1.The effect of rutaecarpine on improving fatty liver and osteoporosis in MAFLD mice
Yu-hao ZHANG ; Yi-ning LI ; Xin-hai JIANG ; Wei-zhi WANG ; Shun-wang LI ; Ren SHENG ; Li-juan LEI ; Yu-yan ZHANG ; Jing-rui WANG ; Xin-wei WEI ; Yan-ni XU ; Yan LIN ; Lin TANG ; Shu-yi SI
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2025;60(1):141-149
Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and osteoporosis (OP) are two very common metabolic diseases. A growing body of experimental evidence supports a pathophysiological link between MAFLD and OP. MAFLD is often associated with the development of OP. Rutaecarpine (RUT) is one of the main active components of Chinese medicine Euodiae Fructus. Our previous studies have demonstrated that RUT has lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic effects, and can improve the OP of rats. However, whether RUT can improve both fatty liver and OP symptoms of MAFLD mice at the same time remains to be investigated. In this study, we used C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 months to construct a MAFLD model, and gave the mice a low dose (5 mg·kg-1) and a high dose (15 mg·kg-1) of RUT by gavage for 4 weeks. The effects of RUT on liver steatosis and bone metabolism were then evaluated at the end of the experiment [this experiment was approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (approval number: IMB-20190124D303)]. The results showed that RUT treatment significantly reduced hepatic steatosis and lipid accumulation, and significantly reduced bone loss and promoted bone formation. In summary, this study shows that RUT has an effect of improving fatty liver and OP in MAFLD mice.
2.Proportions of memory T cells and expression of their associated cytokines in lymph nodes of mice infected with Echinococcus multilocularis
Yinshi LI ; Duolikun ADILAI ; Bingqing DENG ; Ainiwaer ABIDAN ; Sheng SUN ; Wenying XIAO ; Conghui GE ; Na TANG ; Jing LI ; Hui WANG ; Tao JIANG ; Chuanshan ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2025;37(2):136-143
Objective To investigate the effects of Echinococcus multilocularis infection on levels of memory T (Tm) cells and their subsets in lymph nodes of mice at different stages of infection, so as to provide new insights into immunotherapy for alveolarechinococcosis. MethodsTwenty-four C57BL/6J mice aged 6 to 9 weeks were randomly divided into the infection group and the control group, of 12 mice in each group. Mice in the infection group were administered with 3 000 E. multilocularis protoscoleces via portal venous injection, while animals in the control group were administered with an equal volume of physiological saline. Three mice from each group were sacrificed 4, 12 weeks and 24 weeks post-infection, and lymph nodes were sampled and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) to investigate the histopathological changes of mouse lymph nodes in the infection group. The expression and localization of T lymphocyte surface markers CD3, CD4, and CD8 were observed in mouse lymph nodes using immunohistochemical staining. In addition, lymphocyte suspensions were prepared from mouse lymph nodes in both groups at different time points post-infection, and the levels of Tm cell subsets and their secreted cytokines were detected using flow cytometry. Results HE staining showed diffuse structural alterations in the subcapsular cortical and paracortical regions of mouse lymph nodes in the infection group 4 weeks post-infection with E. multilocularis. Immunohistochemical staining detected CD3, CD4 and CD8 expression in mouse lymph nodes in both groups. Flow cytometry revealed higher proportions of CD4+ Tm cells [(55.3 ± 4.8)% vs. (38.8 ± 6.1)%; t = -4.259, P < 0.05] and CD4+ tissue-resident Tm (Trm) cells [(57.7 ± 3.7)% vs. (34.1 ± 11.2)%; t = -3.990, P < 0.05] in mouse lymph nodes in the infection group than in the control group 4 weeks post-infection, and higher proportions of CD4+ Tm cells [(34.6 ± 3.2)% vs. (23.3 ± 7.5)%; t = -2.764, P < 0.05] and CD4+ Trm cells [(44.0 ± 1.9)% vs. (31.2 ± 1.5)%; t = -4.039, P < 0.05] in mouse lymph nodes in the infection group than in the control group 24 weeks post-infection. The proportions of CD8+ Tm cells were higher in the infection group than in the control group 4 weeks [(56.8 ± 2.7)% vs. (43.9 ± 5.2)%; t = -4.416, P < 0.01] and 12 weeks post-infection [(25.4 ± 2.7)% vs. (12.0 ± 2.6)%; t = -2.552, P < 0.05], while the proportions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α+ CD4+ T cells [(15.7 ± 5.0)% vs. (49.4 ± 6.4)%; t = 7.150, P < 0.01], TNF-α+CD8+ T cells [(20.7 ± 5.5)% vs. (57.5 ± 8.4)%; t = -6.694, P < 0.01], and TNF-α+ CD8+ Tm cells [7.0% (1.0%) vs. 31.0% (11.0%); Z = -2.236, P < 0.05] were lower in the infection group than in the control group 24 weeks post-infection. Conclusions Tm cells levels are consistently increased in lymph nodes of mice at different stages of E. multilocularis infection, with Trm cells as the predominantly elevated subset. The impaired capacity of CD8+ Tm cells to secrete the effector molecule TNF-α in mouse lymph nodes at the late-stage infection may facilitate chronic parasitism of E. multilocularis.
