1.Effect of Oral Sodium Butyrate on Skeletal Muscle Atrophy via The Gut-muscle Axis in Antibiotic-pretreated CT26 Tumor-bearing Mice and Its Mechanism
Shu-Ling ZHANG ; Jun-Wei WANG ; Shi-Liang HU ; Tu-Tu WANG ; Shun-Chang LI ; Jia FAN ; Jun-Zhi SUN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(3):724-739
ObjectiveTo explore the effect of oral sodium butyrate on skeletal muscle atrophy in CT26 tumor mice through the gut microbiota-skeletal muscle axis and its potential mechanism. MethodsSixty SPF BALB/c male mice aged 8 weeks were randomly divided into a normal control group (NC, n=18) and a ABX-depleted group (ABX, n=42). The ABX mice were pretreated with a quadruple antibiotic cocktail via oral gavage (0.2 ml per administration, once daily, 6 d per week, for 2 weeks), whereas NC received an equal volume of sterile water. The quadruple antibiotic cocktail consisted of metronidazole (1 g/L), vancomycin (0.5 g/L), ampicillin (1 g/L), and gentamicin (1 g/L). Following successful pretreatment, six mice from each group were randomly selected for gut microbiota sequencing analysis and designated as the Abx group and the NC0 group, respectively. Theremaining mice in ABX were subcutaneously inoculated in the dorsum with 0.2 ml of CT26 cell suspension (at a cell density of 1×107/ml). Then these mice were randomly allocated into three subgroups: a control tumor bearing model group (0_NaB, n=12), a tumor-bearing model group receiving low-dose oral sodium butyrate (L_NaB, n=12), a tumor-bearing model group receiving high-dose oral sodium butyrate (H_NaB, n=12). And mice in NC were inoculated at the same site with 0.2 ml of normal saline. The administration dose for L_NaB was 0.3 g/(kg·d), that for H_NaB was 0.5 g/(kg·d), while NC and 0_NaB were given the same volume of normal saline (0.2ml per time, once daily, 6 d per week, for 4 weeks). The general condition of mice was monitored, and forelimb grip strength gastrocnemius muscle mass and its muscle fiber cross-sectional area were measured for each group. The structural changes in gut microbiota were assessed by 16S rRNA sequencing of cecal contents. Pathological alterations in the intestinal wall were examined via HE staining. Serum and gastrocnemius muscle levels of TNF‑α, IL-6, IL-1β, and LPS were quantified using ELISA. The protein expression of ZO-1 and occludin in the small intestine, as well as proteins associated with the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway in the gastrocnemius muscle, were detected by Western blot analysis. Results(1) The alpha-diversity in Abx was significantly lower than that in NC0 (P<0.01), a significant decrease of the mass and muscle fiber cross-sectional area of the gastrocnemius (P<0.01), with the majority of gut microbiota being effectively depleted. (2) Compared with NC, the subcutaneous tumors of mice in 0_NaB were prominent, a significant increase of the mass and muscle fiber cross-sectional area of the gastrocnemius, accompanied by a significant decrease in body weight at the end of the 3th and 4th week (P<0.05), and a significant weakening of the forelimb grasping strength at the 5th and 6th week (P<0.01). Compared with 0_NaB, the tumor mass of mice in L_NaB and H_NaB showed a significant decreasing trend, and the grip strength of the forelimbs significantly increased at the 5th and 6th week (P<0.05, P<0.01). (3) Compared with 0_NaB, the Shannon and Observed species indices in α diversity of L_NaB and H_NaB were significantly increased (P<0.05). At the genus level, compared with 0_NaB, L_NaB exhibited a significant decrease in the relative abundance of Parasutterella (P< 0.01), while H_NaB showed significant reductions in the relative abundances of both Escherichia-Shigella and Parasutterella (P < 0.01). (4) Compared with 0_NaB, the small intestinal tissue structure in L_NaB and H_NaB was more intact, the infiltration of inflammatory cells was significantly reduced, and the capillaries were slightly dilated. The expression levels of ZO-1 and occludin proteins in L_NaB were significantly increased (P<0.01). (5) The LPS concentration in the gastrocnemius muscle and the protein expression levels of TLR4, MyD88, p-IκBα, and p-NF‑κB p65 in L_NaB and H_NaB were significantly lower than those in 0_NaB (P<0.05). The serum TNF‑α concentration in H_NaB and TNF-α concentration in the gastrocnemius muscle of the L_NaB and H_NaB were significantly lower than those in 0_NaB (P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.01). ConclusionOral administration of NaB can improve gut microbiota α diversity, adjusting its composition, improving intestinal mucosal barrier function, reducing the LPS-induced pro-inflammatory response, and delaying skeletal muscle atrophy. The underlying mechanism may involve down regulation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling in skeletal muscle.
2.Simulation of Potential Suitable Habitats for the Rare Tibetan Medicinal Plant Sinopodophyllum hexandrum and Analysis in Influencing Factors Based on the Maximum Entropy Model and Geographic Detector
Shaoyang XI ; Fei CHEN ; Huaqian GONG ; Gonghan TU ; Xudong GUO ; Li LIU ; Ling JIN
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;32(7):1-6
Objective To analyze the spatial distribution pattern of the potential suitable habitats for the Tibetan medicinal plant Sinopodophyllum hexandrum under current climatic conditions and the factors influencing the spatial differentiation of the habitats.Methods Based on the maximum entropy model,a species distribution model was established using selected species distribution data and environmental variable data.The geographic detector and the interaction detector were applied to quantify the factors affecting the spatial differentiation of the suitable area.By overlaying the suitable area with land cover types,the distribution characteristics of potential arable land and forest land within the potential suitable area were quantified.Results Under the current climatic conditions,altitude,precipitation in July,precipitation during the warmest season,water vapor pressure in June,precipitation in December,and the highest temperature in February are the key environmental factors affecting the distribution of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum.Under the current climatic conditions,the potential geographical distribution range of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum covers an area of 1.30×106 km2.Considering land cover types,the actual suitable area for Sinopodophyllum hexandrum is 6.13×105 km2,including 4.25×105 km2 of forest land and 1.88×105 km2 of arable land.The highly suitable forest areas are mainly distributed in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture,Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province,Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture,Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province and Linzhi City within the Tibet Autonomous Region.The highly suitable arable land areas are mainly distributed in the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture,Dingxi City,Tianshui City,and Longnan City of Gansu Province,with sporadic belt-like distributions in Sichuan Province,Yunnan Province and the Tibet Autonomous Region.Conclusion The study can provide evidence for the protection of wild Sinopodophyllum hexandrum resources and the selection of optimal planting areas.
3.Study on Spatial Distribution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of the Potential Suitable Habitats for Cremastrae Pseudobulbus Pleiones Pseudobulbus Based on Maximum Entropy Model Combined with Geographical Detector
Shaoyang XI ; Gonghan TU ; Huaqian GONG ; Fei CHEN ; Xudong GUO ; Ling JIN
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;32(2):7-13
Objective To analyze the spatial distribution patterns of the potential suitable habitats for Cremastrae Pseudobulbus Pleiones Pseudobulbus,including Cremastra appendiculata(D.Don)Makino,Pleione bulbocodioides(Franch.)Rolfe and Pleione yunnanensis Rolfe under current climatic conditions,and the factors influencing the spatial differentiation of their habitats.Methods Based on the maximum entropy(MaxEnt)model,a species distribution model was established using the screened species distribution data and environmental variable data.The factor detection and interaction detection of geographical detector were applied to quantify the factors influencing the spatial differentiation of the suitable areas.By overlaying the suitable areas with land cover types,the distribution characteristics of forest land and arable land in the potential suitable areas were quantified.Results Under the current climatic scenario,environmental variables such as solar radiation intensity,precipitation and temperature were closely related to the spatial distribution of Cremastrae Pseudobulbus Pleiones Pseudobulbus.The potential suitable areas for Cremastra appendiculata(D.Don)Makino,Pleione bulbocodioides(Franch.)Rolfe and Pleione yunnanensis Rolfe were 2.20×106 km2,2.75×106 km2 and 7.22×105 km2,respectively.Considering land cover types,the actual possible suitable areas for Cremastra appendiculata(D.Don)Makino,Pleione bulbocodioides(Franch.)Rolfe and Pleione yunnanensis Rolfe were 1.86×106 km2,2.20×106 km2 and 5.77×105 km2,respectively.Among these,the area of forest land was 1.17×106 km2,1.34×106 km2 and 3.67×105 km2,respectively,and the area of arable land was 6.95×105 km2,8.64×105 km2 and 2.10×105 km2,respectively.Conclusion This study can provide a basis for the protection and sustainable utilization of wild resources of the original plant materials of Cremastrae Pseudobulbus Pleiones Pseudobulbus.
4.Prediction Study on the Potential Suitable Habitats of Gastrodiae Rhizoma Based on MaxEnt Model and Geodetector
Shaoyang XI ; Huaqian GONG ; Gonghan TU ; Fei CHEN ; Xudong GUO ; Ling JIN
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;32(4):1-6
Objective To analyze the spatial distribution pattern of potential suitable habitats and the influencing factors of habitat spatial differentiation of Gastrodiae Rhizoma under current climate conditions.Methods Based on 137 distribution records of Gastrodiae Rhizoma sourced from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and 104 environmental variables acquired from the WorldClim dataset,a predictive model for the potential suitable habitat of Gastrodiae Rhizoma was developed using the MaxEnt model.The geodetector was applied to quantitatively analyze the environmental factors influencing the spatial heterogeneity of the suitable habitats.Subsequently,an overlay analysis with land cover types was conducted to obtain the distribution characteristics of forest land and cultivated land in the potential suitable habitats.Results Under current climate conditions,key environmental factors affecting the distribution of Gastrodiae Rhizoma included precipitation in July,average temperature in the coldest quarter,precipitation in the warmest quarter,water vapor pressure in September,altitude,and solar radiation in December.The potential geographical distribution range of Gastrodiae Rhizoma was 1.64×106 km2.Considering land cover types,the actual potential suitable area for Gastrodiae Rhizoma was 1.33×106 km2,of which the forest land area was 8.56×105 km2 and the cultivated land area was 4.74×105 km2.The highly suitable forest areas were mainly located within the provinces of Guizhou,Sichuan,Shaanxi,Hubei,Hunan and Gansu.The cultivated land suitable areas are mainly located within the provinces of Guizhou,Sichuan,Yunnan,Shaanxi and Hubei.Conclusion The highly suitable habitats of Gastrodiae Rhizoma are mainly located in provinces such as Guizhou,Sichuan,Shaanxi and Hubei,and are affected by factors such as solar radiation,water vapor pressure,temperature and precipitation.The research results can provide reference for the protection of wild Gastrodiae Rhizoma resources,artificial nurturing and optimal selection of ecological planting areas.
5.Simulation of Potential Suitable Habitats for the Rare Tibetan Medicinal Plant Sinopodophyllum hexandrum and Analysis in Influencing Factors Based on the Maximum Entropy Model and Geographic Detector
Shaoyang XI ; Fei CHEN ; Huaqian GONG ; Gonghan TU ; Xudong GUO ; Li LIU ; Ling JIN
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;32(7):1-6
Objective To analyze the spatial distribution pattern of the potential suitable habitats for the Tibetan medicinal plant Sinopodophyllum hexandrum under current climatic conditions and the factors influencing the spatial differentiation of the habitats.Methods Based on the maximum entropy model,a species distribution model was established using selected species distribution data and environmental variable data.The geographic detector and the interaction detector were applied to quantify the factors affecting the spatial differentiation of the suitable area.By overlaying the suitable area with land cover types,the distribution characteristics of potential arable land and forest land within the potential suitable area were quantified.Results Under the current climatic conditions,altitude,precipitation in July,precipitation during the warmest season,water vapor pressure in June,precipitation in December,and the highest temperature in February are the key environmental factors affecting the distribution of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum.Under the current climatic conditions,the potential geographical distribution range of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum covers an area of 1.30×106 km2.Considering land cover types,the actual suitable area for Sinopodophyllum hexandrum is 6.13×105 km2,including 4.25×105 km2 of forest land and 1.88×105 km2 of arable land.The highly suitable forest areas are mainly distributed in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture,Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province,Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture,Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province and Linzhi City within the Tibet Autonomous Region.The highly suitable arable land areas are mainly distributed in the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture,Dingxi City,Tianshui City,and Longnan City of Gansu Province,with sporadic belt-like distributions in Sichuan Province,Yunnan Province and the Tibet Autonomous Region.Conclusion The study can provide evidence for the protection of wild Sinopodophyllum hexandrum resources and the selection of optimal planting areas.
6.Clinical application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing technology in pediatric urinary tract infections
Jinshan SUN ; Chaoying CHEN ; Juan TU ; Haiyun GENG ; Huarong LI ; Ling WAN ; Hongyang WANG
Chinese Journal of Applied Clinical Pediatrics 2025;40(4):268-272
Objective:To explore the diagnostic value and clinical application of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) technology in pediatric urinary tract infections (UTI).Methods:In this retrospective study, the clinical data of children with UTI admitted to the Department of Nephrology, Children′s Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, from March 2023 to March 2024 were collected.The positive detection rates, timeliness, and consistency of mNGS technology were compared with those of urine culture.Measurement data were subject to test of normality.The independent sample t test, Chi-square test or Fisher′s exact probability test were used for comparison between groups. Results:A total of 193 patients were included.The positive detection rate of urine culture was 36.3% (70/193).Among 42 patients who underwent mNGS testing, 37 cases (88.1%) tested positive.The positive detection rate of mNGS was significantly higher than that of urine culture ( χ2=37.357, P<0.001).It took significantly less time to report mNGS results than to report urine culture results ( Z=3.524, P<0.001).In the 42 cases that underwent mNGS testing, 5 cases (11.9%) were negative for urine pathogens by both methods, and 21 cases (50.0%) were positive by mNGS but negative by urine culture.Among the remaining 16 cases (38.1%) positive by both mNGS and urine culture, 14 cases (33.3%) achieved fully matching results, 1 case (2.4%) was fully mismatched, and 1 case (2.4%) was partially matched.Comparison of the positive detection rate and the duration of anti-infective treatment prior to specimen collection between urine culture and mNGS showed that the median durations for urine culture and mNGS positivity were 5 and 20 days, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=0.537, P<0.001). Conclusions:mNGS technology has high sensitivity for diagnosing pathogens in pediatric UTI.Compared with urine culture, mNGS provides good consistency and significantly shortens the detection time.The positive detection rate is less affected by antimicrobial treatment.For children with UTI, especially those who have failed empirical anti-infective treatment and whose pathogen cannot be identified by urine culture, mNGS testing is recommended as early as possible.
7.Human tissue Organoids:A New Frontier of Antiviral Research in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Ling GAO ; Changshu QU ; Zhiwen XU ; Shibo LIU ; Ruoshi TU ; Yunzhong NIE
Journal of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;41(11):1441-1451
Viruses,with high adaptability and immune evasion capabilities,are responsible for a wide spectrum of diseases from lo-calized infections to global pandemics,continuously posing threats to global public health.In recent years,traditional Chinese medi-cine(TCM)has demonstrated significant potential in antiviral therapy.With its multi-component,multi-target synergistic mechanism,TCM offers unique advantages in the intervention of viral diseases.However,progress in elucidating the active antiviral constituents of TCM and identifying their precise molecular targets remains limited,primarily due to the lack of humanized models that can faithfully recapitulate the natural course of viral infection.The emergence of organoid technology has introduced new opportunities for antiviral research in TCM.Human organoids,which recapitulate the three-dimensional architecture and physiological functions of human tis-sues,provide an advanced platform for modeling host-virus interactions in a human-relevant context.This article highlights the latest advances in applications of human tissue organoids,including lung,liver,and brain organoids,in the study of respiratory viruses(SARS-CoV-2,influenza virus,respiratory syncytial virus),hepatitis viruses(HBV,HCV,HEV),and neurotropic viruses(ZIKV,pri-ons,HCMV);illustrates how organoid models have been leveraged to evaluate both the efficacy and safety of TCM-based antiviral inter-ventions.Although human tissue organoids still face technical challenges in insufficient vascularization and incomplete immune micro-environment,they represent a powerful tool for dissecting the mechanism of TCM antiviral action and for guiding the development of personalized antiviral strategies.Looking ahead,human tissue organoid technology is expected to become key enabling platform for pro-moting the clinical transformation of TCM in the field of antiviral medicine.
8.Summary of best evidence on feeding management for very low and extremely low birth weight infants during the peridischarge period
Ting SHEN ; Wenying YAO ; Ling JIANG ; Ling NIE ; Ting YU ; Ting TU
Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing 2025;31(19):2550-2559
Objective:To systematically identify and summarize the best available evidence on feeding management during the peridischarge period for very low birth weight infants (VLBWI) and extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWI), providing a reference for clinical nursing practice.Methods:Evidence on feeding management for VLBWI/ELBWI during the peridischarge period was retrieved from decision support systems, guideline repositories, major databases, and relevant professional organizations' websites. Sources included clinical decisions, guidelines, evidence summaries, systematic reviews, expert consensus documents and so on. The search spanned from database inception to April 2024. Guidelines were reviewed by four researchers, while other documents were screened and appraised by two researchers.Results:A total of 24 documents were included: six clinical decision tools, four guidelines, three systematic reviews, three evidence summaries, and eight expert consensus statements. A total of three primary themes, 10 secondary themes, and 49 best evidence items were synthesized. These covered: pre-discharge feeding management (establishing a peridischarge feeding team, parental feeding education, assessing feeding status of VLBWI/ELBWI, evaluating parental feeding competence, preparing feeding materials/environment and assessing community resources) ; discharge feeding management (providing feeding-related medical records and developing individualized feeding plans) ; post-discharge feeding management (setting growth and development goals, conducting follow-up and growth monitoring, and supplementing necessary nutrients) .Conclusions:The summarized best evidence provides a practical reference for healthcare professionals to effectively implement feeding management for VLBWI/ELBWI during the peridischarge period. Evidence-based strategies should be selectively applied in clinical practice based on individual conditions to ensure a successful transition to home feeding and support healthy growth and development of VLBWI/ELBWI.
9.Summary of best evidence on feeding management for very low and extremely low birth weight infants during the peridischarge period
Ting SHEN ; Wenying YAO ; Ling JIANG ; Ling NIE ; Ting YU ; Ting TU
Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing 2025;31(19):2550-2559
Objective:To systematically identify and summarize the best available evidence on feeding management during the peridischarge period for very low birth weight infants (VLBWI) and extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWI), providing a reference for clinical nursing practice.Methods:Evidence on feeding management for VLBWI/ELBWI during the peridischarge period was retrieved from decision support systems, guideline repositories, major databases, and relevant professional organizations' websites. Sources included clinical decisions, guidelines, evidence summaries, systematic reviews, expert consensus documents and so on. The search spanned from database inception to April 2024. Guidelines were reviewed by four researchers, while other documents were screened and appraised by two researchers.Results:A total of 24 documents were included: six clinical decision tools, four guidelines, three systematic reviews, three evidence summaries, and eight expert consensus statements. A total of three primary themes, 10 secondary themes, and 49 best evidence items were synthesized. These covered: pre-discharge feeding management (establishing a peridischarge feeding team, parental feeding education, assessing feeding status of VLBWI/ELBWI, evaluating parental feeding competence, preparing feeding materials/environment and assessing community resources) ; discharge feeding management (providing feeding-related medical records and developing individualized feeding plans) ; post-discharge feeding management (setting growth and development goals, conducting follow-up and growth monitoring, and supplementing necessary nutrients) .Conclusions:The summarized best evidence provides a practical reference for healthcare professionals to effectively implement feeding management for VLBWI/ELBWI during the peridischarge period. Evidence-based strategies should be selectively applied in clinical practice based on individual conditions to ensure a successful transition to home feeding and support healthy growth and development of VLBWI/ELBWI.
10.Analysis on Geographical Distribution Pattern Simulation and Influencing Factors of Potential Suitable Areas for Cynomorium songaricum Rupr
Gonghan TU ; Shaoyang XI ; Xudong GUO ; Huaqian GONG ; Fei CHEN ; Tiantian ZHU ; Li LIU ; Ling JIN
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;32(9):1-6
Objective To investigate the geographical distribution patterns and influencing factors of suitable habitats for the desert medicinal plant Cynomorium songaricum Rupr under current climatic conditions;To provide a basis for its resource conservation and sustainable utilization.Methods The MaxEnt model was used to analyze potential suitable habitats for Cynomorium songaricum Rupr.Geographical Detector model was used to identify key environmental factors affecting habitat suitability.Surface cover data were overlaid to assess the distribution of sandy and Gobi regions within suitable habitats,enabling a quantitative evaluation of actual potential suitable areas.Results Model predictions indicated a total suitable habitat area of approximately 2.98×106 km2,representing 30.99%of China's mainland area.Highly suitable habitats are concentrated in desert and Gobi regions of Gansu,Xinjiang,Inner Mongolia,Qinghai and Ningxia.Among climatic factors,precipitation of the coldest quarter(bio19),solar radiation in August(srad8),and mean temperature of the coldest quarter(bio11)significantly influence Cynomorium songaricum Rupr distribution.The interaction between temperature and solar radiation intensity exhibited the highest explanatory power for habitat distribution patterns(q=0.82).Overlay analysis with surface cover data estimated the actual potential suitable area at approximately 9.70×105 km2,with sandy regions comprising 5.73×105 km2 and Gobi regions 3.98×105 km2.Conclusion By integrating multi-source data and modeling approaches,this study delineates the potential suitable habitats for Cynomorium songaricum Rupr across China and evaluates the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of suitable habitats in Cynomorium songaricum Rupr.These findings offer a foundation for conserving wild Cynomorium songaricum Rupr resources,optimizing ecological planting regions,and promoting sustainable industry development.

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