1.Effect of Modified Chunzetang on Bladder Fibrosis and Detrusor Function in Rats with Neurogenic Bladder Urinary Retention Induced by Spinal Cord Injury via Regulating NF-κB/TGF-β1 Signaling Pathway
Zhenhua XU ; Yanjie LI ; Yafeng REN ; Haoyuan LIU ; Bochao ZHU ; Juan LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(5):95-103
ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanism of modified Chunzetang on bladder fibrosis and detrusor function in rats with neurogenic bladder urinary retention induced by spinal cord injury. MethodsIn this study, an improved Hassan Shaker spinal cord transection method was used to establish a model of neurogenic bladder urinary retention induced by spinal cord injury, and rats with a spinal cord injury behavior score of 0 were selected for follow-up experiments. The selected rats were randomly divided into a model group (normal saline gavage), low-dose traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) group (gavage of 14.4 g·kg-1 modified Chunzetang), high-dose TCM group (gavage of 28.8 g·kg-1 modified Chunzetang), positive drug group [intraperitoneal injection of 0.05 g·kg-1 nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) inhibitor pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC)], and combination group (intraperitoneal injection of 0.05 g·kg-1 PDTC + gavage of 28.8 g·kg-1 modified Chunzetang). The rats in these groups were administrated with corresponding drugs once a day for four weeks. The BL-420s biofunction acquisition system was used in the experiment to calculate the urodynamic indexes, and the isolated bladder was quickly weighed. The detrusor traction experiment was used to record the minimum bladder contraction tension and frequency in each group. The pathological morphology and tissue fibrosis of detrusor in each group observed by Hematoxycin-eosin (HE) staining and Masson staining were compared. The expression level of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was detected by immunohistochemistry. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of NF-κB p65, nuclear transcription factor-κB suppressor protein α (IκBα), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), type Ⅰ collagen (ColⅠ), and type Ⅲ collagen (ColⅢ) in bladder tissue of rats in each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the changes in serum levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α. ResultsCompared with that in the sham operation group, the pressure at the urinary leakage point in the model group decreased (P<0.01), and the bladder mass, bladder contractile tension, maximum bladder capacity, and bladder compliance increased (P<0.05,P<0.01). HE staining showed that the arrangement of bladder epithelial cells was disordered, and the pathological manifestations such as mucosa and myometria neutrophil infiltration were obvious. The lamina propria structure was destroyed, and the muscle fiber arrangement was disordered. The interstitial widening and tissue edema were obvious. Masson staining showed that the bladder wall of the model group had more collagen fiber deposition, and the degree of detrusor fibrosis was more severe. The content of detrusor in the visual field was reduced. At the same time, the protein expressions of NF-κB p65, TGF-β1, IκBα, ColⅠ, and ColⅢ in bladder tissue of rats in the model group were significantly increased (P<0.01), and the serum levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α were significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with that in the model group, the pressure at the urinary leakage point in the modified Chunzetang and positive drug groups was increased (P<0.05), and the wet bladder weight, minimum bladder contractile tension, maximum bladder capacity, and bladder compliance were restored (P<0.05, P<0.01). HE and Masson showed that the bladder epithelial cells were relatively neatly arranged, and the structure of the bladder lamina propria was relatively stable. The detrusor bundles were arranged in an orderly manner, and the interstitium was narrow. The degree of tissue edema was relatively low, and the degree of bladder detrusor fibrosis in the modified Chunzetang and positive drug groups was reduced, while the degree of bladder detrusor fibrosis in the positive drug group and combination groups was not obvious. The results of Western blot showed that the expression of NF-κB p65, IκBα, TGF-β1, ColⅠ, and ColⅢ in bladder tissue, as well as the serum levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α in modified Chunzetang and positive drug groups were significantly lower, and the expression of bladder tissue-related proteins and the serum levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α in the TCM groups decreased significantly with the increase in dose (P<0.05). The results of immunohistochemistry suggested that modified Chunzetang could fully affect the expression of α-SMA in bladder tissue. ConclusionModified Chunzetang can inhibit collagen deposition in bladder tissue of rats with urinary retention induced by spinal cord injury, delay the occurrence and development of bladder fibrosis, and protect the normal contractile function of bladder detrusor, and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting the NF-κB/TGF-β1 signaling pathway, reducing the production of NF-κB p65, IκBα, TGF-β1, ColⅠ, ColⅢ, and other related proteins, and protecting the muscle strength of detrusor.
2.Traditional Chinese Medicine Regulates NF-κB Signaling Pathway for Treatment of Obesity: A Review
Zijing WU ; Jixin LI ; Linjie QIU ; Yan REN ; Chacha ZOU ; Meijie LI ; Wenjie LI ; Jin ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(5):310-318
Obesity is a chronic low-grade inflammation and a risk factor for diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and malignant tumors, demonstrating an increasingly grim development situation. The nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway is a key signaling pathway involved in the immune response and inflammatory response. In obese individuals, the expression of NF-κB is overactivated, which leads to abnormal inflammatory responses in the body. Therefore, it is expected to alleviate inflammation and treat obesity by regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway, which has been proven effective by a large number of studies. The available studies on the NF-κB signaling pathway mostly focus on tumors, and there is no systematic review of the mechanism of this pathway in mediating obesity and the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment. We reviewed the research progress in the pathological and physiological processes of obesity mediated by NF-κB signaling pathway and TCM treatment, aiming to give insights into the clinical treatment of obesity with TCM and provide reference targets and research directions for exploring the biological foundations and the development of new TCM preparations.
3.DING Ying's Experience in Treating Children with IgA Nephropathy from the Perspective of "Wind-Induced Water Turbidity"
Yudi LI ; Yan XU ; Xiaodan REN ; Wenbo LIU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(3):228-232
To summarize Professor DING Ying's clinical experience in treating children's IgA nephropathy from the perspective of "wind-induced water turbidity". It is believed that the core pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy in children is the wind stimμlating water to become turbidity, and the basic treatment principles are to eliminate wind and settle viscera, and to remove turbidity and drain water. For those with the syndrome of wind-heat invading the lungs and injury to blood collaterals, modified Yinqiao Powder (银翘散) combined with Xiaoji Decoction (小蓟饮子) could be used; for those with dampness-heat in Sanjiao, heavy dampness and light heat pattern, modified Sanren Decoction (三仁汤) combined with Bazheng Powder (八正散) could be used; for those with lung-spleen qi deficiency and kidney essence depletion pattern, modified Buzhong Yiqi Decoction (补中益气汤) combined with Wuzi Yanzong Pill (五子衍宗丸) could be used; for those with deficiency of both qi and yin, kidney deficiency with stasis pattern, self-prescribed Yishen Huazhuo Formula (益肾化浊方) could be used. Meanwhile on the basis of pattern identification and treatment, rattan-type herbs could be combined in use in order to unblock the meridians and collaterals.
4.Knowledge map and visualization analysis of pulmonary nodule/early-stage lung cancer prediction models
Yifeng REN ; Qiong MA ; Hua JIANG ; Xi FU ; Xueke LI ; Wei SHI ; Fengming YOU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(01):100-107
Objective To reveal the scientific output and trends in pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models. Methods Publications on predictive models of pulmonary nodules/early lung cancer between January 1, 2002 and June 3, 2023 were retrieved and extracted from CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and Web of Science database. CiteSpace 6.1.R3 and VOSviewer 1.6.18 were used to analyze the hotspots and theme trends. Results A marked increase in the number of publications related to pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models was observed. A total of 12581 authors from 2711 institutions in 64 countries/regions published 2139 documents in 566 academic journals in English. A total of 282 articles from 1256 authors were published in 176 journals in Chinese. The Chinese and English journals which published the most pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction model-related papers were Journal of Clinical Radiology and Frontiers in Oncology, respectively. Chest was the most frequently cited journal. China and the United States were the leading countries in the field of pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models. The institutions represented by Fudan University had significant academic influence in the field. Analysis of keywords revealed that multi-omics, nomogram, machine learning and artificial intelligence were the current focus of research. Conclusion Over the last two decades, research on risk-prediction models for pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer has attracted increasing attention. Prognosis, machine learning, artificial intelligence, nomogram, and multi-omics technologies are both current hotspots and future trends in this field. In the future, in-depth explorations using different omics should increase the sensitivity and accuracy of pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models. More high-quality future studies should be conducted to validate the efficacy and safety of pulmonary nodules/early-stage lung cancer prediction models further and reduce the global burden of lung cancer.
5.Recent advances in the application of three dimensional reconstruction techniques in surgical treatment of early lung cancer
Tao LONG ; Zhengbing REN ; Aizhong SHAO ; Zhicheng HE ; Weibing WU
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(01):121-128
Lung cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. With the prevalence of CT screening and early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer in China, more and more patients with early-stage lung cancer characterized with ground-glass opacity are discovered and urgently require treatment, which poses a significant challenge to surgeons. As an emerging technology, three dimensional reconstruction technology plays a crucial auxiliary role in clinical work. This review aims to briefly introduce this technology, focusing on its latest advances in surgical applications in early lung cancer screening, malignant risk assessment, and perioperative period application and medical education.
6.Recognition of breath odor map of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules and Traditional Chinese Medicine syndrome elements based on electronic nose combined with machine learning: An observational study in a single center
Shiyan TAN ; Qiong ZENG ; Hongxia XIANG ; Qian WANG ; Xi FU ; Jiawei HE ; Liting YOU ; Qiong MA ; Fengming YOU ; Yifeng REN
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(02):185-193
Objective To explore the recognition capabilities of electronic nose combined with machine learning in identifying the breath odor map of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome elements. Methods The study design was a single-center observational study. General data and four diagnostic information were collected from 108 patients with pulmonary nodules admitted to the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery of Hospital of Chengdu University of TCM from April 2023 to March 2024. The patients' TCM disease location and nature distribution characteristics were analyzed using the syndrome differentiation method. The Cyranose 320 electronic nose was used to collect the odor profiles of oral exhalation, and five machine learning algorithms including random forest (RF), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), and eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) were employed to identify the exhaled breath profiles of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules and different TCM syndromes. Results (1) The common disease locations in pulmonary nodules were ranked in descending order as liver, lung, and kidney; the common disease natures were ranked in descending order as Yin deficiency, phlegm, dampness, Qi stagnation, and blood deficiency. (2) The electronic nose combined with the RF algorithm had the best efficacy in identifying the exhaled breath profiles of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules, with an AUC of 0.91, accuracy of 86.36%, specificity of 75.00%, and sensitivity of 92.85%. (3) The electronic nose combined with RF, LR, or XGBoost algorithms could effectively identify the different TCM disease locations and natures of pulmonary nodules, with classification accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity generally exceeding 80.00%.Conclusion Electronic nose combined with machine learning not only has the potential capabilities to differentiate the benign and malignant pulmonary nodules, but also provides new technologies and methods for the objective diagnosis of TCM syndromes in pulmonary nodules.
7.Analysis of plasma metabonomic characteristics of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with turbid toxin accumulation syndrome
Ziqi ZHAO ; Pai PANG ; Yue REN ; Bin WANG ; Yuntao MA ; Qianjing YANG ; Shentao WU
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(1):34-42
Objective:
To explore the plasma metabonomic characteristics of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and turbid toxin accumulation syndrome.
Methods:
One hundred and three patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and turbid toxin accumulation syndrome were enrolled from November 2023 to February 2024 in the First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and 54 healthy individuals were recruited. The general data of the two groups were analyzed, and the plasma metabolite content was detected using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-Orbitrap mass spectrometry. Construct an orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis model to screen metabolites with significant intergroup changes. The variable importance in projection≥ 1, |log2FC|>1, and P<0.05 were used as the criteria for the screening of differential metabolites. Annotate differential metabolites using internal databases and the human metabolome database, and perform pathway analysis using MetaboAnalyst website.
Results:
There was no statistically significant difference in gender and age between the two groups.Seventeen potential differential metabolites were identified. The D-4′-phosphopantothenate, 2, 6-dichloroindophenol, 4-methylphenol, hypoxanthine, 11, 12-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids, oleamide, 3-phenyllactic acid contents were higher in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and turbid toxin accumulation syndrome than in healthy individuals(P<0.05); 3-anisic acid, 3-iodo-octadecanoic acid, mebendazole, β-alanine, citric acid, trans-aconitic acid, geranyl diphosphate, lysophosphatidylcholine(18∶2), phosphatidylethanolamine(18∶1), and caprolactam contents were lower in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and turbid toxin accumulation syndrome than in healthy individuals(P<0.05). Ten metabolic pathways were identified, including the key metabolic pantothenate and coenzyme A biosynthesis pathways.
Conclusion
Metabolic differences were observed between patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and turbid toxin accumulation syndrome and healthy individuals, and the underlying mechanism may involve the pantothenate and coenzyme A biosynthesis pathways, jointly mediated by D-4′-phosphopantothenate and β-alanine.
8.The distribution pattern of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes and influencing factors for primary liver cancer: An analysis of 415 cases
Zhiyao SHI ; Xiaofei FAN ; Yu GAO ; Shaojian REN ; Shiyu WU ; Xixing WANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(1):84-91
ObjectiveTo investigate the influencing factors for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes of primary liver cancer, and to provide a theoretical basis for the TCM syndrome differentiation and standardized treatment of liver cancer. MethodsTCM syndrome differentiation was performed for 415 patients who were admitted to Shanxi Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and were diagnosed with primary liver cancer based on pathological or clinical examinations from January 2019 to December 2023. The chi-square test was used for comparison of categorical data between groups, and the unordered polytomous logistic regression model was used to investigate the influencing factors for TCM syndromes of liver cancer. ResultsThe common initial symptoms of the 415 patients with primary liver cancer included pain in the liver area (31.81%), abdominal distension (25.30%), abdominal pain (15.18%), and weakness (13.98%), and the main clinical symptoms included poor appetite (70.84%), fatigue (69.16%), pain in the liver area (67.47%), poor sleep (59.04%), abdominal distension (53.01%), and constipation (52.53%). There were significant differences in TCM syndromes between patients with different sexes, courses of the disease, clinical stages, Child-Pugh classes, presence or absence of intrahepatic and extrahepatic metastasis, and presence or absence of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and radiofrequency ablation (all P<0.05). The logistic regression analysis showed that male sex was a risk factor for damp-heat accumulation (odds ratio [OR]=2.036, P=0.048) and the syndrome of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency (OR=5.240, P<0.001); a course of disease of<1 year was a risk factor for damp-heat accumulation (OR=2.837, P=0.004) and syndrome of Qi stagnation and blood stasis (OR=2.317, P=0.021), but it was a protective factor against syndrome of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency (OR=0.385, P=0.005); Child-Pugh class A/B was a protective factor against liver-kidney Yin deficiency (OR=0.079, P<0.001); intrahepatic metastasis was a risk factor for liver-kidney Yin deficiency (OR=5.117, P=0.003) and syndrome of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency (OR=3.303, P=0.010); TACE was a protective factor against liver-kidney Yin deficiency (OR=0.171, P<0.001) and syndrome of spleen-kidney Yang deficiency (OR=0.138, P<0.001); radiofrequency ablation was a risk factor for damp-heat accumulation (OR=4.408, P<0.001) and liver-kidney Yin deficiency (OR=32.036, P<0.001). ConclusionSex, course of disease, Child-Pugh class, intrahepatic metastasis, TACE, and radiofrequency ablation are the main influencing factors for TCM syndromes of liver cancer.
9.Association of the adipokine Chemerin with the development and progression of liver fibrosis
Xinyuan ZHANG ; Nuoqi ZHANG ; Guohui YU ; Wenshuai REN ; Yaling WANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(1):164-169
Liver fibrosis is the common pathological process in the progression of various chronic liver diseases to liver cirrhosis, and it greatly affects the prognosis of patients with chronic liver diseases. As a novel adipokine, Chemerin participates in the metabolism of glucose and lipids and inflammation, and various studies have shown that the expression level of Chemerin is correlated with the degree of liver fibrosis, suggesting that Chemerin may be involved in the process of liver fibrosis by regulating metabolism and inflammation. Chemerin has shown certain potential in the auxiliary diagnosis of liver fibrosis and the intervention against the progression of liver fibrosis. This article reviews the potential role and mechanism of action of Chemerin in the process of liver fibrosis, in order to provide new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of liver fibrosis.
10.Disease burden of chronic kidney disease attributable to high BMI in China and trend prediction in 1992-2021
Hong LIU ; Guimao YANG ; Yan SUI ; Xia ZHANG ; Xuebing CHENG ; Yaxing WU ; Xu GUO ; Yanfeng REN
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2025;36(1):27-31
Objective To analyze the disease burden of chronic kidney diseases (CKD) attributed to high body mass index (BMI) in China from 1992 to 2021 and predict the disease burden for the next decade, and to provide evidence for the prevention and treatment of CKD. Methods Using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database and the Joinpoint model, the average annual percentage rate change (AAPC) of the mortality rate and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rate was calculated to describe and analyze the CKD disease burden attributed to high BMI in China from 1992 to 2021. The ARIMA model was employed to predict and analyze the change trend of the CKD disease burden. Results From 1992 to 2021, the mortality rate and DALY rate attributed to high BMI-induced chronic kidney disease showed an upward trend. Compared to 1992, the attributed number of deaths increased by 324.38%, and DALYs increased by 268.56%; the mortality rate increased by 64.00%, and the DALY rate grew by 51.62%. From 1992 to 2021, the mortality rate and DALY rate for males were lower than those for females, but the growth rate for males exceeded that of females. From 1992 to 2021, the mortality rate and DALY rate of chronic kidney disease attributed to high BMI in China increased with age. The average annual change rate of chronic kidney disease attributed to high BMI in China from 1992 to 2021 (mortality rate: 1.40 per 100,000 (95% CI: 1.04–1.76), DALY rate: 1.43 per 100 000 (95% CI: 1.17–1.70)) was higher than thHuaiyin Normal University, Huai'anher social demographic index (SDI) regions. The ARIMA model predicted that the age-standardized mortality rate increased from 2.91 per 100 000 in 2022 to 3.05 per 100 000 in 2026, and the age-standardized DALY rate increased from 69.65 per 100 000 in 2022 to 73.58 per 100 000 in 2026. Conclusion Chronic kidney disease attributed to high BMI in China is on the rise, and it will continue to grow in the future. The focus of CKD prevention and control should be on males and the elderly, while active measures should be taken to reduce the occurrence and progression of chronic kidney disease.


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