1.Targeting effect and anti-tumor mechanism of folic acid-modified crebanine nanoparticles combined with ultra-sound irradiation on M109 cells in vitro and in vivo
Hailiang ZHANG ; Xiaoyu ZHAO ; Jiahua MEI ; Rui PAN ; Junze TANG ; Kun YU ; Rui XUE ; Xiaofei LI ; Xin CHENG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(14):1730-1736
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			OBJECTIVE To investigate the targeting effect of folic acid-modified crebanine nanoparticles (FA-Cre@PEG- PLGA NPs, hereinafter referred to as “NPs”) combined with ultrasound irradiation on M109 cells in vitro and in vivo after administration, and explore the anti-tumor mechanism. METHODS CCK-8 assay was used to detect the inhibitory effect of NPs combined with ultrasound irradiation on the proliferation of M109 cells, and the best ultrasound time was selected. Using human lung cancer A549 cells as a control, the targeting of NPs combined with ultrasound irradiation to M109 cells was evaluated by free folic acid blocking assay and cell uptake assay. The effects of NPs combined with ultrasound irradiation on the migration, invasion, apoptosis, cell cycle and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels of M109 cells were detected by cell scratch test, Transwell chamber test and flow cytometry at 1 h after 958401536@qq.com administration; the changes of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were observed by fluorescence inverted microscope. A mouse subcutaneous tumor model of M109 cells was constructed, and the in vivo tumor targeting of NPs combined with ultrasound irradiation was investigated by small animal in vivo imaging technology. RESULTS NPs combined with ultrasound irradiation could significantly inhibit the proliferation of M109 cells, and the optimal ultrasound time was 1 h after administration. The free folic acid could antagonize the inhibitory effect of NPs on the proliferation of M109 cells, and combined with ultrasound irradiation could partially reverse this antagonism. Compared with A549 cells, the uptake rate of NPs in M109 cells was significantly higher (P<0.01), and ultrasound irradiation could promote cellular uptake. NPs combined with ultrasound irradiation could inhibit the migration and invasion of M109 cells and block the cell cycle in the G0/G1 and G2/M phases. Compared with control group, the apoptosis rate of M109 cells and ROS level were increased significantly (P<0.01), while the MMP decreased significantly (P<0.01) in the different concentration (100, 200, 300 μg/mL) groups of M109 cells. Compared with the mice in non-ultrasound group, the fluorescence intensity and tumor-targeting index of the tumor site in the 0 h ultrasound group were significantly enhanced (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS NPs combined with ultrasound irradiation have a strong targeting effect on M109 cells in vitro and in vivo, the anti-tumor mechanism includes inhibiting cell migration and invasion, blocking cell cycle, and inducing apoptosis.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
2.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. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
3.Adolescent Smoking Addiction Diagnosis Based on TI-GNN
Xu-Wen WANG ; Da-Hua YU ; Ting XUE ; Xiao-Jiao LI ; Zhen-Zhen MAI ; Fang DONG ; Yu-Xin MA ; Juan WANG ; Kai YUAN
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(9):2393-2405
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			ObjectiveTobacco-related diseases remain one of the leading preventable public health challenges worldwide and are among the primary causes of premature death. In recent years, accumulating evidence has supported the classification of nicotine addiction as a chronic brain disease, profoundly affecting both brain structure and function. Despite the urgency, effective diagnostic methods for smoking addiction remain lacking, posing significant challenges for early intervention and treatment. To address this issue and gain deeper insights into the neural mechanisms underlying nicotine dependence, this study proposes a novel graph neural network framework, termed TI-GNN. This model leverages functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to identify complex and subtle abnormalities in brain connectivity patterns associated with smoking addiction. MethodsThe study utilizes fMRI data to construct functional connectivity matrices that represent interaction patterns among brain regions. These matrices are interpreted as graphs, where brain regions are nodes and the strength of functional connectivity between them serves as edges. The proposed TI-GNN model integrates a Transformer module to effectively capture global interactions across the entire brain network, enabling a comprehensive understanding of high-level connectivity patterns. Additionally, a spatial attention mechanism is employed to selectively focus on informative inter-regional connections while filtering out irrelevant or noisy features. This design enhances the model’s ability to learn meaningful neural representations crucial for classification tasks. A key innovation of TI-GNN lies in its built-in causal interpretation module, which aims to infer directional and potentially causal relationships among brain regions. This not only improves predictive performance but also enhances model interpretability—an essential attribute for clinical applications. The identification of causal links provides valuable insights into the neuropathological basis of addiction and contributes to the development of biologically plausible and trustworthy diagnostic tools. ResultsExperimental results demonstrate that the TI-GNN model achieves superior classification performance on the smoking addiction dataset, outperforming several state-of-the-art baseline models. Specifically, TI-GNN attains an accuracy of 0.91, an F1-score of 0.91, and a Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.83, indicating strong robustness and reliability. Beyond performance metrics, TI-GNN identifies critical abnormal connectivity patterns in several brain regions implicated in addiction. Notably, it highlights dysregulations in the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex, consistent with prior clinical and neuroimaging findings. These regions are well known for their roles in emotional regulation, reward processing, and impulse control—functions that are frequently disrupted in nicotine dependence. ConclusionThe TI-GNN framework offers a powerful and interpretable tool for the objective diagnosis of smoking addiction. By integrating advanced graph learning techniques with causal inference capabilities, the model not only achieves high diagnostic accuracy but also elucidates the neurobiological underpinnings of addiction. The identification of specific abnormal brain networks and their causal interactions deepens our understanding of addiction pathophysiology and lays the groundwork for developing targeted intervention strategies and personalized treatment approaches in the future. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
4.Controllability Analysis of Structural Brain Networks in Young Smokers
Jing-Jing DING ; Fang DONG ; Hong-De WANG ; Kai YUAN ; Yong-Xin CHENG ; Juan WANG ; Yu-Xin MA ; Ting XUE ; Da-Hua YU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(1):182-193
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			ObjectiveThe controllability changes of structural brain network were explored based on the control and brain network theory in young smokers, this may reveal that the controllability indicators can serve as a powerful factor to predict the sleep status in young smokers. MethodsFifty young smokers and 51 healthy controls from Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology were enrolled. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to construct structural brain network based on fractional anisotropy (FA) weight matrix. According to the control and brain network theory, the average controllability and the modal controllability were calculated. Two-sample t-test was used to compare the differences between the groups and Pearson correlation analysis to examine the correlation between significant average controllability and modal controllability with Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND) in young smokers. The nodes with the controllability score in the top 10% were selected as the super-controllers. Finally, we used BP neural network to predict the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in young smokers. ResultsThe average controllability of dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus, supplementary motor area, lenticular nucleus putamen, and lenticular nucleus pallidum, and the modal controllability of orbital inferior frontal gyrus, supplementary motor area, gyrus rectus, and posterior cingulate gyrus in the young smokers’ group, were all significantly different from those of the healthy controls group (P<0.05). The average controllability of the right supplementary motor area (SMA.R) in the young smokers group was positively correlated with FTND (r=0.393 0, P=0.004 8), while modal controllability was negatively correlated with FTND (r=-0.330 1, P=0.019 2). ConclusionThe controllability of structural brain network in young smokers is abnormal. which may serve as an indicator to predict sleep condition. It may provide the imaging evidence for evaluating the cognitive function impairment in young smokers. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
5.Molecular biological research and molecular homologous modeling of Bw.03 subgroup
Li WANG ; Yongkui KONG ; Huifang JIN ; Xin LIU ; Ying XIE ; Xue LIU ; Yanli CHANG ; Yafang WANG ; Shumiao YANG ; Di ZHU ; Qiankun YANG
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2025;38(1):112-115
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			[Objective] To study the molecular biological mechanism for a case of ABO blood group B subtype, and perform three-dimensional modeling of the mutant enzyme. [Methods] The ABO phenotype was identified by the tube method and microcolumn gel method; the ABO gene of the proband was detected by sequence-specific primer polymerase chain reaction (PCR-SSP), and the exon 6 and 7 of the ABO gene were sequenced and analyzed. Homologous modeling of Bw.03 glycosyltransferase (GT) was carried out by Modeller and analyzed by PyMOL2.5.0 software. [Results] The weakening B antigen was detected in the proband sample by forward typing, and anti-B antibody was detected by reverse typing. PCR-SSP detection showed B, O gene, and the sequencing results showed c.721 C>T mutation in exon 7 of the B gene, resulting in p. Arg 241 Trp. Compared with the wild type, the structure of Bw.03GT was partially changed, and the intermolecular force analysis showed that the original three hydrogen bonds at 241 position disappeared. [Conclusion] Blood group molecular biology examination is helpful for the accurate identification of ambiguous blood group. Homologous modeling more intuitively shows the key site for the weakening of Bw.03 GT activity. The intermolecular force analysis can explain the root cause of enzyme activity weakening.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
6.Expression of IP3R2 and RYR2 mediated Ca2+signals in a mouse model of delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning
Jili ZHAO ; Tianyu MENG ; Yarong YUE ; Xin ZHANG ; Wenqian DU ; Xinyu ZHANG ; Hui XUE ; Wenping XIANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(2):254-261
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			BACKGROUND:Ca2+expression in astrocytes has been found to be closely related to cognitive function,and the Ca2+signaling pathway regulated by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors(IP3R2)and ryanodine receptor(RYR)2 receptors has become a hot spot in the study of cognitive disorder-related diseases. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the expression of Ca2+signals mediated by IP3R2 and RYR2 in hippocampal astrocytes in animal models of delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning,and to explore the possible pathogenesis of delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning. METHODS:C57BL mice with qualified cognitive function were selected by Morris water maze experiment and randomly divided into control group and experimental group.An animal model of delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning was established by static carbon monoxide inhalation in the experimental group,and the same amount of air was inhaled in the control group.Behavioral and neuronal changes,astrocyte specific marker glial fibrillary acidic protein,IP3R2,RYR2 receptor and Ca2+concentration in astrocytes of the two groups were detected using Morris water maze,hematoxylin-eosin staining,western blot,immunofluorescence double labeling and Ca2+fluorescence probe at 21 days after modeling. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In the Morris water maze,the escape latency of the experimental group was significantly longer than that of the control group(P<0.05).Hematoxylin-eosin staining results showed that in the experimental group,the number of hippocampal pyramidal cells decreased,the cell structure was disordered,and the nucleus was broken and dissolved.Immunofluorescence results showed that IP3R2 and RYR2 were co-expressed with glial fibrillary acidic protein in the hippocampus,and the expressions of IP3R2,RYR2 and glial fibrillary acidic protein were up-regulated in the hippocampus of the experimental group(P<0.05).Western blot analysis showed that the expressions of IP3R2,RYR2,and glial fibrillary acidic protein in the hippocampus of the experimental group were increased(P<0.05).Ca2+concentration in hippocampal astrocytes increased significantly in the experimental group(P<0.05).To conclude,astrocytes may affect Ca2+signals by mediating IP3R2 and RYR2 receptors,then impair the cognitive function of mice with carbon monoxide poisoning,and eventually lead to delayed encephalopathy after acute carbon monoxide poisoning.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
7.Analyzing Differences in Volatile Components of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Before and After Being Stir-fried with Halloysitum Rubrum Based on HS-GC-MS and Intelligent Sensory Technology
Li XIN ; Jiawen WEN ; Wenhui GONG ; Beibei ZHAO ; Shihao YAN ; Huashi CHEN ; Haiping LE ; Jinlian ZHANG ; Yanhua XUE
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(7):157-162
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			ObjectiveTo analyze the differences in color, odor and volatile components of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium(CRP) before and after being stir-fried with Halloysitum Rubrum, and to explore the material basis of enhancing the effect of strengthening spleen after processing and the scientific connotation of decoction pieces processed with Halloysitum Rubrum as the auxiliary material. MethodsThe volatile components of the samples before and after processing were identified and relatively quantified by headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(HS-GC-MS), and the volatile components were analyzed by principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA). According to the principle of variable importance in the projection(VIP) value>1.5, volatile differential components before and after processing were screened. And combined with intelligent sensory technologies such as colorimeter and electronic nose, the chroma and odor information of CRP before and after being stir-fried with Halloysitum Rubrum were identified. Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between volatile differential components and chroma values. ResultsA total of 112 volatile components were identified from CRP and CRP stir-fried with Halloysitum Rubrum, of which 84 were from CRP and 97 were from CRP stir-fried with Halloysitum Rubrum. And 7 differential components were selected, including α-pinene, β-myrcene, linalool, sabinene, ocimene isomer mixture, A-ocimene, and δ-elemene. After being processed with Halloysitum Rubrum, the brightness value(L*), yellow-blue value(b*) and total chromatic value(E*ab) of CRP were decreased(P<0.01), and red-green value(a*) was increased(P<0.01), the response values of S4, S5, S10 and S13 sensors were significantly increased(P<0.05), and the response values of S3 and S8 sensors were significantly decreased(P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed that α-pinene and β-myrcene were negatively correlated with L* and E*ab, but positively correlated with a*. Sabinene was positively correlated with L* and E*ab. Linalool was positively correlated with L* and E*ab, and negatively correlated with a*. The ocimene isomer mixture was positively correlated with the L*. ConclusionAfter being processed with Halloysitum Rubrum, the appearance color, odor and volatile components of CRP change significantly, and α-pinene, β-myrcene, sabinene, linalool and A-ocimene are the characteristic volatile components before and after processing, which can provide references for the quality evaluation and clinical application of CRP and its processed products. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
8.Analyzing Differences in Volatile Components of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium Before and After Being Stir-fried with Halloysitum Rubrum Based on HS-GC-MS and Intelligent Sensory Technology
Li XIN ; Jiawen WEN ; Wenhui GONG ; Beibei ZHAO ; Shihao YAN ; Huashi CHEN ; Haiping LE ; Jinlian ZHANG ; Yanhua XUE
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(7):157-162
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			ObjectiveTo analyze the differences in color, odor and volatile components of Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium(CRP) before and after being stir-fried with Halloysitum Rubrum, and to explore the material basis of enhancing the effect of strengthening spleen after processing and the scientific connotation of decoction pieces processed with Halloysitum Rubrum as the auxiliary material. MethodsThe volatile components of the samples before and after processing were identified and relatively quantified by headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(HS-GC-MS), and the volatile components were analyzed by principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA). According to the principle of variable importance in the projection(VIP) value>1.5, volatile differential components before and after processing were screened. And combined with intelligent sensory technologies such as colorimeter and electronic nose, the chroma and odor information of CRP before and after being stir-fried with Halloysitum Rubrum were identified. Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between volatile differential components and chroma values. ResultsA total of 112 volatile components were identified from CRP and CRP stir-fried with Halloysitum Rubrum, of which 84 were from CRP and 97 were from CRP stir-fried with Halloysitum Rubrum. And 7 differential components were selected, including α-pinene, β-myrcene, linalool, sabinene, ocimene isomer mixture, A-ocimene, and δ-elemene. After being processed with Halloysitum Rubrum, the brightness value(L*), yellow-blue value(b*) and total chromatic value(E*ab) of CRP were decreased(P<0.01), and red-green value(a*) was increased(P<0.01), the response values of S4, S5, S10 and S13 sensors were significantly increased(P<0.05), and the response values of S3 and S8 sensors were significantly decreased(P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed that α-pinene and β-myrcene were negatively correlated with L* and E*ab, but positively correlated with a*. Sabinene was positively correlated with L* and E*ab. Linalool was positively correlated with L* and E*ab, and negatively correlated with a*. The ocimene isomer mixture was positively correlated with the L*. ConclusionAfter being processed with Halloysitum Rubrum, the appearance color, odor and volatile components of CRP change significantly, and α-pinene, β-myrcene, sabinene, linalool and A-ocimene are the characteristic volatile components before and after processing, which can provide references for the quality evaluation and clinical application of CRP and its processed products. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
9.Influence of corneal fluorescein sodium staining on test results of iTrace visual function analyzer
Xin YIN ; Qingyan LIU ; Xiao SHAO ; Min XUE ; Yao LU ; Shuying MA ; Chunsheng SHI
International Eye Science 2025;25(4):680-684
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			 AIM: To investigate the impact of corneal fluorescein sodium(NaF)staining on the examination results of iTrace visual function analyzer(iTrace).METHODS: Prospective cohort study. Totally 100 patients(100 eyes)with ametropia who visited the outpatient department of Anhui Eye Hospital from April to November 2024 were recruited. They were divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 50 patients(50 eyes, and only the right eyes were selected for inclusion)in each group. In the experimental group, corneal staining was performed using fluorescein sodium staining test strips, while in the control group, 1 drop of 0.9% normal saline was instilled into the eyes. The iTrace examination was conducted before the intervention and at 5, 10, and 20 min after the intervention. The total corneal higher-order aberrations, spherical aberration, coma aberration, trefoil aberration, best sphere value(RO value), asphericity factor(Q value), and corneal vertical refractive power difference(IS value)at each time of examination were recorded and compared.RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the baseline levels between the two groups(all P>0.05). Intra-group comparison revealed that the total higher-order aberrations, spherical aberration, coma aberration, and trefoil aberration measured 5 min after NaF staining in the experimental group were significantly increased compared with those before staining(all P<0.05). Inter-group comparison showed that the changes(differences from the baseline)in the total corneal higher-order aberrations, spherical aberration, coma aberration, and trefoil aberration measured by iTrace 5 min after the intervention in the experimental group were significantly greater than those in the control group(all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the changes(differences from the baseline)of various iTrace parameters measured at 10 and 20 min after the intervention between the two groups(all P>0.05). There was no statistical significance in the RO value, Q value, and IS value in the two groups(all P>0.05).CONCLUSION: Corneal NaF staining can cause a short-term increase in the wavefront aberration values(total corneal higher-order aberrations, spherical aberration, coma aberration, trefoil aberration)measured by iTrace, and it gradually disappears with the passage of time. However, it has no impact on the measurement of corneal topography parameters(RO value, Q value, IS value). 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
10.Study on the modeling method of general model of Yaobitong capsule intermediates quality analysis based on near infrared spectroscopy
Le-ting SI ; Xin ZHANG ; Yong-chao ZHANG ; Jiang-yan ZHANG ; Jun WANG ; Yong CHEN ; Xue-song LIU ; Yong-jiang WU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2025;60(2):471-478
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			 The general models for intermediates quality analysis in the production process of Yaobitong capsule were established by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) combined with chemometrics, realizing the rapid determination of notoginsenoside R1, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Re, ginsenoside Rb1, ginsenoside Rd and moisture. The spray-dried fine powder and total mixed granule were selected as research objects. The contents of five saponins were determined by high performance liquid chromatography and the moisture content was determined by drying method. The measured contents were used as reference values. Meanwhile, NIR spectra were collected. After removing abnormal samples by Monte Carlo cross validation (MCCV), Monte Carlo uninformative variables elimination (MC-UVE) and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS) were used to select feature variables respectively. Based on the feature variables, quantitative models were established by partial least squares regression (PLSR), extreme learning machine (ELM) and ant lion optimization least squares support vector machine (ALO-LSSVM). The results showed that CARS-ALO-LSSVM model had the optimum effect. The correlation coefficients of the six index components were greater than 0.93, and the relative standard errors were controlled within 6%. ALO-LSSVM was more suitable for a large number of samples with rich information, and the prediction effect and stability of the model were significantly improved. The general models with good predicting effect can be used for the rapid quality determination of Yaobitong capsule intermediates. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
            
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