1.Modified Buwangsan Ameliorates Cognitive Dysfunction in Rat Model of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Regulating Autophagy in Hippocampus via PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway
Jie YANG ; Tonghua LIU ; Wei LIU ; Lili WU ; Lingling QIN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(13):104-113
ObjectiveTo evaluate the therapeutic effects of modified Buwangsan on cognitive dysfunction in the rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus with mild cognitive impairment (T2DM-MCI) and explore the underlying mechanism. MethodsThirty-six 5-week-old SPF-grade SD rats were randomly assigned into 6 groups: Normal (Con, fed with a normal diet), model (DM, fed with a high-sugar and high-fat diet), low-dose modified Buwangsan (L-BWS, 1.86 g·kg-1), medium-dose modified Buwangsan (M-BWS, 3.72 g·kg-1), high-dose modified Buwangsan (H-BWS,7.44 g·kg-1), and huperzine A (SSJJ, 0.018 mg·kg-1). The rats were treated by gavage once a day for 12 weeks. The body weight and blood glucose level were monitored dynamically. Morris water maze was employed to test the cognitive function of rats. Hematoxylin-eosin and Nissl staining were employed to observe the pathological changes of the hippocampus. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the serum and hippocampus were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Western blotting was employed to determine the expression levels of key autophagy-related proteins including microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), type Ⅲ phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex regulatory subunit (Beclin1), and phosphorylated UNC-51-like kinase (p-ULK) 1/2 in the hippocampus. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to observe the regulation of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-mTOR/mTOR, and p-Akt/Akt ratios. ResultsCompared with the DM group, the L-BWS, M-BWS, H-BWS, and SSJJ groups showed increases in body weight at the end of the experiment (P<0.05), and the M-BWS, H-BWS and SSJJ groups showed declines in fasting blood glucose level (P<0.05). In the water maze test, compared with the DM group, the M-BWS, H-BWS, and SSJJ groups presented shortened escape latency (P<0.001). The L-BWS, M-BWS, H-BWS, and SSJJ group showcased regularly arranged cells in the hippocampus and cortex, markedly increased number of neurons, and significantly recovered Nissl bodies. Compared with the DM group, the L-BWS, M-BWS, H-BWS, and SSJJ groups had reductions in the levels of IL-1β and IL-6 in the serum and hippocampus (P<0.05), increases in the LC3-II/LC3-I ratio and expression level of beclin1 in the hippocampus (P<0.05) and the p-ULK level (P<0.05). The p-PI3K/PI3K, p-Akt/Akt, and p-mTOR/mTOR ratios in the hippocampus decreased in the M-BWS, H-BWS, and SSJJ groups (P<0.01). ConclusionModified Buwangsan significantly ameliorates cognitive dysfunction and neurological damage in the rat model of T2DM through multiple mechanisms. It regulates metabolic disorders, lowers the blood glucose level, improves lipid metabolism, and alleviates oxidative stress. It promotes the protection and repair of neurons by inhibiting inflammatory responses and activating the autophagy pathway in the hippocampus. At the same time, modified Buwangsan relieves autophagy inhibition by regulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway to alleviate the brain tissue injury.
2.Modified Buwangsan Ameliorates Cognitive Dysfunction in Rat Model of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Regulating Autophagy in Hippocampus via PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway
Jie YANG ; Tonghua LIU ; Wei LIU ; Lili WU ; Lingling QIN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(13):104-113
ObjectiveTo evaluate the therapeutic effects of modified Buwangsan on cognitive dysfunction in the rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus with mild cognitive impairment (T2DM-MCI) and explore the underlying mechanism. MethodsThirty-six 5-week-old SPF-grade SD rats were randomly assigned into 6 groups: Normal (Con, fed with a normal diet), model (DM, fed with a high-sugar and high-fat diet), low-dose modified Buwangsan (L-BWS, 1.86 g·kg-1), medium-dose modified Buwangsan (M-BWS, 3.72 g·kg-1), high-dose modified Buwangsan (H-BWS,7.44 g·kg-1), and huperzine A (SSJJ, 0.018 mg·kg-1). The rats were treated by gavage once a day for 12 weeks. The body weight and blood glucose level were monitored dynamically. Morris water maze was employed to test the cognitive function of rats. Hematoxylin-eosin and Nissl staining were employed to observe the pathological changes of the hippocampus. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the serum and hippocampus were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Western blotting was employed to determine the expression levels of key autophagy-related proteins including microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), type Ⅲ phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase complex regulatory subunit (Beclin1), and phosphorylated UNC-51-like kinase (p-ULK) 1/2 in the hippocampus. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to observe the regulation of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-mTOR/mTOR, and p-Akt/Akt ratios. ResultsCompared with the DM group, the L-BWS, M-BWS, H-BWS, and SSJJ groups showed increases in body weight at the end of the experiment (P<0.05), and the M-BWS, H-BWS and SSJJ groups showed declines in fasting blood glucose level (P<0.05). In the water maze test, compared with the DM group, the M-BWS, H-BWS, and SSJJ groups presented shortened escape latency (P<0.001). The L-BWS, M-BWS, H-BWS, and SSJJ group showcased regularly arranged cells in the hippocampus and cortex, markedly increased number of neurons, and significantly recovered Nissl bodies. Compared with the DM group, the L-BWS, M-BWS, H-BWS, and SSJJ groups had reductions in the levels of IL-1β and IL-6 in the serum and hippocampus (P<0.05), increases in the LC3-II/LC3-I ratio and expression level of beclin1 in the hippocampus (P<0.05) and the p-ULK level (P<0.05). The p-PI3K/PI3K, p-Akt/Akt, and p-mTOR/mTOR ratios in the hippocampus decreased in the M-BWS, H-BWS, and SSJJ groups (P<0.01). ConclusionModified Buwangsan significantly ameliorates cognitive dysfunction and neurological damage in the rat model of T2DM through multiple mechanisms. It regulates metabolic disorders, lowers the blood glucose level, improves lipid metabolism, and alleviates oxidative stress. It promotes the protection and repair of neurons by inhibiting inflammatory responses and activating the autophagy pathway in the hippocampus. At the same time, modified Buwangsan relieves autophagy inhibition by regulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway to alleviate the brain tissue injury.
3.Efficacy of typeⅡ hybrid surgery versus Sun’s surgery in the treatment of acute Stanford type A aortic dissection: A retrospective cohort study in a single center
Jie WANG ; Wei WU ; Long CHENG ; Feifei TANG ; Shilin DAI ; Yuqiang SHANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(05):663-669
Objective To compare the clinical efficacy of typeⅡhybrid surgery versus Sun’s surgery in treating acute Stanford A aortic dissection. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of patients with acute Stanford A aortic dissection who were treated at the Central Hospital of Wuhan affiliated to Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from 2016 to 2022. According to the surgical method, patients were divided into a typeⅡhybrid group and a Sun’s surgery group, and the clinical efficacy of the two groups was compared. Results A total of 52 patients were included, with 22 in the typeⅡhybrid surgery group and 30 in the Sun’s surgery group. The typeⅡhybrid group consisted of 18 males and 4 females, with an average age of (58.18±6.00) years, while the Sun’s surgery group consisted of 22 males and 8 females, with an average age of (53.03±11.89) years. All surgeries were successfully completed. There were 4 (13.3%) perioperative deaths in the Sun’s surgery group, including 2 patients of multiple organ failure, 1 patient of paraplegia, and 1 patient of uncontrollable postoperative bleeding. There was 1 (4.5%) perioperative death in the typeⅡhybrid surgery group, who was suspected of acute coronary syndrome and took a loading dose of dual antiplatelet drugs preoperatively. The patient underwent secondary thoracotomy for hemostasis, was re-cannulated during the operation, and finally died of circulatory failure after implantation of intra-aortic balloon pumping. There was no statistical difference in perioperative mortality between the two groups (P=0.381). Compared with the Sun’s surgery group, the typeⅡhybrid surgery group had shorter cardiopulmonary bypass time [153.00 (135.00, 185.25) min vs. 182.50 (166.50, 196.75) min, P=0.013], aortic cross-clamping time [77.00 (70.50, 92.00) min vs. 102.50 (93.50, 109.75) min, P<0.001], postoperative ICU stay [4.00 (2.83, 6.00) days vs. 8.00 (6.38, 11.78) days, P<0.001], postoperative ventilator support time [72.00 (29.50, 93.25) h vs. 87.65 (39.13, 139.13) h, P=0.138], less intraoperative blood loss [(1586.82±209.41) mL vs. (1 806.00±292.62) mL, P=0.004], postoperative 24 h drainage volume [612.50 (507.50, 762.50) mL vs. 687.50 (518.75, 993.75) mL, P=0.409], and shorter postoperative hospital stay [18.00 (13.00, 20.25) days vs. 22.00 (17.00, 29.25) days, P=0.013]. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of other early postoperative complications such as secondary thoracotomy for hemostasis, tracheotomy, renal dysfunction requiring dialysis, stroke, and paraplegia between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion For patients with acute Stanford A aortic dissection, typeⅡhybrid surgery is safe and effective; compared with traditional Sun’s surgery, typeⅡhybrid surgery has relatively less trauma, lower incidence of complications, satisfactory short-term results, and further research is needed on long-term prognosis.
4.Investigation of an outbreak of group A human G9P [8] rotavirus infectious diarrhea among adults in Chongqing
Yang WANG ; Yuan KONG ; Ning CHEN ; Lundi YANG ; Jiang LONG ; Qin LI ; Xiaoyang XU ; Wei ZHENG ; Hong WEI ; Jie LU ; Quanjie XIAO ; Yingying BA ; Wenxi WU ; Qian XU ; Ju YAN
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(8):663-668
ObjectiveTo investigate and analyze an outbreak of rotavirus infectious diarrhea in a prison in Chongqing Municipality, to provide a basis for adult rotavirus surveillance and prevention, and to explore the public health problems in special settings. MethodsA retrospective survey was conducted to collect and analyze data on individual cases with diarrheal disease on-site. The clinical characteristics, as well as the temporal, spatial and geographical distribution patterns of the epidemic were described. Multi-pathogen detection tests were conducted both on diarrhea cases and environmental samples, with viral genotyping performed on positive samples. A case-control analysis was performed to identify the causes of the outbreak, and an SEIR model was adopted to predict the outbreak trend and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. ResultsA total of 65 cases were found among the inmates, with an attack rate of 2.03%. The predominant clinical manifestations included diarrhea (89.23%), watery stool (73.85%), and dehydration (18.46%). The epidemic curve indicated a “human-to-human” transmission pattern, with an average incubation period of 5‒6 days. The attack rates among chefs in the main canteen (80.00%, 8/10) and caterers (28.33%, 17/60) were significantly higher than those of other inmates (P<0.05). Multi-pathogen polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing detected positive for group A rotavirus, with the viral genotyping identified as G9P [8] strain. Factors such as unprotected "bare-handed" food distribution among cases with diarrhea (OR=9.512, 95%CI: 4.261‒21.234) and close contact with diarrhea cases (OR=3.656, 95%CI: 1.719‒7.778) were the possible cause of the outbreak. The SEIR model (r0=5, α=0.3, β1=0.08, β2=0.04) was constructed using prison inmates as susceptible population, aiming at fitting the initial transmission trend of the outbreak, and the epidemic rate declined rapidly after intervention measures were implemented (rt≈0). ConclusionThis rare rotavirus infection diarrhea outbreak among adults in confined settings suggests that the construction of public health prevention and control systems in prison may be overlooked. Cross infection during meal processing and distribution in the canteens of such settings is likely to be the cause of the outbreak. Given the potential neglect of public heath system construction in special settings, it is imperative to enhance the surveillance and monitoring of rotavirus and other intestinal multi-pathogens among adults, as well as the construction of public health prevention and control systems in these special settings.
5.Trend in disease burden of lung cancer in cancer registration areas of Guizhou Province from 2017 to 2021
ZHOU Jie ; ZHANG Ji ; JI Wei ; REN Yujin ; WU Yanli ; LI Ling
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2025;37(10):985-990
Objective:
To investigate trends of incidence, mortality, and years of life lost (YLL) rate of lung cancer in cancer registration areas of Guizhou Province from 2017 to 2021, so as to provide references for formulating lung cancer prevention and control strategies and reducing the disease burden of lung cancer.
Methods:
The qualified lung cancer registration data from cancer registration areas of Guizhou Province from 2017 to 2021 were collected, the crude incidence and mortality of lung cancer were calculated by urban/rural areas, genders and ages. The standardized incidence and standardized mortality was calculated using the age structure of the standard population from the Fifth National Population Census in 2000. YLL was calculated using the standard life table from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The disease burden of lung cancer was assessed using incidence, mortality, and YLL rate, and the trend in the disease burden of lung cancer from 2017 to 2021 was calculated using annual percent change (APC).
Results :
From 2017 to 2021, the crude incidence, standardized incidence, crude mortality, standardized mortality, YLL and YLL rate in Guizhou Province were 53.13/100 000, 37.58/100 000, 42.77/100 000, 29.44/100 000, 98.19 thousand person-years and 10.95‰, respectively. The standardized incidence and standardized mortality of lung cancer were higher in rural areas than in urban areas (39.45/100 000 vs. 34.23/100 000, 30.68/100 000 vs. 27.18/100 000). The standardized incidence and standardized mortality of lung cancer were higher in males than in females (49.34/100 000 vs. 26.47/100 000, 41.31/100 000 vs. 18.28/100 000). The crude incidence and crude mortality of lung cancer increased with age, peaking in the 80-<85 age group (360.84/100 000) and the ≥85 age group (414.85/100 000), respectively. From 2017 to 2021, the standardized incidence demonstrated downward trends in the total population, urban areas and males (APC=-6.590%, -5.829%, and -6.729%, all P<0.05). The standardized mortality demonstrated downward trends in urban areas and females (APC=-3.710% and -5.378%, both P<0.05). The YLL rate also showed downward trends in urban areas and females (APC=-3.957% and -3.631%, both P<0.05).
Conclusions
From 2017 to 2021, the overall disease burden of lung cancer in registration areas of Guizhou Province showed a decreasing trend. However, the disease burden remained relatively heavier in rural areas and males, with a relatively gradual change.
6.Assessment of the implementation of Radiation shielding requirements for radiotherapy room—Part 4: Radiotherapy room of 252Cf neutron afterloading (GBZ/T 201.4-2015)
Yuze YANG ; Hongfang WANG ; Haoxian YANG ; Quan WU ; Mingsheng LI ; Bala HARI ; Yongzhong MA ; Zechen FENG ; Bin BAI ; Jie GAO ; Wei ZHOU ; Weixu HUANG ; Zhengjie SHI ; Hezheng ZHAI
Chinese Journal of Radiological Health 2025;34(5):660-665
Objective To track and evaluate the implementation and application of the occupational health standard Radiation shielding requirements for radiotherapy room—Part 4: Radiotherapy room of 252Cf neutron afterloading (GBZ/T 201.4-2015) by radiation health technical service agencies, medical institutions, health supervision agencies, and radiotherapy facility design units, and to provide a scientific basis for the further revision and implementation of this standard. Methods Following the Guideline for health standards tracking evaluation (WS/T 536-2017) and the project implementation plan, relevant practitioners were randomly selected for a questionnaire survey. The survey primarily focused on their awareness, standard training, application, and revision suggestions of GBZ/T 201.4-2015. The results were summarized and analyzed. Results A total of 168 evaluation questionnaires were collected from relevant practitioners in 28 provinces. Only 31.6% of the respondents reported being “well familiar” or “ familiar” with the standard, 27.4% of the respondents believed that the standard was widely used, and 45.2% of the respondents believed that the standard could meet the needs of their work. Only 14.9% of the respondents had received relevant training on the standard, more than half of the respondents had not applied the standard within the past 10 years, and 45.2% of the respondents believed that the standard "needs to be revised". Conclusion Due to the small number of californium-252 neutron afterloading radiotherapy devices in operation on the market, the overall awareness of the standard is low, suggesting that relevant authorities need to strengthen training and publicity of the standard, and that certain sections of the standard need to be revised or merged.
7.SMUG1 promoted the progression of pancreatic cancer via AKT signaling pathway through binding with FOXQ1.
Zijian WU ; Wei WANG ; Jie HUA ; Jingyao ZHANG ; Jiang LIU ; Si SHI ; Bo ZHANG ; Xiaohui WANG ; Xianjun YU ; Jin XU
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(20):2640-2656
BACKGROUND:
Pancreatic cancer is a lethal malignancy prone to gemcitabine resistance. The single-strand selective monofunctional uracil DNA glycosylase (SMUG1), which is responsible for initiating base excision repair, has been reported to predict the outcomes of different cancer types. However, the function of SMUG1 in pancreatic cancer is still unclear.
METHODS:
Gene and protein expression of SMUG1 as well as survival outcomes were assessed by bioinformatic analysis and verified in a cohort from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center. Subsequently, the effect of SMUG1 on proliferation, cell cycle, and migration abilities of SMUG1 cells were detected in vitro . DNA damage repair, apoptosis, and gemcitabine resistance were also tested. RNA sequencing was performed to determine the differentially expressed genes and signaling pathways, followed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting verification. The cancer-promoting effect of forkhead box Q1 (FOXQ1) and SMUG1 on the ubiquitylation of myelocytomatosis oncogene (c-Myc) was also evaluated. Finally, a xenograft model was established to verify the results.
RESULTS:
SMUG1 was highly expressed in pancreatic tumor tissues and cells, which also predicted a poor prognosis. Downregulation of SMUG1 inhibited the proliferation, G1 to S transition, migration, and DNA damage repair ability against gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer cells. SMUG1 exerted its function by binding with FOXQ1 to activate the Protein Kinase B (AKT)/p21 and p27 pathway. Moreover, SMUG1 also stabilized the c-Myc protein via AKT signaling in pancreatic cancer cells.
CONCLUSIONS
SMUG1 promotes proliferation, migration, gemcitabine resistance, and c-Myc protein stability in pancreatic cancer via protein kinase B signaling through binding with FOXQ1. Furthermore, SMUG1 may be a new potential prognostic and gemcitabine resistance predictor in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Humans
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Pancreatic Neoplasms/pathology*
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Forkhead Transcription Factors/genetics*
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Signal Transduction/genetics*
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Animals
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Cell Line, Tumor
;
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism*
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Cell Proliferation/physiology*
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Mice
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Uracil-DNA Glycosidase/genetics*
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Female
;
Male
;
Gemcitabine
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Mice, Nude
;
Apoptosis/physiology*
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Deoxycytidine/analogs & derivatives*
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Cell Movement/genetics*
8.Fucoidan sulfate regulates Hmox1-mediated ferroptosis to ameliorate myocardial injury in diabetic cardiomyopathy.
Yu-Feng CAI ; Wei HU ; Yi-Gang WAN ; Yue TU ; Si-Yi LIU ; Wen-Jie LIU ; Liu-Yun-Xin PAN ; Ke-Jia WU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(9):2461-2471
This study explores the role and underlying molecular mechanisms of fucoidan sulfate(FPS) in regulating heme oxygenase-1(Hmox1)-mediated ferroptosis to ameliorate myocardial injury in diabetic cardiomyopathy(DCM) through in vivo and in vitro experiments and network pharmacology analysis. In vivo, a DCM rat model was established using a combination of "high-fat diet feeding + two low-dose streptozotocin(STZ) intraperitoneal injections". The rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal, model, FPS, and dapagliflozin(Dapa) groups. In vitro, a cellular model was created by inducing rat cardiomyocytes(H9c2 cells) with high glucose(HG), using zinc protoporphyrin(ZnPP), an Hmox1 inhibitor, as the positive control. An automatic biochemical analyzer was used to measure blood glucose(BG), serum aspartate aminotransferase(AST), serum lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), and serum creatine kinase-MB(CK-MB) levels. Echocardiography was used to assess rat cardiac function, including ejection fraction(EF) and fractional shortening(FS). Pathological staining was performed to observe myocardial morphology and fibrotic characteristics. DCFH-DA fluorescence probe was used to detect reactive oxygen species(ROS) levels in myocardial tissue. Specific assay kits were used to measure serum brain natriuretic peptide(BNP), myocardial Fe~(2+), and malondialdehyde(MDA) levels. Western blot(WB) was used to detect the expression levels of myosin heavy chain 7B(MYH7B), natriuretic peptide A(NPPA), collagens type Ⅰ(Col-Ⅰ), α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA), ferritin heavy chain 1(FTH1), solute carrier family 7 member 11(SLC7A11), glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4), 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal(4-HNE), and Hmox1. Immunohistochemistry(IHC) was used to examine Hmox1 protein expression patterns. FerroOrange and Highly Sensitive DCFH-DA fluorescence probes were used to detect intracellular Fe~(2+) and ROS levels. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe changes in mitochondrial morphology. In network pharmacology, FPS targets were identified through the PubChem database and PharmMapper platform. DCM-related targets were integrated from OMIM, GeneCards, and DisGeNET databases, while ferroptosis-related targets were obtained from the FerrDb database. A protein-protein interaction(PPI) network was constructed for the intersection of these targets using STRING 11.0, and core targets were screened with Cytoscape 3.9.0. Molecular docking analysis was conducted using AutoDock and PyMOL 2.5. In vivo results showed that FPS significantly reduced AST, LDH, CK-MB, and BNP levels in DCM model rats, improved cardiac function, decreased the expression of myocardial injury proteins(MYH7B, NPPA, Col-Ⅰ, and α-SMA), alleviated myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis, and reduced Fe~(2+), ROS, and MDA levels in myocardial tissue. Furthermore, FPS regulated the expression of ferroptosis-related markers(Hmox1, FTH1, SLC7A11, GPX4, and 4-HNE) to varying degrees. Network pharmacology results revealed 313 potential targets for FPS, 1 125 targets for DCM, and 14 common targets among FPS, DCM, and FerrDb. Hmox1 was identified as a key target, with FPS showing high docking activity with Hmox1. In vitro results demonstrated that FPS restored the expression levels of ferroptosis-related proteins, reduced intracellular Fe~(2+) and ROS levels, and alleviated mitochondrial structural damage in cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, FPS improves myocardial injury in DCM, with its underlying mechanism potentially involving the regulation of Hmox1 to inhibit ferroptosis. This study provides pharmacological evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of FPS for DCM-induced myocardial injury.
Animals
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Ferroptosis/drug effects*
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Rats
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Diabetic Cardiomyopathies/physiopathology*
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Male
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Polysaccharides/pharmacology*
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Heme Oxygenase-1/genetics*
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Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism*
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Myocardium/pathology*
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Humans
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Cell Line
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Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing)
9.Mechanism of Quanduzhong Capsules in treating knee osteoarthritis from perspective of spatial heterogeneity.
Zhao-Chen MA ; Zi-Qing XIAO ; Chu ZHANG ; Yu-Dong LIU ; Ming-Zhu XU ; Xiao-Feng LI ; Zhi-Ping WU ; Wei-Jie LI ; Yi-Xin YANG ; Na LIN ; Yan-Qiong ZHANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(8):2209-2216
This study aims to systematically characterize the targeted effects of Quanduzhong Capsules on cartilage lesions in knee osteoarthritis by integrating spatial transcriptomics data mining and animal experiments validation, thereby elucidating the related molecular mechanisms. A knee osteoarthritis model was established using Sprague-Dawley(SD) rats, via a modified Hulth method. Hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining was employed to detect knee osteoarthritis-associated pathological changes in knee cartilage. Candidate targets of Quanduzhong Capsules were collected from the HIT 2.0 database, followed by bioinformatics analysis of spatial transcriptomics datasets(GSE254844) from cartilage tissues in clinical knee osteoarthritis patients to identify spatially specific disease genes. Furthermore, a "formula candidate targets-spatially specific genes in cartilage lesions" interaction network was constructed to explore the effects and major mechanisms of Quanduzhong Capsules in distinct cartilage regions. Experimental validation was conducted through immunohistochemistry using animal-derived biospecimens. The results indicated that Quanduzhong Capsules effectively inhibited the degenerative changes in the cartilage of affected joints in rats, which was associated with the regulation of Quanduzhong Capsules on the thioredoxin-interacting protein(TXNIP)-NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3)-bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2(BMPR2)-fibronectin 1(FN1)-matrix metallopeptidase 2(MMP2) signal axis in the articular cartilage surface and superficial zones, subsequently inhibiting cartilage matrix degradation leading to oxidative stress and inflammatory diffusion. In summary, this study clarifies the spatially specific targeted effects and protective mechanisms of Quanduzhong Capsules within pathological cartilage regions in knee osteoarthritis, providing theoretical and experimental support for the clinical application of this drug in the targeted therapy on the inflamed cartilage.
Animals
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Osteoarthritis, Knee/metabolism*
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Rats
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Male
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Humans
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Capsules
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Female
;
Disease Models, Animal
10.Multifaceted mechanisms of Danggui Shaoyao San in ameliorating Alzheimer's disease based on transcriptomics and metabolomics.
Min-Hao YAN ; Han CAI ; Hai-Xia DING ; Shi-Jie SU ; Xu-Nuo LI ; Zi-Qiao XU ; Wei-Cheng FENG ; Qi-Qing WU ; Jia-Xin CHEN ; Hong WANG ; Qi WANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(8):2229-2236
This study explored the potential therapeutic targets and mechanisms of Danggui Shaoyao San(DSS) in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease(AD) through transcriptomics and metabolomics, combined with animal experiments. Fifty male C57BL/6J mice, aged seven weeks, were randomly divided into the following five groups: control, model, positive drug, low-dose DSS, and high-dose DSS groups. After the intervention, the Morris water maze was used to assess learning and memory abilities of mice, and Nissl staining and hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining were performed to observe pathological changes in the hippocampal tissue. Transcriptomics and metabolomics were employed to sequence brain tissue and identify differential metabolites, analyzing key genes and metabolites related to disease progression. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR) was employed to validate the expression of key genes. The Morris water maze results indicated that DSS significantly improved learning and cognitive function in scopolamine(SCOP)-induced model mice, with the high-dose DSS group showing the best results. Pathological staining showed that DSS effectively reduced hippocampal neuronal damage, increased Nissl body numbers, and reduced nuclear pyknosis and neuronal loss. Transcriptomics identified seven key genes, including neurexin 1(Nrxn1) and sodium voltage-gated channel α subunit 1(Scn1a), and metabolomics revealed 113 differential metabolites, all of which were closely associated with synaptic function, oxidative stress, and metabolic regulation. RT-qPCR experiments confirmed that the expression of these seven key genes was consistent with the transcriptomics results. This study suggests that DSS significantly improves learning and memory in SCOP model mice and alleviates hippocampal neuronal pathological damage. The mechanisms likely involve the modulation of synaptic function, reduction of oxidative stress, and metabolic balance, with these seven key genes serving as important targets for DSS in the treatment of AD.
Animals
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Alzheimer Disease/genetics*
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Male
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Metabolomics
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Transcriptome/drug effects*
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Maze Learning/drug effects*
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Hippocampus/metabolism*
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Humans
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Disease Models, Animal
;
Memory/drug effects*


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