1.Fibroblast Growth Factors in Parkinson’s Disease: Multi-target Neuroprotective Mechanisms Involving Neuroinflammation, Cellular Stress, and Ferroptosis
Hui WANG ; Zi-Gui ZHOU ; Teng-Teng HAN ; Chang-Zhi YANG ; Xue-Wen TIAN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(4):855-874
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the pathological accumulation ofα‑synuclein. Although extensive progress has been made in elucidating its pathogenesis, current therapeutic approaches remain largely symptomatic, and effective disease-modifying treatments are still unavailable. Increasing evidence indicates that PD is driven by the interaction of multiple pathological processes, including neuroinflammation, iron homeostasis dysregulation and ferroptosis, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and impaired protein homeostasis, which together contribute to neuronal vulnerability and degeneration. Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) comprise a family of 22 ligands that play important roles in neural development, stress responses, metabolic regulation, and the maintenance of nervous system homeostasis. Recent studies have shown that several FGF family members, such as FGF1, FGF2, FGF9, and FGF21, exert neuroprotective effects in cellular and animal models of PD. These effects include the regulation of inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, iron homeostasis, cellular stress adaptation, and neuronal survival. Compared with therapeutic strategies targeting a single pathogenic pathway, FGFs appear to influence multiple disease-related processes, suggesting their potential relevance to the complex pathophysiology of PD. Experimental evidence indicates that altered FGF signaling may contribute to dopaminergic neuron dysfunction through the coordinated regulation of several interconnected mechanisms. FGFs have been reported to modulate neuroinflammation by affecting the activation of microglia and astrocytes, thereby influencing the inflammatory environment in the central nervous system. In addition, FGFs are involved in the regulation of iron homeostasis and ferroptosis, partly through antioxidant signaling pathways associated with NRF2, SLC7A11, and GPX4. Moreover, FGFs can alleviate ER stress and mitochondrial dysfunction by activating intracellular signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT, AMPK-PGC-1α, as well as SIRT1-dependent programs, which support cellular energy metabolism and redox balance. Recent advances in single-cell and spatial transcriptomic studies further suggest that FGF signaling is not limited to neuron-intrinsic mechanisms but also involves interactions among different glial cell types. Altered FGF ligand-receptor communication between astrocytes and oligodendrocytes has been observed in PD models and is associated with increased susceptibility of dopaminergic neurons to oxidative stress and ferroptosis. These findings indicate that the biological effects of FGFs are influenced by cell type and disease stage and may vary under different pathological conditions. In this review, we summarize recent progress in understanding the roles of FGF family members in PD, with a focus on their involvement in iron homeostasis dysregulation and ferroptosis, neuroinflammation, cellular stress responses, and neuronal protection and regeneration. By integrating current evidence, this review aims to provide a clearer understanding of how FGFs participate in PD pathogenesis and to offer a theoretical basis for future studies exploring their potential value in disease-modifying therapeutic strategies.
2.Clinical characteristics and treatment of patients with acute acquired concomitant esotropia in different refractive status
Gui-Ou ZHANG ; Chang-Mei GUO ; Lu ZHANG ; Na-Min LI ; Jian ZHOU ; Zi-Feng ZHANG
International Eye Science 2023;23(8):1357-1361
AIM: To analyze the clinical characteristics and treatment of patients with acute acquired concomitant esotropia(AACE)in different refractive status.METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 110 patients with non-type I AACE treated from January 2020 to January 2022. The non-myopic group(30 cases, spherical equivalent>-0.5D)and the myopic group(80 cases, spherical equivalent≤-0.5D)were divided according to the refractive status. The degree of deviation, accommodative convergence and accommodation ratio(AC/A), visual function, and surgical methods were observed. RESULTS: The non-myopic group had no difference in the degree of near deviation [(47.13±23.54)△] and the degree of distant deviation [(48.90±22.59)△](P>0.05); near deviation [(40.49±26.09)△] of myopic group was less than distant deviation [(50.09±25.41)△](P<0.001); and there was no difference in the same distance between the two groups(P>0.05). AC/A in the non-myopic group(5.40±2.23)was higher than that in the myopic group(3.14±3.10; P<0.05). Patients in the myopic group had better near stereopsis than the non-myopic group(P<0.05). The non-myopic group had a variety of surgical methods, while the myopic group mostly used lateral rectus resection or/and medial rectus recession.CONCLUSION: AACE can occur in different refractive status. Non-myopic patients have the same degree of distant and near strabismus, high AC/A, and varied surgical methods. However, myopic patients have less degree of near deviation than distant deviation and have normal AC/A and better near stereopsis, and lateral rectus resection or/and medial rectus recession are commonly used.
3.Periplaneta americana extract CⅡ-3 induces senescence of leukemia K562 cells via SIRT1/mTOR signaling pathway.
Si-Yue HE ; Cheng-Gui ZHANG ; Heng LIU ; Yue ZHOU ; Zi-Yun TANG ; Zi-Ying BI ; Lu TIAN ; Min-Rui LI
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(11):3039-3045
This study aims to investigate the role of slient mating-type information regulation 2 homolog 1(SIRT1)/tuberous sclerosis complex 2(TSC2)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR) signaling pathways in the Periplaneta americana extract CⅡ-3-induced senescence of human leukemia K562 cells. K562 cells were cultured in vitro and treated with 0(control), 5, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160 μg·mL~(-1) of P. americana extract CⅡ-3. Cell counting kit-8(CCK-8) and flow cytometry were employed to examine the proliferation and cell cycle of the K562 cells. Senescence-associated β-galactosidase stain kit(SA-β-gal) was used to detect the positive rate of senescent cells. Mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by flow cytometry. The relative mRNA level of telomerase reverse transcriptase(TERT) was determined by fluorescence quantitative PCR. The mRNA and protein levels of SIRT1, TSC2, and mTOR were determined by fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blot, respectively. The results showed that CⅡ-3 significantly inhibited the proliferation of K562 cells and the treatment with 80 μg·mL~(-1) CⅡ-3 for 72 h had the highest inhibition rate. Therefore, 80 μg·mL~(-1) CⅡ-3 treatment for 72 h was selected as the standard for subsequent experiments. Compared with the control group, CⅡ-3 increased the proportion of cells arrested in G_0/G_1 phase, decreased the proportion of cells in S phase, increased the positive rate of SA-β-Gal staining, elevated the mitochondrial membrane potential and down-regulated the mRNA expression of TERT. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of SIRT1 and TSC2 was down-regulated, while the mRNA expression of mTOR was up-regulated. The protein expression of SIRT1 and p-TSC2 was down-regulated, while the protein expression of p-mTOR was up-regulated. The results indicated that P. americana extract CⅡ-3 induced the senescence of K562 cells via the SIRT1/mTOR signaling pathway.
Humans
;
Animals
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Periplaneta
;
Sirtuin 1/genetics*
;
K562 Cells
;
Signal Transduction
;
TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics*
;
RNA, Messenger
;
Mammals
4.Reference values for carotid artery intima-media thickness among community adult dwellers in Shenzhen City.
Yu Xin XIE ; De Liang LYU ; Ke PENG ; Hong Wei XIE ; Yong JIANG ; Xin Bo ZHONG ; Xi Lin WEN ; Zi Wei FU ; Gui Li ZHOU ; Zhi Guang ZHAO ; Yi Chong LI
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2023;57(7):1011-1017
Objective: To establish reference values for carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) of adult dwellers in Shenzhen City. Methods: The study was conducted based on the Shenzhen heart failure epidemiological survey from 2021 to 2022. In this survey, residents aged 18 years and above in Shenzhen were selected by using a multi-stage stratified random sampling method. General information, cardiovascular disease (CVD) related behavior and carotid ultrasound examination and etc. were collected from the participants. People with CVD factors, a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, carotid plaque or having no carotid ultrasound examination results were excluded. The parameter regression model based on fractional polynomial was used to establish the reference values of CIMT by age and sex. Results: A total of 2 163 healthy individuals were enrolled in the final analysis, including 576 males (26.6%) and 1 587 females (73.4%). The fractional polynomial regression of the CIMT mean and standard deviation was obtained. For men, the regression was meanCIMT=0.324 7+0.006 9×age and SDCIMT=0.076 9+0.001 2×age. For women, the regression was meanCIMT=0.354 9+0.005 4×age and SDCIMT=0.041 6+0.002 0×age. Conclusion: The age and sex reference values for CIMT of adult people in Shenzhen established in this study could provide the latest reference standards for early screening of subclinical CVD.
Male
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Humans
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Adult
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Female
;
Carotid Intima-Media Thickness
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Cardiovascular Diseases
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Reference Values
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Carotid Arteries/diagnostic imaging*
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Ultrasonography, Carotid Arteries
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Risk Factors
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Carotid Artery Diseases
5.Course of disease and related epidemiological parameters of COVID-19: a prospective study based on contact tracing cohort.
Yan ZHOU ; Wen Jia LIANG ; Zi Hui CHEN ; Tao LIU ; Tie SONG ; Shao Wei CHEN ; Ping WANG ; Jia Ling LI ; Yun Hua LAN ; Ming Ji CHENG ; Jin Xu HUANG ; Ji Wei NIU ; Jian Peng XIAO ; Jian Xiong HU ; Li Feng LIN ; Qiong HUANG ; Ai Ping DENG ; Xiao Hua TAN ; Min KANG ; Gui Min CHEN ; Mo Ran DONG ; Hao Jie ZHONG ; Wen Jun MA
Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine 2022;56(4):474-478
Objective: To analyze the course of disease and epidemiological parameters of COVID-19 and provide evidence for making prevention and control strategies. Methods: To display the distribution of course of disease of the infectors who had close contacts with COVID-19 cases from January 1 to March 15, 2020 in Guangdong Provincial, the models of Lognormal, Weibull and gamma distribution were applied. A descriptive analysis was conducted on the basic characteristics and epidemiological parameters of course of disease. Results: In total, 515 of 11 580 close contacts were infected, with an attack rate about 4.4%, including 449 confirmed cases and 66 asymptomatic cases. Lognormal distribution was fitting best for latent period, incubation period, pre-symptomatic infection period of confirmed cases and infection period of asymptomatic cases; Gamma distribution was fitting best for infectious period and clinical symptom period of confirmed cases; Weibull distribution was fitting best for latent period of asymptomatic cases. The latent period, incubation period, pre-symptomatic infection period, infectious period and clinical symptoms period of confirmed cases were 4.50 (95%CI:3.86-5.13) days, 5.12 (95%CI:4.63-5.62) days, 0.87 (95%CI:0.67-1.07) days, 11.89 (95%CI:9.81-13.98) days and 22.00 (95%CI:21.24-22.77) days, respectively. The latent period and infectious period of asymptomatic cases were 8.88 (95%CI:6.89-10.86) days and 6.18 (95%CI:1.89-10.47) days, respectively. Conclusion: The estimated course of COVID-19 and related epidemiological parameters are similar to the existing data.
COVID-19
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Cohort Studies
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Contact Tracing
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Humans
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Incidence
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Prospective Studies
6.Effect of Jingfang Granules on carrageenan-induced tail thrombosis in mice based on ERK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.
Ji-Dong ZHOU ; Hong-Hua LI ; Xiang-Zi LI ; Shi-Rong LI ; Tian-Ye YANG ; Jing-Chun YAO ; Gui-Min ZHANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2022;47(8):2195-2199
The present study explored the anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic mechanism of Jingfang Granules on tail thrombosis induced by carrageenan in mice. Thirty-two male ICR mice were randomly divided into a control group, a model group, a Jingfang Granules group, and a positive drug(aspirin) group, with eight mice in each group. The thrombosis model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of carrageenan(45 mg·kg~(-1)) combined with low-temperature stimulation, and the mice were treated with drugs for 7 days before modeling. Twenty-four hours after modeling, blood was detected for four blood coagulation indices in each group. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) was used to detect the activity of plasma interleukin-6(IL-6), interleukin-1β(IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), and other inflammatory factors. The tails of mice in each group were cut off to observe tail lesions and measure the length of the thrombus. The protein expression and phosphorylation level of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2(ERK1/2) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(p38 MAPK) in spleen tissues were detected by Western blot. The results showed that dark red thrombus appeared in the tails of mice in each group. The length of the black part accounted for about 40% of the total tail in the model group. Additionally, the model group showed prolonged prothrombin time(PT), increased fibrinogen(FIB) content, and shortened activated partial thromboplastin time(APTT). Compared with the model group, the groups with drug intervention displayed shortened black parts in the tail and improved four blood coagulation indices(P<0.05). As revealed by ELISA, the expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in the mouse plasma were significantly up-regulated in the model group, and those in the groups with drug intervention were reduced as compared with the model group(P<0.05). As demonstrated by Western blot, the protein expression and phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK in the spleen tissues were significantly elevated in the model group, while those in the Jingfang Granules group were down-regulated as compared with the model group with a significant difference. Jingfang Granules can inhibit tail thrombosis of mice caused by carrageenan presumedly by inhibiting the activation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK signaling pathways.
Animals
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Carrageenan/adverse effects*
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Interleukin-6/metabolism*
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MAP Kinase Signaling System
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Male
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred ICR
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Signal Transduction
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Thrombosis/drug therapy*
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Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism*
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p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism*
7.Rapid quality detection system of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos formula granules.
Zi-Yuan CHEN ; Li WANG ; Chao JIANG ; Yan JIN ; Jun-Hui ZHOU ; Tie-Gui NAN ; Yuan YUAN
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2020;45(5):1070-1075
The application of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) formula granules in clinical practice is gradually extensive. However, TCM formula granules is still lacking rapid and simple quality control standards. In this study, allele-specific PCR and enzyme-linked immunoassay(ELISA) was used for rapid detection of the quality of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos formula granules. The authenticity of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos formula granules was identified by allele-specific PCR and index component was detected by ELISA. Thus, it lays a foundation for the establishment of rapid quality detection standard for Lonicerae Japonicae Flos formula granules, and also provides reference for other studies on the quality standard of traditional Chinese medicine formula granules.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/analysis*
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Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
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Lonicera/chemistry*
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional
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Polymerase Chain Reaction
;
Quality Control
8.Outcomes of 138 myelodysplastic syndrome patients with HLA-matched sibling donor allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Qian Qian WANG ; Zi Xian LIU ; Xiao Li ZHAO ; Gui Xin ZHANG ; Jian Feng YAO ; Xiao Hui ZHENG ; Li Ning ZHANG ; Yu Yan SHEN ; Xing Li ZHAO ; Yi HE ; Yong HUANG ; Rong Li ZHANG ; Jia Lin WEI ; Qiao Ling MA ; Ai Ming PANG ; Dong Lin YANG ; Wei Hua ZHAI ; Er Lie JIANG ; Si Zhou FENG ; Ming Zhe HAN
Chinese Journal of Hematology 2020;41(2):132-137
Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) patients who received HLA-matched sibling donor allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (MSD-PBSCT) . Methods: The clinical data of 138 MDS patients received MSD-PBSCT from Sep. 2005 to Dec. 2017 were retrospectively analyzed, and the overall survival (OS) rate, disease-free survival (DFS) rate, relapse rate (RR) , non-relapse mortality (NRM) rate and the related risk factors were explored. Results: ①After a median follow-up of 1 050 (range 4 to 4 988) days, the 3-year OS and DFS rates were (66.6±4.1) % and (63.3±4.1) %, respectively. The 3-year cumulative incidence of RR and NRM rates were (13.9±0.1) % and (22.2±0.1) %, respectively. ②Univariate analysis showed that patients with grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) or hematopoietic cell transplantation comorbidity index (HCT-CI) ≥2 points or patients in very high-risk group of the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) had significantly decreased OS[ (42.9±13.2) %vs (72.9±4.2) %, χ(2)=8.620, P=0.003; (53.3±7.6) %vs (72.6±4.7) %, χ(2)=6.681, P=0.010; (53.8±6.8) %vs (76.6±6.2) %vs (73.3±7.7) %, χ(2)=6.337, P=0.042]. For MDS patients with excess blasts-2 (MDS-EB2) and acute myeloid leukemia patients derived from MDS (MDS-AML) , pre-transplant chemotherapy or hypomethylating agents (HMA) therapy could not improve the OS rate[ (60.4±7.8) %vs (59.2±9.6) %, χ(2)=0.042, P=0.838]. ③Multivariate analysis indicated that the HCT-CI was an independent risk factor for OS and DFS (P=0.012, HR=2.108, 95%CI 1.174-3.785; P=0.008, HR=2.128, 95%CI 1.219-3.712) . Conclusions: HCT-CI was better than the IPSS-R in predicting the outcomes after transplantation. The occurrence of grade Ⅲ-Ⅳ aGVHD is a poor prognostic factor for OS. For patients of MDS-EB2 and MDS-AML, immediate transplantation was recommended instead of receiving pre-transplant chemotherapy or HMA therapy.
Graft vs Host Disease
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Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
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Humans
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Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute
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Myelodysplastic Syndromes
;
Retrospective Studies
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Siblings
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Transplantation Conditioning
;
Transplantation, Homologous
9.Research progress in long non-coding RNAs involved in invasion and metastasis of breast cancer
Zi-Gui ZOU ; Jin-Xing ZHOU ; Tian-Shi MA ; Zhi-Hong ZHANG
Basic & Clinical Medicine 2018;38(4):573-577
Long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs) defined as RNAs of more than 200 nucleotides in length don't en-code protein but are closely related to the development of breast cancer.Plenty of lncRNAs are dysregulated in breast cancer,and they can regulate the invasion and metastasis of breast cancer through various mechanisms such as transcription and post-transcriptional regulation which is greatly important to guide the treatment and prognosis of breast cancer.
10.Single -dose and multi -dose bioavailability of isosorbide -5 -mononitrate sustbilityained release capsules in Chinese healthy subjects
Ze-Li CHUN ; Wen-Fang LIU ; Yang LIN ; Ke-Xu YANG ; Gui-Ping ZHAO ; Chun-Yan LU ; Li TAN ; Ying-Chao ZHANG ; Wei WU ; Wei SUO ; Jing LI ; Zi-Jie ZHOU ; Hai-Yan DU ; Qi QIU ; Ying ZHAO ; You-Ping LIU
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2015;(17):1727-1731
Objective To compare the pharmacokinetic profiles between a new generic and a branded reference formulation of isosorbide -5 -mononitrate sustained release capsules , and to assess the bioequivalence of the two products in healthy Chinese male subjects.Methods Fifty subjects participated in the open -label, randomized -sequence, 2-way crossover study.Twenty-four subjects and 26 subjects were ran-domly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive single dose (50 mg) or multiple dose (50 mg, qd, 6 days) of the test or reference formulation , followed by a one -week washout period and administration of the alternate formulation , respectively.Serial blood samples were collected , and isosorbide -5 -mononitrate concentration in plasma was determined by LC-MS/MS.The relative bioavailability and related parameters of pharmacokinetics were calculated. Results The pharmacokinetic parameters of test formulation and the reference formulation after a single dose were as follows: Cmax were ( 554.18 ± 117.84 ) and (526.29 ±91.58 )μg· L-1; AUC0-t were ( 7834.21 ±1227.70 ) and (7658.86 ±927.74) h· μg· L-1 , respectively.The 90% confidential interval of Cmax and AUC0-t of test formulation were 99.82%-113.03%and 99.13%-106.43%of reference formulation , respectively.The pharmacokinetic parame-ters of test formulation and the reference formulation after multiple doses were as follows :Cmax were (612.96 ±171.32) and (527.12 ±114.36 ) μg · L-1; AUC0-t were ( 8408.71 ±1321.91 ) and ( 7781.88 ±1325.12 ) h · μg · L-1 , respectively.The 90% confidential interval of Cmax and AUC0-t of test formulation were 108.44% -122.17% and 105.35%-111.57% of reference formulation , respectively.The 90% confidence interval of Cmax and AUC0-t of isosorbide-5-mononitrate for the test formulation after single and multiple oral doses were fall within 70%-143%and 80%-125%of reference formulation.Conclusion The test formulation was considered bioequivalent to the reference formulation.

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