1.Fresh Rehmanniae Radix regulates cholesterol metabolism disorder in mice fed with high-fat and high-cholesterol diet via FXR-mediated bile acid reabsorption.
Xin-Yu MENG ; Yan CHEN ; Li-Qin ZHAO ; Qing-Pu LIU ; Yong-Huan JIN ; Wei-Sheng FENG ; Xiao-Ke ZHENG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(6):1670-1679
This study aims to investigate the potential effect of the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix on hypercholesterolemia in mice that was induced by a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet and explore its possible mechanism from bile acid reabsorption. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned into the following groups: control, model, low-and high-dose(4 and 8 g·kg~(-1), respectively) fresh Rehmanniae Radix, and positive drug(simvastatin, 0.05 g·kg~(-1)). Other groups except the control group were fed with a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet for 6 consecutive weeks to induce hypercholesterolemia. From the 6th week, mice were administrated with corresponding drugs daily via gavage for additional 6 weeks, while continuing to be fed with a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet. Serum levels of total cholesterol(TC), triglycerides(TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-c), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol(HDL-c), and total bile acid(TBA), as well as liver TC and TG levels and fecal TBA level, were determined by commercial assay kits. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, oil red O staining, and transmission electron microscopy were performed to observe the pathological changes in the liver. Three livers samples were randomly selected from each of the control, model, and high-dose fresh Rehmanniae Radix groups for high-throughput transcriptome sequencing. Differentially expressed genes were mined and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis was performed to predict the key pathways and target genes of the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. RT-qPCR was employed to measure the mRNA levels of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase(CYP7A1) and cholesterol 27α-hydroxylase(CYP27A1) in the liver. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of CYP7A1 and CYP27A1 in the liver as well as farnesoid X receptor(FXR), apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter(ASBT), and ileum bile acid-binding protein(I-BABP) in the ileum. The results showed that the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix significantly lowered the levels of TC and TG in the serum and liver, as well as the level of LDL-c in the serum. Conversely, it elevated the level of HDL-c in the serum and TBA in feces. No significant difference was observed in the level of TBA in the serum among groups. HE staining, oil red O staining, and transmission electron microscopy showed that the water extract reduced the accumulation of lipid droplets in the liver. Further mechanism studies revealed that the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix significantly down-regulated the protein levels of FXR and bile acid reabsorption-related proteins ASBT and I-BABP. Additionally, it enhanced CYP7A1 and CYP27A1, the key enzymes involved in bile acid synthesis. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the water extract of fresh Rehmanniae Radix may exert an anti-hypercholesterolemic effect by regulating FXR/ASBT/I-BABP signaling, inhibiting bile acid reabsorption, and increasing bile acid excretion, thus facilitating the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids.
Animals
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Male
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Bile Acids and Salts/metabolism*
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Mice
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Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects*
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Cholesterol/metabolism*
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
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Hypercholesterolemia/genetics*
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Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/genetics*
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Rehmannia/chemistry*
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Liver/drug effects*
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Humans
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Cholesterol 7-alpha-Hydroxylase/genetics*
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Plant Extracts
2.Comparison of setup errors between two postural fixation methods in radiotherapy for breast cancer
Fukui HUAN ; Yu ZHAO ; Chao LIU ; Gengqiang ZHU ; Ruiao ZHAO ; Yongtai ZHENG ; Yandong GE ; Bao WAN ; Bin LIANG
Chongqing Medicine 2025;54(4):921-925
Objective To compare the positioning errors and the motion of acromioclavicular joint in breast cancer patients with integrated cervicothoracic thermoplastic membrane and breast bracket fixation,and to provide reference for accurate irradiation of upper and lower clavicular region.Methods Sixty-three pa-tients with breast cancer who were treated in the radiotherapy center of the hospital from November 1,2021 to August 9,2023 were selected as the study objects,and were divided into the integrated cervicothoracic thermo-plastic membrane group(n=32)and breast bracket group(n=31)according to different positioning meth-ods.The translation errors of left and right direction(X),head and foot direction(Y)and ventral and dorsal direction(Z)and the rotation errors of sagittal plane(Rx),cross section(Ry)and coronal plane(Rz)of the two groups were analyzed,and the movement amplitude and three-dimensional displacement of acromioclavic-ular joint were measured respectively.Results Compared with the breast bracket group,X translation errors[(0.18±0.14)cm vs.(0.15±0.12)cm]and Z translation errors[(0.19±0.14)cm vs.(0.16±0.14)cm]of the cervicothoracic thermoplastic memberane group were greater,Z translation error[(0.21±0.17)cm vs.(0.22±0.21)cm]and Rx rotation error of cervical and sternoclavicular joints[(0.93±0.87)° vs.(1.08±0.92)°]were smaller,Rz rotation error[(1.00±0.94)° vs.(0.95±0.86)°]was greater,and the motion ΔX of acromioclavicular joint[(0.18±0.15)cm vs.(0.25±0.21)cm]was smaller,the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion Integrated cervicothoracic thermoplastic membrane can be used as a solu-tion for prophylactic irradiation of breast cancer in the upper and lower clavicular region and for radiation leak-age in the presence of metastasis.
3.Effects and mechanism of astragalus mongholicus extract on lung injury in rats with rheumatoid arthritis induced interstitial lung disease
Yue Zhao ; Jinliang Yang ; Huan Luo ; Wenxiu Xi ; Junlu Wang ; Xuejun Zheng
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(7):1173-1179
Objective :
To investigate the effects of astragalus mongholicus extract ( AME) on lung injury and the myeloid differentiation factor 88 ( MyD88 ) / Toll-like receptor 4 ( TLR4 ) / nuclear factor kappa B ( NF-κB) p65 pathway in rheumatoid arthritis induced interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) rats.
Methods :
SD rats were randomly divided into a control group,RA-ILD group,low-dose AME group (5 g / L) ,high-dose AME group ( 10 g / L) ,and high-dose AME + lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group ( 10 g / L AME + 1 mg / L TLR4 activator LPS) .Except for the control group,rats in all other groups were injected with bovine type Ⅱ collagen,Freund ’s complete adjuvant, and bleomycin to establish the RA-ILD model.The arthritis index and lung tissue wet-dry weight ratio of rats were tested.ELISA was applied to detect the levels of inflammatory factors interleukin (IL) -1 β , IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α ( TNF-α) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Hematoxylin eosin staining was used to observe pathological changes of rat knee joint tissue and lung tissue.Western blot was applied to detect the expression of autophagy fac- tors Beclin 1,microtubule-associated protein 1A /1B-light chain 3 (LC3) Ⅱ / Ⅰ , and MyD88 /TLR4 /NF-κB p65 pathway related proteins in lung tissue.
Results :
Compared with control group,knee joint tissue and lung tissue of rats in RA-ILD group were damaged,the arthritis index,lung tissue wet-dry weight ratio,levels of IL-1 β , IL-6, and TNF-α , the expression levels of MyD88 and TLR4 proteins ,and p-NF-κB p65 /NF-κB p65 ratio increased (P<0. 01) ,the expression of Beclin 1 and LC3 Ⅱ / Ⅰ proteins decreased (P<0. 01) .Compared with RA-ILD group,the low-dose and high-dose AME groups showed reduced tissue damage in rats,the arthritis index,lung tis- sue wet-dry weight ratio,levels of IL-1 β , IL-6,and TNF-α , the expression levels of MyD88 and TLR4 proteins, and p-NF-κB p65 /NF-κB p65 ratio showed a dose-dependent decrease (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01) ,the expression of Beclin 1 and LC3 Ⅱ / Ⅰ proteins showed a dose-dependent increase (P<0. 05 or P<0. 01) .Compared with high- dose AME group,the tissue damage of rats in the high-dose AME + LPS group was worsened,the arthritis index, lung tissue wet-dry weight ratio,levels of IL-1 β , IL-6,and TNF-α , the expression levels of MyD88 and TLR4 pro- teins,and p-NF-κB p65 /NF-κB p65 ratio were higher (P<0. 01) ,the expression of Beclin 1 and LC3 Ⅱ / Ⅰ pro- teins was lower (P <0. 01 ) .
