1.Component compatibility of Yinchenhao decoction attenuates high-fat diet-induced metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease in mice.
Yanyan GAO ; Ruyun XUE ; Fangying XU ; Lin CHEN ; Jiannan QIU ; Xiaobing DOU
Journal of Zhejiang University. Medical sciences 2025;():1-12
OBJECTIVES:
This study aims to investigate the optimal dose ratio and mechanisms of the primary active components in Yinchenhao decoction (geniposide, chlorogenic acid, and rhubarb polysaccharides) for ameliorating metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).
METHODS:
C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the normal control group, model control group, uniform design groups 1-6, and Yinchenhao Decoction group; except for the normal control group, mice in all other groups were fed a Western diet to establish a MASLD model, and after 8 weeks of modeling, mice in the uniform design groups 1-6 and Yinchenhao Decoction group were given the corresponding drugs by gavage. At 12 weeks, all mice were sacrificed: their body weight and liver weight were measured, hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the histopathological changes of liver tissue, the plasma levels of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) were detected, and the levels of total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) in plasma and liver were measured. Based on these results, the optimal uniform design group was identified; subsequently, with plasma AST, plasma TG, and liver TC levels as screening indicators, the optimal dose ratio was obtained via a regression equation, which was further verified from two dimensions, namely functional indicators and tissue morphology. Meanwhile, glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test were conducted to evaluate glucose metabolic homeostasis and insulin sensitivity in mice, periodic acid-Schiff staining was used to observe glycogen accumulation, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was employed to detect the mRNA expression of genes related to glycolipid metabolism and bile acid metabolism, Western blotting was performed to measure the protein expression of molecules involved in bile acid metabolism, and commercial kits were used to determine the plasma levels of total bilirubin (TBIL), direct bilirubin (DBIL), and total bile acid (TBA).
RESULTS:
Combinations of geniposide, chlorogenic acid, and rhubarb polysaccharide all reduced the liver-to-body weight ratio, alleviated liver injury, and decreased lipid accumulation, among which the uniform design group 6 (200 mg/kg geniposide+160 mg/kg chlorogenic acid+340 mg/kg rhubarb polysaccharide) exhibited the optimal efficacy. Meanwhile, regression analysis indicated that the dosage ratio of uniform design group 6 was the optimal one for MASLD intervention. Validation experiments showed that, compared with single-drug intervention, the optimal dosage ratio resulted in significantly lower body weight, as well as lower plasma levels of ALT, AST and TC in mice (all P<0.05), along with a more pronounced reduction in the area of hepatic lipid accumulation. Mechanistic investigation experiments demonstrated that intervention with the optimal dosage ratio significantly improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in mice (all P<0.05), reduced hepatic glycogen deposition, and downregulated the mRNA expression of glycolipid metabolism-related genes such as Gsk3, G6pc, Pck1, Fbp1, Fasn, Srebp-1c, Scd1, Slc27a2, and Slc27a5 (all P<0.05); it also decreased plasma levels of TBIL, DBIL, and TBA (all P<0.05), reversed the abnormal protein expression of bile salt export pump (BSEP), farnesoid X receptor (FXR), and cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) in the liver (all P<0.05), and reversed the abnormal mRNA expression of bile acid metabolism-related genes including Nr1h4, Cyp7a1, Cyp27a1, Slc10a1, and Slco1a1 (all P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
The combination of geniposide (200 mg/kg), chlorogenic acid (160 mg/kg), and rhubarb polysaccharide (340 mg/kg) exerts the optimal ameliorative effect on MASLD in mice. This superior efficacy is presumably achieved by synergistically regulating the key nodes of glycolipid metabolism and bile acid metabolism, ultimately optimizing the therapeutic outcome.
2.Dimeric natural product panepocyclinol A inhibits STAT3 via di-covalent modification.
Li LI ; Yuezhou WANG ; Yiqiu WANG ; Xiaoyang LI ; Qihong DENG ; Fei GAO ; Wenhua LIAN ; Yunzhan LI ; Fu GUI ; Yanling WEI ; Su-Jie ZHU ; Cai-Hong YUN ; Lei ZHANG ; Zhiyu HU ; Qingyan XU ; Xiaobing WU ; Lanfen CHEN ; Dawang ZHOU ; Jianming ZHANG ; Fei XIA ; Xianming DENG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(1):409-423
Homo- or heterodimeric compounds that affect dimeric protein function through interaction between monomeric moieties and protein subunits can serve as valuable sources of potent and selective drug candidates. Here, we screened an in-house dimeric natural product collection, and panepocyclinol A (PecA) emerged as a selective and potent STAT3 inhibitor with profound anti-tumor efficacy. Through cross-linking C712/C718 residues in separate STAT3 monomers with two distinct Michael receptors, PecA inhibits STAT3 DNA binding affinity and transcription activity. Molecular dynamics simulation reveals the key conformation changes of STAT3 dimers upon the di-covalent binding with PecA that abolishes its DNA interactions. Furthermore, PecA exhibits high efficacy against anaplastic large T cell lymphoma in vitro and in vivo, especially those with constitutively activated STAT3 or STAT3Y640F. In summary, our study describes a distinct and effective di-covalent modification for the dimeric compound PecA to disrupt STAT3 function.
3.Ursodeoxycholic acid inhibits the uptake of cystine through SLC7A11 and impairs de novo synthesis of glutathione.
Fu'an XIE ; Yujia NIU ; Xiaobing CHEN ; Xu KONG ; Guangting YAN ; Aobo ZHUANG ; Xi LI ; Lanlan LIAN ; Dongmei QIN ; Quan ZHANG ; Ruyi ZHANG ; Kunrong YANG ; Xiaogang XIA ; Kun CHEN ; Mengmeng XIAO ; Chunkang YANG ; Ting WU ; Ye SHEN ; Chundong YU ; Chenghua LUO ; Shu-Hai LIN ; Wengang LI
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(1):101068-101068
Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a naturally occurring, low-toxicity, and hydrophilic bile acid (BA) in the human body that is converted by intestinal flora using primary BA. Solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) functions to uptake extracellular cystine in exchange for glutamate, and is highly expressed in a variety of human cancers. Retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RLPS) refers to liposarcoma originating from the retroperitoneal area. Lipidomics analysis revealed that UDCA was one of the most significantly downregulated metabolites in sera of RLPS patients compared with healthy subjects. The augmentation of UDCA concentration (≥25 μg/mL) demonstrated a suppressive effect on the proliferation of liposarcoma cells. [15N2]-cystine and [13C5]-glutamine isotope tracing revealed that UDCA impairs cystine uptake and glutathione (GSH) synthesis. Mechanistically, UDCA binds to the cystine transporter SLC7A11 to inhibit cystine uptake and impair GSH de novo synthesis, leading to reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and mitochondrial oxidative damage. Furthermore, UDCA can promote the anti-cancer effects of ferroptosis inducers (Erastin, RSL3), the murine double minute 2 (MDM2) inhibitors (Nutlin 3a, RG7112), cyclin dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) inhibitor (Abemaciclib), and glutaminase inhibitor (CB839). Together, UDCA functions as a cystine exchange factor that binds to SLC7A11 for antitumor activity, and SLC7A11 is not only a new transporter for BA but also a clinically applicable target for UDCA. More importantly, in combination with other antitumor chemotherapy or physiotherapy treatments, UDCA may provide effective and promising treatment strategies for RLPS or other types of tumors in a ROS-dependent manner.
4.Diagnosis and surgical treatment of high-risk anomalous aortic origin of coronary artery
Hujun CUI ; Jimei CHEN ; Shushui WANG ; Jianzheng CEN ; Gang XU ; Shusheng WEN ; Xiaobing LIU ; Jian ZHUANG
Chinese Journal of Surgery 2024;62(3):242-247
Objective:To analyze the diagnosis and surgical treatment of high-risk anomalous aortic origin of coronary artery (AAOCA).Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. From January 2016 to July 2023, 24 cases of high-risk AAOCA underwent surgical treatment in Department of Cardiac Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital. There were 18 males and 6 females, operatively aged ( M (IQR)) 13 (26) years (range: 0.3 to 57.0 years). They were confirmed by cardiac ultrasound and cardiac CT, all of which had anomalous coronary running between the aorta and the pulmonary artery. There were 15 cases of the right coronary artery from the left aortic sinus of Valsalva, 6 cases of left coronary artery from the right aortic sinus of Valsalva, 3 cases of the sigle coronary artery. Only 3 patients had no obvious related symptoms (2 cases were complicated with a positive exercise stress test and 1 case with other intracardiac malformations), 21 cases had a history of chest tightness, chest pain, or syncope after exercise. Three patients suffered syncope after exercise and underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (2 cases were treated with an extracorporeal membrane oxygenerator (ECMO)). The gap from the first symptom to the diagnosis was 4.0 (11.5) months (range: 0.2 to 84.0 months). The detection rate of coronary artery abnormalities suggested by the first cardiac ultrasound was only 37.5% (9/24). Seven patients were complicated with other cardiac diseases (4 cases with congenital heart defects, 2 cases with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, 1 case with mitral valve disease). Results:All 24 patients underwent surgical treatment (23 cases underwent abnormal coronary artery unroofing, 1 case underwent coronary artery bypass grafting), and 5 patients underwent other intracardiac malformation correction at the same time. There were no death or surgery related complications in the hospital for 30 days after the operation. A patient with preoperative extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation was continuously assisted by ECMO after emergency AAOCA correction and had complications such as limb ischemia necrosis and renal dysfunction after the operation. During the follow-up of 2.2 (3.3) years (range: 1 month to 7.2 years), one patient who previously underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty with a stent implant experienced significant postoperative symptomatic relief, and the other discharged patients had no related symptoms.Conclusions:The accurate rate of initial diagnosis for high-risk AAOCA is still low, but the risk of cardiovascular accidents is high. For sports-related chest pain and other symptoms, more attention should be paid to the detection of AAOCA, especially for adolescents. Exercise stress testing can be helpful in evaluating the cardiovascular risk of asymptomatic AAOCA. Instant surgical treatment can achieve satisfactory curative effects.
5.Diagnosis and surgical treatment of high-risk anomalous aortic origin of coronary artery
Hujun CUI ; Jimei CHEN ; Shushui WANG ; Jianzheng CEN ; Gang XU ; Shusheng WEN ; Xiaobing LIU ; Jian ZHUANG
Chinese Journal of Surgery 2024;62(3):242-247
Objective:To analyze the diagnosis and surgical treatment of high-risk anomalous aortic origin of coronary artery (AAOCA).Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. From January 2016 to July 2023, 24 cases of high-risk AAOCA underwent surgical treatment in Department of Cardiac Surgery, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital. There were 18 males and 6 females, operatively aged ( M (IQR)) 13 (26) years (range: 0.3 to 57.0 years). They were confirmed by cardiac ultrasound and cardiac CT, all of which had anomalous coronary running between the aorta and the pulmonary artery. There were 15 cases of the right coronary artery from the left aortic sinus of Valsalva, 6 cases of left coronary artery from the right aortic sinus of Valsalva, 3 cases of the sigle coronary artery. Only 3 patients had no obvious related symptoms (2 cases were complicated with a positive exercise stress test and 1 case with other intracardiac malformations), 21 cases had a history of chest tightness, chest pain, or syncope after exercise. Three patients suffered syncope after exercise and underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation (2 cases were treated with an extracorporeal membrane oxygenerator (ECMO)). The gap from the first symptom to the diagnosis was 4.0 (11.5) months (range: 0.2 to 84.0 months). The detection rate of coronary artery abnormalities suggested by the first cardiac ultrasound was only 37.5% (9/24). Seven patients were complicated with other cardiac diseases (4 cases with congenital heart defects, 2 cases with coronary atherosclerotic heart disease, 1 case with mitral valve disease). Results:All 24 patients underwent surgical treatment (23 cases underwent abnormal coronary artery unroofing, 1 case underwent coronary artery bypass grafting), and 5 patients underwent other intracardiac malformation correction at the same time. There were no death or surgery related complications in the hospital for 30 days after the operation. A patient with preoperative extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation was continuously assisted by ECMO after emergency AAOCA correction and had complications such as limb ischemia necrosis and renal dysfunction after the operation. During the follow-up of 2.2 (3.3) years (range: 1 month to 7.2 years), one patient who previously underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty with a stent implant experienced significant postoperative symptomatic relief, and the other discharged patients had no related symptoms.Conclusions:The accurate rate of initial diagnosis for high-risk AAOCA is still low, but the risk of cardiovascular accidents is high. For sports-related chest pain and other symptoms, more attention should be paid to the detection of AAOCA, especially for adolescents. Exercise stress testing can be helpful in evaluating the cardiovascular risk of asymptomatic AAOCA. Instant surgical treatment can achieve satisfactory curative effects.
6.Two types of coumarins-specific enzymes complete the last missing steps in pyran- and furanocoumarins biosynthesis.
Yucheng ZHAO ; Yuedong HE ; Liangliang HAN ; Libo ZHANG ; Yuanzheng XIA ; Fucheng YIN ; Xiaobing WANG ; Deqing ZHAO ; Sheng XU ; Fei QIAO ; Yibei XIAO ; Lingyi KONG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2024;14(2):869-880
Pyran- and furanocoumarins are key representatives of tetrahydropyrans and tetrahydrofurans, respectively, exhibiting diverse physiological and medical bioactivities. However, the biosynthetic mechanisms for their core structures remain poorly understood. Here we combined multiomics analyses of biosynthetic enzymes in Peucedanum praeruptorum and in vitro functional verification and identified two types of key enzymes critical for pyran and furan ring biosynthesis in plants. These included three distinct P. praeruptorum prenyltransferases (PpPT1-3) responsible for the prenylation of the simple coumarin skeleton 7 into linear or angular precursors, and two novel CYP450 cyclases (PpDC and PpOC) crucial for the cyclization of the linear/angular precursors into either tetrahydropyran or tetrahydrofuran scaffolds. Biochemical analyses of cyclases indicated that acid/base-assisted epoxide ring opening contributed to the enzyme-catalyzed tetrahydropyran and tetrahydrofuran ring refactoring. The possible acid/base-assisted catalytic mechanisms of the identified cyclases were theoretically investigated and assessed using site-specific mutagenesis. We identified two possible acidic amino acids Glu303 in PpDC and Asp301 in PpOC as vital in the catalytic process. This study provides new enzymatic tools in the epoxide formation/epoxide-opening mediated cascade reaction and exemplifies how plants become chemically diverse in terms of enzyme function and catalytic process.
7.Compound cottonrose hibiscus leaf gel plaster of optimal"Xiaozhongsan"formulation for knee synovitis
Wei YAN ; Bo KONG ; Xiaobing XI ; Yong XU ; Youji JIA ; Beite RUAN ; Jiahui ZHANG ; Honghong MA ; Zhongwei LI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2024;28(10):1580-1585
BACKGROUND:Previous studies have confirmed that the new compound cottonrose hibiscus leaf gel plaster has a good effect in the treatment of acute soft tissue swelling. OBJECTIVE:To observe the clinical efficacy of compound cottonrose hibiscus leaf gel plaster in the treatment of synovitis of the knee joint. METHODS:Seventy-two patients with knee synovitis were selected from Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from December 2019 to May 2021.These patients were randomly divided into a trial group and a control group,with 36 cases in each group.The trial group was treated with compound cottonrose hibiscus leaf gel plaster,once a day,12 hours each time,while the control group was treated with Diclofenac Diethylamine Emulgel,twice a day.After 28 days of treatment,visual analog scale score,WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index score,quality of life score(SF-36),thickness of knee synovium and comprehensive curative effect were compared between the two groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Visual analog scale scores after treatment were lower than those before treatment(P<0.05).Visual analog scale scores in the trial group after 7,14 and 28 days of treatment were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).The WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index scores of the two groups after treatment were lower than those before treatment(P<0.05),and the WOMAC Osteoarthritis Index scores in the trial group after 7,14 and 28 days of treatment were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).(3)The SF-36 quality of life score in the two groups after 28 days of treatment was higher than that before treatment(P<0.05).SF-36 quality of life score in the trial group after 28 days of treatment was higher than that in the control group(P<0.05).(4)After 28 days of treatment,the thickness of knee synovium in the trial group was less than that in the control group(P<0.05),and the effective rate in the trial group was higher than that in the control group(P<0.05).(5)These findings indicate that compared with Diclofenac Diethylamine Emulgel,the compound cottonrose hibiscus leaf gel plaster can better relieve knee pain,enhance knee joint function,reduce synovial hyperplasia,and elevate the overall quality of life of patients.
8.Research on the List of Data Quality Scoring Criteria for the Attached Sheet to the Summary Page of Inpatient Cases Based on AHIMA's Data Quality Management Model
Yang SUN ; Yaosong JIANG ; Chengzhen MENG ; Qin SHU ; Xiaobing XU ; Sai HU ; Di LI
Chinese Hospital Management 2024;44(2):72-74
Objective To construct a list of quality scoring criteria for the attached sheet to the summary page of inpatient cases to achieve quantitative evaluation of the data quality.Methods It uses the Data Quality Management model of the American AHIMA as the evaluation framework to develop the list of data quality scoring criteria for the attached sheet,and score in Attached Sheet to the Summary Page of Inpatient Cases issued by the Hubei Provincial Health Commission as a demonstration.Results The average score of the 40 items in Attached Sheet to the Summary Page of Inpatient Casesis 6.725 out of 10.The main quality defects include that all items fail to clarify the person responsible for filling or the time limit for filling.In addition,some items are duplicated with the summary page(35%)or do not have a summary nature(40%).Conclusion Significant room exists for the improvement in the data quality of the attached sheet,especially in defining the person responsible and the time limit for filling in when setting up the items,making sure that the items supplement and extend the summary page,and applying effective quality control methods to the items.
9.Adolescent depressive symptoms in single parent families in Jianyang City and construction and verification of the early warning model
REN Xiaobing, XU Hongxia, ZHONG Ruoshi, DUAN Xin, YU Jing
Chinese Journal of School Health 2024;45(8):1096-1100
Objective:
To analyze the current situation of adolescent depressive symptoms in singleparent families in Jianyang City, and to construct and verify the early warning model, so as to provide a scientific basis for the government to formulate a plan of promoting the development of adolescent mental health.
Methods:
A stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 12 125 middle and high school students from 25 middle schools in Jianyang City from March 2022 to October 2023 for an anonymous selffilling questionnaire survey, and a total of 1 142 adolescents from valid singleparent families were obtained as the survey objects. They were randomly divided into the training set (914 participants) and the verification set (228 participants) according to the ratio of 8∶2. The Chinese version of Beck depression Inventory (BDI) was used to evaluate depressive symptoms among adolescents from singleparent families in Jianyang City. The factors related of depressive symptoms in adolescents from singleparent families were analyzed, and a prediction model was established to verify the model and evaluate its effectiveness.
Results:
There were 158 adolescents (17.29%) in the training set and 43 adolescents (18.86%) in the verification set with depressive symptoms. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that learning stress (OR=4.31, 95%CI=1.67-11.13), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CDRISC) score (OR=0.29, 95%CI=0.12-0.71) and Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACESⅡ) scores (OR=0.19, 95%CI=0.06-0.63) were all related factors the occurrence of depressive symptoms in adolescents from singleparent families (P<0.05). The results showed that the C-index was 0.80 (95%CI=0.75-0.80), and the correction curve for predicting the occurrence of depressive symptoms in singleparent families was close to the ideal curve (χ2=0.26, P>0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve results of the training set showed that the sensitivity and specificity of the nomogram model in predicting depressive symptoms in adolescents from singleparent families were 80.38% and 80.03% respectively, ROC area under the curve (AUC) was 0.84 (95%CI=0.76-0.92). The ROC curve results of the verification set showed that the sensitivity, specificity and AUC of histogram model to predict depressive symptoms in adolescents from singleparent families were 79.07%, 82.16% and 0.83 (95%CI=0.76-0.91).
Conclusions
Learning stress, mental resilience and family function are all factors that affect the occurrence of depressive symptoms in adolescents from single parent families in Jianyang City. Based on this, the early warning model can predict depressive symptoms in Jianyang City.
10.High-risk sexual behaviors of HIV/AIDS and related factors in young students in Guangzhou
Jun LIU ; Peng LIN ; Huifang XU ; Fang YANG ; Xiaobing FU ; Zhilu YAO ; Shilan XIE ; Simin HE ; Jianrong LI ; Siyuan PAN ; Yan LI
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2024;45(2):265-272
Objective:To explore high-risk sexual behaviors of HIV/AIDS and related factors in young students in Guangzhou.Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 5 different types of Guangzhou colleges by convenience sampling with minimum number of classes per grade and 600 samples per school from September to November 2021. The R 4.2.2 software was used to consolidate databases. Simultaneously, a logistic regression model and a decision tree algorithm model, stratifying by whether sexual behaviors had occurred before, were constructed. In each layer, the prediction performance of the two models was evaluated through area under receiver operating characteristic and the confusion matrix, and then the model with high prediction performance was retained.Results:A total of 7 346 students were surveyed. The proportion of the respondents reporting sexual experience were 9.08% (667/7 346), in whom 26.24% (175/667) had risky sexual activity in the past year. The decision tree algorithm model performs well in predicting whether high-risk sexual behaviors have occurred in the past year. When the complexity parameter value is 0.018, and nsplit reaches 4, which means there are 5 leaf nodes in the model, the cross error of the tree will be the smallest. The first best grouping variable in the decision tree was whether to use condoms throughout the first sexual behavior. If condoms were used at their sexual debut, but homosexual practices have occurred in the past year, the probability of risky sexual behavior will increase. If homosexual practices have not occurred in the past year, but the age of sexual debut was below 18 years old while the period of HIV education was after high school, the probability of risk sexual behavior will also increase.Conclusions:AIDS-related risky behaviors of young students still deserved attention. The experience of sexual debut and whether AIDS-related health education has been received before the sexual debut were significant predictors for the occurrence of high-risk sexual behavior. The decision tree algorithm model has particular applicability for predicting and screening potential risk populations.


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