1.Role of Innate Trained Immunity in Diseases
Chuang CHENG ; Yue-Qing WANG ; Xiao-Qin MU ; Xi ZHENG ; Jing HE ; Jun WANG ; Chao TAN ; Xiao-Wen LIU ; Li-Li ZOU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):119-132
The innate immune system can be boosted in response to subsequent triggers by pre-exposure to microbes or microbial products, known as “trained immunity”. Compared to classical immune memory, innate trained immunity has several different features. Firstly, the molecules involved in trained immunity differ from those involved in classical immune memory. Innate trained immunity mainly involves innate immune cells (e.g., myeloid immune cells, natural killer cells, innate lymphoid cells) and their effector molecules (e.g., pattern recognition receptor (PRR), various cytokines), as well as some kinds of non-immune cells (e.g., microglial cells). Secondly, the increased responsiveness to secondary stimuli during innate trained immunity is not specific to a particular pathogen, but influences epigenetic reprogramming in the cell through signaling pathways, leading to the sustained changes in genes transcriptional process, which ultimately affects cellular physiology without permanent genetic changes (e.g., mutations or recombination). Finally, innate trained immunity relies on an altered functional state of innate immune cells that could persist for weeks to months after initial stimulus removal. An appropriate inducer could induce trained immunity in innate lymphocytes, such as exogenous stimulants (including vaccines) and endogenous stimulants, which was firstly discovered in bone marrow derived immune cells. However, mature bone marrow derived immune cells are short-lived cells, that may not be able to transmit memory phenotypes to their offspring and provide long-term protection. Therefore, trained immunity is more likely to be relied on long-lived cells, such as epithelial stem cells, mesenchymal stromal cells and non-immune cells such as fibroblasts. Epigenetic reprogramming is one of the key molecular mechanisms that induces trained immunity, including DNA modifications, non-coding RNAs, histone modifications and chromatin remodeling. In addition to epigenetic reprogramming, different cellular metabolic pathways are involved in the regulation of innate trained immunity, including aerobic glycolysis, glutamine catabolism, cholesterol metabolism and fatty acid synthesis, through a series of intracellular cascade responses triggered by the recognition of PRR specific ligands. In the view of evolutionary, trained immunity is beneficial in enhancing protection against secondary infections with an induction in the evolutionary protective process against infections. Therefore, innate trained immunity plays an important role in therapy against diseases such as tumors and infections, which has signature therapeutic effects in these diseases. In organ transplantation, trained immunity has been associated with acute rejection, which prolongs the survival of allografts. However, trained immunity is not always protective but pathological in some cases, and dysregulated trained immunity contributes to the development of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Trained immunity provides a novel form of immune memory, but when inappropriately activated, may lead to an attack on tissues, causing autoinflammation. In autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis, trained immunity may lead to enhance inflammation and tissue lesion in diseased regions. In Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, trained immunity may lead to over-activation of microglial cells, triggering neuroinflammation even nerve injury. This paper summarizes the basis and mechanisms of innate trained immunity, including the different cell types involved, the impacts on diseases and the effects as a therapeutic strategy to provide novel ideas for different diseases.
2.Application of Recombinant Collagen in Biomedicine
Huan HU ; Hong ZHANG ; Jian WANG ; Li-Wen WANG ; Qian LIU ; Ning-Wen CHENG ; Xin-Yue ZHANG ; Yun-Lan LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):395-416
Collagen is a major structural protein in the matrix of animal cells and the most widely distributed and abundant functional protein in mammals. Collagen’s good biocompatibility, biodegradability and biological activity make it a very valuable biomaterial. According to the source of collagen, it can be broadly categorized into two types: one is animal collagen; the other is recombinant collagen. Animal collagen is mainly extracted and purified from animal connective tissues by chemical methods, such as acid, alkali and enzyme methods, etc. Recombinant collagen refers to collagen produced by gene splicing technology, where the amino acid sequence is first designed and improved according to one’s own needs, and the gene sequence of improved recombinant collagen is highly consistent with that of human beings, and then the designed gene sequence is cloned into the appropriate vector, and then transferred to the appropriate expression vector. The designed gene sequence is cloned into a suitable vector, and then transferred to a suitable expression system for full expression, and finally the target protein is obtained by extraction and purification technology. Recombinant collagen has excellent histocompatibility and water solubility, can be directly absorbed by the human body and participate in the construction of collagen, remodeling of the extracellular matrix, cell growth, wound healing and site filling, etc., which has demonstrated significant effects, and has become the focus of the development of modern biomedical materials. This paper firstly elaborates the structure, type, and tissue distribution of human collagen, as well as the associated genetic diseases of different types of collagen, then introduces the specific process of producing animal source collagen and recombinant collagen, explains the advantages of recombinant collagen production method, and then introduces the various systems of expressing recombinant collagen, as well as their advantages and disadvantages, and finally briefly introduces the application of animal collagen, focusing on the use of animal collagen in the development of biopharmaceutical materials. In terms of application, it focuses on the use of animal disease models exploring the application effects of recombinant collagen in wound hemostasis, wound repair, corneal therapy, female pelvic floor dysfunction (FPFD), vaginal atrophy (VA) and vaginal dryness, thin endometritis (TE), chronic endometritis (CE), bone tissue regeneration in vivo, cardiovascular diseases, breast cancer (BC) and anti-aging. The mechanism of action of recombinant collagen in the treatment of FPFD and CE was introduced, and the clinical application and curative effect of recombinant collagen in skin burn, skin wound, dermatitis, acne and menopausal urogenital syndrome (GSM) were summarized. From the exploratory studies and clinical applications, it is evident that recombinant collagen has demonstrated surprising effects in the treatment of all types of diseases, such as reducing inflammation, promoting cell proliferation, migration and adhesion, increasing collagen deposition, and remodeling the extracellular matrix. At the end of the review, the challenges faced by recombinant collagen are summarized: to develop new recombinant collagen types and dosage forms, to explore the mechanism of action of recombinant collagen, and to provide an outlook for the future development and application of recombinant collagen.
3.Pharmacokinetic study of 3 blood-absorbed components of Xiangshao sanjie oral liquid in rats with hyperplasia of mammary gland
Yu ZHANG ; Jiaming LI ; Dan PENG ; Ruoqiu FU ; Yue MING ; Zhengbi LIU ; Jingjing WANG ; Shiqi CHENG ; Hongjun XIE ; Yao LIU
China Pharmacy 2025;36(6):680-685
OBJECTIVE To explore the pharmacokinetic characteristics of 3 blood-absorbed components of Xiangshao sanjie oral liquid in rats with hyperplasia of mammary gland (HMG). METHODS Female SD rats were divided into control group and HMG group according to body weight, with 6 rats in each group. The HMG group was given estrogen+progesterone to construct HMG model. After modeling, two groups were given 1.485 g/kg of Xiangshao sanjie oral liquid (calculated by crude drug) intragastrically, once a day, for 7 consecutive days. Blood samples were collected before the first administration (0 h), and at 5, 15, 30 minutes and 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 hours after the last administration, respectively. Using chlorzoxazone as the internal standard, the plasma concentrations of ferulic acid, paeoniflorin and rosmarinic acid in rats were detected by UPLC-Q/TOF-MS. The pharmacokinetic parameters [area under the drug time curve (AUC0-24 h, AUC0-∞), mean residence time (MRT0-∞), half-life (t1/2), peak time (tmax), peak concentration (cmax)] were calculated by the non-atrioventricular model using Phoenix WinNonlin 8.1 software. RESULTS Compared with the control group, the AUC0-24 h, AUC0-∞ and cmax of ferulic acid in the HMG group were significantly increased (P<0.05); the AUC0-24 h, AUC0-∞ , MRT0-∞ , t1/2 and cmax of paeoniflorin increased, but there was no significant difference between 2 groups (P>0.05); the AUC0-24 h and MRT0-∞ of rosmarinic acid were significantly increased or prolonged (P<0.05). C ONCLUSIONS In HMG model rats, the exposure of ferulic acid, paeoniflorin and rosmarinic acid in Xiangshao sanjie oral liquid all increase, and the retention time of rosmarinic acid is significantly prolonged.
4.CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery System for Pituitary Tumors and Pulmonary Cancer Bone Metastases: Initiating a New Chapter in Stereotactic Radiotherapy
Weishi CHENG ; Xin LIAN ; Tingtian PANG ; Yue ZHANG ; Yuliang SUN ; Zhikai LIU
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2025;16(3):790-796
The CyberKnife, an acronym for the stereotactic radiosurgery platform, represents an image-guided stereotactic radiotherapy technique. This technology precisely delivers ionizing radiation to tissues, effectively damaging tumor cells, and is suitable for radiotherapy of both intracranial and extracranial tumors. This article reports the first performance of CyberKnife by radiotherapy at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, including a patient with uncontrolled pituitary adenoma after surgery and radiotherapy, and another patient with vertebral metastasis following targeted therapy for lung adenocarcinoma. The application of CyberKnife technology in radiotherapy has achieved highly accurate dose delivery, enabling targeted irradiation of tumor lesions while minimizing damage to surrounding normal tissues, thereby yielding relatively ideal clinical outcomes.
5.Effect and mechanism of Jingangteng capsules in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease based on gut microbiota and metabolomics
Shiyuan CHENG ; Yue XIONG ; Dandan ZHANG ; Jing LI ; Zhiying SUN ; Jiaying TIAN ; Li SHEN ; Yue SHEN ; Dan LIU ; Qiong WEI ; Xiaochuan YE
China Pharmacy 2025;36(11):1340-1347
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect and mechanism of Jingangteng capsules in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS Thirty-two SD rats were randomly divided into normal group and modeling group. The modeling group was fed a high-fat diet to establish a NAFLD model. The successfully modeled rats were then randomly divided into model group, atorvastatin group[positive control, 2 mg/(kg·d)], and Jingangteng capsules low- and high-dose groups [0.63 and 2.52 mg/(kg·d)], with 6 rats in each group. The pathological changes of the liver were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and oil red O staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to determine the serum levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-18. 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing and metabolomics techniques were applied to explore the effects of Jingangteng capsules on gut microbiota and metabolisms in NAFLD rats. Based on the E-mail:591146765@qq.com metabolomics results, Western blot analysis was performed to detect proteins related to the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB)/NOD-like receptor family protein 3 (NLRP3) signaling pathway in the livers of NAFLD rats. RESULTS The experimental results showed that Jingangteng capsules could significantly reduce the serum levels of TG, TC, LDL-C, AST, ALT, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, while increased the level of HDL-C, and alleviated the hepatic cellular steatosis and inflammatory infiltration in NAFLD rats. They could regulate the gut microbiota disorders in NAFLD rats, significantly increased the relative abundance of Romboutsia and Oscillospira, and significantly decreased the relative abundance of Blautia (P<0.05). They also regulated metabolic disorders primarily by affecting secondary bile acid biosynthesis, fatty acid degradation, O-antigen nucleotide sugar biosynthesis, etc. Results of Western blot assay showed that they significantly reduced the phosphorylation levels of NF-κB p65 and NF-κB inhibitor α, and the protein expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1 and ASC (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Jingangteng capsules could improve inflammation, lipid accumulation and liver injury in NAFLD rats, regulate the disorders of gut microbiota and metabolisms, and inhibit NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway. Their therapeutic effects against NAFLD are mediated through the inhibition of the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway.
6.Comparative study of MS-39, Sirius, and Pentacam in assisting size selection of implantable collamer lens
Jiaqi YUE ; Xindi WANG ; Yimeng FAN ; Zhao LIU ; Cheng PEI
International Eye Science 2025;25(9):1505-1510
AIM: To assess the consistency of the new anterior segment analyzer, MS-39, the Sirius and Pentacam in measuring corneal white-to-white(WTW)and central anterior chamber depth(ACD), and to compare their differences in guiding implantable collamer lens(ICL)size selection.METHODS: Retrospective case study. A total of 210 consecutive patients(420 eyes)who treated at the Ophthalmology Refractive Surgery Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University between September 2019 and September 2020 were enrolled. Three anterior segment analysis systems, MS-39, Sirius, and Pentacam, were utilized to assess the WTW and ACD, with comparative analysis of the results. The sizing of the ICL V4c was simulated using the method recommended by the STAAR company. Data correlation and consistency were evaluated.RESULTS: The WTW measurement results obtained from MS-39, Sirius, and Pentacam were 11.39±0.35, 11.42±0.36, and 11.46±0.35 mm, respectively. Notably, the WTW measurement value from MS-39 was significantly lower than that from Pentacam(P=0.002), while no statistically significant differences were observed between MS-39 and Sirius, or between Sirius and Pentacam(all P>0.05). The WTW measurements from the three devices exhibited a strong positive correlation, with correlation coefficients(r)of 0.942 between MS-39 and Sirius, 0.925 between MS-39 and Pentacam, and 0.882 between Sirius and Pentacam(all P<0.0001). The ACD measurements values from the MS-39, Sirius and Pentacam were 3.28±0.22, 3.28±0.24, and 3.21±0.23 mm, respectively. While, no statistically significant difference was found between MS-39 and Sirius(P>0.05), both measurements were significantly higher than that of Pentacam(both P<0.0001). The ACD measurements also demonstrated a strong positive correlation, with r values of 0.959 between MS-39 and Sirius, 0.947 between MS-39 and Pentacam, and 0.932 between Sirius and Pentacam(all P<0.0001). In terms of ICL size selection based on the measurements from the three devices, the 12.6 mm size was the most frequently selected, while the 13.7 mm size was the least common, the distribution of size selections across the devices was similar.CONCLUSION: MS-39 demonstrated strong positive correlation with both Sirius and Pentacam for WTW and ACD measurements, indicating that the results can be considered clinically interchangeable. Furthermore, the outcomes derived from MS-39 for ICL size selection were closely aligned with those from Sirius and Pentacam, suggesting its clinical feasibility.
7.Current status and related factors of antiviral treatment among HIV infected men who have sex with men students
Chinese Journal of School Health 2024;45(12):1798-1801
Objective:
To investigate the current situation and related factors of antiretroviral therapy (ART) among HIV infected male students engaging in men who have sex with men (MSM), so as to provide the reference data for HIV prevention and treatment.
Methods:
In November 2021, 137 MSM students from 31 provincial administrative regions in China were recruited. An online survey was conducted to collect data on demographic characteristics, ART status, CD4 count, and HIV viral load before treatment. Logistic regression was used to analyze the factors related the effectiveness of ART in MSM.
Results:
Among the included research subjects, 14.6% had late detection of HIV,97.1% of participants were currently undergoing ART. Among those whose ART duration was less than 6 months, while 76.9% were undergoing ART. Logistic regression indicated that HIV infected students who received ART for more than 24 months ( OR =5.28, 95% CI =1.38-20.22) had a higher rate of successful HIV suppression. HIV infected students who reported physical sensory side effects ( OR =0.08, 95% CI =0.01-0.71) and cognitive side effects ( OR =0.28, 95% CI =0.09-0.90) were more likely to experience failure of ARI inhibition ( P <0.05).
Conclusions
There is still room for improvement in the efficacy of ART among MSM students. Strategies to improve treatment adherence must consider individual variances among HIV infected patients and the side effects of medications when designing treatment plans.
8.Targeting cAMP in D1-MSNs in the nucleus accumbens, a new rapid antidepressant strategy.
Yue ZHANG ; Jingwen GAO ; Na LI ; Peng XU ; Shimeng QU ; Jinqian CHENG ; Mingrui WANG ; Xueru LI ; Yaheng SONG ; Fan XIAO ; Xinyu YANG ; Jihong LIU ; Hao HONG ; Ronghao MU ; Xiaotian LI ; Youmei WANG ; Hui XU ; Yuan XIE ; Tianming GAO ; Guangji WANG ; Jiye AA
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2024;14(2):667-681
Studies have suggested that the nucleus accumbens (NAc) is implicated in the pathophysiology of major depression; however, the regulatory strategy that targets the NAc to achieve an exclusive and outstanding anti-depression benefit has not been elucidated. Here, we identified a specific reduction of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in the subset of dopamine D1 receptor medium spiny neurons (D1-MSNs) in the NAc that promoted stress susceptibility, while the stimulation of cAMP production in NAc D1-MSNs efficiently rescued depression-like behaviors. Ketamine treatment enhanced cAMP both in D1-MSNs and dopamine D2 receptor medium spiny neurons (D2-MSNs) of depressed mice, however, the rapid antidepressant effect of ketamine solely depended on elevating cAMP in NAc D1-MSNs. We discovered that a higher dose of crocin markedly increased cAMP in the NAc and consistently relieved depression 24 h after oral administration, but not a lower dose. The fast onset property of crocin was verified through multicenter studies. Moreover, crocin specifically targeted at D1-MSN cAMP signaling in the NAc to relieve depression and had no effect on D2-MSN. These findings characterize a new strategy to achieve an exclusive and outstanding anti-depression benefit by elevating cAMP in D1-MSNs in the NAc, and provide a potential rapid antidepressant drug candidate, crocin.
9.Effect of Shegan Mahuangtang and Its Pungent and Bitter Chinese Herbs on Airway Inflammation and Expression of TRPV1/TAS2R14 in Lung Tissue of Rat Model of Cold Asthma
Yamei YUAN ; Weidong YE ; Yue CHENG ; Qiuhui LI ; Jiaxin LIU ; Jiale QIAO ; Kun WANG ; Xiangming FANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(21):1-9
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Shegan Mahuangtang and its pungent and bitter Chinese herbs on the expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) and bitter taste receptor 14 (TAS2R14) in the lung tissue of the rat model of cold asthma. MethodSeventy SD rats were randomized into 7 groups: normal, model, Shegan Mahuangtang, pungent Chinese herbs, bitter Chinese herbs (6.43 g·kg-1), dexamethasone (0.5 g·kg-1), and Guilong Kechuanning (10 g·kg-1). The rat model of cold asthma was established by intraperitoneal injection and subcutaneous injection of 10% ovalbumin (OVA) and aluminium hydroxide in the limbs, combined with 2% OVA atomization and cold (2-4 ℃) stimulation. The rats were treated with corresponding drugs by gavage and atomization, and the normal and model groups were treated with the same amount of normal saline for 3 weeks. After the last excitation, airway inflammation and cell proliferation were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE), periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), and Masson staining of the lung tissue. The levels of interleukin-5 (IL-5), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in the serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of TRPV1 and TAS2R14 was detected by immunofluorescence. The expression of TRPV1, TAS2R14, phospholipase Cβ2 (PLCβ2), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in the lung tissue was determined by Western blot. ResultCompared with the normal group, the model group showed decreased water intake, food intake, and body weight, increased airway inflammatory cell infiltration, goblet cell proliferation, tissue fibrosis and collagen deposition, elevated levels of IL-5, TNF-α, TSLP, and TGF-β1 in the serum (P<0.01), upregulated expression of TRPV1, PLCβ2, and α-SMA, and downregulated expression of TAS2R14 and Bcl-2 (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with model group, Shecgan Mahuangtang, pungent Chinese herbs, and bitter Chinese herbs increased the water intake, food intake, and body weight, reduced the inflammatory cell infiltration and goblet cell proliferation, alleviated tissue fibrosis and collagen deposition, lowered the levels of IL-5, TNF-α, TSLP, and TGF-β1 in the serum (P<0.01), downregulated the expression of TRPV1, PLCβ2, and α-SMA, and upregulated the expression of TAS2R14 and Bcl-2 (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionShegan Mahuangtang and its pungent and bitter Chinese herbs can reduce OVA-induced airway inflammation, downregulate the expression of TRPV1, PLCβ2, and α-SMA, and upregulate the expression of TAS2R14 and Bcl-2 in asthmatic rats. Moreover, bitter Chinese herbs outperformed pungent Chinese herbs, and the combination of them enhanced the therapeutic effect. It is suggested that Shegan Mahuangtang and its pungent and bitter Chinese herbs may ameliorate the OVA-induced airway inflammation by inhibiting TRPV1 and activating TAS2R14.
10.Establishment and evaluation of a rapid PCR-colloidal gold test strip method for the detection of Fritillaria ussuriensis
Yu-he MA ; Cong-hui SHANG ; Qiu-he MA ; Tao LI ; Yue LIU ; Bei-zhen PAN ; Li-jun GAO ; Ming-cheng LI ; Wei XIA ; Yong-mei QU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(6):1773-1778
This study design of specific identification primers for the ITS2 sequence of


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