1.Unlocking the dual role of autophagy:A new strategy for treating lung cancer
Fei TANG ; Jing-Nan ZHANG ; Xiao-Lan ZHAO ; Li-Yue XU ; Hui AO ; Cheng PENG
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(3):523-533
Lung cancer exhibits the highest incidence and mortality rates among cancers globally,with a five-year overall survival rate alarmingly below 20%.Targeting autophagy,though a controversial therapeutic strategy,is extensively employed in clinical practice.Current research is actively pursuing various therapeutic strategies using small molecules to exploit the dual function of autophagy.Nevertheless,the pivotal question of enhancing or inhibiting autophagy in cancer therapy merits further attention.This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms of autophagy in lung cancer.It also explores recent advances in targeting cytotoxic autophagy and inhibiting protective autophagy with small molecules to induce cell death in lung cancer cells.Notably,most autophagy-targeting drugs,primarily natural small molecules,have demonstrated that activating cytotoxic autophagy effectively induces cell death in lung cancer,as opposed to inhibiting protective autophagy.These insights contribute to identifying druggable targets and drug candidates for potential autophagy-related lung cancer therapies,offering promising approaches to combat this disease.
2.Research on classification management model based on Karajek matrix for ECG monitoring equipment in emergency ICU
Xi TANG ; Ting ZENG ; Wangsheng DENG ; Yanhua DU ; Ao LIU ; Yuquan DENG ; Jinfeng MENG ; Xiaogui QI ; Lili WU ; Wanrong ZHU
China Medical Equipment 2025;22(2):132-137
Objective:To construct a classification management model on the basis of Kraljic matrix for electrocardiogram(ECG)monitoring equipment in emergency intensive care unit(ICU),so as to explore its application value in the management for ECG monitoring equipment in emergency ICU.Methods:The classification management model on the basis of index for ECG monitoring equipment in emergency ICU was constructed.According to two classification dimensions included the market supply risk and the self-value,an indicator system of classification management,which aimed at strategic materials with high value and high risk,leverage materials with high value and low risk,bottleneck materials with low value and high risk,and conventional materials with low value and low risk,was constructed.A total of fifty-one ECG monitoring equipment in the emergency ICU of The People's Hospital of Longhua of Shenzhen from January to December 2023 were selected,and they were managed respectively by conventional management mode(25 sets)and classification management mode(26 sets)according to different management modes.The standardization level of operation management for equipment,the occurrence of safety risk and the level of management for equipment of the two management modes were compared,and the satisfaction of 30 relative personnel,who used and managed these equipment,for classification management of equipment also were compared.Results:The average values of the percentage of standardization level of normality of equipment operation,disinfection and sterilization,maintenance and fault repair of using classification management mode were respectively(91.58±4.33)%,(92.1±3.28)%,(91.49±3.54)%and(92.58±3.32)%,all of which were higher than those of conventional management mode,and the differences were statistically significant(t=12.537,15.706,14.196,18.946,P<0.05),repsectively.The average incidences of the risk of pressure injury,electrical injury and body fluid extravasation of adopting classification management mode were respectively(2.54±0.87)%,(3.02±0.82)%and(1.29±0.65)%,all of which were lower than those of adopting conventional management mode,and the differences were statistically significant(t=22.825,17.453,24.424,P<0.05),respectively.The satisfaction scores of 30 relative management personnel,who used equipment on the process rationality,system standardization and quality effectiveness,of adopting classification management mode were respectively(94.26±3.54),(92.57±4.36)and(91.87±3.69),all of which were higher than those of conventional management mode,and the differences were statistically significant(t=14.052,13.991,13.551,P<0.05),respectively.The reasonable placement rate,recording rate of standardization,and intact rate of equipment in the 26 equipment by adopting classification management mode were respectively 92.31%,92.31%and 88.46%,all of which were significantly higher than those by adopting conventional management mode,and the differences were statistical significant(x2=12.052,10.398,11.338,P<0.05).Conclusion:The classification management model of ECG monitoring equipment in emergency ICU can increase the management efficiency for the equipment in operating room of hospital,and improve the operation quality of equipment,and enhance the safety of equipment in clinical use,and the standardization of operation management for equipment.
3.Research advances in iron overload and related animal models
Huian TANG ; Guangyu AO ; Min CHEN ; Yujiao ZHANG ; Zejun CHEN
Chinese Journal of Comparative Medicine 2025;35(4):114-127
Iron is an essential trace element for the human body and is critical for vital cellular processes,such as DNA synthesis,respiration,and oxygen transport.The body maintains iron homeostasis through a coordinated balance of absorption,utilization,storage,and distribution.Both iron deficiency and excess can lead to pathologies,with the latter triggering lipid peroxidation and DNA mutations via the Fenton reaction,potentially causing iron-induced cell death in severe cases.Although iron overload can inflict severe damage on multiple organs,including the brain,liver,spleen,heart,ovaries,and kidneys,the mechanisms that regulate iron homeostasis in response to overload are not fully understood.Various animal models have been developed to help elucidate these mechanisms,each reflecting different aspects of iron overload relevant to human diseases,and selection of the most appropriate animal model is needed for the accurate simulation of the pathological and physiological states associated with human iron overload-related diseases.This review synthesizes recent literature on animal models pertinent to iron overload,to offer insights to support the development and analysis of models for diseases related to iron overload.
4.Parkin inhibits iron overload-induced cardiomyocyte ferroptosis by ubiquitinating ACSL4 and modulating PUFA-phospholipids metabolism.
Dandan XIAO ; Wenguang CHANG ; Xiang AO ; Lin YE ; Weiwei WU ; Lin SONG ; Xiaosu YUAN ; Luxin FENG ; Peiyan WANG ; Yu WANG ; Yi JIA ; Xiaopeng TANG ; Jianxun WANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(3):1589-1607
Iron overload is strongly associated with heart disease. Ferroptosis is a new form of regulated cell death indicated in cardiac ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. However, the specific molecular mechanism of myocardial injury caused by iron overload in the heart is still unclear, and the involvement of ferroptosis in iron overload-induced myocardial injury is not fully understood. In this study, we observed that ferroptosis participated in developing of iron overload and I/R-induced cardiomyopathy. Mechanistically, we discovered that Parkin inhibited iron overload-induced ferroptosis in cardiomyocytes by promoting the ubiquitination of long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 4 (ACSL4), a crucial protein involved in ferroptosis-related lipid metabolism pathways. Additionally, we identified p53 as a transcription factor that transcriptionally suppressed Parkin expression in iron-overloaded cardiomyocytes, thereby regulating iron overload-induced ferroptosis. In animal studies, cardiac-specific Parkin knockout mice (Myh6-CreER T2 /Parkin fl/fl ) fed a high-iron diet presented more severe myocardial damage, and the high iron levels exacerbated myocardial I/R injury. However, the ferroptosis inhibitor Fer-1 significantly suppressed iron overload-induced ferroptosis and myocardial I/R injury. Moreover, Parkin effectively protected against impaired mitochondrial function and prevented iron overload-induced mitochondrial lipid peroxidation. These findings unveil a novel regulatory pathway involving p53-Parkin-ACSL4 in heart disease by inhibiting of ferroptosis.
5.A promising novel local anesthetic for effective anesthesia in oral inflammatory conditions through reducing mitochondria-related apoptosis.
Haofan WANG ; Yihang HAO ; Wenrui GAI ; Shilong HU ; Wencheng LIU ; Bo MA ; Rongjia SHI ; Yongzhen TAN ; Ting KANG ; Ao HAI ; Yi ZHAO ; Yaling TANG ; Ling YE ; Jin LIU ; Xinhua LIANG ; Bowen KE
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(11):5854-5866
Local anesthetics (LAs), such as articaine (AT), exhibit limited efficacy in inflammatory environments, which constitutes a significant limitation in their clinical application within oral medicine. In our prior research, we developed AT-17, which demonstrated effective properties in chronic inflammatory conditions and appears to function as a novel oral LA that could address this challenge. In the present study, we further elucidated the beneficial effects of AT-17 in acute inflammation, particularly in oral acute inflammation, where mitochondrial-related apoptosis played a crucial role. Our findings indicated that AT-17 effectively inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nerve cell apoptosis by ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction in vitro. This process involved the inhibition of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) production and the subsequent activation of the NRF2 pathway. Most notably, improvements in mitochondria-related apoptosis were key contributors to AT-17's inhibition of voltage-gated sodium channels. Additionally, AT-17 was shown to reduce mtROS production in nerve cells through the Na+/NCLX/ETC signaling axis. In conclusion, we have developed a novel local anesthetic that exhibits pronounced anesthetic functionality under inflammatory conditions by enhancing mitochondria-related apoptosis. This advancement holds considerable promise for future drug development and deepening our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of action.
6.Unlocking the dual role of autophagy: A new strategy for treating lung cancer.
Fei TANG ; Jing-Nan ZHANG ; Xiao-Lan ZHAO ; Li-Yue XU ; Hui AO ; Cheng PENG
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(3):101098-101098
Lung cancer exhibits the highest incidence and mortality rates among cancers globally, with a five-year overall survival rate alarmingly below 20%. Targeting autophagy, though a controversial therapeutic strategy, is extensively employed in clinical practice. Current research is actively pursuing various therapeutic strategies using small molecules to exploit the dual function of autophagy. Nevertheless, the pivotal question of enhancing or inhibiting autophagy in cancer therapy merits further attention. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms of autophagy in lung cancer. It also explores recent advances in targeting cytotoxic autophagy and inhibiting protective autophagy with small molecules to induce cell death in lung cancer cells. Notably, most autophagy-targeting drugs, primarily natural small molecules, have demonstrated that activating cytotoxic autophagy effectively induces cell death in lung cancer, as opposed to inhibiting protective autophagy. These insights contribute to identifying druggable targets and drug candidates for potential autophagy-related lung cancer therapies, offering promising approaches to combat this disease.
7.Discovery of toad-derived peptide analogue targeting ARF6 to induce immunogenic cell death for immunotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Dihui XU ; Xiang LV ; Meng YU ; Ao TAN ; Jiaojiao WANG ; Xinyi TANG ; Mengyuan LI ; Wenyuan WU ; Yuyu ZHU ; Jing ZHOU ; Hongyue MA
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(3):101038-101038
Image 1.
8.Short-term Effects of Fine Particulate Matter and its Constituents on Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Bronchitis: A Time-stratified Case-crossover Study.
Jing Wei ZHANG ; Jian ZHANG ; Peng Fei LI ; Yan Dan XU ; Xue Song ZHOU ; Xiu Li TANG ; Jia QIU ; Zhong Ao DING ; Ming Jia XU ; Chong Jian WANG
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(3):389-393
9.The role of PGC-1α mediated mitochondrial biosynthesis in the protection of AMPK agonist against hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury
Yu Ao ; Xuyang Zhang ; Dan Tang ; Gongwei Liu ; Dan Huang ; Zhifang Cai
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(7):1194-1203
Objective:
To investigate the role and mechanism of PGC-1 α-mediated mitochondrial biosynthesis in AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) agonist anti-hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI) .
Methods :
SD rats were randomly divided into Control group,HIRI group,HIRI + AICAR group,HIRI + SR-18292 group and HIRI + AICAR + SR-18292 group,with 8 rats in each group.The rats were intraperitoneally injected with AICAR (500 mg / kg) or SR-18292 (32 mg / kg) before operation,and then the HIRI model was established by non-invasive vascular clamp clamping method.The samples were taken 24 hours after reperfusion.The contents of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in serum and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) ,superoxide dis- mutase (SOD) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in liver tissue were detected.HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of liver tissue.The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the changes of mitochondri- al membrane potential in liver tissue were detected by fluorescence probe.The copy number of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the mitochondrial biosynthesis-related genes PGC-1 α, NRF1,TFAM,UQCRC2 and other mRNA ex- pression levels were detected by qRT-PCR. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of AMPKα, p-AMPKα , mTOR , p-mTOR , PGC-1α and TFAM in liver tissue.
Results :
Compared with the control group,the levels of ALT and AST in serum and MDA and ROS in liver tissue of rats in HIRI group increased,while the levels of SOD and ATP decreased ( all P <0. 05) .At the same time,the mtDNA copy number,mitochondrial membrane potential and the mRNA expression levels of PGC-1α , NRF1,TFAM,and UQCRC2 in liver tissues de- creased,and the protein ratio of p-AMPKα/AMPKα and the protein expression levels of PGC-1α and TFAM de- creased.The ratio of p-mTOR/ mTOR protein increased (both P<0. 05) .Compared with HIRI group,the levels of ALT and AST in serum and MDA and ROS in liver tissue of rats in HIRI + AICAR group decreased,while the levels of SOD and ATP increased ( all P <0. 05) .At the same time,the mtDNA copy number,mitochondrial membrane potential and the mRNA expression levels of PGC-1α , NRF1,TFAM,and UQCRC2 in liver tissue increased,and the protein ratio of p-AMPKα/AMPKα and the protein expression levels of PGC-1α and TFAM increased.The ratio of p-mTOR/ mTOR protein decreased (both P<0. 05) .However,combined with SR-18292 intervention,the protective effect of AICAR on liver tissue of HIRI rats was significantly reversed.
Conclusion
PGC-1α mediated mitochondri- al biosynthesis is involved in the regulation of AMPK agonist-mediated protective effect of HIRI,and its mechanism may be related to the activation of AMPK/ mTOR signaling pathway.
10.Effect of MOTS-c on hepatocyte injury induced by glycochenodeoxycholic acid by regulating transporter MRP2 expression
Yu AO ; Xuyang ZHANG ; Dan TANG ; Gongwei LIU ; Dan HUANG ; Zhifang CAI
Organ Transplantation 2025;16(3):425-434
Objective To investigate the effects and related mechanisms of mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c on glycochenodeoxycholic acid (GCDCA)-induced injury in human hepatocytes (THLE-3 cells). Methods THLE-3 cells were cultured in vitro and treated with different concentrations of GCDCA and MOTS-c. The optimal concentrations of GCDCA and MOTS-c were determined by cell counting kit (CCK)-8 method. Subsequently, THLE-3 cells were treated or pre-treated with GCDCA (200 µmol/L), MOTS-c (15, 30, 60 µmol/L), the multidrug resistance protein 2 (MRP2) inhibitor Probenecid (500 µmol/L), and the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) inhibitor ML385 (10 µmol/L). Cell proliferation was assessed by CCK-8 method. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in the culture medium were measured by biochemical method. Cell apoptosis rates were determined by flow cytometry. MRP2 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). MRP2 and Nrf2 protein expression levels were analyzed by Western blotting. Results As the concentration of GCDCA increased, the proliferation activity of THLE-3 cells gradually decreased, while LDH activity in the culture medium and apoptosis levels increased, and the expression levels of MRP2 in the cells decreased (all P<0.05). Treatment with 30 and 60 µmol/L MOTS-c significantly enhanced the proliferation activity of THLE-3 cells exposed to GCDCA, upregulated the expression of MRP2 and Nrf2, and reduced LDH activity and apoptosis levels (all P<0.05). Co-treatment with Probenecid partially reversed the protective effects of MOTS-c on GCDCA-induced THLE-3 cells injury, while co-treatment with ML385 partially inhibited the induction of MRP2 expression by MOTS-c in THLE-3 cells exposed to GCDCA. Conclusions MOTS-c may alleviate GCDCA-induced injury in human hepatocytes (THLE-3 cells), and its mechanism may be related to the upregulation of MRP2 expression mediated by Nrf2.


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