1.Effect Analysis of Different Interventions to Improve Neuroinflammation in The Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
Jiang-Hui SHAN ; Chao-Yang CHU ; Shi-Yu CHEN ; Zhi-Cheng LIN ; Yu-Yu ZHOU ; Tian-Yuan FANG ; Chu-Xia ZHANG ; Biao XIAO ; Kai XIE ; Qing-Juan WANG ; Zhi-Tao LIU ; Li-Ping LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):310-333
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a central neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory impairment in clinical. Currently, there are no effective treatments for AD. In recent years, a variety of therapeutic approaches from different perspectives have been explored to treat AD. Although the drug therapies targeted at the clearance of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) had made a breakthrough in clinical trials, there were associated with adverse events. Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the onset and progression of AD. Continuous neuroinflammatory was considered to be the third major pathological feature of AD, which could promote the formation of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. At the same time, these toxic substances could accelerate the development of neuroinflammation, form a vicious cycle, and exacerbate disease progression. Reducing neuroinflammation could break the feedback loop pattern between neuroinflammation, Aβ plaque deposition and Tau tangles, which might be an effective therapeutic strategy for treating AD. Traditional Chinese herbs such as Polygonum multiflorum and Curcuma were utilized in the treatment of AD due to their ability to mitigate neuroinflammation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and indomethacin had been shown to reduce the level of inflammasomes in the body, and taking these drugs was associated with a low incidence of AD. Biosynthetic nanomaterials loaded with oxytocin were demonstrated to have the capability to anti-inflammatory and penetrate the blood-brain barrier effectively, and they played an anti-inflammatory role via sustained-releasing oxytocin in the brain. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells could reduce neuroinflammation and inhibit the activation of microglia. The secretion of mesenchymal stem cells could not only improve neuroinflammation, but also exert a multi-target comprehensive therapeutic effect, making it potentially more suitable for the treatment of AD. Enhancing the level of TREM2 in microglial cells using gene editing technologies, or application of TREM2 antibodies such as Ab-T1, hT2AB could improve microglial cell function and reduce the level of neuroinflammation, which might be a potential treatment for AD. Probiotic therapy, fecal flora transplantation, antibiotic therapy, and dietary intervention could reshape the composition of the gut microbiota and alleviate neuroinflammation through the gut-brain axis. However, the drugs of sodium oligomannose remain controversial. Both exercise intervention and electromagnetic intervention had the potential to attenuate neuroinflammation, thereby delaying AD process. This article focuses on the role of drug therapy, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, gut microbiota therapy, exercise intervention, and brain stimulation in improving neuroinflammation in recent years, aiming to provide a novel insight for the treatment of AD by intervening neuroinflammation in the future.
2.Evaluation of Effect of Tongnaoyin on Blood-brain Barrier Injury in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Based on Dynamic Contrast-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Yangjingyi XIA ; Shanshan LI ; Li LI ; Xiaogang TANG ; Xintong WANG ; Qing ZHU ; Hui JIANG ; Cuiping YUAN ; Yongkang LIU ; Zhaoyao CHEN ; Wenlei LI ; Yuan ZHU ; Minghua WU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(2):140-146
ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of Tongnaoyin on the blood-brain barrier status and neurological impairment in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with the syndrome of phlegm-stasis blocking collaterals by dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). MethodsA total of 63 patients diagnosed with AIS in the Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine from October 2022 to December 2023 were enrolled in this study. According to random number table method,the patients were assigned into a control group (32 cases) and an observation group (31 cases). The control group received conventional Western medical treatment,and the observation group took 200 mL Tongnaoyin after meals,twice a day from day 2 of admission on the basis of the treatment in the control group. After 7 days of treatment,the patients were examined by DCE-MRI. The baseline data for two groups of patients before treatment were compared. The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score were recorded before treatment and after 90 days of treatment for both groups. The rKtrans,rKep,and rVe values were obtained from the region of interest (ROI) of the infarct zone/mirror area and compared between the two groups. ResultsThere was no significant difference in the NIHSS or mRS score between the two groups before treatment. After 90 days of treatment,the NIHSS and mRS scores declined in both groups,and the observation group had lower scores than the control group (P<0.05). After treatment,the rKtrans and rVe in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). ConclusionCompared with conventional Western medical treatment alone,conventional Western medical treatment combined with Tongnaoyin accelerates the repair of the blood-brain barrier in AIS patients,thereby ameliorating neurological impairment after AIS to improve the prognosis.
