1.Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervenes in Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress to Treat Diabetic Microvascular Complications:A Review
Zhenlong ZHOU ; Yu DUAN ; Yutian PANG ; Ying JIA ; Mingwei LI ; Hongyu SHA ; Haichun ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(20):293-305
Diabetic microvascular complications (DMC) are major chronic complications of diabetes,primarily including diabetic kidney disease (DKD),diabetic retinopathy (DR),diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM),and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). These complications significantly impact patients' quality of life and prognosis. Modern medicine primarily focuses on symptomatic control in the treatment of DMC,with limited ability to reverse the disease progression. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS),as a central event under hyperglycemic toxicity,is not only a key cause of pancreatic β-cell dysfunction (reduced insulin synthesis and secretion) but also a core driver of damage in various target organs of DMC. It activates three signaling pathways of the unfolded protein response (UPR)-inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1),activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6),and protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK),intertwining processes such as autophagy,apoptosis,oxidative stress,and calcium homeostasis imbalance. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers multi-target and multi-pathway therapeutic advantages and can curb the pathological progression of DMC by regulating ERS. This article systematically reviews the relationships of ERS with pancreatic β-cell function,insulin synthesis,and insulin secretion,and elucidates the core signaling pathways through which ERS mediates DMC. Furthermore,it categorizes and summarizes experimental evidence and mechanisms of single medicinal herbs and their extracts,TCM compound formulas,and modern TCM preparations in regulating ERS for the treatment of various DMC subtypes. Finally,this article proposes ERS as a molecular bridge for integrating traditional Chinese and Western medicine in DMC treatment. Future research should leverage emerging technologies such as network pharmacology,multi-omics analysis,and nano-formulations to establish a synergistic network combining modern hypoglycemic drugs and TCM regulation of ERS. This approach is expected to achieve dual efficacy,enhance drug targeting and bioavailability,deepen the understanding of scientific connotation of TCM,and pave new avenues for the prevention and treatment of DMC.
2.Traditional Chinese Medicine Intervenes in Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress to Treat Diabetic Microvascular Complications:A Review
Zhenlong ZHOU ; Yu DUAN ; Yutian PANG ; Ying JIA ; Mingwei LI ; Hongyu SHA ; Haichun ZHOU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(20):293-305
Diabetic microvascular complications (DMC) are major chronic complications of diabetes,primarily including diabetic kidney disease (DKD),diabetic retinopathy (DR),diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM),and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). These complications significantly impact patients' quality of life and prognosis. Modern medicine primarily focuses on symptomatic control in the treatment of DMC,with limited ability to reverse the disease progression. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS),as a central event under hyperglycemic toxicity,is not only a key cause of pancreatic β-cell dysfunction (reduced insulin synthesis and secretion) but also a core driver of damage in various target organs of DMC. It activates three signaling pathways of the unfolded protein response (UPR)-inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (IRE1),activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6),and protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK),intertwining processes such as autophagy,apoptosis,oxidative stress,and calcium homeostasis imbalance. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers multi-target and multi-pathway therapeutic advantages and can curb the pathological progression of DMC by regulating ERS. This article systematically reviews the relationships of ERS with pancreatic β-cell function,insulin synthesis,and insulin secretion,and elucidates the core signaling pathways through which ERS mediates DMC. Furthermore,it categorizes and summarizes experimental evidence and mechanisms of single medicinal herbs and their extracts,TCM compound formulas,and modern TCM preparations in regulating ERS for the treatment of various DMC subtypes. Finally,this article proposes ERS as a molecular bridge for integrating traditional Chinese and Western medicine in DMC treatment. Future research should leverage emerging technologies such as network pharmacology,multi-omics analysis,and nano-formulations to establish a synergistic network combining modern hypoglycemic drugs and TCM regulation of ERS. This approach is expected to achieve dual efficacy,enhance drug targeting and bioavailability,deepen the understanding of scientific connotation of TCM,and pave new avenues for the prevention and treatment of DMC.
3.Clinical Research on the Use of PNF Technology in Conjunction with Intradermal Needles to Treat Patients with Shoulder and Hand Syndrome and Its Effect on Microcirculation Function and Inflammatory Factors
Yajie QIU ; Yutian YU ; Lili WANG ; Hongmin LUO ; Chengxin LI
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(6):1649-1655
Objective Watch the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation(PNF)in the treatment of patients with shoulder-hand syndrome,and to explore its relevant therapeutic mechanisms.Methods Sixty patients with shoulder-hand syndrome were split into two groups at random:thirty cases each for observation and control.The control group received both standard medication and training in rehabilitation.Intradermal needles were inserted at the Jianjing,Jianyu,Binao,Qing Lengyuan,Shouwuli,and Quchi points and left in place for 48 hours for the treatment group.The PNF treatment was administered for thirty minutes every day,five times a week,whereas the control group underwent four weeks of traditional drug treatment and rehabilitation training.Before and after therapy,the following measures were used:the Disability of the Arm,Shoulder and Hand(DASH),the Activity of Daily Living Scale(ADL),the Simplified Fugl-Meyer Scale(FMA),and the Visual Analog Scale(VAS).In order to measure changes in endothelin-1(ET-1),nitric oxide(NO),and bradykinin(BK),serum was collected.Result Scale score:①Within-group comparison,compared with before treatment,VAS and DASH scores were significantly lower,FMA,a significant rise in ADL scores,differences were statistically significant(P<0.01).②Comparison between groups,compared with the control group,observation group of DASH score significantly lower after treatment(P<0.05),a significant rise in FMA and ADL scores(P<0.05),VAS score has no obvious difference(P>0.05).Laboratory index test:①Intra-group comparison:compared with before treatment,BK and ET-1 expression levels increased,NO and CGRP expression levels decreased,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.01).②Comparison between groups:Following treatment,the observation group showed increases in BK and ET-1 expression degrees as well as decreased NO and CGRP expression degrees.This difference was statistically significant(P<0.01).Conclusions Intradermal needle combined with PNF can promote shoulder pain symptoms,increase upper limb mobility,also improve quality of life in patients with shoulder-hand syndrome.One of the mechanisms may be to upregulate the expression level of BK and ET-1,and downregulate the expression level of NO and CGRP,so as to improve the microcirculation function and reduce the neurogenic inflammatory response.
4.Clinical Research on the Use of PNF Technology in Conjunction with Intradermal Needles to Treat Patients with Shoulder and Hand Syndrome and Its Effect on Microcirculation Function and Inflammatory Factors
Yajie QIU ; Yutian YU ; Lili WANG ; Hongmin LUO ; Chengxin LI
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(6):1649-1655
Objective Watch the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation(PNF)in the treatment of patients with shoulder-hand syndrome,and to explore its relevant therapeutic mechanisms.Methods Sixty patients with shoulder-hand syndrome were split into two groups at random:thirty cases each for observation and control.The control group received both standard medication and training in rehabilitation.Intradermal needles were inserted at the Jianjing,Jianyu,Binao,Qing Lengyuan,Shouwuli,and Quchi points and left in place for 48 hours for the treatment group.The PNF treatment was administered for thirty minutes every day,five times a week,whereas the control group underwent four weeks of traditional drug treatment and rehabilitation training.Before and after therapy,the following measures were used:the Disability of the Arm,Shoulder and Hand(DASH),the Activity of Daily Living Scale(ADL),the Simplified Fugl-Meyer Scale(FMA),and the Visual Analog Scale(VAS).In order to measure changes in endothelin-1(ET-1),nitric oxide(NO),and bradykinin(BK),serum was collected.Result Scale score:①Within-group comparison,compared with before treatment,VAS and DASH scores were significantly lower,FMA,a significant rise in ADL scores,differences were statistically significant(P<0.01).②Comparison between groups,compared with the control group,observation group of DASH score significantly lower after treatment(P<0.05),a significant rise in FMA and ADL scores(P<0.05),VAS score has no obvious difference(P>0.05).Laboratory index test:①Intra-group comparison:compared with before treatment,BK and ET-1 expression levels increased,NO and CGRP expression levels decreased,the differences were statistically significant(P<0.01).②Comparison between groups:Following treatment,the observation group showed increases in BK and ET-1 expression degrees as well as decreased NO and CGRP expression degrees.This difference was statistically significant(P<0.01).Conclusions Intradermal needle combined with PNF can promote shoulder pain symptoms,increase upper limb mobility,also improve quality of life in patients with shoulder-hand syndrome.One of the mechanisms may be to upregulate the expression level of BK and ET-1,and downregulate the expression level of NO and CGRP,so as to improve the microcirculation function and reduce the neurogenic inflammatory response.
5.Exploration of “Burnt Needle” and “Red-hot Needling” in the Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor (《黄帝内经》)
Xubin LIU ; Shuang LIU ; Min JIANG ; Yutian YU
Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024;65(6):557-560
“Burnt needle” and “red-hot needling” are both mentioned in the Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor (《黄帝内经》), although they possess distinct characteristics and are not identical. Subsequent generations have erroneously employed them as interchangeable with “fire needles”, which is an incorrect designation. This article mostly relies on the original text of the Inner Canon of Yellow Emperor and provides an interpretation of their significances as follows: “burnt needle” is a broad phrase referring to needles that have been intentionally burned in order to heat them; the term “burnt needle and rapid needling” can be more accurately described as “the act of rapidly puncturing with a needle, without burning the needle if the disease exhibits hot characteristics, but requiring burning if the disease exhibits cold characteristics, and it is appropriate to puncture rapidly before burning the needle”. “Red-hot needling” refers to the process of first burning the needle and then puncturing with it, which is specific. This paper clarified the origins and differences among burnt needles, red-hot needling, red-hot needle, burning needle, warm needles and fire needle, pointing out the doctrinal diagnostic and therapeutic system based on “burnt Needle” and “red-hot needling”, can be a track for the integration of acupuncture and moxibustion.
6.Study of a patient with Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm with co-morbid neutrophilia and a novel NCOR1: : GLYR1 fusion gene
Yutian LEI ; Xiaoli ZHAO ; Huihui ZHAO ; Yu CHENG ; Shuai WANG ; Jianyong LI ; Yu ZHU
Chinese Journal of Medical Genetics 2024;41(4):404-410
Objective:To explore the genetic background for a patient with refractory myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN) with co-morbid neutrophilia patient.Methods:A MDS/MPN patient who was admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University in May 2021 was selected as the study subject. RNA sequencing was carried out to identify fusion genes in his peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Fusion gene sequence was searched through transcriptome-wide analysis with a STAR-fusion procedure. The novel fusion genes were verified by quantitative real-time PCR and Sanger sequencing.Results:The patient, a 67-year-old male, had progressive thrombocytopenia. Based on the morphological and molecular examinations, he was diagnosed as MDS/MPN with co-morbid neutropenia, and was treated with demethylating agents and Bcl-2 inhibitors. Seventeen months after the diagnosis, he had progressed to AML. A novel fusion gene NCOR1: : GLYR1 was identified by RNA-sequencing in his peripheral blood sample, which was verified by quantitative real-time PCR and Sanger sequencing. The patient had attained morphological remission after a DCAG regimen (a combinatory chemotherapy of decitabine, cytarabine, aclarubicin and granulocyte colony-stimulating factors) plus Chidamide treatment. A significant decrease in the NCOR1: : GLYR1 expression was revealed by quantitative real-time PCR at post-chemotherapy evaluation. Conclusion:NCOR1: : GLYR1 gene is considered as the pathogenic factor for the MDS/MPN patient with neutropenia.
7.Multiepitope recognition technology promotes the in-depth analysis of antibody‒drug conjugates.
Yutian LEI ; Yuan SHEN ; Feng CHEN ; Rui HE ; Zhang ZHANG ; Ying ZHOU ; Jin-Chen YU ; Jacques CROMMEN ; Zhengjin JIANG ; Qiqin WANG
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 2024;14(11):4962-4976
The dynamic tracking of antibody‒drug conjugates (ADCs) in serum is crucial. However, a versatile bioanalytical platform is lacking due to serious matrix interferences, the heterogeneity and complex biotransformation of ADCs, and the recognition deficiencies of traditional affinity technologies. To overcome this, a multiepitope recognition technology (MERT) was developed by simultaneously immobilizing CDR and non-CDR ligands onto MOF@AuNPs. MERT's excellent specificity, ultrahigh ligand density, and potential synergistic recognition ability enable it to target the different key regions of ADCs to overcome the deficiencies of traditional technologies. The binding capacity of MERT for antibodies is ten to hundred times higher than that of the mono-epitope or Fc-specific affinity technologies. Since MERT can efficiently capture target ADCs from serum, a novel bioanalytical platform based on MERT and RPLC‒QTOF-MS has been developed to monitor the dynamic changes of ADCs in serum, including the fast changes of drug-to-antibody ratio from 3.67 to 0.22, the loss of payloads (maytansinol), and the unexpected hydrolysis of the succinimide ring of the linker, which will contribute to clarify the fate of ADCs and provide a theoretical basis for future design. In summary, the MERT-based versatile platform will open a new avenue for in-depth studies of ADCs in biological fluids.
8.Efficacy and safety of gilteritinib combined with chemotherapy in newly diagnosed FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia
Yutian LEI ; Xiaoli ZHAO ; Ming HONG ; Wenjie LIU ; Qian SUN ; Sixuan QIAN ; Shuai WANG ; Yu ZHU
Chinese Journal of Hematology 2024;45(12):1129-1133
This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of gilteritinib combined with chemotherapy in treating newly diagnosed FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We retrospectively collected clinical data from 16 patients newly diagnosed with FLT3-mutated AML at Jiangsu Province Hospital. Patients received induction therapy with the classic "3 + 7" regimen or the VA regimen, and all patients were immediately supplied with gilteritinib after detecting FLT3-ITD/TKD mutations. Of the 16 patients, 12 were male and 4 were female, with a median age of 52.5 years (range: 15-76 years). Additionally, 15 patients had FLT3-ITD mutations and 1 had FLT3-TKD mutation. The complete remission (CR/CRi) rate was 93.8% (15/16) after the first cycle of gilteritinib-based induction therapy, with 13 patients achieving MRD negativity detected with flow cytometry. All patients achieved a CR MRD- during the consolidation phase. FLT3 mutation clearance was achieved among all 14 patients who underwent next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis. The 12-month overall survival and relapse-free survival rates were both 73.9%, respectively, with a median followup of 18 months. Nine (56.2%) patients experienced infectious fever during the induction therapy. Three patients had grade 3 QTc prolongation during consolidation and maintenance therapy. Treatment-related adverse events were generally tolerable.
9.Application of E-cervix elastography technology in pregnant women with threatened preterm birth: an analysis of 120 cases
Yutian MIAO ; Yu LONG ; Yingchun LUO ; Shuai ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Perinatal Medicine 2024;27(8):656-661
Objective:To evaluate the cervical elasticity in pregnant women with singleton pregnancies exhibiting symptoms of threatened preterm labor using E-cervix elastography, and provide a basis for assessing the risk of preterm birth.Methods:This prospective cohort study included pregnant women with singleton pregnancies between 20 +0 and 32 +6 weeks of gestation and no history of preterm birth who developed symptoms of threatened preterm labor and attended the obstetrics outpatient clinic of the Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital from May 2022 to May 2023. Several cervical elastography data, including cervical length (CL), hardness ratio (HR), internal ostium (IOS), and external ostium (EOS), were obtained using E-cervix technology, and the differences in these data were compared between women with different pregnancy outcomes (preterm or full-term birth) or different CLs. Statistical analysis was performed using covariance analysis (adjusted for gestational age), Chi-square test or corrected Chi-square test, and Pearson correlation analysis. Results:A total of 120 pregnant women were included, with 39 (32.5%) in the preterm group and 81 (67.5%) in the full-term group. There were 41 women (34.2%) with CL≤25 mm and 79 (65.8%) with CL>25 mm. Among the 41 women with CL≤25 mm, 26 had preterm birth and 15 delivered at term. Compared with the full-term group, the preterm group had a lower cervical HR [(35.75±8.94)% vs. (61.30±10.69)%, F=156.88], but higher IOS and EOS (0.47±0.13 vs. 0.31±0.09, F=54.99; 0.45±0.11 vs. 0.34±0.08, F=34.57) (all P<0.001). The patients with CL≤25 mm had a lower cervical HR [(43.17±14.32)% vs. (58.09±13.94)%, F=26.03], but higher IOS and EOS (0.46±0.14 vs. 0.32±0.08, F=38.71; 0.44±0.12 vs.0.34±0.08, F=21.36) as compared with those with CL>25 mm, with all differences being statistically significant (all P<0.001). Among the women with CL≤25 mm, preterm birth cases had lower cervical HR but higher IOS and EOS than those delivered at term (all P<0.001). In both CL≤25 mm and CL>25 mm groups, the preterm birth rate was higher in patients with HR<50% than in those with HR≥50% [95.5% (21/22) vs. 5/19, χ2=21.01, P<0.001; 61.9% (13/21) vs. 0.0% (0/58), corrected χ2=38.59, P<0.001]. Besides, an increased preterm birth rate was also observed in patients with HR<40% as compared with those with HR≥40% regardless of the CL [CL≤25 mm: 18/18 vs. 34.8% (8/23), χ2=18.51, P<0.001; CL>25 mm: 11/14 vs. 3.1% (2/65), corrected χ2=42.42, P<0.001]. Pearson correlation analysis showed that there was a significant positive correlation between CL and HR ( r=0.51, P<0.001). Conclusion:E-cervix elastography can quantify the hardness of cervical tissue, and identify truly "soft" cervices that are associated with high risk of preterm birth, showing great potential as a more efficient new technology for predicting preterm birth.
10.Efficacy and safety of gilteritinib combined with chemotherapy in newly diagnosed FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia
Yutian LEI ; Xiaoli ZHAO ; Ming HONG ; Wenjie LIU ; Qian SUN ; Sixuan QIAN ; Shuai WANG ; Yu ZHU
Chinese Journal of Hematology 2024;45(12):1129-1133
This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of gilteritinib combined with chemotherapy in treating newly diagnosed FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We retrospectively collected clinical data from 16 patients newly diagnosed with FLT3-mutated AML at Jiangsu Province Hospital. Patients received induction therapy with the classic "3 + 7" regimen or the VA regimen, and all patients were immediately supplied with gilteritinib after detecting FLT3-ITD/TKD mutations. Of the 16 patients, 12 were male and 4 were female, with a median age of 52.5 years (range: 15-76 years). Additionally, 15 patients had FLT3-ITD mutations and 1 had FLT3-TKD mutation. The complete remission (CR/CRi) rate was 93.8% (15/16) after the first cycle of gilteritinib-based induction therapy, with 13 patients achieving MRD negativity detected with flow cytometry. All patients achieved a CR MRD- during the consolidation phase. FLT3 mutation clearance was achieved among all 14 patients who underwent next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis. The 12-month overall survival and relapse-free survival rates were both 73.9%, respectively, with a median followup of 18 months. Nine (56.2%) patients experienced infectious fever during the induction therapy. Three patients had grade 3 QTc prolongation during consolidation and maintenance therapy. Treatment-related adverse events were generally tolerable.

Result Analysis
Print
Save
E-mail