1.Mechanism of Colquhounia Root Tablets against diabetic kidney disease via RAGE-ROS-PI3K-AKT-NF-κB-NLRP3 signaling axis.
Ming-Zhu XU ; Zhao-Chen MA ; Zi-Qing XIAO ; Shuang-Rong GAO ; Yi-Xin YANG ; Jia-Yun SHEN ; Chu ZHANG ; Feng HUANG ; Jiang-Rui WANG ; Bei-Lei CAI ; Na LIN ; Yan-Qiong ZHANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(7):1830-1840
This study aimed to explore the therapeutic mechanisms of Colquhounia Root Tablets(CRT) in treating diabetic kidney disease(DKD) by integrating biomolecular network mining with animal model verification. By analyzing clinical transcriptomics data, an interaction network was constructed between candidate targets of CRT and DKD-related genes. Based on the topological eigenvalues of network nodes, 101 core network targets of CRT against DKD were identified. These targets were found to be closely related to multiple pathways associated with type 2 diabetes, immune response, and metabolic reprogramming. Given that immune-inflammatory imbalance driven by metabolic reprogramming is one of the key pathogenic mechanisms of DKD, and that many core network targets of CRT are involved in this pathological process, receptor for advanced glycation end products(RAGE)-reactive oxygen species(ROS)-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)-protein kinase B(AKT)-nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)-NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3) signaling axis was selected as a candidate target for in-depth research. Further, a rat model of DKD induced by a high-sugar, high-fat diet and streptozotocin was established to evaluate the pharmacological effects of CRT and verify the expression of related targets. The experimental results showed that CRT could effectively correct metabolic disturbances in DKD, restore immune-inflammatory balance, and improve renal function and its pathological changes by inhibiting the activation of the RAGE-ROS-PI3K-AKT-NF-κB-NLRP3 signaling axis. In conclusion, this study reveals that CRT alleviates the progression of DKD through dual regulation of metabolic reprogramming and immune-inflammatory responses, providing strong experimental evidence for its clinical application in DKD.
Animals
;
Diabetic Nephropathies/metabolism*
;
Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products/genetics*
;
NF-kappa B/genetics*
;
Signal Transduction/drug effects*
;
Rats
;
NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/genetics*
;
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
;
Male
;
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics*
;
Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism*
;
Humans
;
Plant Roots/chemistry*
;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
;
Tablets/administration & dosage*
2.Forty years of construction and innovative development of scientific regulation system of traditional Chinese medicine in China.
Jun-Ning ZHAO ; Zhi-Shu TANG ; Hua HUA ; Rong SHAO ; Jiang-Yong YU ; Chang-Ming YANG ; Shuang-Fei CAI ; Quan-Mei SUN ; Dong-Ying LI
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(13):3489-3505
Since the promulgation of the first Drug Administration Law of the People's Republic of China 40 years ago in 1984, China has undergone four main stages in the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) regulation: the initial establishment of TCM regulation rules(1984-1997), the formation of a modern TCM regulatory system(1998-2014), the reform of the review and approval system for new TCM drugs(2015-2018), and the construction of a scientific regulation system for TCM(2019-2024). Over the past five years, a series of milestone achievements of TCM regulation in China have been achieved in the six aspects, including its strategic objectives and the establishment of a science-based regulatory system, the reform of the review and approval system for new TCM drugs, the optimization and improvement of the TCM standard system and its formation mechanism, comprehensive enhancement of regulatory capabilities for TCM safety, international harmonization of TCM regulation and its role in promoting innovation. Looking ahead, centered on advancing TCMRS to establish a sound regulatory framework tailored to the unique characteristics of TCM, TCM regulation will evolve into new reform patterns, advancing and extending across eight critical fronts, including the legal framework and policy architecture, the review and approval system for new TCM drugs, the quality standard and management system of TCM, the comprehensive quality & safety regulation and traceability system, the research and transformation system for TCMRS, AI-driven innovations in TCM regulation, the coordination between high-quality industrial development and high-level regulation, and the leadership in international cooperation and regulatory harmonization. In this way, a unique path for the development of modern TCM regulation with Chinese characteristics will be pioneered.
Humans
;
China
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/standards*
;
History, 20th Century
;
History, 21st Century
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/trends*
3.Construction of a Prognostic Model for Lysosome-dependent Cell Death in Gastric Cancer Based on Single-cell RNA-seq and Bulk RNA-seq Data.
Peng NI ; Kai Xin GUO ; Tian Yi LIANG ; Xin Shuang FAN ; Yan Qiao HUA ; Yang Ye GAO ; Shuai Yin CHEN ; Guang Cai DUAN ; Rong Guang ZHANG
Biomedical and Environmental Sciences 2025;38(4):416-432
OBJECTIVE:
To identify prognostic genes associated with lysosome-dependent cell death (LDCD) in patients with gastric cancer (GC).
METHODS:
Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using The Cancer Genome Atlas - Stomach Adenocarcinoma. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was performed to identify the key module genes associated with LDCD score. Candidate genes were identified by DEGs and key module genes. Univariate Cox regression analysis, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed for the selection of prognostic genes, and risk module was established. Subsequently, key cells were identified in the single-cell dataset (GSE183904), and prognostic gene expression was analyzed. Cell proliferation and migration were assessed using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and the wound healing assay.
RESULTS:
A total of 4,465 DEGs, 95 candidate genes, and 4 prognostic genes, including C19orf59, BATF2, TNFAIP2, and TNFSF18, were identified in the analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curves indicated the excellent predictive power of the risk model. Three key cell types (B cells, chief cells, and endothelial/pericyte cells) were identified in the GSE183904 dataset. C19orf59 and TNFAIP2 exhibited predominant expression in macrophage species, whereas TNFAIP2 evolved over time in endothelial/pericyte cells and chief cells. Functional experiments confirmed that interfering with C19orf59 inhibited proliferation and migration in GC cells.
CONCLUSION
C19orf59, BATF2, TNFAIP2, and TNFSF18 are prognostic genes associated with LDCD in GC. Furthermore, the risk model established in this study showed robust predictive power.
Stomach Neoplasms/pathology*
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Humans
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Prognosis
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Lysosomes/physiology*
;
RNA-Seq
;
Cell Death
;
Single-Cell Analysis
;
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
;
Cell Proliferation
;
Single-Cell Gene Expression Analysis
4.Correlation between refractive development and physical growth indices in primary school students aged 6-9 years in Guangdong Province
Chinese Journal of School Health 2024;45(7):936-940
Objective:
To analyze the correlation between refractive errors and physical development indicators among primary school students aged 6 to 9, so as to provide a scientific basis for the development of effective prevention and control measures.
Methods:
A stratified cluster random sampling method was used to recruit 2 833 elementary school students aged 6 to 9 from Guangdong Province for vision screening, ocular biometry, and physical examinations in Octorber, 2020. The Chi square test, t-test, and ANOVA were employed to compare myopia rates and indicator values across different groups. Multiple linear regression models were used to analyze the correlations between height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) with refractive development indicators.
Results:
The screening myopia rate among primary school students aged 6 to 9 was 16.7%, and the myopia rate increased with age ( χ 2= 51.58 , P <0.01). The height and weight of the myopic group [(126.96±7.41)cm, (26.59±6.45)kg] were higher than those of the non myopic group [(124.76±7.77)cm, (25.42±5.87)kg] ( t =5.84, 3.65, P <0.01). The mean values of spherical equivalent (SE), axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), and AL/corneal curvature radius (CR) ratio for students aged 6 to 9 were (-0.17±1.04)D, (22.96±0.78)mm, (3.38±0.24)mm, and (2.95±0.08), respectively, with statistically significant differences across different age and myopia severity groups ( t =37.08, 119.20, 41.54, 133.60; 935.30, 184.10, 73.95, 498.50, P < 0.01). After adjusting for gender, age, and residence, the multiple linear regression model showed that height was positively correlated with AL and CR, weight was positively correlated with ACD, and BMI was positively correlated with AL and ACD ( β = 0.191 , 0.070, 0.035, 0.013, 0.007, P <0.05). When stratified by myopia status, results for the non-myopic group were similar to the overall results, whereas in the myopic group, the correlations between height, BMI, and AL were not statistically significant ( P > 0.05).
Conclusions
Among primary school students aged 6 to 9, height and BMI are positively correlated with AL in the non myopic group but no similar correlation is observed in the myopic group, indicating that factors other than physical development, such as environmental and behavioral factors, should be considered for their impact on refractive development.
5.Tick-borne pathogens infection of rodents at the border of China and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Zhuo WANG ; Qiong WU ; Xiao-Yang HUANG ; Guan-Peng HUANG ; You-Xin MA ; En-Rong MAO ; Guo-Shuang LENG ; Hong-Min ZHAO ; Bing LI ; Yi-Min WU
Chinese Journal of Zoonoses 2024;40(4):323-327
To investigate the existence of tick-borne pathogens infection of rodents at the border of China and the Demo-cratic People's Republic of Korea(DPRK).PCR was used to detect the spotted fever group rickettsiae(SFGR)ompA gene,Ehrlichia chaffeensis(Ec)and Anaplasma phagocytophilum(Ap)16S rRNA,Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis(CNm)groEL gene,Bartonella(Ba)rpoB gene,and Francisella tularensis(Ft)fopA gene in rodents samples collected from Ji'an of Jilin province and Kuandian of Liaoning Province.The positivity rates of 132 wild rats spleen samples,SFGR,Ec,Ap,CNm,Ba,and Ft were 9.85%,12.88%,5.30%,3.79%,51.52%,and 6.06%,respectively,with statistical differences in in-fection rates(x2=149.236,P=0.000).The infection rate of Ba was the highest in wild rats in this area.There was no signifi-cant difference in the infection rate of SFGR,Ec,Ap,CNm,and Ft among different rats species,but there were significant differences in the infection rate of Ba(x2=13.36,P=0.010).The infection rate of Apodemus agrarius was the highest.A-mong 132 wild rats specimens,the coinfection rate of the two pathogens was 15.9%(21/132),with Ba as the main species(15/132),and two cases of coinfection with three pathogens were detected.The infection of six tick-borne pathogens is common in wild rats at the China/DPRK border.Co-infection of two or three pathogens indicates a risk of multiple tick-borne pathogens and mixed natural foci of multiple tick-borne infec-tious diseases.
6.A consensus on the management of allergy in kindergartens and primary schools
Chinese Journal of School Health 2023;44(2):167-172
Abstract
Allergic diseases can occur in all systems of the body, covering the whole life cycle, from children to adults and to old age, can be lifelong onset and even fatal in severe cases. Children account for the largest proportion of the victims of allergic disease, Children s allergies start from scratch, ranging from mild to severe, from less to more, from single to multiple systems and systemic performance, so the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases in children is of great importance, which can not only prevent high risk allergic conditions from developing into allergic diseases, but also further block the process of allergy. At present, there is no consensus on the management system of allergic children in kindergartens and primary schools. The "Consensus on Allergy Management and Prevention in Kindergartens and Primary Schools", which includes the organizational structure, system construction and management of allergic children, provides evidence informed recommendations for the long term comprehensive management of allergic children in kindergartens and primary schools, and provides a basis for the establishment of the prevention system for allergic children.
7.Comparative study on pathological characteristics of four different antigen-induced rheumatoid arthritis mouse models
Chao YANG ; Zhi-xing HU ; Shuang-rong GAO ; Ze-ran YAN ; Luo-chang-ting FANG ; Xiao-xiao WANG ; Qun LI ; Qing-wen TAO ; Chun-fang LIU ; Na LIN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2023;58(6):1586-1595
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease driven by antigens and mediated by T cells. Collagen II (CII) and fibrinogen (Fib) are the two main antigens in the pathogenesis of RA. The antigen produced after citrulline modification (Cit) is also one of the inducements to induce the body to produce a pathogenic anti-citrulline protein antibody (ACPA). To provide a reference for RA-related research, this study intends to establish an RA animal model by using CII, Cit-CII, Fib, and Cit-Fib antigens, emulsification with complete Freund's adjuvant and immunization with DBA/1 mice, respectively, to compare the pathological characteristics of RA models induced by different antigens from the aspects of pathology, imaging and serum biochemistry. Animal welfare and experimental process are in accordance with the regulations of the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. The results showed that the CII, Cit-CII, and Cit-Fib induced mice all had symptoms such as joint redness and swelling, and toe deformation and the clinical score and incidence rate were higher than those of the normal group. The CII group had the most serious lesions, with a incidence rate of 100%, and the Cit-CII and Cit-Fib groups had mild symptoms, with a incidence rate of 25% and 37.5%, respectively; pathological and imaging examination results showed that the joints of mice in CII-induced group showed severe synovial inflammation, cartilage and bone destruction, while those in Cit-CII and Cit-Fib group showed only slight inflammatory infiltration, joint cavity stenosis and bone destruction; the results of serum antibody detection showed that CII, Cit-CII and Cit-Fib groups all produced high levels of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies, among which, Cit-Fib group > Cit-CII group > CII group > Fib group, and both Cit-CII and Cit-Fib groups produced high levels of citrullinated epitope-specific antibodies, while the total IgG level was the highest in CII group; serum ELISA and RT-PCR analysis of joint tissue showed that the expression of pro-inflammatory factors and bone destruction-related molecules increased most significantly in the CII-induced group, followed by Cit-Fib and Cit-CII. The above results showed that among the four different antigens, the symptoms and conditions of arthritis in RA mice induced by CII were the most serious, and IgG instead of anti-CCP antibody was its typical immunological feature, and CII could be the first choice for the model of RA mice; Cit-Fib has certain immunogenicity, can partially induce the symptoms and conditions of RA arthritis in mice, and produce high-level anti-CCP antibody and anti-Cit-Fib antibody, which is more suitable for the study of citrulline-related RA; although Cit-CII has certain immunogenicity, the incidence, and severity of RA arthritis induced by Cit-CII in mice are low.
8.Construction of cell factories for production of patchoulol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Shuang GUO ; Dong WANG ; Ting-Ting YANG ; Wen-Hao LI ; Rong-Sheng LI ; Guo-Wei ZHANG ; Xue-Li ZHANG ; Zhu-Bo DAI
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(9):2316-2324
Patchoulol is an important sesquiterpenoid in the volatile oil of Pogostemon cablin, and is also considered to be the main contributing component to the pharmacological efficacy and fragrance of P. cablin oil, which has antibacterial, antitumor, antioxidant, and other biological activities. Currently, patchoulol and its essential oil blends are in high demand worldwide, but the traditional plant extraction method has many problems such as wasting land and polluting the environment. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new method to produce patchoulol efficiently and at low cost. To broaden the production method of patchouli and achieve the heterologous production of patchoulol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the patchoulol synthase(PS) gene from P. cablin was codon optimized and placed under the inducible strong promoter GAL1 to transfer into the yeast platform strain YTT-T5, thereby obtaining strain PS00 with the production of(4.0±0.3) mg·L~(-1) patchoulol. To improve the conversion rate, this study used protein fusion method to fuse SmFPS gene from Salvia miltiorrhiza with PS gene, leading to increase the yield of patchoulol to(100.9±7.4) mg·L~(-1) by 25-folds. By further optimizing the copy number of the fusion gene, the yield of patchoulol was increased by 90% to(191.1±32.7) mg·L~(-1). By optimizing the fermentation process, the strain was able to achieve a patchouli yield of 2.1 g·L~(-1) in a high-density fermentation system, which was the highest yield so far. This study provides an important basis for the green production of patchoulol.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae/metabolism*
;
Sesquiterpenes/metabolism*
;
Pogostemon
;
Oils, Volatile/metabolism*
9.Comparison of the effects and safety of dydrogesterone and medroxyprogesterone acetate on endometrial hyperplasia without atypia: a randomized controlled non-inferior phase Ⅲ clinical study.
Yao Chen LOU ; Shuang ZHOU ; Jiong Bo LIAO ; Wen Yu SHAO ; Ying Ying HU ; Cheng Cheng NING ; Qian WANG ; Yierfulati GULINAZI ; Bing Yi YANG ; Ya Li CHENG ; Peng Fei WU ; Qin ZHU ; Xian Rong ZHOU ; Wei Wei SHAN ; Xiao Jun CHEN
Chinese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2023;58(7):526-535
Objective: To compare the effects and safety of dydrogesterone (DG) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) on the treatment in patients with endometrial hyperplasia without atypia (EH). Methods: This was a single-center, open-label, prospective non-inferior randomized controlled phase Ⅲ trial. From February 2019 to November 2021, patients with EH admitted to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University were recruited. Enrolled patients were stratified according to the pathological types of simple hyperplasia (SH) or complex hyperplasia (CH), and were randomised to receive MPA or DG. Untill May 14, 2022, the median follow-up time after complete response (CR) was 9.3 months (1.1-17.2 months). The primary endpoint was the 6-month CR rate (6m-CR rate). The secondary endpoints included the 3-month CR rate (3m-CR rate), adverse events rate, recurrence rate, and pregnancy rate in one year after CR. Results: (1) A total of 292 patients with EH were enrolled in the study with the median age of 39 years (31-45 years). A total of 135 SH patients were randomly assigned to MPA group (n=67) and DG group (n=68), and 157 CH patients were randomly assigned to MPA group (n=79) and DG group (n=78). (2) Among 292 patients, 205 patients enrolled into the primary endpoint analysis, including 92 SH patients and 113 CH patients, with 100 patients in MPA group and 105 in DG group, respectively. The 6m-CR rate of MPA group and DG group were 90.0% (90/100) and 88.6% (93/105) respectively, and there were no statistical significance (χ2=0.11, P=0.741), with the rate difference (RD) was -1.4% (95%CI:-9.9%-7.0%). Stratified by the pathology types, the 6m-CR rate of SH patients was 93.5% (86/92), and MPA group and DG group were respectively 91.1% (41/45) and 95.7% (45/47); and the 6m-CR rate of CH patients was 85.8% (97/113), and MPA group and DG group were 89.1% (49/55) and 82.8% (48/58) respectively. The 6m-CR rates of the two treatments had no statistical significance either (all P>0.05). A total of 194 EH patients enrolled into the secondary endpoint analysis, including 88 SH patients and 106 CH patients, and 96 patients in MPA group and 98 in DG group, respectively. The 3m-CR rate of SH patients were 87.5% (77/88), while the 3m-CR rates of MPA group and DG group were 90.7% (39/43) and 84.4% (38/45), respectively; the 3m-CR rate of CH patients was 66.0% (70/106), and MPA group and DG group had the same 3m-CR rate of 66.0% (35/53). No statistical significance was found between the two treatments both in SH and CH patients (all P>0.05). (3) The incidence of adverse events between MPA group and DG group had no statistical significance (P>0.05). (4) A total of 93 SH patients achieved CR, and the cumulative recurrence rate in one year after CR were 5.9% and 0 in MPA group and DG group, respectively. While 112 CH patients achieved CR, and the cumulative recurrence rate in one year after CR were 8.8% and 6.5% in MPA group and DG group, respectively. There were no statistical significance between two treatment groups (all P>0.05). Among the 93 SH patients, 10 patients had family planning but no pregnancy happened during the follow-up period. Among the 112 CH patients, 21 were actively preparing for pregnancy, and the pregnancy rate and live-birth rate in one year after CR in MPA group were 7/9 and 2/7, while in DG group were respectively 4/12 and 2/4, and there were no statistical significance in pregnancy rate and live-birth rate between the two treatment groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: Compared with MPA, DG is of good efficacy and safety in treating EH. DG is a favorable alternative treatment for EH patients.
Female
;
Humans
;
Adult
;
Medroxyprogesterone Acetate/adverse effects*
;
Endometrial Hyperplasia/pathology*
;
Dydrogesterone/adverse effects*
;
Hyperplasia
;
Prospective Studies
10.The correlation between grip strength and cognitive function in elderly people
Jiajia YANG ; Guangwen CHENG ; Zhenghong LI ; Benchao LI ; Yan DENG ; Li ZHOU ; Wenfang LI ; Fang CHEN ; Shuang RONG
Chinese Journal of Geriatrics 2022;41(2):206-210
Objective:To explore the association between grip strength and cognitive function in elderly people aged 65 years and over.Methods:Information on grip strength, cognitive function, and lifestyle in the elderly population aged 65 years and over in Wuhan was collected by unified professionally trained investigators.A total of 533 study subjects aged(70.7±5.1)years were grouped by quartile into four grip strength groups of Q1(<18.6 kg), Q2(18.6~24.1 kg), Q3(24.2~31.1 kg), Q4(>31.1 kg).Multiple linear regression and Logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the relationship of grip strength with cognitive function scores and cognitive impairment.Results:The mean grip strength of the 533 subjects was(24.94±9.15)kg.After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, history of diseases, as compared with grip strength Q1 group, the linear regression coefficients(Beta value)of cognitive scores and 95% confidence intervals(95% CI)showed statistically significantly positive correlation[0.45(-0.36, 1.26)、0.40(-0.52, 1.32)and 1.19(0.07, 2.31), all P<0.05]only between cognitive scores and grip strength Q2、Q3 and Q4 value; and the odds ratio and 95% CI of incidence of cognitive impairment were 0.97(0.43, 2.21)for grip strength Q2, 0.79(0.30, 2.06)for grip strength Q3, and 0.22(0.05, 0.92)for grip strength Q4.Considering grip strength as the continuous variable, the risk of cognitive impairment was decreased by 6% and the cognitive score was increased by 0.07 with per 1kg increase of grip strength. Conclusions:The results of this study suggest that there is a positive correlation between grip strength and cognitive function in the elderly population, and a lower grip strength is related to increased risk of cognitive impairment.More attention should be paid to the grip strength of the elderly in the community.


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