1.Integrating Transcriptomics and 3D Organoids to Investigate Mechanism of Periplaneta americana Extract Against Lung Adenocarcinoma
Qiong MA ; Chunxia HUANG ; Jiawei HE ; Yuting BAI ; Xingyue LIU ; Yuxuan XIONG ; Yang ZHONG ; Hengzhou LAI ; Yuling JIANG ; Xueke LI ; Qian WANG ; Yifeng REN ; Xi FU ; Funeng GENG ; Taoqing WU ; Ping XIAO ; Fengming YOU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(11):124-132
ObjectiveTo evaluate the antitumor activity of Periplaneta americana extract(PAE) against human-derived lung adenocarcinoma organoids(LUAD-PDOs) and to elucidate its potential mechanism based on transcriptomics. MethodsFresh tumor and adjacent normal tissues from patients with LUAD were collected to construct LUAD-PDOs and normal lung organoid(Nor-PDOs) models using 3D organoid culture technology. The effective intervention concentration of PAE was determined using the cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) assay. Experimental groups included the model group(LUAD-PDOs), normal group, model administration group(LUAD-PDOs+PAE), and normal administration group(Nor-PDOs+PAE). Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was used to observe the pathological structures of PDOs, immunohistochemistry(IHC) was performed to detect the expressions of the proliferation marker Ki-67 and lung adenocarcinoma differentiation markers cytokeratin-7(CK-7) and Napsin A, TUNEL staining was applied to detect cell apoptosis. RNA sequencing(RNA-Seq) was conducted to identify differentially expressed genes(DEGs), followed by Gene Ontology(GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis(GSEA), alongside protein-protein interaction(PPI) network analysis to screen core mechanisms. Finally, key targets were validated by integrating external database analysis with immunofluorescence(IF). ResultsNor-PDOs and LUAD-PDOs that highly recapitulated the pathological characteristics of the primary tissues were successfully established. The CCK-8 assay determined that the effective intervention concentration of PAE was 16 g·L-1. Morphological observation showed that Nor-PDOs exhibited lumen-forming structures, whereas LUAD-PDOs displayed dense, solid structures. CCK-8 and TUNEL assays revealed that, compared with the model group, PAE intervention inhibited the proliferation of LUAD-PDOs and promoted apoptosis in LUAD cells, while showing no significant effect on the viability of Nor-PDOs. Transcriptomic analysis identified 719 DEGs that were significantly reversed after PAE intervention(347 up-regulated and 372 down-regulated)(P<0.05). GO enrichment analysis indicated that DEGs in the model administration group were significantly enriched in biological processes related to cell cycle regulation compared to the model group. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that PAE affected pathways related to proliferation and metabolism, including pathways in cancer and the p53 signaling pathway. GSEA further confirmed that PAE significantly enhanced the activity of the p53 signaling pathway(P<0.05). PPI network analysis indicated that breast cancer type 1 susceptibility protein(BRCA1) and checkpoint kinase 1(CHEK1) were the core down-regulated targets in the p53 pathway. IF verified the high expression of BRCA1 and CHEK1 in LUAD-PDOs and their significant downregulation after PAE intervention(P<0.05). Furthermore, survival analysis based on The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA) database indicated that low expression of BRCA1 and CHEK1 was significantly associated with prolonged overall survival in patients with LUAD(P<0.05). ConclusionPAE effectively inhibits proliferation of LUAD-PDOs and promotes their apoptosis, its anti-tumor mechanism is potentially associated with the activation of the p53 signaling pathway, with BRCA1 and CHEK1 genes likely serving as key downstream targets for the effects of PAE.
2.Icariin inhibits the migration and invasion of triple negative breast cancer by down-regulating the TFG-β/ Smad signalling pathway
Zengyou Xiao ; Zean Yang ; Caihong Chen ; Jiaxian Li ; Yujie He ; Pinting Fu ; Jie Wang
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(9):1574-1582
Objective:
To investigate the mechanism by which icariin ( ICA) inhibits the invasion and metastasis of human triple-negative breast cancer ( TNBC) cells via downregulation of the transforming growth factor-β/ Smad ( TGF-β/ Smad) signaling pathway.
Methods:
TNBC cells ( MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468) were cultured in vitro and divided into four groups: an experimental group treated with 15 μmol / L ICA; a model group treated with 10 μmol / L TGF-β receptor inhibitor LY2109761; a combination group ( LY2109761 + ICA) treated with both 15 μmol / L ICA and 10 μmol / L LY2109761; and a control group.Cell proliferation,migration,and invasion were as- sessed using CCK-8,colony formation,5-ethynyl-2 '-deoxyuridine ( EdU) ,wound healing,and Transwell assays. The expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition ( EMT) -related proteins,as well as TGF-β1,Smad2, and phosphorylated Smad2 ( P-Smad2) were detected by immunofluorescence and Western blot.
Results:
CCK-8 results showed that cell proliferation decreased gradually with increasing concentrations of ICA ( P<0. 05) .Colony formation and EdU assays indicated significantly inhibited proliferation in the ICA-treated group compared to the control ( P<0. 05) .Wound healing and Transwell assays demonstrated reduced migration and invasion capabilities in the experimental group relative to the control ( P<0. 05) .Compared to the model group,the LY2109761 + ICA group exhibited further suppression of invasion ( P<0. 05) .Immunofluorescence revealed decreased Vimentin ex- pression in the experimental group ( P<0. 05) ,with an even more pronounced reduction in the LY2109761 + ICA group ( P<0. 01) .Western blot analysis showed that the protein levels of N-cadherin,matrix metalloproteinase-9( MMP9) ,Vimentin,TGF-β1,Smad2,and P-Smad2 were downregulated in the experimental group compared to the control ( P<0. 05) .These proteins were further suppressed in the LY2109761 + ICA group compared to the model group ( P<0. 05) .
Conclusion
ICA inhibits TNBC cells proliferation,invasion,metastasis,and EMT by downregulating the TGF-β/ Smad signaling pathway.
3.Evaluation of the feasibility and safety of a Chinese developed modular surgical robotic system for robot-assisted pyeloplasty
Shihao LIU ; Liqing XU ; Xinfei LI ; Kunlin YANG ; Zhaoying LI ; Zibo ZHANG ; Xiang WANG ; Wei-xiao FU ; Zhihua LI ; Xuesong LI
Journal of Peking University(Health Sciences) 2025;57(4):779-783
Objective:To evaluate the technical feasibility and perioperative safety of pyeloplasty assis-ted by the CarinaTM modular laparoscopic surgical robotic system in patients with ureteropelvic junction obstruction(UPJO).Methods:From November to December 2024,five consecutive patients diagnosed with UPJO underwent robot-assisted pyeloplasty using the CarinaTM modular laparoscopic surgical system at Peking University First Hospital.Data on patient demographics,intraoperative parameters(including docking time,console time,and estimated blood loss),perioperative outcomes,follow-up results,and surgeons' subjective evaluations of system performance were prospectively collected.Descriptive statistics were used;continuous variables were presented as median(range),and categorical variables as frequen-cy and percentage.Results:The cohort included four females and one male.All the patients successfully completed the robotic procedure without conversion to open or conventional laparoscopic surgery.The me-dian age was 32 years(24-37 years),and the median body mass index was 21.6 kg/m2(15.8-27.3 kg/m2).The median docking time was 8 min(3-12 min),and the median console time was 91 min(71-125 min).Intraoperative blood loss was uniformly 20 mL.The median postoperative drainage du-ration was 3 d(0-4 d),and the median length of hospital stay was 4 d(4-9 d).No Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅲ or higher complications occurred.All the patients had their double-J stents removed at 2 months postoperatively,and pain in the ipsilateral flank,reported preoperatively by all the five patients,was al-leviated.The subjective surgical success rate was 100%.Surgeons reported stable system performance throughout all the procedures,with no instances of mechanical arm interference or visual drift affecting surgical fluency.Conclusion:Preliminary findings indicate that pyeloplasty using the domestically deve-loped CarinaTM modular laparoscopic robotic system is technically feasible and perioperatively safe for the treatment of UPJO.
4.Visualization Analysis on Research Literature about Astragalus Polysaccharides from 2013 to 2023
Hong LI ; Liu LI ; Qiuqing HUANG ; Shiyao YANG ; Junju ZOU ; Fan XIAO ; Qin XIANG ; Xiu LIU ; Yanling FU ; Yongjun WU ; Rong YU
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;32(6):73-79
Objective To analyze the research status and hotspots in the field of astragalus polysaccharides;To provide references for further research.Methods Research literature about astragalus polysaccharides was retrieved from CNKI,Wanfang Data,VIP,PubMed,and Web of Science databases from 1st,Jan.2013 to 1st,July 2023.NoteExpress 3.7 software was used to manage the literature and ultimately establish a database.Excel 2019,CiteSpace 6.2.2R and VOSviewer 1.6.18 were used to visually analyze the publication volume,authors,institutions,and keywords of the included literature.Results A total of 2 462 articles were included,with 1 284 Chinese articles and 1 178 English articles.The main research institutions were Gansu University of Chinese Medicine,Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.The core authors of Chinese literature were Liu Yongqi,Wang Hongxin,Lu Meili,etc.The core authors of English literature included Zhang Wei,Li Ke,Yang Xiaojun,etc.High-frequency keywords of Chinese literature included Astragali Radix,rats,polysaccharides,cell apoptosis,and oxidative stress,etc.High frequency keywords in English literature included expression,in vitro,oxidative stress,apoptosis,etc.Conclusion The research on astragalus polysaccharides focuses on their pharmacological effects and mechanisms.Intestinal flora,immune regulation,autophagy and apoptosis are the hot action mechanisms in this field.The focus of disease research involves tumor and diabetes,and antiviral,anti infection and other pharmacological effects are the research trend.
5.Psychological outcomes of patients with cutaneous vascular compromise caused by hyaluronic acid injection after sequential therapy
Guiwen ZHOU ; Hongfan DING ; Qiang FU ; Qian WU ; Pianpian LIN ; Guangdi LI ; Xiao XU ; Minliang CHEN
Chinese Journal of Medical Aesthetics and Cosmetology 2025;31(4):388-393
Objective:To investigate changes in psychological status before and after sequential therapy in patients with skin circulatory disorders following hyaluronic acid injection.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 17 female patients, with a mean age of 28-54 (39.5±1.2) years, admitted to the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from December 2021 to July 2022. Patients received ultrasound-guided percutaneous arterial puncture or digital subtraction angiography (DSA) guided catheter intervention for hyaluronidase injection, alongside corticosteroid pulse therapy, diuretic administration, neurotrophic support, wound protection, and laser therapy. Psychological assessments, including the Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory (MMPI) and symptom check list-90 (SCL-90), were performed at admission and 30-45 days post-discharge. Changes in assessment scores and patient satisfaction were analyzed.Results:Two patients failed to complete all assessments, leaving 15 cases for final analysis. Affected anatomical regions included the nose/perinasal area (13 cases), temporal region (3 cases), lips (3 cases), and forehead (7 cases). MMPI scores for hypochondriasis, depression, hysteria, psychopathic deviation, paranoia, psychasthenia, and hypomania showed statistically significant reductions compared to baseline (all P<0.05). SCL-90 scores for somatization, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, psychoticism, and sleep/appetite disturbances also demonstrated significant decreases (all P<0.05). Among the 15 patients, 7 patients reported being very satisfied, 6 patients were satisfied, and 2 patients were moderately satisfied, with no dissatisfaction reported. Conclusion:Sequential therapy is associated with improved psychological outcomes in patients with skin circulatory disorders secondary to hyaluronic acid injection.
6.Evaluation of the feasibility and safety of a Chinese developed modular surgical robotic system for robot-assisted pyeloplasty
Shihao LIU ; Liqing XU ; Xinfei LI ; Kunlin YANG ; Zhaoying LI ; Zibo ZHANG ; Xiang WANG ; Wei-xiao FU ; Zhihua LI ; Xuesong LI
Journal of Peking University(Health Sciences) 2025;57(4):779-783
Objective:To evaluate the technical feasibility and perioperative safety of pyeloplasty assis-ted by the CarinaTM modular laparoscopic surgical robotic system in patients with ureteropelvic junction obstruction(UPJO).Methods:From November to December 2024,five consecutive patients diagnosed with UPJO underwent robot-assisted pyeloplasty using the CarinaTM modular laparoscopic surgical system at Peking University First Hospital.Data on patient demographics,intraoperative parameters(including docking time,console time,and estimated blood loss),perioperative outcomes,follow-up results,and surgeons' subjective evaluations of system performance were prospectively collected.Descriptive statistics were used;continuous variables were presented as median(range),and categorical variables as frequen-cy and percentage.Results:The cohort included four females and one male.All the patients successfully completed the robotic procedure without conversion to open or conventional laparoscopic surgery.The me-dian age was 32 years(24-37 years),and the median body mass index was 21.6 kg/m2(15.8-27.3 kg/m2).The median docking time was 8 min(3-12 min),and the median console time was 91 min(71-125 min).Intraoperative blood loss was uniformly 20 mL.The median postoperative drainage du-ration was 3 d(0-4 d),and the median length of hospital stay was 4 d(4-9 d).No Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅲ or higher complications occurred.All the patients had their double-J stents removed at 2 months postoperatively,and pain in the ipsilateral flank,reported preoperatively by all the five patients,was al-leviated.The subjective surgical success rate was 100%.Surgeons reported stable system performance throughout all the procedures,with no instances of mechanical arm interference or visual drift affecting surgical fluency.Conclusion:Preliminary findings indicate that pyeloplasty using the domestically deve-loped CarinaTM modular laparoscopic robotic system is technically feasible and perioperatively safe for the treatment of UPJO.
7.Analysis of Chemical Constituents and Blood-Absorbed Ingredients of Heihuang Chizhu Granules by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS
Yiwei HUANG ; Lijiao HUANG ; Junhua HU ; Zhenzhong WANG ; Chenfeng ZHANG ; Zhongkun XU ; Yat-ing LI ; Juan FU ; Wei XIAO
Journal of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;41(6):749-765
OBJECTIVE To analyze the chemical constituents of Heihuang Chizhu Granules and the blood composition of rats af-ter administration by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS.METHODS A Waters ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 column(3 mm×100 mm,1.8 μm)was eluted with acetonitrile-0.1%formic acid as mobile phase,and the data were collected in electrospray ion source positive and neg-ative ion mode and then identified with the reference retention time,precise molecular weight,secondary fragment ions,and references to relevant literature.RESULTS A total of 104 chemical components were identified from Heihuang Chizhu Granules,including 26 flavonoids,24 organic acids,14 triterpenoids,8 terpenoids,7 phenylpropanoids,11 monoglycosides,and 14 other components(phe-nols,alkaloids,etc.).On this basis,39 blood-entering components were identified in the plasma of rats administered via gavage,in-cluding 28 prototypes and 11 metabolites.CONCLUSION The chemical constituents of Heihuang Chizhu Granules and the compo-nents entering the blood of rats are analyzed and identified for the first time in this study,and the results provide a scientific basis for the basic research of Heihuang Chizhu Granules and the establishment of process quality control standards.
8.Molecular epidemiological characteristics of Yersinia pestis in Marmota himalayana plague foci in Subei Mongolian Autonomous County,Gansu Province
Li-min GUO ; Xiao-ling ZHANG ; Yan-yan HUANG ; Cun-shou ZHAO ; Cheng-xin ZHANG ; Guo-ming FU
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2025;41(2):158-163,170
This study was aimed at determining the genetic characteristics of Yersinia pestis in Subei County through differ-ential region(DFR),clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR),and variable number tandem repeat(VNTR)analyses,to guide the tracing of plague outbreaks.The DNA of 89 Yersinia pestis strains isolated from various ani-mal in foci of Subei County from 1973 to 2017 was extracted.Primers for genotyping by DFR,CRISPR,and MLVA were used in PCR,and agarose electrophoresis was used to determine whether the amplified products were present.Genotypes were deter-mined through comparison against the DFR database of Yersinia pestis in China.The PCR products were sequenced and com-pared against the online CRISPR database for Yersinia pestis to determine the genotype.The number of VNTR repeats in each strain was calculated through capillary electrophoresis,and the minimum spanning tree was constructed with BioNumerics 7.6 according to the numbers of VNTR repeats from 89 Yersinia pestis strains in Subei County and 11 strains from a Marmota hi-malayana focus in Qinghai Province.The Yersinia pestis strains in Subei County were divided into six main genotypes by DFR:8,7,lb,5,32,and 44.The Yersinia pestis strains were divided into three gene clusters and three genotypes by CRISPR.Ca35'was the main gene cluster in Subei County;the genotype was 26';and the distribution was primarily in Dangchengwan Town,Yuerhong Township,and Shibaocheng Township.Ca7 and CaΔ5'comprised secondary gene clusters,with genotypes 22 and 24,and were distributed in Dangchengwan Town,Yuerhong Township,and Shibaocheng Township.The Yersinia pes-tis strains in Subei County were divided primarily into three clusters:the Dangchengwan Machang cluster,Yuerhong Township cluster and Dangchengwan Town cluster.Therefore,the Yersinia pestis strains in Subei County,divided into major and minor genotypes according to DFR,CRISPR and MLVA,showed different regional distribution characteristics,highly diverse geno-types,and complex population characteristics.These aspects are particularly important in tracing the sources of plague out-breaks.
9.An adaptive Bayesian randomized controlled trial of traditional Chinese medicine in progressive pulmonary fibrosis: Rationale and study design.
Cheng ZHANG ; Yi-Sen NIE ; Chuan-Tao ZHANG ; Hong-Jing YANG ; Hao-Ran ZHANG ; Wei XIAO ; Guang-Fu CUI ; Jia LI ; Shuang-Jing LI ; Qing-Song HUANG ; Shi-Yan YAN
Journal of Integrative Medicine 2025;23(2):138-144
Progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) is a progressive and lethal condition with few effective treatment options. Improvements in quality of life for patients with PPF remain limited even while receiving treatment with approved antifibrotic drugs. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has the potential to improve cough, dyspnea and fatigue symptoms of patients with PPF. TCM treatments are typically diverse and individualized, requiring urgent development of efficient and precise design strategies to identify effective treatment options. We designed an innovative Bayesian adaptive two-stage trial, hoping to provide new ideas for the rapid evaluation of the effectiveness of TCM in PPF. An open-label, two-stage, adaptive Bayesian randomized controlled trial will be conducted in China. Based on Bayesian methods, the trial will employ response-adaptive randomization to allocate patients to study groups based on data collected over the course of the trial. The adaptive Bayesian trial design will employ a Bayesian hierarchical model with "stopping" and "continuation" criteria once a predetermined posterior probability of superiority or futility and a decision threshold are reached. The trial can be implemented more efficiently by sharing the master protocol and organizational management mechanisms of the sub-trial we have implemented. The primary patient-reported outcome is a change in the Leicester Cough Questionnaire score, reflecting an improvement in cough-specific quality of life. The adaptive Bayesian trial design may be a promising method to facilitate the rapid clinical evaluation of TCM effectiveness for PPF, and will provide an example for how to evaluate TCM effectiveness in rare and refractory diseases. However, due to the complexity of the trial implementation, sufficient simulation analysis by professional statistical analysts is required to construct a Bayesian response-adaptive randomization procedure for timely response. Moreover, detailed standard operating procedures need to be developed to ensure the feasibility of the trial implementation. Please cite this article as: Zhang C, Nie YS, Zhang CT, Yang HJ, Zhang HR, Xiao W, Cui GF, Li J, Li SJ, Huang QS, Yan SY. An adaptive Bayesian randomized controlled trial of traditional Chinese medicine in progressive pulmonary fibrosis: Rationale and study design. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(2): 138-145.
Female
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Humans
;
Male
;
Bayes Theorem
;
Disease Progression
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods*
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Pulmonary Fibrosis/therapy*
;
Quality of Life
;
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
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Research Design
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Adaptive Clinical Trials as Topic
10.Diphenylemestrins A-E: diketopiperazine-diphenyl ether hybrids from Aspergillus nidulans.
Aimin FU ; Qin LI ; Yang XIAO ; Jiaxin DONG ; Yuanyang PENG ; Yu CHEN ; Qingyi TONG ; Chunmei CHEN ; Yonghui ZHANG ; Hucheng ZHU
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.) 2025;23(6):727-732
A chemical investigation of secondary metabolites (SMs) from Aspergillus nidulans resulted in the identification of five novel dioxopiperazine (DKP)-diphenyl ether hybrids, designated as diphenylemestrins A-E (1-5). These compounds 1-5 represent the first known dimers combining DKP and diphenyl ether structures, with compound 4 featuring an uncommon dibenzofuran as the diphenyl ether component. The structural elucidation and determination of absolute stereochemistry were accomplished through spectroscopic analysis and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Notably, diphenylemestrin C (3) exhibited moderate cytostatic activity against NB4 cells, with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 21.99 μmol·L-1, and induced apoptosis at higher concentrations.
Aspergillus nidulans/metabolism*
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Diketopiperazines/pharmacology*
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Molecular Structure
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Phenyl Ethers/pharmacology*
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Humans
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Apoptosis/drug effects*
;
Cell Line, Tumor


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