1.Programmed Cell Death in Endometriosis and Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention: A Review
Zuoliang ZHANG ; Wanrun WANG ; Wen LI ; Xue HAN ; Xiaohong CHEN ; Nan SU ; Huiling LIU ; Quansheng WU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):48-57
Endometriosis (EMT) is a common disease with frequent occurrence and difficult to be cured in modern clinical practice of obstetrics and gynaecology. It is characterized by progressively worsening dysmenorrhoea, pelvic mass, and infertility. The incidence of EMT is growing and increasingly younger patients are diagnosed with this disease, which poses a serious threat to the reproductive and psychological health of women of childbearing age and adolescent females. However, the pathogenesis of EMT is still not completely clear, and the disease has a long course. Therefore, developing new therapies is an urgent clinical problem to be solved. Great progress has been achieved in the treatment of EMT with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), while the underlying mechanism remains in exploration. Programmed cell death (PCD) is a cell death mode mediated by a variety of bio-molecules with specific signaling cascades. The known PCD processes include apoptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, and cuproptosis, which all play a pivotal role in the development of EMT. Researchers have made achievements in the treatment of EMT with TCM, which regulates PCD via multiple pathways, routes, targets, and mechanisms. However, the progress in the regulation of PCD in the treatment of EMT with TCM remains to be reviewed. This paper reviews the research progress in the treatment of EMT with TCM from five PCD processes (apoptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis, and cuproptosis), with the aim of providing a theoretical basis for the clinical prevention and treatment of EMT.
2.Treatment of Parkinson's Disease with Traditional Chinese Medicine by Regulating BDNF/TrkB Signaling Pathway: A Review
Lulu JIA ; Ying LI ; Jiale YIN ; Nan JIA ; Xiaoxi LIU ; Li LING
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(4):315-322
Parkinson's disease(PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the world, which seriously affects the lives of patients. With the acceleration of aging process, the number of patients continues to rise. Its main pathological features are aggregation of α-synuclein and degenerative death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. However, the pathogenesis of PD is still unclear. According to reports, the brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)/tyrosine kinase receptor B(TrkB) signaling pathway is highly expressed and activated in dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, which is closely related to neurophysiological processes such as neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress. It plays an important role in the occurrence and development of PD. At present, the treatment methods of Western medicine for PD are mainly based on drugs such as levodopa and dopamine agonists to alleviate motor symptoms, but with the increase of dose, the adverse reactions are significantly enhanced. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has attracted people to explore its therapeutic effects on PD due to its characteristics of homology of medicine and food, economy, minor adverse reactions and multi-target action. Therefore, this paper systematically reviews the role of BNDF/TrkB pathway in the pathogenesis of PD and the mechanism of TCM formulas, extracts and monomers in the treatment of PD by regulating the BNDF/TrkB pathway according to retrieving the latest research reports at home and abroad, so as to provide a reference for the clinical application of related TCM and the development of new drugs for PD.
3.Association between echocardiography utilization and prognosis in patients with cardiac arrest
World Journal of Emergency Medicine 2025;16(1):63-66
Despite efforts to develop treatment technology for cardiac arrest (CA), CA incidence and mortality rates are still high.[1,2] A recent study of CA patients in emergency departments revealed that the incidence of CA is increasing annually, and the in-hospital survival rate of CA patients is only approximately 28.7%.[3] Echocardiography has been widely used as an important monitoring tool in critical care and helps to identify the cause of shock, monitor hemodynamics, and guide fluid therapy utilization.[4] One study reported that approximately one-third of patients underwent formal echocardiography during hospitalization in the intensive care unit (ICU).[5]
4.Comprehensive evaluation of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules using combined biological testing and imaging assessment in 1 017 patients: A retrospective cohort study
Lei ZHANG ; Zihao LI ; Nan LI ; Jun CHENG ; Feng ZHANG ; Pinghui XIA ; Wang LÜ ; ; Jian HU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(01):60-66
Objective By combining biological detection and imaging evaluation, a clinical prediction model is constructed based on a large cohort to improve the accuracy of distinguishing between benign and malignant pulmonary nodules. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of the 32 627 patients with pulmonary nodules who underwent chest CT and testing for 7 types of lung cancer-related serum autoantibodies (7-AABs) at our hospital from January 2020 to April 2024. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were performed to screen independent risk factors for benign and malignant pulmonary nodules, based on which a nomogram model was established. The performance of the model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results A total of 1 017 patients with pulmonary nodules were included in the study. The training set consisted of 712 patients, including 291 males and 421 females, with a mean age of (58±12) years. The validation set included 305 patients, comprising 129 males and 176 females, with a mean age of (58±13) years. Univariate ROC curve analysis indicated that the combination of CT and 7-AABs testing achieved the highest area under the curve (AUC) value (0.794), surpassing the diagnostic efficacy of CT alone (AUC=0.667) or 7-AABs alone (AUC=0.514). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that radiological nodule diameter, nodule nature, and CT combined with 7-AABs detection were independent predictors, which were used to construct a nomogram prediction model. The AUC values for this model were 0.826 and 0.862 in the training and validation sets, respectively, demonstrating excellent performance in DCA. Conclusion The combination of 7-AABs with CT significantly enhances the accuracy of distinguishing between benign and malignant pulmonary nodules. The developed predictive model provides strong support for clinical decision-making and contributes to achieving precise diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary nodules.
5.Quantitative analysis on microvasculature in the optic disc area of patients with unilateral branch retinal vein occlusion
Jia SUN ; Jian LIU ; Peng YAN ; Nan LU ; Zhiming SHAN ; Dongni YANG
International Eye Science 2025;25(1):152-156
AIM: To observe the changes of retinal nerve fiber layer(RNFL)thickness and radial peripheral capillary(RPC)density in patients with unilateral branch retinal vein occlusion(BRVO), and further analyze the correlation between RPC density and RNFL thickness.METHODS: Observational study. Totally 37 patients with unilateral BRVO diagnosed at the ophthalmology department of First Hospital of Qinhuangdao from October 2020 to January 2022 were selected, the 37 affected eyes were the unilateral BRVO group, and 37 fellow healthy eyes were the contralateral unaffected group, and 35 healthy individuals(35 right eyes were selected)without ocular diseases during the same period were selected as the normal control group. The best corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, anterior segment, fundus and optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)were examined in both eyes of all BRVO patients and healthy individuals. The central macular thickness(CMT), the RNFL thickness, and the optic disc-AV crossing distance(DAVD)were measured by built-in software of the OCTA equipment. The optimized U-net algorithm was used to eliminate the large blood vessels, and then the RPC density was calculated. The CMT, RNFL thickness and RPC density were compared among the three groups. And the correlations of the RPC density with the CMT, RNFL thickness, and the DAVD were investigated.RESULTS: Compared with the contralateral unaffected group and the normal control group, the CMT and the RNFL thickness were significantly thickened in the unilateral BRVO group(all P<0.05); there were no statistical differences in the CMT and the RNFL thickness between the contralateral unaffected group and the normal control group(all P>0.05). The RPC density in the unilateral BRVO group increased compared with the contralateral unaffected group and decreased compared with the normal control group, but there was no statistically difference(all P>0.05). However, the RPC density in the contralateral unaffected group decreased compared with the normal control group(P<0.05). The RPC density in the unilateral BRVO group was not correlated with the CMT(P=0.960), but positively correlated with the RNFL thickness(r=0.401, P=0.014)and negatively correlated with the DAVD(r=-0.339, P=0.040).CONCLUSION: The RNFL thickened significantly and the RPC density did not change significantly in the optic disc area of BRVO patients. The RPC density is positively correlated with the RNFL thickness, indicating that the RNFL thickness can be used as a monitoring indicator to analyze and study the damage degree of the RPC density.
6.UPLC-Q-TOF-MS Reveals Mechanisms of Modified Qing'e Formula in Delaying Skin Photoaging and Regulating Circadian Rhythm
Wanyu YANG ; Xiujun ZHANG ; Yan WANG ; Chunjing SONG ; Haoming MA ; Lifeng WANG ; Nan LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(6):88-97
ObjectiveTo reveal the active substances and mechanisms of modified Qing'e formula (MQEF) in delaying skin photoaging by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS),network pharmacology, and cell experiments. MethodsUPLC-Q-TOF-MS and a literature review were employed to analyze the transdermally absorbed components in mice after the topical application of MQEF. The potential targets of MQEF in treating skin photoaging were retrieved from databases.The compound-potential target network and protein-protein interaction network were constructed to screen the key components and core targets. A photoaging cell model was established by irradiating HaCaT cells with medium-wave ultraviolet B (UVB). The safe doses of bakuchiol (BAK) and salvianolic acid B (SAB) for treating HaCaT cells and the effects of BAK and SAB on the viability of cells exposed to UVB irradiation were determined by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) method.The reactive oxygen species (ROS) fluorescent probe was used to measure the ROS production in the cells treated with BAK and SAB.The expression levels of genes related to oxidative stress,inflammation,collagen metabolism,and circadian rhythm clock were measured by Real-time PCR. ResultsA total of 24 transdermally absorbed components of MQEF were identified,which acted on 367 potential targets,and 417 targets related to skin photoaging were screened out,among which 47 common targets were predicted as the targets of MQEF in treating skin photoaging. MQEF exerted the anti-photoaging effect via key components such as BAK and SAB,which acted on core proteins such as serine/threonine kinase 1 (Akt1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 (MAPK3) and intervened in core pathways such as the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathways.Compared with the model group,the administration of BAK and SAB increased the survival rate of HaCaT cells (P<0.01),down-regulated the mRNA levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2),interleukin-6 (IL-6),tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α),matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1),and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) (P<0.01),and up-regulated the mRNA levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO-1) (P<0.05,P<0.01) in photoaged HaCaT cells.In addition,it eliminated excess ROS production induced by UVB and up-regulated the mRNA levels of brain and muscle ARNT-like 1 (BMAL1) and circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK) associated with circadian clock (P<0.05,P<0.01). ConclusionMQEF delays skin photoaging through the coordinated effects of various components,multiple targets,and diverse pathways.The key components BAK and SAB in MQEF exhibit anti-photoaging properties,which involve inhibiting oxidative stress,preventing collagen degradation,mitigating inflammation,and maintaining normal skin circadian rhythms by regulating clock gene expression.
7.Modified Ditan Tang Regulates Biorhythm-related Genes in Rat Model of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Zhiwen PANG ; Yu LIU ; Nan SONG ; Jie WANG ; Jingxuan ZHU ; Zhen HUA ; Yupeng PEI ; Qun WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(6):115-124
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of modified Ditan tang on genes related to the transcription-translation feedback loop (TTFL) of biorhythm in the rat model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its mechanism for prevention and treatment of NAFLD. MethodsSixty-five healthy SPF male SD rats were randomly assigned into blank (n=20), model (n=15), and low-, medium-, and high-dose (2.68, 5.36, and 10.72 g·kg-1·d-1, respectively) modified Ditan tang (n=10) groups. Other groups except the blank group were fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks. The modified Ditan tang groups were treated with the decoction at corresponding doses by gavage, and the blank and model groups were treated with an equal volume of normal saline from the 9th week for 4 weeks. The levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in the serum were measured by an automatic biochemical analyzer. TG and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) assay kits were used to measure the levels of TG and NEFA in the liver. The pathological changes in the hypothalamus and liver were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, and the lipid deposition in the liver was observed by oil red O staining. The levels of brain-muscle ARNT-like protein 1 (BMAL1/ARNTL) in the hypothalamus and liver were determined by immunohistochemical staining. The mRNA and protein levels of BMAL1, circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK), period circadian clock 2 (PER2), and cryptochrome1 (Cry1) in the hypothalamus and liver were determined by Real-time PCR and Western blot, respectively. ResultsCompared with the blank group, the model group showed elevated levels of TG, TC, LDL-C, AST, and ALT (P<0.01) and a lowered level of HDL-C (P<0.05) in the serum, elevated levels of TG and NEFA in the liver (P<0.01), pyknosis and deep staining of hypothalamic neuron cells, and a large number of vacuoles in the brain area. In addition, the model group showed lipid deposition in the liver, up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of CLOCK and BMAL1 (P<0.01), and down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of Cry1 and PER2 (P<0.01) in the hypothalamus and liver. Compared with the model group, all the three modified Ditan tang groups showed lowered levels of TG, TC, LDL-C, ALT, and AST (P<0.05, P<0.01) and an elevated level of HDL-C (P<0.05) in the serum, and lowered levels of TG and NEFA (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the liver. Furthermore, the three groups showed alleviated pyknosis and deep staining of hypothalamic neuron cells, reduced lipid deposition in the liver, down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of CLOCK and BMAL1 (P<0.05, P<0.01), and up-regulated mRNA and protein levels of Cry1 and PER2 (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the hypothalamus and liver. ConclusionModified Ditan tang can reduce lipid deposition in the liver and regulate the expression of CLOCK, BMAL1, Cry1, and PER2 in the TTFL of NAFLD rats.
8.Role of acetylation modification in the occurrence and development of thyroid cancer and its potential clinical application value
Chinese Journal of Cancer Biotherapy 2025;32(1):30-37
[摘 要] 甲状腺癌是内分泌系统中最为常见的恶性肿瘤,近年来其发病率呈现出显著的上升趋势。乙酰化修饰作为一种重要的蛋白质翻译后修饰,参与调控各个类型甲状腺癌相关基因的转录表达、细胞周期进程及侵袭能力。组蛋白去乙酰化酶(HDAC)抑制剂在甲状腺癌治疗中显示出潜在的应用前景。本文通过调研近年来相关文献,系统回顾了乙酰化修饰在参与甲状腺癌发生发展过程中的生物学功能及其调控机制,进一步探讨HDAC抑制剂在临床治疗中的应用前景,为甲状腺癌的靶向治疗提供坚实的理论依据和提出可行的治疗策略。
9.Determination method of plasma concentrations of 7 anti-tumor drugs and its application
Jinxiu LYU ; Nan YAN ; Wenjun XU ; Jing ZHAO ; Hua ZHU ; Pengzhou HANG
China Pharmacy 2025;36(4):475-481
OBJECTIVE To establish a method for simultaneous determination of 7 anti-tumor drugs (irinotecan, capecitabine, paclitaxel, docetaxel, tamoxifen, letrozole and methotrexate) in human plasma and apply it to the clinic. METHODS After precipitating with a methanol-acetonitrile mixture (1∶ 1, V/V) containing 0.1% formic acid, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to determine the plasma concentration, using deuterium isotopes of each analyte as internal standards. The chromatography was performed on the Agilent Eclipse Plus C18 column with a gradient elution of water (containing 0.1% formic acid+0.04% 5 mmol/L ammonium formate) as mobile phase A and acetonitrile (containing 0.1% formic acid) as mobile phase B. The flow rate was 0.6 mL/min, and the column temperature was set at 40 ℃ . The sample size was 10 μL, and the analysis lasted for 5.5 min. Electrospray ionization was used in positive and negative ion mode, and multiple reaction monitoring mode was used. The ion pairs used for quantitative analysis were m/z 587.1→167.1 (irinotecan), m/z 360.1→244.1 (capecitabine), m/z 876.4→308.0 (paclitaxel), m/z 830.3→304.2 (docetaxel), m/z 372.1→129.1 (tamoxifen), m/z 284.1→242.1 (letrozole), and m/z 455.0→ 308.0 (methotrexate). A total of 97 patients with malignant tumors in our hospital were selected to measure the plasma concentrations of 7 anti-tumor drugs using the above method. RESULTS The linear ranges of irinotecan, capecitabine, paclitaxel, docetaxel, tamoxifen, letrozole and methotrexate were 2-1 000 ng/mL (r=0.994 3), 20-10 000 ng/mL (r=0.997 5), 2-1 000 ng/mL (r=0.997 9), 1-500 ng/mL (r=0.995 8), 1-500 ng/mL (r=0.995 2), 1-500 ng/mL (r=0.996 4), 10-5 000 (r=0.997 7), respectively. The quantitative lower limits were 2, 20, 2, 1, 1, 1 and 10 ng/mL; RSDs of intra-assay precision were 0.08%-14.86% (n=6). RSDs of inter-batch precision were 1.51%-11.55% (n=3), and the accuracies were 89.17%-114.93% (n=6). The matrix effects ranged from 89.89%-119.74% (n=6). RSDs of the stability tests were 1.98%-14.88% (n=6). The results of E-mail:hangpengzhou@163.com clinical application showed, the average plasma concentrations of irinotecan, capecitabine, paclitaxel and docetaxel were 704.09, 909.40, 36.45, 150.43 ng/mL, respectively. The values of the coefficient of variation were 25.24%, 62.65%, 122.69%, and 92.27%. CONCLUSIONS The established LC-MS/MS method is simple and rapid, and can be used for the simultaneous determination of 7 commonly used anti-tumor drugs in the plasma of patients with malignancy.
10.Impact of Maxing Kugan Decoction on Inflammatory Response and Apoptosis in Oleic Acid-induced Acute Lung Injury in Rats via p38 MAPK/NF-κB Signaling Pathway
Taiqiang JIAO ; Yi NAN ; Ling YUAN ; Jiaqing LI ; Yang NIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(7):108-116
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Maxing Kugan decoction (MKD) on inflammatory response and apoptosis in rats with oleic acid (OA)-induced acute lung injury (ALI) and explore its mechanism of action. MethodsSixty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned into six groups: a control group, a model group, a dexamethasone-treated group (2 mg·kg-1), and three MKD-treated groups at low, medium, and high doses (3.1, 6.2,12.4 g·kg-1). Each group was administered either an equivalent volume of normal saline or the corresponding concentration of MKD by gavage for seven consecutive days. The model group and each administration group were used to establish the ALI model by tail vein injection of OA (0.2 mL·kg-1). Twelve hours after modeling, blood gas analyses were conducted, and the wet-to-dry (W/D) weight ratio of lung tissue was measured for each group. Additionally, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to quantify the levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of the rats. Cell damage and apoptosis in lung tissue were examined via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assays, and the results were subsequently scored. The expression levels of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK)/nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway and apoptosis-related proteins and mRNAs were assessed using Western blot and real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR). ResultsCompared with the control group, the model group exhibited a significant decrease in partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), blood oxygen saturation (SaO2), and oxygenation index (PaO2/FiO2), along with a marked increase in partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) and lung W/D ratio (P<0.01). Additionally, levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in BALF were significantly elevated (P<0.01). Histopathological analysis of lung tissue showed significant inflammatory infiltration, tissue edema, alveolar septal thickening, and apoptosis of lung tissue. Pronounced increases were observed in the mRNA expression levels of p38 MAPK, NF-κB p65, inhibitor of NF-κB (IκBα), B-cell lymphoma-2 associated x protein (Bax), and Caspases-3, as well as the protein expression levels of p-p38 MAPK, p-NF-κB p65, p-IκBα, Bax, Caspases-3, and cleaved Caspases-3, while the mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2 was downregulated (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, MKD significantly elevated PaO2, SaO2, and PaO2/FiO2 while reducing PaCO2 and W/D ratio in rats (P<0.01). It also greatly reduced TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β levels in BALF (P<0.01) and alleviated inflammatory infiltration, tissue edema, alveolar septal thickening, and apoptosis of lung tissue. Additionally, it downregulated the mRNA expression of p38 MAPK, NF-κB p65, IκBα, Bax, Caspases-3, as well as protein expression of p-p38 MAPK, p-NF-κB p65, p-IκBα, Bax, Caspases-3, and cleaved Caspases-3 in lung tissue (P<0.05, P<0.01), while significantly upregulating mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2 (P<0.01). ConclusionMKD exerts a protective effect on OA-induced ALI rats, potentially through the regulation of the p38 MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway to inhibit inflammation and apoptosis.


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