Objective:To identify the prognostic value of the Revised 15-item Myelodysplastic Syndrome-specific frailty scale (FS-15) in Chinese patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) .Methods:This retrospective study analyzed 812 patients with newly diagnosed MDS admitted to the Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Peking Union Medical College from August 2016 to June 2023. Patients were assessed using the FS-15 and subsequently categorized into frail and non-frail groups. Clinical and laboratory characteristics, as well as overall survival (OS), were compared between these groups.Results:① The median patient age was 55 years ( IQR 45–64), with a median follow-up of 22.5 months (95% CI: 20.2–24.9) and a median OS of 43.3 months (95% CI: 36.8–49.8). The median FS-15 score was 0.42, with a cutoff value of 0.44. Male patients demonstrated higher median FS-15 scores than female patients (0.42 vs 0.38, P=0.006). In both the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R; P=0.001) and Molecular International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-M; P=0.014) stratifications, FS-15 scores were significantly higher in the very high-risk group compared with the very low-risk group. ② The median OS was 54.7 months (95% CI: 47.5–NA) and 31.5 months (95% CI: 22.9–41.0) in the nonfrail ( n=452) and frail groups ( n=360), respectively ( P<0.001). The 3-year OS rates were (63.2 ± 3.2) % and (46.4 ± 3.6) % for the non-frail and frail groups, with 5-year OS rates of (49.9 ± 4.7) % and (32.0 ± 4.3) %, respectively ( P<0.001). ③Subgroup analysis revealed that nonfrail patients demonstrated significantly higher 3-year OS rates than frail patients in both the IPSS-M low-risk and very high-risk groups (all P<0.05). Similarly, nonfrail patients demonstrated superior 3-year OS rates compared with frail patients in the IPSS-R very low-risk, low-risk, and high-risk groups (all P<0.05). ④Among patients receiving hypomethylating agent therapy, the overall response rate was significantly higher in the non-frail group than in the frail group (86.7% vs 64.6%, P=0.007). Moreover, the frail group experienced higher rates of treatment-related adverse events, including febrile neutropenia (67.1% vs 47.4%, P=0.016) and liver function abnormalities (30.0% vs 14.5%, P=0.023), compared with the non-frail group. Conclusion:The FS-15 frailty score is a feasible and effective tool for assessing frailty in patients newly diagnosed with MDS in China and serves as a valuable prognostic indicator.

Objective:To explore the clinical features and molecular characteristics of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) patients with NFE2 gene mutations.Methods:Gene targeted sequencing was used to detect NFE2 gene mutation in 723 patients diagnosed with MPNs who were admitted to Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College between April 2021 and June 2023. The association between NFE2 gene mutations and clinical features and molecular characteristics of MPNs patients were retrospectively analyzed.Results:Among 723 patients with MPNs, NFE2 gene mutations were found in 41 cases (5.7%) . NFE2 gene mutations were predominantly frameshift mutations (44.4%) , followed by nonsense mutations (33.3%) . The median number of mutations in patients with NFE2 gene mutations (4 [2,5]) was higher compared to the group without NFE2 gene mutations (2, [1,3]) ( P<0.001) . NFE2 gene mutations frequently co-occurred with mutations in MPL, ATM, PPM1D, and TET1. NFE2 gene mutations were mostly sub-clonal events, with 80.5% occurring after MPNs driver mutations (JAK2, CALR, or MPL) . NFE2 mutations were correlated with older age [median age: 60 (54, 67) years vs 54 (41, 63) years, P=0.001]. Patients with NFE2 gene mutations had a higher incidence of pre-diagnosis thrombosis (39.0% vs 22.0%, P=0.012) and pre-diagnosis arterial thrombosis (36.6% vs 20.4%, P=0.014) . Using a logistic regression analysis model adjusting for age and comorbidities (including chronic infections, malignancies, and autoimmune diseases) , NFE2 gene mutation was identified as an independent determinant of elevated tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) ( OR=2.747, 95% CI: 1.143-6.605, P=0.024) , interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) ( OR=2.689, 95% CI: 1.191-6.076, P=0.017) , IL-10 ( OR=3.219, 95% CI: 1.343-7.717, P=0.009) , IL-12P70 ( OR=3.397, 95% CI:1.003-11.508, P=0.049) , IL-17 ( OR=2.284, 95% CI: 1.017-5.127, P=0.045) . In polycythaemia vera (PV) patients with the NFE2 gene mutation, the proportion of those classified as high-risk is notably higher in both the IWG-PV and mutation-enhanced international prognostic systems for PV (MIPSS-PV) (66.7% vs 25.3% for IWG-PV, P=0.033; 22.2% vs 2.0% for MIPSS-PV, P=0.013) . Similarly, for essential thrombocythaemia (ET) patients, the proportion in the high-risk group of the mutation-enhanced international prognostic systems for ET (MIPSS-ET) is significantly higher (15.4% vs 6.1%, P=0.021) . No statistically significant differences were observed in overall survival or cumulative incidence of thrombosis between NFE2-mutated (38 cases) and non-mutated MPNs patients (671 cases, P>0.05) . Conclusion:NFE2 gene mutations in MPNs were predominantly frameshift mutations. NFE2 gene mutations were correlated with older age, elevated levels of several inflammatory factors (including TNF-α、IFN-γ、IL-10、IL-12P70、IL-17) , and they mostly occurred in late-stage of MPNs.

This study aims to investigate the potential effect of the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix on hypercholesterolemia in mice that was induced by a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet and explore its possible mechanism from bile acid reabsorption. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned into the following groups: control, model, low-and high-dose(4 and 8 g·kg~(-1), respectively) fresh Rehmanniae Radix, and positive drug(simvastatin, 0.05 g·kg~(-1)). Other groups except the control group were fed with a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet for 6 consecutive weeks to induce hypercholesterolemia. From the 6th week, mice were administrated with corresponding drugs daily via gavage for additional 6 weeks, while continuing to be fed with a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet. Serum levels of total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-c), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-c), and total bile acid(TBA), as well as liver TC and TG levels and fecal TBA level, were determined by commercial assay kits. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, oil red O staining, and transmission electron microscopy were performed to observe the pathological changes in the liver. Three livers samples were randomly selected from each of the control, model, and high-dose fresh Rehmanniae Radix groups for high-throughput transcriptome sequencing. Differentially expressed genes were mined and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis was performed to predict the key pathways and target genes of the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. RT-qPCR was employed to measure the mRNA levels of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase(CYP7A1) and cholesterol 27α-hydroxylase(CYP27A1) in the liver. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of CYP7A1 and CYP27A1 in the liver as well as farnesoid X receptor(FXR), apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter(ASBT), and ileum bile acid-binding protein(I-BABP) in the ileum. The results showed that the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix significantly lowered the levels of TC and TG in the serum and liver, as well as the level of LDL-c in the serum. Conversely, it elevated the level of HDL-c in the serum and TBA in feces. No significant difference was observed in the level of TBA in the serum among groups. HE staining, oil red O staining, and transmission electron microscopy showed that the water extract reduced the accumulation of lipid droplets in the liver. Further mechanism studies revealed that the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix significantly down-regulated the protein levels of FXR and bile acid reabsorption-related proteins ASBT and I-BABP. Additionally, it enhanced CYP7A1 and CYP27A1, the key enzymes involved in bile acid synthesis. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix may exert an anti-hypercholesterolemic effect by regulating FXR/ASBT/I-BABP signaling, inhibiting bile acid reabsorption, and increasing bile acid excretion, thus facilitating the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids.
Animals ; Male ; Bile Acids and Salts/metabolism* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice ; Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects* ; Cholesterol/metabolism* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Hypercholesterolemia/genetics* ; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/genetics* ; Rehmannia/chemistry* ; Liver/drug effects* ; Humans ; Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase/genetics* ; Plant Extracts

Liver ischemia-reperfusion injury (LIRI) is a pathological process involving multiple injury factors and cell types, with different stages. Currently, protective drugs targeting a single condition are limited in efficacy, and interventions on immune cells will also be accompanied by a series of side effects. In the current bottleneck research stage, the multi-target and obvious clinical efficacy of Chinese medicine (CM) is expected to become a breakthrough point in the research and development of new drugs. In this review, we summarize the roles of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in various stages of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion and on various types of cells. Combined with the current research progress in reducing ROS/RNS with CM, new therapies and mechanisms for the treatment of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion are discussed.
Reperfusion Injury/drug therapy* ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Reactive Nitrogen Species/metabolism* ; Humans ; Liver/drug effects* ; Animals ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*

OBJECTIVE: To explore the potential effects and mechanisms of Liang-Ge-San (LGS) for the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) through network pharmacology analysis and to verify LGS activity through biological experiments. METHODS: The key ingredients of LGS and related targets were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform. ARDS-related targets were selected from GeneCards and DisGeNET databases. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were performed using the Metascape Database. Molecular docking analysis was used to confirm the binding affinity of the core compounds with key therapeutic targets. Finally, the effects of LGS on key signaling pathways and biological processes were determined by in vitro and in vivo experiments. RESULTS: A total of LGS-related targets and 496 ARDS-related targets were obtained from the databases. Network pharmacological analysis suggested that LGS could treat ARDS based on the following information: LGS ingredients luteolin, wogonin, and baicalein may be potential candidate agents. Mitogen-activated protein kinase 14 (MAPK14), recombinant V-Rel reticuloendotheliosis viral oncogene homolog A (RELA), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) may be potential therapeutic targets. Reactive oxygen species metabolic process and the apoptotic signaling pathway were the main biological processes. The p38MAPK/NF-κ B signaling pathway might be the key signaling pathway activated by LGS against ARDS. Moreover, molecular docking demonstrated that luteolin, wogonin, and baicalein had a good binding affinity with MAPK14, RELA, and TNF α. In vitro experiments, LGS inhibited the expression and entry of p38 and p65 into the nucleation in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBE) cells induced by LPS, inhibited the inflammatory response and oxidative stress response, and inhibited HBE cell apoptosis (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In vivo experiments, LGS improved lung injury caused by ligation and puncture, reduced inflammatory responses, and inhibited the activation of p38MAPK and p65 (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION LGS could reduce reactive oxygen species and inflammatory cytokine production by inhibiting p38MAPK/NF-κ B signaling pathway, thus reducing apoptosis and attenuating ARDS.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome/enzymology* ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; Animals ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Humans ; Male ; Network Pharmacology ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Mice

OBJECTIVE: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies seen in clinic and requires novel treatment options. Morin is a natural flavonoid extracted from the flower stalk of a highly valuable medicinal plant Prunella vulgaris L., which exhibits an anti-cancer effect in multiple types of tumors. However, the therapeutic effect and underlying mechanism of morin in treating GC remains elusive. The study aims to explore the therapeutic effect and underlying molecular mechanisms of morin in GC. METHODS: For in vitro experiments, the proliferation inhibition of morin was measured by cell counting kit-8 assay and colony formation assay in human GC cell line MKN45, human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line AGS, and human gastric epithelial cell line GES-1; for apoptosis analysis, microscopic photography, Western blotting, ubiquitination analysis, quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, flow cytometry, and RNA interference technology were employed. For in vivo studies, immunohistochemistry, biomedical analysis, and Western blotting were used to assess the efficacy and safety of morin in a xenograft mouse model of GC. RESULTS: Morin significantly inhibited the proliferation of GC cells MKN45 and AGS in a dose- and time-dependent manner, but did not inhibit human gastric epithelial cells GES-1. Only the caspase inhibitor Z-VAD-FMK was able to significantly reverse the inhibition of proliferation by morin in both GC cells, suggesting that apoptosis was the main type of cell death during the treatment. Morin induced intrinsic apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner in GC cells, which mainly relied on B cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) associated agonist of cell death (BAD) but not phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate-induced protein 1. The upregulation of BAD by morin was due to blocking the ubiquitination degradation of BAD, rather than the transcription regulation and the phosphorylation of BAD. Furthermore, the combination of morin and BCL-2 inhibitor navitoclax (also known as ABT-737) produced a synergistic inhibitory effect in GC cells through amplifying apoptotic signals. In addition, morin treatment significantly suppressed the growth of GC in vivo by upregulating BAD and the subsequent activation of its downstream apoptosis pathway. CONCLUSION Morin suppressed GC by inducing apoptosis, which was mainly due to blocking the ubiquitination-based degradation of the pro-apoptotic protein BAD. The combination of morin and the BCL-2 inhibitor ABT-737 synergistically amplified apoptotic signals in GC cells, which may overcome the drug resistance of the BCL-2 inhibitor. These findings indicated that morin was a potent and promising agent for GC treatment. Please cite this article as: Wang Y, Sun XY, Ma FQ, Ren MM, Zhao RH, Qin MM, Zhu XH, Xu Y, Cao ND, Chen YY, Dong TG, Pan YF, Zhao AG. Morin inhibits ubiquitination degradation of BCL-2 associated agonist of cell death and synergizes with BCL-2 inhibitor in gastric cancer cells. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(3): 320-332.
Humans ; Flavonoids/therapeutic use* ; Stomach Neoplasms/pathology* ; Animals ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Ubiquitination/drug effects* ; Mice ; Drug Synergism ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays ; Flavones

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the antidepression mechanisms of Xiaoyaosan (XYS), a classic Chinese prescription, from the perspective of energy metabolism in the brain and intestinal tissues. METHODS: Chronic unpredictable mild stress model-a classic depression rat model-was established. Effects of XYS on behaviors and gastrointestinal motility of depressed rats were investigated. Effects of XYS on energetic charge (EC), adenosine triphosphate-related enzymes, and key enzymes of energy metabolism in both hippocampus and jejunum tissues of depressed rats were investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography, biochemical analysis, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to construct a correlation network of "behavior-brain energy metabolism-intestinal energy metabolism" of depression. RESULTS: XYS significantly reduced the abnormal behaviors that observed in depressed rats and increased the EC and the activity of Na⁺-K⁺-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) and Ca²⁺-Mg²⁺-ATPase in hippocampus and jejunum tissues of depressed rats. XYS restored the key energetic pathways that had been interrupted by depression, including glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, XYS exhibited antidepressive effects in terms of regulating energy metabolism in tissues of both brain and intestine. CONCLUSION XYS significantly corrected the disturbances in EC and energy metabolism-related enzymes of both brain and intestinal tissues, alleviating both core and concomitant symptoms of depression. The current findings underscore the role of energy metabolism in the antidepressive activity of XYS, providing a fresh perspective on depression, and novel research strategies for revealing the mechanism of actions of traditional Chinese medicines on multi-site and multi-symptom diseases. Please cite this article as: Xiao MT, Wang SY, Wu XL, Zhao ZY, Wang HM, Liu HM, Qin XM, Liu XJ. Antidepressant mechanism of Xiaoyaosan: A perspective from energy metabolism of the brain and intestine. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(6):706-720.
Animals ; Energy Metabolism/drug effects* ; Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Brain/drug effects* ; Male ; Depression/metabolism* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Intestines/drug effects* ; Hippocampus/drug effects*

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), characterized by fatty acid overload, secondary chronic inflammation, and fibrosis, has become the most prevalent chronic liver disease globally. While no effective pharmacotherapy exists for MAFLD, mitigating inflammatory responses represents a promising approach to preventing the progression from steatosis to severe steatohepatitis. The NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, which detects endogenous danger and stress signals, has emerged as a significant target for inflammatory disease treatment, as transcriptional inactivation of its components demonstrates the therapeutic potential for MAFLD. Natural products targeting NLRP3 inflammasome activation have shown promising efficacy in MAFLD therapy. This review synthesizes the current understanding of NLRP3 inflammasome activation and therapeutic targets for NLRP3 homeostasis. Additionally, natural products reported to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome for MAFLD improvement are categorized according to their mechanisms of action. The review also addresses limitations and future directions regarding natural products targeting NLRP3 inflammasome in MAFLD treatment. Enhanced understanding of NLRP3 inflammasome activation mechanisms in MAFLD and the identification of novel natural products supported by mechanistic research will significantly advance MAFLD treatment.
Humans ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/immunology* ; Inflammasomes/metabolism* ; Biological Products/therapeutic use* ; Animals ; Fatty Liver/immunology*

Objective To investigate the effectiveness of the curriculum design and teaching mode reform in Health Statistics through the assessment by postgraduate students so as to enhance the teaching performance of the course.Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted among the postgraduate students of grade 2023 at a certain medical university.The survey covered such aspects as students'mastery and application of the course learning content,their evaluation and satisfaction with the course,etc.Descriptive approaches were employed to analyze and summarize the data.Results Students achieved a good command of theoretical knowledge and its application.They highly evaluated the teacher,the course content and its practicality,demonstrated a strong interest in learning,expressed a high level of satisfaction with the course,and manifested a strong willingness to continue studying the course.The learning of the course met the expectations of the students.The final exam scores in the later stage of curriculum reform(78.60±10.58)was higher than that before the reform(75.78±7.97,P<0.05);the excellent rate after the reform was 53.6%,which was higher than the 33.5%before the reform(P<0.05).Conclusion The construction of a course system that integrates knowledge,skills the mixed teaching mode of case-based teaching and the combination of theory and statistical software package operation are beneficial for enhancing postgraduate students'learning and application of the course in health statistics.It also strengthens the design and training of course application aspects for students in clinical medicine and dental medicine disciplines.