1.Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic strategies of endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury
Chang LIU ; Rui TAO ; Qihui HU ; Jing LUO ; Cong CHEN
Journal of Chongqing Medical University 2025;50(7):951-956
Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury(IRI)is a pathological phenomenon that commonly occurs during liver surgery and transplantation.It leads to serious tissue damage and affects liver function.The mechanisms behind IRI are complex,involving oxida-tive stress,inflammatory responses,and calcium homeostasis disorder.Recently,scientists have paid more attention to the role of endo-plasmic reticulum stress(ERS)in IRI.ERS activates three classical signaling pathways,PERK,IRE1,and ATF6,through the unfolded protein response(UPR),aiming to preliminarily restore endoplasmic reticulum homeostasis and protect cells.However,if the stress re-sponse is excessive or persistent,ERS can activate apoptosis signaling pathways,such as CHOP and Bax/Bak,worsening cell injury.Additionally,ERS is closely related to other cellular stress responses,such as autophagy and oxidative stress,which jointly affect the survival and death of hepatocytes.Regulation of ERS,especially interventions targeting the three UPR pathways,is considered as a po-tential therapeutic pathway for alleviating hepatic IRI.Pharmacological interventions,such as 4-phenylbutyric acid and taurocholic acid,and gene therapies,such as knocking out PERK or IRE1,have shown positive effects in protecting liver function while inhibiting ERS.This paper reviews the mechanism of action of ERS in hepatic IRI,focuses on the specific roles of the three UPR pathways and their potential as therapeutic targets,and explores the future of re-lated therapeutic strategies.
2.A chemotherapy nano-booster unlocks wider therapeutic window for prostate cancer treatment.
Rui LIAO ; Yuequan WANG ; Ziqi LIN ; Yuting WANG ; Hongyuan ZHANG ; Qin CHEN ; Shenwu ZHANG ; Jin SUN ; Zhonggui HE ; Cong LUO
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(6):3273-3290
Clinical chemotherapy for prostate cancer is still compromised by high treatment thresholds and severe off-target toxicity of drugs. Given the limited progress in improving therapeutic outcomes and reducing toxicity with the existing toolbox, efforts to broaden the chemotherapeutic window are highly desired. Here, we discover that gossypol (GSP, a natural compound) dramatically enhances the chemosensitivity of cabazitaxel (CTX), even at previously ineffective concentrations. Based on this interesting finding, we exploit a carrier-free chemotherapeutic nano-booster for prostate cancer treatment, which is molecularly co-assembled by GSP and cabazitaxel (CTX). GSP not only readily forms nanoassembly with CTX, but also functions as a chemotherapeutic enhancer that unlocks an ultra-low-dose chemotherapeutic window. Not only that, precise dual-drug nanoassembly confers CTX a significantly larger maximum tolerable dose. As expected, the nano-booster exerts striking therapeutic benefits in mouse prostate tumor xenograft models. This study advances chemotherapeutic window expansion and self-sensitized chemotherapy toward clinical applicability.
3.A dual-targeting peptide-drug conjugate based on CXCR4 and FOLR1 inhibits triple-negative breast cancer.
Kun WANG ; Cong WANG ; Hange YANG ; Gong CHEN ; Ke WANG ; Peihong JI ; Xudong SUN ; Xuegong FAN ; Jie MA ; Zhencun CUI ; Xingkai WANG ; Hao TIAN ; Dengfu WU ; Lu WANG ; Zhimin WANG ; Jiangyan LIU ; Juan YI ; Kuan HU ; Hailong ZHANG ; Rui WANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(10):4995-5009
Triple-negative breast cancer is therapeutically challenging due to the low expression of tumor markers and 'cold' tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment. Here, we present a dual-targeting peptide-drug conjugate (PDC) for tumor inhibition. Our PDC efficiently and selectively delivers cytotoxic Monomethyl Auristatin E (MMAE) into tumor cells via C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) and folate receptor 1 (FOLR1) for synergistic inhibition of growth and metastasis. Our results show that the dual-targeting PDC has potent antitumor activity in cultured human cells and several murine transplanted tumor models without apparent toxicity. The combination of dual-targeting PDC and radiotherapy modulates the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment by increasing CD8+ T cell infiltration and attenuating the proportion of myeloid-derived suppressor and regulatory T cells. Therefore, our dual-targeting PDC represents a promising new strategy for cancer therapy that rebalances the immune system and promotes tumor regression.
4.Huanglian Jiedu Decoction prevents and treats acute liver injury in septic mice via AMPK/SIRT1 autophagy pathway.
Rui-Zhu ZHAO ; Xin-Yue REN ; Yu-Hang WANG ; Ding-Xing FAN ; Shi-Lei LOU ; Hui YAN ; Cong SUN
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(2):507-514
This study aims to explore the mechanism of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction(HJD) in treating acute liver injury(ALI) in the mouse model of sepsis induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS). Fifty-four male C57BL/6 mice were randomized into six groups: blank group, model group, low-, medium-, and high-dose group HJD, and dexamethasone group. The mouse model of sepsis was established by intraperitoneal injection of LPS after 7 days of gavage with HJD, and dexamethasone(0.2 mL) was injected intraperitoneally 1.5 h after modeling. The murine sepsis score(MSS) was recorded 12 h after modeling. The levels of alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) in the liver tissue and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-6(IL-6) in the serum were measured by ELISA. Hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes of the mouse liver. The content of light chain 3 of microtubule-associated protein 1(LC3) was detected by immunofluorescence, and that of sirtuin 1(SIRT1) was detected by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA levels of adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase(AMPK), LC3, and P62 were detected by RT-PCR. Western blot was employed to determine the protein levels of AMPK, p-AMPK, and SIRT1 in the liver tissue. The results showed that compared with model group, drug interventions decreased the MSS and liver injury indicators, lowered the levels of inflammatory cytokines, improved the liver tissue structure, upregulated the protein levels of of p-AMPK/AMPK and SIRT1 and the mRNA levels of AMPK and LC3, and downregulated the mRNA level of P62. To sum up, HJD can regulate the autophagy level and reduce inflammation to ameliorate acute liver injury in septic mice by activating the AMPK/SIRT1 autophagy pathway.
Animals
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*
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Sirtuin 1/genetics*
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Male
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Mice
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Sepsis/metabolism*
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Autophagy/drug effects*
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AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics*
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Liver/metabolism*
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Humans
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Signal Transduction/drug effects*
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Disease Models, Animal
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Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/genetics*
5.Quality evaluation of Commelina communis medicinal materials from different origins based on content of four alkaloid components combined with chemometrics.
Bi-Ru FU ; Wei-Jie ZHUO ; Xuan-Xiu HUANG ; Peng-Cong LU ; Xin HE ; Rui-Feng JI
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(9):2422-2431
This study employs ultra-performance liquid chromatography(UPLC) to analyze the differences in alkaloid content of Commelina communis from various geographical origins, exploring its feasibility as a quality evaluation indicator. A total of 57 batches of C. communis samples from 23 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China were selected. The MicroPulite HSS T3(2.1 mm×50 mm, 1.8 μm)column was used with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.2% phosphoric acid aqueous solution(20∶80), detection wavelength at 254 nm, and a flow rate of 0.3 mL·min~(-1) to measure the content of 1-deoxynojirimycin(DNJ) and deoxymannojirimycin(DMJ). The MicroPulite XP tC_(18)(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 μm)column was employed with a mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.2% phosphoric acid aqueous solution(4∶96), detection wavelength at 254 nm, and a flow rate of 0.4 mL·min~(-1) to measure the content of norharmine(NHM) and harmanme(HM). Chemometric methods were applied to study the relationships and differences among the 57 batches of C. communis. Significant differences in alkaloid content were observed among C. communis from different regions, with the average total content decreasing in the order of North China, Northeast China, Northwest China, East China, Southwest China, Central China, and South China. Cluster analysis(CA) and principal component analysis(PCA) further revealed the quality differences of C. communis from various origins, and partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) identified DNJ as a marker compound to distinguish the quality differences between different geographical sources of C. communis. It is recommended that the content limit of DNJ be set at no less than 0.055 9%, providing a reference for the quality evaluation and clinical application of C. communis medicinal materials.
Alkaloids/analysis*
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
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China
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Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
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Chemometrics/methods*
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Quality Control
6.Quality evaluation of Bidentis Herba derived from different original plants based on HPLC fingerprints, characteristic chromatograms, multi-component content determination combined with chemical pattern recognition.
Guo-Li SHI ; Yun MA ; Feng-Xia SHEN ; Han-Wen DU ; Cong-Min LIU ; Rui-Xia WEI ; Yan-Fang LI ; Jian-Wei FAN ; Yong-Xia GUAN
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(15):4284-4292
This study established the HPLC fingerprints, characteristic chromatograms, and a multi-component content determination method for Bidens bipinnata and B. biternata. The chemical pattern recognition analysis was then employed to clarify the characteristic indexes of quality differences between the two original plants of Bidentis Herba, providing a reference for establishing the quality standards of Bidentis Herba. HPLC was launched on an Agilent Poroshell 120 EC-C_(18) chromatographic column(4.6 mm×250 mm, 4 μm) by gradient elution with a mobile phase of 0.1% aqueous phosphoric acid-acetonitrile at a flow rate of 0.7 mL·min~(-1), detection wavelength of 270 nm, column temperature of 25 ℃, and an injection volume of 5 μL. The similarity between the fingerprints of 18 batches of Bidentis Herba samples and the common pattern(R) ranged from 0.572 to 0.933. A total of 23 chromatographic peaks were calibrated. Through comparison with the reference substances, six components(neochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid A, isochlorogenic acid B, rutin, and hyperoside) were identified and subjected to quantitative analysis. The characteristic fingerprints of B. bipinnata and B. biternata were calibrated with 20 and 17 characteristic peaks, respectively. Among them, peaks 8, 9, 22, and 23 were the characteristic peaks of B. bipinnata, and peak 7 was the characteristic peak of B. biternata, which can be used to distinguish the two original plants of Bidentis Herba. The relative standard deviation of the content of the above-mentioned six components ranged from 36% to 123%. The cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) classified the 18 batches of Bidentis Herba samples into two categories. Additionally, through the analysis of variable importance in projection(VIP) under OPLS-DA, three characteristic indexes, rutin, isochlorogenic acid A, and isochlorogenic acid B, were identified. The analytical method established in this study can comprehensively evaluate the consistency of Bidentis Herba samples derived from different original plants, specifically identify the differential components between them, and effectively distinguish the two original plants of Bidentis Herba, providing a basis for the differentiation between different original plants and the quality control of Bidentis Herba.
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods*
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Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry*
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Quality Control
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Bidens/chemistry*
7.Association between circadian syndrome, metabolic syndrome and mild cognitive impairment in older adults
Jie LU ; Rui LIU ; Shi TANG ; Tingting HOU ; Lin CONG ; Yongxiang WANG ; Yifeng DU
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2025;34(3):208-214
Objective:To explore the association between circadian syndrome (CircS), metabolic syndrome (MetS) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in elderly rural adults in China.Methods:From March to September 2018, totally 5 765 participants aged 60 years or older from 52 villages in Yanlou Town, Yanggu County, Shandong Province were selected. The data included demographic, underlying disease and neuropsychological data were collected by questionaire survey. Having ≥3 of the following components was defined as MetS: elevated waist circumference, high triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated blood pressure and elevated fasting glucose. Having ≥4 of the following components was defined as CircS: short sleep (<6 h/d), depression and five other components which were used to define MetS, with elevated waist circumference as a mandatory item. MCI was diagnosed according to Petersen's criteria and further classified into amnestic MCI (aMCI) and non-amnestic MCI (naMCI) based on whether the memory domains impaired.Data were analyzed using multivariable Logistic regression and general linear regression models by R statistical software.Results:In the total sample ( n=4 898), 1 280 participants were diagnosed with MCI, of which 1 075 were aMCI and 205 were naMCI.Compared to the normal group, CircS alone was significantly associated with increased risks of MCI ( B=0.695, P=0.039) and aMCI ( B=0.782, P=0.024), as well as lower verbal fluency scores ( B=-0.244, P=0.045). No significant associations were found between MetS alone or both MetS and CircS and cognitive impairment( P>0.05). At the component level, short sleep and depression were associated with increased risks of MCI ( B=0.167, P=0.025; B=0.605, P<0.001) and aMCI ( B=0.185, P=0.020; B=0.600, P<0.001). Conclusion:Individuals with CircS are at a higher risk of cognitive impairment, CircS is more strongly associated with cognitive impairment than MetS, with short sleep duration and depressive symptoms potentially playing key roles.
8.Analysis of the influencing factors of health-related quality of life in community-dwelling elderly with mild cognitive impairment from the perspective of health ecology
Jiayi LIN ; Yanbo ZHU ; Jiameng JIA ; Yuhao LUO ; Jiaju REN ; Jianni CONG ; Yueheng LOU ; Liqun LONG ; Rui CAO ; Pu GE
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2025;34(3):245-251
Objective:To analyze the current situation of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and its influencing factors among community-dwelling elderly with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) based on the health ecology model (HEM).Methods:From December 2023 to September 2024, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 997 community-dwelling elderly in Beijing, Shandong, Chongqing and other regions. The EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire 5 level (EQ-5D-5L), the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) were used to assess the subjects.Descriptive analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Tobit regression analysis were performed using Stata 18.0 software. Results:A total of 324 valid samples were finally obtained, and the health utility value of MCI elderly was 0.842(0.815, 0.951). Tobit regression analysis showed that ≥80 years old( β=-0.121, 95% CI=-0.193--0.050) in individual traits level, don't exercise( β=-0.196, 95% CI=-0.255--0.137) and poor quality of sleep ( β=-0.064, 95% CI=-0.116--0.013) in behavior characteristics level, and poor subjective economic status( β=-0.153, 95% CI=-0.261--0.045) in living and working conditions level were risk factors for the health utility value of the elderly with MCI. Drinking( β=0.096, 95% CI=0.022-0.171) in behavior characteristics level and participating in social activities( β=0.126, 95% CI=0.062-0.190) in interpersonal network level were protective factors for the health utility value of the elderly with MCI. Conclusions:The HRQOL of the community-dwelling elderly with MCI in China is low, and its influencing factors are multi-level. HEM should be combined to strengthen the intervention and management of the elderly with MCI from personal constitution to policy environment to improve their HRQOL.
9.Correlation analysis between serum adiponectin level and early vascular aging
Rui HU ; Yan WANG ; Jinyan REN ; Xinfeng WANG ; Yihan WANG ; Weifen CHEN ; Jinpeng CONG
Chinese Journal of Postgraduates of Medicine 2025;48(3):243-249
Objective:To study the relationship between serum adiponectin level and early vascular aging (EVA).Methods:The cross-sectional study method was used. Six hundred and seventy-two subjects who completed health checkup from June to December 2023 in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University were selected. The subjects were divided into the EVA group (237 cases) and the control group (435 cases) based on brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). According to the adiponectin tertiles method, the subjects were divided into low adiponectin subgroup (2.4 to 6.6 mg/L, 225 cases), medium adiponectin subgroup (6.7 to 9.1 mg/L, 227 cases) and high adiponectin subgroup (9.2 to 19.8 mg/L, 220 cases). The basic demographic information, past history and serological indexes were recorded. Univariate and multivariate binary Logistic regression analyses were used to analyze the risk factors for EVA, and multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the effect of adiponectin on EVA.Results:The male proportion, age, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides (TG), fasting blood glucose (FBG), uric acid, glycated hemoglobin (HbA 1c), homocysteine, baPWV and alcohol history proportion in EVA group were significantly higher than those in control group: 64.98% (154/237) vs. 53.33% (232/435), 53 (47, 57) years old vs. 46 (39, 52) years old, (26.34 ± 3.37) kg/m 2 vs. (25.16 ± 3.91) kg/m 2, (132.27 ± 15.48) mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) vs. (117.30 ± 13.04) mmHg, (81.79 ± 11.04) mmHg vs. (71.93 ± 10.10) mmHg, 1.45 (1.03, 2.03) mmol/L vs. 1.08 (0.76, 1.65) mmol/L, 5.52 (5.03, 6.21) mmol/L vs. 5.14 (4.77, 5.56) mmol/L, (380.04 ± 96.43) μmol/L vs. (362.18 ± 94.94) μmol/L, 5.80 (5.50, 5.90)% vs. 5.70 (5.40, 5.82)%, 10.70 (9.01, 12.90) μmol/L vs. 9.96 (8.30, 12.20) μmol/L, 1 586 (1 511, 1 719) cm/s vs. 1 299 (1 215, 1 367) cm/s and 19.41% (46/237) vs. 13.56% (59/435), the adiponectin was significantly lower than that in control group: 7.00 (5.70, 8.75) mg/L vs. 8.40 (6.40, 10.60) mg/L, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.01 or <0.05). There were no statistical differences in total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), creatinine and smoking history proportion between two groups ( P>0.05). The male proportion, BMI, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, TG, FBG, uric acid, creatinine, HbA 1c, homocysteine, EVA incidence, baPWV, smoking history proportion and alcohol history proportion in low adiponectin subgroup and medium adiponectin subgroup were significantly higher than those in high adiponectin subgroup, furthermore, the indexes except HbA 1c in low adiponectin subgroup were significantly higher than those in medium adiponectin subgroup, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.05); the HDL-C in low adiponectin subgroup and medium adiponectin subgroup was significantly lower than that in high adiponectin subgroup, furthermore, that in low adiponectin subgroup was significantly lower than that in medium adiponectin subgroup, and there were statistical differences ( P<0.05); there were no statistical differences in age, TC and LDL-C among the three subgroups ( P>0.05). Univariate binary Logistic regression analysis result showed that age, male, BMI, alcohol history, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, TG, FBG, uric acid and HbA 1c were the risk factors for EVA ( P<0.01 or <0.05), while the adiponectin was a protective factor for EVA ( P<0.01). Multivariate binary Logistic regression analysis result showed that age, systolic blood pressure, TG and FBG were risk factors for EVA ( OR = 1.098, 1.066, 1.209 and 1.268; 95% CI 1.069 to 1.127, 1.050 to 1.082, 1.007 to 1.451 and 1.069 to 1.502; P<0.01 or <0.05), while adiponectin was a protective factor ( OR = 0.892, 95% CI 0.828 to 0.962, P<0.01). Multivariable Logistic regression analysis result showed that adiponectin consistently remained a protective factor for EVA across unadjusted, preliminary adjusted and fully adjusted covariate models ( OR = 0.553, 0.580 and 0.576; 95% CI 0.451 to 0.678, 0.440 to 0.764 and 0.435 to 0.763; P<0.01). Conclusions:The serum APN level is negatively correlated with the risk of EVA, which may be an independent protective factor for the EVA.
10.Clinical utility of a robotic intelligent endoscope transportation system in the digestive endoscopy center
Jianrong BAI ; Jun CHENG ; Xin WANG ; Lina CAO ; Jingyi LI ; Dongdong SUN ; Juan WANG ; Xiaoli JIA ; Tao CONG ; Rui JI ; Xiuli ZUO
Chinese Journal of Digestive Endoscopy 2025;42(8):628-633
Objective:To evaluate the clinical utility of an intelligent endoscope transportation system in the digestive endoscopy center.Methods:A parallel-group controlled trial was conducted at Digestive Endoscopy Center of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from June 1st to December 31st 2024, comparing robotic intelligent endoscope transport (experimental group) versus manual transport (control group). Performance metrics, including response time, transportation speed, labor efficiency, contamination prevention, closed-loop traceability, and nursing staff satisfaction, were statistically analyzed. Full-time equivalent (FTE) was introduced to quantify the operational efficiency of the experimental group.Results:The study included a total of 60 206 instances of intelligent endoscope transportation and 60 485 instances of manual transportation data. The robotic group demonstrated significantly shorter response times versus manual group for initial dispatch (51.08±14.97 seconds VS 54.44±13.61 seconds, t=35.8, P<0.001) and recovery response time (32.52±11.26 seconds VS 40.20±11.40 seconds, t=103.93, P<0.001). During the 148 days operational period, the success rate was 99.83% (60 104/60 206) and the failure rate was 0.17% (102/60 206) for robotic transports. Primary failure causes were wireless disconnection, pathfinding errors, and mechanical faults, averaging 1.05 malfunctions/month with no adverse events. The success and failure rate was 99.26% (60 043/60 485) and 0.74% (442/60 485) respectively for manual transports. Staff satisfaction was significantly higher for robotic transport in endoscopic transportation (4.65±0.55 scores VS 3.97±0.98 scores, t=96.5, P<0.001) and delivery process (4.71±0.59 scores VS 3.90±1.04 scores, t=210.3, P<0.001). and workload intensity was significantly lower (4.06±0.77 scores VS 4.48±0.63 scores, t=59.9, P=0.025). The system reduced labor requirements by 3.68 FTE, yielding annual savings of ¥657 000. Conclusion:The robotic intelligent endoscope transport system improves work efficiency, reduces nursing labor costs and physical workload, enhances job experience and satisfaction, and enables full-process smart traceability, providing a validated solution for endoscopy center logistics.

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