1.Role and mechanism of alkaloid components of traditional Chinese medicine against knee osteoarthritis
Xuyu SHEN ; Chengnuo LUO ; Xiaoyun ZHANG ; Zhouying JIANG ; Yuan CHAI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(11):2368-2376
BACKGROUND:At present,modern medical treatment has certain limitations on the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.Traditional Chinese medicine alkaloids can effectively prevent and treat knee osteoarthritis through various mechanisms. OBJECTIVE:To review the mechanism of alkaloids in traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of knee osteoarthritis,providing a scientific basis for the clinical development of drugs for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. METHODS:CNKI,WanFang,PubMed,Web of Science and Google Scholar were retrieved for relevant literature published from database inception to May 2024.The key words were"knee osteoarthritis""osteoarthritis""osteoclast""chondrocyte""alkaloids"in Chinese and English.Duplicates and obsolete non-referenced literature were excluded,and a total of 68 eligible papers were included for further review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Although traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of treating knee osteoarthritis,only a small number of natural compounds are in the preclinical stage of research against knee osteoarthritis.Alkaloids have a greater potential for the prevention and treatment of knee osteoarthritis,among which,sophocarpidine,oxymatrine,sinomenine,and betaine have been shown to be effective in the prevention and treatment of knee osteoarthritis by modulating multiple signaling pathways.Alkaloids can delay the progression of knee osteoarthritis by inhibiting inflammatory response,exerting antioxidant response,inhibiting chondrocyte apoptosis,promoting chondrocyte proliferation,and inhibiting osteoclast formation and differentiation.
2.Plasma and hepatic free fatty acid, tricarboxylic acid cycle, and ketone bodies metabolic profiles in progressive Gao-Binge model
Anqin LI ; Luxin PANG ; Yuanyuan CHAI ; Qinwei YU ; Zhenzhou JIANG ; Luyong WANG
Journal of China Pharmaceutical University 2025;56(2):196-206
To investigate the correlation between hepatic lipid accumulation and the metabolic profiles of free fatty acids(FFAs), tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and ketone body in alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD), a chronic plus acute alcohol feeding model (Gao-Binge model) was employed using C57BL/6N mice to simulate different stages of AFLD. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was employed to measure the levels of FFAs, TCA cycle intermediates, and ketone bodies in mouse liver tissue and plasma, followed by Pearson correlation analysis. The study revealed that both acute and chronic models showed significant increases in total FFAs, saturated FFAs and short-chain FFAs, as well as β-hydroxybutyric acid(HDBT) in plasma and liver, indicating FFA metabolic profile disturbances in the Gao-Binge model. Moreover, in both models, acetic acid (AA), 2-Methylbutyric acid (2-meBA), and HDBT displayed strong positive correlations with hepatic injury markers in plasma and liver samples (for instance, in the acute model plasma data, r = 0.834, 0.699, 0.818, P<0.05), while pyruvic acid (PRA) showed a strong negative correlation (r = −0.66, P<0.05). These findings suggest that FFAs, TCA cycle, and ketone body metabolism are disrupted in the alcoholic liver disease in mice model, and metabolites such as AA, 2-meBA, HDBT and PRA may serve as potential biomarkers for AFLD, which would be helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of this disease.
3.Relationship between serum IGF-1 and resistin levels and osteoporosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Fan GUO ; Zhibo GUO ; Chunyan CHAI ; Danyang LIU ; Zhifang JIANG
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2025;36(4):110-113
Objective To study the relationship between serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and resistin levels and osteoporosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods This study was conducted on 306 T2DM patients admitted to Baoding No.2 Central Hospital from January 2018 to January 2022. According to the detection results of bone mineral density, the patients were divided into osteoporosis group (T≤-2.5) and non-osteoporosis group (T>-2.5). The differences in IGF-1, resistin and bone mineral density were compared between the two groups. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between serum IGF-1 and resistin levels and bone mineral density in patients with osteoporosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was applied to evaluate the application value of IGF-1 and resistin in predicting osteoporosis in patients with T2DM. Patients with T2DM complicated with osteoporosis were followed up for 2 years, and the occurrence of fractures was assessed. After univariate analysis, multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to screen the risk factors for fractures in T2DM patients with osteoporosis. Results The incidence rate of osteoporosis in patients with T2DM was 53.59% (164/306). The IGF-1 level and bone mineral density level in the osteoporosis group were lower than those in the non-osteoporosis group, while the level of resistin was higher than that in the non-osteoporosis group (P<0.05). Serum IGF-1 in patients with osteoporosis was positively correlated with bone mineral density, and serum resistin was negatively correlated with bone mineral density (P<0.05). The AUC, sensitivity and specificity of combination of IGF-1 and resistin in predicting osteoporosis were 0.888, 82.93% and 62.68% respectively, which were all higher than those of single factor prediction (P<0.05). The 164 T2DM patients with osteoporosis were followed up for two years, and 15 patients developed fragility fractures, with the incidence of fracture of 9.15% (15/164). Multivariate analysis showed that hypoproteinemia, high-intensity exercise, lack of nutritional management, low IGF-1, and high resistin were risk factors for fractures in patients with T2DM complicated with osteoporosis (P<0.05). Conclusion For patients with T2DM, the incidence rates of osteoporosis and fractures are high. The levels of IGF-1 and resistin are closely related to bone mineral density, which can be combined to predict osteoporosis. Hypoproteinemia, high-intensity exercise, lack of nutritional management, low IGF-1 and high resistin are risk factors for fractures in T2DM patients with osteoporosis. It is necessary to carry out targeted preventive measures in clinical practice to reduce the incidence rate of fractures.
4.Association of physical exercise willingness and insomnia with depressive symptoms among college students
YIN Wenlong, CHAI Yehong, CHENG Tianbao, JIANG Zhihua, SUN Xiaolong, ZHANG Yi, WAN Yuhui
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(8):1147-1150
Objective:
To understand the association of physical exercise willingness and insomnia with depressive symptoms among college students, so as to provide reference for improving depressive symptoms of college students.
Methods:
From October 2022 to April 2023, cluster sampling was used to recruit 11 101 college students from four colleges in Anhui Province. The questionnaire survey was conducted to investigate the willingness to engage in physical exercise, insomnia and depressive symptoms of college students. The multivariate Logistic regression model was used to analyze the association of physical exercise willingness and insomnia with depressive symptoms of college students.
Results:
The prevalence of depressive symptoms among college students was 9.24%. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that college students who were passive participants/non participants in physical activity, or who experienced insomnia, had a higher likelihood of depressive symptoms compared to those who were active participants or did not experience insomnia ( OR =1.84, 2.07, 4.02, all P <0.01). College students who were passive participants or non participants in physical activity and concurrently experienced insomnia had a higher risk of depressive symptoms compared with those who were active participants or did not experience insomnia ( OR =1.87-8.39, all P <0.01). Gender stratified analysis showed that the combined effect of passive physical exercise and insomnia increased the risk of depressive symptoms in both male ( OR = 1.81 -9.87) and female college students ( OR =1.67-7.39) (all P <0.05).
Conclusions
Both physical exercise willingness and insomnia are associated with depressive symptoms in college students. In order to improve the depressive symptoms of college students, it is necessary to improve the enthusiasm of physical exercise and strengthen the education of sleep health awareness.
5.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.
6.Identification of a natural PLA2 inhibitor from the marine fungus Aspergillus sp. c1 for MAFLD treatment that suppressed lipotoxicity by inhibiting the IRE-1α/XBP-1s axis and JNK signaling.
Yong RAO ; Rui SU ; Chenyan WU ; Xingxing CHAI ; Jinjian LI ; Guanyu YANG ; Junjie WU ; Tingting FU ; Zhongping JIANG ; Zhikai GUO ; Congjun XU ; Ling HUANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2024;14(1):304-318
Lipotoxicity is a pivotal factor that initiates and exacerbates liver injury and is involved in the development of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). However, there are few reported lipotoxicity inhibitors. Here, we identified a natural anti-lipotoxicity candidate, HN-001, from the marine fungus Aspergillus sp. C1. HN-001 dose- and time- dependently reversed palmitic acid (PA)-induced hepatocyte death. This protection was associated with IRE-1α-mediated XBP-1 splicing inhibition, which resulted in suppression of XBP-1s nuclear translocation and transcriptional regulation. Knockdown of XBP-1s attenuated lipotoxicity, but no additional ameliorative effect of HN-001 on lipotoxicity was observed in XBP-1s knockdown hepatocytes. Notably, the ER stress and lipotoxicity amelioration was associated with PLA2. Both HN-001 and the PLA2 inhibitor MAFP inhibited PLA2 activity, reduced lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) level, subsequently ameliorated lipotoxicity. In contrast, overexpression of PLA2 caused exacerbation of lipotoxicity and weakened the anti-lipotoxic effects of HN-001. Additionally, HN-001 treatment suppressed the downstream pro-apoptotic JNK pathway. In vivo, chronic administration of HN-001 (i.p.) in mice alleviated all manifestations of MAFLD, including hepatic steatosis, liver injury, inflammation, and fibrogenesis. These effects were correlated with PLA2/IRE-1α/XBP-1s axis and JNK signaling suppression. These data indicate that HN-001 has therapeutic potential for MAFLD because it suppresses lipotoxicity, and provide a natural structural basis for developing anti-MAFLD candidates.
7.Interpretation and reflection on the Measures for the Administration of Standards for Medicinal Products
Mengxia ZHAO ; Lina SUN ; Dan XU ; Wen CHAI ; Xuekong JIANG ; Zhihai MAO ; Shengliang HE
China Pharmacy 2024;35(7):783-786
In July 2023, the National Medical Products Administration issued the Measures for the Administration of Standards for Medicinal Products (hereinafter referred to as the Measures). This article interprets the main content of the Measures, and analyzes its shortcomings as unclear definition of the drug standard code and the goals of drug standard information construction. It is recommended that the national drug regulatory department promptly apply to the standardization authority for the confirmation of the drug standard code “YB” letter, and the drug standard code and numbering rules would be included in the next round of amendments to the Measures. It is necessary to clarify the construction goals of the information system for drug standards at the same time, and build a national drug standard data-sharing platform based on the basic framework of user interface layer, computing processing layer, and data storage layer. Digital drug standards will be free, and access and download services for the public will be provided.
8.Short-axis cine cardiac magnetic resonance images-derived radiomics for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and healthy control classification
Qiming LIU ; Qifan LU ; Yezi CHAI ; Meng JIANG ; Jun PU
Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University(Medical Science) 2024;44(1):79-86
Objective·To analyze the differences and classify hypertrophic cardiomyopathy(HCM)patients and healthy controls(HC)using short-axis cine cardiac magnetic resonance(CMR)images-derived radiomics features.Methods·One hundred HCM subjects were included,and fifty HC were randomly selected at 2∶1 ratio during January 2018 to December 2021 in the Department of Cardiology,Renji Hospital,Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine.The CMR examinations were performed by experienced radiologists on these subjects.CVI 42 post-processing software was used to obtain left ventricular morphology and function measurements,including left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),left ventricular end-diastolic volume(LVEDV)and left ventricular end-diastolic mass(LVEDM).The 3D radiomic features of the end-diastolic myocardial region were extracted from short-axis images CMR cine.The distribution of the radiomic features in the two groups was analysed and machine learning models were constructed to classify the two groups.Results·One hundred and seven 3D radiomic features were selected and extracted.After exclusion of highly correlated features,least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO)was used,and a 5-fold cross-validation was performed.There were still 11 characteristics with non-zero coefficients.The K-best method was used to decide the top 8 features for subsequent analysis.Among them,four features were significantly different between the two groups(all P<0.05).Support vector machine(SVM)and random forest(RF)models were constructed to discriminate the two groups.The results showed that the maximum area under the curve(AUC)for the single-feature model(first order grayscale:entropy)was 0.833(95%CI 0.685?0.968)and the maximum accuracy for the multi-feature model was 83.3%with an AUC of 0.882(95%CI 0.705?0.980).Conclusion·There are significant differences in both left ventricular function and left ventricular morphology between HCM and HC.The 3D myocardial radiomic features of the two groups are also significantly different.Although single feature is able to distinguish the two groups,the combination of multi-features show better classification performance.
9.Adiponectin gene polymorphism and postpartum type 2 diabetes in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus
Xianghua LYU ; Yun CHAI ; Na XIAN ; Yanan ZHANG ; Yaqi FENG ; Danni XU ; Huamei JIANG
Journal of Chinese Physician 2024;26(2):191-195
Objective:To investigate the relationship between adiponectin (ADIPOQ) gene polymorphism and postpartum type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on 236 GDM postpartum women admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College from June 2020 to June 2021 as observation subjects. They were divided into a T2DM group and a non T2DM group based on the occurrence of T2DM after delivery. The clinical data of the two groups were compared. The double deoxygenation end termination method was used to detect the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the ADIPOQ gene, and the four loci rs17366568, rs822395, rs1501299, and rs2241766 were classified. The relationship between ADIPOQ genotype polymorphism and postpartum T2DM was analyzed using a logistic regression model.Results:The G allele carrying the rs2241766 locus in ADIPOQ gene was negatively correlated with the occurrence of T2DM ( OR=0.71, 0.68, P<0.05). Compared with T2DM patients with TT genotype, the GT+ GG genotype at the rs2241766 locus had a lower risk of occurrence for gestational age ≥2 and HbA 1c>85%. Similarly, T2DM patients with pre pregnancy body mass index (BMI)>25 kg/m 2 were more likely to be carriers of the rs2241766 TT genotype ( P=0.026). The (GT+ TT) genotype carrying the T allele at the rs1501299 locus was a protective factor for gestational age and HbA 1c in T2DM patients. Conclusions:The rs2241766 and rs1501299 polymorphisms of the ADIPOQ gene are associated with susceptibility to postpartum T2DM in GDM women. Individuals with rs2241766 and rs1501299 mutant genotypes belong to the high-risk population for T2DM.
10.Visual treatment solution-assisted acetabular mirror reconstruction for patients with Crowe type Ⅱ-Ⅲ developmental dysplasia of the hip
Wei CHAI ; Bohan ZHANG ; Xiangpeng KONG ; Hong ZHANG ; Yonggang ZHOU ; Qing JIANG
Chinese Journal of Orthopaedics 2024;44(6):345-353
Objective:To analyze the feasibility and clinical efficacy of mirror reconstruction in total hip arthroplasty (THA) assisted by visual treatment solution (VTS) for patients with Crowe type II-III developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH).Methods:Included in this study were 67 patients (67 hips) with unilateral Crowe type II-III DDH undergoing primary THA from June 2022 to August 2023. According to the reconstruction position of the rotation center, the patients were divided into mirror group and high group. There were 37 patients (37 hips) in the mirror group, reconstructed by referring to the rotation center of contralateral normal hip, with 8 males and 27 females, aged 40.9±16.7 years old and 30 patients (30 hips) in the high group, reconstructed by the "high hip center" strategy, with 7 males and 23 females, aged 38.3±11.1 years old. The radiographic results between the affected hip and the normal hip in 12 months postoperatively and the clinical results before and after the operation were compared.Results:All the operations for patients with Crowe type II-III DDH were completed successfully. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss and the follow-up time in the mirror group were 113.9±22.9 min, 287.8 ±181.6 ml and 12.8±1.8 months, respectively, while those in the high group were 118.0±26.2 min, 293.3±125.8 ml and 13.7±2.3 months respectively without significant difference between the two groups. In 12 months postoperatively the rotation center height, greater trochanter height and femoral offset of 37 hips in the mirror group were 16.1±3.8 mm, 17.7±5.2 mm and 34.4 ±5.1 mm, respectively, which were not significantly different from those of the normal side, while the HHS and WOMAC osteoarthritis index were significantly improved compared to those before operation from 32.3±5.3 and 76.9±5.4 points to 84.3±6.3 and 9.4±2.5 points ( t=-34.222, P<0.001; t=64.486, P<0.001). In the high group, the rotational center height, greater trochanter height and femoral offset of 30 hips were 27.9±3.7 mm, 25.4 ±7.9 mm and 35.4 ±6.2 mm, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the normal side ( t=-15.706, P<0.001; t=-6.494, P<0.001; t=-2.555, P=0.016), and the HHS and WOMAC osteoarthritis index were significantly improved compared to those before operation from 30.9±4.8 and 78.7±5.3 points to 79.5±4.9 and 13.9±3.3 points ( t=-37.339, P<0.001; t=64.375, P<0.001). The HHS and WOMAC osteoarthritis index in the mirror group significantly improved compared with the high group in 12 months postoperatively ( t=3.404, P=0.001; t=-6.315, P<0.001). The X-ray at last follow-up showed that all prostheses were in a stable position. Conclusion:Compared with the high hip center reconstruction, satisfactory outcomes in terms of functional recovery and radiographic evaluation could be achieved in patients with Crowe type II-III DDH undergoing VTS-assisted THA of mirror reconstruction. The application of mirror reconstruction is expected to achieve the goal of restoring the anatomical structure and function of the primary hip after THA.


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