1.Hederagenin mediates Axin2/AREG axis to inhibit inflammation and alleviate acute kidney injury in mice
Linghui XU ; Yinglan LIANG ; Hongwei SU ; Jianchun LI ; Guiping LI ; Li WANG ; Yuanxia ZOU
Acta Laboratorium Animalis Scientia Sinica 2025;33(2):157-168
Objective To investigate the protective effect of hederagenin(HDG)on cisplatin(Cis)-induced acute kidney injury(AKI)in mice and its potential mechanism.Methods 24 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a control group,AKI model group,HDG low-dose group,and HDG high-dose group,with six mice in each group.AKI model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg cisplatin(Cis).The HDG low-dose and HDG high-dose groups were given 20,40 mg/kg HDG by intragastric administration,respectively,and samples were collected 3 days later.The kidneys of the mice were collected for hematoxylin-eosin(HE)and periodic-acid-schiff(PAS)staining to evaluate the kidney pathology,and serum was collected to detect changes in serum creatinine(Scr)and blood urea nitrogen(BUN).The expression of p-P65,P65,IL-6,TNF-α,IL-1β,and other inflammatory-related proteins was detected by Western Blot.A TCMK1(renal tubular epithelial cell)inflammatory cell model was established by Cis(200 ng/mL)stimulation in vitro.Blank group,Cis model group,HDG low-dose group,HDG high-dose group,Axin2 overexpression group,HDG+Axin2 overexpression group were set up.In the Axin2-overexpression group,the expression of p-P65,P65,IL-6,TNF-α,IL-1β,Axin2,and AREG was detected among total cell proteins.Results Compared with the control group,AKI model mice exhibited significantly elevated serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels(P<0.05),accompanied by pathological alterations including vacuolar degeneration of renal tubules,inflammatory cell infiltration,and glycogen deposition,and the expression of inflammation-related proteins(p-P65,TNF-α,IL-6,IL-1β)and Axin2 was markedly upregulated in AKI mice(P<0.05).HDG treatment induced a dose-dependent reduction in serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels(high-dose>low-dose,P<0.05),alleviated renal histopathological damage,and concurrently suppressed the expression of these inflammatory mediators and Axin2(P<0.05).HDG was confirmed that dose-dependently inhibited Cis-induced upregulation of Axin2,and inflammatory cytokines in vitro experiments.Transcriptome sequencing revealed that Axin2 overexpression significantly increased amphiregulin(AREG)expression(P<0.05).Mechanistically,HDG reduced p-P65 phosphorylation by suppressing the Axin2/AREG axis(P<0.05),while Axin2 overexpression abolished the protective effects of HDG against Cis-induced renal tubular cell injury.Conclusions HDG protects against renal injury in AKI mice by reducing inflammation through the inhibition of Axin2/AREG axis activation.
2.Huangqi sanqi mixture inhibits lncRNA Gm51500/Adam12 axis to im-prove renal fibrosis in CKD
Jingyi LIN ; Rangyue HAN ; Linghui XU ; Ruizhi TAN ; Hongwei SU ; Li WANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2025;30(6):750-762
AIM:To explore the potential of Huangqi sanqi mixture(AP)in improving renal fi-brosis by performing transcriptome sequencing of the kidneys of the unilateral ureteral ligation mouse group and the Huangqi sanqi mixture inter-vention group,and using bioinformatics to verify the signitficantly different lncRNAs mechanism.METHODS:Twenty-four C57 mice were divided in-to sham operation group,renal fibrosis group,Huangqi sanqi mixture intervention group(3.944 g/kg)and irbesartan positive control intervention group,with 6 mice in each group.A mouse model of renal fibrosis was established by unilateral ure-teral ligation(UUO).The animals were given intra-gastric administration after operation,and the ani-mals were sacrificed and the specimens were col-lected after seven consecutive days of administra-tion.The changes of Huangqi sanqi mixture on re-nal fibrosis pathological damage were analyzed by HE and Masson staining,and the protein levels of Fn and α-SMA in renal tissue of each group were detected by Western blot and immunohistochemis-try to evaluate the alleviating effect of Huangqi san-qi mixture on renal fibrosis.Subsequently,lncRNA expression information was obtained by transcrip-tome sequencing,and Quantitative Real-time PCR(qPCR)was performed after data quality,GO en-richment and differential lncRNA were analyzed.According to the differential lncRNA and target analysis results obtained by