1.Long-term survival outcomes and prognostic factors following radical resection of pancreatic body and tail cancer:a retrospective analysis of 992 patients
Dong XU ; Yang WU ; Kai ZHANG ; Nan LYU ; Qianqian WANG ; Pengfei WU ; Jie YIN ; Baobao CAI ; Guodong SHI ; Jianzhen LIN ; Yazhou WANG ; Lingdi YIN ; Zipeng LU ; Min TU ; Jianmin CHEN ; Feng GUO ; Jishu WEI ; Junli WU ; Wentao GAO ; Cuncai DAI ; Yi MIAO ; Kuirong JIANG
Chinese Journal of Surgery 2026;64(1):46-54
Objective:To investigate the survival outcomes and prognostic factors in patients undergoing radical resection for pancreatic body and tail cancer.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted on 992 patients who underwent radical resection for pancreatic body and tail cancer at the Pancreatic Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2016 to June 2024. In this study, 577 (58.2%) were male and 415 (41.8%) were female,with an age of (65±9) years (range: 26 to 86 years). Follow-up continued until June 2024. Survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method,and prognostic factors were identified using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models.Results:Among 992 patients,open surgery was the predominant approach (89.1%, 884/992), and radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy (RAMPS) was performed in 317 patients (32.0%). Combined organ resection,venous resection,and arterial resection were performed in 23.5%, 9.3%,and 11.2% of patients,respectively. The rates of R0, R1-1 mm, and R1-direct resections were 49.8% (494/992),41.5% (412/992), and 8.7% (86/992),respectively. Stage ⅡB was the most common TNM stage (32.2%,319/992). A total of 801 patients (80.8%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. The median follow-up period was 32.0(8.8) months(range:3.2 to 105.3 months),during which 508 patients (51.2%) died. The overall median survival (OS) was 26.4 months,with 1-,3-, and 5-year survival rates of 79.0%,40.0%, and 29.0%, respectively. In the recent five years (from 2020 to 2024), the median OS improved significantly to 34.1 months compared to 20.0 months from 2016 to 2019 ( P<0.01). Histological subtype analysis showed that the median OS time was 26.7 months for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC, n=855),58.9 months for invasive intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma (IPMC, n=32),and 15.7 months for adenosquamous carcinoma of pancreas (ASCP, n=73) ( P=0.001). Among PDAC patients, adjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved survival (29.1 months vs. 14.4 months, P<0.01);in IPMC patients, adjuvant chemotherapy also extended survival (65.7 months vs. 58.9 months, P=0.047). Although ASCP patients receiving chemotherapy had a longer median OS time than those without (18.8 months vs. 8.9 months),the difference was not statistically significant ( P=0.151). Multivariate Cox regression analysis in PDAC patients indicated that adjuvant chemotherapy, R0 resection, T stage,N stage,and tumor differentiation were independent prognostic factors ( P<0.01). The median OS time by TNM stage was:not reached for stage ⅠA, 51.6 months for ⅠB, 25.5 months for ⅡA, 23.7 months for ⅡB, 23.0 months for Ⅲ, and 14.4 months for Ⅳ. The median OS time for R0,R1-1 mm,and R1-direct resections was 34.1,24.7,and 15.7 months,respectively ( P<0.01). Conclusion:Adjuvant chemotherapy,R0 resection,tumor stage,and differentiation are independent prognostic factors for pancreatic body and tail cancer.
