1.Rho/ROCK:key Mediator of Pulmonary Fibrosis and New Target of TCM for IPF Prevention and Treatment
Yuanyuan WU ; Kangchen LI ; Mingyan LI ; Xiling PENG ; Feifan ZHANG ; Han LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):256-265
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic interstitial lung disease characterized by dyspnea and progressive deterioration of lung function, which significantly impacts patients' quality of life and imposes a major burden on society. Although modern medicine has increasingly enriched the treatment options for pulmonary fibrosis, unfavorable factors such as high costs and significant side effects contribute to the persistently low survival rate of patients. Studies have shown that the occurrence and development of pulmonary fibrosis are closely related to abnormalities in multiple pathways. Among these, Rho/Rho-associated coiled-coil protein kinase (ROCK) plays a key role in the disease progression of IPF by regulating the cytoskeleton. This pathway not only transmits biochemical molecular signals that promote the progress of fibrosis but also responds to the biomechanical environment, such as the increased lung tissue stiffness caused by the deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) during the process of pulmonary fibrosis. Therefore, research on this pathway is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of IPF. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has shown remarkable effects in preventing and treating IPF. Many TCM compounds and active components can reduce the production of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), CollagenⅠ (ColⅠ), ColⅢ, and inflammatory factors in lung tissue by regulating the Rho/ROCK signaling pathway. These compounds inhibit the transformation of fibroblasts (FBs) into myofibroblasts (MyoFBs), intervening in the process of pulmonary fibrosis. Based on this, the article briefly reviews relevant research from recent years, discusses the key role of the Rho/ROCK pathway in pulmonary fibrosis from an interdisciplinary perspective, and summarizes the mechanisms through which TCM regulates Rho/ROCK to prevent and treat IPF, based on resources from PubMed, CNKI, and other databases, in order to provide important references for the broader clinical application of TCM in the prevention and treatment of IPF.
2.Advances in nanocarrier-mediated cancer therapy: Progress in immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.
Yue PENG ; Min YU ; Bozhao LI ; Siyu ZHANG ; Jin CHENG ; Feifan WU ; Shuailun DU ; Jinbai MIAO ; Bin HU ; Igor A OLKHOVSKY ; Suping LI
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(16):1927-1944
Cancer represents a major worldwide disease burden marked by escalating incidence and mortality. While therapeutic advances persist, developing safer and precisely targeted modalities remains imperative. Nanomedicines emerges as a transformative paradigm leveraging distinctive physicochemical properties to achieve tumor-specific drug delivery, controlled release, and tumor microenvironment modulation. By synergizing passive enhanced permeation and retention effect-driven accumulation and active ligand-mediated targeting, nanoplatforms enhance pharmacokinetics, promote tumor microenvironment enrichment, and improve cellular internalization while mitigating systemic toxicity. Despite revolutionizing cancer therapy through enhanced treatment efficacy and reduced adverse effects, translational challenges persist in manufacturing scalability, longterm biosafety, and cost-efficiency. This review systematically analyzes cutting-edge nanoplatforms, including polymeric, lipidic, biomimetic, albumin-based, peptide engineered, DNA origami, and inorganic nanocarriers, while evaluating their strategic advantages and technical limitations across three therapeutic domains: immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. By assessing structure-function correlations and clinical translation barriers, this work establishes mechanistic and translational references to advance oncological nanomedicine development.
Humans
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Neoplasms/radiotherapy*
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Immunotherapy/methods*
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Nanoparticles/chemistry*
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Animals
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Nanomedicine/methods*
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Drug Delivery Systems/methods*
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Drug Carriers/chemistry*
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Radiotherapy/methods*
3.Functional analysis of prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) in foot-and-mouth disease virus replication.
Ziyi WANG ; Rongzeng HAO ; Yi RU ; Bingzhou LU ; Yang YANG ; Longhe ZHAO ; Yajun LI ; Kun MA ; Feifan LENG ; Haixue ZHENG
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(7):2658-2671
The study aims to investigate the impacts of prolyl oligopeptidase (POP) on the replication of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) in BHK-21 cells. Firstly, the effects of FMDV replication on POP expression in BHK-21 cells were analyzed by Western blotting and Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Secondly, a eukaryotic expression plasmid for POP was constructed, and the effects of POP overexpression on the replication of two different serotypes of FMDV were assessed by Western blotting, RT-qPCR, and virus titer assays. Thirdly, specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting POP were synthesized, and their efficiency in interfering with endogenous POP expression was identified by RT-qPCR. The impacts of downregulating endogenous POP expression on FMDV replication were further evaluated by Western blotting, RT-qPCR, and virus titer assays. The results indicated that FMDV infection did not significantly affect POP expression in BHK-21 cells. Overexpression of POP dose-dependently enhanced the replication of both FMDV/O and FMDV/A serotypes. Conversely, siRNA-mediated downregulation of endogenous POP expression markedly suppressed FMDV/O replication. This study is the first to demonstrated that the role of the host POP protein in promoting FMDV replication in BHK-21 cells, thereby providing a critical theoretical foundation and potential molecular targets for developing efficient candidate cell strains for foot-and-mouth disease inactivated vaccines.
Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus/genetics*
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Virus Replication/genetics*
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Prolyl Oligopeptidases
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Serine Endopeptidases/physiology*
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Animals
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Cell Line
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RNA, Small Interfering/genetics*
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Foot-and-Mouth Disease/virology*
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Cricetinae
4.Sub-chronic aluminum exposure induces cognitive impairment through ALKBH5/PTEN/AKT signaling pathway in rats
Yan LIU ; Xiaoyu ZHANG ; Weitao ZHANG ; Feifan XIAO ; Ping CUI ; Binhong WANG ; Xinru CHEN ; Bin JIANG ; Huan CHEN ; Li LIN ; Jing ZHANG ; Huan LI
China Occupational Medicine 2024;51(2):144-149
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of maltol aluminum exposure on miR-193a-3p, demethylase AlkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5), phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) and protein kinase B (AKT), and whether miR-193a-3p is involved in aluminum-induced cognitive impairment by regulating ALKBH5/PTEN/AKT signaling pathway. Methods Specific pathogen-free male SD rats were randomly divided into control group and low-, medium- and high- dose groups according to their body weight, with eight rats in each group. Rats in the low-, medium-, and high- dose groups were intraperitoneally injected with maltol aluminum solution at concentrations of 10.00, 20.00, and 40.00 μmol/kg body weight, respectively, while the rats in control group were given an equal volume of 0.9% sodium chloride solution. Rats were injected for five days every week for three months. After injection, the novel object recognized test was used to assess the learning and memory ability of the rats. The relative expression of miR-193a-3p and B-cell lymphocytoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) and cysteine aspartate protease-3 (Caspase-3) mRNA in rat hippocampus was detected using the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The relative protein expression of ALKBH5, PTEN, and AKT2 in the rat hippocampus was detected using Western blot. Results The discrimination index and the preference index of the new object recognition test of the rats in high-dose group were lower than those in control group and low-dose group (all P<0.05). The relative expression of miR-193a-3p and Bcl-2 mRNA in the hippocampus of the rats in high-dose group was lower than those in control group and low-dose group (all P<0.05). The relative mRNA expression of Bax in the high-dose group was higher than those in the control group and low-dose group (both P<0.05). The relative mRNA expression of Caspase-3 of the rats in the high-dose group was higher than that in the other three groups (both P<0.05). The relative protein expression of ALKBH5 in the hippocampus of the rats in the high-dose group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The relative expression of PTEN protein was higher than those in the control group and low-dose group (both P<0.05). The relative protein expression of AKT2 was lower than those in the control group and low-dose group (both P<0.05). Conclusion Sub-chronic aluminum exposure can inhibit the expression of miR-193a-3p in the hippocampus of rats, which may disrupt the ALKBH5/PTEN/AKT pathway and affect normal neuronal homeostasis and cellular function. This pathway may play an important role in aluminum-induced cognitive impairment.
5.Inverted triangle cannulated screw assisted transverse lag screw and femoral neck system fixation for Pauwels Ⅲ femoral neck fractures
Shi SHEN ; Yulin XU ; Yujie LI ; Xuepeng XU ; Feifan XIANG ; Junwu YE ; Naiqiang ZHUO
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2024;33(33):5351-5356
BACKGROUND:Pauwels Ⅲ femoral neck fracture is a typical unstable fracture characterized by high vertical shear force and high incidence of postoperative complications.At present,there are many fixation methods for Pauwels Ⅲ fracture,and there is no clear conclusion as to which internal fixation is the best fixation method for Pauwels Ⅲ femoral neck fracture in young adults. OBJECTIVE:To compare the clinical effect of three inverted triangle cannulated screws assisted transverse lag screws and femoral neck system in fixing Pauwels Ⅲ femoral neck fractures of young adults. METHODS:From May 2021 to December 2022,21 young and middle-aged patients with Pauwels Ⅲ femoral neck fracture were treated with three inverted triangle cannulated screws assisted by transverse lag screws and femoral neck system in Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University.Of them,9 patients were treated with three inverted triangle cannulated screws and one transverse lag screws perpendicular to the fracture line as the 3+1 cannulated screw group and 12 patients were treated with femoral neck system as the femoral neck system group.The two fixation methods were compared in terms of operation time,intraoperative blood loss,total incision length,intraoperative fluoroscopy times,fracture healing time,and limb function. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)All patients were followed up.Patients in the 3+1 cannulated screw group were followed up for 10-25 months,with a mean of(17.44±4.30)months.The patients in the femoral neck system group were followed up for 8-24 months,with a mean of(15.58±4.68)months.(2)The intraoperative fluoroscopy times and Harris score at 3 months postoperatively in the femoral neck system group were better than those in the 3+1 cannulated screw group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The intraoperative blood loss,total incision length,and femoral neck shortening distance in the 3+1 cannulated screw group were better than those in the femoral neck system group,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in operation time,fracture healing time,and Harris score at the last follow-up between the two groups(P>0.05).(3)It is indicated that three inverted triangle cannulated screws assisted transverse lag screw and femoral neck system can achieve good clinical effects in the treatment of young and middle-aged Pauwels Ⅲ femoral neck fracture.The femoral neck system has fewer intraoperative fluoroscopy times and better early overall stability,while the 3+1 cannulated screw is more minimally invasive,easier to operate.Both fixation methods are worthy of clinical application and promotion,and can be selected according to the actual clinical situation.
6.Overexpression of lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 promotes progression of non-small cell lung cancer via the miR-130a-5p/CCND1 axis
Feifan LI ; Junxin XIANG ; Jiahui LIU ; Xiaojing WANG ; Hao JIANG
Journal of Southern Medical University 2024;44(5):841-850
Objective To explore the molecular mechanism by which FEZF1-AS1 overexpression promotes progression of non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)via the miR-130a-5p/CCND1 axis.Methods TCGA database was used to analyze FEZF1-AS1 expression levels in NSCLC.FEZF1-AS1 expression was detected by qRT-PCR in clinical specimens of NSCLC tissues and NSCLC cell lines,and its correlation with clinical features of the patients were analyzed.The binding sites of FEZF1-AS1 with hsa-miR-130a-5p and those of hsa-miR-130a-5p with CCND1 were predicted.CCK8 assay,clone formation assay,scratch assay,and Transwell assay were employed to examine the effects of FEZF1-AS1 knockdown and hsa-miR-130a-5p inhibitor on proliferation,invasion,and migration abilities of lung cancer cell lines.Dual luciferase assay was used to verify the binding of FEZF1-AS1 with hsa-miR-130a-5p and the binding of hsa-miR-130a-5p with CCND1.Western blotting was performed to detect the changes in CCND1 protein expression level in H1299 and H358 cells following FEZF1-AS1 knockdown and treatment with hsa-miR-130a-5p inhibitor.Results FEZF1-AS1 was highly expressed in NSCLC tissues in close correlation with lymph node metastasis and also in H1299 and H358 cell lines(all P<0.05).FEZF1-AS1 knockdown obviously reduced proliferation,migration,and invasion abilities of NSCLC cells(P<0.05).Dual luciferase assay confirmed the binding of hsa-miR-130a-5p with FEZF1-AS1 and CCND1(P<0.05),and hsa-miR-130a-5p inhibitor significantly inhibited proliferation,migration,and invasion of NSCLC cells(P<0.05).FEZF1-AS1 knockdown significantly reduced CCND1 protein expression in NSCLC cells,and this effect was strongly inhibited by treatment with hsa-miR-130a-5p inhibitor(P<0.05).Conclusion FEZF1-AS1 is highly expressed in NSCLC tissue in close correlation with lymph node metastasis to promote cancer progression through the miR-130a-5p/CCND1 axis.
7.Overexpression of lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 promotes progression of non-small cell lung cancer via the miR-130a-5p/CCND1 axis
Feifan LI ; Junxin XIANG ; Jiahui LIU ; Xiaojing WANG ; Hao JIANG
Journal of Southern Medical University 2024;44(5):841-850
Objective To explore the molecular mechanism by which FEZF1-AS1 overexpression promotes progression of non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)via the miR-130a-5p/CCND1 axis.Methods TCGA database was used to analyze FEZF1-AS1 expression levels in NSCLC.FEZF1-AS1 expression was detected by qRT-PCR in clinical specimens of NSCLC tissues and NSCLC cell lines,and its correlation with clinical features of the patients were analyzed.The binding sites of FEZF1-AS1 with hsa-miR-130a-5p and those of hsa-miR-130a-5p with CCND1 were predicted.CCK8 assay,clone formation assay,scratch assay,and Transwell assay were employed to examine the effects of FEZF1-AS1 knockdown and hsa-miR-130a-5p inhibitor on proliferation,invasion,and migration abilities of lung cancer cell lines.Dual luciferase assay was used to verify the binding of FEZF1-AS1 with hsa-miR-130a-5p and the binding of hsa-miR-130a-5p with CCND1.Western blotting was performed to detect the changes in CCND1 protein expression level in H1299 and H358 cells following FEZF1-AS1 knockdown and treatment with hsa-miR-130a-5p inhibitor.Results FEZF1-AS1 was highly expressed in NSCLC tissues in close correlation with lymph node metastasis and also in H1299 and H358 cell lines(all P<0.05).FEZF1-AS1 knockdown obviously reduced proliferation,migration,and invasion abilities of NSCLC cells(P<0.05).Dual luciferase assay confirmed the binding of hsa-miR-130a-5p with FEZF1-AS1 and CCND1(P<0.05),and hsa-miR-130a-5p inhibitor significantly inhibited proliferation,migration,and invasion of NSCLC cells(P<0.05).FEZF1-AS1 knockdown significantly reduced CCND1 protein expression in NSCLC cells,and this effect was strongly inhibited by treatment with hsa-miR-130a-5p inhibitor(P<0.05).Conclusion FEZF1-AS1 is highly expressed in NSCLC tissue in close correlation with lymph node metastasis to promote cancer progression through the miR-130a-5p/CCND1 axis.
8.To Study the Mechanism of"Yajieshaba"Against Acute Alcoholic Liver Injury in Mice Based on 16S rDNA Technology
Yuanmei BAI ; Feifan LIU ; Lijie ZHENG ; Yan WAN ; Jiachen FAN ; Jiahao DENG ; Peixin GUO ; Qiongchao LI
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;26(6):1583-1592
Objective To investigate the pharmacological effects of"Yajieshaba"on mice with alcohol-induced liver injury and to investigate the mechanism of the impact of"Yajieshaba"on the regulation of intestinal flora by 16S rDNA technology.Methods Healthy male KM mice were randomly divided into control,model,"Yajieshaba"low,medium,and high dose(0.39,1.17 and 3.51 g·kg-1)groups and Bifendatatum(2.93 mg·kg-1)groups,with eight mice in each group.After one week of pre-administration of"Yajieshaba",a mouse model of acute alcoholic liver injury was established by a single instillation of 56%alcohol,and the levels of AST and ALT in the serum of mice were measured,and the morphological changes of liver histology were observed by HE staining;secondly,faecal DNA was extracted from each group under aseptic operation,and 16S rDNA sequencing and differential analysis by alpha diversity and species composition at the phylum and genus levels were performed.Results The results showed that the biochemical indexes of liver function(ALT and AST)were significantly improved by"Yajieshaba",and the degree of liver damage was significantly reduced by HE staining.At the phylum level,it significantly decreased the abundance of Aspergillus and increased the quantity of Bacteroides;at the genus level,it significantly up-regulated the plenty of Bacteroides and Prevotella and downregulated a lot of Prevotella and Helicobacter.At the genus level,"Yajieshaba"significantly up-regulated the abundance of Bacillus spp.and Prevotella spp.and down-regulated the abundance of Prevotella spp.and Helicobacter spp.Conclusion"Yajieshaba"may play an anti-acute alcoholic liver injury effect by regulating the intestinal flora and metabolites.
9.Sirt1-Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway mechanism of cognitive dysfunction induced by subchronic aluminum exposure in rats
Yan LIU ; Jianhua LIU ; Feifan XIAO ; Binhong WANG ; Xinru CHEN ; Bin JIANG ; Huan CHEN ; Li LIN ; Jing ZHANG ; Huan LI
Chinese Journal of Pathophysiology 2023;39(12):2150-2157
AIM:To investigate the effects of subchronic aluminum exposure on the expression of silent infor-mation regulator(Sirt1),Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1(Keap1),nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(Nrf2),and microRNA-128-3p(miR-128-3p)in the hippocampus of rats.Additionally,we aimed to explore the mechanism of miR-128-3p and the Sirt1-Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathways in aluminum-induced cognitive impairment in rats.METHODS:Thirty-two healthy 6-week-old SPF male SD rats,weighing(190±20)g,were randomly divided into four groups based on body weight:control group,low-dose(10 μmol/kg)group,medium-dose(20 μmol/kg)group,and high-dose(40 μmol/kg)group,with 8 rats in each group.The rat exposure model was established by intraperitoneal injection of maltol alumi-num.The Morris water maze test was used to assess the learning and memory ability of the rats.Western blot analysis was performed to measure the protein expression of Sirt1,Keap1 and Nrf2 in the hippocampus,while RT-qPCR was used to measure the expression of miR-128-3p in the hippocampus.The level of reactive oxygen species(ROS)in the cerebral cor-tex was detected using fluorescence staining in frozen sections.RESULTS:(1)In the positioning cruise experiment,the escape latency of the aluminum exposure group was significantly higher than that of the control group on the 3rd,4th,and 5th days(P<0.05).On day 6,the number of times the rats crossed the platform and the platform quadrant in the high-dose group was reduced compared to the control and low-dose groups(P<0.01).(2)The expression levels of Sirt1 and Nrf2 in the hippocampal tissues of all groups decreased gradually with increasing maltol aluminum exposure dose.The ex-pression level of Keap1 increased gradually with increasing maltol aluminum exposure dose.The expression level of miR-128-3p in the high-dose group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.05).(3)The content of gluta-thione peroxidase in the hippocampus of rats decreased with increasing exposure dose,while ROS levels gradually in-creased.CONCLUSION:Subchronic aluminum exposure can increase the expression of miR-128-3p in the rat hippo-campus and suppress the Sirt1-Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.This inhibition prevents the activation of the Sirt1-Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway,leading to a reduced antioxidant capacity.The imbalance in the antioxidant system in rats results in oxidative damage to nerve cells and a subsequent decline in cognitive function.
10.Correlation between nutritional status and depressive symptoms in middle school students
Chinese Journal of School Health 2023;44(5):649-653
Objective:
To explore the correlation between different nutritional status and depressive symptoms among adolescents, so as to provide a theoretical basis for targeted improvement of nutritional status and depressive symptoms in adolescents.
Methods:
A total of 8 102 adolescents aged 12-17 years in Shanghai, Urumqi, Changsha and Kunming were selected by random cluster sampling. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale(CES-D). Height and weight were measured. Kruskal Wallis H test, Chi square test and ordinal Logistic regression were used to analyze the relationship between nutritional status and depressive symptoms in adolescents.
Results:
The overall detection rate of depressive symptoms in adolescents was 25.6%, with girls (30.1%) higher than that of boys (21.1%) ( χ 2=87.60, P <0.01). There were statistically significant differences in the scores of depressive symptoms among girls with different nutritional status ( Z =8.34, P <0.05). The detectable rate of depressive symptoms increased with BMI among girls( χ 2 trend =6.04, P <0.05). After controlling for confounding factors, ordinal Logistic regression showed that the obese girls had higher risks in depressive symptoms detection compared with normal weight girls ( OR=1.45, 95%CI=1.10-1.91, P <0.05).
Conclusion
The nutritional status of girls is better than boys, but the prevalence of depressive symptoms is higher than boys. The risk of depressive symptoms in girls increases with BMI.


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