1.Comparison of nitrification inhibitors for mitigating cadmium accumulation in pakchoi and their associated microbial mechanisms
DU WENXIN ; ZHU QINGYANG ; JING XIANGTING ; HU WEIJIE ; ZHUANG YAO ; JIANG YIJIE ; JIN CHONGWEI
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2024;25(9):773-788
The use of nitrification inhibitors has been suggested as a strategy to decrease cadmium(Cd)accumulation in crops.However,the most efficient nitrification inhibitor for mitigating crop Cd accumulation remains to be elucidated,and whether and how changes in soil microbial structure are involved in this process also remains unclear.To address these questions,this study applied three commercial nitrification inhibitors,namely,dicyandiamide(DCD),3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate(DMPP),and nitrapyrin(NP),to pakchoi.The results showed that both DCD and DMPP(but not NP)could efficiently decrease Cd concentrations in pakchoi in urea-and ammonium-fertilized soils.In addition,among the three tested nitrification inhibitors,DMPP was the most efficient in decreasing the Cd concentration in pakchoi.The nitrification inhibitors decreased pakchoi Cd concentrations by suppressing acidification-induced Cd availability and reshaping the soil microbial structure;the most effective nitrification inhibitor was DMPP.Ammonia oxidation generates the most protons during nitrification and is inhibited by nitrification inhibitors.Changes in environmental factors and predatory bacterial abundance caused by the nitrification inhibitors changed the soil microbial structure and increased the potential participants in plant Cd accumulation.In summary,our study identified DMPP as the most efficient nitrification inhibitor for mitigating crop Cd contamination and observed that the soil microbial structural changes caused by the nitrification inhibitors contributed to decreasing Cd concentration in pakchoi.
2.Exploration of the Application of Blockchain Technology in the Future Medical Service System
Huan WANG ; Tao LIU ; Jing WANG ; Yanan GAO ; Xin LI ; Liyuan HU ; Zihang FENG ; Zhiyong ZHAO ; Qingyang HUANG ; Quanyu MENG ; Xiaojuan ZHANG ; Hexuan CUI ; Tianming CHEN
Journal of Medical Informatics 2024;45(11):91-94,103
Purpose/Significance To explore the feasibility of applying blockchain technology to the current healthcare system of hos-pitals,and to achieve the purpose of protecting patients'privacy to the greatest extent possible at a lower cost.Method/Process 505 questionnaires are randomly distributed and collected from people of different age groups in Beijing,Tianjin,Shanghai and Shenzhen who have a certain degree of understanding of blockchain technology,and the results are analyzed.Result/Conclusion Different age groups are highly concerned about personal privacy and privacy protection,and are willing to accept blockchain as an emerging technology.There is a greater demand and acceptance for the application of blockchain technology in the primary health care systems.
3.The complement system: a potential target for the comorbidity of chronic pain and depression
Shanshan TANG ; Wen HU ; Helin ZOU ; Qingyang LUO ; Wenwen DENG ; Song CAO
The Korean Journal of Pain 2024;37(2):91-106
The mechanisms of the chronic pain and depression comorbidity have gained significant attention in recent years. The complement system, widely involved in central nervous system diseases and mediating non-specific immune mechanisms in the body, remains incompletely understood in its involvement in the comorbidity mechanisms of chronic pain and depression. This review aims to consolidate the findings from recent studies on the complement system in chronic pain and depression, proposing that it may serve as a promising shared therapeutic target for both conditions. Complement proteins C1q, C3, C5, as well as their cleavage products C3a and C5a, along with the associated receptors C3aR, CR3, and C5aR, are believed to have significant implications in the comorbid mechanism. The primary potential mechanisms encompass the involvement of the complement cascade C1q/C3-CR3 in the activation of microglia and synaptic pruning in the amygdala and hippocampus, the role of complement cascade C3/C3a-C3aR in the interaction between astrocytes and microglia, leading to synaptic pruning, and the C3a-C3aR axis and C5a-C5aR axis to trigger inflammation within the central nervous system. We focus on studies on the role of the complement system in the comorbid mechanisms of chronic pain and depression.
4.Membrane dual-targeting probes: A promising strategy for fluorescence-guided prostate cancer surgery and lymph node metastases detection.
Ling-Ling WU ; Qinxin ZHAO ; Qinghua WANG ; Qingyang ZHANG ; Feiya YANG ; Bo ZHENG ; Hai-Yu HU ; Nianzeng XING
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2023;13(3):1204-1215
Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) with tumor-targeted imaging agents, particularly those using the near-infrared wavelength, has emerged as a real-time technique to highlight the tumor location and margins during a surgical procedure. For accurate visualization of prostate cancer (PCa) boundary and lymphatic metastasis, we developed a new approach involving an efficient self-quenched near-infrared fluorescence probe, Cy-KUE-OA, with dual PCa-membrane affinity. Cy-KUE-OA specifically targeted the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), anchored into the phospholipids of the cell membrane of PCa cells and consequently showed a strong Cy7-de-quenching effect. This dual-membrane-targeting probe allowed us to detect PSMA-expressing PCa cells both in vitro and in vivo and enabled clear visualization of the tumor boundary during fluorescence-guided laparoscopic surgery in PCa mouse models. Furthermore, the high PCa preference of Cy-KUE-OA was confirmed on surgically resected patient specimens of healthy tissues, PCa, and lymph node metastases. Taken together, our results serve as a bridge between preclinical and clinical research in FGS of PCa and lay a solid foundation for further clinical research.
5.Progress in RNA-targeting and Gene Editing Therapies for Transthyretin Amyloidosis Cardiomyopathy
Ziran NIU ; Yang HU ; Qingyang LIU ; Yuanyuan MA ; Jianing LIU ; Xin LIU ; Bo ZHANG
JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES 2023;2(1):98-104
Transthyretin(TTR) protein is a tetramer protein, synthesized mainly by the liver. TTR can be misfolded and deposited as amyloid fibrilae and deposited in the myocardial interstroma leading to transthyroxin amyloidosis cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM). ATTR-CM was included in China's First List of Rare Diseases. Therapeutic strategies for ATTR-CM include blocking TTR synthesis in the liver, stabilizing TTR tetramers and destroying TTR fibra. Small molecule drugs such as tafamidis and diflunisal offer new treatment options for patients. Chlorobenzolic acid became the first drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of ATTR-CM. Small interfering RNA(siRNA)patisiran and antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)inotersen block TTR expression in the liver and have been approved for the treatment of ATTR variant polyneuropathy (ATTRv-PN)and are in phase Ⅲ trials for the treatment of ATTR-CM. Other siRNA drugs, vutrisiran, and ASO, eplontersen, are being evaluated for clinical efficacy. This article reviews the development of RNA-targeted therapeutics and gene-editing drugs using CRISPR-Cas9.
6.Study on the Patient Satisfaction Evaluation System of Elderly-friendly Medical Institutions
Yaqiong HU ; Qingyang ZHANG ; Zhimin SHAO
Chinese Medical Ethics 2023;36(7):770-776
【Objective:】 Evaluating the service quality and medical experience of elderly-friendly medical institutions from the perspective of elderly patients and their accompanying relatives and friends is a specific measure and work focus to promote the construction of elderly-friendly medical institutions, optimize the medical procedures for the elderly, solve the intelligent technology difficulties encountered in the medical process for the elderly, promote public hospitals to fully implement preferential policies for elderly medical services, and continuously improve the health and well-being of the elderly. 【Methods:】 Based on literature analysis and expert consultation, the satisfaction evaluation indicators for elderly-friendly medical institutions were formed. The Analytic Hierarchy Process was used to assign weights to the indicators. And then, the satisfaction evaluation index system for elderly-friendly medical institutions was formed. 【Results:】 After two rounds of Delphi method, and the scoring and demonstration of 15 experts, four primary indicators and 21 secondary indicators were finally formed, and then, assigned weight coefficients to them through analysis. 【Conclusion:】 After the expert demonstration, the satisfaction evaluation system for elderly-friendly medical institutions has good reliability and validity, providing the basis for the construction of elderly-friendly medical institutions and contributing to the formation of a sustainable, systematic, and diversified elderly-friendly service system.
7.Computer-aided Drug Design: Mining Neuroblastoma Targets in Children Aurora A Kinase Inhibitors from a Natural Product Library of Traditional Chinese Medicine
LIU Tianyi ; HU Qingyang ; DONG Xue ; XIN Bin ; WANG Huanhuan ; LI Zhong
Chinese Journal of Modern Applied Pharmacy 2023;40(22):3104-3116
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Neuroblastoma(NB) is a prevailing pediatric extracranial solid tumor that accounts for 10%-15% of all childhood cancer-related fatalities. Despite significant strides made in NB therapy through multimodal approaches, the survival rate of high-risk NB patients remains at approximately 50%. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify novel molecular targets for NB treatment. Recent studies have shown that MYCN oncogene amplification is present in about 25% of NB cases and is a crucial determinant of poor prognosis for high-risk NB patients. Since MYC family proteins, including MYCN, are inherently disordered proteins, MYCN lacks a defined ligand binding site along with a large protein-protein interaction surface. Current treatment approaches for MYCN-amplified NB patients do not include direct targeting of MYCN itself, since the absence of a “drugable” pocket renders it challenging. Notably, no direct MYC-targeting drugs are currently available. There is an existing association between Aurora A kinase(AURKA) and MYCN, whereby they form a complex to fortify MYCN stability. However, MYCN is inherently unstable, with a half-life of only 30 min, but AURKA intervenes by facilitating its stability through a direct protein-protein interaction, hence protecting it from proteasomal degradation. This interaction potentially augments tumor cell proliferation and invasiveness. Notably, AURKA has been verified as a transcriptional target of MYCN. The present study endeavors to employ computer-aided drug design technology to probe AURKA inhibitors discerned from a natural product library of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), thereby identifying a novel drug for treating NB. METHODS Collected from the YaTCM database, a total of 47 696 natural compounds from TCM were subjected to preprocessing including protonation, deionization, hydrogenation, stereoisomerism, conformation generation, and energy minimization. Of these, 58 048 compounds were initially screened as potential ligands for the library. Utilizing “Lipinski Ro5” and “Verber Ro3” guidelines, 22 227 hit compounds were selected from the library that met the screening criteria. Initially, crystal structures of AURKA and its inhibitor AA35 were downloaded from the RCSB PDB database. The spatial coordinates of AA35 were set as the center of the binding pocket for AURKA, and a 10 Å * 10 Å * 10 Å space around the pocket was designated as the active space. A comprehensive drug screening platform integrating lead-likeness filtering, pharmacokinetic prediction, molecular docking, flexible docking, and molecular dynamics(MD) simulations were established to excavate potential aurora kinase A inhibitors from the TCM compound library, which were further validated by MD simulations. RESULTS A grand total of 6 220 Chinese herbal remedies had been meticulously curated within the YaTCM database. Out of these, an impressive 47 696 Chinese herbal monomers had undergone a rigorous series of flexible docking tests, resulting in the selection of the top ten molecules with the most favorable docking scores. The aforementioned molecules underwent AMDE parameter and toxicity predictions. It was discovered that with the exception of a few compounds such as Tryptophane, 3'-Methoxydaidzein, and Burttinol D(which might elicit liver toxicity), 3'-Methoxydaidzein and Pratensein(which might elicit kidney toxicity), and 3-Deoxysappanone B(which had moderate oral toxicity), as well as Tryptophane(with an oral bioavailability of less than 50%), five compounds including Compound X, (+)-Sesamin dicatechol, Tuberosin, Abrine, and Maackiain, displayed favorable pharmacokinetic parameters and low toxicity predictions. Moreover, all of these compounds exhibited a high binding affinity with the inhibitor active pocket of AURKA. In this study, Compound X, despite its cumbersome name, was referred to as “Compound X”. Upon focusing on Compound X as the subject of investigation, it was discovered that its phenolic framework could readily interact with the hydrophobic cavity constituted of hydrophobic amino acids, namely TYR199, VAL182, LEU178, LEU208, and VAL206. Notably, Compound X could partake in Pi-Pi interactions with TYR199 and create hydrogen bonds with HIS201, GLU175, and LYS166. Computational studies via MD simulations confirmed that Compound X could form a stable receptor-ligand complex with the receptor. Impressively, the inclusion of Compound X significantly reduced the stability of the AURKA-MYCN complex. CONCLUSION This study concludes that Compound X can be used as an AURKA inhibitor for the treatment of NB, which is a novel finding based on the combination of various virtual screening techniques from the natural product database of TCM.
8.Biomechanical experimental study on brace with stiletto needle therapy for scoliosis.
Xiao-Hua ZHU ; Rong-Fan XU ; Ke HU
China Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology 2019;32(4):335-338
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate clinical biomechanical principle of brace with stiletto needle therapy for scoliosis.
METHODS:
Based on design ideas of teasing needle therapy, building an experimental mechanical model was built, seven specimens with scoliosis were chosen, and treated by brace therapy and then added to stiletto needle therapy.
RESULTS:
The two experimental mechanical model methods could predict load of scoliosis by stiletto needle therapy, and was verified accuracy and effectiveness of model. The degree of initial scoliosis of 7 patients was (59.7±3.37)°, improved to (49.57±2.79)° by correction of brace, and (39.43±1.94)° by correction of brace with stiletto needle therapy, had significant differences(<0.05). Lateral distraction force of thoracolumbar fossa from scoliosis as V, compressive force of scoliosis as T, brace with stiletto needle therapy could save effort for 45% to 46% than that of brace, while running torque Mw and compressive torque Mv could save effort about 45% to 47%, save effort of tension torque MT of muscle and ligament for 52%, and had statistical difference(<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Experimental biomechanical model of teasing needle therapy confirmed that the therapy could significantly reduce Cobb angle, improve correction efficiency of brace and beneficial for correction effect. It is an effective treatment for scoliosis.
Biomechanical Phenomena
;
Braces
;
Humans
;
Needles
;
Pressure
;
Scoliosis
;
Treatment Outcome
9.Synthesis of (+)-ambrisentan
Qingyang ZHANG ; Jiuan LYU ; Haiyu HU
Journal of China Pharmaceutical University 2017;48(3):293-296
A five-step synthetic method of ambrisentan starting from benzophenone was developed.The reaction methods of resolution and substitution were optimized.A stable,facilitating method of detection and efficient resolution reagent,L-phenylglycinamide,was used and helped to obtain highly optical pure intermediates.In the substitution reaction,NaOH was chosen as the base,which is safe and suitable for the industry.This method was mild,easily operated with a total yield up to 31.0%,and may have a good application prospect.
10.Efficacy and safety of Choudongning capsule (CDN)in children with Tourette's syndrome of spleen deficiency and phlegm accumulation.
Na YANG ; Rong MA ; Si-Yuan HU ; Hong LIU ; Hui-Min YAN ; Xi-Xiong XIANG ; Xue-Feng WANG ; Yin-Bo CHEN ; Yu-Yan CHEN ; Fu-Yong JIAO ; Ying DING ; Hao HUANG ; Ling-di WANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2016;41(16):3100-3106
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Choudongning (CDN)capsule in children with Tourette's syndrome of spleen deficiency and phlegm accumulation through a randomized double-blind three-arm controlled phase Ⅲ study in 588 patients from 8 hospitals. The included patients were randomly divided into test group, positive control group and placebo group at the ratio of 3∶1∶1. Patients in the test group orally took CDN capsules and simulated Tiapridal tablets; the patients in positive control group took Tiapridal tablets and simulated CDN capsules; whereas the patients in placebo group orally took the simulated agents of the above two drugs. The treatment course was 6 weeks for three groups. The global grading rates, YGTSS scores and its factor scores, the degree of social function damage, as well as traditional Chinese medicine syndrome efficacy were evaluated as the outcome measures on efficacy. The AEs/ADRs, vital signs and laboratory testing were observed as outcome measures on safety. The total effective rate of YGTSS was 75.92% in the test group, 72.65% in the positive control group, and 37.29% in the placebo group. Non inferiority test stands between the test group and the positive control group, and they were superior to placebo group in efficacy with statistical difference. Significant difference had also been found among the 3 groups in YGTSS tics score, motor tics score, vocal tics, degree of social function damage and traditional Chinese medicine syndrome efficacy. During the study, there were 5 (1.42%)ADRs in the test group, 10 (8.55%)in the positive control group and 3 (2.54%)in the placebo group. The incidence of ADRs in the test group was lower than that in the positive control group, with statistical difference. It is clear to say that CDN capsule can effectively treat the Tourette's syndrome of spleen deficiency and phlegm accumulation. Its efficacy is not inferior to the commonly used Tiapridal tablets, with even less adverse reactions, so it has clinical application value.


Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail