1.Unveiling the metabolic fate of drugs through metabolic reaction-based molecular networking.
Haodong ZHU ; Xupeng TONG ; Qi WANG ; Aijing LI ; Zubao WU ; Qiqi WANG ; Pei LIN ; Xinsheng YAO ; Liufang HU ; Liangliang HE ; Zhihong YAO
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(6):3210-3225
Effective annotation of in vivo drug metabolites using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) remains a formidable challenge. Herein, a metabolic reaction-based molecular networking (MRMN) strategy is introduced, which enables the "one-pot" discovery of prototype drugs and their metabolites. MRMN constructs networks by matching metabolic reactions and evaluating MS2 spectral similarity, incorporating innovations and improvements in feature degradation of MS2 spectra, exclusion of endogenous interference, and recognition of redundant nodes. A minimum 75% correlation between structural similarity and MS2 similarity of neighboring metabolites was ensured, mitigating false negatives due to spectral feature degradation. At least 79% of nodes, 49% of edges, and 97% of subnetworks were reduced by an exclusion strategy of endogenous ions compared to the Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) platform. Furthermore, an approach of redundant ions identification was refined, achieving a 10%-40% recognition rate across different samples. The effectiveness of MRMN was validated through a single compound, plant extract, and mixtures of multiple plant extracts. Notably, MRMN is freely accessible online at https://yaolab.network, broadening its applications.
2.Ameliorating vascular endothelial injury for lipolysacharide-induced via mitochondrial targeting function of octaarginine-modified essential oil from Fructus Alpiniae zerumbet (EOFAZ) lipid microspheres.
Lingyan LI ; Zengqiu YANG ; Qiqi LI ; Qianqian GUO ; Xingjie WU ; Yu'e WANG ; Xiangchun SHEN ; Ying CHEN ; Ling TAO
Chinese Herbal Medicines 2025;17(2):340-351
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the therapeutic potential of octaarginine (R8)-modified essential oil from Fructus Alpiniae zerumbet (EOFAZ) lipid microspheres (EOFAZ@R8LM) for cardiovascular therapy.
METHODS:
EOFAZ@R8LM was developed by leveraging the volatilization of EOFAZ and integrating it with the oil phase of LM, followed by surface modification with cell-penetrating peptide R8 to target the site of vascular endothelial injury. The therapeutic effects of this formulation in alleviating lipopolysaccharide-induced vascular endothelial inflammation were evaluated by assessing mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, as well as inflammatory factors interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) levels.
RESULTS:
EOFAZ@R8LM effectively delivered EOFAZ to the site of injury and specifically targeted the mitochondria in vascular endothelial cells, thereby ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction through regulation of MMP and reduction of intracellular ROS levels. Moreover, it attenuated the expression levels of IL-6 and IL-1β, exerting protective effects on the vascular endothelium.
CONCLUSION
Our findings highlight the significant therapeutic potential of EOFAZ@R8LM in cardiovascular therapy, providing valuable insights for developing novel dosage forms utilizing EOFAZ for effective treatment against cardiovascular diseases.
3.Platelet-rich plasma injection combined with warm acupuncture and moxibustion for treating patients with knee osteoarthritis and cold dampness obstruction syndrome
Xiang SHANG ; Fei WANG ; Qiqi YANG ; Tianxin JIANG ; Fen ZHANG ; Sanbing WU ; Yonghui YANG ; Fei LI
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(2):270-279
Objective:
To determine the clinical efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection combined with warm acupuncture and moxibustion for treating patients with knee osteoarthritis and cold dampness obstruction syndrome.
Methods:
One hundred and twenty-eight patients with knee osteoarthritis and cold dampness obstruction syndrome who visited the Rehabilitation Department and Orthopedics Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from January 2023 to March 2024 and who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were randomly divided into an experimental (n=64) and control group (n=64) using the random number table method. The experimental group was treated with PRP injection combined with warm acupuncture and moxibustion, whereas the control group was treated with normal saline injection combined with warm acupuncture and moxibustion treatment. PRP and normal saline injections were administered once every two weeks, a total of four times. Patients were treated with warm acupuncture and moxibustion once a day, six times a week, for four consecutive weeks. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome, visual analog scale (VAS), and Lysholm scores were determined before treatment, at week 4 and week 8 of treatment, and week 16 of follow-up. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6), matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), osteoprotegerin (OPG), bone gla protein(BGP), and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) levels were compared between the two groups before and after 8 weeks of treatment. The clinical efficacy and safety indicators between the two groups were also compared.
Results:
There was no statistical difference in baseline data such as gender, age, disease duration, and body mass index between the two groups of patients. Compared with before treatment, both groups showed decreased WOMAC total and subscale, TCM syndrome total score and symptom scores, and VAS scores, and an increase in Lysholm scores at 4, 8, and 16 weeks after treatment. After treatment, serum IL-6, MMP-3, TNF-α, and COMP levels decreased, whereas serum OPG and BGP levels increased (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, patients in the experimental group showed decreased WOMAC total and subscale, TCM syndrome total score and symptom scores, and VAS scores, and an increase in Lysholm score at 4, 8, and 16 weeks after treatment. Compared with the control group, patients in the experimental group showed decreased serum IL-6, MMP-3, TNF-α, and COMP levels and an increase in serum OPG and BPG levels after treatment (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the experimental group was 91.94%, higher than that of the control group (81.97%; P<0.05).
Conclusion
PRP injection combined with warm acupuncture and moxibustion can improve various TCM symptoms, improve knee joint function and bone metabolism, and reduce inflammation in patients with knee osteoarthritis and cold dampness obstruction syndrome.
4.Prospective cohort study of CEUS quantitative parameters combined with immunohistochemistry in predicting NAC curative efficacy for breast cancer
Qiqi SHEN ; Wenjuan WU ; Jing HUO ; Ling CHEN
China Medical Equipment 2025;22(9):56-61
Objective:To explore application value of a constructed predictive model of quantitative parameters of contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)combined with immunohistochemical indicators in assessing the curative efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy(NAC)for breast cancer,so as to provide objective basis for clinically individual treatment decisions.Methods:The CEUS quantitative parameters were used to combine with immunohistochemical indicators to construct predictive model,and this study adopted prospective cohort design.A total of 93 patients who were preliminarily diagnosed as breast cancer at Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University during June 2022 and June 2023 were included in this study.According to the pathologically relieve condition,they were divided into significant response group(41 cases)and non-significant response group(52 cases).All of them received NAC with docetaxel/doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide(TAC).Before treatment,the peak intensity(PI),time-to-peak(TTP),and wash-in rate(WIR)of them were obtained through CEUS,and all of patients underwent immunohistochemical examination to detect the expressions of immunohistochemical indicators included estrogen receptor(ER),progesterone receptor(PR),human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)and Ki-67 proliferation index.The Miller-Payne grade G4-G5 was used as the standard of pathological complete response(pCR).Multivariate logistic regression was adopted to screen independent predictors,and construct a jointly predictive model,and verify effectiveness by Bootstrap resampling method.Results:The PI value of significant response group was(22.7±4.1)dB,which was significantly higher than(18.3±3.6)dB of non-significant response group,and the difference was significant(t=5.437,P<0.001).The TTP of significant response group was(14.2±2.8)s,which was shorter than(18.6±3.1)s of non-significant response group,and the difference was significant(t=7.152,P<0.05).The wash-in rate(WIR)of significant response group was(1.61±0.43)dB/s,which was significantly higher than(0.98±0.37)dB/s of non-significant response group,and the difference was significant(t=7.893,P<0.001).In the immunohistochemical indicators,the positive HER2 and high Ki-67 expression significantly correlated with pathological response.In the results of positive HER2,there were 17 cases(41.5%)in 41 patients of significant response group,and there were 9 cases(17.3%)in non-significant response group,and the positive HER2 of significant response group was higher than that of non-significant response group,and the difference was significant(x2=7.326,P<0.05).For patients whose Ki-67 were larger or equal to 20%,the positive rate of significant response group was 75.6%(31 cases),which was higher than 57.7%(30 cases)of non-significant response group.For patients whose Ki-67 were less than 20%,the positive rate of significant response group was 24.4%(10 cases),which was significantly higher than 42.3%(22 cases)of non-significant response group,and the difference was significant(x2=3.921,P<0.05).Multivariate analysis indicated that TTP≤15 s,WIR≥1.5 dB/s,and positive HER2 were respectively independent predictors(OR=4.23,3.76,2.91,P<0.05).The area under curve(AUC)value of receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve of joint model was 0.89(95%CI:0.83-0.95),and the sensitivity and specificity of that were respectively 92.7%and 80.8%,which were significantly better than each single parameter.Decision curve analysis indicated that the net benefit value of joint model increased by 21.3%-28.6%than conventional strategy when threshold probabilities was 15%-60%.Conclusion:CEUS quantitative parameters(TTP,WIR)that combine with HER2 status can construct predictive model with high-precision and low-cost for NAC curative efficacy,which synergistic effect in dynamic perfusion assessment and molecularly pathological characteristic can provide new paradigm for precision treatment in breast cancer.This mode has excellent clinical applicability,and can effectively identify chemosensitive populations and optimize decision-making process of treatment.
5.Value of bedside capsule endoscopy in patients with acute or severe gastrointestinal bleeding
Qiqi ZHANG ; Jie ZHANG ; Lu CHEN ; Bitao LIN ; Zhenyu CHEN ; Xinke WANG ; Wan TIANMO ; Xicheng FENG ; Zhenjiang2 WANG ; Aimin LI ; Baoping WU ; Side LIU ; Xiaobei LUO
Chinese Journal of Digestive Endoscopy 2025;42(2):137-141
Objective:To analyze the diagnostic value of bedside capsule endoscopy in patients with acute or severe gastrointestinal bleeding.Methods:Clinical data from patients who underwent bedside capsule endoscopy due to acute or severe suspected gastrointestinal bleeding in Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University from June 2018 to September 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. The efficacy of capsule endoscopy in detecting upper gastrointestinal tract and small intestinal bleeding was evaluated.Results:A total of 74 patients underwent bedside capsule endoscopy for suspected acute or severe gastrointestinal bleeding. Five patients were excluded due to failure of examination due to retention of capsule endoscope in the gastric lumen, and 69 were included in the study, of whom 54 patients with a definitive diagnosis of gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The positive detection rate of the capsule endoscopy was 83.33% (45/54), including 17 cases of ulcer, 5 cases of erosion, 5 cases of vascular malformation, 4 protrusion mass, 4 diverticulum, 5 obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, 1 stenosis , 1 active mucosal blood exudation, 1 gastric retention, 1 mucosal swelling, and 1 mucosal wrinkle change. The sensitivity and specificity of capsule endoscopy in the diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal bleeding were 92.31% (12/13) and 75.00% (3/4) respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of capsule endoscopy for diagnosing small intestinal bleeding were 80.49% (33/41) and 90.91% (10/11) respectively.Conclusion:Bedside capsule endoscopy demonstrates high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal bleeding, showing potential advantages in bedside applications for acute and severe gastrointestinal bleeding.
6.The mechanism of RACK1 regulating LPS-induced functional damage of rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells
Qiqi Li ; Xianghui Wu ; Qinghai You
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(9):1704-1711
Objective:
To investigate the effect of receptor of activated protein kinase C 1 ( RACK1) on lipopo- lysaccharide ( LPS) -induced barrier function in rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells ( RPMVEC) and its interplay with the Sonic hedgehog ( SHH) signaling pathway.
Methods:
RPMVEC were cultured in vitro and ran- domly divided into si-NC,si-NC + LPS,si-RACK1,si-RACK1 + LPS,si-RACK1 + LPS + Vismodegib and Vis- modegib + SAG groups.The RACK1 of RPMVEC was silenced by small interfering RNA ( siRNA) technology and the cells were treated with LPS ( 10 mg / L) ,SHH signaling pathway inhibitor ( Vismodegib) ( 20 μmol / L) and SHH signaling pathway agonist ( SAG) ( 1 μmol / L) .Following the intervention,the expressions of RACK1 and caveolin-1 in RPMVEC were detected by immunofluorescence ,while the transendothelial electrical resistance ( TEER) was evaluated using the method of Transwell,and the expression levels of RACK1,glioma-associated on- cogene homolog 1 ( Gli-1) and caveolin-1 were detected by Western blot.
