1.Effect Analysis of Different Interventions to Improve Neuroinflammation in The Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
Jiang-Hui SHAN ; Chao-Yang CHU ; Shi-Yu CHEN ; Zhi-Cheng LIN ; Yu-Yu ZHOU ; Tian-Yuan FANG ; Chu-Xia ZHANG ; Biao XIAO ; Kai XIE ; Qing-Juan WANG ; Zhi-Tao LIU ; Li-Ping LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):310-333
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a central neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory impairment in clinical. Currently, there are no effective treatments for AD. In recent years, a variety of therapeutic approaches from different perspectives have been explored to treat AD. Although the drug therapies targeted at the clearance of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) had made a breakthrough in clinical trials, there were associated with adverse events. Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the onset and progression of AD. Continuous neuroinflammatory was considered to be the third major pathological feature of AD, which could promote the formation of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. At the same time, these toxic substances could accelerate the development of neuroinflammation, form a vicious cycle, and exacerbate disease progression. Reducing neuroinflammation could break the feedback loop pattern between neuroinflammation, Aβ plaque deposition and Tau tangles, which might be an effective therapeutic strategy for treating AD. Traditional Chinese herbs such as Polygonum multiflorum and Curcuma were utilized in the treatment of AD due to their ability to mitigate neuroinflammation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and indomethacin had been shown to reduce the level of inflammasomes in the body, and taking these drugs was associated with a low incidence of AD. Biosynthetic nanomaterials loaded with oxytocin were demonstrated to have the capability to anti-inflammatory and penetrate the blood-brain barrier effectively, and they played an anti-inflammatory role via sustained-releasing oxytocin in the brain. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells could reduce neuroinflammation and inhibit the activation of microglia. The secretion of mesenchymal stem cells could not only improve neuroinflammation, but also exert a multi-target comprehensive therapeutic effect, making it potentially more suitable for the treatment of AD. Enhancing the level of TREM2 in microglial cells using gene editing technologies, or application of TREM2 antibodies such as Ab-T1, hT2AB could improve microglial cell function and reduce the level of neuroinflammation, which might be a potential treatment for AD. Probiotic therapy, fecal flora transplantation, antibiotic therapy, and dietary intervention could reshape the composition of the gut microbiota and alleviate neuroinflammation through the gut-brain axis. However, the drugs of sodium oligomannose remain controversial. Both exercise intervention and electromagnetic intervention had the potential to attenuate neuroinflammation, thereby delaying AD process. This article focuses on the role of drug therapy, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, gut microbiota therapy, exercise intervention, and brain stimulation in improving neuroinflammation in recent years, aiming to provide a novel insight for the treatment of AD by intervening neuroinflammation in the future.
2.Brain Aperiodic Dynamics
Zhi-Cai HU ; Zhen ZHANG ; Jiang WANG ; Gui-Ping LI ; Shan LIU ; Hai-Tao YU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):99-118
Brain’s neural activities encompass both periodic rhythmic oscillations and aperiodic neural fluctuations. Rhythmic oscillations manifest as spectral peaks of neural signals, directly reflecting the synchronized activities of neural populations and closely tied to cognitive and behavioral states. In contrast, aperiodic fluctuations exhibit a power-law decaying spectral trend, revealing the multiscale dynamics of brain neural activity. In recent years, researchers have made notable progress in studying brain aperiodic dynamics. These studies demonstrate that aperiodic activity holds significant physiological relevance, correlating with various physiological states such as external stimuli, drug induction, sleep states, and aging. Aperiodic activity serves as a reflection of the brain’s sensory capacity, consciousness level, and cognitive ability. In clinical research, the aperiodic exponent has emerged as a significant potential biomarker, capable of reflecting the progression and trends of brain diseases while being intricately intertwined with the excitation-inhibition balance of neural system. The physiological mechanisms underlying aperiodic dynamics span multiple neural scales, with activities at the levels of individual neurons, neuronal ensembles, and neural networks collectively influencing the frequency, oscillatory patterns, and spatiotemporal characteristics of aperiodic signals. Aperiodic dynamics currently boasts broad application prospects. It not only provides a novel perspective for investigating brain neural dynamics but also holds immense potential as a neural marker in neuromodulation or brain-computer interface technologies. This paper summarizes methods for extracting characteristic parameters of aperiodic activity, analyzes its physiological relevance and potential as a biomarker in brain diseases, summarizes its physiological mechanisms, and based on these findings, elaborates on the research prospects of aperiodic dynamics.
3.Effects of Chaihu longgu muli decoction on neuronal damage in refractory epilepsy rats and its mechanism
China Pharmacy 2025;36(6):692-697
OBJECTIVE To explore the effect and potential mechanism of Chaihu longgu muli decoction on hippocampal neuronal damage in refractory epilepsy rats. METHODS The refractory epilepsy rat model was established by intracerebroventricular injection of kainic acid. The refractory epilepsy rats were randomly assigned into model group, celecoxib group (positive control), Chaihu longgu muli decoction group, Chaihu longgu muli decoction+empty loading group, Chaihu longgu muli decoction+cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) overexpression group, with 12 rats in each group. Another 12 rats were selected as sham operation group (injected with normal saline into the lateral ventricle). After 8 weeks of corresponding drug/normal saline intervention, Racine grading criteria were applied to evaluate the seizure behavior of rats; pathological changes and cell apoptosis in CA3 region of hippocampal tissue were observed; ELISA method was adopted to detect the levels of COX-2, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in hippocampal tissue. The colorimetric method was applied to detect the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in hippocampal tissue. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blot were applied to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of COX-2 and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in hippocampal tissue. RESULTS The rats in the sham operation group had no epileptic seizures. Compared with sham operation group, Racine grade of epilepsy, apoptotic rate of hippocampal tissue cells, COX-2, PGE2 and TNF-α levels, MDA contents, mRNA and protein levels of COX-2 and P-gp in the model group increased significantly, while SOD activity decreased significantly (P<0.05); prominent damage was observed in the hippocampal CA3 region. Compared with model group, Racine grade of epilepsy, apoptotic rate of hippocampal tissue cells, COX-2, PGE2 and TNF-α levels, MDA contents, mRNA and protein levels of COX-2 and P-gp in celecoxib group and Chaihu longgu muli decoction group decreased significantly, while SOD activity increased significantly(P<0.05); the neuronal damage in hippocampal CA3 region was alleviated. Compared with Chaihu longgu muli decoction group and Chaihu longgu muli decoction+ empty loading group, the improvement in the aforementioned indicators in rats from Chaihu longgu muli decoction+COX-2 overexpression group was significantly reversed (P<0.05), with exacerbated neuronal damage in the CA3 region of the hippocampal tissue. CONCLUSIONS Chaihu longgu muli decoction may alleviate hippocampal neuronal damage in refractory epilepsy rats by inhibiting the activation of COX-2/PGE2 signaling pathway, inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress, thereby alleviating hippocampal neuronal damage in refractory epilepsy rats.
4.Prenatal depression in primiparous women: effects of social support, fear of childbirth and related factors
Ping GAO ; Shan LIU ; Lin FENG ; Chengyan QIU ; Feng JIAN ; Ru GAO
Sichuan Mental Health 2025;38(4):315-320
BackgroundPrenatal depression has an important impact on maternal health and pregnancy outcomes. Previous studies have shown that maternal prenatal depression is associated with social support, and social support is related to fear of childbirth. However, there is limited research on the relationship among maternal prenatal depression, social support and fear of childbirth, and no studies have specifically explored the influence of social support and fear of childbirth on prenatal depression in primiparous women. ObjectiveTo investigate the current status of prenatal depression among primiparous women, and to analyze the correlation between social support and fear of childbirth, and to further explore the influence of social support and fear of childbirth on prenatal depression in this population, so as to provide references for improving their mental health. MethodsA total of 380 primiparous women admitted to the inpatient department of Chengdu Wenjiang District People's Hospital from December 2022 to September 2023 were enrolled as study subjects. A self-made questionnaire, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) and Childbirth Attitudes Questionnaire (CAQ) were used to conduct the survey. Pearson correlation analysis was employed to examine the relationships between scale scores. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify influencing factors of prenatal depression. ResultsA total of 380 questionnaires were distributed, with 372 (97.89%) valid responses collected. Among the participants, 222 cases (59.68%) were identified with prenatal depression. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that EPDS score was negatively correlated with SSRS score (r=-0.283, P<0.01) and positively correlated with CAQ score (r=0.341, P<0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that social support (β=-0.166, P<0.01) and fear of childbirth (β=0.269, P<0.01) were influencing factors of prenatal depression in primiparous women. ConclusionThe prevalence of prenatal depression among primiparous women is concerning, with depression levels showing significant associations with both social support and fear of childbirth.
5.Pharmacoeconomic evaluation of durvalumab combined with chemotherapy as first-line therapy for advanced biliary tract cancer
Liman HUO ; Yangyang DUAN ; Ping LIANG ; Bin SHAN ; Xiaoli SUN ; Rui FENG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(17):2141-2147
OBJECTIVE To assess the cost-effectiveness of durvalumab combined with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system. METHODS Using data from the TOPAZ-1 clinical trial, a three-state Markov model comprising progression-free survival (PFS), progressive disease (PD) and death was developed, with a cycle length of 21 days and a 10-year time horizon. Patients in the observation group received durvalumab in combination with gemcitabine and cisplatin, whereas those in the control group received placebo plus the same chemotherapy regimen. The evaluation indexes were quality-adjusted life year (QALY) and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). The willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold was set at three times the 2024 Chinese per capita gross domestic product (GDP) (287 247 yuan/QALY). The sensitivity analyses, along with scenario analyses, were performed. RESULTS In the base-case analysis, the ICER of observation group compared to control group was 1 166 344.46 yuan/QALY, far exceeding the WTP threshold, indicating that the regimen was not cost-effective. One-way sensitivity analysis identified the PD state utility, discount rate, cost of durvalumab, and PFS state utility as the main drivers of ICER variation. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that, at the above WTP threshold, the probability of the acceeptance of this regimen was 0, further supporting the robustness of the base-case findings. In the scenario analysis, inclusion of a patient assistance program reduced the ICER to 235 885.16 yuan/ QALY, below the above WTP threshold, suggesting cost-effectiveness under this assistance program. However, when applying a regional WTP threshold set at three times the per capita GDP (158 475 yuan/QALY) of Gansu Province (the province with the lowest GDP in China in 2024), the ICER remained above the threshold, indicating that the regimen was not cost-effective at the regional level. CONCLUSIONS At current pricing, durvalumab plus chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer is not cost-effective in China. Although the introduction of a patient assistance program can substantially reduce the ICER and achieve cost-effectiveness at a WTP threshold set at three times the 2024 per capita GDP of China, due to limited affordability in low-income areas, the program remains not cost-effective.
6.Exploration on the Cultivation Path of Medical Students’ Professional Spirit in the Post-epidemic Era
Yuhang SUN ; Ping WANG ; Pingping YU ; Ting LI ; Shan LI
Chinese Medical Ethics 2024;35(6):692-697
In the fight against COVID-19, under the guidance of medical professionalism, the majority of medical workers adhered to the scientific spirit of rigorous truth-seeking and innovation, and the humanitarian feelings of boundless love and dedication, and made outstanding contributions to prevention and control. However, the epidemic situation fluctuates repeatedly, the virus mutates frequently, and the risk of major public health emergencies has caused deep thinking on the cultivation of medical students’ professionalism. Medical students are the reserve force for the sustainable development of China’s medical and health undertakings. The times and society endow medical students with a more lofty and arduous historical mission, and also call for strengthening the cultivation of medical students’ professional spirit. Under the background of normalization of epidemic prevention and control, responding to the demands of the times, providing high-quality medical talents for the society, promoting building the doctor-patient desting community, and promoting the reality of the healthy China strategy, efforts to explore the path of cultivating medical students’ professionalism with "three combinations, two considerations and one emphasis".
7.Evaluation of Animal Model of Autism Spectrum Disorders Based on Characteristics of Clinical Symptoms of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine
Yatong ZHANG ; Shuyi ZHAO ; Libin YANG ; Shan JIANG ; Jiaxin SUN ; Ping RONG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(9):202-210
ObjectiveBased on the new method of animal model evaluation, this paper summarized and analyzed the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and Western medicine syndromes in existing autism spectrum disorder(ASD) animal models, and put forward suggestions for improvement. MethodRelevant literature on ASD animal models in China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI) and PubMed were searched. According to the diagnostic standards of traditional Chinese and western medicine, core symptoms and accompanying symptoms were assigned values, and the clinical consistency of the models was comprehensively evaluated. ResultMost ASD model experimental animals were rodents, and the modeling methods included genetic and non-genetic. Domestic research focused on biochemical induction, while foreign research used genetic models more commonly. Among all models, valproic acid induction had the highest clinical consistency, followed by the neuroligin 4(NLGN4) and contactin associated protein like 2(CNTNAP2) gene knockout models. Most modeling methods could meet the characteristics of surface validity and structural validity, but did not clearly distinguish TCM syndromes. Currently, there is no model that has a high degree of clinical agreement between TCM and western medicine at the same time. ConclusionThe existing ASD animal models are mostly constructed under the guidance of western medicine, which lacks the characteristics of TCM syndromes. And the selection of evaluation indicators of western medicine is relatively single, without specifying the types of TCM syndromes. It is recommended to apply TCM intervention factors during the process of model preparation, to improve the evaluation indicators of traditional Chinese and western medicine, and to emphasize the study of on non-human primates, so as to lay a solid foundation for future experiments.
8. Expression and distribution of brain⁃derived neurotrophic factor in different cerebrum regions of yak and cattle
Li-Ping ZHENG ; Xiao-Hua DU ; Ya-Juan WU ; Shan-Shan LIU ; Xia LIU
Acta Anatomica Sinica 2024;55(1):10-16
Objective To clarify the expression and distribution of brain⁃derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the cerebrum of plateau yaks and cattle, and to explore the relationship between BDNF function and the adaptability of altitude hypoxia. Methods Five yaks and five cattles were selected.The content and distribution of BDNF in frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, cerebrum white matter and hippocampus of yak and cattle were analyzed by Real⁃time PCR, Western blotting and Immunohistochemistry. Results Real⁃time PCR result showed that BDNF mRNA expression in the cerebrum of yaks and cattles was highest in temporal cortex, followed by hippocampus, parietal cortex, occipital cortex and frontal cortex, and lowest in white matter. Western blotting results showed that the content of BDNF protein in the cerebrum of yaks was the highest in temporal cortex,followed by hippocampus. The content of BDNF protein in other tissues was parietal cortex, frontal cortex and cerebrum white matter, and the content of BDNF protein was the lowest in occipital cortex. The content of BDNF protein intlecerebrum of cattles was the highest in the temporal cortex, followed by the hippocampus. The content of BDNF protein in other tissues was parietal cortex, occipital cortex and frontal cortex in descending order, and the protein content in cerebrum white matter was the lowest. Immunohistochemical results showed that the positive expression of BDNF protein in the cerebrum of yaks and cattles was basically similar, mainly distributed in the granulosa cells and glial cells in the frontal cortex, temporal cortex, parietal cortex and occipital cortex, glial cells in cerebrum white matter, pyramidal cell layer and polyform cell layer in the hippocampus. There was the small amount of distribution in Martinotti cells and the molecular layer of hippocampus in the cerebral cortex. Conclusion BDNF mRNA and protein are distributed and expressed in different brain regions of yaks and cattles, but the expression level different, which is speculated to be closely related to the specific functions of different cerebrum regions. The expression level of the cerebrum of yak is higher than that of cattle except occipital cortex, suggesting that it is related to the altitude hypoxic environment. BDNF may play an important role in enhancing hypoxic tolerance and protecting internal environmental homeostasis in the process of animal adaptation to hypoxic environment.
9.Research progress of natural product evodiamine-based antitumor drug design strategies
Zhe-wei XIA ; Yu-hang SUN ; Tian-le HUANG ; Hua SUN ; Yu-ping CHEN ; Chun-quan SHENG ; Shan-chao WU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(3):532-542
Natural products are important sources for the discovery of anti-tumor drugs. Evodiamine is the main alkaloid component of the traditional Chinese herb Wu-Chu-Yu, and it has weak antitumor activity. In recent years, a number of highly active antitumor candidates have been discovered with a significant progress. This article reviews the research progress of evodiamine-based antitumor drug design strategies, in order to provide reference for the development of new drugs with natural products as leads.
10.To evaluate the predictive value of multimodal ultrasound combined with serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 in the recurrence of breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery
Yuying CAO ; Shan RONG ; Ping LIU
Chinese Journal of Endocrine Surgery 2024;18(1):99-103
Objective:To explore the predictive value of multimodal ultrasound features combined with serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) detection for tumor recurrence of breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery.Methods:A total of 194 patients with breast cancer who underwent breast-conserving surgery in Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College from Jan. 2017 to May. 2018 were selected. Routine ultrasound, automated breast volume imaging and contrast-enhanced ultrasound were performed before surgery. Logistic regression equation was used to analyze the risk factors affecting local tumor recurrence after breast-conserving surgery, and ROC curve was drawn to analyze the predictive value of multimodal ultrasound features combined with serum MMP-9 for local tumor recurrence after breast-conserving surgery.Results:After 5 years of follow-up, 29 out of 194 breast cancer patients who underwent breast-conserving surgery had local recurrence and metastasis. There were no significant differences in tumor diameter, spiculation sign, convergence sign, Alder blood flow grade, enhancement sequence, pattern and enhancement intensity between the two groups ( P>0.05 t=1.48, P=1.451; χ2=0.55, P=0.460; χ2=0.50, P=0.478; χ2=0.60, P=0.439; χ2=0.50, P=0.780; χ2=0.04, P=0.981; χ2=0.13, P=0.716). Logistic regression analysis showed that irregular tumor shape, small calcification,Peripheral radial enhancement, perfusion defect and abnormal elevation of serum MMP-9 were independent risk factors for local recurrence of breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery ( P=0.034, 95%CI=1.177~62.266; P=0.048, 95%CI=1.022~58.397; P=0.045, 95%CI=1.100~56.756; P=0.043, 95%CI=1.079~ 60.937; P=0.044, 95%CI=1.000~1.026). ROC curve showed that the AUC of multimodal ultrasound features combined with serum MMP-9 in predicting local tumor recurrence after breast-conserving surgery was 0.970, and the sensitivity and specificity were 98.63% and 91.67%, respectively. Conclusions:Multimodal ultrasound features combined with serum MMP-9 detection have high application value in the evaluation of local tumor recurrence after breast-conserving surgery, and provide a new idea for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

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