1.Quality evaluation of Euscaphis japonica from different habitats using chemometrics combined with weighted TOPSIS model
Yuqiu GAO ; Shuai ZHENG ; Xue YU ; Guihua ZOU ; Kai ZHANG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(14):1755-1759
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the quality of Euscaphis japonica from different habitats. METHODS The relative correction factors of gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, ellagic acid, isoquercitrin, astragalin and apigenin were calculated with quercetin as the internal reference; the relative correction factors of euscaphic acid, oleanolic acid, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol were also calculated with ursolic acid as the internal reference. The contents of 12 components in 18 batches of samples were calculated by QAMS method and were compared with external standard method. At the same time, the contents of water-soluble extract, alcohol-soluble extract, total ash and acid-insoluble ash were detected. The quality of E. japonica was evaluated by principal component analysis (PCA), orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), and weighted technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method. RESULTS There was no significant difference between the results of QAMS method and external standard method for the 12 components in the 18 batches of samples. However, notable content variations were observed among different batches of samples. The results of PCA and OPLS-DA showed that S1-S7, S8- S12, and S13-S18 were clustered into one category respectively. Seven key characteristic components variable importance in projection values >1, euscaphic acid, ursolic acid, protocatechuic acid, apigenin, β-sitosterol, isoquercitrin, and oleanolic acid, respectively. The analysis results of the weighted TOPSIS method revealed that the relative closeness for evaluating the quality of 18 batches of samples ranged from 0.283 5 to 0.644 1, with the samples of E. japonica from Fengjie, Chongqing, demonstrating the highest quality. CONCLUSIONS The established method is accurate and feasible, which can be used for the quality evaluation of E. japonica combined with chemometrics and weighted TOPSIS model.
2.Effect of Qianyang Yuyin Granules on Mesenchymal Transdifferentiation of Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells Induced by TGF-β1
Xue KONG ; Guoshun HUANG ; Xueling HAN ; Jinbo ZHANG ; Jing DAI ; Mengnan SHANG ; Chong ZOU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(2):56-63
ObjectiveBy observing the effect of Qianyang Yuyin granules on the phenotype of renal tubule epithelial cells, the intervention of Qianyang Yuyin granule on renal interstitial fibrosis was investigated. MethodThe renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) were treated with different concentrations of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 (5, 10, 15, 20, 25 μg·L-1) for 24 hours, and cell morphology and growth state were observed with an inverted phase contrast microscope. The 20 μg·L-1 was selected as the most appropriate concentration of TGF-β1 according to Western blot results for subsequent experiments. HK-2 cells were divided into six groups: blank group, TGF-β1 group (concentration of 20 μg·L-1), low, medium, and high dose Qianyang Yuyin granule groups (concentration of 0.5, 1, 2 g·L-1), and valsartan group (1 × 10-5 mol·L-1). The cell activity was measured by cell proliferation and cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). The cell migration ability was detected by scratch test. The Transwell method was used to detect the invasiveness of cells. Western blot was used to detect levels of fibronectin (FN), E-cadherin, α-smooth muscle activator (α-SMA), Vimentin, collagen type Ⅰ(Col Ⅰ), collagen type Ⅳ(Col Ⅳ), and other related proteins. ResultTGF-β1 stimulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in renal tubular epithelial cells was time- and concentration-dependent. Compared with the blank group, higher concentration in the TGF-β1 group indicates longer intervention time and more obvious long spindle change of cells, and the migration and invasion ability of the cells was significantly enhanced. The protein expression level of FN, α-SMA, Vimentin, Col Ⅰ, and Col Ⅳ increased significantly (P<0.05, P<0.01), while the expression level of E-cadherin protein decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the TGF-β1 group, Qianyang Yuyin granule groups could maintain normal cell morphology, and the migration and invasion ability of the cells was inhibited. The protein expression level of FN, α-SMA, Vimentin, Col Ⅰ, and Col Ⅳ decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the expression of E-cadherin protein was significantly restored (P<0.05). ConclusionQianyang Yuyin granule can reverse TGF-β1-induced interstitial transformation of renal tubular epithelial cells by reducing the phenotypic expression of mesenchymal cells and increasing the phenotypic expression of epithelial cells.
