1.Treatment of Hyperuricemia and Gouty Arthritis by Buyang Huanwu Tongfeng Decoction via Inhibition of PPAR-γ/NF-κB/AGEs/RAGE Pathway Based on Network Pharmacology
Yue CAO ; Wanmei YAO ; Tao YANG ; Man YANG ; Ruimin JIA ; Rongrong LU ; Xue FENG ; Biwang LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(1):182-192
ObjectiveThis paper aims to investigate the potential molecular biological mechanism of Buyang Huanwu Tongfeng decoction in treating hyperuricemia and gouty arthritis by network pharmacology and molecular docking technology and preliminarily verify the mechanism through animal experiments. MethodsThe active ingredients and targets in the Buyang Huanwu Tongfeng decoction were obtained by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and ETCM databases. The DisGeNET and GeneCards databases were utilized to acquire disease targets associated with hyperuricemia and gouty arthritis. These disease targets were then intersected with drug targets to identify key targets. The R language ClusterProfiler package and Python were employed for conducting gene ontology(GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG) enrichment analysis. The regulatory network diagram of the drug-key target-function-pathway was visualized using Cytoscape 3.9.1 software, and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network for key targets was depicted. Finally, the hub gene was determined through topological analysis. Auto Dock, PyMOL, and other software were used for molecular docking to explore the possible therapeutic mechanism of Buyang Huanwu Tongfeng decoction for hyperuricemia and gouty arthritis. In animal experiments, a composite rat model of hyperuricemia induced by intraperitoneal injection of oteracil potassium combined with gouty arthritis induced by the modified Coderre method was established. Through hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, uric acid test, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), Western blot, and real-time polymerase chain reaction(Real-time PCR), the molecular mechanism and key targets of Buyang Huanwu Tongfeng decoction for treating hyperuricemia and gouty arthritis were observed. ResultsAfter screening and removing duplicate values, 76 active ingredients and 15 key targets were finally obtained. GO enrichment analysis yielded that the treatment of hyperuricemia and gouty arthritis with Buyang Huanwu Tongfeng decoction was significantly associated with acute inflammatory response, astrocyte activation, regulation of interleukin (IL)-8 production, nuclear receptor activity, and binding of growth factor receptor. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis obtained that the key target genes were significantly associated with the IL-17 signaling pathway, advanced glycosylation end/receptor of advanced glycation endproducts(AGE/RAGE) signaling pathway, anti-inflammatory, and other pathways. PPI network indicated that albumin(ALB), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), IL-6, IL-1β, and C-reactive protein(CRP) were the key protein targets. The molecular docking results showed that ALB had the strongest binding force with beta-carotene (β-carotene). Biochemical results showed that blood uric acid decreased in the Buyang Huanwu Tongfeng decoction groups. HE staining results showed that the low-dose (7.76 g·kg-1·d-1), medium-dose (15.53 g·kg-1·d-1), and high-dose (31.05 g·kg-1·d-1) groups of Buyang Huanwu Tongfeng decoction had different degrees of remission, and the remission of the high-dose group was the most obvious. Fibroblastic tissue hyperplasia in synovial joints accompanied with inflammatory cell infiltration, as well as inflammatory cell infiltration in renal tissue of the high-dose group was significantly reduced, followed by the medium-dose and low-dose groups, and the expression of ALB, PPAR-γ, IL-6, IL-1β, and CRP was down-regulated to different degrees. ConclusionBy regulating the targets such as ALB, PPAR-γ, IL-6, IL-1β, and CRP, inhibiting the PPAR-γ/nuclear transcription factor (NF)-κB pathway, and reducing AGEs/RAGE-mediated inflammation, Buyang Huanwu Tongfeng decoction exerts anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects and activates blood circulation and diuresis in the treatment of hyperuricemia and gouty arthritis.
2.Research on BP Neural Network Method for Identifying Cell Suspension Concentration Based on GHz Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy
An ZHANG ; A-Long TAO ; Qi-Hang RAN ; Xia-Yi LIU ; Zhi-Long WANG ; Bo SUN ; Jia-Feng YAO ; Tong ZHAO
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(5):1302-1312
ObjectiveThe rapid advancement of bioanalytical technologies has heightened the demand for high-throughput, label-free, and real-time cellular analysis. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) operating in the GHz frequency range (GHz-EIS) has emerged as a promising tool for characterizing cell suspensions due to its ability to rapidly and non-invasively capture the dielectric properties of cells and their microenvironment. Although GHz-EIS enables rapid and label-free detection of cell suspensions, significant challenges remain in interpreting GHz impedance data for complex samples, limiting the broader application of this technique in cellular research. To address these challenges, this study presents a novel method that integrates GHz-EIS with deep learning algorithms, aiming to improve the precision of cell suspension concentration identification and quantification. This method provides a more efficient and accurate solution for the analysis of GHz impedance data. MethodsThe proposed method comprises two key components: dielectric property dataset construction and backpropagation (BP) neural network modeling. Yeast cell suspensions at varying concentrations were prepared and separately introduced into a coaxial sensor for impedance measurement. The dielectric properties of these suspensions were extracted using a GHz-EIS dielectric property extraction method applied to the measured impedance data. A dielectric properties dataset incorporating concentration labels was subsequently established and divided into training and testing subsets. A BP neural network model employing specific activation functions (ReLU and Leaky ReLU) was then designed. The model was trained and tested using the constructed dataset, and optimal model parameters were obtained through this process. This BP neural network enables automated extraction and analytical processing of dielectric properties, facilitating precise recognition of cell suspension concentrations through data-driven training. ResultsThrough comparative analysis with conventional centrifugal methods, the recognized concentration values of cell suspensions showed high consistency, with relative errors consistently below 5%. Notably, high-concentration samples exhibited even smaller deviations, further validating the precision and reliability of the proposed methodology. To benchmark the recognition performance against different algorithms, two typical approaches—support vector machines (SVM) and K-nearest neighbor (KNN)—were selected for comparison. The proposed method demonstrated superior performance in quantifying cell concentrations. Specifically, the BP neural network achieved a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 2.06% and an R² value of 0.997 across the entire concentration range, demonstrating both high predictive accuracy and excellent model fit. ConclusionThis study demonstrates that the proposed method enables accurate and rapid determination of unknown sample concentrations. By combining GHz-EIS with BP neural network algorithms, efficient identification of cell concentrations is achieved, laying the foundation for the development of a convenient online cell analysis platform and showing significant application prospects. Compared to typical recognition approaches, the proposed method exhibits superior capabilities in recognizing cell suspension concentrations. Furthermore, this methodology not only accelerates research in cell biology and precision medicine but also paves the way for future EIS biosensors capable of intelligent, adaptive analysis in dynamic biological research.
3.Therapeutic effect and mechanism of hordenine on ovalbumin-induced allergic rhinitis in rats
Junyan LI ; Tao LIU ; Fang SUN ; Jiahui HUANG ; Shuzhen MAO ; Jing YAO
Journal of China Pharmaceutical University 2025;56(1):80-90
To investigate the therapeutic effect and related mechanisms of hordenine on ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic rhinitis (AR) in rats, HE and AB-PAS staining were used to detect the improvement of pathological damage to the nasal mucosa induced by hordenine. ELISA was employed to detect the effect of hordenine on OVA-sIgE in serum and IL-4 in the nasal mucosa supernatant of rats. IHC and Western blot experiments were undertaken to examine the effect of hordenine on Th1/Th2 cell balance. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to predict pathways, which were verified by in vivo and in vitro experiments. The experimental results showed that hordenine could alleviate the behavioral manifestations of OVA-induced AR rats, alleviate nasal mucosal pathological damage caused by AR, and reduce the secretion of OVA-sIgE and IL-4. In addition, hordenine could regulate the Th1/Th2 balance. Bioinformatics analysis results showed that the potential pathway of action of hordenine on AR was the phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway. The in vivo experimental results showed that the expression of PI3K and p-Akt proteins in the nasal mucosa of the model group rats was significantly increased (P < 0.01), and that the protein expression level was significantly decreased after the administration of hordenine, which was also confirmed by an in vitro experiment. This study suggests that hordenine may regulate Th1/Th2 cell balance through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, thereby exerting an alleviating effect on OVA-induced AR.
4.The moderating role of estradiol in the relationship between parenting styles and preschool children s behavioral problems
XIA Moyan, YAN Chao, DONG Suhua, TANG Jinhui, LIU Ying, SONG Xingxing, TAO Lan, YAO Rongying
Chinese Journal of School Health 2024;45(1):95-98
Objective:
To explore the moderating role of estradiol in the relationship between parenting styles and preschool children's behavioral problems, so as to provide a theoretical basis for improving the development of human s emotional health development in early life stage.
Methods:
During September to November in 2022, 354 children aged 3-6 years and their parents from two kindergartens in Bengbu City were chosen by using stratified cluster sampling method for the questionnaire survey. The Parenting Style Scale and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were used to collect information on parenting style and child behavioral problems. Salivary estradiol of children was collected and tested. Independent samples t test was applied to compare the scores of the scale for parental up bringing and children s behavioral problems, and Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to explore the relationship among parental upbringing, estradiol and children s behavioral problems.
Results:
Parents doting, laissez faire, autocratic, and inconsistent parenting styles were positive associated with child behavior problems( r =0.14-0.70); fathers democratic parenting style was negatively associated with child behavior problems( r =-0.14,-0.22,-0.21,-0.17,-0.27,-0.20); mothers democratic parenting styles was negatively correlated with scores on all five dimensions of child behavior problems except the withdrawal dimension ( r =-0.14,-0.12,-0.13,-0.21,-0.12)( P <0.05). Estradiol levels had significant moderating effects on maternal doting parenting style and children s withdrawal ( β =0.68) as well as social problems ( β =-1.00), also moderating laissez faire parenting styles and children s withdrawal problems ( β =0.75)( P <0.05). For children with low levels of estradiol, withdrawal problem scores were negatively associated with mother s doting parenting style and positively associated with laissez faire parenting style, and socialization problem scores were associated with mother s doting parenting style; for children with high levels of estradiol, withdrawal problem scores were positively associated with mother s doting parenting style, and socialization problem scores were associated with mother s doting parenting style ( t=2.84, 6.24, 3.16 , 2.37, 4.49, P <0.05).
Conclusions
Parenting styles are strongly associated with child behavioral problems; estradiol levels play a moderating role in mothers doting, laissez faire parenting styles and children s withdrawal problems and social problems.Parents should adopt more positive parenting styles and focus on the role of estradiol levels in maternal education to reduce the occurrence of behavioral problems in children.
5.Accuracy of a smartphone-assisted novel labeling method for marking target axial position in cataract surgery
International Eye Science 2024;24(3):463-468
AIM: To evaluate the convenience and accuracy of a novel smartphone-assisted “any-point two-step method” for finding the target axial position in cataract phacoemulsification combined with intraocular lens(IOL)implantation.METHODS: Prospective observational study. A total of 62 cases(62 eyes)of patients with age-related cataracts who underwent cataract phacoemulsification combined with IOL implantation in our hospital from October 2021 to April 2022 were selected. They were randomly divided into two groups: 31 cases(31 eyes)in the control group were applied with the “traditional two-step method” using slit lamp to mark the target axial position of the IOL, and 31 cases(31 eyes)in the experimental group were applied with the smartphone-assisted “two-step method” to mark the target axial position of the IOL. The Callisto eye navigation system was used as a standard reference, and the deviation of the reference marking point(deviation-1), the deviation of the target axial marking point(deviation-total), and the deviation of the angle from the reference marking point to the target axial marking point(deviation-2)were calculated and recorded as the preoperative axial marking time.RESULTS:Both deviation-1 and deviation-total values were lower in the experimental group than those in the control group(1.06°±1.39° vs 2.48°±2.23°, 1.77°±1.54° vs 2.81°±1.58°, all P<0.01), but there was no significant difference in the deviation-2 values between the two groups(1.35°±1.40° vs 1.48°±1.79°, P>0.05). The preoperative axial marking took shorter time in the experimental group than in the control group(1.77±1.70 min vs 2.88±3.20 min, P<0.01).CONCLUSION: The smartphone-assisted “any-point two-step method” for finding the target axial position in cataract phacoemulsification combined with IOL implantation is simple, time-saving, and accurate compared with the “traditional two-step method”.
6. Effect of menthol on hypobaric hypoxia-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension in mice and its mechanism
Wu-Shuai WANG ; Ying-Rong HE ; Xi YANG ; Qing-Hua DUAN ; Qiang WANG ; Wu-Shuai WANG ; Tao HU ; Ying-Rong HE ; Xi YANG ; Qing-Hua DUAN ; Xuan DU ; Qiang WANG ; Yao YANG ; Xuan DU
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(1):62-69
Aim To study the effect of menthol on hypobaric hypoxia-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension and explore the underlying mechanism in mice. Methods 10 to 12 weeks old wild type (WT) mice and TRPM8 gene knockout (TRPM8
7. Advances in relationship between pyroptosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension and therapeutic drugs
Qian YAN ; Yang SUN ; Jun-Peng LONG ; Jiao YAO ; Yu-Ting LIN ; Song-Wei YANG ; Yan-Tao YANG ; Gang PEI ; Qi-Di AI ; Nai-Hong CHEN ; Qian YAN ; Yang SUN ; Jun-Peng LONG ; Jiao YAO ; Yu-Ting LIN ; Song-Wei YANG ; Yan-Tao YANG ; Gang PEI ; Qi-Di AI ; Nai-Hong CHEN ; Sha-Sha LIU ; Nai-Hong CHEN
Chinese Pharmacological Bulletin 2024;40(1):25-30
Pyroptosis is the programmed death of cells accompanied by an inflammatory response and is widely involved in the development of a variety of diseases, such as infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegeneration. It has been shown that cellular scorching is involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension ( PAH) in cardiovascular diseases. Patients with PAH have perivascular inflammatory infiltrates in lungs, pulmonary vasculopathy exists in an extremely inflam-matory microenvironment, and pro-inflammatory factors in cellular scorching drive pulmonary vascular remodelling in PAH patients. This article reviews the role of cellular scorch in the pathogenesis of PAH and the related research on drugs for the treatment of PAH, with the aim of providing new ideas for clinical treatment of PAH.
8. Clinical features, risk factors and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Xiaochuan WANG ; Hanchao WANG ; Yu YAO ; Li LI ; Gaoyan HE ; Bo LI ; Tao ZHU ; Tao ZHU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2024;29(4):392-400
AIM: To investigate the clinical features of acute exacerbation chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) of complicated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and analyze the related clinical features and risk factors. METHODS: This was a single-center cross-sectional study. From March 2020 to January 2023, 479 hospitalized patients with AECOPD in the department of respiratory and critical care medicine, Suining Central Hospital were included. There were 215 patients in AECOPD group and 60 patients in AECOPD with T2DM group. The collected variables included demographic data, complications, blood routine, infection index, random blood glucose, blood gas analysis and lung function. The adoption rate and constituent ratio of the basic description classification data were expressed as mean standard deviation for the normal distribution measurement data and median interquartile range for the skew distribution measurement data. T-test was used for normal distribution and non - parameter test was used for non-normal distribution. The categorical variables were tested by chi-square test. Rank sum test was used for rank variable data. Binary logistic regression model was used to investigate the independent factors associated with T2DM in patients with AECOPD. Finally, the results of logistic regression were verified and visualized by nomogram, validation curve, ROC curve and DCA curve. P<0.05 was a significant statistical difference. RESULTS: Univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in body mass index (BMI), essential hypertension, coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation (AF), pulmonary function (GOLD stage), blood neutrophil (NS), blood lymphocyte (LYM), arterial blood gas PaCO2, Alanine transaminase (ALT) and random blood glucose (RBG) between the two groups (P<0.05). The binary logistic regression model (C-index=0.847) was constructed with the above 10 variables, the results showed that BMI (OR=1.309), Af (OR= 8.188), LYM counts (OR=0.474), PaCO2 (OR=1.082) and RBG (OR=1.434) were independently associated with type 2 diabetes in patients with AECOPD (all P>0.05). The results of logistic regression were verified and visualized by Nomogram and its-associated ccurves. The MAE and AUC curves were 0.021 and 0.847 respectively, indicating that the model had good prediction consistency and accuracy. The DCA curve showed that Nomogram's risk threshold ranged from 0.01 to 0.99, suggesting that nomogram's model had better clinical predictive value. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that increased BMI, PaCO2 and random glucose, decreased blood lymphocyte, and atrial fibrillation is an independent clinical feature of AECOPD with T2DM. These results suggest that the immune function of patients with AECOPD and T2DM are more severely impaired and more likely to be accompanied by atrial fibrillation, which is a potential cause of poor prognosis in these patients. Meanwhile, this conclusion needs to be further verified in multicenter study with large sample size.
9.Effect and Mechanism of Sishenjian on Synovial Lesions in Knee Osteoarthritis Rats
Zixuan HU ; Xuejun HUANG ; Nan YAO ; Sha PENG ; Dan'e HUANG ; Tao JIANG ; Haining GAN ; Xiaodan HUANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(11):18-26
ObjectiveTo explore the effect and mechanism of Sishenjian on synovial lesions induced by monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) in rats with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). MethodSixty female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into the following six groups: normal group, model group, celecoxib group, and high-, medium-, and low-dose Sishenjian group. The KOA rat model was established by intra-articular injection of MIA. Celecoxib (18 mg·kg-1) and Sishenjian (14.4, 7.2, 3.6 g·kg-1) were administered by gavage according to the groups. All rats were euthanized after four weeks of continuous administration. The transverse diameter of the bilateral knee joints of rats was measured, and gross observation of the knee joint was performed. Pathological changes in knee joint synovial tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and picrosirius red staining. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) in synovial tissue. The levels of inflammatory cytokines in the joint synovial fluid were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) and Western blot were used to detect the expression of mRNA and proteins related to the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)/Smad2/3 pathway in knee joint synovium. ResultCompared with the normal group, the transverse diameter of the knee joint in the model group significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the transverse diameter of the knee joint in rats of each Sishenjian group significantly decreased (P<0.01). Compared with the normal group, the expression levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the knee joint synovial fluid of model group significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the expression levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in the knee joint synovial fluid of rats in each Sishenjian group significantly decreased (P<0.01). Compared with the normal group, the expression levels of TGF-β1, Smad2/3, phosphorylation(p)-Smad2/3, type Ⅰ collagen α1 (ColⅠα1), type Ⅲ collagen α1 (ColⅢα1), VEGFA proteins and TGF-β1, Smad2/3, ColⅠα1, ColⅢα1 mRNA in knee joint synovium of model group significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the expression levels of TGF-β1, Smad2/3, phosphorylation (p)-Smad2/3, ColⅠα1, ColⅢα1, VEGFA proteins and TGF-β1, Smad2/3, ColⅠα1, ColⅢα1 mRNA in knee joint synovium of rats in each Sishenjian group significantly decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionSishenjian can inhibit synovial inflammation and angiogenesis, and may become a potential drug for treating synovial lesions in KOA by regulating the TGF-β1/Smad2/3 pathway.
10.Electro-acupuncture for Vascular Cognitive Impairment:A Visualized Data Mining Analysis
Hai-Zhen GUO ; Han WU ; Mei-Kang YAO ; Jiang-Wei SHI ; Tao YU
Journal of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;41(1):161-168
Objective To summarize the acupoints and parameters commonly used in the treatment of vascular cognitive impairment(VCI)by electro-acupuncture(EA)through the visual data mining technique to provide a reference basis for clinical treatment.Methods The clinical studies of EA on the treatment of VCI were searched in CNKI,Wanfang,VIP,CBM,PubMed,Embase,Cochrane Library,web of science and other major databases.The literature is managed by Note Express and the database is established by Excel.The frequency of selected acupoints,frequency,meridian tropism,parameter frequency and frequency of used acupoints are counted.Factor analysis is carried out by SPSS 21.0 software.SPSS Modeler 18.3 software is used to analyze association rules and co-occurrence network,and the analysis results are visualized by Cytoscape 3.9.1 software.Results Finally,155 papers were included,containing 155 acupoint prescriptions and 157 parameter prescriptions.Acupoint prescriptions involved 100 acupoints with a total frequency of 856 times;parameter prescriptions involved 33 parameters with a total frequency of 788 times.Conclusion At present,there is a big difference between the clinical studies,and there is no recognized acupoint and parameter for EA treatment of VCI.By further summarizing the law of EA acupuncture point and parameter,the study has sorted out the law of commonly used acupoints,meridian tropism,compounding and parameter selection for EA treatment of VCI.It was concluded that the selection of acupoints mainly started from the three aspects of deficiency,phlegm and stasis,focusing on the combination of local and distal selection of acupoints,through the identification of internal organs and meridians,to achieve the simultaneous regulation of the heart,spleen and kidney,and to take into account both the symptoms and the root cause,and to play the roles of opening the orifices to wake up mind,calming mind and benefiting intellect,strengthening the spleen and tonifying the kidneys,and invigorating blood circulation to remove stasis.The parameters of EA are recommended to be sparse and dense wave,low frequency,as tolerated by the patient,30 minutes/times,1 time/day,5 times/week as the main combinations,which can provide a certain reference basis for clinical decision-making.


Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail