1.Clinical Advantages of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treatment of Childhood Simple Obesity: Insights from Expert Consensus
Qi ZHANG ; Yingke LIU ; Xiaoxiao ZHANG ; Guichen NI ; Heyin XIAO ; Junhong WANG ; Liqun WU ; Zhanfeng YAN ; Kundi WANG ; Jiajia CHEN ; Hong ZHENG ; Xinying GAO ; Liya WEI ; Qiang HE ; Qian ZHAO ; Huimin SU ; Zhaolan LIU ; Dafeng LONG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(6):238-245
Childhood simple obesity has become a significant public health issue in China. Modern medicine primarily relies on lifestyle interventions and often suffers from poor long-term compliance, while pharmacological options are limited and associated with potential adverse effects. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long history in the prevention and management of this condition, demonstrating eight distinct advantages, including systematic theoretical foundation, diversified therapeutic approaches, definite therapeutic efficacy, high safety profile, good patient compliance, comprehensive intervention strategies, emphasis on prevention, and stepwise treatment protocols. Additionally, TCM is characterized by six distinctive features: the use of natural medicinal substances, non-invasive external therapies, integration of medicinal dietetics, simple exercise regimens, precise syndrome differentiation, and diverse dosage forms. By combining internal and external treatments, TCM facilitates individualized regimen adjustment and holistic regulation, demonstrating remarkable effects in improving obesity-related metabolic indicators, regulating constitutional imbalance, and promoting healthy behaviors. However, challenges remain, such as inconsistent operational standards, insufficient high-quality clinical evidence, and a gap between basic research and clinical application. Future efforts should focus on accelerating the standardization of TCM diagnosis and treatment, conducting multicenter randomized controlled trials, and fostering interdisciplinary integration, so as to enhance the scientific validity and international recognition of TCM in the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity.
2.Research advances in mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis
Yudie HONG ; Jinchen GUO ; Weibing SHI ; Yujie SUN ; Jiamin WANG ; Tiantian GAO
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(1):190-196
Hepatic fibrosis refers to excessive accumulation and abnormal proliferation of fibrous connective tissue in the liver triggered by multiple pathogenic factors, and it may progress to liver cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and liver cancer. The pathological mechanisms of hepatic fibrosis involve hepatocyte injury, inflammatory cell infiltration with the release of inflammatory mediators, hepatic stellate cell activation, and extracellular matrix deposition. Recent studies have focused on mitochondrial dysfunction in disease progression, including the molecular pathways for hepatic fibrosis driven by metabolic disorders, energy deficiency, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dynamic imbalance, and autophagic dysfunction, all of which can induce liver injury. This article reviews the latest advances in hepatic fibrosis, in order to provide new therapeutic strategies for clinical management.
3.Development of a Diagnostic Scale for Qi-Yin Deficiency with Blood Stasis Syndrome in Diabetic Macrovascular Disease
Qingzhi LIANG ; Ting LUO ; Yi SU ; Xiaoqin LIU ; Hong GAO ; Hongyan XIE ; Chunguang XIE
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(11):225-234
ObjectiveTo construct a standardized diagnostic scale for Qi-Yin deficiency with blood stasis syndrome in diabetic macrovascular disease. MethodsLiterature related to Qi-Yin deficiency with blood stasis syndrome in diabetic macrovascular disease was retrieved from CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang databases. Diagnostic information from four diagnostic methods was extracted and standardized, with items having a frequency of ≥15 included in the item pool. A three-round Delphi expert consultation was conducted, screening items using support degree, mean score, rank sum, and coefficient of variation. Item weights were determined using analytic hierarchy process (AHP), gactor analysis (FA), and combined weighting method (CWM). The optimal weighting method was selected by comparing the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC). The Youden index was calculated to establish the diagnostic cutoff value, which was proportionally scaled. ResultsA total of 102 studies were included. Thirty-five items were incorporated into the item pool. The authority coefficients for the three Delphi rounds were 0.82, 0.85, and 0.86, with coordination coefficients of 0.648, 0.538, and 0.506, respectively. Fifteen items were retained after screening. ROC curve analysis showed the AUC ranking as FA > CWM > AHP. The maximum Youden index was 0.814, corresponding to a diagnostic cutoff of 8.361 (scaled to 40 points). The final scale adopted a structured diagnostic framework: the symptom dimension requires at least 2 items, and the tongue or pulse dimension requires at least 1 category. ConclusionThis study developed a standardized diagnostic scale for Qi-Yin deficiency with blood stasis syndrome in diabetic macrovascular disease. Core items were screened via the Delphi method, with factor analysis identified as the optimal weighting method through AUC comparison. The diagnostic threshold (40 points) and structured diagnostic framework provide a quantitatively clear, clinically practical tool.
4.Research progress on the intervention of sarcopenia with traditional Chinese medicine based on the AMPK signaling pathway
Wenyu FAN ; Bairong HUANG ; Congmin HONG ; Yan CHEN ; Jiayin WANG ; Jing GAO ; Xiaodong FENG
China Pharmacy 2026;37(9):1229-1235
arcopenia is a systemic skeletal muscle disorder characterized by a decrease in skeletal muscle mass and progressive decline in function, with multiple signaling pathways involved in its occurrence and development. Among them, the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway, as a key pathway regulating cellular energy homeostasis, plays an important role in the regulation of skeletal muscle metabolism and functional maintenance by improving abnormalities in glucose and lipid metabolism, balancing skeletal muscle protein synthesis and degradation, improving mitochondrial function, promoting autophagy, and inhibiting inflammatory responses and oxidative stress. This article reviews the research progress on how various traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) monomers, including polyphenols, flavonoids, and terpenoids; various traditional Chinese medicine extracts, such as those from Lycium barbarum , Asini Corii Colla, and Panax quinquefolium , and TCM compounds, such as Guiqi zhuangjin decoction, Jianpi qiangji granules, and Qigu capsules, intervene in sarcopenia by regulating the AMPK signaling pathway to promote muscle protein synthesis, inhibit protein degradation, improve mitochondrial function, and alleviate inflammation and oxidative stress. Additionally, their molecular mechanisms are explored. The aim is to deeply elucidate the basis of TCM in the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia and to provide theoretical support for the development of related innovative drugs.
5.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.
6.The risk prediction models for anastomotic leakage after esophagectomy: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Yushuang SU ; Yan LI ; Hong GAO ; Zaichun PU ; Juan CHEN ; Mengting LIU ; Yaxie HE ; Bin HE ; Qin YANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2025;32(02):230-236
Objective To systematically evaluate the risk prediction models for anastomotic leakage (AL) in patients with esophageal cancer after surgery. Methods A computer-based search of PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Chinese Medical Journal Full-text Database, VIP, Wanfang, SinoMed and CNKI was conducted to collect studies on postoperative AL risk prediction model for esophageal cancer from their inception to October 1st, 2023. PROBAST tool was employed to evaluate the bias risk and applicability of the model, and Stata 15 software was utilized for meta-analysis. Results A total of 19 literatures were included covering 25 AL risk prediction models and 7373 patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.670-0.960. Among them, 23 prediction models had a good prediction performance (AUC>0.7); 13 models were tested for calibration of the model; 1 model was externally validated, and 10 models were internally validated. Meta-analysis showed that hypoproteinemia (OR=9.362), postoperative pulmonary complications (OR=7.427), poor incision healing (OR=5.330), anastomosis type (OR=2.965), preoperative history of thoracoabdominal surgery (OR=3.181), preoperative diabetes mellitus (OR=2.445), preoperative cardiovascular disease (OR=3.260), preoperative neoadjuvant therapy (OR=2.977), preoperative respiratory disease (OR=4.744), surgery method (OR=4.312), American Society of Anesthesiologists score (OR=2.424) were predictors for AL after esophageal cancer surgery. Conclusion At present, the prediction model of AL risk in patients with esophageal cancer after surgery is in the development stage, and the overall research quality needs to be improved.
7.Ideas of Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment of Pancreatic Endocrine and Exocrine Co-Morbidities from the Attributes of Zang-Fu Organs of Pancreas
Yulin LENG ; Jiacheng YIN ; Xianglong LI ; Jiahong ZHANG ; Yi SU ; Hong GAO ; Chunguang XIE ; Xiaoxu FU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(2):145-149
Based on advancements in modern medical research regarding the intricate connection between the endocrine and exocrine functions of the pancreas, as well as the relationship between pancreatic functions and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) spleen system, this paper discussed the categorization of the pancreas. It is proposed that the pancreas is neither a true zang organ nor a fu organ, but possessed the attributes of an extraordinary fu-organ and can be classified under the spleen. The spleen governs transportation and transformation, ascent of the clear and dispersion of essence, which encompasses the endocrine and exocrine functions, and pancreatic enzymes and glucose-regulating hormones form the material basis for the spleen's function of dispersing essence. Diseases of the pancreas exhibit characteristics of both zang-organ deficiency and fu-organ excess, so treatment should simultaneously supplement zang-organ disease and regulate fu-organ disease when pancreas showing endocrine and exocrine co-morbidities, with focus on restoring the pancreas (spleen)'s dispersing essence function. Therapeutic strategies include supplementing spleen qi, nourishing spleen yin to strengthen spleen earth, unblocking spleen collaterals, raising spleen yang, and removing spleen turbidity to support the spleen's dispersing essence function, so as to replenish the essential qi of zang-fu organs, ensure their distribution throughout the body, and improve the endocrine and exocrine functions of the pancreas.
8.Correspondence to editorial on “Carvedilol to prevent hepatic decompensation of cirrhosis in patients with clinically significant portal hypertension stratified by new non-invasive model (CHESS2306)”
Chuan LIU ; Ling YANG ; Hong YOU ; Gao-Jun TENG ; Xiaolong QI
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(2):e155-e157
9.Update on the treatment navigation for functional cure of chronic hepatitis B: Expert consensus 2.0
Di WU ; Jia-Horng KAO ; Teerha PIRATVISUTH ; Xiaojing WANG ; Patrick T.F. KENNEDY ; Motoyuki OTSUKA ; Sang Hoon AHN ; Yasuhito TANAKA ; Guiqiang WANG ; Zhenghong YUAN ; Wenhui LI ; Young-Suk LIM ; Junqi NIU ; Fengmin LU ; Wenhong ZHANG ; Zhiliang GAO ; Apichat KAEWDECH ; Meifang HAN ; Weiming YAN ; Hong REN ; Peng HU ; Sainan SHU ; Paul Yien KWO ; Fu-sheng WANG ; Man-Fung YUEN ; Qin NING
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(Suppl):S134-S164
As new evidence emerges, treatment strategies toward the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B are evolving. In 2019, a panel of national hepatologists published a Consensus Statement on the functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Currently, an international group of hepatologists has been assembled to evaluate research since the publication of the original consensus, and to collaboratively develop the updated statements. The 2.0 Consensus was aimed to update the original consensus with the latest available studies, and provide a comprehensive overview of the current relevant scientific literatures regarding functional cure of hepatitis B, with a particular focus on issues that are not yet fully clarified. These cover the definition of functional cure of hepatitis B, its mechanisms and barriers, the effective strategies and treatment roadmap to achieve this endpoint, in particular new surrogate biomarkers used to measure efficacy or to predict response, and the appropriate approach to pursuing a functional cure in special populations, the development of emerging antivirals and immunomodulators with potential for curing hepatitis B. The statements are primarily intended to offer international guidance for clinicians in their practice to enhance the functional cure rate of chronic hepatitis B.
10.Carvedilol to prevent hepatic decompensation of cirrhosis in patients with clinically significant portal hypertension stratified by new non-invasive model (CHESS2306)
Chuan LIU ; Hong YOU ; Qing-Lei ZENG ; Yu Jun WONG ; Bingqiong WANG ; Ivica GRGUREVIC ; Chenghai LIU ; Hyung Joon YIM ; Wei GOU ; Bingtian DONG ; Shenghong JU ; Yanan GUO ; Qian YU ; Masashi HIROOKA ; Hirayuki ENOMOTO ; Amr Shaaban HANAFY ; Zhujun CAO ; Xiemin DONG ; Jing LV ; Tae Hyung KIM ; Yohei KOIZUMI ; Yoichi HIASA ; Takashi NISHIMURA ; Hiroko IIJIMA ; Chuanjun XU ; Erhei DAI ; Xiaoling LAN ; Changxiang LAI ; Shirong LIU ; Fang WANG ; Ying GUO ; Jiaojian LV ; Liting ZHANG ; Yuqing WANG ; Qing XIE ; Chuxiao SHAO ; Zhensheng LIU ; Federico RAVAIOLI ; Antonio COLECCHIA ; Jie LI ; Gao-Jun TENG ; Xiaolong QI
Clinical and Molecular Hepatology 2025;31(1):105-118
Background:
s/Aims: Non-invasive models stratifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are limited. Herein, we developed a new non-invasive model for predicting CSPH in patients with compensated cirrhosis and investigated whether carvedilol can prevent hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified using the new model.
Methods:
Non-invasive risk factors of CSPH were identified via systematic review and meta-analysis of studies involving patients with hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A new non-invasive model was validated for various performance aspects in three cohorts, i.e., a multicenter HVPG cohort, a follow-up cohort, and a carvediloltreating cohort.
Results:
In the meta-analysis with six studies (n=819), liver stiffness measurement and platelet count were identified as independent risk factors for CSPH and were used to develop the new “CSPH risk” model. In the HVPG cohort (n=151), the new model accurately predicted CSPH with cutoff values of 0 and –0.68 for ruling in and out CSPH, respectively. In the follow-up cohort (n=1,102), the cumulative incidences of decompensation events significantly differed using the cutoff values of <–0.68 (low-risk), –0.68 to 0 (medium-risk), and >0 (high-risk). In the carvediloltreated cohort, patients with high-risk CSPH treated with carvedilol (n=81) had lower rates of decompensation events than non-selective beta-blockers untreated patients with high-risk CSPH (n=613 before propensity score matching [PSM], n=162 after PSM).
Conclusions
Treatment with carvedilol significantly reduces the risk of hepatic decompensation in patients with high-risk CSPH stratified by the new model.

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