1.Working practices in eliminating the public health crisis caused by viral hepatitis in Hainan Province of China
Weihua LI ; Changfu XIONG ; Taifan CHEN ; Bin HE ; Dapeng YIN ; Xuexia ZENG ; Feng LIN ; Biyu CHEN ; Xiaomei ZENG ; Biao WU ; Juan JIANG ; Lu ZHONG ; Yuhui ZHANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(2):228-233
In 2022, Hainan provincial government launched the project for the prevention and control of viral hepatitis with the goals of a hepatitis B screening rate of 90%, a diagnostic rate of 90%, and a treatment rate of 80% among people aged 18 years and above by the year 2025, and the main intervention measures include population-based prevention, case screening, antiviral therapy, and health management. As of December 31, 2024, a total of 6.875 million individuals in the general population had been screened for hepatitis B, with a screening rate of 95.6%. A total of 184 710 individuals with positive HBsAg were identified, among whom 156 772 were diagnosed through serological reexamination, resulting in a diagnostic rate of 84.9%. A total of 50 742 patients with chronic hepatitis B were identified, among whom 42 921 had hepatitis B-specific health records established for health management, with a file establishment rate of 84.6%. A total of 31 553 individuals received antiviral therapy, with a treatment rate of 62.2%. A total of 2.503 million individuals at a high risk of hepatitis C were screened, among whom 4 870 tested positive for HCV antibody and 3 858 underwent HCV RNA testing, resulting in a diagnostic rate of 79.2%, and 1 824 individuals with positive HCV RNA were identified, among whom 1 194 received antiviral therapy, with a treatment rate of 65.5%. In addition, 159 301 individuals with negative HBsAg and anti-HBs and an age of 20 — 40 years were inoculated with hepatitis B vaccine free of charge. Through the implementation of the project for the prevention and control of viral hepatitis, a large number of hepatitis patients have been identified, treated, and managed in the province within a short period of time, which significantly accelerates the efforts to eliminate the crisis of viral hepatitis.
2.tRF Prospect: tRNA-derived Fragment Target Prediction Based on Neural Network Learning
Dai-Xi REN ; Jian-Yong YI ; Yong-Zhen MO ; Mei YANG ; Wei XIONG ; Zhao-Yang ZENG ; Lei SHI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(9):2428-2438
ObjectiveTransfer RNA-derived fragments (tRFs) are a recently characterized and rapidly expanding class of small non-coding RNAs, typically ranging from 13 to 50 nucleotides in length. They are derived from mature or precursor tRNA molecules through specific cleavage events and have been implicated in a wide range of cellular processes. Increasing evidence indicates that tRFs play important regulatory roles in gene expression, primarily by interacting with target messenger RNAs (mRNAs) to induce transcript degradation, in a manner partially analogous to microRNAs (miRNAs). However, despite their emerging biological relevance and potential roles in disease mechanisms, there remains a significant lack of computational tools capable of systematically predicting the interaction landscape between tRFs and their target mRNAs. Existing databases often rely on limited interaction features and lack the flexibility to accommodate novel or user-defined tRF sequences. The primary goal of this study was to develop a machine learning based prediction algorithm that enables high-throughput, accurate identification of tRF:mRNA binding events, thereby facilitating the functional analysis of tRF regulatory networks. MethodsWe began by assembling a manually curated dataset of 38 687 experimentally verified tRF:mRNA interaction pairs and extracting seven biologically informed features for each pair: (1) AU content of the binding site, (2) site pairing status, (3) binding region location, (4) number of binding sites per mRNA, (5) length of the longest consecutive complementary stretch, (6) total binding region length, and (7) seed sequence complementarity. Using this dataset and feature set, we trained 4 distinct machine learning classifiers—logistic regression, random forest, decision tree, and a multilayer perceptron (MLP)—to compare their ability to discriminate true interactions from non-interactions. Each model’s performance was evaluated using overall accuracy, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and the corresponding area under the ROC curve (AUC). The MLP consistently achieved the highest AUC among the four, and was therefore selected as the backbone of our prediction framework, which we named tRF Prospect. For biological validation, we retrieved 3 high-throughput RNA-seq datasets from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) in which individual tRFs were overexpressed: AS-tDR-007333 (GSE184690), tRF-3004b (GSE197091), and tRF-20-S998LO9D (GSE208381). Differential expression analysis of each dataset identified genes downregulated upon tRF overexpression, which we designated as putative targets. We then compared the predictions generated by tRF Prospect against those from three established tools—tRFTar, tRForest, and tRFTarget—by quantifying the number of predicted targets for each tRF and assessing concordance with the experimentally derived gene sets. ResultsThe proposed algorithm achieved high predictive accuracy, with an AUC of 0.934. Functional validation was conducted using transcriptome-wide RNA-seq datasets from cells overexpressing specific tRFs, confirming the model’s ability to accurately predict biologically relevant downregulation of mRNA targets. When benchmarked against established tools such as tRFTar, tRForest, and tRFTarget, tRF Prospect consistently demonstrated superior performance, both in terms of predictive precision and sensitivity, as well as in identifying a higher number of true-positive interactions. Moreover, unlike static databases that are limited to precomputed results, tRF Prospect supports real-time prediction for any user-defined tRF sequence, enhancing its applicability in exploratory and hypothesis-driven research. ConclusionThis study introduces tRF Prospect as a powerful and flexible computational tool for investigating tRF:mRNA interactions. By leveraging the predictive strength of deep learning and incorporating a broad spectrum of interaction-relevant features, it addresses key limitations of existing platforms. Specifically, tRF Prospect: (1) expands the range of detectable tRF and target types; (2) improves prediction accuracy through multilayer perceptron model; and (3) allows for dynamic, user-driven analysis beyond database constraints. Although the current version emphasizes miRNA-like repression mechanisms and faces challenges in accurately capturing 5'UTR-associated binding events, it nonetheless provides a critical foundation for future studies aiming to unravel the complex roles of tRFs in gene regulation, cellular function, and disease pathogenesis.
3.YOD1 regulates microglial homeostasis by deubiquitinating MYH9 to promote the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.
Jinfeng SUN ; Fan CHEN ; Lingyu SHE ; Yuqing ZENG ; Hao TANG ; Bozhi YE ; Wenhua ZHENG ; Li XIONG ; Liwei LI ; Luyao LI ; Qin YU ; Linjie CHEN ; Wei WANG ; Guang LIANG ; Xia ZHAO
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(1):331-348
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the major form of dementia in the elderly and is closely related to the toxic effects of microglia sustained activation. In AD, sustained microglial activation triggers impaired synaptic pruning, neuroinflammation, neurotoxicity, and cognitive deficits. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that aberrant expression of deubiquitinating enzymes is associated with regulating microglia function. Here, we use RNA sequencing to identify a deubiquitinase YOD1 as a regulator of microglial function and AD pathology. Further study showed that YOD1 knockout significantly improved the migration, phagocytosis, and inflammatory response of microglia, thereby improving the cognitive impairment of AD model mice. Through LC-MS/MS analysis combined with Co-IP, we found that Myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9), a key regulator maintaining microglia homeostasis, is an interacting protein of YOD1. Mechanistically, YOD1 binds to MYH9 and maintains its stability by removing the K48 ubiquitin chain from MYH9, thereby mediating the microglia polarization signaling pathway to mediate microglia homeostasis. Taken together, our study reveals a specific role of microglial YOD1 in mediating microglia homeostasis and AD pathology, which provides a potential strategy for targeting microglia to treat AD.
4.Structural insights into the binding modes of lanreotide and pasireotide with somatostatin receptor 1.
Zicheng ZENG ; Qiwen LIAO ; Shiyi GAN ; Xinyu LI ; Tiantian XIONG ; Lezhi XU ; Dan LI ; Yunlu JIANG ; Jing CHEN ; Richard YE ; Yang DU ; Thiansze WONG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(5):2468-2479
Somatostatin receptor 1 (SSTR1) is a crucial therapeutic target for various neuroendocrine and oncological disorders. Current SSTR1-targeted treatments, including the first-generation somatostatin analog lanreotide (Lan) and the second-generation analog pasireotide (Pas), show promise but encounter challenges related to selectivity and efficacy. This study presents high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy structures of SSTR1 complexed with Lan or Pas, revealing the distinct mechanisms of ligand-binding and activation. These structures illustrate unique conformational changes in the SSTR1 orthosteric pocket induced by each ligand, which are critical for receptor activation and ligand selectivity. Combined with the biochemical assays and molecular dynamics simulations, our results provide a comparative analysis of binding characteristics within the SSTR family, highlighting subtle differences in SSTR1 activation by Lan and Pas. These insights pave the way for designing next-generation therapies with enhanced efficacy and reduced side effects through improved receptor subtype selectivity.
5.Evolution-guided design of mini-protein for high-contrast in vivo imaging.
Nongyu HUANG ; Yang CAO ; Guangjun XIONG ; Suwen CHEN ; Juan CHENG ; Yifan ZHOU ; Chengxin ZHANG ; Xiaoqiong WEI ; Wenling WU ; Yawen HU ; Pei ZHOU ; Guolin LI ; Fulei ZHAO ; Fanlian ZENG ; Xiaoyan WANG ; Jiadong YU ; Chengcheng YUE ; Xinai CUI ; Kaijun CUI ; Huawei CAI ; Yuquan WEI ; Yang ZHANG ; Jiong LI
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(10):5327-5345
Traditional development of small protein scaffolds has relied on display technologies and mutation-based engineering, which limit sequence and functional diversity, thereby constraining their therapeutic and application potential. Protein design tools have significantly advanced the creation of novel protein sequences, structures, and functions. However, further improvements in design strategies are still needed to more efficiently optimize the functional performance of protein-based drugs and enhance their druggability. Here, we extended an evolution-based design protocol to create a novel minibinder, BindHer, against the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). It not only exhibits super stability and binding selectivity but also demonstrates remarkable properties in tissue specificity. Radiolabeling experiments with 99mTc, 68Ga, and 18F revealed that BindHer efficiently targets tumors in HER2-positive breast cancer mouse models, with minimal nonspecific liver absorption, outperforming scaffolds designed through traditional engineering. These findings highlight a new rational approach to automated protein design, offering significant potential for large-scale applications in therapeutic mini-protein development.
6.Immune function regulation and tumor-suppressive effects of Shenqi Erpi Granules on S_(180) tumor-bearing mice.
Xiong-Wei ZHANG ; Yan-Ning JIANG ; Hu QI ; Bin LI ; Yuan-Lin GAO ; Ze-Yang ZHANG ; Jian-An FENG ; Xi LI ; Nan ZENG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(13):3753-3764
This study aims to establish the S_(180) tumor-bearing mice model, and to investigate the influence of Shenqi Erpi Granules(SQEPG) on immune function, as well as the drug's tumor-suppressive effect and mechanism. SPF grade KM mice(half male and half female) were randomly divided into 6 groups: a control group, a model group, a cyclophosphamide group(50 mg·kg~(-1)), as well as SQEPG groups in low-, medium-, and high-dose(5.25, 10.5, 21 g·kg~(-1)). The control group and the model group were given distilled water, and the other 4 groups were given the corresponding drugs by gavage. The administration continued for 10 days before the mice were sacrificed. The antitumor and immune regulation effects of SQEPG were evaluated. The effect of SQEPG on delayed type hypersensitivity reaction(DTH), carbon clearance index, and serum hemolysin antibody level was observed to reflect the effect on the immune function of tumor-bearing mice. Tumor weight was recorded to calculate the tumor suppression rate and the immune organ index. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was used to detect morphological changes in tumor tissues. Flow cytometry was employed to detect the percentage of CD4~+ and CD8~+ T-cells in the spleen tissues and the tumor tissue apoptosis levels. Immunohistochemistry was conducted to detect the KI67 protein expression level of tumor tissues. ELISA resorted to the detection of the following expression levels in tumor tissues: tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-2(IL-2), interferon-γ(IFN-γ). Western blot was performed to detect the expression levels of caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax), cyclin-dependent kinases 4(CDK4), G_1/S-specific cyclin D1(cyclin D1), and vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA). The results showed that, compared with the model group, the SQEPG could increase the swelling of the auricle of the tumor-bearing mice; significantly increase the phagocytic index of carbon granule contour(P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the middle dose of SQEPG could significantly increase the antibody level of hemolysin(P<0.05); different doses of SQEPG significantly inhibit the growth of the tumor, and decrease the mass of the tumor tissues(P<0.05 or P<0.01); the low dose of SQEPG significantly decreased spleen index(P<0.05), low and high doses of SQEPG increased thymus index, while medium doses of SQEPG decreased thymus index. High doses of SQEPG significantly elevated the levels of CD4~+ and CD8~+ T-cells in the spleens of the homozygous mice(P<0.01 or P<0.001), and increased the apoptosis rate of the cells of the tumor tissues(P<0.05); Meanwhile, high-dose SQEPG elevated the levels of immunity factors such as IL-2, IFN-γ and TNF-α in the serum of tumor-bearing mice(P<0.01); medium-and high-dose SQEPG significantly lowered the rate of positive expression of KI67 protein in tumor tissues(P<0.01). Compared with the model group, high-dose SQEPG significantly up-regulated the expression of caspase-3 and Bax proteins in tumor tissues(P<0.05), and significantly down-regulated the expression of CDK4, cyclin D1, and VEGFA proteins(P<0.05 or P<0.01). In conclusion, SQEPG has the effect of improving immune function and inhibiting tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice. Its mechanism of tumor-suppressive effects may be related to apoptosis promotion, cell cycle progression block, and tumor cell proliferation inhibition.
Animals
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Mice
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*
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Male
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Female
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Apoptosis/drug effects*
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Sarcoma 180/genetics*
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Humans
7.Systematic review and Meta-analysis of factors influencing taste alterations in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy
Jing LI ; Qiuting MAO ; Yi HUANG ; Fan ZENG ; Mo XIONG ; Qianqian LI ; Shuanghong ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2025;60(14):1778-1785
Objective To systematically evaluate the factors affecting taste alteration in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy.Methods PubMed,Cochrane Library,Web of Science,CINAHL,Embase,CBM,CNKI,WanFang Data and VIP were searched from the establishment until August 1,2024.The retrieved literature was independently screened,evaluated and the data were extracted by 2 researchers,and statistical analysis was performed using Stata 17.0 software.Results A total of 18 studies were included,involving 4 686 patients.The incidence of taste changes is 73.46%.Totally 9 influencing factors were extracted through quantitative analysis,including oral mucositis(OR=1.98),dry mouth(OR=1.82),nausea(OR=3.05),loss of appetite(OR=2.41),use of triple antiemetic drugs(OR=2.45),gynecological cancers(OR=0.67),lung cancer(OR=0.57),paclitaxel types of chemotherapy d rugs(OR=2.86),and smoking(β=9.38).Conclusion The alteration of taste in cancer chemotherapy patients is in-fluenced by multiple factors.Nurses should regularly and dynamically assess changes in taste and implement individualized and refined nursing interventions in clinical practice to prevent or delay the development of taste alterations,thereby improving patients' quality of life and treatment adherence.
8.Comparison of clinical efficacy between unilateral biportal endoscopy and percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal discectomy in treatment of lumbar disc herniation
Jing ZENG ; Yindong SONG ; Zhiguo WANG ; Aiju LOU ; Dongdong WU ; Bing XU ; Jiayi LIU ; Zili XIONG
Journal of Jilin University(Medicine Edition) 2025;51(5):1349-1357
Objective:To analyze the efficacies of unilateral biportal endoscopy(UBE)and percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal discectomy(PETD)in treatment of lumbar disc herniation(LDH),and to explore the optimal selection of minimally invasive surgical approaches for the The LDH patients.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 64 LDH patients who underwent surgery at Liwan Central Hospital of Guangzhou City in Guangdong Province,between January 2020 and June 2024.The surgical approaches were determined through physician-patient communication,and the patients were divided into UBE group(n=30)and PETD group(n=34).The materials of patients were recorded including gender,age,body mass index(BMI),percentages of affected segments,course of disease,duration of hospitalization,operation duration,intraoperative blood loss,numbers of intraoperative fluoroscopy,total incision length,and time to full weight-bearing(WB).The therapeutic outcomes were evaluated using Oswestry disability index(ODI),Visual Analog Scale(VAS)scores for low back pain and leg pain,MacNab criteria,and spinal canal areas at the affected segment.the postoperative complications of the patients in two groups were analyzed.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in age,gender composition ratio,BMI,course of disease,and percentages of affected segments of the patients between UBE group and PETD group(P>0.05).Compared with PETD group,the intraoperative blood loss,total incision length,and time to full WB of the patients in UBE group were significantly increase(P<0.01),while the number of intraoperative fluoroscopy time was decreased(P<0.01).Compared with pre-operation,the ODI scores and VAS scores for low back and leg pain of the patients at final follow-up in both groups were decreased(P<0.01),and the spinal canal areas at the affected segments of the patients were increased(P<0.01).At final follow-up,compared with PETD group,the ODI score and VAS scores for low back and leg pain of patients in UBE group were decreased(P<0.01),while the spinal canal areas at the affected segments of the patients was increased(P<0.01).According to MacNab criteria,the percentages of excellent and good had no significant difference between two groups(P>0.05).The incidence of complication showed no statistical difference between two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion:Both UBE and PETD yield satisfactory outcomes in the treatment of single-segment LDH.PETD is less invasive and permits earlier time to full WB,whereas UBE provides more extensive decompression and superior long-term efficacy.The surgical approach selection should be individualized based on specific factors in the clinic.
9.The impact of RAB2B on pancreatic cancer proliferation and metastasis via the NF-κB pathway
Qing LI ; Linyun ZENG ; Xin LIU ; Yu XIONG ; Jing NING ; Shanyu QIN ; Xiubing CHEN
The Journal of Practical Medicine 2025;41(11):1637-1644
Objective To investigate the effects of Ras-related protein Rab-2B(RAB2B)on the biological behaviors of pancreatic cancer cells and elucidate its underlying mechanism.Methods PANC-1 cells,which exhibit relatively high RAB2B expression,and BXPC-3 cells,which display relatively low RAB2B expression,were selected from five pancreatic cancer cell lines.RAB2B-siRNA and pcDNA3.1-RAB2B plasmids were transfected into PANC-1 and BXPC-3 cells using a cell transfection technique.The CCK-8 assay was employed to evaluate the prolif-erative capacity of pancreatic cancer cells following RAB2B intervention.Wound healing and Transwell chamber assays were utilized to assess the migratory and invasive capabilities of pancreatic cancer cells.Additionally,the mRNA and protein expression levels of RAB2B,NF-κB,and Fibronectin 1(FN1)were analyzed by qRT-PCR and Western blot(WB),respectively.Results RAB2B mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly down-regulated in PANC-1 cells following transfection(P<0.05).CCK-8 assay results demonstrated that the proliferative capacity of PANC-1 cells was markedly reduced(P<0.05),and the wound-healing ability was substantially impaired(P<0.01)upon RAB2B knockdown.Transwell assays revealed a significant decrease in cell migration(P<0.01),while Western blot analysis indicated that the expression levels of phosphorylated p65 and FN1 were notably diminished(P<0.01).Conversely,overexpression of RAB2B reversed these aforementioned alterations.Conclusions Knockdown of RAB2B in PANC-1 cells significantly suppresses cell proliferation and migration,whereas overexpression of RAB2B in BXPC-3 cells markedly promotes these processes.This effect is likely mediated through the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway and the subsequent regulation of FN1 expression.
10.Bisdemethoxycurcumin suppresses liver fibrosis-associated hepatocellular carcinoma via inhibiting CXCL12-induced macrophage polarization.
Wei YUAN ; Xinxin ZENG ; Bin CHEN ; Sihan YIN ; Jing PENG ; Xiong WANG ; Xingxing YUAN ; Kewei SUN
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.) 2025;23(10):1232-1247
Chronic, unresolved inflammation correlates with persistent hepatic injury and fibrosis, ultimately progressing to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) demonstrates therapeutic potential against HCC, yet its mechanism in preventing hepatic "inflammation-carcinoma transformation" remains incompletely understood. In the current research, clinical HCC specimens underwent analysis using hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC) to evaluate the expression of fibrosis markers, M2 macrophage markers, and CXCL12. In vitro, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-induced LX-2 cells and a co-culture system of LX-2, THP-1, and HCC cells were established. Cell functions underwent assessment through 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), flow cytometry, and Transwell assays. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), Western blotting and immunofluorescence evaluated the differential expression of molecules. The interaction between β-catenin/TCF4 and CXCL12 was examined using co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), dual luciferase, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. A DEN-induced rat model was developed to investigate BDMC's role in liver fibrosis-associated HCC (LFAHCC) development in vivo. Our results showed that clinical HCC tissues exhibited elevated fibrosis and enriched M2 macrophages. BDMC delayed liver fibrosis progression to HCC in vivo. BDMC inhibited the inflammatory microenvironment induced by activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Furthermore, BDMC suppressed M2 macrophage-induced fibrosis and HCC cell proliferation and metastasis. Mechanistically, BDMC repressed TCF4/β-catenin complex formation, thereby reducing CXCL12 transcription in LX-2 cells. Moreover, CXCL12 overexpression reversed BDMC's inhibitory effect on macrophage M2 polarization and its mediation of fibrosis, as well as HCC proliferation and metastasis. BDMC significantly suppressed LFAHCC development through CXCL12 in rats. In conclusion, BDMC inhibited LFAHCC progression by reducing M2 macrophage polarization through suppressing β-catenin/TCF4-mediated CXCL12 transcription.
Animals
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Liver Neoplasms/etiology*
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Humans
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Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/immunology*
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Liver Cirrhosis/complications*
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Macrophages/drug effects*
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Male
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Rats
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Chemokine CXCL12/genetics*
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Diarylheptanoids/pharmacology*
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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beta Catenin/genetics*

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