1.Rho/ROCK:key Mediator of Pulmonary Fibrosis and New Target of TCM for IPF Prevention and Treatment
Yuanyuan WU ; Kangchen LI ; Mingyan LI ; Xiling PENG ; Feifan ZHANG ; Han LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):256-265
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic interstitial lung disease characterized by dyspnea and progressive deterioration of lung function, which significantly impacts patients' quality of life and imposes a major burden on society. Although modern medicine has increasingly enriched the treatment options for pulmonary fibrosis, unfavorable factors such as high costs and significant side effects contribute to the persistently low survival rate of patients. Studies have shown that the occurrence and development of pulmonary fibrosis are closely related to abnormalities in multiple pathways. Among these, Rho/Rho-associated coiled-coil protein kinase (ROCK) plays a key role in the disease progression of IPF by regulating the cytoskeleton. This pathway not only transmits biochemical molecular signals that promote the progress of fibrosis but also responds to the biomechanical environment, such as the increased lung tissue stiffness caused by the deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) during the process of pulmonary fibrosis. Therefore, research on this pathway is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of IPF. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has shown remarkable effects in preventing and treating IPF. Many TCM compounds and active components can reduce the production of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), CollagenⅠ (ColⅠ), ColⅢ, and inflammatory factors in lung tissue by regulating the Rho/ROCK signaling pathway. These compounds inhibit the transformation of fibroblasts (FBs) into myofibroblasts (MyoFBs), intervening in the process of pulmonary fibrosis. Based on this, the article briefly reviews relevant research from recent years, discusses the key role of the Rho/ROCK pathway in pulmonary fibrosis from an interdisciplinary perspective, and summarizes the mechanisms through which TCM regulates Rho/ROCK to prevent and treat IPF, based on resources from PubMed, CNKI, and other databases, in order to provide important references for the broader clinical application of TCM in the prevention and treatment of IPF.
2.Sub-chronic aluminum exposure induces cognitive impairment through ALKBH5/PTEN/AKT signaling pathway in rats
Yan LIU ; Xiaoyu ZHANG ; Weitao ZHANG ; Feifan XIAO ; Ping CUI ; Binhong WANG ; Xinru CHEN ; Bin JIANG ; Huan CHEN ; Li LIN ; Jing ZHANG ; Huan LI
China Occupational Medicine 2024;51(2):144-149
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of maltol aluminum exposure on miR-193a-3p, demethylase AlkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5), phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) and protein kinase B (AKT), and whether miR-193a-3p is involved in aluminum-induced cognitive impairment by regulating ALKBH5/PTEN/AKT signaling pathway. Methods Specific pathogen-free male SD rats were randomly divided into control group and low-, medium- and high- dose groups according to their body weight, with eight rats in each group. Rats in the low-, medium-, and high- dose groups were intraperitoneally injected with maltol aluminum solution at concentrations of 10.00, 20.00, and 40.00 μmol/kg body weight, respectively, while the rats in control group were given an equal volume of 0.9% sodium chloride solution. Rats were injected for five days every week for three months. After injection, the novel object recognized test was used to assess the learning and memory ability of the rats. The relative expression of miR-193a-3p and B-cell lymphocytoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax) and cysteine aspartate protease-3 (Caspase-3) mRNA in rat hippocampus was detected using the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The relative protein expression of ALKBH5, PTEN, and AKT2 in the rat hippocampus was detected using Western blot. Results The discrimination index and the preference index of the new object recognition test of the rats in high-dose group were lower than those in control group and low-dose group (all P<0.05). The relative expression of miR-193a-3p and Bcl-2 mRNA in the hippocampus of the rats in high-dose group was lower than those in control group and low-dose group (all P<0.05). The relative mRNA expression of Bax in the high-dose group was higher than those in the control group and low-dose group (both P<0.05). The relative mRNA expression of Caspase-3 of the rats in the high-dose group was higher than that in the other three groups (both P<0.05). The relative protein expression of ALKBH5 in the hippocampus of the rats in the high-dose group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The relative expression of PTEN protein was higher than those in the control group and low-dose group (both P<0.05). The relative protein expression of AKT2 was lower than those in the control group and low-dose group (both P<0.05). Conclusion Sub-chronic aluminum exposure can inhibit the expression of miR-193a-3p in the hippocampus of rats, which may disrupt the ALKBH5/PTEN/AKT pathway and affect normal neuronal homeostasis and cellular function. This pathway may play an important role in aluminum-induced cognitive impairment.
3.Overexpression of lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 promotes progression of non-small cell lung cancer via the miR-130a-5p/CCND1 axis
Feifan LI ; Junxin XIANG ; Jiahui LIU ; Xiaojing WANG ; Hao JIANG
Journal of Southern Medical University 2024;44(5):841-850
Objective To explore the molecular mechanism by which FEZF1-AS1 overexpression promotes progression of non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)via the miR-130a-5p/CCND1 axis.Methods TCGA database was used to analyze FEZF1-AS1 expression levels in NSCLC.FEZF1-AS1 expression was detected by qRT-PCR in clinical specimens of NSCLC tissues and NSCLC cell lines,and its correlation with clinical features of the patients were analyzed.The binding sites of FEZF1-AS1 with hsa-miR-130a-5p and those of hsa-miR-130a-5p with CCND1 were predicted.CCK8 assay,clone formation assay,scratch assay,and Transwell assay were employed to examine the effects of FEZF1-AS1 knockdown and hsa-miR-130a-5p inhibitor on proliferation,invasion,and migration abilities of lung cancer cell lines.Dual luciferase assay was used to verify the binding of FEZF1-AS1 with hsa-miR-130a-5p and the binding of hsa-miR-130a-5p with CCND1.Western blotting was performed to detect the changes in CCND1 protein expression level in H1299 and H358 cells following FEZF1-AS1 knockdown and treatment with hsa-miR-130a-5p inhibitor.Results FEZF1-AS1 was highly expressed in NSCLC tissues in close correlation with lymph node metastasis and also in H1299 and H358 cell lines(all P<0.05).FEZF1-AS1 knockdown obviously reduced proliferation,migration,and invasion abilities of NSCLC cells(P<0.05).Dual luciferase assay confirmed the binding of hsa-miR-130a-5p with FEZF1-AS1 and CCND1(P<0.05),and hsa-miR-130a-5p inhibitor significantly inhibited proliferation,migration,and invasion of NSCLC cells(P<0.05).FEZF1-AS1 knockdown significantly reduced CCND1 protein expression in NSCLC cells,and this effect was strongly inhibited by treatment with hsa-miR-130a-5p inhibitor(P<0.05).Conclusion FEZF1-AS1 is highly expressed in NSCLC tissue in close correlation with lymph node metastasis to promote cancer progression through the miR-130a-5p/CCND1 axis.
4.Chebulagic acid regulates LPS-induced inflammatory response in dairy cow endom-etrial tissue through MAPK/NF-κB pathway
Ying YANG ; Xinyu LIU ; Feifan ZHAO ; Wenrui GUO ; Ruifeng GAO
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2024;44(10):2251-2259
To investigate the role of chebulagic acid(CA)in regulating lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-in-duced inflammatory response in endometrial tissue of dairy cows,and to provide new ideas for the treatment and new drug development of endometritis in dairy cows.The endometrial tissues of dairy cows were isolated and cultured in vitro,stimulated with 1 mg/L LPS for 1 h and then co-cultured with CA(12.5,25.0,50.0,100.0 mg/L).Then the endometrial tissues of different treat-ment groups were collected for experiments.The protein secretion and gene expression levels of TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-1β were detected by ELISA and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.HE staining was used to observe the degree of endometrial tissue damage.The expressions of high mobility protein 1(HMGB-1)and hyaluronidase binding protein 2(HABP-2)were detected by immunofluorescence.The phosphorylation levels of ERK,p65 and IκBα were detected by Western blot.The results showed that the protein secretion levels of TNF-α at 6,24 h and IL-6 at 6,12 and 24 h,and the gene expression levels of IL-1β and IL-6 at 6,9,and 12 h and TNF-α at 6 h were sig-nificantly down-regulated after CA treatment with the LPS-induced endometrial tissue inflammation response model of dairy cows.HE staining showed that compared with the LPS group,the LPS+CA group had some improvements,the degree of epithelial cell exfoliation was reduced,the struc-ture of glands and blood vessels was relatively complete,the degree of inflammatory cell infiltra-tion was reduced,and there was no obvious necrosis or hemorrhage.The expression of HMGB-1 and HABP-2 in LPS+CA group was also significantly down-regulated.The phosphorylation levels of ERK,IκBα and p65 in the LPS+CA group were significantly decreased.In conclusion,CA can reduce LPS-induced inflammation in the endometrial tissue of dairy cows by inhibiting the activa-tion of MAPK and NF-κB pathways and down-regulating the expression of inflammatory factors in the uterine tissue.It is concluded that CA may be a potential therapeutic agent for endometritis in dairy cows and deserves further research and development.
5.Overexpression of lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 promotes progression of non-small cell lung cancer via the miR-130a-5p/CCND1 axis
Feifan LI ; Junxin XIANG ; Jiahui LIU ; Xiaojing WANG ; Hao JIANG
Journal of Southern Medical University 2024;44(5):841-850
Objective To explore the molecular mechanism by which FEZF1-AS1 overexpression promotes progression of non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)via the miR-130a-5p/CCND1 axis.Methods TCGA database was used to analyze FEZF1-AS1 expression levels in NSCLC.FEZF1-AS1 expression was detected by qRT-PCR in clinical specimens of NSCLC tissues and NSCLC cell lines,and its correlation with clinical features of the patients were analyzed.The binding sites of FEZF1-AS1 with hsa-miR-130a-5p and those of hsa-miR-130a-5p with CCND1 were predicted.CCK8 assay,clone formation assay,scratch assay,and Transwell assay were employed to examine the effects of FEZF1-AS1 knockdown and hsa-miR-130a-5p inhibitor on proliferation,invasion,and migration abilities of lung cancer cell lines.Dual luciferase assay was used to verify the binding of FEZF1-AS1 with hsa-miR-130a-5p and the binding of hsa-miR-130a-5p with CCND1.Western blotting was performed to detect the changes in CCND1 protein expression level in H1299 and H358 cells following FEZF1-AS1 knockdown and treatment with hsa-miR-130a-5p inhibitor.Results FEZF1-AS1 was highly expressed in NSCLC tissues in close correlation with lymph node metastasis and also in H1299 and H358 cell lines(all P<0.05).FEZF1-AS1 knockdown obviously reduced proliferation,migration,and invasion abilities of NSCLC cells(P<0.05).Dual luciferase assay confirmed the binding of hsa-miR-130a-5p with FEZF1-AS1 and CCND1(P<0.05),and hsa-miR-130a-5p inhibitor significantly inhibited proliferation,migration,and invasion of NSCLC cells(P<0.05).FEZF1-AS1 knockdown significantly reduced CCND1 protein expression in NSCLC cells,and this effect was strongly inhibited by treatment with hsa-miR-130a-5p inhibitor(P<0.05).Conclusion FEZF1-AS1 is highly expressed in NSCLC tissue in close correlation with lymph node metastasis to promote cancer progression through the miR-130a-5p/CCND1 axis.
6.To Study the Mechanism of"Yajieshaba"Against Acute Alcoholic Liver Injury in Mice Based on 16S rDNA Technology
Yuanmei BAI ; Feifan LIU ; Lijie ZHENG ; Yan WAN ; Jiachen FAN ; Jiahao DENG ; Peixin GUO ; Qiongchao LI
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;26(6):1583-1592
Objective To investigate the pharmacological effects of"Yajieshaba"on mice with alcohol-induced liver injury and to investigate the mechanism of the impact of"Yajieshaba"on the regulation of intestinal flora by 16S rDNA technology.Methods Healthy male KM mice were randomly divided into control,model,"Yajieshaba"low,medium,and high dose(0.39,1.17 and 3.51 g·kg-1)groups and Bifendatatum(2.93 mg·kg-1)groups,with eight mice in each group.After one week of pre-administration of"Yajieshaba",a mouse model of acute alcoholic liver injury was established by a single instillation of 56%alcohol,and the levels of AST and ALT in the serum of mice were measured,and the morphological changes of liver histology were observed by HE staining;secondly,faecal DNA was extracted from each group under aseptic operation,and 16S rDNA sequencing and differential analysis by alpha diversity and species composition at the phylum and genus levels were performed.Results The results showed that the biochemical indexes of liver function(ALT and AST)were significantly improved by"Yajieshaba",and the degree of liver damage was significantly reduced by HE staining.At the phylum level,it significantly decreased the abundance of Aspergillus and increased the quantity of Bacteroides;at the genus level,it significantly up-regulated the plenty of Bacteroides and Prevotella and downregulated a lot of Prevotella and Helicobacter.At the genus level,"Yajieshaba"significantly up-regulated the abundance of Bacillus spp.and Prevotella spp.and down-regulated the abundance of Prevotella spp.and Helicobacter spp.Conclusion"Yajieshaba"may play an anti-acute alcoholic liver injury effect by regulating the intestinal flora and metabolites.
7.Correlation between nutritional status and depressive symptoms in middle school students
Chinese Journal of School Health 2023;44(5):649-653
Objective:
To explore the correlation between different nutritional status and depressive symptoms among adolescents, so as to provide a theoretical basis for targeted improvement of nutritional status and depressive symptoms in adolescents.
Methods:
A total of 8 102 adolescents aged 12-17 years in Shanghai, Urumqi, Changsha and Kunming were selected by random cluster sampling. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale(CES-D). Height and weight were measured. Kruskal Wallis H test, Chi square test and ordinal Logistic regression were used to analyze the relationship between nutritional status and depressive symptoms in adolescents.
Results:
The overall detection rate of depressive symptoms in adolescents was 25.6%, with girls (30.1%) higher than that of boys (21.1%) ( χ 2=87.60, P <0.01). There were statistically significant differences in the scores of depressive symptoms among girls with different nutritional status ( Z =8.34, P <0.05). The detectable rate of depressive symptoms increased with BMI among girls( χ 2 trend =6.04, P <0.05). After controlling for confounding factors, ordinal Logistic regression showed that the obese girls had higher risks in depressive symptoms detection compared with normal weight girls ( OR=1.45, 95%CI=1.10-1.91, P <0.05).
Conclusion
The nutritional status of girls is better than boys, but the prevalence of depressive symptoms is higher than boys. The risk of depressive symptoms in girls increases with BMI.
8.Correlation between physical fitness condition and depressive symptoms in adolescents
Chinese Journal of School Health 2023;44(5):654-658
Objective:
To explore the relationship between adolescents physical fitness and depressive symptoms, and to provide reference for the early prevention and intervention of depressive symptoms and improvement of physical fitness in Chinese adolescents.
Methods:
From September to December 2021, a total of 8 102 adolescents were selected by random cluster sampling method in Shanghai, Urumqi, Changsha and Kunming. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale(CES-D) was used to investigate the depressive symptoms, and completed grip strength, standing long jump, 50 m running, modified sitting forward flexion, 20 s repeated traverse, 30 s sit ups, 20 m round trip running (20 m SRT) test. χ 2 test, Goodman Kruskal Gamma and Logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the relationship between physical fitness index(PFI) and depressive symptoms.
Results:
The overall detection rate of depressive symptoms in adolescents with high level PFI was 23.4%, and the detection rate of low level adolescents was 26.3%, with a statistically significant difference ( χ 2=6.73, P =0.01). There was a significant positive correlation between PFI and depressive symptoms in the high school group ( G=0.09, P <0.05) and the boy group ( G=0.12, P < 0.05 ), and there was no significant association between PFI and depressive symptoms in the junior high school group and the girl group ( P >0.05). After adjusting for gender and age in the Logistic regression model, compared with those with high PFI, the risk of depressive symptoms in those with low PFI was 1.18 times (95% CI =1.05-1.33).
Conclusion
There is a correlation between physical fitness and depressive symptoms in adolescents. Adolescents with low PFI are at higher risk of developing depressive symptoms than those with high PFI.
9.Sirt1-Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway mechanism of cognitive dysfunction induced by subchronic aluminum exposure in rats
Yan LIU ; Jianhua LIU ; Feifan XIAO ; Binhong WANG ; Xinru CHEN ; Bin JIANG ; Huan CHEN ; Li LIN ; Jing ZHANG ; Huan LI
Chinese Journal of Pathophysiology 2023;39(12):2150-2157
AIM:To investigate the effects of subchronic aluminum exposure on the expression of silent infor-mation regulator(Sirt1),Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1(Keap1),nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(Nrf2),and microRNA-128-3p(miR-128-3p)in the hippocampus of rats.Additionally,we aimed to explore the mechanism of miR-128-3p and the Sirt1-Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathways in aluminum-induced cognitive impairment in rats.METHODS:Thirty-two healthy 6-week-old SPF male SD rats,weighing(190±20)g,were randomly divided into four groups based on body weight:control group,low-dose(10 μmol/kg)group,medium-dose(20 μmol/kg)group,and high-dose(40 μmol/kg)group,with 8 rats in each group.The rat exposure model was established by intraperitoneal injection of maltol alumi-num.The Morris water maze test was used to assess the learning and memory ability of the rats.Western blot analysis was performed to measure the protein expression of Sirt1,Keap1 and Nrf2 in the hippocampus,while RT-qPCR was used to measure the expression of miR-128-3p in the hippocampus.The level of reactive oxygen species(ROS)in the cerebral cor-tex was detected using fluorescence staining in frozen sections.RESULTS:(1)In the positioning cruise experiment,the escape latency of the aluminum exposure group was significantly higher than that of the control group on the 3rd,4th,and 5th days(P<0.05).On day 6,the number of times the rats crossed the platform and the platform quadrant in the high-dose group was reduced compared to the control and low-dose groups(P<0.01).(2)The expression levels of Sirt1 and Nrf2 in the hippocampal tissues of all groups decreased gradually with increasing maltol aluminum exposure dose.The ex-pression level of Keap1 increased gradually with increasing maltol aluminum exposure dose.The expression level of miR-128-3p in the high-dose group was significantly higher than that in the control group(P<0.05).(3)The content of gluta-thione peroxidase in the hippocampus of rats decreased with increasing exposure dose,while ROS levels gradually in-creased.CONCLUSION:Subchronic aluminum exposure can increase the expression of miR-128-3p in the rat hippo-campus and suppress the Sirt1-Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway.This inhibition prevents the activation of the Sirt1-Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway,leading to a reduced antioxidant capacity.The imbalance in the antioxidant system in rats results in oxidative damage to nerve cells and a subsequent decline in cognitive function.
10.The importance of intranasal trigeminal event-related potentials test for patients with olfactory dysfunction.
Jia LIU ; Xiao Jun ZHAN ; Lin Yi YAO ; Xing GAO ; Hong Bo XIE ; Feifan CHANG
Chinese Journal of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2022;57(8):974-979
Objective: To analyze the characteristics of trigeminal event-related potentials (tERPs) in different kinds of olfactory disorders (OD), and to evaluate the importance of tERPs for the patients with olfactory dysfunction. Methods: Clinical data of 314 patients with olfactory dysfunction from the Smell and Taste Clinics in Beijing Anzhen Hospital from 2015 to 2021 were retrospectively reviewed, including 158 males and 156 females, aging from 6 to 78 years. The control group consisted of healthy people from medical examination center, who were gender and age matched. The clinical characteristics of OD were analyzed using Sniffin' Sticks test, olfactory event-related potentials (oERPs), tERPs and acoustic rhinometry test. SPSS 17.0 software was used to compare the difference of tERPs between the two groups, and to analyze the related factors affecting trigeminal function. Results: The ratio of tERPs presence was different in OD caused by different reasons: head traumatic OD (54.9%), post-virus infection OD (63.6%), sinonasal inflammatory OD (68.4%) and OD due to other causes (56.9%). Compared with controls, tERPs signals in OD patients showed a significant lower amplitude in the N1 wave (all P<0.001), and lower amplitude in the P2 wave in most OD patients (head trauma t=-4.11, P<0.001; sinonasal inflammation t=-2.04, P=0.046; others t=-2.40, P=0.020) except in OD by post-virus infection (t=-1.98, P=0.052). tERPs signals in OD patients by sinonasal inflammation showed longer latency in the N1 wave (t=2.15, P=0.036), but this difference was not observed in other OD patients (all P>0.05). tERPs signals were significantly correlated with the Sniffin' Sticks score, deficiency of oERPs and nasal minimum cross-sectional area (all P<0.05). Conclusions: OD patients show neurophysiologic deficits in trigeminal function. The absence of tERPs or lower amplitude in N1 waves are the important characteristics of patients with OD.
Evoked Potentials/physiology*
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Female
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Humans
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Inflammation
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Male
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Olfaction Disorders/etiology*
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Retrospective Studies
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Smell/physiology*
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Virus Diseases/complications*


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