1.Protective effect of Shenfu injection against neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury by inhibiting the ferroptosis
Xiaotong Zhang ; Meng Zhang ; Gang Li ; Yang Hu ; Yajing Xun ; Hui Ding ; Donglin Shen ; Ming Wu
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(1):31-40
Objective :
To observe the brain tissue injury during hypoxia-ischemia, as well as the pathological changes and the expression of ferroptosis-related factors after the use of Shenfu injection(SFI), and to explore the protective effect of SFI on hypoxic-ischemic brain injury(HIBD) by inhibiting ferroptosis.
Methods :
An animal model of HIBD in SD rats was constructed and intervened with SFI. Pathologic changes in brain tissue were observed by HE staining methods. Nissen staining was used to observe neuron survival. Glutathione Peroxidase 4(GPX4) and Divalent Metal Transporter 1(DMT1) expression were detected in brain tissue by Western blot, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Reduced Glutathione(GSH), Lactate Dehydrogenase(LDH), Malondialdehyde(MDA), Superoxide Dismutase(SOD) and tissue iron content were determined with the kits. BV-2 microglial cell line(BV2) cells were culturedin vitroand divided into control group(Ctrl group), oxygen-glucose deprivation group(OGD group), iron ferroptosis-inducing group(Erastin group), iron ferroptosis-inhibiting group(Fer-1 group), Shenfu injection group(SFI group), and Erastin+Shenfu injection group(Erastin+SFI group). 2′,7′-Dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate(DCFH-DA) reactive oxygen species(ROS) fluorescent probe was used to detect the ROS release level; Immunofluorescence was used to observe intracellular GPX4, DMT1 expression.
Results :
Compared with the Sham group, rats in the HIBD group showed significant neuronal cell damage in brain tissue, decreased GPX4 expression(P<0.01), increased DMT1 expression(P<0.01), decreased GSH and SOD levels(P<0.01), and increased LDH, MDA and tissue iron levels(P<0.05,P<0.05,P<0.01). In contrast, after the intervention of SFI, GPX4 expression was elevated(P<0.01), DMT1 expression decreased(P<0.01), GSH and SOD levels were elevated(P<0.01), and LDH, MDA, and tissue iron levels decreased(P<0.05,P<0.05,P<0.01). The cells experiments showed that compared with the Ctrl group, the OGD group had a significantly higher ROS content and a decrease in the expression of GPX4 fluorescence intensity, and an increase in the fluorescence intensity of DMT1(P<0.01), compared with the OGD group, the ROS content was reduced in the SFI group, while the expression of GPX4 was elevated and the expression of DMT1 was reduced(P<0.01).
Conclusion
Hippocampal and cortical regions are severely damaged after HIBD in neonatal rats, and their brain tissues show decreased expression of GPX4 and increased expression of DMT1. The above suggests that ferroptosis is involved in HIBD brain injury in neonatal rats. In contrast, Shenfu injection has a protective effect on HIBD experimental animal model and BV2 cell injury model by reducing iron aggregation and ROS production.
2.HAN Mingxiang's Experience in Staged and Syndrome-Based Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Jian DING ; Hui TAO ; Gang CHENG ; Weizhen GUO ; Zegeng LI ; Ya MAO ;
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(8):780-785
This paper summarizes Professor HAN Mingxiang's clinical experience in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He believes that the key pathomechanism of COPD in the acute exacerbation stage is the invasion of external pathogens triggering latent illness, while lung qi deficiency is the primary mechanism in the stable stage. The core pathological factors throughout disease progression are deficiency, phlegm, and blood stasis. Treatment emphasizes a staged and syndrome-based approach. During the acute exacerbation stage, for wind-cold invading the lung syndrome, the self-formulated Sanzi Wenfei Decoction (三子温肺汤) is used to relieve the exterior, dispel cold, warm the lung, and resolve phlegm. For phlegm-dampness obstructing the lung syndrome, Huatan Jiangqi Fomulation (化痰降气方) is prescribed to warm the lung, transform phlegm, descend qi, and calm wheezing. For phlegm-heat obstructing the lung syndrome, Qingfei Huatan Fomulation (清肺化痰方) is applied to clear heat, resolve phlegm, moisten the lung, and stop coughing. For phlegm and blood stasis interlocking syndrome, Qibai Pingfei Fomulation (芪白平肺方) is used to tonify qi, resolve phlegm, and activate blood circulation to remove stasis. During the stable stage, for lung qi deficiency syndrome, Shenqi Wenfei Decoction (参芪温肺汤) is employed to warm the lung, tonify qi, resolve phlegm, and eliminate turbidity. For lung-spleen qi deficiency syndrome, Shenqi Buzhong Decoction (参芪补中汤) is utilized to strengthen the spleen, tonify qi, and reinforce metal (lung) from earth (spleen). For lung-kidney deficiency syndrome, Shenqi Tiaoshen Fomulation (参芪调肾方) is prescribed to tonify the lung, warm yang, and regulate kidney function to calm wheezing. These strategies provide insights into the traditional Chinese medicine treatment of COPD.
3.Prediction of Protein Thermodynamic Stability Based on Artificial Intelligence
Lin-Jie TAO ; Fan-Ding XU ; Yu GUO ; Jian-Gang LONG ; Zhuo-Yang LU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(8):1972-1985
In recent years, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of biology has witnessed remarkable advancements. Among these, the most notable achievements have emerged in the domain of protein structure prediction and design, with AlphaFold and related innovations earning the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. These breakthroughs have transformed our ability to understand protein folding and molecular interactions, marking a pivotal milestone in computational biology. Looking ahead, it is foreseeable that the accurate prediction of various physicochemical properties of proteins—beyond static structure—will become the next critical frontier in this rapidly evolving field. One of the most important protein properties is thermodynamic stability, which refers to a protein’s ability to maintain its native conformation under physiological or stress conditions. Accurate prediction of protein stability, especially upon single-point mutations, plays a vital role in numerous scientific and industrial domains. These include understanding the molecular basis of disease, rational drug design, development of therapeutic proteins, design of more robust industrial enzymes, and engineering of biosensors. Consequently, the ability to reliably forecast the stability changes caused by mutations has broad and transformative implications across biomedical and biotechnological applications. Historically, protein stability was assessed via experimental methods such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and circular dichroism (CD), which, while precise, are time-consuming and resource-intensive. This prompted the development of computational approaches, including empirical energy functions and physics-based simulations. However, these traditional models often fall short in capturing the complex, high-dimensional nature of protein conformational landscapes and mutational effects. Recent advances in machine learning (ML) have significantly improved predictive performance in this area. Early ML models used handcrafted features derived from sequence and structure, whereas modern deep learning models leverage massive datasets and learn representations directly from data. Deep neural networks (DNNs), graph neural networks (GNNs), and attention-based architectures such as transformers have shown particular promise. GNNs, in particular, excel at modeling spatial and topological relationships in molecular structures, making them well-suited for protein modeling tasks. Furthermore, attention mechanisms enable models to dynamically weigh the contribution of specific residues or regions, capturing long-range interactions and allosteric effects. Nevertheless, several key challenges remain. These include the imbalance and scarcity of high-quality experimental datasets, particularly for rare or functionally significant mutations, which can lead to biased or overfitted models. Additionally, the inherently dynamic nature of proteins—their conformational flexibility and context-dependent behavior—is difficult to encode in static structural representations. Current models often rely on a single structure or average conformation, which may overlook important aspects of stability modulation. Efforts are ongoing to incorporate multi-conformational ensembles, molecular dynamics simulations, and physics-informed learning frameworks into predictive models. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the evolution of protein thermodynamic stability prediction techniques, with emphasis on the recent progress enabled by machine learning. It highlights representative datasets, modeling strategies, evaluation benchmarks, and the integration of structural and biochemical features. The aim is to provide researchers with a structured and up-to-date reference, guiding the development of more robust, generalizable, and interpretable models for predicting protein stability changes upon mutation. As the field moves forward, the synergy between data-driven AI methods and domain-specific biological knowledge will be key to unlocking deeper understanding and broader applications of protein engineering.
4.Efficacy and safety of tislelizumab in the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer:a meta-analysis
Yanxue WANG ; Xiaotong LIAN ; Ziying LIANG ; Xinyi GUO ; Qiuyi YUAN ; Jinni WANG ; Yixuan QIN ; Xiaolian DING ; Gang LIANG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(19):2454-2459
OBJECTIVE To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of tislelizumab in the treatment of advanced non- small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS Computerized searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang and other Chinese and English databases to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on tislelizumab for advanced NSCLC. The search period was from the establishment of the databases to December 2024. After strictly screening the literature, extracting data and conducting quality evaluations in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 and Stata 16.0 software. RESULTS A total of 18 RCTs involving 2 337 patients were included, with 1 283 in the experimental group and 1 054 in the control group. The meta-analysis results showed that the objective response rate [RR=1.61, 95%CI (1.48, 1.75), P<0.000 01], disease control rate [RR=1.21, 95%CI (1.13, 1.29), P<0.000 01], progression free survival [HR=0.55, 95%CI (0.45, 0.66), P<0.000 01], and overall survival [HR=0.78, 95%CI(0.62, 0.97), P=0.03] were significantly better in the experimental group than in the control group. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups [RR=1.00, 95%CI (0.73, 1.37), P=1.00]; among the common adverse reactions, only the incidence of liver function impairment was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group [RR=1.30, 95%CI (1.10, 1.54), P<0.01]. CONCLUSIONS Tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy or targeted drugs significantly improves the efficacy in patients with advanced NSCLC without increasing the risk of adverse reactions overall. However, liver function should be closely monitored during treatment.
5.Effects and mechanisms of total flavones of Abelmoschus manihot combined with empagliflozin in attenuating diabetic tubulopathy through multiple targets based on mitochondrial homeostasis and ZBP1-mediated PANoptosis.
Si-Yu CHA ; Meng WANG ; Yi-Gang WAN ; Si-Ping DING ; Yu WANG ; Shi-Yu SHEN ; Wei WU ; Ying-Lu LIU ; Qi-Jun FANG ; Yue TU ; Hai-Tao TANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(13):3738-3753
This study aimed to explore the mechanisms and molecular targets of total flavones of Abelmoschus manihot(TFA) plus empagliflozin(EM) in attenuating diabetic tubulopathy(DT) by targeting mitochondrial homeostasis and pyroptosis-apoptosis-necroptosis(PANoptosis). In the in vivo study, the authors established the DT rat models through a combination of uninephrectomy, administration of streptozotocin via intraperitoneal injections, and exposure to a high-fat diet. Following modeling successfully, the DT rat models received either TFA, EM, TFA+EM, or saline(as a vehicle) by gavage for eight weeks, respectively. In the in vitro study, the authors subjected the NRK52E cells with or without knock-down Z-DNA binding protein 1(ZBP1) to a high-glucose(HG) environment and various treatments including TFA, EM, and TFA+EM. In the in vivo and in vitro studies, The authors investigated the relative characteristics of renal tubular injury and renal tubular epithelial cells damage induced by reactive oxygen species(ROS), analyzed the relative characteristics of renal tubular PANoptosis and ZBP1-mediatted PANoptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells, and compared the relative characteristics of the protein expression levels of marked molecules of mitochondrial fission in the kidneys and mitochondrial homeostasis in renal tubular epithelial cells, respectively. Furthermore, in the network pharmacology study, the authors predicted and screened targets of TFA and EM using HERB and SwissTargetPrediction databases; The screened chemical constituents and targets of TFA and EM were constructed the relative network using Cytoscape 3.7.2 network graphics software; The relative targets of DT were integrated using OMIM and GeneCards databases; The intersecting targets of TFA, EM, and DT were enriched and analyzed signaling pathways by Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) software using DAVID database. In vivo study results showed that TFA+EM could improve renal tubular injury, the protein expression levels and characteristics of key signaling molecules in PANoptosis pathway in the kidneys, and the protein expression levels of marked molecules of mitochondrial fission in the kidneys. And that, the ameliorative effects in vivo of TFA+EM were both superior to TFA or EM. Network pharmacology study results showed that TFA+EM treated DT by regulating the PANoptosis signaling pathway. In vitro study results showed that TFA+EM could improve ROS-induced cell injury, ZBP1-mediatted PANoptosis, and mitochondrial homeostasis in renal tubular epithelial cells under a state of HG, including the protein expression levels of marked molecules of mitochondrial fission, mitochondrial ultrastructure, and membrane potential level. And that, the ameliorative effects in vitro of TFA+EM were both superior to TFA or EM. More importantly, using the NRK52E cells with knock-down ZBP1, the authors found that, indeed, ZBP1 was mediated PANoptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells as an upstream factor. In addition, TFA+EM could regulate the protein expression levels of marked signaling molecules of PANoptosis by targeting ZBP1. In summary, this study clarified that TFA+EM, different from TFA or EM, could attenuate DT with multiple targets by ameliorating mitochondrial homeostasis and inhibiting ZBP1-mediated PANoptosis. These findings provide the clear pharmacological evidence for the clinical treatment of DT with a novel strategy of TFA+EM, which is named "coordinated traditional Chinese and western medicine".
Animals
;
Rats
;
Mitochondria/metabolism*
;
Benzhydryl Compounds/administration & dosage*
;
Glucosides/administration & dosage*
;
Abelmoschus/chemistry*
;
Male
;
Homeostasis/drug effects*
;
Flavones/administration & dosage*
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Diabetic Nephropathies/physiopathology*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
;
DNA-Binding Proteins/genetics*
;
Humans
;
Apoptosis/drug effects*
6.Effect of high ligation of spermatic vein on leukocytes in expressed prostate secretion of patients with chronic prostatitis and varicocele.
Ji-Yang DING ; Peng ZHANG ; Chun-Hua NIU ; Hai-Yong LI ; Wen-Zhu XU ; Ying-Chen ZHANG ; Gang MA
National Journal of Andrology 2025;31(4):319-322
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the effect of laparoscopic high ligation of spermatic cord vein in patients with chronic prostatitis and varicocele prostatitis.
METHODS:
A total of 90 varicocele patients were selected from January 2016 to December 2020, including 33 patients with chronic prostatitis. Changes of white blood cell count, National Institutes of Health chronic prostatitis symptom index (NIH-CPSI) score and serum testosterone level in the expressed prostate secretion (EPS) were observed before and after the operation of laparoscopic high ligation of spermatic vein.
RESULTS:
All patients were followed up three months after the surgery. There was no significant difference in the white blood cell counts in EPS, NIH-CPSI score, and serum testosterone level in patients with varicocele-only who underwent high ligation surgery after the operation. However, the white blood cell count in the EPS of patients with chronic prostatitis was lower than that before 3 months of operation ( [12.39±4.23]×109/L vs [21.36±5.05]×109/L). The NIH-CPSI score was significantly lower than that before operation ( [12.71±6.21] vs [26.76±8.43]). And the serum testosterone level was higher than that before operation ([4.34±1.77]ng/ml vs [2.36±1.05]ng/ml).
CONCLUSION
Laparoscopic high ligation of the spermatic vein in patients with chronic prostatitis and varicocele could effectively reduce the number of white blood cells in the EPS, boost the level of serum testosterone and improves symptoms of chronic prostatitis.
Male
;
Humans
;
Varicocele/surgery*
;
Prostatitis/blood*
;
Ligation
;
Spermatic Cord/blood supply*
;
Testosterone/blood*
;
Chronic Disease
;
Prostate/metabolism*
;
Veins/surgery*
;
Leukocyte Count
;
Leukocytes
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Laparoscopy
;
Adult
7.Taxifolin attenuates liver fibrosis by regulating the phosphorylation of NDRG1 at Thr328 via hepatocyte-stellate cell cross talk.
Chuan DING ; Zeping WANG ; Kao SHI ; Sunan LI ; Xinyue DOU ; Yan NING ; Gang CHENG ; Qiao YANG ; Xianan SANG ; Mengyun PENG ; Qiang LYU ; Lu WANG ; Xin HAN ; Gang CAO
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(4):2059-2076
Taxifolin (TAX) is a natural compound known for its liver protection effect, but the mechanism remains unknown. Phosphorylated proteomics analyses discovered that the phosphorylation level of NDRG1 at T328 was a key event of TAX-improved liver fibrosis. We established models with NDRG1 knockout (KO) in vivo and in vitro, demonstrating that NDRG1 KO attenuated the development of hepatocyte injury, and combining NDRG1 KO and TAX administration did not result in a reduction in protection against liver injury. Cellular thermal shift assay and surface plasma resonance analysis showed that TAX directly binds to NDRG1 rather than its upstream kinase, subsequently demonstrating that TAX regulated phosphorylation of NDRG1 at T328 through binding to its C289 site. NDRG1 T328A (phosphorylated mutation) and T328E (mimic phosphorylation) in vivo and in vitro confirmed that pNDRG1T328 exacerbates hepatocyte injury along with DNA damage, inflammatory response, and apoptosis, thereby contributing to hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation. In contrast, TAX can inhibit the above pathological abnormalities and block hepatocyte injury-triggered HSCs activation and fibrosis. Overall, TAX is a potent liver protection drug primarily targeting NDRG1 and inhibiting pNDRG1T328 in hepatocytes.
8.Expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of cemental tear.
Ye LIANG ; Hongrui LIU ; Chengjia XIE ; Yang YU ; Jinlong SHAO ; Chunxu LV ; Wenyan KANG ; Fuhua YAN ; Yaping PAN ; Faming CHEN ; Yan XU ; Zuomin WANG ; Yao SUN ; Ang LI ; Lili CHEN ; Qingxian LUAN ; Chuanjiang ZHAO ; Zhengguo CAO ; Yi LIU ; Jiang SUN ; Zhongchen SONG ; Lei ZHAO ; Li LIN ; Peihui DING ; Weilian SUN ; Jun WANG ; Jiang LIN ; Guangxun ZHU ; Qi ZHANG ; Lijun LUO ; Jiayin DENG ; Yihuai PAN ; Jin ZHAO ; Aimei SONG ; Hongmei GUO ; Jin ZHANG ; Pingping CUI ; Song GE ; Rui ZHANG ; Xiuyun REN ; Shengbin HUANG ; Xi WEI ; Lihong QIU ; Jing DENG ; Keqing PAN ; Dandan MA ; Hongyu ZHAO ; Dong CHEN ; Liangjun ZHONG ; Gang DING ; Wu CHEN ; Quanchen XU ; Xiaoyu SUN ; Lingqian DU ; Ling LI ; Yijia WANG ; Xiaoyuan LI ; Qiang CHEN ; Hui WANG ; Zheng ZHANG ; Mengmeng LIU ; Chengfei ZHANG ; Xuedong ZHOU ; Shaohua GE
International Journal of Oral Science 2025;17(1):61-61
Cemental tear is a rare and indetectable condition unless obvious clinical signs present with the involvement of surrounding periodontal and periapical tissues. Due to its clinical manifestations similar to common dental issues, such as vertical root fracture, primary endodontic diseases, and periodontal diseases, as well as the low awareness of cemental tear for clinicians, misdiagnosis often occurs. The critical principle for cemental tear treatment is to remove torn fragments, and overlooking fragments leads to futile therapy, which could deteriorate the conditions of the affected teeth. Therefore, accurate diagnosis and subsequent appropriate interventions are vital for managing cemental tear. Novel diagnostic tools, including cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), microscopes, and enamel matrix derivatives, have improved early detection and management, enhancing tooth retention. The implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols, combined with improved clinical awareness among dental professionals, serves to mitigate risks of diagnostic errors and suboptimal therapeutic interventions. This expert consensus reviewed the epidemiology, pathogenesis, potential predisposing factors, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of cemental tear, aiming to provide a clinical guideline and facilitate clinicians to have a better understanding of cemental tear.
Humans
;
Dental Cementum/injuries*
;
Consensus
;
Diagnosis, Differential
;
Cone-Beam Computed Tomography
;
Tooth Fractures/therapy*


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