International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology
·
2015
·
IF 1.891
Shupeng Zhao,Haigang Chang,Pengju Ma,Guojun Gao,Cailing Jin,Xinli Zhao,Wenke Zhou,Baozhe Jin
Objective: To investigate the effect of isoliquiritigenin on the activity of DNA topoisomerase (TOP I) and its inhibitory effect on the growth of U87 glioma cells. Methods: This study investigated the inhibitory effect of isoliquiritigenin on the growth of U87 glioma cells and its cytotoxicity by MTT method and determined the effect of isoliquiritigenin on TOP I activity by agarose gel electrophoresis. On this basis, we studied the interaction between isoliquiritigenin and TOP I and DNA. Finally, we further discussed the effect of isoliquiritigenin on the activity of Caspase 3, the apoptosis protein of U87 glioma cells. Results: Isoliquiritigenin could inhibit the growth of U87 glioma cells (half inhibitory concentration IC50: 0.221 mM) and is of low cytotoxicity to normal cells. Agarose gel electrophoresis showed that isoliquiritigenin had significant inhibitory effect on TOP I activity. Molecular simulation results indicated that isoliquiritigenin took priority of binding to the active center of TOP I, and formed hydrogen bonds with the catalytic site Try723. Finally, Caspase 3 activity detection results suggested that isoliquiritigenin could significantly increase the activity of Caspase 3 (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Isoliquiritigenin had a reversible inhibitory effect on TOP I activity, reduced the rate of single strand DNA unwinding in tumor cells, and thus played an important role in inducing the apoptosis of U87 glioma cells.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
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分子生物学
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药理学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY
·
2025
·
IF 2.8
Mengmeng Gao,Hao Ling,Chengxiang Guo,Yinan Hu,Jing Zhu,Jicang Wang
Cadmium, a bluish-white metallic, possesses a prolonged half-life in organisms, causing damage to multiple tissues and organs. Naringenin, a natural flavonoid antioxidant, mitigates cadmium-induced damage in organisms. However, the mechanism by which naringenin attenuates Cd-associated hepatocellular damage has not been fully elucidated. The present investigation consequently aimed to elucidate the mechanistic involvement of autophagy in cadmium hepatotoxicity using the rat model, with parallel assessment of naringenin's hepatoprotective efficacy. In this experiment, 24 SD rats underwent randomization to four experimental groups: (1) control (intraperitoneal saline injection), (2) Cd (1 mg/kg b.w. CdCl₂ intraperitoneal injection), (3) Cd + Nar (1 mg/kg b.w. CdCl₂ injection + 50 mg/kg b.w. naringenin oral gavage), and (4) Nar (50 mg/kg b.w. naringenin oral gavage) groups. After the 14-day interventions, serum and liver tissues were collected post-euthanasia. Hepatic injury markers (AST and ALT) and antioxidant enzymes (CAT and SOD) were quantified. Histopathology utilized HE and TUNEL staining. RT-qPCR and western blot analyses determined mRNA and protein expression levels of autophagy-related factors (p62 and LC3) and apoptosis-related factor (Caspase-3). The results demonstrated that cadmium exposure significantly reduced body weight, increased relative liver weight, elevated serum AST/ALT levels, and diminished hepatic CAT/SOD activity. Cadmium significantly upregulated both mRNA and protein expression levels of p62 and Caspase-3 while suppressing LC3 expression. Naringenin co-administration attenuated cadmium-induced hepatic injury, oxidative stress, impaired autophagy, and enhanced apoptosis. These findings collectively demonstrate that cadmium exposure induces hepatic injury and oxidative stress in rats through autophagy inhibition and apoptotic activation, while naringenin exerts protective effects by modulating these pathological processes.
研究领域:
毒理学
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药理学
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细胞生物学
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生物化学
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分子生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Advanced Science
·
2026
·
IF 14.1
Dan Zhao,Lingling Zhang,Yue Wen,Lianghui Cheng,Sidan Tian,Fanling Meng,Liang Luo
Pyroptosis holds great promise for evoking robust anti‐tumor immunity, but many pyroptosis induction strategies rely on caspase‐3 (Casp‐3) activation and face challenges of the immunosuppressive nature of apoptosis and the frequent silencing of gasdermin E (GSDME), a substrate of Casp‐3, in tumors. Here, we report a strategy to rewire the pyroptotic pathway by bypassing Casp‐3 to directly activate gasdermin D (GSDMD). We identify a small‐molecule agonist, (E)‐2,3‐diiodobut‐2‐ene‐1,4‐diol (DIBDO), which undergoes deiodination to release iodide ions upon activation by the tumor‐abundant nucleophile glutathione, thereby catalytically generating singlet oxygen and molecular iodine. This cascade induces oxidative damage that downregulates key mediators of caspase‐9 and caspase‐8 pathways, thereby down‐regulating Casp‐3 activation. This mechanism selectively triggers GSDMD‐mediated pyroptosis, provoking robust immunogenic cell death and inflammatory cytokine release to reconfigure the tumor immune microenvironment. In murine tumor models, DIBDO enhances tumor infiltration of cytotoxic T cells and synergizes with checkpoint blockade therapy to suppress both primary and distal tumors. It can also serve as an in situ or exogenous vaccine to elicit potent and durable antitumor immunity. This work presents a paradigm‐shifting approach to cancer immunotherapy by decoupling pyroptosis from Casp‐3 dependence, offering a promising avenue to expand the scope of immunogenic cell death‐based treatments. This work introduces a small‐molecule agonist, DIBDO, that bypasses Casp‐3 to directly trigger GSDMD‐mediated pyroptosis in tumors. Activated by glutathione, DIBDO generates singlet oxygen and molecular iodine, blocking Casp‐3 pathways and inducing immunogenic cell death. This reconfigures the tumor microenvironment, transforms the tumor cells into in situ or exogenous vaccine, offering a novel paradigm for cancer immunotherapy.
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PubMed
高影响因子
MICROCHIMICA ACTA
·
2021
·Vol. 188
·期 4
·1-8
·
IF 5.833
Wu Daohong,He Yuhan,Tong Liujuan,Wang Jianxiu,Liu Lin,Yi Xinyao,Hu Shengqiang
An electrochemical sensor capable of quantitative determination of caspase-3 activities was developed. A thiolated peptide whose sequence contained a caspase-3 cleaved site and a cell penetration sequence was preimmobilized onto an electrode. The quantification of caspase-3 was accomplished after cell penetration and the subsequent adsorption of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The oxidation current of AgNPs was found to be inversely proportional to the concentration of caspase-3 between 0.02 and 0.2 U/mL. A detection limit of 0.02 U/mL for caspase-3 was achieved due to the large number of positively charged AgNPs adsorbed onto the negatively charged cells. The proof of concept was demonstrated by monitoring the cleavage of surface-confined peptide substrates by caspase-3 in cell lysates. The current sensor could be extended to detect cells by replacing the surface-confined peptide with aptamers that recognize cells. Thus, the use of a cell as a matrix for AgNPs shows excellent potential for constructing electrochemical sensors and provides a useful alternative for sensor development in the future. Graphical abstract
Cells modified with silver nanoparticles were utilized as the electrochemical readout of an electrochemical assay.
研究领域:
生物化学
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分析化学
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纳米技术
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Toxicology Research
·
2015
·Vol. 5
·期 1
·160-167
·
IF 3.983
Liye Zhu,Tao Yu,Xiaozhe Qi,Bo Yang,Lei Shi,Haoshu Luo,Xiaoyun He,Kunlun Huang,Wentao Xu
OTA can induce hepatotoxicity. Our previous research has shown that miRNAs play important roles in the OTA-induced hepatotoxicity. And miR-122 is the most abundant miRNA in the liver and is involved in diverse biological processes. This study was performed to clarify the role of miR-122 in OTA-induced hepatotoxicity. The expression levels of miR-122 and the target genes were quantified by real-time PCR. The OTA-induced apoptosis of hepatocyte and HepG2 cells was evaluated using a TUNEL kit, a CCK-8 kit, a flow cytometer and Hoechst 33342. miR-122 was inhibited in HepG2 cells. The results revealed that OTA affected rat hepatocyte apoptosis. miR-122 decreased at 4 weeks but increased at 13 weeks in the OTA-treated livers, and increased in the OTA-treated HepG2 cells; and the mRNA levels of CCNG1 and Bcl-w increased at 4 weeks and decreased at 13 weeks in the high-dose OTA-treatment groups and decreased in HepG2 cells. The apoptosis of HepG2 cells displayed a dose-related increase with OTA. However, the inhibition of miR-122 greatly reduced OTA-induced apoptosis. p53 decreased in vivo and in vitro. miR-122 is a primary effector of OTA-induced hepatocyte apoptosis through the CCNG1/p53 pathway and Bcl-w/caspase-3 pathway in vivo and in vitro. And miR-122 plays an important role in OTA-induced hepatotoxicity.
研究领域:
分子生物学
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毒理学
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细胞生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
MOLECULES
·
2024
·Vol. 29
·期 15
·3700
·
IF 4.2
Yaliang Huang,Jiaqiang Wang,Yirui Xu,Jiwen Zhang,Ning Xia
In this work, we report on an electrochemical method for the signal-on detection of caspase-3 and the evaluation of apoptosis based on the biotinylation reaction and the signal amplification of methylene blue (MB)-loaded metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). Zr-based UiO-66-NH2MOFs were used as the nanocarriers to load electroactive MB molecules. Recombinant hexahistidine (His6)-tagged streptavidin (rSA) was attached to the MOFs through the coordination interaction between the His6tag in rSA and the metal ions on the surface of the MOFs. The acetylated peptide substrate Ac-GDEVDGGGPPPPC was immobilized on the gold electrode. In the presence of caspase-3, the peptide was specifically cleaved, leading to the release of the Ac-GDEVD sequence. A N-terminal amine group was generated and then biotinylated in the presence of biotin-NHS. Based on the strong interaction between rSA and biotin, rSA@MOF@MB was captured by the biotinylated peptide-modified electrode, producing a significantly amplified electrochemical signal. Caspase-3 was sensitively determined with a linear range from 0.1 to 25 pg/mL and a limit of detection down to 0.04 pg/mL. Further, the active caspase-3 in apoptosis inducer-treated HeLa cells was further quantified by this method. The proposed signal-on biosensor is compatible with the complex biological samples and shows great potential for apoptosis-related diagnosis and the screening of caspase-targeting drugs.
研究领域:
生物化学
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医学诊断
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材料科学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
·
2026
·Vol. 45
·期 1
·75
·
IF 14.3
Ren Ting,Chen Xue,Wang Xiaozhen,Xu Yantian,Shao Na
Background The aggressive cancer known as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a remarkably poor response to treatment, especially gemcitabine (GEM). As a member of the noncanonical IκB kinase family, inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase subunit epsilon (IKBKE) is known to regulate tumor progression in multiple cancer types. However, its functional role in modulating chemosensitivity and its impact on cell death pathways in PDAC remain unclear. Materials and methods We examined IKBKE expression in patient tumor tissues and publicly available databases and assessed its prognostic value to investigate its function in PDAC chemoresistance. Loss-of-function approaches, including shRNA knockdown and pharmacological inhibition using amlexanox, were employed in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, cytotoxicity along with cell death patterns induced by GEM were assessed through flow cytometry, electron microscopy, and CCK-8 assays. Co-IP and GST pull-down assays were applied to determine whether IKBKE interacts with gasdermin E (GSDME), the executioner protein of pyroptosis. Moreover, in vitro kinase assays, phosphorylation mass spectrometry, and site-specific gain-/loss-of-function mutant functional experiments were conducted to investigate the specific pathways via which IKBKE affects GSDME-mediated pyroptosis. The therapeutic potential of IKBKE targeting was further validated using patient-derived tumor organoids and xenograft models. Results IKBKE was significantly elevated in PDAC tissues and was closely linked to worse clinical outcomes. Functional studies of the signaling pathway showed that via the activation of the protein kinase B/glycogen synthase kinase-3β signaling pathway, IKBKE facilitates the aggressive phenotype of PDAC cells. IKBKE inhibition or silencing increased GEM sensitivity and caused caspase-3/GSDME-dependent pyroptosis in PDAC cells. Co-IP and GST pull-down analysis revealed IKBKE–GSDME interaction. Further in vitro cleavage and kinase assays, mass spectrometry analysis, and mutant functional studies showed that IKBKE inhibits pyroptosis by phosphorylating GSDME at Thr6, thereby hindering its cleavage by caspase-3. Treatment with amlexanox markedly suppressed tumor growth and synergized with GEM to enhance anti-tumor efficacy in organoid models by targeting IKBKE. Conclusion Our findings identify IKBKE as a key regulator of chemotherapy-induced pyroptosis in PDAC. Specifically, IKBKE phosphorylates GSDME at Thr6, which alters its conformation, thereby impeding caspase-3–mediated cleavage, ultimately contributing to GEM chemoresistance. IKBKE targeting reverses GEM resistance and enhances tumor immunogenic cell death via the caspase-3/GSDME pathway, supporting IKBKE inhibition as a promising therapeutic strategy for PDAC. Graphical The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.
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DOI
高影响因子
Environmental Science-Nano
·
2022
·Vol. 9
·期 8
·2653-2664
·
IF 9.473
Guofang Zhang,Guoli Cao,Rong-Hua Luo,Qingle Song,Yanqiao Zeng,Ke Liu,Jing Qu,Xian Lin,Feng-Liang Liu,Guocheng Wang,Hongchang Li,Liang Li,Yong-Tang Zheng,Diana Boraschi,Lidong Wu,Yan-Zhong Chang,Yang Li
Microplastics (MP) pollution is a global issue that raises concerns about potential toxicity for environmental and human health. The notion that SARS-CoV-2 is more stable when adsorbed on plastic surfaces urged us to examine whether the virus can attach to MP, which may facilitate infection upon inhalation or ingestion. Here, we describe that MP can bind SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus on their surface and enhance infection of human cells in vitro. This enhanced in vitro infectivity was confirmed with authentic SARS-CoV-2, in parallel with increased expression of inflammation-related caspase-3, IL-8 and TNF-α genes. These results suggest that the presence of MP in the environment or in our respiratory or gastrointestinal tracts has the potential to interact with SARS-CoV-2, and potentially increase viral infectivity and spreading.
研究领域:
环境科学
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病毒学
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毒理学
·
细胞生物学
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DOI
高影响因子
ORGANIC & BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY
·
2020
·Vol. 18
·期 18
·3512-3521
·
IF 3.412
Shijie Wang,Dingyao Gao,Ke Li,Siqin Ye,Qingzhu Liu,Ying Peng,Gaochao Lv,Ling Qiu,Jianguo Lin
Early evaluation of the therapy efficiency can promote the development of anti-tumor drugs and optimization of the treatment method. Caspase-3 is a key biomarker for early apoptosis. Detection of caspase-3 activity is essential for quick assessment of the curative effect. We have reported a PET probe that could image drug-induced tumor apoptosis in vivo. However, high liver uptake limits its application. In order to optimize the pharmacokinetics of the previous probe, we introduced a hydrophilic peptide sequence to minimize liver uptake. The structure of the new probe was confirmed by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. This probe was able to cross the cell membrane freely and could be converted into a dimer through the condensation reaction of 2-cyano-6-aminobenzothiazole (CBT) and cysteine in response to intracellular activated caspase-3 and glutathione (GSH). The hydrophobic dimers further self-assembled into nanoparticles, which could enhance the probe aggregation in apoptotic tumor tissues. In vivo experiments showed that the tumor uptake of the new probe was higher than that of the previous probe, while the liver uptake of the new probe was significantly reduced. The new probe might be promising in imaging apoptotic tumors with suitable pharmacokinetics.
研究领域:
放射药理学
·
医学影像
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肿瘤学
·
药物动力学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
APOPTOSIS
·
2019
·Vol. 24
·期 3
·312-325
·
IF 4.021
Zhang Cheng-cheng,Li Chen-guang,Wang Yao-feng,Xu Li-hui,He Xian-hui,Zeng Qiong-zhen,Zeng Chen-ying,Mai Feng-yi,Hu Bo,Ouyang Dong-yun
Gasdermin E (GSDME) has an important role in inducing secondary necrosis/pyroptosis. Upon apoptotic stimulation, it can be cleaved by activated caspase-3 to generate its N-terminal fragment (GSDME-NT), which executes pyroptosis by perforating the plasma membrane. GSDME is expressed in many human lung cancers including A549 cells. Paclitaxel and cisplatin are two representative chemotherapeutic agents for lung cancers, which induce apoptosis via different action mechanisms. However, it remains unclear whether they can induce GSDME-mediated secondary necrosis/pyroptosis in lung A549 cancer cells. Here we showed that both paclitaxel and cisplatin evidently induced apoptosis in A549 cells as revealed by the activation of multiple apoptotic markers. Notably, some of the dying cells displayed characteristic morphology of secondary necrosis/pyroptosis, by blowing large bubbles from the cellular membrane accompanied by caspase-3 activation and GSDME-NT generation. But the ability of cisplatin to induce this phenomenon was much stronger than that of paclitaxel. Consistent with this, cisplatin triggered much higher activation of caspase-3 and generation of GSDME-NT than paclitaxel, suggesting that the levels of secondary necrosis/pyroptosis correlated with the levels of active caspase-3 and GSDME-NT. Supporting this, caspase-3 specific inhibitor (Ac-DEVD-CHO) suppressed cisplatin-induced GSDME-NT generation and concurrently reduced the secondary necrosis/pyroptosis. Besides, GSDME knockdown significantly inhibited cisplatin- but not paclitaxel-induced secondary necrosis/pyroptosis. These results indicated that cisplatin induced higher levels of secondary necrosis/pyroptosis in A549 cells than paclitaxel, suggesting that cisplatin may provide additional advantages in the treatment of lung cancers with high levels of GSDME expression.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
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药理学
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细胞生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
·
2025
·
IF 6.2
Jiajia Mu,Qiannan Sun,Nanyan Lin,Chenguang Yue,Jiaqiao Zhu,Hui Zou,Hongyan Zhao,Ruilong Song,Zongping Liu,Yonggang Ma
Ketosis in dairy cows is linked to endometritis, but the molecular mechanisms are unclear. We investigated whether P2X7R is crucial in ketosis-induced endometritis. Ketotic cows had higher levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, GSDMD, GSDME, and P2X7R in the uterine tissue. β-Hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) exposure in bovine endometrial epithelial cells induced pyroptosis, increased pyroptosis protein and gene expression, and raised pyroptosis rates. P2X7R levels rose with BHBA, and BHBA also increased the level of extracellular ATP. Inhibitors of NLRP3, caspase-1, caspase-3, and P2X7R reduced BHBA-induced pyroptosis. P2X7R inhibition suppressed NLRP3, caspase-1, and caspase-3 activation, preventing pyroptosis. In P2rx7–/– mice with a ketosis model, blood BHBA was lower, and uterine tissue showed less pyroptosis-related protein expression compared to ketotic mice. P2X7R appears to regulate BHBA-induced pyroptosis through NLRP3 and caspase-3 signaling, suggesting it is a potential therapeutic target.
研究领域:
兽医学
·
生殖生物学
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细胞生物学
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分子生物学
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免疫学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Biomaterials Science
·
2017
·Vol. 5
·期 4
·792-799
·
IF 4.21
Yi Hu,Leilei Shi,Yue Su,Chuan Zhang,Xin Jin,Xinyuan Zhu
Fluorescent light-up probes with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics have been focused on recently. In this report, a new fluorescent probe, namely, DEVD-TPE, which consisted of the substrate peptide Asp-Glu-Val-Asp (DEVD) and the AIE reporter group tetraphenylethene (TPE), was developed for detecting caspase-3 in living cells. In a slightly alkaline solution, the DEVD-TPE probe displayed almost no fluorescence owing to the dynamic rotation of the phenyl rings in solution. However, DEVD-TPE exhibited significant fluorescence when it was cleaved by caspase-3, as well as when the reporter group TPE underwent aggregation. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor gefitinib was used for determining the screening efficacy of the probe for different non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cell lines, namely, HCC827, A549 and H1650 cells. Cell proliferation and apoptosis assays indicated that the three cell lines had different sensitivities to gefitinib. The results of analysis by living-cell fluorescence imaging and flow cytometry were consistent with those of the cell proliferation and apoptosis assays. This demonstrated that our probe could detect caspase-3 in living cells, which confirmed the apoptosis of NSCLC cells. Furthermore, our probe indicated that gefitinib was more efficient against HCC827 cells than against the other two NSCLC cell lines. This report proves that the fluorescent probe DEVD-TPE is highly sensitive to caspase-3 and has potential prospects in the rapid screening of NSCLC.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
·
分子生物学
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药物筛选
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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）