1.Yimei Baijiang Formula Treats Colitis-associated Colorectal Cancer in Mice via NF-κB Signaling Pathway
Qian WU ; Xin ZOU ; Chaoli JIANG ; Long ZHAO ; Hui CHEN ; Li LI ; Zhi LI ; Jianqin LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(3):119-130
ObjectiveTo explore the effects of Yimei Baijiang formula (YMBJF) on colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) and the nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) signaling pathway in mice. MethodsSixty male Balb/c mice of 4-6 weeks old were randomized into 6 groups: Normal, model, capecitabine (0.83 g
2.Yimei Baijiang Formula Treats Colitis-associated Colorectal Cancer in Mice via NF-κB Signaling Pathway
Qian WU ; Xin ZOU ; Chaoli JIANG ; Long ZHAO ; Hui CHEN ; Li LI ; Zhi LI ; Jianqin LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(3):119-130
ObjectiveTo explore the effects of Yimei Baijiang formula (YMBJF) on colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) and the nuclear factor kappaB (NF-κB) signaling pathway in mice. MethodsSixty male Balb/c mice of 4-6 weeks old were randomized into 6 groups: Normal, model, capecitabine (0.83 g
3.Clinical Evidence Profile of Eleven Expensive Chinese Patent Medicines: A Scoping Analysis
Yajing LI ; Miaomiao LI ; Le ZHANG ; Wenya WANG ; Hui ZHAO ; Xing LIAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(2):227-238
ObjectiveThis study employed the scoping review method to systematically retrieve and analyze the basic information and clinical research evidence of expensive Chinese patent medicines (CPMs), aiming to provide a basis for future related research and clinical applications. MethodsEight Chinese and English databases were systematically searched for the clinical research evidence on expensive CPMs. ResultsEleven expensive CPMs (Angong Niuhuang Wan, Jufang Zhibao Wan, Suhexiang Wan, Pien Tze Huang, Niuhuang Qingxin Wan, Qinggong Shoutao Wan, Compound Realgar Natural Indigo Tablets, Xihuang Wan, Dingkun Wan, Babao Wan, and Guilingji Capsules) were selected. A total of 365 related studies were included in this review, comprising 331 clinical studies (of which 291 were randomized controlled trials), 30 systematic reviews and Meta-analyses, 3 expert consensus, and 1 rapid health technology assessment. Among the 11 CPMs, 2(Angong Niuhuang Wan and Jufang Zhibao Wan) had a daily price over 500 yuan. The famous and precious Chinese medicinal materials involved included Moschus (frequency of 7), Bovisc Alculus (7), and Borneol (5). The dosage forms included pills, capsules, oral liquid, tablets, and lozenges. The diseases treated by these CPMs mainly included malignant tumors, cerebrovascular diseases, gynecological diseases, and hepatobiliary system diseases. The sample sizes of the clinical studies were mainly concentrated within the range of 51-100 cases, and the main control form was CPM + basic Western medicine treatment vs. basic Western medicine treatment. The 331 clinical studies reported a total of 44 adverse events occurred, of which 36 were determined to be adverse reactions. ConclusionThe scarcity of raw materials leads to the high prices of expensive CPMs. The difficulty of conducting clinical research and the critical and severe cases treated lead to a lack of clinical research evidence with large sample sizes. The uneven distribution of existing studies, incomplete information on medicine package, and non-standard clinical research designs remain to be addressed in the future.
4.Dipsacus asper Treats Alzheimer's Disease in Caenorhabditis elegans by Regulating PPARα/TFEB Pathway
Mengmeng WANG ; Jianping ZHAO ; Limin WU ; Shuang CHU ; Yanli HUANG ; Zhenghao CUI ; Yiran SUN ; Pan WANG ; Hui WANG ; Zhenqiang ZHANG ; Zhishen XIE
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(5):104-114
ObjectiveTo investigate the anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) effect of Dipsacus asper(DA) in the Caenorhabditis elegans model, and decipher the underlying mechanism via the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα)/transcription factor EB (TFEB) pathway. MethodsFirst, transgenic AD C. elegans individuals were assigned into the blank control, model, positive control (WY14643, 20 µmol·L-1), and low-, medium-, and high-dose (100, 200, and 400 mg·L-1, respectively) DA groups. The amyloid β-42 (Aβ42) formation in the muscle cells, the paralysis time, and the deposition of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) in the head were detected. The lysosomal autophagy in the BV2 cell model was examined by Rluc-LC3wt/G120A. The expression levels of lysosomal autophagy-related proteins LC3Ⅱ, LC3I, LAMP2, and TFEB were detected by Western blot. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) was employed to determine the mRNA levels of autophagy-related genes beclin1 and Atg5 and lysosome-related genes LAMP2 and CLN2 downstream of PPARα/TFEB. A reporter gene assay was used to detect the transcriptional activities of PPARα and TFEB. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the fluorescence intensity of PPARα, and the active components of the ethanol extract of DA were identified by UPLC-MS. RCSB PDB, Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), and Autodock were used to analyze the binding between the active components and PPARα-ligand-binding domain (LBD). ResultsCompared with the model group, the positive control group and 200 and 400 mg·L-1 DA groups showed prolonged paralysis time (P<0.05), and all the treatment groups showed decreased Aβ deposition in the head (P<0.01). DA within the concentration range of 50-500 mg·L-1 did not affect the viability of BV2 cells. In addition, DA enhanced the autophagy flux (P<0.05), up-regulated the mRNA levels of beclin1, Atg5, LAMP2, and CLN2 (P<0.05, P<0.01), promoted the nuclear translocation of TFEB (P<0.05), increased LAMP2 expression and autophagy flux (P<0.05, P<0.01), and enhanced the transcriptional activities of PPARα and TFEB (P<0.01). The positive control group and 200 and 400 mg·L-1 DA groups showed enhanced fluorescence intensity of PPARα in the BV2 nucleus (P<0.01). UPLC-MS detected nine known compounds of DA, from which 8 active components of DA were screened out. The docking results suggested that a variety of components in DA could bind to PPARα-LBD and form stable hydrogen bonds. ConclusionDA may reduce the pathological changes in AD by regulating the PPARα-TFEB pathway.
5.Characteristic Analysis of Effective Components and Compounds of TCM for Prevention and Treatment of Breast Cancer Based on Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway Targeting
Haoyang WANG ; Lin GUO ; Hui ZHAO ; Lihua CAO ; Na LI ; Mingsan MIAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(5):282-290
Breast cancer is a kind of malignant tumor with a complex mechanism, and its morbidity and mortality are increasing year by year, which seriously threatens women's health. At present, the main clinical treatments are surgical resection, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and drug therapy, but they are often accompanied by side effects and adverse reactions, which affect the therapeutic effect. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has the advantages of multi-component and multi-target treatment in the fight against breast cancer. The wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is one of the classic pathways in cancer research. Abnormally activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway inhibits β-catenin degradation by blocking the formation of Axin/glycogen synthase kinase 3β/adenomatous polyposis coli complex, thus promoting β-catenin nuclear metastasis, and it binds to T cell transcription factor/lymphoenhancer factor-1 to initiate downstream target genes and further interfere with the proliferation, migration, and invasion of tumor cells to affect the tumor process. Previous studies have shown that TCM monomers and compounds can mediate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to inhibit the malignant phenotype of breast cancer cells, thus playing an anti-breast cancer role, and the biochemical process involved in the regulation of therapeutic drugs has not been systematically combed. By analyzing and collating Chinese and foreign literature at the present stage, this paper discussed the association mechanism between Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and breast cancer and analyzed the internal mechanism of TCM monomers and compounds in mediating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to exert anti-breast cancer effect. The statistical results showed that the flavonoids, alkaloids, and terpenoids in TCM monomers could target the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and block the further development of malignant phenotype of breast cancer cells. TCM compounds with functions of clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and tonifying kidney and liver were commonly used to intervene in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to prevent breast cancer. Compared with the current inhibitors of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, the application of TCM monomers and compounds is expected to bring low-toxicity and high-efficiency breast cancer treatment drugs to the clinical practice, and the existing results provide a reference for the subsequent screening, research, and development of TCM small-molecule compounds and TCM compounds against breast cancer.
6.Effects of Exercise Training on The Behaviors and HPA Axis in Autism Spectrum Disorder Rats Through The Gut Microbiota
Xue-Mei CHEN ; Yin-Hua LI ; Jiu-Gen ZHONG ; Zhao-Ming YANG ; Xiao-Hui HOU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2025;52(6):1511-1528
ObjectiveThe study explores the influence of voluntary wheel running on the behavioral abnormalities and the activation state of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) rats through gut microbiota. MethodsSD female rats were selected and administered either400 mg/kg of valproic acid (VPA) solution or an equivalent volume of saline via intraperitoneal injection on day 12.5 of pregnancy. The resulting offspring were divided into 2 groups: the ASD model group (PASD, n=35) and the normal control group (PCON, n=16). Behavioral assessments, including the three-chamber social test, open field test, and Morris water maze, were conducted on postnatal day 23. After behavioral testing, 8 rats from each group (PCON, PASD) were randomly selected for serum analysis using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to measure corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and corticosterone (CORT) concentration, to evaluate the functional state of the HPA axis in rats. On postnatal day 28, the remaining 8 rats in the PCON group were designated as the control group (CON, n=8), and the remaining 27 rats in the PASD group were randomly divided into 4 groups: ASD non-intervention group (ASD, n=6), ASD exercise group (ASDE, n=8), ASD fecal microbiota transplantation group (FMT, n=8), and ASD sham fecal microbiota transplantation group (sFMT, n=5). The rats in the ASD group and the CON group were kept under standard conditions, while the rats in the ASDE group performed 6 weeks of voluntary wheel running intervention starting on postnatal day 28. The rats in the FMT group were gavaged daily from postnatal day 42 with 1 ml/100 g fresh fecal suspension from ASDE rats which had undergone exercise for 2 weeks, 5 d per week, continuing for 4 weeks. The sFMT group received an equivalent volume of saline. After the interventions were completed, behavioral assessments and HPA axis markers were measured for all groups. ResultsBefore the intervention, the ASD model group exhibited significantly reduced social ability, social novelty preference, spontaneous activity, and exploratory interest, as well as impaired spatial learning, memory, and navigation abilities compared to the normal control group (P<0.05). Serum concentration of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and corticosterone (CORT) in the PASD group were significantly higher than those in the PCON group (P<0.05). Following 6 weeks of voluntary wheel running, the ASDE group showed significant improvements in social ability, social novelty preference, spontaneous activity, exploratory interest, spatial learning, memory, and navigation skills compared to the ASD group (P<0.05), with a significant decrease in serum CORT concentration (P<0.05), and a downward trend in CRH and ACTH concentration. After 4 weeks of fecal microbiota transplantation in the exercise group, the FMT group showed marked improvements in social ability, social novelty preference, spontaneous activity, exploratory interest, as well as spatial learning, memory, and navigation abilities compared to both the ASD and sFMT groups (P<0.05). In addition, serum ACTH and CORT concentration were significantly reduced (P<0.05), and CRH concentration also showed a decreasing trend. ConclusionExercise may improve ASD-related behaviors by suppressing the activation of the HPA axis, with the gut microbiota likely playing a crucial role in this process.
7.Elevated blood pressure and its association with dietary patterns among Chinese children and adolescents aged 7-17 years
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(6):863-867
Objective:
To understand the prevalence of elevated blood pressure and its association with dietary patterns in children and adolescents in China, providing evidence for developing dietary intervention of hypertension in children and adolescents.
Methods:
Data were derived from the China Children s Nutrition and Health System Survey and Application Project(2019-2021). A stratified cluster random sampling method was used to include 7 933 participants from 28 survey sites in seven major regions of Northeast, North, Northwest, East, Central, South and Southwest China. Multivariate Logistic regression models were used to analyze associations between demographic characteristics, nutritional status and elevated blood pressure. Exploratory factor analysis identified dietary patterns, which were divided into three quartile groups (T3, T2, T1) based on factor scores (compliance for dietary pattern) from high to low, and multivariate Logistic regression model assessed the correlation between elevated blood pressure and dietary patterns.
Results:
The prevalence of elevated blood pressure was 15.4% among Chinese children aged 7-17 years. Significant differences were observed across nutritional status (reference: underweight; normal weight: OR =1.57; overweight: OR = 2.61 ; obesity: OR =3.85), urban/rural residence (reference: rural; urban: OR =0.86), and paternal education (reference: junior high school and below; bachelor degree or above: OR =0.68) ( P <0.05). The detection rates of high blood pressure in T3 group children and adolescents with four dietary patterns (staple food, animal based food, snacks, vegetables and fruits) were 15.7%, 14.6%, 16.8%, and 15.8%, respectively. After adjusting for residence, paternal education, and nutritional status, the "snack dietary pattern" (mainly candy, sugar sweetened beverages, and processed snacks) showed positive associations with elevated blood pressure in T2 ( OR =1.21) and T3 ( OR =1.19) tertiles ( P <0.05).
Conclusions
The snack dietary pattern is a related factor for elevated blood pressure in children and adolescents. Restricting unhealthy snack intake may promote cardiovascular health.
8.Sensorimotor, associative and limbic loops in patients with an initial diagnosis of Parkinson disease: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Journal of Apoplexy and Nervous Diseases 2025;42(5):447-453
Objective To investigate the changes in functional connectivity (FC) of cortical-striatal sensorimotor loop (mediating habit control), associative loop (regulating goal-directed behavior), and limbic loop in patients with an initial diagnosis of Parkinson disease (PD). Methods Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from 41 PD patients and 31 healthy controls. The cortical and basal ganglia regions associated with the sensorimotor, associative, and limbic loops were selected as regions of interest (ROIs), and FC between each region of interest was calculated. The magnetic resonance images of the more affected hemisphere were aligned to exclude severe lateralization of symptoms. The correlation analysis was conducted to investigate the correlation between FC and disease severity. Results The patients with PD showed a reduction in FC within the sensorimotor loop, specifically between the left dorsolateral striatum and the left sensorimotor cortex (P<0.001), between the right dorsolateral striatum and the left sensorimotor cortex (P=0.004), and between the right dorsolateral striatum and the right sensorimotor cortex (P=0.004), and there was no significant change in FC within the associative loop. The patients with PD showed a reduction in FC within the limbic loop between the bilateral ventral striata (P<0.001). In the PD group, FC between the left dorsolateral striatum and the left sensorimotor cortex was negatively correlated with MDS-UPDRS Ⅲ score (r=-0.496, P=0.001), with consistent results after alignment of the side with more severe symptoms. Conclusion There is a pathological reduction in FC within the sensorimotor loop that is involved in habitual control in the early stage of PD, while the associative loop for regulating goal-directed behavior remains unaffected or may be involved in early compensatory processes.
Parkinson Disease
9.Recurrence risk prediction models of postoperative patients with renal cell carcinoma based on machine learning
Peipei WANG ; Zhao HOU ; Hui MA ; Dingyang LYU ; Qiwei WANG ; Weibing SHUANG
Journal of Modern Urology 2025;30(3):240-247
Objective: To explore the influencing factors of recurrence in postoperative patients with renal cell carcinoma,construct machine learning prediction models and evaluate their performance. Methods: Clinical data of 915 patients with renal cell carcinoma treated in our hospital during 2013 and 2021 were retrospectively collected.The data were randomly divided into a training set (n=510) and a validation set (n=218) in a 7∶3 ratio.In the training set,LASSO regression algorithm was used to screen important variables,and machine learning prediction models were constructed to predict the recurrence risk.In the validation set,the effectiveness of the models was compared combined with the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC),accuracy rate,F1 value and other indicators. Results: LASSO regression screened out the risk factors,including smoking history,tumor size,N stage,Fuhrman grade,thrombin time and fibrinogen,based on which,the logistic model,decision tree model,random forest model,and Bayes model were constructed.In the validation set,the AUC of the above 4 models was 0.862,0.792,0.843 and 0.861,respectively; the accuracy was 0.917,0.908,0.904 and 0.927,respectively; F1 value was 0.357,0.286,0.323 and 0.600,respectively.The Bayes model had the most stable performance and best differentiation. Conclusion: In this data set,the prediction model based on Bayes algorithm has a good performance and can provide reference for clinical decision making.
10.Establishment and Evaluation of Insomnia Animal Models with Heart and Spleen Deficiency
Jieyao DIAO ; Hui XU ; Yunfeng ZHOU ; Zhen WANG ; Xin ZHAO ; Haoguang QU ; Chongyang GUAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(17):234-243
Heart and spleen deficiency syndrome is the most common syndrome type in patients with insomnia. Based on the theory of disease syndrome-combined animal model, this paper used multiple databases to search for the keywords "heart and spleen deficiency", "insomnia", "sleepless", "disease syndrome-combined animal model", "model evaluation", etc. It selected the literature related to the animal model of insomnia with heart and spleen deficiency in the past 20 years to evaluate from the aspects of model establishment, modeling factors, syndrome model, disease model, macro characterization & macro characterization evaluation scale, micro indicators, etc. It is found that the existing animal model of insomnia with heart and spleen deficiency is not completely constructed by the method of disease syndrome combination of disease modeling factors and syndrome modeling factors. In the model using this method, the single establishment factor of heart and spleen deficiency does not conform to the clinical reality of disease, and the selection of the factors for the insomnia model is not closely related to or even separated from the syndrome performance. There is a problem of insufficient quantification of macro representation when the macro representation of the model replaces the symptoms related to heart and spleen deficiency syndrome and insomnia in an equivalent manner for macro representation evaluation, which can be improved according to the quantitative ideas and examples of the existing macro representation and macro representation evaluation scale. There are few specific indicators of heart and spleen deficiency syndrome in micro indicators. The micro research of heart and spleen deficiency syndrome and the essence of other traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes can be carried out by metabonomics and other technologies combined with the theory of corresponding prescription and syndrome, along the specific related ideas of "prescription and syndrome, treatment principle and selection of prescription, treatment principle and selection of acupoints, as well as therapeutic mechanism and syndrome essence". The future users and researchers of animal models of insomnia with heart and spleen deficiency can get improved methods and ideas through the shortcomings of animal models of heart and spleen deficiency listed in this paper and construct animal models of insomnia with heart and spleen deficiency that are more suitable for clinical practice, so as to establish a more perfect modeling method and evaluation system of disease syndrome-combined animal model.


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