1.Mechanisms of Intestinal Microecology in Hyperuricemia and Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervention:A Review
Mingyuan FAN ; Jiuzhu YUAN ; Hongyan XIE ; Sai ZHANG ; Qiyuan YAO ; Luqi HE ; Qingqing FU ; Hong GAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(5):329-338
In recent years, hyperuricemia (HUA) has shown a rapidly increasing incidence and tends to occur in increasingly young people, with a wide range of cardiac, renal, joint, and cancerous hazards and all-cause mortality associations. Western medicine treatment has limitations such as large liver and kidney damage, medication restriction, and easy recurrence. The intestine is the major extra-renal excretion pathway for uric acid (UA), and the intestinal microecology can be regulated to promote UA degradation. It offers great potential to develop UA-lowering strategies that target the intestinal microecology, which are promising to provide safer and more effective therapeutic approaches. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can treat HUA via multiple targets and multiple pathways from a holistic view, with low toxicity and side effects. Studies have shown that intestinal microecology is a crucial target for TCM in the treatment of HUA. However, its specific mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated. Focusing on the key role of intestinal microecology in HUA, this review explores the relationship between intestinal microecology and HUA in terms of intestinal flora, intestinal metabolites, intestinal UA transporters, and intestinal barriers. Furthermore, we summarize the research progress in TCM treatment of HUA by targeting the intestinal microecology, with the aim of providing references for the development of TCM intervention strategies for HUA and the direction of future research.
2.Research progress on mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in regulating neutrophil extracellular traps in prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases.
Sai ZHANG ; Ming-Yuan FAN ; Jiu-Shu YUAN ; Qi-Yuan YAO ; Hong-Yan XIE ; Hai-Po YUAN ; Hong GAO
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2025;50(1):78-93
Metabolic diseases have seen a steady increase in incidence in recent years, becoming one of the main causes of sub-health status globally. Neutrophil extracellular traps(NETs) are reticular complexes containing DNA, which trap foreign microorganisms or induce an immune response. Current research indicates that NETs are widely active in various metabolic diseases and can cause severe damage to the body through multiple mechanisms, including promoting blood glucose elevation, damaging vascular endothelial cells, forming vascular embolisms, triggering intense inflammation, and promoting lipid accumulation. Therefore, intervening in NETs is an important approach to treating metabolic diseases. Research has shown a close relationship between the theory of spleen heat-turbid toxin theory and metabolic diseases-NETs mechanism. The basic pathogenesis include the internal accumulation of phlegm-dampness, qi stagnation and blood stasis, internal accumulation of dampness-heat, phlegm and blood stasis, and flourishing toxic heat. Various Chinese herbal medicines with the functions of dispelling dampness, resolving phlegm, promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis, and clearing heat and toxins, along with their extracts and compound prescriptions, can treat metabolic diseases by regulating NETs and delaying disease progression. This paper systematically outlined the formation mechanisms of NETs, their connection to metabolic diseases, the theoretical basis in TCM, their roles in numerous metabolic diseases, and the current research status of TCM in regulating NETs to prevent and control metabolic diseases, aiming to provide effective reference ideas for developing therapeutic strategies for metabolic diseases.
Humans
;
Extracellular Traps/metabolism*
;
Metabolic Diseases/metabolism*
;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*
;
Animals
;
Neutrophils/metabolism*
;
Medicine, Chinese Traditional
3.Clinical Efficacy of CAG Regimen Combined with Venetoclax, Chidamide, and Azacitidine in the Treatment of Elderly Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
Qing-Yang LIU ; Yu JING ; Meng LI ; Sai HUANG ; Yu-Chen LIU ; Ya-Nan WEN ; Jing-Jing YANG ; Wen-Jing GAO ; Ning LE ; Yi-Fan JIAO ; Xia-Wei ZHANG ; Li-Ping DOU
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(4):945-950
OBJECTIVE:
To explore the efficacy and adverse reactions of CAG regimen combined with venetoclax, chidamide, and azacitidine in the treatment of elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
METHODS:
15 elderly AML patients aged≥60 years old who were admitted to the Hematology Department of our hospital from May 2022 to October 2023 were treated with the CAG regimen combined with venetoclax, chidamide and azacitidine, and the efficacy, treatment-related adverse events, overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) were analyzed.
