1.Enzyme-directed Immobilization Strategies for Biosensor Applications
Xing-Bao WANG ; Yao-Hong MA ; Yun-Long XUE ; Xiao-Zhen HUANG ; Yue SHAO ; Yi YU ; Bing-Lian WANG ; Qing-Ai LIU ; Li-He ZHANG ; Wei-Li GONG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(2):374-394
Immobilized enzyme-based enzyme electrode biosensors, characterized by high sensitivity and efficiency, strong specificity, and compact size, demonstrate broad application prospects in life science research, disease diagnosis and monitoring, etc. Immobilization of enzyme is a critical step in determining the performance (stability, sensitivity, and reproducibility) of the biosensors. Random immobilization (physical adsorption, covalent cross-linking, etc.) can easily bring about problems, such as decreased enzyme activity and relatively unstable immobilization. Whereas, directional immobilization utilizing amino acid residue mutation, affinity peptide fusion, or nucleotide-specific binding to restrict the orientation of the enzymes provides new possibilities to solve the problems caused by random immobilization. In this paper, the principles, advantages and disadvantages and the application progress of enzyme electrode biosensors of different directional immobilization strategies for enzyme molecular sensing elements by specific amino acids (lysine, histidine, cysteine, unnatural amino acid) with functional groups introduced based on site-specific mutation, affinity peptides (gold binding peptides, carbon binding peptides, carbohydrate binding domains) fused through genetic engineering, and specific binding between nucleotides and target enzymes (proteins) were reviewed, and the application fields, advantages and limitations of various immobilized enzyme interface characterization techniques were discussed, hoping to provide theoretical and technical guidance for the creation of high-performance enzyme sensing elements and the manufacture of enzyme electrode sensors.
2.Interpretation and thoughts on the formulation and revision of the standards for exogenous harmful residues in traditional Chinese medicinal materials in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2025 Edition
WANG Ying ; SHEN Mingrui ; LIU Yuanxi ; ZUO Tiantian ; WANG Dandan ; HE Yi ; CHENG Xianlong ; JIN Hongyu ; LIU Yongli ; WEI Feng ; MA Shuangcheng
Drug Standards of China 2025;26(1):083-092
As people’s attention to health continues to increase, the market demand for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is growing steadily. The quality and safety of Chinese medicinal materials have attracted unprecedented social attention. In particular, the issue of exogenous harmful residue pollution in TCM has become a hot topic of concern for both regulatory authorities and society. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2025 Edition further refines the detection methods and limit standards for exogenous harmful residues in TCM. This not only reflects China’s high-level emphasis on the quality and safety of TCM but also demonstrates the continuous progress made by China in the field of TCM safety supervision. Basis on this study, by systematically reviewing the development history of the detection standards for exogenous harmful residues in TCM and analyzing the revisions and updates of these detection standards in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2025 Edition, deeply explores the key points of the changes in the monitoring standards for exogenous harmful residues in TCM in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2025 Edition. Moreover, it interprets the future development directions of the detection of exogenous residues in TCM, aiming to provide a reference for the formulation of TCM safety supervision policies.
3.Research on The Construction and Application of Multiple Fluorescence Amplification System for Three Kinds of Stains
Yi-Fan BAI ; He-Miao ZHAO ; Jing CHEN ; Hong-Di LIU ; Rui-Qin YANG ; Chong WANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(4):982-994
ObjectiveA multiplex amplification system was constructed based on the capillary electrophoresis platform for simultaneous detection of saliva, semen, and vaginal secretions using tissue-specific RNA markers. The aim of this study is to identify the tissue origin of suspicious body fluid stains found at crime scenes and determine whether the body fluid stains at the crime scene are one or several types among saliva, semen, and vaginal secretions. MethodsThirty saliva samples, forty semen samples, and forty vaginal secretion samples (half from 2015 and half from 2024) were collected from healthy adult volunteers. Through primer designing, system formulation, and PCR condition optimization, a multiplex fluorescent amplification system was constructed. The specificity, sensitivity, and detection ability for mixed samples of this system were investigated, and it was tested using real crime scene materials. In the primer design stage, to reduce the requirements for RNA template quality, the amplification products were set within 80-300 bp. In the system formulation stage, dominant and subordinate primers were mainly considered. By reducing the concentration of dominant primers and increasing that of subordinate primers, a capillary electrophoresis spectrum with an appropriate peak height ratio was finally obtained. Additionally, gradient experiments were designed to adjust the concentrations of PCR reagents and PCR amplification conditions, and multiple versions of DNA amplification enzymes were optimized to achieve the best experimental results. ResultsThrough statistical analysis, there was no significant difference in the capillary electrophoresis of the 3 types of body fluid samples from the two years (2015 and 2024), demonstrating that the sample preservation method in this study can preserve samples for a relatively long time. The composite amplification system constructed in this study exhibited high specificity for all 3 types of body fluid, with no cross-reactions between the markers of each type of body fluid. The minimum detection thresholds for the 3 types of body fluid reached 0.002 9, 0.001 5, and 0.42 mg/L, respectively. This system also had a high degree of discrimination for mixed samples, especially for semen-saliva mixtures, where each body fluid marker could still be successfully detected when the concentration ratio of semen to saliva was 100:1. Meanwhile, in the two actual cases presented in this article, the application of this composite amplification system performed outstandingly. ConclusionThe composite amplification detection system constructed in this study can achieve the correct screening of saliva, semen, and vaginal secretions, overcoming the problems such as low specificity and sensitivity of marker tests and unbalanced RFU values of each marker in previous studies. The specificity and sensitivity meet the practical work requirements, and the operation is simple. It provides an analytical and identification method for body fluid stains in actual case and is applicable to the identification of the tissue origin of biological evidence at crime scenes involving sexual assault, indecent assault, and other criminal acts. In the future, more types of body fluid markers will be screened to expand the types of body fluids detected by the system, and body fluid-specific cSNP and cInDel genetic markers will be introduced to infer the sources (individuals and types) of mixed and complex stains more accurately.
4.Efficacy and safety of ropivacaine combined with oxycodone for iliac fascia nerve block analgesia in patients undergoing hip replacement
Xinyue ZHANG ; Yapeng HE ; Xianlin ZHU ; Weiqing LIU ; Yi ZHANG ; Zhengsong WAN ; Nana YAO ; Junying MOU
China Pharmacy 2025;36(8):951-955
OBJECTIVE To investigate the efficacy and safety of ropivacaine combined with oxycodone for the analgesia of iliac fascia nerve block in patients undergoing hip replacement. METHODS Sixty-six patients who underwent hip replacement at the Central Hospital of Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture from October 2023 to April 2024 were selected and randomly divided into observation group and control group, with 33 cases in each group. Before induction of anesthesia, ultrasound-guided iliac fascial nerve block was performed. Patients in the observation group were treated with 0.33% ropivacaine+0.1 mg/kg oxycodone injection mixture 30 mL, and patients in the control group were treated with 0.33% ropivacaine injection 30 mL. The time of first postoperative rescue analgesia, 24 h postoperative analgesic drug consumption, sensory block and motor block effective and maintenance time, satisfaction degree, numerical rating scale (NRS) pain score, Ramsay sedation score, muscle strength score, heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), oxygen saturation(SpO2), sleep score, anxiety score, and the occurrence of adverse reactions in the two groups were all recorded. RESULTS Compared with the control group, the first rescue analgesia time after operation was significantly prolonged in the observation group, and 24 h postoperative analgesic drug consumption after operation decreased; the effective time of sensory block was significantly shortened, and the maintenance time of sensory block was significantly prolonged, and the satisfaction score was higher; the NRS pain score after iliac fascia nerve block was lower, HR and MAP were lower, and the anxiety score and sleep score 24 and 48 h after operation were lower (P<0.05). In terms of safety, patients in both groups had adverse reactions after operation, such as hypertension, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness, but there was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Oxycodone combined with ropivacaine shows good efficacy and safety for iliac fascial nerve block analgesia in patients undergoing hip replacement, can significantly prolong the analgesic time of ropivacaine, reduce postoperative analgesic drug consumption, improve the sleep quality of patients, and promote the rapid recovery of patients.
5.Recent progress on pollution and exposure assessment of emerging mycotoxins
Kailin LI ; Zhenni ZHU ; Yi HE ; Aibo WU ; Hong LIU
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(8):1009-1017
Emerging mycotoxins are mycotoxins that have emerged in recent years, encompassing more than ten different families of mycotoxins, primarily Alternaria toxins (ATs), enniatins (ENNs), and beauvericin (BEA). These contaminants are widely found in a variety of food groups including cereals, fruits and vegetables, beer, wine, beans, and potatoes. Studies have shown that multiple physiological toxicities of the emerging mycotoxins are identified in plants, animals, and various human cell lines, and their presence are associated with certain human diseases. Notably, the emerging mycotoxins are not only prevalent in food but also frequently detected in human biological samples (e.g., serum, urine, and breast milk). Furthermore, multiple risk assessment studies have indicated that dietary exposure to the emerging mycotoxins, particularly ATs, exceed safe levels in some populations, posing potential threats to both food safety and human health. This article reviewed the contamination and physiological toxicity of three major emerging mycotoxins—ATs, ENNs, and BEA—in food, as well as research progress in human exposure assessment by different risk evaluation methods (e.g., dietary contamination & intake assessment and human biomonitoring). Additionally, it discussed current research challenges and unresolved scientific issues, aiming to provide insights for the biological control of emerging mycotoxins in food and the assessment of their exposure risks in human populations.
6.Effects of esketamine for multimodal analgesia on opioid consumption and gastric motility in mechanically ventilated non-surgical ICU patients
Yi LONG ; Qian LIU ; Rui LI ; Guixin WU ; Aiting HE ; Zhengying JIANG
China Pharmacy 2024;35(4):468-471
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of esketamine for multimodal analgesia on opioid consumption and gastric motility in mechanically ventilated non-surgical intensive care unit (ICU) patients. METHODS Forty cases of mechanically ventilated non-surgical patients in the ICU of our hospital from February 1st, 2023 to July 31st, 2023 were selected and randomly divided into control group and esketamine (S-K) group using grouping method with opaque envelopes, with 20 cases in each group. Control group was given sufentanil, and S-K group was infused with Esketamine hydrochloride injection at a constant rate of 0.2 mg/(kg·h)+ sufentanil. The treatment period length, analgesic compliance rate, sedation level, analgesic and sedative consumption, and gastric motility indexes were compared between the two groups. RESULTS There was no statistically significant difference in the treatment period length, analgesic compliance rate, sedation level, or the consumption of propofol and midazolam between the two groups (P>0.05). The consumption of sufentanil in the S-K group was significantly less than control group (P< 0.05). Compared with 1 h after randomization, the antral contraction frequency, antral contraction amplitude and antral motility index of patients in the S-K group were significantly higher at 72 h after randomization and were significantly higher than control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Esketamine may reduce opioid consumption and improve gastric motility in mechanically ventilated non-surgical ICU patients while ensuring a level of analgesic sedation.
7.Efficacy and influencing factors of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in the treatment of chronic insomnia
Xiaoya CHEN ; Jiawei HE ; Yan LIU ; Yi WANG ; Jing YAO ; Xiaoqi HUANG
Sichuan Mental Health 2024;37(1):16-20
BackgroundChronic insomnia is characterized by a prolonged and recurrent course. The efficacy of repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a physical therapy method to improve sleep quality remains inadequately supported by evidence, particularly regarding its relationship with personality traits. ObjectiveTo explore the efficacy and influencing factors of rTMS in the treatment of chronic insomnia, and to provide insights into its therapeutic potential. MethodA total of 46 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for chronic insomnia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), and were treated at the Third Hospital of Mianyang from September 2022 to September 2023 were selected. Prior to treatment, participants underwent assessments using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), Hamilton Depression Scale-17 item (HAMD-17) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality before treatment, at the end of the second week of treatment and one week post-treatment. ResultsAt the end of the second week of treatment, patients exhibited significantly improved total PSQI score and subscale scores related to subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance and daytime dysfunction (t=4.755~13.361, P<0.01), with 24 cases (54.35%) showing effective treatment outcomes. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that introverted and extroverted personality traits contributed significantly to the regression equation (B=0.317, P<0.01), explaining 29.90% of the total variation (R2=0.299). ConclusionrTMS treatment may effectively improve the sleep quality of patients with chronic insomnia, with its therapeutic effect appearing to associated with introverted and extroverted personality traits. [Funded by National Natural Science Project of China (number, 82372080)]
8.Inhibitory effect and mechanism of total flavonoids from Melicope pteleifolia on transplanted tumor of colorectal cancer in nude mice
Yi LIU ; Zhenxiang AN ; Yuanli HE ; Ying GAO ; Xiuyi HE
China Pharmacy 2024;35(5):542-547
OBJECTIVE To study the inhibitory effect and mechanism of total flavonoids from Melicope pteleifolia (TF-MPL) on transplanted tumor of colorectal cancer in nude mice. METHODS The transplanted tumor model of colorectal cancer was induced by injecting 0.2 mL colorectal cancer cell LoVo subcutaneously via the right armpit of nude mice. After successful modeling, nude mice were randomly divided into model group, 5-fluorouracil group (positive control, 10 mg/kg), TF-MPL high- dose and low-dose groups (25, 12.5 mg/kg); a normal group (normal saline containing 0.3% carboxymethyl cellulose sodium) without modeling was additionally set up, with 6 mice in each group. Each group was intraperitoneally injected with the corresponding drug solution/solvent for 21 consecutive days. The inhibitory rate of the transplanted tumor, liver and spleen index, and the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in serum were detected after the last medication; the morphological changes of tumor tissue were observed; immunohistochemical staining was used to detect protein expressions of Toll- like receptor 4 (TLR4) and nuclear factor-κB subunit p65 (NF-κB p65) in tumor tissue of nude mice. Western blot assay was used to detect protein expressions of TLR4, myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK-1), NF-κB p65 and caspase-3 in tumor tissue of nude mice. RESULTS Compared with the model group, TF-MPL high-dose group showed a significant decrease in tumor weight (inhibitory rate of 36.91%), liver and spleen index, serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 and protein expressions of TLR4, MyD88, TRAF6,IRAK-1 and NF- κB p65 (P<0.05 or P<0.01); the expression of caspase-3 protein was increased significantly (P<0.05), and more tumor cell shrinkage and deformation, nuclear pyknosis and fragmentation were observed. CONCLUSIONS TF-MPL can significantly inhibit the growth of transplanted tumor of colorectal cancer in nude mice, the mechanism of which may be associated with reducing inflammatory response, inhibiting TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway, and promoting apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells.
9.A case-control study on gut microbiota diversity and species composition in obese/overweight children aged 2-6 years in Shanghai
Ping LIAO ; Qin YAN ; Yi ZHANG ; Xin HE ; Peiyun ZHU ; Jian QI ; Chazhen LIU ; Tong LIU ; Yan SHI ; Wenjing WANG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2024;41(3):243-250
Background Multiple studies have shown a close relationship between changes in gut microbiota composition and obesity, and research results are influenced by factors such as race and geographical location, but there are few studies on children. Objective To analyze the diversity of gut microbiota related to obesity in a population of 2-6 years old, observe the distribution characteristics and species differences of gut microbiota between obese/overweight and normal weight groups, and explore the association betweenobese/overweight and gut microbiota diversity. Methods Fecal samples were collected from 74 children aged 2-6 years in Shanghai, including 18 obese/overweight individuals, 6 males and 12 females (male to female ratio of 1∶2), and 56 normal weight individuals, 18 males and 38 females (male to female ratio is nearly 1∶2). The 16S rDNA was extracted from bacteria in fecal samples, followed by PCR amplification, cDNA construction, and high-throughput sequencing. Naive Bayes algorithm was used to perform taxonomic analysis (phylum, class, order, family, genus, species) and community diversity analysis (Sobs index, Shannon index, Shannoneven index, Coverage index, PD index, and principal co-ordinates analysis) on representative sequences and abundance of amplicon sequence variants (ASV). Wilcoxon rank sum test, P-value multiple test correction, and analysis of similarities were used to test differences between the two groups to obtain information on the distribution characteristics and species differences of intestinal microbiota in children. Results Seventy-four fecal samples were sequenced, and the sequencing results were subjected to quality control and filtering. A total of 4905306 optimized sequences were obtained, resulting in 1860 ASVs. The diversity data analysis of ASVs generated 889 species annotation results at 8 taxonomic levels. The alpha diversity analysis showed that the richness (Sobs index), diversity (Shannon index), evenness (Shannoneven index), and phylogenetic diversity (PD index) of fecal community of the obese/overweight children were increased compared to those of the normal weight children, but there were no statistical differences between the two groups (P>0.05). The beta diversity analysis showed that there was little difference in the composition of microbial species between the two groups, and no significant clustering separation was observed. The results of species composition analysis at phylum, order, family, and genus levels of 74 samples showed a consistent core microbiota structure in the two groups of gut microbiota, but there were differences in microbiota composition. The differences in microbial community composition between the two groups were manifested at the taxonomic levels of order, family, and genus, among which phylum Firmicutes, order Erysipelotrichales, family Erysipelatocyclostridiaceae, genus Erysipelotrichaceae_ UCG-003 and genus Catenibacterium were significantly enriched in the obese/overweight group and contributed significantly to the phenotypic difference of obese/overweight [linear discriminant analysis (LDA)=3.72, P<0.01; LDA=3.29, P<0.05). Phylum Proteobacteria, order Enterobacterales, family Enterobacteriaceae, genus unclassified was significantly enriched in the normal weight group and contributed significantly to the phenotypic difference of normal body weight (LDA=3.93, P<0.05). Conclusion The richness and diversity of gut microbiota in obese/overweight children aged 2-6 years in Shanghai are increased, but there is no difference compared to normal weight children. There is a difference in the composition of gut microbiota between the obese/overweight group and the normal weight group.
10.Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC Oil Alleviates LPS-Induced Inflammatory Response in Macrophages by Affecting Arachidonic Acid Metabolism Via NF-κB Nonclassical Pathway
Xianfang HE ; Wanlin WANG ; Hongying WANG ; Ruixiu LIU ; Qiong YI ; Lu WANG
Journal of Sun Yat-sen University(Medical Sciences) 2024;45(2):216-225
ObjectiveTo study the anti-inflammatory effects of Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC oil (BBO) based on nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) nonclassical and arachidonic acid (AA) pathway. MethodsEffects of BBO on the production of slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis (SRS-A) were detected by the ileal smooth muscle method. The contents of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) in lipopolysaccharides (LPS) -induced macrophages were detected by ELISA kit. The expression of COX-2, 5-LOX, FLAP and RelB were detected by qRT-PCR. Western blot was performed to detect the effects of BBO on the level of NF-κB nonclassical pathway proteins TNF receptor associated factor 3 (TRAF3), TNF receptor associated factor 2 (TRAF2), NF-κB-inducing kinase (NIK), p100 and RelB. ResultsThe contractile tension of guinea pig ileum was reduced (P<0.001), and the SRS-A production inhibition rate reached 65.34% at 1mg·mL-1 BBO concentration. Compared with LPS group, BBO reduced the concentrations of PGE2 (P<0.05) and LTB4 (P<0.05), and decreased the expressions of COX-2 (P<0.05), 5-LOX (P<0.05) and FLAP (P<0.05) in AA pathway at concentrations of 40-80 μg·mL-1. Moreover, 40-80 μg·mL-1 BBO decreased the concentrations of TRAF3 (P<0.05), TRAF2 (P<0.05), and NIK (P<0.05), and further inhibited the phosphorylation of p100 (P<0.05), as well as the level of the transcription factor RelB in genes (P<0.05) and proteins (P<0.05) in nonclassical NF-κB pathway, whereas BBO did not cause such changes. ConclusionBBO may potentially exert its anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing the regulatory proteins TRAF3 and TRAF2 and the transcription factor RelB in NF-κB nonclassical pathway. The inhibitory action extending to the induction kinase function of NIK, further hindering the phosphorylation of p100 and its binding with the transcription factor RelB. Consequently, downstream elements in the AA pathway, including the pivotal rate-limiting enzymes COX-2, 5-LOX and FLAP, were altered. This modulation influences the levels of inflammatory mediators such as PGE2 and LTB4.

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