Publications by authors named "ZhiFeng Wei"

Since microRNAs (miRNAs) serve as markers for early cancer diagnosis, it is crucial to develop a novel biosensor to detect miRNAs quickly, sensitively and selectively. Hence, we developed a fluorescence biosensor based on target miRNA-initiated rolling circle amplification (RCA) to generate RCA products with multiple tandem catalytic hairpin DNA templates that trigger primer exchange reactions (PER) which extend short single-strand DNA (ssDNA) primers into long ssDNA. Subsequently, the long ssDNA activates the -cleavage activity of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas12a system to cleave a fluorescent reporter chain, enabling ultrasensitive detection of miRNAs through the output fluorescence signal.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aims: To investigate the mechanisms through which Qianlong Shutong Formula (QLSTF) exerts its effects on the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Background: BPH is a prevalent condition among older men and poses significant management challenges due to the limited effectiveness and potential side effects associated with current treatment options. QLSTF, a traditional Chinese medicine, has been utilized in the treatment of BPH; however, its mechanism of action remains inadequately understood.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fluorine and fluorine-containing functional groups play important roles in drugs and agrochemicals. Recently, SAM-dependent methyltransferases and several SAM analogues have been reported for fluoromethyl transfer through a nucleophilic mechanism. However, fluoromethylation of unactivated carbon centers is very challenging, and their substitution usually involves a radical mechanism.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Primary hypercholesterolemia (PHC) is a major risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Although the fact that statins effectively lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, some patients fail to achieve target LDL-C levels and continue to have a high risk of cardiovascular disease. This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of ezetimibe combined with rosuvastatin in patients with PHC.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Vascular endothelial senescence is a major risk factor for diabetic vascular complications. Abnormal mitochondrial fission by dynamically related protein 1 (DRP1) accelerates vascular endothelial cell senescence. Homoplantaginin (Hom) is a flavonoid in Salvia plebeia R.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Bergenin is the main active ingredient of Bergenia purpurascens, a medicinal plant which has long been used to treat a variety of Th17 cell-related diseases in China, such as allergic airway inflammation and colitis. This study aimed to uncover the underlying mechanisms by which bergenin impedes Th17 cell response in view of cellular metabolism. In vitro, bergenin treatment reduced the frequency of Th17 cells generated from naïve CD4 T cells of mice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Diallyl trisulfide (DATS) from garlic shows promise in reducing symptoms of ulcerative colitis (UC) in mice by limiting inflammation and tissue damage.
  • * DATS treatment decreases the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 and reduces the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome, crucial in inflammatory responses.
  • * The mechanism involves reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) in macrophages and inhibiting the NF-κB pathway through the downregulation of Trx-1, suggesting DATS could be a potential therapeutic for UC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To investigate the application value of ultrasound technology in transurethral enucleation and resection of the prostate (TUERP).

Methods: This study included 78 BPH patients admitted in our hospital from June 2021 to June 2023, aged 70.68±8.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

ADORA3 is mainly expressed in intestinal tract, and has the potential to promote the expression of mucin 2 (MUC2), the function-related factor of goblet cells, under asthma conditions. This study aims to confirm the induction and mechanisms of ADORA3 activation on goblet cells in ulcerative colitis (UC). A significant decrease in ADORA3 expression was found in mucosal biopsies from UC patients and in the colons of colitis mice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), which is mainly mediated by allogeneic T cells, is a decisive factor in the success of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HCT). Prophylaxis for aGVHD in clinical patients is unsatisfactory, and there is still a huge unmet need for novel approaches. Icariin (ICA) shows potent anti-inflammatory activity and suppresses T cell-mediated immune responses.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

As an increasingly well-known derivative of coumarin, daphnetin (7,8-dithydroxycoumarin) has demonstrated various pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammation, anti-cancer, anti-autoimmune diseases, antibacterial, organ protection, and neuroprotection properties. Various studies have been conducted to explore the action mechanisms and synthetic methods of daphnetin, given its therapeutic potential in clinical. Despite these initial insights, the precise mechanisms underlying the pharmacological activities of daphnetin remain largely unknown.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: Adverse cardiovascular events are the leading cause of death in peritoneal dialysis patients. Identifying indicators that can predict adverse cardiovascular events in these patients is crucial for prognosis. This study aims to assess the value of dual-specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells as a predictor of adverse cardiovascular events after peritoneal dialysis in diabetic nephropathy patients.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Purpose: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a refractory inflammatory disease associated with immune dysregulation. Elevated levels of heat shock protein (HSP) 90 in the β but not α subtype were positively associated with disease status in UC patients. This study validated the possibility that pharmacological inhibition or reduction of HSP90β would alleviate colitis, induced by dextran sulfate sodium, in mice and elucidated its mechanisms.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Although several estrogen receptor β (ERβ) agonists have been reported to alleviate IBD, the pivotal mechanism remains obscure.

Objectives: To examine the effects and mechanisms of ERβ activation on cytokine/chemokine networks in colitis mice.

Methods: Dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS) and trinitro-benzene-sulfonic acid (TNBS) were used to induce mouse colitis model.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Purpose: Silibinin is used to treat non-alcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD) despite having rapid liver metabolism. Therefore, we investigated the role of the intestine in silibinin mechanism of action.

Experimental Approach: NAFLD mice model was established by feeding them with a high-fat diet (HFD).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Intestinal fibrosis is a common complication of Crohn's disease and characterized by excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) detects micronutrients and microbial metabolites in diet and can attenuate intestinal fibrosis with unclear mechanisms. In this study, AhR activation was demonstrated to downregulate the transcription of collagen I and fibronectin in a Sp1- but not Sp3- or AP-1-dependent manner.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: The performance of swing movement during spikes and serves plays a crucial role in determining the outcomes of volleyball matches. This study aims to explore the effects of the participation of the trunk and lower limbs' involvement on the velocity and power of the swing movement of adolescent male volleyball players, as well as the differences in power and velocity performance of the swing movement among different ages and specific positions.

Methods: The study involved 22 adolescent male volleyball players, with 11 high school students and 11 middle school students.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Tripterygium wilfordii (TW) preparations have been utilized in China for treating rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune diseases. However, their clinical use is limited due to reproductive toxicity, notably premature ovarian failure (POF). Our study aimed to investigate the effect and mechanism of bergenin in attenuating POF induced by triptolide in mice.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The gut microbiota constitutes a vast ecological system within the human body, forming a mutually interdependent entity with the host. In recent years, advancements in molecular biology technologies have provided a clearer understanding of the role of the gut microbiota. They not only influence the local immune status and metabolic functions of the host's intestinal tract but also impact the functional transformation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) through the gut-blood axis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Progress in understanding early human development has been impeded by the scarcity of reference datasets from natural embryos, particularly those with spatial information during crucial stages like gastrulation. We conducted high-resolution spatial transcriptomics profiling on 38,562 spots from 62 transverse sections of an intact Carnegie stage (CS) 8 human embryo. From this spatial transcriptomic dataset, we constructed a 3D model of the CS8 embryo, in which a range of cell subtypes are identified, based on gene expression patterns and positional register, along the anterior-posterior, medial-lateral, and dorsal-ventral axis in the embryo.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Aniline poisoning is considered to be an important factor mediating the development and progression of male bladder cancer,and long non-coding RNA(lncRNA)has also been shown to affect the prognosis of male bladder cancer.Therefore,this study intended to screen and identify lncrnas associated with highly sensitive aniline poisoning of male bladder cancer,and to construct a tumor risk prediction model accordingly.

Methods: Gene expression and clinical data from 410 tissues were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA),and all samples were randomly divided into training and testing groups.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aging is an extremely intricate and progressive phenomenon that is implicated in many physiological and pathological conditions. Icariin (ICA) is the main active ingredient of Epimedium and has exhibited multiple bioactivities, such as anti-tumor, neuroprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties. ICA could extend healthspan in both invertebrate and vertebrate models.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study was to investigate the improvement value of Niaoduqing particles in the outcome of non-diabetic patients with stage IV chronic kidney disease (CKD). The non-diabetic patients with stage IV CKD who were to receive Niaoduqing particles were set as the study group (252 cases), and the patients with the same disease who only received Western medicine in the public database were set as the control group (220 cases). The follow-up visits were 3 months/time for 1 year.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Colonic mucosal defect constitutes the major reason of recurrence and deterioration of ulcerative colitis (UC), and mucosal healing has become the therapeutic endpoint of UC. Unfortunately, specific promoter of mucosal healing is still absent. Our previous researches demonstrated that arctigenin could alleviate colitis symptoms in mice, but whether it has a positive impact on colonic mucosal healing remains unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF