1.Exploration on Surrogate Outcome Measures in Clinical Trials of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Diabetic Kidney Disease
Can CAO ; Weiwei SUN ; Tong MA ; Yaoxian WANG
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(8):790-794
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has unique advantages in alleviating the symptoms of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and slowing its progression. However, traditional clinical trials often use the occurrence of end-stage renal disease as the end point, requiring long-term follow-up, which increases trial complexity and costs, thereby limiting the feasibility of TCM clinical studies. This paper suggested that in clinical trials of TCM for DKD, both the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) change rate (≥30%) and eGFR slope can serve as potential surrogate outcome measures. If the intervention course is short (<1 year), the eGFR change rate (≥30%) is recommended as a surrogate outcome measure, whereas in long-term interventional studies (≥1 year), the eGFR slope may be more appropriate. Furthermore, based on biochemical indicators such as eGFR slope and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) change rate, integrating TCM symptom evaluation, TCM syndrome evaluation, and quality of life scales can help develop internationally recognized patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for TCM clinical trials, which will be a key step in enhancing the evaluation system for the effectiveness of TCM in treating DKD.
2.Multi-organ inflammatory phenotypes and transcriptomic characterization in an inflammation-driven mouse model of preeclampsia induced by LPS.
Ning WANG ; Jing-Qiu FENG ; Ying XIE ; Meng-Can SUN ; Qi WANG ; Zhe WANG ; Lu GAO
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2025;77(5):775-791
Preeclampsia (PE) is a severe gestational disorder characterized by hypertension and proteinuria, with a subset of cases exhibiting an immune-driven phenotype marked by placental overexpression of proinflammatory cytokines and chronic inflammatory damage, profoundly impacting fetal development. To elucidate the pathophysiology of this PE subtype, we established an inflammation-driven PE mouse model via lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intraperitoneal injection, systematically evaluating histopathological changes in maternal heart, liver, lung, kidney, and placenta, and integrating transcriptomic profiling to uncover molecular mechanisms. LPS administration robustly induced maternal hypertension and proteinuria, hallmarks of PE, without significantly altering organ or fetal weights. Histological analyses revealed pronounced inflammatory damage in the maternal lung, kidney, and placenta, with the lung exhibiting the most severe pathology, characterized by inflammatory cell infiltration, alveolar wall thickening, and interstitial edema-challenging the conventional focus on placental and renal primacy in PE. Placental labyrinth and junctional zones displayed extensive structural disruption and necrosis, indicating functional impairment. Transcriptomic analysis identified 27 inflammation-related genes consistently upregulated across tissues, with protein-protein interaction networks pinpointing Il1β, Il6, Ccl5, Ccl2, Cxcl10, Tlr2, and Icam1 as hub genes. Quantitative PCR validation confirmed Tlr2 as a central regulator, evidenced by significant upregulation of Tlr2 in lung, kidney, and placenta of LPS-induced PE mice, while Cxcl10 exhibited placenta-specific upregulation, suggesting a synergistic inflammatory axis in placental pathology. These findings highlight the lung as a critical, yet underappreciated, target in inflammation-driven PE, reframe the multi-organ inflammatory landscape of the disease, and nominate Tlr2 and Cxcl10 as potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets, offering new avenues for precision intervention in PE.
Animals
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Female
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Pregnancy
;
Mice
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Pre-Eclampsia/genetics*
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Inflammation
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Lipopolysaccharides/adverse effects*
;
Disease Models, Animal
;
Transcriptome
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Placenta/pathology*
;
Phenotype
3.Comparison of the efficacy of unilateral nailing combined with bone cement reinforcement and bilateral nailing in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures.
Yu-Liang LOU ; Guo-Ying CHEN ; Can-Feng WANG ; Hui FEI ; Guan-Rong SUN ; Ren-Fu QUAN ; Wei LI ; Feng HONG
China Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology 2025;38(2):134-149
OBJECTIVE:
To compare the efficacy of percutaneous pedicle screw combined with unilateral nail placement combined with bone cement strengthening and bilateral nail placement in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracic and lumbar fractures.
METHODS:
A retrospective case-control study was used to analyze the clinical data of 78 patients with osteoporotic thoracic and lumbar fractures admitted from October 2017 to May 2019. According to the surgical method, it was divided into percutaneous pedicle screw combined with unilateral nail placement combined with unilateral bone cement strengthening group(bone cement group) and percutaneous pedicle screw combined with bilateral nail placement(screw group). In the bone cement group, 40 patients included 16 males and 24 females, with a mean age of (62.1±8.1) years old. In the screw group, 38 patients included 18 males and 20 females with a mean age of (65.1±9.3) years old. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay and postoperative complications were compared between two groups. The kyphosis Cobb angle, anterior edge height ratio, central height ratio and pain visual analogue score(VAS) were compared.
RESULTS:
All patients were followed up for 25 to 36 months. The operation time (70.1±17.3) min of the cement group was shorter than that of the screw group (78.6±18.2) min(P<0.05). There were no significant differences in intraoperative blood loss and length of hospital stay(P>0.05). The VAS in the cement group 1 year 1.5±0.5 and the latest follow-up 0.5±0.3 after operation were lower than 1 year 1.8±0.3 and the latest follow-up 0.8±0.4 in the screw group(P<0.05). The kyphosis Cobb angle, anterior edge height ratio, central height ratio in bone cement group, 1 year (6.2±1.2)°, (86.6±3.5)%, (91.1±2.5)%, the last follow-up (6.4±0.7)°, (85.5±3.3)%, (90.5±6.3)% were better than that of the screw group 1 year (6.8±1.4)°, (83.1±2.4)%, (89.9±3.4)% and the latest follow-up (7.1±1.1)°, (82.6±4.1)%, (87.6±5.9)%(P<0.05). There were 3 cases of bone cement leakage in the cement group, all of which had no clinical symptoms;and 2 cases of pedicle screws were extracted in the screw group, and the screws were removed at the last follow-up.
CONCLUSION
Percutaneous pedicle screw combined with unilateral nail placement combined with bone cement strengthening and bilateral nail placement in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracic and lumbar compression fractures in the elderly can achieve satisfactory efficacy and effectively relieve the pain of patients, but the former internal fixation system is more stable, and the long-term follow-up can effectively maintain the height of the anterior middle column and the correction of kyphosis deformity, and the incidence of chronic low back pain is lower.
Humans
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Male
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Female
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Aged
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Bone Cements
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Middle Aged
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Thoracic Vertebrae/surgery*
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Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery*
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Retrospective Studies
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Spinal Fractures/surgery*
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Osteoporotic Fractures/surgery*
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Case-Control Studies
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Bone Nails
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Pedicle Screws
4.Resistance to antibody-drug conjugates: A review.
Sijia LI ; Xinyu ZHAO ; Kai FU ; Shuangli ZHU ; Can PAN ; Chuan YANG ; Fang WANG ; Kenneth K W TO ; Liwu FU
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(2):737-756
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are antitumor drugs composed of monoclonal antibodies and cytotoxic payload covalently coupled by a linker. Currently, 15 ADCs have been clinically approved worldwide. More than 100 clinical trials at different phases are underway to investigate the newly developed ADCs. ADCs represent one of the fastest growing classes of targeted antitumor drugs in oncology drug development. It takes advantage of the specific targeting of tumor-specific antigen by antibodies to deliver cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drugs precisely to tumor cells, thereby producing promising antitumor efficacy and favorable adverse effect profiles. However, emergence of drug resistance has severely hindered the clinical efficacy of ADCs. In this review, we introduce the structure and mechanism of ADCs, describe the development of ADCs, summarized the latest research about the mechanisms of ADC resistance, discussed the strategies to overcome ADCs resistance, and predicted biomarkers for treatment response to ADC, aiming to contribute to the development of ADCs in the future.
5.Antisense oligonucleotides targeting IRF4 alleviate psoriasis.
Yanxia YU ; Yirui WANG ; Weiwei CHEN ; Chang ZHANG ; Zhuo LI ; Jing YU ; Minhao WANG ; Can SONG ; Sihao YAN ; Jiayi LU ; Liangdan SUN
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2025;15(7):3575-3590
Interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) is a critical transcription factor that governs the differentiation of cluster of differentiation 4+ (CD4+) T cells. The pathogenesis and progression of psoriasis are primarily attributed to an immune imbalance stemming from the overproduction of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) by T lymphocytes. However, the role of IRF4 in psoriasis remains unexplored. In this study, we found that IRF4 activity is increased in the cutaneous lesions of patients with psoriasis in response to stimulation by IL-23A and IL-1β. This IRF4 elevation heightens its binding to the E1A binding protein p300 (EP300) promoter, triggering the transcription of downstream retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor-γt (RORγt) and increasing the secretion of IL-17A, thereby establishing the IL-1β/IL-23A-IRF4-EP300-RORC-IL-17A inflammatory cascade in psoriasis. The alleviation of imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriatic-like symptoms was achieved through the creation of a Irf4 -/- gene deletion mouse model and pharmacological inhibition using antisense oligonucleotides targeted for Irf4. This amelioration was accompanied by a decreased number of IL-17A-producing CD4+ T cells in the skin. The findings of this study suggest that IRF4 plays a crucial role in the promotion of inflammation and exacerbation of IMQ-induced psoriasiform dermatitis. Consequently, IRF4 targeting could be a promising therapeutic strategy.
