1.Visualization of nasal powder distribution using biomimetic human nasal cavity model.
Jiawen SU ; Yan LIU ; Hongyu SUN ; Abid NAEEM ; Huipeng XU ; Yue QU ; Caifen WANG ; Zeru LI ; Jianhua LU ; Lulu WANG ; Xiaofeng WANG ; Jie WU ; Lixin SUN ; Jiwen ZHANG ; Zhigang WANG ; Rui YANG ; Li WU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2024;14(1):392-404
Nasal drug delivery efficiency is highly dependent on the position in which the drug is deposited in the nasal cavity. However, no reliable method is currently available to assess its impact on delivery performance. In this study, a biomimetic nasal model based on three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction and three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology was developed for visualizing the deposition of drug powders in the nasal cavity. The results showed significant differences in cavity area and volume and powder distribution in the anterior part of the biomimetic nasal model of Chinese males and females. The nasal cavity model was modified with dimethicone and validated to be suitable for the deposition test. The experimental device produced the most satisfactory results with five spray times. Furthermore, particle sizes and spray angles were found to significantly affect the experimental device's performance and alter drug distribution, respectively. Additionally, mometasone furoate (MF) nasal spray (NS) distribution patterns were investigated in a goat nasal cavity model and three male goat noses, confirming the in vitro and in vivo correlation. In conclusion, the developed human nasal structure biomimetic device has the potential to be a valuable tool for assessing nasal drug delivery system deposition and distribution.
2.Targeting cAMP in D1-MSNs in the nucleus accumbens, a new rapid antidepressant strategy.
Yue ZHANG ; Jingwen GAO ; Na LI ; Peng XU ; Shimeng QU ; Jinqian CHENG ; Mingrui WANG ; Xueru LI ; Yaheng SONG ; Fan XIAO ; Xinyu YANG ; Jihong LIU ; Hao HONG ; Ronghao MU ; Xiaotian LI ; Youmei WANG ; Hui XU ; Yuan XIE ; Tianming GAO ; Guangji WANG ; Jiye AA
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2024;14(2):667-681
Studies have suggested that the nucleus accumbens (NAc) is implicated in the pathophysiology of major depression; however, the regulatory strategy that targets the NAc to achieve an exclusive and outstanding anti-depression benefit has not been elucidated. Here, we identified a specific reduction of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in the subset of dopamine D1 receptor medium spiny neurons (D1-MSNs) in the NAc that promoted stress susceptibility, while the stimulation of cAMP production in NAc D1-MSNs efficiently rescued depression-like behaviors. Ketamine treatment enhanced cAMP both in D1-MSNs and dopamine D2 receptor medium spiny neurons (D2-MSNs) of depressed mice, however, the rapid antidepressant effect of ketamine solely depended on elevating cAMP in NAc D1-MSNs. We discovered that a higher dose of crocin markedly increased cAMP in the NAc and consistently relieved depression 24 h after oral administration, but not a lower dose. The fast onset property of crocin was verified through multicenter studies. Moreover, crocin specifically targeted at D1-MSN cAMP signaling in the NAc to relieve depression and had no effect on D2-MSN. These findings characterize a new strategy to achieve an exclusive and outstanding anti-depression benefit by elevating cAMP in D1-MSNs in the NAc, and provide a potential rapid antidepressant drug candidate, crocin.
3.Disease burden due to PM2.5 pollution before and after air quality improvement in Shijiazhuang
Yue QU ; Fangting ZENG ; Fengge CHEN ; Mingyang GUAN
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2024;41(3):294-302
Background Air pollution has gradually become a major environmental and public health problem faced by countries around the world. Hazy weather not only affects the health of the population, but also poses a threat to social and public safety. China has successively promulgated policies such as the "Ten Articles on Atmosphere" and the Three-year action plan to fight air pollution, aiming to improve ambient air quality. It is clear that the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has accomplished the set targets and improved air quality according to the environmental monitoring data of 2017. Objective To assess air quality improvements through the evaluation of the disease burden due to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution in Shijiazhuang City before and after the air quality improvement from 2014 to 2021, including fatalities and health economic losses attributed to PM2.5 pollution. Methods Data on causes of death, PM2.5 concentrations, the number of permanent residents at the end of the year, gross regional product, and disposable income per capita in urban areas of Shijiazhuang were collected from 2014 to 2021. Total, non-accidental, circulatory, and respiratory deaths due to PM2.5 pollution were estimated by global exposure mortality models (GEMM). Health and economic losses due to selected diseases were calculated by value of statistical life (VOSL). Results During the study period, the average annual concentration of PM2.5 in Shijiazhuang was highest in 2014, and began to decline year by year in 2017, but all exceeded the current national limit of the second level of ambient air quality standards (35 μg·m−3). The total deaths, non-accidental deaths, circulatory disease deaths, and respiratory disease deaths attributed to PM2.5 pollution from 2014 to 2021 were 41326, 40246, 21792, and 5022, respectively; the associated health economic losses were 37.362, 36.369, 19.695, and 4.535 billion yuan, respectively. From the perspective of improved air quality, both the number of attributed deaths and health economic losses had declined in a volatile manner since 2017, with a significant decrease in 2019. If the average annual concentration of PM2.5 reached the second-level limit of China's ambient air quality standard (35 μg·m−3), the total deaths, non-accidental deaths, and deaths from circulatory diseases and respiratory diseases due to PM2.5 pollution would deducted by about 17000, 16000, 9000, and 2000, respectively; the corresponding health and economic losses would decreased by 15.201, 14.761, 7.959, and 1.859 billion yuan, respectively. If the average annual concentration of PM2.5 reached the latest PM2.5 air quality guidelines (5 μg·m−3) proposed by the World Health Organization, the total deaths, non-accidental deaths, circulatory disease deaths, and respiratory disease deaths due to PM2.5 pollution would deducted by 36000, 35000, 19000, and 4000, respectively, and the corresponding health and economic losses would reduced by 32.673, 31.796, 17.211, and 3.969 billion yuan, respectively. Conclusion PM2.5 pollution can lead to severe mortality burden and economic loss. Under the implementation of the State Council's "Ten Articles on Atmosphere" and the Three-year action plan to fight air pollution, Shijiazhuang's PM2.5 concentration and health economic losses have been significantly reduced, and further control of PM2.5 pollution can achieve greater health benefits and economic gains, affirming the positive results of local air pollution prevention work.
4.Microbial contamination status of swimming places for infants and young children in Shijia-zhuang City and comparison with other public places, 2021–2022
Fangting ZENG ; Yue QU ; Fengge CHEN ; Hui MA ; Jun YANG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2024;41(1):83-88
Background At present, China's Public places health management regulations list 7 categories and 28 sub-categories of public places, but infant and young child swimming places are not in the list yet. Objective To understand the microbial pollution status in commercial infant and young child swimming places in Shijiazhuang City, compare with the microbial pollution in other five types of public places, and find the potential safety hazards in infant and young child swimming places. Methods A total of 3438 microbial samples were collected from the environment of infant and young child swimming places and 5 types of public places (hotels, barber stores, waiting rooms, shopping malls and supermarkets, and conventional swimming places) in Shijiazhuang City from 2021 to 2022. Sampling and monitoring were carried out according to the requirements of Examination methods for public places—Part 6: Technical specifications of health monitoring (GB/T 18204.6-2013). Chi-square test was used to compare hygiene qualification by microbial indicators, and Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to compare overall distributions of total bacterial counts on the surface of public articles. Results From 2021 to 2022, the highest qualified rate of microbial indicators on the surface of public articles was Staphylococcus aureus (100%) for all tested public places in Shijiazhuang City, followed by coliforms (99.44%), and that of total bacterial count was relative low (92.83%). The qualified rate of total bacterial count on the surface of public articles in the swimming places for infants and young children was 87.76%, and the qualified rates in hotels, barber stores, waiting rooms, shopping malls and supermarkets were all above 92%, and the difference among the 5 types of places was statistically significant (P<0.001). The highest value of total bacterial count on the surface of public articles in the swimming places for infants and young children was 80000 CFU·(25 cm2)−1 [100 CFU·(25 cm2)−1=4 CFU·cm−2]; that in 4 types of public places such as hotels (except mouthwash cups), barber stores, waiting rooms, and shopping malls or supermarkets was 2500 CFU·(25 cm2)−1. The difference of total bacteria count on the surface of public articles was statistically significant in comparing infant and young child swimming places with hotels (except mouthwash cups) or barber stores (H=5.432, H=2.997, both Ps<0.05); but the difference was not significant in comparing with waiting rooms and shopping malls or supermarkets (P>0.05). The qualified rates of total bacteria count and coliforms in pool water of infant and young child swimming places were 45.99% and 74.69% respectively, and the two indicators in pool water of conventional swimming places were 94.57% and 98.91% respectively; both showed significant differences between the two types of public places (χ2=162.532, χ2=71.910, both Ps<0.001). Conclusion Compared to conventional swimming places, hotels, barber stores, waiting rooms, and shopping malls or supermarkets, the infant and young child swimming places are not optimistic in hygiene condition; therefore, there is an urgent need to formulate national health standards for infants and young child swimming places, and include them in standard management to further improve their hygiene condition.
5.Research Advance on Smartphone-based Visual Biosensor in Point-of-Care Testing
Xian-Xin XIANG ; Hua-Yue SUN ; Hui-Ning CHAI ; Kun YU ; Li-Jun QU ; Guang-Yao ZHANG ; Xue-Ji ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Analytical Chemistry 2024;52(2):145-156
Human physiological indicators have become an important standard for assessing health in modern society.Traditional detection methods often require a separate laboratory,complex operation process and long detection time,so it is urgent to develop portable,fast and accurate on-site detection technologies for bioanalysis.Point-of-care testing(POCT),which differs from traditional laboratory testing,can realize the rapid in situ detection of biomarkers without the complicated analytical process of the laboratory.Smartphones,which are an essential tool in our daily life,not only have independent operating systems and built-in storage functions,but also have high-definition cameras,which have great application potential in POCT visualization.The combination of various biosensing technologies and smartphones has developed into a new direction in the field of POCT.This review mainly introduced the research progress of smartphone-based visual biosensors in POCT in recent years,including colorimetric sensors,fluorescence sensors,chemiluminescence sensors and electrochemiluminescence sensors.Finally,the problems faced by smart-phone-based visual biosensors in the application of POCT were summarized,and their future development was prospected.
6.Effect of early immunotherapy in preventing conversion of ocular myasthenia gravis to generalized myasthenia gravis
Zhe RUAN ; Fan NING ; Yue SU ; Ting CHANG ; Qiumin QU
Journal of Xi'an Jiaotong University(Medical Sciences) 2024;45(2):312-319
【Objective】 To compare the risk of generalization in patients with ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG) receiving or not receiving immunosuppressive treatment. 【Methods】 The data of patients with OMG registered in Tangdu Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University from January 1, 2015 to May 1, 2019 were reviewed; the patients were divided into treatment group and control group according to whether they had received immunosuppressive treatment. The multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model analysis was used to compare the risk of generalization between the two groups of patients within 2 years of onset. Sensitivity analysis was used to evaluate the duration of immunosuppressive treatment and the risk of generalization under different immunotherapy regimens. By using stratified analysis, the consistency of the main results across different levels of subgroup factors was evaluated. 【Results】 A total of 702 OMG patients were collected. Of them 367 patients (52.3%) were included in the treatment group, with an average onset age of (50.54±15.1) years, and 159 (43.3%) being female. Another 335 patients (47.7%) were included in the control group, with an average age of (49.1±14.6) years, and 159 ones (47.5%) were female. A total of 28 cases (7.7%) in the treatment group and 106 cases (31.6%) in the control group developed generalization during the observation period. After multivariate-adjusted Cox model analysis, patients who had received immunosuppressive treatment had a significantly lower risk of generalization compared with the control group (HR=0.24; 95% CI: 0.15-0.37; P<0.001). Sensitivity analysis found that the longer the duration of immunosuppression, the lower the risk of generalization (HR=0.88; 95% CI: 0.85-0.91; P<0.001). Stratified analysis showed that immunosuppressive therapy reduced the risk of generalization in different subgroups of patients. 【Conclusion】 Early immunosuppressive treatment can significantly reduce the risk of generalization in patients with OMG.
7.Effect of Artemisinin and Its Derivatives in Treatment of Nervous System Diseases: A Review
Yan LIANG ; Shuiqing QU ; Yu LI ; Yue DAI ; Chengcheng LIU ; Luqi WANG ; Lina CHEN ; Tuo LIU ; Yujie LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(23):292-299
With the rapid development of social economy, the number of patients with nervous system diseases has increased, and the incidence of the population has a trend of younger, which has a serious impact on life health and social economy. Artemisinin is an active antimalarial component extracted and isolated from Artemisia annua, a Chinese medicinal material. Artemisinin and its derivatives, in addition to the antimalarial effect, also have anti-parasitic, anti-fungal, anti-viral, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory effects, showing a wide range of pharmacological activities. In the past five years, research on the new pharmacological effects of artemisinin and its derivatives has been deepening, and the efficacy of artemisinin and its derivatives in nervous system diseases has attracted much attention, including anti-neuroinflammation, anti-oxidative stress, maintaining the stability of the blood-brain barrier, regulating the release of neurotransmitters, repairing neuronal damage, and promoting neuronal regeneration. These pharmacological effects indicate that artemisinin and its derivatives are potentially capable of neuroprotection. By sorting out literature on the pharmacological activity of artemisinin and its derivatives in nervous system during 2019-2024, this paper systematically summarized the protective effects of artemisinin and its derivatives against nervous system diseases such as stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, neuroimmunological diseases, neuralgia, and nervous system tumors. This review is expected to provide clues and evidence for new indication expansion of artemisinin drugs, innovative drug development, and clinical treatment of nervous system diseases.
8.Mechanisms of Outdoor Air Pollution Affecting Cardiovascular Diseases: A Review
Chengcheng LIU ; Yu LI ; Yan LIANG ; Shuiqing QU ; Yue DAI ; Tuo LIU ; Lina CHEN ; Luqi WANG ; Yujie LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(23):318-326
The impact of air pollution on human health has always been a research hotspot in the global health field. Outdoor air pollutants composed of multiple components can enter the human body through various pathways. Cardiovascular diseases are a group of diseases caused by outdoor air pollutants. Studies have shown that the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, arrhythmia, and heart failure, is significantly increased among people exposed to air pollution environments. Air pollutants such as fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide are closely related to the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases, and short-term and long-term exposure causes different cardiovascular risks. By reviewing the relevant research reports from 2019 to 2024, this article summarizes the epidemiological evidence of cardiovascular diseases caused by different air pollutants. It generalizes the pathways through which air pollutants accelerate the progression of cardiovascular diseases. These pathways include oxidative stress, inflammatory response, thrombosis, extracellular vesicle release, endoplasmic reticulum stress, apoptosis, endothelial dysfunction, autonomic nervous system imbalance, and their interactions. Based on the different mechanisms of air pollution on cardiovascular diseases, the article analyzes the main progress in drug intervention and summarizes the roles of various active ingredients and compound prescriptions of traditional Chinese medicine in treating air pollution-related cardiovascular diseases, providing reference for the research on the mechanisms and drug interventions of air pollution-related cardiovascular diseases.
9.Establishment and evaluation of a rapid PCR-colloidal gold test strip method for the detection of Fritillaria ussuriensis
Yu-he MA ; Cong-hui SHANG ; Qiu-he MA ; Tao LI ; Yue LIU ; Bei-zhen PAN ; Li-jun GAO ; Ming-cheng LI ; Wei XIA ; Yong-mei QU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(6):1773-1778
This study design of specific identification primers for the ITS2 sequence of
10.Development and Evaluation of DNA Authenticity Identification Kit for Genuine Medicinal Materials Gastrodia Elata
Qiuhe MA ; Yuhe MA ; Yue LIU ; Tao LI ; Lijun GAO ; Wei XIA ; Mingcheng LI ; Yongmei QU
Chinese Journal of Modern Applied Pharmacy 2024;41(9):1198-1203
OBJECTIVE
To develop a DNA authenticity identification kit of Gastrodia elata that combined DNA extraction technology with PCR technology, and to evaluate the performance of the kit methodologically.
METHODS
The ITS2 sequences of Gastrodia elata and its common forgeries, such as amabilis root, dahlia tuber and potato, were found by the National Center for Biotechnology Information(NCBI). DNAMAN was used for multi-sequence alignment, and NCBI-primer-blast was used to design specific primers of Gastrodia elata. Improved DNA extraction method to ensure efficient extraction of authentic Gastrodia elata and its common forgeries genomic DNA, UV spectrophotometry was used to measure the concentration and purity. The PCR reaction system was optimized, the composition and reaction conditions of the kit were determined, and the commercially available gastrodia elata samples were randomly sampled.
RESULTS
The DNA purity OD260/OD280 values of the samples extracted by the developed kit were (1.87±0.13). The minimum detection limit was 10 ng·μL−1, and the result of repeated detection was the same for 3 times. Repeated freezing and thawing for 5, 10, 15, 20 times had no effect on the detection effect, and it could be stored at −20℃ for 1 year, among 10 commercially available gastrodia elata samples tested, 7 were authentic and 3 were counterfeit.
CONCLUSION
The DNA authenticity test kit is highly specific, sensitive, reproducible and stable, and the test results are accurate, it is suitable for the rapid identification of asparagus and its common forgeries.


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