1.Construction of Organoid-on-a-chip and Its Applications in Biomedical Fields
Rui-Xia LIU ; Jing ZHANG ; Xiao LI ; Yi LIU ; Long HUANG ; Hong-Wei HOU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):293-308
Organoid-on-a-chip technology represents a promising interdisciplinary advancement that merges two cutting-edge biomedical platforms: stem cell-derived organoids and microfluidics-based organ-on-a-chip systems. Organoids are self-organizing three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures that mimic the key structural and functional features of in vivo organs. However, traditional organoid culture systems are often static, lacking dynamic environmental cues and suffering from limitations such as batch-to-batch variability, low stability, and low throughput. Organ-on-a-chip platforms, by contrast, utilize microfluidic technologies to simulate the dynamic physiological microenvironment of human tissues and organs, enabling more controlled cell growth and differentiation. By integrating the advantages of organoids and organ-on-a-chip technologies, organoid-on-a-chip systems transcend the limitations of conventional 3D culture models, offering a more physiologically relevant and controllable in vitro platform. In organoid-on-a-chip systems, stem cells or pre-formed organoids are cultured in micro-engineered environments that mimic in vivo conditions, enabling precise control over fluid flow, mechanical forces, and biochemical cues. Specifically, these platforms employ advanced strategies including bio-inspired 3D scaffolds for structural support, precise spatial cell patterning via 3D bioprinting, and integrated biosensors for real-time monitoring of metabolic activities. These synergistic elements recreate complex extracellular matrix signals and ensure high structural fidelity. Based on structural complexity, organoid-on-a-chip systems are classified into single-organoid and multi-organoid types, forming a trajectory from unit biomimicry to systemic simulation. Single-organoid chips focus on highly biomimetic units by integrating vascular, immune, or neural functions. Multi-organoid chips simulate inter-organ crosstalk and systemic homeostasis, advancing complex disease modeling and PK/PD evaluation. This emerging technology has demonstrated broad application potential in multiple fields of biomedicine. Organoid-on-a-chip systems can recapitulate organ developmentin vitro, facilitating research in developmental biology. They mimic organ-specific physiological activities and mechanisms, showing promising applications in regenerative medicine for tissue repair or replacement. In disease modeling, they support the reconstruction of models for neurodegenerative, inflammatory, infectious, metabolic diseases, and cancers. These platforms also enable in vitro drug testing and pharmacokinetic studies (ADME). Patient-derived chips preserve genetic and pathological features, offering potential for precision medicine. Additionally, they reduce species differences in toxicology, providing human-relevant data for environmental, food, cosmetic, and drug safety assessments. Despite progress, organoid-on-a-chip systems face challenges in dynamic simulation, extracellular matrix (ECM) variability, and limited real-time 3D imaging, requiring improved materials and the integration of developmental signals. Current bottlenecks also include the high technical threshold for automation and the lack of standardized validation frameworks for regulatory adoption. Meanwhile, the concept of a “human-on-a-chip” has been proposed to mimic whole-body physiology by integrating multiple organoid modules. This approach enables systemic modeling of drug responses and toxicity, with the potential to reduce animal testing and revolutionize drug development. Future advancements in bio-responsive hydrogels and flexible biosensors will further empower these platforms to bridge the gap between bench-side research and personalized clinical interventions. In conclusion, organoid-on-a-chip technology offers a transformative in vitro model that closely recapitulates the complexity of human tissues and organ systems. It provides an unprecedented platform for advancing biomedical research, clinical translation, and pharmaceutical innovation. Continued development in biomaterials, microengineering, and analytical technologies will be essential to unlocking the full potential of this powerful tool.
2.Construction of Organoid-on-a-chip and Its Applications in Biomedical Fields
Rui-Xia LIU ; Jing ZHANG ; Xiao LI ; Yi LIU ; Long HUANG ; Hong-Wei HOU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):293-308
Organoid-on-a-chip technology represents a promising interdisciplinary advancement that merges two cutting-edge biomedical platforms: stem cell-derived organoids and microfluidics-based organ-on-a-chip systems. Organoids are self-organizing three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures that mimic the key structural and functional features of in vivo organs. However, traditional organoid culture systems are often static, lacking dynamic environmental cues and suffering from limitations such as batch-to-batch variability, low stability, and low throughput. Organ-on-a-chip platforms, by contrast, utilize microfluidic technologies to simulate the dynamic physiological microenvironment of human tissues and organs, enabling more controlled cell growth and differentiation. By integrating the advantages of organoids and organ-on-a-chip technologies, organoid-on-a-chip systems transcend the limitations of conventional 3D culture models, offering a more physiologically relevant and controllable in vitro platform. In organoid-on-a-chip systems, stem cells or pre-formed organoids are cultured in micro-engineered environments that mimic in vivo conditions, enabling precise control over fluid flow, mechanical forces, and biochemical cues. Specifically, these platforms employ advanced strategies including bio-inspired 3D scaffolds for structural support, precise spatial cell patterning via 3D bioprinting, and integrated biosensors for real-time monitoring of metabolic activities. These synergistic elements recreate complex extracellular matrix signals and ensure high structural fidelity. Based on structural complexity, organoid-on-a-chip systems are classified into single-organoid and multi-organoid types, forming a trajectory from unit biomimicry to systemic simulation. Single-organoid chips focus on highly biomimetic units by integrating vascular, immune, or neural functions. Multi-organoid chips simulate inter-organ crosstalk and systemic homeostasis, advancing complex disease modeling and PK/PD evaluation. This emerging technology has demonstrated broad application potential in multiple fields of biomedicine. Organoid-on-a-chip systems can recapitulate organ developmentin vitro, facilitating research in developmental biology. They mimic organ-specific physiological activities and mechanisms, showing promising applications in regenerative medicine for tissue repair or replacement. In disease modeling, they support the reconstruction of models for neurodegenerative, inflammatory, infectious, metabolic diseases, and cancers. These platforms also enable in vitro drug testing and pharmacokinetic studies (ADME). Patient-derived chips preserve genetic and pathological features, offering potential for precision medicine. Additionally, they reduce species differences in toxicology, providing human-relevant data for environmental, food, cosmetic, and drug safety assessments. Despite progress, organoid-on-a-chip systems face challenges in dynamic simulation, extracellular matrix (ECM) variability, and limited real-time 3D imaging, requiring improved materials and the integration of developmental signals. Current bottlenecks also include the high technical threshold for automation and the lack of standardized validation frameworks for regulatory adoption. Meanwhile, the concept of a “human-on-a-chip” has been proposed to mimic whole-body physiology by integrating multiple organoid modules. This approach enables systemic modeling of drug responses and toxicity, with the potential to reduce animal testing and revolutionize drug development. Future advancements in bio-responsive hydrogels and flexible biosensors will further empower these platforms to bridge the gap between bench-side research and personalized clinical interventions. In conclusion, organoid-on-a-chip technology offers a transformative in vitro model that closely recapitulates the complexity of human tissues and organ systems. It provides an unprecedented platform for advancing biomedical research, clinical translation, and pharmaceutical innovation. Continued development in biomaterials, microengineering, and analytical technologies will be essential to unlocking the full potential of this powerful tool.
3.Astragali Radix Polysaccharide Inhibits Proliferation and Migration of Gastric Cancer Cells by Targeting ID1 and Akt
Peizheng SHI ; Shanshan XIAO ; Xinjiang ZHANG ; Yixiang NIE ; Xianchao WANG ; Jing HUANG ; Jie MEI ; Huaquan LAN ; Tuanyun JI ; Tianyi ZHANG ; Xiaoyong WEI ; Qiaohong YANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(15):96-105
ObjectiveTo explore the regulatory effects and mechanisms of Astragali Radix polysaccharide (APS) on inhibitor of differentiation1 (ID1) and protein kinase B (Akt) in gastric cancer. MethodsImmunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of ID1 and Akt in 61 gastric cancer tissue samples and 20 adjacent normal gastric tissue samples. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the localization of ID1 and Akt. The effects of APS at the concentrations of 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 mg·L-1 on the proliferation of gastric cancer MGC-803 cells were examined by the cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) method and the colony formation assay. The target information of APS was retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology and Analysis Platform and Swiss Target Prediction. Keywords such as gastric cancer, gastric tumor, and stomach cancer were searched against GeneCards, UniProt, DisGeNET, and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) for the screening of gastric cancer-related targets. The online tool jvenn was used to create the Venn diagram to identify the common targets, and STRING and Cytoscape were used to construct the protein-protein interaction network. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were conducted via R 4.2.2 to predict the potential roles of APS in the development of gastric cancer. The cell scratch assay was employed to assess the effect of APS on the migration of MGC-803 cells. The protein and mRNA levels of ID1 and Akt in the cells treated with APS were determined by Western blot and Real-time PCR, respectively. ResultsCompared with the adjacent normal gastric tissue, the gastric adenocarcinoma tissue showed increased positive expression of ID1 (χ2 =81.00, P<0.01). Immunofluorescence detection showed that ID1 and Akt were mainly located in the cytoplasm of gastric adenocarcinoma cells. Bioinformatics analysis identified 14 common genes shared between APS and gastric cancer. The average degree of protein-protein interaction network nodes was 14.29. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment results showed that ID1 and Akt were significantly enriched in the Rap1 and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) /Akt signaling pathways. Cell experiments demonstrated that 5-fluorouracil (0.1 mg·L-1) and APS (10, 20 mg·L-1) groups showed decreased cell proliferation, migration, and colony formation. Compared with the control group, 10, 20 mg·L-1 APS inhibited the proliferation of MGC-803 cells (P<0.01), with 10 mg·L-1 APS demonstrating stronger inhibitory effect. In addition, APS at 10, 20 mg·L-1 inhibited the migration (P<0.01) and colony formation (P<0.05, P<0.01) of MGC-803 cells. Compared with the control group, APS at 10, 20 mg·L-1 down-regulated the protein levels of ID1 (P<0.01) and Akt (P<0.05) and the mRNA levels of ID1 (P<0.05, P<0.01) and Akt (P<0.05, P<0.01) in MGC-803 cells. ConclusionID1 and Akt are highly expressed in the gastric adenocarcinoma tissue, which may be related to the development of gastric cancer. APS can down-regulate the protein and mRNA levels of ID1 and Akt to exert anti-tumor effects, which is expected to provide new therapeutic targets for gastric cancer treatment.
4.Effect of childhood maltreatment on depression in college students: a moderated mediation model
Xinghua LAI ; Huitong ZHAO ; Ruofan XIAO ; Can CUI ; Ameng ZHAO ; Wei FU ; Jing JIANG ; Tinghuizi SHANG ; Honglong LI ; Zengyan YU
Sichuan Mental Health 2025;38(3):247-253
BackgroundCurrently, the problem of depressed mood in college students is becoming more prominent. The experience of childhood maltreatment is a significant contributor to depression among college students. Although the association between the two has been confirmed, the specific psychosocial mechanisms underlying how childhood maltreatment affects college students' mental health remain insufficiently evidenced. ObjectiveTo explore the mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depression among college students, and to investigate the moderated effects of psychological resilience and family socioeconomic status, aiming to provide references for improving depressive symptoms in college students. MethodsOn 14 March 2024, a cluster sampling method was employed to recruit 751 college students from a university in Heilongjiang Province. Participants were assessed with Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Patients' Health Questionnaire Depression Scale-9 item (PHQ-9), 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) and Family Socioeconomic Status Questionnaire. Pearson correlation analysis was adopted to examine the correlation between the scores of scales. Model 4 and model 7 in Process 4.2 were used to test the mediating effects of emotional regulation difficulties and the moderated effects of psychological resilience and family socioeconomic status. Results① A total of 712 (94.81%) valid questionnaires were collected. ② College students' CTQ score was positively correlated with DERS score and PHQ-9 score (r=0.296, 0.507, P<0.01), and negatively correlated with CD-RISC-10 score and Family Socioeconomic Status Questionnaire score (r=-0.148, -0.229, P<0.01). ③ The indirect effect value of difficulties in emotion regulation on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depression was 0.091 (95% CI: 0.018~0.046), accounting for 17.95% of the total effect. ④ The first half of the mediation model "childhood maltreatment → difficulties in emotion regulation → depression" (childhood maltreatment → difficulties in emotion regulation) was moderated by psychological resilience (β=-0.030, t=-6.147, 95% CI: -0.040~-0.020) and family socioeconomic status (β=-0.051, t=-3.929, 95% CI: -0.077~-0.026). ConclusionChildhood maltreatment exerts both a direct effect on college students' depression and an indirect effect through emotion regulation difficulties. The childhood maltreatment → emotion regulation difficulties pathway in this mediation model is moderated by psychological resilience and family socioeconomic status. [Funded by Qiqihar Medical University Graduate Student Innovation Fund Project (number, QYYCX2023-48); Special Research Fund Project for Young Doctors of Qiqihar Academy of Medical Sciences (number, QMSI2021B-08)]
5.Paroxetine alleviates dendritic cell and T lymphocyte activation via GRK2-mediated PI3K-AKT signaling in rheumatoid arthritis.
Tingting LIU ; Chao JIN ; Jing SUN ; Lina ZHU ; Chun WANG ; Feng XIAO ; Xiaochang LIU ; Liying LV ; Xiaoke YANG ; Wenjing ZHOU ; Chao TAN ; Xianli WANG ; Wei WEI
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(4):441-451
BACKGROUND:
G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) could participate in the regulation of diverse cells via interacting with non-G-protein-coupled receptors. In the present work, we explored how paroxetine, a GRK2 inhibitor, modulates the differentiation and activation of immune cells in rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
METHODS:
The blood samples of healthy individuals and RA patients were collected between July 2021 and March 2022 from the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. C57BL/6 mice were used to induce the collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model. Flow cytometry analysis was used to characterize the differentiation and function of dendritic cells (DCs)/T cells. Co-immunoprecipitation was used to explore the specific molecular mechanism.
RESULTS:
In patients with RA, high expression of GRK2 in peripheral blood lymphocytes, accompanied by the increases of phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). In animal model, a decrease in regulatory T cells (T regs ), an increase in the cluster of differentiation 8 positive (CD8 + ) T cells, and maturation of DCs were observed. Paroxetine, when used in vitro and in CIA mice, restrained the maturation of DCs and the differentiation of CD8 + T cells, and induced the proportion of T regs . Paroxetine inhibited the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, the expression of C-C motif chemokine receptor 7 in DCs and T cells. Simultaneously, paroxetine upregulated the expression of programmed death ligand 1, and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, paroxetine inhibited the PI3K-AKT-mTOR metabolic pathway in both DCs and T cells. This was associated with a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential and changes in the utilization of glucose and lipids, particularly in DCs. Paroxetine reversed PI3K-AKT pathway activation induced by 740 Y-P (a PI3K agonist) through inhibiting the interaction between GRK2 and PI3K in DCs and T cells.
CONCLUSION
Paroxetine exerts an immunosuppressive effect by targeting GRK2, which subsequently inhibits the metabolism-related PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway of DCs and T cells in RA.
G-Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2/metabolism*
;
Arthritis, Rheumatoid/immunology*
;
Animals
;
Dendritic Cells/metabolism*
;
Paroxetine/therapeutic use*
;
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism*
;
Mice
;
Humans
;
Mice, Inbred C57BL
;
Signal Transduction/drug effects*
;
Male
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Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism*
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Lymphocyte Activation/drug effects*
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Female
;
T-Lymphocytes/metabolism*
;
Middle Aged
6.Associations between statins and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events among peritoneal dialysis patients: A multi-center large-scale cohort study.
Shuang GAO ; Lei NAN ; Xinqiu LI ; Shaomei LI ; Huaying PEI ; Jinghong ZHAO ; Ying ZHANG ; Zibo XIONG ; Yumei LIAO ; Ying LI ; Qiongzhen LIN ; Wenbo HU ; Yulin LI ; Liping DUAN ; Zhaoxia ZHENG ; Gang FU ; Shanshan GUO ; Beiru ZHANG ; Rui YU ; Fuyun SUN ; Xiaoying MA ; Li HAO ; Guiling LIU ; Zhanzheng ZHAO ; Jing XIAO ; Yulan SHEN ; Yong ZHANG ; Xuanyi DU ; Tianrong JI ; Yingli YUE ; Shanshan CHEN ; Zhigang MA ; Yingping LI ; Li ZUO ; Huiping ZHAO ; Xianchao ZHANG ; Xuejian WANG ; Yirong LIU ; Xinying GAO ; Xiaoli CHEN ; Hongyi LI ; Shutong DU ; Cui ZHAO ; Zhonggao XU ; Li ZHANG ; Hongyu CHEN ; Li LI ; Lihua WANG ; Yan YAN ; Yingchun MA ; Yuanyuan WEI ; Jingwei ZHOU ; Yan LI ; Caili WANG ; Jie DONG
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(21):2856-2858
7.The historical evolution of Chinese physiology textbooks.
Yan FENG ; Xiao ZHAI ; Xin WANG ; Feng YANG ; Liang ZHU ; Guo-Chao SUN ; Ning WANG ; Jun ZHANG ; Jing XIAO ; Wei-Wei LIU ; You-Fei GUAN
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2025;77(1):1-12
This article systematically reviews the characteristics and trends of the writing, editing, publication and promotion of physiology textbooks in China from the late 19th century to the present, focusing on the introduction, development and innovation of Chinese physiology textbooks. The development of physiology textbooks in China is divided into four main stages: the introduction and initial development of physiology textbooks from the late 19th century to 1925; the localization and diversification of textbooks from 1926 to 1949, after the establishment of the Chinese Physiological Society; the exploratory phase of textbook construction after the founding of the People's Republic of China from 1949 to 1976; the formation and innovation of the textbook development process from 1977 to the present, following the restoration of the college entrance examination. For each phase, the article not only records the historical development of physiology textbooks, but also analyzes the evolution of their content, writing styles and the interaction with the social and political contexts. The article summarizes the characteristics and experiences of all these four phases. Special attention is given to the comprehensive statistical analysis of physiology textbooks published since the restoration of the college entrance examination and Economic Reform and Opening-up in 1977, revealing the changes in the number, publication trends and academic features of textbooks during this period. Finally, the article presets the future development of physiology textbooks in China, proposing that textbook writing should integrate aspects such as ideological and political education, medical humanities, basic and clinical medicine, health education, scientific research and international exchange and collaboration. The article also advocates for the application of new technologies and methods, such as artificial intelligence, virtual teaching models and knowledge graphs, to support "personalized learning". This research provides a systematic reference for the study of the history of medical education and offers theoretical support for the future innovation of physiology textbook in China.
Humans
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China
;
History, 19th Century
;
History, 20th Century
;
History, 21st Century
;
Physiology/education*
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Textbooks as Topic/history*
8.Oral Chinese patent medicines in treatment of dysmenorrhea and clinical research status: a scoping review.
Xiao-Jun BU ; Zhi-Ran LI ; Wen-Ya WANG ; Rui-Xue LIU ; Jing-Yu REN ; Lin XU ; Xing LIAO ; Wei-Wei SUN
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(3):787-797
A scoping review was performed to systematically search and summarize the clinical research in the treatment of dysmenorrhea with oral Chinese patent medicines. The oral Chinese patent medicines for treating dysmenorrhea in three major drug lists, guidelines, and textbooks were screened, and the relevant clinical trials were retrieved from eight Chinese and English databases. The key information of the included trials was extracted and visually analyzed. A total of 50 Chinese patent medicines were included, among which oral Chinese patent medicines for the dysmenorrhea patients with the syndrome of Qi stagnation and blood stasis accounted for the highest proportion, and the average daily cost varied greatly among Chinese patent medicines. A total of 150 articles were included, involving 22 Chinese patent medicines, among which Guizhi Fuling Capsules/Pills, Sanjie Zhentong Capsules, and Dan'e Fukang Soft Extract were the most frequently studied. These articles mainly reported randomized controlled trial(RCT), which mainly focused on the comparison of the intervention effect between Chinese patent medicines combined with western medicine and western medicine alone, and the sample size was generally 51-100 cases. The high-frequency outcome indicators belonged to nine domains such as effective rate, adverse reactions, and laboratory examinations. This study showed that oral Chinese patent medicines had advantages in the treatment of dysmenorrhea, and the annual number of related clinical trials showed an overall growing trend. However, there were still problems such as insufficient safety information and vague description of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) syndromes types in the instructions of Chinese patent medicines. The available clinical research had shortcomings such as uneven distribution of Chinese patent medicines, limited research scale, poor methodological rigor, and insufficient standardization of outcome indicators. In the future, it is necessary to deepen the development of high-quality clinical research and improve the contents of the instructions to ensure the effectiveness and safety of the clinical application of oral Chinese patent medicines in the treatment of dysmenorrhea.
Dysmenorrhea/drug therapy*
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Humans
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
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Female
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Administration, Oral
;
Nonprescription Drugs/administration & dosage*
9.Digital identification of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum based on HPLC-QTOF-MS~E and Adaboost.
Xiao-Han GUO ; Xian-Rui WANG ; Yu ZHANG ; Ming-Hua LI ; Wen-Guang JING ; Xian-Long CHENG ; Feng WEI
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(5):1172-1178
Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum is a precious animal-derived Chinese medicinal material, while there are often adulterants derived from animals not specified in the Chinese Pharmacopeia in the market, which disturbs the safety of medication. This study was conducted with the aim of strengthening the quality control of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum and standardizing the medication. To achieve digital identification of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum from different sources, a digital identification model was constructed based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UHPLC-QTOF-MS~E) combined with an adaptive boosting algorithm(Adaboost). The young furred antlers of sika deer, red deer, elk, and reindeer were processed and then subjected to polypeptide analysis by UHPLC-QTOF-MS~E. Then, the mass spectral data reflecting the polypeptide information were obtained by digital quantification. Next, the key data were obtained by feature screening based on Gini index, and the digital identification model was constructed by Adaboost. The model was evaluated based on the recall rate, F_1 composite score, and accuracy. Finally, the results of identification based on the constructed digital identification model were validated. The results showed that when the Gini index was used to screen the data of top 100 characteristic polypeptides, the digital identification model based on Adaboost had the best performance, with the recall rate, F_1 composite score, and accuracy not less than 0.953. The validation analysis showed that the accuracy of the identification of the 10 batches of samples was as high as 100.0%. Therefore, based on UHPLC-QTOF-MS~E and Adaboost algorithm, the digital identification of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum can be realized efficiently and accurately, which can provide reference for the quality control and original animal identification of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum.
Animals
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Algorithms
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Antlers/chemistry*
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Boosting Machine Learning Algorithms
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Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods*
;
Deer
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
;
Mass Spectrometry/methods*
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Quality Control
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Reindeer
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Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods*
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Tissue Extracts/analysis*
10.Improvement effect and mechanism of Wuling San on TGF-β1-induced fibrosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress damage in HK-2 cells.
Jun WU ; Xue-Ning JING ; Fan-Wei MENG ; Xiao-Ni KONG ; Jiu-Wang MIAO ; Cai-Xia ZHANG ; Hai-Lun LI ; Yun HAN
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(5):1247-1254
This study investigated the effect of Wuling San on transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1)-induced fibrosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress in human renal tubular epithelial cells(HK-2) and its mechanism of antioxidant stress injury. HK-2 cells were cultured in vitro and divided into a control group, a TGF-β1 model group, and three treatment groups receiving Wuling San-containing serum at low(2.5%), medium(5.0%), and high(10.0%) doses. TGF-β1 was used to establish the model in all groups except the control group. CCK-8 was used to analyze the effect of different concentrations of Wuling San on the activity of HK-2 cells with or without TGF-β1 stimulation. The expression of key fibrosis molecules, including actin alpha 2(Acta2), collagen type Ⅰ alpha 1 chain(Col1α1), collagen type Ⅲ alpha 1 chain(Col3α1), TIMP metallopeptidase inhibitor 1(Timp1), and fibronectin 1(Fn1), was detected using qPCR. The expression levels of inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), interleukin-6(IL-6), interleukin-8(IL-8), and interleukin-4(IL-4), were measured using ELISA kits. Glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px), malondialdehyde(MDA), catalase(CAT), and superoxide dismutase(SOD) biochemical kits were used to analyze the effect of Wuling San on TGF-β1-induced oxidative stress injury in HK-2 cells, and the expression of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(Nrf2), heme oxygenase 1(HO-1), and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1(NQO1) was analyzed by qPCR and immunofluorescence. The CCK-8 results indicated that the optimal administration concentrations of Wuling San were 2.5%, 5.0%, and 10.0%. Compared with the control group, the TGF-β1 model group showed significantly increased levels of key fibrosis molecules(Acta2, Col1α1, Col3α1, Timp1, and Fn1) and inflammatory cytokines(TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-4). In contrast, the Wuling San administration groups were able to dose-dependently inhibit the expression levels of key fibrosis molecules and inflammatory cytokines compared with the TGF-β1 model group. Wuling San significantly increased the activities of GSH-Px, CAT, and SOD enzymes in TGF-β1-stimulated HK-2 cells and significantly inhibited the level of MDA. Furthermore, compared with the control group, the TGF-β1 model group exhibited a significant reduction in the expression of Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1 genes and proteins. After Wuling San intervention, the expression of Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1 genes and proteins was significantly increased. Correlation analysis showed that antioxidant stress enzymes(GSH-Px, CAT, and SOD) and Nrf2 signaling were significantly negatively correlated with key fibrosis molecules and inflammatory cytokines in the TGF-β1-stimulated HK-2 cell model. In conclusion, Wuling San can inhibit TGF-β1-induced fibrosis in HK-2 cells by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway, improving oxidative stress injury, and reducing inflammation.
Humans
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Oxidative Stress/drug effects*
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Transforming Growth Factor beta1/metabolism*
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Fibrosis/genetics*
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Cell Line
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*
;
Epithelial Cells/immunology*
;
Inflammation/metabolism*

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