1.Establishment of a Gastrointestinal-Brain Inter-Organ Multimodal Characterization System Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory and Its Application in Refractory Diseases
Guanghui HAN ; Yan GUO ; Peijing RONG ; Bin CONG ; Shuangjiang LIU ; Shaoyuan LI ; Wei WEI
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(6):561-568
The concept of holism is the core idea of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Various organs and tissues coordinate with each other to maintain the body's life activities, with a close and mutual influence between the spleen, stomach, and the central nervous system (brain). The gut-brain axis plays an important bridging role between the digestive system and the central nervous system, achieving bidirectional information exchange between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract through complex neuroendocrine and immune mechanisms. The theory of cross-organ interaction involves the mutual influence, coordination, and integration between different organs and systems; multimodality, on the other hand, utilizes multiple sensory modalities, such as vision, hearing, and touch, to convey information. By combining TCM theory with the gut-brain axis theory, a cross-organ multimodal characterization system is established to explore its mechanism and application value in refractory diseases such as functional gastrointestinal disorders, precancerous gastrointestinal diseases, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and depression.
2.Identification of active ingredients and possible mechanisms of Yijing Decoction in treating diabetic retinopathy based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and network pharmacology
Limei LUO ; Ting HUANG ; Yanfang CHENG ; Yuhe MA ; Lin XIE ; Jianzhong HE ; Guanghui LIU ; Yongzheng ZHENG
International Eye Science 2025;25(8):1219-1226
AIM: To identify the primary active components and underlying mechanisms of Yijing Decoction(YJD)in treating early diabetic retinopathy(DR)based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and network pharmacology.METHODS: Active components of YJD were characterized through LC-MS. Components with optimal ADME(absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion)properties were selected as key bioactive candidates. Network pharmacology approaches were employed to predict YJD-DR therapeutic targets. Protein-protein interaction(PPI)networks, gene ontology(GO)enrichment analysis, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway analysis were subsequently conducted to predict core targets and networks. Critical targets and pathways were experimentally validated through Western blot.RESULTS: Ten core therapeutic targets were identified, including TNF, Alb, EGFR, STAT3, PTGS2, ESR1, PPAR, MMP9, TLR4, and MAPK. YJD was related to cancer-related signaling, fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, and neurodegenerative diseases, encompassing key biological processes such as inflammatory response regulation, programmed cell death activation, and enhanced cell migration. Furthermore, Western blot analysis confirmed that YJD significantly inhibited high glucose-induced phosphorylation of STAT3(P-STAT3/STAT3)and ERK(P-ERK/ERK)in rat retinal microvascular endothelial cells.CONCLUSION: This study revealed YJD's pharmacodynamical basis and its multi-component, multi-target, and multi-paths pharmacology. YJD exerts therapeutic effects on DR by coordinately regulating critical signaling pathways and alleviating intraocular inflammation, thus preserving retinal vascular endothelial cells, maintaining blood-retinal barrier integrity, and facilitating retinal neurovascular repair.
3.Role and mechanism of DCLK1 in gastric cancer stem cells
Wei ZHANG ; Guanghui WANG ; Huiqi LIU ; Yongnian LIU
Chinese Journal of Pathophysiology 2024;40(3):411-419
AIM:To investigate the effect of doublecortin-like kinase 1(DCLK1)on the biological properties of gastric cancer stem cells,and to explore its possible mechanism.METHODS:Serum-free suspension culture of gastric cancer stem cells and targeted inhibition of DCLK1 activity in gastric cancer stem cells with DCLK1 inhibitor DCLK1-IN-1 were performed.The expression levels of DCLK1,stemness-related proteins(SOX2 and OCT4),proliferation-related pro-teins(cyclin D1 and c-MYC),drug resistance-related proteins(ABCG2 and TOP2A),epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related proteins(E-cadherin,vimentin and Snail),and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway-related proteins in gastric cancer stem cells were examined by Western blot.The effects of DCLK1 on viability and drug resistance of gastric cancer stem cells were determined by CCK-8 assay,and the effects of DCLK1 on self-renewal of gastric cancer stem cells were de-termined by methylcellulose spheroid-forming assay.Wound-healing and Transwell assays were performed to assess the ef-fect of DCLK1 on the migration and invasion of gastric cancer stem cells.RESULTS:The expression levels of DCLK1 and stemness-related proteins SOX2 and OCT4 in gastric cancer stem cells were significantly higher than those in parental cells(P<0.01).The proliferation,drug resistance,migration and invasion of gastric cancer stem cells in DCLK1 inhibi-tion group were significantly lower than those in Sphere cell group(P<0.01).The expression levels of proliferation-related proteins(c-MYC and cyclin D1)and drug resistance-related proteins(TOP2A and ABCG2)were down-regulated,the ex-pression of epithelial marker E-cadherin was up-regulated,the expression of mesenchymal markers vimentin and Snail was down-regulated,and the expression levels of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway-related proteins and their phosphoryla-tion levels were reduced in DCLK1 inhibition group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:DCLK1 is highly expressed in gastric cancer stem cells,which may be involved in the proliferation,drug resistance and invasion of gastric cancer stem cells by regulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.It suggests that DCLK1 can be used as a potential target for gastric cancer stem cells.
4.Structural design and mechanical property analysis of trabecular scaffold of triply periodic minimal surface with a radial gradient
Yihai ZHANG ; Peng SHANG ; Benyuan MA ; Guanghui HOU ; Lunxu CUI ; Wanzhen SONG ; Dexuan QI ; Yancheng LIU
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2024;28(5):741-746
BACKGROUND:The elastic modulus of traditional bone implants is large and does not match the elastic modulus of human bone,which will cause a stress shielding effect and lead to bone resorption.The trabecular scaffold of the triply periodic minimal surface with radial gradient has elastic modulus matching with human cancellous bone,and its yield strength is greater than that of human cortical bone,which provides a new choice for the design of bone scaffold. OBJECTIVE:Triply periodic minimal surface structure with radial gradient was constructed by the implicit surface method.The sample was manufactured by laser selective melting technology,and the quasi-static compression test was carried out to obtain trabecular scaffolds with mechanical properties matching human bones. METHODS:Four types of the trabecular scaffolds of the triply periodic minimal surface with a radial gradient of G,I,P and D were established by the implicit surface method.Samples were manufactured by laser selective melting technology.We observed the surface morphology of the molded sample,evaluated the molding quality,conducted a quasi-static compression test,and evaluated the mechanical properties of the samples. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The quasi-static compression test results showed that compared with the four triply periodic minimal surface scaffolds,the platform stress of the G scaffold had less fluctuation and no failure or fracture,indicating that the G scaffold had the best plasticity.The mechanical properties of the G scaffolds with 45%,55%and 65%porosities were analyzed.It was found that the elastic modulus of G scaffolds with 55%porosity was within the range of elastic modulus of human cancellous bone(0.022-3.7 GPa),and the yield strength was close to the maximum yield strength of human cortical bone(187.7-222.3 MPa).In conclusion,G triply periodic minimal surface scaffold with 55%porosity can reduce the stress shielding effect,bear a higher body load,improve the stability of the implant,and prolong the service life of the implant.
5.COVID-19 infection secondary to pulmonary mucormycosis in a recipient of simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation: one case report
Rongxin CHEN ; Jiali FANG ; Guanghui LI ; Luhao LIU ; Jialing WU ; Zebin GUO ; Zheng CHEN
Chinese Journal of Organ Transplantation 2024;45(6):408-411
One case of COVID-19 infection secondary to pulmonary mucormycosis in a recipient of simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation was described. Early identification of the pathogen was achieved by metagenomic next-generation sequencing. On the basis of disease status and liver function changes, targeted treatments included intravenous amphotericin B liposome, amphotericin B nebulization& gargling and subsequently a maintenance therapy of oral posaconazole. This regimen resulted in the absorption of lung infection, stabilization of transplanted pancreas function and reduced levels of creatinine and urea as compared to pre-infection period. The therapeutic efficacy was decent.
6.Risk factors and survival analysis for multi-drug resistant organism infections in recipients of simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation
Rongxin CHEN ; Luhao LIU ; Jiali FANG ; Guanghui LI ; Lu XU ; Peng ZHANG ; Wei YIN ; Jialing WU ; Junjie MA ; Zheng CHEN
Chinese Journal of Organ Transplantation 2024;45(7):468-475
Objective:To summarize the distributional characteristics of postoperative occurrence of multi-drug resistant organism (MDRO) infections and their risk factors in simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPK) recipients and examine the impact of MDRO infections on the survival of SPK recipients.Method:From January 2016 to December 2022, the relevant clinical data were retrospectively reviewed for 218 SPK recipients. The source of donor-recipient specimens and the composition percentage of MDRO pathogens were examined. According to whether or not MDRO infection occurred post-transplantation, they were assigned into two groups of MDRO (98 cases) and non-MDRO (120 cases). The clinical data of two groups of donors and recipients were analyzed. And the risk factors for an onset of MDRO infection were examined by binary Logistic regression. The survival rate of two recipient groups was compared by Kaplan-Meier method.Result:A total of 98/218 recipients (45%) developed MDRO infections. And 46 (46.9%) of sputum and 34 (34.7%) of urine were cultured positively and 49 (50%) pathogens expressed extended spectrum beta-lactamase. There were pneumonia (46 cases, 46.9%), urinary tract infections (34 cases, 34.7%), abdominal infections (16 cases, 16.3%) and bloodstream infections (2 cases, 2.0%). Univariate regression analysis revealed that length of renal failure ( P=0.037), length of hospitalization ( P<0.001), length of antibiotic use ( P<0.001), novel antibiotics ( P=0.014), albumin ( P<0.001) and leukocyte count ( P<0.001) were risk factors for an onset of MDRO infections. The results of multifactorial regression indicated that low albumin ( OR=0.855, 95% CI: 0.790~0.925, P<0.001) and leukopenia ( OR=0.656, 95% CI: 0.550~0.783, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for an onset of MDRO infections. The survival rates of recipients in MDRO group at Year 1/3 post-operation were 92.9% (91/98) and 89.8% (88/98). And the survival rate of recipients in non-MDRO group was 96.7% (116/120) at Year 1/3 post-operation. Inter-group difference was not statistically significant in 1-year survival rate of two recipient groups ( P=0.201); statistically significant inter-group difference in 3-year survival rate between two recipient groups ( P=0.041) . Conclusion:Low albumin and leukopenia are risk factors for MDRO infection. Infection with MDRO has some impact on the survival of recipients.
7.Research progress on the correlation between intestinal microecology and sepsis
Chinese Critical Care Medicine 2024;36(8):882-886
Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, with increasing mortality as septic shock and organ failure progress. Mechanisms such as vascular endothelial dysfunction, microcirculatory disorders, coagulation abnormalities, immune suppression, mitochondrial damage, cell pyroptosis, ferroptosis, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and autophagy play crucial roles in organ dysfunction and death caused by sepsis. Concurrently, the imbalance of the gut microbiota also plays an undeniable role in the development of sepsis, with recent studies demonstrating a close connection between the gut microbiome and sepsis. Thus, how to improve the prognosis of patients with sepsis by reconstructing gut microbiota has become a focus of interest for critical care physicians. This article reviews the research progress on the correlation between gut microbiota and sepsis, providing clinical physicians with more therapeutic strategies to improve patient prognosis.
8.Assessment of axillary lymph node metastasis in breast cancer by multimodal MRI
Jing XU ; Guanghui MA ; Penghua LIU
China Medical Equipment 2024;21(5):64-68
Objective:To analyze the assessment effect and reliable indicators of multimodal magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)for axillary lymph node metastasis(ALNM)of breast cancer.Methods:A total of 152 female patients with breast cancer who were diagnosed and received surgical treatment in Handan First Hospital from January 2020 to November 2021 were selected.According to the pathological results of postoperative axillary lymph node,45 cases with ALNM were selected as ALNM group,and 107 cases without ALNM were selected as non-ALNM group.Dynamic contrast enhanced-magnetic resonance imaging(DCE-MRI),T2weighted image(T2WI)and diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI)were used to determine breast cancer ALNM.Results:The diagnostic sensitivity,specificity,positive predictive value and negative predictive value and diagnostic consistent rate of multimodal MRI were respectively 82.22%,96.26%,90.24%,92.79%and 92.11%.Logistic regression analysis showed that the maximum tumor size and ADC value were closely correlated with lymph node metastasis.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis showed that the area under curve(AUC)of the maximum tumor diameter was 0.797(95%CI=0.694~0.842,P<0.01),and the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were respectively 77.4%and 60.7%when the optimal cut-off value was 1.96cm.The AUC of ADC value was 0.844(95%CI=0.808-0.915,P<0.01),and the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were respectively 82.1%and 71.2%when the optimal cutoff value was 1.122×10-3mm2/s.The AUC value of the combined diagnosis of maximum tumor diameter and AUC value was 0.952(95%CI:0.904-0.991,P<0.01),and the sensitivity and specificity were respectively 88.6%and 81.4%under the optimal cutoff value.The AUC value of the combined indicators was higher than that of the maximum tumor diameter(Z=3.982,P<0.05)and ADC value(Z=3.014,P<0.05),respectively.Conclusion:Multimodal MRI has a good diagnostic effect on breast cancer ALNM,in which the maximum tumor diameter and AUC value are important reference indicators,and the combination of them can improve the diagnostic efficiency.
9.Effect of resistance training on neck pain and neck function in aircraft carrier student pilots
Jun ZHANG ; Nan XIAO ; Dawei LIU ; Xiaowen QI ; Zuxun GAO ; Guanghui YANG
Space Medicine & Medical Engineering 2024;35(1):31-37
Objective Motortherapy and neck muscle resistance training are used to study the effects of resistance training on neck pain level and surface myoelectric activity of student pilots of carrier aircraft.Methods We conducted an intervention experiment on the neck pain of the carrier-based aircraft student pilots.The experiment period was 3 months.The experimental subjects were male carrier-based aircraft student pilots aged from 23 to 35.Questionnaires,including the Cervical Dysfunction Index and the Chinese Physical Activity Questionnaire,were issued,followed by cervical muscle function tests,including cervical maximum muscle strength,cervical range of motion,and surface electromyography tests.The experimental subjects were randomly divided into the control group and the resistance training group,with 8 in each.The subjects in the control group recieved usual military training.Those in the resistance training group recieved targeted training programs developed by using the self-developed cervical spondylosis prevention training device in addition to usual military training.The programs were carried out for resistance training three times a week for 20 minutes in each.Cervical maximum muscle strength,cervical range of motion,and surface electromyography were tested again before the end of the intervention experiment.The data were analyzed by SPSS 22.0.The results were expressed by mean±standard deviation((-x)±s).P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results(1)After 12-week intervention,resistance training had a significant effect on visual pain analog scale(VAS).(2)After the intervention,the comparison results of the subjects'cervical spine dysfunction index(NDI)before and after their own tests showed that the level of cervical spine dysfunction was significantly improved.(3)After the intervention,the results of inter-group comparison of the subjects'own joint motion showed that the self-variation difference of the subjects in the resistance training group was significantly different in forward flexion,backward extension,left flexion,right flexion,right rotation and left rotation.(4)After the intervention,the comparison results between the two groups of subjects'own neck muscle strength showed that there was no significant difference in the self-change of the six movements of subjects in the resistance training group.(5)The root mean square(RMS)values in the four movement tests of flexion,extension,flexion and flexion before and after the intervention in the resistance training group showed no significant difference between the left and right sternocleidomastoid muscle and the right and right trapezius muscle.(6)The integrated electromyography(iEMG)in the four movement tests of flexion,extension,flexion and flexion before and after the intervention in the resistance training group showed no significant difference between the left and right sternocleidomastoid muscle and the right and right trapezius muscle superior bundle.Conclusion After 12 weeks of resistance training,VAS scores and NDI scores of resistance training subjects are significantly reduced,indicating that resistance training can alleviate neck pain and improve cervical spine dysfunction.12-week resistance training can enhance the strength of neck muscles of carrier-based aircraft student pilots and improve the anti-fatigue ability of neck muscles.Meanwhile,it can enhance the range of motion of neck joints,improve the load of the deep and shallow muscle fibers of the four tested muscles in the neck and optimize the activation mode of the deep and shallow muscles in the neck.
10.Mitochondria-associated organelle crosstalk in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury
Hui YAO ; Yuxin XIE ; Chaoquan LI ; Wanting LIU ; Yaqian LUO ; Guanghui YI
Chinese Journal of Arteriosclerosis 2024;32(6):481-486
Damage to organelles plays a significant role in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury,which results in the dysfunction of mitochondria and other related organelles.The communication between mitochondria and other organ-elles can also affect the development of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury.For instance,the mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum membrane provides a"seamless connection"and regulates the exchange of organelles and metabolites(such as ions,lipids and proteins)between the mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum,which subse-quently affects myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury.However,there is a lack of studies regarding the interaction be-tween mitochondria and related organelles,which is a critical component in triggering myocardial ischemia/reperfusion inju-ry.Therefore,this article describes the role of mitochondrial crosstalk with endoplasmic reticulum,lysosomes and nuclei in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury,and aims to provide a theoretical basis for targeting mitochondrial crosstalk with other organelles in the treatment of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury.

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