OBJECTIVE: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies seen in clinic and requires novel treatment options. Morin is a natural flavonoid extracted from the flower stalk of a highly valuable medicinal plant Prunella vulgaris L., which exhibits an anti-cancer effect in multiple types of tumors. However, the therapeutic effect and underlying mechanism of morin in treating GC remains elusive. The study aims to explore the therapeutic effect and underlying molecular mechanisms of morin in GC. METHODS: For in vitro experiments, the proliferation inhibition of morin was measured by cell counting kit-8 assay and colony formation assay in human GC cell line MKN45, human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line AGS, and human gastric epithelial cell line GES-1; for apoptosis analysis, microscopic photography, Western blotting, ubiquitination analysis, quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, flow cytometry, and RNA interference technology were employed. For in vivo studies, immunohistochemistry, biomedical analysis, and Western blotting were used to assess the efficacy and safety of morin in a xenograft mouse model of GC. RESULTS: Morin significantly inhibited the proliferation of GC cells MKN45 and AGS in a dose- and time-dependent manner, but did not inhibit human gastric epithelial cells GES-1. Only the caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK was able to significantly reverse the inhibition of proliferation by morin in both GC cells, suggesting that apoptosis was the main type of cell death during the treatment. Morin induced intrinsic apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in GC cells, which mainly relied on B cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) associated agonist of cell death (BAD) but not phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate-induced protein 1. The upregulation of BAD by morin was due to blocking the ubiquitination degradation of BAD, rather than the transcription regulation and the phosphorylation of BAD. Furthermore, the combination of morin and BCL-2 inhibitor navitoclax (also known as ABT-737) produced a synergistic inhibitory effect in GC cells through amplifying apoptotic signals. In addition, morin treatment significantly suppressed the growth of GC in vivo by upregulating BAD and the subsequent activation of its downstream apoptosis pathway. CONCLUSION Morin suppressed GC by inducing apoptosis, which was mainly due to blocking the ubiquitination-based degradation of the pro-apoptotic protein BAD. The combination of morin and the BCL-2 inhibitor ABT-737 synergistically amplified apoptotic signals in GC cells, which may overcome the drug resistance of the BCL-2 inhibitor. These findings indicated that morin was a potent and promising agent for GC treatment. Please cite this article as: Wang Y, Sun XY, Ma FQ, Ren MM, Zhao RH, Qin MM, Zhu XH, Xu Y, Cao ND, Chen YY, Dong TG, Pan YF, Zhao AG. Morin inhibits ubiquitination degradation of BCL-2 associated agonist of cell death and synergizes with BCL-2 inhibitor in gastric cancer cells. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 320-332.
Humans ; Flavonoids/therapeutic use* ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology* ; Animals ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Ubiquitination/drug effects* ; Mice ; Drug Synergism ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays ; Flavones

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with common pathophysiological processes, such as inflammation and fibrosis, in both the heart and the kidney. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms that drive these processes are not yet fully understood. Therefore, this study focused on the molecular mechanism of heart and kidney injury in CKD. METHODS: We generated an microRNA (miR)-26a knockout (KO) mouse model to investigate the role of miR-26a in angiotensin (Ang)-II-induced cardiac and renal injury. We performed Ang-II modeling in wild type (WT) mice and miR-26a KO mice, with six mice in each group. In addition, Ang-II-treated AC16 cells and HK2 cells were used as in vitro models of cardiac and renal injury in the context of CKD. Histological staining, immunohistochemistry, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and Western blotting were applied to study the regulation of miR-26a on Ang-II-induced cardiac and renal injury. Immunofluorescence reporter assays were used to detect downstream genes of miR-26a, and immunoprecipitation was employed to identify the interacting protein of LIM and senescent cell antigen-like domain 1 (LIMS1). We also used an adeno-associated virus (AAV) to supplement LIMS1 and explored the specific regulatory mechanism of miR-26a on Ang-II-induced cardiac and renal injury. Dunnett's multiple comparison and t -test were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Compared with the control mice, miR-26a expression was significantly downregulated in both the kidney and the heart after Ang-II infusion. Our study identified LIMS1 as a novel target gene of miR-26a in both heart and kidney tissues. Downregulation of miR-26a activated the LIMS1/integrin-linked kinase (ILK) signaling pathway in the heart and kidney, which represents a common molecular mechanism underlying inflammation and fibrosis in heart and kidney tissues during CKD. Furthermore, knockout of miR-26a worsened inflammation and fibrosis in the heart and kidney by inhibiting the LIMS1/ILK signaling pathway; on the contrary, supplementation with exogenous miR-26a reversed all these changes. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that miR-26a could be a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of cardiorenal injury in CKD. This is attributed to its ability to regulate the LIMS1/ILK signaling pathway, which represents a common molecular mechanism in both heart and kidney tissues.
Animals ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Angiotensin II/toxicity* ; Mice ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic/chemically induced* ; Mice, Knockout ; Disease Models, Animal ; Male ; Signal Transduction/genetics* ; LIM Domain Proteins/genetics* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Cell Line ; Humans

This study explored the drying kinetics of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma(SM), established the suitable models simulating the drying kinetics, and then analyzed the dynamic changes of active components during the drying processes with different methods, aiming to provide a basis for the establishment of suitable drying methods and the quality control of SM. The drying kinetics were studied based on the drying curve, drying rate, moisture effective diffusion coefficient, and drying activation energy, and the appropriate drying kinetics model of SM was established. The drying performance of different methods, such as hot air drying, infrared drying, and microwave drying of SM was evaluated, and the changes in the content of 10 salvianolic acids and 6 tanshinones during drying were analyzed by UPLC-TQ-MS. The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution(TOPSIS) was employed to evaluate the quality of SM dried with different methods. The results showed that the drying rate and moisture effective diffusion coefficient of SM increased with the rise in drying temperature, and the maximum drying rates of different methods were in the order of microwave drying > infrared drying > hot air drying, slice > whole root. The drying rate decreased with the rise in temperature and the extension of drying time. The activation energy of hot air drying was higher than that of infrared drying in SM. The most suitable model for simulating the drying process of SM was the Page model. The TOPSIS results suggested infrared drying at 50 ℃ was the optimal drying method for SM. During the drying process, the content of salvianolic acids increased in different degrees with the loss of moisture, among which salvianolic acid B showed the largest increase of 44 times compared with that in the fresh medicinal material. Tanshinones also existed in the fresh herb of SM, and the content of tanshinone Ⅱ_A increased by 3 times after drying. The results provided a basis for the establishment of suitable drying methods and the quality control of SM.
Salvia miltiorrhiza/chemistry* ; Desiccation/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Rhizome/chemistry* ; Kinetics ; Quality Control ; Abietanes

This study was aimed at preliminarily assessing the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection(LTBI)among cattle farming and slaughterhouse workers across Wuxue,Xianning,and Yichang Cities in Hubei Province,and exploring associated risk factors.Data on cattle farming and slaughterhouse workers were gathered via a questionnaire.LTBI detection was performed with a tu-berculin skin test and interferon-gamma release assay,and influencing factors were subsequently analyzed.The LTBI prevalence among cattle farming and slaughterhouse personnel in the three cities was 30.50%,and a higher rate was observed in slaughterhouse workers(39.01%)than cattle farmers(21.63%)(P<0.01).Multifactor analysis indicated that working in slaughterhouses(95%CI:1.582-3.878),having a history of tuberculosis(95%CI:1.377-25.057)or BCG vaccination(95%CI:1.229-3.285),and having a college education or above(95%CI:0.303-0.859)were significant factors influencing LTBI positivity in these personnel.Having more than 30 years of work experience(95%CI:1.303-18.782)was a risk factor for personnel at cattle breeding farms.Among slaugh-terhouse personnel,having a college education or above(95%CI:0.164-0.894),11-20 years of work experience(95%CI:0.122-0.994),or a history of tuberculosis(95%CI:1.661-64.397);performing logistics work(95%CI:3.234-126.424);and working in slaughter-related positions(95%CI:1.209-19.639)were associated with LTBI positivity.Therefore,the slaughterhouse workers in the three cities had higher LTBI rates than the cattle farming workers,thus underscoring the need for increased attention to personnel in logistics and slaughter-related positions.

[Objective]To investigate the relationship between the non-fasting triglyceride and glucose(TyG)index and hyperglycemia in pregnancy during the third trimester in high altitudes.[Methods]This study selected clinical and laboratory data of 774 Tibetan singleton pregnant women who delivered at Chaya People's Hospital of Qamdo city in Xizang autonomous region,from January 2023 to April 2025.The non-fasting TyG index was calculated from non-fasting triglyceride(TG)and random plasma glucose(PG).Based on the tertiles of the non-fasting TyG index values,the individuals were split into three groups(corresponding to non-fasting TyG index of 8.89 and 9.21,respectively).The baseline clinical characteristics,lipid levels and the occurrence of developing hyperglycemia in pregnancy were compared among the three groups.Statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA,Kruskal-Wallis H test,Chi-square test,or Fisher exact test and the relationship between the non-fasting TyG index and hyperglycemia in pregnancy were examined using multivariate logistic regression models and curve fitting.[Results]A total of 774 Tibetan singleton pregnant women were included,with a average age of 27.3±6.1 years,a pre-delivery body mass index(Pre-BMI)of(25.2±2.3)kg/m2,a proportion of 26.7%(207/774)primigravid women,the mean non-fasting TyG index was 9.1±0.4.Thirty pregnant women were diagnosed with hyperglycemia in pregnancy,with a detection rate of 3.9%(30/774).Statistically significant differences in serum total cholesterol(TC),TG,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)levels were identified when comparing different non-fasting TyG groups(all P values<0.05).Subsequent trend test analysis indicated that the levels of TC,TG,LDL-C,and PG gradually increased with elevated the non-fasting TyG index(Ftrend TC=95.61,P<0.001;Ftrend TG=1 051.91,P<0.001;Ftrend LDL-C=97.20,P<0.001;Ftrend TG=195.20;P<0.001).After adjustment for maternal age,pre-delivery BMI,altitude,TC,LDL-C,and HDL-C,multivariate Logistic regression models revealed independent positive associations between non-fasting TyG index and hyperglycemia in pregnancy(Model 1:OR=2.72,95%CI:1.13-6.53,P=0.026;Model 2:OR=2.56,95%CI:1.01-6.50,P=0.048;Model 3:OR=2.72,95%CI:1.06-6.97,P=0.037;Model 4:OR=4.02,95%CI:1.42-11.40,P=0.009)and the incident of hyperglycemia in pregnancy showed an increasing tendency as increasing with the non-fasting TyG index,however,this association did not statistical significance(P trend>0.05).Curve fitting by restricted cubic splines(RCS)were used to assess linearity between non-fasting TyG and hyperglycemia in pregnancy,and there was a linear dose-response relationship between non-fasting TyG and hyperglycemia in pregnancy(P for non-linear=0.515).[Conclusion]Non-fasting TyG index in the third trimester is a risk factor for hyperglycemia in pregnancy among the Tibetan singleton pregnant women at high altitudes and there was a possible linear dose-response relationship between the non-fasting TyG index and hyperglycemia in pregnancy.

This study was aimed at preliminarily assessing the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection(LTBI)among cattle farming and slaughterhouse workers across Wuxue,Xianning,and Yichang Cities in Hubei Province,and exploring associated risk factors.Data on cattle farming and slaughterhouse workers were gathered via a questionnaire.LTBI detection was performed with a tu-berculin skin test and interferon-gamma release assay,and influencing factors were subsequently analyzed.The LTBI prevalence among cattle farming and slaughterhouse personnel in the three cities was 30.50%,and a higher rate was observed in slaughterhouse workers(39.01%)than cattle farmers(21.63%)(P<0.01).Multifactor analysis indicated that working in slaughterhouses(95%CI:1.582-3.878),having a history of tuberculosis(95%CI:1.377-25.057)or BCG vaccination(95%CI:1.229-3.285),and having a college education or above(95%CI:0.303-0.859)were significant factors influencing LTBI positivity in these personnel.Having more than 30 years of work experience(95%CI:1.303-18.782)was a risk factor for personnel at cattle breeding farms.Among slaugh-terhouse personnel,having a college education or above(95%CI:0.164-0.894),11-20 years of work experience(95%CI:0.122-0.994),or a history of tuberculosis(95%CI:1.661-64.397);performing logistics work(95%CI:3.234-126.424);and working in slaughter-related positions(95%CI:1.209-19.639)were associated with LTBI positivity.Therefore,the slaughterhouse workers in the three cities had higher LTBI rates than the cattle farming workers,thus underscoring the need for increased attention to personnel in logistics and slaughter-related positions.

Objective To study the bioequivalence of generic and original dapoxetine hydrochloride tablets in Chinese healthy subjects after single dose under fasting and fed conditions.Methods A single-center,random,open,single-dose,two-preparations,double-period,crossover study was adopted.Fasting and fed tests were performed on 36 subjects each.Single oral dose 60 mg of test and reference pre parations were taken under fasting and fed conditions,respectively.Plasma concentration of dapoxetine was determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.The main pharmacokinetic(PK)parameters were calculated by Phoenix WinNonlin 8.0 software.Results The main PK parameters of the test and reference preparations of dapoxetine tablets in the fasting group were as follows:Cmax were(449.36±203.01)and(432.85±199.75)ng·mL-1;AUC0-t were(2 400.96±1 392.58)and(2 251.82±1 225.84)ng·mL-1·h;AUC0-∞ were(2 529.94±1 498.05)and(2 371.06±1 305.22)ng·mL-1·h.The main PK parameters of the test and reference preparations of dapoxetine tablets in the fed group were as follows:Cmax were(651.29±179.38)and(672.83±249.42)ng·mL-1;AUC0-t were(3 391.27±1 358.73)and(3 314.56±1 360.39)ng·mL-1·h;AUC0-∞ were(3 630.79±1 605.89)and(3 549.22±1 526.61)ng·mL-1·h.Under the fasting and fed conditions,the 90％confidence intervals of the main PK parameters of the test and reference preparations of dapoxetine tablets are 80.00％-125.00％.Conclusion Under the fasting and fed conditions,a single oral dose of generic and original dapoxetine hydrochloride tablets in Chinese healthy adult volunteers showed bioequivalence.

Objective To study the bioequivalence of generic and original dapoxetine hydrochloride tablets in Chinese healthy subjects after single dose under fasting and fed conditions.Methods A single-center,random,open,single-dose,two-preparations,double-period,crossover study was adopted.Fasting and fed tests were performed on 36 subjects each.Single oral dose 60 mg of test and reference pre parations were taken under fasting and fed conditions,respectively.Plasma concentration of dapoxetine was determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.The main pharmacokinetic(PK)parameters were calculated by Phoenix WinNonlin 8.0 software.Results The main PK parameters of the test and reference preparations of dapoxetine tablets in the fasting group were as follows:Cmax were(449.36±203.01)and(432.85±199.75)ng·mL-1;AUC0-t were(2 400.96±1 392.58)and(2 251.82±1 225.84)ng·mL-1·h;AUC0-∞ were(2 529.94±1 498.05)and(2 371.06±1 305.22)ng·mL-1·h.The main PK parameters of the test and reference preparations of dapoxetine tablets in the fed group were as follows:Cmax were(651.29±179.38)and(672.83±249.42)ng·mL-1;AUC0-t were(3 391.27±1 358.73)and(3 314.56±1 360.39)ng·mL-1·h;AUC0-∞ were(3 630.79±1 605.89)and(3 549.22±1 526.61)ng·mL-1·h.Under the fasting and fed conditions,the 90％confidence intervals of the main PK parameters of the test and reference preparations of dapoxetine tablets are 80.00％-125.00％.Conclusion Under the fasting and fed conditions,a single oral dose of generic and original dapoxetine hydrochloride tablets in Chinese healthy adult volunteers showed bioequivalence.

Long-segment lichen sclerosus (LS) urethral stricture is a challenge for urologists. Limited data are available for surgeons to make a surgical decision between Kulkarni and Asopa urethroplasty. In this retrospective study, we investigated the outcomes of these two procedures in patients with LS urethral stricture. Between January 2015 and December 2020, 77 patients with LS urethral stricture underwent Kulkarni and Asopa procedures for urethroplasty in the Department of Urology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (Shanghai, China). Of the 77 patients, 42 (54.5%) underwent the Asopa procedure and 35 (45.5%) underwent the Kulkarni procedure. The overall complication rate was 34.2% in the Kulkarni group and 19.0% in the Asopa group, and no difference was observed ( P = 0.105). Among the complications, no statistical difference was observed in the incidence of urethral stricture recurrence ( P = 0.724) or glans dehiscence ( P = 0.246) except for postoperative meatus stenosis ( P = 0.020). However, the recurrence-free survival rate between the two procedures was significantly different ( P = 0.016). Cox survival analysis showed that antiplatelet/anticoagulant therapy use ( P = 0.020), diabetes ( P = 0.003), current/former smoking ( P = 0.019), coronary heart disease ( P < 0.001), and stricture length ( P = 0.028) may lead to a higher hazard ratio of complications. Even so, these two techniques can still provide acceptable results with their own advantages in the surgical treatment of LS urethral strictures. The surgical alternative should be considered comprehensively according to the patient characteristics and surgeon preferences. Moreover, our results showed that antiplatelet/anticoagulant therapy use, diabetes, coronary heart disease, current/former smoking, and stricture length may be contributing factors of complications. Therefore, patients with LS are advised to undergo early interventions for better therapeutic effects.
Male ; Humans ; Urethral Stricture/etiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Constriction, Pathologic/surgery* ; Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Urologic Surgical Procedures, Male/methods* ; China ; Urethra/surgery* ; Postoperative Complications/etiology* ; Mouth Mucosa ; Diabetes Mellitus/etiology* ; Anticoagulants ; Coronary Disease

【Objective】 To investigate the prognostic role of EHD3 and its association with immune cell infiltration in gastric cancer. 【Methods】 In this study, EHD3 expression was analyzed using RNA sequencing data from Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Differential analysis, functional enrichment, immune infiltration, immune checkpoint exploration, and clinical baseline data analysis were performed. Independent prognostic factors were identified using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis; a column diagram model was developed and evaluated using C-index and calibration diagrams. 【Results】 EHD3 was significantly upregulated in STAD and functional enrichment analysis showed that EHD3 expression was associated with immune response, with most immune cells and immune checkpoints positively correlated with their expression. Cox regression showed that EHD3 was an independent prognostic factor in STAD patients (HR=2.112, 95% CI: 1.340-3.327, P=0.001). 【Conclusion】 EHD3 is considered to be a novel prognostic biomarker for STAD patients, and this study provides a potential therapeutic target for STAD treatment.