Novel detoxifier of spironolactone against triptolide-induced hepatotoxicity through inhibition of RPB1 degradation.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Triptolide is a major bioactive and toxic ingredient isolated from the traditional Chinese herb Tripterygium wilfordii (T. wilfordii) Hook F. It exhibits potent antitumor, immunosuppressive, and anti-inflammatory biological activities; however, its clinical application is hindered by severe systemic toxicity.

Establishment and bioinformatics evaluation of the ethanol combined with palmitic acid-induced mouse hepatocyte AFLD model (the Hu-Qiu Model).

Chronic alcoholic liver disease has brought great harm to human health. Alcoholic fatty liver disease is the first stage in the progression of all chronic alcoholic liver diseases. At present, there is no cell model that fully matches the etiology (high-fat diet + alcohol) of human alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Association of CYP24A1 with survival and drug resistance in clinical cancer patients: a meta-analysis.

Background: Acquired chemo-drug resistance constantly led to the failure of chemotherapy for malignant cancers, consequently causing cancer relapse. Hence, identifying the biomarker of drug resistance is vital to improve the treatment efficacy in cancer. The clinical prognostic value of CYP24A1 remains inconclusive, hence we aim to evaluate the association between CYP24A1 and the drug resistance in cancer patients through a meta-analysis approach.

Epiregulin increases stemness-associated genes expression and promotes chemoresistance of non-small cell lung cancer via ERK signaling.

Background: Chemoresistance often causes the failure of treatment and death of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. However, there is still no resistance genes signature and available enriched signaling derived from a comprehensive RNA-Seq data analysis of lung cancer patients that could act as a therapeutic target to re-sensitize the acquired resistant cancer cells to chemo-drugs. Hence, in this study, we aimed to identify the resistance signature for clinical lung cancer patients and explore the regulatory mechanism.

The Study of Yin-Chen-Hao-Tang Preventing and Treating Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease through PPAR Signaling Pathway Based on Network Pharmacology and RNA-Seq Transcriptomics.

Background: Alcoholic fatty liver disease (AFLD) is the first stage of the alcoholic liver disease course. Yin-Chen-Hao-Tang (YCHT) has a good clinical effect on the treatment of AFLD, but its molecular mechanism has not been elucidated. In this study, we tried to explore the molecular mechanism of YCHT in improving hepatocyte steatosis in AFLD mice through network pharmacology and RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) transcriptomics.

The effectiveness of the problem-based learning in medical cell biology education: A systematic meta-analysis.

Background: Problem-based learning (PBL) was widely adopted in medical cell biology education for Chinese student; however, there was no systematic analysis to prove PBL was much more effective than lecture-based learning (LBL). Our aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of PBL on cell biology curriculum compared with LBL.

Method: We systematically searched the publications related to PBL teaching approach in cell biology curriculum for medical education from databases until to February 2021.

Association of SMAD4 loss with drug resistance in clinical cancer patients: A systematic meta-analysis.

Background: Drug resistance frequently led to the failure of chemotherapy for malignant cancers, hence causing cancer relapse. Thus, understanding mechanism of drug resistance in cancer is vital to improve the treatment efficacy. Here, we aim to evaluate the association between SMAD4 expression and the drug resistance in cancers by performing a meta-analysis.

Analyzing the potential therapeutic mechanism of Huashi Baidu Decoction on severe COVID-19 through integrating network pharmacological methods.

Background And Aim: Huashi Baidu Decoction (HSBD) is a novel complex prescription which has positive effects on severe COVID-19. This study was aimed to discover key Chinese materia medica, main active compounds, hub therapeutic target proteins and core signal pathways in the potential therapeutic mechanism of HSBD on severe COVID-19 through integrating network pharmacological methods.

Experimental Procedure: TCMSP, TCMID and STITCH databases were used to screen out active compounds and target proteins of HSBD.

Total extract of Xin Jia Xuan Bai Cheng Qi decoction inhibits pulmonary fibrosis via the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathways in vivo and in vitro.

Purpose: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a common clinical disease, which results in serious respiratory impairment. Xin Jia Xuan Bai Cheng Qi Decoction (XJXBCQ) is a traditional prescription commonly used in treating lung diseases. We investigate the effect of XJXBCQ against PF and its mechanism via the regulation of TGF-β1/Smad in vitro and in vivo.

High mobility group box-1 release from HO-injured hepatocytes due to sirt1 functional inhibition.

Background: High mobility group box-1 (HMGB1), recognized as a representative of damage-associated molecular patterns, is released during cell injury/death, triggering the inflammatory response and ultimately resulting in tissue damage. Dozens of studies have shown that HMGB1 is involved in certain diseases, but the details on how injured hepatocytes release HMGB1 need to be elicited.

Aim: To reveal HMGB1 release mechanism in hepatocytes undergoing oxidative stress.

HMGB1 release by HO-induced hepatocytes is regulated through calcium overload and 58-F interference.

HMGB1 is passively released by injured or dying cells and aggravates inflammatory processes. The release of HMGB1 and calcium overload have each been reported to be important mediators of HO-induced injury. However, a potential connection between these two processes remains to be elucidated.

58-F, a flavanone from Ophiopogon japonicus, prevents hepatocyte death by decreasing lysosomal membrane permeability.

Lysosome membrane permeabilization (LMP) has been implicated in cell death. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between cell death and H2O2-/CCl4-induced LMP in hepatocytes in vitro and following acute liver injury in vivo. The key finding was that H2O2 triggered LMP by oxidative stress, as evidenced by a suppression of LAMP1 expression, a reduction in LysoTracker Green and AO staining, and the leakage of proton and cathepsin B/D from the lysosome to the cytoplasm, resulting in cell death.

Panax Notoginseng flower saponins (PNFS) inhibit LPS-stimulated NO overproduction and iNOS gene overexpression via the suppression of TLR4-mediated MAPK/NF-kappa B signaling pathways in RAW264.7 macrophages.

Background: Panax Notoginseng flower saponins (PNFS) are the main active component of Panax notoginseng (Burk) F. H. Chen flower bud (PNF) and possess significant anti-inflammatory efficacy.

Effect of Yiguanjian decoction on cell differentiation and proliferation in CCl₄-treated mice.

Aim: To investigate the cellular mechanisms of action of Yiguanjian (YGJ) decoction in treatment of chronic hepatic injury.

Methods: One group of mice was irradiated, and received enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-positive bone marrow transplants followed by 13 wk of CCl₄ injection and 6 wk of oral YGJ administration. A second group of Institute for Cancer Research mice was treated with 13 wk of CCl₄ injection and 6 wk of oral YGJ administration.

[The analysis of the influencing factors of mortality rate in the transplantation of mouse bone marrow].

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influencing factors of mortality rate in the bone marrow transplantation in mice. The recipient mice receiving whole-body irradiation of gamma-ray were infused with the same strain of bone marrow cells or the mixture of the bone marrow cells and splenocytes respectively. Experiments were carried out in four batches, with different strains of mice used, respectively.