1.Role and Mechanism of Cucurbitacin B in Suppressing Proliferation of Breast Cancer 4T1 Cells via Inducing Ferroptosis
Yidan RUAN ; Huizhong ZHANG ; Huating HUANG ; Pingzhi ZHANG ; Aina YAO ; Yongqiang ZHANG ; Xiaohan XU ; Shiman LI ; Jian NI ; Xiaoxu DONG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(7):91-97
ObjectiveTo explore the role of cucurbitacin B (CuB) in inducing ferroptosis in 4T1 cells and its mechanism. MethodsThe effects of CuB(0.2, 0.4, 0.8 μmol·L-1)on the proliferation ability of 4T1 cells in vitro were detected using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. The clonogenic ability of 4T1 cells was detected by the plate cloning assay, and the levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in 4T1 cells were detected by the use of a kit. The mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in 4T1 cells were detected by flow cytometry, and the mitochondrial ultrastructure of 4T1 cells was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The western blot was used to detect the expression of ferroptosis-related protein p53 in 4T1 cells, solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SCL7A11), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4 (ACSL4), transferrin receptor protein 1 (TFR1), and ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1). ResultsCompared with that in the blank group, the survival rate of 4T1 cells in CuB groups was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the number of cell clones in CuB groups was significantly reduced (P<0.01). In addition, compared with that in the blank group, the leakage of LDH in cells in CuB groups was significantly increased (P<0.01), and the mitochondrial membrane potential of cells in CuB groups decreased significantly (P<0.01). Cellular ROS levels were significantly elevated in CuB groups (P<0.01). The mitochondria of cells in CuB groups were obviously wrinkled, and the mitochondrial cristae were reduced or even disappeared. Compared with that in the blank group, the protein expression of p53, ACSL4, and TFR1 were significantly up-regulated in CuB groups (P<0.05), and that of SLC7A11, GPX4, and FTH1 were significantly down-regulated (P<0.05). ConclusionCuB may inhibit SLC7A11 and GPX4 expression by up-regulating the expression of p53, which in turn regulates the p53/SLC7A11/GPX4 signaling pathway axis and accelerates the generation of lipid peroxidation substrate by up-regulating the expression of ACSL4. It up-regulates TFR1 expression to promote cellular uptake of Fe3+ and down-regulates the expression of FTH1 to reduce the ability of iron storage, resulting in an elevated free Fe2+ level. It catalyzes the Fenton reaction, generates excess ROS, imbalances the antioxidant system and iron metabolism, and then induces ferroptosis in 4T1 cells.
2.Role and Mechanism of Cucurbitacin B in Suppressing Proliferation of Breast Cancer 4T1 Cells via Inducing Ferroptosis
Yidan RUAN ; Huizhong ZHANG ; Huating HUANG ; Pingzhi ZHANG ; Aina YAO ; Yongqiang ZHANG ; Xiaohan XU ; Shiman LI ; Jian NI ; Xiaoxu DONG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(7):91-97
ObjectiveTo explore the role of cucurbitacin B (CuB) in inducing ferroptosis in 4T1 cells and its mechanism. MethodsThe effects of CuB(0.2, 0.4, 0.8 μmol·L-1)on the proliferation ability of 4T1 cells in vitro were detected using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. The clonogenic ability of 4T1 cells was detected by the plate cloning assay, and the levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in 4T1 cells were detected by the use of a kit. The mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in 4T1 cells were detected by flow cytometry, and the mitochondrial ultrastructure of 4T1 cells was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The western blot was used to detect the expression of ferroptosis-related protein p53 in 4T1 cells, solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SCL7A11), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4 (ACSL4), transferrin receptor protein 1 (TFR1), and ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1). ResultsCompared with that in the blank group, the survival rate of 4T1 cells in CuB groups was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the number of cell clones in CuB groups was significantly reduced (P<0.01). In addition, compared with that in the blank group, the leakage of LDH in cells in CuB groups was significantly increased (P<0.01), and the mitochondrial membrane potential of cells in CuB groups decreased significantly (P<0.01). Cellular ROS levels were significantly elevated in CuB groups (P<0.01). The mitochondria of cells in CuB groups were obviously wrinkled, and the mitochondrial cristae were reduced or even disappeared. Compared with that in the blank group, the protein expression of p53, ACSL4, and TFR1 were significantly up-regulated in CuB groups (P<0.05), and that of SLC7A11, GPX4, and FTH1 were significantly down-regulated (P<0.05). ConclusionCuB may inhibit SLC7A11 and GPX4 expression by up-regulating the expression of p53, which in turn regulates the p53/SLC7A11/GPX4 signaling pathway axis and accelerates the generation of lipid peroxidation substrate by up-regulating the expression of ACSL4. It up-regulates TFR1 expression to promote cellular uptake of Fe3+ and down-regulates the expression of FTH1 to reduce the ability of iron storage, resulting in an elevated free Fe2+ level. It catalyzes the Fenton reaction, generates excess ROS, imbalances the antioxidant system and iron metabolism, and then induces ferroptosis in 4T1 cells.
3.Ideas of Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment of Pancreatic Endocrine and Exocrine Co-Morbidities from the Attributes of Zang-Fu Organs of Pancreas
Yulin LENG ; Jiacheng YIN ; Xianglong LI ; Jiahong ZHANG ; Yi SU ; Hong GAO ; Chunguang XIE ; Xiaoxu FU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(2):145-149
Based on advancements in modern medical research regarding the intricate connection between the endocrine and exocrine functions of the pancreas, as well as the relationship between pancreatic functions and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) spleen system, this paper discussed the categorization of the pancreas. It is proposed that the pancreas is neither a true zang organ nor a fu organ, but possessed the attributes of an extraordinary fu-organ and can be classified under the spleen. The spleen governs transportation and transformation, ascent of the clear and dispersion of essence, which encompasses the endocrine and exocrine functions, and pancreatic enzymes and glucose-regulating hormones form the material basis for the spleen's function of dispersing essence. Diseases of the pancreas exhibit characteristics of both zang-organ deficiency and fu-organ excess, so treatment should simultaneously supplement zang-organ disease and regulate fu-organ disease when pancreas showing endocrine and exocrine co-morbidities, with focus on restoring the pancreas (spleen)'s dispersing essence function. Therapeutic strategies include supplementing spleen qi, nourishing spleen yin to strengthen spleen earth, unblocking spleen collaterals, raising spleen yang, and removing spleen turbidity to support the spleen's dispersing essence function, so as to replenish the essential qi of zang-fu organs, ensure their distribution throughout the body, and improve the endocrine and exocrine functions of the pancreas.
4.Internal m 6A and m 7G RNA modifications in hematopoietic system and acute myeloid leukemia
Xiaoxu ZHANG ; Yanni MA ; Jia YU ; Rui SU ; Xiaoshuang WANG
Chinese Medical Journal 2024;137(9):1033-1043
Epitranscriptomics focuses on the RNA-modification-mediated post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. The past decade has witnessed tremendous progress in our understanding of the landscapes and biological functions of RNA modifications, as prompted by the emergence of potent analytical approaches. The hematopoietic system provides a lifelong supply of blood cells, and gene expression is tightly controlled during the differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). The dysregulation of gene expression during hematopoiesis may lead to severe disorders, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Emerging evidence supports the involvement of the mRNA modification system in normal hematopoiesis and AML pathogenesis, which has led to the development of small-molecule inhibitors that target N6-methyladenosine (m 6A) modification machinery as treatments. Here, we summarize the latest findings and our most up-to-date information on the roles of m 6A and N7-methylguanine in both physiological and pathological conditions in the hematopoietic system. Furthermore, we will discuss the therapeutic potential and limitations of cancer treatments targeting m 6A.
5.Population pharmacokinetics of Ainuovirine and exposure-response analysis in human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals
Xiaoxu HAN ; Jin SUN ; Yihang ZHANG ; Taiyi JIANG ; Qingshan ZHENG ; Haiyan PENG ; Yao WANG ; Wei XIA ; Tong ZHANG ; Lijun SUN ; Xinming YUN ; Hong QIN ; Hao WU ; Bin SU
Chinese Medical Journal 2024;137(20):2473-2482
Background::Ainuovirine (ANV) is a new generation of non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 infection. This study aimed to evaluate the population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) profile and exposure-response relationship of ANV among people living with HIV.Methods::Plasma concentration-time data from phase 1 and phase 3 clinical trials of ANV were pooled for developing the PopPK model. Exposure estimates obtained from the final model were used in exposure-response analysis for virologic responses and safety responses.Results::ANV exhibited a nonlinear pharmacokinetic profile, which was best described by a two-compartment model with first-order elimination. There were no significant covariates correlated to the pharmacokinetic parameters of ANV. The PopPK parameter estimate (relative standard error [%]) for clearance adjusted for bioavailability (CL/F) was 6.46 (15.00) L/h, and the clearance of ANV increased after multiple doses. The exposure-response model revealed no significant correlation between the virologic response (HIV-RNA <50 copies/mL) at 48 weeks and the exposure, but the incidence of adverse events increased with the increasing exposure ( P value of steady-state trough concentration and area under the steady-state curve were 0.0177 and 0.0141, respectively). Conclusions::Our PopPK model supported ANV 150 mg once daily as the recommended dose for people living with HIV, requiring no dose adjustment for the studied factors. Optimization of ANV dose may be warranted in clinical practice due to an increasing trend in adverse reactions with increasing exposure.Trial registration::Chinese Clinical Trial Registry https://www.chictr.org.cn (Nos. ChiCTR1800018022 and ChiCTR1800019041).
6.HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of hydroxyphenyl esters and quaternary ammonium bacteriostatic agents in eye drops
Jin GAO ; Dan HU ; Yi BAO ; Xiaocui YU ; Zexin WANG ; Jing LIU ; Guiying ZHANG ; Yingying ZHAO ; Zhenyu CAO ; Chunpu LI ; Xiaoxu HONG
Drug Standards of China 2024;25(3):234-243
Objective:To establish a general method for the simultaneous determination of hydroxyphenyl esters and quaternary ammonium bacteriostatic agents in eye drops.Methods:The chromatographic analysis was per-formed on an Agilent C18 column(4.6 mm ×250 mm,5 μm)with 1%triethylamine solution(pH adjusted to 5.0 with phosphoric acid)as mobile phase A and methanol as mobile phase B.Gradient elution was performed at col-umn temperature of 40 ℃.The detection wavelength was 214 nm,the flow rate was 1 mL·min-1,and the injec-tion volume was 20 μL.Results:Methylparaben,ethylparaben,propylparaben,butylparaben,benzalkonium chlo-ride and benzalkonium bromide were 0.11-559.0,0.10-513.0,0.10-258.8,0.11-270.5,1.07-537.0 and 1.03-512.8 μg·mL-1,respectively.The linear range was good(r>0.999).The average recoveries of meth-ylparaben,benzalkonium bromide and benzalkonium chloride were 104.7%(RSD=1.3%),102.6%(RSD=1.1%)and 100.9%(RSD=1.1%),respectively.The contents of bacteriostatic agent in 100 batches of eye drops from 36 varieties of 12 enterprises were determined,and the accurate results were obtained.Conclusion:This meth-od provides a reference for the content quality control and safety evaluation of bacteriostatic agents in eye drops.
7.KAP investigation on the risk of children using traditional Chinese patent medicine of medical staff and children's parents
Jie LIU ; Yuan SONG ; Fang LIU ; Xiaoxu SHI ; Biqing LIU ; Jianmin ZHANG ; Xuli ZHONG
China Pharmacist 2024;27(5):826-840
Objective To investigate the knowledge,attitude and practice(KAP)of medical staff and parents of children on the risk of using traditional Chinese patent medicine,analyze the similarities and differences between the two groups of people in their knowledge of traditional Chinese patent medicine,medication attitudes and medication behaviors,and analyze the influencing factors of traditional Chinese patent medicine medication risk from the perspective of"doctor-patient",so as to better guide clinical work.Methods From July to November 2023,the medical staff of Children's Hospital Affiliated to the Capital Institute of Pediatrics(hereinafter referred to as"our hospital")and other hospitals,as well as the parents of children who had visited our hospital and taken traditional Chinese patent medicine were taken as the subjects of the survey.The questionnaires were distributed and collected by Questionnarie Stars to analyze the KAP scores of medical staff and parents of children on the risk of children using traditional Chinese patent medicine,and the factors influencing the scores of KAP of taking traditional Chinese patent medicine were analyzed using Logistic regression analysis.And Spearman correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation among knowledge,attitude and practice.Results A total of 339 valid questionnaires(the effective recovery rate of 98.83%)were collected from the medical staff version of the questionnaire.The medical staff with excellent knowledge,attitude and practice scores accounted for 16.22%,7.08%and 83.19%,respectively.A total of 336 valid questionnaires(the effective recovery rate of 98.82%)were collected from the parents'version.The parents of the children with excellent knowledge,attitude and practice scores accounted for 25.87%,3.57%and 30.65%,respectively.Logistic regression analysis showed that different hospital locations and educational levels were important influencing factors for the KAP of medical personnel,while the age,education level,work status,occupation,and monthly income of parents were important influencing factors for their KAP(P<0.05).The Spearman correlation analysis results showed a significant positive correlation among medication knowledge,attitude,and behavior(P<0.01).Conclusion Medical staff and parents of children need to further improve their knowledge and attitude towards the use of traditional Chinese patent medicine.Parents need to pay special attention to standardizing drug use practice,so as to reduce the risk of children using traditional Chinese patent medicine.Physicians and pharmacists can carry out appropriate traditional Chinese patent medicine knowledge popularization and science popularization for parents of children combined with the results of this study.
8.Development of the Nutrition Impact Symptom Scale for Colorectal Cancer Patients and its reliability and validity
Jie CHEN ; Tiantian WANG ; Aifeng MENG ; Yamei BAI ; Yinan ZHANG ; Haitao ZHU ; Lu LIU ; Xiaoxu ZHI
Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing 2024;30(15):1986-1992
Objective:To develop the Nutrition Impact Symptom Scale for Colorectal Cancer Patients.Methods:Guided by the theory of unpleasant symptoms, the initial draft of the scale was formed through literature research, expert consultation, and small sample pre-survey. From March to May 2023, convenience sampling was used to select 127 colorectal cancer patients who visited Jiangsu Cancer Hospital as the research subject for item analysis and reliability and validity testing of the scale.Results:The final scale consisted of five dimensions and a total of 17 items. The content validity index of the scale was from 0.83 to 1.00, with an average content validity index of 0.97. Exploratory factor analysis extracted five common factors, and the cumulative variance contribution rate was 61.622%. The total Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale was 0.708, and the coefficients for each dimension were 0.762, 0.642, 0.625, 0.510, and 0.644, respectively. The half reliability coefficient of the scale was 0.824.Conclusions:The development process of the Nutrition Impact Symptom Scale for Colorectal Cancer Patients is scientific, with good reliability and validity, and can be used to evaluate the nutrition impact symptom of colorectal cancer patients.
9.Association between variation of WFS1 gene and early-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus in Chinese population
Chanwei LIU ; Xiaoxu GE ; Ming LI ; Tiantian LI ; Langen ZHUANG ; Rong ZHANG ; Juan ZHANG ; Yating CHEN ; Fusong JIANG ; Limei LIU
Chinese Journal of Diabetes 2024;32(7):481-487
Objective To explore the association between R611H(G/A,rs734312)variation of WFS1 gene and early-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods A total of 181 Chinese patients with early-onset T2DM(T2DM group)and 196 non-diabetic controls(NC group)were enrolled in this study.The rs734312 variation was detected by PCR-direct sequencing.Genotypic and allelic frequencies of rs734312 and clinical variables were compared and analyzed between the two groups.Results Compared with the NC group,the frequencies of AA genotype and A allele in R611H(G→A)variation were significantly elevated in the early-onset T2DM group,AA vs GA+GG(OR 1.720,95%CI 1.100~2.680,P<0.05).A vs G(OR 1.500,95%CI 1.020~2.220,P<0.05).The remarkable differences of frequencies of genotype and allele in rs734312(G/A)were observed between Asians(China,Japan and Korea)and Caucasians(Denmark,Britain,Spain,France and Russia,P<0.01 for each).Compared with AA genotype,fasting and 2 hours postprandial insulin(FIns and 2 hIns)as well as HOMA-β were significantly rise in GG+GA genotype carriers of early-onset T2DM group(P<0.05).Conclusions The a allele of rs734312 in WFS1 may be a risk factor for early-onset T2DM in Chinese population,and the variation might be a potential genetic marker for predicting the islet β-cell dysfunction in early-onset T2DM in Chinese population.
10.Translation and psychometric properties test of the Eating Behaviors Assessment for Obesity
Lin YAO ; Xiaoqian ZHANG ; Xiaoxu DUAN ; Hua MENG ; Fang ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2024;59(20):2509-2514
Objective To translate the Eating Behaviors Assessment for Obesity(EBA-O)and test its reliability and validity for providing an effective tool for brief and rapid clinical assessment of dietary behavior in obese patients.Methods The Chinese version of EBA-O was developed by Brislin's translation model for translation,back translation,cultural adaptation,and pilot investigation.Using convenience sampling method,200 obese patients who were admitted to the inpatient ward of the Weight Loss Center of a tertiary hospital in Beijing from April to June 2023 and planned to undergo weight loss metabolic surgery were selected as the research participants to test the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of EBA-O.Results The Chinese version of EBA-O includes 4 dimensions,with a total of 17 items.The Cronbach's α coefficient of the scale is 0.886;the Cronbach's αcoefficients of the dimensions are 0.770~0.866;the test-retest reliability of the scale is 0.881.The content validity index of the scale level is 0.980,and the content validity indexes of item level were 0.889~1.000.Totally 4 common factors were extracted through exploratory factor analysis,with a cumulative variance of 66.363%.Conclusion The Chinese version of EBA-O has good reliability and validity,and it can be used as a tool to evaluate the dietary behavior of obese patients undergoing weight loss metabolic surgery.

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