1.High-efficient discovering the potent anti-Notum agents from herbal medicines for combating glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis.
Yuqing SONG ; Feng ZHANG ; Jia GUO ; Yufan FAN ; Hairong ZENG ; Mengru SUN ; Jun QIAN ; Shenglan QI ; Zihan CHEN ; Xudong JIN ; Yunqing SONG ; Tian TIAN ; Zhi QIAN ; Yao SUN ; Zhenhao TIAN ; Baoqing YU ; Guangbo GE
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(8):4174-4192
Notum, a negative feedback regulator of the Wnt signaling, has emerged as a promising target for treating glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIOP). This study showcases an efficient strategy for discovering the anti-Notum constituents from herbal medicines (HMs) as novel anti-GIOP agents. Firstly, a rapid-responding near-infrared fluorogenic substrate for Notum was rationally engineered for high-throughput identifying the anti-Notum HMs. The results showed that Bu-Gu-Zhi (BGZ), a known anti-osteoporosis herb, potently inhibited Notum in a competitive-inhibition manner. To uncover the key anti-Notum constituents in BGZ, an efficient strategy was adapted via integrating biochemical, phytochemical, computational, and pharmacological assays. Among all identified BGZ constituents, three furanocoumarins were validated as strong Notum inhibitors, while 5-methoxypsoralen (5-MP) showed the most potent anti-Notum activity and favorable safety profiles. Mechanistically, 5-MP acted as a competitive inhibitor of Notum via creating strong hydrophobic interactions with Trp128 and Phe268 in the catalytic cavity of Notum. Cellular assays showed that 5-MP remarkably promoted osteoblast differentiation and activated Wnt signaling in dexamethasone (DXMS)-challenged MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts. In dexamethasone-induced osteoporotic mice, 5-MP strongly elevated bone mineral density (BMD) and improved cancellous and cortical bone thickness. Collectively, this study constructs a high-efficient platform for discovering key anti-Notum constituents from HMs, while 5-MP emerges as a promising anti-GIOP agent.
2.A Novel Model of Traumatic Optic Neuropathy Under Direct Vision Through the Anterior Orbital Approach in Non-human Primates.
Zhi-Qiang XIAO ; Xiu HAN ; Xin REN ; Zeng-Qiang WANG ; Si-Qi CHEN ; Qiao-Feng ZHU ; Hai-Yang CHENG ; Yin-Tian LI ; Dan LIANG ; Xuan-Wei LIANG ; Ying XU ; Hui YANG
Neuroscience Bulletin 2025;41(5):911-916
3.Morphology of enteric nervous system in C57BL/6 mice based on fMOST high-resolution 3D reconstruction system
Li-Ge LENG ; Guan-Xiong YANG ; Ze-En WANG ; Yi CHEN ; Zhi-Liang QIAO ; Qing-Zhong HU ; Ming-Yan WANG ; Feng TIAN
Acta Anatomica Sinica 2025;56(1):114-119
Objective To initially explore the possibility of applying the fluorescence micro-optical sectioning tomography(fMOST)high-resolution 3D reconstruction system to the morphological study of the intestinal nervous system and to preliminarily establish a method for studying the morphology of the intestinal nervous system using this system.Methods fMOST high-resolution 3D reconstruction system was used to study the intestinal nervous system of C57BL/6 mice in detail.Based on this method,a new morphological method of the visceral nervous system of small animal models was explored at the single-cell level.Results Compared with the large intestine,the small intestine lacked the typical myenteric plexus(Auerbach),deep mucosal plexus(Henley),and submucosal superficial plexus(Meissner).Conclusion The result of this paper provide a clearer and systematic display of the anatomical structure of the enteric nervous system in C57BL/6 mice,and further clarify the similarities and differences between the enteric nervous system of mice and human,and provide a theoretical basis for its rational application in the study of digestive system diseases.The morphological study of fMOST high-resolution 3D reconstruction system is not limited to the central nervous system,but can be extended to the morphological study of multiple visceral nervous systems.
5.Effect of intravenous injection of remifentanil on comfort level of birth-giving women with scarred uterus undergoing cesarean section
Lei WU ; Zhen TIAN ; Yu-feng TIAN ; Yue CHEN ; Zhi-yong YAN ; Juan DU
Journal of Regional Anatomy and Operative Surgery 2025;34(3):232-235
Objective To investigate the effect of intravenous injection of remifentanil on the comfort level of birth-giving women with scarred uterus undergoing cesarean section.Methods A total of 82 birth-giving women with scarred uterus who underwent cesarean section in the Suqian Hospital of Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital from October 2021 to September 2023 were selected and randomly divided into the observation group and the control group(with 41 cases in each group).Before skin resection of cesarean section,the birth-giving women of the observation group were injected with 0.05 μg·kg-1·min-1 remifentanil intravenously until the end of the operation,and these in the control group was injected with the same amount of normal saline.The vital signs and pain at different time points,traction reaction and occurrence of maternal and infant complications were compared between the two groups.Results The mean arterial pressure(MAP),heart rate(HR),pain visual analogue scale(VAS)score and incidence of traction reactions at abdominal exploration in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the neonatal umbilical vein pH value,umbilical vein blood pulse oximetry saturation(SPO2),Apgar scores 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth of newborn,or nausea,vomiting and respiratory depression of birth-giving women between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion For birth-giving women with scar uterus who underwent cesarean section,intravenous injection of 0.05 μg·kg-1·min-1 of reifentanil can reduce the fluctuation of vital signs,significantly relieve the traction reaction at abdominal exploration,with a few maternal and infant complications,which is conducive to improving the comfort level of the birth-giving women.
6.Important factors affecting depression:modulatory effects of Cx43 on neuroinflammation
Xuan ZENG ; Zi-han YAN ; Zhi-feng TIAN ; Hong-bin WANG ; Qi-di AI ; Mei-yu LIN ; Xuan LIU ; Nai-hong CHEN ; Song-wei YANG ; Yan-tao YANG
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(11):2027-2031
Numerous studies have shown that depression is main-ly associated with the abnormal expression of connexin 43(Cx43)in astrocytes(Astro)and its mediated dysfunction of gap junction(GJ).However,the molecular mechanism of post-translational modifications targeting Cx43 to regulate neuroin-flammation-associated depression is still unclear.Post-transla-tional modifications of Cx43 mainly include phosphorylation of specific amino acid sites by PKC,PKA,PKG,MAPK and PTK,and protein degradation of Cx43 through the K48/K63 polyubiq-uitylation and deubiquitination pathways,which ultimately lead to protein degradation through K48/K63 polyubiquitination and deubiquitination.These modifications are ultimately involved in the regulation of neuroinflammatory responses through the associ-ation of GJ function.In this paper,we systematically review the role of Cx43 post-translational modifications in neuroinflamma-tion,with the aim of further exploring the potential application of targeting these modifications to modulate the inflammatory re-sponse mechanism in improving depressive symptoms.
7.Effect of intravenous injection of remifentanil on comfort level of birth-giving women with scarred uterus undergoing cesarean section
Lei WU ; Zhen TIAN ; Yu-feng TIAN ; Yue CHEN ; Zhi-yong YAN ; Juan DU
Journal of Regional Anatomy and Operative Surgery 2025;34(3):232-235
Objective To investigate the effect of intravenous injection of remifentanil on the comfort level of birth-giving women with scarred uterus undergoing cesarean section.Methods A total of 82 birth-giving women with scarred uterus who underwent cesarean section in the Suqian Hospital of Jiangsu Provincial People's Hospital from October 2021 to September 2023 were selected and randomly divided into the observation group and the control group(with 41 cases in each group).Before skin resection of cesarean section,the birth-giving women of the observation group were injected with 0.05 μg·kg-1·min-1 remifentanil intravenously until the end of the operation,and these in the control group was injected with the same amount of normal saline.The vital signs and pain at different time points,traction reaction and occurrence of maternal and infant complications were compared between the two groups.Results The mean arterial pressure(MAP),heart rate(HR),pain visual analogue scale(VAS)score and incidence of traction reactions at abdominal exploration in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the neonatal umbilical vein pH value,umbilical vein blood pulse oximetry saturation(SPO2),Apgar scores 1 minute and 5 minutes after birth of newborn,or nausea,vomiting and respiratory depression of birth-giving women between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion For birth-giving women with scar uterus who underwent cesarean section,intravenous injection of 0.05 μg·kg-1·min-1 of reifentanil can reduce the fluctuation of vital signs,significantly relieve the traction reaction at abdominal exploration,with a few maternal and infant complications,which is conducive to improving the comfort level of the birth-giving women.
8.Important factors affecting depression:modulatory effects of Cx43 on neuroinflammation
Xuan ZENG ; Zi-han YAN ; Zhi-feng TIAN ; Hong-bin WANG ; Qi-di AI ; Mei-yu LIN ; Xuan LIU ; Nai-hong CHEN ; Song-wei YANG ; Yan-tao YANG
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2025;41(11):2027-2031
Numerous studies have shown that depression is main-ly associated with the abnormal expression of connexin 43(Cx43)in astrocytes(Astro)and its mediated dysfunction of gap junction(GJ).However,the molecular mechanism of post-translational modifications targeting Cx43 to regulate neuroin-flammation-associated depression is still unclear.Post-transla-tional modifications of Cx43 mainly include phosphorylation of specific amino acid sites by PKC,PKA,PKG,MAPK and PTK,and protein degradation of Cx43 through the K48/K63 polyubiq-uitylation and deubiquitination pathways,which ultimately lead to protein degradation through K48/K63 polyubiquitination and deubiquitination.These modifications are ultimately involved in the regulation of neuroinflammatory responses through the associ-ation of GJ function.In this paper,we systematically review the role of Cx43 post-translational modifications in neuroinflamma-tion,with the aim of further exploring the potential application of targeting these modifications to modulate the inflammatory re-sponse mechanism in improving depressive symptoms.
9.Interaction between neuron-glial cell gap junction and neural circuit
Hong-Bin WANG ; Jiao YAO ; Hui-Qin WANG ; Zhi-Feng TIAN ; Qi-Di AI ; Mei-Yu LIN ; Yan-Tao YANG ; Song-Wei YANG ; Nai-Hong CHEN
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(7):1210-1214
Gap junction(GJ),also known as gap junction,is widely found between neurons and glial cells,and can connect neighboring cells and mediate the transmission of electrical sig-nals between neighboring cells.The GJ channel,which exists between neurons and mediates intercellular electrical signaling,is also known as an electrical synapse.Connexins(Cxs)are the molecular basis of GJ,and are expressed to different degrees in different neurons and glial cells.The presence of GJ mediates different functions among neurons and glial cells,which further influences the establishment of various mature neural circuits,re-flecting the importance of GJ in the maintenance of neural cir-cuits.This review summarizes the relationship between GJ and neural circuits in relation to the effects of GJ and different Cxs on neurons and glial cells,providing new research ideas for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.
10.Exploration of the Effect of Guhuaisi Kangfu Pills on Neovascularisation of Steroid-Induced Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head in Rats Based on Gene Expression of VEGF/PI3K/Akt Pathway
Wen-Xi LI ; Liang-Yu TIAN ; Jin ZHANG ; Cai-Hong SHEN ; Zhi-Min YANG ; Xiao-Yan FENG ; Jia-Qiao GUO ; Yu-Ju CAO
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;41(8):2127-2135
Objective To observe the therapeutic effect and mechanism of Guhuaisi Kangfu Pills on rats with steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head(SONFH).Methods Sixty rats were randomly divided into blank group,model group,Xianling Gubao Capsules group and Guhuaisi Kangfu Pills low-,medium-and high-dose groups,10 rats in each group.Except for the blank group,the SONFH model was established by lipopolysaccharide combined with Glucocorticoid induction method in all other groups of rats.At the end of the intervention,for the femoral head,blood vessel radiography was performed to observe the microvascular changes in the bone marrow,and hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and calculation of the empty bone trap rate,Micro-CT scanning analysis,and compression experiments were carried out,and the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)was used to detect the gene expressions of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K),protein kinase B(Akt)1,vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1(CD31)in whole blood.Results Compared with the blank group,the blood supply in the femoral head medullary cavity of the model group was poor,the empty bone lacuna rate was increased(P<0.05),the bone mineral density and bone volume fraction were significantly decreased(P<0.05),the maximum load and elastic modulus of the femoral head were decreased(P<0.05),and the mRNA expression levels of Akt1,PI3K,VEGF and CD31 in whole blood were decreased(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the blood supply in the femoral head medullary cavity was relatively good,the empty bone lacuna rate was decreased(P<0.05),the bone mineral density,bone volume fraction,trabecular number and trabecular thickness were significantly increased(P<0.05),the trabecular separation was significantly decreased(P<0.05),the maximum load and elastic modulus of the femoral head were increased(P<0.05),and the mRNA expression levels of Akt1,PI3K,VEGF and CD31 in the whole blood were increased(P<0.05)in the high-dose group of Guhuaisi Kangfu Pills and Xianling Gubao Capsules group.There was no significant difference in the above indexes between the high-dose group of Guhuaisi Kangfu Pills and the Xianling Gubao Capsules group(P>0.05).Conclusion Guhuaisi Kangfu Pills improves SONFH in rats,and its mechanism is related to the promotion of VEGF/PI3K/Akt pathway gene expression,thereby promoting angiogenesis.

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