1.Mechanism of Shenfu Xiongze Prescription in Regulating Autophagy Level to Intervene in Myocardial Remodeling in Rats via AMPK/mTOR Signaling Pathway
Xueqing WANG ; Wei ZHONG ; Liangliang PAN ; Caihong LI ; Man HAN ; Xiaowei YANG ; Yuanwang YU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(2):136-144
ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism by which the Shenfu Xiongze prescription regulates autophagy in rats with myocardial remodeling through the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. MethodsA rat model of myocardial remodeling induced by isoprenaline (ISO) was established. Rats were divided into the blank group,the model group,the low-,medium-, and high-dose groups of Shenfu Xiongze prescription,and the captopril group, 6 rats in each group. Except for the blank group,the rat model of myocardial remodeling was established in the other groups by intraperitoneal injection of 2.5 mg·kg-1 ISO for 3 consecutive weeks. At the same time of modeling, the low-,medium-, and high-dose groups of Shenfu Xiongze prescription were administered the corresponding doses of Shenfu Xiongze prescription solution (8.4,16.8,and 33.6 g·kg-1),and the captopril group was administered captopril solution (25 mg·kg-1). As for the blank group and the model group, the same volume of normal saline was given. The treatment was continued for 3 weeks. Echocardiography was used to observe the cardiac structure and function,and the heart weight index was detected. Masson staining and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining were used to observe the pathological morphology changes of myocardial tissue. The levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of type Ⅰ collagen (Collagen Ⅰ),type Ⅲ collagen (Collagen Ⅲ),and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) proteins in myocardial tissue was determined by immunohistochemistry. Autophagy was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The mRNA expression of Collagen Ⅰ,Collagen Ⅲ,α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA),LC3,yeast Atg6 homolog protein (Beclin-1),AMPK,and mTOR in myocardial tissue was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR). The protein expression of Collagen Ⅰ,α-SMA,transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1),LC3,Beclin-1,p62, phosphorylation(p)-AMPK,p-mTOR,AMPK,and mTOR was detected by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the normal group,rats in the model group exhibited significantly decreased values of ejection fraction (EF) and left ventricular fractional shortening (FS) (P<0.01), significantly increased values of left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVIDd) and left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVIDs) (P<0.01). Additionally, the model group also showed increased degrees of inflammatory infiltration and fibrosis of myocardial tissue, significantly elevated levels of serum IL-6 and BNP (P<0.01), significantly increased mRNA and protein levels of Collagen Ⅰ,Collagen Ⅲ,α-SMA,and mTOR (P<0.01),and markedly decreased mRNA and protein levels of LC3,Beclin-1,and AMPK (P<0.05,P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the low-,medium-, and high-dose groups of Shenfu Xiongze prescription presented significantly elevated EF and FS values (P<0.01) and lowered LVIDd and LVIDs (P<0.05). In these groups, the inflammation and fibrosis were alleviated significantly. They also exhibited decreased serum levels of IL-6 and BNP (P<0.01), significantly reduced protein expression of Collagen Ⅰ, α-SMA, TGF-β1, p62, and p-mTOR (P<0.01), significantly decreased mRNA expression of Collagen Ⅰ, Collagen Ⅲ, α-SMA, and mTOR (P<0.01), and significantly increased mRNA and protein levels of LC3, Beclin-1, and AMPK (P<0.05,P<0.01). ConclusionThe Shenfu Xiongze prescription can improve the myocardial remodeling induced by ISO in rats by regulating the autophagy level,enhance cardiac function,and reduce inflammatory and fibrotic levels. This effect may be achieved through the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway.
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.Level and related factors of latent tuberculosis infection in junior and senior high school freshmen in Lanzhou from 2023 to 2024
FANG Qian, ZHANG Li, QIAO Xiaowei, WANG Yuhong, JIA Juanli, HOU Yan
Chinese Journal of School Health 2026;47(2):287-290
Objective:
To investigate the current status of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among freshmen in junior and senior high schools in Lanzhou, so as to provide scientific basis for improving the tuberculosis prevention and control strategy in schools.
Methods:
The screening results of 74 516 freshmen in senior and boarding junior high schools in Lanzhou during 2023 and 2024 were collected. The Chi square test and multivariate Logistic regression model were applied to analyze LTBI level, strongly positive risk for tuberculin skin test (TST) and related factors of the freshmen.
Results:
During 2023 and 2024, the screening rate of tuberculosis among freshmen in senior and boarding junior high schools in Lanzhou was 93.45%, of which the positive rate for TST was 5.71%, the infection rate for LTBI was 3.80%, and the strongly positive rate for TST was 1.24%. There were statistically significant differences in the screening rate of tuberculosis among freshmen in different years, grades, regions, school types and districts ( χ 2=5.34, 2 463.88, 3 516.13, 132.34, 4 436.56, all P <0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that senior high schools ( OR =1.62, 2.18) and urban areas ( OR =2.08, 3.07 ) were all related factors for LTBI and strong positivity for TST among freshmen; schools located in Xigu District, Honggu District, Yongdeng County, Yuzhong County, and Lanzhou New Area ( OR =3.57, 5.67, 9.12, 3.70, 3.64) were related factors of strong positivity for TST among freshmen (all P <0.05).
Conclusions
The LTBI level among freshmen in senior and boarding junior high schools in Lanzhou is relatively low. Grades and regions are related factors for LTBI and strong positivity for TST.
4.Research progress on 4D printing technology for bone tissue engineering
WANG Peiyu ; SHI Yaru ; SUN Yifan ; XU Xiaowei
Journal of Prevention and Treatment for Stomatological Diseases 2026;34(1):75-85
The repair of bone defects is heavily influenced by the dynamic osteogenic microenvironment. Static scaffolds constructed by traditional 3D printing technology cannot simulate the dynamic nature of the microenvironment during bone defect repair due to the fixed structure, uncontrollable release of active factors, and difficult regeneration of blood vessels, among other factors. Breaking through the limitations of these static scaffolds and realizing the intelligent and dynamic regulation of the osteogenic microenvironment is a key scientific issue in the field of bone tissue engineering. 4D printing technology combines the dynamic responsiveness of bone restoration materials with the concept of intelligent design to regulate the micro and macro structure of scaffolds. This technology provides a new method for bone tissue engineering by responding to endogenous and exogenous stimuli and creating a better osteogenic microenvironment through functionalized design, including drug delivery and antibacterial function. However, this technology currently suffers from challenges related to dynamic response material design, insufficient precision of printing technology, and mismatches between multi-stimulus response systems, metabolic rhythms of bone tissue, and functionalized composite scaffolds. Future research should focus on the development of smart response materials with excellent dynamic responses and bioactivity, the creation of new printing technologies, and the design of personalized and precise bone repair solutions. The aim of this paper is to review the current research status of 4D printing for bone tissue engineering in terms of material types, response mechanisms, and applications to provide a theoretical basis for the development and clinical application of functional bone repair materials in the future.
5.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.
6.Progress and clinical applications of minimally invasive extracorporeal circulation technology
Jiaxing WANG ; Xiaowei SHEN ; Yun ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Clinical Medicine 2026;33(3):544-549
Extracorporeal circulation serves as a vital auxiliary approach in cardiac surgery, and its introduction and application have directly driven a clinical revolution in cardiac surgical procedures. With the continuous advancement of clinical techniques in cardiac surgery, extracorporeal circulation technology has undergone constant innovation. To align with the trend of minimally invasive surgery, minimally invasive extracorporeal circulation (MiECC) technology has emerged. Its feasibility and safety have been preliminarily verified in clinical practice. This paper synthesizes domestic and international literature to expound on the development of MiECC and its advantages in clinical applications, aiming to further promote its adoption in China.
7.Efficacy Analysis of Combined Prediction of Postpartum Hypertension by 24-hour Urinary Protein,Hematocrit-albumin,and BNP in Patients with Severe Preeclampsia at the End of Pregnancy
Xiaowei YANG ; Yan WANG ; Liqiong ZENG ; Xuelian JIANG
Journal of Kunming Medical University 2025;46(2):151-157
Objective To investigate the efficacy of combined prediction of postpartum hypertension using 24-h urinary protein quantification(24-hUP),hematocrit and plasma albumin difference(HCT-ALB),and brain natriuretic peptide(BNP)in patients with severe preeclampsia at the end of pregnancy.Methods A retrospective study was conducted using cluster sampling to select 540 patients with severe preeclampsia from the University City Hospital affiliated to Chongqing Medical University between January 2018 and December 2022.Patients were divided into a hypertension group(n=98)and a non-hypertension group(n=442)based on the occurrence of postpartum hypertension.Clinical data[age,body mass index(BMI),maternal type,abortion history,family history of hypertension,smoking history,total cholesterol(TC),triglyceride(TG),fasting blood glucose(FBG),systolic blood pressure(SBP),diastolic blood pressure(DBP)]and levels of 24-hour urinary protein excretion(UP),hematocrit-albumin(HCT-ALB),and BNP in the third trimester of pregnancy were compared between the two groups to analyze the predictive value of these indicators for postpartum hypertension.Results The levels of BMI,family history of hypertension,TC,TG,FBG,SBP and DBP in hypertensive group were higher than those in non-hypertensive group[(25.63±1.37)kg/m2 vs(23.05±1.23)kg/m2,70.41%vs 30.54%].(5.32±1.14)mmol/L vs(3.91±0.95)mmol/L,(3.48±0.82)mmol/L vs(1.66±0.43)mmol/L,(7.24±1.60)mmol/L vs(4.83±1.22)mmol/L,(148.27±13.29)mmHg vs(127.65±10.71)mmHg,(92.36±5.17)mmHg vs(84.20±4.35)mmHg],the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The levels of urinary protein,HCT,HCT-ALB and BNP at 24 h at the end of pregnancy in hypertension group were also higher than those in non-hypertension group[(7.82±2.18)g/24 h vs(6.15±1.26)g/24 h,(34.22±3.15)%vs(32.80±1.77)%].(6.19±2.01)vs(3.46±0.90),(646.43±170.59)pg/mL vs(523.81±134.62)pg/mL],while ALB level was lower than that of the non-hypertension group[(28.03±1.13)g/L vs(29.34±1.44)g/L],with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).There was a positive correlation between 24-hUP,HCT,HCT-ALB,BNP and SBP,DBP,while ALB was negatively correlated with SBP and DBP,the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).24-hUP,HCT-ALB and BNP at the end of pregnancy were independent risk factors for postpartum hypertension,with a combined prediction AUC of 0.930(95%CI:0.905~0.950),a Jordon index of 0.719,sensitivity of 85.71%,the specificity of 86.20%.The AUC of the combined prediction was significantly greater than that of each individual predictor,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Conclusion 24-hUP,HCT-ALB,and BNP at the end of pregnancy are independent risk factors for postpartum hypertension.Their combined predictive efficacy is significantly superior to that of individual indicators and can be used as an optimal clinical method for predicting whether patients with severe preeclampsia will develop postpartum hypertension.
8.Correlation of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio, and C-reactive protein with the efficacy and prognosis of immunotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer
Chenchen WANG ; Tie XIAOWEI ; Yanshun ZHANG ; Hongjiang ZHANG ; Simeng CHEN ; Yong WANG ; Chengcheng WANG ; Haobiao WANG
Chinese Journal of Primary Medicine and Pharmacy 2025;32(7):963-967
Objective:To investigate the relationship between the neutrophil- to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Methods:The clinical data of 47 patients with NSCLC who received immunotherapy at The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Science and Technology from December 2021 to May 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Based on the duration of immunotherapy, patients with a duration of more than 1 year were classified as having a good immune response, while those with a duration of less than 1 year were classified as having a poor immune response. The clinical pathological characteristics of patients with good and poor immune responses were compared. The cutoff values for NLR, LMR, and CRP were calculated using receiver operating characteristic curves, and patients were grouped based on these cutoff values. The predictive probabilities of different combinations were compared. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were performed to identify factors affecting patient survival.Results:Significant differences were observed in the distribution of therapy lines (1 st-line vs. 2 nd-line treatment), NLR, LMR, and CRP levels between patients with good immune response and those with poor immune responses (all P < 0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) for NLR was 0.763 [95% CI: (0.608, 0.918)], the AUC for LMR was 0.715 [95% CI: (0.544, 0.875)], and the AUC for CRP was 0.697 [95% CI: (0.540, 0.853)]. To assess the diagnostic value of combined indicators in predicting the efficacy of immunotherapy in NSCLC, different indicators were combined, resulting in the variables NLR + LMR, NLR + CRP, LMR + CRP, and NLR + LMR + CRP. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves were plotted based on the probabilities. The combination of NLR + LMR + CRP showed the best predictive performance, with an AUC of 0.897 [95% CI: (0.806, 0.988)]. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses indicated that LMR [ HR: 0.428; 95% CI: (0.213, 0.858), P = 0.017] and the distribution of treatment lines [ HR: 1.815; 95% CI: (1.005, 3.642), P = 0.033] were important independent prognostic factors for progression-free survival. Conclusions:NLR, LMR, and CRP are correlated with immunotherapy efficacy in patients with NSCLC and provide predictive value. LMR and treatment line are independent prognostic factors for progression-free survival.
9.Correlation between brain gray matter volume changes and neurotransmitter receptors/transporters in patients with first-episode schizophrenia
Huan HUANG ; Xiaowei WANG ; Cheng CHEN ; Wei YUAN ; Yunlong PENG ; Xuan QIN ; Ying XIONG ; Rui XU ; Huiling WANG
Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Brain Science 2025;34(10):885-890
Objective:To explore the spatial correlation between gray matter volume (GMV) changes and neurotransmitter receptors/transporters in patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES) .Methods:Fifty-four FES patients(FES group) and fifty-nine healthy controls (HC group) were selected from June 2014 to May 2020 in the Psychiatry Department of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) was conducted on all subjects. Differences of GMV were compared across 400 cortical regions and 32 subcortical regions. Based on the positron emission tomography(PET) data from Neuromaps, which provides the density of 19 different neurotransmitter receptors and transporters, Spearman correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the spatial correlation between GMV changes and neurotransmitter systems.Results:Compared to the HC group, FES group exhibited significant GMV reductions in widespread cortical (90/400) and subcortical (6/32) regions (all FDR-corrected P<0.05). The effect size of GMV reduction (Cohen’s d) showed significant positive correlations with the density of 5-hydroxytryptamine 1a(5HT1a) ( r=0.400, Pspin=0.002), γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor(GABA A)( r=0.307, Pspin=0.002), and metabotropic glutamate receptor 5(mGluR5) ( r=0.275, Pspin=0.020) receptors (all FDR-corrected P<0.05). Conclusion:GMV reductions in a wide range of brain regions existed in patients with FES. There are significant correlations between 5HT1a, GABA A and mGluR5 receptors and gray matter reduction in patients with FES. The disorder of these neurotransmitter receptors may be the potential neurobiological mechanism of gray matter structural abnormalities in the early stage of schizophrenia.
10.Study on occupational stress status and its effect on depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms of workers from 14 electronic manufacturing enterprises in Qingdao
Fujing WANG ; Fuling JI ; Zhenzhen FU ; Mengyu GAO ; Xiaowei DONG ; Anqi SHI
Chinese Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Diseases 2025;43(6):435-439
Objective:To investigate the current status of occupational stress among electronic manufacturing workers in Qingdao and analyze its effect on depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms.Methods:From July to September 2022, a cluster random sampling method was employed to select frontline workers from 14 electronic manufacturing enterprises in Qingdao as the study subjects. A total of 1134 questionnaires were distributed, with 1000 valid questionnaires collected, yielding an effective response rate of 88.18%. The Core Occupational Stress Scale (COSS), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) were adopted to assess occupational stress, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms, respectively. Binary logistic regression was employed to analyze influencing factors of occupational stress and its effects on depressive and anxiety symptoms.Results:The detection rates of occupational stress, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms were 15.1% (15/1000), 7.9% (79/1000), and 13.8% (138/1000), respectively. The influencing factor analysis of occupational stress revealed that female gender ( OR=0.621, 95% CI: 0.434-0.890) and weekly working hours of 45-48 hours ( OR=0.537, 95% CI: 0.309-0.935) were protective factors ( P<0.05), while weekly working hours ≥55 hours ( OR=2.176, 95% CI: 1.290-3.670) and shift work ( OR=2.038, 95% CI: 1.412-2.940) were risk factors ( P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that the COSS score was positively related with the PHQ-9 score and the GAD-7 score ( rs=0.438, 0.289, P<0.01). Workers judged with occupational stress had 3.596 times (95% CI: 2.181-5.931, P<0.001) and 3.121 times (95% CI: 2.046-4.761, P<0.001) higher risks of detecting depressive and anxiety symptoms compared to those without occupational stress. Conclusion:Electronic manufacturing workers in Qingdao experience a certain level of occupational stress, which may increase the risk of developing depressive and anxiety symptoms. Enterprises should implement appropriate interventions to promote workers' mental health.


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