1.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.
2.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.
3.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.
4.Technique and Application of Deep Learning-based EEG Denoising
Bao-Lian SHAN ; Hai-Qing YU ; Yong-Zhi HUANG ; Jia-Yuan MENG ; Min-Peng XU ; Tzyy-Ping JUNG ; Dong MING
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(8):2147-2160
Electroencephalography (EEG) is a non-invasive neurophysiological monitoring technique. It records the electrical activity of the cerebral cortex using electrodes placed on the scalp surface. Owing to its high safety, portability, and millisecond-level temporal resolution, EEG has been widely utilized in a variety of fields, including clinical diagnosis, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), and cognitive neuroscience research. However, due to its microvolt-level amplitude, EEG is highly susceptible to various artifacts, including electrooculographic (EOG), electrocardiographic (ECG), electromyographic (EMG), and power line interference (PLI). These artifacts can obscure genuine neural activity and introduce spurious electrophysiological features. Consequently, they may compromise EEG signal quality, thereby reducing the reliability of downstream analyses. To address this issue, numerous EEG artifact removal methods have been developed, including both traditional denoising techniques and deep learning-based approaches. Traditional EEG denoising methods have long served as the primary solutions for artifact removal. Representative approaches include filtering, regression, and blind source separation. Although these methods have demonstrated effectiveness in specific scenarios, they suffer from several inherent limitations. Filtering assumes that artifacts and EEG signals can be separated in the frequency domain, but many artifacts, such as EOG and EMG, overlap with EEG spectra, which may lead to the loss of valuable neural information. Regression methods require high-quality artifact references to estimate and subtract contaminations, limiting their effectiveness in reference-free scenarios. Blind source separation can remove artifacts without external references, but it typically requires the number of EEG channels to exceed the number of sources, restricting its application in single- or low-channel EEG recordings. Deep learning-based EEG denoising methods address these limitations effectively. First, they learn the nonlinear mapping between contaminated and clean EEG directly from data in an end-to-end manner. This approach does not rely on assumptions about spectral separability, thereby preserving neural activity more completely. Second, the reference information is incorporated during the training phase, allowing the trained model to perform artifact removal independently without external references. Third, deep learning models can be flexibly designed to accommodate various recording setups, achieving robust denoising for both high-density and single-channel EEG. Collectively, these advantages enable deep learning-based methods to overcome the main challenges of traditional approaches, providing more accurate and reliable EEG signal recovery. The superior denoising performance of deep learning-based EEG denoising methods has attracted increasing attention in EEG artifact removal research. As a result, many deep learning-based denoising methods have been developed and successfully applied in neural engineering areas. However, a systematic review of the techniques and applications in this field is still lacking. To address this gap, this paper reviews recent advances in deep learning-based EEG denoising from four perspectives: technical principle, benchmark dataset, denoising model, and evaluation method. Representative applications in neural signal analysis and BCI decoding are also summarized. Furthermore, the advantage, existing challenge, and future research direction of deep learning-based EEG denoising are discussed. This review aims to provide valuable theoretical insights and technical guidance for researchers. It is also expected to promote further advances and broader applications of deep learning-based EEG denoising techniques.
5.Mechanism of Mitochondrial Dynamics in Chronic Heart Failure and Treatment from Perspective of Yin at Peace and Yang Being Compact
Chang SU ; Peng TIAN ; Kun LIAN ; Weijun LI ; Lichong MENG ; Zizheng WU ; Lin LI ; Zhixi HU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(22):236-246
Chronic heart failure is the terminal stage of various cardiovascular diseases, and its occurrence and progression are closely associated with impaired myocardial energy metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondrial dynamics maintain cardiomyocyte energy homeostasis through fusion, fission, and quality control. Disruption of mitochondrial dynamics may lead to mitochondrial network fragmentation, insufficient adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, enhanced oxidative stress, and activation of ferroptosis. The theory of Yin at peace and Yang being compact originates from the Chapter Discussion on Interrelationship between Life and Nature in the Plain Questions, and emphasizes that the dynamic balance between Yin and Yang is fundamental to normal life activities. According to this theory and mitochondrial dynamics, this paper explores the pathogenic connotations of Yang failing to remain compact and Yin failing to remain at peace in chronic heart failure. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), chronic heart failure is characterized by deficiency in origin and excess in manifestation. Deficiency of heart Qi and Yang is the root, often accompanied by Yang deficiency or Yin deficiency, while blood stasis, phlegm turbidity, and water retention constitute the manifestations. When Yang fails to remain compact, cardiac propulsion becomes weakened and Qi transformation is impaired. When Yin fails to remain at peace, Yin pathogens are generated and Yin essence is consumed. At the microscopic level, imbalance of mitochondrial dynamics is manifested as insufficient mitochondrial fusion, excessive fission, reduced energy production, excessive ROS generation, expansion of the labile iron pool, and accumulation of lipid peroxidation products, which contribute to Yin-Yang imbalance in chronic heart failure. Furthermore, by integrating formula-pattern correspondence and the approach of inferring patterns from formula effects, this paper summarizes the possible molecular phenotypes corresponding to different syndrome elements and syndrome patterns. It further proposes keeping Yang compact and keeping Yin at peace as therapeutic principle for chronic heart failure, aiming to restore energy metabolism homeostasis by regulating mitochondrial dynamics with TCM and to provide new perspectives and ideas for the treatment of chronic heart failure.
6.Value of lung ultrasound monitoring in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children
Lei ZUO ; Yi HUANG ; Lian XUE ; Meng JU ; Wenqi CUI ; Sihan WANG ; Dan SU ; Xin ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2025;34(3):203-209
Objective:To evaluate the lung ultrasound characteristics of mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children and to investigate the value of lung ultrasound monitoring in clinical diagnosis and treatment.Methods:A retrospective analysis of 62 children with mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia admitted to Xi'an Chest Hospital from 7 November to 30 November 2023 was performed,and the characteristic parameters of bedside lung ultrasound and their related clinical data were collected. Pathological lung ultrasound features such as interrupted pleural line,well-spaced B-lines,coalescent B-lines,small subpleural patchy pulmonary consolidation,large pulmonary consolidation and pleural effusion in 12 scan areas of both lungs were observed. The maximum upper and lower diameters,right and left diameters,and anterior and posterior diameters of the large pulmonary consolidations were measured,and the changes in the above signs before and after treatment were measured and compared.Results:In sixty-two children with mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia,including 32 males and 30 females,with a mean age of(8.18 ± 2.05)years old and a mean hospital stay of(8.79 ± 2.93)days,lung ultrasound showed interrupted pleural line,well-spaced B-lines,coalescent B-lines,small subpleural patchy pulmonary consolidation,large pulmonary consolidation and pleural effusion,with the incidence of 93.5%(58 /62),33.9%(21/62),32.3%(20/62),59.7%(37/62),66.1%(41/62)and 17.7%(11/62),respectively,in which the large pulmonary consolidations presented rich blood supply were more common in the L6 and L4 areas,while the pleural effusions were more common in the L6 area.The signs of interrupted pleural line,coalescent B-lines,large pulmonary consolidation and pleural effusion were significantly improved after treatment compared with before treatment(all P<0.05). The upper and lower diameters,left and right diameters,and anterior and posterior diameters of large pulmonary consolidations were significantly reduced after treatment compared with before treatment[(4.19 ± 2.42)cm vs.(2.84 ± 2.31)cm, t=2.613, P=0.011;(2.80 ± 1.82)cm vs.(1.96 ± 1.62)cm, t=2.226, P=0.029;(3.41 ± 2.11)cm vs.(2.12 ± 1.82)cm, t=2.972, P=0.004].With the process of treatment,the dynamic observation of lung ultrasound showed that the well-spaced B-lines/coalescent B-lines gradually decreased until they completely disappeared or a small number of B-lines remained,and the area of the large pulmonary consolidation showed a dynamic downward trend(all P<0.001),and the area of large pulmonary consolidations gradually decreased until they completely disappeared or only small subpleural patchy pulmonary consolidations and well-spaced/coalescent B-lines remained,and at the same time,the pleural effusion gradually absorbed until it disappeared. Conclusions:Lung ultrasound can detect the distribution area of lung lesions,morphology and blood supply characteristics of children with mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia,as well as the dynamic changes after treatment,and lung ultrasound can dynamically monitor and evaluate the progression and regression of the disease in real time,providing a reliable imaging evidence for clinical practice.
7.Quality Analysis and Suggestion of Zukamu Preparation Based on National Drug Sampling and Testing
Shengyun DAI ; Dongxue WU ; Rui WU ; Meng XIAO ; Jie LIU ; Chaojie LIAN ; Xiaoru HU ; Feng WEI ; Jian ZHENG ; Jialiang ZHU
Herald of Medicine 2025;44(10):1600-1605
Objective To examine the quality of Zukamu preparations through the national drug sampling and testing,and further understand their current quality status and existing problems.This work is benefit for improving the quality standard of Zukamu preparations and providing technical support for the drug regulatory authorities.Methods Samples of Zukamu preparations were collected from a total of 29 provinces in China,and were tested for description,identification,other requirements(weight variation,particle size,determination of water,disprsion,and microbial limit items),and assay in accordance with the national pharmaceutical standards.The test data were analyzed to evaluate the quality status of the Zukamu preparations,and exploratory research was carried out to address the problems found in the test.Results A total of 97 batches of Zukamu preparations were sampled,and the passing rate was 100.0%according to the current quality standard.Exploratory study,revealed that Zukamu preparation were subject to 4 testing standards,with uneven test items,missing items,poor operability,and lack of exclusivity in some items.The test based on the existing standards can't comprehensively evaluate the quality of the preparation.Conclusions Based on the national drug sampling and testing,combined with exploratory research on drug safety,authenticity and effectiveness,it is recommended to unify the quality standards of Zukamu preparations by combining with the work of standard improving,revising the identification method of thin-layer chromatography,increasing the content determination,and establishing the quick test method,thereby effectively evaluating and controling the quality of the samples of Zukamu preparations.
8.Predictive value of geriatric nutritional risk index for pulmonary infections in hospitalized elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Mingzhu LIAN ; Changxiao ZHANG ; Kai SHENG ; Meng GUO ; Shuyu FANG
Journal of Shanghai Jiaotong University(Medical Science) 2025;45(4):452-458
Objective·To investigate the predictive value of the geriatric nutritional risk index(GNRI)for the occurrence of lung infection in hospitalized elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Methods·Elderly T2DM patients who were admitted to the Geriatric Department of Shanghai Tongren Hospital between June 2022 and June 2024 were retrospectively and consecutively enrolled.They were divided into infected and non-infected groups according to whether lung infection occurred during hospitalization.Baseline data(gender,age,height,weight,duration of diabetes,comorbidities,etc.)were collected and GNRI was calculated.A multivariate Logistic regression model was used to screen the independent risk factors for pulmonary infections,and the predictive value of GNRI for pulmonary infections in T2DM patients was analysed using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.Results·A total of 264 elderly T2DM patients were enrolled,among whom 154 developed pulmonary infections.Significant differences were observed between the infected and non-infected groups in GNRI,albumin,leukocyte count,neutrophil ratio,lymphocyte ratio,glycated hemoglobin,fasting glucose,interleukin-6,C-reactive protein,and procalcitonin levels(P<0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that a lower GNRI was an independent risk factor for lung infection(OR=0.798,95%CI 0.712?0.894;P<0.001).Correlation analysis showed that GNRI was negatively correlated with C-reactive protein and calcitoninogen.ROC curve analysis showed that GNRI predicted pulmonary infection with an area under the curve of 0.828,a sensitivity of 77.9%,and a specificity of 76.6%.Conclusion·A lower GNRI is an independent risk factor for pulmonary infections in elderly T2DM patients,and also has a good predictive value for the occurrence of pulmonary infections.
9.Motor imagery electroencephalogram signal recognition based on mutual information and adaptive graph convolution
Yelan WU ; Pugang CAO ; Meng XU ; Yue ZHANG ; Xiaoqin LIAN ; Chongchong YU
Chinese Journal of Medical Physics 2025;42(2):232-239
To address the challenges of extracting nonlinear features from motor imagery electroencephalogram(EEG)signals and effectively capturing functional connectivity between EEG channels,a classification and recognition method for motor imagery EEG signals is proposed based on mutual information and adaptive graph convolutional network.The proposed method extracts frequency domain information by sub-frequency banding on the original motor imagery EEG signals,uncovers the nonlinear relationships within EEG signals by an adjacency matrix constructed with mutual information neural estimation method,and finally achieve null-frequency feature extraction by capturing the dynamic correlation strength between channels with an adaptive graph convolutional network incorporating convolutional block attention module.On the BCI Competition Ⅳ 2a and BCI Competition Ⅲ 3a datasets,the proposed method has average accuracies of 83.14%and 88.19%,respectively,demonstrating that it can effectively reveal functional connectivity between EEG channels,providing a new approach for decoding motor imagery EEG signals.
10.Analysis of Chemical Components of Suanzaoren Decoction and Components Absorbed into Blood of Female Rats Based on UHPLC-Q Exactive Orbitrap-MS
Ziyang KONG ; Liang WU ; Wen LI ; Jie HAN ; Chenmin SHENG ; Yuheng LIAN ; Lingdong MENG ; Yunan ZHAO ; Yaoyao BIAN
Journal of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;41(3):375-382
OBJECTIVE To analyze the blood components of Suanzaoren Decoction after oral administration using UHPLC-Q Exactive Orbitrap-MS technology.METHODS Female Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were used as experimental subjects,and Suanza-oren Decoction was administered orally.Serum samples were collected,and the aqueous extract of Suanzaoren Decoction and the serum were analyzed using UHPLC-Q Exactive Orbitrap-MS technology to identify the prototype components and metabolites absorbed into the blood by comparing and analyzing with the LuMet-TCM database.RESULTS It showed that a total of 458 components were iden-tified in the aqueous extract of Suanzaoren Decoction,and 26 chemical components were identified in the blood,including 23 prototype components and 3 metabolites.CONCLUSION The prototype components absorbed into the blood discovered in this study may be the active ingredients of Suanzaoren Decoction,providing a reference for the research on the pharmacodynamic material basis of Suanza-oren Decoction.

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