1.UPLC-Q-TOF-MS Reveals Mechanisms of Modified Qing'e Formula in Delaying Skin Photoaging and Regulating Circadian Rhythm
Wanyu YANG ; Xiujun ZHANG ; Yan WANG ; Chunjing SONG ; Haoming MA ; Lifeng WANG ; Nan LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(6):88-97
ObjectiveTo reveal the active substances and mechanisms of modified Qing'e formula (MQEF) in delaying skin photoaging by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS),network pharmacology, and cell experiments. MethodsUPLC-Q-TOF-MS and a literature review were employed to analyze the transdermally absorbed components in mice after the topical application of MQEF. The potential targets of MQEF in treating skin photoaging were retrieved from databases.The compound-potential target network and protein-protein interaction network were constructed to screen the key components and core targets. A photoaging cell model was established by irradiating HaCaT cells with medium-wave ultraviolet B (UVB). The safe doses of bakuchiol (BAK) and salvianolic acid B (SAB) for treating HaCaT cells and the effects of BAK and SAB on the viability of cells exposed to UVB irradiation were determined by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) method.The reactive oxygen species (ROS) fluorescent probe was used to measure the ROS production in the cells treated with BAK and SAB.The expression levels of genes related to oxidative stress,inflammation,collagen metabolism,and circadian rhythm clock were measured by Real-time PCR. ResultsA total of 24 transdermally absorbed components of MQEF were identified,which acted on 367 potential targets,and 417 targets related to skin photoaging were screened out,among which 47 common targets were predicted as the targets of MQEF in treating skin photoaging. MQEF exerted the anti-photoaging effect via key components such as BAK and SAB,which acted on core proteins such as serine/threonine kinase 1 (Akt1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 (MAPK3) and intervened in core pathways such as the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathways.Compared with the model group,the administration of BAK and SAB increased the survival rate of HaCaT cells (P<0.01),down-regulated the mRNA levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2),interleukin-6 (IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α),matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1),and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) (P<0.01),and up-regulated the mRNA levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO-1) (P<0.05,P<0.01) in photoaged HaCaT cells.In addition,it eliminated excess ROS production induced by UVB and up-regulated the mRNA levels of brain and muscle ARNT-like 1 (BMAL1) and circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK) associated with circadian clock (P<0.05,P<0.01). ConclusionMQEF delays skin photoaging through the coordinated effects of various components,multiple targets,and diverse pathways.The key components BAK and SAB in MQEF exhibit anti-photoaging properties,which involve inhibiting oxidative stress,preventing collagen degradation,mitigating inflammation,and maintaining normal skin circadian rhythms by regulating clock gene expression.
2.Analysis of oocyte granulosa cell transcriptome data in aged women
Lifeng QIN ; Jiaqiang WANG ; Ling ZHU
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(19):4069-4075
BACKGROUND:The granulosa cell state greatly affects the quality of oocytes.As the increased proportion of aged women in assisted reproduction,granulosa cells from patients of different ages are examined at transcript levels in order to better assess oocyte quality. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the expression changes of mRNA and long non-coding RNA in granulosa cells from the young and aged patients. METHODS:Waste cumulus granulosa cells obtained during the assisted reproductive cycle.Young group was in 25-35 years old,and the aged group was in 38-45 years old.Granulosa cells collected from the young and aged females were analyzed using RNA sequencing,three replications for each group. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The RNA sequencing analysis results showed that the average sequencing volume of samples was more than 14 G;the data quality Q30 after quality control was more than 93%;the average mapping rate of data was 98.4%,which indicates that the data had good quality.(2)The results of principal component analysis and correlation analysis showed that the samples of the aged group and the young group could be clearly distinguished.(3)The difference analysis results showed that compared with the young group,a total of 410 differentially expressed mRNAs were detected in the aged group(167 up-regulated and 243 down-regulated).GO analysis results showed that the down-regulated genes were mainly enriched in regulatedexocytosis and the emetabolicprocess.GSEA analysis results showed that secretion-related pathways in the aged group were down-regulated.(4)Compared with the young group,662 differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs were detected in the aged group,and 1 772 protein-coding genes were directly regulated by these long non-coding RNAs,among which 59 genes overlaped with differentially expressed genes.The results showed that the expression of secretion-related genes and pathways in granulosa cells of the aged group was down-regulated,thus affecting oocyte quality.At the same time,these down-regulated genes were regulated by long non-coding RNA.Therefore,the expression of long non-coding RNA might be related to age.
3.Construction and Validation of a Large Language Model-Based Intelligent Pre-Consultation System for Traditional Chinese Medicine
Yiqing LIU ; Ying LI ; Hongjun YANG ; Linjing PENG ; Nanxing XIAN ; Kunning LI ; Qiwei SHI ; Hengyi TIAN ; Lifeng DONG ; Lin WANG ; Yuping ZHAO
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(9):895-900
ObjectiveTo construct a large language model (LLM)-based intelligent pre-consultation system for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to improve efficacy of clinical practice. MethodsA TCM large language model was fine-tuned using DeepSpeed ZeRO-3 distributed training strategy based on YAYI 2-30B. A weighted undirected graph network was designed and an agent-based syndrome differentiation model was established based on relationship data extracted from TCM literature and clinical records. An agent collaboration framework was developed to integrate the TCM LLM with the syndrome differentiation model. Model performance was comprehensively evaluated by Loss function, BLEU-4, and ROUGE-L metrics, through which training convergence, text generation quality, and language understanding capability were assessed. Professional knowledge test sets were developed to evaluate system proficiency in TCM physician licensure content, TCM pharmacist licensure content, TCM symptom terminology recognition, and meridian identification. Clinical tests were conducted to compare the system with attending physicians in terms of diagnostic accuracy, consultation rounds, and consultation duration. ResultsAfter 100 000 iterations, the training loss value was gradually stabilized at about 0.7±0.08, indicating that the TCM-LLM has been trained and has good generalization ability. The TCM-LLM scored 0.38 in BLEU-4 and 0.62 in ROUGE-L, suggesting that its natural language processing ability meets the standard. We obtained 2715 symptom terms, 505 relationships between diseases and syndromes, 1011 relationships between diseases and main symptoms, and 1 303 600 relationships among different symptoms, and constructed the Agent of syndrome differentiation model. The accuracy rates in the simulated tests for TCM practitioners, licensed pharmacists of Chinese materia medica, recognition of TCM symptom terminology, and meridian recognition were 94.09%, 78.00%, 87.50%, and 68.80%, respectively. In clinical tests, the syndrome differentiation accuracy of the system reached 88.33%, with fewer consultation rounds and shorter consultation time compared to the attending physicians (P<0.01), suggesting that the system has a certain pre- consultation ability. ConclusionThe LLM-based intelligent TCM pre-diagnosis system could simulate diagnostic thinking of TCM physicians to a certain extent. After understanding the patients' natural language, it collects all the patient's symptom through guided questioning, thereby enhancing the diagnostic and treatment efficiency of physicians as well as the consultation experience of the patients.
4.Effect of optimized intense pulsed light on meibomian gland morphology and function in patients with meibomian gland dysfunction
Yifan ZHOU ; Pengfei ZHANG ; Lifeng LIU ; Xinhong HAN ; Chao WANG ; Limei LIU
International Eye Science 2025;25(6):968-974
AIM: To assess the impact of optimized pulsed technology(OPT)on the morphological and functional changes of meibomian glands in patients with meibomian gland dysfunction(MGD).METHODS: This prospective case-control study enrolled 60 MGD patients(60 right eyes)treated at Weifang Eye Hospital from September 2023 to February 2024. Patients were categorized into mild, moderate, and severe groups based on the extent of meibomian gland loss, with 20 cases(20 eyes)per group. Treatments consisted of bilateral OPT combined with meibomian gland massages, administered biweekly over four sessions. Ocular surface function indicators including the ocular surface disease index(OSDI), corneal fluorescein staining(CFS), non-invasive average tear break-up time(NIBUTav), and non-invasive tear meniscus height(NITMH), as well as meibomian gland function parameters such as meibomian gland expressibility score(MGES)and meibomian gland secretion score(MGYSS)were observed and recorded before treatment and at 3 mo after final treatment. Cellular-level assessments using in vivo confocal microscopy(IVCM)examined meibomian gland acinar unit density(MGAUD), inflammatory cell density(ICD), meibomian gland acinar longest diameter(MGALD)and meibomian gland acinar shortest diameter(MGASD).RESULTS: At baseline, no significant differences were found in NITMH across groups(P>0.05). Statistical significance were observed in NIBUTav, MGES, MGYSS, MGAUD, MGALD, and MGASD(all P<0.05). Compared to the mild group, the moderate and severe groups showed significant differences in OSDI, CFS, and ICD(all P<0.05), though no significant differences existed between moderate and severe groups(all P>0.05). At 3 mo after treatment, all groups showed no significant differences in NITMH(all P>0.05). All parameters improved significantly in the mild group(all P<0.05); all indicators improved in the moderate group(P>0.05), except for MGASD before and after treatment(all P<0.05); significant improvements were noted in OSDI, CFS, and NIBUTav in the severe group(all P<0.05), while MGES and MGYSS did not differ significantly(all P>0.05). IVCM parameters(MGAUD, ICD, MGALD, and MGASD)showed no significant change in the severe group(all P>0.05).CONCLUSION:OPT effectively enhances various ocular surface functions and improves gland expressibility and secretion quality in mild to moderate MGD cases, while also positively impacting certain cellular parameters. In severe cases, where most acinar functions are lost and structural reversibility is limited, OPT can still mitigate MGD symptoms and decelerate disease progression.
5.Efficacy of laparoscopic radical cystectomy with indocyanine green fluorescence imaging versus standard lymph node dissection: a randomized comparative study
Lifeng LIU ; Na CAO ; Yansong GUO ; Hao WANG ; Xiaopeng WANG ; Fengshuo YANG ; Yuepeng HU ; Longjiang TIAN ; Dawei TIAN
Journal of Modern Urology 2025;30(3):212-214
Objective: To investigate the efficacy,safety and feasibility of regional lymph node dissection in laparoscopic radical surgery for bladder cancer under the guidance of indocyanine green fluorescence imaging. Methods: A total of 30 patients with muscle invasive bladder cancer (T2/T3NxM0) who volunteered to enter the clinical trial were randomly divided into the indocyanine green imaging guided laparoscopic regional lymph node dissection group (n=15) and the standard pelvic lymph node dissection group (n=15).The number of positive lymph nodes,operation time,intraoperative bleeding volume,incidence of lymph leakage,and tumor recurrence and metastasis rate 2-year after surgery were collected. Results: The number of positive lymph nodes was (4.20±1.66) and (4.60±1.72) respectively in the indocyanine green and standard groups,with no statistically significant difference (P>0.05).There were no statistically significant difference in the tumor recurrence and metastasis rates 2-year after surgery between the two groups (P>0.05).However,the indocyanine green group had shorter operation time,less intraoperative bleeding volume,and lower incidence of lymphatic leakage than the standard group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Indocyanine green fluorescence imaging guided laparoscopic lymph node dissection has comparable clinical efficacy to standard lymph node dissection,but with fewer complications.
6.Current disease control level of middle-aged and elderly COPD patients and its correlation with disease cognition
Yamei SONG ; Linlin LIU ; Lifeng ZHENG ; Chaobo CUI ; Ying LUAN ; Jing WANG
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2025;36(5):50-53
Objective To evaluate the current situation of disease control in middle-aged and elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and analyze the relationship with disease cognition. Methods Among the 360 middle-aged and elderly COPD patients diagnosed and treated in our hospital from January 2022 to June 2024 were retrospectively selected as research subjects, and the COPD Assessment Test Questionnaire (CAT), COPD Patient Knowledge Questionnaire (BCKQ) and the hampion Health Belief Model Scale were used to evaluate disease control, disease cognition and health beliefs in COPD patients. The Pearson chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between disease control level and disease cognition and health beliefs in older patients with COPD. Results A total of 360 middle-aged and elderly COPD patients, 112 were in the complete control group, 189 were in the partial control group, and 59 were in the uncontrolled group, the disease control rate was 83.61%. The differences in disease cognitive scores, severity cognition, susceptibility cognition, disorder cognition, benefit cognition, health motivation, self-efficacy score and total health belief scores in middle-aged and elderly COPD patients with different disease control conditions are statistically significant. The scores of the complete control group were higher than those of partial control group and uncontrolled group, and the scores of partial control group were higher than those of the uncontrolled group (P <0.05). The disease control level of middle-aged and elderly patients with COPD is positively correlated with disease cognitive level and health belief in all dimensions. The higher the disease control level, the higher the disease cognitive level and health belief in the patient . Conclusions Middle-aged and elderly COPD patients still have insufficient awareness of the disease, and the level of disease control needs to be improved. There is a significant correlation between disease cognition, health beliefs and the level of disease control, and the improved cognitive level may help to improve the disease management and control effect. For middle-aged and elderly COPD patients, the community can provide health education courses, personalized health guidance and self-management training to enhance their awareness of diseases, so as to improve the long-term management of COPD and the quality of life of patients.
7.Current disease control level of middle-aged and elderly COPD patients and its correlation with disease cognition
Yamei SONG ; Linlin LIU ; Lifeng ZHENG ; Chaobo CUI ; Ying LUAN ; Jing WANG
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2025;36(5):50-53
Objective To evaluate the current situation of disease control in middle-aged and elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and analyze the relationship with disease cognition. Methods Among the 360 middle-aged and elderly COPD patients diagnosed and treated in our hospital from January 2022 to June 2024 were retrospectively selected as research subjects, and the COPD Assessment Test Questionnaire (CAT), COPD Patient Knowledge Questionnaire (BCKQ) and the hampion Health Belief Model Scale were used to evaluate disease control, disease cognition and health beliefs in COPD patients. The Pearson chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between disease control level and disease cognition and health beliefs in older patients with COPD. Results A total of 360 middle-aged and elderly COPD patients, 112 were in the complete control group, 189 were in the partial control group, and 59 were in the uncontrolled group, the disease control rate was 83.61%. The differences in disease cognitive scores, severity cognition, susceptibility cognition, disorder cognition, benefit cognition, health motivation, self-efficacy score and total health belief scores in middle-aged and elderly COPD patients with different disease control conditions are statistically significant. The scores of the complete control group were higher than those of partial control group and uncontrolled group, and the scores of partial control group were higher than those of the uncontrolled group (P <0.05). The disease control level of middle-aged and elderly patients with COPD is positively correlated with disease cognitive level and health belief in all dimensions. The higher the disease control level, the higher the disease cognitive level and health belief in the patient . Conclusions Middle-aged and elderly COPD patients still have insufficient awareness of the disease, and the level of disease control needs to be improved. There is a significant correlation between disease cognition, health beliefs and the level of disease control, and the improved cognitive level may help to improve the disease management and control effect. For middle-aged and elderly COPD patients, the community can provide health education courses, personalized health guidance and self-management training to enhance their awareness of diseases, so as to improve the long-term management of COPD and the quality of life of patients.
8.Chlorhexidine and Fondaparinux-Induced Kounis Syndrome: a Case Report
Fangzheng YU ; Yajing WANG ; Hang LIN ; Lifeng ZHANG ; Yuhui ZHU ; Xiaomeng SHI ; Huimin ZHOU ; Nan LIN ; Xiang GAO
JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES 2025;4(3):334-340
Kounis syndrome is an acute coronary syndrome triggered by an allergic reaction, which is clinically rare and frequently subject to misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis. This article presents a case report of a 70-year-old male patient who developed a rash, pruritus, and chest pain following colon polyp resection. Coronary angiography revealed occlusion of the left anterior descending artery, and blood flow was restored after stent implantation. However, the patient experienced recurrent symptoms accompanied by loss of consciousness. Drug skin tests confirmed positive reactions to chlorhexidine and fondaparinux sodium, leading to a diagnosis of type Ⅱ Kounis syndrome. By avoiding allergenic drugs and combining antihistamines with symptomatic treatment to correct myocardial ischemia, the patient′s clinical symptoms significantly improved, and he eventually recovered and was discharged from the hospital. This case underscores the importance of maintaining vigilance for this syndrome in patients with allergies accompanied by chest pain and promptly identifying and avoiding allergens.
9.Predictive Value of Peripheral Blood Biomarkers in the Treatment of Lung Cancer Patients with Anti PD-1 Immunotherapy.
Shu SU ; Xin LV ; Liang QI ; Min WEI ; Baorui LIU ; Lifeng WANG
Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer 2024;26(12):901-909
BACKGROUND:
The application of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibodies has greatly improved the clinical outcomes of lung cancer patients. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the efficacy of PD-1 antibody therapy in locally advanced non-surgical or metastatic lung cancer patients, and preliminarily explored the correlation between peripheral blood biomarkers and clinical responses.
METHODS:
We conducted a single center study that included 61 IIIA-IV lung cancer patients who received PD-1 antibody treatment from March 2020 to December 2021, and collected the medical record data on PD-1 antibody first-line or second-line treatment. The levels of multiple Th1 and Th2 cytokines in the patient's peripheral blood serum, as well as the phenotype of peripheral blood T cells, were detected and analyzed.
RESULTS:
All the patients completed at least 2 cycles of PD-1 monoclonal antibody treatment. Among them, 42 patients (68.9%) achieved partial response (PR); 7 patients (11.5%) had stable disease (SD); and 12 patients (19.7%) had progressive disease (PD). The levels of peripheral blood interferon gamma (IFN-γ) (P=0.023), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) (P=0.007) and interleukin 5 (IL-5) (P=0.002) before treatment were higher in patients of the disease control rate (DCR) (PR+SD) group than in the PD group. In addition, the decrease in absolute peripheral blood lymphocyte count after PD-1 antibody treatment was associated with disease progression (P=0.023). Moreover, the levels of IL-5 (P=0.0027) and IL-10 (P=0.0208) in the blood serum after immunotherapy were significantly increased compared to baseline.
CONCLUSIONS
Peripheral blood serum IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-5 in lung cancer patients have certain roles in predicting the clinical efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy. The decrease in absolute peripheral blood lymphocyte count in lung cancer patients is related to disease progression, but large-scale prospective studies are needed to further elucidate the value of these biomarkers.
Humans
;
Lung Neoplasms/metabolism*
;
Interleukin-5/therapeutic use*
;
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/therapeutic use*
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor
;
Biomarkers
;
Immunotherapy
;
Disease Progression
;
B7-H1 Antigen
10.Effect of neferine on diabetic nephropathy by regulating SDF-1/CXCR4 signal pathway
Ying WANG ; Lifeng PING ; Tongtong LIU ; Shanshan LIU ; Lei LIU
Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University(Medical Science) 2024;44(2):183-195
Objective·To investigate the effect of neferine(Nef)on renal tissues of diabetic nephropathy(DN)rats and its related mechanism.Methods·DN model rats were constructed by feeding high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin,and the successfully constructed rats were randomly divided into DN group,Nef(low,medium and high)dose groups and Nef high-dose+pathway antagonist(AMD3100)group,with 10 rats in each group.At the same time,10 common rats were selected as the normal group.The levels of fasting blood glucose(FBG),24 h urinary protein,serum glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c),serum creatinine(Scr),blood urea nitrogen(BUN)and renal index of rats in the six groups were measured.Hematoxylin-eosin(H-E)and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological changes of renal tissues.The content of malondialdehyde(MDA)in renal tissues was determined by thiobarbituric acid(TBA)method,and the activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD)and catalase(CAT)in renal tissues were determined by water soluble tetrazolium(WST-1)method and ammonium molybdate method,respectively.The mRNA and protein expressions of stromal cell-derived factor-1(SDF-1)and CXC chemokine receptor 4(CXCR4)in renal tissues were detected by quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR)and Western blotting,respectively.Rat renal tubular epithelium cells NRK-52E were induced by high glucose(30 mmol/L glucose)to establish DN cell model.The cells were divided into control group,high glucose(HG)group,HG+Nef(low,medium and high)dose(i.e.HG+Nef-L,M and H)group,and HG+Nef-H +AMD3100 group.SOD and CAT activities were detected by WST-1 method and ammonium molybdate method,respectively.MDA content was detected by TBA method.The mRNA and protein expressions of SDF-1 and CXCR4 were detected by qPCR and Western blotting,respectively.CCK-8 method and flow cytometry were used to detect cell viability and apoptosis rate,respecti-vely.Results·Compared with the DN group,the levels of FBG,24 h urinary protein,HbA1c,Scr,BUN,renal index and MDA content in Nef(low,medium and high)dose groups and Nef high-dose+AMD3100 group were decreased,the mRNA and protein expressions of SDF-1 and CXCR4 were increased,and the activities of SOD and CAT were increased(all P<0.05).The degree of pathological damage and fibrosis of renal tissues was reduced;all of the above changes were dose-dependent.AMD3100 could weaken the renal protective effect of high-dose Nef on DN rats.Compared with the HG group,NRK-52E cell viability,SOD and CAT activities,and the mRNA and protein expressions of SDF-1 and CXCR4 were increased in HG+Nef-L,M and H groups,while apoptosis rate and MDA content were decreased(all P<0.05).AMD3100 could reverse the protective effect of Nef-H on NRK-52E cell damage.Conclusion·Nef may control blood glucose levels on DN rats and improve antioxidant capacity by activating the SDF-1/CXCR4 signal pathway,playing a renal protective role.


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