1.Cuscutae Semen ameliorates mepanipyrim-induced visual impairment in zebrafish via the phototransduction pathway with identification of potential active constituents
Yaling YANG ; Zihan ZHAO ; Yaqian ZHENG ; Naying ZHENG ; Lian YANG ; Anfernee Kai Wing TSE ; Zhenghong ZUO ; Chengyong HE ; Jian YANG ; Lanping GUO
Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;3(4):336-346
Background: The global rise in visual impairment, driven by population aging, the increasing prevalence of lifestyle-related chronic diseases, and environmental factors, has made it a critical public health concern, highlighting the urgent need for effective preventive strategies and eye health maintenance. Cuscutae Semen (CS), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine long regarded for its vision-enhancing properties, has been widely used to support ocular health. However, its underlying molecular mechanisms and bioactive constituents remain poorly understood, limiting its modernization and broader clinical application. Objective: This study aims to investigate the restorative effects of CS on visual impairment, elucidate its underlying mechanisms, and identify potential active components. Methods: A zebrafish model of visual impairment was established using mepanipyrim to simulate retinal structural damage and visual dysfunction. The therapeutic effects of CS were systematically evaluated through behavioral analyses and histomorphological observations. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, an integrated approach was employed, combining transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq), reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction validation, and immunofluorescence staining to identify critical genes and pathways involved. Furthermore, macroporous resin column chromatography was employed for the fractionation and screening of potential active components. Results: CS treatment significantly alleviated mepanipyrim-induced ocular abnormalities in zebrafish, restoring approximately 82% of the observed morphological defects. Behavioral assessments revealed that CS-treated zebrafish exhibited markedly increased swimming speed and distance, indicating enhanced visual light sensitivity. Histopathological analysis demonstrated that CS effectively repaired the structure of retinal cell layers. RNA-seq revealed that CS broadly reversed mepanipyrim-induced gene expression disturbances, suggesting a restorative effect on transcriptomic homeostasis. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis identified the phototransduction pathway as a key mediator of CS’s therapeutic effects. This was further supported by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction validation of critical genes and immunofluorescence staining, which confirmed the restored expression of Pde6a and Gnat2, key proteins involved in photic signal transmission. Active component screening indicated that high-polar constituents, including chlorogenic acid, may constitute one of the major bioactive fractions responsible for the observed therapeutic effects. Conclusion: This study provides evidence of the vision-protective effects of CS in a zebrafish model, demonstrating that its therapeutic mechanism involves modulation of the phototransduction pathway. Chlorogenic acid was identified as one of the key bioactive constituents contributing to this effect. These findings not only provide scientific validation for the traditional use of CS in ocular protection but also present promising therapeutic prospects for the prevention and treatment of visual impairment.
2.Survey of current status of prevention and control of traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment technique-related infections in Jiangsu Province
Xuan WU ; Jing KONG ; Zihan SUN ; Ge QIU ; Shanshan XU ; Quan CHEN ; Li RUI ; Zhengxiang DAI
Chinese Journal of Nosocomiology 2025;35(9):1385-1390
OBJECTIVE To understand the current status of prevention and control of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)diagnosis and treatment technique-related infections in various grades of hospitals in Jiangsu Province so as to provide bases for management departments to put forward the norms.METHODS The questionnaire was de-signed by the methods such as Delphic correspondence,the current status of prevalence,prevention and control of TCM diagnosis and treatment technique-related infections among the health care workers in the hospitals of Jiang-su Province was investigated by using convenience sampling method.RESULTS A total of 508 questionnaires were collected from 13 cities of Jiangsu Province.The results showed that the TCM treatment room(63.64%)was the most common operation site for minimally invasive TCM diagnosis and treatment techniques,the bedside(62.50%)of the patients was the major operation site for Chinese medicine enema,and the central sterile supply department(55.31%)was the preferred choice of cleaning and disinfection site for daily recycled TCM apparatu-ses.'One person used for once,airing and preparing for later use after cleaning and disinfection for once'was the major approach taken for the cleaning and disinfection of Gua Sha boards(82.45%)and TCM pots(87.50%).67.87%of the health care workers said that they wound cleaned and disinfected the medical apparatuses of dress-ing,ironing and fumigation every time after the use.The natural ventilation and ultraviolet light(50.39%)was the major method that was taken for the ventilation and disinfection of the treatment rooms for TCM operations.Quick-drying hand disinfectant and non-touch hand-washing equipment(39.37%)were the most commonly e-quipped hand hygiene facilities.CONCLUSIONS The prevention and control of TCM diagnosis and treatment tech-nique-related infections and the health care workers' capabilities for prevention and control of the infection have made remarkable progress in the various grades of hospitals in Jiangsu Province.However,there is still room for further improvement,and the standardized management and construction should be completed so as to safeguard the TCM diagnosis and treatment techniques.
3.Effect of"Astragalus-Chinese yam"on cancer-induced fatigue in mice based on network pharmacology and behavior
Chen LIU ; Shiyi LI ; Xiaoxiao YIN ; Zihan KONG ; Qinghua LIU ; Hongli LI ; Chonggao YIN
Acta Laboratorium Animalis Scientia Sinica 2025;33(3):374-387
Objective To investigate the mechanism of action of the Astragalus-Chinese yam combination in treating cancer-related fatigue(CRF)in mice.Methods The active components and related targets of Astragalus-Chinese yam were obtained from the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform.CRF-associated targets were identified using the GeneCards database.Intersecting targets were analyzed using the DAVID database for gene ontology and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analyses.A network diagram depicting"drug-active component-intersecting targets-disease"was constructed using Cytoscape software,and a protein-protein interaction network was created to identify the top five core target proteins based on degree values.Molecular docking simulations were performed using Autodock Vina software.Twenty-five mice were divided randomly into a blank group and a modeling group in a 1∶4 ratio.After successfully establishing the CRF model using Lewis lung cancer cells,mice in the modeling group were further divided into model,Chinese yam(0.2 g/kg),Astragalus(0.6 g/kg),and Astragalus-Chinese yam combination groups(0.3+0.1 g/kg)(n=5 mice per group).The treatments were administered by gavage twice daily for 14 consecutive days.Grip-strength and forced-swimming tests were conducted.The mice were then euthanized and tissues were collected.The gastrocnemius muscles were weighed and stained with hematoxylin and eosin to reveal the muscle fiber morphology.Results A total of 23 effective active components of Astragalus-Chinese yam were identified through network pharmacology analysis,with 199 intersecting drug-disease targets.These targets mainly participated in biological processes such as protein phosphorylation through cellular components(cytoplasm,membrane,nucleus)and performed molecular functions such as protein binding.A total of 155 signaling pathways,including pathway in cancer and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B signaling pathway,were involved in CRF.The critical targets of Astragalus-Chinese yam for CRF included serine/threonine kinase,tumor necrosis factor,epidermal growth factor receptor,B-cell lymphoma 2,and caspase 3.The active components quercetin and diosgenin interacted with the highest number of targets and demonstrated binding energies<-5.0 kJ/mol with the five core targets,indicating strong ligand-receptor binding affinity.Mice in the Chinese yam and Astragalus groups exhibited increased grip strength and prolonged swimming times compared with the model group.Gastrocnemius muscle volume and mass were increased,with well-organized muscle fibers and clear boundaries,and the effects were even more pronounced in the Astragalus-Chinese yam combination group.Conclusions Astragalus-Chinese yam treats CRF via a multi-target,multi-pathway approach,enhancing muscle strength and endurance in mice,improving gastrocnemius muscle volume and mass,and alleviating muscle atrophy,thereby mitigating the associated symptoms of CRF in mice.
4.Survey of current status of prevention and control of traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment technique-related infections in Jiangsu Province
Xuan WU ; Jing KONG ; Zihan SUN ; Ge QIU ; Shanshan XU ; Quan CHEN ; Li RUI ; Zhengxiang DAI
Chinese Journal of Nosocomiology 2025;35(9):1385-1390
OBJECTIVE To understand the current status of prevention and control of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)diagnosis and treatment technique-related infections in various grades of hospitals in Jiangsu Province so as to provide bases for management departments to put forward the norms.METHODS The questionnaire was de-signed by the methods such as Delphic correspondence,the current status of prevalence,prevention and control of TCM diagnosis and treatment technique-related infections among the health care workers in the hospitals of Jiang-su Province was investigated by using convenience sampling method.RESULTS A total of 508 questionnaires were collected from 13 cities of Jiangsu Province.The results showed that the TCM treatment room(63.64%)was the most common operation site for minimally invasive TCM diagnosis and treatment techniques,the bedside(62.50%)of the patients was the major operation site for Chinese medicine enema,and the central sterile supply department(55.31%)was the preferred choice of cleaning and disinfection site for daily recycled TCM apparatu-ses.'One person used for once,airing and preparing for later use after cleaning and disinfection for once'was the major approach taken for the cleaning and disinfection of Gua Sha boards(82.45%)and TCM pots(87.50%).67.87%of the health care workers said that they wound cleaned and disinfected the medical apparatuses of dress-ing,ironing and fumigation every time after the use.The natural ventilation and ultraviolet light(50.39%)was the major method that was taken for the ventilation and disinfection of the treatment rooms for TCM operations.Quick-drying hand disinfectant and non-touch hand-washing equipment(39.37%)were the most commonly e-quipped hand hygiene facilities.CONCLUSIONS The prevention and control of TCM diagnosis and treatment tech-nique-related infections and the health care workers' capabilities for prevention and control of the infection have made remarkable progress in the various grades of hospitals in Jiangsu Province.However,there is still room for further improvement,and the standardized management and construction should be completed so as to safeguard the TCM diagnosis and treatment techniques.
5.Effects of medical tissue glue on skin repair after facial tumor resection
Qiang MENG ; Liehao YANG ; Lingda KONG ; Zihan NIU ; Hongyan LI
Chinese Journal of Medical Aesthetics and Cosmetology 2025;31(1):64-67
Objective:To observe the effects of medical tissue glue on skin repair after facial tumor resection.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed for 32 patients who underwent facial tumor resection in the Shenshan Medical Center, Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from October 2021 to May 2022, including 22 males and 10 females, with a median age of 36 (2-66) years. Patients were divided into the medical tissue glue group ( n=15) and the suture group ( n=17) based on the method of skin closure after surgery. The operation time, grade A wound healing rate and Vancouver scar scale (VSS) score were compared between the two groups. Satisfaction evaluation was performed independently by patients 6 months after incision healing. Results:The operation time of the medical tissue glue group and the suture group were (44.07±7.00) and (47.41±9.06) minutes, the VSS scores were (1.93±0.96) and (1.88±0.84) points, respectively. The differences were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). The grade A wound healing rate of patients in the medical tissue glue group was 100.0% (15/15), the satisfaction rate was 100.0% (15/15), of which 10 cases were satisfied and 5 cases were relatively satisfied. The grade A wound healing rate of patients in the suture group was 100.0% (17/17), the satisfaction rate was 100.0% (17/17), of which 13 cases were satisfied and 4 cases were relatively satisfied. Conclusion:Medical tissue glue can achieve good cosmetic results in facial tumor resection.
6.Effect of"Astragalus-Chinese yam"on cancer-induced fatigue in mice based on network pharmacology and behavior
Chen LIU ; Shiyi LI ; Xiaoxiao YIN ; Zihan KONG ; Qinghua LIU ; Hongli LI ; Chonggao YIN
Acta Laboratorium Animalis Scientia Sinica 2025;33(3):374-387
Objective To investigate the mechanism of action of the Astragalus-Chinese yam combination in treating cancer-related fatigue(CRF)in mice.Methods The active components and related targets of Astragalus-Chinese yam were obtained from the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform.CRF-associated targets were identified using the GeneCards database.Intersecting targets were analyzed using the DAVID database for gene ontology and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analyses.A network diagram depicting"drug-active component-intersecting targets-disease"was constructed using Cytoscape software,and a protein-protein interaction network was created to identify the top five core target proteins based on degree values.Molecular docking simulations were performed using Autodock Vina software.Twenty-five mice were divided randomly into a blank group and a modeling group in a 1∶4 ratio.After successfully establishing the CRF model using Lewis lung cancer cells,mice in the modeling group were further divided into model,Chinese yam(0.2 g/kg),Astragalus(0.6 g/kg),and Astragalus-Chinese yam combination groups(0.3+0.1 g/kg)(n=5 mice per group).The treatments were administered by gavage twice daily for 14 consecutive days.Grip-strength and forced-swimming tests were conducted.The mice were then euthanized and tissues were collected.The gastrocnemius muscles were weighed and stained with hematoxylin and eosin to reveal the muscle fiber morphology.Results A total of 23 effective active components of Astragalus-Chinese yam were identified through network pharmacology analysis,with 199 intersecting drug-disease targets.These targets mainly participated in biological processes such as protein phosphorylation through cellular components(cytoplasm,membrane,nucleus)and performed molecular functions such as protein binding.A total of 155 signaling pathways,including pathway in cancer and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B signaling pathway,were involved in CRF.The critical targets of Astragalus-Chinese yam for CRF included serine/threonine kinase,tumor necrosis factor,epidermal growth factor receptor,B-cell lymphoma 2,and caspase 3.The active components quercetin and diosgenin interacted with the highest number of targets and demonstrated binding energies<-5.0 kJ/mol with the five core targets,indicating strong ligand-receptor binding affinity.Mice in the Chinese yam and Astragalus groups exhibited increased grip strength and prolonged swimming times compared with the model group.Gastrocnemius muscle volume and mass were increased,with well-organized muscle fibers and clear boundaries,and the effects were even more pronounced in the Astragalus-Chinese yam combination group.Conclusions Astragalus-Chinese yam treats CRF via a multi-target,multi-pathway approach,enhancing muscle strength and endurance in mice,improving gastrocnemius muscle volume and mass,and alleviating muscle atrophy,thereby mitigating the associated symptoms of CRF in mice.
7.Effects of medical tissue glue on skin repair after facial tumor resection
Qiang MENG ; Liehao YANG ; Lingda KONG ; Zihan NIU ; Hongyan LI
Chinese Journal of Medical Aesthetics and Cosmetology 2025;31(1):64-67
Objective:To observe the effects of medical tissue glue on skin repair after facial tumor resection.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed for 32 patients who underwent facial tumor resection in the Shenshan Medical Center, Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from October 2021 to May 2022, including 22 males and 10 females, with a median age of 36 (2-66) years. Patients were divided into the medical tissue glue group ( n=15) and the suture group ( n=17) based on the method of skin closure after surgery. The operation time, grade A wound healing rate and Vancouver scar scale (VSS) score were compared between the two groups. Satisfaction evaluation was performed independently by patients 6 months after incision healing. Results:The operation time of the medical tissue glue group and the suture group were (44.07±7.00) and (47.41±9.06) minutes, the VSS scores were (1.93±0.96) and (1.88±0.84) points, respectively. The differences were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). The grade A wound healing rate of patients in the medical tissue glue group was 100.0% (15/15), the satisfaction rate was 100.0% (15/15), of which 10 cases were satisfied and 5 cases were relatively satisfied. The grade A wound healing rate of patients in the suture group was 100.0% (17/17), the satisfaction rate was 100.0% (17/17), of which 13 cases were satisfied and 4 cases were relatively satisfied. Conclusion:Medical tissue glue can achieve good cosmetic results in facial tumor resection.
8.Inhibitory Effect of Water Extract of Broussonetiae Fructus on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Induced by Diethylnitrosamine in Mice and Effect of PTEN/PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway
Zihan HUANG ; Liang KONG ; Aiwen YAN ; Yuewen SONG ; Pan JIANG ; Yu JI ; Yuhui YAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2023;29(22):29-36
ObjectiveTo explore the inhibitory effect of water extract of Broussonetiae Fructus on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) induced by diethyl nitrosamine (DEN) in mice based on homologous phosphatase and tensin homolog/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PTEN/PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway. MethodThe primary HCC mouse model was constructed by intraperitoneal injection of DEN solution, and the HCC mice were randomly divided into model group, sorafenib group (0.01 g·kg-1·d-1), low-dose Broussonetiae Fructus water extract group (0.9 g·kg-1·d-1), medium-dose Broussonetiae Fructus water extract group (1.8 g·kg-1·d-1), and high-dose Broussonetiae Fructus water extract group (3.6 g·kg-1·d-1), with 10 mice in each group. Another 10 C57BL/6 mice were selected as a control group and intraperitoneally injected with an equal volume of normal saline. Mice were treated with different concentrations of Broussonetiae Fructus water extract when liver cancer-like white nodules appeared. sorafenib group was treated with sorafenib. The control group and model group were intraperitoneally injected with normal saline. The activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and γ-glutamyl transferase (γ-GT) in the serum of mice were detected by the biochemical analyzer. The expression levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The degree of hepatocyte canceration and hepatocyte injury were observed by Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Masson staining. The proliferation of HCC cells was observed by immunohistochemical staining. The apoptosis of HCC cells in mice was observed by erminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labelling (TUNEL) staining. The expression levels of PTEN, PI3K, Akt, and p-Akt proteins related to the PTEN/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway were detected by Western blot. ResultCompared with the control group, the activities of ALP, AST, ALT, and γ-GT, as well as the expression levels of AFP and CEA in the model group were significantly increased (P<0.01). Carcinogenesis and inflammatory cell infiltration were obvious in liver tissue of mice, and a large number of blue collagen fiber hyperplasia was found. The number of Ki67 positive cells was significantly increased (P<0.01), and the expression level of PTEN protein was significantly decreased, while PI3K and p-Akt protein expression was increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the activities of ALP, AST, ALT, and γ-GT, as well as the expression levels of AFP and CEA in the medium-dose and high-dose Broussonetiae Fructus water extract groups were significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). The degree of carcinogenesis and inflammatory cell infiltration in liver tissue were reduced, and the collagen fiber hyperplasia was significantly reduced. The number of Ki67 positive cells was significantly decreased, and the number of TUNEL positive apoptotic cells was significantly increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). PTEN protein expression was increased, while p-Akt protein expression was significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionThe water extract of Broussonetiae Fructus has a significant inhibitory effect on DEN-induced primary HCC in mice, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of key protein expressions in the PTEN/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

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