1.Research progress of cAMP/PKA signaling pathway in glaucoma optic neuropathy
Hongda CUI ; Yu HUANG ; Xin XIA ; Jiangwei LI ; Qinghua PENG
International Eye Science 2025;25(10):1598-1603
Glaucoma is a multifactorial degenerative optic neuropathy, and its irreversible and blinding pathological characteristics mainly come from the damage to the optic nerve, namely glaucomatous optic neuropathy(GON). The difficulty in the treatment of GON lies in the early intervention, and currently there is no optic neuroprotective drug for the treatment of all types of GON. The death of retinal ganglion cells(RGCs)is the core pathological change caused by various pathogenic mechanisms of GON. Recent studies have found that the widespread second messenger cyclic adenosine 3', 5' -monophosphate(cAMP)and its downstream effector protein kinase A(PKA)signal cascade play an important role in the pathogenesis of GON. It can also inhibit the apoptosis of RGCs and play a protective and therapeutic role in glaucoma. Therefore, this article reviews the role of cAMP/PKA pathway in the pathophysiological development of GON, focusing on its effects on glaucoma intraocular pressure regulation, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and optic nerve degeneration, in order to find a common central regulatory target for the optic nerve damage caused by different pathological mechanisms of GON and promote the further understanding and clinical treatment of this disease.
2.Treatment of vitreous opacity based on "turbid pathogen harming the clarity"
Yi LYU ; Yu HUANG ; Yuan ZHONG ; Qinghua PENG
Journal of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;48(4):547-551
The theory of "turbid pathogen harming the clarity" was proposed by YE Tianshi in his book Wenre Lun, which can be applied to clear orifices diseases such as ear, eye, nose, and mouth. Based on the location and characteristics of vitreous opacity, as well as its understanding by medical professionals throughout history, this article points out that the core pathogenesis of vitreous opacity is "turbid pathogen harming the clarity" and the obstruction of the spirit light, and the basic pathogenesis is: unfavorable liver and gallbladder conditions, damp heat accumulation and turbidity; imbalance of middle jiao, qi deficiency leading to turbidity; kidney failure with yang deficiency, stagnant water and fluids; and stagnation entering the collaterals for an extended time, causing blockage and turbidity. And based on the pathogenesis of "turbid pathogen harming the clarity" , corresponding treatment principles are proposed: soothing liver and promoting bile flow, clearing heat and eliminating turbidity; cultivating soil to produce gold, enhancing clarity and reducing turbidity; tonifying kidney and promoting yang, warming and dispelling turbid pathogens; and removing blood stasis and activating collaterals, dispelling turbidity and unblocking the orifices. Based on the theory of "turbid pathogen harming the clarity" , this article summarizes the pathogenesis and treatment of vitreous opacity, in order to provide new ideas for traditional Chinese medicine treatment of this disease.
3.Circulating tumor DNA- and cancer tissue-based next-generation sequencing reveals comparable consistency in targeted gene mutations for advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
Weijia HUANG ; Kai XU ; Zhenkun LIU ; Yifeng WANG ; Zijia CHEN ; Yanyun GAO ; Renwang PENG ; Qinghua ZHOU
Chinese Medical Journal 2025;138(7):851-858
BACKGROUND:
Molecular subtyping is an essential complementarity after pathological analyses for targeted therapy. This study aimed to investigate the consistency of next-generation sequencing (NGS) results between circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA)-based and tissue-based in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and identify the patient characteristics that favor ctDNA testing.
METHODS:
Patients who diagnosed with NSCLC and received both ctDNA- and cancer tissue-based NGS before surgery or systemic treatment in Lung Cancer Center, Sichuan University West China Hospital between December 2017 and August 2022 were enrolled. A 425-cancer panel with a HiSeq 4000 NGS platform was used for NGS. The unweighted Cohen's kappa coefficient was employed to discriminate the high-concordance group from the low-concordance group with a cutoff value of 0.6. Six machine learning models were used to identify patient characteristics that relate to high concordance between ctDNA-based and tissue-based NGS.
RESULTS:
A total of 85 patients were enrolled, of which 22.4% (19/85) had stage III disease and 56.5% (48/85) had stage IV disease. Forty-four patients (51.8%) showed consistent gene mutation types between ctDNA-based and tissue-based NGS, while one patient (1.2%) tested negative in both approaches. Patients with advanced diseases and metastases to other organs would be suitable for the ctDNA-based NGS, and the generalized linear model showed that T stage, M stage, and tumor mutation burden were the critical discriminators to predict the consistency of results between ctDNA-based and tissue-based NGS.
CONCLUSION
ctDNA-based NGS showed comparable detection performance in the targeted gene mutations compared with tissue-based NGS, and it could be considered in advanced or metastatic NSCLC.
Humans
;
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/pathology*
;
Circulating Tumor DNA/blood*
;
High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods*
;
Female
;
Male
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Lung Neoplasms/pathology*
;
Middle Aged
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Mutation/genetics*
;
Aged
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Adult
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Aged, 80 and over
4.Analysis of the characteristics of newly-diagnosed occupational diseases among female workers in Foshan City, 2013-2023
Zhiheng XU ; Qinghua ZHONG ; Yongshun HUANG ; Na DENG ; Yingqing XIE ; Qiang TAN
China Occupational Medicine 2024;51(3):336-340
Objective To analyze the characteristics of newly-diagnosed occupational diseases among female workers in Foshan City from 2013 to 2023. MethodsClinical data of newly-diagnosed occupational diseases among female workers in Foshan City from 2013 to 2023 were collected from the "Occupational Disease and Hazardous Detection Information System" subsystem of the "China Disease Prevention and Control Information System", and their distribution characteristics were analyzed using descriptive epidemiology. Results A total of 218 cases of newly-diagnosed occupational diseases among female workers in Foshan City were reported from 2013 to 2023, categorized into seven categories and 17 types. The median age and median length of exposure to occupational hazards among female workers were 45.1 and 7.8 years, respectively. The top three categories of newly-diagnosed cases were occupational diseases of the ear, nose, throat, and oral cavity (90 cases, all related to occupational noise-induced hearing loss), occupational chemical poisoning (61 cases), and occupational pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases (51 cases, including 50 cases with occupational pneumoconiosis). The newly-diagnosed cases were concentrated in Nanhai District, Shunde District, and Gaoming District, accounting for 75.2%. The newly-diagnosed cases were found in non-metallic mineral products manufacturing industry, metal products industry, and electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing industry, accounting for 50.9%. Enterprises of newly-diagnosed cases were mainly distributed in private enterprises and foreign-invested enterprises, accounting for 80.3%. The scale of enterprises of newly-diagnosed cases was mainly small- and medium-sized, accounting for 79.4%. Among the 218 cases, there were 21 cluster cases, involving 16 cases of occupational silicosis and five cases of occupational acute n-hexane poisoning, involving six manufacture industries, with 81.3% cases worked in sanitary ceramic products industry. Conclusion Occupational noise-induced deafness should be listed as a key occupational disease for female workers in Foshan City. Attention should be paid to the prevention of occupational diseases among middle-aged female workers in the non-metallic mineral products industry and small and medium-sized enterprises, and the cluster outbreaks of occupational pneumoconiosis.
5.The modulating of Qingguang’an II Formula on gut microbiota in mice with chronic high intraocular pressure by 16S rDNA sequencing
ZHOU Yasha ; GAO Wenyong ; HUANG Yu ; XIA Xin ; XIAO Li ; DENG Ying ; PENG Qinghua ; PENG Jun
Digital Chinese Medicine 2024;7(4):332-342
Methods:
A total of 10 specific pathogen free (SPF) grade female DBA/2J mice were randomly divided into model group and QGA II group (n = 5 for each group), while additional 5 SPF-grade female C57BL/6J mice were assigned to control group. Mice presented spontaneous high IOP and showed elevated approximately at the age of seven months. The high IOP was maintained until week 38, when gavage was initiated. Mice in control group underwent the same intragastric treatment, while those in QGA II group were gavaged with QGA II (9.67 g/kg), once a day for four weeks. Retinal morphology was examined using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, with the number of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) counted. The expression level of Brn3a protein, a specific marker for RGCs, was detected by immunofluorescence, with the mean optical density (OD) measured for quantitative analysis. In addition, 16S rDNA sequencing was leveraged to analyze changes in the diversity of gut microbiota, including their α-diversity (Chao1, Shannon, Pielou’s evenness, and observed species index) and β-diversity. Venn diagrams and linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis was employed to investigate the number of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), the abundance of differential gut microbiota species, and the classification of species at both the phylum and genus levels within the three groups of mice.
Results:
HE staining revealed that compared with control group, model group showed significant reduction in the number of RGCs (P < 0.01), with intracellular vacuolar degeneration and nuclear pyknosis. After QGA II treatment, the number of RGCs was significantly increased compared with model group (P < 0.01), with notable improvements in intracellular vacuolar degeneration. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that the mean OD of Brn3a protein was significantly decreased in model group compared with control group (P < 0.01), while QGA II treatment significantly elevated its expression level (P < 0.01). Analysis of α-diversity showed that after QGA II intervention, the Chao1, Shannon, and Pielou’s evenness indices were significantly increased (P < 0.01), and the observed species index was elevated (P < 0.05). β-Diversity analysis demonstrated distinct clustering among the three groups, indicating relatively low similarity in bacterial community structures. ASV clustering identified a total of 14 061 ASVs across all groups, with 9 514 ASVs shared between model and QGA II groups. At the phylum level, the abundance of Bacteroidetes was significantly decreased in model group compared with control group (P < 0.01), while Firmicutes and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio were significantly increased (P < 0.01). QGA II treatment significantly reduced both Firmicutes abundance and the F/B ratio (P < 0.01). At the genus level, Lactobacillus was dominant across all groups, with its abundance significantly increased in model group (P < 0.01) and subsequently decreased following QGA II intervention (P < 0.05).
Conclusion
QGA II restructured the gut microbiota of DBA/2J mice with chronic high IOP, bringing changes in their diversity and abundance of components. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Lactobacillus, along with their associated microorganisms, are likely critical components of the gut microbiota that contribute to the optic neuroprotective effects of QGA II on chronic high IOP mice.
6.Exploration on the Pathogenesis of Micro-inflammatory State in Chronic Heart Failure Based on the Theory of"Deficiency Qi Retention"and Its TCM Prevention and Treatment
Qinghua ZENG ; Jiaming WEI ; Ziyan WANG ; Aisi HUANG ; Zhihua GUO
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;31(2):11-15
Chronic heart failure(CHF)is a common and frequent clinical condition with complex pathogenesis.The micro-inflammatory state exists in the development of CHF and is manifested by a continuous increase in inflammatory proteins and inflammatory cytokines in the circulation,affecting the body's metabolism and immune function.Micro-inflammatory state of CHF belongs to the syndrome of deficiency in nature and excess in superficiality in the TCM field.The basic pathogenesis of CHF is"deficiency qi retention";the nature is the deficiency of heart energy and the superficiality is retention of qi,blood stagnation,phlegm,water and dampness,with"deficiency,stagnation and water"running throughout the disease.Therefore,based on the theory of"deficiency qi retention",this article took"reinforcing deficiency and removing stagnation"as its basic treatment method,regulated the body's immunity and inflammatory indicators such as serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein,tumor necrosis factor-α,in order to alleviate the micro-inflammatory state,which is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of CHF.
7.Synthesis and antifungal activity of albumen-derived nano-FeS against Nosema ceranae
Haodong WU ; Hao SUN ; Le CHEN ; Can HUANG ; Shang CHENG ; Lijing CAO ; Qinghua WANG
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2024;44(7):1418-1429
Based on the isolation and identification of Nosema ceranae(N.ceranae)in honeybees,this study optimized the synthesis method of nano-FeS derived from albumen and explored in vitro and in vivo antifungal effects against N.ceranae.Pathogens were isolated from infected honeybee colonies and identified as N.ceranae using morphological and molecular biology techniques.In vitro experiments were conducted to confirm the antifungal effects of nano-FeS against N.ceranae and elucidate the mechanism.In vivo experiments were carried out to validate the therapeutic effects of nano-FeS against N.ceranae infection.Nano-FeS was synthesized using the solvothermal method with an optimal scheme determined through orthogonal experiments,with an average par-ticle size of 75 nm.Flow cytometry and fluorescence staining experiments confirmed that nano-FeS induced apoptosis and necrosis in N.ceranae.After N.ceranae was exposed to nano-FeS,intracellu-lar iron accumulation,disruption of the glutathione and glutathione peroxidase antioxidant system,and subsequent ROS accumulation were observed,ultimately leading to lipid peroxidation of cell membranes.In vivo experiments demonstrated reduced mortality and decreased spore counts in the midgut of honeybees fed with nano-FeS.Transcriptome analysis and qPCR revealed the impact of nano-FeS on gene expression in the N.ceranae infected honeybee midgut.This study presented a promising alternative antifungal agent for N.ceranae infection in honeybees and elucidated the an-tifungal mechanism of nano-FeS related to ferroptosis.Additionally,the study found a positive cor-relation between the mass concentration of nano-FeS and its antifungal effectiveness against N.ceranae.
8.Differentiation and Treatment of Fungal Keratitis with the Method of Removing Turbidity and Supporting Healthy Qi Based on the Theory of Incubative Pathogenic Factors
Yi LYU ; Yuan ZHONG ; Yu HUANG ; Jun PENG ; Qinghua PENG
Chinese Journal of Information on Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;31(11):175-179
The author believes that incubative pathogenic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of fungal keratitis.Based on the theory of incubative pathogenic factors,this article analyzed that fungal keratitis often affects the circulation of qi and blood due to the accumulation of dampness and toxin on the surface of the eyes,which obstructs the qi movement.Over time,the blood deteriorates and the flesh rots,presenting a polluted state.It also pointed out that the essence of the deep accumulation of pathogenic factors lies in the deficiency of healthy qi.In response to the above pathogenesis,this article proposed that removing turbidity and supporting healthy qi should be integrated throughout the entire treatment process of this disease:for patients with severe damage to the healthy qi,priority should be to protect the healthy qi.If there is no obvious damage to the healthy qi,or the toxicity is mild,the treatment can be used directly to avoid impurities and turbidity.And based on the pathogenic characteristics of incubative dampness and incubative pathogenic factors,specific treatment methods such as promoting qi circulation,removing turbidity and unblocking collaterals,and warming yang and supporting healthy qi were proposed for balance and selection,in order to improve the prognosis of the disease.
9.Mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1 alleviating testicular injury induced by heat stress in mice
Yinhu HUANG ; Ziling WANG ; Kunhang DU ; Cheng WANG ; Caihong HUANG ; Ting YANG ; Han WEI ; Honghui JIANG ; Lu WANG ; Qinghua ZHANG ; Yaping WANG
Journal of Army Medical University 2024;46(10):1123-1131
Objective To explore the mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1 in alleviating heat stress-induced testicular injury in mice.Methods A total of 20 C57BL/6 male mice(6~8 weeks old)were randomly divided into 4 groups(n=5).The mice from the control group and heat stress(HS)group were intraperitoneally injected with 10 mL/(kg·d)0.9%normal saline for 14 d,while those in the HS+Rg1 group and the Rg1 group were given an intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/(kg·d)for 14 d,and then on the 7th day after administration,the mice in the HS group and the HS+Rg1 group had the lower abdomen put into a 43 ℃ water bath for 30 min as a single heat stress after being anesthetized with 4%chloral hydrate.Mouse spermatocytes GC-2spd(ts)were divided into control group(routine culture for 48 h),HS group(placed in a 43 ℃ water bath for 30 min after 36 h of conventional culture,and cultured till the end of 48 h),HS+Rg1 group(50 μmol/L Rg1 treatment followed by heat stress injury),and Rg1 group(no heat stress injury).In 1 d after modeling,the eyeball blood samples were collected to detect serum testosterone with ELISA,and the testicles were extracted to observe the morphology and weighed to calculate the testicular index.HE staining was used to observe the histopathology of testis,and corresponding reagents and kits was employed to detect the content of malondialdehyde(MDA)and activities of catalase(CAT)and superoxide dismutase(SOD)in testis tissue.After the epididymal sperm were collected,the sperm concentration and motility were analyzed by computer-assisted sperm analysis(CASA)system.In in vitro experiments,cell apoptosis was detected with TUNEL staining,the protein levels of Nrf2,Keap1,HO-1,Bax,Bcl-2 and Caspase3 were detected with Western blotting,and the mRNA levels of GCLC,GCLM and NQO1 were detected by RT-qPCR.Results Rg1 prevented the decreases in testicular weight and testicular index caused by heat stress,reduced the damage of testicular tissue structure,prevented the decrease of sperm concentration and vitality,antagonized the decreasd number of Leydig cells and serum testosterone level,reduced the accumulation of MDA in testicular tissue,and enhanced the activities of CAT and SOD.Rg1 treatment alleviated the apoptosis of GC-2spd(ts)cells,down-regulated the expression of Bax,Caspase3 and Keap1 proteins,enhanced the expression of Bcl-2,Nrf2 and HO-1 proteins,and increased the transcriptional levels of Nrf2 target genes GCLC,GCLM and NQO1.Conclusion Rg1 has no significant effect on the structure and function of mouse testes,but it can effectively improve the ability of mouse testes to resist heat stress injury,which may be related to the activation of Nrf2 signaling pathway,the improvement of antioxidant enzyme activity,and the reduction of apoptosis of spermatogenic cells.
10.Preliminary application of virtual reality for pain management in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis-related procedures
Sixiu CHEN ; Jianbo LI ; Jianwen YU ; Yujun ZHOU ; Youqi LI ; Xiaojie LIN ; Naya HUANG ; Zhong ZHONG ; Yunuo WANG ; Jianying LI ; Qinghua LIU ; Haiping MAO ; Fengxian HUANG ; Wei CHEN
Chinese Journal of Nephrology 2024;40(7):520-525
Objective:To investigate the application of virtual reality (VR) technology on intraoperative pain in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD)-related procedures with local infiltration anesthesia and the satisfaction.Methods:It was a single-center, prospective, concurrent controlled study. Patients were divided into two groups: VR group and control group. In the VR group, patients wore a VR headset to watch soothing audio and video content during surgery, while the control group underwent routine procedures. Intraoperative pain and satisfaction were assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS) and a 5-point satisfaction scale within 30 minutes of surgery. In addition, tolerance of the VR experience in the VR group was assessed using the VR sickness questionnaire.Results:A total of 43 patients were included in the study, including 25 males (58.1%). Chronic glomerulonephritis [17 cases (39.5%)] and diabetic nephropathy [6 cases (14.0%)] were the main primary diseases. There were 23 cases in the control group and 20 cases in the VR group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in age, sex ratio, proportion of primary disease, diabetes, hypertension, distribution of operation methods, preoperative vital signs and operation time (all P>0.05). VAS pain score was significantly lower in the VR group than that in the control group (5.90±2.38 vs. 7.43±1.67, t=2.469, P=0.018). The percentage of patients who were satisfied was 89.5% (17/19) in the VR group and 78.3% (18/23) in the control group, but there was no significant difference (chi-square test for continuity correction, χ2=0.308, P=0.579). Three patients in the VR group withdrew from the study due to severe discomfort, while the remaining participants found the VR experience to be tolerable. Common adverse effects included fatigue and blurred vision. Conclusions:The application of VR technology in PD-related procedures has been effective in reducing intraoperative pain when combined with local infiltration anesthesia. Furthermore, the utilization of VR technology in PD-related procedures is associated with a safe and tolerable outcome, despite the observation of some adverse effects.


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