1.Improvment of high fat diet induced metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease of mice by leucine
Yizhi DING ; Huiwen ZHAO ; Shan SHAN ; Liwen ZHANG ; Xiulan ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology 2025;39(5):343-351
OBJECTIVE To explore the effect and underlying mechanism of leucine(Leu)on meta-bolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease induced by high fat diet(HFD)in mice.METHODS C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into chow diet(normal),chow diet+Leu(normal+Leu),HFD and HFD+Leu groups,with 10 mice in each group.The mice in the normal and normal+Leu groups received chow diet while those in the HFD and HFD+Leu groups received HFD.Drinking water for mice in the normal+Leu and HFD+Leu groups was supplemented with 1.5%Leu.The experiment lasted 24 weeks,total food and water intake of mice were recorded weekly to calculate energy and Leu intake respectively.Energy metabolism of mice was detected at week 20 by the Oxymas/CLAMS Animal Metabolic System heat production,CO2 exhalation,O2 consumption and respiratory exchange rate(RER).At the end of week 24,the mice were sacrificed and the livers were harvested,followed by the oil red O staining to reveal the fat content.Western blotting was performed to analyze the changes in the activity of the liver branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase E1α(BCKDE1A),the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase alpha subunit(AMPKα),and the protein expressions of downstream effector molecules including silent information regulator 1(SIRT1)and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator-1α(PGC-1α),fatty acid synthetase(FAS)and fatty acid binding protein 4(FABP4)in the liver of mice.RESULTS Total Leu intake of mice was significantly reduced in the HFD+Leu group,compared with the normal+Leu group.The mice fed with HFD significantly increased the energy intake body mass gain and liver mass,accompanied by fat accumulation in the liver,compared to the mice in the normal group.Simultaneously,the mice in the HFD group showed a decrease in CO2 exha-lation both by day and by night,and in the respiratory exchange ratio by day compared to the normal group.Compared with the HFD group,the body mass gain and liver mass obviously decreased in mice of the HFD+Leu group,and the liver fat accumulation was reduced.The mice in the HFD+Leu group exhib-ited higher heat production and O2 consumption,along with an increase in CO2 exhalation by day and by night.In addition,heat production,CO2 exhalation,and O2 consumption were significantly higher by night than by day(P<0.01).As for the respiratory exchange ratio,a night increase was seen in the mice from the normal group,normal+Leu group,and HFD group,but not in the HFD+Leu group.The results of Western blotting showed that compared with the normal group,the BCKDE1A phosphorylation inacti-vation was enhanced,AMPKα phosphorylation activation alleviated,the protein expressions of SIRT1 and PGC-1α downregulated(P<0.05),and the protein expressions of FAS and FABP4 increased in the livers of mice in the HFD group.Compared with the HFD group,the BCKDE1A phosphorylation inacti-vation was alleviated,AMPKα phosphorylation activation enhanced,the protein expressions of SIRT1 and PGC-1α increased,and the protein expressions of FAS and FABP4 downregulated in the livers of mice in the HFD+Leu group.CONCLUSION Leu can alleviate HFD-induced metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease in mice,which may be closely related to the promotion of energy metabo-lism and inhibition of fat synthesis.
2.Improvment of high fat diet induced metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease of mice by leucine
Yizhi DING ; Huiwen ZHAO ; Shan SHAN ; Liwen ZHANG ; Xiulan ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology 2025;39(5):343-351
OBJECTIVE To explore the effect and underlying mechanism of leucine(Leu)on meta-bolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease induced by high fat diet(HFD)in mice.METHODS C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into chow diet(normal),chow diet+Leu(normal+Leu),HFD and HFD+Leu groups,with 10 mice in each group.The mice in the normal and normal+Leu groups received chow diet while those in the HFD and HFD+Leu groups received HFD.Drinking water for mice in the normal+Leu and HFD+Leu groups was supplemented with 1.5%Leu.The experiment lasted 24 weeks,total food and water intake of mice were recorded weekly to calculate energy and Leu intake respectively.Energy metabolism of mice was detected at week 20 by the Oxymas/CLAMS Animal Metabolic System heat production,CO2 exhalation,O2 consumption and respiratory exchange rate(RER).At the end of week 24,the mice were sacrificed and the livers were harvested,followed by the oil red O staining to reveal the fat content.Western blotting was performed to analyze the changes in the activity of the liver branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase E1α(BCKDE1A),the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase alpha subunit(AMPKα),and the protein expressions of downstream effector molecules including silent information regulator 1(SIRT1)and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator-1α(PGC-1α),fatty acid synthetase(FAS)and fatty acid binding protein 4(FABP4)in the liver of mice.RESULTS Total Leu intake of mice was significantly reduced in the HFD+Leu group,compared with the normal+Leu group.The mice fed with HFD significantly increased the energy intake body mass gain and liver mass,accompanied by fat accumulation in the liver,compared to the mice in the normal group.Simultaneously,the mice in the HFD group showed a decrease in CO2 exha-lation both by day and by night,and in the respiratory exchange ratio by day compared to the normal group.Compared with the HFD group,the body mass gain and liver mass obviously decreased in mice of the HFD+Leu group,and the liver fat accumulation was reduced.The mice in the HFD+Leu group exhib-ited higher heat production and O2 consumption,along with an increase in CO2 exhalation by day and by night.In addition,heat production,CO2 exhalation,and O2 consumption were significantly higher by night than by day(P<0.01).As for the respiratory exchange ratio,a night increase was seen in the mice from the normal group,normal+Leu group,and HFD group,but not in the HFD+Leu group.The results of Western blotting showed that compared with the normal group,the BCKDE1A phosphorylation inacti-vation was enhanced,AMPKα phosphorylation activation alleviated,the protein expressions of SIRT1 and PGC-1α downregulated(P<0.05),and the protein expressions of FAS and FABP4 increased in the livers of mice in the HFD group.Compared with the HFD group,the BCKDE1A phosphorylation inacti-vation was alleviated,AMPKα phosphorylation activation enhanced,the protein expressions of SIRT1 and PGC-1α increased,and the protein expressions of FAS and FABP4 downregulated in the livers of mice in the HFD+Leu group.CONCLUSION Leu can alleviate HFD-induced metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease in mice,which may be closely related to the promotion of energy metabo-lism and inhibition of fat synthesis.
3.System analysis of the ecological distribution of bacteriophages in hospital wastewater
Jianying LU ; Hongwei PAN ; Enhua SUN ; Wei LI ; Hongxing WANG ; Xiulan ZHAO ; Hongchun WANG
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;58(2):241-247
Phage therapy is one of the most important tools for the treatment of infections with multi-drug resistant bacteria. Such phages are usually isolated from hospital effluents, however, no systematic study on the distribution of phages in hospital effluents has been conducted so far. The aim of this study was to isolate the corresponding phages of common pathogenic bacteria isolated in the clinic as hosts, so as to assess the ecological distribution of phages in hospital wastewater and to provide a reference for the isolation and application of phages of drug-resistant bacteria in the clinic. A cross-sectional study design was used in this study. The 125 pathogenic bacteria (belonging to 16 different strains) isolated from the clinical microbiology laboratory of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from May to June 2023 were selected as the target strains, and the phages corresponding to these strains were isolated and purified from the hospital wastewater by using the double-layer plate sandwich method. At the same time, the distribution of pathogenic bacteria in the same batch of wastewater was analyzed with the help of mNGS sequencing technology, so as to preliminarily investigate the abundance correspondence between pathogenic bacteria and phages in wastewater. The results showed that a total of 56 phage strains were isolated from 125 clinical pathogens as hosts, corresponding to six pathogens, including Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. All six pathogenic bacteria contained strains with different degrees of drug resistance, with a higher percentage of multi-drug resistant strains in A. baumannii, Escherichia coli and P. aeruginosa. The phage acquisition rates of these six pathogens were, in descending order, Escherichia coli (80%), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (75%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (70%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (66.67%), Acinetobacter baumannii (36.36%) and Staphylococcus aureus (12.5%). Preliminary mNGS sequencing results showed that the pathogenic bacteria with higher abundance in the batch of effluent were Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella aerogenes, Klebsiella michiganensis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In conclusion, phages of most common clinical Gram-negative pathogens were isolated from hospital wastewater with high isolation rates; however, phages of Gram-positive pathogens were isolated at lower rates, and only phages corresponding to Staphylococcus aureus were isolated in this study. The corresponding mNGS sequencing results showed that the distribution of Gram-negative pathogens in sewage may had a positive correlation with the ecological distribution of phages.
4.System analysis of the ecological distribution of bacteriophages in hospital wastewater
Jianying LU ; Hongwei PAN ; Enhua SUN ; Wei LI ; Hongxing WANG ; Xiulan ZHAO ; Hongchun WANG
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;58(2):241-247
Phage therapy is one of the most important tools for the treatment of infections with multi-drug resistant bacteria. Such phages are usually isolated from hospital effluents, however, no systematic study on the distribution of phages in hospital effluents has been conducted so far. The aim of this study was to isolate the corresponding phages of common pathogenic bacteria isolated in the clinic as hosts, so as to assess the ecological distribution of phages in hospital wastewater and to provide a reference for the isolation and application of phages of drug-resistant bacteria in the clinic. A cross-sectional study design was used in this study. The 125 pathogenic bacteria (belonging to 16 different strains) isolated from the clinical microbiology laboratory of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from May to June 2023 were selected as the target strains, and the phages corresponding to these strains were isolated and purified from the hospital wastewater by using the double-layer plate sandwich method. At the same time, the distribution of pathogenic bacteria in the same batch of wastewater was analyzed with the help of mNGS sequencing technology, so as to preliminarily investigate the abundance correspondence between pathogenic bacteria and phages in wastewater. The results showed that a total of 56 phage strains were isolated from 125 clinical pathogens as hosts, corresponding to six pathogens, including Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. All six pathogenic bacteria contained strains with different degrees of drug resistance, with a higher percentage of multi-drug resistant strains in A. baumannii, Escherichia coli and P. aeruginosa. The phage acquisition rates of these six pathogens were, in descending order, Escherichia coli (80%), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (75%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (70%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (66.67%), Acinetobacter baumannii (36.36%) and Staphylococcus aureus (12.5%). Preliminary mNGS sequencing results showed that the pathogenic bacteria with higher abundance in the batch of effluent were Enterococcus faecalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella aerogenes, Klebsiella michiganensis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In conclusion, phages of most common clinical Gram-negative pathogens were isolated from hospital wastewater with high isolation rates; however, phages of Gram-positive pathogens were isolated at lower rates, and only phages corresponding to Staphylococcus aureus were isolated in this study. The corresponding mNGS sequencing results showed that the distribution of Gram-negative pathogens in sewage may had a positive correlation with the ecological distribution of phages.
5.Correlation between serum lncRNA FGD5-AS1,miR-103a-3p and puerperal infection in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus in late pregnancy
Suying WANG ; Yingxin HAN ; Xiulan CHENG ; Yanqing LI ; Jing ZHAO ; Chunhong YANG ; Chunyan ZHANG
International Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2024;45(14):1720-1724
Objective To investigate the correlation between serum long non-coding RNA FGD5-AS1(ln-cRNA FGD5-AS1),microRNA-103a-3p(miR-103a-3p)and puerperal infection(PI)in patients with gesta-tional diabetes mellitus(GDM)in late pregnancy.Methods A total of 168 late pregnancy GDM patients who were hospitalized and delivered in the hospital from January 2022 to June 2023 were retrospectively selected as the experimental group,and the patients were separated into an infected group(96 cases)and an uninfected group(72 cases)based on whether they had PI.At the same time,120 late pregnant women who underwent prenatal examination in the hospital and had normal gestational blood glucose were selected as the control group.Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(qRT-PCR)was applied to detect the expression levels of ln-cRNA FGD5-AS1 and miR-103a-3p.Multivariate Logistic regression was applied to analyze the influencing factors of PI in late pregnancy GDM patients.StarBase website was applied to analyze the relationship between lncRNA FGD5-AS1 and miR-103a-3p.Pearson was applied to analyze the correlation between lncRNA FGD5-AS1 and miR-103a-3p.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was applied to evaluate the value of ln-cRNA FGD5-AS1 and miR-103a-3p in predicting the occurrence of PI.Results There was a statistically sig-nificant difference in the expression levels of serum lncRNA FGD5-AS1 and miR-103a-3p between the experi-mental group and the control group(P<0.05),the expression level of serum lncRNA FGD5-AS1 in the infec-ted group was obviously higher than that in the uninfected group(P<0.05),but the expression level of ser-um miR-103a-3p in the infected group was obviously lower than that in the uninfected group(P<0.05).The expression level of lncRNA FGD5-AS1 was an independent risk factor for PI in late-pregnancy GDM patients(P<0.05),and the expression level of miR-103a-3p was an independent protective factor for PI in late-preg-nancy GDM patients(P<0.05).There was a negative correlation between lncRNA FGD5-AS1 and miR-103a-3p expression level(r=-0.409,P<0.001).The efficacy of the combined detection of lncRNA FGD5-AS1 and miR-103a-3p for predicting PI in late pregnancy GDM patients was superior to that of serum lncRNA FGD5-AS1 and miR-103a-3p alone(P<0.05).Conclusion LncRNA FGD5-AS1 is an independent risk factor for PI in late pregnancy GDM patients,while miR-103a-3p is an independent protective factor for PI in late pregnancy GDM patients.The combined detection has higher value for predicting PI in late pregnancy GDM patients.
6.Corneal curvature and ocular surface changes after operation in congenital ptosis
Min ZHAO ; Huifang TU ; Xiulan LU ; Feng JIAO ; Ying ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Medical Aesthetics and Cosmetology 2022;28(2):115-118
Objective:To observe the changes of corneal curvature and ocular surface after congenital ptosis.Methods:A total of 188 patients with congenital blepharoptosis were treated with frontal muscle flap suspension, levator eyelid muscle shortening and fixation, and levator aponeurosis according to different conditions. The postoperative correction effect, corneal curvature, and ocular surface changes were observed.Results:There was no significant difference in the good correction rate among the three methods ( P>0.05). The corneal curvature at 3 months after operation was lower than that before operation and 7 days after operation ( P<0.05). The fluorescein staining score at 7 days after operation was higher than that before operation and 3 months after operation ( F=2 910.05, P<0.05). The tear film rupture time at 7 days after operation was significantly shorter than that before operation and 3 months after operation ( F=758.12, P<0.05). There was no significant difference in tear secretion test before operation, 7 days after operation and 3 months after operation ( P>0.05). The conjunctival congestion score at 3 months after operation was lower than that at 7 days after operation, and the incidence of meibomian gland dysfunction and abnormal eyelash angle at 3 months after operation was lower than that at 7 days after operation ( t=113.56, χ 2=11.02, 11.46, P<0.05). 3 months after operation, the average diopters of 3 mm and 5 mm were higher than those before operation ( t=12.35, 15.19, P<0.05). Conclusions:Frontal muscle suspension, levator eyelid muscle shortening and fixation, and levator aponeurosis are effective in treating congenital blepharoptosis, and can effectively improve the ocular surface and corneal curvature. Clinically, the appropriate one can be selected according to the condition of the child correction method.
7.The study on inflammatory mechanism of cognitive dysfunction induced by 1-bromopropane in rats
Shan SHAN ; Zengjin WANG ; Xiulan ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2022;31(3):212-219
Objective:To observe the role of neuroinflammation in cognitive dysfunction induced by 1-bromopropane (1-BP) in rats.Methods:Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group, 1-BP group, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate(PDTC)+ 1-BP group and PDTC group, with 15 rats in each group. Rats in 1-BP group and PDTC+ 1-BP group were given 800 mg / kg 1-BP by gavage, and rats in control group and PDTC group were given equal volume corn oil once a day for 12 days; rats in PDTC group and PDTC+ 1-BP group were intraperitoneally injected with 100 mg / kg PDTC 30 minutes after gavage, while rats in control group and 1-BP group were injected with equal volume of normal saline once a day for 12 days.From the 7th to 12th day of the experiment, ten rats in each group were randomly selected and subjected to Morris water maze test for detect the cognitive function. In the positioning navigation test, the learning ability of rats was evaluated by the escape latency and total swimming distance respectively. In the space exploration experiment, the memory ability of experimental animals was evaluated by the number of times crossing the target platform. After the experiment, ten rats were sacrificed, the cerebral prefrontal cortex was harvested. The cytosolic and nuclear NF-κB expression and phosphorylation were detected by Western blot, the mRNA levels of TNF-α and IL-1β were detected by qRT-PCR. After cardiac perfusion fixation, the brains of 5 rats were taken to make frozen sections for immunohistochemical staining and Nissl staining. SPSS 20.0 software was used for statistical analysis, repetitive measurement deviation analysis was used for the analysis of the swimming distance and the escape latency in positioning navigation test, One-way ANOVA was used for the analysis of the number of times crossed the target platform in spatial probe test and other data. Tukey's test was used for Post hoc comparison.Results:The results of Morris water maze showed that there was significant interaction between group and training time in the total swimming distance of rats in the four groups ( F=3.762, P<0.05). Simple effect analysis showed that the total swimming distance of 1-BP group in 1-4 days were longer than those of control group (all P<0.05), while the total swimming distance of PDTC+ 1-BP group in 1-4 days were shorter than those of 1-BP group (all P<0.05). There was significant interaction between group and training time in the escape latency among the four groups ( F=6.541, P<0.01). The escape latencies of 1-BP group in 1-4 days were longer than those of control group (all P<0.05), while the escape latencies of PDTC+ 1-BP group in 1-4 days were shorter than those of 1-BP group (all P<0.05). The results of space exploration experiment showed that there was significant difference in the number of crossing the platform among the four groups ( F=75.333, P<0.01). The number of crossing the platform (1.08±0.29) in 1-BP group was lower than that in the control (3.35±0.05) ( P<0.01). The number of crossing the platform (1.95±0.26) in PDTC+ 1-BP group was higher than that in 1-BP group ( P<0.01). It had significant difference both in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus of the NF-κB protein level in prefrontal cortex among rats of the four groups ( F=20.865, 23.877, both P<0.01). The levels of NF-κB in cytoplasm and nucleus of rats in 1-BP group were both higher than those in control group (cytoplasm: (177.3±32.1)%, (100.0±8.4)%, P<0.01; nucleus: ( 173.2±27.1)%, (100.0±8.4)%, P<0.01). While the levels of NF-κB in cytoplasm and nucleus of 1-BP+ PDTC group were both lower than those of 1-BP group (cytoplasm: (148.7±22.0)%, (177.3±32.1)%, P<0.01; nucleus: (149.7±18.8)%, (173.2±27.1)%, P<0.01). The results of qRT-PCR showed that there were significant differences in the mRNA levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in the prefrontal cortex among the four groups ( F=17.464, 17.382, both P<0.01). The levels of TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA in 1-BP group were higher than those in control group (both P<0.05), and the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA in PDTC+ 1-BP group were both lower than those in 1-BP group (both P<0.05). The results of immunohistochemistry showed that compared with the control group, the number of microglia and astrocytes in the 1-BP group increased (microglia: (158.30±9.68), (110.20±16.30), P<0.05; astrocytes: (122.76±4.35), (80.24±6.96), P<0.05), and the morphology was also activated, with light staining and reduced number of Nissl bodies in neurons.The number of microglia and astrocytes in PDTC + 1-BP group was lower than that in 1-BP group (microglia: (131.70±14.67), (158.30±9.68), P<0.05; astrocytes: (101.54±4.55), (122.76±4.35), P<0.05), and the Nissl body staining of neurons was significantly deepened. Conclusion:NF-κB signaling pathway might be the key mechanism of 1-BP neurotoxicity. PDTC intervention could significantly improve the neuroinflammatory response and behavioral disorders of experimental animals intoxicated with 1-BP.
8.Factors influencing patient safety behavior of nursing students during clinical practice
Junping BIAN ; Feifei CHEN ; Lu CHENG ; Xiulan ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Practical Nursing 2021;37(12):936-941
Objective:To explore the factors influencing patient safety behavior of nursing students during clinical practice.Methods:A cross-sectional study was used, in which a total of 214 participants completed the online survey related to the undergraduate nursing students ′ clinical teaching satisfaction scale, safety attitude questionnaire and nurse safety behavior questionnaire. Results:The mean scores of clinical teaching satisfaction, safety attitude and nurse safety behavior were (3.83±0.81), (3.70±0.65) and (3.93±0.79) respectively. There were positive correlations between clinical teaching satisfaction, safety attitude with the nurse safety behavior ( r=0.82, 0.75, P<0.01). The results also showed that the same shifts with their clinical instructors, clinical teaching satisfaction and safety attitude could affect safety behavior of nursing students ( F=67.81, R2=0.753, ΔR2= 0.742, P=0.00), which accounted for 74.20% of total variation. Conclusions:The same shift arrangement for both clinical instructors and nursing students, enhancement of the demonstration and guidance from clinical instructors, as well as strengthening the cultivating patient safety attitude would be beneficial to promoting the safety behavior of nursing students during clinical practice.
9.Recent advance in mechanism of reactive astrocytes in optic nerve injury
Mingxu ZHANG ; Jiawei YANG ; Xiulan ZHAO ; Ying ZHAO ; Siquan ZHU
Chinese Journal of Neuromedicine 2021;20(3):313-318
The optic nerve is the only pathway that transduct visual signals into visual centers, and is consisted of retinal ganglion cells and glial cells. Astrocytes, the most abundant neuroglia in center nerve system (CNS), are considered as structural supporter and carrier of metabolic components of neurons. In recent years, astrocytes have become treasure of neurological study due to their dual effects after nerve injury. The neurotoxic reactive astrocytes are termed as A1-type, and the neuroprotective ones are termed as A2-type. For the purpose of reducing neuron loss after optic nerve injury, it is critical to find out proper management methods of astrocyte reactivity. In this paper, we will concentrate on the inducers, mechanisms and influences of astrocyte reactivity in optic nerve and CNS, and then, summarize present possible interference ways to a neuroprotective outcome.
10.The translation strategies of core terms of traditional Chinese medicine based on the Xiang thoughts and English translation of Wuxing
International Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2019;41(4):422-425
As the basic concept and terminology of the theory system of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Wuxing has rich philosophical connotations. This research takes the term Wuxing as the object, based on the relevance translation theory to analyze the accuracy of the translation of the three authoritative versions of the dictionary, and finally proposes the reference for English translation of core terms of TCM.

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