1.Application of Mitophagy in Regulating Ulcerative Colitis Based on "Spleen Dysfunction in Essence Distribution Leading to Endogenous Turbid Pathogens"
Xuli YANG ; Yanwei HAO ; Qiaobo YE ; Lingling YUAN ; Ruijie FANG ; Yi ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(14):176-184
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, non-specific intestinal inflammatory disease. Its pathogenesis is complex, involving interactions among genetic, immune, and environmental factors, and remains incompletely elucidated. Mitochondrial damage can trigger the abnormal release of mitochondrial damage-associated molecular patterns (mtDAMPs), activating inflammatory pathways and thereby exacerbating the inflammatory response in UC. Mitophagy, a core mitochondrial quality control mechanism, can clear damaged mitochondria and effectively reduce the abnormal release of mtDAMPs and the accumulation of harmful substances, thereby mitigating inflammatory damage resulting from mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitophagy plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier function and in the prevention and intervention of UC. Notably, the function of the spleen governing transportation and transformation in traditional Chinese medicine shares similarities with the role of mitochondria in energy transformation and substance metabolism. Furthermore, the pathological state of the spleen failing in transportation and transformation may be related to mitochondrial dysfunction, while the pathogenic characteristics of "endogenous turbid pathogen" align with the inflammatory cascade responses triggered by abnormal release of mtDAMPs. Based on this theoretical correlation, this paper aims to explore the correlation between the traditional Chinese medicine theory of "spleen dysfunction in essence distribution leading to endogenous turbid pathogens" and mitophagy. Using the correlation as an entry point, the potential role of mitophagy in the pathogenesis of UC was elucidated. Additionally, by considering the epidemiological characteristics of UC in the Southwest region of China, a new thinking for the treatment of UC from the perspective of turbid pathogens was proposed based on the "fortifying the spleen and resolving turbidity" method to provide theoretical support and research enlightenment for further exploring the prevention and treatment of UC with traditional Chinese medicine.
2.Study on the mechanism of Jiawei xiaochaihu decoction inhibiting hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in epileptic mice via regulating AKT/Bcl-xL/Bax/Caspase-3 signaling axis
Ling LU ; Sheng ZHUANG ; Yijue QIN ; Haishun QU ; Yanwei YANG ; Weicheng XU
China Pharmacy 2026;37(13):1728-1734
OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism of Jiawei xiaochaihu decoction against hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in acute epileptic model mice. METHODS Thirty-six male KM mice were randomly divided into four groups with 9 mice in each group: normal control group (normal saline), epilepsy model group (normal saline), Jiawei xiaochaihu decoction group [7 g/(kg·d)] and carbamazepine group [positive control, 30 mg/(kg·d)]. Except for the normal control group, the acute epilepsy model was established in the other groups. After successful modeling, mice in each group were given corresponding drugs or normal saline by intragastric administration once a day for 2 consecutive weeks. After drug intervention, the ultrastructure and pathological morphology of hippocampal CA1 region were observed. The number of TUNEL-positive cells in hippocampus was detected, and the expression levels of protein kinase B (AKT), Caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), as well as the ratio of phosphorylated AKT(p-AKT) to AKT were determined. RESULTS Compared with the normal control group, severe ultrastructural and pathological damages were observed in the hippocampal CA1 region of epilepsy model group; the number of TUNEL-positive cells was significantly increased ( P <0.05). The expression levels of p-AKT and Bcl-xL were significantly down-regulated ( P <0.05), while the Bax and Caspase-3 were significantly up-regulated ( P <0.05),accompanied by a remarkable decrease of p-AKT/AKT ratio ( P <0.05). Compared with the epilepsy model group, hippocampal tissue ultrastructure, pathological damage, and the aforementioned indicators were significantly improved in Jiawei xiaochaihu decoction group ( P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS Jiawei xiaochaihu decoction can inhibit hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in acute epileptic mice, and its mechanism may be related to activating AKT phosphorylation, increasing p-AKT/AKT ratio, up-regulating Bcl-xL expression and down-regulating the expression of Bax and Caspase-3.
3.Study on the mechanism of Jiawei xiaochaihu decoction inhibiting hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in epileptic mice via regulating AKT/Bcl-xL/Bax/Caspase-3 signaling axis
Ling LU ; Sheng ZHUANG ; Yijue QIN ; Haishun QU ; Yanwei YANG ; Weicheng XU
China Pharmacy 2026;37(13):1728-1734
OBJECTIVE To explore the mechanism of Jiawei xiaochaihu decoction against hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in acute epileptic model mice. METHODS Thirty-six male KM mice were randomly divided into four groups with 9 mice in each group: normal control group (normal saline), epilepsy model group (normal saline), Jiawei xiaochaihu decoction group [7 g/(kg·d)] and carbamazepine group [positive control, 30 mg/(kg·d)]. Except for the normal control group, the acute epilepsy model was established in the other groups. After successful modeling, mice in each group were given corresponding drugs or normal saline by intragastric administration once a day for 2 consecutive weeks. After drug intervention, the ultrastructure and pathological morphology of hippocampal CA1 region were observed. The number of TUNEL-positive cells in hippocampus was detected, and the expression levels of protein kinase B (AKT), Caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), as well as the ratio of phosphorylated AKT(p-AKT) to AKT were determined. RESULTS Compared with the normal control group, severe ultrastructural and pathological damages were observed in the hippocampal CA1 region of epilepsy model group; the number of TUNEL-positive cells was significantly increased ( P <0.05). The expression levels of p-AKT and Bcl-xL were significantly down-regulated ( P <0.05), while the Bax and Caspase-3 were significantly up-regulated ( P <0.05),accompanied by a remarkable decrease of p-AKT/AKT ratio ( P <0.05). Compared with the epilepsy model group, hippocampal tissue ultrastructure, pathological damage, and the aforementioned indicators were significantly improved in Jiawei xiaochaihu decoction group ( P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS Jiawei xiaochaihu decoction can inhibit hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in acute epileptic mice, and its mechanism may be related to activating AKT phosphorylation, increasing p-AKT/AKT ratio, up-regulating Bcl-xL expression and down-regulating the expression of Bax and Caspase-3.
4.Experimental Study of Ligustilide Mediates PINK1/Parkin Signaling Pathway to Regulate Mitophagy for Attenuating Neuronal Damage in Ischemic Stroke Rats
Yaxin MA ; Yanwei LUO ; Yang BAI ; Lina CONG ; Yueming LI ; Yu GU ; Yan WANG
Journal of Modern Laboratory Medicine 2025;40(6):38-44
Objective To investigate the neuroprotective effect of ligustilide(LIG)-mediated phosphatase and tensin homolog(PTEN)-induced putative kinase 1(PINK1)/Parkin pathway on mitophagy in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.Methods 161 male Sprague Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided into sham operation(Sham)group,model group,LIG low-dose group,LIG high-dose group,mitophagy inhibitor(Mdivi-1)group,LIG high-dose+Mdivi-1 group,and the positive drug Nimodipine(NMDP)group,each with 23 rats.A modified middle cerebral artery wire thrombus method was used to construct a cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model in rats,and the neurobehavioral scores of rats in each group were compared by Longa's five-point scale;the volume of cerebral infarction was detected by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride(TCC)staining,the histopathology and ultrastructure of the hippocampus were examined by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and transmission electron microscope(TEM).And the Na+-K+-Adenosine Triphosphate was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA);double immunofluorescence staining for translocase of the outer membrane of mitochondrion 20(TOMM20)and Microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3)co-localized area percentage.Flow cytometry assay(FCM)to test the level of reactive oxygen(ROS);real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(qRT-PCR)was used to measure the relative content of mitochondria in hippocampal neurons;and Western blot was performed to test the level of autophagy and the PINK1/Parkin pathway related protein expression.Results Compared with the Sham group,the neurological function score and cerebral infarction volume of the model group were increased,the hippocampal neurons showed pathological damage such as disordered arrangement,nucleolus disappearance and partial shrinkage of the nucleus and plasma,nuclear membrane rupture,swelling,membrane rupture and crista reduction of some mitochondria,a large number of autophagosomes were observed,and the colocalization area percentage of TOMM20 and LC3 was increased.TOMM20 and cytochrome C oxidase subunit IV isoform 1(COX4I1)in hippocampus and selective autophagy adaptor protein 62(p62)protein expression,mitochondrial encoded ATP synthase 6(mt-ATP6)/Ribosomal protein L13(Rpl13)ratio and Na+-K+-ATPase content decreased,while PINK1 and Parkin protein expression,LC3-II/I ratio and ROS relative content increased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=4.602~52.012,all P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the neurological function score,cerebral infarction volume,pathological and ultrastructural damage of hippocampal neurons were significantly improved in the LIG low,high dose and NMDP groups,and the differences were statistically significant(t=4.851~12.525,all P<0.01).The colocalization of TOMM20 and LC3 and the content of Na+-K+-ATPase were increased,while the expression of TOMM20,COX4I1 and p62 proteins and the mt-ATP6/Rpl13 ratio were decreased in the high-dose LIG group.The protein expression of PINK1 and Parkin,LC3-II/I ratio and ROS relative content were increased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=4.087~33.211,all P<0.01).Compared with the LIG high-dose group,the Mdivi-1 and LIG+Mdivi-1 groups had significantly decreased colocalization of TOMM20 and LC3 and Na+-K+-ATPase content,and significantly increased expression of TOMM20,COX4I1 and p62 proteins and mt-ATP6/Rpl13 ratio.The protein expression of PINK1 and Parkin,LC3-II/I ratio and ROS relative content were decreased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=4.008~43.415,all P<0.01).However,the percentage of TOMM20 and LC3 co-localization area,PINK1 and Parkin protein expression,LC3-II/I ratio and Na+-K+-ATPase content in the hippocampus of the LIG+Mdivi-1 group were higher than those of the Mdivi-1 group.The protein expression of COX4I1 and p62,mt-ATP6/Rpl13 ratio and ROS level were lower than those in MDIV-1 group,and the differences were statistically significant(t=3.721~21.513,all P<0.01).Conclusion LIG may activate mitophagy by regulating PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway to protect neurons from cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.
5.Experimental Study of Ligustilide Mediates PINK1/Parkin Signaling Pathway to Regulate Mitophagy for Attenuating Neuronal Damage in Ischemic Stroke Rats
Yaxin MA ; Yanwei LUO ; Yang BAI ; Lina CONG ; Yueming LI ; Yu GU ; Yan WANG
Journal of Modern Laboratory Medicine 2025;40(6):38-44
Objective To investigate the neuroprotective effect of ligustilide(LIG)-mediated phosphatase and tensin homolog(PTEN)-induced putative kinase 1(PINK1)/Parkin pathway on mitophagy in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.Methods 161 male Sprague Dawley(SD)rats were randomly divided into sham operation(Sham)group,model group,LIG low-dose group,LIG high-dose group,mitophagy inhibitor(Mdivi-1)group,LIG high-dose+Mdivi-1 group,and the positive drug Nimodipine(NMDP)group,each with 23 rats.A modified middle cerebral artery wire thrombus method was used to construct a cerebral ischemia/reperfusion model in rats,and the neurobehavioral scores of rats in each group were compared by Longa's five-point scale;the volume of cerebral infarction was detected by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride(TCC)staining,the histopathology and ultrastructure of the hippocampus were examined by hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and transmission electron microscope(TEM).And the Na+-K+-Adenosine Triphosphate was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA);double immunofluorescence staining for translocase of the outer membrane of mitochondrion 20(TOMM20)and Microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3)co-localized area percentage.Flow cytometry assay(FCM)to test the level of reactive oxygen(ROS);real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(qRT-PCR)was used to measure the relative content of mitochondria in hippocampal neurons;and Western blot was performed to test the level of autophagy and the PINK1/Parkin pathway related protein expression.Results Compared with the Sham group,the neurological function score and cerebral infarction volume of the model group were increased,the hippocampal neurons showed pathological damage such as disordered arrangement,nucleolus disappearance and partial shrinkage of the nucleus and plasma,nuclear membrane rupture,swelling,membrane rupture and crista reduction of some mitochondria,a large number of autophagosomes were observed,and the colocalization area percentage of TOMM20 and LC3 was increased.TOMM20 and cytochrome C oxidase subunit IV isoform 1(COX4I1)in hippocampus and selective autophagy adaptor protein 62(p62)protein expression,mitochondrial encoded ATP synthase 6(mt-ATP6)/Ribosomal protein L13(Rpl13)ratio and Na+-K+-ATPase content decreased,while PINK1 and Parkin protein expression,LC3-II/I ratio and ROS relative content increased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=4.602~52.012,all P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the neurological function score,cerebral infarction volume,pathological and ultrastructural damage of hippocampal neurons were significantly improved in the LIG low,high dose and NMDP groups,and the differences were statistically significant(t=4.851~12.525,all P<0.01).The colocalization of TOMM20 and LC3 and the content of Na+-K+-ATPase were increased,while the expression of TOMM20,COX4I1 and p62 proteins and the mt-ATP6/Rpl13 ratio were decreased in the high-dose LIG group.The protein expression of PINK1 and Parkin,LC3-II/I ratio and ROS relative content were increased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=4.087~33.211,all P<0.01).Compared with the LIG high-dose group,the Mdivi-1 and LIG+Mdivi-1 groups had significantly decreased colocalization of TOMM20 and LC3 and Na+-K+-ATPase content,and significantly increased expression of TOMM20,COX4I1 and p62 proteins and mt-ATP6/Rpl13 ratio.The protein expression of PINK1 and Parkin,LC3-II/I ratio and ROS relative content were decreased,and the differences were statistically significant(t=4.008~43.415,all P<0.01).However,the percentage of TOMM20 and LC3 co-localization area,PINK1 and Parkin protein expression,LC3-II/I ratio and Na+-K+-ATPase content in the hippocampus of the LIG+Mdivi-1 group were higher than those of the Mdivi-1 group.The protein expression of COX4I1 and p62,mt-ATP6/Rpl13 ratio and ROS level were lower than those in MDIV-1 group,and the differences were statistically significant(t=3.721~21.513,all P<0.01).Conclusion LIG may activate mitophagy by regulating PINK1/Parkin signaling pathway to protect neurons from cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.
6.Clinical study of modified cervical cerclage at different surgical timings in twin pregnant women with cervical insufficiency
Yanwei FAN ; Guangcai ZHAO ; Siyuan YANG ; Wenhui CHEN ; Ningning ZHAO ; Haiying LIU
Chinese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 2025;60(2):105-113
Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of three different surgical timings of modified cervical cerclage in twin pregnant women with cervical insufficiency.Methods:The clinical data of 73 twin pregnant women who underwent modified cervical cerclage and had pregnancy outcomes in Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (Qingdao) from April 2014 to July 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the different timings of surgery, they were divided into prophylactic cerclage group, ultrasound-indicated cerclage group (further divided into cervical length (CL)≤15 mm and 15 mm
7.Lnx1 expression in cortical neurons of rats with traumatic brain injury and mechanisms involved in secondary brain injury
Yanxia MA ; Yanwei YANG ; Yuhang MA ; Di LI ; Xiaoyan WANG ; Mingming ZOU ; Shanwen WEI
Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research 2025;29(1):24-30
BACKGROUND:Apoptosis plays an important role in secondary brain injury.Therefore,to explore the pathophysiological mechanism of promoting nerve cell survival after traumatic brain injury provides a new direction and theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of traumatic brain injury. OBJECTIVE:To explore the expression changes of Lnx1 molecule in mammalian cortical neurons after brain injury and the possible mechanism involved in secondary brain injury. METHODS:Eighty adult SD rats were divided into 20 male and 20 female mice in sham operation group and 20 male and 20 female mice in traumatic brain injury group.The traumatic brain injury rat model was established by heavy falling method.At 6,12,24,48,and 72 hours after brain injury,the expression of related molecules in damaged cortical neurons was analyzed by RT-qPCR,western blot assay,and immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The brain tissue of traumatic brain injury group was bleeding and obvious tissue injury could be observed.Water content of brain tissue increased after traumatic brain injury.(2)Compared with the sham operation group,the expression of Lnx1 in cortical neurons after traumatic brain injury increased significantly at 24 hours after injury.(3)After traumatic brain injury,the expression of PBK and BCR protein decreased,and the pro-survival factor ctgf increased.(4)These findings suggest that after traumatic brain injury,the expression of Lnx1 is up-regulated in neurons,which may be due to the decrease of the expression of its target molecules PBK and BCR,and further promote the expression of living factor ctgf,which has a protective effect on the damaged neurons.
8.Small bowel video keyframe retrieval based on multi-modal contrastive learning.
Xing WU ; Guoyin YANG ; Jingwen LI ; Jian ZHANG ; Qun SUN ; Xianhua HAN ; Quan QIAN ; Yanwei CHEN
Journal of Biomedical Engineering 2025;42(2):334-342
Retrieving keyframes most relevant to text from small intestine videos with given labels can efficiently and accurately locate pathological regions. However, training directly on raw video data is extremely slow, while learning visual representations from image-text datasets leads to computational inconsistency. To tackle this challenge, a small bowel video keyframe retrieval based on multi-modal contrastive learning (KRCL) is proposed. This framework fully utilizes textual information from video category labels to learn video features closely related to text, while modeling temporal information within a pretrained image-text model. It transfers knowledge learned from image-text multimodal models to the video domain, enabling interaction among medical videos, images, and text data. Experimental results on the hyper-spectral and Kvasir dataset for gastrointestinal disease detection (Hyper-Kvasir) and the Microsoft Research video-to-text (MSR-VTT) retrieval dataset demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of KRCL, with the proposed method achieving state-of-the-art performance across nearly all evaluation metrics.
Humans
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Video Recording
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Intestine, Small/diagnostic imaging*
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Machine Learning
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Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods*
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Algorithms
9.Study on the 90-day Feeding Experimental Background Data of SD Rats for Drug Safety Evaluation
Chao QIN ; Shuangxing LI ; Tingting ZHAO ; Chenchen JIANG ; Jing ZHAO ; Yanwei YANG ; Zhi LIN ; Sanlong WANG ; Hairuo WEN
Laboratory Animal and Comparative Medicine 2025;45(4):439-448
ObjectiveTo establish background data for a 90-day feeding trial of SD rats to ensure the reliability of research data. MethodsBackground data from six independent 90-day feeding trials of SD rats conducted by the National Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs from 2020 to 2023 were summarized. These studies involved a blank control group of 120 SPF-grade 4-week-old SD rats, with an equal number of males and females, which were only given standard full-nutrient pelleted rat feed. After the quarantine period, the animals were observed for an additional 90 days, followed by intraperitoneal injection of Zoletil (50 mg/mL) for anesthesia, blood sampling, euthanasia, and necropsy. By analyzing the data from the blank control group, a relevant background database for SD rats was established. ResultsBoth male and female rats exhibited steady weight gain, with a more pronounced increase in male rats. Within 90 days, the average body weight of male and female rats increased to over 500 g and 300 g, respectively. Three weeks later, the average daily food intake of male rats stabilized at approximately 25~28 g per rat, while that of female rats remained stable at approximately 16~19 g per rat. The food utilization rate of all animals gradually decreased from the first week of the experiment. In the white blood cell (WBC) differential count results, significant differences were observed in the counts of WBCs, neutrophils (Neut), lymphocytes (Lymph), and monocytes (Mono) between males and females (P<0.001). However, there were no significant differences in the percentages of neutrophil (%Neut), lymphocyte (%Lymph), and monocyte (%Mono) between the sexes (P>0.05). The average red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin concentration (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), platelet count (PLT), prothrombin time (PT), and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) were higher in male animals than in female animals (P<0.05). The average values of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatine phosphokinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glucose (GLU), and triglyceride (TG) in male rats were higher than those in female rats (P<0.05). The urinary pH range for male animals was 5.0 to 8.5, while for female animals it was 6.5 to 9.0. The majority of male animals had a urinary specific gravity lower than 1.020, and the majority of female animals had a urinary specific gravity lower than 1.015. The weights of various organs (excluding the adrenal glands and reproductive organs) in male animals were heavier than those in female animals (P<0.001), while the organ/body weight ratios (excluding the kidneys and reproductive organs) of female animals were higher than those of male animals (P<0.001). ConclusionThis study summarizes the background reference ranges for body weight, food intake, hematology, and serum biochemistry indicators in SPF-grade SD rats in the untreated control group from six 90-day feeding trials conducted by the National Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs. It provides important reference data for related research. By summarizing the background and spontaneous histopathological changes in rats, this study aids in the standardization and normalization of subsequent research, as well as in the evaluation and analysis of abnormal results.
10.Construction of a new staging system for stage N3 gastric cancer based on the metastatic lymph node ratio
Hongyu ZHANG ; Guanghui LIU ; Yanwei YE ; Chunlin ZHAO ; Yang FU
Chinese Journal of General Surgery 2025;40(2):123-130
Objective:To explore the cut-off value of metastatic lymph node ratio (LNR) for stage N3 gastric cancer and construct a new TNM staging system to predict prognosis.Methods:Clinical data of 4 291 patients from Jan 2004 to Dec 2020 in the SEER database and 567 patients from Jan 2016 to Dec 2020 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University with stage N3 gastric cancer were collected. A new TNrM staging system and a nomogram model were constructed based on the optimal LNR cut-off value and compared with the 8th TNM staging model in terms of prognostic discrimination, prognostic prediction accuracy, and clinical usefulness.Results:The optimal cut-off value of LNR was 0.5. A TNrM staging system was constructed by combining the Nr stage with the T stage. Univariate and multivariate COX regression analyses showed that the TNrM staging system was a significant prognostic factor (all P<0.05). Based on the 8th TNM and TNrM staging system, two nomograms were constructed in the training set and externally validated in the validation set. Compared with the TNM staging model, the TNrM staging model had a larger C-index and area of time-dependent ROC curve(AUC) (training set: 3-year AUC: 66.5 vs. 74.4, 5-year AUC: 68.9 vs. 75.3; validation set: 3-year AUC: 62.3 vs. 73.1, 5-year AUC: 62.6 vs. 75.8), its overall survival prediction curves were closer to the ideal curve in the calibration curve, and its clinical net benefit was greater in the decision curves. Conclusions:Stage N3 gastric cancer patients with a metastatic lymph node ratio >0.5 have a poor prognosis. The TNrM staging nomogram model constructed based on the lymph node ratio has better prognostic discrimination ability and prediction accuracy and more clinical net benefits compared to the 8th edition of TNM staging nomogram model.

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