1.Autophagy Abnormalities in PCOS and Targeted Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Review
Xinxin YANG ; Zhicheng JIA ; Mengyu SHI ; Yongqian LI ; Peixuan WANG ; Ying GUO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(3):313-322
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common gynecological endocrine and reproductive disorder,with the main clinical manifestations including ovulation failure,insulin resistance,hyperandrogenism,and obesity. Its occurrence and development are closely related to cellular regulatory mechanisms such as apoptosis,autophagy,oxidative stress,and inflammatory response. Autophagy,as a clearance mechanism that maintains cellular homeostasis,plays a crucial role in maintaining the growth,development,and maturation of oocytes. Exploring the mechanism of autophagy during the occurrence and development of diseases can help develop treatment methods for PCOS by regulating autophagy. Studies have shown that autophagy plays an important role in the pathogenesis of PCOS,and it can affect the occurrence and development of PCOS through multiple pathways,levels,and targets. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) regulates autophagy in ovarian granulosa cells or endometrium of patients with PCOS by targeting the expression of autophagy signaling pathways,regulatory factors,and non-coding single-stranded RNA molecules,thereby alleviating inflammation,regulating metabolism disorders,and balancing hormone levels in PCOS. Accordingly,TCM can ameliorate pathological conditions such as insulin resistance,hyperandrogenism,and ovulation failure in PCOS. This article summarizes the TCM formulas and extracts for the treatment of PCOS,as well as the main autophagy pathways and regulatory factors involved,aiming to provide reference and suggestions for the future treatment of PCOS with TCM by regulating autophagy.
2.Effect of Slicing Angle and Initial Water Content on Water Migration and Effective Ingredient Content in Drying Process of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma
Guohong YANG ; Bingqian ZHOU ; Heng LU ; Xiao WANG ; Lanping GUO ; Wei LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):208-216
ObjectiveTo explore the effects of angle and original moisture content on the moisture distribution, migration and contents of effective components in the drying process of sliced Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma(SMRR). MethodsSet the slicing angles of SMRR at 30°, 45°, and 90°. Cut the fresh samples, 1/3 dehydrated samples, and 2/3 dehydrated samples, dry them in an oven at 40 ℃ and take samples at the set time points. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance(LF-NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) were used to analyze the changes in transverse relaxation time(T2) of SMRR samples in 9 treatment groups at specific times, as well as the distribution and migration of water in the samples. The contents of tanshinone ⅡA, tanshinone Ⅰ, cryptotanshinone, and salvianolic acid B in samples from 9 different treatment groups were determined by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC), and the best processing technology of SMRR was screened by combining with One-way ANOVA, Duncan multiple comparison and principal component analysis(PCA). ResultsThe moisture content of dry basis of SMRR in each treatment group decreased with the extension of drying time. The drying rate of fresh cut group decreased slowly at first, while the drying rate of water loss group showed a trend of increasing at first and then decreasing. The internal water of SMRR could be divided into three states, including bound water, non flowing water and free water. During the drying process, the water migration law showed that the free water of fresh cut group disappeared after drying for 12 h, the content of bound water gradually decreased, and the overall fluidity deteriorated. In the water loss group, part of the free water was transformed into more cohesive and non flowing water after drying for 3 h, and the three kinds of water basically disappeared after drying for 12 h. The MRI results showed that the entire dehydration process slowly moved from the outer side to the center, and the internal water eventually dissipated. In terms of the contents of active ingredients, the order of the effect of slicing angle on the total content of active ingredients in SMRR was 30°>45°>90°. The content of tanshinones was ranked as 1/3 dehydrated group>2/3 dehydrated group>fresh cut group, and the content of salvianolic acid B was ranked as 1/3 dehydrated group>fresh cut group>2/3 dehydrated group. Combined with the results of PCA and comprehensive scoring results, the overall level of effective component content in SMRR was the highest when cut at 30° after 1/3 of water loss. ConclusionAfter comprehensive evaluation, SMRR can be sliced at 30° after 1/3 of water loss. It is not only easy to cut, but also the surface and cross-sectional colors remain basically unchanged after drying, which is similar to the color under traditional processing, and the effective ingredients are preserved the highest. This study can provide a basis for the optimization of processing technology of SMRR.
3.Discussion on the accuracy of ovarian tumor diagnosis based on artificial intelligence with different scanning methods
Haizheng WANG ; Li FENG ; Sen WANG ; Huimin GUO ; Fanguo MENG
Chinese Journal of Radiological Health 2025;34(1):77-83
Objective To explore the accuracy of artificial intelligence-based diagnosis of ovarian malignant tumors and the identification of benign and malignant tumors under transabdominal scanning and transvaginal scanning methods. Methods A dataset of transabdominal and transvaginal two-dimensional ultrasound images was used and the images were preprocessed to enhance quality. The region of interest was segmented and divided into a training set and a test set. A convolutional neural network (CNN) was trained on the images in the training set, and the accuracy of the model on the test set was calculated. Results Transvaginal scanning was 14% more accurate in diagnosing malignant ovarian tumors than transabdo-minal scanning on the test set. For identifying the benign and malignant ovarian tumors containing cystic components, a mixture of transvaginal and transabdominal scanning increased the accuracy by 9.7% over transabdominal scanning alone. Conclusion CNN can identify ovarian malignant tumors under both scanning methods, but the accuracy of transvaginal scanning is higher than that of transabdominal scanning, and the CNN model has a higher accuracy in identifying benign and malignant ovarian tumors under transvaginal scanning.
4.Review on separation and determination of 63Ni in solid wastes and liquid effluents from nuclear power plants
Mengyu FU ; Xinjie GUO ; Xuqin ZHANG ; Junwu TANG ; Yongshi XU ; Hongshen DING
Chinese Journal of Radiological Health 2025;34(1):142-148
63Ni is predominantly generated through neutron activation in nuclear reactors and is classified as a pure beta-emitting radionuclide with a half-life of 101.1 a. During decay, 63Ni emits a beta ray with an energy of 65.87 keV. 63Ni can be used in the manufacture of beta radiation sources, which are utilized as reference and working sources for beta activity measurement and beta energy response calibration. Additionally, it is used in electron capture detectors for chromatography, ionization sources in electron tubes, and electron capture probes in gas chromatography. These instruments have extensive applications in food safety, public health and epidemic prevention, soil pollution monitoring, and security. 63Ni is an artificial radionuclide not commonly found in the natural environment under normal conditions. However, the 63Ni generated during routine operations of nuclear power plants, as well as residual materials and wastes contaminated with 63Ni during plant decommissioning, may be released into the environment through liquid effluents or solid wastes. This can pose potential radiation risks to both the public and the environment. Hence, it is necessary to monitor the activity concentration of 63Ni. Currently, reports on this subject are limited in China, and there is a lack of established standards for the determination of 63Ni in nuclear power plants. This article reviews the global literature on the pretreatment and purification measurement processes of 63Ni. The merits and demerits are summarized for pretreatment methods such as acid leaching, mixed acid digestion, ashing acid leaching/dissolution, and alkali fusion, and for separation and purification methods like solvent extraction, precipitation, and extraction chromatography. The article also highlights the advantages of measurement using liquid scintillation counters. This review provides a reference for the establishment of the determination method of 63Ni in liquid effluents and solid wastes from nuclear power plants.
5.Correlation between the health literacy of reducing salt,oil and sugar on overweight and obesity among fourthgrade elementary school students and their parents
HAO Ying, LIU Danru, CHEN Xianxian, REN Jie, XU Cong, DU Fengjun, GUO Xiaolei, DONG Jing, MA Jixiang
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(4):489-493
Objective:
To analyze the effects of health literacy on overweight and obesity among primary school students and their parents in terms of salt, oil and sugar reduction (referred to as the "three reductions"), so as to provide a theoretical basis for the development of obesity control measures.
Methods:
From March to April 2024, a total of 1 022 fourthgrade primary school students and 913 parents were surveyed in 24 classes in six counties in Shandong Province using multistage cluster random sampling, and physical measurements of primary school students were conducted. Pearsons correlation analysis and ordered multivariate Logistic regression were used to investigate the associations between health literacy of primary school students and their parents with overweight and obesity among children.
Results:
The detection rates of overweight and obesity primary school students in Shandong Province were 14.87% and 24.66%, respectively, with significant sex difference in obesity rate (29.46% for boys and 19.76% for girls) (χ2=12.93, P<0.01). In addition to students reducing oil scores, parental reducing salt,reducing oil,reducing sugar, comprehensive health literacy scores and students reducing salt,reducing sugar and comprehensive health literacy scores showed a negative relationship with students overweight and obesity (r=-0.10, -0.08, -0.07, -0.10, -0.04, -0.07, -0.03, P<0.05). The overweight and obesity rates among primary school students with high parental reducing salt,reducing oil,reducing sugar and composite health literacy scores were lower (OR=0.69, 0.69, 0.71, 0.63, P<0.05); and the overweight and obesity rate among students with high parental and low parental and high and low parental health literacy scores were lower (OR=0.68, 0.57, P<0.05).
Conclusion
Improving health literacy regarding "three reductions" for parents and children, especially parents, can effectively reduce the risk of childhood overweight and obesity.
6.Analysis of peripheral blood genetic material damage in children with vascular malformations after interventional procedures
Yuelong SHI ; Ying PANG ; Zhanchun GUO ; Ya MA ; Yingmin CHEN ; Xiaoshan WANG ; Rui CHEN
Chinese Journal of Radiological Health 2025;34(2):149-154
Objective To observe changes in genetic material in the peripheral blood of pediatric patients with vascular malformations after interventional procedures. Methods A total of 108 children with vascular malformations who underwent interventional procedures at Shandong University Affiliated Children’s Hospital between February 2021 and January 2024 were selected as the research subjects. Clinical data and peripheral venous blood samples before and after the interventional procedures were collected from the children. Two biological indicators, γ-H2AX and peripheral blood lymphocyte chromosomal aberration (CA), were used to determine the levels of genetic material damage in children with vascular malformations before and after interventional procedures. Results The median age of the children was 7 years and the median body weight was 27 kg. The median dose-area product (DAP) was 24.20 Gy·cm2 and the median DAP/kg was 1.04 Gy·cm2/kg. The incidence rates of both γ-H2AX foci and CA in children with vascular malformations significantly increased after the interventional procedures (Z = 5.924, P < 0.001; Z = 8.515, P < 0.001). The incidence of postoperative CA in 7 children were significantly higher than that in others, approaching or exceeding 4%. The incidence rates of postoperative γ-H2AX foci and CA in children with DAP/kg ≥ 1 Gy·cm2/kg were significantly higher than those in children with DAP/kg < 1 Gy·cm2/kg (U = 7.586, P = 0.031; U = 6.835, P = 0.009). No significant differences were observed in the incidence rates of postoperative γ-H2AX foci and CA among subgroups based on age, body weight, or surgical site. A positive correlation was observed between the difference in the incidence rates of γ-H2AX foci before and after the procedure and DAP/kg (R = 0.493, P = 0.027). Conclusion Ionizing radiation exposure during interventional procedures can increase peripheral blood genetic material damage levels in children with vascular malformations, and the damage levels show a correlation with the radiation dose, with some children being abnormally sensitive. Further research is needed to explore the influencing factors for genetic material damage in children with vascular malformations after interventional procedures, which is of great significance for reducing long-term cancer risks and achieving personalized treatment strategies.
7.Influence of occupational hazard factors on incidence of hypertension in calcium carbide plant: Historical cohort study
Meng LIU ; Wei ZHANG ; Qi ZHUANG ; Xingyu PENG ; Jinling LIU ; Tiantian CHEN ; Hongmei GU ; Shu GUO
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(5):565-570
Background The high work intensity and possible subsequently increased susceptibility to occupational hazards of calcium carbide plants may lead to hypertension in workers, but there are few studies on the relationship between occupational hazard exposure and hypertension in workers involving the production process of calcium carbide. Objective To explore the influence of occupational hazards on the incidence of hypertension in calcium carbide plants. Methods Using historical cohort design, the employees of a calcium carbide factory in the western part of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region were selected as research subjects. According to the pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria, the study population comprised an exposure group of 377 employees (including furnace workers, inspection workers, and maintenance workers) exposed to dust, noise & carbon monoxide, and a control group of 388 employees (including central control workers, electricians, and administrative personnel) without above-mentioned exposure. The total sample size was 765 participants. The follow-up period was from April 2011 to October 2022, and the study endpoint was defined as the conclusion of the follow-up period or diagnosed hypertension in annual occupational health examination. Information on general demographic characteristics, living habits, and work status was collected from all study subjects. Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to analyze the association between occupational hazard exposure and the risk of hypertension among the calcium carbide plant employees. Results The average age, mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure, proportion of males, smoking rate, and alcohol consumption rate in the exposure group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Compared to baseline, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels increased in the exposure group and the control group at the end of the follow-up (P<0.05). At the end of the follow-up, the average differences between systolic/ diastolic blood pressure and baseline values in the exposure group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). During the follow-up period, a total of 223 cases of hypertension occurred, with a total follow-up of
8.Study on the mechanism of rutin in ameliorating depressive symptoms associated with premenstrual dysphoric disorder characterized by liver qi stagnation syndrome
Yiwei ZHANG ; Xianliang SONG ; Yashuang REN ; Dedi GUO ; Runwei SONG ; Xitai CHEN ; Huaiwei ZHAO ; Chunhong SONG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(12):1449-1456
OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanisms of rutin in alleviating depressive symptoms associated with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) characterized by liver qi stagnation syndrome. METHODS Network pharmacology was employed to identify the intersecting targets of action between PMDD and rutin. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed to screen core targets, followed by gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. Molecular docking simulations validated rutin’s binding affinity to core targets. The bilateral ovaries of female Wistar rats were removed, followed by artificial hormone induction. The rats were then randomly divided into normal group (10 rats) and modeling group (50 rats). PMDD rat model with liver qi stagnation syndrome was established via restraint stress. The successfully modeled rats were further divided into model group, fluoxetine group (positive control) and rutin group, with 12 rats in each group. The corresponding drug solutions or water were administered by gavage at 9:00 a.m. every day, continuing for two estrous cycles. The open-field test, forced swimming test and Y-maze test were utilized to evaluate the effects of rutin on the behavioral indexes of model rats. Additionally, the density of neuronal dendritic spines in the hippocampal tissues of the rats was observed. Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and the expressions of BDNF, tyrosine kinase receptor type B (TrkB), synuclein (Syn), and postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) in hippocampal tissues were quantified, respectively. RESULTS Network pharmacology and molecular docking revealed the core targets through which rutin ameliorated PMDD characterized by liver qi stagnation syndrome included BDNF, TrkB, PSD65, Syn, etc. The results of experimental validation demonstrated that rutin significantly increased the spontaneous alternation behavior scores of PMDD model rats with liver qi stagnation syndrome during the non-receptive phase, shortened their immobility time during the forced swimming test, and enhanced the density of neuronal dendritic spines in the hippocampal tissues. Additionally, rutin upregulated the levels of serum BDNF and the protein expressions of BDNF, TrkB and Syn in the hippocampal tissues (P<0.05). However, it had no significant effect on the above indexes in model rats during the receptive phase (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Rutin ameliorates depressive symptoms, enhances spatial memory capabilities, and reduces neuronal damage in PMDD model rats with liver qi stagnation syndrome. These effects may be associated with the activation of BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway and upregulation of Syn protein expression.
9.The Regulatory Role of Glucose Transporter 1 on the Function of Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells Under Ischemia-hypoxic Conditions
Meiling LI ; Siqi GAO ; Zhefu LIU ; Huanyan LIAO ; Fanmao LIU ; Wenhao XIA ; Jun GUO ; Yan LI
Journal of Sun Yat-sen University(Medical Sciences) 2025;46(3):444-455
Abstract: ObjectiveThe study aims to explore the effects and regulatory roles of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) on the proliferation, migration, adhesion, and angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) under ischemia-hypoxic conditions. MethodsIn vitro experiments were conducted to subject HUVECs to an ischemia-hypoxic-mimicking environment (1% O2, 5% CO2, 94% N2). The biological characteristics of HUVECs under normoxic and ischemia-hypoxic conditions were compared by assessing cell viability, proliferation capacity, and examining the expression changes of GLUT1, HIF-1α, and VEGFA proteins under ischemia-hypoxia using Western blot technology. Further, GLUT1 was overexpressed using plasmid transfection and the proliferation, migration, adhesion, and angiogenic capabilities of HUVECs were evaluated through scratch assays, cell adhesion assays, and tube formation assays. Mitochondrial morphological changes were observed by transmission electron microscopy,and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) was detected by Seahorse metabolic analyzer to evaluate mitochondrial function. ResultsCompared with normoxic conditions, the ischemia-hypoxic environment significantly inhibited the proliferation, cell viability, migration, and adhesion capabilities of HUVECs and impaired their angiogenic potential. The expression levels of GLUT1, HIF-1α and VEGFA proteins were also markedly reduced. However, when GLUT1 expression was upregulated, the migration, adhesion, and angiogenic capabilities of HUVECs were significantly improved, and the protein expression levels of HIF-1α, VEGFA and VEGFR were increased. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that ischemic-hypoxia leads to mitochondrial swelling and matrix damage, while GLUT1 overexpression significantly alleviates mitochondrial morphology abnormalities. OCR results suggest that GLUT1 overexpression may enhance oxidative phosphorylation of endothelial cells in ischemic-hypoxic environments to improve energy metabolism. These results suggest that GLUT1 may influence the function and angiogenic potential of HUVECs by regulating glucose metabolism and energy supply. ConclusionsThis study reveals the significant regulatory role of GLUT1 in the function of HUVECs under ischemia-hypoxic conditions, potentially through modulating cellular energy metabolism and signal transduction pathways, thereby affecting cell proliferation, migration, adhesion, and angiogenesis. These findings provide a new perspective on the role of GLUT1 in cardiovascular diseases and may offer potential targets for the development of new therapeutic strategies.
10.Mechanism of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwutang in Treatment of Sarcopenia Associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis by Improving Skeletal Muscle Homeostasis Through Regulation of Autophagy
Yakun WAN ; Yuan LIU ; Yuan QU ; Jingyu GUO ; Ting LIU ; Zhihui BAI ; Di ZHANG ; Ping JIANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(16):12-23
ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the mechanism of action of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwutang in treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-associated sarcopenia by regulating autophagy and improving skeletal muscle homeostasis based on network pharmacology,bioinformatics,machine learning,and animal experiments. MethodsActive ingredients and targets of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwutang were screened using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP),PubChem,and SwissTargetPrediction databases. RA-related datasets were retrieved from the GEO database,and differential genes were screened. Sarcopenia-related targets were searched through GeneCards and the Comparative Toxicology Database (CTD),and autophagy-related gene sets were downloaded from the Human Autophagy Database (HADb). Their intersection was analyzed to identify autophagy-related therapeutic targets,followed by enrichment analysis. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the STRING database,and key targets were selected using multiple methods. Machine learning was applied to predict models based on the expression profiles of intersecting targets,and nomogram models were constructed based on key targets. Molecular docking of the top four active ingredients with key targets was performed using AutoDockVina. A collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rat model was established using bovine type Ⅱ collagen,with SD rats divided into groups including a blank group,a model group,and low-,medium-,and high-dose groups of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwutang (2.44,4.88,and 9.76 g·kg-1) and administered for five consecutive weeks. Joint scores and gastrocnemius muscle mass were recorded and analyzed after modeling. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and Masson's staining were used to observe pathological changes in muscle tissue. Immunofluorescence staining was applied to observe the protein expression levels of myosin heavy chain (MYHC) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in skeletal muscle. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of autophagy-related proteins ATG5,Beclin1,LC3B,muscle-specific proteins (MuRF1),MaFbx,and MYHC. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (Real-time PCR) was performed to measure the mRNA expression levels of ATG5,Beclin1,LC3B,MuRF1,MaFbx,and MYHC in muscle tissue. ResultsNetwork pharmacology revealed that Huangqi Guizhi Wuwutang shared 25 common targets with autophagy genes related to RA-associated sarcopenia. The PPI network and machine learning identified six key targets,which were primarily involved in autophagy and inflammatory pathways. Animal experiments showed that compared to the blank group,the model group had significantly higher joint scores (P<0.01) and lower gastrocnemius muscle index (P<0.01). HE staining indicated a significant reduction in the cross-sectional area of gastrocnemius muscle fibers,with notable inflammatory cell infiltration and muscle atrophy in the model group. Masson's staining revealed obvious collagen fiber proliferation and deposition,with significant muscle fibrosis in the model group. The protein and mRNA expression levels of ATG5,Beclin1,LC3B,MuRF1,and MaFbx were significantly increased (P<0.01),while the protein expression of MYHC and IGF1 was significantly downregulated (P<0.01). Compared with the model group,the high-dose group of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwutang showed significantly reduced protein and mRNA expression levels of ATG5,Beclin1,LC3B,MuRF1,and MaFbx (P<0.01) and increased protein expression levels of MYHC and IGF1 (P<0.01). The cross-sectional area of muscle fibers increased,and the muscle cell morphology approached normal. Moreover,pathological abnormalities in the gastrocnemius muscle were significantly improved,with reduced collagen fiber proliferation (P<0.01). ConclusionHuangqi Guizhi Wuwutang can mediate autophagy by regulating the expression of ATG5,Beclin1,LC3B,and IGF1,thereby reducing skeletal muscle catabolism and improving skeletal muscle homeostasis,which contributes to the treatment of RA-associated sarcopenia. The findings provide insight into the mechanisms underlying the effects of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwutang in the treatment of RA-related sarcopenia and offer a reference for its enhanced clinical application.


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