1.Differential expression of LEFTY1 in peritoneal dialysis-associated peritoneal fibrosis and its clinical value
Guang CHEN ; Lu LI ; Lejia SONG ; Li ZHANG ; Huaina DOU ; Qiufeng WANG ; Qingqing RAO ; Pei ZHANG
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(7):1269-1276
ObjectiveTo investigate the differential expression of LEFTY1 in peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritoneal fibrosis (PF) and its clinical value. MethodsLevels of LEFTY1, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and fibronectin (FN) in peritoneal dialysis effluent were measured in 72 PD patients, and clinical data were collected. Differences in these indicators were compared among groups with different dialysis durations, and the correlation between LEFTY1 and clinical parameters was analyzed to evaluate its predictive value for ultrafiltration insufficiency. ResultsLEFTY1 levels decreased progressively with longer dialysis duration: short-term group [(2 262.49±270.47) ng/mL] > mid-term group [(1 853.52±226.06) ng/mL] > long-term group [(1 767.24±264.57) ng/mL], with significant differences among groups (P<0.001). TGF-β and FN levels increased with prolonged dialysis duration (P<0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that LEFTY1 was significantly negatively correlated with FN (r=-0.327, P=0.004), dialysis duration (r=-0.496,P<0.001), peritoneal Kt/V (r=-0.333, P=0.004), peritoneal creatinine clearance (r=-0.239, P=0.043), and serum calcium (r=-0.410, P<0.001), while positively correlated with total creatinine clearance (r=0.283, P=0.016). The area under the ROC curve for LEFTY1 combined with peritoneal Kt/V and peritoneal Ccr in predicting ultrafiltration insufficiency was 0.739. Multivariate regression analysis identified dialysis duration as an independent influencing factor for LEFTY1 expression (P=0.001). ConclusionThe expression of LEFTY1 in the peritoneal dialysis effluent of PD patients decreases with prolonged dialysis duration and is negatively correlated with pro-fibrotic indicators, suggesting that it may play a potential anti-fibrotic role in the progression of PF. The combined detection of LEFTY1 and solute removal indicators holds value for the early identification of ultrafiltration dysfunction.
2.MADS-Net: a Multi-scale Attention and Dynamic Sparse Mask Fusion Network for Electrical Impedance Tomography Image Reconstruction in Breast Screening
Cheng-Tao YU ; Jia-Hui WANG ; Song-Pei HU ; Huai-Jin CHEN ; Li DING ; Xia YE ; Jia-Feng YAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(9):2480-2496
ObjectiveTo address the key challenges in breast electrical impedance tomography (EIT) reconstruction including the severe ill‑posedness of the inverse problem, limited measurement information from the electrodes, low contrast of small lesions, as well as the common drawbacks of traditional reconstruction methods such as boundary blurring, low spatial resolution, and weak small-target detection capability, and to overcome the limitations of existing deep learning approaches namely low training efficiency, insufficient physical consistency, and substantial information loss during the low‑to‑high dimensional mapping process, this study proposes a multi‑scale attention and dynamic sparse mask fusion network (MADS‑Net). The proposed method aims to enhance high‑resolution reconstruction accuracy, small-lesion detectability, noise robustness, and computational efficiency in breast‑screening-oriented EIT, thereby providing a feasible solution for the application of EIT in breast functional imaging. MethodsThe proposed network adopts a strategy of “locate first, reconstruct later”. It realizes adaptive allocation of computational resources through a dynamic mask module, alleviates information loss in the low-to-high dimensional mapping process via a multi-scale attention mechanism, and embeds physical constraints to improve the physical rationality of reconstruction results. The performance of the proposed method was validated through systematic numerical simulations, agar phantom experiments, and porcine tissue experiments. Comparisons were made with mainstream methods including the Gauss-Newton algorithm, convolutional neural networks, U-Net, and Deep D-Bar. The image correlation coefficient (ICC), root mean square error (RMSE), and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) were adopted as quantitative evaluation metrics. Furthermore, lesion‑level evaluation metrics were introduced to assess the capability of different methods in reconstructing abnormal target boundaries and small‑sized target regions. ResultsExperimental results demonstrate that MADS-Net outperforms all comparison methods across all test scenarios. In numerical simulations, it achieves higher accuracy in target morphology and spatial location recovery as well as better background suppression. In agar phantom experiments, its detection and imaging reliability for small targets is significantly superior to the comparison methods. In porcine tissue experiments, the model maintains good generalization performance and can adapt to complex biological tissue imaging scenarios. Quantitative results show that MADS-Net achieves an average ICC of 0.917 6±0.048 8, an RMSE as low as0.060 6±0.031 6, and a PSNR of (23.893 9±2.685 3) dB. It successfully detects tiny targets as small as 5 mm within a 100 mm diameter sensing field, reduces the total training duration by 23.5% compared with the baseline method, and maintains stable reconstruction performance even under strong noise interference. ConclusionThe results demonstrate that MADS-Net achieves favorable EIT reconstruction performance in numerical simulations, agar phantom experiments, and porcine tissue experiments, even under common practical imaging challenges including low signal-to-noise ratio and blurred tissue boundaries. This study provides a methodological reference for further research on EIT in breast-screening-related scenarios and other medical functional imaging tasks, and also offers a low-cost, radiation-free alternative for breast lesion screening that aligns with the clinical demand for non-invasive diagnostic tools. It should be noted that real clinical breast data have not yet been used for validation in this study, and the clinical applicability of the proposed method requires further investigation. Future work will prioritize collecting multi-center real clinical breast datasets, and further optimize the model’s generalization ability to adapt to individual differences in breast tissue composition to promote its clinical application.
3.Ditantang Ameliorates MAFLD in Rats Through UDPG-S1P-SREBP Axis-mediated Glycogen Synthesis
Lu PAN ; Zhe ZHAND ; Nan SONG ; Dongyu MIN ; Jiaxin WANG ; Yuanguang DONG ; Yang HONG ; Meiling ZHANG ; Xiaofei SUN ; Jiaru WANG ; Yunfei GAO ; Yupeng PEI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(22):40-50
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Ditantang on metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in rats by focusing on the regulation of glycogen synthesis mediated by the uridine diphosphate glucose (UDPG)-site-1-protease (S1P)-sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) axis. MethodsMAFLD was modeled in SD rats by feeding a high-fat diet for 12 weeks. Rats were randomized into a control group, a model group, low-, medium-, and high-dose (2.68, 5.36, and 10.72 g·kg-1·d-1, respectively) Ditantang groups, and a positive control (Yishanfu, 0.18 g·kg-1·d-1) group. Starting from week 9 of modeling, each treatment group received corresponding drug interventions via gavage. After the experiment, the serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured. The levels of TG, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), glycogen, glucose-6-phosphate (G6P), glucose-1-phosphate (G1P), and UDPG in the liver tissue samples were measured by biochemical assay kits. Liver pathological morphology and lipid/glycogen deposition were observed via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, oil red O staining, and Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. Immunofluorescence assay was conducted to detect the expression and localization of phosphoglucomutase-1 (Pgm1) and UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase 2 (Ugp2) in the rat liver. Real-time PCR and Western blot were employed to quantify mRNA and protein levels, respectively, of key glycogen synthesis enzymes (Pgm1 and Ugp2), key lipogenesis-related transcription factor SREBP and its target genes [acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), fatty acid synthetase (FASN), and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD1)], as well as S1P. ResultsCompared with the control group, the model group exhibited elevated levels of TC, TG, LDL-C in the serum and TG and NEFA in the liver, decreased serum HDL-C level (P<0.01), reduced hepatic levels of G1P, G6P, UDPG, and glycogen (P<0.01), appearance of fat vacuoles of varying sizes and abundant red lipid droplets, with prominent lipid deposition and reduced areas of deep glycogen staining in the liver tissue, upregulated mRNA and protein levels of SREBP1, S1P, ACC, FASN, and SCD1 (P<0.01), and downregulated mRNA and protein levels of Pgm1 and Ugp2 (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, all doses of Ditantang reduced the levels of TC and TG in the serum and TG and NEFA in the liver, while elevating the serum HDL-C level. Additionally, medium- and high-dose Ditantang reducted the LDL-C level (P<0.05). Ditantang at all doses increased the hepatic levels of G1P, G6P, UDPG, and glycogen, alleviated hepatic steatosis and lipid deposition, enhanced glycogen storage, downregulated the mRNA and protein levels of SREBP1, S1P, ACC, FASN, and SCD1 (P<0.05), while upregulating the expression of Pgm1 and Ugp2 (P<0.01). Immunofluorescence analysis revealed decreased fluorescence intensity of S1P and enhanced fluorescence intensity of Ugp2 (P<0.01). ConclusionDitantang can regulate glycogen synthesis through the UDPG-S1P-SREBP axis to prevent and treat MAFLD.
4.Modified Ditan Tang Regulates Biorhythm-related Genes in Rat Model of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Zhiwen PANG ; Yu LIU ; Nan SONG ; Jie WANG ; Jingxuan ZHU ; Zhen HUA ; Yupeng PEI ; Qun WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(6):115-124
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of modified Ditan tang on genes related to the transcription-translation feedback loop (TTFL) of biorhythm in the rat model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its mechanism for prevention and treatment of NAFLD. MethodsSixty-five healthy SPF male SD rats were randomly assigned into blank (n=20), model (n=15), and low-, medium-, and high-dose (2.68, 5.36, and 10.72 g·kg-1·d-1, respectively) modified Ditan tang (n=10) groups. Other groups except the blank group were fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks. The modified Ditan tang groups were treated with the decoction at corresponding doses by gavage, and the blank and model groups were treated with an equal volume of normal saline from the 9th week for 4 weeks. The levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the serum were measured by an automatic biochemical analyzer. TG and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) assay kits were used to measure the levels of TG and NEFA in the liver. The pathological changes in the hypothalamus and liver were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, and the lipid deposition in the liver was observed by oil red O staining. The levels of brain-muscle ARNT-like protein 1 (BMAL1/ARNTL) in the hypothalamus and liver were determined by immunohistochemical staining. The mRNA and protein levels of BMAL1, circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK), period circadian clock 2 (PER2), and cryptochrome1 (Cry1) in the hypothalamus and liver were determined by Real-time PCR and Western blot, respectively. ResultsCompared with the blank group, the model group showed elevated levels of TG, TC, LDL-C, AST, and ALT (P<0.01) and a lowered level of HDL-C (P<0.05) in the serum, elevated levels of TG and NEFA in the liver (P<0.01), pyknosis and deep staining of hypothalamic neuron cells, and a large number of vacuoles in the brain area. In addition, the model group showed lipid deposition in the liver, up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of CLOCK and BMAL1 (P<0.01), and down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of Cry1 and PER2 (P<0.01) in the hypothalamus and liver. Compared with the model group, all the three modified Ditan tang groups showed lowered levels of TG, TC, LDL-C, ALT, and AST (P<0.05, P<0.01) and an elevated level of HDL-C (P<0.05) in the serum, and lowered levels of TG and NEFA (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the liver. Furthermore, the three groups showed alleviated pyknosis and deep staining of hypothalamic neuron cells, reduced lipid deposition in the liver, down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of CLOCK and BMAL1 (P<0.05, P<0.01), and up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of Cry1 and PER2 (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the hypothalamus and liver. ConclusionModified Ditan tang can reduce lipid deposition in the liver and regulate the expression of CLOCK, BMAL1, Cry1, and PER2 in the TTFL of NAFLD rats.
5.Effect of finite element method in treatment of developmental dysplasia of the hip in children
Xiaojun SUN ; Huaming WANG ; Dehong ZHANG ; Xuewen SONG ; Jin HUANG ; Chen ZHANG ; Shengtai PEI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(9):1897-1904
BACKGROUND:Developmental dysplasia of the hip often leads to limb deformities in children,and the research related to its diagnosis and treatment has been gradually clarified.Recently,the finite element method has been paid attention to by scholars in the research related to developmental dysplasia of the hip because of its advantages. OBJECTIVE:Through literature search and review of the relevant research progress of finite element method in children's developmental dysplasia of the hip and treatment,analyze and summarize its advantages and disadvantages,and explore the direction of further research in the future. METHODS:PubMed,SCI,CBM,and CNKI were searched for relevant articles published from January 2014 to November 2023 with the key words of"developmental dysplasia(dislocation)of the hip,dysplasia of the hip,finite element analysis(method),pavlik harness,fixation in herringbone position,biomechanics,pelvic osteotomies,pemberton,salter,dega,periacetabular osteotomy,children"in Chinese and English.A small number of long-term articles were included,and 62 articles were finally included for analysis through screening. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The mechanical environment of hip joint in children with developmental dysplasia of the hip was abnormal.The pressure in acetabulum was uneven.The stress increased and concentrated;the joint contact area decreased,and the local stress concentrated in femoral neck.(2)In the Pavlik sling and herringbone fixation,the mechanical environment of the hip was improved;the concentrated high stress area disappeared and the joint contact area increased,but the excessive abduction angle led to the increase of stress in the acetabulum and the lateral femoral head.(3)After pelvic osteotomy,the stress environment of hip joint and sacroiliac joint was improved.There was no single hinge in the three kinds of osteotomy,and the stress load position was different according to the age of the children.(4)After peri-acetabular osteotomy,the joint contact pressure was close to normal,but it was difficult to recover in patients with non-spherical femoral head.(5)The postoperative X-ray film findings could not show that the joint contact mechanics was the best.(6)It is indicated that the information that cannot be measured in the body can be obtained by using the finite element method,which can be operated in a virtual environment without the limitation of time and ethics.It can directly see the stress change area of normal and developmental dysplasia of the hip,explain the effectiveness of treatment from the point of view of mechanics,establish a specific finite element model and tailor-made operation plan for patients who need osteotomy.There is no standard or unified standard for the finite element modeling of developmental dysplasia of the hip and the material characteristic parameters of children's hip joint.Due to the inherent limitations of finite element method,it is impossible to analyze the model that contains bone,cartilage,ligament,muscle and other elements at the same time.The operation of finite element analysis is difficult,although it has advantages,it is not universal,and the current research sample size is small,which needs to be further expanded and verified.
6.Review of chemical constituents, pharmacological effects, and quality control status of Eucommiae Cortex and prediction of its Q-markers.
Meng-Fan PENG ; Bao-Song LIU ; Pei-Pei YAN ; Cai-Xia LI ; Xiao-Fang ZHANG ; Yi ZHENG ; Ya-Gang SONG ; Tong LIU ; Lei YANG ; Ming-San MIAO
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(4):946-958
Eucommiae Cortex, the dried bark of Eucommia ulmoides( Eucommiaceae), has both medicinal and edible values.Modern research has shown that Eucommiae Cortex contains various components such as flavonoids, lignans, iridoids, phenolic acids,terpenoids, and steroids, which have anti-osteoporosis, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, blood glucose-lowering, and gastrointestinal tract-protecting effects. Eucommiae Cortex has applications in multiple fields such as healthcare, industry, and animal husbandry,demonstrating broad development prospects. This article reviews the chemical constituents, pharmacological effects, and quality control status of Eucommiae Cortex. Furthermore, according to the concept of quality marker(Q-marker), this article predicts the Q-markers of Eucommiae Cortex from traditional medicinal properties, traditional medicinal effects, new medicinal effects, measurability of chemical components, compatibility, harvesting periods, and geographical origins. The components such as pinoresinol diglucoside,chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, quercetin, baicalein, baicalin, olivil, coniferyl ferulate, and kaempferol can be used as Q-markers for Eucommiae Cortex, which provide reference for establishing a systematic quality control system for Eucommiae Cortex.
Eucommiaceae/chemistry*
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*
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Quality Control
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Humans
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Animals
7.Effect of WISP-1 on fibrosis of renal tubular epithelial cell in rats with renal fibrosis
Ermei YANG ; Weiqing XIA ; Pei SONG ; Jia YAN
Basic & Clinical Medicine 2025;45(4):471-477
Objective To investigate the effect and mechanism of WISP-1 on renal tubular epithelial cell fibrosis in rats with renal fibrosis.Methods Twenty-four adult rats and renal tubular epithelial cell line(NEK-52E)were se-lected for in vivo and in vitro experiments.The rats were randomly divided into control group and study group,and the in vivo renal fibrosis model was established.The expression of WISP-1 in the study group was blocked.The cell lines were induced to fibrosis followed by WISP-1 over-expression or inhibition.The related indicators of fibrosis were observed.Results Protein and mRNA level of Collagen Ⅰ(Col Ⅰ),fibronectin(FN),transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1)in WISP-1 over-expression group were all higher than those in control group.The protein and mRNA level of Col Ⅰ,FN and TGF-β1 in the WISP-1 inhibition group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).WISP-1 blockade attenuated the pathological changes of renal fibrosis.The protein and mRNA levels of Col Ⅰ,FN,α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA),TGF-β1,LC3 and Beclin-1 in the study group were lower than those in the control group,and the level of ubiquitin binding protein p62(SQSTM1/p62)was higher than that in the control group(P<0.05).The expression of LC3 and Beclin-1 in WISP-1 inhibitor group was lower than that in the control group and the expression of SQSTM1/p62 was higher than that in the control group.The expression of LC3 and Beclin-1 in the WISP-1 over-expression group was higher than that in the control group,and the expres-sion of SQSTM1/p62 was lower than that in the control group.Conclusions Overexpression of WISP-1 promotes the fibrosis of rat renal tubular epithelial cells,and enhanced TGF-β1-mediated autophagy might be a underlying mechanism to mediate renal fibrosis.
8.Correlation between Glycolytic Pathway of Monocytes and Intracranial Pressure and Clinical Prognosis in Patients with Hypertensive Cerebral Hemorrhage
Hongsha PEI ; Mingyang XU ; Baoming JIA ; Jianlong SU ; Yigong FENG ; Sibo XUE ; Zhijun SONG
Journal of Kunming Medical University 2025;46(5):110-117
Objective To explore the correlation between glycolysis related indexes of peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs)[glucose transporter 1(GLUT1),fructose-2,6-diphosphatase 3(PFKFB3)and lactate kinase M2(PKM2)]and intracranial pressure and clinical prognosis of patients with hypertensive cerebral hemorrhage(HICH)who broke into the ventricle.Methods 85 HICH patients hospitalized in our hospital from January 2021 to June 2022 were retrospectively collected as the research participants.The levels of PKM2,GLUT1 and PFKFB3 in PBMCs were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit.Six months after the onset of HICH,the short-term outcome was evaluated by modified Rankin scale(mRS),and the patients were divided into good prognosis(mRS score≤2)and poor prognosis(mRS score≥3).Results The levels of PKM2,PFKFB3 and GLUT1 in PBMCs of HICH patients with ventricular rupture were further lower than those of the patients without ventricular rupture(P<0.05).Six months after discharge,8 patients(22.9%)with HICH in non-ventricular rupture group had poor prognosis,while 28 patients(56.0%)with HICH in ventricular rupture group had poor prognosis,and the difference was statistically significant(χ2=9.263,P=0.002).Compared with the group with good prognosis,the levels of PKM2 and GLUT1 in PBMCs of HICH patients with poor prognosis were lower(P<0.05).Compared with the good prognosis group,the levels of PKM2 and GLUT1 in PBMCs of HICH patients with poor prognosis group were lower in HICH patients with ventricular rupture(P<0.05).In HICH patients who broke into the ventricle,the AUC of PKM2 and GLUT1 in predicting the poor prognosis of HICH patients were 0.879(95%CI:0.807~0.951)and 0.897(95%CI:0.831~0.963),respectively.Conclusion The levels of PKM2 and GLUT1 in PBMCs of patients with HICH breaking into ventricles decrease significantly,and are negatively correlated with intracranial pressure,which can be used to predict the short-term prognosis of the patients.
9.Effect of Gypenosides on MAFLD Mice and Its Molecular Mechanism Based on Classical/Non-classical Ferroptosis Pathways
Yu LIU ; Yupeng PEI ; Jiaxin WANG ; Jingxuan ZHU ; Xiaofei SUN ; Qun WANG ; Peng CUI ; Nan SONG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(17):99-107
ObjectiveTo explore the effect of gypenosides (GPs) on liver lipid deposition in metabolism-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) mice and its mechanism based on classical/non-classical ferroptosis. MethodsEight male C57BL/6 mice in a blank group and 32 male apolipoprotein E gene knockout (ApoE-/-) mice were randomly divided into a model group, a low-dose GPs (GPs-L) group, a high-dose GPs (GPs-H) group, and a simvastatin (SV) group. Starting from the second week, mice in the blank group were given a maintenance diet, and the other four groups were fed a high-fat diet daily. After eight weeks of feeding, mice in the GPs-L and GPs-H groups were given GPs of 1.487 mg·kg-1·d-1 and 2.973 mg·kg-1·d-1, respectively, and mice in the SV group were given simvastatin of 2.275 mg·kg-1·d-1. Mice in the blank group and the model group were given saline of equal volume by gavage for four weeks. The content of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the serum of mice in each group was detected by an automatic biochemical analyzer. The level of non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) and TG in the mouse liver was measured by the kit. The change in liver tissue structure and lipid deposition was observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and oil red O staining. The levels of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and Fe2+ in serum, as well as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate [NAD(P)H] in the liver were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1) in the liver of mice was observed by the immunohistochemical (IHC) method, and the expression of genes and proteins related to classical and non-classical ferroptosis pathways was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) and Wes automated protein expression analysis system. ResultsCompared with those in the blank group, the levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, ALT, and AST in serum and TG and NEFA in the liver in the model group were significantly increased, and the level of HDL-C in serum was significantly decreased (P<0.01). The liver tissue structure changed, and there were fat vacuoles of different sizes and a large number of red lipid droplets, with obvious lipid deposition. The level of CoQ10 and GSH in serum and NADH in the liver were significantly decreased, while the level of MDA and Fe2+ in serum was significantly increased (P<0.01). The mRNA and protein expressions of cystine/glutamate transporter (xCT/SLC7A11), glutathione peroxidase (GPX4), p62, nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and FSP1 were significantly decreased, and the mRNA and protein expressions of tumor antigen (p53), spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase 1 (SAT1), arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase (ALOX15), and Kelch-like epichlorohydrin-associated protein-1 (Keap1) were significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with those in the model group, the level of TC, TG, LDL-C, ALT, and AST in serum and TG and NEFA in the liver of mice in the GPs-L, GPs-H, and SV groups were decreased, while the level of HDL-C in serum was significantly increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). The liver tissue structure and lipid deposition were improved. The levels of CoQ10 and GSH in serum and NADH in the liver were significantly increased, while the levels of MDA and Fe2+ in serum were significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). The mRNA and protein expressions of xCT, GPX4, p62, Nrf2, and FSP1 were significantly increased, while the mRNA and protein expressions of p53, SAT1, ALOX15, and Keap1 were significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionGPs can interfere with liver lipid deposition in MAFLD mice through classical/non-classical ferroptosis pathways.
10.Effect of Gypenosides on MAFLD Mice and Its Molecular Mechanism Based on Classical/Non-classical Ferroptosis Pathways
Yu LIU ; Yupeng PEI ; Jiaxin WANG ; Jingxuan ZHU ; Xiaofei SUN ; Qun WANG ; Peng CUI ; Nan SONG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(17):99-107
ObjectiveTo explore the effect of gypenosides (GPs) on liver lipid deposition in metabolism-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) mice and its mechanism based on classical/non-classical ferroptosis. MethodsEight male C57BL/6 mice in a blank group and 32 male apolipoprotein E gene knockout (ApoE-/-) mice were randomly divided into a model group, a low-dose GPs (GPs-L) group, a high-dose GPs (GPs-H) group, and a simvastatin (SV) group. Starting from the second week, mice in the blank group were given a maintenance diet, and the other four groups were fed a high-fat diet daily. After eight weeks of feeding, mice in the GPs-L and GPs-H groups were given GPs of 1.487 mg·kg-1·d-1 and 2.973 mg·kg-1·d-1, respectively, and mice in the SV group were given simvastatin of 2.275 mg·kg-1·d-1. Mice in the blank group and the model group were given saline of equal volume by gavage for four weeks. The content of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the serum of mice in each group was detected by an automatic biochemical analyzer. The level of non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) and TG in the mouse liver was measured by the kit. The change in liver tissue structure and lipid deposition was observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and oil red O staining. The levels of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and Fe2+ in serum, as well as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate [NAD(P)H] in the liver were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of ferroptosis suppressor protein 1 (FSP1) in the liver of mice was observed by the immunohistochemical (IHC) method, and the expression of genes and proteins related to classical and non-classical ferroptosis pathways was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) and Wes automated protein expression analysis system. ResultsCompared with those in the blank group, the levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, ALT, and AST in serum and TG and NEFA in the liver in the model group were significantly increased, and the level of HDL-C in serum was significantly decreased (P<0.01). The liver tissue structure changed, and there were fat vacuoles of different sizes and a large number of red lipid droplets, with obvious lipid deposition. The level of CoQ10 and GSH in serum and NADH in the liver were significantly decreased, while the level of MDA and Fe2+ in serum was significantly increased (P<0.01). The mRNA and protein expressions of cystine/glutamate transporter (xCT/SLC7A11), glutathione peroxidase (GPX4), p62, nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and FSP1 were significantly decreased, and the mRNA and protein expressions of tumor antigen (p53), spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase 1 (SAT1), arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase (ALOX15), and Kelch-like epichlorohydrin-associated protein-1 (Keap1) were significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with those in the model group, the level of TC, TG, LDL-C, ALT, and AST in serum and TG and NEFA in the liver of mice in the GPs-L, GPs-H, and SV groups were decreased, while the level of HDL-C in serum was significantly increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). The liver tissue structure and lipid deposition were improved. The levels of CoQ10 and GSH in serum and NADH in the liver were significantly increased, while the levels of MDA and Fe2+ in serum were significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). The mRNA and protein expressions of xCT, GPX4, p62, Nrf2, and FSP1 were significantly increased, while the mRNA and protein expressions of p53, SAT1, ALOX15, and Keap1 were significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionGPs can interfere with liver lipid deposition in MAFLD mice through classical/non-classical ferroptosis pathways.

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