1.Luteolin improves myocardial cell death induced by serum from rats with spinal cord injury
Wenwen ZHANG ; Mengru XU ; Yuan TIAN ; Lifei ZHANG ; Shu SHI ; Ning WANG ; Yuan YUAN ; Li WANG ; Haihu HAO
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(1):38-43
BACKGROUND:Cardiac dysfunction due to spinal cord injury is an important factor of death in patients with spinal cord injury;however,the specific mechanism is still not clear.Therefore,revealing the mechanism of cardiac dysfunction in spinal cord injury patients is of great significance to improve their quality of life and survival rate. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the mechanism of luteolin in improving serum-induced myocardial cell death in spinal cord injury rats. METHODS:Allen's impact instrument was used to damage the spine T9-T11 of male SD rats to establish a spinal cord injury model meanwhile a sham operation group was set as the control group.The serum of rats of each group was collected.H9c2 cells were divided into a blank control group,a sham operated rat serum group,a spinal cord injury rat serum group and a luteolin pretreatment group.The cells in blank control group were only cultured with ordinary culture medium.The cells in the sham operated rat serum group were treated with medium containing 10%serum from sham operated rat.The cells in the spinal cord injury rat serum group were treated with medium containing 10%serum from spinal cord injury rat.The cells in the luteolin pretreatment group were precultured with a final concentration of 20 μmol/L luteolin for 4 hours and then changed to a medium containing 10%rat serum from spinal cord injury rat.After 24 hours of culture,the survival rate of each group of H9c2 cells was measured by CCK-8 assay.Western blot assay was used to detect the expression of autophagy related protein LC3 and p62 in H9c2 cells in each group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the blank control group,there was no significant change in cell survival rate in the sham operated rat serum group(P>0.05).Compared with the sham operated rat serum group,the cell survival rate(P<0.01)and the expression of LC3 protein(P<0.05)in spinal cord injury rat serum group was significantly reduced,and the expression of p62 protein was significantly increased(P<0.05).Compared with the spinal cord injury rat serum group,the survival rate of cells in the luteolin pretreatment group significantly increased(P<0.000 1);the expression of LC3 protein significantly increased(P<0.05),and the expression of p62 protein significantly decreased(P<0.05).The results indicate that luteolin may improve myocardial cell death induced by serum from rats with spinal cord injury by promoting autophagy.
2.Latent class analysis and influencing factor study of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among operating room nurses in tertiary hospitals
Xiaogui TANG ; Li LI ; Yue ZHAO ; Ningning HU ; Feng FU ; Boya LI ; Mengru YANG ; Yinglan LI
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(3):293-301
Background Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), as one of the major occupational health issues worldwide, have shown an increasing positive rate year by year. Due to the unique demands of work, operating room nurses exhibit a higher positive rate of WMSDs compared to other occupational groups, necessitating active attention and intervention. Objective To estimate the prevalence of WMSDs among operating room nurses in tertiary hospitals, explore the characteristics and latent categories of WMSDs, and analyze the influencing factors associated with the occurrence of WMSDs. Method Using a randomized cluster sampling method, operating room nurses from nine tertiary hospitals in Urumqi were selected as study participants between December 2023 and January 2024. Data were collected through a general information questionnaire, an ergonomic questionnaire for operating room nurses, and the Chinese Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire. Latent class analysis was employed to examine the patterns of WMSDs among the nurses, while chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression were utilized to analyze the influencing factors of WMSDs. Result A total of 411 valid questionnaires were collected in this survey. The positive rate of WMSDs among operating room nurses in the tertiary hospitals of Urumqi over the past year was 91.9%. The positive rates, ordered from highest to lowest by body region, were neck (79.1%), shoulders (70.3%), and lower back (68.1%). The operating room nurses were categorized into three distinct groups by latent class analysis: multi-site pain group, neck-shoulder-back pain group, and neck and lower back pain group. The results of the multinomial logistic regression models revealed that gender, job strain level, ergonomic load level in the operating room, and exposure to cold or drafty working conditions or not were significant influencing factors for reporting WMSDs among operating room nurses. Specifically, having less than 5 years of work experience, low ergonomic load level, low job strain, and moderate job strain were identified as protective factors against WMSDs. Conversely, exposure to cold or drafty working environments and being female were identified as risk factors for WMSDs. The logistic regression models also indicated that compared to the neck-lower back pain group, the neck-shoulder-back pain group had a higher probability of reporting low job strain (OR=0.168, 95%CI: 0.029, 0.968) and being female (OR=4.847, 95%CI: 2.506, 9.378). In contrast, when comparing to the neck-lower back pain group, the multi-site pain group had a higher probability of reporting, low-level ergonomic workload (OR=0.079, 95%CI: 0.015, 0.412), low job strain (OR=0.019, 95%CI: 0.002, 0.145), moderate job strain (OR=0.080, 95%CI: 0.016, 0.401), high job strain (OR=0.132, 95%CI: 0.027, 0.647), less than 5 years of work experience (OR=0.173, 95%CI: 0.044, 0.683), being female (OR=2.424, 95%CI: 1.130, 5.200), and exposure to cold or drafty working environments (OR=3.277, 95%CI: 1.657, 6.481). Conclusion The positive rate WMSDs among operating room nurses in tertiary hospitals is notably high in Urumqi, with distinct co-occurrence characteristics observed within the population. To mitigate the risk of WMSDs, it is essential to implement targeted health education and prevention training programs tailored to different patterns of WMSDs. Additionally, improving working conditions, optimizing human resource allocation , and other proactive measures should be undertaken. These efforts will effectively reduce the incidence of WMSDs among operating room nurses and safeguard their occupational health.
3.Changes in the levels of miR-34a and miR-29b in lens epithelial cells of patients with age-related cataract and their clinical significance
Ling ZHENG ; Haibo JIANG ; Mengru LI ; Bo ZHOU
International Eye Science 2025;25(10):1704-1707
AIM: To investigate the changes of microRNA-34a(miR-34a)and microRNA-29b(miR-29b)levels in lens epithelial cells of age-related cataracts(ARC)patients and their clinical significance.METHODS: A total of 65 ARC patients(study group)and 53 cases of clear lens anterior capsulorhexis(control group)who visited our hospital from February 2023 to February 2024 were gathered. Pearson was applied to test the correlation between miR-34a and miR-29b. Multifactor Logistic regression was applied to determine the factors affecting the occurrence of ARC.RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the expression levels of miR-34a and miR-29b in lens epithelial cells of the research group showed a significant decrease trend(all P<0.05). There was a positive correlation between miR-34a and miR-29b in the lens epithelial cells of ARC patients(r=0.472, P<0.05). MiR-34a and miR-29b were influence factors for ARC(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION: The levels of miR-34a and miR-29b in lens epithelial cells of ARC patients are significantly reduced, which is associated with the occurrence of ARC.
4.Hyssopus cuspidatus extract inhibited OVA-sensitized allergic asthma through PI3K/JNK/P38 signaling pathway and lipid homeostasis regulation.
Yali ZHANG ; Huiming PENG ; Jingjing LI ; Pan LV ; Mengru ZHANG ; Xu WANG ; Siyu WANG ; Siying ZHU ; Jiankang LU ; Xuepeng FAN ; Jinbo FANG
Chinese Herbal Medicines 2025;17(3):539-547
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the effect and mechanism of Hyssopus cuspidatus Boriss. extract (HCE) in ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma.
METHODS:
Components identification of HCE was conducted using ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry. Mice were sensitized with OVA to establish asthmatic model, and dexamethasone was used as positive control. Respiratory reactivity, white cells counting in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and peripheral blood, cytokine level measurement in serum and lung tissue, and histologic examination were performed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of HCE on asthma. Network pharmacology approach was used for mechanism prediction. Western blotting and untargeted lipidomics method were applied for mechanism validation.
RESULTS:
Fifty-two compounds were identified in HCE, predominantly terpenoids and flavonoids. HCE markedly reduced airway resistance, the eosinophil infiltration in lung tissues, and the levels of immunoglobulin E, interleukin-4, interleukin-5, and interleukin-13. Network pharmacology analysis suggested phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3K), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 Mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) may be key proteins of HCE in the treatment of allergic asthma. Western blot results indicated that the levels of phosphorylated PI3K, JNK, and P38 were downregulated in HCE-treated group. Moreover, HCE significantly upregulated the levels of ceramide and sphingomyelin and downregulated the level of phosphatidylcholine.
CONCLUSION
HCE inhibited allergic asthma via PI3K/JNK/P38 signaling pathway and lipid homeostasis regulation.
5.Identifying purgative targets of sennoside A via in situ biotransformation of prodrug-based probes.
Zhen LIU ; Xinyue GENG ; Xinyue LIU ; Mengru LI ; Xiang LI ; Zhixin ZHANG ; Gan LUO ; Ying WANG ; Xiaoyan GAO
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(4):101078-101078
•A strategy for in situ metabolically synthesized active drug-based probes was proposed.•The potential purgative targets of SA were successfully hooked and identified.•The work provided a new insight for studying the direct targets of unstable active drugs.
6.Mechanism of Eclipta prostrata L-Ligustrum lucidum Ait in the treatment of periodontitis.
Mengru GUO ; Tianyi ZHANG ; Jingwen HUANG ; Xinyue HUANG ; Yi ZHENG ; Li ZHANG
West China Journal of Stomatology 2025;43(5):696-710
OBJECTIVES:
This study aimed to explore the potential target and molecular mechanism of Eclipta prostrata L-Ligustrum Lucidum Ait (EPL-LLA) in the treatment of periodontitis by using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology, and to explore its biocompatibility, regulatory effects on inflammatory factors, and antioxidant acti-vity through in vitro experiments.
METHODS:
The active components and potential targets of EPL-LLA were screened and predicted through a variety of databases, and the intersection of EPL-LLA and periodontitis targets was selected. The protein interaction network (PPI) was analyzed by the string platform. The Metascape database was used for gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. The active ingredients from the top 6 degrees were docked with the core targets, and the results of binding energy were visualized. An in vitro cell model was established to evaluate the biocompatibility, modulation of inflammatory factors, and antioxidative effects of EPL-LLA through cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and 2',7'-Dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) fluorescent probe assays.
RESULTS:
Screening revealed 13 active components in EPL corresponding to 220 potential targets, 10 active components in LLA corresponding to 283 potential targets, and 1 643 periodontitis-related targets, with 91 shared targets among the three. GO analysis of the shared targets yielded 5 271 entries, while KEGG enrichment analysis indicated involvement in 253 signaling pathways. Molecular docking confirmed stable binding between the top 6 active components and core targets. CCK-8 assays demonstrated good biocompatibility of EPL-LLA at concentrations 0.02 mg/mL (P<0.05). qRT-PCR showed that EPL-LLA reduced the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory factors in macrophages stimulated by Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide while upregulating anti-inflammatory factor mRNA expression (P<0.05). DCFH-DA fluorescence probe assays confirmed the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging capacity of EPL-LLA (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
EPL-LLA may treat periodontitis through multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway mechanisms, providing a theoretical basis for further research on its therapeutic potential.
Periodontitis/drug therapy*
;
Molecular Docking Simulation
;
Eclipta/chemistry*
;
Humans
;
Protein Interaction Maps
;
Ligustrum/chemistry*
;
Antioxidants/pharmacology*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
;
Network Pharmacology
7.The Mechanism of Action of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Inducing Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2025;16(6):1555-1562
8.Characteristics and influential factors for irAEs in patients with liver cancer caused by tislelizumab
Haiping LI ; Mengru SHEN ; Tao WEI ; Shengshen LI ; Cailu LEI ; Chun MO ; Liufeng LIAO
China Pharmacy 2025;36(24):3107-3112
OBJECTIVE To explore the characteristics and influencing factors of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) induced by tislelizumab in patients with liver cancer. METHODS A retrospective cohort of 203 liver cancer patients treated with tislelizumab in Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital from May 2022 to March 2024 was included. These patients were divided into an irAEs group (58 cases) and a non-irAEs group (145 cases). Clinical data were collected and compared between the two groups. A multivariate logistic regression model was employed to analyze factors influencing the occurrence of irAEs and establish a predictive model. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to evaluate the predictive value of the model for the occurrence of irAEs. The correlation between irAEs and overall survival (OS) as well as progression free survival (PFS) in patients was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS The irAEs induced by tislelizumab in liver cancer patients were predominantly grade 1-2 (89.71%), mainly manifesting as hematological toxicity (42.65%) and hepatotoxicity (20.59%), and mostly occurred within 1-12 cycles after tislelizumab treatment. Compared with liver cancer patients without underlying liver diseases, those with chronic hepatitis B had a higher incidence of irAEs. Statistically significant differences were observed between the irAEs and non-irAEs groups in terms of the number of patients with a China Liver Cancer Staging (CNLC) stage ≥Ⅱ, white blood cell count, neutrophil count, systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that CNLC stage ≥Ⅱ was an independent risk factor for the occurrence of irAEs (P=0.027). The ROC curve indicated that neutrophil count, white blood cell count, NLR, and SII all demonstrated certain predictive potential for the occurrence of irAEs (with area under the curve values of 0.614, 0.592,0.591, and 0.589, respectively). The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed no statistically significant differences in PFS and OS between the irAEs and non-irAEs groups, among patients with different grades of irAEs, and among irAEs patients with different CNLC stages (P>0.05). CONCLUSION The irAEs induced by tislelizumab in liver cancer patients are relatively mild (grade 1-2),mainly manifesting as hematological toxicity and hepatotoxicity. Liver cancer patients with concurrent chronic hepatitis B are at a higher risk of developing irAEs. CNLC stage ≥Ⅱ is an independent risk factor for irAEs induced by tislelizumab. Neutrophil count, white blood cell count, NLR, and SII have certain predictive value for the occurrence of irAEs.
9.Epidemiological investigation on newly diagnosed occupational welder′s pneumoconiosis in shipbuilding industry in Guangzhou City from 2006 to 2022
Mengru WANG ; Lüwu XIAO ; Hao ZHOU ; Fangjian LI ; Qiuyue LIN
China Occupational Medicine 2024;51(2):234-237
ObjectiveTo analyze the epidemiological characteristics of newly diagnosed occupational welder's pneumoconiosis (OWP) in the shipbuilding industry in Guangzhou City from 2006 to 2022. Methods Data on newly diagnosed OWP cases in the shipbuilding industry in Guangzhou City from 2006 to 2022 was collected and ananlyzed from the Health Hazard Monitoring Information System subsystem of the Chinese Disease Prevention and Control System. ResultA total of 250 cases of new welder's pneumoconiosis were diagnosed in the shipbuilding industry in Guangzhou City from 2006 to 2022. The number of new cases per year showed an initial increase followed by a rapid decline, reaching a peak in 2013 (65 cases). Most of the cases were male, accounted for 99.2%. There were 220 cases reported the OWP stage, with the stage Ⅰ and stage Ⅱ cases accounted for 93.6% and 6.4%, respectively, but no stage Ⅲ cases were reported. The median (M) age and the 25th and 75th percentiles (P25, P75) at diagnosis was 43.0 (39.0, 47.0) years and the dust exposure years M (P25, P75) was 11.2 (8.1, 14.7) years. The M of age at diagnosis of new OWP cases in 2015-2018 and 2019-2022 were higher than those in 2006-2010 and 2011-2014, respectively (all P<0.05). The M of dust exposure duration of new OWP cases from 2006-2010 and 2019-2022 was higher than that in cases from 2015-2018 and 2011-2014, respectively (all P<0.05). Most of the small shadows of the cases were circular small p shadows and distributed in the bilateral middle and lower lung zones, with a density mostly of 1/1, according to the X-ray chest films. Conclusion The hazard of welding fumes in the shipbuilding industry in Guangzhou City has been controlled, but the prevention and control of OWP among welders remains severe.
10.Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Rehmanniae Radix and Its Decoction Pieces Based on Sugar Spectrum
Mengru DAI ; Chun LI ; Raorao LI ; Limei LIN ; Chunxiu SHEN ; Yongxin ZHANG ; Weihong FENG ; Zhimin WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(18):157-163
ObjectiveTaking the oligosaccharides in Rehmanniae Radix(RR) as the research object, the content determination method based on high performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light scattering detection(HPLC-ELSD) and thin layer chromatography(TLC) identification method were established to explore the content and distribution of oligosaccharides in different RR herbs and decoction pieces. MethodA total of 10 batches of fresh and raw RR, 12 batches of RR decoction pieces and Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata(RRP) were collected. A TLC identification method for fructose, sucrose, manninotriose, raffinose and stachyose in RR was established by using silica gel G thin-layer plates with ethyl acetate-water-anhydrous formic acid-glacial acetic acid(12∶6∶5∶4) as the developing agent and 10% sulfuric acid-ethanol solution as chromogenic agent. A HPLC-ELSD was used to determine the contents of fructose, glucose, sucrose, melibiose, raffinose, manninotriose and stachyose in different RR herbs and decoction pieces. Then principal component analysis(PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) were used to analyze the contents of 7 kinds of saccharides in RR herbs and decoction pieces, and the differential components were screened with the value of variable importance in the projection(VIP)>1. ResultThe results of TLC identification showed that fresh RR, raw RR and its decoction pieces showed spots of the same color on the corresponding positions with the control products of stachyose, raffinose and sucrose, while the TLC of RRP showed spots of the same color at corresponding positions to manninotriose and fructose controls. The results of methodological investigations of 7 analytes met the requirements of determination. Only glucose, sucrose, raffinose and stachyose were detected in 10 batches of fresh RR and 10 batches of raw RR herbs, the average contents of which were 0.84%, 4.62%, 2.42% and 57.90% in fresh samples, while those were 3.16%, 9.36%, 7.05% and 38.10% in raw samples, respectively. In 12 batches of RR decoction pieces, the contents of the above seven sugars(fructose, glucose, sucrose, melibiose, raffinose, manninotriose and stachyose) were 1.68%, 4.27%, 9.96%, 0.53%, 6.85%, 3.05% and 37.52%, respectively. In 12 batches of RRP, the contents of the above seven sugars were 10.62%, 11.01%, 1.25%, 3.35%, 1.12%, 28.16% and 6.39%, respectively. The results of multivariate statistical analysis showed that fresh RR, raw RR and RRP could be distinguished from each other by the contents of the 7 sugars, and the main differential components were stachyose, sucrose, raffinose and manninotriose. ConclusionIn terms of oligosaccharides, the contents and types of saccharides in different herbs and decoction pieces of RR are quite different, and the TLC identification method based on this can be used to distinguish raw RR from RRP, which can lay a foundation for improving the quality standard of RR and developing and applying oligosaccharides in different processed products of RR.

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