sequencing,lncRNA Gm51500/Adam12 was overexpressed in vitro,and its mechanism in the protection of renal fibrosis by Huangqi sanqi mixture was studied by immunohis-tochemistry,immunofluorescence staining and qP-CR verification.RESULTS:Compared with the mod-el group,the renal fibrosis of the mice in the Huangqi sanqi mixture intervention group was sig-nificantly reduced,and the protein levels of α-SMA and Fn and the expression of lncRNA in the renal tis-sue were significantly down-regulated(P<0.000 1).Three lncRNAs were screened and verified to in-crease in the model group and significantly de-crease after AP intervention,namely lncRNA Gm29994,Gm51500 and Gm35391.Target analysis showed that lncRNA Gm51500 had the most signifi-cant relationship with Adam12.The results of ani-mal experiments showed that Adam12 was highly expressed in the kidney of UUO mice and was sig-nificantly inhibited after AP intervention.Subse-quent cell experiments confirmed that overexpres-sion of lncRNA Gm51500 could up-regulate TGF-β-induced renal tubular cell fibrosis and Adam12 ex-pression.Cell recovery experiments confirmed that Adam12 overexpression reversed the inhibitory ef-fect of AP on renal tubular cell injury and fibrosis.CONCLUSION:Huangqi sanqi mixture can improve renal fibrosis.Based on transcriptomic sequencing,lncRNA Gm51500/Adam12 axis may be a potential target for Huangqi sanqi mixture to improve renal fibrosis.
3.Integrating network pharmacology and machine learning to analyze the multi-target molecular mechanism of compound Huangbai liquid in promoting wound healing of perianal abscess
Weichao YUAN ; Chengwen XUE ; Tao WANG ; Linghui YU ; Lixia ZHU
Journal of Shenyang Medical College 2025;27(4):350-358
Objective:To investigate the key targets and mechanisms of compound Huangbai liquid in promoting wound healing of perianal abscess using network pharmacology and machine learning.Methods:Active components of compound Huangbai liquid and their target genes were screened and corrected using the TCMSP and HERB databases.Target genes related to wound healing were collected from the GeneCard and GEO databases.Common targets were identified using SangerBox online tool,followed by KEGG and GO enrichment analyses to explore potential biological functions.A PPI network was constructed to analyze core gene interactions,and immune cell infiltration was evaluated using the CIBERSORT algorithm.Key genes were screened using machine learning methods such as Boruta,random forest,XGBoost,and SVM-RFE.Finally,the binding affinity between active components and target genes was validated using AutoDock Vina.Results:Four key target genes(CYP19A1,IL10RA,ALOXE3,EGFR)were significantly correlated with components such as quercetin and berberine.These genes were involved in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway,and closely related to immune response and cell proliferation.The PPI network showed that these genes played important roles in angiogenesis and cell adhesion.Immune infiltration analysis showed that key genes were strongly correlated with immune cells such as macrophages.Conclusion:Compound Huangbai liquid may promote wound healing in perianal abscess by regulating multiple biological pathways and immune responses.
4.Qishen Granule protects against myocardial ischemia by promoting angiogenesis through BMP2-Dll4-Notch1 pathway.
Yiqin HONG ; Hui WANG ; Hanyan XIE ; Xinyi ZHONG ; Xu CHEN ; Lishuang YU ; Yawen ZHANG ; Jingmei ZHANG ; Qiyan WANG ; Binghua TANG ; Linghui LU ; Dongqing GUO
Chinese Herbal Medicines 2025;17(1):139-147
OBJECTIVE:
Therapeutic angiogenesis has become a promising approach for treating ischemic heart disease (IHD). The present study aims to investigate the effects of Qishen Granule (QSG) on angiogenesis in myocardial ischemia (MI) and the potential mechanism.
METHODS:
In vivo study was conducted on rat model of myocardial infarction. QSG was performed daily at a dose of 2.352 g/kg for four weeks. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiogram and pro-angiogenic effects were evaluated by Laser Doppler and CD31 expression. Oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) was applied in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Cell viability, wound healing and tube formation assay were used to test functions of HUVECs. ELISA and Western blots were used to assess protein expressions of bone morphogenetic protein 2-delta-like 4-notch homolog 1 (BMP2-Dll4-Notch1) signaling pathway.
RESULTS:
The results showed that QSG improved heart function, cardiac blood flow and microvessel density in myocardial ischemic rats. In vitro, QSG protected HUVECs by promoting the cell viability and tube formation. QSG upregulated bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) and downregulated delta-like 4 (Dll4) and notch homolog 1 (Notch1) expressions both in rats and HUVECs.
CONCLUSION
QSG protected against MI by promoting angiogenesis through BMP2-Dll4-Notch1 pathway. BMP2 might be a promising therapeutic target for IHD.
5.Investigation of the association between air pollutants and the long-term risk of sudden cardiac death
Yue PAN ; Shui WANG ; Linghui JIANG ; Mengya LI ; Yifan WANG ; Juncheng DAI ; Xufeng CHEN ; Gang ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Emergency Medicine 2025;34(6):844-851
Objective:The association between air pollutants and the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between five air pollutants—PM 2.5, PM 2.5–10, PM 10, NO 2, and NO?—and the risk of SCD. Methods:We analyzed data from 460 862 participants in the UK Biobank cohort, all enrolled between 2006 and 2010, with no baseline SCD. Follow-up continued until the study endpoint. Annual average concentrations of the five pollutants were assessed. Associations between pollutants and SCD were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models, followed by Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess causality.Results:Over a mean follow-up of 12.4 years, 2 662 SCD cases were recorded. After adjusting for confounders, no significant associations were found between air pollutants and SCD risk: PM 2.5 ( HR 1.03, 95% CI 0.99–1.07, P = 0.14), PM 2.5–10 ( HR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00–1.08, P = 0.08), PM 10 ( HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.99–1.03, P = 0.26), NO? ( HR 1.00, 95% CI 0.99–1.00, P = 0.26), and NO x ( HR 1.00, 95% CI 1.00–1.01, P = 0.19). MR analysis further supported the absence of causal relationships: PM 2.5 ( β = -0.149, P = 0.90), PM 2.5–10 ( β = 0.387, P = 0.62), PM 10 ( β = -0.994, P = 0.62), NO? ( β = –0.005, P = 0.99), and NO 2 ( β = –0.827, P = 0.25). Conclusions:This study found no evidence linking PM 2.5, PM 2.5–10, PM 10, NO?, or NO 2 to an increased risk of SCD. Mendelian randomization confirmed the lack of causal associations between these pollutants and SCD.
6.Research on portable transport vehicle for single injured soldier in field warfare
Zhenzhen ZHANG ; Shuangna ZHANG ; Fengmei TANG ; Yahui YANG ; Na LI ; Pan LI ; Linghui WANG
China Medical Equipment 2025;22(9):163-166,172
To develop a portable transport vehicle for single injured soldier in field warfare,so as to meet the target of completing emergency transshipment for single injured solider in both peacetime and wartime.The main body of the transport vehicle consists of a general stretcher and an additional wheel device.The stretcher provides a supporting platform for lying down and prone position of injured solider.The device of additional wheel is a foldable portable structure with two-wheels,which composed of 2 wheels,2 sets of frames,a crossbeam,connecting rods,buckles,and hooks.When transport task for injured solider needs to be performed,it can be connected to the stretcher to be expanded as a stretcher cart for transporting injured solider.In normal times,it can be folded for storage in a backpack.The use of the portable transport vehicle for single injured soldier in field warfare can reduce the number of personnel who carries out the stretcher from 2-3 person to 1 person,and can significantly reduce the frequency of transport,and shorten the overall time of transport,and remarkably improve efficiency of transport.Moreover,the scores of medical members for the performance of labor-saving and the recommendation level of transport vehicle in this study were higher than general stretcher,and the differences were significant(t=9.52,3.60,P<0.05).This transport vehicle has a reasonably structural design,favorable portability and safety.It can greatly improve the efficiency of transporting injured solider under limited conditions,and enhance the possibility that successfully rescue injured solider,and meet the requirement of grass-roots unit of army for practical combat in transporting injured solider,which is a suitable transport tool.
7.Evaluation of the Efficacy of Gouteng Xuanshen Prescription in the Treatment of Hypertension:A Retrospective Cohort Study Based on Real-World Data
Jiaming HUAN ; Zhen HUA ; Haoyu CHEN ; Xiaojie WANG ; Linghui KONG ; Yunlun LI
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(3):832-841
Objective To provide a reference for the clinical individualized medication of hypertension,the antihypertensive efficacy of Gouteng Xuanshen prescription in the treatment of hypertension was verified,and its improvement on the discomfort symptoms of patients was explored.Methods This study adopted a retrospective cohort study design.The data were derived from the electronic medical records of 6770 hypertensive patients in the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 1,2013 to January 1,2023.The exposure factor was the treatment of Uncaria rhynchophylla,Scrophularia ningpoensis,and Radish Seed.After the propensity score was used to deal with the confounding factors,the changes in blood pressure of the patients after treatment were observed.At the same time,in order to analyze the improvement of patients'symptoms,the Apriori algorithm to mine the core symptoms of patients was explored,and the patient symptom network was constructed.The BGLL algorithm was used to divide the symptoms into communities to form a symptom map.Finally,survival analysis and Cox regression were used to find the sensitive symptom community of Gouteng Xuanshen prescription,and the related factors were analyzed.Results 468 people were included in the exposure group and the control group.After treatment,more patients in the exposure group reached the target blood pressure(P<0.01),and the effect was better in lowering systolic blood pressure(P<0.05),and no obvious abnormalities in safety indicators were found.In terms of symptom improvement,the 134 symptoms recorded in the medical records were divided into 6 groups.As the medication time increased,the patient's head discomfort was easier to relieve.The effect was best at 8 weeks of treatment,and it was more sensitive to patients with extremely high cardiovascular risk or grade 3 hypertension.Conclusion This study verified the clinical efficacy of the Gouteng Xuanshen prescription in the treatment of hypertension through electronic medical record data,which preliminarily revealed the potential role and law of the Gouteng Xuanshen prescription in the treatment of hypertension.
8.Integrating network pharmacology and machine learning to analyze the multi-target molecular mechanism of compound Huangbai liquid in promoting wound healing of perianal abscess
Weichao YUAN ; Chengwen XUE ; Tao WANG ; Linghui YU ; Lixia ZHU
Journal of Shenyang Medical College 2025;27(4):350-358
Objective:To investigate the key targets and mechanisms of compound Huangbai liquid in promoting wound healing of perianal abscess using network pharmacology and machine learning.Methods:Active components of compound Huangbai liquid and their target genes were screened and corrected using the TCMSP and HERB databases.Target genes related to wound healing were collected from the GeneCard and GEO databases.Common targets were identified using SangerBox online tool,followed by KEGG and GO enrichment analyses to explore potential biological functions.A PPI network was constructed to analyze core gene interactions,and immune cell infiltration was evaluated using the CIBERSORT algorithm.Key genes were screened using machine learning methods such as Boruta,random forest,XGBoost,and SVM-RFE.Finally,the binding affinity between active components and target genes was validated using AutoDock Vina.Results:Four key target genes(CYP19A1,IL10RA,ALOXE3,EGFR)were significantly correlated with components such as quercetin and berberine.These genes were involved in PI3K-Akt signaling pathway,and closely related to immune response and cell proliferation.The PPI network showed that these genes played important roles in angiogenesis and cell adhesion.Immune infiltration analysis showed that key genes were strongly correlated with immune cells such as macrophages.Conclusion:Compound Huangbai liquid may promote wound healing in perianal abscess by regulating multiple biological pathways and immune responses.
9.Evaluation of the Efficacy of Gouteng Xuanshen Prescription in the Treatment of Hypertension:A Retrospective Cohort Study Based on Real-World Data
Jiaming HUAN ; Zhen HUA ; Haoyu CHEN ; Xiaojie WANG ; Linghui KONG ; Yunlun LI
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(3):832-841
Objective To provide a reference for the clinical individualized medication of hypertension,the antihypertensive efficacy of Gouteng Xuanshen prescription in the treatment of hypertension was verified,and its improvement on the discomfort symptoms of patients was explored.Methods This study adopted a retrospective cohort study design.The data were derived from the electronic medical records of 6770 hypertensive patients in the Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 1,2013 to January 1,2023.The exposure factor was the treatment of Uncaria rhynchophylla,Scrophularia ningpoensis,and Radish Seed.After the propensity score was used to deal with the confounding factors,the changes in blood pressure of the patients after treatment were observed.At the same time,in order to analyze the improvement of patients'symptoms,the Apriori algorithm to mine the core symptoms of patients was explored,and the patient symptom network was constructed.The BGLL algorithm was used to divide the symptoms into communities to form a symptom map.Finally,survival analysis and Cox regression were used to find the sensitive symptom community of Gouteng Xuanshen prescription,and the related factors were analyzed.Results 468 people were included in the exposure group and the control group.After treatment,more patients in the exposure group reached the target blood pressure(P<0.01),and the effect was better in lowering systolic blood pressure(P<0.05),and no obvious abnormalities in safety indicators were found.In terms of symptom improvement,the 134 symptoms recorded in the medical records were divided into 6 groups.As the medication time increased,the patient's head discomfort was easier to relieve.The effect was best at 8 weeks of treatment,and it was more sensitive to patients with extremely high cardiovascular risk or grade 3 hypertension.Conclusion This study verified the clinical efficacy of the Gouteng Xuanshen prescription in the treatment of hypertension through electronic medical record data,which preliminarily revealed the potential role and law of the Gouteng Xuanshen prescription in the treatment of hypertension.
10.Hederagenin mediates Axin2/AREG axis to inhibit inflammation and alleviate acute kidney injury in mice
Linghui XU ; Yinglan LIANG ; Hongwei SU ; Jianchun LI ; Guiping LI ; Li WANG ; Yuanxia ZOU
Acta Laboratorium Animalis Scientia Sinica 2025;33(2):157-168
Objective To investigate the protective effect of hederagenin(HDG)on cisplatin(Cis)-induced acute kidney injury(AKI)in mice and its potential mechanism.Methods 24 male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a control group,AKI model group,HDG low-dose group,and HDG high-dose group,with six mice in each group.AKI model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg cisplatin(Cis).The HDG low-dose and HDG high-dose groups were given 20,40 mg/kg HDG by intragastric administration,respectively,and samples were collected 3 days later.The kidneys of the mice were collected for hematoxylin-eosin(HE)and periodic-acid-schiff(PAS)staining to evaluate the kidney pathology,and serum was collected to detect changes in serum creatinine(Scr)and blood urea nitrogen(BUN).The expression of p-P65,P65,IL-6,TNF-α,IL-1β,and other inflammatory-related proteins was detected by Western Blot.A TCMK1(renal tubular epithelial cell)inflammatory cell model was established by Cis(200 ng/mL)stimulation in vitro.Blank group,Cis model group,HDG low-dose group,HDG high-dose group,Axin2 overexpression group,HDG+Axin2 overexpression group were set up.In the Axin2-overexpression group,the expression of p-P65,P65,IL-6,TNF-α,IL-1β,Axin2,and AREG was detected among total cell proteins.Results Compared with the control group,AKI model mice exhibited significantly elevated serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels(P<0.05),accompanied by pathological alterations including vacuolar degeneration of renal tubules,inflammatory cell infiltration,and glycogen deposition,and the expression of inflammation-related proteins(p-P65,TNF-α,IL-6,IL-1β)and Axin2 was markedly upregulated in AKI mice(P<0.05).HDG treatment induced a dose-dependent reduction in serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels(high-dose>low-dose,P<0.05),alleviated renal histopathological damage,and concurrently suppressed the expression of these inflammatory mediators and Axin2(P<0.05).HDG was confirmed that dose-dependently inhibited Cis-induced upregulation of Axin2,and inflammatory cytokines in vitro experiments.Transcriptome sequencing revealed that Axin2 overexpression significantly increased amphiregulin(AREG)expression(P<0.05).Mechanistically,HDG reduced p-P65 phosphorylation by suppressing the Axin2/AREG axis(P<0.05),while Axin2 overexpression abolished the protective effects of HDG against Cis-induced renal tubular cell injury.Conclusions HDG protects against renal injury in AKI mice by reducing inflammation through the inhibition of Axin2/AREG axis activation.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail