1.Mechanism of joint injection of Caulophyllum robustum Maxim in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
Shaowa LYU ; Yunyu WU ; Quanli LIU ; Yuhan REN ; Yuyan GUO ; Haixue KUANG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(8):926-931
OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism of joint injection of Caulophyllum robustum Maxim in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS The targets of main saponins in C. robustum Maxim were obtained from Swiss Target Prediction, and the RA treatment targets collected from the GeneCards and OMIM database were intercrossed to establish an interaction network based on network pharmacology. Gene ontology analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed. RA model was established by injecting complete Freund’s adjuvant into the back of rabbits for verification. The arthritis index score, knee diameter and pain threshold of rabbits were compared. Pathological examination of rabbit synovial tissue was carried out. The levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-6 in rabbit serum and synovial fluid were detected. The phosphorylation levels of tyrosine protein Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) proteins in rabbit synovium were detected. RESULTS Network pharmacology identified 143 intersection targets between the drug and RA. After the construction of the “drug-component-target” network, the core components of the network were echinocystic acid, oleanolic acid, hederagenin, cauloside A and cauloside C, etc. Additionally, the top 10 core targets of PPI network were SRC, STAT3, MAPK1, EGFR, PIK3CA, MAPK3, GRB2, JUN, PTPN11 and JAK2. The results of KEGG pathway analysis showed that the JAK/STAT signaling pathway was mainly involved in the treatment of RA by joint injection of C. robustum Maxim. Results of validation test showed that compared with model group, joint injection of C. robustum Maxim could reduce the swelling of rabbit knee joint, relieve the hyperplasia of synovial layer, reduce the hyperplasia of lower connective tissue, and reduce the number of inflammatory cells and capillaries. The arthritis index score (excluding low-dose group of C. robustum Maxim), knee diameter, the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in serum and synovial fluid, and the protein phosphorylation levels of JAK2 and STAT3 were decreased significantly (P<0.05 of P<0.01), while the pain threshold were reduced significantly (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS The core components that may alleviate the inflammatory response of RA in joint injection of C. robustum Maxim could include echinocystic acid, oleanolic acid, hederagenin, cauloside A, and cauloside C. Its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of JAK/STAT signaling pathway and the reduction of inflammatory responses.
2.Kidney Gastrin/CCKBR Attenuates Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Inhibiting SGLT2-Mediated Glucose Reabsorption through Erk/NF-κB Signaling Pathway
Xue ZHANG ; Yuhan ZHANG ; Yang SHI ; Dou SHI ; Min NIU ; Xue LIU ; Xing LIU ; Zhiwei YANG ; Xianxian WU
Diabetes & Metabolism Journal 2025;49(2):194-209
Background:
Both sodium-glucose cotransporters (SGLTs) and Na+/H+ exchangers (NHEs) rely on a favorable Na-electrochemical gradient. Gastrin, through the cholecystokinin B receptor (CCKBR), can induce natriuresis and diuresis by inhibiting renal NHEs activity. The present study aims to unveil the role of renal CCKBR in diabetes through SGLT2-mediated glucose reabsorption.
Methods:
Renal tubule-specific Cckbr-knockout (CckbrCKO) mice and wild-type (WT) mice were utilized to investigate the effect of renal CCKBR on SGLT2 and systemic glucose homeostasis under normal diet, high-fat diet (HFD), and HFD with a subsequent injection of a low dose of streptozotocin. The regulation of SGLT2 expression by gastrin/CCKBR and the underlying mechanism was explored using human kidney (HK)-2 cells.
Results:
CCKBR was downregulated in kidneys of diabetic mice. Compared with WT mice, CckbrCKO mice exhibited a greater susceptibility to obesity and diabetes when subjected to HFD.
3.Kidney Gastrin/CCKBR Attenuates Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Inhibiting SGLT2-Mediated Glucose Reabsorption through Erk/NF-κB Signaling Pathway
Xue ZHANG ; Yuhan ZHANG ; Yang SHI ; Dou SHI ; Min NIU ; Xue LIU ; Xing LIU ; Zhiwei YANG ; Xianxian WU
Diabetes & Metabolism Journal 2025;49(2):194-209
Background:
Both sodium-glucose cotransporters (SGLTs) and Na+/H+ exchangers (NHEs) rely on a favorable Na-electrochemical gradient. Gastrin, through the cholecystokinin B receptor (CCKBR), can induce natriuresis and diuresis by inhibiting renal NHEs activity. The present study aims to unveil the role of renal CCKBR in diabetes through SGLT2-mediated glucose reabsorption.
Methods:
Renal tubule-specific Cckbr-knockout (CckbrCKO) mice and wild-type (WT) mice were utilized to investigate the effect of renal CCKBR on SGLT2 and systemic glucose homeostasis under normal diet, high-fat diet (HFD), and HFD with a subsequent injection of a low dose of streptozotocin. The regulation of SGLT2 expression by gastrin/CCKBR and the underlying mechanism was explored using human kidney (HK)-2 cells.
Results:
CCKBR was downregulated in kidneys of diabetic mice. Compared with WT mice, CckbrCKO mice exhibited a greater susceptibility to obesity and diabetes when subjected to HFD.
4.Kidney Gastrin/CCKBR Attenuates Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Inhibiting SGLT2-Mediated Glucose Reabsorption through Erk/NF-κB Signaling Pathway
Xue ZHANG ; Yuhan ZHANG ; Yang SHI ; Dou SHI ; Min NIU ; Xue LIU ; Xing LIU ; Zhiwei YANG ; Xianxian WU
Diabetes & Metabolism Journal 2025;49(2):194-209
Background:
Both sodium-glucose cotransporters (SGLTs) and Na+/H+ exchangers (NHEs) rely on a favorable Na-electrochemical gradient. Gastrin, through the cholecystokinin B receptor (CCKBR), can induce natriuresis and diuresis by inhibiting renal NHEs activity. The present study aims to unveil the role of renal CCKBR in diabetes through SGLT2-mediated glucose reabsorption.
Methods:
Renal tubule-specific Cckbr-knockout (CckbrCKO) mice and wild-type (WT) mice were utilized to investigate the effect of renal CCKBR on SGLT2 and systemic glucose homeostasis under normal diet, high-fat diet (HFD), and HFD with a subsequent injection of a low dose of streptozotocin. The regulation of SGLT2 expression by gastrin/CCKBR and the underlying mechanism was explored using human kidney (HK)-2 cells.
Results:
CCKBR was downregulated in kidneys of diabetic mice. Compared with WT mice, CckbrCKO mice exhibited a greater susceptibility to obesity and diabetes when subjected to HFD.
5.Therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine in liver cancer by regulating tumor-associated macrophages and its mechanism
Yi TANG ; Guotai WANG ; Yuhan JIANG ; Chenyang WU
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(6):1199-1206
Liver cancer has high prevalence and mortality rates around the world, and its development and progression are closely associated with the interaction between the tumor microenvironment and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). TAMs play a significant role in immune suppression, immune escape, cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance in liver cancer. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), with its unique therapeutic concepts and methods, has shown great potential in regulating TAMs and improving the prognosis of liver cancer. This article reviews the role and molecular mechanisms of TCM in regulating TAMs for the treatment of liver cancer, discusses the key role of TAMs in the progression of liver cancer, and analyzes the impact of Chinese medicinal components on the recruitment, polarization, and activity of TAMs and the expression of related factors based on TCM theory. Studies have shown that TCM can regulate the polarization state of TAMs, promote the formation of M1-type antitumor macrophages, and inhibit the activity of M2-type tumor macrophages, thereby playing a role in inhibiting the proliferation of liver cancer cells, promoting apoptosis, inhibiting angiogenesis, and enhancing immune response. In addition, this article also summarizes the molecular targets and mechanisms of action of TCM monomers, compound prescriptions, and novel preparations in the treatment of liver cancer, such as inhibiting the secretion of cytokines by TAMs, regulating signaling pathways, and affecting metabolic pathways, in order to provide a scientific basis for the application of TCM in liver cancer treatment and offer new ideas for immunotherapy for liver cancer.
6.Kidney Gastrin/CCKBR Attenuates Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Inhibiting SGLT2-Mediated Glucose Reabsorption through Erk/NF-κB Signaling Pathway
Xue ZHANG ; Yuhan ZHANG ; Yang SHI ; Dou SHI ; Min NIU ; Xue LIU ; Xing LIU ; Zhiwei YANG ; Xianxian WU
Diabetes & Metabolism Journal 2025;49(2):194-209
Background:
Both sodium-glucose cotransporters (SGLTs) and Na+/H+ exchangers (NHEs) rely on a favorable Na-electrochemical gradient. Gastrin, through the cholecystokinin B receptor (CCKBR), can induce natriuresis and diuresis by inhibiting renal NHEs activity. The present study aims to unveil the role of renal CCKBR in diabetes through SGLT2-mediated glucose reabsorption.
Methods:
Renal tubule-specific Cckbr-knockout (CckbrCKO) mice and wild-type (WT) mice were utilized to investigate the effect of renal CCKBR on SGLT2 and systemic glucose homeostasis under normal diet, high-fat diet (HFD), and HFD with a subsequent injection of a low dose of streptozotocin. The regulation of SGLT2 expression by gastrin/CCKBR and the underlying mechanism was explored using human kidney (HK)-2 cells.
Results:
CCKBR was downregulated in kidneys of diabetic mice. Compared with WT mice, CckbrCKO mice exhibited a greater susceptibility to obesity and diabetes when subjected to HFD.
7.Therapeutic Effect of Wenweishu Granules on Functional Dyspepsia Rats with Spleen-stomach Deficiency Cold Syndrome Based on Bioinformatics Analysis and Experimental Validation
Xinyu YANG ; Xiaoyi JIA ; Zihua XUAN ; Shuangying GUI ; Yanfang WU ; Yuhan MA ; Qin RUAN ; Jia ZHENG ; Zhiyong JIAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(18):30-40
ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the therapeutic effects of Wenweishu granule (WWSG) on functional dyspepsia (FD) with spleen-stomach deficiency cold syndrome in rats by integrating network pharmacology, molecular docking, and animal experiments. MethodsActive components and corresponding targets of WWSG were collected from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and the Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine (BATMAN-TCM). Disease-related targets for FD with spleen-stomach deficiency cold syndrome were screened using GeneCards and the Integrative Pharmacology-based Research Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCMIP). Core therapeutic targets were identified via Cytoscape and validated by molecular docking. A rat model of FD with spleen-stomach deficiency cold syndrome was established using vinegar gavage combined with tail-clamping. The rats were randomly divided into a model group, low-, medium-, and high-dose WWSG groups (2.0, 4.0, 8.0 g·kg-1), a domperidone group (3.0 mg·kg-1), a Fuzi Lizhong pillwan (0.8 g·kg-1), and a normal control group (n=10 per group). Drugs were administered once daily by gavage for 14 consecutive days. After treatment, body weight, symptom scores, and gastrointestinal motility indices were recorded. Gastric and duodenal pathologies changes were observed via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Brain-gut peptides were measured in serum and tissue using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were performed to assess stem cell factor (SCF) and receptor tyrosine kinase (c-Kit) protein expression in gastric tissues. ResultsA total of 305 drug targets, 1 140 disease targets, and 116 overlapping targets were identified. Cytoscape analysis revealed 104 core targets. Enrichment analysis indicated that the SCF/c-Kit signaling pathway was the key mechanism. Molecular docking confirmed a strong binding affinity between active components of WWSG and SCF/c-Kit proteins (binding energy<-5.1 kcal·mol-1). Compared with the normal group, model rats exhibited slower weight gain (P<0.05), reduced gastric emptying and intestinal propulsion (P<0.01), mild gastric mucosal shedding, duodenal inflammatory cell infiltration, decreased levels of gastrin (GAS), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) (P<0.05, P<0.01), and elevated somatostatin (SS) expression (P<0.05, P<0.01). WWSG treatment ameliorated weight gain, symptom scores, and low-grade inflammation in gastric/duodenal tissues. High-dose WWSG significantly improved gastric emptying and intestinal propulsion, upregulated GAS, 5-HT, and VIP, and downregulated SS expression in serum and tissues (P<0.05, P<0.01). Immunohistochemistry and Western blot demonstrated that SCF and c-Kit protein expression was decreased in the model group (P<0.05, P<0.01), which was reversed by WWSG intervention (P<0.05). ConclusionWWSG exerts therapeutic effects on FD with spleen-stomach deficiency cold syndrome in rats, potentially by regulating the SCF/c-Kit signaling pathway to enhance gastrointestinal motility.
