1.Chaihu Guizhi Ganjiangtang and Its Single Active Ingredient in Treatment of Dyspepsia Caused by Chronic Cholecystitis: A Review
Wenwen YANG ; Yubei LU ; Lin CHEN ; Jing ZHANG ; Ying GAO ; Yajuan ZHANG ; Xiaoyan LI ; Jianfei YANG ; Xiaoli SHI ; Huanhuan LIN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(4):289-298
Chaihu Guizhi Ganjiangtang was first recorded in the Treatise on Cold Damage (Shang Han Lun). This prescription is composed of Bupleuri Radix, Scutellariae Radix, Cinnamomi Ramulus, Zingiberis Rhizoma, Trichosanthis Radix, Ostreae Concha, and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma. It has the effects of soothing Lesser Yang, warming the spleen, and stimulating the generation of body fluid. It is mainly used to treat digestive tract diseases such as chronic cholecystitis (CC), irritable bowel syndrome, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Dyspepsia caused by CC presents a variety of gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, poor appetite, postprandial fullness, aversion to greasy food, soft stool, and bitter mouth, being a type of biliary dyspepsia. In modern medicine, dyspepsia caused by CC is mainly managed by medical treatment and surgical treatment. Internal medicine mainly focuses on reducing inflammation, promoting the function of gallbladder, resolving stones, alleviating spasms, and relieving the pain for CC, demonstrating definite short-term efficacy but suffering from single effects, high recurrence rate, and poor compliance. Although surgical treatment can cure cholecystitis, it is accompanied by the increased incidence of adverse events such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and dyspepsia. Modern clinical studies have confirmed that Chaihu Guizhi Ganjiangtang can significantly alleviate the symptoms such as abdominal pain and dyspepsia of CC patients. Pharmacological studies have found that Chaihu Guizhi Ganjiangtang mainly contains active ingredients such as Bupleuri Radix saponins, baicalin, cinnamaldehyde, gingerol, Trichosanthis Radix polysaccharide, Ostreae Concha polysaccharide, and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma total flavonoids. Chaihu Guizhi Ganjiangtang can ameliorate the symptoms of dyspepsia caused by CC by inhibiting inflammatory responses, improving gallbladder contraction and gastrointestinal motility, regulating the bile acid-intestinal flora axis and the brain-gut axis, and modulating blood lipids through multiple targets. By reviewing the previous literature, this article summarizes the research progress in the treatment of dyspepsia caused by CC with Chaihu Guizhi Ganjiangtang and its main active ingredients as well as the pathogenesis of this disease and puts forward the shortcomings and improvement strategies for the current research. The review aims to provide a reference for the further research on Chaihu Guizhi Ganjiangtang in the treatment of dyspepsia caused by CC.
2.Molecular Crosstalk Mechanisms of Shoutai Wan and Juyuan Jian on Maternal-fetal Interface Subcellular Clusters in CBA/J×DBA/2 Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Model
Jingxin GAO ; Qiuping CHEN ; Xiaoyan ZHENG ; Pengfei ZENG ; Rui ZHOU ; Yancai TANG ; Qian ZENG ; Wenli GUO ; Jinzhu HUANG ; Weijun DING ; Linwen DENG ; Hang ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(2):70-87
ObjectiveTo systematically compare the differential regulation of the maternal-fetal interface cell lineages and communication networks in the CBA/J×DBA/2 mouse model of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) by the two classic therapeutic methods-tonifying the kidney to stabilize the fetus and invigorating the spleen to stabilize the fetus (Shoutai Wan, Juyuan Jian)-of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) at the single-cell resolution and clarify their modern scientific connotations. MethodsFemale non-pregnant CBA/J mice were caged with male BALB/c (blank group) and DBA/2 (modeling group) mice separately. Pregnant mice in the modeling group were randomly grouped as follows: high/low-dose Shoutai Wan, high/low-dose Juyuan Jian, model (RPL), and positive control (dydrogesterone), with 10 mice in each group. Starting from the day after the detection of the vaginal plug, mice were administrated with drugs or an equal volume of normal saline by gavage for 10 consecutive days. After the intervention, the following indicators were measured. ① Macroscopic evaluation: general conditions, uterine wet weight, embryo loss rate, four coagulation parameters [prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (FIB), and thrombin time (TT)], and peripheral blood estradiol (E2) and progesterone (Pg) levels. The decidua with embryos was stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiotensin Ⅱ (AngⅡ), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), CXC chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12), and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 homolog (LC3)Ⅰ/Ⅱ was quantified by Western blot. ② Mechanism analysis at the single-cell level: The decidua with embryos from the blank, model, high-dose Shoutai Wan, and high-dose Juyuan Jian groups (6 mice per group, with 3 single-cell samples per group, totaling 24 mice) were analyzed by the BD Rhapsody™ platform, and the whole-cell atlas was drawn by uniform manifold approximation and projection (UMAP) dimensionality reduction clustering combined with the single-cell mouse cell atlas (scMCA). The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and cell interaction networks were analyzed via Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and CellChat, and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) map of subtype cells was constructed. The CytoTRACE pseudo-temporal analysis was performed to explore the developmental trajectories of core immune cells (natural killer cells, NK cells) from maternal and fetal sources. Results① Pathological and Western blot results indicated that compared with the blank group, the RPL group showed an increase in the embryo loss rate (P<0.01), down-regulated expression of Bcl-2, LIF, MMP-2, and Vegf in the decidua with embryos (P<0.05), up-regulated protein levels of CXCL-12, AngⅡ, and IL-6 (P<0.05), blocked angiogenesis, apoptosis-inflammation imbalance, and coagulation dysfunction. Both prescriptions dose-dependently reduced the abortion rate and restored the angiogenesis-inflammation balance, and Shoutai pill showed superior performance in restoring the E2 level to the Pg level (P<0.05). ② Single-cell transcriptome analysis indicated that compared with the blank group, the RPL group showed differences in multiple key cell populations such as decidual cells, trophoblast cells, endothelial cells, erythroblasts, NK cells, and macrophages at the maternal-fetal interface. Immunity and angiogenesis were the key links in RPL. Compared with the RPL group, high-dose Shoutai Wan reversed the changes of NK cells in the embryonic layer (upregulating the mRNA levels of 17 genes and downregulating the mRNA levels of 29 genes) and macrophages (upregulating the mRNA levels of 117 genes and downregulating the mRNA levels of 53 genes) through the regulation of gene expression. High-dose Shoutai pill regulated the immune cells to affect unfolded proteins, cell adhesion, and programmed cell death, thereby promoting decidualization and angiogenesis and modulating embryo-membrane development. High-dose Juyuan Jian regulated the key subgroups of NK cells (up-regulating the mRNA levels of 9 genes and down-regulating the mRNA levels of 17 genes) and macrophages (up-regulating the mRNA levels of 110 genes and down-regulating the mRNA levels of 81 genes), which affected decidual inflammation and apoptosis and intervened in glycolysis. ③ The pseudo-temporal analysis and communication network indicated that the communication frequency of the RPL group decreased. High-dose Shoutai Wan restored maternal-fetal tolerance through pathways such as NKG2D, CDH5, GDF, and FASLG. High-dose Juyuan Jian enhanced the IL-6/LIFR/JAK/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and desmosome/SEMA6/tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) signaling to improve endometrial receptivity. The RPL group showed an increased proportion of toxic dNK7, a decreased proportion of reparative dNK4, and blocked embryo fNK1. High-dose Shoutai Wan down-regulated dNK7 and up-regulated dNK4. High-dose Juyuan Jian inhibited the terminal differentiation of dNK7 and up-regulated LILRB1, thus restoring the balance of cytotoxicity and repair. ConclusionBoth the kidney-tonifying and spleen-invigorating methods are effective in treating RPL. NK and macrophages are the key immune cells in the interaction between the embryo and the membrane. The kidney-tonifying method (Shoutai Wan) has an advantage in regulating the phenotypes of unfolded protein, cell adhesion, and programmed cell death, and shows expression characteristics closer to the physiological state in the regulation of NKG2D and CDH5 signals. The spleen-invigorating method (Juyuan Jian) has an advantage in regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), angiogenesis, and glycolysis and shows higher communication intensity in the IL-6 and LIFR pathways.
3.Effects of baicalin on insulin resistance in rats with gestational diabetes mellitus and its mechanism
Kewei SHI ; Xi CHEN ; Xiaoyan ZHAO ; Bo YANG ; Yunchun LIU ; Yueyue GAO
China Pharmacy 2026;37(4):450-455
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of baicalin (BC) on insulin resistance in rats with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and its underlying mechanism based on the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/suppressor of variegation 3-9 homolog 1 (SUV39H1)/histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation (H3K9me3) axis. METHODS A GDM rat model was established by a combination of a high-fat diet and streptozotocin injection. The successfully modeled rats were divided into the GDM group, BC low-dose group, BC high-dose group, and high-dose of BC+AMPK inhibitor (Compound C) group, with 10 rats in each group. Another 10 pregnant rats fed a normal diet served as the control group. Rats in each group were given corresponding drugs/normal saline intragastrically and/or intraperitoneally, once daily for 2 consecutive weeks. After the last administration, the levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), pancreatic function indexes [fasting insulin (FINS), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), insulin sensitivity index (ISI)], blood lipid indexes (total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), liver function indexes (alanine transferase, aspartate transferase, alkaline phosphatase), inflammatory indicators (C-reactive protein, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6), metabolic regulatory protein [complement-C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein 3 (CTRP3)], insulin sensitivity related factors [glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), adiponectin], and oxidative stress indicators [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA)] were measured. Pathological changes in liver tissue were observed, and the expressions of proteins related to the AMPK/SUV39H1/H3K9me3 axis in liver tissue were detected. RESULTS Compared with the GDM group, rats in the BC low- and high-dose groups showed varying degrees of improvement in pathological changes such as disordered cell arrangement, vacuolar degeneration, lipid deposition, and inflammatory cell infiltration in liver tissue. Their FBG and FINS levels, HOMA-IR, the levels of blood lipid indexes, liver function indexes, inflammatory indicators and MDA, and the expressions of SUV39H1 and H3K9me3 were significantly decreased or down-regulated, while metabolic regulatory protein, insulin sensitivity-related factors and AMPK protein phosphorylation levels were significantly increased ( P <0.05). The improvement was more significant in the BC high-dose group ( P <0.05). Compound C could significantly reverse the ameliorative effects of high-dose BC on the above quantitative indicators ( P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS BC can significantly reduce oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, increase serum levels of CTRP3, GLUT4 and adiponectin, thereby improving insulin resistance in GDM rats. These effects may be related to the activation of AMPK and inhibition of SUV39H1-mediated H3K9me3 modification.
4.Neoadjuvant Sintilimab Combined with Gemcitabine and Cisplatin for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Patients Followed by Selective Bladder Sparing Surgery: A Phase 2 Trial
Zhou TONG ; Guanghou FU ; Feng ZHOU ; Xiaoyan LIU ; Xing XUE ; Hangyu ZHANG ; Yimin WANG ; Xudong ZHU ; Yang GAO ; Lulu LIU ; Xuanwen BAO ; Yi ZHENG ; Weijia FANG ; Peng ZHAO ; Baiye JIN
Cancer Research and Treatment 2026;58(2):581-590
Purpose:
This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of gemcitabine and cisplatin (GP) regimen in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitor sintilimab as neoadjuvant therapy for muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients and the feasibility of the following selective bladder sparing surgery.
Materials and Methods:
Patients with histopathologically confirmed urothelial carcinoma without distant metastases (T2-4a, N ≤ 1, M0, American Joint Committee of Cancer 8th) and with adequate organ function will be enrolled. The therapeutic regimen was sintilimab 200 mg once on day 8, gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 and cisplatin 35 mg/m2 once on days 1 and 8, every 21 days for four cycles. The primary endpoint was pathologic complete response (pCR, pT0N0) rate. The secondary end points were ypT < 2 rate, R0 resection rate, event-free survival, and safety.
Results:
From May 4, 2020, to May 20, 2023, 55 patients were enrolled. Forty-six patients were evaluated for efficacy. Among the 42 patients who underwent surgery, 16 patients (38.0%) achieved pCR. Thirty-three patients (78.6%) achieved pT < 2. With a median follow-up of 15.7 months, the 1-year event-free survival was 91.3%. Notwithstanding the poor pathological baseline characteristic of a high T3-T4a proportion (39.1%), a promising bladder preservation (including 22 patients transurethral resection of bladder tumor, 5 patients partial cystectomy, and 4 surveillances) rate was achieved (67.4%). The most common grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events was neutropenia (n=15, 27.3%), which was related to chemotherapy. There were no grade 3 immune-related adverse events.
Conclusion
Neoadjuvant GP plus sintilimab is a promising regimen for MIBC patients, with relatively high pT < 2 rate and triggering the emerging roles for the multi-disciplinary team decision-making for bladder sparing surgery.
5.Effects of Bionic Electric Stimulation Combined with Resistance Tightening Leg Training on Postpartum Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Xiaoyan YIN ; Yaping QIAN ; Guangyu SUN ; Qianyun GAO ; Xi CHEN
Journal of Medical Biomechanics 2025;40(2):358-363
Objective To explore the effect of bionic electrical stimulation(BES)combined with resistance tightening leg training on postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction(PFD).Methods A total of 205 patients with PFD were divided into the BES group(n=102)and the combined group(n=103)by random number table method.All subjects received routine pelvic floor muscle training.In addition,the BES group was treated with BES intervention,and the combined group was treated with BES combined with resistance tightening leg training,with 8 weeks of treatment.The classification of pelvic floor muscle strength,electrophysiological indexes of pelvic floor function,urodynamics and stress urinary incontinence(SUI)classification/pelvic organ prolapse(POP)degree were compared between the two groups before and after treatment.Results After treatment,the pelvic floor muscle strength classification,SUI classification and POP degree in the combined group were significantly better than those in the BES group(P<0.05).After treatment,ClassⅠ/ClassⅡmuscle fiber fatigue,vaginal dynamic pressure and maximal electromyography(EMG)value of fast muscle in the combined group were(-1.20±0.35)%,(-0.90±0.30)%,(76.30±5.51)cmH2 O,(43.00±5.82)μV,respectively,which were all significantly higher than those in the BES group(P<0.05).After treatment,the indexes of urodynamics in both groups were significantly improved,and the combined group was better than the BES group(P<0.05).Conclusions BES combined with resistance tightening leg training can significantly improve pelvic floor muscle strength,muscle fiber fatigue and urodynamics in patients with PFD,thus alleviating SUI/POP symptoms.
6.Analysis of the impact of work engagement on mental health of full-time and part-time student management staff in Xinjiang Universities
Chinese Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Diseases 2025;43(11):825-831
Objective:To explore the relationship between work engagement, job burnout, and mental health among full-time and part-time student management staff in universities in Xinjiang, and to provide a scientific basis for developing differentiated mental health intervention measures.Methods:By using the method of cluster random sampling, 1267 student management staff from five universities in Urumqi were selected as the research subjects from March 2020 to December 2021. Data collection was conducted using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) , the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) , and the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) . Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to explore the relationship among work engagement, job burnout and mental health. Multivariate logistic regression was adopted to analyze the influencing factors of mental health, and the mediating effect of job burnout was analyzed through the mediating effect test.Results:The detection proportions of job burnout and psychological disorders were 80.5% (525/652) and 38.5% (251/652) among full-time personnel, and 75.3% (463/615) and 30.2% (186/615) among part-time personnel, respectively. Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that work engagement was negatively correlated with psychological disorders ( rs=-0.720, -0.760, P<0.001) and job burnout ( rs=-0.776, -0.700, P<0.001) in both full-time and part-time personnel, while job burnout was positively correlated with psychological disorders ( rs=0.804, 0.718, P<0.001) . Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that high work engagement (full-time: OR=0.05, 95% CI: 0.02-0.18; part-time: OR=0.02, 95% CI: 0.01-0.04) was a protective factor for mental health ( P<0.001) , whereas job burnout (full-time: OR=10.85, 95% CI: 3.50-33.58; part-time: OR=3.71, 95% CI: 1.76-7.76) was a risk factor for mental health ( P<0.001) . Mediating effect tests demonstrated that job burnout played a partial mediating effect between work engagement and mental health, with mediating effect proportions of 57.3% and 27.9% for full-time and part-time personnel, respectively. Conclusion:The detection proportions of job burnout and psychological disorders among full-time and part-time student management staff in Xinjiang universities are relatively high, and job burnout acts as a mediating variable between work engagement and mental health. Universities should enhance the work engagement level of student management staff to prevent and alleviate job burnout, and thereby improving their mental health status.
7.Exploring the mechanism of Licorice in the treatment of liver injury induced by Semen Strychni based on network pharmacology,molecu-lar docking and animal experiments
Xiaoyan FU ; Zihan GONG ; Guangmiao GAO ; Biqian YANG ; Yi DENG ; Liping WANG ; Xiujuan YANG ; Zhijun YANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2025;30(10):1326-1341
AIM:To investigate the potential mechanism of licorice on liver injury induced by Se-men Strychni based on network pharmacology,mo-lecular docking combined with animal experiments,providing an effective strategy for prevention and treatment of liver injury induced by Semen Strych-ni.METHODS:Firstly,the active ingredients of Se-men Strychni and licorice were obtained through the ETCM,TCMSP database and analysis platform,CTD database and literature supplementation.Then,the potential toxic ingredients of Semen Strychni were further screened based on the Swis-sADME platform,and the targets corresponding to the active ingredients were predicted through the SwissTargetPrediction platform.By using the Gene-Cards and OMIM databases to collect DILI-related targets,the potential targets for licorice to alleviate liver injury caused by Semen Strychni were ob-tained.By constructing the active ingredient-target network,the core ingredients of licorice in alleviat-ing liver injury caused by Semen Strychni were screened.The key targets obtained were used to construct and analyze the protein-protein interac-tion networks(PPI)through the STRING database and Cytoscape 3.9.0 software.The potential targets were subjected to GO and KEGG pathway enrich-ment analysis with the aid of the DAVID database,and constructed a network of active ingredient-tar-get-pathway.Molecular docking study was ap-proved for the core targets and the active ingredi-ents by using Schrodinger 2023-1 software,and the visualization operation was conducted through Py-mol.Finally,the regulatory effect of licorice on the key pathway of liver injury caused by Semen Strych-ni was validated by establishing a rat model of liver injury induced by Semen Strychni.RESULTS:After screening,6 potential toxic components of Semen Strychni and 104 corresponding targets,89 active components of licorice and 347 corresponding tar-gets,and 3 200 DILI targets were obtained.A total of 23 intersection targets were obtained through Venn analysis.By constructing the active ingredi-ent-target network,it was found that the main core ingredients were 7-methoxy-2-methyl isofla-vone,medicarpin,shinpterocarpin,quercetin,for-mononetin and isoliquiritigenin.The PPI network indicated that the core targets were protein kinase B1(AKT1),epidermal growth factor receptor(EG-FR),human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(ERBB2),glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta(GSK3B),kinase insert domain receptor(KDR)and Janus ki-nase 2(JAK2).A total of 39 relevant pathways were enriched in KEGG(P<0.01),among which the phos-phatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)-protein kinase B(AKT)(PI3K-AKT)signaling pathway,which has been confirmed and ranks first in enrichment,and was closely related to liver injury.Molecular docking re-sults showed that the core components have good binding ability with the core targets.In vivo animal experiments demonstrated that,compared to the model group,licorice significantly reduced the liver index(P<0.01),serum levels of alkaline phospha-tase(ALP),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspar-tate aminotransferase(AST),indirect bilirubin(IBIL),and total bilirubin(TBIL)in rats with liver in-jury,while increasing total protein(TP)levels(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Additionally,licorice alleviated con-gestion in the central veins and hepatic sinusoids,improved the alignment of hepatocytes,and re-duced inflammatory cell infiltration.Furthermore,licorice significantly decreased the levels of malo-ndialdehyde(MDA),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-1β(IL-1β),and interleukin-6(IL-6)in the liver tissue of injured rats,while elevating the levels of superoxide dismutase(SOD)and glutathi-one peroxidase(GSH-Px)(P<0.01).It also markedly downregulated the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT(P<0.01).CONCLUSION:Licorice has multi-component and multi-target properties in the treat-ment of liver injury induced by Semen Strychni,which may play a hepatoprotective role by inhibit-ing the activation of PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.
8.BTVT ameliorates offspring blood-brain barrier damage induced by prenatal and lactational neodymium oxide exposure via the gut-brain axis.
Xiaoyan DU ; Xiaocheng GAO ; Jing CAO ; Xin ZHAO ; Zhi HUO ; Shaoqing ZHAO ; Qingqing LIANG ; Lei GAO ; Yang DENG
Journal of Central South University(Medical Sciences) 2025;50(4):615-624
OBJECTIVES:
Exposure to rare earth elements (REEs) has been linked to various systemic diseases, but their impact on the offspring blood-brain barrier (BBB) via the gut-brain axis remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of maternal exposure to neodymium oxide (Nd2O3) on the BBB integrity of offspring rats, and to evaluate the potential protective role of bifidobacterium tetrad viable tablets (BTVT) against Nd2O3-induced intestinal and BBB damage.
METHODS:
Healthy adult SD rats were mated at a 1:1 male-to-female ratio, with the day of vaginal plug detection marked as gestational day 0. A total of 60 pregnant rats were randomly assigned to the following groups: Control, 50 mg/(kg·d) Nd2O3, 100 mg/(kg·d) Nd2O3, 200 mg/(kg·d) Nd2O3, and 200 mg/(kg·d) Nd2O3 + BTVT group. Treatments were administered by daily oral gavage throughout pregnancy and lactation. On postnatal day 21 (weaning), offspring feces, brain, and colon tissues were collected. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to assess structural changes in brain and intestinal tissues. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in feces were quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Evans Blue (EB) dye extravasation assessed BBB permeability. Gene and protein expression levels of tight junction proteins occludin and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) were measured by reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blotting (WB), respectively. Neodymium levels in brain tissue were determined via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
RESULTS:
HE staining revealed that maternal Nd2O3 exposure caused mucosal edema, increased submucosal spacing, and lymphocyte infiltration in offspring colon, as well as neuronal degeneration and vacuolization in brain tissue. BTVT intervention alleviated these changes. GC-MS analysis showed that levels of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and isobutyric acid significantly decreased, while valeric acid and isovaleric acid increased in offspring of Nd2O3-exposed mothers (P<0.05). BTVT significantly restored levels of acetic, propionic, and isobutyric acids and reduced valeric acid content (P<0.05). EB permeability was significantly elevated in Nd2O3-exposed offspring brains (P<0.05), but reduced with BTVT treatment (P<0.05). RT-PCR and WB showed downregulation of occludin and ZO-1 expression following Nd2O3 exposure (P<0.05), which was reversed by BTVT (P<0.05). ICP-MS results indicated significantly increased brain neodymium levels in offspring from all Nd2O3-exposed groups (P<0.05), while BTVT significantly reduced neodymium accumulation compared to the 200 mg/(kg·d) Nd2O3 group (P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Maternal exposure to Nd2O3 during pregnancy and lactation disrupts intestinal health and BBB integrity in offspring, elevates brain neodymium accumulation, and induces neuronal degeneration. BTVT effectively mitigates Nd2O3-induced intestinal and BBB damage in offspring, potentially through modulation of the gut-brain axis.
Animals
;
Female
;
Blood-Brain Barrier/pathology*
;
Pregnancy
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Rats
;
Male
;
Neodymium/toxicity*
;
Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/prevention & control*
;
Lactation
;
Maternal Exposure/adverse effects*
;
Brain
9.Targeting farnesoid X receptor as aging intervention therapy.
Lijun ZHANG ; Jing YU ; Xiaoyan GAO ; Yingxuan YAN ; Xinyi WANG ; Hang SHI ; Minglv FANG ; Ying LIU ; Young-Bum KIM ; Huanhu ZHU ; Xiaojun WU ; Cheng HUANG ; Shengjie FAN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(3):1359-1382
Environmental toxicants have been linked to aging and age-related diseases. The emerging evidence has shown that the enhancement of detoxification gene expression is a common transcriptome marker of long-lived mice, Drosophila melanogaster, and Caenorhabditis elegans. Meanwhile, the resistance to toxicants was increased in long-lived animals. Here, we show that farnesoid X receptor (FXR) agonist obeticholic acid (OCA), a marketed drug for the treatment of cholestasis, may extend the lifespan and healthspan both in C. elegans and chemical-induced early senescent mice. Furthermore, OCA increased the resistance of worms to toxicants and activated the expression of detoxification genes in both mice and C. elegans. The longevity effects of OCA were attenuated in Fxr -/- mice and Fxr homologous nhr-8 and daf-12 mutant C. elegans. In addition, metabolome analysis revealed that OCA increased the endogenous agonist levels of the pregnane X receptor (PXR), a major nuclear receptor for detoxification regulation, in the liver of mice. Together, our findings suggest that OCA has the potential to lengthen lifespan and healthspan by activating nuclear receptor-mediated detoxification functions, thus, targeting FXR may offer to promote longevity.
10.Expert consensus on management of instrument separation in root canal therapy.
Yi FAN ; Yuan GAO ; Xiangzhu WANG ; Bing FAN ; Zhi CHEN ; Qing YU ; Ming XUE ; Xiaoyan WANG ; Zhengwei HUANG ; Deqin YANG ; Zhengmei LIN ; Yihuai PAN ; Jin ZHAO ; Jinhua YU ; Zhuo CHEN ; Sijing XIE ; He YUAN ; Kehua QUE ; Shuang PAN ; Xiaojing HUANG ; Jun LUO ; Xiuping MENG ; Jin ZHANG ; Yi DU ; Lei ZHANG ; Hong LI ; Wenxia CHEN ; Jiayuan WU ; Xin XU ; Jing ZOU ; Jiyao LI ; Dingming HUANG ; Lei CHENG ; Tiemei WANG ; Benxiang HOU ; Xuedong ZHOU
International Journal of Oral Science 2025;17(1):46-46
Instrument separation is a critical complication during root canal therapy, impacting treatment success and long-term tooth preservation. The etiology of instrument separation is multifactorial, involving the intricate anatomy of the root canal system, instrument-related factors, and instrumentation techniques. Instrument separation can hinder thorough cleaning, shaping, and obturation of the root canal, posing challenges to successful treatment outcomes. Although retrieval of separated instrument is often feasible, it carries risks including perforation, excessive removal of tooth structure and root fractures. Effective management of separated instruments requires a comprehensive understanding of the contributing factors, meticulous preoperative assessment, and precise evaluation of the retrieval difficulty. The application of appropriate retrieval techniques is essential to minimize complications and optimize clinical outcomes. The current manuscript provides a framework for understanding the causes, risk factors, and clinical management principles of instrument separation. By integrating effective strategies, endodontists can enhance decision-making, improve endodontic treatment success and ensure the preservation of natural dentition.
Humans
;
Root Canal Therapy/adverse effects*
;
Consensus
;
Root Canal Preparation/adverse effects*

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail