1.Nanopackaged Astaxanthin Improves Demyelination in Multiple Sclerosis Model Mice by Scavenging Excessive Endogenous Formaldehyde
Wan-Jia LÜ ; Xin ZENG ; Zhi-Qian TONG ; Yang XING ; Xu YANG ; Mei-Na WU ; Ping MA
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):442-457
ObjectiveMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS); however, its underlying neurological pathogenic mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Endogenous formaldehyde (FA), a metabolic byproduct of methylation-demethylation cycles, has recently been implicated in neurotoxicity, oxidative damage, and cognitive impairment. This study aimed to investigate whether excessive FA contributes to myelin sheath demyelination in mice and to evaluate the protective effects and mechanisms of two FA-elimination strategies: sodium bisulfite (NaHSO3), a classical FA scavenger, and polyethylene glycol-modified astaxanthin nanoparticles (PEG-ATX@NPs), a brain-targeted nano-antioxidant formulation. MethodsA chronic demyelination model was established by feeding female C57BL/6J mice a diet containing 0.2% cuprizone (CPZ) for four weeks, followed by a two-week intervention period. Eighty mice were randomly assigned to four groups: NS (normal saline), CPZ+NS, CPZ+NaHSO3, and CPZ+PEG-ATX@NPs. Behavioral tests, including open-field, Y-maze, and pole-climbing assays, were conducted to assess locomotor activity, motor coordination, and working memory. FA levels in serum, corpus callosum, and spinal cord were measured using an Na-FA fluorescent probe and quantified via in vivo and ex vivo fluorescence imaging. Neuroinflammatory responses were evaluated by measuring TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels using ELISA, while oxidative stress was assessed by reactive oxygen species (ROS) fluorescence intensity. Demyelination was examined via Luxol fast blue staining, and microglial activation was analyzed by Iba1 immunofluorescence. Correlation analyses were performed to explore relationships among FA levels, inflammatory cytokines, ROS intensity, and behavioral parameters. ResultsCompared with the NS group, mice in the CPZ+NS group exhibited significant weight loss, impaired motor coordination and memory, and markedly reduced myelin regeneration (P<0.05). FA levels and pro-inflammatory cytokines were significantly elevated in serum, corpus callosum, and spinal cord (P<0.05). FA-associated fluorescence in brain and spinal tissues, as well as ROS intensity across all tissues examined, also increased substantially (P<0.05). CPZ treatment induced pronounced microglial activation and severe demyelination in the corpus callosum (P<0.01). Both NaHSO3 and PEG-ATX@NPs effectively reduced FA accumulation in the brain and spinal cord, attenuated demyelination, suppressed microglial activation, decreased inflammatory cytokine levels, and improved motor and cognitive performance. These results confirm that CPZ induced severe demyelination accompanied by oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and abnormal FA accumulation. Following intervention with either NaHSO3 or PEG-ATX@NPs, endogenous FA levels in the CNS were substantially reduced. Both treatments alleviated demyelination and significantly decreased the number of activated microglia. Levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in serum, corpus callosum, and spinal cord were downregulated. Behavioral performance improved significantly, as evidenced by enhanced locomotor activity, better coordination, and improved memory function. These findings indicate that both FA-scavenging agents mitigate CPZ-induced biochemical and behavioral abnormalities. ConclusionThis study demonstrates that excessive endogenous FA is closely associated with cognitive impairment, inflammatory dysregulation, and demyelination in a CPZ-induced chronic demyelination mouse model. Clearing abnormally elevated FA effectively reduces neuroinflammation, suppresses microglial overactivation, decreases oxidative stress, and alleviates demyelination, ultimately improving motor and cognitive outcomes in mice. These results suggest that targeting endogenous FA represents a promising therapeutic strategy for MS and other demyelinating disorders. Further investigations are warranted to explore the long-term safety, dosage optimization, and molecular pathways involved in FA-mediated neurotoxicity.
2.Nanopackaged Astaxanthin Improves Demyelination in Multiple Sclerosis Model Mice by Scavenging Excessive Endogenous Formaldehyde
Wan-Jia LÜ ; Xin ZENG ; Zhi-Qian TONG ; Yang XING ; Xu YANG ; Mei-Na WU ; Ping MA
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):442-457
ObjectiveMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS); however, its underlying neurological pathogenic mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Endogenous formaldehyde (FA), a metabolic byproduct of methylation-demethylation cycles, has recently been implicated in neurotoxicity, oxidative damage, and cognitive impairment. This study aimed to investigate whether excessive FA contributes to myelin sheath demyelination in mice and to evaluate the protective effects and mechanisms of two FA-elimination strategies: sodium bisulfite (NaHSO3), a classical FA scavenger, and polyethylene glycol-modified astaxanthin nanoparticles (PEG-ATX@NPs), a brain-targeted nano-antioxidant formulation. MethodsA chronic demyelination model was established by feeding female C57BL/6J mice a diet containing 0.2% cuprizone (CPZ) for four weeks, followed by a two-week intervention period. Eighty mice were randomly assigned to four groups: NS (normal saline), CPZ+NS, CPZ+NaHSO3, and CPZ+PEG-ATX@NPs. Behavioral tests, including open-field, Y-maze, and pole-climbing assays, were conducted to assess locomotor activity, motor coordination, and working memory. FA levels in serum, corpus callosum, and spinal cord were measured using an Na-FA fluorescent probe and quantified via in vivo and ex vivo fluorescence imaging. Neuroinflammatory responses were evaluated by measuring TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels using ELISA, while oxidative stress was assessed by reactive oxygen species (ROS) fluorescence intensity. Demyelination was examined via Luxol fast blue staining, and microglial activation was analyzed by Iba1 immunofluorescence. Correlation analyses were performed to explore relationships among FA levels, inflammatory cytokines, ROS intensity, and behavioral parameters. ResultsCompared with the NS group, mice in the CPZ+NS group exhibited significant weight loss, impaired motor coordination and memory, and markedly reduced myelin regeneration (P<0.05). FA levels and pro-inflammatory cytokines were significantly elevated in serum, corpus callosum, and spinal cord (P<0.05). FA-associated fluorescence in brain and spinal tissues, as well as ROS intensity across all tissues examined, also increased substantially (P<0.05). CPZ treatment induced pronounced microglial activation and severe demyelination in the corpus callosum (P<0.01). Both NaHSO3 and PEG-ATX@NPs effectively reduced FA accumulation in the brain and spinal cord, attenuated demyelination, suppressed microglial activation, decreased inflammatory cytokine levels, and improved motor and cognitive performance. These results confirm that CPZ induced severe demyelination accompanied by oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and abnormal FA accumulation. Following intervention with either NaHSO3 or PEG-ATX@NPs, endogenous FA levels in the CNS were substantially reduced. Both treatments alleviated demyelination and significantly decreased the number of activated microglia. Levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in serum, corpus callosum, and spinal cord were downregulated. Behavioral performance improved significantly, as evidenced by enhanced locomotor activity, better coordination, and improved memory function. These findings indicate that both FA-scavenging agents mitigate CPZ-induced biochemical and behavioral abnormalities. ConclusionThis study demonstrates that excessive endogenous FA is closely associated with cognitive impairment, inflammatory dysregulation, and demyelination in a CPZ-induced chronic demyelination mouse model. Clearing abnormally elevated FA effectively reduces neuroinflammation, suppresses microglial overactivation, decreases oxidative stress, and alleviates demyelination, ultimately improving motor and cognitive outcomes in mice. These results suggest that targeting endogenous FA represents a promising therapeutic strategy for MS and other demyelinating disorders. Further investigations are warranted to explore the long-term safety, dosage optimization, and molecular pathways involved in FA-mediated neurotoxicity.
3.Regulatory effect of neutrophils in microglial polarization after permanent ischemic stroke
Min-Hua HUANG ; Xin-Yan YE ; Si-Yu WU ; Shao-Tong LUO ; Zhi-Shan WU ; Yuan CHEN ; Su-Ning PING
Acta Anatomica Sinica 2025;56(2):136-142
Objective To investigate the effects of peripheral blood neutrophil infiltration on the polarization regulation of cerebral resident microglia under a permanent ischemic stroke model.Methods Fifty-eight C57BL/6 mice were divided into two groups.One group was sham group,and the other group of mice was subjected to permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion surgery.Mice were euthanized 48 hours,7 days,14 days,and 30 days after surgery for tissue collection.Western blotting was used to detect expression levels of M1 microglia markers CD 16,M2 microglia marker arginase 1(Arg1),inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 β(IL-1β),and neutrophil marker myeloperoxidase(MPO)in brain tissue.Immunofluorescence histochemical staining was used to assess neutrophil infiltration and M2 microglial distribution around the infarct area in brain sections.In vitro,purified neutrophils were co-cultured with BV2 microglial cells.After lipopolysaccharide stimulation,the phagocytosis of neutrophils by BV2 cells was observed,and the expression levels of CD16 and Arg1 proteins in BV2 cells were detected.Results Western blotting showed that the levels of CD16(P<0.05),IL-1β(P<0.001),and MPO(P<0.05)in brain tissue increased significantly 48 hours and 7 days after surgery,then decreased,with MPO expression returning to normal levels 30 days after surgery.Immunofluorescence showed a significant increase of MPO-positive cells around the infarct area of the mouse cerebral cortex 48 hours after surgery(P<0.001),followed by a decrease(P<0.05).The number of ionized calcium binding adapter molecule 1(Iba1)and MPO double-positive cells gradually increased after surgery,and reached their peak at 14 days(P<0.05).Iba1 and Arg1 double-positive cells also increased significantly 7 days(P<0.05)and 14 days(P<0.01)after surgery.In vitro,co-culture experiments showed that after BV2 phagocytosing neutrophils,CD 16(P<0.05)significantly decreased and Arg1 significantly upregulated(P<0.05).Conclusion In a permanent ischemic stroke model,microglia transition from M1 to M2 type after phagocytosing neutrophils,and the injured brain area changes from pro-inflammatory state to anti-inflammatory state.
4.Cost-effectiveness and mortality risk impact on elderly health management of essential public health services:A case study in Henan Province
Zhi-ping GUO ; Rong-mei LIU ; Neng-guang DAI ; Yi LI ; Tong JIN ; Qiu-ping ZHAO ; Hao SHI ; Chun-rong BAO ; Yan-qing MIAO
Chinese Journal of Health Policy 2025;18(11):17-24
Objective:To evaluate the cost-effectiveness and impact on mortality of health management services for the elderly aged 65 years and older in national essential public health service project.Methods:Based on the data of county-level medical institutions in Henan Province from 2019 to 2024,the Random Forest Method was used to construct a counterfactual framework to predict the hospitalization expenses under the unmanaged scenario,and then the cost-benefit ratio(BCR)and net income were calculated.Time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the effect of health management on all-cause mortality and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease mortality in the elderly.Results:A total of 962 955 elderly patients were included,451 119(46.85%)were included in the management group.The average hospitalization cost of the management group was significantly lower than that of the non-management group(P<0.05).Except for 2020-2021,BCRS in 2019 and 2022-2024 were 6.34,2.05,4.45 and 6.60,respectively.The risk of all-cause death was reduced by 76.96%,and the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular death was reduced by 75.57%in the elderly patients included in the management group compared with those not included in the management group.Suggestions:It is necessary to establish a health outcomes-based evaluation system and promote the transformation and upgrading of the service model from single chronic disease management to"integrated health services with multi-disease management".
5.Nonsurgical Treatment of Chronic Subdural Hematoma Patients with Chinese Medicine: Case Report Series.
Kang-Ning LI ; Wei-Ming LIU ; Ying-Zhi HOU ; Run-Fa TIAN ; Shuo ZHANG ; Liang WU ; Long XU ; Jia-Ji QIU ; Yan-Ping TONG ; Tao YANG ; Yong-Ping FAN
Chinese journal of integrative medicine 2025;31(10):937-941
6.Cost-effectiveness and mortality risk impact on elderly health management of essential public health services:A case study in Henan Province
Zhi-ping GUO ; Rong-mei LIU ; Neng-guang DAI ; Yi LI ; Tong JIN ; Qiu-ping ZHAO ; Hao SHI ; Chun-rong BAO ; Yan-qing MIAO
Chinese Journal of Health Policy 2025;18(11):17-24
Objective:To evaluate the cost-effectiveness and impact on mortality of health management services for the elderly aged 65 years and older in national essential public health service project.Methods:Based on the data of county-level medical institutions in Henan Province from 2019 to 2024,the Random Forest Method was used to construct a counterfactual framework to predict the hospitalization expenses under the unmanaged scenario,and then the cost-benefit ratio(BCR)and net income were calculated.Time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the effect of health management on all-cause mortality and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease mortality in the elderly.Results:A total of 962 955 elderly patients were included,451 119(46.85%)were included in the management group.The average hospitalization cost of the management group was significantly lower than that of the non-management group(P<0.05).Except for 2020-2021,BCRS in 2019 and 2022-2024 were 6.34,2.05,4.45 and 6.60,respectively.The risk of all-cause death was reduced by 76.96%,and the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular death was reduced by 75.57%in the elderly patients included in the management group compared with those not included in the management group.Suggestions:It is necessary to establish a health outcomes-based evaluation system and promote the transformation and upgrading of the service model from single chronic disease management to"integrated health services with multi-disease management".
7.The Quantitative Analysis of Dynamic Mechanisms Impacting Gastric Cancer Cell Proliferation via Serine/glycine Conversion
Jun-Wu FAN ; Xiao-Mei ZHU ; Zhi-Yuan FAN ; Bing-Ya LIU ; Ping AO ; Yong-Cong CHEN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2024;51(3):658-672
ObjectiveGastric cancer (GC) seriously affects human health and life, and research has shown that it is closely related to the serine/glycine metabolism. The proliferation ability of tumor cells is greatly influenced by the metabolism of serine and glycine. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism of serine/glycine metabolism can affect the proliferation of gastric cancer cells. MethodsIn this work, a stable metabolic dynamic model of gastric cancer cells was established via a large-scale metabolic network dynamic modeling method in terms of a potential landscape description of stochastic and non-gradient systems. Based on the regulation of the model, a quantitative analysis was conducted to investigate the dynamic mechanism of serine/glycine metabolism affecting the proliferation of gastric cancer cells. We introduced random noise to the kinetic equations of the general metabolic network, and applied stochastic kinetic decomposition to obtain the Lyapunov function of the metabolic network parameter space. A stable metabolic network was achieved by further reducing the change in the Lyapunov function tied to the stochastic fluctuations. ResultsDespite the unavailability of a large number of dynamic parameters, we were able to successfully construct a dynamic model for the metabolic network in gastric cancer cells. When extracellular serine is available, the model preferentially consumes serine. In addition, when the conversion rate of glycine to serine increases, the model significantly upregulates the steady-state fluxes of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and S-adenosyl homocysteine (SAH). ConclusionIn this paper, we provide evidence supporting the preferential uptake of serine by gastric cancer cells and the important role of serine/glycine conversion rate in SAM generation, which may affect the proliferation ability of gastric cancer cells by regulating the cellular methylation process. This provides a new idea and direction for targeted cancer therapy based on serine/glycine metabolism.
8.Cephalometric parameters of three Wa dialect ethnic groups in China
Yue-Tong YAO ; Ke-Li YU ; Xing-Hua ZHANG ; Xin-Ying GAO ; Yao XIAO ; Zhi CHENG ; Wen-Fang GAO ; Xin LIU ; Jin-Ping BAO
Acta Anatomica Sinica 2024;55(5):625-631
Objective To survey and analysis of cephalometric indicators of Wa adults in China.Methods Cephalometric parameters were measured in 1996 cases(858 males and 1138 females)of Wa adults in China,including 927 cases(381 males and 546 females)of the Baraoke ethnic group,564 cases(241 males and 323 females)of the A Wa ethnic group,and 505 cases(236 males and 269 females)of the Wa ethnic group by using sliding caliper and spreading caliper.Seventeen direct cephalofacial parameters and one indirect parameter for each of the three dialect ethnic groups were derived separately and analyzed for age correlations,inter-sex u-tests,and multiple comparisons.Finally,the three dialect ethnic groups were subjected to cluster analysis and principal component analysis with 15 ethnic groups in China.Results Nose breadth,mouth breadth and physiognomic ear length were significantly and positively correlated with age for both sexes in the three Wa dialect ethnic groups,while head breadth and lip height were significantly and negatively correlated with age.Except for the interocular breadth,there were gender differences between males and females in the cephalometric parameters of the three Wa dialect ethnic groups.The cephalofacial features of the Baraoke,A Wa and Wa ethnic groups were different,as evidenced by the fact that males and females of the Baraoke and Wa dialect ethnic group had higher lip height,wider nasal breadth and wider mouth breadth,while males and females of the A Wa ethnic group had lower nasal height.Conclusion The cephalofacial features of the three Wa dialect ethnic groups are close to those of the Khmus and Mang,who have their origins in the ancient Baipu people and are also members of the Mon-Khmer language group of the Austroasiatic linguistic.
9.Research and reflection on the diversified method system of multi-stages and multi-scenarios surveillance and early warning of infectious diseases.
Yu Hang MA ; Yi YIN ; Kai WANG ; Si Jia ZHOU ; Xun Liang TONG ; Yan Ming LI ; Xiao Li WANG ; Li Ping WANG ; Lu Zhao FENG ; Wei Zhong YANG ; Zhi Hang PENG
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2023;57(10):1529-1535
With the outbreak of infectious diseases, more and more attention has been paid to surveillance and early warning work. Timely and accurate monitoring data is the basis of infectious diseases prevention and control. Effective early warning methods for infectious diseases can improve the timeliness and sensitivity of early warning work. This paper briefly introduces the intelligent early warning model of infectious diseases, summarizes the emerging surveillance and early warning methods of infectious diseases, and seeks the possibility of diversified surveillance and early warning in different epidemic stages and different outbreak scenarios of infectious diseases. This paper puts forward the idea of constructing a diversified method system of infectious diseases surveillance and early warning based on multi-stages and multi-scenarios and discusses the future development trend of infectious diseases surveillance and early warning, in order to provide reference for improving the construction level of infectious diseases surveillance and early warning system in China.
Humans
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Population Surveillance/methods*
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Communicable Diseases/epidemiology*
;
Disease Outbreaks/prevention & control*
;
Epidemics
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China/epidemiology*
10.Response characteristics of tislelizumab combined with chemotherapy in first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer.
Shun LU ; Xin Min YU ; Yan Ping HU ; Zhi Yong MA ; Xing Ya LI ; Wei Dong LI ; Yun Peng LIU ; Dong WANG ; Xiu Wen WANG ; Zhe Hai WANG ; Jing Xun WU ; Dian Sheng ZHONG ; Gao Feng LI ; Wan Yu HE ; Yuan Yuan BAO ; Yuan YUAN ; Jing Hui FAN
Chinese Journal of Oncology 2023;45(4):358-367
Objective: To investigate the response characteristics of patients with locally advanced/metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (nsq-NSCLC) treated with tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy in the first line. Methods: Patients with nsq-NSCLC who achieved complete or partial remission after treatment with tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone in the RATIONALE 304 study, as assessed by an independent review board, were selected to analyze the response characteristics and safety profile of the responders. Time to response (TTR) was defined as the time from randomization to the achievement of first objective response. Depth of response (DpR) was defined as the maximum percentage of tumor shrinkage compared with the sum of the baseline target lesion length diameters. Results: As of January 23, 2020, 128 patients treated with tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy achieved objective tumor response (responders), representing 57.4%(128/223) of the intention-to-treat population, with a TTR of 5.1 to 33.3 weeks and a median TTR of 7.9 weeks. Of the responders (128), 50.8%(65) achieved first remission at the first efficacy assessment (week 6), 31.3%(40) at the second efficacy assessment (week 12), and 18.0%(23) at the third and subsequent tumor assessments. The percentages of responders who achieved a depth of tumor response of 30% to <50%, 50% to <70% and 70% to 100% were 45.3%(58/128), 28.1%(36/128) and 26.6%(34/128), respectively, with median progression-free survival (PFS) of 9.0 months (95% CI: 7.7 to 9.9 months), 11.5 months (95% CI: 7.7 months to not reached) and not reached (95% CI: 11.8 months to not estimable), respectively. Tislelizumab plus chemotherapy were generally well tolerated in responders with similar safety profile to the overall safety population. Conclusion: Among responders to tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy for nsq-NSCLC, 82.0%(105/128) achieves response within the first two tumor assessments (12 weeks) and 18.0%(23/128) achieves response at later (18 to 33 weeks) assessments, and there is a trend toward prolonged PFS in responders with deeper tumor response.
Humans
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Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/therapeutic use*
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Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/adverse effects*
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Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology*
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Lung Neoplasms/pathology*
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Treatment Outcome

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