1.Rho/ROCK:key Mediator of Pulmonary Fibrosis and New Target of TCM for IPF Prevention and Treatment
Yuanyuan WU ; Kangchen LI ; Mingyan LI ; Xiling PENG ; Feifan ZHANG ; Han LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):256-265
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic interstitial lung disease characterized by dyspnea and progressive deterioration of lung function, which significantly impacts patients' quality of life and imposes a major burden on society. Although modern medicine has increasingly enriched the treatment options for pulmonary fibrosis, unfavorable factors such as high costs and significant side effects contribute to the persistently low survival rate of patients. Studies have shown that the occurrence and development of pulmonary fibrosis are closely related to abnormalities in multiple pathways. Among these, Rho/Rho-associated coiled-coil protein kinase (ROCK) plays a key role in the disease progression of IPF by regulating the cytoskeleton. This pathway not only transmits biochemical molecular signals that promote the progress of fibrosis but also responds to the biomechanical environment, such as the increased lung tissue stiffness caused by the deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) during the process of pulmonary fibrosis. Therefore, research on this pathway is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of IPF. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has shown remarkable effects in preventing and treating IPF. Many TCM compounds and active components can reduce the production of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), CollagenⅠ (ColⅠ), ColⅢ, and inflammatory factors in lung tissue by regulating the Rho/ROCK signaling pathway. These compounds inhibit the transformation of fibroblasts (FBs) into myofibroblasts (MyoFBs), intervening in the process of pulmonary fibrosis. Based on this, the article briefly reviews relevant research from recent years, discusses the key role of the Rho/ROCK pathway in pulmonary fibrosis from an interdisciplinary perspective, and summarizes the mechanisms through which TCM regulates Rho/ROCK to prevent and treat IPF, based on resources from PubMed, CNKI, and other databases, in order to provide important references for the broader clinical application of TCM in the prevention and treatment of IPF.
2.Expression and prognostic value of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 in patients with cirrhotic ascites and intra-abdominal infection
Feng WEI ; Xinyan YUE ; Xiling LIU ; Huimin YAN ; Lin LIN ; Tao HUANG ; Yantao PEI ; Shixiang SHAO ; Erhei DAI ; Wenfang YUAN
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(5):914-920
ObjectiveTo analyze the expression level of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) in serum and ascites of patients with cirrhotic ascites, and to investigate its correlation with clinical features and inflammatory markers and its role in the diagnosis of infection and prognostic evaluation. MethodsA total of 110 patients with cirrhotic ascites who were hospitalized in The Fifth Hospital of Shijiazhuang from January 2019 to December 2020 were enrolled, and according to the presence or absence of intra-abdominal infection, they were divided into infection group with 72 patients and non-infection group with 38 patients. The patients with infection were further divided into improvement group with 38 patients and non-improvement group with 34 patients. Clinical data and laboratory markers were collected from all patients. Serum and ascites samples were collected, and ELISA was used to measure the level of TREM-1. The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups; the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups, and the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison between multiple groups; the chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups. A Spearman correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between indicators. A multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the influencing factors for the prognosis of patients with cirrhotic ascites and infection. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic efficacy of each indicator, and the Delong test was used for comparison of the area under the ROC curve (AUC). ResultsThe level of TREM-1 in ascites was significantly positively correlated with that in serum (r=0.50, P<0.001). Compared with the improvement group, the non-improvement group had a significantly higher level of TREM-1 in ascites (Z=-2.391, P=0.017) and serum (Z=-2.544, P=0.011), and compared with the non-infection group, the infection group had a significantly higher level of TREM-1 in ascites (Z=-3.420, P<0.001), while there was no significant difference in the level of TREM-1 in serum between the two groups (P>0.05). The level of TREM-1 in serum and ascites were significantly positively correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), white blood cell count, and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (r=0.288, 0.344, 0.530, 0.510, 0.534, 0.454, 0.330, and 0.404, all P<0.05). The ROC curve analysis showed that when PCT, CRP, and serum or ascitic TREM-1 were used in combination for the diagnosis of cirrhotic ascites with infection, the AUCs were 0.715 and 0.740, respectively. The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CRP (odds ratio [OR]=1.019, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.001 — 1.038, P=0.043) and serum TREM-1 (OR=1.002, 95%CI: 1.000 — 1.003, P=0.016) were independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with cirrhotic ascites and infection, and the combination of these two indicators had an AUC of 0.728 in predicting poor prognosis. ConclusionThe level of TREM-1 is closely associated with the severity of infection and prognosis in patients with cirrhotic ascites, and combined measurement of TREM-1 and CRP/PCT can improve the diagnostic accuracy of infection and provide support for prognostic evaluation.
3.Research progress on animal models for the evaluation of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome
Jiahe ZHANG ; Wang ZHU ; Danting SHEN ; Xiling YANG ; Fengbin LIU ; Qiuke HOU
Acta Laboratorium Animalis Scientia Sinica 2024;32(2):238-247
Irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders,of which diarrhea-predominant IBS(IBS-D)accounts for the largest proportion.The pathogenesis of IBS-D is complicated and diverse,and there is currently a lack of clinically effective drugs.The establishment of animal models is an essential tool for further studies of the disease mechanisms,evaluation of clinical efficacy,and drug development,and the preparation and evaluation standards of models are important factors affecting the quality of the research.Based on the currently accepted pathogenesis of IBS-D and the previous modeling experience of our research group,this review systematically summarizes the evaluation method used in animal models of IBS-D in terms of diarrhea observation,visceral sensitivity tests,and intestinal motility tests,to provide a reference for future studies.
4.Exploring the Mechanism and Experimental Verification of Alhagi Sparsifolia Shap.in Treating Sepsis Based on Network Pharmacology
Zhizhen ZOU ; Xiling DENG ; Yunlai WANG ; Jie ZHANG ; Jiangtao DONG ; Xiaoling LIU ; Su LIANG ; Ju WANG ; Hui ZHANG ; Jiangdong WU ; Le ZHANG ; Fang WU ; Wanjiang ZHANG
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2023;25(9):3024-3036
Objective Network pharmacology and molecular docking and molecular dynamics techniques were used to investigate the mechanism of action of Alhagi sparsifolia Shap.in the treatment of sepsis and to perform animal experimental verification.Methods First,we screened the effective ingredients and their action targets of Alhagi sparsifolia Shap.,meanwhile,screened relevant action targets for the treatment of sepsis,constructed a protein interaction(PPI)network,and performed topology analysis to draw a TCM disease target network diagram.Second,Kyoto Encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analysis was performed for core targets in the network diagram,along with gene ontology functional enrichment analysis.This was followed by molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation experiment validation of the core targets.Finally,mice were used for the verification of animal experiments.Results Thirty active components of Alhagi sparsifolia Shap.were screened out,and the top 5 ranked by degree value were quercetin,(-)-epigallocatechin,(-)-Epigallocatechin Gallate,genistein,kaempferol and epigallocatechin with 196 action targets;2144 disease-related targets for sepsis,105 targets for Alhagi sparsifolia Shap.-sepsis intersection,and the core targets were TNF,IL-6,AKT1,VEGFA,CASP3,IL-1β Et al.PI3K-Akt,TNF,HIF-1,AGE-RAGE,IL-17 and other signaling pathways are involved to mediate inflammatory responses,apoptosis and other biological processes to exert therapeutic effects on sepsis.Molecular docking results showed that camelina flavanoids bound equally well to each key target,among which the conformations with the lowest binding energy were(-)-Epigallocatechin Gallate-IL-6 and quercetin-IL-6.Molecular dynamics simulations were performed on the two pairs of complexes,and the results indicated that the stable binding could be achieved through a combination of electrostatic,van der Waals potential,and hydrogen bonding interactions.Animal experiments confirmed that Alhagi sparsifolia Shap.could inhibit the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway,decrease the protein expression of Caspase-3,VEGF and reduced peripheral blood inflammatory factors secretion of TNF-α、IL-1βand IL-6,alleviating inflammatory injury in tissues and organs.Conclusion The therapeutic effect of Alhagi sparsifolia Shap.on sepsis is achieved through multi biological processes,multi targets,and multi pathways.It provides a certain theoretical basis for the clinical application of camel spines as well as sepsis treatment.
5.Influence of work engagement and self-efficacy of nurses on clinical practice ability in burn intensive care unit
Hanxi CHEN ; Wenji LIU ; Bing LIU ; Zhifeng HUANG ; Qiuping ZHANG ; Xiling XIAO ; Wen LAI ; Shaoyi ZHENG
Chinese Journal of Burns 2023;39(8):779-786
Objective:To analyze the influence of work engagement and self-efficacy of nurses on clinical practice ability in burn intensive care unit (BICU), and to explore its potential pathways of action.Methods:A cross-sectional survey was conducted. From May to October 2020, a total of 30 hospitals with BICU in China were selected by stratified sampling method. Among BICU nurses who met the inclusion criteria, their clinical practice ability, work engagement, and self-efficacy were evaluated by self-evaluation scale of oriented problem-solving behavior in nursing practice (OPSN), Utrecht work engagement scale (UWES), and general self-efficacy scale (GSES), respectively. The total scale scores of each index and the average item scores were recorded. The self-designed general data questionnaire was used to investigate the nurses' gender, age, marital status, education background, working years, professional title, and the economic region of the hospital that they belonged to. The total scale scores of the above-mentioned three evaluation indexes were compared after the classification of nurses according to general data, and the data were statistically analyzed with independent sample t test or one-way analysis of variance. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the total scale scores of the three evaluation indexes. Based on the total scale scores of the above-mentioned three evaluation indexes, a structural equation model was established, the mediation analysis of the relationship among the three evaluation indexes and the pathway analysis of the structural model were conducted, and the Bootstrap method was used to verify the pathways of action. Results:A total of 401 questionnaires were distributed, and 337 valid questionnaires were returned, with a valid return rate of 84.04%. The total scale scores of clinical practice ability, work engagement, and self-efficacy of 337 nurses were 98.2±11.7, 67.7±18.6, and 26.6±5.6, respectively, and the average item scores were 3.9±0.5, 4.5±1.2, and 2.7±0.6, respectively. Among the 337 nurses, the majority were female, aged 40 or below, married, and had a bachelor's degree with work experience of ≤10 years; both nurses with professional nurse title and nurses from the Southeast region accounted for about 50%. There were statistically significant differences in the total scale score of clinical practice ability among nurses with different ages, education backgrounds, working years, and professional titles (with F values of 3.26, 4.36, 3.12, and 2.80, respectively, P<0.05). There was statistically significant difference in the total scale score of work engagement among nurses with different working years ( F=4.50, P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in the total scale score of self-efficacy among nurses with different ages, working years, and professional titles (with F values of 4.91, 4.50, and 2.91, respectively, P<0.05). The total scale score of nurses' work engagement was significantly positively correlated with the total scale score of clinical practice ability and the total scale score of self-efficacy (with r values of 0.30 and 0.51, respectively, P<0.05). The total scale score of nurses' self-efficacy was significantly positively correlated with the total scale score of clinical practice ability ( r=0.37, P<0.05). The model had good adaptability, and the intermediary model was established. Nurses' work engagement had a significantly positive effect on both self-efficacy and clinical practice ability (with β values of 0.54 and 0.16, respectively, P<0.05), and nurses' self-efficacy had a significantly positive effect on clinical practice ability ( β=0.29, P<0.05). Work engagement had a direct effect on self-efficacy and clinical practice ability, and self-efficacy had a direct effect on clinical practice ability and played a mediating role between work engagement and clinical practice ability. Bootstrap validation showed that self-efficacy played a significantly mediating role in the influence of work engagement on clinical practice ability (with effect size of 0.16, with 95% confidence interval of 0.08-0.24, P<0.05), accounting for half of the total effect of work engagement on clinical practice ability (with effect size of 0.32). Conclusions:BICU nurses have an above-average level of clinical practice ability, a medium level of self-efficacy, and a high level of work engagement. Work engagement and self-efficacy are positively correlated with clinical practice ability. Work engagement can directly affect clinical practice ability or indirectly affect clinical practice ability through the mediating role of self-efficacy.
6.Association between primiparas’ willingness of a second child and cesarean section
Xiaofang XU ; Xiaohua LIU ; Jian YANG ; Bo YANG ; Xiling WANG
Shanghai Journal of Preventive Medicine 2022;34(4):343-347
ObjectiveTo explore the impact of primiparas’ intention to have a second child on their delivery mode. MethodsDuring March 1st, 2019 and November 30th, 2020, the enrolled pregnant women were investigated by questionnaires at two points, first trimester pregnancy registration and post-natal visit at maternal and child healthcare community centers of Xuhui District. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association of willingness of a second birth and their mode of delivery. Results2 000 questionnaires were distributed and 1 664 valid questionnaires were analyzed. The overall cesarean delivery rate in nulliparous women was 40.08% (667/1 664), with 8.95% (149/1 664) of non-medical indication cesarean delivery. Multiple Logistic regression analysis of overall delivery rate showed that age, willingness to have more children in the future, plan of vaginal delivery at first questionnaire, and complications during pregnancy were associated with overall cesarean delivery rate, and women without the willingness to have more children in the future were more likely to undergo cesarean delivery (OR=1.350, 95%CI: 1.052-1.732). Age, whether to have a second child in the future, plan of vaginal delivery at first questionnaire, and complications during pregnancy were all factors associated with increased risks of non-medical indicated cesarean delivery, while women with no plan of a second child in the future had nearly 2 times of risk of non-medical indicated cesarean delivery (OR=1.909, 95%CI: 1.117-3.262). ConclusionThe mode of delivery is affected by many factors, among which willingness to have more children in the future is an important factor associated with increased risks of overall cesarean delivery and non-medical indicated cesarean delivery.
8.Chromosome-level Genomes Reveal the Genetic Basis of Descending Dysploidy and Sex Determination in Morus Plants
Xia ZHONGQIANG ; Dai XUELEI ; Fan WEI ; Liu CHANGYING ; Zhang MEIRONG ; Bian PEIPEI ; Zhou YUPING ; Li LIANG ; Zhu BAOZHONG ; Liu SHUMAN ; Li ZHENGANG ; Wang XILING ; Yu MAODE ; Xiang ZHONGHUAI ; Jiang YU ; Zhao AICHUN
Genomics, Proteomics & Bioinformatics 2022;(6):1119-1137
Multiple plant lineages have independently evolved sex chromosomes and variable kary-otypes to maintain their sessile lifestyles through constant biological innovation.Morus notabilis,a dioecious mulberry species,has the fewest chromosomes among Morus spp.,but the genetic basis of sex determination and karyotype evolution in this species has not been identified.In this study,three high-quality genome assemblies were generated for Morus spp.[including dioecious M.notabilis(male and female)and Morus yunnanensis(female)]with genome sizes of 301-329 Mb and were grouped into six pseudochromosomes.Using a combination of genomic approaches,we found that the putative ancestral karyotype of Morus species was close to 14 protochromosomes,and that sev-eral chromosome fusion events resulted in descending dysploidy(2n=2x=12).We also charac-terized a~6.2-Mb sex-determining region on chromosome 3.Four potential male-specific genes,a partially duplicated DNA helicase gene(named MSDH)and three Ty3_Gypsy long terminal repeat retrotransposons(named MSTG1/2/3),were identified in the Y-linked area and considered to be strong candidate genes for sex determination or differentiation.Population genomic analysis showed that Guangdong accessions in China were genetically similar to Japanese accessions of mul-berry.In addition,genomic areas containing selective sweeps that distinguish domesticated mul-berry from wild populations in terms of flowering and disease resistance were identified.Our study provides an important genetic resource for sex identification research and molecular breeding in mulberry.
9.Evaluation of high-throughput methods for the detection of neutralizing antibodies in serum samples from individuals infected with 2019-nCoV based on a microneutralization test
Xiaoxiao KONG ; Shihan ZHANG ; Zhifeng LI ; Huiyan YU ; Xin ZOU ; Hua TIAN ; Ke XU ; Qigang DAI ; Yin CHEN ; Jingxian LIU ; Hongxiong GUO ; Xiling GUO ; Changjun BAO ; Liguo ZHU
Chinese Journal of Experimental and Clinical Virology 2022;36(3):306-310
Objective:To evaluate the detection ability of two kinds of high-throughput method to determine neutralizing antibodies based on a microneutralization test (MNT).Methods:Serum samples were collected from the early phase and follow-up period (117 samples in total) for neutralizing antibody testing. They were tested using MNT, pseudovirus neutralization assay (PBNA), competitive inhibition assay (including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA)) to evaluate the correlation coefficients and threshold values for the effectiveness of these high-throughput neutralizing antibody assays.Results:The correlation coefficients for PBNA, ELISA, and CLIA relative to MNT were 0.760, 0.778, and 0.725, respectively, for individuals infected with 2019-nCoV. The area under the ROC curve was 0.901 for a cutoff value of 50 for the PBNA assay, 0.934 for a cutoff value of 1∶8 for the ELISA assay and 0.838 for a cutoff value of 1.28AU/ml for the CLIA assay when the threshold value for the microneutralization test was taken as 1: 10 (less than 1: 10 is considered negative).Conclusions:The high-throughput method for the detection of COVID-19 neutralizing antibodies are scientific and feasible, and provide an important technical tool for the regular prevention and control of the epidemic.
10.Correlation between heart rate deceleration, serum homocysteine and coronary artery lesion in coronary heart disease patients with hypertension
Lingyan DING ; Xiling ZHAO ; Lei ZHANG ; Yan LIU ; Xiuzheng LI
Chinese Journal of Primary Medicine and Pharmacy 2020;27(15):1798-1802
Objective:To explore the correlation between the level of heart rate deceleration (DC), serum homocysteine(Hcy), the scope and extent of coronary artery lesion in coronary heart disease patients with hypertension.Methods:From January 2019 to October 2019, 103 coronary heart disease patients with hypertension who were diagnosed and hospitalized in cardiovascular department of Binzhou Central Hospital were selected as coronary heart disease(CHD) group, and 52 patients with simple hypertension were selected as control group.The serum Hcy levels of the two groups were measured and analyzed.The DC value and the difference of the two groups were analyzed.The degree of coronary artery lesion was evaluated by the number of coronary artery lesion and Gensini score.The relationship between DC, Hcy and the degree of coronary artery lesion was analyzed.Results:Compared with the control group, the DC value of CHD group was significantly lower [(6.02±1.97)ms vs.(4.97±1.59)ms, t=-3.989, P<0.05], and the serum Hcy level was increased [(11.46±4.38)μmol/L vs.(16.79±6.31)μmol/L, t=4.260, P<0.05]. In the CHD group, the DC values and Gensini scores of the patients with single vessel lesion, double vessel lesions and three vessel lesions were (5.52±1.34)ms, (5.06±1.29)ms, (4.39±1.19)ms, (21.35±17.10)points, (26.93±18.18)points, (49.39±30.14)points, respectively.The DC value of patients with three vessel lesions was lower than that of patients with single vessel lesion( F=7.349, P<0.05), and the Gensini score was higher( F=13.487, P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in DC value and Gensini score between patients with three vessel lesions and those with two vessel lesions and those with single vessel lesion( P>0.05). The serum Hcy levels of patients with single, double and three vessel lesions were (14.67±5.97)μmol/L, (15.85±6.29)μmol/L and (16.97±7.13)μmol/L, respectively.The difference among the three groups was statistically significant ( F=12.427, P<0.05). There was a negative correlation between DC and Gensini score( r=-0.310, P<0.05), and a positive correlation between serum Hcy and Gensini score( r=0.369, P<0.05). Conclusion:The DC value and Hcy level in coronary heart disease patients with hypertension are significantly decreased, which are closely related to the degree of coronary artery lesion.

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