1.Application of deep range imaging-optical coherence tomography combined with IOL Master 500 in measuring choroidal thickness and axial length in pediatric myopic patients
Xiaoli YANG ; Guiyang ZHANG ; Qian YANG ; Shilong TAO
International Eye Science 2026;26(1):125-128
AIM: To investigate the application of deep optical coherence tomography(DRI-OCT)combined with IOL Master 500 in measuring choroidal thickness and axial length(AL)in pediatric myopic patients, and analyze the relationship between choroidal thickness and AL.METHODS: Prospective study. A total of 210 pediatric myopia patients(210 eyes)admitted between August 2021 and August 2024 were enrolled. Based on spherical equivalent(SE)measurements, they were categorized into a low myopia group(-3.00 D
2.Molecular Mechanisms of Salvia Miltiorrhiza and Its Active Ingredients against Colorectal Cancer: A Review
Jianing GUO ; Xiaochen NI ; Kaiyuan ZHANG ; Wei FAN ; Chuhang WANG ; Chao XU ; Jianbo HUANG ; Tao JIANG ; Guangji ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(4):307-314
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers, with its incidence ranking high among cancers. It stands as the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In the early stages, CRC lacks specific symptoms, and most patients are diagnosed at advanced stages, making it a major research focus in the field of gastrointestinal tumors. Currently, clinical CRC treatments face several common challenges, including high surgical risks, frequent metastasis and recurrence, drug resistance, and significant side effects from chemotherapy and radiation therapy. With the development and application of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it has been found that TCM and its active ingredients can effectively inhibit CRC cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and angiogenesis, and promote apoptosis and autophagy, thereby slowing the progression of CRC. This has become a key focus of CRC treatment research. Salvia Miltiorrhiza has multiple pharmacological effects, including activating blood circulation to dispel blood stasis, unlocking meridians to relieve pain, clearing heat to calm irritability, and cooling blood to reduce abscesses. It contains a variety of chemical components, including diterpenoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, polysaccharides, nitrogen-containing compounds, steroids, and lactone compounds. This review summarized the molecular mechanisms of Salvia miltiorrhiza and its active ingredients in the treatment of CRC. It is found that these ingredients exert anti-CRC effects through various molecular mechanisms, including cell cycle arrest, promotion of apoptosis, inhibition of cell invasion and migration, induction of autophagy, suppression of tumor angiogenesis, and remodeling of the tumor microenvironment. The review aims to provide new insights for the drug development and clinical application of Salvia miltiorrhiza in CRC treatment.
3.Mechanism Exploration of Doxorubicin and Sepsis Induced Myocardial Injury: Differences and Convergences
Tao ZHANG ; Zihan NAN ; Lixia LIU ; Jiaqi LIU ; Xiukai CHEN ; Xiaoting WANG ; Suwen SU
Medical Journal of Peking Union Medical College Hospital 2026;17(1):23-32
Doxorubicin (DOX)-induced cardiotoxicity and sepsis-induced myocardial injury (SIMI) represent significant clinical challenges in patients undergoing chemotherapy, sharing a common pathological basis of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death driven by lipid peroxidation, has recently been shown to play a critical role in DOX-induced cardiotoxicity and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced SIMI. This article systematically reviews the mechanisms underlying myocardial injury caused by DOX and sepsis, identifying ferroptosis as a central common pathway. DOX triggers a burst of reactive oxygen species within mitochondria and inhibits glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) activity through redox cycling of its quinone group and high-affinity accumulation in mitochondrial cardiolipin. LPS, by activating pattern recognition receptors and related inflammatory signaling pathways, provokes a cytokine storm and mitochondrial dysfunction. Both can disrupt the core regulatory axis of cysteine-glutathione (GSH)-GPX4, synergistically promoting ferroptosis in cardiomyocytes. Moreover, epigenetic regulation plays a key role in DOX- and LPS-induced cardiomyocyte ferroptosis and may serve as a promising therapeutic target. A deeper understanding of the ferroptosis mechanism and its epigenetic regulatory network in the synergistic injury induced by DOX and sepsis is of great importance for developing novel strategies to mitigate chemotherapy-related cardiotoxicity and improve outcomes in cancer patients with concurrent infections.
4.Cost-utility analysis of anlotinib combined with penpulimab in first-line treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma
Wenying YAN ; Na YANG ; Ranran ZHANG ; Xinyue TAO ; Shengnan GAO ; Guoqiang LIU
China Pharmacy 2026;37(3):344-349
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of anlotinib combined with penpulimab versus sorafenib as first- line treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) from the perspective of China’s healthcare system. METHODS Based on data from the APOLLO study, a partitioned survival model was established with a 21-day model cycle to simulate patient survival status over 10 years under anlotinib combined with penpulimab regimen or sorafenib monotherapy. Quality-adjusted life year (QALY) was used as the core evaluation parameter to assess the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of different treatment regimens. Using 3 times China’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024 (287 247 yuan/QALY) as the willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold, cost-utility analysis was performed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the treatment regimens. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to validate the robustness of the baseline analysis conclusion. Scenario analysis was performed to consider the impact of anlotinib and penpulimab assistance programs on the results; the price reduction of penpulimab to ensure the cost-effectiveness of the combination regimen was examined under varying WTP thresholds (specifically, 1, 2, and 3 times China’s per capita GDP in 2024). RESULTS The baseline analysis revealed that the ICER of anlotinib combined with penpulimab regimen relative to the sorafenib regimen was 338 611.20 yuan/QALY, which exceeded the WTP threshold set in this study. Univariate sensitivity analysis indicated that the utility value of progression free survival and penpulimab price significantly influenced the baseline analysis results. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis validated the robustness of the baseline results. The results of scenario analysis indicated that when considering the assistance programs for anlotinib and penpulimab, the obtained ICER values were all below the WTP threshold set at 3 times China’s per capita GDP in 2024. When the price of penpulimab was reduced by 58%, 35%, and 13%, the ICER values were below the WTP threshold, which was 1, 2 and 3 times the per capita GDP of China in 2024, respectively. CONCLUSIONS From the perspective of China’s healthcare system, anlotinib combined with penpulimab regimen for first-line treatment of uHCC lacks cost-effectiveness compared to sorafenib regimen. However, this conclusion would be reversed if the anlotinib and penpulimab assistance programs are taken into account or if the price of penpulimab is reduced by more than 13% and above.
5.Culture and identification of rat corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells by modified tissue block adherence method
Tao ZHANG ; Maobin YU ; Meijun LIU ; Ziyang MA ; Peihai ZHANG
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2026;61(1):113-117
ObjectiveTo establish an in vitro culture model of rat corpora cavernous smooth muscle cells (CCSMCs) using a modified tissue block adherence method. MethodsCorpus cavernosum smooth muscle tissue was digested with collagenase type I and subsequently cultured using an adherent method. Cells were purified via differential adhesion and identified through immunofluorescence and Western blotting. ResultsCCSMCs began to emerge from the tissue block after 3 days, increased significantly by day 7, and converged by day 12. Post-passage, CCSMCs exhibited strong proliferation and a “peak-to-valley” phenomenon. After purification, the cells tested positive for α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), confirming the successful establishment of the in vitro culture model. ConclusionThe modified tissue block adherence method is a cost-effective and efficient way to obtain high-purity CCSMCs.
6.Research progress on anti-inflammatory effects of traditional Chinese medicine under the guidance of syndrome differentiation and treatment
Jianing BAO ; Xiaonan ZHANG ; Xufeng TAO ; Hong XIANG ; Deshi DONG
China Pharmacy 2026;37(4):528-532
Inflammation is the body’s response to damage, infection or other stimuli, but its excessive or continuous development can lead to a variety of diseases. Although modern medical anti-inflammatory therapies were widely used, it is often accompanied by limitations such as more adverse reactions. Based on the “holistic view” and “differential treatment”, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) regards inflammation as a manifestation of the imbalance of yin and yang in the body and the conflict between good and evil. The application of anti-inflammatory TCM is not only aimed at the pathological state of “inflammation”, but also based on the overall consideration of “syndrome”. According to different types of syndrome, anti-inflammatory TCM can be divided into heat-clearing and detoxifying agents (such as Lonicera japonica and Isatis indigotica ), heat-clearing and drying dampness agents (such as Coptidis Rhizoma), blood-activating and stasis-dissolving agents (such as Salvia miltiorrhiza ) and vital qi-strengthening and pathogenic factor-expelling agents (such as Panax ginseng ). Four types of anti-inflammatory TCM restore the body’s immune balance through the systematic regulation of multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway, exhibiting a good anti-inflammatory effect. Future research should focus on integrating systematic biology, applying artificial intelligence, carrying out high-quality evidence-based research, and combining traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, so as to reveal the overall regulatory law of anti-inf lammatory effects of TCM and promote clinical rational use.
7.Mechanistic study of Tripterygium wilfordii multiglucoside in improving nephrotic syndrome via regulating the HIF-1α/miR-155-5p/Nrf2 pathway
Yifan TAO ; Chundong SONG ; Xu WANG ; Chong ZHANG ; Ying SU ; Xidong JIA ; Haoran JIANG
China Pharmacy 2026;37(5):602-606
OBJECTIVE To study the improvement effect and mechanism of Tripterygium wilfordii multiglucoside (TWM) on nephrotic syndrome in rats. METHODS The nephrotic syndrome model was established by intravenous injection of adriamycin via the tail vein. The modeling rats were randomly divided into the model group (distilled water), prednisone group (10 mg/kg), and TWM high- and low-dose groups (10 and 5 mg/kg, respectively). Additionally, blank group (distilled water) without model induction was established. Each group consisted of 9 rats. Rats in each group were administered the corresponding drugs or distilled water by gavage, once a day, for 6 consecutive weeks. The histopathological morphology of kidney tissues in rats was observed; the levels of 24-hour urinary protein (24 h-UTP) and serum biochemical indicators [albumin (ALB), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (SCr), cholesterol (CHOL), and triglyceride (TG)] in rats were determined; the levels of oxidative stress indicators [superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA)] in kidney tissue of rats were determined; expressions of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)/microRNA-155-5p (miR-155-5p)/nuclear factor erythriod 2- related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway-related mRNA and protein in the renal tissues of rats were detected. RESULTS Compared with the blank group, the rats in the model group exhibited disordered renal tissue structure, with a small amount of glomerular necrosis and edema of the renal tubular epithelial cells. 24 h-UTP, serum levels of SCr, BUN, CHOL and TG, MDA content, mRNA and protein expressions of HIF-1α and Keap1 as well as the expression of miR-155-5p in renal tissues were increased significantly ( P <0.05). Serum level of ALB, SOD level in renal tissue as well as mRNA and protein expressions of Nrf2 were decreased significantly ( P <0.05). Compared with the model group, TWM high-dose and low-dose groups exhibited significant improvements in renal injury, with notable reversals in the levels of the above quantitative indicators ( P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS TWM can alleviate oxidative stress-induced damage and thereby improve nephrotic syndrome in rats by regulating the HIF-1α/miR-155-5p/Nrf2 signaling pathway.
8.Construction of A Conceptual Framework for the Integration of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in Evolutionary Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment Across Full-cycle of Parkinson's Disease
Yu WANG ; Jianing MEI ; Hongping ZHAO ; Yunzhe TANG ; Zijun WEI ; Qinliang TAO ; Xueyi HAN ; Jiyuan HU ; Yunyun ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(10):270-279
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease involving multiple systems and neurotransmitters. Due to the high clinical heterogeneity of PD,it is urgent to establish a comprehensive and long-term traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) management model. In this paper,the conceptual framework of full-cycle management of PD is preliminarily constructed:based on the evolution of the pathophysiological mechanisms of protein deposition and neurotransmitter disorder in PD,the three-stage syndrome characteristics of the prodromal stage (predominant healthy Qi with subtle pathogenic factors),the early clinical stage (declining healthy Qi with growing pathogenic factors) and the middle and late stages (overwhelming pathogenic factors with deficient healthy Qi) are longitudinally described. Through the syndrome differentiation of visceral manifestations,the etiology and pathogenesis of PD motor and non-motor symptoms were comprehensively analyzed,while the matching treatment methods and prescriptions were inferred,and the modular scheme of the combining main symptoms,accompanying symptoms and secondary symptoms was proposed. The conceptual gap of TCM regarding motor complications ('variable syndrome') and PD-related hyperpyrexia syndrome ('critical syndrome') was explained. This framework reflects the characteristics of combination of disease and syndrome and overall constant motion,and provides new theories and research ideas for individualized and whole-process management of PD in TCM.
9.A Systematic Strategy for Discovering First-in-class Anti-fibrotic Drugs from Traditional Chinese Medicine
Wen HUANG ; Guang XIN ; Sanyin ZHANG ; Tao WANG ; Wei CHEN ; Zeliang WEI ; Qilong ZHOU ; Ke LI ; Dan SUN ; Kui YU ; Shilin CHEN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(10):296-307
Pulmonary fibrosis(PF) is a progressive and life-threatening disease with limited therapeutic options, highlighting the urgent need for innovative drug discovery strategies. To address this challenge, the authors propose the formula-originated rational intelligent screening&translation(FIRST), a systematic framework for developing anti-fibrotic monomers derived from classical traditional Chinese medicine(TCM). The strategy integrates three key dimensions, including tissue-oriented intelligent screening of active compounds, structural optimization based on drug-target spatial interactions and plant biosynthetic pathways, and cross-scale validation of drug. We further highlight its applications in discovering tissue-oriented novel drugs from clinically validated TCM, the development and mechanistic elucidation of anti-fibrotic therapeutics, as well as the clinical translation and secondary development of candidate drugs. This strategy paves the way for first-in-class, formula-derived monomeric drugs with defined structures, clarified mechanisms, and proven safety, offering a transformative avenue to meet the urgent therapeutic needs of PF and setting a new paradigm for TCM-based drug innovation.
10.Biological Risk Control for Infectious Experiments in Cats in Animal Biosafety Level 2 Laboratory
He ZHAO ; Tao ZHANG ; Yuzhou XIAO ; Li LI ; Xuefang AN ; Fan ZHANG
Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine 2026;46(2):242-250
Cats, owing to their physiological and immunological similarities with humans, have become increasingly valuable as model animals in virology research, drug development, and vaccine evaluation. They are irreplaceable in studies of feline immunodeficiency virus, feline coronavirus, and other related pathogens. However, cats are temperamentally sensitive, exhibit strong stress responses, and possess well-developed nervous systems as well as sharp claws and teeth. Consequently, the biosafety risks associated with infectious experiments using cats in animal biosafety level 2 laboratory (ABSL-2) are significantly higher than those encountered with conventional rodents. Drawing on long-term ABSL-2 operational experience, this article systematically reviews the entire workflow of infectious experiments in laboratory cats — from animal selection, pre-entry preparation, reception and quarantine, housing management, to infectious experimental procedures and incident response — identifying and addressing critical risk points at each stage. For strain selection, SPF-grade shorthair cats with defined genetic backgrounds and docile temperaments are recommended; sex and age should be scientifically matched to experimental objectives. During pre-entry preparation, emphasis is placed on dual-credential personnel management, health surveillance, standardized disinfection of environments and cages, feed and water standards, and robust record-keeping. During reception and quarantine, standardized protocols are established for transport control, appearance inspection, isolation quarantine, pathogen exclusion, and positive-reinforcement training. During infectious experimentation, a "three-fixed" husbandry principle is clearly implemented: dedicated caretakers, fixed feeding/cleaning times, and fixed cage positions. Disinfectant selection, autoclaving of waste, and daily veterinary rounds are rigorously enforced. Operational risk control includes detailed measures for graded personal protection, animal anesthesia and restraint, zoned operation within biosafety cabinets, and disposal of experimental waste. Contingency plans are formulated to address animal death, escape, personnel exposure, and spills of infectious materials. This study provides a reproducible and scalable technical pathway and operational standard for conducting infectious experiments in laboratory cats in ABSL-2 laboratories, offering a reference for other facilities undertaking similar work.

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