1.Exploration on Mechanism of Topical Treatment of Allergic Contact Dermatitis in Mice with Portulacae Herba Based on Nrf2/HO-1/NF-κB Signaling Pathway
Xiaoxue WANG ; Guanwei FAN ; Xiang PU ; Zhongzhao ZHANG ; Xia CHEN ; Ying TANG ; Nana WU ; Jiangli LUO ; Xiangyan KONG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(3):115-123
ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of topical treatment of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) mice with Portulacae Herba based on the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. MethodsA total of 70 6-week-old specific pathogen free (SPF) female Kunming mice were adaptively fed for 1 week and randomly divided into blank group, model group, compound dexamethasone acetate cream group (2.075×10-2 g·g-1), blank matrix cream group, low-dose Portulacae Herba cream group (0.1 g·g-1), high-dose Portulacae Herba cream group (0.2 g·g-1), and Portulacae Herba + inhibitor group (0.2 g·g-1 + 30 mg·kg-1 ML385), with 10 mice in each group. One day before the experiment, the mice were shaved on the neck and back. Except for the blank group, the mice in the other groups were treated with 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) to establish an ACD model. After respective administration, the skin lesion of the mice was scored, and the histopathological changes of the skin were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum of mice. The expression of Nrf2/HO-1/NF-κB signaling pathway-related proteins in mouse skin tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC), Western blot, and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR). ResultsCompared with the blank group, the mice in the model group had an increased skin lesion score (P<0.01), severe pathological damage to skin tissue, increased content of IL-1β, IL-6, ROS, and MDA in their serum (P<0.01), and decreased content of SOD (P<0.01). In addition, the mRNA and protein expression levels of Nrf2, HO-1, and nuclear factor-κB inhibitor α (IκBα) in skin tissue were up-regulated (P<0.01), while the protein expression levels of phosphorylated (p)-IκBα and p-NF-κB p65 and the mRNA expression of NF-κB p65 were down-regulated (P<0.01). Compared with the model group and the blank matrix cream group, the mice treated with Portulacae Herba had a decreased skin lesion score (P<0.01), reduced pathological damage to skin tissue, decreased content of IL-1β, IL-6, ROS, and MDA in their serum (P<0.01), and increased content of SOD (P<0.01). Additionally, the mRNA and protein expression levels of Nrf2, HO-1, and IκBα in skin tissue were down-regulated (P<0.05,P<0.01), and the protein expression levels of p-IκBα and p-NF-κB p65 and the mRNA expression of NF-κB p65 were up-regulated (P<0.05,P<0.01). Compared with the Portulacae Herba + inhibitor group, the high-dose Portulacae Herba cream group had a decreased skin lesion score (P<0.01), alleviated pathological damage to skin tissue, decreased content of IL-1β, IL-6, ROS, and MDA in the serum of mice (P<0.05,P<0.01), and increased content of SOD (P<0.01). The protein expression levels of Nrf2, HO-1, and IκBα and the mRNA expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 in skin tissue were up-regulated (P<0.05,P<0.01), and the protein expression levels of p-IκBα and p-NF-κB p65 and the mRNA expression of NF-κB p65 were down-regulated (P<0.05). ConclusionPortulacae Herba can improve DNCB-induced ACD skin damage in mice by regulating the Nrf2/HO-1/NF-κB signaling pathway.
