1.PANoptosis: a New Target for Cardiovascular Diseases
Xin-Nong CHEN ; Ying-Xi YANG ; Xiao-Chen GUO ; Jun-Ping ZHANG ; Na-Wen LIU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(5):1113-1125
The innate immune system detects cellular stressors and microbial infections, activating programmed cell death (PCD) pathways to eliminate intracellular pathogens and maintain homeostasis. Among these pathways, pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis represent the most characteristic forms of PCD. Although initially regarded as mechanistically distinct, emerging research has revealed significant crosstalk among their signaling cascades. Consequently, the concept of PANoptosis has been proposed—an inflammatory cell death pathway driven by caspases and receptor-interacting protein kinases (RIPKs), and regulated by the PANoptosome, which integrates key features of pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis. The core mechanism of PANoptosis involves the assembly and activation of the PANoptosome, a macromolecular complex composed of three structural components: sensor proteins, adaptor proteins, and effector proteins. Sensors detect upstream stimuli and transmit signals downstream, recruiting critical molecules via adaptors to form a molecular scaffold. This scaffold activates effectors, triggering intracellular signaling cascades that culminate in PANoptosis. The PANoptosome is regulated by upstream molecules such as interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1), transforming growth factor beta-activated kinase 1 (TAK1), and adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 1 (ADAR1), which function as molecular switches to control PANoptosis. Targeting these switches represents a promising therapeutic strategy. Furthermore, PANoptosis is influenced by organelle functions, including those of the mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and lysosomes, highlighting organelle-targeted interventions as effective regulatory approaches. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the leading global cause of morbidity and mortality, are profoundly impacted by PCD. Extensive crosstalk among multiple cell death pathways in CVDs suggests a complex regulatory network. As a novel cell death modality bridging pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis, PANoptosis offers fresh insights into the complexity of cell death and provides innovative strategies for CVD treatment. This review summarizes current evidence linking PANoptosis to various CVDs, including myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury, myocardial infarction, heart failure, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy, cardiotoxic injury, atherosclerosis, abdominal aortic aneurysm, thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection, and vascular toxic injury, thereby providing critical clinical insights into CVD pathophysiology. However, the current understanding of PANoptosis in CVDs remains incomplete. First, while PANoptosis in cardiomyocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells has been implicated in CVD pathogenesis, its role in other cell types—such as vascular endothelial cells and immune cells (e.g., macrophages)—warrants further investigation. Second, although pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are known to activate the PANoptosome in infectious diseases, the stimuli driving PANoptosis in CVDs remain poorly defined. Additionally, methodological challenges persist in identifying PANoptosome assembly in CVDs and in establishing reliable PANoptosis models. Beyond the diseases discussed, PANoptosis may also play a role in viral myocarditis and diabetic cardiomyopathy, necessitating further exploration. In conclusion, elucidating the role of PANoptosis in CVDs opens new avenues for drug development. Targeting this pathway could yield transformative therapies, addressing unmet clinical needs in cardiovascular medicine.
2.Development of intelligent equipment for rapid microbial detection of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma decoction pieces based on measurement technology for traditional Chinese medicine manufacturing.
Yang LIU ; Wu-Zhen QI ; Yu-Tong WU ; Shan-Xi ZHU ; Xiao-Jun ZHAO ; Qia-Tong XIE ; Yu-Feng GUO ; Jing ZHAO ; Nan LI ; Shi-Jun WANG ; Qi-Hui SUN ; Zhi-Sheng WU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(16):4610-4618
Microbial detection and control of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) decoction pieces are crucial for the quality control of TCM preparations. It is also a key area of research in the measurement technology and equipment development for TCM manufacturing. Guided by TCM manufacturing measurement methodologies, this study presented a design of a novel portable microbial detection device, using Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma decoction pieces as a demonstration. Immunomagnetic separation technology was employed for specific isolation and labeling of target microorganisms. Enzymatic signal amplification was utilized to convert weak biological signals into colorimetric signals, constructing an optical biosensor. A self-developed smartphone APP was further applied to analyze the colorimetric signals and quantify target concentrations. A portable and automated detection system based on Arduino microcontroller was developed to automatically perform target microbial separation/extraction, as well as mimetic enzyme labeling and catalytic reactions. The developed equipment specifically focuses on the rapid and quantitative microbial analysis of TCM active pharmaceutical ingredients, intermediates in TCM manufacturing, and final TCM products. Experimental results demonstrate that the equipment could detect Salmonella in samples within 2 h, with a detection limit as low as 5.1 × 10~3 CFU·mL~(-1). The equipment enables the rapid detection of microorganisms in TCM decoction pieces, providing a potential technical solution for on-site rapid screening of microbial contamination indicators in TCM. It has broad application prospects in measurement technology for TCM manufacturing and offers strong technical support for the modernization, industrialization, and intelligent development of TCM.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis*
;
Atractylodes/microbiology*
;
Rhizome/microbiology*
;
Biosensing Techniques/methods*
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional
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Colorimetry/instrumentation*
;
Quality Control
3.Clinical research of Zhuangdan Yanshi Decoction combined with dapoxetine hydrochloride in the treatment of premature ejaculation with cholestasis and phlegm disturbance syndrome.
Xing-Yun PENG ; Jian-Guo LIU ; Jiao-Jiao LI ; Xiao-Guang MIAO ; Xu ZHANG
National Journal of Andrology 2025;31(8):732-736
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the clinical efficacy of Zhuangdan Yanshi Decoction combined with dapoxetine hydrochloride in the treatment of premature ejaculation with cholestasis and phlegm disturbance.
METHODS:
A total of 120 patients diagnosed with premature ejaculation and treated in the Andrology Outpatient Department of Shaanxi Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from March to December in 2022 were selected and randomly divided into treatment group and control group, with 60 cases in each group. The incubation period of intravaginal ejaculation (IELT), the Diagnostic Scale of Premature Ejaculation (PEDT), the Premature Ejaculation Assessment Scale (PEP), the 5-item Sexual Function Evaluation of Chinese Premature Ejaculation Patients (CIPE-5) and the improvement of traditional Chinese medicine symptom scores were compared before and after the treatment. And the adverse reactions were recorded as well.
RESULTS:
A total of 105 cases were ultimately included, with 55 cases in the treatment group and 50 cases in the control group. Measurable improvements in IELT, PEDT scores, PEP scores, CIPE scores and TCM symptom scores had been found after treatment in both of two groups (P<0.05). Moreover, the improvement in the treatment group was superior to that in the control group (P<0.05). The total effective rate in the treatment group was 89.1%, which was higher than that(84%) in the control group, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the treatment group was 9.1%, which was 24% in the control group. There was significantly difference between two groups (P<0.05).
CONCLUSION
The combination therapy with Zhuangdan Yanshi Decoction and dapoxetine hydrochloride for premature ejaculation associated with cholestasis and phlegm disturbance syndrome is definite, and it can reduce the side effects of drugs, which is better than oral dapoxetine hydrochloride alone.
Humans
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Premature Ejaculation/drug therapy*
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Benzylamines/therapeutic use*
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
;
Male
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Naphthalenes/therapeutic use*
;
Cholestasis/complications*
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Adult
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Benzyl Compounds/therapeutic use*
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional
;
Treatment Outcome
4.Psychological stress-activated NR3C1/NUPR1 axis promotes ovarian tumor metastasis.
Bin LIU ; Wen-Zhe DENG ; Wen-Hua HU ; Rong-Xi LU ; Qing-Yu ZHANG ; Chen-Feng GAO ; Xiao-Jie HUANG ; Wei-Guo LIAO ; Jin GAO ; Yang LIU ; Hiroshi KURIHARA ; Yi-Fang LI ; Xu-Hui ZHANG ; Yan-Ping WU ; Lei LIANG ; Rong-Rong HE
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(6):3149-3162
Ovarian tumor (OT) is the most lethal form of gynecologic malignancy, with minimal improvements in patient outcomes over the past several decades. Metastasis is the leading cause of ovarian cancer-related deaths, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Psychological stress is known to activate the glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1), a factor associated with poor prognosis in OT patients. However, the precise mechanisms linking NR3C1 signaling and metastasis have yet to be fully elucidated. In this study, we demonstrate that chronic restraint stress accelerates epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis in OT through an NR3C1-dependent mechanism involving nuclear protein 1 (NUPR1). Mechanistically, NR3C1 directly regulates the transcription of NUPR1, which in turn increases the expression of snail family transcriptional repressor 2 (SNAI2), a key driver of EMT. Clinically, elevated NR3C1 positively correlates with NUPR1 expression in OT patients, and both are positively associated with poorer prognosis. Overall, our study identified the NR3C1/NUPR1 axis as a critical regulatory pathway in psychological stress-induced OT metastasis, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for intervention in OT metastasis.
5.Effects of Hot Night Exposure on Human Semen Quality: A Multicenter Population-Based Study.
Ting Ting DAI ; Ting XU ; Qi Ling WANG ; Hao Bo NI ; Chun Ying SONG ; Yu Shan LI ; Fu Ping LI ; Tian Qing MENG ; Hui Qiang SHENG ; Ling Xi WANG ; Xiao Yan CAI ; Li Na XIAO ; Xiao Lin YU ; Qing Hui ZENG ; Pi GUO ; Xin Zong ZHANG
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(2):178-193
OBJECTIVE:
To explore and quantify the association of hot night exposure during the sperm development period (0-90 lag days) with semen quality.
METHODS:
A total of 6,640 male sperm donors from 6 human sperm banks in China during 2014-2020 were recruited in this multicenter study. Two indices (i.e., hot night excess [HNE] and hot night duration [HND]) were used to estimate the heat intensity and duration during nighttime. Linear mixed models were used to examine the association between hot nights and semen quality parameters.
RESULTS:
The exposure-response relationship revealed that HNE and HND during 0-90 days before semen collection had a significantly inverse association with sperm motility. Specifically, a 1 °C increase in HNE was associated with decreased sperm progressive motility of 0.0090 (95% confidence interval [ CI]: -0.0147, -0.0033) and decreased total motility of 0.0094 (95% CI: -0.0160, -0.0029). HND was significantly associated with reduced sperm progressive motility and total motility of 0.0021 (95% CI: -0.0040, -0.0003) and 0.0023 (95% CI: -0.0043, -0.0002), respectively. Consistent results were observed at different temperature thresholds on hot nights.
CONCLUSION
Our findings highlight the need to mitigate nocturnal heat exposure during spermatogenesis to maintain optimal semen quality.
Humans
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Male
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Semen Analysis
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Adult
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Sperm Motility
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Hot Temperature/adverse effects*
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China
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Middle Aged
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Spermatozoa/physiology*
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Young Adult
6.NFKBIE: Novel Biomarkers for Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Immunity in Colorectal Cancer: Insights from Pan-cancer Analysis.
Chen Yang HOU ; Peng WANG ; Feng Xu YAN ; Yan Yan BO ; Zhen Peng ZHU ; Xi Ran WANG ; Shan LIU ; Dan Dan XU ; Jia Jia XIAO ; Jun XUE ; Fei GUO ; Qing Xue MENG ; Ren Sen RAN ; Wei Zheng LIANG
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(10):1320-1325
7.Thermal Ablation of Pulmonary Nodules by Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy Combined With Real-Time CT-Based 3D Fusion Navigation:Report of One Case.
Yuan XU ; Qun LIU ; Chao GUO ; Yi-Bo WANG ; Xiao-Fang WU ; Chen-Xi MA ; Gui-Ge WANG ; Qian-Shu LIU ; Nai-Xin LIANG ; Shan-Qing LI
Acta Academiae Medicinae Sinicae 2025;47(1):137-141
A nodule in the right middle lobe of the lung was treated by a combination of cone-beam CT,three-dimensional registration for fusion imaging,and electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy-guided thermal ablation.The procedure lasted for 90 min,with no significant bleeding observed under the bronchoscope.The total radiation dose during the operation was 384 mGy.The patient recovered well postoperatively,with only a small amount of blood in the sputum and no pneumothorax or other complications.A follow-up chest CT on the first day post operation showed that the ablation area completely covered the lesion,and the patient was discharged successfully.
Humans
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Bronchoscopy/methods*
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Catheter Ablation/methods*
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Cone-Beam Computed Tomography
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Electromagnetic Phenomena
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Imaging, Three-Dimensional
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Lung Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging*
;
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
8.Pharmacokinetics of single-dose of Etripamil nasal spray in healthy adult Chinese subjects
Wei LIU ; Guo-Ying CAO ; Shu-Yan YU ; Yue-Wen XI ; Jing-Hui LUO ; Bo LIU ; Yu HE ; Tong-Yong FANG ; Xiao-Wen CHEN ; Yuan LI ; Jing ZHANG
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(13):1948-1952
Objective To evaluate the pharmacokinetics characteristics of single-dose of Etripamil nasal spray 70 mg in healthy adult Chinese subjects.Methods This was a single-center,randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled study.Twelve healthy adult Chinese subjects were randomized to receive single-dose of Etripamil nasal spray 70 mg(n=10)or placebo nasal spray(n=2).Blood and urine samples were collected prior and post dose.Etripamil in plasma and urine were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.The pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by WinNonlin non-compartmental model.Results Following the single-dose of Etripamil nasal spray 70 mg in healthy adult Chinese subjects,the peak concentration of Etripamil in plasma was quickly attained,with a Cmax of(66.76±56.61)ng·mL-1 and a median(range)tmax of 4.00(3.00-5.00)min.The plasma concentrations of Etripamil had fallen approximately 65%from peak value at 25 min after dosing,and close to 80%within 50 min.The AUC0-last and AUC0-∞ were(3 104.16±2 654.46)and(4 048.77±2 682.38)ng·min·mL-1,respectively.The urine excretion percentage of Etripamil during 24 h was(0.01±0.01)%.Among the 12 subjects who were treated with Etripamil or placebo,10 subjects reported a total of 29 treatment-emergent adverse events(TEAEs).All of the TEAEs were mild in severity.The most common TEAEs were rhinorrhoea and lacrimation increased.Conclusion Etripamil was quickly absorbed after intranasal administration,followed by rapid distribution and elimination(not primarily excreted by renal);Etripamil 70 mg was safe and well tolerated by the healthy Chinese adult subjects.
9. Benzyl isothiocyanate induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in cervical cancer through activation of p53 and AMPK-FOXO1a signaling pathways
Tamasha KURMANJIANG ; Xiao-Jing WANG ; Xin-Yi LI ; Hao WANG ; Guo-Xuan XIE ; Yun-Jie CHEN ; Ting WEN ; Xi-Lu CHENG ; Nuraminai MAIMAITI ; Jin-Yu LI
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(1):114-158
Aim To investigate the effect of benzyl iso-thiocyanate (BITC) on the proliferation of mouse U14 cervical cancer cells and to explore the mechanism of cytotoxicity based on transcriptomic data analysis. Methods The effect of BITC on U14 cell activity was detected by MTT, nuclear morphological changes were observed by Hochest 33258 and fluorescent inverted microscope, cell cycle and apoptosis were determined by flow cytometry, and the transcriptome database of U14 cells before and after BITC (20 μmol · L
10.The Regulatory Function of ADAR1-mediated RNA Editing in Hematological Malignancies
Xing-Yu WAN ; Huan-Ping GUO ; Rui-Hao HUANG ; Xiao-Qi WANG ; Ling-Yu ZENG ; Tao WU ; Lin XIA ; Xi ZHANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2024;51(2):300-308
RNA editing, an essential post-transcriptional reaction occurring in double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), generates informational diversity in the transcriptome and proteome. In mammals, the main type of RNA editing is the conversion of adenosine to inosine (A-to-I), processed by adenosine deaminases acting on the RNAs (ADARs) family, and interpreted as guanosine during nucleotide base-pairing. It has been reported that millions of nucleotide sites in human transcriptome undergo A-to-I editing events, catalyzed by the primarily responsible enzyme, ADAR1. In hematological malignancies including myeloid/lymphocytic leukemia and multiple myeloma, dysregulation of ADAR1 directly impacts the A-to-I editing states occurring in coding regions, non-coding regions, and immature miRNA precursors. Subsequently, aberrant A-to-I editing states result in altered molecular events, such as protein-coding sequence changes, intron retention, alternative splicing, and miRNA biogenesis inhibition. As a vital factor of the generation and stemness maintenance in leukemia stem cells (LSCs), disordered RNA editing drives the chaos of molecular regulatory network and ultimately promotes the cell proliferation, apoptosis inhibition and drug resistance. At present, novel drugs designed to target RNA editing(e.g., rebecsinib) are under development and have achieved outstanding results in animal experiments. Compared with traditional antitumor drugs, epigenetic antitumor drugs are expected to overcome the shackle of drug resistance and recurrence in hematological malignancies, and provide new treatment options for patients. This review summarized the recent advances in the regulation mechanism of ADAR1-mediated RNA editing events in hematologic malignancies, and further discussed the medical potential and clinical application of ADAR1.

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