1.Clinical study on the treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis with spleen and stomach weakness syndrome by Piwei Peiyuan Pill combined with moxibustion
Kairui WU ; Yu YE ; Bei PEI ; Biao SONG ; Yi ZHANG ; Tingting LI ; Qi YANG ; Yun LIU ; Xuejun LI
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(2):280-290
Objective:
To determine the clinical efficacy and mechanism of Piwei Peiyuan Pill (PPP) combined with moxibustion for treating patients with chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) with spleen and stomach weakness syndrome.
Methods:
Ninety-six CAG patients with spleen and stomach weakness syndrome who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled at the Department of Spleen and Stomach Diseases of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine from June 2022 to December 2023. The patients were randomly divided into a control, a Chinese medicine, and a combined group using a random number table method, with 32 cases in each group (two cases per group were excluded). The control group was treated with rabeprazole combined with folic acid tablets (both thrice daily), the Chinese medicine group was treated with PPP (8 g, thrice daily), and the combined group was treated with moxa stick moxibustion (once daily) on the basis of the Chinese medicine group for 12 consecutive weeks. Gastric mucosa atrophy in the three groups was observed before and after treatment. The gastric mucosal pathological score was evaluated. The Patient Reported Outcome (PRO) scale was used to evaluate the patients′ physical and mental health status and quality of life.An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-10, IL-37, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β levels in each group. Real-time fluorescence PCR was used to detect the relative expression levels of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) mRNA in each group. Western blotting was used to detect the relative expression levels of proteins related to the STAT3/mTOR signaling pathway, and the adverse drug reactions and events were recorded and compared.
Results:
There was no statistical difference in age, gender, disease duration, family history of gastrointestinal tumors, alcohol consumption history, and body mass index among the three groups of patients.The total therapeutic efficacy rates of the control, Chinese medicine, and combined groups in treating gastric mucosal atrophy were 66.67% (20/30), 86.67% (26/30), and 90.00% (27/30), respectively (P<0.05). Compared to before treatment, the pathological and PRO scale scores of gastric mucosa in each group decreased after treatment, and TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-37, and TGF-β levels decreased. The relative STAT3 and mTOR mRNA expression levels, as well as the relative STAT3, p-STAT3, mTOR, and p-mTOR protein expression levels decreased (P<0.05), whereas the IL-4 and IL-10 levels increased (P<0.05). After treatment, compared to the control group, the pathological score of gastric mucosa, PRO scale score, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-37, TGF-β content, relative STAT3 and mTOR mRNA expression levels, and relative STAT3, p-STAT3, mTOR, and p-mTOR protein expression levels in the Chinese medicine and combined groups after treatment were reduced (P<0.05), whereas the IL-4 and IL-10 levels increased (P<0.05). After treatment, compared to the Chinese medicine group, the combined group showed a decrease in relative STAT3, mTOR mRNA expression levels, and STAT3, p-STAT3, mTOR, and p-mTOR protein expression levels (P<0.05).
Conclusion
The combination of PPP and moxibustion may regulate the inflammatory mechanism of the body by inhibiting the abnormal activation of the STAT3/mTOR signaling pathway, upregulating related anti-inflammatory factor levels, downregulating pro-inflammatory factor expression, and increasing related repair factor expression, thereby promoting the recovery of atrophic gastric mucosa, reducing discomfort symptoms, and improving the physical and mental state of CAG patients with spleen and stomach weakness syndrome.
2.Multicolor flow cytometric analysis method for skeletal muscle myeloid cells based on unsupervised automatic dimensionality reduction combined with manual gating
Qi CAO ; JiaBao ZHANG ; Pei WANG
Journal of Pharmaceutical Practice and Service 2025;43(7):325-328
Objective To explore the analytical methods combining multicolor flow cytometry with bioinformatics techniques for analyzing myeloid cells in the gastrocnemius of mice after muscle injury, and provide an experimental foundation for the study of muscle regeneration mechanisms. Methods Immune cells were collected from single-cell suspensions of mouse gastrocnemius using multicolor flow cytometry, and data were analyzed by the t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding(t-SNE)algorithm supplemented by manual gating techniques. The tSNE algorithm was used in multicolor flow cytometry to guide the setting of manual gates, optimize the identification and classification of cell populations. Results Compared to the sham surgery group, the proportions of dendritic cells, granulocytes, macrophages, and monocytes at the site of muscle injury in the model group significantly increased, with the increasing in monocytes being particularly notable. Conclusion The application of the tSNE algorithm combined with manual gating techniques in multicolor flow cytometry demonstrated that this method could effectively guide the setting of manual gates and enhance the efficiency of distinguishing immune cell types. Through this combined technology, the function and subtypes of myeloid cells in the mouse gastrocnemius could be analyzed more accurately.