Conclusion
AME inhibits the MyD88 /TLR4 /NF-κB p65 pathway and alleviates lung injury in RA-ILD rats.
4.Clinical Efficacy of"Triple-posture Positive Bone-setting"Chiropractic Manipulation Combined with Tongluo Huoxue Formula for the Treatment of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis of Qi Deficiency and Blood Stasis Type
Long CHEN ; Zhou-Hang ZHENG ; Yu ZHANG ; Meng-Shu WANG ; Zhao-Yuan ZHANG ; Wei-Feng GUO ; Huan CHEN ; Xing-Ming LIU ; Dong-Chun YOU ; Rong-Hai WU
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;41(6):1450-1456
Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of"triple-posture positive bone-setting"chiropractic manipulation combined with Tongluo Huoxue Formula for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis(LSS)with qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome.Methods Sixty patients with LSS of qi deficiency and blood stasis type were randomly divided into trial group and control group,with 30 cases in each group.The trial group was treated with"triple-posture positive bone-setting"chiropractic manipulation(a chiropractic manipulation performed under the positive cooperation of the patients at three postures)combined with Tongluo Huoxue Formula,while the control group was treated with"triple-posture positive bone-setting"chiropractic manipulation combined with conventional western medicine.The course of treatment for the two groups covered 4 weeks.Before and after treatment,the patients of the two groups were observed in the changes of pain visual analogue scale(VAS)score,Japanese Orthopedic Association(JOA)score of lumbar function,Oswestry Disability Index(ODI)score,straight-leg raising test results and serum interleukin 6(IL-6)and C-reactive protein(CRP)levels.After treatment,the clinical efficacy and safety of the two groups were evaluated.Results(1)After 4 weeks of treatment,the total effective rate of the trial group was 96.67%(29/30)and that of the control group was 63.33%(19/30).The intergroup comparison(tested by Fisher's exact test)showed that the clinical efficacy of the trial group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P<0.05).(2)After treatment,the lumbar function indicators of pain VAS scores and ODI scores in the trial group were significantly lower(P<0.05),and the JOA scores were significantly higher than those before treatment(P<0.05),while in the control group,only the ODI scores were significantly lower than those before treatment(P<0.05).The intergroup comparison showed that the decrease of VAS and ODI scores and the increase of JOA scores in the trial group were significantly superior to those in the control group(P<0.05 or P<0.01).(3)After treatment,the Laseque s sign of the trial group was significantly improved compared with that before treatment(P<0.05),while no significant improvement was presented in the control group(P>0.05).The intergroup comparison showed that the improvement of Laseque's sign in the trial group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P<0.01).(4)After treatment,the levels of serum inflammatory factors of IL-6 and CRP in the two groups were lower than those before treatment(P<0.05),and the decrease of serum IL-6 level in the trial group was significantly superior to that in the control group(P<0.05),but CRP level in the two groups after treatment did not differ from that before treatment,no statistically significant difference was shown between the two groups after treatment,either(P>0.05).(5)The incidence of adverse reactions in the trial group was 6.67%(2/30)and that in the control group was 13.33%(4/30),and the intergroup comparison(by Fisher's exact test)showed that there was no significant difference between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion The therapeutic effect of"triple-posture positive bone-setting"chiropractic manipulation combined with Tongluo Huoxue Formula exert certain effect for the treatment of LSS patients with qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome,and it has more obvious advantages in improving the lumbar function,promoting the rehabilitation of the patients,and lowering the level of serum inflammatory factors than"triple-posture positive bone-setting"chiropractic manipulation combined with conventional western medication.
5.Predicting the potential suitable areas of Platycodon grandiflorum in China using the optimized Maxent model
Yu-jie ZHANG ; Han-wen YU ; Zhao-huan ZHENG ; Chao JIANG ; Juan LIU ; Liang-ping ZHA ; Xiu-lian CHI ; Shuang-ying GUI
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(9):2625-2633
italic>Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A. DC is one of the most commonly used bulk medicinal herbs. It has important value in the fields of medicine, food and cosmetics, and its market demand is increasing year by year, and it has a good development prospect. In this study, based on 403 distribution records and 8 environmental variables, we used Maxent model to predict the potential distribution of
6.Research progress on drug resistance mechanism of sorafenib in radioiodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer
En-Tao ZHANG ; Hao-Nan ZHU ; Zheng-Ze WEN ; Cen-Hui ZHANG ; Yi-Huan ZHAO ; Ying-Jie MAO ; Jun-Pu WU ; Yu-Cheng JIN ; Xin JIN
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(13):1986-1990
Most patients with differentiated thyroid cancer have a good prognosis after radioiodine-131 therapy,but a small number of patients are insensitive to radioiodine-131 therapy and even continue to develop disease.At present,some targeted drugs can improve progression-free survival in patients with radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer(RAIR-DTC),such as sorafenib and levatinib,have been approved for the treatment of RAIR-DTC.However,due to the presence of primary and acquired drug resistance,drug efficacy in these patients is unsatisfactory.This review introduces the acquired drug resistance mechanism of sorafenib in the regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase(PI3K)pathways and proposes related treatment strategies,in order to provide a reference for similar drug resistance mechanism of sorafenib and effective treatment of RAIR-DTC.
7.Analysis of drug treatment of a suspected CKD 5 patient with acute hyperkalemia caused by traditional Chinese medicine
Huan LIANG ; Tao ZHENG ; Zhao XIE
China Pharmacist 2024;27(1):177-180
To explore the thinking and working mode of clinical pharmacists of traditional Chinese medicine participating in clinical,the drug treatment was analyzed by an acute hyperkalemia patient suspected of CKD 5 caused by traditional Chinese medicine.This case is a CKD 5 patient.Since proteinuria was found for 8 years,bilateral lower limb edema was intermittent for 4 years,and the recurrence was aggravated for 1 week,the patient was admitted to the hospital.In the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine,the patient received standard and reasonable antiplatelet,lipid regulation,kidney protection,anemia improvement,blood pressure reduction,and heart load reduction,Traditional Chinese medicine decoction,traditional Chinese patent medicines.The patient's condition improved,but the newly emerging hyperkalemia prolonged the patient's hospital stay.After the treatment of blood potassium lowering drugs,the blood potassium still increased repeatedly.For this reason,clinical Chinese pharmacists assisted clinicians to find out the factors that caused the repeated increase of blood potassium in combination with existing domestic and foreign literature.Finally,considering the high possibility of traditional Chinese medicine,they stopped using traditional Chinese medicine and continued to use blood potassium lowering drugs,and the blood potassium returned to normal.Hyperkalemia caused by traditional Chinese medicine is not common in clinical practice and often is ignored.It can be seen that clinical pharmacists can participate in pharmaceutical care to find adverse drug reactions as soon as possible and ensure the safety of drug use.
8.Identifying coronary artery bypass grafting patients at high risk for adverse long-term prognosis using serial health-related quality of life assessments
Juncheng WANG ; Hanning LIU ; Chao YUE ; Limeng YANG ; Kai YANG ; Yan ZHAO ; Huan REN ; Ying ZHANG ; Zhe ZHENG
Chinese Medical Journal 2024;137(9):1069-1077
Background::Patients who undergo coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are known to be at a significant risk of experiencing long-term adverse events, emphasizing the importance of regular assessments. Evaluating health-related quality of life (HRQoL) serves as a direct method to gauge prognosis. Our objective is to ascertain the prognostic significance of consecutive HRQoL assessments using the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) derived from the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) health survey in CABG patients.Methods::The study population consisted of 433 patients who underwent isolated elective CABG at Fuwai Hospital between 2012 and 2013. SF-36 assessments were conducted during both the hospitalization period and follow-up. The primary endpoint of the study was all-cause mortality, while the secondary outcome was a composite measure including death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and repeat revascularization. We assessed the relationships between the PCS and MCS at baseline, as well as their changes during the first 6 months after the surgery (referred to as ΔPCS and ΔMCS, respectively), and the observed outcomes.Results::The patients were followed for an average of 6.28 years, during which 35 individuals (35/433, 8.1%) died. After adjusting for clinical variables, it was observed that baseline MCS scores (hazard ratio [HR] for a 1-standard deviation [SD] decrease, 1.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.07–2.30) and ΔMCS (HR for a 1-SD decrease, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.09–2.56) were associated with all-cause mortality. However, baseline PCS scores and ΔPCS did not exhibit a significant relationship with all-cause mortality. Notably, there was a dose-response relationship observed between ΔMCS and the likelihood of all-cause mortality (HRs for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th quartiles compared to the 1st quartile, 0.33, 0.45 and 0.11, respectively).Conclusions::Baseline MCS and changes in MCS were independent predictors for long-term mortality of CABG. Better mental health status and recovery indicated better prognosis.
9.The expression of miR-133a and miR-424 in serum and their relationship with T lymphocyte subsets in patients with connective tissue disease combined with interstitial lung disease
Yue ZHAO ; Jinliang YANG ; Huan LUO ; Wenxiu XI ; Junlu WANG ; Xuejun ZHENG
Immunological Journal 2024;40(4):383-387
To investigate the expression of miR-133a and miR-424 in the serum of patients with connective tissue disease(CTD)and interstitial lung disease(ILD)and their relationship with T lymphocyte subpopulations,total of 96 CTD-ILD patients treated in our hospital from December 2019 to December 2022 were selected as CTD-ILD group,while 96 CTD patients without ILD were as the control group.The real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(qRT-PCR)method was applied to detect serum levels of miR-133a and miR-424;flow cytometry was applied to detect the levels of T lymphocyte subpopulations.Pearson method was applied to analyze the relationship of miR-133a and miR-424 with T lymphocyte subpopulations.Compared with the control group,the level of serum miR-133a in the CTD-ILD group was obviously reduced,while the expression level of miR-424 was obviously increased(P<0.05).Under different degrees of pulmonary ventilation disorders,the expression level of miR-133a in the serum of mild,moderate,and severe patients decreased obviously,while the expression level of miR-424 increased obviously(P<0.05).Under different grades of pulmonary diffusion dysfunction,the expression level of miR-133a in the serum of mild,moderate,and severe patients reduced obviously,while the expression level of miR-424 increased obviously(P<0.05).Furthermore,the levels of CD4+and CD4+/CD8+in the CTD-ILD group were obviously increased,as compared to the control group,while the levels of CD8+and CD3+were obviously reduced(P<0.05).In addition,miR-133a was negatively correlated with CD4+,and positively correlated with CD8+and CD3+;miR-424 was positively correlated with CD4+,and negatively correlated with CD8+and CD3+(P<0.05).In conclusion,the expression level of miR-133a in serum of CTD-ILD patients is decreased,while the expression level of miR-424 is increased,and both of them are related to the T lymphocyte subpopulations.
10.Design and Implementation of a Comprehensive Data Platform for Meteorological Sensitive Diseases
Huan ZHENG ; Qiang CHEN ; Rui ZHANG ; Yujie MENG ; Jia ZHAO ; Lizhu JIN ; Xuejie DU ; Songwang WANG
Journal of Medical Informatics 2024;45(6):79-84
Purpose/Significance To design a comprehensive data platform to meet the needs of collecting and sharing survey data on meteorological sensitive diseases,so as to enhance monitoring capabilities for meteorological sensitive diseases in China.Method/Process Through various methods such as data extraction,data exchange,data import and customized collection,disease data,meteoro-logical data,environmental data and diagnosis and treatment data are processed and integrated into the platform for unified management.Result/Conclusion This platform realizes the functions of data collection,aggregation,visualization display and data sharing,which can provide support for scientific researchers in various bases across the country to better manage and utilize meteorological sensitive disease survey data.


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