2.Effects of Electro-Acupuncture Based on the Midnight-Noon Ebb-Low Method with Hour-Prescription on BMAL1 Protein and NETs Markers in Lung Tissue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Model Rats with Lung-Qi Deficiency Syndrome
Changtian JIAO-LI ; Nise Pantaleo SHIO ; Lianqing CAI ; Qingyao JIANG ; Siyu TANG ; Qianqian WAN ; Mengchen WAN ; Yuqi YE ; Jie ZHU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(13):1422-1430
ObjectiveTo explore the potential mechanism underlying electroacupuncture therapy with the midnight-noon ebb-low method with hour-prescription for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with lung-qi deficiency syndrome from the perspective of brain and muscle basic helix-loop-helix ARNT-like 1 (BMAL1) as well as neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). MethodsThe experiment was conducted in two phases. For the therapeutic effectiveness observation, 24 rats were randomly allocated into control group 1, model group 1, midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group 1 and conventional electro-acupuncture group, with 6 rats per group. Rat models of COPD with lung-qi deficiency syndrome were established via cigarette smoke exposure combined with intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). After successful modelling, rats in midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group 1 received electro-acupuncture at acupoints "Taiyuan (LU 9)", "Feishu (BL 13)" and "Zusanli (ST 36)" during 05:00—07:00, 30 minutes per treatment once every other day for 14 consecutive days (7 sessions in total). Rats in the conventional electro-acupuncture group received identical electroacupuncture manipulation at random daytime hours (08:00—18:00). Pulmonary function parameters including forced expiratory volume in 0.3 second (FEV0.3), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV0.3/FVC ratio were detected. Pulmonary histopathological changes were observed via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Plasma levels of pro-inflammatory factors interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), as well as pulmonary reactive oxygen species (ROS) content, BMAL1 protein expression and the levels of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) biomarkers such as myeloperoxidase (MPO), neutrophil elastase (NE), and citrullinated histone H3 (CitH3) in lung tissue were determined. For the mechanistic verification phase, 36 rats were divided into control group 2, model group 2, midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group 2, overexpression empty group, overexpression BMAL1 group and overexpression with midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group, with 6 rats in each group. At the 5th week of model construction, rats in the overexpression BMAL1 group and overexpression with midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group received intratracheal instillation of 100 μl adenoviral suspension carrying overexpressed Bmal1 gene. Rats in the overexpression empty group were injected with an equal titer and equal volume of blank adenovirus without the Bmal1 coding sequence into the lung at the identical time point. Midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group 2 and overexpression with midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group were consistent with the aforementioned protocol. Finally, pulmonary levels of MPO, NE and CitH3 were measured in all groups. ResultsCompared with the control group 1, the model group 1 exhibited decreased FEV0.3, FVC and FEV0.3/FVC ratio, elevated plasma IL-1β, TNF-α and pulmonary ROS levels, downregulated lung BMAL1 protein expression, and increased contents of MPO, NE and CitH3 (all P<0.05); typical NETs-like structures with sparse granular substances attached to fibrous networks were observed under scanning electron microscopy; HE staining revealed damaged alveolar architecture accompanied by inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared with model group 1, both the midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group 1 and conventional electro-acupuncture group achieved obvious improvements in all above indicators, with superior therapeutic effects in midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group 1 (P<0.05). Consistently, midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group 1 showed more prominent alleviation of NETs-like structure formation and lung pathological injury compared to the conventional electro-acupuncture group. Mechanistic validation results demonstrated that compared with model group 2, the average optical density of MPO as well as the protein levels of MPO, NE and CitH3 were markedly reduced in midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group 2, overexpression BMAL1 group and overexpression with midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group (P<0.05); furthermore, these parameters were significantly lower in the overexpression with midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group than in midnight-noon electro-acupuncture group 2 (P<0.05). ConclusionElectro-acupuncture based on the midnight-noon ebb-low method with hour-prescription may alleviate pulmonary inflammation in COPD by upregulating the expression of clock protein BMAL1 and inhibiting excessive accumulation of NETs in lung tissue.
