1.Phenomics of traditional Chinese medicine 2.0: the integration with digital medicine
Min Xu ; Xinyi Shao ; Donggeng Guo ; Xiaojing Yan ; Lei Wang ; Tao Yang ; Hao LIANG ; Qinghua PENG ; Lingyu Linda Ye ; Haibo Cheng ; Dayue Darrel Duan
Digital Chinese Medicine 2025;8(3):282-299
Abstract
Modern western medicine typically focuses on treating specific symptoms or diseases, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) emphasizes the interconnections of the body’s various systems under external environment and takes a holistic approach to preventing and treating diseases. Phenomics was initially introduced to the field of TCM in 2008 as a new discipline that studies the laws of integrated and dynamic changes of human clinical phenomes under the scope of the theories and practices of TCM based on phenomics. While TCM Phenomics 1.0 has initially established a clinical phenomic system centered on Zhenghou (a TCM definition of clinical phenome), bottlenecks remain in data standardization, mechanistic interpretation, and precision intervention. Here, we systematically elaborates on the theoretical foundations, technical pathways, and future challenges of integrating digital medicine with TCM phenomics under the framework of “TCM phenomics 2.0”, which is supported by digital medicine technologies such as artificial intelligence, wearable devices, medical digital twins, and multi-omics integration. This framework aims to construct a closed-loop system of “Zhenghou–Phenome–Mechanism–Intervention” and to enable the digitization, standardization, and precision of disease diagnosis and treatment. The integration of digital medicine and TCM phenomics not only promotes the modernization and scientific transformation of TCM theory and practice but also offers new paradigms for precision medicine. In practice, digital tools facilitate multi-source clinical data acquisition and standardization, while AI and big data algorithms help reveal the correlations between clinical Zhenghou phenomes and molecular mechanisms, thereby improving scientific rigor in diagnosis, efficacy evaluation, and personalized intervention. Nevertheless, challenges persist, including data quality and standardization issues, shortage of interdisciplinary talents, and insufficiency of ethical and legal regulations. Future development requires establishing national data-sharing platforms, strengthening international collaboration, fostering interdisciplinary professionals, and improving ethical and legal frameworks. Ultimately, this approach seeks to build a new disease identification and classification system centered on phenomes and to achieve the inheritance, innovation, and modernization of TCM diagnostic and therapeutic patterns.
2.A Case of Multidisciplinary Treatment for Deficiency of Adenosine Deaminase 2
Jingyuan ZHANG ; Xiaoqi WU ; Jiayuan DAI ; Xianghong JIN ; Yuze CAO ; Rui LUO ; Hanlin ZHANG ; Tiekuan DU ; Xiaotian CHU ; Peipei CHEN ; Hao QIAN ; Pengguang YAN ; Jin XU ; Min SHEN
JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES 2025;4(3):316-324
This case report presents a 16-year-old male patient with deficiency of adenosine deaminase 2(DADA2). The patient had a history of Raynaud′s phenomenon with digital ulcers since childhood. As the disease progressed, the patient developed retinal vasculitis, intracranial hemorrhage, skin necrosis, severe malnutrition, refractory hypertension, and gastrointestinal bleeding. Genetic testing revealed compound heterozygous mutations in the
3.Multifaceted mechanisms of Danggui Shaoyao San in ameliorating Alzheimer's disease based on transcriptomics and metabolomics.
Min-Hao YAN ; Han CAI ; Hai-Xia DING ; Shi-Jie SU ; Xu-Nuo LI ; Zi-Qiao XU ; Wei-Cheng FENG ; Qi-Qing WU ; Jia-Xin CHEN ; Hong WANG ; Qi WANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(8):2229-2236
This study explored the potential therapeutic targets and mechanisms of Danggui Shaoyao San(DSS) in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease(AD) through transcriptomics and metabolomics, combined with animal experiments. Fifty male C57BL/6J mice, aged seven weeks, were randomly divided into the following five groups: control, model, positive drug, low-dose DSS, and high-dose DSS groups. After the intervention, the Morris water maze was used to assess learning and memory abilities of mice, and Nissl staining and hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining were performed to observe pathological changes in the hippocampal tissue. Transcriptomics and metabolomics were employed to sequence brain tissue and identify differential metabolites, analyzing key genes and metabolites related to disease progression. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR) was employed to validate the expression of key genes. The Morris water maze results indicated that DSS significantly improved learning and cognitive function in scopolamine(SCOP)-induced model mice, with the high-dose DSS group showing the best results. Pathological staining showed that DSS effectively reduced hippocampal neuronal damage, increased Nissl body numbers, and reduced nuclear pyknosis and neuronal loss. Transcriptomics identified seven key genes, including neurexin 1(Nrxn1) and sodium voltage-gated channel α subunit 1(Scn1a), and metabolomics revealed 113 differential metabolites, all of which were closely associated with synaptic function, oxidative stress, and metabolic regulation. RT-qPCR experiments confirmed that the expression of these seven key genes was consistent with the transcriptomics results. This study suggests that DSS significantly improves learning and memory in SCOP model mice and alleviates hippocampal neuronal pathological damage. The mechanisms likely involve the modulation of synaptic function, reduction of oxidative stress, and metabolic balance, with these seven key genes serving as important targets for DSS in the treatment of AD.
Animals
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Alzheimer Disease/genetics*
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Male
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Metabolomics
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Transcriptome/drug effects*
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Maze Learning/drug effects*
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Hippocampus/metabolism*
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Humans
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Disease Models, Animal
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Memory/drug effects*
4.Studies on common irritant components in three different base sources of Polygonati Rhizoma.
Yu-Xin GU ; Hong-Li YU ; Min SHEN ; Xin-Zhi WANG ; Kui-Long WANG ; Jie CAO ; Qian-Lin CHEN ; Yan-Qing XU ; Chang-Li SHEN ; Hao WU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(12):3223-3231
To explore the common irritant components in different base sources of Polygonati Rhizoma(PR). A rabbit eye irritation experiment was conducted to compare the irritant effects of raw products of Polygonatum kingianum, P. officinale, and P. multiflorum. The irritant effects of different solvent extraction parts and needle crystals of PR were compared, and the irritant components were screened. The morphology and structure of the purified needle crystal of PR were observed by microscope and scanning electron microscope and characterized by X-ray diffraction. Rabbit eye irritation and mouse abdominal inflammation model were used to evaluate rabbit eye irritation scores, inflammatory mediators, inflammatory factors levels in the peritoneal exudate of mice, with the peritoneal pathological section used as indicators. The inflammatory effect of needle crystals of PR was studied, and the content of calcium oxalate in three kinds of PR was determined by HPLC. The common protein in three kinds of PR was screened and compared by double enzymatic hydrolysis in solution combined with mass spectrometry. The results showed that three kinds of PR raw products had certain irritant effects on rabbit eyes, among which P. kingianum had the strongest irritant effect. There were no obvious irritant effects in the different solvent extraction parts of P. kingianum. Compared with the blank group, the needle crystal of PR had a significant irritant effect on rabbit eyes, and the inflammatory mediators and inflammatory factors in the peritoneal exudate were significantly increased(P<0.05) in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, the peritoneal tissue of mice was damaged with significant inflammatory cell infiltration after intraperitoneal injection of needle crystal, indicating that needle crystal had an inflammatory effect. Microscope and scanning electron microscope observations showed that the needle crystals of PR were slender, with a length of about 100-200 μm and sharp ends. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the needle crystals of PR were calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals. The results of HPLC showed that the content of calcium oxalate in P. kingianum was the highest among the three kinds of PR. It was speculated that the content of needle crystal in P. kingianum was higher than that in P. officinale and P. multiflorum, which was consistent with the results of the rabbit eye irritation experiment. The results of mass spectrometry showed that ribosome inactivating protein and mannose/sialic acid binding lectin were related to inflammation and cell metabolism in all three kinds of PR. There was no obvious irritant effect in different solvent extracts of PR. The calcium oxalate needle crystal contained was the main irritant component of PR, and three kinds of PR contained common ribosome inactivating protein and mannose/sialic acid binding lectin, which may be related to the inflammatory irritant effect of PR.
Animals
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Rabbits
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Mice
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Polygonatum/chemistry*
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/toxicity*
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Rhizome/chemistry*
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Male
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Eye/drug effects*
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Female
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Humans
5.Mechanism of Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix processed by milk in reducing intestinal toxicity.
Chang-Li SHEN ; Hao WU ; Hong-Li YU ; Hong-Mei WEN ; Xiao-Bing CUI ; Hui-Min BIAN ; Tong-la-Ga LI ; Min ZENG ; Yan-Qing XU ; Yu-Xin GU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(12):3204-3213
This study aimed to investigate the correlation between changes in intestinal toxicity and compositional alterations of Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix(commonly known as Langdu) before and after milk processing, and to explore the detoxification mechanism of milk processing. Mice were intragastrically administered the 95% ethanol extract of raw Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix, milk-decocted(milk-processed), and water-decocted(water-processed) Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix. Fecal morphology, fecal water content, and the release levels of inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-1β(IL-1β) in different intestinal segments were used as indicators to evaluate the effects of different processing methods on the cathartic effect and intestinal inflammatory toxicity of Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix. LC-MS/MS was employed to analyze the small-molecule components in the raw product, the 95% ethanol extract of the milk-processed product, and the milky waste(precipitate) formed during milk processing, to assess the impact of milk processing on the chemical composition of Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix. The results showed that compared with the blank group, both the raw and water-processed Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix significantly increased the fecal morphology score, fecal water content, and the release levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in various intestinal segments(P<0.05). Compared with the raw group, all indicators in the milk-processed group significantly decreased(P<0.05), while no significant differences were observed in the water-processed group, indicating that milk, as an adjuvant in processing, plays a key role in reducing the intestinal toxicity of Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix. Mass spectrometry results revealed that 29 components were identified in the raw product, including 28 terpenoids and 1 acetophenone. The content of these components decreased to varying extents after milk processing. A total of 28 components derived from Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix were identified in the milky precipitate, of which 27 were terpenoids, suggesting that milk processing promotes the transfer of toxic components from Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix into milk. To further investigate the effect of milk adjuvant processing on the toxic terpenoid components of Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix, transmission electron microscopy(TEM) was used to observe the morphology of self-assembled casein micelles(the main protein in milk) in the milky precipitate. The micelles formed in casein-terpenoid solutions were characterized using particle size analysis, fluorescence spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy. TEM observations confirmed the presence of casein micelles in the milky precipitate. Characterization results showed that with increasing concentrations of toxic terpenoids, the average particle size of casein micelles increased, fluorescence intensity of the solution decreased, the maximum absorption wavelength in the UV spectrum shifted, and significant changes occurred in the infrared spectrum, indicating that interactions occurred between casein micelles and toxic terpenoid components. These findings indicate that the cathartic effect of Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix becomes milder and its intestinal inflammatory toxicity is reduced after milk processing. The detoxification mechanism is that terpenoid components in Euphorbiae Ebracteolatae Radix reassemble with casein in milk to form micelles, promoting the transfer of some terpenoids into the milky precipitate.
Animals
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Mice
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Milk/chemistry*
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
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Male
;
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/immunology*
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Intestines/drug effects*
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Interleukin-1beta/immunology*
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Tandem Mass Spectrometry
;
Female
6.Job Preferences of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Workers: A Discrete Choice Experiment in China.
Yan GUO ; Han Lin NIE ; Hao CHEN ; Stephen NICHOLAS ; Elizabeth MAITLAND ; Si Si CHEN ; Lie Yu HUANG ; Xiu Min ZHANG ; Xue Feng SHI
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(6):740-750
OBJECTIVE:
This study explored the job choice preferences of Center for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) workers to provide CDC management information and recommendations for optimizing employee retention and motivation policies.
METHODS:
A discrete choice experiment was conducted in nine provinces across China. Seven key attributes were identified to analyze the job preferences of CDC workers. Mixed logit models, latent class models, and policy simulation tools were used.
RESULTS:
A valid sample of 5,944 cases was included in the analysis. All seven attributes significantly influenced the job choices of CDC workers. Heterogeneity analyses identified two main groups based on different levels of preference for attribute utility. Income-prioritizers were concerned with income and opportunities for career development, whereas bianzhi-prioritizers were concerned with bianzhi and welfare benefits. The policy simulation analysis revealed that income-prioritizers had a relatively higher sensitivity to multiple job preference incentives.
CONCLUSION
Income and bianzhi were the two key attributes influencing the job choices and retention preferences of CDC workers. Heterogeneity in job preferences was also identified. Based on the preference characteristics of different subgroups, policy content should be skewed to differentiate the importance of incentives.
China
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Humans
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Male
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Female
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Adult
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.
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Middle Aged
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Choice Behavior
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Career Choice
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Motivation
7.Pathogenicity analysis of one isolate of avian infectious bronchitis virus from Hefei
Jianing LAN ; Xiyi BIAN ; Hao SHENG ; Peng XIAO ; Yan YAN ; Jiyong ZHOU ; Min LIAO
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2024;44(9):1854-1864
To investigate the epidemiology of avian infectious bronchitis virus(IBV)and study the pathogenicity of IBV isolate,we isolated the IBV field strain from a clinical sample of chickens sus-pected to be infected with infectious bronchitis virus(IBV)from Hefei,Anhui Province,named HF210416.Sequencing analysis of the S1 gene showed that HF210416 belonged to the GI-22 geno-type,which was significantly differed from that of the reference GI-22-type strains,with homology ranging only from 84.5%to 87.8%.Recombinant analysis showed that HF210416 was a recombi-nant strain,with YX10(GI-19)as the major parent and YN(GI-19)as the minor parent.2-day-old SPF chicks infected with the HF210416 isolate showed clinical symptoms such as breathing with difficulty,depression and excreting watery droppings;the infected chicks had a rapid onset of dis-ease,with mortality occurring on the second day of inoculation,and mortality persisted until the fifth day,with 33.33%(5/15)mortality rate.The infected chicks recovered the 14th day after inoculation.RT-PCR detection of pharyngeal-anal swabs showed that the virus shedding by infected chicks could be continuously detected within 14 days of the test period;Enlarged and pale kidney as well as urate deposition in the kidney were observed in infected dead and undead chicks;and the HE staining of histopathological slices showed that the cilia of trachea were removed.Immunohis-tochemistry showed that obvious viral signals were observed in the trachea,lungs,and kidneys.The viral load of various tissues was detected by RT-qPCR and it showed that HF210416 had the high-est replication efficiency in kidney tissues,then in cecum tonsils and trachea.The results of serum neutralization test showed that HF210416 had a better neutralization effect on GI-22 homologous strains,but poorer neutralization effect on other genotypes strains,suggesting that HF210416 is not suitable for vaccine candidate.In conclusion,the GI-22 isolate HF210416 is highly pathogenic and nephrotropic to chicks,and its genomic genetic characteristics and immunogenicity are differ-ent from those of other strains.This study enriches the resources of IBV strains and provides refer-ence data for understanding of the prevalence and pathogenicity of GI-22 genotypes in China.
8.Effect of L-Type Amino Acid Transporter 1 Expression on Clinicopathological Features and Prognosis of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Zhi-Fang ZHAO ; Xiu-Jun HAO ; Yan-Min YANG ; Wei-Ge XU ; Yun-Xiao ZHANG ; Xian-Hua YUAN
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2024;32(2):434-438
Objective:To detect the expression of L-type amino acid transporter 1(LAT1)in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma(NHL)tissues,and analyze its effect on clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients.Methods:A total of 92 NHL patients who were treated in our hospital from January 2017 to April 2019 were collected.The expression of LAT1 in NHL tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry and compared between patients with different pathological features(including sex,Ann Arbor stage,extranodal infiltration,Ki-67).The risk factors affecting mortality were analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to detect the predictive value of percentage of LAT1-positive cells in NHL tissue for patient mortality,and analyzing the effect of percentage of LAT1-positive cells on survival rate.Results:LAT1 was positively expressed in NHL tissue.The high expression rate of LAT1 in Ann Arbor stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ groups were higher than that in Ann Arbor stage Ⅰ group,that in extranodal infiltration group was higher than non-extranodal infiltration group,and that in Ki-67 positive expression group was higher than Ki-67 negative expression group(all P<0.05).The remission rate after 3 courses of treatment in high-LAT1 expression group was 70.7%,which was lower than 91.2%in low-LAT1 expression group(P<0.05).Ann Arbor stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ,extranodal invasion,Ki-67 positive expression and increased expression of LAT1(LAT1-positive cell percentage score ≥ 2)were risk factors for mortality.The cut-off value of percentage of LAT1-positive cells for predicting NHL death was 45.6%,and the area under the ROC curve was 0.905(95%CI:0.897-0.924).The 3-year survival rate of high-LAT1 level group(the percentage of LAT1-positive cells ≥ 45.6%)was 50.00%,which was lower than 78.26%of low-LAT1 level group(P<0.05).Conclusion:The expression level of LAT1 in NHL tissue increases,which affects Ann Arbor stage and extranodal infiltration of patients.LAT1 is a risk factor for death.
9.The Efficacy and Influencing Factors of Cyclosporine Alone in the Treatment of Children with Acquired Aplastic Anemia
Hong-Cheng QIN ; Xian-Min GUAN ; Yan-Ni HU ; Xiao-Ying LEI ; Ying DOU ; Jie YU ; Xian-Hao WEN
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2024;32(3):841-846
Objective:To analyze the efficacy and influencing factors of cyclosporine(CsA)alone in the treatment of children with acquired aplastic anemia(AA).Methods:The clinical data of children diagnosed with AA and treated with CsA alone from January 1,2016 to December 31,2020 in the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were collected,and the efficacy and influencing factors of CsA treatment were evaluated.Results:Among the 119 patients,there were 62 male and 57 female,with a median age of 7 years and 1 month.There were 45 cases of very severe AA(VSAA),47 cases of severe AA(SAA),and 27 cases of non-severe AA(NSAA).At 6 months after treatment,the efficacy of VSAA was lower than that of SAA and NSAA,and there was a statistical difference(P<0.01).6 cases died early,16 cases relapsed,2 cases progressed to AML and ALL.The results of univariate analysis showed that the high proportion of lymphocyte in the bone marrow at 6 months was an adverse factor for the efficacy of CsA,while high PLT count was a protective factor(P=0.008,P=0.002).The ROC curve showed that the cut-off values of PLT count and the proportion of bone marrow lymphocyte at 6 months were 16.5 × 109/L,68.5%,respectively.Multivariate analysis showed that the high proportion of lymphocyte in bone marrow at 6 months was an independent adverse factor for IST(P=0.020,OR=0.062),and high PLT count was a protective factor(P=0.044,OR=1.038).At 3 months of treatment,CsA response and NSAA were the risk factor for recurrence(P=0.001,0.031).Conclusion:The efficacy of NSAA was higher than that of SAA and VSAA after 6 months of treatment with CsA alone.A high PLT count at the initial diagnosis was a good factor for the effectiveness of CsA,and a high proportion of bone marrow lymphocyte was an unfavorable factor.CsA response at 3 months and NSAA were risk factors for recurrence.
10.Study on the machanism of Huannao Yicong Deoction targeting HAMP to regulate iron metabolism and improve cognitive impairment in AD model mice
Ning-Ning SUN ; Xiao-Ping HE ; Shan LIU ; Yan ZHAO ; Jian-Min ZHONG ; Ya-Xuan HAO ; Ye-Hua ZHANG ; Xian-Hui DONG
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(7):1240-1248
Aim To explore the effects of Huannao Yicong decoction(HYD)on the learning and memory ability and brain iron metabolism in APP/PS1 mice and the correlation of HAMP knockout mice and APP/PS1 double transgenic model mice.Methods The ex-periment was divided into five groups,namely,HAMP-/-group(6-month HAMP gene knockout mice),APP/PS1 group(6-month APP/PS1-double-transgenic mice),HAMP-/-+HYD,APP/PS1+HYD,and negative control group(6-month C57BL/6J mice),with six mice in each group.The dose was ad-ministered(13.68 g·kg-1 weight),and the other groups received distilled water for gavage once a day for two months.After the administration of the drug,the mice in each group were tested for learning and memory in the Morris water maze;Biochemical detec-tion was performed to detect iron ion content in each mouse brain;Western blot and RT-qPCR were carried out to analyze hippocampal transferrin(TF),transfer-rin receptor1(TFR1),membrane iron transporter1(FPN1)divalent metal ion transporter 1(DMT1)and β-amyloid protein(Aβ)protein and mRNA expression levels in each group.Results Compared with the normal group,both HAMP-/-mice and APP/PS1 mice had reduced the learning and memory capacity,in-creased iron content in brain tissue,Aβ protein ex-pression increased in hippocampus of HAMP-/-group and APP/PS1 group mice(P<0.01),the protein and mRNA expression of TF,TFR1 and DMT1 increased in hippocampal tissues of HAMP-/-and APP/PS1 groups(P<0.01),and the FPN1 protein and mRNA expres-sion decreased(P<0.01).Compared with the HAMP-and APP/PS1 groups,respectively,HAMP-/-+HYD group and APP/PS1+HYD group had improved learning and memory ability,decreased iron content,decreased Aβ protein expression(P<0.01),decreased TF,TFR1,DMT1 protein and mR-NA expression(P<0.01),and increased expression of FPN1 protein and mRNA(P<0.01).Conclusions There is some association between HAMP-/-mice and APP/PS1 mice,HYD can improve the learning and memory ability of HAMP-/-and APP/PS1 mice and reduce the Aβ deposition.The mechanism may be related to the regulation of TF,TFR1,DMT1,FPN1 expression and improving brain iron overload.

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