, phenylpropanoids, alkaloids and triterpenoids. A total of 61 metabolites were identified, predominantly consisting of flavonoids, anthraquinones and phenylpropanoids. The metabolic pathways mainly involved phase Ⅰ metabolic reactions such as demethylation and phase Ⅱ metabolic reactions like sulfation and glucuronidation.
5.Rapid progression of colitis caused by lenvatinib combined with tislelizumab for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment:a case study
Jinyuan MA ; Bei WANG ; Quangang ZHU ; Zhengxin WANG ; Yifeng TAO ; Xiaoyan QIU
Chinese Journal of Pharmacoepidemiology 2024;33(3):349-354
A 62-year-old man with hepatocellular carcinoma began to take tyrosine kinase inhibitor(TKI)lenvatinib orally.After taking the medicine for a week,the patient developed watery diarrhea 2 to 3 times a day.The patient received the first dose of tislelizumab.After 20 days,the patient's diarrhea worsened,nearly 40 times a day.Lenvatinib was discontinued and the second dose of tislelizumab was received,while the diarrhea was not significantly relieved.Treatments were given upon the symptoms and diarrhea was alleviated so that lenvatinib was restarted,diarrhea aggravated again and the drug was discontinued.Acute colitis complicated with colon erosion was diagnosed by colonoscopy which was presumed to be immure-associated colitis caused by programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1).The patient was admitted to hospital for liver transplantation.After the administration of immunosuppressive drugs against graft rejection,the diarrhea gradually cleared.Diarrhea caused by anti-PD-1 antibody is usually mild.In this case,mild diarrhea caused by TKI developed rapidly into severe colitis after the first dose of anti-PD-1 antibody.Mechanism of the increasing rate of adverse effect caused by the combined use of TKI and anti-PD-1 antibodies worth further discussion.
6.Cerebellar involvement in Parkinson’s disease: Pathophysiology and neuroimaging
Tao QIU ; Meichen LIU ; Xinhui QIU ; Tianbai LI ; Weidong LE
Chinese Medical Journal 2024;137(20):2395-2403
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by various motor and non-motor symptoms. The complexity of its symptoms suggests that PD is a heterogeneous neurological disorder. Its pathological changes are not limited to the substantia nigra-striatal system, but gradually extending to other regions including the cerebellum. The cerebellum is connected to a wide range of central nervous system regions that form essential neural circuits affected by PD. In addition, altered dopaminergic activity and α-synuclein pathology are found in the cerebellum, further suggesting its role in the PD progression. Furthermore, an increasing evidence obtained from imaging studies has demonstrated that cerebellar structure, functional connectivity, and neural metabolism are altered in PD when compared to healthy controls, as well as among different PD subtypes. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the cerebellar pathophysiology and results from neuroimaging studies related to both motor and non-motor symptoms of PD, highlighting the potential significance of cerebellar assessment in PD diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and disease monitoring.
7.Effects of astragalus angelica on apoptosis and expression of Bax and caspase-3/9 in rabbit chondrocytes after fresh osteochondral allograft
Wan-Tao DONG ; Pan YANG ; Xiu-Juan YANG ; Shi-Ming QIU ; Peng YUAN ; Jing-Yi LIU ; Jiu-Mei HUANG ; Yu ZHOU
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(12):2288-2294
Aim To observe the effect of Astragalus membranaceus and Angelica sinensis on the apoptosis of chondrocytes,and to investigate the effect of Astrag-alus membranaceus and Angelica sinensis on the sur-vival of fresh ostecartilage allograft.Methods Forty-eight 4-month-old New Zealand white rabbits,half male and half female,were randomly divided into sham operation group,model group,positive group and As-tragalus and Angelica 5∶1 group.In addition to the sham operation group,the other groups were both male and female donors and recipients for knee joint osteo-cartilage cross transplantation modeling.After 8 weeks of drug intervention,samples were taken for general observation,HE staining,saffrane-O staining,immu-nohistochemical staining,qPCR and Western blot de-tection.Results Compared with model group,As-tragalus and Angelica 5∶1 group and positive group,the repair site healed better,the morphology of osteo-chondrocytes tended to be normal,and the division and proliferation were obvious.Proteoglycan deposition in-creased and type Ⅱ collagen content was higher,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).qPCR and Western blot results showed that compared with model group,the mRNA and protein expressions of Bax,caspase-3 and caspase-9 in other groups were significantly decreased(P<0.05).Conclusion As-tragalus and Angelica can promote the survival of fresh osteochondral allograft,and its mechanism may be re-lated to promoting collagen production,promoting chondrocyte proliferation and inhibiting chondrocyte apoptosis.
8.Research progress of celastrol in the treatment of stroke
Ronghui ZHU ; Li CHEN ; Yang CHEN ; Yue HUANG ; Yunhua ZHENG ; Tao QIU
China Pharmacist 2024;27(4):711-721
Celastrol is extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine Tripterygium wilfordii Hook.f..It is a kind of traditional Chinese medicine monomer with extensive pharmacological activity and has anti-tumor,anti-inflammation,anti-oxidation and neuroprotective effects.Studies have found that celastrol is not only closely related to obesity,tumor and cardiovascular diseases,but also plays a neuroprotective role in the cerebrovascular system by regulating various signaling pathways.At present,effective drugs for stroke are still limited,but with the deepening of the research on celastrol,its therapeutic potential in stroke has received more and more attention,especially in ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke,which has shown good therapeutic effects.Therefore,this is the first time to systematically summarize the therapeutic effects of celastrol on stroke and the underlying mechanisms involved,in order to provide further directions and references for the neuroprotective effects of celastrol.
9.Three-dimensional finite element analysis of lumbar disc herniation under different body positions
Ben-Jing YIN ; Yu LU ; Fu-Tao JI ; Rong-Neng QIU ; Yuan-Yang XIE ; Ge CHEN ; Tian-Li XU ; Chao-Yu BAO ; Ju-Bao LI
China Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology 2024;37(6):599-604
Objective To campare biomechanical effects of different postural compression techniques on three-dimensional model of lumbar disc herniation(LDH)by finite element analysis.Methods Lumbar CT image of a 48-year-old female patient with LDH(heighted 163 cm,weighted 53 kg)was collected.Mimics 20.0,Geomagic Studio,Solidwords and other software were used to establish three-dimensional finite element model of LDH on L4,5 segments.Compression techniques under horizon-tal position,30° forward bending and 10° backward extension were simulated respectively.After applying the pressure,the ef-fects of compression techniques under different positions on stress,strain and displacement of various tissues of intervertebral disc and nerve root were observed.Results L4,5 segment finite element model was successfully established,and the model was validated.When compression manipulation was performed on the horizontal position,30° flexion and 10° extension,the annular stress were 0.732,5.929,1.286 MPa,the nucleus pulposus stress were 0.190,1.527,0.295 MPa,and the annular strain were 0.097,0.922 and 0.424,the strain sizes of nucleus pulposus were 0.153,1.222 and 0.282,respectively.The overall displace-ment distance of intervertebral disc on Y direction were-3.707,-18.990,-4.171 mm,and displacement distance of nerve root on Y direction were+7.836,+5.341,+3.859 mm,respectively.The relative displacement distances of nerve root and interverte-bral disc on Y direction were 11.543,24.331 and 8.030 mm,respectively.Conclusion Compression manipulation could make herniated intervertebral disc produce contraction and retraction trend,by increasing the distance between herniated interverte-bral disc and nerve root,to reduce symptoms of nerve compression,to achieve purpose of treatment for patients with LDH,in which the compression manipulation is more effective when the forward flexion is 30°.
10.Cerebellar symptoms and imaging features in neurodegenerative diseases
Xinhui QIU ; Tao QIU ; Meichen LIU ; Tianbai LI ; Weidong LE
Chinese Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases 2024;50(9):570-576
Pathological,electrophysiological,and neuroimaging changes in the cerebellum can occur in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease,Parkinson disease,and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.The activation and neurodegeneration of neurons in specific cerebellar regions may contribute to the clinical symptoms and pathological processes of these neurodegenerative diseases.This article reviews the clinical assessment methods and neuroimaging studies related to cerebellar symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases.The findings suggest that structural and functional abnormalities of the cerebellum are associated with symptoms such as motor,cognitive,and emotional dysfunction in these diseases.Developing a multidimensional,systematic clinical and imaging evaluation approach centered on the cerebellum will help deepen our understanding of the cerebellum's role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases.It will also provide new directions for the early identification of symptoms,differential diagnosis,and the formulation of precise treatment plans.

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