1.The Role of AMPK in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy and Related Intervention Strategies
Fang-Lian LIAO ; Xiao-Feng CHEN ; Han-Yi XIANG ; Zhi XIA ; Hua-Yu SHANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(10):2550-2567
Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a distinct form of cardiomyopathy that can lead to heart failure, arrhythmias, cardiogenic shock, and sudden death. It has become a major cause of mortality in diabetic patients. The pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy is complex, involving increased oxidative stress, activation of inflammatory responses, disturbances in glucose and lipid metabolism, accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), abnormal autophagy and apoptosis, insulin resistance, and impaired intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. Recent studies have shown that adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a crucial protective role by lowering blood glucose levels, promoting lipolysis, inhibiting lipid synthesis, and exerting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and anti-ferroptotic effects. It also enhances autophagy, thereby alleviating myocardial injury under hyperglycemic conditions. Consequently, AMPK is considered a key protective factor in diabetic cardiomyopathy. As part of diabetes prevention and treatment strategies, both pharmacological and exercise interventions have been shown to mitigate diabetic cardiomyopathy by modulating the AMPK signaling pathway. However, the precise regulatory mechanisms, optimal intervention strategies, and clinical translation require further investigation. This review summarizes the role of AMPK in the prevention and treatment of diabetic cardiomyopathy through drug and/or exercise interventions, aiming to provide a reference for the development and application of AMPK-targeted therapies. First, several classical AMPK activators (e.g., AICAR, A-769662, O-304, and metformin) have been shown to enhance autophagy and glucose uptake while inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory responses by increasing the phosphorylation of AMPK and its downstream target, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and/or by upregulating the gene expression of glucose transporters GLUT1 and GLUT4. Second, many antidiabetic agents (e.g., teneligliptin, liraglutide, exenatide, semaglutide, canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, and empagliflozin) can promote autophagy, reverse excessive apoptosis and autophagy, and alleviate oxidative stress and inflammation by enhancing AMPK phosphorylation and its downstream targets, such as mTOR, or by increasing the expression of silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor‑α (PPAR‑α). Third, certain anti-anginal (e.g., trimetazidine, nicorandil), anti-asthmatic (e.g., farrerol), antibacterial (e.g., sodium houttuyfonate), and antibiotic (e.g., minocycline) agents have been shown to promote autophagy/mitophagy, mitochondrial biogenesis, and inhibit oxidative stress and lipid accumulation via AMPK phosphorylation and its downstream targets such as protein kinase B (PKB/AKT) and/or PPAR‑α. Fourth, natural compounds (e.g., dihydromyricetin, quercetin, resveratrol, berberine, platycodin D, asiaticoside, cinnamaldehyde, and icariin) can upregulate AMPK phosphorylation and downstream targets such as AKT, mTOR, and/or the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), thereby exerting anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, anti-pyroptotic, antioxidant, and pro-autophagic effects. Fifth, moderate exercise (e.g., continuous or intermittent aerobic exercise, aerobic combined with resistance training, or high-intensity interval training) can activate AMPK and its downstream targets (e.g., acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), GLUT4, PPARγ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), PPAR-α, and forkhead box protein O3 (FOXO3)) to promote fatty acid oxidation and glucose uptake, and to inhibit oxidative stress and excessive mitochondrial fission. Finally, the combination of liraglutide and aerobic interval training has been shown to activate the AMPK/FOXO1 pathway, thereby reducing excessive myocardial fatty acid uptake and oxidation. This combination therapy offers superior improvement in cardiac dysfunction, myocardial hypertrophy, and fibrosis in diabetic conditions compared to liraglutide or exercise alone.
2.Efficacy and safety of recombinant human anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody injection(F61 injection)in the treatment of patients with COVID-19 combined with renal damage:a randomized controlled exploratory clinical study
Ding-Hua CHEN ; Chao-Fan LI ; Yue NIU ; Li ZHANG ; Yong WANG ; Zhe FENG ; Han-Yu ZHU ; Jian-Hui ZHOU ; Zhe-Yi DONG ; Shu-Wei DUAN ; Hong WANG ; Meng-Jie HUANG ; Yuan-Da WANG ; Shuo-Yuan CONG ; Sai PAN ; Jing ZHOU ; Xue-Feng SUN ; Guang-Yan CAI ; Ping LI ; Xiang-Mei CHEN
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2024;23(3):257-264
Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of recombinant human anti-severe acute respiratory syn-drome coronavirus 2(anti-SARS-CoV-2)monoclonal antibody injection(F61 injection)in the treatment of patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)combined with renal damage.Methods Patients with COVID-19 and renal damage who visited the PLA General Hospital from January to February 2023 were selected.Subjects were randomly divided into two groups.Control group was treated with conventional anti-COVID-19 therapy,while trial group was treated with conventional anti-COVID-19 therapy combined with F61 injection.A 15-day follow-up was conducted after drug administration.Clinical symptoms,laboratory tests,electrocardiogram,and chest CT of pa-tients were performed to analyze the efficacy and safety of F61 injection.Results Twelve subjects(7 in trial group and 5 in control group)were included in study.Neither group had any clinical progression or death cases.The ave-rage time for negative conversion of nucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2 in control group and trial group were 3.2 days and 1.57 days(P=0.046),respectively.The scores of COVID-19 related target symptom in the trial group on the 3rd and 5th day after medication were both lower than those of the control group(both P<0.05).According to the clinical staging and World Health Organization 10-point graded disease progression scale,both groups of subjects improved but didn't show statistical differences(P>0.05).For safety,trial group didn't present any infusion-re-lated adverse event.Subjects in both groups demonstrated varying degrees of elevated blood glucose,elevated urine glucose,elevated urobilinogen,positive urine casts,and cardiac arrhythmia,but the differences were not statistica-lly significant(all P>0.05).Conclusion F61 injection has initially demonstrated safety and clinical benefit in trea-ting patients with COVID-19 combined with renal damage.As the domestically produced drug,it has good clinical accessibility and may provide more options for clinical practice.
3.Auricular pressure beans combined with Compound Tung-Leaf Burn Oil relieve perioperative anxiety and pain in patients undergoing circumcision
Hua-Xiang YU ; Yu LI ; Wei HUANG ; Ya-Lin GONG ; Wei-Qin YAN ; Yan-Yan HONG ; Qin GAN ; Zhu-Feng XIONG
National Journal of Andrology 2024;30(6):519-524
Objective:To observe the effect of auricular pressure beans(APN)combined with Compound Tung-Leaf Burn Oil(CTBO)on perioperative anxiety and pain in patients undergoing circumcision.Methods:This study included 100 patients undergo-ing circumcision with the disposable circumcision anastomosis stapler in our hospital from August 2023 to November 2023,of whom 50 received routine circumcision nursing care(the control group)and other 50 APN combined with compound CTBO in addition(the ob-servation group).We compared between the two groups the anxiety scores before any intervention,30 minutes before and 24 hours and 10 days after operation,the pain scores 24 hours postoperatively and at the first change of wound dressing,the frequency of 3-day post-operative sleep awakenings,the incidence of complications,and the satisfaction of the patients.Results:Totally,94 patients com-pleted the study,46 in the observation and 48 in the control group.The anxiety scores exhibited no statistically significant difference between the two groups of patients before any intervention(P>0.05),but were markedly lower in the observation than in the control group at 30 minutes before and 24 hours and 10 days after surgery(P<0.05),and so were the pain scores24 hours after surgery and at the first change of wound dressing(P<0.05),and the frequency of 3-day postoperative sleep awakenings(P<0.05).The satis-faction rate of the patients was remarkably higher(P<0.05)while the incidence of complications significantly lower in the observation group than in the control(P<0.05).Conclusion:Auricular pressure beans combined with Compound Tung-Leaf Burn Oil can ef-fectively alleviate perioperative anxiety,reduce postoperative pain and improve satisfaction of the patients undergoing circumcision.
4.Ionizing radiation-induced damage(IRD)to and repair mechanisms of the male reproductive system:Report of testicular function changes in a case of IRD
Neng-Liang DUAN ; Hua-Pei WANG ; Yuan-Shuai RAN ; Zhi-Xiang GAO ; Feng-Mei CUI ; Qiu CHEN ; Yu-Long LIU ; You-You WANG ; Bo-Xin XUE ; Xiao-Long LIU
National Journal of Andrology 2024;30(8):687-695
Objective:To investigate the impact of ionizing radiation(IR)on the structure and function of the testis and pro-vide some strategies for the prevention and treatment of IR-induced damage(IRD).Methods:Using radiation dose simulation,se-men analysis,hormone testing,electron microscopy and single-cell transcriptome sequencing,we assessed and analyzed a case of IRD.We established a mouse model of IRD to validate the results of single-cell sequencing,and investigated the specific biological mecha-nisms of IRD and potential strategies for its intervention.Results:IR at 1-2 Gy significantly reduced sperm concentration and mo-tility,which gradually recovered after 12 months but the percentage of morphologically normal sperm remained low.It also caused im-balanced levels of various steroid hormones,decreased testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate,increased progesterone,prolac-tin,luteinizing hormone,and follicle-stimulating hormone.Electron microscopy revealed damages to the testis structure,including loss of germ cells,atrophy of the seminiferous tubules,nuclear membrane depression of the spermatocytes,mitochondrial atrophy and de-formation,and reduction of mitochondrial cristae.Single-cell sequencing indicated significant changes in the function of the Leydig cells and macrophages and disrupted lipid-related metabolic pathways after IRD.Administration of L-carnitine to the mouse model im-proved lipid metabolism disorders and partially alleviated IRD to the germ cells.Conclusion:Ionizing radiation can cause disorders of testicular spermatogenesis and sexual hormones and inhibit lipid metabolism pathways in Leydig cells and macrophages.Improving lipid metabolism can alleviate IRD to germ cells.
5.Mechanisms of hypertension inducing erectile dysfunction via the cGMP/PKG signaling pathway:An investigation using transcriptomics and network pharmacology
Jun-Long FENG ; Hai-Song LI ; Song SUN ; Bin WANG ; Hua-Nan ZHANG ; Zi-Xiang GAO ; Peng-Ming MAO ; Long-Ji SUN ; Nian-Wen HUANG ; Ji-Sheng WANG
National Journal of Andrology 2024;30(9):771-781
Objective:To explore the mechanism of hypertension inducing erectile dysfunction(ED)using transcriptomics and network pharmacology.Methods:We randomly divided 12 male rats with spontaneous hypertension(SHT)into an L-arginine(LA)group(n=6)and an SHT model control(MC)group(n=6),took another 6 Wistar Kyoto male rats as normal controls(NC),and treated the animals in the LA group by intraperitoneal injection of LA at 400 mg/kg and those in the latter two groups with physio-logical saline,once a day,all for 7 days.Then we observed the blood pressure and penile erection of the rats,and determined the ex-pressions of the cGMP/PKG signaling pathway-related proteins and mRNAs in different groups using ELISA,Western blot and RT-qPCR.Results:Transcriptomics combined with network pharmacology showed that the cGMP/PKG signaling pathway played a key role in hypertension-induced ED.In vivo animal experiments revealed a significantly lower frequency of penile erections in the MC than in the NC group(1.33±0.52 vs 2.67±0.51,P<0.05).The protein expressions of eNOS,PKG and sGC were markedly de-creased in the model controls compared with those the normal controls(P<0.05),but remarkably upregulated in the LA group com-pared with those in the MC group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Hypertension decreases the expressions of eNOS,NO,sGC,cGMP and PKG proteins and the level of testosterone by inhibiting the cGMP/PKG signaling pathway,which consequently suppresses the relaxa-tion of the penile vascular smooth muscle and reduces erectile function.
6.Homology analysis of Acinetobacter baumannii in intensive care unit be-fore and after COVID-19 pandemic
Xiao WANG ; Yan-Ru LIANG ; Yue ZHANG ; Xiang-Hua LU ; Jun FENG ; Yuan-Ping WANG ; Bing ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2024;23(10):1213-1219
Objective To investigate the distribution of pathogens and change of homology of Acinetobacter bau-mannii(AB)in intensive care units(ICUs)of partial medical institutions in Shanghai before and after the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).Methods Pathogens were isolated and identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOF MS),the whole genome of AB was sequenced using Illumina Miseq sequencing platform,and its genetic relationship was explored based on multilocus sequence typing(MLST)and core genome multilocus sequence typing(cgMLST).Results The total detection rate of patho-gens in ICU environment after the pandemic was lower than before the pandemic([6.10%,101/1 656]vs[10.77%,181/1 680];P<0.05).Before and after the pandemic,the proportion of AB detected on the surface of bedding in the ICU environment remained at the highest level.After the pandemic,the ST types showed a diverse distribution.MLST_Pasteur results showed that 162 strains of AB were divided into 20 ST types,with ST2(80.25%,n=130)being the main type.MLST_Oxford results showed that there were 19 ST types among 162 strains,with ST208(37.04%,n=60)being the main type.The clustering analysis based on cgMLST showed that ST208_Oxford had closer genetic relationship with ST540_Oxford and ST369_Oxford after the pandemic.ST164_Pasteur clone changed from ST234_Oxford before the pandemic to ST1418_Oxford after the pandemic,and 2 new types of ST_Pasteurr and 11 new types of ST_Oxford were discovered.Conclusion The detection rate of pathogens from ICU environment after the pandemic is lower than before the pandemic,and the distribution of ST types is slightly different at the same detection sites before and after the pandemic.ST2_Pasteur/ST208_Oxford is still the dominant epidemic clone before and after the pandemic,but some alleles have changed.cgMLST is more accurate than MLST_Oxford and MLST_Pasteur in homology analysis,evolution,spread,and outbreak analysis.
7.Perilla AP2 Gene Family PfWRI1 Promotes Oil Accumulation in Plant Seeds
Xiao-Yan FENG ; Qi-Feng WANG ; Ke-Xin YUE ; Fu-Peng HOU ; Hua-Xiang XU ; Jun-Xing LU ; Jian HU ; Tao ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2024;40(8):1161-1172
AP2 transcription factors belong to the AP2/ERF superfamily and are involved in the regula-tion of various biological processes in plant growth and development,as well as in response to biotic and abiotic stresses.However,studies on the AP2 transcription factor family of Perilla frutescens have not been reported.In this study,totally 18 AP2 family members were identified from the Perilla frutescens ge-nome and analyzed for gene structure,conserved motifs,and cis-acting elements using bioinformatics.WRINKLED1(WRI1)is a key regulator of lipid biosynthesis in many plant species and plays an impor-tant role in the regulation of lipid synthesis.Sequence comparison revealed that one member of WRI1 is highly homologous to AtWRI1 and contains two conserved AP2 domains,named PfWRI1.The expression levels of PfAP2 family genes were analyzed in different tissues of Perilla frutescens and at different stages of seed development in conjunction with the transcriptome data,and the results showed that PfWRI1 is highly expressed only in the seeds of Perilla frutescens,suggesting that PfWRI1 may be related to the de-velopmental process of the seeds.The overexpression vector of plant pCAMBIA1303-PfWRI1 was con-structed,and wild-type(Col)and mutant(wri1-1)Arabidopsis thaliana were transformed by Agrobacte-rium tumefaciens to obtain overexpression and complementation lines,respectively.The results showed that the expression of P fWRI1 led to an increase in oil content of Arabidopsis seeds by 8.90%-13.57%compared with Col,and promoted the accumulation of oleic acid(C18:1)and linoleic acid(18:2)and reduced the accumulation of palmitic acid(C16:0),arachidonic acid(C20:0),and cis-11-Eicosenoic acid(C20:1)in transgenic Arabidopsis seeds.In addition,PfWRI1 gene expression increased the ex-pression of glycolysis and fatty acid biosynthesis-related genes AtPKP-α,AtPKP-β1,AtBCCP2,AtSUS2,and AtLIP1.Taken together,PfWRI1 may promote lipid accumulation by increasing unsaturated fatty acid content through interaction with the above genes.
8.Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Non-neonatal Tetanus Patients in Guangxi, China: An 11-year Retrospective Study (2011-2021).
Yi Wen KANG ; Guo Feng MAI ; Xiao Ling ZHU ; Shang Qin DENG ; Shi Xiong YANG ; Hong Li TENG ; Zong Xiang YUAN ; Chu Ye MO ; Jian Yan LIN ; Li YE ; Hua Min TANG
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2023;36(9):880-885
9.The Pathogenic Characteristics of the Initial Three Mpox Cases in Hunan Province, China.
Rong Jiao LIU ; Xing Yu XIANG ; Zi Xiang HE ; Qian Lai SUN ; Fu Qiang LIU ; Shuai Feng ZHOU ; Yi Wei HUANG ; Fang Cai LI ; Chao Yang HUANG ; Juan WANG ; Fang Ling HE ; Xin Hua OU ; Shi Kang LI ; Yu Ying LU ; Fan ZHANG ; Liang CAI ; Hai Ling MA ; Zhi Fei ZHAN
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2023;36(12):1167-1170
10.Advantage analysis of flow-through cell method in quality evaluation of Chinese patent medicine: a case study of Danshen Tablets.
Zhe WU ; Hong YI ; Chun LI ; Qi-Ping CUI ; Hong-Yu LIU ; Feng-Qian GUO ; Ding-Hua XIANG ; Xiao-Qian LIU ; Xiao-Li SUN
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(20):5548-5557
To explore the quality consistency evaluation method for multi-component traditional Chinese medicine and establish a dissolution evaluation method suitable for the characteristics of multi-component Chinese patent medicine, this study discussed the characteristics and advantages of the flow-through cell method in the dissolution evaluation of Chinese patent medicine by comparing the impact of the small cup method and the flow-through cell method on the dissolution behavior of water-soluble and lipid-soluble major active components of Danshen Tablets. Dissolution tests were performed using the small cup method as described in the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and the newly introduced flow-through cell method(closed-loop method) with water solution containing 0.5% SDS as dissolution medium. Cumulative dissolution curves of the water-soluble component salvianolic acid B and the lipid-soluble component tanshinone Ⅱ_A in Danshen Tablets were plotted, and fitting and similarity analysis of the dissolution models was conducted to identify the characteristics and advantages of the flow-through cell method. For the small cup method, 150 mL of water containing 0.5% SDS was used as the dissolution medium, with a rotation speed of 75 r·min~(-1) and a temperature of(37±0.5) ℃, and 3 mL of samples were taken at 15, 30 min, 1, 2, and 4 h, with fresh dissolution medium added at the same temperature and volume. For the flow-through cell method, a closed-loop system was used. Danshen Tablets were placed in the flow-through cell with approximately 6.7 g of glass beads, and 150 mL of water containing 0.5% SDS was used as the dissolution medium. The flow rate was set at 20 mL·min~(-1), and the temperature and sampling were the same as the small cup method. The results showed that compared with the small cup method, the flow-through cell method had stronger discriminative power and higher sensitivity in distinguishing the dissolution behavior of the two components, and could better reflect the differences in formulation quality, especially for water-insoluble lipid-soluble components. Given that there were no essential differences in the in vitro release kinetics between the two methods, the flow-through cell method could not only replace the traditional small cup method but also better guide the formulation development and identify quality issues of formulations.
Salvia miltiorrhiza
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Medicine, Chinese Traditional
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Tablets
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Water
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Lipids
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Solubility

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