1.Therapeutic effects of focused ultrasound and ATP-infrared bioeffect on non-neoplastic vulvar intraepithelial lesions
Shu-xian FENG ; Ying-fang DOU ; Hong-ni XIAO ; Ling LIU
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2025;46(6):59-64
Objective To investigate the therapeutic effects of focused ultrasound and ATP-infrared bioeffect for non-neoplastic epithelial disorders of the vulva(NNEDV),aiming to provide references for the clinical study and selection of individualized treatment plans of NNEDV patients.Methods The clinical data of 278 NNEDV patients attending the gynecology department of some hospital from May 2020 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed,who were divided into an observation group receiving focused ultrasound treatment and a control group receiving ATP-infrared bioeffect treatment with the single random grouping mmethod.The observation group enrolled in 143 patients including 84 cases of lichen simplex chronicus(LSC)and 59 cases of vulvar lichen sclerosus(VLS),and the control group had 135 patients including 71 LSC cases and 64 VLS cases.Comparisons were carried out in terms of the therapeutic effect and safety in the two groups,the efficacy for LSC and VLS between and within the two groups,and the clinical symptom scores and the quality of life scores before and after treatment of the two groups.SPSS 23.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results The two groups had no significant differences in response rate and recurrence rate(P>0.05),while the observation group had the cure rate higher and the complication rate higher than those of the control group(P<0.05).In the observation group,the overall response rates for LSC and VLS were not significantly different(P>0.05);in the control group,the overall response rate for LSC was higher than that for VLS significantly(P<0.05).The cure rate for LSC in the observation group was higher than that in the control group,with the differences being statistically significant(P<0.05);the two groups had no significant differences in the cure rate for VLS(P>0.05).The two groups had significant differences in the skin color socre,vitiligo area scoring index and skin elasticity one month,three months and six months after treatment(P<0.05),with the differences being statistically significant in the tissue structure score three months and six months after treatment(P<0.05);there were no significant differences found between the two groups in the pruritus score one month,three months and six months after treatment and in tissue structure score one month after treatment(P>0.05).In the two groups the differences were all statistically significant in the quality of life score three and six months after treatment(P<0.05);the two groups had significant differences in the quality of life score before and after treatment(P>0.05).Conclusion Focused ultrasound and ATP-infrared bioeffect are both effective for NNEDV.Focused ultrasound gains advantages in restoring the color and tissue structure of vulvar skin,and the physical therapy is the first choice for NNEDV that has failed drug therapy and risks for recurrence and canceration;ATP-infrared bioeffect with a low complication rate can be used for the patients with mild symptoms,cracked skin inflammation or those unable to tolerate ultrasound.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(6):59-64]
2.Expert Consensus on the Ethical Requirements for Generative AI-Assisted Academic Writing
You-Quan BU ; Yong-Fu CAO ; Zeng-Yi CHANG ; Hong-Yu CHEN ; Xiao-Wei CHEN ; Yuan-Yuan CHEN ; Zhu-Cheng CHEN ; Rui DENG ; Jie DING ; Zhong-Kai FAN ; Guo-Quan GAO ; Xu GAO ; Lan HU ; Xiao-Qing HU ; Hong-Ti JIA ; Ying KONG ; En-Min LI ; Ling LI ; Yu-Hua LI ; Jun-Rong LIU ; Zhi-Qiang LIU ; Ya-Ping LUO ; Xue-Mei LV ; Yan-Xi PEI ; Xiao-Zhong PENG ; Qi-Qun TANG ; You WAN ; Yong WANG ; Ming-Xu WANG ; Xian WANG ; Guang-Kuan XIE ; Jun XIE ; Xiao-Hua YAN ; Mei YIN ; Zhong-Shan YU ; Chun-Yan ZHOU ; Rui-Fang ZHU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(6):826-832
With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence(GAI)technologies,their widespread application in academic research and writing is continuously expanding the boundaries of sci-entific inquiry.However,this trend has also raised a series of ethical and regulatory challenges,inclu-ding issues related to authorship,content authenticity,citation accuracy,and accountability.In light of the growing involvement of AI in generating academic content,establishing an open,controllable,and trustworthy ethical governance framework has become a key task for safeguarding research integrity and maintaining trust within the academic community.This expert consensus outlines ethical requirements across key stages of AI-assisted academic writing-including topic selection,data management,citation practices,and authorship attribution.It aims to clarify the boundaries and ethical obligations surrounding AI use in academic writing,ensuring that technological tools enhance efficiency without compromising in-tegrity.The goal is to provide guidance and institutional support for building a responsible and sustainable research ecosystem.
3.Current status of generalized pustular psoriasis: Findings from a multicenter hospital-based survey of 127 Chinese patients.
Haimeng WANG ; Jiaming XU ; Xiaoling YU ; Siyu HAO ; Xueqin CHEN ; Bin PENG ; Xiaona LI ; Ping WANG ; Chaoyang MIAO ; Jinzhu GUO ; Qingjie HU ; Zhonglan SU ; Sheng WANG ; Chen YU ; Qingmiao SUN ; Minkuo ZHANG ; Bin YANG ; Yuzhen LI ; Zhiqiang SONG ; Songmei GENG ; Aijun CHEN ; Zigang XU ; Chunlei ZHANG ; Qianjin LU ; Yan LU ; Xian JIANG ; Gang WANG ; Hong FANG ; Qing SUN ; Jie LIU ; Hongzhong JIN
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(8):953-961
BACKGROUND:
Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP), a rare and recurrent autoinflammatory disease, imposes a substantial burden on patients and society. Awareness of GPP in China remains limited.
METHODS:
This cross-sectional survey, conducted between September 2021 and May 2023 across 14 hospitals in China, included GPP patients of all ages and disease phases. Data collected encompassed demographics, clinical characteristics, economic impact, disease severity, quality of life, and treatment-related complications. Risk factors for GPP recurrence were analyzed.
RESULTS:
Among 127 patients (female/male ratio = 1.35:1), the mean age of disease onset was 25 years (1st quartile [Q1]-3rd quartile [Q3]: 11-44 years); 29.2% had experienced GPP for more than 10 years. Recurrence occurred in 75.6% of patients, and nearly half reported no identifiable triggers. Younger age at disease onset ( P = 0.021) and transitioning to plaque psoriasis ( P = 0.022) were associated with higher recurrence rates. The median diagnostic delay was 8 months (Q1-Q3: 2-41 months), and 32.3% of patients reported misdiagnoses. Comorbidities were present in 53.5% of patients, whereas 51.1% experienced systemic complications during treatment. Depression and anxiety affected 84.5% and 95.6% of patients, respectively. During GPP flares, the median Dermatology Life Quality Index score was 19.0 (Q1-Q3: 13.0-23.5). This score showed significant differences between patients with and without systemic symptoms; it demonstrated correlations with both depression and anxiety scores. Treatment costs caused financial hardship in 55.9% of patients, underscoring the burden associated with GPP.
CONCLUSIONS
The substantial disease and economic burdens among Chinese GPP patients warrant increased attention. Patients with early onset disease and those transitioning to plaque psoriasis require targeted interventions to mitigate the high recurrence risk.
Humans
;
Male
;
Female
;
Psoriasis/pathology*
;
Adult
;
Cross-Sectional Studies
;
Adolescent
;
Child
;
Young Adult
;
Quality of Life
;
Middle Aged
;
China/epidemiology*
;
Recurrence
;
Risk Factors
;
Surveys and Questionnaires
;
East Asian People
4.Clinical characteristics and prognosis of chronic disseminated candidiasis in children with acute leukemia following chemotherapy: a multicenter clinical study.
Xin-Hong JIANG ; Pei-Jun LIU ; Chun-Ping WU ; Kai-Zhi WENG ; Shu-Quan ZHUANG ; Shu-Xian HUANG ; Xiao-Fang WANG ; Yong-Zhi ZHENG
Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics 2025;27(5):540-547
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of chronic disseminated candidiasis (CDC) in children with acute leukemia (AL) following chemotherapy.
METHODS:
A retrospective analysis was conducted on children diagnosed with CDC (including confirmed, clinically diagnosed, and suspected cases) after AL chemotherapy from January 2015 to December 2023 at Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Zhangzhou Municipal Hospital, and Quanzhou First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University. Clinical characteristics and prognosis were analyzed.
RESULTS:
The incidence of CDC in children with AL following chemotherapy was 1.92% (32/1 668). Among the children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the incidence of CDC in the high-risk group was significantly higher than in the low-risk group (P=0.002). All patients presented with fever unresponsive to antibiotics during the neutropenic period, with 81% (26/32) involving the liver. C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were significantly elevated (≥50 mg/L) in 97% (31/32) of the patients. The efficacy of combined therapy with liposomal amphotericin B and caspofungin or posaconazole for CDC was 66% (19/29), higher than with caspofungin (9%, 2/22) or liposomal amphotericin B (18%, 2/11) monotherapy. The overall cure rate was 72% (23/32). The proportion of patients with CRP ≥50 mg/L and/or a positive β-D-glucan test for more than 2 weeks and breakthrough infections during caspofungin treatment was significantly higher in the treatment failure group compared to the successful treatment group (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
CDC in children with AL after chemotherapy may be associated with prolonged neutropenia due to intensive chemotherapy. Combination antifungal regimens based on liposomal amphotericin B have a higher cure rate, while persistently high CRP levels and positive β-D-glucan tests may indicate poor prognosis.
Adolescent
;
Child
;
Child, Preschool
;
Female
;
Humans
;
Infant
;
Male
;
Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use*
;
Candidiasis/diagnosis*
;
Chronic Disease
;
Leukemia/complications*
;
Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/complications*
;
Prognosis
;
Retrospective Studies
5.Construction of a postoperative mortality risk model for patients with acute aortic dissection based on XGBoost-SHAP method
Xin ZHANG ; Min FANG ; Yi CAO ; Ting-Ting LI ; Xian-Kong LIU ; Jia-Yi DANG ; Xue-Sen ZHAO ; Hong-Qin REN ; Jia-Ze GENG ; Kai-Wen WANG ; Tie-Sheng HAN ; Yong-Bo ZHAO ; Dong MA
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army 2025;50(10):1226-1234
Objective To develop a predictive model for postoperative mortality risk in patients with acute aortic dissection(AAD)using the Extreme Gradient Boosting(XGBoost)algorithm combined with Shapley Additive Explanation(SHAP),and to establish a prediction website to serve as a diagnostic and therapeutic support platform for clinicians and patients.Methods A retrospective cohort study design was adopted.Data from 782 AAD patients who underwent surgical treatment at the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2013 to December 2023 were collected,including basic information and initial serum biomarker test results.Patients were randomly divided into training and test sets at a 7:3 ratio.An external validation set consisting of 313 AAD patients admitted to the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2020 to December 2023 was also established for further model validation.Variables were screened using LASSO regression,and an XGBoost machine learning model was constructed and interpreted using SHAP.The predictive performance of the model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis.Using the Shiny package,the XGBoost model was deployed to shinyapps.io to create a prediction website for postoperative mortality risk in AAD patients.One patient was selected by simple random sampling from the test set and the external validation set respectively for the prediction example on the Shiny webpage.Results The XGBoost model demonstrated high predictive performance for postoperative mortality in AAD patients,with area under the ROC curve(AUC)values of 0.928(95%CI 0.901-0.956)in the training set,0.919(95%CI 0.891-0.949)in the test set,and 0.941(95%CI 0.915-0.967)in the external validation set.SHAP values indicated the following order of variable importance in the model(from highest to lowest):"lactate dehydrogenase""blood chlorine""multiple organ injury""carbon dioxide combining power""prothrombin time""α-hydroxybutyric acid""creatine kinase isoenzyme""Stanford classification""combined use of bedside blood purification""gender""acute kidney injury""gastrointestinal bleeding""brain injury"and"shock".A risk prediction website for adverse postoperative outcomes in AAD patients was developed using XGBoost-SHAP method(https://dun-dunxiaolu.shinyapps.io/document/)and validated with examples.One randomly selected patient from each of the test and external validation sets was applied:the predicted mortality risk value for patient 1(who died postoperatively)was 0.9539,and that for patient 2(who survived postoperatively)was 0.0206.Conclusions The XGBoost-SHAP model demonstrates high accuracy in predicting postoperative mortality risk for AAD patients.The online prediction tool established based on this model enhances the identification efficiency of high-risk postoperative mortality patients.