2.Stability of tick-borne encephalitis inactivated vaccine(0. 5 mL/dose)with pre-potting syringe
Chinese Journal of Biologicals 2025;38(05):526-530
Objective To evaluate the stability of tick-borne encephalitis inactivated vaccine(0. 5 mL/dose) with pre-pottingsyringe in order to ensure the effectiveness and safety of the product. Methods The optimized stock solution of tick-borneencephalitis inactivated vaccine(0. 5 mL/dose, pre-potting syringe) was stored at(5 ± 3) ℃ for 120 days. The indicators ofsterility, antigen content, protein content, bovine serum albumin residue and hamster kidney cell protein residue weredetected and compared with those of vaccine before optimization(0. 1 mL/dose, vial). The long-term stability(0-33 monthsat 2-8 ℃), accelerated stability [0, 3, 6 months at(25 ± 2) ℃] and accelerated destruction stability [0, 7, 14 days at(37 ±1) ℃] of the optimized tick-borne encephalitis inactivated vaccine were investigated according to the relevant requirements ofTechnical Guidelines for Stability Research of Biological Products, including appearance, titer, aluminum content, osmoticmolar concentration and other indicators. Results Before and after optimization, all indicators of the stock solution of tick-borne encephalitis inactivated vaccine were qualified. There was no statistically significant difference in bovine serumalbumin residue and hamster kidney cell protein residue(F = 3. 33 and 0. 61, P = 0. 077 and 0. 627, respectively), but theF P differenceofproteincontentwasstatisticallysignificant(=38.07,<0.05),whileallofthemwerewithinthestandard rangeof ≤ 80 μg/mL. After optimization, the indicators of long-term stability, accelerated stability and accelerated destructionstability of the finished product of tick-borne encephalitis inactivated vaccine were all qualified. In the tests of long-termstability, respectively the vaccine titer after optimization was significantly higher than that before optimization(F = 62. 32,P < 0. 05); the differences of osmotic pressure molar concentration were statistically significant(F = 40. 47 and 12. 50 respec-tively, each P < 0. 05), but the fluctuation was controlled within the standard range of 240-320 mOsmol/kg. Conclusion Tick-borne encephalitis inactivated vaccine(0. 5 mL/dose) with pre-potting syringe has good stability under the conditions of long-term storage, transportation and short-term overtemperature, and its quality meets the standard.
3.Effects of Portulaca oleracea cream on skin pruritus and barrier function in allergic contact dermatitis mice
Xiaoxue WANG ; Xia CHEN ; Xiang PU ; Guanwei FAN ; Xiangyan KONG ; Ying TANG ; Nana WU ; Jiangli LUO
China Pharmacy 2025;36(11):1352-1357
OBJECTIVE To study the effects and mechanism of Portulaca oleracea cream on skin pruritus and barrier function in allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) mice. METHODS Low-concentration and high-concentration P. oleracea creams were prepared, with the P. oleracea extract solution (1 g/mL, calculated by crude drug) concentrations of 10% and 20%. Sixty BALB/c mice were randomly allocated into blank group, model group, Mometasone furoate cream group (positive control), blank matrix cream group, P. oleracea low-concentration and high-concentration cream groups. Except for blank group, ACD model was induced in each group using 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene solution. The blank group and model groups received normal saline, while the remaining groups were treated with their respective creams, once a day, at a dose of approximately 0.5 g per application, continuously for 14 days. At 24 h post-final administration, skin lesions of mice were observed and scored; pathological changes of skin tissue were observed; serum levels of immunoglobulin E(IgE) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were quantified. mRNA expression of MAS-related G protein-coupled receptors (including MrgprA3, MrgprC11, and MrgprD) in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) was assessed; while protein expressions of skin barrier function-related proteins Claudin-1 and Occludin in skin tissues were determined. RESULTS Compared with blank group, mice in the model group exhibited severe skin damage, characterized by loss of epidermal architecture, hyperkeratosis of the skin tissue, and the infiltration of a large number of inflammatory cells. The skin injury scores, as well as the serum levels of IgE and TNF-α, and the mRNA expression levels of MrgprA3, MrgprC11, and MrgprD in DRG, were all significantly elevated compared to the blank group (P<0.05 or P<0.01); in contrast, the protein expression levels of Claudin-1 and Occludin in the skin tissue were markedly reduced (P<0.05). Compared with model group, mice in P. oleracea low-concentration and high- concentration cream groups demonstrated significant alleviation of skin damage, as evidenced by reduced epidermal hyperplasia, mitigated spongiosis in the dermis, and decreased infiltration of inflammatory cells; these quantitative indicators were almost significantly reversed (P<0.05 or P<0.01). No significant differences were observed in the aforementioned skin injuries, pathological alterations, or quantitative indicators between the blank matrix cream group and the model group. CONCLUSIONS P. oleracea may ameliorate skin lesions and restore skin barrier function of ACD mice, the mechanism of which may be associated with downregulating mRNA expressions of MrgprA3, MrgprC11 and MrgprD in DRG, and up-regulating the protein expressions of Claudin-1 and Occludin in skin tissue.
4.Optimization of β-cyclodextrin Inclusion Process of Cinnamomi Ramulus Formula Granules Volatile Constituents Based on Standard Relation and Information Entropy Method
Yaxi CHEN ; Zhuoyuan LI ; Lin TAO ; Nana CHEN ; Yixin KE ; Wen SHEN ; Wei XIE ; Wen ZHANG ; Junsong LI
Journal of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;40(6):582-588
OBJECTIVE To optimize β-cyclodextrin(β-CD)inclusion process of Cinnamomi Ramulus Formula Granules vola-tile constituents by orthogonal test,based on standard relation and information entropy method.METHODS On the basis of single factor experiments,the ratio of β-CD to aromatic aqueous solution,the inclusion temperature,and the inclusion time were selected as the investigating factors;the inclusion rate,drug loading,and standard relation of cinnamic aldehyde in inclusion complex were used as the evaluation index.The information entropy method was used to determine the weight coefficient of each index,then the comprehen-sive score was calculated,the inclusion process conditions were optimized by orthogonal experiment.The inclusion complex was charac-terized by thin layer chromatography,ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy,Fourier infrared spectroscopy,and X-ray diffraction.RE-SULTS The best inclusion process was that the ratio of β-CD to aromatic aqueous solution was 3∶100(g·mL-1),the inclusion temperature was 50℃,and the inclusion time was 1 h.The average inclusion rate of the obtained inclusion compound was 80.84%,the drug loading was 8.63%,and the standard relation was 0.91.The results of thin-layer chromatography,ultraviolet,infrared spec-troscopy and other characterization experiments showed that the volatile components in the aromatic aqueous solution successfully en-tered the β-CD cavity,and the inclusion complex was successfully prepared.CONCLUSION The optimum inclusion process is sta-ble and feasible,which can provide references for the preparation process of Cinnamomi Ramulus Formula Granules.
5.Analytical Study of the Quality Status of National Drug Sampling and Testing in 2022
Jialiang ZHU ; Ting SUN ; Bilian CHEN ; Nana RONG ; Chong WANG ; Zengyao HU
Herald of Medicine 2024;43(10):1706-1710,后插1
Objective To understand and assess the quality status of national drug sampling inspection in 2022 and the possible risks of drug quality.Methods With the aim of identifying issues and preventing risks,a sampling model of"dispersed sampling,centralized inspection,exploratory research,and comprehensive evaluation"was used to review the historical inspection data of national drug sampling.The overall quality and potential risks of national drug sampling in 2022 were analyzed,with a focus on identifying and examining the main quality problems and risks.Results The average pass rate of the sampling inspection in 2022 was 99.4% .The overall safety situation of China's post-marketing drug quality is stable and manageable,indicating that the drug quality is at a high level.Conclusions By carrying out exploratory studies related to drug safety,authenticity,and efficacy,national sampling plays an important role in comprehensively evaluating the quality status of drugs.It aids in improving the quality control level of drug varieties and industry standards,strengthening quality and safety supervision,combating illegal practices such as adulteration and falsification,and providing public warnings about drug safety.
6.APE1 mediates the occurrence and development of colitis-associated colorectal cancer through immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment
Tianyi CHEN ; Chaofan LI ; Lingbo BAO ; Qian CHEN ; Nana HU ; Yuxin YANG ; Lei ZHANG ; Dong WANG
Journal of Army Medical University 2024;46(16):1825-1837
Objective To investigate the regulatory mechanism of apurnic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1(APE1)in the transformation of chronic intestinal inflammation to colitis-associated colorectal cancer(CAC).Methods C64S mutant(APE1C64S)mice and APE1 wild type(APE1WT)mice were randomly divided into experimental group and control group.In vivo CAC model was established by azoxymethane(AOM)and dextran sulfate sodium salt(DSS)solution.Immunohistochemistry(IHC)and multiple IHC(mIHC)assays were used to observe the expression of APE1 and immune cell infiltration in colon tissues of each group.A mouse colon cancer cell line MC38 with stable knockdown of APE1 was constructed by lentivirus transfection,and subcutaneous tumor bearing experiments were performed in APE1WT and APE1C64S mice to confirm that tumor cell-derived APE1 caused immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.The expression of APE1 and CXCL1[chemokine(C-X-C motif)ligand 1]and the infiltration of immune cells in tumor-bearing specimens were analyzed by IHC and mIHC assays.The tumor specimens of a 28-year-old female patient with CAC from Army Medical Center of PLA were analyzed for the expression of APE1 and CXCL1 and the infiltration of immune cells in the tumor and adjacent inflammatory tissues by IHC and mIHC assays.Results Compared with the control group and APE1WT erperimental group,APE1C64S erperimental group had significantly reduced disease activity index and tumor formation,polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells(PMN-MDSCs)infiltration,and CD4+and CD8+T cells(P<0.05).No significant differences were observed in tumor growth and immune cells between APE1WT and APE 1C64S mice bearing subcutaneous tumors.However,in the tumor-bearing experiment using tumor cells with knockdown of APE1,the tumor growth was significantly lower and the number of infiltrated PMN-MDSCs was reduced,while those of CD4+and CD8+T cells were significantly increased(P<0.05).Furthermore,high expression of APE1 and increased infiltration of PMN-MDSCs were found in the tumor tissues of the young CAC patient,and CD8+T cells were significantly reduced in the tumor tissues compared with the inflammatory tissues(P<0.05).Conclusion APE1-redox in tumor cells can promote the infiltration of PMN-MDSCs and reduce the number of T cells,thereby forming an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and mediating the occurrence and development of CAC.
7.Visual analysis of research hotspots and trends of external therapies in traditional Chinese medicine for insomnia
CHEN Shupeng ; TANG Nana ; WANG Simeng ; LIU Yinghua ; ZHANG Zhiyong ; CHEN Shiyu
Digital Chinese Medicine 2023;6(1):41-54
【Objective】 To explore the current status and development trend of research on external therapies in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for insomnia over the past 10 years through bibliometrics and visual analysis, to provide references for further research on the topic. 【Methods】 Literature relating to TCM external therapies for insomnia from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2021 was retrieved from Chinese databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) for English articles. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Scimago Graphica, and NoteExpress software were used to analyze publication volumes of the papers and how they were distributed in different journals, as well as to visualize the data of the countries, authors, institutions, and keywords. 【Results】 A total of 6 085 papers were obtained, of which 5 592 were from the Chinese databases and 493 were from the English database, with their publication volumes growing steadily year on year. Approximately 45 countries and regions were found to have published research on the topic. In terms of Chinese publications, the author with the most papers published was CHEN Yunfei from Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The closest collaboration was between LIU Chengyong from the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine and YUE Zenghui from Hunan University of Chinese Medicine. In terms of English publications, the author with the most papers published was MAO Junj from Sloan-Kettering Cancer Research Center, USA, and LAO Lixing from the University of Hong Kong was his closest partner in collaboration. Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine was the institution with the most Chinese publications, and Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine was the one with the most English papers published. Studies on the topic were published in 386 Chinese journals and 205 English journals, respectively. Nowadays, the clinical application of TCM external treatments for insomnia, the selection of meridians and acupoints, therapies for insomnia and its related diseases are research hotspots. The combined use of different TCM external therapies is a trend in the treatment of insomnia and its concomitant diseases, especially in the fields of oncology, nursing, and psychiatric disorders. The exploration of mechanisms of TCM external therapies for insomnia is also a key direction for future research. In clinical practice, the commonly used external therapies for insomnia include acupuncture, ear-acupressure with beans, acupoint application, etc. The commonly selected acupoints are auricular points, Sishencong (EX-HN1), Shenmen (HT7), etc. The frequently studied meridians are Ren, Du, Qiao, etc. The insomnia concomitant diseases are depression, stroke, anxiety, etc. 【Conclusion】 A wealth of research results have been accumulated in the treatment of insomnia by TCM external therapies, but authoritative research results are not so many. Therefore, institutions in different countries should strengthen communications and cooperation, and researchers should be encouraged to make innovations and breakthroughs on the basis of inherited TCM external therapies, so as to produce more valuable research results and improve TCM external therapies for providing better treatments for patients with sleep disorders.
8.Clinical application of Ivor-Lewis procedure under uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopy for esophageal cancer
Lei WANG ; Xiao LIANG ; Wei HE ; Sanhu YANG ; Yan LI ; Nana CHEN ; Tao JIANG ; Lijun HUANG
Chinese Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2023;39(1):12-16
Objective:To investigate the safety and feasibility of Ivor-Lewis procedure under uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopy(VATS) for esophageal cancer and Siewert type I esophago-gastric junction carcinoma.Methods:The patients with middle-lower segment esophageal cancer or Siewert type I esophago-gastric junction carcinoma received minimally invasive esophagectomy between October 2020 and June 2021, and the clinical data was collected and analyzed.Results:26 patients received Ivor-Lewis procedure underwent uniportal VATS, while 45 patients underwent McKeown surgery under multiport VATS. The average operation time of patients in the two groups were(265±110)min and (235±94)min, and the average intraoperative blood loss were(80±57)ml and(105±60)ml. The mean number of lymph nodes removed in the surgery were (19.3±2.9) and 18.6±2.7 respectively in two groups, and the mean length of hospital stay was(7.5±3.5)days and(8.3±2.7)days. The incidence of perioperative complications were not significantly different in two groups. The VAS score of patients received Ivor-Lewis procedure underwent uniportal VATS was lower than that of patients received McKeown surgery in ostoperative day 1, day 3, day 7 and 1 month. The difference was statistically significant in two groups( P<0.05). Conclusion:The Ivor-Lewis procedure under uniportal VATS for esophageal cancer and Siewert type I esophago-gastric junction carcinoma has the advantage of less postoperative pain, and the procedure is feasible in clinical practice.
9.Dose-response relationship between pre-pregnancy body mass index and gestational diabetes mellitus
LI Nana ; ZHANG Shijing ; CHEN Qiaomin ; LI Haoran ; WANG Yali
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2023;35(10):829-833
Objective:
To explore the dose-response relationship between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), so as to provide insights into the cut-off values of pre-pregnancy BMI and optimizing GDM prevention and control strategies.
Methods:
Pregnant women that admitted to Zhengzhou Central hospital in 2021 were recruited, and demographics, family history, pregnancy and delivery history and blood glucose levels during pregnancy were collected. The dose-response relationship between pre-pregnancy BMI and GDM was analyzed using restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis. The predictive ability of pre-pregnancy BMI for GDM risk was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.
Results:
A total of 2 279 participants were included in the study. The median age was 29.0 (interquartile range, 5.0) years. The median pre-pregnancy BMI was 21.1 (interquartile range, 3.8) kg/m2. There were 312 underweight women (13.69%), 825 women with low-normal weight (36.20%), 730 women with high-normal weight (32.03%), 345 overweight women (15.14%) and 67 obese women (2.94%).The prevalence of GDM was 17.20%. RCS analysis suggested a linear dose-response relationship between age, pre-pregnancy BMI and GDM (P<0.05). When pre-pregnancy BMI was higher than 21.1 kg/m2, the risk of GDM increased with pre-pregnancy BMI (P<0.05). When women aged over 29.0 years, the risk of GDM increased with age, and the dose-response relationship of GDM caused by pre-pregnancy BMI was stronger in the women aged over 29.0 years than in the women aged 29.0 years and below (P<0.05). The area under curve (AUC) was 0.654 (95%CI: 0.624-0.684). If the cut-off value of pre-pregnancy BMI was 23.0 kg/m2, the Youden index, sensitivity and specificity was 0.238, 0.472 and 0.766, respectively. If it was 24.0 kg/m2, the Youden index, sensitivity and specificity was 0.195, 0.342 and 0.853, respectively. If it was 21.1 kg/m2, the Youden index, sensitivity and specificity was 0.213, 0.676 and 0.537, respectively.
Conclusions
There is a linear dose-response relationship between pre-pregnancy BMI and GDM, and higher than 21.1 kg/m2 of the pre-pregnancy BMI could increase the risk of GDM.
10.Progress of Chimeric Antigen Receptor Gene Modified-T Cell Immunotherapy for Thoracic Malignancies
Fukun CHEN ; Nana CHEN ; Zhiyong DENG ; Juan LYU ; Wenjing QIN ; Jialun ZHU
Cancer Research on Prevention and Treatment 2023;50(10):1010-1014
With a deepened understanding of the pathophysiology and pathogenesis of thoracic malignancies, the treatment has been transited from traditional treatment on the basis of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy to individualized and precise targeted therapy and immunotherapy. As an antitumor immunotherapy, chimeric antigen receptor gene-modified T (CAR-T) cells have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of hematological malignancies in five CAR-T products. They have also achieved good therapeutic effects in solid tumors. However, significant challenges remain in the clinical application of CAR-T cell immunotherapy in thoracic malignancies. In this review, the latest research progress of CAR-T cell immunotherapy in the treatment of thoracic malignancies were summarized, including the basic characteristics of CAR-T cells, the popular target antigens, and the existing problems and challenges, to provide new ideas and strategies for clinical immunotherapy of thoracic malignancies.


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