1.A Review and Evaluation of Integrated Disease and Syndrome Animal Models for Hemorrhoids in Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine
Yu BU ; Jinting HOU ; Yuanyuan LI ; Jingtao SHA ; Chenlu XIE ; Wengang WANG ; Xingwei SUN
Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine 2026;46(3):357-366
Hemorrhoids are common anorectal diseases with complex pathogenesis, and there is still a lack of ideal experimental animal models for research on their prevention and treatment. In this paper, Chinese and English databases are searched with the keywords "hemorrhoids" and "animal model", and 36 relevant studies are finally included. The shortcomings of existing hemorrhoid animal models in integrating the clinical disease and syndrome characteristics of traditional Chinese and Western medicine are systematically analyzed, and the consistency of various models with clinical practice is evaluated. The studies are divided into four categories according to modeling methods: chemical modeling, physical modeling, biological modeling, and combined modeling. The clinical consistency of modeling is evaluated in combination with the diagnostic points of hemorrhoids in traditional Chinese and Western medicine. The results show that there are significant differences in the reproduction of clinical indicators by different modeling methods. According to clinical consistency, the models can be divided into three grades: high-consistency models are mainly based on combined modeling methods (such as induction by carrageenan combined with norepinephrine hydrochloride), which can more comprehensively simulate core pathological changes such as venous congestion and local inflammation; moderate-consistency models adopt single chemical or physical intervention (such as local inflammation induced by croton oil or vein ligation), which can only reproduce part of the pathological process; low-consistency models mostly adopt direct stimulation, with limited research value for pathological characteristics. Existing animal models have obvious advantages in replicating Western medical structural lesions of hemorrhoids, but they still have obvious defects in simulating the chronic disease course and stably reproducing the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes, and a unified standard has not yet been formed for the traditional Chinese medicine evaluation system of models. In conclusion, it is still necessary to further explore the construction of high-quality integrated disease and syndrome animal models for hemorrhoids in traditional Chinese and Western medicine. Future research should integrate the theories of traditional Chinese and Western medicine, adopt multi-factor chronic modeling strategies, and establish a standardized comprehensive evaluation system covering macroscopic signs and microscopic indicators. This paper provides a reference for constructing standardized integrated disease and syndrome animal models of hemorrhoids that conform to the pathological changes of Western medicine and take into account the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine syndromes, with the aim of providing more effective experimental tools for research on the pathogenesis of hemorrhoids and their integrated prevention and treatment with traditional Chinese and Western medicine.
2.Efficacy of stereotactic body radiotherapy combined with sintilimab and bevacizumab in treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma
Teng ZHANG ; Quan WANG ; Wengang LI ; Xuezhang DUAN
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2025;41(1):69-74
ObjectiveTo investigate the efficacy and safety of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) combined with sintilimab and bevacizumab in the treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) and related prognostic factors. MethodsA total of 42 patients with uHCC who underwent SBRT combined with sintilimab and bevacizumab in Department of Radiation Oncology, The Fifth Medical Centre of PLA General Hospital, from March to December 2022 were enrolled. The prescribed dose of planning target volume was 36 — 50 Gy in 5 — 6 fractions for continuous irradiation, followed by the regimen of sintilimab and bevacizumab. Each course of treatment was 3 weeks until the presence of tumor progression or serious adverse events. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate overall survival (OS) rate and progression-free survival (PFS) rate, and the log-rank test was used for comparison between groups; the Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate the influencing factors for prognosis. ResultsThe median follow-up time was 21.6 months, with an objective response rate of 69%, a disease control rate of 85.7%, a median PFS of 10.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.7 — 13.0), and a median OS of 23.3 months (95%CI: 14.7 — 31.8). Most adverse events were grade 1 — 2 events, and there were no fatal adverse events. At 6 — 8 weeks after treatment, the AFP response group had a significantly better OS than the non-AFP response group (not reached vs 11.8 months, P=0.007). The multivariate analysis showed that AFP response was associated with the good prognosis of patients (hazard ratio=0.31, 95%CI: 0.13 — 0.75, P=0.009). ConclusionFor patients with uHCC, SBRT combined with sintilimab and bevacizumab can improve survival with a manageable safety profile, and a >50% reduction in AFP at 6 — 8 weeks after treatment can be used as a potential prognostic indicator.
3.SG-UNet: a melanoma segmentation model enhanced with global attention and self-calibrated convolution.
Huanyu JI ; Rui WANG ; Shengxiang GAO ; Wengang CHE
Journal of Southern Medical University 2025;45(6):1317-1326
OBJECTIVES:
We propose a new melanoma segmentation model, SG-UNet, to enhance the precision of melanoma segmentation in dermascopy images to facilitate early melanoma detection.
METHODS:
We utilized a U-shaped convolutional neural network, UNet, and made improvements to its backbone, skip connections, and downsampling pooling sections. In the backbone, with reference to the structure of VGG, we increased the number of convolutions from 10 to 13 in the downsampling part of UNet to achieve a deepened network hierarchy that allowed capture of more refined feature representations. To further enhance feature extraction and detail recognition, we replaced the traditional convolution the backbone section with self-calibrated convolution to enhance the model's ability to capture both spatial and channel dimensional features. In the pooling part, the original pooling layer was replaced by Haar wavelet downsampling to achieve more effective multi-scale feature fusion and reduce the spatial resolution of the feature map. The global attention mechanism was then incorporated into the skip connections at each layer to enhance the understanding of contextual information of the image.
RESULTS:
The experimental results showed that the SG-UNet model achieved significantly improved segmentation accuracy on ISIC 2017 and ISIC 2018 datasets as compared with other current state-of-the-art segmentation models, with Dice reached 92.41% and 86.62% and IoU reaching 92.31% and 86.48% on the two datasets, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
The proposed model is capable of effective and accurate segmentation of melanoma from dermoscopy images.
Melanoma/diagnosis*
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Humans
;
Neural Networks, Computer
;
Dermoscopy/methods*
;
Skin Neoplasms
;
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods*
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Calibration
;
Algorithms
4.Comparative study on subcostal nerve injury between two incision methods in retroperitoneoscopic surgery
Hui WANG ; Qiaoyan ZHENG ; Jiahao HUANG ; Wengang ZHANG
China Journal of Endoscopy 2025;31(11):83-87
Objective To compare the effects of subcostal nerve injury between two incision methods in retroperitoneoscopic surgery.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 91 patients who underwent retroperitoneal laparoscopic surgery in the Department of Urology of this hospital from July 2022 to June 2024.The patients were divided into group A(47 cases)and group B(44 cases)based on the different first opening methods for establishing the retroperitoneal space.In group A,the costovertebra angle was the first incision,while in group B,the midaxillary line above the iliac spine was the first incision.The patients were followed up for 6 to 24 months after the operation to observe the injury of the subcostal nerve on the surgical side,including the incidence of chronic pain,sensory numbness and abdominal wall bulge.Results The overall incidence of subcostal nerve injury in group A was 55.3%(26/47),significantly higher than 15.9%(7/44)in group B,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.01).Among them,the incidence of chronic pain in group A was 31.9%(15/47),which was significantly higher than 9.1%(4/44)in group B,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.01).There was no statistically significant difference in the side of nerve injury between the two groups of patients(P>0.05).Conclusion When retroperitoneal laparoscopic surgery uses the costovertebra angle as the first incision,there is relatively high risk of subcostal nerve injury.
5.Construction and operation of the operation system for clinical research achievements transformation in a public hospital
Bingwei WANG ; Wenping ZHOU ; Ruoyan HAN ; Liang MA ; Changpeng LIU ; Ying ZHAO ; Yan ZHENG ; Wengang YI ; Yanyan LIU
Chinese Journal of Hospital Administration 2025;41(5):372-377
A scientific and efficient comprehensive operation system for the transformation of clinical research achievements is an important guarantee to fully release the capability of public hospitals of the achievement transformation. A public hospital, focusing on the bottleneck problems faced in the process of transforming scientific and technological achievements, began to explore the construction of a comprehensive operation system for the transformation of clinical research achievements and implemented it throughout the hospital from October 2023. By improving the organizational structure and setting up full-time management positions; formulating supporting policies and perfecting the incentive mechanism; drawing a systematic portrait and creating a standard pathway; expanding the transformation platform and promoting coordinated development; innovating management services and strengthening digital empowerment; and highlighting publicity and education to enhance the capability of transformation, the hospital has effectively promoted the transformation of clinical research achievements. This practice can provide a reference for other hospitals to improve the management of clinical research achievements transformation and promote high-quality hospital development.
6.Comparative study on subcostal nerve injury between two incision methods in retroperitoneoscopic surgery
Hui WANG ; Qiaoyan ZHENG ; Jiahao HUANG ; Wengang ZHANG
China Journal of Endoscopy 2025;31(11):83-87
Objective To compare the effects of subcostal nerve injury between two incision methods in retroperitoneoscopic surgery.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 91 patients who underwent retroperitoneal laparoscopic surgery in the Department of Urology of this hospital from July 2022 to June 2024.The patients were divided into group A(47 cases)and group B(44 cases)based on the different first opening methods for establishing the retroperitoneal space.In group A,the costovertebra angle was the first incision,while in group B,the midaxillary line above the iliac spine was the first incision.The patients were followed up for 6 to 24 months after the operation to observe the injury of the subcostal nerve on the surgical side,including the incidence of chronic pain,sensory numbness and abdominal wall bulge.Results The overall incidence of subcostal nerve injury in group A was 55.3%(26/47),significantly higher than 15.9%(7/44)in group B,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.01).Among them,the incidence of chronic pain in group A was 31.9%(15/47),which was significantly higher than 9.1%(4/44)in group B,and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.01).There was no statistically significant difference in the side of nerve injury between the two groups of patients(P>0.05).Conclusion When retroperitoneal laparoscopic surgery uses the costovertebra angle as the first incision,there is relatively high risk of subcostal nerve injury.
7.Construction and operation of the operation system for clinical research achievements transformation in a public hospital
Bingwei WANG ; Wenping ZHOU ; Ruoyan HAN ; Liang MA ; Changpeng LIU ; Ying ZHAO ; Yan ZHENG ; Wengang YI ; Yanyan LIU
Chinese Journal of Hospital Administration 2025;41(5):372-377
A scientific and efficient comprehensive operation system for the transformation of clinical research achievements is an important guarantee to fully release the capability of public hospitals of the achievement transformation. A public hospital, focusing on the bottleneck problems faced in the process of transforming scientific and technological achievements, began to explore the construction of a comprehensive operation system for the transformation of clinical research achievements and implemented it throughout the hospital from October 2023. By improving the organizational structure and setting up full-time management positions; formulating supporting policies and perfecting the incentive mechanism; drawing a systematic portrait and creating a standard pathway; expanding the transformation platform and promoting coordinated development; innovating management services and strengthening digital empowerment; and highlighting publicity and education to enhance the capability of transformation, the hospital has effectively promoted the transformation of clinical research achievements. This practice can provide a reference for other hospitals to improve the management of clinical research achievements transformation and promote high-quality hospital development.
8.Experimental Study of Bushen Qiangjin Capsule onImproving KOA Synovitis and Fibrosis by Regulating NLRP3 Inflammasome-Mediated Pyroptosis
Yi WANG ; Tao JIANG ; Wengang LIU ; Xuemeng XU
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;26(6):1471-1480
Objective To explore the possible mechanism of Bushen Qiangjin capsule on synovitis and fibrosis in knee osteoarthritis(KOA).Methods In the animal experiment,the animal model of KOA was established by anterior cruciate ligament transection(ACLT).The rats were randomly divided into blank group,model group,Bushen Qiangjin capsule group and celecoxib capsule group.The levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β)and IL-18 in serum of rats in each group were detected by ELISA,and the histopathological changes of synovium of rats in each group were observed by HE and Sirius red staining.Immunohistochemical staining was used to observe the expression of NLRP3,Caspase-1,GSDMD,TGF-β and COL1A1 in synovium of rats in each group.In the cell experiment,Lipopolysaccharide(LPS)combined with Adenosine triphosphate(ATP)was used to stimulate rat-FLS to simulate OA inflammatory environment and induce pyroptosis model.The cells were treated with Bushen Qiangjin capsule or MCC950,and the levels of IL-1β and IL-18 in the cell culture supernatant of each group were detected by ELISA;the localization and expression of NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD were observed by immunofluorescence staining;and the mRNA and protein expression of NLRP3,Caspase-1,GSDMD,TGF-β,COL1A1,PLOD2 and TIMP1 were detected by RT-qPCR and Western Blot,respectively.Results The results of animal experiment showed that compared with the model group,Bushen Qiangjin capsule could significantly reduce the score of synovial histomorphology of KOA rats(P<0.01);significantly reduce the levels of IL-1β and IL-18 in serum of KOA rats(P<0.01);also reduce the expression of NLRP3,Caspase-1,GSDMD,TGF-β and COL1A1 protein in synovium of KOA rats(P<0.05,P<0.01).The results of cell experiment showed that compared with the model control group,Bushen Qiangjin capsule could significantly reduce the levels of IL-1β and IL-18 in the supernatant of cell culture(P<0.01);significantly reduce the relative fluorescence expression of NLRP3,Caspase-1 and GSDMD(P<0.01),and significantly reduce the expression of NLRP3,Caspase-1,GSDMD,TGF-β,COL1A1,PLOD2,TIMP1 mRNA and protein(P<0.01).Conclusion Bushen Qiangjin capsule could improve KOA synovitis and fibrosis by inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and regulating FLS pyroptosis.
9.A mechanistic study of radiotherapy on intratumoral NK cell infiltration augmentation by regulating the EZH2/CXCL10 pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma cells
Xiaofang ZHAO ; Quan WANG ; Jing SUN ; Aimin ZHANG ; Xiaoyun CHANG ; Wengang LI ; Xuezhang DUAN
Chinese Journal of Hepatology 2024;32(9):835-844
Objective:To investigate the effect and associated mechanism of tumor tissue-infiltrating NK cells after receiving radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods:A HCC tumor-bearing mouse model was constructed using human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (SK-Hep-1) and divided into four groups: control, radiotherapy, NK cell clearance, and NK clearance combined with radiotherapy. Tumor growth condition was simultaneously recorded. The NK cell ratio in peripheral blood and the NK cell intratumoral infiltration condition were detected by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Lentiviral-constructed SK-Hep-1 cells was used to detect the effect of radiotherapy on the regulation of CXCL10 and NK cell chemotaxis following EZH2 overexpression. SK-Hep-1 cells were irradiated in vitro and in vivo. The expression levels of EZH2 and CXCL10 mRNA and protein in the two groups of cell lines and mouse tumor tissues were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blotting (WB), and immunohistochemistry. The chemotaxis and blocking experiments were used to validate the chemotaxis effect of CXCL10 on NK cells. The independent sample t-test was used to compare the groups. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:The HCC tumor-bearing mouse model experiment showed that HCC tumor growth was most remarkable in the NK clearance combined with the radiotherapy group compared to the radiotherapy group ( P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the number of NK cells in the peripheral blood of nude mice in the radiotherapy group was significantly reduced, while the NK cell intratumoral infiltration was significantly increased ( P<0.05). Flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry showed invitro and invivo expressional alterations. The average expression levels of EZH2 mRNA and protein in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines and tumor tissues were decreased in the radiotherapy group than the control group and mouse tumor tissues ( P<0.05), while the mRNA and protein expression levels of CXCL10 increased ( P<0.05). The cell supernatant following radiotherapy enhanced NK cell chemotaxis but inhibited CXCL10 neutralization. EZH2 overexpression validated that radiotherapy up-regulated CXCL10 mRNA and down-regulated protein expression levels in in vitro and in vivo experiments ( P<0.05). The chemotactic effect on NK cells was significantly weakened with EZH2 overexpression following radiotherapy. Conclusion:NK cells, as immune effector cells, are directly involved in radiotherapy- activated anti-HCC immunity. Importantly, radiotherapy inhibits EZH2 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma, thereby upregulating CXCL10 expression and enhancing intratumoral NK cell invasion.
10.Difference of cervical and shoulder muscle performance and its correlation with pain and body mass index in patients with chronic neck pain
Xingxing SHEN ; Yuling XIONG ; Weijian CHEN ; Congcong LI ; Junyi LI ; Shuai WANG ; Jiahao ZHANG ; Ruian XIANG ; Jiahao CHEN ; Wengang LIU ; Xuemeng XU
Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice 2023;29(12):1420-1428
ObjectiveTo test the inter-tester reliability and test-retest reliability of MyotonPRO for evaluating neck and shoulder muscle performance parameters in patients with unilateral chronic neck pain, observe the difference of muscle performance between the healthy and affected sides of patients with chronic neck pain, and analyze the factors that cause the imbalance of muscle performance in patients with chronic neck pain. MethodsFrom January to June, 2023, 32 patients with unilateral chronic neck pain in Guangdong Second Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital were selected. Two testers used the same MyotonPRO equipment to measure the muscle tone, muscle hardness and muscle elasticity on both sides of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the upper trapezius muscle in the relaxed position. Tester 1 repeated the measurement after an interval of 30 minutes, and Tester 2 was measured within the time interval between the two measurements of Tester 1. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of mean (SEM) and minimum detectable change (MDC) were calculated simultaneously. The measurement results were plotted into Bland-Altman diagram and systematic bias analysis was performed. The difference in muscle characteristics between the affected side and the healthy side was compared. At the same time, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score and body mass index (BMI) of the subjects were collected for correlation analysis. ResultsExcept the sternocleidomastoid muscle elasticity of the affected side (ICC = 0.697), the inter-tester reliability of all other parameters was high to very high (ICC = 0.719 to 0.952, SEM = 0.04 to 6.53, MDC = 0.12 to 18.11). The test-retest reliability of all parameters was high (ICC = 0.883 to 0.981, SEM = 0.03 to 5.72, MDC = 0.09 to 15.84). Bland-Altman plot analysis showed that the scatter distribution was consistent. The muscle tone, muscle hardness and muscle elasticity of sternocleidomastoid muscle and upper trapezius muscle were higher on the affected side than on the healthy side (t > 2.846, P < 0.05). The asymmetry index of tension, hardness and elasticity of upper trapezius muscle and sternocleidomastoid muscle was significantly positively correlated with VAS score and BMI (r > 0.385, P < 0.05). ConclusionMyotonPRO has good inter-tester reliability and retest reliability in evaluating the muscle performance of both sides of patients with chronic neck pain. The muscle tone, muscle hardness and muscle elasticity of sternocleidomastoid muscle and upper trapezius muscle on the affected side were higher than on the healthy side, and the difference of muscle performance was positively correlated with pain and BMI.

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