1.Network pharmacological analysis of berberine inhibiting breast can-cer cell proliferation and in vitro cell validation
Huihui ZHANG ; Le JIN ; Su LIU ; Hongxiao CHEN ; Zhaolin CHEN ; Liqin TANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2025;30(3):332-338
AIM:To explore the mechanism of berberine on breast cancer cells based on network pharmacology and in vitro cell experiments.METH-ODS:Firstly,berberine and breast cancer were tak-en as the research objects,the intersection targets of the two were screened by VEEN diagram,GO function and KEGG enrichment analysis were per-formed by R language,and molecular docking and visualization were carried out by Autodock Vina and Pymol software.Then,berberine treated breast cancer MCF-7 cells for 24 h,and then in vi-tro cell experiments were performed.CCK-8 was used to detect cell viability,Edu and plate cloning were used to detect cell proliferation and cloning,and apoptosis was detected by An-nexin V-FITC/PI double staining and Western blot.Laser confocal and CETSA were used to verify the binding effect of berberine and AKT1 protein.RESULTS:The results of network pharmacology showed that berberine had a good binding to the core targets AKT1,AKT2 and MAPK3.Berberine(20,40,80 μmol/L)signifi-cantly inhibited the proliferation and cloning ability of MCF-7 cells in a concentration-dependent man-ner(P<0.05,P<0.01).The results of laser confocal and CETSA experiments showed that berberine and AKT1 had a binding effect,and the stability of the two was enhanced after the combination.CONCLU-SION:Berberine inhibits MCF-7 cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in human breast cancer cells by targeting binding to AKT1 protein.
2.The Effect of Bone Immune Microenvironment and Bone Mesenchymal Stem Cells on the Heterotopic Ossification of Ankylosing Spondylitis Based on the Theory of "Bone Sweat Pore-Kidney Visceral Manifestation"
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(2):128-132
Heterotopic ossification is an important pathological link leading to disability in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Imbalance of bone immune microenvironment is the initiating factor for heterotopic ossification in AS, while abnormal osteogenic potential of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) is the core link. From the perspective of "bone sweat pore-kidney visceral manifestation" in traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that dysfunction of "kidney visceral manifestation" is the basis for the induction of heterotopic ossification by bone immune microenvironment and BMSCs, and "bone sweat pore" is their important setting. Accordingly, it is proposed that the kidney and sweat pore should be nourished and regulated to reshape the bone immune microenvironment and BMSCs function, and that obstruction should be removed and the marrow should be unblocked to eliminate the pathological factors that lead to AS heterotopic ossification. This provides a new perspective and basis for the treatment of AS with traditional Chinese medicine.
3.Comprehensive Analysis of Oncogenic, Prognostic, and Immunological Roles of FANCD2 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Potential Predictor for Survival and Immunotherapy.
Meng Jiao XU ; Wen DENG ; Ting Ting JIANG ; Shi Yu WANG ; Ru Yu LIU ; Min CHANG ; Shu Ling WU ; Ge SHEN ; Xiao Xue CHEN ; Yuan Jiao GAO ; Hongxiao HAO ; Lei Ping HU ; Lu ZHANG ; Yao LU ; Wei YI ; Yao XIE ; Ming Hui LI
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(3):313-327
OBJECTIVE:
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is sensitive to ferroptosis, a new form of programmed cell death that occurs in most tumor types. However, the mechanism through which ferroptosis modulates HCC remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the oncogenic role and prognostic value of FANCD2 and provide novel insights into the prognostic assessment and prediction of immunotherapy.
METHODS:
Using clinicopathological parameters and bioinformatic techniques, we comprehensively examined the expression of FANCD2 macroscopically and microcosmically. We conducted univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to identify the prognostic value of FANCD2 in HCC and elucidated the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying the involvement of FANCD2 in oncogenesis by promoting iron-related death.
RESULTS:
FANCD2 was significantly upregulated in digestive system cancers with abundant immune infiltration. As an independent risk factor for HCC, a high FANCD2 expression level was associated with poor clinical outcomes and response to immune checkpoint blockade. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that FANCD2 was mainly involved in the cell cycle and CYP450 metabolism.
CONCLUSION
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to comprehensively elucidate the oncogenic role of FANCD2. FANCD2 has a tumor-promoting aspect in the digestive system and acts as an independent risk factor in HCC; hence, it has recognized value for predicting tumor aggressiveness and prognosis and may be a potential biomarker for poor responsiveness to immunotherapy.
Humans
;
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/diagnosis*
;
Liver Neoplasms/diagnosis*
;
Immunotherapy
;
Fanconi Anemia Complementation Group D2 Protein/metabolism*
;
Prognosis
;
Male
;
Female
;
Middle Aged
;
Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism*
4.Working ability of ankylosing spondylitis population in China and its influencing factors
Qing YU ; Yuening CHEN ; Hongxiao LIU
Academic Journal of Naval Medical University 2025;46(4):488-496
Objective To explore the status of working ability of patients with ankylosing spondylitis(AS)in China from multi-center,multi-level and multi-dimensional perspectives,and analyze the influencing factors of working ability in AS patients,so as to improve the outcome of working ability disorder in AS patients.Methods The demographic data,working ability and disease-related information of 253 AS patients admitted to 10 hospitals in 9 centers in China from Mar.2022 to Sep.2023 were collected.Work productivity and activity impairment questionnaire was used to investigate the working status.The influencing factors of working ability disorder were analyzed,and the correlations of the work ability with the severity of disease,self-assessment,and mental health status were discussed.Results A total of 253 patients with AS were enrolled,of which 197(77.87%)were employed,76(30.04%)were in normal working status,and 177(69.96%)had disorder in working ability.Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the course of AS,Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index,Bath ankylosing spondylitis measurement index,functional assessment of chronic illness therapy-fatigue,ankylosing spondylitis disease activity score-erythrocyte sedimentation rate,Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society health index,depression,anxiety,and patient global assessment were important factors affecting the working ability of patients.Conclusion There is a high proportion of work ability disorder in Chinese AS patients,and the severity of the disease,psychological state and self-reported outcome are closely related to the status of work ability.
5.Focusing on sense of urgency and entry point of innate and adaptive immunity in study of ankylosing spondylitis mechanisms
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2025;41(6):1497-1503
Ankylosing spondylitis(AS)is a worldwide refractory autoimmune disease whose exact etiology is not fully under-stood,and disorders of body's immune system are currently thought to play an important driving role in development of AS.Previous studies generally attach great importance to role of T cells in pathogenesis of AS.With in-depth research on AS,more and more evidence indicates that both innate immune cells and adaptive immune cells can trigger AS and are closely related to three core patho-logical links of AS,namely inflammation,bone destruction and new bone formation.In this article,we discuss mechanisms involved in development of AS by both innate and adaptive immune cells,with aim of providing new ideas for treatment of AS.
6.Network pharmacological analysis of berberine inhibiting breast can-cer cell proliferation and in vitro cell validation
Huihui ZHANG ; Le JIN ; Su LIU ; Hongxiao CHEN ; Zhaolin CHEN ; Liqin TANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2025;30(3):332-338
AIM:To explore the mechanism of berberine on breast cancer cells based on network pharmacology and in vitro cell experiments.METH-ODS:Firstly,berberine and breast cancer were tak-en as the research objects,the intersection targets of the two were screened by VEEN diagram,GO function and KEGG enrichment analysis were per-formed by R language,and molecular docking and visualization were carried out by Autodock Vina and Pymol software.Then,berberine treated breast cancer MCF-7 cells for 24 h,and then in vi-tro cell experiments were performed.CCK-8 was used to detect cell viability,Edu and plate cloning were used to detect cell proliferation and cloning,and apoptosis was detected by An-nexin V-FITC/PI double staining and Western blot.Laser confocal and CETSA were used to verify the binding effect of berberine and AKT1 protein.RESULTS:The results of network pharmacology showed that berberine had a good binding to the core targets AKT1,AKT2 and MAPK3.Berberine(20,40,80 μmol/L)signifi-cantly inhibited the proliferation and cloning ability of MCF-7 cells in a concentration-dependent man-ner(P<0.05,P<0.01).The results of laser confocal and CETSA experiments showed that berberine and AKT1 had a binding effect,and the stability of the two was enhanced after the combination.CONCLU-SION:Berberine inhibits MCF-7 cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in human breast cancer cells by targeting binding to AKT1 protein.
7.Focusing on sense of urgency and entry point of innate and adaptive immunity in study of ankylosing spondylitis mechanisms
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2025;41(6):1497-1503
Ankylosing spondylitis(AS)is a worldwide refractory autoimmune disease whose exact etiology is not fully under-stood,and disorders of body's immune system are currently thought to play an important driving role in development of AS.Previous studies generally attach great importance to role of T cells in pathogenesis of AS.With in-depth research on AS,more and more evidence indicates that both innate immune cells and adaptive immune cells can trigger AS and are closely related to three core patho-logical links of AS,namely inflammation,bone destruction and new bone formation.In this article,we discuss mechanisms involved in development of AS by both innate and adaptive immune cells,with aim of providing new ideas for treatment of AS.
8.Study on the mechanism of herb cake-partitioned moxibustion inhibiting tumor growth in colitis-associated colorectal cancer based on KDM4D receptor
Hongxiao XU ; Yiran WANG ; Jing XU ; Yan HUANG ; Yu QIAO ; Feifei LI ; Guona LI ; Jimen ZHAO ; Feng LI ; Ziyi CHEN ; Kunshan LI ; Mu'en GU ; Huangan WU ; Yanping YANG
Journal of Acupuncture and Tuina Science 2024;22(1):1-11
Objective:To explore the inhibitory mechanism of herb cake-partitioned moxibustion on tumor growth in colitis-associated colorectal cancer(CAC)based on histone lysine demethylase 4D(KDM4D). Methods:Inbred male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a normal group,a CAC group,a herb cake-partitioned moxibustion group,and an inhibitor group.Except the normal group,rats in the other three groups were treated with azoxymethane(AOM)combined with dextran sulfate sodium(DSS)to make CAC rat models.Rats in the normal group and the CAC group did not receive interventions;rats in the herb cake-partitioned moxibustion group received moxibustion at Qihai(CV6)and bilateral Tianshu(ST25),2 cones for one point each time,once a day for 30 d with 1-day rest every week;rats in the inhibitor group received intraperitoneal injection of KDM4D inhibitor,5-chloro-8-hydroxyquinoline(5-c-8HQ),once a day for 30 d.After intervention,the general condition,colon length,tumor number and volume,and histopathological colon changes were observed.The expression of adenomatous polyposis coli(APC),axis inhibitor(Axin),cyclin D1,matrix metalloproteinase(MMP)-7 and MMP-9 mRNAs were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.The proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA),cleaved caspase3,KDM4D,APC,and Axin proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry. Results:Compared with the normal group,the general condition was poor,the colon length was significantly shortened(P<0.01),the number and volume of colonic tumors were increased(P<0.01),the structure of glandular duct was obviously disordered with"back-to-back"and cowall phenomenon,and also high-grade adenocarcinoma formed;the protein expression levels of PCNA and KDM4D were significantly increased(P<0.01),while cleaved caspase3,APC,and Axin were significantly reduced(P<0.01);the mRNA expression levels of cyclin D1,MMP-7,and MMP-9 were significantly increased(P<0.01),while APC and Axin were significantly reduced(P<0.01)in the CAC group.Compared with the CAC group,the general condition was improved,the length of colon was significantly increased(P<0.01),the number and volume of the colonic tumors were reduced(P<0.05),and the colon tissues showed epithelial cell proliferation with enlarged and deep staining nuclei,dysplasia and inflammatory cell infiltration;the protein expression levels of PCNA and KDM4D were significantly reduced(P<0.01),while the cleaved caspase3,APC,and Axin were significantly increased(P<0.01);the mRNA expression levels of cyclin D1,MMP-7,and MMP-9 were reduced(P<0.05),while the APC and Axin were increased(P<0.05)in the colon tissues of rats in the herb cake-partitioned moxibustion group and the inhibitor group. Conclusion:Herb cake-partitioned moxibustion regulated abnormally expressed KDM4D in CAC rats,activated APC and Axin,the upstream molecules of Wnt/β-catenin pathway,inhibited abnormally activated downstream molecules of Wnt/β-catenin pathway.This may be a key mechanism of herb cake-partitioned moxibustion in inhibiting CAC tumor growth.
9.The dynamic monitoring of gastric residual volume by ultrasound was used to guide the early nutritional treatment of patients with severe mechanical ventilation to gradually achieve the standard
Hongxiao YANG ; Jinlan MA ; Jing CHEN ; Guifang LI ; Huan DING
Chinese Critical Care Medicine 2024;36(2):172-177
Objective:To explore the application value of dynamic monitoring of gastric residual volume (GRV) in achieving different target energy in severe mechanical ventilation patients.Methods:A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted. Forty-two patients with mechanical ventilation admitted to the department of critical care medicine of General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from July to December 2022 were enrolled. According to the random number table method, patients were divided into GRV guided enteral nutrition by traditional gastric juice pumpback method (control group, 22 patients) and GRV guided enteral nutrition by bedside ultrasound (test group, 20 patients). General data were collected from both groups, and clinical indicators such as hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), neutrophil percentage (Neut%), procalcitonin (PCT), absolute lymphocytes (LYM), prealbumin (PA), and retinol-binding protein (RBP) were dynamically observed. Inflammation, infection, immunity, nutritional indicators, and the incidence of reflux/aspiration, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) were compared between the two groups, and further compared the proportion of patients with respectively to reach the target energy 25%, 50%, and 70% on days 1, 3, and 5 of initiated enteral nutrition.Results:① There were no significant differences in gender, age, body mass index (BMI), duration of mechanical ventilation, and acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA), severe nutritional risk score (NUTRIC) at admission between the two groups, indicating comparability. ② On day 1 of initiated enteral nutrition, there were no significant differences in infection, inflammation, immunity and nutrition indicators between the two groups. On day 3 of initiated enteral nutrition, the hs-CRP in the test group was lower than that control group, LYM and PA were higher than those control group [hs-CRP (mg/L): 129.60±75.18 vs. 185.20±63.74, LYM: 1.00±0.84 vs. 0.60±0.41, PA (mg/L): 27.30±3.66 vs. 22.30±2.55, all P < 0.05]. On day 5 of initiated enteral nutrition, the hs-CRP, Neut%, PCT in the test group were lower than those control group, LYM and PA were higher than those control group [hs-CRP (mg/L): 101.70±54.32 vs. 148.40±36.35, Neut%: (85.50±7.66)% vs. (92.90±6.01)%, PCT (μg/L): 0.7 (0.3, 2.7) vs. 3.6 (1.2, 7.5), LYM: 1.00±0.68 vs. 0.50±0.38, PA (mg/L): 27.10±4.57 vs. 20.80 ± 3.51, all P < 0.05]. There were no significantly differences in IL-6 and RBP between the two groups at different time points. ③ The proportion of 50% and 70% of achieved target energy in the test group on day 3, day 5 of initiated enteral nutrition were higher than those of the control group (70.0% vs. 36.4%, 70.0% vs. 36.4%, both P < 0.05). ④ The incidence of reflux/aspiration and VAP in the test group on day 5 of initiated enteral nutrition were significantly lower than those control group (incidence of reflux/aspiration: 5.0% vs. 28.6%, incidence of VAP: 10.0% vs. 36.4%, both P < 0.05). Conclusion:Dynamic monitoring of GRV by bedside ultrasound can accurately improve the proportion of 50% of achieved target energy on day 3 and 75% on day 5 in severe mechanical ventilation patients, improve the patient's inflammation, immune and nutritional status, and can prevent the occurrence of reflux/aspiration and VAP.
10.The effect and mechanism of Prunella vulgaris-Scutellaria barbata herb pairs in the treatment of breast cancer by integrating network pharmacology and in vitro experiments
Su LIU ; Hongxiao CHEN ; Le JIN ; Huihui ZHANG ; Lei ZHANG ; Zhaolin CHEN
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2024;59(7):1134-1142
Objective To explore the mechanism of Prunella vulgaris and Scutellaria barbata herb pair against breast cancer based on network pharmacology and in vitro cell experiments.Methods The effective components and targets of Prunella vulgaris and Scutellaria barbata herb pair were screened.GeneCards and OMIM databases were used to find breast cancer targets,and then drug-active ingredient-key target network and protein-protein inter-action(PPI)were constructed.R language was used to perform GO function and KEGG pathway enrichment analy-sis and survival analysis.Then the screened active components and core targets were verified by molecular docking.Cell viability was detected by CCK-8 assay.EdU and flow cytometry were used to detect cell proliferation and apop-tosis.The protein expression levels of p-AKT1,AKT1,β-catenin and c-MYC were detected by Western blot.Results Through databases analysis,a total of 36 active components and 105 intersection targets were screened out,the core components were quercetin,luteolin,kaempferol,wogonin and baicalein.Through PPI and survival analysis,the key targets were AKT1,ESR1,CASP3 and MYC.GO analysis contained 4 303 enrichment results,KEGG analysis contained 232 pathways.Molecular docking showed that the core components had strong binding ability with the key targets.Cell experiments showed that the core active ingredient quercetin could inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells and promote their apoptosis(P<0.05),and down-regulate the expression levels of p-AKT1,β-catenin and c-MYC proteins(P<0.05).Conclusion The active components quercetin in Prunella vulgaris and Scutel-laria barbata herb pair may play a role through AKT1/β-catenin signaling pathway,which provides a scientific refer-ence for the study of its mechanism of action in the treatment of breast cancer.


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