6.Natural diosmin alleviating obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by regulating the activating the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway.
Can LIU ; Siyu HAO ; Mengdi ZHANG ; Xueyu WANG ; Baiwang CHU ; Tingjie WEN ; Ruoyu DANG ; Hua SUN
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.) 2025;23(7):863-870
Obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) are linked to numerous chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, chronic kidney disease, and type II diabetes. Previous research identified the natural flavonoid diosmin, derived from Chrysanthemum morifolium, as a regulator of glucose metabolism. However, its effects on lipid metabolism and underlying mechanisms remained unexplored. The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway serves a critical function in glucose and lipid metabolism. The relationship between diosmin and the AMPK pathway has not been previously documented. This investigation examined diosmin's capacity to reduce lipid content through AMPK pathway activation in hepatoblastoma cell line G2 (HepG2) and 3T3-L1 cells. The study revealed that diosmin inhibits lipogenesis, indicating its potential as an anti-obesity agent in obese mice. Moreover, diosmin demonstrated effective MASLD alleviation in vivo. These findings suggest that diosmin may represent a promising therapeutic candidate for treating obesity and MASLD.
Diosmin/administration & dosage*
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Animals
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AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/genetics*
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Humans
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Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease/enzymology*
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Mice
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Obesity/enzymology*
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Hep G2 Cells
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Male
;
3T3-L1 Cells
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Mice, Inbred C57BL
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Signal Transduction/drug effects*
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Lipid Metabolism/drug effects*
;
Chrysanthemum/chemistry*
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Lipogenesis/drug effects*
7.Four cases of occupational heatstroke among sanitation workers working in high temperature weather
Can MA ; Xin ZUO ; Ran SUN ; Yongmei ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Diseases 2024;42(8):621-623
Through the report of 4 cases of occupational heatstroke among sanitation workers working in high-temperature weather, this study analyzes the risk of occupational heatstroke among workers in the environmental sanitation industry working in high-temperature weather, and provides scientific suggestions for standardizing occupational health management, safeguarding the health rights and interests of workers, and preventing the occurrence of occupational heatstroke in summer. Through case analysis, we aim to raise high awareness of the occupational health of sanitation workers in the whole society, in order to provide a scientific and healthy working environment for sanitation workers and promote their physical and mental health.
8.Application of Experiential Teaching in Perinatal Healthcare Continuing Education Training
Suhan ZHANG ; Lin YANG ; Yi YANG ; Xiaofei LI ; Zhenfeng SUN ; Hang LIN ; Min WANG ; Nana LIU ; Yaxin WANG ; Xu-Anjin YANG ; Li LIU ; Can ZHU ; Jiao LI ; Liangkun MA
Journal of Medical Informatics 2024;45(6):98-103
Purpose/Significance To investigate the effectiveness of experiential teaching in perinatal healthcare management contin-uing education.Method/Process The perinatal healthcare team of Peking Union Medical College Hospital holds a four-day experiential learning program for 30 maternity-related medical staffs from China.Through the self-administered experiential teaching questionnaire(ETQ)and satisfaction questionnaire,the researchers analyze the participants'post-teaching skill acquisition,clinical application abil-ity and educational needs,as well as their satisfaction with course content,course duration,teaching design,classroom atmosphere,and teaching format,which are quantified with Likert scale.Result/Conclusion The experiential teaching mode shows good teaching effects in perinatal healthcare management continuing education,and has higher application value.In the future,the researchers should combine it with theoretical teaching and carry out more comprehensive and structured periodic learning classes throughout the country,so as to im-prove both the theoretical foundation and practical ability of healthcare workers for better healthcare services for pregnant women.
9.Hypericin reduces myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats by modulating AMPK/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway
Huihui LI ; ANWER GULINIGAER ; Xiaofeng GAO ; Gang WANG ; Yali BAO ; Tian ZHANG ; AINIWAR DINA ; Can LING ; Zhan SUN
Chinese Journal of Pathophysiology 2024;40(10):1882-1890
AIM:To investigate the effect of hypericin(Hyp)on the heart of rats with myocardial ischemia-re-perfusion injury(MIRI),and to explore its mechanism.METHODS:Thirty SPF male SD rats were divided into 5 groups:sham group,MIRI group,low-dose Hyp(L-Hyp)group(MIRI+L-Hyp group),high-dose Hyp(H-Hyp)group(MIRI+H-Hyp group),and positive control trimetazidine(TMZ)group(MIRI+TMZ group),with 6 rats in each group.Apart from the sham group,the MIRI model was established by ligating the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery and then recanalizing it in the remaining four groups of rats.The success of the modeling was determined by monitor-ing the electrocardiogram.We assessed the cardiac function in rats using echocardiography.TTC staining was employed to measure the area of myocardial infarction in rats,and HE staining was utilized to observe the morphological traits of rat myocardium.We assayed the activities of lactate dehydrogenase(LDH)and superoxide dismutase(SOD)and the levels of malondialdehyde(MDA)in rat serum using biochemical kits.ELISA kits were applied to assess the contents of cardiac troponin I(cTnI)and reactive oxygen species(ROS)in rat serum.Western blot analysis was perfomed to measure the pro-tein expression levels of AMPK,p-AMPK,Nrf2,and HO-1 in rat myocardial tissues.RESULTS:The rats in MIRI group exhibited increased myocardial tissue injury,larger myocardial infarction areas,decreased left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),and reduced left ventricular fractional shortening(LVFS)compared with sham group,as shown by echo-cardiography.Additionally,there were increases in LDH activity,cTnI,MDA and ROS levels,along with significant de-creases in SOD activity,and p-AMPK,Nrf2 and HO-1 protein levels(P<0.05).Compared with MIRI group,the rats in MIRI+L-Hyp,MIRI+H-Hyp and MIRI+TMZ groups showed decreased myocardial histopathological damage and reduced myocardial tissue infarction area,increased LVEF and LVFS,and lowered serum levels of LDH activity,cTnI,MDA and ROS,while SOD activity,p-AMPK,Nrf2 and HO-1 protein levels were elevated(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Hypericin attenuates myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats,possibly by modulating the AMPK/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling path-way.
10.Changes and predictive value of serum IL-1,IL-12 and IFN-α levels in early pregnancy in hepatitis B pregnant women with abnormal liver function
Can YANG ; Yue WANG ; Weize SUN ; Hongyan JIA ; Wei WANG
International Journal of Laboratory Medicine 2024;45(14):1710-1714,1719
Objective To explore the changes and predictive value of serum interleukin-1(IL-1),interleu-kin-12(IL-12)and interferon α(IFN-α)levels in early pregnancy in hepatitis B pregnant women with abnor-mal liver function.Methods A total of 100 hepatitis B pregnant women with normal liver function in early pregnancy in Shijiazhuang Maternal and Child Health Hospital from January 2022 to May 2022 were selected,and were divided into normal liver function group(52 cases)and abnormal liver function group(48 cases)ac-cording to whether there was abnormal liver function in middle and late pregnancy,and another 50 healthy pregnant women of the same gestational week in the same period in Shijiazhuang Maternal and Child Health Hospital were selected as the control group.The general information,liver function indicators[alanine amin-otransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),glutamine transferase(GGT)],serum interleukin(IL)-1,IL-12,and interferon α(IFN-α)levels among the three groups were compared.The serum levels of IL-1,IL-12,IFN-α in pregnant women with different degrees of liver dysfunction in the liver dysfunction group were compared,and the relationship between the serum levels of IL-1,IL-12,IFN-α and the degree of liver dysfunction was analyzed,as well as the value of predicting liver dysfunction in pregnant women with hepatitis B in the middle and late pregnancy.Results The serum levels of ALT,AST,GGT,IL-1 and IL-12 in early pregnancy from high to low in three groups were liver dysfunction group,normal liver function group,and control group(P<0.05),while the level of IFN-α in early pregnancy from low to high in three groups were liver dysfunction group,normal liver function group,and control group(P<0.05).In the abnormal liver func-tion group,there were 12 cases with abnormal concentration values of 3 enzymes,16 cases with abnormal con-centration values of 2 enzymes,and 20 cases with abnormal concentration values of 1 enzyme.The levels of IL-1 and IL-12 from high to low were pregnant women with 3 abnormal values of enzyme,2 abnormal values of enzyme,and 1 abnormal value of enzyme(P<0.05).The level of IFN-α from low to high were pregnant women with 3 abnormal values of enzyme,2 abnormal values of enzyme,and 1 abnormal value of enzyme(P<0.05).The levels of serum IL-1 and IL-12 in the abnormal liver function group were positively correlated with the degree of liver function abnormality(r=0.771,0.793,P<0.05),while the levels of IFN-α were negatively correlated with the degree of liver function abnormality(r=-0.755,P<0.05).The area under the curve of serum IL-1,IL-12 and IFN-α in the early pregnancy for predicting abnormal liver function of hep-atitis B pregnant women in the middle and late pregnancy was 0.936(95%CI:0.869-0.976,P<0.05).Conclusion The levels of serum IL-1,IL-12 and IFN-α in early pregnancy of hepatitis B pregnant women are closely related to the degree of liver dysfunction in the middle and late pregnancy,and the combined detection of the three serum indicators has a high predictive value for predicting the liver dysfunction in the middle and late pregnancy of hepatitis B pregnant women.

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