1.Mechanism of Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu Prescription Against Damage to Hippocampal Synaptic Microenvironment via Suppressing GluR2/Parkin Signal-mediated Mitophagy in Rats with Diabetes-related Depression
Jian LIU ; Lin LIU ; Xiaoyuan LIN ; Wei LI ; Yuhong WANG ; Hui YANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(1):104-112
ObjectiveTo reveal the mechanism of Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu prescription against damage to hippocampal synaptic microenvironment via suppressing glutamate receptor 2 (GluR2)/Parkin signal-mediated mitophagy in rats with diabetes-related depression (DD). MethodsEighty male SD rats underwent adaptive feeding for 5 days before the study. Ten rats were randomly assigned to the normal group. The model of DD rats was established with the rest by 2-week high-fat diet + streptozotocin (STZ) tail intravenous injection + 28 days of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) combined with isolation. The rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a GluR2 blocker group (5 μg·kg-1), a GluR2 agonist group (10 μg·kg-1), a metformin + fluoxetine group (0.18 g·kg-1 metformin + 1.8 mg·kg-1 fluoxetine), and high- and low-dose Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu prescription groups (20.52 and 10.26 g·kg-1, respectively). The rats in the GluR2 blocker group and the GluR2 agonist group were continuously injected with CNQX and Cl-HIBO in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus once a week starting from stress modeling, respectively, while the metformin + fluoxetine group and the high- and low-dose Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu prescription groups were continuously given intragastric administration for 28 d at the same time of stress modeling. Depression-like behavior was evaluated by open field and forced swimming experiments. The levels of serum insulin and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in hippocampus were detected by biochemical analysis. The levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) in hippocampus were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The autophagosomes of hippocampal neurons were observed by transmission electron microscopy. The morphology and structure of dendrites and spines of hippocampal neurons were evaluated by Golgi staining. Western blot detected the expression levels of GluR2 and Parkin proteins in hippocampus. The expression levels of GluR2, Parkin, regulating synaptic membrane exocytosis protein 3 (RIMS3), and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus were detected by immunofluorescence. ResultsCompared with the normal group, the model group exhibited reduced total activity distance in the open field and increased immobility time in forced swimming (P<0.01), lowered levels of serum insulin and ATP, 5-HT, and DA in hippocampus (P<0.01), increased autophagosomes of hippocampal neurons, significantly damaged morphology and structure of dendrites and spines of hippocampal neurons, decreased expression levels of GluR2, RIMS3, and PSD95 in hippocampus, and an increased Parkin expression level (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the GluR2 blocker group and the GluR2 agonist group showed aggravation and alleviation of the above abnormal changes, respectively (P<0.05, P<0.01). The above depression-like behavior was significantly improved in the high- and low-dose Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu prescription groups to different degrees. Specifically, the two groups saw elevated levels of serum insulin and ATP, 5-HT, and DA in hippocampus (P<0.05, P<0.01), restrained increase in autophagosomes and damage to morphology and structure of dendrites and spines of hippocampal neurons, up-regulated protein expression levels of GluR2, RIMS3, and PSD95, and down-regulated Parkin expression level (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionZuogui Jiangtong Jieyu prescription can ameliorate the mitophagy-mediated damage to hippocampal synaptic microenvironment in DD rats, the mechanism of which might be related to the regulation of GluR2/Parkin signaling pathway.
2.Primary splenic lymphoma misdiagnosed as Sjögren’s syndrome with liver cirrhosis: A case report
Chengcheng LI ; Yuhong LIU ; Lu WANG ; Hong PENG ; Xinhua LUO ; Hong LI
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(9):1883-1887
Primary splenic lymphoma is a rare malignant neoplasm, with similar clinical manifestations to Sjogren’s syndrome and liver cirrhosis, which often leads to misdiagnosis. This article reports a case of primary splenic lymphoma misdiagnosed as Sjogren’s syndrome with liver cirrhosis, in order to improve the understanding of primary splenic lymphoma, Sjogren’s syndrome, and liver cirrhosis and avoid misdiagnosis and treatment delay.
3.Development and validation of a multidisciplinary risk assessment scale for immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated myocarditis
Yanan DAI ; Yuan LIU ; Yuchen XU ; Qingqing CAI ; Yan WANG ; Yuhong ZHOU ; Leilei CHENG ; Junbo GE
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2025;32(4):561-567
Objective To develop a risk assessment scale for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-associated myocarditis based on multidisciplinary collaboration, and to evaluate its diagnostic performance. Methods Based on multidisciplinary cooperation, integrating clinical experience from oncology and cardiology, literature data, and patient conditions, a risk assessment scale for ICI-associated myocarditis was developed. A total of 101 patients with malignancies who received immunotherapy at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, from October 2020 to October 2024 were included as the validation cohort. Patients were stratified into low-risk (0-1 point), medium-risk (2-4 points), and high-risk (≥5 points) groups based on their scale scores. The association between pretictive risk stratifications and actual assessment results was assessed using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The predictive value of the scale for ICI-associated myocarditis was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Agreement between the scale scores and actual assessment results was assessed using Cohen’s Kappa coefficient. Results Based on the scale pretictive results, 28(27.7%), 8(7.9%), 65(64.4%) patients were at low risk, medium risk, and high risk for ICI-related myocarditis, respectively; however, 46(45.5%), 8(7.9%), 47(46.5%) were at low risk, medium risk, and high risk actually. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the cumulative incidence of ICI-related myocarditis in the high-risk group was significantly higher than that in the medium- and low-risk groups (P<0.05). In the multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards model, the ICI-related myocarditis risk in high-risk group was about 4 times that in the low-risk group. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the average area under the curve (AUC) for predicting ICI-related myocarditis was 0.81, with an accuracy of 0.74. The Cohen’s Kappa coefficient was 0.55, indicating moderate agreement. In the actual high-risk group, no patient was predicted to be at low risk; in the actual low-risk group, 16 patients were predicted to be at high risk. Conclusions This risk assessment scale for ICI-associated myocarditis shows high predictive performance. It provides oncologists with a simple yet effective multidisciplinary diagnostic reference tool, potentially enhancing early identification of ICI-associated myocarditis.
4.Effect of Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu Formula on hippocampal H3K18la modification in a rat model of diabetes mellitus complicated with depression and prediction of related regulatory genes
Hui YANG ; Wei LI ; Shihui LEI ; Jinxi WANG ; Zhuo LIU ; Pan MENG ; Lin LIU ; Fan JIANG ; Yuhong WANG
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(6):791-801
Objective:
To investigate the effects of Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu Formula (ZGJTJYF) on histone H3 lysine 18 lactylation (H3K18la) in the hippocampus of rats with diabetes mellitus complicated with depression (DD) and predict the regulatory genes of H3K18la.
Methods:
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control, model, and positive drug (metformin [0.18 g/kg] and fluoxetine [1.8 mg/kg]) groups, and the three groups were treated with high, medium, and low ZGJTJYF doses (20.52, 10.26, and 5.13 g/kg, respectively), with 10 rats per group. After treatment, the forced swimming and water maze tests were performed to assess depressive-like behaviors and cognitive function. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure blood insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin, lactate levels, and lactate content in the hippocampus. Western blotting was used to detect H3K18la expression in the hippocampus. Cleavage Under Targets and lagmentation(CUT&Tag) experiments targeted hippocampal H3K18la epigenetic modification regions to analyze the transcription factors bound by H3K18la. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and Protein-Protein Interaction networks were constructed to identify key pathways and target genes regulated by H3K18la.
Results:
Compared with the normal group, the model group rats showed prolonged immobility time in the forced swim test, increased escape latency in the water maze experiment, decreased target quadrant distance ratio (P<0.01), increased serum lactate content, and decreased lactate content in hippocampal homogenate (P<0.01), as well as decreased H3K18la protein expression in the hippocampus (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, ZGJTJYF reduced the immobility time in the forced swim test and the escape latency in the water maze test (P<0.01), while the distance ratio in the target quadrant increased (P<0.01) in model rats. Lowered fasting blood glucose, insulin, and glycosylated hemoglobin levels (P<0.05, P<0.01) were also observed. ZGJTJYF also increased the lactate content and H3K18la protein expression in hippocampal homogenate (P<0.05, P<0.01). The DNA sequences bound by H3K18la were predominantly enriched at the transcription start sites. ZGJTJYF modulated H3K18la-associated pathways, including cell adhesion junctions, tumor growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling, stem cell pluripotency regulation, mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) signaling pathway, and insulin resistance, leading to the identification of 12 target genes.
Conclusion
ZGJTJYF enhances hippocampal lactate levels and H3K18la modification in DD rats, which may regulate neural cell interactions, neurogenic stem cell function, TGF-β signaling, MAPK signaling, and insulin resistance pathways.
5.Meta-analysis of potential biomarkers for predicting clinical efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in malignancies
Yuhong LIN ; Zhibing LIN ; Xiaoxian WANG ; Jie LIU ; Yuehua FANG ; Xiaoyan ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2024;40(5):931-938
Objective:To explore potential biomarkers that can predict the clinical efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in malig-nancies.Methods:The PubMed,Web of Science,CNKI,Wanfang and VIP databases were searched from the establishment of the database to September 20,2022.After literature screening,data extraction and the risk of bias were evaluated independently by two evaluators,the Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5.4 and STATA16.0 software.Results:This paper included 18 studies with a total of 4 018 patients.Tumor patients with a high tumor mutational burden(TMB)were found to have higher overall survival(OS)(P=0.003,P=0.01)and progression-free survival(PFS)(P=0.000 2,P=0.04)with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors within 1 year and 2 years of follow-up.At different follow-up times,with 1%as the critical value,there was no statistical significance in the level of PD-L1 ex-pression as a biomarker for predicting OS and PFS of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors(P>0.05).Conclusion:TMB can be used as a biological indicator to predict the clinical efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in patients with malignant tumors within 2 years after treatment,but whether its efficacy can last longer remains to be further studied.PD-L1 single test is not currently a biomarker for predicting the bene-fit of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors.
6.Effects and mechanisms of sex differences on the prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease in offspring
Yuhong WU ; Bihua CHEN ; Huan WU ; Hanwen LIU ; Puyu OUYANG ; Xuanyi MENG ; Hongbing CHEN
Acta Laboratorium Animalis Scientia Sinica 2024;32(7):819-827
Objective To investigate whether there are sex differences in inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)among the offspring of mice with IBD.Methods BALB/c female mice were randomly divided into Na?ve and DSS groups.The mice in the Na?ve group drank autoclaved water freely,and the DSS group freely drank 2%dextran sodium sulfate(DSS)for 7 days before it was replaced with autoclaved water for 10 days.A total of 3~4 cycles were applied,and the IBD female mice were paired with healthy male mice in cages.When the pups were 8 weeks old,they were divided into the Con group and IBD group.The Con group drank autoclaved water freely for 7 days,and the IBD group drank 3%DSS for 7 days.During the modeling period,disease activity index was scored by monitoring body weight,fecal consistency,and the presence of blood in stool every day.Pathological sections were taken to observe changes in goblet cells and the mucus layer of colon tissues.The concentrations of interleukin(IL)-6,IL-1β,IL-33,and IL-10 in the colon were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Real-time quantitative PCR was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of tight-junction proteins and MUC-2 in the colon.Results Compared with female IBD mice,male IBD mice had higher DAI scores,significantly shorter colons,larger amounts of inflammatory infiltrate,more crypt abnormalities,and a higher absence of goblet cells in the colon;their relative mRNA expression of occludin mRNA was significantly reduced,levels of IL-6 and IL-33 were significantly increased,and level of IL-10 was significantly decreased.Conclusions The symptoms of colitis in the offspring of IBD mice were more severe in male than in female mice,a result that was mainly attributed to the more severely impaired intestinal epithelial barrier function in males.
7.Association of serum L-carnitine and intestinal flora metabolites trimethylamine with gestational diabetes mellitus in mid-pregnancy women in Shanghai
Shiyin WU ; Jie JIA ; Jie ZHU ; Kefeng YANG ; Hui WU ; Lingpeng LU ; Yuhong LIU ; Meiqin CAI
Chinese Journal of Diabetes 2024;32(6):401-407
Objective To investigate the relationship between serum L-carnitine and its related metabolites[trimethylamine(TMA)and trimethylamine N-oxide(TMAO)]levels and gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM)in the second trimester of pregnant women in Shanghai.Methods A case-control study was conducted in 280 pregnant women between 18 and 23 weeks of gestation from January 2018 to January 2021.Among them,134 cases of GDM were the case group(GDM),and 146 cases with normal blood glucose(BG)were the control group(Con).Serum L-carnitine,TMA and TMAO levels were quantified by ultra high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.Logistic regression analysis,stratified analysis and linear regression were used to explore the relationship between L-carnitine,TMA and TMAO levels and GDM and glucolipid metabolism.Results Serum L-carnitinelevelwas significantly lower in GDM group than that in Con group(P<0.01).After adjusting for confounders,logistic regression showed a 70%reduction in the risk of GDM in the group with highest tertile of L-carnitine compared with the group with lowest tertile(OR 0.30,95%CI 0.15~0.63).The risk of GDM decreased by 14%for each 1 μmol/L increase in serum L-carnitine(OR 0.86,95%CI 0.80~0.93).Serum L-carnitine was negatively correlated with 1 hPG(r=-0.21,P<0.01)and 2 hPG(r=-0.15,P<0.05),respectively,TMA was negatively correlated with 2 hPG(r=-0.21,P<0.01).Conclusions Higher serum L-carnitine level may be negatively associated with GDM.Serum L-carnitine and TMA levels were negatively correlated with blood glucose levels.
8.Clinical characteristics of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and positive specific IgE
Qinglin CHEN ; Xiujuan YAO ; Xiaofang LIU ; Ran LI ; Yuhong WANG ; Xichun ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Health Management 2024;18(5):339-346
Objective:To investigate the clinical features of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and serum-positive specific IgE (SIgE).Methods:This study was a retrospective cohort study. A total of 105 stable COPD patients with allergic features and completed serum SIgE testing were included, and all of them were from Capital Medical University, Beijing Tong Ren Hospital from September 2022 to October 2023. Those with at least one positive result of SIgE testing were classified as positive SIgE COPD group, and those with negative SIgE were classified as negative SIgE COPD group. There were 32 cases (30.5%) in the positive SIgE COPD group and 73 cases (69.5%) in the negative SIgE COPD group. Differences in laboratory tests, pulmonary function, chronic obstructive pulmonary symptom scores, incidence of severe acute exacerbation events in the past year, and drug therapy were compared between the two groups. The risk factors for positive SIgE COPD were analyzed, and the best predictive value for the diagnosis of positive SIgE COPD was analyzed using the area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC).Results:Compared with the negative SIgE COPD group, the percentage of positive SIgE COPD group with rhinitis, sinusitis, sinusitis with nasal polyps, eczema, and a history of drug or food allergy were higher (all P<0.05) and the percentage of those who had quit smoking were higher ( P<0.05); the percentage of IgE above normal thresholds, the level of IgE, the percentage of peripheral blood eosinophil (EOS%), the count of EOS, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) were higher (all P<0.05), and the percentage of those who had severe and above severe Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management, and Prevention of COPD (GOLD) pulmonary function classification were higher, while the percentage of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1% predicted), 25% maximal expiratory flow (MEF 25%) and MEF 75/25% were lower, and FEV 1/FVC was higher (all P<0.05). The positive SIgE COPD group had higher modified British medical research council (mMRC) scores and COPD assessment test (CAT) scores, and a higher incidence of severe acute exacerbation events over the past year (all P<0.05), and the use of short-acting β 2 receptor agonists (SABA) or short-acting muscarinic antagonist (SAMA), inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), theophylline and oral hormone therapy were more frequent (all P<0.05). EOS% ( OR=1.252, 95% CI: 1.039-1.508) was a risk factor for SIgE positivity in COPD ( P<0.05), and having quit smoking ( OR=0.385, 95% CI: 0.197-0.751) was a protective factor ( P<0.05). The AUC value of the ROC curve of EOS%>2.5% for the diagnosis of SIgE positivity was 0.647 (95% CI: 0.543-0.752), with a sensitivity and specificity of 52.8% and 73.1%, respectively. Conclusions:Positive SIgE COPD has sever clinical symptoms, high risk of acute exacerbation and deficiencies in treatment. The elevate of EOS% is a risk factor for the development of positive SIgE in COPD patients; positive SIgE COPD meets the diagnostic criteria for allergic COPD phenotype, and EOS% over 2.5% is suggestive of the clinical detection of allergic COPD phenotype.
9.Severe cardiotoxic characteristics associated with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation preconditioning in patients with aplastic anemia
Xue MING ; Yuanyuan ZHANG ; Tingting HAN ; Jingzhi WANG ; Xiaodong MO ; Fengrong WANG ; Chenhua YAN ; Yu WANG ; Yuhong CHEN ; Zhengli XU ; Feifei TANG ; Ting ZHAO ; Kaiyan LIU ; Xiaohui ZHANG ; Xiaojun HUANG ; Lanping XU
Chinese Journal of Internal Medicine 2024;63(11):1096-1103
Objective:To delineate the clinical characteristics and outcomes associated with severe cardiac toxicity during the preconditioning phase of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in patients with aplastic anemia (AA).Methods:This retrospective case series study included 31 patients with severe AA who underwent allo-HSCT and were diagnosed with severe cardiac toxicity at the Hematology Department of Peking University People′s Hospital from August 2012 to June 2022. The clinical manifestations of severe cardiac toxicity observed during the preconditioning process were assessed. Patient survival was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method.Results:In this cohort of 31 patients, the median follow-up period was 9 days (range: 4-365 days). Severe cardiac toxicity manifested within 6 days after the initial cyclophosphamide (Cy) administration. Twenty patients died within 30 days of initiating Cy preconditioning, of which 16 patients died due to severe cardiac toxicity within 25 days. Patients whose cardiac function improved within 30 days post-preconditioning showed a median survival duration of 222 days ( n=11). Troponin I (TNI) levels in patients who died within 30 days of initiating Cy preconditioning began increasing on day 5 post-Cy, peaking sharply by day 9 after a notable rise on day 8. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in patients who died within 30 days of initiating Cy preconditioning started to rise from day 1, stabilized between days 2 and 5, and then doubled daily from days 6 to 8, remaining elevated thereafter. Notably, the initial increases in BNP and TNI correlated with electrocardiogram (ECG) signs of low voltage and T-wave inversion in 83.87% of cases ( n=26). Most patients ( n=28, 90.32%) were administered corticosteroid therapy. In those with restored cardiac function, the ejection fraction returned to >50% within 30 days of initiating Cy preconditioning. Conclusions:Patients with severe cardiac toxicity during the preconditioning phase of allo-HSCT typically exhibit early, sustained, and marked elevations in myocardial damage markers, including BNP and TNI, accompanied by ECG abnormalities following Cy administration, with BNP often increasing first. These indicators are associated with rapid disease progression and high mortality. Prompt initiation of treatment upon clinical diagnosis is critical for improving survival outcomes.
10.Exploration on the Mechanism of Ganmao Qingre Pills Against Lung Injury Based on Network Pharmacology,Molecular Docking and Experimental Verification
Wei REN ; Mingming XU ; Xin GAO ; Bowen MA ; Ziren SU ; Yuhong LIU ; Fangyu ZHAO
Traditional Chinese Drug Research & Clinical Pharmacology 2024;35(9):1376-1388
Objective To investigate the mechanism of Ganmao Qingre Pills(GQP)against lung injury based on network pharmacology,molecular docking and in vivo experiments.Methods The potential targets of GQP in the treatment of lung injury were screened through traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform(TCM-SP)and Genecards.A"Chinese medicine-active ingredients-targets"network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.9.0 software,then gene ontology(GO)function and Kyoto encyclopaedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis for potential targets were conducted using a bioinformatics cloud platform.We established a protein-protein interaction(PPI)network,which was intersected with"Chinese medicine-active ingredients-targets"network to obtain core targets.The molecular docking between key target proteins and active ingredients was performed.The effect of GQP on these key target proteins was verified by using a mouse model of lung injury.Results A total of 707 targets for the treatment of lung injury by GQP were identified,corresponding to 107 active ingredients in 11 Chinese medicines.It was found that GQP might regulate targets such as PTGS1,AR,and ACHE through active ingredients including stigmasterol,luteolin,and acacetin using the"Chinese medicine-active ingredients-targets"network analysis.Core targets such as SRC,EGFR,and STAT3 were discovered by using the PPI network.Key target proteins,including CDK1,CDK2,EGFR,ESR1 and SRC,were screened through the intersection analysis of the PPI network and"Chinese medicine-active ingredients-targets"network.Molecular docking study showed that stigmasterol,luteolin and acacetin had good binding effects with CDK1,CDK2,EGFR,ESR1,and SRC,respectively.In vivo experiments revealed that GQP dose-dependently attenuated lung injury and inflammatory infiltration,reduced the release of pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-6,increased the expression of CDK1 and CDK2,and decreased the expression of EGFR,ESR1 and SRC in lung injury mice.Conclusion The therapeutic effect of GQP against lung injury may be achieved through interaction of key active ingredients(stigmasterol,luteolin,and acacetin)and key target proteins(CDK1,CDK2,EGFR,ESR1,SRC),and regulation of key signaling pathways such as neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions,cancer pathways,and calcium signaling pathways.


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