1.Neurotoxicity Mechanism of Dictamni Cortex Based on Network Toxicology and Metabolomics
Xiaomin XU ; Jiameixue WO ; Suxia JIA ; Wenkai HU ; Fang LU ; Shumin LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(20):31-39
ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the neurotoxicity mechanism of Dictamni Cortex by integrating network toxicology and metabolomics techniques. MethodsThe neurotoxicity targets induced by Dictamni Cortex were screened by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), Traditional Chinese Medicine Information Database (TCM-ID), and Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD). The target predictions of the components were performed by the Swiss Target Prediction tool. Neurotoxicity-related targets were collected from the Pharmacophore Mapping and Potential Target Identification Platform (PharmMapper), GeneCards Human Gene Database (GeneCards), DisGeNET Disease Gene Network (DisGeNET), and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), and the intersection targets were identified. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis were conducted. A "drug-compound-toxicity target-pathway" network was constructed via Cytoscape software to display the core regulatory network. Based on the prediction results, the neurotoxicity mechanism of Dictamni Cortex in mice was verified by using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, Nissl staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), quantitative real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR), and Western blot. The effects of Dictamni Cortex on the metabolic profile of mouse brain tissue were further explored by non-targeted metabolomics. ResultsNetwork toxicology screening identified 13 compounds and 175 targets in Dictamni Cortex that were related to neurotoxicity. PPI network analysis revealed that serine/threonine-protein kinase (Akt1) and tumor protein 53 (TP53) were the core targets. Additionally, GO/KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that Dictamni Cortex may regulate the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway and affect oxidative stress and cell apoptosis, thereby inducing neural damage. The "Dictamni Cortex-compound-toxicity target-pathway-neural damage" network showed that dictamnine, phellodendrine, and fraxinellone may be the toxic compounds. Animal experiments showed that compared with those in the blank group, the hippocampal neurons in the brain tissue of mice treated with Dictamni Cortex were damaged. The level of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and acetylcholine (ACh) in the brain tissue was significantly reduced, while the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was significantly increased. The level of Akt1 and p-Akt1 mRNAs and proteins in the brain tissue was significantly decreased, while the level of TP53 was significantly increased. Non-targeted metabolomics results showed that Dictamni Cortex could disrupt the level of 40 metabolites in mouse brain tissue, thereby regulating the homeostasis of 13 metabolism pathways, including phenylalanine, glycerophospholipid, and retinol. Combined analysis revealed that Akt1, p-Akt1, and TP53 were significantly correlated with phenylalanine, glycerophospholipid, and retinol metabolites. This suggested that Dictamni Cortex induced neurotoxicity in mice by regulating Akt1, p-Akt1, and TP53 and further modulating the phenylalanine, glycerophospholipid, and retinol metabolism pathways. ConclusionDictamni Cortex can induce neurotoxicity in mice, and its potential mechanism may be closely related to the activation of oxidative stress, inhibition of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, and regulation of phenylalanine, glycerophospholipid, and retinol metabolism pathways.
2.Effect of Dictamni Cortex on Intestinal Barrier Damage by Untargeted Metabolomics and Targeted Metabolomics for Short-chain Fatty Acids
Xiaomin XU ; Donghua YU ; Yu WANG ; Pingping CHEN ; Jiameixue WO ; Suxia JIA ; Wenkai HU ; Fang LU ; Shumin LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(20):40-47
ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the effect of Dictamni Cortex on intestinal barrier damage in rats and its mechanism by untargeted metabolomics and targeted metabolomics for short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). MethodsRats were randomly divided into a control group, a high-dose group of Dictamni Cortex (8.1 g·kg-1), a medium-dose group (2.7 g·kg-1), and a low-dose group (0.9 g·kg-1). Except for the control group, the other groups were administered different doses of Dictamni Cortex by gavage for eight consecutive weeks. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes in the ileal tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to detect the level of cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), in the ileal tissue of rats. Quantitative real-time fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) technology was used to detect the expression level of tight junction proteins, including zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), Occludin, and Claudin-1 mRNAs, in the ileal tissue of rats to preliminarily explore the effects of Dictamni Cortex on intestinal damage. The dose with the most significant toxic phenotype was selected to further reveal the effects of Dictamni Cortex on the metabolic profile of ileal tissue in rats by non-targeted metabolomics combined with targeted metabolomics for SCFAs. ResultsCompared with the control group, all doses of Dictamni Cortex induced varying degrees of pathological damage in the ileum, increased TNF-α (P<0.01), IL-6 (P<0.01), and IL-1β (P<0.01) levels in the ileal tissue, and decreased the expression level of ZO-1 (P<0.05, P<0.01), Occludin (P<0.01), and Claudin-1 (P<0.05) in the ileal tissue, with the high-dose group showing the most significant toxic phenotypes. The damage mechanisms of the high-dose group of Dictamni Cortex on the ileal tissue were further explored by integrating non-targeted metabolomics and targeted metabolomics for SCFAs. The non-targeted metabolomics results showed that 21 differential metabolites were identified in the control group and the high-dose group. Compared with that in the control group, after Dictamni Cortex intervention, the level of 14 metabolites was significantly increased (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the level of seven metabolites was significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the ileal contents. These metabolites collectively acted on 10 related metabolic pathways, including glycerophospholipids and primary bile acid biosynthesis. The quantitative data of targeted metabolomics for SCFAs showed that Dictamni Cortex intervention disrupted the level of propionic acid, butyric acid, acetic acid, caproic acid, isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, valeric acid, and isocaproic acid in the ileal contents of rats. Compared with those in the control group, the level of isobutyric acid, isovaleric acid, and valeric acid were significantly increased, while the level of propionic acid, butyric acid, and acetic acid were significantly decreased in the ileal contents of rats after Dictamni Cortex intervention (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionDictamni Cortex can induce intestinal damage by regulating glycerophospholipid metabolism, primary bile acid biosynthesis, and metabolic pathways for SCFAs.
3.Research progress of traditional Chinese medicine in regulating Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway to interfere with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury
Suxia JIA ; Xiaomin XU ; Huicong YANG ; Shumin LIU
China Pharmacy 2024;35(1):124-128
Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) is a serious complication of revascularization in patients with myocardial infarction. The nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) signaling pathway plays an important role in the pathological process of MIRI. Currently,research has found that traditional Chinese medicine has a good effect on myocardial injury caused by ischemia-reperfusion. Based on the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway,this article summarizes the action mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine formulas and monomers in intervening with MIRI. It is found that traditional Chinese medicine formulas (Yixin formula,Wenyang tongmai formula,Dingxin formula Ⅰ),monomers such as terpenoids (ginkgolides, astragaloside Ⅳ,ginsenosides),phenols (brazilin,hematoxylin A,resveratrol) and quinones (aloe,emodin) can alleviate MIRI by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway,inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory reactions,etc.
4.Summary of best evidence of respiratory muscle training in patients with mechanical ventilation after withdrawal
Jianing YIN ; Xiaomin GUAN ; Dengshuai JIA ; Ling XU ; Lan CHEN
Chinese Journal of Nursing 2024;59(1):33-41
Objective The best evidence of respiratory muscle training for patients with mechanical ventilation in ICU after machine withdrawal was extracted and summarized to provide evidence-based evidence for respiratory muscle training for patients with mechanical ventilation after machine withdrawal.Methods We searched relevant guideline networks and association websites,as well as PubMed,Web of Science,Embase,CINAHL,CNKI,VIP,Wanfang and other databases to collect relevant guidelines,clinical decisions,evidence summaries,expert consensuses,systematic reviews and randomized controlled studies,and the search time limit is from the establishment of the databases to July 30,2023.There were 2 researchers who independently evaluated the literature quality and extracted data.Results A total of 13 articles were included,including 2 guidelines,2 clinical decisions,5 systematic reviews and 4 expert consensuses.There were 24 pieces of evidence being summarized in 7 categories,including training team,training evaluation,training methods,training frequency,training safety,training effect evaluation and health education.Conclusion This study summarizes the best evidence for respiratory muscle training in patients with mechanical ventilation after withdrawal,which can provide references for medical staffs to conduct respiratory muscle training for patients after withdrawal.It is recommended that medical staff should consider the clinical situation when applying the evidence,and selectively apply the best evidence.
5.Exploring the mechanism of acute liver injury induced by Cortex dictamni based on network pharmacology and in vivo experiments
Wenkai HU ; Xiaomin XU ; Xin JIANG ; Jiameixue WO ; Suxia JIA ; Shumin LIU ; Fang LU
China Pharmacist 2024;27(7):1089-1098
Objective To explore the mechanism of acute liver injury induced by Cortex dictamni through network pharmacology and in vivo experiment in animal.Methods The chemical constituents and targets of Cortex dictamni were retrieved from TCMSP,TCMIP and SwissTargetPrediction databases,and the related targets of liver injury diseases were identified through GeneCards and CTD databases.The protein interaction network of the intersection targets was analyzed by STRING database and the core targets were selected.The GO function and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were completed by DAVID database,and the multi-level association network diagram of"drug-component-target"was constructed by Cytoscape software.In the animal study,Cortex dictamni was administered to mice at a dosage of 92.7 g/(kg·d)via intragastric administration,and the biological samples were collected after 7 days.The pathological changes of liver were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE),Masson and Oil Red O staining.The expression levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),and lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)in serum,as well as malondialdehyde(MDA),superoxide dismutase(SOD),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),and interleukin(IL)-1β in liver tissues,were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The expressions of protein kinase B1(AKT1),IL-6,TNF-α,tumor protein p53(TP53),cystatin 3(CASP3),and IL-1β mRNA in liver tissues were determined using real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR(qRT-PCR).Molecular docking was employed to verify the binding affinity of potentially toxic components to their respective targets.Results A total of 14 chemical constituents,244 predicted targets and 202 intersection targets with liver injury were obtained.The GO biological process analysis mainly involved positive regulation of gene expression,negative regulation of apoptosis process.KEGG pathway enrichment analysis mainly included cancer pathway and PI3K-Akt,TNF,IL-17 signaling pathways.The pathological sections revealed severe hemorrhage,a considerable amount of hepatocyte necrosis,nuclear fragmentation or dissolution in the liver tissues of mouse with HE staining after the administration of Cortex dictamni.Masson staining showed evident fibrosis in the liver tissues,while Oil Red O staining indicated a substantial production of lipid droplets.Compared with the control group,the ELISA results demonstrated a significant increase in serum AST,ALT,ALP,LDH levels,as well as hepatic MDA,TNF-α,and IL-1β levels(P<0.05),and a decrease in hepatic SOD levels(P<0.05)in the treated group.The qRT-PCR results indicated a significant elevation in the expression levels of relevant mRNAs in the liver tissues of the treated mice(P<0.05).Molecular docking showed that the potentially toxic components of obacunone,dictamnine and fraxinellon had good binding affinity to AKT1,IL-6,TNF-α,TP53,CASP3 and IL-1β.Conclusion Obacunone,dictamnine,fraxinellon,and limonin might be the potential toxic components of acute liver injury induced by Cortex dictamni in mice.Cortex dictamni could act on the liver by changing the expressions of AKT1,IL-6,TNF-α,TP53,CASP3,IL-1β and other proteins,affecting energy metabolism,cell differentiation,inflammation,oxidative stress and immunity,leading to liver injury.
6.Research progress on chemical constituents,pharmacological effects and toxicity of Dictamni cortex
Wenkai HU ; Xiaomin XU ; Xin JIANG ; Jiameixue WO ; Suxia JIA ; Shumin LIU ; Fang LU
China Pharmacist 2024;28(10):252-267
Dictamni cortex is the root bark of Rutaceae plants.It is the main medicinal part and the key drug of 'Zhuhuang Fengbi'.It has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying,dispelling wind and drying dampness,and relieving itching.Dictamni cortex mainly contains 228 chemical components such as alkaloids,sesquiterpenes,limonoids,fatty acids,volatile oils,flavonoids,steroids,etw.Its pharmacological activities in vivo and in vitro include antibacterial activity,anti-inflammatory activity,hepatoprotective activity,cardiovascular protection activity,insecticidal activity,anticancer activity,anti-allergic activity,and improvement of gastrointestinal activity.It has been reported that Dictamni cortex also has potential hepatotoxicity,among which dictamnine,fraxinellone and limonin compounds are potential hepatotoxic components.In this paper,the chemical constituents,pharmacological effects and toxicity of Dictamni cortex are reviewed by consulting domestic and foreign literature,to provide theoretical support for the clinical rational application and related product development of Dictamni cortex.
7.Research progress in effect of intestinal flora on occurrence and development of breast cancer and its therapeutic application
Xiaomin FU ; Jianling JIA ; Yanhong DOU ; Wenyong REN ; Aiping SHI
Journal of Jilin University(Medicine Edition) 2024;50(4):1182-1188
The incidence of breast cancer is increasing year by year,and its pathogenesis is highly complex.The dysregulation of gut microbiota function is closely related to the occurrence and development of breast cancer.The estrogen levels through enterohepatic circulation is regulated by β-glucuronidase produced by the gut microbiota,thereby influencing the occurrence and development of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer and leading to tamoxifen resistance.The metabolites from the gut microbiota,such as short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs)and lithocholic acid(LCA),can participate in regulating the tumor cell cycles and cell proliferation.The colonization of gut microbiota maintains the integrity of the intestinal barrier and regulates the anti-tumor immunity mediated by T lymphocytes.Maintaining gut microbiota homeostasis can enhance the efficacy of tumor chemotherapy and immunotherapy and reduce the adverse reactions in anti-tumor treatments.The targeted action of engineered probiotics in immunotherapy can improve the precision of drug treatment.The effect of gut microbiota on radiotherapy is not yet clear,but regulating gut microbiota can aid in the treatment of radiation enteritis.This review discusses the correlation and effect of gut microbiota on breast cancer and analyzes its role in the treatment of breast cancer.
8.A joint cognitive representation learning method based on multi-modal variational autoencoders
Qiuyue SONG ; Yuan CHEN ; Shuyu JIA ; Xiaomin YING ; Zhen HE
Military Medical Sciences 2024;48(7):516-523
Objective To develop multimodal joint cognitive representations for the research of visual cognitive activities of the brain,enhance the classification performance of visual information cognitive representations,predict brain electro-encephalogram(EEG)responses from visual image features,and decode visual images from EEG signals.Methods A architecture combining a multimodal variational autoencoder network with the Mixture of Product Experts(MoPoE)approach and with a style generation adversarial network based on adaptive discriminator augmentation(Style-GAN2-ADA)was used for facilitating the learning of cognitive representations and the encoding and decoding of EEG signals.This framework not only catered to classification tasks but also enabled cross-modal generation of images and EEG data.Results The present study integrated features from different modalities,enhancing the classification accuracy of cognitive representations of visual information.By aligning the feature spaces of diverse modalities into a cohesive latent space,cross-modal generation tasks were made possible.The cross-modal generation results of EEG and images,derived from this unified latent space,outperformed the one-way mapping methods that involved transition from one modality to another employed in previous research.Conclusion This study effectively integrates and aligns information from various modalities,enabling the classification performance of joint cognitive representations beyond any single modality.Moreover,the study demonstrates superior outcomes in cross-modal generation tasks compared to modality-specific unidirectional mappings,which is expected to offer a new line of thought for the effective unified encoding and decoding modeling of visual cognitive information in the brain.
9.Short-term results of a multicenter study based on a modified N7 induction regimen combined with arsenic trioxide in the treatment of children with high-risk neuroblastoma
Shu YANG ; Kailan CHEN ; Yunyan HE ; Xiaomin PENG ; Hao XIONG ; Wenguang JIA ; Sha WU ; Xunqi JI ; Yuwen CHEN ; Chuan TIAN ; Zhonglü YE ; Zhen YANG ; Jianjun ZHU ; Aiguo LIU ; Xiaohua TIAN ; Fengjuan PAN ; Ke HUANG ; Dunhua ZHOU ; Jianpei FANG ; Yang LI
Chinese Journal of Pediatrics 2024;62(10):949-955
Objective:To analyze the short-term clinical efficacy and safety of arsenic trioxide (ATO) combined with a modified N7 induction regimen in the treatment of children with high-risk neuroblastoma (NB).Methods:This study was a prospective, single-arm, multicenter phase Ⅱ clinical study. Sixty-seven high-risk NB children from eight units of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Wuhan Children′s Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Hainan General Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Kunming Children′s Hospital, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Guangdong Provincial Agricultural Reclamation Center Hospital were enrolled from January 2019 to August 2023 and were treated with ATO combined with a modified N7 induction regimen. The efficacy and adverse effects at the end of induction chemotherapy were assessed and analyzed, and the differences in the clinical characteristics were further compared between the treatment-responsive and treatment-unresponsive groups by using the Fisher′s exact test.Results:Among 67 high-risk NB children, there were 40 males (60%) and 27 females (40%), with the age of disease onset of 3.5 (2.6, 4.8) years. Primary NB sites were mostly in retroperitoneum (including adrenal gland) (56/67, 84%) and the common metastases sites at initial diagnosis were distant lymph node in 25 cases (37%),bone in 48 cases (72%),bone marrow in 56 cases (84%) and intracalvarium in 3 cases (4%). MYCN gene amplification were detected in 28 cases (42%). At the end of induction, 33 cases (49%) achieved complete remission, 29 cases (43%) achieved partial remission, 1 case (1%) with stable disease, and 4 cases (6%) were assessed as progressive disease (PD). The objective remission rate was 93% (62/67) and the disease control rate was 94% (63/67). The percentage of central system metastases at the initial diagnosis was higher in the treatment-unresponsive group than in the treatment-responsive group (2/5 vs. 2% (1/62), P=0.013), whereas the difference in MYCN gene amplification was not statistically significant between two groups (3/5 vs.40% (25/62), P=0.786). Grade Ⅲ or higher adverse reactions during the induction chemotherapy period were myelosuppression occurred in 60 cases (90%), gastrointestinal symptoms occurred in 33 cases (49%), infections occurred in 20 cases (30%), hepatotoxicity occurred in 4 cases (6%), and cardiovascular toxicity occurred in 1 case (2%). There were no chemotherapy-related deaths. Conclusion:ATO combined with N7-modified induction regimen had a superiority in efficacy and safety, which deserved further promotion in clinical practice.
10.Bibliometrics research of emergency nursing safety management based on CiteSpace
Xiaomin LIU ; Lili WEI ; Yueguang DAI ; Shengjie JIA ; Chunling ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Practical Nursing 2024;40(33):2626-2634
Objective:To analyze the research hotspots and trends in the field of emergency nursing safety management at home and abroad through bibliometrics, and to provide reference for the research and clinical practice of emergency nursing safety management in China.Methods:The relevant literature in the field of emergency nursing safety management in China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Web of Science databases were searched from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2023. CiteSpace6.2.R7 software was used for keyword co-occurrence, clustering and mutation analysis, and the hotspot and development trend of the literature were analyzed.Results:A total of 883 literatures were included, including 665 Chinese literatures and 218 English literatures.Nursing safety management had attracted much attention in China, but there were few high-level studies.And the foreign related research had steadily increased. The content of foreign literature was different from that of domestic literature. Chinese literature focused on nursing risk, nursing quality, nursing management, application effectiveness, emergency triage, etc, and focused on critically ill patients.The English literature mainly focused on medical errors, risk management, organizational culture, maternal investment, emergency department, training, depression, emergency care systems,improvement, etc.Conclusions:The research on emergency nursing safety management in China is still in the initial stage. In the future, it is necessary to strengthen safety culture construction, adverse event management, emergency observation, establishment of safety management measures, drug safety management strategies, and patient satisfaction, etc.

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