2.GLUT1-targeted Nano-delivery System for Active Ingredients of Traditional Chinese Medicine:A Review
Hua ZHU ; Huimin LUO ; Si LIN ; Bingbing WANG ; Jinwei LI ; Liba XU ; Miao ZHANG ; Fengfeng XIE ; Long CHEN ; Meilin LI ; Lu LU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(12):270-280
Tumor cells use glycolysis to provide material and energy under hypoxic conditions to meet the energy requirements for rapid growth and proliferation, namely the Warburg effect. Even under aerobic conditions, tumor cells mainly rely on glycolysis to provide energy. Therefore, glucose transporter protein 1(GLUT1), which is involved in the process of glucose metabolism, plays an important role in tumorigenesis, development and drug resistance, and is considered to be one of the important targets in the treatment of malignant tumors. In recent years, research on tumor glucose metabolism has gradually become a hot spot. It has been shown that various factors are involved in the regulation of tumor energy metabolism, among which the role of GLUT1 is the most critical. In this paper, the authors reviewed the latest research progress of GLUT1-targeted traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) active ingredient nano-delivery system in tumor therapy, aiming to reveal the feasibility and effectiveness of this system in the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs. The GLUT1-targeted TCM active ingredient nano-delivery system can overcome the bottleneck of the traditional targeting strategy as well as the high-permeability long retention(EPR) effect. In summary, the authors believe that the GLUT1-targeted TCM active ingredient nano-delivery system provides a new strategy for targeted treatment of tumors and has a broad application prospect in tumor prevention and treatment.
3.Discovery of novel α2A adrenergic receptor agonists coupling to Gαi/o proteins by virtual screening
Fengfeng LU ; Huili ZHU ; Beibei SHI ; Xiaoxuan WANG ; Yulei LI ; Peilan ZHOU ; Ruibin SU
Chinese Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology 2023;37(7):555-555
Most α2-AR agonists derived from dexme-detomidine have few structure differences between them and have no selectivity for α2A/2B-AR or Gi/Gs,that can lead to the side effect of drugs.To get novel and potent α2A-AR agonists,we built the homology model for human α 2A-AR and α2B-AR to find α2A-AR agonists with higher selectivity.Compound P300-2342 and its 3 analogs sig-nificantly decreased the locomotor activity of mice(P<0.05).Furthermore,P300-2342 and its 3 analogs inhibited the binding of[3H]rauwolscine to α 2A-AR and α 2B-AR respectively.In α2A-AR-HEK293 cells,P300-2342 decre-ased forskolinstimulatedcAMPpruductionwithoutincreas-ing cAMP pruduction,that indicated the P300-2342 acti-vating α2A-AR coupling with Gαi/o pathway without Gαs coupling.P300-2342 had no agonistic and antagonistic activities on α 2B-AR.Similar results were shown in 3 analogs of P300-2342.The docking results showed that P300-2342 formed the π-hydrogen bonds with Y394,V114 of α2A-AR,and with V93 of α2B-AR.3 analogs of P300-2342 formed several π-hydrogen bonds with V114,Y196,F390 of α 2A-AR and with V93 of α 2B-AR.We believe that these molecules can serve as leads for fur-ther optimization of α2A-AR agonists with potentially few side effects.
4.Effect of Stemona tuberosa Alkaloids on Apoptosis and PI3K/Akt and JNK/MAPK Signaling Pathways of Human Lung Cancer A549 Cells
Si LIN ; Huizhen QIN ; Zeyu LI ; Liba XU ; Lingyu DENG ; Jing LUO ; Fengfeng XIE ; Miao ZHANG ; Hua ZHU ; Xiaoxun WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2023;29(4):69-76
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Stemona tuberosa alkaloids (STA) on apoptosis and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase/p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (JNK/p38 MAPK) signaling pathways in human lung cancer A549 cells. MethodA549 cells were classified into blank group and STA groups (100, 150, 200, 250, 300 mg⋅L-1). Thiazole blue (MTT) assay and colony formation assay were used to evaluate the proliferation of A549 cells. Apoptosis was observed based on Hoechst 33258 staining, flow cytometry, and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining. Western blot was employed to detect the expression of apoptosis-related proteins cysteine-aspartic acid protease-3 (Caspase-3), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)-associated X protein (Bax), and Bcl-2, and the expression of PI3K, phosphorylated (p)-PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, JNK, p-JNK, p38 MAPK, and p-p38 MAPK. ResultCompared with the blank group, STA groups (150, 200, 250, 300 mg⋅L-1) demonstrated the increase in inhibition rate of cell proliferation (P<0.01) and cell clone inhibition rate, and decrease in cell clone formation rate (P<0.01). In comparison with the blank group, STA groups showed typical characteristics of apoptosis, such as chromatin condensation and enhanced fluorescence reaction. The apoptosis rate of STA groups was significantly higher than that of the blank group (P<0.01). Compared with the blank group, STA (150, 200, 250, 300 mg⋅L-1) significantly up-regulated the protein expression of Caspase-3 and Bax (P<0.05, P<0.01) and down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 protein (P<0.01). Compared with the blank group, STA had no significant influence on the total protein expression of PI3K, Akt, JNK, and p38 MAPK. However, STA (150, 200, 250, 300 mg⋅L-1) significantly decreased the levels of p-PI3K and p-Akt (P<0.05, P<0.01) and increased the level of p-p38 MAPK (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the blank group, STA (200, 250, 300 mg⋅L-1) significantly raised the level of p-JNK (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionSTA can inhibit the proliferation and induce the apoptosis of A549 cells by inhibiting PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and activating JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.
5.Clinical features of complete Kawasaki disease versus incomplete Kawasaki disease
Wei ZHANG ; Fengfeng NING ; Shengdong ZHU ; Li WANG
Chinese Journal of Primary Medicine and Pharmacy 2023;30(9):1346-1350
Objective:To investigate the clinical features and laboratory examination results of complete Kawasaki disease (CKD) versus incomplete Kawasaki disease (IKD). Methods:The clinical data of children with complete Kawasaki disease (CKD group, n = 217) and incomplete Kawasaki disease (IKD group, n = 103) who received treatment in Gansu Provincial Maternity and Child-care Hospital from January 2014 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical symptom features and laboratory examination indexes were compared between the two groups. Results:The incidence of fever in both groups was 100.0%, but the fever time in the IKD group was (8.97 ± 1.76) days, which was significantly longer than (6.60 ± 1.01) days in the CKD group ( t = 7.68, P < 0.05). The incidences of conjunctival hyperemia, chapped lips, bayberry tongue and finger sclerosis and erythema in the IKD group were 82.5% (84/103), 66.9% (69/103), 21.4% (22/103), and 23.3% (24/103), which were significantly lower than 94.9% (206/217), 76.9% (167/217), 75.1% (163/217), and 81.1% (176/217) in the CKD group ( χ2 = 14.71, 7.09, 82.76, 99.58, all P < 0.05). The incidences of polymorphic rash and perianal peeling in the IKD group were 76.7% (79/103) and 33.9% (35/103), respectively, which were significantly higher than 64.9% (141/217) and 23.5% (51/217) in the CKD group ( χ2 = 4.47, 3.90, both P < 0.05). Digestive and respiratory symptoms were more common in the IKD group than in the CKD group ( P < 0.05). C-reactive protein level in the IKD group was (67.56 ± 23.35) mg/L, which was significantly higher than (53.91 ± 25.06) mg/L in the CKD group ( t = 2.46, P < 0.05), while white blood cell count, platelet count, and B-type brain natriuretic peptide level in the IKD group were significantly lower than those in the CKD group ( t = 2.00, 2.34, 4.69, all P < 0.05). The incidences of coronary artery dilation/small coronary artery aneurysm, and pericardial effusion in the IKD group were greater than those in the CKD group ( χ2 = 6.70, 12.87, both P < 0.05). Conclusion:Children with IKD have a long time of fever. In children without obvious clinical features, attention should be paid to the differential diagnosis of IKD from CKD. IKD should be diagnosed and treated as early as possible to decrease the incidence of coronary artery disease.
6.Research progress of pharmacological action and mechanism of piperine
Si LIN ; Huizhen QIN ; Lingyu DENG ; Miao ZHANG ; Fengfeng XIE ; Zeyu LI ; Hua ZHU
China Pharmacy 2022;33(13):1653-1659
Piperine is a kind of amide alkaloids presenting in Piper nigrum L.,which has the pharmacological action such as protecting cardiovascular system ,regulating glucose and lipid metabolism ,anti-tumor,improving nervous system diseases , anti-inflammation and so on. This paper summarized the pharmacological action and mechanisms of piperine in recent years and found that piperine ,as the main active ingredient of P. nigrum ,could protect the cardiovascular system by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress ;improve mitochondrial function through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects ,thereby regulate glucose and lipid metabolism ;play an anti-tumor role by mediating the signaling pathways of Wnt/β-catenin,NF-κB/Nrf-2/KeAP-1/HO-1, PI3K/Akt,TGF-β1/Smad2/ERK1/2;improve neurological diseases by inhibiting autophagy ,relieving inflammation ,improving antioxidant,inhibiting neuronal apoptosis and regulating the expression of related proteins in neurons ;play an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the activity of NF-κB and other signaling pathways and reducing the expression of inflammation-related proteins. However,the mechanism of action of piperine is not perfect ,and most of the studies have been confined to the pharmacological level or a certain signaling pathway and a certain target ,without being able to elucidate the interconnection between the relevant signaling pathway and the specific target from a holistic perspective. In the follow-up ,the specific targets of piperine can be identified and clinical trials can be carried out to provide support for the clinical application of piperine.
7.Functional connectivity analysis of sensory motor network in patients with bipolar disorder type Ⅰ
Wenjing ZHU ; Zhiyu CHEN ; Wenxin TANG ; Cheng ZHU ; Yan LIANG ; Yonghui SHEN ; Fengfeng XUE ; Ziming XU
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2022;31(8):692-697
Objective:To analyze the functional connectivity (FC) characteristics of sensory motor network (SMN) in patients with bipolar disorder type Ⅰ (BD-Ⅰ) by independent component analysis (ICA), and explore the correlation between abnormal SMN and clinical symptoms.Methods:Eighteen patients with BD-Ⅰ (BD-Ⅰ group) and 20 matched normal controls (HC group) were included.Both groups received resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) scanning.Based on ICA-fMRI data, one-sample t-test and two-sample t-test were used to analyze the components of SMN and to explore abnormal brain regions between the two groups.Functional network analysis (FNC) was also used to explore the functional connectivity between SMN and other brain networks.Pearson correlation analysis were conducted by SPSS 17.0 to measure the potential associations between intra-and inter-network functional connectivity and age, education, score of Bech-Rafaelsen mania rating scale (BRMS), score of positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) and other indicators. Results:In BD-Ⅰ group, the functional connection in the right paracentral lobule (MIN: x=8, y=-32, z=68, t=4.86, P<0.001) and the right postcentral gyrus (MIN: x=41, y=-26, z=53, t=3.33, P<0.001) in SMN were higher than those in HC group.Compared with HC group, the connectivity value in patients with BD-Ⅰ increased between SMN-DAN (0.247±0.073, -0.078±0.080, t=-2.974, P<0.01, FDR adjusted), while the connectivity value decreased between SMN-DMN(-0.037±0.054, 0.272±0.067, t=3.520, P<0.01, FDR adjusted) and between SMN-rFPN(-0.034±0.055, 0.231±0.070, t=2.939, P<0.01, FDR adjusted). Conclusion:The sensorimotor network of patients with BD-Ⅰ has abnormal functional connections within and between networks, and FC values in some networks are positively correlated with manic symptoms, which may be part of the neural mechanisms of patients with BD-Ⅰ.
8.Apigenin Induces Apoptosis of Human Colorectal Cancer CL187 Cells via PI3K/Akt and MAPK Signaling Pathways
Si LIN ; Huizhen QIN ; Lingyu DENG ; Zeyu LI ; Fengfeng XIE ; Miao ZHANG ; Hua ZHU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2022;28(19):97-104
ObjectiveTo study the effect of apigenin on the proliferation and apoptosis of human colon cancer CL187 cells and the underlying mechanisms. MethodHuman colorectal cancer CL187 cells were treated with different concentrations of apigenin (0, 30, 45, 60 mg·L-1) according to the results of the preliminary experiment. The proliferation of CL187 cells was detected by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) and colony formation assays, and the apoptosis was observed via Hoechst 33258 staining. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was conducted to determine the mRNA levels of cysteine protease-3 (Caspase-3), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) in the CL187 cells treated with apigenin. Western blot was employed to measure the protein levels of Caspase-3, Bcl-2, and Bax associated with apoptosis, protein kinase B (Akt) and phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) in phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) pathway, and extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2), p-ERK1/2, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p-JNK, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and p-p38 MAPK protein in MAPK pathway. ResultCompared with the blank group, the apigenin groups had low cell survival rates and high inhibition rates on cell proliferation (P<0.01). Apigenin decreased the cell clone number and clone formation rate, and increased the inhibition rate on clone formation (P<0.01). After CL187 cells were treated with different concentrations of apigenin for 48 h, typical apoptosis characteristics such as nuclear pyknosis, chromatin condensation, and enhanced fluorescence reaction were observed. Compared with blank group, 45, 60 mg·L-1 apigenin treatments down-regulated the mRNA level of anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2 (P<0.01) and all the apigenin treatments up-regulated those of the pro-apoptotic genes Bax and Caspase-3 (P<0.05, P<0.01). Similarly, apigenin treatments down-regulated the protein level of Bcl-2 (P<0.05, P<0.01) and up-regulated those of Caspase-3 (P<0.05, P<0.01) and Bax (P<0.01, 45, 60 mg·L-1). The blank group had higher protein level of Akt than the 60 mg·L-1 apigenin group (P<0.01), higher protein levels of p-Akt, ERK1/2, and p-ERK1/2 than the 45, 60 mg·L-1 apigenin groups (P<0.01), and higher protein levels of JNK and p-JNK than the apigenin groups (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with blank group, 60 mg·L-1 apigenin up-regulated the protein level of p38 MAPK (P<0.05), and all the apigenin groups up-regulated that of p-p38 MAPK (P<0.01). Furthermore, apigenin lowered the p-Akt/Akt ratio (P<0.05, P<0.01) and p-ERK1/2/ERK1/2 ratio (P<0.01), while it increased the p-JNK/JNK ratio (45, 60 mg·L-1; P<0.05, P<0.01) and p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK ratio (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionApigenin can inhibit the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of CL187 cells by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and regulating the expression of proteins in the MAPK signaling pathway.
