1.Mechanisms of Xiaozhi Qinggan Decoction in Treatment of Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatotic Liver Disease by Regulating Ferroptosis
Haihang DONG ; Yuying TU ; Xingrong LI ; Yujie CAI ; Yi REN ; Huiqin ZHANG ; Yinqiang ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(6):109-119
ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Xiaozhi Qinggan decoction (XQD) in preventing and treating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) by regulating ferroptosis, network pharmacology, in vitro and in vivo experiments. MethodsIn the in vivo experiment, mouse MASLD models were established by high-fat diet (HFD) induction. The model mice were randomly assigned to a positive control group (silybin, 50 mg·kg-1), low-, medium- and high-dose XQD groups (4.725, 9.45, 18.9 g·kg-1), with a normal control group. After 4 weeks of modeling, mice except the normal group were administered intragastrically for 8 consecutive weeks. Liver function, serum lipid levels, hepatic histopathology, as well as the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and Fe2+ were detected. The mRNA and protein expression of p53, SLC7A11 and GPX4 were determined by quantitative Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(Real-time PCR) and Western blot. In the network pharmacology analysis, active components and potential targets of XQD for MASLD were screened, followed by functional and pathway enrichment analyses, and molecular docking was performed to verify the target binding activity. In the in vitro experiment, the optimal concentration of XQD-containing serum was screened by cytotoxicity assay. HepG2 cells were transfected with ov-NC or ov-p53 plasmid, and a lipid accumulation model was induced by free fatty acid (FFA, 1.0 mmol·L-1). Cells were divided into a normal group, FFA model group, ov-NC+XQD (15%) group and ov-p53+XQD (15%) group. Intracellular Fe2+ level and lipid accumulation were evaluated, and the protein expression of p53, SLC7A11 and GPX4 was measured by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the normal group, the model group exhibited markedly elevated body weight, liver weight, liver index, fasting blood glucose, AUC of glucose tolerance test, serum liver function and blood lipid levels at week 12 (P<0.01). Hepatic steatosis and inflammatory infiltration were observed by pathological staining. Additionally, hepatic levels of MDA, SOD and Fe2+ were increased (P<0.01), while GSH, GSSG and the GSH/GSSG ratio were decreased (P<0.01). The mRNA and protein expression of hepatic p53 was upregulated (P<0.01), whereas the expression of SLC7A11 and GPX4 was downregulated (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the low- and medium-dose XQD groups showed significantly decreased body weight at week 12 (P<0.05). The silybin group, together with the medium- and high-dose XQD groups, presented reduced liver weight and liver index (P<0.05). Fasting blood glucose and the AUC of glucose tolerance test were lowered in all four treatment groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). Pathological staining revealed alleviated hepatic steatosis and inflammation, accompanied by decreased serum liver function and blood lipid levels (P<0.05, P<0.01). Moreover, hepatic MDA and SOD levels were markedly reduced, while GSH, GSSG and the GSH/GSSG ratio were significantly elevated (P<0.05, P<0.01). Hepatic Fe2+ level was decreased (P<0.01). The mRNA and protein expression of hepatic p53 was downregulated, and the expression of SLC7A11 and GPX4 was upregulated (P<0.05, P<0.01). Network pharmacology analysis identified quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, tanshinone IIA and isorhamnetin as the core active components of XQD, with p53 serving as the key target. Stable binding was verified between these active components and the p53 protein. The optimal concentration of XQD-containing serum in vitro was determined to be 15%. Compared with the normal group, the model group showed increased intracellular Fe2+ and lipid accumulation, significantly upregulated p53 protein expression (P<0.01), and markedly downregulated SLC7A11 and GPX4 protein expression (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the ov-NC group exhibited reduced Fe2+ and lipid accumulation, downregulated p53 expression, and upregulated SLC7A11 and GPX4 expression. In the ov-p53 group, p53 expression was upregulated (P<0.01), while SLC7A11 and GPX4 expression was downregulated (P<0.01). ConclusionXQD inhibits ferroptosis by downregulating p53 and upregulating SLC7A11 and GPX4, thereby alleviating oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in hepatocytes and improving MASLD.
2.Osthole ameliorates chronic pruritus in 2,4-dichloronitrobenzene-induced atopic dermatitis by inhibiting IL-31 production.
Shuang HE ; Xiaoling LIANG ; Weixiong CHEN ; Yangji NIMA ; Yi LI ; Zihui GU ; Siyue LAI ; Fei ZHONG ; Caixiong QIU ; Yuying MO ; Jiajun TANG ; Guanyi WU
Chinese Herbal Medicines 2025;17(2):368-379
OBJECTIVE:
This study aims to elucidate the therapeutic potential of osthole for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), focusing on its ability to alleviate chronic pruritus (CP) and the underlying molecular mechanisms.
METHODS:
In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of osthole in both a 2,4-dichloronitrobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD mouse model and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) stimulated huma immortalized epidermal (HaCaT) cells. The anti-itch effect of osthole was specifically assessed in the AD mouse model. Using methods such as hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blot (WB), quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and immunofluorescence staining.
RESULTS:
Osthole improved skin damage and clinical dermatitis scores, reduced scratching bouts, and decreased epidermal thickness AD-like mice. It also reduced the levels of interleukin (IL)-31 and IL-31 receptor A (IL-31 RA) in both skin tissues and HaCaT cells. Furthermore, Osthole suppressed the protein expression levels of phosphor-p65 (p-p65) and phosphor-inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-Bα (p-IκBα). Meanwhile, it increased the protein expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) and PPARγ in HaCaT cells.
CONCLUSION
These findings indicated that osthole effectively inhibited CP in AD by activating PPARα, PPARγ, repressing the NF-κB signaling pathway, as well as the expression of IL-31 and IL-31 RA.
3.Research on Building a Performance Evaluation Index System for the Specialty Cooperation Alliance in Hospital-Community
Yuying WANG ; Fei ZHANG ; Dongbao ZHAO ; Yi FAN ; Quancheng XU ; Lijin CHEN ; Yixiang HUANG
Chinese Hospital Management 2025;45(5):59-62
Objective To construct the performance evaluation index system of specialist cooperation alliance in hos-pital-community in order to scientifically evaluate the effect of the construction of the specialist cooperation alliance.Methods By searching literature related to the construction of specialized league,sort out national and local policy documents,and the"structure-process-result"model was adopted to initially construct the index system.The ex-pert letter consultation form of the indicator system was formed through the discussion of the special group,two rounds of Delphi expert consultation were carried out to determine the evaluation indicator system,and the weight coefficient of each indicator was determined by the simultaneous application of analytic hierarchy process.Results The effective recovery rates of the two rounds of questionnaire were 84.62%and 100.00%,respectively.The positive de-gree of experts was high,and the average authority degree of experts was 0.864.The importance,operability,sen-sitivity Kendall's W coefficient and x2 test value of all indexes were P<0.05.Finally,an evaluation index system covering 9 first-level indicators and 25 second-level indicators was established.Conclusion The constructed perfor-mance evaluation index is scientific and reliable.The practical application shows that it can be used as a tool to evalu-ate the effect of integrated,continuous and collaborative health service delivery in hospital-community.
4.Digital anatomical characteristics of morphological development of neurocentral synchondrosis of cervical vertebra in children
Yuying YI ; Ruifen SUN ; Zhaozheng YIN ; Lei LI ; Fengzhen ZHANG ; Ziyu LI ; Kun LI ; Xiaoyan REN ; Xing WANG ; Shaojie ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(15):3138-3146
BACKGROUND:With the increasing attention of scholars at home and abroad to children's cervical spine-related diseases,the demand for exploring the anatomical indicators and changes of cervical spine morphology and development in children of different ages is increasing.OBJECTIVE:To explore and analyze the morphological changes of children with different ages and vertebral sequences by measuring the anatomical position indexes of C2-C7 neurocentral synchondrosis in children aged 1-6 years.METHODS:Normal cervical spine CT images were retrospectively collected from 160 children aged 1-6 years at provincial tertiary hospitals.They were divided into six groups according to an age group of 1 year.The raw data of consecutively scanned cervical spine tomography images were imported into Mimics 16.0 software.The positional anatomical indexes of cervical spine segments C2-C7 in coronal and transverse planes were measured and analyzed under the two-dimensional image window by choosing the measurement tools under the toolbar of Measurements.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The distance between the two sides of C2-C7 neurocentral synchondrosis and the distance between the left and right sides of neurocentral synchondrosis and the transverse process gradually increased with age.The overall development of vertebrae in each cervical vertebral segment was faster than the ossification of the neurocentral synchondrosis.(2)The cross-sectional angles on both sides of C2-C7 neurocentral synchondrosis gradually increased with age,and the angles between the left and right sides of neurocentral synchondrosis and the anterior and posterior edges of the vertebral body gradually decreased.Both sides of the neurocentral synchondrosis in cervical vertebral segments tended to grow toward the arch site,which mainly promoted the growth and development of the arch.(3)Except for C7,the angle between the coronal planes on both sides of the cervical spine changed little with the descending neurocentral synchondrosis of the cervical spine,and the neurocentral synchondrosis of the cervical spine was more inclined to longitudinal growth and ossification.(4)The neurocentral synchondrosis position changes in C7 were significantly different from those in the rest of the cervical vertebrae.(5)The anatomical indexes of C2-C7 neurocentral synchondrosis position in children have obvious development rules among different ages and vertebral bodies,and these rules are helpful for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of cervical spine diseases in children.
5.Relationship between social support and family resilience of primary caregivers of first-stroke patients:a chain mediation model
Dandan CHEN ; Yi ZHA ; Qin WANG ; Sai SHA ; Yanrong LUO ; Yu ZHANG ; Yuying CHEN ; Sailu MAO ; Longjuan YU
Academic Journal of Naval Medical University 2025;46(4):451-457
Objective To explore the relationships between social support,positive coping,caregiver burden and family resilience of primary caregivers of first-stroke patients.Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted among 307 primary caregivers of first-stroke patients in 2 tertiary hospitals in Shanghai by convenience sampling method.Social support rating scale,simplified coping style questionnaire,Zarit caregiver burden interview,and family resilience assessment scale were used for questionnaire survey.Pearson correlation analysis and structural equation models were used for data analysis.Results A total of 288 valid questionnaires were collected,and the effective recovery rate was 93.81%.Pearson correlation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between family resilience and social support,family resilience and positive coping,and social support and positive coping(r=0.375,0.627,and 0.277;all P<0.01),while caregiver burden and social support,caregiver burden and positive coping,and family resilience and caregiver burden were all negatively correlated(r=-0.203,-0.343,and-0.444;all P<0.01).The mediating effect model was constructed with positive coping and caregiver burden as mediating variables,social support as independent variables,and family resilience as dependent variables.The results showed that social support could mediate family resilience through positive coping,with a mediating effect of 0.164,accounting for 26.1%of the total effect;social support could also affect the family resilience of the primary caregivers of first-stroke patients through the partial chain mediating effect of positive coping and caregiver burden,with a mediating effect value of 0.032,accounting for 5.1%of the total effect.Conclusion Social support can predict family resilience among primary caregivers of first-stroke patients,and positive coping and caregiver burden play chain mediating roles in the impact of social support on family resilience.
6.Relationship between adiponectin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein to albumin ratio and the progression of acute cerebral infarction
Ruixiang MA ; Yi LIU ; Yuying XUE ; Yan YOU
Chinese Journal of Primary Medicine and Pharmacy 2025;32(3):420-425
Objective:To investigate the relationship between adiponectin (ADPN), the ratio of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) to albumin (ALB), and the progression of acute cerebral infarction (ACI).Methods:This case-control study involved 147 patients with ACI who were treated at Xingyuan Hospital of Yulin between January 2023 and March 2024. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was used to evaluate disease progression. Based on the progression of the disease, the patients were divided into two groups: the progressive group ( n = 38) and the non-progressive group ( n = 109). ADPN level and the hs-CRP/ALB ratio were compared between the two groups. Additionally, multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify risk factors for disease progression in ACI patients. The predictive value of ADPN and the hs-CRP/ALB ratio for ACI was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results:In the progressive group, hs-CRP level and hs-CRP/ALB ratio were (14.38 ± 3.27) mg/L and (0.43 ± 0.13), respectively, both of which were significantly higher than those in the non-progressive group [(8.92 ± 2.73) mg/L, (0.20 ± 0.07), t = 9.22, 10.37, both P < 0.001]. In contrast, the levels of ADPN and albumin in the progressive group were (2.71 ± 0.59) mg/L and (33.54 ± 8.66) g/L, respectively, both of which were significantly lower than those in the non-progressive group [(5.36 ± 1.42) mg/L, (45.05 ± 10.42) g/L, t = -15.99, -6.68, both P < 0.001]. The progressive group had higher admission NIHSS scores, a higher proportion of patients with diabetes, higher white blood cell counts, higher hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and fibrinogen levels compared with the non-progressive group ( t = 8.43, 2.88, 5.79, 2.77, χ2 = 4.40, all P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis results indicated that higher admission NIHSS scores, HbA1c levels, and hs-CRP/ALB ratios were independent risk factors for disease progression in ACI patients ( OR = 2.438, 1.600, 2.971, all P < 0.05), while higher levels of ADPN were identified as a protective factor against disease progression ( OR = 0.321, P < 0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve for predicting disease progression after admission for ACI patients using serum ADPN and hs-CRP/ALB ratio alone were 0.730 (95% CI: 0.658-0.800) and 0.758 (95% CI: 0.685-0.826), respectively. The area under the curve for the combined prediction of serum ADPN and the hs-CRP/ALB ratio was 0.895 (95% CI: 0.845-0.940), demonstrating higher predictive efficacy ( Z = 1.80, 2.13, both P < 0.05). Conclusions:ADPN level and hs-CRP/ALB ratio are closely related to the progression of ACI and demonstrate good predictive efficacy for disease progression.
7.Digital anatomical characteristics of morphological development of neurocentral synchondrosis of cervical vertebra in children
Yuying YI ; Ruifen SUN ; Zhaozheng YIN ; Lei LI ; Fengzhen ZHANG ; Ziyu LI ; Kun LI ; Xiaoyan REN ; Xing WANG ; Shaojie ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(15):3138-3146
BACKGROUND:With the increasing attention of scholars at home and abroad to children's cervical spine-related diseases,the demand for exploring the anatomical indicators and changes of cervical spine morphology and development in children of different ages is increasing.OBJECTIVE:To explore and analyze the morphological changes of children with different ages and vertebral sequences by measuring the anatomical position indexes of C2-C7 neurocentral synchondrosis in children aged 1-6 years.METHODS:Normal cervical spine CT images were retrospectively collected from 160 children aged 1-6 years at provincial tertiary hospitals.They were divided into six groups according to an age group of 1 year.The raw data of consecutively scanned cervical spine tomography images were imported into Mimics 16.0 software.The positional anatomical indexes of cervical spine segments C2-C7 in coronal and transverse planes were measured and analyzed under the two-dimensional image window by choosing the measurement tools under the toolbar of Measurements.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The distance between the two sides of C2-C7 neurocentral synchondrosis and the distance between the left and right sides of neurocentral synchondrosis and the transverse process gradually increased with age.The overall development of vertebrae in each cervical vertebral segment was faster than the ossification of the neurocentral synchondrosis.(2)The cross-sectional angles on both sides of C2-C7 neurocentral synchondrosis gradually increased with age,and the angles between the left and right sides of neurocentral synchondrosis and the anterior and posterior edges of the vertebral body gradually decreased.Both sides of the neurocentral synchondrosis in cervical vertebral segments tended to grow toward the arch site,which mainly promoted the growth and development of the arch.(3)Except for C7,the angle between the coronal planes on both sides of the cervical spine changed little with the descending neurocentral synchondrosis of the cervical spine,and the neurocentral synchondrosis of the cervical spine was more inclined to longitudinal growth and ossification.(4)The neurocentral synchondrosis position changes in C7 were significantly different from those in the rest of the cervical vertebrae.(5)The anatomical indexes of C2-C7 neurocentral synchondrosis position in children have obvious development rules among different ages and vertebral bodies,and these rules are helpful for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of cervical spine diseases in children.
8.Relationship between adiponectin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein to albumin ratio and the progression of acute cerebral infarction
Ruixiang MA ; Yi LIU ; Yuying XUE ; Yan YOU
Chinese Journal of Primary Medicine and Pharmacy 2025;32(3):420-425
Objective:To investigate the relationship between adiponectin (ADPN), the ratio of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) to albumin (ALB), and the progression of acute cerebral infarction (ACI).Methods:This case-control study involved 147 patients with ACI who were treated at Xingyuan Hospital of Yulin between January 2023 and March 2024. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was used to evaluate disease progression. Based on the progression of the disease, the patients were divided into two groups: the progressive group ( n = 38) and the non-progressive group ( n = 109). ADPN level and the hs-CRP/ALB ratio were compared between the two groups. Additionally, multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify risk factors for disease progression in ACI patients. The predictive value of ADPN and the hs-CRP/ALB ratio for ACI was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results:In the progressive group, hs-CRP level and hs-CRP/ALB ratio were (14.38 ± 3.27) mg/L and (0.43 ± 0.13), respectively, both of which were significantly higher than those in the non-progressive group [(8.92 ± 2.73) mg/L, (0.20 ± 0.07), t = 9.22, 10.37, both P < 0.001]. In contrast, the levels of ADPN and albumin in the progressive group were (2.71 ± 0.59) mg/L and (33.54 ± 8.66) g/L, respectively, both of which were significantly lower than those in the non-progressive group [(5.36 ± 1.42) mg/L, (45.05 ± 10.42) g/L, t = -15.99, -6.68, both P < 0.001]. The progressive group had higher admission NIHSS scores, a higher proportion of patients with diabetes, higher white blood cell counts, higher hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and fibrinogen levels compared with the non-progressive group ( t = 8.43, 2.88, 5.79, 2.77, χ2 = 4.40, all P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis results indicated that higher admission NIHSS scores, HbA1c levels, and hs-CRP/ALB ratios were independent risk factors for disease progression in ACI patients ( OR = 2.438, 1.600, 2.971, all P < 0.05), while higher levels of ADPN were identified as a protective factor against disease progression ( OR = 0.321, P < 0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the area under the curve for predicting disease progression after admission for ACI patients using serum ADPN and hs-CRP/ALB ratio alone were 0.730 (95% CI: 0.658-0.800) and 0.758 (95% CI: 0.685-0.826), respectively. The area under the curve for the combined prediction of serum ADPN and the hs-CRP/ALB ratio was 0.895 (95% CI: 0.845-0.940), demonstrating higher predictive efficacy ( Z = 1.80, 2.13, both P < 0.05). Conclusions:ADPN level and hs-CRP/ALB ratio are closely related to the progression of ACI and demonstrate good predictive efficacy for disease progression.
9.Research on Building a Performance Evaluation Index System for the Specialty Cooperation Alliance in Hospital-Community
Yuying WANG ; Fei ZHANG ; Dongbao ZHAO ; Yi FAN ; Quancheng XU ; Lijin CHEN ; Yixiang HUANG
Chinese Hospital Management 2025;45(5):59-62
Objective To construct the performance evaluation index system of specialist cooperation alliance in hos-pital-community in order to scientifically evaluate the effect of the construction of the specialist cooperation alliance.Methods By searching literature related to the construction of specialized league,sort out national and local policy documents,and the"structure-process-result"model was adopted to initially construct the index system.The ex-pert letter consultation form of the indicator system was formed through the discussion of the special group,two rounds of Delphi expert consultation were carried out to determine the evaluation indicator system,and the weight coefficient of each indicator was determined by the simultaneous application of analytic hierarchy process.Results The effective recovery rates of the two rounds of questionnaire were 84.62%and 100.00%,respectively.The positive de-gree of experts was high,and the average authority degree of experts was 0.864.The importance,operability,sen-sitivity Kendall's W coefficient and x2 test value of all indexes were P<0.05.Finally,an evaluation index system covering 9 first-level indicators and 25 second-level indicators was established.Conclusion The constructed perfor-mance evaluation index is scientific and reliable.The practical application shows that it can be used as a tool to evalu-ate the effect of integrated,continuous and collaborative health service delivery in hospital-community.
10.Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, genetic susceptibility, and the risk of incident type 2 diabetes: A prospective cohort in East China
Ying SUN ; Haojie ZHANG ; Bin WANG ; Yuying WANG ; Chi CHEN ; Yi CHEN ; Yingli LU ; Ningjian WANG
Chinese Medical Journal 2024;137(8):972-979
Background::The serum vitamin D level varies widely by population, and studies have linked vitamin D levels with the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the relationship is inconsistent and the impact of vitamin D on T2DM among East Chinese adults is unclear. The study aimed to investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels and the risk of T2DM and evaluated whether the association is modified by genetic predisposition.Methods::In the Survey on Prevalence in East China for Metabolic Diseases and Risk Factors (SPECT-China) cohort, 1862 participants free of T2DM at baseline were included. A weighted genetic risk score was calculated with 28 variants associated with T2DM. Hierarchical logistic models were used to examine the association of serum 25(OH)D and genetic risk with T2DM.Results::After a 5-year follow-up, 132 cases of T2DM were documented. We observed no significant association between quartiles of serum 25(OH)D and T2DM risk after multivariable adjustment (χ 2 = 0.571, Pfor trend = 0.426). Compared to those in the lowest quartile of 25(OH)D, the odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence interval [CI]) for participants with increased quartiles were 1.29 (0.74-2.25), 1.35 (0.77-2.36), and 1.27 (0.72-2.24), respectively. We observed a positive association of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) with 25(OH)D at baseline (β = 1.752, P = 0.001) and after follow-up (β = 1.385, P = 0.003), and a negative association of ln conversion homeostasis model assessment (HOMA)-β with 25(OH)D at baseline (β = -0.982, P = 0.021). There was no significant interaction between 25(OH)D and diabetes genetic predisposition on the risk of T2DM (χ 2 = 2.710, Pfor interaction = 0.100). The lowest OR (95% CI) of T2DM was among participants with low genetic risk and the highest quartile of 25(OH)D (0.17 [0.05–0.62]). Conclusion::Serum 25(OH)D may be irrelevant to the risk of incident T2DM among East Chinese adults regardless of genetic predisposition.

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