1.Textual Research on Key Information of Classic Formula Shengma Gegentang
Yuli LI ; Ping JIANG ; Zhenyi YUAN ; Yuanyuan HE ; Ya'nan MAO ; Shasha WANG ; Wenyan ZHU ; Zhouan YIN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(8):187-197
Shengma Gegentang is one of the classic formulas in the Catalogue of Ancient Classic Prescriptions (Second Batch). This study reviewed ancient and modern literature and used literature tracing and bibliometric methods to analyze the historical evolution, efficacy, indications, dosage decoctions, and modern clinical disease spectrum of Shengma Gegentang. The results indicated that the earliest record of Shengma Gegentang can be found in the Taiping Huimin Heji Jufang of the Song dynasty, but its origin can be traced back to the Shaoyao Siwu Jiejitang in the Beiji Qianjin Yaofang of the Tang dynasty. The composition dosage of Shengma Gegentang is 413 g of Cimicifugae Rhizoma, 619.5 g of Puerariae Lobatae Radix, 413 g of Paeoniae Radix Alba, and 413 g of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, which are ground into coarse powder. Each dose is 12.39 g, and the amount of water added is 300 mL. 100 mL of solution is decocted and taken at the right time. The four drugs in the formula play the role of relieving exterior syndrome, penetrating pathogenic factors, and detoxicating together. Its indications are widely involved in internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology, obstetrics and gynecology, sexually transmitted diseases, and other diseases, such as measles, sores, acne, spots, surgical gangrene, red eyes, toothache, chancre, and fetal poison. The epidemic diseases treated by Shengma Gegentang are complicated, including rash, pox, macula, numbness, summer diarrhea, dysentery, sha disease, febrile symptoms, spring warmth, winter warmth, and cold pestilence. At the same time, it is a plague prevention formula. Although Shengma Gegentang has a wide range of indications, it cannot be separated from the pathogenic mechanism of evil Qi blocking the muscle surface and heat in the lungs and stomach. The modern clinical disease spectrum of Shengma Gegentang involves the ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngology system, nervous system, pediatric-related diseases and syndromes, skin system, hepatobiliary system, and digestive system. It plays a key role in the treatment of epidemic diseases such as measles, chronic hepatitis B, dysentery, and tetanus.
2.Analysis of the results from national interlaboratory comparisons of radionuclide analysis by γ spectrometry
Yanghai SHI ; Yongyong CHEN ; Yuhua SHI ; Yuansheng LU ; Dezhi HE ; Ping WANG
Chinese Journal of Radiological Health 2025;34(1):55-60
Objective To verify the accuracy of γ spectrometry by analyzing the results of national interlaboratory comparisons of radionuclide analysis by γ spectrometry from 2018 to 2023. Methods A statistical analysis was conducted on the results from multiple years of participation in the national interlaboratory comparisons of radionuclide analysis by γ spectrometry. The measurement results of radionuclide specific activities in soil were analyzed to provide technical support for improving the capability to analyze radionuclides in soil. Results The laboratory participated in six interlaboratory comparisons and conducted 23 radionuclide analyses by γ spectrometry from 2018 to 2023. The relative deviation was −12.20% to 8.11%, the |Ztest| was 0 to 0.61, the Utest was 0 to 0.62, and the Urel was 0.07 to 0.12. The overall pass rate was 100% and the excellent rate was 33.3%. In addition, 21 of the 23 (91.3%) radionuclide analyses showed full scores in experiment operation. However, the total scores were relatively low due to multiple oversights and lack of rigor in the preparation of the test reports, which prevented the laboratory from qualifying for the excellence evaluation process, resulting in a relatively low excellent rate. Conclusion The interlaboratory comparisons indicate that the measurements of radionuclides in this laboratory were all qualified, with full scores for experiment operation in several analyses. These results demonstrate that the soil radionuclide analysis system based on γ spectrometry is reliable and stable.
3.Application of CRISPR/Cas System in Precision Medicine for Triple-negative Breast Cancer
Hui-Ling LIN ; Yu-Xin OUYANG ; Wan-Ying TANG ; Mi HU ; Mao PENG ; Ping-Ping HE ; Xin-Ping OUYANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):279-289
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a distinctive subtype, characterized by the absence of estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Due to its high inter-tumor and intra-tumor heterogeneity, TNBC poses significant chanllenges for personalized diagnosis and treatment. The advant of clustered regular interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) technology has profoundly enhanced our understanding of the structure and function of the TNBC genome, providing a powerful tool for investigating the occurrence and development of diseases. This review focuses on the application of CRISPR/Cas technology in the personalized diagnosis and treatment of TNBC. We begin by discussing the unique attributes of TNBC and the limitations of current diagnostic and treatment approaches: conventional diagnostic methods provide limited insights into TNBC, while traditional chemotherapy drugs are often associated with low efficacy and severe side effects. The CRISPR/Cas system, which activates Cas enzymes through complementary guide RNAs (gRNAs) to selectively degrade specific nucleic acids, has emerged as a robust tool for TNBC research. This technology enables precise gene editing, allowing for a deeper understanding of TNBC heterogeneity by marking and tracking diverse cell clones. Additionally, CRISPR facilitates high-throughput screening to promptly identify genes involved in TNBC growth, metastasis, and drug resistance, thus revealing new therapeutic targets and strategies. In TNBC diagnostics, CRISPR/Cas was applied to develop molecular diagnostic systems based on Cas9, Cas12, and Cas13, each employing distinct detection principles. These systems can sensitively and specifically detect a variety of TNBC biomarkers, including cell-specific DNA/RNA and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA). In the realm of precision therapy, CRISPR/Cas has been utilized to identify key genes implicated in TNBC progression and treatment resistance. CRISPR-based screening has uncovered potential therapeutic targets, while its gene-editing capabilities have facilitated the development of combination therapies with traditional chemotherapy drugs, enhancing their efficacy. Despite its promise, the clinical translation of CRISPR/Cas technology remains in its early stages. Several clinical trials are underway to assess its safety and efficacy in the treatment of various genetic diseases and cancers. Challenges such as off-target effects, editing efficiency, and delivery methods remain to be addressed. The integration of CRISPR/Cas with other technologies, such as 3D cell culture systems, human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), and artificial intelligence (AI), is expected to further advance precision medicine for TNBC. These technological convergences can offer deeper insights into disease mechanisms and facilitate the development of personalized treatment strategies. In conclusion, the CRISPR/Cas system holds immense potential in the precise diagnosis and treatment of TNBC. As the technology progresses and becomes more costs-effective, its clinical relevance will grow, and the translation of CRISPR/Cas system data into clinical applications will pave the way for optimal diagnosis and treatment strategies for TNBC patients. However, technical hurdles and ethical considerations require ongoing research and regulation to ensure safety and efficacy.
4.A Fitting Method for Photoacoustic Pump-probe Imaging Based on Phase Correction
Zhuo-Jun XIE ; Hong-Wen ZHONG ; Run-Xiang LIU ; Bo WANG ; Ping XUE ; Bin HE
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):525-532
ObjectivePhotoacoustic pump-probe imaging can effectively eliminate the interference of blood background signal in traditional photoacoustic imaging, and realize the imaging of weak phosphorescence molecules and their triplet lifetimes in deep tissues. However, background differential noise in photoacoustic pump-probe imaging often leads to large fitting results of phosphorescent molecule concentration and triplet lifetime. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel triplet lifetime fitting method for photoacoustic pump-probe imaging. By extracting the phase of the triplet differential signal and the background noise, the fitting bias caused by the background noise can be effectively corrected. MethodsThe advantages and feasibility of the proposed algorithm are verified by numerical simulation, phantom and in vivo experiments, respectively. ResultsIn the numerical simulation, under the condition of noise intensity being 10% of the signal amplitude, the new method can optimize the fitting deviation from 48.5% to about 5%, and has a higher exclusion coefficient (0.88>0.79), which greatly improves the fitting accuracy. The high specificity imaging ability of photoacoustic pump imaging for phosphorescent molecules has been demonstrated by phantom experiments. In vivo experiments have verified the feasibility of the new fitting method proposed in this paper for fitting phosphoometric lifetime to monitor oxygen partial pressure content during photodynamic therapy of tumors in nude mice. ConclusionThis work will play an important role in promoting the application of photoacoustic pump-probe imaging in biomedicine.
5.Development of a prediction model for chemotherapy and immunotherapy response in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients using machine learning algorithms
Jincheng CHEN ; Xiaoqin ZHANG ; Jie LIU ; Tongxin LI ; Yi WU ; Ping HE ; Wei WU
Journal of Army Medical University 2025;47(6):591-601
Objective To develop models for predicting response to chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy in patients with esophageal squamous carcinoma with various machine learning algorithms,and then select the optimal model.Methods A retrospective study was performed for 174 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma undergoing chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy admitted in Department of Thoracic Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University from January 2022 to December 2023.The CT scans and clinical information were collected before treatment.They were randomly divided into a training set(n=122)and a testing set(n=52)in a ratio of 7∶3.CT radiomic features were extracted and selected,and then 5 machine-learning algorithms were employed to establish the prediction models,including radiomics model and clinical-radiomics model.Five-fold cross-validation was conducted on the training set,and the performance of the prediction models was evaluated on the testing set using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve and the F1 score.The best-performing model was further explained using local interpretable model-agnostic explanations(LIME)algorithm.Results Among the 174 patients,115(66.1%)achieved clinical remission.From the clinical information and CT images,1 clinical features and 10 radiomic features were identified.The area under of ROC curve(AUC)for the radiomics and clinical-radiomics models was 0.750(95%CI:0.616~0.883),and 0.766(95%CI:0.637~0.895),respectively.The F1 score of the optimal clinical-radiomics model was 0.829.LIME algorithm indicated that this best model demonstrated reliability in predicting individual samples.Conclusion The clinical-radiomics prediction model based on machine learning algorithm performs well,and can provide a reference for doctors'clinical decision-making by predicting the response to chemotherapy combined with immunotherapy in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
6.Protective effect and mechanism of heat acclimation on hippocampus neuron injury in mice after exposure to electromagnetic field
Zeze WANG ; Xuesen YANG ; Ying WANG ; Yulong TAN ; Zhen LUO ; Ping LI ; Genlin HE ; Xiaoqian LIU ; Tingting SHEN ; Yishan LIU ; Xue LUO
Journal of Army Medical University 2025;47(7):629-638
Objective To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of heat acclimation(HA)on electromagnetic field(EMF)induced hippocampus neuron injury in mice.Methods Forty healthy BALB/c male mice(18~22 g,7 weeks old)were randomly divided into 4 groups(n=10):Control group(Con),HA group(34℃,30 d),EMF group(2 450 MHz,20 min/d,4 weeks)and HA+EMF group(HA preconditioning+EMF).Sucrose preference test was performed to evaluate sucrose preference levels of mice in each group.Tail suspension test and forced swimming test were utilized to observe the immobility time.Morris water maze test was conducted to determine the learning and memory capabilities.Pathological changes in the hippocampus were observed with HE staining.Immunohistochemical assay for Iba1(marker of microglia),CD68(marker of pro-inflammatory phenotype)and CD206(marker of anti-inflammatory phenotype)were used to detect the number and activation phenotype of microglia in the hippocampus.ELISA was applied to measure the levels of TNF-α,IL-1β,TGF-β and IL-10 in the hippocampus of each group.Western blotting was performed to determine the protein levels of HSP70 in the hippocampus.Results As compared with the Con group,the EMF group showed a decreased preference for sucrose(P<0.05),prolonged immobile time in the tail suspension test(P<0.01)as well as in the forced swimming test(P<0.01),extented escape latency on the 7th day(P<0.01),and a decreased time of crossing the platform(P<0.05).EMF exposure resulted in that the hippocampal neurons were in disordered arrangement,loose structure and irregular morphology,with swollen cytoplasm and condensed nuclei,swollen and more microglial cells in the hippocampus(P<0.01),and enhanced relative fluorescence intensity of CD68(P<0.01),but not in CD206 fluorescence intensity(P=0.885).All these findings suggested that activated microglia predominantly exhibited a pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype during this phase.In the hippocampus,the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β were significantly increased,while the levels of IL-10 and TGF-β were significantly decreased(P<0.01).HA treatment reversed the conditions induced by EMF exposure,including better preference for sucrose(P<0.01),shorten immobile time in tail suspension test(P<0.05)and forced swimming test(P<0.01),less escape latency on the 7th day(P<0.01),and improved hippocampal cell injuries.Compared with the Con group,there were more microglial cells in the hippocampus in the HA+EMF group,with increased relative fluorescence intensity of M2 phenotype marker CD206(P<0.01)and decreased CD68 fluorescence intensity(P<0.01).HA treatment also significantly decreased the expression of TNF-α and IL-1β levels(P<0.01),increased the expression of IL-10 and TGF-β(P<0.01),and elevated the protein level of HSP70(P<0.01)when compared with the EMF group.Conclusion HA may ameliorate EMF-induced hippocampus neurons injury in mice by altering the phenotype of activated microglia and inhibiting inflammatory responses.
7.Hypoxic transcriptional phenotype and cellular ultrastructural changes of tumor-associated macrophages in gliomas
Haizhen FAN ; Lixia WANG ; Yue CHENG ; Lujing WANG ; Qianying RUAN ; Jiale JI ; Mengru WANG ; Zhen QIN ; Yi ZHANG ; Zhicheng HE ; Yifang PING ; Yu SHI
Journal of Army Medical University 2025;47(9):904-911
Objective To investigate the effects of hypoxia on the transcriptional phenotype and ultrastructure of tumor-associated macrophages(TAMs)in glioma.Methods CD14+monocytes were isolated from healthy human peripheral blood samples collected from the Blood Bank of the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University,and the cells were induced to differentiate into TAMs through co-culture with glioma cell-conditioned medium.Hypoxic TAM models were established using varying concentrations of cobalt chloride hexahydrate(CoCl2,50~400 μmol/L)or hypoxic conditions(1%,5%,10%O2)for 48 h,while normoxic TAM models(21%O2)served as controls.RT-qPCR and transcriptome sequencing were employed to analyze transcriptional changes in TAMs under normoxic and hypoxic conditions.Gene set enrichment analysis(GSEA)was applied to compare the differences in angiogenesis,glycolysis and other hypoxia-responsive pathways between the 2 conditions.Transmission electron microscopy(TEM)or immunofluorescence staining was conducted to assess the ultrastructural alterations in cytoskeleton,endoplasmic reticulum(ER),and mitochondria in normoxic and hypoxic TAMs(1%O2).Results Hypoxic TAMs exhibited up-regulated transcription of hypoxia-responsive markers(oxygen transport,glycolysis,pro-angiogenesis),with the effects correlating with hypoxia severity(P<0.05).GSEA revealed significant up-regulation of hypoxia,angiogenesis regulation,glycolysis and gluconeogenesis,and starvation stress pathways,alongside down-regulation of innate immunity,macrophage activation,cytoskeleton,and protein maturation pathways in hypoxic TAMs(P<0.05).TEM and immunofluorescence staining demonstrated obvious ultrastructure changes,including disrupted cytoskeletal organization,shortened rough ER with reduced ribosomes,mitochondrial swelling with cristae damage,and diminished ER-mitochondria contacts in hypoxic TAMs.Conclusion CoCl2 and hypoxia induce a hypoxic transcriptional phenotype in TAMs,which may potentially associated with ultrastructural remodeling of the cytoskeleton,ER,and mitochondria.
8.PCBP1-mediated regulation of iron homeostasis suppresses ferroptosis against cadmium-induced neurotoxicity in mouse neuroblastoma cells
Sheng JIE ; Rui TIAN ; Yuchen QU ; Li TIAN ; Jia XIE ; Mengyan CHEN ; Mindi HE ; Zhengping YU ; Huifeng PI ; Ping DENG
Journal of Army Medical University 2025;47(19):2315-2326
Objective To investigate the role of poly(rC)-binding protein 1(PCBP1)in cadmium(Cd)-induced ferroptosis in mouse neuroblastoma Neuro-2a(N2A)cells.Methods N2A cells were exposed to a concentration gradient of CdCl?(0,1,2,4 μmol/L)for 72 h.Cell viability was assessed by trypan blue staining.Western blotting was employed to detect the expression of ferroptosis-related proteins(GPX4,HMOX1,ACSL4)and PCBP1.Intracellular Fe2? level and lipid peroxidation were detected using FerroOrange and BODIPY581/591 C11 probes,respectively.Ferrostatin-1(Fer-1),a ferroptosis inhibitor,was applied to confirm the critical role of ferroptosis in Cd-induced cytotoxicity.Molecular docking was performed to elucidate the interaction between PCBP1 and ferritin,as well as the binding sites of Cd2?.PCBP1 overexpression plasmid was further constructed for functional validation.Results Cd exposure suppressed cell viability in N2A cells in a dose-dependent manner(P<0.01),significantly down-regulated GPX4 expression(P<0.05),up-regulated HMOX1 expression(P<0.01),and induced Fe2? overload and lipid peroxidation(P<0.01).Molecular docking revealed that Cd2? directly bound to the KH2 domain of PCBP1 and then co-localized on the outer surface of ferritin heavy chain.Overexpression of PCBP1 markedly reversed Cd-induced Fe2? accumulation,GPX4 down-regulation,lipid peroxidation,and cell death.Conclusion Cd exposure disrupts PCBP1-mediated iron homeostasis via transcriptional suppression and competitive displacement of metal ions,and then synergistically drives Fe2? overload-triggered ferroptosis cascades,ultimately leading to neurotoxicity.Targeting PCBP1-mediated iron homeostasis can effectively mitigate Cd-induced neurotoxicity,and may serve as a novel therapeutic strategy.
9.Atomic Fluorescence Dispersion Detection Technique Based on Area Array Single Photon Counting Imaging Detector
Chen TAO ; Hong-Ji ZHANG ; Chun-Sheng LI ; Ling-Ping HE ; Zhen-Yu MA ; Bo CHEN ; Ran ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2025;53(2):187-194
The single photon counting imaging detector based on microchannel plate(MCP)has the characteristics of high sensitivity and low dark count rate,and has been applied to the optical remote sensing detection of weak ultraviolet spectral signals in space.In this work,by using planar array single photon counting imaging detector as the detector,flat-field concave grating as the splitter,and electrodeless discharge lamp(EDL)as the excitation light source,a dispersion detection system suitable for hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry(HG-AFS)was developed.The wavelength calibration of the system was carried out,and the negative high pressure and EDL stability time of the planar array single photon counting imaging detector were analyzed and optimized.The characteristic emission spectral lines of As and Bi elements excited in the wavelength range of 180-320 nm were analyzed,and the scattering interference in the wavelength range of 257.3-306.7 nm was discussed.The results showed that the AFS dispersion detection system based on the planar array single photon counting imaging detector could detect and analyze the HG-AFS fluorescence signal initially,and the influence of scattering interference on the detection results was effectively avoided.The system had the advantages including simple structure,no refrigeration and temperature control,no moving parts and simultaneous measurement of multi-band.
10.Simultaneous Determination of Perfluorooctanoic Acid and Perfluorooctane Sulfonate Isomers in Seawater by Online Solid Phase Extraction Coupled with Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Jun-Hui CHEN ; Nan SHEN ; Tong-Zhu HAN ; Xiu-Ping HE ; Xian-Guo LI
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2025;53(7):1146-1157
A new method was developed for simultaneous and efficient determination of linear perfluorooctanoic acid(n-PFOA)and linear perfluorooctane sulfonate(n-PFOS),and their typical branched isomers in seawater by online solid phase extraction-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(Online SPE-LC-MS/MS).Only centrifugation of the seawater sample was required to remove the particulate matter,and then the seawater sample was directly injected and analyzed by online SPE-LC-MS/MS.An Eclipse Plus-C18 guard column was selected as SPE column for online enrichment of linear and branched isomers,and a F5 PFP column(150 mm×2.1 mm,2.7 μm)was used as the analytical column.Under the optimized experimental conditions,the separation and detection of all PFOA and PFOS linear and branched isomers could be completed within 20 min.The spiked recoveries of various target compounds ranged from 82.9%to 107.7%with detection limits and limits of quantification of 0.10-1.05 ng/L and 0.30-2.11 ng/L,respectively.The method was characterized by good precision(RSD≤9.10%)and linearity(R2≥0.990).Subsequently,linear and branched isomers of PFOA and PFOS in surface and bottom seawater samples collected from the Laizhou Bay of China were determined.The results showed that the detection rate of all the four branched PFOA isomers were 100%,with the highest average concentration of 25.85 ng/L found for 6m-PFOA,which accounted for 11.79%of the∑PFOA.For the five branched isomers of PFOS,the highest detection rate of 90.84%was found for 5m-PFOS.The highest average concentration of 0.64 ng/L was observed for 3m-PFOS,accounting for 19.88%of ∑PFOS.The proposed method provided an effective detection tool for qualitative and quantitative detection of PFOA and PFOS isomers in the marine aquatic environment.

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