ObjectiveAge-related macular degeneration （AMD） is one of the leading causes of low vision and blindness in people over 50 years old， and dry AMD （dAMD） is one type for which there is currently no clear treatment. On the basis of the diagnosis and clinical characteristics of dAMD in traditional Chinese and Western medicine， this paper evaluated the fitting degrees of existing animal models of dAMD with clinical characteristics according to the evaluation methods of animal models， and put forward suggestions and prospects. MethodsLiterature on animal models of dAMD was searched against database， and the characteristics of the models were assigned according to the diagnosis criteria of diseases and syndromes of traditional Chinese and Western medicine， and the fitting degrees of the models with clinical characteristics were analyzed and evaluated. ResultsAt present， the animal models of dAMD are mainly established targeting complement factors， chemokines， oxidative damage， lipid/glucose metabolism， and natural strains. Most of the models can simulate the major pathological changes of dAMD， showing the fitting degree of 25%-50% with clinical characteristics in Western medicine. However， the evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes， especially the evaluation of secondary syndromes， is missing， and the models present low fitting degrees with the clinical characteristics in TCM. ConclusionExisting animal models of dAMD are mostly established under the guidance of Western diagnostic standards， which reproduce the main disease characteristics of Western medicine and lack observation of TCM syndromes. Future studies can pay attention to the intervention factors and evaluation systems of spleen deficiency Qi deficiency and liver-kidney Yin deficiency syndrome and build the animal model of dAMD with integration of disease and syndrome based on clinical characteristics of traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

ObjectiveAge-related macular degeneration （AMD） is one of the leading causes of low vision and blindness in people over 50 years old， and dry AMD （dAMD） is one type for which there is currently no clear treatment. On the basis of the diagnosis and clinical characteristics of dAMD in traditional Chinese and Western medicine， this paper evaluated the fitting degrees of existing animal models of dAMD with clinical characteristics according to the evaluation methods of animal models， and put forward suggestions and prospects. MethodsLiterature on animal models of dAMD was searched against database， and the characteristics of the models were assigned according to the diagnosis criteria of diseases and syndromes of traditional Chinese and Western medicine， and the fitting degrees of the models with clinical characteristics were analyzed and evaluated. ResultsAt present， the animal models of dAMD are mainly established targeting complement factors， chemokines， oxidative damage， lipid/glucose metabolism， and natural strains. Most of the models can simulate the major pathological changes of dAMD， showing the fitting degree of 25%-50% with clinical characteristics in Western medicine. However， the evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes， especially the evaluation of secondary syndromes， is missing， and the models present low fitting degrees with the clinical characteristics in TCM. ConclusionExisting animal models of dAMD are mostly established under the guidance of Western diagnostic standards， which reproduce the main disease characteristics of Western medicine and lack observation of TCM syndromes. Future studies can pay attention to the intervention factors and evaluation systems of spleen deficiency Qi deficiency and liver-kidney Yin deficiency syndrome and build the animal model of dAMD with integration of disease and syndrome based on clinical characteristics of traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

ObjectiveTo examine the influences of Shenfu injection on the endogenous metabolic byproducts in the myocardium of the rat model exhibiting chronic heart failure， thus deciphering the therapeutic mechanism of the Qi-reinforcing and Yang-warming method. MethodsSD rats were randomly allocated into a control group and a modeling group. Chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome in rats was modeled by multi-point subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol， and the rats were fed for 14 days after modeling. The successfully modeled rats were randomized into model， Shenfu injection （6.0 mL·kg^-1）， and trimetazidine （10 mg·kg^-1） groups and treated with corresponding agents for 15 days. The control group and the model group were injected with equal doses of normal saline， and the samples were collected after the intervention was completed. Cardiac color ultrasound was performed. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was used to observe histopathological morphology， and the serum level of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide （NT-proBNP） was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The mitochondrial morphological and structural changes of cardiomyocytes were observed by transmission electron microscopy， and the metabolic profiling was carried out by ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quantitative exactive-mass spectrometry （UHPLC-QE-MS）. Differential metabolites were screened and identified by orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis （OPLS-DA） and other methods， and then the MetaboAnalyst database was used for further screening. The relevant biological pathways were obtained through pathway enrichment analysis. The receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve was established to evaluate the diagnostic value of each potential biomarker for myocardial injury and the evaluation value for drug efficacy. ResultsThe results of color ultrasound showed that Shenfu Injection improved the cardiac function indexes of model rats （P<0.05）. The results of HE staining showed that Shenfu injection effectively alleviated the pathological phenomena such as myocardial tissue structure disorder and inflammatory cell infiltration in model rats. The results of ELISA showed that Shenfu injection effectively regulated the serum NT-proBNP level in the model rats. Transmission electron microscopy （TEM） showed that Shenfu injection effectively restored the mitochondrial morphological structure. The results of metabolomics showed that the metabolic phenotypes of myocardial samples presented markedly differences between groups. Nine differential metabolites could be significantly reversed in the Shenfu injection group， involving three metabolic pathways： pyruvate metabolism， histidine metabolism， and citric acid cycle （TCA cycle）. The results of ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve （AUC） values of all metabolites were between 0.75 and 1.0， indicating that the differential metabolites had high diagnostic accuracy for myocardial injury， and the changes in their expression levels could be used as potential markers for efficacy evaluation. ConclusionShenfu injection significantly alleviated the damage of cardiac function， myocardium， and mitochondrial structure in the rat model of chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome by ameliorating energy metabolism remodeling. Reinforcing Qi and warming Yang is a key method for treating chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome.

Objective To develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven lung cancer database by structuring and standardizing clinical data, enabling advanced data mining for lung cancer research, and providing high-quality data for real-world studies. Methods Building on the extensive clinical data resources of the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, this study utilized machine learning techniques, particularly natural language processing (NLP), to automatically process unstructured data from electronic medical records, examination reports, and pathology reports, converting them into structured formats. Data governance and automated cleaning methods were employed to ensure data integrity and consistency. Results As of September 2024, the database included comprehensive data from 18 811 patients, encompassing inpatient and outpatient records, examination and pathology reports, physician orders, and follow-up information, creating a well-structured, multi-dimensional dataset with rich variables. The database’s real-time querying and multi-layer filtering functions enabled researchers to efficiently retrieve study data that meet specific criteria, significantly enhancing data processing speed and advancing research progress. In a real-world application exploring the prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer, the database facilitated the rapid analysis of prognostic factors. Research findings indicated that factors such as tumor staging and comorbidities had a significant impact on patient survival rates, further demonstrating the database’s value in clinical big data mining. Conclusion The AI-driven lung cancer database enhances data management and analysis efficiency, providing strong support for large-scale clinical research, retrospective studies, and disease management. With the ongoing integration of large language models and multi-modal data, the database’s precision and analytical capabilities are expected to improve further, providing stronger support for big data mining and real-world research of lung cancer.

A 71-year-old male presented with esophageal cancer and severe aortic valve regurgitation. Treatment strategies for such patients are controversial. Considering the risks of cardiopulmonary bypass and potential esophageal cancer metastasis, we successfully performed transcatheter aortic valve implantation and minimally invasive three-incision thoracolaparoscopy combined with radical resection of esophageal cancer (McKeown) simultaneously in the elderly patient who did not require neoadjuvant treatment. This dual minimally invasive procedure took 6 hours and the patient recovered smoothly without any surgical complications.

Tumor drug resistance is an important problem in the failure of chemotherapy and targeted drug therapy, which is a complex process involving chromatin remodeling. SWI/SNF is one of the most studied ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling complexes in tumorigenesis, which plays an important role in the coordination of chromatin structural stability, gene expression, and post-translation modification. However, its mechanism in tumor drug resistance has not been systematically combed. SWI/SNF can be divided into 3 types according to its subunit composition: BAF, PBAF, and ncBAF. These 3 subtypes all contain two mutually exclusive ATPase catalytic subunits (SMARCA2 or SMARCA4), core subunits (SMARCC1 and SMARCD1), and regulatory subunits (ARID1A, PBRM1, and ACTB, etc.), which can control gene expression by regulating chromatin structure. The change of SWI/SNF complex subunits is one of the important factors of tumor drug resistance and progress. SMARCA4 and ARID1A are the most widely studied subunits in tumor drug resistance. Low expression of SMARCA4 can lead to the deletion of the transcription inhibitor of the BCL2L1 gene in mantle cell lymphoma, which will result in transcription up-regulation and significant resistance to the combination therapy of ibrutinib and venetoclax. Low expression of SMARCA4 and high expression of SMARCA2 can activate the FGFR1-pERK1/2 signaling pathway in ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma cells, which induces the overexpression of anti-apoptosis gene BCL2 and results in carboplatin resistance. SMARCA4 deletion can up-regulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by activating YAP1 gene expression in triple-negative breast cancer. It can also reduce the expression of Ca²⁺ channel IP3R3 in ovarian and lung cancer, resulting in the transfer of Ca²⁺ needed to induce apoptosis from endoplasmic reticulum to mitochondria damage. Thus, these two tumors are resistant to cisplatin. It has been found that verteporfin can overcome the drug resistance induced by SMARCA4 deletion. However, this inhibitor has not been applied in clinical practice. Therefore, it is a promising research direction to develop SWI/SNF ATPase targeted drugs with high oral bioavailability to treat patients with tumor resistance induced by low expression or deletion of SMARCA4. ARID1A deletion can activate the expression of ANXA1 protein in HER2+ breast cancer cells or down-regulate the expression of progesterone receptor B protein in endometrial cancer cells. The drug resistance of these two tumor cells to trastuzumab or progesterone is induced by activating AKT pathway. ARID1A deletion in ovarian cancer can increase the expression of MRP2 protein and make it resistant to carboplatin and paclitaxel. ARID1A deletion also can up-regulate the phosphorylation levels of EGFR, ErbB2, and RAF1 oncogene proteins.The ErbB and VEGF pathway are activated and EMT is increased. As a result, lung adenocarcinoma is resistant to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). Although great progress has been made in the research on the mechanism of SWI/SNF complex inducing tumor drug resistance, most of the research is still at the protein level. It is necessary to comprehensively and deeply explore the detailed mechanism of drug resistance from gene, transcription, protein, and metabolite levels by using multi-omics techniques, which can provide sufficient theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of poor tumor prognosis caused by mutation or abnormal expression of SWI/SNF subunits in clinical practice.

BACKGROUND:Bone relies on the close connection between blood vessels and bone cells to maintain its integrity.Bones are in a physiologically hypoxic environment.Therefore,the study of angiogenesis and osteogenesis in hypoxic environment is closer to the microenvironment in vivo. OBJECTIVE:To explore the influence of Wenshen Tongluo Zhitong(WSTLZT)formula on H-type bone microvascular endothelial cell/bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell co-culture system in hypoxia environment and its related mechanism. METHODS:Enzyme digestion method and flow sorting technique were used to isolate and identify H-type bone microvascular endothelial cells.Mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isolated and obtained by bone marrow adhesion method.H-type bone microvascular endothelial cell/bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell hypoxic co-culture system was established using Transwell chamber and anoxic culture workstation.WSTLZT formula powder was used to intervene in each group at a mass concentration of 50 and 100 μg/mL.The angiogenic function of H-type bone microvascular endothelial cells in the co-culture system was evaluated by scratch migration test and tube formation test.The osteogenic differentiation ability of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in the co-cultured system was evaluated by alkaline phosphatase staining and alizarin red staining.The protein and mRNA expression changes of PDGF/PI3K/AKT signal axis related molecules in H-type bone microvascular endothelial cells in the co-cultured system were detected by Western Blotting and q-PCR,respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Compared with the normal oxygen group,the scratch mobility and new blood vessel length of H-type bone microvascular endothelial cells were significantly higher(P<0.05);the osteogenic differentiation capacity of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells was higher(P<0.05);the expression of PDGF/PI3K/AKT axis-related molecular protein and mRNA increased(P<0.05)in the hypoxia group.(2)Compared with the hypoxia group,scratch mobility and new blood vessel length were significantly increased in the H-type bone microvascular endothelial cells(P<0.05);bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells had stronger osteogenic function(P<0.05);the expression of PDGF/PI3K/AKT axis-related molecular proteins and mRNA further increased(P<0.05)after treatment with different dose concentrations of WSTLZT formula.These findings conclude that H-type angiogenesis and osteogenesis under hypoxia may be related to the PDGF/PI3K/AKT signaling axis,and WSTLZT formula may promote H-type vasculo-dependent bone formation by activating the PDGF/PI3K/AKT signaling axis,thereby preventing and treating osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND:Osteoarthritis is now considered a metabolic disease.Previous studies have shown that glycolysis plays an important role in the occurrence and development of osteoarthritis.Compound 3k,as a novel small molecule inhibitor of glycolysis,has anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects.Therefore,it can target glycolysis and is expected to provide new ideas for the treatment of osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE:To explore the role of Compound 3k in osteoarthritis caused by glycolytic overactivity based on the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha(HIF-1α)/reactive oxygen species(ROS)pathway. METHODS:ATDC5 chondroblasts at logarithmic growth phase were taken to induce osteoarthritis in an in vitro cellular model by the action of 10 ng/mL interleukin-1β for 24 hours.The cytotoxicity of Compound 3k at different concentrations(0.25,0.5,1,2.5,5,10,15 μmol/L)was detected by cell counting kit-8 assay,and the appropriate concentrations were selected for the subsequent experiments.The chondrocytes were randomly divided into control,model and treatment groups.The model group was induced with 10 ng/mL interleukin 1β,and the treatment group was pre-stimulated with Compound 3k for 2 hours and then co-cultured with interleukin 1β.The proliferation of the cells in each group was detected by the cell counting kit-8 assay;the inflammatory level of the cells in each group was detected by the ELISA kit;the ROS,extracellular lactate and glucose contents were detected using the kit;qRT-PCR and western blot were used to detect the levels of related inflammatory factors,interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α,glycolysis-related genes glucose transporter protein-1,glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase,monocarboxylate transporter protein-1 and HIF-1α. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the control group,the model group showed a decrease in cell proliferative activity,active glycolysis level,manifested by an increase in extracellular lactate content(P<0.001)and a decrease in glucose content(P<0.001),interleukin-6(P<0.000 1)and tumor necrosis factor-α(P<0.001).The expression levels of glycolysis-related genes glucose transporter protein-1(P<0.001),glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase(P<0.001),monocarboxylic acid transporter protein-1(P<0.001)and HIF-1α(P<0.001)in the model group were all up-regulated,accompanied by oxidative stress and overproduction of ROS.Compared with the model group,Compound 3k treatment effectively increased cell proliferation activity and inhibited the level of overactive glycolysis(P<0.001),while suppressing the expression of genes related to inflammation(P<0.001)and glycolysis in osteoarthritic chondrocytes,inhibiting oxidative stress,downregulating the expression level of HIF-1α(P<0.000 1)and decreasing the content of ROS.To conclude,Compound 3k inhibits interleukin-1β induced chondrocyte inflammation,and its mechanism may be related to glycolysis and HIF-1α/ROS mediated oxidative stress.

BACKGROUND:A network-based pharmacological approach has identified multifunctional effects of the main bioactive compounds in the Trichosanthis Fructus-Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus on coronary heart disease;however,the mechanism of its therapeutic effect on coronary heart disease has not been fully elucidated. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the role and mechanism of Trichosanthis Fructus-Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus in improving coronary heart disease by regulating the composition of gut microbiota. METHODS:Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups:blank control group(n=10),model group(n=10),positive drug group(n=10),and medicine pair group(n=10).A rat model of coronary heart disease was established by continuous gastric perfusion of fat emulsion and injection of pituitrin.After modeling,rats in the model group were gavaged with distilled water(10 mL/kg)for control,rats in the positive drug group were gavaged with simvastatin 4 mg/kg per day,and rats in the medicine pair group were gavaged with Trichosanthis Fructus-Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus pairs 7.56 g/kg per day.All interventions lasted for 14 days.Electrocardiograms and myocardial pathology were observed,and blood lipid levels were measured.The structure of gut microbiota was analyzed using 16S rDNA sequencing technology. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Electrocardiogram results showed ST segment elevation in the model group.There were no significant abnormalities in the electrocardiograms of the positive drug group and medicine pair group.Compared with the blank control group,the levels of total cholesterol,triacylglycerol,and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly higher in the model group(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the levels of total cholesterol,triacylglycerol,and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly lower in the positive drug group and medicine pair group(P<0.05).Compared with the blank control group,focal myocardial cell necrosis was observed in the model group,while partial myocardial cell disarray was observed in the positive drug group and medicine pair group.Compared with the blank control group,the Ace,Shannon,and Chao indices were increased(P<0.05)and the Simpson index was decreased(P<0.05)in the model group,positive drug group and medicine pair group.Compared with the model group,the Ace and Chao indices were decreased(P<0.05),while the Shannon index showed no significant difference(P>0.05)and the Simpson index was also decreased(P<0.05)in the positive drug group and medicine pair group.Compared with the blank control group,the relative abundances of Desulfovibrionia,Muribaculaceae_norank,etc.were increased in the model group,while those of Clostridia,[Eubacterium]_coprostanoligenes_group_norank,etc.were decreased.Compared with the model group,the relative abundances of WPS-2_norank,Muribaculaceae_norank,etc.were increased in the medicine pair group,while those of Clostridia,[Eubacterium]_coprostanoligenes_group_norank,etc.were decreased;the relative abundances of Desulfobacterota,[Eubacterium]_coprostanoligenes_group_norank,etc.were increased in the positive drug group,while those of Firmicutes,Muribaculaceae_norank,etc.were decreased.Compared with the positive drug group,the relative abundances of Desulfobacterota,Bacteroides,etc.were increased in the medicine pair group,while those of Firmicutes,[Eubacterium]_coprostanoligenes_group_norank,etc.were decreased.The LEfSe results showed that the medicine pair group had the highest microbial enrichment,followed by the blank control group and positive drug group,with the model group having the lowest microbial enrichment.To conclude,Trichosanthis Fructus-Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus pairs can improve the development of coronary heart disease by regulating gut microbiota composition,providing new insights for further research and development of Trichosanthis Fructus-Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus pairs.

BACKGROUND:Previous studies have confirmed that Wen-Shen-Tong-Du Decoction can promote the recovery of spinal cord injury by inhibiting pyroptosis of splenic B cells,promoting the phagocytosis of myelin debris by microvascular endothelial cells,affecting the migration and infiltration of microglia,promoting the recovery of damaged neurons,and decreasing neuronal apoptosis after spinal cord injury,but the mechanism of this is still not clear. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of Wen-Shen-Tong-Du Decoction on the triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2(TREM2)and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways in mice following spinal cord injury. METHODS:Thirty-six C57BL/6 mice were selected and randomly divided into a sham-operation group,a model group and a Wen-Shen-Tong-Du Decoction group,with 12 mice in each group.In the model and Wen-Shen-Tong-Du Decoction groups,mouse models of T10 spinal cord injury were prepared by the modified Allen's method.On the 1st day after modeling,the Wen-Shen-Tong-Du Decoction group was given Wen-Shen-Tong-Du Decoction by gavage,and the sham-operation group and the model group were given saline by gavage once a day for 28 days.During the drug administration period,mouse motor function was evaluated by Basso Mouse Scale score and inclined plane test.On the 7th and 28th days after modeling,hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the histopathological changes in the spinal cord tissue of the mice;immunofluorescence double staining was used to detect the protein expression of ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1(IBA1)and TREM2;and western blot assay was used to detect the expression of TREM2,PI3K,p-PI3K,Akt,p-Akt,Bcl2,Bax and Caspase3 in spinal cord tissue. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Basso Mouse Scale scores and inclined plane test results indicated that the motor function of the mouse hindlimbs was declined after spinal cord injury,and Wen-Shen-Tong-Du Decoction significantly improved motor function in mice with spinal cord injury.Hematoxylin-eosin staining results revealed that Wen-Shen-Tong-Du Decoction significantly ameliorated the pathological structure of spinal cord tissue compared with the model group,manifesting as reduced degrees of dorsal white matter and neuronal atrophy,decreased cytoplasmic vacuolization,and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration.Immunofluorescence double staining results showed that on the 7th day after modeling,the protein expression of IBA1 and TREM2 in the model group was lower than that in the sham-operation group(P＜0.05),and the protein expression of IBA1 and TREM2 in the Wen-Shen-Tong-Du Decoction group was higher than that in the model group(P＜0.05);on the 28th day after modeling,the protein expression of TREM2 in the model group was lower than that in the sham-operation group(P＜0.05),and the protein expression of TREM2 in the spinal cord tissue of the mice in the Wen-Shen-Tong-Du Decoction group was higher than that in the model group(P＜0.05).Western blot results analysis demonstrated that on the 7th day after modeling,compared with the sham-operation group,the model group exhibited a significant reduction in TREM2,PI3K,and Bcl2/Bax(P＜0.05),as well as a significant increase in p-Akt,Bax and p-Akt/Aktp-PI3K(P＜0.05);compared with the model group,the Wen-Shen-Tong-Du Decoction group showed a significant increase in TREM2,PI3K,p-PI3K,Akt,p-Akt,Bcl2,p-PI3K/PI3K,p-Akt/Ak,and Bcl2/Bax(P＜0.05),as well as a significant decrease in Bax and Caspase3 protein expression(P＜0.05).On the 28th day after modeling,compared with the sham-operation group,the model group exhibited a significant reduction in TREM2,PI3K,p-PI3K,Akt,p-Akt,Bcl2 and Bcl2/Bax(P＜0.05),as well as a significant increase in Bax protein expression(P＜0.05);compared with the model group,the Wen-Shen-Tong-Du Decoction group showed a significant increase in TREM2,PI3K,Akt,p-Akt,Bcl2,and Bcl2/Bax(P＜0.05),as well as a significant decrease in Bax protein expression(P＜0.05).To conclude,Wen-Shen-Tong-Du Decoction may activate the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway by up-regulating the expression of TREM2 protein in microglia,and then inhibit neuronal apoptosis,thus exerting neuroprotective effects and promoting the repair of spinal cord injury.