8.Health risk assessment of heavy metals and metalloids in atmospheric PM2.5 from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2023
Jiake ZHU ; Shengmei YANG ; Yuhan QIN ; Nana WEI ; Wenqian ZHANG ; Xinrui JIA ; Wenyu ZHANG ; Xuanhao BAI ; Minghui YIN ; Li ZHANG ; Huan LI ; Duoduo WU ; Xuanzhi YUE ; Yaochun FAN
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(10):1201-1208
Background The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region is a vast area with a wide array of ecological environments, resulting in considerable regional variations in air pollution characteristics. Current research is limited by a scarcity of systematic, region-wide studies and risk assessments. Objective To assess the health risks associated with inhalation exposure to nine heavy metal and metalloid elements in atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5) for the population of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Methods From the 10th to the 16th of each month throughout 2023, atmospheric PM2.5 samples were collected at designated monitoring sites in 12 leagues (cities) across the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to analyze the characteristics and trends in concentration. The health risk assessment model developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency was employed to evaluate both the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks associated with the heavy metal elements beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), hydrargyrum (Hg), plumbum (Pb), manganese (Mn), and nickel (Ni) and the metalloid elements stibium (Sb) and arsenic (As). Results In 2023, a total of
9.Current status and related factors of eHealth literacy in patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases
Yuhan ZHAO ; Hong CHANG ; Ying WU
Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing 2024;30(25):3480-3486
Objective:To explore the current status and related factors of eHealth literacy in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular patients by selecting an appropriate digital eHealth literacy scale.Methods:From February to May 2023, convenience sampling was used to select 310 cardiovascular and cerebrovascular patients from the Department of Cardiology and Neurology of two ClassⅢ Grade A hospitals in Beijing as study subjects. E-Health Literacy Scale (EHLS), the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS), and the Mobile eHealth Literacy Scale (m-eHEALS) were used to survey patients. Correlation analysis, internal consistency analysis, and structural validity analysis were used to select the main scale for the study. Binomial Logistic regression was used to explore the related factors of eHealth literacy in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular patients.Results:A total of 310 questionnaires were distributed, and 302 were effectively collected, with an effective rate of 97.42%. Among the three scales, the EHLS had good reliability and validity. The EHLS score of 302 patients was (37.73±9.66), with a qualified rate of 13.91% (42/302). Binomial Logistic regression analysis showed that the course of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease ( OR=0.615, 95% CI: 0.465-0.813) and the level of concern for one's own health status ( OR=0.669, 95% CI: 0.478-0.937) were related factors for eHealth literacy in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular patient ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:The qualification rate of eHealth literacy for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular patients is relatively low. A short course of disease and a high level of concern for one's own health status are protective factors for eHealth literacy in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular patients.
10.Mobile health applications in secondary prevention of patients with coronary heart disease:a scoping review
Yining ZHU ; Yuhan ZHAO ; Ying WU
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2024;59(17):2156-2165
Objective To identify the features and effects of mHealth App interventions,so as to provide guidance for future research.Methods A literature search was performed in the PubMed,Embase,Web of Science,CINAHL,Cochrane Library,CNKI,Wanfang,VIP,and CBM databases to identify relevant studies from the establishment of databases to April 2023.The included literature was summarized and analyzed.Results A total of 42 articles were included,involving 18 Chinese articles and 24 English ones.Functional features of the mHealth App include patient history and healthcare assessment,decision support for healthcare professionals,health education development and push;presentation features are personalization,visualization and gamification.The outcome indicators evaluation was mainly on mental health,multiple risk factor control,medication adherence,self-management,quality of life,and clinical outcomes.Conclusion Mobile health Apps have been effective in the application of secondary prevention of coronary heart disease,which can be better improved by combining WeChat groups and wearable devices and presenting them in a personalized and visual way.In the future,it is necessary to improve the function of the App and carry out studies with larger scale and long-term follow-up.

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