1.Exploring Chemical Constituent Distribution in Blood/Brain(Hippocampus) and Emotional Regulatory Effect of Raw and Vinegar-processed Products of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride
Yi BAO ; Yonggui SONG ; Qianmin LI ; Zhifu AI ; Genhua ZHU ; Ming YANG ; Huanhua XU ; Qin ZHENG ; Yiting HUANG ; Zihan GAO ; Dan SU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(2):189-197
ObjectiveTo investigate the migration and distribution characteristics of chemical constituents in blood and hippocampal tissues before and after vinegar processing of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Viride(CRPV), and to explore the potential material basis and mechanisms underlying their regulatory effects on emotional disorders by comparing the effects of raw and vinegar-processed products of CRPV. MethodsUltra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) was employed to characterize and identify the chemical constituents of raw and vinegar-processed products of CRPV extracts, as well as their migrating components in blood and hippocampal tissues after oral administration. Reference standards, databases, and relevant literature were utilized for compound annotation, with data processing performed using PeakView 1.2 software. Seventy male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into seven groups, including the blank group, model group, diazepam group(2.5 mg·kg-1), raw CRPV low/high dose groups(0.6, 1.2 g·kg-1), and vinegar-processed CRPV low/high dose groups(0.6, 1.2 g·kg-1), with 10 mice per group. Except for the blank group, all other groups underwent chronic restraint stress(2 h·d-1) for 20 d. Each drug-treated group received oral administration at the predetermined dose starting 10 d after modeling, with a total treatment duration of 10 d. Following model-based drug administration, mice underwent open-field, forced swimming, and elevated plus maze tests. After anesthesia with isoflurane, whole brains were collected from each group of mice, and hippocampi were dissected. Reactive oxygen species(ROS) level in hippocampal tissues was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was used to observe hippocampal tissue morphology. Immunofluorescence was performed to detect neuronal nuclei(NeuN) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha(PPARα) expressions in hippocampal tissue. Then, pharmacodynamic evaluations were conducted to assess the effects of raw and vinegar-processed CRPV on mood disorders, exploring the potential mechanisms. ResultsVinegar processing caused significant changes in the chemical composition of CRPV, with 18 components showing increased relative content and 35 components showing decreased relative content. The primary changes occurred in flavonoid compounds, including 20 flavonoids, 20 flavonoid glycosides, 3 triterpenes, 3 phenolic acids, 1 alkaloid, and 6 other compounds. Twenty-one components were detected in blood(15 methoxyflavones, 4 flavonoid glycosides, and 2 phenolic acids), with 17 shared between raw and vinegar-processed CRPV. Seven components reached hippocampal tissues(all common to both forms). In regulating emotional disorders, Vinegar-processed CRPV exhibited superior antidepressant-like effects compared to raw products. HE staining revealed that both treatments improved hippocampal neuronal morphology, particularly in the damaged CA1 and CA3 regions. Immunofluorescence and ELISA analyses demonstrated that both raw and vinegar-processed CRPV significantly modulated NeuN and PPARα expressions in hippocampal tissue while alleviating oxidative stress induced by excessive ROS(P<0.05). ConclusionThe chemical composition of CRPV undergoes changes after vinegar processing, but the migrating components in blood and hippocampus are primarily methoxyflavonoids. These components may serve as the potential material basis for activating the PPARα pathway, thereby negatively regulating ROS generation in the hippocampus, reducing oxidative stress, and promoting the development of NeuN-positive neurons. These findings provide experimental evidence for enhancing quality standards, pharmacodynamic material research, and active drug development of raw and vinegar-processed CRPV.
2.Mechanisms of Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo Prescription in Improving Renal Fibrosis in Rats with Chronic Kidney Disease Based on PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway
Xincui BAO ; Baosheng ZHAO ; Lingling QIN ; Haiyan WANG ; Jing YANG ; You WANG ; Lijia WU ; Yujin LI ; Ming GAO ; Cuiyan LYU ; Tonghua LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(6):100-108
ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription improves renal fibrosis in rats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. MethodsSeventy specific pathogen-free (SPF) Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a control group (n=15) and a modeling group (n=55). Rats in the modeling group were administered a 2.5% adenine suspension at a dose of 200 mg·kg-1·d-1 by gavage for 4 weeks to establish a CKD model. Successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into a model group, an irbesartan group (20.25 mg·kg-1·d-1), and Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription low-, medium-, and high-dose groups (5.82, 11.64, and 23.28 g·kg-1·d-1, respectively), with 10 rats in each group. Each group was administered an equal volume of physiological saline, the corresponding concentration of irbesartan, or Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription by gavage for 12 weeks. Body weight and renal function indices were dynamically monitored. Serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), 24-hour urinary total protein (24 hUTP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer. Renal histopathological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Masson staining. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect the expression of PI3K, Akt, phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), and mTOR in renal tissues. Western blot was performed to assess the protein expression of PI3K, p-Akt, Akt, phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR), and mTOR in renal tissues. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was used to determine the mRNA expression levels of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR in renal tissues. ResultsCompared with the model group, rats in the irbesartan group and the low-, medium-, and high-dose Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription groups showed significantly decreased levels of SCr, BUN, ACR, 24 hUTP, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α (P<0.01). AST levels were significantly increased (P<0.01), while no significant difference was observed in ALT levels. Histopathological examination revealed that, compared with the model group, renal tubular epithelial cell edema and necrosis and Bowman's capsule dilation were alleviated, inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced, and interstitial and glomerular fibrosis was markedly improved in all treatment groups, with the most pronounced effect observed in the high-dose Bushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription group. Real-time PCR results showed that mRNA expression levels of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR were significantly downregulated in the high-dose group (P<0.01). IHC results demonstrated that PI3K and p-Akt expression levels in renal tissues were significantly decreased in the high-dose group (P<0.01). Western blot analysis further confirmed that the expression levels of PI3K, p-Akt/Akt, and p-mTOR/mTOR were significantly reduced in the high-dose group (P<0.01). ConclusionBushen Tongluo Jiangzhuo prescription improves renal function indices in CKD rats, reduces collagen deposition in renal tissues, and decreases serum inflammatory factor levels. Its protective effect on renal function may be achieved by activating autophagy through downregulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, thereby alleviating renal fibrosis.
3.Mechanism of in Vitro and in vivo Models of Osteoporosis Regulation by Active Ingredients of Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Review
Ming YANG ; Jinji WANG ; Xuefeng ZHUANG ; Xiaolei FANG ; Zhijie ZHU ; Huiwei BAO ; Lijing LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(3):281-289
Osteoporosis is a common bone disease, whose incidence is still on the rise, posing great challenges to patients and society. This review mainly studies the pathogenesis of osteoporosis from the aspects of oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and glucolipotoxicity-induced injury and clarifies the efficacy and mechanism of some active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine against osteoporosis through the integration of in vitro and in vivo experiments. The experimental results suggest that some active ingredients can improve bone resorption markers and maintain bone homeostasis by modulating inflammation, oxidative stress, etc. These active ingredients regulate osteoporosis through the receptor activator of nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) ligand (RANKL) pathway, osteoprotegerin (OPG) pathway, Wnt/β-catenin pathway, NF-κB pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, and oxidative stress pathway. This review provides ideas for the progress of the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis with the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine, aiming to provide new potential lead compounds and reference for the development of innovative drugs and clinical therapy for the treatment of osteoporosis.
4.Lcn2 secreted by macrophages through NLRP3 signaling pathway induced severe pneumonia.
Mingya LIU ; Feifei QI ; Jue WANG ; Fengdi LI ; Qi LV ; Ran DENG ; Xujian LIANG ; Shasha ZHOU ; Pin YU ; Yanfeng XU ; Yaqing ZHANG ; Yiwei YAN ; Ming LIU ; Shuyue LI ; Guocui MOU ; Linlin BAO
Protein & Cell 2025;16(2):148-155
5.Occupational Hazard Factors and the Trajectory of Fasting Blood Glucose Changes in Chinese Male Steelworkers Based on Environmental Risk Scores: A Prospective Cohort Study.
Ming Xia ZOU ; Wei DU ; Qin KANG ; Yu Hao XIA ; Nuo Yun ZHANG ; Liu FENG ; Fei Yue LI ; Tian Cheng MA ; Ya Jing BAO ; Hong Min FAN
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(6):666-677
OBJECTIVE:
We aimed to investigate the patterns of fasting blood glucose (FBG) trajectories and analyze the relationship between various occupational hazard factors and FBG trajectories in male steelworkers.
METHODS:
The study cohort included 3,728 workers who met the selection criteria for the Tanggang Occupational Cohort (TGOC) between 2017 and 2022. A group-based trajectory model was used to identify the FBG trajectories. Environmental risk scores (ERS) were constructed using regression coefficients from the occupational hazard model as weights. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the effects of occupational hazard factors using the ERS on FBG trajectories.
RESULTS:
FBG trajectories were categorized into three groups. An association was observed between high temperature, noise exposure, and FBG trajectory ( P < 0.05). Using the first quartile group of ERS1 as a reference, the fourth quartile group of ERS1 had an increased risk of medium and high FBG by 1.90 and 2.21 times, respectively (odds ratio [ OR] = 1.90, 95% confidence interval [ CI]: 1.17-3.10; OR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.09-4.45).
CONCLUSION
An association was observed between occupational hazards based on ERS and FBG trajectories. The risk of FBG trajectory levels increase with an increase in ERS.
Humans
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Male
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Adult
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Blood Glucose/analysis*
;
China
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Prospective Studies
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Occupational Exposure/adverse effects*
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Risk Factors
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Middle Aged
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Steel
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Fasting/blood*
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Metal Workers
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East Asian People
6.Research Progressin Application of Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome.
Fan WU ; Yi MAO ; Chun-Bao LI ; Long-Tao YAN ; Ming-Bo ZHANG
Acta Academiae Medicinae Sinicae 2025;47(2):289-294
Greater trochanteric pain syndrome(GTPS)is a disease caused by structural lesions of the muscles,fascia,ligaments,and bursae near the greater trochanter of the femur.GTPS causes lateral hip joint pain,severely affecting patients' quality of life.Ultrasound has many advantages,such as real-time diagnosis,portable operation,non-radiation,and high resolution,demonstrating a high application value in the diagnosis and interventional therapy of GTPS.This article reviews the current status of ultrasound in the diagnosis and interventional therapy of GTPS and prospects its application.
Humans
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Ultrasonography
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Femur/diagnostic imaging*
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Hip Joint/diagnostic imaging*
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Arthralgia/therapy*
7.Mechanism of Lizhong decoction in treating cold-damp diarrhea through network pharmacology,molecular docking and animal experiments
Hao ZHANG ; Wen-wen MI ; Rong-xia GUO ; Chun NIU ; Bao-xia CHEN ; Peng JI ; Yan-ming WEI ; Fang YANG ; Zhen-he LI ; Yong-li HUA
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(8):1552-1561
Aim To explore the key components and mechanisms of Lizhong decoction in treating rats with cold-damp diarrhea based on network pharmacology,molecular docking technology and animal experiments.Methods By literature review and database collec-tion,the components of Lizhong decoction,therapeutic targets,and the mapping with diarrhea disease targets were conducted to construct an intersection target pro-tein-protein interaction network for screening core tar-gets,and GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis was performed to build an"active component-target-pathway"network,followed by molecular docking vali-dation.Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into the normal control group(K),model group(DG),Lizhong decoction group(LZDG),and Pulsatilla decoction group(BTDG).Subsequently,a rat cold-damp diar-rhea model was established using Senna combined with low-temperature high-humidity environment,and the rats were intervened with Lizhong decoction and Pul-satilla decoction.HE staining was used to detect path-ological changes in intestinal tissue,ELISA was em-ployed to measure the levels of peripheral blood IL-6,IL-10,IL-1 β,and TNF-α,and western blot was used to determine the expression of colon tight junction pro-teins.Results Network pharmacology initially identi-fied 125 compounds in Lizhong decoction,5 186 drug target components,438 disease targets,and 60"drug-disease"shared targets.GO and KEGG enrichment a-nalysis showed that signaling pathways such as IL-17 and TNF were highly enriched.Molecular docking in-dicated that the core components of the drug had good binding activity with corresponding key targets.Liz-hong decoction could effectively improve the clinical symptoms of rats with cold-damp diarrhea,and com-pared with the DG group,the diarrhea rate,diarrhea in-dex,and other related indicators also gradually de-creased to normal levels.Compared with the DG group,the LZDG group showed reduced inflammation levels and a recovery in energy metabolism levels.Conclusion It can regulate targets such as MMP9 and IL-17 signaling pathways through multi-components like Calycosin and formononetin to exert its therapeutic effect on cold-damp diarrhea.
8.Mechanism of Lizhong decoction in treating cold-damp diarrhea through network pharmacology,molecular docking and animal experiments
Hao ZHANG ; Wen-wen MI ; Rong-xia GUO ; Chun NIU ; Bao-xia CHEN ; Peng JI ; Yan-ming WEI ; Fang YANG ; Zhen-he LI ; Yong-li HUA
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(8):1552-1561
Aim To explore the key components and mechanisms of Lizhong decoction in treating rats with cold-damp diarrhea based on network pharmacology,molecular docking technology and animal experiments.Methods By literature review and database collec-tion,the components of Lizhong decoction,therapeutic targets,and the mapping with diarrhea disease targets were conducted to construct an intersection target pro-tein-protein interaction network for screening core tar-gets,and GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis was performed to build an"active component-target-pathway"network,followed by molecular docking vali-dation.Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into the normal control group(K),model group(DG),Lizhong decoction group(LZDG),and Pulsatilla decoction group(BTDG).Subsequently,a rat cold-damp diar-rhea model was established using Senna combined with low-temperature high-humidity environment,and the rats were intervened with Lizhong decoction and Pul-satilla decoction.HE staining was used to detect path-ological changes in intestinal tissue,ELISA was em-ployed to measure the levels of peripheral blood IL-6,IL-10,IL-1 β,and TNF-α,and western blot was used to determine the expression of colon tight junction pro-teins.Results Network pharmacology initially identi-fied 125 compounds in Lizhong decoction,5 186 drug target components,438 disease targets,and 60"drug-disease"shared targets.GO and KEGG enrichment a-nalysis showed that signaling pathways such as IL-17 and TNF were highly enriched.Molecular docking in-dicated that the core components of the drug had good binding activity with corresponding key targets.Liz-hong decoction could effectively improve the clinical symptoms of rats with cold-damp diarrhea,and com-pared with the DG group,the diarrhea rate,diarrhea in-dex,and other related indicators also gradually de-creased to normal levels.Compared with the DG group,the LZDG group showed reduced inflammation levels and a recovery in energy metabolism levels.Conclusion It can regulate targets such as MMP9 and IL-17 signaling pathways through multi-components like Calycosin and formononetin to exert its therapeutic effect on cold-damp diarrhea.
9.Research progress on mechanism of cGAS-STING pathway mediated cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury
Meng-ya LI ; Rui LAN ; Xiao-ming SHEN ; Shui-zhi JIAO ; Ya-han LIU ; Bao-qi WANG
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(3):417-420
Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase(cGAS)is a congenital immune sensor that can recognize cytoplasm abnormal dsDNA.By catalyzing the second messenger cyclic GMP-AMP(cGAMP)formation,it activates stimulator of interferon genes(STING),releases type Ⅰ interferon and inflammatory cytokines,activates the host immune response,and participates in cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury(CIRI)cascade reaction.This article reviews the research progress of the mechanism of cGAS-STING signaling pathway participation in CIRI,hoping to provide ideas for its treatment.
10.Clinical value of 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT combined with serum total prostate specific antigen in predicting International Society of Urological Pathology pathological grading of prostate cancer
Yunfeng BO ; Rongrong TIAN ; Lanlan BAO ; Ming ZHAO ; Jie ZHOU ; He LI ; Hailong HAO ; Enwei XU
Chinese Journal of Oncology 2025;47(2):175-182
Objective:To discuss the correlation of International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) pathological grading with 18F-prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-1007 positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) parameters and serum total prostate specific antigen (tPSA) in prostate cancer, and assess the clinical value of PET/CT combined with tPSA in predicting the ISUP pathological grade of prostate cancer. Methods:The correlation of ISUP pathological grade with primary parameters of PET/CT images and serum tPSA of 117 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer at Shanxi Cancer Hospital from August 2018 to February 2023 and taken 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT imaging were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify the independent influencing factors for ISUP pathological grading of prostate cancer. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to predict the efficacy between the high and low ISUP grades for prostate cancer. Results:Of the 117 patients, 20 were in ISUP Group 1, 25 in Group 2, 18 in Group 3, 32 in Group 4, and 22 in Group 5. Of these, 63 were in the low-grade group (Groups 1-3) and 54 were in the high-grade group (Groups 4-5). The tumor long diameter was 3.10 (2.05, 4.25) cm, the prostate volume was 40.11 (33.13, 51.85) cm 3, the serum tPSA was 19.71 (12.25, 42.83) ng/ml, the prostate specific antigen density (PSAD) was 0.51 (0.31, 1.01) ng·ml -1·cm -3, the maximum standard uptake value of the lesion (SUVmax) was 15.24 (10.87, 22.03), and the tumor/spleen uptake ratio (TSR) was 1.61 (1.08, 2.15) in the 117 patients. The correlation analysis displayed that the SUVmax, TSR, and tPSA were positively correlated with ISUP groups ( r=0.640, 0.619, and 0.500, P<0.01). The differences among SUVmax, TSR, long diameter, tPSA, and PSAD were statistically significant when compared among the five ISUP groups ( H=48.98, 45.63, 26.82, 33.95, and 23.81, P<0.001). The differencesin serum tPSA ( z=5.19), PSAD ( z=4.64), long diameter ( z=3.19), SUVmax ( z=5.57), and TSR ( z=5.53) of the patients between the low-grade group and the high-grade group were statistically significant ( P<0.01). In multivariate analysis, TSR ( OR=4.172, 95% CI: 2.095-8.308, P<0.001) and the serum tPSA ( OR=1.042, 95% CI: 1.014-1.070, P<0.01) were independent influencing factors for ISUP grades. ROC analysis revealed that the area under the curve for the 18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT parameters SUVmax and TSR to predict low- or high-grade ISUP for prostate cancer was 0.800 (95% CI: 0.717-0.883) and 0.797 (95% CI: 0.713-0.881), respectively. Among the 70 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy, the postoperative recurrence rate of high-grade ISUP patients was higher than that of low-grade patients (54.8% and 25.6%, χ 2=6.21, P<0.05). Conclusions:18F-PSMA-1007 PET/CT has good application in predicting ISUP grading of prostate cancer. TSR and the serum tPSA are independent predictors for the pathological grade.

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