1.Effect of Astragali Radix on Gut Microbiota and GLP-1 in Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Patients with Qi Deficiency Type
Keke HOU ; Lin CHEN ; Zhidan ZHANG ; Yunyi YANG ; Fangli ZHANG ; Yuanying XU ; Hongping YIN ; Lan DING ; Tao LEI ; Wenjun SHA
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(6):161-170
ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of Astragali Radix-mediated changes in gut microbiota on treating type 2 diabetes (T2DM). MethodsA 12-week randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial enrolled eighty patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes and poor glycemic control in the Qi deficiency type. All patients received insulin therapy. The observation group (40 cases) was administered with Astragali Radix Granules, while the control group (40 cases) received a placebo. Both treamtents were taken orally twice daily. Changes in gut microbiota were assessed by 16s rDNA sequencing. Serum glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Glucose metabolism indicators including fasting blood glucose (FPG), 2-hour postprandial blood glucose (2 h PG),glycated albumin(GA), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were evaluated. Pancreatic function was evaluated using fasting C-peptide (FCP), 2-hour postprandial C-peptide (2 h CP), and C-peptide area under the curve (AUCcp). Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, clinical efficacy, and safety indicators were also observed. ResultsIn terms of glucose metabolism indicators, compared with the baseline, both groups exhibited significantly lower FPG, 2 h PG, GA and HbA1C (P<0.01),while FCP, 2 h CP and AUCcp were significantly higher (P<0.01). Compared with the control group after the treatment, the observation group showed significantly lower FPG, 2 h PG, GA and HbA1C(P<0.05, P<0.01),and significantly higher FCP, 2 h CP and AUCcp (P<0.05, P<0.01), indicating that Astragali Radix can improve glucose metabolism. In terms of the diversity of gut microbiota, no significant differences were detected in the Chao1, Shannon and Simpson indexes of the two groups compared with their respective baselines. However, compared with the post-treatment control group, the observation group demonstrated significant increases in the Chao1, Shannon and Simpson indexes (P<0.05, P<0.01). The β-diversity analysis showed significant separation in gut microbiota composition before and after treatment in both groups, indicating that Astragali Radix can significantly alter the structure and improve the diversity of gut microbiota. At the phylum level, compared with the baseline, both groups showed a significant increase in the relative abundance of Bacteroidota(P<0.01). The relative abundance of the potentially harmful phylum Proteobacteria was significantly lower in the observation Group after treatment (P<0.01). Compared with the post-treatment control group, the observation group had a significantly higher relative abundance of Bacteroidota(P<0.01). No significant difference was found in Firmicutes/Bacteroidota (F/B) ratio between the two groups after treatment, and other phyla showed no significant differences. At the genus level, compared with the baseline, the observation group exhibited a significant increase in Bacteroides (P<0.01) and a significant decrease in Escherichia-Shigella (P<0.01), whereas no significant difference was seen in the control group . Compared with the control group after treatment, the observation group after treatment had a significantly higher relative abundance of Bacteroides (P<0.01). No significant differences were seen in other genera. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) identified potential characteristics taxa: in the observation group, Bacteroidota at the phylum level and Bacteroides and Dubosiella at the genus level, in the control group, Proteobacteria at the phylum level as well as Barnesiella and Staphylococcus at the genus level. Correlation analysis based on a heatmap revealed that GLP-1 levels were positively correlated with Firmicutes, F/B ratio and Fusobacterium, and negatively correlated with Bacteroidota, Proteobacteria, Bacteroides and Escherichia-Shigella. In terms of clinical efficacy, compared with the control group, the total effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher (P<0.05). Compared with the baseline, the scores for shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness, spontaneous sweating and reluctance to speak significantly decreased in both groups (P<0.01). Compared with the control group after treatment, the score for weakness was significantly lower in the observation group (P<0.01),indicating that Astragali Radix could improve clinical symptoms and alleviate weakness symptoms. In terms of safety, compared with the baseline, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels significantly decreased in both groups (P<0.05,P<0.01),indicating that Astragali Radix did not induce any significant abnormalities in liver and kidney functions. ConclusionAstragali Radix demonstrates the potential to significantly improve the gut microbiota environment in patients of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes with Qi deficiency. The therapeutic effect may contribute to glycemic control, possibly mediated by an elevation in GLP-1 level. These findings may support its further clinical investigations and potential applications.
2.Mechanism of Huangqi Xiayuxue Decoction Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma via PI3K/Akt/FoxO Signaling Pathway
Xingru XING ; Yuanzhou SHI ; Jiawei WANG ; Di WU ; Yuyao ZHANG ; Yalin WU ; Du CHEN ; Zhen ZHANG ; Sha TIAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(20):131-141
ObjectiveTo explore the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction against hepatocellular carcinoma based on network pharmacology, animal experiments, and cell experiments. MethodsThe active ingredients and corresponding targets of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction were screened via databases including the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine (BATMAN-TCM). Hepatocellular carcinoma-related targets were retrieved from the GeneCards database. The common targets shared by Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction and hepatocellular carcinoma were subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma was prepared. The cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was adopted to observe the effects of different volume fractions (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma on the proliferation of HepG2, MHCC-97H, Hepa1-6, and Huh-7 cells, and the concentration for subsequent experiments was determined. Flow cytometry was adopted to detect the effects of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) on the apoptosis of MHCC-97H cells. A mouse model of subcutaneous xenograft hepatocellular carcinoma was established. The model mice were assigned into low-, medium-, and high-dose (4.63, 9.25, 18.5 g·kg-1) Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction and sorafenib (20 mg·kg-1) groups. Body mass and tumor volume of mice were dynamically monitored during the intervention period. After 3 weeks of intervention, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was performed to observe tumor morphology. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay was employed to detect cell apoptosis. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was adopted to examine the expression of cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-3 (Caspase-3), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) in the tumor tissue. Real-time PCR and Western blot were employed to verify the changes in apoptosis-related factors and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/forkhead box O1 (PI3K/Akt/FoxO1) signaling pathway. ResultsA total of 220 common targets shared by Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction and hepatocellular carcinoma were screened out by network pharmacology, among which tumor protein p53 (TP53), Akt1, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) were the core targets. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated that the common targets were involved in cell apoptosis and proliferation, as well as the PI3K/Akt and FoxO signaling pathways. Cell experiments showed that compared with the blank plasma group, all volume fractions of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma inhibited the proliferation of HepG2, MHCC-97H, Hepa1-6, and Huh-7 cells (P<0.01). The proportion of early apoptotic cells in MHCC-97H cells was increased after treatment with different volume fractions of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma (P<0.01). Animal experiments revealed that Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction inhibited the growth of tumor volume, promoted tumor cell apoptosis in the high-dose group, up-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of Bax and Caspase-3, down-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of Bcl-2, and reduced the phosphorylation level of the PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionHuangqi Xiayuxue decoction exerts anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effects by inhibiting the activation of the PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway and promoting hepatocellular carcinoma cell apoptosis.
3.RUNX3 regulates FAP to influence the proliferation of mouse lung primary fibroblasts
Junbo YOU ; Xianchen WANG ; Hui LING ; Jiahao FAN ; Qi CHEN ; Hui TAO ; Jiming SHA
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(4):606-611
ObjectiveTo investigate the role of runt-related transcription factor 3 (RUNX3) in transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-induced activation of mouse primary pulmonary fibroblasts (PFs), and its effects on fibroblast activation protein (FAP) expression, cell proliferation, and collagen synthesis. MethodsPFs were isolated from C57BL/6 mice and cultured. A RUNX3 knockdown model was established using small interfering RNA (siRNA). Cells were assigned to the control group (Control), TGF-β1-treated group (TGF-β1), negative control group (TGF-β1+siRNA-NC), and RUNX3-silenced group (TGF-β1+si-RUNX3). In addition, a RUNX3 overexpression rescue experiment was performed based on TGF-β1 stimulation. Protein and mRNA levels of RUNX3, FAP, and typeⅠcollagen (COL1A1) were measured by Western blot and reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). Cell proliferation was assessed using CCK-8 and EdU assays. Co-expression of COL1A1 and FAP was examined by double immunofluorescence staining. ResultsCompared with the Control group, RUNX3, FAP, and COL1A1 expression levels were upregulated in PFs in the TGF-β1 group (P<0.01). The CCK-8 assay showed that the absorbance value was reduced in the RUNX3 knockdown group compared with the negative control group (P<0.01). Consistently, the EdU assay demonstrated a lower proportion of EdU-positive cells in the RUNX3 knockdown group than in the negative control group (P<0.01). Immunofluorescence double staining revealed decreased fluorescence intensities of COL1A1 and FAP in the RUNX3 knockdown group relative to the negative control. Under RUNX3 overexpression conditions, these fluorescence signals exhibited a partial rebound (P<0.01). ConclusionRUNX3 in TGF-β1-induced PFs may promote cell proliferation and collagen synthesis by positively regulating FAP expression. Targeting the RUNX3/FAP axis may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for pulmonary fibrosis.
4.A Multi-dimensional Indicator-based Approach for Quality Evaluation of Chinese Patent Medicines
Shuangyan LI ; Siyuan LI ; Sha CHEN ; Yue GUO ; Jun ZHANG ; Cong GUO ; Yan LIU ; An LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(19):229-237
Chinese patent medicines are the core preparations for disease prevention and treatment in clinical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Their quality is the key to ensuring safe and effective medication and promoting the high-quality development of the TCM industry. At present, the quality evaluation of Chinese patent medicines faces prominent problems, such as inadequate control of quality consistency, over-reliance on single indicators, one-sided evaluation dimensions, unstable statistical methods, and poor implementability of research findings. These defects lead to insufficient scientificity of evaluation results, making it difficult to support the implementation of policies including centralized procurement, high quality, and favorable prices for Chinese patent medicines. According to the core requirements of quality evaluation for Chinese patent medicines, this study established a four-dimensional comprehensive evaluation system encompassing consistency index(CI), content index(MI), effect index(EI), and preparation index(PI). All evaluation indicators were normalized to achieve horizontal comparability. Meanwhile, an improved radar chart was introduced to realize the visualization of evaluation results. This method can systematically integrate four types of core quality attributes: Quality consistency, component content, biological activity, and preparation characteristics. It can effectively distinguish quality differences among products of the same specification from different manufacturers. The evaluation results are unique, stable, and not affected by the addition or reduction of samples, which takes scientificity, objectivity, and operability into account. This method can provide scientific and technical support for screening high-quality Chinese patent medicines and implementing policies of centralized procurement, high quality, and favorable prices. Moreover, it has important practical significance for improving the quality evaluation system of Chinese patent medicines and advancing the standard and modern development of TCM.
5.Quality Evaluation of Commercially Available Huoxiang Zhengqi Preparations
Yue GUO ; Siyuan LI ; Qingxia XU ; Sha CHEN ; Shuangyan LI ; Jipeng DI ; An LIU ; Yan LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(19):238-247
ObjectiveTo establish a comprehensive evaluation framework combining multi-component quantification with daily intake in response to the challenges posed by multiple coexisting dosage forms, single-faceted quality evaluation, and ambiguous clinical equivalence of Huoxiang Zhengqi preparations, and to compare the quality differences and superiority among eight commercially available dosage forms. MethodsA total of 75 batches of Huoxiang Zhengqi preparations from 25 manufacturers were investigated. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS) coupled with gas chromatography-triple quadrupole-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-QqQ-MS/MS) was adopted to simultaneously quantify 20 core marker components. Normalization was performed based on equivalent raw herb concentrations to eliminate interferences from dosage forms, excipients, and specifications. Considering the specified clinical dosage, the actual daily intake level was calculated to comprehensively evaluate component retention, content uniformity, and potential differences in in vivo exposure among different dosage forms. ResultsThe quality of Huoxiang Zhengqi preparations differed greatly among dosage forms and manufacturers. On the basis of the recommended daily doses in the package inserts, the total daily intake of the 20 tested components ranged from 3.14 to 614.30 mg·d-1, while that of hesperidin, a quality-control marker, ranged from 0.03 to 40.65 mg·d-1. Atractylodin was detected only in tinctures and soft capsules, with concentrations ranging from (2.68±0.01) to (5.73±0.37) mg·L-1. The soft capsules from manufacturer M22 had the highest atractylodin level, while atractylodin was not detected in the other dosage forms. Nucleosides were most abundant in the oral liquids and tinctures (M4 to M13). The tincture from manufacturer M5 showed the highest nucleoside level of 29.12 mg·L-1, whereas the granules had the lowest nucleoside levels, with that of M23 being only 3.48 mg·L-1. Perillae Folium-related components varied greatly among batches, with an relative standard deviation (RSD) of 87.55%. The daily intake of hesperidin from all three granule products was below 3.6 mg·d-1, the reference value calculated for Huoxiang Zhengqi Shui according to the 2025 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia. ConclusionThe levels of active components differed significantly among different dosage forms of Huoxiang Zhengqi preparations. Tinctures contained more types and higher overall levels of active components, while soft capsules were better at preserving volatile components. Granules and dripping pills had lower overall levels of active components. The comprehensive evaluation method established in this study can provide a basis for the quality control, process optimization, and the selection of high-quality products.
6.Mechanism of Huangqi Xiayuxue Decoction Against Hepatocellular Carcinoma via PI3K/Akt/FoxO Signaling Pathway
Xingru XING ; Yuanzhou SHI ; Jiawei WANG ; Di WU ; Yuyao ZHANG ; Yalin WU ; Du CHEN ; Zhen ZHANG ; Sha TIAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(20):131-141
ObjectiveTo explore the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction against hepatocellular carcinoma based on network pharmacology, animal experiments, and cell experiments. MethodsThe active ingredients and corresponding targets of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction were screened via databases including the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine (BATMAN-TCM). Hepatocellular carcinoma-related targets were retrieved from the GeneCards database. The common targets shared by Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction and hepatocellular carcinoma were subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma was prepared. The cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was adopted to observe the effects of different volume fractions (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma on the proliferation of HepG2, MHCC-97H, Hepa1-6, and Huh-7 cells, and the concentration for subsequent experiments was determined. Flow cytometry was adopted to detect the effects of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) on the apoptosis of MHCC-97H cells. A mouse model of subcutaneous xenograft hepatocellular carcinoma was established. The model mice were assigned into low-, medium-, and high-dose (4.63, 9.25, 18.5 g·kg-1) Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction and sorafenib (20 mg·kg-1) groups. Body mass and tumor volume of mice were dynamically monitored during the intervention period. After 3 weeks of intervention, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was performed to observe tumor morphology. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay was employed to detect cell apoptosis. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was adopted to examine the expression of cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase-3 (Caspase-3), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) in the tumor tissue. Real-time PCR and Western blot were employed to verify the changes in apoptosis-related factors and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/forkhead box O1 (PI3K/Akt/FoxO1) signaling pathway. ResultsA total of 220 common targets shared by Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction and hepatocellular carcinoma were screened out by network pharmacology, among which tumor protein p53 (TP53), Akt1, and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) were the core targets. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated that the common targets were involved in cell apoptosis and proliferation, as well as the PI3K/Akt and FoxO signaling pathways. Cell experiments showed that compared with the blank plasma group, all volume fractions of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma inhibited the proliferation of HepG2, MHCC-97H, Hepa1-6, and Huh-7 cells (P<0.01). The proportion of early apoptotic cells in MHCC-97H cells was increased after treatment with different volume fractions of Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction-containing plasma (P<0.01). Animal experiments revealed that Huangqi Xiayuxue decoction inhibited the growth of tumor volume, promoted tumor cell apoptosis in the high-dose group, up-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of Bax and Caspase-3, down-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of Bcl-2, and reduced the phosphorylation level of the PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionHuangqi Xiayuxue decoction exerts anti-hepatocellular carcinoma effects by inhibiting the activation of the PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway and promoting hepatocellular carcinoma cell apoptosis.
7.Multidimensional Analysis of Mechanisms of Nuciferine Against Cerebral Ischemia Based on Transcriptomic Data
Yingying QIN ; Peng LI ; Sha CHEN ; Yan LIU ; Jintang CHENG ; Qingxia XU ; Guohua WANG ; Jing ZHOU ; An LIU ; Chang CHEN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(9):184-191
ObjectiveStudies have shown that nuciferine has anti-cerebral ischemia effect, but the specific mechanism of action has not been elaborated. Based on the transcriptome results, the pharmacological mechanism of nuciferine against cerebral ischemia was analyzed from multiple dimensions including tissue, cell, pathological process, biological process and signaling pathway. MethodsThirty SD rats were randomly divided into the sham group, model group and nuciferine group(40 mg·kg-1) according to weight. Except for the sham group, the model of middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO) was established by thread embolization method after 30 min of administration in the other two groups. Twenty-four hours after surgery, transcriptome sequencing was used to detect the gene expression profiles in the cortex penumbra of rat cerebral tissue, and gene ontology(GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed for differentially expressed genes. The mechanismof nuciferine against cerebral ischemia was analyzed from 5 dimensions of tissue, cell, pathological process, biological process and signaling pathway by the transcriptome-based multi-scale network pharmacology platform(TMNP). ResultsTranscriptome sequencing and gene quantitative analysis showed that 667 genes were significantly reversed by nuciferine. Further enrichment analysis of KEGG and GO suggested that the pathways of nuciferine involved regulating stress response, ion transport, cell proliferation and differentiation, and synaptic function. TMNP research found that at the tissue level, nuciferine could significantly improve the cerebral tissue injury caused by ischemia. At the cellular and pathological levels, nuciferine could play an anti-cerebral ischemia role by improving the state of various nerve cells, mobilizing immune cells, regulating inflammation. And at the level of biological processes and signaling pathways, nuciferine mainly acted on the processes such as vascular remodeling, inflammation-related signaling pathways, and synaptic signaling. ConclusionCombined with the results of transcriptome sequencing, gene quantitative analysis and TMNP, the mechanism of nuciferine against cerebral ischemia may be related to processes such as intervening in stress response and inflammation, affecting vascular remodeling and regulating synaptic function. These results can provide a basis and reference for further study of the pharmacological mechanism of nuciferine against cerebral ischemia.
8.Effect of age on endolymphatic hydrops in Meniere’s disease patients based on three-dimensional inversion-recovery with real reconstruction sequence imaging
Wei CHEN ; Yan SHA ; Weiling CHENG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2025;32(2):195-199
Objective To analyze correlation of endolymphatic hydrops (EH) in the inner ear with age in Meniere’s disease (MD) patients. Methods A retrospective analysis were underwent in 101 definite unilateral MD patients. They were divided into young-age (<18 years old) group, middle-age (18-45 years old) group and elder-age (>45 years old) group. All patients underwent inner ear three-dimensional inversion-recovery with real reconstruction (3D-real IR) imaging 4 hours after intravenous gadolinium injection. EH rates among different groups were compared. Results The positive rates of EH in the young-age group, middle-age group and elder-age group were 68.2% (15/22), 54.5% (18/33) and 56.5% (26/46), respectively (P=0.567). There was no difference in the positive rates of EH in vestibule and cochlea among three groups. There was no difference in the rates of mild and significant EH in vestibule and cochlea among three groups. Conclusions Age might not be related to the occurrence of EH in the inner ear in MD patients.
9.Epidemiological Characteristics and Risk Factors of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Jincheng between 2015 and 2020
Nina ZHANG ; Junfang CUI ; Aiguo ZHANG ; Xueke FAN ; Yuting CHEN ; Shumei ZHANG ; Sha WEI
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2025;36(1):110-113
Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and risk factors of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Jincheng between 2015 and 2020. Methods Clinical data of 8,578 medical check-ups at Physical Examination Center of ou hospital from January 2015 to December 2020 were retrospectively selected. The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the last 5 years was recorded, and Logistic regression was utilized to identify the risk factors for the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Results The overall prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Jincheng was 14.57% in 2015-2020. The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was higher in men than in women (16.99% vs 10.98%) and highest in the 40-59 age group (18.76%). No statistical difference was reported in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Scr) between groups (P>0.05), while statistical difference was found in diabetes, hypertension, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, weekly exercise frequency, daily vegetable intake, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and uric acid (UA) between two groups (P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis denoted that BMI (OR=2.794, 95% CI: 1.745-4.550), waist circumference (OR=2.586, 95% CI: 1.585-4.299), diabetes (OR=0.644, 95% CI: 1.425-2.781), hypertension (OR=1.479, 95% CI: 1.121-2.290), weekly exercise ≥6h (OR=0.617, 95% CI: 0.519-0.709), daily vegetable intake ≥300g (OR=0.590, 95% CI: 0.467-0.652), TG (OR=1.481, 95% CI: 1.122-1.996), TC (OR=1.562, 95% CI:1.143-2.135), LDL-C (OR=1.440, 95% CI: 1.139-2.048), HDL-C (OR=0.656 , 95% CI: 0.587-0.783) , ALT (OR=1.591, 95% CI: 1.056-2.183), and UA (OR=1.412, 95% CI: 1.009-1.887) were risk factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (P<0.05) . Conclusion The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Jincheng City from 2015 to 2020 is 14.57%, the prevalence of males is higher than that of females, and the prevalence rate is the highest in the 40-59 age group. Moreover , diabetes mellitus , hypertension , BMI , waist circumference , weekly exercise , daily vegetable intake , serum TG, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, ALT, and UA are all associated with the risk of the disease.
10.Effect of targeted silencing of DNMT3A on collagen deposition, proliferation and migration activity of mouse lung fibroblasts
Xianchen Wang ; Junbo You ; Hui Ling ; Jiahao Fan ; Qi Chen ; Hui Tao ; Jiming Sha
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(1):66-72
Objective:
To investigate the effect of targeted silencing of DNA methyltransferase 3A(DNMT3A) on collagen deposition, proliferation and migration activity of mouse lung fibroblasts(PFs).
Methods:
In order to ensure the proliferation and migration activity of primary fibroblasts, the lung tissues of neonatal C57 suckling mice were taken, PFs were extracted after being sheared, and the morphology was observed and identified under the microscope. PFs cells were activated by 5 ng/ml TGF-β1for 24 h after cell attachment, and DNMT3A silencing model was constructed by small interfering RNA; The experiment was divided into control group, TGF-β1group, TGF-β1+ siRNA-NC group and TGF-β1+ siRNA-DNMT3A group. The protein expressions of DNMT3A, α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA) and Collagen Ⅰ were detected by Western blot; Real time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression changes ofDNMT3A,α-SMAandCollagenⅠ. The proliferation ability of PFs was detected by CCK-8 and EdU staining; the migration ability of PFs was detected by scratch test and Transwell migration test.
Results:
Compared with the control group, TGF-β1induced the increase of DNMT3A in the activated PFs cell group(P<0.01), the protein and mRNA levels of fibrosis and proliferation related indicators α-SMA and Collagen Ⅰ also increased(allP<0.05), and the proliferation and migration ability of PFs increased(allP<0.000 1). Compared with the siRNA-NC group, the protein expression levels of DNMT3A(P<0.000 1) and related indicators α-SMA(P<0.01) and Collagen Ⅰ(P<0.01) significantly decreased in the DNMT3A silencing group by Western blot, and the mRNA levels ofDNMT3A,α-SMAandCollagenⅠby RT-qPCR also decreased(allP<0.001), and the proliferation(P<0.01) and migration ability(P<0.05) of PFs cells decreased compared with the control group.
Conclusion
Silencing DNMT3A can inhibit the deposition of collagen and the proliferation of PFs. DNMT3A can promote the proliferation and migration of PFs, and then promote the activation of PFs and the development of pulmonary fibrosis. This process may be regulated by DNA methylation modification.


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