1.Mechanisms of Jiangtang No. 3 Prescription in Alleviating Adipose Tissue Insulin Resistance in Diabetic Rats via TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 Signaling Pathway-mediated Inflammation
Tongxun WANG ; Lantian LIU ; Runqi LI ; Haoxiang LI ; Yi ZHAO ; Tian TIAN ; Rufeng MA ; Sihua GAO ; Dandan ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(4):109-117
ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Jiangtang No. 3 prescription on inflammatory pathways and insulin resistance-related indicators in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to elucidate its molecular mechanism in combating diabetes. MethodsA T2DM rat model was established using a high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Successfully modeled rats were randomly assigned to the model group, metformin group, and low-, medium-, and high-dose Jiangtang No. 3 prescription groups, and a normal group was also set. Daily gavage was administered for 8 weeks as follows: metformin at 0.1 g·kg-1·d-1, Jiangtang No. 3 prescription granules at 1.62, 3.24, 6.48 g·kg-1·d-1 for the respective dose groups, and sterile water for the normal and model groups. Rat body weight, fasting blood glucose (FBG), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and insulin tolerance test (ITT) were measured. After drug intervention, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-18, and insulin (INS). Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe morphological changes in adipose tissue. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), Caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18, and gasdermin D (GSDMD) in adipose tissue. Western blot was used to measure the corresponding protein expression levels. ResultsCompared with the model group, Jiangtang No. 3 prescription groups exhibited significantly increased body weight (P<0.05, P<0.01), significantly reduced FBG (P<0.05, P<0.01), significant reductions in TC, TG, NEFA, and LDL (P<0.05, P<0.01), and a significant increase in HDL (P<0.01). Serum levels of inflammatory mediators IL-1β and IL-18 were significantly decreased (P<0.01), the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index was significantly reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01), and adipose tissue pathology was improved. The protein expression levels of TLR4, NF-κB, NLRP3, Caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18, and GSDMD were markedly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the mRNA expression levels of these indicators were also significantly downregulated (P<0.05, P<0.01). Some effects were superior to those of the positive control drug metformin, and certain indicators exhibited dose-dependent improvements. ConclusionT2DM rats display significant inflammatory responses, disordered glucose and lipid metabolism, and insulin resistance. Jiangtang No. 3 prescription effectively suppresses inflammatory mediators, improves glucose and lipid metabolism and insulin resistance, and ameliorates pathological changes in adipose tissue. Its mechanism may be related to the regulation of the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway in visceral adipose tissue, thereby influencing downstream inflammatory mediators.
2.SIRT5 Potentiates Hepatocarcinogenesis by Modulating Protein Acylation in Mice
Yu ZHANG ; Feng-Rui REN ; Jia-Yun LI ; Xiang-Yu CHEN ; Zi-Yi WANG ; Qi SUN ; Jun-Cheng ZHAO ; Ye ZHANG ; Zhen HUANG ; Hao HU ; Tao-Tao WEI ; Min XIAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(6):1712-1722
ObjectiveHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents 90% of all primary liver cancers. The main risk factors associated with HCC include viral hepatitis (B and/or C), alcohol abuse, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which progressively advance to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and ultimately evolve into HCC. Surgical resection represents the most effective treatment for HCC, while recent advances in immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive cell therapies, have provided improved treatment prospects for patients with unresectable HCC. However, the complex metabolic heterogeneity of HCC limits the therapeutic efficacy. Metabolic intermediates acyl-CoA not only provide energy and substrates for numerous biochemical reactions but also serve as donors for protein lysine acylation, a major class of post-translational modification (PTM). Therefore, a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying protein lysine acylation and hepatocarcinogenesis is urgently needed. MethodsThe levels of protein lysine acylation and silence information regulator 5 (SIRT5) expression levels in clinical HCC samples were analyzed by Western blot. Quantitative malonylome and succinylome of HCC samples were analyzed by antibody-based affinity enrichment coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The proliferation of HCC cells was analyzed with Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, the apoptosis was quantified by Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) staining coupled with flow cytometry, and the ability of cells to migrate was assayed by Transwell assays. The enzymatic activity of glutathione S-transferase Mu 1 (GSTM1) was quantified. Transgenic mice with hepatic overexpression of SIRT5 were constructed using CRISPR-Cas9, and primary hepatocarcinogenesis was induced by administration of diethylnitrosamine. ResultsWestern blot analysis indicated that the expression level of SIRT5 was elevated in clinical samples from HCC patients, and the levels of lysine malonylation, glutarylation, and succinylation were significantly reduced in HCC tissues. Knockout of SIRT5 in MHCC-97H and MHCC-97L hepatoma cells suppressed cell proliferation, and increased the percentage of apoptotic cells significantly. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of the differentially malonylome and succinylome of HCC samples revealed significant enrichment in two major classes of biological processes: core energy metabolism (e.g., glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, tricarboxylic acid metabolic process, fatty acid beta oxidation) and detoxification and oxidative stress response (e.g., response to toxic substance, chemical carcinogenesis, reactive oxygen species (ROS)). SIRT5 removes malonylation from lysine residues in GSTM1 and restores its detoxification activity, which is crucial for the survival of hepatocytes under stressed conditions. More importantly, in vivo experiment indicated that hepatic-specific overexpression of SIRT5 in mice accelerated diethylnitrosamine-induced liver fibrosis and hepatocarcinogenesis, indicating the critical role of SIRT5 in HCC progression. ConclusionThis study highlights the previously unrecognized SIRT5-GSTM1 axis as a key regulator in hepatocarcinogenesis, and suggests a potential target for the treatment of patients with HCC.
3.Targeted Protein Degradation-mediated Regulation of Tumor Angiogenesis for Anticancer Therapy
Yi-Ning ZHAO ; Shi-Yu SONG ; Ying-Qiu QI ; Li WANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(10):2596-2608
Tumor angiogenesis is a core pathological driver of malignant growth, invasion, and metastasis, and represents a major obstacle to effective anticancer therapy. Conventional antiangiogenic agents, including neutralizing monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, are constrained by drug resistance, on-target toxicity, and the compensatory activation of alternative pro-angiogenic pathways. Targeted protein degradation (TPD) has emerged as a promising strategy that may overcome these limitations. Unlike traditional inhibitors that operate through an occupancy-driven mechanism, degraders function through an event-driven catalytic mechanism in which a single degrader molecule can catalytically promote the ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal or lysosomal degradation of multiple molecules of the same target protein, thereby eliminating the target protein together with all of its functions rather than merely blocking a single active site. This review systematically delineates the pathophysiological basis of tumor angiogenesis, encompassing the angiogenic switch driven by hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), the aberrant structural and functional features of the tumor vasculature, and the self-reinforcing vicious cycles that sustain malignant progression. We then categorize the principal TPD modalities, with particular emphasis on proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) and lysosome-targeting chimeras (LYTACs), and describe their design principles and mechanisms of action. PROTACs recruit E3 ubiquitin ligases to direct intracellular targets to the ubiquitin-proteasome system for degradation, whereas LYTACs engage lysosome-targeting receptors to route extracellular and membrane proteins to the lysosome, thereby expanding the degradable target space beyond the intracellular proteome. We further summarize recent advances in the application of TPD to antiangiogenic intervention at four distinct levels. First, at the signaling initiation level, degradation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) by aptamer-engineered PROTACs, antibody-based LYTACs, and small-molecule VEGFR2 degraders blocks the upstream trigger of the angiogenic cascade. Second, at the signal transduction level, degradation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), B-Raf proto-oncogene serine/threonine kinase (BRAF), phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), and bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) interrupts intracellular signaling cascades and transcriptional responses. Third, at the microenvironment level, degradation of proviral integration site for Moloney murine leukemia virus (PIM) kinases curtails the pro-angiogenic signals secreted by tumor-associated macrophages. Fourth, multi-target synergistic strategies, exemplified by bispecific degraders that simultaneously target human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and VEGF-A, represent a preliminary exploration of cooperative intervention. Representative degraders reviewed herein elicit diverse antiangiogenic phenotypes, ranging from the direct inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation to reductions in microvessel density and the suppression of vasculogenic mimicry. Finally, we discuss the major challenges that remain, including the precise matching of degradation kinetics with the vascular normalization window, target selectivity and tissue specificity, and the activation of compensatory networks and the emergence of resistance. Since the application of TPD in this setting remains at an early stage, the clinical translation of these approaches will require careful optimization of degradation efficiency, spatiotemporal control, and delivery strategies. We also envision future directions toward immunotherapy-based combination regimens and precision-degradation approaches guided by single-cell and spatial transcriptomics. In our view, TPD should not be regarded merely as a substitute for conventional antiangiogenic drugs, but rather as a molecular tool capable of systematically remodeling the tumor vascular microenvironment. When precise control of degradation efficiency and spatiotemporal regulation are integrated with a thorough understanding of the heterogeneity and compensatory capacity of tumor vessels, the full clinical potential of this strategy can be realized.
4.Evaluating the factors influencing hospitalization costs of malnourished patients based on variations in DRG cost coefficients
Jian-Mei NIU ; Qian ZHAO ; Qian MO ; Hai-Yan WANG ; LI-Qi ; Jing-Yi LIANG ; Qian-Wen YANG ; Ji-Chuan ZHAO ; Rong-Liang SUN
Parenteral & Enteral Nutrition 2025;32(5):273-277
Objectives:The aim is to analyze the cost structure and coefficient of variation for hospitalized patients with malnutrition based on Diagnosis-Related Groups(DRG),providing a reference for the further application and promotion of DRG.Method:Data were collected from patients admitted to Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region People's Hospital between March 2023 and August 2023.A diagnostic system based on artificial intelligence was used to identify malnourished patients.The composition of hospitalization costs for these individuals was described and analyzed,as was the coefficient of variation for various costs within DRG groupings.A multivariate regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors that influence patient hospitalization costs.Results:The average age of hospitalized patients with malnutrition was(68.12±16.43)years,with an average length of stay of(14.55±8.47)days,with an average hospitalization cost of(32 128.89±35 345.61)yuan.Among patients within the same DRG group,the coefficient of variation for various costs was found to be lower in the malnutrition group than in the normal group.This suggests that when assessed individually,the malnutrition group exhibited a higher degree of homogeneity in their cost structures.The factors influencing total hospitalization costs were found to be:length of hospital stay(P=0.001),nutritional monitoring fees(P=0.020),number of chronic diseases(P=0.003),and Karnofsky Performance Status(KPS)score(P=0.038).Hospitalization costs were positively correlated with both length of stay and nutritional assessment fees,but negatively correlated with the number of chronic diseases and KPS scores.Conclusions:Malnutrition has a profound impact on health outcomes,medical expenses,length of hospital stay,and disease severity.The implementation of the DRG system aims to standardize and improve the nutritional diagnosis and treatment process by categorizing different stages of malnutrition.This approach can minimize variations within DRG groups,making it easier to allocate medical resources more precisely and efficiently.Furthermore,it is a valuable reference tool for promoting DRG payment reform in different regions.
5.Polarity-extended Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry System for Prostate Cancer Biomarker Screening Based on Extracellular Vesicles
Lu-Lu XIAO ; Meng-Xuan CHEN ; Shan-Shan PAN ; Yi-Chen WANG ; Tao-Hong HUANG ; Qi-Sheng ZHONG ; Yong CHEN ; Teng-Fei XU ; Jia-Hui ZHAO ; Xue-Song LIU
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2025;53(11):1848-1859,中插4-中插29
Integrated metabolomic and lipidomic profiling,utilizing liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry(LC-HRMS),has emerged as a pivotal strategy for biomarker discovery.However,the inherent polarity disparity between metabolites and lipids complicates simultaneous analysis.To address this,a dual-stationary phase polarity-extended liquid chromatography(PELC)system was developed,which surpassed conventional one-dimensional LC(1D-LC)by enabling comprehensive coverage of both polar and non-polar compounds within a single injection.This system enhanced chromatographic resolution,peak capacity,and throughput while minimizing analytical variability.Extracellular vesicles(EVs),lipid bilayer-enclosed nanoparticles ubiquitously present in biofluids,had gained prominence as reservoirs of cancer biomarkers due to their cargo stability and pathophysiological relevance.Herein,the application of PELC-HRMS for concurrent metabolome-lipidome profiling in EVs was pioneered.A total of 193 metabolites were identified using this technique coupled with MS-DIAL software and Human Metabolome Database.Subsequently,this technique was employed to explore potential biomarkers for prostate cancer(PCa).Multivariate analysis identified 17 differentially abundant metabolites in PCa,implicating dysregulated pathways including purine metabolism,starch and sucrose metabolism,galactose metabolism,cysteine and methionine metabolism,and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids.Notably,creatine(AUC=0.92)and DG 42:5(AUC=0.80)demonstrated robust diagnostic efficacy,attributable to their broad polarity ranges and EV-specific enrichment.This study established PELC as a high-fidelity platform for multi-omics integration in complex biospecimens,advancing mechanistic insights into metabolic rewiring and disease pathophysiology.
6.Recommendation for Forensic Identification Guidelines on Insulin Overdoes
Yu-Hao YUAN ; Zhong-Hao YU ; Jia-Xin ZHANG ; Long-Da MA ; Shu-Quan ZHAO ; Ning-Guo LIU ; Rong-Qi WU ; Biao ZHANG ; Xin-Biao LIAO ; Xin CHEN ; Guang-Long HE ; Yi-Wu ZHOU
Journal of Forensic Medicine 2025;41(2):168-175
Insulin is an important protein hormone that participates in multiple metabolic pathways.Biosynthetic insulin has been widely used in the treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.Currently,the number of reported cases of insulin overdose both at home and abroad is gradually increasing,and insulin homicide is no longer a means of"committing murder without leaving a trace".At present,there are no systematic protocols for the identification of insulin overdose in the field of forensic medi-cine in China.This article introduces the causes,toxicological characteristics,forensic examination,labo-ratory testing methods and indicator reference of insulin overdose.Based on the identification practice and research results and referring to relevant studies on insulin overdose at home and abroad,this pa-per aims to provide recommendations and references for the formulation of forensic identification guide-lines for insulin overdose cases.
7.Analysis of Genetic Structure among Different Populations Based on 13 Auto-somal STR Loci in CODIS Core
Xi HE ; Zhen TANG ; Ming-Ying XIA ; Yi-Qi ZHAO ; Yu-Ran LUO ; Shi-Lin LI
Journal of Forensic Medicine 2025;41(3):228-236
Objective To investigate the genetic differences among different populations based on 13 autosomal STR loci in CODIS core.Methods Data of 13 autosomal STR loci(CSF1PO,FGA,THO1,TPOX,vWA,D3S1358,D5S818,D7S820,D8S1179,D13S317,D16S539,D18S51,D21S11)were collected from 95 populations in scientific journals between 1999 and 2021,soursed from the PubMed database,which had been published.Allele frequencies of loci were sorted out and forensic genetic parameters including gene differentiation coefficient(Gst),total heterozygosity(Ht),subpopula-tion heterozygosity(Hs)values,and Nei's DA genetic distance were calculated.Principal component analysis,phylogenetic tree,and multidimensional scale analysis were conducted to assess population ge-netic structure.Results A total of 265 alleles were detected at the 13 STR loci in these 95 popula-tions.The mean values of Gst,Ht,and Hs were 0.023 247,0.797 915 and 0.779 365.Population genetic analyses reflected significant differences among populations from Asia,Africa and Europe.In Asian populations,there was a certain degree of distinction between mainland and island populations;the Han population showed a certain degree of distinction with surrounding populations in mainland;while within the Han population,there were two distinct clusters formed by the northern Han and the south-ern Han.Conclusion The 13 autosomal STR loci in CODIS core demonstrate potential value for popu-lation identification across different groups,and may be used for the differentiation of ethnic groups,among different continental populations.
8.Lycorine promotes ferroptosis in osteosarcoma cells via YAP1/TRFC path-way and enhances sensitivity to cisplatin
Linkuan WANG ; Xinping WANG ; Kaijun YI ; Zhiyong LI ; Qi ZHAO ; Yi-hua SHI
Chinese Journal of Pathophysiology 2025;41(5):882-894
AIM:This study aims to investigate the sensitizing effects of lycorine(Lyc)in combination with cisplatin(Cis)on human osteosarcoma cells and to explore the underlying mechanisms of action.METHODS:Human osteosarcoma cell lines MG63,HOS,and cisplatin-resistant HOS/DDP cells were utilized to evaluate the effects of Lyc and cisplatin,both alone and in combination,on cell viability using the CCK8 assay.The clonogenic assay was performed to assess cell proliferation capacity,while the scratch assay evaluated the drugs' effects on cell migration.Reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels were measured using a ROS assay kit,and changes in intracellular glutathione(GSH)levels were assessed with a GSH/oxidized glutathione(GSSG)assay kit.The mitochondrial membrane potential was analyzed via JC-1 staining to determine the drugs' effects on mitochondrial function.Intracellular iron(Ⅱ)content changes were detected us-ing FerrOrange,a fluorescence probe,and cellular malondialdehyde(MDA)levels were measured using an MDA assay kit.RT-qPCR was employed to evaluate the expression levels of key genes related to ferroptosis,and Western blot analysis was conducted to detect changes in the protein expression levels of Yes-associated protein 1(YAP1),acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4(ACSL4),glutathione peroxidase 4(GPX4),heme oxygenase-1(HO-1),and transferrin re-ceptor(TFRC).RESULTS:Both Lyc and cisplatin effectively inhibited the proliferation of human osteosarcoma cells.Notably,the combination of Lyc and cisplatin led to a more substantial reduction in cell viability,proliferation,and migra-tion abilities in MG63,HOS,and HOS/DDP cells compared to cisplatin alone.Additionally,this combination significant-ly increased ROS levels while decreasing GSH content,indicating mitochondrial damage and elevated iron(Ⅱ)and MDA levels.RT-qPCR results revealed that the combination treatment more significantly downregulated ferroptosis-promoting genes and upregulated ferroptosis-inhibiting genes compared to cisplatin treatment alone(P<0.05).Western blot results showed a slight decrease in GPX4 protein expression following Lyc and cisplatin treatment,while expression levels of YAP1,TFRC,ACSL4,and HO-1 were significantly increased(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Lyc enhances the sensitivi-ty of MG63,HOS,and HOS/DDP cells to cisplatin by promoting ferroptosis through the YAP1/TFRC signaling pathway.
9.Screen of Disulfidptosis-related Colorectal Cancer Diagnostic and Therapeutic Target:Integrated Single-cell and Bulk RNA Sequencing Data
Yang YANG ; Yi-Xuan MA ; Xin-Yue FAN ; Wen-Xue ZHAO ; Yi-Ming QI ; Ning GAO ; Ju-Mei ZHAO ; Juan DU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(10):1529-1540
Inflammatory response,immunosuppression,and drug sensitivity have been reported to have a significant correlation with the disulfidptosis levels in cancer patients.However,the value of disulfidpto-sis in colorectal cancer therapy remains unclear.Therefore,we classified the CRC cells into different cell types using single-cell sequencing data and cell-specific markers and analyzed their relationship with the cell disulfidptosis level.We found that the high disulfidptosis regions were concentrated in epithelial-like CRC cells.Further exploration using the disulfidptosis and programmed cell death 1 inhibitor therapy treated differential expression genes indicated that CRC patients with high disulfidptosis levels exhibited a lower risk profile and increased sensitivity to immunotherapy.By using the spatial transcriptomic analy-sis,we found that ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase core protein 1(UQCRC1),a disulfidptosis-related gene,is highly expressed in epithelial-like CRC cells and co-localized with immune-infiltrated tumor re-gions.Additional bioinformatic analyses and experimental validation further confirmed that UQCRC1 was downregulated in CRC tissues.Overexpression of UQCRC1 suppressed CRC cell proliferation and migra-tion.These findings indicate that UQCRC1 is a potential target for CRC diagnosis and treatment.
10.Linagliptin synergizes with cPLA2 inhibition to enhance temozolomide efficacy by interrupting DPP4-mediated EGFR stabilization in glioma.
Dongyuan SU ; Biao HONG ; Shixue YANG ; Jixing ZHAO ; Xiaoteng CUI ; Qi ZHAN ; Kaikai YI ; Yanping HUANG ; Jiasheng JU ; Eryan YANG ; Qixue WANG ; Junhu ZHOU ; Yunfei WANG ; Xing LIU ; Chunsheng KANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(7):3632-3645
The polymerase 1 and transcript release factor (PTRF)-cytoplasmic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) phospholipid remodeling pathway facilitates tumor proliferation in glioma. Nevertheless, blockade of this pathway leads to the excessive activation of oncogenic receptors on the plasma membrane and subsequent drug resistance. Here, CD26/dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) was identified through screening of CRISPR/Cas9 libraries. Suppressing PTRF-cPLA2 signaling resulted in the activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway through phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine remodeling, which ultimately increased DPP4 transcription. In turn, DPP4 interacted with EGFR and prevented its ubiquitination. Linagliptin, a DPP4 inhibitor, facilitated the degradation of EGFR by blocking its interaction with DPP4. When combined with the cPLA2 inhibitor AACOCF3, it exhibited synergistic effects and led to a decrease in energy metabolism in glioblastoma cells. Subsequent in vivo investigations provided further evidence of a synergistic impact of linagliptin by augmenting the sensitivity of AACOCF3 and strengthening the efficacy of temozolomide. DPP4 serves as a novel target and establishes a constructive feedback loop with EGFR. Linagliptin is a potent inhibitor that promotes EGFR degradation by blocking the DPP4-EGFR interaction. This study presents innovative approaches for treating glioma by combining linagliptin with AACOCF3 and temozolomide.

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