1.Metabolomics Reveals Mechanism of Abelmoschi Corolla Total Flavonoids in Regulating Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in IgA Nephropathy
Shuying SONG ; Changqing WEN ; Luwan XING ; Yan ZHANG ; Haitao GE ; Fujiang WANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(11):153-161
ObjectiveTo elucidate the mechanism by which total flavonoids of Abelmoschi Corolla (TFA) treat immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy (IgAN) through serum metabolomics analysis. MethodsSPF-grade male SD rats were randomly assigned into six groups (n=10): blank, model, low-dose TFA (TFA-L, 27 mg·kg-1), medium-dose TFA (TFA-M, 54 mg·kg-1), high-dose TFA (TFA-H, 108 mg·kg-1), and losartan potassium (LST, 4.5 mg·kg-1) groups. The remaining five groups, excluding the blank group, were modeled with bovine serum albumin (BSA), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). Specifically, from weeks 1 to 10, BSA was administered via gavage every other day, and a mixture of castor oil and CCl4 was injected subcutaneously once a week, with LPS injected into the tail vein at weeks 6 and 8. After successful modeling, each intervention group was administrated with the medication prepared with distilled water once daily by gavage for a continuous period of 4 weeks. The levels of 24-hour urinary total protein (24 h UP) and serum creatinine (SCr) were quantified by kits, and the serum IgA level was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Renal pathological changes were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. Renal IgA deposition was assessed by immunofluorescence (IF). Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were employed to detect the expression of ER stress-related factors. Non-targeted metabolomics was used to screen differential metabolites for analysis, and key metabolites arachidonic acid (AA), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were validated. ResultsCompared with the blank group, the model group showed increased 24-hour urine protein (24 h UP) and serum creatinine (SCr) levels (P<0.01), obvious renal pathological damage, elevated serum IgA level (P<0.01), increased renal AA and PGE2 levels (P<0.01), and up-regulated protein levels of COX-2, glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (P-EIF2α), activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α), and spliced X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1s) in the renal tissue (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the intervention groups showed reductions in 24 h UP and SCr levels (P<0.05, P<0.01), alleviated renal pathological injury, decreased serum IgA level (P<0.05, P<0.01), and reduced renal AA and PGE2 levels (P<0.01). Western blot and IHC results showed that TFA reduced the levels of COX-2, GRP78, P-EIF2α, ATF4, IRE1α, and XBP1s in the renal tissue (P<0.05, P<0.01). Metabolomics results indicated that 51 commonly differential metabolites were found among the normal, model, and TFA-M groups. TFA ameliorated IgAN by affecting metabolic pathways related to the biosynthesis of arachidonic acid and arginine through L-aspartic acid, prostaglandin 2α, leukotriene B4, leukotriene D4, among others. ConclusionTFA can regulate the arachidonic acid metabolism pathway, thereby modulating ER stress, reducing renal damage, and ameliorating IgA nephropathy.
2.Strategic Optimization of CHO Cell Expression Platforms for Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing
Rui-Ming ZHANG ; Meng-Lin LI ; Hong-Wei ZHU ; Xing-Xiao ZHANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):327-341
Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the most established and versatile mammalian expression system for the large-scale production of recombinant therapeutic proteins, owing to their genetic stability, adaptability to serum-free suspension culture, and ability to perform human-like post-translational modifications. More than 70% of biologics approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rely on CHO-based production platforms, underscoring their central role in modern biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Despite these advantages, CHO systems continue to face three persistent bottlenecks that limit their potential for high-yield, reproducible, and cost-efficient production: excessive metabolic burden during high-density culture, heterogeneity of glycosylation patterns, and progressive loss of long-term expression stability. This review provides an integrated analysis of recent advances addressing these challenges and proposes a forward-looking framework for constructing intelligent and sustainable CHO cell factories. In terms of metabolic regulation, excessive lactate and ammonia accumulation disrupts energy balance and reduces recombinant protein synthesis efficiency. Optimization of culture parameters such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, osmolarity, and glucose feeding can effectively alleviate metabolic stress, while supplementation with modulators including sodium butyrate, baicalein, and S-adenosylmethionine promotes specific productivity (qP) by modulating apoptosis and chromatin structure. Furthermore, genetic engineering strategies—such as overexpression of MPC1/2, HSP27, and SIRT6 or knockout of Bax, Apaf1, and IGF-1R—have demonstrated significant improvements in cell viability and product yield. The combination of multi-omics metabolic modeling with artificial intelligence (AI)-based prediction offers new opportunities for building self-regulating CHO systems capable of dynamic adaptation to environmental stress. Regarding glycosylation uniformity, which determines therapeutic efficacy and immunogenicity, gene editing-based glycoengineering (e.g., FUT8 knockdown or ST6Gal1 overexpression) has enabled the humanization of CHO glycan profiles, minimizing non-human sugar residues and enhancing drug stability. Process-level strategies such as galactose or manganese co-feeding and fine control of temperature or osmolarity further allow rational regulation of glycosyltransferase activity. Additionally, in vitro chemoenzymatic remodeling provides a complementary route to construct human-type glycans with defined structures, though industrial applications remain constrained by cost and scalability. The integration of model-driven process design and AI feedback control is expected to enable real-time prediction and correction of glycosylation deviations, ensuring batch-to-batch consistency in continuous biomanufacturing. Long-term expression stability, another critical challenge, is often impaired by promoter silencing, chromatin condensation, and random genomic integration. Molecular optimization—such as the use of improved promoters (CMV, EF-1α, or CHO endogenous promoters), Kozak and signal peptide refinement, and incorporation of chromatin-opening elements (UCOE, MAR, STAR)—helps maintain durable transcriptional activity, while site-specific integration systems including Cre/loxP, Flp/FRT, φC31, and CRISPR/Cas9 can enable single-copy, position-independent gene insertion at genomic safe-harbor loci, ensuring stable, predictable expression. Collectively, this review highlights a paradigm shift in CHO system optimization driven by the convergence of genome editing, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence. The transition from empirical optimization to rational, data-driven design will facilitate the development of programmable CHO platforms capable of autonomous regulation of metabolic flux, glycosylation fidelity, and transcriptional activity. Such intelligent cell factories are expected to accelerate the transformation from laboratory-scale research to industrial-scale, high-consistency, and economically sustainable biopharmaceutical manufacturing, thereby supporting the next generation of efficient and customizable biologics manufacturing.
3.Strategic Optimization of CHO Cell Expression Platforms for Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing
Rui-Ming ZHANG ; Meng-Lin LI ; Hong-Wei ZHU ; Xing-Xiao ZHANG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(2):327-341
Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are the most established and versatile mammalian expression system for the large-scale production of recombinant therapeutic proteins, owing to their genetic stability, adaptability to serum-free suspension culture, and ability to perform human-like post-translational modifications. More than 70% of biologics approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rely on CHO-based production platforms, underscoring their central role in modern biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Despite these advantages, CHO systems continue to face three persistent bottlenecks that limit their potential for high-yield, reproducible, and cost-efficient production: excessive metabolic burden during high-density culture, heterogeneity of glycosylation patterns, and progressive loss of long-term expression stability. This review provides an integrated analysis of recent advances addressing these challenges and proposes a forward-looking framework for constructing intelligent and sustainable CHO cell factories. In terms of metabolic regulation, excessive lactate and ammonia accumulation disrupts energy balance and reduces recombinant protein synthesis efficiency. Optimization of culture parameters such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, osmolarity, and glucose feeding can effectively alleviate metabolic stress, while supplementation with modulators including sodium butyrate, baicalein, and S-adenosylmethionine promotes specific productivity (qP) by modulating apoptosis and chromatin structure. Furthermore, genetic engineering strategies—such as overexpression of MPC1/2, HSP27, and SIRT6 or knockout of Bax, Apaf1, and IGF-1R—have demonstrated significant improvements in cell viability and product yield. The combination of multi-omics metabolic modeling with artificial intelligence (AI)-based prediction offers new opportunities for building self-regulating CHO systems capable of dynamic adaptation to environmental stress. Regarding glycosylation uniformity, which determines therapeutic efficacy and immunogenicity, gene editing-based glycoengineering (e.g., FUT8 knockdown or ST6Gal1 overexpression) has enabled the humanization of CHO glycan profiles, minimizing non-human sugar residues and enhancing drug stability. Process-level strategies such as galactose or manganese co-feeding and fine control of temperature or osmolarity further allow rational regulation of glycosyltransferase activity. Additionally, in vitro chemoenzymatic remodeling provides a complementary route to construct human-type glycans with defined structures, though industrial applications remain constrained by cost and scalability. The integration of model-driven process design and AI feedback control is expected to enable real-time prediction and correction of glycosylation deviations, ensuring batch-to-batch consistency in continuous biomanufacturing. Long-term expression stability, another critical challenge, is often impaired by promoter silencing, chromatin condensation, and random genomic integration. Molecular optimization—such as the use of improved promoters (CMV, EF-1α, or CHO endogenous promoters), Kozak and signal peptide refinement, and incorporation of chromatin-opening elements (UCOE, MAR, STAR)—helps maintain durable transcriptional activity, while site-specific integration systems including Cre/loxP, Flp/FRT, φC31, and CRISPR/Cas9 can enable single-copy, position-independent gene insertion at genomic safe-harbor loci, ensuring stable, predictable expression. Collectively, this review highlights a paradigm shift in CHO system optimization driven by the convergence of genome editing, synthetic biology, and artificial intelligence. The transition from empirical optimization to rational, data-driven design will facilitate the development of programmable CHO platforms capable of autonomous regulation of metabolic flux, glycosylation fidelity, and transcriptional activity. Such intelligent cell factories are expected to accelerate the transformation from laboratory-scale research to industrial-scale, high-consistency, and economically sustainable biopharmaceutical manufacturing, thereby supporting the next generation of efficient and customizable biologics manufacturing.
4.A Method for Position Correction of Ultrasonic Arrays Used in High-resolution Photoacoustic Tomography
Yang TANG ; Zhan-Jun ZHANG ; Xing HUANG ; Kuan PENG
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics 2026;53(3):767-778
ObjectivePhotoacoustic tomography (PAT) holds significant potential for high-resolution deep-tissue imaging. In preclinical research, custom-designed concave arc-shaped ultrasound transducer arrays are often used to maximize the detection aperture. However, manufacturing limitations and assembly tolerances frequently cause the actual physical positions of array elements to deviate from their theoretical design. Additionally, concave arrays are typically covered with an acoustic lens, which introduces a mismatch in the speed of sound between the coupling medium and the lens material. The combination of these geometric and acoustic-phase errors leads to severe image artifacts, reduced contrast, and degraded resolution. This study proposes a systematic two-step calibration strategy to address these issues and substantially improve image quality. MethodsFirst, a high-intensity isotropic photoacoustic point source was constructed using a multi-mode optical fiber coated with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to acquire high signal-to-noise ratio calibration data. The Akaike information criterion (AIC) was employed to accurately determine the time of arrival (ToA) of photoacoustic signals. Subsequently, a geometric calibration algorithm based on nonlinear least-squares (NLS) estimation was developed. This algorithm iteratively solves for the true spatial coordinates of each array element by minimizing the residual between theoretical and measured acoustic path lengths. To further address sound-speed inhomogeneity caused by the acoustic lens, a phase compensation algorithm based on bilinear interpolation was proposed. This algorithm computes a pixel-specific phase delay map across the imaging region and performs point-by-point signal correction during delay-and-sum (DAS) reconstruction. The proposed methods were validated using a custom 96-channel concave arc-shaped array (center frequency: 12 MHz) through both phantom imaging and in vivo mouse tumor models. ResultsPhantom experiments showed that at an imaging depth of14 mm, the reconstruction position deviation of the point source in the uncalibrated system reached up to 1 mm. After applying the combined calibration, the lateral resolution (full width at half maximum, FWHM) at the focal point of the arc array reached 95 μm—representing a 85% reduction compared to the uncalibrated state and a 79% reduction compared to geometric calibration alone without phase compensation. In vivo experiments demonstrated that the calibrated system clearly resolved the microvascular network of subcutaneous tumors in mice. Photoacoustic signals were strictly confined within tumor boundaries delineated by ultrasound imaging (USI), eliminating the vascular spillover artifacts commonly observed in uncalibrated images. Furthermore, after intravenous injection of indocyanine green (ICG), the system successfully detected weak photoacoustic signals at a depth of 5 mm, performing significantly better than the uncalibrated system. ConclusionThe proposed calibration method, which integrates nonlinear least-squares estimation with phase compensation, significantly improves image fidelity and spatial resolution consistency across a wide field of view by correcting systemic geometric errors and acoustic phase aberrations. This approach demonstrates high robustness and provides a reliable technical foundation for the clinical translation of photoacoustic probes with non-standard geometries.
5.Effect and mechanism of Wnt5a knockdown on the efficacy of M1 bone marrow-derived macrophage in treatment of liver cirrhosis
Feifei XING ; Danyang WANG ; Xinrui ZHENG ; Yannan XU ; Shihao ZHANG ; Junyi ZHAN ; Wei LIU ; Gaofeng CHEN ; Jiamei CHEN ; Ping LIU ; Yongping MU
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(3):618-628
ObjectiveTo observe the effect of M1 bone marrow-derived macrophages (M1-BMDM) with Wnt5a knockdown on liver fibrosis and regeneration in a rat model of liver cirrhosis, and to investigate its gain-of-function effect compared with unmodified M1-BMDM. MethodsPrimary bone marrow-derived macrophages were isolated from rats and were polarized to M1 phenotype to construct M1-BMDMWnt5a-KD cells. A rat model of liver cirrhosis induced by CCl4/2-AAF was established, and at the end of week 8, rats were randomly divided into model group, M1-BMDM group, M1-BMDM Wnt5a-knockdown empty vector group (M1-BMDMKD-EV group), and M1-BMDM Wnt5a-knockdown group (M1-BMDMWnt5a-KD group), with 6 rats in each group. On the first day of week 9, the rats in each group were given a single injection of the corresponding cells via the caudal vein, along with an intraperitoneal injection of a CCR2 inhibitor. Six rats without any treatment were used as normal control group. Samples were collected at the end of week 12 to assess liver histopathology, serum liver function parameters, hepatic stellate cell activation, and the expression levels of mature hepatocyte markers. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. ResultsCompared with the model group, all cell treatment groups had significant alleviation of liver inflammatory response and significant reductions in the activities of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in serum (all P<0.01), and the M1-BMDMWnt5a-KD group had a significantly lower serum level of AST than the M1-BMDM group (P<0.05). The semi-quantitative analysis based on immunohistochemical staining showed that compared with the model group, all cell treatment groups had a significant reduction in the percentage of CD68-positive area (all P<0.05), and compared with the M1-BMDMKD-EV group, the M1-BMDMWnt5a-KD group had a significant reduction in the percentage of CD68-positive area and a significant increase in the percentage of CD163-positive area (both P<0.05). Compared with the model group, all cell treatment groups had significant reductions in the mRNA expression levels of CD68 and tumor necrosis factor-α (all P<0.05) and the protein expression level of CD68 (all P<0.01); compared with the M1-BMDMKD-EV group, the M1-BMDMWnt5a-KD group had significant increases in the protein and mRNA expression levels of CD163 (both P<0.05), significant reductions in the protein and mRNA expression levels of CD68 (both P<0.05), and a significant reduction in the protein expression level of tumor necrosis factor-α (P<0.01). Sirius Red collagen staining and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) immunohistochemical staining showed that compared with the model group, all cell treatment groups had significant alleviation of liver collagen deposition and α-SMA-positive area, with the most significant changes in the M1-BMDMWnt5a-KD group, and compared with the M1-BMDMKD-EV group, the M1-BMDMWnt5a-KD group had significantly smaller Sirius Red-positive area and α-SMA-positive area and a significantly lower content of hydroxyproline in liver tissue (all P<0.05). Compared with the M1-BMDMKD-EV group, the M1-BMDMWnt5a-KD group had significant reductions in the protein and mRNA expression levels of α-SMA and the mRNA expression level of COL-I and TGF-β (all P<0.05). Compared with the model group, all cell treatment groups had a significant increase in the protein expression level of HNF-4α in liver tissue (all P<0.05), and the M1-BMDMWnt5a-KD group had significantly higher protein and mRNA expression levels of HNF-4α and hepatocyte specific antigen than the M1-BMDMKD-EV group (both P<0.05). The M1-BMDMWnt5a-KD group had a significantly higher serum level of albumin than the M1-BMDMKD-EV group (P<0.01). Immunofluorescence co-staining showed that compared with the model group, all cell treatment groups had a significant increase in the number of cells stained positive for HNF and HNF-4α and Ki67 (all P<0.01), and the M1-BMDMWnt5a-KD group had a significantly higher number of such cells than the M1-BMDMKD-EV group (P<0.05). ConclusionInhibition of Wnt5a expression enhances the therapeutic effect of M1-BMDM on rats with liver cirrhosis induced by CCl4/2-AAF, which provides new ideas for enhancing the anti-cirrhotic effect of M1-BMDM through genetic modification.
6.Regulatory effect of histone lactylation modification in hepatic fibrosis
Weichu ZENG ; Xing LYU ; Fengfan LI ; Zhenni LIU ; Jungang LI ; Weilin ZHANG ; Peiting LIU ; Bingchu LI ; Ruohong CHEN ; Zhiyang CHEN ; Min HU
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2026;42(3):704-710
Hepatic fibrosis is a reversible pathological process in various chronic liver diseases and is closely associated with the development and progression of severe liver diseases such as liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and it has emerged as a significant global health challenge. In recent years, studies have shown that histone lactylation, a newly discovered epigenetic modification, actively participates in regulating the progression of hepatic fibrosis. This article systematically reviews the core regulatory effect of histone lactylation modification in the interaction between inflammatory microenvironment and hepatic fibrosis, in order to clarify the cascade regulatory mechanism of “inflammation-hepatic fibrosis” and provide new insights for early diagnosis, targeted intervention, and prevention of malignant transformation in hepatic fibrosis.
7.Predictive model for perioperative blood transfusion risk in patients with scarred uterus during pregnancy undergoing cesarean section
Yurong CHEN ; Yan XING ; Na WANG ; Xia QI ; Yining ZHANG ; Ying CUI
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2026;39(4):501-505
Objective: To investigate factors influencing perioperative blood transfusion in patients with scarred uterus during pregnancy undergoing cesarean section, construct and validate a transfusion risk prediction model, and provide evidence for preoperative assessment and blood management. Methods: Clinical data of 405 patients undergoing cesarean section for scarred uterus during pregnancy at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from January 2020 to December 2024 were retrospectively collected. The dataset was randomly divided into a training set (n=284) and a validation set (n=121) at a 7∶3 ratio. Within the training set, Firth-penalized logistic regression was employed for multivariate analysis to identify independent factors influencing perioperative blood transfusion and construct a predictive model. Model performance was evaluated in the validation set. Results: Multivariate Firth regression analysis showed that severe placenta previa (OR=75.566, 95%CI: 8.603-9979.174) and placenta accreta (OR=4.591, 95%CI: 1.120-19.416) were independent risk factors for perioperative blood transfusion, while preoperative red blood cell count (OR=0.189, 95%CI: 0.083-0.405) and fibrinogen levels (OR=0.588, 95%CI: 0.395-0.855) were protective factors. The predictive model constructed based on these four variables demonstrated good discriminatory performance, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of 0.803 (95%CI: 0.740-0.867) and 0.753 (95%CI: 0.644-0.862) in the training and validation sets, respectively. Conclusion: For patients with scarred uterus during pregnancy undergoing cesarean section, severe placenta previa and placenta accreta significantly increase the risk of transfusion, while higher preoperative red blood cell count and fibrinogen levels exert a protective effect. The predictive model established in this study facilitates the identification of patients requiring transfusion, thereby enabling preoperative blood preparation and optimized blood management.
8.Analysis of the impact of intraoperative RhE antigen-matched transfusion on early prognosis in liver transplant patients
Xiaochao YU ; Xinyuan GAO ; Fan HAI ; Chao YANG ; Xingyu HOU ; Yaping XING ; Hongqiang GAO ; Hongwei ZHANG ; Gang SU ; Ronghua XU
Chinese Journal of Blood Transfusion 2026;39(1):44-50
Objective: To investigate the impact of RhE antigen-matched transfusion during liver transplantation on early postoperative recovery and complications. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, ninety-five patients undergoing liver transplantation at Kunming First People's Hospital between January 2022 and July 2025 were enrolled. Patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 (RhE-mismatched transfusion, n=57) and Group 2 (RhE-matched transfusion, n=38). The baseline data, complete blood counts, hepatic and renal function, coagulation parameters, and complication rates between the two groups were compared at postoperative days 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: The baseline characteristics were well-balanced and comparable between the two groups (all P>0.05). The early postoperative mortality rate in the mismatched group (31.58%, 18/57) was significantly higher than that in the matched group (10.53%, 4/38) (P=0.017). The incidence of postoperative hepatic encephalopathy was significantly higher in the mismatched group (50.88%, 29/57) than in the matched group (10.53%, 4/38) (P<0.001). The incidence of postoperative haemorrhage in the mismatched group (24.56%, 14/57) was higher than that in the matched group (5.26%, 2/38), with a statistically significant difference (P=0.014). The incidence of perioperative infection in the mismatched group (28.07%, 16/57) was higher than that in the matched group (10.53%, 4/38), with a statistically significant difference (P=0.04). Corresponding odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals indicated a lower risk of these adverse events in the matched group. On postoperative day 1, the change in activated partial thromboplastin time (-1.6, 20.5) in the mismatched group was greater than in the matched group (-0.2, 5.5). The change in international normalised ratio (-0.56, 1.22) in the mismatched group was greater than in the matched group (-0.18, 0.32), while the change in albumin (-4.0, 4.8) was smaller in the mismatched group than in the matched group (-2.5, 8.8). On postoperative day 5, the change in albumin (-0.41±7.83) in the mismatched group was smaller than in the matched group (2.68±4.53). At postoperative day 7, the change in albumin in the mismatched group (-0.61±7.38) was smaller than that in the matched group (2.51±5.85), while the change in D-dimer in the mismatched group (0.73, 7.4) was greater than that in the matched group (-1.6, 4.3). On postoperative day 10, the mismatched group exhibited significantly higher fibrinogen levels (-1.21, 1.78) than the matched group (-0.49, 0.97), and significantly longer prothrombin times (-11.3, -2.7) than the matched group (-6.2, -0.8) (all P<0.05). The matched group exhibited a mean overall survival (OS) of 32.803 months (95% CI:29.171-36.436 months), significantly exceeding the mismatched group's 28.996 months (95% CI:24.202-33.790 months). The log-rank test yielded statistically significant results (χ
=4.307, P=0.038). Conclusion: Implementing RhE blood group-matched transfusion during liver transplantation may help reduce early postoperative mortality and the incidence of major complication rates, promote faster recovery of coagulation and liver function, and thereby improve short-term patient outcomes.
9.Research Tackling Paradigm and Technological Layout Strategies Based on Erectile Dysfunction, A Clinical Dominant Disease of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Qi ZHAO ; Yun CHEN ; Baoxing LIU ; Xuejun SHANG ; Fei SUN ; Xiaozhi ZHAO ; Zhigang WU ; Chao SUN ; Peihai ZHANG ; Wanjun CHENG ; Xing ZHOU ; Zhan QIN ; Yufeng PAN ; Weiwei TAO ; Jianhuai CHEN ; Mei MO ; Xiaoxiao ZHANG ; Xing ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(7):291-299
To thoroughly implement the strategic deployment outlined in the Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Promoting the Inheritance and Innovative Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine regarding research on dominant diseases of traditional Chinese medicine and to uphold the development philosophy of equal emphasis on traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine,the China Association of Chinese Medicine has fully played a leading academic role by systematically organizing and conducting a series of academic youth salons on clinical dominant diseases of traditional Chinese medicine. On September 13,2024,the 36th Youth Salon on Clinical Dominant Diseases was successfully held in Nanjing,focusing on the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine and the integrative traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). The conference brought together leading experts from traditional Chinese medicine,western medicine,and interdisciplinary fields,facilitating in-depth multidisciplinary discussions that led to key consensus on optimizing traditional Chinese medicine treatment protocols for ED,researching and developing new drugs of traditional Chinese medicine,and advancing interdisciplinary development in traditional Chinese medicine. This salon systematically sorted out the clinical strengths and distinctive features of traditional Chinese medicine in the diagnosis and treatment of ED. Based on current research foundations and clinical needs,it identified key directions for future scientific layout and scientific research tackling: (1) Standardization of syndrome differentiation system of traditional Chinese medicine for ED. (2) Optimization and standardization of intervention methods of integrated traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine. (3) High-quality clinical research guided by evidence-based medicine. (4) In-depth analysis of the pharmacological mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of ED. (5) Clinical translation and application promotion of new drugs of traditional Chinese medicine. (6) Interdisciplinary integration and innovation in traditional Chinese medicine. For each research direction,key focus areas,expected objectives,and clinical value were further refined,along with the establishment of a scientifically sound priority funding level evaluation system. Therefore,building on the series of salons on the ED-focused dominant diseases of traditional Chinese medicine,this paper provides standardized guidance for clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine in ED management,effectively contributing to the high-quality development of traditional Chinese medicine. It serves as a valuable reference for national scientific and technological strategic layout, research and development decision-making in new drugs of traditional Chinese medicine,research topic planning,and clinical guideline formulation.
10.Effects of Yangxin Tongmai Formula (养心通脉方) on Methylation Key Genes and the PERK/ATF4/CHOP Signaling Pathway in Myocardial Tissue of Coronary Heart Disease Model Rats with Blood Stasis Syndrome
Chun ZHANG ; Shumeng ZHANG ; Yan MAO ; Xing CHEN ; Huifang KUANG ; Yi YANG ; Lingli CHEN ; Jie LI
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2026;67(7):784-791
ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanism of Yangxin Tongmai Formula (养心通脉方, YTF) in trea-ting coronary heart disease with blood stasis syndrome based on DNA methylation. MethodsSeventy-two SD rats were randomly divided into a control group (n=12) and a modeling group (n=60). The modeling group was subjected to a high-fat diet, intragastric administration of vitamin D3, and subcutaneous injection of isoprenaline to establish the rat model of coronary heart disease with blood stasis syndrome. Forty-one successfully modeled rats were then randomly allocated into model group, YTF low-, medium-, and high-dose groups, and the atorvastatin calcium group, with 8 rats in each group and 1 rat reserved. The YTF low-, medium-, and high-dose groups received YTF at 6, 12, and 18 g/(kg·d) by gavage, respectively. The atorvastatin calcium group received atorvastatin calcium tablets at 1.8 mg/(kg·d) by gavage. The control group and the model group received 0.9% sodium chloride injection at 4 ml/(kg·d) by gavage. All administrations were performed once daily for 3 weeks. Twenty-four hours after the last administration, serum lipid levels including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), myocardial enzymes including cardiac troponin T (cTnT), creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and inflammatory factors including interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were detected by ELISA. Pathological changes in myocardial tissue were observed via HE staining. Whole blood DNA methylation sequencing was used to analyze differential methylation gene expression among the control group, model group, and YTF high-dose group. Western Blotting was used to verify the protein levels of the key genes and downstream signaling pathways. ResultsCompared to the control group, the model group showed increased levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, cTnT, CK-MB, LDH, and IL-1β, along with decreased levels of HDL-C and IL-10 (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared to the model group, all treatment groups exhibited decreased levels of TC, LDL-C, CK-MB, and LDH, along with increased IL-10 levels. Among these, the high-dose YTF group demonstrated superior efficacy in reducing cTnT levels compared to the other TCM groups (P<0.05 or P<0.01). HE staining indicated that the YTF high-dose group ameliorated myocardial cell swelling, disordered arrangement, pyknosis, and disappearance of nuclei, thereby reducing myocardial cell damage. Whole blood DNA methylation sequencing identified 240 differentially methylated genes shared by the control group, model group, and YTF high-dose group, including 109 hypermethylated and 131 hypomethylated genes; eif2ak3 was identified as a key differentially methylated gene. Compared to the control group, the model group exhibited increased protein levels of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha kinase 3 (eIf2ak3), phosphorylated protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (p-PERK), activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), and Bax, along with a decreased level of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) protein (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared to the model group, the YTF high-dose group showed decreased protein levels of eIf2ak3, p-PERK, ATF4, CHOP, and Bax, and an increased level of Bcl-2 protein (P<0.05 or P<0.01). ConclusionYTF may regulate key differentially methylated genes such as eIf2ak3 and the PERK/ATF4/CHOP signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress, reducing myocardial cell apoptosis, and exerting therapeutic effects in coronary heart disease blood stasis syndrome.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail