1.Study on the improving mechanism of Yifei xuanfei jiangzhuo formula on vascular dementia model rats based on the GRB2/ERK/CRLS1 pathway
Guifeng ZHUO ; Wei CHEN ; Xiaomin ZHU ; Yulan FU ; Jinzhi ZHANG ; Lin WU
China Pharmacy 2026;37(7):877-882
OBJECTIVE To explore the improvine mechanism of Yifei xuanfei jiangzhuo formula (YFXF) on vascular dementia (VAD) model rats based on the growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (GRB2)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/cardiolipin synthase 1 (CRLS1) pathway. METHODS VAD rat model was established by permanent bilateral common carotid artery ligation. Forty-eight successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into the model group (normal saline), donepezil hydrochloride group (positive control group, 0.2 g/kg), and YFXF low- and high-dose groups (12.18 and 24.36 g/kg, calculated based on the total amount of crude drug), respectively. In addition, a sham operation group (normal saline) was set up. There were 12 rats in each group. Daily intragastric administration of drug or normal saline was performed for 30 consecutive days. After the last administration, the spatial cognitive ability of the rats was evaluated, the pathological morphology of the hippocampus was observed, the contents of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in serum were detected, the expression levels of GRB2/ERK/CRLS1 pathway-related proteins and the mRNA levels of GRB2, CRLS1, NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1(ND1), Tafazzin (TAZ), phospholipid scramblase 3(PLSCR3) and the ATP content in hippocampal tissue were measured. RESULTS Compared with the sham operation group, the escape latency of rats in the model group was significantly prolonged ( P <0.05), and the number of crossing platform was significantly reduced ( P <0.05), while the number of pyramidal cells and Nissl bodies in the hippocampus decreased sharply; the content of TNF-α in serum was significantly increased ( P <0.05), and the content of IL-4 was significantly decreased ( P <0.05); the expression levels of GRB2 and CRLS1 proteins, the phosphorylation level of ERK protein, the relative expression levels of GRB2, CRLS1,ND1, TAZ, and PLSCR3 mRNA, and the content of ATP in hippocampal tissue were significantly decreased ( P <0.05). Compared with the model group, the above pathological changes in the hippocampal tissue of each administration group were alleviated, and the quantitative indicators were significantly restored ( P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS YFXF may improve hippocampal neuron injury in VAD rats by activating the GRB2/ERK/CRLS1 pathway, maintaining cardiolipin homeostasis, and improving mitochondrial energy metabolism.
2.Neuroelectromagnetic Activities Across Temporal Scales
Zhuo-Qun SHEN ; Xiao-Fei XU ; Yan-Qing WANG ; Jing-Xin LI ; Lan TIAN ; Wei GUO ; Jing-Jing XU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(6):1541-1560
Although global brain science research has progressed rapidly in recent decades, several fundamental questions in neuroscience remain unresolved. In particular, the physical mechanism underlying neural signal transmission remains controversial, and the carriers responsible for neural information storage and retrieval have not yet been fully clarified. These unresolved issues motivate us to re-examine the processes of neural information generation, transmission, integration, storage, and retrieval from multiple perspectives. A key observation is that neural electromagnetic activities are closely associated with time. Their duration, temporal structure, and dynamic evolution play crucial roles in neural information processing. In this work, we analyze neural electromagnetic activities from the perspective of temporal scales (referred to here as the “time course”). By reviewing and integrating findings from previous studies, we examine the characteristic time requirements and dynamic features of neural processes occurring at different stages of information processing. These stages include neural signal generation, signal transmission along axons, synaptic integration, synaptic plasticity, and memory formation and retrieval. Based on this temporal analysis, we outline a framework describing neural electromagnetic activities across a wide range of time scales, spanning from microseconds to minutes, hours, or even longer periods associated with long-term memory, which suggests that neural information processing involves multiple physical processes operating at different time levels. Rapid electromagnetic events may occur on microsecond scales, whereas electrophysiological phenomena such as action potentials typically last on the order of milliseconds. Longer time scales are associated with synaptic plasticity and memory-related processes. From this perspective, we propose that the physical carrier of neural information may be transient electromagnetic pulses with durations on the microsecond scale. In this framework, action potentials can be interpreted as the macroscopic electrophysiological manifestation of underlying electromagnetic processes triggered by ionic currents across neuronal membranes. Rather than being the fundamental neural signal itself, the action potential may represent a measurable membrane-level response associated with the successful activation of these electromagnetic events. Moreover, we discuss a possible mechanism for long-term memory storage. Considering the apparent temporal contradiction between the millisecond-scale excitation of neurons and the long-term persistence of memories, we believe that long-term memory information may be stored within neural network topologies formed by electrical synapse coupling. Such structures, referred to as electrically coupled memory networks (ECMNs), may enable neurons within the same network to respond rapidly and synchronously to stimuli, thereby facilitating efficient memory retrieval. Overall, this study emphasizes the importance of considering the temporal organization of neural electromagnetic activities when interpreting neural signaling mechanisms. It may provide new insights into the physical nature of neural information carriers and the mechanisms of memory storage and retrieval. Furthermore, highlighting the potential role of electromagnetic interactions in neural activity may contribute to the development of new theoretical frameworks and experimental approaches in neuroscience. Such perspectives may also offer valuable references for future research on neural coding, brain function mechanisms, and neuromodulation technologies.
3.Effect of refractive status before small incision lenticule extraction surgery on postoperative accommodative function
Meiluo ZHANG ; Chunyu TIAN ; Qinghua YANG ; Liexi JIA ; Hongtao ZHANG ; Manmei LI ; Zhengqing DU ; Zhuo ZENG ; Xue WANG ; Wei ZHANG
International Eye Science 2025;25(2):323-327
AIM: To investigate the abnormal conditions and change patterns of accommodative facility in patients with different refractive states before and after small incision lenticule extraction(SMILE)surgery.METHODS:A prospective clinical cohort study was conducted. A total of 59 patients(118 eyes)who underwent SMILE surgery and had visual function files established in our hospital from June to December 2023 were randomly selected, including 37 males and 22 females, aged 18-35 years(with an average age of 25.19±5.65 years). According to the preoperative spherical equivalent(SE), they were divided into two groups: the low-to-moderate myopia group(SE≥-6.00 DS)with 40 patients(80 eyes), and the high myopia group(SE<-6.00 DS)with 19 patients(38 eyes). The monocular and binocular accommodative facility before surgery and at 1 wk and 1 mo after surgery were compared, and the changes in accommodative facility before and after SMILE surgery in the two groups of patients were analyzed.RESULTS:All surgeries were completed successfully. In the low-to-moderate myopia group, 33 cases(66 eyes)completed the 1-month follow-up after surgery, with a loss to follow-up rate of 17.5%(7/40). In the high myopia group, 15 patients(30 eyes)completed the 1-month follow-up after surgery, with a loss to follow-up rate of 21.1%(4/19). After SMILE surgery, the uncorrected visual acuity and SE of both low-to-moderate myopia and high myopia were significantly improved(all P<0.05). The accommodative facility of the right eyes in all the patients at 1 mo after surgery was better than that before surgery and at 1 wk after surgery(P=0.002, 0.006), the accommodative facility of the left eyes was significantly increased at 1 mo after surgery than that at 1 wk after surgery(P=0.005), and the binocular accommodative facility at 1 mo after surgery was significantly increased compared with that before surgery(P<0.017). Furthermore, there were statistical significance in accommodative facility of the right eyes in the low-to-moderate group at 1 mo compared with that before surgery and at 1 wk after surgery(P=0.011, 0.004); it was significantly increased in the left eyes at 1 mo after surgery compared with that at 1 wk after surgery(P=0.001), and binocular accommodative facility at 1 mo after surgery was significantly better than that before surgery(P<0.001). Furthermore, there was no statistical significance in the right, left and binocular accommodative facility of patients in the high myopia group(all P>0.017).CONCLUSION: After SMILE surgery, the monocular accommodative facility shows a transient decrease and then exceeds the preoperative level at 1 mo after surgery, and the binocular accommodative facility gradually improves after surgery. SMILE surgery has a positive impact on the monocular and binocular accommodative facility in patients with low-to-moderate myopia, but has no significant impact on the accommodative facility in patients with high myopia. It is of clinical significance to strengthen the detection of monocular and binocular accommodative facility before and after SMILE surgery.
4.Gushukang interferes with osteoclasts:activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 regulates the c-Fos/NFATc1 pathway in the treatment of osteoporosis
Chengzhi HOU ; Jiatong HAN ; Guangcheng WEI ; Zechuan ZHUO ; Qiuyue LI ; Yong ZHAO ; Zhangjingze YU
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(2):279-285
BACKGROUND:It has been shown that Gushukang affects bone metabolism by regulating nucleotide and amino acid metabolism and immune mechanisms.Current research on the mechanism of Gushukang in the treatment of osteoporosis primarily focuses on osteoblast regulation and requires further improvement from the perspective of osteoclasts. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the mechanism by which Gushukang interferes with osteoclasts in the treatment of osteoporosis using RAW264.7 cells as the research model. METHODS:Twenty-four 8-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups(n=6 per group):the three experimental groups were given 1,2 and 4 g/kg osteoporosis solution by gavage(2 times per day),and the control group was given an equal amount of distilled water by gavage(2 times per day).After 7 days of intragastric administration,aortic blood samples were extracted to collect serum samples using centrifugation,and serum samples from the same groups were combined to obtain the low-,medium-,and high-concentration Gushukang-containing and normal sera for the subsequent experiments.(1)RAW264.7 cells were cultured in six groups:normal serum was added to the control group;low,medium,and high concentration groups were added with low,medium,and high concentrations of Gushukang-containing serum,respectively;ML385,a nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)inhibitor was given in the Nrf2 inhibitor group;and t-BHQ,a Nrf2 activator,was added in the Nrf2 activator group.Cell viability was detected using the cell counting kit-8 assay.(2)The 3rd generation RAW 264.7 cells were cultured and divided into five groups:the blank control group was added with normal serum,the osteoclast group was added with receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand(RANKL),and the low-,medium-,and high-concentration groups were added with low-,medium-,and high-concentration Gushukang-containing serum based on the addition of RANKL.Tartrate-resistant acid phosphate staining was performed after 5 days of culture.(3)RAW264.7 cells were cultured and divided into five groups:blank control group was cultured with normal serum,osteoclast group cultured with normal serum and RANKL,high concentration+osteoclast group cultured with RANKL+high concentration Gushukang-containing serum,osteoclast+Nrf2 agonist group cultured with RANKL+t-BHQ,and high concentration+osteoclast+Nrf2 inhibitor group cultured with RANKL+high concentration Gushukang-containing serum+ML385.Western blot assay and determination of reactive oxygen content were performed after 5 days of culture. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The cell counting kit-8 results indicated that Gushukang-containing serum,NRF2 inhibitor or agonist had no significant effect on RAW264.7 cell viability.Tartrate-resistant acid phosphate staining results demonstrated that Gushukang-containing serum exhibited a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on osteoclast differentiation.Western blot analysis and determination of reactive oxygen species revealed that compared with the blank control group,Nrf2 protein expression was decreased in the osteoclast group(P<0.05),while c-Fos and NFATc1 protein expression and reactive oxygen species content were elevated(P<0.05);compared with the osteoclast group,Nrf2 protein expression was elevated and reactive oxygen species content was decreased in the high-concentration+osteoclast group,osteoclast+Nrf2 agonist group,and high-concentration+osteoclast+Nrf2 inhibitor group(P<0.05),while c-Fos and NFATc1 protein expression was decreased in the high concentration+osteoclast group and osteoclast+Nrf2 agonist group(P<0.05);compared with the high concentration+osteoclast group,Nrf2 protein expression was decreased(P<0.05)and reactive oxygen species content was elevated(P<0.05)in the high concentration+osteoclast+Nrf2 inhibitor group.To conclude,Gushukang reduces reactive oxygen species production by activating Nrf2,thereby inhibiting downstream of the c-Fos/NFATc1 pathway and suppressing osteoclast differentiation.
5.Targeting PPARα for The Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases
Tong-Tong ZHANG ; Hao-Zhuo ZHANG ; Li HE ; Jia-Wei LIU ; Jia-Zhen WU ; Wen-Hua SU ; Ju-Hua DAN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(9):2295-2313
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains one of the leading causes of mortality among adults globally, with continuously rising morbidity and mortality rates. Metabolic disorders are closely linked to various cardiovascular diseases and play a critical role in their pathogenesis and progression, involving multifaceted mechanisms such as altered substrate utilization, mitochondrial structural and functional dysfunction, and impaired ATP synthesis and transport. In recent years, the potential role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) in cardiovascular diseases has garnered significant attention, particularly peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), which is recognized as a highly promising therapeutic target for CVD. PPARα regulates cardiovascular physiological and pathological processes through fatty acid metabolism. As a ligand-activated receptor within the nuclear hormone receptor family, PPARα is highly expressed in multiple organs, including skeletal muscle, liver, intestine, kidney, and heart, where it governs the metabolism of diverse substrates. Functioning as a key transcription factor in maintaining metabolic homeostasis and catalyzing or regulating biochemical reactions, PPARα exerts its cardioprotective effects through multiple pathways: modulating lipid metabolism, participating in cardiac energy metabolism, enhancing insulin sensitivity, suppressing inflammatory responses, improving vascular endothelial function, and inhibiting smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration. These mechanisms collectively reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease development. Thus, PPARα plays a pivotal role in various pathological processes via mechanisms such as lipid metabolism regulation, anti-inflammatory actions, and anti-apoptotic effects. PPARα is activated by binding to natural or synthetic lipophilic ligands, including endogenous fatty acids and their derivatives (e.g., linoleic acid, oleic acid, and arachidonic acid) as well as synthetic peroxisome proliferators. Upon ligand binding, PPARα activates the nuclear receptor retinoid X receptor (RXR), forming a PPARα-RXR heterodimer. This heterodimer, in conjunction with coactivators, undergoes further activation and subsequently binds to peroxisome proliferator response elements (PPREs), thereby regulating the transcription of target genes critical for lipid and glucose homeostasis. Key genes include fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36), diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT), carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT1), and glucose transporter (GLUT), which are primarily involved in fatty acid uptake, storage, oxidation, and glucose utilization processes. Advancing research on PPARα as a therapeutic target for cardiovascular diseases has underscored its growing clinical significance. Currently, PPARα activators/agonists, such as fibrates (e.g., fenofibrate and bezafibrate) and thiazolidinediones, have been extensively studied in clinical trials for CVD prevention. Traditional PPARα agonists, including fenofibrate and bezafibrate, are widely used in clinical practice to treat hypertriglyceridemia and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. These fibrates enhance fatty acid metabolism in the liver and skeletal muscle by activating PPARα, and their cardioprotective effects have been validated in numerous clinical studies. Recent research highlights that fibrates improve insulin resistance, regulate lipid metabolism, correct energy metabolism imbalances, and inhibit the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells, thereby ameliorating pathological remodeling of the cardiovascular system and reducing blood pressure. Given the substantial attention to PPARα-targeted interventions in both basic research and clinical applications, activating PPARα may serve as a key therapeutic strategy for managing cardiovascular conditions such as myocardial hypertrophy, atherosclerosis, ischemic cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, diabetic cardiomyopathy, and heart failure. This review comprehensively examines the regulatory roles of PPARα in cardiovascular diseases and evaluates its clinical application value, aiming to provide a theoretical foundation for further development and utilization of PPARα-related therapies in CVD treatment.
6.Construction of predictive model for programmed death-1 inhibitor-related endocrine adverse events
Jiaying SHI ; Wei WEI ; Ting HAN ; Xiao ZHOU ; Meng ZHUO ; Xiaolin LIN ; Tao TAO ; Xiuying XIAO
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2025;32(4):551-560
Objective To identify the independent predictors of programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor-related endocrine adverse events and construct a clinically usable risk prediction model. Methods A total of 302 patients with solid tumors treated with PD-1 inhibitors were retrospectively enrolled. According to the presence or absence of endocrine immune-related adverse events (irAEs), the patients were divided into case group and control group. The clinical and laboratory indexes were compared between the two groups. Multivariable logistic regression was used to confirm independent predictors of endocrine irAEs. The nomogram was constructed, while the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to test the prediction performance of the model. Results The overall incidence of endocrine irAEs was 21.9% (66/302), and the incidence of hypothyroidism was 19.5% (59/302). The age, PD-1 inhibitors, free thyroxine, thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), thyroglobulin, amylase, lymphocyte subset CD3 expression were statistically different between the two groups (P<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression showed that higher expression of lymphocyte subset CD3 was a protective factor to prevent endocrine irAEs occurrence (P=0.004), while age<60 years, higher TPOAb and use of pembrolizumab were independent risk factors of endocrine irAEs (P<0.05). The nomogram model thus constructed, and when the threshold probability of the model exceeded 0.1, its net benefit was higher. ROC curve showed that the AUC of the model to predict endocrine irAEs was 0.760. The prediction result of the model was highly consistent with the actual result. Conclusions The age, type of PD-1 inhibitor, baseline TPOAb level, and baseline CD3 expression can independently predict endocrine irAEs occurrence or not. The nomogram model based on this model has good predictive efficiency, which can provide reference for early identification of high-risk patients and immunotherapy management.
7.Effect of Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu Formula on hippocampal H3K18la modification in a rat model of diabetes mellitus complicated with depression and prediction of related regulatory genes
Hui YANG ; Wei LI ; Shihui LEI ; Jinxi WANG ; Zhuo LIU ; Pan MENG ; Lin LIU ; Fan JIANG ; Yuhong WANG
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(6):791-801
Objective:
To investigate the effects of Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu Formula (ZGJTJYF) on histone H3 lysine 18 lactylation (H3K18la) in the hippocampus of rats with diabetes mellitus complicated with depression (DD) and predict the regulatory genes of H3K18la.
Methods:
Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control, model, and positive drug (metformin [0.18 g/kg] and fluoxetine [1.8 mg/kg]) groups, and the three groups were treated with high, medium, and low ZGJTJYF doses (20.52, 10.26, and 5.13 g/kg, respectively), with 10 rats per group. After treatment, the forced swimming and water maze tests were performed to assess depressive-like behaviors and cognitive function. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure blood insulin, glycosylated hemoglobin, lactate levels, and lactate content in the hippocampus. Western blotting was used to detect H3K18la expression in the hippocampus. Cleavage Under Targets and lagmentation(CUT&Tag) experiments targeted hippocampal H3K18la epigenetic modification regions to analyze the transcription factors bound by H3K18la. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and Protein-Protein Interaction networks were constructed to identify key pathways and target genes regulated by H3K18la.
Results:
Compared with the normal group, the model group rats showed prolonged immobility time in the forced swim test, increased escape latency in the water maze experiment, decreased target quadrant distance ratio (P<0.01), increased serum lactate content, and decreased lactate content in hippocampal homogenate (P<0.01), as well as decreased H3K18la protein expression in the hippocampus (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, ZGJTJYF reduced the immobility time in the forced swim test and the escape latency in the water maze test (P<0.01), while the distance ratio in the target quadrant increased (P<0.01) in model rats. Lowered fasting blood glucose, insulin, and glycosylated hemoglobin levels (P<0.05, P<0.01) were also observed. ZGJTJYF also increased the lactate content and H3K18la protein expression in hippocampal homogenate (P<0.05, P<0.01). The DNA sequences bound by H3K18la were predominantly enriched at the transcription start sites. ZGJTJYF modulated H3K18la-associated pathways, including cell adhesion junctions, tumor growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling, stem cell pluripotency regulation, mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) signaling pathway, and insulin resistance, leading to the identification of 12 target genes.
Conclusion
ZGJTJYF enhances hippocampal lactate levels and H3K18la modification in DD rats, which may regulate neural cell interactions, neurogenic stem cell function, TGF-β signaling, MAPK signaling, and insulin resistance pathways.
8.Quality evaluation of Commelina communis medicinal materials from different origins based on content of four alkaloid components combined with chemometrics.
Bi-Ru FU ; Wei-Jie ZHUO ; Xuan-Xiu HUANG ; Peng-Cong LU ; Xin HE ; Rui-Feng JI
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(9):2422-2431
This study employs ultra-performance liquid chromatography(UPLC) to analyze the differences in alkaloid content of Commelina communis from various geographical origins, exploring its feasibility as a quality evaluation indicator. A total of 57 batches of C. communis samples from 23 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China were selected. The MicroPulite HSS T3(2.1 mm×50 mm, 1.8 μm)column was used with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.2% phosphoric acid aqueous solution(20∶80), detection wavelength at 254 nm, and a flow rate of 0.3 mL·min~(-1) to measure the content of 1-deoxynojirimycin(DNJ) and deoxymannojirimycin(DMJ). The MicroPulite XP tC_(18)(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 μm)column was employed with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.2% phosphoric acid aqueous solution(4∶96), detection wavelength at 254 nm, and a flow rate of 0.4 mL·min~(-1) to measure the content of norharmine(NHM) and harmanme(HM). Chemometric methods were applied to study the relationships and differences among the 57 batches of C. communis. Significant differences in alkaloid content were observed among C. communis from different regions, with the average total content decreasing in the order of North China, Northeast China, Northwest China, East China, Southwest China, Central China, and South China. Cluster analysis(CA) and principal component analysis(PCA) further revealed the quality differences of C. communis from various origins, and partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) identified DNJ as a marker compound to distinguish the quality differences between different geographical sources of C. communis. It is recommended that the content limit of DNJ be set at no less than 0.055 9%, providing a reference for the quality evaluation and clinical application of C. communis medicinal materials.
Alkaloids/analysis*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
;
China
;
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
;
Chemometrics/methods*
;
Quality Control
9.Mechanism of Syngnathus extract in treating knee osteoarthritis of rats via regulating PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.
Quan-Wei ZHENG ; Guo-Wei WANG ; Si-Xian WU ; Tao ZHUO ; Yi HE ; Jian-Hang LIU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(9):2442-2449
To investigate the mechanism of action of Syngnathus extract in treating knee osteoarthritis of rats, forty-eight male SD rats were randomly divided into the blank group, model group, positive drug group, as well as low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose groups of Syngnathus extract. The rat model of knee osteoarthritis was constructed by intra-articular injection of sodium iodoacetate. After successful modeling, celecoxib(18 mg·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) and Syngnathus extract(0.4, 0.8, and 1.6 g·kg~(-1)·d~(-1)) were given in different groups by gavage intervention for two weeks. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was used to observe the histopathological changes of cartilage in knee joints, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect the expression level of inflammatory factors in serum. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt)/mammalian target protein of rapamycin(mTOR) pathway-related mRNA and protein expression. The results showed that, comparied with the blank group, the cartilage surface of the knee joints of rats in the model group was uneven, with disorganized levels and defective cartilage tissue. The serum levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interleukin-6(IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and the mRNA levels of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR in cartilage tissue, as well as the protein expression levels of phosphorylated PI3K(p-PI3K)/PI3K, phosphorylated Akt(p-Akt)/Akt, phosphorylated mTOR(p-mTOR)/mTOR, and P62 were significantly increased. Beclin1 protein expression was decreased. Comparied with the model group, the number of chondrocytes in the knee joint of rats in each group of Syngnathus extract increased, and the arrangement of chondrocytes was relatively neat. The cartilage layer was restored, and the serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, as well as the mRNA expression levels of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR in cartilage tissue were significantly reduced. The protein expression levels of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-Akt/Akt, p-mTOR/mTOR, and P62 were significantly reduced in the rats in the middle-dose and high-dose groups of Syngnathus extract, and the Beclin1 protein expression was significantly increased. The protein expression levels of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-Akt/Akt, and P62 in rats in the low-dose group of Syngnathus extract were significantly reduced. In summary, Syngnathus extract may be used to treat knee osteoarthritis by inhibiting the expression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, so as to alleviate the inflammatory response in the organism, enhance the autophagy activity of chondrocytes, and reduce the apoptosis of chondrocytes.
Animals
;
TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics*
;
Male
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Signal Transduction/drug effects*
;
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics*
;
Rats
;
Osteoarthritis, Knee/metabolism*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
;
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics*
;
Humans
10.Effect of Wenpi tongluo kaiqiao formula against neuronal necroptosis in mice with Alzheimer’s disease and its mechanism
Xiaomin ZHU ; Wei CHEN ; Yulan FU ; Guifeng ZHUO ; Yingrui HUANG ; Ying ZHANG ; Lin WU
China Pharmacy 2025;36(9):1046-1051
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects and mechanism of Wenpi tongluo kaiqiao formula (WPTL) against neuronal necroptosis in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mice based on the Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1)/mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) signaling pathway. METHODS Forty APP/PS1 transgenic AD mice were randomly divided into model group, WPTL low-dose (WPTL-L) group (10.4 g/kg, calculated by the raw medicine), WPTL high-dose (WPTL-H) group (20.8 g/kg, calculated by the raw medicine) and donepezil hydrochloride group (3 mg/kg), with 10 mice in each group; another 10 C57BL/6J mice were selected as normal control group. Intragastric administration, once a day, for 30 consecutive days. Twenty-four hours after the last administration, Morris water maze test was performed to evaluate learning and memory abilities; the pathological morphology of hippocampal tissues was observed; the serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) were determined; the expressions of amyloid precursor protein (APP), Tau protein, and ZBP1/MLKL signaling pathway-related proteins in hippocampal tissues were detected; the positive expression of phosphorylated receptor-interacting protein kinase 3 (p-RIPK3) in the neurons of hippocampal tissues and mRNA expression of ZBP1 were measured in hippocampal tissues. RESULTS Compared with normal control group, the escape latency of mice in model group was prolonged significantly on day 3 to 5 (P<0.05), the times of crossing platform reduced significantly (P<0.05), and obvious pathological changes were observed in the hippocampal tissue. The level of TNF- α, the expressions of APP, p-Tau and ZBP1, the phosphorylation levels of RIPK1, RIPK3 and MLKL, the fluorescence intensity of p-RIPK3 as well as the mRNA expression of ZBP1 were significantly increased (P<0.05), while the serum level of IL-4 was decreased significantly (P<0.05). Compared with model group, above indexes were reversed significantly in administration groups (P<0.05), and pathological damage of hippocampal tissue was alleviated. CONCLUSIONS WPTL can inhibit the ZBP1/MLKL signaling pathway, reduce neuronal necroptosis in AD mice, and inhibit inflammatory responses, thereby improving learning and spatial memory abilities in AD mice.


Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail