1.Exploring the Antidepressant Mechanisms of Citron and Bergamot Based on Network Pharmacology and BDNF/TrkB/CREB Signaling Pathways
Meiqing SONG ; Qian YANG ; Qiming ZHONG ; Yanyan NIU ; Liguo TONG ; Jianyue XING ; Mali FENG ; Lili JIA
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(4):1136-1149
Objective Using network pharmacology research methods and animal pharmacology experiments,explore the mechanism of antidepressant effects of traditional Chinese medicine Citron and Bergamot.Methods Using the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP),ETCM,Symmap,Swiss Target Prediction,and Uniprot data platforms,screen the active ingredients and corresponding gene targets of Citron and Bergamot.Obtain depression gene targets using OMIM,TTD,and Cenecards data platforms.Using Venny 2.1 online software,draw Venn diagrams of the intersection of active ingredients and gene targets.Draw network diagrams between drugs,active ingredients,targets,and diseases using Cytoscape 3.7.2 software.Construct a protein-protein interaction(PPI)network diagram using the STRING data platform for intersecting genes.Using the Metascape data platform,perform gene ontology(GO)function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genesand and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis.A rat depression model was established using chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)combined with solitary care,and animal experiments were conducted to verify the BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling pathway obtained from network pharmacology research.Results The research results of network pharmacology methods show that there are 57 antidepressant active ingredients in Citron,65 antidepressant active ingredients in Bergamot,and important active ingredients include Acetic acid,3,4,7-trimethoxycoumarin and Citric acid,etc.Through the data platform,2717 depression targets and 430 intersection targets were identified.Through PPI network analysis,key gene targets for antidepressant effects in Citron and Bergamot were identified,including TP53,Protein kinase B1,CREB-binding protein,Brain derived neurotrophic factor,etc.Through KEGG analysis,it was found that important signaling pathways include pathways in cancer,PI3K-Akt signaling pathway,Neurotrophin signaling pathway,etc.By observing the neurotrophic factor BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling pathway in depressed rats,the results showed that the medium dose groups of Citron and Bergamot could significantly increase serum BDNF content(P<0.05),and each treatment group could improve the damage of hippocampal neurons in rats.The high and medium dose groups of Citron and Bergamot significantly increased the expression of BDNF protein in the hippocampal CA1 region(P<0.05,P<0.01).Except for the low-dose group,which showed no difference in TrkB mRNA gene expression,all other treatment groups significantly increased the mRNA gene expression levels of hippocampal BDNF,TrkB and CREB(P<0.01).The medium dose group of Citron and Bergamot increased the expression of BDNF protein in the hippocampus(P<0.01),while the medium and low dose groups significantly increased the relative expression of TrkB protein in the hippocampus(P<0.05).The medium dose group showed an increasing trend in the relative expression of CREB protein.Conclusion Traditional Chinese medicine Citron and Bergamot have therapeutic effects on depression models in rats,and the mechanism of action may be related to the BDNF/TrkB/CREB signaling pathway.
2.Analysis on application of new anti-tumor drugs for respiratory system in 121 hospitals in China from 2019 to 2022
Yue XING ; Tong LIU ; Lu ZHONG ; Yao JIN ; Xue TENG
Chinese Journal of Pharmacoepidemiology 2025;34(1):27-34
Objective To investigating the usage and changing trend of new anti-tumor drugs for respiratory system of 121 hospitals after the implementation of relevant policies insurance negotiation in China from 2019 to 2022,explore the development tendency of new anti-tumor drugs in hospitals under the medical reform policy and provide references for the rational use and standardized management of new anti-tumor drugs.Methods Based on the anti-tumour drug for respiratory system varieties in the Guidelines for the Clinical Application of Novel Anti-tumour Drugs Version 2022,descriptive statistical analysis was applied to retrieve data on the use of new anti-tumour drugs for respiratory system in 121 hospitals from 2019 to 2022,and drug dosage form,amount,drug frequency(DDDs),average daily cost(DDC)and drug ranking ratio(B/A)were statistically analyzed.Results The number of users and the proportion of new anti-tumour drugs for respiratory system used in 121 hospitals in China showed a year-on-year increasing trend from 2019 to 2022.In different cities of China,the drug use amount of Guangzhou,Beijing,Hangzhou and Zhengzhou was relatively large.In terms of drug use,small-molecule targeted drugs were still the main new anti-tumor drugs,while macromolecule targeted drugs showed a downward trend,and immunotherapy drugs showed a gradual upward trend.In terms of the amount of use,the top drugs in the four years were ecitinib,aletinib,gefitinib and oxitinib.The small molecule targeted drugs included in the national insurance negotiations showed increasing use and a decreasing amount of money spent.The ranking of DDDs was basically stable,with fluctuations in individual varieties.The DDC values of small molecule targeted drugs had significantly decreased,while the DDC values of immunotherapy drugs were relatively high.From 2021 to 2022,the B/A value of the novel anti-tumor drugs was most respiratory tumors was close to 1,and the varieties located at 0.8 to 1.2 accounted for 61.5%of the total drugs.Conclusion At present,the selection of new anti-tumor drugs for respiratory system is still dominated by small molecule targeted drugs and the use of immunotherapy drugs is increasing.The synchronization of the amount and frequency of most drugs has increased.The adjustment of the medical insurance catalog and the implementation of policies such as national negotiation effectively promote the decrease of the amount of drug use and the improvement of drug trend.
3.Research on the development of entrustable professional activity indicators for residents in China: a systematic review
Jingyu ZHONG ; Yue XING ; Liangjing LÜ ; Qinghua MIN ; Zhengguang XIAO ; Caisong ZHU ; Dandan SHI ; Xiaoyu FAN ; Jingshen CHU ; Huan ZHANG ; Yi JIANG ; Weiwu YAO
Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research 2025;24(6):728-735
Objective:To systematically evaluate the current status of research on the development of indicators for entrustable professional activities (EPAs) of residents in China.Methods:We searched the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data, Airiti Library, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for literature on the development of EPA indicators for residents in China published between January 1, 2005 and February 28, 2025. Two researchers independently screened the literature and extracted data, followed by descriptive analysis. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool for expert opinion. Quantitative data were presented as medians (ranges) and qualitative data were presented as frequencies (percentages).Results:A total of eight articles were included, in which two general EPA indicator systems and six specialty-specific EPA indicator systems were developed for residents. The overall quality of the research was high, with the main shortcomings related to the methods used in the process of constructing the consensus indicators. The number of experts recruited ranged from 22 to 45, with 100.00% response rate, high authority coefficients (0.820-0.914), and high coordination coefficients (0.157-0.741). Most of the studies used literature reviews as one source for the indicator pool (8 studies, 100.00%), employed the Delphi method to reach consensus (6 studies, 75.00%), and provided inclusion criteria for the indicators (7 studies, 87.50%). However, only one study (12.50%) explored the practical application of the developed indicators, and none of the studies set indicator weights or conducted quality assessments. The number of EPA indicators developed ranged from 10 to 38 per study. The reporting of EPA indicators was included in most studies regarding titles (8 studies, 100.00%) and the expected levels of entrustment at various stages of training (6 studies, 75.00%), but the reporting on other aspects was lacking. Among the specialty-specific EPA indicators, 38.39% overlapped with the general EPAs indicators.Conclusions:The research on the development of EPA indicators for residents in China is still in its early stages, and there is room for improvement in methodological quality and reporting coverage. There is partial overlap between specialty-specific and general EPA indicators, failing to fully reflect the unique characteristics of different specialties.
4.Accuracy and quality of answer reasoning of Chinese large language model in Chinese middle level professional qualification examination of radiology
Jingyu ZHONG ; Yue XING ; Yangfan HU ; Qinghua MIN ; Caisong ZHU ; Dandan SHI ; Xiaoyu FAN ; Jingshen CHU ; Huan ZHANG ; Weiwu YAO
Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research 2025;24(2):145-149
Objective:To compare the accuracy of a Chinese large language model (LLM) and radiologists in Chinese middle level professional qualification examination of radiology, and evaluate the quality of answer reasoning provided by the Chinese LLM.Methods:In this study, 100 high-quality questions were selected using stratified random sampling to form a test set. We asked the ERNIE Bot by dialogues on the website to provide the correct answers and answer reasoning for these questions. These questions were also answered by 15 radiologists with different levels of experience. The accuracy of Chinese LLM and that of radiologists were compared. Two radiologists evaluated the quality of answer reasoning using a 5-point semi-quantitative scale.Results:The accuracy of ERNIE Bot was 60.00%, which was lower than the median (interquartile) accuracy of 67.00% (64.00%, 73.00%) for radiologists, and the difference was statistically significant ( W=2.47, P=0.013). The word count of the reasoning provided by Ernie Bot was (196.44±99.25) words, with no significant difference in word count between correct and incorrect answer reasoning, which were (211.03±107.53) words and (174.55±81.84) words, respectively ( t=1.82, P=0.072). Among the correct answers, the quality of reasoning was scored as follows: 1 point for 3 questions, 2 points for 9 questions, 3 points for 12 questions, and 4 points for 36 questions. No reasoning received a score of 5. Conclusions:Chinese LLM demonstrates a certain level of medical knowledge and clinical reasoning ability, which can assist clinical teachers in educational activities. However, it is not yet able to independently tutor residents and lacks the ability of invitational and heuristic teaching.
5.An investigation of the current status of Chinese-foreign cooperative education programs for medical majors
Jingyu ZHONG ; Yue XING ; Qinghua MIN ; Zhengguang XIAO ; Caisong ZHU ; Dandan SHI ; Xiaoyu FAN ; Jingshen CHU ; Huan ZHANG ; Yi JIANG ; Weiwu YAO
Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research 2025;24(5):577-582
Objective:To investigate the current status of Chinese-foreign cooperative education programs for medical majors, and to discuss the potential problems and development trends of this field.Methods:Related data were collected from the information platform of Chinese-Foreign Cooperation in Running Schools by Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, and the characteristics of Chinese-foreign cooperative education programs for medical majors were extracted for analysis. Categorical data were expressed as frequency (percentage), and continuous data were expressed as mean±standard deviation.Results:A total of 83 Chinese-foreign cooperative education programs for medical majors were included in the study, accounting for only 3.45% (83/2 406) of all programs. Chinese partners in these cooperative programs were mainly from East China (41 programs, 49.40%), while foreign partners were mainly from Europe (39 programs, 46.99%). The mean duration of these programs was (3.61±0.88) years, with an enrollment of (87.08±35.52) students. Most of the students were included in National General Higher Education Enrollment Plan (79 programs, 95.18%), and the main majors included nursing (39 programs, 46.99%), medical technology (19 programs, 22.89%), and clinical medicine (11 programs, 13.25%), with the main enrollment level of junior college (45 programs, 54.22%). Chinese partners in the cooperative programs mainly issued academic certificate (45 programs, 54.22%) or academic certificate plus degree certificate (36 programs, 43.37%), while most foreign partners did not issue such certificates (44 programs, 53.01%).Conclusions:There are several problems in Chinese-foreign cooperative education programs for medical majors, such as a limited number of programs, a significant regional difference, an imbalanced distribution of specialties, a low level of education, and inconsistency in issuance of certificates, which still requires further improvement and standardization. However, there are also high-level and high-quality programs for reference.
6.A Novel Scorpion Toxin LmKTx13 Inhibits the Voltage-gated Potassium Channel Kv1.3
Jia-Xin QIN ; Xiao-Qing LUO ; Min-Juan LU ; Jun-Xian JU ; Qing ZHOU ; Wen-Xing WANG ; Zhong-Hua LIU ; Min-Zhi CHEN ; Xi ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(10):1392-1401
Kv1.3,a voltage-gated potassium channel,is highly expressed in T lymphocytes,the nervous system,and vascular smooth muscle cells.It plays a critical role in membrane excitability and electrical signal transduction,serving as an important target for studying T-cell function and providing a promising direction for developing therapeutics against autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.Therefore,the de-velopment of specific inhibitors of Kv1.3 channel has emerged as a novel therapeutic strategy for these disorders.In this study,we isolated and purified a novel Kv1.3-inhibitory peptide toxin,LmKTx13,from the venom of the scorpion Lychas mucronatus using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chroma-tography(RP-HPLC).LmKTx13 consists of 38 amino acid residues,including six cysteines that form three disulfide bonds.Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings revealed that LmKTx13 potently inhibited Kv1.3 with an IC50 of 7.92±3.0 nmol/L.Selectivity analysis showed that 2 μmol/L LmKTx13 also in-hibited Kv1.2 and Kv1.7,but exhibited no significant effects on other potassium channel subtypes or voltage-gated sodium channels.Further investigation into the mechanism demonstrated that LmKTx13 acts as a pore-blocking inhibitor of Kv1.3.By analyzing the effects of LmKTx13 on Kv1.3 channel gating ki-netics and performing sequence alignment of the pore regions of Kv1.3 and Kv1.5,we constructed site-directed mutants and identified the pore region of Kv1.3 as the critical binding site for LmKTx13.Key residues involved in the interaction included T425,G427,and H451.In summary,we discovered a no-vel pore-blocking Kv1.3 inhibitor,LmKTx13,from L.mucronatus venom,which exhibits high affinity and selectivity for Kv1.3.These findings highlight its potential as a potential lead molecule for developing Kv1.3-targeted therapeutics.
7.Research on effect and mechanism of neogambogic acid induced ferroptosis in osteosarcoma in vitro and in vivo based on STAT3/GPX4/SLC7A11 axis
Yun-dong CHEN ; Yu-wan LI ; Hai-jian ZHAO ; Xing-guo NIE ; Zhong-feng LI
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(5):917-925
Aim To investigate the effect of neogam-bogic acid(NGA)on inducing ferroptosis in osteosar-coma K7M2 cells and subcutaneous transplanted tumor mice and explore the underlying mechanism.Methods MTT assay was employed to detect the effect of NGA(1,2,4,8,16,32,64,128 μmol·L-1)on cell prolif-eration,and the IC50 value was calculated.Calcein AM assay was used to detect cell viability.Transwell was applied to detect cell invasion.TEM was utilized to ob-serve the mitochondria morphology.K7M2 cells were subjected to treat with ferroptosis inducers erastin(Era)and inhibitors ferrostatin-1(Fer-1)to assess the levels of MDA,GSH,Fe2+,and LDH.RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of STAT3,GPX4,and SLC7A11.A transplanted tumor model was established and treated with NGA to assess the impact of it on tumor growth and ferroptosis in vivo.HE staining was applied to ana-lyze the pathological status of tumor tissues.Nile red fluorescence staining was applied to detect the level of lipid components in tumor tissues.Results The pro-liferation,viability and invasion ability of K7M2 cells were significantly reduced after treatment with NGA at different concentrations(P<0.05),and typical fea-tures of ferroptosis such as decreased mitochondrial vol-ume and reduced mitochondrial spine were observed.Compared to the control,the expression of MDA,Fe2+and LDH significantly increased(P<0.01),while the content of GSH significantly decreased(P<0.01).The ferroptosis in osteosarcoma was enhanced by the erastin,while inhibited by ferrostatin-1.In terms of mechanism,NGA inhibited the mRNA and protein ex-pression levels of STAT3,GPX4 and SLC7A11(P<0.05).In vivo experiments confirmed that NGA signif-icantly improved the pathological state of tumor tissues,inhibited tumor growth,and induced ferroptosis in os-teosarcoma tissue cells.Conclusion NGA induces ferroptosis in osteosarcoma cells both in vitro and in vi-vo by inhibiting the STAT3/GPX4/SLC7A11 signaling axis,thereby exerting an anti-osteosarcoma effect.
8.Effectiveness of modified reed tube moxibustion based on spleen-kidney mutual assistance theory in patients with CAPD combined with spleen-kidney yang deficiency type insomnia
Ying JIN ; Guanghui ZHONG ; Dandan MAO ; Jie XING ; Furong CHEN ; Ying MAO
Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing 2025;31(27):3691-3695
Objective:To explore the effect of modified reed tube moxibustion based on spleen-kidney mutual assistance theory in patients with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) combined with spleen-kidney yang deficiency type of insomnia.Methods:From September 2020 to December 2022, 64 patients with CAPD combined with insomnia of spleen-kidney yang deficiency type were selected from the Department of Nephrology, Ningbo Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University by the convenience sampling method. A randomized numerical table method was used to divide study subjects into a control group and a study group, with 32 cases in each group. The control group received conventional treatment and auricular needle-embedding therapy; while the study group received traditional treatment and auricular needle-embedding therapy combined with modified reed tube moxibustion. The intervention period lasted three months. Differences in Insomnia Severity Index, Chinese medicine syndrome score, and peritoneal dialysis adequacy were compared between the two groups.Results:After intervention, the Insomnia Severity Index score of the study group was lower than those of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The urea clearance index and creatinine clearance rate of the study group were higher than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05) . Conclusions:Modified reed tube moxibustion based on spleen-kidney mutual assistance theory has a positive effect on improving insomnia symptoms and dialysis adequacy in patients with CAPD combined with insomnia of spleen-kidney yang deficiency type.
9.A Novel Scorpion Toxin LmKTx13 Inhibits the Voltage-gated Potassium Channel Kv1.3
Jia-Xin QIN ; Xiao-Qing LUO ; Min-Juan LU ; Jun-Xian JU ; Qing ZHOU ; Wen-Xing WANG ; Zhong-Hua LIU ; Min-Zhi CHEN ; Xi ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(10):1392-1401
Kv1.3,a voltage-gated potassium channel,is highly expressed in T lymphocytes,the nervous system,and vascular smooth muscle cells.It plays a critical role in membrane excitability and electrical signal transduction,serving as an important target for studying T-cell function and providing a promising direction for developing therapeutics against autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.Therefore,the de-velopment of specific inhibitors of Kv1.3 channel has emerged as a novel therapeutic strategy for these disorders.In this study,we isolated and purified a novel Kv1.3-inhibitory peptide toxin,LmKTx13,from the venom of the scorpion Lychas mucronatus using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chroma-tography(RP-HPLC).LmKTx13 consists of 38 amino acid residues,including six cysteines that form three disulfide bonds.Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings revealed that LmKTx13 potently inhibited Kv1.3 with an IC50 of 7.92±3.0 nmol/L.Selectivity analysis showed that 2 μmol/L LmKTx13 also in-hibited Kv1.2 and Kv1.7,but exhibited no significant effects on other potassium channel subtypes or voltage-gated sodium channels.Further investigation into the mechanism demonstrated that LmKTx13 acts as a pore-blocking inhibitor of Kv1.3.By analyzing the effects of LmKTx13 on Kv1.3 channel gating ki-netics and performing sequence alignment of the pore regions of Kv1.3 and Kv1.5,we constructed site-directed mutants and identified the pore region of Kv1.3 as the critical binding site for LmKTx13.Key residues involved in the interaction included T425,G427,and H451.In summary,we discovered a no-vel pore-blocking Kv1.3 inhibitor,LmKTx13,from L.mucronatus venom,which exhibits high affinity and selectivity for Kv1.3.These findings highlight its potential as a potential lead molecule for developing Kv1.3-targeted therapeutics.
10.Research on effect and mechanism of neogambogic acid induced ferroptosis in osteosarcoma in vitro and in vivo based on STAT3/GPX4/SLC7A11 axis
Yun-dong CHEN ; Yu-wan LI ; Hai-jian ZHAO ; Xing-guo NIE ; Zhong-feng LI
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(5):917-925
Aim To investigate the effect of neogam-bogic acid(NGA)on inducing ferroptosis in osteosar-coma K7M2 cells and subcutaneous transplanted tumor mice and explore the underlying mechanism.Methods MTT assay was employed to detect the effect of NGA(1,2,4,8,16,32,64,128 μmol·L-1)on cell prolif-eration,and the IC50 value was calculated.Calcein AM assay was used to detect cell viability.Transwell was applied to detect cell invasion.TEM was utilized to ob-serve the mitochondria morphology.K7M2 cells were subjected to treat with ferroptosis inducers erastin(Era)and inhibitors ferrostatin-1(Fer-1)to assess the levels of MDA,GSH,Fe2+,and LDH.RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of STAT3,GPX4,and SLC7A11.A transplanted tumor model was established and treated with NGA to assess the impact of it on tumor growth and ferroptosis in vivo.HE staining was applied to ana-lyze the pathological status of tumor tissues.Nile red fluorescence staining was applied to detect the level of lipid components in tumor tissues.Results The pro-liferation,viability and invasion ability of K7M2 cells were significantly reduced after treatment with NGA at different concentrations(P<0.05),and typical fea-tures of ferroptosis such as decreased mitochondrial vol-ume and reduced mitochondrial spine were observed.Compared to the control,the expression of MDA,Fe2+and LDH significantly increased(P<0.01),while the content of GSH significantly decreased(P<0.01).The ferroptosis in osteosarcoma was enhanced by the erastin,while inhibited by ferrostatin-1.In terms of mechanism,NGA inhibited the mRNA and protein ex-pression levels of STAT3,GPX4 and SLC7A11(P<0.05).In vivo experiments confirmed that NGA signif-icantly improved the pathological state of tumor tissues,inhibited tumor growth,and induced ferroptosis in os-teosarcoma tissue cells.Conclusion NGA induces ferroptosis in osteosarcoma cells both in vitro and in vi-vo by inhibiting the STAT3/GPX4/SLC7A11 signaling axis,thereby exerting an anti-osteosarcoma effect.

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