1.Fabrication and evaluation of an inositol hexaphosphate-zinc hydrogel with dual capabilities of self-mineralization and osteoinduction
LIU Mingyi ; MIAO Xiaoyu ; CAI Yunfan ; WANG Yan ; SUN Xiaotang ; KANG Jingrui ; ZHAO Yao ; NIU Lina
Journal of Prevention and Treatment for Stomatological Diseases 2026;34(1):29-40
Objective:
To fabricate a hydrogel loaded with inositol hexaphosphate-zinc and preliminarily evaluate its performance in self-mineralization and osteoinduction, thereby providing a theoretical basis for the development of bone regeneration materials.
Methods:
The hydrogel framework (designated DF0) was formed by copolymerizing methacryloyloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride and four-armed poly(ethylene glycol) acrylate, followed by sequentially loading inositol hexaphosphate anions via electrostatic interaction and zinc ions via chelation. The hydrogel loaded only with inositol hexaphosphate anions was named DF1, while the co-loaded hydrogel was named DF2. The self-mineralization efficacy of the DF0 , DF1 and DF2 hydrogels was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The biocompatibility was assessed via live/dead cell staining and a CCK-8 assay. The osteoinductive capacity of the DF0 , DF1 and DF2 hydrogels on MC3T3-E1 cells was assessed via alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Alizarin Red S (ARS) staining. In the aforementioned cell experiments, cells cultured in standard medium served as the control group
Results:
The DF0, DF1, and DF2 hydrogels were successfully synthesized. Notably, DF1 and DF2 exhibited distinct self-mineralization within 6 days. Results from TEM, EDS, and SAED confirmed that the mineralization products were amorphous calcium phosphate in group DF1, and amorphous calciumzinc phosphate in group DF2. Biocompatibility tests revealed that none of the hydrogels (DF0, DF1, and DF2) adversely affected cell viability or proliferation. In osteogenic induction experiments, both ALP and ARS staining were intensified in the DF1 and DF2 groups, with the most profound staining observed in the DF2 group.
Conclusion
The developed inositol hexaphosphate-zinc hydrogel (DF2) demonstrates the dual capacity to generate calcium-phosphate compounds through self-mineralization while exhibiting excellent osteoinductive properties. This biocompatible, dual-promoting osteogenic hydrogel presents a novel strategy for bone regeneration.
2.Evaluation of the application of a predictive model for red blood cell demand in surgical procedures
Xiaoyu CAI ; Yannan FENG ; Chunya MA ; Yuan ZHUANG ; Yang YU
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2026;39(1):51-55
Objective: To assess the clinical application value of a prediction model for red blood cell (RBC) demand in surgical procedures. Methods: Demographic data, laboratory parameters, anesthesia and transfusion records, and model prediction data were retrospectively collected from surgical patients at the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital between 2018 and 2024. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test, t-test, and Mann-Kendall trend test. Results: From 2018 to 2024, the predictive model for RBC demand in surgical procedures was used to evaluate a total of 112 293 surgeries. During this period, the model call rate (77.49%-98.91%, P<0.05), compliance rate (56.81%-84.92%, P<0.05), and prediction accuracy rate (66.82%-94.17%, P<0.05) all showed significant upward trends. The total blood usage across the hospital (13645.4-7723.5 units, P<0.05) and the average blood usage per surgery (0.21-0.1 units, P<0.05) exhibited overall downward trends. Postoperative average hemoglobin levels in the non-compliance group (112.1-105.3 g/L in the non-compliance group vs 106.9-92.7 g/L in the compliance group, P<0.05) and the intraoperative excessive transfusion rate (5.06%-6.05% in the non-compliance group vs 0.09%-0.04% in the compliance group, P<0.05) were significantly higher in the non-compliance group compared to the compliance group. Conclusion: The predictive model for RBC demand in surgical procedures has played a positive role in conserving blood resources, optimizing blood resource allocation, and reducing intraoperative risks.
3.Mechanisms of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis Based on AMPK Signaling Pathway: A Review
Keqiu YAN ; Xiaoyu ZHANG ; Yifan CAI ; Wenjie XIAO ; Xinkun BAO ; Guangjun SUN ; Aizhen LIN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(7):341-351
Ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic relapsing inflammatory bowel disease, involves multifaceted pathological mechanisms such as intestinal barrier dysfunction, immune dysregulation, and oxidative stress. Current therapeutic strategies remain limited in efficacy and safety. In recent years, the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway has emerged as a pivotal therapeutic target for UC due to its central role in energy metabolism, inflammatory regulation, and intestinal homeostasis. This article systematically reviewed the mechanisms by which traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prevented and treated UC through the regulation of the AMPK signaling pathway, with a focus on elucidating AMPK's multidimensional regulatory network in inflammatory signaling crosstalk, alleviating oxidative stress, restoring intestinal immune balance, repairing the intestinal barrier, and modulating gut microbiota. Leveraging its unique advantages of multi-target engagement and low toxicity, TCM demonstrates promising potential in UC treatment and has become a focal area of research. By systematically summarizing and synthesizing the existing literature on TCM-mediated AMPK pathway modulation in UC, this review aims to provide a theoretical foundation for advancing mechanistic research and clinical interventions in UC.
4.Dynamics of eosinophil infiltration and microglia activation in brain tissues of mice infected with Angiostrongylus cantonensis
Fanna WEI ; Renjie ZHANG ; Yahong HU ; Xiaoyu QIN ; Yunhai GUO ; Xiaojin MO ; Yan LU ; Jiahui SUN ; Yan ZHOU ; Jiatian GUO ; Peng SONG ; Yanhong CHU ; Bin XU ; Ting ZHANG ; Yuchun CAI ; Muxin CHEN
Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control 2025;37(2):163-175
Objective To investigate the changes in eosinophil counts and the activation of microglial cells in the brain tissues of mice at different stages of Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection, and to examine the role of microglia in regulating the progression of angiostrongyliasis and unravel the possible molecular mechanisms. Methods Fifty BALB/c mice were randomly divided into the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-day and 25-d infection groups, of 10 mice in each group. All mice in infection groups were infected with 30 stage III A. cantonensis larvae by gavage, and animals in the control group was given an equal amount of physiological saline. Five mice were collected from each of infection groups on days 7, 14, 21 d and 25 d post-infection, and 5 mice were collected from the control group on the day of oral gavage. The general and focal functional impairment was scored using the Clark scoring method to assess the degree of mouse neurological impairment. Five mice from each of infection groups were sacrificed on days 7, 14, 21 d and 25 d post-infection, and 5 mice from the control group were sacrificed on the day of oral gavage. Mouse brain tissues were sampled, and the pathological changes of brain tissues were dynamically observed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Immunofluorescence staining with eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) was used to assess the degree of eosinophil infiltration and the counts of microglial cells in mouse brain tissues in each group, and the morphological parameters of microglial cells (skeleton analysis and fractal analysis) were quantified by using Image J software to determine the morphological changes of microglial cells. In addition, the expression of M1 microglia markers Fcγ receptor III (Fcgr3), Fcγ receptor IIb (Fcgr2b) and CD86 antigen (Cd86), M2 microglia markers Arginase 1 (Arg1), macrophage mannose receptor C-type 1 (Mrc1), chitinase-like 3 (Chil3), and phagocytosis genes myeloid cell triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (Trem2), CD68 antigen (Cd68), and apolipoprotein E (Apoe) was quantified using real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) assay in the mouse cerebral cortex of mice post-infection. Results A large number of A. cantonensis larvae were seen on the mouse meninges surface post-infection, and many neuronal nuclei were crumpled and deeply stained, with a large number of bleeding points in the meninges. The median Clark scores of mouse general functional impairment were 0 (interquartile range, 0), 0 (interquartile range, 0.5), 6 (interquartile range, 1.0), 14 (interquartile range, 8.5) points and 20 (interquartile range, 9.0) points in the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-d and 25-d groups, respectively (H = 22.45, P < 0.01), and the median Clark scores of mouse focal functional impairment were 0 (interquartile range, 0), 2 (interquartile range, 2.5), 7 (interquartile range, 3.0), 18 (interquartile range, 5.0) points and 25 (interquartile range, 6.5) points in the control group and the 7-d, 14-d, 21-d and 25-d groups, respectively (H = 22.72, P < 0.01). The mean scores of mice general and focal functional impairment were all higher in the infection groups than in the control group (all P values < 0.05). Immunofluorescence staining showed a significant difference in the eosinophil counts in mouse brain tissues among the five groups (F = 40.05, P < 0.000 1), and the eosinophil counts were significantly higher in mouse brain tissues in the 14-d (3.08 ± 0.78) and 21-d infection groups (5.97 ± 1.37) than in the control group (1.00 ± 0.28) (both P values < 0.05). Semi-quantitative analysis of microglia immunofluorescence showed a significant difference in the counts of microglial cells among the five groups (F = 17.66, P < 0.000 1), and higher Iba1 levels were detected in mouse brain tissues in 14-d (5.75 ± 1.28), 21-d (6.23 ± 1.89) and 25-d infection groups (3.70 ± 1.30) than in the control group (1.00 ± 0.30) (all P values < 0.05). Skeleton and fractal analyses showed that the branch length [(162.04 ± 34.10) μm vs. (395.37 ± 64.11) μm; t = 5.566, P < 0.05] and fractal dimension of microglial cells (1.30 ± 0.01 vs. 1.41 ± 0.03; t = 5.266, P < 0.05) were reduced in mouse brain tissues in the 21-d infection group relative to the control group. In addition, there were significant differences among the 5 groups in terms of M1 and M2 microglia markers Fcgr3 (F = 48.34, P < 0.05), Fcgr2b (F = 55.46, P < 0.05), Cd86 (F = 24.44, P < 0.05), Arg1 (F = 31.18, P < 0.05), Mrc1 (F = 15.42, P < 0.05) and Chil3 (F = 24.41, P < 0.05), as well as phagocytosis markers Trem2 (F = 21.19, P < 0.05), Cd68 (F = 43.95, P < 0.05) and Apoe (F = 7.12, P < 0.05) in mice brain tissues. Conclusions A. cantonensis infections may induce severe pathological injuries in mouse brain tissues that are characterized by massive eosinophil infiltration and persistent activation of microglia cells, thereby resulting in progressive deterioration of neurological functions.
5.Clinical Application and Pharmacological Mechanism of Sishenwan in Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis: A Review
Keqiu YAN ; Xiaoyu ZHANG ; Sifeng JIA ; Yuyu DUAN ; Zixing QIAN ; Yifan CAI ; Junyi SHEN ; Wenjie XIAO ; Xinkun BAO ; Guangjun SUN ; Aizhen LIN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(21):261-270
Ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic, non-specific inflammatory bowel disease with typical symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bloody stools, demonstrates a high relapse rate and difficulty in curing. Sishenwan, first recorded in Internal Medicine Abstract (Nei Ke Zhai Yao), are a classic prescription for treating diarrhea caused by deficiency of the spleen and kidney Yang. The core therapeutic principle of Sishenwan is warming and tonifying the spleen and kidney, and astringing the intestine and stopping diarrhea. In recent years, Sishenwan have demonstrated distinct advantages in the clinical treatment of UC. The pathogenesis of UC involves multiple factors, including immune dysregulation and gut microbiota imbalance. Although Western medicine is effective in the short term, its side effects, high relapse rate, and resistance associated with long-term use pose substantial challenges. Sishenwan have shown excellent clinical outcomes in the treatment of UC due to deficiency of the spleen and kidney Yang. Modern clinical studies indicate that Sishenwan, used alone or in combination with Western medicine or other Chinese medicine compound prescriptions, significantly improve the clinical efficacy in treating UC due to deficiency of the spleen and kidney Yang. Sishenwan effectively alleviate core symptoms such as mucus, pus, and blood in stools, and persistent abdominal pain, reduce Mayo scores and the relapse rate, and improve patients' quality of life. Research on the material basis reveals that Sishenwan contain multiple active ingredients such as psoralen, isopsoralen, and evodiamine. Mechanism studies indicate that Sishenwan inhibit the inflammatory cascade reactions by regulating the signal network through multiple targets. Sishenwan regulate cellular immunity and restore intestinal immune homeostasis. At the microecological level, Sishenwan promote the intestinal barrier repair through the "microbiota-metabolism-immunity" axis. The current research still needs to be deepened in aspects such as the mining of specific biomarkers for syndromes and the exploration of the collaborative mechanism of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. In the future, a full-chain system covering syndrome differentiation, targeting, and monitoring needs to be constructed for promoting the paradigm transformation of Sishenwan into precision drugs. This review systematically explains the treatment mechanism of Sishenwan regarding the combination of disease and syndrome and its multi-target regulatory characteristics, providing a theoretical basis and transformation direction for the treatment of UC with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine.
6.Clinical Application and Pharmacological Mechanism of Sishenwan in Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis: A Review
Keqiu YAN ; Xiaoyu ZHANG ; Sifeng JIA ; Yuyu DUAN ; Zixing QIAN ; Yifan CAI ; Junyi SHEN ; Wenjie XIAO ; Xinkun BAO ; Guangjun SUN ; Aizhen LIN
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(21):261-270
Ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic, non-specific inflammatory bowel disease with typical symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bloody stools, demonstrates a high relapse rate and difficulty in curing. Sishenwan, first recorded in Internal Medicine Abstract (Nei Ke Zhai Yao), are a classic prescription for treating diarrhea caused by deficiency of the spleen and kidney Yang. The core therapeutic principle of Sishenwan is warming and tonifying the spleen and kidney, and astringing the intestine and stopping diarrhea. In recent years, Sishenwan have demonstrated distinct advantages in the clinical treatment of UC. The pathogenesis of UC involves multiple factors, including immune dysregulation and gut microbiota imbalance. Although Western medicine is effective in the short term, its side effects, high relapse rate, and resistance associated with long-term use pose substantial challenges. Sishenwan have shown excellent clinical outcomes in the treatment of UC due to deficiency of the spleen and kidney Yang. Modern clinical studies indicate that Sishenwan, used alone or in combination with Western medicine or other Chinese medicine compound prescriptions, significantly improve the clinical efficacy in treating UC due to deficiency of the spleen and kidney Yang. Sishenwan effectively alleviate core symptoms such as mucus, pus, and blood in stools, and persistent abdominal pain, reduce Mayo scores and the relapse rate, and improve patients' quality of life. Research on the material basis reveals that Sishenwan contain multiple active ingredients such as psoralen, isopsoralen, and evodiamine. Mechanism studies indicate that Sishenwan inhibit the inflammatory cascade reactions by regulating the signal network through multiple targets. Sishenwan regulate cellular immunity and restore intestinal immune homeostasis. At the microecological level, Sishenwan promote the intestinal barrier repair through the "microbiota-metabolism-immunity" axis. The current research still needs to be deepened in aspects such as the mining of specific biomarkers for syndromes and the exploration of the collaborative mechanism of traditional Chinese and Western medicine. In the future, a full-chain system covering syndrome differentiation, targeting, and monitoring needs to be constructed for promoting the paradigm transformation of Sishenwan into precision drugs. This review systematically explains the treatment mechanism of Sishenwan regarding the combination of disease and syndrome and its multi-target regulatory characteristics, providing a theoretical basis and transformation direction for the treatment of UC with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine.
7.Association of Rab37 gene polymorphism and delayed menarche:a report of 2 060 women
Meng YUAN ; Yang CAI ; Xiaoyu FANG ; Hongyao LYU ; Jiao WANG ; Xiangyu MA
Journal of Army Medical University 2025;47(6):623-628,后插1
Objective To explore the association between single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)of Rab37 gene and the age at menarche(AAM).Methods A case-control study design was used to conduct an epidemiologic survey on 2 060 women in a community in Jurong City,Jiangsu Province,and their venous blood samples were collected.ASA chip was used to explore the Rab37 gene genotyping of blood sample DNA to obtain the genotyping results for Rab37 SNPs rs62084865,rs10512597,rs35489971,rs1037170,rs6501732,rs77822106,and rs3178300.Based on menarche time of<16 years old or≥16 years old,the participants were divided into 2 groups.Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to explore the association between the SNP of Rab37 gene and the age at menarche based on dominant,recessive and allelic models.Results Among the 2 060 healthy women,944 women had normal menstrual periods,while 1 116 women experienced delayed menarche.Linear regression analysis showed that the gene polymorphism of rs3178300 was negatively correlated with the age at menarche in females[recessive model:CC/CT+TT,β=-0.915,95%CI(-1.692,-0.137),P=0.021;allelic model:T/C,β=-0.221,95%CI(-0.410,-0.032),P=0.022].Logistic regression analysis indicated that the gene polymorphism of rs3178300 was significantly associated with the risk of delayed menarche in females[recessive model:CC/CT+TT,OR=0.295,95%CI(0.116,0.751),P=0.010;allelic model:T/C,OR=0.796,95%CI(0.652,0.972),P=0.025].The remaining 6 SNPs showed no significant association with age at menarche.Conclusion The rs3178300 polymorphism of Rab37 gene is significantly associated with delayed menarche in Chinese women.
8.Efficacy and prognostic factors of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the treatment of secondary acute myeloid leukemia
Xiaolin YUAN ; Yibo WU ; Xiaolu SONG ; Yi CHEN ; Ying LU ; Xiaoyu LAI ; Jimin SHI ; Lizhen LIU ; Yanmin ZHAO ; Jian YU ; Luxin YANG ; Jianping LAN ; Zhen CAI ; He HUANG ; Yi LUO
Chinese Journal of Hematology 2024;45(1):41-47
Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and prognostic factors of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in patients with secondary acute myeloid leukemia (sAML) .Methods:In this multicenter, retrospective clinical study, adult patients aged ≥18 years who underwent allo-HSCT for sAML at four centers of the Zhejiang Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Collaborative Group from January 2014 to November 2022 were included, and the efficacy and prognostic factors of allo-HSCT were analyzed.Results:A total of 95 patients were enrolled; 66 (69.5%) had myelodysplastic syndrome-acute myeloid leukemia (MDS-AML) , 4 (4.2%) had MDS/MPN-AML, and 25 (26.3%) had therapy-related AML (tAML) . The 3-year CIR, LFS, and overall survival (OS) rates were 18.6% (95% CI 10.2%-27.0%) , 70.6% (95% CI 60.8%-80.4%) , and 73.3% (95% CI 63.9%-82.7%) , respectively. The 3-year CIRs of the M-AML group (including MDS-AML and MDS/MPN-AML) and the tAML group were 20.0% and 16.4%, respectively ( P=0.430) . The 3-year LFSs were 68.3% and 75.4%, respectively ( P=0.176) . The 3-year OS rates were 69.7% and 75.4%, respectively ( P=0.233) . The 3-year CIRs of the groups with and without TP53 mutations were 60.0% and 13.7%, respectively ( P=0.003) ; the 3-year LFSs were 20.0% and 76.5%, respectively ( P=0.002) ; and the 3-year OS rates were 40.0% and 77.6%, respectively ( P=0.002) . According to European LeukmiaNet 2022 (ELN2022) risk stratification, the 3-year CIRs of patients in the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups were 8.3%, 17.8%, and 22.6%, respectively ( P=0.639) . The three-year LFSs were 91.7%, 69.5%, and 65.6%, respectively ( P=0.268) . The 3-year OS rates were 91.7%, 71.4%, and 70.1%, respectively ( P=0.314) . Multivariate analysis revealed that advanced disease at allo-HSCT and TP53 mutations were independent risk factors for CIR, LFS, and OS. Conclusion:There was no significant difference in the prognosis of patients who underwent allo-HSCT among the MDS-AML, MDS/MPN-AML, and tAML groups. Advanced disease at transplantation and TP53 mutations were poor prognostic factors. ELN2022 risk stratification had limited value for predicting the prognosis of patients with sAML following allo-HSCT.
9.Potential Mechanism of Taraxaci Herba Against Bladder Cancer: A Review
Mingshun ZUO ; Zhicheng DONG ; Yu ZUO ; Hongchuan CHEN ; Hongjia CAI ; Congcong WU ; Xiaoyu AI ; Neng ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(7):290-298
Bladder cancer (BCa) is the most common malignant tumor of the urinary system, and its incidence is increasing year by year. At present, for all patients with resectable non-metastatic muscle-invasive BCa, radical cystectomy + bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection is strongly recommended, but they still face the risk of recurrence, metastasis and death. In recent years, the proportion of patients with advanced and metastatic BCa is increasing among patients with newly diagnosed BCa. Although current treatment models are diverse, they often struggle to achieve significant efficacy due to their low effectiveness and adverse effects, resulting in low survival rates for patients with advanced and metastatic BCa. Therefore, the treatment of BCa still faces great challenges, and there is an urgent need to discover an effective new antitumor drug. With the improvement of medical standards, traditional Chinese medicine has shown great advantages in the treatment of BCa. Traditional Chinese medicine is mild and easy to accept, and can inhibit tumor progression through a multi-pathway, multi-way and multi-target manner, so as to exert its anticancer effect. Taraxaci Herba is a medicinal and food homologous plant, which has many biological activities, such as antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidation, anti-tumor, protecting liver and gallbladder, reducing blood sugar and enhancing immunity, and it has shown a clear anticancer effect in breast cancer, liver cancer, gastric cancer, tongue cancer and lung cancer. By reviewing previous studies worldwide, this article summarizes the mechanism of Taraxaci Herba extract in inducing autophagy and apoptosis, inhibiting cell migration and invasion, regulating cell cycle and proliferation, regulating cell metabolism, inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, combining the effects of chemotherapeutic drugs, and regulating the transduction of related signal pathways. On this basis, this study systematically elaborates on the potential mechanism of Taraxaci Herba against BCa, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the research and treatment of BCa.
10.Research status and prospects of proton therapy for breast cancer
Xiaoyu WU ; Mei CHEN ; Lu CAO ; Min LI ; Yibin ZHANG ; Gang CAI ; Jiayi CHEN
Chinese Journal of Radiation Oncology 2024;33(8):772-777
Radiation therapy is an essential component of comprehensive treatment for breast cancer. In comparison to photons, proton beam, with its unique Bragg peak, limits the dose distribution to normal tissues around the tumor while improving dose coverage within the target area. Therefore, it could be an appealing therapeutic option for breast cancer treatment. Current researches indicate that proton therapy for breast cancer treatment has a distinct dosimetric advantage in protecting the heart and lungs. However, there are potentially increased risks of side-effects such as skin reactions and rib fractures, etc. Future Subsequent studies should seek a better understanding of the relative biological effectiveness changes along the proton beam range to improve the proton plan evaluation. Additionally, efforts should be directed towards identifying patients who would derive maximum benefit from proton therapy, addressing concerns related to its limited accessibility and high cost. This review provides an overview of the current clinical experiences, research progress and controversies in proton therapy for breast cancer.


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