1.The mechanism of Laggerae Herba in improving chronic heart failure by inhibiting ferroptosis through the Nrf2/SLC7A11/GPX4 signaling pathway
Jinling XIAO ; Kai HUANG ; Xiaoqi WEI ; Xinyi FAN ; Wangjing CHAI ; Jing HAN ; Kuo GAO ; Xue YU ; Fanghe LI ; Shuzhen GUO
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(3):343-353
Objective:
To investigate the role and mechanism of the heat-clearing and detoxifying drug Laggerae Herba in regulating the nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor-2(Nrf2)/solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11)/glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) signaling pathway to inhibit ferroptosis and improve chronic heart failure induced by transverse aortic arch constriction in mice.
Methods:
Twenty-four male ICR mice were divided into the sham (n=6) and transverse aortic arch constriction groups (n=18) according to the random number table method. The transverse aortic arch constriction group underwent transverse aortic constriction surgery to establish models. After modeling, the transverse aortic arch constriction group was further divided into the model, captopril, and Laggerae Herba groups according to the random number table method, with six mice per group. The captopril (15 mg/kg) and Laggerae Herba groups (1.95 g/kg) received the corresponding drugs by gavage, whereas the sham operation and model groups were administered the same volume of ultrapure water by gavage once a day for four consecutive weeks. After treatment, the cardiac function indexes of mice in each group were detected using ultrasound. The heart mass and tibia length were measured to calculate the ratio of heart weight to tibia length. Hematoxylin and eosin staining were used to observe the pathological changes in myocardial tissue. Masson staining was used to observe the degree of myocardial fibrosis. Wheat germ agglutinin staining was used to observe the degree of myocardial cell hypertrophy. Prussian blue staining was used to observe the iron deposition in myocardial tissue. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the amino-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and glutathione (GSH) contents in mice serum. Colorimetry was used to detect the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in mice serum. Western blotting was used to detect the Nrf2, GPX4, SLC7A11, and ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) protein expressions in mice cardiac tissue.
Results:
Compared with the sham group, in the model group, the ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) of mice decreased, the left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) and left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESD) increased, the left ventricular anterior wall end-systolic thickness (LVAWs) and left ventricular posterior wall end-systolic thickness (LVPWs) decreased, the ratio of heart weight to tibia length increased, the myocardial tissue morphology changed, myocardial fibrosis increased, the cross-sectional area of myocardial cells increased, iron deposition appeared in myocardial tissue, the serum NT-proBNP and MDA levels increased, the GSH level decreased, and Nrf2, GPX4, SLC7A11, and FTH1 protein expressions in cardiac tissue decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, in the captopril and Laggerae Herba groups, the EF, FS, and LVAWs increased, the LVESV and LVESD decreased, the ratio of heart weight to tibia length decreased, the myocardial cells were arranged neatly, the degree of myocardial fibrosis decreased, the cross-sectional area of myocardial cells decreased, the serum NT-proBNP level decreased, and the GSH level increased. Compared with the model group, the LVPWs increased, the iron deposition in myocardial tissue decreased, the serum MDA level decreased, and Nrf2, GPX4, SLC7A11, and FTH1 protein expressions in cardiac tissue increased (P<0.05) in the Laggerae Herba group.
Conclusion
Laggerae Herba improves the cardiac function of mice with chronic heart failure caused by transverse aortic arch constriction, reduces the pathological remodeling of the heart, and reduces fibrosis. Its mechanism may be related to Nrf2/SLC7A11/GPX4 pathway-mediated ferroptosis.
2.Establishment and evaluation of an animal model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction integrating disease and syndrome based on the "deficiency-blood stasis-toxin" pathogenesis
Xiaoqi WEI ; Xinyi FAN ; Feng JIANG ; Wangjing CHAI ; Jinling XIAO ; Fanghe LI ; Kuo GAO ; Xue YU ; Wei WANG ; Shuzhen GUO
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(4):501-515
Objective:
This study aimed to construct an animal model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) that integrates disease and syndrome based on the "deficiency-blood stasis-toxin" pathogenesis and to evaluate it comprehensively.
Methods:
The HFpEF mouse model was constructed using a combination of Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and a high-fat diet. According to the random number table method, SPF-grade male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to the control, L-NAME, high-fat diet, and model groups, 10 in each group. Comprehensive observations and data collection on macroscopic signs (e.g., fur condition, mental state, stool and urine, oral and nasal condition, paw and body condition, etc.) and cardiac function were performed after 10 and 16 weeks of model induction. Additionally, the syndrome evolution was elucidated based on diagnostic criteria for clinical syndromes of heart failure. Furthermore, pathological and molecular biological examinations of myocardial tissue were performed to assess the stability and reliability of the model.
Results:
Mice in the model group showed typical characteristics of syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis, as well as syndrome of internal heat accumulation, including lethargy, slow response, dull paw color and oral/nasal color, exercise intolerance, abnormal platelet activation, dry feces, and dark yellow urine. The time window for these syndromes was between 10 and 16 weeks post-modeling. Cardiac function assessments revealed severe diastolic dysfunction, concentric myocardial hypertrophy, and myocardial fibrosis in the model group. Pathological examinations showed a significantly increased collagen deposition in the myocardial interstitium, enlarged cross-sectional area of cardiomyocytes, and sparse coronary microvasculature in the model group. Molecular biological analyses indicated marked activation of the inducible nitric oxide synthase/nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells/NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 inflammatory pathway and significantly elevated inflammation levels in the myocardial tissue of the model group. Although mice in the L-NAME and high-fat diet groups also showed certain manifestations of qi deficiency syndrome, the substantial cardiac damage was relatively limited compared to the control group.
Conclusion
This study has constructed an animal model of HFpEF that integrates disease and syndrome based on the "deficiency-blood stasis-toxin" pathogenesis. The macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of this model are consistent with the manifestations of syndrome of qi deficiency and blood stasis, toxin syndrome, and syndrome of internal heat accumulation. Moreover, it can stably simulate the HFpEF state and reflect phenotypic changes in human disease. This model provides a suitable experimental platform to explore the pathogenesis of HFpEF, evaluate the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment regimens, and promote in-depth research on TCM syndromes of heart failure.
3.Schistosoma infection, KRAS mutation status, and prognosis of colorectal cancer.
Xinyi LI ; Hongli LIU ; Bo HUANG ; Ming YANG ; Jun FAN ; Jiwei ZHANG ; Mixia WENG ; Zhecheng YAN ; Li LIU ; Kailin CAI ; Xiu NIE ; Xiaona CHANG
Chinese Medical Journal 2024;137(2):235-237
4.Research progress in role of composition and structure of basement membrane in epithelial cell polarization and its mechanism
Xueying BAI ; Xiaoling WANG ; Jinbiao QIANG ; Xinyi FAN ; Ce SHI
Journal of Jilin University(Medicine Edition) 2024;50(1):265-272
The basement membrane is a specialized extracellular matrix between the epithelium and the mesenchyme.In stratified epithelium,only the basal cells in contact with the basement membrane exhibit the apical-basal polarity,whereas the epithelial cells do being not in contact with the basement membrane do not exhibit the apical-basal polarity.The basement membrane plays an important role in epithelial cell polarization.It is an important extracellular matrix(ECM)structure in the multicellular organisms,is situated between the epithelium and the mesenchyme,and is produced jointly by the epithelial cells and mesenchymal cells.Its components mainly include Laminin,type Ⅳ collagen(Col-Ⅳ),nidogen(NDG),and heparan sulfate proteoglycans(HSPG),and each component plays the different role in influencing the epithelial cell polarity.The network scaffold formed by Col-Ⅳ and Laminin is the main structure of the basement membrane,and the integrity of the structure affects the epithelial cell polarization.This review summarizes the composition and structure of the basement membrane,focuses on its role in epithelial cell polarization and its mechanism,and compiles the current status of biomimetic basement membrane materials that promotes the epithelial cell polarization,and provides the theoretical foundation for further exploration of the establishment and maintenance of epithelial cell polarity.
5.Postoperative management of cardiac and vascular surgery in the period of COVID-19
Shuo CHANG ; Xinyi ZHANG ; Sheng HUANG ; Yuxin FAN ; Xiangbin PAN ; Xiaoqi WANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2024;31(07):967-973
Objective To explore the postoperative characteristics and management experience of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) undergoing cardiac and vascular surgery. Methods From December 7, 2022 to January 5, 2023, the patients with COVID-19 who were admitted to Cardiovascular Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University and underwent cardiac and vascular surgery were selected. The clinical history, surgical information, postoperative recovery process and treatment plan were analyzed retrospectively. Results There were 18 patients in this group, including 11 (61.1%) males and 7 (38.9%) females, with an average age of 58.1±10.9 years. There were 7 patients of hypertension, 5 patients of diabetes, 3 patients of respiratory diseases, and 2 patient of chronic renal insufficiency. There were 5 (27.8%) patients receiving emergency operations and 13 (72.2%) elective operations. All the 18 patients underwent cardiac and vascular surgery in the period of COVID-19, and the time between the last positive nucleic acid test and the surgery was 1.50 (1.00, 6.25) days. There were 8 patients of pulmonary imaging changes, including 3 patients with chest patch shadow, 3 patients with thickened and disordered lung markings, and 2 patients with exudative changes before operation. Antiviral therapy was not adopted in all patients before operation. Three patients were complicated with viral pneumonia after operation, including 2 patients with high risk factors before operation, who developed into severe pneumonia after operation, and underwent tracheotomy. One patient with thrombus recovered after anticoagulation treatment. Another patient of mild pneumonia recovered after antiviral treatment. The other 15 patients recovered well without major complications. There was no operation-related death in the whole group. One patient died after surgery, with a mortality rate of 5.6%. Conclusion Patients with COVID-19 are at high risk of cardiac and vascular surgery, and patients with high-risk factors may rapidly progress to severe pneumonia. Patients with preoperative lung imaging changes or other basic visceral diseases should consider delaying the operation. Early antiviral combined with immunomodulation treatment for emergency surgery patients may help improve the prognosis.
6.Forty years of changes and thinking on China’s drug regulation
Ruilin SONG ; Xinyi LI ; Fan ZHANG ; Yangyang ZHANG ; Xiaoyu PEI
China Pharmacy 2024;35(24):2965-2971
Since the first Drug Administration Law was issued in 1984, the drug regulation of China has undergone a forty- year process. During these four decades, China’s drug regulatory system has gradually transitioned from being extensive to refined, and the concept of supervision has become increasingly scientific. This paper first outlines the historical evolution of China’s drug regulatory laws and regulations since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, with a focus on the historical origins of the revision of the Drug Administration Law during 1984-2001. It also clarifies the new challenges faced by drug regulation as the industry innovates and develops, as well as the corresponding reform of the drug review and approval system. The paper summarizes the reform achievements of drug regulation. By studying and analyzing the challenges faced by drug regulation in terms of regulatory capacity, regulatory resources, and regulatory system in the context of internationalization of the industry, the paper proposes policy suggestions such as establishing a cross-regional regulatory system, reforming the review mechanism, strengthening the construction of the review team, and enhancing transparency in regulatory practices, with the aim of promoting the high-quality development of the pharmaceutical industry.
7.TCM-HIN2Vec: A strategy for uncovering biological basis of heart qi deficiency pattern based on network embedding and transcriptomic experiment
Lihong Diao ; Xinyi Fan ; JIang Yu ; Kai Huang ; Edouard C Nice ; Chao Liu ; Dong Li ; Shuzhen Guo
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences 2024;11(3):264-274
Objective:
To elucidate the biological basis of the heart qi deficiency (HQD) pattern, an in-depth understanding of which is essential for improving clinical herbal therapy.
Methods:
We predicted and characterized HQD pattern genes using the new strategy, TCM-HIN2Vec, which involves heterogeneous network embedding and transcriptomic experiments. First, a heterogeneous network of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) patterns was constructed using public databases. Next, we predicted HQD pattern genes using a heterogeneous network-embedding algorithm. We then analyzed the functional characteristics of HQD pattern genes using gene enrichment analysis and examined gene expression levels using RNA-seq. Finally, we identified TCM herbs that demonstrated enriched interactions with HQD pattern genes via herbal enrichment analysis.
Results:
Our TCM-HIN2Vec strategy revealed that candidate genes associated with HQD pattern were significantly enriched in energy metabolism, signal transduction pathways, and immune processes. Moreover, we found that these candidate genes were significantly differentially expressed in the transcriptional profile of mice model with heart failure with a qi deficiency pattern. Furthermore, herbal enrichment analysis identified TCM herbs that demonstrated enriched interactions with the top 10 candidate genes and could potentially serve as drug candidates for treating HQD.
Conclusion
Our results suggested that TCM-HIN2Vec is capable of not only accurately identifying HQD pattern genes, but also deciphering the basis of HQD pattern. Furthermore our finding indicated that TCM-HIN2Vec may be further expanded to develop other patterns, leading to a new approach aimed at elucidating general TCM patterns and developing precision medicine.
8.Postoperative management of cardiac and vascular surgery in the period of COVID-19
Shuo CHANG ; Xinyi ZHANG ; Sheng HUANG ; Yuxin FAN ; Xiangbin PAN ; Xiaoqi WANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2024;31(07):967-973
Objective To explore the postoperative characteristics and management experience of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) undergoing cardiac and vascular surgery. Methods From December 7, 2022 to January 5, 2023, the patients with COVID-19 who were admitted to Cardiovascular Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University and underwent cardiac and vascular surgery were selected. The clinical history, surgical information, postoperative recovery process and treatment plan were analyzed retrospectively. Results There were 18 patients in this group, including 11 (61.1%) males and 7 (38.9%) females, with an average age of 58.1±10.9 years. There were 7 patients of hypertension, 5 patients of diabetes, 3 patients of respiratory diseases, and 2 patient of chronic renal insufficiency. There were 5 (27.8%) patients receiving emergency operations and 13 (72.2%) elective operations. All the 18 patients underwent cardiac and vascular surgery in the period of COVID-19, and the time between the last positive nucleic acid test and the surgery was 1.50 (1.00, 6.25) days. There were 8 patients of pulmonary imaging changes, including 3 patients with chest patch shadow, 3 patients with thickened and disordered lung markings, and 2 patients with exudative changes before operation. Antiviral therapy was not adopted in all patients before operation. Three patients were complicated with viral pneumonia after operation, including 2 patients with high risk factors before operation, who developed into severe pneumonia after operation, and underwent tracheotomy. One patient with thrombus recovered after anticoagulation treatment. Another patient of mild pneumonia recovered after antiviral treatment. The other 15 patients recovered well without major complications. There was no operation-related death in the whole group. One patient died after surgery, with a mortality rate of 5.6%. Conclusion Patients with COVID-19 are at high risk of cardiac and vascular surgery, and patients with high-risk factors may rapidly progress to severe pneumonia. Patients with preoperative lung imaging changes or other basic visceral diseases should consider delaying the operation. Early antiviral combined with immunomodulation treatment for emergency surgery patients may help improve the prognosis.
9.Enhancement of anti-tumor effect of immune checkpoint inhibitor anti-PD-L1 by shenqifuzheng injection and the mechanism study
Zhihua ZHOU ; Jingwen CHANG ; Yuanyuan YAN ; Yanan QI ; Jingjing HAN ; Xinyi ZHU ; Chen YU ; Hongyan WU ; Fangtian FAN
Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2024;29(7):792-799
AIM:To investigate of the effect of Shenqifuzheng injection(SFI)combined with PD-L1 antibody on tumor immune microenvironment and its efficacy.METHODS:A subcutaneous transplanta-tion tumor model for B16F10-LUC melanoma was created.The expression of Ki67,CD31,CD8,CD16,CD163,FOXP3,LY6C,LY6G with labeling antibodies was used to detect CD8+T cells,Treg cells,NK cells,MDSCs cells,centrocytes,and granulocytes in the tumor tissues via immunohistochemistry.Flow cy-tometry was used to measure the ratios of CD11c+,IA/IE+,and CD80+cells in splenic tissue,as well as the ratios of CD8+T,CD4+T,and Treg cells in tumor tissue.Additionally,granulocyte count and NK cell expression were analyzed.RESULTS:The immuno-histochemistry results indicate that the drug admin-istration group effectively suppressed tumor angio-genesis and cell proliferation,while decreasing the expression level of immunosuppressive cytokines CD4+T cells,Treg cells,MDSCs and centroblasts.Ad-ditionally,CD8 and NK cell infiltration was promot-ed compared to the control group.The results of the flow analysis demonstrated a significant in-crease in the expression level of CD8+T cells within tumor tissues,as well as inhibition of CD4+T,Treg,and DC cell infiltration within the spleen in the drug administration group.Additionally,the tumor volume analysis indicated that the drug administra-tion group effectively inhibited tumor growth.The flow results illustrate that the group administering treatment exhibited significant increases in CD8+T cell expression levels in tumor tissue and DC cells in the spleen.Furthermore,the treatment effec-tively inhibited the infiltration of CD4+T and Treg cells.The results also indicate that the treatment significantly reduced tumor growth,with the tumor inhibition rate being better with PD-L1 antibody alone than with the SFI group.Additionally,combin-ing drugs resulted in superior results compared to the PD-L1 antibody group alone.CONCLUSION:SFI combined with a PD-L1 antibody can have synergis-tic anti-tumor effects,potentially enhancing DC cell infiltration and promoting T cell activation.Immu-nohistochemistry results indicate a positive impact on the tumor immune microenvironment.
10.Geometry of Terminal Internal Carotid Artery Bifurcation May Be Associated With Middle Cerebral Artery Plaque Ulceration: A Three-Dimensional Rotational Angiography Study
Xinyi LENG ; Bonaventure Y.M. IP ; Sze Ho MA ; Wai Ting LUI ; Vincent H.L. IP ; Florence S.Y. FAN ; Howan LEUNG ; Vincent C.T. MOK ; Simon C.H. YU ; Thomas W. LEUNG
Journal of Stroke 2024;26(3):446-449


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