1.Mechanisms of Dihuang Yinzi in Treating Advanced Parkinson's Disease Based on Gut Microbiota-SCFAs-inflammation Axis
Renzhi MA ; Yasi LIN ; Tingyue JIANG ; Hongmei ZHU ; Jiayuan LI ; Yu WANG ; Ge ZHANG ; Wenxin FAN ; Jinli SHI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(7):11-21
ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Dihuang Yinzi (DY) on motor dysfunction in rats with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) and to investigate the mechanisms by which DY improves advanced PD symptoms through the "gut microbiota-short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-inflammation-neuroprotection pathway". MethodsAn advanced PD rat model was induced by rotenone. Rats were divided into a normal group, model group, positive drug group (levodopa, 50 mg·kg-1), and DY low-, medium-, and high-dose groups (5.2, 10.4, 20.8 g·kg-1). After 7 days of administration, motor function was evaluated using the open-field, pole-climbing, and inclined plate tests. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe pathological changes in the substantia nigra and colon, and immunohistochemistry was performed to detect α-Synuclein (α-Syn) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression in the substantia nigra. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure levels of dopamine (DA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), Levodopa, homovanillic acid (HVA), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin. Gut microbiota diversity was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing, and gas chromatography (GC) was used to determine the content of SCFAs in colonic contents. ResultsCompared with the normal group, the model group showed significantly decreased movement speed and distance in the open-field test, prolonged pole-climbing time, and reduced retention angle on the inclined plate (P<0.01), accompanied by increased α-Syn expression (P<0.01) and decreased TH expression (P<0.01) in the brain. Compared with the model group, all DY dose groups improved motor dysfunction in advanced PD rats to varying degrees (P<0.05, P<0.01) and alleviated pathological damage in the brain and colon. High-dose DY significantly reduced α-Syn aggregation in the substantia nigra (P<0.01) and increased TH expression (P<0.01). ELISA and Western blot results showed that, compared with the normal group, the model group exhibited decreased levels of DA, 5-HT, DOPAC, Levodopa, and HVA in the striatum (P<0.01), increased levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in the colon and striatum (P<0.01), and significantly reduced expression of ZO-1 (P<0.05) and occludin in the colon (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, all DY dose groups increased the levels of DA, 5-HT, DOPAC, Levodopa, and HVA in the striatum to varying degrees (P<0.05, P<0.01). In the high-dose DY group, the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in the colon and striatum were reduced (P<0.01), while the expression of ZO-1 (P<0.05) and occludin in the intestine was increased. The 16S rRNA sequencing results indicated that the relative abundances of Actinobacteriota, Enterobacteriaceae, and Erysipelotrichaceae were increased in the model group, whereas the relative abundances of Bacteroidota, class Clostridia, Lachnospiraceae, and Akkermansia muciniphila were decreased. These changes were effectively reversed after high-dose DY intervention. GC analysis showed that the content of SCFAs in the colonic contents of rats in the model group was decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01), while after high-dose DY intervention, the levels of acetate, propionate, isobutyrate, and butyrate were significantly increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionDY may exert therapeutic effects in advanced PD by regulating the gut microbiota-SCFAs-inflammation pathway.
2.Regulatory Pathways of Cell Apoptosis in Diabetic Kidney Disease and Intervention by Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Review
Yunjie YANG ; Mingqian JIANG ; Chen QIU ; Yaqing RUAN ; Senlin CHEN ; Wenxin HUANG ; Hangbin ZHENG ; Yi WEI ; Pengfei LI ; Xueqin LIN ; Jing WU ; Shiwei RUAN ; Jianting WANG ; Yuliang QIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(9):294-306
Diabetic kidney disease(DKD) is a chronic kidney structural and functional disorder caused by diabetes. With the global prevalence of diabetes continuing to rise, DKD has gradually become a major cause of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease(ESRD), posing a serious threat to patients' quality of life and long-term health outcomes. Studies have shown that apoptosis plays a pivotal role in the development and progression of DKD, with its mechanisms involving abnormal activation of multiple signaling pathways such as Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/nuclear transcription factor-κB(NF-κB)/B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2)/cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinase(Caspase)-3, protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase(PERK)/eukaryotic initiation factor 2α(eIF2α)/activating transcript factor 4(ATF4)/CCAAT enhancer-binding protein homologous protein(CHOP), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/protein kinase B(Akt)/glycogen synthase kinase-3β(GSK-3β), Janus kinase 2(JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3), adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase(AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR) and silent information regulator 1(SIRT1)/tumor suppressor protein 53(p53), thereby accelerating renal pathological damage in DKD. Extensive evidence-based medical studies have confirmed that traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), leveraging its unique therapeutic advantages of multi-target, multi-component and multi-pathway approaches, has demonstrated remarkable efficacy and favorable safety profiles in treating DKD. Recent studies have demonstrated that active components of TCM can specifically target and modulate key effectors in apoptotic signaling pathways. Meanwhile, traditional compound formulations exert synergistic effects through multiple approaches such as replenishing deficiency and activating blood circulation, detoxifying and dredging collaterals, tonifying kidney essence, and removing stasis and purging turbidity, thereby comprehensively regulating critical pathological processes including endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial apoptosis pathways. This combined therapeutic approach of molecular targeting and holistic regulation provides novel strategies for delaying the progression of DKD. Based on this, this paper provides an in-depth analysis of key apoptotic signaling pathways and their regulatory mechanisms, while systematically summarizing recent research advances regarding the therapeutic effects of TCM active components, compound formulations, and proprietary Chinese medicines on DKD through modulation of these pathways, with particular emphasis on their underlying molecular mechanisms. These findings not only elucidate the modern scientific connotation and theoretical basis of TCM in treating DKD but also establish a solid theoretical and practical foundation for promoting the wider clinical application and further research of TCM in the field of DKD treatment.
3.Early recognition and intervention strategy of perioperative cardiopulmonary complications in elderly patients with lung cancer
Yuhao SONG ; Wenxin TIAN ; Donghang LI ; Jiangyu WU ; Hanbo YU ; Hongfeng TONG ; Yaoguang SUN ; Peng JIAO
Chinese Journal of Clinical Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2026;33(05):710-716
Elderly patients with lung cancer have a significantly increased risk of perioperative cardiopulmonary complications due to physiological decline, high incidence of complications and reduced surgical tolerance, which directly affects postoperative recovery and long-term survival. Although the concepts of minimally invasive surgery and enhanced recovery after surgery have improved clinical outcomes, early recognition and intervention of postoperative complications in elderly patients remains a significant challenge in the field of thoracic surgery. By integrating recent literature and clinical practice, this paper systematically analyzes the pathophysiological mechanism and risk factors of perioperative cardiopulmonary complications in elderly patients with lung cancer, and discusses individualized intervention strategies based on risk stratification and multidisciplinary team, in order to provide theoretical basis and practical guidance for optimizing perioperative management and improving postoperative prognosis in elderly patients.
4.pLM4ACP: a model for predicting anticancer peptides based on machine learning and protein language models.
Yitong LIU ; Wenxin CHEN ; Juanjuan LI ; Xue CHI ; Xiang MA ; Yanqiong TANG ; Hong LI
Chinese Journal of Biotechnology 2025;41(8):3252-3261
Cancer is a serious global health problem and a major cause of human death. Conventional cancer treatments often run the risk of impairing vital organ functions. Anticancer peptides (ACPs) are considered to be one of the most promising therapeutic agents against common human cancers due to their small sizes, high specificity, and low toxicity. Since ACP recognition is highly limited to the laboratory, expensive, and time-consuming, we proposed pLM4ACP, a model for predicting ACPs based on machine learning and protein language models. In this model, the protein language model ProtT5 was used to extract the features of ACPs, and the extracted features were input into the support vector machine (SVM) classification algorithm for optimization and performance evaluation. The model showcased significantly higher accuracy than other methods, with the overall accuracy of 0.763, F1-score of 0.767, Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.527, and area under the curve of 0.827 on the independent test set. This study constructs an efficient anticancer peptide prediction model based on protein language models, further advancing the application of artificial intelligence in the biomedical field and promoting the development of precision medicine and computational biology.
Machine Learning
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Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry*
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Humans
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Peptides/chemistry*
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Support Vector Machine
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Algorithms
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Computational Biology/methods*
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Neoplasms/drug therapy*
5.Effect of evening primrose oil on aortic endothelial injury in rats with polycystic ovary syndrome based on network pharmacology
Ziyu LIU ; Liang HUI ; Wenxin MA ; Chang LIU ; Na HU ; Shuai ZHAO ; Dongmei CHEN ; Li YANG ; Jing PU ; Sheng MU ; Huiming MA
Acta Laboratorium Animalis Scientia Sinica 2025;33(3):324-341
Objective To explore the effect of evening primrose oil(EPO)on aortic endothelial damage in rats with polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS),using network pharmacology and in vivo experiments.Methods The potential targets of EPO for improving aortic endothelial injury in PCOS rats were predicted by network pharmacology,and the selected core targets and renin-angiotensin signaling(RAS)pathway were verified by experiments.Fifty-eight female SD rats were divided randomly into a blank group(n=10)and a modeling group(n=48).Rats in the blank group were fed a normal diet and rats in the modeling group received a high-fat diet for 8 weeks.The PCOS model was prepared at week 6 by administration of letrozole(1 mg/(kg·d))for 21 days.Blood was taken from the tail vein after modeling and serum was collected to detect hormone levels.The model rats were then divided randomly into four groups and treated with the corresponding drugs for 6 weeks.Blood,blood vessels,and ovaries were then collected.Tissue morphology was examined by hematoxylin and eosin staining and serum levels of luteinizing hormone(LH),testosterone(T),follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH),endothelin(ET-1),and tumor necrosis factor(TNF-α)were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Serum levels of nitric oxide(NO)were determined by spectrophotometry.Protein expression levels of core targets and RAS pathway-related factors were assessed by western blotting and immunohistochemistry.Results Twenty-five intersection targets of EPO and PCOS were identified by network pharmacological analysis.Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes analysis showed that EPO improved vascular injury in PCOS rats via multiple pathways,including RAS.Serum levels of ET-1,FSH,LH,and T measured by ELISA were significantly decreased after EPO treatment,compared with the model group(P<0.01).EPO significantly decreased the expression levels of Ang Ⅰ,VEGF-B,AT2R,ET-1,and TNF-α proteins in the aorta(P<0.01)and significantly increased expression levels of Ang Ⅱ,CD31,and endothelial NO synthase proteins(P<0.01).Conclusions EPO may ameliorate vascular endothelial injury in PCOS model rats by inhibiting the RAS signaling pathway and by overactivation of the ACE/Ang Ⅱ/AT1 axis.
6.Effects of Yangxue Qingnao granules combined with oxiracetam on cognitive function and psychiatric symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease
Xiangning MENG ; Wenxin LI ; Zhangfeng LIU ; Yanbo WANG
Chinese Journal of Primary Medicine and Pharmacy 2025;32(10):1471-1476
Objective:To investigate the effects of Yangxue Qingnao granules combined with oxiracetam on cognitive function, psychiatric symptoms, and levels of inflammatory factors in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Methods:This study used a prospective design and included 100 patients with Alzheimer's disease who received treatment at the Department of Neurology, Shangluo Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, from January 2021 to June 2023. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: a control group and an observation group ( n = 50 per group). The control group received oxiracetam treatment, while the observation group received Yangxue Qingnao granules in addition to oxiracetam. All patients underwent treatment for 12 weeks and were followed up for 24 weeks. Levels of inflammatory factors (C-reactive protein, amyloid-β1-42, interleukin σ), oxidative stress responses (superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, heme oxygenase-1), psychiatric symptoms (assessed by the Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale), and cognitive function (measured using the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale and the Mini-Mental State Examination) were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. The response rate was also compared between the two groups. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS 24.0, using t-tests for measurement data and chi-square tests for categorical data. Results:After treatment, the serum levels of C-reactive protein, amyloid-β1-42, interleukin σ, superoxide dismutase, and malondialdehyde as well as Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale and Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale scores in the observation group were (2.50 ± 0.31) mg/L, (83.77 ± 19.77) ng/L, (80.10 ± 30.11) ng/L, (55.10 ± 4.42) kU/L, (3.33 ± 0.32) μmol/L, (13.26 ± 2.62), and (5.86 ± 1.14), respectively. All of these values were significantly lower than those in the control group [(4.53 ± 0.50) mg/L, (109.31 ± 24.19) ng/L, (148.53 ± 42.00) ng/L, (63.51 ± 4.25) kU/L, (4.87 ± 0.24) μmol/L, (17.90 ± 3.35), (10.16 ± 2.49), t = 24.40, -5.78, 9.36, 9.69, -27.22, -7.71, 11.10, all P<0.01]. The serum levels of glutathione peroxidase and heme oxygenase-1 as well as Mini-Mental State Examination scores in the observation group were (95.21 ± 5.43) U, (14.33 ± 1.58) μg/L, and (26.40 ± 1.11), respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the control group [(80.24 ± 5.33) U, (10.87 ± 1.24) μg/L, (23.53 ± 3.32) points, t = 13.91, 12.18, 5.79, all P<0.01]. Conclusions:Yangxue Qingnao granules combined with oxiracetam shows positive effects on improving behavioral symptoms, cognitive function, and overall clinical efficacy in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
7.Effects of Lycium barbarum glycopeptide on testes of senescent rats induced by D-galactose
Wenxin MA ; Chang LIU ; Jing PU ; Hongmei LI ; Li YANG ; Xiangdong ZHU ; Dongmei CHEN ; Huiming MA
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(6):1296-1304
To investigate the protective effect of Lycium barbarum glycopeptide(LbGp)on testicu-lar injury induced by D-galactose(D-gal)in aging rats,male SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups:the blank control group(Control),aging model group(Model),positive control group(β-nicotinamide mononucleotide,NMN),low dose LbGp group(LLbGp),medium dose LbGp group(MLbGp)and high dose LbGp group(HLbGp).The testicular mass of rats was counted,the morphological changes of testicular tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining,the testicular senescence was detected by β-galactosidase(SA-β-gal)staining,and the levels of testos-terone(T),luteinizing hormone(LH)and follicle stimulating hormone(FSH)in serum were de-tected.The levels of oxidative factors such as glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px),superoxide dis-mutase(SOD),malondialdehyde(MDA),catalase(CAT)and inflammatory factors such as tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-1β(IL-1β)and interleukin-6(IL-6)in rat tissues were measured.TUNEL staining was used to detect the apoptosis of testicular cells,epididymal sperm quality,and the expression of Keap1,Nrf2 and Nqo1 mRNA were analyzed.The results showed that compared with the Model group,the testicular coefficient of Lycium barbarum glycopeptide rats in MLbGp and HLbGp groups increased(P<0.01),the level of T in serum and sperm quality increased(P<0.05),the structural degeneration and aging of testicular tissue decreased(P<0.01),the level of antioxidant factors increased,and the levels of inflammatory factors and apopto-sis decreased(P<0.05).The expression of Keap1 decreased significantly(P<0.01),while the ex-pression of Nrf2 and Nqo1 mRNA increased(P<0.05).The above results indicate that Lycium barbarum glycopeptide can improve D-gal-induced testicular senescence,attenuate oxidative stress,reduce inflammatory response,decrease apoptosis,and exert a protective effect on testicular injury in rats due to senescence through the Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway.
8.Research progress on biomarkers of drug addiction
Wenxin HUANG ; Qianyao ZHANG ; Xiaodong LI ; Yunqing TIAN ; Jian HUANG ; Ruilin ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Comparative Medicine 2025;35(2):147-157
Drug addiction is a chronic disease that causes serious physical and psychological harm to the individual,as well as damage to society.Biomarkers are indicators that differ significantly between healthy people and patients and are important for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.The increasing incidence of drug addiction in recent years and the wider variety and number of new drugs has led to an increase in the study of biomarkers of drug addiction and their analysis in different biological samples.This paper reviews biomarkers of drug addiction in hair,blood,urine,and feces,to help to explore the biological signatures of drug addiction and facilitate its clinical diagnosis and treatment.
9.Research progress of multiplex immunofluorescence in the tumor microenviron-ment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
Chinese Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology 2025;41(2):233-237,241
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL)is an aggressive disease that exhibits high heterogeneity in terms of biology,clinical manifestations,and prognosis.The tumor microenvironment(TME)plays a crucial role in supporting tumor cell survival.Exploring the TME is of great significance for revealing the occurrence and development of DLBCL,guiding clinical treatment,and predicting prognosis.Multiplex immunofluorescence(mIF)is one of the methods for investigating the TME.mIF can directly perform staining and labeling on tissue sections,retaining the orig-inal spatial structure of DLBCL tissues.mIF not only quantifies the expression levels of markers but also relatively ac-curately identifies the types of different cells,revealing the spatial distribution and interactions of various cells.In addi-tion,its exploration of the expression and role of immune checkpoints cannot be ignored.In this review,the current ap-plication of mIF in DLBCL TME studies is reviewed,which provides a broader perspective for the characterization of DLBCL TME and opens up new ideas for exploring potential therapeutic targets and prognostic markers in DLBCL pa-tients.
10.The value of dual-energy CT Bone Marrow Edema in quantitative evaluation of rib fracture evolution timing
Fei YANG ; Yongjie YAO ; Jie LI ; Fan LI ; Meixia YANG ; Wenxin WEI
Chinese Journal of Forensic Medicine 2025;40(2):188-193
Objective To explore the value of dual-energy CT Bone Marrow Edema in quantitatively evaluating the timing of rib fracture evolution.Methods Sixty patients with thoracic trauma were scanned by dual-energy CT.Using CT Bone Marrow Edema technique,bone marrow CT values were standardized and quantified in both the Bone Marrow Edema area at the rib fracture site and in normal areas 1 cm on both sides of the fracture.The increments of standardized CT values for Bone Marrow Edema and VNCa were obtained for three stages of healing.The numerical variables were statistically described,and both the standardized CT value increments and VNCa standardized CT value increments were compared between the three stages and between each pair of stages.Diagnostic efficacy for stages with significant differences was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve(AUC),and Cut-offvalues were calculated.Results There were significant differences in standardized CT value increments and VNCa standardized CT value increments across the three stages of Bone Marrow Edema(H=10.788,p=0.005;F=115.787,p=0.000).The standardized CT value increment of Bone Marrow Edema showed significant differences between the cartilaginous callus stage(fibrous callus stage)and the bony callus-remodeling stage(H=54.958,p=0.003),while the other pairwise comparisons showed no statistical significance(H=-25.603,p=0.183;H=29.354,p=0.113,respectively).However,the VNCa standardized CT value increments showed statistical significance across all three pairwise comparisons(all p=0.000).The ROC curve for differentiating the cartilaginous callus stage(fibrous callus stage)from the bony callus-remodeling stage using Bone Marrow Edema standardized CT value increment had an AUC of 0.652,with a Cut-offvalue of 81.575 Hu.The ROC curve for distinguishing the hematoma inflammation stage from the cartilaginous callus stage(fibrous callus stage)using VNCa standardized CT value increment had an AUC of 0.668,with a Cut-offvalue of 55.700 Hu.The ROC curve for differentiating the cartilaginous callus stage(fibrous callus stage)from the bony callus-remodeling stage using VNCa standardized CT value increment had an AUC of 0.905,with a Cut-offvalue of 37.625 Hu.Conclusion Dual-energy CT Bone Marrow Edema can quantitatively evaluate the timing of rib fracture evolution,and the differences in standardized CT value increments at different stages can provide a theoretical basis for forensic identification of fractures at different time periods.The Cut-offvalues of standardized CT value increments can,to some extent,predict the time stage of a fracture,providing quantitative evidence for forensic experts in the identification of rib fractures.

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