1.Macrophage autophagy in lung diseases:two-sided effects
Huijuan YOU ; Shuzhen WU ; Rong RONG ; Liyuan CHEN ; Yuqing ZHAO ; Qinglu WANG ; Xiaowei OU ; Fengying YANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2026;30(6):1516-1526
BACKGROUND:Macrophages play a key role in the occurrence and progression of lung diseases,and autophagy plays an important role in maintaining environmental homeostasis and functional stability in macrophages.It has been suggested that macrophage autophagic activity has two sides in lung inflammatory diseases.OBJECTIVE:To summarize the relationship between macrophage autophagy and lung diseases,thereby providing reference for exploring the prevention and treatment strategies of lung inflammatory diseases by targeting macrophage autophagy.METHODS:Literature retrieval was performed in CNKI and PubMed for relevant literature published from database inception to September 2024.The search terms were"macrophage autophagy,efferocytosis,macrophage polarization,acute lung injury,pneumonia,chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,pulmonary fibrosis,asthma"in Chinese and English,respectively.The search results were included or excluded based on the selection criteria,and 100 papers that met the criteria were finally included in the review.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The obstruction of autophagy flow will induce the polarization imbalance of macrophages and impair their efferocytosis,resulting in the increase of M1 macrophages and aggravating inflammation.(2)The judgment of autophagic activity should be based on whether the autophagy flow is smooth or not,and it is essential to evaluate the degradation ability of autophagy.Some studies failed to comprehensively detect the degradation ability of autophagy lysosomes to assess whether the autophagy flow is unobtrusive.As a result,the so-called two-sided view of pulmonary macrophage autophagy in pulmonary inflammatory diseases in such studies is actually related to the one-sided judgment of autophagy activity.(3)The pathological manifestations vary across different pulmonary diseases and even at different stages of the same disease.Activation of macrophage autophagy plays a positive role in regulating pulmonary inflammatory homeostasis in conditions such as acute lung injury,infectious pneumonia,mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,early-stage pulmonary fibrosis,and secondary asthma.However,in the severe fibrotic stage of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the progressive stage of pulmonary fibrosis,the activation of pulmonary macrophage autophagy aggravates pulmonary fibrosis,reflecting the dual nature of macrophage autophagy.In allergic asthma,autophagy is activated in lung-resident macrophages but suppressed in infiltrating monocyte-derived macrophages from circulation.The former is closely related to airway stenosis,and the latter aggravates pneumonia disorders.Therefore,identifying the types and progression stages of lung diseases,along with accurately assessing autophagic activity,is crucial for future investigations into the relationship between macrophage autophagy and disease pathogenesis,thereby facilitating the development of therapeutic strategies in the future.
2.Macrophage autophagy in lung diseases:two-sided effects
Huijuan YOU ; Shuzhen WU ; Rong RONG ; Liyuan CHEN ; Yuqing ZHAO ; Qinglu WANG ; Xiaowei OU ; Fengying YANG
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2026;30(6):1516-1526
BACKGROUND:Macrophages play a key role in the occurrence and progression of lung diseases,and autophagy plays an important role in maintaining environmental homeostasis and functional stability in macrophages.It has been suggested that macrophage autophagic activity has two sides in lung inflammatory diseases.OBJECTIVE:To summarize the relationship between macrophage autophagy and lung diseases,thereby providing reference for exploring the prevention and treatment strategies of lung inflammatory diseases by targeting macrophage autophagy.METHODS:Literature retrieval was performed in CNKI and PubMed for relevant literature published from database inception to September 2024.The search terms were"macrophage autophagy,efferocytosis,macrophage polarization,acute lung injury,pneumonia,chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,pulmonary fibrosis,asthma"in Chinese and English,respectively.The search results were included or excluded based on the selection criteria,and 100 papers that met the criteria were finally included in the review.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The obstruction of autophagy flow will induce the polarization imbalance of macrophages and impair their efferocytosis,resulting in the increase of M1 macrophages and aggravating inflammation.(2)The judgment of autophagic activity should be based on whether the autophagy flow is smooth or not,and it is essential to evaluate the degradation ability of autophagy.Some studies failed to comprehensively detect the degradation ability of autophagy lysosomes to assess whether the autophagy flow is unobtrusive.As a result,the so-called two-sided view of pulmonary macrophage autophagy in pulmonary inflammatory diseases in such studies is actually related to the one-sided judgment of autophagy activity.(3)The pathological manifestations vary across different pulmonary diseases and even at different stages of the same disease.Activation of macrophage autophagy plays a positive role in regulating pulmonary inflammatory homeostasis in conditions such as acute lung injury,infectious pneumonia,mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,early-stage pulmonary fibrosis,and secondary asthma.However,in the severe fibrotic stage of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the progressive stage of pulmonary fibrosis,the activation of pulmonary macrophage autophagy aggravates pulmonary fibrosis,reflecting the dual nature of macrophage autophagy.In allergic asthma,autophagy is activated in lung-resident macrophages but suppressed in infiltrating monocyte-derived macrophages from circulation.The former is closely related to airway stenosis,and the latter aggravates pneumonia disorders.Therefore,identifying the types and progression stages of lung diseases,along with accurately assessing autophagic activity,is crucial for future investigations into the relationship between macrophage autophagy and disease pathogenesis,thereby facilitating the development of therapeutic strategies in the future.
3.Research on Development Path and Strategy of Human Use Experience in Traditional Chinese Medicine Based on Bibliometrics and Thematic Analysis
Yundan WU ; Qun CHEN ; Jie CHEN ; Yuhang OU ; Jindong WU ; Yan XIAO ; Jiemei GUO ; Jing CAI ; Youxin SU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(7):118-128
ObjectiveThe development trend and knowledge structure of the research on human use experience (HUE) of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) were systematically reviewed, and the core challenges and future directions were identified. This study aims to provide reference for the construction of a scientific and feasible research and development framework and evidence transformation system. MethodsLiterature related to "human use experience" published from January 1, 2019 to July 31, 2025 was retrieved from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and PubMed databases. Bibliometric visualization was conducted using Excel, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace, followed by in-depth reading and thematic summarization of core literature. ResultsA total of 181 papers were included for bibliometric analysis, with 45 articles used for in-depth thematic mining. The analysis showed that the number of publications on HUE research has increased in a stepwise manner over the past five years. Yang Zhongqi (24 times) was the core of the author network, the journal with the highest number of publications was China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica, the institutions publishing the most articles were mainly research institutions, regulatory agencies, hospitals, and universities, high-frequency keywords included "new TCM drugs", "real-world studies", and "clinical comprehensive evaluation", keyword clustering analysis formed three major clusters: Policy orientation, application fields, and methodological approaches. Thematic analysis reveals that HUE-based evaluation should be integrated throughout the research and development process, encompassing three dimensions: TCM theory, clinical value, and pharmaceutical fundamentals, with toxic herbs and compatibility contraindications being key foci. Data collection primarily relies on empirical data, while real-world data constitute the primary source for clinical research, with efficacy and safety as the shared core. Data management emphasizes quality control and statistical analysis; however, the management of bias and confounding remains a critical bottleneck in evidence transformation. In practice, HUE-based approaches have successfully supported the registration and evaluation of multiple categories of new TCM drugs. ConclusionThe research on HUE of TCM has formed a policy-driven pattern characterized by, rapid development and close link with regulatory practice. A technical framework covering the whole chain of research and development has been constructed with clinical value as the core, which provides methodological basis and strategy reference for the scientific transformation of HUE of TCM from "experience" to "evidence".
4.Molecular Mechanism Analysis of Dengzhan Shengmai Capsules Against Myocardial Fibrosis After Myocardial Infarction Based on Network Robustness Algorithm
Feifei OU ; Bo ZHANG ; Fuzhu PAN ; Junying WEI ; Hongwei WU ; Minghua XIAN ; Jing XU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(19):164-173
ObjectiveTo investigate the potential therapeutic effects of Dengzhan Shengmai capsules (DZSM) on myocardial fibrosis after myocardial infarction and decipher the underlying molecular mechanisms by virtue of network robustness algorithm. MethodsA rat model of myocardial infarction was established by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. Successfully modeled Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated into a model group, an enalapril group(3.15 mg·kg-1), and high- and low-dose DZSM groups(226.8,113.4 mg·kg-1). In addition, a sham group was set up. After four consecutive weeks of intervention, the cardiac function was assessed via echocardiography, and myocardial collagen deposition was observed through Sirius red staining. The key regulatory pathways of DZSM were analyzed by the network robustness algorithm. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescence assay were employed to validate the mechanisms. ResultsCompared with the sham group, the model group exhibited decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF%) and fractional shortening (FS%) (P<0.01) and increased myocardial collagen volume fraction (CVF%) (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, high-dose DZSM and enalapril improved LVEF% and FS% (P<0.01). Both high- and low-dose DZSM reduced the CVF% (P<0.05, P<0.05,). Network analysis indicated that DZSM exerted its effects by regulating neutrophil infiltration and related inflammatory pathways. Experimental validation showed that DZSM significantly reduced the protein levels of nuclear factor (NF)-κB, Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), and signal transduction activator and transducer 3 (STAT3) in the cardiac tissue, as well as the levels of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1), interleukin (IL)-1β, neutrophil elastase-DNA complex (NE-DNA), and myeloperoxidase-DNA complex (MPO-DNA) in the plasma. ConclusionDZSM may ameliorate myocardial fibrosis by inhibiting neutrophil infiltration and extracellular trap formation and regulating the NF-κB/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.
5.Microbial Culture Results and Pathogen Profiles of Donor Corneas in Eye Bank
Jianping JI ; Huicong HU ; Zhancong OU ; Rongrong CHEN ; Jiabi LIANG ; Nandan WU ; Xiaojuan DONG ; Ting HUANG
Journal of Sun Yat-sen University(Medical Sciences) 2026;47(5):886-898
ObjectiveTo analyze the microbial culture positivity rate, pathogen spectrum, prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), and differences among donor procurement sources in corneas from the Eye Bank of Guangdong Province, and to provide evidence for eye bank quality control and the prevention of post-keratoplasty infections. MethodsThis retrospective study included 7 442 donor corneas procured by the Eye Bank of Guangdong Province and used for keratoplasty at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, between 2018 and 2025. During surgery, donor corneoscleral rim tissue was excised for bacterial and fungal culture. Culture-positive specimens underwent microbial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Culture-positive corneas were compared across study years, pathogen categories, and donor procurement sources. ResultsOf the 7 442 donor corneas, 251 were culture-positive, corresponding to an overall culture positivity rate of 3.37%, with annual rates ranging from 1.50% to 5.31%. Among culture-positive corneas, 178 (70.92%) yielded bacteria alone, 72 (28.68%) yielded fungi alone, and 1 (0.40%) yielded both bacteria and fungi. Candida spp. and Aspergillus spp. were the predominant fungal isolates. Gram-negative bacteria were more frequently isolated than Gram-positive bacteria. The most common bacterial isolates were Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Enterococcus faecium, and Pseudomonas fluorescens. MDROs accounted for 75.47% of bacterial isolates, predominantly Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Enterococcus faecium, and demonstrated an increasing trend over the study period. Donor corneas procured through the Hospital Cornea Retrieval Program (HCRP) had a higher culture positivity rate than those obtained through Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) (P<0.000 1). Among culture-positive donor corneas, the proportion of fungal culture-positive corneas was significantly higher in the HCRP group than in the OPO group (P=0.001 5), whereas the proportion of MDROs among bacterial culture-positive corneas was significantly higher in the OPO group than that in the HCRP group (P=0.005 2). ConclusionsThe overall culture positivity rate of donor corneas from the Eye Bank of Guangdong Province is relatively low, indicating that the risk of microbial contamination is controlled. However, pathogen profiles and antimicrobial resistance patterns varies by procurement source. Ongoing microbiological and antimicrobial resistance surveillance, together with optimized donor risk assessment and timely reporting of culture results, may further improve eye bank quality management and help inform strategies for preventing post-keratoplasty infections.
6.Microbial Culture Results and Pathogen Profiles of Donor Corneas in Eye Bank
Jianping JI ; Huicong HU ; Zhancong OU ; Rongrong CHEN ; Jiabi LIANG ; Nandan WU ; Xiaojuan DONG ; Ting HUANG
Journal of Sun Yat-sen University(Medical Sciences) 2026;47(5):886-898
ObjectiveTo analyze the microbial culture positivity rate, pathogen spectrum, prevalence of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), and differences among donor procurement sources in corneas from the Eye Bank of Guangdong Province, and to provide evidence for eye bank quality control and the prevention of post-keratoplasty infections. MethodsThis retrospective study included 7 442 donor corneas procured by the Eye Bank of Guangdong Province and used for keratoplasty at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, between 2018 and 2025. During surgery, donor corneoscleral rim tissue was excised for bacterial and fungal culture. Culture-positive specimens underwent microbial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Culture-positive corneas were compared across study years, pathogen categories, and donor procurement sources. ResultsOf the 7 442 donor corneas, 251 were culture-positive, corresponding to an overall culture positivity rate of 3.37%, with annual rates ranging from 1.50% to 5.31%. Among culture-positive corneas, 178 (70.92%) yielded bacteria alone, 72 (28.68%) yielded fungi alone, and 1 (0.40%) yielded both bacteria and fungi. Candida spp. and Aspergillus spp. were the predominant fungal isolates. Gram-negative bacteria were more frequently isolated than Gram-positive bacteria. The most common bacterial isolates were Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Enterococcus faecium, and Pseudomonas fluorescens. MDROs accounted for 75.47% of bacterial isolates, predominantly Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Enterococcus faecium, and demonstrated an increasing trend over the study period. Donor corneas procured through the Hospital Cornea Retrieval Program (HCRP) had a higher culture positivity rate than those obtained through Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) (P<0.000 1). Among culture-positive donor corneas, the proportion of fungal culture-positive corneas was significantly higher in the HCRP group than in the OPO group (P=0.001 5), whereas the proportion of MDROs among bacterial culture-positive corneas was significantly higher in the OPO group than that in the HCRP group (P=0.005 2). ConclusionsThe overall culture positivity rate of donor corneas from the Eye Bank of Guangdong Province is relatively low, indicating that the risk of microbial contamination is controlled. However, pathogen profiles and antimicrobial resistance patterns varies by procurement source. Ongoing microbiological and antimicrobial resistance surveillance, together with optimized donor risk assessment and timely reporting of culture results, may further improve eye bank quality management and help inform strategies for preventing post-keratoplasty infections.
7.Familial type ⅣA hereditary hemochromatosis: A case report
Yanling FAN ; Yanmeng LI ; Zhen WU ; Lina WU ; Xiaojuan OU ; Jian HUANG ; Wei ZHANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(9):2171-2175
Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is a hereditary disease characterized by iron overload resulting from mutations in genes involved in iron metabolism. Type ⅣA HH, also known as classical ferroportin disease, is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the SLC40A1 gene and has the clinical manifestations of a significant increase in serum ferritin, normal or low transferrin saturation, and marked iron deposition in the spleen. This article reports a case of type ⅣA HH with a significant asymptomatic increase in serum ferritin. Magnetic resonance imaging showed that the severity of iron overload in the spleen was significantly higher than that in the liver; liver biopsy showed mild fatty liver disease and iron deposition in Kupffer cells; gene variation analysis identified a heterozygous mutation in SLC40A1 c.485_487del (p.Val162del). Screening of family members showed that the proband’s mother carried the same variation and had the manifestation of iron overload in the liver and spleen, which further confirmed the pathogenicity of this variation. This case highlights that type ⅣA HH often has an insidious onset and is frequently misdiagnosed. For patients with an unexplained persistent increase in serum ferritin, active genetic testing for HH should be considered, even in the presence of concurrent liver diseases, in order to realize early diagnosis and intervention.
8.Role of TLR5 in pathogenesis of obesity-related hypertension:Current evidence and future challenges
Ou WU ; Xiaoxiao MI ; Hu ZHANG ; Chengda YUAN ; Jin GAO
Chinese Journal of Immunology 2025;41(2):484-489
Toll-like receptor 5(TLR5)is a pattern recognition receptor,the main extracellular receptor for recognizing flagel-lin,and a bridge between innate and adaptive immunity.It can activate innate immunity and induce the release of a series of down-stream cytokines,as well as play an important role in protecting the host from flagellated pathogens and establishing immune tolerance.These functions are related to the pathogenesis of obesity hypertension in various aspects.This article aims to review the relationship between TLR5 and obese hypertension,as well as the new progress on the interaction between TLR5 and flagellin structure and func-tion,and discuss the future research directions and challenges.
9.Proton beam range verification algorithm for pixelated prompt gamma-ray imaging detector
Liwang YANG ; Haifeng OU ; Jinlong WANG ; Xiaoguang WU ; Ziyang HE ; Jian'an ZOU ; Yun ZHENG ; Congbo LI ; Shaoxiong GUAN ; Jing SHI ; Jinze LI ; Yunqiu LI ; Rui HONG ; Hao'en CHANG ; Mengting WANG ; Kaijie WEI
Chinese Journal of Medical Physics 2025;42(3):281-287
In proton therapy,prompt gamma-ray imaging is considered as one of the most promising methods for assessing proton beam range.Prompt gamma-ray imaging detector evaluates the proton beam range based on the prompt gamma-ray distribution obtained by the prompt gamma-ray imaging system,which enables high-precision measurement of the proton beam range.Herein a proton beam range verification algorithm is designed for the newly developed prototype of the range verification detector(pixelated prompt gamma-ray imaging detector),which verifies the range estimation accuracy of the prototype for different phantoms and different energies of homogeneous media through Monte Carlo simulation.The results show that the accuracy of the proton beam range verification algorithm is within 0.5 mm of the safety margin error of the Bragg peak,and the measurement accuracy is significantly improved with the increase of the number of protons,indicating that the prototype algorithm is feasible for proton beam range verification.
10.Construction of CD8+T cell-associated Risk Model in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Bulk and Single-cell RNA-seq Data
Xin-Tong ZHANG ; Jian-Jun ZHU ; Jin WU ; Hao WU ; Fan LU ; Wen-Tao ZHANG ; Jing-Jia CHANG ; Ting TANG ; Zhi-Gao OU ; Feng-Feng JIA ; Li LI ; Peng-Fei YU ; Ming LIU
Chinese Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2025;41(10):1511-1528
Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),which is essentially primary liver cancer,is closely related to CD8+T cell immune infiltration and immune suppression.We constructed a CD8+T cells related risk score model to pre-dict the prognosis of HCC patients and provided therapeutic guidance based on the risk score.Using integrated bulk RNA sequencing(RNA-seq)and single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)datasets,we identified stable CD8+T cell signatures.Based on these signatures,a 3-gene risk score model,comprised of KLRB1,RGS2,and TN-FRSF1B was constructed.The risk score model was well validated through an independent external validation co-hort.We divided patients into high-risk and low-risk groups according to the risk score and compared the differ-ences in immune microenvironment between these two groups.Compared with low-risk patients,high-risk patients have higher M2-type macrophage content(P<0.0001)and lower CD8+T cells infiltration(P<0.0001).High-risk patients predict worse response to immunotherapy treatment than low-risk patients(P<0.01).Drug sensitivity a-nalysis shows that PI3K-β inhibitor AZD6482 and TGFβRII inhibitor SB505124 may be suitable therapies for high-risk patients,while the IGF-1R inhibitor BMS-754807 or the novel pyrimidine-based anti-tumor metabolic drug Gemcitabine could be potential therapeutic choices for low-risk patients.Moreover,expression of these 3-gene mod-el was verified by immunohistochemistry.In summary,the establishment and validation of a CD8+T cell-derived risk model can more accurately predict the prognosis of HCC patients and guide the construction of personalized treatment plans.

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