1.Effects of jaceosidin on inflammatory injury in osteoarthritis rats by regulating AMPK/NLRP3 signaling pathway
Chao WEI ; Jiang YU ; Guanyun SHENG ; Yi CAI
China Pharmacy 2025;36(4):421-426
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of jaceosidin on osteoarthritis (OA) of rats by regulating adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) pathway. METHODS Rats were randomly separated into OA group, jaceosidin group (33.33 mg/kg), AMPK inhibitor (Compound C, 20 mg/kg) group, jaceosidin (33.33 mg/kg)+Compound C (20 mg/kg) group, and sham operation group, with 12 rats in each group. Except for the sham operation group, the OA model was induced with modified Hulth method in all other groups. After successful modeling, they were given a relevant dose of jaceosidin or normal saline intragastrically, and Compound C or normal saline intraperitoneally, once a day, for consecutive 8 weeks. Twenty-four h after the last medication, the degree of knee joint swelling in rats from each group was measured. The pathological changes of the articular cartilage tissue in the knee joints, and the Mankin score were assessed. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-18 (IL-18), and IL-6, as well as the protein expressions of collagen Ⅱ, aggrecan (ACAN), and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin 5 (ADAMTS5), phosphorylated AMPK (p-AMPK), AMPK, NLRP3, cleaved-caspase-1, and cleaved-IL-1β were detected in the articular cartilage tissue of rats’ knees. RESULTS Compared with OA group, the cartilage tissue defect of jaceosidin group was relieved, the cartilage matrix staining was deepened, and the number of chondrocytes was increased. Knee swelling, Mankin score, the levels of TNF- α, IL-18 and IL-6, and protein expressions of ADAMTS5, NLRP3, cleaved-caspase-1 and cleaved-IL-1β in knee cartilage were significantly decreased or down-regulated. Protein expressions of collagen Ⅱ, ACAN and phosphorylation level of AMPK were significantly increased or up-regulated (P<0.05). Compound C significantly reversed the improvement effects of jaceosidin on the above indexes of OA rats (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Jaceosidin may inhibit inflammation and extracellular matrix degradation in OA rats by regulating the AMPK/NLRP3 signaling pathway.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
2.Therapeutic effect of anti-PD-L1&CXCR4 bispecific nanobody combined with gemcitabine in synergy with PBMC on pancreatic cancer treatment
Hai HU ; Shu-yi XU ; Yue-jiang ZHENG ; Jian-wei ZHU ; Ming-yuan WU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2025;60(2):388-396
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			 Pancreatic cancer is a kind of highly malignant tumor with a low survival rate and poor prognosis. The effectiveness of gemcitabine as a first-line chemotherapy drug is limited; however, it can activate dendritic cells and improve antigen presentation which increase the sensitivity of tumor cell to immunotherapy. Although immunotherapy has made some advancements in cancer treatment, the therapeutic benefit of programmed cell death receptor 1/programmed death receptor-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) blockade therapy remains relatively low. The chemokine C-X-C chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) contributes to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment by recruiting immunosuppressive cells. The receptor C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), highly expressed in various tumors including pancreatic cancer, plays a crucial role in tumor development and progression. In this study, the anti-tumor immune response of human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (hPBMC) was enhanced using the combination of BsNb PX4 (anti-PD-L1&CXCR4 bispecific nanobody) and gemcitabine. In a co-culture system of gemcitabine-pretreated hPBMCs with tumor cells, the BsNb PX4 synergized gemcitabine to improve the cytotoxic activity of hPBMCs against tumor cells. Flow cytometry analysis confirmed increased ratio of CD8+ to CD4+ T cells in combination treatment. In NOD/SCID mice bearing pancreatic cancer, the combination treatment exhibited more infiltration of CD8+ T cells into tumor tissues, contributing to an effective anti-tumor response. This study presents potential new therapies for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. Ethical approval was obtained for collection of hPBMC samples from the Local Ethics Committee of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. All animal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethic Committee of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (authorizing number: A2024246). 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
3.The effect of rutaecarpine on improving fatty liver and osteoporosis in MAFLD mice
Yu-hao ZHANG ; Yi-ning LI ; Xin-hai JIANG ; Wei-zhi WANG ; Shun-wang LI ; Ren SHENG ; Li-juan LEI ; Yu-yan ZHANG ; Jing-rui WANG ; Xin-wei WEI ; Yan-ni XU ; Yan LIN ; Lin TANG ; Shu-yi SI
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2025;60(1):141-149
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			 Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and osteoporosis (OP) are two very common metabolic diseases. A growing body of experimental evidence supports a pathophysiological link between MAFLD and OP. MAFLD is often associated with the development of OP. Rutaecarpine (RUT) is one of the main active components of Chinese medicine Euodiae Fructus. Our previous studies have demonstrated that RUT has lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic effects, and can improve the OP of rats. However, whether RUT can improve both fatty liver and OP symptoms of MAFLD mice at the same time remains to be investigated. In this study, we used C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 months to construct a MAFLD model, and gave the mice a low dose (5 mg·kg-1) and a high dose (15 mg·kg-1) of RUT by gavage for 4 weeks. The effects of RUT on liver steatosis and bone metabolism were then evaluated at the end of the experiment [this experiment was approved by the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (approval number: IMB-20190124D303)]. The results showed that RUT treatment significantly reduced hepatic steatosis and lipid accumulation, and significantly reduced bone loss and promoted bone formation. In summary, this study shows that RUT has an effect of improving fatty liver and OP in MAFLD mice. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
4.The lysine methyltransferase SMYD2 facilitates neointimal hyperplasia by regulating the HDAC3-SRF axis.
Xiaoxuan ZHONG ; Xiang WEI ; Yan XU ; Xuehai ZHU ; Bo HUO ; Xian GUO ; Gaoke FENG ; Zihao ZHANG ; Xin FENG ; Zemin FANG ; Yuxuan LUO ; Xin YI ; Ding-Sheng JIANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2024;14(2):712-728
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Coronary restenosis is an important cause of poor long-term prognosis in patients with coronary heart disease. Here, we show that lysine methyltransferase SMYD2 expression in the nucleus is significantly elevated in serum- and PDGF-BB-induced vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and in tissues of carotid artery injury-induced neointimal hyperplasia. Smyd2 overexpression in VSMCs (Smyd2-vTg) facilitates, but treatment with its specific inhibitor LLY-507 or SMYD2 knockdown significantly inhibits VSMC phenotypic switching and carotid artery injury-induced neointima formation in mice. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that SMYD2 knockdown represses the expression of serum response factor (SRF) target genes and that SRF overexpression largely reverses the inhibitory effect of SMYD2 knockdown on VSMC proliferation. HDAC3 directly interacts with and deacetylates SRF, which enhances SRF transcriptional activity in VSMCs. Moreover, SMYD2 promotes HDAC3 expression via tri-methylation of H3K36 at its promoter. RGFP966, a specific inhibitor of HDAC3, not only counteracts the pro-proliferation effect of SMYD2 overexpression on VSMCs, but also inhibits carotid artery injury-induced neointima formation in mice. HDAC3 partially abolishes the inhibitory effect of SMYD2 knockdown on VSMC proliferation in a deacetylase activity-dependent manner. Our results reveal that the SMYD2-HDAC3-SRF axis constitutes a novel and critical epigenetic mechanism that regulates VSMC phenotypic switching and neointimal hyperplasia.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
5.The role of glucose metabolism reprogramming and its targeted therapeutic agents in inflammation-related diseases
Yi WEI ; Xiao-man JIANG ; Shi-lin XIA ; Jing XU ; Ya LI ; Ran DENG ; Yan WANG ; Hong WU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica 2024;59(3):511-519
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			 Cells undergo glucose metabolism reprogramming under the influence of the inflammatory microenvironment, changing their primary mode of energy supply from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis. This process is involved in all stages of inflammation-related diseases development. Glucose metabolism reprogramming not only changes the metabolic pattern of individual cells, but also disrupts the metabolic homeostasis of the body microenvironment, which further promotes aerobic glycolysis and provides favourable conditions for the malignant progression of inflammation-related diseases. The metabolic enzymes, transporter proteins, and metabolites of aerobic glycolysis are all key signalling molecules, and drugs can inhibit aerobic glycolysis by targeting these specific key molecules to exert therapeutic effects. This paper reviews the impact of glucose metabolism reprogramming on the development of inflammation-related diseases such as inflammation-related tumours, rheumatoid arthritis and Alzheimer's disease, and the therapeutic effects of drugs targeting glucose metabolism reprogramming on these diseases. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
6.The relationship between activities of daily living and mental health in community elderly people and the mediating role of sleep quality
Heng-Yi ZHOU ; Jing LI ; Dan-Hua DAI ; Yang LI ; Bin ZHANG ; Rong DU ; Rui-Long WU ; Jia-Yan JIANG ; Yuan-Man WEI ; Jing-Rong GAO ; Qi ZHAO
Fudan University Journal of Medical Sciences 2024;51(2):143-150
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective To explore the relationship and internal path between activities of daily living(ADL),sleep quality and mental health of community elderly people in Shanghai.Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted among community residents aged 60 years and older seeing doctors in community health care center of five streets in Shanghai during Sept to Dec,2021 using convenience sampling.Activities of Daily Living(ADL),Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)and 10-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale(K10)were adopted in the survey.Single factor analysis,correlation analysis and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data.The effect relationship between the variables was tested using Bootstrap's mediated effects test.Results A total of 1 864 participants were included in the study.The average score was 15.53±4.47 for ADL,5.60±3.71 for PSQI and 15.50±6.28 for K10.The rate of ADL impairment,poor sleep quality,poor and very poor mental health of the elderly were 23.6%,27.3%,11.9%and 4.9%,respectively.ADL and sleep quality were all positively correlated with mental health(r=0.321,P<0.001;r=0.466,P<0.001);ADL was positively correlated with sleep quality(r=0.294,P<0.001).Multiple linear results of factors influencing mental health showed that ADL(β= 0.457,95%CI:0.341-0.573),sleep quality(β =0.667,95%CI:0.598-0.737)and mental health were positively correlated(P<0.001).Sleep quality partially mediated the relationship between ADL and mental health(95%CI:0.078-0.124)with an effect size of 33.0%.Conclusion Sleep quality is a mediator between ADL and mental health among community elderly people.Improving ADL and sleep quality may improve mental health in the population.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
7.Implementation of surveillance,prevention and control of healthcare-asso-ciated infection in maternal and child healthcare institutions:A nation-wide investigation report
Shuo LI ; Xi YAO ; Hui-Xue JIA ; Wei-Guang LI ; Xun HUANG ; Shu-Mei SUN ; Xi CHENG ; Qing-Lan MENG ; Xiang ZHANG ; Jing-Ping ZHANG ; Ya-Wei XING ; Qing-Qing JIANG ; Lian-Xuan WU ; Bing-Li ZHANG ; Xiao-Jing LIU ; Liu-Yi LI
Chinese Journal of Infection Control 2024;23(3):323-329
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective To investigate the implementation of surveillance,prevention and control measures for healthcare-associated infection(HAI)in maternal and child healthcare(MCH)institutions,and provide policy evi-dence for optimizing HAI prevention and control in MCH institutions.Methods Stratified sampling was conducted among the MCH institutions at provincial,municipal and county levels in 8 provinces/autonomous regions.A uni-fied questionnaire was designed and the online survey was conducted through"Questionnaire Star".Results The data from 123 MCH institutions were included in the analysis.90.24%of the MCH institutions carried out compre-hensive surveillance on HAI.The ratios of MCH institutions which implemented targeted surveillance on HAI in neonatal intensive care unit(NICU),surgical site infection,multidrug-resistant organisms(MDROs)and HAI in intensive care units(non-NICU excluded)were 89.66%,85.96%,80.77%,and 74.19%,respectively.51.22%MCH institutions adopted information surveillance system on HAI cases.94.31%MCH institutions carried out surveillance on hand hygiene compliance.Over 90%MCH institutions carried out surveillance on environment hy-giene in high-risk departments.71.54%MCH institutions conducted centralized cleaning,disinfection,sterilization and supply for reusable medical instruments in the central sterile supply department(CSSD).Over 90%MCH insti-tutions established three-level pre-examination triage systems.86.18%set up transitional wards.MCH institutions generally adopted a management model with established effective communication,full appointment visits,and sepa-rate visits for special medical groups,such as registered pregnant women,high-risk newborns,healthcare groups,and long-term rehabilitation patients.However,the ratio of institutions conducting on-line follow-up visits was less than 50%.Conclusion MCH institutions have generally carried out comprehensive and targeted surveillance on HAI.Information surveillance need to be facilitated.Hand hygiene and environmental hygiene surveillance has been popularized to a certain extent at all levels of MCH institutions.The cleaning,disinfection,sterilization,and supply processes of reusable medical devices in a few MCH institutions are not standardized.Special medical populations get effective management.On-line healthcare is to be further promoted.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
8.Study on the characteristics of lymphocyte-specfic protein-tyrosine kinase methylation in the peripheral blood circulation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis
Lingxia XU ; Cen CHANG ; Ping JIANG ; Kai WEI ; Jia′nan ZHAO ; Yixin ZHENG ; Yu SHAN ; Yiming SHI ; Hua Ye JIN ; Yi SHEN ; Shicheng GUO ; Dongyi HE ; Jia LIU
Chinese Journal of Rheumatology 2024;28(3):155-161
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Objective:To analyze the methylation characteristics of the lymphocyte-specific protein-tyrosine kinase (LCK) promoter region in the peripheral blood circulation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and its correlation with clinical indicators.Methods:Targeted methylation sequencing was used to compare the methylation levels of 7 CpG sites in the LCK promoter region in the peripheral blood of RA patients with healthy controls (HC) and osteoarthritis (OA) patients. Correlation analysis and ROC curve construction were performed with clinical information.Results:Non-parametric tests revealed that compared with HC [0.53(0.50, 0.57)] and OA patients [0.59(0.54, 0.62), H=47.17, P<0.001], RA patients [0.63(0.59, 0.68)] exhibited an overall increase in methylation levels. Simultaneously, when compared with the HC group [0.38(0.35, 0.41), 0.59(0.55, 0.63), 0.60(0.55, 0.64), 0.59(0.55, 0.63), 0.58(0.53, 0.62), 0.45(0.43, 0.49), 0.57(0.54, 0.61)], the RA group [0.46(0.42, 0.49), 0.70(0.65, 0.75), 0.70(0.66, 0.76), 0.70(0.65, 0.75), 0.69(0.64, 0.74), 0.55(0.51, 0.59), 0.68(0.63, 0.73)] showed a significant elevation in methylation levels at CpG sites cg05350315_60, cg05350315_80, cg05350315_95, cg05350315_101, cg05350315_104, cg05350315_128, and cg05350315_142, with statistically significant differences ( Z=-5.63, -5.89, -5.91, -5.89, -5.98, -5.95, -5.95, all P<0.001). Compared with the OA group [0.65(0.59, 0.69), 0.65(0.60, 0.69), 0.64(0.58, 0.68), 0.50(0.45, 0.54), 0.63(0.58, 0.67)], the RA group [0.70(0.66, 0.76), 0.70(0.65, 0.75), 0.69(0.64, 0.74), 0.55(0.51, 0.59), 0.68(0.63, 0.73)] exhibited a significant increase in methylation levels at CpG sites cg05350315_95, cg05350315_101, cg05350315_104, cg05350315_128, and cg05350315_142, with statistically significant differences ( Z=-3.56, -3.52, -3.60, -3.67, -3.62; P=0.036, 0.042, 0.031, 0.030, 0.030). Furthermore, Pearson correlation coefficient analysis revealed a positive correlation between the overall methylation level in this region and C-reactive protein (CRP) ( r=0.19, P=0.004) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate ( r=0.14, P=0.035). The overall methylation level of the LCK promoter region in the CRP (low) group [0.63 (0.58, 0.68)] was higher than that in the CRP (high) group [0.65(0.61, 0.70)], with statistically significant differences ( Z=2.60, P=0.009). Finally, by constru-cting a ROC curve, the discriminatory efficacy of peripheral blood LCK promoter region methylation levels for identifying RA patients, especially seronegative RA patients, from HC and OA groups was validated, with an AUC value of 0.78 (95% CI: 0.63, 0.93). Conclusion:This study provides insights into the methylation status and methylation haplotype patterns of the LCK promoter region in the peripheral blood of RA patients. The overall methylation level in this region is positively correlated with the level of inflammation and can be used to differentiate seronegative RA patients from the HC and OA patients.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
9.Role of exercise-related irisin in diabetes mellitus and its complications
Yutong JIANG ; Jing DING ; Yi ZHANG ; Yiping ZHANG ; Jiwei QIU ; Yingliang WEI
Journal of China Medical University 2024;53(1):86-90,93
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Diabetes mellitus is a complex metabolic disease involving multiple organ systems in the body.In recent years,its global incidence rate has increased year by year.In China,the blood glucose control of patients with diabetes mellitus who receive oral hypogly-cemic agents or insulin treatment remains poor.In the early disease stages,exercise is important to control blood glucose levels.Recently,many studies have found that the occurrence of type 2 diabetes mellitus was related to declining levels of irisin,an exercise-related muscle factor.Furthermore,studies have found that irisin improved insulin resistance,promoted the production of pancreatic isletβcells,and affected the body's glucose and lipid metabolism.In addition,its levels were also implicated in the occurrence of various complications,such as diabetic nephropathy and diabetes-related cardiovascular diseases.This article summarizes and analyzes the role of irisin in the occurrence and development of diabetes mellitus and further describes its impact and mechanism on various diabetic complications.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
10.Effects of Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu Formula (左归降糖解郁方) on Dendritic Spines of Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus and Wnt5a/RhoA Signaling Pathway in Diabetic with Depression Model Rats
Hui YANG ; Wei LI ; Shihui LEI ; Fan JIANG ; Jian LIU ; Jinxi WANG ; Yi YANG ; Yuhong WANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;65(5):520-528
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			ObjectiveTo explore the potential mechanism of Zuogui Jiangtang Jieyu Formula (左归降糖解郁方, ZJJF) for diabetic rats with depression. MethodsSixty rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group, wingless MMTV integration site family member 5a (Wnt5a) agonist group, ZJJF group, and ZJJF plus Wnt5a inhibitor group, with 12 rats in each group. Except for the normal group, the rats were fed with high-fat chow, streptozotocin injection, and chronic mild unpredictable stress combination, to establish model of diabetes mellitus complicated with depression. After successful modelling, rats in the Wnt5a agonist group were given bilateral hippocampal stereotactic injections of Wnt5a agonist Foxy-5 with 5 μl each for 7 consecutive days; rats in ZJJF group were given 20.52 g/(kg·d) of ZJJF by gavage; rats in ZJJF plus Wnt5a inhibitor group were given the drug by gavage, and bilateral hippocampal stereotactic injections of Wnt5a inhibitors Box5, with the same dosage and injection method as above. The normal group and model group were given 10 ml/(kg·d) of normal saline by gavage. All groups were gavaged for 4 consecutive weeks. At the end of the intervention, the depression-like behaviour of rats was evaluated using the forced swimming experiment (immobility time) and the absent field experiment (number of activities); the blood glucose and insulin levels of rats were measured and the insulin resistance index was calculated; the dendritic morphology of dentate gyrus neurons in the hippocampus was observed using Golgi staining; the level of dentate gyrus neuron proliferation was measured using 5-bromodeoxyuracil nucleoside (Brdu) injection and immunofluorescence; RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of Wnt5a, Ras homologue genomic member A (RhoA) and Rho homologue-associated coiled-coil protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) in the dentate gyrus. ResultsCompared with the normal group, rats in the model group had significantly higher blood glucose, insulin and insulin resistance indices, longer immobility time, fewer activities, lower Brdu integral optical density values and Wnt5a, RhoA, ROCK1 protein and mRNA expression in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus (P<0.05 or P< 0.01); the dendritic branches of rat hippocampal dentate gyrus neurons could be seen to be significantly reduced or broken, and their length shortened. Compared with the model group, the blood glucose, insulin and insulin resistance indices of rats in ZJJF group and the ZJJF plus Wnt5a inhibitor group significantly reduced (P<0.05 or P<0.01); the immobility time of rats in the Wnt5a agonist group and ZJJF group was significantly shortened, the number of activities increased, the Brdu integral optical density values elevated, and the Wnt5a, RhoA, ROCK1 protein and mRNA expression elevated (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the number of dendritic branches of hippocampal dentate gyrus neurons significantly increased, the length lengthened, and the complexity of dendrites increased. Compared with the Wnt5a agonist group, rats in the ZJJF group showed significant decrease in blood glucose, insulin and insulin resistance indices, prolongation of immobilisation time, reduction in the number of activities, and reduction in the Brdu integral optical density value; except for the Wnt5a mRNA in ZJJF group, Wnt5a, RhoA, ROCK1 protein and mRNA expression reduced in both ZJJF group and ZJJF plus Wnt5a inhibitor group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with ZJJF group, Wnt5a, RhoA, ROCK1 protein and mRNA expression were reduced in ZJJF plus Wnt5a inhibitor group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). ConclusionZJJF can improve hyperglycemia and depressive-like behaviours in rat models of diabetes with depression, and its antidepressant effects may be related to the activation of hippocampal Wnt5a/RhoA signaling and promotion of dentate gyrus neuron dendritic growth. 
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        	
            
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