1.Development and Validation of a High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for Detecting Adrenocortical Hormones and Establishment of Age-Stratified Reference Intervals in Reproductive-Aged Women from Guangxi, China
Yixuan LIU ; Tingwei JIN ; Yushuang WEI ; Xuelian QIN ; Siyu DENG ; Jie ZHENG ; Boteng YAN ; Yuanyuan NONG ; Yu YE ; Shengzhu HUANG ; Yu LONG ; Jianmin LI ; Ganqin WANG ; Pei HUANG ; Jinghang JIANG ; Fan WU ; Zengnan MO ; Yonghua JIANG
Annals of Laboratory Medicine 2026;46(2):146-154
Background:
Adrenocortical hormones, particularly 11-oxygenated androgens, are pivotal in female reproductive health and fertility. Standardized detection kits and population-specific reference intervals are lacking in China, hindering related clinical applications.
Methods:
A HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) pipeline was developed, rigorously validated, and applied to simultaneously quantify corticosterone, cortisone, cortisol, 18-OH cortisol, androstenedione (A4), 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione (11-OH A4), dehydroepiandrosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in serum samples from 455 reproductive-aged women (18–45 yrs) in Guangxi, China. Age-dependent concentration trends were analyzed, and reference intervals stratified by age (2.5th to 97.5th percentiles) were established. Correlations with body-composition metrics, ethnicity, and the menstrual cycle were investigated.
Results:
The HPLC-MS/MS method demonstrated high precision (intra- and inter-assay CVs < 15%), accuracy, and sensitivity. All eight hormones exhibited significant age-related declines (P < 0.001 for seven hormones; P = 0.001 for 11-OH A4). Notably, 11-OH A4 levels were significantly lower in the 35–45-yr (3.05 nmol/L) and 25–34-yr (3.09 nmol/L) age groups than in the 18–24-yr (3.57 nmol/L) age group, whereas no significant difference was observed between the 35–45-yr and 25–34-yr age groups. Weak negative correlations were observed between the body mass index and corticosterone and cortisone levels, whereas ethnicity and the menstrual cycle showed no significant associations with hormone levels.
Conclusions
We developed an HPLC-MS/MS-based method for simultaneously quantifying eight adrenocortical hormones, including 11-OH A4, and defined age-specific reference intervals for reproductive-aged Chinese women. These findings advance the clinical utility of adrenocortical hormones in diagnosing and managing reproductive disorders.
2.Accuracy of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy–Detected Fumarate Peak for Diagnosing Fumarate Hydratase Deficiency in Uterine Leiomyomas: A Prospective Study
Guiqin LIU ; Wenxin YU ; Shihang PAN ; Yuansheng LUO ; Jingli CHEN ; Mengying ZHU ; Zaoyu WANG ; Yang SONG ; Jin ZHANG ; Jianrong XU ; Yan ZHOU ; Jun MA ; Guangyu WU
Korean Journal of Radiology 2026;27(5):440-451
Objective:
To evaluate the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in discriminating fumarate hydratase-deficient (FH-d) uterine leiomyomas (ULs) from FH-preserved ULs.
Materials and Methods:
This study consisted of three stages, with independent cohorts recruited for each stage: 1) sample-size estimation was retrospectively performed on UL specimens (diameter ≥3 cm; age, 20–40 years) from our database with immunohistochemistry (IHC) for 2-succinocysteine (2-SC) as the reference, without genetic testing, 2) MRS sequence optimization in confirmed FH germline mutation participants with ultrasound-detected ULs (diameter ≥3 cm), without IHC analysis, and 3) prospective diagnostic test accuracy was evaluated in consecutive participants with ultrasound-detected ULs (diameter ≥3 cm;age, 20–40 years), using IHC for 2-SC for determining the FH status and subsequent genetic testing in those with positive 2-SC results to identify whether FH mutations were germline or somatic in origin. The choline and fumarate peaks in MRS were classified as positive, negative, or technical failure (TF). TFs were analyzed separately and excluded from the primary diagnostic accuracy calculations. T1-, T2-, and diffusion-weighted images were interpreted as hyperintense or hypointense. The enhancement rate and apparent diffusion coefficient were also acquired. Diagnostic performance was compared between MRS and various magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features.
Results:
The optimal MRS parameters for the fumarate peak were echo time (TE) = 140 ms and an average of 256. Among the 360 prospective participants, 37 were confirmed to have FH-dULs. MRS showed positive fumarate peaks in 35 of 37 FH-dULs.After excluding six TFs, the positive fumarate peak on MRS showed 94.6% (35/37) sensitivity, 99.7% (316/317) specificity, and 99.2% (351/354) accuracy, all of which were significantly superior to those of other MRI features (P ≤ 0.002).
Conclusion
A positive fumarate peak on MRS may be a useful imaging biomarker for diagnosing FH-dULs.
4.Innovative Development and Cutting-edge Applications of Split Intein Technology
Jin-Qiu GAN ; Xiang-Yu DENG ; Xin-Yan WANG ; Jia-Bin LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(6):1520-1540
Inteins are unique protein insertion sequences capable of self-excision, enabling the covalent ligation of flanking extein peptides via amide bond formation. This process proceeds spontaneously without requiring external enzymes, cofactors, or chemical reagents, granting inteins exceptional biocompatibility and traceless performance in protein engineering applications. Split inteins represent a specialized and versatile subclass whose splicing domains are encoded by two separate gene fragments rather than a single continuous open reading frame. These fragments, known as the N-terminal (IntN) and C-terminal (IntC) split inteins, associate through non-covalent interactions including hydrophobic forces, hydrogen bonds, and van der Waals forces to assemble into an active three-dimensional structure, which then drives efficient extein ligation and enables protein trans-splicing. Protein trans-splicing mediated by split inteins has become a cornerstone for traceless protein ligation owing to its high specificity and irreversibility, fundamentally reshaping strategies for protein modification, assembly, and functional regulation. Compared with traditional chemical ligation methods, split intein systems require no complex chemical derivatization of peptide fragments and can operate efficiently at micromolar concentrations under physiological conditions, thus avoiding structural and functional damage caused by organic reagents. In contrast to enzymatic ligation tools such as sortase, split inteins eliminate the need for additional enzymes or cofactors, simplifying reaction systems, reducing costs, and minimizing non-specific side products. These distinctive advantages render split inteins highly promising for applications in chemical biology, synthetic biology, and biopharmaceutical development. In recent years, deepened mechanistic understanding has established structure-guided rational design as the primary approach to overcoming key limitations of split inteins, including intrinsic aggregation propensity, strict extein sequence dependence, and limited splicing efficiency. Bioinformatic tools have been used to identify aggregation-prone regions in the IntN fragment, and site-directed mutagenesis of hydrophobic residues, relocation of split sites, or removal of misfolding-prone sequences has substantially reduced in vitro aggregation and improved soluble expression and assembly activity. Rational engineering of catalytic residues and adjacent flexible loops has relaxed strict amino acid preferences at extein junctions, enhancing sequence tolerance and reducing the risk of functional impairment in target proteins. Consensus design based on multiple sequence alignments has yielded ultra-fast splicing variants such as Cfa DnaE and Cat-TerL, which exhibit significantly accelerated kinetics and improved tolerance to denaturing conditions. Meanwhile, advances in structural biology have further clarified the conformational dynamics and catalytic mechanisms of splicing, supporting the precise design of high-performance intein modules. On this basis, electrostatic interaction tuning and metagenomic screening have yielded multiple mutually orthogonal split intein pairs, enabling selective multi-fragment protein ligation and providing new routes for the efficient synthesis of large multi-domain functional proteins. With these engineered split inteins offering continuously improved performance and expanded applicability, protein trans-splicing has been widely applied in numerous cutting-edge areas of protein research and biomedicine. In gene delivery, split intein-based systems overcome the packaging limit of adeno-associated viral vectors, enabling the accurate reconstitution of large therapeutic proteins and base editors in target cells, thereby enhancing the efficacy and scope of gene therapy for genetic diseases. In internal protein sequence editing, split inteins mediate precise sequence replacement and modification in flexible regions or loops of target proteins, without the need for complex multi-step ligation and protein refolding involved in traditional protein semisynthesis. In protein-protein interaction studies, intein-mediated splicing covalently captures transient and weak intracellular complexes, enabling sensitive, high-throughput interaction detection and drug screening. In synthetic biology, conditionally controllable splicing systems support the construction of diverse intracellular and cell-surface biological logic gates for the precise regulation of cellular behavior. In mechanistic biochemical research, split inteins enable photocatalytic proximity labeling and site-specific tagging, allowing the preparation of homogeneous protein samples carrying precise post-translational modifications such as ubiquitination and polyglutamylation for chromatin interactome analysis and epigenetic studies. Moreover, covalent trapping strategies using split inteins stabilize transient enzymatic intermediates, providing unprecedented insights into molecular mechanisms such as nucleosome ubiquitination that are difficult to elucidate using conventional methods. This review systematically summarizes key technological advances in split inteins over the past decade, highlighting engineering strategies, mechanistic insights, and the development of orthogonal components. It comprehensively surveys emerging applications at the frontiers of protein research, analyzes current core challenges, and proposes future directions, particularly emphasizing artificial intelligence-driven de novo design and novel splicing pathways to break existing technical bottlenecks. By enabling traceless, efficient, and versatile protein manipulation, split inteins continue to serve as indispensable tools that drive innovation in protein engineering and fundamental life science research.
5.Analysis of the impact of high progesterone ovulation induction protocols on embryo euploidy rates and clinical pregnancy outcomes in infertile patients
Minjie WANG ; Yongjing ZHANG ; Jin QIAN ; Chao WANG ; Yuping XU ; Tianjuan WANG ; Dawei CHEN ; Yan HAO ; Qiong XING
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(5):923-930
ObjectiveTo analyze the effects of the progestin-primed ovarian stimulation (PPOS) protocol on embryo euploidy rate and clinical pregnancy outcomes in infertile patients. MethodsWomen who underwent Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) cycles were selected as study participants (a total of 656 cycles and 3 081 blastocysts). Participants were divided into two age groups (≤35 years and >35 years) and further stratified by ovarian stimulation protocol: the Progestin-Primed Ovarian Stimulation (PPOS) group (n=48 and 60, respectively), the Luteal Phase Long Protocol (LP) group (n=160 and 57, respectively), and the Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Antagonist Protocol (AP) group (n=220 and 111, respectively). Baseline characteristics, ovarian stimulation outcomes, and embryo development parameters were compared among the three protocols within each age group. Additionally, clinical pregnancy outcomes of the first frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle were compared. The primary outcome measure was the embryo euploidy rate. Results① In the ≤35 years age group, baseline follicle-stimulating hormone (bFSH) levels were significantly higher in the PPOS group compared to the LP and AP groups, and the bFSH/bLH ratio was significantly higher in the PPOS group than in the AP group (P < 0.05). In the >35 years age group, bFSH levels in both the PPOS and AP groups were significantly higher than in the LP group (P < 0.05).② In the ≤35 years group, there were no significant differences in the rates of metaphase II (MII) oocytes, 2-pronuclei (2 PN) zygotes, cleavage, 2 PN cleavage, blastocyst formation, high-quality embryos, or embryo euploidy between the PPOS group and either the LP or AP groups. However, the PPOS group showed significantly lower values for the following parameters compared to the other two groups: total oocytes retrieved, number of MII oocytes, number of 2 PN zygotes, number of cleaved embryos, number of 2 PN cleaved embryos, number of blastocysts formed, number of high-quality embryos, number of high-grade blastocysts, number of transferable embryos, number of cryopreserved embryos, number of biopsied blastocysts, number of euploid embryos, and the rate of obtaining at least one euploid embryo. In the >35 years group, no significant differences were observed among the PPOS, LP, and AP groups in the rates of MII oocytes, 2 PN cleavage, blastocyst formation, or in the number of euploid embryos, euploidy rate, and the rate of obtaining at least one euploid embryo. However, the PPOS group had significantly lower numbers of total oocytes retrieved, MII oocytes, 2 PN zygotes, cleaved embryos, 2 PN cleaved embryos, blastocysts formed, transferable embryos, and cryopreserved embryos compared to the LP group (P<0.05). The high-quality embryo rate was significantly lower in the PPOS group than in the AP group (P<0.05). The numbers of high-quality embryos, high-grade blastocysts, and biopsied blastocysts were significantly lower in the PPOS group than in both the LP and AP groups (P<0.05). Notably, the 2 PN fertilization rate was significantly higher in the PPOS group than in the AP group, and the cleavage rate was significantly higher in the PPOS group than in both the LP and AP groups (P<0.05).③ No significant differences were found among the three groups in the biochemical pregnancy rate, clinical pregnancy rate, live birth rate, early miscarriage rate, and late miscarriage rate following the first FET cycle. ConclusionCompared to the other two protocols, the PPOS protocol does not significantly affect embryo euploidy or clinical pregnancy rates. However, in freeze-all cycles with PGT-A, the PPOS protocol does not reduce the rate of chromosomally normal embryos but may decrease the total number of available embryos. It may not be the optimal choice for younger women, but it can be considered as a viable option for women of advanced maternal age.
6.Complete chloroplast genomes and phylogenetic analysis of 7 Murraya species in China
Ziyuan CHEN ; Yan JIN ; Yuyang ZHAO ; Chao JIANG ; Yuan YUAN
Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;4(1):62-72
Background: Murraya, a genus of shrubs and trees in the Rutaceae family, consists of approximately 9 species in China with significant medicinal and horticultural value. However, the phylogeny and taxonomy of Murraya species remain controversial, particularly with respect to Murraya exotica and M. paniculata. Objective: This study aimed to provide insights into the taxonomy, phylogeny, and identification of Murraya. Methods: In this study, the chloroplast (CP) genomes of 7 Murraya species were sequenced, assembled, and subjected to comparative and phylogenetic analyses. Results: The CP genomes of Murraya ranged from 158,573 to 160,817 bp in length and encoded 112 unique genes, including 78 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes, and 4 rRNA genes. Similar to other angiosperms, the inverted repeat regions of the CP genomes exhibited lower sequence divergence than the single-copy regions, and coding regions were more conserved than noncoding regions. Comparative analysis identified several highly variable regions (eg, matK, ycf1, ndhI-ndhA, trnH-GUG-psbA, rpl32-trnL) that could serve as molecular markers for species identification in Murraya. Among these, the ycf1 gene was validated as a useful marker for distinguishing M. exotica from M. paniculata. Positive selection was detected in 10 genes, including rbcL, psaJ, ndhD, ndhF, rpl2, rpl20, ycf1, accD, ccsA, and rpl32. Phylogenetic analysis based on CP genomes supported the recognition of M. exotica and M. paniculata as independent species. Moreover, the phylogenetic trees indicated that Murraya is not monophyletic, with sect. Bergera showing a closer relationship to Clausena. Molecular dating results suggested that the diversification of M. paniculata, M. alata, and M. exotica occurred approximately 9.11 Mya (95% highest posterior density: 4.90-13.87 Mya). Conclusion: These findings provide valuable CP genome data for clarifying the phylogenetic relationships between M. exotica and M. paniculata, and for advancing the study of DNA markers and the evolutionary history of Murraya.
7.Photodynamic performance and anti-lung cancer effect of novel chlorin compounds
Yan QIU ; Hao WU ; Yafen DONG ; Ye CHEN ; Jian WANG ; Hui JIN
Journal of Pharmaceutical Practice and Service 2026;44(1):39-45
Objective To study the photodynamic performance and the killing effect of photodynamic therapy on lung cancer of novel chlorin compounds 2-(4-(5,15,20-triphenyl-7H,8H-porphyrin-10-yl) phenoxy) acetic acid(D1)and 4-(4-(5,15,20-triphenyl-7H,8H-porphyrin-10-yl) phenoxy) butanoic acid (D2). Methods The ultraviolet visible absorption spectrum and fluorescence spectrum of D1 and D2 were determined. The singlet oxygen generation capacity of D1 and D2 was measured by using DPBF as singlet oxygen capture agent. Fluorescence assay was used to detect the cellular phagocytosis rate of the compounds in A549 cells, and MTT assay was used to detect their dark toxicity and phototoxicity. A nude mouse model of lung cancer was established to investigate the antitumor activity of the compounds mediated photodynamic action in vivo, and the blood concentration of D2 in nude mice, its distribution in tumor tissue and skin tissue were further detected. Results D1 and D2 had strong absorption at 652 nm with the best excitation wavelength at 429 nm and 427 nm, and the optimal emission wavelength was at about 659 nm. They also had a higher singlet oxygen generation rate than the control drug m-THPC. D1 and D2 had no dark toxicity at concentrations below 10 μmol/L, and could be ingested by A549 cells, basically reaching saturation in 18~24 hours. After laser irradiation at 650 nm wavelength, D1 and D2 showed significant antitumor activity in vivo and in vitro (P<0.01). However, D2 could selectively accumulate in tumor tissues after administration, and the optimal treatment time was less than 30 min after administration. Conclusion D2 had excellent photodynamic antitumor activity and could selectively aggregate in tumor tissues, which had the potential to be a candidate drug for photosensitizer and treatment of lung cancer with independent intellectual property rights, and was worth further research.
8.Neuroprotective Effects of Transcranial Magneto-acoustic Stimulation on Parkinson’s Disease Model Mice by Regulating Mitophagy and Mitochondrial Homeostasis
Shuai ZHANG ; Yan-Bin WANG ; Yi-Hao XU ; Jin-Rui MI ; Xiao-Chao LU ; Yu-Chen AN ; Ji-Zhou LIU ; Jia-Qi SUN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1457-1470
ObjectiveTranscranial magneto-acoustic stimulation (TMAS) is an emerging non-invasive neuromodulation technique that may provide a novel non-pharmacological intervention strategy for Parkinson's disease (PD). PD is characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), leading to motor impairments such as bradykinesia, tremor, and rigidity. Increasing evidence indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired mitochondrial quality control are central mechanisms underlying dopaminergic neuronal loss. In particular, abnormalities in mitophagy and mitochondrial fission-fusion balance contribute substantially to oxidative stress, energy metabolic failure, and neuronal injury. At present, most clinical treatments for PD mainly alleviate symptoms but do not effectively halt disease progression. Therefore, exploring new interventions targeting the core pathological mechanisms is of considerable significance. This study aims to investigate whether TMAS can improve neural damage and motor dysfunction in PD mice by regulating mitophagy and the fission/fusion dynamic balance, thereby providing theoretical and experimental support for its application in PD treatment. MethodsMale C57BL/6 mice were used in this study. A PD model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) for 7 consecutive days. After model induction, mice in the intervention group received TMAS once daily for 14 consecutive days, whereas the corresponding control group received sham stimulation. The stimulation target was positioned over the primary motor cortex (M1). Motor performance was evaluated using the pole test and the open-field test. To verify the activation effect of TMAS on the target cortical region, c-Fos immunohistochemistry was performed in the M1. To assess nigral dopaminergic neuronal injury, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry was used to quantify TH-positive neurons in the SNc. Mitochondrial function was evaluated by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content in the SNc. Western blot was further performed to determine the expression of mitophagy-related proteins, including PINK1, Parkin, LC3-II, and p62, as well as mitochondrial dynamics-related proteins, including Drp1 and Opa1. ResultsTMAS significantly increased the number of c-Fos-positive cells in M1 (P<0.000 1), indicating effective activation of neurons in the targeted cortical region. Compared with the control group, MPTP-treated mice exhibited marked motor dysfunction, including a significant reduction in total distance traveled in the open-field test (P<0.000 1) and mean speed (P=0.000 1), as well as significant prolongation of turn time and total climbing time in the pole test (P<0.000 1). These behavioral impairments were accompanied by a substantial loss of TH-positive dopaminergic neurons in the SNc, whereas TMAS significantly increased TH-positive neuron survival (P<0.000 1). In parallel, MPTP induced a pronounced increase in ROS levels and a significant reduction in ATP content, indicating severe mitochondrial dysfunction and energy metabolism impairment (P<0.01). TMAS treatment significantly improved motor performance, as reflected by the reversal of MPTP-induced impairment in the open-field and pole tests, and significantly reduced ROS accumulation (P<0.01) while restoring ATP production (P<0.001). At the molecular level, MPTP markedly downregulated PINK1 and Parkin, decreased p62 expression, increased LC3-II accumulation, elevated Drp1 expression, and reduced Opa1 expression, whereas TMAS significantly reversed these abnormalities, suggesting restoration of mitophagy-related mitochondrial quality control and re-establishment of mitochondrial fission-fusion balance. Collectively, these findings indicate that TMAS ameliorates MPTP-induced neurotoxicity and restores mitochondrial homeostasis and energy metabolism. ConclusionTMAS effectively attenuates neural damage and improves motor dysfunction in MPTP-induced PD mice. Its neuroprotective effects are closely associated with multidimensional regulation of the mitochondrial quality control system, including restoration of PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy and rebalancing of Drp1/Opa1-related mitochondrial dynamics. Rather than acting only as a symptomatic neuromodulatory intervention, TMAS may influence a key pathological axis of PD by improving mitochondrial homeostasis in SNc and protecting nigral dopaminergic neurons. These findings provide experimental evidence supporting TMAS as a promising non-invasive physical intervention for PD.
9.Neuroprotective Effects of Transcranial Magneto-acoustic Stimulation on Parkinson’s Disease Model Mice by Regulating Mitophagy and Mitochondrial Homeostasis
Shuai ZHANG ; Yan-Bin WANG ; Yi-Hao XU ; Jin-Rui MI ; Xiao-Chao LU ; Yu-Chen AN ; Ji-Zhou LIU ; Jia-Qi SUN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(5):1457-1470
ObjectiveTranscranial magneto-acoustic stimulation (TMAS) is an emerging non-invasive neuromodulation technique that may provide a novel non-pharmacological intervention strategy for Parkinson's disease (PD). PD is characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), leading to motor impairments such as bradykinesia, tremor, and rigidity. Increasing evidence indicates that mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired mitochondrial quality control are central mechanisms underlying dopaminergic neuronal loss. In particular, abnormalities in mitophagy and mitochondrial fission-fusion balance contribute substantially to oxidative stress, energy metabolic failure, and neuronal injury. At present, most clinical treatments for PD mainly alleviate symptoms but do not effectively halt disease progression. Therefore, exploring new interventions targeting the core pathological mechanisms is of considerable significance. This study aims to investigate whether TMAS can improve neural damage and motor dysfunction in PD mice by regulating mitophagy and the fission/fusion dynamic balance, thereby providing theoretical and experimental support for its application in PD treatment. MethodsMale C57BL/6 mice were used in this study. A PD model was established by intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) for 7 consecutive days. After model induction, mice in the intervention group received TMAS once daily for 14 consecutive days, whereas the corresponding control group received sham stimulation. The stimulation target was positioned over the primary motor cortex (M1). Motor performance was evaluated using the pole test and the open-field test. To verify the activation effect of TMAS on the target cortical region, c-Fos immunohistochemistry was performed in the M1. To assess nigral dopaminergic neuronal injury, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry was used to quantify TH-positive neurons in the SNc. Mitochondrial function was evaluated by measuring reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content in the SNc. Western blot was further performed to determine the expression of mitophagy-related proteins, including PINK1, Parkin, LC3-II, and p62, as well as mitochondrial dynamics-related proteins, including Drp1 and Opa1. ResultsTMAS significantly increased the number of c-Fos-positive cells in M1 (P<0.000 1), indicating effective activation of neurons in the targeted cortical region. Compared with the control group, MPTP-treated mice exhibited marked motor dysfunction, including a significant reduction in total distance traveled in the open-field test (P<0.000 1) and mean speed (P=0.000 1), as well as significant prolongation of turn time and total climbing time in the pole test (P<0.000 1). These behavioral impairments were accompanied by a substantial loss of TH-positive dopaminergic neurons in the SNc, whereas TMAS significantly increased TH-positive neuron survival (P<0.000 1). In parallel, MPTP induced a pronounced increase in ROS levels and a significant reduction in ATP content, indicating severe mitochondrial dysfunction and energy metabolism impairment (P<0.01). TMAS treatment significantly improved motor performance, as reflected by the reversal of MPTP-induced impairment in the open-field and pole tests, and significantly reduced ROS accumulation (P<0.01) while restoring ATP production (P<0.001). At the molecular level, MPTP markedly downregulated PINK1 and Parkin, decreased p62 expression, increased LC3-II accumulation, elevated Drp1 expression, and reduced Opa1 expression, whereas TMAS significantly reversed these abnormalities, suggesting restoration of mitophagy-related mitochondrial quality control and re-establishment of mitochondrial fission-fusion balance. Collectively, these findings indicate that TMAS ameliorates MPTP-induced neurotoxicity and restores mitochondrial homeostasis and energy metabolism. ConclusionTMAS effectively attenuates neural damage and improves motor dysfunction in MPTP-induced PD mice. Its neuroprotective effects are closely associated with multidimensional regulation of the mitochondrial quality control system, including restoration of PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy and rebalancing of Drp1/Opa1-related mitochondrial dynamics. Rather than acting only as a symptomatic neuromodulatory intervention, TMAS may influence a key pathological axis of PD by improving mitochondrial homeostasis in SNc and protecting nigral dopaminergic neurons. These findings provide experimental evidence supporting TMAS as a promising non-invasive physical intervention for PD.
10.Establishment and application of the method for plasma concentration determination of lamotrigine,levetiracetam and perampanel in children with epilepsy
Wenlin SONG ; Ying ZHOU ; Haoran CHEN ; Ziyue LIN ; Yan LI ; Jie LIU ; Taiwei JIN ; Xuqiang ZHOU
China Pharmacy 2026;37(10):1313-1317
OBJECTIVE To establish a method for simultaneous determination of plasma concentration of lamotrigine(LTG), levetiracetam(LEV) and perampanel(PER) in children with epilepsy and apply this method in clinical practice. METHODS Plasma proteins were precipitated with acetonitrile. Using PER-D 5 as internal standard, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was adopted. The determination was performed on ACQUITY UPLC HSS T3 C 18 column with mobile phase consisted of 0.1% formic acid with 5 mmol/L ammonium acetate-acetonitrile (gradient elution) at the flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The column temperature was 40 ℃, and sample size was 5 μL. The analysis time was 5 min. The electrospray ionization source and multiple reaction monitoring mode were used for positive ion scanning. The ion pairs used for quantitative analysis of LTG, LEV, PER and internal standard were m / z 255.9→144.9, m / z 171.1→126.1, m / z 350.1→219.0 and m / z 354.9→220.2, respectively. The steady-state trough concentrations of the aforementioned drugs in the plasma of 14 pediatric epilepsy patients receiving combination therapy were determined using the same UPLC-MS/MS method as above. RESULTS The linear ranges of LTG, LEV and PER were 0.15-24 μg/mL ( R 2 >0.993), 0.312 5-50 μg/mL ( R 2 >0.997) and 6.25-1 000 ng/mL ( R 2 >0.997), respectively. The lower limits of quantification were 0.15 μg/mL, 0.312 5 μg/mL and 6.25 ng/mL, respectively. RSDs of intraday and interday precision tests of the three drugs were no more than 9.83%, and the accuracies (relative errors) were between -9.33% and 13.72%( n =6 or n =18); the average extraction recovery rates were 86.4%-97.9%, and the average matrix effects were 86.9%-110.0% ( n =6). The absolute values of the relative errors in the stability tests were all below 15%. The steady-state trough concentrations of LTG, LEV and PER were (5.64±4.03)μg/mL, (10.67±8.78)μg/mL and(450.20±251.27)ng/mL, respectively; the rates of achieving target trough concentrations were 71.4%, 37.5% and 84.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The established UPLC-MS/MS method is specific, rapid and suitable for the plasma concentration monitoring in epileptic children receiving combination therapy.

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