Results:
Silencing RACK1 increased the TEER value of RPMVEC induced by LPS ( P<0. 05) .The expression of caveolin-1 decreased ( P<0. 05) ,and the expression of Gli-1 increased ( P <0. 05) .Inhibiting the SHH signaling pathway could reverse the increased TEER value of LPS-induced RPMVEC caused by silencing RACK1 ( P <0. 05) ,and the expressions of RACK1 and caveolin-1 increased ( P<0. 05) .Activation of the SHH signaling pathway increased the TEER value of LPS- induced RPMVEC caused by silencing RACK1 ( P <0. 05) ,and the expressions of RACK1 and caveolin-1 de- creased ( P<0. 05) .
Conclusion
RACK1 plays a role in LPS-induced hyperpermeability of RPMVEC,and its effect may be achieved by modulating the SHH signaling pathway and caveolin-1.
7.Application of Zebrafish in Quality Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Jiaqi LI ; Xiaolu CHEN ; Jiarui WU ; Xiaoyu TAO ; Qiqi FAN ; Shengyun DAI ; Chongjun ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):58-70
As a new type of model organism, zebrafish is gradually gaining prominence in the field of scientific research. The unique biological characteristics and advantages of zebrafish make them play an increasingly important role in the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine. Compared with other common experimental animals, zebrafish have a fast reproductive and growth speed and high embryo transparency, making them an ideal model for evaluating the quality of traditional Chinese medicine. This provides a new perspective and method for research on traditional Chinese medicine. With the growing global interest in traditional Chinese medicine, it has become crucial to find scientific and accurate methods to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine. The introduction of the zebrafish model has brought new breakthroughs in the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine. To further promote the application of zebrafish in evaluating the quality of traditional Chinese medicine, this article systematically searched and sorted out the previous studies related to the application of zebrafish for this purpose since 2023. The commonly used disease models and indicators of zebrafish in evaluating the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine, as well as the mechanism of zebrafish in exploring the active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine, were primarily reviewed. The application of zebrafish in evaluating the safety of traditional Chinese medicine and the typical examples in ensuring the quality of traditional Chinese medicine were demonstrated. The limitations encountered by zebrafish models in evaluating the quality of traditional Chinese medicine were highlighted. The resolution of these problems will help further improve the accuracy and reliability of zebrafish in evaluating the quality of traditional Chinese medicine. The article discussed the evaluation of effectiveness, safety, and quality control of zebrafish applied in traditional Chinese medicine, so as to provide a reference for establishing standards for traditional Chinese medicine and promoting its modernization in the future.
8.Hepatotoxicity and Anti-osteoporotic Mechanism of Evodiamine
Jiaqi LI ; Xiaolu CHEN ; Xiaoyu TAO ; Shan LU ; Qiqi FAN ; Jiarui WU ; Chongjun ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):79-86
ObjectiveBased on the zebrafish model, the hepatotoxicity and anti-osteoporotic activity of evodiamine (EVO) were studied. The mechanism of EVO in treating osteoporosis was explored by using network pharmacology and real-time polymerase chain reaction(Real-time PCR). MethodsThree days after fertilization (3 dpf), zebrafish were randomly selected and exposed to different concentrations of EVO solution for 96 hours. The mortality rate of zebrafish at different concentrations was calculated at the exposure endpoint, and a "dose-toxicity" curve was drawn. The 10% lethal concentration (LC10) was calculated. Liver phenotype, acridine orange staining, and pathological tissue sections of liver-transgenic zebrafish [CZ16 (gz15Tg.Tg (fabp 10a: ds Red; ela31: EGFP))] were used to confirm hepatotoxicity of EVO. On this basis, prednisolone was used to create a model of osteoporosis in zebrafish. The skull development, area of the skull stained by alizarin red, and cumulative optical density were used as indicators to evaluate the anti-osteoporotic activity of EVO in a safe dose. Based on network pharmacology, the mechanism of action of EVO in the treatment of osteoporosis was predicted and verified through Real-time PCR. ResultsThe LC10 of EVO on zebrafish (7 dpf) was determined to be 0.4 mg·L-1. Compared with the control group, sublethal concentrations (
9.Genomic characteristics and phylogenetic analyses of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli infection in diarrhea outpatients in Pudong New Area, Shanghai
Qiqi CUI ; Yuchen LU ; Suping WU ; Yinwen ZHANG ; Bing ZHAO ; Lifeng PAN ; Yingjie ZHENG ; Lipeng HAO
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(4):342-349
ObjectiveTo investigate the whole genomic characteristics and phylogenetic relationships of clinical isolates of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) in diarrhea outpatients in Pudong New Area, Shanghai. MethodsBased on the diarrheal disease surveillance network in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, whole-genome sequencing was performed on a total of 55 EAEC strains isolated from fecal samples of the diarrhea outpatients from January 2015 to December 2019. The genome analyses based on raw sequencing data encompassed genome size, coding genes, dispersed repeat sequences, genomic islands, and protein coding regions, and pan-genome analyses were conducted simultaneously. Contigs sequences assays were performed to analyze molecular characteristics including serotypes, antibiotic resistance genes, and virulence factors. The phylogenetic clusters and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were identified, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed. ResultsEAEC exhibited an open pan-genome. The predominant serotype of EAEC in diarrhea outpatients in Pudong New Area was O130:H27, and the carriage rate of β-lactam resistance genes was the highest (67.27%, 37/55). A total of 29 virulence factors and 106 virulence genes were identified, phylogenic group B1 was the predominant group, and clonal group CC31 was the dominant clonal group. The strain distribution was highly heterogeneous. ConclusionThe genomic characteristics of EAEC displayed significant strain polymorphism. It is necessary to develop effective strategies for differential diagnosis and improve detection capabilities for infection with EAEC of different serotypes and genotypes.
10.Montelukast sodium inhibits airway inflammation through PHD2/HIF-1α pathway in asthmatic mice
Chunxue KONG ; Qiqi LIU ; Liwei ZHANG ; Chuansha WU ; Longzhu XIONG ; Guowei ZHANG ; Minyue CAO ; Ping LI ; Ting ZHOU
The Journal of Practical Medicine 2025;41(5):664-669
Objective The study aimed to investigate whether montelukast sodium could alleviate airway inflammatory responses in asthmatic mice by affecting the PHD2/HIF-1α pathway.Methods An allergic asthma model was established by ovalbumin(OVA)induction,and 18 female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into a control group(Con group),an asthma group(OVA group),and an asthma group with montelukast sodium intervention(30 mg/kg montelukast sodium by oral administration 1 h before OVA challenge,Mon group).HE staining was used to analyze the pathological changes in the lungs of mice.Blood cell analyzer and kits were used to determine the number of inflammatory cells and the levels of cytokines,the content of lactic acid and pyruvic acid in the lungs,respectively.RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of HIF-1α,PHD2,E-cad and p120 in the lungs of mice.Results Compared with the Con group,there was a significant increase in the number of eosinophils,lymphocytes,neutrophils and monocytes,the levels of IL-5,IL-13,complement factor D(CFD)and contents of lactate and pyruvate in the lungs of mice in the OVA group.Lung HIF-1α,PHD2,p120 and E-cad mRNA levels were reduced,meanwhile HIF-1α and PHD2 protein expression were upregulated but E-cad and p120 protein expression were downregulated(all with P<0.05).After montelukast sodium intervention,the number of eosinophils and monocytes and CFD expression were significantly decreased in the lungs of Mon group,the contents of lactate and pyruvate were basically restored to normal,and the mRNA and protein expression of HIF-1α,PHD2,p120 and E-cad were effectively improved.Conclusion Montelukast sodium could alleviate the airway inflammatory responses in the lungs of asthmatic mice by regulating the PHD2/HIF-1α signaling pathway.


Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail