1.Research progress of non-insulin hypoglycemic drugs in the treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus
Zejie XU ; Jiaoni ZHENG ; Jing LUO ; Liangyu WANG ; Wei YAN ; Qiang HE ; Xuefeng SHAN
China Pharmacy 2026;37(2):263-267
Traditional treatment for type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) primarily involves insulin replacement, yet some patients encounter issues such as significant blood glucose fluctuations, high risk of hypoglycemia, and weight gain. In recent years, the adjuvant therapeutic role of non-insulin hypoglycemic drugs in T1DM has gradually gained attention. This article reviews the mechanisms of action and clinical research progress of five types of non-insulin hypoglycemic drugs in the treatment of T1DM: amylin analogues (pramlintide), biguanides (metformin), sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor, and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist. It is found that these drugs can enhance clinical benefits for T1DM patients by improving insulin sensitivity, delaying gastric emptying, promoting urinary glucose excretion, and regulating incretin levels, thereby reducing glycated hemoglobin levels, decreasing insulin dosage, and managing body weight. Simultaneously, these drugs also present limitations such as low patient compliance due to complex dosing regimens, increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis, and heterogeneity in glycemic control. Future research could focus on developing individualized treatment strategies, combining pharmacogenomics with novel biomarkers to precisely identify subpopulations of patients who may benefit, and delving into the potential value of these drugs in delaying diabetic vascular complications and improving patients’ quality of life.
2.Effect of Huanglian Jiedutang on Focal Cerebral Ischemia-reperfusion Injury in Mice and Its Impact on Oligodendrocyte-related Gene Expression
Zijin SUN ; Kai WANG ; Haojia ZHANG ; Linjing SONG ; Zhaoyi WANG ; Wenxiu XU ; Jing JI ; Yonglin SHAN ; Qianqian SHI ; Xueqian WANG ; Fafeng CHENG ; Qingguo WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(8):54-63
ObjectiveTo evaluate the therapeutic effects of Huanglian Jiedutang on cerebral infarction injury in a mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and to explore its mechanism of action on oligodendrocytes, particularly its potential in myelin repair. MethodsMultiple experimental approaches were used to evaluate cerebral ischemic injury and the effects of drug intervention. Laser speckle imaging was used to detect changes in cerebral blood flow, 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was used to measure infarct volume, and neurological function was scored according to the Zea-Longa criteria. Brain tissues were routinely embedded in paraffin and subjected to HE and Nissl staining to observe tissue structure and neuronal damage. Animals were divided into a sham group (n=24), model group (n=24), Huanglian Jiedutang group (n=24), and Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) group (n=18). After 1 week of acclimatization, intragastric administration was initiated. The sham and model groups received normal saline, the Huanglian Jiedutang group was administered 1.82 g·kg-1, and the GBE group was administered 0.432 g·kg-1 after preparation as a 2.16 g·L-1 solution. All groups were treated for 5 consecutive days at a dose of 0.2 mL·(10 g)-¹·d-¹. The MCAO model was established after the final administration on day 6. Single-cell RNA sequencing was used to analyze brain tissue cellular composition and changes in oligodendrocyte subpopulations. Distinct subpopulations were identified by Uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP) dimensionality reduction and unsupervised clustering, and marker gene expression was analyzed. Pathway enrichment and causal inference were further performed using IPA. Finally, real-time quantitative PCR was used to verify mRNA expression changes of myelin-related genes. ResultsCompared with the sham group, the model group showed significantly increased neurological function scores (P<0.01), significantly impaired blood flow (P<0.01), significantly enlarged cerebral infarct area (P<0.01), and pathological changes including disordered cortical structural arrangement, aggravated cytoplasmic vacuolization, and increased Nissl bodies. Compared with the model group, the Huanglian Jiedutang and GBE groups showed significantly decreased neurological function scores (P<0.01), markedly restored blood flow levels (P<0.01), significantly reduced cerebral infarct area (P<0.01), and improvement in cortical structural disorder, alleviation of cytoplasmic vacuolization, and a reduction in Nissl bodies. Single-cell data showed that a myelin-associated oligodendrocyte (Mye-OL) subpopulation existed among oligodendrocytes, which was closely related to myelin generation. Compared with the sham group, the number of Mye-OL cells decreased in the model group. Compared with the model group, the number of Mye-OL cells increased in the Huanglian Jiedutang group. This subpopulation promoted the expression of myelin-related genes, including MOG, MBP, and MAG, via transcription factors such as OLIG1, OLIG2, NKX2-2, and SOX10, thereby regulating myelin generation, restoring cognition, and exerting therapeutic effects on acute cerebral infarction. Compared with the sham group, the mRNA expression levels of OLIG1, OLIG2, NKX2-2, and SOX10 were significantly downregulated in the model group (P<0.01), and the mRNA expression levels of myelin-related genes, including MOG, MBP, and MAG, were also significantly downregulated (P<0.01). In contrast, compared with the model group, the Huanglian Jiedutang and GBE groups showed significantly upregulated mRNA expression levels of OLIG1, OLIG2, NKX2-2, and SOX10 (P<0.01), and significantly upregulated mRNA expression levels of myelin-related genes, including MOG, MBP, and MAG (P<0.01). ConclusionHuanglian Jiedutang exerts therapeutic effects on acute cerebral infarction by regulating the OLIG1/2-NKX2-2-SOX10 signaling pathway to promote myelin generation by Mye-OL cells.
3.Effect of Huanglian Jiedutang on Focal Cerebral Ischemia-reperfusion Injury in Mice and Its Impact on Oligodendrocyte-related Gene Expression
Zijin SUN ; Kai WANG ; Haojia ZHANG ; Linjing SONG ; Zhaoyi WANG ; Wenxiu XU ; Jing JI ; Yonglin SHAN ; Qianqian SHI ; Xueqian WANG ; Fafeng CHENG ; Qingguo WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(8):54-63
ObjectiveTo evaluate the therapeutic effects of Huanglian Jiedutang on cerebral infarction injury in a mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and to explore its mechanism of action on oligodendrocytes, particularly its potential in myelin repair. MethodsMultiple experimental approaches were used to evaluate cerebral ischemic injury and the effects of drug intervention. Laser speckle imaging was used to detect changes in cerebral blood flow, 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was used to measure infarct volume, and neurological function was scored according to the Zea-Longa criteria. Brain tissues were routinely embedded in paraffin and subjected to HE and Nissl staining to observe tissue structure and neuronal damage. Animals were divided into a sham group (n=24), model group (n=24), Huanglian Jiedutang group (n=24), and Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) group (n=18). After 1 week of acclimatization, intragastric administration was initiated. The sham and model groups received normal saline, the Huanglian Jiedutang group was administered 1.82 g·kg-1, and the GBE group was administered 0.432 g·kg-1 after preparation as a 2.16 g·L-1 solution. All groups were treated for 5 consecutive days at a dose of 0.2 mL·(10 g)-¹·d-¹. The MCAO model was established after the final administration on day 6. Single-cell RNA sequencing was used to analyze brain tissue cellular composition and changes in oligodendrocyte subpopulations. Distinct subpopulations were identified by Uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP) dimensionality reduction and unsupervised clustering, and marker gene expression was analyzed. Pathway enrichment and causal inference were further performed using IPA. Finally, real-time quantitative PCR was used to verify mRNA expression changes of myelin-related genes. ResultsCompared with the sham group, the model group showed significantly increased neurological function scores (P<0.01), significantly impaired blood flow (P<0.01), significantly enlarged cerebral infarct area (P<0.01), and pathological changes including disordered cortical structural arrangement, aggravated cytoplasmic vacuolization, and increased Nissl bodies. Compared with the model group, the Huanglian Jiedutang and GBE groups showed significantly decreased neurological function scores (P<0.01), markedly restored blood flow levels (P<0.01), significantly reduced cerebral infarct area (P<0.01), and improvement in cortical structural disorder, alleviation of cytoplasmic vacuolization, and a reduction in Nissl bodies. Single-cell data showed that a myelin-associated oligodendrocyte (Mye-OL) subpopulation existed among oligodendrocytes, which was closely related to myelin generation. Compared with the sham group, the number of Mye-OL cells decreased in the model group. Compared with the model group, the number of Mye-OL cells increased in the Huanglian Jiedutang group. This subpopulation promoted the expression of myelin-related genes, including MOG, MBP, and MAG, via transcription factors such as OLIG1, OLIG2, NKX2-2, and SOX10, thereby regulating myelin generation, restoring cognition, and exerting therapeutic effects on acute cerebral infarction. Compared with the sham group, the mRNA expression levels of OLIG1, OLIG2, NKX2-2, and SOX10 were significantly downregulated in the model group (P<0.01), and the mRNA expression levels of myelin-related genes, including MOG, MBP, and MAG, were also significantly downregulated (P<0.01). In contrast, compared with the model group, the Huanglian Jiedutang and GBE groups showed significantly upregulated mRNA expression levels of OLIG1, OLIG2, NKX2-2, and SOX10 (P<0.01), and significantly upregulated mRNA expression levels of myelin-related genes, including MOG, MBP, and MAG (P<0.01). ConclusionHuanglian Jiedutang exerts therapeutic effects on acute cerebral infarction by regulating the OLIG1/2-NKX2-2-SOX10 signaling pathway to promote myelin generation by Mye-OL cells.
4.Percutaneous endoscopic discectomy with lateral approach and dual-channel method for the treatment of highly free lumbar disc herniation.
Qi-Ming CHEN ; Chun-Hua YU ; Gang CHEN ; Han-Rong XU ; Yi-Biao JING ; Yin-Jiang LU ; Shan-Chun TAO ; Jian-Bo WU
China Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology 2025;38(9):924-929
OBJECTIVE:
To explore clinical efficacy of percutaneous endoscopic discectomy with a lateral approach and dual-channel method in treating highly free lumbar disc herniation(LDH).
METHODS:
A retrospective analysis was conducted on 54 patients with highly free LDH who were treated with spinal endoscopic techniques from January 2021 to December 2022. Twenty-seven patients were treated with lateral approach dual-channel(lateral approach dual-channel group), including 16 males and 11 females, with an average age of (54.6±10.5) years old. Twenty-seven patients were treated with unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE group), including 17 males and 10 females, with an average age of (52.9±12.3) years old. The number of intraoperative fluoroscopy, operation time and hospital stay, as well as visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry diability index (ODI) of low back and leg pain between two patients before operation, 1 day, 1, 3, and 12 months after operation, and the efficacy was evaluated by the modified MacNab criteria at 12 mohths after operation.
RESULTS:
All patients were successfully completed surgical and were followed up, the time raged from 12 to 22 months with an average of (13.57±4.12) months. There was no statistically significant difference in operation time between two groups (P>0.05). The hospital stay of lateral approach dual-channel group was (3.9±1.1) days, which was shorter than that of UBE group (6.5±1.4) days, the number of intraoperative fluoroscopy in lateral approach dual-channel group was (12.7±2.1) times, which was more than that in UBE group (6.6±1.3) times, the differences were statistically significant (t=5.197, -7.532;P<0.05). VAS and ODI for low back pain at 1 day and 1 month after operation, and VAS for leg pain at 1 day after operation of lateral approach dual-channel group were superior to those of UBE group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). However, there were no statistically significant differences in VAS and ODI for low back and leg pain between two groups before operation and 3 and 12 months after operation (P>0.05). VAS and ODI of low back and leg pain were significantly improved at each time point before and after operation in both groups, and the difference were statistically significant (P<0.05). At 12 months after operation, according to the modified MacNab criteria, the excellent and good rates of therapeutic effects between lateral approach dual-channel group and UBE group were 92.6% (25/27) and 88.9% (24/27), respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (χ2=0.22, P>0.05).
CONCLUSION
For patients with highly free lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion, both of lateral approach dual-channel method and UBE endoscopic surgery are safe and effective. Endoscopic surgery with lateral approach and dual-channel method could be performed under local anesthesia, allowing for the removal of the nucleus pulposus under direct vision. It is simpler, more efficient.
Humans
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Male
;
Female
;
Intervertebral Disc Displacement/surgery*
;
Middle Aged
;
Diskectomy, Percutaneous/methods*
;
Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery*
;
Endoscopy/methods*
;
Adult
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Aged
5.Clinical Characteristics and Prognosis Analysis of Patients with Extranasal NK/T-Cell Lymphoma: A Multicenter Retrospective Study of Huaihai Lymphoma Working Group.
Hui-Rong SHAN ; Qing ZHANG ; Ling WANG ; Yu-Ye SHI ; Yu-Qing MIAO ; Tai-Gang ZHU ; Jing-Jing YE ; Xu-Dong ZHANG ; Liang WANG ; Zi-Yuan SHEN ; Wei SANG
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(1):93-100
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of patients with extranasal NK/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL).
METHODS:
The clinical data of 138 patients with NKTCL diagnosed in 10 medical centers of Huaihai Lymphoma Working Group from June 2015 to April 2021 were collected and analyzed retrospectively. The differences in clinicopathological characteristics of patients with different involvement and efficacy of pegaspargase regimen were compared, as well as perform survival analysis.
RESULTS:
A total of 138 extranasal NKTCL patients were included, with a median age of 46 years, and the ratio of males to females was approximately 2∶1. There were 39 patients with gastrointestinal involvement, 32 patients with oropharyngeal involvement, 17 patients with skin involvement, 11 patients with lymph node involvement, 11 patients with orbital involvement, and 28 patients with other parts involvement. Patients with skin involvement had a higher proportion of advanced disease and a lower proportion of CD56 positive rate compared to those with oropharyngeal involvement. Among the patients with gastrointestinal involvement, the survival rate of patients who received pegaspargase regimen was significantly higher than those who were treated without pegaspargase (P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that serum creatinine was an independent prognostic factor for patients with skin involvement ( HR =1.027, 95%CI : 1.001-1.054, P =0.040), ECOG PS and EBV DNA were independent prognostic factors for patients with gastrointestinal involvement ( HR =2.635, 95%CI : 1.096-6.338, P =0.030; HR =4.772, 95% CI : 1.092-20.854, P =0.038), and ECOG PS and CA stage were independent prognostic factors for patients with oropharyngeal involvement ( HR =13.875, 95%CI : 2.517-76.496, P =0.002; HR =20.261, 95%CI : 2.466-166.470, P =0.005).
CONCLUSION
The clinicopathological characteristics of extranasal NKTCL patients with different sites of involvement are vary, and effective individualized treatment need to be further explored.
Adult
;
Aged
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Female
;
Humans
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Male
;
Middle Aged
;
Asparaginase/therapeutic use*
;
Lymphoma, Extranodal NK-T-Cell/pathology*
;
Prognosis
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Survival Rate
;
Polyethylene Glycols
6.PI-RADS v2.1 score combined with PSA density for diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer in the PSA grey zone by MRI-TRUS cognitivefusion-guided transperineal targeted prostate biopsy.
Yue LI ; Shan ZHOU ; Jing CHEN ; Fei MAO ; Xiao-Bing NIU ; Li SUN ; Ming XU ; Jin-Tao LIU
National Journal of Andrology 2025;31(1):50-54
OBJECTIVE:
To assess the value of the Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2.1 (PI-RADS v2.1) score combined with PSA density (PSAD) in the diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer (CSPCa) in the PSA grey zone by MRI-TRUS cognitive fusion-guided transperineal targeted prostate biopsy.
METHODS:
This retrospective study included 327 male patients with total PSA (tPSA) levels of 4-10 μg/L undergoing MRI-TRUS cognitive fusion-guided transperineal targeted prostate biopsy in our hospital between January 2021 and December 2023. According to the pathological results, we divided the patients into a CSPCa (n = 44) and a non-CSPCa group (n = 283), collected their clinical and imaging data, and subjected them to statistical analysis.
RESULTS:
The age, tPSA level, PSAD and PI-RADS score were significantly higher, while the free PSA (fPSA) level, f/tPSA ratio and prostate volume remarkably lower in the CSPCa than in the non-CSPCa group (P<0.05). The areas under the curve (AUCs) of PSAD, PI-RADS score and their combination were 0.772, 0.730 and 0.801, with sensitivities of 63.63%, 70.45% and 72.73%, and specificities of 84.10%, 75.62% and 83.75%, respectively (P<0.01). With PSAD 0.2 μg/(ml·cm3) as the best cut-off value and based on the PI-RADS scores, the patients were divided into two groups for analysis. In the patients with PI-RADS scores 2 and 5, the AUCs were 0.534 and 0.643, with sensitivities of 16.67% and 63.64%, and specificities of 85.14% and 64.29%, with no statistically significant differences (P= 0.784, P= 0.228), and in those with PI-RADS scores 3 and 4, the AUCs were 0.794 and 0.843, with sensitivities of 57.14% and 80.00%, and specificities of 87.14% and 81.82%, with statistically significant differences (P= 0.009, P<0.001).
CONCLUSION
PI-RADS v2.1 score combined with PSAD can effectively improve the diagnostic efficiency of CSPCa in the PSA grey zone by MRI-TRUS cognitive fusion-guided transperineal targeted prostate biopsy and serve as a guide for selection of prostate biopsy.
Humans
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Male
;
Prostatic Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging*
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Prostate-Specific Antigen
;
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
;
Image-Guided Biopsy
;
Prostate/pathology*
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Aged
;
Middle Aged
7.Efficacy and Safety of Chinese Medicine Resuscitation Pack for Enhanced Recovery after Bronchoscopy: A Randomized, Single-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.
Xin-Yuan TAN ; Yao YAO ; Jing-Min XIAO ; Yuan-Bin CHEN ; Ming LIN ; Xiao-Shan ZHANG ; Dan-Yan CAI ; Zhen-Hu WU ; Li-Li SUN ; Fei-Ting FAN ; Yin-Ji XU
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(5):441-447
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a hospital-made resuscitation pack, a Chinese medicinal herbal compound formula designed to enhance recovery in post-bronchoscopy patients.
METHODS:
In this randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, eligible patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to either the treatment or control groups. The patients in the treatment group applied the resuscitation pack, which contained aromatic compounded Chinese herbs. The patients in the control group applied a hospital-made, single herb placebo pack. Packs were placed on the Tiantu (CV 22) acupuncture point for 4 h as soon as the bronchoscopy finished. Efficacy indicators, such as recovery time, patients' symptoms including nausea and dizziness, and adverse events (AEs) were observed and compared. The outcome indices were evaluated at baseline, 1 and 24 h after the bronchoscopy. Subgroup analysis was further performed by patients' age and depth of sedation.
RESULTS:
When applying generalized estimating equations (GEE) to evaluate the intensity of post-bronchoscopy nausea and vomiting, the intensity was lower in the treatment group (163 cases) compared with the control group (162 cases; 95% CI: 0.004, 0.099, P=0.03]. Also, significantly lower intensity of nausea was observed in the 60-70 years of age subgroup (95% CI: 0.029, 0.169, P=0.006) and deep sedation subgroup (95% CI: 0.002, 0.124; P=0.04). There was no significant difference in dizziness between two groups by GEE (95% CI: -0.134, 0.297; P=0.459). In addition, no serious AEs were observed in either group.
CONCLUSIONS
Our study found that the resuscitation pack markedly improved patients' symptoms by reducing nausea and vomiting after bronchoscopy without AEs, compared with placebo in the perioperative period. (Trial registration No. ChiCTR2000038299).
Humans
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Male
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Middle Aged
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Female
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Bronchoscopy/adverse effects*
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Single-Blind Method
;
Aged
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects*
;
Treatment Outcome
;
Resuscitation
;
Adult
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
9.Inhibitory effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on renal inflammation in diabetic nephropathy model mice and its mechanism
Jing CHEN ; Xiaoyi YANG ; Jing CHEN ; Xin SHAN ; Jie WANG ; Huiqin XU ; Zhiyang LYU
China Pharmacy 2024;35(2):186-191
OBJECTIVE To investigate the inhibitory effects of Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) on renal inflammation in diabetic nephropathy (DN) model mice, and its potential mechanism. METHODS KK/Ay mice were fed with high fat and high sugar to induce DN model. They were divided into model group, positive control group [metformin 200 mg/(kg·d)], GBE low-dose and high-dose groups [100, 200 mg/(kg·d)], with 6 mice in each group. Six C57BL/6J mice were fed with a regular diet as the control group. Administration groups were given relevant liquid intragastrically, control group and model group were given constant volume of normal saline intragastrically, once a day, for 8 consecutive weeks. The body weight, fasting blood glucose, 24-hour food intake, 24-hour urine output, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin-12 (IL-12), IL-10, advanced glycation end products (AGEs), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Scr) of mice were measured, and the ratio of bilateral kidneys to body weight was also calculated. The pathological injury and fibrotic changes of the renal cortex were observed, and the expressions of macrophage polarization marker proteins [type M1: inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS); type M2: arginase-1 (Arg-1)] and AGEs-the receptor of advanced glycation end products (RAGE)/Ras homolog gene pharm_chenjing@163.com family member A (RhoA)/Rho-associated coiled-coil forming protein kinase (ROCK) signaling pathway-related proteins were determined in renal cortex. RESULTS Compared with the model group, the symptoms such as renal cortical hyperplasia, vacuoles, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and renal cortical fibrosis had been improved in GBE low-dose and high-dose groups; body weight, serum level of IL-10, the expression of Arg-1 in the renal cortex were significantly higher than model group (P< 0.01); fasting blood glucose, 24-hour food intake, 24-hour urine output, serum levels of MCP-1, IL-12, BUN, Scr and AGEs, the ratio of bilateral kidneys to body weight, renal injury score, the proportion of renal interstitial fibrosis, the protein expressions of iNOS, RAGE, RhoA and ROCK1 (except for GBE low-dose group) in renal cortex were significantly lower than model group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS GBE could improve kidney damage and alleviate inflammatory response in DN model mice, the mechanism of which may be related to inhibiting the AGEs-RAGE/RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway and regulating macrophage polarization.
10.Efficacy and Mechanism of Lutongning Granules in Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia Induced by Injection of Talc into Infraorbital Foramen of Model Rats Based on P2X7R-mediated Neuroinflammation
Qiyue SUN ; Shuran LI ; Shuangrong GAO ; Shanshan GUO ; Zihan GENG ; Lei BAO ; Ronghua ZHAO ; Jingsheng ZHANG ; Bo PANG ; Yingli XU ; Yu ZHANG ; Shan CAO ; Yaxin WANG ; Xiaolan CUI ; Bing HAN ; Jing SUN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(15):56-63
ObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of Lutongning granules in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia in animal models and study its mechanism of action, so as to provide laboratory data support for the clinical application of Lutongning granules and precise treatment. MethodMale SD rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group, carbamazepine group (0.06 g·kg-1·d-1), high-dose Lutongning group (2.70 g·kg-1·d-1), and low-dose Lutongning group (1.35 g·kg-1·d-1) according to the stratified basic mechanical pain thresholds, with 10 rats in each group. A trigeminal neuralgia model of rats was prepared by injecting 30% talc suspension into the infraorbital foramen area of the rat. The drug groups were administered 10 mL·kg-1 of drugs by gavage after 2 h of modeling. The normal group and the model group were administered distilled water by gavage under the same conditions once a day for 10 consecutive days. Von Frey brushes were used to determine the mechanical pain threshold of rats. A fully automated blood and body fluid analyzer was employed to detect the blood routine of rats. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was utilized to detect the pathological changes in the trigeminal ganglion and medulla oblongata tissue. Transmission electron microscopy was used to scan the ultrastructure of the medulla oblongata tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the levels of inflammatory factors interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, neuropeptide substance P, and β-endorphins (β-EP) in the serum of rats, and Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of IL-1β, purinergic receptor P2X7 (P2X7R), and phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-p38 MAPK). ResultCompared with that in the normal group, the pain threshold of rats in the model group was significantly lower (P<0.01). The absolute value of neutrophils (NEUT#) and the percentage of neutrophils (NEUT) were significantly improved, and the percentage of lymphocytes (LYMPH) was significantly reduced (P<0.01). The serum levels of IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α were significantly increased (P<0.01). SP content in brain tissue was significantly increased, and β-EP content was significantly decreased (P<0.01). The relative protein expression of IL-1β, P2X7R, and p-p38 MAPK was significantly increased (P<0.05). HE staining and transmission electron microscopy results of medulla oblongata tissue revealed neuronal degeneration, mild proliferation of microglial cells, reduction in the number of myelinated nerves, and obvious demyelination. The trigeminal nerve fibers of rats were disarranged, and some nerve fibers showed vacuolization. Axons were swollen, and Schwann cells proliferated. Demyelination was observed. Compared with the model group, each administration group significantly increased the pain threshold of rats (P<0.05, P<0.01), reduced NEUT# and NEUT, and elevated LYMPH (P<0.05, P<0.01). The administration group significantly decreased the levels of IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α in serum and SP in brain tissue (P<0.01) and increased the level of β-EP (P<0.01). They significantly down-regulated the protein expression of IL-1β, P2X7R, and p-p38 MAPK(P<0.05, P<0.01) and significantly ameliorated the pathological changes in medulla oblongata tissue and trigeminal nerves of rats. ConclusionLutongning Granules had significant therapeutic effects on trigeminal neuralgia induced by injection of talc into the infraorbital foramen of model rats, and the mechanism may be related to amelioration of P2X7R-mediated neuroinflammation and inhibition of demyelination of myelinated nerves.

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