Food & Function
·
2020
·Vol. 11
·期 4
·3043-3052
·
IF 4.171
Wenli Yan,Guimei Lin,Rong Zhang,Zhen Liang,Wenjuan Wu
Two novel effective antioxidative tripeptides GWY and QWY were designed based on 3D-QSAR models. Their activities were confirmed by an improved TEAC assay. The experimental results showed that GWY and QWY possessed good antioxidant activity, equaling 3.32 mM TE and 2.97 mM TE respectively. This indicated that 3D-QSAR models possessed significant predictive capacity for drug design. In addition, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation were applied to reveal the potential molecular mechanism of antioxidant peptides. The result showed that GWY and QWY could enhance the stability of Keap1 by interacting with the key residues Arg415, Arg483, Arg380 and Ser555 in the active sites. Interestingly, the key residues were exactly the binding site of Nrf2 in the active pocket of Keap1. Thus, GWY and QWY could compete with Nrf2 for binding to Keap1. This demonstrated that the new tripeptides might have the ability to activate the signaling pathway Keap1–Nrf2–ARE and improve the antioxidant defense system of the body as well.
研究领域:
生物化学
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药物设计
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分子生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
NEUROMOLECULAR MEDICINE
·
2025
·Vol. 27
·期 1
·1-14
·
IF 3.9
Wang Yiming,Chen Yifei,Yang Jianbo,Sun Wei,Zhang Xiaoning
Post-stroke insomnia (PSI) is a common complication following stroke, which seriously affects patients’ life quality. Electro-acupuncture (EA) is an innovative form of traditional Chinese acupuncture that combines electricity with needles to achieve the prevention and treatment of diseases. However, there is limited understanding regarding the treatment mechanism of EA in PSI. In our study, we aimed to investigate the role of EA on PSI development. Our study findings indicated that the quality of sleep, levels of neurotransmitters 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (γ-GABA), and antioxidant levels showed significant improvement following EA treatment in PSI clinical samples and rat models, while the levels of pro-inflammatory factor interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and astrocyte damage were notably reduced. Furthermore, it was discovered that the levels of sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) were reduced in PSI, a condition that was significantly ameliorated by EA treatment. Additionally, the inhibition of Sirt1 caused a marked elevation in astrocyte apoptosis, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress. Besides, the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway was deactivated in the PSI rat model and Sirt1-silenced cells. However, the suppressive impact was successfully counteracted by EA or estazolam (ES), and the overexpression of Nrf2 partially alleviated the increase in apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress caused by Sirt1 knockdown. Taken together, these findings indicated that EA improved sleep quality and silenced Sirt1-induced apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress in PSI by activating the Nrf2-ARE pathway.
研究领域:
神经科学
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中医学
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分子生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
CHEMOSPHERE
·
2021
·
IF 7.086
Lei Liu,Huan Wang,Meng Xu,Tian-Xiu Qiu,Jiong Chen
Azoxystrobin (AZ) has entered aquatic ecosystems and produced serious damages to fish associated with potentially increasing the susceptibility to pathogens . This study characterized the defense abilities of fish by exposed to AZ on challenging with the infection of spring viraemia of carp virus (SVCV). The results showed that SVCV replication increased significantly in EPC cells and zebrafish that were exposed to up to 50 μg/L of AZ at 3, 5, 7, and 14 d. Intracellular biochemical assays indicated that AZ at 5 and 50 μg/L inhibited the activation of Nrf2-ARE pathway including a decrease in Nrf2 expression, Nrf2 phosphorylation, HO-1 content, and three antioxidant activities. While no significant difference in ERK1/2 and JNK MAPKs in zebrafish was observed, P38 phosphorylation was significantly decreased at 7 and 14 d, and the changes in MAPKs were more evident in EPC cells previously exposed to AZ at 7 d. These results revealed that AZ initially induced low phosphorylation of MAPKs, triggering the attenuation of Nrf2 phosphorylation to weaken Nrf2 translocation into the nucleus in a longer exposure period (more than 5 d). The data in the cells and fish also showed that antioxidant activities were decreased to some extent at 5–7 d for the cells and 7–14 d for the fish. Furthermore, interferon-related factors were decreased in AZ-exposed zebrafish, explaining the reason that fish can't resist the virus infection. Overall, the present study provided a new adverse threat of AZ by amplifying the viral outbreak to endanger ecological safety in aquatic environment.
研究领域:
环境科学
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鱼类病理学
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毒理学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
·
2022
·Vol. 23
·期 20
·12086
·
IF 6.208
Jiaojiao Zhang,Shaozhen Wu,Qingqing Wang,Qinjie Yuan,Yane Li,Patricia Reboredo-Rodríguez,Alfonso Varela-López,Zhiping He,Fenghua Wu,Hao Hu,Xingquan Liu
Pecan (Carya cathayensis) is an important economic crop, and its hydrolyzed peptides have been evidenced to reduce the effect of oxidative stress due to their antioxidant capacity. Hence, the protocols of ultrafiltration and gel filtration chromatography were established to obtain bioactive peptides from by-products ofC. cathayensis(pecan cake). As measured by DPPH/ABTS radical scavenging, the peptides with less molecular weight (MW) possess higher antioxidant capacity. PCPH-III (MW < 3 kDa) presented higher radical scavenging capacity than PCPH-II (3 kDa < MW < 10 kDa) and PCPH-I (MW > 10 kDa) measured by DPPH (IC50: 111.0 μg/ mL) and measured by ABTs (IC50: 402.9 μg/mL). The secondary structure and amino acid composition varied by their MW, in which PCPH-II contained more α-helices (26.71%) and β-sheets (36.96%), PCPH-III contained higher ratios of β-turns (36.87%), while the composition of different secondary of PCPH-I was even 25 ± 5.76%. The variation trend of α-helix and random experienced slightly varied from PCPH-I to PCPH-II, while significantly decreased from PCPH-II to PCPH-III. The increasing antioxidant capacity is followed by the content of proline, and PCPH-III had the highest composition (8.03%). With regard to the six peptides identified by LC-MS/MS, two of them (VYGYADK and VLFSNY) showed stronger antioxidant capacity than others. In silico molecular docking demonstrated their combining abilities with a transcription factor Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) and speculated that they inhibit oxidative stress through activating the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE pathway. Meanwhile, increased activity of SOD and CAT—antioxidant markers—were found in H2O2-induced cells. The residue of tyrosine was demonstrated to contribute the most antioxidant capacity of VYGYADK and its position affected less. This study provided a novel peptide screening and by-product utilization process that can be applied in natural product developments.Keywords:Chinese pecan by-products;antioxidant peptides;proline content;molecular docking;Keap1-Nrf2-ARE pathway
研究领域:
食品科学
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生物化学
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药理学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
CHEMOSPHERE
·
2019
·
IF 5.108
Yongming Wu,Jing Huang,Mi Deng,Yuanxiang Jin,Huilin Yang,Yu Liu,Qinyan Cao,Jan A. Mennigen,Wenqing Tu
6:2 chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (F-53B), a Chinese PFOS alternative, has recently been identified in the aquatic environment at concentrations similar to or higher than perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Although previous studies have shown that F-53B can trigger oxidative stress in fish, the underlying molecular mechanism is still largely unknown. In this study, zebrafish embryos were exposed to various concentrations of F-53B (0, 0.5, 20 and 200 μg/L) for 5 d to investigate oxidative stress responses and possible molecular mechanisms of action. Our results showed that F-53B accumulated in a concentration-dependent manner in zebrafish larvae. The contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH), as well as the activities, mRNA and protein levels of most of antioxidant enzyme genes involved in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/Nrf2-ARE pathway were significantly reduced. Further in silico study indicated that F-53B binds tightly to PI3K, which may be related to the inhibition of Nrf2-regulated antioxidant functions by F-53B as a PI3K inhibitor. Combining in vivo and in silico studies, we elucidated the effects of F-53B on antioxidant system of zebrafish through the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2-ARE pathway, which increases our understanding of the molecular mechanism of F-53B on antioxidant responses in fish.
研究领域:
环境科学
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毒理学
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分子生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF ENDOCRINOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION
·
2025
·
IF 3.5
Liang Yongchao,Huo Hongjin,Wei Wei,Wang Dongxuan,Lu Jingjing,Yi Wenjie,Jiang Fei
Purpose Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) is a representative persistent organic pollutant that has been shown to impair male reproductive function. Epidemiological studies and animal models suggest that vitamin D may modify male reproductive function. However, whether 1α,25(OH) 2 D 3 could mitigate the PFOS-induced damage of Sertoli cells, and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly defined. Methods Mouse Sertoli cell line TM4 were pretreated with or without 10 nM or 100 nM 1α,25(OH) 2 D 3 for 6 h, followed by 100 µM or 200 µM PFOS for 24 h. Cell viability was assessed using the CCK8 assay. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were detected by fluorescent staining, while malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione (GSH) levels were measured using commercial kits. siRNA transfection, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT‒PCR), and Western blotting were performed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Molecular docking studies were conducted to explore the potential binding of PFOS to Keap1. Results PFOS increased MDA contents, decreased GSH levels, and induced cytotoxicity in mouse Sertoli cells. Mechanistically, PFOS might directly bind to Keap1, facilitating its degradation, leading to persistent activation of the Nrf2-ARE pathway. Conversely, 1α,25(OH) 2 D 3 attenuated PFOS-induced cytotoxicity by alleviating the Nrf2-ARE pathway, a protective effect which was abolished by vitamin D receptor (VDR) knockdown. Conclusion PFOS induces cytotoxicity in Sertoli cells by binding to Keap1 and persistently activating the Nrf2-ARE pathway. 1α,25(OH) 2 D 3 emerges as a promising candidate for mitigating PFOS-induced testicular dysfunction. Graphical abstract
研究领域:
毒理学
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分子生物学
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内分泌学
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生殖生物学
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药理学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
·
2018
·
IF 5.158
Shijie Li,Zhuoyue Song,Tingting Liu,Jian Liang,Jun Yuan,Zhanchi Xu,Zhanghua Sun,Xiaoping Lai,Qingping Xiong,Danyan Zhang
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Ostrea rivularis polysaccharide (ORP) against testicular oxidative stress injury via kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1-nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2/antioxidant response element (Keap1-Nrf2/ARE) pathway. In pharmacological experiments in vivo , ORP administration could dose-dependently inhibit body and testicular weight loss, ameliorate epididymal sperm quality and protect reproductive impairment in cyclophosphamide-induced male Balb/c mice. Moreover, the mechanism in vivo might be elucidated that ORP could increase expression level of Nrf2 and its downstream ARE gene battery in the testis, promote production of corresponding antioxidative enzymes and protein, and enhance Keap1-Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway to avoid male reproductive dysfunction. In addition, ORP treatment could improve survival capacity of H 2 O 2 -induced TM4 cells and its antioxidant mechanism in vitro also had been verified to activate Keap1-Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway. Overall, these results showed that ORP as a potent antioxidant could reduce reproductive oxidative stress damage related to Keap1-Nrf2/ARE pathway.
研究领域:
药理学
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生殖生物学
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分子生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Stem Cells International
·
2015
·
IF 2.813
Meihui Chen,Yu Hou,Dingkun Lin
Polydatin, a glucoside of resveratrol, has been reported to possess potent antioxidative effects. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of polydatin in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) death caused by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), imitating the microenvironment surrounding transplanted cells in the injured spinal cord in vitro. In our study, MTT results showed that polydatin effectively prevented the decrease of cell viability caused by H2O2. Hochest 33258, Annexin V-PI, and Western blot assay showed H2O2-induced apoptosis in BMSCs, which was attenuated by polydatin. Further studies indicated that polydatin significantly protects BMSCs against apoptosis due to its antioxidative effects and the regulation of Nrf 2/ARE pathway. Taken together, our results indicate that polydatin could be used in combination with BMSCs for the treatment of spinal cord injury by improving the cell survival and oxidative stress microenvironments.
研究领域:
药理学
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干细胞生物学
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神经科学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
·
2018
·Vol. 19
·期 4
·1135
·
IF 3.687
Maiquan Li,Tao Xu,Fei Zhou,Mengmeng Wang,Huaxin Song,Xing Xiao,Baiyi Lu
Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a key transcription factor against oxidative stress and neurodegenerative disorders. Phenylethanoid glycosides (PhGs; salidroside, acteoside, isoacteoside, and echinacoside) exhibit antioxidant and neuroprotective bioactivities. This study was performed to investigate the neuroprotective effect and molecular mechanism of PhGs. PhGs pretreatment significantly suppressed H2O2-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells by triggering the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and reversing the downregulated protein expression of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), glutamate cysteine ligase-catalytic subunit (GCLC), and glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit (GCLM). Nrf2 siRNA or HO-1 inhibitor zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP) reduced the neuroprotective effect. PhGs showed potential interaction with the Nrf2 binding site in Kelch-like ECH-association protein 1 (Keap1). This result may support the hypothesis that PhGs are activators of Nrf2. We demonstrated the potential binding between PhGs and the Keap1-activated Nrf2/ARE pathway, and that PhGs with more glycosides had enhanced effects.Keywords:Keap1;Nrf2;Neuroprotective;PC12 cells;PhGs
研究领域:
神经科学
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药理学
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细胞生物学
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分子生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
EXPERIMENTAL EYE RESEARCH
·
2023
·
IF 3.4
Jingfei Yang,Zhijuan Hua,Zhikun Zheng,Xuan Ma,Liang Zhu,Yan Li
Diabetes retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes. Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells exposed to a high glucose environment experience a series of functional damages, which is an important factor in promoting the progression of DR. Acteoside (ACT) has strong antioxidant and anti-apoptotic properties, but the mechanism of ACT in DR is not completely clear. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to explore whether ACT inhibits the damage to RPE cells in a high glucose environment through antioxidative effects to alleviate the DR process. The DR in vitro cell model was constructed by treating RPE cells with high glucose, and the DR in vivo animal model was constructed by injecting streptozotocin (STZ) into the peritoneal cavity of mice to induce diabetes. The proliferation and apoptosis of RPE cells were detected by CCK-8 and flow cytometry assays, respectively. The expression changes in Nrf2, Keap1, NQO1 and HO-1 were evaluated by qRT‒PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry analyses. The MDA, SOD, GSH-Px and T-AOC contents were detected by kits. The changes in ROS and nuclear translocation of Nrf2 were observed by immunofluorescence assays. HE staining was used to measure the thickness of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) of the retina, and TUNEL staining was used to detect the number of apoptotic cells in the retinas of mice. In the present study, ACT effectively ameliorated outer retina damage in diabetic mice. In high glucose (HG)-induced RPE cells, ACT treatment had the following effects: improved proliferation, decreased apoptosis, inhibited Keap1 expression, promoted the nuclear translocation and expression of Nrf2, upregulated NQO1 and HO-1 (the target genes of Nrf2) expression, decreased ROS concentration, and increased the levels of the SOD, GSH-Px and T-AOC antioxidant indicators. However, knockdown of Nrf2 reversed the above phenomena, which indicated that the protective function of ACT in HG-induced RPE cells are closely related to Nrf2. In summary, the present study demonstrated that HG-induced oxidative stress injury is inhibited by ACT in RPE cells and the outer retina through the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE pathway.
研究领域:
药理学
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细胞生物学
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分子生物学
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糖尿病研究
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眼科学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
·
2024
·Vol. 59
·期 9
·6231-6242
·
IF 2.6
Mengmeng Zhang,Tianchui Wang,Sixian Ou,Yucong Zou,Xuan Xin
Summary Betaine is a natural antioxidant lacking the ability to scavenge free radicals. Although it has been shown to exert antioxidant function by enhancing the expression of antioxidant enzymes, its mechanism has not yet been elucidated. This study explored the role and mechanism of the transcription factor NF-E2-associated factor 2 (Nrf2)-Kelch-like epichlorohydrin-associated Protein 1 (Keap1) antioxidant reaction element (ARE) pathway in betaine-mediated enhancement of antioxidant enzyme expression. Results derived from real-time quantitative PCR, Western blot, quantitative methylation-specific PCR, and inhibitors assay experiments showed that betaine activated the Nrf2-Keap1-ARE pathway, leading to an increase in the mRNA level of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and heme oxygenase-1. The mechanism may involve betaine's promotion of DNA methyltransferase expression, resulting in increased methylation of Keap1 DNA promoter, which ultimately reduces the level of Keap1 mRNA. Therefore, betaine can directly activate the Nrf2-Keap1-ARE pathway by increasing the methylation level of Keap1 DNA promoter, thereby improving the expression of antioxidant enzymes. This study will contribute to unveiling a new antioxidant mechanism for betaine.
研究领域:
分子生物学
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药理学
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生物化学
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DOI
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
·
2024
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IF 4.8
Yilin Pi,Huaiwen Zuo,Yuxin Wang,Weiping Zheng,Huiyuan Zhou,Lamei Deng,Hongli Song
Severe steatosis in donor livers is contraindicated for transplantation due to the high risk of ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI). Although Ho-1 gene-modified bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (HO-1/BMMSCs) can mitigate IRI, the role of gut microbiota and metabolites in this protection remains unclear. This study aimed to explore how gut microbiota and metabolites contribute to HO-1/BMMSCs-mediated protection against IRI in severe steatotic livers. Using rat models and cellular models (IAR20 and THLE-2 cells) of steatotic liver IRI, this study revealed that ischemia–reperfusion led to significant liver and intestinal damage, heightened immune responses, impaired liver function, and altered gut microbiota and metabolite profiles in rats with severe steatosis, which were partially reversed by HO-1/BMMSCs transplantation. Integrated microbiome and metabolome analyses identified gut microbial metabolite oleanolic acid as a potential protective agent against IRI. Experimental validation showed that oleanolic acid administration alone alleviated IRI and inhibited ferroptosis in both rat and cellular models. Network pharmacology and molecular docking implicated KEAP1/NRF2 pathway as a potential target of oleanolic acid. Indeed, OA experimentally upregulated NRF2 activity, which underlies its inhibition of ferroptosis and protection against IRI. The gut microbial metabolite OA protects against IRI in severe steatotic liver by promoting NRF2 expression and activity, thereby inhibiting ferroptosis.
研究领域:
肝病学
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移植学
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药理学
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微生物学
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分子生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）