1.Research progress on non-surgical treatment of intermittent exotropia
International Eye Science 2026;26(1):91-95
Intermittent exotropia(IXT)is the most prevalent form of childhood strabismus, with an estimated prevalence of approximately 3.26% in the Chinese population. Although patients can intermittently maintain orthotropia, the deviation angle often fluctuates markedly, and frank exotropia may become evident during fatigue or lapses in attention. Without intervention, roughly 75% of cases progress over time. Management comprises surgical and non-surgical approaches. Surgery remains the most definitive treatment, however, the optimal timing is controversial, and postoperative outcomes may include under- or over-correction, necessitating additional procedures. Non-surgical options include observation, refractive correction, over-minus lens therapy, prisms, orthoptic exercises, and botulinum toxin-A injections. These modalities are particularly suitable for young, or uncooperative children, patients with small-angle, well-controlled deviations, or those seeking to defer surgery, in such cases, non-surgical treatment can maintain binocular alignment and preserve monocular function, thereby delaying or avoiding surgery. Because the efficacy of each non-surgical strategy varies, this review summarizes the current evidence on non-surgical treatment of IXT.
2.Staged Characteristics of Mitochondrial Energy Metabolism in Chronic Heart Failure with Heart-Yang Deficiency Syndrome and Prescription Intervention from Theory of Reinforcing Yang
Zizheng WU ; Xing CHEN ; Lichong MENG ; Yao ZHANG ; Peng LUO ; Jiahao YE ; Kun LIAN ; Siyuan HU ; Zhixi HU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):129-138
Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a complex clinical syndrome caused by ventricular dysfunction, with mitochondrial energy metabolism disorder being a critical factor in disease progression. Heart-Yang deficiency syndrome, as the core pathogenesis of CHF, persists throughout the disease course. Insufficiency of heart-Yang leads to weakened warming and propelling functions, resulting in the accumulation of phlegm-fluid, blood stasis, and dampness. This eventually causes Qi stagnation with phlegm obstruction and blood stasis with water retention, forming a vicious cycle that exacerbates disease progression. According to the theory of reinforcing Yang, the clinical experience of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) master Tang Zuxuan in treating CHF with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome, and achievements from molecular biological studies, this study innovatively proposes an integrated research framework of "TCM syndrome differentiation and staging-mitochondrial metabolism mechanisms-intervention with Yang-reinforcing prescriptions" which is characterized by the integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. Heart-Yang deficiency syndrome is classified into mild (Stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ), severe (Stage Ⅲ), and critical (Stage Ⅳ) stages. The study elucidates the precise correlations between the pathogenesis of each stage and mitochondrial metabolism disorders from theoretical, pathophysiological, and therapeutic perspectives. The mild stage is characterized by impaired biogenesis and substrate-utilization imbalance, corresponding to heart-Yang deficiency and phlegm-fluid aggregation. Linggui Zhugantang and similar prescriptions can significantly improve the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator-1α(PGC-1α)/silent information regulator 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1) and ATPase activity. The severe stage centers on oxidative stress and structural damage, reflecting Yang deficiency with water overflow and phlegm-blood stasis intermingling. At this stage, Zhenwu Tang and Qiangxin Tang can effectively mitigate oxidative stress damage, increase adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content, and repair mitochondrial structure. The critical stage arises from calcium overload and mitochondrial disintegration, leading to the collapse of Yin-Yang equilibrium. At this stage, Yang-restoring and crisis-resolving prescriptions such as Fuling Sini Tang and Qili Qiangxin capsules can inhibit abnormal opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP), reduce cardiomyocyte apoptosis rate, and protect mitochondrial function. By summarizing the characteristics of mitochondrial energy metabolism disorders at different stages of CHF, this study explores the application of the theory of reinforcing Yang in treating heart-Yang deficiency syndrome and provides new insights for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of CHF.
3.Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure Based on AMPK Signaling Pathway
Kun LIAN ; Lichong MENG ; Xueqin WANG ; Yubin ZHANG ; Lin LI ; Xuhui TANG ; Zhixi HU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):139-148
Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a group of complex clinical syndromes caused by abnormal changes in the structure and/or function of the heart due to various reasons, resulting in disorders of ventricular contraction and/or diastole. CHF is a condition where primary diseases such as coronary heart disease, hypertension and pulmonary heart disease recur frequently and persist for a long time, presenting blood stasis in meridians and collaterals, stagnation of water and dampness, and accumulation of Qi in collaterals. Its pathogenesis is complex and may involve myocardial energy metabolism disorders, oxidative stress responses, myocardial cell apoptosis, autophagy, inflammatory responses, etc. According to the theory of restraining hyperactivity to acquire harmony, we believe that under normal circumstances, the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway functions normally, maintaining human physiological activities and energy metabolism. Under pathological conditions, the AMPK signaling pathway is abnormal, causing energy metabolism disorders, inflammatory responses, and myocardial fibrosis. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can regulate the AMPK signaling pathway through multiple mechanisms, targets, and effects, effectively curbing the occurrence and development of CHF. It has gradually become a research hotspot in the prevention and treatment of this disease. Guided by the theory of TCM, our research group, through literature review, summarized the relationship between the AMPK pathway and CHF and reviewed the research progress in the prevention and control of CHF with TCM active ingredients, TCM compound prescriptions, and Chinese patent medicines via regulating the AMPK pathway. The review aims to clarify the mechanism and targets of TCM in the treatment of CHF by regulating the AMPK pathway and guide the clinical treatment and drug development for CHF.
4.Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure Based on Thinking of Five Differentiation
Kun LIAN ; Lichong MENG ; Manting YI ; Lin LI ; Fei WANG ; Siyuan HU ; Zhixi HU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):160-168
Chronic heart failure (CHF) refers to a clinical syndrome in which the function or structure of the heart is changed due to damage to the original myocardium, resulting in reduced pumping and/or filling functions of the heart. In recent years, the mechanisms, pathways, and targets of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of CHF have been continuously confirmed, and the application of TCM theories in guiding the syndrome differentiation and precise treatment of CHF is currently a research hotspot. On the basis of the syndrome differentiation and treatment in TCM, Professor LI Candong innovatively proposed the thinking of five differentiation: Disease differentiation, syndrome differentiation, pathogenesis differentiation, symptom differentiation, and individual differentiation. This article explores the clinical diagnosis and treatment of CHF from this thinking, emphasizing comprehensive syndrome differentiation, objective analysis, dynamic assessment, and individualized treatment. In terms of diagnosis, the first is to identify the disease name, cause, location, severity, and type of CHF, determine the type and its evolution, and clarify the process of transmission and transformation between deficiency and excess. Secondly, it is necessary to distinguish the authenticity, severity, primary and secondary, urgency and complexity of CHF syndromes, providing scientific guidance for syndrome differentiation and treatment. Thirdly, according to the symptoms and the principles of deficiency and excess, the physician should identify the core pathogenesis of CHF from the perspectives of Qi, blood, Yin, Yang, deficiency, stasis, phlegm, water, and toxins. Fourthly, from the macro, meso and micro levels, the physician should carefully distinguish the presence or absence, severity, authenticity, and completeness of the symptoms to guide the diagnosis and treatment process of CHF. Finally, personalized medication for CHF should be promoted based on the patient's gender, age, constitution, and living habits. In terms of treatment, based on the thinking of five differentiation, we propose that the treatment of CHF should integrate the disease and syndrome, clarify the pathogenesis, and apply precise treatment. The treatment should be people-oriented, staged, and typed, and the medication should be adjusted according to symptoms. This diagnostic and therapeutic approach is based on the holistic concept and syndrome differentiation and treatment, and combines the three causes for appropriate treatment, providing new ideas and insights for the diagnosis and treatment of CHF.
5.Myocardial Metabolomics Reveals Mechanism of Shenfu Injection in Ameliorating Energy Metabolism Remodeling in Rat Model of Chronic Heart Failure
Xinyue NING ; Zhenyu ZHAO ; Mengna ZHANG ; Yang GUO ; Zhijia XIANG ; Kun LIAN ; Zhixi HU ; Lin LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(5):178-186
ObjectiveTo examine the influences of Shenfu injection on the endogenous metabolic byproducts in the myocardium of the rat model exhibiting chronic heart failure, thus deciphering the therapeutic mechanism of the Qi-reinforcing and Yang-warming method. MethodsSD rats were randomly allocated into a control group and a modeling group. Chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome in rats was modeled by multi-point subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol, and the rats were fed for 14 days after modeling. The successfully modeled rats were randomized into model, Shenfu injection (6.0 mL·kg-1), and trimetazidine (10 mg·kg-1) groups and treated with corresponding agents for 15 days. The control group and the model group were injected with equal doses of normal saline, and the samples were collected after the intervention was completed. Cardiac color ultrasound was performed. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe histopathological morphology, and the serum level of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mitochondrial morphological and structural changes of cardiomyocytes were observed by transmission electron microscopy, and the metabolic profiling was carried out by ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quantitative exactive-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QE-MS). Differential metabolites were screened and identified by orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and other methods, and then the MetaboAnalyst database was used for further screening. The relevant biological pathways were obtained through pathway enrichment analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was established to evaluate the diagnostic value of each potential biomarker for myocardial injury and the evaluation value for drug efficacy. ResultsThe results of color ultrasound showed that Shenfu Injection improved the cardiac function indexes of model rats (P<0.05). The results of HE staining showed that Shenfu injection effectively alleviated the pathological phenomena such as myocardial tissue structure disorder and inflammatory cell infiltration in model rats. The results of ELISA showed that Shenfu injection effectively regulated the serum NT-proBNP level in the model rats. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that Shenfu injection effectively restored the mitochondrial morphological structure. The results of metabolomics showed that the metabolic phenotypes of myocardial samples presented markedly differences between groups. Nine differential metabolites could be significantly reversed in the Shenfu injection group, involving three metabolic pathways: pyruvate metabolism, histidine metabolism, and citric acid cycle (TCA cycle). The results of ROC analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) values of all metabolites were between 0.75 and 1.0, indicating that the differential metabolites had high diagnostic accuracy for myocardial injury, and the changes in their expression levels could be used as potential markers for efficacy evaluation. ConclusionShenfu injection significantly alleviated the damage of cardiac function, myocardium, and mitochondrial structure in the rat model of chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome by ameliorating energy metabolism remodeling. Reinforcing Qi and warming Yang is a key method for treating chronic heart failure with heart-Yang deficiency syndrome.
6.Multidimensional Innovation for medical-rehabilitation integration
Bin LIAN ; Lin ZHOU ; Qinfeng WU ; Jiajia WANG ; Wei LU ; Guoen FANG
Chinese Journal of Rehabilitation Theory and Practice 2026;32(1):40-44
ObjectiveTo conduct a theoretical study on the medical-rehabilitation integration. MethodsStarting from the background, objectives and content of the medical-rehabilitation integration, this study analyzed its innovative points from the dimensions of conceptual innovation, organizational innovation, model innovation and technological innovation. Results and ConclusionThe medical-rehabilitation integration is an innovation in medical services that takes conceptual innovation as the forerunner, organizational innovation as the foundation, model innovation as the carrier and technological innovation as the core.
7.From Cathartic Colon to Cathartic-dependent Constipation: Diagnostic-therapeutic Strategies from Integrative Medicine Perspective
Youcheng HE ; Fengru JIANG ; Yanru WANG ; Minghan HUANG ; Yue WU ; Chunyu ZHOU ; Lian MO ; Lifeng WEI ; Keyi PAN ; Shuyu CAI ; Jianye YUAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(11):162-172
Both cathartic colon (CC) and cathartic-dependent constipation (CDC) are caused by the abuse of stimulant laxatives, while their concepts are not completely the same.Starting from the disease name of CC, this article traced the origin and evolution of the concept of CC, summarizes and compared the similarities and differences between CC, CDC, and slow transit constipation (STC), and called for strict differentiation among the three.Furthermore, this article explored the specific contents of Western medicine clinical subtypes and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome differentiation of CDC and delved into the TCM pathogenesis of CDC according to both literature and clinical practice.The relationship between clinical subtypes and TCM syndromes was established, and the syndrome characteristics of CDC of different clinical subtypes and TCM syndromes were summarized.The recommended prescriptions for corresponding syndromes were listed.A systematic CDC diagnosis and treatment approach of "clinical subtypes-syndrome differentiation-syndrome characteristics-recommended prescriptions" was thus formed.Additionally, the paper provides an overview of current research on CDC in both Western medicine and TCM contexts, identifies future research directions, and suggests research pathways for refining and advancing CDC studies.
8.Clinical Efficacy of Yiqi Yangyin Huoxue Prescription in Treatment of Cathartic Colon and Analysis of Influencing Factors of Disease Severity
Youcheng HE ; Jingyi SHAN ; Fengru JIANG ; Yue WU ; Chunyu ZHOU ; Lu HANG ; Yan ZHOU ; Lian MO ; Shuyu CAI ; Keyi PAN ; Lifeng WEI ; Jianye YUAN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(11):173-184
ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of the Yiqi Yangyin Huoxue prescription (YYHP) in the treatment of cathartic colon (CC) and its effects on fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and to explore the correlations among CC severity indicators and between these indicators and patient history. MethodsAccording to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 98 patients meeting the diagnostic criteria of both traditional Chinese and Western medicine for CC with the syndrome of Qi-Yin deficiency complicated by blood stasis were randomly assigned to an observation group and a control group. The observation group received YYHP granules, while the control group received lactulose. Both medications were administered twice daily, one sachet each time, half an hour after breakfast and dinner, with a treatment course of 8 weeks. The primary constipation symptom score, Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) score, and TCM syndrome score were assessed before and after treatment and at the 8th week after the end of treatment. The overall clinical effective rate, as well as the efficacy attenuation index and degree, were evaluated. Fecal SCFA levels were measured using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Spearman correlation analysis was performed to explore the correlations among CC severity indicators and between these indicators and patient history. ResultsThe overall clinical effective rate in the observation group (95.83%) was higher than that in the control group (78.72%) (P<0.05). After treatment, the total scores for primary constipation symptoms, PAC-QOL, and TCM syndromes decreased in both groups (P<0.05), with more significant reductions in the observation group (P<0.05). The severity of all primary constipation symptoms was alleviated in both groups (P<0.05). In terms of "excessive straining and difficult defecation", "anal heaviness, incomplete evacuation, and bloating sensation", "abdominal distension", and "defecation frequency", the observation group showed better efficacy than the control group (P<0.05). Scores of the four PAC-QOL dimensions and the scores and severity of primary and secondary TCM symptoms were reduced in both groups (P<0.05), with more significant reductions in the observation group (P<0.05). After treatment, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, and total SCFAs in the observation group increased significantly (P<0.05). The efficacy attenuation index and degree in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). No severe adverse reactions occurred in either group, and there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups. Positive correlations of varying degrees were observed among the total scores of primary constipation symptoms, PAC-QOL, and TCM syndromes, as well as between these scores and the history of stimulant laxative use, disease duration, and age. ConclusionYYHP can effectively alleviate the primary constipation symptoms in CC patients, improve quality of life, and ameliorate TCM syndromes, with good safety. It also has the advantage of a lower rebound degree after drug withdrawal, and its mechanism may be related to increasing fecal SCFA levels. Long-term abuse of stimulant laxatives may aggravate the severity of CC and prolong the disease course.
9.m6ATEpre: Predicting YTHDF1-mediated mRNA Translation Efficiency Regulated by m6A Sites via Multi-omics Data Integration
Teng ZHANG ; Ming ZHANG ; Shao-Wu ZHANG ; Lian LIU
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(4):1087-1102
ObjectiveThe most prevalent mRNA modification, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) plays an important role in various RNA metabolism, including gene expression and translation. By recruiting different “reader” proteins and their cofactors, m6A modification can affect messenger RNA (mRNA) degradation, splicing, nuclear export and translation. However, the selective mechanism by which m6A sites regulate mRNA translation through m6A reader YTHDF1 binding remains poorly understood, due to a lack of computational methods for identifying context-specific m6A sites that regulate translation. To address this, we developed a novel computational framework named m6ATEpre, the first tool designed to predict cell-specific m6A sites that regulate translation efficiency. Methodsm6ATEpre integrates multi-omics data, introduces a novel feature representation strategy for m6A site sequences, and employs an autoencoder to effectively capture embedded feature representations. Specifically, m6ATEpre first integrated MeRIP-seq data and PAR-CLIP data through overlapping m6A sites with YTHDF1 binding sites and identified YTHDF1-mediated m6A sites. Then, m6ATEpre detected the translation gene by analyzing the Ribo-seq data under YTHDF1 knockdown vs control condition. Genes whose translation is mediated by YTHDF1 in an m6A-dependent manner were identified by a significant decrease in translation efficiency upon YTHDF1 knockdown. Next, we proposed a binary vector indicating the presence or absence of YTHDF1 binding motifs to characterize each m6A site sequence. This represents a novel feature representation strategy for m6A sites. m6ATEpre utilized the autoencoder to extract the potentially important feature representations and constructed a multilayer perceptron neural networks model to predict potential m6A sites that regulating translation efficiency. ResultsA comprehensive evaluation of m6ATEpre was conducted through a series of experiments. We compared its performance against that of a similar prediction task model, as well as other classifiers. The results indicate that m6ATEpre achieved the best prediction performance. In addition, we analyzed different feature representation strategies and performed ablation experiments to validate the rationality of the model design. The results demonstrate that our proposed feature representation strategy has a greater advantage in improving prediction performance. In the HeLa cell line, bioinformatic analysis of the metagene distribution and sequence minimum free energy of m6A sites regulating translation efficiency (m6A-reg-TE sites) revealed their specific properties in translation regulation. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that m6A-reg-TE genes are associated with specific biological processes and KEGG pathways. By integrating the binding sites of YTHDF1 co-factors with m6A-reg-TE sites, we revealed that YTHDF1-mediated and m6A-dependent translation efficiency regulation requires the cooperation of multiple translation-regulatory RNA-binding proteins among its co-factors in the HeLa cell line. Furthermore, we extended our predictions to the dataset of the HEK293T cell line. Similarly, bioinformatic analysis of the metagene distribution and functional enrichment revealed the cell-specific characteristic of these predicted m6A-reg-TE sites in HEK293T cells. Likewise, integrated analysis of multiple YTHDF1 co-factors and m6A-reg-TE sites predicted in the HEK293T cell line reveals their m6A-dependent cooperation in regulating translation efficiency. Conclusionm6ATEpre is a timely tool that will advance our understanding of the mechanisms of m6A regulation in translation efficiency. The source code and datasets used in this work can be downloaded from
10.Effect of Simiaowan on Promoting Ileal Uric Acid Excretion by Modulating Gut Microbiota to Improve Intestinal Barrier Function and Upregulate ABCG2 Expression in Rats
Yuan ZHANG ; Zhongyou ZHANG ; Huilin FENG ; Lian DUAN ; Lingchun WANG ; Hao DAI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(1):101-112
ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of Simiaowan on intestinal barrier function and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding cassette transporter G2 (ABCG2) expression in hyperuricemic (HUA) rats, and elucidate its therapeutic mechanisms. MethodsForty male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomized into a normal group, a model group, low-dose (282.6 mg·kg-1) and high-dose (565.2 mg·kg-1) Simiaowan groups, and a Benzbromarone (4.7 mg·kg-1) group. The HUA model was established via intraperitoneal injection of potassium oxonate (ip) combined with oral gavage of hypoxanthine (ig) for 14 days. Following modeling, treatments were administered for 14 days. Samples were collected and weighed 4 h after final dosing. Blood uric acid and hepatic function were analyzed. Histopathological changes were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and Chiu's scoring was conducted. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) quantified tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), diamine oxidase (DAO), and D-lactic acid (D-LA) levels. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR), Western blot, and immunohistochemistry assessed the expression of Claudin-1, Occludin, occludens-1 (ZO-1), and ABCG2 mRNAs and proteins. 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing characterized ileal microbiota. ResultsCompared with the normal group, the model group exhibited epithelial shedding in the ileal villus, structural disruption, infiltration of extensive inflammatory cells, and significantly elevated Chiu's scores (P<0.01). The DAO, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, LPS, and D-LA levels in the ileum were markedly increased (P<0.01), while mRNA and protein expressions of Claudin 1, Occludin, ZO-1, and ABCG2, as well as positive staining area and proportion, were significantly reduced (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the Simiaowan groups at all doses showed improved epithelial damage in the ileal villus, significantly lowered Chiu's scores (P<0.01), significantly reduced DAO, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, LPS, and D-LA levels in the ileum (P<0.01), and upregulated mRNA and protein expressions of Claudin 1, Occludin, ZO-1, and ABCG2, as well as positive staining area and proportion (P<0.01). The 16S rDNA results showed that in the model group, the α-diversity index of the ileal microbiota was increased, and species diversity and richness were enhanced, with microbiota dysfunction observed. The community structure of the gut microbiota was significantly different from that of the normal microbiota. The abundance of probiotics was decreased, and the abundance of pathogenic bacteria was increased, with butyrate-producing bacteria showing a low abundance. In contrast, Simiaowan at all doses reduced species diversity and richness, regulated microbiota dysfunction, and promoted the shift of the structure of the gut microbiota community towards a normal one. This increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria, decreased the abundance of harmful bacteria, and restored the abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria. ConclusionSimiaowan enhances ileal uric acid excretion and further alleviates HUA by modulating the gut microbiota composition to improve the intestinal barrier and upregulate the expression of the urate transporter ABCG2 in HUA rats.

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