1.Meta analysis of the efficacy of digital psychological therapies on depressive symptoms among adolescents
YANG Xuan, YANG Dong, CAI Rui, TANG Yuping, YE Sheng, LUO Yaoyue
Chinese Journal of School Health 2026;47(4):531-537
Objective:
To systematically evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and maintenance effects of digital psychological therapies on depressive symptoms among adolescents, so as to provide a reference for clinical practice.
Methods:
Randomized controlled trial(RCT) investigating digital psychological therapies to improve depressive symptoms among adolescents were searched across databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database, VIP database, and SinoMed, from database inception to November 20, 2025. Following literature screening, quality assessment, and data extraction, a Meta analysis was performed using Stata 18.0 software.
Results:
A total of 20 studies involving 2 042 adolescents aged 11-19 were included. The Meta analysis revealed that digital psychological therapies significantly alleviated depressive symptoms in adolescents ( SMD =-0.59, 95% CI =-0.85 to -0.32, P <0.01). The therapeutic effect was sustained at long term follow up ( SMD =-0.21, 95% CI =-0.34 to -0.09, P <0.01). Furthermore, depression scores in the intervention group showed a continued decrease from post intervention to long term follow up ( SMD =-0.28, 95% CI =-0.41 to -0.14, P <0.01). Egger s linear regression test indicated possible publication bias (Kendall s tall=0.28, P <0.01).
Conclusions
Digital psychological therapies can effectively improve depressive symptoms among adolescents, with stable long term efficacy. However, current evidence remains limited and exhibits substantial heterogeneity. Therefore, further large sample, high quality RCTs are warranted to validate the effectiveness of this intervention.
2.Polypeptide-based Nanocarriers for Oral Targeted Delivery of CAR Genes to Pancreatic Cancer
Feng XIN ; Jian REN ; Zhao-Zhen LI ; Quan FANG ; Rui-Jing LIANG ; Lan-Lan LIU ; Lin-Tao CAI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):431-441
ObjectivePancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) exhibits a limited response to current treatments due to its dense fibrotic stroma and highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In recent years, advancements in cellular immunotherapy, particularly chimeric antigen receptor macrophage (CAR-M) therapy, have offered new hope for pancreatic cancer treatment. Although CAR-M therapy demonstrates dual potential in directly killing tumor cells and remodeling the immune microenvironment, it still faces challenges such as complex in vitro preparation processes and low in vivo targeting and delivery efficiency. Therefore, developing strategies for efficient and targeted in vivo delivery of CAR genes has become crucial for overcoming current therapeutic limitations. This study aims to develop an orally administrable nano-gene delivery system for the targeted delivery of CAR genes to pancreatic tumor sites. MethodsCore nano-gene particles (PNP/pCAR) were constructed by loading plasmid DNA encoding CAR (pCAR) with cationic polypeptides (PNP). Subsequently, PNP/pCAR was surface-modified with β-glucan to prepare the targeted nanoparticles (βGlus-PNP/pCAR). The loading efficiency of PNP for pCAR was quantitatively assessed by gel retardation assay. The particle size, Zeta potential, morphology, and storage stability of PNP/pCAR were characterized using a Malvern particle size analyzer and transmission electron microscopy. At the cellular level, RAW 264.7 macrophages were selected. The cytotoxicity of PNP/pCAR was evaluated using the CCK-8 assay. The cellular uptake efficiency and lysosomal escape ability of the nanoparticles were assessed via flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Transfection efficiency was quantitatively evaluated by detecting the expression of the reporter gene GFP using flow cytometry. At the in vivo level, an orthotopic pancreatic cancer mouse model was established. Cy7-labeled βGlus-PNP/pCAR nanoparticles were administered orally, and the fluorescence distribution in mice was dynamically monitored at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 h post-administration using a small animal in vivo imaging system. Forty-eight hours after oral gavage, the mice were euthanized, and pancreatic tumor tissues were collected for further analysis of intratumoral fluorescence signals using the imaging system. Additionally, βGlus-PNP/pCAR-GFP nanoparticles loaded with the reporter gene (GFP) were administered orally. Forty-eight hours post-administration, pancreatic tumor tissues were harvested to prepare frozen sections, and GFP expression was observed and analyzed under a fluorescence microscope. ResultsThe PNP carrier exhibited a high loading capacity for pCAR. The successfully prepared PNP/pCAR nanoparticles were regular spheres with a hydrodynamic diameter of approximately (120±10) nm and a Zeta potential of about +(6±1) mV. They maintained good structural stability after incubation in PBS buffer for 7 d. Cell experiments demonstrated that PNP/pCAR exhibited no significant cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells while being efficiently internalized and effectively escaping lysosomal degradation. The transfection positive rate of PNP/pCAR-GFP in RAW 264.7 cells reached (25±3)%, surpassing that of Lipofectamine 2000-loaded pCAR-GFP (Lipo/pCAR-GFP), which was (20±1)%.In vivo experiments revealed that, compared to unmodified PNP/pCAR, βGlus-PNP/pCAR exhibited strongerin situ pancreatic tumor targeting ability after oral administration. Furthermore, oral administration of βGlus-PNP/pCAR-GFP resulted in significant GFP protein expression detectable within pancreatic tumor tissues. ConclusionThis study successfully constructed and validated an orally administrable, pancreatic cancer-targeting polypeptide-based nano-gene delivery system. It provides an important technological foundation in delivery systems and experimental basis for the subsequent development of in situ CAR-M-based therapeutic strategies for pancreatic cancer.
3.Polypeptide-based Nanocarriers for Oral Targeted Delivery of CAR Genes to Pancreatic Cancer
Feng XIN ; Jian REN ; Zhao-Zhen LI ; Quan FANG ; Rui-Jing LIANG ; Lan-Lan LIU ; Lin-Tao CAI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):431-441
ObjectivePancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) exhibits a limited response to current treatments due to its dense fibrotic stroma and highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. In recent years, advancements in cellular immunotherapy, particularly chimeric antigen receptor macrophage (CAR-M) therapy, have offered new hope for pancreatic cancer treatment. Although CAR-M therapy demonstrates dual potential in directly killing tumor cells and remodeling the immune microenvironment, it still faces challenges such as complex in vitro preparation processes and low in vivo targeting and delivery efficiency. Therefore, developing strategies for efficient and targeted in vivo delivery of CAR genes has become crucial for overcoming current therapeutic limitations. This study aims to develop an orally administrable nano-gene delivery system for the targeted delivery of CAR genes to pancreatic tumor sites. MethodsCore nano-gene particles (PNP/pCAR) were constructed by loading plasmid DNA encoding CAR (pCAR) with cationic polypeptides (PNP). Subsequently, PNP/pCAR was surface-modified with β-glucan to prepare the targeted nanoparticles (βGlus-PNP/pCAR). The loading efficiency of PNP for pCAR was quantitatively assessed by gel retardation assay. The particle size, Zeta potential, morphology, and storage stability of PNP/pCAR were characterized using a Malvern particle size analyzer and transmission electron microscopy. At the cellular level, RAW 264.7 macrophages were selected. The cytotoxicity of PNP/pCAR was evaluated using the CCK-8 assay. The cellular uptake efficiency and lysosomal escape ability of the nanoparticles were assessed via flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Transfection efficiency was quantitatively evaluated by detecting the expression of the reporter gene GFP using flow cytometry. At the in vivo level, an orthotopic pancreatic cancer mouse model was established. Cy7-labeled βGlus-PNP/pCAR nanoparticles were administered orally, and the fluorescence distribution in mice was dynamically monitored at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 h post-administration using a small animal in vivo imaging system. Forty-eight hours after oral gavage, the mice were euthanized, and pancreatic tumor tissues were collected for further analysis of intratumoral fluorescence signals using the imaging system. Additionally, βGlus-PNP/pCAR-GFP nanoparticles loaded with the reporter gene (GFP) were administered orally. Forty-eight hours post-administration, pancreatic tumor tissues were harvested to prepare frozen sections, and GFP expression was observed and analyzed under a fluorescence microscope. ResultsThe PNP carrier exhibited a high loading capacity for pCAR. The successfully prepared PNP/pCAR nanoparticles were regular spheres with a hydrodynamic diameter of approximately (120±10) nm and a Zeta potential of about +(6±1) mV. They maintained good structural stability after incubation in PBS buffer for 7 d. Cell experiments demonstrated that PNP/pCAR exhibited no significant cytotoxicity in RAW 264.7 cells while being efficiently internalized and effectively escaping lysosomal degradation. The transfection positive rate of PNP/pCAR-GFP in RAW 264.7 cells reached (25±3)%, surpassing that of Lipofectamine 2000-loaded pCAR-GFP (Lipo/pCAR-GFP), which was (20±1)%.In vivo experiments revealed that, compared to unmodified PNP/pCAR, βGlus-PNP/pCAR exhibited strongerin situ pancreatic tumor targeting ability after oral administration. Furthermore, oral administration of βGlus-PNP/pCAR-GFP resulted in significant GFP protein expression detectable within pancreatic tumor tissues. ConclusionThis study successfully constructed and validated an orally administrable, pancreatic cancer-targeting polypeptide-based nano-gene delivery system. It provides an important technological foundation in delivery systems and experimental basis for the subsequent development of in situ CAR-M-based therapeutic strategies for pancreatic cancer.
4.A Comparative Study of Artificial Intelligence-based Classification Versus Manual Classification of Medical Adverse Events: Taking the DeepSeek Large Language Model As an Example
Rui WANG ; Xutong TAN ; Congpu ZHAO ; Shuchang WANG ; Zheng CHEN ; Xiaojun MA ; Zhiling CAI
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(3):828-833
To analyze the application value of artificial intelligence (AI)-based classification in the categorization of medical adverse events. Medical adverse events reported to the Adverse Event Reporting System of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from September 1, 2023, to August 31, 2024, were retrospectively collected as the study subjects. After de-identification of adverse events meeting the inclusion criteria, conventional manual classification and AI-based classification using a large language model (DeepSeek-R1 Full-Context Internet Edition) were performed. The time required for classification using both methods was recorded, and the consistency and discrepancies between the two methods were compared. Using manual classification as the gold standard, the accuracy of AI-based classification was comprehensively evaluated. A total of 273 medical adverse events were analyzed. Manual classification took 38 838 seconds in total, with an average of 14.22 seconds per event. AI-based classification took 600 seconds in total, with an average of 2.19 seconds per event. The two methods showed consistent classification in 202 events and inconsistent classification in 71 events, yielding an overall agreement rate of 73.99% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.646 (95% CI: 0.575-0.717), with a standard error of 0.0362. Using manual classification as the gold standard, AI-based classification achieved accuracy ranging from 80% to 100%, precision from 30% to 100%, recall from 40% to 100%, F1 scores from 0.46 to 0.79, and specificity from 46% to 98%. Notably, AI-based classification demonstrated balanced and overall excellent performance in the categorization of device-related and drug-related adverse events. The DeepSeek large language model can assist in improving the efficiency of medical adverse event classification, showing promising application potential, particularly in the categorization of device-related and drug-related adverse events.
5.Meta-analysis of the safety and efficacy of transurethral blue laser vaporization of the prostate,transurethral resection of the prostate or plasmakinetic resection of the prostate in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia
Zhongchao HUO ; Haifeng CHENG ; Yongzhi HE ; Lei WANG ; Rui DING ; Jianqi YANG ; Wenting ZHAO ; Zi CAI ; Caiying KONG ; Yiping GAO
Journal of Modern Urology 2026;31(2):140-146
Objective To compare the efficacy and safety of transurethral blue laser vaporization of the prostate, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) or plasmakinetic resection of the prostate in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Methods The domestic and foreign clinical studies on transurethral blue laser vaporization of the prostate (observation group), TURP or plasmakinetic resection of the prostate (control group) in the treatment of BPH during Jan. 2015 and Mar. 2025 were retrieved. The data were extracted with Cochrane systematic review method. The operation time, decrease in hemoglobin, bladder irrigation time, catheter indwelling time, total complication rate, retrograde ejaculation rate and urinary incontinence rate of the two groups were compared with RevMan 5.3.0 statistical software. Results A total of 5 Chinese studies involving 491 patients (248 in the observation group and 243 in the control group) were included in the Meta-analysis. Compared with the control group, the observation group had shorter operation time [MD=-20.80, 95%CI:-26.88—-14.72, P<0.00001], less decrease in hemoglobin [MD=-10.61, 95%CI: -20.21—-1.01, P=0.03], shorter bladder irrigation time [MD=-17.85, 95%CI: -32.62—-3.09, P=0.002], shorter catheter indwelling time [MD=-1.71, 95%CI: -2.81—- 0.62, P=0.002], lower total complication rate [OR=0.11, 95%CI: 0.06—0.21, P<0.00001], lower retrograde ejaculation rate [OR=0.05, 95%CI: 0.02—0.16, P<0.00001] and lower urinary incontinence rate [OR=0.24, 95%CI: 0.07—0.79, P=0.02]. There were no significant differences in other complications between the two groups (P>0.05). The international erectile function score (IIEF-5) of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group [MD=1.87, 95%CI:1.16—2.57, P<0.00001]. There were no significant differences in international prostate symptom score (IPSS), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax) and post-voiding residual (PVR) between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion All three surgical procedures can effectively improve the lower urinary tract symptoms of BPH patients. Compared with TURP or plasmakinetic resection of the prostate, transurethral blue laser vaporization of the prostate has obvious advantages in terms of perioperative recovery, reduction of total complications, urinary incontinence and retrograde ejaculation rates, and preservation of sexual function.
6.BAI Yanping's Experience in Treating Rosacea Based on the Therapeutic Principle of Resolving Stagnant Heat in Cutaneous Collaterals
Rui CAI ; Xiangnan ZHOU ; Wenbo JIANG ; Yuanyuan CHEN ; Nuo LI ;
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(15):1604-1607
This paper summarizes professor BAI Yanping's clinical experience in treating rosacea. It is believed that stagnant heat in cutaneous collaterals serves as the core pathogenesis of rosacea, and the interbinding of static blood and heat as well as blockage of cutaneous collaterals constitute the key pathological links. The core therapeutic principles consist of nourishing blood, activating blood circulation to resolve stasis, clearing heat, relieving stagnation and unblocking collaterals. In clinic, Wenqing Decoction (温清饮) is adopted as the basic formula, with flexible modifications according to distinct clinical syndromes and stages of rosacea. Based on clinical syndromes, for erythematotelangiectatic rosacea, the treatment should focus on activating blood to unblock collaterals, clearing heat and cooling blood; for papulopustular rosacea, the treatment should focus on clearing heat and resolving toxins, and resolving stasis and dissipating masses; for hypertrophic phymatous rosacea, the treatment should simultaneously softening hard masses, dissipating stagnation, nourishing blood and moisturizing the skin; for ocular rosacea, the treatment should prioritize clearing liver heat to improve eyesight, unblocking orifices and eliminating heat. Based on the stages, in acute phase, heat-clearing, detoxifying and blood-cooling therapies are emphasized; for protracted chronic phase, concurrent regulation of static blood and heat plus blood-nourishing and collateral-unblocking methods are applied; the consolidation stage targets invigorating the spleen and replenishing qi to strengthen vital resistance and eliminate pathogenic factors. Meanwhile, precise compatibility of aromatic medicinals, blood-level medicinals and channel-guiding medicinals is highly valued. The therapy should balance systemic regulation and local lesion care, and combine internal and external treatment, which may provides clinical references for TCM intervention of rosacea.
7.BAI Yanping's Experience in Treating Rosacea Based on the Therapeutic Principle of Resolving Stagnant Heat in Cutaneous Collaterals
Rui CAI ; Xiangnan ZHOU ; Wenbo JIANG ; Yuanyuan CHEN ; Nuo LI ;
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(15):1604-1607
This paper summarizes professor BAI Yanping's clinical experience in treating rosacea. It is believed that stagnant heat in cutaneous collaterals serves as the core pathogenesis of rosacea, and the interbinding of static blood and heat as well as blockage of cutaneous collaterals constitute the key pathological links. The core therapeutic principles consist of nourishing blood, activating blood circulation to resolve stasis, clearing heat, relieving stagnation and unblocking collaterals. In clinic, Wenqing Decoction (温清饮) is adopted as the basic formula, with flexible modifications according to distinct clinical syndromes and stages of rosacea. Based on clinical syndromes, for erythematotelangiectatic rosacea, the treatment should focus on activating blood to unblock collaterals, clearing heat and cooling blood; for papulopustular rosacea, the treatment should focus on clearing heat and resolving toxins, and resolving stasis and dissipating masses; for hypertrophic phymatous rosacea, the treatment should simultaneously softening hard masses, dissipating stagnation, nourishing blood and moisturizing the skin; for ocular rosacea, the treatment should prioritize clearing liver heat to improve eyesight, unblocking orifices and eliminating heat. Based on the stages, in acute phase, heat-clearing, detoxifying and blood-cooling therapies are emphasized; for protracted chronic phase, concurrent regulation of static blood and heat plus blood-nourishing and collateral-unblocking methods are applied; the consolidation stage targets invigorating the spleen and replenishing qi to strengthen vital resistance and eliminate pathogenic factors. Meanwhile, precise compatibility of aromatic medicinals, blood-level medicinals and channel-guiding medicinals is highly valued. The therapy should balance systemic regulation and local lesion care, and combine internal and external treatment, which may provides clinical references for TCM intervention of rosacea.
8.Analysis of the efficacy of mepolizumab for maintenance therapy following endoscopic sinus surgery in patients with eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps
Rui DING ; Li CHEN ; Boyu CAI ; Yan LIANG
China Pharmacy 2026;37(16):2150-2155
OBJECTIVE To investigate the clinical efficacy of mepolizumab as postoperative maintenance therapy after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) in patients with eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (EosCRSwNP).METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect clinical data from patients with EosCRSwNP who underwent ESS at the Dept. of Otolaryngology in Xuzhou First People’s Hospital, from January 1 to May 31, 2025. Patients were divided into a control group (56 cases, treated with intranasal corticosteroids postoperatively) and an observation group (51 cases, treated with mepolizumab postoperatively) based on their postoperative maintenance therapy regimens. The nasal function parameters [nasal cavity volume (NCV), distance from the minimum cross-sectional area to the anterior nostril (DCAN), nasal minimum cross-sectional area (NMCA), saccharin clearance time, nasal mucociliary clearance rate, mucociliary clearance velocity], and the indicators related to nasal mucosal remodeling [peripheral blood eosinophil (EOS) percentage, serum levels of transforming growth factor-β 1 (TGF-β 1 ) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)] were compared between the two groups at 2 weeks and 3, 6 months after surgery. The assessment indicators of the inflammation status of nasal mucositis [modified Lund-Kennedy Endoscopic Scoring System (MLK) score], the degree of nasal polyp recurrence[nasal polyp score (NPS)], and the quality of life [Sino-nasal Outcome Test-20 (SNOT-20) score] were compared at 2 weeks and 6 months after surgery. Adverse events were also recorded and compared between the two groups.RESULTS At 2 weeks after surgery, there were no statistically significant differences in the aforementioned indicators/scores between the two groups ( P >0.05). Compared with the same group at 2 weeks postoperatively, both groups showed significant increases in NCV, NMCA, nasal mucociliary clearance rate, and mucociliary clearance velocity at 3 and 6 months postoperatively; significant decreases or reductions were observed in DCAN, saccharin clearance time, EOS percentage, TGF-β 1 and VEGF levels at 3 and 6 months postoperatively, while in MLK score, NPS, SNOT-20 score were all significantly reduced or shortened ( P <0.05). Furthermore, the improvements in these indicators in the observation group were significantly greater than those in the control group during the same time periods ( P <0.05). The overall incidence of adverse reactions was comparable between the two groups ( P >0.05), but the incidence of injection-site reactions was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group ( P <0.05).CONCLUSIONS The use of mepolizumab for postoperative maintenance therapy following ESS in patients with EosCRSwNP promotes the recovery of nasal function, improves indicators of nasal mucosal remodeling, reduces inflammation, lowers polyp score, and enhances quality of life. Its efficacy is superior to that of intranasal corticosteroids; however, clinicians should be mindful of the risk of injection-site reactions of mepolizumab.
9.Mechanism of Zuogui Wan in Improving Nephrotic Syndrome in Rats Based on Regulating Gut Microbiota
Xinyu HU ; Tubei ZHANG ; Yixin HU ; Rui WANG ; Zhili XIONG ; Yan CAI ; Xuerong ZHANG ; Linqun WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(19):32-41
ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effects of Zuogui Wan (ZGW) decoction on nephrotic syndrome (NS) through the regulation of gut microbiota. MethodsThirty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into five groups, with 6 rats in each group: The control group, model group, low-dose group, medium-dose group, and high-dose group. The NS rat model was induced by tail vein injection of 6.5 mg·kg-1 doxorubicin. After successful modeling, the control and model groups were gavaged with normal saline (10 mL·kg-1) twice daily, while the low- (50 mg·kg-1), medium- (100 mg·kg-1), and high-dose (200 mg·kg-1) groups were gavaged with ZGW (10 mL·kg-1) twice daily. All rats were administered at fixed intervals daily for 8 consecutive weeks. The therapeutic effects of ZGW on NS in rats were observed, and the optimal dose was screened. Renal and intestinal pathological changes in rats were examined. Fecal samples were collected, and 16S rDNA sequencing technology was used to detect the diversity and abundance of gut microbiota in each group. ResultsCompared with the control group, 24-hour urinary protein, serum creatinine, urea nitrogen, and cholesterol levels significantly increased in the model group (P<0.01), while serum albumin levels decreased (P<0.01). These changes were ameliorated in the treatment groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). Renal pathology revealed intact and orderly arranged glomeruli and renal tubules in the control group. In the model group, glomerular atrophy, widened mesangial areas, podocyte swelling, disordered renal tubular arrangement, and numerous casts were observed. Varying degrees of glomerular atrophy and disordered renal tubular arrangement were seen in the treatment groups. Specific protein assays revealed increased serum levels of kidney injury molecule-1(KIM-1) and α1-microglobulin (P<0.01), and significantly decreased levels of E-cadherin, Podocin, and Nephrin in renal tissues (P<0.01), along with a significant increase in transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β) (P<0.01) in the model group. In the treatment groups, serum KIM-1 and α1-microglobulin levels decreased, E-cadherin levels significantly increased (P<0.01), and TGF-β levels significantly decreased (P<0.01). Podocin and Nephrin levels increased in the high-dose group (P<0.05). Additionally, intestinal mucosal atrophy, epithelial cell edema, decreased goblet cells, and multiple inflammatory infiltrations were observed in the model group. The sequencing results of gut microbiota demonstrate that ZGW can significantly ameliorate intestinal dysbiosis in rats, restore the abundance of beneficial bacteria, and exert a profound influence on the compositional profile of gut microbiota. ConclusionZGW can alleviate renal injury in rats with nephrotic syndrome by improving gut microbiota and protecting the intestinal barrier.
10.Xianglian Huazhuo Prescription Treats Chronic Atrophic Gastritis by Inhibiting Ferroptosis via Regulating lncRNA NOTCH1/miR-138-5p/SIRT1 Axis
Rui WANG ; Jiayuan XU ; Yican LIN ; Pengli DU ; Ziqi JIN ; Yanru CAI ; Yuxi GUO ; Qian YANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(21):39-50
ObjectiveTo construct a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network involving long non-coding RNA NOTCH1 (lncRNA NOTCH1) and investigate whether Xianglian Huazhuo prescription (XLHZ) ameliorates gastric mucosal injury via regulating ferroptosis through the lncRNA NOTCH1/microRNA-138-5p (miR-138-5p)/silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) axis. MethodsLncRNA sequencing and bioinformatics tools were used to construct the ceRNA network involving lncRNA NOTCH1. In the animal experiments, a chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) model was induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) in mice. Mice were randomized into normal, model, Morodan (2.0 g·kg-1), and high-, medium-, and low-dose (7.6, 3.8, 1.9 g·kg-1, respectively) XLHZ groups (n=10). Transmission electron microscopy was adopted to assess gastric pathology. Real-time PCR was employed to measure the mRNA levels of lncRNA NOTCH1, miR-138-5p, SIRT1, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). Western blot was adopted to quantify the protein levels of SIRT1, Nrf2, and GPX4 in the gastric tissue. In the cell experiment, dual-luciferase assay was employed to verify the targeting among lncRNA NOTCH1, miR-138-5p, and SIRT1. MNNG was used to treat GES-1 cells for disease modeling. The effects of NOTCH1 mimics on the expression of lncRNA NOTCH1, miR-138-5p, and SIRT1, as well as the effects of miR-138-5p inhibitor on the expression of miR-138-5p and SIRT1, were observed. The rescue experiment with XLHZ was designed with five groups: GES-1, GES-1+MNNG (Model), Model+XLHZ, Model+NOTCH1 inhibitor+XLHZ, and Model+NOTCH1 inhibitor+miR-138-5p mimics+XLHZ. Real-time PCR and immunofluorescence assay were employed to measure the mRNA levels of lncRNA NOTCH1, miR-138-5p, SIRT1, Nrf2, and GPX4 and the Fe2+ content, respectively, in GES-1 cells. ResultsThe modeled mice showed mitochondrial damage with shrinkage and cristae loss, downregulated mRNA/protein levels of lncRNA NOTCH1, SIRT1, Nrf2, GPX4, and upregulated expression of miR-138-5p (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, drug treatments reduced mitochondrial structural damage and the membrane density decreased, partially recovered the crista structure, downregulated the expression of miR-138-5p, and upregulated the mRNA and protein levels of lncRNA NOTCH1, SIRT1, Nrf2, and GPX4 (P<0.05, P<0.01). In the cell experiments, the dual-luciferase assays confirmed lncRNA NOTCH1 bound to miR-138-5p and miR-138-5p bound to SIRT1, both suppressing luciferase activity (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the blank control group, the model group showed decreased expression of lncRNA NOTCH1, SIRT1, Nrf2, GPX4, increased expression of miR-138-5p, and enhanced Fe2+ fluorescence (P<0.01). NOTCH1 mimics or miR-138-5p inhibitor reversed these changes (P<0.05, P<0.01). Rescue experiments showed that NOTCH1 inhibitor reversed XLHZ-induced miR-138-5p decrease and SIRT1 increase (P<0.01), while miR-138-5p overexpression suppressed SIRT1 expression (P<0.05, P<0.01). The results confirmed that lncRNA NOTCH1 negatively regulated miR-138-5p, which in turn negatively regulated SIRT1. ConclusionXLHZ effectively alleviates gastric mucosal injury and curbs CAG progression by inhibiting ferroptosis through modulation of the lncRNA NOTCH1/miR-138-5p/SIRT1 axis.


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