3.Immunotherapy for Lung Cancer
Pei-Yang LI ; Feng-Qi LI ; Xiao-Jun HOU ; Xue-Ren LI ; Xin MU ; Hui-Min LIU ; Shou-Chun PENG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(8):1998-2017
Lung cancer is the most common malignant tumor worldwide, ranking first in both incidence and mortality rates. According to the latest statistics from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), approximately 2.5 million new cases and around 1.8 million deaths from lung cancer occurred in 2022, placing a tremendous burden on global healthcare systems. The high mortality rate of lung cancer is closely linked to its subtle early symptoms, which often lead to diagnosis at advanced stages. This not only complicates treatment but also results in substantial economic losses. Current treatment options for lung cancer include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy, and immunotherapy. Among these, immunotherapy has emerged as the most groundbreaking advancement in recent years, owing to its unique antitumor mechanisms and impressive clinical benefits. Unlike traditional therapies such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, immunotherapy activates or enhances the patient’s immune system to recognize and eliminate tumor cells. It offers advantages such as more durable therapeutic effects and relatively fewer toxic side effects. The main approaches to lung cancer immunotherapy include immune checkpoint inhibitors, tumor-specific antigen-targeted therapies, adoptive cell therapies, cancer vaccines, and oncolytic virus therapies. Among these, immune checkpoint inhibitors and tumor-specific antigen-targeted therapies have received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical use in lung cancer, significantly improving outcomes for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Although other immunotherapy strategies are still in clinical trials, they show great potential in improving treatment precision and efficacy. This article systematically reviews the latest research progress in lung cancer immunotherapy, including the development of novel immune checkpoint molecules, optimization of treatment strategies, identification of predictive biomarkers, and findings from recent clinical trials. It also discusses the current challenges in the field and outlines future directions, such as the development of next-generation immunotherapeutic agents, exploration of more effective combination regimens, and the establishment of precise efficacy prediction systems. The aim is to provide a valuable reference for the continued advancement of lung cancer immunotherapy.
4.Relationship between depressive symptoms, negative life events, and resilience in primary and secondary school teachers
WANG Pei, ZHU Fan, JIA Bibo, ZHU Guiyin, ZHAO Tianjie, QI Tiantian,HU Yifei, MA Yinghua
Chinese Journal of School Health 2024;45(3):411-413
Objective:
To explore the relationship between depressive symptoms, negative life events and resilience among primary and secondary school teachers, so as to provide a reference for mental health promotion in school teachers.
Methods:
During November to December 2022, a questionnaire survey was conducted using convenient cluster sampling method to select 11 332 in service teachers from 38 schools in 8 provinces (cities) including Beijing, Guangdong, Anhui, Hubei, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Liaoning, and Heilongjiang. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items, a self developed 21-item Adverse Life Events questionnaire, and a 10-item Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale were used to assess depressive symptoms, experiences of negative life events, and resilience levels of the teachers, respectively. The relationship between depressive symptoms, negative life events and psychological resilience were analyzed by multiple linear regression and stratified regression.
Results:
The detection rate of depressive symptoms among primary and secondary school teachers was 14.0%. Negative life events of primary and secondary school teachers were positively correlated with depressive symptoms ( r =0.35), while psychological resilience was negatively correlated with depressive symptoms ( r =-0.45) ( P <0.05). After adjusting for possible covariates including gender and marital status, negative life events were positively correlated with depressive symptoms ( β=0.22, P <0.01). Resilience played a moderating role in the association of negative life events with depressive symptoms among primary and secondary school teachers ( B=-0.15, P <0.01).
Conclusions
Negative life events experiences are associated with higher level of depressive symptoms among school teachers. However, resilience might mitigate the negative effects of negative life events on depressive symptoms, playing a protective role in teachers mental health.
5. Advances in relationship between pyroptosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension and therapeutic drugs
Qian YAN ; Yang SUN ; Jun-Peng LONG ; Jiao YAO ; Yu-Ting LIN ; Song-Wei YANG ; Yan-Tao YANG ; Gang PEI ; Qi-Di AI ; Nai-Hong CHEN ; Qian YAN ; Yang SUN ; Jun-Peng LONG ; Jiao YAO ; Yu-Ting LIN ; Song-Wei YANG ; Yan-Tao YANG ; Gang PEI ; Qi-Di AI ; Nai-Hong CHEN ; Sha-Sha LIU ; Nai-Hong CHEN
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(1):25-30
Pyroptosis is the programmed death of cells accompanied by an inflammatory response and is widely involved in the development of a variety of diseases, such as infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegeneration. It has been shown that cellular scorching is involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension ( PAH) in cardiovascular diseases. Patients with PAH have perivascular inflammatory infiltrates in lungs, pulmonary vasculopathy exists in an extremely inflam-matory microenvironment, and pro-inflammatory factors in cellular scorching drive pulmonary vascular remodelling in PAH patients. This article reviews the role of cellular scorch in the pathogenesis of PAH and the related research on drugs for the treatment of PAH, with the aim of providing new ideas for clinical treatment of PAH.
6.Effect of Shexiangbaoxin Pill on vascular endothelial function in patients with primary microvascular angina
Qi HUANG ; Xiangqian SUI ; Fengchun JIANG ; Wujian HE ; Dean PEI ; Shisheng WANG ; Yongbin HU
China Modern Doctor 2024;62(8):74-78
Objective The plasma von Willebrand factor(vWF)level in patients with primary microvascular angina(PMVA)were measured to evaluate the vascular endothelial function of the patients.The change of vWF level in patients after the treatment with Shexiangbaoxin Pill were observeg.Methods Totally 69 patients who were definitely diagnosed as PMVA,They were randomly divided into conventional treatment group(33cases)and ShexiangBaoxin Pill group(36cases).The plasma vWF levels of the two groups were measured before and after treatment.Results The level of vWF before treatment in conventional treatment group was(50.93±32.98)μg/L.The level of vWF before treatment in ShexiangBaoxin Pill group was(27.45±25.02)μg/L.The level of vWF in conventional treatment group after treatment was(49.65±35.12)μg/L.The level of vWF after treatment in ShexiangBaoxin Pill group was(17.37±15.68)μg/L.The difference of vWF decrease in Baoxin Pill group after treatment(10.08±16.47)μg/L,was lower than that in conventional treatment group(1.28±12.37)μg/L,the difference is significant(P<0.05).Conclusion Shexiang Baoxin Pill has the function of protecting vascular endothelium,and PMVA patients can benefit from treatment.
7.Application of the OmniLogTM microbial identification system in the detection of the host spectrum for wild-type plague phage in Qinghai Plateau
Cun-Xiang LI ; Zhi-Zhen QI ; Qing-Wen ZHANG ; Hai-Hong ZHAO ; Long MA ; Pei-Song YOU ; Jian-Guo YANG ; Hai-Sheng WU ; Jian-Ping FENG
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2024;40(1):21-25
The growth of three plague phages from Qinghai Plateau in two Yersinia pestis strains(plague vaccine strains EV76 and 614F)and four non-Yersinia pestis strains(Yersinia pseudotuberculosis PTB3,PTB5,Escherichia coli V517,and Yersinia enterocolitica 52302-2)were detected through a micromethod based on the OmniLogTM microbial identification system and by the drop method,to provide a scientific basis for future ecological studies and classification based on the host range.For plague vaccine strains EV76 and 614F,successful phage infection and subsequent phage growth were observed in the host bacte-rium.Diminished bacterial growth and respiration and a concomitant decrease in color were observed with the OmniLogTM mi-crobial identification system at 33 ℃ for 48 h.Yersinia pseudotuberculosis PTB5 was sensitive to Yersinia pestis phage 476,but Yersinia pseudotuberculosis PST5 was insensitive to phage 087 and 072204.Three strains of non-Yersinia pestis(Yersinia pseudotuberculosis PTB3,Escherichia coli V517,and Yersinia enterocolitica 52302-2)were insensitive to Yersinia pestis pha-ges 087,072204,and 476 showed similar growth curves.The growth of phages 476 and 087,as determined with the drop method,in two Yersinia pestis strains(plague vaccine strains EV76 and 614F)and four non-Yersinia pestis strains(Yersinia pseudotuberculosis PTB3,Escherichia coli V517,and Yersin-ia enterocolitica 52302-2)showed the same results at 37 ℃,on the basis of comparisons with the OmniLogTM microbial i-dentification system;in contrast,phages 072204 did not show plaques on solid medium at 37 ℃ with plague vaccine strains EV76 and 614F.Determination based on the OmniLogTM detection system can be used as an alternative to the traditional determination of the host range,thus providing favorable application val-ue for determining the interaction between the phage and host bacteria.
8.Investigation of a kindergarten norovirus outbreak and detoxification time of infected children in Wuhan
PEI Hongbing, YAN Zhiwen, WU Xiaomin, QI Li, WU Changhan
Chinese Journal of School Health 2024;45(8):1191-1194
Objective:
To analyze the characteristics of a norovirus outbreak in a kindergarten, and factors affecting the detoxification time, so as to provide a scientific basis for targeted control measures.
Methods:
On February 24,2023, the basic personal information, clinical manifestations,morbidity and treatment of 16 kindergarten cases with a norovirus outbreak in Wuhan were collected. Anal swabs were collected every 7 d after the outbreak to detect norovirus. Chisquare test was used for comparison of intergroup rates. The comparison of detoxification time between different groups was conducted by Logrank test, and the influencing factors of detoxification time in cases were analyzed by Cox multiple regression analysis.
Results:
From February 19-28, 2023, a total of 18 cases were reported and 16 of them participated in the detoxication time monitoring. In the first, second, third and fourth sampling after the outbreak, the positive rates were 60.00%, 100.00%, 75.00% and 0, respectively. The reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction cycle threshold (Ct values) were (25.83±5.74, 28.83±5.55, 36.13±4.30), and undetected, respectively. The median time of detoxification was 19.42 d with 95%CI=(18.21-20.64)d. The results of Cox regression showed that the detoxication time was shorter in the treatment group than in the nontreatment group[HR(95%CI)=5.09(1.39-18.58), P<0.05].
Conclusion
Children infected with norovirus has a long duration of detoxification,and case management, which could be shortened by drugs, and disinfection should be strengthened after the case returned to school.
9.The Role of Mechanical Sensitive Ion Channel Piezo in Digestive System Diseases
Si-Qi WANG ; Xiang-Yun YAN ; Yan-Qiu LI ; Fang-Li LUO ; Jun-Peng YAO ; Pei-Tao MA ; Yu-Jun HOU ; Hai-Yan QIN ; Yun-Zhou SHI ; Ying LI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2024;51(8):1883-1894
The Piezo protein is a non-selective mechanosensitive cation channel that exhibits sensitivity to mechanical stimuli such as pressure and shear stress. It converts mechanical signals into bioelectric activity within cells, thus triggering specific biological responses. In the digestive system, Piezo protein plays a crucial role in maintaining normal physiological activities, including digestion, absorption, metabolic regulation, and immune modulation. However, dysregulation in Piezo protein expression may lead to the occurrence of several pathological conditions, including visceral hypersensitivity, impairment of intestinal mucosal barrier function, and immune inflammation.Therefore, conducting a comprehensive review of the physiological functions and pathological roles of Piezo protein in the digestive system is of paramount importance. In this review, we systematically summarize the structural and dynamic characteristics of Piezo protein, its expression patterns, and physiological functions in the digestive system. We particularly focus on elucidating the mechanisms of action of Piezo protein in digestive system tumor diseases, inflammatory diseases, fibrotic diseases, and functional disorders. Through the integration of the latest research findings, we have observed that Piezo protein plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of various digestive system diseases. There exist intricate interactions between Piezo protein and multiple phenotypes of digestive system tumors such as proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis. In inflammatory diseases, Piezo protein promotes intestinal immune responses and pancreatic trypsinogen activation, contributing to the development of ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and pancreatitis. Additionally, Piezo1, through pathways involving co-action with the TRPV4 ion channel, facilitates neutrophil recruitment and suppresses HIF-1α ubiquitination, thereby mediating organ fibrosis in organs like the liver and pancreas. Moreover, Piezo protein regulation by gut microbiota or factors like age and gender can result in increased or decreased visceral sensitivity, and alterations in intestinal mucosal barrier structure and permeability, which are closely associated with functional disorders like irritable bowel sydrome (IBS) and functional consitipaction (FC). A thorough exploration of Piezo protein as a potential therapeutic target in digestive system diseases can provide a scientific basis and theoretical support for future clinical diagnosis and treatment strategies.
10.Screening and Functional Analysis of BACE1 Interacting Proteins in Alzheimer’s Disease
Cong-Cong LIU ; Ya-Qi WANG ; Pei-Chang WANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2024;51(8):1904-1919
Objectiveβ‑Site APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) is a rate-limiting enzyme involved in the formation of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and its expression and activity play a crucial role in the development of AD. The interacting protein of BACE1 can directly or indirectly regulate BACE1 in the transcription, translation, modification, intracellular transport and other links of BACE1 by directly binding, indirectly binding, and participating in various cell signal transduction pathways, so as to participate in the occurrence of AD and the process of disease. This study aimed to screen and validate the interacting proteins of BACE1, providing new insights into the mechanisms of amyloid plaque formation. MethodsCo-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and mass spectrometry (MS) were used to enrich and identify BACE1 interacting proteins in the hippocampus of wild type (WT) mice and AD model mice. For candidate BACE1 interacting proteins, GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were used to explore the subcellular localization, molecular function, participating biological processes and participating signaling pathways of BACE1 interacting proteins. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of BACE1 was further constructed to explore the potential proteins interacting with BACE1. By searching the mouse genomeinformation (MGI) website and NCBI database, the more reliable proteins among the potential BACE1 interacting proteins were screened. Co-IP assay and immunofluorescence confocal technology were used to preliminarily verify the interaction between the proteins, and the changes in protein expression levels of the interacting proteins in AD cell models were explored. ResultsA total of 614 differentially expressed proteins interacting with BACE1 were identified in AD group. GO enrichment analysis showed that the BACE1 interacting proteins in the AD group were mainly located in membrane organelles such as Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, endosome, lysosome and vesicles, which had molecular functions such as ion channel regulation, protein kinase activity, transcription factor binding and passive transmembrane transporter activity. It is mainly involved in the biological processes of immune response regulation cell surface receptor signaling pathway, targeting Golgi vesicles transport, circadian rhythm regulation, Purkinje cell layer development, etc. KEGG analysis showed that BACE1 interacting proteins in AD were mainly involved in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, mTOR signaling pathway and other neurodegenerative disease-related pathways. The PPI network of BACE1 showed that a total of 12 proteins were identified as high confidence binding proteins, including PRNP, APOE, SYP, NSF, NUMB, SNAP91, HSP90aa1, UCHL1, BIN1, SNX27, Rheb, Ap2m1, of which, NSF, NUMB, SNAP91, HSP90aa1 were newly identified candidate proteins. After further verification, we found that NSF not only interacts with BACE1, but also interacts with amyloid precursor protein (APP), the substrate of BACE1, and the expression level of NSF is up-regulated in the AD cell model constructed by Aβ42 induction. ConclusionBACE1 binding proteins participate in multiple AD-associated biological processes and signal pathways. NSF is a newly identified BACE1 binding protein that interacts with BACE1, and the protein expression level of NSF is up-regulated in the AD cell model. It is predicted that the interaction between NSF and BACE1 is involved in regulating the course of AD, providing a new target and direction for the study of the mechanism of AD.


Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail