1.Effect of Shengui Jiangtang Formula on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Type 2 Diabetic db/db Mice via PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 Signaling Pathway and Underlying Mechanisms
Zairan WANG ; Yifei ZHU ; Jiahe TANG ; Lingling QIN ; Lili WU ; Tonghua LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(9):42-51
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Shengui Jiangtang Formula on insulin resistance and glucose-lipid metabolism in spontaneous type 2 diabetic db/db mice based on the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1) signaling pathway, and to provide theoretical foundation for its clinical application through fundamental experiments. MethodsA randomized controlled design was employed in this study. Thirty spontaneous type 2 diabetic db/db mice meeting the inclusion criteria (fasting blood glucose >7.0 mmol·L-1 and random blood glucose on a different day≥11.1 mmol·L-1) were selected as the subjects. After stratified block randomization by body weight and blood glucose levels, they were randomly assigned to a model group, a metformin group, and a Shengui Jiangtang formula group, with n=10 per group. Ten db/m mice were used as the normal group. During the 5-week intervention, general indicators (including general condition, fasting blood glucose (FBG), body weight, and food intake) were recorded weekly. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed at week 5. After 5 weeks, serum was collected to measure glucose-lipid metabolism parameters. Liver tissues were analyzed as follows: Histopathology was observed through hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining, and Oil red O staining. The expression of proteins and genes related to the PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway was quantitatively analyzed using Western blotting (Western blot) and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR). ResultsGeneral observations: The mice in the normal group were generally healthy, exhibited agile responses and had smooth and glossy fur. Compared with the normal group, the mice in the model group displayed typical symptoms of polydipsia, polyphagia, and polyuria, along with listlessness and rough fur. Their food intake, initial body weight, liver weight, and liver index were all significantly higher than those in the normal group (P<0.01). After 5 weeks of drug intervention, neither the Shengui Jiangtang Formula group nor the metformin group significantly affected the food intake of the model mice. Compared with the model group, no statistically significant difference was observed in liver weight or liver index in the Shengui Jiangtang formula group. Serum biochemical indicators: Compared with the normal group, the model group showed significantly elevated levels of FBG, fasting insulin, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), glycosylated serum protein, and blood lipids. After drug intervention, compared with the model group, the Shengui Jiangtang formula group significantly reduced FBG in the model mice (P<0.01). The blood glucose levels at all time points during the OGTT in the Shengui Jiangtang Formula group were lower than those in the model group, with statistically significant differences in the 0 min blood glucose and the area under the curve for glucose compared to the model group (P<0.05). Furthermore, the formula significantly reduced fasting insulin levels, HOMA-IR, and glycosylated serum protein levels (P<0.05). It also showed a tendency to decrease blood lipids, liver enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase), and blood urea nitrogen levels, and a tendency to increase creatinine levels, although these differences were not statistically significant. Liver histomorphology: HE staining indicated that Shengui Jiangtang formula improved the morphological structure of hepatocytes and attenuated steatosis in diabetic mice. Liver PAS staining showed that it increased hepatic glycogen content and promoted hepatic glycogen synthesis in diabetic mice. Oil red O staining demonstrated that it reduced lipid deposition within hepatocytes. Western blot: Compared with the normal group, the model group showed decreased protein expression of PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, and p-FoxO1, and increased FoxO1 protein expression. Compared with the model group, both the metformin and Shengui Jiangtang Formula groups showed increased protein expression of PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, and p-FoxO1, and decreased FoxO1 protein expression. Real-time PCR: Compared with the normal group, the mRNA expression of PI3K and Akt was downregulated (P<0.05), and the mRNA expression of FoxO1 was downregulated (P<0.05) in the model group. ConclusionShengui Jiangtang Formula can improve insulin resistance and glucose-lipid metabolic disorders in db/db mice. It alleviates hepatic steatosis, promotes hepatic glycogen synthesis, and reduces lipid deposition in these mice. The mechanism by which Shengui Jiangtang Formula improves insulin resistance may be associated with the PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway.
2.Construction and in vitro osteogenic activity study of magnesium-strontium co-doped hydroxyapatite mineralized collagen
WANG Meng ; SUN Yifei ; CAO Xiaoqing ; WEI Yiyuan ; CHEN Lei ; ZHANG Zhenglong ; MU Zhao ; ZHU Juanfang ; NIU Lina
Journal of Prevention and Treatment for Stomatological Diseases 2026;34(1):15-28
Objective:
To investigate the efficacy of magnesium-strontium co-doped hydroxyapatite mineralized collagen (MSHA/Col) in improving the bone repair microenvironment and enhancing bone regeneration capacity, providing a strategy to address the insufficient biomimetic composition and limited bioactivity of traditional hydroxyapatite mineralized collagen (HA/Col) scaffolds.
Methods:
A high-molecular-weight polyacrylic acid-stabilized amorphous calcium magnesium strontium phosphate precursor (HPAA/ACMSP) was prepared. Its morphology and elemental distribution were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. Recombinant collagen sponge blocks were immersed in the HPAA/ACMSP mineralization solution. Magnesium-strontium co-doped hydroxyapatite was induced to deposit within collagen fibers (experimental group: MSHA/Col; control group: HA/Col). The morphological characteristics of MSHA/Col were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Its crystal structure and chemical composition were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. The mineral phase content was evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis. The scaffold's porosity, ion release, and in vitro degradation performance were also determined. For cytological experiments, CCK-8 assay, live/dead cell staining, alkaline phosphatase staining, alizarin red S staining, RT-qPCR, and western blotting were used to evaluate the effects of the MSHA/Col scaffold on the proliferation, viability, early osteogenic differentiation activity, late mineralization capacity, and gene and protein expression levels of key osteogenic markers [runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), collagen type Ⅰ (Col-Ⅰ), osteopontin (Opn), and osteocalcin (Ocn)] in mouse embryonic osteoblast precursor cells (MC3T3-E1).
Results:
HPAA/ACMSP appeared as amorphous spherical nanoparticles under TEM, with energy spectrum analysis showing uniform distribution of carbon, oxygen, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and strontium elements. SEM results of MSHA/Col indicated successful complete intrafibrillar mineralization. Elemental analysis showed the mass fractions of magnesium and strontium were 0.72% (matching the magnesium content in natural bone) and 2.89%, respectively. X-ray diffraction revealed characteristic peaks of hydroxyapatite crystals (25.86°, 31°-34°). Infrared spectroscopy results showed characteristic absorption peaks for both collagen and hydroxyapatite. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated a mineral phase content of 78.29% in the material. The scaffold porosity was 91.6% ± 1.1%, close to the level of natural bone tissue. Ion release curves demonstrated sustained release behavior for both magnesium and strontium ions. The in vitro degradation rate matched the ingrowth rate of new bone tissue. Cytological experiments showed that MSHA/Col significantly promoted MC3T3-E1 cell proliferation (130% increase in activity at 72 h, P < 0.001). MSHA/Col exhibited excellent efficacy in promoting osteogenic differentiation, significantly upregulating the expression of osteogenesis-related genes and proteins (Runx2, Col-Ⅰ, Opn, Ocn) (P < 0.01).
Conclusion
The MSHA/Col scaffold achieves dual biomimicry of natural bone in both composition and structure, and effectively promotes osteogenic differentiation at the genetic and protein levels, breaking through the functional limitations of pure hydroxyapatite mineralized collagen. This provides a new strategy for the development of functional bone repair materials
3.The application of brain-computer interface in the diagnosis and treatment of addiction and sleep disorder
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2026;33(2):226-229
Brain-computer interface (BCI) is a neuro-engineering technology that establishes a direct communication pathway between the brain and external devices. It can realize bidirectional information interaction between the brain and external devices through real-time acquisition and decoding of brain signals, thereby completing brain state recognition and precise feedback regulation. This technology is promoting the transformation of the diagnosis and treatment model of neuropsychiatric diseases from “open-loop stimulation” to “closed-loop adaptation”. The brain regions and circuits involved in the neural mechanisms of addiction and sleep disorder are highly intertwined. Sleep-related brain rhythms provide a key time window for the intervention of addiction memory, and both have abnormal electrophysiological activities and functional imbalances in core neural circuits. This article reviews the latest research progress of closed-loop BCI in the fields of addiction and sleep disorder, explains the neural circuits and electrophysiological mechanisms of its regulation, and its limitations in diagnosis and treatment of the two diseases. In addition, it prospects individualized closed-loop intervention from the perspective of brain-body interaction, so as to provide reference for the clinical transformation of closed-loop BCI.
4.Effects of Weicanqing Formula (微残清方) on Malic Enzyme 2-Mediated Bone Marrow Immunemetabolic Homeostasis in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Model Mice
Chenyang FAN ; Lixiang YAN ; Xiaogang HAO ; Xinli ZHOU ; Reaila JIANATI ; Yifei GUO ; Gengda ZHU ; Zhexin SHI
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(12):1315-1322
ObjectiveTo
5.Characterization of preclinical radio ADME properties of ARV-471 for predicting human PK using PBPK modeling.
Yifei HE ; Chenggu ZHU ; Peng LEI ; Chen YANG ; Yifan ZHANG ; Yuandong ZHENG ; Xingxing DIAO
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis 2025;15(5):101175-101175
Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) represent a promising class of drugs that can target disease-causing proteins more effectively than traditional small molecule inhibitors can, potentially revolutionizing drug discovery and treatment strategies. However, the links between in vitro and in vivo data are poorly understood, hindering a comprehensive understanding of the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) of PROTACs. In this work, 14C-labeled vepdegestrant (ARV-471), which is currently in phase III clinical trials for breast cancer, was synthesized as a model PROTAC to characterize its preclinical ADME properties and simulate its clinical pharmacokinetics (PK) by establishing a physiologically based pharmacokinetics (PBPK) model. For in vitro-in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE), hepatocyte clearance correlated more closely with in vivo rat PK data than liver microsomal clearance did. PBPK models, which were initially developed and validated in rats, accurately simulate ARV-471's PK across fed and fasted states, with parameters within 1.75-fold of the observed values. Human models, informed by in vitro ADME data, closely mirrored postoral dose plasma profiles at 30 mg. Furthermore, no human-specific metabolites were identified in vitro and the metabolic profile of rats could overlap that of humans. This work presents a roadmap for developing future PROTAC medications by elucidating the correlation between in vitro and in vivo characteristics.
6.De Novo Assembly and Phylogenetic Study of Chloroplast Genomes of Five Species of Genus Polygonatum
Wei LI ; Mingyu ZHU ; Yuling ZENG ; Xuan WEN ; Chutong HUANG ; Xinyue FA ; Lin SEN ; Zhigang HU ; Yifei LIU
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(1):36-55
Objective Five chloroplast(cp)genomes from members of genus Polygonatum were assembled by hybrid assembly technique,and their intraspecic and interspecific differences were analyzed by comparative genomic method.Codon usage patterns and influencing factors were determined,and the cp genome data were applied to understand the phylogenomic relationships in the entire genus Polygonatum along with the available data.Methods In this study,the chloroplast genomes of 5 species of genus Polygonatum were assembled using Unicycler software.Sequence alignment,collinearity analysis,boundary analysis and other methods were used to evaluate the interspecific differences of these five species.Nucleotide polymorphism analysis was used to discover the high-variation sites of the five species and their related species,predict the distribution of different long repeat sequences and SSRs,and then analyze the use bias of Polygonatum code.Finally,phylogenetic tree was constructed with the coding sequences of other 47 genus Polygonatum and their closely related species to explore their phylogenetic relationships in this study.Results ①Chloroplast genomes of 155 408-155 623 bp were assembled from five species of Polygonatum.A total of 132-133 genes were annotated,and 369 long repeats and 1553 simple repeats were detected.②The contraction and expansion of chloroplast genomes in 8 species were not obvious at the IRs boundary,and the size and distribution of individual genes at the LSC-IRs-SSC boundary,such as ndhF gene and ycf1 gene,were slightly different.No interspecific or intraspecific rearrangement was observed in 8 species.③ The high-variation regions of the 8 chloroplast genomes are mainly located in two single-copy regions,the duplicate copy region is relatively conserved,and the coding region is more conserved than the non-coding region.High nucleotide polymorphic loci rps16-trnQ,trnS-trnG,trnTUGU-trnL,ndhF-rpl32 and rpl32-trnL are located in the single copy region and most of them are gene spacer regions.④ The codon preference results showed that the codon preference of the five species was similar and mainly affected by selection pressure,and the third base of the codon played A dominant role and mainly ended in A/U.RSCU clustering heat map shows that PK and PZ,PCB and PS have close relationship.⑤ Phylogenetic trees divided 52 species into five branches:Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ,ⅣandⅤ.PS,PK,PCB,PCZ and PZ were divided into ⅣandⅤbranches,among which PK and PZ were most closely related,while PCZ was more distant than the other four,was divided into the Ⅴbranch alone.Conclusion This study provided a reference for the phylogenetic research and molecular marker development of the medicinal plants of the Polygonum genus.
7.Ecological Suitability Analysis and Future Potential Habitat Layout Prediction for Chrysanthemum indicum Complex
Haiqiong ZHANG ; Mingyu ZHU ; Yujie CHI ; Yifei LIU ; Zhigang HU ; Jingjing ZHANG
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(1):75-83
Objective To provide scientific basis for layout planning and standardized cultivation the species of Chrysanthemum indicum complex in future periods,the potential ecological suitable areas was analyzed,.Methods By collecting distribution data of 1379 valid C.indicum complex species nationwide and 104 ecological factors,combined with MaxEnt model and ArcGIS software,the potential ecological distribution areas of C.indicum complex under 17 different climate scenarios was analyzed.Results Precipitation and solar radiation are key environmental variables affecting the suitable habitats of C.indicum complex.The most suitable regions for the growth of C.indicum complex was concentrated in Hubei(C.indicum L.),Shanxi(C.lavandulifolium),Jiangsu(C.nankingense),and Hubei(C.indicum var.aromaticum)regions.Under different scenarios,the suitable habitat area for C.indicum L.and C.lavandulifolium showed an overall decreasing trend,while those for C.indicum var.aromaticum and C.nankingense showed an expanding trend.The centroid shift indicates sensitivity of C.indicum complex to climate change.Conclusion The potential distribution areas of C.indicum complex is classified into ecological suitability levels,providing important reference for the sustainable use,introduction cultivation,and scientific zoning of related resources.
8.Mechanism of core acupoints of acupuncture for polycystic ovary syndrome based on data mining and network acupuncture medicine.
Xinye GAO ; Qianhan LIU ; Yifei WANG ; Tingyuan YANG ; Wenci ZHANG ; Can LIU ; Shuxiu ZHU ; Lei ZHANG
Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion 2025;45(12):1846-1858
OBJECTIVE:
To analyze the acupoint selection patterns and core prescriptions of acupuncture for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) using data mining, and to explore the molecular mechanisms of core acupoints through network acupuncture medicine.
METHODS:
The randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on acupuncture for PCOS published from January 1, 2004 to July 21, 2024 were retrieved from CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. R software (version 4.4.0) was used for acupoint frequency and association rule analysis to identify core acupoint prescriptions. Potential targets were predicted via the STITCH and Swiss Target Prediction databases, and a "core prescription-active compounds-targets- PCOS" network was constructed. Cytoscape 3.7.1 was applied to build protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks of potential targets of core acupoint prescriptions. Key therapeutic targets were subjected to gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses using the DAVID and Microbioinformatics platforms.
RESULTS:
A total of 176 RCTs were included, covering 208 prescriptions and 89 acupoints. The five most frequently used acupoints were Guanyuan (CV4), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Zigong (EX-CA1), Zusanli (ST36) and Zhongji (CV3). Association rule analysis yielded 13 core acupoint combinations, with Guanyuan (CV4), Sanyinjiao (SP6), Zigong (EX-CA1) and Zusanli (ST36) as the core prescription. Twenty-seven active compounds were involved, with 852 potential therapeutic targets, among which 208 targets overlapped with PCOS-related targets. Network acupuncture medicine analysis suggested that the core prescription may act through targets such as estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src (SRC), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG), and RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase (AKT1). GO and KEGG analyses indicated that the main pathways included the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B (PI3K-AKT) signaling pathway, and advanced glycation end products-receptor for advanced glycation end products (AGE-RAGE) signaling pathway, involving processes such as signal transduction, receptor complex formation, and cytokine activity.
CONCLUSION
The core acupoint prescription for PCOS might exert therapeutic effects through multiple targets and pathways, providing a theoretical basis for mechanistic research on acupoint prescriptions.
Humans
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Acupuncture Therapy
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Data Mining
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Acupuncture Points
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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome/metabolism*
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Female
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Protein Interaction Maps
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Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
9.Transplacental digoxin treatment for fetal supraventricular arrhythmias: Insights from Chinese fetuses.
Chuan WANG ; Li ZHAO ; Shuran SHAO ; Haiyan YU ; Shu ZHOU ; Yifei LI ; Qi ZHU ; Xiaoliang LIU ; Hongyu DUAN ; Hanmin LIU ; Yimin HUA ; Kaiyu ZHOU
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(12):1499-1501
10.Function and mechanism of suppressor of zeste 12 in hepatocellular carcinoma
Qianyu LI ; Yifei QIAN ; Songling LI ; Zijun ZHU ; Wenli QIN ; Yanfeng LIU ; Bijun QIU
Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University(Medical Science) 2025;45(9):1138-1148
Objective·To explore the function and potential mechanism of suppressor of zeste 12(SUZ12)in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods·The expression of SUZ12 in HCC patients was analyzed using R language in liver cancer datasets,and relevant survival curves were drawn.Stable knockdown of SUZ12 was established in the liver cancer cell lines LM3 and Huh7.The knockdown efficiency of SUZ12 was assessed using quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR)and Western blotting.Cell proliferation ability was assessed using CCK-8 assay and colony formation assay.Using the hydrodynamic tail vein injection(HTVI)method,Suz12 was knocked out in the livers of fully immunocompetent mice to explore its tumorigenic function in vivo.The molecular mechanism of SUZ12 regulating HCC was explored using The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)database.R language was used to analyze the relationship between SUZ12 and the expression of cancer stem cell(CSC)markers as well as key glycolysis-related genes.Findings were validated in liver cancer cell lines and mouse tumor tissues.Results·The expression of SUZ12 in liver cancer tissues was higher than in adjacent non-tumor tissues,and its expression increased with higher tumor stage.HCC patients with high SUZ12 expression had poorer prognoses.In LM3 and Huh7 liver cancer cell lines,stable knockdown of SUZ12 reduced cell proliferation ability.In the de novo MYC/Trp53-/-mouse liver cancer model,tumor nodule number and size,and tumor burden in liver tissue were reduced after endogenous knockout of Suz12.TCGA analysis showed that high SUZ12 expression in HCC was enriched in multiple tumor proliferation-and metabolism-related pathways.The expression of SUZ12 was positively correlated with CSC markers and key genes in glycolysis pathway.The mRNA levels of CSC markers and key genes in glycolysis pathway were decreased in liver cancer cell lines with stable SUZ12 knockdown and Suz12 knockout mouse HCC tissues.Conclusion·The expression of SUZ12 is significantly increased in HCC patients and is associated with poor prognosis.Stable knockdown of SUZ12 weakens the proliferative ability of liver cancer cells.Knockout of Suz12 in mice in vivo can suppress the occurrence and development of HCC.The high expression of SUZ12 maintains the CSC pool,induces metabolic reprogramming,and promotes the occurrence and progression of HCC.SUZ12 can serve as a potential biomarker for poor prognosis and a novel target for potential therapeutic intervention in HCC.


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