1.Ameliorative Effect of Wendantang Combined with Danshenyin and Dushentang on Ischemic Heart Disease with Phlegm-stasis Syndrome in Mice Based on Circulating Monocytes
Fenghe YANG ; Ziqi TIAN ; Zhiqian SONG ; Shitao PENG ; Wenjie LU ; Tao LIN ; Chun WANG ; Zhangchi NING
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(3):22-32
ObjectiveTo investigate the ameliorative effect of Wendantang combined with Danshenyin and Dushentang (WDD) on mice with ischemic heart disease (IHD) presenting phlegm-stasis syndrome based on the inflammatory phenotype and differentiation of circulating monocytes. MethodsA model of IHD with phlegm-stasis syndrome was established using left anterior descending coronary artery ligation supplemented with a high-fat diet. Eighty model mice were randomly assigned to the model group, WDD low-dose group (WDD-L), WDD medium-dose group (WDD-M), WDD high-dose group (WDD-H), and atorvastatin calcium tablet group, with 16 mice in each group. An additional 16 C57BL/6J mice were designated as the sham-operation group. The WDD groups received intragastric administration at doses of 8.91, 17.81, 35.62 g·kg-1, and the atorvastatin calcium tablet group received the corresponding drug at 1.3 mg·kg-1, twice daily. The sham-operation and model groups were given the same volume of pure water by gavage each day. After 5 consecutive weeks of administration, the cardiac index was calculated. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography. Myocardial histopathology was examined by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (pro-BNP) content was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hemorheological parameters were analyzed using an automated hemorheology analyzer. Serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were determined using an automated biochemical analyzer. Changes in circulating monocytes were detected by flow cytometry. Mouse bone marrow mononuclear cells were isolated in vitro and divided into blank group, model serum group, WDD-L drug-containing serum group, WDD-M drug-containing serum group, and WDD-H drug-containing serum group. CD36 expression and macrophage differentiation in each group were assessed by flow cytometry. The mechanism by which WDD mediates circulating monocyte differentiation was further explored using CD36 knockdown/overexpression RAW264.7 cell lines. ResultsCompared with the sham-operation group, the model group showed a significantly increased cardiac index (P0.01), significantly decreased fractional shortening (FS) (P0.01), and significantly increased left ventricular end-diastolic internal diameter (LVDD) and left ventricular end-systolic internal diameter (LVDS) (P0.01). Cardiomyocytes exhibited marked deformation and necrosis with inflammatory cell infiltration. Serum pro-BNP levels were significantly elevated (P0.01), and whole-blood viscosity (BV) at high, medium, and low shear rates was significantly increased (P0.01). Compared with the model group, the WDD groups showed significantly reduced cardiac index (P0.05, P0.01), significantly increased FS (P0.05, P0.01), significantly decreased LVDD and LVDS (P0.01), markedly improved cardiomyocyte morphology, significantly reduced inflammatory infiltration, significantly decreased serum pro-BNP levels (P0.01), and significantly decreased BV at high, medium, and low shear rates (P0.01), with the most pronounced improvement observed in the WDD-M group. Compared with the sham-operation group, TC, TG, and LDL levels were significantly increased in the model group (P0.05, P0.01), while HDL levels were significantly decreased (P0.05). After WDD-H treatment, TC, TG, and LDL levels were significantly reduced and HDL levels were significantly increased in mice (P0.05, P0.01). Compared with the sham-operation group, classical monocytes in blood and bone marrow and intermediate monocytes in blood were significantly increased in the model group (P0.01), whereas intermediate monocytes in bone marrow and non-classical monocytes in blood were significantly decreased (P0.01). After WDD administration, all circulating monocyte subsets in blood and bone marrow were significantly alleviated (P0.05, P0.01), with the WDD-M group showing the optimal effect. In vitro, compared with the blank group, CD36 expression on bone marrow monocytes and the proportion of differentiated macrophages were significantly increased in the model serum group (P0.01), and CD36 expression was significantly upregulated on RAW264.7 cells (P0.01). Compared with the model serum group, all drug-containing serum groups exhibited significantly reduced CD36 expression on bone marrow monocytes and significantly reduced macrophage differentiation (P0.01). WDD downregulated CD36 expression in both CD36 knockdown and overexpression RAW264.7 cell lines (P0.05, P0.01), with the strongest regulatory effect observed in the WDD-M drug-containing serum group. ConclusionWDD can significantly improve the manifestations of phlegm-stasis syndrome in IHD mice and reduce the proportion of classical circulating monocytes. Its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of CD36 expression on classical circulating monocytes.
2.Ameliorative Effect of Wendantang Combined with Danshenyin and Dushentang on Ischemic Heart Disease with Phlegm-stasis Syndrome in Mice Based on Circulating Monocytes
Fenghe YANG ; Ziqi TIAN ; Zhiqian SONG ; Shitao PENG ; Wenjie LU ; Tao LIN ; Chun WANG ; Zhangchi NING
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(3):22-32
ObjectiveTo investigate the ameliorative effect of Wendantang combined with Danshenyin and Dushentang (WDD) on mice with ischemic heart disease (IHD) presenting phlegm-stasis syndrome based on the inflammatory phenotype and differentiation of circulating monocytes. MethodsA model of IHD with phlegm-stasis syndrome was established using left anterior descending coronary artery ligation supplemented with a high-fat diet. Eighty model mice were randomly assigned to the model group, WDD low-dose group (WDD-L), WDD medium-dose group (WDD-M), WDD high-dose group (WDD-H), and atorvastatin calcium tablet group, with 16 mice in each group. An additional 16 C57BL/6J mice were designated as the sham-operation group. The WDD groups received intragastric administration at doses of 8.91, 17.81, 35.62 g·kg-1, and the atorvastatin calcium tablet group received the corresponding drug at 1.3 mg·kg-1, twice daily. The sham-operation and model groups were given the same volume of pure water by gavage each day. After 5 consecutive weeks of administration, the cardiac index was calculated. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography. Myocardial histopathology was examined by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (pro-BNP) content was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Hemorheological parameters were analyzed using an automated hemorheology analyzer. Serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were determined using an automated biochemical analyzer. Changes in circulating monocytes were detected by flow cytometry. Mouse bone marrow mononuclear cells were isolated in vitro and divided into blank group, model serum group, WDD-L drug-containing serum group, WDD-M drug-containing serum group, and WDD-H drug-containing serum group. CD36 expression and macrophage differentiation in each group were assessed by flow cytometry. The mechanism by which WDD mediates circulating monocyte differentiation was further explored using CD36 knockdown/overexpression RAW264.7 cell lines. ResultsCompared with the sham-operation group, the model group showed a significantly increased cardiac index (P<0.01), significantly decreased fractional shortening (FS) (P<0.01), and significantly increased left ventricular end-diastolic internal diameter (LVDD) and left ventricular end-systolic internal diameter (LVDS) (P<0.01). Cardiomyocytes exhibited marked deformation and necrosis with inflammatory cell infiltration. Serum pro-BNP levels were significantly elevated (P<0.01), and whole-blood viscosity (BV) at high, medium, and low shear rates was significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the WDD groups showed significantly reduced cardiac index (P<0.05, P<0.01), significantly increased FS (P<0.05, P<0.01), significantly decreased LVDD and LVDS (P<0.01), markedly improved cardiomyocyte morphology, significantly reduced inflammatory infiltration, significantly decreased serum pro-BNP levels (P<0.01), and significantly decreased BV at high, medium, and low shear rates (P<0.01), with the most pronounced improvement observed in the WDD-M group. Compared with the sham-operation group, TC, TG, and LDL levels were significantly increased in the model group (P<0.05, P<0.01), while HDL levels were significantly decreased (P<0.05). After WDD-H treatment, TC, TG, and LDL levels were significantly reduced and HDL levels were significantly increased in mice (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the sham-operation group, classical monocytes in blood and bone marrow and intermediate monocytes in blood were significantly increased in the model group (P<0.01), whereas intermediate monocytes in bone marrow and non-classical monocytes in blood were significantly decreased (P<0.01). After WDD administration, all circulating monocyte subsets in blood and bone marrow were significantly alleviated (P<0.05, P<0.01), with the WDD-M group showing the optimal effect. In vitro, compared with the blank group, CD36 expression on bone marrow monocytes and the proportion of differentiated macrophages were significantly increased in the model serum group (P<0.01), and CD36 expression was significantly upregulated on RAW264.7 cells (P<0.01). Compared with the model serum group, all drug-containing serum groups exhibited significantly reduced CD36 expression on bone marrow monocytes and significantly reduced macrophage differentiation (P<0.01). WDD downregulated CD36 expression in both CD36 knockdown and overexpression RAW264.7 cell lines (P<0.05, P<0.01), with the strongest regulatory effect observed in the WDD-M drug-containing serum group. ConclusionWDD can significantly improve the manifestations of phlegm-stasis syndrome in IHD mice and reduce the proportion of classical circulating monocytes. Its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of CD36 expression on classical circulating monocytes.
3.New insights into translational research in Alzheimer's disease guided by artificial intelligence, computational and systems biology.
Shulan JIANG ; Zixi TIAN ; Yuchen YANG ; Xiang LI ; Feiyan ZHOU ; Jianhua CHENG ; Jihui LYU ; Tingting GAO ; Ping ZHANG ; Hongbin HAN ; Zhiqian TONG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(10):5099-5126
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by cognitive and functional deterioration, with pathological features such as amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregates in the extracellular spaces of parenchymal neurons and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles formed by the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein. Despite a thorough investigation, current treatments targeting the reduction of Aβ production, promotion of its clearance, and inhibition of tau protein phosphorylation and aggregation have not met clinical expectations, posing a substantial obstacle in the development of drugs for AD. Recently, artificial intelligence (AI), computational biology (CB), and systems biology (SB) have emerged as promising methodologies in AD research. Their capacity to analyze extensive and varied datasets facilitates the identification of intricate patterns, thereby enriching our comprehension of AD pathology. This paper provides a comprehensive examination of the utilization of AI, CB, and SB in the diagnosis of AD, including the use of imaging omics for early detection, drug discovery methods such as lecanemab, and complementary therapies like phototherapy. This review offers novel perspectives and potential avenues for further research in the realm of translational AD studies.
4.Mechanism study of KCMF1 promoting proliferation and NF-κB signaling transduction in colorectal cancer cells
Zhibai WU ; Guiqin XU ; Li ZHANG ; Zhaojuan YANG ; Yun LIU ; Kun JIAO ; Zehong CHEN ; Chen XU ; You ZUO ; Ningqian ZHENG ; Zhiqian YE ; Yongzhong LIU
China Oncology 2024;34(11):987-997
Background and purpose:Colorectal cancer(CRC)is one of the major malignant tumors threatening human health worldwide,with long-term high incidence and mortality rate.Potassium channel modulatory factor 1(KCMF1)is a member of the E3 ubiquitin ligase family.It binds to target proteins through the RING domain and participates in the regulation of a variety of biological processes in vivo.However,the function of KCMF1 in CRC remains unclear.This study aimed to investigate the expression level of E3 ubiquitin ligase KCMF1 in colorectal tumor,and to explore the effects of KCMF1 on the proliferation of CRC cells and its underlying molecular mechanism.Methods:The The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)and Genotype-Tissue Expression(GTEx)databases were used to analyze the expression level of KCMF1 in CRC tissues and adjacent tissues and the association between the KCMF1 expression and the prognosis of CRC patients.Furthermore,immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the protein level of KCMF1 in 90 paired human CRC tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues.Lentiviral shRNA delivery system was employed to specifically target the KCMF1 gene(shKCMF1)in HCT116 and HCT15 CRC cell lines.The effects of KCMF1 knockdown on cell proliferation,apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were assessed by methyl thiazoyl terazolium(MTT)assay,colony formation assay,Western blot and flow cytometry.Changes in the transcriptional profile in HCT116 cells upon KCMF1 knockdown were identified by RNA sequencing(RNA-Seq),and the affected signaling pathways were evaluated by bioinformatics analysis.Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RTFQ-PCR),Western blot,luciferase reporter assay and cell immunofluorescence assay were utilized to validate the alteration of the affected signaling pathway.Results:The TCGA and GTEx databases and IHC results showed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of KCMF1 in CRC tissues were significantly upregulated compared with adjacent tissues(P<0.01).KCMF1 expression level was negatively correlated with the survival time of patients with CRC(P<0.01),and was positively associated with CRC clinical stage(P<0.05).Compared with control cells,KCMF1 knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferation of HCT116 and HCT15 cells(P<0.001),induced cell apoptosis(P<0.001),and led to cell cycle arrest in G1 phase(P<0.01).RNA-Seq analysis showed that KCMF1 was involved in the regulation of several signaling pathways,including nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)signaling pathway.KCMF1 knockdown reduced the transcription levels of the target genes of NF-κB signaling pathway,including BCL-XL,XIAP and CIAP(P<0.05),and suppressed the expression of phosphorylated p65 and nuclear translocation of p65(P<0.01).Meanwhile,the activity of NF-κB reporter was reduced in tumor cells upon KCMF1 knockdown(P<0.01).Conclusion:The expression of KCMF1 is significantly upregulated in human CRC tissues and positively associated with advanced clinical stage and poor prognosis.KCMF1 may promote the proliferation of CRC cells by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway.KCMF1 may be a potential new therapeutic target for CRC.
5.Correlation between defecation disorders and diet in patients undergoing sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer
Zhiqian CHEN ; Xiaotian ZHANG ; Yanan YANG ; Miao YU ; Hongbo CHEN ; Baohua LI
Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing 2024;30(34):4634-4640
Objective:To explore the correlation between defecation disorders and diet in patients undergoing sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional survey. From 2021 to 2023, convenience sampling was used to select 159 patients with rectal cancer who underwent sphincter-preserving surgery at Peking University Third Hospital as participants. The General Information Questionnaire, Food Frequency Questionnaire, and Defecation Questionnaire were used for the survey.Results:The incidence of defecation disorders in 159 patients with rectal cancer after sphincter-preserving surgery was 74.2% (118/159), and the types of defecation disorders with high to low incidence were "frequent defecation (96/159, 60.4%) " "constipation (37/159, 23.3%) " "diarrhea (33/159, 20.8%) " and "fecal incontinence" (24/159, 15.1%). Diets were clustered into 9 categories (vegetables and fruits, carbohydrate staple foods, red meat foods, gas producing foods, dairy products, white meat foods, dessert foods, high-fat foods, and spicy and stimulating foods). Binomial Logistic regression analysis showed that red meat foods and gas producing foods were the influencing factors of frequent defecation ( P<0.05), red meat foods was the influencing factor of diarrhea ( P<0.05), and carbohydrate staple foods was the influencing factor of fecal incontinence ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:The incidence of defecation disorders in patients with rectal cancer after sphincter-preserving surgery is relatively high, and the intake of red meat foods, gas producing foods, and carbohydrate staple foods should be appropriately controlled. Clinical medical and nursing staff should pay close attention to the diet of elderly patients.
6.Establishment and evaluation of a dual fluorescent RT-LAMP assay for PEDV and TGEV detection
Ran ZANG ; Feifei XU ; Danyang ZHENG ; Zhiqian ZHAO ; Mi ZHAO ; Hui WANG ; Jie GAO ; Yang MU
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2024;44(8):1600-1610
To develop a rapid differential detection method for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus(PEDV)and transmissible gastroenteritis virus(PEDV),M gene sequences of PEDV and TGEV were compared,the inner and outer primer pairs and probes were designed according to the highly conserved region.PEDV-Probe was labeled with FAM at5'end and BHQ1 at 3'end.TGEV-Probe was labeled with CY5.5 at the 5'end and BHQ2 at the 3'end.After optimizing the reaction condi-tions and system,a dual fluorescent RT-LAMP assay for PEDV and TGEV rapid identification was established.The amplification could be completed within 60 min in a 63 ℃ water bath and then stopped at 85 ℃ for 10 min.Then the tubes were placed in a multicolor imaging system,and the re-sults could be observed under 520 nm and 690 nm dual channels.There was no cross-reaction when other common swine viral pathogens were detected by this method.The sensitivity of the assay was evaluated with a 10-fold diluted recombinant plasmid as templates.The lowest detection limit was 102 copies/μL recombinant plasmid,which was 10 times more sensitive than the conventional RT-PCR method.Seventy-two PEDV-positive samples,49 TGEV-positive samples,and 40 PEDV and TGEV co-infected samples were detected from 175 anal swab samples of diarrheic piglets by the established method,which were all higher than the detection rates of the conventional RT-PCR method.The dual fluorescent RT-LAMP method established in this study can be used to amplify the target gene in an ordinary water bath without gel electrophoresis,which provides technical sup-port for rapid and convenient differential diagnosis of PED and TGE and simultaneous detection of PEDV and TGEV co-infection.
7.Mechanism of"Astragalus-Leech"medicine pair for treatment of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by regulating ferroptosis
Zhiqian YANG ; Jie JIANG ; Wei LIU ; Jingju WANG ; Hong YANG
China Pharmacist 2024;27(8):1273-1285
Objective"Astragalus-Leech"medicine pair can reduce cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury(CIRI),but its mechanism of action is not yet clear.Ferroptosis is a new target of CIRI.In this paper,the mechanism of the"Astragalus-Leech"medicine pair on regulating ferroptosis in the treatment of CIRI was investigated using the network pharmacology approach.Methods The active ingredients and targets of Astragalus-Leech were obtained by searching databases,such as PubChem,SwissTargetPrediction,Batman-TCM,UniProt,TCMSP and other databases,respectively;the CIRI-related targets were collected by searching GeneCards database;the Venny online tool was used to obtain the common targets of"Astragalus-Leech"medicine pairs for active ingredients and CIRI.Cytoscape software was used to construct a network of interrelationships between the active ingredients,disease and predicted targets of the"Astragalus-Leech"medicine pair,the protein interaction network was visualized,and CytoHubba plug-in was used to calculate the core targets.The GO analysis and KEGG analysis of the targets of"Astragalus-Leech"in the treatment of CIRI were performed using R language software.Using FerrDb database,the genes related to the regulation of ferroptosis were obtained,and the common genes among the active ingredients,CIRI and ferroptosis in the"Astragalus-Leech"medicine pair were analyzed to investigate their relationship and make predictions.AutoDockTools 1.5.7 and other softwares were used to verify the molecular docking between the active ingredients and key targets.Results Through searching the databases,28 active ingredients of"Astragalus-Leech"medicine pair,680 predicted gene targets of the drug pair,1513 targets related to CIRI,253 common targets of drug pair-disease,259 targets related to ferroptosis were obtained.28 potential targets,including PIK3CA,RELA,MAPK1,MAPK8,PTGS2,STAT3,SRC,NOS2,etc.on the regulation of ferroptosis and intervention in CIRI,and 279 signaling pathways including PI3K-Akt,Ras,TNF,MAPK,and HIF-1 were obtained through related prediction.Molecular docking showed that there was an interaction between the key components of the drug pair and the core targets.The"Astragalus-Leech"medicine pair may intervene in the development of CIRI by regulating ferroptosis and exert its therapeutic effects.Conclusion Using network pharmacology methods,the potential targets and related pathways of"Astragalus-Leech"on the active ingredients by regulating ferroptosis against CIRI were analyzed,suggesting that"Astragalus-Leech"may play its role in anti-CIRI through oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory pathways to regulate ferroptosis pathway,and provide a basis for further cell and animal experiments.
8.Recent advance in upstream regulatory mechanism of N6-methyladenin related proteins in glioma
Yi QIN ; Wei ZHANG ; He HUANG ; Ying ZHANG ; Zhiqian YANG
Chinese Journal of Neuromedicine 2023;22(1):77-83
Glioma has high incidence and poor prognosis. Glioma pathogenesis is the research hotspot and difficulty in related fields. N6-methyladenin (m6A) is closely related to glioma development, and m6A related proteins play important roles in glioma, which is a potential therapeutic target for glioma. In this paper, the upstream regulatory mechanism of m6A related proteins is reviewed, and the prospect of m6A related proteins as diagnostic markers and potential therapeutic targets for glioma is discussed.
9.Investigation of a carbon monoxide poisoning accident with a hidden source
Shihao TANG ; Qiuyuan MAI ; Liping ZHOU ; Zhiqian YANG ; Wanfeng ZHANG ; Zhi WANG
Chinese Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Diseases 2023;41(8):619-622
In June 2022, a carbon monoxide poisoning accident with hidden source occurred in a bonded gold/silver wire manufacturing enterprise in Guangzhou, causing 10 people to be poisoned, of which 1 was caused by carbon monoxide poisoning and 9 by carbon monoxide contact reaction. The symptoms were dizziness, fatigue and vomiting. After 5 to 7 h, the saturation of carboxyhemoglobin in finger pulse was 4% to 10%, and the saturation of carboxyhemoglobin in blood gas biochemical analysis was 1.9% to 5.8%. The concentration of carbon monoxide detected in the carbon borne purification plant of the enterprise was 34.46-37.26 mg/m 3. It was judged that the accident was carbon monoxide poisoning caused by carbon monoxide gas being transported to the work post along the gas transmission pipeline due to abnormal operation of the carbon borne purification plant. By investigating the source and cause of poison, this paper provides a warning for the similar process to prevent similar events, and provides a new idea for the identification of chemical poisoning risk. At the same time, it is warned that similar enterprises should fully consider the risk of poisoning under specific circumstances, strengthen equipment maintenance and repair, and prevent the occurrence of similar incidents.
10.Investigation of a carbon monoxide poisoning accident with a hidden source
Shihao TANG ; Qiuyuan MAI ; Liping ZHOU ; Zhiqian YANG ; Wanfeng ZHANG ; Zhi WANG
Chinese Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Diseases 2023;41(8):619-622
In June 2022, a carbon monoxide poisoning accident with hidden source occurred in a bonded gold/silver wire manufacturing enterprise in Guangzhou, causing 10 people to be poisoned, of which 1 was caused by carbon monoxide poisoning and 9 by carbon monoxide contact reaction. The symptoms were dizziness, fatigue and vomiting. After 5 to 7 h, the saturation of carboxyhemoglobin in finger pulse was 4% to 10%, and the saturation of carboxyhemoglobin in blood gas biochemical analysis was 1.9% to 5.8%. The concentration of carbon monoxide detected in the carbon borne purification plant of the enterprise was 34.46-37.26 mg/m 3. It was judged that the accident was carbon monoxide poisoning caused by carbon monoxide gas being transported to the work post along the gas transmission pipeline due to abnormal operation of the carbon borne purification plant. By investigating the source and cause of poison, this paper provides a warning for the similar process to prevent similar events, and provides a new idea for the identification of chemical poisoning risk. At the same time, it is warned that similar enterprises should fully consider the risk of poisoning under specific circumstances, strengthen equipment maintenance and repair, and prevent the occurrence of similar incidents.

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