1.UPLC-Q-TOF-MS combined with network pharmacology reveals effect and mechanism of Gentianella turkestanorum total extract in ameliorating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
Wu DAI ; Dong-Xuan ZHENG ; Ruo-Yu GENG ; Li-Mei WEN ; Bo-Wei JU ; Qiang HOU ; Ya-Li GUO ; Xiang GAO ; Jun-Ping HU ; Jian-Hua YANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(7):1938-1948
This study aims to reveal the effect and mechanism of Gentianella turkestanorum total extract(GTI) in ameliorating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH). UPLC-Q-TOF-MS was employed to identify the chemical components in GTI. SwissTarget-Prediction, GeneCards, OMIM, and TTD were utilized to screen the targets of GTI components and NASH. The common targets shared by GTI components and NASH were filtered through the STRING database and Cytoscape 3.9.0 to identify core targets, followed by GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. AutoDock was used for molecular docking of key components with core targets. A mouse model of NASH was established with a methionine-choline-deficient high-fat diet. A 4-week drug intervention was conducted, during which mouse weight was monitored, and the liver-to-brain ratio was measured at the end. Hematoxylin-eosin staining, Sirius red staining, and oil red O staining were employed to observe the pathological changes in the liver tissue. The levels of various biomarkers, including aspartate aminotransferase(AST), alanine aminotransferase(ALT), hydroxyproline(HYP), total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), malondialdehyde(MDA), superoxide dismutase(SOD), and glutathione(GSH), in the serum and liver tissue were determined. RT-qPCR was conducted to measure the mRNA levels of interleukin 1β(IL-1β), interleukin 6(IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α), collagen type I α1 chain(COL1A1), and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA). Western blotting was conducted to determine the protein levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and potential drug targets identified through network pharmacology. UPLC-Q-TOF/MS identified 581 chemical components of GTI, and 534 targets of GTI and 1 157 targets of NASH were screened out. The topological analysis of the common targets shared by GTI and NASH identified core targets such as IL-1β, IL-6, protein kinase B(AKT), TNF, and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma(PPARG). GO and KEGG analyses indicated that the ameliorating effect of GTI on NASH was related to inflammatory responses and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)/AKT pathway. The staining results demonstrated that GTI ameliorated hepatocyte vacuolation, swelling, ballooning, and lipid accumulation in NASH mice. Compared with the model group, high doses of GTI reduced the AST, ALT, HYP, TC, and TG levels(P<0.01) while increasing the HDL-C, SOD, and GSH levels(P<0.01). RT-qPCR results showed that GTI down-regulated the mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, COL1A1, and α-SMA(P<0.01). Western blot results indicated that GTI down-regulated the protein levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, phosphorylated PI3K(p-PI3K), phosphorylated AKT(p-AKT), phosphorylated inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B alpha(p-IκBα), and nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB)(P<0.01). In summary, GTI ameliorates inflammation, dyslipidemia, and oxidative stress associated with NASH by regulating the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Animals
;
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/genetics*
;
Mice
;
Network Pharmacology
;
Male
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
;
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
;
Liver/metabolism*
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Humans
;
Mass Spectrometry
;
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism*
;
Disease Models, Animal
;
Molecular Docking Simulation
2.Stiff left atrial syndrome after Mei mini maze procedure for atrial fibrillation: A retrospective study
Qi YANG ; Shiao DING ; Xueyan JIANG ; Yuan YUAN ; Hao LIU ; Ju MEI
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2024;31(03):434-438
Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics of stiff left atrial syndrome (SLAS) after Mei mini maze procedure for atrial fibrillation (AF), and to explore its risk factors and treatments. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of the patients who underwent Mei mini maze procedure in Xinhua Hospital between 2010 and 2020. According to whether SLAS occurred in the early postoperative period, patients were divided into a SLAS group and a non-SLAS group. The basic data, perioperative echocardiogram and laboratory test indexes of the two groups were compared. Results A total of 1 056 patients were collected. There were 672 (63.6%) males with an average age of 63.6±9.3 years, including 489 patients with persistent AF and 567 patients with paroxysmal AF. Fourteen (14/1 056, 1.3%) patients developed SLAS, with an average occurrence time of 2.1±1.1 days after the surgery. The average follow-up time of the whole group was 21.4±7.8 months. Two patients in the SLAS group developed SLAS again after discharge, and the occurrence time was 3 weeks and 4 weeks after the operation, respectively; while no SLAS occurred after discharge in the non-SLAS group. Diabetes and small preoperative left atrial diameter were risk factors for SLAS after surgery. Patients with SLAS had a good prognosis after adequate diuretic therapy. Conclusion The incidence of SLAS after Mei mini maze procedure for AF is low, and it mostly occurs in the early postoperative period. After adequate diuretic treatment, the prognosis is good.
3.Research progress in risk factors and evaluation tools for nausea and vomiting after hepatic artery chemoembolization in liver cancer patients
Yi LIANG ; Zhongting YAN ; Yuhuan SANG ; Bo YANG ; Fang WANG ; Yuan YUAN ; Mei JU
Journal of Interventional Radiology 2024;33(5):565-570
Primary liver cancer(PLC)is a common malignant tumor in China.It ranks second in the cause of tumor mortality and it is a serious threat to the lives and health of people.Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization(TACE)is the preferred treatment for patients with HCC who cannot be surgically cured,which is of great significance for prolonging the patient's life.However,the incidence of nausea and vomiting after TACE is very high,which is an important reason for the decline of patient treatment compliance,which seriously affects the quality of life and the effect of interventional therapy.This paper reviews the domestic and abroad literature concerning the nausea and vomiting in patients after TACE,focusing on the clinical features of nausea and vomiting,the risk factors and the assessment tools,so as to provide a scientific basis for clinical early identification and effective intervention of nausea and vomiting after TACE.(J Intervent Radiol,2024,33:565-570)
4.A multicenter study of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen,China
Li-Xiu SHI ; Jin-Xing FENG ; Yan-Fang WEI ; Xin-Ru LU ; Yu-Xi ZHANG ; Lin-Ying YANG ; Sheng-Nan HE ; Pei-Juan CHEN ; Jing HAN ; Cheng CHEN ; Hui-Ying TU ; Zhang-Bin YU ; Jin-Jie HUANG ; Shu-Juan ZENG ; Wan-Ling CHEN ; Ying LIU ; Yan-Ping GUO ; Jiao-Yu MAO ; Xiao-Dong LI ; Qian-Shen ZHANG ; Zhi-Li XIE ; Mei-Ying HUANG ; Kun-Shan YAN ; Er-Ya YING ; Jun CHEN ; Yan-Rong WANG ; Ya-Ping LIU ; Bo SONG ; Hua-Yan LIU ; Xiao-Dong XIAO ; Hong TANG ; Yu-Na WANG ; Yin-Sha CAI ; Qi LONG ; Han-Qiang XU ; Hui-Zhan WANG ; Qian SUN ; Fang HAN ; Rui-Biao ZHANG ; Chuan-Zhong YANG ; Lei DOU ; Hui-Ju SHI ; Rui WANG ; Ping JIANG ; Shenzhen Neonatal Data Network
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2024;26(5):450-455
Objective To investigate the incidence rate,clinical characteristics,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen,China.Methods Led by Shenzhen Children's Hospital,the Shenzhen Neonatal Data Collaboration Network organized 21 institutions to collect 36 cases of neonatal stroke from January 2020 to December 2022.The incidence,clinical characteristics,treatment,and prognosis of neonatal stroke in Shenzhen were analyzed.Results The incidence rate of neonatal stroke in 21 hospitals from 2020 to 2022 was 1/15 137,1/6 060,and 1/7 704,respectively.Ischemic stroke accounted for 75%(27/36);boys accounted for 64%(23/36).Among the 36 neonates,31(86%)had disease onset within 3 days after birth,and 19(53%)had convulsion as the initial presentation.Cerebral MRI showed that 22 neonates(61%)had left cerebral infarction and 13(36%)had basal ganglia infarction.Magnetic resonance angiography was performed for 12 neonates,among whom 9(75%)had involvement of the middle cerebral artery.Electroencephalography was performed for 29 neonates,with sharp waves in 21 neonates(72%)and seizures in 10 neonates(34%).Symptomatic/supportive treatment varied across different hospitals.Neonatal Behavioral Neurological Assessment was performed for 12 neonates(33%,12/36),with a mean score of(32±4)points.The prognosis of 27 neonates was followed up to around 12 months of age,with 44%(12/27)of the neonates having a good prognosis.Conclusions Ischemic stroke is the main type of neonatal stroke,often with convulsions as the initial presentation,involvement of the middle cerebral artery,sharp waves on electroencephalography,and a relatively low neurodevelopment score.Symptomatic/supportive treatment is the main treatment method,and some neonates tend to have a poor prognosis.
5.Meta-analysis on the incidence of healthcare-associated infection in adult cases with intestinal carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales colonization
Yin-Mei LIU ; Xin WANG ; Hui-Ying YANG ; Ju-Mei SHI ; Ying-Chuan LI
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2024;23(5):592-599
Objective To systematically evaluate the incidence of healthcare-associated infection(HAI)in adult cases with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales(CRE)colonization in intestine,and provide referential basis for the prevention and control of HAI in cases colonized with CRE intestinally.Methods Literatures on the incidence of HAI in cases with intestinal CRE colonization were retrieved from 8 databases,including Embase,Cochrane,PubMed,Web of Science,CNKI,Wanfang,VIP,and China Biomedical Literature Database(CBM),dating back from the establishment of the databases to June 2023.Meta-analysis was conducted by Stata 17.0 software.Stabili-ty of the research results was evaluated by sensitivity analysis,and publication bias was evaluated by Egger's test.Results A total of 16 articles were included in the study,with in total 2 151 cases from 5 Chinese articles and 11 English articles.Meta-analysis results showed that the incidence of HAI in adult cases with intestinal CRE coloniza-tion was 23.1%(95%CI:14.8%-32.5%).Subgroup analysis was conducted based on grouping factors,such as different research design types,publication years,as well as research regions,departments,and infection sites.The differences in the combined effects among subgroups were not statistically significant(all P>0.05).Among the CRE developed from colonization to HAI,the proportion of carpabenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae(CRKP)was 96.0%(95%CI:86.8%-100%),and the incidence of bloodstream infection in colonized cases was 18.2%(95%CI:10.3%-27.6%).The 30-day mortality of CRE colonized cases was 32.6%(95%CI:20.5%-45.9%),and the 30-day mortality of CRE infected cases was 36.9%(95%CI:16.0%-60.2%).Conclusion In recent years,the incidence of HAI in cases with CRE colonization is high,it is necessary to actively screen and focus on intervention in high-risk departments,so as to decrease the incidence of HAI in CRE colonized cases.
6.Study on improving the photostability of nifedipine by crystal engineering
Xin MENG ; Yao ZOU ; Mei-ju LIU ; Cheng XING ; Ning-bo GONG ; Yang LÜ
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(12):3374-3378
In order to improve the poor photostability of nifedipine, this study designed a cocrystal based on the principles of crystal engineering and prepared nifedipine-imidazole cocrystal by suspension method. The new cocrystal was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and infrared spectroscopy (IR) to confirm the formation of the cocrystal. The photostability of nifedipine and its cocrystal was measured by powder X-ray diffraction and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that the nifedipine-imidazole cocrystal improved the photostability of nifedipine to a certain extent. This study provides guidance for the development of nifedipine cocrystals and the improvement of its druggability.
7.Guideline for clinical comprehensive evaluation of Chinese patent medicine (2022 version).
Wei-An YUAN ; Jun-Hua ZHANG ; Jian-Ping LIU ; Zhong-Qi YANG ; Jun-Ling CAO ; Xing LIAO ; Xiao-Yu XI ; Mei HAN ; Wen-Yuan LI ; Zhen-Wen QIU ; Shi-Yin FENG ; Yuan-Yuan GUO ; Lu-Jia CAO ; Xiao-Hong LIAO ; Yan-Ling AI ; Ju HUANG ; Lu-Lu JIA ; Xiang-Fei SU ; Xue WU ; Ze-Qi DAI ; Ji-Hua GUO ; Bing-Qing LU ; Xiao-Xiao ZHANG ; Jian-Yuan TANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(1):256-264
Currently,the research or publications related to the clinical comprehensive evaluation of Chinese patent medicine are increasing,which attracts the broad attention of all circles. According to the completed clinical evaluation report on Chinese patent medicine,there are still practical problems and technical difficulties such as unclear responsibility of the evaluation organization,unclear evaluation subject,miscellaneous evaluation objects,and incomplete and nonstandard evaluation process. In terms of evaluation standards and specifications,there are different types of specifications or guidelines with different emphases issued by different academic groups or relevant institutions. The professional guideline is required to guide the standardized and efficient clinical comprehensive evaluation of Chinese patent medicine and further improve the authority and quality of evaluation. In combination with the characteristics of Chinese patent medicine and the latest research achievement at home and abroad,the detailed specifications were formulated from six aspects including design,theme selection,content and index,outcome,application and appraisal,and quality control. The guideline was developed based on the guideline development requirements of China Assoication of Chinese medicine. After several rounds of expert consensus and public consultation,the current version of the guideline has been developed.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
;
Nonprescription Drugs
;
Consensus
;
China
;
Reference Standards
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal
8.Chemical reaction mechanism of decoction of traditional Chinese medicines: a review.
Chang-Jiang-Sheng LAI ; Ze-Yan CHEN ; Zi-Dong QIU ; You-Run CHEN ; Chong-Yang WANG ; Nan-Ju MEI ; Jin-Rui LIU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(4):890-899
Complicated chemical reactions occur in the decoction of traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs) which features complex components, influencing the safety, efficacy, and quality controllability of TCMs. Therefore, it is particularly important to clarify the chemical reaction mechanism of TCMs in the decoction. This study summarized eight typical chemical reactions in the decoction of TCMs, such as substitution reaction, redox reaction, isomerization/stereoselective reaction, complexation, and supramolecular reaction. With the "toxicity attenuation and efficiency enhancement" of aconitines and other examples, this study reviewed the reactions in decoction of TCMs, which was expected to clarify the variation mechanisms of key chemical components in this process and to help guide medicine preparation and safe and rational use of medicine in clinical settings. The current main research methods for chemical reaction mechanisms of decoction of TCMs were also summed up and compared. The novel real-time analysis device of decoction system for TCMs was found to be efficient and simple without the pre-treatment of samples. This device provides a promising solution, which has great potential in quantity evaluation and control of TCMs. Moreover, it is expected to become a foundational and exemplary research tool, which can advance the research in this field.
Medicine
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
;
Research Design
9.Using machine learning algorithm to predict the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder among firefighters in Changsha.
Aoqian DENG ; Yanyi YANG ; Yunjing LI ; Mei HUANG ; Liang LI ; Yimei LU ; Wentao CHEN ; Rui YUAN ; Yumeng JU ; Bangshan LIU ; Yan ZHANG
Journal of Central South University(Medical Sciences) 2023;48(1):84-91
OBJECTIVES:
Firefighters are prone to suffer from psychological trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the workplace, and have a poor prognosis after PTSD. Reliable models for predicting PTSD allow for effective identification and intervention for patients with early PTSD. By collecting the psychological traits, psychological states and work situations of firefighters, this study aims to develop a machine learning algorithm with the aim of effectively and accurately identifying the onset of PTSD in firefighters, as well as detecting some important predictors of PTSD onset.
METHODS:
This study conducted a cross-sectional survey through convenient sampling of firefighters from 20 fire brigades in Changsha, which were evenly distributed across 6 districts and Changsha County, with a total of 628 firefighters. We used the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) to process data sets and used grid search to finish the parameter tuning. The predictive capability of several commonly used machine learning models was compared by 5-fold cross-validation and using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC-AUC), accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score.
RESULTS:
The random forest model achieved good performance in predicting PTSD with an average AUC score at 0.790. The mean accuracy of the model was 90.1%, with an F1 score of 0.945. The three most important predictors were perseverance, forced thinking, and reflective deep thinking, with weights of 0.165, 0.158, and 0.152, respectively. The next most important predictors were employment time, psychological power, and optimism.
CONCLUSIONS
PTSD onset prediction model for Changsha firefighters constructed by random forest has strong predictive ability, and both psychological characteristics and work situation can be used as predictors of PTSD onset risk for firefighters. In the next step of the study, validation using other large datasets is needed to ensure that the predictive models can be used in clinical setting.
Humans
;
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/diagnosis*
;
Firefighters/psychology*
;
Cross-Sectional Studies
;
Algorithms
;
Machine Learning
10.Screening and promoting effect of grow-promoting fungi in rhizosphere of Angelica dahurica var. formosana.
Mei-Yan JIANG ; Ren-Lang LIU ; Yang ZHOU ; Si-Qin LIU ; Yun-Shu YANG ; Fei YAO ; Xuan DU ; Yin-Yin CHEN ; Dong-Ju FENG ; Dong-Bei XU ; Wei WU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(19):5172-5180
Excessive application of chemical fertilizer has caused many problems in Angelica dahurica var. formosana planting, such as yield decline and quality degradation. In order to promote the green cultivation mode of A. dahurica var. formosana and explore rhizosphere fungus resources, the rhizosphere fungi with nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization, potassium solubilization, iron-producing carrier, and IAA-producing properties were isolated and screened in the rhizosphere of A. dahurica var. formosana from the genuine and non-genuine areas, respectively. The strains were identified comprehensively in light of the morphological characteristics and ITS rDNA sequences, and the growth-promoting effect of the screened strains was verified by pot experiment. The results showed that 37 strains of growth-promoting fungi were isolated and screened from the rhizosphere of A. dahurica var. formosana, mostly belonging to Fusarium. The cultured rhizosphere growth-promoting fungi of A. dahurica var. formosana were more abundant and diverse in the genuine producing areas than in the non-genuine producing areas. Among all strains, Aspergillus niger ZJ-17 had the strongest growth promotion potential. Under the condition of no fertilization outdoors, ZJ-17 inoculation significantly promoted the growth, yield, and accumulation of effective components of A. dahurica var. formosana planted in the soil of genuine and non-genuine producing areas, with yield increases of 73.59% and 37.84%, respectively. To a certain extent, it alleviated the restriction without additional fertilization on the growth of A. dahurica var. formosana. Therefore, A. niger ZJ-17 has great application prospects in increasing yield and quality of A. dahurica var. formosana and reducing fertilizer application and can be actually applied in promoting the growth of A. dahurica var. formosana and producing biofertilizer.
Fertilizers
;
Rhizosphere
;
Angelica/chemistry*
;
Fungi/genetics*
;
Phosphorus

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail