1.Allogeneic lung transplantation in miniature pigs and postoperative monitoring
Yaobo ZHAO ; Ullah SALMAN ; Kaiyan BAO ; Hua KUI ; Taiyun WEI ; Hongfang ZHAO ; Xiaoting TAO ; Xinzhong NING ; Yong LIU ; Guimei ZHANG ; He XIAO ; Jiaoxiang WANG ; Chang YANG ; Feiyan ZHU ; Kaixiang XU ; Kun QIAO ; Hongjiang WEI
Organ Transplantation 2026;17(1):95-105
Objective To explore the feasibility and reference value of allogeneic lung transplantation and postoperative monitoring in miniature pigs for lung transplantation research. Methods Two miniature pigs (R1 and R2) underwent left lung allogeneic transplantation. Complement-dependent cytotoxicity tests and blood cross-matching were performed before surgery. The main operative times and partial pressure of arterial oxygen (PaO2) after opening the pulmonary artery were recorded during surgery. Postoperatively, routine blood tests, biochemical blood indicators and inflammatory factors were detected, and pathological examinations of multiple organs were conducted. Results The complement-dependent cytotoxicity test showed that the survival rate of lymphocytes between donors and recipients was 42.5%-47.3%, and no agglutination reaction occurred in the cross-matching. The first warm ischemia times of D1 and D2 were 17 min and 10 min, respectively, and the cold ischemia times were 246 min and 216 min, respectively. Ultimately, R1 and R2 survived for 1.5 h and 104 h, respectively. Postoperatively, in R1, albumin (ALB) and globulin (GLB) decreased, and alanine aminotransferase increased; in R2, ALB, GLB and aspartate aminotransferase all increased. Urea nitrogen and serum creatinine increased in both recipients. Pathological results showed that in R1, the transplanted lung had partial consolidation with inflammatory cell infiltration, and multiple organs were congested and damaged. In R2, the transplanted lung had severe necrosis with fibrosis, and multiple organs had mild to moderate damage. The expression levels of interleukin-1β and interleukin-6 increased in the transplanted lungs. Conclusions The allogeneic lung transplantation model in miniature pigs may systematically evaluate immunological compatibility, intraoperative function and postoperative organ damage. The data obtained may provide technical references for subsequent lung transplantation research.
2.Study on the effects and mechanisms of Lycium ruthenicum Murr. in improving sleep
Ming QIAO ; Yao ZHAO ; Yi ZHU ; Yexia CAO ; Limei WEN ; Yuehong GONG ; Xiang LI ; Juanchen WANG ; Tao WANG ; Jianhua YANG ; Junping HU
China Pharmacy 2026;37(1):24-29
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects and mechanisms of Lycium ruthenicum Murr. in improving sleep. METHODS Network pharmacology was employed to identify the active components of L. ruthenicum and their associated disease targets, followed by enrichment analysis. A caffeine‑induced zebrafish model of sleep deprivation was established , and the zebrafish were treated with L. ruthenicum Murr. extract (LRME) at concentrations of 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg/mL, respectively; 24 h later, behavioral changes of zebrafish and pathological alterations in brain neurons were subsequently observed. The levels of inflammatory factors [interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)], oxidative stress markers [superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT)], and neurotransmitters [5- hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamic acid (Glu), dopamine (DA), and norepinephrine (NE)] were measured. The protein expression levels of protein kinase B1 (AKT1), phosphorylated AKT1 (p-AKT1), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), sarcoma proto-oncogene,non-receptor tyrosine kinase (SRC), and heat shock protein 90α family class A member 1 (HSP90AA1) in the zebrafish were also determined. RESULTS A total of 12 active components and 176 intersecting disease targets were identified through network pharmacology analysis. Among these, apigenin, naringenin and others were recognized as core active compounds, while AKT1, EGFR and others served as key targets; EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance signaling pathway was identified as the critical pathway. The sleep improvement rates in zebrafish of LRME low-, medium-, and high-dose groups were 54.60%, 69.03% and 77.97%, 开发。E-mail:hjp_yft@163.com respectively, while the inhibition ratios of locomotor distance were 0.57, 0.83 and 0.95, respectively. Compared with the model group, the number of resting counts, resting time and resting distance were significantly increased/extended in LRME medium- and high-dose groups (P<0.05). Neuronal damage in the brain was alleviated. Additionally, the levels of IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, MDA, Glu, DA and NE, as well as the protein expression levels of AKT1, p-AKT1, EGFR, SRC and HSP90AA1, were markedly reduced (P<0.05), while the levels of IL-10, SOD, GSH-Px, CAT, 5-HT and GABA, as well as Bcl-2 protein expression, were significantly elevated (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS L. ruthenicum Murr. demonstrates sleep-improving effects, and its specific mechanism may be related to the regulation of inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, neurotransmitter balance, and the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance signaling pathway.
3.Study on the apoptosis-inducing effect of esculetin on acute myeloid leukemia HL-60 cells via regulating the AKT/SKP2/MTH1 pathway
Weihua SONG ; Fuying CHU ; Wei XIE ; Jinliang CHEN ; Ping ZHAO ; Hong QIU ; Jian TAO ; Xiang CHEN
China Pharmacy 2026;37(1):36-41
OBJECTIVE To investigate the apoptosis-inducing effect of esculetin (Esc) on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) HL-60 cells by regulating the protein kinase B (AKT)/S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (SKP2)/MutT homolog 1 (MTH1) pathway. METHODS AML HL-60 cells were randomly divided into control group (routine culture), Esc low-concentration group (L-Esc group, 25 μmol/L Esc), Esc medium-concentration group (M-Esc group, 50 μmol/L Esc), Esc high-concentration group (H-Esc group, 100 μmol/L Esc), and high-concentration of Esc+ SC79 (AKT agonist) group (100 μmol/L Esc+5 μmol/L SC79). Cell proliferation in each group was detected by MTT assay and colony formation assay. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cells was measured by using the CM-H2DCFDA fluorescent probe. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. Western blot assay was performed to detect the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins [B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), cleaved caspase-3], AKT/SKP2/MTH1 pathway-related proteins (p-AKT, AKT, SKP2, MTH1), along with the upstream and downstream proteins of AKT phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 (P21) and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B (P27). RESULTS Compared with control group, the cell viability, colony number, and the phosphorylation levels of AKT and PI3K proteins as well as protein expressions of SKP2, MTH1 and Bcl-2 were significantly decreased (P<0.05), while ROS level, apoptosis rate, and the expression levels of Bax, cleaved caspase-3, P21 and P27 proteins were significantly increased (P<0.05). Moreover, the effects of Esc exhibited concentration-dependence (P<0.05). Compared with H-Esc group, above indexes of high-concentration of Esc+ SC79 group were reversed significantly (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Esc may promote massive ROS production and induce activation of apoptosis in HL-60 cells by inhibiting the AKT/SKP2/MTH1 pathway, thus inhibiting the proliferation of HL-60 cells.
4.Analysis of related factors for preschool children s safety seat use in a district of Beijing
HU Jiangong, ZHAO Yingying, HE Chao, YOU Kai,PENG Tao
Chinese Journal of School Health 2026;47(1):42-45
Objective:
To understand the allocation and use of safety seats for preschool children and explore its related factors, so as to provide a scientific reference for promoting the usage of safety seats.
Methods:
A stratified random cluster sampling method was used to select 3 143 parents of preschool children aged 3 to 6 from six kindergartens in Shunyi District, Beijing from January 3 to 10, 2022. An online questionnaire survey was conducted to collect and evaluate the equipment and use of child safety seats in different characteristics of preschool children, as well as their scores of health beliefs. Multiple factor Logistic regression analysis was used to investigated the related factors of safety seat configuration and use.
Results:
The equipping rate and usage rate of safety seats for preschool children were 66.56% and 58.45%, respectively. The proportion of equipped and used safety seats for preschool children in core families (69.52%, 62.23%) were higher than that in large families (64.35%, 55.62%), only child families ( 72.39 %, 64.87%) were higher than non only child families (61.49%, 52.86%), and urban families (71.63%, 63.04%) were higher than rural families (52.31%, 45.51%) ( χ 2=9.23, 13.86; 41.72, 46.44; 101.96 ,76.97,all P <0.05) . As the educational level of parents ( χ 2 trend =154.23,98.76) and annual income of the family ( χ 2 trend =155.78,127.69) rised, the reporting rates of the equipped and used child safety seats in the family also increased(all P <0.05 ). There were statistically significant differences in the scores of different dimensions of health beliefs for the provision ( t =-20.22-18.16) and use ( t =24.32-24.17) of safety seats for preschool children(all P <0.05). After adjusting for child sex, child age, family annual income, parental education level, family type, whether the child was an only child, and place of residence,multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that preschool children with higher perceived susceptibility score( OR =1.11, 1.08), higher self efficacy score( OR =1.23, 1.33), and higher suggestive factors score( OR =1.08, 1.12) were more likely to have and use safety seats in their families, while preschool children with higher perceived impairments score( OR =0.82, 0.80) were less likely to have and use safety seats in their families (all P <0.05).
Conclusions
The installation rate of child safety seats needs to be improved, and there is also a certain gap in their use after installation. Parents of preschool children should improve susceptibility and self efficacy to safety seat equipment and use, and perceptual barriers should be reduced.
5.Mechanisms of Renshentang in Treating AS via Regulation of Endothelial Cell Inflammation Based on TRPV1
Ce CHU ; Yulu YUAN ; Zhen YANG ; Xuguang TAO ; Xiangyun CHEN ; Zhanzhan HE ; Yuxin ZHANG ; Yongqi XU ; Wanping CHEN ; Peizhang ZHAO ; Wenlai WANG ; Hongxia ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(6):46-53
ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which Renshentang treats atherosclerosis (AS) in mice, focusing on the regulation of endothelial inflammatory responses mediated by transient receptor potential vanilloid subtype 1 (TRPV1). MethodsAn AS model was established in apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE-/-) mice fed a high-fat diet. The mice were randomly divided into a simvastatin group (0.02 g·kg-1·d-1) and low-, medium-, and high-dose Renshentang groups (1.77, 3.54, 7.08 g·kg-1·d-1), with 12 mice in each group. ApoE-/- mice were fed a high-fat diet and treated simultaneously. C57BL/6J mice fed a normal diet served as the normal group (n=9). After continuous administration for 12 weeks, mice were anesthetized and the aortas were collected. Oil Red O staining was used to observe lipid plaque formation in the aorta. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was performed to examine pathological changes in the aortic root. Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze the levels of pro-inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), as well as the expression of TRPV1, phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (p-PI3K), and phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-Akt) in the aortic root. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was used to detect endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) mRNA expression in the aorta, and Western blot was used to detect TRPV1 protein expression. ResultsCompared with the normal group, the model group showed a significant increase in aortic plaque formation (P<0.01) and significantly elevated levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in the aortic root (P<0.01). The expression levels of TRPV1, p-PI3K, and p-Akt were decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01), and eNOS mRNA expression was reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, all Renshentang groups significantly reduced aortic plaque formation (P<0.01), significantly decreased TNF-α and IL-1β levels (P<0.01), and markedly increased the expression levels of TRPV1, p-PI3K, p-Akt, and eNOS mRNA (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionRenshentang may inhibit endothelial inflammation and suppress the formation of AS by increasing TRPV1 protein expression and up-regulating the PI3K/Akt/eNOS signaling pathway, which may be one of the molecular mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effect against AS.
6.Intervention of Exercise Combined with Shenghui Tang in M1AChR Regulation of Mitochondrial Autophagy Improves Learning and Memory Ability of Alzheimer's Disease Model Rats
Xiaoxue TAO ; Min XIAO ; Kunyang TANG ; Bo WANG ; Chunchun ZHAO ; Rongxiang LIANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(1):120-130
ObjectiveTo make clear exercise combined with Shenghui Tang interferes in acetylcholine receptor (M1AChR) to improve mitochondrial autophagy and enhance cognition of Alzheimer's disease (AD) model rats through the adenylate activated protein kinase (AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. MethodsForty-eight male SD rats of SPF grade were randomly divided into a blank group, a model group, a Shenghui Tang group (9.3 g·kg-1), an exercise group, an exercise + Shenghui Tang group (9.3 g·kg-1), and a rapamycin group (1.5 mg·kg-1). Except for the blank group, the rat model of AD was constructed by injecting amyloid beta (Aβ1-42) into hippocampus stereotaxically. The exercise group received treadmill exercise for 4 weeks, while the Shenghui Tang group received intragastric administration for 4 weeks, and the exercise + Shenghui Tang group received treadmill exercise and intragastric administration of Shenghui Tang for 4 weeks simultaneously. After the intervention, the Morris water maze test was used to detect the learning and memory ability. Spontaneous behavior was observed in the open field test. The pathological structure of hippocampal neurons was observed by NISSl staining. The expression level of M1AChR in hippocampus was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The autophagy ultrastructure of hippocampal neurons was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The apoptosis rate was evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). The expression of Beclin1 and microtubule-associated protein light chain 3β (LC3β) was detected by immunofluorescence (IF). The protein expression of M1AChR, AMPK, p-AMPK, mTOR, Beclin1, LC3β, and chelate 1 (SQSTM1/p62) in hippocampus was detected by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the blank group, the model group exhibited significantly increased platform escape latency on the fifth day (P<0.01) and significantly decreased activity distance in the target quadrant and times of crossing the platform (P<0.01). The total movement distance in the open field, the time of movement in the central area, and the average speed obviously decreased (P<0.05). The arrangement of nerve cells in hippocampus CA1 region was dispersed, and the numbers of Nissl bodies and M1AChR positive cells significantly decreased (P<0.01). The expression of TUNEL positive cells was significantly increased (P<0.01). The typical autophagic lysosomal structure decreased. The protein expression of M1AChR, p-AMPK/AMPK, p-mTOR/mTOR, Beclin1, LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ in hippocampus was significantly decreased (P<0.01), and the protein expression of p62 was significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the exercise + Shenghui Tang group exhibited obviously improved space exploration and positioning navigation ability (P<0.05, P<0.01). The total movement distance in the open field, the time of movement in the central area, and the average speed of movement significantly increased (P<0.01). The number of Nissl bodies significantly increased (P<0.01). The number of M1AChR positive cells in hippocampus was significantly increased (P<0.01). The expression of TUNEL positive cells was significantly decreased (P<0.01). The protein expression of M1AChR, p-AMPK/AMPK, p-mTOR/mTOR, Beclin1, LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ in hippocampus was significantly increased (P<0.01), while the protein expression of p62 was significantly decreased (P<0.01). Compared with the exercise + Shenghui Tang group, the Shenghui Tang group and the exercise group showed significantly increased platform escape latency on the fifth day (P<0.01) and obviously decreased activity distance in the target quadrant and times of crossing the platform (P<0.05, P<0.01). The total movement distance in the open field, the time of movement in the central area, and the average speed of movement significantly decreased (P<0.01). The number of Nissl bodies and the number of M1AChR positive cells significantly decreased (P<0.01). The expression of TUNEL positive cells was obviously increased (P<0.05). Ultrastructure of the hippocampal region showed decreased autophagy level. The protein expression of M1AChR, p-AMPK/AMPK, p-mTOR/mTOR, LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ in the hippocampus was obviously decreased in the Shenghui Tang group (P<0.05, P<0.01), while the protein expression of p62 was significantly increased (P<0.01). In the exercise group, the protein expression of M1AChR, p-AMPK/AMPK, Beclin1, and LC3Ⅱ/Ⅰ was obviously decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01), while the protein expression of p-mTOR/mTOR and p62 was significantly increased (P<0.01). ConclusionExercise combined with traditional Chinese medicine can enhance the expression of M1AChR in the hippocampus of AD model rats, induce autophagy through the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway, and improve the learning and memory ability of AD rats.
7.Research Tackling Paradigm and Technological Layout Strategies Based on Erectile Dysfunction, A Clinical Dominant Disease of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Qi ZHAO ; Yun CHEN ; Baoxing LIU ; Xuejun SHANG ; Fei SUN ; Xiaozhi ZHAO ; Zhigang WU ; Chao SUN ; Peihai ZHANG ; Wanjun CHENG ; Xing ZHOU ; Zhan QIN ; Yufeng PAN ; Weiwei TAO ; Jianhuai CHEN ; Mei MO ; Xiaoxiao ZHANG ; Xing ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(7):291-299
To thoroughly implement the strategic deployment outlined in the Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Promoting the Inheritance and Innovative Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine regarding research on dominant diseases of traditional Chinese medicine and to uphold the development philosophy of equal emphasis on traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine,the China Association of Chinese Medicine has fully played a leading academic role by systematically organizing and conducting a series of academic youth salons on clinical dominant diseases of traditional Chinese medicine. On September 13,2024,the 36th Youth Salon on Clinical Dominant Diseases was successfully held in Nanjing,focusing on the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine and the integrative traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). The conference brought together leading experts from traditional Chinese medicine,western medicine,and interdisciplinary fields,facilitating in-depth multidisciplinary discussions that led to key consensus on optimizing traditional Chinese medicine treatment protocols for ED,researching and developing new drugs of traditional Chinese medicine,and advancing interdisciplinary development in traditional Chinese medicine. This salon systematically sorted out the clinical strengths and distinctive features of traditional Chinese medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of ED. Based on current research foundations and clinical needs,it identified key directions for future scientific layout and scientific research tackling: (1) Standardization of syndrome differentiation system of traditional Chinese medicine for ED. (2) Optimization and standardization of intervention methods of integrated traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine. (3) High-quality clinical research guided by evidence-based medicine. (4) In-depth analysis of the pharmacological mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of ED. (5) Clinical translation and application promotion of new drugs of traditional Chinese medicine. (6) Interdisciplinary integration and innovation in traditional Chinese medicine. For each research direction,key focus areas,expected objectives,and clinical value were further refined,along with the establishment of a scientifically sound priority funding level evaluation system. Therefore,building on the series of salons on the ED-focused dominant diseases of traditional Chinese medicine,this paper provides standardized guidance for clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine in ED management,effectively contributing to the high-quality development of traditional Chinese medicine. It serves as a valuable reference for national scientific and technological strategic layout, research and development decision-making in new drugs of traditional Chinese medicine,research topic planning,and clinical guideline formulation.
8.Effect and Mechanism of Icariin on Improving Spermatogenesis in Exercise-induced Fatigue Model Mice Through Regucalcin
Kunyang TANG ; Min XIAO ; Xiaocui JIANG ; Xiaoxue TAO ; Yue ZOU ; Chunchun ZHAO ; Zhipeng FANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(8):117-127
ObjectiveThis paper aims to investigate the effects of icariin on spermatogenesis in mice with exercise-induced fatigue and explore the underlying mechanisms. MethodsICR male mice were screened by swimming and randomly divided into normal group, model group, vitamin C group, icariin groups with low, medium, and high doses, and medium-dose icariin+N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) group, with 10 mice per group. Except for the normal group, all the other groups underwent weighted swimming training to establish an exercise-induced fatigue model. No gavage was administered during the first two weeks of the weighted training. From week three to four, the icariin groups with low, medium, and high doses received 0.03, 0.06, and 0.12 g·kg-1 icariin via gavage, respectively. The vitamin C group received 0.2 g·kg-1 vitamin C. The L-NAME group received 0.06 g·kg-1 icariin and 0.01 g·kg-1 L-NAME via intraperitoneal injection. The normal and model groups received equivalent physiological saline. After the experiment, body weight and the last exhaustive swimming time were recorded. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), lactate (LA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA), testicular testosterone (T), testicular Ca2+/Mg2+-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) (micro-assay), and the levels of testicular cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) were measured by using kits. Sperm CD46 levels were detected by flow cytometry. Testicular seminiferous tubules were observed via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and the testicular morphometric score (TMS) was used to evaluate the spermatogenic function. Protein expression of regucalcin (RGN, SMP30), cGMP-dependent protein kinase 1 (PKG), and cGMP-dependent protein kinase anchoring protein (GKAP1) was detected by Western blot. Testicular regucalcin expression was examined by immunofluorescence (IF). The epididymal sperm quality of mice was observed under a microscope. Fluorescence-stained sections of stimulated by retinoic acid gene 8 (STRA8), synaptonemal complex protein 3 (SCP3), and transition protein 1(TNP1) in testicular seminiferous tubules were assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). ResultsCompared with the normal group, the model group showed decreased body weight and exhaustive swimming time (P<0.01), significantly increased fatigue markers (LA, LDH, and BUN) and lipid peroxidation product MDA (P<0.01), reduced testicular RGN, PKG, GKAP1, testosterone, Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase, and cGMP levels (P<0.01), decreased sperm motility, sperm count, and TMS scores, and downregulated the expression of STRA8, SCP3, and TNP1. Compared with the model group, the icariin group with high dose exhibited increased exhaustive swimming time (P<0.01), reduced LA, LDH, BUN, and MDA levels (P<0.01), elevated superoxide dismutase (SOD) (P<0.01), upregulated testicular RGN, PKG, GKAP1, testosterone, Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase, and cGMP levels (P<0.01), improved sperm motility, sperm count, and TMS scores, and enhanced STRA8, SCP3, and TNP1 expression. Compared with the L-NAME group, the icariin group with medium dose showed increased expression of STRA8, SCP3, and TNP1 in the testicular tissue (P<0.01) and elevated cGMP and GKAP1 levels (P<0.01). ConclusionExercise-induced fatigue reduces the expression of RGN and cGMP/PKG/GKAP1 in mice, thereby causing abnormal spermatogenesis and impairing reproductive function in mice. Icariin ameliorates spermatogenic dysfunction in exercise-induced fatigue mice by promoting the expression of RGN and cGMP/PKG/GKAP1, thereby mitigating the damage of exercise-induced fatigue to the reproductive system.
9.Effect and Mechanism of Icariin on Improving Spermatogenesis in Exercise-induced Fatigue Model Mice Through Regucalcin
Kunyang TANG ; Min XIAO ; Xiaocui JIANG ; Xiaoxue TAO ; Yue ZOU ; Chunchun ZHAO ; Zhipeng FANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(8):117-127
ObjectiveThis paper aims to investigate the effects of icariin on spermatogenesis in mice with exercise-induced fatigue and explore the underlying mechanisms. MethodsICR male mice were screened by swimming and randomly divided into normal group, model group, vitamin C group, icariin groups with low, medium, and high doses, and medium-dose icariin+N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) group, with 10 mice per group. Except for the normal group, all the other groups underwent weighted swimming training to establish an exercise-induced fatigue model. No gavage was administered during the first two weeks of the weighted training. From week three to four, the icariin groups with low, medium, and high doses received 0.03, 0.06, and 0.12 g·kg-1 icariin via gavage, respectively. The vitamin C group received 0.2 g·kg-1 vitamin C. The L-NAME group received 0.06 g·kg-1 icariin and 0.01 g·kg-1 L-NAME via intraperitoneal injection. The normal and model groups received equivalent physiological saline. After the experiment, body weight and the last exhaustive swimming time were recorded. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), lactate (LA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdehyde (MDA), testicular testosterone (T), testicular Ca2+/Mg2+-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) (micro-assay), and the levels of testicular cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) were measured by using kits. Sperm CD46 levels were detected by flow cytometry. Testicular seminiferous tubules were observed via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and the testicular morphometric score (TMS) was used to evaluate the spermatogenic function. Protein expression of regucalcin (RGN, SMP30), cGMP-dependent protein kinase 1 (PKG), and cGMP-dependent protein kinase anchoring protein (GKAP1) was detected by Western blot. Testicular regucalcin expression was examined by immunofluorescence (IF). The epididymal sperm quality of mice was observed under a microscope. Fluorescence-stained sections of stimulated by retinoic acid gene 8 (STRA8), synaptonemal complex protein 3 (SCP3), and transition protein 1(TNP1) in testicular seminiferous tubules were assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). ResultsCompared with the normal group, the model group showed decreased body weight and exhaustive swimming time (P<0.01), significantly increased fatigue markers (LA, LDH, and BUN) and lipid peroxidation product MDA (P<0.01), reduced testicular RGN, PKG, GKAP1, testosterone, Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase, and cGMP levels (P<0.01), decreased sperm motility, sperm count, and TMS scores, and downregulated the expression of STRA8, SCP3, and TNP1. Compared with the model group, the icariin group with high dose exhibited increased exhaustive swimming time (P<0.01), reduced LA, LDH, BUN, and MDA levels (P<0.01), elevated superoxide dismutase (SOD) (P<0.01), upregulated testicular RGN, PKG, GKAP1, testosterone, Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase, and cGMP levels (P<0.01), improved sperm motility, sperm count, and TMS scores, and enhanced STRA8, SCP3, and TNP1 expression. Compared with the L-NAME group, the icariin group with medium dose showed increased expression of STRA8, SCP3, and TNP1 in the testicular tissue (P<0.01) and elevated cGMP and GKAP1 levels (P<0.01). ConclusionExercise-induced fatigue reduces the expression of RGN and cGMP/PKG/GKAP1 in mice, thereby causing abnormal spermatogenesis and impairing reproductive function in mice. Icariin ameliorates spermatogenic dysfunction in exercise-induced fatigue mice by promoting the expression of RGN and cGMP/PKG/GKAP1, thereby mitigating the damage of exercise-induced fatigue to the reproductive system.
10.Research on BP Neural Network Method for Identifying Cell Suspension Concentration Based on GHz Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy
An ZHANG ; A-Long TAO ; Qi-Hang RAN ; Xia-Yi LIU ; Zhi-Long WANG ; Bo SUN ; Jia-Feng YAO ; Tong ZHAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(5):1302-1312
ObjectiveThe rapid advancement of bioanalytical technologies has heightened the demand for high-throughput, label-free, and real-time cellular analysis. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) operating in the GHz frequency range (GHz-EIS) has emerged as a promising tool for characterizing cell suspensions due to its ability to rapidly and non-invasively capture the dielectric properties of cells and their microenvironment. Although GHz-EIS enables rapid and label-free detection of cell suspensions, significant challenges remain in interpreting GHz impedance data for complex samples, limiting the broader application of this technique in cellular research. To address these challenges, this study presents a novel method that integrates GHz-EIS with deep learning algorithms, aiming to improve the precision of cell suspension concentration identification and quantification. This method provides a more efficient and accurate solution for the analysis of GHz impedance data. MethodsThe proposed method comprises two key components: dielectric property dataset construction and backpropagation (BP) neural network modeling. Yeast cell suspensions at varying concentrations were prepared and separately introduced into a coaxial sensor for impedance measurement. The dielectric properties of these suspensions were extracted using a GHz-EIS dielectric property extraction method applied to the measured impedance data. A dielectric properties dataset incorporating concentration labels was subsequently established and divided into training and testing subsets. A BP neural network model employing specific activation functions (ReLU and Leaky ReLU) was then designed. The model was trained and tested using the constructed dataset, and optimal model parameters were obtained through this process. This BP neural network enables automated extraction and analytical processing of dielectric properties, facilitating precise recognition of cell suspension concentrations through data-driven training. ResultsThrough comparative analysis with conventional centrifugal methods, the recognized concentration values of cell suspensions showed high consistency, with relative errors consistently below 5%. Notably, high-concentration samples exhibited even smaller deviations, further validating the precision and reliability of the proposed methodology. To benchmark the recognition performance against different algorithms, two typical approaches—support vector machines (SVM) and K-nearest neighbor (KNN)—were selected for comparison. The proposed method demonstrated superior performance in quantifying cell concentrations. Specifically, the BP neural network achieved a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 2.06% and an R² value of 0.997 across the entire concentration range, demonstrating both high predictive accuracy and excellent model fit. ConclusionThis study demonstrates that the proposed method enables accurate and rapid determination of unknown sample concentrations. By combining GHz-EIS with BP neural network algorithms, efficient identification of cell concentrations is achieved, laying the foundation for the development of a convenient online cell analysis platform and showing significant application prospects. Compared to typical recognition approaches, the proposed method exhibits superior capabilities in recognizing cell suspension concentrations. Furthermore, this methodology not only accelerates research in cell biology and precision medicine but also paves the way for future EIS biosensors capable of intelligent, adaptive analysis in dynamic biological research.


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