3.Study on the protective effect and mechanism of Zhilong Huoxue Tongyu Capsule on myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury mice based on serum metabolomics
Mengnan LIU ; Linshen MAO ; Hao WU ; Yuan ZOU ; Qi LAN ; Jinyi XUE ; Ping LIU ; Sijin YANG ; Zhongjing HU
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;47(4):523-531
Objective To observe the protective effect of Zhilong Huoxue Tongyu Capsule(Zhilong Capsule)on myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury(MIRI)in mice,and explore its regulatory mechanism using metabolomics.Methods Using a random number table method,30 C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into the following three groups:sham operation group,model group,and Zhilong Capsule group(6.24 g/kg),with 10 mice in each group.In mice in the model group and the Zhilong Capsule group,a mouse MIRI model was established by ligating the left anterior descending branch,while mice in the sham operation group underwent threading without ligation.The Zhilong Capsule group began modeling one week after pre-administration and continued to receive intragastric administration for two weeks after modeling once daily.The cardiac function,including the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and left ventricular fraction shortening(LVFS),was assessed by color echocardiography.The myocardial fibrosis and apoptosis were observed by Masson staining and TUNEL staining,respectively.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the serum contents of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)and brain natriuretic peptide(BNP).Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with multivariate statistical method was performed for serum metabolite detection and identification analysis.Results Compared with the model group,the mice in the Zhilong Capsule group exhibited an increase in LVEF and LVFS,a reduction in cardiac tissue structure disorder,a decrease in myocardial fibrosis,a decrease in cell apoptosis rate,and a decrease in serum LDH and BNP contents(P<0.05).Metabolomics result showed that intervention with Zhilong Capsule significantly regulated 30 differential metabolites related to MIRI.Important metabolic pathways involved 20 pathways related to tyrosine metabolism,arginine and proline metabolism,and vitamin digestion and absorption.Conclusion Zhilong Capsule has a protective effect on MIRI,and it may achieve this effect by regulating pathways related to tyrosine metabolism,arginine and proline metabolism,and vitamin digestion and absorption.
4.Relationship between job stress, job crafting, and job burnout among college counselors
Haixia ZHAO ; Xue ZOU ; Le HAN ; Haibo ZHAO ; Haiying MA
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2024;41(2):160-167
Background Job burnout has become an important factor affecting the mental and physical health and work efficiency of college counselors, and indirectly affects the quality and development of talent cultivation for college students. Objective To explore the relationship between job stress, job crafting, and job burnout among college counselors, and to test the mediating role of job crafting between job stress and job burnout, in order to take targeted measures to alleviate job stress and job burnout of college counselors, reduce associated health risks, and improve the effectiveness of higher education. Methods An anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted among 400 counselors from social network communication groups by convenience sampling. The Counselor Work Stress Scale, Job Crafting Scale, and Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey were used. Harman's single-factor method was used to evaluate common method bias in the survey data. One-way ANOVA was applied to test the difference in job stress, job crafting, and job burnout among college counselors by demographic characteristics, and chi-square test was used to analyze the difference in reporting job burnout. Partial correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between selected variables. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relationship of job stress, job crafting, and job burnout among college counselors, and Bootstrap analysis was used to test if there was a mediating effect of job crafting on the relationship between job stress and job burnout. Results Of the 390 questionnaires recovered, there were 338 valid questionnaires (86.67%). Among the included subjects, the mean scores of job stress, job crafting, and job burnout were (2.70±0.62), (3.77±0.62), and (2.09±1.09), respectively. The positive rate of job burnout was 76.9% (260/338), with a positive rate of 72.8% in exhaustion dimension and 59.8% in cynicism dimension. There were significant differences in job crafting scores among the college counselors by different genders and professional titles (P<0.05). Female counselors had significantly higher job burnout scores and positive rates than male counselors (P<0.05). The partial correlation analysis showed that job stress, work load, school evaluation and expectation, and interpersonal relationship were positively correlated with job burnout (r=0.562, 0.442, 0.473, and 0.455, respectively, P<0.01), and negatively correlated with job crafting (r=−0.271, −0.169, −0.246, and −0.247, respectively, P<0.01); job crafting, cognitive crafting, relationship crafting, and task crafting were negatively correlated with job burnout (r=−0.447, −0.452, −0.366, and −0.340, respectively, P<0.01). The modified structural equation modeling indicated that job stress negatively affected job crafting (b=−0.348, P<0.001) and positively affected job burnout (b=0.454, P<0.001); job crafting negatively affected job burnout (b=−0.459, P<0.001), and played a partial mediating role in the relationship between job stress and job burnout, and the effect value was 0.160 (95%CI: 0.102, 0.230) that accounted for 26.10% of the total effect. Conclusion Job burnout among the college counselors is prominent. Job crafting presents an inhibitory effect on job burnout. Job stress indirectly affects the occurrence of job burnout by inhibiting the generation of job crafting.
5.Predicting the Risk of Arterial Stiffness in Coal Miners Based on Different Machine Learning Models.
Qian Wei CHEN ; Xue Zan HUANG ; Yu DING ; Feng Ren ZHU ; Jia WANG ; Yuan Jie ZOU ; Yuan Zhen DU ; Ya Jun ZHANG ; Zi Wen HUI ; Feng Lin ZHU ; Min MU
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2024;37(1):108-111
6.Discovery of proqodine A derivatives with antitumor activity targeting NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 and nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase.
Jiangzhou SONG ; Guiqing ZOU ; Zhou ZHAO ; Ya ZHU ; Jiayu XUE ; Lanjia AO ; Huiyong SUN ; Haiping HAO ; Bo ZHANG ; Xiaowei XU
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.) 2024;22(1):75-88
NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) is a flavin protease highly expressed in various cancer cells. NQO1 catalyzes a futile redox cycle in substrates, leading to substantial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. This ROS generation results in extensive DNA damage and elevated poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1)-mediated consumption of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), ultimately causing cell death. Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), the rate-limiting enzyme in the NAD+ salvage synthesis pathway, emerges as a critical target in cancer therapy. The concurrent inhibition of NQO1 and NAMPT triggers hyperactivation of PARP1 and intensive NAD+ depletion. In this study, we designed, synthesized, and assessed a novel series of proqodine A derivatives targeting both NQO1 and NAMPT. Among these, compound T8 demonstrated potent antitumor properties. Specifically, T8 selectively inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells and induced apoptosis through mechanisms dependent on both NQO1 and NAMPT. This discovery offers a promising new molecular entity for advancing anticancer research.
Humans
;
NAD/metabolism*
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism*
;
Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase/metabolism*
;
Cytokines/metabolism*
;
Quinones
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Oxidoreductases
7.Investigation of occupational health examination institutions in Zhejiang Province
YUAN Weiming ; XUE Panqi ; ZHOU Lifang ; ZOU Hua ; FANG Xinglin ; WEI Fang ; GAO Xiangjing
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2024;36(10):910-914
Objective:
To investigate the status of occupational health examination institutions in Zhejiang Province, so as to provide suggestions for quality control of occupational health examination institutions.
Methods:
The 312 occupational health examination institutions in Zhejiang Province that have completed filing before September 30, 2023 were selected. The comprehensive capability, service quality, technical capability, and information reporting status were surveyed and evaluated through on-site inspection and skill assessment.
Results:
There were 161 public hospitals (51.60%), 147 private organizations (47.12%), and 4 centers for disease control and prevention (CDCs)/ occupational disease prevention and control institutes (1.28%). The pass rates of comprehensive capability, service quality, technical capability and information reporting were 90.02%, 69.89%, 84.07% and 86.78%, respectively. Among the indicators of comprehensive capability, the compliance rate for staffing was the highest at 95.06%, while the qualification rate of quality control in occupational health examinations was the lowest at 84.83%. Among the indicators of service quality, the compliance rate of the physical examination report format was the highest at 95.83%, while the accuracy rate of the audiometry examination was the lowest at 76.60%. In terms of technical capabilities, the qualification rates for blood lead testing, pneumoconiosis reading, and audiogram diagnostic ability were 87.92%, 89.42% and 75.34%, respectively. In terms of information reporting, the qualification rates for reporting completeness, reporting timeliness, suspected occupational disease reporting timeliness, and reporting accuracy were 89.10%, 81.09%, 96.47% and 80.45%, respectively. Among the three types of institutions, private institutions had the lowest average qualification rates for comprehensive capability, service quality, and technical capability, which were 89.83%, 69.06% and 80.00%, respectively.
Conclusions
Public hospitals and private organizations were the main types of occupational health examination institutions in Zhejiang Province. However, there were deficiencies in quality control, audiogram examination and diagnosis, and the accuracy of information reporting among occupational health examination institutions.
8.Exploring the Mechanism of Action of Jintiange Capsules in Regulating SMSC-Exos miRNA and Articular Chondrocytes mRNA for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis in Rats Based on Transcriptome
Zhichao WANG ; Xue ZHANG ; Xiaofei ZHANG ; Yajun SHI ; Dongyan GUO ; Fei LUAN ; Bingtao ZHAI ; Junbo ZOU ; Puwei YUAN
Chinese Journal of Modern Applied Pharmacy 2024;41(11):1464-1475
OBJECTIVE
To confirm the therapeutic effect of Jintiange capsules on osteoarthritis(OA) and the potential mechanism of synovial mesenchymal stem cell exosomes(SMSC-Exos) and articular chondrocytes(ACs) in the treatment of OA based on high-throughput sequencing technology.
METHODS
Type Ⅱ collagenase-induced OA rats were used for efficacy verification through general behavioral observation, bipedal balance difference experiment, mechanical foot reflex threshold, Micro-CT observation, and Safranin O-Fast Green staining. SMSCs and ACs were cultured in suitable concentration of drug-containing serum, and mRNA sequencing was performed on ACs in the control, model, and Jintiange capsules groups, as well as miRNA sequencing on SMSC-Exos. Differential expressed mRNAs and miRNAs were screened and target genes were predicted. The common differential expressed genes between SMSC and ACs were obtained by intersecting the differential expressed genes, and a miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed using Cytoscape software. The expression trend analysis of common differential expressed genes was conducted, as well as the correlation analysis between differential expressed gene mRNA and miRNA, Micro-CT efficacy indicators, and differential expressed gene mRNA.
RESULTS
Under the pathological state of OA, the expression of miRNA-23a-3p, miRNA-342-3p, miRNA-146b-5p, miRNA-501-3p, and miRNA-214-3p were down-regulated, while miRNA-222-3p, miRNA-30e-3p, miRNA-676-3p, and miRNA-192-5p were up-regulated (P<0.05). The expressions of these miRNAs were significantly reversed after intervention with drug-containing serum of Jintiange capsules. There was a certain correlation between Micro-CT efficacy indicators, mRNA and miRNA.
CONCLUSION
Jintiange capsule has obvious efficacy in the treatment of OA, and its mechanism may be related to the promotion of SMSC-Exos targeting ACs to transport miRNA and then regulate Serpinb10, Ntn1, Il1b, Tgm2, Megf10, Il11, Cd40, Slc15a3, Pou2f2 and other genes.
9.Effects of alfentanil on myocardial fibrosis in rats with acute myocardial infarction by regulating the SphK1/S1P signaling pathway
Jinliang XIAO ; Xue ZOU ; Jiapeng DAN
China Pharmacy 2024;35(8):955-960
OBJECTIVE To explore the effects of alfentanil (ALF) on myocardial fibrosis in rats with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) by regulating sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1)/sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) signaling pathway. METHODS Male SD rats were collected to construct AMI model by the ligation of anterior descending branch of left coronary artery. The successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into AMI model group (Model group), ALF low-dose group (ALF-L group, 0.25 mg/kg ALF), ALF high-dose group (ALF-H group, 0.5 mg/kg ALF), high dose of ALF+SphK1 activator group (ALF-H+K6PC-5 group, 0.5 mg/kg ALF+1 μg/g K6PC-5). At the same time, a sham operation group (Sham group) was set up to perform only chest opening/closing operations without ligating the anterior descending branch of left coronary artery, with 15 rats in each group. Rats in each drug group were intraperitoneally injected with the corresponding drug solution, once a day, for 4 consecutive weeks. Twelve hours after the last medication, cardiac function indicators [left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular systolic diameter (LVSD), left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS)] of rats were detected in each group; the condition of myocardial infarction, pathological changes in myocardial tissue, and degree of fibrosis were observed; serum levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and cardiac troponin Ⅰ (cTnⅠ) in rats were detected. The protein expressions of collagen Ⅰ , collagen Ⅲ , matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), SphK1 and S1P were alsodetected in the myocardial tissue of rats. RESULTS Compared with the Sham group, the arrangement of myocardial cells in the Model group was disordered, with a large number of inflammatory cells infiltrating. The levels of LVSP, LVFS and LVEF in the Model group were significantly reduced (P<0.05); LVSD level, myocardial infarction area, collagen volume fraction, serum levels of BNP and cTnⅠ, the protein expressions of collagen Ⅰ, collagen Ⅲ, MMP-2, SphK1 and S1P in myocardial tissue were significantly increased or enlarged (P<0.05). Compared with the Model group, the pathological changes and degree of fibrosis in the myocardial tissue of rats in each dose group of ALF were improved or relieved, while the quantitative indicators of rats in the ALF-H group were significantly improved and significantly better than those in ALF-L group (P<0.05). K6PC-5 could significantly reverse the improvement effect of high-dose ALF on the above quantitative indicators in rats (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS ALF can reduce myocardial fibrosis and improve cardiac function in AMI rats, and the effect may be related to the inhibition of the SphK1/S1P signaling pathway.
10.Development of a grading diagnostic model for schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis based on radiomics and clinical laboratory indicators
Zhaoyu GUO ; Juping SHAO ; Xiaoqing ZOU ; Qinping ZHAO ; Peijun QIAN ; Wenya WANG ; Lulu HUANG ; Jingbo XUE ; Jing XU ; Kun YANG ; Xiaonong ZHOU ; Shizhu LI
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2024;36(3):251-258
Objective To investigate the feasibility of developing a grading diagnostic model for schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis based on B-mode ultrasonographic images and clinical laboratory indicators. Methods Ultrasound images and clinical laboratory testing data were captured from schistosomiasis patients admitted to the Second People’s Hospital of Duchang County, Jiangxi Province from 2018 to 2022. Patients with grade I schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis were enrolled in Group 1, and patients with grade II and III schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis were enrolled in Group 2. The machine learning binary classification tasks were created based on patients’radiomics and clinical laboratory data from 2018 to 2021 as the training set, and patients’radiomics and clinical laboratory data in 2022 as the validation set. The features of ultrasonographic images were labeled with the ITK-SNAP software, and the features of ultrasonographic images were extracted using the Python 3.7 package and PyRadiomics toolkit. The difference in the features of ultrasonographic images was compared between groups with t test or Mann-Whitney U test, and the key imaging features were selected with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression algorithm. Four machine learning models were created using the Scikit-learn repository, including the support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), linear regression (LR) and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). The optimal machine learning model was screened with the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), and features with the greatest contributions to the differentiation features of ultrasound images in machine learning models with the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method. Results The ultrasonographic imaging data and clinical laboratory testing data from 491 schistosomiasis patients from 2019 to 2022 were included in the study, and a total of 851 radiomics features and 54 clinical laboratory indicators were captured. Following statistical tests (t = −5.98 to 4.80, U = 6 550 to 20 994, all P values < 0.05) and screening of key features with LASSO regression, 44 features or indicators were included for the subsequent modeling. The areas under ROC curve (AUCs) were 0.763 and 0.611 for the training and validation sets of the SVM model based on clinical laboratory indicators, 0.951 and 0.892 for the training and validation sets of the SVM model based on radiomics, and 0.960 and 0.913 for the training and validation sets of the multimodal SVM model. The 10 greatest contributing features or indicators in machine learning models included 2 clinical laboratory indicators and 8 radiomics features. Conclusions The multimodal machine learning models created based on ultrasound-based radiomics and clinical laboratory indicators are feasible for intelligent identification of schistosomiasis-induced liver fibrosis, and are effective to improve the classification effect of one-class data models.


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