1.Myocardial Metabolomics Reveals Mechanism of Shenfu Injection in Ameliorating Energy Metabolism Remodeling in Rat Model of Chronic Heart Failure
Xinyue NING ; Zhenyu ZHAO ; Mengna ZHANG ; Yang GUO ; Zhijia XIANG ; Kun LIAN ; Zhixi HU ; Lin LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):178-186
ObjectiveTo examine the influences of Shenfu injection on the endogenous metabolic byproducts in the myocardium of the rat model exhibiting chronic heart failure, thus deciphering the therapeutic mechanism of the Qi-reinforcing and Yang-warming method. MethodsSD rats were randomly allocated into a control group and a modeling group. Chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome in rats was modeled by multi-point subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol, and the rats were fed for 14 days after modeling. The successfully modeled rats were randomized into model, Shenfu injection (6.0 mL·kg-1), and trimetazidine (10 mg·kg-1) groups and treated with corresponding agents for 15 days. The control group and the model group were injected with equal doses of normal saline, and the samples were collected after the intervention was completed. Cardiac color ultrasound was performed. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe histopathological morphology, and the serum level of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mitochondrial morphological and structural changes of cardiomyocytes were observed by transmission electron microscopy, and the metabolic profiling was carried out by ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quantitative exactive-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QE-MS). Differential metabolites were screened and identified by orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and other methods, and then the MetaboAnalyst database was used for further screening. The relevant biological pathways were obtained through pathway enrichment analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was established to evaluate the diagnostic value of each potential biomarker for myocardial injury and the evaluation value for drug efficacy. ResultsThe results of color ultrasound showed that Shenfu Injection improved the cardiac function indexes of model rats (P<0.05). The results of HE staining showed that Shenfu injection effectively alleviated the pathological phenomena such as myocardial tissue structure disorder and inflammatory cell infiltration in model rats. The results of ELISA showed that Shenfu injection effectively regulated the serum NT-proBNP level in the model rats. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that Shenfu injection effectively restored the mitochondrial morphological structure. The results of metabolomics showed that the metabolic phenotypes of myocardial samples presented markedly differences between groups. Nine differential metabolites could be significantly reversed in the Shenfu injection group, involving three metabolic pathways: pyruvate metabolism, histidine metabolism, and citric acid cycle (TCA cycle). The results of ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) values of all metabolites were between 0.75 and 1.0, indicating that the differential metabolites had high diagnostic accuracy for myocardial injury, and the changes in their expression levels could be used as potential markers for efficacy evaluation. ConclusionShenfu injection significantly alleviated the damage of cardiac function, myocardium, and mitochondrial structure in the rat model of chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome by ameliorating energy metabolism remodeling. Reinforcing Qi and warming Yang is a key method for treating chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome.
2.Massive hemorrhagic abscess in the omental bursa caused by gallbladder perforation with bleeding: A case report
Xiande GUO ; Ao WANG ; Yanan ZHANG ; Ning LI
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(6):1388-1390
Subacute cholecystitis complicated by gallbladder perforation often manifests as inflammatory lesions around the gallbladder, and it is extremely rare for this condition to cause massive hemorrhage into the omental bursa with secondary infection and result in massive hemorrhagic abscess. This article reports a case of a female patient, aged 68 years, who experienced massive hemorrhagic abscess in the omental bursa due to localized perforation and bleeding caused by a stone impacted in the gallbladder neck. The patient had a history of gallstones for 30 years and was admitted to Tianjin Nankai Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, after tertiary referral due to aggravated abdominal pain, chills, and fever. After comprehensive assessment by a multidisciplinary team, the patient underwent emergency laparoscopic cholecystectomy and clearance of the hemorrhagic abscess in the omental bursa. The patient recovered well and was discharged on day 10 after surgery, with good conditions during follow-up.
3.PPARα activation alleviates lithocholic acid-induced liver injury by inhibiting pyroptosis
Hang-Fei Liang ; Chuo-Ying Mai ; Xuan Li ; Jia-Ning Tian ; Hai-Guo Su ; Min Huang ; Jian-Hong Fang ; Hai-Tao Wang ; Xiao Yang ; Hui-Chang Bi
Liver Research 2026;10(2):177-188
Background and aims
The mechanism of cholestatic liver injury (CLI) is unclear, and effective therapies are lacking. While peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) agonists show potential hepatoprotective effect and pyroptosis is implicated in hepatocellular damage, how PPARα activation mitigates lithocholic acid (LCA)-induced pyroptosis remains unknown.
Methods
The hepatoprotective effect of PPARα agonists was evaluated in a mouse model of intrahepatic cholestasis induced by LCA. Liver injury was assessed via serum biochemistry, hematoxylin and eosin and TUNEL staining, and electron microscopy. Pyroptosis pathways were analyzed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and co-immunoprecipitation.
Results
Combined morphological, histopathological, and biochemical analyses confirmed that PPARα activation protects against CLI. Compared with LCA treatment alone, PPARα activation significantly attenuated the elevation of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), the increased TUNEL-positive cells, and the formation of hepatocyte membrane pores. Mechanistically, PPARα activation suppressed both NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis and apoptosis protease-activating factor-1 (APAF-1)/CASPASE-3/GSDME-mediated pyroptosis. Furthermore, PPARα agonist pretreatment inhibited activation of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) signaling pathways.
Conclusions
PPARα protects against LCA-induced CLI by inhibiting both NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis associated with NF-κB and APAF-1/CASPASE-3/GSDME-mediated pyroptosis associated with the FOXO1 signaling pathway.
4.Screening key genes of PANoptosis in hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury based on bioinformatics
Lirong ZHU ; Qian GUO ; Jie YANG ; Qiuwen ZHANG ; Guining HE ; Yanqing YU ; Ning WEN ; Jianhui DONG ; Haibin LI ; Xuyong SUN
Organ Transplantation 2025;16(1):106-113
Objective To explore the relationship between PANoptosis and hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI), and to screen the key genes of PANoptosis in HIRI. Methods PANoptosis-related differentially expressed genes (PDG) were obtained through the Gene Expression Omnibus database and GeneCards database. Gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were used to explore the biological pathways related to PDG. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed. Key genes were selected, and their diagnostic value was assessed and validated in the HIRI mice. Immune cell infiltration analysis was performed based on the cell-type identification by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcripts. Results A total of 16 PDG were identified. GO analysis showed that PDG were closely related to cellular metabolism. KEGG analysis indicated that PDG were mainly enriched in cellular death pathways such as apoptosis and immune-related signaling pathways such as the tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway. GSEA results showed that key genes were mainly enriched in immune-related signaling pathways such as the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Two key genes, DFFB and TNFSF10, were identified with high accuracy in diagnosing HIRI, with areas under the curve of 0.964 and 1.000, respectively. Immune infiltration analysis showed that the control group had more infiltration of resting natural killer cells, M2 macrophages, etc., while the HIRI group had more infiltration of M0 macrophages, neutrophils, and naive B cells. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction results showed that compared with the Sham group, the relative expression of DFFB messenger RNA in liver tissue of HIRI group mice increased, and the relative expression of TNFSF10 messenger RNA decreased. Cibersort analysis showed that the infiltration abundance of naive B cells was positively correlated with DFFB expression (r=0.70, P=0.035), and the infiltration abundance of M2 macrophages was positively correlated with TNFSF10 expression (r=0.68, P=0.045). Conclusions PANoptosis-related genes DFFB and TNFSF10 may be potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for HIRI.
5.Effect and mechanism of betaine in reversing ABCB1 transporter-mediated multidrug resistance in chemotherapy of prostate cancer
Ya-Jie LI ; Hang ZHANG ; Li-Hong NIE ; Kang-Jie AN ; Yu-Xin YANG ; Guo-Lin TIAN ; Rui-Ning ZHAO
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army 2025;50(2):197-206
Objective To investigate the effect and mechnism of betaine(BET)in reversing chemotherapy resistance in prostate cancer(PCa)by inhibiting ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1(ABCB1).Methods The PCa chemotherapy-sensitive C4-2B cells were cultured,and the TaxR cells resistant to docetaxel(DTX)were established by gradient increase the concentration of DTX.The drug resistance of C4-2B and TaxR cells against DTX was assessed using CCK-8 and the colony formation experiment.Western blotting and qRT-PCR were used to detect ABCB1 expression.The TaxR cells were divided into:(1)Control group,negative control group(NC),siABCB1-1 group(transfected with siABCB1-1),and siABCB1-2 group(transfected with siABCB1-2).Western blotting was used to detect the effect of small interfering RNA on silencing ABCB1,and CCK-8 was used to detect the differences in DTX resistance between each group.(2)Different concentrations of BET(0,100,200,400,600,800 mmol/L)groups.These groups were subjected to CCK-8 to detect cell viability,and Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of ABCB1.(3)Control group,DTX group(20 nmol/L DTX),BET group(200 mmol/L BET),and DTX+BET group(20 nmol/L DTX+200 mmol/L BET),flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis rate and cell cycle,and Western blotting to detect the protein expression of apoptosis-related proteins(Bcl2,BAX,c-caspase-3).(4)Control group,BET group(200 mmol/L BET),wortmannin(WM)group(100 μmol/L WM),and BET+WM group(200 mmol/L BET+100 μmol/L WM).Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of PI3K,Akt,and ABCB1.(5)Control group,BET group(200 mmol/L BET),and BAY group(10 μmol/L BAY),BAY+BET group(200 mmol/L BET+10 μmol/L BAY).Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of NF-κB p65,p-ikBα and ABCB1.Network pharmacology combined with transcriptome sequencing was used to predict the possible pathways for BET to reverse chemotherapy resistance.Results Compared with C4-2B cells,TaxR cells showed significantly increased resistance to DTX(P<0.01),and high expression of ABCB1(P<0.01).After silencing ABCB1 with siRNA,TaxR cells'resistance to DTX was significantly inhibited(P<0.01).The inhibition rate of TaxR cells treated with 200 mmol/L BET was less than 20%,and it significantly decreased the expression of ABCB1 protein in TaxR cells(P<0.05).Compared with control group,the combination of 200 mmol/L BET and 20 nmol/L DTX resulted in higher apoptosis rate and higher S stage cell ratio,lower expression of Bcl-2 protein and higher expression of BAX and c-caspase-3 proteins than the two drugs used alone(P<0.05).Compared with control group,the combination of 200 mmol/L BET and 100 μmol/L WM significantly down-regulated the protein expression of PI3K,Akt and ABCB1(P<0.01).The combination of 200 mmol/L BET and 10 μmol/L BAY significantly down-regulated the protein expression of NF-κB p65,p-ikBα and ABCB1(P<0.01).Conclusion BET may reverse TaxR cells'chemotherapy resistance by down-regulating ABCB1 expression through the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway.
6.Influencing factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among medical staff: a Bayesian network modeling analysis
Li HU ; Feiruo ZHANG ; Yongmei ZHAO ; Ning FANG ; Guixin YU ; Dan LIU ; Dongdong CAO ; Leihan XU ; Zihuan WANG ; Mingxiao GUO ; Yan YE
China Occupational Medicine 2025;52(6):631-636
Objective To understand the current situation and influencing factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in medical staff in Beijing City. Methods A total of 2 687 medical staff were selected as the research subjects using the multi-stage sampling method. The current situation of WMSDs and occupational stress, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and insomnia symptoms were investigated using the Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire, the Core Occupational Stress Scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale, and the Self-Sleep Management Questionnaire. The Max-Min Hill-Climbing algorithm was used to construct a Bayesian network model to analyze the influencing factors and internal relationships of WMSDs and to conduct reasoning and prediction of the model. Results The prevalence of WMSDs among the research subjects was 88.9%. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify age, educational level, personal monthly income, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, insomnia symptoms, prolonged forward-head desk work, and prolonged static posture work to construct the Bayesian network model. The model consisted of nine nodes and eleven directed edges. Prolonged static posture work, prolonged forward-head desk work, and anxiety symptoms were directly related to WMSDs. Age and educational level were indirectly related to WMSDs through their influence on prolonged forward-head desk work. Depression symptoms were indirectly associated with WMSDs through their influence on anxiety symptoms. The model's prediction accuracy was 90.5%. Conclusion The prevalence of WMSDs among medical staff in Beijing City is relatively high. Prolonged static posture work, prolonged forward-head desk work, and anxiety symptoms may directly increase the risk of developing WMSDs.
7.Advances and Clinical Translation Challenges in Oral Drug Delivery Enabled by Nanotechnology
Guo ZHAO ; Shuhang WANG ; Ning LI
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2025;17(2):403-412
Oral nanodrug delivery systems have gained prominence in pharmaceutical research due to their high safety, excellent patient compliance, and significant clinical translation potential. However, the multiple physiological barriers of the gastrointestinal tract severely limit the absorption of peptide/protein-based biologics, resulting in low bioavailability. Nanotechnology-based delivery systems can enhance gastrointestinal permeability and drug stability, enabling site-specific accumulation while minimizing off-target effects. Recent advances have demonstrated remarkable progress in treating gastrointestinal diseases (e.g., inflammatory bowel disease) and have provided novel non-invasive therapeutic strategies for systemic disorders such as diabetes and cancer. This review systematically elucidates the mechanisms of gastrointestinal barriers and their impacts on drug delivery, cutting-edge advancements in nanocarriers for treating digestive and systemic diseases, and key challenges in clinical translation, aiming to provide a theoretical foundation and future perspectives for advancing oral nanomedicines.
8.Construction and evaluation of a diagnostic model for female stress urinary incontinence based on the mor-phology and elasticity of the levator ani muscle by transperineal three-dimensional ultrasound combined with shear wave elastography
Erfang GUO ; Lei FENG ; Chaohui SHI ; Ning LI ; Weiqun LIN ; Shuhua ZHANG
The Journal of Practical Medicine 2025;41(8):1224-1231
Objective To investigate the relationship between the morphology and elasticity of the levator ani muscle(LAM)and stress urinary incontinence(SUI),and to develop a multimodal diagnostic model for SUI based on LAM morphology and elasticity parameters,while evaluating the diagnostic performance of this model.Methods From September 2020 to September 2022,147 female patients with SUI from the Affiliated Hospital of North China University of Science and Technology were enrolled as the SUI group(case group),while 144 women without SUI during the same period were selected as the non-SUI group(control group).Transperineal ultrasonography was conducted to measure the anteroposterior diameter(LH-A1)and transverse diameter(LH-D1)of the levator hiatus at rest,the resting area of the levator hiatus(LA1),as well as the anteroposterior diameter(LH-A2),transverse diameter(LH-D2),and area(LA2)of the levator hiatus during the maximum Valsalva maneuver.Addi-tionally,ultrasonography was used to observe LAM injury(LA-MI)during pelvic muscle contraction.Shear wave elastography(SWE)was also performed transperineally to record the elastic modulus values of the puborectalis muscle at rest(E1)and during pelvic muscle contraction(E3).The differences in ultrasound parameters between the two groups were compared,and a logistic regression model was constructed for multivariate analysis to establish a diagnostic model for SUI.The goodness of fit of the logistic regression model was assessed using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test.The diagnostic performance of individual indicators and the diagnostic model for SUI was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve.Finally,the clinical utility of the model was assessed using decision curve analysis.Results There were statistically significant differences in age,BMI,LH-A1,LH-D1,LA1,LH-A2,LH-D2,LA2,LA-MI,E1,and E3 between the two groups(P<0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age,BMI,LH-A1,LA2,LA-MI,E1,and E3 were significantly associated with SUI(P<0.05).Based on these findings,a diagnostic model for SUI was established:PRESUI=0.261×age+0.904×BMI-4.300×LH-A1+1.166×LA2-2.815×LA-MI+0.587×E1-0.631×E3-1.258.The model demon-strated excellent goodness-of-fit(P=0.983).The ROC curve analysis indicated that age,BMI,LH-A1,LA2,LA-MI,E1,and E3 all exhibited diagnostic efficacy for SUI(AUC>0.500,P<0.05).Notably,the AUC of the constructed diagnostic model for SUI was 0.996(95%CI:0.992~1.000),suggesting that the diagnostic accuracy of the model surpassed that of individual indicators.When the cut-off value of the diagnostic model was set at 0.437,the sensitivity reached 98.0%,and the specificity was 97.2%.Furthermore,the decision curve analysis demon-strated that the diagnostic model provided substantial net clinical benefit within the threshold probability range of 0.1 to 1.0.Conclusions The morphology and elasticity of the LAM are significantly altered in women with SUI.The SWE technique demonstrates potential application value for quantitatively assessing the elasticity of the LAM.Furthermore,the diagnostic model constructed based on age,BMI,LH-A1,LA2,LA-MI,E1,and E3 exhibits high clinical application value.
9.Kui Jie Kang regulates intestinal FXR and affects bile acid metabolism in treatment of ulcerative colitis in mice
Rong-yi XU ; Xiao-si LI ; Jian-guo MA ; Xue-qing YANG ; Hua-ning WANG ; Yan QI
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(2):383-391
Aim To explore the effects of Kui Jie Kang(KJK)on modulating the farnesoid X receptor(FXR)pathway in the gut microbiota and bile acid metabolism in mice with ulcerative colitis(UC).Methods Mice were subjected to DSS-induced UC and randomly as-signed to the control(CON),model(MOD),and two KJK-dosed groups(KJK.H at 12.8 g·kg-1,KJK.L at 3.2 g·kg-1).Mouse body weight was recorded,and disease activity index(DAI)was scored.The his-topathological changes in colonic tissue were observed via HE staining,and the number of goblet cells and mucosal layer repair were assessed using PAS and Al-cian blue staining.Bile acid content in feces was measured using LC-MS/MS,gut microbiota composition was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing,and the expression of FXR target genes and related proteins was detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot.Results KJK significantly ameliorated colonic shortening,de-creased disease activity index in UC mice,reduced his-topathological scores,increased the number of goblet cells and mucus secretion,altered the levels of primary and secondary bile acids,and increased the relative a-bundance of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus.Additionally,it significantly upregulated the expression of FXR and FGF15 mRNA and protein in colonic tissue and downregulated the expression of hepatic CYP7A1 mRNA,and the correlation analysis in this study clearly revealed a significant correlation between bile acid me-tabolism disorders and gut microbiota imbalance in UC.Conclusion KJK activates the intestinal FXR-FGF15-CYP7A1 pathway,thereby regulating bile acid metabolism and restoring gut microbiota balance,which may be key to its improvement of UC.
10.Analysis of the prevalence status and clinical characteristics of the hepatitis D virus in the Xinjiang region
Zhuanguo WANG ; Xu WU ; Jing DOU ; Feng GUO ; Zhonghui NING ; Rong ZHANG ; Qiang XU ; Xiaobo WANG ; Hongfeng WANG ; Binfang ZENG ; Li YANG ; Xiaozhong WANG
Chinese Journal of Hepatology 2025;33(11):1058-1063
Objective:To investigate the prevalence status and the clinical characteristics of hepatitis D virus (HDV) among patients chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the Xinjiang region.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted. Serum samples from 1 830 patients with chronic HBV infection who visited the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from December 2022 to October 2023 were collected. All sera were tested for anti-HDV IgG and IgM. Sera positive for anti-HDV IgG or IgM were selected for HDV RNA detection. HDV RNA-positive sera were sequenced to determine the HDV genotype. Age, gender, HBV course, and anti-HBV treatment status were used as scoring items based on the propensity score matching (PSM) method. Chronic HBV patients with negative anti-HDV were matched in a ratio of 1∶1. The clinical characteristics of anti-HDV -positive-patients were analyzed. The t-test was used for comparison between groups of normally distributed continuous data. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for comparison between groups of skewness distribution. The χ2 test was used for comparison between groups of enumeration data. Results:The positive detection rates of anti-HDV IgG, anti-HDV IgM, and HDV RNA in 1 830 cases with chronic HBV infection were 2.24% (41/1 830), 1.09% (20/1 830), and 1.69% (31/1 830), respectively. All HDV RNA-positive patients had HDV genotype 1. Two anti-HDV-positive patients had negative hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Gender, age, HBV course, and anti-HBV treatment status had no significant difference. The quantification of HBsAg, liver biochemical indexes (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and total bile acids), the proportion of patients with liver cirrhosis, and alpha-fetoprotein were significantly higher in the anti-HDV-positive group than in those in the anti-HDV-negative group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:The prevalence rate of HDV in chronic HBV-infected patients at a single center in the Xinjiang region was 2.24%, with the primary genotype being 1. Furthermore, overlap infection should be paid attention to because it might aggravate liver damage.


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