1.Shaoyao Gancaotang Alleviates High-fat Diet-aggravated Colitis in Mice by Suppressing Ferroptosis Through SLC7A11/GPX4 Signaling Pathway
Juan SHI ; Lianyin GAO ; Xiaohui ZHANG ; Jing JI ; Chongyang MA ; Xueqian WANG ; Fafeng CHENG ; Tian XU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(18):53-59
ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of Shaoyao Gancaotang (SYGCT) on high-fat diet (HFD)-aggravated colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in mice and decipher the potential mechanism. MethodsForty male C57BL/6J mice were fed an HFD for 14 days, followed by gavage of 2%DSS for 7 days for the modeling of HFD-aggravated colitis. The mice were randomly allocated into control, model (HFD-aggravated colitis), low-dose (5.2 g·kg-1) SYGCT, high-dose (10.4 g·kg-1) SYGCT, and 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA, positive control, 50 mg·kg-1) groups. Body mass changes and disease activity index (DAI) scores were recorded. The colon length was measured. Pathological changes in the colon tissue were observed through hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Transcriptomic analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed genes. Western blot was employed to quantify the protein levels of Occludin, Claudin3, solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), and ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1). ResultsCompared with the control group, the model group exhibited diarrhea, bloody stools, increased DAI scores (P<0.01), colon shortening (P<0.01), severe colonic pathological damage, and reduced expression of tight junction proteins Occludin and Claudin3 (P<0.05, P<0.01). Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes between the high-dose SYGCT group and the model group were significantly enriched in the ferroptosis signaling pathway. Compared with the model group, SYGCT treatment alleviated diarrhea and bloody stools, reduced DAI scores (P<0.01), increased the colon length (P<0.01), mitigated colonic pathological damage, and upregulated the expression of Occludin and Claudin3 (P<0.01), as well as proteins (SLC7A11, GPX4, and FTH1) associated with the inhibition of ferroptosis (P<0.05). ConclusionSYGCT significantly ameliorates HFD-aggravated DSS-induced colitis by suppressing ferroptosis via activation of the SLC7A11/GPX4 pathway.
2.Alcohol-related liver disease-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure: Mechanisms, dynamic assessment, and precise management
Na AI ; Huaining CUI ; Xiaohui FANG ; Tao LIU ; Yanhang GAO
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(8):1755-1760
Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a high-mortality syndrome that develops during the acute deterioration of chronic liver disease and is characterized by multiple organ dysfunction driven by systemic inflammation. Due to gut microbiota dysbiosis, endotoxin translocation, and amplified inflammatory responses, alcohol-related liver disease-associated ACLF (ALD-ACLF) is more pronounced and is often accompanied by a high risk of secondary infection and extrahepatic organ involvement, thereby exhibiting distinct etiological and clinical characteristics. This article systematically reviews the advances in the definitional boundaries, pathophysiological mechanisms, dynamic early warning, and prognostic assessment of ALD-ACLF, elaborates on risk stratification and key issues in clinical management, and discusses the potential impact of the dual-hit phenotype of metabolic dysfunction and alcohol-related liver disease on risk stratification in ALD-ACLF. This article also highlights the need to further strengthen etiology-oriented early identification, dynamic stratification, control of predisposing factors, and earlier intervention, in order to provide a reference for the precise assessment and individualized intervention of these patients.
3.CYHR1 Regulates the Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Colorectal Cancer Cells by Activating the IL-6/STAT3/MALAT1 Axis
Qiumin DENG ; Ying LIU ; Jiaying HUANG ; Xiaohui LIU ; Xuejuan GAO ; Langxia LIU
Journal of Sun Yat-sen University(Medical Sciences) 2026;47(4):670-680
ObjectiveTo elucidate the expression patterns of CYHR1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its regulatory role in tumour cell proliferation and metastasis-related phenotypes. MethodsExpression differences of CYHR1 between colorectal cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues were analyzed using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and the association between CYHR1 expression and patient survival was evaluated. A CRC cell model with CYHR1 overexpression was established, and changes in the expression of related molecules were verified by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation and metastatic potential were assessed using MTT assays, colony formation assays, and Transwell migration and invasion assays to evaluate the effects of CYHR1 and MALAT1 on CRC cell proliferation and migration/invasion, including combined intervention experiments. ResultsDatabase analysis revealed that CYHR1 is significantly overexpressed in CRC tissues, and that this overexpression is significantly associated with poorer overall survival. Compared with normal control cells, mRNA expression levels of CYHR1 were markedly elevated in CRC cell lines (HCT116, RKO, etc.) (P=0.002; P=0.006). Functional experiments demonstrated that CYHR1 overexpression significantly promoted the proliferation (P<0.001), colony formation (P<0.001), migration (P=0.002) and invasive capacity (P=0.002) of HCT116 cells; whereas knockdown of either CYHR1 or MALAT1 inhibited CRC cell proliferation and reduced their migration (P=0.006) and invasive capacity (P=0.006). In the context of CYHR1 overexpression, combined knockdown of MALAT1 partially reversed the promotional effect of CYHR1 on CRC cell proliferation, migration and invasion (P<0.001; P=0.001). Mechanistic studies further revealed that CYHR1 overexpression upregulates MALAT1 mRNA expression levels (P<0.001), whilst CYHR1 knockdown leads to downregulation of MALAT1 expression (P<0.001); MALAT1 knockdown likewise downregulates CYHR1 expression, suggesting a mutually reinforcing positive regulatory relationship between the two. Furthermore, CYHR1 can activate the IL-6/STAT3 signalling axis, whilst knockdown of IL-6 or STAT3 inhibited the upregulation of MALAT1 expression by CYHR1 (P=0.031; P=0.006). ConclusionCYHR1 is abnormally overexpressed in colorectal cancer and is closely associated with poor prognosis. CYHR1 may promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells by activating the IL-6/STAT3/MALAT1 axis.
4.Investigation and Trend Prediction of Disease Burden of Hypertensionin the Elderly Population Globally and in China from 1990 to 2021
Xiaoxiao ZHAO ; Xiaohui LU ; Lixin KE ; Wulin GAO ; Xiangran MENG ; Lili REN ; Yunhan DING ; Qiang ZHANG ; Yangqin XUN ; Jibiao WU ; Cuncun LU
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2025;16(3):647-658
To analyze the disease burden of hypertension in the elderly population from 1990 to 2021 and to predict future trends in China and globally, thereby providing insights for public health decision-making regarding older adults with hypertension in China. Data on hypertension-related deaths and disability adjusted life years (DALYs) for individuals aged ≥60 years was extracted from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD)2021 database for the world, China, and five sociodemographic index (SDI) regions. Age-standardized mortality and DALYs rates for hypertension in the elderly population were calculated, and Joinpoint regression was used to assess trend changes of disease burden, with results reported as average annual percentage change (AAPC). Additionally, subgroup analyses were conducted based on age and sex. The relative impact of aging, population growth, and epidemiological changes on disease burden was analyzed using a three-factor decomposition method. Future projections for the disease burden from 2022 to 2040 were performed using a Bayesian model. From 1990 to 2021, both age-standardized mortality and DALYs rates for hypertension in the elderly population demonstrated a significant downward trend globally and in China (both AAPC values were negative, all Although age-standardized mortality and DALYs rates for hypertension among the elderly in China have shown a downward trend over the past three decades, the absolute burden remains substantial. There is an urgent need for the formulation and implementation of more effective public health policies and clinical interventions to address this critical public health challenge.
5.Role of autophagy in treatment of paracetamol-induced liver injury
Guojing XING ; Lifei WANG ; Longlong LUO ; Xiaofeng ZHENG ; Chun GAO ; Xiaohui YU ; Jiucong ZHANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(2):389-394
N-acetyl-p-aminophenol (APAP) is an antipyretic analgesic commonly used in clinical practice, and APAP overdose can cause severe liver injury and even death. In recent years, the incidence rate of APAP-induced liver injury (AILI) tends to increase, and it has become the second most common cause of liver transplantation worldwide. Autophagy is a highly conserved catabolic process that removes unwanted cytosolic proteins and organelles through lysosomal degradation to achieve the metabolic needs of cells themselves and the renewal of organelles. A large number of studies have shown that autophagy plays a key role in the pathophysiology of AILI, involving the mechanisms such as APAP protein conjugates, oxidative stress, JNK activation, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammatory response and apoptosis. This article elaborates on the biological mechanism of autophagy in AILI, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of AILI and the development of autophagy regulators.
6.Diagnostic value of combined detection of ascites and serum extracellular vesicle contents for HBV-related primary hepatocellular carcinoma
Chenhongmei WANG ; Jiaheng ZHU ; Xiaohui LIU ; Zhihui XU ; Jia LIU ; Hanqian XING ; Kaili WANG ; Yanming HU ; Yinyin LI ; Jinsong MU ; Xudong GAO ; Bo LI ; Boan LI
Chinese Journal of Nosocomiology 2025;35(19):2921-2926
OBJECTIVE To explore the diagnostic value of combined detection of microRNA(miRNA)and alpha-fetoprotein(AFP),protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-Ⅱ(PIVKA-Ⅱ)in ascites and serum ex-tracellular vesicles(EVs)for hepatitis B virus(HBV)-related primary hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).METHODS From Nov.2023 to Nov.2024,41 patients with liver cancer and 26 patients with liver cirrhosis who underwent ascites placement or ascites concentration and reinfusion procedures at the Fifth Medical Center of Chi-nese PLA General Hospital were selected as study subjects.Ascites and serum samples were collected.Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)was used to detect the expression levels of miR-21,miR-125a,miR-150 and miR-200a in EVs.Chemiluminescence was used to measure the levels of AFP and PIVKA-Ⅱ in ascites,serum and EVs from ascites and serum.An artificial neural network was utilized to con-struct a combined diagnostic model of serum and ascites markers.RESULTS The area under the curve(AUC)for distinguishing HCC from liver cirrhosis using a combination of serum and other indicators was 0.933.The AUC for distinguishing HCC from liver cirrhosis using a combination of ascites and other indicators was 0.912.By screening all detected indicators using an artificial neural network and incorporating indicators with a relative im-portance>0.5 into the diagnostic model,the model included four indicators:ascites AFP,ascites EVs miR-21,ascites EVs miR-200a and serum EVs miR-200a.This model had a sensitivity of 80.77%,a specificity of 87.80%and an AUC of 0.960 for distinguishing HCC from liver cirrhosis patients.CONCLUSION The combined diagnos-tic markers of miRNA,AFP and PIVKA-Ⅱ in ascites and serum-derived EVs have good application value in the diagnosis of HCC.
7.Clinical analysis of surgical treatment and postoperative efficacy in piriform sinus fistula with acute inflammatory period of children.
Yufeng GUO ; Xingqiang GAO ; Zhengmin XU ; Haiyan DENG ; Xiaohui WU
Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2025;39(2):158-162
Objective:To discuss the clinical efficacy of low-temperature radiofrequency ablation assisted by endoscopy combined with resection and drainage of cervical abscess for the treatment of congenital pyriform sinus fistula (CPSF) in the acute inflammatory period of children. Methods:Clinical data of 30 patients with CPSF in the acute inflammatory period who received low-temperature radiofrequency ablation assisted by endoscopy under laryngoscope, combined with resection and drainage of cervical abscess, from January 2018 to December 2023 were reviewed. After the operation, patients were followed up closely at different stages. All patients underwent color Doppler ultrasound and electronic laryngoscopy, and the results were analyzed. Results:All 30 children successfully completed the surgery without pharyngeal fistula, dysphagia, perifistula, or distal fistula infection, and the incision in the neck healed well. The follow-up survey ranged from 6 months to 2 years, and no recurrences were observed. Conclusion:Low-temperature radiofrequency ablation assisted by endoscopy combined with resection and drainage of cervical abscess is a promising method for treating CPSF in the acute inflammatory period. It is less traumatic, simple, safe, has a significant curative effect, and a low recurrence rate. This approach can be used as a supplementary operation for CPSF in children and provides a new way for clinical treatment.
Humans
;
Pyriform Sinus/abnormalities*
;
Abscess/surgery*
;
Drainage
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Fistula/congenital*
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Female
;
Male
;
Child
;
Radiofrequency Ablation
;
Treatment Outcome
;
Postoperative Period
;
Endoscopy
;
Laryngoscopy
;
Inflammation
;
Child, Preschool
8.Enhanced radiotheranostic targeting of integrin α5β1 with PEGylation-enabled peptide multidisplay platform (PEGibody): A strategy for prolonged tumor retention with fast blood clearance.
Siqi ZHANG ; Xiaohui MA ; Jiang WU ; Jieting SHEN ; Yuntao SHI ; Xingkai WANG ; Lin XIE ; Xiaona SUN ; Yuxuan WU ; Hao TIAN ; Xin GAO ; Xueyao CHEN ; Hongyi HUANG ; Lu CHEN ; Xuekai SONG ; Qichen HU ; Hailong ZHANG ; Feng WANG ; Zhao-Hui JIN ; Ming-Rong ZHANG ; Rui WANG ; Kuan HU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(2):692-706
Peptide-based radiopharmaceuticals targeting integrin α5β1 show promise for precise tumor diagnosis and treatment. However, current peptide-based radioligands that target α5β1 demonstrate inadequate in vivo performance owing to limited tumor retention. The use of PEGylation to enhance the tumor retention of radiopharmaceuticals by prolonging blood circulation time poses a risk of increased blood toxicity. Therefore, a PEGylation strategy that boosts tumor retention while minimizing blood circulation time is urgently needed. Here, we developed a PEGylation-enabled peptide multidisplay platform (PEGibody) for PR_b, an α5β1 targeting peptide. PEGibody generation involved PEGylation and self-assembly. [64Cu]QM-2303 PEGibodies displayed spherical nanoparticles ranging from 100 to 200 nm in diameter. Compared with non-PEGylated radioligands, [64Cu]QM-2303 demonstrated enhanced tumor retention time due to increased binding affinity and stability. Importantly, the biodistribution analysis confirmed rapid clearance of [64Cu]QM-2303 from the bloodstream. Administration of a single dose of [177Lu]QM-2303 led to robust antitumor efficacy. Furthermore, [64Cu]/[177Lu]QM-2303 exhibited low hematological and organ toxicity in both healthy and tumor-bearing mice. Therefore, this study presents a PEGibody-based radiotheranostic approach that enhances tumor retention time and provides long-lasting antitumor effects without prolonging blood circulation lifetime. The PEGibody-based radiopharmaceutical [64Cu]/[177Lu]QM-2303 shows great potential for positron emission tomography imaging-guided targeted radionuclide therapy for α5β1-overexpressing tumors.
9.Diabetes-associated sleep fragmentation impairs liver and heart function via SIRT1-dependent epigenetic modulation of NADPH oxidase 4.
Yuanfang GUO ; Jie WANG ; Dongmei ZHANG ; Yufeng TANG ; Quanli CHENG ; Jiahao LI ; Ting GAO ; Xiaohui ZHANG ; Guangping LU ; Mingrui LIU ; Xun GUAN ; Xinyu TANG ; Junlian GU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(3):1480-1496
Although clinical evidence suggests that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is an established major risk factor for heart failure, it remains unexplored whether sleep disorder-caused hepatic damage contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Here, our findings revealed that sleep fragmentation (SF) displayed notable hepatic detrimental phenotypes, including steatosis and oxidative damage, along with significant abnormalities in cardiac structure and function. All these pathological changes persisted even after sleep recovery for 2 consecutive weeks or more, displaying memory properties. Mechanistically, persistent higher expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 (NOX4) in the liver was the key initiator of SF-accelerated damage phenotypes. SF epigenetically controlled the acetylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27ac) enrichment at the Nox4 promoter and markedly increased Nox4 expression in liver even after sleep recovery. Moreover, fine coordination of the circadian clock and hepatic damage was strictly controlled by BMAL1-dependent Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) transcription after circadian misalignment. Accordingly, genetic manipulation of liver-specific Nox4 or Sirt1, along with pharmacological intervention targeting NOX4 (GLX351322) or SIRT1 (Resveratrol), could effectively erase the epigenetic modification of Nox4 by reducing the H3K27ac level and ameliorate the progression of liver pathology, thereby counteracting SF-evoked sustained CVD. Collectively, our findings may pave the way for strategies to mitigate myocardial injury from persistent hepatic detrimental memory in diabetic patients.
10.Melatonin receptor 1a alleviates sleep fragmentation-aggravated testicular injury in T2DM by suppression of TAB1/TAK1 complex through FGFR1.
Xiaohui ZHANG ; Xinyu TANG ; Ting GAO ; Yuanfang GUO ; Guangping LU ; Qingbo LIU ; Jiahao LI ; Jie WANG ; Mingrui LIU ; Dongmei ZHANG ; Yufeng TANG ; Junlian GU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(7):3591-3610
A major obstacle in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is sleep fragmentation (SF), which negatively affects testicular function. However, the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In this study, we demonstrate that SF induces testicular damage through a mechanism involving lipid metabolism, specifically mediated by melatonin (MEL) receptor 1a (MT1). T2DM mice with SF intervention displayed several deleterious phenotypes such as apoptosis, deregulated lipid metabolism, and impaired testicular function. Unexpectedly, sleep recovery (SR) for 2 consecutive weeks could not completely abrogate SF's detrimental effects on lipid deposition and testicular function. Interestingly, MEL and MT1 agonist 2-iodomelatonin (2IM) effectively improved lipid homeostasis, highlighting MEL/2IM as a promising therapeutic drug for SF-trigged testicular damage. Mechanistically, MEL and 2IM activated FGFR1 and sequentially restrained the crosstalk and physical interaction between TAB1 and TAK1, which ultimately suppressed the phosphorylation of TAK1 to block lipid deposition and cell apoptosis caused by SF. The ameliorating effect of MEL/2IM was overtly nullified in Fgfr1 knockout (Fgfr1-KO +/- ) diabetic mice. Meanwhile, testicular-specific overexpression of Tak1 abolished the protective effect of FGF1mut on diabetic mouse testis. Our findings offer valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the testicular pathogenesis associated with SF and propose a novel therapeutic approach for addressing male infertility in T2DM.

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