1.Development of Benchtop Low-Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Technology and Its Application in Drug Control Field
Qi LIAO ; Yong-Hong LIU ; Ying JIAO ; Xiao-Ying YANG ; Yi-Hua YANG ; Cui-Mei LIU ; Rui-Xia GAO
Journal of Forensic Medicine 2025;41(3):267-276
At present,the drug substitutes represented by new psychoactive substances are gradually be-coming popular,leading to an increasing demand for identifying novel drugs with unknown structures in drug investigation.Nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)spectroscopy is an important tool for ana-lyzing molecular structures.In the absence of standard substances,quantitative NMR(qNMR)can un-dertake the quantitative analysis of target substances in complex mixtures and has unique advantages in the research of new drugs and their precursor drugs.Due to the limitations of the site and mainte-nance costs,as well as relatively complex operation,high-field superconducting NMR is less com-monly applied in drug research.The desktop low-field NMR developed in recent years provides a new alternative solution.Due to the use of permanent magnets,its size is reduced,and the operation and maintenance costs are lowered.It has been widely used in various research fields.This article reviews the development of low-field NMR technology,summarizes the application of desktop low-field NMR in screening and identification of suspicious substances,rapid content determination,analysis of drug manufacturing processes and synthetic routes,and correlation traceability.It also looks forward to the prospects and development directions of this technology in drug research,aiming to provide a reference for researchers who work in analytical chemistry and drug research.
2.Study on Differential DNA Methylation Profiles of Patients with High-Altitude Polycythemia.
Jun-Hua JI ; Min YANG ; Yan JIANG ; Ting-Xian YANG ; Xiao-Jing MA ; Qi-Chao YIN ; Hong-Wei YIN ; Lin-Hua JI
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(2):580-586
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the whole-genome differential methylation profile of patients with high-altitude polycythemia (HAPC).
METHODS:
In this study, a total of 20 adult male patients with HAPC were included, including 10 Tibetan and 10 Han patients. The control group consisted of 20 healthy adult males, including 10 Tibetan and 10 Han patients. Peripheral blood was collected from each group for DNA extraction and quality inspection, and DNA libraries were constructed. The differential methylation regions (DMRs) between groups were detected using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing, with enriched regions compared to those of the control group. The differential enrichment regions were selected, and the intersection of the enriched regions was associated with genes. The methylation enrichment regions that differed significantly between groups were filtered based on the number of enriched samples in the enriched regions between the groups. GO, KEGG functional, and pathway analysis were performed on the differentially associated gene sets to reveal significant differences between the patients and control groups at the functional and pathway levels.
RESULTS:
In comparison with the control group, 17 152 sites with more than 25% difference and 15 558 sites with less than -25% difference were identified in Tibetan patients. The top 5 genes with the largest methylation differences between the two groups were MCCC2, RP3-399L15.3, ZNF621, RP11-394A14.2 and SLC39A10. The top significantly different pathways annotated in the differentially expressed genes pathway was serotonergic synapse. In comparison with the control group, 2 687 CpG sites with a greater than 25% difference and 2 602 CpG sites with a less than -25% difference were identified in Han patients. The top 5 genes with the largest methylation differences between the two groups were NAA25, CORO2B, PDC, ZNF853, and MLLT10. The top significantly different pathways annotated in the differentially expressed genes pathway were glutamatergic synapse, retrograde endocannabinoid signaling, Rap1 signaling pathway and cholinergic synapse. In comparison with the control group, 3 895 CpG sites with a greater than 25% difference and 3 969 CpG sites with a less than -25% difference were identified in HAPC patients. The maximum methylation difference between the two groups could reach 78.1%, while the minimum was -42.6%. The top 5 genes with the largest methylation differences between the two groups were MCCC2, ARSJ, CTNNA3, SLC39A10, and SWAP70. The top significantly different pathways annotated in the differentially expressed genes pathway was signaling pathways regulating pluripotency of stem cells.
CONCLUSION
The occurrence of HAPC may be related to abnormal changes in DNA methylation, and methylation sites may be helpful for the early diagnosis of HAPC.
Humans
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DNA Methylation
;
Altitude
;
Polycythemia/genetics*
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Male
;
Adult
;
CpG Islands
3.Discovery of a novel thiophene carboxamide analogue as a highly potent and selective sphingomyelin synthase 2 inhibitor for dry eye disease therapy.
Jintong YANG ; Yiteng LU ; Kexin HU ; Xinchen ZHANG ; Wei WANG ; Deyong YE ; Mingguang MO ; Xin XIAO ; Xichen WAN ; Yuqing WU ; Shuxian ZHANG ; He HUANG ; Zhibei QU ; Yimin HU ; Yu CAO ; Jiaxu HONG ; Lu ZHOU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(1):392-408
Dry eye disease (DED) is a prevalent and intractable ocular disease induced by a variety of causes. Elevated sphingomyelin (SM) levels and pro-inflammatory cytokines were detected on the ocular surface of DED patients, particularly in the meibomian glands. Sphingomyelin synthase 2 (SMS2), one of the proteins involved in SM synthesis, would light a novel way of developing a DED therapy strategy. Herein, we report the design and optimization of a series of novel thiophene carboxamide derivatives to afford 14l with an improved highly potent inhibitory activity on SM synthesis (IC50, SMS2 = 28 nmol/L). Moreover, 14l exhibited a notable protective effect of anti-inflammation and anti-apoptosis on human corneal epithelial cells (HCEC) under TNF-α-hyperosmotic stress conditions in vitro, with an acceptable ocular specific distribution (corneas and meibomian glands) and pharmacokinetics (PK) profiles (t 1/2, cornea = 1.11 h; t 1/2, meibomian glands = 4.32 h) in rats. Furthermore, 14l alleviated the dry eye symptoms including corneal fluorescein staining scores and tear secretion in a dose-dependent manner in mice. Mechanically, 14l reduced the mRNA expression of Tnf-α, Il-1β and Mmp-9 in corneas, as well as the proportion of very long chain SM in meibomian glands. Our findings provide a new strategy for DED therapy based on selective SMS2 inhibitors.
4.International clinical practice guideline on the use of traditional Chinese medicine for functional dyspepsia (2025).
Sheng-Sheng ZHANG ; Lu-Qing ZHAO ; Xiao-Hua HOU ; Zhao-Xiang BIAN ; Jian-Hua ZHENG ; Hai-He TIAN ; Guan-Hu YANG ; Won-Sook HONG ; Yu-Ying HE ; Li LIU ; Hong SHEN ; Yan-Ping LI ; Sheng XIE ; Jin SHU ; Bin-Fang ZENG ; Jun-Xiang LI ; Zhen LIU ; Zheng-Hua XIAO ; Jing-Dong XIAO ; Pei-Yong ZHENG ; Shao-Gang HUANG ; Sheng-Liang CHEN ; Gui-Jun FEI
Journal of Integrative Medicine 2025;23(5):502-518
Functional dyspepsia (FD), characterized by persistent or recurrent dyspeptic symptoms without identifiable organic, systemic or metabolic causes, is an increasingly recognized global health issue. The objective of this guideline is to equip clinicians and nursing professionals with evidence-based strategies for the management and treatment of adult patients with FD using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The Guideline Development Group consulted existing TCM consensus documents on FD and convened a panel of 35 clinicians to generate initial clinical queries. To address these queries, a systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database, China Biology Medicine (SinoMed) Database, Wanfang Database, Traditional Medicine Research Data Expanded (TMRDE), and the Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (TCMLARS). The evidence from the literature was critically appraised using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. The strength of the recommendations was ascertained through a consensus-building process involving TCM and allopathic medicine experts, methodologists, pharmacologists, nursing specialists, and health economists, leveraging their collective expertise and empirical knowledge. The guideline comprises a total of 43 evidence-informed recommendations that span a range of clinical aspects, including the pathogenesis according to TCM, diagnostic approaches, therapeutic interventions, efficacy assessments, and prognostic considerations. Please cite this article as: Zhang SS, Zhao LQ, Hou XH, Bian ZX, Zheng JH, Tian HH, Yang GH, Hong WS, He YY, Liu L, Shen H, Li YP, Xie S, Shu J, Zeng BF, Li JX, Liu Z, Xiao ZH, Xiao JD, Zheng PY, Huang SG, Chen SL, Fei GJ. International clinical practice guideline on the use of traditional Chinese medicine for functional dyspepsia (2025). J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):502-518.
Dyspepsia/drug therapy*
;
Humans
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods*
;
Practice Guidelines as Topic
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
5.Baicalein attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced myocardial injury by inhibiting ferroptosis via miR-299b-5p/HIF1-α pathway.
Wen-Yan ZHOU ; Jian-Kui DU ; Hong-Hong LIU ; Lei DENG ; Kai MA ; Jian XIAO ; Sheng ZHANG ; Chang-Nan WANG
Journal of Integrative Medicine 2025;23(5):560-575
OBJECTIVE:
Baicalein has been reported to have wide therapeutic effects that act through its anti-inflammatory activity. This study examines the effect and mechanism of baicalein on sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC).
METHODS:
A thorough screening of a small library of natural products, comprising 100 diverse compounds, was conducted to identify the most effective drug against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated H9C2 cardiomyocytes. The core target proteins and their associated signaling pathways involved in baicalein's efficacy against LPS-induced myocardial injury were predicted by network pharmacology.
RESULTS:
Baicalein was identified as the most potent protective agent in LPS-exposed H9C2 cardiomyocytes. It exhibited a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on cell injury and inflammation. In the LPS-induced septic mouse model, baicalein demonstrated a significant capacity to mitigate LPS-triggered myocardial deficits, inflammatory responses, and ferroptosis. Network pharmacological analysis and experimental confirmation suggested that hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit α (HIF1-α) is likely to be the crucial factor in mediating the impact of baicalein against LPS-induced myocardial ferroptosis and injury. By combining microRNA (miRNA) screening in LPS-treated myocardium with miRNA prediction targeting HIF1-α, we found that miR-299b-5p may serve as a regulator of HIF1-α. The reduction in miR-299b-5p levels in LPS-treated myocardium, compared to the control group, was reversed by baicalein treatment. The reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and dual-luciferase reporter gene analyses together identified HIF1-α as the target of miR-299b-5p in cardiomyocytes.
CONCLUSION
Baicalein mitigates SIC at the miRNA level, suggesting the therapeutic potential of it in treating SIC through the regulation of miR-299b-5p/HIF1-α/ferroptosis pathway. Please cite this article as: Zhou WY, Du JK, Liu HH, Deng L, Ma K, Xiao J, Zhang S, Wang CN. Baicalein attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced myocardial injury by inhibiting ferroptosis via miR-299b-5p/HIF1-α pathway. J Integr Med. 2025; 23(5):560-575.
Flavanones/pharmacology*
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Animals
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MicroRNAs/genetics*
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Lipopolysaccharides
;
Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit/genetics*
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Ferroptosis/drug effects*
;
Mice
;
Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism*
;
Signal Transduction/drug effects*
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Rats
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Male
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Cardiomyopathies/etiology*
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Cell Line
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Sepsis/complications*
6.A Retrospective Study of Pregnancy and Fetal Outcomes in Mothers with Hepatitis C Viremia.
Wen DENG ; Zi Yu ZHANG ; Xin Xin LI ; Ya Qin ZHANG ; Wei Hua CAO ; Shi Yu WANG ; Xin WEI ; Zi Xuan GAO ; Shuo Jie WANG ; Lin Mei YAO ; Lu ZHANG ; Hong Xiao HAO ; Xiao Xue CHEN ; Yuan Jiao GAO ; Wei YI ; Yao XIE ; Ming Hui LI
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(7):829-839
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection's effect on gestational liver function, pregnancy and delivery complications, and neonatal development.
METHODS:
A total of 157 HCV antibody-positive (anti-HCV[+]) and HCV RNA(+) patients (Group C) and 121 anti-HCV(+) and HCV RNA(-) patients (Group B) were included as study participants, while 142 anti-HCV(-) and HCV RNA(-) patients (Group A) were the control group. Data on biochemical indices during pregnancy, pregnancy complications, delivery-related information, and neonatal complications were also collected.
RESULTS:
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) rates in Group C during early, middle, and late pregnancy were 59.87%, 43.95%, and 42.04%, respectively-significantly higher than Groups B (26.45%, 15.70%, 10.74%) and A (23.94%, 19.01%, 6.34%) ( P < 0.05). Median ALT levels in Group C were significantly higher than in Groups A and B at all pregnancy stages ( P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in neonatal malformation rates across groups ( P > 0.05). However, neonatal jaundice incidence was significantly greater in Group C (75.16%) compared to Groups A (42.25%) and B (57.02%) ( χ 2 = 33.552, P < 0.001). HCV RNA positivity during pregnancy was an independent risk factor for neonatal jaundice ( OR = 2.111, 95% CI 1.242-3.588, P = 0.006).
CONCLUSIONS
Chronic HCV infection can affect the liver function of pregnant women, but does not increase the pregnancy or delivery complication risks. HCV RNA(+) is an independent risk factor for neonatal jaundice.
Humans
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Female
;
Pregnancy
;
Adult
;
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/epidemiology*
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Retrospective Studies
;
Pregnancy Outcome
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Infant, Newborn
;
Viremia/virology*
;
Hepatitis C
;
Hepacivirus/physiology*
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Hepatitis C, Chronic/virology*
;
Young Adult
;
Alanine Transaminase/blood*
7.Research progress of renin-angiotensin system in hypertensive depression
Lu-fan SHEN ; Xiao-ke WANG ; Hong WANG ; Ling-na ZHANG ; Jia-wei LI ; Yu-yuan LU ; Jiao TIAN ; Wan-rong KANG ; A-ni YANG ; Lin YI
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(9):1629-1635
With the establishment of bio-psycho-social medical model,both social and psychological factors play an important role in the occurrence,development and treatment of diseases.Hypertension is a common chronic multiple disease in China,and patients are often complicated with depression and other e-motional disorders.The interaction between hypertension and depression significantly increases the risk of poor prognosis.Current studies have shown a bidirectional promoting relationship between hypertension and depression,and they have some com-mon pathogenesis.However,the specific mechanism of their co-morbidity has not been fully elucidated.Renin-angiotensin sys-tem(RAS)plays an important role in the regulation of hyperten-sion and depression and other emotions.It is composed of two antagonistic pathways.The balance is maintained by angioten-sin-converting enzyme 2(ACE2).Therefore,this article reviews the relationship and mechanism of RAS in hypertension,depres-sion and comorbid states,in order to provide new treatment ide-as for hypertension and depression.
8.Comparison of variable pressure mattress and thermoplastic mold in cone beam CT-guided radiotherapy of abdominal and pelvic cancer for setup error and effect of body mass index on setup reproducibility
Ling-xiao MIAO ; Jin-ye ZHAO ; Heng LI ; Feng-jiao SHAN ; Cui-hong ZHANG
Chinese Medical Equipment Journal 2025;46(7):45-50
Objective To explore the variable pressure matress and thermoplastic mold applied to cone beam CT-guided radiotherapy of abdominal and pelvic cancer in terms of translation error,rotation angle error and setup reproducibility of patients with different body mass indexes(BMIs),so as to provide references for the selection of body fixation mode.Methods Totally 70 patients with abdominal and pelvic tumors admitted to some hospital from April 2021 to March 2022 were retrospectively selected,and divided into a variable pressure mattress group and a thermoplastic mold group according to the fixation method,with 35 patients in each group.All the patients in the two groups underwent examinations with cone beam computed tomography(CBCT)at the first radiotherapy treatment and during the course of the treatment,and the image registration was carried out between validation images and planning images.The two groups were compared in terms of rotation angle error and thranlation error at the directoins of x axis(lateral directions),y axis(cranial-caudal)and z axis(ventral-dorsal).Taking the center point image of the initial positioning as the reference,the errors of the center points of the two groups at z and y axes(Δz and Δy)were compared.The setup reproducibility was set as Δz≤5 mm and Δy≤3 mm,and the setup reproducibility rates of the two groups were summarized.All the patients were categorized into non-overweight ones(BMI<25 kg/m2)and overweight ones(BMI≥25 kg/m2),and the setup reproducibility rates of the patients with different BMIs were counted.SPSS 26.0 software was used for statistical analysis.Results The two groups had no significant differences in translation error at the directions of x and y axes(P>0.05).The variable pressure mattress group had the translation error at the direction of z axis statistically lower than that of the thermoplastic mold group(P<0.05).There were no significant differences between the two groups in rotation angle error(P=0.219 3).The two groups had significant differences in setup reproducibility(P=0.033 4).The non-overweight patients had the setup reproducibility rate being 40.00%in the variable pressure mattress group,and 77.14%in the thermoplastic mold group;the overweight patients had the setup reproducibility rate being 25.71%in the variable pressure mattress group and only 2.86%in the thermoplastic mold group,with the differences between the two groups being statistically significant(P=0.002 9).Conclusion The variable pressure mattress and thermoplastic mold both result in low setup errors when applied to fixation during the radiotherapy of abdominal and pelvic cancer,the thermoplastic mold fixation can be used for the patients with BMIs lower than 25 kg/m2 with decreased translation errors at the direction of z axis,and the variable pressure mattress fixation was suitable for the patients with BMIs not lower than 25 kg/m2.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(7):45-50]
9.Terms Related to The Study of Biomacromolecular Condensates
Ke RUAN ; Xiao-Feng FANG ; Dan LI ; Pi-Long LI ; Yi LIN ; Zheng WANG ; Yun-Yu SHI ; Ming-Jie ZHANG ; Hong ZHANG ; Cong LIU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(4):1027-1035
Biomolecular condensates are formed through phase separation of biomacromolecules such as proteins and RNAs. These condensates exhibit liquid-like properties that can futher transition into more stable material states. They form complex internal structures via multivalent weak interactions, enabling precise spatiotemporal regulations. However, the use of inconsistent and non-standardized terminology has become increasingly problematic, hindering academic exchange and the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss the terminology related to biomolecular condensates in order to clarify concepts, promote interdisciplinary cooperation, enhance research efficiency, and support the healthy development of this field.
10.Construction and validation of predictive model for surgical site infections following spinal surgery in Chinese population
Hongxin WEI ; Yan REN ; Shuang LIU ; Jiao SHAN ; Hui CHEN ; Xiao HAN ; Zhiwei CHEN ; Lin YANG ; Yue LIU ; Luyao LI ; Hong LI
Chinese Journal of Nosocomiology 2025;35(16):2465-2470
OBJECTIVE To construct a predictive tool for surgical site infections(SSIs)in spinal surgery for Chi-nese population to provide evidence support for reducing SSIs.METHODS A systematic review of Chinese and English database literature was conducted for Meta-analysis to obtain pooled risk values for influencing factors,and a risk prediction scoring tool was constructed based on the logistic regression model.Patients who underwent spinal surgery and completed postoperative follow-up in a tertiary hospital in Beijing from Jan.to Dec.2021 were selected to validate the predictive effect of the tool.RESULTS The predictive model for SSIs in Chinese spinal sur-gery patients was Logit(P)=—3.47+0.63(age 60 years)+0.31 ×(patient with cardiovascular disease)+0.69 ×(rheumatoid arthritis)+1.07 ×(diabetes)+1.06 ×(operation duration>3 h)+1.17 ×(preopera-tive albumin<35 g/L)+0.71 ×(history of spinal surgery)+0.67 ×(carrying internal implants)+0.73 ×(blood transfusion).The total score of the predictive tool was 92,with a cutoff score of≥24.50 indicating high-risk individuals.The area under the curve was 0.733,with the sensitivity 58.30%and the specificity 79.60%.CONCLUSION The established predictive model for SSIs in Chinese spine surgery demonstrates good predictive performance and can be used as a reference assessment tool in clinical practice.

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