9.Liquiritin improves depressive behavior in rats with post-stroke depression by reducing apoptosis of amygdala cells
Fengfeng XU ; Da XU ; Hanxiao ZHU ; Riwei OUYANG ; Ning RONG ; Changqin XU ; Yun LI
International Journal of Cerebrovascular Diseases 2021;29(4):277-284
Objective:To investigate the effect of liquiritin on the apoptosis of amygdala cell and the expression of apoptosis-related factors Bax and Bcl-2 protein in rats with post-stroke depression (PSD).Methods:Sixty rats were randomly divided into normal control group, stroke group, PSD group, citalopram group, liquiritin group, and normal saline control group ( n=10 in each group). The middle cerebral artery was occluded with a suture method to induce focal cerebral ischemia, and the PSD model was established by chronic and unpredictable mild stress stimulation and orphanism. At the same time every week after the model was made, the weight of rats in each group was measured and the depression behavior was evaluated, including sucrose water test and open field test. At 6 weeks after the model was made, TUNEL staining was used to detect the apoptosis of amygdala cell, immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expression of Bax and Bcl-2 in the amygdala, and Western blot analysis was used to detect the protein expression of Bax and Bcl-2 in the amygdala. Results:Compared with the liquiritin group, citalopram group and normal control group, the body weight and sucrose solution preference of rats in the stroke group, PSD group and normal saline control group were decreased, and the horizontal and vertical movements in open field test were decreased; the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.01). TUNEL staining results showed that compared with the liquiritin group, citalopram group and normal control group, the number of apoptotic cells was significantly increased in the stroke group, PSD group, and normal saline control group; the difference was statistically significant (all P<0.01). The results of immunofluorescence staining showed that compared with the liquiritin group, citalopram group and normal control group, the number of bcl-2 immunoreactive cells in amygdala of the stroke group, PSD group and normal saline control group was significantly decreased, while the number of Bax immunoreactive cells was significantly increased; the difference was statistically significant (all P<0.01). Western blot analysis showed that compared with the liquiritin group and citalopram group, the expression of bcl 2 protein in amygdala of the stroke group, PSD group and normal saline control group was significantly decreased, while the expression of Bax protein was significantly increased; the difference was statistically significant (all P<0.01). Conclusion:Liquiritin can alleviate the symptoms of PSD, and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting the apoptosis of amygdala cells and regulating the expression of apoptosis-related factors.
10.Analysis of risk factors of acute kidney injury in acute respiratory distress syndrome patients with mechanical ventilation
Xuehua PU ; Mengnan TANG ; Haitao HU ; Fengfeng ZHU ; Xia WANG ; Tiantian ZHOU ; Chongwen NIAN ; Jilu YE
Chinese Journal of Emergency Medicine 2021;30(12):1489-1493
Objective:To explore the risk factors of acute kidney injury (AKI) in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients with mechanical ventilation.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted. ARDS patients with mechanical ventilation admitted to ICU of Taizhou People's Hospital from January 2019 to December 2019 were enrolled. Patients were divided into the AKI group and non-AKI group according to whether the patients had AKI. Clinical characteristics and laboratory indicators of the two groups were compared. Risk factors of incidence of AKI in ARDS patients were analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve was drawn to evaluate the survival rates of the two groups.Results:A total of 120 ARDS patients with mechanical ventilation were included, and 57 patients (47.5%) developed AKI. Procalcitonin, increased basal creatinine, decreased pH and impaired consciousness were independent risk factors for AKI in ARDS patients with mechanical ventilation. Fifty-seven of the 120 patients died with a mortality of 38.3%. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that the survival rate of the AKI group was significantly lower than that of the non-AKI group ( P<0.001). Conclusions:The incidence and mortality of AKI is high in ARDS patients with mechanical ventilation. Procalcitonin, increased basal creatinine, decreased pH and impaired consciousness are independent risk factors for AKI in ARDS patients with mechanical ventilation.

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