3.Research progress on prevention strategies for immune platelet transfusion refractoriness
Peizhe ZHAO ; Yi XU ; Yajun LIANG ; Qing LI ; Yuan ZHOU ; Xianguo XU
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2025;38(3):448-454
Platelet transfusion refractoriness (PTR) is a common issue among patients with hematological diseases and tumors. This article reviews the diagnostic criteria, influencing factors, and recent prevention and management strategies for immune PTR. The diagnostic criteria typically involve post-transfusion platelet increment (PI), platelet recovery rate (PPR), and corrected count increment (CCI). Both immune and non-immune factors can lead to PTR, with immune factors mainly including HLA and HPA antibodies. Prevention and management strategies include the use of leukocyte-reduced platelets, HLA and HPA antigen-matched platelets, intravenous immunoglobulin therapy, and immunosuppressive strategies. Although various strategies have been proposed and applied in clinical practice, the prevention and management of immune PTR remain challenging. Future research needs to explore more effective individualized treatment strategies, while also considering the potential application of emerging technologies such as nanotechnology in the field of transfusion.
4.The Application of Spatial Resolved Metabolomics in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Lu-Tao XU ; Qian LI ; Shu-Lei HAN ; Huan CHEN ; Hong-Wei HOU ; Qing-Yuan HU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(9):2346-2359
The pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) is fundamentally linked to complex and profound alterations in metabolic networks within the brain, which exhibit marked spatial heterogeneity. While conventional bulk metabolomics is powerful for detecting global metabolic shifts, it inherently lacks spatial resolution. This methodological limitation hampers the ability to interrogate critical metabolic dysregulation within discrete anatomical brain regions and specific cellular microenvironments, thereby constraining a deeper understanding of the core pathological mechanisms that initiate and drive NDDs. To address this critical gap, spatial metabolomics, with mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) at its core, has emerged as a transformative approach. It uniquely overcomes the limitations of bulk methods by enabling high-resolution, simultaneous detection and precise localization of hundreds to thousands of endogenous molecules—including primary metabolites, complex lipids, neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and essential metal ions—directly in situ from tissue sections. This powerful capability offers an unprecedented spatial perspective for investigating the intricate and heterogeneous chemical landscape of NDD pathology, opening new avenues for discovery. Accordingly, this review provides a comprehensive overview of the field, beginning with a discussion of the technical features, optimal application scenarios, and current limitations of major MSI platforms. These include the widely adopted matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-MSI, the ultra-high-resolution technique of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS)-MSI, and the ambient ionization method of desorption electrospray ionization (DESI)-MSI, along with other emerging technologies. We then highlight the pivotal applications of spatial metabolomics in NDD research, particularly its role in elucidating the profound chemical heterogeneity within distinct pathological microenvironments. These applications include mapping unique molecular signatures around amyloid β‑protein (Aβ) plaques, uncovering the metabolic consequences of neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau protein, and characterizing the lipid and metabolite composition of Lewy bodies. Moreover, we examine how spatial metabolomics contributes to constructing detailed metabolic vulnerability maps across the brain, shedding light on the biochemical factors that render certain neuronal populations and anatomical regions selectively susceptible to degeneration while others remain resilient. Looking beyond current applications, we explore the immense potential of integrating spatial metabolomics with other advanced research methodologies. This includes its combination with three-dimensional brain organoid models to recapitulate disease-relevant metabolic processes, its linkage with multi-organ axis studies to investigate how systemic metabolic health influences neurodegeneration, and its convergence with single-cell and subcellular analyses to achieve unprecedented molecular resolution. In conclusion, this review not only summarizes the current state and critical role of spatial metabolomics in NDD research but also offers a forward-looking perspective on its transformative potential. We envision its continued impact in advancing our fundamental understanding of NDDs and accelerating translation into clinical practice—from the discovery of novel biomarkers for early diagnosis to the development of high-throughput drug screening platforms and the realization of precision medicine for individuals affected by these devastating disorders.
5.Optimization of salt-processing technology for Anemarrhena asphodeloides by Box-Behnken response surface methodology versus GA-BP neural network
Luoxing PAN ; Yiman ZHAO ; Hui YUAN ; Zehua LI ; Dongsheng XUE ; Qing ZHAO
China Pharmacy 2025;36(19):2399-2403
OBJECTIVE To optimize the salt-processing technology for Anemarrhena asphodeloides. METHODS Taking soaking time, stir-frying temperature, and stir-frying time as factors, Box-Behnken response surface methodology was employed to optimize the salt-processing technology of A. asphodeloides using the contents of mangiferin, neomangiferin, isomangiferin, timosaponin BⅡ, timosaponin AⅢ, timosaponin BⅢ, total flavonoids, and total saponins as evaluation indicators. The entropy weight method was applied to determine the weight of each indicator and calculate the comprehensive score. Based on the 17 sets of Box-Behnken response surface methodology results, a genetic algorithm (GA)-back propagation (BP) neural network was used to further optimize the salt-processing technology, with soaking time, stir-frying temperature, and stir-frying time as input layers and the comprehensive score as the output layer. The salt-processing parameters obtained from the two methods were validated and compared to determine the optimal salt-processing technology for A. asphodeloides. RESULTS The optimal salt-processing conditions obtained via the Box-Behnken response surface methodology were as follows: soaking time of 23 min, stir-frying temperature of 160 ℃ , and stir-frying time of 12 min, yielding a comprehensive score of 63.370 2. The GA-BP neural network optimization resulted in the following conditions: soaking time of 24 min, stir-frying temperature of 163 ℃, and stir-frying time of 12 min, with a comprehensive score of 65.163 8. The GA-BP neural network optimization outperformed the results obtained by Box-Behnken response surface methodology. CONCLUSIONS This study successfully optimized the salt-processing technology for A. asphodeloides. Specifically, the technology involves adding 15 mL of 0.1 g/mL saline solution to 50 g of the herbal slices, allowing them to moisten for 24 minutes, and then stir-frying at 163 ℃ for 12 minutes.
6.Efficacy and safety of albumin-binding paclitaxel combined with PD-1 inhibitors in the treatment of bone and soft tissue sarcoma after first-line therapy failure
HUANG Zhen ; LIU Weifeng ; LI Yuan ; XU Hairong ; ZHANG Qing ; HAO Lin ; NIU Xiaohui
Chinese Journal of Cancer Biotherapy 2025;32(11):1169-1174
[摘 要] 目的:探讨白蛋白结合型紫杉醇联合PD-1抑制剂用于治疗一线化疗失败的骨与软组织肉瘤的疗效及安全性。方法:回顾性分析北京积水潭医院骨肿瘤科2017年8月至2020年8月收治的一线化疗失败的晚期骨与软组织肉瘤患者。患者接受白蛋白结合型紫杉醇(125~140 mg/m2,第1天和第8天)与PD-1抑制剂(信迪利单抗或特瑞普利单抗,每21 d一次)联合治疗。每2个治疗周期评估1次疗效,按RECIST 1.1标准评估肿瘤疗效,按NCI-CTCAE5.0标准评估不良反应。结果:共20名患者纳入研究,完成1至8个治疗周期,中位治疗周期数为3个。所有患者均可评估疗效,完全缓解4例(20%),部分缓解0例,稳定9例(45%),疾病进展7例(35%)。客观缓解率(ORR)为20%,疾病控制率(DCR)为65%。中位无进展生存期(PFS)为3.0个月。治疗期间主要不良反应包括2级白细胞减少(40%)、1-2级神经毒性反应(20%),以及2级甲状腺功能减退(10%)。结论:白蛋白结合型紫杉醇联合PD-1抑制剂治疗为一线化疗失败的晚期骨与软组织肉瘤患者提供了一种潜在的治疗选择,其不良反应可控,值得开展更大样本的前瞻性研究进一步验证其疗效。
7.Reference values of carotid intima-media thickness and arterial stiffness in Chinese adults based on ultrasound radio frequency signal: A nationwide, multicenter study
Changyang XING ; Xiujing XIE ; Yu WU ; Lei XU ; Xiangping GUAN ; Fan LI ; Xiaojun ZHAN ; Hengli YANG ; Jinsong LI ; Qi ZHOU ; Yuming MU ; Qing ZHOU ; Yunchuan DING ; Yingli WANG ; Xiangzhu WANG ; Yu ZHENG ; Xiaofeng SUN ; Hua LI ; Chaoxue ZHANG ; Cheng ZHAO ; Shaodong QIU ; Guozhen YAN ; Hong YANG ; Yinjuan MAO ; Weiwei ZHAN ; Chunyan MA ; Ying GU ; Wu CHEN ; Mingxing XIE ; Tianan JIANG ; Lijun YUAN
Chinese Medical Journal 2024;137(15):1802-1810
Background::Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and diameter, stiffness, and wave reflections, are independent and important clinical biomarkers and risk predictors for cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the present study was to establish nationwide reference values of carotid properties for healthy Chinese adults and to explore potential clinical determinants.Methods::A total of 3053 healthy Han Chinese adults (1922 women) aged 18-79 years were enrolled at 28 collaborating tertiary centers throughout China between April 2021 and July 2022. The real-time tracking of common carotid artery walls was achieved by the radio frequency (RF) ultrasound system. The IMT, diameter, compliance coefficient, β stiffness, local pulse wave velocity (PWV), local systolic blood pressure, augmented pressure (AP), and augmentation index (AIx) were then automatically measured and reported. Data were stratified by age groups and sex. The relationships between age and carotid property parameters were analyzed by Jonckheere-Terpstra test and simple linear regressions. The major clinical determinants of carotid properties were identified by Pearson’s correlation, multiple linear regression, and analyses of covariance.Results::All the parameters of carotid properties demonstrated significantly age-related trajectories. Women showed thinner IMT, smaller carotid diameter, larger AP, and AIx than men. The β stiffness and PWV were significantly higher in men than women before forties, but the differences reversed after that. The increase rate of carotid IMT (5.5 μm/year in women and 5.8 μm/year in men) and diameter (0.03 mm/year in both men and women) were similar between men and women. For the stiffness and wave reflections, women showed significantly larger age-related variations than men as demonstrated by steeper regression slopes (all P for age by sex interaction <0.05). The blood pressures, body mass index (BMI), and triglyceride levels were identified as major clinical determinants of carotid properties with adjustment of age and sex. Conclusions::The age- and sex-specific reference values of carotid properties measured by RF ultrasound for healthy Chinese adults were established. The blood pressures, BMI, and triglyceride levels should be considered for clinical application of corresponding reference values.
8.N-butyl-9H-pyrimido4,5-bindole-2-carboxamide inhibits macrophage foaming and pyroptosis via NLRP3/caspase-1
Zhi-Yun SHU ; Zi-Xu HUYAN ; Wen-Qing ZHANG ; Shi-Shun XIE ; Hong-Yuan CHENG ; Guo-Xing XU ; Xiang-Jun LI
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(6):1035-1041
Aim To design the pyrimidoindole deriva-tive N-butyl-9H-pyrimido[4,5-b]indole-2-carboxamide(BFPI)and synthesize it to investigate whether it in-hibits macrophage pyroptosis and foaming effects through the NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway.Methods BFPI was synthesized using 2,4,6-triethoxycarbonyl-l,3,5-triazine and 2-aminoindole as starting materials and structurally characterized by 1H NMR,13C NMR,and ESI-MS.The in vitro cultured mouse monocyte macro-phage cell line RAW264.7 was divided into blank,model(PA)and therapeutic(BFPI)groups,and the cells in each group were treated with the corresponding culture medium for 24 h.The proliferative viability was detected by MTT assay,and the formation of intracel-lular lipid droplets was detected by oil red O staining,and NLRP3 was detected by Western-blot and RT-qPCR,caspase-1 and MCP-1 mRNA and protein ex-pression levels by Western blot and RT-qPCR.Results Compared with the blank group,the proliferation vi-ability of cells in the model group significantly de-creased and the formation of lipid droplets significantly increased;compared with the model group,the prolif-eration viability of cells in the treatment group signifi-cantly increased and the formation of lipid droplets sig-nificantly decreased,and the differences were statisti-cally significant(P<0.01);compared with the blank group,the cellular NLRP3,caspase-1 and MCP-1 mR-NA and protein expression levels of cells in the model group significantly increased;compared with the model group,the expression levels of the above indexes of the cells in the treatment group significantly decreased,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.01).Conclusions BFPI contributes to delaying macrophage-derived foam cell formation during athero-genesis by inhibiting macrophage NLRP3,caspase-1,and MCP-1 expression and thereby promoting their pro-liferation and inhibiting lipid phagocytosis.
9.Screening of a KCNQ potassium channel opener and observation of its antiepileptic activity
Jia LI ; Yuan WANG ; Chao SONG ; Qing-Zhong JIA ; Jin-Long QI
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(9):1744-1752
Aim To screen out the KCNQ channel o-peners and evaluate the antiepileptic activity.Methods The high throughput screening(HTS)method of Rb+efflux assay was used to identify the active com-pound of KCNQ opener;the preferred compound QO-7 2 was selected to test the pharmacological action in multiple animal models;through the analysis of behav-ioral and EEG,combined with the observation of gener-al pharmacological experiments,the efficacy and safety of the drug were preliminarily evaluated,and the mech-anism was explored.Results By HTS we identified three series compounds with high activity,a total of 51 compounds.In the results,the QO-72 ig or ip in differ-ent doses showed significant anticonvulsant activity in the MES and PTZ induced acute epilepsy models,the anticonvulsant protection rate significantly increased(P<0.05,0.01)and the seizure threshold was signif-icantly extended(P<0.01).In chronic epilepsy model,the seizure ranks and duration significantly de-creased in the QO-72 treatment groups(P<0.01)and the antiepileptic protection rates significantly increased in the higher dose(P<0.01).Compared with PTZ group,the amplitude,seizure wave duration and power density of EEG were reduced significantly in QO-72 treatment groups(P<0.05,0.01).Besides,rotarod,spontaneous activity and cooperative sleep tests of mice by ig at 16 times,ip at 8 times of therapeutic dose had confirmed that the QO-72 had no central side effect.Further mechanism studies were performed on the QO-72 treated animals,the outcomes revealed that there was a significant elevation in GABA(P<0.01)in hippocampus,but there was no significant change in Glu(P>0.05).Conclusions The compound QO-72 shows significant antiepileptic activity in the MES and PTZ models;the mechanism is not only related to o-pening KCNQ channels,but also to increasing the con-tent of inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in brain.
10.Study on mechanism of Tibetan medicine Rhodiola crenulata in treatment of cerebral microcirculatory disorders based on network pharmacology and experimental validation in rats
Si-Qing MA ; Yu-Jing SHI ; Yuan-Bai LI ; Yang YANG ; Meng LI ; Yu DU ; Yi-Hao LI ; Fang-Zhou LIU
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(9):1781-1791
Aim To explore the core target,key com-ponents and mechanism of Tibetan medicine Rhodiola crenulata in improving cerebral microcirculation based on literature research,network pharmacology,molecu-lar docking and experimental verification.Methods The chemical components of Rhodiola were collected through literature and database,and the potential tar-gets of Rhodiola crenulata were predicted by reverse pharmacophore matching.The related targets of cere-bral microcirculation disorder were obtained and targets were mapping with Rhodiola crenulata.PPI network was constructed and the core targets were screened.The regulatory network of"herb-component-target-dis-ease"was constructed and key components were screened.GO and KEGG enrichment analysis were conducted,and a"Core target-Pathway-Biological Process"network was constructed.Finally,molecular docking validation was carried out,and RT-qPCR and Western blot were used for animal experiments to fur-ther confirm the results of network pharmacology analy-sis.Results A total of 76 active components of Rhodiola crenulata were obtained and corresponding to 285 targets.Altogether 1074 related targets related to cerebral microcirculation disorder were obtained.A-mong them,there were 97 common targets and the main core targets were 6.The key components were 6.The results of molecular docking showed that the bind-ing activity of three key components to the core target was greater than that of the core target protein and its original ligand.The result of RT-qPCR and Western blot demonstrated that Tibetan medicine Rhodiola cre-nulata could significantly reduce the expression of core target CASP3 and AKT1(P<0.01).Conclusions Tibetan medicine Rhodiola crenulata can improve the cerebral microcirculation disorder through multi compo-nents,multi targets and multi pathways.This study provides an experimental basis for clinical application of Tibetan medicine Rhodiola crenulata to treat cerebral microcirculation disorder.

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