1.Effect of Gynostemma pentaphyllum Alcohol Extract on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism Disorders in db/db Mice Based on Transcriptomics and Gut Microbiota
Yifei ZHU ; Lei DING ; Wei LIU ; Yahui SUN ; Lingling QIN ; Lili WU ; Tonghua LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(11):80-89
ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of Gynostemma pentaphyllum alcohol extract in improving glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in db/db mice through transcriptomics and gut microbiota analysis. MethodsEighteen db/db mice were randomly assigned to the model(DM) group, metformin(MET) group, and G. pentaphyllum alcohol extract(GP) group, with six mice in each group, based on stratification of fasting blood glucose and body weight. An additional six db/m mice were selected as the normal control(NC) group. Mice in the NC and DM groups were administered deionized water (10 mL·kg-1) daily. The MET group received metformin (0.195 g·kg-1) by gavage. The GP group was treated with G. pentaphyllum alcohol extract (3.9 g·kg-1) by gavage for six weeks. Fasting blood glucose was measured every two weeks. After six weeks of intervention, serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine (CREA), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were assessed. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure insulin (FINS), adiponectin (ADP), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe liver histomorphology, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining was employed to assess hepatic glycogen synthesis, and Oil Red O staining was used to detect hepatic lipid deposition. Liver transcriptomic data were used to identify differentially expressed genes in the liver and conduct enrichment analysis. Real-time PCR was employed to verify the expression levels of adiponectin gene (Adipoq), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), glucokinase (GCK), forkhead box (Fox)O1, FoxO3, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6PC). Metagenomic sequencing was conducted to analyze changes in gut microbiota composition. ResultsCompared with the NC group, the DM group exhibited significantly elevated fasting blood glucose (P<0.01), serum AST, ALT, TC, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C (P<0.01). FINS, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α were significantly increased (P<0.01), while ADP was significantly decreased (P<0.05). Histological analysis confirmed severe hepatic steatosis and excessive lipid accumulation in the DM group, along with markedly reduced glycogen synthesis. Compared with the DM group, the GP group showed significantly decreased fasting blood glucose (P<0.01), reduced serum TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C levels (P<0.05), significantly decreased serum TG and AST levels (P<0.01), significantly reduced FINS, HOMA-IR, and TNF-α levels (P<0.01), and significantly increased ADP (P<0.01). Hepatic steatosis and lipid deposition were significantly alleviated, while glycogen synthesis was markedly enhanced. Transcriptomic differential and enrichment analyses suggested that the mechanisms by which G. pentaphyllum alcohol extract improved hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism in db/db mice may involve regulation of the AMPK and FoxO signaling pathways. Real-time PCR results confirmed that expression of PGC-1α, PEPCK, G6PC, FoxO1, and FoxO3 was significantly downregulated following treatment with G. pentaphyllum alcohol extract (P<0.05, P<0.01), whereas mRNA expression of Adipoq, PPARα, GCK, and AMPK was significantly upregulated (P<0.05, P<0.01). Metagenomic analysis showed that the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Alistipes, and Akkermansia species was higher in the GP group than in the DM group. ConclusionG. pentaphyllum alcohol extract may improve glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in db/db mice by regulating the hepatic AMPK/PPARα pathway to suppress lipid deposition and alleviate hepatic steatosis, by inhibiting gluconeogenesis through the AMPK/PGC-1α and FoxO pathways to lower fasting blood glucose, and by increasing the abundance of beneficial gut bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Alistipes, and Akkermansia to restore gut microbiota balance.
2.Effect of Gynostemma pentaphyllum Alcohol Extract on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism Disorders in db/db Mice Based on Transcriptomics and Gut Microbiota
Yifei ZHU ; Lei DING ; Wei LIU ; Yahui SUN ; Lingling QIN ; Lili WU ; Tonghua LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(11):80-89
ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of Gynostemma pentaphyllum alcohol extract in improving glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in db/db mice through transcriptomics and gut microbiota analysis. MethodsEighteen db/db mice were randomly assigned to the model(DM) group, metformin(MET) group, and G. pentaphyllum alcohol extract(GP) group, with six mice in each group, based on stratification of fasting blood glucose and body weight. An additional six db/m mice were selected as the normal control(NC) group. Mice in the NC and DM groups were administered deionized water (10 mL·kg-1) daily. The MET group received metformin (0.195 g·kg-1) by gavage. The GP group was treated with G. pentaphyllum alcohol extract (3.9 g·kg-1) by gavage for six weeks. Fasting blood glucose was measured every two weeks. After six weeks of intervention, serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatinine (CREA), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were assessed. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure insulin (FINS), adiponectin (ADP), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe liver histomorphology, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining was employed to assess hepatic glycogen synthesis, and Oil Red O staining was used to detect hepatic lipid deposition. Liver transcriptomic data were used to identify differentially expressed genes in the liver and conduct enrichment analysis. Real-time PCR was employed to verify the expression levels of adiponectin gene (Adipoq), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), glucokinase (GCK), forkhead box (Fox)O1, FoxO3, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6PC). Metagenomic sequencing was conducted to analyze changes in gut microbiota composition. ResultsCompared with the NC group, the DM group exhibited significantly elevated fasting blood glucose (P<0.01), serum AST, ALT, TC, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C (P<0.01). FINS, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α were significantly increased (P<0.01), while ADP was significantly decreased (P<0.05). Histological analysis confirmed severe hepatic steatosis and excessive lipid accumulation in the DM group, along with markedly reduced glycogen synthesis. Compared with the DM group, the GP group showed significantly decreased fasting blood glucose (P<0.01), reduced serum TC, LDL-C, and HDL-C levels (P<0.05), significantly decreased serum TG and AST levels (P<0.01), significantly reduced FINS, HOMA-IR, and TNF-α levels (P<0.01), and significantly increased ADP (P<0.01). Hepatic steatosis and lipid deposition were significantly alleviated, while glycogen synthesis was markedly enhanced. Transcriptomic differential and enrichment analyses suggested that the mechanisms by which G. pentaphyllum alcohol extract improved hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism in db/db mice may involve regulation of the AMPK and FoxO signaling pathways. Real-time PCR results confirmed that expression of PGC-1α, PEPCK, G6PC, FoxO1, and FoxO3 was significantly downregulated following treatment with G. pentaphyllum alcohol extract (P<0.05, P<0.01), whereas mRNA expression of Adipoq, PPARα, GCK, and AMPK was significantly upregulated (P<0.05, P<0.01). Metagenomic analysis showed that the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Alistipes, and Akkermansia species was higher in the GP group than in the DM group. ConclusionG. pentaphyllum alcohol extract may improve glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in db/db mice by regulating the hepatic AMPK/PPARα pathway to suppress lipid deposition and alleviate hepatic steatosis, by inhibiting gluconeogenesis through the AMPK/PGC-1α and FoxO pathways to lower fasting blood glucose, and by increasing the abundance of beneficial gut bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Alistipes, and Akkermansia to restore gut microbiota balance.
3.Bioinformatics Reveals Mechanism of Schisandrin B in Inhibiting Ferroptosis to Ameliorate Methionine and Choline Deficiency-induced Fatty Liver Disease in Mice
Zhifeng ZHU ; Wenting LI ; Yongjun CAO ; Yuanyuan LIN ; Yifei LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(2):74-83
ObjectiveNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a metabolic stress liver injury. Ferroptosis is involved in the occurrence and development of NAFLD. Exploring the efficacy and mechanism of schisandrin B in treating NAFLD facilitates the development of strategies for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD. MethodsThe molecular structure of schisandrin B was obtained by searching against PubChem, and the related targets were predicted by SwissTargetPrediction. The active ingredients and their targets were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and the high-throughput experiment- and reference-guide database of traditional Chinese medicine (HERB). GeneCards and FerrDb were searched for the targets of NAFLD and ferroptosis. The common targets were taken as the core targets, and the protein-protein interaction network of the core targets was established. DAVID was used for gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. Finally, molecular docking was performed between schisandrin B and core targets, and the binding energy was calculated. C57BL/6 mice were fed with a methionine and choline-deficiency (MCD) diet for the modeling of NAFLD. Mice were randomized into normal, model, positive drug (essentiale), and low- and high-dose schisandrin B groups. The body mass and liver index of mice were measured after drug administration. The levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the serum and those of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and Fe2+ in the liver homogenate were measured by biochemical assay kits. The pathological changes of the liver tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and red oil O staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to determine the levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) in the serum. Western blotting and real-time PCR were employed to determine the protein and mRNA levels, respectively, of solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), solute carrier family 3 member 2 (SLC3A2), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), transferrin, and ferritin heavy chain (FTH) in the liver tissue. ResultsA total of 2 370, 2 547, and 1 451 targets of schisandrin B, NAFLD, and ferroptosis were obtained, in which 90 common targets were shared by the three. Enrichment analyses predicted 505 GO terms and 92 KEGG pathways. Molecular docking suggested that schizandrin B had strong binding affinity with the key targets of ferropstosis (SLC7A11 and SLC3A2). Animal experiments showed that schizandrin B significantly decreased the liver index, lowered the levels of ALT, AST, TC, TG, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α, alleviated hepatocyte ballooning and inflammatory cell infiltration, and reduced lipid accumulation in the liver of NAFLD mice. In addition, schisandrin B significantly lowered the levels of MDA, 4-HNE, and Fe2+, elevated the level of GSH, up-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of SLC7A11, SLC3A2, and GPX4, and down-regulated the protein and mRNA levels of transferrin in the liver tissue. ConclusionSchisandrin B can alleviate NAFLD by inhibiting ferroptosis in hepatocytes.
4.Correlation between CT-based arterial radiomics score and the neo-adjuvant treatment response of pancreatic cancer
Mengmeng ZHU ; Yun BIAN ; Chengwei CHEN ; Jian ZHOU ; Na LI ; Yifei GUO ; Ying LI ; Xiaohan YUAN ; Jieyu YU ; Jianping LU
Chinese Journal of Pancreatology 2024;24(3):190-197
Objective:To identify the relationship between the CT arterial radiomics score and the treatment response to neoadjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer.Methods:The clinical data of 243 pancreatic cancer patients who received surgical resection after neo-adjuvant therapy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University from March 2017 to March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Based on the tumor regression grade (TRG), the patients were divided into good response group (TRG 0-1, n=30) and non-good response group (TRG 2-3, n=213). The clinical, radiological and pathological features were compared between two groups. Fully-automated segmentation tool was used for segmenting the arterial CT scan of pancreatic tumor before and after treatment. Python package was applied to extract the radiomics features of tumors after segmentation and the extracted features were reduced and chosen using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) logistic regression algorithm. Lasso logistic regression formula was applied to calculate the arterial radiomics score. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between arterial radiomics score and treatment response to neoadjucant therapy. Receiver operating-characteristics (ROC) curve was drawn and area under curve (AUC), specificity, sensitivity and accuracy for evaluating the treatment response were calculated. The clinical usefulness of arterial radiomics score for diagnosing the response of neoadjuvant treatment for pancreatic cancer were determined by decision curve analysis (DCA) . Results:A total of 330 arterial radiomics CT features were obtained, and 9-selected arterial phase features associated with treatment response were determined after being reduced by the Lasso logistic regression algorithm. Univariate analysis showed that the arterial radiomics score, three-dimensional diameter after neoadjuvant therapy, pancreatic contour, T stage, N stage, Peri-pancreatic nerve invasion, lymph-vascular space invasion (LVSI) and invasion of duodenum were all associated with treatment response (all P value <0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analyses confirmed that arterial radiomics score was obviously associated with the neoadjuvant treatment response ( P<0.001). At the cut-off value of 1.93, AUC of the arterial radiomics score for diagnosing neoadjuvant treatment response was 0.92, and the specificity, sensitivity and accuracy was 86.7%, 84.5% and 84.8%. DCA demonstrated that when the percentage for predicting the treatment response by using the arterial radiomics score was >0.2, the patients could benefit from the application of arterial radiomics score for evaluating neoadjuvant therapy response. Conclusions:The arterial radiomics score was strongly correlated with the neoadjuvant treatment response of pancreatic cancer, and can accurately predict neoadjuant treatment efficacy.
5.Effect of bluetongue virusinfection on type Ⅰ interferon response in BHK-21 cells
Shimei LUO ; Yunyi CHEN ; Qisha LI ; Yanmei ZHOU ; Yifei WANG ; Xinyu LIAO ; Xuer-Ou HU ; Yuanjian WEI ; Mengqin LI ; Meng ZHU ; Xun ZHANG ; Beirui CHEN ; Xianping MA ; Jiarui XIE ; Meiling KOU ; Haisheng MIAO ; Fang LI ; Huashan YI
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2024;44(8):1639-1644,1690
Bluetongue virus is an arbovirus that seriously harms ruminants such as sheep,this study aims to investigate the molecular mechanism of bluetongue virus infection and host cell interferon antiviral immune response.The study was conducted to characterize the mRNA expression of inter-feron pathway genes by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR,as well as Western blot analysis of MDA5,TRAF3,RIG-Ⅰ,and TBK1 protein expression in BHK-21 cells induced by BTV with a multiplicity of infections(MOI)of 1 for 18,24,and 36 h.The results showed that the most pro-nounced changes in the expression of interferon signaling pathway genes were observed at 24 h of induction,the gene mRNA expression levels of the IFN-α,IFN-β,RIG-Ⅰ,TBK1,MDA5,VISA,and TRAF3 genes were upregulated.However,the mRNA expression levels of IKKε and TRAF6 genes were downregulated.At the protein level,MDA5 and TBK1 proteins were upregulated while RIG-1 and TRAF3 proteins were downregulated,which showed that BTV infection induces a typeⅠ interferon immune response in BHK-21 cells.This study lays the foundation for further exploring the antiviral immunity mechanism of IFN-Ⅰ signaling pathway regulatory genes in host cells infected with BTV infection.
6.Emphasizing the Importance of Transcatheter Interventional Techniques Application in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Hypertension
Xiongjing JIANG ; Hui DONG ; Yifei DONG ; Jianzhong XU ; Nan JIA ; Zhiming ZHU ; Runlin GAO
Chinese Circulation Journal 2024;39(8):751-754
Hypertension is the most common chronic non-communicable disease and the primary risk factor for cardiovascular events.The traditional management methods for hypertension are often purely internal medicine and basically unrelated to percutaneous interventional techniques.In recent decades,with the development of imaging technology and interventional devices,the application of transcatheter interventional techniques in hypertension has become widespread.This article reviews the current status and prospect of transcatheter interventional techniques in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of hypertension.
7.Cerebral hemorrhage detection system using microwave technology
Yilong YANG ; Yifei FENG ; Liufeng ZHU ; Yi LIU ; Ying HE
Chinese Journal of Medical Physics 2024;41(9):1163-1169
Objective To design and optimize the detection system for cerebral hemorrhage for overcoming the limitations in microwave detection system,such as expensive equipment,complex antenna gating switch system and redundant antenna channels.Methods The system adopted the simplest patch antenna structure,optimized the antenna gating switch system and reduced the number of channels by radiofrequency switch chip strategy.The simulated cerebral hemorrhage was sampled and detected through the optimized detection system;and pattern recognition method was used to distinguish whether there was cerebral hemorrhage.Results XGBoost algorithm model showed superior performance in the task of cerebral hemorrhage recognition,with an accuracy of 1.000 on the test set,an average accuracy of 0.973 in K-fold cross-validation,and an accuracy of 0.996 on the training set.Conclusion The optimized cerebral hemorrhage detection system which has high detection accuracy and reliability has the potential to identify cerebral hemorrhage.
8.Expert consensus on perioperative basic prevention for lower extremity deep venous thrombosis in elderly patients with hip fracture (version 2024)
Yun HAN ; Feifei JIA ; Qing LU ; Xingling XIAO ; Hua LIN ; Ying YING ; Junqin DING ; Min GUI ; Xiaojing SU ; Yaping CHEN ; Ping ZHANG ; Yun XU ; Tianwen HUANG ; Jiali CHEN ; Yi WANG ; Luo FAN ; Fanghui DONG ; Wenjuan ZHOU ; Wanxia LUO ; Xiaoyan XU ; Chunhua DENG ; Xiaohua CHEN ; Yuliu ZHENG ; Dekun YI ; Lin ZHANG ; Hanli PAN ; Jie CHEN ; Kaipeng ZHUANG ; Yang ZHOU ; Sui WENJIE ; Ning NING ; Songmei WU ; Jinli GUO ; Sanlian HU ; Lunlan LI ; Xiangyan KONG ; Hui YU ; Yifei ZHU ; Xifen YU ; Chen CHEN ; Shuixia LI ; Yuan GAO ; Xiuting LI ; Leling FENG
Chinese Journal of Trauma 2024;40(9):769-780
Hip fracture in the elderly is characterized by high incidence, high disability rate, and high mortality and has been recognized as a public health issue threatening their health. Surgery is the preferred choice for the treatment of elderly patients with hip fracture. However, lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVT) has an extremely high incidence rate during the perioperative period, and may significantly increase the risk of patients′ death once it progresses to pulmonary embolism. In response to this issue, the clinical guidelines and expert consensuses all emphasize active application of comprehensive preventive measures, including basic prevention, physical prevention, and pharmacological prevention. In this prevention system, basic prevention is the basis of physical and pharmacological prevention. However,there is a lack of unified and definite recommendations for basic preventive measures in clinical practice. To this end, the Orthopedic Nursing Professional Committee of the Chinese Nursing Association and Nursing Department of the Orthopedic Branch of the China International Exchange and Promotive Association for Medical and Health Care organized relevant nursing experts to formulate Expert consensus on perioperative basic prevention for lower extremity deep venous thrombosis in elderly patients with hip fracture ( version 2024) . A total of 10 recommendations were proposed, aiming to standardize the basic preventive measures for lower extremity DVT in elderly patients with hip fractures during the perioperative period and promote their subsequent rehabilitation.
9.Mechanical properties and clinical application of femoral neck system
Haiming SA ; Zhiqiang MA ; Yushan MAIMAIAILI· ; Yifei HUANG ; Tuoliewuhan WUYILAHAN· ; Jiang ZHU ; Wu XU ; Tao LI ; Gang LYU
Chinese Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma 2024;26(6):499-504
The principles for surgical treatment of femoral neck fracture are anatomical reduction, rigid fixation and reduction of iatrogenic tissue damage to maintain sufficient blood supply and reduce the risk of complications such as avascular necrosis of the femoral head. In the evolution of internal fixation structures for femoral neck fracture, a variety of new products have been developed, such as the neck-shaft angle stabilization structure represented by dynamic hip screw, the multi-screw structure represented by three cannulated screws, and the plate-screw structure represented by multi-screw structure combined with a locked plate. These internal fixation structures have their own advantages and disadvantages in terms of stability and reduced risk of complications. However, none of them can perfectly meet the requirements of all the surgical principles. Femoral neck system (FNS) was firstly applied in clinic practice in 2017 to further improve the internal fixation of femoral neck fracture. In recent years, its mechanical properties and clinical effects have been widely reported in an attempt to further improve the implantation of this internal fixation device. This article reviews the researches on the mechanical properties and clinical efficacy of FNS and the suggestions put forward by orthopedic surgeons to improve the implantation methods of FNS.
10.Relationship between depressive symptoms, negative life events, and resilience in primary and secondary school teachers
WANG Pei, ZHU Fan, JIA Bibo, ZHU Guiyin, ZHAO Tianjie, QI Tiantian,HU Yifei, MA Yinghua
Chinese Journal of School Health 2024;45(3):411-413
Objective:
To explore the relationship between depressive symptoms, negative life events and resilience among primary and secondary school teachers, so as to provide a reference for mental health promotion in school teachers.
Methods:
During November to December 2022, a questionnaire survey was conducted using convenient cluster sampling method to select 11 332 in service teachers from 38 schools in 8 provinces (cities) including Beijing, Guangdong, Anhui, Hubei, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Liaoning, and Heilongjiang. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items, a self developed 21-item Adverse Life Events questionnaire, and a 10-item Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale were used to assess depressive symptoms, experiences of negative life events, and resilience levels of the teachers, respectively. The relationship between depressive symptoms, negative life events and psychological resilience were analyzed by multiple linear regression and stratified regression.
Results:
The detection rate of depressive symptoms among primary and secondary school teachers was 14.0%. Negative life events of primary and secondary school teachers were positively correlated with depressive symptoms ( r =0.35), while psychological resilience was negatively correlated with depressive symptoms ( r =-0.45) ( P <0.05). After adjusting for possible covariates including gender and marital status, negative life events were positively correlated with depressive symptoms ( β=0.22, P <0.01). Resilience played a moderating role in the association of negative life events with depressive symptoms among primary and secondary school teachers ( B=-0.15, P <0.01).
Conclusions
Negative life events experiences are associated with higher level of depressive symptoms among school teachers. However, resilience might mitigate the negative effects of negative life events on depressive symptoms, playing a protective role in teachers mental health.


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