1.Impacts of wearing orthokeratology lenses on ocular surface and meibomian gland of children and adolescents in high-altitude areas
Duqin WANG ; Xiaomei MA ; Xueying LIU
International Eye Science 2026;26(3):489-492
AIM: To explore the impacts of wearing orthokeratology lenses on the ocular surface and meibomian gland of children and adolescents in high-altitude areas.METHODS: Retrospective study. Myopic children and adolescents who visited at the ophthalmology department and received orthokeratology lens from June 2023 to December 2023 were selected as orthokeratology group, and those who visited and wore regular spectacle group during the same period were selected as regular spectacle group. Then the ocular surface disease index(OSDI)score, tear meniscus height, non-invasive breakup time(NIBUT)[first NIBUT(fNIBUT), average NIBUT(avNIBUT)], and meibomian gland score were compared between the two groups before wearing lenses, and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 mo after wearing lenses.RESULTS: A total of 80 children(160 eyes)with myopia were included in this study. Among them, 40 cases(80 eyes)were in the orthokeratology lens group, with 25 males and 15 females and an average age of 11.33±2.76 years old, and 40 cases(80 eyes)were in the regular spectacle group, with 23 males and 17 females and an average age of 11.58±2.94 years old. The OSDI scores and tear meniscus heights showed no clear difference between two groups at various time points before and after wearing glasses(all P>0.05). The fNIBUT and avNIBUT of the orthokeratology lens group decreased compared with the regular spectacle group at 6 and 12 mo after wearing lenses, and meibomian gland score of the orthokeratology group was higher than that of the regular spectacle group at 12 mo after wearing lenses(all P<0.001). Among them, the fNIBUT and avNIBUT of the orthokeratology lenses group at 3, 6, and 12 mo after wearing glasses were lower than those before wearing glasses(all P<0.05). Moreover, the meibomian gland scores of the orthokeratology lenses group at 12 mo after wearing glasses were higher than those before wearing glasses, and 1, 3, and 6 mo after wearing glasses(all P<0.05), while there was no statistical difference in fNIBUT, avNIBUT, and meibomian gland score at each time point in the regular spectacle group(all P>0.05).CONCLUSION: Long term wearing of orthokeratology lenses can shorten the NIBUT of myopic children and adolescents in high-altitude areas, and have a certain impact on their meibomian gland function.
2.Herbal Textual Research on Stemonae Radix in Famous Classical Formulas
Gang XU ; Li AN ; Xiaomei WANG ; Erhuan WANG ; Yichen YANG ; Cunde MA ; Yang YANG ; Zhilai ZHAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(21):241-251
This article systematically reviews and verifies the historical evolution of Stemonae Radix from the aspects of name, origin, harvesting and processing, quality and others by consulting ancient and modern literature, in order to provide reference for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this medicinal herb. Stemonae Radix has a long history of application, and it derives its name from its distinctive growth pattern, featuring clusters of ten to several dozen underground tuberous roots. This morphology resembles that of certain plants in the genus Asparagus, leading to historical instances where tuberous roots from genus Asparagus were mistakenly used as Stemonae Radix. After the research, it can be concluded that Stemonae Radix was first recorded in Mingyi Bielu, and throughout history, Baidu has been recognized as its official name, though it also bears alternative names such as Baibing, Pofucao and Ye Tianmendong. The mainstream sources used throughout history have been the dried tuberous roots of Stemona sessilifolia, S. japonica or S. tuberosa from the family Stemonaceae. This aligns with the 2025 edition of Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China(hereinafter referred to as Chinese Pharmacopoeia). Additionally, Asparagus filicinus and A. officinalis from the genus Asparagus are common sources of confusion with Stemonae Radix. The three primitive plants are mainly distributed in the Yangtze River basin and southern China, exhibiting a wide distribution. Historically, wild harvesting was predominant, but cultivation is now established. In ancient times, the harvesting time was mostly in the second, third, and eighth lunar months, when roots were harvested and dried. Nowadays, it is more common to pick and excavate in the spring and autumn seasons. After excavation, the roots are washed, fibrous roots removed, briefly blanched in boiling water or steamed until no white core remains, and then sun-dried or oven-dried. In ancient times, the processing of Stemonae Radix primarily involved roasting(stir-frying), wine roasting, or raw materials. Modern mainstream processing specifications include two types of raw and honey-roasted products. In terms of quality evaluation of the medicinal materials, ancient criteria of "preferring plump and moist roots" align with modern requirement favoring "thick, robust stems with firm texture". Evaluating quality with authenticity, since the Song dynasty, it has been highly praised to produce in Chuzhou and Hengyang as the best. It was an ancient method of fixing the production area to stabilize the medicinal origin, reflecting the ancient recognition of the therapeutic efficacy of plants belonging to the genus Stemona. The main functions of Stemonae Radix remain consistent throughout history, including relieving coughs, eliminating phlegm and parasites. Based on the research results, it is recommended that when developing famous classical formulas containing the medicinal material Stemonae Radix, the botanical source specified in the 2025 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia should be selected. The specific species can be determined according to the distribution of resources and the main production areas, and the origin and corresponding botanical source should be fixed. Processing methods should be chosen based on the prescription requirements. It is recommended to use raw products without specified requirements.
3.Herbal Textual Research on Stemonae Radix in Famous Classical Formulas
Gang XU ; Li AN ; Xiaomei WANG ; Erhuan WANG ; Yichen YANG ; Cunde MA ; Yang YANG ; Zhilai ZHAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(21):241-251
This article systematically reviews and verifies the historical evolution of Stemonae Radix from the aspects of name, origin, harvesting and processing, quality and others by consulting ancient and modern literature, in order to provide reference for the development and utilization of famous classical formulas containing this medicinal herb. Stemonae Radix has a long history of application, and it derives its name from its distinctive growth pattern, featuring clusters of ten to several dozen underground tuberous roots. This morphology resembles that of certain plants in the genus Asparagus, leading to historical instances where tuberous roots from genus Asparagus were mistakenly used as Stemonae Radix. After the research, it can be concluded that Stemonae Radix was first recorded in Mingyi Bielu, and throughout history, Baidu has been recognized as its official name, though it also bears alternative names such as Baibing, Pofucao and Ye Tianmendong. The mainstream sources used throughout history have been the dried tuberous roots of Stemona sessilifolia, S. japonica or S. tuberosa from the family Stemonaceae. This aligns with the 2025 edition of Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China(hereinafter referred to as Chinese Pharmacopoeia). Additionally, Asparagus filicinus and A. officinalis from the genus Asparagus are common sources of confusion with Stemonae Radix. The three primitive plants are mainly distributed in the Yangtze River basin and southern China, exhibiting a wide distribution. Historically, wild harvesting was predominant, but cultivation is now established. In ancient times, the harvesting time was mostly in the second, third, and eighth lunar months, when roots were harvested and dried. Nowadays, it is more common to pick and excavate in the spring and autumn seasons. After excavation, the roots are washed, fibrous roots removed, briefly blanched in boiling water or steamed until no white core remains, and then sun-dried or oven-dried. In ancient times, the processing of Stemonae Radix primarily involved roasting(stir-frying), wine roasting, or raw materials. Modern mainstream processing specifications include two types of raw and honey-roasted products. In terms of quality evaluation of the medicinal materials, ancient criteria of "preferring plump and moist roots" align with modern requirement favoring "thick, robust stems with firm texture". Evaluating quality with authenticity, since the Song dynasty, it has been highly praised to produce in Chuzhou and Hengyang as the best. It was an ancient method of fixing the production area to stabilize the medicinal origin, reflecting the ancient recognition of the therapeutic efficacy of plants belonging to the genus Stemona. The main functions of Stemonae Radix remain consistent throughout history, including relieving coughs, eliminating phlegm and parasites. Based on the research results, it is recommended that when developing famous classical formulas containing the medicinal material Stemonae Radix, the botanical source specified in the 2025 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia should be selected. The specific species can be determined according to the distribution of resources and the main production areas, and the origin and corresponding botanical source should be fixed. Processing methods should be chosen based on the prescription requirements. It is recommended to use raw products without specified requirements.
4.A cascade reaction nanoplatform with magnetic resonance imaging capability for combined photothermal/chemodynamic/gas cancer therapy.
Jinyu WANG ; Yuhao GUO ; Xiaomei WU ; Yiming MA ; Qianqian QIAO ; Linwei LI ; Tao LIAO ; Ying KUANG ; Cao LI
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(9):101223-101223
To effectively exploit the tumor microenvironment (TME), TME-responsive nanocarriers based on cascade reactions have received much attention. In this study, we designed a novel nanoparticle PB@SiO2@MnO2@P-Arg (PMP) to construct a cascade reaction nanoplatform. While using biosafety Prussian blue (PB) for photothermal therapy (PTT), this nanoplatform uses silica (SiO2) as an intermediate layer to assemble Prussian blue and manganese dioxide (MnO2) into a core-shell structure, which effectively enhances the response of the nanoplatform to TME and promotes the effect of chemodynamic therapy (CDT) resulting from glutathione (GSH) depletion and Fenton-like reaction. The released Mn2+ can also be used for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Through the cascade reaction, poly-l-arginine (P-Arg) coated on the surface of the nanoparticles can react with hydroxyl radical (•OH) obtained from the Fenton-like reaction to release nitric oxide (NO), which further reacts with O2•- to produce the more toxic peroxynitrite anion (ONOO-). The photothermal effect of PB further enhances the effect of the cascade reaction while reducing the amount of heat required for treatment. In vitro and in vivo studies confirmed the antitumor effects of cascade reaction-based nanoplatforms in combined photothermal/chemodynamic/gas cancer therapies, providing new strategies for the design and fabrication of multifunctional nanoplatforms that integrate diagnostic and therapeutic functions, as well as the application of cascade reactions in multimodal synergistic therapy.
5.Identification and evaluation of COL12A1 as a novel serological diagnostic marker in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Jia LIU ; Lingjie REN ; Minmin SHI ; Xiaomei TANG ; Fangfang MA ; Jiejie QIN
Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University(Medical Science) 2025;45(10):1342-1352
Objective·To identify and evaluate novel and reliable non-invasive serological biomarkers for detecting pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC).Methods·Sixty-seven PDAC patients(Ruijin cohort Ⅰ)were recruited at Pancreatic Center,Ruijin Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine,from May 2018 to December 2019.Global proteome profiling of 67 PDAC tumor tissues and 67 matched adjacent normal tissues was performed using mass spectrum.Bioinformatics analysis on the proteomics data was conducted to identify new biomarkers,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves and the area under the curve(AUC)were used to evaluate their value of detecting PDAC.The proteomic and mRNA sequencing data were further downloaded and analysed from the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium(CPTAC)cohort for validation.In addition,the Ruijin Cohort Ⅱ,consisting of 47 PDAC patients and 75 healthy individuals,was recruited for a case-control study from June 2021 to June 2022.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect the expression level of new biomarkers in the serum of patients and healthy individuals to evaluate the serological diagnostic values of them.Results·Collagen type Ⅻ α1 chain(COL12A1)was identified as a candidate biomarker for PDAC diagnosis based on differential expression analysis on the proteomic data and was validated to be higher in tumor tissues than in adjacent normal tissues in the CPTAC cohort.In addition,COL12A1 protein levels were significantly higher in the sera of PDAC patients than in those of healthy controls,showing good diagnostic performance with an AUC of 0.82,a sensitivity of 81%,and a specificity of 83%.ROC analysis revealed that COL12A1 improved the performance of carbohydrate antigen 199(CA199)in distinguishing PDAC patients from healthy individuals(AUCCA199=0.91 vs AUCCA199+COL12A1=0.95,P<0.05).Furthermore,COL12A1 also showed excellent ability to distinguish early-stage PDAC patients(stage Ⅰ?Ⅱ)from healthy individuals(AUCCOL12A1=0.83),and significantly improved the AUC of CA199 in early-stage PDAC patients(AUCCA199=0.92 vs AUCCA199+COL12A1=0.97,P<0.05).Conclusion·COL12A1 is a potential serological diagnostic marker that complements CA199 in detecting early-stage PDAC.
6.Lactoferrin:Potential as a cancer therapeutic agent and anticancer drug delivery system
Jinxian SU ; Xiaomei MA ; Xingfu SHU ; Yao CHEN ; Haixia ZHANG ; Jialin BAI
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2025;41(1):209-215
At present,malignant tumor diseases occur frequently and increase year by year.Traditional chemoradiotherapy methods are expensive,have serious toxic and side effects,and are easy to reduce patient tolerance.Natural medicines have advantages of multiple targets,high selectivity and low toxicity and side effects in process of anti-tumor,and are one of important sources of anti-tumor drugs.As a polypeptide substance,lactoferrin has a strong anti-tumor effect and plays a huge role in field of nano-drug delivery.Receptors of lactoferrin are widely expressed on surface of various cancer cells.In addition to its strong anti-tumor effect,it is also widely used to modify nanocarriers.In this paper,anti-tumor mechanism of lactoferrin is reviewed,and the latest research progress of using lactoferrin as an anti-cancer drug delivery carrier is also introduced.
7.Study on the correlation between serum SACE,MMP-9 and HPT with pulmonary infection in patients with schizophrenia
Danqing GAO ; Xiaofeng MA ; Yingjie QIAN ; Xiaomei PEI ; Kaiwen WANG
Tianjin Medical Journal 2025;53(2):176-180
Objective To explore the correlation between serum angiotensin-converting enzyme(SACE),matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9)and haptoglobin(HPT)with pulmonary infection in patients with schizophrenia.Methods A total of 83 patients with schizophrenia were selected and divided into the infected group(40 cases)and the non-infected group(43 cases)according to whether they had pulmonary infection.Data of antipsychotic drugs,length of hospital stay,course of disease and electroconvulsive therapy were collected.Serum SACE,MMP-9 and HPT levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine serum SACE,MMP-9 and HPT and pulmonary infection in patients with schizophrenia.Logistic regression was used to analyze risk factors for pulmonary infection in patients with schizophrenia,and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves were used to evaluate the predictive value of serum SACE,MMP-9 and HPT in patients with pulmonary infection.Results Before treatment,the types of antipsychotic drugs≥2,the proportion of electroconvulsive therapy,serum SACE,MMP-9 and HPT levels were higher in the infected group than those in the non-infected group(P<0.05).After treatment,there were no significant differences in serum SACE,MMP-9 and HPT levels between the infected group and the non-infected group(P>0.05).Serum SACE,MMP-9 and HPT were positively correlated with pulmonary infection in patients with schizophrenia(P<0.05).More than 2 types of antipsychotic drugs,electroconvulsive therapy and elevated SACE,MMP-9 and HPT were risk factors for pulmonary infection in schizophrenia patients(P<0.05).The ROC curve analysis showed that the combined serum SACE,MMP-9 and HPT for pneumonia in schizophrenic patients were better than each of these indicators alone in predicting pulmonary infection in patients with schizophrenia.Conclusion Serum SACE,MMP-9 and HPT are related with pulmonary infection in patients with schizophrenia,and which can be used as potential indicators for predicting pulmonary infection in patients with schizophrenia.
8.A survey study on the influence of personality trait on depressive symptom and obesity in patients before bariatric and metabolic surgery
Haonan ZHOU ; Xiaomei CHEN ; Bingji MA ; Zhihong SU ; Yuanmin GAO ; Linli SUN
Chinese Journal of Digestive Surgery 2025;24(8):1053-1060
Objective:To conduct a survey on the influence of personality trait on depres-sive symptom and obesity in patients before bariatric and metabolic surgery.Methods:The retros-pective cross-sectional investigation study was conducted. Patients who underwent bariatric and metabolic surgery in The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University and The First Affiliated Hospital of Ji′nan University from January 1 to June 1,2024 were recruited. The survey was conducted in electronic format using the general information survey questionnaire, the patient health question-naire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Chinese big five personality inventory brief version (CBF-PI-B). Observa-tion indicators: (1) results of the questionnaire; (2) general data of patient; (3) personality trait scores for patient with different subtypes of obesity; (4) depression symptom scores for patient with different subtypes of obesity; (5) correlation analysis for patient personality trait, depressive symptom and body mass index (BMI). Comparison of measurement data with normal distribution between groups was conducted using the independent t test, and one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison among multiple groups. LSD test was used for pairwise comparison. Comparison of measurement data with skewed distribution among multiple groups was conducted using the Kruskal-Wallis H test, and Dunn Bonferroni test was used for pairwise comparison. The Spearman correlation analysis and Pearson correlation analysis were used for correlation analysis, and the mediation effect analysis was conducted using the Process 4.0 model and the Bootstrap test. Results:(1)Results of the questionnaire. A total of 146 questionnaires were distributed and collected, including 83 questionnaires from The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University and 63 questionnaires from The First Affiliated Hospital of Ji′nan University. Of 146 questionnaires, 137 questionnaires were valid, yielding an effective response rate of 93.836%(137/146). (2)General data of patient. Of the 137 patients who completed valid questionnaires, 52 were male with BMI of (41±5)kg/m 2, 85 were female with BMI of (38±6)kg/m 2, showing a significant difference between them ( t=2.586, P<0.05). There were 40 patients aged ≤25 years, with BMI of (42±5)kg/m 2, 28 patients aged 26-30 years, with BMI of (39±5)kg/m 2, 49 patients aged 31-40 years, with BMI of (38±6)kg/m 2, 14 patients aged 41-50 years, with BMI of (38±7)kg/m 2, 6 patients aged >50 years, with BMI of (37±3)kg/m 2. There were significant differences in BMI of patients of different age groups ( F=2.697, P<0.05). (3)Persona-lity trait scores for patient with different subtypes of obesity. Of the 137 patients who completed valid questionnaires, there were 15 patients of mild obesity, with personality trait neuroticism score of 19.0(14.0,24.0), personality trait strictness score of 32.5±5.2, personality trait extroversion score of 30.0(24.0,40.0), 36 patients of moderate obesity, with personality trait neuro-ticism score of 26.5(22.3,28.8), personality trait strictness score of 32.6±5.9, personality trait extro-version score of 34.0(26.3,39.0), 81 patients of severe obesity, with personality trait neuroticism score of 35.0(29.5,41.0), personality trait strictness score of 26.8±7.4, personality trait extroversion score of 28.0(20.5,35.0), 5 patients of extreme obesity, with personality trait neuroticism score of 28.0(26.5,44.0), personality trait strictness score of 19.6±3.4, personality trait extroversion score of 22.0(18.5,25.0). There were significant differences in personality trait neuroticism, strictness and extroversion among patients of different subtypes of obesity ( H=50.316, F=10.774, H=14.446, P<0.05). (4)Depression symptom scores for patient with different subtypes of obesity. Of the 137 pati-ents who completed valid questionnaires, the depressive symptom score were 4.0(2.0,9.0) for 15 pati-ents of mild obesity, 5.0(3.0,7.0) for 36 patients of moderate obesity, 13.0(8.5,17.0) for 81 patients of severe obesity, and 18.0(9.5,22.0) for 5 patients of extreme obesity, respectively, showing a significant difference among them ( H=50.129, P<0.05). (5) Correlation analysis for patient personality trait, depressive symptom and BMI. Results of Spearman correlation analysis showed that personality trait neuroticism were positively correlated with depressive symptoms and BMI ( r=0.780, 0.557, P<0.05), personality trait strictness was negatively correlated with depressive symptoms ( r=-0.523, P<0.05), personality trait extroversion were negatively correlated with depressive symptoms and BMI ( r=-0.448, -0.323, P<0.05), and depressive symptoms was positively correlated with BMI ( r=0.568, P<0.05). Results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that personality trait strictness was negatively correlated with BMI ( r=-0.489, P<0.05). Conclusion:Preoperative personality trait of patients undergoing bariatric and metabolic surgery can influence their depressive symptom and BMI.
9.Mechanism of total flavonoids of Carthamus tinctorius L.against he-patic fibrosis based on LC-MS/MS combined with network pharma-cology and pharmacology experiments
Mingqi LI ; Yinghe WANG ; Xiaolu ZHAO ; Xiaomei BAO ; Xin YUE ; Guiqiang REN ; Yue-hong MA
Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2025;30(5):586-598
AIM:To elucidate the pharmacody-namic and network pharmacological mechanisms of total flavonoids of Carthamus tinctorius L.,to ex-plore their key targets and related pathways,and to clarify their mechanism of action against hepatic fibrosis.METHODS:The total flavonoids of Cartha-mus tinctorius L.were determined by LC-MS/MS and analysed for their compositions;the active in-gredients were screened by TCMSP database,SWISS ADME database and literature search;the targets related to total flavonoids of Carthamus tinctorius L.were screened by Swiss Target Predic-tion database;and the targets related to hepatic fi-brosis were screened by GeneCards database;the anti-hepatic fibrosis targets of total flavonoids of Carthamus tinctorius L.were obtained by taking the intersection of Venny.2.1.0;the protein interac-tions were analysed by STRING database;the visu-alization analysis was carried out by Cytoscape soft-ware;the GO function and KEGG pathway analysis was carried out by Metascape platform;and molec-ular docking was verified by using AutoDock soft-ware for the core targets and active ingredients.The mechanism of anti-hepatic fibrosis of total fla-vonoids of Carthamus tinctorius L.was verified by animal model and in vitro cell experiments.RE-SULTS:A total of 41 flavonoid components were identified in Carthamus tinctorius L.Through the network pharmacological analysis,149 anti-hepatic fibrosis targets of total flavonoids of Carthamus tinctorius L.were obtained,including 23 core tar-gets.The GO enrichment analyses involved a total of three aspects,namely,biological process(BP),cellular component(CC),and molecular function(MF).KEGG enrichment results showed that PI3K/Akt and MAPK are pathways involved in the devel-opment of hepatic fibrosis.Molecular docking veri-fied that the active ingredients Quercetin,Acacetin and Glabridin were tightly bound to Akt1 and HI-FIA,respectively.In animal model experiments,it was observed by HE and Masson staining that fibro-plasia was reduced,collagen deposition was re-duced,inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced,and fibrotic liver tissues were improved in total fla-vonoids of Carthamus tinctorius L.administration group.In isolated cell experiments:Western blot-ting results suggested that total flavonoids of Car-thamus tinctorius L.could decrease the hepatic fi-brosis marker factor α-SMA,Collagen1(P<0.01)and PI3K,Akt protein expression(P<0.01).CONCLU-SION:Total flavonoids of Carthamus tinctorius L.ex-erted anti-hepatic fibrosis effects through multi-components,multi-targets and multi-pathways,and their mechanism of action may be achieved by regulating the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway.
10.Thalidomide alleviates ferroptosis and oxidative stress in diabetic nephropathy by upregulating nuclear factor E2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase 1/glutathione peroxidase 4 signaling pathway
Lu ZHAI ; Xiaoxiao XUE ; Xiaomei LIU ; Yuxiao MA ; Hongxia ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Nephrology 2025;41(4):276-281
To investigate the potential protective effect of thalidomide (THD) on diabetic nephropathy (DN) and its underlying mechanisms. Twenty-four C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control, DN and DN+THD200 groups by random number table method. The DN mouse model was established via intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. The DN+THD200 group received THD treatment (200 mg·kg -1·d -1) for 8 weeks. Blood and urine biochemical parameters, as well as renal histopathological changes, were compared among the three groups. For in vitro experiments, a high glucose (HG)-induced injury model was established in mouse glomerular podocytes (MPC5). Cells were divided into control (NG), HG, HG+DMSO, HG+THD100 (100 μg/ml), and HG+THD200 (200 μg/ml) groups. THD-treated cells were exposed to THD for 24 h. Western blotting and real-time quantitative PCR were performed to respectively detect protein and mRNA expression levels of ferroptosis-related molecules, including nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Immunofluorescence was used to evaluate the expression of solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE). The results showed that, compared with control group, DN group exhibited significantly lower blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine and 24 h urinary albumin levels (all P<0.05). Compared with DN group, DN+THD200 group exhibited significantly lower blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine and 24 h urinary albumin levels (all P<0.05). Histopathological examination revealed glomerular expansion, mesangial widening, and basement membrane thickening in DN group compared to control group, which were markedly ameliorated by THD treatment. In vitro, HG group showed significantly decreased protein and mRNA expression levels of GPX4, NRF2 and HO-1 compared to NG group. Both HG+THD100 and HG+THD200 groups exhibited upregulated expression levels of these proteins and corresponding mRNA compared to HG group (all P<0.05). Immunofluorescence demonstrated HG group had enhanced 4-HNE fluorescence intensity and reduced SLC7A11 fluorescence intensity, which were reversed by THD treatment. THD alleviates renal injury in DN mice and mitigates HG-induced ferroptosis in MPC5 cells, potentially via activation of NRF2-HO-1-GPX4 signaling pathway.

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