6.Expert Consensus on the Ethical Requirements for Generative AI-Assisted Academic Writing
You-Quan BU ; Yong-Fu CAO ; Zeng-Yi CHANG ; Hong-Yu CHEN ; Xiao-Wei CHEN ; Yuan-Yuan CHEN ; Zhu-Cheng CHEN ; Rui DENG ; Jie DING ; Zhong-Kai FAN ; Guo-Quan GAO ; Xu GAO ; Lan HU ; Xiao-Qing HU ; Hong-Ti JIA ; Ying KONG ; En-Min LI ; Ling LI ; Yu-Hua LI ; Jun-Rong LIU ; Zhi-Qiang LIU ; Ya-Ping LUO ; Xue-Mei LV ; Yan-Xi PEI ; Xiao-Zhong PENG ; Qi-Qun TANG ; You WAN ; Yong WANG ; Ming-Xu WANG ; Xian WANG ; Guang-Kuan XIE ; Jun XIE ; Xiao-Hua YAN ; Mei YIN ; Zhong-Shan YU ; Chun-Yan ZHOU ; Rui-Fang ZHU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(6):826-832
With the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence(GAI)technologies,their widespread application in academic research and writing is continuously expanding the boundaries of sci-entific inquiry.However,this trend has also raised a series of ethical and regulatory challenges,inclu-ding issues related to authorship,content authenticity,citation accuracy,and accountability.In light of the growing involvement of AI in generating academic content,establishing an open,controllable,and trustworthy ethical governance framework has become a key task for safeguarding research integrity and maintaining trust within the academic community.This expert consensus outlines ethical requirements across key stages of AI-assisted academic writing-including topic selection,data management,citation practices,and authorship attribution.It aims to clarify the boundaries and ethical obligations surrounding AI use in academic writing,ensuring that technological tools enhance efficiency without compromising in-tegrity.The goal is to provide guidance and institutional support for building a responsible and sustainable research ecosystem.
7.Therapeutic effects of focused ultrasound and ATP-infrared bioeffect on non-neoplastic vulvar intraepithelial lesions
Shu-xian FENG ; Ying-fang DOU ; Hong-ni XIAO ; Ling LIU
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2025;46(6):59-64
Objective To investigate the therapeutic effects of focused ultrasound and ATP-infrared bioeffect for non-neoplastic epithelial disorders of the vulva(NNEDV),aiming to provide references for the clinical study and selection of individualized treatment plans of NNEDV patients.Methods The clinical data of 278 NNEDV patients attending the gynecology department of some hospital from May 2020 to December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed,who were divided into an observation group receiving focused ultrasound treatment and a control group receiving ATP-infrared bioeffect treatment with the single random grouping mmethod.The observation group enrolled in 143 patients including 84 cases of lichen simplex chronicus(LSC)and 59 cases of vulvar lichen sclerosus(VLS),and the control group had 135 patients including 71 LSC cases and 64 VLS cases.Comparisons were carried out in terms of the therapeutic effect and safety in the two groups,the efficacy for LSC and VLS between and within the two groups,and the clinical symptom scores and the quality of life scores before and after treatment of the two groups.SPSS 23.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results The two groups had no significant differences in response rate and recurrence rate(P>0.05),while the observation group had the cure rate higher and the complication rate higher than those of the control group(P<0.05).In the observation group,the overall response rates for LSC and VLS were not significantly different(P>0.05);in the control group,the overall response rate for LSC was higher than that for VLS significantly(P<0.05).The cure rate for LSC in the observation group was higher than that in the control group,with the differences being statistically significant(P<0.05);the two groups had no significant differences in the cure rate for VLS(P>0.05).The two groups had significant differences in the skin color socre,vitiligo area scoring index and skin elasticity one month,three months and six months after treatment(P<0.05),with the differences being statistically significant in the tissue structure score three months and six months after treatment(P<0.05);there were no significant differences found between the two groups in the pruritus score one month,three months and six months after treatment and in tissue structure score one month after treatment(P>0.05).In the two groups the differences were all statistically significant in the quality of life score three and six months after treatment(P<0.05);the two groups had significant differences in the quality of life score before and after treatment(P>0.05).Conclusion Focused ultrasound and ATP-infrared bioeffect are both effective for NNEDV.Focused ultrasound gains advantages in restoring the color and tissue structure of vulvar skin,and the physical therapy is the first choice for NNEDV that has failed drug therapy and risks for recurrence and canceration;ATP-infrared bioeffect with a low complication rate can be used for the patients with mild symptoms,cracked skin inflammation or those unable to tolerate ultrasound.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(6):59-64]
8.Study on the Distribution of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndromes in Patients with Type 2 Diabetic Retinopathy and Its Correlation with Serum Inflammatory Factors and Adiponectin Levels
Hong-Yun WU ; Zhen-Xuan YUAN ; Fang CHEN ; Wei YE ; Li-Qun HU ; Xian-Zhong ZENG ; Zhe XU
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;41(6):1371-1379
Objective To investigate the distribution of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndromes in patients with type 2 diabetic retinopathy(T2DR)and to explore the correlation of TCM syndromes with serum inflammatory factors and adiponectin(APN)levels,so as to provide evidence for TCM syndrome differentiation of T2DR.Methods A cross-sectional case-control study was conducted in 42 patients(involving 84 eyes)diagnosed as T2DR in the Department of Ophthalmology,Ganzhou People's Hospital from September 2022 to March 2023.The correlation between fundus fluorescein angiography(FFA)staging and TCM syndrome differentiation in patients with T2DR was explored.The relationship between TCM syndrome types and serum levels of inflammatory factors and APN,as well as the differences in serum inflammatory factors and APN levels of the patients with various FFA stages were analyzed.The correlation between each variable and TCM syndrome types in patients with T2DR was investigated.Results(1)Among the 42 patients with T2DR,27 cases were male and 15 cases were female,and their age averaged(54.0±12.0)years old.Among them,14 cases(33.3%)were differentiated as liver-kidney deficiency with malnutrition of eye collateral syndrome,15 cases(35.7%)were differentiated as yin-essence deficiency with internal dry-heat syndrome,9 cases(21.4%)were differentiated as qi-yin deficiency with collateral stasis and obstruction syndrome,4 cases(9.5%)were differentiated as yin-yang deficiency with blood stasis and phlegm coagulation syndrome,and none case(0.0%)was differentiated as spleen dysfunction and water-damp obstruction syndrome.(2)FFA staging showed that FFA staging ≥ 4[i.e.,having proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR)]was found in 78.6%(11/14)of the patients with liver-kidney deficiency with malnutrition of eye collaterals syndrome,73.3%(11/15)of the patients with yin-essence deficiency with internal dry-heat syndrome,100%(9/9)of the patients with qi-yin deficiency with collateral stasis and obstruction syndrome,and 100%(4/4)of the patients with yin-yang deficiency with blood stasis and phlegm coagulation syndrome.But the intergroup comparison showed no significant differences among various syndrome types(P=0.272).(3)Among the 42 patients with T2DR,35 patients(83.3%)had higher level of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),28 patients(68.3%)had higher level of C-reactive protein(CRP)and 38 patients(90.5%)had higher level of glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c)than the normal.However,there was no significant difference in the levels of serum inflammatory factors of TNF-α,CRP,interleukin-6(IL-6)and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),APN and HbA1c among the patients with different FFA stages(P>0.05),neither did the difference in serum APN,TNF-α,CRP,IL-6 and VEGF levels among the patients with different TCM syndrome types(P>0.05).(4)The correlation analysis showed that the patients with yin-yang deficiency with blood stasis and phlegm coagulation syndrome had a shorter course of eye diseases than the patients with liver-kidney deficiency with malnutrition of eye collaterals syndrome(r=-0.467,P=0.051),had higher CRP level than the patients with yin-essence deficiency with internal dry-heat syndrome(r=0.592,P=0.010),and had higher CRP level(r=0.668,P=0.013)and a longer course of diabetes(r=0.629,P=0.021)than the patients with qi-yin deficiency with collateral stasis and obstruction syndrome.Conclusion Increased serum TNF-α and CRP expressions are presented in the patients with T2DR.Liver-kidney deficiency with malnutrition of eye collaterals syndrome and yin-essence deficiency with internal dry-heat syndrome are the common syndromes in T2DR.Yin-yang deficiency with blood stasis and phlegm coagulation syndrome is closely correlated with CRP level,and the patients with yin-yang deficiency with blood stasis and phlegm coagulation syndrome have a longer course of diabetes.
9.Exploration of the Mechanism of Toddalia asiatica in the Treatment of Ischemic Stroke:Based on Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation
Jian-Hong GAO ; Dan YANG ; Gang WANG ; Tian-Ying SONG ; Fang-Yu ZHAO ; Xian-Bing CHEN
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(7):1375-1383
Aim This study aims to investigate the therapeutic effect and underlying mechanism of Todda-lia asiatica in the treatment of ischemic stroke(IS),utilizing network pharmacology,molecular docking technology,and animal experiments.Methods To screen the chemical components of Toddalia asiatica and its targets related to IS,a database was utilized.A protein-protein interaction(PPI)network was con-structed,followed by KEGG pathway enrichment anal-ysis.Molecular docking was performed to investigate the interaction between the components and target pro-teins.Finally,the effects of the drug on the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and autophagy were validated through animal experiments.We established a middle cerebral artery occlusion(MCAO)rat model and di-vided the rats into the model group,Donepezil hydro-chloride group,Toddalia asiatica group,and sham op-eration group randomly.Observed the pathological changes in neurons of the rat hippocampal and cortical regions induced by the drug,performed immunohisto-chemical analysis to detect and localize mTOR expres-sion,and used Western blot to assess the expression levels of PI3K,p-PI3K,AKT,p-AKT,mTOR,as well as autophagy markers(LC3-Ⅱ and p62).Re-sults A total of 22 active ingredients from Toddalia asiatica,including AKT1 and MAPK3,were identified through screening.Additionally,194 signaling path-ways,such as PI3K/AKT and MAPK,were analyzed.The active compounds in Toddalia asiatica demonstra-ted stable binding affinity with targets associated with ischemic stroke.The results of the animal experiment indicated that,compared to the sham-operated group,the neuronal distribution in the hippocampal and corti-cal regions of the model group rats became sparser and more disorganized.There was a decrease in the number of Nissl bodies and cytoplasmic vacuolization.The ex-pression of mTOR-positive cells in the hippocampal and cortical regions was reduced.Additionally,the ex-pression levels of p-PI3K,p-AKT,mTOR,and p62 in the rat hippocampal tissue decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01),while the expression of LC3-Ⅱ increased(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the rats in the Toddalia asiatica and the Donepezil hydrochloride groups effectively improved the aforementioned indica-tors in rats.Conclusions Network pharmacology a-nalysis has revealed the promising potential of Toddalia asiatica in treating ischemic stroke,attributed to its di-verse components,targets,and pathways.The animal experiment showed that Toddalia asiatica can protect the neuronal structure in the hippocampal and cortical regions,which may be related to the inhibition of ex-cessive autophagy mediated by the PI3 K/AKT/mTOR pathway.
10.Total saponins from Trillium tschonoskii maxim alleviates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by inhibiting ferroptosis through Keap-1/Nrf2/HO-1 and Nrf2/SLC7A11/GPX4 pathways
Jian-Hong GAO ; Tian-Ying SONG ; Chao-Xi TIAN ; Fang-Yu ZHAO ; Yi-Duo HE ; Xin LIU ; Xian-Bing CHEN
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(10):1850-1857
Aim To examine the neuroprotective im-pacts of total saponins from Trillium tschonoskii maxim(TST)on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury(CIRI)in rats and delve into the mechanisms of ferroptosis.Methods The CIRI model was prepared by dividing male SD rats into the model group,TST(0.1 g·kg-1)group,Donepezil hydrochloride(0.45 mg·kg-1)group,and sham group.The cognitive functions of rats in each group were assessed through the Morris water maze test,the changes in neurological function were evaluated using the Zea-Longa method,the infarct area was observed via TTC staining,and the pathologi-cal alterations in brain tissue were analysed using HE and Nissl staining.To further investigate the underly-ing mechanism,the mitochondrial structural changes were examined using transmission electron microscopy,and the levels of GSH-PX,MDA,and SOD were ana-lyzed.Additionally,the expressions of GPX4 and Nrf2 proteins were evaluated through immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.Furthermore,the protein lev-els of Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 and Nrf2/SLC7A11/GPX4 pathways in rats were examined using Western blot-ting.Results The rats in the model group displayed diminished learning and memory capabilities in com-parison to those in the sham group,as well as a signifi-cantly increased cerebral infarction area and higher neurological function scores(P<0.01),significantly increased cerebral infarct area,disordered and loosely arranged neurons,and reduced Nissl bodies.Addition-ally,mitochondria showed typical signs of ferroptosis.Changes related to ferroptosis included decreased activ-ities of SOD and GSH-PX(P<0.01)and increased MDA levels(P<0.01).The expression of GPX4 and Nrf2-positive cells was significantly reduced,along with decreased fluorescence intensity of GPX4.Further-more,the protein expression of Keap1,Nrf2,HO-1,GPX4,SLC7A11 in the hippocampus decreased(P<0.05,P<0.01).Following the administration of TST,these effects showed improvement.Conclusions TST has neuroprotective effects,enhancing learning and memory abilities while reducing oxidative stress levels.The mechanism may involve the inhibition of ferroptosis through the Keap-1/Nrf2/HO-1 and Nrf2/SLC7 A11/GPX4 pathways.

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