1.Shenqi Dihuang Decoction Improves Renal Function in Mouse Model of Diabetic Kidney Disease by Inhibiting Arachidonic Acid-related Ferroptosis Via ACSL4/LPCAT3/ALOX15 Axis
Yuantao WU ; Zhibin WANG ; Xinying FU ; Xiaoling ZOU ; Wenxiao HU ; Yixian ZOU ; Jun FENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(12):140-149
ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanism of Shenqi Dihuang decoction (SQDHD) on diabetic kidney disease (DKD), with a focus on its impact on arachidonic acid-related ferroptosis. MethodsSixty C57BL/6 mice were allocated into a normal group (n=10) and a modeling group (n=50), with 43 mice successfully modeled. The successfully modeled mice were further allocated into model, low-, medium-, and high-dose (4.68, 9.36, and 18.72 g·kg-1, respectively) SQDHD, and dapagliflozin (0.13 mg·kg-1) groups. The drug treatment groups were administrated with corresponding agents by gavage, and the normal and model groups were administrated with equal volumes of normal saline by gavage. An electronic balance and a glucometer were used to monitor the body weight and fasting blood glucose level from the tail tip, respectively. Serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Histopathological changes in the renal tissue were assessed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, Masson staining, and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. The fluorescence intensity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in frozen sections was observed by an inverted fluorescence microscope to evaluate the levels of ferrous ions (Fe2+) and lipid peroxidation in the renal tissue. Immunofluorescence staining of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) in the renal tissue was performed to detect their localization and expression. Western blot was employed to assess the expression levels of key ferroptosis proteins such as GPX4 and cystine/glutamate antiporter (xCT), as well as the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway-related proteins, including ACSL4, lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 3 (LPCAT3), and arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase (ALOX15). Real-time PCR was employed to measure the mRNA levels of key ferroptosis proteins, including solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) and GPX4, as well as arachidonic acid metabolism-related factors (ACSL4, LPCAT3, and ALOX15) in the renal tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group, DKD model mice exhibited a decrease in body weight (P<0.01), increases in levels of blood glucose (P<0.01), 24-hour urinary protein, Scr, and BUN (P<0.01), along with severe pathological changes, such as mesangial cell proliferation, basement membrane thickening, tubular atrophy, and interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration. In addition, the modeling elevated the levels of Fe2+, MDA, LPO, and ROS (P<0.01), lowered the GPX4 and xCT levels (P<0.01), raised the ACSL4, LPCAT3, and ALOX15 levels (P<0.01), down-regulated the mRNA levels of GPX4 and SLC7A11 (P<0.01), and up-regulated the mRNA levels of ACSL4, LPCAT3, and ALOX15 (P<0.01) in the renal tissue. Compared with the model group, low-, medium-, and high-dose SQDHD groups and the dapagliflozin group showed an increase in body weight (P<0.01), decreases in levels of blood glucose (P<0.01), 24-hour urinary protein, and Scr (P<0.01), alleviated pathological changes in glomeruli and tubules, and reduced degree of glomerular and tubular fibrosis. The high-dose SQDHD group and the dapagliflozin group showed reductions in Fe2+, MDA, LPO, and ROS levels (P<0.01). The medium- and high-dose SQDHD groups and the dapagliflozin group exhibited increased levels of GPX4 and xCT (P<0.01), decreased levels of ACSL4, LPCAT3, and ALOX15 (P<0.05, P<0.01), and down-regulated mRNA levels of ACSL4, LPCAT3, and ALOX15 (P<0.01). ConclusionSQDHD ameliorates DKD by inhibiting ferroptosis potentially by reducing iron ion levels, inhibiting lipid peroxidation, up-regulating GPX4 expression, and down-regulating ACSL4 expression. This study provides new insights and a theoretical basis for the treatment of DKD with traditional Chinese medicine and identifies potential targets for developing novel therapeutics for DKD.
2.Shenqi Dihuang Decoction Improves Renal Function in Mouse Model of Diabetic Kidney Disease by Inhibiting Arachidonic Acid-related Ferroptosis Via ACSL4/LPCAT3/ALOX15 Axis
Yuantao WU ; Zhibin WANG ; Xinying FU ; Xiaoling ZOU ; Wenxiao HU ; Yixian ZOU ; Jun FENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(12):140-149
ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effects and mechanism of Shenqi Dihuang decoction (SQDHD) on diabetic kidney disease (DKD), with a focus on its impact on arachidonic acid-related ferroptosis. MethodsSixty C57BL/6 mice were allocated into a normal group (n=10) and a modeling group (n=50), with 43 mice successfully modeled. The successfully modeled mice were further allocated into model, low-, medium-, and high-dose (4.68, 9.36, and 18.72 g·kg-1, respectively) SQDHD, and dapagliflozin (0.13 mg·kg-1) groups. The drug treatment groups were administrated with corresponding agents by gavage, and the normal and model groups were administrated with equal volumes of normal saline by gavage. An electronic balance and a glucometer were used to monitor the body weight and fasting blood glucose level from the tail tip, respectively. Serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Histopathological changes in the renal tissue were assessed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, Masson staining, and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. The fluorescence intensity of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in frozen sections was observed by an inverted fluorescence microscope to evaluate the levels of ferrous ions (Fe2+) and lipid peroxidation in the renal tissue. Immunofluorescence staining of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) in the renal tissue was performed to detect their localization and expression. Western blot was employed to assess the expression levels of key ferroptosis proteins such as GPX4 and cystine/glutamate antiporter (xCT), as well as the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway-related proteins, including ACSL4, lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 3 (LPCAT3), and arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase (ALOX15). Real-time PCR was employed to measure the mRNA levels of key ferroptosis proteins, including solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) and GPX4, as well as arachidonic acid metabolism-related factors (ACSL4, LPCAT3, and ALOX15) in the renal tissue. ResultsCompared with the normal group, DKD model mice exhibited a decrease in body weight (P<0.01), increases in levels of blood glucose (P<0.01), 24-hour urinary protein, Scr, and BUN (P<0.01), along with severe pathological changes, such as mesangial cell proliferation, basement membrane thickening, tubular atrophy, and interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration. In addition, the modeling elevated the levels of Fe2+, MDA, LPO, and ROS (P<0.01), lowered the GPX4 and xCT levels (P<0.01), raised the ACSL4, LPCAT3, and ALOX15 levels (P<0.01), down-regulated the mRNA levels of GPX4 and SLC7A11 (P<0.01), and up-regulated the mRNA levels of ACSL4, LPCAT3, and ALOX15 (P<0.01) in the renal tissue. Compared with the model group, low-, medium-, and high-dose SQDHD groups and the dapagliflozin group showed an increase in body weight (P<0.01), decreases in levels of blood glucose (P<0.01), 24-hour urinary protein, and Scr (P<0.01), alleviated pathological changes in glomeruli and tubules, and reduced degree of glomerular and tubular fibrosis. The high-dose SQDHD group and the dapagliflozin group showed reductions in Fe2+, MDA, LPO, and ROS levels (P<0.01). The medium- and high-dose SQDHD groups and the dapagliflozin group exhibited increased levels of GPX4 and xCT (P<0.01), decreased levels of ACSL4, LPCAT3, and ALOX15 (P<0.05, P<0.01), and down-regulated mRNA levels of ACSL4, LPCAT3, and ALOX15 (P<0.01). ConclusionSQDHD ameliorates DKD by inhibiting ferroptosis potentially by reducing iron ion levels, inhibiting lipid peroxidation, up-regulating GPX4 expression, and down-regulating ACSL4 expression. This study provides new insights and a theoretical basis for the treatment of DKD with traditional Chinese medicine and identifies potential targets for developing novel therapeutics for DKD.
3.Study on the feasibility of MRI technique with APT in predicting the prognosis of acute ischemic stroke
Ao ZHAO ; Xinying WU ; Tong FU ; Peiyan WANG ; Teng JIANG ; Hai LIN ; Huihua YU ; Jianmin YUAN ; Lindong LIU
China Medical Equipment 2024;21(1):46-50,54
Objective:To study the feasibility of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)technique with amide proton transfer(APT)in predicting the prognosis of cerebral stroke.Methods:A total of 71 patients with acute cerebral stroke who admitted to the Nanjing First Hospital,Nanjing Medical University from September 2022 to May 2023 were selected.All of them underwent the test of National Institute of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS),and received the MRI examination with chemical exchange saturation transfer(CEST).According to the modified Rankin scale(mRS)values of 1-month follow-up,they were divided into favorable recovery group(mRS<2,44 cases)and poor group(mRS≥2,27 cases).The asymmetric magnetization transfer ratio(MTRasym)image(APT)was obtained by analyzing data with special software.And then,the difference(△APTw)of APT values between ischemic zone and contralateral normal tissue was further calculated.The △APTw values of two groups were compared and analyzed,and the Pearson correlation analysis was adopted to analyze the correlation among △APTw,NIHSS and mRS.The receiver operating characteristics(ROC)curve was drawn,and the area under curve(AUC)of ROC curve was calculated.Results:There were significant positive correlations among △APTw,NIHSS and mRS scores(R2=0.659,0.522,P<0.001),and the differences of △APTW,NIHSS and mRS scores between the favorable recovery group and poor group were significant(t=5.73,6.36,13.92,P<0.05),respectively.The AUC value was 0.886,and the sensitivity and specificity of prediction were respectively 77.8%and 95.5%.The positive and negative predictive values were respectively 91.3%and 87.5%.Conclusion:APT imaging technique has feasibility in predicting the prognosis of acute cerebral ischemic stroke.
4.A novel nomogram-based model to predict the postoperative overall survival in patients with gastric and colorectal cancer
Siwen WANG ; Kangjing XU ; Xuejin GAO ; Tingting GAO ; Guangming SUN ; Yaqin XIAO ; Haoyang WANG ; Chenghao ZENG ; Deshuai SONG ; Yupeng ZHANG ; Lingli HUANG ; Bo LIAN ; Jianjiao CHEN ; Dong GUO ; Zhenyi JIA ; Yong WANG ; Fangyou GONG ; Junde ZHOU ; Zhigang XUE ; Zhida CHEN ; Gang LI ; Mengbin LI ; Wei ZHAO ; Yanbing ZHOU ; Huanlong QIN ; Xiaoting WU ; Kunhua WANG ; Qiang CHI ; Jianchun YU ; Yun TANG ; Guoli LI ; Li ZHANG ; Xinying WANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2024;32(3):138-149
Objective:We aimed to develop a novel visualized model based on nomogram to predict postoperative overall survival.Methods:This was a multicenter, retrospective, observational cohort study, including participants with histologically confirmed gastric and colorectal cancer who underwent radical surgery from 11 medical centers in China from August 1, 2015 to June 30, 2018. Baseline characteristics, histopathological data and nutritional status, as assessed using Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 (NRS 2002) score and the scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment, were collected. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and Cox regression were used to identify variables to be included in the predictive model. Internal and external validations were performed.Results:There were 681 and 127 patients in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. A total of 188 deaths were observed over a median follow-up period of 59 (range: 58 to 60) months. Two independent predictors of NRS 2002 and Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) stage were identified and incorporated into the prediction nomogram model together with the factor of age. The model's concordance index for 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival was 0.696, 0.724, and 0.738 in the training cohort and 0.801, 0.812, and 0.793 in the validation cohort, respectively.Conclusions:In this study, a new nomogram prediction model based on NRS 2002 score was developed and validated for predicting the overall postoperative survival of patients with gastric colorectal cancer. This model has good differentiation, calibration and clinical practicability in predicting the long-term survival rate of patients with gastrointestinal cancer after radical surgery.
5.Association Between Dietary Diversity and Caregiver Self-Efficacy for Complementary Feeding Among Infants and Young Children Aged 6-23 Months in Rural Nanchong City,Sichuan Province
Runxue GUO ; Xinying JI ; Linhua LI ; Fangqun LENG ; Qinxin LIU ; Yuju WU ; Huan ZHOU
Acta Academiae Medicinae Sinicae 2024;46(1):19-24
Objective To analyze the current situation of dietary diversity and caregiver self-efficacy for complementary feeding among infants and young children aged 6 to 23 months in rural Nanchong city,Sichuan province,and to explore the relationship between dietary diversity and caregiver self-efficacy.Methods Multi-stage randomized cluster sampling method was used to select infants and young children aged 6 to 23 months and their caregivers in rural areas of Nanchong city,Sichuan province as the subjects.A structured questionnaire was designed to collect the basic information of the subjects,dietary diversity,and caregiver self-efficacy for comple-mentary feeding.Multivariate Logistic regression was adopted to analyze the relationship between the dietary diver-sity and caregiver self-efficacy for complementary feeding of infants and young children.Results A total of 770 pairs of infants and young children and their caregivers were included.The minimum pass rate of dietary diversity was 61.56% (474/770)for all the infants and young children and 45.00% (108/240),69.16% (287/415),and 68.70% (79/115)for the infants and young children aged 6 to 11,12 to 17,and 18 to 23 months,respective-ly.The results of regression analysis showed that the caregiver self-efficacy of complementary feeding was a contributing fac-tor for qualified dietary diversity of infants and young children in the case of other confounders being controlled(OR = 1.42,95% CI=1.17-1.73,P<0.001).Conclusion The dietary diversity for infants and young children in rural Nan-chong city,Sichuan province needs to be improved,and caregivers with higher self-efficacy of complementary feeding are more likely to provide diversified complementary feeding for infants and young children.
6.Application of a tiered progressive training model in standardized residency training of general practice
Wenjuan GAO ; Yue WANG ; Caiying GE ; Min KONG ; Xinying LIU ; Hao WU
Chinese Journal of General Practitioners 2023;22(11):1138-1144
Objective:To investigate the effectiveness of a tiered progressive training model in the standardized residency training of general practice in primary care institutions.Methods:A tiered progression teaching plan was applied for 26 general practice residents who attended the rotation of general practice residency training in Beijing Fangzhuang Community Hearlth Service Center from June 2022 to May 2023. The plan defined the teaching objectives and requirements for different stages, and the Leicester Assessment Package (LAP) and narrative medicine were included in the teaching methods. The effectiveness of the tiered progression training was evaluated through a questionnaire survey on the post competency of general practice residents.Results:There were 12 primary stage residents, 9 intermediate stage residents and 5 advanced stage residents. The post-training scores of general practice residents in all three stages of residents were significantly higher than the pre-training scores ( t=-3.627,-2.073,-5.277,all P<0.05). The scores of basic medical and health services, basic public health services, information utilization ability and management ability, medical knowledge and lifelong learning, interpersonal communication and teamwork, professional quality after six post competency training were significantly higher than those before training in all three stages of residents. The scores of basic medical and health services, basic public health services, medical knowledge and lifelong learning, in primary residents were significantly improved compared with those before training ( t=-3.457,-3.428,-3.063, all P<0.05);the scores of basic public health services, interpersonal communication and teamwork, and professional quality in intermediate residents were significantly higher than those before training ( t=-2.328,-2.100,-1.997, all P<0.05); the scores of basic medical and health services, basic public health services, information utilization ability and management ability, medical knowledge and lifelong learning, interpersonal communication and teamwork, and professional quality in senior residents were significantly higher than those before training ( t=-5.707,-4.542,-2.952,-1.753,-2.705,-2.805, all P<0.05). Conclusion:The application of tiered and progressive training model in the standardized residency training is helpful to improve the post competency of general practice residents.
7.Analysis of medical ethics review results in the Chinese Journal of Epidemiology from 2017 to 2020
Shifei WU ; Ying LI ; Jing ZHOU ; Yiyi ZHANG ; Yang LIU ; Xinying MA ; Miao HE
Chinese Journal of Endemiology 2023;42(10):852-856
Objective:To learn about the application of medical ethics review in scientific research and prevention of endemic diseases.Methods:The method of retrospective analysis was used, original articles on field epidemiological investigation and clinical medicines published by Chinese Journal of Epidemiology from 2017 to 2020 were collected. Examination of medical ethics in national, provincial and municipal fund programs and nonfund projects was carried out. Statistical analysis was performed using Cochran-Armitage trend test and Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH) test.Results:A total of 638 articles were collected from 2017 - 2020, with 36 excluded and 602 remaining. The proportion of papers published after medical ethics review over the past four years was 56.85% (83/146), 62.50% (105/168), 59.87% (94/157), and 60.31% (79/131), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in trend testing ( Z = 0.41, P > 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of papers produced by academic works, on-site investigations, and clinical medicine programs among different years (χ 2 = 0.01, 1.31, 1.92, P > 0.05). The proportion of papers published that supported by various fund programs that had undergone medical ethics review over the past four years was 60.55% (66/109), 62.28%(71/114), 62.38% (63/101), and 60.22% (56/93), respectively. The trend test showed no statistically significant difference( Z = - 0.03, P > 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of papers published that supported by national level projects, provincial and ministerial level projects, and municipal level projects among different years (χ 2 = 0.06, 0.02, 0.19, P > 0.05). The difference in the trend test of the output papers of research projects approved by the higher-level ethics committee and marked with approval numbers over the past 4 years was statistically significant ( Z = 2.85, P < 0.01); the difference was statistically significant when compared across years (χ 2 = 8.13, P < 0.01); the proportion of papers increased from 8.22% (12/146) in 2017 to 18.08% (25/131) in 2020 (χ 2 = 7.04, P = 0.008). There was no statistically significant difference ( Z = - 0.53, P > 0.05) in the proportion of papers that expressed their consent in terms of informed consent over the past 4 years; There was no statistically significant difference in comparison between different years (χ 2 = 0.28, P > 0.05). Conclusions:Medical ethics review has been taken seriously by the majority of researchers and is widely used in endemic scientific research and prevention projects.
8.Neuronal Response to Reward and Luminance in Macaque LIP During Saccadic Choice.
Ziqi WU ; Aihua CHEN ; Xinying CAI
Neuroscience Bulletin 2023;39(1):14-28
Recent work in decision neuroscience suggests that visual saliency can interact with reward-based choice, and the lateral intraparietal cortex (LIP) is implicated in this process. In this study, we recorded from LIP neurons while monkeys performed a two alternative choice task in which the reward and luminance associated with each offer were varied independently. We discovered that the animal's choice was dictated by the reward amount while the luminance had a marginal effect. In the LIP, neuronal activity corresponded well with the animal's choice pattern, in that a majority of reward-modulated neurons encoded the reward amount in the neuron's preferred hemifield with a positive slope. In contrast, compared to their responses to low luminance, an approximately equal proportion of luminance-sensitive neurons responded to high luminance with increased or decreased activity, leading to a much weaker population-level response. Meanwhile, in the non-preferred hemifield, the strength of encoding for reward amount and luminance was positively correlated, suggesting the integration of these two factors in the LIP. Moreover, neurons encoding reward and luminance were homogeneously distributed along the anterior-posterior axis of the LIP. Overall, our study provides further evidence supporting the neural instantiation of a priority map in the LIP in reward-based decisions.
Animals
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Macaca mulatta/physiology*
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Parietal Lobe
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Neurons/physiology*
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Saccades
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Reward
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Photic Stimulation
9.Discovery of a highly potent and orally available importin-β1 inhibitor that overcomes enzalutamide-resistance in advanced prostate cancer.
Jia-Luo HUANG ; Xue-Long YAN ; Dong HUANG ; Lu GAN ; Huahua GAO ; Run-Zhu FAN ; Shen LI ; Fang-Yu YUAN ; Xinying ZHU ; Gui-Hua TANG ; Hong-Wu CHEN ; Junjian WANG ; Sheng YIN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2023;13(12):4934-4944
Nuclear transporter importin-β1 is emerging as an attractive target by virtue of its prevalence in many cancers. However, the lack of druggable inhibitors restricts its therapeutic proof of concept. In the present work, we optimized a natural importin-β1 inhibitor DD1 to afford an improved analog DD1-Br with better tolerability (>25 folds) and oral bioavailability. DD1-Br inhibited the survival of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cells with sub-nanomolar potency and completely prevented tumor growth in resistant CRPC models both in monotherapy (0.5 mg/kg) and in enzalutamide-combination therapy. Mechanistic study revealed that by targeting importin-β1, DD1-Br markedly inhibited the nuclear accumulation of multiple CRPC drivers, particularly AR-V7, a main contributor to enzalutamide resistance, leading to the integral suppression of downstream oncogenic signaling. This study provides a promising lead for CRPC and demonstrates the potential of overcoming drug resistance in advanced CRPC via targeting importin-β1.
10.Application of CT pulmonary angiography in acute pulmonary embolism and right heart function
Hongxia ZHANG ; Xinying CONG ; Tian ZHANG ; Ye WU ; Qing LI ; Xuejing LI ; Yifan CHEN ; Xiuting WANG ; Weiyong YU ; Zhenbo CHEN
Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice 2023;29(12):1429-1438
ObjectiveTo explore the application value of CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) in assessing the severity of acute pulmonary embolism (APE) and right heart function in rehabilitation patients. MethodsFrom January, 2013 to January, 2020, 133 inpatients (94 positive and 39 negative) who underwent CTPA examination in Beijing Bo'ai Hospital were involved. Positive patients were further divided into mild, moderate and severe groups based on the pulmonary artery obstruction index (PAOI). The clinical parameters and right heart function indicators were compared. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between PAOI, and clinical parameters and right heart function indicators, and Logistic regression analysis was used to predict the risk factors of APE. ResultsThere was significant difference in lower extremity venous thrombosis, D-dimer, oxygen partial pressure, PAOI and left process of interventricular septum among four groups (H ≥ 12.350, P < 0.01). PAOI was moderately positively correlated with D-dimer (r = 0.443, P < 0.001) and left process of interventricular septum (r = 0.520, P < 0.001), and was weakly positively correlated with lower extremity venous thrombosis (r = 0.399, P < 0.001), left pulmonary artery diameter (r = 0.213, P = 0.014) and inferior vena cava regurgitation (r = 0.229, P = 0.008). Lower extremity venous thrombosis (OR = 7.708, P < 0.001) and left process of interventricular septum (OR = 3.641, P = 0.008) were independent risk factors for the onset of APE. The combination of the two indicators was effective for diagnosis of APE, and AUC was 0.795 (95% CI 0.715 to 0.874). ConclusionCTPA may be applied to evaluate the severity of APE and right heart function in rehabilitation patients.

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