1.Establishment and Preliminary Analysis of GP73 Interactome Using Proximity-dependent Labeling Technology
Mu-Yi LIU ; Chang ZHANG ; Meng-Xin YANG ; Xin-Long YAN ; Lu-Ming WAN ; Cong-Wen WEI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(3):711-723
ObjectiveProtein-protein interactions (PPIs) are fundamental to the execution of biological functions within living cells. However, traditional biochemical methods, such as co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), often fail to capture transient, weak, or membrane-associated interactions due to the stringent detergent requirements for cell lysis. Proximity labeling (PL) has emerged in recent years as a transformative technology for mapping the proteomes of specific subcellular compartments and identifying dynamic interactomes in situ. Golgi protein 73 (GP73, also known as GOLPH2), a resident type II Golgi transmembrane protein, is a well-recognized clinical biomarker for liver diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite its clinical significance, the comprehensive physiological and pathological functions of GP73 remain partially understood. This study aims to establish an APEX2-mediated proximity labeling system specifically targeting GP73 to map its interactome in a living cellular environment, thereby providing new insights into its molecular roles and regulatory mechanisms. MethodsTo achieve spatial specificity, we first constructed a stable cell line expressing a fusion protein consisting of GP73 and the engineered soybean peroxidase APEX2. The localization of the GP73-APEX2 fusion protein was validated to ensure it correctly targeted the Golgi apparatus. The proximity labeling reaction was initiated by incubating the cells with biotin-phenol (BP) for 30 min, followed by a brief (1 min) treatment with1 mmol/L hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This catalytic reaction converts BP into highly reactive, short-lived biotin-phenoxyl radicals that covalently attach to endogenous proteins within a small labeling radius of the GP73-APEX2 enzyme. Subsequently, the cells were quenched, and biotinylated proteins were enriched using high-affinity streptavidin-coated magnetic beads. The captured “neighbor” proteins were subjected to on-bead digestion and analyzed via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for high-throughput identification. Rigorous bioinformatics analysis, including Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, and protein-protein interaction network mapping, was performed to interpret the biological significance of the identified candidates. ResultsOur results demonstrate the successful establishment of a robust and sensitive APEX2-based proximity labeling system for GP73. We identified a total of 95 high-confidence interacting proteins that were significantly enriched in the GP73 proximity proteome compared to control groups. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that these interactors were predominantly associated with biological processes such as vesicular transport, protein localization, and, most notably, molecular functions related to “ribosome binding” and “translation regulation”. This suggested an unexpected role for the Golgi-resident GP73 in the cellular translation machinery. To validate these findings, we performed targeted biochemical assays which confirmed a direct interaction between GP73 and the subunits of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 (eIF3) complex, specifically EIF3G and EIF3I. Furthermore, functional validation using the surface sensing of translation (SUnSET) assay—a non-radioactive method to monitor protein synthesis—revealed that the overexpression of GP73 significantly promoted global protein translation levels in the cell, whereas its depletion or inhibition resulted in reduced translation efficiency. ConclusionThis study successfully utilized APEX2-mediated proximity labeling to provide the first systematic map of GP73 interactome in living cells. Our findings uncover a novel, unconventional function of GP73 as a regulator of cellular protein translation, likely mediated through its interaction with the eIF3 complex. This discovery significantly broadens our understanding of the biological roles of GP73 beyond its traditional function in the Golgi apparatus and suggests that it may act as a bridge between Golgi-related trafficking and the protein synthesis machinery. Furthermore, the technical framework established in this study provides a valuable template for investigating other complex organelle-associated protein networks and resolving transient macromolecular interactions in various physiological and pathological contexts.
2.Quality Evaluation of Naomaili Granules Based on Multi-component Content Determination and Fingerprint and Screening of Its Anti-neuroinflammatory Substance Basis
Ya WANG ; Yanan KANG ; Bo LIU ; Zimo WANG ; Xuan ZHANG ; Wei LAN ; Wen ZHANG ; Lu YANG ; Yi SUN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(2):170-178
ObjectiveTo establish an ultra-performance liquid fingerprint and multi-components determination method for Naomaili granules. To evaluate the quality of different batches by chemometrics, and the anti-neuroinflammatory effects of water extract and main components of Naomaili granules were tested in vitro. MethodsThe similarity and common peaks of 27 batches of Naomaili granules were evaluated by using Ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) fingerprint detection. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) technology was used to determine the content of the index components in Naomaili granules and to evaluate the quality of different batches of Naomaili granules by chemometrics. LPS-induced BV-2 cell inflammation model was used to investigate the anti-neuroinflammatory effects of the water extract and main components of Naomaili granules. ResultsThe similarity of fingerprints of 27 batches of samples was > 0.90. A total of 32 common peaks were calibrated, and 23 of them were identified and assigned. In 27 batches of Naomaili granules, the mass fractions of 14 components that were stachydrine hydrochloride, leonurine hydrochloride, calycosin-7-O-glucoside, calycosin,tanshinoneⅠ, cryptotanshinone, tanshinoneⅡA, ginsenoside Rb1, notoginsenoside R1, ginsenoside Rg1, paeoniflorin, albiflorin, lactiflorin, and salvianolic acid B were found to be 2.902-3.498, 0.233-0.343, 0.111-0.301, 0.07-0.152, 0.136-0.228, 0.195-0.390, 0.324-0.482, 1.056-1.435, 0.271-0.397, 1.318-1.649, 3.038-4.059, 2.263-3.455, 0.152-0.232, 2.931-3.991 mg∙g-1, respectively. Multivariate statistical analysis showed that paeoniflorin, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Rb1 and staphylline hydrochloride were quality difference markers to control the stability of the preparation. The results of bioactive experiment showed that the water extract of Naomaili granules and the eight main components with high content in the prescription had a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on the release of NO in the cell supernatant. Among them, salvianolic acid B and ginsenoside Rb1 had strong anti-inflammatory activity, with IC50 values of (36.11±0.15) mg∙L-1 and (27.24±0.54) mg∙L-1, respectively. ConclusionThe quality evaluation method of Naomaili granules established in this study was accurate and reproducible. Four quality difference markers were screened out, and eight key pharmacodynamic substances of Naomaili granules against neuroinflammation were screened out by in vitro cell experiments.
3.A Computational Perspective on Differences Between MHC-I and MHC-II in TCR-pMHC Structure Prediction Resources: Review and Benchmarking
Xiao-Qin WU ; Da-Wei LIU ; Bin-Yu LI ; Yang LIU ; Yang CAO ; Wen-Tao DAI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1376-1399
The initiation of adaptive immune responses relies on the precise recognition and interpretation of antigenic information. In this process, the specific binding of T cell receptors (TCRs) to peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) molecules represents one of the key molecular events in the initiation of adaptive immune responses. Accordingly, the structural features of TCR-pMHC complexes provide a fundamental basis for dissecting antigen recognition mechanisms and support rational vaccine design, therapeutic target discovery in TCR-based immunotherapy, and TCR identification and optimization. However, experimental determination of TCR-pMHC structures remains costly, time-consuming, and limited in coverage, making computational approaches essential for rapidly obtaining reliable structural information. Computational methods for predicting the structures of TCR-pMHC complexes have advanced rapidly in recent years, driven by progress in deep learning-based modeling frameworks and the increasing availability of structural and sequence resources. Despite these developments, most existing tools do not adequately distinguish the key structural and biophysical differences between MHC class I (MHC-I) and MHC class II (MHC-II) complexes during model construction. As a consequence, their predictive performance differs substantially between class I and class II complexes. In general, structural predictions for class I complexes outperform those for class II complexes. This discrepancy may be related to several fundamental differences between the two systems, including the architecture of the peptide-binding groove, the distribution of peptide lengths, and the properties of peptide flanking residues (PFRs). Compared with MHC-I molecules, MHC-II molecules usually bind longer antigenic peptides, which typically range from 13 to 25 amino acids in length. PFRs at both termini of these peptides participate in regulating the overall conformation of TCR-pMHC class II complexes and exert a pronounced effect on the geometric and physicochemical characteristics of the TCR-pMHC binding interface. Furthermore, within the TCR recognition interface, the complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) consist of segments that differ markedly in conformational behavior. They commonly include regions that are relatively rigid and structurally stable, together with highly flexible segments exhibiting substantial conformational plasticity. These rigidity-flexibility features constitute an essential structural basis enabling TCRs to recognize diverse peptide-MHC ligands and to accommodate conformational heterogeneity at the interface. However, many current modeling tools, in an effort to enforce global conformational stability or reduce structural noise, tend to over-constrain intrinsically flexible regions. Such oversimplification may lead to inappropriate rigidification of flexible CDR loops, resulting in local structural distortions, compromised interface geometry, or even complete modeling failure for specific complexes. Against this background, the review approaches the field from the perspective of computational differences between MHC-I and MHC-II complexes. We first systematically organize and summarize available resources related to TCRs and pMHCs, including structural datasets, sequence databases, prediction tools, and benchmarking studies. We then focus on five representative tools capable of predicting both class I and class II complexes—AlphaFold2, AlphaFold3, TCRmodel2, tFold-TCR, and TCR-pHLA_ModellerS. After excluding structures present in the training sets of these tools, we constructed a benchmark dataset comprising 25 class I and 10 class II TCR-pMHC complexes in the bound state and conducted a systematic evaluation using this dataset. We first employ widely used general evaluation metrics, including All-Atom Root Mean Square Deviation (All-Atom RMSD), Backbone RMSD, Template Modeling score (TM-score), and DockQ, to assess the global conformational accuracy and interface modeling quality of class I and class II complexes. For class II complexes, we propose for the first time a peptide flanking residue deviation index, including the PFRs-Deviation Index (PFRs-DI), N-PFR-Deviation Index (N-PFR-DI), and C-PFR-Deviation Index (C-PFR-DI), to quantitatively characterize conformational deviations in PFRs. In addition, we propose the CDR conformational consistency index (CCC) designed to qualitatively evaluate the ability of prediction tools to capture TCR CDR conformational flexibility. These metrics collectively assess a tool’s ability to model both overall conformation and critical functional regions, thereby addressing the limitations of existing evaluation criteria that overemphasize global structure while inadequately capturing modeling quality in key functional areas. This establishes a unified analytical framework for MHC-I and MHC-II complexes to guide data resource selection, modeling strategy formulation, and evaluation system development. The framework further advances computational modeling and provides crucial support for multi-scale analysis of TCR-pMHC recognition mechanisms and their biological functions.
4.A Computational Perspective on Differences Between MHC-I and MHC-II in TCR-pMHC Structure Prediction Resources: Review and Benchmarking
Xiao-Qin WU ; Da-Wei LIU ; Bin-Yu LI ; Yang LIU ; Yang CAO ; Wen-Tao DAI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1376-1399
The initiation of adaptive immune responses relies on the precise recognition and interpretation of antigenic information. In this process, the specific binding of T cell receptors (TCRs) to peptide-major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) molecules represents one of the key molecular events in the initiation of adaptive immune responses. Accordingly, the structural features of TCR-pMHC complexes provide a fundamental basis for dissecting antigen recognition mechanisms and support rational vaccine design, therapeutic target discovery in TCR-based immunotherapy, and TCR identification and optimization. However, experimental determination of TCR-pMHC structures remains costly, time-consuming, and limited in coverage, making computational approaches essential for rapidly obtaining reliable structural information. Computational methods for predicting the structures of TCR-pMHC complexes have advanced rapidly in recent years, driven by progress in deep learning-based modeling frameworks and the increasing availability of structural and sequence resources. Despite these developments, most existing tools do not adequately distinguish the key structural and biophysical differences between MHC class I (MHC-I) and MHC class II (MHC-II) complexes during model construction. As a consequence, their predictive performance differs substantially between class I and class II complexes. In general, structural predictions for class I complexes outperform those for class II complexes. This discrepancy may be related to several fundamental differences between the two systems, including the architecture of the peptide-binding groove, the distribution of peptide lengths, and the properties of peptide flanking residues (PFRs). Compared with MHC-I molecules, MHC-II molecules usually bind longer antigenic peptides, which typically range from 13 to 25 amino acids in length. PFRs at both termini of these peptides participate in regulating the overall conformation of TCR-pMHC class II complexes and exert a pronounced effect on the geometric and physicochemical characteristics of the TCR-pMHC binding interface. Furthermore, within the TCR recognition interface, the complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) consist of segments that differ markedly in conformational behavior. They commonly include regions that are relatively rigid and structurally stable, together with highly flexible segments exhibiting substantial conformational plasticity. These rigidity-flexibility features constitute an essential structural basis enabling TCRs to recognize diverse peptide-MHC ligands and to accommodate conformational heterogeneity at the interface. However, many current modeling tools, in an effort to enforce global conformational stability or reduce structural noise, tend to over-constrain intrinsically flexible regions. Such oversimplification may lead to inappropriate rigidification of flexible CDR loops, resulting in local structural distortions, compromised interface geometry, or even complete modeling failure for specific complexes. Against this background, the review approaches the field from the perspective of computational differences between MHC-I and MHC-II complexes. We first systematically organize and summarize available resources related to TCRs and pMHCs, including structural datasets, sequence databases, prediction tools, and benchmarking studies. We then focus on five representative tools capable of predicting both class I and class II complexes—AlphaFold2, AlphaFold3, TCRmodel2, tFold-TCR, and TCR-pHLA_ModellerS. After excluding structures present in the training sets of these tools, we constructed a benchmark dataset comprising 25 class I and 10 class II TCR-pMHC complexes in the bound state and conducted a systematic evaluation using this dataset. We first employ widely used general evaluation metrics, including All-Atom Root Mean Square Deviation (All-Atom RMSD), Backbone RMSD, Template Modeling score (TM-score), and DockQ, to assess the global conformational accuracy and interface modeling quality of class I and class II complexes. For class II complexes, we propose for the first time a peptide flanking residue deviation index, including the PFRs-Deviation Index (PFRs-DI), N-PFR-Deviation Index (N-PFR-DI), and C-PFR-Deviation Index (C-PFR-DI), to quantitatively characterize conformational deviations in PFRs. In addition, we propose the CDR conformational consistency index (CCC) designed to qualitatively evaluate the ability of prediction tools to capture TCR CDR conformational flexibility. These metrics collectively assess a tool’s ability to model both overall conformation and critical functional regions, thereby addressing the limitations of existing evaluation criteria that overemphasize global structure while inadequately capturing modeling quality in key functional areas. This establishes a unified analytical framework for MHC-I and MHC-II complexes to guide data resource selection, modeling strategy formulation, and evaluation system development. The framework further advances computational modeling and provides crucial support for multi-scale analysis of TCR-pMHC recognition mechanisms and their biological functions.
5.Dual Targeting of TBK1 and JAK-STAT1 Pathways by (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate Suppresses Type I Interferon-driven Inflammation
Liang LI ; Qi-Huan SHENG ; Huan LIU ; Wen-Hao YANG ; Jia-Lin SHI ; Ying-Jie SUN ; Rui JING ; Wei-Hua MAI ; Zhi-Min LI ; Xiao-Li XIE
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(7):1969-1983
ObjectiveType I interferon (IFN-I) signaling is essential for antiviral innate immunity, yet its sustained or excessive activation contributes to the pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases and interferonopathies, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and Aicardi-Goutières syndrome. Current strategies targeting this pathway, exemplified by JAK inhibitors, act mainly on downstream signal transduction and provide limited direct control over upstream IFN-I production, while also carrying the risk of broad immunosuppression. Phyllanthus emblica L. has long been used in traditional medicine for inflammatory disorders, but the bioactive constituent responsible for its regulation of IFN-I signaling and the underlying molecular mechanism have not been clearly defined. This study aimed to identify the active anti-inflammatory component of P. emblica and to characterize its mechanism of action on the IFN-I pathway in macrophages. MethodsActive components ofP. emblica and their candidate targets were screened by network pharmacology using the TCMSP and DrugBank databases (oral bioavailability≥30%, drug-likeness≥0.18) and intersected with inflammation-related genes retrieved from public databases. The predicted interaction between EGCG and IFN-I pathway proteins (TBK1, IRF3, STAT1) was evaluated by molecular docking, with BX795 and GSK8612 used as reference TBK1 inhibitors. Mechanistic experiments were performed in THP-1-derived macrophages and primary bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM). Upstream signaling was activated by transfection of the nucleic acid analogs poly(I∶C) and poly(dA∶dT) or by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, whereas downstream signaling was activated by exogenous IFN-β. An siRNA-mediated TREX1 knockdown model was used to mimic endogenous nucleic acid-driven interferonopathy. Expression of IFN-β1 and interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) was measured by RT-qPCR, protein phosphorylation by Western blot, and IFN-β secretion by ELISA. Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) and drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) were used to probe the interactionbetween EGCG and IRF3. ResultsNetwork pharmacology identified (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) as a candidate IFN-I-suppressive constituent of P. emblica, with predicted binding to TBK1, IRF3, and STAT1. Molecular docking yielded binding energies of -9.2, -7.2, and -8.2 kcal/mol for TBK1, IRF3, and STAT1, respectively, indicating an affinity for TBK1 comparable to that of the reference inhibitors BX795 (-5.7 kcal/mol) and GSK8612 (-6.4 kcal/mol). EGCG suppressed IFN-β1 and ISG mRNA expression under poly (I∶C), poly (dA∶dT), and LPS stimulation in both THP-1 macrophages and BMDM. At the protein level, EGCG reduced the phosphorylation of TBK1 and IRF3 without affecting the levels of the upstream sensors cGAS and RIG-I, and lowered IFN-β secretion in a concentration-dependent manner. CETSA and DARTS showed that EGCG did not enhance the thermal stability or protease resistance of IRF3, indicating that its effect on IRF3 is indirect. Following IFN-β stimulation, prolonged EGCG treatment reduced STAT1 phosphorylation in a time-dependent manner without an apparent change in IRF9, and partially attenuated ISG transcription; this effect was not monotonicly concentration-dependent, and CXCL10 showed the most consistent suppression. In TREX1-knockdown cells, the elevated mRNA levels of ISG15, ISG56, and CXCL10 were reduced by EGCG. ConclusionEGCG suppresses IFN-I responses by concurrently inhibiting TBK1-IRF3-dependent IFN‑β production and JAK-STAT1-mediated downstream transcription. These in vitro findings provide a mechanistic basis for the anti-inflammatory use of P. emblica in traditional medicine and identify EGCG as a candidate for further evaluation in interferon-driven autoimmune disease models.
6.Rapid Identification of Different Parts of Nardostachys jatamansi Based on HS-SPME-GC-MS and Ultra-fast Gas Phase Electronic Nose
Tao WANG ; Xiaoqin ZHAO ; Yang WEN ; Momeimei QU ; Min LI ; Jing WEI ; Xiaoming BAO ; Ying LI ; Yuan LIU ; Xiao LUO ; Wenbing LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(2):182-191
ObjectiveTo establish a model that can quickly identify the aroma components in different parts of Nardostachys jatamansi, so as to provide a quality control basis for the market circulation and clinical use of N. jatamansi. MethodsHeadspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(HS-SPME-GC-MS) combined with Smart aroma database and National Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST) database were used to characterize the aroma components in different parts of N. jatamansi, and the aroma components were quantified according to relative response factor(RRF) and three internal standards, and the markers of aroma differences in different parts of N. jatamansi were identified by orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) and cluster thermal analysis based on variable importance in the projection(VIP) value >1 and P<0.01. The odor data of different parts of N. jatamansi were collected by Heracles Ⅱ Neo ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose, and the correlation between compound types of aroma components collected by the ultra-fast gas phase electronic nose and the detection results of HS-SPME-GC-MS was investigated by drawing odor fingerprints and odor response radargrams. Chromatographic peak information with distinguishing ability≥0.700 and peak area≥200 was selected as sensor data, and the rapid identification model of different parts of N. jatamansi was established by principal component analysis(PCA), discriminant factor alysis(DFA), soft independent modeling of class analogies(SIMCA) and statistical quality control analysis(SQCA). ResultsThe HS-SPME-GC-MS results showed that there were 28 common components in the underground and aboveground parts of N. jatamansi, of which 22 could be quantified and 12 significantly different components were screened out. Among these 12 components, the contents of five components(ethyl isovalerate, 2-pentylfuran, benzyl alcohol, nonanal and glacial acetic acid,) in the aboveground part of N. jatamansi were significantly higher than those in the underground part(P<0.01), the contents of β-ionone, patchouli alcohol, α-caryophyllene, linalyl butyrate, valencene, 1,8-cineole and p-cymene in the underground part of N. jatamansi were significantly higher than those in the aboveground part(P<0.01). Heracles Ⅱ Neo electronic nose results showed that the PCA discrimination index of the underground and aboveground parts of N. jatamansi was 82, and the contribution rates of the principal component factors were 99.94% and 99.89% when 2 and 3 principal components were extracted, respectively. The contribution rate of the discriminant factor 1 of the DFA model constructed on the basis of PCA was 100%, the validation score of the SIMCA model for discrimination of the two parts was 99, and SQCA could clearly distinguish different parts of N. jatamansi. ConclusionHS-SPME-GC-MS can clarify the differential markers of underground and aboveground parts of N. jatamansi. The four analytical models provided by Heracles Ⅱ Neo electronic nose(PCA, DFA, SIMCA and SQCA) can realize the rapid identification of different parts of N. jatamansi. Combining the two results, it is speculated that terpenes and carboxylic acids may be the main factors contributing to the difference in aroma between the underground and aboveground parts of N. jatamansi.
7.Clinical Study on the Treatment of 70 Cases Chronic Atrophic Gastritis with Intestinal Metaplasia Using Xianglian Huazhuo Granules (香连化浊颗粒):A Randomized,Double-Blind,Placebo-Controlled Trial
Ziyu LI ; Maopeng ZHANG ; Wen ZHAO ; Wei LI ; Shiyun SHENG ; Haiyan BAI ; Qian YANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(5):473-479
ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy and possible mechanisms of Xianglian Huazhuo Granules (香连化浊颗粒, XHG) in the treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia. MethodsA total of 140 patients with chronic atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group, with 70 cases in each group. The treatment group received 12.5 g of XHG orally, twice daily. The control group received 12.5 g of placebo orally, twice daily. Both groups were treated for 6 months. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptom scores, pathological types, serum tumor markers of the digestive system, and serum bile acids (TBA), interleukin-23 (IL-23), and Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK-1) levels were observed before and after treatment. Safety indicators and adverse events were recorded. After treatment, TCM syndrome efficacy and pathological types were evaluated, and patients were followed up for 18 months with gastric endoscopy and pathological results, which were compared with the results after treatment finished. ResultsTwo patients dropped out in the control group, and a total of 168 cases were included in the final analysis, 70 in the treatment group and 68 in the control group. The treatment group showed a significant reduction in TCM symptom scores, serum TBA, IL-23, and DKK-1 levels, and a significant increase in alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199) levels; in the control group, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), CA125, CA199 levels significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01); and carbohydrate antigen 242 (CA242) level in both the treatment group and the control group decreased significantly (P<0.01). The treatment group had lower TCM symptom scores and lower levels of serum TBA, IL-23, and DKK-1 compared to the control group (P<0.05). The effective rate for TCM syndrome efficacy in the treatment group was 80.00% (56/70), significantly higher than the 20.59% (14/68) in the control group (P < 0.05). The effective rate for pathological classification in the treatment group was 72.73% (8/11) for mixed intestinal metaplasia, significantly better than 46.15% (6/13) in the control group (P<0.05). No adverse events were reported in either group. Among 40 patients who had a follow-up endoscopy after one year, 21 were from the treatment group, of whom 11 showed reduced intestinal metaplasia, 9 showed no significant changes, and 1 had worsened; while 19 patients in the control group had 4 with reduced intestinal metaplasia, 13 with no significant changes, and 2 with worsened conditions. No cancer was detected in either group. The treatment group showed significantly better improvement in intestinal metaplasia on follow-up gastric endoscopy pathology than the control group (P<0.05). ConclusionXHG can significantly improve the clinical symptoms in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia and reduce the degree of mixed intestinal metaplasia. The mechanism may involve lowering serum TBA, DKK-1, and IL-23 levles, thus delaying the progression from inflammation to cancer.
8.A new classification of atlas fracture based on computed tomography: reliability, reproducibility, and preliminary clinical significance
Yun-lin CHEN ; Wei-yu JIANG ; Wen-jie LU ; Xu-dong HU ; Yang WANG ; Wei-hu MA
Asian Spine Journal 2025;19(1):3-9
Methods:
Seventy-five patients with atlas fracture were included from January 2015 to December 2020. Based on the anatomy of the fracture line, atlas fractures were divided into three types. Each type was divided into two subtypes according to the fracture displacement. Unweighted Cohen kappa coefficients were applied to evaluate the reliability and reproducibility.
Results:
According to the new classification, 17 cases of type A1, 12 of type A2, seven of type B1, 13 of type B2, 12 of type C1, and 14 of type C2 were identified. The K-values of the interobserver and intraobserver reliability were 0.846 and 0.912, respectively, for the new classification. The K-values of interobserver reliability for types A, B, and C were 0.843, 0.799, and 0.898, respectively. The K-values of intraobserver reliability for types A, B, and C were 0.888, 0.910, and 0.935, respectively. The mean K-values of the interobserver and intraobserver reliability for subtypes were 0.687 and 0.829, respectively.
Conclusions
The new classification of atlas fractures can cover nearly all atlas fractures. This system is the first to evaluate the severity of fractures based on the C1 articular facet and fracture displacement and strengthen the anatomy ring of the atlas. It is concise, easy to remember, reliable, and reproducible.
9.Clinical Observation of Modified Zhigancao Tang in Treating Patients with Liver and Kidney Deficiency of Parkinson's Disease and Its Effect on Neuronal Signal-related Proteins
Yifo WEI ; Furong LYU ; Jia YAO ; Guonian LI ; Xianyi LUO ; Meng LUO ; Zhengzheng WEN ; Qiuqi LI ; Yihan LIU ; Linlin YANG ; Rui ZUO ; Wenxin DANG ; Fang MI ; Xiaoyan WANG ; Zhigang CHEN ; Fan LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):166-173
ObjectiveMicrotube associated protein-2 (MAP-2), alpha-tubulin (α-tubulin), and synaptophysin (SYP) are important proteins in neuronal signal communication. This paper observed the effects of modified Zhigancao Tang on the expression of serum α-Synuclein (α-Syn) and its oligomers, MAP-2, α-tubulin, and SYP of patients with liver and kidney deficiency of Parkinson's disease (PD), analyzed their correlation, and evaluated the therapeutic effect of modified Zhigancao Tang in patients with liver and kidney deficiency of PD based on α-Syn transmission pathway mediated by neuronal communication in vivo. MethodsA total of 60 patients with PD who met the inclusion criteria were randomly divided into a treatment group (30 cases) and a control group (30 cases). Both groups were treated on the basis of PD medicine, and the treatment group was treated with modified Zhigancao Tang. Both groups were treated for 12 weeks. The changes in UPDRS score, TCM syndrome score, and expression of serum α-Syn and its oligomers, MAP-2, α-tubulin, and SYP were observed before and after 12 weeks of treatment in each group. The correlation between the above-mentioned serum biological indexes and the levels of serum α-Syn and its oligomers was analyzed. ResultsAfter treatment, the TCM syndrome score, UPDRS score, UPDRS-Ⅱ score, and UPDRS-Ⅲ score of the treatment group were significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). The UPDRS score, UPDRS-Ⅱ score, and UPDRS-Ⅲ scores in the treatment group were significantly decreased compared with those in the control group after treatment (P<0.05). After treatment, the total effective rate of the control group was 63.3% (19/30), and that of the treatment group was 86.7% (26/30). The clinical effect of the observation group was better than the control group (Z=-2.03, P<0.05). The total effective rate of the observation group was better than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=5.136, P<0.05). After treatment, the oligomer level of serum α-Syn and MAP-2 level in the treatment group were significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). The levels of serum α-Syn and its oligomers, as well as α-tubulin in the treatment group, were significantly decreased compared with those in the control group after treatment (P<0.05, P<0.01). Serum α-Syn was correlated with serum MAP-2 and α-Syn oligomer in patients with PD (P<0.05, P<0.01) but not correlated with serum SYP . Serum α-Syn oligomers of patients with PD were correlated with serum MAP-2 and α-tubulin (P<0.05, P<0.01) but not correlated with serum SYP level. Serum SYP of patients with PD was correlated with serum MAP-2 (P<0.05). ConclusionModified Zhigancao Tang has a therapeutic effect on patients with liver and kidney deficiency of PD by inhibiting the production of α-Syn oligomers and intervening α-Syn microtubule transport pathway in vivo.
10.Validation of retinoblastoma mouse model based on fluorescence imaging technology
Cailing DAI ; Wei YANG ; Limei WANG ; Jinlong DAI ; Yuying WEN ; Jianmin GUO
International Eye Science 2025;25(5):706-713
AIM: To provide references for the non-clinical evaluation of therapeutic targets or drugs for retinoblastoma, fluorescently labeled Y79 cells are injected into the vitreous body of BALB/c-nu mice to establish a retinoblastoma model, and the Melphalan treatment group is used as a positive control, which is verified by fluorescence imaging technology.METHODS: BALB/c-nu mice were intravitreous injected with GFP transfected Y79 cells(1.0×107 cell/mL, 3 μL)to establish the model. On the 27th day, the mice were randomly divided into model control group and different doses of Melphalan groups(1, 3, 10 μg/eye groups)according to the fluorescence value of in vivo imaging, with vitreous body single administrated and ocular symptoms observed daily. Slit-lamp examination was performed at 12, 20, 29, 35, 42, 48, 55, 76, and 83 d after modeling. In vivo imaging was performed on 12, 20, 27, 41, 48, 55, 62, 69, 76, and 83 d. At the last treatment, the eyeball, brain and cerebellum tissues were removed for histopathological examination.RESULTS: From the sixth day of modeling, cloud-like substances could be seen in the eyes of the animals, and the cloud-like substances occupied the whole eyeball of the mice in the model control group at the later stage, accompanied by irregular growth of blood vessels. After 27 days of modeling, the fluorescence value was detected in all the animals, and the fluorescence value continued to increase with the extension of modeling time. The fluorescence value of the tumor reached the peak after 69-83 days of modeling. Histological examination showed severe proliferation of intraocular tumor cells in the model control group, and tumor cells were observed in the brain of 1 model animal. In the 10 μg/eye Melphalan group, the fluorescence value was significantly decreased at 17 d after administration. The fluorescence value of the 3 μg/eye Melphalan group was significantly inhibited at 59 d after administration. No tumor cells were found in the brain tissue of animals in all Melphalan groups.CONCLUSION: After vitreous injection of Y79/pCDH-LUC-copGFP cells in BALB/c-nu mice, significant ocular lesions and proliferation of tumor cells were observed in the eyes. Meanwhile, Melphalan intervention significantly inhibited tumor cells in a dose-dependent manner, indicating that the mouse model of retinoblastoma was successfully constructed.

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