1.Cell Autophagy of Digestive System Tumors Induced by Active Ingredients in Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Review
Wenjun LI ; Chengzhi WANG ; Zhenyao YANG ; Mingyang HE ; Gelei ZHAO ; Dongdong LI ; Peimin LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(3):314-320
As one of the most common malignant tumors, digestive system tumors exhibit an increase in the incidence and mortality year by year. Its pathogenesis is complex, making it difficult to carry out early prevention. Autophagy is a process in which cells use lysosomes to degrade their organelles and macromolecules to maintain cellular homeostasis under the regulation of autophagy-related genes. Cellular autophagy has a dual regulatory effect on the tumor microenvironment, which always affects the occurrence and development of digestive system tumors. Therefore, the effect and mechanism of action of cellular autophagy on digestive system tumors have become a hot topic in tumor therapy in recent years. Meanwhile, the remarkable research results of targeted autophagy drugs indicate that cellular autophagy may become an important target for anti-digestive system tumors. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used in the comprehensive treatment of digestive system tumors with good efficacy. A variety of active ingredients in TCM, such as flavonoids, glycosides, terpenoids, quinones, and alkaloids, can increase the expression of autophagy-associated proteins microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3)Ⅱ/Ⅰ, autophagy-related gene (ATG)5, ATG7, inhibit the expression of autophagy-related protein p62 , and induce autophagy in digestive system tumor cells, thereby exerting the anti-digestive system tumor effect. By summarizing the research results in recent years on the modulation of cell autophagy by active ingredients in TCM to fight against digestive system tumors, this paper analyzed the relevant signaling pathways, regulatory factors, and functional characteristics of cell autophagy modulation, so as to elucidate the mechanism by which active ingredients of TCM induce autophagy and to provide ideas and references for clinical application.
2.Cell Autophagy of Digestive System Tumors Induced by Active Ingredients in Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Review
Wenjun LI ; Chengzhi WANG ; Zhenyao YANG ; Mingyang HE ; Gelei ZHAO ; Dongdong LI ; Peimin LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(3):314-320
As one of the most common malignant tumors, digestive system tumors exhibit an increase in the incidence and mortality year by year. Its pathogenesis is complex, making it difficult to carry out early prevention. Autophagy is a process in which cells use lysosomes to degrade their organelles and macromolecules to maintain cellular homeostasis under the regulation of autophagy-related genes. Cellular autophagy has a dual regulatory effect on the tumor microenvironment, which always affects the occurrence and development of digestive system tumors. Therefore, the effect and mechanism of action of cellular autophagy on digestive system tumors have become a hot topic in tumor therapy in recent years. Meanwhile, the remarkable research results of targeted autophagy drugs indicate that cellular autophagy may become an important target for anti-digestive system tumors. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used in the comprehensive treatment of digestive system tumors with good efficacy. A variety of active ingredients in TCM, such as flavonoids, glycosides, terpenoids, quinones, and alkaloids, can increase the expression of autophagy-associated proteins microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3)Ⅱ/Ⅰ, autophagy-related gene (ATG)5, ATG7, inhibit the expression of autophagy-related protein p62 , and induce autophagy in digestive system tumor cells, thereby exerting the anti-digestive system tumor effect. By summarizing the research results in recent years on the modulation of cell autophagy by active ingredients in TCM to fight against digestive system tumors, this paper analyzed the relevant signaling pathways, regulatory factors, and functional characteristics of cell autophagy modulation, so as to elucidate the mechanism by which active ingredients of TCM induce autophagy and to provide ideas and references for clinical application.
3.Research progress of luteolin in ocular diseases
Sijie HE ; Bin GUO ; Wenjun JIANG
International Eye Science 2026;26(4):651-656
Natural flavonoids have attracted considerable attention owing to their favorable biosafety profiles and multiple pharmacological properties in recent years. Luteolin, a representative flavonoid compound, exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-angiogenic, and neuroprotective effects in multiple ocular disease models by modulating key signaling pathways, including NF-κB, PI3K/Akt, Nrf2/HO-1, and AGE-RAGE. Accumulating experimental evidence supports the potential application of luteolin in various ocular diseases, including corneal and ocular surface diseases, inflammatory eye diseases, glaucoma, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration. However, clinical evidence remains limited. This review systematically summarizes research progress on luteolin in ocular diseases over the past five years, analyzes its molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential, and discusses future directions,so as toprovide a theoretical basis for clinical translation.
4.Buzhong Yiqitang Combined with Cisplatin Inhibits Lung Adenocarcinoma Cell Proliferation by Suppressing PDK1/Akt Signaling Pathway and Regulating Glycolysis
He LI ; Sijia BAI ; Wenjun LIU ; Jianguang WANG ; Jialu LYU ; Chun WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(19):1-12
ObjectiveTo investigate the impact of Buzhong Yiqitang combined with cisplatin on the proliferation of human lung adenocarcinoma (A549) cells through regulation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway and influence on glycolysis. MethodsTranscriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) was employed to compare the expression of glycolysis-related genes between A549 cells and cisplatin-resistant human lung adenocarcinoma cells (A549/DDP). Small interfering RNA (siRNA) was employed to knock down PDK1, and the knockdown efficiency was verified by Western blot and Read-time PCR. The cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to assess the survival and viability of A549 cells under the following conditions: siRNA negative control+cisplatin (128, 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 0 μmol·L-1), siPDK1+cisplatin (128, 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 0 μmol·L-1), and siPDK1+cisplatin (128, 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 0 μmol·L-1)+Buzhong Yiqitang (10%)-containing serum. The 20% inhibitory concentration (IC20) of the siRNA negative control+cisplatin group (7.832 μmol·L-1) was calculated and used as the subsequent cisplatin concentration. Colony formation assay was performed to evaluate the proliferation of A549 cells. Lactate and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) assay kits were used to measure lactate and ATP production. The mitochondrial membrane potential was detected with the fluorescent probe JC-1. Western blotting was conducted to examine the expression levels of PDK1, phosphorylated (p)-Akt, Akt, pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA). Confocal immunofluorescence was employed to detect PDK1 and p-Akt. ResultsRNA-seq results identified PDK1 as a highly expressed differential gene in glycolysis metabolism between A549 cells and A549/DDP cells, and it was highly expressed in tumor cells. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) revealed upregulated and downregulated genes in glycolysis and gluconeogenesis pathways. Western blot and RT-qPCR confirmed that PDK1-si-2 had the highest transfection efficiency, with a PDK1 knockdown rate exceeding 60%. CCK-8 assay determined the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for each group as (30.698±5.348), (16.372±3.562), (13.237±1.573) μmol·L-1, while the IC20 of cisplatin in siRNA negative control-transfected A549 cells was (7.832±0.672) μmol·L-1. Compared with the siRNA negative control group, the siRNA negative control+cisplatin group showed decreased colony formation rate, reduced lactate production, lowered mitochondrial membrane potential, downregulated protein levels of p-Akt, GLUT1, PDK1, PDH, and LDHA, and reduced PDK1 fluorescence intensity (P<0.05). The siPDK1 group exhibited decreased colony formation rate, reduced lactate production, increased ATP production, lowered mitochondrial membrane potential, downregulated protein levels