1.Experimental and Computational Investigation of pH-Dependent Urease Conformational Dynamics and Its Impact on MICP Efficiency
Qiu-Cai ZHANG ; Yi-Fei ZHENG ; Mei-Zhong HUANG ; Xiu-Kang SHEN ; Ling-Ling WU ; Zhi-Jun ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(6):879-894
The engineering application of microbially induced carbonate precipitation(MICP)is limited by pH-dependent conformational dynamics of urease.Focusing on the α-subunit urease from Sporosarcina pasteurii,this study integrated conductivity experiments and constant-pH molecular dynamics simulations to analyze active site conformational dynamics and catalytic function across pH 3-11.Results showed that under neutral conditions(pH 7-8),key histidine residues(HIS139/HIS249)exhibited minimal dis-placement(<0.5 ?),the longest hydrogen bond lifetime(>8 ps),highest conformational stability(root mean square deviation,RMSD:0.15-0.18 nm),and optimal catalytic activity(conductivity change rate:0.03 mS/cm·min-1,CaCO3 precipitation:3.84 g).Extreme pH(pH 3/11)induced structural collapse(displacement up to 1.8 ?)and complete activity loss.Simulations revealed that neutral pH sta-bilizes a protonation-dependent cooperative allosteric network by maintaining active site cavity volume(~120 ?3)and moderate conformational coherence(correlation coefficient~0.8).This work deciphers the molecular mechanism of pH-regulated urease dynamics through protonation states,providing theoreti-cal support for MICP applications in acidic mine tailing remediation and alkaline soil stabilization.
2.Establishment and evaluation of a lipopolysaccharide-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome model in minipigs
Chuang-Ye WANG ; Ran WANG ; Jian ZHANG ; Ling-Xiao QIU ; Bin QING ; Heng YOU ; Jin-Cheng LIU ; Bin WANG ; Nan-Bo WANG ; Jia-Yu LI ; Xing LIU ; Shuang WANG ; Jin HU ; Jian WEN ; Quan LI ; Xiao-Ou HUANG ; Kun ZHAO ; Shuang-Lin LIU ; Gang LIU ; Mei-Ju WANG ; Qing XIANG ; Hong-Mei WU ; Xiao-Rong SUN ; Tao GU ; Dong ZHANG ; Qi LI ; Zhi XU
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army 2025;50(9):1154-1161
Objective To establish a stable,reliable,and clinically relevant porcine model of endotoxin-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS).Methods Ten 8-month-old male Bama minipigs were deeply sedated,followed by invasive mechanical ventilation and electrocardiographic monitoring.Lipopolysaccharide(LPS)was intravenously pumped at 600 μg/(kg·h)for 3 hours,then maintained at 15 μg/(kg·h)thereafter.Dynamic monitoring was performed at five time points after LPS injection(LPS 0,1,3,5,and 8 h),including arterial blood gas analysis and chest computed tomography(CT)scans.Pathological examination of lung tissues obtained via bronchoscopic biopsy(HE staining and transmission electron microscopy)was conducted.These indicators were comprehensively used to evaluate the success of the animal model.Results At 5 hours after LPS administration,8 minipigs developed symptoms such as skin cyanosis,elevated body temperature,and respiratory distress.The oxygenation index decreased to<300 mmHg.Chest CT scans showed diffuse pulmonary infiltrates.Histopathology revealed alveolar edema and hyaline membrane formation.Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated disruption of pulmonary blood-air barrier,depletion of lamellar bodies in type Ⅱ pneumocytes,inflammatory cell infiltration,and exudation of plasma proteins and fibrin.Compared with LPS 0 h,at LPS 8 h,the oxygenation index and arterial blood pH were significantly decreased(P<0.001),while blood lactic acid and serum potassium were significantly increased(P<0.05);serum calcium and base excess were significantly decreased(P<0.05),and the lung injury score based on HE-stained lung sections was significantly increased(P<0.01).Conclusion The porcine ARDS model established by continuous LPS injection can dynamically simulate the pathophysiological characteristics and typical pathological manifestations of clinical septic ARDS,making it an effective tool to study the pathogenesis,prevention,and treatment strategies of septic ARDS.
3.Mechanistic of Yueju Wan volatile oil in inhibiting inflammation for antidepressant effects by regulating AGE/PI3K/Akt pathway.
Tan-Lu CHU ; Ze-Jun GUO ; Wei ZHANG ; Ling-Feng WANG ; Shu-Rui LYU ; Wan-Yu GUO ; Xiao-Ming ZHONG ; Feng-Mei QIU ; Zhen HUANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(11):3147-3158
The antidepressant activity and molecular mechanisms of Yueju Wan volatile oil were investigated. The Yueju Wan volatile oil was extracted by using supercritical CO_2. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS) combined with network pharmacology identified 28 chemical constituents in Yueju Wan volatile oil, primarily terpenes and lactones. A total of 123 overlapping targets were associated with depression, including core targets of interleukin-1β(IL-1β), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3), and caspase-3(CASP3). These targets were mainly involved in the prolactin, advanced glycation end products/receptor(AGE/RAGE), and phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/Akt) signaling pathways. A reserpine-induced depression mouse model was established to evaluate the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of Yueju Wan volatile oil. The effects of Yueju Wan volatile oil on depression-like behavior in mice were evaluated by analyzing body mass, body temperature index, tail suspension immobility time, forced swimming immobility time, and sucrose preference. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining revealed neuronal protection of Yueju Wan volatile oil in the brain of mice. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) and Western blot were employed to detect the protein expression of AGEs, IL-1β, phosphorylated PI3K(p-PI3K), Akt, phosphorylated Akt(p-Akt), nuclear factor κB(NF-κB), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF). Behavioral evaluation showed that Yueju Wan volatile oil could effectively control the decline of body mass and body temperature of depressed mice, reduce tail suspension and swimming immobility time, and enhance their preference for sucrose. Histopathological examination showed that Yueju Wan volatile oil could alleviate the neuronal damage in CA1 and dentate gyrus(DG) of the hippocampus of mice. ELISA and Western blot results showed that Yueju Wan volatile oil could significantly increase the protein expression levels of PI3K, Akt, and BDNF and significantly decrease the protein expression levels of AGEs, IL-1β, p-PI3K, p-Akt, and NF-κB in the hippocampus of mice. Furthermore, the p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt ratios were significantly decreased at medium and high doses. These findings suggest that the aromatherapy of Yueju Wan volatile oil can significantly improve reserpine-induced depression-like behavior in mice, which may be related to reducing the expression of neuronal membrane protein AGEs, reducing the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt, inhibiting NF-κB entry into the nucleus, and alleviating the release of pro-inflammatory factors and nerve injury.
Animals
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Antidepressive Agents/chemistry*
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Mice
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/immunology*
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Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/immunology*
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Oils, Volatile/chemistry*
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Male
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
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Signal Transduction/drug effects*
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Depression/metabolism*
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Glycation End Products, Advanced/immunology*
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Humans
4.Correlation Analysis of MHR,NLR,PLR and Bone Density,Bone Metabolism Markers in Elderly Essential Hypertension with Osteoporosis Patients
Ming-hui SONG ; Xue-yan HUANG ; Da-mei YE ; Zhao-qiu WU
Progress in Modern Biomedicine 2025;25(15):2465-2471
Objective:To analyze the correlation of monocyte/high density lipoprotein ratio(MHR),neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio(NLR),platelet/lymphocyte ratio(PLR)and bone density,bone metabolism markers in elderly essential hypertension with osteoporosis(OP)patients.Methods:This study was a retrospective study,198 elderly essential hypertension patients who were admitted in our hospital from January 2022 to June 2024 were selected.According to the patient's bone mass test results,patients were divided into normal bone mass group(n=79),osteopenia group(n=68)and OP group(n=51).MHR,NLR,PLR,bone density(left hip,left femoral neck and lumbar spine L1-L4)and bone metabolism markers were compared among three groups,the correlation of MHR,NLR,PLR and bone density,bone metabolism markers were analyzed by Pearson correlation.Results:MHR,NLR,PLR in normal bone mass group,osteopenia group and OP group increased in turn(P<0.05).The left hip,left femoral neck and lumbar spine L1-L4 bone density in normal bone mass group,osteopenia group,OP group decreased in turn(P<0.05).25-hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH)D]in normal bone mass group,osteopenia group and OP group decreased in turn,alkaline phosphatase(ALP)and parathyroid hormone(PTH)increased in turn(P<0.05).MHR,NLR and PLR were negatively correlated with left hip bone density,left femoral neck bone density,lumbar spine L1-L4 bone density,25(OH)D and positively correlated with PTH and ALP(P<0.05).Conclusion:The increase of MHR,NLR and PLR in elderly essential hypertension with OP patients can affect bone mineral density and bone metabolism.
5.Experimental and Computational Investigation of pH-Dependent Urease Conformational Dynamics and Its Impact on MICP Efficiency
Qiu-Cai ZHANG ; Yi-Fei ZHENG ; Mei-Zhong HUANG ; Xiu-Kang SHEN ; Ling-Ling WU ; Zhi-Jun ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(6):879-894
The engineering application of microbially induced carbonate precipitation(MICP)is limited by pH-dependent conformational dynamics of urease.Focusing on the α-subunit urease from Sporosarcina pasteurii,this study integrated conductivity experiments and constant-pH molecular dynamics simulations to analyze active site conformational dynamics and catalytic function across pH 3-11.Results showed that under neutral conditions(pH 7-8),key histidine residues(HIS139/HIS249)exhibited minimal dis-placement(<0.5 ?),the longest hydrogen bond lifetime(>8 ps),highest conformational stability(root mean square deviation,RMSD:0.15-0.18 nm),and optimal catalytic activity(conductivity change rate:0.03 mS/cm·min-1,CaCO3 precipitation:3.84 g).Extreme pH(pH 3/11)induced structural collapse(displacement up to 1.8 ?)and complete activity loss.Simulations revealed that neutral pH sta-bilizes a protonation-dependent cooperative allosteric network by maintaining active site cavity volume(~120 ?3)and moderate conformational coherence(correlation coefficient~0.8).This work deciphers the molecular mechanism of pH-regulated urease dynamics through protonation states,providing theoreti-cal support for MICP applications in acidic mine tailing remediation and alkaline soil stabilization.
6.Correlation Analysis of MHR,NLR,PLR and Bone Density,Bone Metabolism Markers in Elderly Essential Hypertension with Osteoporosis Patients
Ming-hui SONG ; Xue-yan HUANG ; Da-mei YE ; Zhao-qiu WU
Progress in Modern Biomedicine 2025;25(15):2465-2471
Objective:To analyze the correlation of monocyte/high density lipoprotein ratio(MHR),neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio(NLR),platelet/lymphocyte ratio(PLR)and bone density,bone metabolism markers in elderly essential hypertension with osteoporosis(OP)patients.Methods:This study was a retrospective study,198 elderly essential hypertension patients who were admitted in our hospital from January 2022 to June 2024 were selected.According to the patient's bone mass test results,patients were divided into normal bone mass group(n=79),osteopenia group(n=68)and OP group(n=51).MHR,NLR,PLR,bone density(left hip,left femoral neck and lumbar spine L1-L4)and bone metabolism markers were compared among three groups,the correlation of MHR,NLR,PLR and bone density,bone metabolism markers were analyzed by Pearson correlation.Results:MHR,NLR,PLR in normal bone mass group,osteopenia group and OP group increased in turn(P<0.05).The left hip,left femoral neck and lumbar spine L1-L4 bone density in normal bone mass group,osteopenia group,OP group decreased in turn(P<0.05).25-hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH)D]in normal bone mass group,osteopenia group and OP group decreased in turn,alkaline phosphatase(ALP)and parathyroid hormone(PTH)increased in turn(P<0.05).MHR,NLR and PLR were negatively correlated with left hip bone density,left femoral neck bone density,lumbar spine L1-L4 bone density,25(OH)D and positively correlated with PTH and ALP(P<0.05).Conclusion:The increase of MHR,NLR and PLR in elderly essential hypertension with OP patients can affect bone mineral density and bone metabolism.
7.Disease burden of acute viral hepatitis in Guangdong Province, 1990-2019
Jiamin QIU ; Fangfang ZENG ; Chen CHENG ; Huiyan WEN ; Shiqi HUANG ; Dan LIU ; Jinlei QI ; Peng YIN ; Maigeng ZHOU ; Ying XU ; Zhiping LIU ; Qingsong MEI ; Heng XIAO ; Zheng XIANG ; Xiaofeng LIANG
Chinese Journal of Epidemiology 2024;45(3):365-372
Objective:To examine the burden and trends of acute viral hepatitis in Guangdong Province from 1990 to 2019, and provide reference evidences for hepatitis prevention and control in the province.Methods:Data on acute viral hepatitis (hepatitis A, B, C, and E) in Guangdong from 1990 to 2019 were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 database. The incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) data were analyzed by age and gender, and the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) was calculated to describe the changing trends in disease burden.Results:From 1999 to 2019, the standardized incidence, prevalence, mortality, and DALY of acute viral hepatitis in Guangdong were higher than the national averages. In 2019, 51.43% (2 245 087/4 365 221) of acute viral hepatitis cases in Guangdong Province were mainly attributed to hepatitis B, and 77.18% (106/138) of deaths were due to acute hepatitis B. In different age groups, except for acute hepatitis B, which was more common in adults, the incidence rates of other types of viral hepatitis such as hepatitis A, B, and E showed an overall decreasing trend with age. The mortality rates of different types of acute viral hepatitis, except for the <5 age group, increased with age. The overall incidence and mortality rates of acute viral hepatitis were higher in men than in women.Conclusions:The overall burden of acute viral hepatitis in Guangdong declined in 2019, but remained higher than the national level. Further efforts are needed to strengthen hepatitis prevention and screening in different population in Guangdong Province, especially in children and the elderly.
8.Observation on the Clinical Efficacy of Dongj ing Tiaoshen Comprehensive Therapy Combined with Computerized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in the Treatment of Chronic Insomnia of Liver Depression and Spleen Deficiency Type
Tian-Hui TAN ; Yu GUO ; Jie-Lin HUANG ; Jiang-Ning QIU ; Xiao-Min XIE ; Xue-Mei CAO
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;41(5):1129-1136
Objective To observe the clinical effect of Dongjing Tiaoshen Comprehensive Therapy combined with computerized cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia(CCBT-I)in the treatment of chronic insomnia patients with liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome.Methods A total of 60 patients with chronic insomnia of liver depression and spleen deficiency type were randomly divided into observation group and control group,30 cases in each group.Both groups of patients were treated with CCBT-I as the basic treatment,the observation group was additionally treated with Dongjing Tiaoshen Comprehensive Therapy,i.e.,mind-regulating acupuncture therapy combined with regular aerobic exercises and Dantian Qigong exercises,and the control group was additionally treated with cranial electrotherapy stimulation.The course of treatment for the two groups covered 4 weeks.The changes of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)score,Self-rating Anxiety Scale(SAS)score and Self-rating Depression Scale(SDS)score in the two groups were observed before and after treatment,and the clinical efficacy of the two groups was evaluated after treatment.Results(1)After 4 weeks of treatment,the total effective rate of the observation group was 86.67%(26/30),and that of the control group was 70.00%(21/30).The intergroup comparison(tested by rank sum test)showed that the curative effect of the observation group was significantly superior to that of the control group,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).(2)After treatment,the PSQI scores of the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment(P<0.05),and the decrease of PSQI scores in the observation group was significantly superior to that in the control group,the difference being statistically significant(P<0.05).(3)After treatment,the SAS and SDS scores of the two groups were significantly lower than those before treatment(P<0.05),and the decrease of SAS and SDS scores in the observation group tended to be superior to that in the control group,but there was no significant difference between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion For the treatment of chronic insomnia of liver depression and spleen deficiency type,the combination of Dongjing Tiaoshen Comprehensive Therapy with CCBT-I can significantly improve the sleep quality,relieve anxiety and depression,and improve the quality of life of the patients,which exerts significant efficacy.
9.Effects of astragalus angelica on apoptosis and expression of Bax and caspase-3/9 in rabbit chondrocytes after fresh osteochondral allograft
Wan-Tao DONG ; Pan YANG ; Xiu-Juan YANG ; Shi-Ming QIU ; Peng YUAN ; Jing-Yi LIU ; Jiu-Mei HUANG ; Yu ZHOU
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(12):2288-2294
Aim To observe the effect of Astragalus membranaceus and Angelica sinensis on the apoptosis of chondrocytes,and to investigate the effect of Astrag-alus membranaceus and Angelica sinensis on the sur-vival of fresh ostecartilage allograft.Methods Forty-eight 4-month-old New Zealand white rabbits,half male and half female,were randomly divided into sham operation group,model group,positive group and As-tragalus and Angelica 5∶1 group.In addition to the sham operation group,the other groups were both male and female donors and recipients for knee joint osteo-cartilage cross transplantation modeling.After 8 weeks of drug intervention,samples were taken for general observation,HE staining,saffrane-O staining,immu-nohistochemical staining,qPCR and Western blot de-tection.Results Compared with model group,As-tragalus and Angelica 5∶1 group and positive group,the repair site healed better,the morphology of osteo-chondrocytes tended to be normal,and the division and proliferation were obvious.Proteoglycan deposition in-creased and type Ⅱ collagen content was higher,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).qPCR and Western blot results showed that compared with model group,the mRNA and protein expressions of Bax,caspase-3 and caspase-9 in other groups were significantly decreased(P<0.05).Conclusion As-tragalus and Angelica can promote the survival of fresh osteochondral allograft,and its mechanism may be re-lated to promoting collagen production,promoting chondrocyte proliferation and inhibiting chondrocyte apoptosis.
10.Formulation and Analysis on the Standard of Pharmacy Practice in e-Hospital
Qian ZHANG ; Xiaoyan QIU ; Hui ZHAO ; Dan MEI ; Xiaoyang LU ; Pinfang HUANG ; Dong LIU ; Mingkang ZHONG ; Jiancun ZHEN
Herald of Medicine 2024;43(7):1061-1065
Pharmacy practice in e-hospital is an innovative form that greatly enhances the accessibility,efficiency,and convenience of medical services,providing continuous health management and chronic disease drug treatment management for patients.To ensure the quality of pharmacy practice in e-hospitals,the standard formulation team for pharmacy practice in e-hospitals adhered to the principles of scientific,universal,instructive,and operability.They comb through key management content from national policy documents,domestic and international standards and regulations,and literature analysis.Combined with the actual work situation of pharmacy practice in e-hospitals,the standard is formulated through multiple rounds of opinion collection and expert verification.This paper interprets the key content of the standard,including basic requirements,service content and processes,and quality management and evaluation improvement,to provide guidance and reference for managers and pharmacists to deeply understand the standard and further enhance the quality of pharmacy practice in e-hospitals.

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