1.Lysosomal Homeostasis and Chemoresistance in Liver Cancer: Natural Product-based Combination Strategies Targeting Lysosomes
Chun-Ping HUANG ; Yong-Zhuo LI ; Jing ZHOU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(7):1867-1883
Liver cancer is one of the world's serious diseases today because of its high frequency and fatality rate, genetic differences, and limited effectiveness of late-stage therapy. Although chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, ablation and transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) have improved the disease control of some patients, recurrence and acquired resistance are still common, especially for tumors that are hypoxic, nutrient-deprived, acidic-stressed, vascularly insufficient and exposed to repeated drug pressure. A bad environment will cause a change in the quality-control system and metabolism of cancer cells, and as a result, lysosomes have started to alter. In addition to the above catabolic functions of lysosomes, they also take part in autophagic flux, substrate recycling, iron and lipid metabolism, nutrient sensing, drug distribution, membrane repair and cell death signalling. Under the stress of therapy in liver cancer cells, increased lysosomal acidification and enhanced terminal degradation lead to prolonged autophagy; TFEB/TFE3 promotes the formation of new lysosomes and lysophagosomes to sequester weakly basic drugs, thereby reducing the concentration of active drugs and mitigating proteotoxicity and oxidative stress to promote cell survival. The above processes produce a lysosome-dependent resistant phenotype that is particularly relevant to sorafenib and doxorubicin and other drugs whose effectiveness can be reduced by protective autophagy or changes in intracellular location. Conversely, the same dependency on lysosomal homeostasis is also a vulnerability. Natural products and monomeric compounds derived from Chinese herbal medicines have various structures, multiple target regulation capabilities, and the potential to act on several lysosome-related nodes simultaneously. Based on the evidence in this review, it is believed that such compounds may sensitise liver cancer cells by inhibiting V-ATPase-mediated acid hydrolysis, obstructing late-stage autophagy-mediated degradation, disrupting lysosomal calcium or membrane homeostasis, causing lysosomal membrane permeabilisation, reducing compensatory lysosomal biogenesis, promoting ferritin degradation and ferroptosis, or enhancing acid-responsive intracellular delivery. Agents that impair lysosomal function and protective autophagy, compounds that convert enlarged or drug-sequestering lysosomes into lethal targets, and nanodelivery systems that exploit the acidic environment of endolysosomes to co-deliver natural products with chemotherapeutic drugs are examples. Lysosome-targeted intervention will have different effects under different circumstances; for example, inhibiting autophagy may result in an increase in cytotoxic stress in some areas, whereas overstimulation of autophagy or iron release from lysosomes may induce autophagic cell death or ferroptosis in other areas. Therefore, the design of therapy should take into account the status of the tumour microenvironment, autophagic flux, lysosomal pH, TFEB/TFE3 activity, drug sequestration capacity, ferroptosis sensitivity, dosing sequence and delivery route. This review systematically examines the lysosomal homeostasis in the microenvironment of liver cancer, the mechanisms through which lysosomal adaptation contributes to chemoresistance, and the rationale for combining natural products with standard agents such as sorafenib and doxorubicin. Based on basic lysosome biology, pharmacodynamic and delivery data have also been collected; as a result, some applications for future studies have been proposed, such as dynamic monitoring of autophagy flux, in vivo spatial measurements of lysosomal functions, rational optimisation of combination therapy timings, and safety assessments in immunocompetent liver cancer models prior to clinical translation. Translation difficulties are also evident, such as insufficient tumour selectivity, pharmacokinetic limitations, compensatory lysosomal regeneration, toxicity to normal liver and immune cells, and a lack of validated predictive biomarkers. A new way will be found to use biomarkers to divide the patient group, optimize nanoparticles for better delivery, design specific schedules for combined treatments based on the problem they cause within the cell, etc., thereby overcoming drug resistance and reducing the harm patients suffer from toxic treatments. This system can help select biomarkers and rational drug pairs for the next round of lysosome-centred precision trials.
2.Effects and mechanism of Tianma xiongling zhixuan tablet on autophagy of vascular endothelial cells
Sunan YONG ; Chi FANG ; Yuanxiong LONG ; Ping LI ; Xiaobing XIE
China Pharmacy 2025;36(14):1737-1742
OBJECTIVE To explore the effects of Tianma xiongling zhixuan tablet on autophagy in vascular endothelial cells of rats and its potential mechanism. METHODS The rat aortic endothelial cells (RAECs) were divided into normal group, model group, blank serum group, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) medicated serum group, autophagy blocker group, autophagy agonist group, and TCM combined with autophagy agonist group. Except for normal group, other groups were given 10 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide for 24 hours to induce RAECs inflammation injury model. Blank serum group was treated with 10% blank serum; TCM medicated serum group received 10% medicated serum derived from Tianma xiongling zhixuan tablet; autophagy blocker group was treated with 20 μmol/L of PD98059; autophagy agonist group was administered 50 μmol/L Honokiol. Lastly, the TCM combined with autophagy agonist group was given both 10% medicated serum derived from Tianma xiongling zhixuan tablet and 50 μmol/L Honokiol. The morphological characteristics of RAECs in each group were observed. The cell viability of each group, the contents of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitric oxide (NO), mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial membrane potential, and the expression levels of PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1), Parkin, ubiquitin-binding protein (p62), and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) were detected. RESULTS Compared with model group, the levels of ET-1, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, and the relative expressions of PINK1, Parkin, and LC3 proteins in the autophagy blocker group and TCM medicated serum group were decreased or down-regulated significantly (P<0.05 or P<0.01); the cell viability rate (only autophagy blocker group), NO level, mitochondrial membrane potential, and the E-mail:46164660@qq.com relative expression level of p62 protein were increased or up-regulated significantly (P<0.05 or P<0.01); the pathological damage of RAECs was significantly improved, the number of cells increased significantly, and the typical paving stone-like characteristics were restored. The levels of ET-1, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, and the relative expression levels of Parkin and LC3 proteins in the autophagy agonist group were increased or up-regulated significantly (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while cell viability rate was decreased significantly (P<0.05), the damage of RAECs was aggravated. Compared with the autophagy agonist group, the cell viability rate and the relative expression level of p62 protein in TCM combined autophagy agonist group were increased or up-regulated significantly (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the levels of ET-1, the relative expression levels of PINK1, Parkin, and LC3 proteins were down-regulated significantly (P< 0.01), the damage of RAECs was reversed to a certain extent. CONCLUSIONS Tianma xiongling zhixuan tablet protects vascular endothelial function by regulating mitochondrial autophagy, the mechanism of which may be associated with the regulation of PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway and the inhibition of mitochondrial autophagy.
3.Research progress on inflammatory status and targeted microbiota intervention strategies in chronic kidney disease
Shao-Jie KOU ; Xin LI ; Fen-Ping LI ; Xiao-Yong YU ; Xiao-Lin BAI
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army 2025;50(5):619-631
The inflammatory status in patients with chronic kidney disease(CKD)is closely associated with cardiovascular events,infections,and other complications,and is a powerful indicator for prognosis assessment.The core view of the"gut-kidney axis"theory reveals the relationship among inflammatory state,microbiota dysbiosis,and deterioration of renal function.The microbiota alters the microenvironment through structural changes and metabolites with different properties,subsequently leading to microbiota translocation,inducing inflammatory lesions,and damaging the kidneys.Recent studies have proposed that targeted microbiota intervention strategies such as probiotics,prebiotics,and synbiotics can modulate the microbiota structure,regulate the microenvironment,relieve renal inflammation,and affect the progression of renal disease,representing a potentially promising research direction in the future.This review discusses the characteristics of how intestinal microbiota influence the inflammatory status in CKD,focusing on the research progress of targeted microbiota intervention,aiming to discuss the effectiveness and scientific basis of these strategies,providing a foundation for the treatment of CKD and the expansion of targeted microbiota research,as well as offering references for the clinical application of probiotics,prebiotics,and synbiotics.
4.Regulatory effect and molecular mechanism of circ_0044556 targeting the miR-338-3p/BRD4 axis on the malignant biological behavior of triple negative breast cancer cells
Xing-Juan DONG ; Ya-Li ZHANG ; Wei XING ; Ying-Ying ZHU ; Yong-Li CHENG ; Ping YU
Medical Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army 2025;50(9):1146-1153
Objective To investigate the regulatory effect and molecular mechanism of circ_0044556 on the malignant biological behavior of triple negative breast cancer(TNBC)cells by targeting the miR-338-3p/bromodomain-containing protein 4(BRD4)axis.Methods The TargetScan online website was used to predict the binding sites of circ_0044556 with miR-338-3p and miR-338-3p with BRD4.Dual-luciferase reporter gene assays were performed to determine the relationship among circ_0044556,miR-338-3p,and BRD4 in MDA-MB-231 cells.Quantitative real-time PCR(qRT-PCR)and Western blotting were employed to detect the expression of circ_0044556,miR-338-3p,and BRD4 protein in human TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231 and human normal breast epithelial cells MCF-10A.MDA-MB-231 cells were divided into NC group,si-NC group(transfected with si-NC),si-circ_0044556 group(transfected with si-circ_0044556),si-circ_0044556+inhibitor NC group(transfected with si-circ_0044556 and inhibitor NC),and si-circ_0044556+miR-338-3p inhibitor group(transfected with si-circ_0044556 andmiR-338-3p inhibitor).qRT-PCR was applied to detect the expression of circ_0044556 and miR-338-3p;Western blotting was used to detect the expression of BRD4,E-cadherin,N-cadherin and Vimentin;the CCK-8 assay was applied to detect cell proliferation;flow cytometry was applied to detect cell apoptosis;and Transwell assays were used to detect cell invasion and migration.Thirty nude mice were randomly divided into NC group(tail vein injection of normal saline),si-NC group(tail vein injection of LV-NC),si-circ_0044556 group(tail vein injection of LV-circ_0044556),si-circ_0044556+inhibitor NC group(tail vein injection of LV-circ_0044556 and antiagomir NC),and si-circ_0044556+miR-338-3p inhibitor group(tail vein injection of LV-circ_0044556 and antiagomir miR-338-3p),with 6 mice per group.A xenograft tumor model was constructed by subcutaneous injection of MDA-MB-231 cells into nude mice,and tumor volume and weight were measured.Results TargetScan prediction results showed that the downstream miRNA of circ_0044556 was miR-338-3p,and the downstream target gene of miR-338-3p might be BRD4.Compared with transfecting mimic NC,transfection with miR-338-3p mimic significantly reduced the luciferase activities of WT-circ_0044556(0.34±0.03 vs.1.00±0.15,P<0.05)and WT-BRD4(0.41±0.05 vs.1.05±0.13,P<0.05)in MDA-MB-231 cells.Compared with MCF-10A cells,the expression levels of circ_0044556 and BRD4 protein in MDA-MB-231 cells were significantly increased,while the expression level of miR-338-3p was significantly decreased(P<0.05).Compared with NC group and si-NC group,the expression levels of circ_0044556,the protein expression levels of BRD4,N-cadherin,and Vimentin,and the OD450 value in MDA-MB-231 cells of si-circ_0044556 group and si-circ_0044556+inhibitor NC group were significantly decreased(P<0.05),the number of migrated and invaded cells was significantly reduced(P<0.05),and the expression level of miR-338-3p,the protein expression level of E-cadherin,and the cell apoptosis rate in MDA-MB-231 cells were significantly increased(P<0.05);downregulation of miR-338-3p rescued the inhibitory effect of circ_0044556 knockdown on invasion,migration,and proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells.Compared with NC group and si-NC group,the tumor volume and weight in si-circ_0044556 group and si-circ_0044556+inhibitor NC group were significantly decreased(P<0.05);compared with si-circ_0044556 group and si-circ_0044556+inhibitor NC group,the tumor volume and weight in si-circ_0044556+miR-338-3p inhibitor group were significantly increased(P<0.05).Conclusion circ_0044556 may promote the malignant biological behaviors of TNBC cells through the miR-338-3p/BRD4 axis.
5.Clinical effects of Jiawei Yanghe Decoction combined with Budesonide and Formoterol Fumarate Powder for Inhalation on patients with mild to moderate bronchial asthma in chronic and persistent period
Yu WANG ; Hui-yong ZHANG ; Lin-jin CHEN ; Zheng-yi ZHANG ; Cui LI ; Jie CUI ; Ben SU ; Ping BAI ; Zi-feng MA ; Zhen-hui LU
Chinese Traditional Patent Medicine 2025;47(1):81-86
AIM To explore the clinical effects of Jiawei Yanghe Decoction combined with Budesonide and Formoterol Fumarate Powder for Inhalation on patients with mild to moderate bronchial asthma in chronic and persistent period.METHODS One hundred and eighteen patients were randomly assigned into control group(59 cases)for 4-week administration of Budesonide and Formoterol Fumarate Powder for Inhalation,and observation group(59 cases)for 4-week administration of both Jiawei Yanghe Decoction and Budesonide and Formoterol Fumarate Powder for Inhalation.The changes in clinical effects,ACT score,bronchial asthma control rate,pulmonary function indices(FEV1,PEF,FEV1%,PEF%),inflammatory indices(EOS,EOS%,FeNO),TCM syndrome score and incidence of adverse reactions were detected.RESULTS The observation group demonstrated higher total effective rate than the control group(P<0.05).After the treatment,the two groups displayed increased bronchial asthma control rate,ACT score,PEF(P<0.05),and decreased TCM syndrome score(P<0.05),especially for the observation group(P<0.05);the observation group exhibited increased FEV1,FEV1%,PEF%(P<0.05),among which FEV1,PEF%were higher than those in the control group(P<0.05);the observation group showed decreased inflammatory indices(P<0.05),among which FeNO was lower than that in the control group(P<0.05).No significant difference in incidence of adverse reactions was found between the two groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION For the patients with mild to moderate bronchial asthma in chronic and persistent period,Jiawei Yanghe Decoction combined with Budesonide and Formoterol Fumarate Powder for Inhalation can safely and effectively alleviate clinical symptoms,improve pulmonary functions,airway inflammatory reactions,and enhance bronchial asthma control rate.
6.Competitive Immunoassay for Detection of Enrofloxacin Based on Metasurface Plasma Resonance Chip Coupled with Gold Nanoparticles
Wei-Hao JI ; Hong-Li FAN ; Lei GONG ; Li-Ping HUANG ; Xiao-Long FAN ; Jia-Yong HU ; Tao-Hong ZHOU ; Gang LIU
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2025;53(5):814-822
Risks of food safety induced by small molecule drug residues in animal food and environment have become an increasing public concern,so it is necessary to develop highly sensitive and easy-to-operate techniques to detect small molecules.Herein,a metasurface plasma resonance(MetaSPR)sensor chip coupled with gold nanoparticles(AuNPs)was developed for detection of enrofloxacin(ENR)based on competitive immunoassay.The detection range of the sensor for ENR was 0.025-3.2 ng/mL,and the detection limit(3σ)was 20 pg/mL.The biosensor showed excellent performance including high selectivity,good stability,ease to operate and high throughput,etc.The developed method was applied to detection of ENR residues in real samples,with recoveies of 96.0% -105.0%.The proposed sensing strategy provided new technique reference for detection of other small molecules in the field of residue analysis in food safety and environment monitoring.
7.Study on Colorimetric Sensor Array Based on Enzymatic Method for Highly Selective Detection of Sarin
Lian-Bo JIANG ; Guo-Hong LIU ; Zhuang-Hu XU ; Jian LI ; Yong-Ling SHEN ; Cai-Xia XU ; Chuan-Qin ZANG ; Yan-Hua XIAO ; Dan-Ping LI ; Ting LIANG
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2025;53(5):832-841,中插21-中插23
Sarin(GB)is a typical representative of nerve agents with high toxicity,and very low amount can cause death.GB can cause water and atmospheric environment poisoning,so the detection of GB in water and air is of great significance.In this work,a colorimetric sensor array(CSA)based on GB inhibition of cholinesterase activity was constructed to detect GB with high selectivity.A 4×4 colorimetric array was constructed using acetylcholinesterase(AChE),butyryl cholinesterase(BuChE)and the corresponding substrate acetylthiocholine iodide(S-ACh),butyryl thiocholine iodide(S-BCh),acetylcholine chloride(ACh),butyryl choline chloride(BCh)and 2,6-dichloroindophenol ethyl ester(DCIE).The linear curve of the sensor was Y=131.3×lgC+271.6(R2=0.997),where Y was the array response Euclidean distance,C was the concentration of GB(mg/L),the linear range was 0.03?0.32 mg/L,and the detection limit was 27.6 μg/L.The method could effectively distinguish chemical warfare agents(CWA)such as VX,Soman(GD),mustard gas(HD),Louie reagent(L),and had high anti-interference ability,sensitivity and good repeatability.It was successfully applied to the detection of GB in simulated water and simulated air samples,and the sample recovery rate was 97.2% ?100.9%.This method would be potentially applied to the field rapid detection of nerve agents.
8.Validation and Forensic Application of a Domestic Human DNA Quantitative De-tection Kit
Jing CHEN ; Ya-Ping WANG ; Yun-Peng FENG ; Xiao-Xin HU ; Zhen-Jun JIA ; Hong-Di LIU ; An-Xin YAN ; Yong-Jiu LI ; Zhu PENG ; Zhi-Fang LIU ; Jian-Gang CHEN
Journal of Forensic Medicine 2025;41(3):252-259
Objective To verify the efficacy of a domestic human DNA quantification kit based on real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR in detecting the total human DNA concentration,male DNA concen-tration in mixed male/female DNA samples,the degree of DNA degradation and inhibitor tolerance.Methods Samples with different concentrations,different male/female ratios,different concentrations of inhibitors,and different degradation degrees were tested using the domestic human DNA quantification kit based on real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.This kit was compared with a similar product on the market and was applied to the detection of DNA from real cases.Results This human DNA quan-tification kit can effectively detect human DNA as low as 0.001 65 ng/μL,and 6.25 pg/μL of male DNA in mixed samples with a male-to-female ratio of 1∶15 000.Even when the sample contains as high as 400 ng/μL of humic acid or 1 000 μmol/L of hemin alone,the DNA concentration can still be accurately detected.The degradation index can effectively characterize the degradation degree of the sample.This kit has been successfully applied in forensic practice.Conclusion This human DNA quan-tification kit is accurate and reliable in detection.It can accurately reflect the degradation of DNA and inhibitor tolerance.It has good performance in quantitative accuracy,determination of the male/female ratio in mixed samples,and inhibitor tolerance.It has application potential in forensic case examination.
9.Research progress of RNA m 6A modification in breast cancer
Junlong GUO ; Ruiqi ZOU ; Shaoqiang CHEN ; Yuxin LIANG ; Jing LI ; Sunan YONG ; Yuting HE ; Xiaobing XIE ; Ping LI
Journal of International Oncology 2025;52(8):532-537
Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors among women worldwide, with an increasing incidence rate year by year, making it a significant public health concern. With the continuous advancement of tumor biology research, N 6-methyladenosine (m 6A) modification, as an important form of RNA modification, has attracted growing attention. The m 6A modification, the most prevalent RNA modification in eukaryotes, occurs in almost all types of RNA and plays a critical role in the occurrence, progression, and metastasis of breast cancer. It influences cell proliferation, apoptosis, and alterations in the tumor microenvironment, though the specific mechanisms underlying these effects require further in-depth investigation. Moreover, the specific patterns of m 6A modification demonstrate its potential as a novel biomarker for breast cancer, which could provide new directions for early diagnosis and prognosis evaluation.
10.Heterogeneity of Adipose Tissue From a Single-cell Transcriptomics Perspective
Yong-Lang WANG ; Si-Si CHEN ; Qi-Long LI ; Yu GONG ; Xin-Yue DUAN ; Ye-Hui DUAN ; Qiu-Ping GUO ; Feng-Na LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(4):820-835
Adipose tissue is a critical energy reservoir in animals and humans, with multifaceted roles in endocrine regulation, immune response, and providing mechanical protection. Based on anatomical location and functional characteristics, adipose tissue can be categorized into distinct types, including white adipose tissue (WAT), brown adipose tissue (BAT), beige adipose tissue, and pink adipose tissue. Traditionally, adipose tissue research has centered on its morphological and functional properties as a whole. However, with the advent of single-cell transcriptomics, a new level of complexity in adipose tissue has been unveiled, showing that even under identical conditions, cells of the same type may exhibit significant variation in morphology, structure, function, and gene expression——phenomena collectively referred to as cellular heterogeneity. Single-cell transcriptomics, including techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq), enables in-depth analysis of the diversity and heterogeneity of adipocytes at the single-cell level. This high-resolution approach has not only deepened our understanding of adipocyte functionality but also facilitated the discovery of previously unidentified cell types and gene expression patterns that may play key roles in adipose tissue function. This review delves into the latest advances in the application of single-cell transcriptomics in elucidating the heterogeneity and diversity within adipose tissue, highlighting how these findings have redefined the understanding of cell subpopulations within different adipose depots. Moreover, the review explores how single-cell transcriptomic technologies have enabled the study of cellular communication pathways and differentiation trajectories among adipose cell subgroups. By mapping these interactions and differentiation processes, researchers gain insights into how distinct cellular subpopulations coordinate within adipose tissues, which is crucial for maintaining tissue homeostasis and function. Understanding these mechanisms is essential, as dysregulation in adipose cell interactions and differentiation underlies a range of metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes mellitus type 2. Furthermore, single-cell transcriptomics holds promising implications for identifying therapeutic targets; by pinpointing specific cell types and gene pathways involved in adipose tissue dysfunction, these technologies pave the way for developing targeted interventions aimed at modulating specific adipose subpopulations. In summary, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of single-cell transcriptomic technologies in uncovering the heterogeneity and functional diversity of adipose tissues.

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