of p-Akt, PKM2, GLUT1, PDK1, PDH, and LDHA, and reduced PDK1 and p-Akt fluorescence intensity (P<0.05). Compared with the siPDK1 group, the siPDK1+Buzhong Yiqitang group showed decreased colony formation rate, reduced lactate production, downregulated protein levels of PKM2, GLUT1, and PDK1, and reduced PDK1 fluorescence intensity (P<0.05). The siPDK1+cisplatin group exhibited decreased colony formation rate, reduced lactate production, increased ATP production, lowered mitochondrial membrane potential, downregulated protein levels of PKM2, GLUT1, PDK1, and PDH, and reduced PDK1 and p-Akt fluorescence intensity (P<0.05). The siPDK1+cisplatin+Buzhong Yiqitang group demonstrated decreased colony formation rate, reduced lactate production, increased ATP production, lowered mitochondrial membrane potential, downregulated protein levels of p-Akt, PKM2, GLUT1, PDK1, PDH, and LDHA, and reduced PDK1 and p-Akt fluorescence intensity (P<0.05). Compared with the siPDK1+Buzhong Yiqitang group, the siPDK1+cisplatin group showed decreased colony formation rate, downregulated protein levels of p-Akt and PDH, and reduced PDK1 and p-Akt fluorescence intensity (P<0.05). The siPDK1+cisplatin+Buzhong Yiqitang group exhibited decreased colony formation rate, reduced lactate production, increased ATP production, lowered mitochondrial membrane potential, downregulated protein levels of p-Akt, GLUT1, PDH, and LDHA, and reduced PDK1 and p-Akt fluorescence intensity (P<0.05). Compared with the siPDK1+cisplatin group, the siPDK1+cisplatin+Buzhong Yiqitang group showed decreased colony formation rate, increased ATP production, and downregulated protein levels of p-Akt, PKM2, and LDHA (P<0.05). ConclusionBuzhong Yiqitang combined with cisplatin can suppress lung adenocarcinoma cell proliferation by modulating glycolysis through the PDK1/Akt signaling pathway.
5.Robotic-assisted left thoracic small-incision minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting:a case series report
Peiling HE ; Yi SONG ; Ye YUAN ; Wenjun WU ; Changming ZHONG ; Chang LIU ; Jianming CHEN ; Yijie HU
Journal of Army Medical University 2025;47(2):161-167
Objective To summarize the clinical efficacy of robotic-assisted left thoracic small-incision minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting(MIDCAB).Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the procedures and treatment outcomes of robotic-assisted MIDCAB in the Army Medical Center of PLA from October 2016 to June 2023.Baseline clinical information,MIDCAB-related data,perioperative conditions and data during follow-up were collected and analyzed.Results There were 23 patients subjected,including 21 males and 2 females,with a mean age of 58.17±7.49 years,and a body mass index(BMI)of 23.99±3.25 kg/m2.All of them experienced angina pectoris,and 1 had a history of myocardial infarction,1 had dilated cardiomyopathy,2 patients had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),and 10 had a history of percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI).Robotic-assisted MIDCAB procedure was successfully completed.No internal mammary artery injury or transformation of the procedure occurred in these cases,and excellent bridging vessel flow was achieved after anastomosis of the internal mammary artery to left anterior descending branch.The incision length in the left chest was 8(8,8)cm,the operation time was 380(300,465)min,the intraoperative bleeding volume was 300(100,400)mL,the length of ICU stay was 3(2,3)d,the amount of thoracic drainage was 780(525,1 040)mL,and the postoperative length from surgery to discharge was 11.17±2.38 d.No mortality was observed during or within 30 d of hospitalization,and 1 patient was readmitted due to pericardial effusion within 30 d,and was discharged after symptomatic treatment including pericardiocentesis and drainage.No deaths,major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events(MACCE),or re-revascularization occurred in all patients during outpatient and telephone follow-up.Conclusion Robotic-assisted internal mammary artery dissection is a delicate and safe technique,and coronary artery bypass grafting in minimally invasive small-incision off-pump is effective,safe and feasible,with satisfactory short-and mid-term outcomes.The technique is suitable for minimally invasive coronary artery disease surgery and is worthy of popularization and application.
6.Yes-associated protein regulates microgravity-induced primary cilia disassembly and osteogenic differentiation inhibition in osteoblasts
Yanan ZHANG ; Junrui HUA ; Tianyi ZHANG ; Wenjun WEI ; Jufang WANG ; Jinpeng HE
Space Medicine & Medical Engineering 2025;36(1):38-42
Objective To investigate the effects of simulated-microgravity on the osteogenic differentiation,primary cilia status,cytoskeleton structure,and the YAP(Yes-associated protein)expression in primary osteoblasts.Methods Primary osteoblasts were isolated from the skull bones of neonatal Wistar rats and cultured in random positioning machine system to simulate the cellular effects of microgravity.The calcified nodules were stained with Arlizarin to assess the cellular mineralization ability,the primary cilia and cytoskeleton were detected by immunofluorescence staining of Arl13b/γ-Tubulin and α-Tubulin,respectively,and the expression of YAP was measured by western blot.Results The cellular osteogenic differentiation were markedly suppressed after treated with simulated microgravity for 24 h,and the ciliated cells decreased from(58.44±3.65)%to(15.76±1.84)%in parallel with a decline of average cilium length from(3.19±0.51)μm to(1.59±0.46)μm.In addition,simulated microgravity induced disassembly of microtubules.Notably,simulated microgravity interfered YAP expression and the inhibition of YAP into nucleus.Furthermore,knockdown of YAP expression in osteoblasts notably reduced primary cilia expression and inhibited osteogenic differentiation.Conclusion Primary cilia is a key organelle of osteoblasts in sensing microgravity and regulating osteogenic differentiation.Interference with YAP expression and inhibition of nuclear YAP entry may play an important role in the deaggregation of primary cilia induced by microgravity.
7.Association between temperature and injury death and related excess death burden in Hunan Province
Yiqing XU ; Chunliang ZHOU ; Qianlai SUN ; Donghui JIN ; Jianxiong HU ; Guanhao HE ; Wenjun MA ; Zhihong DENG
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(5):528-535
Background Injury poses a serious threat to human health. As global warming continues to intensify, there is an urgent need to explore the impact of temperature changes on injury deaths. However limited research has focused on this issue. Objective To investigate the relationship between daily mean temperature change (Tm) and injury death, as well as to estimate the associated future death burden in Hunan Province. Methods We employed an individual-level, time-stratified case-crossing design to establish a conditional logistic regression model to analyze the exposure-response relationship between daily mean temperature change and injury death in Hunan Province from 2013 to 2018. Consequently, we conducted subgroup analysis of gender, age group, and injury type. Finally, we estimated the excess burden of injury death attributable to temperature changes under a sustainable development path [low emission scenario (SSP1-2.6)], regional competition path [high emission scenario (SSP3-7.0)], or fossil fuel development path [very high emission scenario (SSP5-8.5)]. Results The study collected
8.Dual effects of branched-chain amino acid on differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes through Stat3 pathway
Xinghua Cai ; Jie Gao ; Yuanying Xu ; Huihui Zhang ; Rouzi Maireyanmu ; Wenjun Sha ; Jun Lu ; Tao Lei
Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025;60(3):494-501
Objective :
To investigate the effects of branched-chain amino acid(BCAA) on the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and its potential mechanism.
Methods :
3T3-L1 preadipocytes were divided into the Control, differentiation medium(DM), low-concentration BCAA, and high-concentration BCAA groups. A CCK-8 assay was utilized to evaluate pre-adipocyte survival under various BCAA concentrations. Oil-red O staining was used to observe the formation of lipid droplets in adipocytes. Intracellular triglyceride(TG) and total cholesterol(TC) were detected by enzymatic method. RT-qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of Stat3 and adipocyte differentiation-related genes.
Results :
CCK-8 results showed that the viability of 3T3-L1 cells was not affected when the BCAA concentration was ≤ 10 mmol/L. Compared with the DM group, the low-concentration BCAA groups(0.5 and 1.0 mmol/L) had significantly larger intracellular lipid droplets, increased number of lipid droplets, and elevated levels of the intracellular TC(0.88vs0.68 mmol/g; 0.83vs0.68 mmol/g,P<0.01) and TG(0.77vs0.40 mmol/g; 0.62vs0.40 mmol/g,P<0.01). Nevertheless, the cell differentiation in the high-concentration group(5.0 and 10.0 mmol/L) significantly decreased compared with that in the DM group. Further, levels of PPARγ, C/EBPα, Adiponectin, and FABP4 mRNA and protein expression significantly increased in the low-concentration group, but significantly decreased in the high-concentration group than that in the DM group(P<0.01). In addition, low concentrations of BCAA promoted stat3 phosphorylation, while high concentrations inhibited its phosphorylation(P<0.01).
Conclusion
BCAA have a dual role in regulating the differentiation of preadipocytes through Stat3, i.e. low concentrations of BCAA induce cell differentiation by promoting Stat3 phosphorylation; whereas high concentrations of BCAA inhibit Stat3 phosphorylation and cell differentiation.
9.Construction and validation of a nomogram prediction model for risk of depression in elderly patients with hypertension
Hua HE ; Wenxue FENG ; Qinglin LI ; Jinming SU ; Kangning SUN ; Wenjun WANG
Journal of Clinical Medicine in Practice 2025;29(19):120-124
Objective To explore the influencing factors of depression risk in elderly patients with hypertension and construct and validate a nomogram prediction model.Methods A total of 869 elderly patients with hypertension were selected from national survey database of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study(CHARLS)in 2018.Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for depression in elderly patients with hypertension,and a nomogram prediction model was constructed.The accuracy and effectiveness of the model were validated by the Hosmer-Lemeshow(H-L)goodness-of-fit test,the area under the curve(AUC)of the receiver oper-ating characteristic(ROC)curve,and the calibration curve.Results The incidence of depression in elderly patients with hypertension was 47.18%.Factors influencing the risk of depression included rural residence(OR=2.191,P<0.05),impaired basic activities of daily living(BADL)(OR=2.338,P<0.05),impaired instrumental activitiesofdaily living(IADL)(OR=1.674,P<0.05),poor life satisfaction(OR=7.348,P<0.05),fair self-rated health(OR=0.441,P<0.05),good self-rated health(OR=0.259,P<0.05),and sleep duration of 6 to 9 hours(OR=0.510,P<0.05).The AUC of the ROC curve was 0.795,the slope of the calibration curve was close to 1,and the H-L goodness-of-fit test yielded x2=5.074.The validation set showed an AUC of 0.703.Conclusion The prediction model established in this study has high accuracy and discriminative ability.Healthcare professionals can take effective preventive measures based on individual patient factors.
10.Advances in epidemiological research on correlation between air pollution, climate change and intrinsic capacity of the elderly
Ziyi LIANG ; Sujuan CHEN ; Guanhao HE ; Wenjun MA
Journal of Environmental and Occupational Medicine 2025;42(8):994-1002
In the context of rapid global aging, the number of vulnerable elderly individuals who are sensitive to climate change and air pollution is increasing rapidly, potentially augmenting the burden of related diseases. The intrinsic capacity (IC) of the elderly refers to the comprehensive ability of individuals in physical, cognitive, and mental health aspects, typically encompassing 5 dimensions: cognitive status, motor ability, mental health, sensory function, and vitality. This article reviewed the advancements in epidemiological research on the effects of air pollution and climate change (including meteorological factors) on the overall intrinsic capacity of the elderly and its various dimensions. The results indicated that pollutants such as fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) are most significantly associated with the decline in the cognitive function and vitality dimensions, and extreme meteorological events like high temperatures are also related to the functional deterioration of each dimension of IC. Nevertheless, the current studies mostly focus on the impact of atmospheric environmental factors on a specific dimension of IC rather than on overall IC, and research on the combined exposure to multiple atmospheric factors is even rarer, and the exploration of associated mechanisms is insufficient. Future research should enhance the investigation of the influence and mechanism of the combined exposure to air pollution and climate change on the dynamic changes of IC, and promote multi-center research and transnational cooperation. This review is conducive to clarifying the potential impact of atmospheric environmental factors on the IC of the elderly, providing a scientific basis for formulating health intervention policies to address climate change and air pollution.


Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail