1.Research advances in liver injury associated with thyroid dysfunction
Ye LIU ; Jingyan WU ; Qinyang ZHONG ; Wu LI
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(1):217-221
The thyroid gland is the largest endocrine organ in the human body, and its dysfunction can cause varying degrees of liver injury, leading to liver failure in severe cases. Patients with hyperthyroidism have a relatively high incidence rate of liver dysfunction, manifesting as hepatocellular injury or cholestatic liver injury, while hypothyroidism is closely associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease. Autoimmune thyroid diseases, including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and subacute thyroiditis, are commonly comorbid with autoimmune liver disease. In addition, medications such as antithyroid drugs, amiodarone, and immune checkpoint inhibitors can cause severe liver injury through direct toxicity or immune-mediated mechanisms. Although significant progress has been achieved in related diagnosis and treatment techniques in recent years, there are still many challenges in pathogenesis, individualized treatment strategies, early warning, and prognostic evaluation. This article systematically reviews the research advances in liver injury associated with thyroid dysfunction and proposes the directions for future research, in order to provide guidance for clinical diagnosis and treatment.
2.Impact of social capital, adverse childhood experiences and depressive symptoms on suicidal behavior among vocational high school students
YU Bin, YAN Jingyan, CHEN Xinguang, GUO Yan, LI Fang, YAN Hong, XIAO Chenchang
Chinese Journal of School Health 2026;47(4):506-511
Objective:
To explore the nonlinear dynamic effects of social capital, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and depressive symptoms on suicidal behavior among vocational high school students, so as to provide theoretical basis and practical references for formulating suicide prevention strategies.
Methods:
A convenience sampling method was employed to include 668 students from a vocational high school from Wuhan in March 2023. Social capital was used as the asymmetry variable, while ACEs and depressive symptoms were used as bifurcation variables, a cusp catastrophe model was constructed to analyze the nonlinear changes in suicidal behavior among vocational high school students, and its fit was compared with linear and Logistic regression models.
Results:
Among students in the health vocational high school in Wuhan, only suicidal ideation accounted for 8.5%, only suicide attempt for 18.6%, neither accounted for 31.9%, and both for 41.0%. Gender, left behind experience, family economic status, parental parenting styles, depressive symptoms, social capital, and ACEs were all related factors influencing suicidal behavior among vocational high school students ( χ 2/H=19.03, 13.33, 21.11, 46.70, 144.38, 24.61, 118.77, all P <0.05). Violin plots showed a bimodal distribution of suicidal behavior, indicating nonlinear variation characteristics. The cusp catastrophe model results showed that social capital was negatively correlated with suicidal behavior, but the relationship was bifurcated by ACEs ( α social capital = -0.006 , β ACEs =0.075) and depressive symptoms ( α social capital =-0.013, β depressive =0.028) (all P <0.05). When both ACEs and depressive symptoms coexisted, the impact of ACEs was stronger ( β ACEs =0.077, β depressive =0.014) (both P <0.05). The cusp catastrophe model fitted ( R 2=0.886, 0.881, 0.882) better than the linear ( R 2=0.258, 0.219, 0.258) and Logistic regression models ( R 2= 0.242, 0.211 , 0.176). Gender stratified analysis results showed that bifurcation effect of ACEs was stronger in males than in females( β boys =0.224, β girls =0.086); in females, both ACEs and depressive symptoms had a bifurcation effect, with the former showing a stronger effect ( β ACEs =0.062, β depressive =0.015) (all P <0.05).
Conclusions
Suicidal behavior among vocational high school students exhibits nonlinear characteristics. Improving social capital to reducing ACEs and depressive symptoms may contribute to decreasing adolescent suicidal behaviors.
3.Potential target genes for spondylolisthesis:drugable genome analysis based on the European population-based biodatabase
Qingfeng ZHANG ; Chaoyi WANG ; Jingyan YANG ; Hanyu LI ; Yuyang ZHAO ; Huatao HAO ; Dong YU
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2026;30(6):1592-1601
BACKGROUND:Spondylolisthesis is a common disease,and there is a lack of effective drugs to treat it.There is still a need to further define the pathogenesis and screen out more suitable therapeutic targets for spondylolisthesis.Mendelian randomization analysis can be used to explore the drugable genes associated with spondylolisthesis and provide valuable guidance for the development of more effective and targeted therapeutic drugs.OBJECTIVE:To explore potential therapeutic targets and effective drugs for spondylolisthesis by means of pharmaceutically available genome-wide Mendelian randomization analysis.METHODS:Using the Finnish database,eQTLGen consortium,drug signature database,drug-gene interaction database,protein-protein interaction database,organic small molecule biological activity database and protein structure database,which contains genome and health information of half a million Finns,data on druggable genes were subjected to two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis and co-localization analysis with data from genome-wide association studies of spondylolisthesis to identify genes highly associated with spondylolisthesis.In addition,GO and KEGG enrichment analysis,protein network construction,drug prediction and molecular docking were performed to provide valuable guidance for the development of more effective and targeted therapeutic agents.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In this study,we identified 34 potential drug target genes that were significantly associated with spondylolisthesis,particularly the gene APOBEC3G.This gene showed a significant association with spondylolisthesis outcomes through Mendelian analysis and co-localization analysis,suggesting that APOBEC3G may be a priority therapeutic target.As for other potential mechanisms and drugs,we still need to conduct more in-depth research to determine their roles.This study used a database from a European population,which can be used as a reference for the study of population genetics in China.
4.Potential target genes for spondylolisthesis:drugable genome analysis based on the European population-based biodatabase
Qingfeng ZHANG ; Chaoyi WANG ; Jingyan YANG ; Hanyu LI ; Yuyang ZHAO ; Huatao HAO ; Dong YU
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2026;30(6):1592-1601
BACKGROUND:Spondylolisthesis is a common disease,and there is a lack of effective drugs to treat it.There is still a need to further define the pathogenesis and screen out more suitable therapeutic targets for spondylolisthesis.Mendelian randomization analysis can be used to explore the drugable genes associated with spondylolisthesis and provide valuable guidance for the development of more effective and targeted therapeutic drugs.OBJECTIVE:To explore potential therapeutic targets and effective drugs for spondylolisthesis by means of pharmaceutically available genome-wide Mendelian randomization analysis.METHODS:Using the Finnish database,eQTLGen consortium,drug signature database,drug-gene interaction database,protein-protein interaction database,organic small molecule biological activity database and protein structure database,which contains genome and health information of half a million Finns,data on druggable genes were subjected to two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis and co-localization analysis with data from genome-wide association studies of spondylolisthesis to identify genes highly associated with spondylolisthesis.In addition,GO and KEGG enrichment analysis,protein network construction,drug prediction and molecular docking were performed to provide valuable guidance for the development of more effective and targeted therapeutic agents.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:In this study,we identified 34 potential drug target genes that were significantly associated with spondylolisthesis,particularly the gene APOBEC3G.This gene showed a significant association with spondylolisthesis outcomes through Mendelian analysis and co-localization analysis,suggesting that APOBEC3G may be a priority therapeutic target.As for other potential mechanisms and drugs,we still need to conduct more in-depth research to determine their roles.This study used a database from a European population,which can be used as a reference for the study of population genetics in China.
5.Artificial intelligence in traditional Chinese medicine: from systems biological mechanism discovery, real-world clinical evidence inference to personalized clinical decision support.
Dengying YAN ; Qiguang ZHENG ; Kai CHANG ; Rui HUA ; Yiming LIU ; Jingyan XUE ; Zixin SHU ; Yunhui HU ; Pengcheng YANG ; Yu WEI ; Jidong LANG ; Haibin YU ; Xiaodong LI ; Runshun ZHANG ; Wenjia WANG ; Baoyan LIU ; Xuezhong ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.) 2025;23(11):1310-1328
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) represents a paradigmatic approach to personalized medicine, developed through the systematic accumulation and refinement of clinical empirical data over more than 2000 years, and now encompasses large-scale electronic medical records (EMR) and experimental molecular data. Artificial intelligence (AI) has demonstrated its utility in medicine through the development of various expert systems (e.g., MYCIN) since the 1970s. With the emergence of deep learning and large language models (LLMs), AI's potential in medicine shows considerable promise. Consequently, the integration of AI and TCM from both clinical and scientific perspectives presents a fundamental and promising research direction. This survey provides an insightful overview of TCM AI research, summarizing related research tasks from three perspectives: systems-level biological mechanism elucidation, real-world clinical evidence inference, and personalized clinical decision support. The review highlights representative AI methodologies alongside their applications in both TCM scientific inquiry and clinical practice. To critically assess the current state of the field, this work identifies major challenges and opportunities that constrain the development of robust research capabilities-particularly in the mechanistic understanding of TCM syndromes and herbal formulations, novel drug discovery, and the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered clinical care. The findings underscore that future advancements in AI-driven TCM research will rely on the development of high-quality, large-scale data repositories; the construction of comprehensive and domain-specific knowledge graphs (KGs); deeper insights into the biological mechanisms underpinning clinical efficacy; rigorous causal inference frameworks; and intelligent, personalized decision support systems.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional/methods*
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Artificial Intelligence
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Humans
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Precision Medicine
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Decision Support Systems, Clinical
6.Monotropein resists atherosclerosis by reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and abnormal proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells
Hongliang LI ; Bingqian YE ; Jiping TIAN ; Bofan WANG ; Yiwen ZHA ; Shuying ZHENG ; Tan MA ; Wenwen ZHUANG ; Won Sun PARK ; Jingyan LIANG
The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 2025;29(2):245-255
Monotropein is a compound classified into iridoid which is found in herbaceous plants Morindae officinalis. It possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-osteoarthritic activities. Previous study indicates that monotropein may have the potential to combat cardiovascular disease, although the related mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we constructed the model of atherosclerosis by oxidized low density lipoprotein-induced vascular smooth muscle cells and LDLR –/–mice given high-fat diet to investigate the effects of monotropein on atherosclerosis.Our results showed that monotropein treatment significantly reduced the area of atherosclerotic plaques and necrotic cores in mice, inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, and reduced inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, which in turn alleviated atherosclerosis. In addition, we found that monotropein reduced the expression levels of P-NF-κB and P-AP-1. In conclusion, our data suggest that monotropein inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells by mediating the activity of NF-κB, AP-1, reducing the level of inflammation and oxidative stress, and thus resisting the development of atherosclerosis. These findings demonstrate the efficacious therapeutic impact of monotropein on atherosclerosis and elucidate its specific target.
7.Monotropein resists atherosclerosis by reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and abnormal proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells
Hongliang LI ; Bingqian YE ; Jiping TIAN ; Bofan WANG ; Yiwen ZHA ; Shuying ZHENG ; Tan MA ; Wenwen ZHUANG ; Won Sun PARK ; Jingyan LIANG
The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 2025;29(2):245-255
Monotropein is a compound classified into iridoid which is found in herbaceous plants Morindae officinalis. It possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-osteoarthritic activities. Previous study indicates that monotropein may have the potential to combat cardiovascular disease, although the related mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we constructed the model of atherosclerosis by oxidized low density lipoprotein-induced vascular smooth muscle cells and LDLR –/–mice given high-fat diet to investigate the effects of monotropein on atherosclerosis.Our results showed that monotropein treatment significantly reduced the area of atherosclerotic plaques and necrotic cores in mice, inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, and reduced inflammatory responses and oxidative stress, which in turn alleviated atherosclerosis. In addition, we found that monotropein reduced the expression levels of P-NF-κB and P-AP-1. In conclusion, our data suggest that monotropein inhibited the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells by mediating the activity of NF-κB, AP-1, reducing the level of inflammation and oxidative stress, and thus resisting the development of atherosclerosis. These findings demonstrate the efficacious therapeutic impact of monotropein on atherosclerosis and elucidate its specific target.
8.Predicting model for the impact of Internet usage characteristics on suicidal ideation among vocational high school students
YU Bin, YAN Jingyan, ZHANG Liqun, XIAO Chenchang, LI Fang, GUO Yan, YAN Hong
Chinese Journal of School Health 2025;46(8):1175-1179
Objective:
To explore the association between the Internet usage characteristics and suicidal ideation among vocational high school students, so as to provide a theoretical basis for precise intervention of suicide among vocational high school students.
Methods:
A total of 1 781 students were recruited from three vocational high schools in Wuhan and Xianning in March 2023 by using the cluster random sampling method. The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale and Revised Chen Internet Addiction Scale were used to measure suicidal ideation and Internet addiction, respectively. LASSO regression model was used to select influential factors related to suicidal ideation, and the gradient boosting decision tree algorithm XGBoost was used to develop prediction models and evaluate predictive performance. By calculating the SHAP values, the contribution of each influential factor was quantified.
Results:
The prevalence of suicidal ideation among vocational high school students was 42.22% and prevalence of Internet addiction was 26.39%. LASSO regression results indicated that age, gender, experience of being left behind, parental relationship, holding a class cadre position, using the Internet for learning, Internet use during dawn, morning and late night, Internet addiction, and depressive symptoms were all the influential factors of suicidal ideation among vocational high school students ( β= -0.05 , 0.29, 0.09, 0.27, 0.10, -0.01, 0.09, 0.05, 0.24, 0.28, 0.78, all P <0.05). The AUC of the prediction model was 0.75. The results based on SHAP values indicated that all influential factors identified through multivariate analysis contributed positively to the model predictions ( SHAP >0). Among these, depressive symptoms and parental relationship had the greatest impact on suicidal ideation ( SHAP =0.77, 0.26), and the joint effect of features with higher contribution could improve the prediction probability.
Conclusions
Depressive symptoms, parental relationships, Internet addiction, and time of Internet use are most important risk factors of suicidal behaviors for vocational high school students. Thus, effective interventions should be conducted to reduce their suicidal ideation.
9.Identification of in vivo Components and Distribution Characteristics in Rats,Cardiac Tissues of Zhigancao Decoction by UP-LC-Q-TOF/MS
Zhiling TANG ; Yao LI ; Hao ZHI ; Jingyan WANG ; Xueting CAI ; Peng CAO ; Qian ZHOU
Journal of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;41(7):896-903
OBJECTIVE To deeply explore the in vivo pharmacodynamic substance basis of Zhigancao Decoction,a classic tradi-tional Chinese medicine formula,and provide scientific evidence for its rational application and development in modern clinical practice.METHODS Wistar rats were treated with 12.15 g·kg-1 Zhigancao Decoction by gavage.Rat plasma samples were collect-ed at 10 time points(5,15,30,60,120,240,360,480,600 and 720 min after administration)and rat heart(atrial and ventricu-lar)tissue samples were collected at 12 h after administration.Components in the plasma and heart samples were qualitatively identi-fied by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF/MS),and the distri-bution characteristics of Zhigancao Decoction in vivo were analyzed.At the same time,the time-concentration curve of the prototype components and metabolites in Zhigancao Decoction was drawn to observe the changes of blood drug concentration.RESULTS A total of 11 prototype components(Ajugol,Nicotiflorin,Isoschaftoside,4-Hydroxycinnamic acid,Rehmapicrogenin,4-Hydroxybenzoic acid,4′,7-Dihydroxyflavone,Calycosin,3′,4′,7-Trihydroxyflavone,Pinellic acid,Truxillic acid)and 7 metabolites were identified from the plasma samples of Zhigancao Decoction,mainly including flavonoids(flavonoids glycosides),organic acids,and iridoid glyco-sides,etc.Additionally,6 prototype components(Ajugol,Isoschaftoside,Rehmapicrogenin,4′,7-Dihydroxyflavone,Liquiritigenin,3′,4′,7-Trihydroxyflavone)and 3 metabolites were identified from the cardiac samples(the atrium and the ventricle showed the same results).The metabolic pathways mainly involved Phase Ⅰ metabolism and glucuronidation.CONCLUSION The prototype compo-nents and metabolites in plasma and heart tissue of Zhigancao Decoction is preliminarily determined,providing a reference for analyzing the active components of Zhigancao Decoction in heart tissue.
10.Effects of thioredoxin reductase 1 on ferroptosis and immune function of dendritic cells in septic mice
Qiyuan ZHOU ; Jingyan LI ; Yanmin CAO ; Weiling LI ; Ning DONG ; Yao WU ; Yingping TIAN ; Yongming YAO
Chinese Journal of Burns 2025;41(3):212-221
Objective:To investigate the effects of thioredoxin reductase 1 (TXNRD1) on ferroptosis and immune function of dendritic cells (DCs) in septic mice, and to provide a basis for improving the immunosuppression in sepsis caused by wound infection.Methods:This study was an experimental research. Sixty male C57BL/6J mice aged 6-8 weeks were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to establish sepsis models. Ten mice were selected at 0 (immediately), 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after CLP surgery, respectively, according to the random number table method. Mouse splenic DCs were isolated using CD11c-positive magnetic beads. The protein expressions of TXNRD1, and anti-ferroptosis proteins solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11), and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) in the cells were detected by Western blotting, the reduced glutathione (GSH) content in the cells was measured by colorimetric assay, the lipid peroxidation level was assessed via live-cell imaging technology, and the levels of major histocompatibility complex class Ⅱ subtype I-A/I-E and leukocyte differentiation antigens CD80 and CD86 were detected by flow cytometry. Another 100 male C57BL/6J mice aged 6-8 weeks were divided into corn oil+sham injury group, corn oil+CLP group, inhibitor+sham injury group, and inhibitor+CLP group according to the random number table method, with 25 mice in each group. Mice in the two inhibitor groups were intraperitoneally injected with TXNRD1 inhibitor auranofin, while mice in the two corn oil groups were intraperitoneally injected with corn oil. One hour later, mice in the two CLP groups underwent CLP surgery to establish sepsis models, while mice in the two sham injury groups underwent sham surgery. Twenty mice from each group were selected to observe survival within 7 d post-surgery, and the survival rate was calculated. At 24 h post-surgery, mouse splenic DCs from the remaining 5 mice in each group were collected for corresponding assays as above.Results:Compared with those at 0 h after CLP surgery, the protein expressions of TXNRD1, GPX4, and SLC7A11 in mouse cells at 24 h after CLP surgery and the protein expression of TXNRD1 in mouse cells at 48 h after CLP surgery were significantly decreased ( P<0.05), the GSH content in mouse cells was significantly decreased at 24 and 48 h after CLP surgery ( P<0.05). The lipid peroxidation level in mouse cells was low at 0, 6, and 12 h after CLP surgery, slightly lower than that at 72 h after CLP surgery; the lipid peroxidation levels in mouse cells at 24 and 48 h after CLP surgery were significantly higher than those at 0, 6, 12, and 72 h after CLP surgery. Compared with those at 0 h after CLP surgery, the levels of I-A/I-E and CD80 in mouse cells at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h after CLP surgery and the levels of CD86 in mouse cells at 12, 24, and 48 h after CLP surgery were significantly increased ( P<0.05). At 24 h post-surgery, the protein expressions of TXNRD1, SLC7A11, and GPX4 in mouse cells in corn oil+CLP group were significantly lower than those in corn oil+sham injury group ( P<0.05), while the protein expressions of TXNRD1, SLC7A11, and GPX4 in mouse cells in inhibitor+CLP group were significantly lower than those in corn oil+CLP group and inhibitor+sham injury group ( P<0.05). At 24 h post-surgery, the content of GSH in mouse cells in corn oil+CLP group was (239±32) μg/mg, which was significantly lower than (366±59) μg/mg in corn oil +sham injury group ( P<0.05); the content of GSH in mouse cells in inhibitor+CLP group was (134±19) μg/mg, which was significantly lower than (355±31) μg/mg in inhibitor+sham injury group and that in corn oil+CLP group (with both P values <0.05). At 24 h post-surgery, the lipid peroxidation level of mouse cells in inhibitor+CLP group was significantly higher than that in the other three groups ( P<0.05). At 24 h post-surgery, the levels of I-A/I-E, CD80, and CD86 in mouse cells in corn oil+CLP group were significantly higher than those in corn oil+sham injury group ( P<0.05), while the levels of I-A/I-E and CD80 in mouse cells in inhibitor+CLP group were significantly higher than those in inhibitor+sham injury group ( P<0.05) but significantly lower than those in corn oil+CLP group ( P<0.05); the level of CD86 in mouse cells in inhibitor+sham injury group was significantly higher than that in corn oil+sham injury group ( P<0.05). Within 7 d post-surgery, the survival rate of mice in inhibitor+CLP group was significantly lower than that in inhibitor+sham injury group and corn oil+CLP group (with χ2 values of 31.19 and 3.91, respectively, both P values <0.05). Conclusions:In septic mice, the expression of TXNRD1 in DCs is reduced, cell ferroptosis is enhanced, and immune function is weakened. The inhibition of TXNRD1 in DCs will exacerbate cell ferroptosis and immune function suppression, and is closely related to the poor prognosis of sepsis.


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