3.Investigation on the current status and optimization strategies for the standardized on-the-job training for community clinical pharmacists in Shanghai
Yangjiayi XIANG ; Jing SHENG ; Liping WANG ; Lie LUO ; Yuan YUAN ; Xiaodan ZHANG ; Yan LI ; Bin WANG ; Guanghui LI
China Pharmacy 2025;36(13):1568-1573
OBJECTIVE To systematically investigate the current status and effectiveness of the standardized on-the-job training program for community clinical pharmacists in Shanghai, and to provide a scientific basis for optimizing the training scheme. METHODS A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect the data from trainees and mentor pharmacists who participated in the program between 2016 and 2024. The survey examined their basic information, evaluations of the training scheme, satisfaction with training outcomes, and suggestions for improvement. Statistical analyses were also conducted. RESULTS A total of 420 valid responses were collected, including 340 from trainees and 80 from mentor pharmacists. Before training, only 30.29% of trainees were engaged in clinical pharmacy-related work, whereas this proportion increased to 73.24% after training. Most mentor pharmacists had extensive experience in clinical pharmacy (76.25% with ≥5 years of experience) and mentoring (78.75% with ≥3 teaching sessions). Totally 65.59% of trainees and 55.00% of mentor pharmacists believed that blended training yielded the best learning outcomes. Over 80.00% of both trainees and mentor pharmacists considered the overall training duration, theoretical study time, and practical training time to be reasonable. More than 95.00% of trainees and mentor pharmacists agreed that the homework and assessment schemes were appropriate. Trainees rated the relevance of training content to their actual work highly (with an average relevance score >4.5), though they perceived the chronic disease medication therapy management module as significantly more challenging than the prescription review and evaluation module and the home-based pharmaceutical care module. The average satisfaction score of trainees and mentor pharmacists with the training effectiveness of each project was above 4 points, indicating a high overall satisfaction. Inadequate provision of teaching resources was unanimously recognized by trainees and mentor pharmacists as the key area requiring improvement. CONCLUSIONS The standardized on-the-job training program for community clinical pharmacists in Shanghai has contributed to improving pharmaceutical services in community healthcare settings. However, ongoing improvements must concentrate on content design, resource development, and faculty cultivation.
4.Role of NF-κB Signaling Pathway in "Reflux Esophagitis-esophageal Cancer" and Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention:A Review
Mingyao XU ; Liqun LI ; Xin LIU ; Zhiwen SHEN ; Xiaoning ZHANG ; Jing HUANG ; Jiaqi YIN ; Zhu LIU ; Sheng XIE
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(2):221-233
Reflux esophagitis is an inflammatory disease of esophageal mucosa damage caused by the reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus. Its incidence is on the rise, and it has become an important precancerous disease of esophageal cancer. Studies have shown that the continuous inflammatory response stimulates the esophageal mucosa, causing abnormal proliferation of esophageal epithelial cells and damage to esophageal mucosal tissue, which eventually leads to the occurrence of heterogeneous hyperplasia and even carcinogenesis. The nuclear transcription factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway is one of the most classical inflammatory and cancer signaling pathways. It has been found that abnormal activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway is crucial to the development and prognosis of reflux esophagitis and esophageal cancer. It is widely involved in the proliferation, autophagy, apoptosis, and inflammatory response of esophageal epithelial cells and tumor cells, accelerating the transformation of reflux esophagitis to esophageal cancer and making it a potential target for the treatment of reflux esophagitis and esophageal cancer. Currently, there is no specific treatment for reflux esophagitis and esophageal cancer, and large side effects often appear. Therefore, finding a promising and safe drug remains a top priority. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine scholars have conducted a lot of research on NF-κB signaling pathway, and the results indicate that NF-κB signaling pathway is an important potential target for traditional Chinese medicine to prevent and treat reflux esophagitis and esophageal cancer, but there is a lack of comprehensive and systematic elaboration. Therefore, this paper summarized the relevant studies in recent years, analyzed the relationship among NF-κB signaling pathway, reflux esophagitis, esophageal cancer, and transformation from inflammation to cancer, and reviewed the research literature on the regulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway in traditional Chinese medicine to prevent and treat reflux esophagitis and esophageal cancer, so as to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of reflux esophagitis and esophageal cancer.
5.Research progress on the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine intervening in esophageal cancer by microRNA regulation
Zhiwen SHEN ; Liqun LI ; Mingyao XU ; Xin LIU ; Jing HUANG ; Xiaoning ZHANG ; Jiaqi YIN ; Sheng XIE
China Pharmacy 2024;35(8):1016-1022
Esophageal cancer (EC) is a common malignant tumor of the digestive system with an extremely poor prognosis. MicroRNA (miRNA) is an important regulator in tumor occurrence and development, and can participate in malignant biological behaviors such as tumor cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis and apoptosis. Traditional Chinese medicine has the characteristics of accurate curative effects, wide range of effects, and few side effects. The review uses miRNA as the entry point to systematically elaborate on the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine-mediated miRNA intervening in EC. The results showed that active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine (including curcumin, Tussilago farfara polysaccharides, Atractylodes macrocephala polysaccharides and ophiopogonin B) and Dougen guanshitong oral liquid could up-regulate the expressions of miRNAs such as miRNA-532-3p (miR-532-3p), miR-551b-3p, miR-99a, miR-34a, miR-199a-3p and miR-377; and the active ingredients/parts of traditional Chinese medicine (including chrysin and Actinidia arguta extract), and Chinese herbal formulas (including Chaihu shugan san combined with Xuanfu daizhe decoction and Modified jupi zhuru decoction) could down-regulate the expressions of miRNAs such as miR-199a-3p, miR-451 and miR-21, which could regulate the expressions of signaling pathways (phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B, etc.) or their downstream protein(zinc-finger and homeobox protein 1, etc.) or enzymes(thymidine kinase-1, etc.), inhibit the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of EC cells and induce apoptosis, thereby ultimately achieving the purpose of preventing the disease from aggravating.
6.Trajectories and influencing factors of post-traumatic stress disorder in women with multiple in vitro fertilization embryo transfer failures
Yanhua SUN ; Jing ZHAO ; Yanmei HU ; Xia WANG ; Xiaohui SHENG ; Xiaoyue ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Practical Nursing 2024;40(2):129-136
Objective:To explore the potential categories of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) trajectories in women with multiple in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) failures, and to analyze the effects of different demographic characteristics and psychological factors on the potential categories of PTSD trajectories.Methods:This was a prospective empirical research, from May 2021 to October 2022, women with IVF-ET failure ≥ 2 times in the reproductive department of Shanghai First People′s Hospital from May 2021 to October 2022 were selected as the research objects. Post-traumatic stress disorder civilian version scale was used for 4 follow-ups at 3 d (T1), 10 d (T2), 20 d (T3) after the last transplantation failure and 3 d before the next transplantation cycle (T4). Telephone follow-up and online follow-up were combined to obtain the PTSD level at 4 time points. Potential categories of PTSD score trajectories at four time points were identified using a latent category growth model, and analyze influencing factors using unordered multi classification logistic analysis.Results:Totally 196 IVF-ET women were admitted, aged (29.42 ± 4.13) years. Three PTSD trajectories were fitted in this study, including 82 cases (42%) in non-PTSD group, 61 cases (31%) in mild PTSD group and 53 cases (27%) in elevated PTSD group. Logistic regression analysis showed that age, education level, fertility pressure and marital adjustment level were the predictors of PTSD trajectory in women with multiple IVF-ET failures. Compared with the non-PTSD group, women aged ≥35 years, with lower education level and marital adjustment level were more likely to enter the elevated PTSD group ( OR=4.570, 8.540, 0.949, all P<0.05). Women aged 35 years and with greater reproductive pressure were more likely to enter the mild PTSD group ( OR=3.871, 1.063, both P<0.05). Conclusions:There is group heterogeneity in the trajectories of PTSD in women with multiple IVF-ET failures in the next transplantation cycle. Old age, low education level, high fertility pressure and poor marital adjustment can predict the trajectories of PTSD. Fertility stress and marriage adjustment are changeable variables. Medical staff can relieve women′s fertility pressure through health education and mindfulness intervention, promote a good state of marriage adjustment, and minimize the adverse effects of PTSD on the next cycle of conception.
7.A new pyrazine from Hypecoum erectum L.
Yun LIU ; Meng-ya HU ; Wen-jing ZHANG ; Yu-xin FAN ; Rui-wen XU ; Deng-hui ZHU ; Yan-jun SUN ; Wei-sheng FENG ; Hui CHEN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(1):183-187
Four pyrazines were isolated from the
8.The Versatile Tool: CRISPR/Cas12a System for Nucleic Acid Detection
Sheng DANG ; Shuai ZHANG ; Jing-Bo ZHAI
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2024;51(4):785-796
The CRISPR/Cas system consists of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated genes (Cas). The system forms an adaptive immune system in archaea and bacteria. The inherent defense mechanism enables these microorganisms to protect themselves against the invasion of foreign genetic material. The system functions of immune response including three main stages: adaptation, expression/maturation, and interference, each stage needs specific Cas proteins encoded by Cas gene located near the CRISPR sequences, along with other auxiliary proteins. In 2015, Zhang et al. reportedCas12a (Cpf1) as a member of the Class II type V CRISPR/Cas12a system, which possesses endonuclease activity. This finding holds great promise for its application in the field of biotechnology. In 2018, Doudna’s team first applied the CRISPR/Cas12a system for detecting HPV nucleic acid. The system comprises the following essential components in vitro detection: Cas12a, the crRNA sequence complementary to the target DNA, the PAM sequence, and the ssDNA reporter. Cas12a possesses a typical RuvC domain, displaying a canonical bilobed architecture that consists of a recognition (REC) lobe and a nuclease (NUC) lobe. The REC lobe contains the REC1 and REC2 domains, and the NUC lobe includes RuvC, PAM-interacting (PI), Wedge (WED), and bridge helix (BH) domains. The mature crRNA for Cas12a has a length of 42-44 nt, consists of repeat sequence (19/20 nt) and spacer sequence (23-25 nt). The crRNA spacer sequence has been found to require a length of 18 nt to achieve complete cleavage activity in vitro. Additionally, mutation in the bases of crRNA can indeed affect the activity of Cas12a. The PAM sequence plays a critical role in the recognition and degradation of DNA by the CRISPR/Cas system, enabling the system to distinguish between self and non-self genomic materials. Cas12a can effectively target the spacer sequence downstream of a T-rich PAM sequence at the 5' end. LbCas12a and AsCas12a both recognize the PAM sequences of 5'-TTTN-3', while FnCas12a recognizes the PAM sequences of 5'-TTN-3'. All of these PAM sequences are located upstream on the non-template strand (NTS) at the 5' end. Cas12a (Cpf1), guided by the crRNA, binds to the target DNA by recognizing the PAM sequence. It exhibits the ability to induce arbitrary cleavage of ssDNA within the system while cleaving the target ssDNA or dsDNA. According to this feature, an array of nucleic acid detection methods has been developed for tumor detection and infection diagnostics, such as the DETECTR (RPA-CRISPR/Cas12a method) and HOLMES (PCR-CRISPR/Cas12a method) in 2018. Then, in 2019, Cas12aVDet (one-step detection method), where Cas12a protein was immobilized on the upper wall of the reaction tube. This not only prevented contamination from opening the tube but also reduced the detection reaction time. In 2021, the dWS-CRISPR (digital warm-start CRISPR) was developed as a one-pot detection method. It serves as an accurate approach for quantitatively detectingSARS-CoV-2 in clinical specimens. With the innovation of scientific technology, the high-sensitivity signal transduction technology has also been integrated with the CRISPR/Cas12a system, enabling direct detection of nucleic acids, and eliminating the need for nucleic acid amplification steps. Here, we elaborated the detection principles of CRISPR/Cas12a in in vitro detection. We discussed the different stages leading to the catalytic pathway of target DNA, and the practical applications of Cas12a in nucleic acid detection. These findings revealed a target interference mechanism that originates from the binding of Cas12a-guided RNA complex to complementary DNA sequences within PAM-dependent (dsDNA) regions. The crRNA-DNA binding activates Cas12a, enabling site-specific dsDNA cleavage and non-specific ssDNA trans-cleavage. The release of Cas12a ssDNase activity provides a novel approach to enhance the sensitivity and specificity of molecular diagnostic applications. Before these CRISPR/Cas12a-based nucleic acid detection methods can be introduced into clinical use, substantial work is still required to ensure the accuracy of diagnosis. Nevertheless, we believe that these innovative detection tools based on CRISPR/Cas will revolutionize future diagnostic technologies, particularly offering significant assistance in pathogen infection diagnosis for developing countries with relatively poor healthcare conditions and high prevalence of infectious diseases.
9.Interactions Between Intelligent Animals and Electronic Technology: Current State and Future Prospects
Jin-Jing ZHAO ; Yang-Fan ZHOU ; Bing-Ao ZHANG ; Ming YI ; Hong JIANG ; Sheng-Yong XU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2024;51(4):890-911
Human-animal interaction has a long-standing tradition dating back to ancient times. With the rapid advancements in intelligent chips, wearable devices, and machine algorithms, the intelligent interaction between animals and electronic technology, facilitated by electronic devices and systems for communication, perception, and control, has become a reality. These electronic devices aim to implement an animal-centric working mode to enhance human understanding of animals and promote the development of animal intelligence and creativity. This article takes medium-sized and large animals as research objects, with the goal of developing their ability enhancement, and introduces the concept of “intelligent animal augmentation system (IAAS)”. This concept is used to describe the characteristics of such devices and provides a comprehensive overview of existing animal and computer interface solutions. In general, IAAS can be divided into implantable and non-implantable types, each composed of interface platforms, perception and interpretation, control and instruction components. Through various levels of enhancement systems and architectural patterns, intelligent interaction between humans and animals can be realized. Although existing IAAS still lack a complete independent interaction system architecture, they hold great promise and development space in the future. Not only can they be applied as substitutes for cutting-edge devices and transportation equipment, but they are also expected to achieve cross-species information interaction through intelligent interconnection. Additionally, IAAS can promote bidirectional interaction between humans and animals, playing a significant role in advancing animal ethics and ecological protection. Furthermore, the development of interaction models based on animal subjects can provide insightful research experiences for the design of human-computer interaction systems, thereby contributing to the more efficient realization of the ambitious goal of human-machine integration.
10.Effects of Hedysarum polybotrys polysacchcaide on NF-κB/IKKβ signaling pathway in db/db mice with diabetic cardiomyopathy
Hua-Zhi ZHANG ; Zhi-Sheng JIN ; Jin-Ning SUN ; Jing SHAO ; Xiang-Xia LUO
The Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2024;40(6):849-853
Objective To investigate the effect of hedysarum polysacchcaide(HPS)on nuclear transcription factor-κB(NF-κB)/IκB kinase β(IKKβ)signaling pathway in cardiac tissue of db/db mice with diabetic cardiomyopathy(DCM).Methods Altogether 60 7-week-old male db/db mice were randomly divided into model group,control group and experimental-H,-M,-L groups,with 12 mice in each group.In addition,12 db/m mice of the same week age were selected as the normal group.Normal group and model group were given 0.9%NaCl by intragastric administration.Experimental-L,-M,-H groups were given 50,100 and 200 mg·kg-1 HPS suspension by intragastriction,respectively.Control group was given 4 mg·kg-1 rosiglitazone suspension by intragastric administration.Six groups of rats were given the drug once a day for 8 weeks.The contents of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and interleukin-6(IL-6)in myocardial tissue were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The mRNA expression levels of NF-κB and IKKβ in myocardial tissue were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction.The correlation between the expression of NF-κB protein and the content of TNF-α and IL-6 was analyzed.Results The contents of IL-6 in myocardial tissue of normal,model,control and experimental-H groups were(1.24±0.54),(7.72±0.24),(2.90±0.50)and(2.78±0.56)ng·L-1;the contents of TNF-α were(1.96±0.52),(5.25±0.72),(2.84±0.86)and(2.82±0.58)ng·L-1;the mRNA expression levels of NF-κB were I.00±0.00,3.35±0.81,2.05±0.44 and 1.67±0.22;the mRNA expression levels of IKKβ were 1.00±0.00,2.92±0.07,1.51±0.07 and 1.41±0.08,respectively.Compared with the model group,the above indexes of the control and experimental-H groups were statistically significant(P<0.01,P<0.05).The expression of NF-κB protein was positively correlated with the content of IL-6 and TNF-α,and the correlation coefficients were 0.866 and 0.740(all P<0.01).Conclusion HPS can alleviate the damage of myocardial pathology in mice,reduce myocardial collagen deposition and fibrosis,its mechanism may be through regulating the expression of NF-κB/IKKβ signaling pathway to play a role in inhibiting the inflammatory reaction.

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