1.Mechanisms of Tripterygium wilfordii and Its Active Ingredients in Treatment of Diabetic Kidney Disease: A Review
Peidong ZHAO ; Yanyan GUO ; Xiangge REN ; Jiawei ZHANG ; Wensheng ZHAI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(7):352-362
Diabetic kidney disease (DKD), a common complication of diabetes mellitus, is a leading global cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Current therapeutic strategies primarily focus on symptomatic management but exhibit limited efficacy in halting disease progression to ESRD, and some drugs carry non-negligible toxic side effects. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history in treating DKD, with single TCM and TCM compounds demonstrating unique advantages in multi-target, multi-pathway, and multi-effect therapeutic interventions. Tripterygium wilfordii (TW), known for its effects in promoting blood circulation, dredging collaterals, dispelling wind, removing dampness, reducing swelling, and alleviating pain, contains bioactive components such as Tripterygium glycosides (TWG), triptolide (TPL), tripdiolide (TPD), and celastrol (CEL). The active ingredients possess various functions, including regulating immune-inflammatory balance, ameliorating renal fibrosis and glomerulosclerosis, combating oxidative stress, protecting podocytes, and improving glucose and lipid metabolism, all of which play a significant role in the treatment of DKD. This review summarized the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of T. wilfordii and its active ingredients on DKD, aiming to provide insights for clinical management and novel drug development of DKD.
2.Effect of Echinacea purpurea extract on digestive ability and intestinal barrier function of Bamei ternary pigs
Zixin CHEN ; Hua WU ; Wensheng WANG ; Jiayi LIU ; Jiewei SHEN ; Long LI ; Guohong ZHAO ; Shulei MA
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(7):1525-1534
The aim of the experiment was to study the effects of Echinacea purpurea extract on the digestive ability,immune function and intestinal barrier of the Bamei ternary pigs.Forty-eight healthy pigs of 50 days old were randomly divided into four groups,each with three replicates and four pigs in each replicate.The control group(CON)was fed a basal diet,and the experimental group was divided into 5 g/kg(T1),10 g/kg(T2)and 15 g/kg(T3)of Echinacea extract in the basal diet.The pre-test period was 5 days and the main test period was 35 days with free feeding and drinking during the test period.The results showed that:There was no significant effect on the apparent digestibility of nutrients and jejunum morphology in the test group compared to the CON group(P>0.05).Amylase and trypsin activities were significantly higher in the experimental group and lipase activities were significantly higher in T2 and T3 groups compared to CON group(P<0.05).GSH,CAT and T-AOC activities were significantly higher in the experimental group compared to CON group(P<0.05).In comparison with CON group,the levels of IL-1 and IL-6 were significantly lower in the experimental group(P<0.05),and the levels of TNF-α were significantly lower in the T2 and T3 groups(P<0.05);and the levels of IL-10 were signifi-cantly higher in the T3 group(P<0.05).The mRNA and protein expression levels of TLR4,MyD88,TRAF6,and NF-κB were significantly lower in the experimental group(P<0.05).The mRNA and protein expression levels of CLDN-1,OCLN and ZO-1 were significantly increased in the test group(P<0.05).The results between the test groups showed that the protein expression levels of CLDN-1 and OCLN were significantly increased in the T3 group compared with the T1 group(P<0.05).In conclusion,the addition of Echinacea extract to the ration can,to a certain ex-tent,improve the digestive ability,balance the immune ability,and improve the intestinal barrier function of the Bamei ternary pigs,thus promoting the intestinal health of pigs.
3.Characteristics of wh-question syntactic deficits in patients with Chinese non-fluent aphasia
Xiaoxi KANG ; Zongyun ZHANG ; Xiao LANG ; Wensheng ZHAO ; HaKyung KIM ; Yongli WANG ; Zhaoming HUANG
Journal of Audiology and Speech Pathology 2025;33(3):211-215
Objective To study the syntactic impairment characteristics of wh-question comprehension and expression in Chinese non-fluent aphasic patients.Methods The differences in comprehension and expression be-tween 25 non-fluent aphasic patients and 25 normal subjects were tested in the form of sentence-figure matching and elicitation-repetition to analyze syntactic impairment characteristics related to sentence patterns,question objects,and question words.Results The patients with non-fluent aphasia had impaired comprehension and expression of specific interrogative sentences,and the order of correct comprehension was:(active interrogative sentence,object pseudo-split interrogative sentence)>(subject pseudo-split interrogative sentence,passive interrogative sentence),and the order of correct expression was:active interrogative sentence>(pseudo-split interrogative sentence,pas-sive interrogative sentence).Conclusion The pattern of impaired comprehension and expression of wh-question was similar in patients with Chinese non-fluent aphasia.The main influences on syntactic structure included the object of questioning(subject-object)and the type of sentence.Obstacles were more pronounced in sentences with wh-move-ment and non-canonical order.
4.Correlation between voice fatigue index and subjective and objective degrees of voice impairment
HaKyung KIM ; Xiaoxi KANG ; Wensheng ZHAO ; Xiaoyu WANG ; Bin YI ; Qingsu ZHANG
Journal of Audiology and Speech Pathology 2025;33(4):324-327
Objective To investigate the correlation between voice fatigue index(VFI)and the subjective and objective assessment results of voice impairment.Methods Fifty-one patients with voice disorders and 48 normal subjects were selected for VFI assessment and comparison of the differences in scores between the two groups.Sub-jective voice handicap index(VHI)and objective acoustic assessment were performed on the patients with voice dis-orders to analyze the correlation between VFI scores and the results of subjective and objective assessment of voice disorders.Results There was significant difference of the VFI scores between the voice disorder patients and the control group,with the total VFI score,part Ⅰ and part Ⅱ scores higher than those of control group,and the partⅢ score lower than those of the control group(P<0.05),and there was a strong correlation between the total and part VFI scores and the total and part VHI scores(P<0.05 or P<0.01).The VFI part Ⅰ and part Ⅱ scores were regatively correlated with the I-low(P<0.05),but there was not a significant correlation with the other acoustics parameters and the dysphonia severity index(DSI)(P>0.05).Conclusion Voice fatigue symptoms were more prominent in the voice-impaired population,and the VFI score was significantly correlated with the subjective voice disorder severity,but the correlation with the objective acoustic parameters was not significant.
5.Laryngeal diadochokinesis in children with functional articulation disorders
Tianyi HUANG ; Xiaoyu WANG ; Wensheng ZHAO ; Hakyung KIM ; Hengxin LIU
Journal of Audiology and Speech Pathology 2025;33(4):316-319
Objective To investigate the characteristics of laryngeal diadochokinesis(LDDK)in children with functional articulation disorder(FAD)using different corpus.Methods A total of 23 children with FAD and 21 typically developing(TD)children,aged 4-6,from Shanghai's general kindergartens were recruited.Five types of acoustic parameters were collected:average rate and jitter(%)of LDDK(/?a/,/ha/,/??/,/h?/),the diadochoki-nesis rate(/pataka/),the jitter and shimmer of the vowel/a/,maximum phonation time(MPT).Differences across different corpora of the LDDK were analyzed between the two groups.Results ① Between-group compari-son:the rate of/?a/was significantly lower in FAD children than in TD children(P<0.05).② Different corpora comparison:the LDDK speed of/?a/-/ha/was significantly different for both groups,/?a/-/??/was significantly different in TD children,and/ha/-/h?/was significantly different in FAD children.The LDDK jitter of/ha/-/h?/was significantly different among FAD children.Conclusion The LDDK of children with FAD is weaker than the TD children,and both groups exhibiting varying abilities across different corpora.
6.Characteristics of wh-question syntactic deficits in patients with Chinese non-fluent aphasia
Xiaoxi KANG ; Zongyun ZHANG ; Xiao LANG ; Wensheng ZHAO ; HaKyung KIM ; Yongli WANG ; Zhaoming HUANG
Journal of Audiology and Speech Pathology 2025;33(3):211-215
Objective To study the syntactic impairment characteristics of wh-question comprehension and expression in Chinese non-fluent aphasic patients.Methods The differences in comprehension and expression be-tween 25 non-fluent aphasic patients and 25 normal subjects were tested in the form of sentence-figure matching and elicitation-repetition to analyze syntactic impairment characteristics related to sentence patterns,question objects,and question words.Results The patients with non-fluent aphasia had impaired comprehension and expression of specific interrogative sentences,and the order of correct comprehension was:(active interrogative sentence,object pseudo-split interrogative sentence)>(subject pseudo-split interrogative sentence,passive interrogative sentence),and the order of correct expression was:active interrogative sentence>(pseudo-split interrogative sentence,pas-sive interrogative sentence).Conclusion The pattern of impaired comprehension and expression of wh-question was similar in patients with Chinese non-fluent aphasia.The main influences on syntactic structure included the object of questioning(subject-object)and the type of sentence.Obstacles were more pronounced in sentences with wh-move-ment and non-canonical order.
7.Consensus on informed consent for orthodontic treatment
Yang CAO ; Bing FANG ; Zuolin JIN ; Hong HE ; Yuxing BAI ; Lin WANG ; Haiping LU ; Zhihe ZHAO ; Tianmin XU ; Weiran LI ; Min HU ; Jinlin SONG ; Jun WANG ; Fang JIN ; Ding BAI ; Xianglong HAN ; Yuehua LIU ; Bin YAN ; Jie GUO ; Jiejun SHI ; Yongming LI ; Zhihua LI ; Xiuping WU ; Jiangtian HU ; Linyu XU ; Lin LIU ; Yi LIU ; Yanqin LU ; Wensheng MA ; Shuixue MO ; Liling REN ; Shuxia CUI ; Yongjie FAN ; Jianguang XU ; Lulu XU ; Zhijun ZHENG ; Peijun WANG ; Rui ZOU ; Chufeng LIU ; Lunguo XIA ; Li HU ; Weicai WANG ; Liping WU ; Xiaoxing KOU ; Jiali TAN ; Yuanbo LIU ; Bowen MENG ; Yuantao HAO ; Lili CHEN
Chinese Journal of Stomatology 2025;60(12):1327-1336
This consensus was developed by the Orthodontic Society of the Chinese Stomatological Association to provide a systematic, scientific, and practical guideline for informed consent in orthodontic care. Orthodontic treatment is typically lengthy, highly individualized, and involves multiple factors such as growth and development, occlusal function, and facial esthetics. Rapid technological advances and diverse risk profiles make the traditional reliance on orthodontist experience or institutional templates insufficient to ensure patients′ full understanding and autonomous decision-making. To address this, the expert panel conducted extensive reviews of domestic and international guidelines, analyzed representative dispute cases, and performed multicenter patient-clinician surveys. Using a multi-round Delphi method, the group established a standardized informed consent framework covering the initial consultation, treatment, and retention phases. The consensus emphasizes that informed consent is not only a fundamental legal and ethical requirement but also a key step in building trust, improving patient compliance, and enhancing treatment satisfaction. Orthodontists should clearly and comprehensively explain treatment plans, potential risks, uncertainties, and associated costs, while respecting the autonomy of patients or guardians, and maintain continuous communication and dynamic evaluation throughout the treatment process. The release of this consensus provides unified and authoritative guidance for clinical orthodontics, helping to standardize informed consent, enhance its transparency, safeguard patient rights, reduce medical risks, and promote high-quality, sustainable development of orthodontic practice.
8.A Study of Nasalance Characteristics of School Children in Tibet under Different Test Materials
Yanjing CAO ; Wensheng ZHAO ; Xiaoyu WANG ; HaKyung KIM ; Lamu QUNI
Journal of Audiology and Speech Pathology 2025;33(1):59-61
Objective To develop Tibetan nasalance test materials,and to determine the normal range of na-salance in Tibetan-speaking children,and to investigate the characteristics of nasalance in Tibetan schoolchildren in different Chinese and Tibetan corpora.Methods Three corpora,including three Chinese test sentences,three Ti-betan test materials,and three Tibetan rhymes,were selected to test the nasalance of 50 children(7~12 years old)in the context of Tibetan as their mother tongue in the Tibetan region during pronunciation.Results Differences in nasalance between Chinese and Tibetan nasal sentences were statistically significant(P<0.01)and lower in Tibetan than in Chinese among Tibetan schoolchildren.The mean nasalance of Tibetan rhymes showed/i/>/u/>/a/.Na-sal sentences of Tibetan corpus,oral sentences,oral-nasal sentences and Tibetan rhyming/i/had statistically signif-icant differences in nasalance between genders(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Conclusion When assessing the nasalance of Tibetan schoolchildren with Tibetan,a special dialect of Tibetan,as their mother tongue and main language of com-munication in Tibet,the choice of corpus is one of the important factors influencing the nasalance in addition to age and gender,and the application of the Tibetan corpus provides important reference information for the phonological assessment of Tibetan children with nasal resonance disorders.
9.Gut microbiota and osteoporotic fractures
Wensheng ZHAO ; Xiaolin LI ; Changhua PENG ; Jia DENG ; Hao SHENG ; Hongwei CHEN ; Chaoju ZHANG ; Chuan HE
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(6):1296-1304
BACKGROUND:Osteoporotic fracture is the most serious complication of osteoporosis.Previous studies have demonstrated that gut microbiota has a regulatory effect on skeletal tissue and that gut microbiota has an important relationship with osteoporotic fracture,but the causal relationship between the two is unclear. OBJECTIVE:To explore the causal relationship between gut microbiota and osteoporotic fractures using Mendelian randomization method. METHODS:The genome-wide association study(GWAS)datasets of gut microbiota and osteoporotic fracture were obtained from the IEU Open GWAS database and the Finnish database R9,respectively.Using gut microbiota as the exposure factor and osteoporotic fracture as the outcome variable,Mendelian randomization analyses with random-effects inverse variance weighted,MR-Egger regression,weighted median,simple model,and weighted model methods were performed to assess whether there is a causal relationship between gut microbiota and osteoporotic fracture.Sensitivity analyses were performed to test the reliability and robustness of the results.Reverse Mendelian randomization analyses were performed to further validate the causal relationship identified in the forward Mendelian randomization analyses. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The results of this Mendelian randomization analysis indicated a causal relationship between gut microbiota and osteoporotic fracture.Elevated abundance of Actinomycetales[odds ratio(OR)=1.562,95%confidence interval(CI):1.027-2.375,P=0.037),Actinomycetaceae(OR=1.561,95%CI:1.027-2.374,P=0.037),Actinomyces(OR=1.544,95%CI:1.130-2.110,P=0.006),Butyricicoccus(OR=1.781,95%CI:1.194-2.657,P=0.005),Coprococcus 2(OR=1.550,95%CI:1.068-2.251,P=0.021),Family ⅩⅢ UCG-001(OR=1.473,95%CI:1.001-2.168,P=0.049),Methanobrevibacter(OR=1.274,95%CI:1.001-1.621,P=0.049),and Roseburia(OR=1.429,95%CI:1.015-2.013,P=0.041)would increase the risk of osteoporotic fractures in patients.Elevated abundance of Bacteroidia(OR=0.660,95%CI:0.455-0.959,P=0.029),Bacteroidales(OR=0.660,95%CI:0.455-0.959,P=0.029),Christensenellacea(OR=0.725,95%CI:0.529-0.995,P=0.047),Ruminococcaceae(OR=0.643,95%CI:0.443-0.933,P=0.020),Enterorhabdus(OR=0.558,95%CI:0.395-0.788,P=0.001),Eubacterium rectale group(OR=0.631,95%CI:0.435-0.916,P=0.016),Lachnospiraceae UCG008(OR=0.738,95%CI:0.546-0.998,P=0.048),and Ruminiclostridium 9(OR=0.492,95%CI:0.324-0.746,P=0.001)would reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures in patients.We identified 16 gut microbiota associated with osteoporotic fracture by the Mendelian randomization method.That is,using gut microbiota as the exposure factor and osteoporotic fracture as the outcome variable,eight gut microbiota showed positive causal associations with osteoporotic fracture and another eight gut microbiota showed negative causal associations with osteoporotic fracture.The results of this study not only identify new biomarkers for the early prediction of osteoporotic fracture and potential therapeutic targets in clinical practice,but also provide an experimental basis and theoretical basis for the study of improving the occurrence and prognosis of osteoporotic fracture through gut microbiota in bone tissue engineering.
10.Effect of Echinacea purpurea extract on digestive ability and intestinal barrier function of Bamei ternary pigs
Zixin CHEN ; Hua WU ; Wensheng WANG ; Jiayi LIU ; Jiewei SHEN ; Long LI ; Guohong ZHAO ; Shulei MA
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(7):1525-1534
The aim of the experiment was to study the effects of Echinacea purpurea extract on the digestive ability,immune function and intestinal barrier of the Bamei ternary pigs.Forty-eight healthy pigs of 50 days old were randomly divided into four groups,each with three replicates and four pigs in each replicate.The control group(CON)was fed a basal diet,and the experimental group was divided into 5 g/kg(T1),10 g/kg(T2)and 15 g/kg(T3)of Echinacea extract in the basal diet.The pre-test period was 5 days and the main test period was 35 days with free feeding and drinking during the test period.The results showed that:There was no significant effect on the apparent digestibility of nutrients and jejunum morphology in the test group compared to the CON group(P>0.05).Amylase and trypsin activities were significantly higher in the experimental group and lipase activities were significantly higher in T2 and T3 groups compared to CON group(P<0.05).GSH,CAT and T-AOC activities were significantly higher in the experimental group compared to CON group(P<0.05).In comparison with CON group,the levels of IL-1 and IL-6 were significantly lower in the experimental group(P<0.05),and the levels of TNF-α were significantly lower in the T2 and T3 groups(P<0.05);and the levels of IL-10 were signifi-cantly higher in the T3 group(P<0.05).The mRNA and protein expression levels of TLR4,MyD88,TRAF6,and NF-κB were significantly lower in the experimental group(P<0.05).The mRNA and protein expression levels of CLDN-1,OCLN and ZO-1 were significantly increased in the test group(P<0.05).The results between the test groups showed that the protein expression levels of CLDN-1 and OCLN were significantly increased in the T3 group compared with the T1 group(P<0.05).In conclusion,the addition of Echinacea extract to the ration can,to a certain ex-tent,improve the digestive ability,balance the immune ability,and improve the intestinal barrier function of the Bamei ternary pigs,thus promoting the intestinal health of pigs.

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