1.Effect of Xianglian Huazhuo Prescription on Hedgehog Signaling Pathway in Rats with Chronic Atrophic Gastritis
Jinye ZHOU ; Haofeng ZHANG ; Ziwei LIU ; Yican WANG ; Yanru CAI ; Yuxi GUO ; Jie WANG ; Zheng ZHI ; Qian YANG ; Bolin LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(18):41-47
ObjectiveTo explore the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Xianglian Huazhuo prescription on chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) in rats based on the Hedgehog signaling pathway. MethodsThe CAG rat model was established by sodium salicylate, N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitroguanidine (MNNG), and irregular feeding. The successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into a model group (180 mg·L-1), a moradan group (1.4 g·kg-1), and Xianglian Huazhuo Prescription groups with high, medium, and low doses (36, 9, 18 g·kg-1), followed by drug intervention. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe morphological changes in the gastric mucosa. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the ultrastructure of gastric mucosa cells. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was used to detect the mRNA expression of Sonic Hedgehog (Shh), Patched 1 (Ptch1), and Glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (Gli1). Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of Shh, Ptch1, and Gli1 in the gastric mucosa. Immunohistochemistry was used to observe the protein expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin. ResultsCompared with the normal group, the CAG model group showed a reduction in gastric mucosal intrinsic glands and infiltration of inflammatory cells. The ultrastructure of gastric mucosal cells showed nuclear pyknosis, fewer mitochondria, and abnormal mitochondrial structure. The mRNA and protein expression of Shh, Ptch1, and Gli1 in the gastric mucosa were significantly decreased (P<0.05), and E-cadherin protein expression was decreased. Compared with the model group, the intervention groups showed varying degrees of improvement in histopathological morphology and cellular ultrastructure. The mRNA and protein expression of Shh, Ptch1, Gli1, and E-cadherin increased to varying degrees. Xianglian Huazhuo Prescription upregulated the expression of key Hedgehog pathway factors and E-cadherin at both the mRNA and protein levels (P<0.05). ConclusionXianglian Huazhuo prescription has a therapeutic effect on CAG in rats, and its mechanism may be related to activation of the Hedgehog signaling pathway and inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).
2.Rapid health technology assessment of toripalimab combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer
Yuping YANG ; Yuan ZHOU ; Qirui TAI ; Mili SHI ; Yijie SHI ; Jieya WANG ; Huan HU ; Yuan ZHANG ; Yi LIU ; Yue WANG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(20):2593-2598
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness of toripalimab (Tor) combined with chemotherapy (CT) in the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, CBM, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) related websites were searched to collect the HTA reports, systematic reviews/meta-analyses and pharmacoeconomic studies of Tor+CT in the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC from database/website inception to March 31, 2025. After data extraction and quality evaluation, the results of the included studies were analyzed descriptively. RESULTS A total of eleven studies were included, involving five systematic reviews/meta-analyses, and six pharmacoeconomic studies. Among the five systematic reviews/ meta-analyses, two were of high quality, while there was one each of moderate, low, and very low quality. All six pharmacoeconomic studies were of good quality. In terms of efficacy, compared with CT, Tor+CT significantly improved patients’ progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (P<0.05). In addition, compared with ipilimumab+CT, durvalumab, durvalumab+tremelimumab and sugemalimab+CT, Tor+CT could also improve the PFS (P<0.05). In terms of safety, there was no significant difference in the incidence of grade≥3 adverse events between patients receiving Tor+CT and CT (P>0.05); while Tor+CT had a lower incidence of grade≥3 adverse E-mail: events, compared with camrelizumab+CT, pembrolizumab+ 3233255290@qq.com ipilimumab, nivolumab+CT and atezolizumab+CT (P<0.05).In terms of cost-effectiveness, Tor+CT treatment had certain cost-effectiveness advantages, compared with CT. CONCLUSIONS Compared with CT, other programmed death-1/programmed death-ligand 1 inhibitors alone, or their combination with CT, Tor+CT for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC has good efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness.
3.Ethical Dilemma in Global Vaccine Cooperation and Its Countermeasures: Taking the Global Eradication of Smallpox as an Example
Yi XIE ; Zhiping ZHANG ; Yuxi LIU ; Chenlei LUO ; Qian ZHOU
Chinese Medical Ethics 2024;35(6):636-642
Vaccine cooperation is an important means to deal with global infectious diseases. However, the cooperation cannot be achieved overnight. Ethical dilemma is one of the obstacles that hinders vaccine cooperation. Reviewing the history, the most successful vaccine collaboration to date has been the global smallpox eradication program. In the process of eradicating smallpox, there were also many ethical dilemmas, including the international pattern of the US-Soviet hegemony, which impacted the mutual help between countries, the ethical disputes of the vaccine itself hindering solidarity and cooperation among actors, and the vaccine coercion adopted to overcome vaccine hesitancy undermining the principle of proportionality among the freedom, equality and efficacy. The ethical dilemmas of vaccine cooperation were resolved by shaping professional and scientific consensus among medical professional groups, reaching consensus on cooperation between leading countries and developing countries, and integrating local culture to improve vaccination methods. Finally, in 1980, the world successfully eradicated smallpox. The case of smallpox eradication provides us lessons for vaccine cooperation against COVID-19 and the construction of a community of common health for mankind today.
4.Study on the drying processing methods of Peucedanum praeruptorum in producing area
Penghao TAN ; Yuxi CHENG ; Dongqin GUO ; Nong ZHOU
China Pharmacy 2024;35(15):1844-1848
OBJECTIVE To compare the effects of different drying processing methods in the producing area on the quality of Peucedanum praeruptorum, and screen the optimal drying processing in the producing area. METHODS P. praeruptorum was processed by traditional drying in the sun, drying in the shade, and modern drying processing methods such as electric heating and blast drying, vacuum drying, infrared drying, and vacuum freeze drying. Technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method was used to perform the comprehensive quality evaluation using drying rate, water content, extract content, color chroma value, and the contents of 4 coumarins as indexes. RESULTS Under different drying processing methods, the drying rates of 12 samples of P. praeruptorum were 31.56%-40.10%; the moisture contents were 6.96%-8.58%, and the extract contents were 27.56%-43.10%; the color chroma values red green degree, yellow blue degree and brightness were 1.80-7.50, 19.90- 30.20, 46.90-59.90, respectively. The contents of umbelliferolactone, praeruptorin A, praeruptorin B and praeruptorin E were ≤ 0.05, 3.70-14.05, 0.72-2.37, 0.81-3.90 mg/g, respectively; and the total contents were 5.47-19.65 mg/g. The comprehensive score of P. praeruptorum was the highest under the condition of drying at 40 ℃ by electric heating and blast . CONCLUSIONS The drying method at 40 ℃ by electric heating and blast is the first choice for P. praeruptorum in the producing area.
5.Study on effect of panax notoginseng saponins treatment in Th17/Treg cells differentiation balance through regulating mTORC1-HIF1α pathway
Yujie BAO ; Meiyu SHEN ; Yuxi DI ; Furong WANG ; Lingling ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2024;40(11):2310-2315
Objective:To analyze the effect of panax notoginseng saponins(PNS)on mTORC1-HIF1α signaling pathway,and to explore its effect and mechanisms on the differentiation balance of Th17/Treg cells in CD4+T cells.Methods:Isolate the spleens of C57BL/6 mice,then select CD4+T cells by magnetic beads and cultured in vitro.The optimal concentration of PNS was screened by the CCK-8,and then these cells were divided into control group and PNS treatment group(5,10 and 20 μg/ml),each gives correspond-ing drug treatment after 48 h.Afterwards,flow cytometry was used to detect differentiation of Th17/Treg cells.Real-time quantitative fluorescent PCR was used to detect the expressions of RORγt,Foxp3,mTOR,Raptor,HIF1α mRNA.ELISA was used to detect the levels of IL-17A and IL-10 in the supernatant of cell culture.Western blot was used to detect the expressions and phosphorylation levels of 4EBP1,S6K and HIF1α proteins.Results:5,10,20 μg/ml PNS could significantly inhibit Th17 cells differentiation and promote Treg cells differentiation;5,10,20 μg/ml PNS could significantly reduce the expression of RORγt mRNA,and then reduce the level of IL-17A;20 μg/ml PNS could significantly promote the expression of Foxp3 mRNA and increase the level of IL-10;10,20 μg/ml PNS could significantly decrease the phosphorylation of 4EBP1 and S6K;5,10,20 μg/ml PNS could significantly reduce the expression of HIF1α mRNA and inhibit the expression of HIF1α protein.Conclusion:Certain concentrations of PNS can inhibit the differentiation of Th17 cells in CD4+T cells,and promote the differentiation of Treg cells,which is related with modulating mTORC1-HIF1α signaling pathway.
6.Exosomes Derived from Human Adipose Mesenchymal Stem Cells Inhibits Fibrosis and Treats Oral Submucous Fibrosis via the miR-181a-5p/Smad2 Axis
Zifei SHAO ; Jinhao XU ; Xiaoyang XU ; Xiang WANG ; Yuxi ZHOU ; Yiyang LI ; Kun LI
Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine 2024;21(1):123-135
BACKGROUND:
Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a chronic disease with carcinogenic tendency that poses a non-negligible threat to human health. Exosomes derived from human adipose mesenchymal stem cells (ADSC-Exo) reduces visceral and cutaneous fibroses, but their role in OSF has received little attention. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ADSC-Exo on OSF and elucidate the mechanism.
METHODS:
In brief, ADSCs were extracted from adipose tissues and subjected to flow cytometry and induction culture. Fibroblasts were isolated from human buccal mucosa and subjected to immunofluorescence. Myofibroblasts were obtained from fibroblasts induced by arecoline and identified. Immunofluorescence assay confirmed that myofibroblasts could take up ADSC-Exo. The effects of ADSC-Exo on the proliferative and migratory capacities of myofibroblasts were examined using the Cell Counting Kit-8 and scratch assay. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed to evaluate mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 2 (Smad2), Smad3, Smad7, collagen type 1 (Col1), Col3, alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), fibronectin, and vimentin. Western blotting was performed to detect phospho (p)-Smad2, Smad2, p-Smad2/3, Smad2/3, Smad7, Col1, Col3, α-SMA, fibronectin, and vimentin. Furthermore, the dual-luciferase reporter assay was performed to prove that miR-181a-5p in ADSC-Exo directly inhibited the expression of Smad2 mRNA to regulate the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) pathway. We also performed qPCR and western blotting to verify the results.
RESULTS:
ADSC-Exo could promote the proliferation and migration of myofibroblasts, reduce the expressions of p-smad2, Smad2, p-smad2/3, Smad2/3, Col1, αSMA, fibronectin, and vimentin and elevated the levels of Smad7 and Col3. In addition, miR-181a-5p was highly expressed in ADSC-Exo and bound to the 3'-untranslated region of Smad2. ADSC-Exo enriched with miR-181a-5p reduced collagen production in myofibroblasts and modulated the TGF-β pathway.
CONCLUSIONS
ADSC-Exo promoted the proliferative and migratory capacities of myofibroblasts and inhibited collagen deposition and trans-differentiation of myofibroblasts in vitro. miR-181a-5p in exosomes targets Smad2 to regulate the TGF-β pathway in myofibroblasts. ADSC-Exo perform antifibrotic actions through the miR-181a-5p/Smad2 axis and may be a promising clinical treatment for OSF.
7.CRISPR-assisted transcription activation by phase-separation proteins.
Jiaqi LIU ; Yuxi CHEN ; Baoting NONG ; Xiao LUO ; Kaixin CUI ; Zhan LI ; Pengfei ZHANG ; Wenqiong TAN ; Yue YANG ; Wenbin MA ; Puping LIANG ; Zhou SONGYANG
Protein & Cell 2023;14(12):874-887
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 system has been widely used for genome engineering and transcriptional regulation in many different organisms. Current CRISPR-activation (CRISPRa) platforms often require multiple components because of inefficient transcriptional activation. Here, we fused different phase-separation proteins to dCas9-VPR (dCas9-VP64-P65-RTA) and observed robust increases in transcriptional activation efficiency. Notably, human NUP98 (nucleoporin 98) and FUS (fused in sarcoma) IDR domains were best at enhancing dCas9-VPR activity, with dCas9-VPR-FUS IDR (VPRF) outperforming the other CRISPRa systems tested in this study in both activation efficiency and system simplicity. dCas9-VPRF overcomes the target strand bias and widens gRNA designing windows without affecting the off-target effect of dCas9-VPR. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of using phase-separation proteins to assist in the regulation of gene expression and support the broad appeal of the dCas9-VPRF system in basic and clinical applications.
Humans
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Transcriptional Activation
;
RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems
;
Gene Expression Regulation
;
CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics*
8.Construction of basic rehabilitation training course for family doctor teams serving for people with disabilities based on WHO rehabilitation competency framework
Xiulian YANG ; Jian QIN ; Yuantao XIAN ; Hongliang LIU ; Yaru YANG ; Youyu XIANG ; Jie LUO ; Shixun ZHONG ; Yu ZHONG ; Sujun ZHOU ; Hong SU ; Hongmei XIAO ; Xinjian ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice 2023;29(11):1249-1260
ObjectiveTo develop basic training courses for family doctor teams for people with disabilities. MethodsUtilizing the methods and theories of the World Health Organization (WHO) rehabilitation competency framework (RCF), and referring to the WHO universal health coverage global competency framework, the rehabilitation competency characteristics of family doctor teams for people with disabilities in community settings were analyzed, and a basic training course system for these teams based on the RCF was developed. Results and ConclusionBased on RCF, a competency framework for family doctor teams serving people with disabilities has been constructed. The objectives, content and training course system for basic rehabilitation training has been established.
9.Ethical Dilemma of "Virus Sovereignty"
Chenlei LUO ; Zhiping ZHANG ; Qian ZHOU ; Yuxi LIU ; Yi XIE
Chinese Medical Ethics 2023;36(4):377-383
The concept of "virus sovereignty" proposed by Indonesia in 2007 challenges the international tradition of virus sharing. In the context of the global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019, the issue of virus sharing has become an important topic in the reform of the global health governance mechanisms. Virus sharing is an important guarantee of dealing with major global infectious diseases. However, the emergence of the concept of "virus sovereignty" shows that there are defects in the operation of virus sharing mechanism in the international community. The "virus sovereignty" problem is an ethical issue essentially, involving asymmetric interests hindering unity and cooperation, intellectual property rights expansion challenging the principle of solidarity, and excessive self-defense amplifying utility risks. "Community of common health for mankind" provides a constructive and feasible option to solve the dilemma of "virus sovereignty".
10.Genetic background of idiopathic neurodevelopmental delay patients with significant brain deviation volume.
Xiang CHEN ; Yuxi CHEN ; Kai YAN ; Huiyao CHEN ; Qian QIN ; Lin YANG ; Bo LIU ; Guoqiang CHENG ; Yun CAO ; Bingbing WU ; Xinran DONG ; Zhongwei QIAO ; Wenhao ZHOU
Chinese Medical Journal 2023;136(7):807-814
BACKGROUND:
Significant brain volume deviation is an essential phenotype in children with neurodevelopmental delay (NDD), but its genetic basis has not been fully characterized. This study attempted to analyze the genetic factors associated with significant whole-brain deviation volume (WBDV).
METHODS:
We established a reference curve based on 4222 subjects ranging in age from the first postnatal day to 18 years. We recruited only NDD patients without acquired etiologies or positive genetic results. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical exome sequencing (2742 genes) data were acquired. A genetic burden test was performed, and the results were compared between patients with and without significant WBDV. Literature review analyses and BrainSpan analysis based on the human brain developmental transcriptome were performed to detect the potential role of genetic risk factors in human brain development.
RESULTS:
We recruited a total of 253 NDD patients. Among them, 26 had significantly decreased WBDV (<-2 standard deviations [SDs]), and 14 had significantly increased WBDV (>+2 SDs). NDD patients with significant WBDV had higher rates of motor development delay (49.8% [106/213] vs . 75.0% [30/40], P = 0.003) than patients without significant WBDV. Genetic burden analyses found 30 genes with an increased allele frequency of rare variants in patients with significant WBDV. Analyses of the literature further demonstrated that these genes were not randomly identified: burden genes were more related to the brain development than background genes ( P = 1.656e -9 ). In seven human brain regions related to motor development, we observed burden genes had higher expression before 37-week gestational age than postnatal stages. Functional analyses found that burden genes were enriched in embryonic brain development, with positive regulation of synaptic growth at the neuromuscular junction, positive regulation of deoxyribonucleic acid templated transcription, and response to hormone, and these genes were shown to be expressed in neural progenitors. Based on single cell sequencing analyses, we found TUBB2B gene had elevated expression levels in neural progenitor cells, interneuron, and excitatory neuron and SOX15 had high expression in interneuron and excitatory neuron.
CONCLUSION
Idiopathic NDD patients with significant brain volume changes detected by MRI had an increased prevalence of motor development delay, which could be explained by the genetic differences characterized herein.
Child
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Humans
;
Neurodevelopmental Disorders/epidemiology*
;
Genetic Testing
;
Phenotype
;
Brain/pathology*
;
Genetic Background
;
SOX Transcription Factors/genetics*

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