3.Long-term survival outcomes and prognostic factors following radical resection of pancreatic body and tail cancer:a retrospective analysis of 992 patients
Dong XU ; Yang WU ; Kai ZHANG ; Nan LYU ; Qianqian WANG ; Pengfei WU ; Jie YIN ; Baobao CAI ; Guodong SHI ; Jianzhen LIN ; Yazhou WANG ; Lingdi YIN ; Zipeng LU ; Min TU ; Jianmin CHEN ; Feng GUO ; Jishu WEI ; Junli WU ; Wentao GAO ; Cuncai DAI ; Yi MIAO ; Kuirong JIANG
Chinese Journal of Surgery 2026;64(1):46-54
Objective:To investigate the survival outcomes and prognostic factors in patients undergoing radical resection for pancreatic body and tail cancer.Methods:A retrospective case series study was conducted on 992 patients who underwent radical resection for pancreatic body and tail cancer at the Pancreatic Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2016 to June 2024. In this study, 577 (58.2%) were male and 415 (41.8%) were female,with an age of (65±9) years (range: 26 to 86 years). Follow-up continued until June 2024. Survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method,and prognostic factors were identified using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models.Results:Among 992 patients,open surgery was the predominant approach (89.1%, 884/992), and radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy (RAMPS) was performed in 317 patients (32.0%). Combined organ resection,venous resection,and arterial resection were performed in 23.5%, 9.3%,and 11.2% of patients,respectively. The rates of R0, R1-1 mm, and R1-direct resections were 49.8% (494/992),41.5% (412/992), and 8.7% (86/992),respectively. Stage ⅡB was the most common TNM stage (32.2%,319/992). A total of 801 patients (80.8%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. The median follow-up period was 32.0(8.8) months(range:3.2 to 105.3 months),during which 508 patients (51.2%) died. The overall median survival (OS) was 26.4 months,with 1-,3-, and 5-year survival rates of 79.0%,40.0%, and 29.0%, respectively. In the recent five years (from 2020 to 2024), the median OS improved significantly to 34.1 months compared to 20.0 months from 2016 to 2019 ( P<0.01). Histological subtype analysis showed that the median OS time was 26.7 months for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC, n=855),58.9 months for invasive intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma (IPMC, n=32),and 15.7 months for adenosquamous carcinoma of pancreas (ASCP, n=73) ( P=0.001). Among PDAC patients, adjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved survival (29.1 months vs. 14.4 months, P<0.01);in IPMC patients, adjuvant chemotherapy also extended survival (65.7 months vs. 58.9 months, P=0.047). Although ASCP patients receiving chemotherapy had a longer median OS time than those without (18.8 months vs. 8.9 months),the difference was not statistically significant ( P=0.151). Multivariate Cox regression analysis in PDAC patients indicated that adjuvant chemotherapy, R0 resection, T stage,N stage,and tumor differentiation were independent prognostic factors ( P<0.01). The median OS time by TNM stage was:not reached for stage ⅠA, 51.6 months for ⅠB, 25.5 months for ⅡA, 23.7 months for ⅡB, 23.0 months for Ⅲ, and 14.4 months for Ⅳ. The median OS time for R0,R1-1 mm,and R1-direct resections was 34.1,24.7,and 15.7 months,respectively ( P<0.01). Conclusion:Adjuvant chemotherapy,R0 resection,tumor stage,and differentiation are independent prognostic factors for pancreatic body and tail cancer.
4.Advancement of functional peptides: Promising candidates for antituberculosis therapeutics
Bojie LIN ; Siqi LIN ; Jiayi YANG ; Xuanyu YANG ; Shuhui WANG ; Yuting LIU ; Qianqian ZHANG ; Junfa XU ; Jiang PI ; Fen YANG
Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;4(1):24-32
Tuberculosis (TB), a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is primarily airborne and remains a global health problem, especially in resource-limited countries and regions. The emergence of drug resistance in M. tuberculosis has rendered the existing means ineffective in the treatment of TB. Therefore, research in new therapeutic directions has become imperative. In this review, we outline functional peptides in terms of the mechanisms of action, anti-TB attempts, advantages and disadvantages, and latest advances, aiming to analyze the research progress in anti-TB peptides. Furthermore, we investigate the potential applications of bioactive compounds found in traditional Chinese Medicine within the context of peptides.
5.Evaluation of CARIFS Score and Negative Antigen Conversion Rate of Qingxuan Daozhi Formula in Treatment of Influenza in Children (Heat Accumulation in Lung and Stomach Syndrome):A Multi-center Randomized Controlled Clinical Study
Jing WANG ; Liqun WU ; Tiegang LIU ; Yongning CAO ; Jing QIU ; Jing LI ; Huaqing TAN ; Ying ZHANG ; Xulei GOU ; Jia WANG ; Jing LI ; Haipeng CHEN ; Xueying QIN ; Yuanshuo TIAN ; Yang WANG ; Chen BAI ; Zhendong WANG ; Qianqian LI ; He YU ; Xueyan MA ; Fei DONG ; Lin JIANG ; Yingqi XU ; Jianping LIU ; Xiaohong GU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(13):188-196
ObjectiveThis paper aims to observe the syndrome improvement and negative antigen conversion rate of Qingxuan Daozhi formula in the treatment of influenza in children (heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome). MethodsThrough a multi-center randomized controlled methodology design,confirmed influenza cases were collected from October 2022 to April 2023 in the pediatrics department of eight hospitals,such as Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. A total of 180 children with influenza and heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome conforming to the standard were recruited through the clinic. The sick children meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into groups by a block-randomized method. The children in the experimental group were treated with Qingxuan Daozhi formula for five days,and those in the control group were treated with Oseltamivir Phosphate Granules for five days. The primary efficacy indicator was the negative conversion rate of influenza antigen detection. Secondary efficacy indicators were the Canadian acute respiratory illness and flu scale (CARIFS) and the incidence of complications,severe cases, and critical cases. Follow-up observation was conducted on the day of enrollment,48 hours after medication,72 hours after medication, and (6+1) d after medication. ResultsOne hundred and eighty participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (90 cases) or the control group (90 cases). All participants were followed up during the study. Comparison of influenza antigen detection results in the primary efficacy indicators showed that the average time of negative influenza antigen conversion in the experimental group was (5.29±1.25) d,and that in the control group was (5.40±1.68) d,without a statistically significant difference. After five days of intervention,52 cases in the experimental group and 51 cases in the control group converted to negative,without a statistically significant difference. CARIFS score results in the secondary efficacy indicators showed that during 72 hours after intervention,there were statistically significant differences between the experimental group and the control group in three dimensions, including headache,muscle soreness, and the need for extra care (P<0.05). On the (6+1) days after the intervention,the differences in both the experimental group and the control group were statistically significant in 10 dimensions, including sore throat,bad sleep,uncomfortable feeling,poor spirit and fatigue,crying more than usual,the need for extra care,symptom,function,influence on parents,and total score (P<0.05). The comparison results within the group in the dimensional scores of symptom, function, and influence on parents,as well as the CARIFS total score showed that with the delay of follow-up time,scores of both groups decreased significantly,with a statistically significant difference (P<0.01). Inter-group comparison results showed that the mean score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group at the time of enrollment. With the progress of intervention,the score of the experimental group was significantly decreased compared with that of the control group. At the end of follow-up,the mean score of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group,with no statistically significant difference. In terms of the incidence of complications,severe cases, and critical cases, there were no complications,severe cases, and critical cases in the two groups,without a statistically significant difference. ConclusionThe symptom improvement effect and negative antigen conversion rate of Qingxuan Daozhi formula in the treatment of influenza in children (heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome) are not inferior to Oseltamivir Phosphate granules, and children's acceptance is better. It can be more widely used in clinical treatment of influenza in children (heat accumulation in the lung and stomach syndrome).
6.Clinical application of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation in postoperative analgesia
Qianqian TANG ; Yan XU ; Chunling JIANG ; Yansong LI
Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine in Intensive and Critical Care 2025;32(4):504-507
Postoperative acute pain can significantly hinder early postoperative recovery if inadequately managed,and may even progress to chronic postsurgical pain(CPSP).The current clinical practice primarily relies on multimodal analgesia strategies,with intravenous opioids being the cornerstone.Although effective in alleviating postoperative pain,the associated adverse effects of opioids have limited their widespread use.In recent years,with the development of integrative medicine combining Western and traditional Chinese medicine,numerous studies have demonstrated that incorporating transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation(TEAS)into multimodal analgesia protocols confers significant benefits for postoperative pain management.TEAS not only reduces postoperative pain and opioid consumption but also mitigates opioid-related side effects,thereby facilitating patient recovery.This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the analgesic mechanisms of TEAS,its application within multimodal analgesia for postoperative pain,and its potential to serve as a valuable reference for clinicians seeking to optimize postoperative pain management strategies.
7.Sleep quality among the elderly in nursing homes in Changning District
ZHAO Qianqian ; ZHANG Lei ; YU Li ; XIA Qinghua ; JIANG Yu
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(4):408-412
Objective:
To investigate the prevalence of sleep quality among the elderly in nursing homes in Changning District, Shanghai Municipality, so as to provide insights into prevention and intervention strategies for improving sleep quality and overall quality of life for the elderly.
Methods:
The elderly from 25 nursing homes in Changning District were selected using a two-stage sampling method. Basic information including gender, age and types of medication were collected. Sleep quality was assessed using the Athens Insomnia Scale, and depressive symptoms were measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale. Factors affecting sleep quality among the elderly in nursing homes were analyzed using a multivariable logistic regression model.
Results:
A total of 739 participants were surveyed, including 516 males (69.82%) and 223 females (30.18%). The majority of participants were aged 80 to <90 years (478, 64.68%). Among them, 432 participants (58.46%) had normal sleep, 144 (19.49%) had suspected insomnia, and 163 (22.06%) had insomnia. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that older age (OR=1.030, 95%CI: 1.005-1.055), more medication types (OR=1.971, 95%CI: 1.381-2.812), frequent nighttime bathroom visits (OR=2.921, 95%CI: 1.853-4.605) and depressive symptoms (OR=3.295, 95%CI: 2.440-4.449) were associated with a higher risk of insomnia among the elderly in nursing homes.
Conclusions
Insomnia was reported in 22.06% of the elderly in nursing homes in Changning District. Age, the number of medication types, frequency of nighttime bathroom visits, and depressive symptoms are the main influencing factors for their sleep quality.
8.Summary of the best evidence for early rehabilitation of ICU-acquired swallowing dysfunction.
Qianqian PENG ; Ruixiang SUN ; Xiaopan XU ; Ke FANG ; Haijiao JIANG ; Xiancui ZHANG
Chinese Critical Care Medicine 2025;37(8):755-761
OBJECTIVE:
To systematically search and integrate the best evidence for early rehabilitation of ICU-acquired swallowing dysfunction (ICU-ASD) using evidence-based medicine methods, providing high-quality evidence-based support for intensive care unit (ICU) healthcare professionals in implementing early rehabilitation assessment and intervention strategies for ICU-ASD.
METHODS:
The systematic search was conducted according to the "6S" pyramid evidence model. Multiple authoritative databases and resources were comprehensively searched, including: National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Canadian Medical Association Clinical Practice Guidelines Library (CMACPGL), New Zealand Guidelines Group (NZGG), Guidelines International Network (GIN), Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Web of Science, JBI Evidence-Based Health Care Database, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), Chinese Medical Pulse Guidelines Website, SinoMed, CNKI, Wanfang Data, UpToDate, BMJ Best Practice, and professional association websites. The search encompassed guidelines, expert consensus statements, original studies [including cohort studies, quasi-experimental studies, and randomized controlled trials (RCT)], systematic reviews, and evidence summaries related to the prevention and management of ICU-ASD. The search period was limited from the inception of each database to November 30, 2024. The best evidence for early rehabilitation of ICU-ASD was summarized. The quality assessment of the literature and the extraction and synthesis of evidence were independently performed by two researchers with expertise in evidence-based medicine methodology.
RESULTS:
A total of 16 articles were included, consisting of 1 clinical decision-making study, 1 cohort study, 2 guidelines, 2 RCTs, 6 systematic reviews, 1 evidence summary, 2 expert consensuses, and 1 expert opinion. Following quality assessment, all 16 articles were incorporated into the analysis. For the early rehabilitation of ICU-ASD, five major themes were ultimately identified and 25 best evidence items were summarized, focusing on: multidisciplinary collaboration, swallowing screening and assessment, rehabilitation interventions, dietary and nutritional management, and oral hygiene.
CONCLUSIONS
The evidence summary provides individualized rehabilitation strategies for ICU-ASD patients, but their implementation still needs to be adapted to China's clinical practice context and patient preferences.
Humans
;
Deglutition Disorders/etiology*
;
Intensive Care Units
;
Evidence-Based Medicine
9.Protection of morusin against lipopolysaccharide-induced acute liver injury through gut microbiota modulation and anti-inflammatory effects in mice
Yan LI ; Qi LIU ; Lin WANG ; Yayun LI ; Xinping LI ; Qianqian JIANG ; Zhengzhi WU
Digital Chinese Medicine 2025;8(4):478-490
Objective:
To investigate the protective effects of morusin on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute liver injury in mice and its underlying mechanisms.
Methods:
Thirty-two male specific pathogen-free (SPF) C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8 per group): control, LPS, low-dose morusin (morusin-L, 10 mg/kg), and high-dose morusin (morusin-H, 20 mg/kg) groups. The mice in each group were administered the corresponding drugs or normal saline via continuous gavage daily for 16 consecutive days. Except for control group, which received an equal volume of normal saline, other groups were intraperitoneally injected with LPS (5 mg/kg) 2 h after the last gavage to establish the acute liver injury model. Serum and liver tissues were collected for subsequent analysis 6 h after LPS injection. The activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in serum were detected with biochemical methods. The levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β in serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hepatic pathological changes were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) sequencing was performed to assess the composition of intestinal flora, linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) was applied for multi-level species discrimination, and Spearman’s correlation analysis was performed. The liver tissues of mice with acute liver injury were analyzed by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and then enrichment analysis of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway was conducted. The expression levels of selected genes was validated by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), while immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to examine the expression levels of IL-6, myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MYD88), and toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2).
Results:
Morusin significantly reduced the serum levels of ALT, AST, and inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, or P < 0.001), while alleviating the hepatic pathological damage in mice. Based on efficacy comparisons, morusin-H group was selected for subsequent microbiome and transcriptome analyses. Microbiome analysis revealed that morusin-H effectively mitigated LPS-induced gut dysbiosis and restored the Firmicutes/Bacteroidota balance (P < 0.01). At the genus level, morusin-H significantly reduced the abundances of norank_f_Muribaculaceae, Desulfovibrio, Parabacteroides, and Muribaculum (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, or P < 0.001). At the phylum, family, and genus levels, our findings indicated that morusin-H treatment caused a significant decrease in the abundance of Desulfobacterota, Desulfovibrionaceae, and Desulfovibrio (P < 0.01). Importantly, the abundance of Desulfovibrio was positively correlated with the levels of ALT, AST, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6. Transcriptomic and molecular analyses showed that the therapeutic mechanism of morusin-H involved suppression of the IL-17/TNF signaling pathways and downregulating the mRNA levels of Tlr2, Tlr3, Myd88, Il6, and Cxcl10 (P < 0.05 or P < 0.001), as well as the protein levels of key inflammatory mediators (IL-6, MYD88, and TLR2) (P < 0.001).
Conclusion
Morusin demonstrates protective effects against LPS-induced acute liver injury, likely through modulation of gut microbiota and suppression of pro-inflammatory factor expression. These findings indicate that morusin exerts its effects through the "microbiota-inflammation-liver" axis, providing a theoretical basis for its use as a multi-target plant-based drug in the treatment of metabolic inflammation-related liver diseases.
10.Application of HPLC-MS/MS in the analysis of six tricarboxylic acid cycle metabolites in a mouse model of prenatal DEHP exposure
Wenkang Tao ; Lun Zhang ; Qianqian Huang ; Yun Yu ; Yue Jiang ; Mengzhen Hou ; Xutao Ling ; Fang Xie ; Jianqing Wang
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(5):897-905
Objective :
To establish a method for measuring major organic acids in the tricarboxylic acid cycle using a high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-MS/MS) system, and to investigate the changes in six tricarboxylic acid cycle organic acids(fumaric acid, malic acid, succinic acid, α-ketoglutaric acid, cis-aconitic acid, and citric acid) in the serum, liver, and placenta of mice exposed to di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate(DEHP) during pregnancy.
Methods :
The serum, liver and placental samples from pregnant mice were processed and eluted through a Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH Amide Column(130 Å, 1.7 μm, 2.1 mm × 150 mm) using a gradient elution program. Mobile phase A comprised an aqueous solution of 10 mmol/L ammonium acetate and 5 μmol/L methanephosphonic acid, while mobile phase B consisted of a 90% acetonitrile aqueous solution containing 10 mmol/L ammonium acetate and 5 μmol/L methanephosphonic acid, with a flow rate maintained at 0.35 ml/min. The mass spectrometry detection system utilized an electrospray ionization technique with negative ion mode for multiple reaction monitoring.
Results :
The correlation coefficients of the standard curves for the six tricarboxylic acid cycle organic acid metabolites were all above 0.996 within the quantitative range. The method's accuracy ranged from 97.14% to 108.26%, with inter-day and intra-day precision relative standard deviation between 1.35% and 6.73%. The matrix effect was between 93.29% and 107.47%, and the extraction recovery rate ranged from 94.82% to 112.57%. Analysis of six tricarboxylic acid cycle organic acids in the liver, serum, and placenta of DEHP-exposed mice during pregnancy showed significant reductions in fumaric acid, malic acid, α-ketoglutaric acid, cis-aconitic acid, and citric acid compared to the control group(P<0.05).
Conclusion
The HPLC-MS/MS method established in this study for detecting six tricarboxylic acid cycle organic acids in the serum, liver, and placenta of DEHP-exposed pregnant mice is stable, highly sensitive and selective. Prenatal DEHP exposure induced alterations in the levels of tricarboxylic acid(TCA) cycle organic acid metabolites in the liver, serum, and placenta of mice, suggesting that DEHP exposure during pregnancy may interfere with mitochondrial TCA cycle processes. These findings indicate potential value in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases associated with prenatal DEHP exposure.


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