1.Antiasthmatic effect and mechanism of Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum herb pair on the respiratory center
Jiayu TIAN ; Tianyi YANG ; Jingen XIE ; Linlin CHEN ; Qian RAO ; Xiong XIAO ; Yongchun HOU ; Wenhong LI
China Pharmacy 2026;37(7):870-876
OBJECTIVE To preliminarily investigate the antiasthmatic effect and mechanism of Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum herb pair on the respiratory center. METHODS Male SD rats were randomly divided into blank group, model group, dexamethasone group (positive control), and Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum 2∶1, 1∶1 and 1∶2 groups. Rats in each group were administered different ratios of the herb pair decoction [all at 18 g (crude drug)/kg], dexamethasone suspension (0.5 mg/kg), or normal saline intragastrically twice daily for seven consecutive days. Forty minutes after the last administration, medicated cerebrospinal fluid was collected to determine the content of effective components entering the brain. One and a half hours after the last administration, the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) was located using a stereotaxic apparatus. Histamine phosphate (1 μL) was injected into the NTS region at a constant rate of 1 μL/min using a 10 μL microsyringe to induce excitation of the respiratory center in rats; the blank group was injected with normal saline. The contents of neurotransmitters [nerve growth factor (NGF), substance P (SP), norepinephrine (NA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and acetylcholine (Ach)] in the medulla oblongata brain tissue were detected. The mRNA expressions of neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and c-fos in the medulla oblongata, as well as the protein expressions of NK-1R, p38 MAPK, and c-fos in the NTS region, were determined. RESULTS The main active components of Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum herb pair entering the brain were ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, and methylephedrine. Compared with blank group, the contents of NGF, SP, NA, 5-HT and Ach, and the relative expression levels of NK-1R, p38 MAPK, and c-fos mRNA and protein were significantly increased in the model group ( P <0.01). Compared with model group, Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum herb pair groups with different ratios significantly reduced the neurotransmitter contents and the relative expression levels of NK-1R, p38 MAPK, and c-fos mRNA and protein ( P <0.01), with the 2∶1 Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum herb pair and 1∶1 mass ratios showing relatively better effects. CONCLUSIONS Ephedrae Herba alkaloids are the main active components in affecting the function of the respiratory center. The herb pair groups with a larger proportion of Ephedrae Herba exhibit stronger effects. Ephedrae Herba-Armeniacae Semen Amarum herb pair can reduce the excitability of the respiratory center by down-regulating the expression of the NK-1R/MAPK/c-fos pathway in the NTS and decreasing the abnormal release of neurotransmitters such as NGF and SP.
2.Whole-process nutritional management and medical resource utilization in hospitalized elderly patients with multimorbidity
Jiaxin YU ; Yiling LI ; Xinyu ZHANG ; Huan ZHU ; Wen HU ; Zhiyong RAO
Journal of Public Health and Preventive Medicine 2026;37(4):76-80
Objective To describe the clinical characteristics and nutritional management status of hospitalized elderly patients with multimorbidity in a tertiary hospital's geriatric center in 2024, and to analyze the correlation between nutritional status and hospitalization outcomes, thereby providing a basis for optimizing nutritional management pathways for this population. Methods A retrospective study was conducted, including 2 937 elderly patients with multimorbidity. Data on general information, clinical indicators, nutritional risk screening and assessment, nutritional therapy, and costs were collected for descriptive analysis. The relationship between nutritional status (based on BMI and serum albumin levels) and hospitalization outcomes was explored. Results The average age of the patients was (77.45±10.70) years, with 57.17% being male. The average number of chronic diseases diagnosed was (11.56±5.08) per patient, and 26.01% were critically ill. The nutritional risk screening rate was 80.40%, with a screening positivity rate of 33.44%. The nutritional assessment rate was 31.63%, and the malnutrition prevalence was 23.08%. The low BMI group had the longest median hospital stay [15 (9.75, 22) days] and the highest hospitalization costs [15 057.2 (8 980.48, 28 160.46) CNY]. Serum albumin levels were negatively correlated with hospital stay duration (rs=-0.276, P< 0.01) and hospitalization costs (rs=-0.276, P<0.01). Conclusion Hospitalized elderly patients with multimorbidity are characterized by multiple comorbidities and high healthcare resource consumption. While the nutritional risk screening rate is relatively high, there remains room for improvement in nutritional assessment and therapy. It is necessary to strengthen standardized management throughout the entire process. Nutritional status is a significant variable affecting hospital stay duration and costs, with poorer nutritional status significantly associated with prolonged hospitalization and higher costs, suggesting that it may be an important factor influencing hospitalization outcomes.
3.Epigenetic changes and exercise regulation:mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle aging and improvement
Rao FAN ; Jianda KONG ; Lin LI ; Teng ZHAI ; Zirou YANG ; Lei ZHU
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(2):419-429
BACKGROUND:Muscle aging is closely related to various epigenetic changes,and exercise has a certain regulatory effect on these epigenetic changes.However,the specific mechanism is not fully understood. OBJECTIVE:To review the epigenetic mechanisms of skeletal muscle and how exercise can improve skeletal muscle aging and promote adaptive changes in muscle through these epigenetic mechanisms,aiming to provide a more comprehensive understanding of skeletal muscle aging and disease mechanisms. METHODS:During the period from June 1st to August 1st,2023,literature searches were conducted for relevant literature published from database inception to August 2023 in databases including Web of Science,PubMed,CNKI,WanFang,and VIP.The search terms used included"skeletal muscle,""muscle,""aging,""older adult,""aging,""exercise,""physical exercise,""epigenetic,"and"epigenetics"in Chinese as well as"skeletal muscle,muscle,aging,older adult,senescence,age,exercise,sports,physical activity,epigenetic,epigenetics"in English.Boolean logic operators were used to connect the search terms for retrieval,and corresponding strategies were developed.According to the predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria,70 eligible articles were selected. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Epigenetics refers to the phenomenon where gene expression and function are regulated without changes in gene sequence,and epigenetic changes in skeletal muscle are an important field.The epigenetic mechanisms of skeletal muscle play an important role in muscle aging,mainly involving DNA methylation,histone modification,regulation of non-coding RNAs,chromatin remodeling,changes in mitochondrial function and expression changes of aging-related genes.Exercise significantly regulates the epigenetics of skeletal muscle,including promoting DNA methylation,muscle histone modification,regulating miRNA expression,and regulating lncRNA expression,regulating muscle factors(such as interleukin-6),regulating mitochondrial function(such as peroxisome proliferators-activated receptors γ co-activator 1α).Future studies are recommended for long-term,cross-diverse population-based exercise interventions;the application of multi-omics techniques such as proteomics and metabolomics;strengthening the understanding of epigenetic changes at the single-cell level;cross-species comparative studies as well as human clinical trials for the translation of animal model findings to humans;strategies for combining exercise and pharmacological interventions to assess their synergistic effects;and epigenetic studies of crosstalk interactions between skeletal muscle and different organs.
4.Construction of a Disease-Syndrome Integrated Diagnosis and Treatment System for Gastric "Inflammation-Cancer" Transformation Based on Multi-Modal Phenotypic Modeling
Hao LI ; Huiyao ZHANG ; Wei BAI ; Tingting ZHOU ; Guodong HUANG ; Xianjun RAO ; Yang YANG ; Lijun BAI ; Wei WEI
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;66(5):458-463
By analyzing the current application of multi-modal data in the diagnosis of gastric "inflammation-cancer" transformation, this study explored the feasibility and strategies for constructing a disease-syndrome integrated diagnosis and treatment system. Based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) phenomics, we proposed utilizing multi-modal data from literature research, cross-sectional studies, and cohort follow-ups, combined with artificial intelligence technology, to establish a multi-dimensional diagnostic and treatment index system. This approach aims to uncover the complex pathogenesis and transformation patterns of gastric "inflammation-cancer" progression. Additionally, by dynamically collecting TCM four-diagnostic information and modern medical diagnostic information through a long-term follow-up system, we developed three major modules including information extraction, multi-modal phenotypic modeling, and information output, to make it enable real-world clinical data-driven long-term follow-up and treatment of chronic atrophic gastritis. This system can provide technical support for clinical diagnosis, treatment evaluation, and research, while also offering insights and methods for intelligent TCM diagnosis.
5.Treatment of Renal Injury in Wilson Disease Based on Pathogenesis of Latent Toxin in Kidney Collaterals
Ke DIAO ; Wenming YANG ; Xiang LI ; Yue YANG ; Yulong YANG ; Zhihong RAO ; Shuzhen FANG ; Yufeng DING
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(15):132-139
Hepatolenticular degeneration, also known as Wilson disease (WD), is a hereditary disease caused by mutations in the ATP7B gene, leading to copper metabolism disorders. Gene mutations result in impaired synthesis of copper-binding protein, and abnormal excretion of copper through bile leads to pathological deposition of copper in various organs, ultimately causing multi-organ damage. The insidious onset and low specificity of symptoms make it difficult to diagnose this disease. On the basis of existing studies and the theory of latent toxin, this paper proposes that latent toxin in kidney collaterals is the main pathogenesis of renal injury in WD. It is pointed out that health Qi deficiency and latent pathogen are the premises for the occurrence of this disease, and the transformation of latent pathogen into toxin is the ley pathological process. Toxin damaging kidney collaterals is the ultimate result. According to the pathogenesis, this paper proposes the treatment principle of reinforcing healthy Qi and resolving toxin and treatment based on syndrome differentiation. This review provides new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of renal injury in WD with traditional Chinese medicine.
6.Clinical Efficacy of Gandouling Decoction Combined with Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Dysphagia in Wilson Disease with Combined Phlegm and Stasis
Zhihong RAO ; Wenming YANG ; Yue YANG ; Xiang LI ; Peng HUANG ; Yulong YANG ; Ke DIAO ; Shuzhen FANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(15):155-162
ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of Gandouling decoction combined with neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in the treatment of dysphagia in Wilson disease (WD) with combined phlegm and stasis. MethodsA total of 80 WD patients with dysphagia due to combined phlegm and stasis treated in the Department of Encephalopathy, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine were randomized into a control group and an observation group, with 40 patients in each group. In addition, 40 healthy volunteers were recruited as the normal group. The control group was treated with basic copper drainage combined with NMES. The observation group was treated with Gandouling Decoction on the basis of the therapy in the control group. Each course of treatment lasted for 8 days, and the patients were treated for a total of 4 courses. All subjects underwent video fluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) before and after treatment. During the examination, contrast agents with 4 different characters were used for the swallowing action, and the passing time was recorded. The TCM syndrome score, water swallow test score, standard swallowing assessment (SSA) score, and 24-h urinary copper level before and after treatment were analyzed. ResultsWhen performing VFSS, the passing time of contrast agents of different characters in the oral stage was longer in the WD group than in the normal group (P<0.01), while it had no significant difference in the pharyngeal stage. After treatment, the passing time in the oral stage shortened in the control and observation groups (P<0.01), and the observation group outperformed the control group (P<0.01). After treatment, both the control and observation groups showed declines in TCM syndrome score and SSA score (P<0.01) and an increase in water swallow test score (P<0.01), and the changes were more obvious in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.01). In addition, the treatment in the control and observation groups elevated the 24-h urinary copper level (P<0.01), and the elevation in the observation group was more obvious than that in the control group (P<0.01). Neither group showed obvious adverse reaction. ConclusionGandouling decoction combined with NMES can significantly ameliorate dysphagia in WD patients with the syndrome of combined phlegm and stasis regarding the TCM syndrome score, water swallow test score, and SSA score, demonstrating definite clinical efficacy and high safety.
7.Effect of supplementing specific nutrients under calorie restriction on exercise performance in mice
Jiaqi YUAN ; Peng WANG ; Weifang LI ; Xin RAO ; Min ZHOU ; Mantian MI ; Yu QIN
Journal of Army Medical University 2025;47(7):664-673
Objective To develop a composite nutritional preparation that can effectively improve exercise performance under calorie restriction(CR)condition.Methods A total of 24 male C57BL/6J mice(weighing 23~26 g,8 weeks old)were randomly divided into control group(CON),CR,CR+basal nutrient group(CRN1),and CR+compound nutrient group(CRN2).All groups underwent moderate-intensity running training 5 d per week,for totally 3 weeks.The grip strength of the forelimbs were measured weekly,and in 3 weeks after training,exhaustion and post-exhaustion distance tests were conducted to evaluate exercise performance.Blood biochemical indicators,levels of skeletal muscle and liver redox biomarkers,and histopathological conditions were measured and observed.Results After 21 d of intervention,the CR group and CRN1 group had the post-exhaustion running distance prolonged by 278%and 289%,respectively,reduced blood glucose level,and decreased muscle mass,subcutaneous fat and epididymal fat mass when compared with the CON group(P<0.05).Compared with the CON group,the CRN1 and CRN2 groups demonstrated significantly higher gastrocnemius glycogen content.The CRN2 group obtained even longer post-exhaustion distance(increased by 52%and 36%respectively,compared with the CON group and CRN1 group,P<0.05),enhanced grip strength of the forelimbs(raised by 9%,17%and 15%,respectively than the CON,CR and CRN1 groups,P<0.05),elevated brown fat mass(compared to the CON group and CRN1 group,P<0.05),increased blood glucose level(compared to the CRN1 group,P<0.05),decreased blood low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level(compared to the CON and CR groups,P<0.05),and increased glutathione peroxidase content in the gastrocnemius muscle(compared to the CON group,P<0.05).Conclusion Supplementing with compound nutritional supplements in mice under CR can promote exercise performance,including improving fatigue recovery after exhaustive exercise and enhancing forelimb grip strength.
8.Correlation between biopsy rate and positive rate of biopsy in assessment of diagnostic competence in endoscopists
Wen CHEN ; Hengyu WANG ; Li RAO ; Xue ZHANG ; Hong YANG ; Qian ZHOU ; Lei CHEN
Journal of Army Medical University 2025;47(7):728-733
Objective To explore whether the biopsy rate and the positive rate of biopsy during colonoscopy can serve as effective indicators for evaluating the diagnostic proficiency of endoscopists.Methods Total fifteen endoscopists from the First Affiliated Hospital of Army Military Medical University,Guiqian International General Hospital and No.958 Hospital of PLA Army were enrolled and served as the study subjects.According to their years of experience,gender and working hours,they were divided into a senior group(n=8)and a junior group(n=7),a male group(n=9)and a female group(n=6),and a morning period(08:00-12:00)and an afternoon period(13:00-18:00).The data of all patients examined by the aforementioned endoscopists between January 2023 and December 2023 were collected,including the basic demographics,colonoscopic results,biopsy outcomes and pathological diagnoses of the patients.ANOVA was used to analyze the differences in the biopsy rate and positive rate of biopsy existed among the endoscopists of different years of experience,gender and working at different periods(morning and afternoon).Additionally,multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to identify the independent risk factors associated with positive rates of biopsy.Results The senior group had significantly lower biopsy rate[(5.73±0.81)%vs(6.89±0.97)%],but obviously higher positive rate of biopsy[(53.52±3.87)%vs(33.70±7.85)%]than the junior group(both P<0.01).The biopsy rate was notably higher during the morning working time period than the afternoon working time period in all the endoscopits[(6.76±1.11)%vs(5.53±1.57)%,P<0.05].Logistic regression analysis showed that the years of experience[(53.52±3.87)%vs(33.70±7.85)%,OR=92.187,95%CI:3.118~2 725.366,P<0.01)and working time[(48.35±10.50)%vs(37.80±10.65)%,OR=20.885,95%CI:1.266~344.602,P<0.05)were influencing factors for positive rate of biopsy.Conclusion The biopsy rate is low and positive rate of biopsy is high among the senior experienced endoscopists,while,opposite results are seen in the junior experienced clinicians,indicating correlation of biopsy rate and positive rate of biopsy with diagnostic proficiency of endoscopists.
9.Construction and application of nursing quality evaluation index system for percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of liver cancer under the background of disease diagnosis related groups
Xufang HUANG ; Qiaohong WU ; Jianting MAO ; Qiaoying RAO ; Jia SONG ; Jing LI ; Weifeng XIA
Journal of Interventional Radiology 2025;34(2):192-196
Objective Based on the background of disease diagnosis related groups(DRGs)in public hospitals to construct the nursing quality evaluation index system for percutaneous radiofrequency ablation(PRFA)of liver cancer so as to improve the nursing quality for PRFA of liver cancer.Methods Using three-dimensional quality model and through interview,literature analysis,two rounds of Delphi expert letter inquiry and analytic hierarchy process,the evaluation standard of PRFA nursing quality of liver cancer was established,and its effect was validated in clinical practice.Results The evaluation index system of PRFA nursing quality for liver cancer was constructed,which included 3 first-level indexes,9 second-level indexes and 22 third-level indexes.After clinical application,the incidence of intraoperative and postoperative moderate-severe pain,the incidence of high fever,and the 24-hour number of times required care in the intervention group were lower than those in the control group(P<0.05),the incidence of postoperative Ⅲ degree vomiting in the intervention group was remarkably lower than that in the control group(P<0.01),and the average hospitalization days in the intervention group were less than those in the control group(P<0.05),and the average hospitalization expense in the intervention group was lower than that in the control group,but the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05).Conclusion The PRFA nursing quality evaluation index system for liver cancer is scientific and practical,which is helpful for improving the outcome of patients and promoting the quality of nursing.
10.Advances in immunogenetic mechanisms of drug-induced liver injury
Xiangchang ZENG ; Tai RAO ; Lulu CHEN ; Chaopeng LI ; Guirong ZENG ; Jun CHEN ; Dongsheng OUYANG
Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2025;30(8):1133-1146
Drug-induced liver injury(DILI)is one of the major challenges in drug development and clinical practice,and effective prevention and con-trol measures remain lacking.Research has shown that DILI is primarily mediated by immune respons-es.Human leukocyte antigen(HLA)alleles are cur-rently the strongest genetic factors reported to be associated with DILI.Due to the low positive predic-tive value of HLA alleles,preemptive HLA genetic screening has limited clinical utility in preventing DILI.However,its high negative predictive value makes it valuable for DILI diagnosis and causality assessment.In recent years,polymorphisms in im-mune-related genes-such as those involved in anti-gen processing and presentation pathways,T-cell receptors,immunostimulatory molecules,and cyto-kines-have been found to be associated with DILI.Future studies combining these genes with HLA analysis may provide deeper mechanistic insights into DILI and facilitate their translational applica-tion in clinical practice,ultimately improving drug safety.


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