RESULTS:
After one course of treatment, 11 out of 15 patients achieved complete response (CR), 3 patients achieved CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi), and 1 patient died due to prior infection before efficacy evaluation, and the overall response rate (ORR) was 93.3% (14/15). The median follow-up time was 131 (19-275) days, with median OS and EFS both remaining unreached. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis showed that among the 15 patients, 13 were detected with gene mutations, and there were 7 genes with mutation frequencies of more than 10%, including ASXL1 (4 cases), RUNX1 (4 cases), BCOR (3 cases), DNMT3A (3 cases), STAG2 (2 cases), IDH1/2 (2 cases), and TET (2 cases). Among the 13 patients with detectable mutations, 12 patients achieved composite response (CR+CRi). The average recovery time of white blood cell count was 14.6 days after chemotherapy, and the average recovery time of platelets was 7.7 days after chemotherapy. The main adverse event was myelosuppression, with 10 patients accompanied by infection. Except for 1 patient who died due to septic shock during chemotherapy, no patients experienced serious complications such as heart, liver, or kidney damage during the treatment process.
CONCLUSION
The CACAG+V regimen, which combines the CAG regimen with venetoclax, chidamide, and azacitidine, can be applied in the treatment of elderly AML patients, demonstrating good safety and induction remission rate.
Humans
;
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy*
;
Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic/therapeutic use*
;
Sulfonamides/therapeutic use*
;
Aminopyridines/therapeutic use*
;
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use*
;
Azacitidine/therapeutic use*
;
Aged
;
Benzamides/therapeutic use*
;
Male
;
Female
;
Treatment Outcome
;
Middle Aged
;
Cytarabine
;
Aclarubicin
;
Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor
4.Single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analysis reveals that an immune cell-related signature could predict clinical outcomes for microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer patients receiving immunotherapy.
Shijin YUAN ; Yan XIA ; Guangwei DAI ; Shun RAO ; Rongrong HU ; Yuzhen GAO ; Qing QIU ; Chenghao WU ; Sai QIAO ; Yinghua XU ; Xinyou XIE ; Haizhou LOU ; Xian WANG ; Jun ZHANG
Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B 2025;26(4):371-392
Recent data suggest that vascular endothelial growth factor receptor inhibitor (VEGFRi) can enhance the anti-tumor activity of the anti-programmed cell death-1 (anti-PD-1) antibody in colorectal cancer (CRC) with microsatellite stability (MSS). However, the comparison between this combination and standard third-line VEGFRi treatment is not performed, and reliable biomarkers are still lacking. We retrospectively enrolled MSS CRC patients receiving anti-PD-1 antibody plus VEGFRi (combination group, n=54) or VEGFRi alone (VEGFRi group, n=32), and their efficacy and safety were evaluated. We additionally examined the immune characteristics of the MSS CRC tumor microenvironment (TME) through single-cell and spatial transcriptomic data, and an MSS CRC immune cell-related signature (MCICRS) that can be used to predict the clinical outcomes of MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy was developed and validated in our in-house cohort. Compared with VEGFRi alone, the combination of anti-PD-1 antibody and VEGFRi exhibited a prolonged survival benefit (median progression-free survival: 4.4 vs. 2.0 months, P=0.0024; median overall survival: 10.2 vs. 5.2 months, P=0.0038) and a similar adverse event incidence. Through single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analysis, we determined ten MSS CRC-enriched immune cell types and their spatial distribution, including naive CD4+ T, regulatory CD4+ T, CD4+ Th17, exhausted CD8+ T, cytotoxic CD8+ T, proliferated CD8+ T, natural killer (NK) cells, plasma, and classical and intermediate monocytes. Based on a systemic meta-analysis and ten machine learning algorithms, we obtained MCICRS, an independent risk factor for the prognosis of MSS CRC patients. Further analyses demonstrated that the low-MCICRS group presented a higher immune cell infiltration and immune-related pathway activation, and hence a significant relation with the superior efficacy of pan-cancer immunotherapy. More importantly, the predictive value of MCICRS in MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy was also validated with an in-house cohort. Anti-PD-1 antibody combined with VEGFRi presented an improved clinical benefit in MSS CRC with manageable toxicity. MCICRS could serve as a robust and promising tool to predict clinical outcomes for individual MSS CRC patients receiving immunotherapy.
Humans
;
Colorectal Neoplasms/drug therapy*
;
Male
;
Female
;
Immunotherapy
;
Middle Aged
;
Aged
;
Tumor Microenvironment/immunology*
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Microsatellite Instability
;
Transcriptome
;
Single-Cell Analysis
;
Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor/immunology*
;
Gene Expression Profiling
;
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors/therapeutic use*
;
Adult
;
Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor/antagonists & inhibitors*
5.Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the maxillary sinus and lateral skull base was removed and the submental artery island flap repaired the hard palate: a case report.
Pengchong GAO ; Sai WANG ; Yangtuo LUO ; Ning ZHAO ; Xuexin TAN ; Zhongyun MIN ; Hongquan WEI
Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2025;39(1):84-90
Adenoid cystic carcinoma is a malignant tumor of the head and neck, this article reports a case of a large adenoid cystic carcinoma of the skull base, with the lesion involving the sphenoid sinus, sphenoid bone wings, pterygopalatine fossa, nfratemporal fossa, hard palate, and other structures. The treatment plan consisted of surgical excision, primary reconstrction of the surgical defect,and postoperative radiotherapy, resulting in a favorable prognosis for the patient.
Humans
;
Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic/surgery*
;
Maxillary Sinus/surgery*
;
Maxillary Sinus Neoplasms/surgery*
;
Palate, Hard/surgery*
;
Skull Base Neoplasms/surgery*
;
Surgical Flaps
6.Molecular architecture of mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.
Maofei CHEN ; Yutong SONG ; Sensen ZHANG ; Yitang ZHANG ; Xudong CHEN ; Minghui ZHANG ; Meng HAN ; Xin GAO ; Sai LI ; Maojun YANG
Protein & Cell 2025;16(1):72-78
7.Aryl hydrocarbon receptor: Linking environment to aging process in elderly patients with asthma
Tianrui YANG ; Rongjun WAN ; Wei TU ; Nithin Sai AVVARU ; Peisong GAO
Chinese Medical Journal 2024;137(4):382-393
Aging is a significant risk factor for various diseases, including asthma, and it often leads to poorer clinical outcomes, particularly in elderly individuals. It is recognized that age-related diseases are due to a time-dependent accumulation of cellular damage, resulting in a progressive decline in cellular and physiological functions and an increased susceptibility to chronic diseases. The effects of aging affect not only the elderly but also those of younger ages, posing significant challenges to global healthcare. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanisms associated with aging in different diseases is essential. One intriguing factor is the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), which serves as a cytoplasmic receptor and ligand-activated transcription factor and has been linked to the aging process. Here, we review the literature on several major hallmarks of aging, including mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, autophagy, mitophagy, epigenetic alterations, and microbiome disturbances. Moreover, we provide an overview of the impact of AhR on these hallmarks by mediating responses to environmental exposures, particularly in relation to the immune system. Furthermore, we explore how aging hallmarks affect clinical characteristics, inflammatory features, exacerbations, and the treatment of asthma. It is suggested that AhR signaling may potentially play a role in regulating asthma phenotypes in elderly populations as part of the aging process.
8.Introduction of workplace-based assessment in dental education
Sai MA ; Tianle LI ; Fu WANG ; Jing GAO ; Ming FANG ; Ling ZHANG ; Yan DONG ; Min TIAN ; Lina NIU
Chinese Journal of Medical Education Research 2024;23(8):1015-1020
Assessment is an indispensable and critical activity in the educational process. In the recent decades, with the birth and development of competence-based educational paradigm, the rationale behind assessment is shifting from "assessment of learning" to "assessment for learning". Workplace-based assessment (WPBA), which aims to improve the quality of both learning and teaching through assessment in real workplace circumstances, is a set of assessment tools that conforms to the new concepts of medical education. In this article, with the purpose to promote the application of WPBA and thus enhance the quality of dental education in our country, a thorough discussion is performed regarding the core principles, tools, advantages of WPBA as well as attentions that should be noted when applying WPBA. It is recommended to establish a longitudinal assessment system which employs various WPBA tools and assesses the development of students' competencies through the whole educational process. Such a dynamic assessment system may be helpful to provide all-rounded and competent dental talents who can eventually benefit the society.
9.Design and Construction of a Specialized Clinical Research Database for Inflammatory Demyelinating Diseases of the Central Nervous System
Lei WU ; Bing WANG ; Qian YU ; Hui SUN ; He ZHAO ; Sai GAO ; Hena GUO ; Yanning HUANG ; Zhaoyou MENG ; Li-Anchen XIAO ; Haizhen XU ; Dehui HUANG
Journal of Medical Informatics 2024;45(5):83-88
Purpose/Significance To construct a specialized database for inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system(CNS),so as to contribute to clinical research and improve the diagnostic and treatment capabilities of primary healthcare institu-tions.Method/Process Using the internet to collect medical data,after processing and analysis,the CNS inflammatory demyelinating disease database is constructed.Using statistical analysis,natural language processing(NLP),artificial intelligence(AI)image recog-nition and data visualization and other technologies,the database information is integrated and analyzed.Result/Conclusion A standard-ized big database for CNS inflammatory demyelinating diseases is constructed,which enables visualization of clinical research data,pro-vides patient education and specialist training,and facilitates multi-center teleconsultations.The establishment of a specialized database for the CNS inflammatory demyelinating disease can promote the transformation of medical research achievements,provide references for future real-world clinical research,optimize the process of diagnosis and treatment,and improve the clinical capability of primary healthcare institutions.
10.Hydroxylsafflor yellow A alleviating cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats by regulating cyclooxygenase-2/prostaglandin E2 signaling pathway
Ying-Chun YANG ; Ying YANG ; Xiao-Liang ZHANG ; Sai-Hong GAO ; Qing-Liang JIANG ; Yu-Feng LI ; Shu-Yu JIA
Acta Anatomica Sinica 2024;55(4):468-474
Objective To observe the effect of hyolroxylsafflor(HSYA)on cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2)/prostaglandin E2(PGE2)signaling pathway,and to investigate the protective effect and mechanism of HSYA on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury(CIRI).Methods Totally 90 SD male rats were randomly divided into sham-operated group(S group),operation group(CIRI group),HSYA group and celecoxib group(C group),HSYA group subdivided into HSYA low dose group(HSYA-L group),HSYA medium dose group(HSYA-M group)and HSYA high dose group(HSYA-H group),15 rats in each group.CIRI model was prepared by thread embolism method.The rats in each group were given intraperitoneal injection 30 minutes before operation.HSYA groups were given HSYA 10 mg/kg,15 mg/kg,25 mg/kg respectirely;C group was given celecoxib 40 mg/kg;S group and CIRI group were given the same amount of normal saline.Neurofunctional scores of each group of rats were performed immediately after recovery from modeling,cerebral infarction volume was measured 24 hours after reperfusion;At the same time,neuronal injury was observed by Nissl staining,the changes of COX-2 mRNA and protein were detected by Real-time PCR and Western blotting,and the changes of PGE2,tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α)and interleukin(IL)-1β were detected by ELISA.Results Compared with the S group,in the CIRI group,neurofunctional scores increased dramatically(P<0.05),the volume of cerebral infarction increased dramatically(P<0.05),the damage of neurons increased and the number of neurons decreased dramatically(P<0.05),the expressions of COX-2 mRNA and protein increased dramatically(P<0.05),meanwhile the expressions of PGE2,TNF-α and IL-1β were also found dramatically increased(P<0.05);Compared with the CIRI group,in the HSYA group and C group,neurofunctional scores decreased dramatically(P<0.05),the volume of cerebral infarction was reduced dramatically(P<0.05),the damage of neurons decreased and the number of neurons increased dramatically(P<0.05),the expressions of COX-2 mRNA and protein,PGE2,TNF-α and IL-1β decreased dramatically(P<0.05).The differences between HSYA groups and both HSYA-L group and HSYA-M group compared with the C group were obvious(P<0.05),while no obvious differences were found in HSYA-H group compared with the C group(P>0.05).Conclusion HSYA alleviates reperfusion injury in ischemic stroke may be related to the inhibition of COX-2/PGE2 signaling pathway.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail