1.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.
2.Targeted therapies and immunotherapies for unresectable cholangiocarcinoma.
Shengbai XUE ; Weihua JIANG ; Jingyu MA ; Haiyan XU ; Yanling WANG ; Wenxin LU ; Daiyuan SHENTU ; Jiujie CUI ; Maolan LI ; Liwei WANG
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(16):1904-1926
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a fatal malignancy with steadily increasing incidence and poor prognosis. Since most CCA cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, systemic therapies, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, play a crucial role in the management of unresectable CCA. The recent advances in targeted therapies and immunotherapies brought more options in the clinical management of unresectable CCA. This review depicts the advances of targeted therapies and immunotherapies for unresectable CCA, summarizes crucial clinical trials, and describes the efficacy and safety of different drugs, which may help further develop precision and individualization in the clinical treatment of unresectable CCA.
Humans
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Cholangiocarcinoma/drug therapy*
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Immunotherapy/methods*
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Bile Duct Neoplasms/drug therapy*
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Molecular Targeted Therapy/methods*
3.Discovery of a potential hematologic malignancies therapy: Selective and potent HDAC7 PROTAC degrader targeting non-enzymatic function.
Yuheng JIN ; Xuxin QI ; Xiaoli YU ; Xirui CHENG ; Boya CHEN ; Mingfei WU ; Jingyu ZHANG ; Hao YIN ; Yang LU ; Yihui ZHOU ; Ao PANG ; Yushen LIN ; Li JIANG ; Qiuqiu SHI ; Shuangshuang GENG ; Yubo ZHOU ; Xiaojun YAO ; Linjie LI ; Haiting DUAN ; Jinxin CHE ; Ji CAO ; Qiaojun HE ; Xiaowu DONG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(3):1659-1679
HDAC7, a member of class IIa HDACs, plays a pivotal regulatory role in tumor, immune, fibrosis, and angiogenesis, rendering it a potential therapeutic target. Nevertheless, due to the high similarity in the enzyme active sites of class IIa HDACs, inhibitors encounter challenges in discerning differences among them. Furthermore, the substitution of key residue in the active pocket of class IIa HDACs renders them pseudo-enzymes, leading to a limited impact of enzymatic inhibitors on their function. In this study, proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology was employed to develop HDAC7 drugs. We developed an exceedingly selective HDAC7 PROTAC degrader B14 which showcased superior inhibitory effects on cell proliferation compared to TMP269 in various diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Subsequent investigations unveiled that B14 disrupts BCL6 forming a transcriptional inhibition complex by degrading HDAC7, thereby exerting proliferative inhibition in DLBCL. Our study broadened the understanding of the non-enzymatic functions of HDAC7 and underscored the importance of HDAC7 in the treatment of hematologic malignancies, particularly in DLBCL and AML.
4.Phenotypic screening uncovered anti-myocardial fibrosis candidates using a novel 3D myocardial tissue under hypoxia.
Jingyu WANG ; Xiangning LIU ; Rongxin ZHU ; Ying SUN ; Boyang JIAO ; Keyan WANG ; Yong JIANG ; Yong WANG ; Chun LI ; Wei WANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(6):3008-3024
Myocardial fibrosis (MF) is a common pathological hallmark of cardiovascular diseases, reflecting shared mechanisms in their progression. However, the lack of reliable MF models that accurately mimic its pathogenesis has hindered drug discovery, highlighting the urgent need for more effective therapeutic agents. Herein, a novel contractile three-dimensional (3D) myocardial tissue model integrating cardiomyocytes, cardiac-fibroblasts, and bone marrow-derived macrophages in collagen hydrogel was developed to simulate the fibrotic changes of cardiovascular disease, and facilitate the screening of anti-MF compounds. The 3D myocardial tissue model exhibited precise, visualizable, and quantifiable contractile characteristics under hypoxia and drug interventions. 76 compounds extracted from the resins of Toxicodendron vernicifluum, a traditional Chinese medicine with clear clinical benefits for fibrotic diseases, were screened for anti-fibrotic activity. Using an in vitro 3D oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)-treated myocardial tissue model instead of a two-dimensional transforming growth factor-β treated cardiac-fibroblasts model, two candidates including LQ-40 and SQ-3 exert impressive anti-MF activity, which was further validated in left anterior descending coronary artery ligation-induced MF mouse model. The current results demonstrate the feasibility and advantage of the novel contractile 3D tissue model with multi-cell types in discovering candidates for MF, further stressing the great potential of regulating macrophages in the treatment of MF.
5.ALKBH5 exacerbates psoriatic dermatitis in mice by promoting angiogenesis.
Chengfang ZHANG ; Fei LI ; Bao CHAI ; Jian JIANG ; Yinlian ZHANG ; Xuemei LI ; Jingyu ZHANG ; Yuqiong HUANG ; Zilin JIN ; Yixuan Wang WAN ; Suwen LIU ; Nan YU ; Hongxiang CHEN
Frontiers of Medicine 2025;19(4):653-664
Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, and its pathogenesis is largely modulated by abnormal angiogenesis. Previous research has indicated that AlkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5), an important demethylase affecting N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification, plays a role in regulating angiogenesis in cardiovascular and eye diseases. Our present study found that ALKBH5 was upregulated and co-localized with cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31) in the skin of IMQ group compared with control group. ALKBH5-deficient mice decreased IMQ-induced psoriatic dermatitis and exhibited histological improvements, including decreased epidermal thickness, hyperkeratosis, numbers of dermal capillary vessels and inflammatory cell infiltration. ALKBH5-KO mice alleviated angiogenesis in psoriatic lesions by downregulating the protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Additionally, the expression of ALKBH5 was significantly upregulated in IL-17A-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), which further promoted the expression of angiogenesis-related cytokines and endothelial cell proliferation. Cell proliferation and angiogenesis were suppressed in ALKBH5 knockdown group, whereas ALKBH5 overexpression promoted these processes. The regulation of angiogenesis in HUVECs by ALKBH5 was facilitated through the AKT-mTOR pathway. Collectively, ALKBH5 plays a pivotal role in psoriatic dermatitis and angiogenesis, which may offer a new potential targets for treating psoriasis.
Animals
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Psoriasis/chemically induced*
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Mice
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Humans
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Neovascularization, Pathologic/genetics*
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Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells/metabolism*
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AlkB Homolog 5, RNA Demethylase/genetics*
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism*
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TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism*
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Cell Proliferation
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Mice, Knockout
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Disease Models, Animal
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Signal Transduction
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Male
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Skin/blood supply*
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Angiogenesis
6.Signal interference between drugs and metabolites in LC-ESI-MS quantitative analysis and its evaluation strategy
Jiang FULIN ; Liu JINGYU ; Li YAGANG ; Lu ZIHAN ; Liu QIAN ; Xing YUNHUI ; Zhu JANSHON ; Huang MIN ; Zhong GUOPING
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2024;14(7):1024-1034
Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry(LC-ESI-MS)is a widely utilized technique for in vivo pharmaceutical analysis.Ionization interference within electrospray ion source,occurring between drugs and metabolites,can lead to signal variations,potentially compromising quantitative accuracy.Currently,method validation often overlooks this type of signal interference,which may result in systematic errors in quantitative results without matrix-matched calibration.In this study,we conducted an investigation using ten different groups of drugs and their corresponding me-tabolites across three LC-ESI-MS systems to assess the prevalence of signal interference.Such in-terferences can potentially cause or enhance nonlinearity in the calibration curves of drugs and metabolites,thereby altering the relationship between analyte response and concentration for quanti-fication.Finally,we established an evaluation scheme through a step-by-step dilution assay and employed three resolution methods:chromatographic separation,dilution,and stable labeled isotope internal standards correction.The above strategies were integrated into the method establishment process to improve quantitative accuracy.
7.Analysis of the Role of Pepsin in Vocal Cord Polyp and Vocal Cord Cancer
Jingyu GAO ; Renjing LUO ; Biao RUAN ; Chaowu JIANG ; Zhuohui LIU ; Ruiqing LONG ; Qiulin LIANG ; Ce ZHANG ; Lu SU ; Peng LI
Journal of Audiology and Speech Pathology 2024;32(1):21-24
Objective To investigate the expression of pepsin in vocal cord polyps and vocal cord cancer,and to compare the difference of pepsin expression.Methods From May 2020 to December 2021,27 patients with vocal cord polyp,27 patients with vocal cord cancer and 23 healthy volunteers were selected.RSI and RFS scoring scales were used for scoring,pepsin detection kit was used for saliva pepsin detection,and immunohistochemical methods were used to detect the expression of pepsin in vocal cord tissues of patients with vocal cord polyps and vocal cord cancer.Results The RSI score,RFS score and pepsin test kit results of vocal cord polyp group and vocal cord canc-er group were higher than those of non-vocal cord disease group,and the differences of the three indexes were statis-tically significant(P<0.05).RSI score,pepsin detection kit results and pepsin immunohistochemistry results of vocal cord polyp group showed no significant difference compared with vocal cord cancer group(P>0.05).The RFS score of vocal cord polyp group was significantly different from that of vocal cord cancer group(P<0.05).Conclusion Pepsin may be an important pathogenic factor of vocal cord polyp and vocal cord cancer,and play an im-portant role in the occurrence of these two diseases.The difference of pepsin expression in vocal cord polyp and vo-cal cord cancer suggests that pepsin may have different pathogenesis.
8.Application of Eurorad database in the teaching of radiology in standardized residency training: A case study of teaching film-reading
Jingyu ZHONG ; Qinhua MIN ; Caisong ZHU ; Zhenmin JIANG ; Yifan WANG ; Huan ZHANG ; Weiwu YAO
Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research 2024;23(1):134-139
The teaching of radiology in standardized residency training needs a large number of case data to strengthen the subjective understanding and awareness of residents. The database built by residency training bases can meet the needs of teaching to a certain extent, but the conditions of training bases vary across regions, which makes it difficult to achieve homogeneity in the teaching of radiology. This article discusses the application of Eurorad database in the teaching of radiology in standardized residency training. This database is free of charge, reliable, and comprehensive and provides a large number of free reliable cases and images for teaching, covering both common and rare diseases. Moreover, it can also be used to cultivate the English ability and comprehensive quality of residents and help to establish a hierarchical training system for radiology and non-radiology residents, thereby promoting the improvement in the quality of standardized residency training. This article shows the potential value of Eurorad database in the teaching of radiology in standardized residency training, and comparative studies are needed in the future to further prove its effectiveness.
9.Effects of Zamerovimab/Mazorelvimab on the rabies virus neutralizing antibody level in the grade Ⅲ rabies post exposure subjects
Xiuqing WANG ; Yongxian ZHA ; Zhengxiong WANG ; Ya JIANG ; Xiangyu ZHANG ; Jiangshu GUO ; Jingyu LI ; Xiaoqiang LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental and Clinical Virology 2024;38(4):388-394
Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the immunoprotective effect of anti-rabies virus cocktail monoclonal antibody Zamerovimab/Mazorelvimab after rabies exposure.Methods:The dynamic data of rabies virus neutralizing antibody (RVNA) were analyzed in the Zamerovimab/Mazorelvimab Chinese phase Ⅲ study (clinical trial registration number: CTR20201819).Results:The full analysis set showed that RVNA geometric mean titers (GMT) on the 4 th, 8 th, 15 th, 43 rd, and 99 th day in the Zamerovimab/Mazorelvimab group were 4.413 IU/ml, 5.178 IU/ml, 17.062 IU/ml, 14.672 IU/ml, and 2.836 IU/ml, respectively, while those in the human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) group were 0.299 IU/ml, 0.451 IU/ml, 11.374 IU/ml, 18.063 IU/ml, and 6.769 IU/ml, respectively. The positive rates of RVNA on the 4 th, 8 th, 15 th, 43 rd, and 99 th day in the Zamerovimab/Mazorelvimab group were 99.9%, 99.6%, 100%, 100%, and 97.4%, respectively, while those in the HRIG group were 23.3%, 34.1%, 97.6%, 99.6%, and 98.4%, respectively. Conclusions:Compared with HRIG, Zamerovimab/Mazorelvimab cocktail monoclonal antibody reached the required protection level of RVNA very soon, thus effectively provided an immediate neutralizing effect of passive immunization therapies against rabies virus.
10.Expert consensus on limb management of patients with transvenous temporary cardiac pacing
Radioactive Interventional Nursing Professional Committee of Chinese Nursing Association ; Huafen LIU ; Jiali ZHOU ; Zheng HUANG ; Zhixia ZHANG ; Jingyu LIANG ; Zhongxiang CAI ; Fuhong CHEN ; Yunying ZHOU ; Yunyan XIANYU ; Lin YAN ; Huidan YU ; Huizhen PENG ; Jian ZHU ; Yuan TIAN ; Yan ZHANG ; Hejun JIANG ; Su ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2024;59(13):1581-1583
Objective To form the expert consensus on the limb management of patients with transvenous temporary cardiac pacing,standardize the limb management of patients with transvenous temporary cardiac pacing,and reduce complications related to the limb.Methods Using evidence-based methods,the evidence in this field was searched,evaluated and summarized,and relevant recommendations and research conclusions were extracted and classified by the level of evidence quality,and then the first draft of the consensus was formed.From December 2023 to January 2024,through 2 rounds of expert consultation and 4 rounds of expert meetings,the content was adjusted and the consensus was reached.Results Totally 16 experts participated in the consultation.The positive coefficient is 100%;the authoritative coefficient is 0.847 and 0.836;the average value of each index is more than>3.8;the coefficient of variation is less than 0.21.The Kendall's harmony coefficient of the 2 rounds of expert consultation is 0.372 and 0.314,respectively,which were statistically significant.The consensus covers the preoperative,intraoperative and postoperative on limb management of patients with transvenous temporary cardiac pacing.Totally 11 themes were involved,including the preoperative preparation,position and catheter fixation in operation,position and catheter fixation in postoperative,activity,turn and transfer,duty shift on limb,nursing care after withdrawal of the catheter,prevention of deep vein thrombosis of the operative limb and prevent infection.Conclusion The consensus is highly scientific,and it is helpful to standardize the limb management of patients with transvenous temporary cardiac pacing.

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