1.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*
2.Long-term outcomes of the endoscopic transcanal transpromontorial approach for vestibular schwannoma.
Qi WANG ; Hong WU ; Lingyun MEI ; Xinzhang CAI
Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2025;39(12):1132-1138
Objective:To summarize the initial experience and evaluate the technical feasibility of the endoscopic transcanal transpromontorial approach(TTA) for vestibular schwannoma resection by analyzing long-term follow-up outcomes. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the perioperative and long-term follow-up data(mean follow-up time: 5 years) of patients who underwent endoscopic TTA for vestibular schwannoma resection in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, between January 2020 and December 2020. Long-term outcomes were systematically evaluated. Results:This study included two patients(one 41-year-old male and one 51-year-old female). According to the AAO-HNS hearing classification system, preoperative hearing was Class C in one patient and Class D in the other. Preoperative imaging confirmed Koos stageⅠ tumors in both cases. Postoperative transient facial nerve paralysis(House-Brackmann Grade Ⅲ) recovered to Grade Ⅰ within 4 months. No complications such as cerebrospinal fluid leakage, intracranial infection, or intracranial hemorrhage occurred. No tumor recurrence was observed during the 5-year follow-up period. Conclusion:The endoscopic transcanal transpromontorial approach is minimally invasive, facilitates rapid recovery, and demonstrates satisfactory technical feasibility and safety when strict patient selection criteria(Koos stageⅠtumors with non-serviceable hearing) are applied.
Humans
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Neuroma, Acoustic/surgery*
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Male
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Adult
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Middle Aged
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Retrospective Studies
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Female
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Endoscopy/methods*
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Follow-Up Studies
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Treatment Outcome
3.Novel araucarene diterpenes from Agathis dammara exert hypoglycemic activity by promoting pancreatic β cell regeneration and glucose uptake.
Zhewei YU ; Yi ZHANG ; Wenhui WANG ; XinYi WU ; Shunzhi LIU ; Yanlin BIN ; Hongsheng LI ; Bangping CAI ; Zheng WANG ; Meijuan FANG ; Rong QI ; Mingyu LI ; Yingkun QIU
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.) 2025;23(4):492-503
In this study, araucarene diterpenes, characterized by a pimarene skeleton with a variably oxidized side chain at C-13, were investigated. A total of 16 araucarene diterpenoids and their derivatives were isolated from the woods of Agathis dammara, including 11 previously unreported compounds: dammaradione (1), dammarones D-G (2, 5, 14, 15), dammaric acids B-F (8-12), and dammarol (16). The structures of these new compounds were elucidated using high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (HR-ESI-MS) and one-dimensional/two-dimensional (1D/2D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), while their absolute configurations were determined through the electronic circular dichroism (ECD) exciton chirality method and Snatzke's method. The hypoglycemic activity of all isolated compounds was evaluated using a transgenic zebrafish model, and a structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis was conducted. Araucarone (3) and dammaric acid C (9), serving as representative compounds, demonstrated significant hypoglycemic effects on zebrafish. The primary mechanism involves the promotion of pancreatic β cell regeneration and glucose uptake. Specifically, these compounds enhance the differentiation of pancreatic endocrine precursor cells (PEP cells) into β cells in zebrafish.
Zebrafish
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Animals
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Diterpenes/isolation & purification*
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Insulin-Secreting Cells/cytology*
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Glucose/metabolism*
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Hypoglycemic Agents/isolation & purification*
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Molecular Structure
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Structure-Activity Relationship
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Plant Extracts/pharmacology*
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Regeneration/drug effects*
4.Analysis of chemical constituents of Dendrobium huoshanense flowers based on LC-MS and GC-MS
Le-yuan JI ; Qi-yan LIN ; Jin-xiang WU ; Qian WANG ; Bang-xing HAN ; Ye-cai WANG ; Dong LIU
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2025;47(11):3660-3670
AIM To establish LC-MS and GC-MS method and analyze the chemical constituents of Dendrobium huoshanense C.Z.Tang & S.J.Cheng flowers.METHODS LC-MS was performed on a Zorbax Eclipse C18 column(2.1 mm×100 mm,1.8 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of water(containing 0.1%formic acid)-acetonitrile flowing at 0.3 mL/min,and electrospray ionization was operated in both positive and negative ion modes.The GC-MS employed headspace solid-phase microextraction for sample preparation,and the analysis was performed on an HP-5MS column(30 m×0.25 mm,0.25 μm),with the following temperature program:initial temperature 50 ℃(held for 2 min),increased at 5 ℃/min to 180 ℃(held for 5 min),then raised at 10 ℃/min to 250 ℃(held for 5 min),and electron impact ion source was employed.RESULTS A total of 62 compounds were identified by LC-MS,including 35 flavonoids,4 coumarins,6 alkaloids,6 terpenoids,3 amino acids,2 polyphenols,2 ketones and 4 others.A total of 101 volatile components were identified by GC-MS,including ketones,aldehydes,alcohols,esters,ethers,and acid.CONCLUSION This method can comprehensively analyze the chemical constituents of D.huoshanense flowers,and provide a scientific basis for elucidating its pharmacodynamic material basis.
5.Anti-radiation effects of gene CCND1 activated by low-dose radiation
Dan CAI ; Ying FAN ; Yunqi MO ; Ruixue LIU ; Lei WU ; Jianan MA ; Qi WANG ; Zhenhua QI ; Zhidong WANG
Chinese Journal of Radiological Medicine and Protection 2025;45(9):840-850
Objective:To select low-dose radiation-activated genes with intrinsic radiation protection by developing a model for adaptive responses to low-dose ionizing radiation, in order to explore the mechanisms behind the radiation resistance of the candidate genes.Methods:The cells were divided into adaptive response induction group and whole transcriptome sequencing group. The level of DNA damage was assessed using the γ-H2AX immunofluorescence assay. The low-dose radiation-activated candidate genes with radiation protection were selected through whole transcriptome sequencing and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR)-based validation. The anti-radiation effect of candidate gene CCND1 was assessed based on CCK-8 cell proliferation and γ-H2AX immunofluorescence assay. After up- and down-regulation of CCND1 expression, the anti-radiation mechanism of CCND1 was preliminarily explored through transcriptome sequencing analysis.Results:A model for low-dose ionizing radiation-induced adaptive responses of lymphocytes was constructed. Using this model, six candidate genes with radiation protection, including CCND1, ZMAT3, MGAT3, DFFB, CYP4F2, ITGA6, were selected. Compared to the control group, overexpressed CCND1 led to significantly enhanced proliferation ability of AHH-1 cells ( t = 7.92-14.76, P < 0.05) and distinctly lowered level of DNA damage ( t = 2.79-9.68, P < 0.05) after 2 Gy of X-ray irradiation. Furthermore, compared to the control group, the CCND1 knockdown caused significantly decreased cell proliferation ability ( t = 13.58-26.25, P < 0.05) and notably elevated level of DNA damage of cells ( t = 2.87-7.61, P < 0.05). Transcriptome sequencing revealed that up- and down-regulation of CCND1 expression resulted in the activation of pathways related to cell growth, death, and damage repair. Conclusions:By selecting six low-dose-activated candidate genes with radiation protection and revealing the function of CCND1 in radiation protection, this study provides a new perspective for the development of radiation protection agents from the perspective of adaptive responses to low-dose radiation.
6.Clinical effects of Jinfukang Oral Liquid combined with thymosin α1 on patients with non-small cell lung cancer due to Dual Deficiency of Qi and Yin
Guan-jin WU ; Mo-fei HUANG ; Ao QI ; Xue-qi TIAN ; De-cai WANG ; Li-jing JIAO ; Ling XU
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2025;47(3):790-795
AIM To explore the clinical effects of Jinfukang Oral Liquid combined with thymosin α1 on patients with non-small cell lung cancer due to Dual Deficiency of Qi and Yin.METHODS Seventy-five patients were randomly assigned into thymosin α1 group(15 cases)for 4-week administration,Jinfukang Oral Liquid group(30 cases)for 4-week administration,and combination group(30 cases)for 4-week administration.The changes in TCM clinical syndrome effects,immunity indices(CD3+T,Th,CTL,total NK,CD56dim CD16+NK,NKT,Treg,MDSC),lethality/inhibition ratios(CTL/Treg,total NK/Treg,NKT/Treg,CTL/MDSC,total NK/MDSC,NKT/MDSC)and FACT-L scores were detected.RESULTS The Jinfukang Oral Liquid group and combination group demonstrated higher total effective rates than the thymosin α1 group(P<0.05).After the treatment,the Jinfukang Oral Liquid group and combination group displayed increased NKT(P<0.05)and decreased MDSC(P<0.05),which were more obvious than those in the thymosin α1 group(P<0.05),and higher NKT was observable in the Jinfukang Oral Liquid group(P<0.05);the Jinfukang Oral Liquid group and combination group displayed increased lethality/inhibition ratios(P<0.05),among which NKT/Treg,CTL/MDSC,total NK/MDSC,NKT/MDSC were higher than those in the thymosin α1 group(P<0.05),and higher CTL/MDSC,NKT/MDSC were observable in the Jinfukang Oral Liquid group(P<0.05);the Jinfukang Oral Liquid group(except for physiological status,society and family status)and combination group(except for society and family status)displayed increased FACT-L scores(P<0.05).CONCLUSION For the patients with non-small cell lung cancer due to Dual Deficiency of Qi and Yin,Jinfukang Oral Liquid single use or combined with thymosin α1 can enhance peripheral blood immune surveillance,inhibit immune escape,restore the balanced state of tumor immune responses,and improve TCM syndromes and life quality.
7.Expression characteristics of OPG/RANKL/RANK and the relationship with fibrosis in myocardial tissues of rats with chronic heart failure
Xin YANG ; Xue-kun CAI ; Ze-long WU ; An-tao CHEN ; Zi-hao CHEN ; Xuan XIE ; Jia-kang OU ; Zhao-qi HUANG
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2025;41(1):71-75
Objective To study the expression characteristics of osteoprotegerin(OPG)/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand(RANKL)/receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB(RANK)system and the relationship with fibrosis in myocardial tissues of rats with chronic heart failure.Methods SD rats were randomly divided into sham-operation group(12 rats)and model group.In sham-operation group,surgical thread was passed through the abdominal aorta without constricting it after laparotomy;in model group,establish the heart failure model by abdominal aorta coarctation.The successful model rats were randomly divided into model 1 week(12 rats),model 2 weeks(11 rats),model 4 weeks(11 rats),model 8 weeks(11 rats)and model 12 weeks groups(11 rats).The end point of the study is at week 12.The contents of hydroxyproline(HYP),total myocardial collagen and collagen volume fraction(CVF)were compaired in all proups.The expression levels of OPG,RANKL and RANK proteins in cardiomyocytes were determined by Western blot.Results The contents of HYP in sham-operation,model 1 week,model 2 weeks,model 4 weeks,model 8 weeks and model 12 weeks group were(0.25±0.04),(0.37±0.05),(0.45±0.04),(0.60±0.05),(0.82±0.10)and(1.03±0.07)μg·mg-1;the total myocardial collagen contents were(1.87±0.31),(2.73±0.38),(3.36±0.31),(4.47±0.37),(6.08±0.74)and(7.67±0.49)μg·mg-1;the CVF were(1.95±0.23)%,(2.40±0.25)%,(3.65±0.25)%,(5.43±0.29)%,(6.97±0.36)%and(9.38±0.49)%;the relative expression levels of OPG protein were 0.64±0.07,0.80±0.07,1.02±0.07,1.32±0.11,2.13±0.12 and 2.84±0.16;the relative expression levels of RANKL protein were 0.71±0.08,1.06±0.07,1.53±0.07,2.62±0.12,4.46±0.14 and 6.11±0.16;the relative expression levels of RANK protein were 0.30±0.05,0.45±0.05,0.63±0.06,0.98±0.07,1.43±0.10 and 1.63±0.10.With the extention of time,the above indexs of all model groups were significantly higher than those in the sham-operation group(all P<0.05).There were positive linear correlation between the relative expression levels of OPG,RANKL,RANK protein and the levels of CVF and total contents in cardiomyocytes of rats with chronic heart failure(allP<0.01).Conclusions In the process of chronic heart failure,the expression of OPG/RANKL/RANK axis is obviously enhanced,in which the up-regulation of RANKL level is most obvious.The expression level of OPG/RANKL/RANK is positively correlated with CVF and total myocardial collagen content.
8.Clinical features and prognosis of different primary sites in early-stage follicular lymphoma: an analysis of the SEER database
Qiuzi ZHONG ; Yunpeng WU ; Mingyuan ZHU ; Wenhui CAI ; Cui GAO ; Ting ZHAO ; Dazhi CHEN ; Gaofeng LI ; Yonggang XU ; Lipin LIU ; Xin LIU ; Siye CHEN ; Shunan QI ; Ye-Xiong LI ; Ye LIU
Chinese Journal of Radiation Oncology 2025;34(6):560-568
Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of follicular lymphoma (FL) patients with different primary sites using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.Methods:Clinical data of 7167 patients with early-stage FL (stage I-II) from the SEER database between 2000 and 2015 were respectively analyzed. Primary sites were divided into intranodal and extranodal types. Intranodal primary sites included supradiaphragmatic lymph nodes (LN), subphrenic lymph nodes and Waldeyer's ring. Extranodal primary sites consisted of skin, gastrointestinal tract, duodenum, head and neck, other sites. Prognostic factors and overall survival (OS) in patients with different primary sites were analyzed. OS rate was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier method and survival difference between primary sites was compared with log-rank test. Inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) and multi-variable analysis were applied to adjust for confounding factors. Multivariate Cox regression analysis of influencing factors of OS was performed.Results:The median age was 63 years old, with the median follow-up time of 63 months. There was no difference in prognosis among the intranodal groups or between the intranodal and extranodal groups. The 10-year OS rates of the supradiaphragmatic lymph LN ( n=2146), subdiaphragmatic LN ( n=2811), and the Waldeyer's ring ( n=151) groups were 70.7%, 69.9% and 73.4%, respectively ( P=0.422 for infradiaphragmatic LN vs. supradiaphragmatic LN, P=1.000 for Waldeyer's ring vs. supradiaphragmatic LN), and 70.3% and 68.9% for intranodal ( n=5108) and extranodal ( n=2059), respectively. There was no significant difference in OS between the groups ( P=0.581) after IPTW adjustment. The most common primary sites in extranodal disease were skin, gastrointestinal tract, head and neck, and duodenum. The 10-year OS for skin, gastrointestinal tract, and cutaneous was 74.2%, 74.7%, and 87.3%, respectively, significantly higher than 55.6% for other sites (duodenum vs. others sites, gastrointestinal vs. others sites, skin vs. others sites: all P<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that difference in OS was not significant among the intranodal groups or between the intranodal and extranodal groups. However, different extranodal primary site was an independent prognostic factor for OS. Conclusions:Early FL patients with supradiaphragmatic LN, subdiaphragmatic LN and Waldeyer's ring, and between the intranodal and extranodal primary sites obtain similar prognosis. However, early-stage FL patients with different extranodal primary sites have prognostic differences. The prognosis of primary skin, gastrointestinal tract and duodenum is significantly better than that of other extranodal primary sites.
9.The Expression and Clinical Significance of PHB2 in Diabetic Kidney Disease
Wei-min ZHAO ; Qi AO ; Bin WU ; Cai-hua LIE
Progress in Modern Biomedicine 2025;25(13):2130-2137
Objective:To investigate the expression and clinical significance of Prohibitin 2(PHB2)in the kidney tissue of patients with Diabetic Kidney Disease(DKD).Methods:From March 2015 to May 2024,samples were collected from 16 patients diagnosed with diabetic nephropathy through renal biopsy,who met the inclusion criteria(referred to as the DKD group).Additionally,20 patients with renal tumors undergoing nephrectomy,who had partially normal kidney tissue,were selected to serve as the control group(NC group).The pathological changes of the two groups of samples were evaluated by HE and PAS staining.Immunohistochemistry was utilized to analyze the differences in PHB2 protein expression between the two groups.Pearson or Spearman correlation methods were applied for statistical analysis.Results:PHB2 was expressed in renal tubules,and its expression level in the diabetic kidney disease(DKD)group was significantly lower than that in the normal control(NC)group(P<0.05).Additionally,the expression level of PHB2 in diabetic nephropathy was found to be negatively correlated with glycated hemoglobin,serum creatinine,cystatin C,and blood urea nitrogen(P<0.05).In contrast,there was a positive correlation between PHB2 expression and the estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)(P<0.05).Therefore,PHB2 expression serves as a negative correlation factor for serum creatinine,cystatin C,and blood urea nitrogen,while being a positive correlation factor for eGFR.Conclusions:In patients with diabetic nephropathy,the expression of PHB2 in renal tissue significantly decreases.This reduction in PHB2 levels closely correlates with glucose metabolism and renal function.Low levels of PHB2 may worsen glucose metabolism disorders,renal function damage,and proteinuria.Therefore,PHB2 serves as a potential biomarker for assessing prognosis and offers new insights into the treatment of diabetic kidney disease.
10.Metabolomic alterations in preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Yan-Yan WU ; Qi-Qi BU ; Xin WANG ; Tao LI ; Hong-Yan WU ; Le KANG ; Ying-Yuan WANG ; Da-Peng LIU ; Jing GUO ; Cai-Jun WANG ; Wen-Qing KANG
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(12):1475-1481
Objective To analyze the serum metabolomic changes of preterm infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia(BPD)at postmenstrual age(PMA)36 weeks,screen potential biomarkers and associated metabolic pathways,and assess their relationship with short-term respiratory outcomes.Methods A retrospective case-control study was conducted.Infants with gestational age 28-32 weeks admitted to the Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University from January to December 2024 were included.Twenty infants with BPD and 20 gestational age-,birth weight-,and sex-matched non-BPD preterm infants were included.Serum collected at PMA 36 weeks was subjected to untargeted metabolomics analysis,and associations with short-term respiratory outcomes were analyzed.Results Thirteen potential biomarkers distinguishing BPD were identified(area under the curve>0.75,P<0.05).Eight biomarkers—including terephthalic acid,phosphatidylinositol,fumarate,and lysophosphatidic acid—were significantly upregulated(FC≥1.5),while five biomarkers,such as 7α-hydroxy-3-oxo-4-cholestenoate ester and phosphatidylcholine,were significantly downregulated(FC≤1/1.5).Pathway analysis indicated five pathways associated with BPD,including glycerophospholipid metabolism and phenylalanine metabolism.Dysregulation of glycerophospholipid and bile acid metabolism may affect adverse short-term respiratory outcomes in infants with BPD.Conclusions The 13 significantly different metabolites may serve as biomarkers for the diagnosis of BPD.Glycerophospholipid metabolism is associated with the occurrence of BPD and with adverse short-term respiratory outcomes.

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